Passage - 3 | English Grammar Class 7 PDF Download

Q.7. Read the passages given below and answer the questions that follow each of them:

The Lion and the Echo

1. The king of the Beasts deep in the wood,
Roared as loudly as it could.
Right away the echo came back
And the lion thought itself under attack.
2. “What voice is that roars like mine ?”
The echo replied “Mine, mine…”
3. “Who might you be ?” asked the furious lion
“I’m King of this jungle, this jungle is mine.”
And the echo came back a second time,
‘This jungle is mine, is mine, is mine.”
4. The lion swore revenge if only it could
Discover the intruder in the wood.
It roared, “Coward! Come out and show yourself!’
But the fearless echo replied simply “…elf, elf”
5. “Come out,” said the lion, “enough deceit,
Do you fear, for your own defeat ?
But all the echo did was repeat
“Defeat., .defeat.. .defeat…”
6. Frightened by every conceivable sound,
The exhausted lion sank to the ground.
A bird in a tree looked down and it said
“Dear lion, I’m afraid that what you hear
Is simply the voice of your lion-sized fear !”

Answer the following questions briefly:
(i) ‘The king of beasts got rid of his fear’ means
(a) he partially got rid of it
(b) he got rid of it
(c) he did not get rid of it
(d) Both (0 and (ii)

Correct Option is (b) he got rid of it

(ii) It was difficult for the lion
(a) to kill any other beast
(b) to kill the beast in the waters
(c) to win over his fear
(d) to conquer himself

Correct Option is (c) to win over his fear

(iii) The mind should always be free
(a) of tensions
(b) of all sort of fears
(c) of positive thoughts
(d) of making clever plans

Correct Option is (b) of all sort of fears

(iv) Which part of speech is the word ‘exhausted’ ?
The exhausted lion ………….. ’
(a) adverb
(b) noun
(c) past participle
(d) verb

Correct Option is (c) past participle

(v) The lion had to bow before
(a) the little bird
(b) the counsel of the little bird
(c) another king of water
(d) he was totally ruined

Correct Option is (b) the counsel of the little bird

Q.8. Read the passages given below and answer the questions that follow each of them:
The good old man humbly asked for the ashes. Though the covetous couple turned up their noses at him and scolded him as if he were a thief, they let him fill his basket with the ashes.
On coming home, the old man took his wife into the garden. It being winter, their favourite cherry tree was bare. He sprinkled a pinch of ashes on it, and, lo ! It sprouted blossoms until it became a cloud of pink blooms which perfumed the air. The news of this filled the village, and everyone ran out to see the wonder.
The covetous couple also heard the story, and, gathering up the remaining ashes of the mill, kept them to make withered trees blossom.

Answer the following questions briefly:
(i) What did the good old man get and from whom ?

The good old man got the ashes from the greedy couple.

(ii) How did the withered cherry tree sprout blossoms ?

When the good old man sprinkled ashes on the withered cherry tree, it sprouted blossoms.

(iii) What did the villagers do ?

When the villagers heard the story of the withered cherry tree, they ran to see the wonder.

(iv) Find a word in the passage which means the same as ‘abused’.

‘Scolded’.

Q.9. Read the passages given below and answer the questions that follow each of them:
Once (once only) I went absent-mindedly into his shop in a pair of boots bought in an emergency at some large firm. He took my order without showing me any leather and I could feel his eyes penetrating the inferior covering of my foot. At last he said, “Dose are nod my boods.”
The tone was not one of anger, nor of sorrow, not even of contempt, but there was in it something quiet that froze the blood. He put his hand down and pressed a finger on the place where the left boot was not quite comfortable.
“Id ‘urds’ you dere,” he said, “Dose big virms’ ave no self-respect.” And then, as if something had given way within him, he spoke long and bitterly. It was the only time I ever heard him discuss the conditions and hardships of his trade.

Answer the following questions briefly:
(i) What did the author do only once ?

The author entered the shoe shop wearing a pair of shoes which he had bought at some large firm.

(ii) What did the shop-keeper do ?

The shop-keeper pointed a spot in the shoe and told the author that the shoe pinched him there.

(iii) What did the shop-keeper do for the first time ?

For the first time, the shop-keeper discussed the conditions and hardships of his trade.

(iv) What is meant by ‘the inferior covering of the foot’ ?

It refers to the shoes.

(v) What was there in the shop-keeper’s tone which froze the author’s blood ?

The hopelessness of the tone froze the author’s blood.

(vi)  Find a word in the passage which means ‘hatred’ ?

‘Contempt’.