In this article, we are providing Mijbil the Otter Extra Questions and Answers PDF Class 10 English First Flight CBSE, Extra Questions for Class 10 English First Flight was designed by subject expert teachers.
Mijbil the Otter Extra Questions and Answers Class 10 English First Flight
Extract Based Questions (4 marks each)
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Question 1.
Early in the New Year of 1956 I travelled to Southern Iraq. By then it had crossed my mind that I should like to keep an otter instead of a dog, and that Camusfearna, ringed by water a stone’s throw from its door, would be an eminently suitable spot for this experiment. (1×4 = 4)
(a) What ‘experiment’ did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for ?
(b) Why was it a suitable spot for his experiment ?
(c) Write the meaning of the phrase, ‘crossed my mind’.
(d) When did the author travel ?
Answer:
(a) Maxwell thought to keep an otter as a pet instead of a dog as Camusfearna would be suitable for it.
(b) It was a suitable place for his experiment because that place was ringed by water.
(c) ‘a thought came into my (narrator’s) mind’.
(d) The author travelled in the New Year of 1956.
Question 2.
The creature that emerged from this sack on to the spacious tiled floor of the consulate bedroom resembled most of all a very small, medievally-conceived, dragon. From the head to the tip of the tail he was coated with symmetrical pointed scales of mud armour, between whose tips was visible a soft velvet fur like that of a chocolate-brown mole. (1×4 = 4)
(a) What creature is the author talking about ?
(b) What was the creature coated with ?
(c) Find from the passage a word that means the same as ‘came out of’.
(d) Which figure of speech is used in the passage.
Answer:
(a) The creature, that the author is talking about, is his pet otter, named as Mijbil.
(b) The creature was covered with symmetrical pointed scales of mud armour from head to the tip of the tail.
(c) cEmerged.
(d) Simile
Question 3.
Mijbil, as I called the otter, was, in fact, of a race previously unknown to science and was at length christened by zoologists ‘Lutrogale perspicillata Maxwelli’, or Maxwell’s otter, For the first twenty-four hours Mijbil was neither hostile nor friendly; he was simply aloof and indifferent, choosing to sleep on the floor as far from my bed as possible. The second night Mijbil came on to my bed in the small hours and remained asleep in the crook of my knees until the servant brought tea in the morning and during the day he began to lose his apathy and take a keen, much too keen interest in his surroundings. (1×4 = 4)
(a) ‘Maxwell’s Otter’. Why was the otter given this name ?
(b) What was his behaviour during the first twenty-four hours ?
(c) What shows that the otter tried to be friendly the next night ?
(d) Which word in the passage means the same as ‘Scientist’.
Answer:
(a) It was a race previously unknown to science and that is why it was Christened Maxwell’s otter.
(b) During the first twenty-four hours Mijbil was neither hostile nor friendly, he was simply indifferent and aloof.
(c) The otter tried to be friendly the next night because he came to the author’s bed in the small hours and remained asleep in the crook of his knees until the servant brought morning tea.
(d) Zoologists
Question 4.
Very soon Mij would follow me without a lead and come to me when I called his name. He spent most of his time in play. He spent hours shuffling a rubber ball round the room like a four-footed soccer player using all four feet to dribble the ball, and he could also throw it, with a powerful flick of the neck, to a surprising height and distance. (1×4 = 4)
(a) Who does Y stand for ?
(b) How did the otter spend most of his time ?
(c) Find a word from the passage that means the same as ‘trickle’ ?
(d) How would Mij follow the author ?
Answer:
(a) ‘I’ stands for ‘Gavin Maxwell’, the author of the story.
(b) The otter spent most of his time in playing. He spent hours shuffling a rubber ball round the room like a four-footed soccer player, using all four feet to dribble the ball and he could also throw it to a surprising height and distance.
(c) Dribble.
(d) Mij would follow the author without a lead.
Question 5.
But the real play of an otter is when he lies on his back and juggles with small objects between his paws. Marbles were Mij’s favourite toys for his pastime. He would lie on his back rolling two or more of them up and down his wide, flat belly without ever dropping one to the floor. (1×4 = 4)
(a) What is the real play of an otter ?
(b) How did he play with them ?
(c) Find the word from the passage that means ‘most preferred’ ?
(d) What were Mij’s favourite toys.
Answer:
(a) The real play of an otter is when he lies on his back and juggles with small objects between his paws.
(b) He played with the marbles lying on his back. He would roll two or more of them up and down his wide, flat belly without ever dropping one to the floor.
(c) Favourite.
(d) Marbles
Question 6.
There was complete silence from the box, but from its airholes and chinks around the lid, blood had trickled and dried. I whipped off the lock and tore open the lid, and Mij, exhausted and blood-spattered, whimpered and caught at my leg. He had tom the lining of the box to shreds when I removed the last of it so that there were no cutting edges left, it was just ten minutes until the time of the flight, and the airport was five miles distant. (1×4 = 4)
(a) What were the observations of the writer when he returned ?
(b) What happened when the writer opened the box ?
(c) Find a word from the passage which means ‘to flow in drops’.
(d) What had Mij done ?
Answer:
(a) There was complete silence in box, blood had trickled and dried around the lid and airholes.
(b) Mij, being exhausted and blood spattered, whimpered and caught the author’s leg.
(c) trickle.
(d) He had torn the lining of the box to shreds.
Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words & 3 marks each)
Question 1.
What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom ? What did Mijbil do two days after that ? [Board Term-II, 2013 Code-2/1/1,2/1/2,2/1/3] [NCERT]
Answer:
In bathroom, Mijbil fumbled with the taps and went mad with joy on seeing full flow of water. It played, splashed and thoroughly enjoyed like a hippo in water. Aloof at first, he started answering to his name, played for hours with rubber belli and juggled with small objects, in two days after that.
Question 2.
What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom ? [Board Term-II Delhi Set-II, 2014, Code-2/1/2, Set 2012 EL (62014)]
Answer:
Mijbil’s reaction, when the author took him to the bathroom, was a sight to behold. He almost went mad with excitement, plunging and rolling in water, shooting up and down the length of the bath tub, blissfully frolicking and splashing water all around.
Otters are naturally found in marshes and wetlands. Mijbil’s reaction to wet surroundings can be attributed to the characteristic love for water of the specimens in general.
Question 3.
What special characteristic of Mijbil did Maxwell leam after he took him to the bathroom ? [Board Term-II, 2015 Set 2/1/1]
Answer:
After taking Mijbil to the bathroom, Maxwell witnessed Mijbil 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 others’ natural habitat.
Question 4.
What is the most common characteristic of an otter ? [Board Term-II, 2012 Set EL (62016)]
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.
Question 5.
What guesses did the Londoners make several guesses about Mijbil ? [Board Term-II, 2015 Set 2/1/2] [NCERT]
Answer:
The Londoners made the variety of guesses as to what kind of Mijbil was, i.e., a baby seal, a squirrel, walrus, mister, a hippo, a beaver, a bear cub, a leopard or a brontosaur.
Question 6.
Give an example from the text to show that Mijbil is an intelligent animal. [Board Term-II Outside Delhi Set-III, 2014, Code-2/3]
Answer:
Mijbil’s behaviour and reactions to the circumstances throw light on the trait of intelligence in the otters in general. They have basic congeniality. And it is portrayed in his behaviour that it took him mere a day to shed his inhibitions and familiarize himself with the surroundings. Mijbil’s intelligence and sense of logic is reflected in his turning on the tap to get a flow of water.
Question 7.
What game had Mijbil invented ? [Board Term-II, 2012 Set EL (62013)]
Answer:
Mijbil enjoyed playing with marbles while lying on its back. He would lie and roll two or more of them up and down his wide, flat belly.
Question 8.
Why did Maxwell put the otter back in the box ? How do you think he felt when he did this? [Board Term-II, 2012 Set EL (62018)] [NCERT]
Answer:
Maxwell put the otter in the box because he was shifting from Basra to England and he wanted the otter to get used to it. He felt sad on putting it back because the otter did not like it and so, he was trying to get out of it.
Long Answer Type Questions (100-120 words & 8 marks each)
Question 1.
The way Maxwell was worried about Mijbil when he had to take him to London shows that he was very concerned about him. Do you think, owning a pet is a life-time commitment ? Elucidate. [Value Based Question]
Answer:
Maxwell was very concerned about his pet, Mijbil when he had to undertake the plane journey. He wanted him to get used to the box in which he had to travel. When Mijbil was injured in his attempt to come out of the box, the author was really concerned about his well being. He took his food on the flight. The lesson definitely shows that when we decide to keep a pet, it is a commitment of lifetime. This is so because we are responsible for the well-being of that life and in fact, keeping a pet at home is like bringing up and nurturing a child.
Question 2.
Should one own a pet to keep up with their status symbol ? [Value Based Question]
Answer:
Owning a pet is a lifetime commitment, involving considerable responsibility. The decision to acquire one, therefore, should be made by the whole family; otherwise it would end up, being unwanted. In this story, Gavin Maxwell has very intelligently shown us that how a pet has to be taken care of, loved and made a part of the family. Maxwell, who brought home an otter, tried to find out its feelings and thoughts and tried to provide an environment suitable for its existence.
Value Based Questions
Question 1.
What game did Mij invent ? [Board Term-II, 2016 Set-2/1]
Answer:
Value Points :
Would keep the broken suitcase in a sloping position, place the ball on the high end – would run to the other end to catch it. [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2016]
Detailed Answer:
Mijbil enjoyed playing games. He would keep the broken suitcase in a sloping position and place the ball on the high end. Then he would run to the other end to catch it.
For More Resources
- NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English
- CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Chapter Wise Question Bank
- CBSE Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter Wise Question Bank
- CBSE Class 10 English First Flight Extra Questions
- CBSE Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Extra Questions
- CBSE Revision Notes for Class 10 English First Flight
- CBSE Revision Notes for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet