১. গুৰুত্বপূৰ্ণ শব্দ আৰু অৰ্থ (Important Vocabulary & Meanings)

২. কবিতাৰ সাৰাংশ (Poem Summary)

English: In the poem “Friends,” American poet Abbie Farwell Brown presents elements of Nature as loving, protective companions of a child. Lying peacefully on the grass beneath a tree, the child feels embraced by the gentle forces of nature. The vast blue Sky bends sweetly overhead like a kind, wide smile. The warm Sunshine flickers through the delicate canopy of leaves to plant gentle kisses on the child’s face, reminiscent of a loving mother kissing her child before bedtime. The invisible Wind steals silently across the soft grass, murmuring soothing words and touching the child with careful, caring wings. The poet concludes that because so many kind, gentle, and invisible friends of nature surround us everywhere, a child should never feel lonely, helpless, or afraid in this world.

অসমীয়া: “Friends” কবিতাটিত আমেৰিকান কবি এবী ফাৰৱেল ব্ৰাউনে প্ৰকৃতিক এজন শিশুৰ মৰমিয়াল আৰু স্নেহশীল বন্ধু হিচাপে বৰ্ণনা কৰিছে। গছৰ শীতল ছাঁত শুই থকা এটি শিশুৱে অনুভৱ কৰে যে প্ৰকৃতিৰ অপূৰ্ব শক্তিসমূহ সদায় তাৰ কাষতে আছে। নীলা আকাশখন শিশুটিৰ মূৰৰ ওপৰত এক দয়ালু, মধুৰ হাঁহিৰ দৰে হালি আছে। গছৰ পাতৰ জালি ভেদ কৰি সোণালী সূৰ্যৰ কিৰণে মাকৰ শুভৰাত্ৰিৰ মৰমৰ চুমাৰ দৰে শিশুটিৰ মুখখন স্পৰ্শ কৰিছে। অদৃশ্য বতাহজাকে ঘাঁহনিৰ মাজেৰে চুপি চুপি আহি শিশুটিৰ কাণত মিঠা কথা ফিচফিচাই কৈছে আৰু নিজৰ যত্নশীল ডেউকাৰে আলফুলে পৰশ বুলাইছে। কবিয়ে কৈছে যে প্ৰকৃতিৰ এনে শান্ত আৰু অদৃশ্য মৰমিয়াল বন্ধুসকলে সদায় আমাক সুৰক্ষা দি থকাৰ বাবে, এটি শিশুৱে এই পৃথিৱীৰ ক’তো কেতিয়াও কোনো ভয় বা অকলশৰীয়া অনুভৱ কৰিব নালাগে।

৩. পাঠভিত্তিক প্ৰশ্নোত্তৰ আৰু কাৰ্যাৱলী (Textbook Activities & Solutions) 

Pre-reading: Positive Qualities of a True Friend (এজন প্ৰকৃত বন্ধুৰ গুণসমূহ)

• Positive Qualities (সজ গুণসমূহ): Trustworthy (বিশ্বাসযোগ্য), Caring (যত্নশীল), Helpful (সহায়কাৰী), Unselfish (নিঃস্বাৰ্থ), Kind (দয়ালু), Supportive (সমৰ্থনকাৰী).

• Negative Traits to Avoid: Unreliable (অবিশ্বাসী), Uncaring (অযত্নশীল), Unhelpful (অসহায়কাৰী), Indifferent (উদাসীন).

Activity 1: Comprehension Questions (বোধমূলক প্ৰশ্নোত্তৰ)

(a) Who are the poet’s friends?
The poet’s gentle friends are elements of Nature — the Sky, the Sunshine, and the Wind.
(কবিৰ মৰমিয়াল বন্ধুসকল হৈছে প্ৰকৃতিৰ উপাদানসমূহ — আকাশ (The Sky), সূৰ্যৰ পোহৰ (The Sunshine) আৰু বতাহ (The Wind)।)

(b) What is the Sky like?
The Sky is like a kind big smile that bends sweetly and protectively over the child.
(আকাশখন শিশুটিৰ মূৰৰ ওপৰত মৰমেৰে হালি থকা এক দয়ালু, বিশাল মধুৰ হাঁহিৰ দৰে।)

(c) What does the Sunshine do?
The Sunshine flickers through the lace of leaves above and kisses the child’s face like a mother kissing her child before going to bed.
(সূৰ্যৰ কিৰণে গছৰ পাতৰ জালিৰ মাজেৰে আহি শোৱাৰ পূৰ্বে মাকে সন্তানক মৰমেৰে চুমা দিয়াৰ দৰে শিশুটিৰ মুখখন স্পৰ্শ কৰে।)

(d) What does the Wind whisper?
The Wind comes stealing silently over the grass to whisper sweet, pretty, and comforting things into the child’s ears.
(বতাহজাকে ঘাঁহনিৰ মাজেৰে চুপি চুপি আহি শিশুটিৰ কাণত শুৱনি আৰু শান্তিদায়ক মিঠা কথা ফিচফিচাই কয়।)

(e) Whose careful wings does the poet feel?
The poet feels the careful and gentle wings of the passing Wind.
(কবিয়ে কাষেৰে বৈ যোৱা বতাহজাকৰ (The Wind) যত্নশীল ডেউকাৰ পৰশ অনুভৱ কৰে।)

(f) Why should a child never feel a fear?
A child should never feel a fear because so many gentle, invisible, and loving friends of Nature (the Sky, Sunshine, and Wind) are always nearby to watch over and protect them wherever they go.
(শিশুৱে কেতিয়াও ভয় কৰিব নালাগে কাৰণ প্ৰকৃতিৰ এনে বহুতো শান্ত, অদৃশ্য আৰু স্নেহশীল বন্ধুৱে সদায় চাৰিওফালৰ পৰা আমাক সুৰক্ষা আৰু সংগ প্ৰদান কৰি থাকে।)

(g) Can you consider the sky, the sunshine and the wind as your friends? Why?
Yes, we can consider them as our friends because they sustain life on Earth, provide warmth, fresh air, and light, and make us feel peaceful, happy, and comforted whenever we are outdoors in nature.
(হয়, আমি তেওঁলোকক বন্ধু বুলি গণ্য কৰিব পাৰোঁ কাৰণ তেওঁলোকে পৃথিৱীত জীৱন ধাৰণ সম্ভৱ কৰি তোলে, আমাক পোহৰ, উম আৰু নিৰ্মল বতাহ দিয়ে আৰু প্ৰকৃতিৰ বুকুত আমাৰ মন আনন্দ আৰু শান্তিৰে ভৰাই তোলে।)

Activity 2: Rhyming Words from the Poem (ছন্দ মিলোৱা শব্দ)

• while – smile

• tree – me / see

• lace – face

• head – bed

• grass – pass

• things – wings

• near – fear

• see – tree / me

Activity 3: Match Stanzas with Explanations (স্তৱক আৰু ব্যাখ্যা মিলোৱা)

• Stanza 1: The poet lies under a tree and looks at the Sky through it. The Sky is like a kind big smile, bent sweetly over the poet.

• Stanza 2: The Sunshine passes through the leaves and falls upon the poet’s face. The poet compares the falling of sunshine upon the face with mother kissing a child before bed.

• Stanza 3: The Wind comes secretly and whispers pretty things. The poet cannot see the Wind, but feels the careful touch.

• Stanza 4: The poet says that there are many gentle Friends around us. One can hardly see them. The poet asks the child not to be afraid because wherever the child might be, his Gentle friends will be around.

Activity 6: Literary Device — Simile (উপমা)

A simile is a literary device used to compare two different things using the words ‘like’ or ‘as’.

Similes in the Poem:

1. “The Sky is like a kind big smile” (আকাশখনক দয়ালু হাঁহিৰ লগত তুলনা কৰা হৈছে)

2. “And kisses me upon the face / Like Mother, before bed.” (সূৰ্যৰ পোহৰক মাকৰ চুমাৰ লগত তুলনা কৰা হৈছে)

Common Similes:

• As pure as snow (বৰফৰ দৰে পৱিত্ৰ)

• As cold as ice (বৰফৰ দৰে শীতল)

• As bright as the moon (জোনৰ দৰে উজ্জ্বল)

• Like a breath of fresh air (সতেজ মলয়া বতাহৰ দৰে)

• Like a ray of sunshine (সূৰ্যৰ পোহৰৰ ৰেঙণিৰ দৰে)

Activity 7: Literary Device — Personification (মানৱাৰোপণ)

Activity 8: Compound Words with ‘Sun’ and ‘Rain’ (সংযুক্ত শব্দ)

• Words with ‘Sun’: Sunscreen, Sunglass, Sunlight, Sunflower, Sunshine, Sunrise.

• Words with ‘Rain’: Raincoat, Raindrop, Rainbow, Rainfall, Rainforest, Rainwater.

Activity 10: Grammar — Correct Order of Adjectives (বিশেষণৰ শুদ্ধ ক্ৰম)

Standard Order: 1. Opinion → 2. Size → 3. Physical Quality → 4. Shape → 5. Age → 6. Colour → 7. Origin → 8. Material → Noun.

Corrected Sentences (Activity 10b):

1. I met a kind, tall, old man.

2. He bought me a beautiful, round, red, plastic ball.

3. He also bought me a heavy, wooden bat.

Fill in the Blanks (Activity 11):

1. I saw a cute, young girl.

2. She was wearing a beautiful, red, cotton frock.

3. She had a tiny, white bag.

Activity 12: Adjective ↔ Adverb Transformation

Activity 13: Grammar — Future Tense with ‘Will’

1. The poet will look up through the tree.

2. The Wind will come secretly.

3. The Sunshine will flicker through the lace of leaves.

Activity 14: Phonetics — Words Ending with /z/ Sound

• Words ending with /z/ sound: friends, flickers, kisses, leaves, comes, things, wings, tremors, voyages, smiles.

• Words ending with /s/ sound: sports, cliffs, physics, lights, shocks.

Activity 16: Paragraph Writing — My Best Friend (মোৰ প্ৰিয় বন্ধু)

English: My best friend is Ankur. He is my classmate and lives in my neighborhood. Ankur is very kind, trustworthy, and helpful. We walk to school together every morning, share our lunch, and do our homework side by side. In the evening, we love playing football and badminton in our school playground. Whenever I face any difficulty in my studies, Ankur always helps me patiently. We also celebrate Bihu, Diwali, and birthdays together with great joy. I am very lucky to have such a wonderful and supportive friend.

অসমীয়া: মোৰ আটাইতকৈ প্ৰিয় বন্ধুজন হৈছে অংকুৰ। সি মোৰ সহপাঠী আৰু আমাৰ চুবুৰীতেই থাকে। অংকুৰ অত্যন্ত বিশ্বাসী, দয়ালু আৰু সকলোকে সহায় কৰা স্বভাৱৰ। আমি নিতৌ পুৱা একেলগে স্কুললৈ যাওঁ, দুপৰীয়া টিফিন ভাগ কৰি খাওঁ আৰু একেলগে পঢ়া-শুনা কৰোঁ। আবেলি আমি খেলপথাৰত ফুটবল আৰু বেডমিণ্টন খেলোঁ। পঢ়া-শুনাত কিবা বুজি নাপালে সি মোক বৰ মৰমেৰে বুজাই দিয়ে। আমি বিহু, দেৱালী আৰু জন্মদিন একেলগে আনন্দৰে উদ্‌যাপন কৰোঁ। এনে এজন সঁচা আৰু মৰমিয়াল বন্ধু পাই মই নিজকে ধন্য মানিছোঁ।

Activity 19: Child Safety — Learning to Say ‘NO’

Always be bold and say a firm “NO” in these situations:

1. When someone touches you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable, scared, or unsafe (Bad Touch).

2. When a stranger asks you to accompany them or meet alone in an isolated place.

3. When someone pressures you to hide secrets from your parents or teachers.

4. When someone offers you unknown food, sweets, or drinks without your parents’ permission.

Activity 21: Birthday Greeting Card

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANKUR!

Dear Ankur,

Wishing you a very Happy and Joyful Birthday! May your special day be filled with lots of fun, laughter, and sweet surprises. May all your dreams come true and may you shine bright in everything you do!

Have a fantastic year ahead!

With love and best wishes,
Niran

Activity 22: Giving Directions & Map Reading

Direction Phrases:

• Go straight on: পোনে পোনে আগবাঢ়ি যোৱা

• Take the first left: প্ৰথম বাওঁফালৰ ৰাস্তালৈ ঘূৰা

• Turn right: সোঁফালে ঘূৰা

• Go past: পাৰ হৈ যোৱা

• Roundabout: ঘূৰণীয়া চ’ক

• Opposite to: সমুখত / বিপৰীত দিশত

Route from Listening Text:
Start from Point ‘X’ on Nilachal Path → Go past the traffic lights → Continue straight to the roundabout → Turn right on to Himgiri Path → Take the first left on to Nibir Path → Go straight until you find the book shop on the right → The friend’s house is situated opposite to the book shop.

Did You Know: Pen Pal Culture (পত্ৰমিতা)

A pen pal is a friend with whom one establishes and maintains friendship through written postal letters, often between people living in different states or foreign countries. Writing to pen pals helps children learn about diverse cultures, languages, geography, and traditions across the world while building lifelong bonds of friendship.