THE ENGLISH COACH
CLASS VII
QUESTION ANSWERS
Contents
4. Crow Brings Daylight
5. The Microscope
6. The Apple Tree
7. The Flight of Icarus
8.The Stalled Ox
9. Wandering Singers
10. Androcles and the Lion
English Literature
Class VII
Chapter 4
CROW BRINGS DAYLIGHT
Q. 1 What were the reasons Inuit people gave to the crow to get them light?
Ans. The reasons Inuit people gave to the crow were—
• If they had daylight, they would see animals they hunted.
• They would hunt the animals that sometimes attacked them.
• They would better see each other's faces.
Q. 2 Why do you think the crow refuse to bring a light at first?
Ans. The crow refused to bring daylight at first because he was old enough to travel so far.
Q. 3 What was the crow’s plan to bring daylight to the Inuit people? Write in detail.
Ans. The crow turn himself into a speck of dust and reached the chief's house with the help of his daughter. He entered chief's grandson's ear that caused him cried out loud. As the chief asked what happened to him, the crow whispered in the boy’s ear to tell the chief that he wanted to play with the daylight ball outside. As they stepped out, the speck of dust came out of the boy's ear and turned into the crow . The crow grasped the string of the ball of daylight and flew into the sky heading West. Finally he reached the land of the Inuit people and dropped the ball. It shattered into tiny pieces and light travelled everywhere and darkness was gone.
Q. 4 In what ways did the Inuit people perceive the importance of light?
Ans. The Inuit people perceived the importance of light when the crow described how people go on hunting to places away from their villages for long hours, how they are innovating something new sitting under the sunlight all day, at night they sit under small lamp made of fire sparks.
Q. 5 Why do you think the crow went through so much of trouble to get light for the Inuit people?
Ans. Only the crow knew where one could find the light. It was too dark for the Inuit people to find out the paths to long distances. So the Inuit people begged him till he finally agreed to get them light.
Q. 6 How did the Inuit people express their gratitude towards the crow?
Ans. The Inuit people thanked the wise crow. They were indebted to get light not only into their place but also into their lives. They hailed Crow for the gift of light. In this way, the expressed their gratitude towards the crow.
Q. 7 How would you draw the moral of the story in context with today’s time period?
Ans. The myth shows how the kindness and sacrifice of another can benefit everyone as a whole.
English Literature
Class VII
Chapter 5
THE MICROSCOPE
Q. 1 According to the poem The microscope was Anton's business doing well?
Ans. No, Anton's business was not doing well as he devoted this time completely to the improvement of lenses and observation of microbes. He was not attending to the townsfolk.
Q. 2 Make a list of all that Anton van Leeuwenhoek liked to see under the microscope. What do you think was his greatest discovery under the microscope?
Ans. Anton van Leeuwenhoek liked to see mosquitoes' wings, hairs of sheep, legs of lice, skin of people, dogs and mice, ox eyes spider’s spinning gear, fishes scales, a little smear of his own blood and small bugs in the water under the microscope. His greatest discovery was to find micro-organisms.
Q. 3 Why were the people first angry at him and then throat him to be a lunatic?
Ans. The people were angry with him at first because he remained busy in grinding special lenses for a microscope instead of attending them at his store. They thought him lunatic because he told them he could see the brain of housefly and a lot of bugs in drinking water.
Q. 4 what does the poem tell you about Anton van Leeuwenhoek? Write a detailed note?
Ans. Anton van Leeuwenhoek was a Dutch businessman who Sold items such as pincushions and cloth. Towns people criticized him for his scientific work. He was not interested in his business. The goods he sold gathered dust as he engaged in grinding lenses for microscope. He discovered many amazing things under his microscope but his greatest discovery was to find micro-organisms. Most men called him crazy as he told them that he had seen housefly's brain and bugs in the drinking water. They decided to ship Anton to Spain. They called him stupid person.
Q. 5 Why was it difficult for the people to believe in Anton's discoveries?
Ans. It was difficult for the people to believe in Anton's discoveries because they thought that he was crazy, mad and a stupid person.
Q. 6 Where did the people decide to send him when they thought of him as dope?
Ans. When the people thought of him as dope, they decided to send him to Spain.
Q. 7 Did Anton ever stop with his discoveries despite people mocking him what do you think is the reason behind it?
Ans. No, Anton never stopped with his discoveries despite people mocking. The reason behind it was to find great joy in God’s smallest creatures. he retained a child-like joy to see tiny microbes through his homemade microscopes.
English Literature
Class VII
Chapter 6
THE APPLE TREE
Q 1. Why is one orchard described as 'wild' ? What grew there and how was it used by the family?
Ans. One orchard is described as wild because it lay beyond the vegetable garden. Bitter cherries, damsons and transparent yellow plums grew there. It was not used by the family members but the servant girl and the washerwoman carried wet clothes of the family to get them dry.
Q. 2 Why did father believe his friend’s suggestion that the apples were marvelous?
Ans. Father believed his friend's suggestion that the apples were marvelous because he knew nothing whatever about the names of fruit trees.
Q. 3 What was it about the Apple Tree that delighted father?
Ans. About the apple tree that delighted father was that they were very rare and hardly found in England.
Q. 4 Describe what the author intends to convey through the following lines from the story:
Great Scott! — — — — — — — — — — names of fruit trees.
Ans. Through these lines the author intends that father's friend said thinking about the apple tree that every look at the tree gives a feeling of great wonder and surprise. This apple tree looks quite different and strange in the garden like an unknown bird upon the little tree.
Father believes his friend because he knows nothing whatever about the names of trees.
Q. 5 What was the difference in the tone of the warning given to the children by father before and after his friend had left?
Ans. In front of his friend, father gave the warning to the children in a friendly tone but after his friend had left, he gave a warning in a menacing or threatening tone.
Q. 6 Write a short paragraph on how the children reacted when they tasted the apples?
Ans. The children stared each other, chewing the apple desperately. While chewing and swallowing, a long silent conversation passed between them and decided what to tell father. This resulted to the conclusion that they both lied and told the father that the Apple was perfect and lovely.
Q. 7 Why did father spit out the apple when he tasted it. Do you think he ever bothered about the Apple Tree again?
Ans. When father tasted the apple, he spat it out because its skin was hard and tasted bitter like a horrible taste of something dry. No, never bothered about the apple tree again because he never went near it.
English Literature
Class VII
Chapter 7
THE FLIGHT OF ICARUS
Q 1. What did Daedalus make that delighted the king most?
Ans. Daedalus made the plans for a giant labyrinth to hold prisoner The half man and half bull monster known as the Minotaur. This delighted the king most.
Q 2. Why do you think Daedalus did not rebel against the king while being imprisoned in a cave?
Ans. The king provided everything Daedalus asked for, be it tools, food, new clothes. All this kept Daedalus content and satisfied. So Daedalus did not rebel against the king while being imprisoned in a cave.
Q 3. What reason do we find in the story behind the Daedalus’ imprisonment?
Ans. Greed took over the King’s heart and mind. He thought that Daedalus was an asset who would bring him a lot of fortune. If Daedalus left him for any other King that would be his downfall. King’s fame and power was because of Daedalus. He was the brain that the King couldn’t afford to lose. This was the reason behind Daedalus’ imprisonment.
Q 4. Read these lines from the story. What do you think the phrase in the bold indicate about what will later take place in the story?
Daedalus was happy that his invention did not fail him and they were at the right height. Or so he thought.
Ans. Daedalus thought that his invention did not fail him and they were at the right height. As Daedalus turned round, he found Icarus flying too high up in the sky. Daedalus gave him warning not to fly so high but he did not pay attention to his father. The wax on his wings started melting and he came crashing down into the sea and drowned.
Q 5. Why do you think Icarus flew so close to the sun?
Ans. At first there was fear in the joy but when a great wind filled his wings, Icarus forgot everything except joy. He forgot Crete, the other islands that he had passed over. He did not pay attention to his father and forgot his warning. He stretched out his arms to the sky and flew up enjoying the breeze of freedom.
Q 6. What did Daedalus do in the remembrance of his son? How would you describe his emotions through this act?
Ans. In the remembrance of his son, Daedalus named a nearby island after him 'Icaria'. In sadness he vowed never to make another mechanical device. He went to the temple of Apollo in Sicily and there hung up his wings and never attempted to fly again.
Q 7. Write a short note on the character of king Minos.
Ans. Minos was a mighty king of Crete and a great warrior rumoured to be a son of the Greek god Zeus and mortal woman Europa. He was a strong character but he was also a very harsh, selfish and not well like. He could be counted as a typical villain because of his looking up of Daedalus.
English Literature
Class VII
Chapter 8
THE STALLED OX
Q. 1 How would you describe the casual attitude of Theophil Eshley?
Ans. Eshley was an artist by profession. He was very good at his work. His paintings of cows are appreciated by everyone. He was recognised for his paintings that exhibited cows with nature. He was calm, forgiving, silly, funny and thoughtful.
Q. 2 Why did Adela’s call to Eshley sense as another sign of trouble to him?
Ans. Adela's call to Eshley sensed as another sign of trouble to him because she was always rude and sarcastic to him.
Q.3 Why do you think Eshley wasn’t paying much heed to Adela's problem about the ox?
Ans. Eshley was not paying much heed to Adela's problem about the ox because he had no experience in dealing with oxen. .
Q. 4 read this lines from the story what do they tell you about the ox?
Few minutes later...................... of the garden
Ans. In these lines the author tells that when the ox was in the morning room, he had a smell of chopped marigold and oil cakes. He stepped out of Adela's morning room looking around at the stick and obtrusive human Eshley. He then walked swiftly with heavy mind out of garden.
Q. 5 How would you say the ox created conflict in the story?
Ans. For seeking the help to drive an ox out of the garden, Adela wrested Eshley out in the garden. Eshley tried his best to move the ox out of garden but instead of going back towards the gate, the ox decided to go into Adela's morning room. Adela blamed Eshley for this. In this way the ox created conflict in the story.
Q. 6 How would you describe the relevance of the title with the story? Clue: Think carefully about the word stalled.
Ans. The relevance of the title with the story would be described as the ox entered Adela's garden and stayed there and not willing to leave. All the efforts proved futile when it entered the house instead of going out and again stayed there long enough for Eshley to paint his masterpiece.
Q. 7 In what ways are Theophil Eshley and Adela Pingsford different?
Ans. Theophil Eshley was calm, forgiving, silly, funny and thoughtful but Adela was noisy, sarcastic, rude, unconcerned and self-centred..
English Literature
Class VII
Chapter 9
WANDERING SINGERS
Q. 1 What according to the poet, is the purpose of the singers?
Ans. The purpose of the singers is to spread love and peace all over the world because they believe in universal brotherhood.
Q. 2 What is the importance of the voice of the wind?
Ans. The importance of the voice of the wind is that the wandering singers are led by the voice of the wind. They roam about in forests and streets wherever the wind goes.
Q. 3 What kind of life do the singers lead, according to the poem?
Ans. The singers lead a wandering life and a life of freedom. They do not have a family or home. For them the whole world is their home and all the people are their family. They wander from one place to another singing about different things.
Q. 4 What picture is set in mind by the poet for the reader about the singers’ songs?
Ans. The picture which is set in the mind of the reader is that the whole world is our home and all the people are our family and we should live with love, peace and brotherhood.
Q. 5 What does it mean when the poet says ‘What hope shall we gather, what dreams shall we sow’?
Ans. Here the poetess tells us about their sadness related to their future. They do not stay at one place,so they cannot gather hope and cannot have dreams about their bright future.
Q. 6 Explain these lines from the poem:
No love ------------------------------ our fate.
Ans. They have no objects of love to stop them at one place, nor do they expect some particular pleasure at any one place. The call of the wind is their destiny. Like winds they wander wherever they like.
Q. 7 Do you think the songs of these singers are important to keep the history of the country alive?
Ans. The songs of these singers are important to keep the history of the country alive as they sing of cities that lost their glory, old battles, women who died long ago and the glory of the great kings of the past.
English Literature
Class—7th
Chapter—10
Androcles and the Lion
Q. 1 Androcles new the Romans game brutal measurement to slaves who tried to escape. Why do you think he still tried to escape.
Ans. Androcles tried to escape because he did not want to live a life of a slave and repression.
Q. 2 Why do you think Androcles helped the Lion by removing the thorn from his paw even though he knew that he was a wild animal that could attack and kill?
Ans. As Androcles came near, the lion put out his paw, which was all swollen and bleeding because a huge thorn had got into it, and was causing all the pain. He understood that the lion was in need of his help and he was unable to attack on anyone. So he helped the lion.
Q. 3 Explain the expressions in bold in context of the story.
a. Guard 1: At last Androcles! You have run out of luck.
Ans. By luck Androcles escaped from his master. He lived a hidden life for many years. At last he was caught. His lucky time was over and he was having bad fortune because he would be killed soon.
b. As Androcles was thrown inside the cage, where a lion sat facing the other side, he knew his time was up his time was up.
Ans. Androcles was ordered to fight a huge lion that had been kept hungry for two days. He was sure that his life was going to end. The lion would tear him into pieces and kill him.
Q. 4 Why was Androcles not killed by the lion?
And. Androcles was not killed by the lion. It limped over to the side of the cave and laid on the floor and roared in pain. The slave watched as the lion held up one paw and tried to bite at it. The animal had something stuck in its foot and could not move without being in pain.
Q. 5 Do you think there was a possibility for Androcles being killed in the arena? Give reasons?
Ans. Yes, there was a possibility for Androcles being killed in arena because he was ordered to fight with a huge lion that had been kept hungry for two days. It was sure the lion would tear him to pieces.
Q. 6 How would you describe Androcles and the lion’s friendship?
Ans. Their relationship was basically based on compassion and humanity that he showed in the cave when the lion was injured.
Q. 7 What was the underlying reason because of which Androcles and the lion attained freedom?
Ans. Because of the friendship between Androcles and the lion, the lion does not attack Androcles and both are set free.
