7 English Textbook
7 English Textbook
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Free distribution by Samagra Shiksha, Government of Andhra Pradesh
TEXTBOOK IN ENGLISH
Textbook in English
FOR CLASS VII
Class VII
- Constitution of India,
Part IV A (Article 51 A)
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TEXTBOOK IN ENGLISH
FOR CLASS VII
753 – Honeycomb
Textbook for Class VII ISBN 81-7450-676-4
NCERT Campus
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An Alien COMB
HONEY
Text
Hand
book inReader
Supplementary English ForforClass
in English VII
Class VII
Programme Co-ordinator
Dr. G. Kesava Reddy
MSc, MSc, MEd, MPhil, PhD
Prof. C&T, SCERT, AP
Technical Co-ordinator
Dr. Ch.V.S. Ramesh Kumar
Faculty, SCERT-AP
Published by Government of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati.
Foreword
T he National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2005,
recommends that children’s life at school must be linked to
their life outside the school. This principle marks a departure
from the legacy of bookish learning which continues to shape
our system and causes a gap between the school, home and
community. The syllabi and textbooks developed on the basis
of NCF signify an attempt to implement this basic idea. They
also attempt to discourage rote learning and the maintenance
of sharp boundaries between different subject areas. We
hope these measures will take us significantly further in the
direction of a child-centered system of education outlined in
the National Policy of Education (1986).
The success of this effort depends on the steps that school
principals and teachers will take to encourage children to
reflect on their own learning and to pursue imaginative
activities and questions. We must recognise that, given
space, time and freedom, children generate new knowledge
by engaging with the information passed on to them by
adults. Treating the prescribed textbook as the sole basis of
examination is one of the key reasons why other resources
and sites of learning are ignored. Inculcating creativity
and initiative is possible if we perceive and treat children
as participants in learning, not as receivers of a fixed body
of knowledge.
These aims imply considerable change in school
routines and mode of functioning. Flexibility in the daily
time-table is as necessary as rigour in implementing
the annual calendar so that the required number of
teaching days are actually devoted to teaching. The
methods used for teaching and evaluation will also
determine how effective this textbook proves for making
children’s life at school a happy experience, rather
than a source of stress or boredom. Syllabus designers
have tried to address the problem of curricular burden by
restructuring and reorienting knowledge at different stages
with greater consideration for child psychology and the time
available for teaching. The textbook attempts to enhance
this endeavour by giving higher priority and space to
opportunities for contemplation and wondering, discussion
in small groups, and activities requiring hands-on experience.
The National Council of Educational Research and
Training (NCERT) appreciates the hard work done by the
textbook development committee responsible for this book.
We wish to thank the Chairperson of the advisory committee
in languages, Professor Namwar Singh, and the Chief
Advisor for this book, Professor R. Amritavalli, for guiding
the work of this committee. Several teachers contributed
to the development of this textbook; we are grateful to their
principals for making this possible. We are indebted to
the institutions and organisations which have generously
permitted us to draw upon their resources, materials and
personnel. We are especially grateful to the members of
the National Monitoring Committee, appointed by the
Department of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of
Human Resource Development under the Chairpersonship
of Professor Mrinal Miri and Professor G.P. Deshpande for
their valuable time and contribution. As an organisation
committed to systemic reform and continuous improvement
in the quality of its products, NCERT welcomes comments
and suggestions which will enable us to undertake further
revision and refinements.
Director
New Delhi National Council of Educational
20 November 2006 Research and Training
Foreword
The Government of Andhra Pradesh has unleashed a new era in school educa-
tion by introducing extensive curricular reforms from the academic year 2021-
22. The Government has taken up curricular reforms intending to enhance the
learning outcomes of the children with focus on building solid foundation-
al learning and to build up an environment conducive for an effective teach-
ing-learning process. To achieve this objective, special care has been taken in
designing the textbooks to achieve global standards.
As a part of curricular reforms Andhra Pradesh State Govt adopted
NCERT Text Books for VII class from the academic year 2023-24. This Eng-
lish TB is a good source of learning but don’t treat this text book as sole basis
of examination. Language acquisition should be encouraged through different
sources. Hence teachers are requested to encourage joyful learning through dif-
ferent activities and integrating technology. Activities like group discussions
and for hands on experience should be encouraged to develop communication
skills.
We are grateful to the Honourable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
Sri Y.S.Jagan Mohan Reddy for being our source of inspiration to carry out
such an extensive reforms in the field of education. We extend our gratitude to
our Honourable Minister of Education Sri Botcha Satyanarayana for striving
towards qualitative education. Our special thanks to Sri Praveen Prakash, IAS,
Principal Secretary, School Education Sri S. Suresh Kumar IAS, Commissioner
of School Education & State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha A.P, for their
constant motivation and guidance.
Our sincere thanks to the Director NCERT, for designing the textbook
and issueing copyrights to govt of Andhra Pradesh, we also thank our textbook
writers, editors, artists and layout designers for their contribution and dedica-
tion in the development of this textbook.
Constructive feedback from the teachers and parents is invited for the
refinement of the textbook.
Chief Advisor
R. Amritavalli, Professor, English and Foreign Languages
University (EFLU), Hyderabad
Chief Coordinator
Ram Janma Sharma, Former Professor and Head, Department
of Education in Languages, NCERT, New Delhi
Members
Beena Sugathan, PGT (English), Loreto Convent, Delhi
Cantonment, New Delhi
Geetali Dowarah, PGT (English), Mohandari Airforce School,
Dibrugarh, Assam
Rooma Palit, PGT (English), Delhi Public School, Nalconagar,
Angul, Orissa
Shalini Advani, formerly Principal, British School, New Delhi
Member–Coordinator
Nasiruddin Khan, Former Reader in English, Department of
Education in Languages, NCERT, New Delhi
Acknowledgements
The National Council of Educational Research and Training
is grateful to Professor M.L. Tickoo, formerly of the Central
Insitute of English and Foreign Languages. Hyderabad,
and the Regional Language Centre, Singapore, for going
through the manuscript and making valuable suggestions.
Special thanks are due to Professor R. Amritavalli for editing
the texts of two Units in the book and preparing their
accompanying exercises in addition to her overall
monitoring and assistance as Chief Adivsor.
For permission to reproduce copyright material in this
book NCERT would like to thank the following: Rupa & Co.,
New Delhi for ‘A Gift of Chappals’ from Mridu in Madras—
Goruchaka Turns Up by Vasantha Surya; Penguin Books,
New Delhi for ‘Expert Detectives’ from The Broken Flute
by Sharada Dwivedi; Puffin Books for ‘The Invention of
Vita-Wonk’ from Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by
Roald Dahl; Longman Group, UK Limited, for ‘Gopal and
the Hilsa Fish’ from Longman English 1 by R.B.Heath; and
Ramachandra Guha for the ‘The Story of Cricket’ from A
Corner of a Foreign Field, Picador.
At the behest of the Ministry of Defence a chapter has
been included in this textbook about the National War
Memorial. We thank MoD for their support and guidance.
We sincerely thank D.P. Saklani, Director, NCERT for
his vision and motivation. We thank Gouri Srivastava,
Professor & Head, DESS for coordinating with MoD. We
also thank Sandhya Singh, Professor & Head, DEL for her
constant support. Our sincere thanks go to Saryug Yadav,
Professor of English, DEL, for giving valuable inputs. Our
special thanks go to Kirti Kapur, Professor of English, DEL,
for developing the content of the chapter. Thanks are also
due to Rekha Sharma and Naresh Kumar for type setting
the chapter.
Every effort has been made to trace all copyright
holders. We apologise for some omissions, and will gratefully
acknowledge them as soon as they can be traced.
Special thanks are also due to the Publication Division,
NCERT, for their support. NCERT also acknowledges the
contributions made by Parash Ram Kaushik, Incharge,
Computer Station; Razi Ahmad and Arvind Sharma,
DTP Operators; and Mathew John and Shahzad Husain,
Proofreaders.
Contents
Notes for the Teacher (Units 1– 3) ... 1
UNITS 1–3
Three Questions
Some suggestions given below are applicable to all prose
lessons in the book.
v A Tolstoy story — the three questions in the opening
paragraph, though philosophical in nature, may be of
practical significance to individuals in self-realisation and
value inculcation.
v Spend about 10 minutes discussing the questions the
king asks. Let children express their views. Even if their
observations do not reveal any understanding of the
questions, the discussion session will provide an excellent
base for the work to follow.
v The story is sectioned in two parts. Each part may be sectioned
further according to convenience and time available.
v ‘Comprehension Check’ at the end of each section is a
recall of what they have read so far. Design while-reading
comprehension exercises in the form of factual
NOTES TFOR
HREE QUESTIONS
THE TEACHER/3
The Squirrel
v Drawing a squirrel or finding the picture of a squirrel
and describing it variously will commit learners’ interest
to the poem they are reading.
v Help them find ‘wear’ and its usage in the dictionary.
Avoid fixed phrases like ‘wear and tear’ or ‘wear one’s
heart on one’s sleeve’, etc. Draw their attention to sentences
like the following.
• She wore a plain dress but an enigmatic smile.
• Should a man wear a lady’s perfume ?
v The illustration given in the book may generate comments
such as the following.
• The squirrel’s tail looks like a question mark.
• It reminds me of the mark of punctuation that comes
at the end of an interrogative sentence.
• Looking at this squirrel, you might say it was asking
a question. What is the question ?
• The squirrel is wearing a long overcoat reaching the
tip of its tail.
• If it begins to run now, its tail will look like the bushy
end of a painter’s brush.
4/HONEYCOMB
A Gift of Chappals
v Children’s world — their spontaneity and imagination,
ability to see contradictions in normal behaviour and
moving acts of charity.
v While covering sections and sub-sections of the text, focus
on situations in which children see themselves.
v Elicit their comments on, and reactions to, Ravi’s
exaggerations about the kitten’s ancestry, children
cleverly feeding the kitten and Mridu and Meena’s final
act of charity. Focus on values such as sincerity, care
and compassion as exemplified in the episodes.
v Under ‘Working with Language’, highlight some points
about the use of if-clauses.
(i) An if-clause, also known as a conditional clause,
expresses a condition or cause whose result/effect is
felt in the second part of the sentence.
(ii) If the verb in the if-clause is in the present tense,
the other clause normally has ‘will + verb’.
(iii) An if-clause can be placed either at the beginning
or at the end of the main clause.
• I’ll come to your house if it doesn’t rain.
Or
• If it doesn’t rain, I’ll come to your house.
v Activity 2 under ‘Speaking and Writing’ lends itself to picking
up appropriate language to learn and practise life skills such
as decision-making, negotiating, persuading, etc. Let all
the children in pairs/groups perform this activity. Help
them, wherever necessary, with appropriate language use.
NOTES FOR THE TEACHER/5
The Rebel
v Activity 1 is a combination of open-ended as well as
text-based responses. Items (ii) and (iii) entail recalling/
looking at the appropriate lines in the poem whereas (i),
(iv), (v) and (vi) are discussion points.
v Let children read Introduction to the poem silently and
find the desired word. The significance of the title will,
then, become amply clear.
v The poem contains 15 couplets. Each couplet may be
recited as an independent unit.
v Ask children if they think the last couplet expresses the
poet’s own opinion and comment.
v Relate the last couplet to the discussion item (vi) under
Activity 1.
The Shed
v Ask children to look for words/phrases in the poem
suggesting the neglected state of the shed like “spider’s
web hanging”, “rusty” in the first stanza. There are four
more in the second stanza.
v Let children cull out three or four pairs of rhyming words
that come at the end of lines.
v Activity 2 will generate a lot of individual contributions.
Children may even make up spooky stories and quote
them as ‘real’ experiences. Show interest and belief in
each anecdote.
Three Questions
I
Comprehension Check
5. How did the king and the hermit help the wounded man?
6. (i) Who was the bearded man?
(ii) Why did he ask for the king’s forgiveness?
7. The king forgave the bearded man. What did he do to
show his forgiveness?
8. What were the hermit’s answers to the three questions?
Write each answer separately. Which answer do you like
most, and why?
A B
(i) wounded got up from sleep
(ii) awoke give back
(iii) forgive small patches of ground for plants
(iv) faithful severely injured
(v) pity pardon
(vi) beds loyal
(vii) return feel sorry for
Use any three of the above words in sentences of your
own. You may change the form of the word.
2. Each of the following sentences has two blanks. Fill in
the blanks with appropriate forms of the word given in
brackets.
Do you know...
Does an ostrich really stick its head in the
sand to hide from an enemy?
Answer on page 32
The Squirrel
You may have seen a squirrel sitting on the ground
eating a nut. What did it look like? Here is a poet’s
description of just such a squirrel.
A Gift of Chappals
I
Comprehension Check
________________
________________ 1. What is the secret that Meena shares with Mridu in
________________ the backyard?
________________ 2. How does Ravi get milk for the kitten?
________________ 3. Who does he say the kitten’s ancestors are? Do you
________________ believe him?
________________ 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 you agree/disagree to?
________________
5. What was the noise that startled Mridu and frightened
________________
Mahendran?
________________
________________
________________ II
________________
________________
Mridu crept up to the window. Lalli was sitting a
________________ little distance away, awkwardly holding her violin
________________ and bowstring, her elbows jutting out and her eyes
________________ glazed with concentration. In front of her, with most
________________ of his back to the window, was the bony figure of
________________ the music-master. He had a mostly bald head with
a fringe of oiled black hair falling around his ears
glided:
moved and an old-fashioned tuft. A gold chain gleamed
along around his leathery neck, and a diamond ring
smoothly glittered on his hand as it glided up and down the
veshti: stem of the violin. A large foot stuck out from beneath
dhoti (in his gold-bordered veshti edge, and he was beating
Tamil) time on the floor with the scrawny big toe.
stumbled:
followed
He played a few notes. Lalli stumbled behind
haltingly him on her violin, which looked quite helpless
A GIFT OF CHAPPALS/23
with Tapi. “He has been coming here every day for
the past week, and it’s time he found another house
to beg from!” Paati explained to Tapi.
________________
Mridu and Meena followed Ravi out. The
________________ beggar was already in the garden, making himself
________________ quite at home. He had spread his upper cloth
under the neem tree, and was leaning against its
snooze: trunk, apparently prepared to take a little snooze
short sleep while he waited for the alms to appear. “Go away!”
________________
_______________
said Ravi sternly. “My Paati says it’s time you
________________ found another house to beg from!”
________________ The beggar opened his eyes very wide and
________________ gazed at each of the children one by one. “The
________________ ladies of this house,” he said, at last, in a voice
________________ choked with feeling, “are very kind souls. I have
kept my kept my body and soul together on their
body and generosity for a whole week. I cannot believe that
soul
together: they would turn me away.” He raised his voice.
managed to “Amma! Amma-oh!” Sad his wail might be, but it
stay alive certainly wasn’t feeble. It began in a deep, strong
________________
________________
rumble somewhere in his withered belly, and came
________________
booming out of his mouth, with its few remaining
________________ teeth stained brown with betel-chewing.
________________ “Ravi, tell him there’s nothing left in the
kitchen!” called Rukku Manni. “And he’s not to
fed up: come again—tell him that!” She sounded fed up.
tired and Ravi didn’t have to repeat it all to the beggar.
unhappy
________________
What his mother said had been easy for them all
________________ to hear, there under the neem tree. The beggar
________________ sat up and sighed.
________________ “I’ll go, I’ll go!” he said wearily. “Only let me have
________________ a rest here under this tree. The sun is so hot, the tar
________________ has melted on the road. My feet are already
A GIFT OF CHAPPALS/25
(iv) The beggar said that the kind ladies of the household
(v) After the lesson was over, the music teacher asked
Lalli if
Do you know...
Answer
No. What this tall bird does on sensing
danger from far is to lie flat on the ground
with its long neck almost horizontal. The
enemy may not spot the ostrich in this
position from a distance and it may be
mistaken for a shrub or bush. If the danger
is close by, the ostrich will take off and run.
Though ostriches cannot fly, they can run
as fast as 65 km per hour. If cornered, they
give a swift, hard kick.
An ostrich burying its head in sand to
escape attention is a metaphor for people
who ignore rather than face a problem.
The Rebel
Do you know anyone who always disagrees with
you or your friends, or likes to do the opposite of
what everyone thinks they should do? Think of a
word to describe such a person. Discuss with
your partner some of the things such a person
generally does.
Now read the poem.
D. J. ENRIGHT
Tutor Tooted
A Tutor who tooted a flute
Tried to tutor two tooters to toot.
Said the two to their tutor,
“Is it harder to toot
Or to tutor two tooters to toot?”
3
Before you read
4. How did Gopal get inside the palace to see the king after
he had bought the fish?
Picture Reading
Clues
1. Mother will be very if you don’t go to school.
2. As soon as he caught of the teacher, Mohan
started writing.
3. How do you like my kitchen garden? Big
enough for you, is it?
4. My youngest sister is now a old.
5. Standing on the , he saw children playing on
the road.
6. Don’t make such a . Nothing will happen.
7. Don’t cross the till the green light comes on.
The Shed
Do you know what a shed is? A cow shed, a tool
shed, a wood shed, for example. It’s a small room,
away from the main house, for storing or keeping
things, animals, tools, vehicles, etc. Ask your
partner if she/he has ever seen a shed. Let her/
him describe it to the class.
Now read the poem.
FRANK FLYNN
U NITS 4 –8
Chivvy
v Groups of children jointly discuss the question without going
through the Introduction (Ask the question or write it on the
blackboard).
v Spend a few minutes to find out their real responses.
v Let them now read the Introduction silently. You may
ask the following questions about the joke given in the
Introduction.
• What was the child’s name?
• If it was Michael, why did he say it was Michael Don’t?
v Children will be keenly interested to discuss questions 2
and 3 in particular. Here is an excellent opportunity for
them (a) to assess the practical value of rules/
prescriptions, and (b) to get a bit of their own back by
laying down instructions for grown-ups.
Quality
v A story about dedication to work of high quality with the
passion of an artist and the eventual loss of art and quality
in a world of competition and consumerism.
v Re-read and discuss episodes where the author’s
admiration for Mr Gessler and his craft comes through.
v Using simple language, discuss the following points.
• Production of goods on a large scale is necessary,
though it goes against the interests of small-scale
industry.
• It is necessary to maintain quality of goods whether
they are produced on a big or small scale.
v Explain ‘accent’ with reference to spoken language. Make
a distinction between ‘accent’ and (word) ‘stress’.
• Mr Gessler speaks English with a German accent. I
speak it with an Indian accent.
What does ‘with a German/Indian accent’ really mean?
• Minimal pairs to be said clearly maintaining the
distinction between the two vowel sounds.
• The sound ‘sh’ as in shine, ashes and fish to be practised
carefully in the activity under ‘Speaking’.
52/HONEYCOMB
Trees
v Before reciting the poem, explain the phrase ‘to rake this fall’.
• ‘Fall’ (in American English) means the same as autumn,
when trees shed their leaves.
• ‘To rake’ is to sweep or put away. (It is quite a job to
rake heaps of dead leaves day after day to keep the
place clean.)
v Looking at trees shedding their leaves,
(i) what will “mothers” want to do ?
(ii) what will “fathers” want to do ?
v Why has ‘timber’ been written as TIMBER-R-R ? (Perhaps
it is related to the act of chopping down trees for timber!
There may be other ideas in children’s minds.)
v Take children round to show them different trees and
shrubs growing in the vicinity.
Expert Detectives
v Two detectives in the making with a talent for spotting
evidence, more imaginary than incriminating, against a
polite recluse with a health problem, Nishad and Maya
represent a special dimension of the children’s world of
curiosity and creativity.
v Tasks 1 and 3 under ‘Working with Language’ merit more
time and attention. Ask children to separate idiomatic
expressions with ‘tip’ from its non-idiomatic uses.
• She has the entire chemistry book at her finger tips.
(idiomatic : knows it thoroughly)
• You don’t have to go to the Beauty Parlour to clean
your finger tips. (non-idiomatic)
• She is an artist to her finger tips. (in every way)
• His name is on the tip of my tongue, but I just can’t think
of it. (almost but not quite spoken or coming to mind)
• Over a hundred thefts are reported every month, but
that’s just the tip of the iceberg. (small but evident
part of a bigger but hidden problem)
NOTES FOR THE TEACHER/53
Garden Snake
v Recite the poem with correct pauses.
v Draw children’s attention to the following.
1. That snake in the grass reported me to the
Headmistress.
Does ‘snake’ refer to a snake in the meadow/grass or
to a treacherous person who pretends to be a friend?
‘A snake in the grass’ is an idiom.
2. ‘Snake’ can be used as a verb.
• The road snakes its way through the mountains.
(follows a twisting, winding course)
• The river snaked away into the distance. (moving
like a snake, disappeared)
3. ‘snaky’ (like a snake)
• the snaky movements of the young dancers
• narrow snaky paths through the hill
A Homage to our Brave Soldiers
v Encourage children to share their observation or
interesting experiences about brave soldiers that they
may have come across.
v Let Children find picture of monuments of historical and
educational interest.
v Focus on the duties and responsibilities as citizens of
a nation.
Meadow Surprises
v Let children find pictures of a butterfly and other insects/
birds, a buttercup and other flowers that they know, a
rabbit and/or a running brook and arrange the pictures
in a patchwork design of their choice.
v Activity 4 can be taken up as a mini project. Involve groups
of children in doing it. The paragraph(s) or poem(s) written
at the end of the week may be put up on the class
bulletin board.
v Encourage children to share with their peers any
interesting ‘surprise’ that they may have come across.
56/HONEYCOMB
4
Before you read
daimios: (in
19th century
Japan)
I n the good old days of the daimios,
there lived an old couple whose only
pet was a little dog. Having no children, they
wealthy loved it as though it were a baby. The old dame
landowners
—————– made it a cushion of blue crape, and at
mealtime Muko —for that was its name —would
—————–
snug:
sit on it as snug as any cat. The kind people fed
comfortable the pet with tidbits of fish from their own
—————– chopsticks, and all the boiled rice it wanted.
—————– Thus treated, the dumb creature loved its
a being with protectors like a being with a soul.
a soul:
like a
The old man, being a rice farmer, went daily
human child with hoe or spade into the fields, working hard
(showing from morning until O Tento Sama (as the sun
emotion)
—————– is called) had gone down behind the hills. Every
—————– day the dog followed him to work, never once
THE ASHES THAT MADE TREES BLOOM/57
Comprehension Check
________________
1. Why did the neighbours kill the dog? ________________
2. Mark the right item. ________________
(i) The old farmer and his wife loved the dog ________________
(a) because it helped them in their day-to-day ________________
work. ________________
(b) as if it was their own baby. ________________
(c) as they were kind to all living beings. ________________
(ii) When the old couple became rich, they ________________
(a) gave the dog better food. ________________
(b) invited their greedy neighbours to a feast. ________________
(c) lived comfortably and were generous towards
________________
their poor neighbours.
________________
(iii) The greedy couple borrowed the mill and the
________________
mortar to make
________________
(a) rice pastry and bean sauce.
________________
(b) magic ash to win rewards.
________________
(c) a pile of gold.
________________
________________
II ________________
Not long after that, the good old man dreamed ________________
again, and the spirit of the dog spoke to him, telling ________________
him how the wicked people had burned the mill ________________
________________
made from the pine tree. “Take the ashes of the
mill, sprinkle them on the withered trees, and they withered:
will bloom again,” said the dog-spirit. bare and dry
________________
The old man awoke and went at once to his
________________
wicked neighbour’s house, where he found the ________________
miserable old pair sitting at the edge of their ________________
square fireplace, in the middle of the floor, ________________
smoking and spinning. From time to time they ________________
________________
warmed their hands and feet with the blaze from ________________
62/HONEYCOMB
4. Why did the daimio reward the farmer but punish his
neighbour for the same act?
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
4. Add im- or in- to each of the following words and use them
in place of the italicised words in the sentences given below.
• a boy • an actor
• a mango • an apple
• a university • an hour
.
I find his books a little hard to understand.
.
3. Are you fond of reading stories? Did you read one last
month? If not, read one or two and then write a paragraph
about the story. Use the following hints.
• title of the story
• name of author
• how many characters
• which one you liked
• some details of the story
• main point(s) as you understand it
Tell your friends why they should also read it.
Thought What?
I thought a thought.
But the thought I thought wasn’t
the thought
I thought I thought.
70/HONEYCOMB
Chivvy
Ask yourself as well as your partner: Do you like
to be always told what to do or not to do?
Do grown-ups do this, in your experience?
When Michael was five years old, his mother took
him to a nearby school for admission. The teacher
asked, “What does your mother call you at home,
child?” “Michael Don’t,” came the confident reply.
MICHAEL ROSEN
5
Before you read
Quality
—————–
I knew him from the days of my
extreme youth, because he made my
—————– father’s boots. He lived with his elder brother in
—————– his shop, which was in a small by-street in a
—————– fashionable part of London.
—————– The shop had a certain quiet distinction. There
—————–
was no sign upon it other than the name of Gessler
—————–
Brothers; and in the window a few pairs of boots.
—————–
He made only what was ordered, and what he
—————–
made never failed to fit. To make boots —such
boots as he made —seemed to me then, and still
—————–
seems to me, mysterious and wonderful.
—————–
I remember well my shy remarks, one day, while
“It is an art.”
(said with a stretching out to him my youthful foot. “Isn’t it
German awfully hard to do, Mr Gessler?” And his answer,
accent)
given with a sudden smile from out of the redness
lasted of his beard: “Id is an ardt!’’
terribly:
lasted very It was not possible to go to him very often—
long his boots lasted terribly, having something
QUALITY/73
cot — coat
cost — coast
tossed — toast
got — goat
rot — rote
blot — bloat
knot — note
choose bench
child march
cheese peach
chair wretch
charming research
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?
82/HONEYCOMB
I’ve decided to go
abroad for higher
studies.
Writing
I. Based on the following points write a story.
• Your aunt has 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?
Begin like this:
Last month my aunt decided to visit her parents...
84/HONEYCOMB
Trees
Take a few minutes to tell one another the names of
trees that you know or have heard of. Mention the
things trees give us. Then read this poem about trees.
SHIRLEY BAUER
QUALITY
TREES/85
6
Before you read
Expert Detectives
I
—————–
A s we walked back towards the clinic
Seven said, “He doesn’t look anything
like a monster, Maya. But did you see how thin
—————– he is? Maybe he’s very poor and can’t afford
—————– to eat.”
—————– “He can’t be poor if he’s a crook on the run,” I
—————– told him. “He’s probably got millions of rupees
stashed stashed away somewhere in that room.”
away: “Do you really think he’s a criminal, Maya? He
hidden away
doesn’t look like one,” Nishad looked doubtful.
—————–
“Of course he’s one, Seven,” I said, “and
—————–
he certainly isn’t starving. Mr Mehta told us
—————–
that Ramesh brings his meals up from the
—————–
restaurant downstairs.”
—————–
EXPERT DETECTIVES/87
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
“But Maya, Mr Mehta told us he doesn’t work
________________
anywhere, so how can he possibly have money to
________________
pay for food?” Nishad said.
________________
“Exactly!” I exclaimed. “He must have lots of
________________
money hidden somewhere, maybe in that trunk
________________
in his room. It’s probably full of silver and gold
________________
and jewels and...”
________________
“What rubbish,” Nishad interrupted.
“I know I’m right, stupid,” I told him. “By the ________________
was too dark, but I bet he got them during a shoot- ________________
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
Speaking
1. Play detectives with each other. Find a person in your
class (or some other acquaintance) to speak to. Find out
the answers to the questions given below. Be 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 newspapers or magazines does the person read?
(iii) How long has the person lived at the current address?
(iv) What does 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? How? Will they ever be friends? Think about
these questions and write a paragraph or two to continue
the story.
3. Conducting a Survey
Have you ever
conducted a survey?
Say Yes, No, or I
don’t know
Yes, No, or I
don’t know.
EXPERT DETECTIVES/97
Yes No Don’t
A home is a place where know
• you feel secure and happy.
• you can be alone.
• you can keep all your things.
• you can bring up a family.
• you can invite friends/relatives.
• you can make a noise if you want to.
• you can do whatever you like.
• you are at peace.
• you can look after your parents.
• you receive and give love.
Mystery of the
Talking Fan
Is there a ceiling fan in the room where you are
sitting now? Is the fan quiet or noisy? If it is noisy,
you may be sure it is a distant relative of the
‘talking fan’ in the poem which you are going
to read.
MAUDE RUBIN
7
Before you read
Who are the oldest people you know? What are the
oldest things you have (i) in your house, (ii) in your city,
town or village? How old are they?
Have you ever wished that you were older? Have
you wished that you could grow up in a hurry?
The Invention of
Vita-Wonk
Mr Willy Wonka begins by inventing Wonka-
Vite, which makes people younger. But Wonka-
Vite is too strong. So some people disappear,
because their age becomes Minus! One person
—————–
actually becomes minus eighty-seven, which
—————– means he’s got to wait eighty-seven years
—————– before he can come back.
—————– Mr Willy Wonka must invent a new thing...
—————–
—————– I
—————–
set to work:
began to
M r Wonka said, “So once again I rolled
up my sleeves and set to work. Once
again I squeezed my brain, searching for the new
work
recipe: recipe... I had to create age... to make people old...
instructions old, older, oldest... ‘Ha-ha!’ I cried, for now the
for making
something
ideas were beginning to come. ‘What is the oldest
—————– living thing in the world? What lives longer than
—————– anything else?’ ”
THE INVENTION OF VITA-WONK/101
Comprehension Check
________________
________________
________________ 1. Choose the right answer.
________________ (i) Mr Willy Wonka is (a) a cook, (b) an inventor, (c)
________________ a manager.
________________ (ii) Wonka-Vite makes people (a) older, (b) younger.
________________ (iii) Mr Wonka wants to invent a new thing which
will make people (a) younger, (b) older.
________________
2. Can anyone’s age be a minus number? What does
________________
“minus 87” mean?
________________
3. Mr Wonka begins by asking himself two questions.
________________ What are they?
________________ (i) What is ?
________________
(ii) What lives ?
________________
________________
________________ II
________________
“All over the world, Charlie,” Mr Wonka went on
tracked “I tracked down very old and ancient animals and
down: found, took an important little bit of something from each
by searching
for it one of them — a hair or an eyebrow or sometimes
________________ it was no more than an ounce or two of the jam
________________ scraped from between its toes while it was
________________ sleeping. I tracked down THE WHISTLE-PIG, THE
________________ BOBOLINK, THE SKROCK, THE POLLYFROG, THE
________________ GIANT CURLICUE, THE STINGING SLUG AND THE
________________ VENOMOUS SQUERKLE who can spit poison right
________________ into your eye from fifty yards away. But there’s
________________ no time to tell you about them all now, Charlie.
________________ Let me just say quickly that in the end, after lots
________________ of boiling and bubbling and mixing and testing in
THE INVENTION OF VITA-WONK/103
Easy Palak–Dal
INGREDIENTS
• One
• One cup dal
• Two thin green chillies
• a teaspoon red chilli powder
• Eight small bunches of palak
• Two
• Salt to taste
Wash and cut the vegetables; the palak. Put
everything in a pressure . Let the cooker whistle
three , then switch it off. Fry a few cumin seeds
in and add to the palak–dal.
THE INVENTION OF VITA-WONK/105
MY FAMILY
-
106/HONEYCOMB
Speaking
Using Do for Emphasis
Charlie asks, “What did happen?”
This is a way of asking the question “What happened?” with
emphasis.
Given below are a few emphatic utterances. Say them to
your partner. Let your partner repeat your utterance without
the emphasis. Your partner may also add something to show
she/he disagrees with you.
Writing
1. (i) Make a list of the trees Mr Wonka mentions. Where
do these trees grow? T ry to find out from an
encyclopaedia. Write a short paragraph about two or
three of these trees.
(ii) Name some large trees commonly found in your area.
Find out something about them (How old are they?
Who planted them? Do birds eat their fruit?), and
write two or three sentences about each one of them.
2. Find out something interesting about age, or growing old,
and write a paragraph about it. Following are a few topics,
suggested as examples.
• The age profile of a country’s population — does it have
more young people than old people, or vice versa? What
are the consequences of this?
• How can we tell how old a tree, a horse, or a rock is?
• What is the ‘life expectancy’ of various living things,
and various populations (how long can they reasonably
expect to live)?
Delivery Delayed
When the postman arrived at the Roy
household to deliver the mail, he was surprised
to find a new vicious dog. The dog was fastened
to a tree by a leash just long enough to reach
the front door. The dog growled and bared its
teeth. But the postman managed to outwit the
dog and reach the front door safely. How?
Answer on page 139
108/HONEYCOMB
KIT WRIGHT
DAD
THE
AND THE CATOF
INVENTION VITA
AND -W
THE TONK
REE/111
G LOSSARY
wobbly: unsteady
for goodness’ sake: an exclamation expressing protest
scoffed: laughed mockingly
child’s play: very easy to do
landed wallop: fell heavily
pleased as Punch: very pleased
safe and sound: unhurt
Do you know...
If you show love to plants or expose them to
classical music, they grow well. Is this true ?
Answer on page 113
112/HONEYCOMB
Garden Snake
Have you ever seen a snake fighting a mongoose, or
getting into a hole, or swimming in the river? Everyone,
almost everyone, believes that snakes are dangerous.
Some are, most are not. Read this poem on a harmless
garden snake.
MURIEL L. SONNE
Do you know...
Answer
According to some botanists, plants are able
to sense the vibrations of music through their
stomata. How this occurs is not yet known.
Yields of some crops are reported to have
increased substantially when the plants
were exposed to music. Many plant lovers,
including Prince Charles of Britain, believe
that talking to plants makes them grow better.
114/HONEYCOMB
8
Before you read
A Homage to our
Brave Soldiers
I
—————–
—————–
—————–
S oumya K.
House No…, Jayanagar,
Bengaluru
—————–
—————–
Date: 14 April 2022
—————–
—————– Dear Ananda,
—————–
—————– Hope you are all doing well!
—————–
—————–
—————– Do you remember our last conversation about
—————– ‘war and peace’? We talked about how India had
—————– to struggle for its Independence from the British
A HOMAGE TO OUR BRAVE SOLDIERS/115
https://www.indiatimes.com/hindi/frontlines/param-vir-
chakra-awardee-lance-naik-albert-ekka-503475.html
118/HONEYCOMB
CITATION
________________
Lance Naik Albert Ekka,
________________
(No. 4239746), 14 Guards
________________
________________
Lance Naik Albert Ekka was in the left forward
________________
company of a Battalion of the Brigade of Guards
________________
during their attack on the enemy defence at
________________
________________
Gangasagar on the eastern front. This was a well-
________________
fortified position held in strength by the enemy.
________________ The assaulting troops were subjected to intense
________________ shelling and heavy small arms fire, but they
________________ charged on to the objective and were locked in
________________ bitter hand-to-hand combat. Lance Naik Albert
________________ Ekka noticed an enemy Light Machine Gun
________________ inflicting heavy casualties on his company. With
________________ complete disregard to his personal safety, he
________________ charged the enemy bunker, bayoneted two enemy
________________ soldiers and silenced the Light Machine Gun.
________________
Though seriously wounded in this encounter, he
________________
continued to fight alongside his comrades through
________________
________________
the mile deep objective, clearing bunker after
________________
bunker with undaunted courage. Towards the
________________ northern end of the objective, one enemy Medium
—————– Machine Gun opened up from the second storey
—————– of a well-fortified building inflicting heavy
—————– casualties and holding up the attack. Once again,
—————– this gallant soldier without worrying about his
—————–
personal safety, despite his serious injury and
—————–
—————–
the heavy volume of enemy fire, crawled forward
A HOMAGE TO OUR BRAVE SOLDIERS/119
II
A nanda,
House No…., Sector …
Chandigarh. ________________
________________
Date: 24 April 2022 ________________
________________
Dear Soumya,
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________ Next week, I am going to share this idea with my
________________ classmates and my teacher. I think it would be
________________ great to create a collage capturing the lives and
________________ stories of people that can inspire us each day.
________________ I know that we can email each other. I really
________________
like to receive letters from you, not just because
________________
of the ideas that you share but also because the
________________
envelope of your letters often comes with beautiful
________________
________________
stamps, that make me happy. I don’t know if I
________________ ever shared it before, but collecting stamps is one
________________ of my favourite hobbies. I’ve been doing it for
________________ years. But I learnt recently that the act of collecting
________________ stamps is called ‘philately’. This time I received a
________________ stamp that celebrates India’s independence, a
—————– theme related to your letter.
—————– Okay, that’s all from me for now. But before I
—————–
conclude, guess what we had for breakfast!—
—————–
fluffy idlies and we all remembered you. Give my
—————–
—————–
regards to your parents.
—————– I am inspired by your letter!
A HOMAGE TO OUR BRAVE SOLDIERS/133
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
Hope to hear from you soon about your new
________________
adventures and experiences.
________________
Best wishes,
Ananda
Comprehension Check
(i) visit
(ii) mobile app
(iii) sharing ideas
(iv) creating a collage
(v) joining the army
(vi) website
134/HONEYCOMB
Meadow Surprises
Walk across a green field, a park or even under a clump
of trees, and you will notice many wonderful things.
What are some of the surprises a meadow has for
someone with a keen eye and a sharp ear?
Busy World
Bees are buzzing, frogs are hopping,
Moles are digging. There’s no stopping
Vines from climbing, grass from growing,
Birds from singing, winds from blowing,
Buds from blooming. Bees are humming,
Sunbeams dancing, raindrops drumming.
All the world is whirling, dizzy,
Summertime is very busy!
FRANCES GORMAN RISSER
Delivery Delayed
Answer
The postman started moving
round the tree in circles. The dog
followed him, but as he did so, his
leash got wrapped around the tree.
The postman then safely walked
up to the front door.
140/HONEYCOMB
Notes