Maharashtra Board Class 7 English Solutions Chapter 4.2 Unke Munke Timpetoo

Chapter 4.2 Unke Munke Timpetoo

Textbook Questions and Answers

1. Make adjectives from the following.

Question a.
harm
Answer:
harmful / harmless

Question b.
fear
Answer:
fearless/fearful/fearsome

Question c.
question
Answer:
questionable

Question d.
continue
Answer:
continuous

Question e.
thought
Answer:
thoughtful/ thoughtless

Question f.
courage
Answer:
courageous

Question g.
believe
Answer:
believable

Question h.
wish
Answer:
wishful

2. Choose the correct alternative.

Question a.
Rohan desperately wished for ………….. .
i. a pair of shoes
ii. a warm pullover
iii. a good friend
iv. a table-tennis set
Answer:
iv. a table-tennis set

Question b.
Rohan and Muk entered the garden at midnight ……………. .
i. to frighten Mrs. Groover
ii. to chant around the banyan tree
iii. to steal some fruits
iv. to look for a table-tennis set
Answer:
ii. to chant around the banyan tree

Question c.
Rohan had finished ……………… rounds of the tree before Mrs. Groover discovered him.
i. seventeen
ii. six
iii. eleven
iv. twelve
Answer:
iii. eleven

Question d.
The table-tennis set was gifted by
i. Mrs. Groover
ii. Rohan’s parents
iii. Muk
iv. Timpetoo
Answer:
i. Mrs. Groover

Question e.
The Principal turned out to be a very …………… lady.
i. poor and simple
ii. proud and rich
iii. kind and understanding
iv. sad and lonely
Answer:
kind and understanding

3. The story has a very heart-warming and touching end. Now try to change the end of the story to make it sound.

Question 1.
(i) very funny
(ii) full of horror and mystery.
Answer:
Mrs. Groover continued to look at me with a strange look in her eyes which frightened me. I asked her whether she believed in ‘Unke, Munke, Timpetoo’. She suddenly gave out a shriek and started moving towards me with hands outstretched. I was so scared that my feet did not move nor any words came out from my mouth. She had a savage look on her face. I felt that there was something more to Mrs. Groover, no wonder she was staying alone with an evil looking dog. Somehow. I managed to run away from Mrs. Groover. The next day I came to know that Mrs. Groover never stayed in that house.

Mrs. Groover continued to look at me with a strange look in her eyes. It looked as if she was judging me. I asked her, whether she believed in ‘Unke, Munke, Timpetoo’. She said, she did but she was trying to control her laughter. I wondered what had happened to her. She laughed till tears started rolling down her cheeks. She then took me into her house and played some music as I sat listening. The singer used the same chant ‘Unke Munke Timpetoo’. Hearing the chart, I too started laughing and both of us had a hearty laugh and we started humming the song along with the words ‘Unke Munke Timpetoo’, which actually meant nothing.

4. ‘Unke, Munke, Timpetoo.

I wish, my wish is coming true.’
Try to compose two other funny magical chants that have rhyming lines.

5. Language study.

Question a.
Prefix and suffix : A letter or group of letters added to the front of a word to change Its meaning and make a new word is called a prefix.
Examples:

un + tie → untie
non + stop → non-stop
dis + like → dislike
super + man → superman
inter + national → international

Answer:
Prefix (before the root word)
e.g.

un + tie = untie
non + stop = nonstop
dis + like = dislike
super + man = superman
inter + national = international

Question b.
Find at least 5 words with prefixes and identify the prefix in each word. A letter or group of letters added at the end of a word to make another word is called a suffix.
Examples:

teach + er → teacher
act + or → actor
child + hood → childhood
friend + ship →b friendship
king + dom → kIngdom
use + ful → useful
frequent + ly → frequently
act + ion → action
star + ry → starry

Answer:
Suffix (after the root word)
e.g.

teach + er = teacher
act + or = actor
child + hood = childhood
friend + ship = friendship
king + dom = kingdom
use + ful = useful
frequent + ly = frequently
act + ion = action
star + ry = starry

Question c.
Find 5 examples of words with the following suffixes from the lessons you have studied so far, or from other sources:

-ship
-less
-ness
-ly
-ful
-able

Answer:
suffixes:

hard + ship = hardship
home + less = homeless
happy + ly = happily
clever + ness = cleverness
soft + ly = softly
reason + able = reasonable

Additional Important Questions and Answers

1. Answer the following questions.

Question 1.
Find the sentences in which the author and his friend claim that they do not believe in magic. What do their actions show?
Answer:
The sentences which claim that the author and his friends do not believe in magic are:

I don’t say I believe in it but my cousin said it works.
And there is no harm in trying.
Why seventeen times and why at midnight?
I thought it was all nonsense.

Their actions show, that though they say that they do not believe in the chanting and magic, yet they decided to try it out, convincing themselves that it did not matter just to try.

Question 2.
(i) If you hear about something that fulfils your wishes, would you try it?
(ii) Do you think that the author is brave?
Answer:
(i) Yes, If I hear about something that fulfils my wishes, I would surely try it while trying to convince myself that there is no harm in trying.
(ii) Yes, I think the author is brave because he dared to go out at midnight to chant around the banyan tree to get his wish fulfilled knowing very well that the banyan tree belonged to his Ex-Principal who was very strict.

Question 3.
How do we know that Muk was frightened?
Answer:
We know that Muk was frightened because as soon as he heard Mrs. Groover’s voice saying that she would let her ferocious dog loose on them, he started climbing up the tree.

Question 4.
What opinion do you form of Mrs. Groover from the way she treats the boys?
Answer:
According to me, Mrs. Groover is an able administrator and disciplinarian outside but from the inside, she seems to be a kind-hearted, sensitive and understanding person. She did not jump to conclusions. She patiently listened to the boys and allowed Rohan to complete the seventeen rounds around the banyan tree to fulfill his wish.

Question 5.
Did the author really rejoice over his shoes and pullover?
Answer:
No, the author did not really rejoice over his shoes and pullover. He pretended to be happy so as not to hurt the feelings of his parents.

Reading Skills, Vocabulary and Grammar.

Simple Factual Questions:
Question 1.
Complete the following sentences.

Mrs. Groover’s garden had …………… .
Rinkoo Lai of class X was …………… .
“Come on, let us go and wish for my …………… .
There was a banyan tree, its aerial roots swaying in the …………… .

Answer:

a banyan tree
a bully
table tennis set
gentle breeze of the night.

Complex Factual Questions.

Question 1.
Who was Muk?
Answer:
Muk was Rohan’s best firend.

Question 2.
Who was Mrs. Groover?
Answer:
Mrs. Groover was the Ex-Principal of the school Rohan studies in.

Question 3.
Where was the banyan tree located?
Answer:
The banyan tree was located in Mrs. Groover’s garden which was in Rohan’s neighborhood.

Question 4.
How did Rohan and Muk enter Mrs. Groover’s house?
Answer:
Roshan and Muk entered Mrs. Groover’s house by climbing the wall and jumping down.

Vocabulary.

Question 1.
Pick out a compound word from the extract.
Answer:
neighborhood

Question 2.
Pick out two words so as to get its opposite after adding a prefix. Write both words.
Answer:

true × untrue
done × undone
harm × unharm

Question 3.
Give noun forms of:

mocking
true
suppose
enter
silent

Answer:

mockery
Truth
Supposition
entry/ entrance
silence

Question 4.
Pick out four adverbs from the passage.
Answer:

thoughtfully
badly
along
carefully

Question 5.
Express differently – ten minutes to twelve
Answer:
Eleven fifty.

Grammar.

Question 1.
I could not think of anything else. (Add a question tag)
Answer:
I could not think of anything else, could I?

Question 2.
One look from her piercing, pale, green eyes was enough to silence bullies. (Pick out the adjectives)
Answer:
one, piercing, pale, green.

Personal Response:

Question 1.
Do you believe in magic? Why?
Answer:
No, I do not believe in magic. I do not believe in magic because it is not proven by science.

Read the following passage and do the activities.

Simple Factual Questions:

Question 1.
Say whether true or false.

A ferocious dog ran after Rohan and Muk.
Mrs. Groover allowed Rohan to finish his rounds.
Mrs. Groover bend down to unleash, the dog.
Muk bodly faced the situation when the dog barked.

Answer:

False
True
True
False.

Question 2.
List the qualities of Mrs. Groover

Mrs. Groovers qualities
(i) …………………	(ii) …………………	(iii) …………………	(iv) …………………

Answer:

able administrator
empathetic
compassionate
loving and caring

Complex Factual Questions.

Question 1.
Why did Mrs. Groover threaten to unleash the dog?
Answer:
The barking of the dog awakened Mrs. Groover at night and in the darkness. She did not know who was there in the garden. Hence she asked who was there or else threatened to unleash the dog.

Question 2.
What was Rohan’s fear?
Answer:
Rohan’s fear was that Mrs. Groover might not believe him.

Vocabulary.

Give one word for the following.

Stop continuous progress
Say something indistinctly and quietly
feel or show great joy
set free

Answer:

interrupt
mumble
rejoice
unleash

Grammar.

Question 1.
State the tense in the following sentences.

I told her everything
I will explain if you let me.
I had never received such a big parcel.

Answer:

simple past tense
Simple future tense
Past perfect.

Question 2.
Form nouns.

ferocious
believe
open
softly

Answer:

ferocity
belief
opening
softness

Personal Response.

Question 1.
“and while leaving, would you mind using the front gate?” why do you think Mrs. Groover said that?
Answer:
Mrs. Groover being compassionate, understood the young boy’s heart. She knew that they had jumped into her compound. At midnight, as she wanted them to be safe, she was actually suggesting that they use the front gate.

Question 2.
“I swore that I would never return.” who said this and why.
Answer:
This was said by Rohan out of fear and frustration having gone through an unexpected turn of event in the middle of the night.

Question 3.
What is referred to as the ‘great moment’?
Answer:
To a little boy, opening gifts that he receives is a great moment. As it was Rohan’s birthday, he refers to unwrapping of the gifts he received.

Question 4.
Who had send the big parcel?
Answer:
The big parcel was from Unke, Munke, Timpetoo.

Read the following passage and do the activities.

Simple Factual Questions:

Question 1.
A few qualities have been listed below. Write suitable qualities under their names.

disciplinarian
friendly
committed
supportive
good runner
caring
loving
compassionate
eager
gratitude
nervous

Answer:

Mrs. Groover	Rohan	Muk
disciplinarian	good runner	friendly
caring	eager	committed
compassionate	gratitude	supportive
	nervous	loving

Question 2.
Complete the following.

I removed the colorful gift wrapping and found
I wondered if Mrs. Groover was responsible
She smiled and she looked so different,

Answer:

a table tennis set
for the surprise
almost human

Complex Factual Questions.

Question 1.
Why did Rohan whisper “wow!”?
Answer:
Rohan whispered ‘wow!” because when he opened the colourful gift wrapping, he found a table tennis set which he was greatly longing for. Also he was too thriled or and surprised to . say anything else.

Vocabulary.

Question 1.
Form Noun

remove
wonder
perfect
quickly

Answer:

removal
wonderment
perfection
quickness

Question 2.
Give adverbs form of:

imagine
increase
open
scare

Answer:

imaginatively
increasingly
openly
scarily

Grammar.

Question 1.
Muk and I went to see Mrs. Groover quite often. Not only because she made the best tea and cookies. We went because we liked her. (Rewrite using not only… but also)
Answer:
Muk and I went to see Mrs. Groover quite often not only because she made the best tea and cookies but also because we liked her.

Question 2.
I removed the strings impatiently. (Pick out the adverb from the given sentence)
Answer:
impatiently

Personal Response.

Question 1.
Do you think Mrs. Groover was responsible for the surprise? Why?
Answer:
Little Rohan longed to get a table tennies set as gift for his birthday and decided to run around a banyan tree in Mrs. Groover’s garden chanting “Unke Munke Timpetoo” seventeen times at 12 midnight. Understanding the child’s mind and seeing him take so much trouble, she decided to make him happy by gifting a fabulous table tennis set, through not brand new.

Question 2.
Why did Rohan and Muk visit Mrs. Groover often?
Answer:
After the initial nervousness and hesitation, Rohan found out that Mrs. Groover also believed in Unke, Munke, Timpetoo. They saw the soft human side of their Ex. Principal and started loving her. She too welcomed them with good tea and cookies. Hence they visited her often.

Question 3.
Did the surprise gift really come from Unke, Munke, Timpetoo? In your opinion, who must have sent the gift?
Answer:
No, the surprise gift did not come from Unke, Munke, Timpetoo. I am sure the surprise gift was sent by Mrs. Groover.

Question 4.
What is ‘Unke, Munke, Timpetoo’ – a charm or an act of friendliness?
Answer:
‘Unke, Munke, Timpetoo’ is an act of friendliness. We must remember that an act of friendliness is an act of godliness. It keeps alive the humanity in us which is very necessary to make this world a happy one.

Language Study.

Question 1.
Affixes: An affix is a letter or series of letters added to the root (main) word that can change its meaning. Affixes can take the form of a prefix or a suffix.
Answer:
(a) Examples of prefixes:

trans + port = transport
tri + angle = triangle
uni + lateral = unilateral
anti + biotic = antibiotic
en + courage = encourage
fore + head = forehead
dis + appear = disappear
extra + ordinary = extraordinary
mid + way = midway
hyper + active = hyperactive
micro + scope = microscope
post + pone = postpone
ex + President = ex-President
thermo + meter = thermometer
super + star = superstar

(b) Some more suffixes:

fashion + able = fashionable
play + ful = playful
slow + ly = slowly
meaning + less = meaningless
close + ness = closeness
mad + ly = madly
effort + less = effortless
colour + less = colourless
sad + ness = sadness
owner + ship = ownership
love + able = lovable
beauty + ful = beautiful
workman + ship = workmanship
port + able = portable
help + ful = helpful
month + ly = monthly
quick + ly = quickly

(Add more to this list…)

Do as directed:

Question 1.
Why seventeen times and why at midnight? (Identify the kind of sentence)
Answer:
Interrogative sentence

Question 2.
Don’t ask me. (Add a question tag)
Answer:
Don’t ask me, will you?

Question 3.
Forget it. (Add a question tag)
Answer:
Forget it, won’t you? / will you?

Question 4.
The aerial roots were swaying in the breeze. (Separate the Subject and Predicate)
Answer:
Subject – The aerial roots
Predicate – were swaying in the breeze.

Question 5.
Muk was climbing the tree. (Identify whether theverbisTransitiveor Intransitive)
Answer:
was climbing – Transitive verb.

Question 6.
Add one of these prefixes to the words below: (un-, re-, dis-)

Mother will ………….. (wrap) the gift.
My dad had to ………….. (connect) the light.
Jane had to ………….. (do) her homework.
Mohan ………….. (likes) eating leafy vegetables.
The knot on the rope is hard to ………….. (tie).

Answer:

unwrap
disconnect
redo
dislikes
untie

Question 7.
Write a single word with the prefix ‘un-‘ or ‘dis-‘ to complete each sentence.

My brother always ………….. (does not agree) with me.
The answer to your question is ………….. (not known).
My mother told me not to be ………….. (not honest).
I thought I had seen him but he seems to have ………….. (not appear).
I was ………….. (not happy) at being scolded.

Answer:

disagrees
unknown
dishonest
disappeared
unhappy

Question 8.
Put the words in the brackets in the appropriate form. (Use a prefix or a suffix)

He is acting in a very ………….. way. (child)
She looked ………….. She started to cry. (happy)
The team that he supported was able to win the ………….. (champion)
There were only a ………….. of people at the match, (hand)
I think you should ………….. your decision. (consider)
He wants to be a ………….. when he grows up. (politics)

Answer:

childish
unhappy
championship
handful
reconsider
politician

Question 9.
Make adjectives from the following:

nonsense
secret
knowledge
poet
city
village
humanity

Answer:

nonsensical
secretive
knowledgeable
poetical
urban
rural
humane

Summary in English

This story ‘Unke Munke Timpetoo’ revolves round a young boy Rohan, whose birthday. Rohan’s birthday was soon approaching. He wished to have a table tennis set, which he knew his parents would not be able to afford. He tells his wish to his best friend Muk, who tells him that if he really wished for the set, then he would have to go seventeen times around a banyan tree, at midnight chanting ‘Unke Munke Timpetoo’. At first he was scared but decides to try his luck around the only banyan tree which belonged to his Ex-Principal Mrs. Groover.

A day before his birthday he, along with his friend goes to the banyan tree. Rohan nearly completes his round when Mrs. Groover comes out and Rohan explains to her what he was doing and why. The next day along with his birthday gifts, he gets the gift he wished for. Only it was not brand new. He did not mind it at all. He wonders who could have sent him the table tennis set. He decides to ask Mrs. Groover but does not have the courage. He then asked if she believed in the chant ‘Unke Munke Timpetoo’ to which she said yes. Rohan, Muk and Mrs. Groover became the best of friends.

Introduction:

This story ‘Unke Munke Timpetoo’ is written by Sigrun Srivastava. She is an Indian author of German origin. She has written over 25 books for children of all ages.

Glossary

fantastic (adj) – fanciful, extraordinary
bully (n) – a person who is cruel to others especially those who are weaker or have less power
aerial (adj) – positioned high up in the air
ferocious (adj) – fierce
fabulous (adj) – marvelous, wonderful
vanish (v) – to become invisible, disappear
stutter (v) – to stammer