Std 7 English · Unit Two

2.2 The Souvenir

Complete textbook exercise solutions — Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati), Grade Seven English.

Reference: The solutions below are based on the chapter "The Souvenir" found in the provided document[cite: 8].

1Guess the meaning of the following words. Write the smaller and related words that you see within these words.[cite: 8]

Word	Meaning	Smaller / Related Words
exorbitantly	unreasonably high or excessive (usually in price)[cite: 8]	orbit, bit, ant, an, city
precautions	safety measures taken in advance to avoid danger[cite: 8]	caution, cat, ion, pre, nut, put
unauthorised	without official approval or permission[cite: 8]	author, auto, north, red, rise
repeatedly	done again and again, over and over[cite: 8]	repeat, pea, eat, ate, deal
enthusiastically	with great interest, excitement, and eager enjoyment[cite: 8]	thus, call, ally, cat, as, city

2Use the details given in the story and your imagination and prepare a timetable for the trip to the moon.[cite: 8]

Trip to the Moon: 3-Day Itinerary

Day 1:
• Morning: Shuttle launch from Earth. Observe the Earth getting smaller and the azure sky turning jet black.
• Afternoon: Arrive at the moon and complete a slow, safe landing. Escorted through the airtight tunnel to the Neil Armstrong base settlements. Receive instructions and precautions from the receptionist.
• Evening/Night: Participate in the Sky Watch program. Observe the stars shining dazzlingly bright and the earth looking thirteen times bigger and seventy times brighter than the moon.

Day 2:
• Morning: Visit the unique circus on the moon, where spectators sit inside the tent and performers jump outside. Watch the gymnast jump 27 metres high due to low gravity!
• Afternoon: Visit various dome-shaped settlements to understand life on the moon.
• Evening: Dedicated time for self-study and writing essays about observations.

Day 3:
• Morning: Visit the historical monument where Neil Armstrong first landed a hundred years ago. See the preserved footprint and his grand statue.
• Afternoon: Wear space suits for the first time and roam outside the settlement experiencing the moon's 1/6th gravitational force. Souvenir shopping from authorized (and unauthorized) roadside shops.
• Evening: Board the space shuttle for the return journey to Earth.

3Say whether the following statements are right or wrong.[cite: 8]

(a) Sayali was travelling in space for the first time. — Right
(b) Many changes had occurred on the earth in the hundred years before Sayali's trip to the moon. — Right
(c) There were no old cities left on the earth. — Wrong
(d) Sayali's mother did not want her to go on the trip. — Wrong (Her mother sent her on the exorbitantly expensive trip).
(e) There were no human settlements on the moon. — Wrong (There were dome-shaped settlements resembling igloos).
(f) Sayali made a hasty purchase. — Right
(g) Sayali did not understand the mistake she had made. — Wrong (She realized her mistake immediately upon reaching Earth when her mother lifted the heavy earrings).

4Imagine you are Sayali. Write your diary for every day of your trip to the moon, and for the day you gave the earrings to your mother.[cite: 8]

Day 1:
Dear Diary, today was the most thrilling day of my life! The space shuttle journey was amazing. I kept my nose pressed to the window, watching the blue sky turn pitch black. After landing at the Neil Armstrong base, the receptionist gave us important instructions about gravity and safe shopping. The highlight was the 'Sky Watch' at night. Seeing the Earth look thirteen times bigger and seventy times brighter from here was truly an 'out of the world' experience!

Day 2:
Dear Diary, today we went to the circus on the moon. It was so unique! We sat inside a tent while the performance was outside. Because of the low gravity, I saw a gymnast jump 27 metres high! Later, we visited various dome-shaped settlements. In the evening, I spent some time on self-study, writing down all the wonderful things I observed.

Day 3:
Dear Diary, history came alive today. We visited the exact spot where Neil Armstrong landed a hundred years ago. I saw his preserved footprint and the grand statue with his famous words. Later, we wore our space suits and went outside to experience the moon's gravitational pull. We were hopping and jumping! I also quickly bought a pair of red stone earrings for mummy from an unauthorized roadside shop because they were so cheap. We leave for Earth tonight!

Return Day:
Dear Diary, we are back home. I was so excited to give mummy her souvenir. But as soon as she picked up the red earrings, she exclaimed that they were far too heavy to wear! I felt so foolish. I instantly realized my mistake—I bought them outside the settlement in the moon's gravity (which is 1/6th of Earth's). A stone that felt light on the moon is now six times heavier on Earth. I should have listened to the receptionist's warning!

5Discuss: In the story, human settlements are mentioned but not cities or villages. Why is it so?[cite: 8]

Cities and villages exist naturally on Earth because our planet has an atmosphere, breathable air, and a stable climate that supports life anywhere. On the moon, there is no atmosphere and the gravitational force is very weak (1/6th of Earth's). Humans cannot survive in the open there. Therefore, people have to live inside specially constructed, artificially maintained, enclosed environments called "dome-shaped settlements". Since life outside these controlled domes is not naturally possible, traditional widespread "cities" and "villages" cannot exist on the moon.

6Gather more information about the following from your Science textbook, the internet and other sources.[cite: 8]

This is a research activity. Students should read their Science textbooks or use the internet to find basic facts.

Gravitational force: The force of attraction between all masses in the universe. The moon's gravity is 1/6th of Earth's gravity.
View of the sky when you are on the moon: Because the moon has no atmosphere to scatter sunlight, the sky appears completely black even during the daytime, and stars are always visible.
Chandrayaan mission of India: India's lunar exploration program by ISRO. Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the moon's south pole in August 2023.

7You want to start human settlement somewhere else other than the earth, in the universe. Will you select a star or a planet? Why? What features supporting life will you look for?[cite: 8]

I would definitely select a planet, not a star. Stars are massive, burning balls of extremely hot gases (like our Sun) and their temperatures are too high for any known life form to survive. Planets are cooler, solid, and provide a stable surface.

Features supporting life I will look for:

Presence of Liquid Water: Water is the most essential requirement for life.
An Atmosphere: A breathable atmosphere (with oxygen) to protect the settlement from harmful solar radiation and meteorites.
Suitable Temperature: The planet should be in the "Habitable Zone" (Goldilocks Zone) of its star—neither too hot nor too freezing.
Gravity: A gravitational force similar to Earth's to keep our bones and muscles healthy.

8Language Study: Common nouns 2: Collective nouns. Make a collection of collective nouns.[cite: 8]

A collective noun stands for a number of persons, animals, or things taken together as a whole. Examples include:

A bunch of keys (or grapes)
A bouquet of flowers
A swarm of bees
A fleet of ships (or cars)
A pride of lions
A pack of wolves (or cards)
A galaxy of stars
A library of books
A gang of thieves
A choir of singers
A flight of stairs
A bundle of sticks

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