Class 7 English Unit 3 Short and Long Answer Questions - My Brother’s Great Invention

Q1: Why was Anita’s father soaked at the doorstep?
Ans: Anita’s father was soaked because Anand’s burglar alarm, designed to drop a bag of water on a thief when the door opened, accidentally targeted him. Due to recent thefts in the neighbourhood, Anand had rigged the alarm, but it couldn’t distinguish between a thief and a family member, leading to the funny mishap that left their father furious and dripping wet.

Q2: What inspired Anand to build a time machine?
Ans: Anand was inspired to build a time machine after watching the movie Back to the Future. Excited by the idea of time travel, he turned his room into a chaotic lab with wires and bulbs, despite his parents’ attempts to stop him by locking the toolbox and guarding appliances. His passion for inventing drove him to create this ambitious gadget.

Q3: What happened to Boppa in Anand’s room?
Ans: Boppa, the intruder, entered Anand’s room, where the time machine was. Strange crashes, humming, and eerie sounds followed. When neighbours arrived, they found only Boppa’s green scarf on the floor, with no sign of him. Anand believed the time machine sent Boppa back in time, though adults thought he escaped, leaving the outcome mysterious.

Q4: What did Anand work on after the time machine was dismantled?
Ans: After his father dismantled the time machine, Anand moved on to a new project: building a device to contact aliens. Convinced his time machine had worked, he remained undeterred by the setback and quickly channeled his creative energy into another imaginative invention, showing his relentless passion for experimenting.

Q1: How does Anand’s burglar alarm reflect his creative spirit, and what problems does it cause?
Ans: Anand’s burglar alarm reflects his creative spirit by showcasing his ability to invent gadgets from simple materials, driven by a desire to solve real problems like neighbourhood thefts. As a 13-year-old who sees himself as a scientist, he designs the alarm to drop a bag of water on a thief when the door opens, demonstrating his imaginative problem-solving and enthusiasm for tinkering. However, the invention’s flaw—it cannot distinguish between a thief and a family member—causes a humorous disaster when it soaks his father, leaving him sopping wet and furious at the doorstep. This mishap embarrasses Anand and Anita, who whisper about the failed gadget, and frustrates their mother, who quickly identifies Anand as the culprit. The incident temporarily halts Anand’s inventing for a week, highlighting the risks of his experiments going awry. Despite the trouble, the alarm’s failure underscores Anand’s bold creativity, as he learns from mistakes and moves on to new projects, aligning with the story’s moral that imagination is valuable even when plans don’t work out perfectly.

Q2: Why does Anand’s time machine experiment cause tension in the family, and how does it lead to the burglary incident?
Ans: Anand’s time machine experiment causes tension in the family because his parents view it as a dangerous and impractical project, fearing it could lead to more trouble like his previous inventions. Inspired by Back to the Future, Anand’s determination to build the machine turns his room into a chaotic lab of wires and bulbs, ignoring his parents’ attempts to stop him by locking the toolbox and guarding appliances. Their scepticism and efforts to control his tinkering create friction, as Anand persists despite their disapproval. His mother eventually convinces his father to at least look at the machine, showing a mix of indulgence and concern. This tension indirectly leads to the burglary incident, as Anand’s parents agree to let him and Anita stay home alone one night, possibly to avoid further arguments about his projects. That night, Boppa, a rough-looking sweeper, breaks in, and Anand directs him to the time machine’s room, resulting in mysterious noises and Boppa’s disappearance. The experiment’s fallout—both the family’s unease and the burglary—highlights Anand’s bold creativity and the unexpected consequences of his inventions, reinforcing the story’s theme of imagination’s risks and rewards.

Q3: How does Anand’s quick thinking during the burglary show his resourcefulness, and what is the outcome?
Ans: Anand’s quick thinking during the burglary shows how resourceful he is by using his time machine to trick the intruder, Boppa, and possibly protect his family. When Anita hears strange noises and wakes Anand, they find Boppa holding a stick and asking where their father’s room is. Instead of panicking, Anand smartly sends Boppa to his own room, where the time machine is, instead of the real room. This quick decision keeps his family safe and uses his invention in a critical moment. Soon, strange sounds come from the room, and when the neighbours arrive, they only find Boppa’s green scarf, with no sign of him. Anand believes the time machine sent Boppa back in time, but the adults think he just ran away. The strange outcome—Boppa’s disappearance and the machine still humming—makes it seem like Anand’s invention worked. This moment highlights the story’s lesson that creativity, even if not perfect, can lead to surprising solutions and proves Anand is a clever inventor, even though his projects often cause trouble.

Q4: Why is the mystery of Boppa’s disappearance important to the story’s humour and excitement?
Ans: The mystery of Boppa’s disappearance adds both humour and excitement to the story by blending Anand’s quirky invention with an unexpected, thrilling twist that keeps readers engaged. When Boppa, the rough-looking intruder, enters Anand’s room with the time machine, the ensuing crashes, humming, and eerie sounds create a tense, suspenseful atmosphere. The discovery of only Boppa’s green scarf, with no sign of him, deepens the mystery—did the time machine really send him back in time, as Anand believes, or did he escape, as the adults think? This uncertainty fuels the humour, as Anand’s firm belief in his machine’s success contrasts with the adults’ scepticism, highlighting the funny image of a young inventor convinced of his own genius. The excitement comes from the unexpected shift from a dangerous burglary to the wild idea of time travel, amplified by the chaotic noises and the neighbours’ frantic arrival. This mysterious turn of events heightens the story’s playful tone, showcasing Anand’s creative spirit and making the story memorable, while reinforcing the moral that imagination, even when uncertain, can lead to surprising outcomes.

Q5: What lessons about creativity and mistakes can we learn from Anand’s inventions in the story?
Ans: Anand’s inventions in the story offer valuable lessons about the power of creativity and the importance of learning from mistakes. His burglar alarm, which accidentally soaks his father, and his time machine, which might have sent an intruder back in time, showcase his vivid imagination and his eagerness to solve problems like theft prevention and time travel. Even though his alarm fails and the time machine causes chaos, Anand’s decision to quickly start a new project—contacting aliens—shows that mistakes don’t stop his creative drive. The humour of his father getting soaked and the mystery of Boppa’s disappearance highlight how errors can lead to unexpected outcomes, such as outsmarting a burglar. The story suggests that creativity is valuable, even when plans don’t work out, as Anand’s quick thinking during the burglary demonstrates resourcefulness born from his inventive nature. The moral encourages embracing new ideas and viewing mistakes as opportunities for growth rather than failures. Anand’s adventures inspire readers to experiment fearlessly, learn from setbacks, and enjoy the unpredictable outcomes of imagination, knowing that even imperfect inventions can lead to surprising solutions.