ARUNS ACADEMY
English - An Alien Hand
Chapter 1 – The Tiny Teacher
Comprehension Check
1. The story of an ant’s life sounds almost unreal.
The italicised phrase means (i)
highly exaggerated.
(ii) too remarkable to be real.
(iii) not based on facts.
Ans: (ii) too remarkable to be real.
2. Complete the following sentences.
(i) An ant is the smallest,........
Ans: An ant is the smallest as well as the commonest, not only this but a wisest insect
too.
(ii) We know a number of facts about an ant’s life because……..
We know a number of facts about an ant’s life because people have been keeping
ants like their pets as well as have observed their regular behaviour closely.
3. In what ways is an ant’s life peaceful?
Class VII English
ARUNS ACADEMY 1
Ans: The life of an ant is peaceful as each and every ant performs its work very
intelligently and boldly as well as never fights with any other group members. Each
of the members have a place designated in order to stay as well as a definite work to
perform , a soldier ant never goes out in search of food and just like that a worker
enters the soldier domain’s ant. Neither a worker nor a soldier has ever tried to hard
any grub. Each one of them does their duty with loyalty and diligence as well as
carries on their work with all the peace. They very well know that sharing and caring
do not interfere in one another’s work.
4. How long does it take for a grub to become a complete ant?
Ans: It takes around two or three weeks for a grub in order to become a cocoon.
After that, in another two or three weeks the cookoon eventually breaks, resulting in
the appearance of a complete ant.
5. Why do the worker ants carry the grubs about?
Ans: The worker ants carry the grub ants everyday for airing, exercise and sunshine.
6. What jobs are new ants trained for?
Ans: The new ants are generally trained as workers, cleaners, soldiers, builders etc.
7. Name some other creatures that live in anthills.
Ans: Some of the other creatures living in anthills are lesser breeds of ants, beetles
as well as the greenfly.
8. Mention three things we can learn from the ‘tiny teacher’. Give reasons for
choosing these terms.
Ans: Though ants are certainly very small as well as unassertive, they are great
teachers for our life.
Class VII English ARUNS ACADEMY 2
We can learn teamwork since ants perform their work by sharing and contributing
without even interfering in one another’s life.
We can also learn hard work from ants since ants spend their time majorly in
performing their respective jobs without any kind of hesitation.
Last but not the least , we can learn loyalty, cohesive work’s power as well as
disciplined life and follow the group and stay loyal towards it always.
Exercise
1. Discuss the following topics in groups.
(i) What problems are you likely to face if you keep ants as pets ?
Ans: We might face numerous problems while keeping ants as pets. They are
extremely small to keep a naked eye on. They may bite which could result in itchy
skin. Making a suitable as well as safe home for the ants isn’t practically possible.
(ii) When a group of bees finds nectar, it informs other bees of its location,
quantity, etc. through dancing. Can you guess what ants communicate to
their fellow ants by touching one another’s feelers ?
Ants appear in order to greet one another when they are moving in a singly fly but
basically ants touch each other’s feelers to inform them regarding food’s location.
2. Complete the following poem with words from the box below. Then recite the
poem.
Hole, kennel, nests, anthill, stable
Soldiers live in barracks
And birds in ……………….
Much like a snake that rests
In a ………… No horse is able
Class VII English ARUNS ACADEMY 3
To sleep except in a ………… And
a dog lives well,
Mind you, only in a …………
To say ‘hi’ to an ant, if you will
You may have to climb an ………
Hole, kennel, nests, anthill, stable
Ans: Soldiers live in barracks
And birds in nests,
Much like a snake that rests
In a hole. No horse is able
To sleep except in a stable.
And a dog lives well,
Mind you, only in a kennel.
To say ‘hi’ to an ant, if you will,
You may have to climb an anthill.
Class VII English ARUNS ACADEMY 4
