NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English - Fire: Friend and Foe

Comprehension Check-

Q1: 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.

(ii) choose the correct.
 (a) Fire is energy.
(b) Fire is heat and light.
(c) Fire is the result of a chemical reaction.

Answer :

(i) Early man was frightened of fire.
(ii) Fire is the result of a chemical reaction.

Q 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 :

(iv) (ii) (iii) (i)

Working with Text-

Q1: What do you understand by the 'flash point' of a fuel?

Answer :

The temperature at which a fuel begins to burn is called it is a flash point.

Q2 :

(i) What are some common uses of fire?

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

Answer :

(i) Some of the common uses of fire are to cook food, warm the homes in winter and to generate electricity.
(ii) It is a “bad master” because if it is not kept under control, it can prove very dangerous. Each year thousands of homes and shops are damaged by fire. Vast areas of forest are also destroyed and hundreds of people are killed or injured.

Q3: Match items in Column A with those in Column B.

Answer -

Q4: What are the three main ways in which a fire can be controlled or put out?
Answer :
Fire can be controlled or put out by taking away one of the three things required for burning.
(i) The first way is to take away the fuel. If the fire has no fuel to feed on, no burning can take place.
(ii) The second way is to prevent oxygen from reaching it. Small fires can be put out with a damp blanket or a sack. This stops oxygen from reaching the burning material. Sometimes carbon dioxide is used for extinguishing the fire.
(iii) The third way of putting out a fire is to remove the heat. If the temperature can be brought down below the flash point, the fuel stops burning. Blowing on a burning matchstick or a candle removes the hot air around the flame, bringing down its temperature below the flash point. Sometimes water is sprayed on a fire. It absorbs heat from the burning fuel and lowers the temperature. It also cuts off the supply of oxygen, and therefore, fire is extinguished.

Q5 :

Match the items in Box A with those in Box B

Answer :

Q6: Why does a burning candle go out when you blow on it?

Answer :

A burning candle goes out when we blow on it because blowing removes the hot air around the flame, bringing down its temperature below the flash point.

Q7: Spraying water is not a good way of putting out an oil fire an electrical fire. Why not?

Answer :

If water is sprayed onto an oil fire, then the oil will float to the top of the water and continue to burn. This can be very dangerous because water can flow quickly, carrying the burning oil with it and spreading the fire. In case of an electrical fire, the person spraying water might receive an electric shock and be killed. Therefore, spraying water is not a good way of putting out an oil fire or an electrical fire.

Q8: What are some of the things you should do to prevent afire at home and in school?

Answer :

This question requires you to use your own perspective as well as your analytical skills. The answer to the question would vary from one person to another. It is suggested that you read the text carefully and try attempting it on your own.

Working with Language-

Q1: 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 :

1. Combines
2. Call
3. Comes
4. Blow
5. Bursts
6. Gets
7. Means
8. Stops
9. Absorbs
10. Lowers

Q2: Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with words from the box. You may use a word more than once.

Carbon, Cause, Fire, Smother

(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 :

(i) Gandhiji's life was devoted to the cause of justice and fair play.
(ii)  Have you insured your house against fire?
(iii) Diamond is nothing but carbon in its pure form.
(iv) If you put too much coal on the fire at once you will smother it.
(v) Smoking is said to be the main cause of heart disease.
(vi) When asked by an ambitious writer whether he should put some fire into his stories, Somerset Maugham murmured, “No, the other way round”.
(vii) She is a carbon copy of her mother.
(viii) It is often difficult to smother a yawn when you listen to a long speech on the value of time.

Q3: One word is italicized in each sentence. Find its opposite in the box and fill in the blanks.

spending, shut, destroy, subtract, increase

(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 kilometers 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.

Answer :

(i) You were required to keep all the doors open, not shut.
(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 subtract ten from the total.
(iii) Run four kilometers a day to preserve your health. Run a lot more to destroy it

(iv) If a doctor advises a lean and lanky patient to reduce his weight further, be sure he is doing it to increase his income.
(v) The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending we lay waste our powers.

Q4: Use the words given in the box to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.

across, along,  past,  through
(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 :

(i) The cat chased the mouse across the lawn.
(ii) We were not allowed to cross the frontier. So we drove along it as far as we could and came back happy.
(iii) The horse went past the winning post and had to be stopped with difficulty.
(iv) It is not difficult to see through your plan. Anyone can see your motive.
(v) Go along the yellow line, then turn left. You will reach the post office in five minutes.