English For Today chapter 18: Nakshi Kantha
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Textbook (verbatim transcription): Nakshi Kantha
Verbatim transcription of the printed NCTB textbook pages.
Printed page 97
Nakshi Kantha
1.1 Look up the words of column A in the dictionary. Then, match the words with their meanings in column B.
| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
| a) stitch | i) a way of doing something that has existed for a long time |
| b) quilt | ii) to sew pieces of cloth |
| c) wrap | iii) a warm blanket made by sewing pieces of clothes together |
| d) pattern | iv) to put cloth over something to cover it |
| e) tradition | v) a design that repeats shapes, colours, lines etc |
1.2 Read the following passage.
When Adiba was in class five, she moved to New York with her parents. Her grandmother lives in a village in Bangladesh. She is very fond of her grandmother. Adiba used to visit her grandmother once every year.
Last year, her grandmother wanted to give her something on her birthday. So, she
Printed page 98
decided to sew a special Nakshi Kantha for her.
It is a traditional handmade quilt. She began by gathering colourful pieces of old sarees. With great care, she stitched them together. She made a beautiful pattern of flowers and birds on it. It took many days and nights to complete the Kantha. Before Adiba's birthday, her grandmother sent her the Nakshi Kantha. Adiba was filled with joy after receiving it. Adiba heard from her father that the stitch, colour and pattern of the Kantha had a story to tell. From that day, Adiba wanted to learn more about the Nakshi Kantha. It was more than just a quilt.
It was a symbol of her grandmother's love. She felt happy when she wrapped herself with the quilt. It symbolises the rich tradition of her homeland.
2.1 Read the passage again and answer the following questions.
a) What did Adiba's grandmother gather for sewing the Kantha?
b) What patterns did she make on the Kantha?
c) How long did it take to complete the Kantha?
d) How did the Kantha tell a story?
e) How did Adiba feel when she wrapped herself in the quilt?
Printed page 99
3.1 Language Focus: Simple Past Tense
In English, -d/-ed is added to most verbs to tell/show what happened in the past. They are regular verbs. But irregular verbs do not follow the usual rules for changing tenses.
Regular Verbs
| Present | Past |
|---|---|
| live | lived |
| visit | visited |
| decide | decided |
| stitch | stitched |
| fill | filled |
| wrap | wrapped |
| cherish | cherished |
Irregular Verbs
| Present | Past |
|---|---|
| begin | began |
| make | made |
| take | took |
| tell | told |
| feel | felt |
| have | had |
| is/am | was |
4.1 Now, fill in the blanks using correct form of the verbs (present simple/past simple) given below.
use | take | live | give | tell | make | visit
Adiba ________ in New York. She ________ her grandmother once a year. Last year, her grandmother ___________ a Nakshi Kantha for her. She _________ colourful pieces of old sarees to make it. It ___________ many days to stitch beautiful patterns of flowers and birds. Her grandmother ________ her the quilt on her birthday. Adiba was very happy because the quilt was cozy and warm and it _________ a story through its designs.
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