Solutions To NCERT Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 6 “A Tiger in the House”

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Find Solutions to NCERT Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 6 “A Tiger in the House” here.

Comprehension Check – (Page 60)

 1. “He had the distinction of being the only member of the party to have bagged any game…”

The phrase in italics means

(i) Grandfather was the most distinguished member of the party.

(ii) Grandfather was the only sportsperson in the party.

(iii) Grandfather was the only successful member of the hunting party.

Mark the right answer.

Answer: 

(iii) Grandfather was the only successful member of the hunting party.

 2. Complete the following sentences.

(i) Toto climbed up the curtains when ————————— ————————————————.

(ii) ——————————————————————— ———, I became one of the tiger’s favorites.

(iii) Timothy had clean habits, ————————————— ———————————————.

Answer:

(i) Toto climbed up the curtains when Timothy lost his temper.

(ii) When I came to live with my grandfather, I became one of the tiger’s favourites.

(iii) Timothy had clean habits, and would scrub his face with his paws exactly like a cat.

Comprehension Check (Page 64)

1. Grandmother’s prophecy was that the tiger _________.

(i) would prefer Mahmoud’s bed to sleep in.

(ii) and the cook would disappear together from the house.

(iii) would one day make a meal of Mahmoud.

Mark the right answer.

Answer:

 (iii) would one day make a meal of Mahmoud.

 2. When Timothy was about six months old, a change came over him.

The phrase in italics means that

(i) Timothy had grown to his full size.

(ii) Timothy grew more friendly.

(iii) Timothy grew less friendly, in fact more dangerous

Answer: 

(iii) Timothy grew less friendly, in fact more dangerous

3. Write ‘True’ or ‘False’ against each of the following statements.

(i) Timothy and Grandfather went to Lucknow in a special compartment. ______

(ii) The compartment in which Grandfather and Timothy travelled had no other passenger. ______

(iii) Timothy and Grandfather travelled in a first-class compartment. ______

(vi) All passengers in the compartment thought that Timothy was a well-fed and civilized tiger. ______.

Answer:

(i) Timothy and Grandfather went to Lucknow in a special compartment.    False

(ii) The compartment in which Grandfather and Timothy travelled had no other passenger.  True

(iii) Timothy and Grandfather travelled in a first-class compartment.  True

(vi) All passengers in the compartment thought that Timothy was a well-fed and civilized tiger.  False

 4. Grandfather suggested that Timothy should be put in another cage.

The reason was that

(i) the tiger had become very bad-tempered.

(ii) a leopard in the next cage would constantly rush at Timothy.

(iii) the cage was too small for a full-grown tiger.

Answer:

(ii) a leopard in the next cage would constantly rush at Timothy.

5. The tiger was still licking his arm, with increasing relish. The phrase in italics suggests that Timothy

(i) was good natured.

(ii) recognized an old friend.

(iii) smelt fresh food.

Answer:

(iii) smelt fresh food.

Exercises (Page 65)

Answer the following questions.

1. Where was the tiger cub hiding when Grandfather found him?

Answer: 

The tiger cub was hiding among the tangled roots of a banyan tree in the Terai jungle near Dehra when Grandfather found him.

2. (i) What did Toto do to entertain Timothy?

Answer:

(i) Toto, the monkey was bold enough to pull Timothy by the tail to entertain him.

(ii) What did he do when Timothy lost his temper?

Answer: 

(ii) Toto would quickly climb up the curtain to safety when Timothy lost his temper.

 3. “I became one of the tiger’s favourites”. Who is ‘I’ in the statement? Why did he think so?

Answer: 

In the statement, ‘I’ refers to the author.

He thought so because one of Timothy’s pleasures was to stalk anyone who would play with him. The cub would creep close to the author, eyes glittering with mischief, hurl himself at his feet, roll over on his back, kick in delight and playfully bite at his ankles.

 4. Where was Timothy most comfortable during the day? Where was he during the night?

Answer: 

Timothy was most comfortable reclining with great dignity on the long sofa in the drawing room during the day. At night, he would sleep in the cook’s quarter.

 5. What was Grandmother’s prophecy about the cook? Did it come true?

Answer: 

Grandmother’s prophecy about the cook was that one-day Timothy would devour him.

No, fortunately, it did not come true.

 6. What made Grandfather decide to transfer Timothy to the zoo?

Answer: 

When Timothy was about six months old, he gradually grew less friendly. Sometimes at night the frenzied cackle of hens could be heard. In the morning the tell-tale feathers on the veranda bore testimony to Timothy’s nocturnal feasts. Finally, when he started to stalk Mahmoud with sinister intentions, grandfather decided to transfer him to a zoo.

7. Why did Grandfather want Timothy to be put in another enclosure?

Answer: 

Grandfather wanted Timothy to be put in another enclosure because every now and then a leopard in the next cage would rush at Timothy snarling ferociously and frightening him.

8. What shocked Grandfather in the end?

Answer: 

Grandfather was shocked when the keeper told him that Timothy had died of pneumonia two months ago, and the tiger he was caressing was very dangerous.

Discuss the following topics in groups.

1. Shoot animals with a camera, not with a gun.

Answer:

Choosing to shoot animals with a camera rather than a gun shows that we intend to appreciate and capture the beauty and diversity of animal life without causing any harm. Wild life photography allows us to observe and document the natural world, providing us with a greater understanding and appreciation for the creatures that inhabit it. This choice reflects that we value the interconnectedness of all living beings and realise the importance of protecting our planet’s biodiversity.

2. Keeping pets helps us become more loving and tolerant. It also helps us respect life in any form. Do you agree?

Answer:

Yes, I agree that keeping pets helps us become more loving and tolerant. Our pets are totally dependent on us, so we have to be loving, kind and supportive. When we interact with our pets, we learn to communicate with them in a way that is gentle and understanding. We learn to be patient as we train them and to forgive them when they make mistakes. This can help us develop a more loving and tolerant attitude towards others.
Keeping pets teaches us to respect life in all its forms. When we care for our pets, we learn to appreciate the value of life and the importance of treating all living beings with kindness and respect.

3. Have you heard of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)? What do they do?

Answer: 

Yes, I have heard of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). The SPCA is a global network of organizations dedicated to promoting animal welfare and preventing cruelty to animals. SPCA works to protect animals from abuse and neglect, and to promote their well-being. Some of their activities include rescuing animals in need, providing medical care, spaying and neutering animals to prevent overpopulation, and finding loving homes for animals through adoption programs.     

Extra Questions on to NCERT Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 6 “A Tiger in the House”

A. Multiple Choice type Questions

1. How long was Timothy when grandfather found him ?

(i) eighteen months
(ii) fourteen inches
(iii) eighteen centimeters
(iv) eighteen inches

2. Why had grandfather gone to the Terai jungle with his party?

(i) for a picnic
(ii) for a stroll
(iii) for hunting
(iv) None of the above

3. Whom was Timothy afraid of at first?

(i) Toto, the monkey
(ii) Mahmoud the cook
(iii) Grandmother
(iv) the small mongrel puppy

4. How old was Timothy when he suddenly became less friendly?

(i) six weeks
(ii) sixteen weeks
(iii) six months
(iv) None of the above

5. Where was Timothy most comfortable?

(i) in the cook’s quarters
(ii) on the verandah
(iii) on the carpet
(iv) on the long sofa

6. Where was the zoo located?

(i) Delhi
(ii) Lucknow
(iii) Kanpur
(iv) Jaipur

7. How long after leaving Timothy at the zoo did grandfather visit him?

(i) one year
(ii) three months
(iii) a fortnight
(iv) Six months

8. What changes did grandfather notice in Timothy?

(i) he was full -grown
(ii) he had a magnificent striped coat
(iii) he looked sick
(iv) Both (i) and (ii) above

9. Why did grandfather want to change Timothy’s cage?

(i) because the leopard in the adjoining cage kept on harrassing him
(ii) because the cage was too small
(iii) because Timothy was sick
(iv) All of the above

10.How did Timothy die ?

(i) the leopard killed him
(ii) he died of jaundice
(iiI) He died of pneumonia
(iv) None of the above

Answer:

1. (iv)eighteen inches
2. (iii) for hunting
3. (iv) the small mongrel puppy
4. (iii) six months
5. (iv) on the long sofa
6. (ii) Lucknow
7. (iv) Six months
8. (iv) Both (i) and (ii) above
9. (i) because the leopard in the adjoining cage kept on harrassing him
10.(iiI) He died of pneumonia

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

comfortable	favourite	size	dignity	berth
approached	reclining	snarling	drawing-room	head

1. He was by this time the _____of a full grown retriever, and when I took him out for walks, people on the road would give us a wide _______.

2. His  ________ place in the house was the __________ , and he would make himself _________ on the long sofa, ___________ there with great _________, and __________ at anybody who tried to get him off.

3.The tiger ________ the bars, and allowed Grandfather to  put both hands around his ______.

Answer:

1. He was by this time the size  of a full grown retriever, and when I took him out for walks, people on the road would give us a wide berth.

2. His favourite place in the house was the drawing-room , and he would make himself comfortable on the long sofa, reclining there with great dignity, and snarling at anybody who tried to get him off.

3. The tiger approached the bars, and allowed Grandfather to put both hands around his head.

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

A	B
crafty	loud and frantic
stalk	kept
frenzied	move stealthily towards
interned	move noiselessly
slink	cunning

Answer:

A	B
crafty	cunning
stalk	move stealthily towards
frenzied	loud and frantic
interned	kept
slink	move noiselessly

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

1. Grandfather named the tiger cub Timothy.

2. When the author took Timothy out for a walk, people petted him.

3. One day they found Timothy sitting on Mahmoud’s bed, and there was no sign of the cook except for his clothes and shoes.

4. Grandfather put his arms through the bars of the cage and stroked the tiger’s forehead, tickled his ears and smacked him across the mouth whenever he growled because he believed the tiger was Timothy.

5. The Superintendent of the zoo had gone home early so grandfather could not tell him to change the tiger’s cage.

Answer:

1. False – It was the author’s grandmother who named the little tiger cub Timothy.

2. False – When the author took Timothy our for a walk people kept at a safe distance from them

3. False –  This was grandmother’s prophecy – she feared this would happen one day .

4. True

5. True

E.  Very Short Answer type Questions:

1. What had grandfather found on the road?

Answer:

Grandfather had found the small mongrel puppy on the road.

2. What was the tiger-cub christened Timothy by Grandmother fed at first?

Answer:

At first, The tiger-cub was brought up on milk which the cook, Mahmoud, fed him with a feeding bottle.

3. Who was Timothy’s mischievous companion?

Answer:

Toto, the monkey was Timothy’s mischievous companion because he deliberately teased the tiger cub to annoy him.

4. What did Toto do to escape when Timothy lost his temper?

Answer:

Toto would climb up the curtains out of Timothy’s reach.

5. How big was Timothy when the author took him out for walks?

Answer:

Timothy had grown to the size of a full- grown retriever when the author took him out for walks.

6. Which was his favourite place in the house?

Answer:

Timothy’s favourite place in the house was the drawing-room.

7. How do we know that he disliked the cook’s quarters where he slept at night?

Answer:

We know he disliked the cook’s quarters because he was always delighted to be let out in the morning.

8. How did Timothy retain his favourite place on the long sofa?

Answer:

Timothy made himself at home on the long sofa, reclining there with great dignity, and snarled at anybody who tried to move him.

9. How did Timothy clean himself?

Answer:

Timothy had clean habits. He would scrub his face with his paws like a cat.

10. What happened when Timothy was about six months old?

Answer:

 A change came over Timothy when he was about six month’s old. He gradually grew less friendly .

11. What did the frenzied cackling at night from the poultry house and the feathers scattered on the verandah the next morning indicate?

Answer:

They indicated that Timothy had made a meal of a hen that he had stolen from the poultry house.

12. How did Grandfather travel with Timothy to Lucknow where the zoo was?

Answer:

Grandfather reserved a first class compartment for himself and Timothy to travel

to Lucknow.

13. How did the zoo authorities react to the gifting of Timothy?

Answer:

The zoo authorities were glad to receive as a gift a healthy and fairly civilised tiger.

14. When did Grandfather go to the zoo to visit Timothy again?

Answer:

Grandfather visited the zoo to meet Timothy almost six months later.

F. Short Answer Type Questions:

1. Who  found Timothy? Where did he find him?

Answer:

The author’s grandfather found a small tiger cub about eighteen inches long hiding amidst the tangled roots of a banyan tree  in the Terai jungle near Dehra. He brought the little cub home to be looked after. Grandmother named him Timothy.

2. What was Timothy’s diet like?

Answer:

At first, Timothy was brought up entirely on milk, but it proved to be too rich for him. So he was put on a diet of raw mutton and cod liver oil. Subsequently, he was allowed a more appetising diet consisting of pigeons and rabbits.

3. What was Timothy’s relationship with the puppy like at first? Did it change subsequently?

Answer:

Timothy at first seemed to be rather scared of the puppy and sprang back if it ventured too close to him. He would sometimes try to swat the puppy with his large forepaws and then retreat to a safe distance. But gradually he overcame his fear and allowed the puppy to climb on his back and rest there.

4. How did the author become Timothy’s favourite when he came to visit his grandparents? How would Timothy stalk the author?

Answer:

The young author became Timothy’s favourite because one of Timothy’s most-liked amusements was to stalk anyone who would play with him.
With a crafty look in his glittering eyes, the tiger would  stealthily creep closer and closer to the author  and suddenly spring upon his feet, then quickly roll over on his back and kick his legs in delight while pretending to bite his ankles.

5. How did the tiger in the cage react to grandfather’s caresses?

Answer:

The tiger in the cage approached the bars and allowed Grandfather to put both his hands around his head and to stroke his forehead, tickle his ears and smack him across the mouth just as he used to do to Timothy before sending him away to the zoo.

6. Who frightened the tiger in the cage?

Answer:

The leopard in the adjoining cage snarled at Timothy and charged at the bars which frightened the tiger and made him retreat to a corner of the cage.

7. What suggestion did Grandfather give to the keeper? Why did Grandfather go in search of the Superintendent of the zoo?

Answer:

Grandfather suggested that the tiger should be moved to a different cage away from the menacing leopard who snarled at the tiger and every now and then rushed at the bars to frighten the tiger.

Grandfather went in search of the Superintendent of the zoo to ask him to change Timothy’s cage, but the Superintendent had gone home early.

8. What did the first keeper tell grandfather about the tiger in the cage?

Answer:

The first keeper was astonished to see the rapport between grandfather and the tiger in the cage. He told Grandfather that he had never been able to touch the tiger because he was so ill-tempered.

9. What did the second keeper tell Grandfather which surprised him very much?

Answer:

Grandfather had been  stroking and slapping Timothy for about five minutes when he noticed a second keeper observing him with evident alarm. When Grandfather asked him to shift Timothy away from the menacing leopard, the keeper told grandfather that Timothy had died of pneumonia two months ago, and the tiger he was carressing had been trapped only a month back and was dangerous.

10. How did Grandfather feel when he was told that the tiger he was petting was dangerous?

Answer:

Grandfather started feeling that the tiger was licking his arm with increasing relish as if in anticipation of his next meal. He felt as if it took him an eternity to withdraw his hand from the cage.

G. Long answer Type Questions

1. What  precautions had to be taken when Timothy was about six months old?

Answer:

When Timothy was about six months old, he gradually became less friendly. He would try to steal away and stalk a cat or someone’s pet dog when he was out for a walk with the author.

Sometimes panicking hens could be heard cackling in the middle of the night and in the morning the tell-tale feathers strewn on the verandah told of the tasty meal Timothy had  enjoyed the night before.

As a precaution he had to be chained up more often. But when he started stalking Mahmoud, the cook, with an evil intent, grandfather decided that it was time to transfer him to a zoo.

2. What happened when Grandfather went to the zoo to visit Timothy in his cage? How did the tiger respond to grandfather’s caresses?

Answer:

Grandfather headed straight to the cage where Timothy was kept. He found the tiger, now full-grown with a magnificent striped coat crouched in the corner. As Grandfather called out his name and put his arm through the bars of the cage, the tiger approached the bars and allowed grandfather to caress his forehead, tickle his ears, and smack him across the mouth when he growled just as he used to do earlier at home. He even reciprocated the caress by licking Grandfather’s hand till the leopard in the adjoining cage snarled at him and made him retreat. The tiger came back to lick Grandfather’s hands when he shooed the leopard away. Every now and then the leopard would charge at the bars and send the tiger back to his corner.

3. What did the first keeper say when he saw the interaction between Grandfather and the tiger?

Answer:

A number of people had gathered to watch the interaction between Grandfather and the tiger. They watched in awe as Grandfather stroked the tiger’s forehead and tickled his ears. He even smacked the tiger on the mouth when it growled just as he would to keep Timothy quiet in the past.

A keeper who observed the easy bonding between grandfather and the tiger pushed his way through the crowd and asked grandfather what he was doing. Grandfather confidently replied that he was talking to Timothy. The keeper expressed his astonishment because he himself had never been able to touch the ill-tempered tiger.

4. What happened when Grandfather went to say goodbye to Timothy?

Answer:

As it began to get dark, Grandfather went back to say goodbye to Timothy.

He had been petting and stroking Timothy for five minutes when he saw that a second keeper was watching him with visible alarm. Grandfather recognised him and  reminded him that he had brought the tiger six months ago. He repeated his suggestion to move Timothy to  another cage away from the obnoxious leopard who kept on threatening Timothy. The keeper then told him the sad news that Timothy had died of pneumonia two months ago. The tiger he was petting had recently been trapped and was dangerous. Grandfather was shocked on hearing the unexpected news. He  felt as if the tiger had started licking his arm with greater relish in anticipation of a meal and withdrew his hand from the cage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) NCERT Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 6 “A Tiger in the House”