Mijbil the Otter NCERT Solutions Class 10

By | July 30, 2024

Utilize Mijbil the Otter NCERT Solutions Class 10; it will help you to score well in exams. Mijbil the Otter is a collection of English solutions for NCERTs. They are available for Class 10 students, and if you go through the content, you will be more confident about your English exams.

Mijbil the Otter NCERT Solutions Class 10

Oral Comprehension Check โ€“ Page No.106

Question 1: What โ€˜experimentโ€™ did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?
Answer: Maxwell thought that he would keep an otter instead of a dog. Camusfearna, ringed by water a very short distance from its door, would be an eminently suitable spot for the experiment.

Question 2: Why does he go to Basra? How long does he wait there, and why?
Answer: He went to Basra, to the Consultant-General, to collect and answer his mail from Europe. There, he found that his friendโ€™s mail had arrived, but his had not. He sent a message to England. When nothing happened even after three days, he tried placing a call to England.
On the first day, the line was out of order; on the second day, the exchange was closed for a religious holiday. On the third day, there was another breakdown. He arranged to meet his friend, who had left, in a weekโ€™s time. His mail finally arrived five days later.

Question 3: How does he get the otter? Does he like it? Pick out the words that tell you this.
Answer: When he received his mail, he carried it to his bedroom to read. There, he saw two Arabs and beside them was a sack that twisted from time to time. They handed him a note from his friend saying that he had sent him an otter.
Yes, he liked it. We know this because he uses the term โ€˜otter fixationโ€™ to refer to his feeling towards the otter. He felt that this otter fixation or this strong attachment towards otters was something that was shared by most other people who had ever owned one.

Question 4: Why was the otter named โ€˜Maxwellโ€™s otterโ€™?
Answer: The otter was of a race previously unknown to science and was at length named by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli or Maxwellโ€™s otter.

Question 5: Tick the right answer. In the beginning, the otter was aloof and indifferent friendly hostile.
Answer: In the beginning, the otter was aloof and indifferent.

Question 6: What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom? What did it do two days after that?
Answer: When Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom, it went wild with joy in the water for half an hour. It was plunging and rolling in it, shooting up and down the length of the bathtub underwater, and making enough slosh and splash for a hippo. Two days after that, it escaped from his bedroom to the bathroom.
By the time he got there, Mijbil was up on the end of the bathtub and fumbling at the chromium taps with its paws. In less than a minute, it had turned the tap far enough to produce some water and after a moment, achieved the full flow.

Oral Comprehension Check – Page No.108

Question 1: How was Mij to be transported to England?
Answer: Maxwell booked a flight to Paris and from there he would go on to London. The airline insisted that Mij should be packed in a box (not more than eighteen inches square) that was to be placed on the floor, near his feet.

Question 2: What did Mij do to the box?
Answer: Maxwell had put Mij in the box and left for a meal. When he came back, he saw a horrific spectacle. There was complete silence from the box. However, from its airholes and chinks around the lid, blood had trickled and dried.
He took off the lock and tore open the lid. Mij, exhausted and covered with blood, whimpered and caught his leg. It had torn the lining of the box to shreds. He removed the last of it so that there were no cutting edges left.

Question 3: Why did Maxwell put the otter back in the box? How do you think he felt when he did this?
Answer: By the time Maxwell had removed the last of the lining of the box so that there were no cutting edges left, it was just ten minutes for the flight to take off. He had to rush to the airport, which was five miles away, and that is why he put the miserable otter back into the box.
Like the otter, Maxwell would also have felt miserable for putting it back in the box, particularly so, after seeing that the otter disliked being in the box.

Question 4: Why does Maxwell say the air hostess was โ€œthe very queen of her kindโ€?
Answer: Maxwell said that the air hostess was โ€œthe very queen of her kindโ€ because she was extremely friendly and helpful. He took her into his confidence about the incident with the box. She suggested that he might prefer to have his pet on his knee. Hearing this, he developed a profound admiration for her, for she understood the pain of both the otter and its owner.

Question 5: What happened when the box was opened?
Answer: When the box was opened, Mij leapt out of it immediately. It disappeared very quickly down the aircraft. Several passengers shrieked. A woman stood up on her seat screaming that there was a rat. He saw Mijโ€™s tail disappearing beneath the legs of an Indian passenger. He dived for it but missed. The air hostess suggested him to be seated and that she would find the otter. After a while, Mij had returned to him. It climbed on his knee and began to rub its nose on his face and neck.

Oral Comprehension Check – Page No.110

Question 1: What game had Mij invented?
Answer: Mij invented a game with a ping-pong ball, which kept him engrossed for up to half an hour at a time. Maxwell had a suitcase that had become damaged, such that the lid, when closed, remained at a slope from one end to the other. Mij discovered that if the ball was placed on the high end, it would run down the length of the suitcase. It would dash around to the other end to surprise the ball. Then, it would grab it and trot off with it to the high end once more.

Question 2: What are โ€˜compulsive habitsโ€™? What does Maxwell say are the compulsive habits of

(i)school children

(ii)Mij?
Answer: Compulsive habits are habits that are impossible to control. According to Maxwell, children on their way to and from school must place their feet squarely on the centre of each paving block; they must touch every seventh upright of the iron railings, or pass to the outside of every second lamp post. Such was the compulsive habits of children. Opposite to Maxwellโ€™s flat, there was a single-storied primary school. Along its frontage ran a low wall some two feet high. On its way home, Mij would tug Maxwell to this wall, jump onto it, and gallop the full length of its thirty yards, distracting both the pupils and the staff. Such was the compulsive habit of Mij.

Question 3: What group of animals do otters belong to?
Answer: Otters belong to a comparatively small group of animals called Mustellines, shared by the badger, mongoose, weasel, stoat, mink and others.

Question 4: What guesses did the Londoners make about what Mij was?
Answer: According to Maxwell, the average Londoner does not recognize an otter. The Londoners who saw Mij made different guesses about who Mij was. They guessed, among other things, that it was a baby seal, a squirrel, a walrus, a hippo, a beaver, a bear cub, a leopard and a brontosaur.

Thinking About the Text Page No.110 – 111

Question 1: What things does Mij do which tell you that he is an intelligent, friendly and fun- loving animal who needs love?
Answer: Mij was an intelligent animal. It invented its own game out of the ping-pong balls. It screwed the tap till water began to flow and then it would play and splash in the water. Though it was aloof and indifferent in the beginning, it soon became very friendly. It formed a special attachment with Maxwell. It responded when Maxwell called out his name.
It grew desperate when Maxwell left it in a box and it got hurt while trying to come out of it. After Maxwell took it out, it clung to his feet. It was a fun-loving animal. It enjoyed playing all kinds of games. It would play with a selection of toys, ping- pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit, and a terrapin shell. It required to love and affection from Maxwell and it got that readily.

Question 2: What are some of the things we come to know about otters from this text?
Answer: Otters belong to a comparatively small group of animals called Mustellines, shared by the badger, mongoose, weasel, stoat, mink and others. Maxwellโ€™s otter was of a race previously unknown to science and was at length named by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli or Maxwellโ€™s otter. They are found in large numbers in marshes. They are often tamed by the Arabs.
It is characteristic of otters that every drop of water must be extended and spread about the place; a bowl must at once be overturned, or, if it would not be overturned, be sat in and splashed in until it overflowed. For them, water must be kept on the move. Otters love playing various games, especially with a ball.

Question 3: Why is Mijโ€™s species now known to the world as Maxwellโ€™s otter?
Answer: Maxwellโ€™s otter was of a race previously unknown to science and was at length named by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli or Maxwellโ€™s otter.

Question 4: Maxwell in the story speaks for the otter, Mij. He tells us what the otter feels and thinks on different occasions. Given below are some things the otter does. Complete the column on the right to say what Maxwell says about what Mij feels and thinks.

Chapter 8 page 004

Question 5: Read the story and find the sentences where Maxwell describes his pet otter. Then choose and arrange your sentences to illustrate those statements below that you think are true.

Maxwellโ€™s description

(i)makes Mij seem almost human, like a small
(ii)shows that he is often irritated with what Mij
(iii)shows that he is often surprised by what Mij
(iv)of Mijโ€™s antics is
(v)shows that he observes the antics of Mij very
(vi)shows that he thinks Mij is a very ordinary
(vii)shows that he thinks the otter is very

Answer:

(i)He spent most of his time in play.
(iii)I watched, amazed; in less than a minute he had turned the tap far enough to produce a trickle of water, and after a moment or two achieved the full flow.
(v)A suitcase that I had taken to Iraq had become damaged on the journey home, so that the lid, when closed, remained at a slope from one end to the other. Mij discovered that if he placed the ball on the high end it would run down the length of the suitcase. He would dash around to the other end to ambush its arrival, hide from it, crouching, to spring up and take it by surprise, grab it and trot off with it to the high end once more.
(vii)It is not, I suppose, in any way strange that the average Londoner should not recognize an otter, but the variety of guesses as to what kind of animal this might come as a surprise to me. Mij was anything but an otter.

Thinking About Language โ€“ Page No. 111 โ€“ 112

I. Describing a Repeated Action in the Past

To talk about something that happened regularly in the past, but does not happen any longer, we use would or used to. Both would and used to can describe repeated actions in the past.

(a) Mij would follow me without a lead and come to me when I called his name.
(b) He would play for hours with a selection of toys.
(c) On his way homeโ€ฆ Mij would tug me to this wall.
(d) When I was five years old, I used to follow my brother all over the place.
(e) He used to tease me when Mother was not around.

To describe repeated states or situations in the past, however, we use only used to. (We cannot use would for states or situations in the past.) So we do not use would with verbs like be, have, believe, etc. Look at the following sentences.

(a) When we were young, we used to believe there were ghosts in school.

(Note: believe shows a state of mind.)

(b) Thirty years ago, more women used to be housewives than now.

(Note: be here describes a situation.)

From the table below, make as many correct sentences as you can using would and/or use to, as appropriate. (Hint: First decide whether the words in italics show action, or a state or situation, in the past.) Then add two or three sentences of your own to it.

Chapter 8 page 006

Answer:

1. Emperor Akbar used to be fond of musical
2. Every evening we used to take long walks on the
3. Fifty years ago, very few people used to own
4. Till the 1980s, Shanghai used to have very dirty
5. My uncle would spend his holidays by the
6. My uncle used to take long walks on the
7. My uncle used to be fond of musical

II. Noun Modifiers

To describe or give more information about a noun (or to modify a noun), we use adjectives or adjectival phrases. Look at these examples from the text:

(a) An eminently suitable spot (c) Symmetrical pointed scales

(b) His wide, flat belly (d) A ricocheting bullet

Nouns can also be used as modifiers:

(a) The dinner party

(b) A designer dress

(c) The car keys

We can use more than one noun as modifier. Proper nouns can also be used:

(a) The Christmas dinner party

(b) A silk designer dress

(c) The Maruti car keys

In the examples below, there is an adjectival phrase in front of a noun modifier:

(a) The lovely Christmas party

(b) A trendy silk designer dress

(c) The frightfully expensive golden Maruti car keys

1.Look at these examples from the text, and say whether the modifiers (in italics) are nouns, proper nouns, or adjective plus

(i)An otter fixation (iv) The London streets

(ii)The iron railings (v) soft velvet fur

(iii)The Tigris marshes (vi) A four-footed soccer player

2. Given below are some nouns, and a set of modifiers (in the box). Combine the nouns and modifiers to make as many appropriate phrases as you (Hint: The nouns and modifiers are all from the texts in this book.)

templegirlstriangledresses
personthoughtsboysroar
giftsscreamfarewellexpression
timesubjectlandscapehandkerchief
crossingflightchatterboxprofession
physiquecoffeeviewcelebration
Chapter 8 page 007

Answer: 1.

(i)Noun
(ii)Noun
(iii)Proper noun
(iv)Proper noun
(v)Adjective plus noun
(vi)Adjective plus noun
Temple โˆ’ white temple, stone temple, first temple Person โˆ’ incorrigible person, ridiculous person Gifts โˆ’ hundred gifts, ordinary gifts, birthday gifts Time โˆ’ college time, rough time, first time Crossing โˆ’ railroad crossing, first crossing Physique โˆ’ plump physique, ordinary physique
Three girls โˆ’ first three girls, incorrigible three girls,
Thoughts โˆ’ incorrigible thoughts, uncomfortable thoughts, ridiculous thoughts, heartbreaking thoughts, first thoughts, ordinary thoughts, Scream โˆ’ tremendous scream, loud scream Subject โˆ’ college subject, ordinary subject Flight โˆ’ rough flight, first flight
Coffee โˆ’ invigorating coffee, ordinary coffee Triangle โˆ’ love triangle
Boys โˆ’ college boys, incorrigible boys, rough boys, hundred boys Farewell โˆ’ college farewell, heartbreaking farewell
Landscape โˆ’ bare landscape, rough landscape, white landscape Chatterbox โˆ’ incorrigible chatterbox
View โˆ’ tremendous view, panoramic view, ordinary view
Dresses โˆ’ hundred dresses, ordinary dresses, birthday dresses, marriage dresses Roar
โ€” tremendous roar, a loud roar
Expression โˆ’ bare expression, slang expression, slack expression Handkerchief โˆ’ white handkerchief, ordinary handkerchief Profession โˆ’ family profession, first profession, ordinary profession
Celebration โˆ’ tremendous celebration, family celebration, birthday celebration

III. Read this sentence:

He shook himself, and I half expected a cloud of dust.

The author uses a cloud of dust to give a picture of a large quantity of dust. Phrases like this indicate a particular quantity of something that is not usually countable. For example: a bit of land, a drop of blood, a pinch of salt, a piece of paper.

1. Match the words on the left with a word on the right. Some words on the left can go with more than one word on the right.

(i)a portion of โ€“ blood
(ii)a pool of โ€“ cotton
(iii)flakes of โ€“ stones
(iv)a huge heap of โ€“ gold
(v)a gust of โ€“ fried fish
(vi)little drops of โ€“ snow
(vii)a piece of โ€“ water
(viii)a pot of โ€“ wind

Answer: 1.(i) a portion of โ€“ fried fish
(ii)a pool of โ€“ blood
(iii)flakes of โ€“ snow
(iv)a huge heap of โ€“ stones
(v)a gust of โ€“ wind
(vi)little drops of โ€“ water
(vii)a piece of โ€“ cotton
(viii)a pot of โ€“ gold

2. Use a bit of/a piece of/a bunch of/a cloud of/a lump of with the italicised nouns in the following sentences. The first has been done for you as an example.

(i)My teacher gave me some My teacher gave me a bit of advice.
(ii)Can you give me some clay,
(iii)The information you gave was very
(iv)Because of these factories, smoke hangs over the city.
(v)Two stones rubbed together can produce sparks of
(vi)He gave me some flowers on my

Answer:

(i) My teacher gave me some My teacher gave me a bit of advice.
(ii)Can you give me some clay, Can you give me a lump of clay, please.
(iii)The information you gave was very
The piece of information you gave was very useful.
(iv)Because of these factories, smoke hangs over the Because of these factories, a cloud of smoke hangs over the city.
(v)Two stones rubbed together can produce sparks of
Two pieces of stones rubbed together can produce sparks of fire.
(vi)He gave me some flowers on my He gave me a bunch of flowers on my birthday.

Speaking โ€“ Page No. 114

You have seen how Maxwell describes Mij the otter’s feelings and thoughts by watching him. Play the game of dumb charades. Take turns to express a feeling or thought silently, through gestures. Let the class speak out their guesses about the feelings or thoughts you are trying to express.

 Ans. Meant for playing at the class level.

Writing Page No. 114

 Write a description of a person or an animal (such as a pet) that you know very well and love veil much. Questions (4) and (5) in `Thinking about the Text’ will have given you some idea about how to do this. Mention some things the person or animal does, what you think the person or animal feels, etc.

 Ans.                                        My Pet Dog Jackie

 I have a pet dog. His name is Jackie. He is of Dachshund. He is white in colour. He is a small dog. He has a long body, long ears and very short legs.
 He is very athletic and smart. He understands the verbal commands given to him. He even guesses mY facial expressions. When I have a frown on my face he bows down. Then he doesn’t look into my eyes. Bet when I call him joyfully to go for a walk, he jumps with joy and follows me. When I throw a ball, he rushee out to catch that. He guards our house. It is because of him monkeys dare not come to our house.

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