NCERT Solution for Class 7th English Honeycomb Chapter 8 Fire Friend and Foe

Comprehension Check

Question:- 1. Mark the correct answer in each of the following.

(i) Early man was frightened of

(a) lightning and volcanoes.

(b) the damage caused by them.

(c) fire.

Answer:- (c) fire.

(ii) (a) Fire is energy.

(b) Fire is heat and light.

(c) Fire is the result of a chemical reaction.

Answer:- (c) Fire is the result of a chemical reaction.

Question:- 2. From the boxes given below choose the one with the correct order of the following sentences.

 (i) That is fire.

(ii) A chemical reaction takes place.

(iii) Energy in the form of heat and light is released.

(iv) Oxygen combines with carbon and hydrogen.

Answer:-  d. (iv) (ii) (iii) (i)

Working with the Text

Answer the following questions.

Question:- 1. What do you understand by the ‘flash point’ of a fuel?

Answer:- Every fuel has a certain temperature at which it begins to burn. This temperature is referred to as the fuel’s flash point or kindling temperature.

Question:- 2. (i) What are some common uses of fire?

Answer:- Some common uses of fire are following:-

1. For producing electricity
2. For cooking.
3. For warmth in winters.

 (ii) In what sense is it a “bad master”?

Answer:- Fire is a “bad master” because, if not controlled, it can cause tragic harm to people, property, forests, and other natural resources.

Question:- 3. Match items in Column A with those in Column B.

Answer:-

Question:- 4. What are the three main ways in which a fire can be controlled or put out?

Answer:- Three main ways in which a fire can be controlled or put out are:

1. By Stopping the supply of the fuel
2. By Cooling down the heat
3. By Stopping the supply of oxygen

Question:- 5. Match the items in Box A with those in Box B

                                     A

(i) To burn paper or a piece of wood,

(ii) Small fires can be put out

(iii) When water is spread on fire,

(iv) A carbon dioxide extinguisher is the best thing

(v) Space left between buildings

                                         B

• it absorbs heat from the burning material and
• lowers the temperature.
• reduces the risk of fire.
• with a damp blanket.
• we heat it before it catches fire.
• to put out an electrical fire.

Answer:-

Question:- 6. Why does a burning candle go out when you blow on it?

Answer: When you blow on a burning candle, it burns out because the hot air around the flame is removed, lowering the temperature below the flash point.

Question:- 7. Spraying water is not a good way of putting out an oil fire or an electrical fire. Why not?

Answer:-  An oil or electric fire should not be extinguished by spraying water. This is due to the fact that if water is sprayed on an oil fire, the oil will rise to the top of the water layer and continue to burn. Because water moves swiftly, it can pick up oil and spread the fire further.

A person may be electrocuted and murdered if water is splashed on an electric fire.

Question:- 8. What are some of the things you should do to prevent a fire at home and in the school?

 Answer:- The following measures can be taken to prevent a fire at home or at school:

1. Electric equipment must be maintained away from flammable materials such as furniture.
2. After using the stove, turn off the gas supply.

Working with Language

Question:- 1. Read the following sentences.

To burn paper or a piece of wood, we heat it before it catches fire. We generally do it with a lighted match. Every fuel has a particular temperature at which it burns.

The verbs in italics are in the simple present tense. When we use it, we are not thinking only about the present. We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general.

Find ten examples of verbs in the simple present tense in the text ‘Fire: Friend and Foe’ and write them down here. Do not include any passive verbs.

__________    ___________    ___________

__________    ___________    ___________

__________    ___________    ___________

Answer:-

• A chemical reaction causes fire.
• This is what we refer to as fire.
• We heat a piece of paper or wood before it catches fire to burn it.
• Air is the source of oxygen.
• Fire is known to be a good servant but a bad master at times.
• The removal of heat is the third method for putting out a fire.
• Every year, we spend millions of rupees extinguishing fires.
• It absorbs the heat emitted by burning fuel.
• It just indicates that fire is extremely beneficial.

In many places of the world, fire is still revered.

Question:- 2. Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with words from the box. You may use a word more than once.

(i) Gandhiji’s life was devoted to the ___________ of justice and fair play.

(ii) Have you insured your house against ___________?

(iii) Diamond is nothing but ___________ in its pure form.

(iv) If you put too much coal on the fire at once you will ___________ it.

(v) Smoking is said to be the main ___________ of heart disease.

(vi) When asked by an ambitious writer whether he should put some___________  into his stories, Somerset Maugham murmured, “No, the other way round”.

(vii) She is ___________ a copy of her mother.

(viii) It is often difficult to___________  a yawn when you listen to a long speech on the value of time.

Answer:-

1. cause
2. fire
3. carbon
4. smother
5. cause
6. fire
7. carbon
8. smother

Question:- 3. One word is italicised in each sentence. Find its opposite in the box and fill in the blanks.

(i) You were required to keep all the doors open, not___________.

(ii) PUPIL: What mark did I get in yesterday’s Maths test?

TEACHER: You got what you get when you add five and five and___________  ten from the total.

(iii) Run four kilometres a day to preserve your health. Run a lot more to ___________ it.

(iv) If a doctor advises a lean and lanky patient to reduce his weight further, be sure he is doing it to ___________ his income.

(v) The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and ___________ we lay waste our powers.                – WORDSWORTH

Answer:-

1. shut
2. subtract
3. destroy
4. increase
5. spending

Question:- 4. Use the words given in the box to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.

(i) The cat chased the mouse___________  the lawn.

(ii) We were not allowed to cross the frontier. So we drove ___________ it as far as we could and came back happy.

(iii) The horse went ___________  the winning post and had to be stopped with difficulty.

(iv) It is not difficult to see ___________  your plan. Anyone can see your motive.

(v) Go ___________  the yellow line, then turn left. You will reach the post office in five minutes.

Answer:-

1. across
2. along
3. past
4. through
5. along

Speaking and Writing

Question:- 1. Look at the following three units. First re-order the items in each unit to make a meaningful sentence. Next, re-order the sentences to make a meaningful paragraph. Use correct punctuation marks in the paragraph.

(i) and eighteen fire tenders struggled/the fire began on Monday/to douse the blaze till morning

(ii) in a major fire/over 25 shops/were gutted

(iii) but property/was destroyed/worth several lakhs/no casualties were reported.

Answer:-

1. The fire began on Monday and eighteen fire tenders struggled to douse the blaze till morning.
2. Over 25 shops were gutted in a major fire.

• No causalities were reported, but properties worth several lakhs were destroyed.