Chapter 4: The Ashes that Made Trees Bloom

English
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Chapter 4: The Ashes that Made Trees Bloom

Class: VII

Exercise number-1

Question 1

Why did the neighbours kill the dog?

Answer 1

To find a treasure the neighbours hauled the dog around their garden. The dog started scratching the ground near a pine tree and with a hope to find treasure, the neighbours dug happily. They became very angry at the dog when they saw nothing except a dead kitten. They kicked and beat it to death because it didn’t help them in finding a treasure.

Question 2

Mark the right item.
(i) The old farmer and his wife loved the dog
(a) because it helped them in their day-to-day work.
(b) as if it was their own baby.
(c) as they were kind to all living beings.
(ii) When the old couple became rich, they
(a) gave the dog better food.
(b) invited their greedy neighbours to a feast.
(c) lived comfortably and were generous towards their poor neighbours.
(iii) The greedy couple borrowed the mill and the mortar to make
(a) rice pastry and bean sauce.
(b) magic ash to win rewards.
(c) a pile of gold.

Answer 2

(i) The old farmer and his wife loved the dog as if it was their own baby.
(ii) When the old couple became rich, they lived comfortably and were generous towards their poor neighbours.
(iii) The greedy couple borrowed the mill and the mortar to make a pile of gold.

Question 1

The old farmer is a kind person. What evidence of his kindness do you find in the first two paragraphs?

Answer 1

The old farmer loved his dog very much as if it was his own baby. He fed it with everything he wanted like fish with his own chopsticks and he wanted the boiled rice so he fed him that too. He was a kind person, patient and was kind to everything that had a life. To give food to the birds, he often dug up a sod purposely.

Question 2

What did the dog do to lead the farmer to the hidden gold?

Answer 2

The dog ran and came to the farmer, put its paws again his legs and motioned with its head to show a spot behind. The farmer thought that it was only playing with him and did not mind it. However, the dog kept on whining and running to and fro for few minutes. Then the farmer noticed and followed it a few yards, where the dog started scratching the ground. The farmer thought that there was something like a bone or a bit of fish buried but he actually found a pile of gold.

Question 3

(i) How did the spirit of the dog help the farmer first?
(ii) How did it help him next?

Answer 3

(i)  The spirit of the dog asked the farmer to cut the pine tree over its grave and make a mortar from if for rice pastry and a mill for bean sauce. The farmer did whatever the spirit of the dog asked him to do. Close to the New Year, the farmer wanted to make some rice pastry. Firstly, he kept the rice to boil and after this, his wife mixed the boiled rice with the mortar and he pounded the mass into the dough. After this, the pastry was ready to bake and the whole mass turned into a heap of gold coins. Similarly, in the hand-mill when the beans were ground, gold started dropping like rain and the tub that was kept under the mill was filled with gold in a few minutes.

(ii) Informing the farmer regarding his wicked neighbours that they have burnt the hand-mill, the spirit of the dog asked the farmer to go and take the ashes of the mill and to make the trees bloom, sprinkle the ashes on withered trees. When the old man did so, he realized that the words of the spirit were indeed true. Also when a pinch of the ashes were sprinkled on the bare cherry tree in his garden, the tree sprouted blossoms. Later, for making an old withered cherry tree blossom once again, he was rewarded by the daimio.

Question 4

Why did the daimio reward the farmer but punish his neighbour for the same act?

Answer 4

For making an old withered cherry tree blossom once again, the farmer was rewarded by the daimio. By seeing all this, the farmer’s greedy neighbour also did the same as the farmer did by sprinkling the ashes over a withered cherry tree but the result turned out to be different this time. The tree did not blossom and as the wind blows, the dust went into the noses and eye of the daimio and his wife. This was the reason behind the punishment of the greedy neighbour.

Question 1

Read the following paragraph and frame Questions on the italicized phrases. Anil is in school. I am in school too. Anil is sitting in the left row. He is reading a book. Anil’s friend is sitting in the second row. He is sharpening his pencil. The teacher is writing on the blackboard. Children are writing in their copybooks. Some children are looking out of the window.
(i) ____________
(ii) _________
(iii) __________________
(iv) ________________
(v) _______________
(vi) ________________
(vii) ________________

Answer 1

(i) Where is Anil?
(ii) Where is Anil sitting?
(iii) What is Anil doing?
(iv) Where is Anil’s friend sitting?
(v) Who is writing on the blackboard?
(vi) What are some children doing?

Question 2

Write appropriate Question words in the blank spaces in the following dialogue.
NEHA: ______________________ did you get this book?
SHEELA: Yesterday morning.
NEHA: ______________________ is your sister crying?
SHEELA: Because she has lost her doll.
NEHA: ______________________ room is this, yours or hers?
SHEELA: It’s ours.
NEHA: ______________________ do you go to school?
SHEELA: We walk to school. It is nearby.

Answer 2

NEHA: When did you get this book?
SHEELA: Yesterday morning.
NEHA: Why is your sister crying?
SHEELA: Because she has lost her doll.
NEHA: Whose room is this, yours or hers?
SHEELA: It’s ours.
NEHA: How do you go to school?
SHEELA: We walk to school. It is nearby.

Question 3

Fill in the blanks with the words given in the box.
how what when where which
(i) My friend lost his chemistry book. Now he doesn’t know _____________ to do and _____________ to look for it.
(ii) There are so many toys in the shops. Neena can’t decide ____________one to buy.
(iii) You don’t know the way to my school. Ask the policeman __________ to get there.
(iv) You should decide soon _______________ to start building your house.
(v) Do you know _____________ to ride a bicycle? I don’t remember ____________and _____________ I learnt it.
(vi) "You should know ________________ to talk and _____________ to keep your mouth shut," the teacher advised Anil.

Answer 3

(i) My friend lost his chemistry book. Now he doesn’t know what to do and where to look for it.
(ii) There are so many toys in the shops. Neena can’t decide which one to buy.
(iii) You don’t know the way to my school. Ask the policeman how to get there.
(iv) You should decide soon where to start building your house.
(v) Do you know how to ride a bicycle? I don’t remember when and where I learnt it.
(vi) "You should know when to talk and when to keep your mouth shut," the teacher advised Anil.

Question 4

Add im- or in- to each of the following words and use them in place of the italicized words in the sentences given below.
Patient Proper Possible Sensitive Competent
(i) The project appears very difficult at first sight but it can be completed if we work very hard.
(ii) He lacks competence. That’s why he can’t keep any job for more than a year.
(iii) "Don’t lose patience. Your letter will come one day," the postman told me.
(iv) That’s not a proper remark to make under the circumstances.
(v) He appears to be without sensitivity. In fact, he is very emotional.

Answer 4

(i) The project appears impossible at first sight but it can be completed if we work very hard.
(ii) He is incompetent. That’s why he can’t keep any job for more than a year.
(iii) "Don’t be impatient. Your letter will come one day," the postman told me.
(iv) That’s an improper remark to make under the circumstances.
(v) He appears to be insensitive. In fact, he is very emotional.

Question 5

Use a, an or the in the blanks.
There was once __________ play which became very successful. _______ famous actor was acting in it. In _____________ play his role was that of _____ aristocrat who had been imprisoned in __________ castle for twenty years. In ________ last act of ________ play someone would come on ________ stage with _______letter which he would hand over to___________ prisoner. Even though ____________ aristocrat was not expected to read ______________ letter at each performance, he always insisted that __________ letter be written out from beginning to end.

Answer 5

There was once a play which became very successful. A famous actor was acting in it. In the play his role was that of an aristocrat who had been imprisoned in a castle for twenty years. In the last act of the play someone would come on the stage with a letter which he would hand over to the prisoner. Even though the aristocrat was not expected to read the letter at each performance, he always insisted that the letter be written out from beginning to end.

Question 6

Encircle the correct article.
A: Would you like (a/an/the) apple or (a/an/the) banana?
B: I’d like (a/an/the) apple, please.
A: Take (a/an/the) red one in (a/an/the) fruit bowl. You may take (a/an/the) orange also, if you like.
B: Which one?
A: (a/an/the) one beside (a/an/the) banana.

Answer 6

A: Would you like an apple or a banana?
B: I’d like an apple, please.
A: Take the red one in the fruit bowl. You may take an orange also, if you like.
B: Which one?
A: The one beside the banana.