Q. No.

1) Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow:

He stalks in his vivid stripes

The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.
He should be lurking in shadow,
Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole
Where plump deer pass.
(A Tiger in the Zoo)

i. Which of these activities is mentioned in the extract as something the tiger should do
in the jungle?

a. roar at visitors b. stare at people c. wait for his prey d. drink clean water

ii. Why does the poet describe the cage as having 'few steps'?

a. to draw attention to the stairs in the cage

b. to show admiration for the size of the cage

c. to convey the importance of protecting tigers

d. to highlight the restriction on the tiger's freedom

iii. The contrast indicated in the given extract is between __________.

a. the tiger's reality and the tiger's ideal situation.

b. the luxury of a zoo and the simplicity of a jungle

c. the tiger's actual feeling and how the tiger should feel

d. the silence of the tiger in a zoo and his dominance in the jungle

iv. Select the option that describes the tiger in the lines below.

Lurking in shadow,

Sliding through long grass

1. sly
2. scared
3. dominant
 4. light-footed
5. eye-catching

a. (1) and (4)

b. (3) and (5)

c. (1), (2), and (4)

d. (2), (4), and (5)

v. Which of these has the same rhyme scheme as the stanzas in the extract?

a. Tell me not, in mournful numbers,

Life is but an empty dream!—

For the soul is dead that slumbers,

And things are not what they seem.

(A Psalm of Life by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

b. Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

(Dreams by Langston Hughes)

c. "I cannot go to school today,"

Said little Peggy Ann McKay.

"I have the measles and the mumps,

A gash, a rash, and purple bumps."

(Sick by Shel Silverstein)

d. We listened and looked sideways up!

Fear at my heart, as at a cup,

My life-blood seemed to sip!

The stars were dim, and thick the night,

(The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

Q. No. 2) In the poem A Tiger in the Zoo, what does the tiger’s ‘quiet rage’, indicate? It
indicates that the tiger’s anger is

a. forgotten.

b. provoked.

c. suppressed.

d. opposed.

Q. No. 3) Multiple Choice Questions based on an extract

He should be lurking in shadow,

Sliding through long grass

Near the water hole

Where plump deer pass.

i. According to the extract, the poet wishes for the tiger to be ‘sliding’ through the
foliage as this would

a. assist in keeping the prey unsuspecting of the predator’s sound.

b. aid in camouflaging the presence of the predator before it rushes in.

c. help the predator pounce on the prey comfortably without getting tired.

d. Support the predator’s vision as it eyes its prey.

ii. Which fact DOES NOT connect with the significance of the water hole for the tiger?

a. Many tigers chase prey into the water and hold the victim’s head underwater until it
drowns.

b. Prey feed in the water on water-lilies, and often wander into the middle of the water
hole, where they are vulnerable and easy for the tiger to kill.

c. Prey that has quenched its thirst ensures consumption of hydrated meat for the tiger.

d. Chasing the panicked prey from shallow to deep water where the tiger grabs it.

iii. Pick the option that DOES NOT use ‘lurking’ correctly to fill in the blank.
a. The thug was _________ in the alley late evening, for unsuspecting passers-by.

b. The hyena was __________ in its den after a good meal.

c. The detective cautioned her team about the _________ dangers likely to impact the
case.

d. The prejudices __________beneath the surface create misunderstandings.

iv. ‘shadow’ here, refers to the shadow of

a. the tiger.

b. long grass.

c. water hole.

d. deer

v. Pick the phrase that DOES NOT suggest that the forest in the extract is lush.

a. long grass

b. the water hole

c. plump deer

d. lurking in shadow

Q. No. 4) Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“He should be lurking in the shadow,

Sliding through long grass

Near the water hole

Where plump deer pass.”

i. The poem, “A Tiger in the Zoo” is written by

a. Leslie Norris
b. William Blake

c. Peter Niblett

d. Robert Frost

ii. The tiger should be lurking in the shadow

a. for his prey

b. for taking rest

c. for leisure

d. for scaring others

iii. The deer frequents the water hole to ________________________

iv. The phrase ‘lurking in the shadow’ here means ________________

Q. No. 5) But he’s locked in a concrete cell,

His strength behind bars,

Stalking the length of his cage,

Ignoring visitors.

He hears the last voice at night,

The patrolling cars, …

i. Choose the image that best describes the condition of the tiger based on the given
extract.

a. Option (1)
b. Option (2)

c. Option (3)

d. Option (4)

ii. Which option correctly lists the reason for the tiger ‘stalking the length of his cage’?

a. Animals tend to cover large distances and burn a lot of their energy by hunting for
prey, in their natural habitat. Zoos deprive them of such stimulation and they are
restless and bored.

b. Animals are scared of visitors gazing at them in their unnatural surroundings. Zoos
are places where animals are far removed from the privacy of their natural habitat.

c. Animals dislike human noises in the city and react to them aggressively. Zoos are
often located in cities or outskirts.

d. Animals require human love and care and miss this when in captivity. Zoos are
places where they walk around mechanically to attract human attention.

iii. Which option identifies a patrolling car correctly?

a. Option 1

b. Option 2

c. Option 3

d. Option 4

iv. The main contrasting idea suggested by the extract is that of

a. strength and weakness.

b. nature and culture.

c. beasts and mortals.

d. confinement and freedom.

v. Choose the option listing the most likely reason for the tiger to ignore visitors,
according to the extract.

a. He is scared of their constant stares.

b. The visitors don’t provide him with any food.

c. He knows that none would help him out of captivity.

d. The visitors don’t speak to him kindly.

Q. No. 6) Read the extracts given below and attempt by answering the questions that
follow.

But he’s locked in a concrete cell,

His strength behind bars,

Stalking the length of his cage,

Ignoring visitors.

He hears the last voice at night,

The patrolling cars,

And stares with his brilliant eyes

At the brilliant stars

i. The fact that the tiger is ‘stalking the length of his cage’ tells us that he is

a. restless.

b. reckless.

c. resilient.

d. reverent.

ii. What is the rhyme scheme of the given stanzas?

a. abcb; abcb

b. abcb; abcd

c. abcd; abcd

d. abcd; abcb
iii. These stanzas bring out the contrast between

a. zoos and cities.

b. strength and weakness.

c. freedom and captivity.

d. visitors and patrolling cars.

iv. What is the caged tiger NOT likely to say to the visitors?

a. “Stop staring”.

b. “Set me free”.

c. “Join me".

d. "Go away”.

v. The tiger’s ‘brilliant eyes’ reveal that he

a. hopes to be free and in the wild, someday.

b. is looked after well and is nourished and healthy.

c. enjoys staring at the bright stars each night.

d. is well-rested and hence, wide-awake.