Vocation

The speaker in the poem is a young child (a little boy/girl). The child watches different workers going about their daily jobs and wishes to be like them, free to roam and work as they please.

The speaker wants to be a hawker because a hawker can roam freely from lane to lane, calling out to sell his wares whenever he likes. The speaker feels that a hawker has no fixed time to go to school and no one to tell him when to come home. This freedom attracts the speaker greatly.

The speaker likes the fact that the gardener can dig and plant in the garden all day long. The gardener works outdoors with his spade, and nobody scolds him or sends him indoors. The speaker admires the gardener's freedom to work in the open without any restrictions.

The speaker compares the street lamp to a giant with one red eye. When the watchman lights the lamp at dusk, it glows like the single red eye of a giant, which the speaker finds fascinating and magical.

Based on the poem, the speaker's daily schedule appears to be as follows:
- In the morning, the speaker has to get ready and go to school at a fixed time.
- During the day, the speaker attends school and has to follow rules and a timetable.
- In the evening, the speaker has to come home at a fixed time.
- The speaker has to go to bed at night when told to do so.

The speaker feels bound by this strict routine and envies the hawker, gardener, and watchman who seem to work freely on their own terms throughout the day and night.

The speaker admires people with different vocations because they appear to be free and independent. The hawker can roam the lanes at will, the gardener can dig and plant all day without being scolded, and the watchman can stay up all night and light the lamps. The speaker, being a child bound by school timings and bedtime rules, sees these workers as people who can do what they like, when they like. This sense of freedom and adventure makes the speaker admire them deeply.

(This is a personal/open-ended question. A sample answer is given below.)

On my way to school, I observe many interesting things. I see vegetable vendors and fruit sellers calling out to customers, auto-rickshaws and buses rushing past, children walking in groups with heavy school bags, and stray dogs resting near the roadside. I also notice shopkeepers opening their shutters and sweepers cleaning the streets early in the morning.

On my way back home, I see children playing in the park, women buying vegetables from the market, and street lamps beginning to glow as evening approaches. I also notice workers returning home after a long day's work. All these sights make my journey to and from school very lively and interesting.

The correct matches are:

- Gong → A metal disc that produces a loud sound when hit with a small hammer
- Spade → A tool used for gardening
- Lane → A narrow path
- Giant → An imaginary man-like creature of great height and strength
- Lantern → A case that holds a candle or light in any form and can be easily carried

Mistake: 'has' should be 'have'

Correct sentence: I have recently read a new book.

Mistake: 'for' should be 'to'

Correct sentence: The speaker goes to school at ten in the morning.

Mistake: 'fast' should be 'faster'

Correct sentence: The fox ran faster than the others.

Mistake: 'was slept' should be 'was sleeping'

Correct sentence: Mita was sleeping when the doorbell rang.

Mistake: 'slow' should be 'slowly'

Correct sentence: The old elephant walked slowly to the river.

Mistake: 'tall' should be 'taller'

Correct sentence: Radhika is taller than Suman.

Mistake: 'faster of' should be 'fastest of'

Correct sentence: Sudhanshu ran fastest of all the runners.

Mistake: 'are' should be 'is'

Correct sentence: My mother is cooking.

Mistake: 'go' should be 'goes'

Correct sentence: He goes to school everyday.

Mistake: 'is' should be 'are'

Correct sentence: The birds are flying.

Yes, I have seen many of these objects. Here is what they are used for:

- Telescope — Used to see objects that are very far away, such as stars and planets. I have seen it in a science museum.
- Hammer — Used to drive nails into wood or walls. I have seen it in a carpenter's workshop.
- Camera — Used to take photographs and record videos. I have seen it with photographers and at family events.
- Screwdriver — Used to tighten or loosen screws. I have seen it in a toolbox at home.
- Sickle — Used by farmers to cut crops and grass. I have seen it in pictures of farms and in villages.
- Stethoscope — Used by doctors to listen to the heartbeat and breathing of a patient. I have seen it at the doctor's clinic.
- Grater — Used in the kitchen to grate vegetables, cheese, or coconut. I have seen it in my kitchen at home.
- Tongs — Used to pick up hot objects or food without touching them. I have seen them in the kitchen and at a barbecue.
- Compass — Used to draw circles or to find directions. I have seen it in my geometry box.
- Mouse — Used to control the cursor on a computer screen. I have seen it on the computer table at home and school.
- Saw — Used to cut wood or metal. I have seen it in a carpenter's shop.

(This is a personal/open-ended speaking activity. A sample response is given below.)

Once during my summer holidays, I wanted to do many things at the same time. I wanted to go out and play cricket with my friends, finish reading my storybook, help my mother in the kitchen, and also watch my favourite cartoon show on television. However, I could not do all of these things at once because there was simply not enough time in the day.

The main difficulty I faced was that whenever I started one activity, I kept thinking about the others and could not concentrate properly. I felt restless and a little frustrated because I could not enjoy any one thing fully.

In the end, I made a small plan and decided to do one thing at a time. I played cricket in the morning, watched television in the afternoon, helped my mother in the evening, and read my book before bedtime. This made me feel much better and more organised. I learnt that it is important to do one thing at a time and give it your full attention.

Every job has its difficult and tiring side, which we often do not notice at first glance.

A hawker may seem free and happy as he roams the lanes, but his life is actually very hard. He has to wake up very early, carry heavy loads of goods, and walk long distances in the hot sun or cold wind. He earns very little money and has no guarantee of selling all his goods every day.

A gardener spends long hours bending and digging in the soil. His hands become rough and calloused from using the spade. He has to work even in harsh weather — under the scorching sun in summer or in the biting cold of winter. The work is physically exhausting and the pay is often very low.

A watchman has perhaps the most difficult job of all. He has to stay awake all through the night when everyone else is sleeping. He faces cold nights, rain, and sometimes even danger. He cannot enjoy a full night's sleep, which affects his health over time.

So, while these jobs may look exciting and free to a child, they involve a great deal of hard work, sacrifice, and struggle.

(This is a personal writing activity. Sample paragraphs are given below.)

My Father:
My father is a doctor. He works at a government hospital in our city. Every day, he wakes up early and leaves for the hospital by eight in the morning. He examines patients, prescribes medicines, and sometimes performs minor procedures. He often comes home late in the evening, tired but satisfied. His vocation is very important because he helps sick people get better and leads a healthy life.

My Mother:
My mother is a schoolteacher. She teaches Mathematics to students of Classes 6 and 7. She prepares her lessons carefully every evening and corrects notebooks on weekends. She is very patient and kind with her students. Apart from teaching, she also manages our home with great care and love. Her vocation is truly noble because she shapes the future of many young children every single day.

My Uncle:
My uncle is a farmer. He lives in our village and grows rice and vegetables on his fields. He wakes up before sunrise and works in the fields till late afternoon. He uses a tractor and simple tools to plough, sow, and harvest his crops. His work depends greatly on the weather and the rains. His vocation is one of the most important in the world because he grows the food that feeds us all.

Here are the vocations of the following famous personalities:

- A.P.J. Abdul Kalam — He was a scientist and aerospace engineer who played a key role in India's missile and space programmes. He also served as the 11th President of India. He is fondly called the 'Missile Man of India.'

- M. Visvesvaraya — He was a brilliant civil engineer and statesman. He is famous for designing dams, irrigation systems, and flood protection works. He served as the Diwan (Chief Minister) of the Kingdom of Mysore. His birthday, 15th September, is celebrated as Engineers' Day in India.

- Janaki Ammal — She was a renowned botanist and plant scientist. She conducted important research on the genetics of plants, especially sugarcane and magnolias. She was one of the first Indian women to earn a doctorate in botany from a foreign university.

- M.S. Subbulakshmi — She was a legendary Carnatic classical vocalist. She is considered one of the greatest singers in Indian classical music. She was the first musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.

- Salim Ali — He was a famous ornithologist (a scientist who studies birds). He is known as the 'Birdman of India.' He conducted extensive surveys of birds across India and wrote several important books on Indian birds.

(Note: Since the actual pictures cannot be seen, sample answers are provided based on common 'job mix-up' scenarios typically used in such activities. Students should write sentences based on what they actually observe in their textbook pictures.)

Sample answers for common job mix-up scenarios:

Picture 1 (Doctor with a cricket bat):
A doctor's job is to examine patients and prescribe medicines, not to play cricket with a bat. That is something a cricketer does.

Picture 2 (Farmer in a courtroom):
A farmer's job is to grow crops and tend to the fields, not to argue cases in a courtroom. That is something a lawyer does.

Picture 3 (Pilot digging a garden):
A pilot's job is to fly aeroplanes and transport passengers safely, not to dig the soil in a garden. That is something a gardener does.

Picture 4 (Teacher driving a bus):
A teacher's job is to educate students in a classroom, not to drive a bus on the road. That is something a bus driver does.

Picture 5 (Firefighter cooking in a kitchen):
A firefighter's job is to put out fires and rescue people, not to cook food in a kitchen. That is something a chef does.

*(Students must look at the actual pictures in their textbooks and write their sentences accordingly.)*

(This is a personal/open-ended question. A sample answer is given below.)

From the vocations shown in the illustrations, I would choose to be a teacher.

I would choose this vocation because a teacher has the power to change lives. A good teacher not only shares knowledge but also inspires students to dream big and work hard. I enjoy explaining things to my younger siblings and friends, and I feel very happy when they understand something because of me. Teaching is a noble profession that earns respect from everyone in society. I believe that if I become a teacher, I can make a positive difference in the lives of many children and help build a better future for our country.

(This is a personal/open-ended question. A sample answer is given below.)

Yes, my dream vocation is to become a scientist.

This vocation is not shown in the pictures, but it is the one I am most passionate about. I am very curious about how things work — why the sky is blue, how rockets fly, and how medicines are made. Scientists spend their lives asking questions and finding answers that help make the world a better place. I would love to work in a laboratory, conduct experiments, and perhaps one day make a discovery that benefits all of humanity. I believe that science is the key to solving many of the world's biggest problems, such as disease, pollution, and hunger.