Solutions To NCERT Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 1 – “The Tiny Teacher”

Hello students! Looking for lucid and well-written answers to guide you? Here we’ve provided simply written, grammatically correct answers for this unit. We recommend you go through them in detail – they should clear all your doubts and help you understand the story.

In addition to the questions in the book, our team of English experts has prepared a series of extra questions presented in a playful manner which you will enable you to ace any exam!

Find answers to NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English -An Alien Hand – Chapter 1 “The Tiny Teacher” here.

The Tiny teacher


Comprehension Check

1. The story of an ant’s life sounds almost untrue.
The italicized phrase means
(i) highly exaggerated.(ii) too remarkable to be true.(iii) not based on facts.Answer:
 (ii) too remarkable to be true.

 2. Complete the following sentences.

(i) An ant is the smallest, _______________________________________.

(ii) We know a number of facts about an ant’s life because _______________________.

Answer:
(i) An ant is the smallest, the commonest but the wisest insect we have seen.
(ii) We know a number of facts about an ant’s life because some people have kept ants as pets and have observed their behaviour closely.

3. In what ways is an ant’s life peaceful?
Answer:
An ant’s life is peaceful because each one does its share of work intelligently and bravely. It is disciplined and never fights with other members of the group or interferes in the work of others.

Comprehension Check

1. How long does it take for a grub to become a complete ant?
Answer:
It takes two to three weeks for the grub to become a cocoon and then another three weeks for the cocoon to break and a perfect ant to emerge.
2. Why do the worker ants carry the grubs about?
Answer:
 The worker ants carry the grubs about daily for exercise, airing and sunshine.
3. What jobs are new ants trained for?
Answer:
New ants are trained by the old ants for the job of workers, soldiers, cleaners, builders, etc.

4. Name some other creatures that live in anthills.
Answer:
Other creatures that live in anthills are beetles, lesser breed of ants and greenfly.

5. Mention three things we can learn from the ‘tiny teacher’. Give reasons for choosing these items.
Answer:
Three things that we can learn from the ‘tiny teacher’ are:Hard work
sense of duty and discipline care for the young ones, growth
These lessons are necessary for the peace, harmony, growth and smooth working of the society.

Exercises

Discuss the following topics in groups:

1. (i) What problems are you likely to face if you keep ants as pets?
Answer:
(i) There are some problems that one can anticipate if we keep ants as pets. They cannot be trained or house-broken because they would follow their own rules. They would not listen to us. They would bite us and make us uncomfortable and they would attack our food. They may also be carriers of food borne diseases like salmonella, staph, strep, E. coli etc.

(ii) When a group of bees finds nectar, it informs other bees of its location, quantity, etc. through dancing. Can you guess what ants communicate to their fellow ants by touching one another’s feelers?
(ii) Ants communicate about newly found sources of food to their fellow ants by touching one another’s feelers.

2. Complete the following poem with words from the box below. Then recite the poem.

Soldiers live in barracks
And birds in _________,
Much like a snake that rests
In a _________. No horse is able
To sleep except in a _________.
And a dog lives well,
Mind you, only in a _________.
To say ‘hi’ to an ant, if you will,
You may have to climb an _________.

kennel

nests

anthill

hole

stable

Answer:                                                                                                              
Soldiers live in barracks
And birds in nests,
Much like a snake that rests
In a hole. No horse is able
To sleep except in a stable.
And a dog lives well,
Mind you, only in a kennel.
To say ‘hi’ to an ant, if you will,
You may have to climb an anthill.

Extra Questions on NCERT Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 1 “The Tiny Teacher”

A. Multiple Choice type Questions

Choose the correct option

1. The smallest yet wisest insect is the _________

(i) mosquito
(ii) fly
(iii) ladybird
(iv) ant

2. How to ants ‘talk’?
(i) they communicate verbally
(ii)They bite each other
(iii) they use their antennae or feelers to pass messages
(iv) None of the above

3. Which are the commonest kinds of ants?
(i) fire ants
(ii) black ants
(iii) red ants
(iv) Both (ii) and (iii)

4.Where do ants live?
(i) In holes
(ii) in cracks
(iii) in nests or anthills
(iv) None of the above

5. Who lays eggs?
(i) the worker ants
(ii) the soldier ants
(iii) the queen ant
(iv)The cleaner ants

6. What is a male ant called?
(i) pupa
(ii) grub
(iii) drone
(iv)All of the above

7. What happens when grubs become cocoons?
(i) They are fed by worker ants
(ii) they are guarded by soldier ants
(iii) they lie without food or activity
(iv) Both (ii) and (iii) above

8. Which other insects are welcome to stay in the anthill?
(i) beetles
(ii) lesser breed of ants
(iii) the greenfly
(iv) All of the above

9.What does the greenfly give?
(i) milk
(ii) nectar
(iii) honeydew
(iv) None of the above

10. What are the things ants can teach us?
(i) to work in harmony
(ii) to work hard and sincerely
(iii) to do our duty and not interfere with other’s work
(iv) all of the above

Answer:

1. (iv) ant
2. (iii) they use their antennae or feelers to pass messages
3. (iv) Both (ii) and (iii)
4. (iii) in nests or anthills
5. (iii) the queen ant
6. (iii) drone
7. (iv) Both (ii) and (iii) above
8. (iv) All of the above
9. (iii) honeydew
10. (iv) all of the above

B. Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the box to complete the following sentences:

Comfortable	Commonest	unbelievably	anthills	wings
Queen	Eggs	black	casts	hard-working

1. Though so very small, the ant is _______intelligent and__________.
2. Among the various kinds, the ________ ant is _____ or red.
3.Ants live in _______ homes called __________.
4. The _____has a pair of ________, which she _____ off before she begins to lay ___.

Answer:

1. Though so very small, the ant is unbelievably intelligent and hard-working.
2. Among the various kinds, the commonest ant is black or red.
3. Ants live in comfortable homes called ‘anthills’.
4. The queen has a pair of wings, which she casts off before she begins to lay eggs.

C. Match the words in column A with those in column B

A	B
Anthill	nurseries
Grubs	Reserved quarters
Soldier ants	storehouses
Worker ants	hundreds of little rooms and passages
food	barracks

Answer:

A	B
Anthill	hundreds of little rooms and passages
Grubs	nurseries
Soldier ants	barracks
Worker ants	Reserved quarters
food	storehouses

D. State whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE:

1. Ants use scents to ‘talk’ to each other , they pass messages through different scents.

2. The queen is the mother of the entire ant colony. It lives for about 15 years.

3. Old ants train the new ants to work as workers, soldiers, builders, cleaners etc.

4. Ant eggs hatch and perfect ants emerge.

5. Ants let some other creatures like beetles, lesser breed of ants and the greenfly to dwell in the anthill.

Answer:

1. False – Ants use their feelers or antennae to ‘talk’ to each other by passing messages through them. Each ant greets all the others coming from the opposite direction by touching their feelers.

2. True

3.True

4. False – eggs hatch and grubs come out. After 2 to 3 weeks grubs transform into cocoons and stay inactive for 3 more weeks. Finally the cocoons break open to let new fully-formed ants appear.

5. True

E.  Very Short Answer type Questions:

1. What is the impression that you form abouts ants after reading this lesson?
Answer:
This lesson has taught me that ants are extremely disciplined, organised, intelligent,  efficient and hard-working .

2. Do ants live alone?
Answer:
No, ants live in highly organised colonies where each member has an assigned role which it performs scrupulously.

3. Which is the wisest insect?
Answer:
The ant is the wisest insect.

4. Where do ants live?
Answer:
Ants live in their comfortable homes called ‘nests’ or ‘anthills’.

5. How many rooms does an anthill have?
Answer:
Anthills have hundreds of little rooms and passages.

6. What do worker ants do?
Answer:
Worker ants spend most of their time foraging for food.

7. What else do workers do?
Answer:
Workers feed, clean and carry the grubs about  daily for airing, exercise and sunshine.

8. Where do worker ants live?
Answer:
Worker ants live in their reserved quarters.

9. Where do soldier ants live?
Answer:
Soldier ants live in separate barracks.

10. Where do the young ones called ‘grubs” live?
Answer:
The grubs live in nurseries.

11. Are grubs ever harmed by worker, soldier, or cleaner ants?
Answer:
No worker, soldier or cleaner ant has ever harmed a grub.

12. Where does the queen lays eggs?
Answer:
The queen lays eggs in some special chambers. She is the mother of the entire colony.

13. What happens when eggs hatch?
Answer:
When eggs hatch, grubs come out.Soldiers guard them and workers clean and feed them.

14. What happens to the grubs after two or three weeks?
Answer:
The grubs transform into cocoons after two to three weeks.

15. How long does it take for young ants to appear from the cocoons?
Answer:
It takes about three weeks for the cocoons to break apart and perfect young ants to emerge from the cocoons.

16. Who trains the new young ants to do their duties?
Answer:
The old ants teach the new  ants to do their duties as workers, soldiers,builders, cleaners,etc.

17. How long does the training last?
Answer:
After a few week’s training, the young ants are ready to join the workforce.

F. Short Answer Type Questions:

1. How do we know so many amazing  facts about ants?
Answer:
People have kept ants as pets and have watched their daily activities and behaviour closely. We know a number of facts from their accounts about this tiny, hard-working, and inteligent insect which lives harmoniously in a colony of thousands without any  overt conflict.

2. How do ants communicate?
Answer:
Ants use their feelers or antennae to communicate or ‘talk’ to other ants. They pass messages through them. Ants greet each other by touching each other’s feelers and thus the messages  are passed on.

3. Describe  the interior of an anthill.
Answer:
The interior of an anthill has hundreds of little rooms and passages which serve different functions. The queen uses some of these rooms to lay her eggs, some are used as nurseries for the ‘grubs’. Worker ants have their own reserved quarters.Soldiers have separate barracks for their use. Some rooms serve as storehouses for food.

4.  Who looks after the ‘grubs’ ? Can we say that this is an example of teamwork?
Answer:
When ant eggs hatch, grubs come out. They are guarded by soldier ants. The worker ants feed and clean them and carry them about daily for airing, exercise and sunshine. Together the worker and soldier ants work as a team for the benefit of the young ones.

5. Why do ants allow some alien creatures to live in their nests?
Answer:
Ants allow beetles, some inferior breed of ants and the greenfly to live in their nests because some of them emit smells which please the ants, others give sweet juices, while some are just kept as pets or playthings just like humans keep pet dogs or cats.

6. How is the greenfly useful to ants?
Answer:
For an ant, a greenfly is equivalent to a cow . The ants train the greenfly to give honeydew (like milk) with a touch of their antennae. They milk it in the same way human beings milk cows.

G. Long answer Type Questions:

1. Why is an ant’s life very peaceful?
Answer:
An ant’s life is very peaceful because ants are very disciplined. Each ant is assigned a specific task to perform and each one attends to its own duties diligently, intelligently and bravely. Each ant minds its own business and does not try to interfere in the work of other ants. So, there is no question of any conflict arising to disrupt peace.

 2. What do you know about the queen ant?
Answer:
The queen ant is the mother of all the inhabitants of the colony. She has a pair of wings on which she soars for her ‘wedding’ flight. On a hot summer day, the queen leaves the nest to meet a male ant, or drone, high up in the air. After their union, she returns to earth, bites off her wings and begins laying eggs. The queen ant has a life expectancy of about fifteen years.

3. “Perhaps they have, but they haven’t put their learning to good use. “Which qualities of ants would benefit human society?
Answer:
Ants are tiny beings, yet they have understood the value of team work, discipline, hard work and dutifulness. If human beings can learn to master the attitude of ants where each one performs his duties honestly and diligently without interfering with the work of others, it would go a long way in avoiding conflicts and stress. Each one should accept his responsibilities and discharge them to the best of their abilities, set aside their egos and function as a valuable team player, it is only then that a harmonious society can evolve.

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