Class 10 English Chapter 19 Mijbil the Otter

Class 10 English Chapter 19 Mijbil the Otter The answer to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse throughout different chapters NCERT Class 10 English Chapter 19 Mijbil the Otter and select need one.

Class 10 English Chapter 19 Mijbil the Otter

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Also, you can read the SCERT book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per SCERT (CBSE) Book guidelines. These solutions are part of SCERT All Subject Solutions. Here we have given Assam Board Class 10 English Chapter 19 Mijbil the Otter Solutions for All Subjects, You can practice these here.

Mijbil the Otter

Chapter – 19

ENGLISH

Oral communication check- I

1. What ‘ experiment’ did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?

Ans: Since his pet dog died, Maxwell thought that he would keep an otter as a pet. This would be a new experiment for him as people seldom keep them as pets. Otters thrive in wet areas like marshes and need a place with a lot of water.   

2. Why does he go to basra? How long does he wait there and why?

Ans : The author went to Barsa to the consulate – general to collect and answer his mail from Europe. He waited five days because his mail did not arrive on time.

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

Ans: His friend had bought the otter for him and sent it to the place where he was staying. 

Yes, he liked it. The words are: an otter fixation.

4. Why was the otter named ‘Maxwell’ s otter’?

Ans:  The otter was named ‘maxwell’ s otter’ after the author ‘s name because it was previously unknown to science. An otter was typically called zoologist as Lutrogate Perpicillate “Maxwell”. So, it was called Maxwell’s otter in short.

5. Tick the right answer. In the beginning, the otter was

(i) Aloof and indifferent

(ii) Friendly

(iii) Hostile.

Ans: Aloof and indifferent.

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

Ans: when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom, the otter went wild with joy. It plunged and splashed water  happily for the first time in an hour. 

After two days, the otter suddenly disappeared and went to the bathroom on his own to play in the water. He even managed to open the tap on his own with his paws.

Oral comprehension check – II

1. How was Mij to be transported to England?

Ans: Mij was to be transported to England by air. The British Airlines would not carry it. The new Airlines insisted that Mij should be packed in a box so that it didn’t disturb other co- passengers onboard. He put Mijbil inside the box. He found there were holes in the box. He understood that Mij must have injured himself inside the box. 

At the airport he explained the entire incident to an air hostess who advised him to keep his pet on his leap rather than taking his pet in the box. Maxwell’s heart was filled with gratitude for her kind words. Mij caused a lot of problems on the flight. But the air hostess helped Mij and Maxwell a lot. After they reached London, Maxwell thanked the crew for their support onboard. 

2. What did Mij do to the box?

Ans: Mij tore the lining of the box to pieces.

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

Ans: Maxwell had to put Mij, the otter in the box  because the Airlines insisted that Mij should be packed in a box so that it didn’t disturb other co-passengers onboard.

He was a bit puzzled because  He felt pity and worried about the fact that the otter had hurt himself.

4. Why does Maxwell say the air hostess was the very queen of her kind’?

Ans: Maxwell says so because she was extremely friendly and helpful. When Maxwell explained the entire incident she advised him to take Mij in his leap instead of the box. Also she helped them a lot in the journey.

5. What happened when the box was opened?

Ans: when the box was opened, exhausted Mij came 

out. Mij leapt out and vanished in thin air, and caught the author’s leg.

Oral comprehension  check – III

1. What game had Mij invented?

Ans: Mij had invented the game of rolling a ball on the  lid of the suitcase.He would put the ball at one end of its sloping lid and then grab it as it ran to the other end. Mij had invented a game with a ping-pong ball.

 2. What are ‘ compulsive habits’? What does maxwell say are the compulsive habits of

i) School children.

ii) Mij.

Ans: i) Compulsive habits are those innate habits that are impossible to control or a strange act or behaviour which a person does without clear reason Maxwell says that school children place their feet on the centre of each paving block touch every seventh upright of the iron railings or pass to the outside of every second lamp post. and

ii) Mij would tug him to the boundary wall of the school, jump on it and walk on the full length of it.

3. What group of animals do otters belong to?

Ans : otters belong to the small group of animals called Mustellines.

4. What guesses did the Londoners make about Mij?

Ans:  The londoners made guesses about Mij that it was ‘a baby seal’, ‘a squirrel’, ‘a walrus’, ‘a beaver’, ‘a bear cub’, ‘a leopard’ and ‘a brontosaur’.

Thinking about the text:

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

Ans: Mij is an intelligent Animal. It invented its own game with ping-pong balls. It learned to screw the tap till water began to flow and then it would play and splash in the water. All these shows that Mij was intelligent. Mij nuzzles the author’s face. It shows that Mij is friendly and needs love.

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

Ans: We know some of the things about otters, Otters are found in the marshes. They need plenty of water.  They are intelligent, playful and friendly creatures. Mijbil became so friendly with Maxwell that he started sleeping in his bed. Otters are really fun-loving creatures.

3. Why is mj’s species now known to the world as maxwells otters?

Ans: mij’s race was previously unknown to science. Even Londoners had not seen such a unique animal and they started making wild and funny guesses about Mijbil. It came to be known to the world when Maxwell adopted it as his pet. Hence, it is known as Maxwell’s otter.

4. Maxwell in the story speaks for the otter. 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.

Ans: i) Mij feels home and is very happy. 

ii) Mij  chitters with irritation and disappointment. 

iii)  He feels comfort and needs affection. 

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. 

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

Ans: True.

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

Ans: False.

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

Ans: True.

iv) Of mj’s antics is comical 

Ans: True.

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

Ans: True.

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

Ans: False.

vii) Shows that he thinks the otter is very unusual. 

Ans: True.

Thinking about language: 

1. Describing a repeated action in the past To talk about something that happened regu in the past, but does not happen any longer, we use would or used to. Both would and used to describe repeated actions in the past. 

a) Mij would follow me without 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, however, 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 house wives 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 as action, or a state or situation, in the past.) then add two or three sentences or your own to it. 

Emperor Akbar is fond of musical evenings. 

Ans: 1. Emperor Akbar used to be fond of musical evenings. 

2. Every evening we used to take long walks on the beach. 

3. Every evening we would take long walks on the beach 

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

5. Fifty years ago, very few people used to take long walks on the beach. 

6. Until the 1980s, Shanghai used to have very dirty streets. 

7. My uncle would take long walks on the beach. 

8. My uncle used to take long walks on the beach. 

9. My uncle used to spend his holidays by the sea. 

10. My uncle used to be fond of musical evenings. 

11. My uncle used to own cars. 

1. I used to go to school on foot. 

2. My grandfather used to carry an umbrella. 

3. They would play football after school hours. 

II. Noun modifiers :

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

a) An eminently suitable – spot 

b) His wide, flat belly 

c) Symmetrical pointed scales 

d) A ricocheting bullet. 

Nouns can also be used as modifiers:

a) The dinner party 

b) A designer dress

c) The car keys

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

a) The Christmas Dinner party

b) A silk designer dress

c) The maruti car keys 

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

a) The lovely Christmas party 

b) A Trendy silk designer dress

c) the frightfully expensive golden maruti car keys. 

1. Look at these examples from the text, and say whether the modifiers (in italics) are nouns, proper nouns, or adjectives plus nouns. 

i) An otter fixation.

Ans: Noun.

ii) The iron railings.

Ans: Noun.

iii) The tigris marshes.

Ans: Proper noun.

iv) The London streets.

Ans: Proper noun.

v) Soft velvet fur.

Ans: Adjective plus noun.

vi) A four- footed soccer player

Ans: Adjective plus noun.

2. Given below are some nouns, and a set of modifiers to make as many appropriate phrases as you can. ( Hint : 

The nouns and modifiers are all from the texts in this  box.) 

Ans: i) White temple 

ii) College girls

iii) Three college girls 

iv) Stone triangle 

v) Ordinary stone triangle 

vi) Love triangle 

vii) Hundred dresses 

viii) Ordinary dresses 

ix) Uncomfortable dresses 

x) Uncomfortable ordinary dresses. 

xi) First person 

xii) Rough person

xiii) Invigorating thoughts 

xiv) Ridiculous thoughts

xv) Tremendous roar

xvi) Rough roar 

xvii) College boys 

xviii) Incorrigible boys 

xix) Birthday gifts 

xx) Heartbreaking scream

xxi) Heartbreaking farewell

xxii) Loud expression 

xxiii) Slang expression 

xxiv) First time

xxv) Rough time 

xxvi) Ridiculous subject 

xxvii) Panoramic landscape 

xxviii) Birthday handkerchief 

xxix) Marriage handkerchief 

xxx) Railroad crossing 

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 picture 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. 

Ans: i) A portion of fried fish

ii) (a) a pool of water. 

    (b) A pool of blood. 

iii) Flakes of snow. 

 iv) (a) A hung heap of stones. 

      (b) A hung heap of snow. 

      (c) A hung heap of gold. 

      (d) A huge heap of fried fish. 

v) A gust of  wind. 

vi) (a) Little drops of water. 

     (b) Little drops of blood. 

vii) (a) A piece of cotton. 

      (b) A piece of gold. 

       (c) A piece of snow. 

viii)  (a) a pot of gold. 

       (b) A pot of  water. 

1. Use a bit 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 teacher gave me.        My teacher gave me a bit of 

 Some advice.                          Advice. 

ii) Com you give me some     ____

     Day, please                       ____

3) The information you            ____

     Gave me was useful         ____

4) Because of their se            ____

    Factories. Smoke hangs    ____

    Over the city 

5) Two stones rubbed.             ____

    Together can produce Spark of fire.  ____                 

6) He gave me some      ____

Flowers on my birthday.            ____

Ans: ii) Can you give me a lump of/a bit of clay, please? 

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

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

v) Two pieces of stones rubbed onto each other can produce sparks of fire. 

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

Speaking : 

You have seen how Maxwell describes the otter’s feelings and thoughts by watching him. Play the game of dumb charades. Take turns to express a feeling or thought silently, through gestures. Let the class speak out their guess about the feelings or thoughts you are trying to express. 

Ans: Do yourselves in the class. 

Writing : 

Writing a description of a person or an animal ( such as a pet) that you know very  well and love very much. Questions (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, ect. 

Ans: My little kitty.

I have a pet cat, I named her Lily. I found her on a rainy day when I was coming from school at my house door. She was sitting in the corner shivering, I carried her in my hand. My mother saw her and took her to the warm place and gave her milk and some food to eat. Next day we consulted with the doctor for her check-up. After two days she was perfectly fine. All of my family members love her very much. We all play with her. Sometimes she slept with me or sometimes with my parents. she became a member of my house.

Additional Questions & Answers

1. Mijbil was an intelligent animal? Explain.

Ans:- Mijbil’s intelligence and sense of logic are reflected in his turning on the tap to get a water flow. He invented a game of his own which could keep him engrossed for up to half an hour at a time.These examples show he was an intelligent animal.

2. What happened to Mijbil when he was in the box?

Ans:-  There was complete silence in the box, but from its airholes and chinks around the lid, blood had trickled and dried. Author whipped off the lock and tore open the lid, and Mij, exhausted and bloodspattered, whimpered and caught the author’s leg. He had torn the lining of the box to shreds; when the author 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. Author put the miserable Mij back into the box, holding down the lid with the author’s hand.

3. Why did Maxwell call the air hostess “the queen of her kind?

Ans:- Because at the airport he explained the entire incident to an air hostess who advised him to keep his pet on his leap rather than taking his pet in the box. Maxwell’s heart was filled with gratitude for her kind words. Mij caused a lot of problems on the flight. But the air hostess helped Mij and Maxwell a lot. After they reached London, Maxwell thanked the crew for their support onboard. 

4. What did Maxwell’s friend advise him?

Ans:-  The author expresses his choice to domesticate an otter because after he had lost his pet dog, he felt lonely. His buddy advised that he should get one otter from the Marshes along river Tigris in Iraq.

5. Explain Mijbil’s love for water?

Ans:- When the author took Mijbil in the bathroom where for half an hour he went wild with joy in the water, plunging and rolling in it, shooting up and down the length of the bathtub underwater, and making enough slosh and splash for a hippo. After two days, Mijbil was found bathing in the bathtub; he even managed to open the tap on his own with his paws and enjoyed the flow of the running water. He was enjoying it there very much under the water.

6. What did Londoners say about Mijbil?

Ans:- The narrator took him to walk and the people of London had wild guesses about the animal. A few people think him to be an infant seal, squirrel or maybe a hippo ‘a beaver, a bear cub, a leopard’ and ‘a brontosaur’.

A. Choose the correct options for the following:-

1. When did the author travel to Iraq, New year of……..

(i) 1956

(ii) 1955

(iii) 1954

(iv) 1952

Ans:- (i) 1956.

2. Who is the author of “Mijbil the Otter”?

(i) Lucio Rodrigues 

(ii) Lokesh Abrol

(iii) Gavin Maxwell

(iv) Arup Kumar Datta

Ans:- (iii) Gavin Maxwell.

3. What had tricked out of the box?

(i) water

(ii) fruits

(iii) blood

(iv) food

Ans:- (iii) blood.

4. What was the name given to the otter by Maxwell?

(i) Boss

(ii) Tonny

(iii) Mijbil

(iv) None of the above

Ans:- (iii) Mijbil.

5. Mijbil was ____ to science

(i) Known

(ii) Unknown 

(iii) Both 1 and 2

(iv) None of the above

Ans:- (ii) Unknown. 

6. What are Mijbil’s favourite toys?

(i) Ping – pong ball

(ii) Marbles 

(iii) Rubber fruit

(iv) All of the above

Ans:- (iv) All of the above.

7. How many days later did the author’s mail arrive?

(i) 2 

(ii) 4

(iii) 3 

(iv) 5

Ans:- (iv) 5.

8.  What is the meaning of apathy?

(i) Silent 

(ii) Lack of knowledge

(iii) Lack of interest 

(iv) Lack of study

Ans:- (iii) Lack of interest.

9. How did the Airline want to carry Mijbil?

(i) In a cage

(ii) In a seat

(iii) In a box

(iv) None of the above

Ans:- (iii) In a box.

10. Maxwell called the___ “The very queen of her kind”.

(i) Pilot

(ii) Maxwell friend 

(iii) Mijbil

(iv) Air hostess

Ans:- (iv) Air hostess.

11. The car was running through the streets of-

(i) London

(ii) A town

(iii) In the London Street 

(iv) Basra

Ans:- (iv) Basra.

12. The speaker found his seat-

(i) At the back 

(ii) In the second row

(iii) Near the door

(iv) At the extreme front

Ans:- (iv) At the extreme front.

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