I live with my family in Patna. Ours is a small, nuclear family. My mother, father,
two sisters, and I live together in one house.
My father works in a company. My mother works for a newspaper. She is a
journalist.
I have an elder sister and a younger sister. We have fun playing together, but
sometimes we quarrel over petty things.

One of my school friends, Arjun, lives in a joint family. His grandfather and
grandmother also live with him and his parents and his siblings. Arjun has
two younger brothers. He does not have a sister. His family is bigger than mine.

During our Diwali holidays, my father’s younger brother and his family came to
visit us. They live in Jaipur. My father’s younger brother is my uncle. We call him
Chachaji. His wife is my aunt. We call her Chachiji. They have one child, a
daughter. She is my cousin.

My father’s parents live in Kanpur. I love to visit them because they always
welcome us very warmly. I call my grandparents Dadaji and Dadiji.
Dadiji makes my favourite foods. Both Dadaji and Dadiji were school teachers.
They are retired now.

My mother’s father was in the army. We called him Nanaji. He died two years ago.
My mother’s mother is my Naniji. She lives in Chandigarh with my mother’s
younger sister. When we visit Naniji, she tells us many stories and sings many old
songs. She is also a very good artist and loves painting.

A) Vocabulary: Use the following words in your own sentences:
1. nuclear family – consists of a husband, a wife, and their children
2. quarrel – fight
3. petty – small, unimportant matter
4. sibling – one’s brother or sister

B) Describe your family in a short paragraph.

C) In each of the sentences below, two words are missing. Select the correct
pair of words to fill in the blanks.
Example: Have you had an _____ on your _____?
1. a) problem/leg
2. b) operation/chemist
3. c) operation/leg
Answer: Have you had an operation on your leg?
1. You need an _____ and some _____.
a) injection/stitches
b) medicine/spoonfuls
c) ankle/stitches
2. ____ her to the ____ immediately.
a) have/doctor
b) get/advice
c) take/hospital
3. Can you ____ something for my ____?
a) take/doctor
b) recommend/cough
c) advice/back
4. My daughter ____ and ____ her leg.
a) run/broke
b) cuts/hurt
c) fell/cut

D) The Rose Family
By Robert Frost
The rose is a rose,
And was always a rose.
But the theory now goes
That the apple’s a rose,
And the pear is, and so’s
The plum, I suppose.
The dear only knows
What will next prove a rose.
You, of course, are a rose-
But were always a rose.

Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963) was an American poet. He
wrote about the countryside and about situations familiar to the common man. He
wrote in simple, informal language.

Do you have a favourite poem?
If yes, can you name the poem and the poet?
Write a few lines about your favourite poet.
Can you write a one-stanza poem about yourself?

Revised July 2020

Audio courtesy Tara Kriplani: