NCERT Solutions for Chapter 8 Fire: Friend and Foe Class 7 English Honeycomb
Fire must have been a mystery to an early man, but it is now known that it is a result of chemical reactions that create fire. A fire is defined as an event that occurs when oxygen present in the air combines with carbon and hydrogen present in a fuel, releasing energy in the form of heat and light, and this is what we call fire. Fire: Friend and Foe explains how fire can be good and bad in the same way. In the event that we allow the fire to take control of things, it is our worst enemy. Fire, despite its cruel nature, is the cause of many deaths every year due to its cruel nature. A significant aspect of this story is that the title refers to several different attributes of fire, both as a friend and a foe.
Chapter Name | Fire: Friend and Foe NCERT Solutions |
Class | CBSE Class 7 |
Textbook Name | Honeycomb |
Related Readings |
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Comprehension Check
Question 1: Mark the correct answer in each of the following.
(i) Early man was frightened of
(a) lightning and volcanoes.
(b) the damage caused by them.
(c) fire.
(ii) (a) Fire is energy.
(b) Fire is heat and light.
(c) Fire is the result of a chemical reaction.
Answer:
(i) (c) fire.
(ii) (c) Fire is the result of a chemical reaction.
Question 2: From the boxes given below choose the one with the correct order of the following sentences.
(i) That is fire.
(ii) A chemical reaction takes place
(iii) Energy in the form of heat and light is released.
(iv) Oxygen combines with carbon and hydrogen.
- (i)(ii) (iii) (iv)
- (ii) (iii) (i) (iv)
- (iv) (iii) (ii) (i)
- (iv) (ii) (iii) (i)
Answer:
4. (iv) (ii) (iii) (i)
The correct order is: Oxygen combines with carbon and hydrogen. A chemical reaction takes place. Energy in the form of heat and light is released. That is fire.
Working with the Text
Question 1: What do you understand by the 'flash point' of a fuel?
Answer:
"Flash point" refers to the temperature at which a fuel starts to burn. This temperature is different for different substances. The 'flash point' of a fuel is also called the 'kindling temperature'.
Question 2:
(A) What are some common uses of fire?
Answer:
The common uses of fire are as follows:
- It is necessary to use fire for cooking.
- In the winter, we also use fire to keep our homes warm.
- By burning coal, fire can also produce electricity.
- It is used to light up the surrounding area with fire.
- The waste materials are burned using fire.
(B) In what sense is it a "bad master""?
Answer:
Fire has a lot of benefits for us, but if it gets out of control, it can be a very bad master. In the event of a fire getting out of control, thousands of shops and homes are damaged, large areas of forests have also been destroyed, and hundreds of people are injured or killed. Fire could be considered a "bad master" if it caused so much destruction to the environment and mankind because it does whatever it wants and is hard to control.
Question 3: Match items in Column A with those in Column B:
|
A |
B |
|
(i) Fuel |
lighted matchstick |
|
(ii) oxygen |
air |
|
(iii) heat |
coal |
|
|
Burning coal |
|
|
wood |
|
|
Smouldering paper |
|
|
Cooking gas. |
The matched terms are as follows:
|
A |
B |
|
(i) Fuel |
Coal, Wood¸ Cooking Gas |
|
(ii) oxygen |
Air |
|
(iii) heat |
Lighten matchstick, Burning coal, smouldering paper |
Answer:
The three essential components of the fire are as follows:
- Fuel
- Oxygen
- Heat
Therefore, fire can be controlled by taking away one of these three things or all three things away. Here are the methods to stop fire:
By taking away the fuel. There can be no burning if there is no fuel to feed the fire. This is one of the easiest and most common ways to put out a fire.
A fire can also be put out by preventing oxygen from reaching it. You can put out a small fire with a damp blanket or sack. As a result, no oxygen means no fire.
In addition to removing the heat, you can stop the fire by lowering the temperature under the flash point. The flash point can be brought down by spraying water.
Question 5: Match the items in Box A with those in Box B:
Box - A
(i) To burn paper or a piece of wood
(ii) Small fires can be put out
(iii) When water is spread on fire,
(iv) A carbon dioxide extinguisher is the best thing
(v) Space left between buildings
Box - B
- It absorbs heat from the burning material and Lowers the temperature
- Reduces the risk of fire.
- With a damp blanket.
- We heat it before it catches fire.
- To put out an electrical fire.
Answer:
|
i) To burn paper or a piece of wood |
we heat it before it catches fire. |
|
ii) Small fires can be put out |
with a damp blanket |
|
iii) When water is spread on fire |
it absorbs heat from the burning material and lower the temperature |
|
iii) A carbon dioxide extinguisher is the best thing |
to put out an electrical fire |
|
v) spaces left between buildings |
reduce the risk of fire. |
Question 6: Why does a burning candle go out when you blow on it?
Answer:
Burning candles are blown out to remove the hot air around them, which takes the temperature below the flash point. As a result, the candle goes out because there is not enough heat to keep it burning.
Question 7: Spraying water is not a good way of putting out an oil fire or an electrical fire? Why not?
Answer:
Spraying water on an oil fire won't put it out because oil is lighter than water and will float on it, continuing to burn. It can be very dangerous because water can escape quickly carrying burning oil, leading to disaster. In the same way, water should never be used on fires caused by electrical appliances because water is an excellent conductor of electricity, so spraying water on a fire could result in an electric shock. The best fire extinguisher is one that works on oil and electrical fires. It is effective and safe to use.
Question 8: What are some of the things you should do to prevent a fire at home and in the school?
Answer:
Fire prevention at home and school can be done in the following ways:
- Fire risks can be reduced by leaving spaces between buildings.
- Fire prevention norms must be observed by every building.
- Water should be available in case a fire breaks out so that it can be put out with water.
- The fireplace should not be surrounded by easily flammable materials.
- Schools and homes must have sand buckets and fire extinguishers.
Working with Language
Question 1: Read the following sentences.
To burn paper or a piece of wood, we heat it before it catches fire. We generally do it with a lighted match. Every fuel has a particular temperature at which it burns.
The verbs in italics are in the simple present tense. When we use it, we are not thinking only about the present. We use it to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general. Find ten examples of verbs in the simple present tense in the text 'Fire: Friend and Foe' and write them down here.
Do not include any passive verbs.
______
Answer:
The verbs required are as below:
Comes combines absorbs blow means allow catches lowers stops cuts burns.
Question 2: Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with the words in the box. You may use a word more than once.
(i) Gandhi's life was devoted to the ____ of justice and fair play.
(ii) Have you insured your house against ____?
(iii) Diamond is nothing but ____ In its pure form.
(iv) If you put too much coal on the fire at once you will ____ it.
(v) Smoking is said to be the main ____ of heart disease.
(vi) When asked by an ambitious writer whether he should put some ____ Into his stories, Somerset Maugham murmured, "No, the other way round."
(vii) She is a ____ copy of her mother.
(viii) It is often difficult to ____ A yawn when you listen to a long speech on the value of time.
Answer:
(i) Gandhi's life was devoted to the cause of justice and fair play.
(ii) Have you insured your house against fire?
(iii) Diamond is nothing but carbon in its pure form.
(iv) If you put too much coal on the fire at once you will smother it.
(v) Smoking is said to be the main cause of heart disease.
(vi) When asked by an ambitious writer whether he should put some fire. Into his stories, Somerset Maugham murmured, "No, the other way round."
(vii) She is a carbon copy of her mother.
(viii) It is often difficult to smother. A yawn when you listen to a long speech on the value of time.
Question 3: One word is italicised in each sentence. Find its opposite in the box and fill in the blanks.
Spending; shut; destroy, subtract; increase
(i) You were required to keep all the doors open, not ____
(ii) Pupil: What mark did I get in yesterday's Maths test?
Teacher: You got what you get when you add five and five and ____ ten from the total.
(iii) Run four kilometre a day to preserve your health. Run a lot more to ____ it.
(iv) If a doctor advises a lean and lanky patient to reduce his weight further, be sure he is doing it to ____ His income.
(v) The world is too much with us; late and soon. Greeting and ____ we lay waste our powers.
Answer:
(i) You were required to keep all the doors open, not shut
(ii) Pupil: What mark did I get in yesterday's Maths test?
Teacher: You got what you get when you add five and five and subtract ten from the total.
(iii) Run four kilometre a day to preserve your health. Run a lot more to destroy it.
(iv) If a doctor advises a lean and lanky patient to reduce his weight further, be sure he is doing it to increase His income.
(v) The world is too much with us; late and soon.
Greeting and spending we lay waste our powers.
Question 4: Use the words given in the box to fill in the blanks in the sentences below.
Across; along; past; through
(i) The cat chased the mouse ____ the lawn.
(ii) We were not allowed to cross the frontier. So we drove ____ It as far we could and came back happy.
(iii) The horse went ____ the winning post and had to be stopped with difficulty.
(iv) It is not difficult to see ____ your plan. Anyone can see your motive.
(v) Go ____ The yellow line, then turn left. You will reach the post office in five minutes.
Answer:
(i) The cat chased the mouse across the lawn.
(ii) We were not allowed to cross the frontier. So, we drove along It as far we could and came back happy.
(iii) The horse went past the winning post and had to be stopped with difficulty.
(iv) It is not difficult to see through your plan. Anyone can see your motive.
(v) Go along the yellow line, then turn left. You will reach the post office in five minutes.
Speaking and Writing
Question 1: Look at the following three units. First, re-order the items in each unit to make a meaningful sentence. Next, re-order the sentences to make a meaningful paragraph. Use correct punctuation marks in the paragraph.
(i) and eighteen fire tenders struggled/the fire began on Monday/to douse the blaze till morning
(ii) in a major fire/over 25 shops/were gutted
(iii) but property/was destroyed/worth several lakhs/no casualties were reported
Answer:
The fire began on Monday and eighteen fire tenders struggled to douse the blaze till morning.
In a major fire, over 25 shops were gutted.
No casualties were reported but property worth several lakhs was destroyed.
In a major fire, over 25 shops were gutted. No casualties were reported but property worth several lakhs was destroyed. The fire began on Monday and eighteen fire tenders struggled to douse the blaze till morning.
Meadow Surprises - Working with the Poem
Question 1: Read the lines in which the following phrases occur. Then discuss with your partner the meaning of each phrase in its context.
(i) velvet grass
(ii) drinking straws
(iii) meadow houses
(iv) amazing mound
(v) fuzzy head
Answer:
(i) velvet grass: This is a soft and smooth grass in the meadow that is as soft as velvet.
(ii) drinking straws: drinking straws here means that the butterflies are drinking the nectar from the flowers and appear to use a straw for it.
(iii) Meadow houses: Meadow houses are one of a number of different types of houses that are constructed in the meadows. There are many types of animals, like burrows, nests, holes, nests, and mounds, that live in these houses as well as many birds, insects, and other creatures.
(iv) amazing mound: In this instance the mound is called incredible because the ants have created it in such a beautiful way because they want to live in a perfect and nice place.
(v) fuzzy head: A fuzzy head refers to the heads of the yellow flower, which have a beautiful texture and a stunning appearance.
Question 2: Which line in the poem suggests that you need a keen eye and a sharp ear to enjoy a meadow? Read aloud the stanza that contains this line.
Answer:
In this line, it is said that if you look and listen closely, you may also find them on your own. I think what it means is that if you listen attentively to the poem with a good deal of interest, you will also be able to feel and experience what the poem has described.