Class 9 ● BLISS : English (Second Language) ● Chapter wise hand note

Lesson 4 A Day in the Zoo – Gerald Durrell

Exercise 1 Ans: When light fades, the robin flies off
Tick the correct Ans from the given to roost in the mimosa tree.
alternatives.
1. The average day in a zoo begins just Exercise 3
before – Answer the following questions within twenty
(a) dusk (b) dawn five words.
(c) afternoon (d) evening 1. What work do Jeremy and Mike do in
Ans: (b) dawn the gorillas’ cages?
2. The birds searching the dewy grass on Ans: Mike and Jeremy are both busy inside
the lawn were – the gorilla’s cages. They sweep up the
(a) peahens (b) peacocks mess on the floor. They scatter fresh white
(c) robins (d) thrushes sawdust. They assure that everything is all
Ans: (a) peahens right.
3. Stephen with a broom in his hand was 2. Describe the state of the frogs and
guarding over the – snakes in the reptile house.
(a) bears (b) gorilla Ans: In the reptile house the temperature is
(c) apes (d) armadillo eighty degrees. Snakes look at someone
Ans: (c) apes calmly with lidless eyes. Frogs make
4. The name of the black Celebes ape was gulping sounds.
– 3. What would one see and hear while lying
(a) Etam (b) Jeremy in bed at night?
(c) Mike (d) Stephen Ans: While lying in the bed at night one
Ans: (a) Etam would see the moon separating itself from
5. The reptiles dozed in the temperature of the shadow of the trees. One would hear
– the lion’s coughing.
(a) sixty degrees (b) seventy degrees
(c) eighty degrees (d) ninety degrees Exercise 4
Ans: (c) eighty degrees Classify the underlined adverbs according to
their functions in the chart given below.
Exercise 2 (a) I have already done the job.
Answer to the following questions within (b) Bappa can go anywhere for his works.
fifteen words. (c) Puja often comes to my place.
1. How does the sky look as one is (d) Nargis sings sweetly.
awakened by the birdsong? Ans:
Ans: The sky appears to be tinged with Manner Time Place Frequency
yellow, when one is awakened by the
(d) (a) (b) (c)
birdsong at dawn.
sweetly already anywhere often
2. How do the parrots and parakeets salute
people?
Exercise 5
Ans: The parrots and parakeets salute
Underline the clauses in the following
people with a cacophony of sounds.
sentences and state what kind of clauses they
3. What do all the animals do at the start
are.
of a new day?
(a) As he was not there, I spoke to his
Ans: All the animals, excited and eager at
brother.
the start of a new day, bustle about the
Ans: As he was not there – Adverb clause
cages.
of reason
4. As the light fades, where does the robin
I spoke to his brother – Principle Clause
fly off to?
(b) The house where Nazrul was born is in would like to visit my ailing grandmother. She
Churulia. has fallen ill with severe encephalitis since last
Ans: where Nazrul was born – Adverb Monday. The doctor has already prescribed her
Clause of Place medicines and advised her to follow the diet chart
The house is in Churulia - Principle Clause carefully.
(c) She said that she would return soon. Since I live with my parents in a
Ans: that she would return soon – Noun government housing complex, it is my earnest
Clause as an object to the verb ‘said’ request to you to kindly allow me a three-day
She said - Principle Clause leave so that I may go to my grandmother’s house
(d) Have you read the book which you in Bolpore.
borrowed from me? I shall be highly obliged if you kindly grant
Ans: Have you read the book - Principle me permission
Clause
Which you borrowed from me –Relative Thank you,
Clause describing the antecedent, ‘book’ Yours sincerely
Subhash Ghosh
Exercise 6 Sulekha Bhaban
Identify the following sentences as Simple, 1, Benimadhob Som Lane
Complex, or Compound sentence. Boiddyadanga, Hoogly – 700096
(i) He is too tired to walk alone. 22 March, 2023
Ans: Simple Sentence
(ii) I have a friend who lives in Mumbai. Exercise 8
Ans: Complex Sentence Write a letter to your friend within 100 words
(iii) Priyam wrote a letter but he got no narrating your experience of visiting a wild life
reply. sanctuary.
Ans: Compound Sentence
(iv) Being ill, I could not attend school. Ans:
Ans: Simple Sentence Palpara, Medinipur (East)
(v) She told me that she would enter a house Medinipur – 721458
which is believed to be haunted. Date: 22.03.2023
Ans: Complex Sentence Dear Rishan,
(vi) The sun shines brightly and the flowers Nothing is more beautiful to me than the
bloom. wild life. I have seen the zoo many times. But a
Ans: Compound Sentence visit to a wild life Sanctuary is a completely
different experience. Last year, I went to
Exercise 7 Jaldapara with my parents. There we hired a jeep
Write a letter to the Headmaster/ and entered the core area of the forest at noon.
Headmistress of your school within 100 words What an amazing stillness! I saw wild elephants,
seeking leave for three days to visit your ailing rhinoceros, deer and monkeys. A great many
grandmother. birds were chirping in the trees. The peafowls
were wandering across the grassy outfield. I
Ans: heard the trumpet of a lonely elephant. I thought
To, that a tiger might come out of the forest at any
The Headmaster time. What a thrill it was! After a while our jeep
Gopinath High School stood still. My heart was beating fast! A herd of
17, Salkia School road elephants roamed silently. I had a mixed feeling
Salkia, Howrah – 711106 of joy and fear in my mind. Beast and birds are
Sub: Leave of absence really wonders of nature. I shall never forget such
Sir, an experience in my life.
This is to inform you that I, Subhash With respect to your parents and love to
Ghosh, a student of Class IX-A of your school you.
Yours ever, (a) marble house (b) red stone house
Adhrit Barick (c) granite house (d) sandstone house
11, Shailendra Bose Road Ans : (c) granite house
Dum Dum 10. When the cages are cleaned -
Kolkata – 700074 (a) the touracos are let out
(b) the parakeets are let out
(c) the reptiles are let out
Extra question to practice (d) the gorillas are let out.
Ans : (d) the gorillas are let out.
A. Tick the correct Ans from the given 11. The gorillas gallop about on the floor
alternatives: with the high spirits of children -
1. At dawn, you can hear the song of (a) inside the park
(a) a touracos (b) a robin (b) just in school
(c) a blackbird (d) a peahen. (c) just out of school
Ans : (a) a touracos (d) in the playground
2. The cries of the touracos are Ans : (c) just out of school
(a) rich 12. Being excited, gorillas try to wrench –
(b) fruity (a) electric heaters (b) water pipes
(c) slightly hoarse (c) cage door (d) zookeeper
(d) rich, fruity, and slightly hoarse. Ans : (a) electric heaters
Ans : (c) slightly hoarse 13. Mike is a zoo staff who is -
3. The white-headed thrush bursts into (a) lean and clumsy
(a) a hoarse cry (b) a delightful cry (b) always grumbling
(c) a cacophony (d) an excited cry (c) plump and lazy
Ans : (d) an excited cry (d) plump and ever smiling.
4. A male peahen dances Ans : (d) plump and ever smiling.
(a) in the twilight 14. Jeremy cleans the cage of -
(b) in the sunlight (a) toucans (b) lizards.
(c) in the moonlight (c) ape (d) gorilla
(d) in broad daylight Ans : (d) gorilla
Ans : (b) in the sunlight 15. They sweep up the mess on the floor and
5. The tail of a peahen is raised like a - scatter -
(a) mountain (b) pillar (d) phenyl. (a) disinfectant
(c) fountain (d) flag. (c) saw dust (b) dust
Ans : (c) fountain Ans : (c) saw dust
6. The zoo staff arrives at - 16. The parrots and parakeets are kept in
(a) 8 pm (b) 8 am the -
(c) 10 am (d) 10 pm (a) downstairs of the granite house
Ans : (b) 8 am (b) attic of the granite house
7. The zoo staff shout greetings - (c) upstairs of the granite house
(a) to each other (b) to the animals (d) basement of the granite house
(c) to the birds (d) to the visitors Ans : (c) upstairs of the granite house
Ans : (a) to each other 17. Cacophony means -
8. The arrival of zoo staff is accompanied (a) soft sound
by sounds of (b) loud sound
(a) buckets and brushes (c) hoarse
(b) chains and shackles (d) a mixture of loud unpleasant sound.
(c) birds and animals Ans : (d) a mixture of loud unpleasant
(d) horns and trumpets. sound.
Ans : (a) buckets and brushes 18. Suku, the grey parrot cries -
9. The monkeys and mammals live in a - (a) 'Good morning everybody'
 (b) 'I'm a very beautiful bird'. Supporting Ans : "The average zoo day
(c) 'I'm a very fine bird begins just before dawn."
(d) "Welcome to all' 3. The white-headed thrush bursts into a cry
Ans : (c) 'I'm a very fine bird excitedly. True
19. The mongooses are Supporting Ans : “The white-headed
(a) quick-footed and bright eyed thrush bursts into at an excited cry."
(b) twitching their nose 4. The monkeys and mammals live in the
(c) strolling lazily marble house. False
(d) sleeping quietly Supporting Ans : "The monkeys and other
Ans : (a) quick-footed and bright eyed mammals live in the long, two-storied
20. Armadillo is a - granite house."
(a) fish (b) mammal 5. Inside the gorillas' cage Mike is busy with
(c) reptile (d) amphibian. Stephen who has a broom in hand. False
Ans : (b) mammal Supporting Ans : "Inside the gorillas'
cage Mike, plump and ever-smiling, is
B. Complete the following sentences with busy along with Jeremy."
information from the text: 6. The bright-eyed mongooses gallop around
1. An average zoo day begins just before their cages. False
dawn. Supporting Ans : "The bright-eyed
2. The burnished tail of peahen is raised like a mongoose’s patter busily around their
fountain in the sunlight. cages."
3. The zoo staff shout greetings to each other. 7. The human beings always behave in a
4. They sweep up the mess on the floor and civilized manner. False
scatter fresh white sawdust. Supporting Ans : "The uncivilized
5. The parrots and parakeets salute you with a behaviour of some human beings in a zoo
cacophony of sounds. has to be seen to be believed."
6. The hairy armadillo lies on its back paws 8. The chimpanzees quarrel for the
and nose twitching. possession of straw. True
7. In a pleasant temperature of eighty Supporting Ans : "You know they are
degrees the reptiles doze. quarrelling over who should have the
8. We have found visitors trying to give the straw."
chimpanzees Lighte cigarettes and razor 9. The air rings with the song of the birds in
blades. the morning. False
9. The slanting rays of the sun light the cage Supporting Ans : "Soon it will be dawn
where the crowned pigeons live. and the chorus of birds will take over; the
10. As you lie in bed, you watch through the cold morning air will ring with song."
window the moon separating itself from
the shadow of the trees. D. Answer to the following questions.
1. When and how does an average zoo day
C. State whether the following statements begin?
are True or False. Provide sentences / Ans : The average zoo day begins just
phrases / Words in support of your before dawn. The sky is slightly yellow
answer. coloured, and one is awakened by songs of
1. Being an owner of the zoo, you can rush robin & cries of touracos, blackbird and
out at any hour of the day to observe thrush.
animals. False 2. Describe the activity of peahens.
Supporting Ans : "It certainly enables you Ans : On the velvet green lawns of the
to rush out any hour of the day or night to courtyard peahens search for food in the
observe the animals.” dewy grass. A male peahen dances with his
2. The average zoo day begins just after burnished tail risen like a fountain in the
dawn. False sunlight.
3. How do the zoo staff start their work?
Ans : The zoo staff shout greetings to each
other as they start their daily job. They
become very busy with their buckets and
brushes in cleaning the cages of animals.
4. What work do Jeremy and Mike do in
the gorillas' cages?
Ans : Mike and Jeremy sweep up the mess
on the floor of the gorilla's cage. They also
scatter fresh white sawdust there.
5. How do the gorillas behave when they
are let out of their cages?
Ans : The gorillas gallop about on the floor
like high spirited children just out of
school. They try to twist the electric
heaters from their sockets or break the
fluorescent lights.
6. What are the sounds heard at eight
o'clock in the morning?
Ans : Eight o'clock in the morning one can
hear the zoo staff shout greetings to each
other. Sounds made by their buckets and
brushes are also heard.
7. How do the parakeets, parrots and the
armadillo behave at the start of a new
day?
Ans : The parrots and parakeets start their
day with cacophony of sounds. The hairy
armadillo lies on its back with its paws and
nose twitching.
8. Why do the zoo staff become alert when
the visitors arrive?
Ans : The zoo staff become alert to ensure
that the visitors do not hurt the animals.
The uncivilized behaviour of human being
cause a threat to the lives of the innocent
animals.
9. How do the visitors disturb and irritate
the zoo animals?
Ans : When an animal is asleep, people
throw stones at it or prod it with sticks to
move it. They even try to give the
chimpanzees lighted cigarettes and razor
blades.
10. What lesson do you learn from the
passage A Day in the Zoo?'
Ans : The author Gerald Durrell intends to
make us aware of the life of innocent
animals in the zoo. They should be left
undisturbed and allowed to live a carefree
life.