Expert Detectives
Class 7th English Honeycomb CBSE Solution
- What did Nishad give Mr. Nath? Why?
- What is ‘strange’ about Mr. Nath’s Sundays?
- Why did Nishad and Maya get a holiday?
- What does Nishad find out about Mr. Nath from Ramesh? Arrange the information as suggested…
- Why does Maya think Mr. Nath is a crook? Who does she say the Sunday visitor is?…
- Does Nishad agree with Maya about Mr. Nath? How does he feel about him?…
- The word ‘tip’ has only three letters but many meanings. Match the words with meanings…
- The words helper, companion, partner and accomplice have very similar meanings, but each…
- Now let us look at the uses of the word break. Match the word with its meanings below. Try…
- Who do you think Mr. Nath is? Write a paragraph or two about him.…
- What else do you think Nishad and Maya will find out about him? How? Will they ever be…
- Conducting a Survey Have you ever conducted a survey? Say Yes, No, or I don’t know. Study…
- Fans don’t talk, but it is possible to imagine that they do. What is it, then, that sounds…
- Complete the following sentences: (i) The chatter is electrical because......... (ii) It…
- What do you think the talking fan was demanding?
- How does an electric fan manage to throw so much air when it is switched on?…
- Is there a ‘talking fan’ in your house? Create a dialogue between the fan and a mechanic.…
Comprehension Check I
Question 1.What did Nishad give Mr. Nath? Why?
Answer:
Nishad gave Mr. Nath a bar of chocolate. He thought Mr. Nath was starving because he was thin and looked like he couldn’t afford food.
Question 2.
What is ‘strange’ about Mr. Nath’s Sundays?
Answer:
The strange thing about Mr. Nath’s Sundays was that there came a man to visit him almost every Sunday. He was tall, fair, stout, wore spectacles and talked a lot unlike Mr. Nath who hardly speaks.
Question 3.
Why did Nishad and Maya get a holiday?
Answer:
Nishad and Maya got an unexpected holiday because it had rained heavily, flooding the streets with heavy downpour and no traffic could move through the flooded roads.
Working With The Text
Question 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 had found out from Ramesh that Mr. Nath took the same meal, consisting of two chapattis, some dal and a vegetable, in the morning and evening every day. He took two cups of tea as well, one in the morning and one later in the afternoon, and paid for the food in cash.
Question 2.
Why does Maya think Mr. Nath is a crook? Who does she say the Sunday visitor is?
Answer:
Maya thinks Mr Nath is a crook because he has nasty scars on his face and doesn’t talk to anybody around. He doesn’t have a job, spends the day sitting in his room and seems to have no friends except for the Sunday visitor. Also, Ramesh had told Nishad that Mr Nath doesn’t bother about his meals and pays for it in cash every day which the children felt was odd.
Maya thinks the Sunday visitor is his accomplice in crime who keeps the loot and comes every now and then to give a part to Mr Nath.
Question 3.
Does Nishad agree with Maya about Mr. Nath? How does he feel about him?
Answer:
No, Nishad does not agree with about Mr. Nath. He thinks Mr. Nath must be lonely because he has no friends and feels sorry for him.
Working With Language
Question 1.The word ‘tip’ has only three letters but many meanings. Match the words with 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 him 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:
Question 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 partner.
(vii) tennis/golf/bridge partner.
(viii) his accomplice in his criminal activities
Question 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) day break — 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 its meaning here.)
Answer:
Writing
Question 1.Who do you think Mr. Nath is? Write a paragraph or two about him.
Answer:
Mr. Nath is an introvert man. I think he lives alone because he doesn’t have a family. He might have met with some unfortunate fire accident that left him scars. People might be scared of him because of the unpleasant scars and perhaps that is why he didn’t interact much with people around him but he certainly was a polite man. He is nice with Ramesh and tips him generously.
He is a patient of Maya and Nishad’s mother who was a doctor. May be he isn’t well and that is why he doesn’t care of his food and looks like he is starving. Mr. Nath has a regular Sunday visitor who is unlike him in every aspect and appears to be more social.
Question 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 actually a nice man. He was in the army had met with an accident that had left with the nasty scars. His family stays abroad and he likes living independently. He doesn’t like going out much because he gets upset when people stare at him. He has a trunk full of books which he reads in his room to spend the day. The Sunday visitor is his nephew who works in the city and comes to see Mr. Nath whenever he can.
Nishad and Maya learn from their mother about Mr. Nath’s illness. He has dust allergy. He goes out only once a day, for a walk early in the morning. Having satisfied their curiosity of him, Nishad and Maya befriend him. They started going to his room in the evening frequently and liked spending time him.
Question 3.
Conducting a Survey
Have you ever conducted a survey?
Say Yes, No, or I don’t know.
Study the following questionnaire and discuss the points in small groups.
Answer:
A home is a place where
● You feel secure and happy — Yes
● You can be alone — Yes
● You can keep all your things — Yes
● You can bring up a family — Yes
● You can invite friends/relatives — Yes
● You can make noise if you want to — No
● You can do whatever to like — No
● You are at peace — Yes
● You can look after your parents — Yes
● You can receive and give love — Yes
Mystery Of The Talking Fan - Working With The Poem
Question 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 fan’s chatter like sound is the noise made by the motor. It makes rough, chatter like sound because of friction which goes away on oiling.
Question 2.
Complete the following sentences:
(i) The chatter is electrical because.........
(ii) It is mysterious because..........
Answer:
(i) The chatter is electrical because the fan runs on electricity and the chattering noise was made by its motor.
(ii) It is mysterious because the poet was unable to comprehend what the fan might have been saying.
Question 3.
What do you think the talking fan was demanding?
Answer:
The talking fan seemed to be demanding that it needs to be oiled. The moment the motor is oiled, the fan stopped chattering and worked smoothly.
Question 4.
How does an electric fan manage to throw so much air when it is switched on?
Answer:
The electric fan is made up of three blades and a motor suspended from the ceiling. When the fan is switched on the motor starts running, spinning the blades in circular motion and whirling the air in the room towards the floor.
Question 5.
Is there a ‘talking fan’ in your house? Create a dialogue between the fan and a mechanic.
Answer:
Yes, there is a talking fan in my house which needs some attention.
Fan: Chatter chatter chatter chatter.
Mechanic: Hello, are you talking to me?
Fan: Yes, I have been talking for a few days now but the people in this house don’t listen.
Mechanic: Ah! They don’t understand ‘the fan language’ like I do. I apologise on their behalf. Tell me what is that you need?
Fan: There is some friction in the motor & I feel hot.
Mechanic: Would you like some machine oil?
Fan: Yes, that would be great. Thank you.
Mechanic: You’re welcome. I will leave some oil behind and tell these people how to take care of you for the next time you feel like chattering.