Mango is my favourite fruit. Mangoes are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent.
The best and most flavourful mangoes grow in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and
Southeast Asia. Mangoes are fleshy. They are the national fruit of India and
Pakistan.
A mango tree is evergreen. It can grow quite large, reaching a height of 100 feet or
more.
The mango is a member of the drupe family. It has a fleshy outer section that
surrounds a pit. This pit contains a seed.
There are over 100 varieties of mangoes in India. These are in a variety of colours,
sizes, and shapes. Its form is oval, round, heart-shaped, kidney-shaped, or long and
slender. Some varieties are vividly coloured with shades of red and yellow, while
others are dull green.
People eat mangoes ripe, or prepare them when they are green and raw, as pickles
or sauces. Mangoes are rich in vitamin A, C, and D.

The pulp of the fruit and its juice provide instant energy during summer. Indians
have a sweet tooth and often crave mangoes. Mango forms a part of the daily diet
in peak season. It could be in the form of fruit salad or mango drinks, such as lassi
and milk shakes.

From sweet and sour to spicy, there’s a mango recipe to suit every palate and
every mood.

A) Vocabulary: Please make your own sentences with the following words:
favourite – a person/thing that is preferred more than others
indigenous – produced, growing, or living naturally in a particular region
flavourful – full of flavour
fleshy – having or being soft, pulpy, juicy tissue
instant – immediate
sweet tooth – fondness for sweets
crave – to have a strong desire for something
peak season- the time of the year when demand is highest, the height of a season
palate – the sense of taste

B) Select an appropriate word from the list below, and fill in the blanks:
indigenous, instant, peak, palate, flavourful
1. The sweet taste satisfied his _____.
2. The pink lotus is _____ to India.
3. In Northern India, June is the _____ summer month.
4. Glucose D provides _____ energy.
5. The best mango ice cream is made from _____ mangoes.

C) Questions about India. Please fill in the blanks:
1. The national animal is_________.
2. The national bird is __________.
3. The national sport is _________.

D) Describing words (Adjectives). Use the following words and make
sentences of your own. Use two appropriate adjectives in all your sentences.
Example: sky
The sky is clear and blue today. (‘Clear’ and ‘blue’ are adjectives)
1. lady
2. cricket
3. banana
4. book
5. pigeon

Revised July 2020

Audio courtesy Tara Kriplani: