A Tiger in the House

AP / NCERT Solutions for Grade 7 English Supplementary Reader An Alien Hand

Chapter 6  A Tiger in the House

Comprehension Check

1. “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. ✔️

2. Complete the following sentences.

(i) Toto climbed up the curtains when ——

(ii) ——————, I became one of the tiger’s favorites.

(iii) Timothy had clean habits, —————

Answer:

(i) Toto climbed up the curtains when Timothy lost his temper.

(ii) When I came to live with my grandfather, I became one of the tiger’s favorites.

(iii) Timothy had clean habits, and would scrub his face with his paws exactly like a cat.

Comprehension Check

1. Grandmother’s prophecy was that the tiger

(i) would prefer Mahmoud’s bed to sleep in.

(ii) and the cook would disappear together from the house.

(iii) would one day make a meal of Mahmoud. ✔️

2. When Timothy was about six months old, a change came over him.

The phrase in italics means that

(i) Timothy had grown to his full size.

(ii) Timothy grew more friendly.

(iii) Timothy grew less friendly, in fact more dangerous ✔️

3. Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following statements.

(i) Timothy and Grandfather went to Lucknow in a special compartment.  False

(ii) The compartment in which Grandfather and Timothy travelled had no other passenger. True

(iii) Timothy and Grandfather travelled in a first class compartment. True

(vi) All passengers in the compartment thought that Timothy was a well-fed and civilized tiger. False

4. Grandfather suggested that Timothy should be put in another cage. The reason was that

(i) the tiger had become very bad-tempered.

(ii) a leopard in the next cage would constantly rush at Timothy.

(iii) the cage was too small for a full-grown tiger.

5. The tiger was still licking his arm, with increasing relish. The phrase in italics suggests that Timothy

(i) was good natured.

(ii) recognized an old friend. ✔️

(iii) smelt fresh food.

Answer the following questions.

1. Where was the tiger cub hiding when Grandfather found him?

The tiger cub was hiding in the roots of a banyan tree in the Tarai jungle near Dehra when Grandfather found him.

2. (i) What did Toto do to entertain Timothy?

(ii) What did he do when Timothy lost his temper?

(i) Toto would pull Timothy by the tail to entertain him.

(ii) He would climb up the curtain when Timothy lost his temper.

3. “I became one of the tiger’s favorites”. Who is ‘I’ in the statement? Why did he think so?

In the statement, ‘I’ is the author. He thought so because Timothy would creep closer to the author. He would then make a dash for the author’s feet and roll over on his back. He would kick with delight and pretend to bite the author’s ankles.

4. Where was Timothy most comfortable during the day? Where was he during the night?

Timothy was most comfortable on the sofa during the day. In the night, he would sleep in the cook’s quarter.

5. What was Grandmother’s prophecy about the cook? Did it come true?

Answer: Grandmother’s prophecy about the cook was that one day Timothy would eat him. No, it did not come true.

6. What made Grandfather decide to transfer Timothy to the zoo?

Timothy had begun to be less friendly. He seemed to follow Mahmoud with wrong intentions. He would eat birds. This made Grandfather decide to transfer Timothy to the zoo.

7. Why did Grandfather want Timothy to be put in another enclosure?

Grandfather wanted Timothy to be put in another enclosure because a leopard in the neighbouring cave was bothering and frightening him.

8. What shocked Grandfather in the end?

Grandfather was shocked to hear from the keeper that Timothy was dead two months ago and the tiger he was caressing was very dangerous.

Discuss the following topics in groups.

1. Shoot animals with a camera, not with a gun.

Poaching is a bad thing. Not all animals can be pets, but that doesn't mean we should kill wild animals. All living things help nature. Killing animals for fun is mean. Take pictures instead of using a gun.

2. Keeping pets helps us become more loving and tolerant. It also helps us respect life in any form. Do you agree?

Yes, I do agree that pets make us loving and tolerant. Taking care of them helps us understand and like animals. Being with pets makes us less scared of animals and teaches us to respect all life forms. Every living thing deserves care and love.

3. Have you heard of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)? What do they do?

Yes, I have heard of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). This is an organization that works towards the safeguarding of animals. It protects them from man’s cruel acts and poaching.

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