Approved by Government of Nepal Ministry of Education, Curriculum Development Center (CDC)
7
Shubharambha’s
New Spark
English Reader
Author
Krishna Prasad Regmi
Edited by
Balaram Sharma
TU Topper in English Education (M.ED)
M. Phil with scholarship award (UGC)
Shubharambha Publication Pvt.Ltd.
Kathmandu, Nepal
Published by:
Shubharambha Publication Pvt. Ltd.
Kathmandu, Nepal
URL: www.shubharambhapublication.com
E-mail: [email protected]
www.facebook.com/shubhrambhapublication
Author:
Krishna Prasad Regmi
Edited by:
Balaram Sharma
Edition:
New Edition: 2077
Copyright : Publisher
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by means
(eletronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior
written permission written permission from the publisher. Any
breach of this condition will entail legal action and prosecution.
Printed in Nepal
Preamble
New Spark English Reader series is a widely used ELT course in English,
designed immensely to bring about a change in teaching and learning
English so as to enable the learners to use English in context following an
eclectic approach to teach language skills.
New Spark English Reader contains huge examples and their application to
communicative approach that will increase the quality learning of English. It is
thought that this change will improve the standard and acceptability of the
book and I will consider the attempts fruitful if the students find the book
fruitful.
New Spark English Reader series includes eight textbooks from grade one to
eight. It has a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction genres with meaningful
illustrations to support students' critical thinking skills for better
comprehensive of the material.
New Spark English Reader includes let’s get going, read to understand, rapid
fire, word meaning, vocabulary, grammar zone, listening and speaking with
audio script, unseen passage, worksheets, word search puzzle, project work
and writing sections in order to complete the lessons assertively.
My gratitude goes to my godly gurus, school principals, teachers, other
educators and students for their everlasting inspiration and support in piloting
the series. Great authors, whose work has been acclimatized in the series for
the reading materials, without a qualm, deserve my sincere
acknowledgments.
I am thankful to Shubharambha Publication Pvt. Ltd. for their encouragement,
co-operation and help in preparing this reading material. At last, I would like
to assure all the concerned teachers, students and readers that constructive
comments and suggestions shall be tremendously appreciated and
incorporated in the upcoming edition.
Krishna Prasad Regmi Author
[email protected]
Salient Features of the Series:
Listening and speaking audio is available with QR code reader.
New prose and poem lessons for an enhanced reading skill.
Innovative glossary to new and unfamiliar words.
New context sensitive and appropriate exercises.
Mammoth vocabulary related exercises to bolster word power.
Supplementary guidance for writing exercises.
Stimulation on higher order thinking skills via inferential and analytical questions.
Enough word search puzzles and fun time activities.
Communication skills, project works, pair work and group work activities.
Image glosses with up to date blueprint.
Table of Content
Lesson-1 Attila 6
Lesson-2 Memories Of The Beach 16
Lesson-3 A Catastrophe 25
Lesson-4 The hawk 33
Lesson-5 Jane In Trouble 42
Lesson-6 The Open Window 53
Lesson-7 A Mother’s Struggle 65
Lesson-8 The Bangle Saller’s 73
Lesson-9 His First Flight 81
Lesson-10 Woman Work 90
Lesson-11 Dreams Of The Future 101
Lesson-12 Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening 108
Lesson-13 The Umbrella Man 116
Lesson-14 The Scarecrow 124
Lesson-15 The Three Questions 133
Lesson-16 ‘Hope’ Is The Thing With Feathers 141
Lesson-17 The Washwoman 149
Lesson-18 Transform Knowledge Into Wisdom 158
Lesson-19 The Conceited Python 168
Lesson-20 Princess September 177
Lesson Attila
1
Which animal would you like to keep as a pet and why?
Read to Understand
For me a house or an apartment becomes a home when you add one set
of four legs, a happy tail, and that indescribable measure of love that we
call a dog.
In a mood of optimism they named him “Attila”. What they wanted of a dog was
strength, formidableness and ght, and hence he was named after the “Scourge
of Europe”.
The puppy was only a couple of months old; he had square jaws, red eyes, a pug
nose and a massive head, and there was every reason to hope that he would do
credit to his name. The immediate reason for buying him was a series of house-
breakings and thefts in the neighbourhood, and our householders decided to put
more trust in a dog than in the police. They searched far and rode and met a dog
fancier. He held up a month-old black-and-white puppy and said, “Come and
fetch him in a month hence. In six months he will be something to be feared and
respected.” He spread out before them a pedigree sheet which was stunning.
The puppy had running in his veins the choicest and the most ferocious blood.
They were satised, paid an advance, returned a month later, put down seventy
ve rupees and took the puppy home. The puppy, as I have already indicated, did
not have a very prepossessing appearance and was none too playful, but this did
not prevent his owners from sitting in a circle around him and admiring him.
There was a prolonged debate as to what he should be named. The youngest
suggested, “Why not call him Tiger?”
6 New Spark English Reader Class 7
“Every other street-mongrel is named Tiger,” came the reply.
“Why not Caesar?”
“Caesar! If a census was taken of dogs you would nd at least fteen thousand
Caesars in South India alone ............... Scan Here
Why not Fire?”
“Why not Thunder?”
“Grip...?” Audio Script
There was a deadlock. Someone suggested “Attila” and a shout of joy went up to
the skies. No more satisfying name was thought of for man or animal.
But as time passed our Attila exhibited a love of humanity which was sometimes
disconcerting. The “Scourge of Europe” — could he ever have been like this?
They put it down to his age. What child could not help loving all creatures? In their
zeal to establish this fact, they went to the extent of delving into ancient history to
nd out what the “Scourge of
Europe” was like when he was a
child. It was rumoured that as a
child he clung to his friends and
to his parents' friends so fast
that often he had to be beaten
and separated from them. But
when he was fourteen he
showed the rst sign of his
future: he knocked down and
plunged his knife into a fellow
who tried to touch his marbles.
Ah this was discouraging. Let
our dog reach the parallel of
fourteen years and people
would get to know his real
nature.
But this was a vain promise. He
stood up twenty inches high,
had a large frame and a
forbidding appearance on the
whole — but that was all.
7 New Spark English Reader Class 7
A variety of people entered the gates of the house everyday: mendicants, bill
collectors, postmen, tradesmen and family friends. All of them were warmly
received by Attila. The moment the gate clicked he became alert and stood up
looking towards the gate. By the time anyone entered the gate Attila went blindly
charging forward. But that was all. The person had only to stop and smile and
Attila would melt. He would behave as if he apologised for even giving an
impression of violence. He would lower his head, curve his body, tuck his tail
between his legs, roll his eyes and moan as if to say, “How sad that you should
have mistaken my gesture! I only hurried down to greet you.” Till he was patted
on the head, stroked and told that he was forgiven, he would be in extreme
misery. Gradually he realised that his bouncing advances caused much
unhappy misunderstandings. And so when he heard the gate click he hardly
stirred. He merely looked in that direction and wagged his tail. The people at
home did not like this attitude very much. They thought it rather a shame.
“Why not change his name to Blind Worm?” somebody asked.
“He eats like an elephant,” said the mother of the family. “You can employ two
watchmen for the price of the rice and meat he consumes. Somebody comes
eve morning and steals all the owers in the garden and Attila won't do anything
about it.”
“He has better business to do than catch ower thieves,” replied the youngest,
always the defender of the dog.
“What is better business?”
“Well, if somebody comes in at dawn and takes away the owers, do you expect
Attila to be looking out for him even at that hour?”
“Why not? It’s what a well-fed dog ought to be doing instead of sleeping. You
ought to be ashamed of your dog.”
“He does not sleep all night, mother. I have often seen him going around the
house and watching all night.”
“Really! Does he prowl about all night?”
8 New Spark English Reader Class 7
“Of course he does,” said the defender.
“I am quite alarmed to hear it,” said the mother. “Please lock him up in a room at
night, otherwise he may call in a burglar and show him around. Left alone, a
burglar might after all be less successful. It wouldn’t be so bad if he at least
barked. He is the most noiseless dog I have ever seen in my life.”
The young man was extremely irritated at this. He considered it to be the most
uncharitable cynicism, but the dog justied it that very night.
Ranga lived in a hut three miles from town. He was a “gang coolie”— often
employed in road-mending. Occasionally at night he enjoyed the thrill and prot
of breaking into houses. At one o’clock that night Ranga removed the bars of a
window on the eastern side of the house and slipped in. He edged along the wall,
searched all the trunks and almirahs in the house and made a neat bundle of all
the jewellery and other valuables he could pick up.
He was just starting to go out. He had just put one foot out of the gap he had
made in the window when he saw Attila standing below, looking up expectantly.
Ranga thought his end had come. He expected the dog to bark: But not Attila. He
waited for a moment, grew tired of waiting, stood up and put his forepaws on the
lap of the burglar. He put back his ears, licked Ranga’s hand and rolled his eyes.
Ranga whispered, “I hope you aren’t going to bark.....” “Don’t you worry, I am not
the sort,” the dog tried to say.
“Just a moment: Let me get down from here,” said the burglar.
The dog obligingly took away his paws and lowered himself.
“Look there”, said Ranga, pointing to the backyard, “there is a cat.” Attila put up
his ears at the mention of the cat and dashed in the direction indicated. One
might easily have thought he was going to tear up the cat, but actually he didn't
want to miss the pleasure of the company of a cat if there was one.
As soon as the dog left him Ranga made a dash for the gate. Given a second
more he would have hopped over it. But the dog turned and saw what was about
to happen and in one spring was at the gate. He looked hurt. “Is this proper?” he
seemed to ask.
“Do you want to shake me off?”
9 New Spark English Reader Class 7
He hung his heavy tail down so loosely and looked so miserable that the burglar
stroked his head, at which he revived. The burglar opened the gate and went out,
and the dog followed him. Attila’s greatest ambition in life was to wander in the
streets freely. Now things seemed to be shaping up ideally.
Attila liked his new friend so much that he wouldn't leave him alone even for a
moment. He lay before Ranga when he sat down to eat, sat on the edge of his mat
when he slept in his hut, waited patiently at the edge of the pond when Ranga
went there now and then for a wash, slept on the roadside when Ranga was at
work.
This sort of companionship got on Ranga’s nerves. He implored, “Oh, dog. Leave
me alone for a moment, won’t you?” Unmoved, Attila sat before him with his eyes
glued on his friend. Attila’s disappearance created a sensation in the bungalow.
“Didn’t I tell you,” the mother said, “to lock him up? Now some burglar has gone
away with him. What a shame! We can hardly mention it to anyone.”
“You are mistaken,” replied the defender. “He must have gone off on his own
account. If he had been here no thief would have dared come in....”
“Whatever it is, I don't know if we should after all thank the thief for taking away
the dog. He may keep the jewels as a reward for taking away that dog. Shall we
withdraw the police complaint?”
This facetiousness ceased a week later, and Attila rose to the ranks of a hero. The
eldest son of the house was going towards the market one day. He saw Attila
trotting behind someone on the road.
“Hey,” shouted the young man; at which Ranga turned and broke into a run. Attila,
who always suspeted that his new friend was waiting for the slightest chance to
desert him, galloped behind Ranga.
“Hey Attila!” shouted the young man, and he also started running. Attila wanted to
answer the call after making sure of his friend; and so he turned his head for a
second and galloped faster. Ranga desperately doubled his pace. Attila was
determined to stick to him at any cost. As a result, he ran so fast that he overtook
Ranga and clumsily blocked his way, and Ranga stumbled over him and fell.
10 New Spark English Reader Class 7
As he rolled on the ground a piece of jewellery (which he was taking to a receiver
of stolen property) ew from his hand. The young man recognised it as belonging
to his sister and sat down on Ranga. A crowd collected and the police appeared
on the scene.
Attila was the hero of the day. Even
the lady of the house softened
towards him. She said, “Whatever
one might say of Attila, one has to
admit that he is a very cunning
detective. He is too deep for words.” It
was as well that Attila had no powers
of speech. Otherwise he would have
burst into a lamentation which would
have shattered the pedestal under his
feet.
Word Meaning
formidableness : quality of causing fear
Scourge of Europe : Attila the Hun, a erce and dreaded warrior
massive : huge
pedigree sheet : list showing ancestry
ferocious : savagely erce
prepossessing : impressive
prolonged : continued for a long time
deadlock : state where no progress is made
disconcerting : upsetting
delving : nding more data
forbidding : grim; unfriendly
mendicants : beggars
gesture : use of bodily movements to express thoughts
uncharitable : unkind
cynicism : doubting and mistrusting the dog's atributes (here)
obligingly : willingly; kindly
companionship : relationship with friends
eyes glued on : stared at xedly
facetiousness : not serious about a serious subject; trying to be clever
11 New Spark English Reader Class 7
EXERC I S E
Read and Write
1. Rapid re.
a. What they wanted of a dog was strength, formidableness and
ght, and hence he was named after the ‘Scourge of Europe’.
(i) They wanted a dog that was as ferocious a ghter as the
‘Scourge of Europe’
(ii) They wanted a dog that was as strong and ferocious a ghter as
Attila, the Hun, the ‘Scourge of Europe’
b Someone suggested ‘Attila’ and a shout of joy went up the skies.
No more satisfying name was thought of for man or animal.
(i) The name, Attila, suited the image of the dog they had all wanted
to get
(ii) They wanted their dog to be like Attila, the Hun
c. But as time passed our Attila exhibited a love of humanity which
was sometimes disconcerting.
(i) As Attila grew he showed his great love for human beings and
this upset the family as they had wanted a guard dog
(ii) The family was upset that Attila turned out to be a friendly dog
that loved humans
d. He would behave as if he apologized for even giving an
impression of violence.
(i) Attila behaved in a friendly manner towards visitors as though he
was apologizing for the fact that he looked so frightening
(ii) Attila behaved in a friendly manner with all visitors and
trades persons
12 New Spark English Reader Class 7
2. Read the lines and answer the questions that follow.
Ranga lived in about three miles from town. He was a “gang coolie”—often
employed in road mending. Occasionally at night he enjoyed the thrill and
prot of breaking into houses. At one o’clock that night Ranga removed the
bars of a window on the eastern side of the house and slipped in. He edged
along the wall, searched all the trunks and almirahs in the house and made
a neat bundle of all the jewellery and other valuables he could pick up.
a. Where did Ranga live?
b. What did Ranga do at one o’clock that night?
3. Answer the following questions.
a. What made Attila melt? Why?
b. Why did Ranga think that the end had come when he saw Attila?
c. Why did Attila get excited when he heard the word: cat?
d. Give two reasons why Attila went out of the gate when Ranga
opened it?
e. What did the lady of the house think had happened to Attila and
why did she not want to tell anyone about it?
f. What had the thief stolen from the house?
Vocabulary
4. Complete these sentences suitably. One has been done for you.
a. Swimming is ...............a...g..o..o..d...e..x..e..r.c..i.s..e............. .
b. Cooking is .................................................... .
c. Studying is .................................................... .
d. Watching television is .................................................... .
e. Walking is .................................................... .
f. Screaming is .................................................... .
g. Painting is .................................................... .
h. Laughing is ....................................................
13 New Spark English Reader Class 7
5. Fill in the rst part of the sentence with a meaningful phrase. One
has been done for you.
a. .......H...a..v..i.n..g...lo..s..t..h..i.s...n..e..w...p..e..n......... ,the student asked for a spare
pen from his classmate.
b. .................................................... , the nurse left for work.
c. .................................................... , he inserted the ignition key.
d. .................................................... , she stared instead of
answering.
e. .................................................... , she took another route to
ofce.
f. .................................................... , the baby hurt itself.
g. .................................................... , the mother started cooking.
h. .................................................... , Raju left for ofce.
Grammar Zone
When you connect two main clauses with a coordinating conjunction,
use a comma. Read these sentences.
They applied for a visa four months ago, but they haven’t got a
response from the embassy yet.
Hurry up, or you will miss the train.
There was a sale, so he bought a shirt.
6. Punctuate these sentences using the comma.
a. This building has been unoccupied for ten months now yet no
one seems to want to take it.
................................................................................................................
b. He wasn’t responding to the laser treatment so they decided to
have a surgery.
................................................................................................................
c. There have been many peace talks but they are too adamant to
call a truce.
................................................................................................................
14 New Spark English Reader Class 7
d. They have sent him a letter of warning but he doesn’t seem to
be affected by it at all.
..............................................................................................................
e. It’s better to apply soon or you may not get a chance to register.
...............................................................................................................
Speaking
Have a classroom discussion about animals you like and those you don’t like.
Each student may say why he or she likes a particular animal and dislikes
another.
Writing
Write a paragraph about how the mother of the family, a typical housewife,
reacted towards Attila.
Listening and Writing
Listen to the audio and answer the following questions.
1. National bird of Nepal in ......................... Scan Here
Audio Script
a. Swift b. Danphe
2. A penguin live in .........................
a. Antarctica b. Africa
3. There are ................... in rivers in the Terai.
a. snakes b. crocodiles
4. Snakes an ..................... with their tongue.
a. Smell b. eat
5. Name few birds of Nepal.
6. Describe in brief the features of Giraffe.
7. Where are Cheetahs found?
15 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Lesson Memories of the Beach
2
Do you know which is the longest beach in the world?
Read to Understand
Read this poem to understand the poet’s closeness to the beach.
We went to the beach to get wind in our hair Scan Here
to stand on the sand and simply to share. Audio Script
to let the surf tickle toes and dampen our clothes
as we played “run away”
from the wavelets at play.
We went to the beach to climb on the rocks
nd cool shallow pools where we’d take off our socks,
and peer in the waters to see what we might nd
that the waves of the sea
had last left behind.
We want to the beach to nd coloured shells
the kind that when placed to our ears
make the sound of the ocean appear
and gathered rocks that we never would nd
for most of the time.
We went to the beach to get wind in our hair
to stand on the sand and simply to share.
to let the surf tickle toes and dampen our clothes
as we played “run away”
from the wavelets at play.
16 New Spark English Reader Class 7
We went to the beach and all that, we did nd
and the smell of the salt refreshed our tired minds.
I’ll never forget the laughter and sounds
on that wet sandy ground.
We went to the beach my family and I
and there we were one,
with the ocean, the beach, and the sky.
Word Meaning
stare : look xedly
tickle : lightly touch
shallow : of little depth
wavelet : a small wave
dampen : make slightly wet
peer : look with difculty or concentration at someone or something.
EXERC I S E
Read and Write
1. Rapid re.
a. We went to the beach to .............................. .
(i) climb on the rocks (ii) wash clothes
b. The smell of the ..............................refreshed our tired minds.
(i) sugar (ii) salt
2. Answer the following questions.
a. Do you think that the poet describe a once-in-a-lifetime experience?
Or, does he experience this frequently? Give reasons for your
answer.
b. Pick four nouns from the rst stanza which paint the beach
imagery immediately.
c. Which line in the poem tells you that the poet did not feel the
need to do much at the beach, just being there was enough for
him?
d. When do you run away from the wavelets – when water is
coming on to the beach or when it is receding?
17 New Spark English Reader Class 7
e. What might you nd in the water left behind by the waves?
f. The treasures that children collect from the beach usually remain
with them even after they have grown up. Why do you think children
do so?
Vocabulary
A homophone is a word that has the same pronunciation as another word but
has its own spelling and meaning.
Look at the words
beach and beech : Although both these words have the same pronunciation,
their spellings and meanings are different.
beach : an area of sand or small stones beside the area
beech : a large tree with grey bark
3. Refer to a dictionary and complete the table.
Word Meaning Homophone Meaning
1 hair
2 stare
3 wave
4 surf
5 sea
6 would
7 wet
8 one
18 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Grammar Zone
Common Noun
Common Nouns name people, place, animals, other living and
non-living things and anything else that can be named like
feelings, thoughts and ideas.
4. Complete the following table with common nouns. One example for
each row is provided.
People barrister
Places museum
Animals rhinoceros
Birds vulture
Objects keyboard
Metals iron
Gem Stones garnet
Feelings happiness
Common nouns can be concrete or abstract. Concrete nouns are
experienced by the senses. We can smell, see, hear, touch, or taste them.
We can experience at least one of our senses when in the presence of such
nouns.
5. Which of the senses would you experience/would like to experience
when the following appear/happen?
a. A cheese, tomato and mushroom pizza: see, smell, touch, taste
(when you eat it)
b. A bouquet of roses
c. A radio comes on
d. A TV is put on
e. Dinner is served
Abstract Nouns name things that cannot be smelled, seen, tasted, heard or
touched:
respect, progress, strength, condition, religion etc.
19 New Spark English Reader Class 7
6. Which of the following are concrete nouns and which of them are
abstract nouns?
All of them have been taken from the story. Find some more if you can.
marbles, impression, mendicants, facetiousness, valuables, forepaws,
pedigree, nature, zeal, thief, scourge, property, defender, ambition,
detective, cynicism
Concrete Nouns Abstract Nouns
Speaking
Can you recall and talk about one of your visits to a place which brings back fond
memories? Make an effort to share your memories as the poet has done. Talk
about what happened there and the effect the experience had on you.
Writing
Write a letter to your former classmate who has recently moved to village.
Enquire politely about him and family. Also, give him all the news he may be
eager to learn from you about your classmates.
20 New Spark English Reader Class 7
A. Listen to the audio and complete the blanks with words from the box
Scan Here
Leaders/ charity/ ability / incredibly/ debt /
award / justice / poverty
Audio Script
Bill Gates & Bono - Time’s Persons of 2005
Time magazine has named Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, Melinda Gates,
and rock star Bono as its “Persons of the Year” for 2005. All won the
annual.
(1) ..................for their non-stop efforts to improve public health around
the globe and reduce disease.
(2) ................. in Africa Time’s editor Nancy Gibbs said she wanted to
honour Bono and the Gates “for being shrewd about doing good, for
rewiring politics and re-engineering
(3) ....................., for making mercy smarter...and then daring the rest of
us to follow” of course, they also have their own
(4) ......................... busy and successful careers. The Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation is the world’s richest
(5) .................. About 60 percent of its cash goes towards public health
needs. Irish rock star Bono helped persuade world.
(6) ...................... at July’s G8 summit to double aid to Africa to $ 50
billion a year by 2010. He also talked them into erasing the
(7) ............................. of the 18 poorest African countries. In addition, he
set up the “Live 8” musical and charity concerts with Sir Bob Geldof.
Bono told Time about Bill Gates’ business sense and his.
(8) ....................to save lives. He said: “When Bill Gates says you can
x malaria in 10 years, [People] know he’s done a few spreadsheets”
B. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether
these sentences are true (T) or false (F):
1. Bill Gates’ wife Belinda is one of three Time Persons of the Year. T/F
2. The winners ended disease and poverty in Africa. T/F
3. They were honoured for rewiring politics and re-engineering justice. T/F
4. The Persons of the Year all have busy and successful careers. T/F
5. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the world’s wealthiest
charity. T/F
21 New Spark English Reader Class 7
WORKSHEET-1
1. Tick (ü) the correct words.
a. But as time passed our Attila exhibited a love of humanity which was
sometimes disconcerting.
(i) As Attila grew he showed his great love for human beings and
this upset the family as they had wanted a guard dog
(ii) The family was upset that Attila turned out to be a friendly dog
that loved humans
b. We went to the beach to ............................ .
(i) climbon the rocks (ii) wash clothes
c. What they wanted of a dog was strength, formidableness and ght, and
hence he was named after the ‘Scourge of Europe’.
(i) They wanted a dog that was as ferocious a ghter as the ‘Scourge
of Europe’
(ii) They wanted a dog that was as strong and ferocious a ghter as
Attila, the Hun, the ‘Scourge of Europe’
2. Read the lines and answer the questions that follow.
Ranga lived in a hut three miles from town. He was a “gang coolie”—
often employed in road mending. Occasionally at night he enjoyed the
thrill and prot of breaking into houses. At one o’clock that night Ranga
removed the bars of a window on the eastern side of the house and
slipped in. He edged along the wall, searched all the trunks and almirahs
in the house and made a neat bundle of all the jewellery and
other valuable she could pickup.
a. Where did Ranga live?
.................................................................................................................
b. What did Ranga do at one o’clock that night?
................................................................................................................
22 New Spark English Reader Class 7
3. Answer the following questions.
a. What did the lady of the house think had happened to Attila and
why did she not want to tell anyone about it?
b. Do you think that the poet describe a once-in-a lifetime experience?
or does he experience this frequently?
c. What had the thief stolen from the house?
d. What might you nd in the water left behind by the waves?
4. Complete the lines given below.
a. If we cannot own the freshness ..........................................................
............................................................................................................... .
b. The perfumed owers are ...................................................................
............................................................................................................... .
c. The air is precious to the .....................................................................
............................................................................................................... .
5. Fill in the rst part of the sentence with a meaningful phrase.
a. .................................................... , the student asked for a spare pen
from his classmate.
b. .................................................... , the nurse left for work.
c. .................................................... , he inserted the ignition key.
d. .................................................... , she stared instead of answering.
e. .................................................... , she took another route to ofce.
f. .................................................... , the baby hurt itself.
g. .................................................... , the mother started cooking.
h. .................................................... , Raju left for ofce.
6. Circle the abstract noun in each sentence below.
a. The man had a lot of pride in his work.
b. We have lot of hope for the future.
c. Over time most people develop wisdom.
d. Our patriotism for our country is wonderful.
e. I was in awe of the devastation.
7. Punctuate these sentences using the comma.
a. This building has been unoccupied forten months now yet no one
seems to want to take it.
..............................................................................................................
23 New Spark English Reader Class 7
b. He wasn’t responding to the laser treatment so they decided to have
a surgery.
..............................................................................................................
c. There have been many peace talks but they are too adamant to call
a truce.
..............................................................................................................
d. They have sent him a letter of warning but he doesn’t seem to be
affected by it at all.
.............................................................................................................
e. It’s better to apply soon or you may not get a chance to register.
............................................................................................................
8. Write the noun forms of the following adjectives ending with ‘ic’.
Adjectives Nouns Adjectives Nouns
botanic
bureaucratic
caloric
chronologic
diagnostic
ecstatic
electric
fantastic
9. Complete these sentences suitably.
a. Swimming is .................................................... .
b. Cooking is .................................................... .
c. Studying is.................................................... .
d. Watching television is.................................................... .
e. Walking is.................................................... .
f. Screaming is.................................................... .
g. Painting is.................................................... .
h. Laughing is.................................................... .
10. Write a sentence with each abstract noun given below.
a. bravery : ........................................................................................... .
b. love : ................................................................................................ .
c. pleasure : .......................................................................................... .
d. calm : ................................................................................................ .
e. despair : ............................................................................................ .
f. truth : .................................................................................................. .
24 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Lesson A Catastrophe
3
Have you heard stories of how the rich and the powerful often exploit and
persecute the weak and the helpless? Do you think it is possible to bring
such people to book and make them realise how cruel and heartless their
treatment of the poor is?
Read to Understand
Read this story of a poor, defenceless woman who was tormented and
driven to her death by an arrogant tyrant who was totally insensitive to
her piteous cries. But he meets his own nemesis, for providence sees
that justice is done.
In the Banaras District there is a village called Bira in which an old, childless
widow used to live. She was a Gond woman named Bhungi and she didn’t own
either a scrap of land or a house to live in. Her only source of livelihood was a
parching oven. The village folk customarily have one meal a day of parched
grains, so there was always a crowd around Bhungi’s oven.
Whatever grain she was paid for parching she would grind or fry and eat it. She
slept in a corner of the same little shack that sheltered the oven. As soon as it was
light, she’d get up and go out to gather dry leaves from all around to make her re.
She would stack the leaves right next to the oven, and after twelve, light the re.
But on the days when she had to parch grain for Pandit Udaybhan Pandey, the
owner of the village, she went to bed hungry. She was obliged to work without
pay for Pandit Udaybhan Pandey. She also had to fetch water for his house. And,
for this reason, from time to time the oven was not lit. She lived in the Pandit’s
village; therefore, he had full authority to make her do any sort of odd job. In his
opinion, if she received food for working for him, how could it be considered as
work done without pay? He was doing her a favour, in fact, by letting her live in
the village.
It was spring, a day on which the fresh grain was fried and eaten and given as a
gift. No oven is lit in the houses. Bhungi’s oven was being put to good use today.
There was a crowd worthy of a village fair around her. She had scarcely had an
opportunity to draw breath.
25 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Because of the customers’ impatience, squabbles kept breaking out. Then two
servants arrived, each carrying a heaped basket of grain from Pandit Udaybhan
with the order to parch it right away. When Bhungi saw the two baskets, she was
alarmed. It was already past twelve and even by sunset, she would not have time
to parch so much grain. Now she would have to stay at the oven parching until
after dark for no payment. In despair she took the two baskets. One of the
unkeys said menacingly, “Don’t waste any time, or you’ll be sorry.”
With this command the servants went away, and Bhungi began to parch the
grain. It’s no laughing matter to parch a whole maint of grain. She had to keep
stopping from the parching in order to keep the oven re going. So by sundown
not even half the work was done. She was afraid that Panditji’s men would be
coming. She began to move her hands all the more frantically.
Soon the servants returned and said, “Well, is the grain parched?”
Feeling bold, Bhungi said, “Can’t you see? I’m parching it now.”
“The whole day’s gone and you haven’t nished any more grain than this! Have
you been roasting it or spoiling it? This is completely uncooked! How’s it going to
be used for food? It’s the ruin of us! You’ll see what Panditji does to you for this.”
The result was that night the oven was dug up and Bhungi was left without a
means of livelihood.
Bhungi now had no means of support. The villagers suffered a good deal, too,
from the destruction of the oven. In many houses even at noon, cooked cereal
was no longer available. People went to Panditji and asked him to give the order
for the old woman’s oven to be rebuilt and the re once more lighted, but he paid
no attention to them. He could not suffer a loss of face. A few people who wished
her well urged her to move to another village. But her heart would not accept this
suggestion. She had spent fty miserable years of her life in this village and she
loved every leaf on every tree. Here she had known the sorrows and pleasures of
life; she could not give it up now in her last days. The very idea of moving
distressed her. Sorrow in this village was preferable to happiness in another.
A month went by. Very early one morning Pandit Udaybhan, taking his little band
of servants with him, went out to collect his rents. Now when he looked towards
the old woman’s oven he fell into a violent rage: it was being made again.
26 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Bhungi was energetically rebuilding it with balls of clay. Most likely she’d
spent the night at this work and wanted to nish it before the sun was high.
She knew that she was going against the Pandit’s wishes, but she hoped that
he had forgotten his anger by then.
But alas, the poor creature had grown old without growing wise.
Suddenly Panditji shouted, “By whose order?”
Bewildered, Bhungi saw that he was standing
before her.
He demanded once again, “By whose order are
you building it?” In a t of fright she said,
“Everybody said I should build it, and so I’m
building it.”
“I’ll have it smashed again.” With this he kicked
the oven. The wet clay collapsed in a heap. He
kicked at the trough again, but she ran in front of
it and took the kick in her side. Rubbing her ribs
she said, “Maharaj, you’re not afraid of anybody, but you
ought to fear God. What good does it do to you ruin me like this! Do you think
gold is going to grow out of this small piece of land! For your own good, I’m
telling you, don’t torment poor people, don’t be the death of me.” Scan Here
“You’re not going to build any oven here again.”
“If I don’t, how am I going to be able to eat?”
“I’m not responsible for your belly.” Audio Script
“But if I do nothing except chores for you, where will I go for food?”
“If you’re going to stay in the village, you’ll have to do my chores.”
“I’ll do them when I’ve built my oven. I can’t do your work just for the sake of
staying in the village.”
“Then don’t, just get out of the village.”
“How can I! I’ve grown old in this hut. My in-laws and their grandparents lived
in this same hut. Except for Yama, king of death, nobody’s going to force me
out of it now.”
27 New Spark English Reader Class 7
“Excellent, now you’re quoting the scriptures!” Pandit Udaybhan said. “lf you’d
worked hard, I might have let you stay, but after this I won’t rest until I’ve had you
thrown out.” To his attendants he said, “Go get a pile of leaves right away and set
re to the whole thing; we’ll show her how to make an oven.”
In a moment there was a tremendous racket. The ames leapt towards the sky,
the blaze spread wildly in all directions till the villagers came clustering around
this mountain of re. Hopelessly, Bhungi stood by her oven watching the
conagration.
Suddenly, with a violent dash, she hurled herself into the ames. They came
running from everywhere, but no one had the courage to go into the mouth of the
blaze. In a matter of seconds her withered body was completely consumed.
At that moment the wind rose with a gust. The liberated ames began to race
towards the east. There were some peasants’ huts near the oven which were
engulfed by the erce ames. Fed in this way, the blaze spread even further.
Panditji’s barn was in its path and it pounced upon it. By now the whole village
was in a panic. They began to band together to put out the re, but the sprinkle of
water acted like oil on it, and the ames kept mounting higher. Pandit
Udaybhan’s splendid mansion was swallowed up; while he watched, it tossed
like a ship amid wild waves and disappeared in the sea of re. The sound of
lamentation that broke out amidst the ashes was even more pitiful than Bhungi’s
grievous cries.
28 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Word Meaning
catastrophe : disaster
nemesis : someone or something that continues to oppose you
providence and cannot easily be defeated
: a powerful force that some people believe causes
shack
unkey everything that happens to us
: a small plain building, usually made of wood or metal
menacingly : a person who does unimportant work, especially to
racket
conagration please or obey more powerful people
mansion : threateningly; intending to cause harm
chores : a loud annoying noise that continues for a long time.
scripture : words or actions that show that you feel very sad.
torment : a large, impressive house
: a routine task
: the sacred writing of Christanity contained in the bible
: severe physical or mental suffering
EXERC I S E
Read and Write
1. Complete these sentences.
a. Pandit Udaybhan Pandey thought that Bhungi was obliged to serve
him because
............................................................................................................... .
b. The people of the village appealed to panditjit to have Bhungi’s over
rebuilt as they
............................................................................................................... .
c. Pandit Udaybhan Pandey was cruel in his treatment of Bhungi as he
............................................................................................................... .
2. Read the lines and answer the questions that follow.
“Maharaj, you’re not afraid of anybody, but you ought to fear God. What
good does it do to you ruin me like this! Do you think gold is going to
grow out of this small piece of land! For your own good, I’m telling you,
don’t torment poor people, don’t be the death of me.”
29 New Spark English Reader Class 7
a. Who is the ‘Maharaj’? What had he just done?
b. What reply did the ‘Maharaj’ give Bhungi? What is your opinion of
him at this point in the story?
c. What did he do later?
3. Answer the following questions.
a. Who was Bhungi? Would you say she was content with her lot?
b. How does the author bring out the high-handedness of Pandit
Udaybhan Pandey?
c. The author says, “Bhungi’s oven was being put to good use.” When
would this happen? What was the reason for the extra busy day
Bhungi had?
d. In spite of all the extra work she had, Bhungi did not complain. Yet
an unexpected occurence spoilt all her plans and dampened her
enthusiasm. What was this occurence? How did Bhungi deal with it?
Vocabulary
4. Fill in the blanks with the names of colours to complete some well-
known phrases.
a. As Sam did not want to hurt his grandparents, he told a ....................
lie and said that he enjoyed his trip to the village.
b. The principal’s announcement about the examinations came as a
bolt from the .............................. .
c. His irrational behaviour sometimes makes his mother see ............... .
d. Amar was ..............................with envy when she came to know that
Mohan and Raj were going to the theatre.
e. Although James has a bad reputation, he is not as ..........................
as he is painted.
30 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Grammar Zone
Transformation of sentences
To transform a sentence is to change it from one grammatical form to another
without changing its meaning.
Study this example.
It is too late to change our plans.
It is so late that we cannot change our plans.
Here, we change too to so ... that. We change the grammatical form but not
the meaning of the sentence
5. Transform these sentences.
a. It is too heavy to lift.
................................................................................................................
b. Nitesh is too proud to say sorry.
................................................................................................................
c. Nitika is too lazy to complete all the sums.
...............................................................................................................
d. Rabina was too sad to even smile.
...............................................................................................................
e. It is too soon to pass judgement.
...............................................................................................................
6. Rewrite these sentences using the words in brackets. One has
been done for you.
a. He is not very bright, but he is extremely hard-working. (although)
.....A..l.t.h..o..u..g..h...h..e...i.s...n..o..t..v.e..r..y..b..r..ig..h..t.,..h..e...i.s...e..x..t.r.e..m...e..l.y...h..a..r.d..-.w...o..r.k..in..g...............
b. She is not only clever but also cunning. (as)
................................................................................................................
c. He earns a lot, but he is not contented. (however)
................................................................................................................
31 New Spark English Reader Class 7
d. She knew she didn’t stand a chance to win the race, but she decided
to take part in it. (all the same)
................................................................................................................
Speaking
Exploitation happens not just against humans but also against animals and
birds. There are various kinds of exploitation: for commercial purposes,
entertainment purposes, cosmetic purposes, and so forth. Divide the class into
groups, and choose the type of exploitation that you want to talk about.
Include the following in your points of discussion: .
kind of exploitation
empirical data to support your claim
measures that need to be taken
Writing
Write a letter to your cousin in New Zealand giving her or him an account of
how your neighbour’s domestic help was compelled to le a police complaint
because of inhuman treatment.
Mention in your letter:
a detailed account of the inhuman treatment meted out to her or him,
for how long it took place,
the reasons for the help’s subservience,
what nally compelled the help to take the decision,
the action taken against the guilty, and
the reaction of the neighbourhood.
Listening and Writing
Listen to the audio and answer the following questions.
1. Pasang Lhamu Sherpa was born in ........................ in solukhumbu
district. Scan Here
a. 2017 BS
b. 2016 BS
2. Angdaki Sherpa is Pasang’s ........................ .
a. father b. mother
3. The name of pasang’s father is ........................ . Audio Script
a. Phurba kitar sherpa b. Angdaki Sherpa
4. In ........................ she climbed Pisaangchule Mountain.
a. 1989 b. 1991
5. Name the tallest mountain in Europe.
6. How much attempts she did to climb Mt. Everest?
32 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Lesson The Hawk
4
Which bird represents the divine gifts of power with nature and man?
Read to Understand
Allama Iqbal was a poet who wanted the subcontinent to be free from the
domination of European countries. Iqbal believed that enslaved people
must develop the qualities or traits that make them desire and ght for
freedom. Iqbal made the hawk (‘shaheen’) a symbol of freedom, loftiness,
and strength. In this poem, Iqbal uses the hawk as a symbol to express
his views on freedom.
Farewell to this land of the earthbound, whose craving
It needs only water and food to appease! Scan Here
Joy to my soul is the stillness of deserts—
My nature since time rst began has scorned ease.
No languishing love-notes, no zephyr of springtime Audio Script
For me, no fair-ower reaper: I must depart
From the nightingale’s haunts, from these dwellers in the gardens
Whose charms come to near to seducing my heart.
Those winds of the wilderness temper the sword
That soldiers of righteousness draw in the eld;
It is not for quail nor for pigeon I hunger—
By hard vows the falcon’s existence is steeled.
To swoop and retreat, and retreating to swoop—
Not seeking for prey, but to let the blood race!
33 New Spark English Reader Class 7
I leave the tame region of eastward and west
To the partridge; blue sky for me, limitless space!
Through the kingdom of birds an ascetic I roam:
The hawk builds no nest, for the hawk needs no home.
Word Meaning
craving : a strong desire for something
appease : satisfy a need
scorned : to reject something with contempt
languishing : to long for something that is being denied
zephyr : a light warming breeze
seducing : to persuade someone to do something by making it seem
desirable or exciting
temper : to harden metal by heating it to very high temperatures and
then cooling it
retreat : to move back
ascetic : somebody who is self-denying and lives with minimal
material comforts
EXERC I S E
Read and Write
1. Rapid re.
Complete the lines of the poem.
Farewell to this land ....................................................................................
It needs only ................................................................................................
.................................................................................................... of deserts.
My nature ....................................................................................................
34 New Spark English Reader Class 7
2. Answer the following questions.
a. Who is the speaker in this poem?
b. Why does the speaker wish to bid farewell to the ‘land of the
earthbound’?
c. What is the ‘limitless space’ the speaker is referring to?
d. Why does the speaker seek ‘ limitless space’?
Vocabulary
3. Fill in the blanks with words which mean the same as these
descriptions.
Use the hints given in the brackets.
a. to look closely or examine (start with s) ......................................
b. a rounded swelling on a at surface (start with b) ...................................
c. sad or displeased because someone has failed to full your
hope (start with d) ......................................
d. a person who buys goods or services from a shop
(start with c) .....................................
e. happy with the situation one nds oneself in
(start with p) ......................................
Grammar Zone
Finite and Non-Finite Verbs
Tense shows the time an action and the degree of completeness.
Yesterday I visited my sister, but today I am not going out.
Note that a verb also changes according to the subject and its number.
I am not going out.
They are not going out.
The verbs which change according to the time of action, the degree of
completeness and the number of the subject are called nite verbs.
35 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Non-nite verbs, on the other hand, do not change at all.
Gerunds, innitives and participles are non-nite verbs.
Gerunds
A gerund is formed by adding –ing to a verb and works as a noun in a
sentence. It can occupy different positions in a sentence.
Study these examples
Swimming is a good exercise. (gerund as subject)
I enjoy swimming. (gerund as object of verb)
His passion has always been swimming. (gerund as complement)
He is fond of swimming. (gerund as object of preposition)
Innitives
An innite is basic or root form of a verb with the word in front of it. It is not
affected by the subject of the sentence or the subject’s number or person.
He wanted to throw the ball high but couldn’t.
The children were excited to go to the museum.
Like gerunds, innitives, too, can occupy different positions in a sentence.
Study these examples
To laugh is not a crime. (innitive as subject)
We hope to win. (innitive as object of verb)
My greatest wish is to meet the singer. (innitive as complement)
The children were not ready to do anything except dance. (as object of
preposition–except works as a preposition here)
Points to Remember
Ø There is no future form for innitives.
I saw him walk all the way.
Ø We usually omit to after the words dare, than and but.
He didn’t dare mention his name.
I’d like to walk rather than run.
The program was so good that they did nothing but clap.
36 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Participles
A participle is formed from a verb and usually works as an adjective. It may
end with –ing (present participle), –ed/–en(past participle) or having + past
participle (perfect participle).
Study these examples.
The painting dog wagged its tail.
Bathing in the pond, the buffaloes felt cool. (Here, the participle bathing
modies the subject the buffaloes.)
The girl playing over there is my sister. (The participle playing modies
the subject the girl here.)
Having bathed in the pond, the buffaloes looked cleaner.
4. Fill in the blanks with non-nite verb.
a. We found the watchman ..................................................soundly.
b. They love .................................................. .
c. Their neighbours, too, are fond of .................................................. .
d. How can you mend a .................................................. heart!
e. .................................... in Dubai, I know all the roads by heart.
f. ............................... of the oods, we moved to a higher place.
g. Don’t you dare ..................................................to me?
h. We would love .................................................. in this competition.
Speaking
Don’t you think we take all the good things we enjoy for granted? Pause for a
while and think of all the types of freedom you enjoy—of speech and action in
a free and democratic country, with parents who are quite liberal, and so on.
In groups of four, compose short poems celebrating freedom. You could then
read them aloud to the rest of the class.
Writing
You are Nabina/Garima, living at New Road, Kathmandu. You are interested in
doing a short-term course in Fashion Designing from NIST. Write a formal letter
to the Course Coordinator, NIST, asking for the following information.
the duration of the course fee structure
levels : certicate or diploma mode of payment
timings
Also, nd out if there is scope for employment after the course.
37 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Life on Other Planets
From Flight into Space Scan Here
By J.N. Leonard
Read the passage and answer the questions. Audio Script
(you can also listen to the audio)
When imaginative men turn their eyes toward space and wonder whether life
exist in any part of it, they may cheer themselves by remembering that life need
not resemble closely the life that exist on earth. Mars looks like the only life need
not life like ours could exist and even this is doubtful. Even more interesting is
the possibility that life on other planets may be in a more advance stage of
evolution. Present-day man is in a peculiar and probably eeting stage. His
Individual units retain a strong sense of personality. They are in fact, still capable
under favourable circumstances of leading individual lives. But man’s still
capable already sufciantly developed to have enormously more power and
effectiveness than the individuals have.
It is not likely that this transitional situation will continue very long on the
evolutionary time scale. Fifty thousand years from now his societies may have
become to close-knit that the indiviuals retain no sense of separate personality.
Then little distinction will remain between the organic parts of the multiple
organism and the inorganic parts (machines) that have been constructed by it. A
million years further on and a million years is a tick of the clock on the
evolutionary time scale man and his machines may have merged as closely as
the muscles of the human body and the nerve cells that actuate them.
The explorers of space should be prepared for some such situations. If they
arrive on a foreign planet when its living organisms are in an earlier stage of
evolution, they may nd the equivalent of dinosaurs or mollusks or even one-
celled protozoa. They could live on very hot or very cold planets. They could
breathe any atmosphere of none. They could build their bodies to any
desirable size out of material plentiful in their planet’s crust. They could get
their energy from sunlight, Such creatures might be relics of a bygone age,
many millions of immigrants from a lavoured planet.
Answer these questions.
1. What is the main idea of this passage?
2. Underline the ve sentences that help you know the main idea.
3. What is the theme that the writer wants you to understand from
this passage?
38 New Spark English Reader Class 7
WORKSHEET-2
1. Rapid re.
Complete the lines of the poem.
Farewell to this land .................................................................................
It needs only ............................................................................................
................................................................................................ of deserts.
My nature ................................................................................................
2. Read the lines and answer the questions that follow.
“Maharaj, you’re not afraid of anybody, but you ought to fear God. What
good does it do to you to ruin me like this! Do you think gold is going to
grow out of this small piece of land! For your own good, I’m telling you,
don’t torment poor people, don’t be the death of me.”
.
a. Who is the ‘Maharaj’? What had he just done? .
............................................................................................................
b. What reply did the ‘Maharaj’ give Bhungi? What is your opinion of
him at this point in the story? .
............................................................................................................
c. What did he do later? .
...........................................................................................................
3. Answer the following questions.
a. Why does the speaker seek ‘limiting space?
b. The author says, “Bhungi’s oven was being put to good use.” When
would this happen? What was the reason for the extra busy day
Bhungi had?
c. Who is the speaker in this poem? Who was bhungi? Would you say
she was content with her lot?
39 New Spark English Reader Class 7
4. Complete the lines given below.
a. Children of service ofcers learn to stay with their mothers as
................................................................................................................
b. Two very strong antonyms with which the narrator contrasts the
words peace and tranquillity are
.................................................................................................................
c. The atmosphere that the terrible gloom, the spine-chilling silence
and a deep sense of fear create is that of
.................................................................................................................
d. The family of service ofcers also suffer from
.................................................................................................................
e. The narrator’s mother showed great presence of mind by
.................................................................................................................
f. The narrator’s prayer was answered because
.................................................................................................................
g. The metaphor in the phrase vultures hunting for prey compares the
disruptive forces to
.................................................................................................................
h. We understand that the narrator’s family belongs to a different caste
and creed from Shahina’s as
.................................................................................................................
5. Fill in the blanks with the names of colours to complete some well
-known phrases.
a. As Sam did not want to hurt his grandparents, he told a ....................
lie and said that he enjoyed his trip to the village.
b. The principal’s announcement about the examinations came as a
bolt from the .............................. .
c. His irrational behaviour sometimes makes his mother see
.............................. .
d. Amy was ..............................with envy when she came to know that
Meg and Jo were going to the theatre.
e. Although James has a bad reputation, he is not as ............................
as he is painted.
40 New Spark English Reader Class 7
6. Rewrite these sentences using the words in brackets.
a. He is not very bright, but he is extremely hard-working. (although)
..........................................................................................................
b. She is not only clever but also cunning. (as)
..........................................................................................................
c. He earns a lot, but he is not contented. (however)
..........................................................................................................
d. She knew she didn’t stand a chance to win the race, but she
decided to take part in it. (all the same)
..........................................................................................................
7. Rewrite these sentences in the affirmative without changing their
meanings.
a. The seagull did not like ying at rst.
................................................................................................................
b. Priya never performs badly.
................................................................................................................
c. Mrs Rai is never late to class.
................................................................................................................
d. The program we saw yesterday was not uninteresting.
................................................................................................................
e. No student of Class 7 is shabbily dressed.
................................................................................................................
f. The couple was not satised with the dinner.
................................................................................................................
8. Guess what the phobias given below mean by matching the terms
in column A with their meanings in column B.
A B
a. acrophobia fear of taking medication
b. ailurophobia fear of closed spaces
c. pharmacophobia fear of cats
d. entomophobia fear of water
e. photophobia fear of heights
f. hydrophobia fear of light
41 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Lesson Jane in Trouble
5
Scan Here
Do you know who a bully is?
Audio Script
Read to Understand
Read this excerpt from the novel Jane Eyre and nd out how Jane, a
dependent orphan, is mercilessly bullied and ill-treated by the members
of the Reed household and how she tries to break free from the shackles
that restrict her freedom and individuality.
There was no possibility of taking a walk that day. We had been wandering,
indeed, in the leaess shrubbery for an hour in the morning; but since dinner (Mrs
Reed, when there was no company, dined early) the cold winter wind had
brought with it clouds so sombre, and a rain so penetrating, that further outdoor
exercise was now out of the question.
I was glad of it: I never liked long walks, especially on chilly afternoons: dreadful
to me was the coming home in the raw twilight, with nipped ngers and toes, and
a heart saddened by the chidings of Bessie, the nurse, and humbled by the
consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed.
The said Eliza, John, and Georgiana were now clustered round their mama in the
drawing-room: she lay reclined on a sofa by the reside, and with her darlings
about her (for the time neither quarrelling nor crying) looked perfectly happy. Me,
she had dispensed from joining the group; saying, “She regretted to be under the
necessity of keeping me at a distance; but that until she heard from Bessie, and
could discover by her own observation, that I was endeavouring in good earnest
to acquire a more sociable and childlike disposition, a more attractive and
sprightly manner—something lighter, franker, more natural, as it were—she
really must exclude me from privileges intended only for contented, happy, little
children.” “What does Bessie say I have done?” I asked.
42 New Spark English Reader Class 7
“Jane, I don’t like cavillers or questioners; besides, there is something truly
forbidding in a child taking up her elders in that manner. Be seated somewhere;
and until you can speak pleasantly, remain silent.”
A breakfast room adjoined the drawing room, I slipped in there. It contained a
bookcase: I soon possessed myself of a volume, taking care that it should be one
stored with pictures. I mounted into the window-seat: gathering up my feet, I sat
cross-legged, like a Turk; and, having drawn the red moreen curtain nearly close,
I was shrined in double retirement.
Folds of scarlet drapery shut in my view to the right hand; to the left were the clear
panes of glass, protecting, but not separating me from the dreary November day.
At intervals, while turning over the leaves of my book, I studied the aspect of that
winter afternoon. Afar, it offered a pale blank of mist and cloud; near a scene of
wet lawn and storm-beat shrub, with ceaseless rain sweeping away wildly before
a long and lamentable blast.
I returned to my book—Bewick’s History of British Birds: the letter press there of I
cared little for, generally speaking; and yet there were certain introductory pages
that, child as I was, I could not pass quite as a blank. They were those which treat
of the haunts of sea-fowl; of “the solitary rocks and promontories” by them only
inhabited; off the coast of Norway, studded with isles from its southern extremity,
the Lindeness, or Naze, to the North Cape—
“Where the Northern Ocean, in vast whirls,
Boils round the naked, melancholy isles
Of farthest Thule; and the Atlantic surge
Pours in among the stormy Hebrides.”
Nor could I pass unnoticed the suggestion of the bleak shores of Lapland,
Siberia, Spitzbergen, Nova Zembla, Iceland, Greenland, with “the vast sweep of
the Arctic Zone, and those forlorn regions of dreary space,—that reservoir of
frost and snow, where rm elds of ice, the accumulation of centuries of winters,
glazed in Alpine heights above heights, surround the pole, and concentre the
multiplied rigours of extreme cold.” Of these death-white realms I formed an idea
of my own: shadowy, like all the half-comprehended notions that oat dim
through children’s brains, but strangely impressive.
43 New Spark English Reader Class 7
The words in these introductory pages connected themselves with the
succeeding vignettes, and gave signicance to the rock standing up alone in
a sea of billow and spray; to the broken boat stranded on a desolate coast; to the
cold and ghastly moon glancing through bars of cloud at a wreck just sinking.
I cannot tell what sentiment haunted the quite solitary churchyard, with its
inscribed headstone; its gate, its two trees, its low horizon, girdled by a broken
wall, and its newly-risen crescent, attesting the hour of eventide.
The two ships becalmed on a torpid sea, I believed to be marine phantoms.
The end pinning down the thief 's pack behind him, I passed over quickly: it was
an object of terror.
So was the black-horned thing seated aloof on a rock, surveying a distant crowd
surrounding a gallows.
Each picture told a story; mysterious often to my undeveloped understanding
and imperfect feelings, yet ever profoundly interesting: as interesting as the tales
Bessie sometimes narrated on winter evenings, when she chanced to be in good
humour; and when, having brought her ironing-table to the nursery hearth, she
allowed us to sit about it, and while she got up Mrs Reed’s lace frills, and crimped
her nightcap borders, fed our eager attention with passages of love and
adventure taken from old fairy tales and other ballads; or (as at a later period I
discovered) from the pages of Pamela, and Henry, Earl of Moreland.
With Bewick on my knee, I was then happy: happy at least in my way. I feared
nothing but interruption, and that came too soon. The breakfast-room door
opened.
‘Boh! Madam Mope!’ cried the voice of John Reed; then he paused: he found the
room apparently empty.
“Where the dickens is she?” he continued. “Lizzy! Georgy! (calling to his sisters)
Jane is not here: tell mama she is run out into the rain—bad animal!”
“It is well I drew the curtain,” thought I; and I wished fervently he might not
discover my hiding-place: nor would John Reed have found it out himself; he was
not quick either of vision or conception; but Eliza just put her head in at the door,
and said at once—“She is in the window-seat, to be sure, Jack.”
And I came out immediately, for I trembled at the idea of being dragged forth by
the said Jack.
44 New Spark English Reader Class 7
“What do you want?” I asked, with awkward difdence.
‘Say, “What do you want, Master Reed?” ’ was the answer. ‘I want you to come
here;” and seating himself in an armchair, he intimated by a gesture that I was to
approach and stand before him.
John Reed was a schoolboy of fourteen years old; four years older than I, for I
was but ten: large and stout for his age, with a dingy and unwholesome skin; thick
lineaments in a spacious visage, heavy limbs, and large extremities. He gorged
himself habitually at table, which made him bilious, and gave him a dim and
bleared eye and abby cheeks. He ought now to have been at school; but his
mama had taken him home for a month or two, “on account of his delicate
health.” Mr Miles, the master, afrmed that he would do very well if he had fewer
cakes and sweetmeats sent him from home; but the mother’s heart turned from
an opinion so harsh, and inclined rather to the more rened idea that John’s
sallowness was owing to over-application and, perhaps, to pining after home.
John had not much affection for his mother and sisters but an antipathy to me. He
bullied and punished me; not two or three times in the week, nor once or twice in
the day, but continually: every nerve I had feared him, and every morsel of esh
in my bones shrank when he came near. There were moments when I was
bewildered by the terror he inspired, because I had no appeal whatever against
either his menaces or his inictions; the servants did not like to offend their young
master by taking my part against him, and Mrs Reed was blind and deaf on the
subject: she never saw him strike or heard him abuse me, though he did both
now and then in her very presence, more frequently, however, behind her back.
Habitually obedient to John, I came up to his chair: he spent some three minutes
in thrusting out his tongue at me as far as he could without damaging the roots: I
knew he would soon strike and, while dreading the blow, I mused on the
disgusting and ugly appearance of him who would presently deal it. I wonder if he
read that notion in my face; for, all at once, without speaking, he struck suddenly
and strongly. I tottered, and on regaining my equilibrium, retired back a step or
two from his chair.
“That is for your impudence in answering mama awhile since” said he, “and for
your sneaking way of getting behind curtains, and for the look you had in your
eyes two minutes since, you rat!”
45 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Accustomed to John Reed’s abuse, I never had an idea of replying to it; my care
was how to endure the blow which would certainly follow the insult.
“What were you doing behind the curtain?” he asked.
“I was reading.”
“Show the book.”
I returned to the window and fetched it thence.
“You have no business to take our books; you are a dependent, mama says; you
have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live here
with gentlemen’s children like us, and eat the same meals we do, and wear
clothes at our mama’s expense. Now, I’ll teach you to rummage my
bookshelves: for they are mine; all the house belongs to me, or will do in a few
years. Go and stand by the door, out of the way of the mirror and the windows.”
I did so, not at rst aware what was his intention; but when I saw him lift and poise
the book and stand in act to hurl it, I instinctively started aside with a cry of alarm:
not soon enough, however; the volume was ung, it hit me, and I fell, striking my
head against the door and cutting it. The cut bled, the pain was sharp: my terror
had passed its climax; other feelings succeeded.
“Wicked and cruel boy!” I said. “You are like a murderer—you are like a
slavedriver—you are like the Roman emperors!”
I had read Goldsmith’s History of Rome, and had formed my opinion of Nero,
Caligula, etc. Also I had drawn parallels in silence, which I never thought thus to
have declared aloud.
46 New Spark English Reader Class 7
“What! What!” he cried. “Did she say that to me? Did you hear her, Eliza and
Georgiana? Won’t I tell mama? But rst—”
He ran headlong at me: I felt him grasp my hair and shoulder: he had closed with
a desperate thing. I really saw in him a tyrant, a murderer. I felt a drop or two of
blood from my head trickle down my neck, and was sensible of somewhat
pungent suffering: these sensations for the time predominated over fear, and I
received him in frantic sort. I don’t very well know what I did with my hands, but he
called me “Rat! Rat!” and bellowed out aloud. Aid was near him: Eliza and
Georgiana had run for Mrs Reed who was gone upstairs: she now came upon
the scene, followed by Bessie and her maid Abbot. We were parted: I heard the
words—
“Dear! dear! What a fury to y at Master John!” “Did ever anybody see such a
picture of passion?”
Then Mrs Reed subjoined—
“Take her away to the red-room, and lock her in there.” Four hands were
immediately laid upon me, and I was borne upstairs.
Word Meaning
shrubbery : several shrubs growing together
sombre : serious, or sad
nipped ngers : ngers frozen or numbed with the cold
chiding : scolding
earnest : serious, determined and meaning what you say
disposition : a tendency to behave in a certain way
sprightly : full of energy; lively
caviller : someone who makes unnecessary objections
moreen : a strong, ribbed cotton fabric, used chiey for curtains
drapery : cloth that hangs somewhere as a decoration
ceaseless : continuing without stopping
lamentable : so bad that you feel disappointed or angry
promontory : a narrow piece of land that sticks out into the sea
bleak : a bleak place seems cold and unfriendly and has no
concentre pleasant features
rigours : come together at a common centre
vignette : harsh and demanding conditions
: (literature) a short but interesting piece of writing
47 New Spark English Reader Class 7
desolate : place that is completely empty with no people or
pleasant features in it
girdled
torpid : surrounded
phantom : lacking energy or enthusiasm
: the spirit of a dead person that someone believes
end
hearth they can see
: a very evil person
frill : the oor of a replace in a house and the area around
crimp it
: a decoration that consists of a long narrow piece of
where the dickens
cloth with many small folds in it
fervently : to make small folds in something by pressing or
conception
difdence squeezing it
intimated : (old-fashined) used for emphasising a question when
stout
dingy you are surprised or angry
lineaments : entusiastically and sincerely
visage : (here) ability to imagine; understanding
extremity : lack of self-condence
: told Jane in an indirect way
gorged : slightly fat
bilious : dark in an unpleasant way
bleared : features
sallowness : face
antipathy : a part of your body that is furthest from the main part;
iniction
equilibrium for example, a nger or toe
: ate a large amount greedily
impudence : sickly; bad-tempered
thence : blurred, dull
rummage : skin that is of a pale yellow colour and looks unhealthy
tyrant : a strong feeling of not liking someone or something
pungent : curse
: a calm mental state in which you are in control of your
predominated
feelings
frantic : rude behaviour
bellowed : from a particular place or point
: to search for something among a lot of other things
: bully; a person who dictates
: comments or remarks that criticise something in a
direct and effective way
: (the sensations) had more power, inuence, or
importance than fear
: so upset that you are not able to control your feelings
: shouted very loudly
48 New Spark English Reader Class 7
EXERC I S E
Read and Write
1. Rapid re.
a. John Reed was a school boy of ................. .
(i) Seventeen years old (ii) fourteen years old
b. A breakfast room adjoined the ................ .
(i) drawing room (ii) bed room
c. John had not much affection for his ............... .
(i) mother (ii) sister
2. Read the lines and answer the questions that follow.
“You have no business to take our books; you are dependent, mama says;
you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg and not to
live here with gentlemen’s children like us and eat the same meals we do
and wear clothes at our mama’s expense. Now, I’ll teach you to rummage
my bookshelves: for they are mine; all the house belongs to me or will do
in a few years. Go and stand by the door, out of the way of the mirror and
the windows.”
a. What book had Jane taken to read? Why did she like the book?
b. Who is the speaker of the quoted lines? Why does he ask Jane to
stand out of the way of the mirror and the windows?
c. How would the speaker treat Jane generally?
3. Complete these sentences.
a. John Reed missed no opportunity to harass Jane as he ....................
................................................................................................................
b. Mrs Reed was indifferent to Jane’s plight because she .....................
............................................................................................................... .
c. Jane was bereft of all support and love in the Reed household
because...............................................................................................
d. Despite being friendless and unloved, Jane had
........................................................................................................... .
49 New Spark English Reader Class 7
4. Answer the following questions.
a. Why did Jane not take a walk that day?
b. Why did Jane dislike long walks?
c. Describe John Reed’s appearance.
d. Why was Jane afraid of John Reed?
e. Did anyone in the household ever support Jane against John Reed?
Give reasons to support your answer.
f. Why was Jane punished? What was the punishment? Did Jane
deserve it?
Vocabulary
When you eat out at restaurants, you need to understand some of the words
often used there.
5. Match the words with their meanings.
a. appetiser the chef ranking next to the head chef
b. savoury a layer of food put on top of other food
c. topping a small dish of food which is served before
the main course
d. creamer salty or spicy food
e. doggy bag dry milk powder added to whiten coffee
f. sous-chef a bag or box containing leftover food from
your order
Grammar Zone
Transforming the Active Voice into the Passive Voice
Let's recall.
A sentence in the active voice can be changed into the passive voice if
the verb is transitive.
A transitive verb is one which has an object and transfers the action to
the object.
50 New Spark English Reader Class 7
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