NCERT Solutions: Expert Detectives

Q1: What did Nishad give Mr Nath? Why?
Ans: Nishad gave Mr Nath a bar of chocolate. He did so because Mr Nath looked very thin and his lean appearance suggested that he might be hungry.

Q2: What is "strange" about Mr Nath's Sundays?
Ans: Every Sunday Mr Nath had the same visitor at his home and the two of them used to have lunch together.

Q3: Why did Nishad and Maya get a holiday?
Ans: Nishad and Maya got a holiday because of a heavy downpour. The streets were flooded due to the rain and no traffic could move through the flooded roads, so they were given a holiday.

Working with Text

Q1: 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

Ans: Ramesh told Nishad that Mr Nath was not very particular about what he ate. It was always the same food - two chapattis, some dal and a vegetable. He ate this food in the morning and again in the evening. Mr Nath drank tea once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Ramesh also said that Mr Nath paid in cash and was generous with tips.

Q2: Why does Maya think Mr Nath is a crook? Who does she say the Sunday visitor is?
Ans: Maya thought Mr Nath was a crook for several reasons. She noticed that he did not work yet always had money to order meals from restaurants and even gave tips. The other tenants at Shankar House described him as mad, strange and unfriendly. He stayed in his room all day and only a spectacled, fair, fat man visited him on Sundays. Maya believed he had no friends because he might fear someone recognising him and informing the police. She suspected that the Sunday visitor was his accomplice who kept most of the loot and came occasionally to give Mr Nath some money for his expenses.

Q3: Does Nishad agree with Maya about Mr Nath? How does he feel about him?
Ans: No, Nishad did not agree with Maya. He wanted to know why Mr Nath was so thin and lonely and why he had no friends. When Maya suggested that Mr Nath feared recognition and arrest, Nishad replied that perhaps no one had ever tried to make friends with him. He said that he liked Mr Nath and planned to try to be his friend. Maya's theories did not convince him.

Working with Language

Q1: The word 'tip' has only three letters but many meanings. Match the word with its meanings below.
 (i) fingertips - 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.
Ans:
(i) fingertips - 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

Q2: 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
Ans:
(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

Q3: 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 tell someone the bad news
Ans:
(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 - she could not speak; she 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