CBSE Class 7 English Unit 3 – Dreams and Discoveries Chapter 2 Paper Boats Important Question Answers from Poorvi Book
Class 7 English Paper Boats Question Answers – Looking for questions and answers for CBSE Class 7 English Unit 3 – Dreams and Discoveries Chapter 2 Paper Boats? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising Class 7 English question answers can significantly improve your performance in the exam. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Unit 3 – Dreams and Discoveries Chapter 2 Paper Boats now. The questions listed below are based on the latest CBSE exam pattern, wherein we have given NCERT solutions to the chapter’s extract-based questions, multiple choice questions and Extra Question Answers
Also, practising with different kinds of questions can help students learn new ways to solve problems that they may not have seen before. This can ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and better performance on exams.
- Paper Boats NCERT Solutions
- Paper Boats Grammar Exercises
- Paper Boats Extract Based Questions
- Paper Boats Multiple Choice Questions
- Paper Boats Extra Question Answers
Related:
- Paper Boats Summary, Explanation
- Paper Boats Character Sketch
- Class 7 English Summary and Lesson Notes
Paper Boats Textbook Questions (NCERT Solutions)
Let us do these activities before we read.
I Read the questions given below. Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher.
1. What comes to mind when you think about ‘paper boats’?
Ans. When I think about ‘paper boats,’ I imagine childhood, simple joys, innocent play, dreams, distant journeys, and a sense of wonder. They make me think of sending messages or hopes out into the world.
2. What do you think someone might hope for when they send a paper boat down a stream?
Ans. I think they might hope for adventure, that the boat travels to a faraway place, that someone else finds it, or even that it carries a secret wish or message to somewhere unknown. It’s like sending a small piece of yourself out into the big world.
3. Read the title of the poem ‘Paper Boats’ and predict what the poem might be about.
Ans. Based on the title, I predict the poem might be about a child’s imagination, dreams of travel or exploration, the innocence of childhood play, or perhaps even a symbolic journey of hope or connection to the wider world.
II Read the given paragraph and match the highlighted words with their meanings given in the box below.
| loading | speedily flowing | swelling | putting | bouncing |
I love to play beside a 1. running stream at a short distance from my grandparent’s house. I love to see it 2. skipping along to join a river. On the river, I can see boats with 3. bulging sails moving swiftly. Some of them take the people from one shore to the other while in some of them people can be seen 4. lading things too. I can spend hours watching the busy river and dreaming about them, 5. burying my head in my pillow at night.
Ans.
- running stream: speedily flowing
- skipping: bouncing
- bulging sails: swelling
- lading: loading
- burying: putting
Let us discuss
I Choose the correct words from the brackets to complete the summary of the poem given below.
The poet sends paper boats down a 1. __________ (stream/river) each day, writing his name and the name of his 2. __________ (school/ village) on them. He hopes that someone in a 3. __________ (strange/familiar) land will find them and know who he is. The poet fills his boats with 4. __________ (rose/shiuli) flowers from his garden, hoping they will be safely carried to another land at 5. __________ (night/morning). As he launches his boats, he imagines that the 6. __________ (clouds/birds) in the sky are like friends, racing with his boats. At night, he dreams that his paper boats continue to 7. __________ (swim/float) under the midnight stars, with the fairies of sleep sailing in them, their baskets full of 8. __________ (dreams/fruits).
Ans. The poet sends paper boats down a 1. river each day, writing his name and the name of his 2. village on them. He hopes that someone in a 3. strange land will find them and know who he is. The poet fills his boats with 4. shiuli flowers from his garden, hoping they will be safely carried to another land at 5. night. As he launches his boats, he imagines that the 6. clouds in the sky are like friends, racing with his boats. At night, he dreams that his paper boats continue to 7. float under the midnight stars, with the fairies of sleep sailing in them, their baskets full of 8. dreams.
II Choose the correct option for the following.
The theme of the poem is ________________.
1. innocence 2. imagination 3. ignorance
4. playfulness 5. travel
(i) 1, 2 and 3 (ii) 3, 4 and 5 (iii) 1, 4 and 5 (iv) 1, 2 and 4
Ans. (iv) 1, 2 and 4
III Identify whether the following statement is true or false.
The setting of the poem is a natural, outdoor environment.
Ans. True
IV Complete the following sentence by choosing the correct word given within the brackets.
The tone is ____________________ (sad and serious/gentle and wishful) and the mood is ____________________ (thoughtful/boring).
Ans. The tone is gentle and wishful and the mood is thoughtful.
V Identify the examples of alliteration from the poem.
Ans. (i) big black
(ii) someone in some strange
(iii) Day by Day
(iii) load my little
(iv) on and on
(v) sleep are sailing
VI Fill in the blanks with suitable words from the poem.
1. The repetition of words ___________ and ___________ emphasises the passage of time.
2. The poet uses imagery like ___________ and ___________ to create a clear picture in the minds of the readers.
Ans.
1. The repetition of words Day by day and on and on emphasises the passage of time.
2. The poet uses imagery like running stream and white bulging sails to create a clear picture in the minds of the readers.
VII Match the descriptions in Column 1 with what they symbolise in Column 2.
| Column 1 | Column 1 |
| 1. the child’s innocence, dreams, hopes, and messages sent out into the world | (i) midnight stars |
| 2. purity, beauty, and the start of a new day | (ii) paper boats |
| 3. the vast universe and the child’s dreams continuing through the night | (iii) shiuli flowers |
Ans.
| Column 1 | Column 1 |
| 1. the child’s innocence, dreams, hopes, and messages sent out into the world | (ii) paper boats |
| 2. purity, beauty, and the start of a new day | (iii) shiuli flowers |
| 3. the vast universe and the child’s dreams continuing through the night | (i) midnight stars |
Let us think and reflect
I Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
1. When night comes I bury my face in my arms and dream that my paper boats float on and on under the midnight stars. The fairies of sleep are sailing in them, and the lading is their baskets full of dreams.
(i) Select the option that is most likely to be the speaker as per the extract.
(ii) What can be inferred about the speaker’s feelings when night comes?
(iii) What kind of beings are the ‘fairies of sleep’ imagined as? Select the most appropriate option.
A. mischievous
B. gentle
C. fearsome
D. playful
(iv) Fill in the blank by selecting the correct option from those given in the brackets.
The phrase ‘lading is their baskets full of dreams’ suggests that the speaker imagines the fairies of sleep carefully _________________ (carrying his dreams /collecting his wishes) in their baskets.
Ans. (i) Option C because of the reference to ‘bury my face in my arms’.
(ii) It can be inferred that the speaker feels peaceful, imaginative, and hopeful when night comes, as he looks forward to continuing the boats’ journey in his dreams.
(iii) B. gentle (The context of sleep and dreams, and carrying baskets of dreams, implies a nurturing presence.)
(iv) The phrase ‘lading is their baskets full of dreams’ suggests that the speaker imagines the fairies of sleep carefully carrying his dreams in their baskets.
II Answer the following questions.
1. Why do you think the poet writes his personal details on the paper boats?
Ans. The poet writes his personal details (his name and the name of his village) on the paper boats because he hopes to establish a connection with the unknown. It’s an innocent yet profound desire for discovery and recognition. He wishes that someone in a distant, “strange land” will find his tiny boat, learn about the child who sent it, and perhaps feel a connection to him across vast distances. It’s a way for a small child to reach out to the big, mysterious world beyond his immediate experience.
2. The poet talks about the imagination of a child. Support this view with examples from the poem.
Ans. The poem is indeed a beautiful portrayal of a child’s imagination. A simple paper boat becomes a vessel for grand adventures. The child imagines “little clouds setting the white bulging sails,” turning natural phenomena into active participants in a race with his boats, sent by a “playmate of mine in the sky.” He loads his boats with “shiuli flowers” hoping they travel safely, but in his dream, this cargo transforms into “baskets full of dreams,” showcasing how his mind elevates physical objects to symbolic carriers of aspirations. The dream sequence where the boats “float on and on under the midnight stars” with “fairies of sleep” sailing in them, demonstrates how his imagination extends even into his subconscious, making his play a continuous, magical journey.
3. How does the poet bring together imagination and reality to make the poem more interesting?
Ans. The poet makes the poem interesting by cleverly mixing what’s real with what’s imagined. He starts with a simple, everyday thing: a child floating real paper boats on a real stream. But then, the child’s mind takes over. He imagines writing his name on the boats so someone far away will find them. He puts real flowers in them, hoping they’ll travel all night. He looks at real clouds, but sees them as sails racing his boats, sent by a sky friend. Even at night, when he’s sleeping, his dreams continue the adventure, with the boats carrying magical fairies and baskets of dreams. This way, the poet shows how a child’s imagination can turn everyday activities into wonderful, ongoing adventures, making the poem feel both real and magical at the same time.
Let us learn
I The poet has used phrases like ‘blooms of the dawn’ and ‘fairies of sleep’ in the poem. In the same way we can create phrases. Now, select words from Column 1 and Column 2 and combine them with ‘of’. Write as many phrases as possible in Column 3. An example has been done for you.
| Column 1 | of | Column 2 | Column 3 |
| wings | the birds | wings of the wind | |
| waves | the wind | ||
| dreams | the evening | ||
| songs | the children | ||
| glimmers | the rain | ||
| cries | the stars | ||
| tears | the thunder | ||
| roars | the ocean | ||
| shadows | the clouds |
Ans.
| Column 1 | of | Column 2 | Column 3 |
| wings | the birds | wings of the wind | |
| waves | the wind | waves of the ocean | |
| dreams | the evening | dreams of the children | |
| songs | the children | songs of the birds | |
| glimmers | the rain | glimmers of the stars | |
| cries | the stars | Cries of the cloud | |
| tears | the thunder | Tears of the rain | |
| roars | the ocean | roars of the thunder | |
| shadows | the clouds | shadows of the evening |
II The poet uses words like ‘dawn’, ‘night’ and ‘midnight’ to show different parts of the day. The box given below has some more words. Write the words in the appropriate columns.
| twilight | dawn | dusk | sunrise | noon | daybreak |
| nightfall | sunset | midnight | sunup | forenoon | sundown |
| noontime | night-time | noonday | midday |
| Morning | Afternoon | Evening | Night |
Ans.
| Morning | Afternoon | Evening | Night |
| Dawn, sunrise, Daybreak, sunup, forenoon | Noon, noontime, noonday, midday | Twilight, dusk, sunset, sundown | Nightfall, midnight, nighttime |
III Match the words from the text given in Column 1 with their opposites in Column 2.
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
| 1. strange | (i) halt |
| 2. dawn | (ii) emptying |
| 3. launch | (iii) sink |
| 4. bulging | (iv) dusk |
| 5. float | (v) ordinary |
| 6. lading | (vi) shrinking |
Ans.
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
| 1. strange | (v) ordinary |
| 2. dawn | (iv) dusk |
| 3. launch | (i) halt |
| 4. bulging | (vi) shrinking |
| 5. float | (iii) sink |
| 6. lading | (ii) emptying |
Paper Boats Grammar Exercises
Let us listen
You will listen to a conversation between a girl and her father about the art of paper folding called origami. As you listen, select the true statements from 1–7. (Transcript for the teacher on pg. 137)
1. Sai was trying to make an origami boat.
2. Sai’s father used to do origami as a child.
3. Paper was very expensive so it was used only for special occasions.
4. People have been making paper cranes for thousands of years.
5. There is a belief that if you make a thousand paper cranes, your wish will come true.
6. The art of origami is about enjoying the process.
7. Sai’s father suggests making a paper bookmark next time.
Ans.
2. Sai’s father used to do origami as a child.
3. Paper was very expensive so it was used only for special occasions.
5. There is a belief that if you make a thousand paper cranes, your wish will come true.
6. The art of origami is about enjoying the process.
Let us write
A diary entry is a personal document. It records an individual’s account of a day of her or his life expressing the thoughts, feelings and opinions in the individual’s mind.
The guidelines to compose a diary entry include:
• mentioning day, date and time of writing it
• beginning with a general sentence describing the day or feelings towards an event or experience
• giving details
• concluding with a final remark
Now, write a diary entry expressing your joy experiencing a rainy day. You may begin as given below:
| Friday, 15 July 20XX 6:30 p.m.
Dear Diary, It was quite humid today. On my journey back from school, I wished that it would rain. And it did! … |
Ans.
Friday, 15 July 2025 6:30 p.m.
Dear Diary,
It was quite humid today. On my journey back from school, I wished that it would rain. And it did!
Oh, what a joy! The moment I stepped out of school, the sky opened up. Big, fat raindrops began to fall, tapping a happy rhythm on the pavements and splashing into puddles. At first, everyone ran for cover, but I just stood there for a moment, letting the cool drops hit my face. The air immediately smelled fresh and clean, like the earth breathing a sigh of relief.
I didn’t even mind getting a little wet. The dusty roads turned dark and shiny, reflecting the grey sky. Soon, little streams of water were running along the edges of the road, carrying tiny paper boats that kids from the neighborhood must have launched. It felt like the whole world was getting a refreshing bath. The trees looked greener, and the birds chirped even louder after the initial downpour. It was such a welcome change from the sticky heat.
I walked home slowly, enjoying every single splash and the cool breeze that came with the rain. It transformed an ordinary Friday afternoon into something truly special and memorable.
CBSE Class 7 English Chapter 2 Paper Boats Extract- Based Questions
Answer the following extract-based questions.
A.
Day by day I float my paper boats one by one down the running stream.
In big black letters I write my name on them and the name of the village where I live.
Q1. What does the child do with the paper boats daily?
Ans. The child floats their paper boats one by one down the running stream every day.
Q2. What information does the child write on the paper boats?
Ans. The child writes their own name and the name of the village where they live on the paper boats.
Q3. In what kind of letters is the information written on the boats?
Ans. The information is written in big black letters.
Q4. What is the setting where the child floats the boats?
Ans. The child floats the boats down a running stream.
Q5. How often does the child engage in this activity?
Ans. The child engages in this activity “day by day,” implying it’s a daily routine.
B.
I hope that someone in some strange land will find them and know who I am.
I load my little boats with shiuli flower from our garden, and hope that these blooms of the dawn will be carried safely to land in the night.
Q1. What is the child’s main hope for the paper boats?
Ans. The child hopes that someone in a strange, faraway land will find the boats and learn who the child is.
Q2. What does the child place inside their little boats?
Ans. The child places shiuli flowers from their garden inside the boats.
Q3. From where does the child get the shiuli flowers?
Ans. The child gets the shiuli flowers from his own garden.
Q4. What characteristic of the shiuli flowers is mentioned in the stanza?
Ans. The stanza describes them as “blooms of the dawn,” meaning they blossom at night and fall off the branch by the sunrise.
Q5. What does the child hope will happen to the flowers during their journey?
Ans. The child hopes that the flowers will be carried safely to land by the time night comes, as the shiuli flowers wither quickly as the sun rises.
C.
I launch my paper boats and look up into the sky and see the little clouds setting the white bulging sails.
I know not what playmate of mine in the sky sends them down the air to race with my boats!
Q1. What does the child do after launching their paper boats?
Ans. After launching their paper boats, the child looks up into the sky.
Q2. What does the child see in the sky that relates to their boats?
Ans. The child sees little clouds that look like they are “setting the white bulging sails.”
Q3. What does the child imagine about the clouds in relation to their boats?
Ans. The child imagines that an unknown playmate in the sky sends the clouds down to race with their boats.
Q4. Does the child know who sends the clouds down?
Ans. No, the child explicitly states, “I know not what playmate of mine in the sky sends them down.”
Q5. What action are the clouds doing that mirrors the boats?
Ans. The clouds are racing with the child’s boats.
D.
When night comes I bury my face in my arms and dream that my paper boats float on and on under the midnight stars.
The fairies of sleep are sailing in them, and the lading is their baskets full of dreams.
Q1. What does the child do when night comes?
Ans. When night comes, the child buries their face in their arms.
Q2. What does the child dream about their paper boats at night?
Ans. The child dreams that their paper boats float on and on under the midnight stars.
Q3. Who is imagined to be sailing in the paper boats in the child’s dream?
Ans. The fairies of sleep are imagined to be sailing in the paper boats.
Q4. What is the “lading” or cargo that the fairies of sleep carry in the boats?
Ans. The lading (cargo) is their baskets full of dreams.
Q5. How does the setting change for the boats in the child’s dream compared to daytime?
Ans. In the dream, the boats float under the midnight stars, whereas during the day they float down a running stream.
Class 7 Paper Boats Multiple Choice Questions
Q1. What does the child do with the paper boats every day?
A. Sells them at the market
B. Floats them down the running stream
C. Keeps them in a box
D. Throws them into a pond
Ans. B. Floats them down the running stream
Q2. What does the child write on the paper boats?
A. Their address and phone number
B. Poems and stories
C. Their name and the name of their village
D. Their wishes and secrets
Ans. C. Their name and the name of their village
Q3. Why does the child write this information on the boats?
A. To remember where they came from
B. To test the ink’s durability
C. To hope someone in a strange land finds them and knows who he was
D. To practice their handwriting
Ans. C. To hope someone in a strange land finds them and knows who he was
Q4. What kind of letters does the child use to write on the boats?
A. Small blue letters
B. Big black letters
C. Green cursive letters
D. Red capital letters
Ans. B. Big black letters
Q5. What specific type of flowers does the child load into the boats?
A. Roses
B. Lotuses
C. Shiuli flowers
D. Marigolds
Ans. C. Shiuli flowers
Q6. From where does the child get the flowers for the boats?
A. From the market
B. From a nearby field
C. From a flower shop
D. From their garden
Ans. D. From their garden
Q7. What time of day are these flowers (shiuli) usually associated with?
A. Noon
B. Midnight
C. Dawn
D. Evening
Ans. C. Dawn
Q8. What hope does the child have for the flowers loaded in the boats?
A. That they will remain fresh forever
B. That they will bring good luck
C. That they will attract fish
D. That they will be carried safely to land in the night
Ans. C. That they will be carried safely to land in the night
Q9. After launching the boats, what does the child look up at?
A. The sky
B. The birds
C. The tree
D. The sun
Ans. A. The sky
Q10. What does the child imagine the little clouds in the sky are doing?
A. Disappearing
B. Setting the white bulging sails
C. Forming animal shapes
D. Bringing rain
Ans. B. Setting the white bulging sails
Q11. What does the child refer to the entity that sends clouds down to race with the boats as?
A. A sky spirit
B. A cloud master
C. A playmate of his in the sky
D. A friendly giant
Ans. C. A playmate of his in the sky
Q12. What does the child do when night comes?
A. Continues to float boats
B. Buries his face in his arms
C. Watches the moon
D. Reads a book
Ans. B. Buries his face in his arms
Q13. What happens to the paper boats in the child’s dream?
A. They sink to the bottom of the stream
B. They return to the child’s home
C. They float on and on under the midnight stars
D. They turn into real ships
Ans. C. They float on and on under the midnight stars
Q14. Who is imagined to be sailing in the paper boats during the dream?
A. The child’s friends
B. Tiny sailors
C. The fairies of sleep
D. Little birds
Ans. C. The fairies of sleep
Q15. What is the “lading” (cargo) carried by the fairies of sleep in the boats?
A. Baskets full of dreams.
B. Golden coins.
C. Magical jewels.
D. Stars from the sky.
Ans. A. Baskets full of dreams.
Q16. What is a primary theme explored in the poem?
A. The harsh realities of life
B. The power of childhood imagination
C. The importance of education
D. The struggles of growing up
Ans. B. The power of childhood imagination
Q17. The act of writing the name and village on the boats symbolizes the child’s desire for:
A. Fame
B. Knowledge
C. Wealth
D. Connection
Ans. D. Connection
Q18. What does the “running stream” primarily symbolize in the poem?
A. A source of food.
B. A path for adventures and journeys
C. A place for bathing.
D. A boundary.
Ans. B. A path for adventures and journeys
Q19. What does the “midnight stars” in the dream sequence suggests?
A. Fear and loneliness
B. A guiding presence in the unknown
C. The end of a journey
D. A wish for daylight
Ans. B. A guiding presence in the unknown
Q20. What is the overall tone of the poem?
A. Sad and melancholic
B. Angry and frustrated
C. Whimsical and hopeful
D. Suspenseful and mysterious
Ans. C. Whimsical and hopeful
CBSE Class 7 English Poorvi Book Unit 3 – Dreams and Discoveries Chapter 2 Paper Boats Extra Question and Answers
Answer the following questions.
Q1. What specific information does the child write on the paper boats, and why?
Ans. The child writes their name and the name of their village on the paper boats, hoping that someone in a strange land will find them and know who they are.
Q2. What natural items does the child use to decorate and load their paper boats?
Ans. The child loads their little boats with shiuli flowers from their garden.
Q3. What connection does the child imagine between the clouds in the sky and their paper boats?
Ans. The child imagines that the little clouds in the sky are setting their white bulging sails, and wonders what playmate in the sky sends them down to race with their boats.
Q4. What happens to the paper boats in the child’s dream at night?
Ans. In the child’s dream, the paper boats continue to float endlessly under the midnight stars.
Q5. Who is imagined to be sailing in the boats during the child’s dream, and what do they carry?
Ans. The fairies of sleep are imagined to be sailing in the boats, and their cargo is baskets full of dreams.