NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 7 Packing
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 7 Packing are given below. This chapter contains many questions that are essential for exams. Our expert teachers answered all the questions with a detailed explanation that help students to complete their assignments and homework. We have also provided NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 7 Packing in PDF format so that you can download them for offline use.
Packing NCERT Questions and Answers
Thinking about the Text
I. Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph (30 − 40 words).
Question 1. How many characters are there in the narrative? Name them. (Don’t forget the dog!).
Answer: There are four characters in the narrative. They are Jerome (the narrator), George, Harris and Montmorency (the dog).
Question 2. Why did the narrator (Jerome) volunteer to do the packing?
Answer: Jerome volunteered to do the packing because he felt that he knew about more about packing than any other living being. He thought that he would get a chance to boss the job.
Question 3. How did George and Harris react to this? Did Jerome like their reaction?
Answer: George and Harris readily accepted Jerome’s suggestion. George spread himself over the easy-chair and Harris put his legs on the table.
No, Jerome was irritated at their reaction.
Question 4. What was Jerome’s real intention when he offered to pack?
Answer: Jerome’s real intention was to supervise the work. He wanted Harris and George to work under his guidance and instructions.
Question 5. What did Harris say after the bag was shut and strapped? Why do you think he waited till then to ask?
Answer: After the bag was shut and strapped, Harris asked the narrator to put the boots in the bag. He had waited till then to ask with an intention to irritate the narrator and ridicule his packing skills.
Question 6. What “horrible idea” occurred to Jerome a little later?
Answer: The horrible idea that occurred to Jerome a little later was if he had packed the toothbrush. The narrator says that he doesn’t know why he would always forget whether he had packed his toothbrush or not.
Question 7. Where did Jerome finally find the toothbrush?
Answer: Jerome unpacked everything and began to put the things back one by one. He held everything up and shook it. Then he finally found the toothbrush inside a boot.
Question 8. Why did Jerome have to reopen the packed bag?
Answer: Jerome had to reopen the bag because he found that he had packed his spectacles in it, and had to re-open it.
Question 9. What did George and Harris offer to pack and why?
Answer: George and Harris offered to pack the hampers because it was getting late and they thought that they should do the rest of the packing. They also wanted to show off their packing skills to Jerome.
Question 10. While packing the hamper, George and Harris do a number of foolish and funny things. Tick the statements that are true.
(i) They started with breaking a cup.
(ii) They also broke a plate.
(iii) They squashed a tomato.
(iv) They trod on the butter.
(v) They stepped on a banana.
(vi) They put things behind them, and couldn’t find them.
(vii) They stepped on things.
(viii) They packed the pictures at the bottom and put heavy things on top.
(ix) They upset almost everything.
(x) They were very good at packing.
Answer: Statements (i), (iii), (iv), (vi), (vii) and (ix) are true.
II. What does Jerome say was Montmorency’s ambition in life? What do you think of Montmorency and why?
Answer: Jerome says Montmorency’s ambition in life was to get in the way and he sworn at. Montmorency was a mischievous little dog who loved creating troubles for others. I think that Montmorency was a perfect nuisance because whenever he found people busy with their work, he might feel bored and wanted to get involved. He meant no trouble intentionally. But when people shouted at him or threw things at his head, he got discouraged and then went away to sit silently, which the narrator calls as the fulfillment of his conceit.
III. Discuss in groups and answer the following questions in two or three paragraphs (100 −150 words)
Question 1: Of the three, Jerome, George and Harris, who do you think is the best or worst packer? Support your answer with details from the text.
Answer: Of the three, Jerome is the best packer He knew how to arrange things in order. Both Harris and George messed everything. Harris packed the strawberry jam on top of a tomato and squashed it. George stepped on the butter. They were getting constantly irritated by Montmorency. Till the time Jerome packed, although he took his time, the job. They even kept things behind them and then kept searching for it. They made everything such a mess.
Question 2: How did Montmorency ‘contribute’ to the packing?
Answer: The packing escapade was already a messy job and Montmorency’s contribution made it even more tiresome. He did his level best to be a “perfect nuisance”.
He came and sat down on things, just when they were wanted to be packed. He put his leg into the jam and worried the teaspoons. He also pretended that the lemons were rats. So he got into the hamper and killed three of them before Harris could land him with the frying-pan.
Question 3: Do you find this story funny? What are the humorous elements in it? (Pick out at least three, think about what happens, as well as how it is described.)
Answer: Yes, this story is definitely funny. Not only is the way in which the three friends pack for their trip quite mirthful, but the way the author narrates all the incidents is also entertaining.
The first humorous element is that he offered to pack, George and Harris leaves the whole matter to him. Consequently, he has to do packing though his real intention was to boss the job.
The second humorous element is that George placed the butter on the chair and Harris sat on it and it stuck at his back. When they searched it for packing it was missing. They walk and walk round the room. At last, George saw it at Harris’s back.
The third humorous element is that Montmorency squirms in where he is not wanted. He wants somebody stumble over him and curse him steadily for an hour. He pretends that lemons were rats.
Thinking about Language
I. Match the words/phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.
| A | B |
| slaving | a quarrel or an argument |
| chaos | remove something from inside another thing using a sharp tool |
| rummage | strange, mysterious, difficult to explain |
| scrape out | finish successfully, achieve |
| stumble over, tumble into | search for something by moving things around hurriedly or carelessly |
| Accomplish | complete confusion and disorder |
| uncanny | fall, or step awkwardly while walking |
| (to have or get into) a row | working hard |
Answer:
| A | B |
| 1. slaving | (viii) working hard |
| 2. chaos | (vi) complete confusion and disorder |
| 3. rummage | (v) search for something by moving things around hurriedly or carelessly |
| 4. scrape out | (ii) remove something from inside another thing using a sharp tool |
| 5. stumble over, tumble into | (vii) fall, or step awkwardly while walking |
| 6. accomplish | (iv) finish successfully, achieve |
| 7. uncanny | (iii) strange, mysterious, difficult to explain |
| 8. (to have or get into) a row | (i) a quarrel or an argument |
II. Use suitable words or phrases from Column A above to complete the paragraph given below.
A Traffic Jam
During power cuts, when traffic lights go off, there is utter __________ at crossroads. Drivers add to the confusion by __________ over their right of way, and nearly come to blows. Sometimes passers-by, seeing a few policemen __________ at regulating traffic, step in to help. This gives them a feeling of having __________ something.
Answer: During power cuts, when traffic lights go off, there is utter chaos at crossroads. Drivers add to the confusion by getting into a row over their right of way, and nearly come to blows. Sometimes passers-by, seeing a few policemen slaving at regulating traffic, step in to help. This gives them a feeling of having accomplished something.
III. Look at the sentences below. Notice that the verbs (italicised) are all in their bare form.
• Simple commands:
– Stand up!
– Put it here!
• Directions: (to reach your home)
Board Bus No.121 and get down at Sagar Restaurant. From there turn right and walk till you reach a book shop. My home is just behind the shop.
• Dos and don’ts:
– Always get up for your elders.
– Don’t shout in class.
• Instructions for making a fruit salad:
Ingredients
Oranges – 2
Pineapple – one large piece
Cherries – 250 grams
Bananas – 2
Any other fruit you like
Wash the fruit. Cut them into small pieces. Mix them well. Add a few drops of lime juice. Add sugar to taste. Now add some cream (or ice cream if you wish to make fruit salad with ice cream.)
Question 1: Now work in pairs. Give
(i) two commands to your partner.
(ii) two do’s and don’ts to a new student in your class.
(iii) directions to get to each other’s houses.
(iv) instructions for moving the body in an exercise or a dance, or for cooking something.
Answer: (i) Commands: Sit properly.
Respect your elders.
(ii) Do’s: Do your homework regularly.
Stand whenever a teacher enters the class.
Don’ts: Don’t leave your lunch unfinished.
Don’t fight in the school.
(iii) From the Globe Chowk, take right turn to arrive onto street 21. Take the first left. You will find a park on the right. Keep walking till you find the end corner of the park on the same road. Take a right turn to arrive onto street 36. Look for the house with two palm trees and that is my house.
(iv) Sit with your spine straight. Take a deep breath. Place both your palms near your head. Put your forefingers above the eyebrows. Place your middle and ring fingers on your eyelids. Place your little finger under your eyes. Make humming sound while keeping your mouth closed. This is called Bhramari Pranayam.
Question 2: The table below has some proverbs telling you what to do and what not to do. Fill in the blanks and add a few more such proverbs to the table.
| Positive | Negative |
| (i) Save for a rainy day. | (i) Don’t cry over spilt milk. |
| (ii) Make hay while the sun shines. | (ii) Don’t put the cart before the horse. |
| (iii) ________ before you leap. | (iii) ________ a mountain out of a mole hill. |
| (iv) ________ and let live. | (iv) ________ all your eggs in one basket. |
Answer:
| Positive | Negative |
| (i) Save for a rainy day. | (i) Don’t cry over spilt milk. |
| (ii) Make hay while the sun shines. | (ii) Don’t put the cart before the horse. |
| (iii) Look before you leap. | (iii) Don’t make a mountain out of a mole hill. |
| (iv) Live and let live. | (iv) Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. |
| (v) Keep your mouth shut and your eyes open. | (v) Don’t bite off more than you can chew. |
| (vi) Cross the stream where it is shallowest. | (vi) Don’t blow your own trumpet. |
| (vii) Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. | (vii) Don’t judge a book by its cover. |
Writing
You have seen how Jerome, George and Harris mess up their packing, especially of the hamper. From their mistakes you must have thought of some dos and don’ts for packing. Can you give some tips for packing by completing the paragraph below?
First pack all the heavy items, especially the ones you don’t need right away.
Then . . .
Here are some words and phrases you can use to begin your sentences with:
• Then
• Next
• Now
• Remember
• Don’t forget
• At last/Finally
Answer: Do it yourself.
Speaking
Look at this sentence.
“I told George and Harris that they had better leave the whole matter entirely to me.”
The words had better are used
• in an advice or suggestion:
You had better take your umbrella; it looks like rain.
• in an order
You had better complete your homework before you go out to play.
• as a threat
You had better leave or I’ll have you arrested for trespass!
When we speak, we say you’d/I’d/he’d better, instead of you had better, etc.
Work in pairs to give each other advice, orders or suggestions, or even to threaten each other. Imagine situations like the following: Your partner
1. hasn’t returned a book to the library.
2. has forgotten to bring lunch.
3. hasn’t got enough change for bus fare.
4. has found out a secret about you.
5. has misplaced your English textbook.
Answer:
1. You had better return the book to the library.
2. You had better bring lunch.
3. You had better get enough change for bus fare.
4. You had better tell me the secret you found about me.
5. You had better not misplace your English textbook.