CBSE Class VIII English Poorvi Unit 3 MYSTERY AND MAGIC — THE CASE OF THE FIFTH WORD Questions and Answers

UNIT 3: MYSTERY AND MAGIC — THE CASE OF THE FIFTH WORD

Before We Read Activities

Activity I: Work in pairs. Solve the crossword puzzle given below with the clues in the form of anagrams.

Figure 1: Crossword Puzzle Grid

Answers to Crossword Anagrams:

Across:

• 3. Declare → RECLAD
• 6. Tucks → STUCK
• 7. Heart → EARTH
• 9. Felt → LEFT
• 10. Sown → SNOW
• 12. Sword → WORDS
• 13. Evil → LIVE

Down:

• 1. Aces → CASE
• 2. Read → DARE
• 4. Tool → LOOT
• 5. Alps → PALS
• 6. Hooks → SHOOK
• 8. Mane → NAME
• 11. Loves → SOLVE

Activity II: Work in pairs. Match the different meanings of 'case' in Column 2 with the correct usage in the sentences in Column 1.

Column 1 (Sentences)	Column 2 (Meanings)
1. Lalit said that he could not sing but that was not the case as he sang melodiously later.	(iii) situation
2. The lawyer was waiting for the case to be taken up in court.	(iv) matter
3. My pencil case is a gift from my grandmother.	(ii) container
4. The subject of a formal letter is written in title case.	(i) writing format

Text Reading Question: Now, read the following text and find out which 'case' the title refers to.

Answer: The title refers to a police investigation or a legal/crime matter (meaning (iv) matter / police investigation).

Let us discuss (Page 104)

I. Complete the following statements with suitable reasons:

1. Leroy's nickname was Encyclopedia and everyone called him by that name because he read more books than anyone in Idaville, never forgot a fact, and his head was filled with facts from A to Z like a library and computer rolled into one.
2. At the dinner table on Tuesday night, Chief Brown stared at his cream-of-mushroom soup as he had a mystery case that he could not solve.
3. Encyclopedia sat quietly at the dinner table because he knew his mother and father were discussing the case for his benefit.
4. Nolan put the will on the kitchen table because he suffered a stroke, realised he was dying, and wanted to leave everything he owned, including his palm-tree nursery, to Davenport.

II. Do you think Chief Brown would need Leroy's help to solve this case? If yes, why? If no, why not?

Yes, Chief Brown would need Leroy's help. Even though Chief Brown was smart and quick, he had no clues from searching Nolan's house and could not decode the four mysterious words written on the calendar sheet attached to Nolan's will. Leroy was needed to break the code and find the hidden stolen jewellery.

Let us discuss (Pages 107–108)

I. Identify which of the following statements from part I and II of the story are facts or opinions:

1. Encyclopedia's father was the Chief of Police. — Fact
2. Everyone thought that Chief Brown must be the smartest police chief in the country. — Opinion
3. An encyclopedia is a book or set of books filled with facts from A to Z. — Fact
4. Leroy's friends said that he was like a library and computer rolled into one, and more user-friendly. — Opinion
5. Two masked men held up the Diamond Mart on Sixth Avenue. — Fact
6. Nolan and Davenport had met while both were in prison in South Carolina. — Fact
7. Chief Brown's hunch was that Davenport and Nolan decided to hide the loot until things cooled down. — Opinion
8. Nolan wrote a four words code to tell Davenport where he had hidden the stolen jewellery. — Fact

II. Complete the table by choosing the character traits of Leroy given in the box below:

Textual Evidences	Traits
1. He read more books than anyone in Idaville, and he never forgot a fact.	knowledgeable
2. Encyclopedia never spoke of the help he gave his father. He didn't want to seem different from other boys.	humble
3. Encyclopedia sat quietly. He knew his mother and father were discussing the case for his benefit.	keen listener
4. Usually, he needed to ask only one question to solve a case before dessert.	cleverness

Let us think and reflect

I. Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow:

Extract 1: "Chief Brown would have liked to tell everyone about his only child. But who would believe him? Who would believe that the best detective alive was an eighth grader? So, he said nothing..."

1. Chief Brown's dilemma can be called unique because his eighth-grade son was the best detective alive who solved difficult police cases, but no one would believe him if he told them.
2. What can be inferred about why Encyclopedia never spoke of the help he gave his father?
   Answer: C. He desires to blend with the other boys to prevent seeming different.
3. The parents choose not to call their son 'Encyclopedia'. Select the reason that is false.
   Answer: C. They want him to be remembered as different from the others around.
4. What does the writer mean by the fact that Leroy was 'stuck with' the name Encyclopedia?
   Answer: It means that although Leroy did not choose the nickname himself and preferred not to stand out, everyone except his parents and teachers called him by that name, and he could not change it.

Extract 2: "Chief Brown studied the four words: Nom Utes Sweden Hurts. He shook his head and passed the notebook to Mrs. Brown again. "Can you figure it out?"..."

1. What does Chief Brown's reaction of shaking his head suggest about his understanding of the four words?
   Answer: B. He is confused, unable to make sense of the words.
2. Identify whether the given statement is true or false: Mrs. Brown explained the actual meanings of the individual words rather than decoding the hidden message behind them.
   Answer: True
3. What does Mrs. Brown's inability to decode the words suggest about the message?
   Answer: It suggests that the message was a clever code created specifically for someone looking for a hiding place and could not be understood literally through regular word definitions or grammar.
4. Complete the following sentence suitably: The purpose of Encyclopedia's reminder in the last line of the extract was to refocus the discussion on the context of the crime.

II. Answer the following questions:

1. Nolan and Davenport were very close. Support this statement with evidence from the text.
   Evidence from the text shows that they met and became friendly in prison due to shared interests. Davenport came to live with Nolan before the robbery, they executed the hold-up together, and Nolan left everything he owned, including his nursery, to Davenport in his will while leaving him a secret code to find the hidden loot.
2. Why did Davenport disappear right after the jewellery hold-up? What might his plans have been if Nolan had not died?
   Davenport disappeared to avoid getting caught by the police while waiting for things to cool down. If Nolan had not died, Davenport likely planned to remain in hiding until it was safe, retrieve the hidden jewellery with Nolan, and split the proceeds.
3. What does Mrs. Brown's interest in the case tell us about her?
   Her interest shows that she is supportive of her family, curious, intelligent, and actively engages in analytical thinking and family discussions at the dinner table.
4. Explain why Chief Brown was proud of his son.
   Chief Brown was proud because Leroy was extraordinarily smart, possessive of vast knowledge, and able to solve complex mysteries that even experienced police officers could not figure out.
5. Why were Chief Brown's suspicions regarding Nolan and Davenport justified, even when there was a lack of concrete proof?
   His suspicions were justified because Nolan and Davenport were former prison mates who lived together right before the robbery, a clerk tentatively recognized Nolan during the hold-up, Davenport vanished immediately after the robbery, and Nolan left his entire estate to Davenport upon his death.
6. Analyse the role of the four-word coded message in the story.
   The four-word coded message ("Nom Utes Sweden Hurts") serves as the central puzzle of the story. Written on a calendar page, it cleverly concealed the location of the stolen jewellery by abbreviating days of the week (Monday through Thursday), pointing to the fifth word/day (Fir/Friday), which revealed that the loot was buried under the fir tree.
7. Write a character sketch on Leroy with the help of the character traits table given in 'Let us discuss' section.
   Encyclopedia was a knowledgeable eighth grader who never forgot a fact that he read. Known to his friends as Encyclopedia because his head was packed with facts from A to Z, he was like a library and computer combined. Despite his extraordinary intelligence and cleverness in solving difficult police cases, Leroy remained remarkably humble and gentle. He never boasted about helping his father, as he preferred to fit in with other boys. He was also a keen listener who quietly gathered details from his parents' discussions before using critical thinking to solve mysteries effortlessly.

Let us learn

I. Match the phrasal verbs from the text given in Column 1 with their meanings in Column 2. Then fill in the blanks.

Matching:

• 1. put on — (iv) wear (clothes, hat, etc.)
• 2. cooled down — (iii) became normal or calmed
• 3. turned up — (i) appeared, been discovered
• 4. make of — (vi) have an idea or understanding of something
• 5. figure out — (ii) solve a problem
• 6. got away with — (v) escaped without being punished

Fill in the blanks:

1. Finally, some important evidence about the case has turned up.
2. After I figured out I understood that I had made a big mistake.
3. I couldn't figure out why he was angry with me.
4. He put on his special coat and went to his friend's birthday party.
5. Ravi forgets to do his homework but he got away with it as teacher didn't ask for it that day.
6. I do not know what to make of his behaviour.

II. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences by choosing the correct word pairs from the box given below:

1. After running for 50 kilometres last week I felt weak for two days.
2. When the committee met yesterday, they brought four local cases to the fore.
3. While learning to drive, Rina used too much force on the brake causing the car to break down.
4. He has composed a beautiful piece of music in order to bring peace to thousands of people.
5. She was busy dyeing her hair not caring about the dying flowers in her garden.

III. Work in pairs to solve the puzzles given in the illustrations below and infer what they say:

Figure 2: Visual Word Puzzles (Rebus Riddles)

• SECRET / SECRET / SECRET (with arrow to top) → Top secret (Example given)
• AGED AGED AGED → Middle aged
• Try stand / 2 → Try to understand
• ↑ uu → Up to you
• GO (It It It It) → Go for it
• sense sense / sense sense / sense (sense) → Sixth sense
• M1LLION → One in a million
• ONCE (Clock at 12) → Once upon a time
• R O ROADS D S → Crossroads

IV. Find the correct order for the following spoonerisms:

1. knowing sits → sewing kits
2. it's roaring with pain → it's pouring with rain
3. plaster man → master plan
4. blarm wanket → warm blanket
5. tars and crucks → cars and trucks
6. shake a tower → take a shower
7. bead a rook → read a book
8. mardon me padam → pardon me madam

V. Fill in the blanks with the words in the box given below to complete the sentences (Detective story):

Detective stories are exciting, keeping readers guessing (i) who the real culprit is. They take place in settings (ii) where clues are hidden carefully. (iii) Though the mystery seems tricky, a clever detective always finds answers. Readers often wonder (iv) why criminals leave small but important clues. The challenge is to decide (v) which suspect is guilty. (vi) When the truth is revealed, everything makes sense. But one may wonder (vii) how they could have solved it themselves. These stories are fun (viii) because they make readers think till the very end.

VI. Combine the following pairs of sentences using the word given in brackets:

1. We gave him the signal. He was waiting for the signal. (that)
   Answer: We gave him the signal that he was waiting for.
2. We went to a place. The incident occurred there. (where)
   Answer: We went to a place where the incident occurred.
3. Teacher said she would retire soon. She is now nearly sixty. (who)
   Answer: The teacher who is now nearly sixty said she would retire soon.
4. It was the day. Half the class was absent. (when)
   Answer: It was the day when half the class was absent.

VII. Follow the steps to transform the sentences given as examples from direct speech to indirect speech:

1. "What's suspicious about that?" Mrs. Brown asked.
   Answer: Mrs. Brown asked what was suspicious about that.
2. "What do you make of the four words, Leroy?"
   Answer: Mrs. Brown questioned Leroy what he made of the four words.
3. "Wasn't he mixed up in a jewellery robbery a few years ago?"
   Answer: Mrs. Brown inquired if he hadn't been mixed up in a jewellery robbery a few years before.
4. "Didn't you search Nolan's house, dear?"
   Answer: Mrs. Brown asked Chief Brown whether he hadn't searched Nolan's house.
5. "Is there a young fir tree in Mr. Nolan's palm-tree nursery?"
   Answer: Mrs. Brown inquired if there was a young fir tree in Mr. Nolan's palm-tree nursery.

VIII. Rewrite the following sentences in Reported Speech:

1. "Why did you stop talking to me?" asked Rohan.
   Answer: Rohan questioned why I had stopped talking to him.
2. "Did you enjoy the family gathering yesterday?" asked my aunt.
   Answer: My aunt asked if I had enjoyed the family gathering the day before.
3. "When will you visit us again?" asked my grandmother.
   Answer: My grandmother inquired when we would visit them again.
4. Madavi said to Ravi, "Will you come with me to meet our old teacher tomorrow?" asked Madavi.
   Answer: Madavi asked Ravi if he would go with her to meet their old teacher the following day.
5. My friend said, "What gift are you planning to give your brother?"
   Answer: My friend inquired what gift I was planning to give my brother.
6. "Shall I carry these notebooks to the staffroom, Ma'am?" asked Veenu.
   Answer: Veenu asked her teacher if she should carry those notebooks to the staffroom.

IX. Complete the paragraph by transforming the dialogue into indirect speech:

Figure 3: Suspect near the lift

Aditi asked Rahul 1. if he had seen anyone leave a package near the lift.

Rahul replied that he had noticed a man wearing a blue jacket drop it off.

Aditi asked Rahul 2. what time he had seen that happen.

Rahul replied that it had been around 6.45 p.m.

Aditi further inquired 3. whether he had been able to see his face.

Rahul said that he had worn a hood, so he couldn't see his face.

Let us listen

I. Mark the statements 1–4 as true or false based on the podcast:

1. Observation skills help improve your common sense. — False (The text states it improves awareness, decision making, and memory).
2. Rushing through tasks helps you focus better and observe more. — False (Rushing leads to missed details).
3. Taking notes or making sketches helps with what you observe. — True
4. Incorporating tips on observation skills will soon lead to success. — True

II. Complete the given sentences by filling in the blanks with one to three exact words you hear:

1. It is important to slow down and take your time to notice several aspects around you more clearly.
2. The more senses like hearing and smelling you use, the more information you absorb.
3. People who are curious tend to be better observers because they seek to understand what they notice.
4. When you make a note of things, it helps reinforce the details in your memory.
5. Practising mindfulness helps a person stay present in the moment with their surroundings.

Let us speak

I. Read the words loudly with the help of the pronunciation guide.

Practice reading all the listed words aloud with proper pronunciation as shown in the textbook guides (e.g., jewellery: jool-ree, clerk: claak, dessert: dih-zuht, pizza: peet-zaa, buffet: buh-fay).

II. Conduct a group discussion on 'The Interesting Aspects of a Mystery Story'.

Follow the provided guidelines and turn-taking phrases (e.g., "If I may say something...", "I fully agree...", "I'm afraid I don't agree...") to conduct a group discussion on mystery elements like suspense, clues, and critical thinking.

Let us write

Report Writing Task: As a member of the Art and Craft Club, write a report on an 'Inter-school Art Exhibition' organised by your school. Include the necessary details.

Inter-school Art Exhibition

By: Ananya Sharma, Class VIII (Member, Art and Craft Club)

An Inter-school Art Exhibition was organised by our Vidyalaya from 10 November 20XX to 12 November 20XX in the School Auditorium. Twelve schools participated in the event, showcasing creative artwork created by talented young artists.

The exhibition was declared open by the Chief Guest, renowned artist Mr. A. K. Varma, on Wednesday, 10 November 20XX at 9:00 a.m. Visitors and students from various schools viewed paintings, sculptures, and craft items displayed across different stalls. The artworks were judged by a panel of art experts based on creativity, technique, and presentation.

Following a close evaluation, the team from Model Senior Secondary School won first prize for their outstanding eco-friendly sculptures. Certificates and trophies were awarded during the closing ceremony. Addressing the students, the Chief Guest encouraged everyone to express their feelings through art. The event was a grand success and was appreciated by all.

Let us explore

I. Read the words and observe the images given below (Optical Illusions):

Figure 4: Optical Illusions

1. teach / learn (Ambiguous typography reading 'teach' and 'learn')
2. hate / love (Ambiguous word art reading 'hate' or 'love')
3. GOOD / EVIL (Reversible word showing 'GOOD' in blue and 'EVIL' in red)
4. Tree / Birds or Animal figures in negative space
5. Penguin / Human Profile
6. Pillars / Human Silhouettes (Vase/Pillar visual illusion)

II. Read the steps to play a language game — Name the Mystery Object.

Follow the rules: Form teams, prepare 3 clues per object, and guess objects to earn 20, 10, or 5 points based on the hint required. (Example object provided in textbook: Blackboard/Greenboard/Smartboard).

III. Visit the library and look for an encyclopedia. What is it? Check how it is different from a dictionary.

An encyclopedia is a comprehensive reference work containing detailed articles and background information on a wide range of subjects, concepts, and historical events from A to Z.

Difference: A dictionary primarily gives word meanings, pronunciations, origins, and grammatical usages, whereas an encyclopedia provides in-depth information, context, facts, and explanations about topics, people, and objects.

IV. A thesaurus is a reference book or digital tool that provides a collection of words with similar meanings... Choose any five words and find out their alternative words from the thesaurus.

1. Smart: Intelligent, clever, brilliant, sharp
2. Mystery: Puzzle, enigma, secret, riddle
3. Quick: Fast, swift, rapid, speedy
4. Gather: Collect, assemble, accumulate, muster
5. Quiet: Silent, peaceful, calm, tranquil