Looking for accurate and complete DAV Class 4 English Solutions for Unit 1: Sports from the prescribed DAV CMC textbook My English Reader? Here are the 100% textbook-grounded solutions for both stories—A True Friend (Rahul and Raj) and Mix-up at Birth (Sunil Gavaskar)—including all RTC extracts, questions and answers, vocabulary matching, homophones, life skills, value-based questions, and letter writing.
Introduction: Sports and Associated Terms (Page 1)
Read the given words and write the name of the sports with which they are associated (Aid Box: Athletics, Badminton, Cricket, Billiards, Chess, Boxing, Shooting):
| Term | Associated Sport | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| (i) Relay | Athletics | A race between two or more teams where each member runs a set distance and hands over a baton. |
| (ii) Deuce | Badminton / Tennis | A tied score (such as 20-20 in badminton) where a player must score two consecutive points to win. |
| (iii) Cue | Billiards | The long tapered wooden stick used to strike the cue ball. |
| (iv) Checkmate | Chess | A game-ending move where the opponent’s king is under direct attack and cannot escape. |
| (v) Knock-out | Boxing | When a boxer is knocked down and unable to rise before the referee counts to ten. |
| (vi) Hat-trick | Cricket | When a bowler dismisses three batsmen on three consecutive deliveries. |
| (vii) Bull’s eye | Shooting / Archery | The central circular target point that earns maximum score. |
Part A: A True Friend — Textbook Exercises (Pages 6 to 11)
A.4. Tick (✓) the appropriate answer
(i) Rahul was jealous of Raj because he—
□ always won in cycling.
✓ always won in cycling.
Reason: In every cycling contest they had, Raj always managed to win, which created jealousy in Rahul’s mind.
(ii) Rahul dug a small pit on the path because he wanted to—
□ dirty the track.
□ hurt Raj.
✓ win the race.
Reason: Rahul was desperate to defeat Raj and win the first prize trophy on the sports day by causing Raj to fall behind.
(iii) Rahul worked hard for the term-end examination because—
□ he was competing with Raj.
✓ the Principal had given him a warning.
□ he was feeling guilty.
Reason: After Rahul scored poor marks in the class test, the Principal strictly warned him that he would be punished if he failed to perform well in the final term-end examination.
A.5. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow
“Do not worry. This is just a class test.”
(i) Who is the speaker of the above line? Whom is he talking to?
Answer: Raj is the speaker of this line. He is talking to his best friend Rahul.
(ii) Why is the listener worried?
Answer: Rahul (the listener) was worried and crying bitterly because he had scored very poor marks in the class test, and the school Principal had given him a strict warning of punishment if he failed the upcoming term-end examination.
(iii) What does the statement tell you about the speaker’s character?
Answer: This statement reveals that Raj is a genuinely forgiving, noble, supportive, and compassionate friend. Despite having been injured by Rahul earlier, Raj holds no bitterness and stands by his friend to comfort and coach him.
A.6. Complete the Dialogue of Apology (Page 7)
Rahul: I am very sorry, Raj.
Raj: What are you sorry for?
Rahul: You don’t know but I had dug a small pit on the path where you were supposed to run.
Raj: Why did you do that?
Rahul: I wanted to win the race, but now I have realised my mistake and apologise to you from the core of my heart.
Raj: I am happy that you have realised your mistake. I forgive you. Let’s be friends again.
A.7. Answer the following questions briefly
Question (i): Why was Rahul not happy even after winning the race?
Answer: Rahul was not happy because a deep sense of guilt overwhelmed him. He knew in his heart that he had won by cheating and had severely injured his best friend Raj. He felt he did not truly deserve the trophy.
Question (ii): Do you think Rahul deserved the trophy? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer: No, Rahul did not deserve the trophy at all. True victory comes through honest effort, athletic merit, and fair play. Rahul cheated by digging a pit to trip Raj, which violates the very spirit of sportsmanship.
Question (iii): What warning did the Principal give Rahul?
Answer: When Rahul performed very poorly in the class test, the Principal gave him a final chance and warned him that if he failed to perform well in the term-end examination, he would be punished.
Question (iv): Why was everyone surprised to see the term-end examination result?
Answer: Everyone was surprised because Rahul, who was previously very weak in academics, worked diligently with Raj’s guidance and not only topped the entire class but also beat Raj in marks.
A.8. Vocabulary: Opposite Meanings & Sentence Fillers (Page 8)
Matching Opposites:
1. rivals ↔ friends
2. good ↔ bad
3. happy ↔ sad
4. hard ↔ soft
5. bitter ↔ sweet
Fill in the blanks using words from Balloon ‘A’ (rivals, good, happy, hard, bitter):
(i) The Principal congratulated Rahul for his good performance.
(ii) Shiela is very happy as her brother is coming from America today.
(iii) The mechanic hit the bolt hard with his hammer and broke it.
(iv) India and Pakistan are great rivals in cricket.
(v) Travelling in a ship was a bitter experience for Sunita, for she often suffered from sea sickness.
A.10. Correct the Spellings (Page 9)
(i) teachor → teacher
(ii) jealos → jealous
(iii) determinned → determined
(iv) gilty → guilty
(v) biterly → bitterly
(vi) desserve → deserve
A.11 & A.12. Idiomatic Expressions (Pages 9 & 10)
Meaning of Idioms:
• at a stone’s throw: very near / a short distance away.
• stone-hearted: cruel / showing no sympathy or kindness.
Fill in the blanks with the correct idiom:
(i) The new garment store is at a stone’s throw from my house.
(ii) Mr Pal is stone-hearted. He does not take care of his pets.
A.13. Homophones (Similar Pronounced Words) (Page 10)
• WON → ONE (1)
• MADE → MAID (domestic helper)
• WHETHER → WEATHER (climatic condition)
• PRINCIPAL → PRINCIPLE (moral rule/value)
• NO → KNOW (to understand/be aware)
A.15. Value-Based Question (Sportsmanship)
Question: What does the word ‘Sportsmanship’ mean to you? Is it important to win every game you play or is fair participation enough?
Answer: ‘Sportsmanship’ means upholding fair play, respect, honesty, and kindness while playing any sport. It means respecting rules, accepting both victory with humility and defeat with grace, and never resorting to cheating or harming an opponent. Winning every game is not important; playing with true effort, honesty, and mutual respect is far more valuable than winning by unfair means.
A.16. Letter of Apology (Rahul to Raj) (Page 11)
DAV Public School Campus,
Model Town, New Delhi.
15th October 2026.
Dear Raj,
I am writing this letter with a heavy and remorseful heart. I want to apologise sincerely for my shameful behaviour before the sports day. Blinded by jealousy and my desperate wish to win the trophy, I dug a pit on your running track that caused your terrible fall and injury.
Ever since that race, I have been unable to sleep peacefully. I realized that the trophy means nothing because it was won through deceit and betrayal of our friendship. I confessed my fault to our Principal Sir and now I ask you for your forgiveness from the core of my heart.
You have always been noble, caring, and kind. Please forgive me for this grave mistake and allow me to be your best friend once again. I promise never to let jealousy come between us.
Yours sincerely,
Rahul
Part B: Mix-up at Birth (Sunil Gavaskar) — Solved Exercises (Pages 12 to 17)
B.3. Information Table about Sunil Gavaskar (Page 14)
| Detail | Information from Text |
|---|---|
| Gavaskar’s Full Name | Sunil Manohar Gavaskar |
| Profession | Legendary Indian Cricketer, Commentator, and Author |
| Birthday | July 10, 1949 |
| Uncle’s Name | Mr Narayan Masuvekar (fondly called Nan-kaka) |
B.4. True or False Statements (Page 14)
(i) Sunil Gavaskar would probably have been a fisherman if Nan-kaka had not visited the hospital. → TRUE
(ii) Sunil has a hole in his right ear-lobe. → FALSE (Correction: It is near the top of his left ear-lobe)
(iii) The babies got exchanged while they were being given a bath. → TRUE
(iv) Sunil was located sleeping beside his mother. → FALSE (Correction: He was located sleeping beside a fisher-woman)
B.5 & B.6. Vocabulary: Synonyms & Sentence Usage (Pages 14 & 15)
Words from the passage:
(i) find out about something → discover / locate
(ii) disturbance or fuss → commotion
(iii) wildly excited / hurried → frantic
(iv) lacking knowledge → ignorant
Fill in the blanks:
(i) The mother made a frantic search for her lost baby in the market.
(ii) The accident caused a commotion in the market.
(iii) Mr Sharma’s dog was peacefully sleeping behind the big tree.
(iv) Mr Verma is ignorant of his son’s report.
B.8. Questions and Answers (Pages 15 & 16)
Question (i): What did Mr Narayan Masuvekar notice on his first visit to the hospital?
Answer: On his first visit on July 10, 1949, Mr Narayan Masuvekar noticed a distinct little hole near the top of the newborn baby Sunil Gavaskar’s left ear-lobe.
Question (ii): Why was Mr Narayan Masuvekar horrified on his second visit to the hospital?
Answer: On his second visit the next day, he picked up the baby lying in the crib next to Sunil’s mother and discovered to his horror that the baby did not have the distinct hole on his left ear-lobe, indicating that the baby had been swapped.
Question (iii): Where was the baby found?
Answer: Following a frantic search throughout the hospital wards, baby Sunil was found sleeping peacefully beside a fisher-woman, totally oblivious to the commotion he had caused.
Question (iv): What would have happened if Nan-kaka had not visited the hospital again on the second day?
Answer: If Nan-kaka had not noticed the swap, Sunil Gavaskar would have grown up as a fisherman working along the West Coast, and Indian cricket would have been deprived of one of its greatest batting legends.
Question (v): When did the newborn babies get mixed up?
Answer: The newborn babies got accidentally exchanged when they were taken to be given their routine bath in the hospital nursery.
Part C: Listening Tape Script — Kabaddi (A Test of Strength) (Pages 18 & 21)
C.2. Information Fill-in from Tape Script:
• Number of players on each side: Five to ten players (Standard official match: 7 active players on court).
• The magic word to be chanted continuously: “Kabaddi, Kabaddi” (without breaking breath / cant).
• The team that: catches maximum members of the opposing team / scores maximum points is the winner.