CBSE Class 10 English A Tiger in the Zoo MCQs

He should be lurking in shadow,
Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole
Where plump deer pass. 

Question : 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.

Answer :  A

Question : Which fact DOES NOT connect with the significance of the water hole for the tiger?
(a) Many tigers chase prey into the water and holds the victim’s head under water 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.

Answer :  C 

Question : 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.

Answer :  C

Question : ‘shadow’ here, refers to the shadow of
(a) the tiger.
(b) long grass.
(c) water hole.
(d) deer

Answer :  B 

Question : 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

Answer :  D

Question : What has been personified in the poem?
(a) tiger
(b) forest
(c) zoo
(d) all of the above

Answer :   A

Question : The tiger has vivid means bright coloured –
(a) Skin
(b) Eyes
(c) Strips
(d) Hair

Answer :  C

Question : The patrolling cars come to —- at night.
(a) Vigilate the zoo
(b) Kill the tiger
(c) Take the animals
(d) Visit the place

Answer :   A

Question : How should the tiger walk through the grass?
(a) With great difficulty
(b) With ease
(c) With practice
(d) None of the Above

Answer :    B

Question : At what does the tiger look at in night?
(a) Patrolling cars
(b) His House
(c) Stars
(d) All of the Above

Answer :  C

Question : What describes “tiger in a cell”?
(a) Locked in concrete cell
(b) snarling around houses
(c) shadow, long grass
(d) baring his white fangs

Answer :  A

Question : What sound does the tiger near at night?
(a) Patrolling cars
(b) Flowing river
(c) Truck Horn
(d) All of the Above

Answer :   A

Question : Snarling means –
(a) Buzzing sound in the jungle
(b) Sound to make afraid the animals
(c) Sound in the water bodies
(d) Sound made by animal

Answer :  D

Question- Name the poetic device used in the line "On pads of velvet quiet".
(a) metaphor
(b) assonance
(c) Oxymoron
(d) Consonance

Answer :  A

Question : By "ignoring visitors", what is the poet trying to say?
(a) tiger knows his power is restricted
(b) there is no use of showing rage
(c) he is less terrorising because of the cage
(d) all of the above

Answer :  D

Question : Where should the tiger hide to himself?
(a) behind the tree
(b) in the shadow
(c) in the house
(d) in the jungle

Answer :  B

Question : The tiger has velvet like –
(a) Paws
(b) Nose
(c) Body
(d) Hair

Answer :  A

Question : How does the tiger feel in the cage?
(a) he was in sad mood
(b) he was in happy mood
(c) he was in angry mood
(d) he was in surprised

Answer :  C

Question : Who passes near the water hole?
(a) Fat Pig
(b) Fat Buffalo
(c) Fat Deer
(d) All of the Above

Answer :  C

Question : What described "tiger in a jungle"?
(a) Locked in concrete cell
(b) his strength behind bars
(c) ignoring visitors
(d) baring his white fangs

Answer :  D

Question : How do the eyes of the tiger look?
(a) Sad
(b) brilliant
(c) dark
(d) Light

Answer :   B

Question : Name the poetic device used in the line “He stalks in his vivid stripes”.
(a) metaphor
(b) assonance
(c) Oxymoron
(d) Consonance

Answer :  D

Question : In reality the tiger is in the –
(a) Circus tent
(b) Jungle
(c) Cave
(d) Concrete cell

Answer :  D

He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage
On pads of velvet quiet
In his quiet rage.

Question : Who composed these lines ?
(a) Robert Frost
(b) Leslie Norris
(c) Robin Klein
(d) W.B. Yeats

Answer :  B

Question : Who passes near the water hole?
(i) Fat Pig
(ii) Fat Buffalo
(iii) Fat Deer
(iv) All of the Above

Answer :  C

Question : How do the eyes of the tiger look?
(i) Sad
(ii) brilliant
(iii) dark
(iv) Light

Answer :  B

Question : The tiger’s paws are cushioned like
(a) Cotton
(b) wool
(c) velvet
(d) stone

Answer :  C

Question : ‘He’ here stands for
(a) poet
(b) poet’s servant
(c) gate keeper
(d) tiger

Answer :  D

Question : The word ‘rige’ means
(a) raise
(b) anger
(c) get up
(d) wakeup

Answer :  B

Question : Name the poetic device used in the line “In his quiet rage”.
(a) metaphor
(b) assonance
(c) Oxymoron
(d) Consonance

Answer :  C

INTRODUCTION—

The poem gives a sharp contrast of a tiger. The poem provides a contrast in the mood and environment of a tiger, when he is in the zoo and when he is in the forest, when it is in its natural habitat and when it is imprisoned.

SUMMARY—

‘This poem contrasts a tiger in the zoo with the tiger in its natural habitat. The poem moves from the zoo to the jungle, and again back to the zoo. In the zoo, he has no freedom. He is kept in a cemented cell behind the bars. He feels angry, frustrated and helpless. This reminds him of his natural habitat, his hiding and sliding in the long grass near the water hole and pouncing upon the fat deer, the way he terrorised the villagers, displaying his sharp teeth and claws. At night in the zoo, he hears the sounds of patrolling cars. The tiger in the zoo appears helpless as a mere showpiece and source of entertainment to people. The poet wants to convey that it is cruel to keep wild animals in small enclosures of the zoo, away from their natural habitat. They feel angry, helpless and unhappy in the cage. He pays no attention to the visitors who come to watch him. In the silence of the night, he stares at the brilliant stars with his bright eyes.

Explanation of the Poem

1. He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.

Explanation: The tiger in the zoo walks in the limited space provided to it in the cage. It takes a few steps. There are stripes on its body which are quite prominent. Its paws are soft like velvet. No noise is produced when it walks on its ‘pads of velvet’. The tiger is silent but in anger.

2. He should be lurking in shadow,
Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole
Where plump deer pass.

Explanation: The poet suggests that the cage is not the proper place for the tiger. It is not its natural habitat. Usually, tigers are found sitting under long grass near a stream. As soon as they see their prey like deer coming, they slide silently through the grass and kill them. The poet wants to convey that the tiger should be there in the forest, in its natural habitat.

3. He should be snarling around houses
At the jungle’s edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising the village !

Explanation: The poet then gives another suggestion that the tiger should be sitting at the jungle’s edge in close vicinity of a village. He should be terrorising the people passing that way by its sharp teeth, baring its claws and producing low sound of anger.

4. But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.

Explanation: The poet now shows deep sympathy at the plight (unpleasant situation) of the tiger that is imprisoned in a cell made of concrete. He cannot come out of the cell because strong bars are fixed. Thus the poet says that the tiger’s strength is locked behind the bars. He shows no interest in looking at the visitors. Rather he keeps on stalking (in anger) in the limited space of the cage.

5. He hears the last voice at night,
The patrolling cars,
And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.

Explanation: The poet again takes the readers to the cage where the tiger is sitting in the cage and feeling unpleasant and restless. He hears the sound of the patrolling cars of the zoo authorities. He shows no interest in them. He stares at the shining stars with his brilliant eyes.
The poet raises a moral issue here. He intends to present a strong case against the cruelty. Poetic Devices
Imagery : The phrase ‘lurking in shadow’ creates a word picture of some danger hovering for the animal who has come to drink water. Other such word pictures are “sliding through” and “plump deer”.

Extract Based Questions 

Read the following extracts and answer the question/complete the sentences that follow :

He hears the last voice at night,
The patrolling cars,
And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.

(a) Who hears the last voice at night ?
(a) Tiger
(b) Horse
(c) Wolf
(d) Rabbit

Answer : A

(b) The last voice that he hears is that of ......................
(a) trucks
(b) aeroplanes
(c) patrolling cars
(d) trains

Answer : C

(c) At what does he stared with his brilliant eyes ?
(a) sky
(b) sun
(c) moon
(d) stars

Answer : D

(d) Which word means the same as ‘sparkling’ in the passage ?
(a) patrolling
(b) stares
(c) brilliant
(d) concrete

Answer : C

He should be snarling around houses
At the jungle’s edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising the village !

(a) Who is ‘he’ in the above extract ?
(a) Tiger
(b) Lion
(c) Hippopotamus
(d) Dragon

Answer : A

(b) ‘White fangs’ shows the ................. of the animal.
(a) white pointed teeth
(b) white stripes
(c) white tail
(d) white legs

Answer : A

(c) Find the word from the passage which means same as “showing the teeth and making fearful sound”.
(a) claws
(b) fangs
(c) terrorising
(d) snarling

Answer : D

(d) Where is the tiger snarling ?
(a) zoo corner
(b) jungle’s edge
(c) mountains
(d) on the tree

Answer : B

He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.

(a) Which animal has stripes and velvet pads ?
(a) Zebra
(b) Tiger
(c) Lion
(d) Panther

Answer : B

(b) Why does he move only a few steps, it is because of
(a) Zoo
(b) Room
(c) Jungle
(d) Cage

Answer : D

(c) Pick out the word from the stanza that means the same as ‘clear‘.
(a) stripes
(b) velvet
(c) vivid
(d) rage

Answer : C

(d) Who has written the above lines ?
(a) Leslie Norris
(b) Robert Frost
(c) Robin Klein
(d) Carolyn Wells

Answer : A

He should be lurking in shadow,
Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole
Where plump deer pass.

(a) The tiger should be lurking in shadow to stalk the ................... .
(a) horse
(b) deer
(c) cow
(d) zebra

Answer : B

(b) Where is the tiger now ?
(a) jungle
(b) natural habitat
(c) room
(d) zoo

Answer : D

(c) Give the antonym of ‘long’.
(a) high
(b) small
(c) short
(d) length

Answer : C

(d) The tiger is sliding through long ................... .
(a) stalks
(b) hay
(c) trees
(d) grass

Answer : D

But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.

(a) Who is locked in a concrete cell ?
(a) an elephant
(b) a giraffe
(c) a tiger
(d) a lion

Answer : C

(b) The tiger is ignoring visitors because he is ................... .
(a) sad
(b) excited
(c) happy
(d) angry

Answer : D

(c) Find the word from the passage which means same as ‘pacing‘.
(a) stalking
(b) concrete
(c) strength
(d) ignoring

Answer : A

(d) The cell is made of what ?
(a) cement
(b) sandstone
(c) marble
(d) concrete

Answer : D



He should be lurking in shadow,
Sliding through long grass
Near the water hole
Where plump deer pass

(a) The tiger is passing through ............................ .
(a) grass
(b) trees
(c) mountains
(d) river

Answer : A

(b) For whom is tiger waiting near the water hole ?
(a) Fat elephant
(b) Fat hare
(c) Fat deer
(d) Fat ox

Answer : C

(c) Find the word from the passage which means same as ‘fat’.
(a) lurking
(b) sliding
(c) rage
(d) plump

Answer : D

(d) Who is ‘he’ here ?
(a) The Lion
(b) The Tiger
(c) The Camel
(d) The Giraffe

Answer : B