comprehension - Be The Best

(1) If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill,
Be a scrub in the valley – but be
The best little scrub by the side of the rill;
Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.

1. Write the rhyming words in the stanza.
Ans. hill–rill, be–tree

2. If you can’t be a tree, …
Ans. If you can’t be a tree, be a bush.

3. If you can’t be a pine, …

Ans. If you can’t be a pine, be a scrub.

4. What does the poet advise if you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill?

Ans. If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill, the poet advises to be a scrub in the valley, but the best scrub by the side of the rill.

(2) If you can’t be a bush be a bit of the grass,
And some highway happier make;
If you can’t be a muskie then just be a bass —
But the liveliest bass in the lake!

1. Write the rhyming words in the stanza.
Ans. grass–bass, make–lake

2. If you can’t be a bush, ….
Ans. If you can’t be a bush, be a bit of the grass.

3. What does the poet advise if you can’t be a muskie?
Ans. If you can’t be a muskie, the poet advises to be a bass, but the liveliest bass in the lake.

4. What does the poet advise if you can’t be a bush?
Ans. If you can’t be a bush, the poet advises to be a bit of the grass.

(3) We can’t all be captains, we’ve got to be crew,

There’s something for all of us here,

There’s big work to do, and there’s lesser to do,

And the task you must do is near.

1. Write the rhyming words in the stanza.

Ans. crew–do, here–near

2. What does the poet say in this stanza?

Ans. In this stanza, the poet says that there is some work for all of us to do and it does not matter if the work is big or small.

3. “We can’t all be captains, we’ve got to be crew”. What does this line mean?

Ans. This line means that all of us may not get big work to do and that some of us may also have to do small work.

(4) If you can’t be a highway then just be a trail,

If you can’t be the sun be a star;

It isn’t by size that you win or you fail —

Be the best of whatever you are!

1. Write the rhyming words in the stanza.

Ans. trail–fail, star–are

2. What does the poet say about success and failure?

Ans. The poet says that our success or failure does not depend on the size of the work that we do, but the way in which we do it.

3. If you can’t be the sun, ….

Ans. If you can’t be the sun, be a star.

4. ………., then just be a trail.

Ans. If you can’t be a highway, then just be a trail.