Mijbil the Otter – important questions for Boards 2027

CBSE Class 10 English

1. SA · 2 marks

   What does Mahatma Gandhi’s quotation suggest about the way a nation should treat animals?

   Answer

   Mahatma Gandhi’s quotation suggests that a nation’s moral progress is reflected in its treatment of animals. Compassionate care respects their lives and prevents cruelty, showing that concern for vulnerable beings is a measure of a society’s character.

2. LA · 5 marks

   Write a paragraph explaining how Ingrid E. Newkirk’s quotation supports the idea that animals’ lives and feelings deserve consideration.

   Answer

   Ingrid E. Newkirk’s quotation argues that animals’ feelings and lives deserve moral consideration because animals, like humans, experience suffering and value their existence. 1. Animals feel pain and fear. A rat, pig or dog can suffer, so human beings should not dismiss an animal’s distress as unimportant. 2. Animals also experience love, joy and loneliness. Their emotional lives make them individuals rather than objects for human use. 3. Every animal values its life and resists harm. The quotation’s image of fighting the knife highlights the animal’s interest in living free from suffering and exploitation. 4. Equal consideration does not mean identical treatment. Animals do not need human rights such as voting, but they do need protection from needless harm. The quotation therefore calls for compassion and choices that respect animals’ lives and feelings.

3. VLA · 8 marks

   (i) Identify the odd word in this set and explain why it does not fit: appalling, atrocious, wonderful, awful, dreadful. (ii) Choose two words from the list cross, ring, book, mail, cable, sack, end, head, colour, lead. Write one sentence using each chosen word as a noun and another using it as a verb, making the meanings clear.

   Answer

   A word’s part of speech is identified by its function in a sentence, and some words can function as both nouns and verbs. 1. “Wonderful” is the odd word because it means excellent or delightful, whereas “appalling”, “atrocious”, “awful” and “dreadful” all describe something extremely bad or shocking. A wonderful result brings pleasure, but an appalling result causes distress. 2. As a noun, “cross” means a mark or symbol: “I put a cross on the map to mark the river.” Here, “cross” names the mark. 3. As a verb, “cross” means to go from one side to another: “We cross the bridge to reach the village.” Here, the word describes an action. 4. As a noun, “ring” means a piece of jewellery: “She placed the gold ring in a box.” As a verb, “ring” means to produce a bell-like sound: “Please ring the bell before entering.” A word’s grammatical function and meaning are clear from the context in which it appears.

4. MCQ · 10 marks

   Choose the correct option for each item. Each item carries 1 mark. (i) Civet cats are also called: (A) tree dogs (B) toddy cats (C) palm bears (D) night foxes. (ii) They are described as living mainly on: (A) palm trees (B) riverbanks (C) grasslands (D) rooftops. (iii) What sweet substance do they like to drink? (A) honey (B) flower nectar (C) sap (D) milk. (iv) Who collects the sap mentioned in the passage? (A) forest guards (B) toddy tappers (C) farmers (D) traders. (v) Dharini’s family primarily: (A) studies plants (B) rescues and rehabilitates wild animals (C) keeps pets for visitors (D) trains animals. (vi) The rescued animals are often: (A) adult predators (B) young or unable to care for themselves (C) farm animals (D) animals from zoos. (vii) A civet cat is omnivorous because it eats: (A) only plants (B) only meat (C) both plant and animal foods (D) only insects. (viii) Which food does Bhakat like? (A) fruit and meat (B) only vegetables (C) grass and leaves (D) seeds only. (ix) Which statement about Bhakat’s diet is supported by the passage? (A) He refuses fruit. (B) He likes things dipped in milk. (C) He eats only vegetables. (D) He drinks only sap. (x) Which description best fits a civet cat’s diet? (A) herbivorous (B) carnivorous (C) omnivorous (D) insectivorous.

   Answer

   (B) toddy cats — civet cats are also called toddy cats. (A) palm trees — civet cats live on palm trees. (C) sap — they love to drink the sweet sap. (B) toddy tappers — toddy tappers collect the sap to make wine. (B) rescues and rehabilitates wild animals — Dharini and his family care for wild animals. (B) young or unable to care for themselves — the animals are mostly babies or cannot look after themselves. (C) both plant and animal foods — Bhakat eats fruits and meat and is omnivorous. (A) fruit and meat — Bhakat says that he likes fruits and loves meat. (B) He likes things dipped in milk. — Bhakat says that things dipped in milk are yummy. (C) omnivorous — the passage describes Bhakat as omnivorous.

5. VVLA · 12 marks

   Write a detailed piece for a school publication on animal rights. Discuss how the treatment of animals reflects a nation’s moral progress, what animals share with humans in their capacity to feel and value life, and why the smuggling described in customs seizures raises concern.

   Answer

   Animal Rights and Our Moral Responsibility A nation’s treatment of animals reflects its moral progress. Mahatma Gandhi’s quotation makes animal welfare a measure of a nation’s character: a society that protects vulnerable living beings demonstrates compassion, while cruelty reveals a failure of responsibility. Respect for animals is not a minor concern, because human choices can affect their freedom, safety and lives. Animals share important capacities with humans. They feel pain, pleasure, fear, frustration and loneliness, and they can form bonds of familial love. The animal-rights passage explains that every being with a will to live has an interest in living free from exploitation and suffering. An animal’s capacity to suffer gives people a moral obligation to consider its needs whenever human actions may interfere with them. Equal consideration does not require identical treatment. Animals do not need the right to vote or drive a car; those rights would not benefit them. Animals do need protection from suffering and exploitation at human hands. Treating a beloved companion animal gently while ignoring the suffering of animals raised for food would rest on an arbitrary distinction. Each animal is an individual with the capacity to feel pain and fear. The quotation by Ingrid E. Newkirk stresses that a rat, pig, dog or human being values life and resists death. The comparison does not claim that all species have identical abilities or needs. It draws attention to a shared interest that matters morally: the desire to live and avoid pain. Recognising that common experience can widen empathy beyond the animals people keep at home or admire in films and documentaries. Customs seizures described in the textbook raise a serious concern about animal rights. The seized animals range from reptiles and lizards to leopards, pythons and venomous reptiles. Some are carried in tiny suitcases. Concealment and cramped transport expose living creatures to danger and treat them as hidden goods rather than beings capable of suffering. The variety of animals also shows that smuggling can threaten very different kinds of wildlife. Customs controls and enforcement of wildlife-trade laws are therefore essential to detect illegal movement and protect animals. Individuals can support animal rights through daily choices about food, clothing and products. Choosing cruelty-free goods can reduce the profits of businesses that harm or kill animals and support a growing market for alternatives. Communities and governments also have responsibilities: wildlife laws must be enforced, and animals must not be exploited for amusement or profit. These actions translate compassion into practical protection. A morally progressive nation recognises animals’ inherent worth rather than valuing them only for their usefulness to people. Respect means taking their feelings, interests and lives seriously, preventing needless suffering and responding firmly to trafficking. When personal choices and public laws protect animals, human beings show that compassion extends beyond their own species.

6. SA · 2 marks

   What do customs seizures reveal about the animals being smuggled and the way some are transported?

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7. LA · 5 marks

   Prepare a list of the practical arrangements and care an owner should provide for Mijbil, including food, exercise, and suitable space to play. Briefly explain how these arrangements show commitment to a pet.

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8. VLA · 10 marks

   Answer all five parts, using information from the passages. (i) When is a civet cat active, and when does it sleep? (ii) How do its large eyes help it? (iii) What role does its long tail play? (iv) What does arboreal mean in the passage? (v) Explain how expanding communities and shrinking wild habitats bring people and wildlife into conflict over space and food. Each part carries 2 marks.

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9. SA · 2 marks

   What does the activity ask you to consider about the author’s commitment to Mijbil? Give two examples of the care or arrangements you would include in your list.

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10. LA · 5 marks

    Suggest three suitable illustrations to accompany a list about caring for Mijbil. For each illustration, state what aspect of the author’s care or the otter’s needs it would show.

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