INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL (RECOGNISED AND AFFILIATED TO CBSE)
SCHOOL Sector-11, Dwarka, New Delhi-
110075 T : +91 11 45312000
E :
[email protected] W : www.mbsinternational.edu.in
CLASS: X
SUBJECT: ENGLISH
First Flight- Ch 11: The Proposal,
Poem 10: The Tale of Custard the Dragon
Duration: 1 Oct – 15 Oct Cycle No. 11
ASSIGNMENT NO. – 11
I. Answer the following questions in 40-50 words.
Q1. Custard humbly accepts that other animals are braver than him.
Give a reason to support your stance that humility is a virtue worth possessing.
Q2. The poet could have included a burglar or an intruder in the poem, but chose to include a
pirate. Explain this choice.
Q3. Why do you think Natalya Stepanova asked her father to call Lomov back when she heard
that he had come with a proposal?
Q4. Provide a brief insight into what Lomov and Natalya’s married life might look like.
Q5. Explain how the narrator’s expectations fell short of what he’d expected when he was sent to
New Mullion?
Q6. What do you think inspired the minister’s wife to sing the loudest in church when she was
most in debt?
II. Answer the following questions in 100-120 words.
Q1. Imagine that Custard writes a blog on ‘Overcoming fears’.A part of the blog focuses on
ways to overcome the fears within. As Custard, write this part of the blog.
You may proceed like this:
While we agree that fear is like a big monster that resides within us. This monster shall
continue to overpower us if we do not overpower it. To begin with,
Q2. Though the play revolves around three people, Russian society emerges as an important
character through the ongoings of the play and the thoughts and interactions of its
characters.
Imagine yourself to be a historian who has been invited to speak about nineteenth
century upper class Russian society.
Based on your reading of the play, how might you describe it? Support your evaluation
with instances from the text.
III Extract Based Questions.
A.Belinda giggled till she shook the house,
And Blink said Weeck! which is giggling for a mouse, Ink
and Mustard rudely asked his age,
When Custard cried for a nice safe cage.
Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound,
And Mustard growled, and they all looked around.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL (RECOGNISED AND AFFILIATED TO CBSE)
SCHOOL Sector-11, Dwarka, New Delhi-
110075 T : +91 11 45312000
E :
[email protected] W : www.mbsinternational.edu.in
1. What can you infer from the repetition ‘suddenly, suddenly’ in the above extract?
a) There was an immediate change in the scene.
b) It focuses on the hasty attack and the loud noise.
c) It emphasises that an unexpected noise was heard.
d) It draws our attention to the loud cry that occurred.
2. A cage means captivity. Why is Custard inclined to remain in a cage despite what it
symbolises?
1)Sanctuary 2)guardhouse 3)cubicle 4)refuge 5)booth
a) 1, 2 & 5 b) 1 & 4 c) 3, 4 & 5 d) 3 & 5
3. Why has the poet used the word ‘weeck’ to signify the giggling of the mouse?
The poet
a) uses it to add suspense in the poem.
b) has imagined how the mouse would sound in this mood.
c) has mocked at the mouse for giggling at Custard.
d) uses it to create a scary effect for readers.
4.Pick the option with the correct matches for columns A and B.
A B
Word Meaning
1. chuckle A. to smile in a half-suppressed
mocking way
2. snigger B. to smile in an irritating, conceited
manner
3. smirk C. to let out a quiet and
suppressed laugh
D. to let out a laugh heartily and
loudly
a) 1- D, 2-A, 3-C b) 1-C, 2-A, 3-B c) 1-B, 2-D, 3-C d) 1-A, 2-C, 3-D
5. Which belief about dragons is in contrast to Custard’s behaviour in the extract?
a) Dragons are brave and feared. b)Dragons can grant wishes.
b) Dragons can become invisible at will. d) Dragons are soft-hearted and kind.
6.A hyperbole is a literary device where the poet/writer/speaker purposely and obviously
exaggerates to an extreme.
Choose the option that includes an example of hyperbole, from the extract.
a) And Mustard growled, and they all looked around
b) Ink and Mustard rudely asked his age,
c) Belinda giggled till she shook the house,
d) When Custard cried for a nice safe cage.
(B) CHUBUKOV: What a weight off my shoulders, ouf!
NATALYA: But, still you will admit now that Guess is worse than Squeezer.
LOMOV: Better!
NATALYA: Worse!
CHUBUKOV: Well, that’s a way to start your family bliss! Have some champagne!
LOMOV: He’s better!
NATALYA: Worse! Worse! Worse!
CHUBUKOV: [trying to shout her down] Champagne! Champagne!
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL (RECOGNISED AND AFFILIATED TO CBSE)
SCHOOL Sector-11, Dwarka, New Delhi-
110075 T : +91 11 45312000
E :
[email protected] W : www.mbsinternational.edu.in
1. Which of the following titles of Shakespeare’s plays might best apply to the
relationship of Lomov and Natalya’s relationship?
a) The Taming of the Shrew
b) Romeo and Juliet
c) As You Like It
d) Two Gentlemen of Verona
2. How would you characterise Chubukov’s mood based on the given extract?
a) cautious and celebratory
b) relieved and jubilant
c) merry, yet thoughtful
d) grateful, yet hurt
3. Based on the extract, Lomov and Natalya’s closing lines can best be seen as
a) a humorous and ironic take on typical marriage vows.
b) a reflection of their affections for Guess and Squeezer.
c) a sign of the prospective instability in their marital bliss.
d) the writer’s statement that disagreement is part of marriage.
4. Choose the option that correctly uses the idioms to the fill in the blanks of the
paragraph below.
In a team, it is important to (i)__________. Otherwise, you would become (ii) _______, and
incur the displeasure of the others. When that happens, you might feel (iii)_______, for the
others, not having to carry you along would be a (iv)________. .
a) (i) pull your weight; (ii) dead weight;
(iii) the weight of the world on your shoulders (iv) weight off the shoulders.
a) (i) weight yourself (ii) the weight of the world on your shoulder
(iii) like dead weight (iv) weight off their shoulders
b) (i) throw weight around (ii) worth your weight in gold
(iii) weight off your shoulders (iv) dead weight
c) (i) lend weight to someone (ii) heavy weight;
(iii) like pulling your weight (iv) weight off their shoulders
5. The liberal use of exclamatory marks in the given extract indicate that the characters
are expressing
a) apologies in a solemn and heartfelt tone.
b) good counsel and advice in a serious matter.
c) reconciliation on matters leading to argument.
d) strong feelings with a raised voice.
