Comprehension Exercises with Answers for class 7 and worksheet with solutions of Elementary English Grammar for CBSE and ICSE students.
Read the Passage
Exercise 26.1 Read the following passage and then answer the questions that follow :-
A certain number of ladies and gentlemen from the United States of America came to India on a pleasure trip. Among the many cities that they visited, Calcutta was the one that left an impression on their minds which lasted for a long time. They arrived at Calcutta-the biggest city in the country-about the middle of the month of October. At this time of the year almost all the Hindus in West Bengal are busy with ‘Durga Puja’. The party of America saw that a great many of the shops were closed. Almost all government offices, schools and collage were closed on account of Durga Puja holidays. On the last day of these holidays tourists were amazed to see an extraordinary large crowd of men. women and children consisting of more than a hundred thousand individuals, forming procession and following a big idol which appeared to be made of silver and bedecked in jewels which must must have cost a very lasge sum of money. This was the idol of the Goddess Durga. The Americans took a very keen interest in the procession which impressed them deeply. They expressed their great and sincere admiration for the devotion and faith of the worshippers of the Goddess Durga. But they could not understand why such a beautiful idol, which had cost the Bengalis so much money, and which they held in high esteem, should have thrown into the river Hooghly.
(i) A certain number of ladies and gentlemen from the United States of America came to India
(a) on a hunting expedition
(b) on a pleasure trip
(c) on a study tour
(e) The passage does not tell us
(ii) Almost all Government officers, schools, and college’s were closed
(a) because it was very cold
(b) on account of Durga Puja
(c) because of General Elections in the country
(d) because people had gone on strike
(e) on account of Durga Puja holidays
(iii) The America tourists were amazed to see
(a) such a big city as Calcutta
(b) so many large buildings
(c) the idol of the Goddess Durga
(d) a very large procession following a big idol
(e) The passage does not tell us
(iv) The America expressed their great and sincere admiration for the
(a) beautiful idol
(b) hospitality of Bengalis
(c) devotion and faith of worshippers of the Goddess Durga
(d) faithfulness of Indian woman
(v) Write the sentence from the passage which expresses the Americans’ surprise at what they saw on the last day of the Durga Puja holidays.
(vi) Which word in the passage means ‘beyond what is usual or ordinary’?
(vii) Write the phrase from the passage which means ‘to have high opinion of’.
Answers:
(i) A certain number of ladies and gentlemen from the United States of America came to India
(b) on a pleasure trip
(ii) Almost all Government officers, schools, and colleges were closed
(e) on account of Durga Puja holidays
(iii) The American tourists were amazed to see
(d) a very large procession following a big idol
(iv) The Americans expressed their great and sincere admiration for the
(c) devotion and faith of worshippers of the Goddess Durga
(v) The sentence from the passage that expresses the Americans’ surprise at what they saw on the last day of the Durga Puja holidays is:
“Tourists were amazed to see an extraordinary large crowd of men, women, and children consisting of more than a hundred thousand individuals, forming a procession and following a big idol.”
(vi) The word in the passage that means ‘beyond what is usual or ordinary’ is:
extraordinary
(vii) The phrase from the passage which means ‘to have a high opinion of’ is:
“held in high esteem”
Answer the Questions
Exercise 26.2 Read the following passage and then answer the questions that follow :–
In the White House, Abraham Lincoln quietly , Sadly and ably guided the nation. Men complained about him, and he listened quietly and without anger. Men worked against him and he did not turn against them. His great heart was full of grief, he loved peace; he was strong and determined to go on to the end. Slowly, the ordinary people of the country began to know that in the White House there was a great President and a great man.
Lincoln had one serious fault -one which often troubled the officers of the army very much. He loved people, and he could understand and forgive their weakness, perhaps more than was best. He found it difficult, for example, to permit the army courts to have a soldier shot for running away during a battle or for falling asleep while on guard duty. He wanted to forgive them and give them a second chance, and their officers didn’t like it. A mother’s tears, a baby’s cry, a story of misfortune -these touched his heart.
(i) Give the central idea of the above passage.
(ii) From the passage, write below the words which mean
(a) defect (b) bad luck
(iii) Write from the above passage, the sentence which shows that Lincoln was not a revengeful man.
(iv) The army officers were often trouble because
(a) Lincoln did not love them.
(b) Lincoln’s great heart was full of grief
(c) Lincoln pardoned the ordinary weakness of the soldiers.
(d) the soldiers fell asleep while on guard duty
(e) Lincoln was not a man of strong determination.
(v) Why did Lincoln not allow the army courts to shoot a soldier for an ordinary fault?
(vi) What qualities of Lincoln’s character does the passage describe?
Answers:
(i) Central Idea of the Passage:
The passage portrays Abraham Lincoln as a compassionate, forgiving, and patient leader who, despite his grief and struggles during his presidency, guided the nation with strength and determination. He had a great love for people and found it difficult to punish soldiers for their mistakes, which often troubled the army officers.
(ii) Words from the Passage:
(a) Defect: fault
(b) Bad luck: misfortune
(iii) Sentence Showing Lincoln Was Not Revengeful:
“Men worked against him and he did not turn against them.”
(iv) The Army Officers Were Often Troubled Because:
(c) Lincoln pardoned the ordinary weakness of the soldiers.
(v) Why Lincoln Did Not Allow Army Courts to Shoot a Soldier for an Ordinary Fault:
Lincoln had a compassionate heart and found it difficult to permit harsh punishments like execution for ordinary faults such as running away during battle or falling asleep on duty. He wanted to forgive soldiers and give them a second chance.
(vi) Qualities of Lincoln’s Character Described in the Passage:
Lincoln is portrayed as compassionate, patient, forgiving, non-revengeful, peace-loving, and strong-willed. He had a deep understanding of human weakness and often forgave mistakes, even when it troubled others.
Reading the Passage
Exercise 26.3 Read the following passage and then answer the questions that follow : –
Hippopotamuses are thoroughly aquatic animals, and when frightened or disturbed at once make for their natural element. During the day. and in places where they are unmolested, they sleep by preference in rather shallow water. They may be found occasionally asleep upon mud or sand banks. in more frequented localities, they float in deep water, the nostrils protruding above the surface. Towards the evening they leave the water, and go ashore to feed. Although where food happens to be scarce, hippopotamuses are capable of travelling considerable distances from the water during the night, under normal circumstances the limit is under a mile, and they always get back to their old quarters before morning, unless they have sought and found a new abode. An animal belated on its usual day haunt would seek the nearest suitable pool until nightfall. Their food consists of young shoots, grasses and
reeds. A hippopotamuses does not grub for roots or eat fruit. It is capable of doing great damage to cultivated lands. not by actually eating the crops, but by the manner in which it tramples down and destroys things. Consequently, its conduct in this respect causes a great deal of complaint, and where protected by low, natives and others often seek the easiest means of prevention by applying to have the erring animals killed; incidentally looking forward to a big feed of good meat and a plentiful supply of the valuable hide and fat.
As a matter of fact, the lowest fence, provided that it is solid and upright, will always stop a hippo. Like a pig, it never attempts to step over an obstacle, and does not normally push an impediment which it recognises as artificial.
(i) Three words or phrases are given below. Give the meaning of each as used in the passage:
(a) make for (b) unmolested (c) haunt
(ii) Answer the following questions briefly and in your own words :
(a) Where does a hippo normally seek refuge when it is frightened?
(b) What evidence in the passage suggests that hippopotamuses do not usually travel far from water?
(c) Hippos can be a danger to crops. Why?
(d) For what other reason, besides destroying crops, are hippos killed?
(e) On what do hippopotamuses normally feed?
(f) Quote a sentence from the passage that shows that hippos do not normally cross over even a low barrier.
(iii) In not more than 60 words show why a hippo is termed “an aquatic animal”. Give a title for your summary.
Answers:
(i) Meaning of Words/Phrases
(a) Make for: Move towards something quickly.
(b) Unmolested: Left undisturbed or not bothered.
(c) Haunt: A place that is frequently visited or inhabited by someone (here, referring to a hippo’s usual resting place).
(ii) Answering Briefly
(a) Where does a hippo normally seek refuge when it is frightened?
A hippo normally seeks refuge in water when frightened.
(b) What evidence in the passage suggests that hippopotamuses do not usually travel far from water?
The passage mentions that under normal circumstances, hippos travel less than a mile from the water and always return to their usual quarters before morning.
(c) Hippos can be a danger to crops. Why?
Hippos do great damage to crops by trampling on and destroying them, even though they do not eat them.
(d) For what other reason, besides destroying crops, are hippos killed?
Besides destroying crops, hippos are killed for their meat, hide, and fat, which are valuable to the natives.
(e) On what do hippopotamuses normally feed?
Hippopotamuses normally feed on young shoots, grasses, and reeds.
(f) Quote a sentence from the passage that shows that hippos do not normally cross over even a low barrier.
“The lowest fence, provided that it is solid and upright, will always stop a hippo.”
(iii) Summary (within 60 words)
Title: Why the Hippo is an Aquatic Animal
Hippopotamuses are aquatic animals as they spend most of their time in water. When frightened, they immediately seek refuge in water. They sleep in shallow water during the day and feed on land only at night, rarely straying far from their water habitats. They return to their water abode by morning.
Passage
Exercise 26.4 Read the following passage and then answer the questions that follow :-
Playland was like no other country in the world. The population consisted of children. The eldest was fourteen, and the youngest scarcely eight years old. The merriment and shouting and noise in the streets were maddening.
There were children everywhere. Some were playing skittles, some quoits, cycling or ball, some were riding, or wooden horses; and were eating burning tow; some were acting, or singing, or reading, or turning somersault; others were walking on their hands, while still others were playing blind-man’s buff, or chasings; some were dressed as clowns, and were eating burning tow; some were acting, or singing, or reading, or turning somersault; others were walking on their hands, while still others were whistling; some were clucking like a hen that has just laid an egg. In short, there was such noise and confusion that, without cotton wool in both ears, anyone would have been deafened by it. There were theatres, crowded all day long, in every open space, and on all the walls of the houses, badly spelt remarks had been scribbled with charcoal.
Immediately they got inside the city. Lampwick, and the other boys who had come together, hurried to join the children, and very soon, as you may well imagine. they became excellent friends. Who be happier or more contented, than they?
Amidst continual games and all sorts of pastimes, hours, days and weeks passed like lightning.
‘Oh, what a beautiful life! shouted Pinocchio, every time he met Lampwick. ‘And to think you didn’t want to come! To think you intended going back to your fairy, and wasting your time in studying!
If you are free today from nasty books and schools, you owe it to me, to my advice, to my insistence. It’s only a real friend who would show such kindness.’
‘Yes, that’s true, Lampwick! It today I am really happy boy, I owe it all to you’. And do you know what the master used to say to me about you? He always said, “Don’t have anything to do with that good-fo-nothing Lampwick. He is a very bad boy, and will lead you into some trouble.”
‘Poor old master!’ Said the other, shaking his head. ‘I well know that he didn’t like me, and spoke ill of me. But I have a generous soul, and with kissing him affectionately on the forehead.
Five months had passed in this playland, of toys and amusements which went on all day long, without ever seeing a book or even the outside of a school, when Pinocchio, upon awaking one morning, had a very unpleasant surprise, and lost is good spirits.
And what was this surprise?
I shall tell you, my dear readers. The surprise was that Pinocchio, when he woke up, scratched his head; and while doing so he noticed…..
Can you make any guess as to what he noticed? He noticed, to his great amazement, that his ears had grown several inches.
You must know that puppets rom their birth have very small ears; in fact so small that they are invisible to the naked eye. So you can imagine how surprised he was when he noticed that his ears had grown so long during the night that they looked like two brooms.
He hurried to find a mirror, that he might see himself; but he could not find one. So he filled his wash basin with water, looked into it, and saw what he had been hoping never to see. He saw himself decorated with a magnificent pair of donkey’s ears.
(i) Answer the following questions;
(a) In what way playland was different from other countries?
(b) What was the highest and lowest age of children in Playland?
(c) How were the children behaving when Pinocchio and Lampwick them saw them first?
(d) What were Lampwick’s views about schools?
(f) Describe the shock.
(ii) Find words in the passage which mean the opposite of the following :
(a) Sadness _____________
(b) Written ______________
(c) Cruelty ______________
(d) Miserly______________
(iii) Turn the sentences given into Reported Speech.
“Oh, what a beautiful life!” shouted Pinocchio everytime he met Lampwick.
(iv) What do you think the writer is trying to tell us in this passage?
Answers:
(i) Answer the following questions:
(a) Playland was different from other countries because it consisted only of children, and there were no adults. The children played and had fun all day long, without any discipline, schools, or books.
(b) The eldest child in Playland was fourteen years old, and the youngest was eight years old.
(c) When Pinocchio and Lampwick first saw the children, they were playing different games like skittles, cycling, ball, riding wooden horses, singing, acting, and making all sorts of noise and confusion.
(d) Lampwick’s views about schools were negative. He considered books and studying a waste of time. He was happy that he convinced Pinocchio to leave behind school and join the fun in Playland.
(e) The shock was that Pinocchio, after waking up one morning, noticed that his ears had grown several inches long and looked like donkey ears. He had never expected such a transformation and was quite surprised and horrified.
(ii) Find words in the passage which mean the opposite of the following:
(a) Sadness – Merriment
(b) Written – Scribbled
(c) Cruelty – Kindness
(d) Miserly – Generous
(iii) Turn the sentences into Reported Speech:
Pinocchio shouted with joy every time he met Lampwick, saying that it was such a beautiful life.
(iv) What do you think the writer is trying to tell us in this passage?
The writer is warning us about the dangers of avoiding responsibilities and education in favor of endless amusement. Through Pinocchio’s experience in Playland, where there are no rules, schools, or guidance, the passage illustrates how indulging too much in fun and games can lead to negative consequences, like Pinocchio’s transformation into a donkey. It highlights the importance of balance between fun and responsibility.
Read the following passage
Exercise 26.5 Read the following passage and then answer the questions that follow : –
Although they were all tired, it was very difficult for them to lie down rest They tried to eat a little food, but everyone was really more interested in watching the approaching fires.
As darkness fell the sight become beautiful but frightening. Great flames were leaping high into the air and burning up a whole tree in a few seconds as though it were made of paper. Rows of trees caught fire and blazed like dry grass. Burning leaves were carried into the air and scattered in different places, causing new fires was reflected in the huge rolling clouds of smoke above. The whole scene was unearthly and frightening, as though the solid surface of the world had burning branches and the crash of a falling tree.
Young Jack’s pipe had gone out and he was listening carefully and looking upwards.
“Can you hear anything except the fire,” said Peter.
Young Jack’s told them to listen again and suddenly Henry cried out excitedly, “Isn’t that an aeroplane?
They all listened and above the many noises of the fire could be heard the sound of a distant aeroplane. The sound soon came closer until it seemed to come from the middle of the smoke clouds above the lake.
“Is it going rescue us?” asked Henry. “But how can it land here?”
Young Jack smiled and said, “I think it’s a special kind of aeroplane.”
As he spoke a plane appeared high above them, dropping straight through the smoke clouds.
“Look!” cried Peter, “It’s droppping vertically. It’s a helicopter.”
Young Jack nodded and said, “It belongs to army and it often helps the Forestry Department. I expect the pilot will drop straight on to us when he sees us. We must all wave something to attract his attention.
He took off hiss shirt again and towards them until it was only about twenty or thirty feet above them. then, like some huge flying insect, it stayed almost motionless in the air, feet its engine roaring and its large horizontal propeller turning steadily. The pilot leaned out and waved to them. Then a door in the bottom of the plane opened and a package fell down very close to them, right in the middle of the tongue of land.
“There is something written in pencil on the envelope,” said Betty.
Young Jack read it out :
;FLYING CONDITIONS VERY BAD. ONLY ABLE TO CARRY BACK ONE PERSON TONIGHT.
The helicopter was still hovering noisily above them and, as they looked up, a rope was lowered to the ground. At its lower end was a kind of seat made of netting with a strong leather strap.
Mr Sen looked quickly round the party.
“Youngest first,” he said. “Get in Betty, quickly.”
Betty hesitated, but before she had time to object, Young Jack and his cousin had put her on to the seat and had fastened the leather strap round her. The rope was slowly drawn up with Betty hanging and swinging in the air above them. She held on tightly with both hands and, looking down, she cried out cheerfully, “I’m fine.”
In a few moments she had been pulled up into the plane and disappeared. The others stood below, waving goodbye. To their surprise the rope came again with a second message from the pilot.
“ROOM FOR ONE MORE SMALL PERSON.”
“Up you go, Henry,” said Mr Sen.
In a few minutes Henry had been pulled up into the helicopter. The pilot leaned out and waved and gradually the helicopter began to rise vertically into the air, disappearing into the thick clouds of smoke.
(i) Answer the question :-
(a) How many people are there in this passage? Name them.
(b) Where were these people and why couldn’t they lie down and rest?
(c) Who had the sharpest ears? How do you know?
(d) Who or what came to rescue them? How did they try to attract its attention?
(e) What did the pilot do?
(f) Who was the first to be rescued and why?
(ii) Find words in the passage that mean the opposite of words given below :
(a) departed _______________________
(b) heavenly ______________________
(c) nearby ________________________
(d) vertical _______________________
(e) loosely _______________________
(iii) Describe in your own words the kind of trouble the people in this passage were.
(iv) Give a title of your own to this passage and a reason for giving it.
Answers:
(i) Answer the questions:
(a) There are six people mentioned in the passage: Young Jack, Peter, Henry, Betty, Mr. Sen, and the pilot.
(b) These people were near a large fire that was spreading quickly, and they couldn’t lie down and rest because they were more interested in watching the approaching fires, which were both beautiful and frightening.
(c) Young Jack had the sharpest ears. We know this because he was the first to notice the sound of the approaching aeroplane, and he asked the others to listen again, leading Henry to hear it too.
(d) A helicopter came to rescue them. To attract its attention, Young Jack waved his shirt in the air, and everyone else followed his lead.
(e) The pilot first waved to them from the helicopter, then dropped a package with a message. He lowered a rope with a seat to rescue people, starting with Betty and Henry.
(f) Betty was the first to be rescued because Mr. Sen decided that the youngest should go first.
(ii) Find words in the passage that mean the opposite of:
(a) Departed – Arrived
(b) Heavenly – Unearthly
(c) Nearby – Distant
(d) Vertical – Horizontally
(e) Loosely – Tightly
(iii) Describe in your own words the kind of trouble the people in this passage were in:
The group of people was trapped near a fast-approaching wildfire. The fire was spreading rapidly, burning whole trees within seconds, and new fires were igniting due to burning leaves being carried by the wind. The situation was dangerous and frightening, with heavy smoke and the crashing of trees. They had no safe place to escape, and the conditions around them were becoming more hazardous by the moment.
(iv) Give a title of your own to this passage and a reason for giving it:
Title: “The Rescue Amidst the Flames”
Reason: This title captures the essence of the passage, which focuses on the tension and danger faced by the group as they were surrounded by fire and how a helicopter came to rescue them, providing hope amidst the chaos.
Exercise 26.6 Read the following poem and then answer the questions that follow :-
The Sun does arise,
And make happy the skies:
The merry bells ring
To welcome the surprise;
The birds of the bush,
Sing louder around
To the bells’ cheerful sound
While our sports shall be seen
On the Echoing Green.
Old John, with white hair,
Does laugh away care,
Sitting under the oak,
Among the old folk,
They laugh at our play,
And soon they all say:
‘Such, such were the joys
When we all, girls and boys,
in our youth-time were seen
On the Echoing Green.’
Till the tittle ones, weary,
No more can be merry;
The Sun does descend,
And our sports have an end.
Round the laps of their mothers
Many sisters and brother,
Like birds in their nest,
Are ready for rest,
And sports no more seen
On the darkening Green
(i) Find five words which express joy in the first stanza.
(ii) Name five nouns (from the first stanza) that are associated with expressions of joy you have given in Question (1).
(iii) Find words in the poem which mean:
(a) old age (b) resounding (c) tired (d) Answer briefly
(iv) How does the ‘sun’ link the first stanza to the last?
(v) Explain out the contrast in the first and the third stanza.
(vii) Tick the right answer :-
(a) The poem describe changes in season.
(b) The poem describe the passage of time in life.
(c) The poem describe changes through passage of time on a day.
Answers:
(i) Find five words which express joy in the first stanza:
- Happy
- Merry
- Welcome
- Cheerful
- Sports
(ii) Name five nouns (from the first stanza) that are associated with expressions of joy you have given in Question (i):
- Skies (associated with “happy”)
- Bells (associated with “merry” and “cheerful”)
- Surprise (associated with “welcome”)
- Birds (associated with “sing” and “louder”)
- Sports
(iii) Find words in the poem which mean:
(a) Old age – Old folk
(b) Resounding – Echoing
(c) Tired – Weary
(d) Brief answer – Short explanation in lines
(iv) How does the ‘sun’ link the first stanza to the last?
In the first stanza, the sun rises, marking the beginning of the day filled with joy, laughter, and play. In the last stanza, the sun sets, signaling the end of the day, when the children become tired and the play stops. The sun symbolizes the passage of time from the start to the conclusion of the joyful day.
(v) Explain the contrast in the first and the third stanza:
The first stanza is full of joy and energy. The sun is rising, the bells are ringing, birds are singing, and everyone is engaging in sports and play. In contrast, the third stanza portrays the end of the day. The children are tired, the sun is setting, and the once joyful “Echoing Green” is now “darkening,” signaling rest and quietness as the sports come to an end.
(vi) Tick the right answer:
(b) The poem describes the passage of time in life.
(c) The poem describes changes through the passage of time on a day.
Both (b) and (c) can be correct, as the poem reflects both the passage of a single day and the transition from youth to old age (life’s stages).