NCERT Solutions Class 7 English (Honeycomb)
The NCERT Solutions in English Language for Class 7 English (Honeycomb) Chapter – 2 A Gift of Chappals has been provided here to help the students in solving the questions from this exercise.
Chapter – 2 (A Gift of Chappals)
Comprehension Check
1. What is the secret that Meena shares with Mridu in the backyard?
Answer – Meena shares with Mridu the secret about the cat in the backyard. The secret was that they had a kitten hidden behind the bitter berry bush.
2. How does Ravi get milk for the kitten?
Answer – Ravi said that he was hungry. So he got some milk from the kitchen. Ravi poured milk into the coconut shell. He then washed the tumbler and put it back. Thus Ravi got milk for the kitten.
3. Who does he say the kitten’s ancestors are? Do you believe him?
Answer – Ravi says that the kitten’s ancestor was the Pallava Lion, emblem of the Pallava dynasty. No, I don’t believe him.
4. Ravi has a lot to say about M.P.Poonai. This shows that
(i) he is merely trying to impress Mridu.
(ii) his knowledge of history is sound.
(iii) he has a rich imagination.
(iv) he is an intelligent child.
Which of these statements do you agree/disagree to?
Answer – We agree with the statements (i) he is merely trying to impress Mridu and (iii) he has a rich imagination.
5. What was the noise that startled Mridu and frightened Mahendran?
Answer – The noise that startled Mridu and frightened Mahendran was the ‘kreeching’ sound of Lalli’s violin.
Comprehension Check
1. The music master is making lovely music. Read aloud the sentence in the text that expresses this idea.
Answer – The music-master’s notes seemed to float up and settle perfectly into the invisible tracks of the melody’. This sentence shows that the music-master was making lovely music.
2. Had the beggar come to Rukku Manni’s house for the first time? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer – No. The beggar had not come to Rukku Manni’s house for the first time. The beggar himself says that he had been coming there regularly for a week.
3. “A sharp V-shaped line had formed between her eyebrows.” What does it suggest to you about Rukku Manni’s mood?
Answer – “A sharp V-shaped line had formed between her eyebrows.” This suggests that Rukku Manni was quite angry at the impishness of the children.
Working with the text
1. Complete the following sentences:
(i) Ravi compares Lalli’s playing the violin to _________________.
(ii) Trying to hide beneath the tray of chillies, Mahendran _________________.
(iii) The teacher played a few notes on his violin, and Lalli _________________.
(iv) The beggar said that the kind ladies of the household _________________.
(v) After the lesson was over, the music teacher asked Lalli if _________________.
Answer –
(i) Ravi compares Lalli’s playing the violin to derailing of a train.
(ii) Trying to hide beneath the tray of chillies, Mahendran tipped a few chillies over himself. “Mi-a-aw!”, he howled miserably.
(iii) The teacher played a few notes on his violin, and Lalli stumbled behind him on her violin, which looked quite helpless and unhappy in her hands.
(iv) The beggar said that the kind ladies of the household have helped him survive the last week.
(v) After the lesson was over, the music teacher asked Lalli if she had seen his chappals.
2. Describe the music teacher, as seen from the window.
Answer – The music teacher had a bony figure. He had a mostly bald head with an old-fashioned tuft and a fringe of oiled black hair flowing about his ears. He had a gold chain around his leathery neck and a diamond ring on his hand that glistened. He had a large foot and a big toe that stuck out from beneath his gold-bordered veshti’s edge.
3.
(i) What makes Mridu conclude that the beggar has no money to buy chappals?
(ii) What does she suggest to show her concern?
Answer –
(i) When the beggar showed his feet to the children, they could see blisters on them. This made Mridu conclude that the beggar has no money to buy chappals.
(ii) She suggests that they give away a pair of chappals to the beggar.
4. “Have you children…” she began, and then, seeing they were curiously quiet, went on more slowly, “seen anyone lurking around the verandah?”
(i) What do you think Rukku Manni really wanted to ask?
(ii) Why did she change her question?
(iii) What did she think had happened?
Answer –
(i) Rukku Manni wanted to ask if the children were responsible behind the stealth of the chappals.
(ii) She changed her question because seeing the children so serious and quiet, she understood that the children definitely had something to do with the missing chappals.
(iii) She thought that the children would have purposely hidden the pair of chappals.
5. On getting Gopu Mama’s chappals, the music teacher tried not to look too happy. Why?
Answer – The music teacher tried not to smile since he didn’t want to express his joy at receiving new chappals, which Gopu Mama had never worn before.
6. On getting a gift of chappals, the beggar vanished in a minute. Why was he in such a hurry to leave?
Answer – On getting a gift of chappals, the beggar vanished in a minute because he needed them badly and he did not want to lose the gift of those chappals. His feet were blistering, and he couldn’t have asked for a nicer house.
7. Walking towards the kitchen with Mridu and Meena, Rukku Manni began to laugh. What made her laugh?
Answer – The thought of answering Gopu Mama in the evening made her laugh as he was always in a hurry to throw off his shoes and socks and get into his chappals as soon as he came home.
Working with language
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. |
(i) Don’t tire yourself now. You won’t be able to work in the evening.
(ii) Study regularly. You’ll do well in the examination.
(iii) Work hard. You’ll pass the examination in the first division.
(iv) Be polite to people. They’ll also be polite to you.
(v) Don’t tease the dog. It’ll bite you.
Answer –
(i) If you tire yourself up now, you won’t be able to work in the evening .
(ii) If you study regularly, you’ll do well in the examination.
(iii) If you work hard, you’ll pass the examination in the first division.
(iv) If you are polite to people, they’ll also be polite to you.
(v) If you tease the dog, it’ll bite you.
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.
Answer – Today is Sunday. I’m wondering whether I should stay at home or go out. If I go (go) out, I will miss (miss) the lovely Sunday lunch at home. If I stay (stay) for lunch, I will miss (miss) the Sunday film showing at Archana Theatre. I think I’ll go out and see the film, only to avoid getting too fat.
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
(i) Don’t go to the theatre _________________.
(ii) He’ll post your letter _________________.
(iii) Please use my pen _________________.
(iv) He’ll lend you his umbrella _________________.
(v) My neighbor, Ramesh, will take you to the doctor _________________.
(vi) Don’t eat it _________________.
Answer –
(i) Don’t go to the theatre if you don’t want to.
(ii) He’ll post your letter if you want him to.
(iii) Please use my pen if you want to.
(iv) He’ll lend you his umbrella if you want him to.
(v) My neighbor, Ramesh, will take you to the doctor if you want him to.
(vi) Don’t eat it if you don’t want to.
