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

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.

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

Pick examples of alliteration from the poem.

V

A refrain is a repeated line or phrase that appears in each stanza. Identify the refrain from the poem.

VI

Irony is a literary device that emphasises the difference between what is expected and what actually happens. It often involves a situation where the outcome is the opposite of what is expected, creating a surprising or a humorous effect. For example, Mrs. Jones’ excitement about her garden contrasts with the speaker’s disappointment on how ordinary it is.

Identify the line(s) from the poem that display(s) situational irony.

VII

Complete the following sentences appropriately.

1. The word ‘concrete’ can refer to ______________ in Mrs. Jones’ garden.

2. The title also has a symbolic meaning, as the poem provides a clear or ‘concrete’ example of Mrs. Jones’ ______________ gardening habits.

VIII

The title ‘A Concrete Example’ carries both literal and symbolic (metaphorical) meaning. Such word play is called a pun. A pun is a figure of speech that uses words with multiple meanings or words that sound alike but have different meanings, creating a humorous effect.

• I tried arguing with my pencil but it kept making sharp points. (suggests the idea of an actual sharp pencil point and strong argument points)
• My pencil and I had a disagreement but we finally got to the point. (refers to solving an argument and the pencil’s tip)

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.

1. What can be inferred about Mrs. Jones’s taste in gardening from the description of her garden being ‘full of stones’?
2. Identify whether the following statement is true or false.
   
   The garden serves as a means to reveal more about Mrs. Jones herself.
3. What does the poet mean by ‘crazy path’?
4. 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 evidence 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?

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.

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?

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.

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 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.

I

Amrit Udyan is a garden spread over an expanse of 15 acres around Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. It has multiple attractions that include a specially curated garden for children called Bal Vatika, a treehouse, nature’s classroom, etc. It also has the Bonsai, Herbal-I, Herbal-II, Tactile Garden, Arogya Vanam, and Circular Gardens with a diverse variety of flora and fauna.

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

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.