CBSE Class 10 English A Tiger in the Zoo Important Questions Set 01

Extract Based Questions

Extract 1

(a). Fill the blank with suitable words.
‘He’ refers to the ______ who is walking ______.
Answer: tiger, menacingly

(b). Complete the statement: ‘On pads of velvet quiet’ refers to ______.
Answer: the tiger’s paw-pads that are cushioned like soft velvet.

(c). The main contrasting idea suggested by the extract is that of ______.
(a) strength and weakness.
(b) nature and culture.
(c) beasts and mortals.
(d) confinement and freedom.
Answer: (d) confinement and freedom.

(d). Comment on the poet’s use of language in these lines in 40 words.
Answer: The poet has personified the tiger and has made effective use of figurative language to portray his silent rage (oxymoron). The use of words is crisp. Metaphor in ‘velvet quiet’ and synecdoche in ‘vivid stripes’ add to the suppressed anger of the wild beast.

(e). In what way does the language used in this poem conform to the traditional ideas of what poetry should be?
Answer: The language used in the poem is in accordance with the traditional ideas of poetry as it follows a rhyme scheme and uses poetic devices to create an impact on the reader's mind.

(f). What is the significance of repeating the word ‘quiet’ and how does this word contribute to the overall mood and tone of the poem? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: The significance of repeating the word ‘quiet’ is that it is used to increase the intensity of the tiger's rage and his helpless silence. “Velvet quiet” refers to the velvet pads of the tiger, which are quiet as he cannot run or leap, and ‘quiet rage’ refers to his anger, which he cannot show as he is in a cage. This contributes to the overall mood and tone of the poem, which are helplessness and anger.

(g). Complete the sentence with an appropriate option. The lines of the poem tell us that the cage is ______.
(a) spacious
(b) small
(c) big enough for the tiger
(d) according to the tiger
Answer: (b) small

(h). Complete the sentence appropriately: The type of imagery used in the lines of the poem is ______.
Answer: Visual imagery

(i). Who is ‘he’ in the above lines?
Answer: He is the tiger.

(j). Where is he?
Answer: The tiger is in a cage.

(k). Why does he move only a few steps?
Answer: The cage does not have enough space, so he can move only a few steps.

(l). Give the meaning of the word ‘stalk’.
Answer: Walk in a stiff, proud manner.

(m). Where is the tiger at present?
(a) In the forest
(b) In a circus
(c) In a cage
(d) In a room
Answer: (c) In a cage

(n). Mention any one quality of the animal under reference.
(a) Quiet
(b) Desperate
(c) Vivid stripes of his body
(d) Roaring
Answer: (a) Quiet

(o). Which word in the stanza may also mean graphic or picturesque?
(a) Strips
(b) Velvet
(c) Quiet
(d) Vivid
Answer: (d) Vivid

(p). Why is the tiger in ‘quiet rage’?
(a) Movement restricted
(b) Freedom curtailed
(c) Not fed properly
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)

(q). Why the tiger could walk only a few steps?
Answer: The tiger was only able to walk just a few steps in his cage as the cage was very small for him.

Extract 2

(a). In what way does the description of ‘a tiger in the zoo ignoring visitors’ in this poem challenge traditional ideas of what a wild beast should be?
Answer: Leslie Norris has used irony to portray the helplessness of the hitherto wild and free tiger who has to entertain humans now.

(b). What is the significance of the use of the word “snarling” to describe the tiger’s attitude in the poem and how does this word choice contribute to the overall mood and tone of the poem? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: The tiger snarls, growls and terrorises the villagers at the jungle’s edge to catch prey. In the wild, he is majestic, free and unafraid, baring his fangs and claws to establish his supremacy. In contrast, the zoo has confined him and turned him into a sad spectacle.

(c). Complete the sentence with the appropriate option.
The tiger is reacting to his imprisonment in the zoo by ______.
(a) attacking the visitors.
(b) ignoring the visitors.
(c) quietly walking in the cage.
(d) showing his rage openly.
Answer: (b) ignoring the visitors.

(d). Identify the use of repetitive use of consonants in the given lines of the poem along with their purpose.
Answer: The poet has used alliteration in ‘concrete cell’ and ‘behind bars’, and consonance in ‘his claws’ for rhyming, harmony, and an emotive effect on the reader.

Extract 3

(a). What does the phrase "lurking in shadow" suggest about the tiger's behavior?
(a) The tiger is confidently hunting in broad daylight. : :
(b) The tiger is resting peacefully under the shade of a tree.
(c) The tiger is cautiously hiding and observing its surroundings.
(d) The tiger is playfully jumping from one shadow to another.
Answer: (c) The tiger is cautiously hiding and observing its surroundings.

(b). How do the given lines contribute to the overall impact and emotion of the poem?
Answer: The lines evoke a sense of longing for the tiger's natural habitat. It highlights the contrast between the tiger's captivity and its natural habitat creating a feeling of sadness and sympathy for the wild animal.

(c). Complete the sentence appropriately: The tiger's movements suggest a skilled ______ in its natural habitat.
Answer: predator

(d). Irony refers to a situation in which things turn out opposite from what is expected. To what end does the poet use irony in the poem? Explain in about 40 words with reference to the extract.
Answer: The poet has used irony in the poem to highlight the disturbed condition of the tiger inside the cage. The poet gives us glimpses of the tiger living his life in the jungle. When his life in the cage is contrasted to that, the real misery of his situation comes to light. The poet has used irony to bring out the suffering and pain of the tiger.

(e). Which fact DOES NOT connect with the significance of the’ water hole’ for the tiger?
(a) Many tigers chase prey into the water and hold the victim’s head under water until it drowns.
(b) Prey feed in the water on water-lilies, and often wander into the middle of the water hole, where they are vulnerable and easy for the tiger to kill.
(c) Prey that has quenched its thirst ensures consumption of hydrated meat for the tiger.
(d) Chasing the panicked prey from shallow to deep water where the tiger grabs it.
Answer: (c) Prey that has quenched its thirst ensures consumption of hydrated meat for the tiger.

(f). According to the extract, why does the poet wish for the tiger to be ‘sliding’ through the long grass?
Answer: Sliding through long grass is the tiger’s natural, stealthy way of hunting. The poet wishes the tiger were free in the jungle, doing what comes naturally to it, instead of pacing in a cage.

(g). Fill in the blank with one word. When the poet says that the tiger should be lurking in shadow, he refers to ______ nature of the tiger.
Answer: stealthy

(h). Comment on the poet’s use of imagery in the given lines of the poem.
Answer: The poet uses visual imagery — shadows, long grass, a water hole and plump deer — to create a picture of the tiger’s natural habitat. It contrasts sharply with the cage and makes us feel the tiger’s loss.

(i). How does the tiger walk through the grass?
Answer: The tiger walks through the grass by ‘sliding’.

(j). Why does he lurk in the grass?
Answer: The tiger lurks in the grass in search of food.

(k). Where is the tiger hiding?
Answer: The tiger is hiding in the long grass.

(l). What is the meaning of the word ‘lurking’?
Answer: Lying in wait

(m). According to the extract, the poet wishes for the tiger to be ‘sliding’ through the foliage as this would:
(a) assist in keeping the prey unsuspecting of the predator’s sound.
(b) aid in camouflaging the presence of the predator before it rushes in.
(c) help the predator pounce on the prey comfortably without getting tired
(d) Support the predator’s vision as it eyes its prey.
Answer: (a) assist in keeping the prey unsuspecting of the predator’s sound.

(n). Pick the option that DOES NOT use ‘lurking’ correctly to fill in the blank.
(a) The thug was _________ in the alley late evening, for unsuspecting passers-by.
(b) The tiger was __________ in its den after a good meal.
(c) The detective cautioned her team about the _________ dangers likely to impact the case.
(d) The prejudices __________beneath the surface create misunderstandings.
Answer: (b) The tiger was __________ in its den after a good meal.

(o). ‘shadow’ here, refers to the shadow of:
(a) the tiger
(b) long grass
(c) water hole
(d) deer
Answer: (b) long grass

(p). Pick the phrase that DOES NOT suggest that the forest in the extract is lush.
(a) long grass
(b) the water hole
(c) plump deer
(d) lurking in shadow
Answer: (d) lurking in shadow

(q). Where should he be sliding?
Answer: According to the poem, the tiger should be lurking in shadow and sliding through the long grass in the forest.

(r). Who would pass through a water hole?
Answer: A plump deer would pass through the water hole and the tiger would be near the water hole waiting for his prey.

Extract 4

(a). Fill in the blank with one word. The speaker describes the tiger as 'stalking' up and down his cage to show how ______ the tiger felt.
Answer: restless/trapped/confined

(b). What could be a reason the speaker mentions the behaviour of the tiger at the jungle's 'edge' and not at its centre? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: The author has described the tiger at the 'edge' of the jungle to show how a tiger would react and respond to the people encroaching his territory. He would scare them. This is done to contrast how the tiger behaves towards people when caged.

(c). Which of these explains the meaning of the phrase 'His strength behind bars'?
(a) The tiger's strength is in its ability to break free from the cage it is in.
(b) The tiger's strength is shown when he pushes against the bars of the cage.
(c) The tiger's strength is in his resilience and ability to adapt to a new environment.
(d) The tiger's strength is confined within the bars of the cage and this makes him less threatening.
Answer: (d) The tiger's strength is confined within the bars of the cage and this makes him less threatening.

(d). Why does the tiger ignore the visitors? (CBSE Practice Set-1 2023)
Answer: The tiger ignores the visitors because he is disinterested in his confined environment and feels indifferent towards the visitors.

Extract 5

(a). Complete the sentence appropriately. The vivid stripes refer to the ______.
Answer: bright stripes on tiger’s body

(b). Which word from the extract is the opposite of ‘loud’?
Answer: quiet

(c). The use of the phrase ‘pads of velvet’ means:
(a) neck
(b) tail
(c) skin
(d) paws
Answer: (d) paws

(d). State whether the given statement is TRUE or FALSE: The confinement of the cramped space of the cage has restricted the tiger’s steps.
Answer: True

(e). The tiger was lurking in shadow ______. (CBSE 2023)
(a) to catch its prey
(b) as the cage was dark
(c) as the velvet was quiet
(d) as he was in a rage
Answer: (a) to catch its prey

Extract 6

(a). What can be inferred about the tiger's attitude towards visitors based on the line "ignoring visitors"?
Answer: The tiger is indifferent and resentful towards the visitors. It does not want to be a spectacle for people who have caged it.

(b). What is the significance of the use of the word "locked" and how does it contribute to the mood of the poem?
Answer: The word ‘locked’ stresses that the tiger is held captive by force. It creates a mood of helplessness and sadness.

(c). What is the effect of the poet's choice to describe the tiger's actions as "stalking the length of his cage" in terms of the overall theme of captivity?
Answer: It shows the tiger’s restless energy with no outlet. A hunter that should stalk prey can only pace up and down the cage, which highlights the cruelty and frustration of captivity.

(d). The phrase "His strength behind bars" suggests that ______.
(a) the tiger is a vulnerable creature confined to its cage.
(b) the tiger's power is restrained and limited within the bars.
(c) the tiger is protected and secure behind the bars.
(d) the tiger's dominance and authority are evident even in captivity.
Answer: (b) the tiger's power is restrained and limited within the bars.

(e). Where is the concrete cell?
Answer: The concrete cell is in the zoo.

(f). Why does the tiger ignore the visitors?
Answer: The tiger ignores the visitors because he believes that none of them empathises with him. Nobody is trying to set him free.

(g). What is the tiger doing in the cage?
Answer: The tiger is walking quietly in the cage.

(h). ‘Stalking the length’ means ______.
Answer: Walking to and fro.

Extract 7

(a). What does the poet suggest through these lines?
Answer: The poet wants to suggest that the tiger should be living in the wild, his natural habitat.

(b). How does the tiger scare the people?
Answer: The tiger scares the village people by growling at them and showing them his white teeth and sharp claws.

(c). Why does he snarl?
Answer: To show his anger and power.

(d). How does the tiger show his presence?
Answer: He shows his presence by showing his white teeth and sharp claws.

Extract 8

(a). Where does the voice come from?
Answer: The voice comes from the patrolling cars.

(b). How does the tiger look at the stars?
Answer: The tiger stares at the stars with his brilliant eyes.

(c). What is the meaning of ‘patrolling’?
Answer: To go around an area at regular intervals.

(d). Where does the tiger stare?
Answer: The tiger stares with his brilliant eyes at the brilliant shining stars.

(e). What is meant by the ‘last voice’ here?
(a) drivers
(b) cars
(c) police
(d) van
Answer: (b) cars

(f). What does the tiger listen to at night?
(a) trains
(b) noise of people
(c) patrolling cars
(d) noise of animals
Answer: (c) patrolling cars

(g). How do his eyes look?
(a) dull
(b) weak
(c) brilliant
(d) watery
Answer: (c) brilliant

(h). What does the tiger look at night?
(a) moon
(b) sky
(c) water
(d) stars
Answer: (d) stars

(i). Where are these lines taken from?
(a) Tiger in the zoo
(b) Animals
(c) Fire and Ice
(d) Dust of snow
Answer: (a) Tiger in the zoo

Extract 9

(a). The fact that the tiger is ‘stalking the length of his cage’ tells us that he is:
(a) restless
(b) reckless
(c) resilient
(d) reverent
Answer: (a) restless

(b). What is the rhyme scheme of the given stanzas?
(a) abcb abcb
(b) abcb abcd
(c) abcd abcd
(d) abcd abcb
Answer: (d) abcd abcb

(c). These stanzas bring out the contrast between:
(a) zoos and cities
(b) strength and weakness
(c) freedom and captivity
(d) visitors and patrolling cars
Answer: (c) freedom and captivity

(d). The tiger’s ‘brilliant eyes’ reveal that he:
(a) hopes to be free and in the wild, someday
(b) is looked after well and is nourished and healthy
(c) enjoys staring at the bright stars each night
(d) is well-rested and hence, wide-awake
Answer: (a) hopes to be free and in the wild, someday

Short Answer Questions

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: Zoos can help protect endangered species through breeding programmes and can educate the public, especially children, about animals. But as the poem shows, captivity takes away an animal’s freedom and natural behaviour. Better alternatives are national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and biosphere reserves, where animals live in their natural habitat and people can still observe and learn about them.

Question 4. How does the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ point to the cruelty of animals in captivity?
Answer: The animals in captivity are subjected to cruelty because they are removed from their natural habitat. The tiger can no longer catch its prey, slide through grass or hide behind bushes. The tiger no longer snarls and cannot terrorise the village. It remains locked behind the cell walls.

Question 5. Why does the tiger walk around quietly in his cage without showing his anger?
Answer: The tiger is bound in his cage. Stripes on his skin are clearly visible. His paws look like pads of velvet. On his pads of velvet, he walks quietly within his cage. He doesn’t seem to be happy to be in his unnatural abode. So, without showing his anger, he walks around quietly in his cage.

Question 6. How would the tiger behave in the forest? (CBSE 2023)
Answer: In the forest, the tiger enjoys complete freedom. He would walk in the forest without any fear. He would spread terror among the villagers. He would also hear the call of the jungle animals.

Question 7. How does the poem point out the cruelty towards animals in captivity?
Answer: The poem is a perfect example of the cruelty inflicted on animals by keeping them in captivity. The tiger changed his natural self by controlling his fierce emotions and behaviour inside the zoo. His freedom to growl, hunt, and terrorise was snatched away from him. This shows the cruelty of man towards animals by keeping them in captivity.

Question 8. Infer the meaning and significance behind the line "He hears the last voice at night, The patrolling cars" in relation to the tiger's sense of captivity.
Answer: The line "He hears the last voice at night, The patrolling cars" suggests that even in captivity, the tiger is aware of the outside world and its freedom beyond the bars. The mention of "patrolling cars" signifies human presence and control.

Question 9. How does the poem challenge the notion of confining wild animals for human entertainment or convenience?
Answer: The poem challenges the idea of keeping wild animals in captivity for humans' enjoyment or convenience. It shows how a caged animal like a tiger should roam freely in its natural habitat but is kept in a cage instead. The poem makes us think about whether it's fair to take away their freedom for our pleasure and urges us to treat them with respect and kindness.

Question 10. How does the imagery of the "brilliant stars" at the end of the poem create a contrast with the caged animal's situation?
Answer: The "brilliant stars" at the end of the poem contrast with the caged animal's situation. While the animal is trapped in a concrete cell, the stars symbolise freedom and the vastness of the wild. This contrast reminds us of the beauty and wonder that wild animals deserve.

Question 11. What does the poet want to convey through the poem?
Answer: The poet wants to convey through the poem that it is the responsibility of us human beings to take care of the animals instead of keeping them in captivity. The poet tries to awaken the conscious of a human being who is ignorant to the wild animals.

Question 12. How does Leslie Norris use vivid imagery and metaphorical language in, A Tiger in the Zoo, to effectively depict the confinement and oppression, experienced by the captive tiger. (CBSE SQP 2023)
Answer: Leslie Norris use vivid imagery and metaphorical language in ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’, to effectively depict the confinement and oppression, experienced by the captive tiger. Phrases such as ‘vivid stripes’ and ‘pads of velvet quiet’ define the tiger’s physical beauty. However, metaphor like ‘quiet rage’ and ‘ignoring visitors’ depict the animal’s frustration of being captivated in a small cage.

Question 13. How does the tiger create terror among the villagers? (CBSE 2015)
Answer: The tiger terrorises the villagers by baring his big white fangs and revealing his sharp claws. He makes terrifying snarls while moving around the houses of the villagers that are situated at the edge of the forest. His mighty presence and roars scare the villagers.

Question 14. In what ways does the poet questions the practice of confining wild animals in captivity in his poem?
Answer: The poet contrasts the tiger in the cage with the tiger in the wild. In the zoo, it paces a few steps, ignores visitors and stares at the stars; in the jungle, it would hunt and terrorise villages. This contrast makes readers question whether it is right to imprison such a majestic animal for human entertainment.

Question 15. The poem sheds light on the suffering experienced by animals kept in captivity. Elaborate.
Answer: The tiger is shown pacing restlessly in a small concrete cell, full of a ‘quiet rage’ it cannot express. It ignores the visitors, hears the patrolling cars and stares at the brilliant stars, longing for freedom. These images show the physical and emotional suffering of animals kept in captivity.

Question 16. Does the title, ''A Tiger in the Zoo'' effectively capture the essence of the poem? Justify.
Answer: Yes, the title is apt. The poem is about a tiger confined in a zoo. Its stanzas alternate between the tiger’s miserable life in the cage and the free life it should be living in the jungle. The title sets the theme of captivity at the very outset and makes the reader focus on the tiger’s plight.

Question 17. Describe the tiger in the cage.
Answer: In the cage, the tiger is not in his original grandeur. He is restricted by the boundaries of the concrete cage. He walks in that restrained area restlessly. He is now in the narrow cell with no peace. He stares at the stars at night, deeply longing for freedom. He comes across as completely helpless and the poet feels pity for his condition.

Question 18. Describe the tiger in the wild.
Answer: In his territory, in the wild, the tiger is his own boss and quite majestic. He roams around the jungle, his natural habitat, freely. He hunts for his prey and rests under the shade of trees. He stays near the water because the prospects of finding healthy prey are strong there. In case he doesn’t find food, he wanders towards the village and can easily frighten the villagers with his growls.