Class 7 English - An Alien Hand - Chapter The Tiny Teacher NCERT Solutions | What jobs are new ants trained for? &nb

1. The story of an ant’s life sounds almost untrue. The italicised phrase means
 (i) highly exaggerated.
(ii) too remarkable to be true.
(iii) not based on facts.

2. Complete the following poem with words from the box below. Then recite the poem.
Soldiers live in barracks
And birds in ———————,
Much like a snake that rests
In a ———————. No horse is able
To sleep except in a ———————.
And a dog lives well,
Mind you, only in a ———————.
To say ‘hi’ to an ant, if you will,
You may have to climb an ———————.
hole kennel nests anthill stable

In what ways is an ant’s life peaceful?

   _The queen ant has a pair of wings, which she casts off before she begins to lay eggs.
   _Eggs hatch and become grubs, grubs change into cocoons, and cocoons break to bring              forth complete ants.

   _The life of an ordinary ant in the anthill is a book which many of us seldom open.

2. Complete the following sentences.
(i) An ant is the smallest,——————————————
———————————————————————
——————————————————————
(ii) We know a number of facts about an ant’s life because
——————————————————————

How long does it take for a grub to become a complete ant?
 

1. (i) What problems are you likely to face if you keep ants as pets?
    (ii) When a group of bees finds nectar, it informs other bees of its location, quantity, etc.                   through dancing. Can you guess what ants communicate to their fellow ants by touching             one another’s feelers?

Name some other creatures that live in anthills.
 

Mention three things we can learn from the ‘tiny teacher’. Give reasons for choosing these items.

Why do the worker ants carry the grubs about?
 

How does Tilloo manage to find his way to the ‘forbidden passage’?
 

The enclosure in which Kari lived had a thatched roof that lay on thick tree stumps. Examine the illustration of Kari’s pavilion on page 8 and say why it was built that way. ephant to learn?

1. From the first paragraph
(i) pick out two phrases which describe the desert as most people believe it is;
(ii) pick out two phrases which describe the desert as specialists see it. Which do you think is          an apt description, and why?

What are some of the signs of approaching winter referred to in the text?
 

Whom does Golu ask, “Why don’t you ever fly like other birds?”
 

Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of following statements.
(i) Mr Purcell sold birds, cats, dogs and monkeys.
(ii) He was very concerned about the well-being of the birds and animals in his shop.
(iii) He was impressed by the customer who bought the two doves.
(iv) He was a successful shopowner, though insensitive and cold as a person.
 

Why did Abbu Khan’s goats want to run away? What happened to them in the hills?
 

Where did the lady find the bear cub? How did she bring it up?
 

“He had the distinction of being the only member of the party to have bagged any game...” The phrase in italics means
(i) Grandfather was the most distinguished member of the party.
(ii) Grandfather was the only sportsperson in the party.
(iii) Grandfather was the only successful member of the hunting party.
Mark the right answer.
 

What did Tilloo hope to see once he emerged from his underground home?
 

Where had the spacecraft come from?
 

Which uncle of Golu had red eyes?
 

The crocodile lay on the bank of the Limpopo river. Golu thought it was
(i) a living crocodile.
(ii) a dead crocodile.
(iii) a log of wood.
 

Why did Tilloo’s father advise him not to try to reach the surface of the planet?
 

Who helped Golu on the bank of the river?
 

Why is Mr Purcell compared to an owl?
 

 Name two things the elephant can do with his trunk, and two he cannot.

When was the bear tied up with a chain? Why?
 

 “There was a sudden and wonderful change in his soul”. What brought about the change in Soapy?

3. Golu’s relatives did not answer his questions because
(i) they were shy.
(ii) the questions were too difficult.
(iii) Golu was a naughty baby.