5. A TIGER COMES TO TOWN-I || NIOS - SECONDARY COURSE || ENGLISH-202 CLASS-X

Chapter 5

 A TIGER COMES TO TOWN-I

I. Answer the following questions by choosing the correct option from those given below:

1. 'At the circus, I did not have any chance to study human beings. They had sat peacefully while I cowered before Captain's whip. I got a totally wrong idea of human beings at that angle.'

Who does 'l' in the above lines refer to?

(a) The people

(b) The tiger

(c) The Captain

Ans. (b) The tiger.

2. The tiger says 'He did not have nny chance to study human beings' because :

(a) He was so engrossed in his act that he did not

look up at the audience,

(b) His Captain had always kept him locked up in a

cage.

(c) Having only seen people at the circus show he

did not realize that they were scared of the tiger.

Ans.(c) Having only seen people at the circus show

he did not realize that they were scared of the tiger.

3. 'At that angle' refers to :

(a). The tiger's opinion about people from his

performing ring in the circus.

(b) The spectators' opinion about the tiger at the

circus.

(c) The Captain's opinion of the spectators.

Ans.(a) The tiger's opinion about people from his

performing ring in the circus.

4. 'They withdrew into their homes and even there remained nervous. All doors and windows everywhere were shut, bolted and sealed.' Who does 'they'refer to in the above line?

(a) The tiger and his Captain

(b) The people at the circus

(c) the general public in the town

Ans.(c) the general public in the town.

5. Why did 'they' withdraw into their homes?

(a) They were scared of the tiger.

(b) They were given an alert warning.

(c) They were advised by the Captain to go inside as a precaution

Ans.(a) They were scared of the tiger.

6. By saying, “Some even thought that I was some extraordinary creature who might pass through the walls and lie in wait on the roof or in the basement, the author means to convey that:

(a) He was unable to pass through the walls.

(b) People thought that the tiger could emerge from   anywhere and attack them.

(c) If he did not wait for his prey he would have to go hungry.

 Ans. (b) People thought that the tiger could emerge from anywhere and attack them.

7. At the circus, the people would usually:

(a) Sit quietly and watch the tiger's antics.

(b) Run away on seeing a tiger.

(c) Throw stones to chase the tiger away.

 Ans.(a) Sit quietly and watch the tiger's antics.

8. The tiger got a chance to go out into the town

because :

(a) His Master wanted him to graze in the pastures to satisfy his hunger.

(b) His Master was cruel and he wanted to run out of his clutches.

(c) He found an unguarded passage and stepped out unnoticed.

Ans. (C) He found an unguarded passage and stepped out unnoticed.

III. When did the tiger realise that he was totally wrong about the opinion he had formed about human beings?

Ans:The tiger’s opinion about men changed when he came out on the street and saw men running for their lives .

IV. Give at least three reasons why you think the people at the circus were not scared of the tiger. One has been done for you. 

1. The circus ring had an iron railing around it and the tiger could not have come close to the spectators. 

2. The animals were well fed so they were never hungry enough to attack. 

3. The animals were tamed. 

4. Adequate security measures were taken by the authorities to ensure that no untoward event would take place.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 5.2 

Answer the following questions. 

1. ‘If my tail trails down to the street, if I am blocking your threshold, it is because I’m eleven feet tip to tail. I can’t help it, I’m not out to kill. I’m too full.’ 

a. Why does the tiger tell us his measurements?

Ans: He says thisto show how long he is.

 b. What does he want to tell them by saying, ‘I’m too full’?

 Ans: He wanted to tell them that they need not fear him for he was not going to attack them.

 

c. Where and what did he have for his food?

Ans: He had found something to eat in the green fields.

 

2. ‘Never use the words ‘beast’ or ‘brute’.’ 

a. Who said these words and to whom?

Ans: The Master spoke these words to the teachers.

 

b. Why did he/she say so?

Ans: He wanted them to understand that using such harsh words was being rude to a harmless and noble creature.

 

c. What does this tell us about the speaker?

Ans: These words show that the Master was kind and that he understood his animals well.

3. The tiger went off to sleep in the Headmaster’s room because: 

a. he was very tired and needed rest.

b. he liked cool floors. 

          c. he had eaten too much and was feeling lazy.

 Ans:b. he liked cool floors.  

 

4. The Master could not answer the question because: 

a. he did not know the answer. 

b. he thought that was a profound question that could not be answered casually. 

c. living in the circus with the tiger all the time, he had forgotten his name.

 Ans:b. he thought that was a profound question that could not be answered casually. 

 

5. Why were the coffee drinkers at the restaurant uttering low moans?

Ans:The people were frightened of the tiger. Seeing the tiger lying at the entrance of the restaurant, the coffee drinkers were scared because the way to go out was blocked. 

6. How was the tiger blocking the threshold?

Ans:He sat in such a way that his long body covered the entire door width.

7. Why were the school children so excited?

Ans:The school children were both excited and scared. They were also happy to know thatthe school was going to be closed early 

8. Where did the tiger go finally?

Ans:He walked up to the Headmaster’s room.  

9. What did the Headmaster do on seeing the tiger in his office?

Ans:The Headmaster got on to the table from where he heaved himself up to the attic.  

10. Why was the Master angry with the teachers? 

Ans: He was angry with the teachers because they were using unkind words for the tiger andwere rude to him also.

11. The word ‘profound’ refers to something which is felt or experienced deeply or intensely, or something with a deep meaning. For example, ‘Gandhi Ji’s non-violent method of protest against Britishers had a profound effect on the people of India.’ The teachers asked the Master a question which sounded simple, but it was not so. The Master thought it was a question with a deep meaning. What was the profound question put to the Master?

Ans:‘What a reckless man you are. Who are you?’  

TERMINAL QUESTIONS 

I. Given below are events that took place in the story. But the order is mixed up. Read the sentences and put the events in their correct sequence by writing the number of the sentence in the brackets provided. One answer has been done as an example. 

1. A tiger entered the market place (i) 

2. The cops escorting the prisoner ran away leaving their prisoner. ( __3__ ) 

3. People fell off the horse driven carriage as the horse tore from its Jutka. ( _5__ ) 

4. The tailor hid in the cupboard. ( __2__ ) 

5. The prisoner got a chance to run away. ( __4__ ) 

6. The townspeople hid in their homes and locked up their rooms. ( __6__ ) 

7. The tiger followed the children through the school gates. ( __9__ ) 

8. The teachers locked him up and kept a watch on him. ( __14__ ) 

9. The tiger walked into the Headmaster’s room. ( _10___ )

10. The Headmaster climbed up into the attic. ( __11__ ) 

11. The Master reached the school. ( __15__ ) 

12. The children rushed upstairs and shut themselves in the school hall. ( __8__ ) 

13. The tiger went off to sleep on the cool floor. ( _12___ )

14. The teachers used harsh words like ‘brute’ and ‘beast’ for the tiger. ( __13__ ) 

15. The people at the restaurant froze in their seats at the sight of the tiger. ( _7___ ) 

16. The Master was angry with the teachers for using harsh words for the tiger. ( 16_ ) 

17. The Master was called a reckless man. ( _17___ ) 

II. The Master did not like people using harsh words like ‘brute’ or ‘beast’ for the tiger. Why?

Ans:The tiger was trained and tamed very well by his Master. He obeyed his Master's instructions. The tiger and the Master shared a close bond of understanding between time. The Master loved the tiger and was very sure that he would not harm anyone. He did not like anyone to make harsh and undignified remarks about the tiger without even trying to understanding him. 

III. ‘You are asking a profound question. I’ve no idea who I am! All my life I have been trying to find the answer. Are you sure you know who you are?’ Explain the Master’s response in 60 words?

Ans:The speaker expresses the confusion that he has about his identity in the given lines. He enunciates that the idea of 'oneself' is very vaguely defined and the search for one's identity is a lifelong one. He questions the listener if she knows who she is and hits upon the fact that nobody knows who they are exactly. He confessed that he has been searching for an answer all his life and is yet to find one.