Her ngers were gnarled from work, and perhaps from arthritis, too. Her
ngernails were strangely white. These hands spoke of the stubbornness of
mankind, of the will to work not only as long as one's strength permits but beyond
the limits of one's power. Mother counted and wrote down the list of garments.
The bundle was big, bigger than usual. When the woman placed it on her
shoulders, it covered her completely. It was fearful to watch the old woman
staggering out with the enormous pack, out into the frost, where the snow was
dry as salt and the air was lled with dusty white whirlwinds, like goblins dancing
in the cold. Would the old woman ever reach home?
She disappeared, and mother sighed and prayed for her. Usually the woman
brought back the wash after two or, at the most, three weeks. But three weeks
passed, then four and ve, and nothing was heard of the old woman. We
remained without linens. The cold had become even more intense. The
telephone wires were now as thick as ropes. The branches of the trees looked
like glass. Kindhearted people lit res in the streets for vagrants to warm
themselves and roast potatoes in, if they had any to roast. For us the
washwoman’s absence was a catastrophe. We needed the laundry. We did not
even know the woman’s
address. It seemed certain
that she had collapsed,
died. Mother declared she
had a premonition, as the
old woman left our house
that last time, that we would
never see our things again.
She found some old torn
shirts and washed and
mended them. We
mourned, both for the
laundry and for the old,
toilworn woman who had
151 New Spark English Reader Class 7
More than two months passed. One evening, while mother was sitting near the
kerosene lamp mending a shirt, the door opened and a small puff of steam,
followed by a gigantic bundle, entered. Under the bundle tottered the old woman,
her face as white as a linen sheet. Mother uttered a half-choked cry. It was as
though a corpse had entered the room. I ran towards the old woman and helped
her unload her pack. She was even thinner now, more bent. Her face had
become more gaunt, and her head shook from side to side as though she were
saying no. She could not utter a clear word, but mumbled something with her
sunken mouth and pale lips.
After the old woman had recovered somewhat, she told us that she had been ill,
very ill. She had been so sick that someone had called a doctor, and the doctor
had sent for a priest. She began to feel better, she became well, and as soon as
she was able to stand on her feet once more, she resumed her washing. Not just
ours, but the wash of several other families, too.
“I could not rest easy in my bed because of the wash,” the old woman explained.
“The wash would not let me die.” “With the help of God, you will live to be a
hundred and twenty,” said my mother, as a benediction.
“God forbid! What good would such a long life be? The work becomes harder and
harder ... my strength is leaving me ... I do not want to be a burden on anyone!”
The old woman muttered and crossed herself and raised her eyes towards
heaven.
Fortunately there was some money in the house, and mother counted out what
she owed. I had a strange feeling: The coins in the old woman's washed-out
hands seemed to become as worn and clean as she herself was. She blew on the
coins and tied them in a kerchief. Then she left, promising to return in a few
weeks for a new load of wash. But she never came back. The wash she had
returned was her last effort on this earth. She had been driven by an indomitable
will to return the property to its rightful owners, to full the task she had
undertaken.
152 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Word Meaning
forebears : your forebears are the people in your family who lived a long
time ago
unwieldy : large or heavy and difcult to handle or carry
faucet : a water tap on a bath or sink
rancour : a feeling of hate or anger that lasts a long time
gnarled : old and twisted and covered in lines
arthritis : a medical condition affecting your joints (=the place where
two bones meet) making them very swollen and painful
premonition : a strong feeling that something is going to happen, especially
something unpleasant
gaunt : very thin, usually because you are ill, tired, or worried
benediction : a Christian prayer that asks God to bless someone
indomitable : very determined and impossible to defeat
EXERC I S E
Read and Write
1. Rapid fire.
a. Every piece of lines sparkled like polished ........................... .
(i) silver (ii) gold
b. The woman had a son who was ........................... .
(i) rich (ii) poor
c. Fingernails of old women was strangely ........................... .
(i) blue (ii) white
2. Read the lines and answer the questions that follow.
We mourned, both for the laundry and for the old, toilworn woman who
had grown close to us through the years she had served us so
faithfully.
a. Why did the narrator and his family mourn for the laundry? What had
happened to it?
153 New Spark English Reader Class 7
b. How had the old woman served the family faithfully?
c. What had happened to the old woman?
d. What did the narrator’s mother say regarding the situation? Was she
right?
3. Answer the following questions.
a. What evidence do we have in the story to show that the washwoman
had phenomenal strength?
b. Why was the narrator’s mother very happy with the washwoman?
c. Why was laundry not an easy job in those days?
d. Why did the washwoman not turn up with the laundry for nearly two
months?
e. In what way was the washwoman’s physique not equipped for the
work she did?
Vocabulary
Circle any six antonyms and synonyms each of the word TIMID in the word
frame. The words are placed in any direction, from right to left, vertically,
horizontally diagonally, or from bottom to the top. Have fun!
AWU N A S S E R T I V E F C
GP SF EA RL E SSX Z BO
GW P C S P I R I T L E S S U
RB I RR E SO L U T ED X R
E O GD EM U R EWA I AWA
S L M I F H QU EWA Q SV G
SD E F SGEYU RXU Z E E
I Z E FMW T N F Z ON H V O
V A K I WQ D A S RW F J I U
EQRDHA RVO I QV K S S
X A X E U G EM C X VWC SM
D OWNM X I N V Z C E N I E
ACT T B I NA I L AV ZM S
Z E EG L XWEA K X A V BM
D X ST E ZWQ F E A R F U L
I NT I M I DA T EDBB SZ
154 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Grammar Zone
Present Perfect Tense
Use the present perfect tense for recently-completed actions; actions that
happened at an unstated time in the past, but are connected to the present: She
has eaten her lunch. We have moved out of our old house. I have worn these
jeans so many times.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Use the present perfect continuous tense for actions that started in the past and
are continuing in the present: past actions that have visible results in the present,
actions expressing annoyance or anger, emphasizing how long something has
been going on; She has been sleeping since one this afternoon. She looks tired.
She has been working for hours. You have been playing those drums for an hour.
Just stop it now!
Past Perfect Tense
Use the past perfect tense for actions that occurred in the past before another
action (in the simple past tense); When we arrived, (simple past) he had
eaten(past perfect) his lunch.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Use the past perfect continuous tense for an action going on for a specic period
of time in the past: He had been working (past perfect continuous) for two hours
when suddenly he heard (simple past) a knock on the door.
They got (simple past) drenched because it had been pouring (past perfect
continuous) for an hour.
She went (simple past) to the doctor, because her tooth had been paining (past
perfect continuous) for an hour.
Use these time expressions with the past perfect tense: for, since, already, after,
just, yet, never, before etc.
4. Fill in the blanks with the correct simple past or the past perfect
tense as required and then mention which action took place first.
a. When I spoke (speak) to her she had already reached (reach) home.
b. They ................ just ................ (nish) their assignment when the
bell ................ (ring). First action: ................
155 New Spark English Reader Class 7
c. After the bell ................(ring), the students ................(leave) the
classroom. First action: ................
d. Mom ................(cook) the dinner long before the guests ................ .
( arrive) First action: ................
e. The minister ................ (start) speaking only after the crowd
................ (stop) cheering. First action: ................
5. Fill in the blanks with the simple past, the past perfect or the past
perfect continuous forms of the verbs given in the brackets.
a. Mom ................ (forget) to make the milk off the stove. It ................
(boil) over and falling on the stove for ten minutes.
b. Kiran ................ (live) in Banepa for ve years before she
................ to Kavre. (move)
c. The baby ................ (cry) for several minutes before the maid
................ (hear) her and ................(run) to the cot to pick her up.
d. Just ................ (read) her book and ................ (go) to sleep before
Dad ................(return) from ofce last night.
e. We ................ (try) our best to nish our homework before eight last
night, but we just ................(cannot nish) it and ................(miss)
our favourite TV show
Speaking
How do you help you grandparents? Share your views with your classmates.
Writing
You have taken up a new assignment and need to be away from home for
long hours. Write a letter to the manger of an employment agency in your
town which specializes in providing reliable housekeepers.
156 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Listening and Writing
Listen to the audio and answer the following questions.
1. The __________________ is one of the largest rivers of the world.
a. Amazon b. Nile
Scan Here
2. It is_________________ miles long.
a. 10,000 b. 4000
3. The Amazon river begins at _______________. Audio Script
a. Amazon b. Huarco
4. The Amazon Basin is almost 40% of the total area of ______________.
a. South America b. Nepal
5. The Amazon spreads over ______________ square mile.
a. 1,000,000 b. 2,030,000
6. Over ________________ species of plants and more butterflies can be
found here.
a. 20,000 b. 25,000
7. The average rainfall across the world Amazon Basin is approximately
_____________ annually.
a. 2300mm b. 3200mm
8. Yearly rainfall can exceed ________________.
a. 6000mm b. 4000mm
9. The Amazon Basin has not always been on area of lush ___________.
a. desert b. tropical rainforest
10. The Amazon rainforest has a great variety of __________________.
a. plant life b. human life
157 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Lesson Transform Knowledge
18 Into Wisdom
Do you know the meaning of wisdom? Can you name some who are called
‘men of wisdom’? Scan Here
........................................................................................................................
Read to Understand Audio Script
Let's read this chapter to know what makes men the seekers of wisdom.
Those who seek knowledge have no rest. In order to learn new thing and add to
the store house of one’s knowledge, one has to be ever alert and awake to collect
information at whatever
place and from whosoever it
is available. The seekers of
knowledge look up to
books, newspapers,
magazines as they like.
They cannot afford to miss
either radio broadcasting or
telecasts. As one learns and
gains knowledge becomes
the seekers of wisdom.
It will not be out of place to add that it is some of the seekers of truth, who make
quest of wisdom at all times.
As the universal rule, the rst step to gain knowledge is to collect information
through all available sources. Even a child in the nursery classes can be seen
collecting all available information and lling his head with knowledge. It follows
that men is born as a seeker of knowledge and seeds of the re of wisdom. The
men of wisdom make themselves useful for both, themselves and to the society
to which they belong.
158 New Spark English Reader Class 7
About this class of people, it is said that the pursuit of knowledge kindles their
heart with the ame of truth, which through constant efforts, develops into a
burning re. For such persons, the life is difcult, hard and at times stormy men of
wisdom often tell us that although to reach the doors of the temple of wisdom
they had to pass through chill and re, yet they express their pleasure by saying
that the process has its own rewards.
German philosopher poet, Goethe has said with full conviction that genius of
knowledge know what it is to suffer and be strong. They also tell us that the way
to the temple of wisdom is zigzag and ledged with thorns.
The seekers of truth offer themselves as the servants of humanity and are ever
ready to sacrice everything for the welfare of the society. The only thing, which
matters for these people, is to live according to what they have learnt and
according to wisdom which emerges from their learning.
159 New Spark English Reader Class 7
On the other hand, there is a class of persons, who stuff their minds with
information of all kinds of knowledge contained in different books. These people
do not try to live according to what they learn or profess to learn. They may have
the personal satisfaction of being men of learning but their learning is of no use
either for their own development or for the good of those among whom they live.
In short they are not grateful to the society from which they draw their life and
blood. It may not be an exaggeration to say that these persons are like beasts of
burden and conned to their personal donkeys carrying on their backs heavy
loads of books.
Books of knowledge need to be studied not with the intellect or a mind burdened
with many previous ideas, but with the freshness of a consciousness, the
consciousness of the duty which we owe to the society the nation, the world and
the humanity at large. Knowledge gets transformed into wisdom when it is put to
the noble use of the betterment of one’s self and the promotion of welfare of the
society in which one moves and has one’s being. Then one can realize that
wisdom consists in utilizing knowledge in such away that it alleviates the
society’s suffering and liberates those, who sacrice their personal wants for the
sake of the welfare of humanity at large.
This system of study will beep your minds open and make your hearts free from
all prejudices and established nations. Examples are too many to cite. Open-
mindedness does bring out remarkable change in the student’s way of thinking
and living. In such a state of mind, the questions bring out answers from the
depth of the heart, as there is no penumbra of mere intellectual knowledge to
mislead or elude the candidate or the person sitting in front of the questions.
Book are not to be gargled, but digested and then tried to be lived. That makes
the whole personality - the group of physical and emotional and mental bodies-
clean and responsive.
William Cowper has very aptly written that knowledge and wisdom are far from
being one. Knowledge dwells in head replete with thoughts of other men,
wisdom in minds attentive to their own. Stalwarts, who have shouldered the
burden of responsibility in different elds and are as of life, were inspired by the
knowledge they found through contact with books. That gave them energy, the
steadfastness, and the inspiration to do out standing work with unswerving
devotion.
160 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Perhaps there is no understanding of what we mean by study. It does not consist
of just reading books and having discussions in which the participants project
their ideas and opinions, which, in the words of Miss Ianthe Hoskins is nothing
but interchange of ignorance. The study must make you aware of the problems
of life. There must be a pondering that makes the contents of what is read or
heard, true for oneself and relevant to the problems that are faced. This is
transforming knowledge into wisdom.
Word Meaning
quest : search
pursuit : the deliberate quest for something
conviction : the state of being convinced
stuff : to fill
exaggeration : to overstate; to make greater or larger
elude : to avoid somebody
consciousness : the state of being awake and aware of one’s
alleviate surroundings
penumbra : to make less severe
liberate : a region of partial darkness
gargle : set someone free from slavery
ponder : wash one’s mouth and throat with a liquid
wisdom : think about something carefully
: the quality of having experience or being wise
EXERC I S E
Read and Write
1. Rapid fire.
a. Those who seek knowledge have ............................. .
(i) enough rest (ii) no rest
b. The seekers of truth offer themselves as the .......................... of
humanity.
(i) servants (ii) masters
161 New Spark English Reader Class 7
2. Answer the following questions.
a. It is said that a man is born as seeker of knowledge? Do you think
so? Why?
b. The men of wisdom face many problems in order to reach the
temple of wisdom still they feel happy and rewarded. Describe why
do they feel so.
c. What is it which matters most for seekers of truth?
Vocabulary
3. Match the following to form compound nouns. Write the nouns so
formed in the third column.
table sports ...................................
parent money ...................................
winter homes ...................................
old age tennis ...................................
chewing knowledge ...................................
pocket strap ...................................
general gum ...................................
watch teacher meeting ...................................
Grammar Zone
Active and Passive Voice
Look at these sentences.
The boy killed the bird.
The bird was killed by the boy.
In the first sentence the transitive verb killed represents its subject as acting.
In the second sentence the transitive verb was killed represents its subject as
being acted upon.
In the first sentence the subject is the Doer of the action.
In the second sentence the subject is the Receiver or Sufferer of the action.
A transitive verb that represents its subject as Acting is in the Active voice.
Hence the verb killed is the Active voice.
162 New Spark English Reader Class 7
A transitive verb that represents its subject as being passively Acted upon is
in the Passive voice. Hence the verb was killed is in the passive voice.
The active voice draws attention to the doer of the action. The passive voice
draws attention to the receiver orsufferer of the action. The object of the verb
in the active voice becomes to subject of the verb in the passive voice.
4. Transform the following sentences into passive voice.
a. Sheela sings a song. .....................................................................
b. Rohan sees a picture. ....................................................................
c. The boys do their homework. .................................................................
d. The girl gives a book. .....................................................................
e. My mother cooks food. .....................................................................
f. Mohit posted a letter. ....................................................................
g. The labourer earned money. ..................................................................
h. The shopkeeper sold goods. ..................................................................
i. Parents love the children. .....................................................................
j. I eat a mango. .....................................................................
k. She wears a red dress. .....................................................................
l. We play cricket everyday. .....................................................................
Speaking
According to William Cowper knowledge and wisdom are far from being one.
Discuss in the class.
Writing
How we can transform knowledge into wisdom and ensure our overall
personality development? Explain.
163 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Mother Teresa
Listen to the audio and fill in the gaps. .
Mother Teresa was born in Albania in ________________ 1997. Her real
name is Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. She became famous ________________
starting the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India. She ________________
in 1950 and for over forty years, she looked after the poor, sick, __________.
She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work. Agnes
developed an interest in helping ________________ at a very young age.
She was fascinated by stories of people ________________ life to help
others. She ________________ a nun when she was 12. She joined the
Sisters of Loreto as a missionary when she was 18. ________________ to
Ireland, to learn English. She arrived in India in 1929 and became a nun two
years later. The poverty and ________________ around her in Calcutta
________________ her. A famine in 1943 killed thousands ________________
situation. In 1946 she received a call from God. "I was to leave the convent and
help the poor ________________ them. It was an order,” she said. She was an
international ________________, visiting many countries to help poor children.
At the time of her death, her ________________ 123 countries. After she died,
the Pope started the process ________________ make her a saint. An
international ________________ as the "most admired person of the 20th
Scan Here
Century."
164 Audio Script
New Spark English Reader Class 7
WORKSHEET-9
1. Tick (ü) the correct words.
a. Those who seek knowledge have .............................. .
(i) enough rest (ii) no rest
b. In this poem the poet compares hope to.............. .
(i) storm (ii) wind
c. The seekers of truth offer them selves as the ....................... of
humanity
(i) servants (ii) wasters
2. Read the lines and answer the questions that follow.
We mourned, both for the laundry and for the old, toilworn woman who
had grown close to us through the years she had served us so
faithfully.
a. Why did the narrator and his family mourn for the laundry? What had
happened to it?
b. How had the old woman served the family faithfully?
c. What had happened to the old woman?
d. What did the narrator’s mother say regarding the situation? Was she
right?
3. Answer the following questions.
a. What is it which matters most for seekers of truth
b. It is said that a man is born as seeker of knowledge? Do you think
so? why?
c. Why was laundry not an easy job in those day?
d. Why did the washwoman not turnup with the laundry for nearly two
months?
165 New Spark English Reader Class 7
4. Complete these sentences suitably with may/might. One has been
done for you.
a. When I grow up, I ...................................................... become an
engineer.
b. Rekha, I wonder if I.............................................................. go with
you.
c. Farmes use fertilizers so that they ..................................................
have a rich harvest.
d. He doesn’t know what to do, he .........................................................
ask Jatin.
e. You .............................................................. do the washing tonight.
I.............................................................. be coming home late.
5. Fill in the blanks with suitable adjectives, choosing your answer
from the box.
opulent heart-rending palatial terrifying
exorbitant ornate heart-breaking steady
a. ........................................ climb
b. ........................................monsters
c. ........................................mansion
d. ........................................sum
e. ........................................ panelling
f. ........................................ living
g. ........................................news
h. ........................................ cry
6. Fill in the blanks with the simple past, the past perfect or the past
perfect continuous forms of the verbs given in the brackets.
a. Mom ................ (forget) to make the milk off the stove. It ................
(boil) over and falling on the stove for ten minutes.
b. Kiran................ (live) in Banepa for ve years before she
................ to Dhading. (move)
c. The baby ................ (cry) for several minutes before the mind
................ (hear) her and ................(run) to the cot to pick her up.
d. Grandma ................ (read) her book and ................ (go) to sleep
166 New Spark English Reader Class 7
e. We ................ (try) our best to nish our homework before eight last
night, but we just ................(cannot nish) it and ................ (miss) our
favourite TV show.
7. Complete these sentences using had, provided, only if, as long
as, so long as, hardly ...when, scarcely ... when.
a. ..................the students complete their work on time, the teacher is
happy.
b. .................. I known her address, I would have visited her.
c. .................. had she nished her studies ..................she left home to
go abroad.
d. .................. had we entered the house ..................the lights went off.
e. .................. the workers are paid well, they are content.
f. .................. had the guests arrived .................. there was a loud
explosion in the neighbourhood.
g. .................. had the match ended .................. the spectators ran into
the eld.
h. .................. the patient takes the medicines prescribed, he will not
have relapse for the illness.
8. Circle any six antonyms and synonyms each of the word TIMID in
the word frame. The words are placed in any direction, from right
to left, vertically, horizontally diagonally, or from bottom to the top.
Have fun!
AWU N A S S E R T I V E F C
GP SF EA RL E SSXZ BO
GW P C S P I R I T L E S S U
RB I RRE SOL U T EDX R
E OGD EMU R EWA I AWA
S L M I F H QU EWA Q SV G
SD E F SGEYURXU Z E E
I Z E F MWT N F Z ON H V O
V A K I WQD A S RW F J I U
EQRDHA RVO I QV K S S
X A X E U G EM C X VWC SM
D OWNM X I N V Z C E N I E
ACT T B I NA I L AV ZMS
Z E EG L XWEA K X A V BM
D X S T E ZWQ F E A R F U L
I NT I M I DAT EDBB SZ
167 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Lesson The Conceited Python
19
Scan Here
Are you an animal lover? Do you have a pet?
........................................................................................................................
Audio Script
Read to Understand
Why do you think cats and dogs are adorable as pets? If you had an
opportunity, would you think of having a snake for a pet?
There was one pet which Grandfather could not keep for long. Grandmother was
tolerant of most birds and animals, but she drew the line at reptiles. Even a sweet
tempered chameleon made her blood run cold. Grandfather should have known
that there was little chance of his being allowed to keep the python.
He could never resist buying unusual pets. He paid a snake charmer in the
bazaar only a hundred rupees for the young, four-foot python that was on display
to a crowd of eager boys and girls. Grandfather impressed the bazaar crowd by
slinging the python across his shoulders and walking home with it.
The rst to see them arrive was Toto, swinging from a branch of the jackfruit tree.
One look at the python, ancient enemy of his race, and he ed into the house,
squealing with fright. The noise brought Grandmother to the verandah, where
she nearly fainted at the sight of the python curled round Grandfather's throat.
“It’ll strangle you to death!” she cried. “Get rid of it at once!”
“Nonsense!” said Grandfather. “He's only a young fellow. He’ll soon get used to
us.” “He might, indeed,” said Grandmother. “But I have no intention of getting
used to him. You know quite well that your cousin Mabel is coming to stay with us
tomorrow. She’ll leave us the minute she knows there's a snake in the house.”
“Well, perhaps, we ought to show it to her as soon as she arrives,” said
Grandfather, who did not look forward to fussy Aunt Mabel's visits any more than I
did.
168 New Spark English Reader Class 7
“You’ll do no such thing,” said Grandmother.
“Well, I can't let it loose in the garden. It might nd its way into the poultry
house, and then where would we be?”
“Oh, how irritating you are!” grumbled Grandmother. “Lock the creature in the
bathroom, go back to the bazaar and nd the man you bought it from, and get
him to come here and collect it.”
In my awestruck presence, Grandfather had to take the python into the
bathroom, where he placed it in the tub. After closing the door on it, he gave me a
sad look.
“Perhaps Grandmother is right this time,” he said. “After all, we don’t want the
snake to get hold of Toto. And it's sure to be very hungry.”
He hurried off to the bazaar to look for the snake charmer, while Grandmother
paced up and down the verandah. When he returned, looking crestfallen, we
knew that he hadn’t been able to nd the snake charmer.
169 New Spark English Reader Class 7
‘Well, then, you had better take it away yourself,” said Grandmother. “Leave it in
the jungle across the river bed.”
“All right, but let me feed it rst,” said Grandfather. He took a plucked chicken and
went into the bathroom, followed, in single le, by me, Grandmother and a
curious cook and gardener.
Grandfather opened the door and stepped into the bathroom. I peeped round his
legs, while the others stayed well behind. We couldn't see the python anywhere.
“He’s gone,” announced Grandfather. “He must have felt hungry.”
“He couldn't have gone far,” said Grandmother. “Look under the tub.”
“I hope he isn't too hungry,” I said.
“We left the window open,” said Grandfather, looking embarrassed. A careful
search was made of the house, the kitchen, the garden, the stable and the poultry
shed; but the python couldn't be found anywhere.
“He must have gone over the garden wall,” said Grandfather. “He’ll be well away
by now.” “I certainly hope so,” said Grandmother, with a look of relief.
Aunt Mabel arrived next day for a three-week visit, and for a couple of days,
Grandfather and I were a little worried in case the python made a sudden
appearance; but on the third day, when he didn't show up, we felt condent that
he had gone for good.
And then, towards evening, we were startled by a scream from the garden.
Seconds later, Aunt Mabel came ying up the verandah steps, looking as though
she had seen a ghost.
“In the guava tree!” she gasped. “I was reaching for a guava when I saw it staring
at me. The look in its eyes! As though it would eat me alive ...”
“Calm down, my dear,” urged Grandmother, sprinkling eau-de-cologne over my
aunt. “Tell us what you saw?”
170 New Spark English Reader Class 7
“A snake!” sobbed Aunt Mabel. “A great boa constrictor. It must have been twenty
feet long! In the guava tree. Its eyes were terrible. It looked at me in such a queer
way... .”
My grandparents exchanged glances, and Grandfather said: “I’ll go out and kill
it.” Taking hold of an umbrella, he sallied out into the garden. But when he
reached the guava tree, the python had gone.
“Aunt Mabel must have frightened it away,” I said.
“Hush! We mustn't speak of your aunt in that way,” said Grandfather, but his eyes
were alive with laughter.
After this incident, the python began to make a number of appearances, often in
the most unexpected places. Aunt Mabel had another t when she saw him
emerge from beneath a cushion. She packed her bags and left.
The hunt continued.
Next morning, I saw the python curled up on the dressing table, gazing at his
reection in the mirror. I went for Grandfather, but by the time we returned the
python had moved elsewhere. He was seen in the garden a little later, and the
cook then saw him crawling up the iron ladder to the roof. Then, we found him on
the dressing table a second time, admiring himself in the mirror. Evidently, he
was fascinated by his reection.
“All the attention he is receiving has probably made him conceited,” said
Grandfather.
“He's trying to look better for Aunt Mabel,” I said. I regretted this remark because
Grandmother overheard it and held up my pocket money for the rest of the week.
“Well, now we know his weakness,” said Grandfather.
“Are you trying to be funny, too?” demanded Grandmother, looking her most
threatening. “I didn't mean Aunt Mabel. The python is becoming vain, so it should
be easier to catch him now.”
Grandfather set up a large cage, with a mirror at one end. In the cage, he left a
juicy chicken and several other tasty things. The opening was tted with a
trapdoor.
171 New Spark English Reader Class 7
the project because we couldn't have the python prowling about the house
indenitely. A python's bite is not poisonous, but it can swallow a live monkey,
and it can be a risky playmate for a small boy.
For a few days, nothing happened. And then, as I was leaving for school one
morning, I saw the python curled up in the cage. He had eaten everything left out
for him, and was relaxing in front of the mirror with something that resembled a
smile on his face—if yon can imagine a python smiling.
I lowered the trapdoor gently, but the python took no notice of me. Grandfather
and the gardener put the cage in a tonga and made a journey to the other side of
the river bed. They left the cage in the jungle with the trapdoor open. When they
went away, the python made no attempt to get out.
“I didn’t have the heart to take the mirror away,” said Grandfather.
“It’s the rst time I’ve seen a snake fall in love.”
172 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Word Meaning
awestruck : lled with wonder or awe
crestfallen : sad and disappointed
le : a line of people walking or standing behind each other
eau-de-cologne : a liquid with a pleasant smell that you put on your body
boa constrictor : a South American snake that kills animals by wrapping
sallied itself around them and squeezing them
conceited/vain : set out for the garden energetically
: very proud of oneself
EXERC I S E
Read and Write
1. Rapid fire.
a. Grandfather could never resist buying unusual .......................... .
(i) pets (ii) creatures
b. Grandfather opened the door and stepped into the .......................... .
(i) bathroom (ii) kitchen
c. Grandfather set up a large cage, with a .......................... at one end.
(i) mirror (ii) wall
2. Read the lines and answer the questions that follow.
‘Nonsense!’ said Grandfather. “He’s only a young fellow. He’ll soon
get used to us.”
a. Whose comments did Grandfather refer to as nonsense?
b. Who is being called a young fellow here?
c. Do you think that he will really get used to them?
3. Answer the following questions.
a. How does the author grab our attention in the rst paragraph?
b. How many characters are we introduced to in the story?
173 New Spark English Reader Class 7
c. How did Grandfather show off with the python?
d. Why is the python an ancient enemy of Toto’s race?
e. Which sentences in the story tell us that Grandmother was
disgusted with the python’s arrival?
f. In which ways were Grandmother and Grandfather different?
g. Where did Aunt Mabel rst spot the python? How did she
exaggerate its size?
Vocabulary
Read the clues and solve the puzzle. All your answers are words you
read in the story.
A P P EA RAN C E
DWV B I E F X SV
F Y EO L SQAC I
S I MPRE SSED
EH E L UMNHWE
TQRD Y B JUVN
Z PGTV LXR JT
Q Y E PW E A T G L
I ND EEDNDOY
G J PM ECX UH R
FA SC I NAT ED
a. made someone feel admiration and respect
b. emphasise something which has been said already
c. the way something or someone looks
e. come out of something and be visible
f. obviously; in a way that is clearly seen
g. to be strongly attracted to something
h. looked similar to another person or thing
174 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Grammar Zone
Adjectives
Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. Adjectives can be put into as many
classes as we want like: age, colour, opinion, shape, size, origin, material,
purpose, emotion, personality, appearance etc. Sometimes a particular
adjective can be placed under two or three different categories. He looked
strange in his father’s clothes. It could be an opinion or appearance adjective.
5. Underline the adjectives in the following sentences.
a. A peculiar triangular box lay on the oval dining table.
b. Rapunzel let down her long hair and the handsome young prince
climbed up to the tower.
c. The tiny girl wore a funny yellow hat on her head.
d. I thought the red dress was awful, but my sister said it was fabulous.
e. The angry man pushed the steaming hot cup of coffee and it spilled
all over the pretty pink tablecloth.
f. They carried folding beds when they went camping.
g. The energetic little boy ran round and round the room.
h. The Japanese ower arrangement won the prize at the competition.
Speaking
Have you read about or met someone, who has a strange pet? Share how
you feel about keeping wild animals as pets.
Writing
Imagine you are an animal activist. You are trying to make people aware of
the cruelty some people inict on animals. Write a speech which you will
deliver at the school assembly.
175 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Scan Here
Listening and Writing
Listen to the audio and answer the following questions.
Audio Script
1. The relation you develop with _______________ is lifelong.
a. An animal b. a human
2. Those having pets will be able to_________________ better.
a. explain b. judge
3. Animals respond back with all their _______________.
a. hate b. love
4. Whether it is birds or animals, pets have a _________________ with
their master.
a. A special bonding b. weird bonding
5. They also provide great services to their ______________.
a. teachers b. masters
6. Cats and dogs are most ________________ pets found.
a. common b. speical
7. Cats help in keeping the house _____________.
a. dirty b. clean
8. Dogs safeguard the house and keep________________ away.
a. strangers b. known
9. The sensitivity to smell for _______________has been greatest tool
used to hunt.
a. cat b. dog
10. __________________ are wonderful pets and they talk so much.
a. parrot b. swan
176 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Lesson Princess September
20
Scan Here
Which bird do you like the most and why?
........................................................................................................................
Audio Script
Read to Understand
There is a story about a Princess September, who had been gifted a parrot
by her father, the King of Siam. Sadly, the bird dies, and as she remains sunk
in gloom, something happens to relieve her sorrow. Read on to nd out
about this, and the role played by her eight jealous sisters in what happens
subsequently.
... While she lay in her bed crying, she saw a little bird hop into her
room. Then the little bird began to sing, and he sang a beautiful
song all about the lake in the King’s garden, and the
willow trees that looked at themselves in the still
water, and the goldsh that glided in and out of
the branches that were reected in it. When he
had nished, the Princess was not crying any
more. “That was a very nice song,” she said.
“Would you care to have me instead of your
parrot?” said the little bird. “It”s true that I’m
not so pretty to look at, but on the other hand, I
have a much better voice.” Princess September
clapped her hands with delight, and then the little
bird hopped on to the end of her bed and sang her
to sleep. He ate rice out of her hand, and he had his bath
in her saucer. He drank out of it, too. When he had nished his breakfast, he
began to sing again so beautifully that the Maids of Honour were quite surprised
for they had never heard anything like it, and Princess September was very
proud and happy.
177 New Spark English Reader Class 7
“Now, I want to show you to my eight sisters,” said the Princess. She stretched
out the rst nger of her right hand so that it served as a perch, and the little bird
ew down and sat on it. Then, followed by her Maids of Honour, she went through
the palace and called on each of the Princesses in turn. Princess September ran
through all the rooms of the palace, singing like a lark, while the little bird ew
round and round her, singing like a nightingale, which indeed it was. Things went
on like this for several days, and then the eight Princesses put their heads
together ...
“Do you mind our asking where your bird is now?” they said.
“He’s gone to pay a visit to his father-in-law,” said Princess September.
“And what makes you think he’ll come back?” asked the Princesses.
“He always does come back,” said September.
“Well, my dear,” said the eight Princesses, “If you take our advice, you won’t run
any risks like that. If he comes back, and, mind you, if he does you’ll be lucky, pop
him into the cage and keep him there. That’s the only way you can be sure of
him.”
“But I like to have him y about the room,” said Princess September. “Safety rst,”
said her sisters ominously.
They got up and walked out of the room, shaking their heads, leaving September
very uneasy.
It seemed to her that her little bird was away a long time, and she could not think
what he was doing. Something might have happened to him. What with hawks
and men with snares, you never knew what trouble he might get into. Besides, he
might forget her, or he might take a fancy to somebody else; that would be
dreadful. Oh, she wished he were safely back again and in the golden cage that
stood there, empty and ready.
Suddenly, September heard a tweet-tweet just behind her ear and she saw the
little bird sitting on her shoulder. He had come in so quietly, and alighted so softly,
that she had not heard him.
“I wondered what on earth had become of you,” said the Princess.
September felt her heart go thump, thump against her chest, and she made up
her mind to take no more risks. She put out her hand and took hold of the bird.
178 New Spark English Reader Class 7
This, he was quite used to: she liked feeling his heart go pit-a-pat, so fast, in the
hollow of her hand, and I think he liked the soft warmth of her little hand. So the
bird suspected nothing. He was so surprised when she carried him over to the
cage, popped him in, and shut the door on him, that, for a moment, he could think
of nothing to say. But, in a moment or two, he hopped up on the ivory perch and
said: “What is the joke?”
“There’s no joke,” said September, “but some of mamma’s cats are prowling
about tonight, and I think you’re much safer
in there. I shouldn't have slept a wink all
night if I hadn’t known you were safe.”
“Well, just for this once, I don’t mind,” said
the little bird, “so long as you let me out in
the morning.”
He ate a very good supper and then began
to sing. But, in the middle of his song, he
stopped.
“I don’t know what the matter is with me,” he
said, “but I don’t feel like singing
tonight.”
“Very well,” said September, “go to sleep
instead!” So he put his head under his wing
and in a minute was fast asleep. September
went to sleep, too. But, when the dawn broke, she was awakened by the little bird
calling her at the top of his voice: “Wake up, wake up,” he said. “Open the door of
this cage and let me out. I want to have a good y while the dew is still on the
ground.”
“You’re much better off where you are,” said September. “You have a beautiful
golden cage.” “Let me out, let me out,” said the little bird.
“You’ll have three meals a day served by my Maids of Honour; you’ll have nothing
to worry you from morning till night and you can sing to your heart’s content.” “Let
me out, let me out,” said the little bird. And he tried to slip through the bars of the
cage but, of course, he couldn’t, and he beat against the door but, of course, he
179 New Spark English Reader Class 7
“Don’t be such an old silly,” said September. “I’ve only put you in the cage
because I’m so fond of you. I know what’s good for you much better than you do
yourself. Sing me a little song and I’ll give you a piece of brown sugar.”
But the little bird stood in the corner of his cage, looking out at the blue sky, and
never sang a note. He never sang all day.
“What’s the good of sulking?” said September. “Why don’t you sing and forget
your troubles?”
“How can I sing?” answered the bird. “I want to see the trees and the lake and the
green rice growing in the elds.”
She gave him his supper. But he wouldn’t eat a thing. The Princess was a little
anxious at this and asked her sisters what they thought about it. “You must be
rm,” they said.
“But if he won’t eat, he’ll die,” she answered.
“That would be very ungrateful of him,” they said. “He must know that you’re only
thinking of his own good. If he’s obstinate and dies, it’ll serve him right and you’ll
be well rid of him.”
September didn’t see how that was going to do her very much good, but they
were eight to one, and all older than her, so she said nothing.
“Perhaps he’ll have got used to his cage by tomorrow,” she said.
And next day, when she awoke, she cried out good morning in a cheerful voice.
She got no answer. She jumped out of bed and ran to the cage. She gave a
startled cry, for there the little bird lay, at the bottom, on his side, with his eyes
closed, and he looked as if he were dead. She opened the door and, putting her
hand in, lifted him out. She gave a sob of relief, for she felt that his little heart was
beating still.
“Wake up, wake up, little bird,” she said. She began to cry and her tears fell on the
little bird. He opened his eyes and felt that the bars of the cage were no longer
round him.
“I cannot sing unless I’m free, and if I cannot sing, I die,” he said. The Princess
gave a great sob.
“Then take your freedom” she said, “I shut you in a golden cage because I loved
you and wanted to have you all to myself. But I never knew it would kill you. Go.
Fly away among the trees that are round the lake and y over the green rice-
elds.
180 New Spark English Reader Class 7
I love you enough to let you be happy in your own way.” She threw open the
window and gently placed the little bird on the sill. He shook himself a little.
“Come and go as you will, little bird,” she said. “I will never put you in a cage any
more.”
“I will come because I love you, little
Princess,” said the bird. “And I will
sing you the loveliest songs I know. I
shall go far away, but I shall always
come back, and I shall never forget
you.” He gave himself another
shake. “Good gracious me, how stiff I
am,” he said. Then he opened his
wings and ew right away into the
blue.
He did return at last. And he sat on
September’s shoulder, and ate out of
her hand, and sang her the beautiful
songs he had learned while he was
ying up and down the fair places of
the world. September kept her
window open day and night so that
the little bird might come into her room whenever he felt inclined, and this was
very good for her; so she grew extremely beautiful. And when she was old
enough, she married the King of Cambodia and was carried all the way on a white
elephant to the city in which he lived.
Word Meaning
glided : moved swiftly without noise or effort
ominously : suggesting that something might happen
hawks : large birds of prey
snares : devices used to catch birds and small animals
sulking : refusing to speak or smile because you want people to
obstinate know that you are angry about something
: refuses to change his view when other people try to
sill
persuade him
: a shelf at the bottom of a window
181 New Spark English Reader Class 7
EXERC I S E
Read and Write
1. Rapid fire.
a. How many daughters did the king and queen have?
(i) nine (ii) eight
b. The little bird stood in the corner of his ................................. .
(i) window (ii) cage
2. Answer the following questions.
a. How was the nightingale compared with the parrot that the princess
had lost?
b. What made Princess September happy and proud?
c. How did her sisters respond when she told them about her new
bird? Why?
d. What effect did the sisters’ words have on her? What did she do?
e. What happened to the bird when he was put into a cage?
f. How did the bird get back his freedom?
Vocabulary
3. Use the information provided in the dictionary to complete the table
below
Word Part of speech (1) Part of speech (2)
with e.g. if any with e.g. if any
brave adjective verb
throng The brave soldiers She braved the rain ...
who fought in the war
verb
noun
...........................................
...........................................
harbour ........................................... ...........................................
........................................... ...........................................
silence ........................................... ...........................................
water ........................................... ...........................................
........................................... ...........................................
........................................... ...........................................
182 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Grammar Zone
Abstract Noun
An Abstract Noun names a quality or an idea. Abstract Nouns are nouns that
name abstract concepts, or concepts that cannot be experienced with the
senses.
4. Write a sentence with each abstract noun given below.
a. bravery : ................................................................................................ .
b. love : ..................................................................................................... .
c. pleasure : .............................................................................................. .
d. calm : .................................................................................................... .
e. despair : ................................................................................................ .
f. truth : ................................................................................................. .
2. 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.
Speaking
Think about your own situation in school and at home. Don't you enjoy a lot of
freedom? Do you, however, feel that there are some areas in which you don't
have enough freedom? Have you thought of the reasons why your freedom has
to be restricted?
Writing
There are laws in our country that forbid the caging of birds and animals and
using them to make a living. However, you do see caged parrots being used
to tell a person's future, monkeys in chains being made to perform antics,
and captive snakes and mongooses being made to ght by snake charmers.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals decides to highlight this
issue.
Design a poster for the organization using the guidelines given above
183 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Marco Polo
Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that
follow. (you can also listen to the audio)
Marco Polo was born in 1254 in the Venetian Republic. The city of Venice, Italy
was at the centre of the Venetian Republic. When he was 17 years old, he went to
China with his father, Niccolo, and his uncle, Maffeo. Pope Gregory X sent them
to visit Kublai Khan, the emperor of China. Kublai Khan liked Marco Polo. He
enjoyed Marco Polo’s stories about many lands. Kublai Khan gave Marco Polo a
job. He sent Polo on diplomatic missions. He also made him governor of
Yangzhou, an important trading city. When Marco Polo went back to the Venetian
Republic, he talked about his life in China. Few believed his stories. In 1298, he
went to jail during a war between Venice and Genoa. While he was a prisoner in
jail, he dictated his stories about China to another man in jail. The man wrote
down the stories. The stories became the book, “The Travels of Marco Polo.”
Each chapter of the book covers a specic region of China. Each chapter is about
the military, farming, religion, and culture of a certain area. The book was
translated into many languages. Marco Polo got out of jail in 1299. He went back
to Venice to join his father and uncle. He became very rich. In 1300 he got
married, and he and his wife had three children. Marco Polo died in 1324. He was
almost 70 years old. Scan Here
1. Who did Marco Polo visit in China?
a. Nicolo b. Maffeo c. Pope Gregory X d. Kublai Khan
2. In China, Marco Polo worked as a…..................... Audio Script
a. storyteller b. governor c. writer d. trader.
3. Who wrote down Marco Polo’s stories? d. The emperor
a. His father b. His uncle c. A prisoner
4. When did Marco Polo go to jail?
a.1298 b. 1299 c. 1300 d. 1324
5. There was a war between........................…
a. Italy and China. b. China and Venice
c. Venice and Genoa d. Yangzhou and Genoa
6. An emperor is a.................................…
a. king b. queen c. trader d. missionary
7. A prisoner is a person who..........................…
a. does did not believe something b. is not allowed to leave
c. takes care of a city d. writes books.
184 New Spark English Reader Class 7
WORKSHEET-10
1. Tick (ü) the correct words.
a. The little bird stood the corn of his ....................... .
(i) window (ii) cage
b. Grandfather set up a large cage, with a ................... at one end
(i) mirror (ii) wall
c. Grandfather could never resist buying unusual ............................. .
(i) pets (ii) creatures
2. Read the lines and answer the questions that follow.
‘Nonsense!’ said Grandfather. “He’s only a young fellow. He’ll soon get
used to us.”
a. Whose comments did Grandfather refer to as nonsense?
b. Who is being called a young fellow here?
c. Do you think that he will really get used to them?
3. Answer the following questions.
a. Why is the python an ancient enemy of Toto’s race?
b. In which ways were Grandmother and Grandfather different?
c. How did the bird get back his freedom?
d. What happened to the bird when he was put into a cage?
e. How did Grandfather show off with the python?
4. Griffin was a rather lawless person. Tick the statements which
suggest that he was lawless.
a. He conducted experiments to make the human body invisible.
b. He set re to a house that he had rented.
c. He removed all his clothes and made himself invisible.
d. He left muddy footprints on the stairs and on the street.
e. He went into a departmental store to escape the cold.
185 New Spark English Reader Class 7
f. He took away clothes from a shop without paying for them.
g. He attached a shopkeeper and stole his money.
h. He stole money from the clergyman’s house.
i. He resisted arrest.
5. Fill in the blanks with suitable adverbs.
a. Two children were dancing on the stage ................................... .
b. She came out of the room. A baby was sleeping .............................. .
c. You can ................................... guess what these people are up to.
d. I play football ................................... .
e. She ................................... looks tired.
f. We watched a 3D lm ................................... .
g. Why don’t you go ...................................?
h. This book is ................................... .
6. Underline the adjectives in the following sentences.
a. A peculiar triangular box lay on the oval dining table.
b. Rapunzel let down her long hair and the handsome young prince
climbed up to the tower.
c. The tiny girl wore a funny yellow hat on her head.
d. I thought the red dress was awful, but my sister said it was fabulous.
e. The angry man pushed the steaming hot cup of coffee and it spilled
all over the pretty pink tablecloth.
f. They carried folding beds when they went camping.
g. The energetic little boy ran round and round the room.
h. The Japanese ower arrangement won the prize at the competition
7. Fill in the blanks with gerund construnctions of your choice.
a. .............................................................. is a healthy activity.
b. .............................................................. is bad for your teeth.
c. .............................................................. is an enjoyable hobby.
d. Rashi likes .............................................................. on the seashore.
186 New Spark English Reader Class 7
8. Match the words in column A with their meanings in column B.
AB
a. superstition money that you pay regularly into a special
plan made into a fund by an employee
towards a future pension
b. superimpose not needed or wanted
c. superscript place one over another so that both can be
seen
d. supersede manage or oversee
e. superuous written or printed above a letter, number,
or symbol
f. superintend one thing replacing another
g. superable blind belief
h. superannuation able to be overcome
9. Match these verbs with the nouns given in the box below.
a. attend ............................... b. diagnose ................................
c. catch ............................... d. hold ................................
e. develop ............................... f. suggest ................................
g. construct ............................... h. emphasize ................................
i. measure ............................... j. borrow ................................
software a point church disease speed
a record a cold books a remedy a super computer
187 New Spark English Reader Class 7
Note
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188 New Spark English Reader Class 7
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