CBSE Class 10 English Mijbil the Otter Important Questions Set 01

Extract Based Questions

Extract 1

(a). Pick the option that classifies (F) Fact from (O) opinion.
1. I feel the author was in a hurry about his mail.
2. I know the author arranged to meet his friend a week later.
3. Let’s not forget, these two friends were wanting their mail from England.
4. But the author had tried to telephone when nothing happened.
(a) F 1 and 2, O 3 and 4
(b) F 2 and 4, O 1 and 3
(c) F 3 and 4, O 1 and 2
(d) F 1 and 4, O 2 and 3
Answer: (b) F 2 and 4, O 1 and 3

(b). Which word corresponds to ‘booked’ as used in the passage?
Answer: pre-arrange

(c). In the statement, ‘On the first day the line was out of order; on the second the exchange was closed for a religious holiday’ another synonym of the underlined words would be ______.
(a) stumped
(b) confounded
(c) breakup
(d) breakdown
Answer: (d) breakdown

(d). Why did Gavin Maxwell got stuck in Basra for five days? What does this tell you about the state of communication in those times? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: Maxwell was waiting for his mail from England but for various reasons it didn’t arrive in time. He couldn’t place a call because the exchange was closed for a holiday. Communication used to be snail-paced because even a phone call had to be reserved 24 hours in advance.

Extract 2

(a). Study the statement, ‘From the head to the tip of the tail he was coated with symmetrical pointed scales…’ In which of the options given below, the meaning of the word ‘coated’ as used in the statement has been used?
(a) Roll the potato wedges in crumbs and fry.
(b) His tongue is layered yellow due to long sickness.
(c) My shoes were covered with mud after a long walk.
(d) The walls were painted bright pink for the baby’s arrival.
Answer: (c) My shoes were covered with mud after a long walk.

(b). Pick the option that classifies (F) Fact from (O) opinion.
1. I think the otter was caked with mud, initially.
2. I feel he was a fine pet for the author.
3. Oh come on, his fur was like that of a mole.
4. Let’s not forget the otter needed to be cleaned for a month.
(a) F 1 and 3, O 2 and 4
(b) F 2 and 3, O 1 and 4
(c) F 1 and 4, O 2 and 3
(d) F 1 and 2, O 3 and 4
Answer: (a) F 1 and 3, O 2 and 4

(c). What do these words reveal about the author’s personality? ‘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?’
Answer: The author half expected the otter to shake down all the mud but it didn’t happen. Maxwell proved to be an animal lover because he showed utmost patience in removing the mud from the otter’s scales. The otter looked like a small medievally conceived dragon and thus, revealed its true beauty.

(d). The meaning of the word armour in, ‘From the head to the tip of the tail he was coated with symmetrical pointed scales of mud armour’ is ______.
Answer: a shield or a protective covering

Extract 3

(a). Pick the option that classifies (F) Fact from (O) opinion.
1. I think the otter was very aloof at first.
2. I feel the otter did not like the author at first.
3. Oh let’s not forget his species was not well known to scientists at first.
4. It is possible that the otter preferred the floor to the bed.
(a) F 2 and 3, O 1 and 4
(b) F 3 and 4, O 1 and 2
(c) F 1 and 2, O 3 and 4
(d) F 1 and 3, O 2 and 4
Answer: (d) F 1 and 3, O 2 and 4

(b). Which of the following options correctly display the author’s attitude towards Mijbil?
(a) scientific and racial
(b) gentle and understanding
(c) humourous
(d) patronising
Answer: (b) gentle and understanding

(c). In the statement, ‘Mijbil as I called the otter, was in fact of a race previously unknown to science and was at length christened …’ the underlined word can be perfectly substituted with ______.
(a) debuted
(b) baptised
(c) named
(d) labelled
Answer: (c) named

(d). Did Mijbil remain aloof and indifferent through his stay with Maxwell or did his behaviour change with the passage of time?
Answer: At first, the otter was aloof and indifferent, keeping distance from the author but with time, it soon started taking keen interest in his surroundings and getting familiar with Maxwell. He began looking up to the author for love, play, and protection just like any other pet.

Extract 4

(a). Which synonym does the word ‘fumbling’ (as used in the passage) correspond to in the following options?
(a) groping
(b) drubbing
(c) mishandling
(d) blundering
Answer: (a) groping

(b). Choose the statements that are NOT TRUE.
1. The otter escaped from the bedroom two days later.
2. The author ran after the otter.
3. The otter disappeared round the bed of the corridor.
4. The otter used his paws to turn on the tap.
5. The author helped the otter to turn on the tap.
6. In a moment the otter had achieved the full flow of the tap.
(a) 2 and 5
(b) 1 and 4
(c) 3 and 5
(d) 4 and 6
Answer: (a) 2 and 5

(c). Pick the option that classifies (F) Fact from (O) opinion.
1. I think otters are very clever animals.
2. Just look at the way Mijbil turned on the full flow of the tap.
3. I feel Mijbil wanted to be freed.
4. Let’s not forget Mijbil could fumble with the chromium tap with his paws.
(a) F 1 and 3, O 2 and 4
(b) F 2 and 4, O 1 and 3
(c) F 3 and 4, O 1 and 2
(d) F 1 and 4, O 2 and 3
Answer: (b) F 2 and 4, O 1 and 3

(d). Mijbil was resourceful and dexterous enough to find his way around his master’s house and also to amuse himself. Answer with relevant examples in about 40 words.
Answer: Mijbil disappeared into the bathroom and fumbled with the taps. within moments, he had produced a trickle and then, a full flow of water to enjoy himself because otters like hippos love water. Mijbil also invented games to amuse himself, juggled with small objects and played with marbles.

(e). What did the author see Mijbil do, according to the extract?
(1) He escaped the bedroom.
(2) He escaped the house.
(3) He turned on the tap.
(4) He climbed on to the bathtub.
(5) He started swimming in the bathtub.
(a) Only (3)
(b) (1) and (3)
(c) (3) and (5)
(d) (1), (3) and (4)
Answer: (d) (1), (3) and (4)

(f). What do we get to know about Mijbil when he does the following? in less than a minute he had turned the tap far enough to produce a trickle of water.
Choose one from the following to answer:
(a) He has the ability to handle tools.
(b) He can solve complex problems like humans.
(c) He is an intelligent and sharp learner.
(d) He is more into playing than worrying about things.
Answer: (c) He is an intelligent and sharp learner.

(g). What was the author’s reaction at Mijbil’s mischief?
(a) aloof
(b) impressed
(c) worried
(d) bewildered
Answer: (b) impressed

(h). Select the option which displays an example of ‘chittering with irritation and disappointment’.
(a) The kids were screaming and shouting during the trip the amusement park.
(b) He went numb with disappointment on failing to clear his exam.
(c) She squealed loudly after seeing her friend after a long time.
(d) The crowd booed and groaned when their team lost the match.
Answer: (d) The crowd booed and groaned when their team lost the match.

(i). When the author sees Mijbil ‘fumbling at the chromium taps with his paws…’, he means that Mijbil was …….
(a) playing with tap and accidentally opened it.
(b) trying to open the tap purposefully.
(c) tightening the tap to close the leak.
(d) washing his paws under the tap.
Answer: (b) trying to open the tap purposefully.

(j). What special characteristic of Mijbil did Maxwell learn after he took him to the bathroom?
Answer: After taking Mijbil to the bathroom, Maxwell witnessed him being almost mad with excitement, plunging and rolling in water, splashing water all around. It shows his love for water as marshes and wetlands are otters’ natural habitat.

(k). What is the most common characteristic of an otter?
Answer: The otter, which looked more like a dragon, loved to plunge and roll in water. It played in water like a hippo. Aloof at first, it started taking an interest in its surroundings, started responding to its name and loved playing games for hours with toys like ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit etc.

Extract 5

(a). Choose the speaker that uses the phrase ‘appalling spectacle’ correctly.
Speaker 1 – We got back home to see that our pet dog had eaten kheer my mother had kept out of the fridge. Indeed, an appalling spectacle.
Speaker 2 – We got back home and witnessed that our cousin had dressed our pet dog in his t-shirt. Have to admit that it was an appalling spectacle.
Speaker 3 – We got back home to see our pet dog sitting with a mangled rat. It was an appalling spectacle.
Speaker 4 – We got back home from the airport and observed our pet dog sound asleep on the rug. What an appalling spectacle!
(a) Speaker 1
(b) Speaker 2
(c) Speaker 3
(d) Speaker 4
Answer: (c) Speaker 3

(b). ‘Whipped off’ is an example of a phrasal verb, i.e. a combination of a verb and a preposition. Choose the option that DOES NOT fit the given definition.
(a) take: down, after, out, off
(b) look: up, out, along, down
(c) give: up, in, away, back
(d) get: in, up, out, back
Answer: (b) look: up, out, along, down

(c). Select the option that DOES NOT state the possible reason for Maxwell’s cutting the box edges off.
(a) Mij could have injured himself further.
(b) It could have made the place untidy.
(c) Mij could have accidentally swallowed the torn pieces.
(d) It could have obstructed the shutting of the lid.
Answer: (b) It could have made the place untidy.

(d). Choose the option that correctly states Maxwell’s likely feelings in the situation below.
“… I put the miserable Mij back into the box, holding down the lid with my hand.”
1. anxious
2. disappointed
3. terrified
4. guilty
5. insulted
(a) 1 and 5
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 4
(d) 3 and 5
Answer: (c) 1 and 4

(e). How does the author’s use of the word “miserable” to describe Mijbil contribute to the passage?
(a) It emphasises Mijbil’s physical discomfort and distress.
(b) It suggests Mijbil’s reluctance to travel in the box.
(c) It conveys Mijbil’s emotional state of sadness and despair.
(d) It reflects the author’s frustration with Mijbil’s behaviour.
Answer: (a) It emphasises Mijbil’s physical discomfort and distress.

(f). Identify one poetic device used in the passage.
Answer: ‘Like a ricocheting bullet’ is an example of a simile used in the passage.

(g). Select the option that DOES NOT state the possible consequences of Maxwell cutting the box’s edges off.
(a) Mij could have injured himself further.
(b) It could have made the place untidy.
(c) Mij could have accidentally swallowed the torn pieces.
(d) It could have obstructed the shutting of the lid.
Answer: (b) It could have made the place untidy.

(h). Why is it fair to say that Maxwell’s tone, when he says, “I put the miserable Mij back into the box, holding down the lid with my hand.”, is anxious and guilty? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: Maxwell’s tone was anxious as he had to manage Mij in the box somehow and also had to reach the airport at the earliest. He also felt guilty about putting the animal back in the box even after seeing that he had been injured while trying to get out of it.

(i). Why is it fair to say that the speaker’s feelings, when he says, “I put the miserable Mij back into the box, holding down the lid with my hand”, are of guilt and anxiety?
Answer: Maxwell had to force the injured, frightened Mij back into the very box that had hurt him, which made him feel guilty. At the same time, the flight was only ten minutes away and the airport five miles distant, so he was anxious about missing it.

(j). ‘Whipped off’ is an example of a phrasal verb, i.e. a combination of a verb and a preposition or adverb. Choose the option that DOES NOT fit the given definition.
(a) Take off
(b) Bring up
(c) Run away
(d) Return on
Answer: (d) Return on

(k). Which of the following descriptions correctly corresponds to the tone conveyed in the extract?
(a) The tone is intense, evoking a sense of urgency and distress.
(b) The tone is calm and serene, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
(c) The tone is playful and lighthearted, portraying a sense of adventure.
Answer: (a) The tone is intense, evoking a sense of urgency and distress.

(l). What does the phrase “appalling spectacle” suggest about the condition or situation that the speaker encountered upon his return?
Answer: It suggests a shocking and horrifying sight — blood trickling from the box and Mij exhausted and injured inside it.

(m). The author compares __________ to a ricochetting bullet.
(a) the driver
(b) streets of Basra
(c) the speeding car
(d) the aircraft about to take off
Answer: (c) the speeding car

(n). The author’s decision of putting Mijbil in a box was …………………
(a) foolproof and correct.
(b) blameless but erroneous.
(c) phoney but right.
(d) reckless and unnecessary.
Answer: (b) blameless but erroneous.

(o). Select the suitable word from the extract to complete the following: Camaraderie : friendship : : Mewl : _________ .
(a) trickled
(b) whimpered
(c) exhausted
(d) miserable
Answer: (b) whimpered

(p). Why were the aircraft officials infuriated by the narrator?
(a) The narrator brought an otter on the plane.
(b) The narrator broke traffic rules on the way airport.
(c) The officials were unprofessional.
(d) The narrator delayed the flight.
Answer: (d) The narrator delayed the flight.

(q). Select the most appropriate option based on (1) and (2).
(1) The author was rushed in the aircraft.
(2) The author was occupied with fixing Mij’s box.
(a) (2) is true and (1) is false.
(b) (2) is the cause for (1).
(c) (2) is the result for (1).
(d) (2) is false and (1) is true.
Answer: (b) (2) is the cause for (1).

Extract 6

(a). The advice of keeping the otter on his knees backfired because the author says ‘I was quite unprepared for what followed.’ What happened to the otter?
(a) The otter bit the author.
(b) The otter slipped and vanished.
(c) The otter attacked the air hostess.
(d) The otter scared the passengers.
Answer: (b) The otter slipped and vanished.

(b). One of the following is the perfect synonym of the word ‘unprepared’ as used in the given extract. Which one?
(a) ill-equipped
(b) unqualified
(c) unsuspecting
(d) unrehearsed
Answer: (a) ill-equipped

(c). Why was the author ready to kiss the hand of the air hostess? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: The airhostess was understanding and kind to the author. She realised his concern for his pet much like the concern of a parent for his child. Maxwell was touched and deeply grateful when she allowed him to have the pet on his knee.

(d). ‘But, not knowing otters, I was quite unprepared for what followed.’ What is the author referring to?
Answer: The author was completely unprepared for Mijbil terrifying the co-passengers and disappearing.

Extract 7

(a). Which of the following sentences best captures the word ‘ambush’ as used in the passage by the author?
(a) The stray dogs were trapped and sterilised by the municipal authorities.
(b) Turtles routinely get entangled in discarded nets by the fisher folk.
(c) The robbers waylay the unsuspecting travellers on the highway.
(d) The children lay in wait for the lights to go off to plan their next mischief.
Answer: (d) The children lay in wait for the lights to go off to plan their next mischief.

(b). Mijbil discovered the joy of rolling a ball from a slope and catching it from the other end. What do you infer from it?
(a) Mijbil was a mischief-loving otter.
(b) He could play alone.
(c) Mijbil was intelligent enough to invent games for his amusement.
(d) He could keep himself engrossed and busy.
Answer: (c) Mijbil was intelligent enough to invent games for his amusement.

(c). Mijbil’s antics can be compared to a human child. Comment in about 40 words with examples.
Answer: Mijbil invented his own games and had fun. He would dash around the other side of the author’s damaged suitcase to catch a rolling ball. He placed marbles on his tummy and rolled them around without dropping any of them, dribbled with a ball and kicked it with his stretched neck.

(d). Write a synonym of the phrasal verb ‘trot off’ and use it in a sentence of your own.
Answer: walk briskly; The horse trotted off after the race and stood under a tree quietly enjoying the fresh grass.

Extract 8

(a). Complete the statement: The author talks about compulsive habits acquired by Mijbil to ______.
(a) point at some psychological disorder in him.
(b) tell us about his exclusive playful and bubbly personality.
(c) compare him with the general liveliness of children.
(d) portray that all otters and human children are the same.
Answer: (c) compare him with the general liveliness of children.

(b). With what objective does the author describe ‘the rituals of children’?
Answer: The author wants to tell the readers that children have their own ways to keep themselves entertained and occupied.

(c). Cite an example of a ritual that Mij developed just like the school children do.
Answer: Mij would regularly gallop the full length of thirty yards of a low wall outside a primary school on the way home from his walk.

(d). What does the word ‘gallop’ in, ‘Mij would tug me to this wall, jump on to it, and gallop the full length of its thirty yards’ contextually refer to?
(a) charge like a bull
(b) run like a sprinter
(c) fly like a plane
(d) bolt like a cat
Answer: (b) run like a sprinter

Extract 9

(a). Mijbil comes across as a hyper-energetic pet. Do you think Maxwell enjoyed his pet’s antics or did he get annoyed handling him? Infer from your reading of the passage and give an answer in about 40 words.
Answer: It is true that Mijbil was over-energetic; it made Maxwell put a body-belt on him. But Maxwell does not seem annoyed at Mijbil’s antics. He describes in detail every amusing thing that Mijbil did, which shows that he enjoyed them.

(b). Fill in the blank with ONE word.
The words “slosh and splash” are examples of ______ words that phonetically resemble the sound that they describe.
Answer: onomatopoeic

(c). Read the following descriptions and identify which one correctly corresponds to the theme evident in the extract.
(a) The importance of adaptability
(b) The bond between humans and animals
(c) The struggle for survival in unfamiliar environments
Answer: (b) The bond between humans and animals

Extract 10

(a). State TRUE or FALSE:
None of the terms (1)-(4) below can be applied to the description of the creature emerging from the sack.
(1) Allegory — a story or poem in which characters and events represent abstract ideas or principles.
(2) Simile — a figure of speech that compares two different things using “like” or “as”.
(3) Metaphor — a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison.
(4) Symbolism — the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.
Answer: False

(b). Explain the phrase ‘in his true colours’ with reference to the extract.
Answer: It means seeing the otter as he really was — with his real fur and colour visible — once the last of the mud covering him had been removed.

(c). The writing style of the author is descriptive and imaginative. Explain in about 40 words, with reference to the extract.
Answer: The author compares the mud-covered otter to a small medieval dragon with pointed scales of mud armour and describes the soft fur beneath as being like a chocolate-brown mole’s. Such vivid comparisons and fanciful images make the description both detailed and imaginative.

(d). Which phrase would correctly substitute ‘conceived’ in the given sentence from the extract?
The creature ... resembled most of all a very small, medievally-conceived dragon.
Answer: imagined / pictured (as in medieval times)

Extract 11

(a). What ‘experiment’ did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?
Answer: Maxwell had thought of keeping an otter instead of a dog as a pet.

(b). Why was it a suitable spot for his experiment?
Answer: Camusfearna, being surrounded by water, was an ideal spot; otters love to swim in water.

(c). Write the meaning of the phrase ‘crossed my mind’. (CBSE Delhi 2015)
Answer: thought of; came to mind

Extract 12

(a). What did the author, Maxwell, mention casually to his friend?
Answer: The author expressed his desire to keep an otter as a pet instead of a dog.

(b). Where could Maxwell easily get his pet and why?
Answer: Maxwell could easily get his pet in the Tigris marshes because otters were as common as mosquitoes there.

(c). What does the word ‘casually’ mean? (CBSE AI 2015)
Answer: in an offhand way, without much thought

Extract 13

(a). What was ‘they’?
Answer: ‘They’ refers to the otters.

(b). Where could the author get ‘one’?
Answer: The author could get one in the Tigris marshes.

(c). Find the exact word from the extract which means ‘domesticated’.
Answer: Tamed

(d). What did the author find at the Consulate-General? (CBSE Delhi 2019)
Answer: The author found at the Consulate-General that his friend’s mail had arrived but his hadn’t.

Extract 14

(a). What did Mij do to the box?
Answer: Mij had torn the lining of the box to shreds.

(b). What was Mij’s condition when he emerged from the box?
Answer: When Mij emerged from the box, he was smeared in his own blood. He was exhausted and whimpering.

(c). Why was the author in a hurry to reach the airport?
Answer: The author was in a hurry to reach the airport because only ten minutes were left for the flight and the airport was five miles away.

(d). Find the word in the passage which means the same as ‘worn out’. (CBSE Delhi 2011)
Answer: Exhausted

Extract 15

(a). When the author says, “I carried it to my bedroom to read, and there, squatting on the floor, were two Arabs.”, he means that they were…………
(a) sleeping on the floor.
(b) crouching on the floor.
(c) illegally entering his bedroom.
(d) sitting cross-legged on the floor.
Answer: (b) crouching on the floor.

(b). Select the most appropriate option for (1) and (2).
(1) … my friend’s mail had arrived but that mine had not.
(2) Gavin Maxwell was not waiting for his mail.
(a) (1) is true and (2) is false.
(b) (2) is the opposite of (1).
(c) Both (1) and (2) cannot be inferred from the extract.
(d) (1) furthers the meaning of (2).
Answer: (a) (1) is true and (2) is false.

(c). Select the suitable word from the extract to complete the following: Satisfied : content : : Messaged : ________ .
(a) arrived
(b) booked
(c) cabled
(d) handed
Answer: (c) cabled

(d). beside them lay a sack that squirmed from time to time because …….. .
(a) the otter was getting suffocated in the sack.
(b) the otter was half-dead.
(c) the otter was disturbed.
(d) the otter was moving inside.
Answer: (d) the otter was moving inside.

(e). Where is the author during the dialogue in the given extract?
(a) Camusfearna
(b) Basra
(c) England
(d) Scotland
Answer: (b) Basra