A Concrete Example — Textbook

A CONCRETE EXAMPLE

Let us do these activities before we read.

I. Read the names of items you usually find in a garden and write their names against each picture given below.

garden hose, sapling, hedge, flower beds, flower pot, pebbles, rockery, fence, vine, wheelbarrow

(Image Description: A collage of illustrations showing common garden items including a garden hose, a young tree sapling, a trimmed green hedge, rectangular flower beds with blooming plants, a clay flower pot, a collection of smooth pebbles, a stone rockery, a wooden picket fence, a climbing green vine, and a wheelbarrow filled with soil.)

II. Work in groups of four. What kind of garden would you like to have? Mention the features that you can include and the reasons for your choice. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.

III. Read the title of the poem. What comes to your mind when you read the word 'concrete'? Does it have more than one meaning? Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.

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Let us read

(Image Description: A vibrant illustration showing Mrs. Jones standing in her stone-filled garden next to a crazy stone pathway, small flower beds, and a sundial on a stone pedestal.)

My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,

has got a garden full of stones:

A crazy path, a lily pond,

a rockery and, just beyond

A sundial with a strange device,

which Mrs. Jones thinks rather nice.

My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,

puts little plants between the stones

They are so delicate and small,

they don't mean anything at all.

I can't think how she gets them in,

unless she plants them with a pin.

My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,

once asked me round to see her stones.

We stood and talked about a flower

for quite a quarter of an hour.

"Where is this lovely thing?" I cried.

"You're standing on it," she replied.

— Reginald Arkell

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Let us discuss

I. Complete the following summary with exact words from the poem. One example has been done for you. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.

The poem describes Mrs. Jones, the speaker's next-door neighbour, who has a unique garden filled with 1. ________. Her garden includes a peculiar 2. ________, a pond, and a rockery, along with an unusual 3. ________ that she finds charming. Mrs. Jones plants tiny, 4. ________ plants between the stones, which the speaker thinks must be so small that they are planted with a 5. ________. One day, Mrs. Jones invites the speaker to see her garden, and they discuss a 6. ________ that Mrs. Jones treasures. When the speaker asks where the 7. ________ flower is, Mrs. Jones says that the speaker has been 8. ________ on it all along.

II. Select the correct option to fill in the blanks for the following sentences.

1. The tone of the poem is

(i) mocking

(ii) humorous

(iii) mournful

(iv) amusing

(v) light-hearted

A. (i), (ii), and (iii)

B. (i), (ii), and (v)

C. (ii), (iii), and (iv)

D. (ii), (iv), and (v)

2. The speaker in the poem is

(i) Mrs. Jones

(ii) the poet

(iii) a gardener

(iv) a child

3. The rhyme scheme of the poem is

(i) AABBCC

(ii) ABABCC

(iii) AABCAC

(iv) ABBACC

III. Complete the following sentences by choosing the correct answer given in the brackets.

1. The poet uses the word 'stones' in all stanzas in order to emphasise her ______. (obsession with a stony garden/pride in gardening skills)

2. The poet uses imagery to describe the features of the garden that help readers ______. (understand Mrs. Jones' love for plants/visualise the garden's peculiar nature)

IV. Identify the line that is repeated in the poem in each stanza.

V. In this poem there are some letters or sounds at the begining of words that are close together. Identify those words and phrases from the poem and give examples.

VI. Mrs. Jones' excitement about her garden contrasts with the speakers disappointment on how ordinary it is. Find out the line which explains this.

VII. Complete the following sentences with appropriate words given in the brackets.

1. The ord 'concrete' refers to ______ (specific/general) in Mrs. 'Jones' garden.

2. The title has a symbolic meaning, as the poem provides a clear or 'concrete' example of Mrs. Jones' ______ (peculiar/common) gardencing habits.

VIII. The title 'A Concrete Example' carries both literal and symbolic meaning. Some sentences have words with multiple meanings or words that sound alike but have different meanings, creating a humorous effect.

A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two-tired. (two-tired sounds like "too tired, which means very exhausted).

The librarian is always booked. (since they are always surrounded by books, so they are booked)

We had a pun contrest in class, but it was a punishment to read them all. (the pun is a joke using wordplay which can be unpleasant or painful.)

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Let us think and reflect

I. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow.

My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,

has got a garden full of stones:

A crazy path, a lily pond,

a rockery and, just beyond

A sundial with a strange device,

which Mrs. Jones thinks rather nice.

(i) What do you think about Mrs. Jones's taste in gardening from the description of her garden being 'full of stones'?

(ii) Identify whether the following statement is true or false. The garden serves as a means to reveal more about Mrs. Jones herself.

(iii) What do you mean by 'crazy path'?

(iv) What does the sundial with a 'strange device' suggest about Mrs. Jones' personality?

A. She has a fascination with unusual items.

B. She prefers traditional garden decorations.

C. She is uninterested in her garden's appearance.

D. She likes modern and expensive items.

II. Answer the following questions.

1. How does Mrs. Jones feel about her garden? Support your answer with example from the poem.

2. Why do you think the speaker describes the plants as being so small that they could be planted with a pin?

3. What do we get to know about Mrs. Jones-based on her gardening style and her interaction with the speaker?

4. The poem portrays Mrs. Jones in a positive light. Support this statement.

5. What does the poem tell us about the way people think differently about the world around them?

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Let us learn

I. Select the appropriate word from the brackets that correctly replaces the underlined word in the sentences from the text.

1. A sundial with a strange device, (unusual, peculiar, new, rare, external)

2. ... which Mrs. Jones thinks rather nice. (pleasant, superior, agreeable, gentle, charming)

3. They are so delicate... (delicious, fragile, dainty, graceful, weak)

4. "Where is this lovely thing?" I cried. (exclaimed, wept, shouted, announced, whispered)

II. The 'sundial' is referred to as a 'device' in the poem. Work in pairs to infer the meaning of 'device'. Share your thoughts with your classmates and teacher.

Now, match the type of instruments in Column 1 with their definitions in Column 2. Column 3 shows one example of each type of instrument. Add more examples in Column 3.

III. Complete the table by making new words in Column 1 using the hints given in Column 2. Replace the first letter of the given word to create new words. One example has been done for you.

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Let us listen

(Image Description: A postage stamp from India with a face value of 100, titled "भारत INDIA / रॉक गार्डन, चंडीगढ़ / ROCK GARDEN, CHANDIGARH", illustrating tall, colourful anthropomorphic statues made of recycled materials.)

I. You will listen to a presentation about the wonderful Rock Garden of Chandigarh. As you listen, answer the following questions using one to three exact words from the presentation. (Transcript for teacher on page 47)

1. Where was Nek Chand's Rock Garden featured?

2. What kind of sculptures does the Rock Garden have?

3. How is the Rock Garden divided?

4. Name any one thing that has been transformed into a piece of art in the Rock Garden.

5. Approximately, how many statues border the Rock Garden?

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Let us speak

I. The speaker of the poem might have felt sorry for stepping on Mrs. Jones' flower. When we make a mistake, we must express regret and apologise for our actions.

1. When we apologise to a friend or a family member, we use informal language. Take turns to apologise for the following situations and respond to the apology.

(i) You have eaten your brother's share of sweets.

(ii) You have broken your sister's flower craft.

(iii) You accidentally spilled ink on your mother's important documents.

(iv) You forgot to bring your friend's notebook to the school after borrowing it.

You may use the following phrases given below.

2. When we apologise to someone in authority like a Principal or a teacher in a formal setting, we use formal language. Work in pairs and take turns to apologise for the following situations and respond to the apology.

(i) You did not bring an assignment that was due for submission.

(ii) You were late to school for the past three days and had to meet the Principal.

(iii) You did not submit your project work and were asked to explain.

You may use the phrases given below.

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Let us write

(Image Description: A garden illustration showing labeled raised herb beds with plant signs: Aloe vera, Mint, Carom, and Holy Basil.)

You are a member of the Nature Club of your school. Draft a notice informing the students of Grades 6-8 about the inauguration of the Herb Garden.

Points to remember:

• Mention the purpose of writing, date, time, venue, and any other relevant information - whom to contact, when, and where.

• Use formal language in the third person form.

• Write the notice in a box.

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Let us explore

(Image Description: A wide photograph showing the grand architecture and manicured landscape of Raj Bhavan, Bhubaneswar, featuring a central pathway lined with flower beds, large decorative brass urns with floral arrangements, green lawns, and the main domed building in the background.)

1. The flower garden of Raj Bhavan, Bhubaneswar, is spreead over an expanse of about 10 acres of the entire area. It features lush lawns, a formal rose garden and seasonal flower beds, an extensive nursery including a kitchen garden and medicinal garden. It also features ornamental plants such as crotons, coleus, cycas and dracaena in pots. Six illuminated fountains enhance evening ambiance. It has repeated recognition as the best garden among state and central government offices in city cometitions. Notable distinghished planting events include a pengulai tree planted by president APJ Abdul Kalam (2006).

You may follow the link given below for a virtual tour of Flower Garden of Raj Bhavan, Bhubaneswar:

https://www.rajbhavanodisha.gov.in

Now, find out about popular gardens in your region and share with your classmates and teacher.

(Image Description: An example herbarium sheet showing dried, pressed red flowers, green stems, and small buds carefully arranged and mounted on paper.)

II. A herbarium is a collection of plant samples preserved for long-term study, usually in the form of dried and pressed plants mounted on paper.

Now, collect some fallen flowers and leaves from your neighbourhood. Place them in folds of a newspaper carefully and put a pile of books on them. After one week, take them out and use them to make a card, wall hanging or any other artwork. A sample has been given for your reference.

III. Read and enjoy the poem.

In the Garden of Greens

In my Odisha garden green and wide,

Leafy trees stand side by side.

Mango, neem and tamarind trees,

Whisper secrets in the breeze.

Bright red flowers bloom unseen,

Like silent trumpets in the green.

Bamboo lines at dusk's pale light,

Hold up shadows of the night.

A lotus floats on mirrored pond.

Silken petals calm and fond

Moonlight turns the lotus bright,

Into a cup of silver light.

Waves of leaves that softly sign,

Dance beneath the evening sky.

Nature's hush-I pause and see

A little Eden, calm and free.

— Anonymous

(Inspired by Pallikabi Nanda Kishore Bala)