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But he's locked in a concrete… (Class 10 English 2026, Q7a)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2026, set 2/3/1 · 5 marks · Reading comprehension

CBSE Class 10 English 2026: question 7(a)

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2026, 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

But he's locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.
(A Tiger in the Zoo)

  1. (i)

    Complete the sentence suitably: The tiger ignores the visitors because __________.

    1 mark
  2. (ii)

    The above lines juxtapose the tiger's natural instincts with its caged existence. Justify.

    2 marks
  3. (iii)

    What mood is created by the poet in the above lines?

    1. (A)sympathetic and thoughtful
    2. (B)angry and violent
    3. (C)cheerful and happy
    4. (D)exciting and fun
    1 mark
  4. (iv)

    Fill in the blank with the correct option from the brackets. The length of his cage highlights the __________ (vast space/limited space/free space) in which the tiger is confined.

    1 mark

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2026 board paper, set 2/3/1.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Think about how the tiger feels about being locked in a cell.

Hint 2

For (ii), contrast the jungle with the zoo: free/caged, roaring/quiet.

Hint 3

The poet pities the tiger rather than praising or mocking it.

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) The tiger ignores the visitors because he is angry and frustrated at being locked in a concrete cell, and this is his silent protest against captivity; he longs to be free.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) In the wild the tiger is a free, feared hunter who roams the open jungle. Here he is a caged exhibit, confined in a concrete cell.

    1 mark

  3. His strength, once shown in roaring and hunting, is now 'behind bars'. He only paces quietly up and down the length of his cage, so natural freedom and caged helplessness are set against each other.

    1 mark

  4. (iii) (A) sympathetic and thoughtful.

    1 mark

  5. (iv) limited space.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) angry and frustrated in captivity, silently protesting; (ii) free hunter v/s caged exhibit; (iii) A; (iv) limited space

Where the marks are

  • Gives a valid reason for ignoring visitors (1 mark)
  • Gives two contrasts between natural and caged life (2 marks)
  • Option A for mood (1 mark)
  • 'limited space' (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 paper2026 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.