CBSE Class 7 English — NCERT Solutions

Given: The story 'The Day the River Spoke' by Kamala Nair.

The completed table is as follows:

Note: Students should verify the exact wording with their teacher, as some answers depend on the full text of the story.

Given: The River says, 'You shouldn't cry, you know. And you really shouldn't be scared, when you have been coming here to see me every day, well, almost every day.'

Answer: The tone of the River in the given extract is assuring.

Reason: The River is not merely feeling sorry for Jahnavi; instead, it is calming her fears and building her confidence by reminding her that she is no stranger to the River. This is a tone of reassurance, not just sympathy.

The correct answer is option 4: knows more about animals than the local veterinarians.

Justification: The Cat's-food-Man observes that Doctor Dolittle has a deep understanding of animals and their needs, far beyond that of ordinary veterinarians. He recognises that Dolittle's knowledge and affinity for animals make him better suited to treat them than to treat human patients.

Doctor Dolittle reacts to Polynesia's information about animal languages with both excitement and curiosity. He rushes to write the bird words she provides and is interested in learning more.

Explanation: The word 'certainty' would mean he already knew about it, which is not the case. His eager questioning and note-taking show curiosity. He is seen rushing to write down the words Polynesia teaches him, indicating he is recording them rather than simply memorising them mentally.

The correct order of occurrence is:

Step 1 – Identify the sequence of events from the story:

• First, Anita notices someone trying to break in and wakes Anand up.
• Then, the door swings open and they see Boppa with an evil grin.
• Next, Anand cleverly misleads Boppa into entering his room instead of his father's room.
• After that, Mrs. Sharma, her husband, and Dr. Mohan arrive and enter the house.
• Finally, when they search, Boppa is nowhere to be found, but his green scarf is lying near the time machine.

Correct Order:
4 → 1 → 5 → 3 → 2

Given: The phrase 'let me put you in the picture' is used by Anita at the very beginning of the story.

Answer: When Anita says, '...let me put you in the picture', she wants to introduce the situation for the benefit of the readers.

Reason: The phrase 'put you in the picture' means to give someone the background information they need to understand a situation. Since Anita is speaking at the start of the story, she is introducing the characters and context, not summarising.

Given: Sunder Singh is the watchman who patrols the tunnel regularly and is familiar with the jungle and its animals.

Answer: Sunder Singh knew that the leopard was in the tunnel because he had seen its pug marks (footprints) on the ground near the tunnel entrance. As an experienced watchman who walked the tunnel every day, he could recognise the signs left by animals and was familiar with the leopard that lived in the surrounding jungle.

Given: A table with Major Somnath Sharma as an example.

Completed Table:

Given: A personal reflection question.

Answer (Sample): My mother inspires me to do my best. She always encourages me to keep trying even when things are difficult. Whenever I feel like giving up, she reminds me that hard work and persistence always lead to success. Her dedication and positive attitude motivate me every day.

The TRUE statements are:

Statement 3: The funny man wore two hats on his feet. ✓
Statement 4: The funny man hopped on his head to reach home. ✓

Explanation of why the others are FALSE:

1. FALSE – The poet says she had never seen (not heard) such a funny sounding sight, referring to a visual scene, not a song.
2. FALSE – The funny man was polite and addressed the poet as 'Your Highness'; he was not ill-mannered.
3. FALSE – He pretended to give a rose but actually held a currant bun to her nose.
4. FALSE – The poem does not mention the funny man smiling at the poet.

Given: A pre-reading personal response question.

Sample Answer: When I think about 'paper boats', I picture a child sitting beside a stream on a rainy day, carefully folding a sheet of paper into a little boat and gently placing it on the flowing water. It brings to mind feelings of childhood joy, innocence, creativity, and the simple pleasure of watching something you made float away into the unknown.

Given: A word web on the theme 'Travel' is to be completed.

Approach: Think of all words, ideas, and concepts associated with travel.

Sample Word Web (spokes radiating from 'Travel'):

• Modes of transport: train, bus, aeroplane, ship, car, bicycle
• Places: hill station, beach, forest, city, village, heritage site
• Things to carry: luggage, passport, ticket, map, camera
• Feelings: excitement, curiosity, adventure, joy
• Activities: sightseeing, trekking, swimming, photography
• People: co-passengers, guides, locals, fellow travellers

(Students should fill the word web with as many relevant words as possible in the given diagram.)

Given: A summary of the poem 'My Dear Soldiers' by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam with blanks to fill using exact words from the poem.

1. land (given as example)
2. borders — The soldiers defend the borders of their country.
3. scorching — Whether it is windy, snowy, or scorching hot.
4. lonely — They walk on lonely stretches of land like the yogis.
5. deserts — Their duty takes them to mountains, valleys, deserts, and marshes.
6. youth — They have given the prime of their youth to protect the nation.
7. feat — The wind chimes vibrate to show respect to the soldiers' feat (deeds/achievements).

The TRUE statements are:

Statement 3: True. Helen Keller clearly states that on the first day she would want to see the people whose kindness and friendship have made her life worth living.

Statement 4: True. The author says, 'Only when darkness had again descended upon me should I realise how much I had left unseen,' which shows she acknowledges she cannot see everything in three days.

Statement 6: True. The author directly advises, 'Use your eyes as if tomorrow you would be stricken blind,' and applies the same advice to all other senses.

Statement 7: True. On the third day, the author plans to go into the busy city to observe ordinary people going about their daily lives and understand their experiences.

Statements 1, 2, and 5 are FALSE.

• Statement 1 is false because the author's deepest longing is for the sense of sight, not hearing.
• Statement 2 is false because the author wants to observe the joy and beauty of everyday life, not just suffering.
• Statement 5 is false because the author clearly states that sight must be the most delightful of all the senses.

Given: The table has one example filled in. We need to complete the remaining cells.

Explanation: Mary's words show her rebellious and impatient nature — she resents being told what to do. Mrs. Shaw's missing words are her advice about being polite and thoughtful in conversation, which is the central theme of the play.

This is an open-ended pair activity. Sample Answer:

I enjoyed travelling to Ooty, Tamil Nadu, with my family during the summer holidays. We travelled by train from Chennai to Mettupalayam and then took the famous Nilgiri Mountain Railway (a UNESCO World Heritage toy train) up to Ooty. I learnt that the Nilgiris are home to the Toda tribe, who have a unique culture and lifestyle. I also learnt about tea cultivation — we visited a tea estate and saw how tea leaves are plucked, dried, and processed. The experience taught me that India has incredible natural beauty and rich cultural diversity even within a single state.

Note: The icons in the image cannot be seen directly, but based on the chapter theme 'Conquering the Summit' (Travel and Adventure), the icons most likely represent adventure activities such as:

1. Mountain climbing / Trekking
2. River rafting
3. Camping
4. Scuba diving / Swimming
5. Snow skiing

Students should look at each icon carefully and name the adventure sport or activity it depicts, then share their answers with classmates and the teacher.