8

Comprehension Check - I

 Question -:

1. What 'experiment t' did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for? 2. Why does he go to Basra? How long does he wait there, and why?

3.      How does he get the otter? Does he like it? Pick out the words that tell you this.

4.      Why was the otter named 'Maxwell's otter'?

5.      Tick the right Answer. I n the beginning, the otter was

•        Aloof and indifferent

•        Friendly

•        Hostile

6.      What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom? What did i t do two days after that?

Answer:

1.      Maxwell thought it was better to 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.      Maxwell went to Basra, to the Consulate-G eneral to collect and Answer his mail from Europe.He had to wait for three days before anything could happen. It took him a waiting period of five days. His mail didn't reach on time. The call had to be booked 24 hours in advance in those times. Then he tried to make a telephone call but telephone line was not working properly on the first day. Next day it was some public holiday so it was not operational. Finally after a tortuous wait of five days his mail arrived.

3.      When he finally received his mail after waiting for five long days, he carried it to his bedroom to read. There, he saw two Arabs squatting on the floor and beside them was a sack that squirmed from time to time. They handed him a note from his friend saying that he had sent him an otter. Yes liked otter. We know this because he uses the term 'otter fixation' to refer to his feeling 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.      The otter was of a race previously unknown to science and was at length named by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata Maxwell or Maxwell's otter.

5.      In the beginning, the otter was aloof and indifferent.

6.      Maxwell made a body-belt for Mijbil and took him on a lead to bathroom. It went wild with joy in the water for half an hour, 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 later, it escaped from his bedroom to the bathroom. By the time Maxwell got there, Mijbil was up on the end of the bathtub and fumbling at the chromium taps with its paws. Maxwell was left amazed. In less than a minute, it had turned the tap far enough to produce some water and after a moment, achieved the full flow.

Comprehension Check -II

Question:

1. How was Mij to be transported to England? 2. What did Mij do to the box?

3.      Why did Maxwell put the otter back in the box? How do you think he felt when he did this?

4.      Why does Maxwell say the airhostess was "the very queen of her kind"?

5.      What happened when the box was opened?

 Answer:

1.      Maxwell was in great fear by the though t of transporting Mij to England and to Camusfearna. He booked a flight to Paris and from there he would go on to London. The airlines insisted that Mij should be packed in a box not more than eighteen inches square, so that it could be carried on the floor near his feet.

2.      When Maxwell came after having his hurried meal he observed complete silence from the box. Blooded had trickled and dried. 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 to shreds. As a result it hurt itself and started bleeding.

3.      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.      Luckily Maxwell got a seat in front. He covered the floor with newspa per. He rang for the air hostess and gave her a parcel of fish to keep in cool place. 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. This is because he calls the airhostess "the very queen of her kind".

5.      When the box was opened, Mij went out of the box. He disappeared at a high speed down the aircraft. There were squawks and shrieks. 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 a portly white­ turbaned Indian passenger. He dived for it, but missed. The airhostess suggested him to be seated and that she would find the animal and bring it back to him. After a while, Mij had returned to him. It climbed on his knee and began to rub its nose on his face an d neck.

Oral Comprehension Check -    III

Question:

1.      What game had Mij invented?

2.      What are 'compulsive habits'? What does Maxwell say are the compulsive habits of

(i)      school children

(ii)    Mij?

3.      What group of animals do otters belong to?

4.      What guesses did the Londoners make about what Mij was?

Answer:

1.      Mij had invented a game with 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.      Compulsive habits are usually strange act or beha viour whi ch a person does without clear reason. These habits are almost impossible to control.

On their way to and from school, children make it a habit to place their feet exactly on the centre of

each paving block.Similarly, Mij had made it a habit to ju mp on to the school wall and go galloping all along its length of thirty yards.

3.      Otters belong to a comparatively small group of animals called Mustellines, shared by the badger, mongoose, weasel, stoat, mink and others.

4.      According to Maxwell, he faced a continuous barrage of conjectu ral qu estions that sprayed all the Mustellines but the otter. He said that the average Londoner does not recognize an otter. The Londoners who saw Mij made different guesses about who Mij was. Some same 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

Question:

1.      What things does Mij do which tell you that he is an intelligen t, friendly and fun -loving animal who needs love?

2.      What are some of the things we come to know about otters from this text?

3.      Why is Mij's species now known to the world as Maxwell' s otter?

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

plunges,  rolls  in  the water  and  makes  the water splosh and splash

Screws the tap in the wrong way

N uzzles Maxwell' s face and neck in the aeroplane

How Mijf eels or thinks

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

(i)      makes Mij seem almost human, like a small boy.

(ii)    shows that he is often irritated with what Mij does.

(iii)   shows that he is often surprised by what Mij does.

(iv)   of Mij's antics is comical.

(v)     shows that he observes the antics of Mij very carefully.

(vi)   shows that he thinks Mij is a very ordinary otter.

(vii)  shows that he thinks the otter is very unusual.

Answer:

1.      Mij was an intelligent animal. It had invented its own game out of the ping-pong balls. He was fond of water. He was intelligent enough that it screwed the tap till water bega n to flow and then it would play and splash in the water. Initially Mij was aloof and indifferent but soon became very friendly. It formed a special attachment with Maxwell we can say this after the incident, when Maxwell locked Mij in the box it became desperate to come out as it felt uncomfortable. When Maxwell took him out it clung to his feet. It was a fun-loving animal. It responded when Maxwell called out h is name

It 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.      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.

3.      Maxwell's otter was of a race previously  unknown to science and was at length named  by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata Maxwell or Maxwell's otter.

What Mij does Plunges, rolls in the water and makes the water splosh and splash Screws the tap in the wrong way Nuzzles Maxwell's face and n eck in the aeroplane

How Mij feels or thinks went wild with joy irritated an d disappointed distressed chitterof recognition and welcome

5.

 (i)     Maxwell's description shows that he is often surprised by what Mij does.

(ii)    Maxwell' s description of Mij's antics is comical.

(iii)   Maxwell's description makes Mij seem almost human, like a small boy.

(iv)   Maxwell's descripti on shows that he thinks Mij as a very ordinary otter.

Thinking about Language

Describing a Repeated Action in the Past

To talk about something that happened regularly in th e past, but does not happen any longer, we use would or used to. Both would and used to can describe repeated actions in the past.

(a)     Mij would follow me withou t a lead and come to me when I called his name.

(b)     He would play for hours with a selection of toys.

(c)     On his way home ... Mij would tug me to this wall.

(d)     When I was five years old, I used to follow my brother all over the place.

(e)     He used to tease me when Mother was not around.

To describe repeated states or situations in the past, h owever, we use only used to. (We cannot use would for states or situations in the past.) So we do not use would with verbs like be, have, believe, etc. Look at the following sentences.

(a)     When we were young, we used to believe there were ghosts in school.

(Note: believe shows a state of mind.)

(b)     Thirty years ago, more women used to be h ousewives than now.

(Note: be here describes a situation.)

From the table below, make as many correct sentences as you can using would and/or used to, as appropriate. (Hint: First decide whether the words in italics show an action, or a state or situation, in the past.) Then add two or three sentences of your own to it.

Emperor Akbar	Would Used to	Befond  of musical evenings.
Every evening we		Take long walks on the beach.
Fifty years ago, very few people		Own cars.
Till the 1980's, Shanghai		Have very dirty streets.
My uncle		Spen d his holidays by the sea.

Answer I:

1.

)-       Emperor Akbar used to hold his courts once in a week.

)-       Emperor Akbar would befond  of musical evenings.

)-       Every evening we used to run a race.

)-       Every evening we would take long walks on the beach.

3.

)-       Fifty years ago, very few people used to own cars.

)-       Fifty years ago very few people would by cars.

4.

)-       Till the 1980s Shanghai used to have very dirty streets.

)-       Till the 1980s Shanghai would havegood roads.

5.

)-       My uncle used to spend his holidays by the sea.

)-       My uncle would never drive a bicycle.

Question II:

Noun Modifiers

To describe or give more information about a noun (or to modify a noun), we use adject ives or adjectival phrases. Look at these examples from the text:

(a)     An eminently suitable spot            (c)Symmetrical pointed scales

(b)     His wide,flat belly                          (d)A ricocheting bullet

Nouns can also be used as modifiers:

(a)     The dinner party

(b)     A desig ner dress

(c)     Th e car keys

We can use more than one noun as modifier. Proper nouns can also be used:

(a)     The Christmas dinner party

(b)     A silk desig ner dress

(c)     Th e Maruti car keys

In the examples below, there is an adjectiva l phrase in front of a noun modifier:

(a)     The lovely Christmas party

(b)     A trendy silk designer dress

(c)     Thefrig htfully expens ivegolden Maruti car keys

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           (iv) The London streets

(ii)    The iron railings           (v) soft velvet fur

(iii)   The Tigris marshes      (vi) Afour -footed soccer player

2.      Given below are some nouns, and a set of modifiers (in the box). Combine the nouns and modifiers to make as many appropria te phrases as you can. (Hint: The nouns and modifiers are all from the texts in this book.)

temple person gifts time crossing physique

girls thoughts scream subject flight coffee

triangle boys farewell landscape chatterbox view

dresses roar expression handkerchief profession celebration

college love bare plump incorrigible

Rough uncomfortable Railroad invigorating Ridiculous

hundred white tremendous panoramic loud

stone slang family heartbreaking first

ordinary slack           marriage birthday     three

Answer II:

1. (i) An otter fixation - Nou n

(ii)    The iron railings - N oun

(iii)   The Tigris marshes - Proper noun

(iv)   The London streets - Proper noun

(v)     soft velvet fur - Adjective plus noun

(vi)   Afour-footed soccer player - Adjective plus noun

2.

Temple girls triangle dresses person thoughts    boys roar gifts scream farewell expression time subject landscape handkerchief crossing flight chatterbox  profession physique coffee view celebration

>       a stone temple >       three ordinary girls >       a slack triangle >       hundred  dresses >       an uncomfortable person >       bare thoughts >       rough boys >       a loud roar >       birthday gifts >       a loud scream >       a family farewell >       a love expression >       college time >       an ordinary subject >       a pan oramic landscape >       a white handkerchief >       a railroad crossing >       a ridiculous flight >      an incorrigible chatterbox >       a slang profession >       plump physiq ue >       invigorating coffee >       a heart-breaking view >       a marriage celebration

Question III:

Read this sentence:

He shook himself, and I half expected a cloud of dust.

The author uses a cloud of dust to give a pictu re of a large quantity of dust. Phrases like this indicate a particular quantity of something that is not usually countable. For example: a bit of land, a drop of blood, a pinch of salt, a piece of paper.

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

2.      Use a bit of/a piece of/ a bunch of/a cloud of/a lump of with the italicised nouns in the following sentences. The first has been done for you as an example.

(i)      My teach er gave me some advice.        My teacher gave me a bit of advice.

(ii)    Can you give me some clay, please.

(iii)   The information you gave was very usefu l.

(iv)   Because of these factories, smoke hangs over the city.-------------­

(v)     Two stones rubbed together can produce sparks of fire. -------------­

(vi)   He gave me some flowers on my birthday.

Answer III:

1.

(i)      a portion of (ii)    a pool of (iii)   flakes of (iv)   a huge heap of (v)     a gust of (vi)   little drops of (vii)  a piece of (viii) a pot of

-        cotton -        water -        snow -        stones -        wind -        blood -        fried fish -        gold

2.

(i)      My teacher gave me a bit of advice.

(ii)    Can you give me a lump of clay? Please.

(iii)   The piece of information you gave was very useful.

(iv)   Because of these factories a cloud of smoke hangs over the city.

(v)     Two lumps of stones rubbed together can produce sparks of fire.

(vi)   He gave me a bunch of flowers on my birthday.

Speaking

Question:

You have seen how Maxwell describes Mij the otter's feelings and thoughts by watching him. Play the game of dumb charades. Take turns to express a feeling or though t silently, through gestures. Let the class speak out their guesses about the feelings or though ts you are trying to express.

Answer:

The guessing about Mij was different by various person . Some of the most appropria te guesses are as follows:

·       They are much fond of water and will enjoy rolling and galloping in it.

·       The pran ks of the otters are very comical in nature.

·       Most of their habits are similar to school children.

Writing

Question:

Write a description of a person or an animal (such as a pet) that you know very well and love very much. Question -s (4) and (5) in 'Thinking about the Text' will have given you some idea about how to do this. Mention some things the person or animal does, what you think the person or animal feels, etc.

Answer:

There are so many friends in my class but Himanshu is my most favourite. His interests and thinking are very similar to me. He always thinks to help the other classmates with small articles like pen, pen cils, rubber or book-copies. He also help us in doing homework. During the recess he enjoys playing with us. He always motive the other children for hard work. He is very friendly with all the students in the class and try to help all of them with at his level best.

Thinking about the Poem

Question 1:

 (i)     What does Sandburg think the fog is like?

(ii)    How does the fog come?

(iii)   What does 'it' in the third line refer to?

(iv)   Does the poet actually say that the fog is like a cat? Find three things that tell us that the fog is like a cat.

Answer 1:

(i)      According to Sandburg, the fog is like a cat.

(ii)    The fog comes on littl e cat feet.

(iii)   In the third line 'it' refers to the fog that has enclosed the city and it seems as if it is looking over the city like a cat.

(iv)   N o, the poet does not in fact say that the fog is like a cat. However, he has used cat as a metaphor for describing the fog. He says that the fog comes on its little cat feet, which implies that the fog is like a cat as it comes gradually. He also says that the fog looks over the dock, implying that the fog has covered the city an d is looking at it. He again compares it to a cat. This is reiterated when he says that the fog looks over the city sitting on 'silent hunches'. This also shows the reference to a cat as a cat all th e time sits with its knees ben t. Hence, he has compared the fog to a cat without in reality saying so.

Question 2:

You know that a metaphor compares two things by transfer ring a feature of one thing to the other (See U nit 1).

(i)      Find metaphors for the following words and complete the table below.Also try to say how they

are alike. The first is done for you.

Storm Train          Fire            School Home

Tiger

Pounces over the fields, growls

(ii)    Think about a storm. Try to visualise the force of the storm, hear the sound of the storm, feel the power of the storm and the sudden calm that happens afterwards. Write a poem about the storm comparing it with an animal.

Answer 2:

(i)

Storm Train Fire School Home

Tiger Gush of wind Anger Gateway Nest

Pounces over the fields, growls Very fast movement Danger that surrounds both on the basis of their intensities Leads to adulthood and a life of responsibi lity Provides hospitable, loving environmen t

Pounces over the fields, growls Very fast movement

Danger that surrounds both on the basis of their intensities Leads to adulthood and a life of responsibility

Provides hospitable, loving environment

(ii) Do yourself as it in an activity.

Question 3:

Does this poem have a rhyme scheme? Poetry that does not have an obvious rhyth m or rhyme is called 'free verse'.

Answer 3:

No, this poem does not have a rhyme scheme. It is written in free verse.

Chapter 8: Mijbil the Otter

The story begins when the author is travelling to Basra with his friend. During their jou rney, the author expresses his wish to tame an otter after he had lost his pet dog. His life had become deserted. His friend suggested that he should get one from the Marshes along river Tigris in Iraq. When they reached the target, they found that only the friend's mail had arrived. After a few days, the friend left but the narrator waited there to receive his mail. On receiving it, he went to his room and found an otter with two Arabs who had a note with them. It was a gift from his friend. He named the otter Mijbil or shortly, Mij . Mij took time to open up and get familiar with his surroundings. He was covered with mud. It took almost a month to clean and wash to divulge his actual colour. Mij loved playing with water so he learned to open the tap on his own. He wanted each drop of water to be splashed till the bowl would get empty. Everything was going on smoothly in Basra, but now he ha d to fly back to London. But British airlines did not allow animals, so he had to take another flight that allowed him to take Mij with him with a condition that he had to be carried in a box. As Mij was in a box, he could get familiar to it. But when he returned, he saw that Mij had created a clutter by destroying the inner lining. As a result, blood was sopping out of the holes. So he got afraid and hurried. They were quite far from the airport and there were only ten minutes left for the flight to take off. He cleaned everything, hurried in a cab and managed to reach in nick of time. He explained the events to an air hostess who was very kind and generous. She advised him to keep the box on his lap. He developed an admiration for the air hostess as she was very kin d hearted. As soon as he opened the box, the otter pepped out and disappeared .All this created a chaos. Passengers got frightened. A lady jumped up from her chair and while trying to catch Mij,the author himself got covered in curry. The air hostess offered him help and brought him back to Gavin and finally, they could reach London. Mij was fond of playing with ping-pong balls and marbles. It could keep him busy for a long period of time. He used to go for walks .But People of London were unfamiliar with otters, so had wild guesses about what Mij was. Some though t it to be a baby seal, squirrel or a hippo. The most shocking reaction came when a labour digging the hole asked the author, "What is that supposed to be?"

Chapter 8: Poem: Fog

The poem was written by Carl Sandburg, which is written in 25 words and is about the fog which arrives in Chicago. The poet compares the fog with a kitten because kitten who has soft paws and without even giving any notice, similarly the fog is soft and it also comes in the same way. It tells that fog does not stay in the same place for a longer period of time. It stays at one place for a shorter period of time and then moves on. It also tells that the fog can also be very harm ful some times. The poet says that the accidents occur due to fog and people cannot see what is happening. The fog just sits there quietly and sees what is going on around just like kitten. Fog is a poem that wonderfully captures a moment or two when the fog comes moving as a powerful image through a metaphorical cat.