Class 7 Lesson 5 Honeycomb NCERT English Questions and answers CBSE Parts Quality and Trees.
Part 1 Quality
Working with the text
Answer the following questions:
1. What was the author’s opinion about Mr Gessler as a bootmaker?
2. Why did the author visit the shop so infrequently?
3. What was the effect on Mr Gessler of the author’s remark about a certain pair of boots?
4. What was Mr Gessler’s complaint against “big firms”?
5. Why did the author order so many pairs of boots? Did he really need them?
Answers:
1. What was the author’s opinion about Mr Gessler as a bootmaker?
The author considered Mr. Gessler to be a master craftsman. He admired the skill and dedication with which Mr. Gessler made boots, believing that it was a mysterious and wonderful art. The boots were made to perfection and lasted for a long time, reflecting the high quality of Mr. Gessler’s work.
2. Why did the author visit the shop so infrequently?
The author visited the shop infrequently because Mr. Gessler’s boots lasted a very long time. The boots had “something beyond the temporary” and were made with such quality that they did not wear out easily, reducing the need for frequent purchases.
3. What was the effect on Mr Gessler of the author’s remark about a certain pair of boots?
Mr. Gessler was visibly affected by the author’s remark that a pair of boots had creaked. He was taken aback, initially silent, as if expecting the author to take back the complaint. He later explained that the boots must have gotten wet before they “found themselves,” showing how seriously he took the quality of his work. He felt responsible for the imperfection and offered to either fix the boots or remove them from the bill.
4. What was Mr Gessler’s complaint against “big firms”?
Mr. Gessler’s complaint against big firms was that they took business away from craftsmen like him by advertising, rather than focusing on the quality of their work. He felt that big firms did not respect their craft and sold inferior boots, while people like him, who loved making boots and used the best materials, were losing customers and facing hardships.
5. Why did the author order so many pairs of boots? Did he really need them?
The author ordered many pairs of boots not because he needed them, but out of sympathy for Mr. Gessler. After seeing how deeply Mr. Gessler was affected by the competition from big firms and realizing the bitter struggle he was going through, the author placed a large order to support him and his craft.
Working with Language
1. Study the following phrases and their meanings. Use them appropriately to complete the sentences that follow.
look after: take care of
look down: disapprove or regard as inferior
look in: (on someone): make a short visit
look into : investigate
look out be careful
look up : improve
look up to: admire
(i) After a very long spell of heat, the weather is ________ at last.
(ii) We have no right to ______ people who do small jobs.
(iii) Nitin has always _________ his uncle, who is a self-made man.
(iv) The police are ______ the matter thoroughly.
(v) If you want to go out, I will _________ the children for you.
(vi) I promise to __________ on your brother when I visit Lucknow next.
(viii) _________ when you are crossing the main road.
Answers:
(i) After a very long spell of heat, the weather is looking up at last.
(ii) We have no right to look down on people who do small jobs.
(iii) Nitin has always looked up to his uncle, who is a self-made man.
(iv) The police are looking into the matter thoroughly.
(v) If you want to go out, I will look after the children for you.
(vi) I promise to look in on your brother when I visit Lucknow next.
(vii) Look out when you are crossing the main road.
2. Read the following sets of words loudly and clearly.
cot – coat
cost -coast
tossed -toast
got -goat
rot – rote
blot -bloat
knot – note
3. Each of the following words contains the sound ‘sh’ (as in shine) in the beginning or in the middle or at the end. First speak out all the words clearly. Then arrange the words in three groups.
| sheep | trash | marsh | fashion |
| anxious | shriek | shore | fish |
| portion | ashes | sure | nation |
| shoe | pushing | polish | moustache |
Answers:
‘sh’ at the beginning:
- sheep
- shriek
- shore
- shoe
- sure
‘sh’ in the middle:
- fashion
- anxious
- portion
- nation
- pushing
- moustache
‘sh’ at the end:
- trash
- marsh
- fish
- ashes
- polish
4. In each of the following words ‘ch’ represents the same consonant sound as in ‘chair’. The words on the left have this sound initially. Those on the right have it finally. Speak each word clearly.
| choose | bench |
| child | march |
| cheese | peach |
| chair | wretch |
| charming | research |
Underline the letters representing this sound in each of the following words.
(i) feature
(ii) archery
(iii) picture
(iv) reaching
(v) nature
(vi) matches
(vii) riches
(viii) batch
(ix) church
Answers:
(i) feature – feature (ii) archery – archery (iii) picture – picture (iv) reaching – reaching (v) nature – nature (vi) matches – matches (vii) riches – riches (viii) batch – batch (ix) church – church
Speaking
1. Do you think MR Gessler was a failure as a bootmaker or as a competitive businessman?
2. What is the significance of the title? To whom or to what does it refer?
3. Notice the way Mr Gessler speaks English. His English is influence by is mother tongue. He speaks English with as accent.
When Mr Gessler speaks, p,t,k, sound like b,d,g. Can you say these words as Mr Gessler would say them?
It comes and never stops, Does it bother me? Not at all. Ask my brother, please.
4. Speak to five adults in your neighbourhood. Ask them the following questions (in any language they are comfortable in). Thencome back and share your finding with the class.
(i) Do they buy their provisions packed in plastic packets at a big store, or loose, from a smaller store near their house?
(ii) Where do they buy their footwear? Do they buy branded footwear, or footwear made locally? What reasons do they have for their preference?
(iii) Do they buy ready-made clothes, or buy cloth and get their clothes stitched by a tailor? Which dot hey think is better?
Writing
1. Based on the following points write a story.
Your aunt had gone to her mother’s house.
Your uncle does his cooking.
He is absent-minded.
He puts vegetables on the stove.
He begins to clean his bicycle outside.
The neighbour calls out saying something is burning.
Your uncle rushes to the kitchen.
To save vegetables, he puts some oil on them.
Unfortunately, It’s machine oil, not cooking oil.
What do you think happens to the vegetables?
Begins like this:
Last month my aunt decided to visit her parents………
Answer:
Last month, my aunt decided to visit her parents, leaving my uncle in charge of the house. My uncle, though kind-hearted, is quite absent-minded, especially when it comes to household chores. With my aunt gone, he had to take up the cooking duties himself.
One afternoon, after returning from his morning errands, my uncle decided to make a simple meal. He chopped some vegetables and put them on the stove to cook. Feeling quite accomplished, he remembered that his bicycle needed cleaning, so he thought, “It will only take a few minutes.”
As he stepped outside to tend to his bicycle, he quickly became engrossed in the task. Time flew by, and my uncle, completely lost in cleaning the bike, had forgotten all about the vegetables on the stove.
Suddenly, his neighbor called out from across the fence, “Hey, something’s burning in your kitchen!” Alarmed, my uncle rushed inside to find the kitchen filled with smoke. The vegetables were starting to burn. In a panic, he grabbed a bottle of oil from the counter and poured some onto the vegetables in an attempt to save them. Only after pouring it did he realize, to his horror, that it was not cooking oil but machine oil for his bicycle!
The vegetables sizzled and smelled strange. My uncle stood there, frozen for a moment, realizing the disastrous mistake he had made. Needless to say, those vegetables were beyond saving, and the kitchen had an odd burnt smell for days.
When my aunt returned, she couldn’t help but laugh at the whole situation. My uncle, however, decided it was best to leave the cooking to her from then on!
Trees
Working with the poem
1. What are the games or human activates which use trees, or in which trees also ‘participate’?
2. (i) “Trees are to make no shade in winter.” What does this mean? (Contrast this line with the line immediately before it.)
(ii) “Trees are for apples to grow on, or pears.” Do you agree that one purpose of a tree is to have frit on it? Or do you think this line is humorous?
3. With the help of your partner, try to rewrite some lines in the poem, or add new ones of your own as in the following examples.
Trees for birds to build nests in.
Trees are for people to sit under.
Now try to compose a similar poem about water, or air.
Answer:
- Games or human activities involving trees:
- Tree houses: Children use trees to make tree houses.
- Swings: Trees are used to swing swings on.
- Hide and Seek: Trees are used to hide behind during the game.
- Tea parties: Trees provide a spot to have tea parties under.
- Kite flying: Trees can catch kites in their branches.
- Painting and Raking: Trees inspire painting and raking leaves, especially in the fall.
- (i) “Trees are to make no shade in winter.” This line contrasts with the previous line, which says, “Trees are to make cool shade in summer.” In summer, trees provide shade to protect from the heat. However, in winter, when the leaves have fallen, trees do not provide much shade, allowing the sun to warm us. (ii) “Trees are for apples to grow on, or pears.” Yes, I agree that one of the purposes of trees is to bear fruit like apples or pears. It can be both a factual and a slightly humorous line, as it playfully highlights the practical function of trees while maintaining the lighthearted tone of the poem.
- New lines for the poem:
- Trees are for birds to sing from.
- Trees are for children to climb.
- Trees are for rain to drip through.
- Trees are for lovers to carve initials in.
- Trees are for squirrels to scamper on.
Water is for plants to grow.
Water is for boats to sail on.
Water is for kids to splash in.
Water is for clouds to form.
Water is for rivers to flow. Poem about air: Air is for birds to soar in.
Air is for kites to fly.
Air is for breezes to cool us.
Air is for leaves to rustle in.
Air is for balloons to rise.
Air is for us to breathe every day.
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