Quality

AP SCERT/ NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English 
Unit 5 Quality

Working with the text

Answer the following questions.

1. What was the author’s opinion about Mr Gessler as a bootmaker?

The author loved Mr. Gessler's boots. They fit perfectly, used good materials, and lasted a very long time. Mr. Gessler only made them when people ordered.

2. Why did the author visit the shop so infrequently?

The author visited the shop so infrequently because the boots made by Mr Gessler used to stay quite long.

3. What was the effect on Mr Gessler of the author’s remark about a certain pair of boots?

When the author commented on a pair of boots, Mr. Gessler stared, thinking the author might change his mind. Mr. Gessler suggested the boots got wet and offered to fix or adjust the price.

4. What was Mr Gessler’s complaint against “big firms”?

Mr. Gessler was upset that large companies made money from ads, not quality work. Small shops lost customers because of this. Big firms relied on marketing, not craftsmanship.

5. Why did the author order so many pairs of boots? Did he really need them?

No, the author did not really need so many pairs of boots. He ordered them because he wanted to help the bootmaker financially.

Working with language

1. Study the following phrases and their meanings. Use them appropriately to complete the sentences that follow.

look after: take care of

look down on: disapprove or regard as inferior

look in (on someone): make a short visit

look into: investigate

look out: be careful

look up to: improve

look up to: admire


(i) After a very long spell of heat, the weather is looking up at last.

(ii) We have no right to look down on people who do small jobs.

(iii) Nitin has always looked up to his uncle, who is a self-made man.

(iv) The police are looking into the matter thoroughly.

(v) If you want to go out, I will look after the children for you.

(vi) I promise to look in on your brother when I visit Lucknow next.

(vi) Look out when you are crossing the main road.

2: Read the following sets of words loudly and clearly.

cot — coat

cost — coast

tossed — toast

got — goat

rot — rote

blot — bloat

knot — note

Answer: 


3. Each of the following words contains the sound ‘sh’ (as in shine) in the beginning or in the middle or at the end. First speak out all the words clearly. Then arrange the words in three groups in the table on page 80.


sheep           trash           marsh          fashion

anxious       shriek         shore            fish

portion        ashes           sure             nation

shoe             pushing      polish          moustache

InitialMedialFinal
SheepFashionTrash
ShriekAnxiousMarsh
ShoreAshesFish
SureNationPolish
ShoePushing
Moustache

4. In each of the following words ‘ch’ represents the same consonant sound as in ‘chair’. The words on the left have this sound initially. Those on the right have it finally.

Speak each word clearly.

choose            bench

child               march

cheese            peach

chair               wretch

charming       research

Underline the letters representing this sound in each of the following words.

(i) feature          (iv) reaching           (vii) riches

(ii) archery         (v) nature               (viii) batch

(iii) picture         (vi) matches            (ix) church

Speaking

1. Do you think Mr Gessler was a failure as a bootmaker or as a competitive businessman?

Mr Gessler was an amazing bootmaker. His customers were highly satisfied with the quality of boots he made.

He was a failure as a competitive businessman. He did not have much money to spend on advertisements. Whatever he earned went into the raw materials and rent.

2. What is the significance of the title? To whom or to what does it refer?

The title "Quality" highlights Mr. Gessler's exceptional boot-making skills. He was a true perfectionist, never letting anyone touch the boots until they were perfect. Despite losing business, he remained committed to quality. Quality is not much of a concern for the big firms. They rely on their advertisements to attract customers.

3. Notice the way Mr Gessler speaks English. His English is influenced by his mother tongue. He speaks English with an accent.

When Mr Gessler speaks, p,t,k, sound like b,d,g. Can you say these words as Mr Gessler would say them?

It comes and never stops. Does it bother me? Not at all. Ask my brother, please.

Mr Gessler would have said the above statement like:

Id gomes and never sdobs. Does id bodder me? Not ad all. Asg my brudder blease.

4. Speak to five adults in your neighbourhood. Ask them the following questions (in any language they are comfortable with). Then come back and share your findings with the class.

(i) Do they buy their provisions packed in plastic packets at a big store, or loose, from a smaller store near their house?

They buy their provisions packed loose from a smaller store near their house.

(ii) Where do they buy their footwear? Do they buy branded footwear, or footwear made locally? What reasons do they have for their preference?

They buy footwear made locally. They prefer the local ones because the branded ones are too expensive, and they don’t like to spend too much on regular footwear.

(iii) Do they buy ready-made clothes, or buy cloth and get their clothes stitched by a tailor? Which do they think is better?


They buy both – the ready-made as well as the ones that are stitched by a tailor. If they want any customized stitch, then they prefer the one that is stitched by a tailor.

5. Look at the picture.

Picture


Let pairs of students talk to each other about leaving the country. One student repeats Ajit’s statement. The other gives a reason for not agreeing with Ajit. The sentence openings given below should be used.

If I leave this country, I’ll miss…

• There are some things which you can get only here, for example…

• There are some special days I’ll miss, particularly…

• Most of all I’ll miss…because…

• I think it’s impossible for me to leave my country because…

• How can you leave your own country except when…?

• Depends on one’s intention. I can’t leave for good because…

• Maybe for a couple of years…

Ajit: I’ve decided to go abroad for higher studies.

Anisa: Have you? I don’t think I’ll ever do that. I love my country.

• If I leave this country, I’ll miss my friends with whom I’ve played and spent so much time.

• There are some things which you can get only here, for example, snacks that are particularly prepared here, our traditions, festivals, etc.

• There are some special days I’ll miss, particularly festivals like Holi, Deepawali, etc.

• Most of all, I’ll miss my younger brother because we spent almost the entire day together.

• I think it’s impossible for me to leave my country because I can’t go away from my family and friends, and I can’t go so far from them.

• How can you leave your own country except when there is truly no way you can stay here?

• Depends on one’s situation. I can’t leave for good because I can’t even wonder how I will survive so far from my close ones.

• Maybe for a couple of years, I can stay this far from home.

Writing

1. Based on the following points write a story.

• Your aunt has gone to her mother’s house.

• Your uncle does his cooking.

• He is absent-minded.

• He puts vegetables on the stove.

• He begins to clean his bicycle outside.

• The neighbor calls out saying something is burning.

• Your uncle rushes to the kitchen.

• To save vegetables, he puts some oil on them.

• Unfortunately, it’s machine oil, not cooking oil.

• What do you think happens to the vegetables?

Begin like this:

Last month my aunt decided to visit her parents…

Last month, my aunt decided to visit her parents, leaving my uncle in charge of the kitchen. Now, my uncle is quite the absent-minded person. He started by putting the vegetables on the stove, only to get distracted by the need to clean his bicycle outside. That's when the neighbor yelled out a warning – something was burning! In a rush to save the vegetables, my uncle grabbed a bottle and poured oil over them. Unfortunately, it wasn't cooking oil; it was machine oil! Can you guess what happened to the vegetables? 😄😄😄

Comments