NCERT Solutions for Chapter 5 Quality Class 7 English Honeycomb
The lesson 'Quality' by John Galsworthy describes the tragic story of the Gessler brothers who dedicated themselves to the art of bootmaking. Gessler brothers did their work with high quality and dedication. German immigrants set up business on a fashionable London street. The story 'Quality' is about a shoemaker named Gessler whose success is determined by sales and advertisements rather than quality. He is a perfectionist when it comes to his craft, he devotes his life to making shoes that are as fine as any piece of art.
Chapter Name | Quality NCERT Solutions |
Class | CBSE Class 7 |
Textbook Name | Honeycomb |
Related Readings |
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Working with the Text
Question 1: What was the author's opinion about Mr. Gessler as a bootmaker?
Answer:
In the author's opinion, Mr. Gessler's boots were not only beautiful, but also lasted incredibly long. He was an honest, hard-working man who was passionate about his work. Growing up, the author admired the perfection of his boots and had a lot of respect for his craft.
Question 2: Why did the author visit the shop so infrequently?
Answer:
In the beginning, the author rarely visited Mr. Gessler's shop since each pair of his boots lasted a long time. For a new pair every now and then, he did not need to go to him. As time passed, the author moved out of London and did not return for about fifteen years, visiting the boot shop only when he returned to order many pairs of boots at once.
Question 3: What was the effect on Mr. Gessler of the author's remark about a certain pair of boots?
Answer:
The author made a remark about a certain pair of boots that upset Gessler, who offered to replace the boots for a new pair of boots without any charge.
Question 4: What was Mr. Gessler's complaint against "big firms"?
Answer:
Mr. Gessler says big firms lack self-respect. They sold cheap boots that pinched the toe and did not feel ashamed of cheating customers. Big firms were taking away his customers because their advertising was better even if their quality was poor.
Question 5: Why did the author order so many pairs of boots? Did he really need them?
Answer:
The author ordered so many pairs of boots because he felt bad for Mr. Gessler. He did not really need them but he ordered them anyway to help Mr. Gessler make a decent living with his trade which he was losing slowly to big firm.
Working with Language
Question 1: Study the following phrases and their meanings. Use them appropriately to complete the sentences that follow.
(i) After a very long spell of heat, the weather is ____ at last.
(ii) We have no right to ____ people who do small jobs.
(iii) Nitin has always ____ his uncle, who is a self-made man.
(iv) The police are ____ the matter thoroughly.
(v) If you want to go out, I will ____ the children for you.
(vi) I promise to ____ On your brother when I visit Lucknow next.
(vii) ____ when you are crossing the main road.
Answer:
(i) After a very long spell of heat, the weather is looking up at last.
(ii) We have no right to look down upon people who do small jobs.
(iii) Nitin has always looked up to his uncle, who is a self-made man.
(iv) The police are looking into The matter thoroughly.
(v) If you want to go out, I will look after the children for you.
(vi) I promise to look in On your brother when I visit Lucknow next.
(vii) Look out when you are crossing the main road.
Question 2: Read the following sets of words loudly and clearly
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Cot - coat Cost - coast Tossed - toast Got - goat Rot - rote Blot - bloat Knot - note |
Students do it yourself.
Question 3: Each of the following words contains the sound 'sh' (as in shine) in the beginning or in the middle or at the end. First speak out all the words clearly. Then arrange the words in three groups
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Sheep |
trash |
marsh |
fashion |
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anxious |
shriek |
shore |
fish |
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portion |
ashes |
sure |
nation |
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shoe |
pushing |
polish |
moustache |
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Initial
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Medial
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Final
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· Sheep · Shriek · Shore · Sure · Shoe |
· Fashion · Anxious · Portion · Ashes · Nation · Pushing |
· Trash · Marsh · Fish · Polish · Moustache |
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Choose – bench Child – march Cheese – peach Chair – wretch Charming - research |
(i) feature (iv) reaching (vii) riches (ii) archery (v) nature (viii) batch (iii) picture (vi) matches (ix) church
Answer:
(i) feature (iv) reaching (vii) riches (ii) archery (v) nature (viii) batch (iii) picture (vi) matches (ix) church
Speaking
Question 1: Do you think Mr. Gessler was a failure as a bootmaker or as a competitive businessman?
Answer:
I think Mr. Gesseler was a business failure. He was not able to compete against big brands that mass produce cheap machine-made boots and spend large amounts of money on advertising as the owner of a small handmade boots shop.
Question 2: What is the significance of the title? To whom or what does it refer?
Answer:
In the story, the title 'Quality' refers to the commitment to perfection of the main character, Mr Gessler. In his own ways, Mr Gessler was a perfectionist. He used the best leather that would last, would work long hours, and wouldn't let anybody touch the boots to maintain the highest standard of quality and style.
Question 3:
- Notice the way Mr. Gessler speaks English. His English in influenced by his mother tongue. He speaks English with an accent.
- When Mr. Gessler speaks, p, t, k, sound like b, d, g. Can you say these words as Mr. Gessler would say them?
It comes and never stops. Does it bother me? Not at all. Ask my brother, please.
Answer:
In the tone of Mr. Gessler, "Id come and never stops. Does id bother me? Nod ad all. Ask my rudder, please".
No, it does not bother me at all.
Question 4: Speak to five adults in your neighbourhood. Ask them the following questions (in any language they are comfortable in). Then come back and share your findings with the class.
(i) Do they buy their provisions packed in plastic packets at a big store, or loose, from a smaller store near their house?
(ii) Where do they buy their footwear? Do they buy branded footwear, or footwear made locally? What reasons do they have for their preference?
(iii) Do they buy ready-made clothes, or buy cloth and get their clothes stitched by a tailor? Which do they think is better?
Answer:
(i) All five of them buy their provisions in plastic packets at a big store since they all work five days a week and go to the mall to buy provisions once a month on a Saturday or a Sunday.
(ii) They buy usually branded footwear because it is more durable but they sometimes buy handmade footwear if it is ethnic and pretty.
(iii) They buy both ready-made clothes as well as buy cloth and get their clothes stitched by a tailor. I thinking buying ready-made clothes is better because one can wear it the same day as they buy and do not have to wait to get them stitched to fit.
Question 5: Look at the picture.
Let pairs of students talk to each other about leaving the country. One student repeats Ajit's statement. The other gives a reason for not agreeing with Ajit. The sentence openings given below should be used.
- If I leave this country, I'll miss ____
- There are some things which you can get only here, for example ____.
- There are some special days I'll miss, particularly ____.
- Most of all I'll miss ____because____.
- I think it's impossible for me to leave my country because ____.
- How can you leave your own country except when ____
- Depends on one's intention. I can't leave for good because ____
- Maybe for a couple of years ____.
Answer:
- If I leave this country, I'll miss the food.
- There are some things which you can get only here, for example pickled lemons.
- There are some special days I'll miss, particularly Holi.
- Most of all I'll miss my home because I grew up there.
- I think it's impossible for me to leave my country because I cannot live without my family.
- How can you leave your own country except when there is threat to one's life?
- Depends on one's intention. I can't leave for good because I belong here.
- Maybe for a couple of years I will go abroad to study and then come back here to work.
Writing
Question 1: Based on the following points write a story :
- Your aunt has gone to her mother's house.
- Your uncle does his cooking.
- He is absent-minded.
- He puts vegetables on the stove.
- He begins to clean his bicycle outside.
- The neighbour calls out saying something is burning.
- Your uncle rushes to the kitchen.
- To save vegetables, he puts some oil on them.
- Unfortunately, it's machine oil, not cooking oil.
- What do you think happens to the vegetables?
Answer:
My aunt is adorable. She is short & plum and smiles constantly. She was a teacher but gave up teaching at school because standing for too long hurt her back. Now she teaches neighbourhood kids at home after school and does all the cooking and cleaning for my uncle who is an absent-minded mathematics professor at the university. One day, my aunt had gone to her mother's place for a short visit when my uncle decided to make lunch for himself. After putting some chopped vegetables on the stove, he went outside to clean his bicycle in the yard. It was only when the neighbour, passing by his yard, shouted to him that something was burning that he remembered the vegetables. He rushed in and panicked observing the smoke rising from the pan. He quickly poured some oil into the pan to salvage what was left of the vegetables. Unfortunately, it was machine oil for his bicycle, and not cooking oil. That afternoon my uncle had only bread for lunch.
Trees - Working with the Poem
Question 1: What are the games or human activities which use trees, or in which trees also participate"?
Answer:
Trees are used by humans for a variety of activities including building tree houses, swings, children playing hide-and-seek around them, and people enjoying tea parties in the shade during the summer.
Question 2:
(A) "Trees are to make no shade in winter." What does this mean? (Contrast this line with the line immediately before it.)
Answer:
"Tresses are not to make shade in winter" should be understood as meaning people don't need trees for shade in winter since it's cold and damp. In this poem, the poet contrasts summer, when trees provide welcome shade from the hot sun, with winter, when trees become redundant.
(B) "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:
In other words, trees bear fruit as one of their many functions. A tree provides shade, shelters birds, purifies air, prevents soil erosion, and causes rain. Humans are highly dependent on trees for a comfortable life, so this is not humorous.
Question 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. Trees are for birds to build nests in.
Trees are for people to sit under.
________
Now try to compose a similar poem about water, or air.
Answer:
- Trees are for birds to build nests in.
- Trees are for people to sit under.
- Trees are for holding soil together
- Trees are for bringing rain clouds
- Now the similar poem is
- Water is to drink
- Water is to clean
- Water is for fishes to swim
- Water is to make paper boats float.