NCERT Solutions Class 7 English (The Alian Hand Supplementry)
The NCERT Solutions in English Language for Class 7 English (The Alian Hand Supplementry) Chapter – 6 I Want Something In A Cage has been provided here to help the students in solving the questions from this exercise.
Chapter – 6 (I Want Something In A Cage)
Comprehension Check
1. Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of following statements.
(i) Mr Purcell sold birds, cats, dogs and monkeys.
(ii) He was very concerned about the well-being of the birds and animals in his shop.
(iii) He was impressed by the customer who bought the two doves.
(iv) He was a successful shop owner, though insensitive and cold as a person.
Answer –
(i) Mr Purcell sold birds, cats, dogs and monkeys. (True)
(ii) He was very concerned about the well-being of the birds and animals in his shop. (False)
(iii) He was impressed by the customer who bought the two doves. (False)
(iv) He was a successful shop owner, though insensitive and cold as a person. (True)
2. Why is Mr Purcell compared to an owl?
Answer – Mr Purcell is compared to an owl because of the large glasses which magnified his eyes like an owl’s eyes.
3. From the third paragraph pick out
(i) words associated with cries of birds,
(ii) words associated with noise,
(iii) words suggestive of confusion and fear.
Answer –
(i) words associated with cries of birds: whispered, squeal, cheeps, twitter, squeaks
(ii) words associated with noise: rustling, stir, scampered
(iii) words suggestive of confusion and fear: blindly seeking, bewildered
4. “…Mr Purcell heard it no more than he would have heard the monotonous ticking of a familiar clock.” (Read para beginning with “It was a rough day…”)
(i) What does ‘it’ refer to?
(ii) Why does Mr Purcell not hear ‘it’ clearly?
Answer –
(i) ‘It’ refers to the noise produced by the birds around him.
(ii) Mr Purcell doesn’t hear ‘it’ clearly because he was so used to hearing those sounds that it was normal to him like a clock’s ticking.
Comprehension Check
1. Do you think the atmosphere of Mr Purcell’s shop was cheerful or depressing? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer – The atmosphere of Mr Purcell’s shop was cheerful because of the presence of so many chirping and squeaking birds and animals. However, all these birds and animals were in cages, and no one can be happy when inside a cage. Hence, the atmosphere was in a way depressing as well.
2. Describe the stranger who came to the pet shop. What did he want?
Answer – The stranger who came to the pet shop was wearing shiny shoes, a cheap, ill-fitting, but new suit. He had a shuttling glance and close-cropped hair. He was gazing around the shop. He wanted something in a cage.
3.
(i) The man insisted on buying the doves because he was fond of birds. Do you agree?
Answer – No, the man insisted on buying the doves not because he was fond of birds. He just wanted birds in a cage.
(ii) How had he earned the five dollars he had?
Answer – He had earned five dollars he had in a prison where he had to work very hard. He used to get only 50 cents per year.
4. Was the customer interested in the care and feeding of the doves he had bought? If not, why not?
Answer – No, the customer was not interested in the care and feeding of the doves he had bought. This was because he was going to set them free.
Exercises
Discuss the following topics in groups.
1. Why, in your opinion, did the man set the doves free?
Answer – The man set the doves free because being a prisoner earlier, he understood what it feels like to be caged. He knew the value of freedom. He spent all his 10 years’ hard-earned money on buying two doves and then he set them free into the sky.
2. Why did it make Mr Purcell feel “vaguely insulted”?
Answer – It made Mr Purcell feel “vaguely insulted” because he reduced the price of the doves only because he could still earn profit whereas the stranger, who only had that money, spent it all just to set the two birds free from the cage.
