UP Board Solutions Class 7 English Chapter 4 Mr Garbage and Mrs Polythene

Exercise

Comprehension Questions

Question 1. Answer the following questions:

Question 1. (a) List the items you throw in the dustbin as garbage.
Answer: We usually throw items like vegetable peels, broken things, old clothes, used papers, pencil shavings, wrappers, and packing papers into the dustbin as garbage. Proper disposal of these items helps keep our surroundings clean. This is an important step in waste management.
In simple words: We put vegetable peels, broken items, old clothes, used papers, pencil shavings, wrappers, and packing papers into the dustbin.

🎯 Exam Tip: When listing items, clearly separate each item with commas for readability and ensure you cover a good range of examples.

Question 1. (b) What are the items generally thrown as garbage which can be reused or recycled?
Answer: Many items thrown away as garbage can actually be reused or recycled, such as unused papers, metal objects, toys, bags, and clothes. Reusing and recycling these materials helps protect our environment by reducing waste and saving valuable resources. It's a key part of sustainable living.
In simple words: Unused papers, metal items, toys, bags, and clothes are often thrown away but can be used again or turned into new things.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on items that have a second life rather than those that are strictly disposable when answering about reuse and recycling.

Question 1. (c) How does garbage get mixed with soil and become useful for us?
Answer: When garbage is placed in a pit and covered with soil, it slowly breaks down and mixes with the soil over time. This natural process changes the garbage into useful manure, which makes the soil fertile and helps grow healthy crops for our food. This method is known as composting.
In simple words: If garbage is buried in a pit and covered with soil, it mixes with the soil. This creates manure, which helps us grow good food crops.

🎯 Exam Tip: Emphasize the transformation of garbage into "manure" or "compost" and its benefit to "soil fertility" for full marks.

Question 1. (d) What happens to the animals when they swallow polythene bags?
Answer: When animals accidentally swallow polythene bags, the bags can get stuck in their digestive systems. This prevents them from eating proper food and can cause them to choke, leading to illness and eventually death. This shows how harmful plastic waste can be to wildlife.
In simple words: When animals eat polythene bags, the bags get stuck inside them. This makes them choke and die.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight the direct consequence: "choke and die," and the reason: polythene bags blocking their system.

Question 1. (e) How is polythene dangerous for us?
Answer: Polythene is dangerous for us because it does not mix with the soil or break down naturally like other types of garbage. It stays in the environment for a very long time, polluting the soil and water, which harms plants, animals, and ultimately humans. This makes it a long-lasting environmental threat.
In simple words: Polythene is bad because it doesn't mix into the soil. It stays there forever, making the earth dirty and causing pollution.

🎯 Exam Tip: The key danger of polythene is its non-biodegradable nature, meaning it pollutes indefinitely without breaking down.

Question 2. Choose the correct option to complete the following sentences:

Question 2. (i) The garbage should be thrown
(a) in dustbins
(b) here and there
(c) in the classroom
Answer: (a) in dustbins
In simple words: Garbage must always be put in dustbins to keep our surroundings clean and tidy.

🎯 Exam Tip: Emphasize proper waste disposal practices for a healthy environment, as dustbins are the correct place for garbage.

Question 2. (ii) Garbage is made of
(a) useful things
(b) useless things
(c) fresh things
Answer: (b) useless things
In simple words: Garbage consists of things that are no longer useful to us and are discarded.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understand that garbage is by definition waste material, hence composed of "useless" items.

Question 2. (iii) We should not use polythene because it
(a) is a useless thing
(b) looks very pretty
(c) cannot be destroyed
Answer: (c) cannot be destroyed
In simple words: Polythene is harmful because it does not break down and stays in the environment for a very long time.

🎯 Exam Tip: The critical reason to avoid polythene is its inability to decompose naturally, causing lasting environmental damage.

Word Power

Question 1. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words given in the box:

Question 1. (a) I tried to swallow the tablet with water.
Answer: I tried to swallow the tablet with water. Swallowing means to make something go down your throat. This is how we take medicines safely.
In simple words: I tried to make the tablet go down with water.

🎯 Exam Tip: Choose the word that accurately describes the action of taking a tablet, which is "swallow."

Question 1. (b) Farmers add manure to the soil.
Answer: Farmers add manure to the soil. Manure is a natural substance from animal waste that makes the soil richer and helps plants grow better. It acts as a fertilizer for healthy crops.
In simple words: Farmers put manure, which is like natural food for plants, into the soil.

🎯 Exam Tip: "Manure" is a key term in farming, referring to organic material used to enrich the soil.

Question 1. (c) The potter moulded the clay into a pot.
Answer: The potter moulded the clay into a pot. To mould means to shape a soft material, like clay, into a specific form or design. This skill is essential for making pottery.
In simple words: The potter shaped the soft clay to make a pot.

🎯 Exam Tip: "Moulded" is the correct verb when describing shaping soft materials like clay into an object.

Question 1. (d) A heap of newspapers is lying on the table.
Answer: A heap of newspapers is lying on the table. A heap describes a pile of things, especially when they are stacked untidily or without much order. It suggests a collection of items placed together.
In simple words: A messy pile of newspapers is on the table.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use "heap" for an unorganized collection, distinguishing it from a neatly arranged "stack."

Question 2. Some items are given in the box. Separate them into biodegradable (which get mixed with the soil) and non-biodegradable (which do not get mixed with the soil) items.
Answer: It is important to separate items into biodegradable and non-biodegradable categories based on whether they can naturally decompose and mix with soil. This helps in proper waste management and reduces environmental harm. Knowing the difference is key to recycling and composting effectively.

In simple words: We sort items into two groups: those that can naturally break down and mix with soil (biodegradable) and those that cannot (non-biodegradable).

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly define and understand the terms "biodegradable" and "non-biodegradable" to correctly classify items. Biodegradable items are typically natural materials, while non-biodegradable items are often man-made plastics and metals.

Question 3. Match the masculine gender given in column 'A' with its feminine gender given in column 'B':
Answer: We need to correctly pair each masculine gender word from column 'A' with its corresponding feminine gender word from column 'B'. This exercise helps in understanding and using gender-specific nouns in English grammar. It's a fundamental part of vocabulary building.
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In simple words: Pair the male words from the first column with their female words from the second column.

🎯 Exam Tip: Memorize common masculine-feminine pairs to quickly and accurately complete matching tasks.

Language Practice

Question 1. Make questions beginning with 'how', using the following table:
Answer: We can form questions starting with 'how' by combining the different elements provided in the table. This practice helps us learn how to ask about measurements, distance, height, and age using the word 'how'. Understanding question formation is vital for good communication.
- How wide is the road?
- How wide is the river?
- How long is the road?
- How long is the river?
- How far is your home from the school?
- How far is the temple from here?
- How tall is Anu?
- How old is Anu?
- How tall are you?
- How old are you?
- How tall are they?
- How old are they?
In simple words: Use 'how' with words like wide, long, far, tall, and old to ask questions about size, distance, or age.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to the verb ('is' for singular, 'are' for plural) that correctly matches the subject in each question.

Activity

Note: Do it yourself.

🎯 Exam Tip: "Do it yourself" activities are designed for independent learning; actively engaging with them strengthens your understanding and skills.