NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 9 A Tiger in the House

A Tiger in the House NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English An Alien Hand Chapter 9

A Tiger in the House NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

A Tiger in the House Comprehension check-I

Question 1.
“He had the distinction of being the only member of the party to have bagged any game… ” The phrase in italics means
Answer:
i. Grandfather was the most distinguished member of the party.
ii. Grandfather was the only sportsperson in the party.
iii. Grandfather was the only successful member of the hunting party.
Mark the right answer.
Answer:
iii. Grandfather was the only successful member of the hunting party.

Question 2.
Complete the following sentences.

Toto climbed up the curtains when Timothy lost his temper.
When I came to live with Grandfather, I became one of the tiger’s favourites.
Timothy had clean habits, and would scrub his face with his paws exactly like a cat.

A Tiger in the House Comprehension check-II

Question 1.
Grandmother’s prophecy was that the tiger
i. would prefer Mahmoud’s bed to sleep in.
ii. and the cook would disappear together from the house.
iii. would one day make a meal of Mahmoud.
Mark the right answer.
Answer:
iii. would one day make a meal of Mahmoud.

Question 2.
When Timothy was about six months old, a change came over him.
The phrase in italics means that
i. Timothy had grown to his full size.
ii. Timothy grew more friendly.
iii. Timothy grew less friendly, in fact more dangerous
Answer:
iii. Timothy grew less friendly, in fact more dangerous

Question 3.
Write ‘True’ or ‘False ’against each of the following statements.

Timothy and Grandfather went to Lucknow in a special compartment. True
The compartment in which Grandfather and Timothy travelled had no other passenger. True
Timothy and Grandfather travelled in a first class compartment. True
All passengers in the compartment thought that Timothy was a well-fed and civilized tiger. False

Question 4.
Grandfather suggested that Timothy should be put in another cage.
Answer:
The reason was that

the tiger had become very bad tempered.
a leopard in the next cage would constantly rush at Timothy.
the cage was too small for a full grown tiger.
a leopard in the next cage would constantly rush at Timothy.

Question 5.
The tiger was still licking his arm, with increasing relish. The phrase in italics suggests that Timothy
i. was good natured.
ii. recognized an old friend.
iii. smelt fresh food.
Answer:
iii. smelt fresh food.

A Tiger in the House Exercises Question and Answer

Answer the following questions.

Question 1.
Where was the tiger cub hiding when Grandfather found him?
Answer:
The tiger cub was hiding among the intricate roots of a banyan tree when Grandfather found him.

Question 2.
i. What did Toto do to entertain Timothy?
Answer:
Toto would pull Timothy by the tail to entertain him.

ii. What did he do when Timothy lost his temper?
Answer:
When Timothy lost his temper, Toto would climb up the curtains.

Question 3.
“I became one of the tiger’s favourites”. Who is ‘I’in the statement? Why did he think so?
Answer:
‘I’ here refers to the author, who is the grandchild of the man who saves Timothy. He thought so because Timothy kept stalking him to play with him. He would creep closer and closer to the author, suddenly making a dash for his feet, rolling over on his back and kicking with delight, and pretending to bite his ankles.

Question 4.
Where was Timothy most comfortable during the day? Where was he during the night?
Answer:
During the day, Timothy used to settle himself on the large sofa in the drawing room. At night, he used to sleep in the cook’s quarters with Mahmoud, the cook.

Question 5.
What was Grandmother’s prophecy about the cook? Did it come true?
Answer:
Grandmother’s prophecy about the cook was that one day Timothy would eat him up in his sleep. She said that one day they will find Timothy sitting on Mahmoud’s bed, with no sign of Mahmoud, but his clothes and shoes. No, the prophecy never came true.

Question 6.
What made Grandfather decide to transfer Timothy to the zoo?
Answer:
When Timothy was about six months old, he grew steadily less friendly. During his walks, he would try to steal away to stalk a cat or someone’s pet dog. Sometimes at night the author and his grandparents would hear frenzied cackling from the poultry house, and in the morning there would be feathers lying all over the verandah.

Timothy had to be chained up more often. Finally, when Grandfather saw Timothy follow Mahmoud, the cook around the house with a villainous intent, he decided to transfer him.

Question 7.
Why did Grandfather want Timothy to be put in another enclosure?
Answer:
Grandfather wanted Timothy to be put in another enclosure because a leopard in the enclosure next to Timothy kept snarling at him. He felt that the leopard was trying to scare Timothy.

Question 8.
What shocked Grandfather in the end?
Answer:
The fact that Timothy had died two months ago, and that the tiger who was licking his hands was not Timothy, surprised Grandfather in the end. This new tiger was licking Gr andfather’s hands with the intention of eating his hands.

Discuss the following topics in groups.

Question 1.
Shoot animals with a camera, not with a gun.
(Encourage the students to discuss the given topics in groups.)
Answer:
Animals have as much right to live on this Earth as human beings. We share our planet with them, and do not own it. It is not right to shoot them and treat them cruelly just to meet our trivial needs or to feed our ego. We should not take away someone’s life, because it is an unjust thing to do. It is alright if we choose to study or document the lives of ‘ different animals to increase awareness around them, or to understand them better. But it is completely wrong to kill them for the sake of their skin or other animal products.

Question 2.
Keeping pets helps us become more loving and tolerant. It also helps us respect life in any form. Do you agree?
Answer:
Yes, I believe that keeping pets helps us become more loving and tolerant. This is so because we learn to co-exist with them and understand them better. We learn to live with them, and take care of them. When we become responsible for them, we learn to love without expecting anything in return. The love and affection that pets such as dogs shower on us can feel like pure bliss.

It also helps us respect life in any form, which means that we are able to understand that all life forms have emotions and feelings. And that we need to respect these feelings.

Question 3.
Have you heard of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)? What do they do?
Answer:
The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) helps prevent animal cruelty and neglect. It works towards improving the life of animals by rescuing them. Its mission is to advance the safety and well-being of animals.