class 7 unit I

 CHAPTER 1: THE DAY THE RIVER SPOKE

Q1. Where does Jahnavi, the protagonist of the story, live?

A. In a mountainous valley in the north

B. In a bustling city center

C. In a coastal village in India

D. In a dense forest clearing

Answer: C. In a coastal village in India

Q2. What did Jahnavi's elder brothers, Gopi and Ramu, do every morning?

A. They went fishing in the deep sea

B. They went to school to learn to read and write

C. They worked at the village pottery kiln

D. They gathered firewood from the nearby hills

Answer: B. They went to school to learn to read and write

Q3. Why was Jahnavi unable to go to school initially?

A. Her father did not believe in educating girls

B. She had to stay home to mind her baby brother, Little Appu

C. The school was too expensive for her family

D. She was afraid of the village school teacher

Answer: B. She had to stay home to mind her baby brother, Little Appu

Q4. Which bird did Jahnavi watch sweep down, its wings described as 'an arrow of blue in the sunlight'?

A. A parrot

B. A green lizard

C. A kingfisher

D. An eagle

Answer: C. A kingfisher

Q5. What animal did Jahnavi watch 'slither down' to bask in the sun near the river?

A. A small snake

B. A green lizard

C. A crocodile

D. A frog

Answer: B. A green lizard

Q6. Who spoke to Jahnavi in a 'sleepy, murmuring voice' when she was crying?

A. Her mother

B. The Kingfisher

C. The River

D. Her elder brother Gopi

Answer: C. The River

Q7. What reason did Jahnavi's mother give when Jahnavi first asked why she couldn't go to school?

A. 'You are too small, baby. May be later.'

B. 'Girls do not need to read or write.'

C. 'There is no space in the classroom.'

D. 'You must work on the farm instead.'

Answer: A. 'You are too small, baby. May be later.'

Q8. In the text, the word 'thicket' refers to:

A. A deep pool in the riverbed

B. A dense group of bushes and trees

C. A type of small wooden boat

D. The roof of Jahnavi's house

Answer: B. A dense group of bushes and trees

Q9. What did the River secretly tell Jahnavi about the movement of the moon?

A. It always stays behind the clouds

B. It goes down towards the sea

C. It goes over the mountains and down to the sea

D. It rises from the deep ocean

Answer: C. It goes over the mountains and down to the sea

Q10. According to the River, how do little girls compare to little boys?

A. Little girls are much quieter than boys

B. Little girls can do as much as little boys

C. Little girls should only learn domestic work

D. Little boys are naturally bolder

Answer: B. Little girls can do as much as little boys

Q11. What was Jahnavi afraid of when the River suggested she 'slip along' to school?

A. That the snake in the bamboo clump would bite her

B. That the teacher and students would scare her and chase her out

C. That she would get her feet wet on the way

D. That her father would be angry with her

Answer: B. That the teacher and students would scare her and chase her out

Q12. Chandu's boat, which the River said was 'good enough' for its travels, was a:

A. Canoe

B. Coracle

C. Catamaran

D. Shikara

Answer: C. Catamaran

Q13. When Jahnavi first reached the school, how did she sit in the classroom?

A. Standing quietly near the teacher's desk

B. Squatting with the others in the back row on the earthen floor

C. Sitting on a wooden bench next to her brother Gopi

D. Hiding behind the classroom door

Answer: B. Squatting with the others in the back row on the earthen floor

Q14. What story was the school teacher reading to the class when Jahnavi entered?

A. A story about a prince named Ashoka who became a great king

B. A story about a spider climbing a thread

C. A story about ships that sail the sea

D. A story about a clever monkey and a crocodile

Answer: A. A story about a prince named Ashoka who became a great king

Q15. What was the school teacher's reaction when he noticed Jahnavi in the classroom?

A. He scolded her for entering without permission

B. He was welcoming and promised to talk to her father about her joining

C. He ignored her and continued the lesson

D. He told Gopi to take her back home immediately

Answer: B. He was welcoming and promised to talk to her father about her joining

Q16. What does Jahnavi wish to become when she grows up and finishes learning?

A. A famous sailor who explores the seas

B. A doctor to treat sick animals

C. A teacher to go house to house and teach all village girls

D. A writer who tells stories about the river

Answer: C. A teacher to go house to house and teach all village girls

Q17. What is the meaning of the word 'clump' as used in 'the snake in the bamboo clump'?

A. A deep and dark cave

B. A small group of trees or plants growing together

C. A dry stack of cut wood

D. A sandy riverbank

Answer: B. A small group of trees or plants growing together

CHAPTER 2: TRY AGAIN

Q18. King Bruce, mentioned in the narrative poem, was the monarch of which nation?

A. England

B. Ireland

C. Scotland

D. Wales

Answer: C. Scotland

Q19. Why was King Bruce feeling sad and 'grieved as man could be'?

A. He had lost his royal crown in battle

B. He had tried repeatedly to do a great deed for his people but failed

C. His soldiers had rebelled against his rules

D. He was lonely in his grand castle

Answer: B. He had tried repeatedly to do a great deed for his people but failed

Q20. What dropped down near the King while he was resting in low despair?

A. A dry autumn leaf

B. A tiny spider with a silken, filmy clue

C. A small bird seeking shelter

D. A piece of the castle ceiling

Answer: B. A tiny spider with a silken, filmy clue

Q21. Where was the spider trying to reach?

A. The King's golden crown

B. A high window to escape outside

C. Its cobweb home up on the high ceiling dome

D. The warm fireplace on the floor

Answer: C. Its cobweb home up on the high ceiling dome

Q22. How did the spider fall back down during its early attempts?

A. With a slippery sprawl, close to the ground

B. Because of a sudden gust of wind

C. Swept away by the castle guards

D. It let go on purpose to rest

Answer: A. With a slippery sprawl, close to the ground

Q23. How many failed, brave attempts of the spider did King Bruce count?

A. Three

B. Six

C. Nine

D. Twelve

Answer: C. Nine

Q24. What did the King initially call the spider as it kept failing?

A. A 'noble warrior'

B. A 'foolish thing' that would strive no more to climb

C. A 'clever little weaver'

D. A 'symbol of hope'

Answer: B. A 'foolish thing' that would strive no more to climb

Q25. How did the spider climb up during its successful attempt?

A. It waited for a breeze to lift it

B. It jumped across the ceiling beam

C. It climbed steadily, inch by inch

D. It received help from another insect

Answer: C. It climbed steadily, inch by inch

Q26. What did the spider do at the 'very last pinch' of its climb?

A. It fell back to the ground

B. It made a bold little run into its native cot

C. It paused to spin a new thread

D. It cried out in exhaustion

Answer: B. It made a bold little run into its native cot

Q27. What did King Bruce cry out when he saw the spider succeed?

A. 'Hooray, hooray!'

B. 'Bravo, bravo!'

C. 'Unbelievable!'

D. 'Alas, it is over!'

Answer: B. 'Bravo, bravo!'

Q28. What did King Bruce do after being inspired by the spider's success?

A. He wrote a poem about spiders

B. He braced his mind, tried once more as before, and succeeded

C. He retired from being the King of Scotland

D. He built a special monument for the spider

Answer: B. He braced his mind, tried once more as before, and succeeded

Q29. Who is the poet of 'Try Again'?

A. Rabindranath Tagore

B. Eliza Cook

C. Ruskin Bond

D. Helen Keller

Answer: B. Eliza Cook

Q30. What does the word 'pondered' mean in the line 'And after a while he pondered there'?

A. Slept soundly

B. Thought deeply and carefully

C. Wept loudly in despair

D. Argued with his advisors

Answer: B. Thought deeply and carefully

Q31. What does the word 'strive' mean in 'Will strive no more to climb'?

A. To give up easily

B. To make a great effort or struggle

C. To fall down rapidly

D. To watch silently

Answer: B. To make a great effort or struggle

Q32. In the poem, what does 'native cot' refer to for the spider?

A. A leaf in the garden

B. Its cobweb home

C. A crack in the castle wall

D. The King's shield

Answer: B. Its cobweb home

Q33. The main theme of the poem 'Try Again' is:

A. The cleverness of castle spiders

B. The history of Scottish monarchs

C. Resilience, determination, and overcoming failures

D. The beauty of nature's smallest creatures

Answer: C. Resilience, determination, and overcoming failures

CHAPTER 3: THREE DAYS TO SEE

Q34. Who is the author of the text 'Three Days to See'?

A. Helen Keller

B. Eliza Cook

C. Kamala Nair

D. Anita Rau Badami

Answer: A. Helen Keller

Q35. What physical challenges did the author of 'Three Days to See' experience?

A. She was unable to walk or speak

B. She was blind and deaf

C. She was paralyzed from the waist down

D. She had extreme memory loss

Answer: B. She was blind and deaf

Q36. How does the author experience the 'delicate symmetry of a leaf' and 'the smooth skin of a silver birch'?

A. Through her visual imagination

B. Through description by her friends

C. Through mere touch and her fingertips

D. Through her sense of smell

Answer: C. Through mere touch and her fingertips

Q37. In which season does the author lovingly search the branches of trees for 'the first sign of awakening Nature'?

A. In the cold of winter

B. In the breeze of autumn

C. In the warmth of summer

D. In the fresh bloom of spring

Answer: D. In the fresh bloom of spring

Q38. If given the use of her eyes for just three days, whom would Helen Keller want to see on the very first day?

A. Great scientists and philosophers of her time

B. The people whose kindness, gentleness, and companionship made her life worth living

C. The president of her country

D. Famous actors in the theaters

Answer: B. The people whose kindness, gentleness, and companionship made her life worth living

Q39. What does Helen Keller refer to as the 'window of the soul' through which she wants to see a friend?

A. The hand

B. The heart

C. The eye

D. The smile

Answer: C. The eye

Q40. What does Helen Keller want to watch on the morning of her second day of sight?

A. The busy city traffic

B. The thrilling miracle by which night is transformed into day (sunrise)

C. A theatrical performance of a play

D. Children playing in the village school

Answer: B. The thrilling miracle by which night is transformed into day (sunrise)

Q41. Where does Helen Keller plan to spend the afternoon of her second day to see the 'condensed history of the earth'?

A. At the busy city docks

B. In the quiet country forest

C. At the museums

D. At a local library

Answer: C. At the museums

Q42. What animal remains in the museum does she mention wanting to see with her own eyes?

A. Mammoths and sabertooth tigers

B. Gigantic carcasses of dinosaurs and mastodons

C. Ancient fossilized whales and sharks

D. Primitive birds and insects

Answer: B. Gigantic carcasses of dinosaurs and mastodons

Q43. On her third and final day of sight, where does Helen Keller want to spend her time?

A. In the peaceful, quiet woods

B. In the workaday world of the city, amid the haunts of men

C. Reading books under a silver birch tree

D. Resting at her home

Answer: B. In the workaday world of the city, amid the haunts of men

Q44. When standing at a busy city corner on her third day, what does Helen look at to understand people's lives?

A. Their expensive clothes and jewelry

B. Their smiles, serious determination, suffering, and compassion

C. The speed at which they walk and run

D. The newspaper headlines they are reading

Answer: B. Their smiles, serious determination, suffering, and compassion

Q45. What permanent state would close in on Helen Keller at midnight of her third day of sight?

A. A deep and permanent sleep

B. Complete silence and lack of hearing

C. Permanent night (darkness and blindness)

D. Absolute loneliness

Answer: C. Permanent night (darkness and blindness)

Q46. What is Helen Keller's critical advice to people who have the gift of sight?

A. 'Spend all your time visiting art museums.'

B. 'Use your eyes as if tomorrow you would be stricken blind.'

C. 'Avoid looking at sad or suffering people.'

D. 'Rely primarily on your touch to experience nature.'

Answer: B. 'Use your eyes as if tomorrow you would be stricken blind.'

Q47. In the text, the word 'behold' means:

A. To grasp tightly in one's hands

B. To see or look at with attention

C. To speak in an angry manner

D. To keep something as a secret

Answer: B. To see or look at with attention

Q48. What does the word 'panorama' mean as used in 'magnificent panorama of light'?

A. A continuous, wide-angle view of a landscape

B. A flash of lightning in a storm

C. A loud, sudden noise

D. A shadow cast by a tree

Answer: A. A continuous, wide-angle view of a landscape

Q49. Which of all the human senses does Helen Keller believe must be 'the most delightful'?

A. The tactile sense (touch)

B. The sense of hearing

C. The sense of sight

D. The sense of taste

Answer: C. The sense of sight

Q50. What is the meaning of 'tactile sense' as highlighted in the glossary?

A. The sense of hearing high notes

B. The sense of smelling flowers

C. The sense of touch

D. The sense of tasting delicate foods

Answer: C. The sense of touch

CHAPTER 1: THE DAY THE RIVER SPOKE

Q1. Where does Jahnavi live?  (1 mark)

Answer: She lives in a coastal village in India.

Q2. What did Jahnavi's elder brothers, Gopi and Ramu, do every morning?  (1 mark)

Answer: They went to school to learn how to read and write.

Q3. Why was Jahnavi unable to attend school initially?  (1 mark)

Answer: She had to stay home to look after her baby brother, Little Appu.

Q4. How is the kingfisher's flight described in the story?  (1 mark)

Answer: Its wings are described as "an arrow of blue in the sunlight".

Q5. Who spoke to Jahnavi in a "sleepy, murmuring voice" when she was crying?  (1 mark)

Answer: The River spoke to her.

Q6. What secret did the River share with Jahnavi about the movement of the moon?  (1 mark)

Answer: The River told her that the moon goes over the mountains and down to the sea.

Q7. What did the River tell Jahnavi about the abilities of little girls compared to little boys?  (1 mark)

Answer: The River assured her that little girls can do as much as little boys.

Q8. What was Jahnavi afraid would happen if she went to the school?  (1 mark)

Answer: She feared that the teacher and students would scare her and chase her out.

Q9. How did the teacher react when he noticed Jahnavi squatting in the back row of the classroom?  (2 marks)

Answer: He was welcoming and promised to talk to her father about enrolling her in school.

Q10. What does Jahnavi aspire to become when she grows up?  (2 marks)

Answer: She wishes to become a teacher so she can go from house to house teaching all the village girls.

CHAPTER 2: TRY AGAIN

Q11. Who was King Bruce, and of which nation was he the monarch?  (1 mark)

Answer: King Bruce was the monarch of Scotland.

Q12. Why was King Bruce feeling grieved and in deep despair?  (2 marks)

Answer: He was grieved because he had repeatedly tried to achieve a great deed for his people but failed.

Q13. What dropped down near King Bruce while he was resting?  (1 mark)

Answer: A tiny spider with a silken thread dropped down near him.

Q14. Where was the spider trying to climb?  (1 mark)

Answer: It was attempting to reach its cobweb home up on the high ceiling dome.

Q15. How many times did the spider fail before it finally succeeded?  (1 mark)

Answer: The spider failed nine times.

Q16. What did King Bruce initially refer to the spider as when it kept failing?  (1 mark)

Answer: He called it a "foolish thing" that would strive no more to climb.

Q17. How did the spider manage to complete its successful attempt?  (2 marks)

Answer: It climbed steadily, inch by inch, and made a bold run at the very last moment.

Q18. What did King Bruce do after watching the spider succeed?  (2 marks)

Answer: Inspired by the spider, he braced his mind, tried once more as before, and succeeded.

Q19. Who wrote the poem 'Try Again'?  (1 mark)

Answer: The poem was written by Eliza Cook.

Q20. What is the central message or theme of the poem 'Try Again'?  (2 marks)

Answer: The main theme is resilience, determination, and overcoming failures through persistent effort.

CHAPTER 3: THREE DAYS TO SEE

Q21. Who wrote the essay 'Three Days to See'?  (1 mark)

Answer: It was written by Helen Keller.

Q22. What physical impairments did Helen Keller have?  (1 mark)

Answer: She was both blind and deaf.

Q23. How does Helen Keller appreciate the beauty of nature without sight?  (1 mark)

Answer: She experiences nature through her tactile sense by using her fingertips.

Q24. Whom would Helen Keller want to see on her very first day of sight?  (2 marks)

Answer: She would want to see the people whose kindness, gentleness, and companionship made her life worth living.

Q25. What does Helen Keller call the "window of the soul"?  (1 mark)

Answer: She refers to the eye as the "window of the soul".

Q26. What event does Helen Keller want to observe on the morning of her second day of sight?  (2 marks)

Answer: She wants to watch the sunrise, describing it as the miracle by which night is transformed into day.

Q27. Where does Helen Keller plan to spend the afternoon of her second day?  (2 marks)

Answer: She plans to spend it at the museums to see the condensed history of the earth.

Q28. Where does Helen Keller want to spend her third and final day of sight?  (2 marks)

Answer: She wants to spend it in the workaday world of the city, among the haunts of men.

Q29. What state returns to close in on Helen Keller at midnight of her third day?  (1 mark)

Answer: Permanent night (darkness and blindness) closes back in on her.

Q30. What piece of advice does Helen Keller give to people who can see?  (2 marks)

Answer: She advises them to "Use