GSEB Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 8 Meadow Surprises Solutions

Working With The Poem

Question 1. Read the lines in which the following phrases occur. Then discuss with your partner the meaning of each phrase in its context:
(1) velvet grass
(2) drinking straws
(3) meadow houses
(4) amazing mound
(5) fuzzy head
Answer:
(1) The velvet grass means soft grass that nearly feels like fur or velvet.
(2) Drinking straws mean that it looks as if the butterflies are sipping sweet liquid from the flowers using straws.
(3) Meadow houses are a mention of several homes that insects, birds, and animals inhabit in the meadows, such as burrows, nests, and mounds.
(4) The amazing mound refers to the small hill made by ants as their home or dwelling place.
(5) Fuzzy head refers to the bright yellow dandelion flower heads, which have a lovely soft texture.
In simple words: The question asks to explain different phrases from the poem. Each answer describes what the phrase means in the context of the meadow, like soft grass, butterfly feeding, or animal homes.

Exam Tip: When analyzing phrases in context, always consider the surrounding words in the poem to understand their specific meaning.

Question 2. Which line in the poem suggests that you need a keen eye and a sharp ear to enjoy a meadow? Read aloud the stanza that contains this line.
Answer: The line that shows you need a keen eye and a sharp ear to enjoy a meadow is: "You may discover these yourself, If you look and listen well."
In simple words: This line means you need to look carefully and listen closely to find all the interesting things in a meadow.

Exam Tip: Always quote the exact line from the poem when asked to identify specific textual evidence.

Question 3. Find pictures of the kinds of birds, insects and scenes mentioned in the poem.
Answer:
Insects: Butterflies, ants
Animals: Rabbit
Scenes: Velvet Grass, Singing Brook, Dandelion fluttering its head, Burrows in the ground, Nest beneath tall grass, Ants' mounds
In simple words: The poem mentions insects like butterflies and ants, animals like rabbits, and nature scenes such as soft grass, a flowing stream, dandelions, burrows, nests, and ant hills.

Exam Tip: When listing items from a poem, categorize them clearly (e.g., insects, animals, scenes) to make your answer organized and easy to understand.

Question 4. Watch a tree or a plant, or walk across a field or park at the same time every day for a week. Keep a diary of what you see and hear. At the end of the week, write a short paragraph or a poem about your experiences. Put your writing up on the class bulletin board.
Answer: During the summers, I watched the holy Basil plant in our courtyard slowly dying because it lacked water. So, I decided to give water to its branches. Soon, those tiny leaves started to grow regularly. I noticed that for the first few days, there was hardly any change in the plant, but then it seemed to have bloomed fully. By the fourth day, tiny leaves appeared on the plant.
In simple words: I watered a dying basil plant and saw it slowly grow new leaves and bloom over a few days, which was a nice observation.

Exam Tip: For observation-based questions, describe your experience in chronological order, noting specific changes and your actions.

Select the most appropriate options as answers and complete the following sentences:

Question 1. What must have been called as the 'drinking straws' by the poet?
A. Plastic pipes to drink juices
B. Twigs of the trees in bushes
C. Proboscis of the insects
D. The straw that the poet carries with himself to drink river water.
Answer: (C) Proboscis of the insects
In simple words: The poet calls the long feeding tubes of insects "drinking straws" because they use them to sip nectar from flowers.

Exam Tip: Understand the metaphorical language used in poems; 'drinking straws' here refers to a natural feature, not a man-made object.

Question 2. Which sound does the poet want us to listen to in the poem 'Meadow Surprises'?
A. Chirping of birds
B. Buzzing of wind
C. Flowing of a brook
D. Roars of animals
Answer: (C) Flowing of a brook
In simple words: The poem asks us to listen to the gentle sound of a small stream flowing.

Exam Tip: Pay close attention to specific sensory details mentioned in the poem, such as sights and sounds, to answer questions accurately.

Question 3. Dandelions is compared with airy parachutes.
A. Butterfly
B. Rabbit
C. Dandelion's head
D. Ant's mound
Answer: (C) Dandelion's head
In simple words: Dandelions are compared to airy parachutes because their fluffy seed heads float easily in the wind.

Exam Tip: Identify similes and metaphors in the poem, noting what two things are being compared to understand their meaning.

Question 4. Which word in the poem refers to the sweet liquid found in flowers?
A. Velvet
B. Meadow
C. Brook
D. Nectar
Answer: (D) Nectar
In simple words: The word "nectar" is used in the poem to describe the sweet juice inside flowers that insects drink.

Exam Tip: Build your vocabulary by learning the definitions of words used in poems, especially those describing natural elements.

Question 5. Who can feel the delight of the surprises that meadows offer?
A. A passive passerby.
B. An eager passerby with his eyes and ears wide open.
C. A person who takes photographs of it.
D. A hunter.
Answer: (B) An eager passerby with his eyes and ears wide open.
In simple words: Only someone who is eager and pays close attention with their eyes and ears can truly enjoy the meadow's surprises.

Exam Tip: The poem emphasizes active observation and engagement with nature to discover its hidden joys.

Question 6. Which word in the poem means, 'holes' in ground?
A. Mounds
B. Meadows
C. Nests
D. Burrows
Answer: (D) Burrows
In simple words: The poem uses the word "burrows" to describe the holes in the ground where small animals live.

Exam Tip: Clarify vocabulary from the poem, especially words that might have specific meanings in a natural context.

Question 7. When can we enjoy the surprises of meadows?
A. If we have time.
B. If we look and listen well.
C. If nobody is around.
D. If one has sense of beauty.
Answer: (B) If we look and listen well.
In simple words: We can enjoy the meadow's surprises if we actively look and listen carefully to our surroundings.

Exam Tip: The poem strongly suggests that enjoyment of nature requires keen observation rather than just passive presence.

Answer the following questions in one sentence each:

Question 1. What kind of surprise could be found while walking on the grass?
Answer: Walking on the soft, velvety grass gives one immense pleasure.
In simple words: The soft grass feels really nice to walk on, which is a pleasant surprise.

Exam Tip: For one-sentence answers, be concise and directly address the core of the question.

Question 2. Why is one unable to see a rabbit at first?
Answer: One cannot easily spot a rabbit in the grass at first because it sits very still; only when it hops, one can see it.
In simple words: You don't see a rabbit at first because it stays very still in the grass until it jumps.

Exam Tip: Animals use camouflage and stillness to hide; connecting this behavior to the question helps explain the answer.

Question 3. What is the butterfly busy doing?
Answer: The butterfly appears busy sucking nectar from the flowers, using what looks like a drinking straw to do so.
In simple words: The butterfly is busy drinking sweet nectar from flowers, like it's using a straw.

Exam Tip: Focus on the specific action described in the poem when answering questions about character activities.

Answer the following questions in two to three sentences each:

Question 1. Which all houses are characterised by the term 'meadow houses'?
Answer: Burrows in the ground for smaller animals, nests beneath the tall grass for birds, and mounds for ants are all examples of homes described as 'meadow houses.' While exploring the meadows, you can see all of these different dwellings.
In simple words: Meadow houses are animal homes like burrows in the ground, bird nests in tall grass, and ant mounds. You can find all these homes when you explore a meadow.

Exam Tip: Provide specific examples from the poem to fully explain what 'meadow houses' encompass.

Question 2. Describe the various sights that one comes across in the meadows.
Answer: In the meadows, one encounters many lovely sights, such as butterflies sipping nectar from flowers. You might also see a rabbit that suddenly hops in front of you. Dandelions change from buds to flowers, offering a pleasant sight as they flutter. The meadows also reveal burrows, mounds, and nests, all found close together. The wonderful feeling of walking through the soft, velvet-like grass can only be truly understood by those who have experienced it.
In simple words: Meadows show many lovely things like butterflies drinking nectar, rabbits jumping, and dandelions changing. You also find animal homes like burrows and nests, and feel soft grass under your feet.

Exam Tip: When asked to describe various sights, list several distinct observations and use descriptive language to paint a clear picture.

Read the following stanzas and answer the questions given below them:

Question 1.
Meadows have surprises,
You can find them if you look;
Walk softly through the velvet grass,
And listen by the brook.
You may see a butterfly
Rest upon a buttercup
And unfold its drinking straws
To sip the nectar up.
Questions:
(1) What surprises do the meadows have to offer you?
Answer: Meadows offer many surprises, including the pleasant sounds of the brook and the wonderful feeling of soft, velvety grass.
In simple words: Meadows surprise you with the nice sounds of the stream and the soft feeling of the grass.

Exam Tip: Extract surprises directly mentioned in the given stanza, focusing on sensory details like sound and touch.

(2) Why is it a great pleasure to walk through the meadows?
Answer: It is a great pleasure to walk through the meadows because its grass is as soft as velvet, which provides a pleasant walk.
In simple words: Walking in meadows is fun because the grass is super soft, making the walk very enjoyable.

Exam Tip: Connect the pleasure of walking to the specific description of the grass provided in the poem.

(3) A comparison is made by the poet in the last two lines of the given stanza. What is compared to what?
Answer: In the last two lines, the poet compares the proboscis of the butterfly to a drinking straw, which humans use to drink cold beverages, juice, etc.
In simple words: The poet compares the butterfly's proboscis, used for sipping nectar, to a human's drinking straw.

Exam Tip: Clearly state both items being compared and the characteristic they share when identifying a simile or metaphor.

Question 2.
Explore the meadow houses,
The burrows in the ground,
A nest beneath tall grasses,
The ant's amazing mound.
Oh! Meadows have surprises And many things to tell;
You may discover these yourself,
If you look and listen well.
Questions:
(1) What does the poet refer to 'meadow houses'?
Answer: The poet calls the homes of birds, such as nests beneath tall grass, the dwellings of rabbits (burrows in the ground), and the mounds built by ants, as 'meadow houses.'
In simple words: Meadow houses are homes for birds (nests), rabbits (burrows), and ants (mounds), all found in the meadow.

Exam Tip: List all the examples of 'meadow houses' provided in the stanza to give a complete answer.

(2) What is amazing about the mounds of the ants?
Answer: The amazing thing about ant mounds is that they are built from very soft soil, making it incredibly difficult to pile up in the way ants do. Ants work very diligently to construct their homes.
In simple words: Ant mounds are amazing because ants build them carefully from soft soil, which shows how hard they work.

Exam Tip: Highlight the specific characteristic (soft soil, diligent work) that makes the ant mounds 'amazing' as stated in the poem.

(3) Which all surprises must the poet be talking about in these stanzas?
Answer: The poet talks about the surprises of nature's beauty, such as the lovely chirping sounds of birds and the humming sounds of bees and insects. He also mentions the soft, velvety grass and the beautiful greenery all around.
In simple words: The poet talks about nature's surprises, like lovely bird songs, buzzing insects, soft grass, and beautiful green scenery.

Exam Tip: Synthesize the various sensory details and observations from the stanzas to comprehensively answer what surprises the poet refers to.

Meadow Surprises Summary in English

Meadow Surprises Summary:
Answer: The meadow offers several wonderful things to those who observe it closely. Walking on the soft, velvety grass allows one to hear the sound of a brook. You might see a butterfly drinking nectar from flowers; all such sights provide great joy. These observations are like nature's unique gifts. Walking further, one might find a rabbit hiding in the grass. It may not be visible at first, but soon it will hop in front of you because it feels scared. A dandelion that was golden a few days ago would have also fully bloomed. You can find several homes in the meadows, including burrows in the ground, nests beneath tall grasses, and mounds for ants. For every person, there will be something to discover that brings a surprise.
In simple words: Meadows are full of surprises if you look closely. You can enjoy soft grass, listen to a brook, watch butterflies, see hidden rabbits, and find various animal homes like burrows and ant mounds. Everyone can find something surprising and beautiful in a meadow.

Exam Tip: A good summary condenses the main points of the text, highlighting key observations and themes without adding new information.