Class 7 English Chapter 3 Three Days to See Notes and Book Solutions based on NCERT Poorvi. Get an easy summary, explanation, word meanings and textbook question answers for CBSE Class 7 English.
Three Days to See
Helen Keller
A complete chapter guide with summary, vocabulary, explanations and textbook in-text solutions.
Chapter Summary
Three Days to See is a thoughtful piece written by Helen Keller, a person who could not see or hear. She explains how deeply she values the world around her and imagines what she would do if she were given the gift of sight for only three days.
- Day 1: Helen would spend the day looking at the people who had loved, helped and supported her. She would especially like to see the faces of her friends.
- Day 2: She would watch the sunrise and enjoy the beauty of the natural world. She would also visit museums to learn about the history of the earth and human progress.
- Day 3: She would visit the city and observe ordinary people going about their daily lives. Their smiles, determination and suffering would help her understand their experiences.
- At the end of the three days, darkness would return. Helen would realise that there was still so much left unseen.
- She gives an important message to people who can see and use all their senses: we should appreciate every sight, sound, smell, taste and touch as if we might lose that sense tomorrow.
Key Ideas at a Glance
| Idea | What Helen teaches us |
|---|---|
| Five senses | Our senses help us experience and understand the world. |
| Touch | Helen uses touch to understand leaves, trees, faces and birds. |
| Three days | She carefully chooses what she would see if she had sight. |
| People | She values kindness, friendship and human emotions. |
| Nature | She wants to enjoy sunrise, trees, light and the beauty of nature. |
| History | She wants to visit museums and learn about human progress. |
| Message | Use and appreciate every sense before it is too late. |
Let us do these activities before we read.
I Work in pairs. Recall a visit to a place that you liked. Discuss the details of that place and write about the following:
1. Name of the place
2. The person(s) you went with
3. The things that you could:
- see
- listen
- smell
- taste
- touch and feel
II How does this memory make you feel?
III Do you think your visit/experience would be different if you could not see or hear? Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher.
New Words from the Chapter
Let us read
Understanding the Beginning
Helen Keller cannot see, but she can experience many things through touch.
She feels the delicate shape of a leaf, the smooth skin of a silver birch and the rough bark of a pine.
In spring, she touches tree branches to search for new buds. A new bud is a sign that nature is waking up after winter.
Sometimes she is lucky enough to feel the movement of a bird singing on a small tree.
Helen wishes she could see these beautiful things. She wonders how much more beauty sight would reveal.
Therefore, she imagines what she would like to see if she were given the use of her eyes for only three days.
Helen Keller’s Three Days
Day 1 – People She Loves
Helen would spend the first day looking at the people whose kindness and companionship had made her life meaningful.
She would look at her friends’ faces and try to understand their feelings through their eyes.
Focus: Love, friendship and human emotions.Day 2 – Nature, Light and History
Helen would rise with the dawn and watch the transformation of night into day.
She would admire the sunlight and the sleeping earth waking up. She would also visit museums to see the history of the earth and human progress.
Focus: Nature, beauty, history and learning.Day 3 – The World of People
Helen would spend the third day in the city observing people going about their daily lives.
She would see smiles, determination and suffering. These would make her feel happy, proud and compassionate.
Focus: Society, human life and emotions.The Final Message
At midnight, darkness would return. Helen would realise that even three days were not enough to see everything she wanted to see.
She advises people who can see to use their eyes as if they might become blind tomorrow.
The same idea applies to all the other senses: hearing, touch, smell and taste.
Let us discuss
I Work in pairs. Identify the statements that are true from the ones given below. Share your answers with the teacher.
II Complete the table given below with what Helen Keller wanted to do on the three days if she had sight.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
|---|---|---|
|
see the people, know her friends from the feel of their faces, … Solution: See the people she loved and understand their feelings through their faces. |
arise with the dawn, … Solution: See sunrise, nature, the world and visit museums to learn about history. |
Solution: Observe people in the city and understand their daily lives and feelings. |
III The author says that you need eyes to be able to ‘see’ the true self of a person. Therefore, she refers to the eye as ‘window of the soul’. How is the narrator able to understand the feelings of a person?
Let us think and reflect
I Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
1. I feel the delicate symmetry of a leaf. I pass my hands lovingly about the smooth skin of a silver birch, or the rough, shaggy bark of a pine. In spring, I touch the branches of trees hopefully in search of a bud, the first sign of awakening Nature after her winter’s sleep. Occasionally, I am very fortunate; I place my hand gently on a small tree and feel the happy quiver of a bird in full song.
(i) What does the ‘delicate symmetry of a leaf’ symbolise?
(ii) List two phrases from the extract that describe the texture of objects in nature.
(iii) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The phrase ‘awakening Nature after her winter’s sleep’ refers to __________________.
(iv) What is the tone of the writer in this extract?
A. nostalgic B. proud C. admiring D. celebratory
2. The next day I should arise with the dawn and see the thrilling miracle by which night is transformed into day. I should behold with awe the magnificent panorama of light with which the sun awakens the sleeping earth. This day I should devote to a hasty glimpse of the world, past and present. I should want to see the pageant of man’s progress, and so I should go to the museums.
(i) The word ‘thrilling’ has been used with ‘miracle’. Which of the following words does not match with the word ‘thrilling’?
A. experience B. tale C. knowledge D. adventure
(ii) Why does the writer refer to the earth as ‘sleeping earth’?
(iii) Complete the sentence with an appropriate reason.
The writer wishes to dedicate the day to a brief look at the present and past world because __________________.
(iv) Why does the writer use ‘should’ multiple times in the extract?
II Answer the following questions.
III Identify the modal verbs in the following sentences. Choose the functions they express from those given in the box below.
Function: ability
Function: possibility
Let us learn
I Sensory words
Sensory words are descriptive words that tell us how we experience the world through our senses.
| Sense | Column 2 | New words |
|---|---|---|
| What you see | panorama | ________________ |
| What you hear | music | ________________ |
| What you smell | perfume | ________________ |
| What you taste | relish | ________________ |
| What you feel | rough | ________________ |
II Read the following sentences from the text and underline the verbs.
• I should divide the period into three parts.
• On the first day, I should want to see…
• The next day I should arise with the dawn…
• I should behold with awe…
- should divide
- should want
- should arise
- should behold
III Read the following sentences.
3. She must finish her homework before dinner.
Function: necessity
4. They ought to apologise for their mistake.
Function: moral obligation
5. He would like to have some lassi, please.
Function: polite request
IV Read the situations in Column 1 and functions in Column 2. Fill in the blanks in the sentences in Column 4 with appropriate modal verbs from Column 3. After filling in the blanks, explain the function of each modal verb you used to your classmates and the teacher.
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| You want to leave work early. | permission | can, could, may |
(i) May I leave early today if I finish all my tasks?
Function: permission |
| You have an important deadline tomorrow. | obligation | must, ought to |
(ii) must finish this report by tomorrow.
Function: obligation |
| Your friend is thinking whether to join Art class. | advice | should |
(iii) should consider all the pros and cons before making a decision.
Function: advice |
| There are dark clouds in the sky. | possibility | might |
(iv) might rain later today.
Function: possibility |
| Asking someone to pass the salt at the dinner table | polite request | could |
(v) Could you pass the salt, please?
Function: polite request |
| Advising someone to apologise for a mistake | moral obligation | ought to |
(vi) ought to apologise for the mistake you made.
Function: moral obligation |
| Deciding where to go for picnic | suggestion | could |
(vii) could go to any park nearby for picnic.
Function: suggestion |
Let us listen
You will listen to a conversation between a mother and son. As you listen, select four true statements from 1–7 given below.
(Transcript for the teacher on pg. 41)
| Statement | True or False |
|---|---|
| 1. Anuj finds the concept of Braille fascinating and wants to learn more about it. | ____________ |
| 2. Mother is unsure of the school’s efforts to include students with visual impairment. | ____________ |
| 3. Anuj initially thinks that Digital India is only about learning how to use computers. | ____________ |
| 4. Mother believes that screen readers are very effective for persons who are visually impaired. | ____________ |
| 5. Anuj already knew that persons who are visually impaired can use computers and smartphones. | ____________ |
| 6. Anuj wants to know about the effectiveness of assistive technologies for persons who are visually impaired. | ____________ |
| 7. Mother believes a right mindset is the best support for persons who are visually impaired. | ____________ |
Let us speak
Work in pairs. Take turns to speak for a minute on any one of the senses you value the most. Use the given prompts to frame your response before you speak.
• I value my sense of sight/ sound/ touch/ smell / taste the most because…
• One of my favourite experiences is…
• This is so because…
• I appreciate being able to see/ hear/touch/ smell/ taste…
• God forbid, if I were to lose the sense of sight/ sound/ touch/ smell / taste, it would make me feel…
• I would not be able to…
• I thank God that I am able to see/ hear/ touch/ smell/ taste.
I value my sense of sight the most because it helps me see the beautiful world around me. One of my favourite experiences is watching the sunrise. I appreciate being able to see nature, my family and my friends. If I lost my sense of sight, I would feel sad and would need help in many activities. I am thankful that I can see and enjoy the world.
- speak clearly and confidently
- glance at your notes for reference rather than reading
- make eye contact
- use gestures if you wish to
- pronounce words clearly and avoid mumbling
- speak at a steady, moderate pace
Let us write
A descriptive paragraph describes a person, place, object or event to create a memorable experience for the reader. Write a descriptive paragraph describing a place that you visited recently.
Follow the guidelines given below to draft this paragraph.
2. In the supporting lines, describe the place using adjectives and specific details that appealed to your five senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. You may include alliterations, similes, and personifications to hold the reader’s attention.
3. In the concluding lines, summarise the description to provide a final impression. Mention what was the most important thing about that place which others should also experience.
Last Sunday, I visited a beautiful hill station with my family. The green mountains looked like a soft carpet spread across the land. I could hear the sweet sounds of birds and the gentle movement of the wind. The fresh smell of flowers filled the air. We tasted delicious local food and felt the cool breeze on our faces. The peaceful surroundings made me feel happy and relaxed. I would love to visit this wonderful place again.
Let us explore
I Do you know how persons with visual challenges are able to read and write?
They read through touch with the help of Braille, a code of raised dots that represents the letters of the alphabet.
This tactile code was developed over a period of nine years by Louis Braille, who became blind at a very young age due to an accident.
Braille Activity
Study the code given below and write your name using it. You may use bindis or grains of daal to make the dots that you can touch and feel.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
My name in Braille: ________________________________________
II Have you heard about the International Day of Persons with Disabilities?
III Do you want to know about sign language? Go to the link given below to learn about the Indian sign language.
Quick Revision
| Question | Quick Answer |
|---|---|
| Who wrote “Three Days to See”? | Helen Keller |
| What does Helen use instead of sight? | She uses her other senses, especially touch. |
| What would she do on Day 1? | See her loved ones and friends. |
| What would she do on Day 2? | Enjoy nature, sunrise and museums. |
| What would she do on Day 3? | Observe people and their daily lives. |
| What is the main message? | Value and enjoy every sense. |
| What is Braille? | A tactile system of raised dots used for reading and writing. |
Important Words to Remember
What We Learn from the Chapter
- Be thankful for your senses.
- Do not take everyday experiences for granted.
- Value friendship and kindness.
- Respect people with different abilities.
- Observe the beauty of nature.
- Keep learning about the world.
- Use every sense carefully and joyfully.
Practise Class 7 English Chapter 3 with this easy NCERT Poorvi worksheet. Includes important questions and revision exercises to help students understand the chapter and prepare for tests and exams
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