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English Language & Literature — CBSE Class 10 board question

Q1. [5]
He stalks in his vivid stripes The few steps of his cage, On pads of velvet quiet, In his quiet rage. He should be lurking in shadow, Sliding through long grass Near the water pole Where plump deer pass. He should be snarling around houses At the jungle's edge, Baring his white fangs, his claws, Terrorising the village!
Read the following extract and answer the questions.
  1. (i) State any one point of contrast between the tiger in the zoo and in its natural habitat. [1]
  2. (ii) When the speaker suggests that the tiger should be "Snarling around houses at the jungle's edge"? What does he insinuate about the tiger's natural behaviour and habitat? [1]
  3. (iii) The poet's skillful use of imagery effectively depicts the confinement and frustration of the tiger. Elaborate in about 40 words. [2]
  4. (iv) Which phrase would correctly substitute 'quiet rage' in the given sentence from the extract? The few steps of his cage on pads of velvet quiet in his 'quiet rage.' [1]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2024 2/1/1 Q7(A)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:15 · grounding stimulus+chapter
Model Answer

(i) In the zoo, the tiger paces restlessly in a small cage; in its natural habitat, it would be freely lurking in shadows and sliding through long grass near a watering hole.

(ii) The speaker insinuates that the tiger is a powerful predator by nature, whose habitat is the jungle's edge. Terrorising villages is its natural, instinctive behaviour — not a sign of cruelty, but of its wild, free existence.

(iii) The poet uses vivid imagery to highlight the tiger's confinement and suppressed anger. "Few steps of his cage" shows its cramped space. "Pads of velvet quiet" and "quiet rage" suggest silent, bottled-up fury. Contrasting images — lurking in grass, baring fangs — show what freedom looks like, making the captivity more painful.

(iv) "Suppressed anger" (or "silent fury") would correctly substitute 'quiet rage', as the tiger is inwardly furious but outwardly calm, unable to express its anger freely within the cage.

Source: "A Tiger in the Zoo" by Leslie Norris, First Flight, Chapter 1 (Poem)

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Explanation
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