English Poorvi Class 7 My Brother’s Great Invention Question & Answers

Let us discuss

Page No. 94

I. Complete the cause-and-effect table given below.

Answer:

II. Do you think Anand was able to keep his promise regarding the time machine? If yes, why? If no, why not?

Answer: No, Anand was not able to keep his promise regarding the time machine. Although he promised his mother half-heartedly not to do anything with the time machine while his parents were away, the situation with the intruder, Boppa, led to the machine being activated. When Boppa entered Anand’s room—where the time machine was set up—strange noises like a crash, muffled thumps, an eerie whine, and a humming sound were heard, which Anand recognized as the time machine starting. This indicates that the machine was used, even if unintentionally, breaking his promise due to the unexpected circumstances.

Let us discuss

page No. 98

Arrange the following events in the correct order of occurrence.

1. The door swings open, and they see Boppa, standing there with an evil grin.

Answer: (Anita hears noises at the door and wakes Anand to alert him.)

2. Boppa is nowhere to be found, but his green scarf is lying near the time machine.

Answer: (The door opens, revealing Boppa, the intruder, who threatens them.)

3. Mrs. Sharma, her husband, and Dr. Mohan unlock the door and enter the house to help the children.

Answer: (Anand tricks Boppa by directing him to his own room, where the time machine is, to buy time.)

4. Anita wakes Anand up, informing him that someone is trying to get into the house.

Answer: (After hearing the children’s shouts, the neighbors arrive, unlock the door, and enter to help.)

5. Anand misleads Boppa into entering his room instead of his father’s room.

Answer: (When they check Anand’s room, Boppa has disappeared, leaving only his green scarf behind near the time machine.)

Let us think and reflect

Page No. 99

I. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

1. Before beginning this story, let me put you in the picture. I am Anita, fourteen years old. My brother Anand, one year younger than me, caused all that hoo-ha with his burglar alarm. The trouble with him is that he thinks he is a scientist. He loves tinkering with all sorts of electrical gadgets, tools, dynamos, planks of wood, and things like that. And he keeps creating ‘inventions’ that never work out as they are supposed to.

(i) Complete the following sentence suitably by choosing the correct option from those given in the brackets.

When Anita says, “…let me put you in the picture”, she wants to _________ (introduce/summarise) the situation for the benefit of the readers.

Answer: introduce

(ii) Anand loves ‘tinkering’ with all sorts of electrical gadgets. This means that he enjoys _________ gadgets.
A. dismantling and creating B. labelling or naming
C. repairing or improving D. collecting and displaying

Answer: A. dismantling and creating

(iii) Which of the following options most suitably describes Anand’s personality?
A. methodical and cautious B. creative and experimental
C. energetic and hasty D. shy and reserved

Answer: B. creative and experimental

(iv) Based on the extract, compare what Anita thinks of her brother Anand with what he thinks of himself.

Answer: Anita thinks of Anand as someone whose inventions always fail, describing them as never working out as they are supposed to, and sees his antics as troublesome, often causing chaos, like the incident with the burglar alarm. She views his self-perception as a scientist with skepticism, implying he’s more of a troublemaker than a real scientist. On the other hand, Anand thinks of himself as a scientist, taking pride in his creations and using terms like “blueprint” to feel professional, which shows he believes he is capable and innovative, despite the frequent failures Anita points out.

2. I was about to direct him upstairs, when Anand said quickly,

“The one next to this one.”
“You silly goose!” I said angrily as soon as the man had gone.
“That’s your room. He’ll come back as mad as mad can be.”
“At least it will give us some time to think of something,” Anand said. “He’ll take a while to locate the light switch. Let’s shout.” All of a sudden there was a crash followed by a loud scream. More strange noises emerged from the next room—a few muffled thumps, an eerie whine, and a low, humming sound.

(i) Complete the sentence given below with a suitable reason.
Anita was angry with Anand because ____________.

Answer: Anita was angry with Anand because he misled Boppa into entering his own room, where the time machine was, instead of their father’s room, which could make Boppa angrier when he realized the deception and potentially put them in more danger.

(ii) Which action of Anand shows his presence of mind?

Answer: Anand’s presence of mind is shown when he quickly misleads Boppa by directing him to his own room instead of their father’s room, saying, “The one next to this one.” This quick thinking buys them time to plan their next move, as Anand notes, “At least it will give us some time to think of something.”

(iii) What might be the cause of the strange noises emerging from the next room?
A. The intruder moving furniture around
B. Anand’s time machine getting activated
C. The intruder locating the light switch
D. Anand’s invention malfunctioning

Answer: B. Anand’s time machine getting activated

(iv) Which of the following best describes the atmosphere in this extract?
A. relaxing B. peaceful C. tense D. sad
E. suspenseful F. joyful
(a) A, D and E (b) B and F (c) C and E (d) Only D

Answer: (c) C and E

II. Complete the table with the suitable traits of the characters based non evidence from the text. Choose the traits given in the box below. An example has been done for you.

III. Answer the following questions.

1. What prompted Anand to create the burglar alarm?

Answer: Anand was prompted to create the burglar alarm because there had been a rush of thefts in the colony, and he believed that a burglar alarm was needed to protect their home.

2. How did Anand’s father become the target of the burglar alarm?

Answer: Anand’s father became the target of the burglar alarm because Anand had rigged it to activate when the door was opened softly, and Papa always opened the door gently. When Papa returned home and opened the door, the alarm triggered, causing a water bag to fall on him, leaving him soaked and angry.

3. How did Anand’s parents and sister react to his ideas?

Answer: Anand’s father was often frustrated and skeptical, as seen when he got angry after the burglar alarm incident and firmly said “NO” to trying the time machine. His mother was more sympathetic but cautious, showing concern by making Anand promise not to use the time machine while they were away, though she also felt bad for his disappointment. Anita, his sister, was doubtful and reluctant, warning Anand not to involve her in trouble and expressing skepticism about the alarm’s effectiveness, though she still got involved in his schemes.

4. How did Anand behave when he was on his ‘inventing binges’?

Answer: When Anand was on his inventing binges, he became completely absorbed in his projects, transforming his room into a chaotic workspace filled with wires, springs, levers, and bulbs. He worked frantically, engaging in activities like hammering, sawing, and clattering, and neglected his appearance, not even combing his hair when his mother wasn’t watching. He also became secretive, not letting anyone into his room, and went around looking like a “savage” while focusing intensely on his creations.

5. Why did Mr. Sharma not believe Anand when he spoke about his time machine?

Answer: Mr. Sharma did not believe Anand because he thought Anand had an overactive imagination, as he remarked, “What an imagination this boy has!” Additionally, the idea of a time machine seemed far-fetched, and since Boppa’s disappearance could be explained more logically (like him possibly escaping), Mr. Sharma dismissed Anand’s claim that the time machine had worked and sent Boppa into the past.

6. Give an ending to this story, explaining what might have happened to Boppa.

Answer: After Boppa accidentally activated Anand’s time machine, he might have been transported to a distant past, perhaps to a time period like ancient India, where he found himself in a bustling marketplace, confused and out of place. Stranded without a way back, Boppa could have adapted to his new reality, using his street-smarts to survive, eventually becoming a local legend as the “man with the green scarf” who appeared out of nowhere. Meanwhile, Anand’s time machine, now dismantled, left the mystery unsolved for the family, but Anand’s belief in his invention grew stronger, fueling his next ambitious project to contact outer space.

Let us learn

Page No. 101

I. Read the highlighted word in the following sentence.

It’s quite simple. The moment the door opens, this alarm is tripped off and makes a clanging sound.

Such sound words are called onomatopoeic words.

1. Read the sound words used in the story in Column 1. Complete Column 2 by matching expressions from the box given below. An example has been done for you.

Answer:

II. Read the highlighted phrase in the following sentence from the text.

Well, that was the end of peace and quiet in the house.

The highlighted phrase displays a combination of two words generally used together in a fixed order. Such phrases are called binomials.

1. Match the words in Column 1 with the correct pairs in Column 2 to make binomials.

Answer:

2. Complete the following sentences with suitable binomials from 1.

(i) This project will be a ______________ moment for our team’s success.
(ii) After a long journey, we were relieved to arrive home ______________.
(iii) Every friendship works well when there is a balance of ______________.
(iv) She organised all the ______________ in the cupboard, to make space for new clothes.
(v) Before making a decision, it is important to weigh the ______________ carefully.
(vi) This is our final chance to perform on stage, it is ______________.

Answer:

1. make or break
2. safe and sound
3. pros and cons
4. odds and end
5. pros and cons
6. now or never

3. Complete the paragraph by using the phrasal verbs given in the box below.

It had been raining and we (i) ___________ time to set up for the function, so we quickly (ii) ___________ some decorations using whatever materials we had. We accidentally (iii) ___________ the fire alarm because of the smoke from the bonfire. Thankfully, the rain (iv) ___________ just as the guests were arriving, and despite all the chaos, the function (v) ___________ to be a huge success.

Answer:

It had been raining and we (i) ran out of time to set up for the function, so we quickly (ii) rigged up some decorations using whatever materials we had. We accidentally (iii) tripped off the fire alarm because of the smoke from the bonfire. Thankfully, the rain (iv) let up just as the guests were arriving, and despite all the chaos, the function (v) turned out to be a huge success.

III. Read the highlighted expressions in the following sentence from the text.

And this is not the first time he’s got on Papa’s nerves or frightened someone half to death in the house.

The highlighted expressions are called idioms.

Complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks with suitable idioms from the text given in the box below.

1. Shekhar knew he would _______ for breaking his mother’s favourite flower vase.
2. We _________ trying to help the injured dog and get it tothe vet as quickly as possible.
3. Faizy distracted Kanchan, _________for us to get inside the room to prepare the birthday surprise.
4. The constant power fluctuations during meetings can _______.
5. When I am alone at home, any unexpected loud noise in the night can __________.

Answer:

1. get a shelling
2. fell over ourselves
3. leaving the coast clear
4. get on our nerves
5. frighten me half to death

IV. Read the highlighted words in the given sentence.

It was indeed the fellow who had recently begun sweeping out the compounds in our row of houses.

Here we refer to two completed actions─the recent past (new action) and the later past (old action).

1. Underline the verbs in simple past and past perfect tense for the following sentences from the text.

(i) Ma had rushed in to see what the racket was all about and found Papa standing there, sopping wet and scowling.

Answer: Ma had rushed (past perfect) in to see what the racket was (simple past) all about and found (simple past) Papa standing there, sopping wet and scowling.

(ii) Anand had vanished by this time and reappeared only after dinner when Papa had cooled down.

Answer: Anand had vanished (past perfect) by this time and reappeared (simple past) only after dinner when Papa had cooled (past perfect) down.

2. Fill in the blanks with the simple past or past perfect form of the verbs given in brackets.

(i) After Rohan A. __________ (finish) his homework, he B. __________ (decide) to go for a walk. He C. __________ (leave) the house and D. __________ (realise) he E. __________ (forget) his keys inside.

Answer: (i) After Rohan A. had finished his homework, he B. decided to go for a walk. He C. left the house and D. realised he E. had forgotten his keys inside.

(ii) By the time we A. __________ (reach) the station, the train B. __________ (already/leave). We C. __________ (wait) for the next one to arrive.

Answer: (ii) By the time we A. reached the station, the train B. had already left. We C. waited for the next one to arrive.

3. Combine the pairs of sentences using the time expressions in the boxes given below and rewrite them using the past perfect tenses. An example has been done for you.

Example: Rohan had packed his suitcase before he left for the airport.

Answer:

(i) Rohan had packed his suitcase before he left for the airport.

(ii) We had started work before he arrived in the morning.

(iii) They had set up the tents by the time the others brought food and medicine.

(iv) The students had become quiet when they heard the teacher coming.

(v) The villagers had left the village after the flood submerged the entire area.

Let us listen

Page No. 105

I. You will listen to a conversation between Anita and Toby. Toby is a Martian and is stranded on Earth. He has become Anita’s friend. As you listen, choose the true statements from 1–5 given below. (Transcript for the teacher on pg. 136)

1. Toby misses his school.

Answer: Toby is a Martian stranded on Earth, so it’s plausible that he misses his home and possibly his school on Mars. This could be a true statement.

2. Anita accepts Toby as her friend.

Answer: The question states that Toby “has become Anita’s friend,” which suggests that Anita accepts him as her friend. This is likely a true stateme

3. Anita asks Toby about one of his facial features.

Answer: Given that Toby is a Martian, Anita might be curious about his appearance, such as a unique facial feature (e.g., his eyes). This could be a true statement.

4. Toby tells Anita that she had a banana for breakfast.

Answer: There’s no indication in the story that Toby has the ability to know what Anita ate for breakfast, and this seems unrelated to the context of their conversation. This is likely false.

5. Toby shares that he can see much clearer with a closed eye.

Answer: While Toby might have unique abilities as a Martian, saying he can see “much clearer with a closed eye” sounds unusual and counterintuitive. This is likely false, though he might discuss his vision in some other way.

II. Listen to the conversation again and fill in the blanks with the exact words you hear.

1. Toby: I miss my _________ and home.
2. Toby: Well, we _________ don’t need to eat anything. We get our _____ from the Sun.
3. Anita: Oh! Don’t you ever feel like having ice creams and _______?
4. Anita: Okay, tell me one thing. How are you able to see with only_______eye?
5. Toby: I can see beyond mountains and ________, woods and even _________.

Answer:

1. school
2. Martians, energy
3. chocolates
4. one
5. rivers, oceans