GSEB Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 6 Mystery of the Talking Fan Solutions

Working With The Poem

Question 1. Fans don't talk, but it is possible to imagine that they do. What is it, then, that sounds like the fan's chatter?
Answer: Apparently, the poet imagined the fan's noise to be its chatter. When a fan moves, a sound is sometimes created in the spinning motors. If we do not oil a fan's motor properly, it does make these kinds of sounds. This very sound was assumed as the fan's chatter.
In simple words: The poet thought the noise a fan makes was like it chattering. This sound comes from the motor spinning, especially if it needs oil.

Exam Tip: Pay close attention to how poets use personification to give human qualities to inanimate objects, such as a fan "chattering."

Question 2. Complete the following sentences:
(1) The chatter is electrical because ..........
Answer:
(1) The chatter is electrical because the fan functions on an electrical motor and the sound produced by it is not talk. It is an indistinguishable whirling sound, hence 'chatter'.
In simple words: The fan's chatter is electrical because it runs on power, and the sound it makes is just a motor spinning, not actual words.

Exam Tip: When completing sentences, ensure your addition logically extends the given phrase and directly answers the implied question.

(2) It is mysterious because...
Answer:
(2) It is mysterious because the sound produced by the fan seems to say something but the poet is not able to understand it.
In simple words: It feels mysterious because the fan sounds like it's saying something, but the poet cannot understand what it means.

Exam Tip: Mysterious elements often involve things that are sensed but not fully understood, creating a sense of wonder or intrigue.

Question 3. What do you think the talking fan was demanding?
Answer: The talking fan was demanding that someone must oil its whirling motor.
In simple words: The talking fan was asking for someone to put oil on its spinning motor.

Exam Tip: In poetry, a "talking" object often hints at a practical problem that needs a simple solution, like oiling a motor.

Question 4. How does an electric fan manage to throw so much air when it is switched on?
Answer: An electrical fan comprises three blades and a spinning motor. The moment it is switched on, the motor starts and begins to spin, forcing the blades to move in circular movement. This generates a lot of pressure, which forces the air downwards in all directions.
In simple words: An electric fan has a motor and blades. When turned on, the motor spins, moving the blades in a circle. This movement pushes air around, creating a breeze.

Exam Tip: When explaining how something works, break down the process into simple, sequential steps to ensure clarity.

Question 5. Is there a 'talking fan' in your house? Create a dialogue between the fan and a mechanic.
Answer: Yes, I have a metallic fan in my house.
Mechanic: How are you doing?
Fan: Not well, suffering from the heat and friction. Can you do something?
Mechanic: I will try to help you. Let me check you first.
Fan: Yes, sure. Please do your best and help me.
Mechanic: I will. Please wait, let me finish my job.
Fan: Go ahead.
(After repairing)
Mechanic: Now, all okay?
Fan: yes, Now, I am feeling well. It feels so good.
Mechanic: That is great. Remember me when you are in trouble.
Fan: Yes, I will. Thanks for helping me. Greetings to you.
Mechanic: You are welcome. Bye. Take care.
Fan: Bye. You too take care.
In simple words: The fan was noisy and unhappy because of heat and rubbing. A mechanic checked it and oiled it. After fixing, the fan felt much better and quieter.

Exam Tip: When writing a dialogue, ensure each character's lines are clear and that the conversation progresses logically, showing a problem and its resolution.

GSEB Class 7 English Mystery Of The Talking Fan Additional Important Questions And Answers

Select The Most Appropriate Options As Answers And Complete The Following Sentences:

Question 1. The language of the fan was ..........
(a) simple.
(b) mysterious.
(c) not understood by the poet.
(d) None of these three.
Answer: (c) not understood by the poet.
In simple words: The fan's language was something the poet could not understand.

Exam Tip: When answering multiple-choice questions, eliminate options that are clearly incorrect first, then choose the best fit among the remaining choices.

Question 2. The 'mystery' of the fan was spoiled when ..........
(a) somebody Interfered.
(b) he started moving smoothly.
(c) his chatter came to an end.
(d) Both 'B' and 'C'.
Answer: (d) Both 'B' and 'C'.
In simple words: The mystery of the fan was gone when it started moving quietly and its chattering stopped.

Exam Tip: For "Both A and B" type options, ensure both conditions are met by the context of the question.

Question 3. The talking fan's chatter came to an end when ..........
(a) somebody oiled the motor.
(b) the poet asked him to shut up.
(c) the fan fell on the ground.
(d) the poet left the house.
Answer: (a) somebody oiled the motor.
In simple words: The fan stopped chattering when someone put oil on its motor.

Exam Tip: Recall the specific event from the poem that led to the fan's silence to choose the correct option.

Answer The Following Questions In One Sentence Each:

Question 1. What does the phrase 'he ran as still as water' mean?
Answer: The phrase 'he ran as still as water' means that 'it began to function smoothly'.
In simple words: This phrase means the fan started working very quietly and smoothly, like calm water.

Exam Tip: When interpreting phrases, consider the context and the common connotations of the words used to deduce their meaning.

Question 2. What was troubling the talking fan?
Answer: The talking fan was being troubled by a lack of oiling on its various parts, disabling him from functioning smoothly.
In simple words: The talking fan was having trouble because its parts needed oil, which stopped it from working smoothly.

Exam Tip: Simple mechanical issues, like a lack of oil, are often the cause of unusual noises or poor performance in machines.

Answer The Following Questions In Two To Three Sentences Each:

Question 1. Why was all the 'mystery' spoilt?
Answer: The poet could hear the fan's chatter, though she could not understand it. But soon, the chance to decode and understand it was lost as the fan's motor was oiled by someone. After that, the talking fan became silent.
In simple words: The poet heard the fan's chatter but couldn't understand it. The mystery was spoiled when someone oiled the fan, and it became quiet.

Exam Tip: The "mystery" refers to the intriguing but incomprehensible noise the fan made before it was fixed.

Question 2. Who do you think or understand what the talking fan wished to convey?
Answer: The talking fan seemed to be very noisily and continuously chattering. Perhaps, besides the poet, others could hear it too. Though the poet was curious, she never made an attempt to understand what the talking fan said. Or perhaps before she could, the message was decoded by the person who attended to the needs of the fan by oiling its motor.
In simple words: The noisy fan was chattering a lot, and maybe others heard it too. The poet was curious but never tried to understand it. Before she could, someone oiled the motor and fixed the fan, so its "message" was understood in a practical way.

Exam Tip: Consider the practical aspect of the fan's "communication" – its noise indicated a need for maintenance, which was eventually addressed by someone.

Read The Following Stanzas And Answer The Questions Given Below It:

Once there was a talking fan-
Electrical his chatter.
I couldn't quite hear what he said
And I hope it doesn't matter
Because one day somebody oiled
His little whirling motor
And all the mystery was spoiled-
He ran as still as water.

Questions:

(1) Explain 'Electrical chatter'.
Answer: In this poem, the inanimate fan is given the human quality of 'talking' or 'chattering'. Since the power behind the chattering sound made by the fan is electricity, it is called 'Electrical chatter'.
In simple words: 'Electrical chatter' means the sound a fan makes, which sounds like talking, happens because of the electricity that powers its motor.

Exam Tip: Understand that "electrical chatter" combines the noise made by an electrical appliance with the human action of talking.

(2) Why does the poet say, “I hope it doesn't matter"?
Answer: The poet could not understand what the fan was trying to say, meaning its chatter. The poet was not bothered about it.
In simple words: The poet says "I hope it doesn't matter" because she couldn't understand the fan's sounds and wasn't really concerned by it.

Exam Tip: This line shows the poet's indifferent attitude towards the fan's "words" or the sounds it made.

(3) How was the fan's mystery spoiled?
Answer: What the fan was chattering and the poet could not understand was the real 'mystery'. Then somebody oiled the fan, and he stopped chattering, meaning making noise. The poet sarcastically says that this is how the fan's mystery was spoiled.
In simple words: The mystery of the fan's chatter, which the poet couldn't understand, was ruined when someone oiled the fan. Once oiled, the fan stopped making noise and became quiet.

Exam Tip: The "spoiling" of the mystery is ironic; fixing the fan's mechanical issue removed its intriguing "voice."

(4) What is the running of the fan compared to in the end?
Answer: In the end, the running of the fan is compared to the smooth running of water.
In simple words: At the end, the fan's movement is likened to how smoothly water flows.

Exam Tip: Similes and metaphors are common poetic devices; identify what is being compared and the characteristic highlighted by the comparison.

Mystery Of The Talking Fan Summary In English

Mystery Of The Talking Fan Summary:

The poet tells us about a fan that talks a lot. She means that the fan makes a spontaneous sound while in motion. The poet tried to listen and understand what the fan says, but she fails to comprehend. One day, suddenly, the fan stopped making sound because someone had oiled the spinning motor, and the fan became as silent as water.