A Snake in the Grass-std 7 scert-activities and answers

A Snake in the Grass-std 7 scert-activities and answers

A Snake in the Grass-std 7 scert-activities and answers

Textual questions and answers

1. Identify the references to time, locale (scene) and the character, in the first part of the story. 
answer:afternoon, road, a cyclist 
2. Why did the cyclist ring the bell and shout? 
answer:He saw a snake cross his wheel and enter the compound of the house.
3. What did the members of the family accuse the gardener of? 
answer:The family accused Dasa of being lazy. 
4. What do you mean by ‘snake menace’? Have you heard of any other such menaces?
answer:The harm caused by snakes is snake menace. 
5. Why did the mother give a coin to the beggar?
answer:The beggar woman said that the mother was fortunate since God had come to visit her. She requested the mother not to kill the snake. In
gratitude, the mother gave her a coin.
6. What did the old man declare? 
answer:The old man declared that he was a snake charmer.
7. Why did the snake charmer say that he was helpless? 
answer:The snake charmer said he could catch the snake only if it was shown to him.
8. How did Dasa become the hero of the day? 
answer:Dasa claimed that he had caught the snake. He also dwelt at length on the strategies he had employed to catch the snake.

A Snake in the Grass-std 7 scert-activities and answers

Activity 1
1. The major events of the story ‘A Snake in the Grass’ are given in jumbled order.

Dasa’s negligence of the garden

and the lawns was responsible for

all the dreadful things coming in.

They watched him in admiration

and decided to reward him.

The family was greatly agitated to

hear the news.

The youngest son saw the snake

coming out of the hole, and cried

aloud.

A big cobra entered the

compound.

The snakecharmer came, gave

his name and departed.

An old beggar promised to send

a snakecharmer.

When they recovered from the

shock, they asked, ’Does it mean

there are two snakes here?’

Neighbours assembled and

started searching for the snake.

Dasa appeared before them

carrying a water-pot and

declared that he had caught the

snake.


Now, sequence the events in the flow chart given below. 
Answer
  • A big cobra entered the compound. 
  •  The family was greatly agitated to hear the news.
  • Dasa’s negligence of the garden and the lawns was responsible for all the dreadful things                 coming in.
  • • Neighbours assembled and started searching for the snake.
  • • An old beggar promised to send a snake charmer.
  • • He gave his name and departed. • Dasa appeared before them carrying
  • a water-pot and declared that he had caught the snake.
  • • They watched him in admiration and decided to reward him.
  • • The youngest son saw the snake coming out of the hole, and cried aloud.
  • • When they recovered from the shock, they asked, ‘Does it mean there are two snakes here?’
Activity 2
Imagine that the mother in the story 'A Snake in the Grass' happens to see the snake again. She rings up the snake charmer. But unfortunately, he is not there. She gets his wife on the phone. Read the telephonic conversation.

Mother : Hello! Could I speak to Mr Sankar, the snake charmer? 
Wife : Sorry he's not here. I'm his wife. May I know who is speaking? 
Mother : I'm Sudha from Malgudi North. When will he be back? 
Wife : After an hour. Would you like to leave a message? 
Mother : Yes, please. We are in a fearful situation. A snake has entered our premises, and we are urgently in need of some help. Please ask him to call me back. It's very urgent. He knows my number. Wife : Sure. I’ll try to contact him. If not, I'll tell him as soon as he is back. 
Mother : Thank you.

The wife could not contact Sankar, the snake charmer. The moment he reaches the house, his wife conveys the message. He rings the mother immediately. Prepare the likely conversation between them. Snake charmer : .............................................................. 
Mother : .............................................................. 
Snake charmer : .............................................................. 
Mother : .............................................................. 
Snake charmer : .............................................................. 
Mother : .............................................................. 
Snake charmer : ..............................................................
Answer
Snake Charmer : Hello, this is Sankar. My wife asked me to call you. What's the matter, madam?
Mother: We urgently need your service. A snake has entered our compound.
Snake Charmer : Are you sure it's still there?
Mother: Yes, it's still there. My sons and neighbours are searching for it.
Snake Charmer : Okay. Can you please tell me your address?
Mother: Sure. Please note down. Sudha, House No. 28, Malgudi North.
Snake Charmer : Fine. Don't worry. I'll reach there soon.
Activity 3
1.A good cook could cook as much cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies. 
2. Black bug bit a big black bear. But where is the big black bear that the big black bug bit? 
3. The sixth sick sikh's sixth sheep is sick.
Now, collect a few other tongue twisters and say them aloud in the class.
Answer
1.She sells seashells by the seashore. 
2. Six slippery snails, slid slowly seaward.
3. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, how many pickled peppers would Peter Piper pick?

Activity 4

4. The English Club in your school has decided to stage a play based on the story ‘A Snake in the Grass.’ You are asked to prepare a script based on the story. Can you complete it?
A Snake in the Grass 
Characters : Mother 
Four Sons Neighbours 
Old Beggar 
Old Man 
Setting : The courtyard of a house
 Curtain rises 
(The courtyard of the house. The mother, her four sons, and servant Dasa are obviously frightened and are searching for a snake. An old beggar enters....) 
 Old beggar: ......................................................................

answer
(The  courtyard of  a house. An old beggar woman is seen at the gate.) 
Old  beggar                  : Mother, give me some alms.
Mother                         : Not  now,  we  are  searching  for  a  snake  in  our compound.
Old beggar (smiling)   : You are fortunate. God has come to visit you. Please
don’t kill the snake.
Mother                         : You are right. I almost forgot about the abhishekam, you reminded 
me of it. Thank you.


Scene: 2
(The courtyard of a house. An old man at the gate.)
Old man                       : It is difficult to find a snake among the bushes.
The eldest son              : Who are you?
Old man                       : I’m a snake charmer. (The people gather around him)
The eldest son              : How do you catch snakes? Old Man                      : Like this..
(He pounces upon an imaginary snake on the ground and lifts something which was on the ground and 
cheerfully looks at every one.)
The eldest son              : Can you catch the snake for us?
Old man                       : If you show me the snake, I will help you.
(He points to the direction the snake has gone to and slowly walks away.)

Activity 5

 Given below is a Crossword Puzzle. Fill in the blank space with suitable letters to get the names of implements. Find out what these are used for, and fill in the blanks below

answer
1. Grass cutter 
2. Spade
3. Scythe 
4. Crowbar
5. Mower 
6. Rake
7. Knife
Down
2. a tool used for digging soil
4. a heavy iron bar with a bent used tolift heavy objects off the ground
5. a machine for cutting, especially grass
6. a garden tool with a long handle and long pointed metal parts sticking out in a row at the bottom, used for levelling the earth

Across
1. an equipment for cutting grass
7. a tool with a metal blade and a handle used for cutting
Up
3. a tool with a long sharp curved blade and a long handle used especially to cut long grass.

Activity 7
Now, identify the idiomatic expressions from the conversation given above.
You can find a list of idioms in column A. Match them with their meanings in column B. You may refer to a dictionary.

Fill in the blanks choosing suitable idioms from those given above. 
1. When the thief was questioned, he .............................. . 
2. Our school has won the first prize in the State level Hockey competition. It is ......... 
3. Before we take a decision on an issue, we must examine the ......... of it. 
4. Give promises only if one can.........
answer
  • Stop beating about the bush.
  • Hit the nail on the head.

A

B

the pros and cons

the arguments for

and against

a feather in one’s cap

an achievement of

which one can be

proud of

keep one’s word

do as one promises

let the cat out of the the bag

the secret is no

longer a secret

1. When the thief was questioned, he let the cat out of the bag.
2. Our school has won the first prize in the State level Hockey competition. It is a feather in our cap.
3. Before we take a decision on an issue, we must examine its pros and cons.
4. Give promises only if one can keep one’s word.

Activity 8
8. Read the following sentence from 'A Snake in the Grass.' The college boy murmured, ‘I wish I had taken the risk, and knocked the water-pot from Dasa’s hand.’ Look at the people below. What do they wish for?
Complete the following sentences. 
1. I wish I had .......……………………………………………... 
2. I wish I ..........……………………………………….............. 
3. I wish …………………………………………....................... 
4. …………………………………………….…….…................. 
5. …………………………………………….…….…................. 
6. …………………………………………….…….….................
answer
1. I wish I had a bicycle.
2. I wish I were a butterfly.
3. I wish I could fly to the moon.
4. I wish I were a millionaire.
5. I wish I were a robot.
6. I wish I were a spider man.
Activity 9
9. Read the following sentences and notice the words given in italics. 
1. The family which consisted of the mother and her four sons were greatly agitated. 
2. She gave a coin to the beggar, who promised to send a snake charmer soon. 
The words given in italics are termed relative pronouns.
 A relative pronoun relates one part of a sentence to another and also stands in for a noun or pronoun. 
Join the pairs of sentences using a relative pronoun from the box given below. 
1. This is the house. I purchased it from Peter. 
2. He said something. It surprised me. 
3. I saw a girl. She was carrying a basket on her head.
(which     that    who)
answer
1. This is the house which I purchased from Peter.
2. He said something that surprised me.
3. I saw a girl who was carrying a basket on her head.
Activity 10
Read the passage given below. Certain words are missing in it. Rewrite the passage choosing the correct words from the circle.
A doctor had the habit of talking / the trees by the roadside, as he took his walk in the evening. He would bend to kiss / trees lovingly, and whisper kind words to them. This was an odd but / sight. It was indeed a noble act in this wicked world. One day, he / very upset to see one of the trees cut down. The nature lover was so upset / he started weeping, surprising the passers-by.
(that   to lovely  the was)
answer:to, the, lovely, was, that
Activity 11
Read the following sentences from the story 'A Snake in the Grass.' Take note of the words in bold.
a. The members of the family were greatly agitated to hear the news. 
b. A heated debate followed. 
c. They ordered him not to make demands
Match words in column 'A' with those in column 'B' and make suitable expressions.

A

B

 deeply

journey

 tiring

 decisions

 hasty

 opinion

 strong

 ashamed

answer:
A                     B
deeply             ashamed
tiring             journey
hasty             decisions
strong             opinion