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NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 4 includes two pieces of English literature– prose and poetry. The prose is a Japanese tale titled “The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom” and the poem is titled “Chivvy”. In the book, both pieces are followed by literature and language questions. All these questions are designed to help you enhance your English language skills. To help you do so, we have answered the writing questions classified under Comprehension Check, Working with the Text, Working with the Language, and Working with the Poem sections in the chapter. Keep learning!!
Download NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 4 Important Questions and Answers PDF
Read more: Story Writing: Tips to Write An Enchanting Story
Table of Contents
Access Notes of all Chapters of Class 7 English ‘Honeycomb’ here:
NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 4: The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom
NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 4 story by William Elliot Griffis is a Japanese tale. To assist you in understanding the prose better, we have compiled a list of important words and phrases. In addition, we also answer writing questions following the story. Let’s proceed!!
Important Words and Phrases and Their Meanings
To begin with, we will learn about important words and meanings in “The Ashes That
- Daimios: Name for wealthy landlords in the 19th century Japan
- Snug: Comfortable
- A being with a soul: Displaying emotion as a human child
- Turned up: Dug up
- On Purpose: Deliberately
- Gleamed: Twinkled, glittered, or sparkled
- Coaxed: Flattered or persuaded
- Dainties: Fancy food or tasty food
- Crone: An aged woman
- Covetous: Selfish or greedy
- Flung: Threw
- Carcass: Body of a deceased person or dead body
- Mortar: Bowl
- Pounding: Grinding or crushing
- Stingy: Mean or miserly
- Withered: Dry up
- Turned up their noses: Treated him with disrespect
- Procession: Parade or march
- Prostrate: Lay down on the land facing downward
- Palanquin: Royal wagon or cart
- Gleefully: Happily
- A particle: A tiny bit
- Seized: Captured
- Green: Healthy and prosperous
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Download NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 4 Important Questions and Answers PDF
Download NCERT Solutions of all Poems of Class 7 English ‘Honeycomb’ here:
NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 4 Prose: The Ashes That Made Trees Bloom
In this section, we will learn about solutions to subjective and objective writing questions following the story in NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 4.
Comprehension Check
Ques 1. Why did the neighbours kill the dog?
Ans: The neighbours got mad and upset because they thought the dog could help them find a hidden treasure, just like it had helped an old couple before. But when the dog led them to a place, they found a stinky, dead kitten instead. So, in their anger and frustration, they killed the dog.
Ques 2: Select the correct answer from the following:
(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.
Ans:
(i) Option (b) as if it was their own baby.
(ii) Option (c) lived comfortably and were generous towards their poor neighbours.
Working with the Text
Answer the following questions:
Ques 1. The old farmer is a kind person. What evidence of his kindness do you find in the first two paragraphs?
Ans: The old farmer is a nice person. We can tell he is kind from different parts of the story. In the beginning, it tells us that the old couple treated the dog just like their own child. They even shared their food with the dog, giving him bits of fish and cooked rice. In another part of the story, it mentions that the old man would dig up the soil to feed the birds on purpose, showing how much he cared about animals.
Ques 2. What did the dog do to lead the farmer to the hidden gold?
Ans: To guide the farmer to the hidden gold, the dog rushed over to the farmer and put its paws on his legs. It kept pointing and leading the old man to a spot behind him. At first, the old man believed the dog was playing, but because the dog continued to run and make sounds, the old man decided to follow the dog to that place.
Ques 3: Answer the following questions:
(i) How did the spirit of the dog help the farmer first?
(ii) How did it help him next?
Ans:
(i) The farmer had a dream where the spirit of the dog appeared. The spirit told the farmer to cut down a pine tree and use it to make a mortar and hand mill. When the farmer did what the spirit of the dog had advised, he found a lot of gold. This is how the spirit of the dog helped him for the first time.
(ii) The second time the spirit of the dog came to the farmer in a dream, it told him to get the ashes from the mortar and mill that he made. The spirit said to collect these ashes from his unfriendly neighbours and sprinkle them on the dead trees. It promised that if the farmer did this, the trees would bloom again. When the farmer followed the instructions and put the ashes on the cherry tree in front of an important person called the Daimio, the tree started to bloom, and the old man got valuable gifts as a reward.
Ques 4. Why did the Daimio reward the farmer but punish his neighbour for the same act?
Ans: The Daimio, who was an important person, rewarded the farmer because the cherry tree he helped bloom pleased the Daimio. The farmer’s kindness made the Daimio happy.
But when the neighbour tried to do the same thing with the ashes on the tree in front of the Daimio, it didn’t work. Instead, the ashes ended up falling on the Daimio and his wife’s eyes. This made the important procession look messy and upset the Daimio. So, the neighbour got in big trouble because of that.
Working with Language
Ques 1. Read the following conversation.
RAVI: What are you doing?
MRIDU: I’m reading a book.
RAVI: Who wrote it?
MRIDU: Ruskin Bond
RAVI: Where did you find it?
MRIDU: In the library.
Notice that ‘what’, ‘who’, and ‘where’, are question words. Questions that require information begin with question words. Some other question words are ‘when’, ‘why’, ‘where’,
‘which’ and ‘how’.
Remember that
- What asks about actions, things, etc.?
- Who asks about people?
- Which asks about people or things?
- Where asks about place?
- When asks about time?
- Why asks about reason or purpose?
- How asks about means, manner or degree?
- Whose asks about possessions?
Read the following paragraph and frame questions on the italicised phrases.
Anil is in school. I am in school too. Anil is sitting in the left row. He is reading a book. Anil’s friend is sitting in the second row. He is sharpening his pencil. The teacher is writing on the blackboard. Children are writing in their copybooks. Some children are looking out of the window.
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
4. ______________________
5. ______________________
6. ______________________
7. ______________________
Ans:
1. Where is Anil?
2. Which row is Anil sitting in?
3. What is Anil doing?
4. Which row is Anil’s friend sitting in?
5. What is Anil’s friend doing?
6. Who is writing on the blackboard?
7. What are some of the children doing?
Ques 2. Write appropriate question words in the blank spaces in the following dialogue.
NEHA: ______________ did you get this book?
SHEELA: Yesterday morning.
NEHA:_____________ is your sister crying?
SHEELA: Because she has lost her doll.
NEHA:_____________ room is this, yours or hers?
SHEELA: It’s ours.
NEHA:_____________ do you go to school?
SHEELA: We walk to school. It is nearby.
Ans:
NEHA: _When_______ did you get this book?
SHEELA: Yesterday morning.
NEHA:__Why___________ is your sister crying?
SHEELA: Because she has lost her doll.
NEHA:__Whose___________ room is this, yours or hers?
SHEELA: It’s ours.
NEHA:_How____________ do you go to school?
SHEELA: We walk to school. It is nearby.
Ques 3. Fill in the blanks with the words given in the box.
| HowWhatWhenWhereWhich |
(i) My friend lost his chemistry book. Now he doesn’t know_(1)_______________ to do and_(2)____________ to look for it.
(ii) There are so many toys in the shops. Neena can’t decide_________________ one to buy.
(iii) You don’t know the way to my school. Ask the policeman____________ to get there.
(iv) You should decide soon___________ to start building your house.
(v) Do you know_(1)__________ to ride a bicycle? I don’t remember_(2)_____________ and _(3)___________ I learnt it.
(vi) “You should know_(1)____________ to talk and_(2)_____________ to keep your mouth shut”, the teacher advised Anil.
Ans:
(i) (1) What; (2) Where
(ii) What
(iii) How
(iv) When
(v) (1) How; (2) When; (3) Where
(vi) (1) When (2) When
Ques 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.
| PatientProperPossibleSensitiveCompetent |
(i) The project appears very difficult at first sight but it can be completed if we work very hard.
(ii) He lacks competence. That’s why he can’t keep any job for more than a year.
(iii) “Don’t lose patience. Your letter will come one day,” the postman told me.
(iv) That’s not a proper remark to make under the circumstances.
(v) He appears to be without sensitivity. In fact, he is very emotional.
Ans:
(i) Impossible
The project appears very impossible at first sight but it can be completed if we work very hard.
(ii) Incompetent
He is incompetent. That’s why he can’t keep any job for more than a year.
(iii) Impatient
“Don’t be impatient. Your letter will come one day,” the postman told me.
(iv) Improper
That’s an improper remark to make under the circumstances.
Ques 5. Read the following sentences.
It was a cold morning and stars still glowed in the sky.
An old man was walking along the road.
| The words in italics are articles. ‘A’ and ‘an’ are “Indefinite Articles” and ‘the’ is the “Definite Article”. ‘A’ is used before a singular countable noun. ‘An’ is used before a word that begins with a vowel. |
| A boyA mangoA universityAn actorAn appleAn hour |
Use ‘a’, ‘an’, and ‘the’ to fill out the following blanks:
There was once_(a)________ play which became very successful. _(b)________ famous actor was acting in it. In _(c)________ play his role was that of_(d)________ aristocrat who had been imprisoned in_(e)________ castle for twenty years. In_(f)________ last act of_(g)________ play someone would come on_(h)________ stage with_(i)________ letter which he would hand over to_(j)________ prisoner. Even though _(k)________ aristocrat was not expected to read__(l)_______ letter at each performance, he always insisted that_(m)________ letter be written out from beginning to end.
Ans:
(a) a
(b) A
(c )the
(d) an
(e) a
(f) the
(g) the
(h) the
(i) a
(j) the
(k) the
(l) the
(m) the
Ques 6. Select the correct article.
| Example:Ques: Nina was looking for ( a/the) job. After many interviews, she got (a/the ) job she was looking for. Ans: Nina was looking for a job. After many interviews, she got the job she was looking for. |
A: Would you like (a/an/the) apple or (a/an/the) banana?
B: I’d like (a/an/the) apple, please.
A: Take (a/an/the) red one in (a/an/the) fruit bowl. You may take (a/an/the) orange also if you like.
B: Which one?
A: (A/An/The) one beside (a/an/the) banana.
Ans:
A: Would you like an apple or a banana?
B: I’d like an apple, please.
A: Take the red one in the fruit bowl. You may take an orange also if you like.
B: Which one?
A: The one beside the banana.
Writing
Ques 2: Put each of the following in the correct order. Then use them appropriately to fill the blanks in the paragraph that follows. Use correct punctuation marks.
- English and Hindi/both/in/he writes
- and only/a few short stories/many books in English/ in Hindi
- is/my Hindi/than my English/much better
Ravi Kant is a writer, and_(1)_____________________________. Of course, he is much happier writing in English than in Hindi. He has written_(2)______________________________________. I find books a little hard to understand.__(3)____________________________________________.
Ans:
Ravi Kant is a writer, and _(1)_he writes both in English and Hindi__. Of course, he is much happier writing in English than in Hindi. He has written_(2) many books in English and only a few short stories in Hindi_. I find books a little hard to understand._(3) My Hindi is much better than my English____.
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Access Notes of all Chapters of Class 7 English ‘Honeycomb’ here:
NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 4 Poem: Chivvy
Following the story “The Ashes That Made Trees” is a poem “Chivvy”. This poetry piece depicts how adults nag children for basic things. To help you understand the poem better, we have provided a summarised meaning of “Chivvy”. Thereafter, we will also explore answers to questions related to this poetry piece. Let us begin!!
Summary of Poem: Chivvy
“The Chivvy” by Michael Rosen is a poem that humorously portrays the common instructions that adults often give to children. The poem has several phrases and commands that grown-ups use to correct children’s behaviour. These commands include “Speak up,” “Say please,” “Sit up straight,” and “Take your elbows off the table.” These phrases reflect the way adults try to discipline children’s manners and behaviour.
Also, the poem shows the way adults interact with children. Adults sometimes provide instruction in a repetitive and seemingly never-ending nature. Also, the poet suggests that adults constantly remind children to follow social norms and manners. These constant instructions can sometimes be seen as annoying or nagging.
Overall, the poem captures how adults try to instil good manners and behaviour in the younger generation.
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Download NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 4 Important Questions and Answers PDF
Download NCERT Solutions of all Poems of Class 7 English ‘Honeycomb’ here:
NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 4 Poem: Chivvy
Now, let us explore NCERT solutions to writing questions following the Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 4 poem titled “Chivvy”.
Working with the Poem
Ques 1. Answer the following questions:
(i) When is a grown-up likely to say this? “Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
(ii) When are you likely to be told this? “Say thank you.”
(iii) When do you think an adult would say this? “No one thinks you are funny.”
Ans:
(i) Adults usually say this when children are eating with food in their mouths and speaking simultaneously.
(ii) Grown-up people instruct children to say thank you when anyone gives them something or offers them help.
(iii) Adults would say “No one thinks you are funny” when kids are asked to perform any activity and instead of performing it they laugh because they are feeling shy.
Ques 2. The last two lines of the poem are not prohibitions or instructions. What is the adult now asking the child to do? Do you think the poet is suggesting that this is unreasonable? Why?
Ans: In the last two lines of the poem, the adults don’t give any rules or orders. Instead, they say something that’s kind of funny. They tell the children to make their own choices.
Yes, the poet is suggesting that this is unreasonable. He thinks that this is a bit strange because, most of the time, adults want kids to do what they’re told and follow their instructions without thinking. But in these last lines, the adults are asking the kids to suddenly start making their own decisions, which seems a bit odd.
Ques 3. Why do you think grown-ups say the kind of things mentioned in the poem? Is it important that they teach children good manners, and how to behave in public?
Ans: Grown-ups say the things mentioned in the poem to help children learn how to be well-behaved and do things the right way. It’s important because adults have learned these good manners through their own experiences.
However, sometimes adults can be a little too strict with kids, and this can take away some of their innocence and playfulness. In other words, it’s important to teach kids, but it’s also important to let them be kids and have fun.
Ques 4. If you had to make some rules for grown-ups to follow, what would you say? Make at least five such rules. Arrange the lines as in a poem.
Ans:
Don’t shout at children.
Don’t beat them.
Don’t use your mobile while eating.
Don’t use abusive language for anyone.
Spend more time with pets and children.
Don’t stop children from playing.
Read more: Quiz Your Inner Grammar Nazi With this Grammar Test
FAQs
Ans: This Japanese tale is authored by William Elliot Griffis.
Ans: This poem is written by Michael Rosen.
Ans: It means to nag. The dictionary meaning of chivvy is “to continuously urge someone to do something, often in an annoying way”.
Get NCERT Solutions and Notes of Class 7 English ‘An Alien Hand’ textbook here:
| 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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Follow Leverage Edu for complete study material on CBSE Notes of Class 7 English.