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Read the following extracts… (Class 10 English 2024, Q7a)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2024, set 2/3/1 · 5 marks · Reading comprehension

CBSE Class 10 English 2024: question 7(a)

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2024, paper 2/3/1, section C, question 7(a), for 5 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q7(a) · 5 marks · Reading comprehensionCompetency-basedA Tiger in the Zoo

Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any ONE of the given two.

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

  1. (i)

    Explain the contrast created by the words, 'stalks' and 'few steps of his cage'.

    1 mark
  2. (ii)

    Which of the following best describes the tiger's feelings in the context?

    1. (A)anger
    2. (B)conflicted
    3. (C)pessimism
    4. (D)apprehension
    1 mark
  3. (iii)

    Comment in about 40 words on the poet's use of imagery in the above extract.

    2 marks
  4. (iv)

    Which word in the stanza means the same as 'clear and bright'?

    1 mark

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2024 board paper, set 2/3/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Think about what 'stalks' says about how the tiger moves, and what a cage allows.

Hint 2

For (ii), which feeling does the word 'rage' point to?

Hint 3

For (iv), look for the word in the first line that describes the stripes.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. (i) 'Stalks' suggests a proud, confident, free-roaming stride, while 'the few steps of his cage' shows the tiny space of captivity. The contrast is between freedom and confinement.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) (A) anger. The phrase 'quiet rage' shows the tiger's suppressed fury at being caged.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) The poet uses vivid visual imagery to show a majestic tiger in captivity. 'Vivid stripes' and 'pads of velvet quiet' bring out its beauty and silent power.

    1 mark

  4. (iii) 'Quiet rage' conveys the frustration and helplessness of the confined animal, so the reader sees both its grandeur and its suffering.

    1 mark

  5. (iv) vivid

    1 mark

Answer: (i) freedom vs captivity; (ii) A (anger); (iii) imagery of vivid stripes, velvet quiet and quiet rage shows a majestic but confined tiger; (iv) vivid

Where the marks are

  • Contrast of freedom/confidence with captivity (1 mark)
  • Option A anger (1 mark)
  • Imagery of majesty: vivid stripes, velvet quiet (1 mark)
  • Imagery of confinement and frustration: quiet rage (1 mark)
  • Word 'vivid' (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: A Tiger in the Zoo (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)
Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from A Tiger in the Zoo, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2024 board paper, set 2/3/1: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.