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NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 3 The Midnight Visitor

In this article, we have created the most comprehensive NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 3 The Midnight Visitor.

The Midnight Visitor NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 3

The Midnight Visitor NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

The Midnight Visitor Read and Find out

Question 1.
How is Ausable different from other secret agents?
Answer:
Ausable, a secret agent, is different from other secret agents as he is very fat. ‘He lives in a room where there is no environment of romantic and thrilling adventure.

Question 2.
Who is Fowler and what is his first authentic thrill of the day?
Answer:
Fowler is a reporter who was very young and romantic. His first authentic thrill was to see a man with a pistol inside Ausable’s room.

Question 3.
How has Max got in?
Answer:
Max managed to get entry in Ausable’s room by using a passkey.

Question 4.
How does Ausable say he got in?
Answer:
Ausable says that Max had come in the room through the balcony.

The Midnight Visitor Think About It

Question 1.
Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read. What do secret agents in books and films look like in your opinion? Discuss in groups or in class some stories or movies featuring spies, detectives and secret agents and compare their appearance with that of Ausable in this story.
Answer:
Fowler is not impressed by the personality of Ausable as a secret agent. He thinks that Ausable ‘ would be a smart and active secret agent but he turns out to be a fat and bald person. Normally, in films and stories the secret agents are with a gun or pistol and a very interesting and fast lifestyle, whereas Ausable was a humorous and simple person.

Question 2.
How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room? Look back at his detailed description of it. What makes it a convincing story?
Answer:
Ausable had realised that Max had no idea about the balcony in his house. He quickly thought of a plan. When the bearer came to the room and knocked at the door, Ausable fabricated a story to convince Max about the balcony. The moment Max realised the danger, he jumped onto the balcony and his act proved fatal. The way Ausable complained about the existence of the balcony which had created a nuisance earlier also, Max could not think it to be wrong and willingly jumped to his death.

Question 3.
Looking back at the story, when do you think Ausable thought of his plan for getting rid of Max? Do you think he had worked out his plan in detail right from the beginning? Or did he make up a plan taking advantage of events as they happened?
Answer:
Ausable was a very intelligent and smart person. When he came in the room, he was shocked to see Max with a pistol in his hand, inside the room. Before he could plan to get rid of Max, there was a knock at the door. His sharp mind immediately made up a plan. He convinced Max that there was a balcony through which he could save himself as the police had arrived for a routine check. His response was spontaneous not fabricated.

The Midnight Visitor Extra Questions and Answers

The Midnight Visitor Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
Why did Fowler want to meet Ausable? Why was he disappointed?
Answer:
Fowler was a young romantic writer. He loved adventure and thrill. He was always interested in knowing the lives of secret agents. He wanted to meet Ausable who was on a secret assignment. He was a little disappointed when he found nothing mysterious and romantic in Ausable. Ausable, in fact, was a fat, ordinary person.

Question 2.
Who was Henry? What role did he play in Ausable’s plans?
Answer:
Henry was a waiter at the French hotel where Ausable had a room. He played a vital role in helping Ausable’s plan as it was Henry’s knock at the door which frightened Max as he mistook it to be a policeman at the door. This confusion forced Max to jump from the window assuming it to be a balcony and hence helping Ausable’s plan to get rid of Max.

Question 3.
What was someone expected to bring to Ausable’s room?
Answer:
Ausable expected to get a very important report about missiles, which was to be delivered to him after midnight.

Question 4.
Why was Ausable angry with the hotel’s management?
Answer:
Ausable pretended to be angry with the hotel management because they had not paid any attention to the balcony that was a safety threat for him. In fact, he fabricated a story about the non-existent balcony to trap Max.

Question 5.
How did Max enter the room? Why did he do so?
Answer:
Max entered Ausable’s room through the main door, using a pass key. He wanted to take the important report from Ausable. Therefore, he decided to give a shock to Ausable. He thought it would be easy to overpower Ausable by giving him a shock.

Question 6.
Was there a balcony outside the window? Give instances from the text in support of your answer.
Answer:
There was no balcony outside the window. The following lines show that there was no balcony:
“And then as he dropped, he screamed once shrilly.”
“But what about the man on the balcony?” Fowler asked
“No” said Ausable, “he won’t ever return.”
Thus, we know that the man had died after jumping from the 6th floor.

Question 7.
Did Fowler find this episode thrilling or disappointing? Give a reason for your answer.
Answer:
Fowler found this episode quite thrilling. In the beginning, he was not impressed by the personality of Ausable who did not fit as a secret agent. As he had read about the mysterious figures, the crack of pistols and drugs in wine, the fat Ausable did not impress him much. But he was not able to believe the quick answer and smartness of Ausable. The whole episode appeared to be quite unbelievable.

Question 8.
Why did Ausable ask Fowler to cheer up?
Answer:
Ausable knew that Fowler wanted to see something mysterious and romantic. Ausable asked him to cheer up as he was going to receive an important report concerning some new missiles. Many people had risked their lives. Therefore, there could be some drama in his room.

Question 9.
What story did Ausable fabricate about the balcony?
Answer:
He told Fowler that the balcony in his room had become a nuisance for him. He told him that his room used to be the part of a large unit and through the balcony any one could come to his room as the adjoining room was empty.

Question 10.
How do you know that Ausable was a clever secret agent?
Answer:
Ausable was really a clever secret agent as is evident from the story. He told a false story about the existence of a non-existent balcony. Knowing very well that the waiter was knocking at the door, he told him about the police.

The Midnight Visitor Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Ausable has the ability to think quickly, act calmly and wisely in a situation of danger and surprise. These are some values and skills that save us from danger. How did Ausable use the above skills in the story, ‘The Midnight visitor’?
Answer:
Ausable wins over a very critical situation by his sheer presence of mind without using any physical force. He was a quick witted secret agent. He made Max believe that he was scared on finding him inside his room with a pistol in his hand. He befooled him about the balcony, knowing very well that there was no balcony in that room.

He fabricated a story about the arrival of the report and the police. When there was a knock at the door, he convinced Max that it was police. Max got scared and jumped into the non-existent balcony to death. This is how Ausable proved that presence of mind is more powerful than physical force. Ausable had the qualities of being calm, quiet and wise in a dangerous situation. These are the values that one can practise in adversity. Ausable overpowered Max because of these qualities.

Question 2.
What is superior, physical strength or intelligence in a difficult situation? Which one of these qualities and skills would you stress upon? Why? Elaborate with reference to the story, ‘The Midnight Visitor’.
Answer:
Physical strength and intelligence both have their own importance. These are complementary to each other. Intelligence without physical ability is useless and vice versa. But out of the two intelligence is superior. Use of physical strength may lead to violence and bloodshed but use of intelligence saves one without any bloodshed or violence. In the story ‘The Midnight Visitor’ Ausable wins over a very

critical situation by his presence of mind without using physical force. He got rid of another secret agent Max with his intelligence. He proved that presence of mind is more powerful than physical force. I would stress upon more on intelligence but will not ignore physical strength at the same time.

Question 3.
How did Ausable get rid of Max? Would you call the act of Ausable a violent act? Do you support violence in prevention of crime?
Answer:
Max was in Ausable’s room with a pistol in his hand. When there was a knock at the door Ausable convinced Max that it was police. He excited him to hide himself on the non-existent balcony. Max, in terror, jumped from the sixth floor and met his end. No, it cannot be called non-violence. Ausable saved himself but led Max to death. He made him jump from the eighth floor.

He concocted the story of a non-existent balcony and convinced him to hide there. He trusted him and jumped to death. Violence should never be supported but in prevention of crime it is inevitable. We cannot tackle the criminals without the use of weapons and violence is inevitable.

Question 4.
Give a brief character sketch of Fowler?
Answer:
Fowler is a young romantic writer, who loves reading mysterious stories. He has a fantasy to meet a secret agent or to see mysterious figures in the night, the crack of guns, drugs in wine, etc. He is not much interested in meeting dull people. He gets easily bored and disappointed.
Though he is a writer, he is very timid by heart.

He easily loses his cool and gets nervous. The moment he enters Ausable’s room and his eyes meet Max with an automatic pistol in his hand, he is thrilled. He is scared, the moment he realises that it is a waiter and not the police who has knocked at the door. He wants to know about the man in the balcony. He has a horrible experience with Ausable tackling risky situations so calmly.

Question 5.
How does Ausable convince Max that there is a balcony in his room? How does his intelligence and presence of mind help him?
Answer:
Ausable had realised that Max had no idea about the balcony in his house. He quickly thought of a plan. When the bearer came to the room and knocked at the door, Ausable fabricated a story to convince Max about the balcony. The moment Max realised the danger, he jumped on to the balcony; which turned out to be fatal.

The way Ausable complained about the existence of the balcony which had created a nuisance earlier also, Max could not think it to be wrong and willingly jumped to his death. Ausable was an intelligent secret agent. He could think quickly. He knew that Max was scared and he used his ignorance and foolishness in his own favour. His intelligence and presence of mind helped him in a dangerous and critical situation.

Question 6.
Max was a cunning spy but his carelessness and foolishness proved fatal for him. Do you agree? How do casual carelessness and foolishness spoil our life?
Answer:
Max was no doubt a careless and foolish person who could be termed as a blot on the image of a secret agent. Max was on an important mission to procure a vital report regarding some new missiles. So it becomes obvious that the person assigned such task should be witty and a perfect planner but Max did not take any pain to inspect the hotel or Ausable’s room in advance. Max fell into the trap of false story and jumped onto a non-existent balcony, which eventually cost him his life.

No doubt Max was also equally clever but he had a flaw in his personality. He trusted his rival without the application of his mind. He fell victim to his carelessness and foolishness. Yes, our carelessness and foolishness may prove fatal.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 3 The Midnight Visitor Read More »

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 8 Mijbil the Otter

CBSE Class 10 / Prasanna

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English

Mijbil the Otter NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 8

Mijbil the Otter NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

Mijbil the Otter Oral Comprehension Check

Question 1.
What ‘experiment’ did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?
Answer:
Maxwell thought that Camusfearna with water at a stone’s throw would be suitable for keeping an otter as a pet.

Question 2.
Why does he go to Basra? How long does he wait there, and why?
Answer:
He went to Basra to the Consulate-General to collect and answer mail from Europe as his mail had not arrived, he waited for 5 days due to various reasons.

Question 3.
How does he get the otter? Does he like it? Pick out the words that tell you this.
Answer:
The author got the otter from Arabs who brought it in a sack. From the very beginning, he liked the otter as is evident from words like ‘thraldom to otters’ and ‘otter fixation.’

Question 4.
Why was the otter named ‘Maxwell’s otter’?
Answer:
The otter was named “Maxwell’s otter” as it belonged to a race previously unknown to science and hence the zoologists named it after its founder—Maxwell’s otter.

Question 5.
Tick the right answer. In the beginning, the otter was
1. aloof and indifferent
2. friendly
3. hostile
Answer:
Aloof and indifferent

Question 6.
What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom? What did it do two days after that?
Answer:
When Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom, it went wild with joy in the water, plunging and rolling in it, shooting up and down the length of the bathtub under water. Two days later, Mijbil escaped from the author’s bedroom and went to the bathroom on its own.

Question 7.
How was Mij to be transported to England?
Answer:
Mij was to be transported to England packed in a box of not more than 18 inches square.

Question 8.
What did Mij do to the box?
Answer:
Mij tore the linings of the box to shreds.

Question 9.
Why did Maxwell put the otter back in the box? How do you think he felt when he did this?
Answer:
Maxwell had to put the otter in a box to take him to England. He must have felt helpless and unin- surable while putting his beloved pet in a closed box like an inanimate object. .

Question 10.
Why does Maxwell say the air hostess was ‘the very queen of her kind’?
Answer:
Maxwell calls the air hostess the very queen of her kind because she was kind and understanding and allowed the author to keep his pet on his knees.

Question 11.
What happened when the box was opened?
Answer:
When the box was opened, Mij was out in a splash and disappeared at high speed down the aircraft. There were squawks and shrieks and a lot of chaos in the plane.

Question 12.
What game had Mij invented?
Answer:
Mij had invented a game with a ball and a broken suitcase. He would place the ball on the high end of the suitcase and run to the other end to catch it.

Question 13.
What are ‘compulsive habits’? What does Maxwell say are the compulsive habits of
(i) school children
(ii) Mij?
Answer:
Compulsive habits are the habits which are impossible to control.
(i) School children place their feet squarely on the centre of each paving block; must touch every seventh upright of iron railings or pass to the outside of every second lamp post.
(ii) Mij would take the author to the two feet high wall of the primary school, jump on to it and gallop the full length of its thirty yards.

Question 14.
What group of animals do otter belong to?
Answer:
Otters belong to a small group of animals called mustellines.

Question 15.
What guesses did the Londoners make about what Mij was?
Answer:
Londoners made some really wild and funny guesses ranging from other mustellines to ‘a baby seal’, a squirrel, a walrus, a hippo, a beaver, a bear cub, a leopard and a brontosaur.

Mijbil the Otter Thinking about the Text

Question 1.
What things does Mij do which tell you that he is an intelligent, friendly and fun loving animal who needs love?
Answer:
Initially Mij was neither friendly nor hostile. Later, he displayed his characteristics. Very soon he began to take keen interest in his surroundings. He would follow without lead and went to the author when he called his name. He spent hours playing with ball. Marbles were Mij’s favourite toys. When the narrator was flying to Paris, he packed Mij in a box. But Mij was out of the box and disappeared at high speed. He could turn the tap to let flow the water. Thus, he was certainly intelligent, friendly and fun-loving animal who needed love.

Question 2.
What are some of the things we come to know about otters from this text?
Answer:
Otters belong to a small group of animals called Mustelline comprising badger, mongoose weasel, stoat and mink, etc. They are found in large numbers in marshes near Basra, Iraq. They are rather small fun-loving and intelligent creatures who take a keen interest in their surroundings. They love playing with water and are friendly harmless animals.

Question 3.
Why is Mij’s species now known to the world as Maxwell’s otter?
Answer:
Mijbil belonged to a race of otters which was previously unknown to science. Since it was Gavin Maxwell who first befriended the animal and brought it to zoologists’ notice, it is now known as ‘Lutrogale Perspicillata Maxwelli’ or ‘Maxwell’s otter’.

Question 4.
Maxwell in the story speaks for the otter, Mij. He tells us what the otter feels and thinks on different occasions. Given below are some things the otter does. Complete the column on the right to say what Maxwell says about what Mij feels and thinks.

What My does	How Mij feels or thinks
plunges, rolls in the water and makes the water splosh and splash
screws the tap in the wrong way
nuzzles Maxwell’s face and neck in the aeroplane

Answer:
(i) He went wild with joy.
(ii) Irritated and disappointed at the tap’s failure to cooperate.
(iii) happy and free.

Mijbil the Otter Extra Questions and Answers

Mijbil the Otter Reference-to-Context Questions

Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
We were going to Basra to the Consulate-General to collect and answer our mail from Europe. At the Consulate-General we found that my friend’s mail had arrived but that mine had not.

(a) The narrator and his friend were going to Basra to the Consulate-General to collect and
answer the ………. from Europe.
Answer:
mails

(b) At the Consulate-General he found that his friend’s mail had …………… but that his had not.
Answer:
arrived

(d) Find the same meaning of the word ‘reached’ in the extract.
Answer:
arrived

Question 2.
I cabled to England, and when, three days later, nothing had happened, I tried to telephone. The call had to be booked twenty-four hours in advance. On the first day the line was out of order; on the second the exchange was closed for a religious holiday. On the third day there was another breakdown. My friend left, and I arranged to meet him in a week’s time. Five days later, my mail arrived.

(a) When the narrator did not receive his mail, he had to contact the …………. in England.
Answer:
authorities

(b) The narrator tried to telephone because his ……………. to England was not answered.
Answer:
cable

(d) Find the same meaning of the word “collapse” in the extract.
Answer:
breakdown

Question 3.
I carried it to my bedroom to read, and there, squatting on the floor, were two Arabs; beside them lay a sack that squirmed from time to time.

(a ) The narrator carried the to his bedroom to read.
Answer:
mail

(b) The narrator found two Arabs on the floor in his room.
Answer:
squatting

(d) Find the same meaning of the phrase “sitting on heels with knees bent up.”
Answer:
squatting

Question 4.
With the opening of that sack began a phase of my life that has not yet ended, and may, for all I know, not end before I do. It is, in effect, a thraldom to otters, an otter fixation, that I have since found to be shared by most other people, who have ever owned one.

(a) The opening of the sack began a of the narrator’s life.
Answer:
phase

(b) It is, in effect, a to otters, an otter fixation,
Answer:
thraldom

(d) Find the same meaning of the phrase “being under the control of’ in the extract.
Answer:
thraldom

Question 5.
The creature that emerged from this sack on to the spacious tiled floor of the Consulate bedroom resembled most of all a very small, medievally-conceived, dragon. From the head to the tip of the tail he was coated with symmetrical pointed scales of mud armour, between whose tips was visible a soft velvet fur like that of a chocolate-brown mole.

(a) The creature that emerged from the sack resembled a very small, medievally-conceived
Answer:
dragon

(b) From the head to the tip of the tail, the creature was coated with ……………. pointed scales of mud armour.
Answer:
symmetrical

(d) Find the same meaning of the word ‘confined’.
Answer:
emerged

Question 6.
He shook himself, and I half expected a cloud of dust, but in fact it was not for another month that I managed to remove the last of the mud and see the otter, as it were, in his true colours.

(a) The narrator could see the otter in his true colours after ………….
Answer:
a month

(b) The narrator could not see the otter’s true colours for many days because it was ………….. mud.
Answer:
covered with

(d) Find the same meaning of ‘quivered’ in the extract.
Answer:
‘Shook’.

Question 7.
Mijbil, as I called the otter, was, in fact, of a race previously unknown to science, and was at length christened by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli, or Maxwell’s otter. For the first twenty- four hours Mijbil was neither hostile nor friendly; he was simply aloof and indifferent, choosing to sleep on the floor as far from my bed as possible.

(a) Mijbil was in fact, of a race previously unknown to
Answer:
Science

(b) For the first twenty-four hours Mijbil was neither nor friendly.
Answer:
hostile

(d) Find the meaning of the phrase ‘at last’ from the extract.
Answer:
at length

Question 8.
The second night Mijbil came on to my bed in the small hours and remained asleep in the crook of my knees until the servant brought tea in the morning, and during the day he began to lose his apathy and take a keen, much too keen, interest in his surroundings.

(a) The second night Mijbil came on to the narrator’s bed and remained asleep in the crook of his knees.
Answer:
In the small hours

(b) During the day Mijbil took much interest in his
Answer:
surroundings

(d) Find the meaning of the phrase ‘very early in the morning’.
Answer:
in the small hours of night.

Question 9.
Two days later, Mijbil escaped from my bedroom as I entered it, and I turned to see his tail disappearing round the bend of the corridor that led to the bathroom. By the time I got there he was up on the end of the bathtub and fumbling at the chromium taps with his paws. I watched, amazed; in less than a minute he had turned the tap far enough to produce a trickle of water, and after a moment or two achieved the full flow.

(a) Two days later, Mijbil escaped from the narrator’s ……….. as he (the narrator) entered it.
Answer:
bedroom

(b) Mijbil opened the tap to have full
Answer:
flow of water

(d) Find the meaning the word ‘very surprised’ from the extract. ‘
Answer:
amazed

Question 10.
Very soon Mij would follow me without a lead and come to me when I called his name. He spent most of his time in play. He spent hours shuffling a rubber ball round the room like a four-footed soccer player using all four feet to dribble the ball, and he could also throw it, with a powerful flick of the neck, to a surprising height and distance.

(a) Very soon Mij followed the narrator without a …………. and come to him when he called his name.
Answer:
lead

(b) Mijbil spent most of his time, playing with a ………….
Answer:
rubber ball

(d) Find the meaning of the phrase “a quick, light movement”.
Answer:
flick

Question 11.
But the real play of an otter is when he lies on his back and juggles with small objects between his paws. Marbles were Mij’s favourite toys for this pastime: he would lie on his back rolling two or more of them up and down his wide, flat belly without ever dropping one to the floor.

(a) The real play of an otter is when he lies on his back and ………. with small objects between his paws.
Answer:
juggles

(b) ……… were Mij’s favourite toys.
Answer:
marbles

(d) Find the same meaning of the word, ‘hobby in the extract’.
Answer:
pastime

Question 12.
When I returned, there was an appalling spectacle. There was complete silence from the box, but from its airholes and chinks around the lid, blood had trickled and dried. I whipped off the lock and tore open the lid, and Mij, exhausted and blood-spattered, whimpered and caught at my leg.

(a) When the narrator returned, there was an ………. spectacle.
Answer:
appalling

(b) Mijbil exhausted himself by tearing the ………… to shreds.
Answer:
lining of the box

(d) Find the same meaning of the phrase ‘cried with pain’
Answer:
whimpered

Question 13.
He had torn the lining of the box to shreds; when I removed the last of it so that there were no cutting edges left, it was just ten minutes until the time of the flight, and the airport was five miles distant. I put the miserable Mij back into the box, holding down the lid with my hand.

(a) The narrator put the miserable Mij back into the box, the did with his hand.
Answer:
holding down

(b) The airport was distant.
Answer:
five miles

(d) Find the same meaning of the words “‘pitiable condition” in the extract.
Answer:
miserable

Question 14.
I sat in the back of the car with the box beside me as the driver tore through the streets of Basra like a ricochetting bullet. The aircraft was waiting to take off; I was rushed through to it by infuriated officials. Luckily, the seat booked for me was at the extreme front. I covered the floor around my feet with newspapers, rang for the air hostess, and gave her a parcel of fish (for Mij) to keep in a cool place.

(a) The narrator sat in the back of the car with the …………… beside him.
Answer:
box

(b) The officials were ……………. because the author had been late.
Answer:
infuriated

(d) Find the meaning of the words ‘extremely angry’.
Answer:
‘infuriated’

Question 15.
I took her into my confidence about the events of the last half hour. I have retained the most profound admiration for that air hostess; she was the very queen of her kind. She suggested that I might prefer to have my pet on my knee, and I could have kissed her hand in the depth of my gratitude. But, not knowing otters, I was quite unprepared for what followed.

(a) The narrator took the air hostess into his …………… because he wanted her to take care of Mijbil.
Answer:
confidence

(b) The air hostess suggested that he might to have his pet on his knees.
Answer:
prefer

(d) Find the same meaning of the word, ‘great’ in the extract.
Answer:
profound

Question 16.
“Perhaps”, said the air hostess with the most charming smile, “it would be better if you resumed your seat, and I will find the animal and bring it to you.”

(a) The air hostess called the author to his seat because she wanted to help him find the Otter.
Answer:
resume

(b) Understanding the plight of the narrator the air hostess was ………..
Answer:
amused

(d) Find the meaning of the phrase “went back to the seat”.
Answer:
resumed your seat

Question 17.
A suitcase that I had taken to Iraq had become damaged on the journey home, so that the lid, when closed, remained at a slope from one end to the other. Mij discovered that if he placed the ball on the high end it would run down the length of the suitcase. He would dash around to the other end to ambush its arrival, hide from it, crouching, to spring up and take it by surprise, grab it and trot off with it to the high end once more.

(a) A suitcase that the narrator had taken to …………. had become damaged on the journey home.
Answer:
Iraq

(b) Mij discovered that if he placed the ball on the high end, it would the length of the suitcase.
Answer:
run down

(c) The otter was an intelligent pet because he had invented the method of playing with ball in a suitcase. (True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) Find the same meaning of the words ‘attack’ in the extract.
Answer:
ambush

Question 18.
Outside the house I exercised him on a lead, precisely as if he had been a dog. Mij quickly developed certain compulsive habits on these walks in the London streets, like the rituals of children who on their way to and from school must place their feet squarely on the centre of each paving block; must touch every seventh upright of the iron railings, or pass to the outside of every second lamp post.

(a) Outside the house the narrator Mijbil on a lead.
Answer:
exercised

(b) Mijbil has been compared with children who develop certain habits.
Answer:
compulsive

(d) Find the meaning of the words ‘habitual’.
Answer:
rituals

Question 19.
“As I drew nearer I saw his expression of surprise and affront, as though he would have me know that he was not one upon whom to play jokes. I come abreast of him, he spat, glared, and then growled out, “Here Mister—What is that supposed to be?”

(a) The narrator saw a expression of surprise and affront.
Answer:
labourer’s

(b) The labourers asked the narrator with surprise
Answer:
“What it was supposed to be?”

(d) Find the meaning of the phrase ‘make a harsh sound’.
Answer:
growl out

Mijbil the Otter Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
When did Gavin Maxwell decide to have an otter as a pet?
Answer:
When Gavin Maxwell was in southern Iraq, he thought that he should keep an otter as a pet instead – of a dog. The place where he was living was suitable for that experiment.

Question 2.
What are the exclusive features/habits of an otter?
Answer:
An otter is a fun loving animal. They are found in abundance near the fresh water. They love the flowing water. An otter is an intelligent animal and capable of inventing new games.

Question 3.
Why did Gavin Maxwell stay in Basra for five days?
Answer:
Gavin Maxwell went to Basra to the Consulate General to collect and answer his mail from Europe. His mail did not arrive in time. He cabled to England, and when three days later, no response was received, he tried to telephone. But the exchange was closed for a religious holiday. His mail arrived five days later. So, he had to wait for a few days.

Question 4.
How did Maxwell get an otter?
Answer:
Maxwell expressed his desire to his friend to have an otter as a pet. His friend sent two Arabs with an otter at Basra. This is how he got an otter in Basra.

Question 5.
How did the otter look for the first time?
Answer:
The author got an otter through two Arabs who were sent by his friend. Initially, it looked very dirty due to mud. On the first day, the otter did not respond to any action of the narrator. It remained shy and indifferent. It remained aloof for twenty-four hours. It was only after twenty-four hours that the otter came closer to the author.

Question 6.
When did Maxwell realise that the otter loved water?
Answer:
One day Maxwell took the otter in the bathroom. The otter jumped with joy into the bathtub. It remained there for a long time. Seeing the otter’s movement, Maxwell realised that the otter loved water.

Question 7.
What did Mijbil, the otter, do in the bathroom after two days of his arrival?
Answer:
Mijbil, the otter, was a fun-loving intelligent animal. He loved water. On the first day, he went wild with joy in the water. Next day, Mijbil escaped from the bedroom and entered the bathroom. He struggled with the tap till it had a full flow of water.

Question 8.
What did Mijbil do to pass his time?
Answer:
Mijbil spent most of his time in playing with a rubber ball with its feet. He dribbled and threw it. He was a fun-loving animal. He played with a plastic ball too. He had invented his own game.

Question 9.
Why was Mijbil put in a box by Maxwell? Why was there silence in the box?
Answer:
The author had to come back to London. The British Airways did not allow the author to fly with an animal. So he had to go by another airline. This airline insisted that Mij should be packed in a box. When the author came, he found that there was complete silence in the box. He got scared. He saw blood coming out of the box. When he opened the box, he found Mij badly wounded. Mij had tried to come out of the box.

Question 10.
Why was the author not allowed to take a flight of the British airline?
Answer:
The British Airways had a rule that the passengers could not fly with their pets. Mijbil was an otter. The author could not be allowed to fly with Mijbil as the rules did not permit it.

Question 11.
How did Mijbil pass his time in London?
Answer:
In London, Mij played for hours with his toys. He had a ping pong ball, marbles, rubber fruit and a terrapin shell to play with. With a ping pong ball, he had invented his own game. Mij was happy now.

Question 12.
What routine did Mij follow every day while on the walk in London?
Answer:
While on the walk in London, Mijbil had developed certain compulsive habits. In the street, it placed its feet squarely on the centre of each paving block. It used to touch every seventh upright of the iron railings.

Question 13.
How did Mij invite the attention of the teachers and the students of a primary school in London?
Answer:
There was a primary school opposite to Maxwell’s house. It was a single storey building. It had a wall of thirty yards. It was only two feet in height. Mij used to jump and run over it with full speed. This always distracted the teachers and the students of the school.

Question 14.
What did the Londoners think about Mijbil the otter?
Answer:
Mijbil the otter was a new creature for the Londoners. They had never seen such a pet in their life. They guessed that it belonged to a small group of animals called mustellines. Some of them guessed it was a small walrus or a baby seal. Some called it a hippo and a brontosaur.

Mijbil the Otter Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
The narrator is a great lover of animals. He decided to have an otter, a unique animal, as a pet. Do you also have or want to keep a pet? There are many responsibilities towards the pet to keep them happy. How do you take a good care of your pet?
Answer:
For some people, life without a pet is lonely. The same happened with the narrator. When his pet dog died, he became extremely sad. To overcome his grief, he decided to have an otter as a pet. This shows his great love for all animals. I also have a pet dog, Bruno. I take great care of him and am aware of my responsibilities towards him. A pet must be treated as a member of the family.

It should be regularly vaccinated by a trained vet. A pet, like dog and cat, needs proper toilet training and must be taught to obey your instructions. A balanced diet is a must for a pet to keep it healthy. A pet should not be chained all the time. It can make it more aggressive. Remember a daily dose of exercise, affection and playful activities work wonders for a pet. And, more importantly, all the members of a family should be considerate towards it.

Question 2.
The narrator developed a special bond with Mijbil, the otter, and both became good companions. What qualities of the narrator, do you think, help him in taming an otter? How did compassion and empathy in him reveal?
Answer:
The narrator Maxwell and Mijbil share a unique relationship. Narrator’s considerate behaviour helped him in winning the trust of the otter, an otherwise wild animal. He provides freedom to the otter to do what he likes the most—playing and rolling about in water in the bathtub like a playful and naughty child. Mijbil was allowed to spend most of his time in play without caring for the room being dirty. It shows the narrator’s concern and empathy for the creature. He has compassion and empathy for him. He takes every care for his safety. He understands his needs and fulfils them.

Question 3.
How did the narrator feel when he saw blood trickling down the box in which Mijbil had been kept to transport to England? How would you feel if you were in such a situation? What traits of narrator’s character are reflected here?
Answer:
When Mij was to be transported to England, and to Camusfearna the narrator got tensed at the prospect. Mij was packed in a box with airholes in order to be taken by an airline. Just before leaving the home for airport, the narrator was shocked to see traces of blood all around the box. Mijbil in an attempt to be freed had fumbled with the box and had injured itself. The narrator removed the iron lining with its cutting edges and again put Mijbil back in.

During the flight, though Mijbil, caused a ruckus, the narrator resumed his journey with Mijbil on his knees. I would also feel in the same manner if I were in the narrator’s place. Seeing a pet in distress is the least wanted thing. The incident revealed the narrator’s extremely caring and compassionate nature. He was indeed a man with boundless kindness. We all must have the value of compassion and kindness for all the living creatures.

Question 4.
Throughout the story, Mij is shown having human qualities. How can you say that Mij is an intelligent, friendly and fun-loving animal who needs and understands love? What does this tell you about the relationship of a human being and an animal?
Answer:
There is an age-old relationship between man and animal. Both share a unique relationship. To bring out this fact, Mijbil is shown having human qualities throughout the story. Mijbil’s intelligence is clear from his attempts to turn on and off the tap in the bathtub. It can even dribble the ball and juggle the objects without even dropping them. He understands the narrator’s love for him and follows him everywhere. This is an example of man’s age-old relationship with animals. Early man tamed animals like cows, bulls, elephants and horses to fulfil his daily needs. Animals obey the orders of their master. It means they are capable of understanding human emotions.

Question 5.
What do you think is the purpose of the narrator to write in detail his relationship with his pet otter? What are the ethics to be observed with animals—either wild or pet?
Answer:
The narrator has revealed some interesting facts regarding his pet, Mijbil the otter. The main purpose behind this is to arouse feelings of empathy and concern for pets as well as wild animals. The text compels us to think about many other situations where animals are kept in captivity just for amusement without thinking of the animal’s welfare. For example, elephants, bears, lions and tigers are trained to work in a circus in the most inhumane manner.

Jugglers keep monkeys and snakes captive to earn a living. All these practices are illegal according to law. Any animal, either wild or pet, is useful to us in one way or the other. Pet animals protect our houses, carry loads for us, provide us with milk and meat, entertain us, etc. Wild animals in a forest form a food chain that is essential to maintain a balance in the ecosystem. So we all must adopt a positive approach while dealing with animals.

Question 6.
For smooth and effective working we have to follow certain rules and regulations. Sometimes basic human values don’t go together with rules. It is painful. But there are some people like the air hostess in the story ‘Mijbil the Otter’, who tried to act against the rules in the name of humanity. What qualities do we find in the air hostess? What would you have done if you were in her place?
Answer:
It is true that for smooth and effective working, we have to follow certain rules and regulations. Sometimes basic human values don’t go together with rules. It is painful. But there are some people like the air hostess in the story Mijbil the otter, who tried to act against the rules in the name of humanity. The air hostess was the embodiment of good qualities. When Gavin Maxwell told her about the otter, she listened to his story very peacefully. She was the queen of her kind.

Though it was against the rules to carry the animal in that way yet she decided to help him. She even suggested that he could keep the pet on his knee. She was always kind hearted and considerate. She handled the whole situation calmly. When Mij created trouble with squeaks and shrieks, she maintained her charming smile. She displayed basic human qualities while on her duty. Yes, I would have done the same. If there is no risk to the life or property of others, we may compromise with rules for the sake of humanity

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 8 Mijbil the Otter Read More »

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 2 The Thief’s Story

CBSE Class 10 / Prasanna

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English

The Thief’s Story NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 2

The Thief’s Story NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

The Thief’s Story Read and Find out

Question 1.
Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
Answer:
‘I’ is Hari Singh, the thief

Question 2.
What is he ‘a fairly successful hand’ at?
Answer:
He is “a fairly successful hand” at stealing things from the houses, without being caught.

Question 3.
What does he get from Anil in return for his work?
Answer:
He gets his food from Anil.

Question 4.
How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?
Answer:
The thief thinks that Anil will be sad at the loss of trust.

Question 5.
What does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?
Answer:
He had studied all kinds of people who had been robbed off by him. The greedy men showed fear, the rich men showed anger, the poor men showed acceptance.

Question 6.
Does Anil realise that he has been robbed?
Answer:
Anil realises that he has been robbed because the next morning he gives the same wet notes to Hari Singh.

The Thief’s Story Think About It

Question 1.
What are Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving an education? Do they change over time?
Answer:
Hari Singh is very intelligent. He knows that his ability to read and write would give him an extra edge. He would also become a reputed person. Even when he leaves Anil’s house, he gives a lot of importance to his education. This love for education brings him back to Anil’s house.

Question 2.
Why does not Anil hand the thief over to the police? Do you think most people would have done so? In what ways is Anil different from such employers?
Answer:
Anil does not hand over the thief to the police. Most of the people would have given the thief to the police so as to get rid of a thief and to safeguard their household goods. Anil is different from such employers. He knows about the theft, yet he does not want to tell Hari Singh about it. He realises his own mistake of not giving regular salary to Hari Singh. He gives some of the wet notes to Hari Singh. Thus, he gives him a chance to improve his ways of living.

The Thief’s Story Extra Questions and Answers

The Thief’s Story Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
How did the thief (Hari Singh) realise that Anil knew that his money had been stolen?
Answer:
The thief realised that Anil knew he had stolen his money because he found some of the notes still wet, as if they were taken out in the rain. He gave a fifty-rupee-note to Hari Singh the next morning, and he promised to give him more money, though he did not have any contract for giving any money.

Question 2.
How did Hari Singh know that Anil had forgiven him?
Answer:
Hari Singh realised that Anil knew about the theft because he found some of the notes still wet. He gave him a fifty-rupee-note and did not mention anything about the theft. This made him feel that Anil had forgiven him.

Question 3.
Who is ‘I’ in this story? Why did he change his name every month?
Answer:
‘I’ in this story is a 15 year old boy who is an experienced and successful thief. He changes his name every month to hide his real identity from his new employer and the police.

Question 4.
Why, according to Hari Singh, is it easier to rob a greedy man than a careless person like Anil?
Answer:
Hari Singh has correlated theft with the sense of satisfaction, a thief gets pleasure when a person comes to know that he has been robbed. Hari Singh says that a greedy man can afford to be robbed too whereas a careless man at times may never come to know that he has lost something or he has been robbed. This carelessness, on the part of a person robbed, deprives a thief of the pleasure which he gets out of theft.

Question 5.
What was the thief s immediate reaction when he stole Anil’s money?
Answer:
Hari Singh stole six hundred rupees and crawled out of the room. When he was on the road, he started running. He kept the notes in his waist held there by the string of his pyjama. He felt as if he was an oil rich Arab for a week or two.

Question 6.
What made the thief come back to Anil?
Answer:
Hari Singh came back to Anil because Anil trusted him. He did not want to miss the chance of being educated. Education could certainly make him a better man. He was fed up with the life of a thief, i.e. stealing and being caught and beaten.

Question 7.
What was Anil’s job? What did he usually do with the money he earned?
Answer:
Anil was a writer. He used to write articles for magazines. He was a spendthrift and used to spend money on his friends. He did not bother to save money for his future.

Question 8.
What does the thief say about the reactions of different types of people when they were robbed? How did he think Anil would react when he discovered the theft?
Answer:
The thief had robbed all kinds of people. According to him, the greedy men were scared of being robbed. The rich men showed anger. The poor men accepted their fate after being robbed. He thought that Anil would show only a touch of sadness. He would not be sad for the loss of money, but for the loss of trust.

Question 9.
What made him a successful thief?
Answer:
He always changed his name after stealing. He even managed to change the place. He tried his best to appear pleasing and innocent so the employers never suspected him to be a thief.

Question 10.
Why was he about to be dismissed? What made Anil reinstate him?
Answer:
He cooked very terrible meal which infuriated Anil. He gave the food to the stray dog and asked him to be off. But he got his job back by flattering Anil who was a simple and large-hearted man.

Question 11.
What made Hari Singh follow Anil after watching the wrestling match?
Answer:
Hari Singh knew by his experience that Anil was an easy-going and simple man who could trust even a stranger. He decided to rob him as it was quite easy. Therefore, he followed Anil to win his confidence and get a job there.

Question 12.
Why did Hari not make friends?
Answer:
Hari Singh was a thief. He did not believe in making friends as they were more trouble than help. He did not stay at one place for a long time so he could not make friends.

Question 13.
Where and how did Anil meet Hari Singh?
Answer:
Anil met Hari Singh when he was watching a wrestling match. Hari Singh flattered him by saying that Anil looked like a wrestler himself.

Question 14.
How do you know that Hari Singh lied about his cooking abilities?
Answer:
He lied about cooking because the meal that he cooked was terrible and Anil could not eat it. He gave it to a stray dog.

Question 15.
Why did Hari Singh feel that writing books was a queer way to make a living?
Answer:
Hari Singh was not an educated person, so he could not understand what Anil wrote. He was surprised to know that people paid him for writing books.

Question 16.
Why did Anil forgive Hari Singh?
Answer:
Anil was a large-hearted man. He knew that Hari Singh was a thief. But he forgave him because he wanted to give him another chance.

The Thief’s Story Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
“He was the most trusting person I had ever met,’ remarked Hari Singh. Hari Singh took undue advantage of Anil’s trust. Do you think trusting a servant blindly, like Anil, is wise or do we need to be careful?
Answer:
Hari Singh is justified in saying that Anil was the most trusting person he had ever met. But he took undue advantage of his trust. He was a thief and could not be expected to be honest with Anil. Anil had a blind faith in human nature. He employed him just out of sympathy and compassion for him. He trusted him and ignored his misdeed. He handed over all the financial transactions without verification.

He was so sympathetic towards Hari Singh that he did not ask him to leave the job when he was unable to cook. He trusted a stranger and gave him every chance to improve. When Hari Singh stole money and came back, Anil knew his act but said nothing. He knew he was guilty but rather gave him a fifty rupee note. I think such a blind faith in a stranger is not prudent, one should be kind but not careless.

Question 2.
Hari Singh decided to return the stolen money to Anil. It shows that everyone has some inner conscience which they do not put in practice. Do you agree? Was it the awakening of his conscience that made him return the money?
Answer:
Hari Singh’s conscience pricked him. He had a guilty conscience. He didn’t want to hurt him. Hari stole money because of his compulsive habit, but now he wanted to reform himself. He wanted to become a reputed member of the society. He vowed never to repeat the mistake again. It shows that everyone has inner conscience. It becomes dormant when we do not put them to practice or our circumstances don’t allow them to be put to practice. Yes, it was the awakening of Hari Singh’s conscience that made him return the stolen money.

Question 3.
Love is the basic human attribute that can transform evil into goodness. How did this attribute of Anil changed Hari Singh?
Answer:
Love and sympathy are positive qualities. If we have love and sympathy for a person, that person will try to win our trust and confidence. He will curb his baser instincts and try to prove worthy of our confidence in him. It was the love of Anil that transformed Hari Singh. He treated him kindly, reposed his faith in him and Hari Singh became an honest man.

Hari Singh was tempted once. He ran away with money. But when he recalled the faith, love, compassion and kindness of Anil, his heart changed. He decided to come back and return the stolen money. Anil knew that Hari Singh had stolen money. He could have handed him over to the police but he showed sympathy and kindness. This transformed Hari Singh. He gave up stealing and decided to become a good person.

Question 4.
Give a brief character Sketch of Hari Singh highlighting the positive aspects of his life.
Answer:
Hari Singh, a boy of 15, was an experienced and successful thief. He was successful because of his cleverness and intelligence. He planned everything meticulously before choosing his victims. He went to places where he would meet an unsuspecting victim. He would then win his confidence to get a job. After sometime he used to run away after stealing money from there.

Then-he used to change his name to be fool the police and his former employers. He was a liar. He got a job as a cook, though he could not cook well. He was a greedy boy. He was cruel enough to rob a simple and trusting man like Anil. He was able to steal six hundred rupees from his house. But, there is transformation in the end of the story, when he decides to come back to Anil and keep his trust alive. This shows that there is goodness concealed even in the worst of men.

Question 5.
If you had been Anil, what would you have done with Hari Singh? Do you think thieves can be transformed through love and compassion?
Answer:
I would have also forgiven Hari Singh. Hari Singh was no doubt a thief, but by coming back and returning the money, he had proved that he wanted to lead a respectable life. He was trying to change his habits. Secondly, even his master was really guilty of inviting his temptation by being careless. Therefore, the question of punishing him did not arise. A man should always be given a chance to improve.

That is why there are rehabilitation centres in prisons too. Nobody wants to become a criminal. Everyone is a victim of circumstances. In my opinion if one is given a chance and good environment, one can be transformed. Love, sympathy and right opportunity can transform the thieves too. Everyone wants to lead a life full of respect and dignity.

Question 6.
Do you think people like Anil and Hari Singh are found only in fiction, or, are there such people in real life? Do you think presence of such people can free the society from day-to-day crime?
Answer:
People like Anil and Hari Singh are the real characters. There are hundreds of thieves like Hari Singh who master the art of stealing from a very young age and win the trust and confidence of their employers. Then they rob them of their wealth and leave cities one after the other. In the same way, people like Anil are also real who are very generous and have faith even in the strangers.

I agree that if there are people like Anil who have a positive approach to life, there will be less crime in our society. He transformed a thief by his love, sympathy and compassion for him. If he had handed him over to the police, Hari Singh would have become a hardcore criminal and a threat to society.

Question 7.
Do you think it a significant detail in the story that Anil is a struggling writer? Does this explain his behaviour in any way?
Answer:
Anil is a struggling writer; therefore, he is not getting regular work. He writes articles for magazines now and then to be able to earn his living. He believed in ‘today’ without bothering for ‘tomorrow’. His compassionate nature made him believe even the strangers. He became tool in transforming a thief into a useful member of the society. That makes him have trust in others, as he does not have much to lose. He also understands the problems of other people, who are not earning well.

Question 8.
Have you met anyone like Hari Singh? Can you think and imagine the circumstances that can turn a fifteen year old boy into a thief?
Answer:
I have never met anyone like Hari Singh. It is the miserable circumstances which compel a fifteen year old boy to be a thief. When either the parents are dead or are not in a position to take a good care of their children, the children have to live on their own. In order to earn their livelihood, they steal things and sell. In the beginning, these innocent children request people to help them, but when nobody helps them, they start stealing as a revenge from their own parents and society. Empathy and trust can help them in changing their lives.

Question 9.
Give a brief character sketch of Anil highlighting his qualities.
Answer:
Anil was a young man of 25 years. He was a tall, lean and thin fellow. He was an easy-going, kind and simple man. He was a writer and wrote books as well as contributed to magazines. His income was not regular. He did not give any importance to materialism. He was an extravagant man, who would spend money lavishly on his friends.

He was sympathetic towards Hari Singh and did not throw him out of his house, when he could not cook well. He trusted a stranger and gave him the keys. He finally became a saint by giving Hari Singh a chance to improve. He did not say anything to Hari Singh on knowing about his guilt, rather gave him a fifty rupee note with a promise to give him regularly.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 2 The Thief’s Story Read More »

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 3 Two Stories about Flying

CBSE Class 10 / Prasanna

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English

Two Stories about Flying NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 3

Two Stories about Flying NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

I. His First Flight

Two Stories about Flying Part 1 Thinking about the Text

Question 1.
Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? Do you think all young birds are afraid to make their first flight, or are some birds more timid than others? Do you think a human baby also finds it a challenge to take its first step?
Answer:
The young seagull was afraid to fly because he thought his wings would not support him. He was very weak. Yes, all young birds are afraid to make their first flight. The same applies to a human baby too.

Question 2.
“The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?
Answer:
“The sight of the food maddened him.” This suggests that the young seagull was desperate due to hunger. He had eaten nothing for 24 hours. He was afraid to fly, that is why he did not want to fly. But it was the fear of death due to fall only which made him finally to fly. When he dived and started falling headlong downwards, he screamed and opened his wings.

Question 3.
“They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly.” Why did the seagull’s father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?
Answer:
The young seagull did not want to fly because he felt his wings would not support him. His brothers and sister had already taken their first flight. His parents threatened him to starve. They threatened and cajoled him so that he also might take his first flight. They wanted to .remove his fear of flight.

II. The Black Aeroplane

Two Stories about Flying Part 2 Thinking about the Text

Question 1.
“I’ll take the risk.” What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?
Answer:
He was in a risky position. There were stormy clouds in front of him and he did not have enough fuel to go around them to reach Paris. The narrator took the risk because he wanted to reach Paris to celebrate Christmas with his family.

Question 2.
Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew his aeroplane into the storm.
Answer:
The narrator experienced a frightening experience on a stormy night. He was shocked to see that the compass and other instruments were out of order. His contact with Paris Control Room was also stopped. There were stormy clouds ahead of him and there was no fuel left to move around. Then suddenly, he saw another aeroplane with no lights on its wings but surprisingly he was able to see the face of the pilot who signalled to follow him by waving his hand. He was delighted to see a helping hand. He followed that black aeroplane for about half an hour. Then suddenly he noticed he was near the runway. His happiness knew no bounds when he was on the runway with fuel hardly sufficient for ten minutes.

Question 3.
Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota…”?
Answer:
He was delighted to land safely out of dark stormy clouds; therefore, he was not sorry to walk away from his plane. He felt bad, when he was not able to thank his guide, his mentor who saved him from frightening situations, but he was so happy after landing that he didn’t feel sorry for not being able to thank the guide pilot.

Question 4.
What made the woman in the Control centre look at the narrator strangely?
Answer:
The woman in the control room was surprised when the narrator asked about the other aeroplane and its pilot. She said that there was no other aeroplane seen on the radar.

Question 5.
Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves and give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
As there was no aeroplane other than the narrator’s, it could not be a human help. Though the doubts and curiosity about the strange plane have not been made clear by the narrator, it seems to be his inner voice which guided him to land safely. Otherwise, how could a plane which had no lights on its wings be visible to the narrator and how could he see the face and waving hand of the pilot? Thus, it must be his inner voice only.

Two Stories about Flying Extra Questions and Answers

I. His First Flight

Two Stories about Flying Part 1 Reference-to-Context Questions

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
The young seagull was alone on his ledge. His two brothers and his sister had already flown away the day before. He had been afraid to fly with them. Somehow when he had taken a little run forward to the brink of the ledge and attempted to flap his wings he became afraid. The great expanse of sea stretched down beneath, and it was such a long way down — miles down.

(a) The young seagull was alone on his …..
Answer:
ledge

(b) The young seagull was frightened to fly with his brothers and sisters because he was ………… of the sea.
Answer:
afraid

(d) Find the synonym of ‘edge’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘Brink’.

Question 2.
He felt certain that his wings would never support him; so he bent his head and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge where he slept at night. Even when each of his brothers and his little sister, whose wings were far shorter than his own, ran to the brink, flapped their wings, and flew away, he failed to muster up courage to take that plunge which appeared to him so desperate. His father and mother had come around calling to him shrilly, upbraiding him, threatening to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away. But for the life of him he could not move.

(a) The young seagull ran away back to the little hole under the ………. where he slept at night.
Answer:
ledge

(b) His parents had come around calling to him shrilly, threatening him ……… on his ledge unless he flew away.
Answer:
starve

(d) Find the synonym of ‘gather’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘Muster up’.

Question 3.
That was twenty-four hours ago. Since then nobody had come near him. The day before, all day long, he had watched his parents flying about with his brothers and sister, perfecting them in the art of flight, teaching them how to skim the waves and how to dive for fish. He had, in fact, seen his older brother catch his first herring and devour it, standing on a rock, while his parents circled around raising a proud cackle. And all the morning the whole family had walked about on the big plateau midway down the opposite cliff taunting him with his cowardice.

(a) Twenty-four hours ago, seagull’s father and mother from him.
Answer:
had flown away

(b) The young seagull’s parents were flying with his brothers and sister, perfecting them in the
Answer:
art of flight

(c) The whole family had walked about on the big plateau midway down the opposite cliff praising the young seagull’s courage. (True/False)
Answer:
False

(d) Find the meaning of the words ‘the loud noise that a bird makes’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘cackle’.

Question 4.
The sun was now ascending the sky, blazing on his ledge that faced the south. He felt the heat because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall. He stepped slowly out to the brink of the ledge, and standing on one leg with the other leg hidden under his wing, he closed one eye, then the other, and pretended to be falling asleep. Still they took no notice of him. He saw his two brothers and his sister lying on the plateau dozing with their heads sunk into their necks. His father was preening the feathers on his white back.

(а) The young seagull felt the heat because he had not eaten since the previous
Answer:
Nightfall

(b) The young seagull saw his two brothers and sister lying on the ……….. dozing with their heads sunk into their necks.
Answer:
Plateau

(c) The young seagull stepped slowly out to the midway of the ledge and stood there constantly. (True/False)
Answer:
False

(d) Find the synonym of ‘supposed’ from the extract.
Answer:
Pretended.

Question 5.
Only his mother was looking at him. She was standing on a little high hump on the plateau, her white breast thrust forward. Now and again, she tore at a piece of fish that lay at her feet and then scrapped each side of her beak on the rock. The sight of the food maddened him. How he loved to tear food that way, scrapping his beak now and again to whet it.

(a) The young seagull’s mother was standing on a little high on the plateau.
Answer:
Hump

(b) The sight of the food him.
Answer:
Maddened

(d) Give a synonym of ‘sharpen’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘Whet’

Question 6.
“Ga, ga, ga,” he cried begging her to bring him some food. “Gaw-col-ah,” she screamed back derisively. But he kept calling plaintively, and after a minute or so he uttered a joyful scream. His mother had picked up a piece of the fish and was flying across to him with it. He leaned out eagerly, tapping the rock with his feet, trying to get nearer to her as she flew across. But when she was just opposite to him, she halted, her wings motionless, the piece of fish in her beak almost within the reach of his beak. He waited a moment in surprise, wondering why she did not come nearer, and then, maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish.

(a) The seagull’s mother did not pay attention to his begging for food because she wanted him to ………. on his own.
Answer:
Fly

(b) The mother of the young seagull picked up a piece of the fish and with it.
Answer:
Flew

(c) Seeing his mother coming towards him with a fish, the young seagull tried to get nearer to her as she flew across. (True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) Find the meaning of the word “sorrowfully” from the extract.
Answer:
‘Plaintively’.

Question 7.
With a loud scream he fell outwards and downwards into space. Then a monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still. He could hear nothing. But it only lasted a minute. The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards. The wind rushed against his breast feathers, then under his stomach, and against his wings. He could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air. He was not falling headlong now. He was soaring gradually downwards and outwards. He was no longer afraid. He just felt a bit dizzy.

(a) Maddened by the food brought by his mother, the young seagull ………… into the sea.
Answer:
Dived

(b) When the young seagull dived into the sea for the first time, his parents to motivate him.
Answer:
Screamed

(d) Find the meaning of the word “shocking” from the extract.
Answer:
‘monstrous’.

Question 8.
Then he flapped his wings once and he soared upwards. “Ga, ga, ga, Ga, ga, ga, Gaw-col-ah,” his mother swooped past him, her wings making a loud noise. He answered her with another scream. Then his father flew over him screaming. He saw his two brothers and his sister flying around him curveting and banking and soaring and diving. Then he completely forgot that he had not always been able to fly, and commended himself to dive and soar and curve, shrieking shrilly.

(a) The young seagull’s two brothers and his sister were flying around him, soaring and
Answer:
Diving

(b) The young seagull completely forgot that he had not always been
Answer:
able to fly

(d) Find the antonym of ‘falling/dropping’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘soaring’

Question 9.
He was near the sea now, flying straight over it, facing straight out over the ocean. He saw a vast green sea beneath him, with little ridges moving over it and he turned his beak sideways and cawed amusedly.

(a) The young seagull was near the sea now, flying over it.
Answer:
Straight

(b) The seagull saw a vast beneath him.
Answer:
Green sea

(d) Find the antonym of ‘limited’ from the extract.
Answer:
Vast

Question 10.
His parents and his brothers and sister had landed on this green flooring ahead of him. They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. He dropped his legs to stand on the green sea. His legs sank into it. He screamed with fright and attempted to rise again flapping his wings. But he was tired and weak with hunger and he could not rise, exhausted by the strange exercise. His feet sank into the green sea, and then his belly touched it and he sank no farther. He was floating on it, and around him his family was screaming, praising him and their beaks were offering him scraps of dog-fish. He had made his first flight.

(a) The young seagull’s brothers and sister had landed on the ahead of him.
Answer:
Green flooring

(b)At the time of landing on the sea, the young seagull was tired, weak with and unable to rise.
Answer:
Hunger

(d) Find the synonym of ‘tired out’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘Exhausted’

Two Stories about Flying Part 1 Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
For how long had the seagull been alone?
Answer:
The seagull had been alone for twenty-four hours.

Question 2.
Why did the seagull not go with the rest of his family?
Answer:
The seagull did not go with the rest of his family because he was afraid to fly.

Question 3.
(i) What were the ways the seagull had thought of to join his family?
(ii) Did he try any one of them?
Answer:
(i) The seagull thought of joining his family without having to fly. He ran from one end of the ledge to the other. The ledge ended in a steep fall in precipice. He thought of walking upto them but there was a deep chasm between him and them.
(ii) No, he didn’t try anyone of them.

Question 4.
Did the seagull think the sea was like a land? Pick out the words from the text that suggest this.
Answer:
Yes, the seagull thought the sea was like a land. He landed on the sea. When his legs sank into it, he screamed with fear and tried to rise again flapping his wings. This clearly indicates that he thought the sea was like a land.

Question 5.
(i) When did the seagull’s flight begin?
(ii) Where did it end?
Answer:
(i)His flight began when he was falling outwards and downwards into space. His wings spread outwards. Now, he was not falling headlong. He was moving gradually downwards and outwards.
(ii) His flight ended floating on the sea.

Question 6.
When did the seagull get over his fear of the water?
Answer:
The seagull thought the sea was like a land. When he landed on the sea, his feet sank into it. He was seized with fear. He was too tired to rise again. His belly touched the water and he sank no further. Now, he was floating on the sea. He had got over his fear of the water.

Question 7.
Do you sympathise with the seagull? Give reasons.
Answer:
Flying is a natural instinct of birds. But the young seagull develops a fright of flight. We sympathise with him because he has to suffer a lot before he gets over his fear of flying. He has to bear the taunts of his family. He has to go without food for twenty-four hours.

Question 8.
How did the seagull express his excitement when he saw his mother bringing food for him?
Answer:
The seagull was very hungry. When he saw his mother bringing food for him, he was greatly excited. He expressed his excitement by uttering a joyful scream. He leaned out eagerly. He tapped the rock with his feet. He tried to get nearer to her as she flew across.

Question 9.
How did the young seagull’s parents teach him the art of flying?
Answer:
Birds have a natural instinct to fly. However, some birds, like the young seagull in the story are afraid to fly. Then their parents teach them how to fly. The seagull’s parents fly about with their children curveting and banking and soaring and diving and thus, perfecting them in the art of flying.

Two Stories about Flying Part 1 Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Why did the seagull’s father and mother threaten him and persuade him to fly? How did they do it? Do you think it is a good parenting? Should the parents threaten their wards for learning?
Answer:
The young seagull was scared to fly. He was afraid of the vast exposure of the sea beneath him. His siblings were courageous and had learnt to fly. His parents constantly encouraged him to fly but he ‘ was too scared to fly. He was left alone without food. He was desperate with hunger. He expected his parents to feed him. But it was a threatening from them. He would die of hunger if he did not fly. The mother tempted him with a fish within his reach but not closer to him.

He ultimately fell to temptation and dived into the sea and finally succeeded. Yes, it was a good parenting. Parents should not pamper their kids by spoon feeding. They should make them independent. They should learn to do their work. Parents’ strictness in making a child learn a skill should not be taken as a threat. It is necessary and in favour of the child. In my opinion, without threat, the seagull would not have learnt to fly. He would have starved to death.

Question 2.
‘Spare the rod and spoil the child.’ Do you think the young seagull was not ready to fly due to lenient treatment by his family in the beginning? What made him fly later on? What is the role of motivation in learning?
Answer:
‘Spare the rod and spoil the child’. No, I don’t agree with this statement.No learning can take place under fear. It is the motivation that makes learning easy. The seagull was too scared to fly. It was a new thing for him. When he saw the vast sea, he could not take courage and fly. He was too young and was being taken care of by his parents. It was natural that his parents were feeding him. It can’t be called a lenient treatment.

He was, no doubt, threatened by his parents, but it was just to make him realise how important it was to fly. It was a question of his survival. The mother seagull tempted him with a piece of fish. He fell to temptation and dived into the vast sea. He was encouraged by his family and he learnt the art of flying. Motivation, encouragement and family support help in learning. The rod must be spared.

Question 3.
Fear and lack of confidence stop one from learning new things. Do you agree? How did these two traits of the young seagull make him coward? How did he overcome these shortcomings?
Answer:
Yes, it is true that fear and lack of confidence stop us from learning new things.
The young seagull lacked the value of courage and confidence in his character. He was the last member, in his family, to learn the art of flight. He was too scared to fly. His parents and other siblings encouraged him constantly. When it did not work, they scolded him for his cowardice. The mother seagull tricked him and tempted him with a piece of fish. He was kept hungry. His hunger and need for food forced him to dive into the sea.

Though he was not willing to learn the art of flying yet he was tricked by his family. Once he dived, his fear disappeared and he enjoyed his first flight.It is a fact that unless we try for something and overcome our fear we can’t learn anything. Confidence and motivation are two important traits that make any learning possible.

Question 4.
Does the situation of the young seagull arouse sympathy for him? Does sympathy always help? Do you think providing food to the young seagull out of sympathy would have helped him?
Answer:
The young seagull was afraid of flying. He thought that his wings could not support him. He pretended to be falling asleep and called his mother for food. He was hungry but could not muster the courage to jump down and fly. He was scared. All his family members had left him and taunted him for his cowardice. In fact, they wanted him to take his first flight. He should have overcome his fear of flight by now.

Yes, I sympathise with the seagull. It is not an easy task to take the first leap. One has to be confident and bold. All are not equally brave. The young seagull was ready to jump but he needed some time. Ultimately, he mustered the courage and overcame his fear of flight.

No, sympathy does not always help. It makes a person dependent. We should not give a fish to a hungry man out of sympathy, we should teach him how to catch a fish for food. If the young seagull had been provided food, he would never have learnt the art of flying. He would have become a crippled parasite on his family.

II. The Black Aeroplane

Two Stories about Flying Part 2 Reference-to-Context Type Questions

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Question 1.
The moon was coming up in the east, behind me, and stars were shining in the clear sky above me. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I was happy to be alone high up above the sleeping countryside. I was flying my old Dakota aeroplane over France back to England. I was dreaming of my holiday and looking forward to being with my family. I looked at my watch: one thirty in the morning.

(a) The narrator was going to
Answer:
England

(b) The narrator was dreaming of spending his holidays with .
Answer:
his family

(d) Give a synonym of ‘gleaming’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘shining’

Question 2.
‘I should call Paris Control soon,’ I thought. As I looked down past the nose of the aeroplane, I saw the lights of a big city in front of me. I switched on the radio and said, “Paris Control, Dakota DS 088 here. Can you hear me? I’m on my way to England. Over.”
The voice from the radio answered me immediately: “DS 088, I can hear you. You ought to turn twelve degrees west now, DS 088. Over.”
I checked the map and the compass, switched over to my second and last fuel tank, and turned the Dakota twelve degrees west towards England. ‘I’ll be in time for breakfast,’ I thought. A good big English breakfast! Everything was going well — it was an easy flight.

(a) The narrator called the to inform about his position and seek direction.
Answer:
Paris Control Room

(b) The control room directed the narrator to turn towards England.
Answer:
Twelve degrees west

(c) After receiving the directions from the control room, the narrator did not check the map, but followed the directions of the control room. (True/False)
Answer:
False

(d) Find the synonym of ‘abruptly’ from the extract.
Answer:
Immediately.

Question 3.
Paris was about 150 kilometres behind me when I saw the clouds. Storm clouds. They were huge. They looked like black mountains standing in front of me across the sky. I knew I could not fly up and over them, and I did not have enough fuel to fly around them to the north or south.
“I ought to go back to Paris,” I thought, but I
wanted to get home. I wanted that breakfast.
‘I’ll take the risk,’ I thought, and flew that old
Dakota straight into the storm.

(a) While flying, the narrator suddenly faced storm clouds …………. him.
Answer:
In front of

(b) The dilemma of the narrator was to go to London or go back to
Answer:
Paris

(d) Give a synonymous word for ‘extremely large in size’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘huge’

Question 4.
Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black. It was impossible to see anything outside the aeroplane. The old aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air. I looked at the compass. I couldn’t believe my eyes: the compass was turning round and round and round. It was dead. It would not work! The other instruments were suddenly dead, too. I tried the radio.“Paris Control? Paris Control? Can you hear me?” There was no answer. The radio was dead too. I had no radio, no compass, and I could not see where I was. I was lost in the storm.

(a) Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly
Answer:
Black

(b) The narrator looked at the compass and found it
Answer:
Dead

(d) Find a synonym of the word ‘bent’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘Twisted’

Question 5.
Then, in the black clouds quite near me, I saw another aeroplane. It had no lights on its wings, but I could see it flying next to me through the storm. I could see the pilot’s face — turned towards me. I was very glad to see another person.
He lifted one hand and waved. “Follow me,” he was saying. “Follow me.”
‘He knows that I am lost,’ I thought. ‘He’s trying to help me.’
He turned his aeroplane slowly to the north, in front of my Dakota, so that it would be easier for me to follow him. I was very happy to go behind the strange aeroplane like an obedient child.

(a) When the black clouds were quite near the narrator, he saw another
Answer:
Aeroplane

(b) The strange thing about another plane was that it did not have on its wings.
Answer:
lights

(d) Give the synonym of ‘abnormal’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘Strange’

Question 6.
After half an hour the strange black aeroplane was still there in front of me in the clouds. Now there was only enough fuel in the old Dakota’s last tank to fly for five or ten minules more. I was starting to feel frightened again. But then he started to go down and I followed through the storm. Suddenly I came out of the clouds and saw two long straight lines of lights in front of me. It was a runway! An airport! I was safe! I turned to look for my friend in the black aeroplane, but the sky was empty. There was nothing there. The black aeroplane was gone. I could not see it anywhere.

(a) The pilot of the old Dakota lost the way in the stormy clouds and so followed to land safely.
Answer:
Black plane

(b) The pilot of the old Dakota was frightened again because there was insufficient to fly for a few minutes.
Answer:
Fuel

(c) The narrator came out of the clouds and saw two long straight lines of lights in front of him. (True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) Give a synonym of ‘afraid’ from the extract.
Answer:
Frightened.

Question 7.
I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota near the control tower. I went and asked a woman in the control centre where I was and who the other pilot was. I wanted to say ‘Thank you’.
She looked at me very strangely, and then laughed.
“Another aeroplane? Up there in this storm? No other aeroplanes were flying tonight. Yours was the only one I could see on the radar.”
So who helped me to arrive there safely without a compass or a radio, and without any more fuel in my tanks? Who was the pilot on the strange black aeroplane, flying in the storm, without lights?

(a) The narrator and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota near the control tower.
Answer:
landed

(b) The woman looked at the narrator very strangely, and then
Answer:
laughed

(d) Find a synonym of ‘descended’ from the extract.
Answer:
‘landed’

Two Stories about Flying Part 2 Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
Why was the pilot happy? Give two reasons.
Answer:
The pilot was happy for the following two reasons:
(i) He was alone high up above the sleeping countryside.
(ii) He was dreaming of his holiday and looking forward to being with his family.

Question 2.
(i) Why did the pilot call the Paris Control the first time?
(ii) What was the advice of the Paris Control?
Answer:
(i) The first time, the pilot called the Paris Control Room to enquire about the location of the plane and the route to be followed.
(ii) The Paris Control advised him to turn twelve degrees west towards England.

Question 3.
How many fuel tanks were there in the plane? How much fuel was left?
Answer:
There were two fuel tanks in the plane. The pilot had already switched over to second and the last tank so there was enough fuel only to fly back to England.

Question 4.
What did the pilot encounter while 150 km away from Paris?
Answer:
The pilot encounterd black stormy clouds, 150 kilometres away from Paris.

Question 5.
Why did the pilot fly straight into the storm instead of returning to Paris?
Answer:
The pilot had a strong desire to get back home and have breakfast with his family. That is why, pilot took the risk and flew straight into the storm instead of going back to Paris.

Question 6.
Did the Paris Control hear the pilot, the second time he called? Why?
Answer:
No, because when the pilot tried to contact the Paris Control Room, he failed to do so as his radio was dead.

Question 7.
Describe the black clouds from the point of view of the pilot.
Answer:
When Paris was about 150 kilometres behind me, I saw the black clouds in front of me. They were huge clouds looked like black mountains standing in front of me across the sky. They were stormy and I could not fly up and over them.

Question 8.
How did the black aeroplane rescue the first pilot?
Answer:
The pilot of the black aeroplane guided the first pilot and helped him arrive safely at the airport.

Question 9.
Was the pilot of the Dakota able to meet the pilot of the black aeroplane?
Answer:
No, the pilot of the Dakota could not meet the pilot of the black aeroplane. TheTirst pilot even went to the Control Room to find who the other pilot was, but he could not find him. The black aeroplane disappeared without being seen by anyone even on the ‘radar’.

Two Stories about Flying Part 2 Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Do you think the story ‘The Black Aeroplane’ is a mystery? Do you see some elements of supernatural power in the story? Do you believe in supernatural powers?
Answer:
The Black Aeroplane’ by Frederick Forsyth is undoubtedly a mystery. The pilot of the old Dakota plane is trapped in black stormy clouds. Nothing is visible. All the instruments of his plane also stop functioning. Suddenly from nowhere a black aeroplane appears in the cloud. The pilot of the black aeroplane guides him. The plane has no lights on its wings but its pilot is still flying at ease. The first pilot arrives safely at the airport but when he goes to thank the pilot of the black plane, the woman in the control room even denies having seen any other aeroplane on the ‘radar’. This statement leaves the mystery of the pilot of the black aeroplane unfolded. However, there is no element of supernatural power in the story. There is no ghost or spirit in the plot. I don’t believe in supernatural elements like ghosts or spirits.

Question 2.
Was it the imagination of the pilot of Dakota aeroplane or a supreme power which helped the first pilot in landing safely? Do you think that there is always a supreme power that helps us in adversity?
Answer:
The pilot of the old Dakota aeroplane was caught in the black stormy clouds. Suddenly, a black aeroplane comes to his rescue. In the modern age of science and technology some people may reject the idea of a supreme power helping a person in crisis. It may be the imagination of the Dakota pilot. When in distress, he lost all hope. Maybe his own imagination guided him to go ahead and land safely.

I support this because the statement of the woman in the control room further confirms the non-existence of any black aeroplane on the radar. So there was neither any black aeroplane nor any pilot, it was purely the imagination of the Dakota pilot.

I personally feel the presence of supreme power in our own acts. At the time of adversity our own power helps us. We may call it supreme power or something else except supernatural power.

Question 3.
The pilot wanted to thank another pilot after his safe landing. Why? What characteristics are reflected from his action?
Answer:
The pilot of the old Dakota was caught in the storm. He lost his contact with the control room. His fuel tank was also empty. The instrument also stopped working. He had lost all hopes when a black strange plane appeared from nowhere. The pilot of the black plane asked him to follow him. He landed safely. After his landing safely, he wanted to thank the pilot. When asked the lady in the control room about the pilot, he came to know that there was no pilot or plane with him. It was only his imagination. He wanted to thank the pilot to show his gratitude. He was thankful to him for saving his life.

Question 4.
Have you ever been alone, or away from home during a thunderstorm or something like that? Narrate your experience in the form of a paragraph. What helped you in that situation?
Answer:
Yes, once I was alone and away from home during a thunderstorm. In fact, I was on an educational excursion in Himachal Pradesh. We were a group of ten students. On that particular day, I was having fever and stayed locked in my tent in the base camp. All of my friends had gone to the city for shopping. Suddenly, I noticed a huge black cloud in one corner of the valley. It grew dark and started raining. It was followed by thunderstorm. I was all alone. It was really scary. I got into my tent but soon it was blown over by the wind. I was in the open. I ran towards a guest house. One of the persons in the guest house had already seen me. He ran towards me and rescued me.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 3 Two Stories about Flying Read More »

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Poem 4 How to Tell Wild Animals

CBSE Class 10 / Prasanna

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English

How to Tell Wild Animals NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Poem 4

How to Tell Wild Animals NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

How to Tell Wild Animals Thinking about the Poem

Question 1.
Does ‘Dyin’ really rhyme with ‘lion’? Can you say it in such a way that it does?
Answer:
No, ‘Dyin’ does not rhyme with lion. If we try to change the pronunciation of lion a bit by speaking it as ‘line’ then it may rhyme with the word ‘dyin’.

Question 2.
How does the poet suggest that you identify the lion and the tiger? When can you do so according to him?
Answer:
According to the poet the lion roars while his prey is dying whereas the tiger is quiet. They can be guessed at the time of eating.

Question 3.
Do you think the words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ in the third stanza are spelt correctly? Why does the poet spell them like this?
Answer:
The words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ are not spelt correctly. The correct spelling of the words ‘lept’ is ‘leapt’ and ‘lep’ is leap but the poet is creating a sense of humour by making it closer to the word ‘Leopard’.

Question 4.
Do you know what a ‘bearhug’ is? It’s a friendly and strong hug – such as bears are thought to give, as they attack you! Again, hyenas are thought to laugh and crocodiles to weep (‘crocodile tears’) as they swallow their victims. Are there similar expressions and popular ideas about wild animals in your own language(s)?
Answer:
A bearhug is when the bear clasps his prey tightly with both hands or paws to press him to death. There are similar expressions in our language as in English, for example:
Hathi ke daant dikhane ke aur, khane ke aur.
Koulhu Ka Bel
Girgit Ki tarah rang badalana.

Question 5.
Look at the line “A novice might nonplus”. How would you write this ‘correctly’? Why is the poet’s ‘incorrect’ line better in the poem?
Answer:
The line ‘A Novice might nonplus’ would be written correctly as ‘A Novice might be nonplussed’? The poet has made an effort to use ‘nonplus’ as a rhyming word with ‘thus’.

Question 6.
Can you find other examples of poets taking liberties with language, either in English or in your own language? Can you find examples of humorous poems in your own language(s)?
Answer:
Yes, the poet sometimes takes liberties with language.

Question 7.
Much of the humour in the poem arises from the way language is used. Although the ideas are funny as well. If there are particular lines in the poem that you especially like, share these lines with the class, speaking briefly about what it is about the ideas or the language that you like or find funny.
Answer:
The poet has written the poem with a good sense of humour either due to ideas or language. The lines which appear to be very humorous are ‘just notice if he eats you’. The very idea of noticing at the time when he is about to eat is very funny. The language in the line, “He’ll only lep and lep again” is also very humorous. The concept of ‘lep’ from the word ‘leopard’ generates humour.

How to Tell Wild Animals Extra Questions and Answers

How to Tell Wild Animals Reference-to-Context Questions

Read the stanza given below and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1.
Or if some time when roaming round,
A noble wild beast greets you,
With black stripes on a yellow ground,
Just notice if he eats you.
This simple rule may help you learn
The Bengal Tiger to discern

(a) The tiger’s body is covered with ……….. stripes with a …………. coloured hide.
Answer:
black, yellow

(b) The two contradictory words used in line 2 are …………… and ……………
Answer:
noble, wild

(c) The poet warns that if anyone notices this beast and the tiger eats him, then it is for sure
a leopard. (True/False)
Answer:
False

(d) The word means same as ‘to identify’.
Answer:
discern

Question 2.
If strolling forth, a beast you view,
Whose hide with spots is peppered,
As soon as he has lept on you,
You’ll know it is the Leopard.
’Twill do no good to roar with pain,
He’ll only lep and lep again.

(a) …………. is a beast with spots on its skin.
Answer:
Leopard

(b) According to the poet, one comes to know of the referred animal when it on ……….. one.
Answer:
leaps

(c) On seeing the above mentioned creature, one should understand that there will be no use of shouting or crying out of pain because it will keep on pouncing on him. (True/False)
Answer:
True

(d) ………….. in the stanza means same as ‘jumped high’.
Answer:
lept

Question 3.
The Crocodile you always may
Tell from the Hyena thus:
Hyenas come with merry smiles;
But if they weep they’re Crocodiles.

(a) Hyena always ……………. while gulping down its victim.
Answer:
smiles

(b) While eating its prey, crocodiles tend to
Answer:
weep

(d) The word means same as ‘jolly’.
Answer:
merry

How to Tell Wild Animals Long Answer Question

Question 1.
‘Appearances are deceptive.’ Cite examples from the poem, ‘How to Tell Wild Animals’, to corroborate this statement.
Answer:
Encountering the Asian Lion will be by hearing its roar while dying. Meeting an animal with black stripes on a yellow ground he should ensure that he is not eaten, as he has encountered a Bengal Tiger. When a beast with skin peppered with spots leaps on the person that would be an encounter ‘ with a leopard. Roaring in pain is futile, because the animal will ‘lep and lep’. Similarly, a hug in the dark, would be a bear. When confused between a crocodile and a hyena, the former would emit a merry smile, while the latter would weep tears. Chameleons appear not like lizard-like creatures with no ears, but as nothing on a tree.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Poem 4 How to Tell Wild Animals Read More »

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Poem 3 A Tiger in the Zoo

CBSE Class 10 / Prasanna

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English

A Tiger in the Zoo NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Poem 3

A Tiger in the Zoo NCERT Text Book Questions and Answers

A Tiger in the Zoo Thinking about the Poem

Question 1.
Read the poem again, and work in pairs or groups to do the following tasks.
(i) Find the words that describe the movements and actions of the tiger in the cage and in the wild. Arrange them in two columns.
(ii) Find the words that describe the two places, and arrange them in two columns. Now try to share ideas about how the poet uses words and images to contrast the two situations.
Answer:

In the cage	In the wild
stalks stalking hears stares growls snarls roars	lurking sliding snarling terrorising

Answer:

The cage	The wild
concrete cell behind bars	shadow long grass patrolling cars water hole jungle’s edge

Question 2.
Notice the use of a word repeated in lines such as these:
(i) On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.
(ii) And stares with his brilliant eyes At the brilliant stars.
What do you think is the effect of this repetition?
Answer:
The words repeated show the emotions of the tiger clearly and effectively. They stress upon the magnificence of the beast.

Question 3.
Discuss:
Are zoos necessary for the protection or conservation of some species of animals? Are they useful for educating the public? Are there alternatives to zoos?
Answer:
Self Attempt.

A Tiger in the Zoo Extra Questions and Answers

A Tiger in the Zoo Reference-to-Context Questions

Read the stanza given below and answer the questions that follow:

Question 1.
He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.

(a) The animal under reference is
Answer:
tiger

(b) In the above lines, the referred animal is in the
Answer:
cage

(d) The word means same as ‘to follow or move’.
Answer:
stalks

Question 2.
He should be lurking in shadow,
Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole.
Where plump deer pass.

(а) ‘He’ refers to the ………..
Answer:
tiger

(b) The figure of speech used in line 1 is …………….
Answer:
personification

(c) At the time of night, the animal should have been looking for a fat elephant for his meal. (True/False)
Answer:
False

(d) The word in the above stanza means same as ‘waiting in ambush for something or someone’.
Answer:
lurking

Question 3.
He should be snarling around houses
At the jungle’s edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising the village!

(a) ‘He’ in the above line has been used for the
Answer:
tiger

(b) ‘Here’ in the first line he is expected to
Answer:
snarl around houses

(d) The word in the stanza means same as ‘exposing’.
Answer:
baring

Question 4.
But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.

(a) The reality is that, the tiger is kept locked in a concrete cell in the
Answer:
Zoo

(b) Though he has got whole lot of but he lies imprisoned behind the bars.
Answer:
strength

(d) The word in the above stanza is antonym of ‘recognising’.
Answer:
ignoring

A Tiger in the Zoo Long Answer Question

Question 1.
It is a paper tiger that we come across in the poem, ‘A Tiger in the Zoo.’ Justify with examples from the text.
Answer:
Though the tiger is portrayed as stalking about, it is only within the confines of a cage, where his stalking is mingled with quiet rage. Instead of lurking in the shadows of the jungle, in pursuit of some plump deer, the paper tiger is a confined animal. Instead of spreading terror among the villagers living in homes adjoining the jungle, the tiger of the poem is locked in a concrete cell where he ignores visitors. Instead of hearing the call of the jungle animals he hears the sounds of the patrolling cars. His brilliant eyes focus on stars visible through his cage instead of staring at a potential prey in the forest

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Poem 3 A Tiger in the Zoo Read More »