NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 2 A Gift of Chappals is available here. These solutions are prepared by our subject expert to help students in their exams and homework. NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Chapter 2 A Gift of Chappals questions and answers are very helpful for CBSE exam. Students of Class 7 can study the answers provided here to score well in their school exams.
Comprehension Check
Question 1: What is the secret that Meena shares with Mridu in the backyard?
Answer: Meena shared the secret of having a kitten in the backyard inside a torn football lined with sacking and filled with sand. They found him outside the gate in the morning.
Question 2: How does Ravi get milk for the kitten?
Answer: Ravi gets milk for the kitten cleverly from the kitchen by pretending that he is hungry. In order to prove that he indeed was hungry, he had to drink most of the milk. He would leave some milk in the tumbler and empty it in the coconut shell kept in the backyard.
Question 3: Who does he say the kitten’s ancestors are? Do you believe him?
Answer: He said the kitten’s ancestors was the Mahabalipuram Rishi-Cat, which was the emblem of the Pallava dynasty and the Mahabalipuram Rishi-Cat was descendants of the cat-goddess of Egypt. No, I don’t believe him.
Question 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
Answer 4: I agree with these statements.
(ii) his knowledge of history is sound.
(iii) he has a rich imagination.
Question 5: What was the noise that startled Mridu and frightened Mahendran?
Answer: The noise that startled Mridu and frightened Mahendran was that of ‘kreeching’ sound of Lalli’s violin.
Comprehension Check
Question 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. It was like the wheels of a train fitting smoothly into the rails and whizzing along” This sentence in the text that expresses the idea that the music master is making lovely music.
Question 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. In fact, he had been visiting Rukku Manni’s house for past one week. He himself admitted that he had survived the past week because of the generosity of the ladies of Rukku Manni’s house.
Question 3: “A sharp V-shaped line had formed between hereyebrows.” What does it suggest to you about Rukku Manni’s mood?
Answer: A sharp V-shaped line between the eyebrows refers to a frown. This suggests that Rukku Manni was in an angry mood.
Working with the Text
Question 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.
Question 2: Describe the music teacher, as seen from the window
Answer: As seen from the window, the bony figure of the music master, with most of his back to the window, could be seen sitting in front of Lalli. He had a mostly bald head with a fringe of oiled black hair falling around his ears and an old-fashioned tuft. A gold chain gleamed around his leathery neck and a diamond ring glittered on his hand as it glided up and down the stem of the violin. A large foot stuck out from beneath his gold-bordered veshti edge. He was beating time on the floor with the scrawny big toe.
Question 3: (i) What makes Mridu conclude that the beggar has nomoney to buy chappals?
(ii) What does she suggest to show her concern?
Answer:
(i) The beggar showed his feet to the children. There were pink blisters on his bare feet which made Mridu conclude that he didn’t have the money to buy chappals.
(ii) Mridu was concerned about the beggar. She suggested giving an old pair of chappals to the beggar.
Question 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.
Question 5: On getting Gopu Mama’s chappals, the music teacher tried not to look too happy. Why?
Answer: The music teacher tried not to look happy because he did not wanted to reveal his happiness of getting new chappals of Gopu Mama to others. He wanted to show that his own chappals were more expensive and branded one. Actually, he was very happy after getting Gopu Mama’s chappals.
Question 6: On getting a gift of chappals, the beggar vanished in a minute. Why was he in such a hurry to leave?
Answer: The beggar was in a hurry to leave after getting the chappals because he knew that the children have got them for him without seeking the permission of the elders. He feared they might be taken back from him, so he left in a hurry.
Question 7: Walking towards the kitchen with Mridu and Meena, Rukku Manni began to laugh. What made her laugh?
Answer: Walking towards the kitchen with Mridu and Meena, Rukku Manni remembered that Gopu Mama was always in a hurry to throw off his shoes and socks, and get into his slippers as soon as he came home. She wondered what he would say that evening when she would tell him that she had given his slippers to the music-master. Thinking of this, she began to laugh.
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 fect.
(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) Don’t tire yourself now. You won’t be able to work in the evening.
You won’t be able to work in the evening if you tire yourself up now.
(ii) Study regularly. You’ll do well in the examination.
If you study regularly, you’ll do well in the examination.
(iii) Work hard. You’ll pass the examination in the first division.
If you work hard, you’ll pass the examination in the first division.
(iv) Be polite to people. They’ll also be polite to you.
If you are polite to people, they’ll also be polite to you.
(v) Don’t tease the dog. It’ll bite you.
If you tease the dog, it’ll bite you.
Question 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.
Question 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.
Speaking and Writing
Question 1. Discuss in small groups
- If you want to give away something of your own to the needy, would it be better to ask your elders first?
- Is there someone of your age in the family who is very talkative? Do you find her/him interesting and impressive or otherwise? Share your ideas with others in the group.
- Has Rukku Manni done exactly the same as the children? In your opinion, then, is it right for one party to blame the other?
Answer: Yes, it will be better to ask my elders first if I want to give away something of your own to the needy.
Yes, my sister is a very talkative person. Yes, I find her interesting and impressive.
Yes, Rukku Manni also gave away someone else’s belonging. Then, it is not right for her to blame the children. But, she had to save her family from the embarrassing situation, that’s why she had to take the decision without discussing it with Gopu Mama.
Question 2. Read the following.
- A group of children in your class are going to live in a hostel.
- They have been asked to choose a person in the group to share a room with.
- They are asking each other questions to decide who they would like to share a room with.
Ask one another questions about likes/dislikes/preferences/hobbies/personal characteristics. Use the following questions and sentence openings.
(i) What do you enjoy doing after school?
I enjoy…
(ii) What do you like in general?
I like…
(iii) Do you play any game?
I don’t like…
(iv) Would you mind if I listened to music after dinner?
I wouldn’t…
(v) Will it be all right if I…?
It’s fine with me…
(vi) Is there anything you dislike, particularly?
Well, I can’t share…
(vii) Do you like to attend parties?
Oh, I…
(viii) Would you say you are…?
I think…
Answer:
(i) What do you enjoy doing after school?
I enjoy reading comic books after school.
(ii) What do you like in general?
I like to read comic books and listen to music.
(iii) Do you play any game?
I don’t like playing games, especially the outdoor games. But it is fun to play video games and chess.
(iv) Would you mind if I listened to music after dinner?
I wouldn’t mind if you listen to music after dinner. In fact, even I would like to join you.
(v) Will it be all right if I keep the lights on for some time after 10 o’clock at night?
It’s fine with me if you keep the lights on for some time after 10.
(vi) Is there anything you dislike, particularly?
Well, I can’t share my towel, bedsheet and pillow with anyone.
(vii) Do you like to attend parties?
Oh, I am fond of attending parties!
(viii) Would you say you are a person who can adjust?
I think, yes, I am a person who can adjust.