NEW CHAPTERS AND TOPICS INTRODUCED BY CBSE

BOARD FOR 2021-22 EXAM

11
CHAPTER
Literature
Textbook and
Supplementary
Reading Text
Mijbil, The Otter (PROSE)

SELF ASSESSMENT PAPER – 1  

A. Extract Based Multiple Choice Questions
1. (i) (a) ‘I’ stands for ‘Gavin Maxwell’, the author of the story.
(ii) (d) The otter spent most of his time in playing.
(iii) (c) dribble
(iv) (a) Mij would follow the author without a lead.
(v) (d) mingle
2. (i) (b) when he lies on his back and juggles with small objects between his paws.
(ii) (b) Playing with marbles.
(iii) (a) favourite
(iv) (d) stomach
(v) (c) paws
3. (i) (a) There was complete silence in box, blood had trickled and dried around the lid and air holes.
(ii) (b) Mij, being exhausted and blood spattered, whimpered and caught the author’s leg.
(iii) (d) trickle
(iv) (c) He had torn the lining of the box to shreds.
(v) (b) whimpered

B. Very Short Answer Type Questions-I

1. Mijbil’s behaviour and reactions to the circumstances throw light on the trait of intelligence in the otters in
general. They have basic congeniality. And it is portrayed in his behaviour that it took him mere a day to
shed his inhibitions and familiarize himself with the surroundings. Mijbil’s intelligence and sense of logic is
reflected in his turning on the tap to get a flow of water.
2. Mijbil enjoyed playing with marbles while lying on its back. He would lie and roll two or more of them up
and down his wide, flat belly.

C. Long Answer Type Questions

1.
When Maxwell boarded the flight, he took the air hostess into confidence about the latest incidents. Being
understanding, friendly and kind, she advised him to keep the box on his lap. Thus, the way she listened
and helped him, led to an admiration that made the narrator say that she was “the very queen of her kind”.
2. As soon as he opened the box, Mij flashed out of it and disappeared. Everyone in the flight panicked and a
lady even climbed her chair. Finally when he saw Mij’s tail disappearing beneath a turbaned man, he tried
to catch hold of him and in the process, ended up covering his face with curry. After having created such
a chaos, the air hostess advised him to go to his seat while she brought Mij back to him.

qqq
 7
CHAPTER

PART –B
The Tale of Custard, POETRY

the Dragon

ANSWERS SELF ASSESSMENT PAPER – 1  

A. Extract Based Multiple Choice Questions
1. (i) (d) ‘He’ is the pirate
(ii) (a) He looked scary.
(iii) (b) He did not have good intention
(iv) (a) a criminal who attacks ships in order to steal from them.
(v) (b) A short heavy sword with a curved single-edged blade.
2. (i) (a) Belinda paled when a pirate attacked her.
(ii) (c) mustard fled with a terrified yelp.
(iii) (b) Ink was so terrified that she trickled down to the bottom of the household.
(iv) (b) The Tale of Custard the Dragon and composed by “Ogden Nash”.
(v) (d) to close and open the eyes quickly
 8 How To Tell
Wild Animals
– By Carolyn Wells

SELF ASSESSMENT PAPER – 1  

A. Extract Based Multiple Choice Questions
1. (i) (b) In your yard, you can meet a bear.
(ii) (c) One can recognise that he is meeting a bear by its tight hug.
(iii) (d) caress
(iv) (a) When a bear meets a man, it hugs him very hard.
(v) (b) animal
2. (i) (c) A Chameleon looks like a lizard.
(ii) (c) A Chameleon does not have ears and wings.
(iii) (a) big
(iv) (a) A chameleon can be found on the tree.
(v) (a) abacdd
3. (i) (b) Hyenas come with merry smiles.
(ii) (c) Crocodiles are distinct by their weeping.
(iii) (a) A crocodile is always weeping while a hyena looks always smiling.
(iv) (a) The rhyming words are: smiles-crocodiles
(v) (b) beam

B. Short Answer Type Questions-I

1. One can find plenty of examples in poetry where poets take liberties with language. This is called ‘poetic
licence’. Poets take such liberties in order to create proper rhyming and rhythm. For example, in the following
lines the word ‘prest’ is used instead of ‘pressed’ so that it may rhyme with ‘breast’.
“A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth’s sweat flowing breast.”
2. The way the poet has used language and ideas in the poem is indeed humorous. The lines from the poem
that appears to be funny are “A noble wild beast greets you”. The idea that a wild beast is going to welcome
you is quite funny. The language in the line, “He’ll only lep and lep again” is also very humorous. The
concept of ‘lep’ from the word ‘leopard’ generates humour.

C. Long Answer Type Questions

1. The poet has listed down the ways of identifying seven animals in the poem, viz., and the Asian lion, the
Bengal Tiger, the leopard, the bear, the hyena, crocodiles and chameleons. As for me. I would like to identify
the bear, the Bengal Tiger and the leopard. However, putting my life on the line just to identify the tiger
and the leopard doesn’t seem worth the risk! So if I see a noble beast with black stripes on yellow, I’ll
know the tiger, and the peppered spots will reveal the leopard. The bear hug, I wouldn’t mind! The poet,
using humour, seems to warn readers against venturing too close to these animals.
2. Humour is the fuel of life. Without it, it would become difficult to continue living. Today, the life of a
common man is typically mires in stress, tension, problems and sadness. It is amazing how the smallest
problems may take on epic proportions for a common person. In such a situation, it becomes necessary to
have a little humour in life. It gives us the much-needed respite from our monotonous routine and helps
us face life more positively. Thus, the poet’s successful use of humour helps our minds and brings a smile
on our faces.
qqq
 9 The Trees – By Adrienne Rich

SELF ASSESSMENT PAPER – 1  

A. Extract Based Multiple Choice Questions
1. (i) (c) Both (a) and (b)
(ii) (d) Both (b) and (c)
(iii) (c) Stumble
(iv) (d) Personification
(v) (d) height
2. (i) (a) the poet's house
(ii) (c) personification
(iii) (d) trees
(iv) (a) be in there natural habitat
(v) (d) the exploited and enslaved people
3. (i) (d) empty forest
(ii) (b) rays of the sun
(iii) (c) there were no trees to trap its light
(iv) (d) lines 4-5
(v) (a) sun

B. Short Answer Type Questions-I

1. Stumble means walking with difficulty. In the poem, the trees are described stumbling because they are
weak and have been struggling since long. They seem to be like newly discharged half-dazed patients. They
are stumbling forward in order to get freedom from the four walls. They are going back to forest which is
their original home.
2. When the trees move out of the house, the glass gets broken and the winds rush to meet the trees which
are stumbling forward in the night. However, the poet feels that the smell of the leaves of the trees and
lichens still reaches the rooms of her house.

C. Long Answer Type Questions

1. The poem, ‘The Trees’ sends home a strong message against deforestation. It highlights the importance of
trees when the poet says that without trees there will be no shadow, no forest, no place for birds to sit, no
place for insects to hide. As a sapling, the plant adds to the beauty of the surroundings when it spreads its
branches, leaves and roots around. It gets the suit house. Thus, in the poem, the trees are welcomed by the
strong winds and the moon. The poet does not want to mention the departure of the forests as she feels
guilty for merely looking silently at them as they depart. This way, she subtly points out the thanklessness
of man towards forests.
2. Following contradictions have been displayed by humans in the poem:
(i) They cut the trees in the forest and rather grow small plants in their homes for decoration.
(ii) They force the plants to live in confinement where the plants cannot get proper nutrition.
(iii) They are not in favour of trees’ migration. This is why poet hears whispers in her head.
qqq
 10 Fog
– By Carl Sandburg

SELF ASSESSMENT PAPER – 1  

A. Extract Based Multiple Choice Questions
1. (i) (c) fog
(ii) (a) cat
(iii) (b) Harbour in the city on its bank
(iv) (c) it moves on
(v) (d) the fog surrounding and hovering over the city and harbour.

B. Short Answer Type Questions-I

1. Three things suggest that the fog is like a cat. Like a cat, the fog comes silently. The fog is looking over the
harbour and the city like a cat does so sitting on its haunches. Thirdly, it moves as the cat comes.
2. The poet describes the fog as a cat. Like a cat, the fog comes silently and slowly. It is sitting on its haunches.
And then it moves on.

C. Long Answer Type Questions

1. It is a dual image that changes and merges again in the original. The fog changes into a cat and the cat
changes into the fog. Both of them come silently unseen and suddenly. Both engulf everything underneath
them. The fog engulfs everything, the harbour and the city in its fold. The fog sits silently as a cat sits on
its haunches. Then it disappears and moves ahead.
2. The poet presents nature in its raw and natural state. The fog comes as if from nowhere. It comes suddenly and
silently like a little cat. The fog’s power is overwhelming. It engulfs everything the city and the harbour in its all-
embracing fold. Then following the law of change, it disappears, no one knows where.
 8
CHAPTER
SUPPLEMENTARY
READER :
THE MIDNIGHT (FOOTPRINTS
WITHOUT FEET)
VISITOR
– By Robert Arthur

SELF ASSESSMENT PAPER – 1  

A. Extract Based Multiple Choice Questions
1. (i) (a) Max
(ii) He is expecting some secret papers and the intruder thwarted his plans.
(iii) The phrase 'got into my room' means 'passed by my room'.
(iv) (c) offence
2, (i) Ausable is speaking these words to Fowler, but he also wants Max to hear them.
(ii) It refers to the (non-existent) balcony.
(iii) (c) the phrase is block it off
(iv) (c) full

B. Short Answer Type Questions-I

1. Max’s face turned black with anger because he felt that his plan of taking away important document from
Ausable was in danger of failing due to the knocking on the door, which Ausable said was the police. He
wanted Ausable to send the police away. So, that he can carry on with his work.
2. Ausable framed the story of the imaginary balcony to counter the use of the pistol by the rival agent Max
who was threatening him with dire consequences. The rival would have been able to get the important
report about the new missiles if Ausable had not cooked up this story.

C. Long Answer Type Questions

1. A person would scream in a situation when something unexpected happens to him. Here, Max screamed
shrilly when he dropped to the ‘balcony’, because actually there was no balcony at all; it was only a figment
of his imagination. Ausable had described it so vividly, including its history and use, that Max was convinced
there was a balcony just outside the window and tried to jump onto it without even looking at it. As the
room was on the sixth floor, Max would certainly die by falling from such a height.
2. Yes, for sure it can help us to tackle difficult situations. If Ausable had panicked and done something fishy,
then Max probably would have killed him. But Ausable kept his cool. Apart from this story, there can he
some real life situations also such as, when we are appearing for exams we are told not to panic in a difficult
situation because such things hamper our thinking ability. We are not able to take proper decisions at this
time. If we keep our mind cool and focus, then only can, we find ways to get out of tricky situations and
be a winner.

 11 For Anne Gregory
– By William Butler Yeats

SELF ASSESSMENT PAPER – 1  

A. Extract Based Multiple Choice Questions
1. (i) (a) For Anne Gregory
(ii) (c) A young man will never love her for herself alone
(iii) (b) High wide wall build around a castle
(iv) (a) natural
(v) (a) Yes
2. (i) (a) Anne Gregory
(ii) (d) brown or black or carrot colour
(iii) (c) that a young lover will love her for herself alone.
(iv) (a) pronoun
(v) (a) Anne Gregory
3. (i) (c) the poet
(ii) (b) found a scripture
(iii) (a) Only God can love us for ourself
(iv) (b) found
(v) (a) male

B. Short Answer Type Questions-I

1. The poem is a conversation between a speaker, who could be the poet himself, or Anne’s lover or friend
and Anne Gregory herself. The other speaker believes that young men love Anne for her external beauty
but Anne says that external beauty is not real and young men should love her for herself.
2. Ramparts here refer to locks of Anne’s beautiful yellow hair and external beauty that hides her soul and
true nature and lets other people see only her outer self.

C. Long Answer Type Questions

1. The speaker mentioned the text found by an old religious man that proves that only God can love Anne for herself
alone. It is so because the speaker wanted to tell Anne that her desire that men should not see her outer beauty
is not going to be fulfilled. The speaker tells Anne that only God can be so great as to avoid external beauty and
look beyond it. Man, on the other hand, falls for all things that appear pretty from outside and never bothers
about what lies inside.
2. Absolutely true. People are not objects. Appearances may be deceptive. A person should be liked and loved for
being himself or ‘herself. Outwardly appearances do tempt and dazzle us. There may be many persons who
would love to see Anne’s beautiful hail falling over her ears like the ramparts of a fort. Many would love Anne
Gregory for her beautiful yellow hair. It would be difficult to find a real lover who loves Anne for ‘herself alone’.
What is so great about yellow hair? Anne ridicules the idea of being loved for her yellow hair. She can dye her
hair the way she likes – brown, black, carrot or yellow. But the irony of this world is that people will go on being
tempted and sizzled by glamour, show and outwardly appearances. Only God can love a person for ‘himself or
herself’ alone. qqq
 9
CHAPTER
A QUESTION OF TRUST 1

A Question Of Trust
– By Victor Canning

SELF ASSESSMENT PAPER – 1  

A. Extract Based Multiple Choice Questions
1. (i) (b) Horace Danby
(ii) (a) to rob a safe
(iii) Rare and expensive books
(iv) Because he bought them with stolen money
2. (i) (a) Horace
(ii) (d) Horace had seen the housekeeper of the house at Shot over Grange
(iii) Because he was very cautious not to leave behind any fingerprints at the crime-scene.
(iv) Horace went inside the drawing room of the house after opening the door.

B. Short Answer Type Questions-I

1. The safe at Shot over Grange was kept in the drawing room behind a poor painting and had
jewels worth about 15000 pounds kept in it. It had a poorly built burglar alarm, but could be
opened only through a specific code. Horace expected to get 5000 pounds if he sold the jewels
one by one.
2. Horace Danby was good and respectable because he was an expert in his profession of making
locks. However, as he loved collecting rare and expensive books, he robbed a safe every year to
finance the purchase of these books through an agent. Thus he was not completely honest.
C. Long Answer Type Questions
1. Yes, I agree with this statement. Horace was clever, as he planned the robbery carefully, studied
the target, took the proper tools and also took his gloves, to ensure leaving no fingerprints. But
the young lady in red had all the necessary information, and, posing as the mistress of the house,
exploited Horace’s fear on being discovered, tricked him into cracking open the safe and handing
her the jewels. She even ensured that Horace left his fingerprints at the site, as she distracted
him by picking up a cigarette which Horace offered to light after removing his gloves. Thus the
lady outwitted him.
2. Yes, intentions do justify actions. If something wrong is done unintentionally, it may be pardoned.
However, it cannot be excused if it is carried out even when knowing it is wrong. As Horace had
the intention to rob the safe by breaking it open, his crime is intentional. Although he had good
intentions in helping the lady (who he thought was the mistress of the house), his crime cannot
be excused. Breaking open the safe cannot be justified at all. There may be certain situations
when you can be excused for acting dishonestly, but this is not so in Horace’s case.
 10
CHAPTER

The Book That Saved

The Earth
– By Claire Boiko

SELF ASSESSMENT PAPER – 1  

A. Extract Based Multiple Choice Questions
1. (i) (a) the Historian
(ii) (a) to the Martian invasion of 2040
(iii) Martian led that invasion.
(iv) Mother Goose was the book that stopped the invasion.
2. (i) The Great and Mighty Think-Tank, the arrogant ruler of Mars
(ii) Captain Omega, Lieutenant Iota an Sergeant Oop
(iii) (b) Earth
(iv) (c) Think-Tank plans to capture Earth

B. Short Answer Type Questions-II

1. Books have been called a man’s best companion as they always teach him the right things. They are the best
companions because your friends may desert you in your hour of need but a book will never leave you or
give you the wrong guidance. A book of nursery rhymes saved the earth from Martians in invasion.
2. The twentieth century was called the ‘era of books’ because they were the encyclopedias of knowledge.
There were books for everything—from ant-eaters to Zulus. Books were used to educate people and teach
them. In fact, books were a very important part of life of the people.

C. Long Answer Type Questions

1. Omega is the captain of a spaceship which carried, Lieutenant Iota and Sergeant Oops to Earth from Mars.
On reaching Earth they took shelter in Canterville Public Library. But they were confused and were trying
to identify the objects (books) there. Lt. Iota had counted them, they were two thousand in number. Jose
thought that library was a storage barn, whereas Sergeant Oops thought them as hots. Just then Omega
thinks that perhaps the great and Mighty Think-Tank will give them the benefit of his thought on the matter.
After investigating, Think-Tank gives his opinion that the Earth’s creatures are always eating. It must be an
eatable item called sandwich. Sandwiches are the main staple of Earth diet. He commands Omega to eat it
just to confirm his opinion on books as sandwiches. And Omega obeys Think-Tank’s command and gulps
it.
2. The twentieth century is often called the ‘Era of the Books’ which had bought a lot of significance along
with it. There were books about everything from ant eaters to Zulus. Books taught people how to, when
to, where to and why to. The books were illustrated, educated, punctuated and even decorated. The books
were supposed to be a mine of knowledge. And there were books on every topic. Then with the advent and
invention of computers and electronic media, books have got replaced with e-books and they are completely
vanishing. Our present generation has no time for reading books. In future, they might be mistaken for even
a sandwich or a strand. This lesson gives us a message that books are always important, as they helped to
save us even from a Martian attack.
Books are still a man’s best companions. They are our trustworthy friends and always stand by us. They have
more patience than human beings. They can never desert us when we fall prey to bad times. They are a constant
source of happiness, strength and wisdom.