Class 7 Lesson 6 Honeycomb NCERT English Questions and answers CBSE Parts Expert Detectives and Mystery of the Talking Fan.
Lesson 1 Expert Detectives
Comprehension Check
1. What did Nishad give Mr Nath? Why?
2. What is “strange” about Mr Nath’s Sundays?
3. Why did Nishad and Maya get a holiday?
Answers:
1. What did Nishad give Mr Nath? Why?
Nishad gave Mr Nath a bar of chocolate because he was upset about Mr Nath’s thin and gaunt appearance and thought he might be starving.
2. What is “strange” about Mr Nath’s Sundays?
On almost every Sunday, Mr Nath has a visitor who is described as tall, fair, stout, and wearing spectacles. This man stays with Mr Nath and talks a lot, which is unusual because Mr Nath hardly speaks.
3. Why did Nishad and Maya get a holiday?
Nishad and Maya got a holiday because the monsoons caused heavy rain, flooding the streets, and making traffic unable to move. As a result, their school couldn’t reopen after the summer holidays.
Working with the text
1. What does Nishad find out about Mr Nath from Ramesh? Arrange the information as suggested below.
What he cats
When he eats
What he drinks, and when
How he pays
2. Why does Maya think Mr Nath is a crook? Who does she say the Sunday visitor is?
3. Does Nishad agree with Maya about Mr Nath? How does he feel about him?
Answers:
1. What does Nishad find out about Mr Nath from Ramesh? Arrange the information as suggested below:
- What he eats: Mr Nath does not care much about what he eats.
- When he eats: Ramesh takes food and tea to his room.
- What he drinks, and when: There is no specific mention of what he drinks or when.
- How he pays: Mr Nath pays his bills immediately and tips well.
2. Why does Maya think Mr Nath is a crook? Who does she say the Sunday visitor is?
- Maya thinks Mr Nath is a crook because he is strange, unfriendly, doesn’t talk to people, lives alone, and has no visitors except for one man who visits him on Sundays. She believes that the Sunday visitor is Mr Nath’s accomplice, someone who brings him money from the loot they might have gathered through crime.
3. Does Nishad agree with Maya about Mr Nath? How does he feel about him?
- No, Nishad does not agree with Maya about Mr Nath. He feels sympathetic towards him and believes Mr Nath is lonely and in need of friends. Nishad is even willing to be his friend and refuses to believe that Mr Nath is a criminal.
Working with Language
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 end of the bat
(ix) if you take my tip – the end of the bat
(x) the bat tipped the ball – the police were told, or warned
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
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
Answers the following questions.
1. The word “tip” and its meanings:
(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:
(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
3. The word “break” and its meanings:
(i) The storm broke – it began or burst into activity
(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 – this kind of weather ended
(vi) broke the bad news – gently told someone the bad news
(vii) broke a strike – ended it by making the workers submit
Speaking
1. Play detective with each other. Find a person in your class (or same other acquaintance) to speak to. Find 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 newspaper or magazines does the person read?
(iii) How long has the person lived at the current address?
(iv) What des 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?
Writing
1. Who do you think Mr Nath is? Write a paragraph or two about him.
2. What else do you think Nishad and Maya will find out about him? Will they ever be friends? Think about these questions and write a paragraph or two to continue the story.
Answers:
1. Who do you think Mr. Nath is?
Mr. Nath seems like a mysterious and reclusive person. He lives alone, rarely interacts with others, and seems to keep to himself. His thin and unhealthy appearance suggests that he may be going through some tough times or may have faced challenges in his life. His nervousness around others could hint at a troubled past, and he appears to be hiding something. Despite this, he regularly pays for his food and behaves politely, which shows that he is not aggressive or harmful. There could be more to Mr. Nath’s story than meets the eye — perhaps he is a misunderstood individual with a complex history, avoiding social interactions due to fear or guilt.
2. What else do you think Nishad and Maya will find out about him?
Nishad and Maya are curious and determined to uncover the truth about Mr. Nath. As they continue to investigate, they may discover that Mr. Nath was once a successful man, but something happened that forced him into isolation. Perhaps he was wrongly accused of a crime or had to flee from some danger. Nishad, being more sympathetic, may try to befriend him and eventually gain his trust. Maya, on the other hand, will likely remain suspicious for longer, convinced that Mr. Nath is hiding a dark secret. In time, however, they might both learn that Mr. Nath is not a criminal but simply a lonely man with a tragic past. This realization may bring the three closer, and they could eventually become friends, offering Mr. Nath the companionship he has long been missing.
Part II Mystery of the Talking Fan
Working with the Poem
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?
2. Complete the following sentence.
(i) The chatter is electrical because _________________
(ii) It is mysterious because ______________________
3. What do you think the talking fan was demanding?
4. How does and electric fan manage to throw so much air when it is switched on?
5. Is there a ‘talking fan’ in your house? Create a dialogue between the fan and a mechanic.
Answers the following questions:
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?
The sound that resembles the fan’s chatter is the noise made by its motor when it is not properly oiled or maintained. The rattling or humming noise can seem like the fan is “talking.”
2. Complete the following sentence.
(i) The chatter is electrical because ________________
the sound is caused by the movement and vibration of the fan’s motor when it operates without proper lubrication.
(ii) It is mysterious because ______________________
the exact cause of the noise is not immediately obvious, making it sound like the fan is “talking” until it is fixed by oiling.
3. What do you think the talking fan was demanding?
The talking fan was likely demanding to be oiled or repaired. Its “chatter” was caused by the friction in its motor, and once it was oiled, the noise stopped, indicating that it was asking for maintenance.
4. How does an electric fan manage to throw so much air when it is switched on?
An electric fan throws air using the blades attached to a rotating motor. When switched on, the motor spins the blades at high speed, creating airflow by pushing the air around the blades outward in all directions.
5. Is there a ‘talking fan’ in your house? Create a dialogue between the fan and a mechanic.
Fan: Whirrrr… Please help me! I’m tired and making too much noise!
Mechanic: Oh, I hear you. Looks like you’re in need of a little oil and care.
Fan: Yes! I feel dry and my motor’s whirring too loud. It’s uncomfortable.
Mechanic: Don’t worry, I’ll oil your motor, tighten the screws, and you’ll be running smoothly.
Fan: Thank you! I can’t wait to run as quietly as a breeze.
Mechanic: Done! Now spin, and enjoy your quiet hum.
Fan: Ahh… much better. Thank you for fixing me!
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