1. Who is the narrator in the story "The Day the River Spoke"?

The narrator is a young girl who visits the river often. She shares her experiences and thoughts when she feels that the river actually "spoke" to her one day, expressing its pain and suffering due to pollution and neglect.

2. What message does the river give in the chapter?

The river gives a strong message about environmental protection. It expresses sadness over the way humans pollute its waters, cut down trees, and disturb nature. The river urges humans to act responsibly and stop harming natural resources.

3. Why does the girl feel guilty after listening to the river?

The girl realizes that she, like others, has been careless — throwing trash, ignoring pollution, and not protecting nature. She feels guilty for not standing up for the river earlier and decides to make a change.

4. How is the river personified in the story?

The river is given human-like qualities. It talks, expresses emotions like sadness and anger, and even gives a heartfelt message. This personification helps readers connect emotionally and understand the seriousness of environmental harm.

NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Poorvi Chapter 1 PDF Download

Column 1	Column 2
…why the moon always comes from behind the hills…?	…It always takes the same way—over the mountains and down to the sea.
…little girls can do as much as little boys.	…They swim as fast as little boys.
Will they come here?	…Too large, you know. Chandu’s catamaran is good enough for me.

The author has used a capital letter for the word ‘River’ because in the story, the river is shown as if it were a real person. It speaks to Jahnavi, listens to her, laughs, and gives her advice. Since it acts like a human being, the writer treats it like a name and uses a capital letter.

2. There are a few words related to sound in the text. Pick the words from the text and write them next to the correct definition.
1. made a high-pitched piercing sound
2. to cause liquid to strike or fall on something
3. a low continuous background noise
4. cry with loud uncontrollable gasps
5. to make a soft dry sound, like paper or leaves moving
6. took a short quick breath through the mouth due to surprise, pain or shock
7. shaking rapidly to make continuous, short, sharp sounds
8. making a lot of noise
9. made a long, high cry, usually because of pain or sadness

Answer:
1. shrieked
2. splashed
3. murmuring
4. sob
5. rustle
6. gasped
7. rattling
8. noisy
9. wailed

Q. Now, fill in the blanks with suitable sound words from exercise (II).

The classroom grew (i) _______ as the students noticed the teacher carrying the answer papers. As the teacher turned the pages with a (ii) _______, the children (iii) _______, wondering what comments awaited. Someone (iv) _______ in frustration, and the (v) _______of the students steadily increased. Finally, when the teacher praised the students for their excellent performance, the students (vi) _______ with excitement.
Answer:
The classroom grew (i) noisy as the students noticed the teacher carrying the answer papers. As the teacher turned the pages with a (ii) rustle , the children (iii) gasped , wondering what comments awaited. Someone (iv) sobbed in frustration, and the (v) murmuring of the students steadily increased. Finally, when the teacher praised the students for their excellent performance, the students (vi) shrieked with excitement.

3. The word ‘catamaran’ is used in the text. The word originates from Tamil language ‘kattu maram’ meaning ‘tied wood’. Find out the meanings of these words. From which Indian language these words were borrowed. An example has been given.
1. karma (Sanskrit) 2. sahib 3. chutney 4. guru
5. verandah 6. jungle 7. areca 8. palanquin
Answer:

4. Chandu, the fisherman, has a catamaran that the River preferred to a ship. Given below are some boats that are used in different parts of our country.

(i) Which one would you like to travel in?
(ii) Make a colourful drawing of a boat that you would like to travel in.
Answer:
(i) I would like to travel in a Shikara because it is huge, looks beautiful and has more facilities than a normal boat.

(ii) Do it yourself.

5. Solve the crossword puzzle based on words related to water transport.

Across:
1. a large vessel used for transporting goods or passengers by sea
2. a small vessel for travelling on water, typically propelled by oars, sails, or an engine
3. a flat floating structure for travelling across water
4. a boat or ship driven by steam
Down:
5. a small, light, narrow boat, pointed at both ends and moved using a paddle
6. a boat with a powerful engine which can change direction easily and is used to pull large ships into and out of port
7. a boat with sails and sometimes an engine, used for either racing or travelling for pleasure, rhymes with ‘cot’
Answer:

6. Read the highlighted words in the following lines from the text.
“She goes down towards the sea. I’ve seen her; she always takes the same way—over the mountains and down to the sea, like me!”
Prepositions are words that indicate the relationship between nouns or pronouns and other elements in a sentence. They show direction, location, time or logical relationships between ideas.
Now, fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions given within the brackets.
Jahnavi takes the River’s advice and goes to school. On her first day 1. _________ (at/in/on) school, Jahnavi stood nervously 2. _________ (in/ outside/above) the gate, clutching her bag close to her. The bell rang and she hurried 3. _________ (outside/through/inside) the bustling classroom. She found a seat 4. _________ (among/between/from) two friendly classmates. The teacher greeted them warmly and started the lesson 5. _________ (about/in/for) numbers. Jahnavi listened attentively, feeling excited 6. _________ (at/about/for) the new adventure ahead.

Answer:
Jahnavi takes the River’s advice and goes to school. On her first day 1. at (at/in/on) school, Jahnavi stood nervously 2. outside (in/ outside/above) the gate, clutching her bag close to her. The bell rang and she hurried 3. inside (outside/through/inside) the bustling classroom. She found a seat 4. between (among/between/from) two friendly classmates. The teacher greeted them warmly and started the lesson 5. about (about/in/for) numbers. Jahnavi listened attentively, feeling excited 6. about (at/about/for) the new adventure ahead.

7. Read the highlighted words in the following sentence from the text.
A kingfisher swept down, its wings an arrow of blue in the sunlight.
Words like on, off, up, down can function both as preposition and as adverb.
For example:
She ran up the stairs. (preposition)
She rang me up. (adverb)
Remember, a preposition will always be followed by an object (noun) whereas an adverb will tell you more about the action (verb).
Fill in the blanks with prepositions or adverbs.
1. The cat jumped ___________ the table. (preposition)
2. The children played ___________ until dark. (adverb)
3. She quickly ran ___________ the park. (preposition)
4. The helicopter was hovering ___________. (adverb)
5. We were just walking ___________, chatting. (adverb)
6. After thoroughly wiping his shoes, he stepped ___________. (adverb)
7. She drove slowly ___________ the sharp curve. (preposition)
8. He placed the keys ___________ the mat before leaving. (preposition)
Answer:
1. The cat jumped onto the table.
2. The children played outside until dark.
3. She quickly ran through the park.
4. The helicopter was hovering above .
5. We were just walking back , chatting.
6. After thoroughly wiping his shoes, he stepped inside .
7. She drove slowly around the sharp curve.
8. He placed the keys under the mat before leaving.

Let us listen (Page 12)

Ⅰ Read the words given in the box below. You will listen to five people speak about school life. As you listen, circle the words that are used by the speakers. There are two words you do not need. (Transcript for the teacher on pg. 39 )

class 7 english poorvi chapter 1 the day the river spoke solutions image 8

Answer:

class 7 english poorvi chapter 1 the day the river spoke solutions image 9

Ⅱ You will once again listen to the five speakers. As you listen, match each statement 1–7 to each speaker (i)–(v). There are two statements that you do not need.

class 7 english poorvi chapter 1 the day the river spoke solutions image 10

Answer:

class 7 english poorvi chapter 1 the day the river spoke solutions image 11

Let us speak (Page 13)

Ⅰ Read the sentence given below.
“Dear, dear! What’s the matter? … You shouldn’t cry, you know. And you really shouldn’t be scared, when you have been coming here to see me every day, well, almost every day.” The River spoke to Jahnavi in a ‘sleepy’ voice. Work in pairs and take turns to speak the same sentence in ‘other’ voices. Some hints are given below.
Answer:
To be done by students as a class activity.

Ⅱ Janhavi asks the River for advice and the River gives advice. Read the given situations and work in pairs to ask for and give advice. Take turns to change your roles. Use the prompts given below.
Situation (i): You wish to play football at school but it has an all-boys’ team only.
Situation (ii): You have been unable to score well in Mathematics due to nervousness during exams.
Situation (iii): You really enjoy music classes but do not get enough time to practise for it.
Situation (iv): You cannot see the blackboard clearly from the last bench.

class 7 english poorvi chapter 1 the day the river spoke solutions image 12

Answer:
Situation (i):
Asking for advice: What do you think I should do to join the school’s football team, even though it’s an all-boys team?
Giving advice: I think you should consult the sports teacher; he will guide you better in this regard.

Situation (ii):
Asking for advice: Do you think I should apply to reappear for the Mathematics exam since I didn’t score well last time?
Giving advice: The best thing to do is to try some breathing exercises to calm and relax your mind before taking any exam.

Situation (iii):
Asking for advice: What would you do in my position if you really enjoyed music but didn’t have time to practice it?
Giving advice: If I were you, I would spare some time during the day to attend music classes.

Situation (iv):
Asking for advice: Do you think I need to get my eyesight checked? I can’t see the blackboard clearly from the last bench.
Giving advice: I think you should ask your teacher to move your seat a few desks forward.

Let us write (Page 14)

Observe
Q. Take some time to observe the world around you. Over the next few days, pay attention to the colours, shapes, patterns, and textures found in nature. Look closely at the plants, trees, flowers, birds, and even the sky. Make detailed notes of what you observe, focusing on textures, movements, and how light plays with these elements. Record your observations in detail and the features that draw your attention the most—whether it’s the soft ripple of water, the vibrant flutter of a butterfly or the colour of the birds or flowers.
Now, write a descriptive paragraph based on what you’ve observed. Highlight the colours, shapes, textures, and unique details that made an impression on you.
Give a title to your paragraph.

class 7 english poorvi chapter 1 the day the river spoke solutions image 13

Answer:

Title: Listening to the language of the nature
Every day, I see nature speaking to me in my garden in countless ways. As I walk, the soft green grass feels like a cushion, as if Mother Nature is extending her hands to support me. I find it fascinating that even a single blade of grass—something we often overlook—holds so much detail, colour, life, and vibrancy. Leaves that might appear the same are all different in shape, size, colour, and pattern.
The soft rays of the sun, like a paintbrush, add even more detail to the entire scene. I like watching butterflies flutter over the flowers because their swift movements add positivity, liveliness, and joy to the garden. I feel a sense of calm and peace envelop me as I begin to truly notice the wonders of the natural world around me.
I want to tell you that every little thing holds some magic, and that magic begins to unfold the moment you start paying attention. My advice to all is to be grateful, respectful, gentle, and responsible toward nature and its creations.

Let us explore (Page 14)

1. Discuss why rivers in India are considered to be sacred and most of them are referred to as female. Some rivers are referred to as male, for example, the Brahmaputra and the Sone.
Answer:
Rivers in India are considered sacred because they provide life-giving water for drinking, farming, and other essential activities that sustain life. They are also centers of religious and spiritual practices, where people believe they can wash away their sins by bathing.
Most rivers in India—for example, the Ganga and the Yamuna—are referred to as female, perhaps because of their gentle, nurturing, and life-giving nature, which is often associated with femininity.
Some rivers, such as the Brahmaputra and the Sone, are referred to as male—possibly due to their powerful, forceful, and sometimes ruthless nature, characteristics traditionally seen as masculine.

2. Whole Class Activity
1. India is a multilingual country, and many of us can speak two to three languages easily. Make a list of the languages that everyone in the class can speak and display it on a chart paper in the classroom.
Answer:
List of languages that everyone in the class can speak:
Hindi
English
Punjabi / Marathi / Bengali / Gujarati / Haryanvi / Tamil / Telugu / Malayalam / Bihari / Kannada etc

2. In which language do you enjoy reading and learning the most?
Answer:
I enjoy reading and learning in English as well as Hindi the most.

3. Read the poster given below and answer the questions that follow.

class 7 english poorvi chapter 1 the day the river spoke solutions image 14

1. What are the things you can observe in the poster?
2. Why do you think the girls look happy?
3. Dignity means ‘self-respect’. What is the relation between ‘dignity’ and ‘happiness’ ?
4. How does a Nation prosper when its daughters are happy?
Answer:

1. A country grows and becomes better when its girls are happy. Happy girls grow up to be confident and skilled women who help the country in many ways. They can become good homemakers, successful businesswomen, or professionals in different fields.

2. I see four smiling girls sitting together. They are wearing comfortable clothes, helping each other study, and enjoying their time. The place looks safe, friendly, and good for learning.

3. The girls look happy because they are studying in a safe and caring place. This makes them feel good about themselves and gives them the courage to follow their dreams.

4. Happiness comes from having self-respect. When girls get a chance to study and follow their dreams, they feel proud and respected. This brings them joy and makes them feel confident.

4. The Government has launched many schemes for the education of the girl child. Some of them are ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’, ‘Balika Samridhi Yojana’, ‘Samagra Shiksha Scheme–Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas’, etc.
Find out more such schemes from the internet or from your teacher and spread awareness in your neighbourhood.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Poorvi Chapter 1 PDF Download

If you are looking for NCERT Solutions for Class 7 English Chapter 1, you will find everything you need below. We have shared a simple and clear Class 7 English Poorvi Chapter 1 Question Answer PDF that includes all textbook questions, activity answers, and grammar exercises. This PDF will help you understand the chapter better and get ready for your exams. Scroll down to download and start learning with ease.