NCERT Solutions Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure

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 4: Travel and Adventure

NCERT Textbook — Poorvi

BOOK PAGES SECTIONS QUESTIONS MEDIUM

139 – 175 25 106 English

Solutions, notes, sample papers & more at 88 pages

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

CLASS 7 · ENGLISH · POORVI

NCERT Solutions — Unit 4: Travel and Adventure
Complete NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure from the NCERT textbook Poorvi.
Every numbered question from the three pieces of the unit — Ruskin Bond's story The Tunnel, Edna St.
Vincent Millay's poem Travel and the biographical account Conquering the Summit about Arunima Sinha —
is answered, heading by heading, from pages 139 to 175.

TEXTBOOK BOOK PAGES

Poorvi (Class 7) 139 – 175

SECTIONS QUESTIONS

25 106

MEDIUM

English

Let us do these activities before we read — Pages 139 & 140
The Tunnel

BEFORE YOU READ

I1 What kind of an adventure activity would you like to be a part of? Now, choose the
option(s) that best applies to you. 1. How would you like to spend your weekends?
(i) Trying new activities (ii) Reading a book (iii) Spending time with friends (iv)
Learning something new

There is no single right option here — the four choices are only a way of finding out what kind
of adventurer you are. Tick the one that is really true for you, and be ready to say why.

IF YOU CHOSE IT SUGGESTS YOU ARE

(i) Trying new activities A Bold Explorer — you enjoy doing rather than watching.

(ii) Reading a book An Imaginative Dreamer — your adventures happen in your head first.

(iii) Spending time with friends An Energetic Planner — you like company and organising things.

(iv) Learning something new A Thoughtful Creator — you enjoy skill and patience.

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Sample answer: I would choose (i) Trying new activities. On Sundays I like to cycle to
a new part of my town that I have never seen. Last month I found an old stepwell
behind the bus stand that even my father did not know about.

I2 Which of these places would you prefer to explore? (i) Dense forests and clear
streams (ii) Magical lands with fairies (iii) Busy cities with interesting people (iv)
Quiet places to think and create

Choose one and give a reason. Each option points to a different kind of adventurer.

(i) Dense forests and clear streams — the outdoor, physical adventurer (this is Suraj's kind
of place).
(ii) Magical lands with fairies — the dreamer who travels through stories.
(iii) Busy cities with interesting people — the adventurer who is curious about people.
(iv) Quiet places to think and create — the maker who needs stillness.

Sample answer: I would prefer (i) dense forests and clear streams, because I want to
see birds and animals in the wild and not in pictures. Like Suraj in the story, I would
enjoy sitting quietly in a jungle and waiting to see what comes out of the trees.

I3 Which one of these activities would you prefer to do? (i) Climbing a mountain or
exploring a jungle (ii) Finding a hidden treasure or discovering a secret world (iii)
Solving puzzles or guessing riddles with friends (iv) Making something creative or
building a model

Again, tick the one you would truly enjoy. Notice that all four are adventures — they simply use
different strengths: the body, the imagination, the mind and the hands.

Sample answer: I would choose (iii) Solving puzzles or guessing riddles with friends. I
enjoy a challenge that I can crack by thinking, and it is twice as much fun when four
of us argue over the answer.

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

I4 What do you think about teamwork? (i) I love leading the team. (ii) I enjoy working
with others. (iii) I prefer sharing ideas with friends. (iv) I like working alone.

This question is about how you like to work, not about which answer is “better”. A team needs
all four kinds of people — a leader, a helper, an idea-giver and someone who can finish a job
quietly on their own.

Sample answer: I would choose (ii) I enjoy working with others. In our class science
project I was not the leader, but I was the one who collected everybody's material
and kept the model from falling apart. I like being part of a group where each
person does one job well.

I5 Based on your choices, which of the following do you think applies the best to you?
Discuss with your classmates. • Bold Explorer • Imaginative Dreamer • Energetic
Planner • Thoughtful Creator. You may add to the list as per your choices.

Add up your ticks and see which column you chose most often. Roughly, option (i) answers
point to a Bold Explorer, (ii) answers to an Imaginative Dreamer, (iii) answers to an Energetic
Planner and (iv) answers to a Thoughtful Creator.
You may also add a name of your own to the list, such as Quiet Observer, Nature Watcher, Team
Builder or Fearless Questioner.

Sample answer: Three of my four answers were option (i), so I am mostly a Bold
Explorer. But my answer to the teamwork question was (ii), so I am a Bold Explorer
who likes company — I would rather explore a new place with a friend than alone. I
would add my own label: Curious Companion.

Why this comes before the story: Suraj, the boy in The Tunnel, is a Bold Explorer. He
cycles out of town alone, leaves his cycle at a village, climbs a hill and walks the
length of a pitch-dark tunnel simply because he wants to know what it is like inside.
Knowing your own type helps you see how different you are — or are not — from
him.

Let us discuss — Pages 144 & 145

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

The Tunnel, Part I
co m
e m.
m as
COMPREHENSION

.co a g l
a s em compares the train to a magical creature. Pick the phrases that convey the
gl
Suraj
a
1
meaning.

co m
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Ruskin Bond turns the steam engine into a dragon. These are the phrases that do it:
a
“snorting and puffing like some green, black, and gold dragon”
“some beautiful monster out of Suraj's dreams”
co m
“Showering sparks left and right”
em.
m l as
.co a g
“it roared a challenge to the jungle”

a s em “two straight black serpents” (the rails that lead into the tunnel)

a gl and at the end of Part II, “thundering past Suraj like the beautiful dragon of his dreams”
m a s
c o agl
Why it works: Every detail of a real steam engine is also a detail of a dragon — it
.
m it throws out sparks like fire, and it is green,
s e
breathes smoke, it hisses and snorts,
a not have to say “it was like a dragon”; the
agl
black and gold. So the writer does
description itself does the work. The rails become serpents for the same reason:
they are long, black and glide into a hole in the hillside.
co m
m .
m as e
.co a g l
a s e2m Suraj knew that the train was close by because ____________________.
agl
se m
com l a

. a g
e m
… he heard a sound like distant thunder issuing from the tunnel.
as he “had heard, in the distance, the shrill whistle of the
The full sequence in the text is:lfirst
g
a because the train was coming from the other side of the hill.
engine”, but he could see nothing

m
Then “presently a sound like distant thunder issued from the tunnel, and he knew the train was

. co
m
coming through”.

o m l a se
g
.cTip: A tunnel carries sound long before it lets you see aanything.
se m That is why Suraj

g l a hears the train twice — the whistle from beyond the hill, and then the thunder
a c
rolling out of the tunnel mouth.
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.co


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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

3 What did Suraj see inside the tunnel?

Almost nothing — and that is the point. About twenty yards in, the tunnel became pitch dark,
and he had to look back at the opening to reassure himself that there was still daylight outside.
Ahead, the other opening was “just a small round circle of light”.
The few things he did notice were:

the tunnel was still full of smoke from the train that had just passed;
the walls were damp and sticky;
a bat flew past;
a lizard scuttled between the lines.

Why he still walked through: “There was nothing to do in the tunnel and nothing
to see. He had simply wanted to walk through, so that he would know what the
inside of a tunnel was really like.” He was not looking for anything — he was
satisfying his curiosity.

4 Select the correct option. What does Sunder Singh convey about the tunnel? He says
that ____________________ (it is damp and sticky inside/he has lent it to the
Government).

He says that he has lent it to the Government.
His exact words are: “It is truly my tunnel, since no one else will have anything to do with it. I
have only lent it to the Government.”

Why he says it: It is a joke, but a proud one. The Government owns the railway on
paper, yet nobody from the Government ever comes to this lonely cutting. Sunder
Singh is the one who walks the tunnel twice a day, keeps it clear of obstacles and
stops the train when there is danger. So in the way that really matters, the tunnel is
his. The remark tells us how much he loves the small, lonely job he does.

Note: “It is damp and sticky inside” is what Suraj found out for himself while walking
through — not what Sunder Singh conveys.

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

5 The watchman has created a system through which he informs the locomotive
driver about any danger in the tunnel. The following flow chart shows this system.
Refer to the text and complete the flow chart.

Goes to take
(ii) __________
a nap

(i) __________

Danger found (iv) __________

Walks the length
of the tunnel

No danger found (v) __________

Night
Waves his lamp to
(iii) __________ warn the locomotive
driver

The flow chart printed on page 145, with its five gaps.

The chart has two arms — one for the day train and one for the night mail — and each arm
splits again into “danger found” and “no danger found”. Filling the blanks from the text:

BLANK ANSWER LINE IN THE TEXT

(i) Day “Every day, before the train came through, he would
walk the length of the tunnel.”

(ii) No danger found “If all was well, he would return to his hut and take a
nap.”

(iii) Danger found “But if there was any danger to the train, he'd go
back up the line and wave his lamp to the
approaching engine.”

(iv) Walks back up the line and waves a “If something was wrong, he would walk back up the
red flag (so that the engine driver line and wave a red flag, and the engine driver would
slows down) slow down.”

(v) Hangs his lamp at the door of his hut “If all was well, he'd hang his lamp at the door of his
and goes to sleep hut and go to sleep.”

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Why the system is so simple: There is no telephone and no signal box at this
cutting. The only way Sunder Singh can talk to a driver racing towards him is with
something the driver can see from far away — a red flag by day and a swinging
lamp by night. The flag is useless in the dark and the lamp is useless in bright
sunlight, so he keeps one for each.

Let us discuss — Page 149
The Tunnel, Part II

COMPREHENSION

1 Sunder Singh knew that the leopard was in the tunnel because ____________.

… he heard a rhythmic sawing sound coming from the tunnel — the leopard's call.
The text describes it as “a rhythmic sawing sound, as if someone cutting through the branch of a
tree”. Suraj asked, “What's that?” and Sunder Singh answered at once, “It's the leopard. I think
it's in the tunnel.”
He had also had a warning a few minutes earlier. While trimming his lamp inside the tunnel,
“something else — a padded footfall, a rustle of dry leaves — made him stand still for a few
seconds, peering into the darkness”.

Why he could be so sure: He has lived at the cutting for many years. He says the
night sounds of the forest are so familiar that “he did not give them much thought”.
A sound he does notice is therefore a sound that does not belong — and he knows
this particular leopard well enough to recognise its sawing call.

2 Why do you think Suraj was unable to do any shouting in the tunnel in the
beginning? (i) He was afraid of the leopard. (ii) He didn't want to disturb the
leopard. (iii) He was trying to listen for the leopard. (iv) He didn't really believe
Sunder Singh.

(i) He was afraid of the leopard.
The proof is in the very next line of the story: “Suraj followed close behind, but he found he was
unable to do any shouting. His throat was quite dry.” A dry throat is the body's own sign of fear.

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Why the other options do not work: He could not have been avoiding disturbing
the leopard — the whole purpose of going in was to scare it away by shouting. He
was not listening for it either — the lamp already showed it crouching between the
tracks. And he clearly did believe Sunder Singh, because he chose to walk into a dark
tunnel behind him.

Tip: Notice that Suraj recovers quickly. A moment later, “Suraj and Sunder Singh both
shouted together.” Being afraid and acting anyway is what courage actually looks
like.

3 What made the leopard disappear into the darkness?

Two things together — the light of the lamp and, above all, the shout of two voices at once.
Sunder Singh advanced into the tunnel raising his lamp and shouting at the top of his voice.
Then “Suraj and Sunder Singh both shouted together. Their voices rang through the tunnel. And
the leopard, uncertain as to how many terrifying humans were there in the tunnel with him,
turned swiftly and disappeared into the darkness.”

Why two voices mattered more than one: The tunnel echoes. Two shouts,
bouncing off curved stone walls, sounded like a crowd. The leopard could not count
its enemies, and an animal that cannot judge the size of a threat retreats. It was not
driven off by force — it was out-bluffed.

4 How did Suraj know Sunder Singh was at the tunnel?

He saw the lamp. A week later Suraj was a passenger on the same night mail, sitting at an open
window. “He couldn't see Sunder Singh, but he saw the lamp, and he knew that his friend was
out there.”
Just before that, the train had rumbled over a small bridge and the engine had let out its shrill
whistle — the same signals Suraj had learnt to read while standing at the cutting. So he was
already watching for the tunnel when the little light appeared.

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure
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co m
m.
Why this is the point of the story: To the “travelling thousands” in the carriages,

m l a se
that speck of light means nothing at all. Only Suraj knows that behind it stands a
o
man who.has a g safe.
c walked the length of a black tunnel to make their journey
se m
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ag

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ag
Why did Suraj's father take him along to Delhi?
.
5

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g l as
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His father was going to Delhi on a business trip and decided to take the boy along so that he
would begin to learn the family business.
. com
m a s emto, most of the
The story gives his father's own grumbling words: “I don't know where he gets

. coit's time he learnt something about my business.” agl
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time. I think

a s
agl Why it is quietly ironic: The trip meant to pull Suraj away from his jungle
s
wanderings is the very trip that carries him past Sunder Singh's lamp. His father,
m a
.co agl
busy “scribbling in a notebook, doing his accounts”, sees nothing; Suraj, staring out

se m
a
at the darkness, sees the one thing worth seeing.

a g l

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Let us think and reflect — Pages 149 to 151
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The Tunnel
.co a g l
a s em
gl
COMPREHENSION

a
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mreassure himself that there was still daylight a
Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. “Suraj had to turn
o l
I 1 (i)
and look back at the openingcto
. a g
outside. Ahead of him, s m
e tunnel's other opening was just a small round circle of
l a the

ag still full of smoke from the train, but it would be several
light. The tunnel was
hours before another train came through. Till then, the cutting belonged to the

co m
.
jungle again. Suraj didn't stop, because there was nothing to do in the tunnel and

se the following m
nothing to see. He had simply wanted to walk through, so that he would know

o m a
what the inside of a tunnel was really like.” (i) Writelwhether

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s
statement is true or false. Suraj looked back at the opening of the tunnel to check
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if the train was coming.

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s e m
m a
co agl

m .
False.
ase
a g l
He looked back “to reassure himself that there was still daylight outside” — that is, to comfort
himself in the pitch darkness, not to watch for a train.

co m
m .
m ase
.co


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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Why he could not have been watching for a train: The extract itself says “it would
be several hours before another train came through”. Suraj knew the timetable — he
had just watched the midday train roar out of that same tunnel.

I 1 (ii) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence given below. Suraj did not
stop anywhere in the tunnel because _____________. A. there was nothing to see in
the tunnel B. the tunnel was damp and sticky C. he was in a hurry to get out of
the tunnel D. it was time for another train to come

A. there was nothing to see in the tunnel
The extract says it in so many words: “Suraj didn't stop, because there was nothing to do in the
tunnel and nothing to see.”

Why the others are wrong: The damp, sticky walls (B) are mentioned, but as
something he noticed, not as a reason for hurrying. He was not in a hurry (C) — he
had deliberately come to walk the whole length. And no train was due (D) — the next
one was hours away.

I 1 (iii) What does the sentence ‘Till then, the cutting belonged to the jungle again'
mean?

It means that for the several hours between two trains, no engine, no smoke and no human
noise fill the cutting — so the jungle takes it back. The bats, lizards, birds and even the leopard
move through the tunnel and along the tracks as if the railway were not there.

Why the word ‘again' matters: ‘Again' shows this is a sharing of the same space,
turn by turn. For a few minutes a day the machine rules the cutting; the rest of the
time the forest does. The whole story is built on this idea — which is exactly why
Sunder Singh will not let the night mail kill the leopard. Both of them have a right to
the tunnel.

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

I 1 (iv) Suraj wanted to know the inside of the tunnel. What character trait of Suraj is
highlighted here?

Curiosity — an adventurous, questioning nature that has to find things out first-hand.
He does not walk through the tunnel for any gain. There is nothing to see and nothing to do, yet
“he had simply wanted to walk through, so that he would know what the inside of a tunnel was
really like”. Knowing about it was not enough; he wanted to know it by experience.

Also visible here: a quiet courage. He keeps walking after the darkness becomes
total, and he steadies himself with one look back instead of turning round.

I 2 (i) Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow. “The train will
soon be here,” said Suraj. “Yes, my friend. And if we don't drive the leopard out of
the tunnel, it will be run over and killed. I can't let that happen.” “But won't it
attack us if we try to drive it out?” asked Suraj, beginning to share the
watchman's concern. “Not this leopard. It knows me well. We have seen each
other many times. It has a weakness for goats and stray dogs, but it will not harm
us. Even so, I'll take my axe with me. You stay here, Suraj.” (i) What was the
watchman's concern?

His concern was for the leopard's life. The night mail was ten minutes away, and if the animal
was still inside the tunnel when the engine charged through, “it will be run over and killed”.
He puts it as a matter of personal responsibility: “I can't let that happen.”

Why this is unusual: A watchman's official duty is to protect the train. Sunder
Singh's first thought is to protect the animal. Earlier he had called it “my leopard”,
and he had said he would not stop a train merely for a porcupine — so he is not
sentimental about every creature. This particular leopard he counts as a neighbour.

I 2 (ii) Complete the sentence with a suitable reason. Sunder Singh was sure that the
leopard in the tunnel would not attack him and Suraj because _____________.

… the leopard knew him well — they had seen each other many times, and although it
preys on goats and stray dogs, it had never shown any interest in harming human beings.

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

His words are: “Not this leopard. It knows me well. We have seen each other many times. It has
a weakness for goats and stray dogs, but it will not harm us.”

Note the honesty of the next line: “Even so, I'll take my axe with me.” He is
confident, not careless. He trusts the leopard, but he still respects it as a wild animal.

I 2 (iii) Select the sentences that are true from those given below. A. Suraj wants to see
the leopards in the jungle. B. Suraj is concerned about Sunder Singh's safety. C.
The leopard in the tunnel attacks goats and stray dogs. D. Sunder Singh wants to
protect Suraj. E. Sunder Singh knows all about the animals in the jungle.

The true sentences are B, C and D.

STATEMENT TRUE / EVIDENCE IN THE EXTRACT
FALSE

A. Suraj wants to see the False Nothing in the extract says this. His question is about
leopards in the jungle. danger, not about sight-seeing.

B. Suraj is concerned about True “But won't it attack us if we try to drive it out?” asked
Sunder Singh's safety. Suraj, beginning to share the watchman's
concern.

C. The leopard in the tunnel True “It has a weakness for goats and stray dogs.”
attacks goats and stray dogs.

D. Sunder Singh wants to True “I'll take my axe with me. You stay here, Suraj.”
protect Suraj.

E. Sunder Singh knows all about False Too sweeping. The extract shows only that he knows
the animals in the jungle. this one leopard well.

I 2 (iv) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence. Sunder Singh decides to
take his axe with him. This tells us that he was _____________. A. violent B. cautious
C. bold D. afraid

B. cautious

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

He has just said twice that the leopard will not harm them — so he is not afraid (D). But he adds
“Even so, I'll take my axe with me”. Those two words are the key: he is taking a sensible
precaution against the small chance that he is wrong.

Why not A or C: He is certainly bold (C), but the axe is not what shows it — walking
into the tunnel at all is. He is not violent (A) at all; his whole purpose is to save the
leopard's life, and the axe is never used.

II 1 What does Sunder Singh convey by saying that he has lent his tunnel to the
Government?

He is making a joke, but the joke carries real feeling. He means that the tunnel is his in every
way that matters, and that the Government merely borrows it to run trains through.
His reason is: “It is truly my tunnel, since no one else will have anything to do with it.” Nobody
else wants this lonely posting, nobody else inspects the tunnel twice a day, nobody else keeps it
clear of obstacles or waves the flag and the lamp. The care is entirely his, so the ownership feels
like his too.

What it tells us about him: Three things — pride in a humble job, a dry sense of
humour, and a deep sense of belonging. A man who calls a railway tunnel and a
wild leopard “mine” has made this cutting his home rather than his workplace.

II 2 According to Sunder Singh, “It is safer in the forest than in the town”. What
example does Sunder Singh give to support his opinion? What does this tell us
about him?

The example: “Nothing happens to me out here. But last month, when I went into town, I was
almost run over by a bus.” In years of living beside a jungle full of leopards he has not been hurt
once; one visit to town nearly killed him.
What it tells us about him:

He is completely at home in the jungle. He knows its sounds, its animals and its habits, so
its dangers are predictable to him.
He is not afraid of wild animals — he judges danger by experience, not by reputation.
He finds the town, with its traffic and crowds, more frightening than the forest — a gentle
criticism of what we usually call “civilised” life.
He is content with his solitary life and does not envy town-dwellers.

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
Tip: When a question asks for “an example from the text”, quote the line. The bus is

m as e
l
the whole answer here — do not replace it with a general statement about jungle
life.
m .co a g
l a se
a g

co m
ag
Sunder Singh has become part of the jungle life. Support the view with a suitable
.
II 3

e m
as
reason.

a g l

He no longer lives beside the jungle; he lives inside it, on its own terms. The story shows this
co m
again and again:
em.
m l as
.co a g
emand he did not give them much thought”, while Suraj could not even identify them.
The night sounds of the forest — the barking deer, the fox, the nightjar — “were familiar to

a s
gl He recognised the leopard purely from a sawing sound in the dark, and had already been
him

a
alerted by “a padded footfall, a rustle of dry leaves”.

om a s
. c agl
He speaks of the animal as a neighbour and calls it “my leopard”, and knows its habits —

s e m every month.
that it comes to this range for a few days
He risks his own safety to savelitafrom the night mail rather than let the train kill it.
ag
He has planted marigolds in front of his hut and a vegetable patch behind it, and sleeps on
a cot in the open with a banana leaf over his face.
co m
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e
He says plainly that he feels safer here than in a town.
m l as
.co a g
a s em Why it matters to the story: Because Sunder Singh belongs to the jungle, he can

ag l see what the railway cannot — that the tunnel is shared property. That is the idea
m
Suraj carries away with him on the train.

a se
. com a g l
m
ase
II 4 agl
Sunder Singh and Suraj form an unlikely friendship. What draws them together?

co m
m .
o m l a se
.c cutting, the other a schoolboy from a town whose fathergruns a business. What draws
On the surface they have nothing in common: one is an ageing watchman living alone in a

m a
se
forest
a
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them together is:

.c
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A shared love of the trains. Suraj cycles out of town just to watch the steam engine burst

m a s
co agl
from the tunnel; Sunder Singh has organised his whole life around the same two trains.

m .
e
Neither of them has to explain this to the other.

g l as
Curiosity meeting loneliness. Suraj wants to know things; Sunder Singh says, “I don't often
a
have visitors,” and invites him to sit down at once. Each supplies what the other lacks.

co m
m .
m ase
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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Respect between them. Sunder Singh never talks down to the boy — he calls him “my
friend” and answers his questions seriously, even the cheeky one about lending the leopard
to the Government.
A love of the jungle. Suraj is not frightened of the forest at night; he would rather walk into
a tunnel with a leopard in it than sit alone outside.
A shared adventure. Driving the leopard out of the tunnel together, shouting side by side in
the dark, turns an acquaintance of two days into a real friendship.

Tip: A good answer to a “what draws them together” question names two or three
specific things and proves each from the text. Do not simply say “both like
adventure”.

II 5 Why is Sunder Singh referred to as a ‘firefly'?

Because that is exactly what he looks like from a speeding night train. The story's last sentence
says he “would always remain a firefly for those travelling thousands as he lit up the darkness
for steam engines and leopards”.
The comparison works on three levels:

Literally — in a huge black forest, the passengers see nothing of him but one tiny moving
light, exactly like a firefly among the trees.
By size — a firefly's light is very small, and so is his part in the great machine of the railway.
Yet without it the train would be in danger.
By worth — a firefly makes its own light in the middle of darkness. Sunder Singh, alone and
unnoticed, keeps the tunnel safe for “those travelling thousands” who will never learn his
name.

Name the device: This is a metaphor — the writer does not say he is like a firefly, he
says he is one. Notice also that the light shines for two very different sets of
travellers: “for steam engines and leopards.”

II 6 Do you think Suraj is an adventure-loving boy? Give reasons.

Yes, clearly. Everything he does in the story is done for the sake of experience rather than for
any reward:

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

He cycles out of the town alone, takes a jungle path, leaves his cycle in a village and walks
over a low scrub-covered hill just to watch a train come out of a tunnel. It is not even a
station, and he is not catching a train.
He stands close enough for “waves of hot steam” to strike him in the face, and only steps
back instinctively.
He walks the whole length of a pitch-dark tunnel with no torch, simply “so that he would
know what the inside of a tunnel was really like”.
He comes back at night, through a jungle full of unfamiliar sounds, to see the night mail go
through.
When Sunder Singh says “You stay here”, he refuses and walks into a tunnel that has a
leopard in it — even though his throat is dry with fear.

Why he is more than just reckless: He asks his parents' permission before coming
at night (“I'll ask my parents… Will it be safe?”). He is adventurous and sensible —
which is why Sunder Singh takes him seriously.

Let us learn — Pages 151 to 153

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

The Tunnel — Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation

GRAMMAR

I Complete the following sentences using the suitable phrases from the text given in
the box below. [drifting smoke | approaching engine | sawing sound | flickering
lights] 1. We could hear the ______ of the train long before it came into view at the
station. 2. The street was completely dark but the little boy walked to his house
guided by the ______ from the houses. 3. The ______ from the carpenter's workshop
grew louder every hour. 4. From the balcony, she watched the ______ from her
neighbour's chimney float across the backyard.

NO. SENTENCE PHRASE

1. We could hear the ______ of the train long before it came into view at the approaching
station. engine

2. The street was completely dark but the little boy walked to his house guided flickering lights
by the ______ from the houses.

3. The ______ from the carpenter's workshop grew louder every hour. sawing sound

4. From the balcony, she watched the ______ from her neighbour's chimney drifting smoke
float across the backyard.

How to decide: Match the verb in the sentence to the phrase. You hear an engine,
so 1 must be a sound coming closer — approaching engine. You are guided by
something you see, and a house-lamp trembles — flickering lights. A carpenter saws
— sawing sound. Smoke from a chimney floats — drifting smoke.

Where they come from: All four are lifted straight out of the story — the
“approaching engine” Sunder Singh warns with his lamp, the “flickering lights” of
villages on the fringe of the jungle, the “sawing sound” that gave the leopard away,
and the “drifting smoke” Suraj was contemplating when the story began.

Page 17 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II The text has many ‘sound words'. Some of these words are given in Column 1 and
their meanings are given in Column 2. Match the words with their meanings. You
can use a dictionary. Column 1: 1. creaking 2. chatter 3. hissing 4. rustle 5. puffing —
Column 2: (i) making a noise like a long ‘s' sound (ii) making a long low sound when
a door or wooden object moves or is moved (iii) repeated series of short high
sounds made by birds or monkeys (iv) blowing with short, quick blasts, as the wind
(v) a soft low, dry sound made by the movement of things such as leaves, paper, etc.

COLUMN COLUMN MEANING
1 2

1. creaking (ii) making a long low sound when a door or wooden object moves or is
moved

2. chatter (iii) repeated series of short high sounds made by birds or monkeys

3. hissing (i) making a noise like a long ‘s' sound

4. rustle (v) a soft low, dry sound made by the movement of things such as leaves,
paper, etc.

5. puffing (iv) blowing with short, quick blasts, as the wind

All five are in the story: the trees make “creakings and whisperings” in the dark; the
seven sisters keep up a “noisy chatter”; the engine comes round the bend “hissing at
them”; Sunder Singh hears “a rustle of dry leaves”; and the steam engine shoots out
of the tunnel “snorting and puffing”.

Why these words feel right: They are onomatopoeic — the word itself sounds like
the thing it names. Say hiss and you make the very noise a snake or a steam pipe
makes.

Page 18 of 88

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
Now, complete the sentences given below by filling in the blanks with the
se
II (contd.)

o m l a
correct form of the sound words given in Column 1. 1. The steam engine
.creached the station __________ black smoke into the sky.a2.gSuddenly the snake
m raised its hood and made a __________ noise. 3. When the wind blew, I heard the
l a se
a g __________ of the wooden roof. 4. He heard a __________ of leaves behind him
when he was walking in the woods. 5. I get disturbed by the continuous

co m
. ag
__________ of the monkeys in the neighbourhood.

em
g l as
a
NO. ANSWER WHY THIS FORM
co m
em.
m l as
.co
1. puffing The steam engine reached the station puffing black smoke into the sky. — an -ing

a g
m
form describing how it arrived.

l a se
a g 2. hissing … made a hissing noise. — here hissing works as an adjective before “noise”.

3.
om
I heard the creaking of the wooden roof. — “the ___ of” needs a noun form.
a s
agl
creaking

He heard a rustle ofm . c
4. rustle
a s e leaves. — “a ___ of” takes the plain noun rustle, not rustling.

5. chatter agl chatter of the monkeys. — chatter is already a noun; it needs no
… the continuous
ending.

co m
m .
o m l a se
g usually needs the -
.c needs an adjective; a blank straight after a verb of motion
Tip: Look at the little word in front of the blank. a ___ / the ___ needs a noun; ___
m a
aseing form.
noise

agl
se m
com g l a
m . a
ase
Read what the watchman Sunder Singh did regularly at the tunnel as part of his
gl
III 1

a
duty. Notice the use of ‘would'. “Every day, before the train came through, he
would walk the length of the tunnel. If all was well, he would return to his hut and
take a nap. If something was wrong, he would walk back up the line and wave a
co m
m .
se is the word ‘would' used
red flag and the engine driver would slow down. At night, the watchman lit an oil
m lamp and made a similar inspection of the tunnel.” 1. a
o l
ag (iii) to talk about a habit in
.c here? (i) to make a polite request (ii) to express a desire
Why

se m
g l a
a
the past

.c
s e m
m a
co agl

m .
e
(iii) to talk about a habit in the past.

g l as
a

com
m .
m ase
.co


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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

The clue is the phrase “Every day”. The paragraph is not describing one particular afternoon — it
is describing what Sunder Singh did again and again, day after day, for years. English uses
would + verb for exactly this: repeated or routine actions in the past.

USE OF ‘WOULD' EXAMPLE

Polite request Would you pass me the water, please?

Desire / wish I would like to visit Ladakh one day.

Past habit (used here) Every day he would walk the length of the tunnel.

III 2 Complete the sentences using the verb in brackets with the correct form of ‘used
to' or ‘would'. An example has been done for you. “When I was a child we used to
live in a village near a forest. Back then, we (i) _____ (grow) vegetables in our back
garden. Every day we (ii) _____ (get up) early and go for a walk. The weather in
summer (iii) _____ (be) really nice. There was a lake near the house and we (iv) _____
(go) there every Sunday for a picnic. Winters (v) _____ (be) rather cold. In the
evenings, my father (vi) _____ (tell) us incredible stories and we (vii) _____ (listen)
with admiration.”

BLANK ANSWER NOTE

(i) grow used to grow / would grow A repeated action — both forms are correct.

(ii) get up would get up / used to get up “Every day” makes it a routine.

(iii) be used to be Only ‘used to' is possible — see the tip below.

(iv) go would go / used to go “Every Sunday” — a routine action.

(v) be used to be Only ‘used to' is possible.

(vi) tell would tell / used to tell “In the evenings” — a routine action.

(vii) listen would listen / used to listen Part of the same evening routine.

The finished passage (one correct version):
When I was a child we used to live in a village near a forest. Back then, we used to grow
vegetables in our back garden. Every day we would get up early and go for a walk. The weather
in summer used to be really nice. There was a lake near the house and we would go there

Page 20 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

every Sunday for a picnic. Winters used to be rather cold. In the evenings, my father would tell
us incredible stories and we would listen with admiration.

Why (iii) and (v) must be ‘used to': ‘Would' can only describe a repeated action.
‘Was the weather nice' is not an action — it is a state. English never says “the
weather would be nice” to mean a past habit, so with be, have, like, know, live and
other state verbs you must use used to.

Tip: ‘Used to' also carries the extra meaning that the thing no longer happens. “I
used to paint when I was in Grade 4” means I have stopped painting. ‘Would' does
not say anything about the present.

IV We use punctuation marks to make our writing clear. You already know how to use
full stops and commas. Let us look at three more punctuation marks — brackets,
semicolon, and colon. Colon (:) is used to introduce a list or an explanation.
Semicolon (;) is used to connect two clauses which are closely related without a
conjunction. Now, use semicolons and colons to punctuate the following paragraph.
“We explored the busy by-lanes of Charminar, the heart of Hyderabad it was an
exciting day. We wanted to do a few things buy bangles, taste biryani, and purchase
pearl earrings, which are special to this area. As we walked through the lanes, we
saw stalls selling spices, clothes, and jewellery the market was full of colours. We
visited some famous spots Charminar, Golconda Fort, Salar Jung Museum, and
Chowmahalla Palace each place was beautiful.”

The correctly punctuated paragraph:

We explored the busy by-lanes of Charminar, the heart of Hyderabad; it was an exciting day.

We wanted to do a few things: buy bangles, taste biryani, and purchase pearl earrings, which

are special to this area.

As we walked through the lanes, we saw stalls selling spices, clothes, and jewellery; the

market was full of colours.

We visited some famous spots: Charminar, Golconda Fort, Salar Jung Museum, and

Chowmahalla Palace; each place was beautiful.

Page 21 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

MARK WHERE IT GOES WHY

; after “the heart of Two complete, closely-linked sentences with no joining word.
Hyderabad”

: after “a few things” A list follows — bangles, biryani, earrings.

; after “jewellery” Again two complete clauses, no conjunction.

: after “some famous spots” A list of four places follows.

; after “Chowmahalla “Each place was beautiful” is a complete clause that
Palace” comments on the list.

The simple test: If the words on both sides of the gap could stand alone as
sentences, use a semicolon. If the words after the gap only name or explain what
came just before, use a colon.

Let us listen — Pages 153 & 154

Page 22 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

The Tunnel

LISTENING

1 Look at the map given below. Try and predict what each of the rooms might be.

Drinking
Water

Museum
Shop
Decorative Museum
Art Gallery Cafe
You are here Office
Entrance
Hall Closed for
2.
Renovation
___________
Toilets
5.
1. 3.
Store ____________
___________ __________

4. ______________

The museum map on page 154. Five rooms are left blank — 1 to 5.

Before the audio starts, use the shapes, the sizes and the neighbours of each blank room to
guess. Say your guess aloud and give a reason — that is the skill being practised.

BLANK WHERE IT IS ON THE MAP A SENSIBLE PREDICTION

1. A small circle just below the Entrance Hall, library (a small quiet room near the entrance)
opposite the Museum Shop

2. The large room straight ahead of the art gallery (the biggest room, and it opens into
Entrance Hall, with three doors leading out the Decorative Art Gallery)

3. The green diamond leading off room 2 weapon room

4. The long room along the bottom, beyond musical instruments hall
room 3

5. The big oval at the far end, near the toilets auditorium (large halls are placed where
and drinking water crowds can gather)

Page 23 of 88

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure
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co m
m.
Tip: Rooms that need many visitors at once (auditorium) are drawn large; rooms that

as e
omwalk through them. l
need quiet (library) are drawn small and are usually placed near the entrance so that
. cnot a g
em
visitors do
a s
agl

com
ag
A famous museum in your town is organising a treasure hunt in the museum
.
2

e m
as
premises. You and your friends decide to participate in it. Upon arrival, you find

a g l
that there are many other teams. Each team is given an audio guide (recorded
information) and a map to the museum. Listen to the audio recording and as you

com
listen, mark your map with the route to take to find the treasure. To help you, the

mark the various rooms. [library, auditorium, weapon room, art e
.
names of a few rooms in the museum are given below. Now listen to the audio and
m musical
m a s
gl
gallery,

. co a
sem
instruments hall]

la
agANSWER
Following the audio guide step by step, the five blank rooms are:
m a s
m .co agl
BLANK ROOM
l a se
WHAT THE RECORDING SAYS
g
a“To the right of the Entrance Hall you will find the library. On the left is
1. library

com
the museum shop.”

.
a s emthe Art Gallery…
com agl
2. art gallery “Go straight from the Entrance Hall till you reach

m . famous for its collection of rare paintings.”

ase3.
agl
weapon room “The third door on the right leads to the Weapons Room… bows,
swords, shields, and helmets.”

se m
com g l a
. a
4. musical “From the weapons room take a left turn. You will find the world-

m
ase
instruments hall famous Musical Instruments Section.”

5. auditorium agl “The second room to the left in this gallery will take you to the
Auditorium. Hidden here is your treasure!”

. c om
s e m into the Art Gallery
The route to mark on the map: Start at the Entrance Hall → go straight

. c
→ take la left into the Musical
omthe third door on the right into the Weapons Room →agturn
a emInstruments Hall → take the second room on the left into the Auditorium, where the treasure
s is hidden.
agl c
m .
m a s e
co agl
Rooms already named on the map (do not fill these in): Museum Shop,

m .
e
Decorative Art Gallery, Cafe, Museum Office, Drinking Water, Toilets, Store, and the
as
a g l
door marked “Closed for Renovation” — which is the middle of the three doors out
of the Art Gallery.

co m
m .
m as e
.co


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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Listening tip: Direction words are the skeleton of this kind of recording — to the
right of, on the left, go straight till, the first door, the next door, the third door, take a left
turn, the second room to the left. Mark the map as you hear each one; do not wait for
the recording to finish.

Let us speak — Pages 154 & 155

Page 25 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

The Tunnel

SPEAKING

1 Anju is going on a trekking trip with her family during the summer vacation. They
have reached the railway station. Anju calls the tour manager for directions to the
trekking site. Work in pairs and have this conversation. Student A will play the role
of Anju and mark the route on the map given below. Student B will play the role of
the tour manager. Looking at the map, give directions to reach the trekking site
from the railway station. You may use phrases like the ones in the box to help you.
[turn left | turn right | keep going straight till… | take the next left | take the next
right | take the roundabout | take the second left | start from… | on the opposite
side | right around the corner | in front of | next to]

Lake and Bird
Sanctuary
Factory
Trekking Site

Railway School
Lassi
Station Corner

Museum

The town map on page 155.

Reading the map first: the Railway Station is at the bottom left. The road out of it runs east,
past the Lassi Corner and the School, to a roundabout in the middle of the map. North of the
roundabout is the Lake and Bird Sanctuary; the road that continues east from the roundabout
leads to the Trekking Site at the foot of the hills. The Factory is to the north-west and the
Museum to the south-east — neither is on your route.
Sample conversation:

Page 26 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

SPEAKER WHAT THEY SAY

Anju Good morning, sir. This is Anju. We have just reached the railway station. Could you tell us
how to get to the trekking site?

Manager Good morning, Anju. Welcome! Start from the railway station and come out onto the
main road. Turn right and keep going straight till you pass the Lassi Corner.

Anju The Lassi Corner — is that the small blue shop?

Manager That is the one. The school is next to it, on the same side. Keep going straight past the
school until you reach the roundabout.

Anju And at the roundabout?

Manager Take the roundabout and come out on the road going east — that is the second exit. The
Lake and Bird Sanctuary will be on your left, in front of the row of trees.

Anju Should we turn anywhere after that?

Manager No. Keep going straight till you see the hills. The trekking site is right around the
corner, just below them, on the opposite side of the road from the sanctuary. It should
take about twenty minutes.

Anju Thank you so much. We will start now.

What makes this a good performance: Anju must actually trace the route on her
map while listening, and check back (“Is that the small blue shop?”). The tour
manager must use landmarks, not just left and right — a stranger cannot count
turnings but can spot a school or a lake.

Tip: Give directions in the order the traveller will meet them, and never give more
than two instructions in one breath. Pause so that the listener can say “Yes, got it.”

Let us write — Page 155

Page 27 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

The Tunnel

WRITING

1 Write a descriptive paragraph about your experience of a train journey. Describe
the sights, sounds, and feelings you experienced during the journey. Include details
about the people around you, the scenery outside, and the atmosphere inside the
train to make your paragraph vivid and engaging. You may use the following
guidelines to help you create the paragraph. • Start with how the journey began:
boarding the train, finding your seat, and the initial impressions. • Describe the
sounds: the whistle of the train, the chatter of passengers, and the rhythmic clatter
of wheels on the tracks. • Mention the sights: the changing scenery outside the
window, the hustle and bustle inside the train, and any interesting moments. •
Reflect on your feelings: Were you excited, relaxed, or curious? How did the journey
make you feel overall?

How to build the paragraph: follow the four bullets in order — beginning, sounds, sights,
feelings. Write about one real journey, not train journeys in general, and use the sense-words
the unit has just taught you (puffing, hissing, chatter, rustle, creaking, flickering, drifting).

PART WHAT IT MUST CONTAIN

Opening Where you boarded, which train, who was with you, your first impression of the coach.

Sounds At least three: the whistle, the clatter of the wheels, vendors, other passengers, the fan.

Sights Both outside the window (fields, a river, a tunnel, village lights) and inside the coach (people,
luggage, a child, food).

Feelings Name the feeling and say what caused it — do not just write “it was nice”.

Page 28 of 88

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure
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co m
m.
Sample answer:

m l a se
The Amritsar Express pulled into Platform 3 at exactly six in the morning, hissing and
o
m .ca long plume of steam that hid the tea stall from view.agI climbed in behind
letting out
se
myagrandmother,
l
g
found our two window seats and pushed my bag under the berth.
aAs soon as the guard's whistle went, the wheels began their steady clatter — ta-tak,
ta-tak — and did not stop for eleven hours. The coach filled with sound: the chatter
co m
.
of a family of six going to a wedding, the rustle of newspapers, a vendor calling
m ag
l a se
“Chai, garam chai!”, and the creaking of the fan above my head. Outside, the city
g that they hurt my eyes, then to a canal, then to
gave way to mustard fields soayellow
a long grey bridge whose girders flashed past like a fence. Once we shot into a

. c om
tunnel and everything went black for four seconds; when we came out, an old man
opposite me laughed at my startled face and offered me an orange.eBy
s m evening the
m
co turned into flickering village lights, and I sat with my a
l on the window
gchin
.
fields had
a
a s emtired, sticky and completely happy. I had begun the day impatient to arrive; by
gl the end of it I did not want the journey to finish at all.
bar,
a
a s
. comgives something you could see, hear, smell agl
em four black seconds, an orange, a sticky chin.
Why the sample works: Every sentence
a s
aglstates a change of feeling. That is what turns a
or feel — steam, ta-tak, mustard yellow,
Notice that the last sentence

m
description into an experience.

. co
e m
m l as
.co
m explore — Page 156 a g
seus
la Tunnel
Let
agThe
se m
com l a
PROJECT

. a g
s e m
The Nation's pride Atalla
I g
a on the Manali–Leh Highway under the challenging
Tunnel is 9.02 kilometres long. It runs under the Rohtang
Pass. It was constructed

m
conditions of freezing temperatures in extremely difficult terrain. The Atal Tunnel
. co
m
has officially been certified by World Book of Records as the ‘World's Longest

m as e
.co l
Highway Tunnel above 10,000 Feet'!
a g
a s emANSWER
agl
.c
m
This is a reading-and-finding-out task, not a question with one answer. Here are the facts to note

m a s e
co agl
down, and what to look for next.

m .
ase
a g l

co m
m .
m ase
.co


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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

FACT DETAIL FROM THE TEXT

Name Atal Tunnel

Length 9.02 kilometres

Runs under the Rohtang Pass

On which road the Manali–Leh Highway

Conditions during building freezing temperatures, extremely difficult terrain

Record World's Longest Highway Tunnel above 10,000 Feet (World Book of Records)

Take it further: Find out (a) which two valleys the tunnel joins — Kullu and Lahaul;
(b) how long the road journey between Manali and Lahaul took before the tunnel
and how long it takes now; (c) why Lahaul-Spiti used to be cut off from the rest of the
country for several months every winter. Mark Manali, Rohtang Pass, Keylong and
Leh on an outline map of India.

Link with the unit: Sunder Singh's little railway tunnel and the Atal Tunnel do the
same job in different sizes — they take a road or a track through a mountain instead
of over it. Both need a human being to keep them safe.

II The history of Indian Railways spans over 165 years. On 16 April 1853, the first
passenger train ran between Bori Bunder (Mumbai) and Thane, covering 34
kilometres. It was operated by three locomotives named Sahib, Sultan, and Sindh
and had thirteen carriages. In 1864, the North received its first station, Delhi
Junction, near Chandni Chowk. You may refer to the given link to know more about
Indian Railways.

Note the key facts, then use the National Rail Museum link (or your library) to add to them.

Page 30 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

FACT DETAIL

Date of the first passenger train 16 April 1853

Route Bori Bunder (Mumbai) to Thane

Distance 34 kilometres

Locomotives three — Sahib, Sultan and Sindh

Carriages thirteen

First station in the North Delhi Junction, near Chandni Chowk, in 1864

Suggested project: Make a class timeline on chart paper — 1853 (first passenger
train), 1864 (Delhi Junction), 1925 (first electric train, Bombay VT to Kurla), 1988 (first
Shatabdi Express), 2019 (Vande Bharat Express), 2024 (Kolkata's under-river metro).
Add one picture and one line of information under each date.

Connect it to the story: The engine Suraj waits for is a steam engine — “green,
black, and gold”, showering sparks. Those engines were the direct descendants of
Sahib, Sultan and Sindh, and have now almost completely disappeared from Indian
tracks. That is one reason Ruskin Bond's story already feels like history.

Let us do these activities before we read — Page 157

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Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Travel (poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay)

BEFORE YOU READ

I Complete the following word web on travel.

Modes of Transport Reasons for Travel
bus, work,

Feelings Adventure Activities
Travel
joy, exploring,

Destinations Challenges
riverside, bad weather,

The word web on page 157. One word is already filled in each branch.

Add at least four more words in each bubble. Here is a filled web you can compare with your
own.

BUBBLE WORDS TO FILL IN

Modes of bus, train, aeroplane, ship, ferry, metro, auto-rickshaw, cycle, bullock cart, camel, on foot
Transport

Reasons for work, study, holiday, pilgrimage, a wedding, meeting relatives, medical treatment, sport,
Travel business, migration

Adventure exploring, trekking, mountaineering, river rafting, scuba diving, paragliding, rock
Activities climbing, camping, cycling, skiing

Feelings joy, excitement, curiosity, wonder, impatience, homesickness, nervousness, relief, freedom,
tiredness

Destinations riverside, hill station, seashore, desert, forest, temple town, big city, village, island,
national park

Challenges bad weather, delayed trains, heavy luggage, a lost ticket, language problems, altitude
sickness, blocked roads, crowds, high cost

Page 32 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Tip: Keep each bubble to one kind of word. “Trekking” belongs in Adventure
Activities, not in Modes of Transport, even though you do move about while
trekking.

II 1 You are going on a trip to an adventure camp with your classmates and teacher. 1.
How will you travel to the adventure camp?

Answer for your own class and give a reason for the choice.

Sample answer: Our camp is at Kanatal, about 300 kilometres away, so we will
travel by overnight train to Dehradun and then by a hired bus up the hill road. A
train is cheaper for forty students than a bus for the whole distance, and the last
stretch is too narrow and winding for a big coach, so a smaller bus makes sense.

What makes a good answer: Name the mode and the reason — distance, cost, road
conditions, number of people, or safety.

II 2 2. What things will you take along?

Group your list so that nothing is forgotten.

GROUP WHAT TO PACK

Clothing Two sets of quick-drying clothes, a warm jacket, a cap, a raincoat, sturdy shoes and one
spare pair of socks

Safety and Torch with spare cells, a small first-aid box, my regular medicines, sunscreen, a whistle
health

Food and water A refillable water bottle, dry snacks, glucose or ORS

Papers School identity card, the signed permission slip, a copy of my parents' phone numbers

Others Notebook and pen, a small towel, a cloth bag for wet clothes, a rubbish bag

Page 33 of 88

as e
Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
Tip: Pack light. On a trek you carry everything you bring — so leave out anything you

m as e
l
cannot name a use for.

m .co a g
l a se
a g
II 3 3. Why would you like to go there?

co m
em . ag
l a s
g
a fun”.
Give a real reason, not just “it will be

. com
Sample answer: I want to go because I have never spent a night away from a city,

m a
and I want to find out whether I can put up a tent, cook a simple meal
s emand sleep in
. co without being frightened. I also want to see the night
a glsky properly — in our
em the street lights hide the stars.
the open

a s
gl
colony
a
om a s
agl
A good reason answers “what will this trip give me that home cannot?” — a new
skill, a new place, time with friends, a.ctest of courage, a chance to see wildlife.
a s em
agl

co m
.
II 4 4. What are the activities you would like to do with your friends?

e m
com g l as
. a
em

a s
agl Sample answer: I would like to do a short trek to the ridge at sunrise, try

se m
com At night I would like us to play antakshari a
rappelling down the practice rock, take part in the river crossing on a rope, and

. a g l
em
help build the campfire in the evening.

l a s
and to spot constellations with the camp instructor.
ag

co
Tip: Mention at least one activity that needs a group — river crossing, a relay trek,
m
m .
e
pitching a tent, a treasure hunt. That is the whole point of going with friends rather
m l as
.co g
than alone.
m a
l a se
ag
.c
5. How much time will it take to complete your adventure trip?
s e m
m a
II 5

e m . co agl
g l as
a
Work it out as a small timetable rather than giving one figure.

co m
m .
m ase
.co


a g l Page 34 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

STAGE TIME

School to Dehradun by overnight train about 9 hours

Dehradun to the camp by bus about 3 hours

Stay at the camp 3 days and 2 nights

Return journey about 12 hours

Total 5 days, 4 nights

Tip: Always add a little spare time for delays. Ruskin Bond's night mail was often late
too — Sunder Singh says it comes “about nine o'clock, if it isn't late”.

III Discuss in pairs. What might be the reasons that people enjoy train journeys?

Bring out several reasons, and give an example for each.

You can move about. Unlike a bus or a plane, a train lets you walk to the door, stand at the
window and stretch your legs.
The changing scenery. Fields, rivers, bridges, tunnels and village lights slide past the
window for hours — the journey itself becomes the sightseeing.
The people. Strangers share food and stories in a train coach in a way they never do
elsewhere. Many friendships begin over a shared newspaper or an orange.
The food. Vendors calling “Chai, garam chai”, station platform snacks that are special to each
region — peda at Mathura, vada at Lonavala.
The rhythm. The steady clatter of wheels is comforting; many people say they sleep better
on a train than at home.
Space and time. A long train journey is unhurried. You can read, sketch, look out of the
window or simply do nothing.
Cost and reach. Trains are affordable and go to small towns that planes never touch.

Link with the poem you are about to read: The speaker of Travel never actually
boards a train. What she loves is the idea of going — the whistle, the sparks, the
possibility. Ask yourselves in your pair: is that also part of why people enjoy train
journeys?

Page 35 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Let us discuss — Pages 159 & 160
Travel (poem)

COMPREHENSION

I The main ideas of each stanza of the poem are given below. Write the number of
the stanza against the matching main idea. 1. At night, the speaker imagines the
train and hears its engine in the quiet. 2. The speaker feels a strong desire to take
any train, no matter where it goes. 3. The speaker hears the train whistle during
the day, even though the train is far away.

MAIN IDEA STANZA THE LINES THAT PROVE IT

1. At night, the speaker imagines the Stanza 2 “All night there isn't a train goes by… But I see
train and hears its engine in the quiet. its cinders red on the sky, / And hear its engine
steaming.”

2. The speaker feels a strong desire to Stanza 3 “Yet there isn't a train I wouldn't take, / No
take any train, no matter where it goes. matter where it's going.”

3. The speaker hears the train whistle Stanza 1 “The railroad track is miles away… Yet there
during the day, even though the train is isn't a train goes by all day / But I hear its
far away. whistle shrieking.”

Notice the plan of the poem: stanza 1 is day, stanza 2 is night, stanza 3 is always.
The first two show that the train is with her at every hour; the third tells us what she
would do about it if she could.

Page 36 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II Read the poem and underline the rhyming words in each stanza. Write the rhyming
words from each stanza. An example has been done for you. 1. Stanza (i): away-day;
2. Stanza (ii): 3. Stanza (iii):

STANZA RHYMING PAIRS

Stanza (i) away – day; speaking – shrieking

Stanza (ii) by – sky; dreaming – steaming

Stanza (iii) make – take; knowing – going

Two rhymes in every stanza: lines 1 and 3 rhyme with each other, and lines 2 and 4
rhyme with each other. That is why the poem moves in a rocking, regular way — very
like the sound of a train on the rails.

Tip: The second rhyme in each stanza always ends in -ing — speaking / shrieking,
dreaming / steaming, knowing / going. That soft repeated ending gives the poem its
dreamy, unfinished feeling, as though the longing never stops.

III Identify the rhyme scheme of the poem from the options given below. 1. AABB 2.
ABCA 3. ABAB 4. ABBC

3. ABAB

The railroad track is miles away, ......... A

And the day is loud with voices speaking, ......... B

Yet there isn't a train goes by all day ......... A

But I hear its whistle shrieking. ......... B

The same pattern holds in the other two stanzas: by – dreaming – sky – steaming and make –
knowing – take – going.

Page 37 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

How to work out a rhyme scheme: Give the first line's sound the letter A. Every
later line that rhymes with it also gets A. The first line with a new sound gets B, and
so on. Here the sounds alternate, so the scheme is ABAB.

IV Identify the word in the poem that personifies the whistle of the train.

“shrieking” — “But I hear its whistle shrieking.”

Why it is personification: To shriek is to give a loud, sharp, frightened or excited cry
— something a person does. A machine only makes a noise. By calling the whistle a
shriek, the poet gives the train a human voice, as though it were calling out to her
across all those miles.

Look for the same trick elsewhere in the unit: in The Tunnel the engine “roared a
challenge to the jungle”, the trees “seemed to flinch”, and the forest “seemed to
breathe, to live again”. All of these are personification.

V Tone refers to the attitude the poet has about the poem. Which of these words can
be used to describe the poet's tone in this poem? [serious | excited | curious |
worried | thoughtful | content | enthusiastic | critical | joyful]

The best choices are excited, enthusiastic and thoughtful — with content fitting the opening
of the last stanza.

Page 38 of 88

as e
Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
WORD DOES IT WHY

as e
com
FIT?

. a g l
m
ase
excited Yes The whistle, the red cinders and the eagerness to board any train

agl
are the language of excitement.

enthusiastic Yes “There isn't a train I wouldn't take” — unconditional eagerness.

com
e m . ag
as
thoughtful Yes She weighs her warm friendships against her longing before

a g l
deciding — that is reflection, not impulse.

content Partly True of “My heart is warm with the friends I make”, but the poem
does not end in contentment — it ends in longing.
co m
e m.
m l as
.co
curious Weakly She never asks where the train is going; the destination does not

a g
sem
interest her.

a / worried /
aglserious
critical
No There is no anxiety, no complaint and no judgement anywhere in
the poem.

om a s
. c agl
joyful Not quite The feeling is longing rather than joy — she wants to go, and has
not m
s e
gla
gone.

a
Tip: When a question offers a box of tone words, choose two or three and defend

co m
each with a line from the poem. A single word rarely covers a whole poem.
m .
m as e
.co a g l
a s em
agl VI Select the words that tell us what the train symbolises for the poet. 1. education 2.
m
adventure 3. comfort 4. opportunities

a se
. com a g l
m
ase

agl
2. adventure and 4. opportunities

Adventure — the train stands for the excitement of setting out into the unknown. “There
isn't a train I wouldn't take, / No matter where it's going.”
. c om
Opportunities — every passing train is a chance she has not taken,
s e ma life she could have led.
a just out of her reach.
omtrack is “miles away”, so the trains represent all the possibilities
m .cThe agl
l a se
ag Why not 1 or 3: The poem says nothing about learning or schooling (1). And a train
.c
is certainly not comfort (3) for her — comfort is what she already has at home, with
s e m
m a
. co agl
her warm friendships. The train is what would take her away from comfort.
e m
g l as
a

co m
m .
m as e
.co


a g l Page 39 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

VII Complete the following by choosing the correct option from those given in
brackets. The poet repeats the line, ‘...there isn't a train goes by,' in all three stanzas
to _______. (highlight the speaker's fascination with the train/suggest that the area
has many trains passing through)

… highlight the speaker's fascination with the train.

Why: The repetition is not a fact about traffic — it is a fact about her mind. Read the
lines: “there isn't a train goes by all day / But I hear its whistle”, “All night there isn't a
train goes by… But I see its cinders”, “there isn't a train I wouldn't take”. Every single
train, by day or by night, catches her attention. The line comes back three times
because the thought comes back to her endlessly.

Name the device: A line or phrase repeated at intervals in a poem is called a
refrain. Here the refrain works like the repeated clatter of wheels — you cannot get
away from it, and neither can she.

VIII The poem contrasts the busy day with the stillness of the night. What is the
common factor in these?

The common factor is the train — and the speaker's constant awareness of it.
The day is “loud with voices speaking” and the night is “still for sleep and dreaming”. The two
could not be more different. Yet in both, one thing reaches her:

By day, above all the human voices, she hears the whistle shrieking.
By night, in the silence, she sees the cinders red on the sky and hears the engine steaming.

What this proves: Neither noise nor silence, neither work nor sleep, can shut the
train out. Her longing to travel does not depend on the hour — it is always with her.
That is why the third stanza can say “there isn't a train I wouldn't take” without any
surprise.

Page 40 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

IX Imagery is a literary device that uses descriptive language to create mental
pictures and appeal to the reader's senses (sight, sound, smell, taste and touch). It
makes the descriptions more relatable. Select the phrases from the poem that are
examples of imagery. One example is given: day is loud.

PHRASE FROM THE POEM SENSE IT APPEALS TO

“the day is loud with voices speaking” (the given example) Sound

“I hear its whistle shrieking” Sound

“the night is still for sleep and dreaming” Sound (silence) and touch/feeling

“I see its cinders red on the sky” Sight — and colour

“hear its engine steaming” Sound (and sight of steam)

“My heart is warm with the friends I make” Touch — warmth

“The railroad track is miles away” Sight — distance and space

Why the imagery is so effective here: The strongest images are of things the
speaker could not really see or hear from miles away — a whistle over a loud day,
red cinders in the sky. The poet uses imagery to show us not the railway but her
imagination. We are seeing what she pictures, not what is there.

Let us think and reflect — Page 160
Travel (poem)

COMPREHENSION

I 1 (i) Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. “My heart is
warm with the friends I make, / And better friends I'll not be knowing...” (i)
Choose the suitable option to complete the following. The line ‘My heart is warm'
refers to a heart that is ___. A. filled with worries B. full of love C. feeling upset D.
experiencing anger

B. full of love

Page 41 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Why: In English, warmth is the standard image for affection — we speak of a warm
welcome, a warm smile, warm-hearted people. Worry, sadness and anger are all
described with the opposite images: a heavy heart, a cold heart, a heart that burns.
The next line settles it beyond doubt: she says she will never know better friends
than these.

I 1 (ii) (ii) What does the speaker say about her current friends?

She says they are the best friends she will ever have. Her heart is warm because of them, and
she is sure that “better friends I'll not be knowing” — that is, no future friendship will ever
improve on this one.

Read the grammar carefully: “I'll not be knowing” is a future form. She is not
merely saying that they are good friends now; she is saying that for the rest of her
life she does not expect to meet better ones.

I 1 (iii) (iii) What does the line ‘better friends I'll not be knowing' suggest about the
speaker's feelings toward their current friends?

It suggests a deep satisfaction and gratitude. She values her friends so highly that she cannot
imagine better ones. There is nothing lacking in her life at home, and nothing she is running
away from.

Why the poet puts this line here — and why it matters: It is followed at once by
“Yet there isn't a train I wouldn't take”. That little word yet turns the whole poem.
Even perfect friendship is not enough to hold her. If she were lonely or unhappy,
wanting to leave would be easy to understand; because she is happy, her longing to
travel must be something deeper — a restlessness that has nothing to do with what
she is leaving behind.

Page 42 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

I 1 (iv) (iv) Complete the following suitably. The tone of the speaker in these lines is
______. (grateful/content)

content

Why ‘content' fits better: To be grateful is to feel thankful to somebody for
something they gave you. To be content is to feel that what you have is enough. The
line “better friends I'll not be knowing” is a statement of sufficiency — she is not
thanking her friends, she is saying that nothing better is possible. That is
contentment.

Note: ‘Grateful' is not a foolish answer, and “my heart is warm” certainly carries
warmth towards her friends. If you choose it, defend it — but ‘content' is the closer
fit for the second line.

II 1 Answer the following questions. 1. What does the phrase ‘cinders red on the sky'
tell us about the train at night?

Cinders are small pieces of half-burnt coal. A steam engine's firebox throws them up through
the funnel, still glowing red, and at night they can be seen as a shower of sparks staining the
dark sky above the track.
So the phrase tells us three things:

The train is a steam train, burning coal — this is an old-fashioned railway.
Trains run at night as well as by day; the railway never sleeps.
Although the train itself is invisible from miles away, its glow can be seen. The speaker
cannot see the engine, only the light it throws — much as Suraj, in The Tunnel, could not see
Sunder Singh but could see his lamp.

The image beneath the fact: Red against black is the colour of fire, energy and
danger. The night sky is “still for sleep and dreaming”, and across it the train writes a
line of fire. That is exactly how the idea of travel burns in the speaker's quiet life.

Page 43 of 88

as e
Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
2. What is the significance of the repeated references to the train's whistle?
e
II 2

m l as
.co a g
a s em
a l
Thegwhistle is the train's voice, and the poet returns to it because it is a call that the speaker
cannot ignore.

. com
It reaches her over a distance of miles and through a day “loud with voices speaking” — so it
ag
is not really the ear that hears it but theem
a s mind.

a
The word chosen for it, “shrieking”,gl is a human word. The train seems to be crying out to her
personally.

co
Repeating it shows that this is not a passing fancy. Whatever else she is doing, the whistle m
keeps breaking in.
em.
m l as
.co a g
a s em it stands for: The whistle is the call of the unknown — of departure itself.
What

a gl Every time it sounds, it reminds her that somewhere a train is leaving and she is not
on it.
m a s
em
.co agl
l a s
II 3 agmatter
3. What does the line ‘no where it's going' reveal about the speaker's
attitude towards travel?

co m
m .
o m l a se
.c that for her the destination does not matter at all. She
a ghas no particular city in
m
se no relative to visit, no work to do. What she loves is the act of going.
It reveals

amind,
agl Her attitude is therefore:
se m
Unconditional — she would take any train.
com g l a
m . a
e
asto arrive somewhere she has not chosen, which most people
Restless — she wants movement and change for their own sake.

g l
would find frightening. a
Adventurous — she is willing

co m
m .
Why this is the heart of the poem: Most people travel to somewhere. She simply
as e
om — the title names the activity, not a place.
.c“Away” g l
wants to travel. That is why the poem is called Travel and not “The Journey” or
a
se m
g l a
a c
m .
m a s e
e m . co agl
g l as
a

com
m .
m ase
.co


a g l Page 44 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II 4 4. Do you think the poet actually sees and hears the train? Why or why not?

Probably not — most of it happens in her imagination. This is the stronger reading, and the
poem gives the evidence itself:

The very first line says the railroad track is “miles away”.
By day “the day is loud with voices speaking” — a whistle miles off could not be heard
above that noise.
She claims to hear or see every single train, all day and all night, which no one living miles
from a line realistically could.

The other view, fairly stated: On a still night sound carries a very long way, and the red glow of
a steam engine really can be seen from a distance. So a few of these sights and sounds may be
real.

Why the imaginary reading is stronger: The poem is not about a railway; it is
about longing. The trains are so constantly in her mind that she believes she hears
them. That is what makes the last stanza so moving — she is ready to leave on a
train she has never actually seen.

Tip: When a question asks “Do you think…?”, you may argue either way — but you
must give reasons from the text, and it is worth naming the other view before you
reject it.

Let us learn — Pages 161 & 162

Page 45 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Travel (poem) — Expressions and Sound Words

GRAMMAR

I Read the expressions from the poem given in Column 1 and match them with what
they indicate in Column 2. Column 1: 1. miles away 2. cinders red 3. heart is warm 4.
day is loud 5. engine steaming — Column 2: (i) The speaker's affection for their
friends (ii) The fast and powerful movement of the train (iii) The busy and noisy
atmosphere during the day (iv) The glow of the train's sparks lighting up the night
sky (v) The distance of the train from the speaker

COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 WHAT IT INDICATES

1. miles away (v) The distance of the train from the speaker

2. cinders red (iv) The glow of the train's sparks lighting up the night sky

3. heart is warm (i) The speaker's affection for their friends

4. day is loud (iii) The busy and noisy atmosphere during the day

5. engine steaming (ii) The fast and powerful movement of the train

Tip: Two of these matches are easy because a key word is repeated — miles with
distance, cinders with sparks. Do those first, then match the rest from what is left.

Page 46 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

I (contd.) Now, use the expressions in Column 1 to fill in the following blanks correctly.
1. After meeting her old friend, her ______ with the joy of rekindled memories.
2. As I arrived at the railway station I could hear the ______. 3. The marketplace
is bustling, and the ______ with the chatter of shoppers and vendors. 4. The
bonfire glowed brightly, throwing ______ into the dark night sky. 5. The sound
of a train could still be heard _____ as the evening grew quiet.

NO. COMPLETED SENTENCE

1. After meeting her old friend, her heart is warm with the joy of rekindled memories.

2. As I arrived at the railway station I could hear the engine steaming.

3. The marketplace is bustling, and the day is loud with the chatter of shoppers and vendors.

4. The bonfire glowed brightly, throwing cinders red into the dark night sky.

5. The sound of a train could still be heard miles away as the evening grew quiet.

How to place them: Look at what comes immediately after the blank. “___ with the
joy” and “___ with the chatter” both need the pattern X is warm/loud with Y. “throwing
___ into the sky” needs a thing you can throw — the cinders. “could be heard ___” needs
a distance. That leaves the station line for engine steaming.

Page 47 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II The poet uses the word ‘shrieking' to tell us about the sound of the train's whistle.
There are other words that tell us about different types of related sounds. Read the
meanings of such words in Column 1 and match them with the words in Column 2.
You may use a dictionary. Column 1: 1. shouting loudly, often in anger or
excitement 2. crying out in fear or excitement 3. crying loudly with grief or sorrow
4. making a high-pitched, piercing sound 5. calling out loudly, often in a casual or
informal way 6. crying softly in a low, broken voice 7. crying loudly and
uncontrollably — Column 2: (i) wailing (ii) hollering (iii) screeching (iv) yelling (v)
whimpering (vi) bawling (vii) screaming

MEANING (COLUMN 1) WORD (COLUMN 2)

1. shouting loudly, often in anger or excitement (iv) yelling

2. crying out in fear or excitement (vii) screaming

3. crying loudly with grief or sorrow (i) wailing

4. making a high-pitched, piercing sound (iii) screeching

5. calling out loudly, often in a casual or informal way (ii) hollering

6. crying softly in a low, broken voice (v) whimpering

7. crying loudly and uncontrollably (vi) bawling

Sort them by loudness and by feeling:
Loud and angry / excited — yelling, hollering.
Loud and frightened — screaming, screeching.
Loud and sad — wailing, bawling.
Soft and sad — whimpering.
Once you group them this way, the matching almost does itself.

And ‘shrieking'? A shriek is very close to a scream — sudden, high and piercing.
That is why it suits a steam whistle so well.

Page 48 of 88

as e
Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
Now, complete the following paragraph by using suitable words from Column
se
II (contd.)

o m l a
2. “The street was filled with a variety of sounds. A shopkeeper was 1. ______ to
g friend to wait for
.cattract customers, while a child nearby was 2. _______ atahis
m him. From the other side of the road, a toddler was 3. ________ uncontrollably
l a se
a g after dropping his ice cream, and his mother tried to calm him as he began 4.
_________ softly. In the background, someone's loud 5. _________ voice added to

com
. ag
the bustling noise of the busy evening.”

e m
g l as
a
The completed paragraph:

. c om
The street was filled with a variety of sounds. A shopkeeper was 1. hollering to attract

m a s em the other side
customers, while a child nearby was 2. yelling at his friend to wait for him. From

.
of the road,coa toddler was 3. bawling uncontrollably after dropping ahisglice cream, and his
a s
mother emtried to calm him as he began 4. whimpering softly. In the background, someone's loud
ag5.l screeching voice added to the bustling noise of the busy evening.
m a s
.co agl
BLANK WORD THE CLUE IN THE SENTENCE

se m
1. hollering
g l a
“to attract customers” — a casual, informal call, not anger.

2. yelling
a
“at his friend to wait” — shouting at somebody.

co m
3. bawling
m .
The word “uncontrollably” is taken straight from the dictionary meaning.

m ase
.co whimpering a g l
e5.m
4. “softly”, and his mother has begun to calm him — the crying is dying down.

a s
agl screeching Describes a voice as high-pitched and piercing.

se m
com g l a
. a
Tip: The adverbs are your best friends here — uncontrollably and softly each point to
m
ase
exactly one word. Fill those two first and the rest become easy.

agl

co m
Let us listen — Pages 162 & 163
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 as e
.co


a g l Page 49 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Travel (poem)

LISTENING

I Listen to this announcement made in the morning assembly about a school trip to
the National Science Centre. As you listen, circle the information that is not correct.
1. The trip to the National Science Centre is organised on 15 September. 2. Students
will start from school at 8.00 in the morning and return by 5.00 in the evening. 3.
Refreshment will not be provided during the trip. 4. Students are permitted to carry
a phone, a notebook, and a pen. 5. The permission slip is to be signed by the class
teacher. 6. The permission slip is to be submitted to your class teacher by 10
September. 7. Mr. Mukherjee is the Adventure Club in-charge.

Six of the seven statements contain a mistake. Circle the words shown in the last column.

NO. CORRECT? WHAT THE ANNOUNCEMENT ACTUALLY SAID CIRCLE

1. Incorrect “…will be held on 16 September, that is in two weeks!” 15 September

2. Incorrect “starting from school at 8.00 in the morning and return by 5.00 in the
5.30 in the evening.” evening

3. Incorrect “Light refreshments will be provided at the museum.” will not be
provided

4. Incorrect “You are not permitted to wear any jewellery or carry a phone
mobile phones. You may carry a notebook and a pen.”

5. Incorrect “a permission slip signed by your parent” the class teacher

6. Correct “submit them to their class teachers by 10 September.” — nothing to
circle —

7. Incorrect “Mr. Mukherjee, the excursion in-charge” Adventure Club
in-charge

Listening tip: In this kind of exercise the errors are always small — one digit, one
word, one negative. Read the seven statements before the audio begins, underline
the fact in each (a date, a time, a name, a person), and then listen only for those
seven facts.

Page 50 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II Now, listen to the announcement again and rectify the sentences.

The corrected sentences:

1. The trip to the National Science Centre is organised on 16 September.
2. Students will start from school at 8.00 in the morning and return by 5.30 in the evening.
3. Light refreshments will be provided at the museum during the trip. (Students must still
carry a water bottle and a packed lunch.)
4. Students are not permitted to carry a phone; they may carry a notebook and a pen. They
are also not permitted to wear any jewellery, and they must be in proper school uniform and
carry their identity cards.
5. The permission slip is to be signed by the student's parent.
6. The permission slip is to be submitted to your class teacher by 10 September. (This one was
already correct.)
7. Mr. Mukherjee is the excursion in-charge.

Tip: When you rectify a sentence, change only the part that was wrong and keep the
rest of the wording. That shows the teacher exactly what you heard.

Let us speak — Page 163

Page 51 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Travel (poem)

SPEAKING

1 When speaking in English, small differences in pronunciation can change the
overall meaning of the words. One such difference is in the pronunciation of the
consonant ‘c'. The letter ‘c' produces the /s/ sound if it is followed by ‘e', ‘i' or ‘y' (soft
‘c'); it produces the /k/ sound if it is followed by ‘a', ‘o' or ‘u' or a consonant at the
end of the word (hard ‘c'). Now, work in pairs. Pronounce the given words aloud.
Keep the rules of the soft and hard ‘c' pronunciation in mind. [cell, cable, race, cake,
decide, receive, concert, circle, bicycle, echo, uncle]

WORD SOUND OF ‘C' WHY

cell /s/ soft c+e

cable /k/ hard c+a

race /s/ soft c+e

cake /k/ hard c+a

decide /s/ soft c+i

receive /s/ soft c+e

concert both: /k/ then /s/ first c + o = /k/; second c + e = /s/ → “kon-sert”

circle both: /s/ then /k/ first c + i = /s/; second c + the consonant l = /k/ → “ser-kl”

bicycle both: /s/ then /k/ first c + y = /s/; second c + l = /k/ → “bai-si-kl”

echo /k/ hard c + h here sounds like /k/ → “e-ko”

uncle /k/ hard c + the consonant l → “ung-kl”

The rule in one line: ‘c' goes soft (/s/) before e, i, y and stays hard (/k/) everywhere
else. The poem's word cinders follows the rule perfectly — c + i, so it is “sin-ders”,
never “kin-ders”.

Page 52 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Practise in pairs like this: Student A reads a word aloud; Student B says “soft” or
“hard” and gives the letter that follows the ‘c'. Then swap. Watch out for the three
words that contain both sounds — concert, circle, bicycle.

Let us write — Pages 163 to 165
Travel (poem)

WRITING

I A diamante poem is a poem that is shaped like a diamond, which uses specific types
of words like adjectives and –ing words. Let us read an example. [Day / Bright,
sunny / Dancing, playing, running / Out comes the sun, down goes the sun /
Resting, listening, dreaming / Quiet, peaceful / Night] Let us now write a diamante
poem that connects ‘reading' and ‘adventure'. Line 1: Reading (the first topic); Line
2: two adjectives about reading; Line 3: three -ing words about reading; Line 4: four
nouns or a short phrase linking your topics; Line 5: three -ing words about
adventure; Line 6: two adjectives about adventure; Line 7: Adventure (the second
topic). Share your poem with your classmates and the teacher.

The rule of the shape: the lines grow 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1, which is what gives the poem its
diamond outline. Line 4 is the hinge: it must belong to both topics, so that the poem turns from
one to the other in the middle.

LINE WHAT IT MUST BE SAMPLE

1 the first topic Reading

2 two adjectives about reading Quiet, magical

3 three -ing words about reading Turning, wondering, imagining

4 four nouns or a short phrase linking both Pages, maps, mountains, journeys

5 three -ing words about adventure Climbing, rafting, discovering

6 two adjectives about adventure Risky, thrilling

7 the second topic Adventure

Page 53 of 88

as e
Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
Sample answer — the finished diamante:

m as e
. c o a g l
s em
Reading
a
aglQuiet, magical
m
Turning, wondering, imagining
. co ag
e m
as
Pages, maps, mountains, journeys

Climbing, rafting, discovering
a g l
Risky, thrilling
co m
Adventure
em.
m l as
m .co a g
l a se
A second sample:

a g
Reading
m a s
m .co agl
se
Still, comforting
l a
ag
Dreaming, following, escaping

A book opens, a road opens
co m
m .
e
Packing, trekking, daring
m l as
.co
Loud, unpredictable
a g
a s emAdventure
agl
se m
com g l a
m . a
ase
Why line 4 is the hardest and the best: It must face both ways at once. “Pages,

agl
maps, mountains, journeys” starts inside a book and ends on a real mountain; “A
book opens, a road opens” does the same in a phrase. Get that line right and the
poem works.
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


a g l Page 54 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II We come across many interesting characters while travelling. They become
interesting because of their actions, their behaviour, and manner of speaking.
Describe one such character that you met. Follow these steps. 1. Choose the
character. 2. Create a first draft of your description including the following details.
(i) What is the name of the character? (ii) What does the character look like? (iii)
What does the character do? (iv) What kind of person is she or he? (v) Include any
line or incident from the text that you like the most. 3. Check your description for
any spelling mistakes or errors. 4. Show your classmates your work and ask for
suggestions. 5. Rewrite your description including all the changes and suggestions
for improvement.

How to do it: Choose one real person you actually met on a journey — a co-passenger, a tea-
seller, a bus conductor, a guide. Write a first draft answering (i) to (v) in order, then revise it. The
five steps are the exercise; do not skip the drafting and rewriting.

STEP WHAT TO DO

(i) Name Give a name (or say how you addressed the person, e.g. “Nathu chacha”).

(ii) Looks Two or three specific details — not “he was old” but “a white stubble and a red woollen cap
he never took off”.

(iii) Does Their work and one thing you saw them doing.

(iv) Kind of Name the quality and prove it with the incident.
person

(v) A line you Quote something the person actually said, or a line from the unit that fits them.
liked

Page 55 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

Sample answer:
His name was Nathu chacha and he sold tea on the Kalka platform. He was a small,
wiry man with a white stubble and a red woollen cap he never took off, even in June.
He carried a steel kettle in his right hand and eight glasses hooked between the
fingers of his left, and he poured tea from a height without spilling a drop — I
counted, and he did it eleven times without looking at the glass. When my little sister
dropped her glass and began to cry, he refilled it and refused to take the two rupees.
“Beta, the train is long and the hills are cold,” he said, and moved on down the
platform, calling. He was the busiest person on that platform and the least hurried.
He reminded me of Sunder Singh in The Tunnel — a man doing a very small job with
complete pride, whom the hundreds of passengers rushing past would never
remember. I have forgotten the name of the hotel we stayed in, but I have not
forgotten him.

Why the sample works: It shows rather than tells. Instead of writing “he was kind
and skilful”, it gives the eleven glasses (skill) and the refused two rupees (kindness).
One quoted line lets us hear his voice. And the last sentence says why he was worth
describing at all.

Let us explore — Page 165
Travel (poem)

PROJECT

I The Mountain Railways of India are outstanding examples of hill railways and they
are designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name Mountain
Railways of India. These three railways are the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the
Nilgiri Mountain Railway, and the Kalka–Shimla Railway. The Matheran Hill Railway
and Kangra Valley Railway are on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
They are still fully operational as living examples of the ingenious engineering
enterprise of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The owner of the
three properties is the Railway Ministry of the Indian Government. In groups of
four, find out more about these heritage trains and make a presentation in the
class.

Divide the work: one railway per member, and the fourth prepares the map and the
introduction.

Page 56 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

RAILWAY STATE POINTS TO RESEARCH

Darjeeling West Bengal The famous “toy train”; the Batasia Loop; Ghum, one of the
Himalayan Railway highest railway stations in India; inscribed by UNESCO in
1999.

Nilgiri Mountain Tamil Nadu Mettupalayam to Udagamandalam (Ooty); India's only rack-
Railway and-pinion railway, which grips a toothed rail to climb the
steepest gradients.

Kalka–Shimla Himachal Over 100 tunnels and more than 800 bridges in 96 km; the
Railway Pradesh Barog tunnel; the arched Kanoh viaduct.

Matheran Hill Maharashtra Neral to Matheran; Matheran allows no motor vehicles at all.
Railway (tentative
list)

Kangra Valley Himachal Pathankot to Joginder Nagar, running below the Dhauladhar
Railway (tentative Pradesh range.
list)

Presentation plan (10 minutes): 1 slide — what “World Heritage Site” means and
why a railway can be one; 3 slides — one per railway, with a photograph, the route,
the year it opened and one engineering marvel; 1 slide — the two railways on the
tentative list; 1 slide — why these lines must be preserved. End with the group's own
question for the class.

The link with the tunnel: The Kalka–Shimla line alone has more than a hundred
tunnels. Every one of them once needed a Sunder Singh to walk its length before a
train came through.

Page 57 of 88

Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

II As an excellent example of the ‘Make in India' success story, the Indian Railways
launched India's first indigenous semi-high-speed train, Vande Bharat Express. It
has become a symbol of India's aspirations for modern, efficient, and comfortable
rail travel. The first Vande Bharat Express train was flagged off on 15 February 2019,
on the New Delhi–Kanpur–Allahabad–Varanasi route, running at a speed of 160
kilometres per hour. (Courtesy PIB) In groups of four, find out more about these
trains and make a presentation in the class.

FACT DETAIL FROM THE TEXT

Name Vande Bharat Express

What is special India's first indigenous semi-high-speed train — designed and built in India

Flagged off 15 February 2019

First route New Delhi – Kanpur – Allahabad – Varanasi

Speed 160 kilometres per hour

Points to add through your own research: where the coaches are built (Integral
Coach Factory, Chennai); what “semi-high-speed” means and how it differs from a
bullet train; why the train has no separate engine (self-propelled coaches, like a
metro); which Vande Bharat route is closest to your own town; and what the words
Vande Bharat mean.

A good comparison for your presentation: put the steam engine of The Tunnel and
the Vande Bharat side by side — fuel, speed, noise, smoke, who drives it and who
keeps the line safe. It shows how far Indian Railways has travelled in one lifetime.

Page 58 of 88

as e
Class 7 English Unit 4 Travel and Adventure
a g l AglaSem · NCERT Solutions

co m
m.
Some of the underwater rail tunnels are the Thames Tunnel in London, the Seikan
se
III

o m l a
Tunnel in Japan and the Channel Tunnel between England and France. India's first
g of this special
m .c metro route in Kolkata started in March 2024. A part
underwater a
l a se line runs beneath the Hooghly River.
metro
a g

com

.
em NOTING ag
TUNNEL WHERE
a s
WORTH

Thames Tunnel London, U.K. agl Runs under the River Thames; one of the earliest tunnels ever

om
built under a river.

. c
Seikan Tunnel
s e m the Tsugaru
Joins the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido beneath
m a
Japan

. co agl
Strait.

m
se Tunnel
l a
ag
Channel England – Runs under the English Channel and links two countries by rail.
France

a s
. coit m agl
Kolkata East– West Bengal, India's first underwater metro route, opened in March 2024;
West Metro India
e m
part of runs beneath the Hooghly river.

a g las
Find out: How long does a metro take to cross beneath the Hooghly? How do
engineers stop water from entering while a tunnel is being bored under a river?
com
m .
Which two stations does the under-river stretch join?
m as e
.co a g l
s m about it: A tunnel through a hill goes through rock that is already holding
eThink
gl a
a itself up. A tunnel under a river must hold back the water above it for every metre of

se m
com a
its length — which is why so few of them exist.

. a g l
m
gl ase
IV
a
Which of these trains do you think would be adventurous to travel in? Discuss
among yourselves.
co m
m .
m as e
.co
a g l
a s emThere is no single right answer. Take a position and defend it — and be ready to disagree
agl politely with your partner.
.c
s e m
m a
em . co agl
g l as
a

co m
m .
m ase
.co


a g l Page 59 of 88