NCERT Solutions Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness

F R E E S T U D Y M AT E R I A L F O R E V E R Y S T U D E N T

CLASS 6 · ENGLISH

NCERT Solutions

Unit 4: Sports and Wellness

NCERT Textbook — Poorvi

BOOK PAGES SECTIONS QUESTIONS MEDIUM

103 – 130 26 102 English

Solutions, notes, sample papers & more at 72 pages

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

CLASS 6 · ENGLISH · POORVI

NCERT Solutions — Unit 4: Sports and Wellness
Complete NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness from the NCERT textbook Poorvi.
Every question from the three texts of the unit — the story Change of Heart, the poem The Winner by
Georgia Heard and the informative piece Yoga–A Way of Life — is answered, heading by heading, from
pages 103 to 130.

TEXTBOOK BOOK PAGES

Poorvi (Class 6) 103 – 130

SECTIONS QUESTIONS

26 102

MEDIUM

English

Let us do these activities before we read — Page 103
Change of Heart

BEFORE YOU READ

I Which games or sports do you play?

Name the games honestly, and sort them into three kinds so that your answer is more than a
bare list.

Outdoor team games — kho-kho, kabaddi, cricket, football, hockey.
Games for two players — badminton, table tennis, chess, carrom.
Street and courtyard games — marbles, hide and seek, gilli-danda, langdi, lagori (pittu),
skipping.

Sample answer: I play kho-kho and cricket in the school ground every evening. At
home I play carrom and chess with my elder sister, and on Sundays the children of
my lane play hide and seek till it gets dark.

Why the book begins here: Prabhat in the story played only badminton and
marbles, and only when he was sure of winning. Listing your own games first will
help you see how different his choice was from yours.

Page 1 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II 1 Which games or sports do you play for fun?

A game played for fun has no prize, no trophy and usually no proper scoreboard. You stop
when you are tired or when it gets dark, not when someone has won.

Sample answer: I play hide and seek, marbles and lagori for fun. Nobody keeps a
record of who won. We just play till our mothers call us home.

Link to the story: By the end of the story Prabhat had “even begun playing hide and
seek, and felt sad whenever it was about to end”. A game played purely for fun is
exactly what he could not enjoy at the beginning.

II 2 Which games or sports do you play for competition?

A game played for competition has rules, a referee or umpire, a fixed time, a score and a
winner. Inter-house matches, school tournaments and district-level meets are all competitions.

Sample answer: I play badminton and kho-kho for competition. I represent my
house in the inter-house tournament, and last year our kho-kho team reached the
final of the zonal match.

Tip: The same game can be both. Cricket in the lane is fun; cricket in an inter-school
match is competition. What changes is not the game but the reason you are playing
it.

III How do you feel when you win or lose?

Say both feelings honestly, and then say what you do with the feeling — that is the part the
story cares about.

Page 2 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

WHEN I WIN WHEN I LOSE

Happy, proud, excited; I want to tell everyone at Disappointed, a little embarrassed, sometimes angry with
home. myself.

What I should do: thank my team, shake hands What I should do: congratulate the winner, work out what
with the other side, not boast. went wrong, and practise it.

Sample answer: When I win I feel very happy and I want to run home and tell my
mother at once. When I lose I feel low for a while, but by the next morning I usually
know which mistake cost me the game, and I try to correct it in practice.

Keep this in mind while reading: Prabhat could not manage the second half of this
question. “He thought that losing was the worst thing that could happen to anyone.”
The whole story is about how that feeling changes.

IV 1 Work in pairs. Tick the correct meaning of ‘friendly matches’: (i) matches played to
win a trophy (ii) matches played without competition

Correct answer: (ii) matches played without competition.
The word friendly tells you the purpose — the players are friends practising together, not rivals
fighting for a cup. There is no prize and no place in a points table.

From the text: “This was when the coach conducted friendly matches in the games
period.” They were played inside a school games period, between classmates, with
the teams announced on Monday — clearly practice, not a tournament.

IV 2 Work in pairs. Tick the correct meaning of ‘opponent’: (i) someone who you
compete with (ii) someone you want to be a partner with

Correct answer: (i) someone who you compete with.
An opponent stands on the other side of the net, the board or the field. A partner stands on your
side — so option (ii) describes a teammate, not an opponent.

Page 3 of 72

as e
Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
From the text: “Prabhat managed to change the scoreboard while his opponent

as e
com is used there. l
was looking elsewhere.” Surya was playing against Prabhat, which is exactly why the
. a g
em
word ‘opponent’
a s
agl

co m
ag
Work in pairs. Tick the correct meaning of ‘tally of marks’: (i) final marks on a
.
IV 3

e m
as
report card (ii) record of points in a game/match

a g l

Correct answer: (ii) record of points in a game/match.
. c om
s e m
A tally is a running count kept as the game goes on — the numbers on a scoreboard. It has

.
nothing to do
comwith school marks. a gla
a s em
agl From the text: “…to enjoy a game, you did not need a scoreboard to keep a tally of
your scores.” The word appears beside ‘scoreboard’, which settles its meaning.
m a s
m .co agl
l a se
IV 4 a g
Work in pairs. Tick the correct meaning of ‘sporting spirit’: (i) following all the rules
in a game (ii) being fair and respecting each player in a game

co m
m .
o
m l a se
.c answer: (ii) being fair and respecting each player in aagame.g
m
se (i) is only a part of it. A player can follow every written rule and still sulk, boast or laugh
Correct

g l a
a
Option
at a weaker opponent — that is not sporting spirit. Sporting spirit means playing fair, respecting

se m
com l a
your opponent, and accepting the result with a smile.
. a g
e m
g l
From the text: The classmatesas say of the changed Prabhat, “Good fun playing with
a
Prabhat, that fellow definitely has a great sporting spirit.” They say it because he
had begun joking and enjoying himself — not because he had learnt the rule book.
co m
m .
m as e
.co a g l
a s em us discuss — Page 106
Let
agl
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s e m
m a
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g l as
a

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m .
m ase
.co


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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Change of Heart, Part I

COMPREHENSION

1 State whether the following is True or False. Prabhat would accept losing to anyone
easily.

False.
The very opposite is true. The story says, “his parents, teachers, and friends said that he did not
know how to accept defeat. The fact was that he could not bear losing, not even at marbles.”
He thought “losing was the worst thing that could happen to anyone”, and if he sensed he
would lose, he simply refused to play.

Tip: In a True/False question, always add the line from the text that proves your
answer. A bare ‘False’ shows nothing.

2 What was special about the last Friday of each month?

The last Friday of each month was special because on that day the coach conducted friendly
matches during the games period.
The story calls the day “significant”, that is, important. The teams for these matches were
announced on the Monday before, so the whole school looked forward to it. It was on such a
Friday that Prabhat and Surya were made to play a round of badminton against each other.

3 Who was responsible for maintaining the score for the match?

Prabhat himself was responsible for keeping the score.
“Prabhat was given the responsibility of keeping score for their match.” He was thus a player
and the scorer at the same time.

Page 5 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Why the writer tells us this: It is a small detail placed early on purpose. Because
Prabhat held the scoreboard, he was able to change it later while Surya was looking
elsewhere. A responsibility that was given to him in trust became the very thing he
misused.

4 Do you think Prabhat wished to play another match with Surya? Why do you think
so?

No, at this point in the story he would not have wanted another match.
Two reasons from the text support this. First, Surya was clearly the better player — “on Friday, at
the badminton court, Surya was a real phenomenon. He won points again and again.” Prabhat
knew he had not really won; a second match would very likely expose him. Second, Prabhat’s
rule for himself was fixed: “He would take part only when he was sure of winning.” He could not
be sure of winning against Surya.
Notice that it is Surya, the loser on paper, who cheerfully suggests it: “It’s been fun. We should
play again some other time.” The offer comes from the boy who did not mind losing.

Tip: A ‘Do you think…?’ question always has two halves — the opinion and the
reason. Answer both, and take your reason from the story.

Let us discuss — Page 107
Change of Heart, Part II

COMPREHENSION

1 How did Surya feel about playing?

Surya enjoyed playing for its own sake, whether he was winning or losing, and whether he
was good at the game or bad at it.
On the badminton court he won point after point “laughing and joking all the time”, and when
the match was over he simply said, “It’s been fun.” The next day he was on the basketball court,
where he “was so hopeless at it that he could not score a basket for ten minutes. Yet, he enjoyed
playing the game. His happy smile never left his face.”

Page 6 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

What this tells us about him: For Surya the pleasure lay in playing, not in the result.
That is why the result — a win or a loss — could not spoil his mood.

2 What was it about Surya that Prabhat observed?

Prabhat observed that Surya’s enjoyment stayed the same no matter how well or badly he
played.
“Prabhat kept a close watch on Surya for some days. He was great at some things, terrible at
others but what was common was the enjoyment. He enjoyed everything equally.”
From this observation Prabhat drew three lessons, and the story lists them one after the other:
that you do not need a scoreboard to keep a tally of your scores; that you need not worry about
winning or losing; and that “what matters is trying to do well, and enjoying every moment of it”.

Let us think and reflect — Pages 108 & 109
Change of Heart

COMPREHENSION

I 1 (i) Complete the sentence suitably. Prabhat would play a game only if ____________.

Prabhat would play a game only if he was sure of winning it.
The passage says it plainly: “He would take part only when he was sure of winning, even if the
game lasted only for a minute.” Even a one-minute game was not worth playing unless victory
was certain.

Other acceptable endings: “…he knew he would not lose”, “…it was a game he was
really good at, like badminton”.

I 1 (ii) Which game was Prabhat good at playing?

Badminton.

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

“You could not stop him from playing the kind of games he was really good at, like badminton.”
That is also why he waited so eagerly for the last Friday of the month, when the badminton
matches were played.

I 1 (iii) Select the most suitable option to complete the sentence. This behaviour of
Prabhat tells us that he was ________. a. good at the game b. sure to win c. afraid
of losing

Answer: c. afraid of losing.
Refusing to enter a game the moment he sensed defeat is the behaviour of someone who is
frightened of the result, not of someone who is skilful or certain.

Why not the others? Option a is true of badminton only, and being good at a game
does not explain why he avoided all the others. Option b describes what he wanted,
not what he was — nobody can be ‘sure to win’ every time. Only c explains the
avoiding, which is what the lines actually describe.

I 2 (i) Select the one option that tells us about the way Prabhat was feeling that night.
a. hurt b. unhappy c. afraid d. focused

Answer: b. unhappy.
The lines say he “could not sleep well that night. He had won the game but he did not feel as
happy as he usually did.” Not feeling happy after a win is exactly unhappiness — a dull, uneasy
discontent.

Why not the others? He was not hurt — nobody had insulted or injured him. He was
not afraid — no one had found out about the cheating. He was certainly not focused,
since a focused mind is the one thing a sleepless, restless mind is not.

I 2 (ii) Why does Prabhat find Surya’s behaviour ‘surprising’?

Prabhat finds it surprising because Surya behaved in a way that was the exact opposite of
everything Prabhat believed about losing.

Page 8 of 72

as e
Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Two things astonished him, and the passage builds them up one after the other. First, “Surya did
co m
se
not feel bad about losing” — for Prabhat, losing was “the worst thing that could happen to
m.
o m g l a
.c he was hopeless at, and still smiling.
anyone”. Second, and “more surprising”, the very next day Surya was on the basketball court,

m a
se
playing a game

g l a
aWhy it disturbed him so much: Surya was living proof that Prabhat’s whole rule for

co m
life — play only to win — might be wrong. That is far harder to accept than a lost
match, and it is what kept him awake at night.
e m . ag
g l as
a

c o m
.
I 2 (iii) Fill in the blank by choosing the most suitable option given in the bracket. We

s e m to/as serious
can say that Surya’s reaction to not winning was ____________ (similar

. om
cas/different from) Prabhat’s.
a gla
as em
a g l

s
We can say that Surya’s reaction to not winning was different from Prabhat’s.
m a
.co agl
Surya lost and stayed cheerful — “It’s been fun. We should play again some other time.” Prabhat

sem
a
won and still could not sleep. The two reactions could hardly be further apart.

ag l
Grammar point: we say different from (or, less commonly, ‘different to’). Never

com
.
‘different than’ in Indian school English.

e m
m l as
.co a g
a s em How did Prabhat’s attitude towards winning and losing affect his enjoyment of
a gl 1 II
games in the beginning?

se m
com g l a
m . a
e

g l as destroyed his enjoyment of games, because he could
In the beginning his attitude almost
a the playing.
enjoy only the winning, never
It narrowed his life in three ways:
c o m
He played very few games. “If Prabhat sensed that he would losem .
s e a game, he would not

. omit.” Everything except badminton and marbles was shut
cplay a la
gout.
a s em Even a win gave him only relief, not joy. He played “with great seriousness”, and the good
agl feeling lasted only as long as the score stayed in his favour.
c
m .
e
A loss ruined him completely. “Losing made him feel terrible. He thought that losing was
s
c om gla
the worst thing that could happen to anyone.”
. a
a s
So a games period, which shouldemhave been the happiest part of the school day, became a test
he was afraid to fail.
agl

co m
m .
m ase
.co


a g l Page 9 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

The contrast: Surya, who did not care about the result, could enjoy badminton
(which he played brilliantly) and basketball (at which he was hopeless) equally.
Prabhat could enjoy neither properly.

II 2 Why do you think Prabhat cheated in the beginning to win the badminton match
against Surya?

He cheated because he could not bear to lose, and he saw that he was losing.
Three things came together at that moment. First, Surya was playing far better — “Surya was a
real phenomenon. He won points again and again.” Second, Prabhat had built the whole month
around this match and “prepared for the match with great seriousness”; a defeat in front of the
class was unthinkable. Third, the opportunity was in his own hands: he was the scorekeeper, and
“Surya was paying so little attention to the match that Prabhat managed to change the
scoreboard while his opponent was looking elsewhere.”

The deeper reason: Prabhat did not value the game — he valued only the feeling of
winning. Once winning is the only thing that matters, cheating starts to look like a
shortcut to it. That is precisely why the story does not stop at the win; it makes him
lie awake afterwards.

II 3 How did Surya’s attitude differ from Prabhat’s?

The two boys played for completely different reasons: Prabhat played to win, Surya played to
enjoy.

Page 10 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

PRABHAT (AT THE BEGINNING) SURYA

Why he plays Only for the feeling of winning For the pleasure of playing itself

Which games he Only the ones he is good at — Everything — badminton, basketball,
plays badminton, marbles whatever is going on

Before the match Prepared “with great seriousness” “Seemed relaxed… smiling and cracking
jokes”

While playing Watching the score “Laughing and joking all the time”

After losing / Won, yet “could not sleep well that Lost, yet said, “It’s been fun. We should play
winning night” again.”

The sharpest difference is the basketball court: Surya “was so hopeless at it that he could not
score a basket for ten minutes. Yet, he enjoyed playing.” Prabhat would not even have stepped
on to that court.

II 4 Do you think Prabhat’s approach to games was healthy? Why or why not?

No, his approach was not healthy at all — neither for his mind nor for his growth as a player.

It made him unhappy. A win brought only a brief good feeling; a loss made him “feel
terrible”. His mood was placed entirely in the hands of a scoreboard.
It stopped him from learning. By refusing every game he might lose, he never practised
anything new. Surya, who did not mind being hopeless at basketball, was actually learning it.
It led him into dishonesty. The wish to win at any cost ended in him changing the
scoreboard — a win he could not even be proud of.
It cost him friends and fun. Only after he changed did his classmates say, “Good fun
playing with Prabhat.”

The healthy approach — as the story itself puts it: “What matters is trying to do
well, and enjoying every moment of it.” Try your hardest to win, but let the
enjoyment come from the playing, not from the result.

Page 11 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II 5 Why do you think sporting spirit is important?

Sporting spirit is important because it is what keeps a game a game — fair, friendly and worth
playing again tomorrow.

It keeps the contest honest. Without it, players cheat, as Prabhat did, and then even a win
is worthless.
It protects the enjoyment. A team that laughs together after losing will play again; a team
that quarrels will not.
It teaches you to handle defeat. Exams, interviews and life itself bring losses. The child
who can shake hands after losing a match learns to say, “I will do better next time,” instead
of giving up.
It builds respect. Congratulating an opponent, helping up a fallen player, accepting the
umpire’s decision — these are the things people remember long after the score is forgotten.

Proof from the story: Nobody in the class praised Prabhat for the match he ‘won’.
They praised him only later — “that fellow definitely has a great sporting spirit” —
when he began joking, playing hide and seek and enjoying himself. Sporting spirit
earned him what winning could not.

II 6 Explain how the title of the story, ‘Change of Heart’, is suitable.

The title is perfectly suitable because the story is not about a match at all — it is about a boy
whose whole way of feeling about games changes.
‘A change of heart’ is an English expression meaning a complete change in one’s attitude or
feelings about something. That is exactly what happens to Prabhat:

PRABHAT AT THE START PRABHAT AT THE END

Could not bear losing, “not even at Understood that “neither did you have to worry about winning nor
marbles” losing”

Played only games he was sure to win Began playing hide and seek, just for fun

Played “with great seriousness” “Started joking while playing badminton”

Cheated to win Praised by his classmates for his “great sporting spirit”

Page 12 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Notice also that the change is a change of heart, not of skill. Prabhat does not become a better
badminton player; he becomes a better sportsperson. The turning point is the sleepless night —
his own heart refused to enjoy a win it knew was false.

Other titles that would fit: ‘The Real Winner’, ‘A Lesson from Surya’, ‘Sporting
Spirit’. But ‘Change of Heart’ is the best, because it names the change itself and not
merely its cause.

Let us learn — Pages 109 & 110
Change of Heart — Word Building and the Past Perfect Tense

GRAMMAR

I Make as many words as possible using consecutive letters, without changing the
order of the letters, from the words in the boxes. One has been done for you. 1.
BADMINTON — BAD, ADMIN, MINT, IN, TON, ON 2. PHENOMENON 3. BASKETBALL

The rule is strict: pick letters that stand side by side in the big word, in the same order, without
skipping any. BADMINTON has been solved for you as the model — BAD(1–3), ADMIN(2–6),
MINT(4–7), IN(5–6), TON(7–9), ON(8–9).

Page 13 of 72

as e
Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
WORD WORDS YOU CAN MAKE (FIVE BOXES ARE WHICH LETTERS THEY

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PRINTED) USE

. a g l
e m
as
2. PHENOMENON HEN letters 2–4

aNg l
P-H-E-N-O-M-E-N-O-
NO letters 4–5 (also 8–9)

m
.co ag
OMEN letters 5–8

a sem
agl
MEN letters 6–8

ON letters 9–10

co m
m.
se 1–4
3. BASKETBALL BASKET letters 1–6

m l a
.co
B-A-S-K-E-T-B-A-L-L

m
BASK
ag letters

l a se
a g ASK letters 2–4

a s
com
BALL letters 7–10

m . agl
ase
ALL letters 8–10

a g l
AS (letters 2–3) is another correct answer for BASKETBALL if you prefer a shorter word in one of
the boxes.
co m
m .
o m l a se
.c g no — ‘ment’ is not a
Now make your own puzzle: choose a long word and hunt for the hidden ones. Try
m a
aseword), CHAMPION (CHAMP, HAM, AMP, PI, ION, ON) or STADIUM (TAD, AD, ADI? no,
TOURNAMENT (TOUR, OUR, URN, NAME, AMEN, MEN, MENT?

agl
m
DIU? no — so STAD, ADI are out; keep only real words: TAD, AD, I, UM). Give your

a se
com l
word to a friend and see how many she finds.
. a g
m
ase
agl
Why this puzzle is useful: It trains you to see small familiar words inside long
unfamiliar ones. That is exactly how you break up a hard new word such as phe-nom-
enon when you meet it for the first time.
co m
m .
m as e
.co a g l
se m
g l a
a c
m .
m a s e
e m . co agl
g l as
a

com
m .
m ase
.co


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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II Read the following sentences and circle the verbs. 1. Everyone was discussing their
game and how Prabhat had played so well. 2. He had won the game but he did not
feel as happy as he usually did. 3. What was more surprising that Surya had not felt
bad about losing.

Circle every word that shows an action or a state, including the helping words was, had and did
that go with it.

SENTENCE VERBS TO FORM
CIRCLE

1. Everyone was discussing their game and how was discussing, had past progressive, past
Prabhat had played so well. played perfect

2. He had won the game but he did not feel as had won, did (not) past perfect, simple
happy as he usually did. feel, did past

3. What was more surprising that Surya had not felt was, had (not) felt simple past, past
bad about losing. perfect

Tip: A verb phrase such as had played or was discussing is one verb, not two. Circle
the whole phrase together, otherwise the next exercise will not work.

III Arrange the circled verbs as the first action (old action) or second action (new
action). One has been done for you. (Column A — FIRST ACTION (OLD); Column B —
SECOND ACTION (NEW))

In each sentence, ask yourself: which of the two things happened earlier? That one goes into
Column A.

S. NO. COLUMN A — FIRST ACTION (OLD) COLUMN B — SECOND ACTION (NEW)

1. (given) had played was discussing

2. had won did not feel

3. had not felt was

How each row is decided:

Page 15 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Row 1: Prabhat played the match first; the class talked about it afterwards.
Row 2: He won the game first; the disappointment came later, that night.
Row 3: Surya did not feel bad first; Prabhat’s surprise came after he saw this.

The rule the book is teaching: the verbs in Column A all look the same — had +
third form of the verb. That form is called the past perfect, and English uses it for
the older of two past actions. The newer action stays in the simple past or the past
progressive.

IV 1 Fill in the blanks with the past perfect form of the verb given within the brackets.
Prabhat __________ already __________ his homework before going to the badminton
match. (finish)

Prabhat had already finished his homework before going to the badminton match.
Two blanks are given because the word already is placed between the helping verb and the
main verb: had + already + finished.

Why past perfect: the homework was over before he left for the match — the older
of the two past actions.

IV 2 Surya __________ basketball for years before joining the school’s badminton team.
(play)

Surya had played basketball for years before joining the school’s badminton team.
The word before is the signal: everything that happened before the second action takes had +
third form.

Also correct: “had been playing”, which stresses that the playing continued over all
those years. In this exercise, however, the book asks only for the past perfect, so
write had played.

Page 16 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

IV 3 By the time Prabhat arrived, Surya __________ already __________ several matches. (win)

By the time Prabhat arrived, Surya had already won several matches.
The third form of win is won, and already again sits between the two parts: had + already +
won.

Signal phrase: “By the time …” almost always calls for the past perfect in the other
half of the sentence.

IV 4 The new student, Surya, __________ Prabhat before coming to the school. (never
meet)

The new student, Surya, had never met Prabhat before coming to the school.
The word never goes between had and the third form: had + never + met. The third form of
meet is met.

Careful: do not write “had never meet” or “had not never met”. Never is already a
negative word, so no extra not is needed.

IV 5 Before the games period, Prabhat __________ badminton extensively. (practise)

Before the games period, Prabhat had practised badminton extensively.
Practise is the verb (with an s), so its past and third form is practised. The sentence begins with
Before, which marks this as the earlier action.

Spelling note: the noun is practice with a c — “He needs more practice.” You will
work on this pair again in the ‘Let us learn’ exercise of the yoga text on page 125.

Let us listen — Pages 110 & 111

Page 17 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Change of Heart — the sports announcement

LISTENING

I You will listen to an announcement. As you listen, circle the pair that was chosen to
play chess. (Rima - Dhiraj / Gita - Hitesh / Sarita - Nupur)

Circle: Sarita - Nupur.
The announcement (transcript, page 128) says: “For the chess match, it has been decided that
this match shall be played between Sarita and Nupur.”

Listening tip: The chess pair is named near the end of the announcement, not at the
beginning where chess is first mentioned. Keep listening right to the last few
sentences — speakers often save the exact detail for the close.

Page 18 of 72

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
You will once again listen to the announcement. As you listen, fill in the notes with
se
II

o m l a
important details. 1. How many Friday matches will be played? 2. What was put up
g refreshments?
m .csports’ notice board? 3. Who will sponsor the kho-kho ateam’s
on the

l a seWho will be the scorekeeper for chess? 5. Who will be the referee for kho-kho? 6.
4.
a g Which Friday periods are meant for kho-kho?

co m
m . ag

ase
QUESTIONS ANSWERS
a g l WORDS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT

om
1. How many Friday Three “This Friday we shall have three matches—

. c
em
matches will be played? one for chess, the next for kho-kho and

om a s
finally one for badminton.”
l
e
. c
m was put up on agkho-kho
s
2. What “I have put up the teams’ name list
a sports’ notice board?
The kho-kho teams’ name

ag lthe list on the sports’ notice board.”

s
3. Who will sponsor the Xydium Sports Club “The kho-kho match refreshments are being
m a
.co agl
kho-kho team’s sponsored by Xydium Sports Club… the

m
ase
refreshments? spelling is X-Y-D-I-U-M.”

4. Who will be the Vani agl “It’ll take place in the 1st floor activity room
scorekeeper for chess? with Vani as the scorekeeper.”

co m
m .
e
5. Who will be the The teacher making the “Kho-kho will be played in the sport’s ground

m l as
.co
referee for kho-kho? where I myself will be the referee.”
g
announcement (the sports

a
sem
teacher/coach)

a 6. Which Friday periods
agl The 2nd and 3rd periods “…but kho-kho will be played in the 2nd and

m
are meant for kho-kho? 3rd period.”

a se
.com a g l
m
ase
Two extra details worth catching: chess is in the 1st floor activity room, badminton

agl
in the ground-floor multipurpose hall, and class VI-B plays kho-kho against VI-D.

co m
Note-taking tip: Write only key words while listening — “3 matches”, “Vani”, “2nd +
m .
as e
om l
3rd”. Full sentences take too long and you will miss the next detail. Complete the
.csentences a g
se m after the recording ends.

g l a
a c
m .
a s e
om c agl
m.
Let us speak — Pages 111 & 112

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Change of Heart — please, thank you and sorry

SPEAKING

1 You are Vani— You want to request your friends to take you in their team during
games period.

This is a request, so use the ‘Request’ box on page 112 — Could you please… / Please can you help
me with… / Kindly ______, please.

Sample answer:
Vani: Hello Nupur, could you please take me into your team for today’s games
period? I have been practising my throws all week.
Nupur: Of course, Vani. We need one more player anyway.
Vani: Thank you so much. I promise I will not let the team down.

What makes it polite: a greeting, the word please inside the question (not tacked on
at the end), a reason for the request, and a thank you once the answer comes.

2 You are Somiwon— You want to tell Hitesh to help you with the cleaning of the
classroom cupboard.

Another request. Do not order Hitesh; turn the order into a question.

Sample answer:
Somiwon: Hitesh, please can you help me with the cleaning of the classroom
cupboard? The books are all mixed up and it will take me ages alone.
Hitesh: Sure, Somiwon. Shall we do it during the break?
Somiwon: That would be perfect. Kindly bring a duster with you, please. Thank you!

Compare: “Clean the cupboard with me.” — an order. “Please can you help me with
the cleaning of the cupboard?” — a request. The words are almost the same; only
one of them keeps the friendship.

Page 20 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

3 You are Sumit— You accidently spilled water on Nupur’s desk.

This is a mistake, so use the ‘For a mistake’ box — I’m sorry, that was my fault. Apologise, then
offer to put it right.

Sample answer:
Sumit: Oh no — Nupur, I’m so sorry, that was my fault. I did not see your bottle at
the edge of the desk.
Nupur: It’s all right, Sumit. Only the top notebook is wet.
Sumit: Let me wipe the desk and I will dry the pages under the fan. I’ll be more
careful next time.

A complete apology has three parts: say sorry, admit it was your fault, and repair
the damage. Leaving out the third part makes the first two sound empty.

4 You are Hitesh— You forgot to get Simran’s Art file to school.

Again a mistake — a broken promise this time, so add what you will do about it.

Sample answer:
Hitesh: Simran, I’m sorry, that was my fault. I forgot to put your Art file in my bag
this morning.
Simran: But I need it for the period after lunch!
Hitesh: I know, and I feel terrible. I will bring it first thing tomorrow, and I’ll ask the
Art teacher myself to give you one extra day. I’m really sorry.

Tip: Do not make excuses (“my mother did not remind me”). Take the blame, then
offer the solution. That is what turns an apology into a repair.

Page 21 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

5 You are Kriti— You spoke rudely to Nupur.

This is rude behaviour, so use that box — I’m very sorry for the way I behaved. / I apologise. I was
out of line.

Sample answer:
Kriti: Nupur, I’m very sorry for the way I behaved yesterday. I apologise — I was out
of line.
Nupur: You shouted at me in front of the whole class, Kriti.
Kriti: You are right, and there was no excuse for it. I was upset about my test, but I
should never have taken it out on you. It will not happen again.

Why this apology is harder: for a spilt glass of water you can wipe the desk, but
rude words cannot be wiped away. That is why the apology must name what you did
(“I shouted at you in front of the class”) instead of hiding behind a vague “sorry for
everything”.

6 You are Mohan— You wish to thank Hitesh for helping you practice for the Inter-
House speech competition.

This is being grateful, so use that box — Thank you. It means so much to me that you… / I truly
appreciate your help with… Thank you.

Sample answer:
Mohan: Hitesh, I truly appreciate your help with my speech. Thank you.
Hitesh: You did all the hard work, Mohan. I only listened.
Mohan: You did much more than listen. It means so much to me that you gave up
your games period for four days to hear me repeat the same three paragraphs. I
could not have stood on that stage without you.

What makes a thank-you real: say exactly what the person did (“gave up your
games period for four days”). A general “thanks for everything” could be said to
anyone.

Page 22 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

7 You are Meher— You are grateful that Simran helped you understand a chapter
taught at school when you were absent.

Being grateful again. Add why the help mattered so much.

Sample answer:
Meher: Simran, I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart because you
explained the whole chapter to me after school.
Simran: It was nothing, Meher. You would have done the same for me.
Meher: It was not nothing! I had missed three days with fever and I was really
worried about the test. It means so much to me that you sat with me until I
understood every part of it. Thank you.

8 You are Rima— You are thankful to Gita for helping you collect the notebooks from
the staff-room.

Being grateful for a small, everyday kindness — thank her all the same.

Sample answer:
Rima: Gita, thank you. It means so much to me that you carried half the notebooks
all the way from the staff-room.
Gita: There were forty of them, Rima! Nobody could have managed alone.
Rima: That is just it — everybody walked past and only you stopped. I truly
appreciate your help. Thank you.

Remember: the three magic words work only when they sound like you. Say them
looking at the person, in a normal voice, and mean them — a mumbled ‘thanks’ at
the floor is not thanking anyone.

Let us write — Pages 112 & 113

Page 23 of 72

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Change of Heart — Prabhat’s diary
co m
e m.
m as
WRITING

.co a g l
a s em managed to change the scoreboard while Surya was looking elsewhere.
gl
Prabhat
a
1
Yet, he did not feel so happy that night. Unable to sleep, he decided to write down
his feelings in his diary. Complete the diary page with the help of the phrases given

. com
in the box. (I won the match / I do not feel happy about it / I will lose the match / I
ag
a
managed to change the scoreboard
s em/ I felt very happy / Everyone congratulated me
a l bad / He had fun playing with me)
after my win / Surya did notgfeel

co m
m.

m
The completed diary page:
as e
.co a g l
a s em 17 August 20XX, 8:00 p.m.
gl
Saturday,
a Today, I defeated Surya in a badminton match but 1. I do not feel happy about it.

m a s
agl
He was playing very well and was getting the points easily. I was sure that 2. I will

m.co
se
lose the match. So, when everyone was laughing at a joke he cracked, 3. I

g l a
managed to change the scoreboard. No one noticed the change and 4. I won the
a
match. What surprised me the most was that he said 5. he had fun playing with

m
me and we should play again. How could he be so relaxed after losing a match? He
should have been sad if not crying over his loss!
. co
se m
o m l a
g losing the match. It is
.cIt really disturbed me that 7. Surya did not feel bad about
Though 6. everyone congratulated me after my win, I did not enjoy as I usually

m a
asestill bothering me. Is it because I changed the score? I do not understand myself.
do.

agl
m
Let me sleep now. I feel that it may make me feel better. Goodnight!

a se
. com a g l
m
ase
agl

co m
m .
m as e
.co a g l
se m
g l a
a c
m .
m a s e
e m . co agl
g l as
a

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

BLANK PHRASE WHY IT FITS

1 I do not feel happy about it The word but demands a contrast with “I defeated Surya”.

2 I will lose the match He says it right after “He was playing very well and was
getting the points easily.”

3 I managed to change the The story’s own words — he did it while everyone was
scoreboard laughing at Surya’s joke.

4 I won the match The direct result of the change that nobody noticed.

5 he had fun playing with me Surya actually said, “It’s been fun. We should play again
some other time.”

6 everyone congratulated me Though needs a contrast — praise on the outside,
after my win emptiness inside.

7 Surya did not feel bad “…about losing the match” completes this phrase exactly.

One phrase is left over: “I felt very happy” is the extra phrase — it fits nowhere, because the
whole point of the diary entry is that Prabhat did not feel happy. (Blanks 4 and 6 may be
interchanged — “No one noticed the change and everyone congratulated me after my win…
Though I won the match, I did not enjoy as I usually do” also reads correctly.)

What makes it a diary: the date and time at the top, the first person (‘I’), the past
tense for events but the present tense for present feelings (“It is still bothering me”),
honest thoughts that would not be said aloud, and a closing line — “Goodnight!”

Let us explore — Pages 113 & 114
Change of Heart — Indian sportspersons

PROJECT

1 Read the following brief bio-sketches of sportspersons from India. (Deepika Kumari
and Neeraj Chopra)

Read both sketches and then look for what the two lives have in common.

Page 25 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

DEEPIKA KUMARI NEERAJ CHOPRA

Sport Archery Javelin throw

Home Jharkhand Khandra village, Haryana

Family Father an auto-rickshaw driver, mother A family largely involved in agriculture
a nurse

How the sport Aiming at mangoes with stones; a Years of hard work to follow his passion
began homemade bamboo bow and arrows

The turning Joining the Tata Archery Academy Becoming the first Asian athlete to win
point Olympic gold in the javelin throw

Big Gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth India’s second individual Olympic gold, at the
achievement Games age of 23; silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics

What the two sketches teach us: neither of them began with money, coaching or fine
equipment. A girl who could not buy a bow made one out of bamboo; a farmer’s son from a
small village kept training for years before the world had heard his name. Talent started them
off, but it was practice and patience that carried them to the podium — the same lesson Prabhat
learns in the story, that what matters is “trying to do well”.

Task: Write a similar six-point bio-sketch of a sportsperson you admire — sport,
home state, family background, early struggle, turning point, biggest achievement.
Six bullet points are enough.

2 Visit the given link to know more about other Indian sportspersons. (Arjuna
Awardees January 2024)

The link opens the official list of the Arjuna Awards announced in January 2024. The Arjuna
Award is given every year by the Government of India for outstanding performance in sport
over four years; the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna is the higher award, and the Dronacharya
Award goes to coaches.
How to use the list well:

1. Open the PDF and run your eye down the Discipline column, not the name column. You will
be surprised — kho-kho, kabaddi, lawn bowls, wushu, blind cricket and para-sports all
appear beside cricket and hockey.
2. Pick three names: one from a sport you already play, one from a sport you have never heard
of, and one para-athlete.

Page 26 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

3. For each, find out the state, the event and one big win. Make a three-column chart for your
class notice board.

Sample answer (one entry): Sheetal Devi — Para archery, Jammu and Kashmir.
Born without arms, she shoots the bow with her feet and her shoulder. She won gold
at the 2023 Asian Para Games and became one of the youngest Indians to receive
the Arjuna Award. What I learnt from her: an obstacle is only the starting line, not
the finish line.

Discussion point for the class: Most of us can name five cricketers but not one
national kho-kho player. Why is that? What could our school do so that every sport
gets its share of attention?

Let us do these activities before we read — Page 115

Page 27 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

The Winner

BEFORE YOU READ

I1 Look at this picture. What are these children doing?

The picture on page 115 (Unit 4, ‘The Winner’), redrawn: four children on an open patch
of grass. One boy sits on the right and blows soap bubbles through a ring; the other
three chase them — a girl in a pink top and purple skirt runs with her arms out, a boy in
an orange shirt leans forward with both arms spread, and a boy in a red shirt jumps
with both hands raised. The sky is orange and every child throws a long shadow across
the grass.

The four children in the picture are playing outdoors on the grass — blowing soap bubbles
and running about to catch them.
The boy sitting on the right has a small bowl of soapy water and is blowing bubbles through a
ring. The other three are chasing them: one girl runs forward with her arms out, a boy in an
orange shirt bends and reaches for a bubble, and the boy in red jumps up with both hands
raised to catch one before it floats away. They are all laughing.

Tip for a picture question: do not stop at “they are playing”. Say what they are
playing and what each child is doing. That is what earns the marks.

Page 28 of 72

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness
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co m
m.
Where do you think they are?
e
I2

m l as
m .co a g
l a se
a g

co m
e m . ag
g l as
a

co m
e m.
m l as
m .co a g
l a se
a g
m a s
m .co agl
l a se
a g
The picture on page 115 (Unit 4, ‘The Winner’), redrawn: four children on an open patch
of grass. One boy sits on the right and blows soap bubbles through a ring; the other
three chase them — a girl in a pink top and purple skirt runs with her arms out, a boy in

c o m
.
an orange shirt leans forward with both arms spread, and a boy in a red shirt jumps

s e
with both hands raised. The sky is orange and every child throws amlong shadow across
. com a gla
the grass.

a sem
agl
se m
o m g l a
They are outdoors on a wide, open patch
m .c of grass — most probably a park, a playground, or
a
an open field near their homes.
l a se
The clues in the picture are a g flat green ground stretching away on all sides, the flowering
the
bush at the left edge, and the fact that there is no wall, furniture or road anywhere — only grass

co m
.
and sky. Children are also free to run in every direction, which they could not do in a courtyard

em
as
or on a street.
m l
.co a g
m Link to the poem: The children in ‘The Winner’ also play in an open outdoor space
l a se
ag — “next to the creek / in our neighbour’s field”. This picture is preparing you for that
.c
setting.
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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

I3 What is the time of the day?

The picture on page 115 (Unit 4, ‘The Winner’), redrawn: four children on an open patch
of grass. One boy sits on the right and blows soap bubbles through a ring; the other
three chase them — a girl in a pink top and purple skirt runs with her arms out, a boy in
an orange shirt leans forward with both arms spread, and a boy in a red shirt jumps
with both hands raised. The sky is orange and every child throws a long shadow across
the grass.

It is evening — late afternoon, close to sunset.
Two clear clues prove it. First, the sky behind the children is a warm orange-golden colour, the
colour of a sky just before the sun goes down. Second, and more definitely, every child throws a
long shadow across the grass in front of him. Shadows are long only when the sun is low —
early morning or late evening — and the golden sky settles it in favour of evening.

Why the book chose an evening picture: the poem you are about to read begins
with a single word — “Evenings,” — and ends when the light finally runs out. The
picture puts you in the right hour before you read the first line.

Page 30 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II 1 Discuss the given questions with your classmates and teacher. When do you go to
play after school?

Begin as the book suggests — I go to … — and give a clear time.

Sample answer: I go out to play at about half past four, after I have had my milk and
finished the homework that has to be handed in the next morning. On Saturdays I
go out much earlier, at three o’clock.

Tip: Use time expressions confidently — at four o’clock, after school, before sunset, as
soon as I finish my homework, around dusk.

II 2 Who do you play with?

Begin with the cue I play with … and name the people, not just “my friends”.

Sample answer: I play with the children of my lane — Ritu and Salma from the
house next door, my cousin Arun, and my younger brother, who is only six but insists
on joining every game.

Notice: the poem never names anybody either, but it says “we play ball” and “cold
grass aches our feet”. Those two words are enough to tell us the speaker is one of a
group of friends.

II 3 Where do you go to play in the evening?

Use the cue The place I go to for playing … and describe the place in one or two details.

Sample answer: The place I go to for playing is the small park at the end of our
lane. It has a neem tree in one corner, a broken swing, and enough flat ground for a
kho-kho court that we mark out with chalk every evening.

Page 31 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Tip: If you play in a courtyard, a terrace, a school ground or the street outside your
gate, say so honestly. The question is about your life, not about a perfect
playground.

II 4 Which games do you like playing?

Use the cue I like playing … and add why you like it. That one extra clause turns a list into an
answer.

Sample answer: I like playing kho-kho best, because it is fast and everybody in the
team gets a turn to run. I also like badminton, but only when there is no wind. On
rainy days we play carrom on our veranda.

II 5 When do you come back home?

Use the cue Sometimes I come back …, and mention what makes you stop — the time, the light,
or someone calling.

Sample answer: I come back home at about six, when the street lights come on.
Sometimes I come back later than that, when it is too dark to see the ball, and then
my grandmother stands at the gate and scolds me all the way to the door.

This is exactly the poem’s ending: “trees creep close— / game’s over. / Night wins!”
The children do not decide to stop; the darkness decides for them.

Let us discuss — Pages 116 & 117

Page 32 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

The Winner

POETRY

I1 Read the given lines from the poem. Write the meaning of the lines by identifying
the words/expressions in them. Line: ‘next to the creek’ (Clue: a small body of water)

Meaning: The children play right beside a small, narrow stream of water.
A creek is a small, narrow body of water — a little stream or inlet, smaller than a river. So the
playground is not a marked field or a stadium; it is an ordinary patch of ground beside a stream
in the neighbour’s land.

Why the poet mentions it: The creek fixes the place in our minds and makes it feel
real and rural. It also adds a sound and a coolness to the scene, and it is a natural
boundary of their playing field — like the touchline of a real ground, but made by
nature.

I2 Write the meaning of: ‘I can’t even catch my breath’ (Clue: the child has been
running)

Meaning: The child has run so fast and so long that she is completely out of breath —
panting, unable to breathe normally.
‘To catch your breath’ means to get your normal breathing back after hard exercise. Saying she
cannot even do that shows just how hard they have been running: the game is fast, wild and
thoroughly enjoyed.

Look at how it is printed: the words are set one below the other — I / can’t / even /
catch / my / breath. The line itself pants. You will study this in ‘Let us learn’ on page
118.

I3 Write the meaning of: ‘When blue dark turns to black’ (Clue: the colour of the sky
changes from blue to black. What does it mean?)

Meaning: Night is falling. The deep blue of the evening sky is deepening into the total
black of night — in other words, it has become dark.

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness
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‘Blue dark’ is that half-lit hour just after sunset when the sky is dark but still blue. When even
co m
that blue is gone and the sky is black, the day is truly over.
e m.
m l as
.co a g
s em
What the poet is really doing: she never says “it grew late”. She tells the time by
a
gl and lets us work it out. This is called using an image — showing instead of
acolour,
telling.

com
m . ag
l a se
I4 agcreep close’ (Clue: it is evening time. Why do you think
Write the meaning of: ‘trees
the trees seem close?)

co m
se m.
m a

o l
gnearer, as though they
Meaning:.cIn the growing darkness the trees seem to move quietly
a
m
secreeping in around the children.
l
were
a
ag The trees, of course, do not move at all. It is the darkness that changes what the children can
see. As the light goes, the open field they could see across shrinks to a small circle around them,
m a s
.co agl
and the shadowy trees at its edge feel much nearer than they were in daylight. A little fear at

se m
a
being out in the dark makes them feel nearer still.

a g l
Name the device: giving a human action (creeping) to lifeless things is

co m
.
personification. It is the same device as “Night wins!” in the last line — and it

s em
prepares us for it. First the trees close in, then Night takes the field.
m a
. co a gl
a s em
agl Read the poem. Complete the following based on the poem. The children play ______
m
II

m
in the ______ in the neighbour’s ______. They run so ______ that they run out of breath.
o l a se
.c a g
m
They continue to play till the evening when the blue sky turns ______, and the trees

l a
are not clearly visible. Theyse can feel their feet ______, now that it is cold. Finally, they
ag as it is night.
stop ______ and go home

co m
.

se m
m l a
The completed paragraph:
o g run so fast that they run out
.c children play ball in the evening in the neighbour’s field.aThey
m
se of breath. They continue to play till the evening when the blue sky turns black, and the trees are
The
a
agl c
.
not clearly visible. They can feel their feet aching, now that it is cold. Finally, they stop playing
and go home as it is night.
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m a
e m . co agl
g l as
a

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

BLANK ANSWER LINE IN THE POEM

1 ball “we play ball”

2 evening “Evenings,” — the poem’s very first word

3 field “in our neighbour’s field”

4 fast “We run so fast / I can’t even catch my breath.”

5 black “When blue dark turns to black”

6 aching (or: hurting, paining) “cold grass aches our feet”

7 playing (the game) “game’s over.”

Let us think and reflect — Pages 117 & 118
The Winner

POETRY

1 (i) Complete the sentence given below with the correct option. The speaker needs to
catch her breath because ____________. A. everyone decides to walk B. all the friends
wish to go home C. running fast results in being breathless D. they need to do
breathing exercises

Answer: C. running fast results in being breathless.
The reason is given in the very line before: “We run so fast / I / can’t / even / catch / my /
breath.” Hard running uses up oxygen quickly, so the body gasps for air — that is
breathlessness.

Why not the others? Nobody walks (A) and nobody wants to go home (B) — in fact
the children play on until the darkness drives them away. And there are no breathing
exercises anywhere in this poem (D); those belong to the yoga text later in the unit.

Page 35 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

1 (ii) Is the speaker alone? Why do you say so?

No, the speaker is not alone. She is playing with a group of friends.
The proof is in the pronouns. The poem says “we play ball”, “in our neighbour’s field”, “We run
so fast” and “cold grass aches our feet”. Only once does the poet switch to ‘I’ — “I can’t even
catch my breath” — and that is because breathlessness is felt by one body at a time, even when
the running is shared.

Notice how cleverly this is done: the ‘we’ carries the game and the ‘I’ carries the
feeling. Also, you cannot play ball alone — the game itself tells us there are others.

1 (iii) What does the pattern in the lines tell us?

We run so fast
I
can’t
even
catch
my
breath.

The given lines, set out exactly as they are printed in the poem.

The pattern — one word to a line, dropping down the page like steps — makes the reader
breathe the way the child is breathing.
Read it aloud: I … can’t … even … catch … my … breath. You are forced to stop after every single
word. Those pauses are the child’s gasps. The poet could have written the line normally, but
then it would only have told us she was out of breath; printed like this, it makes us feel it.

Each broken word = one short, snatched breath.
The slow downward drop = the tiredness after a fast run.
The word breath alone at the bottom = the last gasp, and a full stop.

Page 36 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

The technique has a name: when the shape and sound of the words imitate their
meaning, we call it form matching meaning (a poem shaped like its subject is also
called a shape poem or concrete poem). The book gives you a second example on
page 119 — “The leaves are falling, / falling, / falling.”, where the word itself drifts
down the page like a leaf.

2 (i) Give one reason why the grass is cold.

The grass is cold because the sun has set and night has come.
All through the day the sunshine warms the ground; once the sun goes down, the earth and the
grass quickly lose that heat, and the cool evening air and the dew that begins to settle make the
grass colder still. The children, who have been running barefoot, feel this at once.

Another acceptable reason: the field is right “next to the creek”, and the damp air
near a stream keeps the grass cooler than dry open ground.

2 (ii) Complete the sentence suitably. The children’s feet are aching because ____________.

The children’s feet are aching because they have been running hard, barefoot, on grass that
has now turned cold.
The poem gives both halves of the reason. The running comes from “We run so fast / I can’t
even catch my breath”, and the cold comes from “cold grass aches our feet”. Tired feet plus cold
ground equals a real ache.

Also acceptable: “…because they have played for a long time and the cold grass has
numbed their feet.”

2 (iii) Why does ‘Night’ win? Night wins because the ____________. A. time for play has
ended B. children are tired C. time to play at home begins D. night follows day

Answer: A. time for play has ended.

Page 37 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Night ‘wins’ because darkness, not any player, is what finally stops the game — “trees creep
close— / game’s over. / Night wins!” In a match, the winner is the one still standing at the end.
Here neither team wins; the darkness clears the field, so the poet cheerfully hands the victory to
Night.

Why the other options are weaker: the children are tired (B) and night certainly
does follow day (D), but neither of those is the joke the poet is making. Option C is
simply not in the poem. The whole point is that the game is over — and that is why
the poem is called ‘The Winner’.

Name the device: calling Night a winner gives a human quality to something
lifeless. That is personification — and it is also written with a capital N and an
exclamation mark, as though a name were being announced at a prize-giving.

Let us learn — Pages 118 & 119

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

The Winner — Word Patterns, Personification and Water Bodies
co m
em.
m as
GRAMMAR

.co a g l
a s em the information given in the table and see what the poet has done in the
gl
Read
a
1
poem ‘The Winner’. Now, try to write some examples of your own for both. Use your
imagination when creating these examples.

co m
m . ag
l a se
LINES agPOET HAS DONE
WHAT THE OTHER EXAMPLES
FROM THE

co m
m.
POEM

a e are
sleaves
om
.ccan’t
I This tells us that the children are really out
l
of breath. The pattern is used to highlight ag falling,
The

se m even
g l a them being out of breath. falling,

a catch
my
falling.

m a s
.co agl
breath

a s em
gl things.
Night wins! The poet has used human qualities for The sun played hide-

a
inanimate
Here, night has been shown as winning.
and-seek with the
clouds.

co m
This is called personification.

m .
m as e
.co l
The table on page 119, reproduced.

a g
se m
g l a
a
se m

com g l a
.
The table teaches you two different things, so write your examples in two groups.
m a
ase
A. Using the pattern (shape) of the lines to show the meaning — as in “I / can’t / even / catch

agl
/ my / breath” and “The leaves are falling, / falling, / falling.”

co m
m .
m as e
.co a g l
se m
g l a
a c
m .
m a s e
e m . co agl
g l as
a

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m .
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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Sample answers:
The kite went
up
up
up
and away.
I
am
so
very
slowly
falling asleep.
Down
the
slide
I
go!

B. Personification — giving human qualities to lifeless things, as in “Night wins!” and “The sun
played hide-and-seek with the clouds.”

Sample answers:

The angry wind slammed every door in the house.
The old clock coughed twice and went back to sleep.
The first rain kissed the dry fields and they smiled green.
My cycle groaned as it climbed the hill.
The mountains pulled a blanket of mist over their heads.
Hunger knocked on the door at exactly one o’clock.

How to build a personification of your own: take a lifeless thing (river, fan, exam
paper, sun) and give it a human verb (whisper, quarrel, wait, forgive, run away). River
+ whisper = “The river whispered to the stones all night.” That is all there is to it.

Page 40 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

2 The poet has talked about a creek in the poem. You now know that creek is a water
body. Complete the word web given below by writing which other water bodies you
can think of. Discuss with your teacher.

water
bodies

The word web on page 119: an oval marked ‘water bodies’ with six lines coming out of it.
Write one water body at the end of each line.

Six lines come out of the ‘water bodies’ oval on page 119. Write one water body at the end of
each. Six good, safe choices are river, lake, pond, sea (ocean), stream and waterfall.

WATER WHAT IT IS AN INDIAN EXAMPLE
BODY

River A large natural stream of flowing water The Ganga, the Kaveri, the
Brahmaputra

Lake A large body of still water surrounded by Dal Lake, Chilika Lake, Pushkar Lake
land

Pond A small body of still water, often man-made The village pond where cattle drink

Sea / Ocean A very large body of salt water The Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal

More words for a longer web: stream, brook, canal, waterfall, spring, well, tank, lagoon, bay,
gulf, estuary, backwater, glacier, strait, reservoir.

Page 41 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Sort them and you will remember them: flowing water — creek, stream, river,
canal, waterfall; still water — pond, lake, tank, reservoir; salt water — sea, ocean,
bay, gulf, lagoon.

Let us listen — Pages 119 & 120
The Winner — sport riddles

LISTENING

1 Listen to the riddles and write which sport is being referred to in the table below.
(Riddle 1, 2, 3, 4)

RIDDLE 1 2 3 4

Sport

The table on page 119, reproduced — fill in the sport for each riddle.

RIDDLE 1 2 3 4

Sport Football Kabaddi Swimming Yoga

Page 42 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

RIDDLE ANSWER THE WORDS THAT GIVE IT AWAY

1. “Run and pass, run and pass / Kick a Football A black and white ball that is kicked into a
black and white ball / Kick it straight into goal — no other game fits all three.
the goal / Watch for mud—don’t fall.”

2. “Hold your breath, say Hu-tu-tu, / till Kabaddi Holding the breath while chanting hu-tu-tu,
you touch one or two. / Take care to keep touching opponents and running back to
a distance wide / As you run back to your your own half is kabaddi exactly.
team’s side.”

3. “In the water, hold your breath, / The Swimming A pool, turning arms and kicking legs in the
water is very cool, / Arms turn, legs kick / water.
In the blue pool.”

4. “Breathe in, breathe out! / Practise Yoga Not a competitive sport at all — breathing
every day just right, / You will be healthy in and out, daily practice and good health
and fit / Get energy and grow in might.” point to yoga, the subject of the next text in
this unit.

Notice the trick in riddle 4: it asks “What am I?” instead of “Which sport am I?”,
because yoga is not a sport but a practice. The change of wording is itself a clue.

2 Try to create a riddle about your favourite game/sport/activity. Share your riddles
with your classmates. Let’s see who all are able to guess it right.

How to build a good riddle in four lines:

1. Speak as the sport itself — use ‘I’ and end with “What am I?”
2. Line 1: the action (what the player’s body does).
3. Line 2: the equipment (bat, ball, net, board) — but never name the sport.
4. Line 3: the place (court, pitch, pool, ground).
5. Keep lines 2 and 4 rhyming, and keep the biggest clue for the last line.

Page 43 of 72

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
Sample answers:

as e
om then run away, l
Riddle A
. ctouch, a g
m
ethe
Chase and
s
a
gl of uslines
Cross but do not stay.
aNine in a rectangle stand,

m
One pole in the middle, one pole at each hand.
. co ag
m
Which sport am I? (Kho-kho)

as e
Riddle B
a g l
A shuttle, not a ball, takes flight,

m
Over a net it climbs so light.
co
m.
A racquet says ‘tock’, the crowd says ‘oh!’,

as e
com l
I am played indoors when strong winds blow.
What .am a g
s e m I? (Badminton)

a glaRiddle C
Twenty-two players, one leather ball,

om a s
agl
Three wooden sticks that must not fall.
Six of my balls make one over pass, .c
a s em
g
And every child of India knows
a l on grass.
me
Which sport am I? (Cricket)

. com
Playing tip: write the answer upside down at the bottom of yourem
m a s paper, read the
. a gl at once your clues
co aloud twice, and let the class guess. If everybody guesses
m
riddle

asewere too easy; if nobody guesses, they were too hard.
agl
se m
com g l a
m . a
ase
Let us speak — Page 121
The Winner — role play
agl
SPEAKING

co m
m .
m as e
.co
Situation 1
g l
Enact the roles of a parent and a child. Situation 1: Coming home late after
a
m
ase
play. (Parent upset/Child explaining)

agl c
m .
m a s e
co agl
What each speaker must show: the parent must sound worried first, angry second — that is

m .
e
how real parents speak. The child must explain without arguing, and apologise at the end.

g l as
a

com
m .
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.co


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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Sample answer:
Amma: Do you know what the time is? It is past seven! I have been standing at this
gate for half an hour.
Rahul: I am sorry, Amma. I did not realise how late it had become.
Amma: Did not realise? It is pitch dark outside!
Rahul: We were in the middle of the last round of kho-kho, and nobody wanted to
stop. Then the street light near the park was not working, so we had to walk back
slowly.
Amma: That is exactly what frightens me. Anything could happen on that road in the
dark.
Rahul: You are right. From tomorrow I will start walking home the moment the
temple bell rings at six. I really am sorry for making you worry.
Amma: Good. Now go and wash your feet — they are covered in mud.

Speaking tip: voice matters more than words here. Let the parent’s first line be loud
and quick, then let it soften. Let the child’s voice stay low throughout — that is what
makes the scene believable.

Situation 2 Situation 2: Sharing details of the games you played. (Child excited/Parent
asking details with interest)

What each speaker must show: the child speaks fast, in short excited sentences. The parent
keeps the talk going with questions — who, what, then what, how many.

Sample answer:
Meera: Appa, Appa! We won! We actually won!
Appa: Slow down and tell me properly. Won what?
Meera: The kho-kho match against the boys of the next lane. They said girls cannot
chase!
Appa: And who chased them, then?
Meera: I did! I got three of them out in one turn. Ritu got two, and Salma sat so still
in her square that nobody saw her coming.
Appa: Three in one turn — that is really something. What was the score at the end?
Meera: Eleven to eight. And Arun said we should play again on Sunday.
Appa: Then you had better rest that leg. Come, wash up and tell me the whole thing
again over dinner.

Page 45 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Notice: the parent hardly says anything about himself. Good listening is mostly
good questioning — “And who chased them, then?” keeps the child talking.

Situation 3 Situation 3: Bring a new friend home after playtime. (Child
introducing/Parent welcoming)

What each speaker must show: the child must introduce properly — name, where the friend is
from, and one thing about her. The parent must make the guest feel at home at once.

Sample answer:
Kabir: Ma, this is Nupur. She has just moved into the yellow house at the corner. She
was in my team today.
Ma: Welcome, Nupur. Do come in — please, don’t stand at the door.
Nupur: Namaste, aunty. Thank you.
Ma: Which school do you go to, beta?
Nupur: I have joined Kabir’s school, aunty. Class six, but section B.
Ma: Wonderful. Then you two can walk to school together. Sit down, both of you — I
will get some lemonade. And Nupur, tell your mother she must come over one
evening.
Nupur: I will, aunty. Thank you very much.

Useful expressions for the welcome: Do come in. Please sit down. Would you like
something to drink? Do come again. Give my regards to your mother.

Let us write — Page 121

Page 46 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

The Winner

WRITING

1 Write a paragraph about your playtime, using the clues given below. • What time do
I go out to play? • Who do I play with? • What games do we play? • Which is my
favourite game? • What do we gain from playing together? • When do we finish
playing and go home? Now, give a title to your paragraph.

Plan before you write. There are six clues, so aim for six or seven sentences — one for each
clue, in the order given, plus a closing line. Write it as a single paragraph, not as six separate
answers, and join the sentences with words like first, then, after that, most of all, finally.

CLUE WHAT THAT SENTENCE SHOULD CONTAIN

Time A definite hour, and what you finish before going out

Who Names, not just “my friends”

Games Two or three, including a rainy-day one

Favourite Name it and give the reason

What we gain Health, teamwork, friendship, fresh air, learning to lose well

When we stop The signal that ends the game — dark, a bell, a mother calling

Sample answer:
The Best Hour of My Day
Every evening at about half past four, as soon as I have finished the homework that
is due the next morning, I run down to the little park at the end of our lane. I play
with the children of my street — Ritu and Salma from the yellow house, my cousin
Arun, and my younger brother, who is six and insists on joining every game. We play
kho-kho and cricket on most days, badminton when there is no wind, and carrom on
our veranda when it rains. My favourite of them all is kho-kho, because it is fast,
everybody in the team gets a turn to run, and one clever chase can change the
whole game. Playing together has given us more than exercise: we have learnt to
take turns, to trust our teammates, and to shake hands with the other side whether
we win or lose. We stop only when the street lights come on and the ball can no
longer be seen, and then we walk home together, tired, muddy and perfectly happy.

Page 47 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

About the title: a good title suggests the feeling, not just the subject. ‘My Playtime’
is correct but dull. ‘The Best Hour of My Day’, ‘When the Street Lights Come On’ or
‘Mud, Kho-Kho and Friends’ all say something extra. Notice that Georgia Heard did
the same — she called her poem ‘The Winner’ and made you read to the last line to
find out who wins.

Let us explore — Page 121
The Winner — indigenous games

PROJECT

1 There are many indigenous games in India. Kho-kho is an example of an indigenous
game. Indigenous games are native to a region. Find out some native games of your
state and other parts of India. Learn the rules of one such game and play it with
your classmates under the supervision of your teacher.

Indigenous means born in a place — a game that grew up in a region instead of being brought
there from outside. India has hundreds of them, most needing nothing but a bit of open
ground.

Page 48 of 72

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
GAME WHERE IT IS STRONG WHAT IT NEEDS

m as e
Kho-kho
.co
Maharashtra and all over India
a g l
Nine players a side, two poles, an open

m
ase
rectangle

gl
aKabaddi Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana — Seven a side, one breath, a courtyard of
nationwide earth

com
m . ag
se
Gilli-danda North and central India One short stick and one long one

Karnataka,g l a
Lagori / Pittu / Seven
Stones
a Maharashtra, and
much of India
Seven flat stones and a soft ball

co m
m.
Langdi Maharashtra
e
Nothing at all — you chase while hopping on

com l as
one leg

. a g
m
ase
agl
Mallakhamb Maharashtra and Madhya A wooden pole or a hanging rope
Pradesh

a s
com
Silambam Tamil Nadu A bamboo staff (a martial art)

m . agl
ase
Thang-ta and Yubi Manipur A sword-and-spear art; and a game played

agl
lakpi with a greased coconut

Dhopkhel Assam A rubber ball and two teams facing each

co m
.
other

e m
com g l as
.
Insuknawr (rod Mizoram One wooden rod and two strong players

m a
ase
pushing)

agl Sample answer — the rules of kho-kho, the game you can play tomorrow:
se m
squares in a line down the middle. .co
m
1. Two teams of nine players each. A rectangular court has a pole at each end and eight
g l a
em facing alternate directions; the ninth is the active a
a s
agl
2. Eight chasers sit in the middle squares
chaser, standing at a pole.

m
3. Three runners from the other team enter the court and try to stay untouched.

. co
m
4. The active chaser may run only in the direction he is facing and may not cross the central

as e
omteammate stands up and takes over. l
line. To change direction he must touch a seated teammate on the back and shout “Kho!” —
.cthat a g
a s em5. A runner is out when a chaser touches him. As soon as one runner is out the next one
agl
.c
enters, so there are always three on the court.
6. The chasing team gets one point for every runner put out. Each turn lasts about seven or
s e m
m a
. co agl
nine minutes, and the teams then swap roles. The team with more points wins.

e m
g l as
a

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m .
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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

How to present the project: name the game, say which region it comes from, list
the rules in six or seven short numbered points, draw the court, and finish with one
line on what makes it special — for kho-kho, that it needs no equipment at all, only
speed and quick thinking.

Let us do these activities before we read — Page 122
Yoga–A Way of Life

BEFORE YOU READ

1 What do you know about yoga? Discuss in pairs and share with the whole class.

Organise whatever you already know under four headings — that turns scattered facts into a
proper answer.

HEADING WHAT YOU MIGHT SAY

What it is An ancient Indian practice of body, mind and spirit — postures, breathing and meditation
together.

Where it comes Ancient India. Sage Patanjali set it out systematically in the Yoga Sutras.
from

Its parts Asanas (postures) such as tadasana, vrikshasana, bhujangasana; pranayama (breathing);
dhyana (meditation); Surya Namaskar.

What it does Makes the body flexible and strong, calms the mind, improves sleep and concentration,
reduces stress.

Sample answer: I know that yoga began in India thousands of years ago. My
grandmother does Surya Namaskar on the terrace every morning and says it keeps
her back from hurting. In school we learn tadasana and vrikshasana in the PT
period, and on 21 June the whole school sits on mats in the ground for International
Day of Yoga. I also know that yoga is not only exercise — the breathing part is meant
to make the mind quiet.

Page 50 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

2 What is 21st June known for? What do we do on this day?

The 21st of June is known as International Day of Yoga (International Yoga Day).
It was India that proposed the day, and on 11 December 2014 the United Nations General
Assembly, with all its 193 members, accepted the proposal (page 127 of your book). The first
celebration was held on 21 June 2015. The date was chosen because 21 June is the longest day
of the year in the northern half of the world — the summer solstice — a day that has always
been considered special in India.
What we do on this day:

Mass yoga sessions are held in schools, parks, stadiums and offices, with everyone following
a common set of asanas.
Schools hold demonstrations, asana competitions, poster-making and talks on healthy living.
Every year the day is given a theme, and yoga teachers and doctors speak about its benefits.
Many people simply begin their own daily practice on this day.

Sample answer: In my school we all assemble in the ground at six in the morning
on 21 June with our mats. Our PT sir leads us through the common yoga protocol,
and afterwards there is a poster competition on ‘Health is Wealth’. Last year my
poster of a boy in vrikshasana got the second prize.

3 List as many words you know related to yoga. Share them with your classmates.

Group the words while you list them — it doubles the number you remember.

Page 51 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

GROUP WORDS

Postures tadasana, vrikshasana, padmasana, bhujangasana, shavasana, trikonasana, vajrasana,
(asanas) dhanurasana, Surya Namaskar

Breathing and pranayama, anulom-vilom, kapalbhati, dhyana (meditation), concentration, awareness,
mind calm, focus

Ideas and texts yuj, unity, harmony, balance, discipline, Patanjali, Yoga Sutras, Hatha Yoga Pradipika,
guru

Things and yoga mat, ashram, park, mYoga app, International Day of Yoga
places

Benefits flexibility, endurance, strength, immunity, circulation, well-being, relaxation, posture

Tip: Keep this list in your notebook. Several of these words — harmony, endurance,
distractions, boost, anxiety — appear in the passage you are about to read and again
in the ‘Let us discuss’ exercise on page 124.

4 Let us play the game of Antakshari. The first word is ‘yoga’. The next word must
then begin with the letter ‘a’. This activity will go on and the whole class will
participate and write the words on the blackboard. How many new words have you
learnt?

The rule: each new word must begin with the last letter of the word before it. Start with yoga,
which ends in ‘a’ — so the next word begins with ‘a’.

Sample answer — one round of the chain:
yoga → asana → awareness → strength → health → harmony → yogi → immunity
→ yuj → joy → yoga mat → tadasana → ancient → tempo → ...
A second, easier round: yoga → air → relaxation → nature → exercise → energy →
yawn → nutrition → nidra → asana → attention → nostril → lungs → sleep …

Page 52 of 72

Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

LETTER YOU ARE STUCK ON USEFUL WORDS

A asana, awareness, ashram, ayurveda, alertness, attention

N nature, nostril, nutrition, nidra (yoga nidra)

S stretch, strength, stamina, shavasana, spine, sleep

Y yoga, yogi, yuj, yogic

E exercise, endurance, energy, exhale

How many new words did you learn? Count only the words that were new to you when the
round ended — write the number down, and then write the three you liked best with their
meanings.

Sample answer: Our class chain ran to thirty-one words before it broke on the letter
‘v’. Nine of them were new to me. My three favourites are yuj (to join), endurance
(the capacity to keep going without giving up) and shavasana (the resting pose at
the end of a yoga session).

Let us discuss — Page 124
Yoga–A Way of Life

COMPREHENSION

1 Read the passage again and fill in the blanks with words from the box. (Box: sleep,
lifestyle, health, strength, calm, stress, balance) — Yoga is a practise that not only
improves physical flexibility but also improves mental 1. ______ and leads to a
healthier 2. ______. It involves a series of asanas, which increase muscular 3. ______.
Practising yoga also leads to a better body and mind 4. ______ and reduces body pain
such as the lower back. Moreover, the focus on breathing techniques and
meditation makes the mind 5. ______, lessens 6. ______, and improves the quality of 7.
______. This helps to adopt a more positive lifestyle.

The completed passage:
Yoga is a practise that not only improves physical flexibility but also improves mental health and
leads to a healthier lifestyle. It involves a series of asanas, which increase muscular strength.
Practising yoga also leads to a better body and mind balance and reduces body pain such as

Page 53 of 72

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

the lower back. Moreover, the focus on breathing techniques and meditation makes the mind
co m
calm, lessens stress, and improves the quality of sleep. This helps to adopt a more positive
em.
m l as
.co g
lifestyle.

m a
l a se
a g
BLANK WORD LINE IN THE PASSAGE

1 health “It is a holistic approach to health and well-being.”

co m
m . ag
se
2 lifestyle “Yoga promotes a sense of overall well-being.”

3 strength “asanas help a
l a
togstretch and strengthen the muscles”

4 balance
co m
“increase flexibility, endurance and balance”; “The mind has to be with the body.”

e m.
m l as
.co
5 “breathing techniques and meditation, which can help to calm the mind”
g
calm

m a
l a
6
se stress “…and reduce stress and anxiety”

a 7g sleep “improves the quality of sleep”

om a s
e
. c
mfill the easy blanks first — quality of sleep, lessens agl
How to attempt such an exercise:
a s
aglfor the rest. Notice that all seven words in the box are
stress — then use elimination
used exactly once, so cross each one off as you place it.

co m
m .
as e
. com and reflect — Page 124 a g l
emWay of Life
Let us think
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Yoga–A

COMPREHENSION
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1 What is the aim of yoga?

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The aim of yoga is to join, or unite — to bring the different parts of a person into one balanced

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whole, and so to reach complete health and well-being.
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g comes from the Sanskrit root
m .c passage explains this from the word itself: “The word ‘Yoga’
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‘yuj’, which means ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’.” What is joined is the mind with the body, thought with
action, and the human being with nature.
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Sage Patanjali states the aim in another way in the Yoga Sutras: yoga is “the means to make the

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mind quiet and free from all distractions”. And the Hatha Yoga Pradipika verse printed on page

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agof body”.
124 gives the aim of asana in particular — it “should be practised for gaining steady posture,
health and weightlessness

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

In one sentence: the aim of yoga is a quiet mind in a healthy body, living in
harmony with nature.

2 Explain the idea of unity in yoga.

Unity is the whole meaning of the word ‘yoga’ — yuj, to join. The passage names three unions.

WHAT IS JOINED WHAT IT MEANS IN PRACTICE

Mind and body The body holds the posture while the mind stays with it. “We do not just stretch the
body. The mind has to be with the body.”

Thought and action What you believe and what you do become the same thing — you live what you think.

Human being and “Harmony between human and nature” — living in balance with the world around you,
nature not against it.

The passage adds a fourth, practical union at the end: movement and breath. “If each stretch
is coordinated with the breath and awareness, our practice will become a yogic practise.” That
single sentence explains why yoga is not the same as ordinary exercise. In exercise the body
works alone; in yoga the body, the breath and the attention all move together.

The test of unity: if you can do an asana perfectly while thinking about your tiffin,
you are exercising, not doing yoga. That is also why the text says yoga “should be
practised without distractions”.

3 What does the launch of the WHO mYoga app tell us about the importance of yoga?

It tells us that the benefits of yoga are now accepted by the world’s highest health
authority — yoga is no longer only an Indian tradition but a recognised way of keeping people
healthy everywhere.
Three things about the launch make the point:

Who launched it. The World Health Organisation is the health body of the United Nations. It
does not promote a practice unless there is evidence behind it. As the text says, “the benefits
of practising yoga are internationally recognised”.

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

When. It was launched on 20 June 2021 — the eve of International Day of Yoga, and in the
middle of a global health crisis, when calm and immunity mattered to everybody.
What it is. A collection of videos and audio files, made deliberately “easy-to-use and free”, so
that anyone anywhere with a phone can learn — no teacher, no fee, no equipment.

The larger meaning: a practice that began beside the Sindhu and Sarasvati
thousands of years ago is now being handed out on mobile phones across the
world. It shows that good ideas about health do not grow old — they travel.

4 Describe one long-term effect that the practice of yoga can have on a person’s
qualities.

One clear long-term effect is that a regular practitioner of yoga becomes a calmer, more
focused person.
The passage explains how this happens over time: “Yoga involves breathing techniques and
meditation, which can help to calm the mind and reduce stress and anxiety. It relaxes the mind,
improves the quality of sleep and increases concentration.” A person who has held the same
steady posture every morning for years learns to sit still with his own thoughts. That steadiness
does not stay on the mat — it shows up in the classroom, in an examination hall, and in the way
he answers when somebody provokes him.
So the quality that grows is self-control: the ability to stay calm and give full attention to one
thing at a time, instead of being pulled about by every distraction.

Other correct answers, each with its reason:

Discipline — yoga must be done daily and at a fixed hour, so it builds regular
habits.
Patience — no asana is mastered in a week; the body improves slowly, and the
practitioner learns to wait.
Endurance — the text lists it directly: asanas “increase flexibility, endurance and
balance”.
Awareness — because each stretch is coordinated “with the breath and
awareness”, a person becomes more alert to his own body and mind.

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Notice the wording of the question: it asks about a person’s qualities, not about
the body. So ‘stronger muscles’ or ‘lower blood pressure’ would not answer it.
Choose something in the character — calmness, discipline, patience — and then
show how yoga produces it.

Let us learn — Page 125
Yoga–A Way of Life — practice/practise and word building

VOCABULARY

I 1 (i) Fill in the blank with the correct use of practice (as a noun) or practise (as a verb).
It is important to have a regular ____________ of stretching every morning to stay
flexible.

It is important to have a regular practice of stretching every morning to stay flexible.
Noun, spelt with a c. The clue is the word a before it and the adjective regular — you can only
put a and an adjective in front of a naming word.

Memory trick: noun = practice, like advice and ice — all things. Verb = practise, like
advise and rise — all actions.

I 1 (ii) I ____________ Yoga every day to keep my mind and body healthy.

I practise Yoga every day to keep my mind and body healthy.
Verb, spelt with an s. It comes straight after the subject I and tells us what I do.

I 1 (iii) The teacher said, you can join the school hockey team but it requires a lot of
____________ to improve your skills.

The teacher said, you can join the school hockey team but it requires a lot of practice to
improve your skills.

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Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Noun, with a c. “A lot of ____” must be followed by a naming word, exactly as in ‘a lot of water’ or
‘a lot of time’.

I 1 (iv) Our athletics coach asked us to ____________ running on grass to strengthen our
grip while running.

Our athletics coach asked us to practise running on grass to strengthen our grip while running.
Verb, with an s. The word to in front of it makes it an infinitive — to practise, like to run, to stretch.

Quick test: if you can put ‘to’ or ‘I/we/they’ in front of the word, it is the verb
practise. If you can put ‘a’, ‘the’, ‘much’ or ‘a lot of’ in front, it is the noun practice.

I 1 (v) I ____________ deep breathing exercises when I feel stressed to calm myself down.

I practise deep breathing exercises when I feel stressed to calm myself down.
Verb, with an s — the subject I is doing the action, just as in sentence (ii).

I 1 (vi) Developing a good habit of eating fruits and vegetables should be a daily
____________.

Developing a good habit of eating fruits and vegetables should be a daily practice.
Noun, with a c. The words a daily in front of the blank can only be followed by a naming word.

Score check: the six answers run practice, practise, practice, practise, practise,
practice — three nouns and three verbs.

Page 58 of 72

as e
Class 6 English Unit 4 Sports and Wellness
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

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Another common word that has the ‘s’ and ‘c’ variation in spellings is ‘advice’ (noun)
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comclassmates and the teacher.
and ‘advise’ (verb). Make two sentences each using ‘advice’ and ‘advise’ and share
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with your

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The pair works exactly like practice/practise, but here the two words even sound different:
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advice ends with an s sound (ad-VICE), advise ends with a z sound (ad-VIZE). Say them aloud and

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you will never confuse them again.
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ADVICE (NOUN) ADVISE (VERB)

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What it is
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A thing — an opinion or suggestion given to An action — to give an opinion or

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someone suggestion

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Sound
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ad-VICE (like ‘ice’) ad-VIZE (like ‘prize’)

a Words that go some, good, a piece of, his, my I, we, they, to, will, did

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before it

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Sample answers:
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advice (noun)

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1. My grandfather’s advice was to begin every day with ten minutes of deep

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breathing.
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2. Ritu did not listen to a single piece of advice from her coach, and she lost the
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ag advise (verb)
1. Doctors advise us to sit straight and to take a short walk after every hour of study.
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2. I would advise you to practise theoasana
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m .c slowly until your balance improves.
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Careful: ‘advice’ is an uncountable noun. Say a piece of advice or some advice — never
an advice or advices.
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Make as many words as you can using the letters shown. Use the letter ‘A’ in all the
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words that you make. (A in the centre; Y, R, N, O, G, E around it)

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The letters are A (compulsory) with Y, R, N, O, G, E. Every word must contain the A, and you may
use each letter once in aaword.

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