Last Friday, Shyam received a letter from the local police station, which really worried him.
In the letter, he was asked to come to the police station the next day.
Shyam wondered why he was wanted by the police. What crime had he committed?
He went to the police station and a wonderful surprise awaited him.
At the police station, Shyam was greeted by a friendly policeman who told him that his bicycle had
been found in a town 200 kilometres away. It was now being sent to his house by train.
Shyam was really surprised to hear this news. Then he remembered that his bicycle had been stolen
twenty years ago when he was a boy of fifteen. He had filed a police report, but there was no news
about his stolen bicycle. Many years passed and he forgot all about it. He never thought his bicycle
would ever be found. He thanked the policeman and went home a happy man.

A) Discussion points
Answer the questions below in full sentences:
1. What did Shyam receive last Friday?
2. How did he feel last Friday?
3. What was he asked to do?
4. Who did he meet?
5. What had been found?
6. Where was this thing that had been found?
7. How will it be returned to Shyam?
8. When was it stolen?
9. How old was Shyam when it was stolen?
10. How old is Shyam now?
11. Did Shyam think he would find his long-lost possession?

B) Written exercise
Make sentences using the following words and phrases:
Letter, police station, policeman, worry, crime, bicycle, train, stolen, happy,
surprise, news

C) Please read the text aloud. Pay close attention to pronouncing the words correctly.

D) Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks.
– Samuel Johnson
‘Blaze’, ‘kindle’, and ‘sparks’ are all words that have to do with fires.
1) Can you substitute these three words with words of your own?
2) Why do you think Samuel Johnson chose the words he did?
3) Can you make two sentences each with the three words: blaze, kindle, and
spark? You can use ‘blaze’ and ‘spark’ as both verbs and nouns. ‘Kindle’ is a verb.

Revised July 2020

Audio courtesy Tara Kriplani: