Say the right thing

Question 1. What does “Athithi Devo Bhava” mean? Answer: It is a Sanskrit phrase that translates to “The guest is equivalent to God.” It emphasises the Indian cultural value of treating guests with utmost respect, warmth, and hospitality. Question 2. Why is it important to be polite to guests? Answer: Being polite to guests creates a welcoming atmosphere, makes them feel valued and comfortable, and reflects positively on the host. Politeness strengthens relationships and upholds social harmony. II. Choose the statements that display polite behaviour when you have guests at home. , Am Answer: The statements that display polite behaviour when we have guests at home are: 1. Offer the guests a glass of water. 2. Enquire about the well-being of the guests. 5. Accompany the guests to the door when they leave. Let us discuss (Page 74) I. Complete the table given below based on Scene I of the play. An example has been done for you. Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher. Answer: Speaker Words of the Speaker Reason Mrs. Shaw The room looks cleaner now. Put that coat away in your bedroom. To instruct Mary to keep the room tidy Mary You’re always telling me to put things away. To express frustration at her mother’s frequent instructions. Maiy I’m not a child! To assert her independence and maturity. Mrs. Shaw Say things that will please them. To highlight the importance of being kind as a way to ensure Mary says the appropriate things when guests arrive II. Do you think Mary will be able to follow her mother’s advice successfully when Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Lee visit? Why or why not? Answer: Mary tries hard to follow her mother’s advice, but it seems unlikely she will succeed. She is confident and eager, but she doesn’t fully understand how to talk politely or think before speaking. This might lead to mistakes when the guests arrive. Let us discuss (Page 77) I. Rectify the false statements given below from Scene II of the play. An example has been done for you. Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher. Question 1. Mrs. Harding states that they do not like London as it is not the same as Lanfield. Rectification: Mrs. Harding states that they like Lanfield very much even though it is not the same as London. Question 2. Mrs. Harding was pleased to know that Mary was familiar with her children. Answer: Mrs. Harding was not pleased because she clarified that she did not have any children. Question 3. Mrs. Shaw shared that she liked Mrs. Best as she read a lot of newspapers. Answer: Mrs. Shaw shared that she liked Mrs. Best as a person, not because she read newspapers. Question 4. Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Shaw agree that wearing a blue dress with a red coat is unfashionable. Answer: Mrs. Shaw quickly stated that she liked blue dresses and red coats to avoid offending Mrs. Harding, who mentioned that she often wears a blue dress with a red coat. Question 5. Mary shares that she finds the dog outside the window cute. Answer: Mary shares that she finds the dog outside dirty and expresses her dislike for it, not finding it cute. Later, she discovers that the dog belongs to Mrs. Harding. Let us think and reflect (Pages 78-79) I. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow. 1. MARY: What are you ……if you do that. (i) What does Mrs. Shaw imply when she says, “One day you’ll have to go to some of these houses yourself and talk to the people there”? Answer: C. She wants Mary to develop social skills for the future. (ii) Complete the following sentence with the correct option from the brackets. Mrs. Shaw and Mary are discussing how to _____________ (have a polite conversation/ get to know people better) Answer: have a polite conversation (iii) Why did Mary insist on staying with her mother when the guests arrived? Answer: Mary wanted to prove her ability to engage in conversation and demonstrate that she could talk appropriately when required. (iv) Match the following character traits to the characters in the extract: A. eager B. inexperienced C. cautious Mary Mrs. Shaw Answer: Mary: A. eager Mrs. Shaw: C. cautious 2. MARY: I saw Mrs. …….myself. (i) Complete the following sentence suitably. Mary could spot Mrs. Cotter in the street because _____________. Answer: she often goes out during the day. (ii) What does Mary’s comment about Mrs. Cotter staying in bed and calling the doctor suggest about her understanding? Mrs. Cotter is right to rest and take care of herself. Answer: B. She is unable to understand why people need medical help. (iii) How can we say that Mary enjoyed good health? Answer: We can say that Mary enjoyed good health because she mentions that she has never needed to visit a doctor in her life, suggesting her robust health. (iv) Identify whether the following statement is true or false. Mary might have unintentionally offended Mrs. Harding. Answer: True II. Answer the following questions. Question 1. What does Mary’s comment about Mr. Best’s routine and profession reveal about her viewpoint on bankers and their way of life? Answer: Mary’s comment shows that she finds the routine of bankers dull and lifeless. She criticises their daily train commutes and lack of creativity in reading only newspapers, implying that bankers are unthinking and overly focused on work. Question 2. What can we infer about Mary’s understanding of polite conversation based on her interactions with the guests? Answer: Mary’s interactions show that she doesn’t understand polite conversation well. She often makes inappropriate remarks that embarrass the guests, despite her mother’s advice to say kind and pleasing things. Question 3. What do you think the repeated – stage direction ‘no one speaks’ indicates • about the atmosphere in the room when Mary speaks? Answer: The stage direction ‘no one speaks’ indicates awkward silence and discomfort in the room. It suggests that Mary’s comments make the guests uneasy and unsure of how to respond. Question 4. How does Mary’s attitude towards the guests change throughout the play? Answer: At first, Mary is eager to talk and impress the guests. However, as the play progresses, her blunders make her more embarrassed and hesitant, especially when her remarks offended the guests. Question 5. What do Mrs. Harding’s and Mrs. Lee’s responses to Mary’s blunders during their visit reveal about their characters? Answer: Mrs., Harding and Mrs. Lee respond to Mary with restraint and politeness, even when she makes inappropriate remarks. This reveals their patience and ability to maintain composure in an uncomfortable situation. Question 6. In what way does the play show the importance of knowing how to engage in polite conversation? Answer: The play highlights that knowing how to engage in polite conversation is important to make a good impression and build relationships. Mary’s mistakes show how tactless words can create awkwardness and distance between people. Question 2. Fill in the blanks using words given in the brackets by adding suitable suffixes. To communicate (i) _____________ (effective), choose your words and topics (ii) _____________ (wise). Avoid (iii) _____________ (discuss) things you don’t know much about or that could upset someone. Remember to be (iv) _____________ (respect) towards others, including yourself, and express your (v) _____________ (appreciate). Finally, always fee (vi) _____________ (response) by replying promptly to communicate. Answer: (i) effectively (ii) wisely (iii) discussing (iv) respectful (v) appreciation (vi) responsive n who receives the message and always needs a listener. Question 1. Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the sets of words given in the box below. Make changes in the verb forms (tense), if necessary. (i) I _________ at the photo, but I didn’t _________ anyone familiar. (ii) I’d better go and _________ my mother from the station, and then _________ her home. (iii) I need to _________ for my mathematics exam this weekend, so I hope to _________ new concepts along the way. (iv) I can _________ the music from my neighbour’s house, but I need to _________ to it carefully to understand the lyrics. (v) “Could I _________ to Mrs. Kalpana, who is going to _________ to us about gardening,” said Ritu. (vi) I _________ in a small town, but I often _________ with my relatives in the city Answer: 1. looked, see 2. fetch, bring 3. study, learn 4. hear, listen 5. speak, talk 6. live, stay III.1 (page no 83) ready) Question 1. Fill in the blanks using the verbs given in brackets in present continuous or present perfect continuous tense. The students (i) _________ (organise) a play and setting up the stage. They (ii) _________ (prepare) for weeks to make everything perfect. The performers (iii) _________ (rehearse) every day, and their excitement (iv) _________ (grow). The sound in-charge (v) _________ (test) the microphones to check the sound quality. Everyone (vi) _________ (work) hard, and now the place (vii) _________ (buzz) with energy and excitement. Answer: Ans. (i) are organising (ii) have been preparing (iii) have been rehearsing (iv) is growing (v) is testing (vi) is working (vii) is buzzing IV. Read the explanation about the kinds of sentences given in the table below. 1. Identify the kinds of sentences and punctuate them appropriately. (i) the meeting starts at 10.00 a.m. in the conference room (ii) what an exciting adventure it was (iii) how did you solve the problem so quickly (iv) what is the weather forecast today (v) how beautiful is the rainbow (vi) clean up your room before dinner (vii) the children are planning a surprise party for their mom (viii) turn off the music Answer: (i) The meeting starts at 10.00 am in the conference room. (Declarative) (ii) What an exciting adventure it was! (Exclamatory) (iii) How did you solve the problem so quickly? (Interrogative) (iv) What is the weather forecast today? (Interrogative) (u) How beautiful is the rainbow! (Exclamatory) (vi) Clean up your room before dinner. (Imperative) (vii) The children are planning a surprise party for their mom. (Declarative) (viii) Turn off the music. (Imperative) Class 7 English Chapter 6 Question Answer – Let us listen (Page 84) I. Mrs. Shaw wanted Mary to learn to say the right thing. You will listen to a conversation between a mother and her son about basic manners. As you listen, fill in the blanks given below by selecting the correct option. (Transcript for the teacher on page 89 of NCERT textbook) Question 1. How did the son behave in the grocery queue? (i) Strangely (ii) Impatiently (iii) Politely Answer: (ii) Impatiently Question 2. The mother finally refers to her son as a (i) Polite young man (ii) Responsible son (iii) Grateful person Answer: (i) Polite young man II. You will once again listen to the conversation. As you listen, select four true statements from 1-7 given below. Answer: 1. The mother uses the grocery store incident as an opportunity to teach her son about patience and fairness. (True) 2. The son recognises the value of apologising and understands that it shows he notices others. (True) 3. The son is gradually learning the importance of polite words and actions from his mother’s guidance. (True) 4. The mother discourages her son from speaking softly in public, suggesting that people should adjust to his voice level. (False) 5. The son feels that covering his mouth when coughing is only important when he’s at home. (False) 6. The sun receives all advice readily while understanding its importance. (False) 7. The mother uses praise to support the polite behaviours she wants her son to continue practising. (True)