CBSE Class 7 English — Honeycomb Exercise Solutions
Key Chapters Quick Recap
| Chapter | Author | Key Theme |
|---|
| Three Questions | Leo Tolstoy | Present moment; doing good now |
| A Gift of Chappals | — | Kindness; giving to those in need |
| Gopal and the Hilsa-Fish | Upendrakishore Ray | Cleverness; task completion |
| The Ashes that Made Trees Bloom | Japanese folktale | Honesty vs deception; kindness rewarded |
| Quality | John Galsworthy | Craftsmanship; integrity; art vs commerce |
| A Bicycle in Good Repair | Jerome K Jerome | Humour; mechanic makes worse, not better |
I. Choose the Best Answer (MCQs)
1. In 'Three Questions' (Tolstoy), what is the answer to "What is the right time to act?" (a) In the future (b) The present moment — NOW (c) After careful planning (d) When your advisers tell you
Answer(b) The present moment — NOW Tolstoy's story: The king learns from the hermit (who demonstrates through action, not words) that the most important time is always NOW — because only the present is in our control. The past is gone; the future is uncertain. Act now, do good now.
2. In 'A Gift of Chappals', the children give away chappals because: (a) They had too many pairs (b) A poor musician (guru) had come to their house and had no chappals (c) It was a festival (d) Their mother told them to
Answer(b) A poor musician (guru) had come to their house and had no chappals The children spontaneously gave the old chappals kept outside the house to a poor, barefoot musician who was their music teacher's visitor. They acted with kindness without thinking of consequences (their aunt's anger). Theme: spontaneous generosity; kindness without calculation.
3. In 'Gopal and the Hilsa-Fish', the king challenged Gopal to: (a) Catch a hilsa fish (b) Walk through the market with a hilsa fish without anyone mentioning or asking about the fish (c) Cook the best hilsa (d) Trade the hilsa for gold
Answer(b) Walk through the market with a hilsa fish without anyone mentioning or asking about the fish Gopal disguised himself so oddly (half-shaved, smeared with ash, wife in rags) that everyone was too curious about his appearance to notice the fish. He succeeded because people focused on the unusual sight of Gopal, not the fish. Theme: creativity in problem-solving; lateral thinking.
4. In 'Quality' by John Galsworthy, why did the cobbler Gessler refuse to make shoes commercially? (a) He was too lazy (b) He refused to compromise on quality — every shoe was handmade, unique, the best possible (c) He had no leather (d) He didn't like selling shoes
Answer(b) He refused to compromise on quality — every shoe was handmade, unique, the best possible Mr. Gessler: made the finest shoes in London but went bankrupt because cheaper, mass-produced shoes took his customers. He could not bring himself to lower his standards. He died of starvation rather than compromise his craft. Theme: integrity and the death of craftsmanship in a commercial world.
5. In 'The Ashes that Made Trees Bloom', who was rewarded and why? (a) The greedy couple — they had more ashes (b) The kind old couple — because their ashes truly made flowers bloom (c) The village chief (d) The animals
Answer(b) The kind old couple — because their ashes truly made flowers bloom Japanese folktale: A kind couple's dog was killed by a greedy couple. From the dog's grave grew a tree; from the tree came a mortar; from the mortar came magic ashes that made flowers bloom. The greedy couple tried to copy everything but failed at every step. Moral: only genuine kindness produces genuine reward.
6. The poem 'Chivvy' (in Honeycomb Class 7) expresses a child's frustration at: (a) School homework (b) Being constantly told what to do and what not to do by adults (c) Playing outside (d) Siblings fighting
Answer(b) Being constantly told what to do and what not to do by adults 'Chivvy' (Michael Rosen): a list of commands adults give children — "Don't slouch," "Say please," "Say thank you," "Don't talk with your mouth full," etc. The irony at the end: when the child "grows up" they'll be told to think for themselves. Theme: childhood and the adult habit of nagging.
7. 'A Bicycle in Good Repair' by Jerome K Jerome is primarily: (a) A technical guide to repairing bicycles (b) A comic story about a friend who makes the narrator's bicycle worse while trying to repair it (c) A serious essay on cycling (d) A story about a bicycle race
Answer(b) A comic story about a friend who makes the narrator's bicycle worse while trying to repair it Jerome K. Jerome: a friend insists on "repairing" the narrator's perfectly fine bicycle. After the "repairs," the bicycle is in much worse condition than before. Classic comic writing — the overconfident, unhelpful "helper." Theme: misplaced helpfulness; humour in everyday life.
II. Short Answer Questions
Q1. What are the three most important things according to Tolstoy's 'Three Questions'? Explain with examples.
Answer
Tolstoy's answers (shown through the hermit's actions):
1. Most important time: NOW — the present moment. The king helped the hermit when he was exhausted → this saved the king's life when the hermit's enemy came. Had the king left earlier, he would have been killed. Only NOW is under our control.
2. Most important person: The one who is with you at this moment. The hermit needed help → he was most important. The enemy who came was wounded → he became most important when forgiveness was needed.
3. Most important action: Doing good to the person beside you. The king helped the hermit (good action) and forgave the enemy (good action) — both had positive results.
Practical lesson: Don't worry about the past or the future. Focus on what you can do for the person in front of you, right now.
Q2. What does 'Quality' by John Galsworthy tell us about craftsmanship?
Answer
John Galsworthy's 'Quality': Mr. Gessler, a German cobbler, makes the finest shoes in London. He takes 3-4 weeks for each pair because he uses the best leather and makes every stitch himself. He refuses to rush or use inferior material.
As machine-made shoes become cheaper, his customers stop coming. He works alone, barely eats. One day the narrator finds the shop has new owners — Mr. Gessler has died, literally of hunger and hard work.
Message: 1. True craftsmanship is dying in a commercial world that values cheapness over quality. 2. Integrity can be costly — Gessler paid with his life. 3. There is deep dignity in doing your work the right way, even when the world doesn't appreciate it. 4. Mass production may be cheaper but loses the human soul of individual craftsmanship.
Exam Checklist
- Three Questions: Tolstoy; right time = NOW; right person = who's with you; right action = do good.
- Gift of Chappals: spontaneous kindness; children give to poor musician.
- Gopal and Hilsa: clever disguise; hilsa not mentioned; lateral thinking.
- Quality: Gessler; finest shoes; died of hunger; integrity vs commerce.
- Ashes that Made Trees Bloom: Japanese folktale; honest kindness rewarded; greedy copied but failed.
- Chivvy: Michael Rosen; adults nagging children; ironic ending.
