Class-7 English: Honeycomb-Expert Detectives

 

Textual Questions and Exercises

 

Q1. What did Nishad give Mr. Nath? Why?

 Ans. Nishad gave a bar of chocolate to Mr. Naphtha because he thought that Mr. Nath was poor and starving.

 

Q2. What is “strange” about Mr. Nath’s Sundays?

 Ans. On every Sunday, Mr. Nath was with a tall, fair, stout man wearing spectacles in his room who used to talk a lot unlike Mr. Nath.

 

Q3. Why did Nishad and Maya get a holiday?

 Ans. The monsoon broke and flooded the streets with a heavy downpour. Therefore, no traffic could move through the flooded roads so Nishad and Maya got an unexpected holiday.

 

Q4. What does Nishad find out about Mr. Nath from Ramesh? Arrange the information as suggested below.

• What he eats
• When he eats
• What he drinks, and when
• How he pays

 Ans. Nishad finds out from Ramesh that Mr. Nath took two meals in a day every morning and evening. He was not particular about what he eats, it’s always the same food – two chapattis, some dal and a vegetable. He drank two cups of tea, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  He pays cash and tips well.

 

Q5. Why does Maya think Mr Nath is a crook? Who does she say the Sunday visitor is?

 Ans. Maya thought that Mr. Nath was a crook because of his strange appearance and he did not work. He never talked to anyone at Shankar House though he had been living there for more than a year. He had scars on his face which according to Maya, must have been the burn scars which would have got when police had set his house on fire. Moreover, he didn’t receive any letters and had only one visitor to visit him.

She said that the Sunday visitor must be his accomplice in crime and he came every now and then to give part of it to his partner.

 

Q6. Does Nishad agree with Maya about Mr. Nath? How does he feel about him?

 Ans. No, Nishad didn’t agree with Maya about Mr. Nath. He felt that he must be so lonely and wanted to have friends. He said that he was not a criminal because he was so thin and looked poor and starving. He argued with Maya that he can’t be a bad man if he gave Ramesh such generous tips.

 

Working with Language

 

Q1. The word ‘tip’ has only three letters but many meanings. Match the word with its meanings below.

1. finger tips – 2. the tip of your nose – 3. tip the water out of the bucket – 4. have something on the tip of your tongue – 5. tip the bot over – 6. tip him a rupee – 7. the tip of the bat – 8. the police were tipped of – 9. if you take my tip – 10. the bat tipped the ball –

1. the end of one’s fingers 2. the pointed end of your nose 3. empty a bucket tilting it 4. be about to say something 5. make the boat overturn 6. give a rupee to him, to thank him 7. the end of the bat 8. the police were told, or warned 9. if you take this advice 10. the bat lightly touched the ball

 

Q2. 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.

Ans. (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 helper

(vii) tennis/golf/bridge partner

(viii) his accomplice in his criminal activities

 

Q3. 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.

1. The storm broke  – 2. daybreak  – 3. His voice is beginning to break  – 4. Her voice broke and she cried  – 5. The heat wave broke  – 6. broke the bad news  – 7. break a strike  –

1. it began or burst into activity 2. the beginning of daylight 3. changing as he grows up 4. could not speak; was too sad to speak 5. this kind of weather ended 6. gently told someone the bad news 7. end it by making the workers submit