Rohit Yadav
Oral Comprehension Check
1. What ‘experiment’ did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?
Answer
Maxwell thought that he would keep an otter instead of a dog. Camusfearna, ringed by water a very short distance from its door, would be an eminently suitable spot for the experiment.
2. Why does he go to Basra? How long does he wait there, and why?
Answer
He went to Basra, to the Consultate-General, to collect and answer his mail from Europe. He had had to wait there for five days. To start with his mail didn’t reach on time. Then he tried to make a telephone call. This incident is one of those days when one had to book an international call 24 hrs in advance. The telephone line was not working properly on the first day. The next day it was some public holiday so it was not working. Finally, after a tortuous wait of five days, his mail arrived.
3. How does he get the otter? Does he like it? Pick out the words that tell you this.
Answer
When he received his mail, he carried it to his bedroom to read. There, he saw two Arabs, and beside them was a sack that twisted from time to time. They handed him a note from his friend saying that he had sent him an otter.
Yes, he liked it. We know this because he uses the term ‘otter fixation’ to refer to his feelings towards the otter. He felt that this otter fixation or this strong attachment towards otters was something that was shared by most other people who had ever owned one.
4. Why was the otter named ‘Maxwell’s otter’?
Answer
The otter was of a race previously unknown to science and was at length named by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli or Maxwell’s otter.
5. Tick the right answer. In the beginning, the otter was
aloof and indifferent
friendly
hostile
Answer
In the beginning, the otter was aloof and indifferent.
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 for half an hour. It was plunging and rolling in it, shooting up and down the length of the bathtub underwater, and making enough slosh and splash for a hippo.
Two days after that, it escaped from his bedroom to the bathroom. By the time he got there, Mijbil was up on the end of the bathtub and fumbling at the chromium taps with its paws. In less than a minute, it had turned the tap far enough to produce some water and after a moment, achieved the full flow.
Oral Comprehension Check
1. How was Mij to be transported to England?
Answer
Maxwell booked a flight to Paris and from there he would go on to London. The airline insisted that Mij should be packed in a box (not more than eighteen inches square) that was to be placed on the floor, near his feet.
2. What did Mij do to the box?
Answer
The box was lined with metal sheets. Mij didn’t find it comfortable to be there so tried to escape. In its attempt to escape Mij tore into the metal lining of the box. As a result, it hurt itself and started bleeding.
Oral Comprehension Check
3. Why did Maxwell put the otter back in the box? How do you think he felt when he did this?
Answer
As there was no other way to carry Mij to London so the author had put it back into the box. He must have felt pity on the way the otter had hurt itself. Moreover, he must be worried as well.
4. Why does Maxwell say the air hostess was “the very queen of her kind”?
Answer
Maxwell said that the air hostess was “the very queen of her kind” because she was extremely friendly and helpful. He took her into his confidence about the incident with the box. She suggested that he might prefer to have his pet on his knee. Hearing this, he developed a profound admiration for her, for she understood the pain of both the otter and its owner.
5. What happened when the box was opened?
Answer
When the box was opened, Mij went out of the box. He disappeared at a high speed down the aircraft. There were cries all around. A woman stood up on her seat screaming that there was a rat. He saw Mij’s tail disappearing beneath the legs of an Indian passenger. He dived for it, but missed. The air hostess suggested he tp be seated and that she would find the otter. After a while, Mij had returned to him. It climbed on his knee and began to rub its nose on his face and neck.
Oral Comprehension Check
1. What game had Mij invented?
Answer
Mij had invented a game with a ping-pong ball. He would put the ball at one end of a sloping lid and then grab it as it ran to the other end.
2. What are ‘compulsive habits’? What does Maxwell say are the compulsive habits of
(i) school children
(ii) Mij?
Answer
Compulsive habits are usually strange acts or behaviors that a person does without clear reason.
On their way to and from school, children make it a habit to place their feet exactly on the center of each paving block. Similarly, Mij had made it a habit to jump onto the school wall and go galloping all along its length of thirty yards.
3. What group of animals do otters belong to?
Answer
Otters belong to a comparatively small group of animals called Mustellines, shared by the badger, mongoose, weasel, stoat, mink and others.
4. What guesses did the Londoners make about what Mij was?
Answer
According to Maxwell, the average Londoner does not recognize an otter. The Londoners who saw Mij made different guesses about who Mij was. They guessed, among other things, that it was a baby seal, a squirrel, a walrus, a hippo, a beaver, a bear cub, a leopard and a brontosaur.
Thinking about the Text
1. What things does Mij do that tell you that he is an intelligent, friendly, and fun-loving animal who needs love?
Answer
Mij was an intelligent animal. It invented its own game out of ping-pong balls. It screwed the tap till water began to flow and then it would play and splash in the water. Though it was aloof and indifferent in the beginning, it soon became very friendly. It formed a special attachment with Maxwell. It responded when Maxwell called out his name. It grew desperate when Maxwell left it in a box and it got hurt while trying to come out of it. After Maxwell took it out, it clung to his feet. It was a fun-loving animal. I enjoyed playing all kinds of games. It would play with a selection of toys, ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit, and a terrapin shell. It required love and affection from Maxwell and it got that readily.
2. What are some of the things we come to know about otters from this text?
Answer
Otters belong to a comparatively small group of animals called Mustellines, shared by the badger, mongoose, weasel, stoat, mink, and others. Maxwell’s otter was of a race previously unknown to science and was at length named by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli or Maxwell’s otter. They are found in large numbers in marshes. They are often tamed by the Arabs. It is characteristic of otters that every drop of water must be extended and spread about the place; a bowl must at once be overturned, or, if it would not be overturned, be sat in and splashed in until it overflowed. For them, water must be kept on the move. Otters love playing various games, especially with a ball.
3. Why is Mij’s species now known to the world as Maxwell’s otter?
Answer
Maxwell’s otter was of a race previously unknown to science and was at length named by zoologistsLutrogale 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 Mij Does. * How Mij Feels or Thinks Plunges rolls in the water and makes the water splash and splash
Screws the tap in
the wrong way
Nuzzles Maxwell’s
face and neck in the
aeroplane
* What Mij Does * How Mij Feels or
Thinks
Plunges, rolls in. He thinks it is a
the water and. hippo and is very
makes the water. happy.
splosh and splash
Screws the tap in He chitters with
the wrong way irritation and
disappointment
Nuzzles Maxwell’s He feels much
face and neck in comfort and content
the aeroplane. after its distressed
chitter
Question 5. Read the story and find the sentences where Maxwell describes his pet otter.
Then choose and arrange your sentences to illustrate those statements below that you think are true. Maxwell’s description
1. makes Mij seem almost human, like a small boy.
2. shows that he is often irritated with what Mij does.
3. shows that he is often surprised by what Mij does.
4. of Mij’s antics is comical.
5. shows that he observes the antics of Mij very carefully.
6. shows that he thinks Mij is a very ordinary otter.
7. shows that he thinks the otter is very unusual.
1. True
2. False
3. True
4. True
5. True
6. False
7. True
II. Noun Modifiers
1. Look at these examples from the text, and say whether the modifiers (in italics) are nouns, proper nouns, or adjective plus noun.
(i) An otter fixation
(ii) The iron railings
(iii) The Tigris marshes
(vi) A four-footed soccer player
(v) soft velvet fur
(iv) The London streets
Answer
(i) Noun
(ii) Noun
(iii) Proper noun
(iv) Proper noun
(v) Adjective plus noun
(vi) Adjective plus noun
Question 2. Given below are some nouns and a set of modifiers (in the box). Combine the nouns and modifiers to make as many appropriate phrases as you can. (Hint: The nouns and modifiers are all from the texts in this book.)
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 8 MIJBIL THE OTTER
1. Temple . Stone temple
2. Gifts . Ordinary gift, birthday gift.
3. Time . First time, family time,
college time
4. Crossing. Railroad crossing
5. Physique. Plump physique, ordinary
physique
6. Girls . Incorrigible girls, plump
girls, college girls
7. Thoughts. Uncomfortable thoughts,
ridiculous thoughts, .
ordinary thoughts, good
thoughts, invigorating
thoughts
8. Scream . Loud scream,
heartbreaking scream
9. Subject Uncomfortable subject
10. Flight- . First flight, ordinary flight,
uncomfortable flight
11. Coffee. Black coffee, ordinary
coffee
12. Farewell. Tremendous farewell,
college farewell
13. Landscape. Rough landscape,
14. Chatterbox . Incorrigible
chatterbox, ridiculous
chatterbox
15. View Panoramic view,
ordinary view
16. Dresses. Ordinary dresses,
birthday dresses,
marriage dresses
17. Handkerchief . White
handkerchief,
clean handkerchief
18. Profession Family profession
19. Celebration Birthday celebration,
tremendous celebration
20. Roar. Loud roar
III.
1. Match the words on the left with a word on the right. Some words on the left can go with more than one word on the right.
(i) a portion of – blood
(ii) a pool of – cotton
(iii) flakes of – stones
(iv) a huge heap of – gold
(v) a gust of – fried fish
(vi) little drops of – snow
(vii) a piece of – water
(viii) a pot of – wind
Answer
(i) a portion of – fried fish
(ii) a pool of – blood
(iii) flakes of – snow
(iv) a huge heap of – stones
(v) a gust of – wind
(vi) little drops of – water
(vii) a piece of – cotton
(viii) a pot of – gold
Question 2. Use a bit of/a piece of/a bunch of/a lump of/a cloud of with the italicised nouns in the following sentences. The first has been done for you as an example.
1. My teacher gave me some advice.
2. Can you give me some clay please?
3. The information you gave was very useful.
4. Because of these factories, smoke hangs over the city.
5. Two stones rubbed together can produce sparks of fire.
6. He gave me some flowers on my birthday.
1. My teacher gave me a bit of advice.
2. Can you give me a lump of clay please?
3. The bit of information you gave was very useful.
4. Because of, these factories, a cloud of smoke hangs over the city.
5. Two pieces of stone rubbed together can produce sparks of fire.
6. He gave me a bunch of flowers on my birthday.
Chapter 8- Mijbil the Otter MCQ
Question 1.
What group of animals does otters belongs to?
(a) Elk
(b) Hedgehogs
(c) Mustellines
(d) by his friend
Answer
(c) Mustellines
Question 2.
Why does Maxwell go to Basra?
(a) broke the toy car
(b) threw the marbles
(c) torn the lining of box
(d) None of the Above
Answer
(c) torn the lining of box
Question 3.
What were Mij’s favourite toys?
(a) Toy Car
(b) Marbles
(c) Soil
(d) None of the Above
Answer
(b) Marbles
Question 4.
How did the otter spend most of his time?
(a) New Year of 1955
(b) New Year of 1956
(c) New Year of 1957
(d) New Year of 1958
Answer
(b) New Year of 1956
Question 5.
What did the otter look like?
(a) Small dog
(b) Small dragon
(c) Small cat
(d) Small rabbit
Answer
(b) Small dragon
Question 6.
What had trickled out of the box?
(a) juice
(b) blood
(c) water
(d) paint
Answer
(b) blood
Question 7.
What did the woman in the aeroplane think that the otter was?
(a) a dog
(b) an otter
(c) a rat
(d) a seal
Answer
(c) a rat
Question 8.
What was the name given to the otter?
(a) Major
(b) Mijbil
(c) Mad
(d) Majhis
Answer
(b) Mijbil
Question 9.
Where did the Arabs keep the otter?
(a) in a box
(b) in a bag
(c) in a sack
(d) in the pocket
Answer
(c) in a sack
Question 10.
What kept Mij engaged when they shifted to London?
(a) Ping-pong game
(b) the children
(c) the author
(d) All of the above
Answer
(a) Ping-pong game
Question 11.
What do you mean by “compulsive habits”?
(a) destructive habits
(b) good habits
(c) addictive habits
(d) habits impossible to control
Answer
(d) habits impossible to control
Question 12.
What did Mij do to the box?
(a) made it wet
(b) tore the lining of the box
(c) overturned it
(d) All of the above
Answer
(b) tore the lining of the box
Question 13.
What is the meaning of “an appalling spectacle”?
(a) a safe space
(b) a funny scene
(c) a mysterious situation
(d) a shocking scene
Answer
(d) a shocking scene
Question 14.
In the beginning, the Otter was _____.
(a) friendly
(b) hostile
(c) aloof and indifferent
(d) sad
Answer
(c) aloof and indifferent
Question 15.
What is the meaning of apathy?
(a) absence of interest
(b) the ability to understand and share the feelings of another
(c) unfriendly
(d) rude
Answer
(a) absence of interest
Question 16.
How many days later did the author’s mail arrive?
(a) 2
(b) 4
(c) 5
(d) 7
Answer
(c) 5
Question 17.
Where does the author live?
(a) London
(b) Southern Iraq
(c) India
(d) None of the Above
Answer
(a) London
Question 18.
Who is the author of “Mijbil the Otter”?
(a) Gavin Maxwell
(b) Roald Dahl
(c) Paulo Coehlo
(d) Arup Kumar Dutta
Answer
(a) Gavin Maxwell
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