NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 2: Notes and Solutions (Free PDF)

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NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 2

NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 2 includes prose and a poem. The prose is titled “A Gift of Chappals”. It is a story by Vasantha Surya. Conversely, the poem “The Rebel” was written by D.J. Enright. Both these texts impart important life lessons. The story teaches us about compassion and humanity. Whereas, the poem enlightens us about the idea and importance of rebels in our degenerating society. After you are done reading the chapter, you will come across several speaking and writing questions. You will get answers to all writing questions in the notes. Keep reading!!

Read More: CBSE NCERT Notes Class 6 English

Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4
Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7 Chapter 8

NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 2: A Gift of Chappals

The NCERT Class 7 Honeycomb Chapter 2 story “A Gift of Chappals” is taken from the book “Nridu in Madras: Goruchaka Turns Up” by Vasantha Surya. In the first half of the story, kids provide milk and shelter to a stray kitten. Whereas, in the other half, the children gifted a pair of chappals to a beggar who had blisters on his feet. 

Source: Animated Gyan

Important Words and Phrases and Their Meanings

Now, let us explore important words and phrases and their meanings, per the CBSE English Class 7 Chapter 2 story “A Gift of Chappals”.

  • Scrawny: Something skinny, in the story: skinny toes
  • Paati: Grandmother (in Tamil language)
  • Throw her off the scent: Mislead her to divert her from understanding the actual purpose
  • Thatha: Grandfather (in Tamil language)
  • Descended from: Coming from a particular family
  • Glided: Moved along smoothly
  • Veshti: Dhoti (in Tamil language)
  • Stumbled: Followed casually
  • Beringed: Wearing a ring
  • Snooze: A nap 
  • Kept my body and soul together: Managed to stay alive
  • Fed up: Tired and unhappy
  • Blisters: Bubbles/boils on the skin, from burns or rubbing
  • Eyes Filling: With tears
  • Unappreciative: Disapproving
  • Lurking: Waiting quietly, without attracting attention
  • Clattered off: Gone off with the noise

Improve vocabulary with:

50 Difficult Words with Meanings
20+ Daily Used English Words: with Meaning
450+ Common English words with Hindi meaning
Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4
Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8

NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 2 Prose: A Gift of Chappals

Furthermore, in this section of CBSE Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 2 notes, we will dive into NCERT solutions of all writing questions under Comprehension Check I, Comprehension Check II, and Exercise sections. 

Comprehension Check I

Ques 1. What is the secret that Meena shares with Mridu in the backyard?

Ans: Meena tells Mridu about the little kitten they discovered in front of their house in the morning. They had hidden it in the backyard behind a big bush.

Ques 2. How does Ravi get milk for the kitten?

Ans: Ravi cleverly goes to the kitchen to get some milk for the kitten. He pretends to be hungry so that nobody suspects him. To make it seem more convincing, he drinks most of the milk in his glass. Then, he deliberately leaves a little milk in the glass and pours it into a coconut shell in the backyard to feed the kitten without anyone noticing.

Ques 3. Who does he say the kitten’s ancestors are? Do you believe him?

Ans: Ravi tells everyone that the kitten’s ancestor was the Pallava Lion, which was the symbol of the Pallava dynasty.

No. I do not believe that. 

Ques 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 or disagree with?

Ans: Option (ii) his knowledge of history is sound. I agree with this statement because Ravi is very intelligent and has a very creative mind.

Ques 5. What was the noise that startled Mridu and frightened

Mahendran?

Ans: The sound that startled Mridu and scared Mahendran was the ‘kreeching’ or high-pitched noise made by Lalli’s violin.

Comprehension Check II

Ques 1. The music master is making lovely music. Mention the sentence in the text that expresses this idea.

Ans: The notes played by the music teacher appeared to rise and fit perfectly into the hidden path of the melody. It was similar to how the wheels of a train smoothly connect with the tracks and zoom forward, just like Ravi described.

Ques 2. Had the beggar come to Rukku Manni’s house for the first time? Give reasons for your answer.

Ans: No, the beggar wasn’t visiting Rukku Manni’s house for the first time. In fact, he had been coming to her house for the past week. He even acknowledged that he had been able to survive the previous week because of the kindness of the women in Rukku Manni’s house.

Ques 3. “A sharp V-shaped line had formed between her eyebrows.” What does it suggest to you about Rukku Manni’s mood?

Ans: The description of “A sharp V-shaped line had formed between her eyebrows” suggests that Rukku Manni was quite upset or frustrated by the mischievous behaviour of the children. This line between her eyebrows indicates her annoyance or irritation.

Working with the Text

Ques 1. Complete the following sentences:

(i) Ravi compares Lalli’s playing the violin to_________________________________________.

(ii) Trying to hide beneath the tray of chillies, Mahendran_______________________________.

(iii) The teacher played a few notes on his violin, and Lalli_______________________________.

(iv) The beggar said that the kind ladies of the household______________________________.

(v) After the lesson was over, the music teacher asked Lalli if___________________________.

Ans:

(i) derailing of a train.

(ii) tipped a few chillies over himself. “Mi-a-aw!”, he howled miserably.

(iii) stumbled behind him on her violin, which looked quite helpless and unhappy in her hands.

(iv) had helped him survive the last week.

(v) she had seen his chappals.

Ques 2. Describe the music teacher, as seen from the window.

Ans: The music teacher had a slim, angular appearance. He was seated with his back against the room’s window while giving violin lessons to Lalli. He was bald and had some oiled hair around his ears. He had a traditional tuft hairstyle and wore a gold chain around his neck. Also, he had a diamond ring on his finger and was tapping the floor with his slender, undernourished foot.

Ques 3. Answer the following:

(i) What makes Mridu conclude that the beggar has no money to buy chappals?

(ii) What does she suggest to show her concern?

Ans:

(i) When the beggar displayed his feet to the children, they noticed blisters on them. This led Mridu to believe that the beggar didn’t have enough money to purchase sandals or chappals.

(ii) Mridu suggested that they should give a pair of chappals to the beggar. 

Ques 4. “Have you children…” she began, and then, seeing they were curiously quiet, went on more slowly, “seen anyone lurking around the verandah?”

(i) What do you think Rukku Manni really wanted to ask?

(ii) Why did she change her question?

(iii) What did she think had happened?

Ans: 

(i) Rukku Manni wanted to ask if the children were to blame for the disappearance of the chappals.

(ii) Rukku Manni changed her question because she observed that the children were behaving very seriously and quietly, which made her suspect that they were involved in the disappearance of the chappals.

Ques 5. On getting Gopu Mama’s chappals, the music teacher tried not to look too happy. Why?

Ans: The music teacher made an effort not to appear pleased because he wanted to give the impression that his own chappals were important to him. However, in truth, he actually preferred Gopu Mama’s new chappals.

Ques 6. On getting a gift of chappals, the beggar vanished in a minute. Why was he in such a hurry to leave?

Ans: The beggar likely wanted to leave as soon as possible because he didn’t want to miss out on the gift of chappals. He needed them urgently because his feet had blisters, and the chappals would provide much-needed comfort and relief.

Ques 7. Walking towards the kitchen with Mridu and Meena, Rukku Manni began to laugh. What made her laugh?

Ans: Rukku Manni found it amusing to think about what she would tell Gopu Mama when he asked about the chappals. She was curious about how he would react when he learned that the chappals had been given to the music teacher instead.

Working with Language

Ques 1. Read the following sentences.

(a) If she knows we have a cat, Paati will leave the house.

(b) She won’t be so upset if she knows about the poor beggar with sores on his feet.

(c) If the chappals do fit, will you really not mind? 

Notice that each sentence consists of two parts. The first part begins with ‘if ’. It is known as an if-clause. Rewrite each of the following pairs of sentences as a single sentence. Use ‘if ’ at the beginning of the sentence.

(a) Walk fast. You’ll catch the bus.       If you walk fast, you’ll catch the bus.
(b) Don’t spit on the road. You’ll be fined.     If you spit on the road, you’ll be fined.

(i) Don’t tire yourself now. You won’t be able to work in the evening.

(ii) Study regularly. You’ll do well in the examination.

(iii) Work hard. You’ll pass the examination in the first division.

(iv) Be polite to people. They’ll also be polite to you.

(v) Don’t tease the dog. It’ll bite you.

Ans:

(i) If you tire yourself up now, you won’t be able to work in the evening.

(ii) If you study regularly, you’ll do well in the examination.

(iii) If you work hard, you’ll pass the examination in the first division.

(iv) If you are polite to people, they’ll also be polite to you.

(v) If you tease the dog, it’ll bite you.

Ques 2. Fill in the blanks in the following paragraph

Today is Sunday. I’m wondering whether I should stay at home or go out. If I_(1)________ (go) out, I_(2)____________ (miss) the lovely Sunday lunch at home. If I_(3)_____________ (stay) for lunch, I__(4)_____________ (miss) the Sunday film showing at Archana Theatre. I think I’ll go out and see the film, only to avoid getting too fat.

Ans:

(1) go

(2) will miss

(3) stay

(4) will miss

Ques 3. Complete each sentence below by appropriately using any one of the following:

if you want to; if you don’t want to; if you want him to

(i) Don’t go to the theatre__________________.

(ii) He’ll post your letter____________________.

(iii) Please use my pen____________________.

(iv) He’ll lend you his umbrella________________.

(v) My neighbour, Ramesh, will take you to the doctor__________________.

(vi) Don’t eat it______________________.

Ans:

(i) if you don’t want to

(ii) if you want him to

(iii) if you want to

(iv) if you want him to

(v) if you want to him to

(vi) if you don’t want to

Also Read: 

The Ultimate Checklist for English Speaking Books 
Famous Books by Ruskin Bond
Famous Books by Rabindranath Tagore
Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4
Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7 Chapter 8

NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 2 Poem: The Rebel

Thereafter, we come across a poem “The Rebel” in NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 2 that encourages us to challenge the wrongdoers without any fear. Thus, to help you understand the poem better, we have provided a summary of the poem and all NCERT solutions.

Source: Animated Gyan

Summary of Poem: The Rebel

“The Rebel” by D.J. Enright is a poem about a person who likes to do the opposite of what most people are doing. This person is called a “rebel.” The poem describes how this rebel does things differently in various situations.

For example, when everyone around them has short hair, the rebel grows their hair long. But when everyone has long hair, the rebel cuts it short. This shows that the rebel goes against the norm, the usual way of doing things.

The rebel also acts differently when it comes to talking in class. If everyone is talking, the rebel stays quiet. But if nobody is talking, the rebel starts making noise. The same goes for how they dress and what they prefer, like cats while others like dogs or vice versa.

In the end, the poem tells us that having rebels, people who do things differently is a good thing because they bring variety and new ideas to the world. But it also suggests that being a rebel might not always be easy, as people may not understand or appreciate your choices.

Also Read: Precis vs Summary: How are the Different? 

Download NCERT Solutions of all Poems of Class 7 English ‘Honeycomb’ here:

Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4
Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8

NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 2 Poem

In this section, our subject experts have answered all questions following the NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 2 poem.

Working with the Poem

Ques 1. Answer the following questions:

(i) If someone doesn’t wear a uniform to school, what do you think the teacher will say?

Ans: I think the teacher might scold the students if they don’t wear uniforms to school, as uniforms are typically required in many schools to maintain a sense of discipline. 

(ii) When everyone wants a clear sky, what does the rebel want most?

Ans: When most people prefer a clear sky, the rebel wishes for the sun to appear

(iii) If the rebel has a dog for a pet, what is everyone else likely to have?

Ans: If the rebel chooses to have a dog as a pet, everyone else around them will probably opt for cats as their pets. 

(iv) Why is it good to have rebels?

Ans: Having rebels in society can be a positive thing because they bring a diversity of thought and action. They make our society more vibrant and can help us learn to accept and respect the differences in how people think and act. These differences can lead to a more open and tolerant society.

(v) Why is it not good to be a rebel oneself?

Ans:  While having rebels in society can be beneficial for diversity and progress, being a rebel oneself can come with challenges and may not always be easy.

(vi) Would you like to be a rebel? If yes, why? If not, why not?

Ans: Yes, I would like to be a rebel because I want to transform the norms of society that are against humanity and support discrimination.

Ques 2. Find in the poem an antonym (a word opposite in meaning) for each of the following words.

(i) Long 

(ii) Grow

(iii) Quietness

(iv) Sober

(v) Lost

Ans:

(i) Short

(ii) Shrink

(iii) Loudness

(iv) Emotional

(v) Found

Ques 3. Find in the poem lines that match the following.

(i) The rebel refuses to cut his hair.

(ii) He says cats are better.

(iii) He recommends dogs.

(iv) He is unhappy because there is no sun.

(v) He is noisy on purpose.

Ans:

(i)  The rebel lets his hair grow long.

(ii) The rebel expresses a preference for cats.

(iii) The rebel puts in a good word for dogs.

(iv) The rebel regrets the absence of the sun.

(v) The rebel creates a disturbance.

Also Read: Top 5 Types of Writing: Format, Essentials, Samples

FAQs

Q1. Who is the author of “A Gift of Chappals”?

Ans: Vasantha Surya is the author of “A Gift of Chappals”

Q2. Which poet wrote “The Rebel” in NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 2?

Ans: The poem is written by D.J. Enright. 

Q3. Name other poems by D.J. Enright

Ans: Here are some widely read poems by D.J. Enright:

Dreaming in the Shanghai Restaurant

Don’t Smile, please

The Noodle-Vendor’s Flute

Chapter 1: The Tiny Teacher
Chapter 2: Bringing Up Kari
Chapter 3: Golu Grows a Nose
Chapter 4: Chandni
Chapter 5: The Bear Story
Chapter 6: A Tiger in the House
Chapter 7: An Alien Hand

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