Words and their meanings: -

a) famished- very hungry

b) resented- disliked
c) futile- unsuccessful
d) accustomed- used to
e) trot- walk with quick steps
f) squirming- moving around
g) humorist- a person who makes other laugh
h) tremulously -shaking
i) reckon- think
j) persuade- convince
k) retreating- going back
l) nudging- pushing gently
m) abandoned- left

Understanding the Text :-

A 1. NT; When the dog arrived at their cottage,Walt and
Madge did not know where he came from.
2. NT; Wolf kept running away from Walt and Madge’s
home because of his homing instinct which made him
want to return to where he came from.
3. NT; Wolf’s reaction to Skiff Miller tells us that he was
familiar with the man.
4. T
5. T
B. Answer these questions: -
1. Why did Madge and Walt had to work so hard to win
over the dog?
Ans: Madge and Walt had to work so hard to win over
the dog because he was very unfriendly at first and
rejected all their attempts to make friends with him.
Therefore, it took them a lot of time to make him trust
and accept them.
2.In what way did Walt ensure that the dog would be
returned to him whenever he ran away?
Ans: Walt ensured that the dog would be returned to
him whenever he ran away by attaching a metal plate
to his collar on which Walt’s name and address were
inscribed.
3. What did Walt and Madge notice about the dog’s
repeated disappearances? What did they guess from
it?
Ans: From Wolf’s repeated disappearances, Walt and
Madge noticed that every time he escaped, he headed
in the northern direction. This told them that he
probably had come from somewhere up North.
4. Who did Madge and Walt meet on the trail one day?
Where had this person come from?
Ans: Madge and Walt met a man called Skiff Miller
who had come from Klondike, a region in northwestern
Canada.
5.He lifted one of the wolf’s forelegs and examined the
footpads who is ‘he’? From Wolf’s behavior in the past,
do you think that the dog would have left any stranger
touch him like this? Why or why not?
Ans: ‘He’ is Skiff Miller. Based on Wolf’s behaviour in
the past, it seems unlikely that he would have let a
stranger touch him like this. We know that it took him
a whole year to allow Madge and Walt, who sheltered
and looked after him to win him over. So, there was
not a chance that he would have let a stranger touch
and examine him the way Skiff Miller did.
6.The man was evidently a humourist .What made
Madge think this way about Skiff Miller? Was he really
making a joke?
Ans: When Miller expressed surprise that Wolf barked,
Madge thought he was trying to be funny because she
did not realize that the dog recognized Miller and
belonged to him. No, he was not making a joke. His
friendly interaction with the dog tells us that they
knew each other very well.
7.This was a new way of looking at it and Miller was
clearly debating about it in his mind. What was ‘it’?
What do you think was going on in Skiff Miller’s mind?
Why was he debating the matter?
Ans: ‘It’ refers to the dilemma that Miller, Walt and
Madge were facing i.e., who should be allowed to keep
the dog. Skiff was thinking about Madge’s suggestion
that the dog should choose who he wants to live with.
He was debating the matter because he had missed
the dog very much and did not want to lose him again.
But he also wanted the dog to be happy, even if it
meant letting him live with Walt and Madge.
8. Do you think the dog tried to tell Skiff, Madge and
Walt to stay together? . What makes you say so?
Ans: Yes, the dog tried to make Walt, Madge and Skiff
stay together. He kept trying to first convince Skiff to
stay back. But when he saw Skiff retreating, he tried
to tug at Walt’s hand in a bid to make him go along
with Skiff.
 9. Did the dog make a firm decision in the end? How
do you know?
Ans: Yes, the dog made a firm decision in the end. We
know this because he ran after Skiff and didn’t once
turn back.

Appreciating the Text:-

a. In what way did each name reflect the dog’s behaviour

with that owner? Do you think that each owner had
given a suitable name to the dog?
Ans:Walt and Madge called the dog, ‘Wolf’. When he
first appeared, he was unfriendly and kept trying to
break free and run away. Thus, the name Wolf was
appropriate for such an animal who was wild and
didn’t want to be tamed by strangers. When he saw
Miller, he was very affectionate. He licked him and
nudged him affectionately, much in the way a pet
would. Thus, the name Brown seemed suitable because
it gives us the impression of a tame, trained pet animal.

Grammar and Usage

A. 1. phrase 2. clause 3. clause 4. phrase 5. phrase 6. Phrase

B. 1. Kumar met his aunt after many years.

It was after many years that Kumar met his aunt.
2. The result was announced on our arrival.
The result was announced when we arrived.
3. Gowri feeds the fish before leaving for school.
Gowri feeds the fish before she leaves for school.
 4. It is best to practise in a place with no disturbance.
It is best to practise in a place where we/you will not be disturbed.
5. We have to start now to catch the train.
We have to start now if we want to catch the train/if we are to
catch the train.
6. The match was exciting right till the end.
The match was exciting right till it ended.

Words in Use
A. Which words or phrases in the text have these meanings ?
1. build
2. spotted
3. (a long time) went by
4. came into view
5. on the right track
6. at this juncture
7. have some weight in them
8. got to his feet

B. 1. c 2. e 3. a 4. d 5. b