Question Bank — First Flight 6 — Mijbil the Otter

NCERT Class 10 English · Chapter 6 · CBSE Board Pattern

Class 10 English Chapter 6 Question Bank CBSE Board Pattern

QUESTION BANK

First Flight 6 — Mijbil the Otter (Prose + Poem “Fog”)

Section A — MCQs (10 × 1 = 10 marks)

  1. Maxwell decided to keep an otter because
    (a) his dog had died (b) he wanted an unusual pet (c) he found one in Basra (d) his friend suggested it
  2. The otter was brought to Maxwell in
    (a) a cage (b) a sack (c) a box (d) a basket
  3. Mijbil was christened Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli because
    (a) it was a new species (b) it was found in Basra (c) Maxwell discovered it (d) it was tamed by Arabs
  4. In the beginning, Mijbil was
    (a) friendly (b) hostile (c) aloof and indifferent (d) playful
  5. Mijbil invented a game with
    (a) marbles (b) a ping-pong ball on a sloping suitcase (c) a rubber ball (d) a terrapin shell
  6. Londoners guessed Mij was all of the following except
    (a) a baby seal (b) a squirrel (c) a dog (d) a beaver
  7. Assertion (A): Maxwell admired the air hostess.
    Reason (R): She allowed Mij to sit on his lap and helped catch him.
    (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
    (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
    (c) A is true but R is false. (d) A is false but R is true.
  8. Assertion (A): Mijbil showed compulsive habits on walks.
    Reason (R): He would gallop along the low wall of the primary school only on the way home.
    (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
    (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
    (c) A is true but R is false. (d) A is false but R is true.
  9. The fog in the poem moves
    (a) loudly (b) on little cat feet (c) like a storm (d) in a straight line
  10. The poem “Fog” is an example of
    (a) a sonnet (b) free verse (c) a ballad (d) rhyming couplets

Section B — Reference to Context (3 × 4 = 12 marks)

Extract 1

“With the opening of that sack began a phase of my life that has not yet ended… The creature that emerged… resembled most of all a very small, medievally-conceived, dragon.”

(a) Who is the speaker and what occasion is being described?
(b) What does the phrase “medievally-conceived dragon” suggest about the otter’s appearance?
(c) Identify the literary device used in the description.
(d) What does the extract tell us about the writer’s feelings at that moment?

Extract 2

“Mij was out of the box in a flash… ‘A rat! A rat!’… Diving for it, I missed, but found my face covered in curry.”

(a) Where is this incident taking place?
(b) Why did the woman scream?
(c) Name the figure of speech in “out of the box in a flash”.
(d) How does the air hostess react? What does it reveal about her?

Extract 3

“The fog comes / on little cat feet. / It sits looking / over harbour and city / on silent haunches / and then moves on.”

(a) What does the poet compare the fog to?
(b) Which two qualities of a cat are highlighted?
(c) Identify the literary device used throughout the poem.
(d) What is the central idea of the poem?

Section C — Short Answer (5 × 3 = 15 marks)

(Answer in 40–50 words each)

  1. How did Maxwell get the otter? Why did he name it Mijbil?
  2. Describe Mijbil’s behaviour on the first two days after his arrival.
  3. What happened when Maxwell tried to transport Mij in the box?
  4. What compulsive habits did Mij develop during walks in London?
  5. How does the poet present the fog as a cat in the poem “Fog”?

Section D — Long Answer (2 × 6 = 12 marks)

(Answer in 100–120 words each)

  1. Draw a character sketch of Mijbil the otter, highlighting his intelligence, playfulness and attachment to Maxwell.
  2. “Mijbil the Otter” shows that keeping a wild animal as a pet demands patience, understanding and responsibility. Justify with examples from the text.

Section E — Language and Writing (2 × 4 = 8 marks)

  1. From the unit, fill in the blanks with suitable noun modifiers:
    (i) Maxwell made a __ belt for Mij.
    (ii) Mij invented a game with a     _ ball.
    (iii) Londoners made a     of guesses about Mij.
    (iv) The     ___ streets were full of surprises for Maxwell.

  2. Imagine you are Maxwell. Write a diary entry (80–100 words) describing the eventful plane journey from Basra to London with Mijbil.

▶ Answer Key Attempt all questions first,
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Section A

  1. (a) 2. (b) 3. (a) 4. (c) 5. (b) 6. (c) 7. (a) 8. (a) 9. (b) 10. (b)

Section B

Extract 1 – (a) Maxwell, arrival of otter (b) strange, armoured, prehistoric look (c) metaphor (d) wonder mixed with surprise
Extract 2 – (a) aeroplane (b) thought Mij was a rat (c) simile (d) helpful and calm; professional and kind
Extract 3 – (a) a cat (b) silent movement, sitting on haunches (c) extended metaphor (d) fog comes and leaves quietly and mysteriously

Section C (Key points)
1. Friend sent otter in sack from Tigris marshes; named after himself as new species.
2. First day aloof; second night slept near him, then playful in water.
3. Tore box lining, injured himself; Maxwell repacked him hurriedly.
4. Must touch every seventh railing, gallop on school wall only on return.
5. Fog moves silently like a cat, sits, then moves on.

Section D (Key content points)
1. Intelligent (turns tap), playful (marbles, ball game), affectionate (nuzzles face), needs love and water.
2. Patience with habits, understanding need for water/play, responsibility during travel.

Section E

  1. (i) body (ii) ping-pong (iii) barrage (iv) London
  2. Diary: format (date, Dear Diary), content (box incident, aeroplane chaos, hostess help, relief on reaching Mij), language & expression (2 marks), content (2 marks).
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All questions are answerable from the NCERT chapter text. Reviewed by GFIS faculty.