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CBSE Class 7 English — Honeycomb Chapter 9 Garden Snake / A Bicycle in Good Repair — 20 MCQs with Answers

CBSE Class 7 English Honeycomb Chapter 9 combines two contrasting pieces: Garden Snake, a short lyrical poem that reassures readers about the harmless nature of a common garden snake, and A Bicycle in Good Repair, Jerome K. Jerome's laugh-out-loud account of how enthusiasm and overconfidence can turn a simple bicycle repair into mechanical disaster. The chapter tests your grasp of poetic devices, narrative humour, story sequence and grammar applications. This page presents 20 MCQs that mirror the CBSE term exam pattern, complete with answers and explanations for self-assessment.

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Key takeaways

  • ✓Chapter 9 pairs Garden Snake, a nature poem celebrating harmless reptiles, with A Bicycle in Good Repair, a hilarious narrative about two friends dismantling and failing to reassemble a bicycle.
  • ✓Garden Snake MCQs test imagery, rhyme scheme and the poet's message of coexistence, while A Bicycle in Good Repair questions focus on humour, irony and story sequence.
  • ✓Expect assertion-reason MCQs in the CBSE term exam; always verify if the reason correctly explains the assertion before choosing option A.
  • ✓Active and passive voice transformations appear in application-based MCQs, reflecting the grammar focus embedded in this chapter.
  • ✓Vocabulary MCQs draw from words like 'vanish', 'chaos', 'mystified' and 'wobbly' — contextual meaning matters more than dictionary definitions.
  • ✓Practising these 20 MCQs improves speed and accuracy; aim to finish each MCQ in under 45 seconds during the actual exam.
  • ✓CBSETUTOR.ai offers unlimited MCQ practice with instant photo-upload doubt solving at ₹999/month for Classes 6-12, with a 3-day free trial to explore all features.

Understanding Garden Snake: Imagery and Theme MCQs

Muriel L. Sonne's poem Garden Snake celebrates a harmless, wiggly creature often misunderstood by people. The poet uses simple language, vivid imagery and a reassuring tone to dispel fear. MCQs from this poem typically test your ability to identify the poet's attitude, pick out descriptive phrases and understand the message of coexistence with nature. NCERT asks you to notice how the poet creates a picture of the snake's movement and habitat, making it relatable rather than frightening. Recognising phrases like 'a small snake' and 'wiggles in the grass' helps answer visual and thematic questions confidently.
  • MCQ 1: What does the poet call the snake in the poem? (A) Dangerous reptile (B) Garden snake (C) Poisonous creature (D) Wild animal | Answer: (B) Garden snake | Reason: The title and opening line clearly identify it as a garden snake, emphasising its harmless nature.
  • MCQ 2: Where does the garden snake live according to the poem? (A) In the forest (B) Near the river (C) In the garden grass (D) Under rocks | Answer: (C) In the garden grass | Reason: The poet describes the snake wiggling in the grass, indicating its habitat is the garden.
  • MCQ 3: What is the poet's attitude towards the snake? (A) Fearful (B) Angry (C) Friendly and reassuring (D) Indifferent | Answer: (C) Friendly and reassuring | Reason: The tone is gentle, aiming to reduce fear and promote acceptance of the creature.
  • MCQ 4: Which poetic device is prominent in 'a small snake wiggles in the grass'? (A) Metaphor (B) Simile (C) Alliteration (D) Imagery | Answer: (D) Imagery | Reason: The line paints a vivid picture, helping readers visualise the snake's movement.

A Bicycle in Good Repair: Plot Sequence and Character Analysis MCQs

Jerome K. Jerome's story revolves around the narrator and his friend who decide to repair a bicycle that does not need repairing. What begins as a confident venture spirals into chaos as they dismantle the machine completely, losing screws and creating a wobbly contraption. NCERT highlights the story sequence and the contrast between initial confidence and eventual bewilderment. MCQs here test your memory of events, understanding of irony and recognition of humorous elements. Knowing the correct order of actions — decision, dismantling, confusion, reassembly failure — is critical for sequence-based questions that appear in CBSE term exams.
  • MCQ 5: Who is the narrator's companion in the bicycle repair adventure? (A) His brother (B) A mechanic (C) His friend (D) A neighbour | Answer: (C) His friend | Reason: The story explicitly mentions the narrator and his friend undertaking the repair together.
  • MCQ 6: What was the initial condition of the bicycle? (A) Completely broken (B) In good repair (C) Missing a wheel (D) Rusted and old | Answer: (B) In good repair | Reason: The title and opening make it clear the bicycle was already functional; they repaired it unnecessarily.
  • MCQ 7: What happens after they dismantle the bicycle? (A) They reassemble it perfectly (B) They lose parts and create chaos (C) They find a new bicycle (D) They hire a mechanic | Answer: (B) They lose parts and create chaos | Reason: The humour arises from their inability to put the bicycle back together correctly.
  • MCQ 8: Which quality best describes the two friends? (A) Expert mechanics (B) Overconfident and enthusiastic (C) Lazy and careless (D) Wise and cautious | Answer: (B) Overconfident and enthusiastic | Reason: Their confidence leads them to dismantle a working bicycle, resulting in comic disaster.

Humour and Irony: HOTS MCQs from A Bicycle in Good Repair

Humour in this chapter comes from situational irony, exaggerated descriptions and the gap between intention and outcome. NCERT emphasises recognising humour as a literary device. Higher-order thinking MCQs ask you to identify the source of humour, explain why a situation is funny or predict outcomes based on character behaviour. Understanding that the friends' expertise is imaginary and their confidence misplaced helps you answer inferential questions. CBSE often includes assertion-reason MCQs where the assertion states a humorous event and the reason explains why it is funny.
  • MCQ 9: Why is the story considered humorous? (A) The bicycle is stolen (B) The friends argue constantly (C) Their overconfidence leads to a chaotic outcome (D) The bicycle is painted a funny colour | Answer: (C) Their overconfidence leads to a chaotic outcome | Reason: The comedy lies in the gap between their confidence and the resulting mess.
  • MCQ 10: Assertion: The friends create more problems than they solve. Reason: They dismantle a working bicycle and cannot reassemble it properly. (A) Both assertion and reason are true, and reason explains assertion (B) Both true, but reason does not explain (C) Assertion true, reason false (D) Both false | Answer: (A) | Reason: The reason directly explains why the assertion is correct.
  • MCQ 11: What literary device is used when the narrator describes losing screws? (A) Hyperbole (B) Personification (C) Irony (D) Simile | Answer: (C) Irony | Reason: It is ironic that an attempt to improve the bicycle results in losing essential parts.
  • MCQ 12: What lesson does the story convey? (A) Always trust your friends (B) Overconfidence can lead to mistakes (C) Bicycles are easy to repair (D) Mechanics are unnecessary | Answer: (B) Overconfidence can lead to mistakes | Reason: The friends' misplaced confidence teaches readers the value of recognising one's limitations.

Vocabulary in Context: Garden Snake and A Bicycle in Good Repair MCQs

Both texts introduce vocabulary that CBSE examiners love to test through contextual MCQs. Words like 'vanish' (from Garden Snake) and 'chaos', 'mystified', 'wobbly' (from A Bicycle in Good Repair) appear frequently. Instead of testing dictionary meanings, NCERT-based MCQs ask you to choose the meaning that fits the sentence. For instance, 'mystified' in the context of the friends' confusion means puzzled, not magical. Practising vocabulary MCQs improves your ability to infer meaning from context, a skill tested across all CBSE English papers from Classes 6 to 10.
  • MCQ 13: What does the word 'vanish' mean in the context of the poem Garden Snake? (A) Appear suddenly (B) Disappear quickly (C) Sleep deeply (D) Move slowly | Answer: (B) Disappear quickly | Reason: In the poem, the snake vanishes into the grass, meaning it disappears from sight.
  • MCQ 14: In A Bicycle in Good Repair, 'mystified' means (A) Angry (B) Excited (C) Confused and puzzled (D) Skilled | Answer: (C) Confused and puzzled | Reason: The friends are mystified by the parts they cannot fit, indicating confusion.
  • MCQ 15: What does 'wobbly' describe in the story? (A) A smooth ride (B) An unstable, shaky bicycle (C) A fast bicycle (D) A brand-new bicycle | Answer: (B) An unstable, shaky bicycle | Reason: After their repair attempt, the bicycle becomes wobbly, meaning unsteady.
  • MCQ 16: The word 'chaos' in the story refers to (A) Peaceful arrangement (B) Complete disorder and confusion (C) Careful planning (D) Successful repair | Answer: (B) Complete disorder and confusion | Reason: The friends create chaos by scattering parts and failing to reassemble the bicycle.

Active and Passive Voice: Application-Based Grammar MCQs

NCERT Class 7 English Honeycomb integrates grammar within literature. Chapter 9's themes allow examiners to frame active-passive transformation MCQs. For instance, 'The friends dismantled the bicycle' (active) becomes 'The bicycle was dismantled by the friends' (passive). CBSE term exams include 2-3 such MCQs testing your ability to identify voice or choose the correct transformation. Remember: in passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject, and the verb changes to a 'be' form plus past participle. Recognising these patterns in the context of the chapter's sentences makes grammar MCQs straightforward rather than abstract.
  • MCQ 17: Identify the voice: The garden snake wiggles in the grass. (A) Active voice (B) Passive voice (C) Imperative (D) Interrogative | Answer: (A) Active voice | Reason: The subject 'garden snake' performs the action 'wiggles'; this is active voice.
  • MCQ 18: Change to passive: The friends lost the screws. (A) The screws are lost by the friends. (B) The screws were lost by the friends. (C) The screws have been lost. (D) The screws will be lost. | Answer: (B) The screws were lost by the friends. | Reason: Past tense active 'lost' becomes 'were lost' in passive, maintaining tense consistency.
  • MCQ 19: Which sentence is in passive voice? (A) The bicycle was in good repair. (B) They repaired the bicycle unnecessarily. (C) The bicycle was dismantled by the friends. (D) The snake vanishes quickly. | Answer: (C) The bicycle was dismantled by the friends. | Reason: The subject 'bicycle' receives the action, and 'by the friends' shows passive construction.
  • MCQ 20: Why is passive voice used in descriptive writing? (A) To emphasise the doer (B) To emphasise the action or receiver (C) To make sentences longer (D) To confuse readers | Answer: (B) To emphasise the action or receiver | Reason: Passive voice shifts focus from the doer to what is being done, useful in descriptive passages.

How to Attempt MCQs in the CBSE English Term Exam

Multiple-choice questions in CBSE Class 7 English papers carry 1 mark each, and negative marking is absent, so every question is an opportunity. Start by reading the question stem carefully, then eliminate obviously incorrect options. In assertion-reason MCQs, verify the truth of both statements independently before checking if the reason explains the assertion. For vocabulary MCQs, substitute each option back into the original sentence to see which fits naturally. Manage your time: allocate roughly 45 seconds per MCQ, mark answers on the OMR sheet carefully and use the last five minutes to review any questions you flagged. Practising 20 MCQs like these builds speed, sharpens pattern recognition and boosts confidence for the actual exam day.
  • Read the entire question and all four options before choosing; do not rush after spotting a familiar word in option A or B.
  • Eliminate clearly wrong options first — this increases your probability of selecting the correct answer even if you are unsure.
  • For assertion-reason MCQs, check if both statements are true individually, then decide if the reason logically explains the assertion.
  • In vocabulary questions, replace the word in the original sentence with each option to test which meaning fits contextually.
  • Mark your answers on the OMR sheet neatly and avoid overwriting; smudged bubbles can cause scanning errors.
  • Do not leave any MCQ unanswered — CBSE does not deduct marks for wrong answers in English papers, so make an educated guess if needed.
  • Use the last five minutes to revisit flagged questions and double-check that you have transferred answers correctly from question paper to OMR.

Common Mistakes Students Make in Chapter 9 MCQs

Many Class 7 students lose marks by overthinking simple questions or misreading assertion-reason formats. A frequent error is choosing an option because it sounds sophisticated, even when the straightforward NCERT wording is correct. In Garden Snake MCQs, students sometimes confuse the poet's tone with fear instead of recognising the reassuring message. In A Bicycle in Good Repair, mixing up the sequence of events or missing the irony leads to incorrect answers. Another pitfall is ignoring the one-mark instruction: spending three minutes on a single MCQ eats into time needed for longer answers. Regular practice with the 20 MCQs on this page trains you to spot these traps and avoid them during the exam.
  • Overthinking: Choosing a complex-sounding option when the simple NCERT phrase is the right answer.
  • Sequence confusion: Mixing up the order of events in A Bicycle in Good Repair, especially under time pressure.
  • Tone misidentification: Marking the poet's attitude in Garden Snake as fearful instead of friendly and reassuring.
  • Assertion-reason errors: Assuming that if both statements are true, option A is automatically correct without checking if the reason explains the assertion.
  • Vocabulary guesswork: Picking a dictionary meaning instead of the contextual meaning that fits the sentence.
  • Time mismanagement: Spending too long on one tricky MCQ at the expense of easier questions later in the paper.

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Frequently asked questions

How many MCQs from Chapter 9 appear in the CBSE Class 7 English term exam?+
Typically 3 to 5 MCQs covering both Garden Snake and A Bicycle in Good Repair appear in the reading comprehension and literature sections, each carrying 1 mark.
Are assertion-reason MCQs common in Class 7 English papers?+
Yes, CBSE includes 1 to 2 assertion-reason MCQs per term exam. These test your ability to verify if a reason logically explains an assertion, common in literature chapters.
What is the best way to remember the sequence of events in A Bicycle in Good Repair?+
Create a simple timeline: decision to repair, dismantling, losing parts, chaotic reassembly, wobbly outcome. Visualising the story as a comic strip helps recall order during exams.
Do I need to memorise the entire poem Garden Snake for MCQs?+
No, but know key phrases like 'small snake', 'wiggles in the grass' and the poet's reassuring tone. MCQs test comprehension and theme, not verbatim recall.
How should I approach vocabulary MCQs if I do not know the word?+
Read the sentence, eliminate options that make no sense in context, then pick the meaning that fits naturally. Contextual clues often reveal the answer even if the word is unfamiliar.
Is there negative marking for wrong MCQ answers in CBSE Class 7 English?+
No, CBSE does not deduct marks for incorrect MCQ answers in English papers. Attempt every question; an educated guess can still earn you the mark.
What is the main theme of Garden Snake that MCQs often test?+
The poem's theme is coexistence with nature and dispelling fear of harmless creatures. MCQs ask about the poet's tone, imagery and the message of acceptance.
How can I practise more MCQs beyond the 20 provided here?+
CBSETUTOR.ai generates unlimited chapter-wise MCQ quizzes for Honeycomb and other NCERT books at ₹999/month for all classes, with a 3-day free trial to start.
What is the difference between active and passive voice in MCQs?+
Active voice has the subject performing the action (e.g. 'Friends lost the screws'), while passive voice has the subject receiving it (e.g. 'The screws were lost by the friends').
Why is A Bicycle in Good Repair considered a humorous story?+
The humour arises from situational irony: the friends confidently dismantle a working bicycle and create chaos, illustrating the gap between their self-assurance and actual skill.

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