Expert Detectives

AP SCERT/ NCERT Textual Answers/  Solutions for Class 7 English 
Unit 6 Expert Detectives

Comprehension Check

Answer the following questions:

1. What did Nishad give Mr Nath? Why?

Nishad gave Mr. Nath a chocolate because he looked very thin, and Nishad thought he might be hungry and needed it.

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

Mr. Nath had a unique Sunday routine with a special visitor who came every week, and they always shared lunch together.

 

3: Why did Nishad and Maya get a holiday?

Nishad and Maya got a holiday because of the bad weather. It was raining heavily, and the streets of the city were flooded with the downpour.

Working with the text

Answer the following questions.

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

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

• He is not very particular about what he eats. He eats two chapattis, dal and a vegetable.
• He eats in the morning and evening.
• He drinks two cups of tea, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
• He pays in cash and also gives tips to Ramesh.

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

Maya believes Mr. Nath is a bad person because he's alone for a long time, doesn't talk or have friends. She thinks his Sunday visitor is a partner who brings him money.

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

No, Nishad does not agree with Maya about Mr Nath. He thinks that Mr Nath is a lonely and poor person who is starving. He thinks that Mr Nath is a kind person who, despite having less money for himself, gives tips to Ramesh.

Working with language

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 bucket – the ends of one’s fingers

(iv) have something on the tip of your tongue – give a rupee to him, 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 tipped off – the bat lightly touched 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

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: 

(i) business partner

(ii) my companion on the journey

(iii) I’m mother’s little helper

(iv) a faithful companion such as a dog

(v) the thief’s accomplice

(vi) find a good helper

(vii) tennis/ golf / bridge partner

(viii) his accomplice in his criminal activities

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 to break – it began or burst into activity

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

(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:

(i) The storm broke – it began or burst into activity

(ii) daybreak – the beginning of daylight

(iii) His voice is beginning to break – changing as he grows up

(iv) Her voice broke and she cried – could not speak; was too sad to speak

(v) The heat wave broke – this kind of weather ended

(vi) broke the bad news – gently told someone the bad news

(vii) break a strike – end it by making the workers submit

(viii) the machine broke down – the machine underwent a sudden physical damage

Speaking

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 neighbors 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?

Today, my friend and I played detectives with each other. We found a classmate to talk to and asked some questions in a nice way. First, we asked for the person's name. Then, we wanted to know what newspapers or magazines they liked to read. After that, we found out how long they've lived in their home. We were curious about their daily routine and what they do during the day. We also asked about what neighbors and friends say about them. It was interesting to know who visits them and what their eating habits are. We made sure to be polite and not make them uncomfortable. After we asked our questions, we let them ask us the same things. It was a fun way to learn more about each other!

Writing

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

Mr. Nath seems like a regular person who might not be eating well. He could be introverted, preferring alone time. He's lean due to irregular meals, and his simple diet includes two chapattis, dal, and vegetables. Consulting Nishad's mom, a doctor, suggests a health issue. Scars on his face may be from an accident, not criminal activities. The Sunday visitor might be a caring family member.

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.

I believe Nishad and Maya will discover that Mr. Nath is a kind introvert who works from home due to health reasons. Realizing he prefers solitude, they may become friends, especially since Nishad supported him from the start. Maya might feel sorry for doubting him as a criminal and learn the value of understanding others.