WBBSE 9th Class English Solutions Chapter – 4 A Day in the Zoo
WBBSE 9th Class English Solutions Chapter – 4 A Day in the Zoo
West Bengal Board 9th Class English Solutions Chapter – 4 A Day in the Zoo
WBBSE 9th Class English Solutions
Introduction
About the Author: Gerald Malcolm Durrell (1925-1995 ) was an English zookeeper, conservationist and author. He founded what is now called the ‘Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust’ and the ‘Jersey Zoo’ ( now ‘Durrell Wildlife Park’) on the Channel Island of Jersey, in 1958. He is perhaps best remembered for writing a number of books based on his life as an animal enthusiast.
The passage given in this lesson is an extract from ‘Menagerie Manor’ by Gerald Durrell, where the author talks about how he set up his own zoo in Jersey, helped by a team dedicated to the cause of the animals. The extract describes a typical day in the zoo and the experience of the zoo-workers, and insider’s view of the zoo.
offers us an interesting Durrell was born in Jamsedpur, India on January 7, 1925. He was the fourth child of Louisa Florence Dixie and Lawrence Samuel Durrell, both of whom were born in India of English and Irish descent. Durrell’s father was a British engineer and Durrell was under the care of an ayah. Durrell could recall his first visit to a zoo in India and developed a life-long love on antimals. Later they moved to England and settled in the upper Norwood, Crystal Palace area of South London. Throughout his life he moved to different places but always attached himself with animals. Later he formed the Jersey Zoo with the help of his close friends. He also wrote different stories depending on his experiences on animals. His long life of dedication towards animals came to an end on 30 January 1995.
SUMMARY AND CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE STORY
Gerald Durrell was an English zookeeper and he devoted his whole life for the sake of animals. He founded his own 200, ‘Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust’ and the Jersey Zoo’. So his experience related to the animals of the zoo must be different from a mere visitor’s experience.
‘A Day in the Zoo’ is a simple narration of the writer’s experience inside the zoo. This is something different. The normal visitors visit the zoo and enjoy different types of animals and birds kept in the cage or enclosure. They sometimes enjoy torturing those animals and birds. They can never understand the unuttered languages of the animals. But someone like Durrell, inside the zoo, keeping watch on those animals and birds twenty four hours, come to realize something more. Actually we consider ourselves better than other animals because of our civilized existence. The other animals and birds living in the midst of nature cannot communicate with us. It is probably because we are reluctant to understand them on humanitarian ground. We keep them in the zoo for our recreation, robbing them of their freedom. Durrell could understand them and could sympathize with them. Their association gave Durrell a taste of friendship and inship. So while narrating their activities and presence, Durrell’s utterances are much more lively.
ANSWERS QUESTIONS
Tick (√) the correct answer from the given alternatives:
1. The average day in a zoo begins just before—
A. dusk
B. dawn
C. afternoon
D. evening
2. The birds searching the dewy grass on the lawn were –
A. peahens
B. peacocks
C. robins
D. thrushes
3. Stephen with a broom in his hand was guarding over the-
A. bears
B. gorillas
C. apes
D. armadillo
4. The name of the black Celebes ape was—
A. Etam
B. Jeremy
C. Mike
D. Stephen
5. The reptiles dozed in the temperature of –
A. sixty degrees
B. seventy degrees
C. eighty degrees
D. ninety degrees
6. The author was in duty in the zoo for-
A. twelve hours a day
B. eight hours a day
C. ten hours a day
D. twenty-four hours a day
7. The author is on duty twenty-four hours a day in the zoo because —
A. he owns the zoo
B. he lives in the zoo
C. he loves to observe the animals
D. he owns the zoo and lives in it
8. A day in a zoo begins –
A. as soon as the zoo staff arrives
B. when the gates are opened
C. just before dawn
D. none of these
9. The touracos is a kind of –
A. bird
B. ape
C. frog
D. chimpanzee
10. Touracos originally hail from —
A. North America
B. Africa
C. America
D. Southern Africa
11. The tail of a male peahen is raised like a —
A. flag
B. pillar
C. fountain
D. mountain
12. While the cages are cleaned, the gorillas are—
A. locked in the cages
B. let out free
C. shifted elsewhere
D. none of these
13. In the long two-storied granite house lived —
A. only the monkeys
B. monkeys and other mammals
C. monkeys and birds
D. monkeys and peahens
14. The zoo staff arrives at —
A. nine o’clock
B. 8 p.m.
C. 8a.m.
D. none of these
15. Gorilla’s cages were cleaned by –
A. Mike and Jeremy
B. Mike
C. Stephen
D. Suku
16. The cage of the crowned pigeons is lighted by the —
A. fluorescent light
B. setting sunshine
C. bright sunshine
D. candle light
17. Mike is—
A. an uncivilized person
B. a plump and ever smiling person
C. a slim and tall person
D. a fat and grave person
18. At the start of a new day the animals in the zoo get —
A. furious
B. busy greeting each other
C. excited and eager
D. indifferent
19. Etam greets people —
A. itching his palm
B. baring his teeth
C. showing his teeth
D. shutting his eyes
20. Suku is the name of a —
A. parakeet
B. grey parrot
C. gorilla
D. mongoose
21. Quick-footed, bright-eyed animals were the —
A. peahens
B. peacocks
C. mongooses
D. gorillas
22. In the reptile house the temperature is —
A. gruelling
B. unbearable
C. nice
D. unusual
23. The zoo gates opened for the visitors at–
A. nine o’clock
B. eight o’clock
C. ten o’clock
D. twelve o’clock
24. The visitors try to give the chimpanzees –
A. lighted cigarettes
B. razor blades
C. ripe bananas
D. lighted cigarettes and razor blades
Answer the following questions
1. How does the sky look as one is awakened by the birdsong ?
Ans. As one is awakened by the birdsong the sky looks slightly tinged with yellow.
2. How do the parrots and parakeets salute the people?
Ans. Parrots and parakeets salute the people with a cacophony of sounds.
3. What do all the animals do at the start of a new day?
Ans. At the start of a new day, all the animals bustle about the cages.
4. As the light fades, where does the robin fly off to?
Ans. As the light fades, the robin flies off to roost in the mimosa tree.
5. How is the touraco’s cry?
Ans. Touraco’s cry is rich, fruity and slightly hoarse.
6. Name the birds that sing to begin a day in the zoo.
Ans. A robin, the touracos, a blackbird and a white-headed thrush sing to begin a day.
7. What do the peahens do in the early morning?
Ans. On the velvet green lawns peahens search something in the dewy grass.
8. Who live in the two-storied granite house?
Ans. Monkeys and other mammals like gorillas, apes live there.
9. To whom are the elated gorillas compared?
Ans. The elated gorillas are compared to the children just out of school.
10. What does Stephen do?
Ans. Stephen stands guard over the apes with a broom in hand.
11. Who live in the upstairs of the granite house?
Ans. Parrots, parakeets, mongooses, touracos and armadillo live in the upstairs.
12. What does the armadillo do?
Ans. The armadillo lies on its back, twitching its paws and nose.
13. What does Suku intend to say?
Ans. Suku intends to say that he is a very fine bird.
14. Name two reptiles mentioned in ‘A Day in the Zoo’.
Ans. The two reptiles mentioned in ‘A Day in the Zoo’ are snakes and lizards.
15. Why everyone has to be alert ?
Ans. Everyone has to be alert to make sure that people do not hurt the animals.
16. What do the visitors do to make a sleeping animal move?
Ans. To make a sleeping animal move the visitors throw stones at it or prod it with sticks.
17. What uncivilized behaviours are noticed in the zoo?
Ans. Some uncivilized visitors try to give lighted cigarettes and razor blades to chimpanzees.
18. What does the white-faced owl do throughout the day?
Ans. Throughout the day the white-faced owl pretends to be a grey tree stump.
19. When can one hear the lions cough ?
Ans. One can hear the lions cough at night only.
20. What work do Jeremy and Mike do in the gorillas’ cages?
Ans. Jeremy and Mike clean the cages of gorillas. They sweep up the mess on the floor of the cages. They then scatter fresh white sawdust.
21. Describe the state of the frogs and snakes in the reptile house.
Ans. In the reptile house, the frogs and snakes doze in a pleasant temperature of eighty degrees. Snakes remain calm with lidless eyes. Frogs make gulping sound.
22. What would one see and hear while lying in bed at night ?
Ans. While lying in bed one can see through the windows the moon separating itself from the shadows of the trees. One can also hear lions cough
23. What is the difference between a normal visitor of a zoo and one who lives in the zoo?
Ans. A normal visitor in a zoo observes the animals in visiting hours only. But one who lives in the zoo may observe them any time.
24. What is commonly seen in the zoo early in the morning?
Ans. In the early morning different types of activities start in the zoo. Birds and animals start to sing and cry. Zoo staff start their busy activities.
25. Why have the gorillas been let out of their cages?
Ans. The gorillas have been let out of their cages because the cages are to be cleaned.
26. How do the gorillas behave when they are let out of their cages?
Ans. Then the gorillas gallop about on the floor with the high spirits of children just out of school.
27.. How do the animals in the two-storied granite house behave at the start of a new day?
Ans. The start of a new day makes every animal like gorillas, Celebes ape etc. excited and eager. So, they all bustle about their respective cages.
28. How is the behaviour of the male touraco, Peety, in the zoo?
Ans. Peety peers at the visitors from one of the higher perches. If called, he will fly down to the perch nearest to the visitor and give a husky cry.
29. What is special about the parrots and parakeets?
Ans. The parrots and parakeets salute everyone with a cacophony of sounds. Suku, the grey parrot cries, “I’m a very fine bird.”
30. Why everyone has to be alert as soon as the first rush of visitors arrive at the zoo?
Ans. Everyone has to be alert to ensure that the visitors do not hurt the animals rather than to make sure that the
Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
1. Becoming the owner of the zoo, Durrell could………………….
Ans. Becoming the owner of the zoo, Durrell could rush out at any hour of the day or night to observe the animals.
2. When the cages of the gorillas are cleaned……………………
Ans. When the cages of the gorillas are cleaned they have been let out of their cages.
3. Baring the teeth, Etam, the black Celebes ape in the morning………………….
Ans. Baring the teeth, Etam, the black Celebes ape in the morning greets.
4. Mongooses are described as…………………………………
Ans. Mongooses are described as quick-footed and brighteyed.
5. The inhabitants of reptile house are…………………………………..
Ans. The inhabitants of reptile house are snakes, frogs and lizards.
6. The first rush of visitors arrive………………………………
Ans. The first rush of visitors arrive at ten o’clock, when the zoo gates open.
7. With the visitor’s arrival, everyone has to be alert to……………………………………
Ans. With the visitor’s arrival, everyone has to be alert to make sure that the people do not hurt the animals.
8. Lighted cigarettes and razor blades are………………………………
Ans. Lighted cigarettes and razor blades are tried to be given to chimpanzees.
State True False. Write ‘T’ for True and ‘F’ for False
1. The average day in the zoo begins at eight o’clock.
Ans. F
2. In the zoo, the monkeys live in a three-storied granite house.
Ans. F
3. The gorillas out of the cages are compared to children out of school.
Ans. T
4. The name of the black Celebes ape is Suku.
Ans. F
5. The touracos now live in small cage.
Ans. F
6. In Africa, the author brought up a male touraco.
Ans. T
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