MAK LABS — Class 5 English Chapter 8 The Decision of the Panchayat — Question Answers

AAnswer the following questions.

1. Why did the farmer buy the well?
The farmer needed water for his fields. So he bought the well from his neighbour.

2. Why did the farmer become upset?
The neighbour did not let him take water from the well. He said that he had sold only the well, not the water.

3. How did the Panchayat solve the problem?
The Panchayat met under the banyan tree. The members heard both sides. Then they discussed the matter and gave a wise judgment.

4. What was the final judgment given by the Panchayat?
The Panchayat said that if the water belonged to the neighbour, he could not keep it in the farmer’s well. He must remove the water or use it up at once. Otherwise, the water would belong to the owner of the well.

BThink and discuss.

1. Do you think the decision of the Panchayat was correct?

Sample answer

Yes, the decision was correct. It was fair and wise. It taught the cunning neighbour that cheating does not help.

2. Radha and Sita fight for your extra painting box. How would you be fair to both of them?

Sample answer

I would ask them to share the box and paint together. Or, each of them could use it for half the time.

3. Who said to whom:

a. “I sold only the well, not the water.” — The neighbour said this to the farmer (and later to the Panchayat).
b. “Remove the water or use it all up immediately.” — The village chief said this to the neighbour.
c. “He is not letting me take the water.” — The farmer said this to the village chief.

AMatch the words with their meanings.

Word	Meaning
1. prospered	f. to grow wealthy
2. cunning	a. clever in a tricky way
3. worried	e. very upset
4. summon	c. to order someone to come to a particular place
5. adamant	b. refusing to change one’s mind
6. judgment	d. a decision made by a group

BFill in the blanks with the correct prepositions.

1. The farmer went to the village chief to explain his problem.
2. The neighbour was standing at the well, blocking the way.
3. The villagers tried to reason with the cunning man.
4. The decision was made after careful consideration of both sides.
5. There lived a farmer in the small village.
6. The Panchayat members listened to both the sides before coming to a decision.
7. The villagers gathered under the banyan tree.
8. The neighbour was punished for his dishonesty.
9. The chief listened carefully to both the farmer and the neighbour.
10. The villagers agreed to meet at a later time to discuss the issue.
11. The farmer decided to buy a well after buying his third field.

CRearrange the events in the correct order.

1. Sam decided to go for a walk in the forest near his house.

2. Sam walked along the narrow path, listening to the sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling.

3. Sam sat by a small stream to rest and enjoy the peaceful sound of the water.

4. After resting, Sam continued his walk, feeling refreshed.

5. Sam felt grateful for the time he spent in nature.

Correct order: 3, 4, 1, 5, 2.

Look at the pictures. What do you think will happen next?

Sample answer

A coconut falls from the tall tree with a loud thud. It lands very close to the boy. The boy gets scared, but he is not hurt. His mother and the neighbours come running. They are glad that the boy is safe. The family breaks the coconut and shares the sweet coconut water with the neighbours. Everyone decides that children should not play under a coconut tree.

AImagine you are the farmer. Write a letter to your friend about the incident and the decision of the Panchayat.

Sample answer

My dear friend,
Something happened last week, which I want to tell you. I wanted to buy a well for my new field. So I bought my neighbour’s well. But the next day, he did not let me take water. He said that he had sold only the well, not the water. I was very worried. I went to the village chief. The Panchayat met under the banyan tree. The chief said that if the water was his, he must take it out of my well at once. My neighbour could not do it. He had to pay a fine and say sorry to me. I am very happy now.
Your loving friend,
Ramu

BAdd the suffix ‘less’ to the words.

Use + less = useless
Care + less = careless
Hope + less = hopeless
Fear + less = fearless
Colour + less = colourless

Sample answer

This broken pen is useless. Do not be careless on the road. The team did not feel hopeless. The soldier was fearless. Water is colourless.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa — choose the correct option.

1. Where did Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa live? — b. A small village in West Bengal.
2. Who was the curious boy that became his student? — b. Swami Vivekananda (Naren)
3. What kind of life did Sri Ramakrishna live? — b. A simple and loving life.
4. What did Sri Ramakrishna compare religions to? — c. Rivers flowing to the ocean
5. What did Sri Ramakrishna teach Naren? — d. To find peace

AThe Neem Tree — answer the following questions.

1. Where can you find neem trees?
We can find neem trees near our house, near the school or beside the road.

2. Why do you think ‘neem’ is called a magic tree?
Almost every part of the neem tree is used for medicine. So it is called a magic tree.

3. What happens when dry neem leaves are burnt?
When dry neem leaves are burnt, the mosquitoes disappear.

4. Why do people put neem leaves in clothes and rice containers?
Neem leaves keep away insects and pests.

5. How are neem twigs used?
Neem twigs are used as a toothbrush to clean the teeth.

6. Find the meaning of the word ‘disappear’.
b. Vanish

7. Find the word in the passage which means ‘a short stick’.
c. Twig

BPoint out 11 differences in the two pictures.

1. The sun has rays in the first picture but no rays in the second.
2. The tulsi plant has more leaves in the first picture.
3. The border of the hand fan is blue in the first picture and yellow in the second.
4. The woman has curly locks of hair near her face in the first picture.
5. She wears a nose pin in the first picture but not in the second.
6. Her hair is tied in a bun in the first picture but not in the second.
7. The saree border on her shoulder has pink star designs in the first picture and blue paisley (mango) designs in the second.
8. The end of the pallu has pink stars in the first picture and paisley designs in the second.
9. The bottom border of the saree is different in the two pictures.
10. There are three steps in the first picture but only two in the second.
11. The slippers on the mat are blue in the first picture and yellow in the second.

Chapter 8: The Decision of the Panchayat

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