Question Before Reading I
Solve the anagram clues for the crossword.
Steps only
Rearrange the clue letters and check crossings.
Answer
Across: cleared, stuck, earth, left, owns, words, live. Down: case, dear, loot, slap, shook, name, solve.
CLASS 8 · POORVI · CHAPTER 3
Mystery and Magic
Simple, original answers for The Case of the Fifth Word, The Magic Brush of Dreams, and Spectacular Wonders.
29 worked answersOriginal sample responses
29 worked answers · short steps first, explanations when you need them
The Case of the Fifth Word
Textbook pages NCERT Poorvi, Class 8, Unit 3
Question Let us Discuss I–II
Complete the statements about Leroy and the Browns, decide whether Leroy’s help is needed, and identify the facts/opinions and character traits in the story.
Steps only
Use story evidence; distinguish verifiable facts from beliefs.
Answer
Leroy’s knowledge earns his nickname, and he helps decode the clue. Traits: humble, keen listener, clever. Opinion examples: 2 and 7.
Question Let us Think and Reflect I–II
Answer the extract questions and explain the characters’ actions, the coded message, and Leroy’s qualities.
Steps only
Use the story’s clues and explain what each one suggests.
Answer
Chief Brown values Leroy’s quiet skill. The calendar words hide weekdays; the missing Friday (‘Fri’) points to the fir tree where the jewels were buried.
Question Let us Learn III–IV
Solve the picture word puzzles and correct the spoonerisms by switching their first sounds.
Steps only
Use layout clues for rebuses and switch the first sounds in spoonerisms.
Answer
Spoonerisms: pouring with rain; master plan; warm blanket; cars and trucks; take a shower; read a book; pardon me, madam. Item 1 appears misprinted; likely ‘sitting hen’.
Question Let us Learn VI–IX
Join the sentences with the given relative words and change the questions into reported speech.
Steps only
Use statement word order in reported questions and shift pronouns and time words.
Answer
where the incident occurred; the teacher who is nearly sixty; the day when half the class was absent. Report questions with ‘asked’, statement word order, and ‘whether’ for yes/no questions.
Question Let us Listen I–II
Mark the observation-skills statements true or false and complete the exact-word blanks from the podcast.
Steps only
The podcast recommends slowing down, using senses, asking questions, note-taking, and mindfulness.
Answer
True, False, True, True. Blanks: take your time; information; curious; details; present.
Question Let us Speak, Let us Write and Let us Explore
Prepare a group discussion on mystery stories, write an event report, and complete the vocabulary and reference-book activities.
Steps only
Use evidence and turn-taking in discussion; structure the report by event sequence.
Answer
A mystery has clues, suspense, and a fair solution. A report needs a title/byline, event details, sequence, and result. An encyclopedia covers topics; a dictionary explains words; a thesaurus gives synonyms.
Question Before Reading II
Match the different meanings of the word “case” with its sentences.
Steps only
Read the whole sentence
Answer
1 iii; 2 iv; 3 ii; 4 i.
Question Let us Think and Reflect
Explain how Leroy solves the mystery and what the story shows about observation.
Steps only
Notice the coded message
Answer
The four words hide Monday to Thursday with ‘day’ removed. The missing fifth day is Friday (‘Fri’), so Leroy looks under the fir tree and finds the jewels.
Question Let us Think and Reflect
Why were Nolan and Davenport connected, and why did Chief Brown suspect them?
Steps only
Use the clues and relationships in the story
Answer
Their shared past and Davenport’s disappearance after the robbery support Chief Brown’s suspicion.
Question Let us Learn I
Match the phrasal verbs to their meanings and complete the sentences.
Steps only
Use the meaning in each sentence
Answer
put on—wear; cooled down—calmed; turned up—appeared; make of—understand; figure out—solve; got away with—escaped punishment.
Question Let us Learn II
Complete the sentences with the correct homophones.
Steps only
Check the sentence meaning
Answer
week/weak; four/fore; brake/break; piece/peace; dyeing/dying.
Question Let us Learn V
Complete the paragraph with suitable relative words and conjunctions.
Steps only
Check what each blank connects
Answer
who; where; though; why; which; when; how; because.
Question Let us Write
Write a short mystery ending in which a careful clue helps solve the problem.
Steps only
Introduce a small mystery and one clue
Answer
State the mystery, show the clue, and explain how it leads to the answer.
The Magic Brush of Dreams
Textbook pages NCERT Poorvi, Class 8, Unit 3
Question Before Reading I–III
Discuss a magical object and a kind act, then group the poem’s words as things, actions, or emotions.
Steps only
Explain your choices; group words by whether they name things, actions, or feelings.
Answer
Sample: draw useful things for people. Things: paintbrush, fortress, twig, drawing. Actions: winding, bows. Feelings/sensations: joy, fear, cold.
Question Let us Discuss I–VI
Put the poem’s events in order and answer the questions about tone, rhyme, imagery, symbols, and theme.
Steps only
Track the story in order, then connect each mood and symbol to events.
Answer
Order: 9, 3, 1, 7, 2, 5, 6, 4, 8, 10. Tone: playful; suspenseful; celebratory. Rhyme: ABCB. Genre: narrative/ballad. Brush = helpful imagination; fortress = greed; river/beast = protection. True.
Question Let us Think and Reflect I–II
Answer the extract and reflection questions about the giver, Gopi, the Zamindar, and the magic brush.
Steps only
Use actions as evidence for character and theme.
Answer
Gopi is kind and brave; she uses the brush to help poor people. The Zamindar is greedy and wants wealth. Her escape and the village feast show courage, freedom, and shared joy.
Question Let us Learn I–III
Match the meanings of ‘draw’, solve the poem crossword clues, and match exclamations to reactions.
Steps only
Use context for ‘draw’, then match each clue or exclamation to its meaning.
Answer
Draw: reaction, attract, absorb, move, open, pull out. Exclamations: Phew relief; Eek alarm; Ouch pain; Yippee delight; Whoa surprise; Oops mistake; Hey attention.
Question Let us Listen and Let us Speak
Match the five speakers’ wished-for powers and practise making formal and informal requests.
Steps only
Match the speaker’s stated reason; make requests politely for the audience.
Answer
Healing—iv; weather—v; predicting the future—i; quick learning/memory—ii; travel without vehicles—iii. Statements 2 and 4 are unused.
Question Let us Write and Let us Explore
Write an imaginative essay, answer the riddles, and describe a magical object you would create.
Steps only
Give your essay a beginning, a sequence of events, and a lesson; solve each riddle from its clue.
Answer
Riddles: sound, footsteps, map, candle. Essay: describe a magical journey and what you learned. Object idea: a seed lantern that grows plants.
Question Let us Think and Reflect
Explain the main conflict and what the story teaches about using a special gift.
Steps only
Follow how the gift affects the characters
Answer
Gopi uses the brush to help the poor and outwit the greedy Zamindar. The poem teaches us to use gifts for others and stand up to unfairness.
Question Let us Discuss and Let us Write
Describe what you would draw if you had a magic brush and explain your choice.
Steps only
Choose something that helps others
Answer
I would draw something useful, such as a clean-water filter, and explain whom it would help.
Spectacular Wonders
Textbook pages NCERT Poorvi, Class 8, Unit 3
Question Before Reading I–IV
Sort the pictured wonders into natural and man-made groups, then share examples and ideas about nature’s power.
Steps only
Natural wonders form in nature; people build man-made wonders.
Answer
Natural: Valley of Flowers, Lonar Crater Lake, Magnetic Hill, Sundarbans. Man-made: Kallanai Dam, Nalanda, Hampi, Statue of Unity. Answers to the picture sort should follow the images.
Question Let us Discuss and Let us Think and Reflect I–II
Complete the natural phenomena table and answer the questions about the introductory and Chandipur Beach extracts.
Steps only
Pair each wonder with its location and a distinctive feature; use the passage to justify answers.
Answer
Root bridges—Meghalaya; Lonar—Buldhana, Maharashtra; Magnetic Hill—Ladakh; glowing waters—Kumbalangi, Kerala; Sundarbans—West Bengal; Chandipur—Balasore, Odisha. At Chandipur, ebb tide makes the sea retreat and later return.
Question Let us Learn I–III
Complete the expressions, choose the matching synonyms, and match the binomials with their meanings.
Steps only
Use context for the expressions and learn each binomial as a fixed pair.
Answer
Synonyms: enigmatic, colossal, spectacular, serene, exotic. Binomials: odds and ends—miscellaneous things; on and off—occasionally; mix and match—combine; all or nothing—complete choice; part and parcel—essential part; pick and choose—select; sooner or later—eventually; leaps and bounds—rapid progress.
Question Let us Learn IV–VI
Complete the participle blanks, identify gerunds and participles, and combine the sentence pairs.
Steps only
An -ing word describing a noun is a participle; one acting as a noun is a gerund.
Answer
Blanks: glowing, amazing, carved, standing, scattered. Gerunds: Travelling, cooking, Reading. Participles: falling, shimmering, Forgetting. Combined: Walking carelessly, Smitha slipped; Sleeping eight hours is healthy; Feeling happy, Ranjith called; Father encouraged Meena’s joining the course.
Question Let us Listen, Let us Speak, Let us Write and Let us Explore
Answer the listening statements, prepare a short place presentation, and write a descriptive essay about a natural wonder.
Steps only
Use the dialogue for listening and organise speaking/writing with clear facts and description.
Answer
True listening statements: 2, 4, 5, 6. A place presentation should give location, attractions, local life, best season, and a reason to visit. A descriptive essay needs a title, introduction, body, and conclusion. The glowing insect is a firefly, also called a lightning bug.
Question Let us Think and Reflect
How do natural or human-made wonders show people’s creativity and the value of careful observation?
Steps only
Use details from the examples
Answer
The chapter describes seven Indian natural wonders, including Meghalaya’s root bridges, Lonar’s meteorite crater, Kerala’s glowing waters, and Chandipur’s retreating tide. They teach us about nature and local knowledge.
Question Let us Speak and Write
Prepare a short presentation about a wonder you would like to visit.
Steps only
Include its name, location, and reason
Answer
Name the wonder, say where it is, explain why you chose it, and mention how to protect it.