CBSE Class VII English (Poorvi) Unit 5: Bravehearts — Rani Abbakka Questions and Answers

Let us do these activities before we read

I. Solve the riddle given below and share your answer with your classmates and the teacher.

She was a queen who led the fight,
She fought for her country and her right.
With a shining sword in her hand,
Her son on her back in a cloth band
Remembered as a warrior grand,
She died defending her beloved Motherland.
Who is she?

Figure 1: Illustration of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi

Answer: Rani Lakshmibai (of Jhansi).

II. Think of any other women warriors who made a significant contribution to India's struggle for Independence. Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher.

Answer: Rani Velu Nachiyar, Kittur Rani Chennamma, Begum Hazrat Mahal, and Rani Gaidinliu.

Let us discuss

I. Match the words in Column 1 with their meanings in Column 2. Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher.

Column 1	Column 2 (Correct Matching)
1. vassal (n)	(x) a country/ state that is controlled by a more powerful country and has to pay money when needed
2. coronation (n)	(vi) a ceremony at which a person is made king or queen
3. successor (n)	(xi) a person who succeeds another
4. rash (adj.)	(iv) acting or doing something without thinking about the consequences
5. sovereign country (n)	(ix) a country with a government having complete authority
6. league (n)	(v) association or partnership
7. wrath (n)	(i) extreme anger
8. seize (v)	(ii) take hold of suddenly or forcibly
9. resolve (n)	(xiv) determination
10. raged (v)	(iii) happen in a violent way
11. decisive (adj.)	(xiii) showing the ability to make decisions effectively
12. apprehended (v)	(viii) capture
13. dauntless (adj)	(vii) fearless
14. avenge (v)	(xii) take revenge for

II. Complete the table given below based on your understanding of the story. An example has been done for you. Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher.

Cause	Effect
1. Ullal had been captured by the Portuguese.	(i) Ullal had to pay a tribute to the colonial power.
2. Rani Abbakka announced that she would stop paying tribute to the Portuguese and stop selling them spices and cloth.	(ii) Rani Abbakka's husband Veera Narsimha felt it was a hasty decision.
3. Veera Narsimha ordered the soldiers to stop Rani Abbakka when she said she would not be frightened by the Portuguese.	(iii) Not a soldier stirred, and they decided to follow their brave leader instead.
4. Rani Abbakka addressed a meeting of rajas for their support, who felt they would be no match for the Portuguese army and their power.	(iv) Their reactions strengthened Rani Abbakka's resolve to fight the Portuguese alone.
5. The Portuguese replied by firing cannons from across the river.	(v) Rani Abbakka in turn attacked the Portuguese Fort.

Let us think and reflect

I. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

Portuguese envoy: Our Governor has sent me to remind you that the annual tribute from Ullal is long overdue and...
Rani Abbakka: We are a sovereign country. We don't pay tribute to Portugal. And we don't take orders from the Portuguese!
Portuguese envoy: Your Majesty, you will regret your stand.
Abbakka ordered merchant ships to be built and in alliance with the Zamorin of Kozhikode, she defied the Portuguese and established a hugely profitable trading relation with Arabia.

Figure 2: Rani Abbakka asserting the sovereignty of Ullal

1. What does the word 'tribute' mean in this context?

Answer: In this context, 'tribute' means a regular payment of money made by a weaker state or ruler to a dominant power to show submission or maintain peace.

2. Complete the sentence with a suitable reason. Rani Abbakka says, "We are a sovereign country" because

Answer: ...her country has its own independent government with complete authority and does not take orders from foreign powers like Portugal.

3. Identify whether the following statement is true or false: The Portuguese envoy threatened Rani Abbakka.

Answer: True. (The envoy said, "Your Majesty, you will regret your stand.")

4. Choose a word given in brackets to replace the underlined word: "... she defied the Portuguese and established a hugely profitable trading relation with Arabia." (defeated/disobeyed)

Answer: disobeyed.

5. Choose the option that lists the qualities of Rani Abbakka, based on this extract: (i) bold (ii) thoughtful (iii) capable (iv) generous (v) determined
A. (i), (ii), and (v)
B. (ii), (iii), and (iv)
C. (i), (iii), and (v)
D. (ii), (iv), and (v)

Answer: C. (i), (iii), and (v)

II. Answer the following questions.

1. Rani Abbakka spoke to her mother on her deathbed. How might these words have made her mother feel?

Answer: Her words would have made her mother feel proud, comforted, and peaceful, knowing that her daughter was courageous and determined to free Ullal from Portuguese control.

2. What does the support of the people of Ullal and the soldiers for Rani Abbakka suggest about their mindset?

Answer: It suggests that they were patriotic, highly loyal to their Queen, and desired freedom from foreign rule rather than living in fear of the Portuguese.

3. How might the people of Ullal have felt when the mighty Portuguese were defeated?

Answer: They must have felt overjoyed, immensely proud, empowered, and relieved that their land was finally free from the Portuguese threat.

4. Why do you think Rani Abbakka's victory against the Portuguese would have inspired other rulers to go against a foreign power?

Answer: Her victory proved that even a smaller kingdom could defeat a powerful foreign empire with unity, courage, and determination, breaking the fear that the Portuguese were invincible.

Let us learn

I. Fill in the blanks with 'ie' or 'ei' for the following words.

1. ceiling
2. believe
3. thief
4. achieve
5. perceive
6. protein
7. society
8. shield
9. weight
10. friend

II. Find more words with silent letters.

Answer:

• Silent 'k': knife, knee, knight, knot
• Silent 'b': comb, doubt, lamb, thumb
• Silent 'w': write, wrong, answer, sword
• Silent 'l': half, talk, walk, listen
• Silent 'g': sign, design, foreign, high

III. Use the dictionary page to find the meanings of the following expressions and use them in sentences of your own: burst out laughing, don't make me laugh, laugh until you cry, have a good laugh.

• burst out laughing: To suddenly start laughing.
  Sentence: When the clown performed a funny trick, the children burst out laughing.
• don't make me laugh: Used to show that you think something is impossible or ridiculous.
  Sentence: You think our team will lose to them? Don't make me laugh!
• laugh until you cry: To laugh so long and hard that tears come to your eyes.
  Sentence: The comedian was so hilarious that we laughed until we cried.
• have a good laugh: To find something very amusing and enjoy laughing about it.
  Sentence: We had a good laugh after remembering our funny childhood mistakes.

IV. Rewrite the following sentences in direct speech to indirect speech. Remember to make the necessary changes.

1. The teacher said, "Women of valour have made significant contributions throughout history."
   Indirect: The teacher remarked that women of valour had made significant contributions throughout history.
2. "I enjoy reading historical novels," said Smitha.
   Indirect: Smitha shared that she enjoyed reading historical novels.
3. The captain said to the coach, "Our team won the championship last year."
   Indirect: The captain told the coach that their team had won the championship the previous year.
4. The class teacher said, "Please turn off the lights when you leave."
   Indirect: The class teacher requested the students to turn off the lights when they left.
5. "Finish the work before dinner," said mother to Ravi.
   Indirect: Mother advised Ravi to finish the work before dinner.
6. The vet said to the pet owner, "Take the dog for a walk."
   Indirect: The vet instructed the pet owner to take the dog for a walk.

V. Complete the following paragraph by transforming the dialogue into the indirect form of speech.

Captain: We need to focus on our strategy for the final match.
Player: I have some ideas on how we can improve our strategy.
Captain: Make sure to share those ideas with the team during practice.

The Captain remarked that 1. they needed to focus on their strategy for the final match.
To which one of the players replied that 2. he/she had some ideas on how they could improve their strategy.
The Captain advised the player to 3. make sure to share those ideas with the team during practice.

Let us listen

Complete the bio-table based on the listening transcript about Rani Gaidinliu.

Figure 3: Birth Centenary Commemorative Coin of Rani Gaidinliu

Information	Details
Full Name	Rani Gaidinliu
Date of Birth	January 1. 26, 1915
Place of Birth	Tamenglong district, 2. Manipur
Tribe	Rongmei (Kabui)
Age when joined the Heraka Movement	3. 13 years
Main aim of Movement	Revival of Naga tribal religion and self-rule (Naga Raj)
Year of Arrest Age of Arrest	4. 1932 5. 16 years
Sentence	Life imprisonment
Years of Imprisonment	1932-1947
Title Given	'Daughter of the Hills', 6. 'Rani'
Award	7. Padma Bhushan (1982), Birsa Munda Award (posthumously)
Year of Death	1993
Honour in Silchar, Assam	Park and 8. Statue
Postal Stamp Issued	1996
Commemorative Coin Issued	9. 2015

Let us speak

Work in pairs and pronounce these words by referring to the notes given below. Emphasise the highlighted syllable.

Words	Pronunciation	Notes
1. vassal (n)	va-sul (two syllables)	The /a/ sound in va is similar to van. The word vassal rhymes with apple.
2. successor (n)	suhk seh-suh (three syllables)	The /r/ sound in the end of the word is not pronounced.
3. rash (adj.)	rash (monosyllabic)	The /a/ sound is similar to rat.
4. league (n)	leeg (monosyllabic)	Use the long-ee sound, as in seed.
5. wrath (n)	roth (monosyllabic)	The -w is silent.
6. seize (v)	seez (monosyllabic)	Not to be confused with 'size'.
7. resolve (n)	ri-zolv (two syllables)	The -s becomes the /z/ sound.

Let us write

Write a conversation between two students, Pratap and Tarana, discussing the role played by women in forming India's identity as a strong nation (6 to 8 sentences each).

Figure 4: Kalpana Chawla, an inspirational figure showcasing modern women's achievements

Pratap: Tarana, I have a lot of respect for women like Rani Abbakka and Rani Lakshmibai who fought fearlessly for our country's freedom. Their courage laid the foundation for our nation's strong identity. Even today, women in uniform serve in the Indian Armed Forces to guard our borders. Furthermore, women leaders contribute significantly to governance and policy-making. Modern Indian women are breaking barriers in sports, science, and business. Their hard work proves that women are integral to India's development and global reputation. Indeed, our nation cannot progress without their valuable contributions.

Tarana: I believe in the capabilities of women. Did you know that women scientists played a key role in India's space missions like Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan? Women like Kalpana Chawla have inspired millions of young girls across India to dream big. In everyday life, women teachers, doctors, and workers shape the future of our society. They balance traditional values with modern achievement effortlessly. Their resilience and dedication make India a progressive and powerful nation. I feel proud to see Indian women excelling in every single field today.

Let us explore

In groups of five, find facts about any one brave woman who we remember because of her achievements and present in class (e.g., Kalpana Chawla).

Presentation Topic: Kalpana Chawla

• 1. Childhood: Kalpana Chawla was born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, Haryana. From her childhood, she was fascinated by airplanes and stars, often drawing pictures of aircraft instead of doing regular artwork.
• 2. Training/Education: She earned her Bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, India. Later, she moved to the United States to complete her Master's and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado.
• 3. Achievements: In 1994, she was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate. In 1997, she became the first Indian-born woman to fly in space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-87).
• 4. Contributions: She logged over 30 days and 14 hours in space across two space missions. She conducted critical microgravity experiments that advanced human scientific knowledge.
• 5. What we have learnt from her: She taught us that no dream is too big if you have passion, determination, and hard work. Her life inspires us to reach for the stars regardless of background or gender.