CBSE Class 5 English The Rainbow Worksheet Set 01

Fill in the Blanks

Question. The acronym VIBGYOR stands for the ___________ of the rainbow.
Answer: colours
Explanation: VIBGYOR is a helpful memory word where each letter stands for one of the colors in the rainbow, helping us remember them in the correct order!

Question. The poem is composed by ___________ .
Answer: Christina Rossetti
Explanation: Christina Rossetti is the famous poet who imagined and wrote this lovely poem to describe the beauty of nature.

Question. The rainbow overtops the ___________ and builds a path from earth to sky.
Answer: trees
Explanation: The rainbow is so tall and curved that it reaches way above the treetops, looking like a magical road in the sky.

Question. When sunlight passes through rain drops, it splits into ___________ colours.
Answer: seven
Explanation: Sunlight might look clear, but when it passes through rainwater, it separates into seven beautiful colors, creating a rainbow.

Question. Ships travel on the __________.
Answer: seas
Explanation: Ships are much larger than boats, so they travel across deep, vast oceans and seas rather than small rivers.

Question. The rainbow spans __________.
Answer: heaven
Explanation: The beautiful rainbow arches high up into the clouds, stretching across the sky, which the poem calls heaven.

Question. Vessels sail on the __________.
Answer: rivers
Explanation: Smaller boats or vessels glide smoothly along rivers where the water is calm and narrow.

Question. Bridges on rivers are as lovely as you __________.
Answer: please
Explanation: This is a cheerful phrase from the poem meaning that river bridges look very pretty and nice to see.

Question. The rainbow creates a road from __________ to sky.
Answer: earth
Explanation: A rainbow looks like a giant, colorful path that starts on the ground (earth) and travels all the way up into the clouds.

True or False

Question. Bridges are constructed on rivers.
Answer: True
Explanation: People build strong bridges over rivers so that cars, trains, and walkers can easily cross from one side to the other.

Question. Boats travel on the seas.
Answer: False
Explanation: In the poem, boats sail on rivers because they are smaller, while the much larger ships travel on the deep, wide seas.

Question. The rainbow is pictured as a bow that bridges heaven in the poem.
Answer: True
Explanation: The poem imagines the beautiful rainbow as a giant colorful arch that acts like a sky-bridge connecting our world to heaven.

Question. Ships sail on the streams.
Answer: False
Explanation: Large ships need very deep water to sail safely, so they travel on the great seas rather than small, shallow streams.

Question. Ships are said to float on rivers.
Answer: False
Explanation: According to the poem, smaller boats sail on rivers, whereas large ships sail on the deep, wide seas.

Question. The poem describes bridges on rivers as "pretty as you please."
Answer: True
Explanation: Yes, the poem uses this exact happy phrase to show that human-made river bridges look very pleasant and nice.

Question. Clouds are described as less beautiful than bridges.
Answer: False
Explanation: The poem says clouds sailing in the sky are "prettier far" than man-made things like boats, ships, and river bridges.

Question. The rainbow is described as a skyline bridge.
Answer: True
Explanation: The rainbow forms a natural, colorful arch in the sky that looks just like a giant bridge built by nature.

Question. The poem implies that human-made overpasses are more beautiful than the rainbow.
Answer: False
Explanation: The rainbow is described as the grandest bridge of all because nature builds it to connect the ground directly to heaven.

Questions / Short Question Answers

Question. Why does the poet believe the rainbow is better than bridges on rivers?
Answer: The poet thinks the rainbow is better because it forms a beautiful bridge from earth to sky, going above the trees and connecting heaven and the world. The rainbow's colors and its arch make it more special than any man-made bridge.
Explanation: Human-made bridges are useful, but the rainbow is a natural masterpiece created by nature that connects our earth directly to the sky.

Question. Name any two things listed in the poem that sail.
Answer: Boats sail on the rivers and ships sail on the seas.
Explanation: The poem talks about boats and ships moving gracefully across the water, and it also mentions clouds "sailing" across the sky.

Question. Describe how the poem contrasts natural and human-made things.
Answer: The poem compares boats and ships, which are human-made things, with clouds that sail across the sky. It then compares bridges across rivers with the rainbow, showing that natural things like clouds and rainbows appear much prettier and grander.
Explanation: This poem teaches us that even though humans can build amazing things like big boats and bridges, nature's creations—like clouds and rainbows—are far more beautiful.

Question. What does the 'bow' in the poem allude to?
Answer: In the poem, 'bow' refers to the rainbow, which looks like a curved bridge in the sky after rain.
Explanation: A "bow" is a word for something that is bent or curved. Here, it refers to the colorful arc of the rainbow stretching across the sky.

Question. How is a rainbow created in the sky?
Answer: A rainbow is formed when sunlight passes through tiny rain droplets in the air; the sunlight splits into seven colours, creating a beautiful arch in the sky called a rainbow.
Explanation: When the sun shines through wet air, the water droplets act like tiny prisms. They split the clear sunlight into a spectacular arc of seven colors.

Question. According to the poem, where does the rainbow construct a road from?
Answer: The rainbow builds a road from the earth to the sky.
Explanation: Because a rainbow arches up from the ground and climbs high into the clouds, it looks like a colorful highway built to heaven.

Question. List the seven colours of a rainbow in sequence using VIBGYOR.
Answer: The seven colours in order are: Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red. The word "VIBGYOR" helps to remember them easily.
Explanation: If you take the first letter of each color starting from the bottom of the rainbow, they spell V-I-B-G-Y-O-R (Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red).

Question. How are bridges likened to the rainbow?
Answer: Human-made bridges built across rivers are described as pretty, but the rainbow is shown as a much grander and prettier bridge that spans heaven and climbs over the trees.
Explanation: While human bridges help us cross water, the rainbow is a magnificent natural bridge connecting earth to the sky.

Question. What is the primary theme of the poem?
Answer: The primary theme of the poem is that natural wonders, like clouds and rainbows, are much more beautiful than human-made things, like boats, ships, and bridges.
Explanation: The poem compares things built by people with things made by nature to show that nature is the ultimate artist.

Question. Why does the poet say "lovelier far than these"?
Answer: The poet says "lovelier far than these" to show that clouds and rainbows are much more beautiful than man-made boats, ships, and river bridges.
Explanation: Nature's sky creations are grander and more magical than anything humans can build on earth.

Question. How does the poet portray clouds?
Answer: The poet portrays clouds as sailing gracefully across the sky, calling them far prettier than boats sailing on rivers or ships sailing on seas.
Explanation: Clouds are shown as beautiful sky-travelers that look like white boats drifting on a giant blue ocean of air.

Question. Arrange the following lines to form a meaningful verse from the poem:
(a) Boats sail on the rivers,
(b) And ships sail on the seas;
(c) But clouds that sail across the sky
(d) Are prettier far than these.
(e) There are bridges on the rivers,
(f) As pretty as you please;
Answer:
The correct order is:
1. Boats sail on the rivers,
2. And ships sail on the seas;
3. But clouds that sail across the sky
4. Are prettier far than these.
5. There are bridges on the rivers,
6. As pretty as you please;
Explanation: These opening lines introduce us to boats and ships on the water, before showing us that sky clouds are the prettiest of all.

Question. What is the importance of the bow in the poem?
Answer: The "bow" (rainbow) is important because it acts as a magical bridge that connects the earth to heaven, rising over the trees.
Explanation: The rainbow acts like a spectacular bridge that reaches up from the ground to the sky, climbing higher than the trees.

Match the Following

Question. Match the following words with their contraries (opposites):

Explanation: Opposites (or contraries) are words that mean the reverse of each other, such as "heaven" being the opposite of "hell."

Vocabulary Activity - "Guess the Word"

Question. I am an action word that means to float or travel smoothly over water or sky, like boats on water or clouds in the sky. What word am I? (Clue: S _ _ _ )
Answer: Sail
Explanation: Sailing means moving smoothly across the water using the wind, or drifting gracefully through the air like clouds.

Question. I am a framework built over a river or road to help people cross from one side to the other. What word am I? (Clue: B _ _ _ _ _ )
Answer: Bridge
Explanation: A bridge connects two distant sides so you can walk or drive over water or streets safely.

Question. I am an arched object, and I also describe the beautiful curved shape of a rainbow in the sky. What word am I? (Clue: B _ _ )
Answer: Bow
Explanation: A bow is curved, and the word is used in the poem to describe the colorful arch of a rainbow.

Question. I am a word used to describe something that is more pleasing, lovely, or beautiful to look at than something else. What word am I? (Clue: P _ _ _ _ _ _ _ )
Answer: Prettier
Explanation: When one thing is more beautiful to look at than another, we say it is "prettier" than the other!

Short Answer Questions

Question. What human-made things are mentioned in the poem?
Answer: The man-made things mentioned are boats, ships, and bridges. These are useful, but the poet does not find them as beautiful as nature.
Explanation: Human-made things are items built by people, like boats for rivers, ships for oceans, and bridges to cross over water.

Question. According to the poem, which is lovelier—clouds or boats and ships?
Answer: The poet says that clouds are prettier than boats and ships. She admires the beauty of nature more than man-made things.
Explanation: Even though boats and ships are nice, the poet thinks clouds made by nature are much more beautiful than anything humans can build.

Question. What lesson does the poem give us about nature?
Answer: The poem tells us that nature is more beautiful than human creations. We should admire and enjoy the natural wonders around us.
Explanation: The poem wants us to look around and enjoy the beautiful things in nature, like trees, clouds, and rainbows, because they are truly wonderful!

Question. What objects sail on the rivers and seas?
Answer: Boats sail on the rivers and ships sail on the seas. These are useful for travel and carrying goods from one place to another.
Explanation: Boats and ships are made by humans to travel on water. Boats are usually smaller and go on rivers, while big ships sail on deep oceans!

Question. What bridges sky and overtops the trees?
Answer: The rainbow is described as a bow that bridges heaven. It also rises high above the trees, shining beautifully.
Explanation: A rainbow is like a giant, colorful bridge in the sky that goes way higher than the tallest trees!

Long Answer Questions

Question. What is the rainbow likened to in the poem?
Answer: In the poem, the rainbow is compared with a bridge. Just as bridges connect two sides of a river, the rainbow seems to connect earth with heaven. It rises above trees and spreads beautifully across the sky. This comparison shows the poet's imagination. She sees the rainbow as a natural bridge far prettier than any human-built one.
Explanation: The rainbow is compared to a bridge. Instead of connecting two riverbanks, the rainbow acts like a giant bridge connecting earth to heaven!

Question. What moral do we learn from the poem?
Answer: The poem teaches us that nature is more beautiful than man-made things. Boats, ships, and bridges are useful, but they cannot compare to clouds and the rainbow. The poet wants us to admire and value the natural wonders around us. She shows that true beauty lies in nature, not in things created by people. The lesson is to love and respect nature.
Explanation: The big lesson is that we should love, respect, and take care of nature because its beauty is far greater than anything we can make ourselves.

Question. How does the poet contrast clouds with boats and ships?
Answer: The poet says that boats sail on rivers and ships sail on seas. But she feels clouds sailing across the sky look much more beautiful. Clouds move smoothly and silently, which makes them more special than boats and ships. While man-made things are important, they cannot match the beauty of natural creations. This shows the poet's love for nature.
Explanation: Boats and ships sail on water, but clouds sail silently and smoothly across the sky. The poet thinks this makes clouds much more special and beautiful.

Question. Why does the poet appreciate the rainbow the most?
Answer: The poet admires the rainbow because it is bright, colorful, and magical. It looks like a bridge joining heaven and earth. The rainbow rises above trees and shines beautifully in the sky. She finds it much prettier than bridges made by people. The rainbow becomes a symbol of nature's wonder and beauty in the poem.
Explanation: The rainbow is the poet's favorite because it is bright, full of colors, and looks like a magical path high up in the sky, showing how wonderful nature is.

Question. How does the poet depict the rainbow?
Answer: The poet says that the rainbow is like a bow that bridges heaven. It stretches high across the sky and overtops the trees. The rainbow looks magical as if it is a road joining the earth to the sky. Its bright colors make it look very pretty and special. The poet admires the rainbow more than man-made bridges.
Explanation: The rainbow is a colorful arch that stretches over the trees and connects the earth to the sky like a magical, bright road.