My Own True Family by Ted Hughes( Class 10th)

Long Answer Type Questions

1) Where did the poet creep in? 

Ans- The poet crept in an oakwood. 

2) Who is 'I' here? 

Ans- Here the word 'I' refers to the poet, who has taken the form of a young boy in the poem. 

3) What was the poet looking for? 

Ans- The poet was looking for a stag.

4) Whom did the poet meet? 

Ans- The poet met an old woman. 

5) Describe the appearance of the old lady in the oakwood? 

Ans- The lady was old and unsteady. She held a stick in her hand and her dress was worn out like rags

6) What did the old woman say? 

Ans- The old woman said the poet that she hid his secret inside her little bag. 

7) What does the poet mean when he says 'I came twice awake'? 

Ans- The old woman had cast a spell on the poet and as he agreed to look inside her bag, he realized that he has been tricked and in no time, he found himself tied to a stake. The poet tried to convey the sense of shock and wonder through the above mentioned expression. 

8) By whom was the poet surrounded? 

Ans- The poet was surrounded by a strange looking tribe of the oak trees. 

9) When did the poet come twice awake? 

Ans- The poet came twice awake when the old woman opened her little bag. 

10) What would happen to the poet if he failed to make the promise? 

Ans- If the poet failed to make the promise, the black oak bark would wrinkle over him and root him amongst the oaks. 

Short Answer Type Questions & Answers from On Killing a Tree by Gieve Patel

1) What type of poem is " On Killing a Tree"? 

Ans- "On Killing a Tree" is an ironical poem of free verse. 

2) What kind of task is to kill a tree? 

Ans- Killing a tree is a hard and laborious task. 

3) How does a tree grow? 

Ans- The grows up slowly by drawing its essential needs from the earth's crust and sunlight, air, water from the atmosphere. 

4) What does the tree absorb from nature? 

Ans- The tree absorbs sunlight, air and water from the nature for growing up. 

5) Why is the bark of a tree is referred to as leprous hide? 

Ans- The bark of a tree is referred to as 'leprous hide' because the bark is rough and has marks similar to the skin of a leprosy patient. 

6) What sprouts out of the 'leprous hide'? 

Ans- Leaves sprout from the leprous hide. 

7) "But this alone won't do it"– What does 'this' refer to here? 

Ans- In the above line 'this' refers to the hacking and chopping of a tree. 
8) What causes the bark of a tree to bleed? 
Ans- Hacking and chopping cause the bark of a tree to bleed. 
9) What do you mean by 'bleeding bark'? 
Ans- As the poet compares the cutting of a tree to the killing of the same, the metaphorical expression ' bleeding bark' is used to depict the effect of hacking and chopping. 
10) From where would the curled green twigs rise? 
Ans- The curled green twigs would rise from the healed bark. 
11) How much time, according to Gieve Patel, does it take to kill a tree? 
Ans- According to Gieve Patel, killing a tree requires a lot of time. 
12) What does the phrase 'earth-cave' refer to? 
Ans- The phrase 'earth-cave' refers to the hollow that is formed when roots are pulled out of the earth. 
13) Which part of the tree is the most sensitive, white and wet? 
Ans- The root is, the most sensitive white and wet part of a tree. 
14) What scorch and choke the tree after it is pulled out? 
Ans- The sun and air scorches and chokes the tree after it's pulled out. 
15) 'And then it is done.'– Which act is referred to here? 
Ans- Here the act referred to is that of killing a tree. 

A Day in the Zoo (Gerald Durrell) 

         Short Answer Type Questions

1) What is the source of the piece ' A Day in the Zoo'? 

Ans- The piece ' A Day in the Zoo' is an extract from ' Menagerie Manor'. 

2) How long does a zoo owner have to work? 

Ans- A zoo owner has to perform his duty twenty- four hours a day. 

3) When does the day begin in a zoo?
Ans- In a zoo, the day begins just before dawn.
4) Whose song can be heard early in the morning?
Ans- The song of Robin can be heard early in the morning.
5) How has the author described the cries of the tauracos?
Ans- The cries of the touracos has been described as rich, fruity & slightly hoarse by the author.
6) What do the peahens do?
Ans- On the velvet green lawns the peahens search for food in the dewy grass.
7) How does a male peahen dance?
Ans- A male peahen dances with its burnished tail raised like a fountain.
8) When do the zoo staff arrive?
Ans- The zoo staff arrive at 8 o'clock in the morning.
9) How do the zoo staff start their day?
Ans- The zoo staff start their day by cleaning the zoo.
10) Where do the monkeys and other mammals live?
Ans- The monkeys and other mammals live in the long, two storied granite house. 

Write a paragraph about Aacharya Jagadish Chandra Bose. 

Ans- Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose is one of the greatest scientists of all time. He was born on November 30, 1858 at Rarikhal, Dhaka( now in Bangladesh). His father's name is Bhagwan Chandra Bose. He started his early education from the village Pathshala at Faridpur. After coming to Calcutta, he got admitted in St. Xavier's School & later in St. Xavier's college. He earned his BSc & DSc degrees from the University of Cambridge, London. He started his career as a professor in Presidency College. Sir J. C. Bose researched on electromagnet & plant's life. They feel pain like human beings do. He also invented wireless telegraph. He set up the Bose Institute in Calcutta in 1917. This great scientist breathed his last on November 23, 1937.

    Asleep in the Valley by Arthur Rimbaud

1)  Justify the title of the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’.

Ans- nding te soldier lay in the poem ‘Asleep in the   The title of the poem “Asleep In The Valley” tells us about someone who is sleeping in a calm, peaceful valley in close contact with Nature. The nature is very pleasant with its slow stream, the flood of sunlight, flowers, greenery and buzzing insects. In the title, the two main words represent different meaning other than their surface meaning. ‘Asleep’ denotes the eternal sleep i.e. (that is) death and ‘valley’ symbolizes a paradise like place. The title seems ironical. It brings out the futility and brutality of war in a gentle implicit way. Actually the title suggests that the soldier is not taking rest but has been brutally killed in the war. Thus the title is apt and suggestive to the theme of the poem.

2) Write the theme of the poem ' Asleep in the Valley'.                      Or

Consider ' Asleep in the Valley' as a war poem.

                                    Or

Discuss 'Asleep in the Valley' as an anti-war poem. 

Ans-The theme of the poem ' Asleep in the Valley' is the futility of war. Rimbaud, being himself a soldier had witnessed the horror of war, and in this poem he has expressed the pity of war. The poem presents before us a picture of a soldier who is resting in a valley amongst the flowers and humming insects. With one hand on his chest, the soldier lies open-mouthed smiling like an innocent child. This picture suddenly turns into a brutal one when we find the ' two red holes' in his side. The bullet marks at the side of his body sets the soldier in contrast with the whole landscape. The beauty of nature is abruptly changed because its warmth can't revitalize the young soldier whose life is destroyed before it was fully bloomed. The recurrent image of the sun is perhaps the remainder of its incapability to revive the dead soldier. The valley signifies the landscape transformed into a valley of death. With all these symbols and images the poet tries to show the futility of war which is the theme of this poem. 

3) Give a brief description of the surrounding the soldier lay in the poem ‘Asleep in the Valley’.

Ans-The poem is written like a telescope which focuses on different parts of the valley and zooms in on the details. The poet focuses on a panoramic view of the valley, from which he moves to the mountains and then the body of the soldier in the meadow. A small stream is flowing through the valley. There are various types of flowers and bushes in that valley. He zooms in on the soldier's feet which are among the flowers. His pillow is made of fern. Rimbaud waits until the last line of the poem to reveal that the soldier is dead. 

4) " A soldier, very young, lies open-mouthed, " —Where was the soldier found lying and how? How does the poet describe the soldier's face? Why, according to you, was he lying open-mouthed? 

Ans- The soldier was found lying in a small green valley under the open sky. 

          The young soldier was lying open-mouthed with his head placed on a pillow made of fern. His feet were covered with the flowers of the valley. He was sleeping peacefully in the warmth of the sun and one of his hands was upon his chest. 

           The soldier's face was looking pale against the brightness of the sun. There was a gentle and innocent smile on his face like an infant's smile. 

            According to me, the soldier was lying open-mouthed because he was dead and nothing could disturb his peaceful, eternal sleep. 

                    

Valley’

               Thank You Ma'am 

                                    -Langston Hughes

1) Justify the title of the story 'Thank You Ma'am'. 

Ans- The word 'thank you' expresses gratitude but the title expresses more than just gratitude. This story is about a boy named Roger who decides to steal a purse to buy a pair of blue suede shoes. But this attempt of stealing changes his life and helps to understand the worth achieving something through hard work. When he tries to snatch Mrs. Jones' purse, but he is caught and dragged to her house. Then she freshens him up, makes him comb his hair and offers him food. Moreover, she advises him never to engage himself again in any evil activities. She even gives him ten dollars so that he could buy suede shoes. So Roger's respect for her and his desire to express a lot as homage to the kind-hearted lady makes him utter ' Thank You Ma'am' . Thus, the title of the story is appropriate. 

2) " Do you need somebody to go to the store,....? " — Who is the speaker? To whom did the speaker say this? Why did the speaker want to go to the store? What did they have in supper? 

Ans- The speaker of the above quoted line is Roger, who attempted to snatch the purse of Mrs Jones.                                              The speaker said this to Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones. 

          Roger was so moved by Mrs Jones' motherly affection that he wished to earn a place in her heart by becoming helpful and good. Hence, he asked her if she needed someone to go to the store maybe to get some milk or something. 

             Mrs Jones heated some lima beans and ham she had in the icebox, made cocoa out of canned milk and cut her ten-cent cake. The two had all these in supper. 

3) Why did the boy in "Thank You Ma'am" not run away though he found the door open? 

Ans- When Mrs Jones caught Roger, he pleaded with her to set him freed and looked for an opportunity to run away. Later after being taken to Mrs Jones' house, he got an opportunity to escape as the door was open but he did not feel the urge to. He got another chance to flee with Mrs Jones' purse when she was busy preparing supper, but he didn't do so. Mrs Jones' kindness, her caring attitude towards him, her addressing him as 'son' and above all the unfolding of her past, brought a change in Roger. He didn't want to lose her trust again. Hence he didn't run away despite getting a few opportunities to do so. 

4) " You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong. "– Who speaks to whom? Did the speaker manage to teach what he/she claimed to teach? Give reasons for your answer. 

Ans- Here the speaker is Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones and she is speaking to a boy named Roger. 

        The speaker, Mrs Luella Bates Washington Jones tried to teach Roger what is right and what is wrong. Roger wanted a pair of blue suede shoes and so he attempted to snatch her purse but got caught. Mrs Jones when came to know that he had nobody to teach him, took the responsibility of teaching him. She took him home, fed him like her own son and gave him ten dollars so that he could buy blue suede shoes. Her motherly affection moved him so much that he didn't try to escape from her house or steal money from her purse in spite of getting an opportunity to do so. Instead he wanted to help her in her work. Mrs Jones told him to avoid wrong means to fulfil his desires. Therefore, from the above discussion it can be said that the speaker managed to teach him what she claimed & reformed Roger. 

             HS 2020 ENGLISH SUGGESTION 

            "On Killing a Tree" By Gieve Patel

1) Justify the title of the poem " On Killing a Tree ".

Ans- The word " killing" means complete destruction of an object's existence from the earth. In this poem, the poet describes how man encourages deforestation, defying the eternal bond between the earth and the tree . When someone hacks and chops a tree, it does not die but bleed. This indicates that they are the living beings. But man ignores their usefulness and to fulfill their needs involve themselves in cutting down the trees, which according to the poet is, akin to murder. Thus the poet keeps his protest before us against this disgusting crime through a unique ironical criticism, wherein the murderers are more harsh and vigorous in their act of killing a tree. The title appropriately indicates the very essence of the poem and thus the title is appropriate. 

2) " It takes much time to kill a tree"-- Why does it take much time to kill a tree? According to the poet how is the tree finally killed? 

                                     OR 

How does a tree offer resistance to its destruction? How does its resistance fail? 

Ans- To kill a tree, killer needs to follow some discreet process. No amount of "hacking and chopping" will be enough as a tree will heal its wound soon. Small twigs will sprout again and will grow slowly to regain its former structure thereby offering resistance to the destruction of a tree. 
         To stop this, the tree should be uprooted entirely. As the earth has been acting as its anchor for ages, it should be separated from the earth. A strong rope must be tied around it, and with its help it should be snapped out from the ground. Thus the strength of the tree— the root will be exposed, and then it must be left to die slowly in the scorching sun where it will gradually turn brown, hard, twisted and withered. This is how a tree's resistance will be failed and the entire killing process will be completed. 
3) "And then it is done"—What does 'it' refer to? How it is done? 
Ans- Here 'it' refers to the act of killing a tree.
         A tree has life and man out of greed and selfishness wants to destroy it completely. Since the tree has grown for years slowly consuming the earth, therefore it can't be killed with a simple jab of the knife. The tree will overcome 'hacking and chopping' by growing small stems which will give the tree life again. So by creating a deep hole in earth man pulls out the root which is the strength of the tree. Then they scorch and choke the tree in the sun and air, then make it undergo the process of browning and hardening. At last, they triumphantly say that "it is done".
4) The poem ' On Killing a Tree' describes man's cruelty and violence to nature. — Discuss. 
Ans- A tree is man's greatest friend as it helps the latter to sustain, by providing food and oxygen. But man treats it like a foe to fulfill their needs. Man doesn't think how much harm they cause to themselves. Act of killing the trees destroys the ecological balance. The poet builds up the irony by presenting the act of cutting down a tree in the form of an explicit account of killing the same. The mindless act of deforestation is no less than a heinous crime, committed by the greedy man. That is why the poet in this poem has made the tree itself receive punishment in the hands of its murderers. This is the irony behind the meticulous act of killing a tree as depicted in the poem.