NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together

F R E E S T U D Y M AT E R I A L F O R E V E R Y S T U D E N T

CLASS 7 · ENGLISH

NCERT Solutions

Unit 1: Learning Together

NCERT Textbook — Poorvi

BOOK PAGES SECTIONS QUESTIONS MEDIUM

1 – 42 27 157 English

Solutions, notes, sample papers & more at 90 pages

Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

CLASS 7 · ENGLISH · POORVI

NCERT Solutions — Unit 1: Learning Together
Unit 1 of Poorvi brings together three pieces about the will to learn — the story The Day the River Spoke by
Kamala Nair, the poem Try Again by Eliza Cook, and Helen Keller's essay Three Days to See. Together they
ask what learning costs, what it is worth, and who is allowed to have it.

TEXTBOOK BOOK PAGES

Poorvi (Class 7) 1 – 42

SECTIONS QUESTIONS

27 157

MEDIUM

English

Let us do these activities before we read — Page 1
The Day the River Spoke (Kamala Nair) — Prose

ACTIVITY

I.1 Close your eyes and quietly listen to the sounds around you for a minute. Are they
trying to tell you something?

Yes. Once you stop talking and only listen, the sounds around you begin to carry information —
they “tell” you what is happening even when your eyes are shut.

WHAT YOU HEAR WHAT IT TELLS YOU

A koel calling, sparrows chirping It is early morning; the birds are awake before us

A fan or the wind in the leaves Air is moving; the weather is changing

A cycle bell, a horn, a hawker The street outside has come alive

Utensils in the kitchen Someone at home is cooking

Why it happens: When one sense is switched off, the brain gives more attention to
the others. Helen Keller says the same thing later in this very unit — she “finds
hundreds of things to interest” her through mere touch.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Sample answer: “I heard a crow, a scooter starting and the rustle of the neem tree.
They told me that the morning had begun, that someone was leaving for work, and
that a breeze had started blowing.”

I.2 Do you think the things around you also listen to you all day long?

In one sense, yes. Trees, walls, pets and the river of this story are all present while we speak,
laugh and cry, and they “receive” our sounds even though they cannot reply.
Writers often use this idea. In this lesson the River not only listens to Jahnavi, it answers her —
the writer treats it as a living listener so that Jahnavi's unspoken thoughts can be spoken aloud.

Sample answer: “I think they do. The peepal tree in our courtyard has heard every
quarrel and every song of our family. It never answers, but it is always there — like
the River that had been listening to Jahnavi every day.”

II.1 Jahnavi was a bright young girl who lived with her parents and three brothers in a
coastal village in India. Her parents worked on the farm. She had a dream. What
could that dream be?

Her dream was to go to school and learn to read, exactly like her brother Ettan (Gopi) and her
friend Meena.
The clues in the introduction point to it: she is called “bright”, she is the only girl among three
brothers, and her parents work on the farm — so she is the one kept back at home to mind the
little ones. A bright child in that situation dreams of the classroom she is being kept out of.

Why it happens: The writer gives us these details before the story begins so that
when Jahnavi finally says, “I want to learn to read like Ettan and Meena,” we already
understand how much it means to her.

II.2 How could she make her dream come true?

By taking the first step herself instead of waiting to be given permission.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Go to the school, stand at the door and listen to the lesson — which is exactly what she does.
Let the teacher see how much she wants to learn, so that the teacher speaks to her father.
Keep helping at home so that the family does not feel she has abandoned her duties.
Ask an older person she trusts — the teacher, her mother — to support her.

Tip: The River's advice is the shortest answer to this question — “Remember — it's
up to you!”

II.3 What is your dream? What can you do to make your dream come true?

This is a personal answer, so write about your own dream. A good answer has three parts: the
dream, why you want it, and the concrete steps you will take this year.

PART WHAT TO INCLUDE

The dream One clear sentence — not “to be successful” but “to become a veterinary doctor”.

The reason An incident that made you want it.

The steps Two or three things you can start now — reading, practising, asking a teacher.

Sample answer: “My dream is to become a veterinary doctor. When our cow fell ill
last year, the doctor who came from the town saved her, and I decided that day. To
make it come true I am working hard at Science, I read about animals in the school
library, and I help my uncle look after our cattle so that I learn about them by
watching closely.”

Let us discuss — Page 3
The Day the River Spoke (Kamala Nair) — Prose

LET US DISCUSS

Q1 What was Jahnavi's dream? Was it important to her? Why?

Jahnavi's dream was to go to school and learn to read, like her elder brother Ettan (Gopi) and
Meena.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together
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It was extremely important to her. She had been asking for it since she was five, and every year
co m
se
the answer was “Maybe next year.” She was now nearly ten and still minding Little Appu instead
m.
o m g l a
.c so much that being refused it makes her cry.
of studying. When she says, “They don't want me. They only…”, she stops with a sob — the

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se
dream matters

l a
ag
It was important for a second reason too. Jahnavi was full of questions — why spiders are yellow
in yellow flowers, why bamboo trees rustle, why the moon always comes from behind the hills,

co m
why the baby fish in the field water become frogs. School was the only place where those “so
many whys” could be answered.
e m . ag
g l as
a
Q2 Do you think the river can help her in fulfilling her dream? How?
co m
em.
m l as
m .co a g
l a se
Yes — not by doing anything for her, but by changing the way she thinks about herself.

a g It listens to her without scolding her, so she is able to say out loud what she wants.

m
It answers one of her “whys” (where the moon goes), showing her that questions do have
a s
answers.
m .co agl
l a se
It tells her plainly that “little girls can do as much as little boys”.
a g
It gives her a practical plan — slip along one morning, sit in the school and listen.
It reminds her that she is not a timid girl at all: she is not afraid of the green lizard, the snake

co m
.
in the bamboo clump or the rattling trains.

se m
o m g l a
m .c it happens: The obstacle in the story is not only heraparents
Why — it is Jahnavi's

aseown fear (“They'd chase me out”). The River removes that fear, and once it is gone
agl she walks to the school herself.

se m
com g l a
m . a
Let us discuss — Page 6gl ase
a

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

The Day the River Spoke (Kamala Nair) — Prose

LET US DISCUSS

Q1 Complete the table given below with Jahnavi's questions in Column 1 and the
River's answers in Column 2. Check your answers with the teacher.

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2

…why the moon always
comes from behind the
hills…?

… little girls can do as much as little boys.

Big boats, so big that they can take hundreds of
people, and they sail along the sea with lights that
shine all night.

Will they come here?

The table as printed on page 6 — the cells left blank are the ones to fill in.

Each blank cell is filled from the conversation on pages 3–4. The completed table is:

COLUMN 1 — JAHNAVI'S COLUMN 2 — THE RIVER'S ANSWER
QUESTION

…why the moon always comes “I can tell you where the moon goes. It goes down towards the sea. I've seen; it
from behind the hills…? always takes the same way — over the mountains and down to the sea, like
me!”

“Can I do something?” “Well, it's up to you. Seems to me little girls can do as much as little boys —
they swim as fast as little boys.”

“What are ships?” “Big boats, so big that they can take hundreds of people, and they sail along
the sea with lights that shine all night.”

“Will they come here?” “I'm afraid not. Too large, you know. Chandu's catamaran is good enough for
me. Chandu can take you to see a ship, someday.”

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Tip: Notice the pattern in the River's replies — it never says “no” flatly. Even when the
answer is no (“I'm afraid not”), it immediately offers Jahnavi another way (“Chandu
can take you to see a ship, someday”).

Let us think and reflect — Pages 7–8
The Day the River Spoke (Kamala Nair) — Prose

LET US THINK AND REFLECT

I.1 (i) Read the extract and complete the sentence with the correct option from those
given in the brackets: “You shouldn't cry, you know,” the voice went on. “And you
really shouldn't be scared, when you have been coming here to see me every day,
well, almost every day.” She was puzzled. It was such a voice, like the river. It
couldn't be the river! “Well, tell me all about it,” said the River, for it was the River.
“I've got to hurry to reach the sea, you know.” — The tone of the River in the
given extract is __________. (assuring/sympathising)

The tone of the River in the given extract is assuring.

Why it happens: A sympathising tone would only feel sorry for her (“poor child”).
The River instead removes her fear — it tells her she has no reason to cry and no
reason to be scared, and reminds her that she knows this place well because she
comes here almost every day. Reassuring someone by giving them a reason not to
be afraid is assuring.

I.1 (ii) Select a phrase from the extract which shows that Jahnavi was a frequent visitor
to the spot.

The phrase is: “when you have been coming here to see me every day, well, almost every
day”.
The little correction — “well, almost every day” — makes it sound like someone who has actually
been counting her visits, which is why the River knows her so well.

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I.1 (iii) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence. The use of an exclamation
mark at the end of the line, ‘It couldn't be the river!' expresses __________. A.
excitement B. hesitation C. irritation D. disbelief

D. disbelief

Why it happens: Jahnavi has just decided the voice was not the lizard, not the
kingfisher and not the parrots. When the only possibility left is the river, her mind
refuses to accept it — “It couldn't be the river!” The exclamation mark carries that flat
refusal to believe, not excitement.

I.1 (iv) Choose three qualities of the River highlighted in the extract from the words in
the box given below: affectionate, forgiving, thoughtful, impatient, kind-
hearted.

The three qualities are affectionate, thoughtful and kind-hearted.

QUALITY PROOF IN THE EXTRACT

affectionate “Dear, dear!” and the warm reminder that she comes to see it every day.

thoughtful It notices she is crying and scared, and speaks to the fear before anything else.

kind-hearted Though it “must hurry to reach the sea”, it stops to say, “Well, tell me all about it.”

‘Forgiving' is wrong because Jahnavi has done nothing that needs forgiving, and ‘impatient' is
wrong because the River gives her its time.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

I.2 (i) Read the extract and complete the sentence with an appropriate reason: “Can I
do something?” asked Jahnavi. “Well, it's up to you,” said the River. “Seems to me
little girls can do as much as little boys—they swim as fast as little boys. You just
slip along one morning and sit there in the school and listen to what's going on,
and maybe the teacher will let you stay.” “I couldn't,” gasped Jahnavi. “I couldn't!
They'd scare me! They'd chase me out.” — According to the River, there was no
difference between girls and boys because __________.

According to the River, there was no difference between girls and boys because little girls can
do as much as little boys — the River had seen the girls of the village swim as fast as the
boys, so ability does not depend on whether a child is a girl or a boy.

Why it happens: The River gives evidence, not opinion. It has watched the village
children in its own water for years, and in that water the girls keep up with the boys.
If a girl can swim as fast, she can learn as fast.

I.2 (ii) Identify whether the following statement is true or false. The River encourages
Jahnavi to have faith in herself and fulfill her desire to go to school.

True.
The River does not offer to solve the problem for her. It says “it's up to you”, tells her that girls
can do as much as boys, and gives her a step she can take by herself — “slip along one morning
and sit there in the school”. All of this is meant to build her faith in her own ability.

I.2 (iii) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence. When the River suggests
that Jahnavi should ‘slip along', it means that she should move __________. A.
quickly B. casually C. quietly D. confidently

C. quietly

Why it happens: To ‘slip along' is to go so quietly that nobody notices you. That is
exactly what Jahnavi later does — she stands by the door, then “crept nearer and
nearer till she was in the back row”, and even Little Appu “made no noise”.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together
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co m
m.
Tip: ‘Slip' in this sense is a phrasal use — to slip in, slip out, slip away — always with

m as e
l
the idea of going unnoticed.

m .co a g
l a se
a g
I.2 (iv) What does the repetition of the phrase I couldn't, tell us?

com
m . ag
l a se
ag
It tells us how deep her fear and self-doubt are. She does not say it once and stop; she gasps it
twice, and then adds two more frightened sentences — “They'd scare me! They'd chase me out.”

. com
The repetition also shows that she is arguing with herself as much as with the River. She wants

m a s emthat struggle
to go; she believes she cannot. Repetition is the writer's way of letting us hear
o
instead ofcdescribing
. a gl
em
it.

a s
agl
m
Why does the writer describe different aspects of nature in great detail at the
a s
.co agl
II.1

m
beginning of the story? Why do you think the writer does this?

l a se
ANSWER a g
m
The story opens with a kingfisher whose wings are “an arrow of blue in the sunlight”, a green

. co
lizard slithering down to bask, parrots shrieking, and a thicket of bamboo. The writer does this

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m a
for four reasons.
o l
c the setting: we are placed at a river bank in a coastalagvillage before a single word of
To.build
se m
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agl
the plot begins.
To make the talking River believable: if the lizard, the kingfisher and the parrots are all

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alive and busy on the page, a River that speaks does not feel impossible.

. coeliminates a g l
m
To rule out the other voices: Jahnavi the lizard, the kingfisher and the parrots

l a se first show us that they are there.
one by one — so the writer must
ag sadness: the world is bright and busy while a “big bright tear”
To contrast with Jahnavi's
splashes down her nose.

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m a s em — yellow spiders,
Why it happens: Nature is also the source of Jahnavi's questions
o
.crustling agl plants those very
m things in front of us, so her hunger to know “why” feels natural.
bamboo, fish turning into frogs. The detailed opening

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II.2 How did the River know so much about Jahnavi?

Because Jahnavi had been coming to the same spot “every day, well, almost every day”, and the
River had been watching and listening to her all that time.
A river also runs past everything in the village — the fields where her parents work, the bamboo
clump where the snake lives, the bridge where the trains rattle past, and Chandu's catamaran.
So it knows her family, her fears and her surroundings without being told.

Did you know? This is why the writer chose a river rather than, say, a tree. A river
travels — it can honestly claim to know about the sea, ships and the way the moon
goes “over the mountains and down to the sea, like me!”

II.3 Jahnavi says, “And I'm so old now, they'll never let me go.” What can you infer
about Jahnavi and the school from this line?

About Jahnavi: she is nearly ten and has lost hope. She has been put off since she was five —
“You are too small, baby. Maybe later”, then “Maybe next year” — and she has now turned that
excuse against herself. She believes she has missed her chance for ever.
About the school: children in her village clearly join school young. Little Ramu, who was born
when she was five, already goes; Ettan and Meena went. So a ten-year-old beginner would be
the oldest in the class, and Jahnavi is ashamed of that.

Why it happens: Her line shows how a delay becomes a denial. Each “maybe next
year” did not just postpone school — it slowly convinced her that school was not
meant for her at all.

II.4 Why did the River laugh when Jahnavi said she would be scared at school?

Because the River knew that Jahnavi was not a frightened girl at all, and it found the
contradiction funny.
It answers her at once: “You? Scared? … when you're not afraid of the green lizard, or of the
snake in the bamboo clump, or the big trains rattling past that bridge.” A child who sits calmly
beside a snake-filled bamboo clump can hardly be terrified of a classroom.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Why it happens: The laugh is not unkind — it is a way of showing her that her fear
is imaginary. The River proves its point with three examples from her own life, so she
cannot argue back.

Tip: Notice the small joke the writer slips in — Jahnavi is startled, because she “never
knew the snake lived in the bamboo clump”. The River has just told her something
new while trying to calm her.

II.5 Why should Jahnavi follow the River's advice?

Because it is the only advice that can actually work for her.

It is in her own hands. Asking her mother again has failed for five years; walking to the
school does not need anyone's permission.
It is small and possible. She is not told to demand admission — only to “sit there in the
school and listen”.
It puts her in front of the right person. Once the teacher sees her, the teacher can speak
to her father — which is exactly what happens.
It is based on truth. Girls can do as much as boys, and Jahnavi is brave, not timid.

And the story proves the advice right. She goes, she stays, the teacher walks up to their gate,
and her mother says, “Girls should learn as much as they want.”

II.6 How does the conversation between Jahnavi and the River make the story more
appealing?

The conversation turns a sad situation into a warm, magical one.

Personification: the River is given a sleepy, murmuring voice, a chuckle and a sense of
humour, so a natural feature becomes a character we like.
It lets Jahnavi speak her heart. She could never say all this to her parents. With the River
she pours out five years of disappointment in a few lines.
It carries information gently. We learn about her family, the school, ships and Chandu's
catamaran through talk instead of description.
It adds humour: “Stop! You make me breathless. So many whys!” and the River's fear that
her feet would get wet.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

It keeps us curious: a river that must “hurry to reach the sea” but stops for a crying child is a
picture the reader remembers.

II.7 What is the main message that the writer intends to convey?

The main message is that every child — a girl just as much as a boy — has the right to learn, and
the first step towards it has to be taken by the child herself.
The River states the idea (“little girls can do as much as little boys”), Jahnavi acts on it (“I was
scared, but I did it!”), and her mother completes it (“Girls should learn as much as they want”).
The story ends with Jahnavi promising to become a teacher and bring other village girls to
school — so the message is meant to spread beyond one child.

Tip: A second, smaller message runs beside it: courage is not the absence of fear.
Jahnavi was scared and went anyway — that is what she is proud of.

Let us learn — Pages 8–9
The Day the River Spoke (Kamala Nair) — Prose

LET US LEARN

I You have learnt that naming words are called nouns and only proper nouns begin
with a capital letter. Why has the author used a capital letter for the ‘River' even
when it is a common noun? (Clue: Has the River been given qualities of a human
being?)

Because in this story the river is not a thing — it is a character. The author gives it human
qualities, so the common noun is turned into the character's name and takes a capital letter.

HUMAN QUALITY LINE FROM THE TEXT

It speaks “Dear, dear!” said a sleepy, murmuring voice

It laughs and chuckles The River laughed. “You? Scared?”; “She heard the river's sleepy chuckle”

It has likes and dislikes “Trains are noisy; I prefer ships.”

It gives advice “Try going to school first… Remember — it's up to you!”

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Why it happens: This device is called personification — giving human qualities to a
non-human thing. Notice that the author is careful: while Jahnavi still thinks it is only
water, the word is written “the river” with a small r; the moment we know it is a
speaking being, it becomes “the River”.

II.1 There are a few words related to sound in the text. Pick the word from the text and
write it next to the definition: made a high-pitched piercing sound.

shrieked
In the text: “It couldn't be the parrots, because parrots shrieked and this was such a sleepy
voice.”

Your own sentence: The children shrieked with delight when the first rain of June
arrived.

II.2 Pick the word from the text: to cause liquid to strike or fall on something.

splashed
In the text: “A big bright tear splashed down her nose.” The glossary on page 2 explains it as
“fell in drops, making a sound”.

Your own sentence: The buffalo splashed water all over the bank as it climbed out
of the pond.

II.3 Pick the word from the text: a low continuous background noise.

murmuring (the noun is murmur)
In the text: “said a sleepy, murmuring voice”. The glossary gives it as “speaking in a low voice”.

Your own sentence: A murmuring stream ran behind our tent all night.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together
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co m
m.
Pick the word from the text: cry with loud uncontrollable gasps.
e
II.4

m l as
.co a g
a s em
a l the text as a noun: “she stopped with a sob”)
sobg(in
A sob is the broken, gasping sound a person makes while crying hard — which is why Jahnavi

co m
. ag
cannot finish her sentence, “They only…”.

e m
g l as
a
Your own sentence: She tried to answer but a sob caught in her throat.

co m
em.
m l as
.co
Pick the word from the text: to make a soft dry sound, like paper or leaves moving.
g
II.5

m a
l a se
g
a rustle

om a s
. c agl
In the text, among Jahnavi's questions: “why bamboo trees rustle”. The glossary on page 3 gives

s e
it as “light sound made by leaves rubbing magainst each other”.
a
agl
Your own sentence: We heard the dry leaves rustle as a mongoose slipped past.

co m
m .
o m l a se
g
II.6 .cPick the word from the text: took a short quick breathathrough
e m
the mouth due to

aglas surprise, pain or shock.
se m
com a

. a g l
m
gasped
In the text: “‘I couldn't,' gasped a s e
g l Jahnavi.” The word shows that the River's suggestion has
frightened her so much thataher breath catches.

co m
Your own sentence: Ravi gasped when he saw the marks on his answer sheet.
m .
m as e
.co a g l
a s em
agl Pick the word from the text: shaking rapidly to make continuous short, sharp
.c
II.7
sounds.
s e m
m a
e m . co agl
as

rattling
a g l

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m .
m ase
.co


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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

In the text: “or the big trains rattling past that bridge”. The glossary on page 4 gives it as “noise
made by shaking things”.

Your own sentence: The loose windowpane kept rattling in the storm.

II.8 Pick the word from the text: making a lot of noise.

noisy
In the text: “Trains are noisy; I prefer ships,” said the River.

Your own sentence: The bus stand near our school is noisy from six in the morning.

II.9 Pick the word from the text: made a long, high cry, usually because of pain or
sadness.

wailed
In the text: “‘They'd never let me!' wailed Jahnavi.” The glossary on page 4 explains this use as
“complained in a loud voice”.

Your own sentence: The little boy wailed when his kite got stuck in the tamarind
tree.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II (fill in the blanks) Now, fill in the blanks with suitable sound words from exercise (II).
The classroom grew (i) _______ as the students noticed the teacher
carrying the answer papers. As the teacher turned the pages with a
(ii) _______, the children (iii) _______, wondering what comments
awaited. Someone (iv) _______ in frustration, and the (v) _______ of the
students steadily increased. Finally, when the teacher praised the
students for their excellent performance, the students (vi) _______
with excitement.

BLANK WORD WHY THIS WORD FITS

(i) noisy The whole class begins talking at once when they see the answer papers.

(ii) rustle A rustle is exactly the soft dry sound paper makes when pages are turned.

(iii) gasped A short, quick, anxious breath — they do not know what the comments will say.

(iv) wailed A loud cry of complaint from one student in frustration.

(v) murmur The low continuous background noise of many students talking quietly.

(vi) shrieked A high-pitched cry — here of delight, when the teacher praises them.

The completed passage reads: “The classroom grew noisy as the students noticed the teacher
carrying the answer papers. As the teacher turned the pages with a rustle, the children gasped,
wondering what comments awaited. Someone wailed in frustration, and the murmur of the
students steadily increased. Finally, when the teacher praised the students for their excellent
performance, the students shrieked with excitement.”

Tip: The three words left over are splashed, sob and rattling — none of them suits a
classroom of paper and voices.

III.1 The word ‘catamaran' is used in the text. The word originates from the Tamil ‘kattu
maram' meaning ‘tied wood'. Find out the meaning of this word and the Indian
language it was borrowed from. An example has been given — 1. karma (Sanskrit)

karma — from Sanskrit karma, ‘action, deed'.
In English it means the belief that a person's actions decide what happens to them later; in
everyday English it is used loosely for “what goes around comes around”.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Your own sentence: He believes that good karma brought him such kind
neighbours.

III.2 Find out the meaning of the word and the Indian language it was borrowed from:
sahib.

sahib — borrowed into English from Urdu/Hindi sāhib (which itself came into those
languages from Arabic).
It is a respectful form of address meaning ‘sir', ‘master' or ‘gentleman'. In colonial India it was
added after a name — Ram Singh sahib — and the form memsahib was used for a lady.

Your own sentence: The old gardener still calls the owner of the bungalow ‘sahib'.

III.3 Find out the meaning of the word and the Indian language it was borrowed from:
chutney.

chutney — from Hindi chatni (related to chatna, ‘to lick').
It means a thick, spicy relish made by grinding fruit, vegetables or herbs with chillies, salt and
spices. English took the word along with the food itself.

Your own sentence: Amma served the idlis with fresh coconut chutney.

III.4 Find out the meaning of the word and the Indian language it was borrowed from:
guru.

guru — from Sanskrit guru, ‘heavy, weighty', hence ‘a person of weight; a teacher'.
In English it means a spiritual teacher or guide, and now also any recognised expert — “a
management guru”.

Your own sentence: She learnt Bharatanatyam from her guru for eleven years.

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III.5 Find out the meaning of the word and the Indian language it was borrowed from:
verandah.

verandah — from Hindi baramda (the word reached English through Portuguese varanda
during trade with India).
It means a roofed, open gallery or porch running along the outside of a house.

Your own sentence: We sat on the verandah and watched the rain fill the courtyard.

III.6 Find out the meaning of the word and the Indian language it was borrowed from:
jungle.

jungle — from Hindi jangal (from Sanskrit jangala).
In Hindi it means wild, uncultivated land; in English it came to mean a thick tropical forest with
tangled vegetation.

Your own sentence: The elephants disappeared into the jungle before we could
photograph them.

III.7 Find out the meaning of the word and the Indian language it was borrowed from:
areca.

areca — from Malayalam adakka / Kannada adike (again carried into English through
Portuguese).
It is the areca palm and its nut — the supari chewed with betel leaf. English still calls the tree the
areca palm and the nut the areca nut.

Your own sentence: Tall areca palms lined both sides of the village road.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together
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co m
m.
Find out the meaning of the word and the Indian language it was borrowed from:
e
III.8

m l as
.co
palanquin.

a g
se m
g l a
a

palanquin — from Sanskrit palyanka / Hindi palki (through Portuguese palanquim).

co m
ag
It is a covered litter for one person, carried on poles on the shoulders of four or more bearers.

m .
as e
a g l
Did you know? Every word in this exercise reached English because of trade and
travel. Catamaran came from Tamil kattu maram in exactly the same way — sailors
borrowed the boat and the name together.
co m
e m.
m l as
.co a g
a s emChandu, the fisherman, has a catamaran that the River preferred to a ship. Given
gl
IV (i)

a below are some boats that are used in different parts of our country: 1. canoe 2.
catamaran 3. coracle 4. shikara. Which one would you like to travel in?
m a s
em
.co agl
a s
gl the choice can be defended.
First, know what each boat is —athen

co m
.
BOAT WHAT IT IS WHERE YOU SEE IT

e m
m l as
.co paddle g
canoe a narrow, light boat pointed at both ends, moved with a backwaters and rivers

em a
a s
a gl catamaran a boat with two joined hulls or logs tied together the Tamil Nadu and Kerala coast

se m
coracle
com
a small round basket-boat covered with hide or plastic the Kaveri at Hogenakkal,
g l a
m. a
sheet Karnataka

ase
agl
a long wooden boat with a canopy and cushioned seats
shikara Dal Lake, Srinagar

. com
Sample answer: “I would like to travel in a shikara. It moves slowly and silently, it

m a s em gardens and the
has a canopy against the sun, and from it you can see the floating
. o
chouseboats a glto paddle — you can simply
em
of Dal Lake. Unlike a canoe, you do not have

g l as look.”
a c
m .
m a s e
e m . co agl
g l as
a

co m
m .
m ase
.co


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IV (ii) Make a colourful drawing of a boat that you would like to travel in.

This is a drawing activity, so do it in your notebook. A good drawing should show these things
clearly:

the shape of the hull — pointed at both ends for a canoe, round for a coracle, two hulls for
a catamaran, a canopy for a shikara;
how it is moved — paddle, oar, pole or sail;
the water and the shore, so the size of the boat is clear;
a label naming the boat and one line saying where in India it is used.

canopy

a shikara

A rough guide to the shape — a long hull, a canopy on posts, and the water line drawn behind. Add
your own colours.

Let us learn (Crossword and Prepositions) — Pages 10–12

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The Day the River Spoke (Kamala Nair) — Prose

LET US LEARN

V Solve the crossword puzzle based on words related to water transport.

5. 6.
C T
1.
S U
G
7. 2.
Y O T B
3.
R

H T
4.
T M E R

The crossword grid on page 10, with the letters already printed in it.

Across — 1. a large vessel used for transporting goods or passengers by sea; 2. a
small vessel for travelling on water, typically propelled by oars, sails, or an engine;
3. a flat floating structure for travelling across water; 4. a boat or ship driven by
steam. Down — 5. a small, light, narrow boat, pointed at both ends and moved
using a paddle; 6. a boat with a powerful engine which can change direction easily
and is used to pull large ships into and out of port; 7. a boat with sails and
sometimes an engine, used for either racing or travelling for pleasure, rhymes with
‘cot'.

The letters already printed in the grid (S, C, T, U, G, Y, O, T, B, R, H, T, M, E, R) fix every answer:

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

NO. DIRECTION CLUE IN SHORT ANSWER

1 Across large sea vessel for goods or passengers SHIP

2 Across small vessel rowed, sailed or driven by an engine BOAT

3 Across flat floating structure RAFT

4 Across ship driven by steam STEAMER

5 Down narrow paddled boat, pointed at both ends CANOE

6 Down powerful little boat that pulls big ships into port TUGBOAT

7 Down sailing boat for racing or pleasure, rhymes with ‘cot' YACHT

Check it yourself: The printed letters confirm each word — C at the top of 5 Down
and the O further down give CANOE; T-U-G-B reading downwards gives TUGBOAT;
the Y…H, T column gives YACHT; and M, E, R at the end of 4 Across gives STEAMER.

Tip: ‘Yacht' is spelt with a silent ch — the clue tells you it rhymes with ‘cot' so that you
do not try to write ‘yat'.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

VI Read the highlighted words in the following lines from the text: “She goes down
towards the sea. I've seen her; she always takes the same way—over the mountains
and down to the sea, like me!” Now, fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions
given within the brackets. Jahnavi takes the River's advice and goes to school. On
her first day 1. ______ (at/in/on) school, Jahnavi stood nervously 2. ______
(in/outside/above) the gate, clutching her bag close to her. The bell rang and she
hurried 3. ______ (outside/through/inside) the bustling classroom. She found a seat 4.
______ (among/between/from) two friendly classmates. The teacher greeted them
warmly and started the lesson 5. ______ (about/in/for) numbers. Jahnavi listened
attentively, feeling excited 6. ______ (at/about/for) the new adventure ahead.

BLANK PREPOSITION WHY

1 at We say “her first day at school” — at is used for a place seen as an
institution.

2 outside She has not gone in yet; she is standing on the other side of the gate.

3 inside She moves from outside the room to within it.

4 between Between is used for exactly two; among for three or more.

5 about A lesson is about its subject.

6 about We are excited about a thing that is going to happen.

Why it happens: A preposition is always followed by an object — a noun or
pronoun. In “over the mountains”, the mountains is the object, so over is a
preposition. In “She rang me up”, nothing follows up, so there it is an adverb telling
us more about the verb.

VII.1 Fill in the blank with a preposition or an adverb: The cat jumped ___________ the
table. (preposition)

onto — “The cat jumped onto the table.”
Onto is followed by the object the table, so it is a preposition. (on or off would also work,
depending on where the cat began.)

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together
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co m
m.
Fill in the blank with a preposition or an adverb: The children played ___________
e
VII.2

m l as
.co
until dark. (adverb)

a g
se m
g l a
a

outside — “The children played outside until dark.”

co m
ag
Nothing follows outside here; it simply tells us where they played, so it is an adverb. (outdoors

m .
e
works equally well.)

g l as
a
Fill in the blank with a preposition or an adverb: She quickly ran ___________ the
co m
m.
VII.3

e
park. (preposition)
m l as
.co a g
a s
em
a l
gthrough — “She quickly ran through the park.”

s
The park is the object of through, so it is a preposition. (across, towards or around would also be
m a
.co agl
correct prepositions here.)

se m
g l a
a
Fill in the blank with a preposition or an adverb: The helicopter was hovering
m
VII.4
___________. (adverb)
. co
e m
m l as
.co a g
em — “The helicopter was hovering above.”

a s
gl
above
a No noun follows it, so above is being used as an adverb. (overhead is just as good.)

se m
om the company it keeps: “hovering above” =
Tip: The same word changes class.cwith g l a
em = preposition. a
adverb; “hovering above thesfield”
a
agl

co m
m .
as e
VII.5 Fill in the blank with a preposition or an adverb: We were just walking ___________,
m chatting. (adverb) l
.co a g
a s em
agl ANSWER
.c
along — “We were just walking along, chatting.”
s e m
m a
. co agl
Along stands alone and describes how the walking went on, so it is an adverb.
e m
g l as
a

co m
m .
m ase
.co


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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

VII.6 Fill in the blank with a preposition or an adverb: After thoroughly wiping his
shoes, he stepped ___________. (adverb)

in — “After thoroughly wiping his shoes, he stepped in.”
In has no object after it, so it is an adverb. (inside is also correct.)

VII.7 Fill in the blank with a preposition or an adverb: She drove slowly ___________ the
sharp curve. (preposition)

around — “She drove slowly around the sharp curve.”
The sharp curve is the object, so around is a preposition. (round is the same word in British
usage.)

VII.8 Fill in the blank with a preposition or an adverb: He placed the keys ___________ the
mat before leaving. (preposition)

under — “He placed the keys under the mat before leaving.”
The mat is the object of under, so it is a preposition showing position.

Check it yourself: In every sentence marked ‘preposition' you can point to the noun
that follows; in every one marked ‘adverb' you cannot.

Let us listen — Page 12

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The Day the River Spoke (Kamala Nair) — Prose

LISTENING

I Read the words given in the box below. You will listen to five people speak about
school life. As you listen, circle the words that are used by the speakers. There are
two words you do not need. (Transcript for the teacher on pg. 39) — lawyer, desks,
homemaker, principal, posters, newspapers, marriage, advertisements, careers,
books.

Going by the transcript printed on pages 39–40, the words that are actually spoken are:

WORD SPOKEN BY THE LINE

careers Speaker (i) — “I look forward to their successful careers and rewarding lives.”
Father

homemaker Speaker (i) — “Whether my daughter wants to work in an organisation or be a
Father homemaker…”

books Speaker (iv) — “…by coming to school and reading the books, I learn about things
Student from all over the world.”

principal Speaker (v) The fifth speaker is introduced as the Principal and calls herself “the
Head of an institution”.

Check it yourself: lawyer, desks, posters, newspapers, marriage and advertisements do
not occur anywhere in the printed transcript. The exercise says only two words are
not needed, so listen to your teacher's reading carefully and circle whatever you
actually hear — the audio may contain a little more than the printed transcript.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II You will once again listen to the five speakers. As you listen, match each statement
1–7 to each speaker (i)–(v). There are two statements that you do not need.
Statements: 1. Promotes active participation for all in school activities; 2.
Comments on how school makes learning Mathematics joyful; 3. Believes in the
power of education that leads to freedom of choice; 4. Shares that school also
means companionship; 5. Understands that boys and girls have different abilities; 6.
Persuades the parent to grant permission to attend school; 7. Believes that learning
skills is not gender-based.

STATEMENT SPEAKER PROOF FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
NO.

1. Promotes active participation (v) Principal “…they should attend school regularly and take part in
for all in school activities every school activity without bothering whether it is
for girls or boys.”

2. Comments on how school not needed No speaker mentions Mathematics.
makes learning Mathematics
joyful

3. Believes in the power of (i) Father “I feel education gives freedom to make choices in
education that leads to freedom life.”
of choice

4. Shares that school also means (iv) Student “I also have friends with whom I can share my
companionship feelings.”

5. Understands that boys and not needed Every speaker says the opposite.
girls have different abilities

6. Persuades the parent to grant (ii) She recalls that elders once kept girls at home and is
permission to attend school Grandmother glad “the situation has changed today”.

7. Believes that learning skills is (iii) Teacher “…learning hands-on abilities and skills, developing
not gender-based equal respect for head-hands-heart… understanding
vocational choices for the future.”

Why it happens: Statements 2 and 5 are the two that are not needed —
Mathematics is never mentioned, and no speaker claims that boys and girls differ in
ability. Of the remaining five, four match a speaker word for word.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Check it yourself: Statement 6 is the weakest match. The Grandmother describes
elders refusing permission rather than persuading anyone, so listen closely when
your teacher reads the passage and mark it only if her wording in the audio
supports it.

Let us speak — Page 13
The Day the River Spoke (Kamala Nair) — Prose

SPEAKING

I Read the sentence given below. “Dear, dear! What's the matter? … You shouldn't cry,
you know. And you really shouldn't be scared, when you have been coming here to
see me every day, well, almost every day.” The River spoke to Jahnavi in a ‘sleepy'
voice. Work in pairs and take turns to speak the same sentence in ‘other' voices.
Some hints are given below: happy, surprised, angry, scared, sad, worried.

The words stay the same; only your tone, speed, loudness and stress change. Practise like this:

VOICE HOW TO SAY IT STRESS THE WORDS

happy bright and quick, voice rising at the end “Dear, dear! What's the matter?”

surprised a sharp jump in pitch on the first words, then a pause “Dear, dear! — What's the matter?”

angry louder, clipped, falling tone, harder consonants “You shouldn't cry, you know.”

scared soft, breathy, slightly shaky, faster “You really shouldn't be scared…”

sad slow, low pitch, falling at every phrase end “…every day, well, almost every day.”

worried uneven pace, a little pause before each phrase “What's the matter?”

Why it happens: Meaning in speech comes from more than words. This is called
intonation — the tune of the sentence. The author chose a “sleepy, murmuring”
voice for the River because a slow, low tune sounds calm, and a calm voice is exactly
what a crying child needs.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together
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co m
m.
Janhavi asks the River for advice and the River gives advice. Read the given
se
II.1

o m l a
situation and work in pairs to ask for and give advice. Take turns to change your
g at school but it
roles..cUse the prompts given. Situation (i): You wish to play football
m
e an all-boys' team only. a
las
has
ag
m

. co ag
m
Asking: “I have a problem with the football team at school — it takes only boys. What do you
think I should do?”
l a se
ag to the games teacher and ask for a trial. If I were you, I
Giving: “I think you should first speak
would also collect the names of other girls who want to play, because a team of eleven is much

co m
m.
harder to refuse than one girl. The best thing to do is to show up at practice regularly — the way

m
Jahnavi simply walked into the school.”
as e
.co a g l
a s emFill the prompt like this — “I have a problem with the school football team. What
gl
Tip:
a do you think I should do?”

m a s
m .co agl
l a se
g
Situation (ii): You have been unable to score well in Mathematics due to
a
II.2
nervousness during exams.

co m
m .
se

o m g l a
.Icshould ask for extra classes?”
Asking: “My problem is that I know the sums at home but go blank in the Maths exam. Do you

m a
se “Why don't you write a full paper at home with a clock in front of you? If I were you, I
think

g l a
a Giving:

m
would start with the questions I am sure about, so that the first ten minutes go well and the

m l a se
practice paper in the classroom itself.” .co
nervousness settles. You could also tell your Maths teacher — she may let you attempt a

a g
a s em
agl
II.3
co m
Situation (iii): You really enjoy music classes but do not get enough time to practise
for it.
m .
as e
. com a g l
sem
a
agl Asking: “I have a problem finding time to practise music. I'd appreciate your advice on this
c
issue.”
m .
m a s e
co agl
Giving: “The best thing to do is to fix a short, regular time — twenty minutes every evening is

m .
ase
better than two hours on Sunday. Why don't you practise right after school, before you sit down

a g l
to homework? If I were you, I would also ask the music teacher for one small piece to work on
each week, so the practice has a clear aim.”

com
m .
m ase
.co


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II.4 Situation (iv): You cannot see the blackboard clearly from the last bench.

Asking: “I have a problem seeing the blackboard from the last bench. What would you do in my
position?”
Giving: “I think you should tell your class teacher today itself and ask to be moved to a front
bench. You shouldn't copy from a friend's notebook and manage — if I were you, I would also
get my eyes tested, because trouble seeing the board is often the first sign that you need
spectacles.”

Tip: Notice the shape of good advice in all four answers: name one clear first step,
then a second step, and give a reason. That is exactly how the River advises Jahnavi.

Let us write — Page 14
The Day the River Spoke (Kamala Nair) — Prose

WRITING

Observing Nature Take some time to observe the world around you. Over the next few
days, pay attention to the colours, shapes, patterns, and textures
found in nature. Look closely at the plants, trees, flowers, birds, and
even the sky. Make detailed notes of what you observe, focusing on
textures, movements, and how light plays with these elements.
Record your observations in detail and the features that draw your
attention the most — whether it's the soft ripple of water, the vibrant
flutter of a butterfly or the colour of the birds or flowers. Now, write a
descriptive paragraph based on what you've observed. Highlight the
colours, shapes, textures, and unique details that made an impression
on you. Give a title to your paragraph.

Work in two stages — notes first, paragraph after.
Stage 1 — the observation notes. Sit in one place for ten minutes on three different days and
fill a table like this:

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

COLOUR SHAPE / TEXTURE MOVEMENT / LIGHT
PATTERN

rust-orange breast of a the fan of a peepal the papery bark of the light shivering on pond
bulbul leaf eucalyptus water

Stage 2 — what the paragraph must contain: a title; an opening line that puts the reader in
the place; three or four sentences packed with adjectives and sense details; at least one
comparison; and a closing line saying what stayed with you.

Sample answer:
The Ten Minutes Before Sunset
Every day I sit on the low wall behind our house, and every day the same neem tree
looks different. This evening its leaves were not green but a tired olive, and the light
slid off them in thin silver lines whenever the wind pushed through. A bulbul with a
rust-orange patch under its tail landed on the topmost twig, bounced twice, and was
gone. The bark of the trunk felt rough and cracked, like dried mud in April, but a new
shoot near the root was so soft that it bent when I touched it. Below, a line of black
ants crossed the wall in a perfectly straight road of their own. I find it very
interesting that a tree I have passed a thousand times can still show me something
new — and what stayed with me was the silver on the leaves, which lasted for barely
two minutes before the sun went down.

Tip: Use the prompts from the book — “Every day, I see…”, “I find it very interesting
that…”, “I like… because…”, “My advice to all is…” — but weave them into sentences
instead of listing them.

Let us explore — Pages 14–15
The Day the River Spoke (Kamala Nair) — Prose

PROJECT

I Discuss why rivers in India are considered to be sacred and most of them are
referred to as female. Some rivers are referred to as male, for example, the
Brahmaputra and the Sone.

Why rivers are considered sacred: Indian civilisation grew on river banks — Harappa on the
Indus, the Vedic settlements on the Saraswati, Varanasi and Patna on the Ganga. A river gave
drinking water, irrigated fields, carried boats and never asked anything in return. What gives life

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

without asking is treated as divine, so rivers became objects of worship, with festivals such as
Ganga Dussehra, Chhath and Pushkaram held on their banks.
Why most are female: A river feeds, cleans, carries and forgives — the qualities Indian tradition
associates with a mother. So rivers are addressed as maa: Ganga Maiya, Yamuna, Godavari,
Kaveri, Narmada. Grammar helps too — most river names in Sanskrit are feminine nouns, and
the goddesses of the Ganga and Yamuna appear as women in temple sculpture.
The male exceptions: The Brahmaputra ('son of Brahma') and the Sone are masculine in name
and in nature — huge, fast and famously destructive in flood. So is the Damodar, once called the
“sorrow of Bengal”.

Did you know? In this very story the River is not called he or she at all — it is simply
“the River”, a friend. That is why the author capitalises the word.

II.1 Whole Class Activity: India is a multilingual country, and many of us can speak two
to three languages easily. Make a list of the languages that everyone in the class
can speak and display it on a chart paper in the classroom.

Method: Go row by row. Each student names every language he or she can speak, read and write
— the three are often different. One student keeps the tally on the board; two others copy the
final list onto chart paper.
What a good chart must contain:

LANGUAGE CAN SPEAK CAN READ CAN WRITE

Hindi 38 36 35

English 34 34 32

Bhojpuri 9 2 1

Malayalam 3 3 2

Marathi 2 2 2

Add a title (“The Languages of Class VII-A”), the total number of different languages found, and
the script each one uses.

Tip: Do not leave out home languages and dialects — Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Tulu,
Santhali, Kumaoni. They are usually the most interesting part of the chart.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II.2 In which language do you enjoy reading and learning the most?

Answer for yourself, and give a reason rather than just a name.

Sample answer: “I enjoy reading in Malayalam the most. It is the language my
grandmother tells stories in, so when I read it I can hear how the sentences are
meant to sound. I learn Science and Mathematics more easily in English because the
textbooks and the words for the ideas are in English, but for stories and poems I
always choose Malayalam.”

Why it happens: Most Indian children are naturally multilingual — one language at
home, one in the street and one in the textbook. Being able to move between them
is a strength, not a confusion.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together
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co m
m.
Read the poster given below and answer the question that follows. What are the
e
III.1

m l as
.co
things you can observe in the poster?

a g
se m
g l a
a The Happiness
of a Nation lies
co m
. ag
in the Dignity of
e m
as
its Daughters

a g l
Beside the words, a photograph: four schoolgirls sit side by side at a
classroom desk, leaning in towards one another. They wear bright
co m
se
kurtas — pink, green, mustard, orange — with ribbons and clips in
m.
o m l a
g all four
.c
their plaited hair. The girl in mustard is writing in an open notebook
with a yellow pencil; the others are turned towardsaher,
se m
g l a smiling or laughing. The classroom wall behind them is plain and out
a of focus.

m a s
. c o agl
The poster on page 15. The wording is reproduced exactly; the photograph beside it is
described herem
a s e — see the textbook for the picture itself.

agl
. c om
The poster shows four schoolgirls sitting side by side at a classroom e
s m They are in bright
m a
desk.
clothesco
. a gl hair. One girl is writing in
anem
— orange, green, blue — with ribbons and clips in their plaited

a s
gl them the classroom is plain and slightly blurred, so all the attention falls on the girls' faces.
open notebook with a yellow pencil; the others are turning towards her, laughing. Behind

a
On the left, in large white and orange letters, is the message: “The Happiness of a Nation lies
se m
com g l a
. a
in the Dignity of its Daughters” — with the words its Daughters highlighted in orange.
m
gl ase
a
Why it happens: Every part of the design carries the message. The open notebook
stands for education, the laughter stands for happiness, and the fact that there are
four girls together stands for all the daughters of the country, not one lucky child.
co m
m .
m as e
.co a g l
a s emIII.2
gl
Why do you think the girls look happy?
a c
m .
s e
c o m g la

.
m and among friends — the three things Jahnavi wanted in a
s e
Because they are in school, learning,
a
agl
the story.

They have been given the chance to study, which many girls before them did not get.

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m .
m ase
.co


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They are learning something and understanding it — the notebook is open and being
written in.
They have each other's company; happiness in the poster is shared, not solitary.
They are being treated with respect, and a person who is respected looks confident.

III.3 Dignity means ‘self-respect'. What is the relation between ‘dignity' and
‘happiness'?

Dignity comes first; happiness follows from it.
A person has dignity when she is treated as an equal — allowed to study, to choose, to speak
and to be heard. Someone treated that way stops feeling small and begins to feel worth
something, and that feeling is what we call happiness. Take away dignity and no comfort can
replace it: a child who is fed but not allowed to go to school is not a happy child. That is exactly
why Jahnavi cries at the river bank although nobody has been cruel to her.

Why it happens: This is why the poster says the happiness of a nation lies in the
dignity of its daughters — it names dignity as the cause and happiness as the result.

III.4 How does a Nation prosper when its daughters are happy?

Because half a country's talent is then actually used.

More skilled people. Girls who finish school become doctors, teachers, engineers, farmers
and scientists — the nation gains their work instead of losing it.
Better families. An educated mother keeps her own children in school, so the gain repeats
in the next generation.
Better health and smaller families. Education delays early marriage and improves the
health of both mother and child.
A stronger economy. Women who earn add to the family income and to the country's
production.
A fairer society. Where daughters are respected, there is less violence and less
discrimination for everyone.

Jahnavi says it best in the story: “when I grow up, I'll be a teacher and I'll go from house to
house in our village and ask all the little girls to come to my school.” One girl in school becomes
a whole village in school.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

IV The Government has launched many schemes for the education of the girl child.
Some of them are ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao', ‘Balika Samridhi Yojana', ‘Samagra
Shiksha Scheme – Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas', etc. Find out more such
schemes from the internet or from your teacher and spread awareness in your
neighbourhood.

Method: Search or ask your teacher for the scheme's full name, the year it began, who it is
meant for and what it gives. Then make a one-page handout in your own language and read it
out at a neighbourhood gathering or paste it at the panchayat office.

SCHEME WHAT IT DOES

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Campaign to stop discrimination against the girl child and to get
and keep girls in school.

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana A small savings account opened in a girl's name, with interest, for
her education and marriage.

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (under Residential upper-primary schools for girls from disadvantaged
Samagra Shiksha) groups.

Balika Samridhi Yojana A grant at the birth of a girl child and yearly scholarships while she
studies.

CBSE Udaan Free study material and mentoring so that girls can enter
engineering courses.

National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for A fixed deposit for girls who pass Class VIII and enrol in Class IX.
Secondary Education

Tip: When you spread awareness, give one thing people can act on — “take the birth
certificate and Aadhaar to the post office to open a Sukanya Samriddhi account”. A
fact people can use travels further than a slogan.

Let us do these activities before we read — Page 16

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Try Again (Eliza Cook) — Poem

ACTIVITY

I Who inspires you to do your best?

A good answer names one person, gives one incident and says what you learnt from it. Do
not simply list names.

Sample answer: “My grandmother inspires me. She never went to school, but at the
age of sixty she joined the adult literacy class in our village and learnt to sign her
name. For a whole month she practised on the back of old calendars. When I
complain that a chapter is hard, I remember her sitting under the tulsi plant with a
pencil, and I go back to my book.”

Why it happens: The poem you are about to read makes the same point — the
person who inspires King Bruce is not a great warrior but a small spider. Inspiration
comes from anyone who refuses to give up in front of us.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II Work in pairs, identify what you see in the pictures given below. What can we learn
from them? Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher.

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

The six pictures printed with this activity on page 16.

The six pictures on page 16 all show creatures or plants that build, travel or grow through
steady, repeated effort.

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as e
Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
NO. WHAT YOU SEE WHAT WE CAN LEARN

m as e
1
. c o
A honeycomb hanging from a branch,
a g l
Team work and patience — thousands of tiny trips

s e m
with honey bees on it build one hive.
a
a2gl A spider at the centre of its finished web Persistence and skill — the very lesson King Bruce
learns in the poem.

. com ag
3 Wild geese flying together in formation
em Cooperation and endurance — birds travel enormous
g l as distances by sharing the lead.

4
a
A weaver bird beside the hanging nest it Craft and hard work — the nest is knotted strand by

com
has woven strand.

.
a s em— small creatures
com agl
5 A line of ants carrying and marching Discipline and strength in numbers

m .together move large loads together.

s e
l6a
a g A full-grown apple tree loaded with fruit Patience — years of slow growth before the first
harvest.

om a s
e
. c
mis large or powerful. That is the point of putting agl
s
Tip: Notice that not one of these six
a
agl a spider that defeats a king's despair.
them just before a poem about

co m
m .
m — Page 19 as e
Let us discuss
.co a g l
se m
g l a
a
se m
com g l a
m . a
ase
agl

co m
m .
m as e
.co a g l
se m
g l a
a c
m .
m a s e
e m . co agl
g l as
a

co m
m .
m ase
.co


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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Try Again (Eliza Cook) — Poem

LET US DISCUSS

I Complete the summary of the poem by filling in the blanks with suitable words
from the text given in the box below. Share your answers with the teacher. An
example has been given. Box: tried, mounted, despair, attempts, great, conquered,
low, strive. — The poem, written in a narrative style, tells the story of King Bruce of
Scotland, who was feeling 1. _____ after failing multiple times to achieve something
2. _____ for his people. In a moment of 3. _____, he observed a spider trying to reach
its web high above. The spider 4. _____ every time it fell after getting close to its goal.
It made nine 5. _____ and finally succeeded. The king said that the spider had 6. _____
and so would he. Inspired by the spider's determination, King Bruce decided to 7.
_____. When he 8. _____ this time, he ultimately succeeded.

BLANK WORD LINE IN THE POEM THAT SUPPORTS IT

1 low “He flung himself down in low despair”

2 great “For he had been trying to do a great deed, / To make his people glad”

3 despair “…in low despair, / As grieved as man could be”

4 mounted “Again it fell and swung below, / But again it quickly mounted”

5 attempts “Nine brave attempts were counted”

6 conquered “He conquered, and why shouldn't I?”

7 strive “that foolish thing / Will strive no more to climb”

8 tried “That he tried once more as he tried before”

The completed summary reads: “…who was feeling low after failing multiple times to achieve
something great for his people. In a moment of despair, he observed a spider… The spider
mounted every time it fell… It made nine attempts and finally succeeded. The king said that
the spider had conquered and so would he. Inspired by the spider's determination, King Bruce
decided to strive. When he tried this time, he ultimately succeeded.”

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II.1 Complete the following sentence suitably: We can say that the poet uses the
narrative style because ________.

We can say that the poet uses the narrative style because the poem tells a complete story in
verse — it has a character (King Bruce), a setting (a room with a high ceiling dome), a
problem (he has failed and wants to give up), a turning point (the spider's ninth climb)
and an ending (“he tried once more… and that time did not fail”), and the events are told
in the order in which they happened.

Tip: A narrative poem tells; a lyric poem feels. If you can retell a poem as a story with
a beginning, middle and end, it is narrative — like Try Again.

II.2 Complete the following sentence suitably: The central idea of the poem is ________.

The central idea of the poem is perseverance — that failure is not final, and that anyone
who keeps trying after every fall will finally succeed.
The spider falls again and again yet climbs “not a second to stay, / To utter the least complaint”,
and its ninth attempt carries it home. King Bruce draws the lesson himself: “All honour to those
who try… He conquered, and why shouldn't I?” The title states the idea in two words.

III.1 Pick three examples from the poem of lines that describe the spider's efforts.

1. “It soon began to cling and crawl / Straight up with strong endeavour”
2. “Up, up it ran, not a second to stay, / To utter the least complaint”
3. “Again it fell and swung below, / But again it quickly mounted”

A fourth, if you need one: “Steadily, steadily, inch by inch, / Higher and higher he got.”

Why it happens: Every one of these lines pairs a fall with a fresh climb. The poet
never lets the spider rest at the bottom of the line — that is how the poem builds its
message without stating it.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

III.2 Pick three examples from the poem of alliteration (the repetition of the same
consonant sounds at the beginning of closely connected words).

LINE REPEATED SOUND

“It soon began to cling and crawl” /k/

“But down it came with a slippery sprawl” /s/

“And Bruce of Scotland braced his mind” /b/

Two more you may use: “Straight up with strong endeavour” and “Steadily, steadily”.

Tip: Alliteration is about sound, not spelling. In “cling and crawl” the letters are
different from “king”, but the sound /k/ is the same, so it counts.

IV Why does the poet repeat the following words or phrases in the poem? tried and
tried; steadily, steadily; up, up

The repetition makes us feel the effort instead of merely being told about it.

REPETITION EFFECT

“He had tried and tried” Shows that Bruce's failure came after many honest attempts — so his despair is
understandable, not weakness.

“Steadily, steadily, inch by Slows the line down to the pace of the spider's last climb, so we climb with it.
inch”

“Up, up it ran” Quickens the line and gives a sense of a sudden, eager rush upward.

Why it happens: Repetition is also the theme of the poem in miniature. A poem
about doing the same thing over and over says its key words over and over.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

V.1 Fill in the blank by choosing the correct answer from within the brackets: The
rhyme scheme of the poem is ____________. (AABB/ABBA/ABAB)

ABAB

King Bruce of Scotland flung himself down — A

In a lonely mood to think; — B

'Tis true he was monarch, and wore a crown, — A

But his heart was beginning to sink. — B

Check it in another stanza: glad / succeed / sad rhyme as deed–glad–succeed–sad → ABAB again.

V.2 Fill in the blank by choosing the correct answer from within the brackets: ‘Bravo' is
an example of ____________. (conjunction/interjection/adjective)

interjection
An interjection is a word thrown into a sentence to express a sudden feeling, and it is usually
followed by an exclamation mark: “Bravo, bravo!” the King cried out. It is not joining two
clauses (that would be a conjunction) and it is not describing a noun (that would be an
adjective).

Tip: The poem has another interjection — “Ah me! 'tis an anxious minute”. Also “Oh
say, will he lose or win it?”

V.3 Fill in the blank by choosing the correct answer from within the brackets: The poet
uses ‘twas and ‘tis for the sake of ____________. (rhythm/rhyme/contraction)

rhythm

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as e
Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
Why it happens: ‘Twas' and ‘'tis' are contractions of “it was” and “it is” — but the

m l a se
question asks what the poet gains by using them. Each shortened form removes one
o
m .c that keeps the line in its beat: “'Twas a long way upatog the ceiling dome”
syllable, and

l a secorrectly, while “It was a long way up to the ceiling dome” has one syllable too
g The reason is therefore rhythm (metre), not rhyme.
scans
amany.
o m
Check it yourself: Read aloud “'Twas m
e
. c ag
s
a delicate thread it had to tread” and then “It
a The second version stumbles.
agl
was a delicate thread it had to tread”.

co m
em.
m
Let us discuss (Metaphor and Simile) — Pages 20–21
l as
m .co a g
l a se
a g
m a s
m .co agl
l a se
a g

co m
m .
m as e
.co a g l
se m
g l a
a
se m
com g l a
m . a
ase
agl

co m
m .
m as e
.co a g l
se m
g l a
a c
m .
m a s e
e m . co agl
g l as
a

co m
m .
m ase
.co


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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Try Again (Eliza Cook) — Poem

LET US DISCUSS

VI.1 The spider's climbing is compared to King Bruce's own struggles. Just as the spider
repeatedly attempts to reach its web, Bruce is trying to achieve a great deed for
his people. This poetic device is called metaphor. It strengthens the poem's
message about perseverance—keep trying till we succeed. Read the following
sentences and identify metaphors and similes. Write M for metaphor and S for
simile. (i) He ran as fast as a cheetah. (ii) The world is a stage. (iii) The night was as
dark as coal. (iv) He sang like an angel. (v) Her voice was music to his ears. (vi) The
classroom was a zoo. (vii) The baby slept like a log. (viii) Her smile was as bright as
the sun. (ix) The lake was a mirror, reflecting the sky.

SENTENCE M/S THE CLUE

(i) He ran as fast as a cheetah. S “as… as”

(ii) The world is a stage. M “is” — one thing said to be another

(iii) The night was as dark as coal. S “as… as”

(iv) He sang like an angel. S “like”

(v) Her voice was music to his ears. M the voice was music

(vi) The classroom was a zoo. M direct, implied comparison

(vii) The baby slept like a log. S “like”

(viii) Her smile was as bright as the sun. S “as… as”

(ix) The lake was a mirror, reflecting the sky. M the lake was a mirror

Why it happens: A simile says two things are similar and shows its working with like,
as or as…as. A metaphor hides the working and simply says one thing is the other —
which makes it stronger and shorter.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

VI.2 (iii) Read the following sentence and transform the simile to a metaphor or the
metaphor to a simile. Two examples have been given. (iii) The book was a
treasure chest, filled with endless adventures.

This is a metaphor, so turn it into a simile by putting in like or as…as:

The book was like a treasure chest, filled with endless adventures.
The book was as full of surprises as a treasure chest.

VI.2 (iv) Transform: (iv) Her laughter was a melody that brightened the darkest days.

Metaphor → simile:

Her laughter was like a melody that brightened the darkest days.
Her laughter was as cheering as a melody on the darkest days.

VI.2 (v) Transform: (v) The mountain stood as a guard, watching over the valley below.

This one uses “as a guard”, so it works as a simile. Turn it into a metaphor by removing the
comparison word:

The mountain was a guard, watching over the valley below.
The mountain, a silent guard, watched over the valley below.

VI.2 (vi) Transform: (vi) The night was like a velvet cloak, wrapping the world in
mystery.

Simile → metaphor, by dropping like:

The night was a velvet cloak, wrapping the world in mystery.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

VI.2 (vii) Transform: (vii) Her thoughts were like butterflies in a summer meadow.

Simile → metaphor:

Her thoughts were butterflies in a summer meadow.

Tip: Notice how much stronger the metaphor sounds. Removing like removes the
poet's apology for the comparison — the thoughts do not resemble butterflies, they
simply are.

Let us think and reflect — Pages 21–22
Try Again (Eliza Cook) — Poem

LET US THINK AND REFLECT

I.1 (i) Read the extract and answer: “He flung himself down in low despair, / As grieved
as man could be; / And after a while he pondered there, / ‘I'll give it all up,' said
he. // Now just at that moment a spider dropped, / With its silken, filmy clue;” —
Select the phrase which shows the physical expression of the King's emotional
state.

The phrase is “flung himself down”.
His body does what his mind feels. Despair pulls a person downward, and the King throws
himself down rather than sitting; the word flung adds the violence of a man who has given up.

I.1 (ii) Why does the poet use the word ‘low' before despair?

To show that this is despair at its deepest point — not passing sadness but the very bottom of
hope. ‘Low' intensifies the noun.
It works in two more ways. It matches the downward movement of the whole line — “flung
himself down in low despair”. And it prepares the contrast for the rest of the poem, which is
entirely about going up: “Up, up it ran”, “Higher and higher he got”. The King must be shown at
the lowest point before the spider can lift him.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

I.1 (iii) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence. In the line, ‘And after a
while he pondered there', the word ‘pondered' means _____________. A. paused B.
thought C. noticed D. rested

B. thought
To ponder is to think about something long and seriously. The line that follows proves it — he
reaches a decision: “‘I'll give it all up,' said he.” Only thinking, not pausing or resting, ends in a
decision.

I.1 (iv) Choose the correct option from the words given in the brackets. The phrase
‘silken filmy clue' creates an image of something that is _____________ (long and
light / very delicate and soft).

very delicate and soft

Why it happens: Silken means soft and smooth as silk; filmy means so thin that you
can almost see through it. Both words describe texture, not length. The poet says
elsewhere that “it hung by a rope so fine” and that “'Twas a delicate thread it had to
tread” — the fragility of the thread is the whole point, because it makes the spider's
climb look impossible.

Did you know? ‘Clue' here is used in its oldest sense — a ball or thread of yarn. That
is where our modern word ‘clue' (a thread that leads you to an answer) comes from.

I.2 (i) Read the extract and answer: “…when it toils so hard to reach and cling, And
tumbles every time.” / But up the insect went once more, / Ah me! ‘tis an anxious
minute; / He's only a foot from his cobweb door, / Oh say, will he lose or win it? —
Choose the correct option to complete the analogy: toil: hard :: _______ : _______ A.
roll: tumble B. tumble: circle C. compress: roll D. jump: tumble

A. roll: tumble

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
Why it happens: The relation in toil : hard is that the first word already contains the

m l a se
second — to toil is to work hard. In the same way, to roll is to tumble; the meaning
o g words are not
.c word is built into the first. In the other options theatwo
m
of the second

l a se in that way: tumbling is not circling, compressing is not rolling, and jumping
aisg not tumbling.
related

co m
e m . ag
g l as
a
I.2 (ii) List any two characteristics of the spider highlighted in the line, ‘But up the
insect went once more'.

co m
e m.
m l as
.co a g
1. Perseverance — “once more” tells us this is not the first attempt but one of many; it has

a s em repeatedly and is climbing again.
fallen

a gl2. Courage / an uncomplaining spirit — it goes up, straight back towards the danger, without
pausing to rest or, as the poet says earlier, “To utter the least complaint”.

om a s
e
. c
mat all but an arachnid — page 26 of your book agl
s
Tip: Strictly, a spider is not an insect
a
points this out. The poet usesl‘insect'
ag
loosely, as people did in her time.

. com
m a s em
gl B. stress C. relief D.
Choose the correct option to complete the sentence. The expression ‘Ah me!' in
co the extract indicates a sense of _______________. A. happiness
I.2 (iii)

. a
a s em loneliness
ag l
se m
com g l a
B. stress
m . a
ase
agl
The words around it prove it: “'tis an anxious minute” and “Oh say, will he lose or win it?” The
speaker is tense because the spider is only a foot from its door and could still fall. Relief would
come afterwards, when the spider is safely home.

co m
m .
o m l a se
g Readers are able to relate to
.c (iv) Complete the sentence with an appropriate reason.
a
se mI.2
a
agl
this extract because ____________.

.c
s e m
m a
agl

. co
se m
Readers are able to relate to this extract because everyone has known that “anxious minute”

l a
g already failed several times before.
— the moment when you are very close to finishing something difficult and are afraid of
failing at the last step,ahaving

com
m .
m ase
.co


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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

The poet makes the feeling shared by speaking directly to the reader: “Oh say, will he lose or win
it?” We are not watching the spider from outside; we are asked for our opinion, so we hold our
breath with the King.

II.1 How does the first stanza help in setting the mood of the poem?

The first stanza establishes a mood of loneliness and sinking hope, against which everything
later will be measured.

“King Bruce of Scotland flung himself down

In a lonely mood to think;

'Tis true he was monarch, and wore a crown,

But his heart was beginning to sink.”

“flung himself down” — defeat shown through the body.
“a lonely mood” — he is alone with the problem; no adviser is coming.
“'Tis true he was monarch, and wore a crown, But…” — the ‘but' tells us that power and a
crown are no protection against failure.
“his heart was beginning to sink” — ‘beginning' warns that the mood will get worse before
it gets better.

Why it happens: A poem about rising must begin with a fall. Because the first
stanza takes the King to the bottom, the spider's climb and the closing “that time did
not fail” feel like a real rise.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II.2 Describe how King Bruce's attitude changes from the beginning towards the end of
the poem.

STAGE HIS ATTITUDE HIS WORDS OR ACTIONS

Beginning Defeated, hopeless “flung himself down… his heart was beginning to sink”; “I'll give
it all up,” said he.

Watching the Idly curious, then He “stopped / To see what the spider would do”; then, “that
spider scornful foolish thing / Will strive no more to climb”.

The anxious Involved, tense “Ah me! 'tis an anxious minute… will he lose or win it?”
minute

After the ninth Admiring, then “Bravo, bravo!… All honour to those who try… He conquered,
climb resolved and why shouldn't I?”

End Determined and “And Bruce of Scotland braced his mind… he tried once more as
successful he tried before, / And that time did not fail.”

In short, he travels from “I'll give it all up” to “why shouldn't I?” — and the change is brought
about not by advice but by something he watched with his own eyes.

II.3 The poet describes every action of the spider in great detail. What does this tell us
about his attitude towards the spider?

It tells us that the poet respects and admires the spider and wants us to treat it as the hero of
the poem, not as a small creature on a wall.

She counts its attempts exactly — “Nine brave attempts were counted” — as one would
count a champion's rounds.
She uses the language of courage for it: “strong endeavour”, “brave attempts”, “defied
despair”, “He conquered”.
She notices its suffering — “A little dizzy and faint”, “a road where its feet would tire”.
She calls it he, not it, in the later stanzas, which quietly raises the spider to the King's level.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Why it happens: If the spider were described in one line, King Bruce's change of
heart would seem sudden and unearned. By making us watch every fall and every
climb, the poet lets us experience what the King experiences — so his decision at the
end feels like our own.

II.4 How does the spider inspire us to overcome despair and not give up?

By showing that a fall is only an interruption, never an ending.

It never complains: “not a second to stay, / To utter the least complaint”.
It steadies itself and starts again: “Its head grew steady — again it went”.
It keeps going after eight failures, when even the watching King has written it off as “that
foolish thing”.
It finishes with everything it has left: “a bold little run at the very last pinch / Put him into
his native cot.”

The lesson for us is practical: get your head steady, take the next step, and save something for
the last stretch. As the King says, “All honour to those who try.”

II.5 The poem teaches us that failures are stepping stones to success. Explain.

Each of the spider's failures teaches it something and carries it a little further, so the failures are
not wasted — they are the steps by which it climbs.

Attempt 1 — “down it came with a slippery sprawl, / As near to the ground as ever.”

Attempt 2 — “it fell still lower, and there it lay, / A little dizzy and faint.”

Attempt 3 — “Its head grew steady — again it went, / And travelled a half-yard higher.”

…

Attempt 9 — “Steadily, steadily, inch by inch, / Higher and higher he got” → success

Notice that the spider gets higher after the fall that left it dizzy. The same is true of King Bruce:
“he had tried and tried, but couldn't succeed” — yet those failed attempts were what taught him
the task, so that when he “tried once more as he tried before… that time did not fail”.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Tip: A failure becomes a stepping stone only if you climb back on it. The poem is
careful to show the climbing back, not just the falling.

II.6 The spider's journey tells us that anyone can be a source of inspiration in our lives.
Elaborate.

The teacher in this poem is the smallest and least important creature in the room, and the
student is a king.
Bruce wears a crown, rules a country and has been trying to do “a great deed” for his people;
the spider has nothing but a thread “so fine” that the King cannot even guess how it will get
home. Yet it is the spider that says the one thing Bruce needs to hear — and it says it without a
single word, simply by climbing again. Bruce himself admits the debt: “The spider up there,
defied despair; / He conquered, and why shouldn't I?”
The lesson is that inspiration does not depend on the size, rank or fame of the one who gives it.
A grandmother learning to sign her name, a classmate who keeps practising a sum, a labourer
who finishes a wall in the rain — anyone we watch closely enough can teach us not to quit.

Tip: The condition is attention. Bruce is inspired only because he “stopped / To see
what the spider would do”. Inspiration is available to those who bother to look.

Let us learn — Pages 22–24
Try Again (Eliza Cook) — Poem

LET US LEARN

I.1 Write the opposite of the following word taken from the poem: 1. up x _____________

up × down
Both appear in the poem: “Up, up it ran” and “He flung himself down in low despair.”

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together
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co m
m.
Write the opposite: 2. fast x _____________
e
I.2

m l as
.co a g
a
s em
agl× slow
fast
The poem itself puts the pair together: “Till up and down, now fast, now slow, / Nine brave

co m
. ag
attempts were counted.”

em
g l as
a
I.3 Write the opposite: 3. glad x _____________

co m
se m.
o m g l a
m .c a
seare in the second stanza: “To make his people glad… And so he became quite sad.”
glad × sad

l a
ag
Both

om a s
em
. c agl
s
Write the opposite: 4. win x _____________
a
agl
I.4

co m
win × lose
m .
m as e
.co l
The poet uses them side by side: “Oh say, will he lose or win it?”
a g
se m
g l a
a
m
Write the opposite: 5. succeed x _____________
se
I.5

com g l a
m . a
ase

succeed × fail
agl
Again both are in the poem: “He had tried and tried, but couldn't succeed” and, at the end, “that

co m
.
time did not fail.”

em
m l as
.co a g
m fast/slow, glad/sad, lose/win, succeed/fail. That is how a poem about struggle keeps
Tip: Notice that Eliza Cook builds the whole poem out of opposites — up/down,

l a se
ag
c
its balance.
m .
m a s e
e m . co agl
g l as
a

co m
m .
m ase
.co


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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II (i) Choose the correct meaning of the underlined word from the box given below and
frame a sentence of your own. Box: 1. work very hard and/or for a long time; 2.
prepared themselves for something difficult; 3. an attempt to do something new
or difficult; 4. to try very hard to achieve something. — (i) Please make every
endeavour to arrive on time.

endeavour = 3. an attempt to do something new or difficult
“Make every endeavour” means “make every possible attempt”. In the poem: “It soon began to
cling and crawl / Straight up with strong endeavour.”

Your own sentence: Our class made a real endeavour to plant a hundred saplings
before the monsoon.

II (ii) Choose the correct meaning of the underlined word: (ii) Ants toil tirelessly to save
food for rainy season.

toil = 1. work very hard and/or for a long time
In the poem: “When it toils so hard to reach and cling, / And tumbles every time.”

Your own sentence: The farmers of our village toil from dawn to dusk during the
harvest.

II (iii) Choose the correct meaning of the underlined word: (iii) We encourage all
students to strive to do their best.

strive = 4. to try very hard to achieve something
In the poem: “‘Sure,' cried the King, ‘that foolish thing / Will strive no more to climb.'”

Your own sentence: She strives to improve her handwriting a little every day.

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II (iv) Choose the correct meaning of the underlined word: (iv) The sailors braced
themselves against the strong wind.

braced = 2. prepared themselves for something difficult
In the poem: “And Bruce of Scotland braced his mind” — that is, he steadied and prepared his
mind for one more attempt.

Your own sentence: We braced ourselves for the long climb up to the temple.

III The poem uses words that show distance. For example: a long way up, inch by inch,
higher and higher, half-yard higher. Classify the words or phrases in the box given
below based on the distance (far or near) and write in the space provided. You may
take the help of a dictionary. Box: proximity, middle of nowhere, vicinity, adjacent,
remoteness, yonder, afar, a stone's throw, light year, hairline, farther.

FAR NEAR

middle of nowhere proximity

remoteness vicinity

yonder adjacent

afar a stone's throw

light year hairline

farther

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Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

WORD MEANING

proximity nearness; the state of being close by

middle of nowhere a place far away from any town or village

vicinity the area near or surrounding a place

adjacent next to, adjoining

remoteness the state of being far away and hard to reach

yonder over there, at a distance but within sight

afar from or at a great distance

a stone's throw a very short distance away

light year the distance light travels in a year — an enormous distance

hairline extremely narrow; a gap as thin as a hair

farther at or to a greater distance

Tip: ‘Yonder' can feel like a middle case — the thing is at a distance but still visible.
Put it under Far, because the word always points away from the speaker.

IV Read the following line from the poem: ‘Twas a delicate thread it had to tread. Now
repeat the line five to six times. Are you able to say it clearly? Create more tongue
twisters of your own.

The line is hard to repeat because “thread” and “tread” differ by only one sound — /θr/ against
/tr/ — and the mouth keeps slipping from one to the other. Say it slowly first, exaggerating the
th, then speed up.

Why it happens: A tongue twister works by placing two sounds made in almost the
same place in the mouth very close together. Your tongue has to switch position
faster than it comfortably can, so it substitutes one sound for the other.

Tongue twisters of your own — build them on pairs like th/t, s/sh, b/p, r/l:

Three thin threads on a thick tin tray.
Six shy spiders spun sixty silken strings.

Page 57 of 90

Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Bruce's brave brown spider braced and bravely climbed.
The rural jeweller's really lovely yellow lorry.
Kaka kaki ko kekada khilata hai.

Let us listen — Page 24
Try Again (Eliza Cook) — Poem

LISTENING

I.1 You will listen to a story about an ant. Read the questions given below and before
you listen, guess the answers to these questions. (Transcript for the teacher on pg.
40) — 1. What was the ant known for? (i) determination (ii) strength (iii) wisdom

(i) determination
The transcript says it in the second sentence: “She was known for her determination and never-
give-up attitude.”

I.2 2. Why was the ant unable to take the roti home? (i) It was stuck under a rock. (ii) It
was too heavy to carry. (iii) It was pulled by other ants.

(ii) It was too heavy to carry.
“She tried to lift the crumb with all her might, but it was too heavy. She tried pushing it, pulling
it and even rolling it, but nothing seemed to work.”

I.3 3. What was the bird doing? (i) playing with the ant (ii) searching for food (iii)
picking up leaves

(iii) picking up leaves
“The bird was trying to build a nest. It picked up twigs and leaves, but every time it tried to
place them, the wind would blow them away.” It was building, not hunting for food.

Page 58 of 90

as e
Class 7 English Unit 1 Learning Together
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
4. How did the bird make the ant feel? (i) proud (ii) inspired (iii) relaxed
e
I.4

m l as
.co a g
a s em
(ii)g l
a inspired
“‘If that bird can keep trying and succeed, then I shouldn't give up either,' she thought, feeling

co m
. ag
inspired.”

e m
g l as
a
I.5 5. How did the fellow ants help? (i) by advising the ant continuously (ii) by standing

co m
m.
still near the ant (iii) by joining the ant in her efforts

m as e
.co a g l
m

l a se
g
(iii) by joining the ant in her efforts
a “She called her fellow ants for help. Together, they formed a chain and lifted the crumb with
their combined strength.” They worked with her; they did not merely advise or watch.
m a s
m .co agl
l a se
II ag
Now, listen to the story once again and as you listen, check whether your answers

m
are correct.

. co
se m
o m l a
g it where needed. The
Onm .csecond listening, tick each guess against the story and correct
a
se
the

g l a
a
confirmed answers are:

se m
com a
Q ANSWER LINE FROM THE STORY

. “known for her determination and never-give-up attitude” a g l
e m
as
1 (i) determination

2 agl
(ii) It was too heavy to carry. “but it was too heavy”

co m
.
3 (iii) picking up leaves “It picked up twigs and leaves”

e m
c o m(ii) inspired g l as
.
“she thought, feeling inspired”
a
4

a s em 5
gl
(iii) by joining the ant in her efforts “Together, they formed a chain and lifted the crumb”
a c
m .
m a s e
co agl
Why it happens: The ant's story repeats the poem's lesson and adds one more —

m .
e
the spider succeeded alone, but the ant succeeded with help. “We showed that with

g l as
teamwork and never giving up, we can achieve anything!”
a

co m
m .
m as e
.co


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