STD 7 English Unit 06 Moments of Humour: My Financial Career, Mother and the Mouse, Master of the Game - Questions and Answers | Activities


Study Notes for Class 7th English Unit 06 Moments of Humour - My Financial Career, Mother and the Mouse, Master of the Game | Text Books Solution STD VII English - Light and Shade | Activities | Teachers Handbook

Unit 06 Moments of Humour: The Lonely Child and the Puppy, Mother and the Mouse, Master of the Game
Moments of Humour - Questions and Answers & Activities
Moments of Humour

• Do you like the cartoon? Why? Discuss.
Answer: Yes, I like the cartoon. A cartoon is an amusing drawing in a paper or magazine. Mainly cartoons are about politics or current events. cartoons are full of gentle humour.

• Do you read funny/humorous stories? Name some of the characters.
Answer: Kunjunnimash, Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer

Humour is present in the daily activities of our life. Even in very serious
situations, there can be instances of humour. Here is an example. Read on: (TextBook Pages: 165, 166, 167)
My Financial Career

1. How does Leacock feel before going to the bank?
Answer: Leacock feels nervous before going to the bank.
2. Why did the author go to the bank?
Answer: The author went to the bank to open an account.

3. What did the author tell the accountant?
Answer: The author told the accountant that he wanted to meet the manager alone.

4. ‘Are you the manager?’ Do you think it is proper to ask such a question?
Answer: No, It is improper. He should have asked 'could I meet the manager?'.

5. Why did the manager look at him in alarm?
Answer: The manager looked at him in alarm because the author requested to meet him alone. He thought that the man had a terrible secret to reveal.

6. What did the manager guess about the author? Why?
Answer: The manager guessed that the author was a detective. the author's request to meet him alone and his strange behaviour made the manager think so.

7. Why did the manager look relieved?
Answer: The manager felt relieved as the author said that he was not a detective, he came to the bank in order to deposit his money.

8. What mistake did he commit while writing the cheque?
Answer: Instead of writing six dollars, he wrote fifty-six dollars.

Activities
1. Leacock rushed out with the money. Since then, he has never gone to the bank. Can you suggest another ending to the story?
Answer: The accountant came for his help. He told the author that he could use another cheque leaf. He thanked the accountant, withdraw six dollars and went out happily.

2.   Dictionary work
A few words from the story are given below. Rearrange them as they
appear in a dictionary. Also, write their meanings.
• Accountant    • Cheque
• Manager         • Withdraw
• Clerk               • Cash
• Deposit          • Savings
• Money            • Counter
• Dollar             • Bank
Answer:
• Accountant - a person who keeps or inspects financial accounts.
• Bank - an organization that provides various financial services.
• Cash - money in the form of coins or notes.
• Cheque - a printed form that you can write amount of money on and sign in order to make a payment from your bank account.
• Counter - a long flat surface over which goods are sold or business is done in a shop, bank etc.
• Clerk - a person who keeps records and undertakes administrative duties.
• Deposit - to put money in a bank
• Dollar - the unit of money in the US, Canada etc.
• Manager - a person responsible for controlling or administrating an organization or group of staff.
• Money - Coins and banknotes collectively.
• Savings - the saved amount from your income usually deposited in a bank.

4. The words Accountant, Clerk and Manager in the story
‘My Financial Career’ are job titles.
Accountant - a person who keeps or inspects financial accounts. 
Clerk- a person who keeps records and undertakes administrative duties.
Manager - a person responsible for controlling or administering an organization or group of staff.
What do we call a man who:
a. writes books:
b. does clever tricks which appear magical:
c. is in charge of a museum or an art gallery:
d. collects fares on a bus:
e. breaks into a house in order to steal:
f. investigates crimes and obtains evidence or information: 
Answer:
a. writes books: Author
b. does clever tricks which appear magical: Magician
c. is in charge of a museum or an art gallery: Curator
d. collects fares on a bus: Conductor
e. breaks into a house in order to steal: Burglar
f. investigates crimes and obtains evidence or information: Detective

5. Here is the conversation between the Author and the Manager.
Author: Are you the Bank Manager?
Manager: Yes, what can I do for you?
Author: Can I see you alone?
Manager: Of course. Come in here.
Author: I would like to open an account. Could you please mention the formalities?
Manager: Sure, Sir.

(a) Pick out the questions from the piece of conversation and write them
below.
Answer:
• Are you the Bank Manager?
• what can I do for you?
• Can I see you alone?
• Could you please mention the formalities?

(b) Write the question words used in the conversation.
Answer: Are, What, can, could

(c) Examine the responses to the questions. Think of other alternatives. Write them down.
Answer:
1. How can I help you?
How may I assist you?
2. Sure. come in.
3. Yes. with pleasure.

6. The author in the story wants to deposit his/some money in the bank. He goes to the bank and asks permission to see the manager.
Look at the way he seeks permission.
Can I see the manager?
a) Are there other ways to ask permission? Write them below.
Answer:
• Would it be possible for me to see the manager? 
• Could I see the manager, please?
• Is it ok if I see the manager?
• I wonder if I could see the manager.

Read the conversion below and identify such expressions:
Boy: May I go out to play?
Mom: No dear, it's very hot outside.
Boy: Would you mind if I watch TV?
Mom: You've a lot to study.
Boy: I've already finished my homework. Is it okay if I draw some pictures?
Mom: That's fine.
b) Expressions to seek permission:
Answer:
• May I
• Would you mind if I
• Is it ok if I
Ways of seeking permission:
Can I ……………………………?
Could I……………………………?
May I ……………………………?
Do you mind if ……………………………?
Would it be all right/okay if ……………………………?
Is it okay if ……………………………?
Would you mind if I ……………………………?
With your permission, I should like to …………………………
I was wondering if I could ……………………………
c) Use the expressions in the box above to make sentences of your own to
suit the situations given below.
1. You forgot to bring your pen. You want to borrow one from your friend.
Answer: Could I borrow your pen?

2. You are travelling on a train. You would like to borrow the newspaper from the passenger who is sitting near to you.
Answer: Would you mind if I borrow the newspaper?

3. You are buying a shirt in a shop. You want to see if it fits you before you buy it.
Answer: Is it ok if I try it on?

7. Read the sentence underlined in the following extract from 'My Financial Career.' 'Here,' I said, 'deposit it,' The tone of the words seemed to mean, 'Let us do this painful thing.'
Let’s is normally used to suggest something.
e.g. Let’s walk to the school.
Let’s have soup before dinner.
(a) Can you think of a few suggestions to make to your friend when you both feel bored during the weekend.
Begin with Let’s……………………
Answer:
• Let's go for an outing.
• Let's watch a movie.
• Let's plant a vegetable garden.

(b) Read the conversation given below.
Sidhik: Did you have a good weekend?
Jacob: Yes, I did. But I am not feeling well today.
Sidhik: Shall we consult a doctor then?
Jacob: Oh, no. I'll be all right in a few minutes.
Sidhik: How about having a cup of tea?
Jacob: That's a good idea.
Sidhik: Do you think we could go to a restaurant?
Jacob: Why don't we make tea here?
Sidhik: Wonderful!
You may have noted the expressions used to make suggestions in the
conversation above. Write them down.
Answer:
• Shall we consult a doctor then?
• How about having a cup of tea?
• Do you think we could go to a restaurant?
• Why don't we make tea here?

8. Here are a few more expressions generally used to make suggestions.
Use them to make sentences to suit the situations given below.
Shall we…?
Do you think it would be a good idea to …?
What about …?
How about…?
Why don't we…?
May I suggest…?
Why not…?
Situations
1. Your friend wishes to go out on a sunny afternoon.
Answer: Do you think it would be a good idea to go out?

2. A girl is standing by her bike which has broken down.
Answer: Shall we call a mechanic?

3. An old man has fallen down in the street.
Answer: How about going to the hospital?

4. A friend has lost his keys.
Answer: Why not try getting a spare key made?

5. A friend wishes to dine out.
Answer: Why don't we dine out?

9.  Read the sentence :
The clerk gave the money to me and I rushed out.
• How can you split the sentence into two?
• Identify the word used to connect/join the two parts of the sentence.
• Do you know any connecting words other than 'and'?
WITHOUT US CONNECTIVES, YOU'D JUST BE SIMPLE SENTENCES.
Now, pick out sentences with connecting words from the story ‘My Financial Career.’ One has been done for you.
a) I wrote something on the cheque and thrust it in at the clerk.
b) I didn't want to say 'alone' again, but I couldn't help it.
c) He got up and opened the door.
d) Since I had nothing to do, I acted like a man with a fearfully quick temper.

Now, read the poem and find out the cause of a mother’s fear. (Textbook Pages: 174, 175)
Mother and the Mouse

Let’s answer.

1. Does your mother ‘squeal, faint or shiver’ when she sees and hears something? Describe the character of your mother, explaining whether she is scared of anything.
Answer: My mother is a bold woman. Normally, she is not afraid of anything. But she will scream if she happens to see a snake.

2. How does the boy describe his mother’s courage?
Answer: The boy describes his mother as a bold woman who will never squeal, faint and shiver. She is not afraid of darkness and thunder.

3. What made the mother perch up high on the kitchen sink?
Answer: The sight of a mouse frightened her and made her perch up high on the kitchen sink.

4. Some kitchen appliances are mentioned in the poem. What are they?
What are they used for?
Answer: 1) pressure cooker - for cooking 
2) oven - to cook and heat food

5. What was the mother scared of?
Answer: The mother was scared of a mouse that entered the house.

6. What did the boy do to the mouse?
Answer:  The boy picked a broom and shooed at the mouse. He drove it out of the house

7. Pick out the rhyming words from the poem.
Answer: shiver - quiver, stare - dare, dream - scream, sink - brink, burst - worst, mouse - house, hall - wall, slip - skip, down - frown, war - for

8. Do you think that the son is a real ‘superhero’? Why?
Answer:  Yes, the boy is a real superhero because he successfully drove the mouse out of the house. He had been on hand to set his mother's fear at rest.

9. ‘Squealing like a baby bat’ is one instance of simile. Pick out other such instances from the poem.
Answer: 
• She whimpered like a baby 
• Trembling like an autumn leaf 
• I felt like superheroes do

10. Pick out examples of alliteration from the poem.
Answer: 
• my mother
• mighty mum
• baby bat
• her hand
• my mummy

11. Children, and even some grown-ups, are scared of darkness, thunder and harmless creatures. Are you scared of anything? Explain why you fear it.
Answer: I am scared of caterpillars because once I got stung by a caterpillar and it caused itching, pain and skin rashes.

People with a good sense of humour think sensibly. They can easily solve their problems without offending anyone. Here is such an instance. Read on:. (Textbook Pages: 177, 178)
Master of the Game

1. What did the old man have to put up with?
Answer:  The old man had to put up with the nuisance of having boys play cricket outside his house, at night.

2. How did he present himself before the boys?
Answer: He presented himself before the boys as a person who loves cricket.

3. What was his offer to them?
Answer: The old man said he would give them 25 rupees each week to play in the street, at night.

4. How did he win the confidence of the boys?
Answer: In the first week, he gave them 25 rupees as he promised.

5. What did he do in the second and third weeks? Why?
Answer: In the second week, he told the boys that he had run out of money, and sent them with only 15 rupees. In the third week, he said he had not yet received his pension and gave them only 10 rupees. He wanted to discourage the boys from playing in the street.

6. Why do you think the old man is a master of the game?
Answer: The game here is to make others do what you want. Without forcing the children to stop playing, the old man could trick them to do so.

Activity
1. Do you like humorous riddles and puzzles? Read the following questions and find out answers to them, from the box on the right. (TextBook Page: 178)
Answers:
1. What kind of umbrella does a man carry on a rainy day?
Answer: A wet one!

2. Why did the student sit on his watch?
Answer: So he could be on time!

3. Which fish have their eyes closest together?
Answer: The smallest ones

4. Why are fish smart?
Answer: They swim in schools.

5. What are the two things you shouldn't have before breakfast?
Answer: Lunch and Dinner

6. What has six legs, two arms and two heads?
Answer: A person on a horse.

7. What goes up but never comes down?
Answer: Your age

8. What do you find all over a house?
Answer: A roof

9. Why do white sheep eat more than black sheep?
Answer: There are more of them!

10. Which is the shortest month?
Answer: May (it has only three letters)












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