Content
Unit 1
1. Three Questions (Leo Tolstoy)
The Squirrel (Mildred Bowers Armstrong)
Unit 2
2. A Gift of Chappals
(Vasantha Surya)
The Rebel (D. J. Enright)
Unit 3
3. Gopal and the Hilsa-Fish (Comic book Story)
The Shed (Frank Flynn)
Unit 4
4. The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom (William Elliot Griffiss)
Chivvy (Michael Rosen)
Unit 5
5. Quality (John Galsworthy)
Trees (Shirley Bauer)
Unit 6
6. Expert Detectives (Sharada Dwivedi)
Mystery of the Talking Fan (Maude Rubin)
Unit 7
7. The Invention of Vita-Wonk (Roald Dahl)
Dad and the Cat and the Tree (Kit Wright)
Unit 8
8. Fire: Friend and
Foe (General Knowledge}
Meadow Surprises (Lois Brandt Phillips)
Unit 9
9. A Bicycle in Good Repair (Jerome K Jerome)
Garden Snake (Muriel L. Sonne)
Unit 10
10. The Story of Cricket (Ramchandra Guha)
The Pandemic (General)
______________________________________________
Unit 1
1. Three Questions (Leo Tolstoy)
The Squirrel (Mildred Bowers Armstrong)
Unit 2
2. A Gift of Chappals (Vasantha Surya)
The Rebel (D. J. Enright)
Unit 3
3. Gopal and the Hilsa-Fish (Comic book Story)
The Shed (Frank Flynn)
Unit 4
4. The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom (William Elliot Griffiss)
Chivvy (Michael Rosen)
Unit 5
5. Quality (John Galsworthy)
Trees (Shirley Bauer)
Unit 6
6. Expert Detectives (Sharada Dwivedi)
NCERT Solutions Class 7 English – Unit 6
Expert Detectives
Comprehension Check
Answer the following questions:
Question 1. What did Nishad give Mr Nath? Why?
Answer: Nishad gave a bar of chocolate to Mr Nath. He did so because of the lean appearance of Mr Nath, which suggested that he was starving.
Question 2. What is “strange” about Mr Nath’s Sundays?
Answer: The strange thing about Mr Nath’s Sundays is that there was a particular visitor who used to visit every Sunday, and both of them used to have lunch together.
Question 3: Why did Nishad and Maya get a holiday?
Answer: Nishad and Maya got a holiday because of the bad weather. It was raining heavily, and the streets of the city were flooded with the downpour.
Working with the text
Answer the following questions.
Question 1. What does Nishad find out about Mr Nath from Ramesh?
Arrange the information as suggested below.
• What he eats
• When he eats
• What he drinks, and when
• How he pays
Answer: Nishad finds out the following about Mr. Nath from Ramesh:
• He is not very particular about what he eats. He eats two chapattis, dal and a vegetable.
• He eats in the morning and evening.
• He drinks two cups of tea, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
• He pays in cash and also gives tips to Ramesh.
Question 2. Why does Maya think Mr Nath is a crook? Who does she say the Sunday visitor is?
Answer: Maya thinks that Mr Nath is a crook because he does not have any friends even after spending more than a year at the place. Also, he does not talk to anyone and does not have any visitors at any time except for the visitor who meets him on Sundays.
She says that the Sunday visitor is his partner in crime and visits him on Sundays to give him his share of money.
Question 3. Does Nishad agree with Maya about Mr Nath? How does he feel about him?
Answer: No, Nishad does not agree with Maya about Mr Nath. He thinks that Mr Nath is a lonely and poor person who is starving. He thinks that Mr Nath is a kind person who, despite having less money for himself, gives tips to Ramesh.
Working with language
Question 1. The word ‘tip’ has only three letters but many meanings.
Match the word with its meanings below.
(i) finger tips – be about to say something
(ii) the tip of your nose – make the boat overturn
(iii) tip the water out of the bucket – the ends of one’s fingers
(iv) have something on the tip of your tongue – give a rupee to him, to thank him
(v) tip the boat over – empty a bucket by tilting it
(vi) tip him a rupee – the pointed end of your nose
(vii) the tip of the bat – if you take this advice
(viii) the police were tipped off – the bat lightly touched the ball
(ix) if you take my tip – the end of the bat
(x) the bat tipped the ball – the police were told, or warned
Answer:
(i) finger tips – the ends of one’s fingers
(ii) the tip of your nose – the pointed end of your nose
(iii) tip the water out of the bucket – empty a bucket by tilting it
(iv) have something on the tip of your tongue – be about to say something
(v) tip the boat over – make the boat overturn
(vi) tip him a rupee – give a rupee to him, to thank him
(vii) the tip of the bat – the end of the bat
(viii) the police were tipped off – the police were told, or warned
(ix) if you take my tip – if you take this advice
(x) the bat tipped the ball – the bat lightly touched the ball
Question 2: The words helper, companion, partner, and accomplice have very similar meanings, but each word is typically used in certain phrases. Can you fill in the blanks below with the most commonly used words? A dictionary may help you.
(i) business ____________
(ii) my ____________ on the journey
(iii) I’m mother’s little ____________.
(iv) a faithful ____________ such as a dog
(v) the thief’s ____________
(vi) find a good ____________
(vii) tennis/ golf / bridge ____________
(viii) his ____________ in his criminal activities
Answer: (i) business partner
(ii) my companion on the journey
(iii) I’m mother’s little helper
(iv) a faithful companion such as a dog
(v) the thief’s accomplice
(vi) find a good helper
(vii) tennis/ golf / bridge partner
(viii) his accomplice in his criminal activities
Question 3: Now let us look at the uses of the word break. Match the word with its meanings below. Try to find at least three other ways in which to use the word.
(i) The storm broke – could not speak; was too sad to speak
(ii) daybreak – this kind of weather ended
(iii) His voice is beginning to break – it began or burst into activity
(iv) Her voice broke and she cried – the beginning of daylight
(v) The heat wave broke – changing as he grows up
(vi) broke the bad news – end it by making the workers submit
(vii) break a strike – gently told someone the bad news
(viii) (Find your own expression – Give its meaning here.)
Answer:
(i) The storm broke – it began or burst into activity
(ii) daybreak – the beginning of daylight
(iii) His voice is beginning to break – changing as he grows up
(iv) Her voice broke and she cried – could not speak; was too sad to speak
(v) The heat wave broke – this kind of weather ended
(vi) broke the bad news – gently told someone the bad news
(vii) break a strike – end it by making the workers submit
(viii) the machine broke down – the machine underwent a sudden physical damage
Speaking
Question 1. Play detectives with each other. Find a person in your class (or some other acquaintance) to speak to. Find out the answers to the questions given below. Be careful to ask your questions in a polite and inoffensive way. Do not force the person to answer you. Then allow the person to ask you the same questions.
(i) Name?
(ii) What newspapers or magazines does the person read?
(iii) How long has the person lived at the current address?
(iv) What does she/he do during the day, i.e. the daily routine?
(v) What do neighbors and friends say about the person?
(vi) Who are his/her visitors and what are his/her eating habits? (You can ask a few others about this.)
(vii) What do you think about the person?
Answer: Do it yourself.
Writing
Question 1. Who do you think Mr Nath is? Write a paragraph or two about him.
Answer: I think Mr Nath is just an ordinary man who is probably not eating well. He might be an introvert which is why he does not have friends and visitors. He might enjoy being alone more than having the company of many others.
He is very lean because he does not take meals properly. He is not even particular about the food he eats. He just needs two chapattis, dal and a vegetable. He consults Nishad’s mother, who is a doctor. This means that he has some ailment. That can be another reason why he prefers to be alone.
He also has scars on his face, making people think he is a crook. But, the scars might be from some accident. The visitor who comes every Sunday might be a family member who ensures that Mr Nath is keeping well.
Question 2. What else do you think Nishad and Maya will find out about him? How? Will they ever be friends? Think about these questions and write a paragraph or two to continue the story.
Answer: I think Nishad and Maya will find out that Mr Nath is a good person and an introvert. They might even get to know that Mr Nath is working from home because he does not keep well. That is the reason he prefers being at home and not having visitors.
They might become friends later, especially Nishad can be a good friend to him because he was in his favour from the beginning. Maya would have regretted to have doubted him to be a criminal.
Question 3. Conducting a Survey
NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Unit 6 Expert Detectives - 1
Step I: Study the following questionnaire and discuss the points in small groups.
NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Unit 6 Expert Detectives - 2
Step II: Collect information. Contact people in the school/your locality and put these questions to them.
Tick-mark () their answers in the relevant column.
Step III: Analyze the results in the group by asking
• How many people think that a home is a place where you feel secure and happy?
• How many people think that a home isn’t a place where you feel secure and happy?
• How many people don’t know about it?
Step IV: Present a brief oral report on the result of your survey. Use phrases such as the following
• Most people think that…
• Few people think that…
• Hardly anyone thinks that…
• No one thinks that…
Answer: Do it yourself.
Mystery of the Talking Fan (Maude Rubin)
Working with the Poem
Question 1. Fans don’t talk, but it is possible to imagine that they do. What is it, then, that sounds like the fan’s chatter?
Answer: The noise produced by the fan’s motor with less oil sounds like the fan’s chatter.
Question 2: Complete the following sentences.
(i) The chatter is electrical because ____________________.
(ii) It is mysterious because ____________________.
Answer: (i) The chatter is electrical because the noise is being produced by the electrical motor of the fan.
(ii) It is mysterious because we cannot understand what the fan is speaking.
Question 3: What do you think the talking fan was demanding?
Answer: The talking fan was demanding some oil. It was seeking the attention of the people at home to put oil into the motors. Once it got oiling, it became silent.
Question 4: How does an electric fan manage to throw so much air when it is switched on?
Answer: An electric fan manages to throw so much air when it is switched on as it has an electric motor which rotates and makes the three blades of the fan move round and round at a specified speed.
Question 5: Is there a ‘talking fan’ in your house? Create a dialogue between the fan and a mechanic.
Answer: Mechanic: Hey! I just realized that you are a talking fan.
Fan: Oh thank God! Yes, I do talk. It’s just that people don’t listen.
Mechanic: Alright, so tell me. What is the matter?
Fan: I need some oiling. My motor is struggling to rotate.
Mechanic: Oh. I will put oil in the motor now.
Fan: Thank you so much!
Unit 7
7. The Invention of Vita-Wonk (Roald Dahl)
Dad and the Cat and the Tree (Kit Wright)
Unit 8
8. Fire: Friend and Foe (General Knowledge}
Comprehension Check
Answer the following questions:
Question 1. Mark the correct answer in each of the following.
(i) Early man was frightened of
(a) lightning and volcanoes.
(b) the damage caused by them.
(c) fire.
Answer: (c) fire
(ii) (a) Fire is energy.
(b) Fire is heat and light.
(c) Fire is the result of a chemical reaction.
Choose the right answer.
Answer: (c) Fire is the result of a chemical reaction.
Question 2. From the boxes given below, choose the one with the correct order of the following sentences.
(i) That is fire.
(ii) A chemical reaction takes place.
(iii) Energy in the form of heat and light is released.
(iv) Oxygen combines with carbon and hydrogen.
a. (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) b. (ii) (iii) (i) (iv)
c. (iv) (iii) (ii) (i) d. (iv) (ii) (iii) (i)
Answer: d. (iv) (ii) (iii) (i)
Working with the text
Answer the following questions.
Question 1. What do you understand by the ‘flash point’ of a fuel?
Answer: Every fuel has a specific temperature at which it starts to burn. This specific temperature is called the flash point or kindling temperature of the fuel.
Question 2. (i) What are some common uses of fire?
(ii) In what sense is it a “bad master”?
Answer: (i) Some common uses of fire are:
It is used to produce electricity
It is used for cooking.
It is also used to heat our home in winter.
(ii) Fire is a “bad master” because if it is not under control, it can create huge damage to lives, properties, forests, etc.
Question 3. Match items in Column A with those in Column B.
Answer:
Question 4. What are the three main ways in which a fire can be controlled or put out?
Answer: Three main ways in which a fire can be controlled or put out are the following:
- Stop the supply of the fuel
- Bring down the heat
- Stop the supply of oxygen
Question 5. Match the items in Box A with those in Box B
A
B
Answer:
Question 6. Why does a burning candle go out when you blow on it?
Answer: A burning candle goes out when you blow on it because when we blow air, we remove the hot air around the flame bringing down its temperature below the flash point.
Question 7. Spraying water is not a good way of putting out an oil fire or an electrical fire. Why not?
Answer: Spraying water is not a good way of putting out an oil fire or an electric fire. This is because, if water is sprayed on an oil fire, oil will come on the top layer of water and will still burn. As water flows quickly, it can take oil with it and thus increase the area where the fire can spread.
If water is sprayed on an electric fire, the person might get an electric shock and get killed.
Question 8. What are some of the things you should do to prevent a fire at home and in the school?
Answer: In order to prevent a fire at home and in the school, the following things can be done:
All electrical appliances must be kept far from flammable things like furniture, etc.
Turn off the gas supply of the stove after use.
(Students can add more points to this list by thinking about what measures can be taken to prevent fire at home and in the school)
Working with language
Question 1. Read the following sentences.
To burn paper or a piece of wood, we heat it before it catches fire. We generally do it with a lighted match. Every fuel has a particular temperature at which it burns.
The verbs in italics are in the simple present tense. When we use it, we are not thinking only about the present. We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general.
Find ten examples of verbs in the simple present tense in the text ‘Fire: Friend and Foe’ and write them down here. Do not include any passive verbs.
Answer: 1…fire is the result of a chemical reaction.
2. Energy in the form of heat and light is released in this process.
3. When the oxygen in the air combines with carbon and hydrogen in a fuel, a chemical reaction takes place.
4. Oxygen comes from the air.
5. Every fuel has a particular temperature at which it begins to burn.
6. For instance, we use it for cooking our food, warming our homes in winter and generating electricity.
7. If fire gets out of control, it can be very dangerous.
8. Vast areas of forest are also destroyed, and hundreds of people are killed or injured.
9. It absorbs heat from the burning fuel and lowers the temperature.
10. The blanket of water also cuts off the supply of oxygen, and the fire is extinguished.
Question 2: Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with words from the box. You may use a word more than once.
carbon cause fire smother
(i) Gandhiji’s life was devoted to the __________ of justice and fair play.
(ii) Have you insured your house against __________?
(iii) Diamond is nothing but __________ in its pure form.
(iv) If you put too much coal on the fire at once you will __________ it.
(v) Smoking is said to be the main __________ of heart disease.
(vi) When asked by an ambitious writer whether he should put some __________ into his stories, Somerset Maugham murmured, “No, the other way round”.
(vii) She is a __________ copy of her mother.
(viii) It is often difficult to _________ a yawn when you listen to a long speech on the value of time.
Answer: (i) Gandhiji’s life was devoted to the cause of justice and fair play.
(ii) Have you insured your house against fire?
(iii) Diamond is nothing but carbon in its pure form.
(iv) If you put too much coal on the fire at once you will smother it.
(v) Smoking is said to be the main cause of heart disease.
(vi) When asked by an ambitious writer whether he should put some fire into his stories, Somerset Maugham murmured, “No, the other way round”.
(vii) She is a carbon copy of her mother.
(viii) It is often difficult to smother a yawn when you listen to a long speech on the value of time.
Question 3: One word is italicized in each sentence. Find its opposite in the box and fill in the blanks.
spending shut destroy subtract increase
(i) You were required to keep all the doors open, not __________.
(ii) PUPIL: What mark did I get in yesterday’s Maths test?
TEACHER: You got what you get when you add five and five and __________ ten from the total.
(iii) Run four kilometres a day to preserve your health. Run a lot more to __________ it.
(iv) If a doctor advises a lean and lanky patient to reduce his weight further, be sure he is doing it to __________ his income.
(v) The world is too much with us; late and soon. Getting and __________ we lay waste our powers.
Answer: (i) You were required to keep all the doors open, not shut.
(ii) PUPIL: What mark did I get in yesterday’s Maths test?
TEACHER: You got what you get when you add five and five and subtract ten from the total.
(iii) Run four kilometres a day to preserve your health. Run a lot more to destroy it.
(iv) If a doctor advises a lean and lanky patient to reduce his weight further, be sure he is doing it to increase his income.
(v) The world is too much with us; late and soon. Getting and spending we lay waste our powers.
Question 4: Use the words given in the box to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.
across along past through
(i) The cat chased the mouse _________ the lawn.
(ii) We were not allowed to cross the frontier. So we drove _________ it as far as we could and came back happy.
(iii) The horse went _________ the winning post and had to be stopped with difficulty.
(iv) It is not difficult to see _________ your plan. Anyone can see your motive.
(v) Go _________ the yellow line, then turn left. You will reach the post office in five minutes.
Answer:
(i) The cat chased the mouse across the lawn.
(ii) We were not allowed to cross the frontier. So we drove along it as far as we could and came back happy.
(iii) The horse went past the winning post and had to be stopped with difficulty.
(iv) It is not difficult to see through your plan. Anyone can see your motive.
(v) Go along the yellow line, then turn left. You will reach the post office in five minutes.
Speaking and Writing
Question 1. Look at the following three units. First re-order the items in each unit to make a meaningful sentence. Next, re-order the sentences to make a meaningful paragraph.
Use correct punctuation marks in the paragraph.
(i) and eighteen fire tenders struggled/the fire began on Monday/to douse the blaze till morning
(ii) in a major fire/over 25 shops/were gutted
(iii) but property/was destroyed/worth several lakhs/no casualties were reported.
Answer:
(i) The fire began on Monday and eighteen fire tenders struggled to douse the blaze till morning.
(ii) Over 25 shops were gutted in a major fire.
(iii) No casualties were reported but property worth several lakhs was destroyed.
Question 2. Read the following newspaper report given in the box below.
Fire Station Goes Up in Flames
A fire chief was embarrassed when a station without a smoke alarm went up in flames. The building and a fire engine were destroyed in the blaze. Nobody was injured in the fire that was tackled by 30 firefighters in six fire engines from neighboring towns.
Answer: Do it yourself.
Meadow Surprises (Lois Brandt Phillips)
Working with the Poem
Question 1. Read the lines in which the following phrases occur. Then discuss with your partner the meaning of each phrase in its context.
(i) velvet grass
(ii) drinking straws
(iii) meadow houses
(iv) amazing mound
(v) fuzzy head
Answer:
(i) velvet grass indicates that the grass is as soft as velvet.
(ii) drinking straws means the butterflies which drink the nectar from the flowers seem as if they are drinking it with straws.
(iii) meadow houses refer to the houses of rabbits, i.e. the burrows of ants, i.e. anthills and nests.
(iv) amazing mound means the mounds created by the ants for dwelling.
(v) fuzzy head indicates the flowers of the dandelion, which now floats in the air when we blow it.
Question 2: Which line in the poem suggests that you need a keen eye and a sharp ear to enjoy a meadow? Read aloud the stanza that contains this line.
Answer: The line that suggests that you need a keen eye and a sharp ear to enjoy a meadow is:
“You may discover these yourself, if you look and listen well.”
Question 3: Find pictures of the kinds of birds, insects and scenes mentioned in the poem.
Answer: Do it yourself.
Question 4: Watch a tree or a plant, or walk across a field or park at the same time every day for a week. Keep a diary of what you see and hear. At the end of the week, write a short paragraph or a poem about your experiences. Put your writing up on the class bulletin board.
Answer: Do it yourself.
Question 5: Read the following poem about the world of nature, which is as busy as the world of human beings.
Busy World
Bees are buzzing, frogs are hopping,
Moles are digging. There’s no stopping
Vines from climbing, grass from growing,
Birds from singing, winds from blowing,
Buds from blooming. Bees are humming,
Sunbeams dancing, raindrops drumming.
All the world is whirling, dizzy,
Summertime is very busy!
Answer: Do it yourself.
Unit 9
9. A Bicycle in Good Repair (Jerome K Jerome)
Garden Snake (Muriel L. Sonne)
Unit 10
10. The Story of Cricket (Ramchandra Guha)
The Pandemic (General)
No comments:
Post a Comment