NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

Mijbil the Otter

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

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

Answer: Maxwell liked the notion of owning an otter as a pet rather than a dog after visiting Southern Iraq in 1956. He believed that water encircled Camusfearna, which was at a stone’s throw from its entrance. Therefore, it would be the perfect location for this “experiment.”

Question 2: Why does he go to Basra? How long does he wait there, and why?

Answer: In order to retrieve and respond to his European correspondence, Maxwell traveled to the Consulate-General in Basra. His letter hadn’t come, yet his friend’s did. He thus made a cable call to England, and three days later, he even placed a phone call that required a 24-hour notice. The exchange was closed on the second day due to a religious holiday; the first day’s queue was out of order. Another collapse occurred on the third day. The writer made plans to see his friend, who had gone, in a week. His mail finally came after a five-day wait. Maxwell was therefore forced to wait five days for his letter.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

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

Answer:

The writer went to view his mail in his bedroom as soon as it came. He observed two Arabs kneeling on the ground holding a squirmy bag. They gave him a message from his friend informing him that he had given him an otter.

Maxwell did like it, indeed. His description of his sentiments for the otter, “an otter fixation,” lets us know this. Like any other otter owner, he believed the word was meant to convey his deep bond with the creatures.

Question 4: Why was the otter named ‘Maxwell’s otter’?

Answer: Lutrogale Perspicillata Maxwelli is the scientific name for otter species, thus the nickname Maxwell’s otter.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

Question 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.

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

Answer:

For the first thirty minutes in the water when Maxwell escorted Mijbil to the restroom, the otter was giddy with excitement. He dove into the water and rolled around, creating enough noise to make a hippopotamus shoot up and down the bathtub’s length.

The otter abruptly vanished from Maxwell’s bedroom after two days and proceeded to play in the water in the bathroom, where he was standing on the bathtub’s end and groping with his paws at the chrome taps. The writer was astounded to see how the little being gradually twisted the faucet to create a trickle of water, and then, in a short while, reached the full flow.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

Oral Comprehension Check

Question 1: How was Mij to be transported to England?

Answer: After purchasing a ticket to Paris, Maxwell planned to travel to England. Since dogs are not permitted on British planes, Mijbil had to be crammed into an eighteen-inch square box and carried on the floor close to Maxwell’s feet, according to airline officials. So that he would become used to it, he had a box created an hour before they started and placed Mij inside of it. And with that, he ran to fetch something to eat.

Question 2: What did Mij do to the box?

Answer:

Mij wanted to get out of the box even though it was lined with a metal sheet since she didn’t feel comfortable inside. Mijbil cut his hand trying to get out, ripped into the box’s metal lining, and began to bleed.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

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

Answer: Maxwell returned the otter to its box, realizing there was no other way he could have carried Mij to London. He was alarmed and sympathetic when he observed the otter’s injuries sustained during his attempt to get free of the cage.

Question 4: Why does Maxwell say the airhostess was “the very queen of her kind”?

Answer: After hearing Maxwell’s story, the flight hostess was kind and offered him sympathy. He was allowed to remove the otter from the box and keep it on his knee since she understood and accepted his sentiments over the box event. The author became immensely fond of the kind woman after hearing this and referred to her as “the very queen of her kind.”

Question 5: What happened when the box was opened?

Answer: Upon opening the box, Mij sprang out of it. He vanished quickly and scattered, frightening other travelers on the aircraft. The co-passengers became frightened of the small animal and the otter caused a lot of disturbance in the aircraft. As he passed under the legs of a large white-turbaned Indian, a woman on her seat rose in terror. Maxwell attempted, but was unable, to contact Mij. I’ll find the otter, Maxwell was promised by the plane hostess. Mijbil soon made her way back to the author, cuddled up against his knee, and nuzzled his neck and face.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

Oral Comprehension Check

Question 1: What game had Mij invented?

Answer: A new game involving ping-pong balls was created by Mij. A damaged bag with a sloping lid belonged to the author. Once the ball was placed on the upper portion of the sloping lid, Mij would sprint to catch it as it descended toward the lower portion.

Question 2: What are ‘compulsive habits’? What does Maxwell say are the compulsive habits of

(i) school children

(ii) Mij?

Answer: A person who repeats odd behavior without a clear explanation is said to have compulsive behaviors. A child could, rather than using the designated path, jump over a fence. Since children are naturally naughty, they frequently exhibit obsessive behavior.

(i) In line with the narrative, Maxwell depicts obsessive behaviors like children’s routines that require them to step exactly in the middle of every paving block, touch every seventh iron fence upright, or go outside every other light post on their journey to and from school.

(ii) Mijbil would also hop over the boundary wall railing on his way home and sprint the entire thirty yards, much to the despairing amusement of the students and staff inside.

Question 3: What group of animals do otters belong to?

Answer: Otters are members of the Mustelline group of mammals, which is a tiny group of creatures. The other creatures in this category are the mink, stoat, badger, mongoose, and weasel.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

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

Answer: Since otters are not native to England, Maxwell claims that Londoners have difficulty recognizing them. So they conjectured about Mijbil in the most ridiculous ways imaginable. The suggestions made by some people included a brontosaurus, a newborn seal, a squirrel, a walrus, a beaver, a bear cub, a leopard, and a hippo.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

Thinking about the Text

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

Answer: Mij demonstrated his brilliance by creating his own version of the ping-pong ball game on a shabby Maxwell suitcase. He also demonstrated his intellect by turning on the bathroom faucet, getting into the tub, and playing with the water. Even though at first he was cold and uninterested in Maxwell, he eventually showed his owner some friendliness. He clutched to Maxwell’s feet during the journey, which is proof of this. Over time, he and the author grew close, and it became clear that he was an enjoyable animal as he created games on his own and had certain obsessive behaviors when they went on walks across London.

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

Answer: Along with badgers, mongooses, weasels, stoats, mink, and other creatures, otter species is part of the very small group of mammals known as Mustellines. Mostly found in swampy environments, they are a big species. Arabs domesticate them. Otters adore making splashes and playing in the water. The Lutrogale Perspicillata Maxwelli, popularly known as Maxwell’s otter, was eventually identified by zoologists as the previously unidentified race of Maxwell’s otter. We also learned that otters are nice to humans and are clever, entertaining animals who create and enjoy their own games.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

Question 3: Why is Mij’s species now known to the world as Maxwell’s otter?

Answer:

The Lutrogale Perspicillata Maxwelli, popularly known as Maxwell’s otter, was eventually identified by zoologists as the previously unidentified race of 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 splosh and splash
Screws the tap in the wrong way
Nuzzles Maxwell’s face and neck in the aeroplane

Answer:

What Mij does	How Mij feels or thinks
plunges, rolls in the water and makes the water splosh and splash	Went wild with joy
Screws the tap in the wrong way	Irritated and disappointed at the tap’s failure to cooperate
Nuzzles Maxwell’s face and neck in the aeroplane	A distressed chitter of recognition and welcome

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

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

(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:

True. The statement – “He spent most of his time in play.”
False
True. The statement – “I watched, amazed; in less than a minute he had turned the tap far enough to produce a trickle of water, and after a moment or two achieved the full flow.”
True. The statement – “Marbles were Mij’s favourite toys for this 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.
True. The statement – “A suitcase that I had taken to Iraq had become damaged on the journey home, so that the lid, when closed, remained at a slope from one end to the other. Mij discovered that if he placed the ball on the high end it would run down the length of the suitcase. He would dash around to the other end to ambush its arrival, hide from it, crouching, to spring up and take it by surprise, grab it and trot off with it to the high end once more.”
False
True. The statement – “It is not, I suppose, in any way strange that the average Londoner should not recognise an otter, but the variety of guesses as to what kind of animal this might be came as a surprise to me.”

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

Thinking about Language

Question I: Describing a Repeated Action in the Past

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	be fond of musical evenings.
Every evening we		take long walks on the beach.
Fifty years ago, very few people		own cars.
Till the 1980s, Shanghai		have very dirty streets.
My uncle		spend his holidays by the sea.

Answer:

Emperor Akbar used to be fond of musical evenings.
Every evening we would take long walks on the beach.
Fifty years ago, very few people used to own cars.
Till the 1980s, Shanghai used to have very dirty streets.
My uncle used to spend his holidays by the sea.
My uncle used to be fond of musical evenings.
My uncle would take long walks on the beach.

Question 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 (iv) The London streets

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

(iii) The Tigris marshes (vi) A four-footed soccer player

Answer:

Noun
Noun
Proper Noun
Proper Noun
Adjective plus noun
Adjective plus noun

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

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.)

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

college	rough	hundred	stone	ordinary
love	uncomfortable	white	slang	slack
bare	railroad	tremendous	family	marriage
plump	invigorating	panoramic	heartbreaking	birthday
incorrigible	ridiculous	loud	first	three

Answer:

1.	Temple	White temple, Stone temple
2.	Gifts	Ordinary gift, birthday gift.
3.	Time	First time, family time, college time, rough time
4.	Crossing	Railroad crossing, first crossing
5.	Physique	Plump physique, ordinary physique
6.	Girls	Plump girls, college girls
7.	Thoughts	Uncomfortable thoughts, ridiculous thoughts, ordinary thoughts, good thoughts, invigorating thoughts, heartbreaking
8.	Scream	Loud scream, heartbreaking scream
9.	Subject	Ordinary subject, college subject
10.	Flight	First flight, ordinary flight, rough flight, uncomfortable flight
11.	Coffee	Black coffee, ordinary coffee, invigorating coffee
12.	Farewell	College farewell, heartbreaking farewell
13.	Landscape	Rough landscape, bare landscape
14.	Chatterbox	Incorrigible chatterbox, ridiculous chatterbox
15.	View	Panoramic view, ordinary view, tremendous view
16.	Dresses	Ordinary dresses, birthday dresses, marriage dresses, hundred dresses
17.	Handkerchief	White handkerchief, clean handkerchief, ordinary handkerchief
18.	Profession	Family profession, first profession, ordinary profession
19.	Celebration	Birthday celebration, tremendous celebration, family celebration
20.	Roar	Loud roar, tremendous roar

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

Question 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

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

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 teacher 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 useful. ________________________________

(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:

My teacher gave me a bit of advice.
Can you give me a lump of clay please?
The piece of information you gave was very useful.
Because of these factories, a cloud of smoke hangs over the city.
Two pieces of stone rubbed together can produce sparks of fire.
He gave me a bunch of flowers on my birthday.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 8 – Mijbil the Otter

Speaking (Page 114)

Question 1:

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 thought silently, through gestures. Let the class speak out their guesses about the feelings or thoughts you are trying to express.

Answer:

Activity to be done by yourself.

Writing (Page 114)

Question 1:

Write 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, etc.

Answer:

Activity to be done by yourself.