CBSE Class 8 English The Case of the Fifth Word Worksheet Set 03

Fill in the Blanks

Question. The detective promised to ........... the new evidence thoroughly.
Answer: look into
Explanation: "Look into" means to check or examine something very carefully.

Question. Nolan’s message helped the police locate the ........... jewellery.
Answer: stolen
Explanation: The valuable gems were taken away during a robbery five years ago.

Question. The electrician ........... when the wires overheated.
Answer: blew a fuse
Explanation: "Blew a fuse" means getting very angry, and it also describes an electrical wire melting from too much heat!

Question. The coded words were formed by removing the letters ........... from the names of the weekdays.
Answer: D, A, Y
Explanation: Taking the letters D-A-Y away from days like Monday and Tuesday turned them into secret code words.

Question. While tidying the attic, I ........... some old letters.
Answer: came across
Explanation: "Came across" means finding something unexpected without searching for it.

Question. The word ‘Fir’ in the message showed a type of ........... related to the clue.
Answer: tree
Explanation: A fir is a type of evergreen tree, and the stolen jewels were hidden right under one.

Question. Despite challenges, she refused to ........... solving the mystery.
Answer: give up
Explanation: "Give up" means to stop trying when a task becomes difficult.

Question. Chief Brown was ........... to blame Nolan without clear evidence.
Answer: reluctant / hesitant
Explanation: A fair police officer never accuses someone unless there is strong proof.

Question. During the meeting, he ........... a suggestion to improve security.
Answer: put forward
Explanation: "Put forward" means to share an idea with others so they can discuss it.

Question. After supper, we had a ........... of ice cream.
Answer: sweet treat
Explanation: A sweet treat is a tasty, sugary dessert that you enjoy after a meal.

True or False

Question. The story shows the importance of careful observation in solving mysteries.
Answer: True
Explanation: Looking closely at small details is the best way to solve any puzzle.

Question. The coded message was left deliberately to aid solve the mystery.
Answer: False
Explanation: Nolan left the secret message for his partner Davenport, not to help the police find the jewels.

Vocabulary Activity - "Guess the Word"

Question. What kind of code are the words ‘Nom’, ‘Utes’, ‘Hurts’?
Answer: Letter elimination cipher
Explanation: This code was made by deleting the letters D-A-Y from everyday weekday names.

Question. Explain the significance of the word ‘Fir’ in the secret message.
Answer: It was the missing fifth word ("Fri" from Friday), pointing directly to the fir tree.
Explanation: "Fir" sounds just like "Fri," which told Encyclopedia that the loot was buried under a fir tree.

Question. Removing D, A, Y was crucial in decoding because ............
Answer: It revealed hidden clues by showing the weekday names underneath.
Explanation: When those three letters were taken away, the weekday names became clear to the detective.

Question. Which four weekdays contributed to forming the secret words?
Answer: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Explanation: These four days in a row formed the mysterious words Nom, Utes, Sweden, and Hurts.

Question. Detail the significance of the word 'Fir' in the story.
Answer: It identified the exact young tree in Nolan's palm nursery where the jewels were buried.
Explanation: In a garden full of palm trees, having only one fir tree made it the perfect landmark to hide treasure.

Questions / Short Question Answers

Question. Why was Chief Brown anxious when he stared at his soup during dinner?
Answer: Chief Brown was troubled because he was thinking deeply about a difficult unsolved case involving Tim Nolan's death.
Explanation: He was so worried about the robbery mystery that he forgot to eat his hot soup.

Question. Infer the reason why Daniel Davenport was considered suspicious in connection with the jewellery theft?
Answer: Davenport moved in with Nolan just a week before the robbery and disappeared soon after, making him a key suspect.
Explanation: Running away right after a big robbery makes someone look very guilty to the police.

Question. How did Nolan’s will deepen the mystery surrounding the jewellery robbery?
Answer: Nolan left all his property to Davenport, which was strange and suggested they might have hidden the stolen jewellery together.
Explanation: Giving away all his land to an old partner hinted that they were hiding a big secret together.

Question. What logical question did Encyclopedia Brown ask that helped him break the secret code?
Answer: He asked if there was a young fir tree in Nolan's nursery, linking the code to the location of the hidden loot.
Explanation: Asking about the fir tree confirmed that his idea about the fifth weekday word was 100% correct.

Question. Why did Mrs. Brown struggle to decode the calendar message, despite her knowledge of grammar?
Answer: Because the message was a word puzzle based on weekdays, not a grammatical clue, so her approach was ineffective.
Explanation: She read the words like an English teacher instead of seeing them as a fun calendar puzzle.

Question. How did Nolan and Davenport’s former connection influence the police investigation?
Answer: Their prison acquaintance suggested they might have planned the robbery together and hid the stolen jewels.
Explanation: Because they were friends in prison, the police knew they had teamed up to commit crimes.

Question. Why was there no evidence found during the inspection of Nolan’s house?
Answer: The jewellery was cleverly hidden underground beneath the fir tree, not in the house itself.
Explanation: The officers looked inside the bedrooms, but the treasure was buried outside in the soil.

Question. What was strange about the calendar sheet found in Nolan’s desk? Explain its relevance to the case.
Answer: The calendar sheet had four strange words—Nom, Utes, Sweden, and Hurts—which were clues formed by removing D-A-Y from weekday names to reveal the loot's location.
Explanation: The odd words were actually a secret map in plain sight leading straight to the stolen gems.

Question. Why did Chief Brown pause to speak about his son’s involvement in the case?
Answer: He feared no one would believe that a young boy could solve crimes, showing his protectiveness and humility.
Explanation: He wanted to protect Leroy so people wouldn't make fun of him or disturb his normal school life.

Question. What qualities make Encyclopedia a talented detective? Support your answer with examples from the story.
Answer: Encyclopedia is observant, logical, and good at wordplay; he spotted the pattern in the calendar words and connected them to the nursery.
Explanation: Leroy has a great memory and connects small clues that adults completely overlook.

Question. Why did Nolan use weekday names to disguise the message?
Answer: Nolan used weekday names to create a clever puzzle that would protect the secret until Davenport could decode it.
Explanation: He wanted only his friend to understand the secret without giving the hiding spot away to the police.

Question. How did Encyclopedia solve the riddle?
Answer: By breaking down the problem calmly, noticing the calendar clue, and figuring out the missing day of the week.
Explanation: He did not make wild guesses; he thought step-by-step until the solution became clear.

Question. Which phrase best describes Chief Brown’s approach during the investigation?
Answer: Careful and cautious.
Explanation: Chief Brown never rushed to blame anyone without collecting solid facts first.

Question. What hidden sequence did the coded words follow in the story?
Answer: They followed the exact order of the weekdays from Monday through Thursday.
Explanation: The words lined up just like the days of the week on a normal wall calendar.

Question. Explain the importance of logic and language in solving the mystery.
Answer: Language was used to craft the word puzzle, while logical reasoning allowed Encyclopedia to find the missing clue and crack the case.
Explanation: Words were used to hide the secret, but smart thinking solved the mystery.

Question. Combine the sentences using (because): The detective cracked the case. He worked hard.
Answer: The detective cracked the case because he worked hard.
Explanation: The word "because" gives the reason why the detective succeeded.

Question. Combine the sentences using (where): We discovered the missing diary. It was hidden under the bed.
Answer: We discovered the missing diary where it was hidden under the bed.
Explanation: "Where" tells us the exact spot where the lost diary was found.

Question. Combine the sentences using (after): The witness gave a testimony. The police arrested the suspect.
Answer: The police arrested the suspect after the witness gave a testimony.
Explanation: "After" shows that the arrest happened only after the witness finished talking.

Question. Combine the sentences using (when): The thief was caught. The alarm went off.
Answer: The thief was caught when the alarm went off.
Explanation: "When" links two things that happened at the exact same moment.

Question. Rewrite in Reported Speech: “Have you finished reading the book?” asked the teacher.
Answer: The teacher asked if I had finished reading the book.
Explanation: In reported speech, questions become statements and "have" changes into "had."