NCERT Solutions Poorvi Chapter 5 The Kites — Let us learn

Book page 146 to 148 Updated on2026-09-05

Q1.

Look at the picture of the kite and read what some of its parts are named (Nose, Spine, Cover, Kite line, Tail, Reel). Now, complete the given conversation by filling the blanks with some ‘parts of a kite’ from above. Bina: I like the long t _ _ _ at the end of my kite. What is your kite like? Saroj: My kite’s c _ _ _ _ _ is bright. The s _ _ _ e is black. Bina: Oh wonderful! My kite’s l _ _ _ is attached to the r _ _ l that wraps it. I really like it. Saroj: Did you know that the tip of a kite is called a _ _ s _?

Answer

The labelled picture on page 146 names six parts. Here is what each one is, and then the completed conversation.

Part	Where it is on the kite
Nose	The pointed tip at the very top.
Spine	The stick that runs down the middle, from nose to bottom.
Cover	The coloured paper or cloth stretched over the sticks.
Kite line	The thread that joins the kite to your hand.
Tail	The strip that hangs from the bottom and keeps the kite steady.
Reel	The spool on which the line is wound.

The completed conversation:

Bina: I like the long tail at the end of my kite. What is your kite like?
Saroj: My kite's cover is bright. The spine is black.
Bina: Oh wonderful! My kite's line is attached to the reel that wraps it. I really like it.
Saroj: Did you know that the tip of a kite is called a nose?
Bina: Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know. Let's go and fly our pretty kites.

Tip: Use the number of dashes as a check — t _ _ _ is four letters (tail), s _ _ _ e is five ending in e (spine), r _ _ l is four ending in l (reel), _ _ s _ is four with s third (nose).

Q2.

Let us create a poem using words in a kite! (Line 1 – the subject, one noun; Line 2 – two describing words; Line 3 – three action words; Line 4 – two words that describe the action words; Line 5 – one word with the same meaning as the subject. Example: Kite / pretty, colourful / flying, floating, soaring / quickly, happily / paper-bird.) This is called a cinquain poem… Now, create a cinquain poem yourself on anything you like.

Answer

A cinquain is a five-line poem with a fixed shape. Copy the empty kite outline on page 147 into your notebook and fill one line into each row.

Line	What it must contain	Part of speech
1	The subject — one word	noun
2	Two words describing the subject	adjectives
3	Three action words	verbs (usually -ing)
4	Two words describing the actions	adverbs
5	One word meaning the same as line 1	synonym (a noun)

Sample answers — three cinquains you can adapt:

Rain
cool, silver
falling, drumming, washing
softly, suddenly
shower

Grandmother
gentle, wise
cooking, telling, smiling
slowly, lovingly
daadi

River
wide, restless
flowing, twisting, shining
quietly, endlessly
stream

Why a cinquain is worth writing: Because you are allowed so few words, every word has to earn its place. The last line is the hardest — a synonym that makes the reader see the subject in a new way. ‘Paper-bird’ for ‘kite’ is a lovely example: it packs the poem's own simile into one word.

Q3.

The poet uses the word ‘fly’ and ‘drift’ to tell us about the kite’s movement. Circle the words that match with the ‘drift’ movement. You can choose more than one word: slow, fast, quick, upward, downward, round and round, float.

Answer

Circle: slow, downward, round and round, float.

To drift is to move gently, without effort, carried along by the wind or by water. So it cannot be fast or quick, and it is not a strong push upward.

Word	Matches ‘drift’?	Why
slow	Yes	Drifting is always unhurried.
fast	No	Speed is the opposite of drifting.
quick	No	Same reason — drifting has no sudden movement.
upward	No (mainly)	Rising needs a push or a lift; drifting is being carried, not lifted.
downward	Yes	A drifting leaf or kite sinks gently.
round and round	Yes	Something adrift turns lazily in circles.
float	Yes	‘Float’ is almost a synonym of ‘drift’.

In the poem: “Then I would drift upon / The paper wings” — the child does not imagine roaring through the sky. He imagines resting on the kite and being carried wherever the wind takes him. That is why ‘drift’ is exactly the right word there.

Q4.

Study some other words about the kite’s movement and share what type of movement they show. You can look at 1 for the type of movement: glide, dive, soar, swoop, circle.

Answer

Word	Type of movement	Sentence about a kite
glide	Smooth, steady, silent — moving along without flapping or effort	The kite glided across the sky without a single jerk.
dive	Fast and steeply downward, head first	The line went slack and my kite dived towards the trees.
soar	Rising high, upward, on the wind	The kite soared until it was only a dot above the water tank.
swoop	A sudden sharp rush downward, often curving up again	The kite swooped down at the rooftop and rose again.
circle	Round and round, in loops	The two kites circled each other before the thread was cut.

Group them to remember them: going up — soar; going down — dive, swoop; going along — glide, drift, float; going round — circle. Notice that ‘dive’ and ‘swoop’ are fast, while ‘glide’ and ‘drift’ are slow.

Q5.

The poet has used expressions like — up in the air; look right down; stay up there; stand and stare. 1. Read how these expressions are used in the poem. 2. In pairs, make sentences using these expressions. Discuss with your teacher and then write in your notebooks.

Answer

First find each expression in the poem, then use it in a sentence of your own.

Expression	In the poem	What it means	A sentence of my own
up in the air	“Up in the air / See the kites fly”	High above the ground	The balloons we let go on Sports Day are still up in the air.
look right down	“What fun it would be / To look right down”	To look straight downward from a height	From the top of the lighthouse we could look right down at the boats.
stay up there	From “And sail up there” — to remain high above	To remain high in the sky	If the wind holds, my kite will stay up there till evening.
stand and stare	“The people below / Would stand and stare”	To stop and go on looking in surprise	When the elephant walked into our lane, we could only stand and stare.

Tip: Do not change the words inside an expression. We say stand and stare, not ‘stand and see’; up in the air, not ‘up in the sky’. Fixed expressions must be used exactly as they are.

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