NCERT Solution for Class 7th English Honeycomb Chapter 6 Expert Detectives

Comprehension Check

Page No. 89

Question:- 1. What did Nishad give Mr Nath? Why?

Answer:- Nishad gave Mr Nath a bar of chocolate because based on his thin, skinny appearance, he assumed that he was hungry.

Question:- 2. What is “strange” about Mr Nath’s Sundays?

Answer:-  The strange thing about Mr. Nath’s Sundays was that he had a regular guest who came every Sunday and they would have lunch together.

Question:- 3. Why did Nishad and Maya get a holiday?

Answer:-  Because of the bad weather, Nishad and Maya were given holiday. It was pouring heavily outside, and the rain had flooded the city’s streets.

Working with the Text

Question:- 1. What does Nishad find out about Mr Nath from Ramesh? Arrange the information as suggested below.

• What he eats
• When he eats
• What he drinks, and when
• How he pays

Answer:- Nishad finds out the following about Mr. Nath from Ramesh:

• He is not very particular about his food. He daily eats two chapattis, dal and a vegetable.
• He eats twice a day, in the morning and in the evening.
• He drinks two cups of tea, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
• He always pays in cash and also gives tip to Ramesh.

Question:- 2. Why does Maya think Mr Nath is a crook? Who does she say the Sunday visitor is?

Answer:- Maya thinks Mr. Nath is a crook because, despite spending more than a year at the location, he has no friends. He also doesn’t speak to anyone and doesn’t have any visitors, except for the one who comes on Sundays.

She claims that the Sunday visitor is his companion in crime and that he pays him his share of the money on Sundays.

Question:- 3. Does Nishad agree with Maya about Mr Nath? How does he feel about him?

Answer:- No, Nishad does not agree Maya’s opinion on Mr. Nath. Mr. Nath, he believes, is a lonely, poor, and starving man. He also thinks that Mr. Nath is a very kind person who despite of having less money for himself, gives tips to Ramesh.

Working with Language

Question:- 1. The word ‘tip’ has only three letters but many meanings.

Match the word with its meanings below.

(i) finger tips – be about to say something

(ii) the tip of your nose – make the boat overturn

(iii) tip the water out of – the ends of one’s fingers the bucket

(iv) have something on – give a rupee to him, the tip of your tongue to thank him

(v) tip the boat over – empty a bucket by tilting it

(vi) tip him a rupee – the pointed end of your nose

(vii) the tip of the bat – if you take this advice

(viii) the police were – the bat lightly touched tipped off the ball

(ix) if you take my tip – the end of the bat

(x) the bat tipped the ball – the police were told, or warned

Answer:-

(i) finger tips – the ends of one’s fingers

(ii) the tip of your nose – the pointed end of your nose

(iii) tip the water out of the bucket – empty a bucket by tilting it

(iv) have something on the tip of your tongue – be about to say something

(v) tip the boat over – make the boat overturn

(vi) tip him a rupee – give a rupee to him, to thank him

(vii) the tip of the bat – the end of the bat

(viii) the police were tipped off – the police were told, or warned

(ix) if you take my tip – if you take this advice

(x) the bat tipped the ball – the bat lightly touched the ball

Question:- 2. The words helper, companion, partner and accomplice have very similar meanings, but each word is typically used in certain phrases. Can you fill in the blanks below with the most commonly used words? A dictionary may help you.

(i) business

(ii) my on the journey

(iii) I’m mother’s little .

(iv) a faithful such as a dog

(v) the thief’s

(vi) find a good

(vii) tennis/ golf / bridge

(viii) his in his criminal activities

Answer:-

1. partner
2. companion

• helper

1. companion
2. accomplice
3. helper

• partner
• accomplice

Question:- 3. Now let us look at the uses of the word break. Match the word with its meanings below. Try to find at least three other ways in which to use the word.

(i) The storm broke – could not speak; was too sad to speak

(ii) daybreak – this kind of weather ended

(iii) His voice is beginning – it began or burst to break into activity

(iv) Her voice broke and – the beginning of daylight she cried

(v) The heat wave broke – changing as he grows up

(vi) broke the bad news – end it by making the workers submit

(vii) break a strike – gently told someone the bad news

(viii) (Find your own expression. Give its meaning here.)

Answer:-

1. The storm broke – this kind of weather ended
2. Daybreak – the beginning of daylight

• His voice is beginning to break – changing as he grows up

1. Her voice broke and she cried – could not speak, was too sad to speak
2. The heat wave broke – it began or burst into activity
3. Broke the bad news – gently told someone the bad news

• Break a strike – end it by making the workers submit
• Breakdown – a machine failure

Speaking

Question:- 1. Play detectives with each other. Find a person in your class (or some other acquaintance) to speak to. Find out the answers to the questions given below. Be careful to ask your questions in a polite and inoffensive way. Do not force the person to answer you. Then allow the person to ask you the same questions.

(i) Name?

(ii) What newspapers or magazines does the person read?

(iii) How long has the person lived at the current address?

(iv) What does she/he do during the day, i.e. the daily routine?

(v) What do neighbours and friends say about the person?

(vi) Who are his/her visitors and what are his/her eating habits? (You can ask a few others about this.)

(vii) What do you think about the person?

Answer:- Do it Yourself.

Writing

Question:- 1. Who do you think Mr Nath is? Write a paragraph or two about him.

Answer:- Mr. Nath is a slim and weak individual. He could have been in a serious fire accident, leaving him with several scars on his face. People are afraid of him because of his scars, which give him an unattractive appearance.

He understands this, which is why he prefers to live alone and avoids going out. He is quiet and reserved, but he is well-mannered and polite to all.

He sees Maya and Nishad’s mother, who is a doctor, on a daily basis. It’s possible that he’s not feeling well, which would explain his frail appearance.

He has a sibling who comes to see him every Sunday to check on him. Mr Nishad is uninterested in the nitty-gritty of life and prefers to eat the same plain food every day.

Question:- 2. What else do you think Nishad and Maya will find out about him? How? Will they ever be friends? Think about these questions and write a paragraph or two to continue the story.

Answer:- Mr Nath’s brother is the Sunday visitor, as Nishad and Maya would have discovered.

Mr Nath used to work for a large private company but had to leave because he wasn’t feeling well.

He is suffering from a liver problem and will be having surgery soon.

Nishad befriends him and visits him at his home every evening to play with him. Mr Nath, he believes, is a warm and loving individual.

He begins to come to his house on a regular basis. Maya regrets her previous ideas on Mr Nath.

She is sorry about it. Nishad introduces her to him one day, and the three of them become friends.

Question:- 3. Conducting a Survey

Step I:Study the following questionnaire and discuss the points in small groups.

Step II: Collect information. Contact people in the school/ your locality and put these questions to them. Tick-mark (P) their answers in the relevant column.

Step III: Analyse the results in the group by asking

• How many people think that a home is a place where you feel secure and happy?
• How many people think that a home isn’t a place where you feel secure and happy?
• How many people don’t know about it?

Step IV: Present a brief oral report on the result of your survey. Use phrases such as the following

• Most people think that…
• Few people think that…
• Hardly anyone thinks that…
• No one thinks that..

Answer:- Do it yourself.