A Gift of Chappals - Reading Comprehension
AP/ NCERT Board-Based Reading Comprehension Passages Grade 7 Honeycomb
Chapter 2 A Gift of Chappals
Reading Comprehension 1
Mridu is a young girl growing up in Madras (now called Chennai) with Tapi, her grandmother, and Thatha, her grandfather. One afternoon Tapi takes her to her aunt Rukku Manni’s house to meet her cousins Lalli, Ravi and Meena.
A smiling Rukku Manni threw open the door. Ravi and Meena rushed out, and Ravi pulled Mridu into the house. “Wait, let me take off my slippers,” protested Mridu. She set them out neatly near a pair of large black ones. Those were grey, actually, with dust. You could see the clear mark of every toe on the front part of each slipper. The marks for the two big toes were long and scrawny.
Mridu didn’t have much time to wonder about whose slippers they were, because Ravi dragged her to the backyard, behind a thick bitter-berry bush. There, inside a torn football lined with sacking and filled with sand, lay a very small kitten, lapping up milk from a coconut half-shell.
1. Whose house did Mridu visit with her grandmother, Tapi?
a) Ravi's
b) Meena's
c) Rukku Manni's
d) Lalli's
2. What did Mridu notice about the pair of slippers near the door?
a) They were black and new.
b) They were grey and dusty.
c) They were scrawny.
d) They were too big for her.
3. What could be seen on the front part of the slippers?
a) Clear marks of every toe
b) Colorful patterns
c) Stains
d) Nothing unusual
4. What did Ravi show Mridu in the backyard?
a) A football
b) A coconut half-shell
c) A sandcastle
d) A small kitten
5. What was the kitten doing in the backyard?
a) Playing with a ball
b) Sleeping in the sand
c) Lapping up milk from a coconut half-shell
d) Hiding behind a bush
Reading Comprehension 2
“People are always telling us to be kind to animals, but when we are, they scream. ‘Ooh, don’t bring that dirty creature here!’ ” said Ravi. “Do you know how hard it is just to get a little milk from the kitchen? Paati saw me with a glass in my hand just now. I told her I’m very hungry, I want to drink it, but the way she looked at me! I had to drink most of it to throw her off the scent. Then she wanted the tumbler back. ‘Paati, Paati, I’ll wash it myself, why should I put you to trouble’, I told her. I had to run and pour the milk into this coconut shell and then run back and wash the tumbler and put it back before she got really suspicious. Now we have to think of some other way to feed Mahendran.”
1. Why did Ravi and Meena keep their new kitten a secret from their grandmother (Paati)?
a) They were afraid Paati would want to keep the kitten.
b) They were worried that Paati would be angry with them.
c) Paati had allergies to cats.
d) Paati wanted them to be kind to animals.
2. What was Ravi's reason for pretending to drink milk in front of Paati?
a) He was actually very thirsty.
b) He wanted to avoid sharing the milk with his sister.
c) He was trying to deceive Paati about the milk's purpose.
d) He didn't like the taste of the milk.
3. What did Ravi use to feed the kitten, Mahendran, in secret?
a) A glass from the kitchen
b) A coconut shell
c) A tumbler
d) A spoon
4. Why did Ravi have to pour the milk into the coconut shell?
a) Because he wanted to drink from it.
b) To avoid suspicion from Paati.
c) To make the milk easier for the kitten to drink.
d) To keep the milk fresh.
5. True or False: People always appreciate Ravi and Meena's kindness toward animals.
Reading Comprehension 3
“Actually his full name is Mahendravarma Pallava Poonai. M.P. Poonai for short if you like. He’s a fine breed of cat. Just look at his fur. Like a lion’s mane! And you know what the emblem of the ancient Pallava kings was, don’t you?” he looked expectantly at Mridu.
Mridu giggled.
“Think I’m joking? Well, just wait. I’ll show you sometime. It’s clear you don’t know a thing about history. Haven’t been to Mahabalipuram, have you?” he said mysteriously. “Well, when our class went to Mahabalipuram, I saw a statue of his thatha’s thatha’s thatha’s thatha’s thatha’s... etcetera, etcetera... Fact is, Mahendran here is descended from that very same ancient cat. A close relative, scientifically speaking, of none other than the lion. The Pallava lion, emblem of the Pallava dynasty!” Ravi went on, walking around the bitter-berry bush, waving a twig up and down, his eyes sparkling. “This cat is a descendant of none other than the Mahabalipuram Rishi-Cat! And if I may just remind you, they worshipped cats in ancient Egypt!”
1. What is the full name of the little kitty in the story?
a) Mahendran Poonai
b) Mahendravarma Pallava Poonai
c) M.P. Poonai
d) Poonai Mahabalipuram
2. What was Ravi's suggestion for a shorter name for the kitty?
a) M.P. Poonai
b) Mahendran
c) Pallava
d) Lion
3. Why did Ravi mention Mahabalipuram to Mridu?
a) To quiz her about her history knowledge
b) To invite her to visit the place with him
c) To educate her about the Pallava dynasty
d) To share a secret about the cat's ancestry
4. What does Ravi claim is the cat's historical significance?
a) It's a descendant of an ancient Egyptian cat.
b) It's related to the Pallava lion, emblem of the Pallava dynasty.
c) It's a revered deity in Mahabalipuram.
d) It's connected to a famous Rishi-Cat in Indian history.
5. True or False: Ravi believes the kitty is a descendant of the Mahabalipuram Rishi-Cat.
baab True
Reading Comprehension 4
“What does that have to do with anything?” Mridu demanded.
“Huh! I’m telling you this cat is descended... from the Egyptian cat-god... no, goddess! Bastet! Ya! That’s it!”
“So?”
“Well, one of the descendants of that cat-goddess was a stowaway in one of the Pallava ships, and his descendant was the Mahabalipuram Rishi-Cat, whose descendant is —” Ravi flourished his twig at Mahendran “— M.P. Poonai here... whoop EEK!” he shrieked, very pleased with himself.
Mahendran looked up, alarmed. He had just been sharpening his claws on the edge of the coconut shell. But worse than Ravi’s awful whoop EEK was a ‘Kreech...!’ from the window. What a weird sound! If Mridu was startled, M.P. Poonai was frightened out of his wits. Hair standing on end, he bounced up and scurried towards a bamboo tray of red chillies that had been set out to dry. Trying to hide beneath it, he tipped a few chillies over himself. “Mi-a-aw!” he howled miserably.
The ‘kreeching’ went on and on. “What’s that noise?” said Mridu.
“That’s Lalli learning to play the violin,” grunted Ravi.
“She’ll never learn a thing. The music-master just goes on playing like a train whizzing on and on, while Lalli’s all the time derailing! Going completely off track!”
1. What was the name of the Egyptian cat-goddess mentioned by Ravi?
a) Anubis
b) Hathor
c) Bastet
d) Ra
2. According to Ravi, how is M.P. Poonai (Mahendran) connected to the Egyptian cat-goddess Bastet?
a) Direct descendant
b) Stowaway on a ship
c) Spiritual follower
d) None of the above
3. What startled M.P. Poonai (Mahendran) and made him howl miserably?
a) Ravi's loud whoop
b) Mridu's laughter
c) The 'kreeching' sound from the window
d) Falling red chillies
4. Who was making the 'kreeching' sound in the story?
a) Ravi
b) Lalli
c) Mridu
d) Mahendran
5. How does Ravi feel about Lalli's violin playing?
a) He thinks she's a natural talent.
b) He believes she's making excellent progress.
c) He's critical of her and compares her to a train derailing.
d) He's impressed with her musical skills.
Reading Comprehension 5
Reading Comprehension 6
Squawk! There was Lalli derailing again!
“Amma!” came a wail from the gate. “Amma-oh!”
“Ravi, send that beggar away!” cried his mother from the back verandah, where she was chatting with Tapi. “He has been coming here every day for the past week, and it’s time he found another house to beg from!” Paati explained to Tapi.
1. How did the music played by Lalli on the violin compare to the music-master's performance?
a) Lalli's music was more harmonious and perfect.
b) The music-master's notes were more disjointed.
c) Both played equally well.
d) Lalli's music sounded unhappy.
2. How did Ravi describe the music played by the music-master?
a) Like the screeching of a train
b) As harmonious as a symphony
c) Smooth and fitting perfectly into the melody
d) Unpleasant and harsh
3. What sound disrupted Lalli's violin playing in the passage?
a) A squawk
b) A train whistle
c) A cat's meow
d) A car horn
4. Who was calling for "Amma" at the gate in the passage?
a) Ravi
b) Lalli
c) The beggar
d) Tapi
Reading Comprehension 7
The beggar opened his eyes very wide and gazed at each of the children one by one. “The ladies of this house,” he said, at last, in a voice choked with feeling, “are very kind souls. I have kept my body and soul together on their generosity for a whole week. I cannot believe that they would turn me away.” He raised his voice. “Amma! Amma-oh!” Sad his wail might be, but it certainly wasn’t feeble. It began in a deep, strong rumble somewhere in his withered belly, and came booming out of his mouth, with its few remaining teeth stained brown with betel-chewing.
“Ravi, tell him there’s nothing left in the kitchen!” called Rukku Manni. “And he’s not to come again—tell him that!” She sounded fed up.
1. Where did the beggar make himself comfortable while waiting for alms?
a) Under the coconut tree
b) Under the mango tree
c) Under the neem tree
d) Inside the house
2. How did Ravi respond to the beggar's presence in the garden?
a) He welcomed him warmly.
b) He told him to leave.
c) He offered him food.
d) He ignored him.
3. How did the beggar describe the ladies of the house?
a) Kind and generous
b) Unfriendly and harsh
c) Rude and unwelcoming
d) Inattentive and unhelpful
4. How did the beggar's voice sound when he called out to Amma?
a) Feeble and weak
b) Deep and strong
c) High-pitched and melodious
d) Muffled and unclear
5. What message did Rukku Manni want Ravi to convey to the beggar?
a) Invite him inside for a meal.
b) Tell him there's plenty of food in the kitchen.
c) Tell him to leave and not come again.
d) Offer him some money.
Reading Comprehension 8
“I’ll go, I’ll go!” he said wearily. “Only let me have a rest here under this tree. The sun is so hot, the tar has melted on the road. My feet are already blistered.” He stretched out his feet to show large, pink, peeling blisters on the soles of his bare feet.
“I suppose he doesn’t have the money to buy chappals,” Mridu whispered to Meena–Ravi. “Have you got an old pair in the house somewhere?”
“I don’t know,” said Ravi. “Mine are too small to fit his feet, or I’d have given them to him.” And his feet were larger than Mridu’s and Meena’s.
1. What was the beggar's response when Rukku Manni asked him to leave?
a) He argued and refused to go.
b) He sighed and agreed to leave.
c) He demanded more alms before leaving.
d) He decided to take a nap under the tree.
2. Why did the beggar show his feet to the children?
a) To ask for their help in treating his blisters
b) To show off his feet
c) To complain about the hot weather
d) To request a pair of shoes
3. Why couldn't Ravi provide the beggar with his own shoes?
a) His shoes were too old and worn out.
b) He didn't have any spare shoes.
c) The beggar's feet were larger than Ravi's.
d) Ravi didn't want to part with his shoes.
Reading Comprehension 9
“He needs something on his feet!” Meena said, her big eyes filling. “It’s not fair!”
“Ssh!” said Ravi. “I’m thinking about it! Blubbering, ‘it’s not fair, it’s not fair’ isn’t going to help. In two minutes he’ll be frying his feet on that road. What he needs is a pair of chappals. So where do we get them? Come, let’s search the house.” He pushed Mridu and Meena into the house.
Just as she stepped into the verandah, Mridu’s eyes fell on the odd-looking chappals she had noticed when she arrived. “Ravi!” she whispered to him. “Whose are those?”
Ravi turned and glanced at the shabby-looking, but sturdy old slippers. He beamed and nodded. “These are just the right size,” he said, picking them up. Mridu and Meena followed him nervously back into the garden.
“Here!” said Ravi to the beggar, dropping the slippers in front of the old man. “Wear these and don’t come back!” The beggar stared at the slippers, hurriedly flung his towel over his shoulder, pushed his feet into them and left, muttering a blessing to the children. In a minute he had vanished around the corner of the street.
1. What did Meena notice about the beggar's feet that concerned her?
a) They were unusually small.
b) They were covered in blisters.
c) They were bare.
d) They were well-protected with shoes.
2. How did Ravi respond to Meena's concern about the beggar's feet?
a) He asked Meena to stop worrying.
b) He immediately gave the beggar his own shoes.
c) He told Meena to search for shoes in the house.
d) He agreed with Meena and said they needed to help the beggar.
3. What did Mridu notice in the verandah that turned out to be the perfect solution for the beggar's feet?
a) A pair of sandals
b) A box of shoes
c) A towel
d) A potted plant
4. Why did Ravi and the girls return to the garden with the sandals?
a) To show the sandals to the beggar
b) To put the sandals away
c) To admire the garden
d) To search for more items
5. How did the beggar react when Ravi gave him the sandals?
a) He refused to wear them.
b) He put them on and blessed the children.
c) He asked for more items.
d) He left without taking the sandals.
Reading Comprehension 10
“Lalli!” he called, after a few moments. She hurried up to him. “Have you seen my chappals, my dear? I remember having kept them here!”
Ravi, Mridu, and Meena silently watched Lalli and the music-master search every corner of the verandah. He scurried around, looking over the railing and crouching near the flower pots to look between them. “Brand new, they were! I went all the way to Mount Road to buy them!” he went on saying. “They cost a whole month’s fees, do you know?”
Soon Lalli went in to tell her mother. Rukku Manni appeared, looking harassed, with Paati following her.
“Where could they be? It’s really quite upsetting to think someone might have stolen them. So many vendors come to the door,” worried Paati.
1. What were Ravi, Mridu, and Meena doing under the tree when the music-master came out of the house?
a) Playing marbles
b) Playing with the kitten
c) Reading books
d) Singing a song
2. Why did the music-master search for his chappals in the verandah?
a) He had left them there before going inside.
b) The children had hidden them as a prank.
c) He thought Lalli had taken them.
d) He believed they might be under the tree.
3. What was the music-master's complaint about his missing chappals?
a) They were old and worn out.
b) They were too expensive.
c) They were stolen.
d) They didn't fit him properly.
4. Who went inside to inform her mother about the missing chappals?
a) Ravi
b) Mridu
c) Meena
d) Lalli
5. What did Rukku Manni and Paati suspect might have happened to the missing chappals?
a) They thought the music-master had misplaced them.
b) They worried that vendors might have stolen them.
c) They believed the children were responsible.
d) They considered the possibility of Lalli hiding them.
Reading Comprehension 11
Taking a deep breath, she cried, “Rukku Manni, there was a beggar here. Poor thing, he had such boils on his feet!”
“So?” said Rukku Manni grimly, turning to Ravi. “You gave the music-master’s chappals to that old beggar who turns up here?”
“Children these days...!” groaned Paati.
“Amma, didn’t you tell me about Karna who gave away everything he had, even his gold earrings, he was so kind and generous?”
“Silly!” snapped Rukku Manni. “Karna didn’t give away other people’s things, he only gave away his own.”
“But my chappals wouldn’t have fitted the beggar’s feet...” Ravi rushed brashly on, “And Amma, if they did fit, would you really not have minded?”
“Ravi!” said Rukku Manni, very angry now. “Go inside this minute.”
1. What did Rukku Manni notice about Ravi, Mridu, and Meena when she saw them under the tree?
a) They were playing happily.
b) They were curiously quiet.
c) They were arguing loudly.
d) They were running around the garden.
2. Why did Rukku Manni become angry when she spoke to the children?
a) She thought they were stealing.
b) She suspected they had hidden something.
c) She saw the V-shaped line between Mridu's eyebrows.
d) She believed they gave away the music-master's chappals.
3. What did Mridu mention about the beggar's condition to Rukku Manni?
a) He had a beautiful voice.
b) He had boils on his feet.
c) He was well-dressed.
d) He was carrying a musical instrument.
4. According to Rukku Manni, why was the act of giving away the music-master's chappals wrong?
a) Because Karna was not a generous person.
b) Because it wasn't Ravi's place to give them away.
c) Because Karna only gave away his own possessions.
d) Because Ravi's chappals wouldn't have fitted the beggar.
5. True or False: Ravi suggested that even if his chappals had fit the beggar, Rukku Manni would not have minded.
Reading Comprehension 12
When he had clattered off in his new chappals, she said, “Mridu, come in and have some tiffin. Honestly, how do you children think of such things? Thank God your Gopu Mama doesn’t wear his chappals to work...” As she walked towards the kitchen with Mridu and Meena, she suddenly began to laugh. “But he’s always in such a hurry to throw off his shoes and socks and get into his chappals as soon as he comes home. What’s your Mama going to say this evening when I tell him I gave his chappals to the music-master?”
1. Whose chappals did Rukku Manni give to the music-master?
a) Gopu Mama's
b) Ravi's
c) Her own
d) The beggar's
2. How did the music-master react when Rukku Manni gave him the chappals?
a) He refused to accept them.
b) He put them on with reluctance.
c) He was overjoyed and thanked her.
d) He criticized Ravi for his behavior.
3. Why did Rukku Manni stand stiff and straight by the front door?
a) She was unhappy with Ravi's actions.
b) She was waiting for someone to arrive.
c) She was tired and needed support.
d) She wanted to welcome the music-master.
State True or False:
4. Rukku Manni didn't like it when Ravi was referred to as a monkey, even if it was a holy monkey.
5. Gopu Mama always wore his chappals to work.
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