Change of Heart – Class 6 English NCERT Solutions

Explore the solutions for “Change of Heart,” Class 6 English NCERT. This story teaches valuable lessons about sportsmanship, the importance of playing fair, and how winning isn’t everything. Through Prabhat’s journey, students learn that true enjoyment comes from playing the game with the right spirit rather than just focusing on winning.

Summary in English

The story “Change of Heart” follows Prabhat, a student who is obsessed with winning and cannot accept defeat. He only participates in games where he’s sure to win and feels terrible when he loses. When a new student named Surya joins his school, they compete in a badminton match. Despite Surya’s excellent playing, Prabhat cheats by changing the scoreboard and wins the match. However, Surya’s positive attitude and enjoyment of the game, regardless of winning or losing, makes Prabhat question his approach. By observing Surya’s genuine love for playing games, Prabhat undergoes a transformation and learns to enjoy games for the sake of playing rather than just winning.

हिंदी में सारांश

“चेंज ऑफ हार्ट” कहानी प्रभात नाम के एक छात्र की है जो जीतने के लिए बहुत जुनूनी है और हार को स्वीकार नहीं कर सकता। वह केवल उन खेलों में भाग लेता है जहां उसे जीत की पक्की उम्मीद होती है और हारने पर बहुत बुरा महसूस करता है। जब सूर्य नाम का एक नया छात्र उसके स्कूल में आता है, तो वे बैडमिंटन मैच में प्रतिस्पर्धा करते हैं। सूर्य के बेहतरीन खेल के बावजूद, प्रभात स्कोरबोर्ड में हेरफेर करके धोखे से मैच जीत जाता है। हालांकि, जीत-हार की परवाह किए बिना खेल का आनंद लेने वाला सूर्य का सकारात्मक रवैया प्रभात को अपने दृष्टिकोण पर पुनर्विचार करने के लिए प्रेरित करता है। सूर्य के खेलों के प्रति सच्चे प्रेम को देखकर, प्रभात में बदलाव आता है और वह सिर्फ जीतने के बजाय खेल के आनंद के लिए खेलना सीखता है।

Word Meanings

Let us do these activities before we read

1. Which games or sports do you play?

As a student, I play various sports including cricket, basketball, and badminton. I also enjoy indoor games like chess and carrom.

2. Read the questions given below. Talk about them and make a list:

(a) Which games or sports do you play for fun?

• Hide and seek with friends
• Hopscotch during breaks
• Frisbee in the park
• Swimming in summer

(b) Which games or sports do you play for competition?

• Basketball in school tournaments
• Chess in inter-class competitions
• Running in sports day events
• Badminton in local clubs

3. How do you feel when you win or lose?

When I win, I feel happy and proud of my efforts. However, I understand that losing is also part of the game. When I lose, I try to learn from my mistakes and use them as motivation to improve my skills. What matters most is giving my best effort and enjoying the game.

4. Work in pairs. Tick the correct meaning of the following:

(a) friendly matches
✓ (ii) matches played without competition
The correct meaning is matches played without competition, as these games focus on enjoyment rather than winning.

(b) opponent
✓ (i) someone who you compete with
This is correct because an opponent is someone you play against in a game or competition.

(c) tally of marks
✓ (ii) record of points in a game/match
This is the right meaning as it refers to keeping track of scores during a game.

(d) sporting spirit
✓ (ii) being fair and respecting each player in a game
This is correct because sporting spirit means playing fairly and showing respect to all players.

Let us discuss (Part 1)

1. State whether the following is True or False:

Prabhat would accept losing to anyone easily.
Answer: False. According to the story, Prabhat could not bear losing, not even at marbles. He would avoid playing games if he sensed he might lose.

2. What was special about the last Friday of each month?

The last Friday of each month was significant because that’s when the coach conducted friendly matches in the games period. It was a special day when students could showcase their sporting skills in organized matches.

3. Who was responsible for maintaining the score for the match?

Prabhat was given the responsibility of keeping score for their match against Surya.

4. Do you think Prabhat wished to play another match with Surya? Why do you think so?

Initially, Prabhat probably did not wish to play another match with Surya because:

• He knew Surya was an excellent player
• He had won the first match by cheating and felt guilty about it
• He was uncomfortable with Surya’s positive attitude despite losing
• He was experiencing inner conflict about his approach to games

Let us discuss (Part 2)

1. How did Surya feel about playing?

Surya had a very positive attitude towards playing games. He:

• Enjoyed every game regardless of winning or losing
• Maintained a happy smile while playing
• Stayed relaxed and kept cracking jokes
• Found fun in playing even when he wasn’t good at a game (like basketball)
• Focused on enjoying the game rather than just winning

2. What was it about Surya that Prabhat observed?

Prabhat observed several remarkable things about Surya:

• He was great at some games and terrible at others, but his enjoyment level remained the same
• He played with a constant happy smile, regardless of the outcome
• He didn’t feel bad about losing
• He enjoyed every moment of playing without worrying about winning or losing
• He played for the love of the game rather than just to win

Let us think and reflect

1. Read the lines given below and answer the questions:

(a) (i) Complete the sentence suitably.
“Prabhat would play a game only if he was sure of winning.”

(ii) Which game was Prabhat good at playing?
Prabhat was good at playing badminton.

(iii) Select the most suitable option to complete the sentence.
This behaviour of Prabhat tells us that he was afraid of losing.

(b) (i) Select the one option that tells us about the way Prabhat was feeling that night.
Answer: b. unhappy – Because he felt guilty about cheating and couldn’t sleep well despite winning.

(ii) Why does Prabhat find Surya’s behaviour ‘surprising’?
Prabhat found Surya’s behavior surprising because Surya didn’t feel bad about losing and continued to enjoy playing other games with the same enthusiasm.

(iii) Fill in the blank by choosing the most suitable option.
We can say that Surya’s reaction to not winning was different from Prabhat’s.

2. Answer the following questions:

(a) How did Prabhat’s attitude towards winning and losing affect his enjoyment of games in the beginning?
Prabhat’s obsession with winning severely limited his enjoyment of games. He:

• Only played games he was sure of winning
• Avoided games where he might lose
• Couldn’t enjoy the process of playing
• Felt terrible when losing
• Missed out on the fun of trying new games

(b) Why do you think Prabhat cheated in the beginning to win the badminton match against Surya?
Prabhat cheated because:

• He couldn’t accept the possibility of losing
• His fear of defeat was stronger than his sporting spirit
• He was overwhelmed by Surya’s superior playing skills
• He was used to winning and wanted to maintain his reputation

(c) How did Surya’s attitude differ from Prabhat’s?
Their attitudes were completely different:

• Surya played for enjoyment while Prabhat played to win
• Surya stayed relaxed while Prabhat was always serious
• Surya didn’t mind losing while Prabhat couldn’t accept defeat
• Surya enjoyed all games equally while Prabhat only played games he could win

(d) Do you think Prabhat’s approach to games was healthy? Why or why not?
No, Prabhat’s approach wasn’t healthy because:

• It created unnecessary stress and anxiety
• It prevented him from trying new games
• It led him to cheat to avoid losing
• It focused only on winning rather than enjoyment and learning
• It didn’t allow him to develop true sportsmanship

(e) Why do you think sporting spirit is important?
Sporting spirit is important because:

• It teaches fair play and respect for others
• It helps develop character and integrity
• It makes games more enjoyable for everyone
• It helps players learn from both victories and defeats
• It creates a positive and healthy competitive environment

(f) Explain how the title of the story, ‘Change of Heart’, is suitable.
The title ‘Change of Heart’ is very suitable for this story because:

• It shows Prabhat’s transformation from being obsessed with winning to enjoying the game
• It reflects how his attitude changed after observing Surya’s positive approach
• It demonstrates his realization that games are about enjoyment, not just winning
• It highlights his journey from being a poor sport to developing true sporting spirit
• The phrase captures the emotional and behavioral transformation in Prabhat’s character

Let us learn

1. Make as many words as possible using consecutive letters from the words in the boxes:

(a) BADMINTON
BAD, ADMIN, MINT, IN, TON, ON, BAD, MIN, TON

(b) PHENOMENON
PHE, HEN, NO, MEN, ON, NOME

(c) BASKETBALL
BASKET, BALL, BASS, ASK, KETBALL, ALL

2. Read the following sentences and circle the verbs:

(a) Everyone was discussing their game and how Prabhat had played so well.

(b) He had won the game but he did not feel as happy as he usually did.

(c) What was more surprising was that Surya had not felt bad about losing.

3. Arrange the circled verbs as the first action (old action) or second action (new action):

4. Fill in the blanks with the past perfect form of verbs given within the brackets:

(a) Prabhat had already finished his homework before going to the badminton match. (finish)

(b) Surya had played basketball for years before joining the school’s badminton team. (play)

(c) By the time Prabhat arrived, Surya had already won several matches. (win)

(d) The new student, Surya, had never met Prabhat before coming to the school. (never meet)

(e) Before the games period, Prabhat had practiced badminton extensively. (practice)

Let us write

Complete Prabhat’s diary entry using the given phrases:

Saturday
17 August 20XX 8:00 p.m.

Today, I defeated Surya in a badminton match but I do not feel happy about it. He was playing very well and was getting the points easily. I was sure that I will lose the match. So, when everyone was laughing at a joke he cracked, I managed to change the scoreboard. No one noticed the change and everyone congratulated me after my win. What surprised me the most was that he said he had fun playing with me and we should play again. How could he be so relaxed after losing a match? He should have been sad if not crying over his loss!

Though I won the match, I did not enjoy as I usually do. It really disturbed me that Surya did not feel bad about losing the match. It is still bothering me. Is it because I changed the score? I do not understand myself.

Let me sleep now. I feel that it may make me feel better.

Goodnight!

Let us speak

Use the three magic words (please, thank you, sorry) for the following situations:

1. You are Vani – requesting friends to take you in their team:
“Could you please include me in your team for today’s game? I promise to play well.”

2. You are Somiwon – asking Hitesh to help clean cupboard:
“Please can you help me with cleaning the classroom cupboard? It would be much faster together.”

3. You are Sumit – spilled water on Nupur’s desk:
“I’m sorry, that was my fault. Let me help clean it up right away.”

4. You are Hitesh – forgot Simran’s Art file:
“I’m very sorry for forgetting your Art file today. I will definitely bring it tomorrow.”

5. You are Kriti – spoke rudely to Nupur:
“I’m very sorry for the way I behaved. I shouldn’t have spoken rudely to you.”

6. You are Mohan – thanking for speech competition help:
“Thank you so much for helping me practice for the speech competition. Your support means a lot.”

7. You are Meher – grateful for help with missed chapter:
“I truly appreciate your help with understanding the chapter I missed. Thank you for explaining it so well.”

8. You are Rima – thankful for notebook collection help:
“Thank you for helping me collect the notebooks from the staff room. You made the task much easier.”

Let us explore

1. Read the brief bio-sketches of sportspersons from India

The text provides inspiring examples of two Indian athletes: Deepika Kumari:

• Comes from a humble background in Jharkhand
• Started practicing archery using makeshift equipment
• Showed determination by practicing with stones and mangoes
• Joined Tata Archery Academy to pursue her passion
• Achieved gold medal in 2010 Commonwealth Games

• Comes from Khandra village in Haryana
• Achieved historic gold medal in javelin throw
• First Asian athlete to win Olympic gold in javelin
• Showed dedication through years of hard work
• Won individual gold medal at age 23 in Olympics

2. Visit the given links to know more about other Indian sportspersons.

Students can visit the provided links to learn about:

• List of Arjuna Award winners
• Recent achievements of Indian athletes
• Inspiring stories of sports personalities
• Recognition of sporting excellence in India