Attitude, My English Reader, Class VII, DAV Board, The Best Solutions – A

Section – A

A.1. Along with your partner, prepare Paul Ekman’s report of his findings to be published in the National Herald’s weekly column. The report will have the following columns:

Research Spotlight: Paul Ekman’s Study on Universal Emotions

Aim:

To investigate whether people across the world express and recognize emotions in the same way, regardless of their culture, language, or exposure to media.

Process:

1. Paul Ekman, an American scientist, selected photographs of people showing five basic emotions — happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, and fear.
2. He showed these photographs to people from 21 different countries around the world, asking them to identify the emotions.
3. Next, he travelled to a remote village in Papua New Guinea where people had never seen television, movies, or foreigners.
4. Ekman showed the same photographs to these villagers and asked them to match the emotions with the faces.

Conclusion:

Ekman found that people everywhere — regardless of language, culture, or media exposure — could recognize basic emotions accurately. His study proved that facial expressions for fundamental human emotions are universal, not learned or culturally developed.
This suggests that emotional expression is deeply rooted in human nature and may be biologically programmed.

A.2. English Summary : Dearest Daddy-Long-Legs,

The letter is written by Jerusha Abbott (Judy), an orphan who is excited to be staying at Lock Willow Farm. She writes to her mysterious benefactor, “Daddy-Long-Legs”, expressing her joy and wonder at the beauty of the countryside. Judy describes the house, the surrounding landscape, and the people she meets. She shares her happiness over the warm hospitality, simple country life, and humorous conversations. Judy also describes her charming room and the old furniture. Her excitement is contagious, and she plans to write a novel during the summer. She ends the letter with gratitude, excitement, and a little detail about frogs, pigs, and the moon.

हिंदी में सारांश :

यह पत्र जेरूशा एबॉट (जुडी) द्वारा लिखा गया है, जो एक अनाथ लड़की है। वह ‘डैडी-लॉन्ग-लेग्स’ नामक अपने रहस्यमय संरक्षक को पत्र लिखती है, जिसने उसकी पढ़ाई का खर्च उठाया है। जुडी लॉक विलोज़ फ़ार्म पर अपने प्रवास से बहुत खुश है। वह फार्म की सुंदरता, पुराने घर, वहाँ के लोगों और भोजन के बारे में उत्साहपूर्वक बताती है। उसे ग्रामीण जीवन बहुत मज़ेदार और नया लगता है। वह अपने कमरे का सुंदर विवरण देती है और कहती है कि वह वहाँ एक उपन्यास लिखने वाली है। पत्र में वह प्रकृति की सुंदरता और अपने खुशहाल अनुभव साझा करती है। अंत में वह ईश्वर और अपने संरक्षक का धन्यवाद करती है।

Word Meanings (with Hindi Translation)

MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

1. What is the shape of the house at Lock Willow Farm?
   a) Round
   b) Square
   c) Rectangular
   d) Triangular
   Answer – b) Square
2. How many hired people are there at the farm?
   a) Two girls and one man
   b) One girl and two men
   c) Three girls
   d) Four men
   Answer – b) One girl and two men
3. Why did Judy find everything funny at supper?
   a) The Semples told jokes
   b) The hired girl made fun
   c) Judy’s ignorance about farm life was amusing
   d) She watched a comedy
   Answer – c) Judy’s ignorance about farm life was amusing
4. What does Judy want to write during her stay?
   a) A letter
   b) A poem
   c) A diary
   d) A novel
   Answer – d) A novel
5. What time do they rise in the morning at the farm?
   a) 6:30
   b) 7:00
   c) 5:00
   d) 8:00
   Answer – c) 5:00

Short Questions and Answers

1. Who is Judy writing the letter to?
   Answer – Judy is writing the letter to her benefactor whom she calls “Daddy-Long-Legs”.
2. What is Judy’s first impression of Lock Willow Farm?
   Answer – Judy finds the farm heavenly and beautiful, and is very excited to be there.
3. Why did the barns no longer obstruct the view?
   Answer – The barns were burnt down by lightning, clearing the view.
4. Describe Judy’s room.
   Answer – Judy’s room is big, square, and empty, with old-fashioned furniture and a large mahogany table.
5. What does Judy plan to do during her summer stay?
   Answer – Judy plans to write a novel using the big square table in her room.
6. What is Judy’s reaction to the hospitality at the farm?
   Answer – She feels very entertained and welcomed. She finds the conversation lively and amusing.

A.3. On the basis of your understanding of the text, complete the following statements.

(a) Jerusha used to call her benefactor ‘Daddy-Long-Legs’ because
→ she had never seen him, only caught a glimpse of his long shadow which reminded her of a long-legged creature.

(b) Jerusha was living in Lock Willow Farm with
→ Mr. and Mrs. Semple, a hired girl, and two hired men.

(c) The special thing about the room marked with a cross in Lock Willow Farm was
→ that it was Judy’s room, big and square with old-fashioned furniture and a mahogany table.

(d) ‘I have never been so entertained in my life.’
→ The lively conversations at dinner and Judy’s amusing ignorance make Judy’s life entertaining.

A.4. Judy Abbot is very excited on her visit to the farm. Pick out three sentences from the text which support this statement.

(a) “This is a heavenly, heavenly, heavenly spot!”
(b) “Oh, Daddy, I’m so excited! I can’t wait till daylight to explore.”
(c) “Did you ever know such fun? I can’t believe this is really Judy.”

A.5. Judy’s letter to her foster father offers vivid descriptions of the farm, the people and the surroundings. Given below are a few details of such descriptions. Put a cross (×) against those which are not true.

True/False (Put a cross ✗ against wrong statements)

(a) House
✔ square shaped
✗ located in a valley
✔ looks over miles of green meadows
✔ almost a hundred years old

(b) Neighbourhood/Surroundings
✔ maple trees
✔ pines and hemlock
✔ line of hills
✔ barns

(c) People
✔ Mr. and Mrs. Semple
✔ a hired girl
✗ lots of farmers
✔ two hired men

(d) Judy’s Room
✗ small and tiny
✔ has old-fashioned furniture
✔ green shades
✔ a square mahogany table

(e) Sights and Sounds Around
✗ dancing peacocks
✔ singing frogs
✔ squealing pigs
✔ the new moon

A.6. HOTS

Daddy-Long-Legs is a story of a young girl, Jerusha Abbot or Judy and her letters to the benefactor whom she has never seen. Given below is a list of certain words. Choose the words that describe Judy’s character and write them in the given space along with evidence from the text to support your choice.

A.7. Life Skills

Judy had a great deal of conversation with the Semples in the dining room though she was not very well acquainted with them. Which skills/qualities do you think one should possess in order to carry forward effective communication with his/her friends?

To communicate effectively with friends or new people, one should:

• Be curious and open-minded to ask and answer questions.
• Have active listening skills to keep the conversation flowing.
• Show confidence and politeness even when unfamiliar with surroundings.
• Use humour and enthusiasm to connect better.

A.8. The letter offers an insight into many qualities and characteristics of the writer. Match the lines from the letter with the qualities of the writer which they reveal.

A.9. Look at the edited Thesaurus list of synonyms for the word ‘happiness’:

HAPPINESS—N. bliss, cheer, contentment, content, delight, ecstasy, enchantment, gaiety, joy, jubilance, jubilation, rapture, relishment, enjoyment, felicity, rejoicing, well-being, welfare.

elation—N. exaltation, exultation, glee, triumph.

1. (feel happy), be content, purr, joy, delight in, enjoy, enjoy oneself, revel in, rhapsodize about, rejoice, tread (or walk) on air, soar, cheer up; exalt, gloat, triumph, whoop.

(make happy), cheer, delight, enchant, exalt, gladden, thrill, elate.

Adj. (feeling happy), cheerful, content, contented, delighted, ecstatic, enchanted, exalted, gay, glad, joyful, joyous, overjoyed, thrilled.

elated, exalted, gleeful, gleesome, jubilant, triumphant.

( making  happy),  cheery, delightful, delightsome, delighting, enchanting, exalting, glad, gladsome, joyful, joyous, jubilant, ravishing, thrilling, Elysian, enjoyable, happy, winsome.

See also Cheerfulness, Merriment, Pleasantness, Pleasure, Satisfaction Antonyms—See Dejection, Disappointment, Dissatisfaction, Gloom, Sadness

A.10.    Do You Know?

The Thesaurus is a dictionary of synonyms. It is designed to help you find words with which to express yourself more clearly, more effectively and more precisely.

Think about as many synonyms as you can for the word ‘sad’. Look into a thesaurus and write them in the space given below:

Synonyms for “Sad”:

1. Unhappy
2. Miserable
3. Downcast
4. Gloomy
5. Depressed
6. Melancholy
7. Sorrowful
8. Heartbroken
9. Dejected
10. Despondent
11. Dismal
12. Woeful
13. Forlorn
14. Blue (informal)
15. Morose
16. Glum
17. Low-spirited
18. Grief-stricken
19. Downhearted
20. Wretched

A.11. Imagine that you paid a visit to the farm. However, you did not feel the same as Judy Abbot did. You felt (a) bored, (b) sad and lonely, (c) frightened. Using the same information as given in the text, write a similar letter to Daddy- Long-Legs. Give reasons why you had the above feelings.

Letter from a Different Point of View

LOCK WILLOW FARM
Saturday night.

Dearest Daddy-Long-Legs,
I have just arrived at Lock Willow Farm, and though it is peaceful and quiet, I must admit I’m feeling a little disappointed. The place is too quiet for me. The endless fields and lonely hills make me feel very alone.

The people are kind, but I miss the liveliness of the city. The frogs croaking and pigs squealing at night are a bit frightening, and I’m not used to the darkness of the countryside. The room I am staying in is large but feels empty and cold. The furniture is old-fashioned, and the green shades fall down whenever I touch them.

Even though I try to enjoy the environment, I find it hard to adjust. I suppose not everyone enjoys the countryside the same way. I hope with time, things might get better. Until then, I will try to make the most of it.

Good night,
JUDY