The Day the River Spoke Class 7 English Poorvi NCERT Solutions
Chapter 1 The Day the River Spoke NCERT Solutions Class 7 English
Page No. 1
Let us do these activities before we read
I. Close your eyes and quietly listen to the sounds around you for a minute.
1. Are they trying to tell you something?
Answer
The sounds around might seem like they are telling us something, like the wind whispering or birds singing, but it depends on what you feel they mean.
2. Do you think the things around you also listen to you all day long?
Answer
Things like trees, rivers, or animals don’t listen like humans, but it feels like they do when we talk to them or spend time with them.
1. What could that dream be?
Answer
Jahnavi’s dream could be to go to school and learn, as she later expresses her wish to study and read like her siblings.
2. How could she make her dream come true?
Answer
She could talk to her parents, convince them, or go to school herself and ask the teacher to let her stay, as she does in the story.
3. What is your dream? What can you do to make your dream come true?
Answer
My dream is to become a doctor. I can study hard, focus on science, and ask for help from teachers to achieve it. (Answers may vary based on personal dreams.)
Page 3
Let us discuss
1. What was Jahnavi’s dream? Was it important to her? Why?
Answer
Jahnavi’s dream was to go to school and learn to read and write. It was important to her because she wanted to understand things like why spiders are yellow, why bamboo rustles, and other questions. Learning would make her happy and help her feel equal to her siblings.
2. Do you think the river can help her in fulfilling her dream? How?
Answer
Yes, the river helps Jahnavi by encouraging her to be brave and go to school. It tells her to try sitting in class and listening, which gives her the courage to take the first step toward her dream.
Page 6
Let us discuss
Complete the table given below with Jahnavi’s questions in Column 1 and the River’s answers in Column 2.
Answer
Let us think and reflect
I. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
1. “You shouldn’t cry, you know,” the voice went on. “And you really shouldn’t be scared, when you have been coming here to see me everyday, well, almost every day.” She was puzzled. It was such a voice, like the river. It couldn’t be the river! “Well, tell me all about it,” said the River, for it was the River. “I’ve got to hurry to reach the sea, you know.”
(i) The tone of the River in the given extract is (assuring/sympathising)
Answer
The tone of the River is assuring.
(ii) Select a phrase from the extract which shows that Jahnavi was a frequent visitor to the spot.
Answer
“when you have been coming here to see me every day, well, almost every day.”
(iii): The use of an exclamation mark at the end of the line, ‘It couldn’t be the river!’ expresses ______
A. excitement
B. hesitation
C. irritation
D. disbelief
Answer
D. disbelief
(iv) Choose three qualities of the River highlighted in the extract from the words in the box given below.
Answer
affectionate, thoughtful, kind-hearted
2. “Can I do something?” asked Jahnavi. “Well, it’s up to you,” said the River. “Seems to me little girls can do as much as little boys—they swim as fast as little boys. You just slip along one morning and sit there in the school and listen to what’s going on, and maybe the teacher will let you stay.”
“I couldn’t,” gasped Jahnavi. “I couldn’t! They’d scare me! They’d chase me out.”
Answer
little girls can do as much as little boys, like swimming as fast as them.
(ii) Identify whether the following statement is true or false.
The River encourages Jahnavi to have faith in herself and fulfil her desire to go to school.
Answer
True
(iii) When the River suggests that Jahnavi should ‘slip along’, it means that she should move
A. quickly
B. casually
C. quietly
D. confidently
Answer
C. quietly
(iv) What does the repetition of the phrase “I couldn’t” tell us?
Answer
It shows Jahnavi’s fear and lack of confidence about going to school, thinking she will be scared or chased away.
II. Answer the following questions
1. Why does the writer describe different aspects of nature in great detail at the beginning of the story? Why do you think the writer does this?
Answer
The writer describes nature, like the kingfisher, lizard, and river, to create a lively and peaceful setting. It helps readers feel connected to Jahnavi’s world and shows how nature, especially the river, is important to her.
2. How did the River know so much about Jahnavi?
Answer
The River knew about Jahnavi because she visited it almost every day, sharing her thoughts and feelings, so the River understood her dreams and fears.
3. Jahnavi says, “And I’m so old now, they’ll never let me go.” What can you infer about Jahnavi and the school from this line?
Answer
Jahnavi feels she is too old to start school, maybe because she is nearly ten and has never been allowed to go. The school might not easily accept older children who haven’t studied before.
4. Why did the River laugh when Jahnavi said she would be scared at school?
Answer
The River laughed because it knew Jahnavi was brave enough to face lizards, snakes, and trains, so it found it funny that she was scared of school, which wasn’t as dangerous.
5. Why should Jahnavi follow the River’s advice?
Answer
Jahnavi should follow the River’s advice because it encourages her to be brave, try new things, and believe in herself, which helps her achieve her dream of going to school.
6. How does the conversation between Jahnavi and the River make the story more appealing?
Answer
The conversation makes the story appealing because it gives the River a human-like voice, making it a wise and friendly character. It adds magic and encourages Jahnavi, keeping readers interested.
7. What is the main message that the writer intends to convey?
Answer
The main message is that with courage and determination, anyone can overcome challenges and achieve their dreams, especially girls who face barriers to education.
Let us learn
1. Why has the author used a capital letter for the ‘River’ even when it is a common noun? (Clue: Has the River been given qualities of a human being?)
Answer
The author uses a capital letter for ‘River’ because it is given human qualities, like talking, laughing, and giving advice, making it a character like a person.
2. There are a few words related to sound in the text. Pick the words from the text and write them next to the correct definition.
- made a high-pitched piercing sound
shrieked - to cause liquid to strike or fall on something
splashed - a low continuous background noise
murmuring - cry with loud uncontrollable gasps
sob - to make a soft dry sound, like paper or leaves moving
rustle - took a short quick breath through the mouth due to surprise, pain or shock
gasped - shaking rapidly to make continuous short, sharp sounds
rattling - making a lot of noise
noisy - made a long, high cry, usually because of pain or sadness
wailed
Fill in the blanks with suitable sound words from exercise (II).
The classroom grew (i) noisy as the students noticed the teacher carrying the answer papers. As the teacher turned the pages with a (ii) rustle, the children (iii) gasped, wondering what comments awaited. Someone (iv) sobbed in frustration, and the (v) murmuring of the students steadily increased. Finally, when the teacher praised the students for their excellent performance, the students (vi) shrieked with excitement.
3. The word ‘catamaran’ is used in the text. The word originates from Tamil language ‘kattu maram’ meaning ‘tied wood’. Find out the meanings of these words. From which Indian language these words were borrowed.
- karma (Sanskrit)
Meaning: Action or deed that affects future life. Language: Sanskrit - sahib
Meaning: Respectful address for a man, like ‘sir’. Language: Hindi/Urdu - chutney
Meaning: A spicy sauce or relish. Language: Hindi - guru
Meaning: A spiritual teacher or guide. Language: Sanskrit - verandah
Meaning: An open porch or balcony. Language: Hindi/Portuguese - jungle
Meaning: A dense forest or wilderness. Language: Hindi - areca
Meaning: A type of palm tree or its nut. Language: Malayalam - palanquin
Meaning: A covered seat carried by people. Language: Hindi/Sanskrit
4. Chandu, the fisherman, has a catamaran that the River preferred to a ship. Given below are some boats that are used in different parts of our country.
(i) Which one would you like to travel in?
Answer
I would like to travel in a shikara because it looks beautiful and peaceful on lakes like Dal Lake. (Answers may vary.)
(ii) Make a colourful drawing of a boat that you would like to travel in.
Answer
(This is a drawing activity, so no written answer is required.)
5. Solve the crossword puzzle based on words related to water transport.
Answer
6. Read the highlighted words in the following lines from the text.
“She goes down towards the sea. I’ve seen her; she always takes the same way—over the mountains and down to the sea, like me!”
Prepositions are words that indicate the relationship between nouns or pronouns and other elements in a sentence. They show direction, location, time or logical relationships between ideas.
Now, fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions given within the brackets.
Jahnavi takes the River’s advice and goes to school. On her first day 1. ____ (at/in/on) school, Jahnavi stood nervously 2. ____ (in/outside/above) the gate, clutching her bag close to her. The bell rang and she hurried 3. ____ (outside/through/inside) the bustling classroom. She found a seat 4. ____ (among/between/from) two friendly classmates. The teacher greeted them warmly and started the lesson 5._____ (about/in/for) numbers. Jahnavi listened attentively, feeling excited 6. ____ (at/about/for) the new adventure ahead.
Answer
Jahnavi takes the River’s advice and goes to school. On her first day 1. at (at/in/on) school, Jahnavi stood nervously 2. outside (in/outside/above) the gate, clutching her bag close to her. The bell rang and she hurried 3. inside the bustling classroom. She found a seat 4. between two friendly classmates. The teacher greeted them warmly and started the lesson 5. about numbers. Jahnavi listened attentively, feeling excited 6. about the new adventure ahead.
7. Read the highlighted words in the following sentence from the text.
A kingfisher swept down, its wings a narrow of blue in the sunlight. Words like on, off, up, down can function both as prepositions and as adverbs. For example:
She ran up the stairs. (preposition)
She rang me up. (adverb)
Remember, a preposition will always be followed by an object (noun), whereas an adverb will tell you more about the action (verb).
Fill in the blanks with prepositions or adverbs.
- The cat jumped _____ the table. (preposition)
The cat jumped onto the table. - The children played _____ until dark. (adverb)
The children played on until dark. - She quickly ran _____ the park. (preposition)
She quickly ran to the park. - The helicopter was hovering _____. (adverb)
The helicopter was hovering above. - We were just walking _____, chatting. (adverb)
We were just walking along, chatting. - After thoroughly wiping his shoes, he stepped _____. (adverb)
After thoroughly wiping his shoes, he stepped inside. - She drove slowly _____ the sharp curve. (preposition)
She drove slowly around the sharp curve. - He placed the keys _____ the mat before leaving. (preposition)
He placed the keys on the mat before leaving.
Let us speak
1. The River spoke to Jahnavi in a ‘sleepy’ voice. Work in pairs and take turns to speak the same sentence in ‘other’ voices. Some hints are given below: happy, surprised, angry, scared, sad, worried.
Answer
(This is a speaking activity, so no written answer is required. Students practice saying the River’s lines in different tones.)
2. Janhavi asks the River for advice and the River gives advice. Read the given situations and work in pairs to ask for and give advice. Take turns to change your roles.
Situation (i): You wish to play football at school but it has an all-boys’ team only.
Answer
Asking: What do you think I should do about joining the football team? It’s only for boys.
Giving: I think you should talk to the coach and ask if girls can try out. You’re just as good as the boys!
Situation (ii): You have been unable to score well in Mathematics due to nervousness during exams.
Answer
Asking: Do you think I should do something about my nervousness in Maths exams?
Giving: Why don’t you practice deep breathing before the exam to stay calm?
Situation (iii): You really enjoy music classes but do not get enough time to practise for it.
Answer
Asking: What would you do if you loved music but had no time to practice?
Giving: The best thing to do is set a small time each day, like 15 minutes, to practice music.
Situation (iv): You cannot see the blackboard clearly from the last bench.
Answer
Asking: I’d appreciate your advice on not seeing the blackboard from the last bench.
Giving: If I were you, I would politely ask the teacher to move to a closer seat.
Let us write
Answer
The Dancing River
Every day, I see the river near my house, sparkling under the sun like a silver ribbon. Its water ripples softly, making a gentle gurgling sound, and feels cool when I touch it. The green leaves of trees along the bank sway in the breeze, their rough bark contrasting with the smooth pebbles on the shore. I find it very interesting that tiny fish dart in the clear water, their scales shining like rainbows. I feel peaceful watching the river flow, as it seems to carry away all worries. My advice to all is to spend time with nature to feel calm and happy.
(Note: This is a sample response; actual answers will vary based on personal observations.)
Let us explore
1. Discuss why rivers in India are considered to be sacred and most of them are referred to as female. Some rivers are referred to as male, for example, the Brahmaputra and the Sone.
Answer
Rivers in India are sacred because they give life, water crops, and are part of religious stories. Many, like Ganga and Yamuna, are seen as female goddesses who nurture and protect. Some, like Brahmaputra and Sone, are called male, possibly due to their strength or myths associating them with male gods.