Updated on 28/06/2026
*7. A House Is Not a Home (Zan Gaudioso)*
*1. Who is the writer of the chapter ‘A House is not a Home’?*
Ans. Zan Gaudioso
*2. How does the author feel in his new house?*
Ans. Isolated
*3. What does the author notice one Sunday afternoon?*
Ans. Smoke pouring in through the ceiling
*4. When did the fire accident take place?*
Ans. On Sunday
*5. Why did the author run to the neighbours?*
Ans. To call the fire department
*6. What did the author’s mother bring from the burning house?*
Ans. Some pictures
*7. Why did the author begin to cry?*
Ans. Because his cat was missing
*8. Where did they spend their night after the fire accident?*
Ans. In the house of grandparents
*9. Who gifted the author all the things that he needed?*
Ans. His schoolmates
10. Why did the author join high school?
Ans. Because he had completed his primary education.
Textual Questions
1. Why does the author notice one Sunday afternoon? What is his mother’s reaction? What does she do?
Ans. While enjoying his Sunday he notices smoke billowing from the ceiling. His mother tries to recover important documents and his father's photographs.
2. Why does he break down in tears after the fire?
Ans. After the fire, he broke down into tears because it suddenly struck him that he was suffering a big loss. He realized that his cat could not be seen anywhere. Then, everything hit him at once − the new school, the fire, and his cat. That was when he broke down and cried.
3. What problem does the author face when he moves to a new school?
Ans. In junior school he was the monitor of his class. He was very close to all the teachers. But when he joins a new school, he faces many problems. This school was twice as big as his old school. He felt very isolated.
4. What is the meaning of ‘My cat was back and so was I’? Has the author gone somewhere? Why does he say that he is also back?
Ans. The author says these words because he felt that a part of him had gone missing with the cat too. He does not physically go anywhere but mentally he felt a little lost without the cat. Even though he had settled down in life and made friends, he still missed his cat.
Long Answer
1. Describe the author’s experience at school after the fire tragedy.
Ans. The author had just joined a new school. He was facing problems adjusting in the new school. Just after a couple of days his house caught fire. His school bag, clothes and shoes had burnt in fire. The next day when he went to school; he found a strange atmosphere all around. People were getting together all around him. They had collected money for him and arranged school supplies and clothing for him. This changed his vision for life once again. He felt relieved and thought things were going well for him. He also made new friends.