LITERATURE IN ENGLISH Std.

7
TELEVISION 2022-2023

Ref. I. Is NEVER, NEVER, NEVER let

Them near your television set-
Or better still; just don’t install
the idiotic thing at all.

1) What is the most important thing the poet has learnt?

Ans) The most important thing the poet has learnt is to keep the children away from the
television or not to install the television at all.

2) Which idiotic’ thing does the poet refer to in these lines?

Ans) In these lines the idiotic thing which the poet refers to is the television.

3) How would children occupy themselves before television was invented?

Ans) Children would occupy themselves with books before television was invented.

4) Name the poet.

Ans) Roald Dahl

Ref. II. And once they start- oh boy, oh boy!

You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hearts.

1) Who does the poet refer to as ‘they’ and ‘you’?

Ans) The poet refers to the children as ‘they’ and the parents as ‘you’.

2) What will bring about the ‘growing joy’?

Ans) Reading books will bring about the ‘growing joy’.

3) Once ‘they’ feel this growing joy, what will ‘they’ wonder?
Ans) When the children discover the joy of reading they will wonder what they had
found so entertaining in television earlier. They will no longer feel the need to turn to the
television. Instead they will occupy themselves with more books.
 Answer the following

1) Describe the effects of Television on the minds of children.

Ans) According to the poet, watching television is not good for children as it kills their
imagination, blocks their minds and makes them dull.

2) The poet has used a word to indicate the children’s addiction to TV. What is it?
Ans) The word that the poet has used to indicate the children’s addiction to Television is
‘hypnotised’.

3) According to the poet, how can children benefit from reading books?
Ans) According to the poet, it will develop their imagination and creative thinking skills. It
will awaken their senses and give them enough opportunity to imagine and visualise a scene
explained in the storybooks.

4) Is the message of the poem directed towards the children or grown-ups? Justify
Ans) The message of the poem is directed both to children and grown-ups. Parents should
advise children to refrain from watching meaningless programmes on television. Whatever
they choose to watch should be informative and useful. Children should also carefully decide
and watch programmes which will help them to develop a hobby or anything that helps with
education.

5) What contrast does the poem draw between children of today and children of the
past?
Ans) The children of the past used to read fabulous tales. They used to read a lot of books.
They used to imagine the setting, characters and actions of the stories. But the children of the
present age do not read books. Instead they are always hooked to the television.

___________________________________________________________________________