📖 1.2 SELF HELP IS THE ONLY WAY
Grade 6 English | Notes and Question Answers
🌟 Warm-up
- List the things you do yourself.
🔹 I pack my school bag myself.
🔹 I complete my homework myself.
🔹 I arrange my books myself.
🔹 I clean my study table myself.
- What do you do if nobody helps you when you need it?
☑ (c) You try yourself
📚 Summary of the Lesson
The lesson “Self Help is the Only Way” is a story about a family of larks living in a field of ripe corn. The mother lark teaches her young ones an important lesson of self-reliance. The farmer first decides to depend on his neighbours and relatives to reap the corn. Later, he decides to do the work himself. At that moment, the mother lark understands that the work will surely be done and immediately leaves the field with her children.
The story teaches us that when we depend on ourselves and work with determination, success is certain.
📘 Word Basket
🔹 cozy : warm, comfortable and pleasant
🔹 reap : to cut or gather (crops, especially grain)
🔹 survey : to examine or inspect (a place or area)
🔹 priority : something that is most important and should be dealt with first
🔹 determined : having made a firm decision to do something
🔹 preferable : more desirable or suitable.
📝 2. Read the story carefully and describe the changes in the farmer’s decision.
- To call neighbours.
- To call relatives.
- To reap the corn himself.
📝 3. Discuss in pair and find the answers.
(i) Where did the family of larks live?
The family of larks lived in a cozy nest in a field of ripe corn.
(ii) Why did the mother lark go outside?
The mother lark went outside to find food for her children.
(iii) What made the mother lark decide that it was time for them to leave the nest?
The mother lark decided to leave the nest when the farmer said that he himself would reap the corn.
(iv) How can you apply the lesson of ‘Self-Help’ to your studies or personal goals?
I can apply the lesson of self-help by studying regularly, completing my work myself and not depending on others for everything.
(v) Do you think the farmer would have reaped the corn if he had relied on his neighbours and relatives? Why or why not?
No, the farmer would not have reaped the corn if he had depended on his neighbours and relatives because they had their own work and would give priority to their own fields.
📝 4. Find the main characters from the story and write their qualities.
Character | Qualities |
Mother Lark | Wise, patient, alert, caring |
Baby Larks | Obedient, frightened, watchful |
Farmer | Hard-working, practical, determined |
Farmer’s Sons | Helpful, obedient |
📝 5. Make sentences with the following phrases.
(i) keep your eyes and ears open
Sentence: We should keep our eyes and ears open while crossing the road.
(ii) at any cost
Sentence: I will complete my homework at any cost.
📝 6. Imagine the farmer had decided to reap the corn himself from the beginning. How would the story have been different? Write a short alternative ending.
If the farmer had decided to reap the corn himself from the beginning, the mother lark would have immediately understood the danger. She would have quickly moved her family to a safer place. The farmer would have reaped the corn earlier, and the larks would have found a new home without waiting for many days.
📝 7. Recent news reports have highlighted the increasing instances of wild animals entering residential areas, causing fear and disruption among locals. Discuss why these wild animals frequently stray into villages/cities?
Wild animals frequently enter villages and cities because forests are being cut down and their natural habitats are shrinking. They often come in search of food, water and shelter. Construction of roads, buildings and farms also disturbs their habitat.
📚 Articles
Indefinite Article – a
Used before a word that begins with a consonant sound and when we talk about any one thing, not specific.
Examples:
• A cat is sleeping.
• A pen is on the table.
Indefinite Article – an
Used before a word that begins with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).
Examples:
• An apple is red.
• An umbrella is useful.
Definite Article – the
Used when we talk about a specific person, place or thing that is already known.
Examples:
• The sun is bright.
• The boy is my friend.
📝 8. Use the correct article (a/an/the) to fill in the blanks.
(i) I saw an elephant walking through the forest.
(ii) The sun rises in the east.
(iii) She is reading an interesting book about wildlife.
(iv) The largest mammal on Earth is the blue whale.
(v) I’m reading a book about the Amazon rainforest.
(vi) An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
📝 9. Prepare a poster on ‘Save birds, Save nature’.
SAVE BIRDS, SAVE NATURE
💡 Message of the Lesson
“Self Help is the Only Way” teaches us that depending on ourselves is better than waiting for others. A determined person who works hard and takes responsibility for his own work is more likely to succeed. Self-help, confidence and determination lead us towards success.