Summary & Question-answers of The Poem:2-A Tiger in the Zoo with the concerned video

A Tiger in the Zoo Summary in English

This poem depicts the pitiful condition of the tiger in the zoo. It shows the poor condition of the tiger in a cage. In a zoo, the tiger walks in the limited space provided to him in the cage. He can take a few steps. There are stripes on his body which are easily noticeable. His paws are soft like velvet. He does not make any noise while walking on his ‘pads of velvet’. Usually, the tiger is silent but in anger. The poet suggests that the cage is not the proper place for the tiger, as it is not its natural habitat. Thus, the tiger in the cage is a victim of human cruelty. Generally, tigers are found sitting under some bushes or long grass near some water bodies so that the tiger can see his prey like deer coming there to drink water, and consequently can slide silently through the grass and kill them. The poet wants to convey to all humankind that the tiger should be there in the forest and not in a cage.

Further, the poet gives a suggestion that the tiger should be sitting at the jungle’s edge near the village. It may terrorize the people passing that way by showing its sharp teeth, baring its claws and producing a roaring sound of anger.

The poet has deep sympathy due to the unpleasant situation of the tiger which is imprisoned in a cell made of concrete. The tiger is unable to come out due to the strong bars fixed at the concrete cell. So, the tiger’s strength is locked behind the bars. All such circumstances make the tiger having no interest in the visitors. And, he keeps on stalking in the limited space of the cage.

The poet is trying to make realize the people about a tiger which is sitting in the cage and feeling unpleasant and restless. The tiger is still showing no interest in the sound created by the patrolling cars of the zoo authorities. The poet shows him staring at the shining stars with his brilliant eyes. The poet is raising a moral issue here and he intends to present a strong case against the cruelty of humans for the animals kept in cages.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English A Tiger in the Zoo

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 case 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.

Ans: (i)

In the cage In the wild

Stalks Lurking in shadow

Few steps of his cage Sliding through long grass

Quiet rage Snarling around houses

Locked in a concrete cell Baring his white fangs, his claws

Stalking the length of his cage Terrorising the village

Ignoring visitors

Stares at the brilliant stars

(ii)

Cage Wild

Few steps of his cage Shadow

Concrete cell Long grass

Locked Water hole

Behind bars Plump deer

Visitors Houses at the jungle’s edge

Patrolling cars Village

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English A Tiger in the Zoo

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?

Ans: This repetition is a poetic device used by the poet in order to increase the intensity of the tiger’s rage and his helpless silence. ‘Velvet quiet’ refers to the quiet velvet pads of the tiger, which cannot run or leap. They can only walk around the limited space in the cage. The use of ‘quiet rage’ symbolises the anger and ferocity that is building up inside the tiger as it wants to run out into the forest and attack a deer, but the rage is quiet because it cannot come out in the open as it is in the cage.

This double use of ‘quiet’ has brought immense beauty to the poem. Similarly, the use of ‘brilliant’ for the tiger’s eyes as well as the stars also brings out the magnificence of these lines. The tiger has dreams of being free in its ‘brilliant’ eyes. It sees the stars (that have also been described as brilliant) with the same eyes. It stares at the brilliant stars with its brilliant eyes thinking about how beautiful its life could be in the forest. The repetitiveness of these words gives a wonderful effect to the poem.

Summary & Question-answers of The Poem :2- The Kite with the concerned video

The Kite Poem Summary

In the clear sky means when there are no clouds, a kite will look bright in it. It will be clearly noticeable.The kite hurls and with every wag its tail produces a cracking sound. Then, while flying ,all of a sudden, the kite goes high on the top just like a ship goes up and down on the crest of waves with a sail cloth. It moves forward when the wind is strong. But as the wind falls,it seems as if it is also taking a rest for a while in the air. Sometimes, the thread tied to the kite loosen, the flier tries to roll the thread and runs till a new breeze(air) fills its wings.

A kite really looks bright on a clear sky. But when it gets struck on a tree top, it gets torn and gives a poor look.

 Working with the poem (NCERT Page 28)

Question 1.

List out the action words in the poem.

dive, dip, snaps …………, ………..

Find out the meanings of these words.

Answer:

dive, dip, snaps, soars, climbs, rides, pulls, falls

Dive: Plunge head first into water with one’s arms raised over one’s head.

Dip :Put or let something down quickly or briefly in or into (liquid).

Snaps: Break suddenly and completely, typically with a sharp cracking sound.

Soars: Fly or rise high in the air.

Climbs: Go or come up a (slope or staircase); ascend. .

Rides: Sit on and control the movement of something.

Pulls: Exert force on (someone or something) so as to cause movement towards oneself.

Falls: Move from a higher to a lower level, typically rapidly and without control.

Question 2.

Read these lines from the poem.

Then soars like a ship

With only a sail

The movement of the tailless kite is compared to a ship with a sail. This is called a simile. Can you suggest what or who the following actions may be compared to?

He runs like ………………. He eats like ……………….

She sings like ………………. It shines like ……………….

It flies like ……………….

Answer:

(i) He runs like a cheetah.

(ii) He eats like a bird.

(iii) She sings like a nightingale.

(iv) It shines like a star.

(v) It flies like a kite.

Summary & Question-answers of The Chapter: 2- How the Dog Found Himself a New Master with the concerned video

How the Dog Found Himself a New Master Summary

In olden times, dogs, just like wolves were forest dwellers. They were bold, free and were not afraid of anyone. They were their own masters. Then one day, a dog who was sick and was scared of other stronger animals decided to look for a master who was the strongest on this earth.

To find his master, he began his search and first of all, he met a big wolf. He asked him if he would like to be his master. The wolf accepted him as a servant. Both of them started walking and on the way they met a bear. The wolf tried to hide himself as soon as he noticed the bear.

On enquiring the reason, the dog came to know that the wolf considered the bear to be stronger than him. On this, the dog left him and joined the bear. Very soon, the dog found that the bear was afraid of the lion. The dog immediately left him and went to the lion. The lion agreed to accept him as his servant. The dog lived with him happily for a long time as he enjoyed a secure and happy life, the way he wanted.The lion was the strongest animal in the forest. Once, both of them were strolling amongst the rocks on a narrow path. Suddenly, the lion saw a man and he asked the dog to run away with him to avoid any trouble.

As soon as the dog realized that man was the strongest creature on the earth, he bid adieu to the lion as well.

Dog came to man as his servant and lived as a faithful servant to him then after.

1. Why did the dog feel the need for a master?

A.The dog was sick of searching for food and was afraid of stronger beasts. So he felt the need for a master who could keep him safe and secure.

 2. Who did he first choose as his master? Why did he leave that master?

A.He first chose the wolf as his master.

He left that master because he was not the strongest of all.

 3. Who did he choose next?

A. Next, he chose the bear as his master.

 4. Why did he serve the Lion for a long time?

A.He served him for a long time because he felt safe and secure with him. He had a good life there.

 5. Who did he finally choose as his master and why?

A. He finally chose man as his master because he found him to be the strongest.

B. A summary of the story is given below.

Fill in the blanks to complete it taking appropriate phrases from the box.

a dog

stronger than anyone else

the strongest of all

a wolf

the bear

afraid of man

his own master

a lion

This is the story of —–––––—————————–, who

used to be ——————————————. He decided

to find a master —–––––––———————. First

he found ————————————, but the wolf

was afraid of –––————––———————. The dog thought that

the bear was —————————————. After some time the

dog met —————————————, who seemed to be the strongest.

He stayed with the lion for a long time. One day he realised that

the lion was ———————––—————— . To this day, the dog remains man’s best friend.

Answers : a dog, his own master, stronger than anyone else, a wolf, the Bear, the strongest of all, a lion, afraid of man

Grammar exercises

Each word in the box given below indicates a large number of…

For example,‘a herd of cows’ refers to many cows.

Complete each of the following phrases with a suitable word given in blue.

school, fleet, brood, bundle, bunch, pack, flock, herd

1. a —————––—— of ships 5. a ———––———— of sticks

2. a ——————––— of flowers 6. a ——––————— of sheep

3. a ——————––— of chicks 7. a —––—————— of fish

4. a ———————–– of cattle 8. a ––——————— of wolves

Answers:1-fleet,2-bunch,3-brood,4-herd,5-bundle,6-flock,7-school,8-pack

Make nouns from the words given below by adding –ness or – ity. (For some words we need to add just –ty, or –y.)

1. honest ————————— 7. creative ———————————--

2. kind —————————— 8. sincere ———————————--

3. cruel —————————— 9. cheerful ——————————

4. calm —————————— 10. bitter ———————————---

5. sad ——————————— 11. sensitive——————————-

6. active —————————---- 12. great ———————————----

A.1. honest -Honesty 7. creative -creativity

2. kind -kindness 8. sincere -sincerity

3. Cruel- cruelty 9. cheerful -cheerfulness

4. Calm- calmness 10. bitter-bitterness

5. Sad- sadness 11. sensitive-sensitivity

6. active -activeness 12. great-greatness

Summary & Question-answers of The Chapter : 1- A Tale of Two Birds with the concerned video

A Tale of Two Birds Summary

This story is all about a mother bird and her two newborn birds. The mother died in a storm and the sons got separated from each other in the thunderstorm. Due to the strong wind the tall tree that they lived on also fell and they were blown away to the other side of the forest. One of them reached near a gang of robbers and the other one landed near the Rishi’s ashram.

One day, a king got exhausted while following a deer. He came and sat under the tree near the cave of robbers. There, the king heard a big brown bird’s voice. It was calling the robbers to rob the king. The king hurriedly got up from there and rode away. He reached near the Rishi’s ashram.

Here,again he heard the bird’s voice. But it was a complete contrast to what he heard earlier. This  bird asked the king to take rest inside the ashram and wait for the Rishi to come.The King was amazed to see the similar appearance of the birds but this voice was too gentle. The bird  told the king that his brother had learnt that language from the robbers.When the Rishi came ,the king  shared the story of the birds with him.The Rishi smiled and said that it was the impact of the company that was being reflected on the behaviour of the birds.That bird was not at fault .He was just repeating what he had heard and the forest was full of varied surprisesPage No 3:

Question 1

How did the two baby birds get separated?

Answer

During a terrible thunderstorm, the two baby birds were blown away by the strong winds to the other side of the forest. Both fell at different places; as a result, they got separated.

Question 2

Where did each of them find a home?

Answer

One of the birds found its home near a cave where a gang of robbers lived. The other found its home in a rishi’s ashram

Question 

What did the first bird say to the stranger?

Answer

The first bird cried out, “Quick! Hurry up! There’s someone under the tree. Come and take his jewels and his horse. Hurry, or else he’ll slip away.

Question 

What did the second bird say to him?

Answer

The second bird said to the king, “Welcome to the ashram, Sir. Please go inside and rest. The rishi will be back soon. There’s some cold water in the pot. Please make yourself comfortable.

Question 

How did the rishi explain the different ways in which the birds behaved?

Answer

The rishi explained that the first bird had always heard the talk of robbers. So it imitated them and talked about robbing people. The second bird had repeated what it had always heard in the ashram. So it welcomed people to the ashram.

Summary & Question-answers of The Poem : 1- A House, A Home with the concerned video

A House A Home Summary

The poet has tried to define and differentiate between a house and a home. He says that a house is made of bricks, stone and hardwood. It also has fine paints, chimney, window glass, doors, corridors, roof and tile floors. A home is another name for  loving family members who take care of each other and work selflessly for one another.Brothers-sisters, fathers and mothers together make a home. It is their unselfish acts of kindness and sharing towards one another that makes

Page No 16:

Question 1:

Do you agree with what the poet says? Talk to your partner and complete these sentences.

(i) A house is made of __________________

(ii) It has __________________

(iii) A home is made by __________________

(iv) It has __________________

Answer:

(i) A house is made of brick, stone, hard wood, window glass, and a yard.

(ii) It has eaves, chimneys, tile floors, stucco, roof, and lots of doors.

(iii) A home is made by loving family members (mother, father, brother, and sister).

(iv) It has unselfish acts, sharing, and caring for the loved ones.

Summary and Question-answers of the poem of the first chapter-1-The Ant & the Cricket

Summary

This poem is about a silly young Cricket and an Ant. The Cricket was only singing all day long and used to enjoy his good times during summer season. He didn’t plan anything for the future.

When winter arrives, The Cricket couldn’t find a small amount of food to eat. So, the Cricket thinks of going to the miserly Ant to borrow food and to get shelter. Then, the Cricket knocked on the ant´s door asking for help.

The Ant gives a very important lesson of life during its conversation with the Cricket. The Ant says that ants neither borrow from anybody nor do they lend anybody. Ants are hardworking creatures and save for the future. The Ant asks the Cricket what it was doing during happier times. On hearing this, the Cricket replied that it was indulged in dancing and singing and making merry. So the Ant asks the Cricket to try dancing and singing once again during rough times.

WORKING WITH THE POEM (Page 23)

Question 1:

The cricket says, “Oh! What will become of me?” When does he say it, and why?

Answer:

The Cricket speaks these words when in his house he finds no food to eat in winter.

Question 2:

(i) Find in the poem the lines that mean the same as “Neither a borrower nor a lender be” (Shakespeare).

Answer:

The line is: But we ants never borrow; we ants never lend.

(ii) What is your opinion of the ant’s principles?

Answer: 

The Ant’s principle is not bad. It teaches a lesson to everybody to plan for the rainy day.

 

Question 3:

The Ant tells the cricket to “dance the winter away.” Do you think the word ‘dance’ is appropriate here? If so, why?

Answer: 

The word ‘dance’ here means ‘merry making and wasting time.’ It is appropriate here. The irresponsible Cricket does not deserve any sympathy.

Question 4:

(i) Which lines in the poem express the poet’s comment? Read them aloud.

Answer: 

The poet’s comment is expressed in the last two lines.

“Folks call this a fable, 111 warrant it true.”

 

(ii) Write the comment in your own words.

Answer: 

People say that this story of the cricket and the ant is imaginary or a fable with a moral. But I think that the story is true and educative. Some people live only in the present. They spend what they earn, and make merry. But they regret this habit later on.

Question 5:

If you know a fable in your own language narrate it to your classmates.

Answer: 

Attempt yourself.

Summary & Question-answers of The Chapter 1- Who Did Patrick's Homework with the concerned video

Summary

Patrick was an active boy who loved playing games but hated doing his homework. He had no interest in studies.

One day he saw his pet cat playing with a little doll. It was not a doll but an elf. The elf’s life was in danger because the cat could eat him. He was in trouble and needed help. Patrick saved his life and the elf in return promised to grant him a wish.

Patrick was happy and asked the tiny man to do his homework for that semester. The elf expressed his displeasure but he had promised to grant him wish so he agreed.

The elf began doing Patrick’s homework, but needed his help in every subject because he knew nothing about Maths, English or History. Patrick had to work really hard to help the elf do his homework. He had to run to the library to make notes. Finally the homework was done.

The elf quietly slipped away. Patrick got ‘A’ grade to the surprise of his friends, teachers and parents. Patrick had changed completely into an ideal kid with a whole new attitude. He still thought that the tiny man had done his homework whereas, the truth was that he had done it himself.

Page No 11:

Question 1:

Answer the following questions. (Refer to that part of the text whose number is given against the question. This applies to the comprehension questions throughout the book.)

What did Patrick think his cat was playing with? What was it really? (2)

Answer

Patrick thought that his cat was playing with a little doll. The cat was actually playing with an extremely tiny man, who wore a woollen shirt with old fashioned britches and a high tall hat.

Question 2:

Answer the following questions. (Refer to that part of the text whose number is given against the question. This applies to the comprehension questions throughout the book.)

Why did the little man grant Patrick a wish? (2)

Answer:

The little man granted Patrick a wish because he wanted to escape from the cat.

Question 3:

Answer the following questions. (Refer to that part of the text whose number is given against the question. This applies to the comprehension questions throughout the book.)

What was Patrick’s wish? (3)

Answer:

Patrick’s wanted the elf to do all his homework till the end of the semester, for 35 days.

Question 4:

Answer the following questions. (Refer to that part of the text whose number is given against the question. This applies to the comprehension questions throughout the book.)

In what subjects did the little man need help to do Patrick’s homework? (5, 6)

Answer:

To do Patrick’s homework, the little man needed help in English, Maths and human history.

Question 5:

Answer the following questions. (Refer to that part of the text whose number is given against the question. This applies to the comprehension questions throughout the book.)

How did Patrick help him? (7)

Answer:

Patrick helped him by working harder than ever. He even stayed up at nights.

Question 6:

Answer the following questions. (Refer to that part of the text whose number is given against the question. This applies to the comprehension questions throughout the book.)

Who do you think did Patrick’s homework — the little man, or Patrick himself? Give reasons for your answer. (9, 10)

Answer:

Patrick himself did his homework. Since the elf did not know anything, Patrick stayed up at nights and worked hard. As a result of this, he got A’s in his work and his teachers were full of praise. Even his parents wondered as he kept his room clean and had developed a new attitude. Therefore, it was Patrick who did the homework, not the little man.

Question 1:

A. Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with the words or phrases from the box. (You may not know the meaning of all the words. Look such words up in a dictionary, or ask your teacher.)

out of luck

mystery

true to his word

chores

semester

between you and me

look up

1. Some people find household ______________ a bore, but I like to help at home.

2. Who stole the diamond is still a _____________________.

3. This _____________________ we are going to have a class exhibition.

4. ____________________, the elf began to help Patrick.

5. Can you __________________ this word in the dictionary?

6. I started early to be on time, but I was ________________. There was a traffic jam!

7. She says she’s got a lot of books, but ________________ I think most of them are borrowed.

Answer:

1. Some people find household chores a bore, but I like to help at home.

2. Who stole the diamond is still a mystery.

3. This semester we are going to have a class exhibition.

4. True to his word, the elf began to help Patrick.

5. Can you look up this word in the dictionary?

6. I started early to be on time, but I was out of luck. There was a traffic jam!

7. She says she’s got a lot of books, but between you and me I think most of them are borrowed.