NCERT English Class 7 | Chapter 6 | Expert Detectives | Question Answer |

COMPREHENSION CHECK                                                                           PAGE 89

1. What did Nishad give Mr. Nath? Why?

Answer: Nishad gave a bar of chocolate to Mr. Nath as he thought that Mr. Nath was poor and starving. He thought so because of Mr. Nath’s lean appearance.

2. What is “strange” about Mr. Nath’s Sundays?

Answer: The “strange” thing about Mr. Nath’s Sunday was that every Sunday he used to have a particular visitor and both of them used to have lunch together. The spectator was a tall, fair, stout man wearing spectacles and he used to talk a lot, unlike Mr. Nath.

3. Why did Nishad and Maya get a holiday?

Answer: Nishad and Maya got an unexpected holiday because of the bad weather. There was heavy rainfall which flooded the streets and no traffic could move through the flooded roads.


WORKING WITH THE TEXT                                                                          PAGE 93

1.       What does Nishad find out about Mr. Nath from Ramesh?

Arrange the information as suggested below.

·        What he eats

·        When he eats

·        What he drinks, and when

·        How he pays

Answer: Nishad finds out the following about Mr. Nath from Ramesh:

·        Mr. Nath is not very particular about what he eats. He eats two chapattis, dal, and a vegetable.

·        He eats two times a day- in the morning and in the evening.

·        He drinks two cups of tea, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

·        He pays in cash and also tips Ramesh.

2.       Why does Maya think Mr. Nath is a crook? Who does she say the Sunday visitor is?

Answer: In Maya’s opinion, Mr. Nath was a crook because of his weird appearance and for the fact that he did not have a job. He never talked with anyone though he had been living there for more than a year. He had strange scars on his face and he never received any letters. He only had one visitor who used to visit him every Sunday whom Maya considers to be his partner in crime and he visits on Sundays to give Mr. Nath his share of the money.

3.       Does Nishad agree with Maya about Mr. Nath? How does he feel about him?

Answer: No, Nishad does not agree with Maya that Mr. Nath is a crook. He thinks of Mr. Nath as a lonely and poor man who is starving. He thinks that Mr. Nath is a kind hearted man who, despite having less money for himself, gives tips to Ramesh.


WORKING WITH LANGUAGE                                                                      PAGE 93

1.       The word ‘tip’ has only three letters but many meanings.

Match the word with its meanings below.

(i) finger tips                                                – be about to say something 

(ii) the tip of your nose                                – make the boat overturn

(iii) tip the water out of the bucket               – the ends of one’s fingers

 

(iv) have something on the tip of your tongue       – give a rupee to him, to thank him

(v) tip the boat over                                     – empty a bucket by tilting it

(vi) tip him a rupee                                      – the pointed end of your nose

(vii) the tip of the bat                                   – if you take this advice

(viii) the police were tipped off                    – the bat lightly touched the ball 

(ix) if you take my tip                                  – the end of the bat

(x) the bat tipped the ball                             – the police were told or warned

Answer:

(i) finger tips                                                – the ends of one’s fingers

(ii) the tip of your nose                                – the pointed end of your nose

(iii) tip the water out of the bucket               – empty a bucket by tilting it

(iv) have something on the tip of your tongue – be about to say something

(v) tip the boat over                                     – make the boat overturn

 

(vi) tip him a rupee                                      – give a rupee to him, to thank him

(vii) the tip of the bat                                   – the end of the bat

 

(viii) the police were tipped off                    – the police were told, or warned

(ix) if you take my tip                                  – if you take this advice

 

(x) the bat tipped the ball                             – the bat lightly touched the ball


2.       The words helper, companion, partner and accomplice have very similar meanings, but each word is typically used in certain phrases. Can you fill in the blanks below with the most commonly used words? A dictionary may help you. 

(i) business _____________________.

(ii) my ____________ on the journey.

(iii) I’m mother’s little ____________.

(iv) a faithful ____________ such as a dog.

(v) the thief’s ___________________.

(vi) find a good __________________.

(vii) tennis/ golf / bridge ___________.

(viii) his ____________ in his criminal activities.

Answer:

(i) business partner .

(ii) my companion on the journey.

(iii) I’m mother’s little helper.

(iv) a faithful companion such as a dog.

(v) the thief’s accomplice.

(vi) find a good helper.

(vii) tennis/ golf / bridge partner.

(viii) his accomplice in his criminal activities.


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


(i) The storm broke                            – could not speak; was too sad to speak 

(ii) daybreak                                       – this kind of weather ended

(iii) His voice is beginning to break    – it began or burst into activity

(iv) Her voice broke and she cried      – the beginning of daylight

(v) The heat wave broke                      – changing as he grows up

(vi) broke the bad news                       – end it by making the workers submit

(vii) break a strike                               – gently told someone the bad news

(viii) (Find your own expression         – Give it’s meaning here.)

Answer:

(i) The storm broke                            – this kind of weather ended

(ii) daybreak                                      – the beginning of daylight

(iii) His voice is beginning to break    – changing as he grows up


(iv) Her voice broke and she cried      – could not speak; was too sad to speak 

(v) The heat wave broke                      – it began or burst into activity

(vi) broke the bad news                        – gently told someone the bad news

(vii) break a strike                                – end it by making the workers submit

 

(viii) the machine broke down             – the machine underwent sudden physical damage


SPEAKING                                                                                                          PAGE 95


1.       Play detectives with each other. Find a person in your class (or some other acquaintance) to speak to. Find out the answers to the questions given below. Be careful to ask your questions in a polite and inoffensive way. Do not force the person to answer you. Then allow the person to ask you the same questions. 

(i) Name?

(ii) What newspapers or magazines does the person read?

(iii) How long has the person lived at the current address?

(iv) What does she/he do during the day, i.e. the daily routine?

(v) What do neighbours and friends say about the person?


(vi) Who are his/her visitors and what are his/her eating habits? (You can ask a few others about this.)

(vii) What do you think about the person?

Answer: Do it yourself.


WRITING                                                                                                             PAGE 95

1.       Who do you think Mr. Nath is? Write a paragraph or two about him.

 

Answer: I think Mr. Nath is just an ordinary man who is probably not eating well. He might be an introvert which is why he does not have friends and visitors. He might enjoy being alone rather than having the company of many others.

He is very lean because he does not take meals properly. He is not even particular about the food. He just needs two chapattis, dal and a vegetable. He consults Nishad’s mother, who is a doctor. This means that he is having some ailment. That can be another reason why he prefers to be alone.

He also has scars on his face, which makes people think that he is a crook. But the scars might be from some accident. The visitor who comes every Sunday might be a family member who is coming to ensure that Mr. Nath is keeping well.


2.       What else do you think Nishad and Maya will find out about him? How? Will they ever be friends? Think about these questions and write a paragraph or two to continue the story.


Answer: I think Nishad and Maya will find out that Mr. Nath is a good person but an introvert. They might even get to know that Mr. Nath is working from home because he does not keep well. That is the reason he prefers being at home and not having visitors.

They might become friends later, especially Nishad can be a good friend to him because he was in his favour from the beginning. Maya would have regretted doubting him to be a criminal. 

3.       Conducting a Survey

Answer: To be done in groups by students.


Poem: Mystery of the Talking Fan                    By Maude Rubin

WORKING WITH THE POEM                                                                           PAGE 97

1.       Fans don’t talk, but it is possible to imagine that they do. What is it, then, that sounds like the fan’s chatter?

Answer: The poet using his imagination had personified the fan. The fan produced a sound due to friction between the parts of its motor and it needed oiling. The poet had imagined the fan’s noise to be its’s chatter.

2.       Complete the following sentences.

(i) The chatter is electrical because _________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________.

(ii) It is mysterious because_______________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________.

Answer:

(i) The chatter is electrical because the noise is being produced by the electric motor of the fan which needs oiling.

(ii) It is mysterious because the fan seems to say something but the poet is unable to understand it.

3.       What do you think the talking fan was demanding?

Answer: The talking fan was demanding some oil for its motor parts. Once it was oiled, it became silent.

4.       How does an electric fan manage to throw so much air when it is switched on?

Answer: When we switch on an electric fan, its motor starts whirling (rotating) which makes the metallic blades move, and we can feel the moving air.

5.       Is there a ‘talking fan’ in your house? Create a dialogue between the fan and a mechanic.

Answer:  Students should attempt to answer this question by themselves.

1. Three Questions ; The Squirrel Question Answer

2. A Gift of Chappals ; The Rebel Question Answer

3. Gopal and the Hilsa Fish ; The Shed Question Answer

4. The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom ; Chivvy Question Answer

5. Quality ; Trees Question Answer

6. Expert Detectives ; Mystery of the Talking Fan Question Answer

7. The Invention of Vita-Wonk ; Dad and the Cat and the Tree Question Answer

8. Fire: Friend and Foe ; Meadow Surprises Question Answer

9. A Bicycle in Good Repair ; Garden Snake Question Answer

10. The Story of Cricket Question Answer

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