NCERT Class 4 English Unit 2: Noses & The Little Fir Tree

Chapter Overview: Summaries & Core Themes

Unit 2 of CBSE Class 4 English introduces two distinct literary works.

1. The Poem - 'Noses' (by Aileen Fisher): This playful poem describes a child looking at her face in the mirror and finding her nose to be the funniest thing because of how it sticks straight out with two tiny holes for breathing. It teaches us to appreciate our physical features with humor.

1. The Story - 'The Little Fir Tree': This tells the tale of a sad fir tree with needle-like leaves that wants to look beautiful. Shetty the magician grants it four wishes: green leaves, gold leaves, glass leaves, and finally its original needles back. The tree realizes that its original needle-like leaves were the best protective shield against goats, wind, and thieves. This story teaches us that we should be content with what we have.

Grammar Guide: Creating Opposites Using Prefixes

1. Step 1: Identify the Root Word — Find the base word or adjective you want to change, such as 'happy', 'polite', or 'seen'.
2. Step 2: Choose the Correct Prefix — Understand which prefix fits. We use 'un-' for words like 'unhappy' or 'unseen', 'im-' for words starting with 'p' or 'm' like 'impolite' or 'impossible', and 'dis-' for words like 'dislike'.
3. Step 3: Combine and Write — Join the prefix to the root word without leaving any spaces. Make sure the spelling of the root word remains the same (e.g., im + perfect = imperfect).

Common Spelling Mistakes & Exam Tips

1. Watch the Homophones: Students often write 'fur tree' instead of 'fir tree'. Remember, 'fir' is a type of evergreen pine tree, whereas 'fur' is the thick hair on animals.
2. Prefix Rules: Remember that when adding the prefix 'im-' to 'polite', do not drop any letters. The spelling is impolite (double 'p' is not needed, just 'im' + 'polite').
3. Describing Words: In exam questions, when asked to describe the fir tree, use adjectives from the textbook like 'needle-like leaves', 'sad', 'happy', and 'grateful'.

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Q: Why does the poet Aileen Fisher feel that the nose is a funny thing?
  A: Step 1: Read the poem 'Noses' to find the stanza about why the nose looks funny.
  Step 2: Understand that the poet observes the nose sticking straight out on the face with two little holes.
  Step 3: Frame the final answer clearly.
  Final answer: The poet feels the nose is a funny thing because it sticks straight out of the face where all of it shows, with two little holes at the bottom for breathing.

• Q: Why was the little fir tree sad, and what was its first wish?
  A: Step 1: Identify the starting condition of the tree in the story.
  Step 2: Recall that it had needle-like leaves where no birds could make nests.
  Step 3: Identify the first wish granted by the magician Shetty.
  Final answer: The little fir tree was sad because it had thin, sharp needle-like leaves which did not allow birds to build nests. Its first wish was to have green leaves like its other tree friends.

• Q: Why did the third wish of having glass leaves fail for the fir tree?
  A: Step 1: Recall the sequence of events after the fir tree got glass leaves.
  Step 2: Note what happened during the night.
  Step 3: Explain the cause of damage to the glass leaves.
  Final answer: The third wish failed because at night, a strong wind blew. The wind shook the branches of the fir tree, causing all the glass leaves to break into pieces.

• Q: Write the opposites of these words by adding prefixes: 'healthy', 'pure', 'important', 'lucky'.
  A: Step 1: Use the prefix 'un-' for 'healthy', 'important', and 'lucky'.
  Step 2: Use the prefix 'im-' for 'pure' because it starts with 'p'.
  Step 3: Combine them cleanly.
  Final answer: The opposites are:

  1. Healthy -> Unhealthy
  2. Pure -> Impure
  3. Important -> Unimportant
  4. Lucky -> Unlucky

Frequently Asked Questions