Category: English

NCERT Solutions for Class 7th English Chapter 6 Expert Detectives

Comprehension Check

Question 1:
What did Nishad gave Mr Nath? Why?
Solution:
Nishad gave Mr Nath a bar of chocolate because he concluded from Mr Nath’s lean thin appearance that he was starving.

Question 2:
What is ‘strange’ about Mr Nath’s Sundays?
Solution:
Every Sunday Mr Nath used to have the same visitor at this home and the two used to have lunch together.

Question 3:
Why did Nishad and Maya get a holiday?
Solution:
It was raining heavily and the streets were flooded with the downpour. The traffic was blocked and the children got a holiday because of all this.

Working with the Text

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

Solution:

• Mr Nath used to eat two chapattis, some dal and a vegetable.
• He used to eats in the morning and evening.
• He used to drink tea in morning and afternoon.
• He used to pay in cash and also used to give tips to Ramesh.

Question 2:
Why does Maya think Mr Nath is a crook? Who does she say the Sunday visitor is?
Solution:
Maya thinks that Mr Nath is a crook because he doesn’t talk to anyone and has no friends. She believes that his scars are result of shoot-out with police.
He doesn’t work anywhere and sits at home all the day and there are no visitors at his place except the Sunday morning guest.
He is not bothered about his meals and pays the money in cash. She thinks that the Sunday visitor is his partner in the crime. He keeps the money from the loot and comes to give Mr Nath his share.

Question 3:
Does Nishad agree with Maya about Mr Nath? How does he feel about him?
Solution:
No, Nishad doesn’t agree with Maya about Mr Nath. He feels bad for Mr Nath because he thinks that he is a poor and lonely man.
He also feels that he is a generous man because he gives tips to Ramesh regularly. He is determined to find why he is so thin and lonely.

Working with Language

Question 1:
The word ‘tip’ has only three letters but many meanings.
Match the word with its meanings below.

1. finger tips – be about to say something
2. the tip of your nose – make the boat overturn
3. tip the water out of the bucket – the ends of one’s fingers
4. have something on the tip of your tongue – give a rupee to him, to thank him
5.  tip the boat over-empty a bucket by tilting it
6. tip him a rupee-the pointed end of your nose
7. the tip of the bat – if you take this advice
8. the police were tipped off – the bat lightly touched the ball
9. if you take my tip – the end of the bat
10. the bat tipped the ball – the police were told or warned

Solution:

1. Finger tips – the ends of one’s fingers
2. The tip of your nose – the pointed end of your nose
3. Tip the water out of the bucket – empty a bucket by tilting it
4. Have something on the tip of your tongue – be about to say something
5. Tip the boat over – make the boat overturn
6. Tip him a rupee – give a rupee to him to thank him
7. The tip of the bat – the end of the bat
8. The police were tipped off – the police were told or warned
9. If you take my tip – if you take my advice
10. 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.

1. business ……………
2. my ……………. on the journey.
3. I’m mother’s little ………………
4.  a faithful …………… such as dog.
5. the thief’s ……………
6. find a good …………..
7. tennis / golf / bridge …………….
8. his …………….. in his criminal activities.

Solution:

1. partner
2. companion
3. helper
4. companion
5. accomplice
6. helper
7. partner
8. accomplice

Question 3:
Now let us look at the uses of the word break. Match the word with its meanings below. Try to find out at least three other ways in which to use the word.

1. The storm broke – could not speak; was too sad to speak
2. Daybreak – this kind of weather ended
3. His voice is beginning to break – it began or burst into activity
4. Her voice broke and she cried – the beginning of daylight
5. The heat wave broke – changing as he grows up
6. Broke the bad news – end it by making the workers submit
7. Break a strike – gently told someone the bad news
8. (Find your own expression. Give its meaning here)

Solution:

1. The storm broke – this kind of weather ended
2. Daybreak – the beginning of daylight
3. His voice is beginning to break – changing as he grows up
4. Her voice broke and she cried – could not speak, was too sad to speak
5. The heat wave broke – it began or burst into activity
6. Broke the bad news – gently told someone the bad news
7. Break a strike – end it by making the workers submit
8. Breakdown – a machine failure

Writing

Question 1:
Who do you think Mr Nath is? Write a paragraph or two about him.
Solution:
Mr Nath is a lean and thin person. He might have met with some serious accident with fire which has resulted in many scars on his face. People are scared about him for those scars which give his face an ugly impression.
He realises the same and that is why he prefers living along and avoids going out. He talks less, but is a well-mannered person and is polite towards everyone.
He is regularly consulting Maya and Nishad’s mother, who is a doctor. May be he is not keeping well and that could be the reason behind his gaunt appearance.
He has a brother who visits him every Sunday to find out about his health. Mr Nishad is not much interested about nitty-gritty’s of life and prefer eating same simple food daily.

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.
Solution:
Nishad and Maya would have found out that the Sunday visitor is Mr Nath’s brother.
Mr Nath used to work for a big private company and has left the job for while because he was not keeping well.
He is suffering from some liver ailment and will be undergoing a surgery soon.
Nishad succeeds in befriending him and goes to his house every evening to play with him. He finds Mr Nath a caring and loving person.
He becomes a frequent visitor to his place. Maya regrets about her earlier thoughts about Mr Nath.
She feels sorry about it. Nishad takes her along one day and the they all become friends.

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Why Maya called Nishad Seven?
Solution:
Nishad’s name meant the seventh note on the musical scale, so Maya called him Seven.

Question 2:
Name the narrator in the lesson ‘Expert Detectives’.
Solution:
Maya is the narrator in the lesson ‘Expert Detectives.’

Question 3:
According to Maya what was the cause behind Mr Nath’s scars?
Solution:
According to Maya, Mr Nath would have got his scars in a shoot-out with the police.

Question 4:
What did Mr Nath thought Nishad had come to his place the second time for?
Solution:
Mr Nath thought Nishad had again come to his place in search of his marbles.

Question 5:
How was Nishad spending his unexpected holiday?
Solution:
Nishad was lying on his bed and reading a comic book on his unexpected holiday.

Question 6:
What was the condition on which Nishad said he will cooperate with Maya?
Solution:
Nishad said he will cooperate with Maya only if she will stop calling Mr Nath an escaped crook.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
What made Nishad turn sympathetic towards Mr Nath?
Solution:
Nishad turned sympathetic towards Mr Nath seeing his gaunt appearance. His attitude changed further when he came to know that he used to give regular tips to Ramesh for bringing his food. Then he also remembered his mother’s words that Mr Nath was a polite man.

Question 2:
Give a brief description about Mr Nath’s visitor.
Solution:
Mr Nath used to have a visitor on every Sunday. He was a spectacled tall, fair and stout man. Ramesh found him talking a lot. He used to give company to Mr Nath for lunch during his visits.

Question 3:
What was Maya doing on her unexpected holiday?
Solution:
On her unexpected holiday, Maya assigned herself the task of solving the mystery ot Mr Nath. She was busy noting down all the available facts about Mr Nath. She then shared with his brother and asked for his opinion.

Question 4:
What did Maya think about Mr Nath’s visitor?
Solution:
Maya thought that Mr Nath’s visitor was his accomplice in his crimes. She believed that he kept all the loot with him and used to come now and then to give his partner his share so that he could manage his expenses.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Describe Nishad as a child.
Solution:
Nishad as a child was kind and considerate. He kept in mind all the good things his mother and Ramesh told him about Mr Nath and formed his opinion based on them. He was upset with Mr Nath being so lean and thin. He thought that the man might be starving so he went to his place and gave him a bar of chocolate.
He refused calling him a crook even after being insisted several times by his sister and decided to befriend him because he liked him.

Question 2:
What all facts Maya collected about Mr Nath?
Solution:
Maya collected the following facts
His name was Mr Nath and they must find out his first name. Other tenants at Shankar House called him mad, strange and unfriendly.
He didn’t speak with anyone and lacked manners. He never received any letters and has been living as tenant in Room No 10 in Shankar House. He didn’t use to work anywhere and was at his room the whole day. All the kids and some of the grown up people in Shankar House were scared of him.
He had no visitors except the same man on every Sunday. Ramesh used to get his food from the restaurant downstairs and Mr Nath was not much bothered about it. He used to pay him immediately and also used to give tips.

Value Based Questions

Question 1:
Nishad decides to trust Mr Nath. Do you think we should trust others, why so?
Solution:
We should trust others. We should not doubt people around us unless there is a strong reason for it. People might be behaving in a way which might appear strange to us, but they might be trying to hide their pains and grief though that.
We should not make judgement about people without properly knowing about them. Trust is the first step towards making any relation. We should have trust on our friends and family members.

Question 2:
We should be friendly towards our neighbours. Why so?
Solution:
Our neighbours live near our homes. We meet them daily. They come to our help during bad times and in good times. We share our joys with them. We become friends with our neighbours who are of our age. We play with them and share our things with them. We should be friendly with them and cooperative towards them.
It is the responsibility of every human being to be good towards society. We should be good towards our neighbours and must help them in time of their needs.

Extract Based Questions

Extract 1

Directions; (Q.Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
“He can’t be poor if he’s a crook on the run,” I told
him. “He’s probably got millions of rupees stashed
away somewhere in that room.” ““Do you really think
he’s criminal, Maya?  He doesn’t look like one,”
Nishad looked doubtfully.
“Of course he’s one, Seven,” I said, “and he certainly
isn’t starving. Mr Mehta told us that Ramesh brings his
meal up from the restaurant downstairs”.

Question 1:
Name the speaker in the above tines.
Solution:
Maya is the speaker in the above lines.

Question 2:
Who is being referred as ‘crook’ in the above lines?
Solution:
Mr Nath has been referred as a crook in the above lines.

Question 3:
Where the speaker believed the person has got so much money from?
Solution:
Maya thought that Mr Nath would have earned a lot of money from his illegal activities.

Question 4:
Who has been referred as ‘Seven’ in the above lines?
(a) Maya
(b) Nishad
(c) Mr Nath
(d) Ramesh
Solution:
(b) Nishad

Question 5:
Why does the speaker think that the man is starving?
(a) He doesn’t have money
(b) He doesn’t go out of his house
(c) He is very lean and thin
(d) He only eats two times a day
Solution:
(c) He is very lean and thin.

Question 6:
Find a word from the above lines that is synonym of ‘hide’.
(a) Stash
(b) On Run
(c) Starving
(d) Secret
Solution:
(a) Stash

Extract 2

Directions (Q.Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
When they returned, Nishad told me he’d been to see
Mr Nath and I felt most annoyed that I hadn’t been
there. Seven had been quite upset about Mr Nath’s
gaunt appearance and was sure that he was starving.
He told me that he knocked loudly on Mr Nath’s
door that evening and said, “Open the door quickly,
Mr Nath.”

Question 1:
Who has been referred as ‘they’ in the above lines?
Solution:
Nishad and his mother have been referred as ‘they’ in the above lines.

Question 2:
Where ‘they’ have been?
Solution:
They have been to Nishad’s mother’s clinic.

Question 3:
Why Maya didn’t go there?
Solution:
Maya was spending her evening with a school friend so, she didn’t go there.

Question 4:
Why Nishad went to Mr Nath’s place for?
(a) To look for his marbles
(b) To look in to the trunk in his room
(c) To give him a bar of chocolate
(d) To befriend with him
Solution:
(c) To give him a bar of chocolate.

Question 5:
Find one word from the above lines which is antonym of ‘fat’.
(a) starved
(b) haggard
(c) gaunt
(d) lean
Solution:
Both ‘c’ and ‘d’

Question 6:
What was Nishad’s reaction after returning from Mr Nath’s place?
(a) He was pleased for being there
(b) He didn’t give any reaction
(c) He was disappointed for not being invited in
(d) He was thrilled for being able to look into the trunk
Solution:
(c) He was disappointed for not being invited in.

NCERT SolutionsMathsScienceSocialEnglishSanskritHindiRD Sharma

NCERT Solutions for Class 7th English Chapter 5 Quality

Working with the Text

Answer the following questions.
Question 1:
What was the author’s opinion about Mr Gessler as a bootmaker?
Solution:
The author was very impressed with Mr Gessler. He liked the boots made only on order and those boots perfectly fitted the customers. Their boots had the best materials and lasted long. He found the work mysterious and wonderful.

Question 2:
Why did the author visit the shop so infrequently?
Solution:
The author visited the shop so infrequently because the boots made by Gessler brothers lasted too long.

Question 3:
What was the effect on Mr Gessler of the author’s remark about a certain pair of boots?
Solution:
Mr (Sessler at first found the remark unbelievable. He argued that the author might have got them wet. He was shocked. He told the author that he will either repair them or adjust the money in his bills.

Question 4:
What was Mr Gessler’s complaint against ‘big farms’?
Solution:
Mr Gessler complained that the big firms didn’t value the money of the customers. They were capturing the markets from advertisements and not from the quality of their work. He was mostly out of work because of those firms and day by day the volume was getting reduced.

Question 5:
Why did the author order so many pairs of boots? Did he really need them?
Solution:
The author felt bad for Mr Gessler who was really talented and made great boots. He ordered so many pairs to help the bootmaker. No, he didn’t really need them.

Working with Language

Question 1:
Study the following phrases and their
meanings. Use them appropriately to complete
the sentences that follow.
look after : take care of
look down : disapprove or regard as
on inferior
look in : make a short visit
(on someone)
look into : investigate
look out : be careful
look up : improve
look up to : admire

1. After a very long spell of heat, the weather is …………..  at last.
2. We have no right to …………. people who do small jobs.
3. Nitin has always ……………. his uncle, who is a self-made man.
4. The police are …………… the matter thoroughly.
5. If you want to go out, I will ………….. the children for you.
6. I promise to ………….. on your brother when I visit Lucknow next.
7. ……………. when you are crossing the main road.

Solution:

1. looking up
2. look down
3. looked up
4. looking into
5. look after
6. look in
7. Look out

Question 2:
Read the following sets of words loudly and clearly.
cot              –     coat
cost            –     coast
tossed        –     toast
got              –     goat
rot               –     rote
blot             –     bloat
knot            –     note
Solution:
Do it yourself.

Question 3:
Each of the following words contains the sound ‘sh’ (as in shine) in the beginning or in the middle or at the end. First speak out all the words clearly. Then arrange the words in three
groups in the table.
sheep                 trash                  marsh                  fashion
anxious             shriek                 shore                    fish
portion             ashes                   sure                      nation
shoe                  pushing              polish                   moustache
Solution:
Initial                Medial                   Final
Sheep                Fashion                Trash
Shriek               Anxious                 Marsh
Shore                Portion                  Fish
Sure                   Ashes                    Polish
Shoe                   Nation                  Pushing
Moustache

Question 4:
In each of the following words ‘ch’ represents the same consonant sound as in ‘chair’. The words on the left have this sound initially. Those on the right have it finally. Speak each word clearly.
choose               bench
child                   march
cheese                peach
chair                   wretch
charming           research
Underline the letters representing this sound in each of the following words.

1. feature
2. archery
3. picture
4. reaching
5. nature
6. matches
7. riches
8. batch
9. church

Solution:

1. Feature
2. Archery
3. Picture
4. Reaching
5. Nature
6. Matches
7. Riches
8. Batch
9. Church

Speaking

Question 1:
Do you think Mr Gessler was a failure as a bootmaker or as a competitive businessman?
Solution:
Mr Gessler was successful as a bootmaker because his customers were immensely satisfied with the boot he made.
This perfectly fit them and lasted long. Yes, he was a failure as a competitive businessman.
He didn’t have money like the big firms so couldn’t invest on advertisements. He lost his business to them. He took time in delivering the boots because he made them alone. He lost his customers because of the delay in delivery.
He worked hard, striving for long hours. Whatever, he earned went on paying the rent for his shop and for buying leathers. He spent days of great penury.

Question 2:
What is the significance of the title? To who or to what does it refer?
Solution:
The title refers to the great quality boots Mr Gessler made. It is an ideal title for the lesson. It refers to the business practices followed these days where no one cares about quality.
For Mr Gessler, quality was of optimum significance. He worked for long hours, didn’t allow anyone else to touch his boots. He lost on business, was spending days in poverty still the man didn’t compromise on quality.

Question 3:

• Notice the way Mr Gessler speaks English. His
  English is influenced by his mother tongue. He speaks English with an accent.
• When Mr Gessler speaks, p, t, k, sound like b,d,g. Can you say these words as Mr Gessler would say them?
  It comes and never stops. Does it bother me? Not at all. Ask my brother, please.

Solution:
Mr Gessler used to speak English with a German accent. His English sounded funny and a bit difficult to understand.
Mr Gessler would have spoken these lines as. Id comes and never sdobs. Does Id bodder me? Nod ad all. Ask my brodher blease.

Question 4:
Speak to five adults in your neighbourhood. Ask them the following questions (in any language they are comfortable in). Then come back and share your findings with the class.

1. Do they buy their provisions packed in plastic packets at a big store or loose, from a smaller store near their house?
2. Where do they buy their footwear? Do they buy branded footwear or footwear made locally? What reasons do they have for their preference?
3. Do they buy readymade clothes or buy cloth and get their clothes stitched by a tailor? Which do they think is better?

Solution:

1. Yes, they prefer buying their provisions loose from the smaller stores near their house.
2. They buy footwear for daily purpose from local shops. For office and part purpose they prefer buying it from branded shops.
   They don’t like spending too much on their regular footwear. So, they buy it from local shops.
   For office and party they want to look good and want the footwear to last long and comfortable. So, they are fine spending on it.
3. They do the both. At times they buy readymade clothes and at times get them stitched from the tailor. They find it easy to buy readymade clothes. They get the latest fashion and it saves time as well.

Question 5:
Look at the picture.

leaving the country. One student repeats Ajit’s statements. The other gives a reason for not agreeing with Ajit. The sentence openings given below should be used.

• If I leave this country, I’ll miss ………….
• There are some things which you can get only here, for example ………….
• There are some special days I’ll miss, particularly ………….
• Most of all I’ll miss ………………. because …………..
• I think it’s impossible for me to leave my country because …………..
• How can you leave your own country except when …………… ?
• Depends on one’s intention. I can’t leave for good because ……………..
• Maybe for a couple of years ……………..

Solution:
Ajit: I have decided to go abroad for higher studies
Anisa: Have you? I don’t think I’ll ever do that. I love my country.
If I leave this country, I’ll miss my friends and family. I will also miss the food.
There are some things which you can get only here, for example the food, snacks and the care and concern of people around.
There are some special days I’ll miss, particularly the festivals, birthdays and my parents anniversary.
Most of all I’ll miss my sister because we have been very close to each other and I share all my secrets with her. ‘
I think it’s impossible for me to leave my country because I love my country and family too much and can’t go too far from them.
How can you leave your own country except when there is an emergency?
Depends on one’s intention. I can’t leave for good because I want to celebrate all my special moments with my close ones.
May be for a couple of years I think it should be fine.

Writing

Question 1:
Based on the following points write a story.

•  Your aunt has gone to her mother’s house.
• Your uncle does his cooking.
• He is absent-minded.
• He puts vegetables on stove.
  
• He begins to clean his bicycle outside.
• The neighbour calls out saying something is burning.
• Your uncle rushes to the kitchen.
• To save vegetables, he puts some oil in them.
• Unfortunately, it’s machine oil, not cooking oil.
• What do you think happens to the vegetables?

Solution:
Begin like this Last month my aunt decided to visit her parents. They live in some other city. In absence of my aunt my uncle had to do all the cooking. He is very forgetful and absent-minded. One day he puts vegetable on stove for cooking and at the same time he goes out to clean his bicycle.
My uncle got involved in cleaning his bicycle so much that he completely forgot about the vegetables he had kept on the stove. One of his neighbour came to his place hurriedly telling about some burning smell coming from his kitchen. My uncle remembered about the vegetables he had kept on stove for cooking.
He rushed to the kitchen and to save them from getting burnt he poured some oil over them immediately. Only at the time of eating he realised it was not cooking oil but machine oil. The vegetables were completely spoiled, my uncle had to throw them away.

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
What proves that Mr Gessler was not an Englishman?
Solution:
Mr Gessler spoke English with an influence of his mother tongue which proved that his wasn’t an Englishman.

Question 2:
Where did Mr Gessler live?
Solution:
Mr Gessler lived in London in his shoe shop.

Question 3:
What distinction Mr Gessler’s shop had?
Solution:
Mr Gessler’s shop didn’t had any other signs except Gessler Brothers written on it.

Question 4:
How did Mr Gessler found that the boot was not comfortable for author?
Solution:
Mr Gessler pressed with his finger at a particular point and he could make it out that the left boot wasn’t giving comfort to the author.

Question 5:
What material Mr Gessler used to make the boots?
Solution:
Mr Gessler made boots from the finest quality leather.

Question 6:
How did Mr Gessler described his brother?
Solution:
Mr Gessler said that his brother was a good man. He made good boots.

Question 7:
Give one stance from the lesson that proves that Mr Gessler was getting older.
Solution:
Mr Gessler failed to recognise the author during his final days which proves that he had really grown old.

Question 8:
Why did the author went to the shoe shop for the last time?
Solution:
The author went to the shop for the last time to thank Mr Gessler for making the great boots.

Question 9:
Why was the name plate missing at Mr Gessler’s shop?
Solution:
Mr Gessler had died and the shop was taken over by another man so his name plate was not there anymore.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Why did author preferred boots made by Mr Gessler than that of big firms?
Solution:
The author preferred boots made by Mr Gessler than that of big firms because Mr Gessler’s boots were durable, were made from best leathers and they fitted perfectly well. The author was very attached to Mr Gessler.

Question 2:
The author felt sorry for complaining about his boots. What made him feel so?
Solution:
Mr Gessler was shocked at the complaint. He failed to believe it. He became silent and then started thinking deeply where he went wrong. This made the author regret making such a complaint.

Question 3:
Why the author called those boots bought from big firm ‘ill-omened’?
Solution:
Seeing those boots Mr Gessler for the first time informed the author about the hardships of his trade and the hard times he was going through. Finding Mr Gessler in pain, the author called those boots bought from big firm ‘ill-omened’ ones.

Question 4:
Describe the boots made by Mr Gessler.
Solution:
Mr Gessler made boots only on orders. His boots were perfect in size. They lasted long and wpre made from the best leathers.
For Mr Gessler bootmaking was an art which was exhibited perfectly in each pair carved by him.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Mr Gessler in his last wasn’t in good health. Give three examples to prove this.
Solution:
Author had mistaken Mr Gessler for his elder brother because he looked too old. There was very thin lining of hair left on the top portion of his head. During the last meeting with the author within a period of one year, Mr Gessler had grown older by around 10 years. He looked tired and exhausted.The hardships of the trade have taken a toll on his health. He even failed to recognise the author at first.

Question 2:
Mr Gessler was spending his days with great difficulty. Give suitable arguments in favour of this.
Solution:
Mr Gessler was having a tough time in his final years. He had lost his customers because of the delay in delivery of his orders.

Value Based Question

Question 1:
He used to work really hard to make each pair of shoe. But still everything he earned went on paying the rent of his shop and in buying leather. There wasn’t much money with him. He nearly killed himself working for hours at the shop without any food and rest.
Quality is an important aspect of business. Elaborate
Solution:
Quality plays an important role in business. Every customer looks for quality in the products they buy. Everyone wants to buy an item that has high quality. If we keep the quality of our products high then our customers will visit us again. Popularity of our products also increases in the market. But in other hand if, we sell products of low quality then people might buy them once but will feel being cheated. They will never lose our trust and we will lose them as customer forever.

Question 2:
Whom does ‘his’ refers to in the above lines?
Solution:
‘His’ in the above lines refers to Mr Gessler.

Extract Based Questions

Extract 1

Directions: (Q. Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
I remember well my shy remarks,
1 day, while stretching out to him my youthfull foot. “Isn’t it
awfully hard to do, Mr Gessler?” And his answer
given with a sudden smile from out of the redness of
his beard: “id is an ardt!”

Question 1:
Whom does T refer to in the above lines?
Solution:
In the above lines T refers to the author.

Question 2:
Why is he feeling awkward?
Solution:
Mr Gessler was many years elder than him, he felt awkward in stretching his feet before him and allowing him to touch them.

Question 3:
What is the art Mr Gessler refers to?
Solution:
Mr Gessler refers to the art of bootmaking.

Question 4:
Find a word from the above lines that means ‘introvert’.
(a) Awful
(b) Shy
(c) Redness
(d) Ardt
Solution:
(b) Shy

Question 5:
Mr Gessler smiled while replying the question because he
(a) agreed with the speaker
(b) felt proud of his work
(c) was pleased that someone had praised him
(d) None of the above
Solution:
(b) felt proud of his work.

Question 6:
Find out one word from the that means ‘terrible’.
(a) Shy
(b) Youthfull
(c) Awful
(d) Hard
Solution:
(c) Awful

Extract 2

Directions: (Q. Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
But his face and voice made so deep an impression that
during the next few minutes I ordered many pairs. They
lasted longer than ever. And I was not able to go to him
for nearly 2 years.
It was many months before my next visit to his shop.

Question 1:
Name the speaker in the above lines.
Solution:
The author of the lesson John Galsworthy is the speaker of the above lines.

Question 2:
Whom does ‘his’ refers to in the above lines?
Solution:
‘His’ in the above lines refers to Mr Gessler.

Question 3:
Why his voice and face made such an impact?
Solution:
The author was moved after realising the hard times Mr Gessler was going through. The truth about Mr Gessler’s hardship has made such an impact over the author.

Question 4:
What did the author placed the order for?
(a) Gloves
(b) Boots
(c) Socks
(d) None of these
Solution:
(b) Boots

Question 5:
What has caused such reaction from ‘him’?
(a) The author had bought shoes from a big firm
(b) The author’s shoe didn’t last long
(c) The fact that the Mr Gessler was losing on business and was having a difficult time
(d) The author had not visited Mr Gessler’s shop for long
Solution:
(c) The fact that the Mr Gessler was losing on business and was having a difficult time.

Question 6:
The above lines show that the author was
(a) a kind person
(b) careless about other’s emotions
(c) avoiding going to the shop
(d) a busy man
Solution:
(a) a kind person

NCERT SolutionsMathsScienceSocialEnglishSanskritHindiRD Sharma

NCERT Solutions For Class 7 English The Ashes that made Trees Bloom (Prose)

Comprehension Check

Question 1:
Why did the neighbours kill the dog?
Solution:
The neigbours killed the dog in anger. They have expected the dog to help them get a treasure, but the dog had rather taken them to a foul smelling dead kitten.

Question 2:
Mark the right item.

1. The old farmer and his wife loved the dog
   (a) because it helped them in their day-to-day work.
   (b) as if it was their own baby.
   (c) as they were kind to all living beings.
2. When the old couple became rich, they
   (a) gave the dog better food.
   (b) invited their greedy neighbours to a feast.
   (c) lived comfortably and were generous towards their poor neighbours.
3. The greedy couple borrowed the mill and the mortar to make
   (a) rice pastry and bean sauce.
   (b) magic ash to win rewards.
   (c) a pile of gold.

Solution:

1. (b) as if it was their own baby.
2. (c) lived comfortably and were generous towards their poor neighbours.
3. (c) a pile of gold.

Working with the Text

Answer the following questions.
Question 1:
The old farmer is a kind person. What evidence of his kindness do you find in the first two paragraphs.
Solution:
In the first paragraph it is written that the old farmer treated the dog like his own child. He will feed the dog small pieces of fish with their own chopsticks and offer boiled rice to him as much as he wanted. The second paragraph says that to provide food to the birds, the old farmer will often turn up the surface of the ground.
Both these instances proved that the old man was a kind person.

Question 2:
What did the dog do to lead the farmer to the hidden gold?
Solution:
The dog came running towards the farmer. It kept his paws against his legs and with its head it kept on directing towards a spot behind him.
The old man initially ignored the dog, but it kept on whining and running to and from until the farmer followed it to the spot.

Question 3:

1. How did the spirit of the dog help the farmer first?
2. How did it help him next?

Solution:

1. The spirit of the dog came in the farmer’s dream and first asked him to chop the pine tree and make mortar and hand-mill out of it. With the mortar and mill it gave the farmer heaps of gold.
2. The dog’s spirit again came in the farmer’s dream for the second time and told the farmer to collect the ash of the mortar and the mill and sprinkle it on the withered trees and they will blossom.
   The farmer did this in front of the daimio (the landlord) and was awarded with lavish gifts.

Question 4:
Why did the daimio reward the farmer, but punish his neighbour for the same act?
Solution:
The farmer had sprinkled the ash over the withered cherry tree and it blossomed. Daimio was pleased seeing the miracle and he rewarded the farmer. His neighbour poured the ash over the cherry tree, but nothing happened to the tree.
Fine particles from the ash entered the eyes of the daimio and his wife. They began to sneeze and cough.
This spoiled the splendour of the procession and so the neighbour was punished by man of the landlord.

Working with Language

Question 1:
Read the following conversation.
Ravi: What are you doing?
Mridu: I’m reading a book.
Ravi: Who wrote it?
Mridu: Ruskin Bond.
Ravi: Where did you find it?
Mridu: In the library.
Notice that ‘what’, ‘who’, ‘where’, are question words. Questions that require information begin with question words. Some other question words are ‘when’, ‘why’, ‘where’, ‘which’ and ‘how’.
Remember that

• What asks about acting, things etc.
• Who asks about people.
• Which asks about people or things.
• Where asks about place.
• When asks about time.
• Why asks about reason or purpose.
• How asks about means, manner or degree.
• Whose asks about possessions.

Read the following paragraph and frame questions on the italicised phrases.
Anil is in school. I am in school too. Anil is sitting in the left row. He is reading a book. Anil’s friend is sitting in the second row. He is sharpening his pencil. The teacher is writing on the blackboard. Children are writing in their copybooks. Some children are looking out of the window.
Solution:

1. Where is Anil?
2. Which row he is sitting in?
3. What is he doing?
4. Where is Anil’s friend sitting?
5. What is his friend doing?
6. Who is writing on the blackboard?
7. What are some children doing?

Question 2:
Write appropriate question words in the blank spaces in the following dialogue.
Neha: ………… did you get this book?
Sheela: Yesterday morning.
Neha: ………… is your sister crying?
Sheela : Because she has lost her doll.
Neha: …………… room is this, yours or hers?
Sheela: It’s ours
Neha: ……………. do you go to school?
Sheela: We walk to the school. It is nearby.
Solution:
When, Why, Whose, How

Question 3:
Fill in the blanks with the words given in the box.

 

1. My friend lost his chemistry book. Now he doesn’t know …………… to do and ………….. to look for it.
2. There are so many toys in the shops. Neena can’t decide ……………….. one to buy.
3. You don’t know the way to my school. Ask the policeman ………………. to get there.
4. You should decide soon …………….. to start building your house.
5. Do you know …………….. to ride a bicycle? I don’t remember ……………… and …………….. I learnt it.
6. “You should know ………….. to talk and to ………………. keep your mouth shut,” the teacher advised Anil.

Solution:

1. what, where,
2. which
3. how
4. when
5. how, when, where
6. when, where

Question 4:
Add im- or in- to each of the following words and use them in place of the italicised words in the sentences given below.

1. The project appears very difficult at first sight but it can be completed if we work very hard.
2. He lacks competence. That’s why he can’t keep any job for more than a year.
3. “Don’t lose patience. Your letter will come one day,” the postman told me.
4. That’s not a proper remark to make under the circumstances.
5. He appears to be without sensitivity. In fact, he is very emotional.

Solution:

1. impossible
2. incompetent
3. impatient
4.  improper
5. insensitive

Question 5:
Read the following sentences.
It was a cold morning and stars still glowed in the sky.
An old man was walking along the road.
The words in italicised are articles. ‘A’ and ‘an’ are indefinite articles and ‘the’ is the definite article. ‘A’ is used before a singular countable noun. ‘An’ is used before a word that begins with a vowel.

Use a, an or the in the blanks.
There was once ………… play which became very successful. ………… famous actor was acting in it. In ………. play his role was that of ……….. aristocrat who had been imprisoned in …………. castle for twenty years. In……… last act of ……….. play someone would come on ……… stage with ………… letter which he would hand over ……….. to prisoner. Even though …………. aristocrat was not expected to read ………. letter at each performance, he always insisted that ………… letter be written out from beginning to end.
Solution:
(i) a       (ii) A        (iii) the
(iv) an   (v) a         (vi) the
(vii) the(viii) the  (ix) a
(x) the   (xi) the    (xii) the
(xiii) the

Question 6:
Encircle the correct article.

A: Would you like (a/an/the) apple or ‘ (a/an/the) banana?
B: I’d like (a/an/the) apple, please.
A: Take (a/an/the) red one in (a/an/the) fruit bowl. You may take (a/an/the) orange also, if you like.
B: Which one?
A: (A/An/The) one beside (a/an/the) banana.
Solution:
(A) an, a (B) an (A) the, the, an (B) – (A) The, the

Speaking and Writing

Question 1:
Put each of the following in the correct order. Then use them appropriately to fill in the blanks in the paragraph that follows. Use correct punctuation marks.

• English and Hindi/both/in/he writes
• and only / a few short stories/many books in English/in Hindi
• Is/my Hindi / than my English/much better

Ravi Kant is a writer and ………….. Of course, he is much happier writing in English than in Hindi. He has written …………….. . I find his books a little hard to understand ………………… .
Solution:

1. he writes both in English and Hindi
2. many books in English and only few short stories in Hindi
3. My Hindi is much better than my English

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
What did the kind farmer do with the money he made from the gold?
Solution:
The kind farmer bought a piece of land, hosted a feast for his friends and helped his poor neighbours.

Question 2:
How did the daimios reward the kind farmer?
Solution:
The daimio was pleased seeing the magic of the withered cherry tree bursting into a blossom. So he rewarded the kind farmer with many gifts.

Question 3:
What did the leader of the van do with the kind old man?
Solution:
The leader of the van allowed the old man to remain seated at the cherry tree considering him to be very old.

Question 4:
Why did the wicked couple drop their tools?
Solution:
The wicked couple found the foul smell of the dead kitten unbearable so they dropped their tools. *

Question 5:
How did the wicked couple behave with the dogs passing by their house?
Solution:
The wicked couple always used to kick and scold the dogs passing by their house.

Question 6:
What preparations did the kind old couple make for the New Year?
Solution:
For the New Year the old couple planned to make rice pastries and bean sauce.

Question 7:
How was the wicked farmer punished for his greed?
Solution:
The wicked farmer was killed brutally by the daimio’s men and was thus punished for his greed.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
How did the kind old couple treat their dog?
Solution:
The old couple treated the dog as their own child. The old farmer had created a cushion made of blue crepe for the dog. During the meals they used to feed the dog plenty of rice and tidbits of fish from their own chopstick.

Question 2:
Describe the change the cherry tree underwent after the kind old poured a pinch of ash over it.
Solution:
It was winter season and the cherry tree in the old couple’s garden didn’t have leaves. The old man sprinkled a pinch of the ashes and blossoms sprouted out of it. Pink flowers came on it and their fragrance filled the air.

Question 3:
How did the dog repay to his masters?
Solution:
The dog made his masters rich by giving them gold coins. His masters became prosperous with it and bought a piece of land.
He then asked them to collect the ashes which had the power to sprout blossoms of a withered tree. This magic was seen by the daimio and rewarded the old couple for this magic.

Question 4:
What happened when the wicked old farmer sprinkled ash over the cherry tree?
Solution:
When the wicked farmer sprinkled the ash over the cherry tree it didn’t bring in a change on it. The fine particles from the ash entered the eyes of daimio and his wife. They began to cough and sneeze. All the lavishness of the procession was spoiled.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Explain three ways in which the dog helped his master.
Solution:
The dog when he was alive guided his master to a heap of gold. After his death he asked his master to prepare a mortar and a mill from the woods of the pine tree.
While making the rice pastries and bean sauce during the New Year using the mortar and the mill, the kind old couple again found the dough to be turned into gold coins and gold dripping out from every drop of the sauce.
The dog then asked the master to collect the ashes of the mortar and mill and sprinkle over the withered trees. The withered trees sprouted into blossom immediately with the magic.

Question 2:
The wicked farmer wanted to be rich like his neighbour. What happened every time when he tried to do so?
Solution:
First time when the neighbour tried to be rich, all he got was a foul smelling dead kitten.
In their second attempt the old couple got heap of worms from the dough of rice pastry and the bean sauce. In the third attempt the old man failed to create magic with the ashes. He spoiled daimio’s procession and was killed by his men as a punishment.

Value Based Questions

Question 1:
Why do you think we should be kind towards animals?
Solution:
Animals are also living beings like us. They can’t speak like us but still can feel the love and emotions. Some animals like dog and horse are very faithful to human beings. We should be kind towards them.
It is good to offer our leftover food to the street dogs because they guard our homes. Chapattis should be offered to homeless cows. In winter we should keep bowls of water for the birds. Injured animals like pigeons, cats and dogs should be taken to veterinary doctors by us.

Question 2:
One should not be greedy. Why do you think so?
Solution:
We should feel contended about what we have. We should strive hard to earn things but not be greedy. Our greed makes us to do many things which are not good or ethical.
We should make just demands that can be fulfilled easily and must make our earnings in honest means. Our greed can turn us into corrupt and dishonest human beings and must restrain ourselves from becoming that. Our needs should be limited and our wishes should be in control.

Extract Based Questions

Extract 1

Directions (Q.Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
Then they dragged him out of doors, taking a spade and hoe with them. No sooner had the dog got near a pine tree growing in the garden than he began to paw and scratch the ground, as if a mighty treasure lay beneath.

Question 1:
In the above lines who have been referred as ‘they’?
Solution:
The wicked old couple has been referred as ‘they’ in the above lines.

Question 2:
Whom did they drag out of doors?
Solution:
They dragged the good old couple’s dog from the doors.

Question 3:
Why they did so?
Solution:
They did so to find way to the treasure.

Question 4:
What lay beneath the ground?
(a) Gold coins
(b) A vast treasure
(c) A dead kitten
(d) None of these
Solution:
(c) A dead kitten

Question 5:
Why did they carry spade and hoe with them?
(a) To kill the dog
(b) To dig the Earth
(c) To plough the field
(d) To chase the birds
Solution:
(b) To dig the Earth

Question 6:
What follows immediately after this?
(a) They begin to dig the ground
(b) They killed the dog
(c) They found a cast treasure
(d) They ran away with fear
Solution:
(b) They killed the dog

Extract 2

Directions (Q.Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
“Goody me!’ cried the old hag, as she saw each dripping of sauce turning into yellow gold, until in a few minutes the tub under the mill was full of shining mass of gold. So the old couple was rich again.

Question 1:
Who has been referred as ‘old hag’ in the above lines?
Solution:
The wicked old man’s wife has been referred as ‘old hag’ in the above lines.

Question 2:
From where was she watching the above incident?
Solution:
She was peeping from the window to watch the incident.

Question 3:
……each dripping of sauce which sauce has been referred here?
Solution:
Bean sauce has been referred in above lines.

Question 4:
At what time during the year the above incidence is taking place?
(a) Summer
(b) Winter
(c) New Year
(d) Both ‘b’ and ‘c’
Solution:
(d) Both ‘b’ and ‘c’

Question 5:
Find a word from the given lines that means ‘witch’
(a) Drip
(b) Hag
(c) Wicked
(d) None of these
Solution:
(b) Hag

Question 6:
What is the process that is taking place in the above lines?
(a) Baking of pastry
(b) Preparing of dough
(c) Boiling of rice
(d) Making of bean sauce
Solution:
(d) Making of bean sauce

Extract 3

Directions (Q.Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
He sprinkled a pinch of ashes on it, and lo! It sprouted blossoms until it became a cloud of pink blooms which perfumed the air. The news of this filled the village and everyone ran out to see the wonder. The covetous couple also heard the story and gathering up the ashes

Question 1:
Who has been referred as ‘he’ in the above lines?
Solution:
The kind old farmer has been referred in these lines as ‘he’.

Question 2:
‘It’ sprouted blossoms. What has been referred as ‘it’ in the given lines?
Solution:
The cherry tree has been referred as ‘it’ in the given lines.

Question 3:
What is the wonder that has been referred to in the given lines?
Solution:
The withered bare cherry tree has been transformed into a blossom with the ashes of mill and mortar sprinkled over it. This wonder has been referred in the given lines.

Question 4:
In the given lines what has been burnt down to form the ashes?
(a) The dog
(b) The pine tree
(c) The cherry tree
(d) The mortar and the mill
Solution:
(d) The mortar and the mill

Question 5:
Find synonym of ‘jealous’ from the given lines.
(a) Pinch       (b) Sprinkled
(c) Blooms    (d) Envious
Solution:
(d) Envious

Question 6:
Find a word from the given lines that means ‘flower’.
(a) Blossom     (b) Bloom
(c) Sprouted    (d) Sprinkled
Solution:
(b) Bloom

NCERT SolutionsMathsScienceSocialEnglishSanskritHindiRD Sharma

NCERT Solutions For Class 7 English Gopal and the Hilsa Fish (Prose)

Working with the Text

Answer the following questions.
Question 1:
Why did the king want no more talk about the Hilsa fish?
Solution:
Everyone around the king was talking about Hilsa fish. This had infuriated the king so he didn’t want anyone to talk about the Hilsa fish.

Question 2:
What did the king ask Gopal to do to prove that he was clever?
Solution:
The king asked Gopal to buy a huge Hilsa fish from the market and to ensure that no one should talk to him about the fish on the entire way from the market to the palace.

Question 3:
What three things did Gopal do before he went to buy his Hilsa fish?
Solution:
Gopal half-shaved his face. Smeared ash on his body himself and wore rugs before going out to buy Hilsa fish.

Question 4:
How did Gopal get inside the palace to see the king after he had bought the fish?
Solution:
Gopal started singing and dancing in front of the palace at a loud voice. The king heard the noise and asked the man to be brought inside.

Question 5:
Explain why no one seemed to be interested in talking about the Hilsa fish which Gopal had bought.
Solution:
No one was interested about the Hilsa fish. Gopal had bought because of Gopal’s condition. He was wearing rugs, his face was half-shaven and ash was smeared over his body. People were more interested in his appearance than the fish.

Question 6:
Write True or False against each of the following sentences.

1. The king lost his temper easily
2. Gopal was a madman
3. Gopal was a clever man
4. Gopal was too poor to afford decent clothes
5. The king got angry when he was shown to be wrong

Solution:

1. True
2. False
3. True
4. False
5. False

Working with Language

Question 1:
Notice how in a comic book, there are no speech marks when characters talk. Instead what they say is put in a speech ‘bubble’. However, if we wish to repeat or report what they say, we must put it into reported speech.
Change the following sentences in the story to reported speech. The first one has been done for you.

1. How much did you pay for that Hilsa?
2. Why is your face half-shaven?
   Gopal’s wife asked him……………….
3.  I accept the challenge, Your Majesty.
   Gopal told the king ………………..
4. I want to see the king.
   Gopal told the guards ………………….
5. Bring the man to me at once.
   The king ordered the guard ………………….

Solution:

1. The woman asked the man how much did he pay for that Hilsa.
2. Gopal’s wife asked him why his face was half-shaven.
3. Gopal told the king that he accepted the challenge.
4. Gopal told the guards that he wanted to see the king.
5. The king ordered the guard to bring the man to him at once.

Question 2:
Find out the meaning of the following words by looking them up in dictionary. Then use them in sentences of your own.

Solution:
Challenge: A call to take part in a contest or competition.
Vikram accepted the challenge of his teacher and won prize in the annual day celebrations.
Mystic: Spiritual, occult
The sufi saints like Salim Chishti were mystic.
Comical: Funny
Mr Bean is one of the most famous comical characters on television.
Courtier: A person, who attends a royal court as a companion or advisor to the king or queen.
Birbal was one of the most important courtiers in Akbar’s court.
Smearing: Coat or mark carelessly with grease or oil.
Before the game, Rakesh smeared his body with oil.

Picture Reading

Question 1:
Look at the picture and read the text aloud.

1. Now ask your partner questions about each picture.
   (a) Where is the stag?
   (b) What is he doing?
   (c) Does he like his antlers (horns)?
   (d) Does he like his legs?
   (e) Why is the stag running?
   (f) Is he able to hide in the bushes?
   (g) Where are the hunters now?
   (h) Are they closing in on the stag?
   (i) Is the stag free?
   (j) What does the stag say about his horns and his legs?
2. Now write the story in your own words. Give it a title.

Solution:

1. (a) The stag is standing by the side of a pond.
   (b) The stag is about to drink water when he saw his reflection in the pond.
   (c) Yes, he finds them beautiful.
   (d) No, the stag finds his legs to be thin and ugly..
   (e) The stag is running because he has been chased by the hunters.
   (f) No, he is not able to hide in the bushes because his horns got stuck in them.
   (g) The hunters are just behind the stag.
   (h) Yes, they are closing in on the stag.
   (i) The stag was able to run fast because of his legs and is free now.
   (j) The stag says that he was proud of his horns, but he would have been killed because of them. He was ashamed of his legs, but they saved his life.
2. There was a stag, he lived in a jungle. One day he went to drink water in a pond. He saw his reflection in the pond. He felt proud of his beautiful antlers. Then he saw his legs, he was upset because they were thin and ugly. Suddenly, there were hunters behind him. The stag ran to save his life. He wanted to hide in the bushes, but couldn’t as his antlers were stuck in them. He found the hunters just behind him. He ran for his life and was finally saved.
   At the end he realised that he was feeling proud of his antlers, but he would have been killed because of them. He felt ashamed of his legs, but was able to save his life ultimately because of them. The title is The Stag and his Beautiful Horns’.

Question 2:
Complete the following word ladder with the help of the clues given below.

1. Mother will be very ………………… If you don’t go to school.
2. As soon as he caught ……………. of the teacher, Mohan started writing.
3. How do you like my ……………… Kitchen garden? Big enough for you, is it?
4. My youngest sister is now a ……………… old.
5. Standing on the ………………. he saw children playing on the road.
6. Don’t make such a ………………. Nothing, will happen.
7. Don’t cross the ……………. till the green light comes on.

Solution:

1. cross
2. sight
3. tiny
4. year
5. roof
6. fuss
7. street

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
How did the fishmongers lure the customers to buy Hilsa?
Solution:
The fishmongers lured the customers by saying that the price had been down that day.

Question 2:
Who was Gopal?
Solution:
Gopal was a courtier in the king’s court known for his wisdom and presence of mind.

Question 3:
What did Gopal’s wife think about him?
Solution:
Gopal’s wife thought that her husband had gone mad.

Question 4:
What were the remarks of two men on seeing Gopal in the market?
Solution:
On seeing Gopal a man said that he must be a madman while the other called him a mystic.

Question 5:
What was the king’s reaction when he came to know that he had lost the challenge?
Solution:
The king was happy about it and congratulated Gopal for winning the challenge.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
What happened when the king hear his courtiers talking about Hilsa fish?
Solution:
When the king heard his courtiers talking about Hilsa fish, he lost his temper and warned them that they were courtiers and not fishermen. But the king soon felt guilty, looking at his nervous and humble courtier when he had rebuked. His tone changed and he said that it was the season of Hilsa and nobody could be stopped from talking about it.

Question 2:
Why did Gopal’s wife find his activities strange?
Solution:
Gopal had half-shaven his face. Smeared ash over himself. Had put on rags and was looking disgraceful. She asked Gopal the reason for such weird acts. She stopped him from going out like that but Gopal told her that he was going to buy Hilsa fish. At last she concluded that Gopal had gone mad.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Who was Gopal? What was the challenge given to him by the king? How he won it?
Solution:
Gopal was one of the wise men in the king’s court. When the king was fed up with ongoing talks about Hilsa fish he challenged Gopal.
Gopal happily accepted the challenge of buying a huge Hilsa fish from the market and to ensure on the way from the market to the palace no one should talk to him about the fish.
He was an intelligent man. He dressed up like a mad man and his appearance caught everyone’s attention. He reached the court without anyone talking about the fish as every one was drawn towards his appearance.

Question 2:
Why was Gopal barred entry to the palace?
How did Gopal manage to get in? What was the king’s reaction to Gopal’s deed?
Solution:
Gopal looked suspicious or rather mystic since he had dressed himself filthly. Moreover his beared was half-shaved and ash was smeared on it. Therefore the guards barred his entry to the palace. He started dancing and singing loudly so that the king might hear him and call him inside. The king ordered him to be taken inside but he could not recognise him.
When Gopal reminded him of his challenge and proved that he had fulfilled it the king was surprised and burst into laughter.

Value Based Question

Question 1:
We should not give up in any situation. If we try hard we can definitely find a solution. Why do you think so?
Solution:
Yes, we should not give up in any situation. We should find out a solution to come out of it. Sometimes, it might be tough to find the solution, but if we try hard, nothing is impossible. We learn from the efforts we make in life. If we won’t make efforts then our learning will stop.
It is OK to commit mistake but we should learn bur lesson from them and must not repeat them again. The world remember the great people because they did things differently and took up those risks in life.

Extract Based Questions

Extract 1

Directions (Q. Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
Listen to me! Please, you can’t possibly go out in those disgraceful rags! What are you upto? How many times I must tell you, woman? 1 am out to buy a huge Hilsa fish.

Question 1:
‘Listen to me! Please, you’ Name the
speaker of these lines.
Solution:
Copal’s wife is speaking in these lines.

Question 2:
Who is going to buy Hilsa fish?
Solution:
Gopal is going to buy Hilsa fish.

Question 3:
Why the man is dressed up like that?
Solution:
Gopal dressed up like that to catch everyone’s attention so that people will talk about him and not about the Hilsa fish.

Question 4:
What does the woman think about the man finally?
(a) He is an intelligent man
(b) He has gone mad
(c) She doesn’t think anything
(d) None of the above
Solution:
(b) He has gone mad

Question 5.
Why does the man want to buy Hilsa fish?
(a) To win the challenge
(b) Because everyone was talking about the fish
(c) Price of the Hilsa fish has gone down
(d) Because to please his wife
Solution:
(a) To win the challenge

Question 6:
Find out one word from the above lines that means ‘shameful’.
(a) Rags
(b) Awkward
(c) Disgraceful
(d) None of these
Solution:
(c) Disgraceful

Extract 2

Directions (Q. Nos. 1-6) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions.
Stop it!
Are you a courtier or a fisherman? I am sorry I lost my temper, it’s the season for Hilsa fish and no one

Question 1:
Who is the speaker of the above lines?
Solution:
The king is the speaker of the above lines.

Question 2:
Why is he feeling sorry?
Solution:
He is feeling sorry for being rude to his courtier.

Question 3:
What is the speaker asking to be stopped?
Solution:
He wants the talks about the Hilsa fish to be stopped for a while as everyone wanted to speak about ‘Hilsa fish’ only.

Question 4:
What did the speaker want?
(a) To eat Hilsa fish
(b) Someone to stop the talks about Hilsa fish for a while
(c) The season for the Hilsa fish to go
(d) He himself was not clear
Solution:
(b) Someone to stop the talks about Hilsa fish for a while.

Question 5:
What made the speaker upset?
(a) A fisherman entered his court.
(b) Gopal was not present in the court.
(c) Everyone including the courtiers were talking about Hilsa fish.
(d) He wanted to discuss serious matter.
Solution:
(c) Everyone including the countiers were talking about Hilsa fish.

Question 6:
Find a word from the above lines is synonym of ‘anger’.
(a) Rage
(b) Ire
(c) Frenzy
(d) Ill-temper
Solution:
(a) Rage

NCERT SolutionsMathsScienceSocialEnglishSanskritHindiRD Sharma

NCERT Solutions for Class 7th English Chapter 2 A Gift of Chappals

Question 1:
What is the secret that Meena shares with Mridu in the backyard?
Solution:
Meena shares the secret of the kitten that they have found in front of their house and have kept in their backyard.

Question 2:
How does Ravi get milk for the kitten?
Solution:
Ravi brings milk from the kitchen saying that he was feeling hungry. He even drinks most of it to prove Paati that he was indeed hungry.
He then brings the tumbler in the backyard and empties it in the coconut shell.

Question 3:
Who does he say the kitten’s ancestors are? Do you believe him?
Solution:
Ravi said that the kitten’s ancestors were the lion of the Pallava kings, the Mahabalipuram Rishi-Cat which has the emblem of the Pallava dynasty. No I don’t believe his story.

Question 4:
Ravi has a lot to say about MP Poonai. This shows that

1. he is merely trying to impress Mridu.
2. his knowledge of history is sound.
3. he has a rich imagination.
4. he is an intelligent child.

Which of these statements do you agree/ disagree to?
Solution:
Ravi has a lot to say about MP Poonai.
This shows that his knowledge of history is sound, he has a rich imagination and he is an intelligent child.

Question 5:
What was the noise that startled Mridu and frightened Mahendran?
Solution:
It was the sound coming out of Lalli’s violin that startled Mridu and frightened Mahendran.

Check

Question 1:
The music master is making lovely music.
Read aloud the sentence in the text that expresses the idea.
Solution:
The music-master’s notes seemed to float up and settle perfectly into the visible tracks of the melody.

Question 2:
Had the beggar come to Rukku Manni’s house for the first time? Give reasons for your answer.
Solution:
No, the beggar has been coming to Rukku Manni’s house for last one week. The beggar himself confirms this saying that he has survived for a week because of Rukku Manni’s kindness.

Question 3:
“A sharp V-shaped line had formed between her eyebrows.” What does it suggests to you about Rukku Manni’s mood?
Solution:
The V-shaped line suggests that Rukku Manni was very angry and was about to lose her temper on the children.

Working with the Text

Question 1:
Complete the following sentences.

1. Ravi compares Lalli’s playing the violin to …………….
2. Trying to hide beneath the tray of chillies, Mahendran ………………..
3. The teacher played a few notes on his violin and Lalli ………………
4. The beggar said that the kind ladies of the household ………………
5. After the lesson was over, the music teacher asked Lalli if ………………….

Solution:

1. derailing of a train going off track
2. tipped a few chillies over himself
3. stumbled behind him on her violin
4. have been very generous and helped him survive for a week
5. she had seen his chappals

Question 2:
Describe the music teacher, as seen from the window.
Solution:
The music teacher was a bony figure. He was sitting in front of Lalli with his back towards the window. He was a bald headed man with fringe of oiled hair falling around his ears. He had an old fashioned tuft.
He had a shinning gold chain in his neck and a diamond ring in his hand. He was wearing a golden-bordered dhoti. His large foot was stuck on the floor and he was beating the floor with his scrawny toe.

Question 3:

1. What makes Mridu conclude that the beggar has no money to buy chappals?
2. What does she suggest to show her concern?

Solution:

1. The beggar showed his feet to the children. There were pink blisters on his bare feet which made Mridu conclude that he didn’t have the money to buy chappals.
2. Mridu was concerned about the beggar. She suggested giving an old pair of chappals to the beggar.

Question 4:
“Have you children….” She began and then, seeing they were curiously quiet, went on more slowly, “seen anyone lurking around the verandah?”

1. What do you think Rukku Manni really wanted to ask?
2. Why did she change her question?
3. What did she think had happened?

Solution:

1. Rukku Manni wanted to ask the children what they have done with the chappals.
2. She changed the question finding the children serious and quiet. She became sure that the children had something to do with the chappals.
3. She thought that the children would have hidden the chappals somewhere.

Question 5:
On getting Gopu Mama’s chappals, the music teacher tried not to look too happy. Why?
Solution:
Music teacher’s chappals were old, but he lied to Lalli saying that they were brand new. Gopu Mama had hardly used his new chappals.
The music teacher was happy getting them, but was trying to hide those feelings. He tried to show that he was upset with the children and with his loss.

Question 6:
On getting a gift of chappals, the beggar vanished in a minute. Why was he in such a hurry to leave?
Solution:
The beggar was in a hurry to leave after getting the chappals because he knew that the children have got them for him without seeking the permission of the elders. He feared they might be taken back from him, so he left in a hurry.

Question 7:
Walking towards the kitchen with Mridu and Meena, Rukku Manni began to laugh. What made her laugh?
Solution:
Rukku Manni was laughing imagining Gopu Mama without his chappals. He had the habit of taking out his shoes immediately after coming home and putting on those chappals.
She laughed wondering what excuse would she give to him and what would be his reaction.

Working with Language

Question 1:
Read the following sentences.
(a) If she knows we have a cat, Paati will leave the house.
(b) She won’t be so upset if she knows about the poor beggar with sores on his feet.
(c) If the chappals do fit, will you really not mind?
Notice that each sentence consists of two parts. The first part begins with ‘if’. It is known
as if-clause.
Rewrite each of the following pairs of sentences as a single sentence. Use ‘if at the beginning of the sentence.
(a) Walk fast. You’ll catch the bus.
If you walk fast, you’ll catch the bus.
(b) Don’t spit on the road. You’ll be fined.
If you spit on the road, you’ll be fined.

1. Don’t tire yourself now. You won’t be able to work in the evening.
2. Study regularly. You’ll do well in the examination.
3. Work hard. You’ll pass the examination in first division.
4. Be polite to people. They’ll also be polite to you.
5. Don’t tease the dog. It’ll bite you.

Solution:

1. If you tire yourself now, you won’t be able to work in the evening.
2. If you study regularly, you’ll do well in the examination.
3. If you work hard, you’ll pass the examination in first division.
4. If you are polite to people, they’ll be polite to you.
5. If you tease the dog, it’ll bite you.

Question 2:
Fill in the blanks in the following paragraph.
Today is Sunday. I’m wondering whether I should stay at home or go out. If I ………….. (go) out. I …………… (miss) the lovely Sunday lunch at home. If I ……………..(stay) for lunch, I ………………(miss) the Sunday film showing at Archana Theatre. I think I’ll go out and see the film, only to avoid getting too fat.
Solution:
Today is Sunday. I’m wondering whether I should stay at home or go out. If I go out, I will miss the lovely Sunday lunch at home. If I stay for lunch, I will miss the Sunday film showing at Archana Theatre. I think I’ll go out and see the film, only to avoid getting too fat.

Question 3:
Complete each sentence below by appropriately using any one of the following:
if you want to / if you don’t want to / if you want him to

1. Don’t go to the theatre …………………..
2. He’ll post your letter …………………….
3. Please use my pen …………………………..
4. He’ll lend his umbrella …………………….
5. My neighbour, Ramesh, will take you to the doctor ……………………….
6. Don’t eat it …………………………..

Solution:

1. if you don’t want to
2. if you want him to
3. if you want to
4. if you want him to
5. will take you to the doctor if you want him to
6. if you don’t want to

Speaking and Writing

Question 1:
Discuss in small groups
• If you want to give away something of your own to the needy, would it be better to ask your elders first?
Solution:
(a) If there is something that belongs to us we can give it to anyone without seeking the advice of the elders.
(b) Yes, we should ask the permission of our elders before doing anything. Everything we have has been given to us by our parents.
(c) It depends on the purpose and the value of the item that we are giving away to someone. We should decide it based on the situation we are in.
• Is there someone of your age in the family who is very talkative? Do you find/her/him interesting and impressive or otherwise?
Share your ideas with others in the group.
Solution:
(a) I have a cousin sister of 10 years of age. She talks a lot.
(b) I don’t have anyone in my family who talks a lot.
(c) My mami ji talks a lot. But I like the way she  talks and I am very fond of her.
Solution:
(a) I also like my cousin sister the most. She gets close to everyone very easily and it is fun to be with her.
(b) I don’t like people who talk a lot.
(c) My mamiji talks a lot.
• Has Rukku Manni done exactly the same as the children? In your opinion, then, is it right for one party to blame the other?
Solution:
(a) Rukku Manni was wrong, she must have been more strict with the children. She should not have scolded Ravi when she herself was laughing at the incident after a while.
(b) Rukku Manni had been put in an embarrassing situation by the children. The music teacher’s chappals have gone missing from their home. She had to compensate for their act by giving the Gopu Mama’s chappals to the teacher. It was right on her part to be upset.
(c) Children and Rukku Manni were both doing the same so it was not right for either of them to blame each other.

Question 2:
Read the following.

• A group of children in your class are going to live in a hostel.
• They have been asked to choose a person in the group to share a room with.
• They are asking each other questions to decide who they would like to share a room with.

Ask one another questions about likes/ dislikes/preferences/hobbies/personal characteristics. Use the following questions and sentence openings.

1. What do you enjoy doing after school?
   I enjoy ………………
2. What do you like in general?
   I like ……………..
3. Do you play any game?
   I don’t like ………………
4. Would you mind if I listened to music after dinner?
   I wouldn’t ………………..
5. Will it be all right if I  ……………….?
   It’s fine with me …………….
6. Is there anything you dislike, particularly?
   Well, I can’t share ………………
7. Do you like to attend parties?
   Oh, I ……………….
8. Would you say you are ……………….?
   I think ………………

Solution:

1. watching TV
2. playing video games in general
3. playing outdoor games. I play indoor games like ludo and carom.
4. because I love music
5. switch on the light, you can switch on the light whenever you want
6. my pillow with anyone
7. love going to parties
8. a creative person, yes, I am creative

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Who is Mridu and with whom Mridu went to Rukku Manni’s place?
Solution:
Mridu is a young girl Mridu went to Rukku Manni’s place alongwith her Tapi.

Question 2:
Why was Ravi dragging Mridu towards the backyard?
Solution:
Ravi was dragging Mridu to the backyard to show her the newly found cat.

Question 3:
Why were the red chilli kept in the backyard?
Solution:
Kama from Mahabharata used to give away everything he had which even included his gold earnings.

Question 4:
The beggar was leaning against what in Ravi’s garden?
Solution:
The beggar was leaning against the trunk of the neem tree in Ravi’s garden.

Question 5:
Mridu had noticed in front of Meena’s house a pair of chappals. Whom did they belong to?
Solution:
The pair of chappals that Mridu had seen in front of Ravi’s house belonged to the music teacher.

Question 6:
Who used to give away everything he had, which even included his gold earrings?
Solution:
Red chillies were kept in the backyard for drying.

Question 7:
With whom did the music teacher compared Ravi with?
Solution:
The music teacher compared Ravi with the lord Hanuman and called him a Hanuman incarnate.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
What was in the cat’s name that pleased Mridu?
Solution:
Ravi had named the kitten Mahendravarma Pallava Poonai, MP Poonai in short. They were calling him Mahendran. Mridu liked the name because it sounded real to her and was different from the usual cute names kept for cats in general.

Question 2:
How did Ravi link his cat with the Pallava kings?
Solution:
Ravi felt that his cat was a descendant of the Rishi Cat of Mahabalipuram. He claimed that during his class trip to Mahabalipuram, he had seen statue of a cat there which he believed was an ancestor of this cat. He felt that the lion in the emblem of the Pallava king was a close relative of his cat.

Question 3:
What made Ravi feel that Lalli will never learn to play the violin?
Solution:
Ravi felt that Lalli will never learn to play violin. The music teacher used to play the perfect notes, but she kept on going off tracks.
It was like her train getting derailed again and again while the teacher’s was running smoothly on the track.

Question 4:
Why Rukku Manni asked Ravi to send away the-beggar?
Solution:
Rukku Manni was fed up with the beggar coming to her place daily for over a week now. She was tired giving him food and other items. She wanted him to find another house and stop coming to their place. So she asked Ravi to send him away.

Question 5:
What did the beggar feel about the ladies of the household?
Solution:
The beggar felt that the ladies of the household were very kind. They have enabled him survive for a week by giving him food to eat. He called them generous and found it hard to believe that they wanted to send him away.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Describe Ravi’s character in the story.
Solution:
Ravi was an intelligent child. He had good observation skills and possessed sound knowledge of history. He was playful, but had a good sense of humour. He managed to get milk for the kitten in front of Paati’s eyes. He also applied his intelligence and gave music teacher’s chappals to the beggar. He was kind and generous and remembered the story of Kama which Rukku Manni had told him.

Question 2:
Compare how the music teacher played the violin with that of Lalli’s.
Solution:
The music teacher played the violin smoothly. His notes seemed to float up and then settled down perfectly into the invisible tracks of the melody. His hand moved the violin’s stem effortlessly and produced a melodious music. Lalli on the other hand seemed to struggle with the violin. The instrument appeared unhappy and helpless in her hands. She kept on missing the tracks and produced a kind of noise which even scared Mahendran.

Question 3:
Why was Ravi upset with the elders?
Solution:
Ravi was upset with the elders because he had always been told by them to be kind towards animals, but whenever he had tried to do so he had received screaming in return.
He had found the same elders calling these animals’ dirty creatures. Rukku Manni had told her about Kama who would give away everything he had to help others. Ravi had tried to help the beggar by giving away the music teacher’s chappals to him, but still Rukku Manni was angry with him.

Value Based Questions

Question 1:
What is the moral of the story, elaborate it.
Solution:
The moral of this story is to help people in need. The beggar was in need of the slippers. He had blisters in his feet. They did the right thing Gopu Mama can buy another pair of slippers but the beggar didn’t have the money to buy them. We should help people in need. There is no harm in giving away a bit of those things that are surplus to us. We should give food, dresses and sweaters ‘ to poor. For us that might not have much value, but it can save someone else’s life.

NCERT SolutionsMathsScienceSocialEnglishSanskritHindiRD Sharma