Solutions To NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Unit 5 Poem “Trees”

Hello students and welcome to our solutions on Honeycomb Unit 5 – Poem, “Trees” by Shirley Bauer. Our English experts trained both in India and overseas, have addressed whatever problems you might have in understanding this poem.

Find Solutions to NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Unit 5 Poem ‘Trees’, here.

Working with the Poem

1. What are the games or human activities which use trees, or in which trees also ‘participate’?

Answer:

Some games and human activities which use trees and in which trees also participate are as follows:

• Children swing from trees
• Tree houses are built on trees for children to play in
• Hide and seek is an enjoyable game to play around trees
• People have tea parties under trees
• Fruits like apples and pears and so much more are plucked from fruit -bearing trees
• People rest in the cool shade provided by trees during the summer
• Some choose trees as their subject to paint pretty pictures
• Raking and clearing the dry fallen leaves shed by the trees in the fall is a tedious activity.
  
  

 2. (i) “Trees are to make no shade in winter.” What does this mean? (Contrast this line with the line immediately before it.)

Answer:

Trees provide cool shade which shelters many from the scorching sun in summer. But during winter, some shed their leaves to preserve moisture so they are not able to provide shade. Since people do not need protection from the milder rays of the winter sun, the author humorously suggests that “trees are to make no shade in winter” as if they have been forbidden to do so.

(ii) “Trees are for apples to grow on, or pears.” Do you agree that one purpose of a tree is to have fruit on it? Or do you think this line is humorous?

Answer:

Yes, I agree that one purpose of a tree is to bear fruits and to propagate its kind. Trees provide food for birds, animals and human beings. They also serve multiple other purposes. But the poet humorously plays on words to suggest that trees exist so that apples and pears have a place to grow on.

3. With the help of your partner, try to rewrite some lines in the poem or add new ones of your own, as in the following examples.

Answer:

Poem about trees

Trees are for children to climb on.

Trees are for poets to wonder.

Trees are for bees to build hives on.

Trees are for fruits to plunder.

Poem about Air

Air is for the wings to lift high.

Air is for clouds to float by.

Air is for fans to spin

Air is for fresh breath to win.

Poem about Water

Water is for fish to play in.

Water is for the living to drink.

Water is for boats to float in.

Water is for lead to sink.

Extra Questions for NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb Unit 5 – Poem – ‘Trees’

A. Multiple Choice type Questions

Choose the correct option:

1. How can trees benefit birds?

(i) birds can build nests on trees
(ii) birds can perch on the branches to rest
(iii) birds can feed on fruit of trees
(iv) All of the above

2. In what ways can trees delight children?

(i) Children can enjoy playing hide and seek around trees.
(ii) Children can play in tree houses built on trees.
(iii) Children delight in swinging from trees.
(iv) All of the above

3. How do trees help in summer?

(i) By growing delicious mangoes
(ii) by providing cool shade
(iii) by providing cool breeze as the wind blows through.
(iv) Both (ii) and (iii)

4. Why are trees chopped down?
(i) To clear land for agriculture
(ii) to make big playgrounds
(iii) for timber
(iv) None of the above

5.Why aren’t fathers too happy in winter?
(i) because trees do not give shade
(ii) because trees shed leaves
(iii) they have to rake up the leaves which is bothersome work
(iv) Both (ii) and (iii)

Answer:

1. (iv) All of the above
2. (iv) All of the above
3. (iv) Both (ii) and (iii)
4. (iii) for timber
5. (iv) Both (ii) and (iii)

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

leaves	wind	houses	call	summer
through	make	shade	rake	chop

1.Trees are to ______ tree ________in.

2.Trees are for the _____ to blow _______.

3. “What a lot of _______to _______this fall!”

4. Trees are for cool _______ in  _________.

5.Trees are to ______down and _____, “TIMBER-R-R!”

Answer:

1.Trees are to make tree houses in.

2.Trees are for the wind to blow through.

3. “What a lot of leaves to rake this fall!”

4. Trees are for cool shade in summer.

5.Trees are to chop down and call, “TIMBER-R-R!”

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

A	B
Trees are to hide	swings on.
Trees are to swing	apples to grow on, and pears:
Trees are to have	“What a lovely picture to paint!”
Trees are for	behind in ‘Hide and Seek.’
Trees make mothers say	tea-parties under.

Answer:

A	B
Trees are to hide	behind in ‘Hide and Seek.’
Trees are to swing	swings on.
Trees are to have	tea-parties under.
Trees are for	apples to grow on, and pears:
Trees make mothers say	“What a lovely picture to paint!”

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

1. Children are happy to see kites caught in trees.

2. Fathers enjoy raking leaves in winter.

3. Mothers admire the beauty of trees.

4. Children swing on trees, play in tree houses and enjoy a game of hide and seek.

5. People chop trees down because timber is useful.

Answer:

1. False – children are sad to see their kites caught in trees as they tear and cannot be flown further.

2. False – Fathers find raking leaves burdensome. Also, they rake leaves in the fall, not in winter.

3.True

4.True

5. True

E.  Very Short Answer type Questions:

 1. How do children use trees to amuse themselves?

Answer:

Children amuse themselves by swinging on trees, and playing hide and seek by hiding behind trees.

2. What are tree houses?

Answer:

 Tree houses are houses made on trees with wood.

3. How are trees beneficial in summer?

Answer:

Trees provide cool shade which save people from the scorching summer sun and also by providing cool breeze as the wind blows through rustling their leaves.

4. Who enjoy having tea-parties under trees?

Answer:

Adults enjoy having tea-parties under trees.

5. How are trees useful for birds?

Answer:

Birds perch on trees to rest, build nests in trees to lay eggs in, and feed on the fruits of trees.

6. Which activity is hampered by trees?

Answer:

Flying kites is hampered by trees because low-flying kites are likely to get caught in the branches and tear while trying to disentangle them.

8. Are trees useful for human beings only?

Answer:

No, birds and animals are also dependent on trees for shelter and sustenance.

9. What do mothers admire about trees?

Answer:

 Mothers admire the physical beauty of trees.

10. Why are trees cut down?

Answer:

Trees are cut down for timber’

F. Short Answer Type Questions:

1. How do fathers feel about fallen leaves? Can you think of ways these leaves can be used?

Answer:

Fathers are not too happy about fallen leaves in autumn because raking them is hard and tedious work. Dry leaves may be used to make very good compost for the garden. They may also be burned as fuel.

2. What happens when the wind blows through trees?

Answer:

When the wind blows through trees, the branches sway in the wind and the leaves flutter causing a cool breeze which is soothing for those who are around trees.

3. What is timber? What are its uses?

Answer:

When trees are chopped down, the wood is called timber. Timber is used as building material and for making furniture and artefacts. It is also used to build houses, boats, carts, carriages etc.

4. What is the difference between the attitude of mothers and fathers to trees in the fall?

Answer:

Mothers enjoy the beautiful sight of leaves changing colours in the fall. They take on shades of yellow, orange, red and brown before they are shed. Mothers think their beauty should be captured in a lovely painting. While fathers think of the practical aspect of having to rake and remove the fallen leaves which carpet the ground.

G. Long answer Type Questions:

1. What according to the poet are the benefits of trees?

 Answer:

The poet talks about the importance of trees in our daily lives. Trees sustain all forms of living beings. Birds feed on the fruit of trees and build nests to lay their eggs away from prying eyes.

Trees are also an integral part of human life. Children play in tree houses constructed for them on trees. They also delight in swinging from the branches and enjoy playing ‘Hide and Seek” by hiding behind tree trunks. Adults like to meet for tea under the relaxing trees.

Trees provide cool shade in summer to give relief to people from the scorching sun. When the wind blows through trees, the branches sway in the wind and the leaves flutter causing a cool breeze which is soothing for those who are nearby.

 In winter, trees shed their leaves as if obligingly since shade is not needed because the sunrays are milder in winter.                                                               

Trees provide us with refreshing fruits like apples and pears and many other varieties.

 Even when trees are chopped, they provide precious timber for construction, for making furniture, boats, carts.

Trees give us oxygen and absorb carbon di-oxide during photosynthesis (process of preparing food by trees).

Thus, we see that trees are extremely beneficial to us and we should take care to plant more trees around us, nurture them and protect them.

2. Can you name some trees and mention how the benefit us?

Answer:

Some trees which benefit us are:

The banyan tree spreads it branches wide and provides cool and pleasant shade to tired people. In many villages the panchayat meetings are held under banyan trees.

The neem tree is useful because neem oil is used to cure skin diseases such as ulcers and ringworm. The leaves are also applied in the form of poultices and are recommended for boils and eczema. The twigs of the neem tree are used to clean teeth.

Mango trees give us delicious fruits.

Each part of the banana tree is edible and good for health. The flowers, the fruits as well as the tender part of the trunks are consumed by people and the leaves are used as plates to serve food.

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