NCERT Solutions for Class 3 English Unit 01 Fun with Friends Chapter 03 Best Friends

Chapter 3. Best Friends

A. Answer the following.

Question 1. Who were the four friends?
Answer: The four friends in the story were Circle, Square, Triangle, and Rectangle. [8/36]
In simple words: The friends were four shapes: Circle, Square, Triangle, and Rectangle.

Exam Tip: Capitalize the names of the shapes (Circle, Square, etc.) as they are characters in the story.

Question 2. Why were they fighting?
Answer: They had a fight because each shape believed that it was the best among them all. [8/36]
In simple words: They fought because each one thought it was the best.

Exam Tip: Use the word "best" to explain the reason behind their fight.

Question 3. Who helped them to end their fight?
Answer: A wise star came and helped them stop their fighting. [8/36]
In simple words: A star helped them stop fighting.

Exam Tip: Remember to write 'helped' instead of 'help' to use the correct past tense.

Question 4. What lesson did the friends learn in the end?
Answer: In the end, the shapes learned that they can make wonderful designs when they work together. [8/36]
In simple words: They learned that they can make beautiful things if they work together.

Exam Tip: Correct the spelling of "wonders" in your final answer to score full marks.

Question 5. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false.
Answer: The correct true or false statements are: [9/36]
(a) The circle does not have sharp edges. - **T**
(b) A square has four sides but not all of them are equal in size. - **F**
(c) The triangle has two sides. - **F**
(d) The friends could decide who was the best among them. - **F**
In simple words: This activity tests if you know the facts about shapes from the story.

Exam Tip: Remember that all sides of a square are equal and a triangle has three sides.

Question 6. Who is your friend? What are the things you can do when your friend helps you?
Answer: My best friend is Krishna. When we help each other, we can study our lessons easily and have fun playing games together. [9/36]
In simple words: My friend is Krishna. We play and study together.

Exam Tip: You can write your own best friend's name and any two activities you do together.

Question 7. Look around you. Talk about the shapes of what you see.
Answer: I can see many shapes around me: the ball is round like a circle, biscuits and chocolates are rectangular, the gift box is square, and a slice of pizza is triangular. [9/36]
In simple words: A ball is round, a biscuit is a rectangle, a gift box is a square, and a pizza slice is a triangle.

Exam Tip: List at least three different everyday objects and match them to their geometric shapes.

Let us learn

Question A. Fill in the blanks using ‘a’.
Answer: The sentences completed with 'a' are: [10/36]
1. **A** dog is barking at the postman.
2. My mother gives chapattis to **a** cow everyday.
3. In summers, **a** sparrow builds its nest on the mango tree near our house.
In simple words: We write 'a' before words that start with a consonant sound, like dog, cow, and sparrow.

Exam Tip: Ensure that you write capital 'A' if the blank is at the start of a sentence.

Question B. Fill in the blanks using ‘an’.
Answer: The sentences completed with 'an' are: [10/36]
1. I saw **an** eagle yesterday.
2. Maya bought **an** umbrella for the monsoon.
3. **An** ice-cream man brings his cart in the evenings.
In simple words: We write 'an' before words that start with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).

Exam Tip: Vowel sounds are made by letters like e (eagle), u (umbrella), and i (ice-cream).

Question C. Fill in the blanks using ‘a’ or ‘an’.
Answer: The completed sentences are: [11/36]
1. **A** brown hen laid **an** egg.
2. **An** eagle sat on **a** building.
3. Mary ate **an** apricot, **a** chikoo and **an** orange.
In simple words: Use 'an' before words that begin with a, e, i, o, u, and 'a' for all other words.

Exam Tip: Check the first letter of the word immediately after the blank to choose between 'a' and 'an'.

Let us write

Question A. Paste a picture of your friend.
Answer: Paste a neat photograph of your best friend in the given decorative photo frame. [11/36]
In simple words: Stick a picture of your friend in the box.

Exam Tip: You can draw a simple drawing of your friend's face if you do not have a photo.

Question B. Write a few lines about your friends by filling in the blanks. [My Friend]
Answer: My best friend's name is Aanvi Gupta. She is a friendly girl. She is seven years old. Her favorite color is pink, and she loves to play chess. When she grows up, she wants to become an IAS officer. [12/36]
In simple words: My friend's name is Aanvi. She is seven years old, likes pink and chess, and wants to be an IAS officer.

Exam Tip: Fill in the blanks using capital letters for names and professions.

Let us do

Question A. Use the space given below to draw the four friends you met in Chapter 3.
Answer: Draw the four shapes (Circle, Square, Triangle, and Rectangle) in the space provided. The shapes are shown below: [12/36, 13/36]
In simple words: Draw a triangle, a square, a circle, and a rectangle in the box.

Exam Tip: Use a ruler to draw straight lines for the square, rectangle, and triangle.

Let us explore

Question A. Draw pictures using the four friends mentioned in Chapter 3. You can use the pictures given below for ideas.
Answer: Create a beautiful landscape or city drawing using basic geometric shapes like triangles for mountains, circles for the sun, and rectangles for buildings. [13/36]
In simple words: Use circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles to draw a city or a scenery.

Exam Tip: You can make a house using a square and a triangle, or a sun using a circle.

Best Friends (Reading Note)

This chapter describes a group of shape friends: [14/36, 15/36, 16/36, 17/36]
The four friends are Circle, Square, Triangle, and Rectangle. One day they begin to fight about who is the best among them. They meet a wise star who shows them that by combining their shapes, they can create beautiful patterns, landscapes, and wonders together. The shapes realize their mistake and promise to remain best friends forever.
In simple words: The shapes got into a fight about who was best. A wise star showed them that they can make beautiful things together.

Exam Tip: The core moral is teamwork and cooperation - shapes are useful on their own, but together they can build a whole world.

Poem 3: Little by Little - Reading is fun

Question 1. Name the tree that the acorn grows into.
Answer: An acorn slowly grows to become a giant oak tree. [18/36]
In simple words: An acorn grows into an oak tree.

Exam Tip: The correct tree name is 'oak tree'.

Question 2. What things does a seed need to grow?
Answer: To sprout and grow, a seed requires water, fresh air, soil nutrients, and warm sunlight. [18/36]
In simple words: A seed needs water, air, and sun to grow.

Exam Tip: List 'water', 'air', and 'sunlight' as the three essential requirements.

Question 3. How many describing words can you find in this poem?
Answer: The describing words (adjectives) used in the poem include: tiny, deep, slowly, slender, thread-like, and mighty. [18/36]
In simple words: The describing words are tiny, deep, slender, and mighty.

Exam Tip: Identify adjectives that describe nouns in the poem, like 'tiny acorn' or 'mighty oak'.

Question. Write three sentences on what the trees given us (Picture 1). Now write three sentences on how we harm the trees (Picture 2).
Answer: The two opposite viewpoints about trees are described below: [18/36, 19/36]
**Benefits of Trees (Picture 1):**
1. Trees provide us with delicious fruits like apples, mangoes, and guavas.
2. They offer homes to honeybees, which gives us sweet honey.
3. Trees supply us with clean oxygen to breathe and keep the air fresh.
**Ways We Harm Trees (Picture 2):**
1. We hurt trees by cutting their barks to manufacture rubber and tires.
2. We destroy birds' natural nests by chopping down tree branches.
3. We cause air pollution by burning dry fallen leaves.
In simple words: Trees give us fruits, honey, and oxygen. We harm trees by cutting them, destroying bird nests, and burning leaves.

Exam Tip: Present both lists clearly with separate headings for 'benefits' and 'harm'.

Question. Describe parts of a tree using these words: stem, bark, leaves, branch, twigs, root, shoot.
Answer: The main parts of a tree and their functions are: [19/36, 20/36]
1. **Stem:** This is the main support that keeps the tree standing tall and strong.
2. **Bark:** This is the rough, brown outer covering that protects the tree's trunk.
3. **Leaves:** These are green parts that prepare food for the tree using sunlight.
4. **Branches:** These are thick arms growing out of the stem that support leaves and bird nests.
5. **Twigs:** These are the thinnest shoots at the end of branches.
6. **Roots:** These thread-like parts spread underground to anchor the tree and absorb water.
7. **Shoot:** This is the entire upper part of the plant that grows above the soil.
In simple words: These are the different parts of a tree like roots under the soil and leaves that make food.

Exam Tip: Match each part with its primary function (like roots absorbing water or leaves making food).

Question. Match the opposites.
Answer: The matched opposite word pairs are: [20/36, 21/36]

In simple words: Opposites are words that are completely different, like day and night.

Exam Tip: Match words of similar categories, like speeds (slowly/fast) or sizes (little/big).

Poem 3: The Enormous Turnip - Reading is fun

Question 1. What did the old man plant?
Answer: An old man planted turnip seeds in his soil. [21/36]
In simple words: The old man planted turnip seeds.

Exam Tip: Make sure you write "turnip seeds" to be precise.

Question 2. Why was it difficult for the old man to pull up the turnip?
Answer: The old man found it hard to pull up the turnip because it grew to be incredibly huge and heavy. [21/36]
In simple words: The turnip was too huge for one old man to pull up.

Exam Tip: The word "enormous" means very, very big. This is the key word.

Question 3. Who helped him to pull up the enormous turnip?
Answer: An old woman, a young boy, and a little girl came to help the old man pull up the massive turnip. [22/36]
In simple words: An old woman, a boy, and a girl helped him.

Exam Tip: List all three helpers (woman, boy, girl) in the order they joined the old man.

Question 4. Who ate the enormous turnip?
Answer: The old man, the old woman, the boy, and the girl all shared and ate the giant turnip together. [22/36]
In simple words: All of them ate the turnip together.

Exam Tip: Mention that all four characters who pulled it up shared the meal.

Talk time

Question (i). Name and draw four vegetables that have to be pulled out from the earth. Now name them in your own language.
Answer: The four vegetables that grow underground and must be pulled out of the earth are: [22/36]
1. Potato (आलू)
2. Turnip (शलगम)
3. Carrot (गाजर)
4. Ginger (अदरक)
In simple words: Potatoes, turnips, carrots, and ginger are vegetables that grow underground.

Exam Tip: You can write their Hindi names in brackets to show the names in your own language.

ii. Let’s go shopping!

Question. How many vegetables can you find in this maze? Draw a circle around each word. One has been done for you.
Answer: The hidden vegetables in the maze are: [23/36, 24/36]
- **CARROT** (vertical)
- **PEAS** (vertical)
- **BEANS** (vertical)
- **TURNIP** (horizontal)
- **TOMATO** (horizontal)
- **POTATO** (horizontal)
In simple words: Six vegetable names are hidden in this word puzzle, including carrot, peas, and tomato.

Exam Tip: Look for vertical and horizontal lines of letters to find the words.

iii. A Game of Opposites

Question. Complete the opposite words in Group II based on Group I.
Answer: The opposite pairs are: [25/36]
- pull - **push**
- black - **white**
- true - **false**
- right - **wrong**

**Opposites from the clue box:**
- far - **near**
- good - **bad**
- dark - **bright / light**
- up - **down**
- old - **new / young**
In simple words: Opposites are words with completely different meanings, like up and down.

Exam Tip: Learn standard antonym pairs like near/far and good/bad.

Let’s write

Question i. How do you like to eat these vegetables - raw or cooked? Say why.
Answer: The table below shows how we eat these vegetables: [26/36]

In simple words: Some vegetables like carrots can be eaten raw or cooked, but potatoes must always be cooked.

Exam Tip: Remember that hard vegetables like potatoes and beans need cooking to become soft and safe to eat.

Question (iii). Name four vegetables you ate last week. Write their names here.
Answer: Four healthy vegetables I ate last week are spinach, potatoes, turnips, and cauliflower. [27/36]
In simple words: I ate spinach, potatoes, turnips, and cauliflower.

Exam Tip: You can write any four simple vegetable names that you like to eat at home.

Question iii. Complete these columns (One vs Many):
Answer: The singular and plural words are: [27/36]

In simple words: We add '-s' or '-es' to turn one item into many items, like carrot into carrots.

Exam Tip: For words ending in 'o' like potato and tomato, we usually add '-es' instead of just '-s'.

Vocabulary

Question 1. One word in each of the following sets is different from the others. Circle the odd one out.
Answer: The odd words out from each list are: [28/35]
(i) turnip, potato, tomato, sunflower, carrot, brinjal -> **sunflower** (this is a flower, others are vegetables)
(ii) cow, horse, goat, fox, kangaroo, melon -> **melon** (this is a fruit, others are animals)
(iii) banyan, neem, peepal, mango, snake, apple -> **snake** (this is a reptile, others are trees)
(iv) rose, lily, sunflower, lotus, cauliflower -> **cauliflower** (this is a vegetable, others are flowers)
(v) peacock, parrot, lizard, crow, woodpecker -> **lizard** (this is a reptile, others are birds)
In simple words: Find the word that does not belong in the group, like sunflower in a list of vegetables.

Exam Tip: Use the clues in the brackets to understand what the rest of the words have in common.

Chapter 3: Chilka Lake - WORK OUT

A. Answer the following questions:

Question 1. Where does Chilka lake lie?
Answer: Chilka lake is situated on the eastern coastline of Odisha state. [29/36, 30/36]
In simple words: Chilka lake is on the east coast of Odisha.

Exam Tip: Odisha is the state where Chilka lake is found. Capitalize 'O' in Odisha.

Question 2. Why do birds from faraway countries visit the Chilka?
Answer: Migratory birds travel to Chilka lake to find shelter from the freezing winter cold of Central Asia. [29/36, 30/36]
In simple words: Birds visit Chilka to escape the cold winter of their homes.

Exam Tip: The main reason is to escape the "cold winters" of their home countries.

Question 3. Name some birds found at Chilka.
Answer: You can spot beautiful birds like flamingos, cranes, herons, geese, and pelicans at Chilka lake. [29/36, 30/36]
In simple words: Birds like flamingos, herons, and cranes are found at Chilka.

Exam Tip: List at least three names of birds from the lesson.

Question 4. What role do fish play at Chilka?
Answer: The abundant fish in Chilka lake serve as food for the birds and provide livelihoods for thousands of local fishermen. [30/36]
In simple words: Fish are food for birds and provide jobs for fishermen.

Exam Tip: Fish have two roles: they feed the birds and give jobs to fishermen.

Question 5. Name some animals found near Chilka.
Answer: Wild animals like blackbucks, cheetals, mongooses, monkeys, and porcupines live in the hills near the lake. [30/36]
In simple words: Animals like monkeys, deer (cheetal), and blackbucks live near Chilka.

Exam Tip: Name two or three animals from the list given at the end of the text.

B. Mark the following as true (T) or false (F):

Question. Identify if the statements are true or false:
Answer: The correct true or false markings are: [30/36]
1. The hills of Western Ghats surround the Chilka. - **F** (It is the Eastern Ghats)
2. Flamingos and herons are found at Chilka. - **T**
3. The Chilka stretches across few kilometres. - **F** (It stretches over many kilometers)
4. 63 kinds of gulls are found at Chilka. - **F** (There are 13 kinds of gulls)
5. Wildlife experts study migratory birds at Chilka. - **T**
In simple words: This exercise checks if you understand the facts about Chilka lake.

Exam Tip: Check each statement with the facts given in the text to answer accurately.

C. Fill in the blanks:

Question. Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences:
Answer: The completed sentences are: [30/36]
1. The Chilka is a wonderland for **tourists**.
2. The Chilka is the largest wetland in **Asia**.
3. **Fish** serve as food for the birds.
4. **22** kinds of ducks and geese are found at Chilka.
5. Several **endangered** species are also found at Chilka.
In simple words: These blanks are filled with key words from the Chilka Lake lesson.

Exam Tip: Remember important numbers like "22 kinds of ducks" and locations like "Asia" for your exams.

GRAMMAR

Question A. Select a pair of opposite words from the box below to fill in the blanks: [outside-inside, slow-fast, deep-shallow, asleep-awake, bright-dull, small-big]
Answer: The completed sentences with opposite word pairs are: [31/36]
1. The pond was **deep** but the river was **shallow**.
2. The green colour is **bright** but yellow is **dull**.
3. Reema is **asleep** but Seema is **awake**.
4. A squirrel is a **small** animal but an elephant is a **big** animal.
5. The tortoise was **slow** but the hare was **fast**.
6. Rohit fell **inside** but Anuj fell **outside**.
In simple words: We use pairs of opposite words like deep-shallow, bright-dull, and small-big to fill the blanks.

Exam Tip: Read both parts of the sentence to find opposite pairs that fit together.

Question B. Match the group of words in column A with those in column B to form a meaningful sentence:
Answer: The correctly matched sentences are: [31/36]

In simple words: Match the starting phrase with the correct ending phrase to make a complete sentence about Chilka Lake.

Exam Tip: Match the singular and plural subjects to make sure the sentence has correct grammar.

VOCABULARY

Question A. Make as many words as you can from the given word: [SURROUND]
Answer: Smaller words made using the letters of 'SURROUND' are: [31/36]
- **sound**
- **round**
- **sun**
- **run**
- **sour**
- **our**
- **sad**
- **urn**
In simple words: We can make smaller words like 'run', 'sun', and 'sound' using the letters of the word SURROUND.

Exam Tip: Look for smaller hidden words inside the main word to get started.

Question B. Circle the correct spelling:
Answer: The correct spellings from each row are: [32/36]
1. **tourist**
2. **mountain**
3. **geese**
4. **varieties**
In simple words: The correct spellings are tourist, mountain, geese, and varieties.

Exam Tip: Pay close attention to double vowels, like 'ee' in geese and 'ou' in mountain.

Question C. Find out the meanings of the given words:
Answer: The definitions of the given words are: [32/36]
1. **coast:** the land near a shore or sea.
2. **tourist:** a person who travels for pleasure.
3. **escape:** to get free or break away from.
4. **migratory:** moving from one region or habitat to another.
5. **endangered:** seriously at risk of extinction.
In simple words: These are meanings of words used in our lesson, like 'coast' means the land near the sea.

Exam Tip: Learn these definitions to improve your vocabulary and reading skills.

Question. Write few lines about a tourist spot other than the Chilka lake in the space below. Also paste a picture of it.
Answer: My favorite tourist spot is the Taj Mahal in Agra. It is a beautiful white marble palace built near the Yamuna river. It has large gardens, beautiful pools, and tall minarets. Thousands of tourists from all over the world come to see its beauty every day. [32/36]
In simple words: My favorite spot is the Taj Mahal. It is a beautiful white palace in Agra.

Exam Tip: Write about a famous monument or a hill station using simple describing words.

Chapter 3: The Rich Man (Reading Note)

This chapter tells the story of a banker named Duni Chand: [33/36]
Duni Chand was a very rich banker in Lahore, but greedy and dishonest. He invited Guru Nanak Dev Ji to a special feast and showed off his wealth. Guru Nanak gave him a tiny needle and asked him to return it in the next world. Duni Chand went home and realized that he couldn't take anything (even a needle) when he died. He felt ashamed, changed his ways, and spent his wealth on helping the poor.
In simple words: A rich, greedy banker learned from Guru Nanak that we cannot take our wealth after death, so he started helping the poor.

Exam Tip: Remember that the "needle" represents worldly items that cannot be carried to the afterlife.

WORK OUT

A. Answer the following questions:

Question 1. Was Duni Chand a rich man? How can you say?
Answer: Yes, Duni Chand was a very rich banker. He lived in a grand house with rich carpets and golden dishes. [33/36]
In simple words: Yes, Duni Chand was rich. He had a grand house and golden plates.

Exam Tip: Use clues from the story like "rich carpets" and "golden dishes" to support your answer.

Question 2. Why did Duni Chand invite the Guru to a grand feast?
Answer: Duni Chand hosted the feast to boast about his immense wealth and show off before the Guru. [33/36]
In simple words: Duni Chand wanted to show off his wealth to the Guru.

Exam Tip: Duni Chand was a proud man. Explain that he wanted to show his wealth.

Question 3. What did the Guru ask Duni Chand to do?
Answer: The Guru requested Duni Chand to keep a small needle safe and hand it back to him after death in the next world. [33/36]
In simple words: The Guru asked Duni Chand to keep a needle and return it to him in the next world.

Exam Tip: The "next world" refers to life after death, which is the most important part of the moral.

Question 4. Why did Duni Chand feel proud when the Guru gave him the needle?
Answer: Duni Chand felt honored and proud, believing that the Guru trusted him with a personal valuable item. [33/36]
In simple words: Duni Chand felt proud because he thought the Guru trusted him.

Exam Tip: Describe how Duni Chand's pride made him misunderstand the Guru's deep message at first.

Question 5. Why did Duni Chand's wife laugh at him?
Answer: His wife laughed because she realized how foolish it was to believe that any worldly object, even a small needle, could be carried after death. [33/36]
In simple words: She laughed because we cannot take a needle to the next world when we die.

Exam Tip: Explain the wife's reaction as she understood the lesson before Duni Chand did.

Question 6. What is the moral of the story?
Answer: The story teaches us that material wealth cannot accompany us after death, so we must be generous and use our resources to help needy people. [34/36]
In simple words: We cannot take our wealth after death, so we should help the poor.

Exam Tip: Write a clear moral statement about sharing and helping the needy.

GRAMMAR

Question A. Fill in the blanks with ‘a’, ‘an’ or ‘the’:
Answer: The sentences completed with correct articles are: [34/36]
1. I bought **an** umbrella yesterday. **The** umbrella is made of fine silk.
2. I am looking for **a** boy. **The** boy is my cousin.
3. She gave me **an** egg and **an** orange. **The** egg was rotten but **the** orange was good.
4. He lost **an** arm in **a** road accident. **The** accident took place many years ago.
5. **The** Principal explained **the** whole problems to **the** parents.
In simple words: We use 'a' and 'an' when talking about something for the first time, and 'the' when we talk about it again.

Exam Tip: Use 'an' before vowel sounds like umbrella, egg, orange, and arm.

Question B. Fill in the blanks with ‘has’ or ‘have’ :
Answer: The correct verbs used in sentences are: [35/36]
1. She **has** no taste for music.
2. Many people **have** no food to eat.
3. I **have** a proposal.
4. She **has** her dinner at 8 p.m.
5. We **have** a new peon now.
6. These days some cars **have** musical horns.
In simple words: Use 'has' for singular subjects (she, he, it) and 'have' for plural subjects (I, we, they, people, cars).

Exam Tip: Remember that 'I' always takes 'have' even though it is singular.

VOCABULARY

Question A. Match the opposites:
Answer: The matched opposite word pairs are: [35/36]

In simple words: Opposites are words with completely different meanings, like rich and poor.

Exam Tip: Match the words with their exact opposites from the list.

Question B. Give synonyms of the following words:
Answer: The synonyms (similar meaning words) are: [35/36]
- **rich** - wealthy
- **poor** - needy
- **magnificent** - grand
- **surprised** - astounded
- **tiny** - small
- **feast** - banquet
In simple words: Synonyms are words that have the same or similar meanings, like tiny and small.

Exam Tip: Learn simple synonyms that are easy to remember and spell.

COMPOSITION

Question. Work in pairs. Student A will ask questions and student B will answer them:
Answer: The dialogue about school diaries is: [36/36]
- **Student A:** Do you have a school diary?
- **Student B:** Yes, I have a school diary.
- **Student A:** What do you write in it?
- **Student B:** I write my daily homework and note down important notices in it.
- **Student A:** Does your teacher check it daily?
- **Student B:** Yes, my class teacher checks and signs it every day.
- **Student A:** Where do you note your work when you forget it at home?
- **Student B:** When I forget my diary at home, I note my work in my rough notebook.
In simple words: This is a dialogue about how we use our school diary to note down homework.

Exam Tip: Write complete, helpful answers for Student B's dialogues.

FUN TIME

Question. Find out six differences in these two pictures:
Answer: The six differences between the two pictures are: [36/36]
1. In the first picture, the sun has rays, but in the second picture, the sun has no rays.
2. There are two birds on the tree branch in the first picture, but only one bird in the second picture.
3. The flower near the boy's foot has leaves in the first picture, but no leaves in the second picture.
4. A frog is sitting near the pond in the first picture, but there is no frog in the second picture.
5. The house roof has three lines in the first picture, but only two lines in the second picture.
6. There are three butterflies in the first picture, but only two butterflies in the second picture.
In simple words: Look closely at the sun, birds, frog, butterflies, and the house roof to find the differences.

Exam Tip: Compare the objects on the left side of the first picture with the same objects in the second picture.