English Skills 4

15 Read about the festivals.

Tihar

Tihar is a very big celebration for the Hindus. It falls in the month of
October or November. This is a festival of lights. People make the
surroundings bright even in the pitch darkness of no moon night.

Hindus in our country celebrate Tihar for five days. On the first day,
people worship crows. On the second day, they worship dogs.

Third day is very special. They worship cows on this day. They also
worship Goddess Laxmi in the evening. Laxmi is the goddess of wealth
and happiness. People make special food called selroti on this day.
Later in the evening, people play Bhailo. While playing Bhailo, people
go to different houses, sing songs, dance and enjoy. The owner of the
house gives a few selrotis, a little rice and some money to the group.

On the fourth day, the ox
is worshipped. There is no
big celebration on this day.
However, people play Deusi in
the evening.

The fifth day is a day of special
celebration. The sisters worship
their brothers. They wish their
brothers a long life. The sisters
give special foods and fruits to
their brothers. They also eat
different types of meat like chicken and mutton. The brothers give
their sisters money or gifts.

Especially in India, Tihar is also known as Diwali. In Gujarat, one of
the states of India, people celebrate Diwali for 30 days. This festival is
celebrated in other places too. People get holidays in eleven countries
to celebrate this festival. Do you know the names of the countries?
They are Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana,
Trinidad and Tobago, Surinam, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji.

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The Moon Festival

The Moon Festival is a very popular Chinese
holiday. It falls during the middle of the autumn
season. Chinese families celebrate this festival
with a big feast. The Chinese have moon cakes
on this day. Friends and relatives also send moon
cakes to each other.

Chinese legends say that the moon is at its brightest and roundest on
this day. Under this bright autumn moon, people make new friends.
They decorate and hang beautiful lanterns. Young people come out of
their homes and enjoy the full moon.

Chinese people say that little
children on earth can see a lady on
the moon that night. On this magical
occasion, children who make wishes
to the lady on the moon will get their
wishes fulfilled.

In this festival, family and relatives
gather and enjoy the full moon.
Families go for picnics and serve
special dinners. The children eat the moon cake and drink hot Chinese
tea. They also enjoy puppet shows.

Comprehension

16 Write T for true and F for false statements.

a. Only Nepali people celebrate Tihar. ()
b. We throw colours at each other in Tihar. ()
c. Tihar is the festival of the Hindus. ()
d. Both Tihar and the Moon Festival fall in autumn. ()
e. Children do not celebrate the Moon Festival in China. ()
f. The lady on the moon fulfills the wishes of the children. ()

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17 Complete the table.

Festival Special food Activities
Tihar

Moon Festival

18 Answer the following questions.

a. How many days do people celebrate Tihar?
b. What do people give to the group of people who play Deusi and

Bhailo in Tihar?
c. What do people worship on the fourth day of Tihar?
d. Why is the fifth day of Tihar special?
e. In how many countries do people get holidays during Tihar?
f. How do children celebrate the Moon Festival in China?
g. What do young people do at night at the Moon Festival?

Vocabulary

19 Match the country and the people from there.

a. Trinidad ____ Chinese

b. Malaysia ____ Indian

c. China ____ Singaporean

d. India ____ Trinidadian

e. Singapore ____ Malay

f. Mauritius ____ Surinamese

g. Surinam ____ Mauritian

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20 The list in the box includes varieties of meat. There
are pictures of animals below. Choose the name of
the meat and write below each animal.
beef lamb buff pork chicken mutton

Grammar

How many…? How much…?
How many selrotis do they give to the group?
They give a few selrotis to the group.
We use how many and a few with countable nouns.
How much rice do they give to the group?
They give a little rice to the group.
We use how much and a little with uncountable nouns.

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How many bananas are there on the table?

There are a lot of bananas on the table.

How much rice is there in the plate?

There is a lot of rice in the plate.

We use a lot of with both countable and uncountable nouns.
We can also say lots of instead of a lot of.

21 Complete the sentences. Use How much or How many.

a. _______________ water do you drink every day?
b. _______________ eggs do you eat every week?
c. _______________ rice do you eat in the morning?
d. _______________ milk do you drink every day?
e. _______________ people came to the party?

22 Look at the items on the table and write sentences.
Use a lot of, a few or a little.

There are Also learn some quantity
a lot of expressions
marbles in a litre of water / petrol / apple juice
the box. a kilo of onion / meat / potatoes
a bottle of water / oil
There a tin of beans / soup / paint
are a few a spoonful of sugar / salt
monkeys a tube of toothpaste / glue
in the tree. a cup of coffee / tea / milk
a jar of jam / honey
There is a a slice of bread / cheese / cake
little water a packet of biscuits / flour / rice
in the
bottle.

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lemons curry soup apples milk
cookies oranges pulse rice

Listening
23 What do Dolma and Karma do at Lhosar? Listen

to the interview and say.

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24 Listen to the interview again and choose the
correct answer.

a. Karma goes to ____________. (Tundikhel / the stupa)

b. Karma plays the ____________. (drum / conch)

c. Dolma ____________________. (dances with her friends / walks
in the parade)

d. Tsampa is ____________ (barley flour / colour)

e. They throw ____________ at each other. (tsampa / fruits)

f. At last people get covered ____________. (in white / in red)

Speaking

25 Choose a festival you like. Make a note about it. Go to
the front of the class and share it.

Hello. I’m D’Silva from Brazil. My
favourite festival is the Carnival. A
lot of people come to the festival.
There are dances and parades.
People dance Samba there. We
wear special colourful clothes. A
lot of delicious foods are brought
even on the street. There are only
few people who do not come to the
festival.

What is your favourite festival?
Who do you celebrate it with?
What do you wear?
What do you eat?
What do you do?

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Dictionary Skill

26 Write the meaning of the following words. Use a
dictionary. Then, use each of the words in a sentence
of your own.

delicious carnival fantastic
performer costume traditional

Party TimeWriting

Preparing Invitation Card

27 Read a couple of invitation cards and answer the
questions.

Sanil’s 9th Birthday

When : September 28, Saturday
Where : Ande’s Cafe and Pool, New Baneshwor
Time : 1 - 4 PM
RSVP : Please text Manita 984000000
Please don’t forget to bring a swim-suit, towel and sunscreen.

A told B and B told C 1. When is the Sanil’s birthday?
We are having a birthday party! 2. Where is it going to take
Punya is turning 9.
place?
Friday, October 21 3. How long will it last?
Time : 3:00 - 6:00 pm 4. What are they going to do
At Punya’s home
there?
RSVP to 99984000 5. When is Punya’s birthday?
dinner and cake will be served 6. How old is Punya turning

now?
7. Where is the party?

Do you know what is RSVP? It means please inform.

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28 Following one of the formats, prepare an invitation
card inviting your friend to your birthday party.

29 Sometimes, we don’t make a card. Rather we write
a short invitation letter. See an example below and
write one inviting your friend on your uncle’s wedding.

Balaju, Kathmandu
November 21, 2017
Dear Sunita,
I’m very happy to write to you today. I would like to invite you to my
uncle’s wedding party. My uncle is getting married on next Friday
(November 28) and we are having the party on Saturday at Nagarjuna
Party Palace Balaju. Hope you could come.
Also, tell my Namaste to your mum and dad!
Please, do come. I’ll be waiting for you at the gate.
Yours, Manita

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6Lesson Places

read a map fun park turn right

roundabout photo studio go straight on

Conversation

1 Listen and practise.

Tourist : Excuse me! Is there any photo studio nearby?

Rabin : Yes, there is. There is one opposite the fun
park.

Tourist : Can you tell me the way, please?

Rabin : Well, walk down the street for a few minutes.
Take a right turn at the crossroads. Just go
along the road about two minutes. The studio
is on your right, just opposite the fun park. It’s
next to the bank.

Tourist : Thank you. Thank you very much.

Rabin : You are welcome.

Where does the tourist want to go?

Where is the studio?

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2 Listen and sing.

Why are they standing
In the middle of the square?
Because they can’t find the station
That they thought was there.

Why are they lost
In the middle of the town?
Because they are holding
The map upside down.

3 Read and learn.

Today, Mona, her brother Mohan
and her mother are going to
watch “Chhakka Panja 2” in a
new theatre in the city. They have
got a map of the city showing the
new theatre.

They are walking along the
street. Then, Mona says, “Mmm,
I don’t think the new cinema is
near here. I think we are lost.

Mohan says, “I also think so. But
I thought the theatre was near
the petrol station.”

Mum says, “No, I said it’s near
the bus station. Let’s look at the
map again. Here’s the theatre next to the station.”

“Oh no! Sorry, Mum.”

“We have to go back to this roundabout here and turn right. Then we

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go straight on and then
take a left turn at the
traffic lights.”

Mona says, “Oh! We
are going to be late!
The show starts in five
minutes.”

“Yes, come on! We
have to hurry!,” Mum
says.

They are walking
along the street. Uncle
Madan is also going to
the theatre. He and Aunt Muna are coming in a car. At the roundabout,
they meet Mona, Mohan and their mother.

Uncle Madan calls, “Hey, Mona! Are you going to the theatre? We can
take you!”

“Thank you! We got lost,” says Mohan.

All say, “Now, we won’t be late.”

Comprehension

4 Match the words with similar meanings.

a. cinema ____ bus stop

b. bus station ____ a place where three or more roads join

and is round area for traffic to go around

c. road ____ theatre

d. roundabout ____ having no twists and turns

e. straight ____ street

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5 Answer the following questions.

a. Which movie are they going to watch?
b. What happens when they are on the way to the cinema?
c. Where is the theatre?
d. Who gives them a lift to theatre?
e. Are they going to be late for the movie? Why?

6 Read, learn and use ‘have to’ or ‘has to’ and a word or
a phrase to complete the sentences.

We use ‘have to / has to’ to talk about what is necessary. ‘Have to
/ has to’ also tells us about the rules.
We have to hurry. Otherwise, we are going to be late.
We have to wear school uniforms.

We use ‘had to’ to talk about what was necessary in the past.
To reach the cinema on time, we had to take a taxi.

read the map hurry wait stop call her parents

a. We are late! We ____________________ .
b. They’re lost. They ____________________ .
c. The traffic light is red. He ____________________ .
d. I’m at the theater early. I ____________________ .
e. She is lost in the fair. She ____________________ .

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Grammar

Prepositions of place

a cat sitting on the a cat standing in a cat sleeping
floor front of the fireplace behind the sofa

a cat sitting a cat hiding under a cat sitting in the
between the chairs the bed box

a cat sleeping next to the a cat standing opposite
flower vase the dog

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7 Complete the sentences with the words from the box.
Some prepositions can be used more than once.

behind between in in front of to
next to opposite on under

a. The bird is ______________ the umbrella.
b. The food items are ______________ the table.
c. The baby is ______________ the man and the woman.
d. The girl is throwing the ball ______________ the boy.
e. The dog is ______________ the chair.
f. The cat is ______________ the table.
g. The family is ______________ the park.
h. The jug is ______________ the bread.
i. The grill is ______________ the dog.
j. The grill is ______________ the man.
k. The cat is sitting ______________ dog.

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Vocabulary

8 Write the phrase under the correct picture.

cross the street go past the pet-shop turn right
go over the bridge go along the street turn back
turn left go straight at the corner

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9 Write the direction to the park. Use the given words.

right over left in front of straight on

Begin here.

a. Go _____________ .
b. Turn _____________ at the traffic lights.
c. Turn _____________ at the roundabout.
d. Go _____________ the bridge.
e. The park is _____________ the bus park.

Speaking
10 Look at the map. Sit in pairs and give directions to

different places on the map.

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Excuse me. Is there a bank nearby? Yes, there’s one
Can you tell me the way, please? in Moti Road.

Thank you. Well, go straight ahead and turn
right at the crossroads. Walk

down the street until you reach
Moti Road. Turn left and walk

along for two minutes. The bank
is next to the school.

You are welcome.

11 Imagine a place at your school. Write a direction to go
to that place from another place in the school. Don’t
give the name of the place you reach at the end. Read
out your direction to the class. Your friends will say
what place that is.

Now you are standing at the main gate. Go
in and take a right turn. You’ll see a staircase
there. Go up the stairs. In front of you, there is
a room with a huge table in it. Where are you
now?

We are in front of
teacher’s room. Now...

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Grammar
The present continuous

Positive Negative Questions

I am / I’m sleeping. I am / I’m not sleeping. Am I sleeping?

You are / You’re sleeping. You are not / You aren’t sleeping. Are you sleeping?

He is / He’s learning. He is not / He isn’t learning. Is he learning?

She is / She’s learning. She is not / She isn’t learning. Is she learning?

It is / It’s eating. It is not / It isn’t eating. Is it eating?

We are / We’re sitting. We are not / We aren’t sitting. Are we sitting?

They are / They’re lying. They are not / They aren’t lying. Are they lying?

Short answers to the yes/no questions:

Yes, I am. Yes, you are. Yes, we are.
No, we aren’t.
No, I’m not. No, you aren’t.

Yes, he is. Yes, it is. Yes, they are.
No, he isn’t. No, it isn’t. No, they aren’t.

Yes, she is.
No, she isn’t.

Spelling

12 We add –ing at the end of verbs in order to make the
continuous tense. Complete the table below.

Add –ing at the end of the In a verb ending with a consonant
verbs. + e, remove e and add –ing.

play playing make making
cry take
go come
throw dance
kill smile

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In a verb ending with a vowel In a verb ending with ie, change
+ consonant, repeat the ie into y and add –ing.
consonant and add –ing.
swim swimming die dying

begin tie

cut lie

put

hit

13 Complete the sentences. Use the present continuous.

a. Nima and Pemba ___________ (talk) to a magician.
b. They ___________ (ask) him questions.
c. The magician ___________ (stand) inside a magic box.
d. Pemba ___________ (wear) blue trousers.
e. The children ___________ (look for) their lost ring.
f. They ___________ (sit) on a bench.

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14 Look at the pictures and correct the information.

She’s reading. He’s cycling. They’re cooking.
She isn’t reading.
She’s dancing. 

They’re running. Nina is crying. He’s drinking juice.

15 Fill in the blanks to complete the given questions.
Look at the pictures for help.

a. Is Bina eating (eat) a banana?
b. ___________ Mark ___________ (listen) to the radio?
c. ___________ Milan and Mitral ___________ (play) badminton?
d. ___________ Jimmy ___________ (write) a letter?
e. ___________ John ___________ (fly) a kite?
f. ___________ Hari and Gopal ___________ (cry)?

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Reading

16 Read and learn.

It’s a rainy Saturday. It’s raining a
lot and Mandira and her family are
spending the afternoon at home. Her
uncles are visiting them today.

Mandira and her father are in the living
room. Mandira is drawing something
and her father, Mr Pandey, is surfing
the net. They are also talking. He is
searching some books on English
language as he is an English teacher.

Mandira’s older brother, Pawan, is
in his bedroom playing computer
games. He is a computer fanatic and
he spends much time playing on the
computer. Her little brother, Puspa,
is also in the living room. He is
playing with his dinosaurs’ collection.
Sometimes he teases Mandira. He is
a really naughty boy.

Mandira’s mother, Mrs Pandey, is in the kitchen preparing a snack for
all of them. She is making some tea and talking to Mandira’s uncles
– Shiva and Tularam. They are from
the nearby village. Actually, they are
going back to city to resume their job
after Dashian holiday. They have
stopped there to say hello.

Fluffy, the family cat, is sleeping on
the kitchen’s sofa. We can’t see him
in the picture, but he is a true fluffy
cat.

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Comprehension
17 Find the words from the text to match the meanings.

a. soft and woolly or like fur
b. rejoin or restart
c. laughs at or says unkind things
d. a person having extreme love for something
e. looking for different things on the net

18 Are these statements true or false? Write.

a. Mandira and her family are visiting their uncles.
b. Mandira’s younger brother teases her.
c. There are three people in the living room.
d. Mandira’s brother Pawan is a great lover of computer games.
e. Mandira’s uncles are going to their home village for Dashain

holiday.
f. Mandira’s cat does not have much fur .

19 Answer the following questions.

a. What day is today ‘in the text’?
b. What is father doing?
c. What is Mandira doing?
d. Where is Pawan and what is he doing?
e. Where is the cat?
f. What is mother doing?
g. Why are Mandira’s uncles going to city?
h. Which subject does Mandira’s father teach at school?

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Vocabulary
20 What subjects do you study at school? Write.

_E_n_g_li_s_h_____ ___________ ___________ ___________
___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

21 Find the different places at home and complete the
crossword puzzle.

12

3

4

5

67

ACROSS
4. We have a really big dinner table in our d__________ room.
5. Roy is cleaning her teeth in the b __________
6. I often sit on the b __________
7. There are some beautiful flowers in our g __________

DOWN
1. Dad is making a pizza in the k __________
2. Clean your b __________, Binita! You can’t sleep in such a dirty

place.
3. We have two sofas and a big TV in our l __________ room.

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Speaking
22 Look at the pictures and correct the information.

What’s your favourite I like English.
subject?

Why do you I like it because our
like that? English teacher
teaches us very
well.

Listening
23 Are these statements true or false? Listen and say.

a. Aman and Ruby meet every day.
b. Aman travels to school by bus.
c. Aman’s school is two minutes away from his home.
d. Ruby’s school is far from her home.
e. Aman finds mathematics difficult.
f. Ruby likes talking.

24 Listen again and write.

a. What are Aman’s favourite subjects?
___________________ ___________________
b. What are Ruby’s favourite subjects?
___________________ ___________________

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Pronunciation

Syllables

25 Listen to the following words. They are one-syllable
words.

hat have round go head day fix put

Now listen to these words. They are two-syllable words.

daughter father mother brother sister metre

Again, listen to these words. They are three-syllable words.

eleven Pokhara easily computer important beautiful

26 Here are some words. Listen and put them in the
correct columns.

happy seven two bicycle
umbrella one good easy
careful tomato potato bear

One-syllable words Two-syllable words Three-syllable words

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Writing

Pokhara 2, Kaski
3 July 2013

Dear Arun,

How are you? I’m in
Pokhara. I’m sitting on the
bank of Fewa Lake. The
cool wind is coming from
the lake. I am sitting on a
chair and writing to you.

I’m looking around here. I can see many things. Some people are
boating in the lake. Some tourists are taking photographs. They are
talking and laughing. Some other people are going to the temple which
is in the middle of the lake. Some are already there. Some children
are ringing the bell in the temple.

Some birds are flying in the sky. The cloud is changing its shape. On
this bright day, everything looks nice.

Don’t you want to come here? Please, come some day! It is really
beautiful here.

With lots of love,
Bhanu

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27 Read the letter on the previous page and complete
the information.

written by : ________________________________________
written to : ________________________________________
written on : ________________________________________
written from : ________________________________________

28 Rewrite the following letter by putting the parts in the
correct order.

20 November
Thanks for your letter. How are you? What are you doing? I’m
really enjoying school this year.
Please write soon.
Best wishes,
Temba

I’m in the school football team this year. I play a lot of matches.
We are having a lot of training these days. We have a match with
another school next week.
Banepa 2, Kavre
Dear Mani,

29 Write a letter to your friend. Mention what you are
doing these days and share your plan for the next
vacation.

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7Lesson Music

album drum set
violin madal

harp piano

keyboard

sarangi harmonium

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Conversation
1 Listen and practise.

Jamuna : Hello, Sanjay.
Were you at
home yesterday
evening?

Sanjay : No, I wasn’t.
I was at my
cousin’s birthday.

Jamuna : Was it a good
party?

Sanjay : Yes, it was.
Jamuna : Was the music

good?
Sanjay : No, it wasn’t. But

there was some
great food!

1. Whose birthday was it?
2. How was the party?
3. What was not so good in the party?

2 Sit in pairs. Take turns to ask the given questions.

Where were you last evening?

Were you sick yesterday?

Were you happy or sad this morning?

Was the breakfast tasty this morning?

Why were you angry last week?

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Grammar

The past simple : be

Positive Negative Yes/no Short response
question
Yes, I was. / No, I
I was I wasn’t / was not Was I wasn’t.
happy.
happy. happy? Yes, you were. / No,
you weren’t.
You were You weren’t / Were you
Yes, he was. / No,
happy. were not happy. happy? he wasn’t.

He was He wasn’t / was Was he Yes, she was. / No,
happy. she wasn’t.
not happy. happy?
Yes, it was. / No, it
She was She wasn’t / was Was she wasn’t.

happy. not happy. happy? Yes, we were. / No,
we weren’t.
It was It wasn’t / was Was it
happy. not happy. happy? Yes, they were. /
No, they weren’t.
We were We weren’t / Were we

happy. were not happy. happy?

They were They weren’t / Were they

happy. were not happy. happy?

There was a cat on the roof.
There were five birds on the roof.

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3 Look at the pictures below. Correct the false sentences.

The boys were at the park yesterday. Mina was in the class yesterday.
The boys weren’t at the park yesterday.
They were at a music shop.

The girls were at the The cow was in the shed
museum yesterday. yesterday.

The fish was in the The children were in the
pond last evening. market last Sunday.

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Reading
4 Study the information given on this page. Then read

about two great musicians on the following pages.

Nepal Austria

Aruna Lama Karma Yonzon Gopal Yonzon

Agam Singh Giri Ranjit Gajmer Amber Gurung

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Amber Gurung

Do you sing your national anthem in the assembly at your school?
Do you know who composed the music of the anthem? Yes, Amber
Gurung composed it. Pradeep Kumar Rai (Byakul Maila) wrote the
song and Amber Gurung gave music.

Amber Gurung was
born in Darjeeling,
India on 26 February
1938. His father, Ujir
Singh Gurung was
born in Tanahu district
in western Nepal. He
became British Indian
Army. Later, he worked
there as a policeman.
He was very strict and
didn’t like Amber’s love
for music.

Amber’s mother helped him to sing and compose when he was a
child. He learnt to play the madal and the flute on his own. He also
learnt to play the guitar and other instruments himself. He went to a
school in Darjeeling. He liked singing the Bible hymns there.

In 1950s, he met Agam Singh Giri. They became close friends. Giri
was a poet. He wrote songs and Amber Gurung composed music for
them.

Agam Giri also had a school. Amber Gurung became the headmaster
of the school. In that school, he taught many Nepali singers and
musicians. Among his students, Gopal Yonzon, Karma Yonzon,
Aruna Lama and Ranjit Gazmer are some famous Nepali singers and
musicians.

In 1969, Amber Gurung came to Kathmandu. He became head of
the music department of the Nepal Academy. He was in the post for
around thirty years.

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He composed more than a thousand songs. Besides, Amber Gurung
was a writer. He wrote many songs and sang them.

He won many honours. He was awarded Gorakha Dakhsinbahu,
Jagadamba Shree Puraskar, Uttam Shanti Sahitya Puraskar,
Chhinnalata Puraskar including many others. He was even respected
as ‘Mahasangeetkar’ or ‘Father of Modern Nepali Music’. In 2007,
he composed the music of national anthem of our country “Sayaun
Thunga Phool Ka Hami”. In 2016, our national anthem was ranked
third on the list of “the most amazing national anthems”. The BBC
made the list considering the unique music composition.

His some famous songs are Naulakha Tara Udaye, Yo Jindagiko Ke
Kura, Ukali Chadhda and Ma Amber Hu Timi Dharti.

This great person and Father of Modern Nepali music died on 7
June 2016. He was ill and was having health check up at Grande
International Hospital in Kathmandu.

Amber Gurung has four children and five grandchildren.

Mozart

Suppose you can play the violin
fantastically. You are an excellent
keyboard player. At the age of five,
you can make music. By the age
of 14, you are the most popular
musician in your continent. This is
what it was like to be Mozart!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is
considered one of the best musicians
of the world. By the age of three,
Mozart was playing the piano like
an expert. He then started learning
the violin. By four, he was writing
his own music. Mozart even put on

English Skills Book - 4 129

a concert when he was just six. Just
like breathing, music came naturally
to him.

As a child, Mozart travelled Europe
for three years with his dad and his
sister, both talented musicians. He
played for the rich and the poor.
Everybody loved his music and his
melodious voice. They also loved his
blond curls and his polite ways.

This musical wizard was born on 27
January 1756 in Salzburg, a city in
Austria. Mozart’s older sister’s name was Nannerl and father’s name
was Leopold. That was a family of musicians.

At the age of eight, Mozart used to show tricks in the concerts. One
of his famous tricks was to play the piano covering the keyboard.
He was really talented. Some of his famous musical works are Don
Giovani, The Magic Flute and Requiem.

Mozart had six children. Four of them died young. Even Mozart did
not have long life. He died at the age of 35 in 1791.

Comprehension

5 Are the following true or false? Write.

a. Amber Gurung was born in Kathmandu.

b. Amber Gurung went to school in Darjeeling.

c. Amber Gurung learnt music from his father.

d. Amber Gurung’s father was a policeman.

e. Mozart was from Europe.

f. Mozart lived for forty five years.

g. Mozart’s father was a musician.

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6 Fill in the gaps.

a. ____________ wrote our national anthem.

b. ____________ helped Amber Gurung learn music.

c. Amber Gurung came to Kathmandu in ____________ .

d. Mozart was from Salzburg, ____________ .

e. Mozart became a famous musician in Europe at the age of
____________ .

f. Mozart’s elder sister’s name was ____________ .

7 Answer the following questions.

a. Who composed the music of our national anthem?

b. When was Amber Gururng born?

c. Who are the some famous students of Amber Gurung? Name
them.

d. Who is known as the father of Nepali modern music?

e. In which office did Amber Gurung work? What was his post there?

f. How long did he work there?

g. What was one of the famous tricks Mozart showed in his shows?

h. When did Mozart die?

8 Compare these two musicians.

Name Amber Gurung Mozart

Learned music from learned himself

Country

Some great works

English Skills Book - 4 131

Vocabulary
9 Look at the pictures, choose the words and complete

the sentences.

flutist concert guitarist
pianist theatre cymbals

a. The boys were at the ____________ Their famous stars were
singing there.

b. The ____________ was full of people. I could not get a seat to
watch the play.

c. The small girl played the ____________ during the ceremony at
home.

d. The famous ____________ played the piano.

e. A ____________ plays the flute.

f. The girls were playing the guitars. They want to be famous
____________ when they grow up.

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10 Sit in groups and hold a competition. The one who
can write the most number of musical instruments is
the winner.

Grammar

The past simple : regular verbs

Positive Negative Question

I walked to school I didn’t / did not walk to Did I walk to school
yesterday?
yesterday. school yesterday.

You walked to You didn’t / did not walk to Did you walk to

school yesterday. school yesterday. school yesterday?

He walked to He didn’t / did not walk to Did he walk to

school yesterday. school yesterday. school yesterday?

She walked to She didn’t / did not walk to Did she walk to

school yesterday. school yesterday. school yesterday?

It rained It didn’t / did not rain Did it rain
yesterday. yesterday. yesterday?

We walked to We didn’t / did not walk to Did we walk to

school yesterday. school yesterday. school yesterday?

They walked to They didn’t / did not walk Did they walk to

school yesterday. to school yesterday. school yesterday?

Short answers Yes, he did. Yes, she did.
Yes, I did. No, he didn’t. No, she didn’t.
No, I didn’t.
Yes, we did. Yes, they did.
Yes, it did. No, we didn’t. No, they didn’t.
No, it didn’t.

English Skills Book - 4 133

11 Read, learn and write the past forms of the given
verbs.

Add ed at the end of the verb Add d to make past form of the
to make the past form regular verb ending with e.

walk walked die died
work smile
push dance
brush close
play change
open invite

Change y into i and add ed to Double the consonant and add ed
make the past forms of these at the end of these regular verbs
verbs ending in a consonant + y. ending in a vowel + a consonant
cry cried stop stopped
carry clap
try plan
study ban
fry bar
marry travel

12 Complete the sentences in the past simple. Use the
verbs in brackets correctly.

a. Pawan ___________ (play) the madal at the school programme.
b. The rain ___________ (stop) in the evening.
c. Meena ___________ (not invite) us to her birthday party

yesterday.

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d. I ___________ (study) very hard for the test.
e. The film ___________ (finish) at seven o’clock.
f. The boys ___________ (smile) for a photograph.
g. ___________ (you eat) your lunch?

13 Choose a verb from the list and fill in each blank space.
Use the past simple form of the verb.

dance like work call clap help

My brother Mohan was a competitor in Nepali Tara. He sang the
song and two of his friends ___________ on the stage with him.
They had practised a lot before the contest and they were really
good. The audience ___________ Mohan’s song very much and they
___________ a lot. His music teacher ___________ him to sing better.
He ___________ his song “Sweet Dreams”. Mohan ___________
very hard, but he wasn’t the winner.

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Listening
14 Listen to the conversation and circle the musical

instruments you hear.

15 Listen to the conversations again. Say whether
the statements are true or false.

a. There was a concert at school last week.
b. Jenish played the cymbals in the programme.
c. Melina played the violin.
d. Subas played the madal.
e. Kamal and Usha played the drums.

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Telling time
16 Look, learn and write the time digitally in the blanks.

9 o’clock 09:00 4 o’clock _________ half past three _____

half past five _____ four thirty _______ quarter to four _____

quarter past seven quarter past ten ten thirty
_________ _________ ________

quarter to ten twelve forty-five nine forty-five
_________ _________ _________

English Skills Book - 4 137

about eight o’clock about six o’clock

17 Listen the time and number the watches.

Speaking
18 Sit in pairs and ask your friend questions as in the

examples below.

A : Where were you at 6 o’clock in the morning yesterday?
B : I was in bed.
A : Where were you at five o’clock in the evening yesterday?
B : I was at the concert. My brother was singing.

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six o’clock in the morning (6:00 am)
half past four in the afternoon (4:30 pm)
a quarter past seven in the evening (7:15 pm)
a quarter to twelve at night (11:45 pm)
two o’clock at night (2:00 am)
five o’clock in the evening (5:00 pm) 

Pronunciation

19 Listen and learn to pronounce ed endings.

moved travelled arrived used
pulled

liked cooked escaped helped
walked

+ hunted painted started ended
rented mended

Speaking

20 Make notes about yourself first. Then, tell the class.
Include one piece of false information about you. Your
friends guess what was false about you.

was born in…..
joined school at the age of….
liked / didn’t like my first day at school…
my teacher was….
she was very … (kind / strict)
my best friend was ….
my father / mother came to leave…
played … (name of games) with ….(name of your friends)

I was born in Samakhusi, Kathmandu. I came ….

English Skills Book - 4 139

Writing

Writing biographies and autobiographies

Biographies and autobiographies are life stories. If you write your life
story, it becomes an autobiography. If someone else writes your life
story, it becomes a biography.

You read the life stories of the two musicians earlier. Are they
autobiographies or biographies?

Tara Devi
w also called nightingale of Nepal
w born in Indra Chok, Kathmandu in 1946
w parents: Krishna Bahadur Karki and Radha Devi Karki
w started singing at the age of five / went to Radio Nepal and got

chance to sing / learned music at home from father and aunt
w later got music lessons from Bhairav Bahadur Thapa
w first sang for children programme in Radio Nepal (earned Rs

5 for singing a song, it was a big amount of money that time)
w studied music in college
w worked in Radio Nepal for 30 years
w sang more than 4000 songs
w got married with a pilot Shiva Bahadur Shrestha
w son died of cancer
w husband died in a plane crash
w got various awards (Chhinnalata Puraskar)
w popular songs: Subhakamana, Kaali Paari Dai Kati Ramro,

Fulako Thunga, Soche Jasto Hunna Jeevan
w died in 2006 (at the age of 60)

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Tara Devi : Nightingale of Nepal
Tara Devi was a famous Nepali singer.
She earned the titles of the Swor Kinnari
and Nightingale of Nepal because she
sang very sweetly.

Tara Devi was born in Indra Chok,
Kathmandu in 1946. She was born to
Krishna Bahadur Karki and Radha Devi
Karki. Her parents has a Paanpasal in
Indrachok. Her father was interested in music. Krishna Bahadur and
his sister used to sing bhajans. Later, her father sent Tara Devi to
Bhairav Bahadur Thapa. Mr Thapa taught her music and took her
Radio Nepal.

At the age of five she went to Radio Nepal. She used to sing songs for
children programme. She earned Rs 5 for each song.

As she grew she studied music in her college. She got a job in Radio
Nepal. She worked there for Radio Nepal for thirty years. During her
stay in Radio Nepal she recorded about 4000 songs.

At the age of 20 she got married with Shiva Bahadur Shreshta. She
had three children. Her son died due to cancer. Her husband also
died some years after in a plane crash.

Despite all sorrows, she continued her singing. She became famous
among all the people. For her wonderful work, she was awarded
various awards including Chhinnalata Puraskar.

Some of her popular songs are Subhakamana, Kaali Paari Dai Kati
Ramro, Fulako Thunga, Soche Jasto Hunna Jeevan. Leaving such
wonderful songs, she died in 2006 at the age of 60.

Have you listened to Tara Devi’s songs?
Did you like them?

English Skills Book - 4 141

21 Write a short biography of Aruna Lama. Use the clues
given below. Also read the sample biography of Tara
Devi.

Aruna Lama

w also called Swor Samragi, Nightingale of the Hills

w born in Darjeeling in 1945 w father: Surya Bahadur Lama

w mother: Sanmaya Lama w started singing at the age of

seven

w uncle CL Lama helped to sing w entered singing competition at
the age of eleven

w received prizes w learned music from Amber

Gurung

w sang more songs w got married with a musician

Sharan Pradhan

w husband died at early age w became teacher and later officer

w sang sweet songs w became famous

w popular songs: Eklai Basda, w died in 1998

Himal Sari

22 Now, note things about yourself. Then, write your own
biography.

Date of birth:
Place of birth:
Parents:
Early years (any brother and sisters):
Did you play with them?
Which school did you go first?
Did you like it? Which school are you in?
What are your wishes and interests?

142 English Skills Book - 4

8Lesson TV

the news movies cartoon competition

quiz show TV screen sport singing

Conversation
1 Listen and practise.

Mark : What’s your favourite TV programme?

Jane : I love documentaries.

Mark : Well, did you watch the documentary on elephants last
night?

Jane : No, I didn’t. I was doing my homework last evening. How
was it?

Mark : It was very interesting. I knew that an elephant weighs about
seven thousand kilograms.

Jane : Wow! So heavy!

English Skills Book - 4 143

2 Sit in pairs and talk about your favourite TV programme.
Also ask:

1. What is it about?

2. When did you watch the last episode?

3. What happened there?

Reading

3 Read and learn.

Last evening, I was watching my favourite
channel on TV. An interesting story was
being shown. They said Aesop told this
story first. Do you know who Aesop
was? He was a great storyteller
from Greece. Here’s the
story now.

Once there lived a boy
in a village. He used
to graze his sheep
near the jungle. Like
every other day, he
took his sheep near the jungle. He climbed a tree and looked around.
He could see far away.

One day, he was sitting in a tree and watching over his sheep. The
sheep were grazing quietly. He saw some farmers on a farm a little far
away. They were digging the field. He thought of making them fools.
He shouted, “Wolf! Wolf!”

The farmers did not hear him. So, he cried even louder. “Help! Help!
A wolf is eating my sheep.”

The farmers heard his cries and stopped their work. They ran towards
the boy. The boy was sitting in the tree. He was laughing there. There
was no wolf. The farmers told him not to do so again.

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