A Tiger in the House - Solutions
CBSE Class–7 English
NCERT solution
An Alien Chapter - 9
A Tiger in the House
Page No: 60
Comprehension Check
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.
Ans: The phrase in italics means (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 favourites.
(iii) Timothy had clean habits, ————
Ans: (i) Toto climbed up the curtains when Timothy lost his temper.
(ii) One of Timothy's favourite amusements was to stalk anyone who would play with him, and so, when I came to live with 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.
Page No: 64
Comprehension Check
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.
Ans: Grandmother’s prophecy was that the tiger (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
Ans: The phrase in italics means that (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.
(iv) All passengers in the compartment thought that Timothy was a well-fed and civilised tiger.
Ans: (i) False
(ii) True
(iii) True
(iv) 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.
Ans: The reason was that (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) recognised an old friend.
(iii) smelt fresh food.
Ans: The phrase in italics suggests that Timothy (iii) smelt fresh food.
Page No: 65 Exercises
Answer the following questions.
1. Where was the tiger cub hiding when Grandfather found him?
Ans: Grandfather found the tiger cub was hiding among the intricate roots of a banyan tree.
2. (i) What did Toto do to entertain Timothy?
(ii) What did he do when Timothy lost his temper?
Ans: (i) Toto would tease and pull Timothy by the tail to entertain him.
(ii) Toto climbed up the curtains 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?
Ans: In the statement ‘I’ refers to the narrator of the story, Ruskin Bond. He thought so because the tiger had a crafty look in his glittering eyes crouched his body and crept closer to the author.Suddenly making a dash for his feet, he would roll over on his back and kick with delight, and pretend to bite his ankles . He began to like the narrator.
4. Where was Timothy most comfortable during the day? Where was he during the night?
Ans: Timothy was most comfortable on the long sofa in the drawing room during the day which was his favourite place in the house. He slept at night in the cook’s quarters.
5. What was Grandmother’s prophecy about the cook? Did it come true?
Ans: Grandmother's prophecy about the cook was that one day Timothy would be sitting on the cook's bed and would make a meal of the cook with his clothes and shoes left behind. However it didn't come true because grandfather observed that the tiger had begun to stalk Mahmoud about the house with a villainous intent and immediately transferred him to a zoo.
6. What made Grandfather decide to transfer Timothy to the zoo?
Ans: When Timothy was about six months old, he grew less friendly. When the author would take him out for a walk, he would try to steal away to stalk a cat or someone’s pet dog. Sometimes at night they heard frenzied cackling from the poultry house, and in the morning, feathers were found lying all over the verandah. And finally, when he began to stalk Mahmoud about the house with a villainous intent, grandfather decide to transfer Timothy to the zoo.
7. Why did Grandfather want Timothy to be put in another enclosure?
Ans: A leopard in the next cage snarled at Timothy. Every time, the leopard would rush at the bars and Timothy had to slink back to his corner. So, Grandfather wanted Timothy to be put in another enclosure.
8. What shocked Grandfather in the end?
Ans: Grandfather visited the zoo after six months to see Timothy and went straight to the cage where he was put in . Grandfather had asked the keeper to transfer Timothy to another cage, he said that the tiger in the cage was not Timothy. He was informed by the zoo keeper that his tiger Timothy had died two months ago, which shocked him in the end.
Discuss the following topics in groups.
1. Shoot animals with a camera, not with a gun.
2. Keeping pets helps us become more loving and tolerant. It also helps us respect life in any form. Do you agree?
3. Have you heard of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)? What do they do?
Ans: 1. Nature`s our best teacher in life . The flora and fauna ,it`s diversity as great learning in it. By hunting them for sport or food is cruelty and thereby create imbalance in the ecosystem.
2. I totally agree with this. When children are introduced to pets at an earlier age they are used to treating them with empathy and compassion. They take care of their hunger, thirst and other needs. They respect and love their furry friends and life in any form.
3. The SPCA protects animals in danger and provides shelter for stray, orphaned animals. They offer pet care, treatment, medicines and prevent cruelty towards animals and deals with animal adoption
