LIWA

A Tiger in the Zoo

CBSE Class 10 · English · Chapter 12

Past board exam questions

CBSE 2026 board paper · 5 marks

Read the following extract and answer the questions : 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) (i) Complete the sentence suitably : (1) The tiger ignores the visitors because ___________. (ii) The above lines juxtapose the tiger’s natural instincts with its caged existence. Justify. (2) (iii) What mood is created by the poet in the above lines ? (1) (A) sympathetic and thoughtful (B) angry and violent (C) cheerful and happy (D) exciting and fun (iv) Fill in the blank with the correct option from the brackets. (1) The length of his cage highlights the __________ (vast space/limited space/free space) in which the tiger is confined.

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(i) (Any one) he feels angry, helpless and frustrated at being locked in a concrete cell; ignoring them is his silent protest against captivity; he wants to be free and does not care about their presence. (ii) (Any two) The tiger is a powerful creature meant to roam and hunt freely in the open jungle, but here he is locked in a concrete cell with ‘his strength behind bars’; instead of stalking prey, he can only stalk the length of his cage; a feared, roaring predator in the wild, he is reduced to a quiet object on display. (iii) (A) sympathetic and thoughtful (iv) limited space

CBSE 2026 board paper · 5 marks

Read the following extract and answer the questions : He should be lurking in shadow Sliding through long grass Near the water hole Where the plump deer pass. (A Tiger in the Zoo) (i) Complete the following suitably : (1) The phrase ‘lurking in shadow’ implies that the tiger _______. (ii) According to the extract, the poet wishes for the tiger to be ‘sliding’ through the foliage as this would : (1) (A) assist in keeping the prey unsuspecting of the predator’s sound. (B) aid in camouflaging the presence of the predator before it rushes in. (C) help the predator pounce on the prey comfortably without getting tired. (D) support the predator’s vision as it eyes its prey. (iii) What would the tiger do in the forest ? (2) (iv) Pick the phrase that suggests that the forest in the extract is lush. (1) (A) long grass (B) the water hole (C) plump deer (D) lurking in shadow

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(i) is hiding / waiting to ambush its prey (the tiger’s natural predatory behaviour). (ii) (A) assist in keeping the prey unsuspecting of the predator’s sound. (The marking scheme also accepts (B) aid in camouflaging the presence of the predator before it rushes in.) (iii) (Any two) It would lurk in the shadow; slide through the long grass; move stealthily; wait for its prey near the water hole; approach the prey quietly. (iv) (A) long grass

CBSE 2026 board paper · 6 marks

Evaluate the similarities and differences between the tiger in “A Tiger in the Zoo” and the dragon in “The Tale of Custard the Dragon”. (Answer in about 100-120 words.)

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(Content 3 – at least one point from each aspect, with textual evidence; Expression 2; Accuracy 1) Similarities: both the tiger and the dragon are powerful creatures that symbolise strength and danger; both are confined or controlled by humans – the tiger in a concrete cell, Custard as a pet in Belinda’s little white house, where he cries for a nice safe cage; and both evoke fear – the tiger through his silent rage, the dragon through his sharp teeth, spikes and scales. Differences: the tiger is caged and helpless, while Custard lives safely with Belinda; the tiger is quiet and angry, full of suppressed energy, while Custard at first appears timid and cowardly; the tiger’s strength is …

CBSE 2026 board paper · 6 marks

What distinguishes the portrayal of the tiger in the poem “A Tiger in the Zoo” from the depiction of the tiger in the poem, “How to Tell Wild Animals” ? (Answer in about 100-120 words.)

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(Content 3 – at least three value points; Expression 2; Accuracy 1) The two poems present the tiger very differently. In “A Tiger in the Zoo”, the tiger is caged; his strength is locked ‘behind bars’ in a concrete cell. He is merely an object of gaze for the visitors, and no one is scared of him. He is frustrated, helpless and longs for freedom, staring at the brilliant stars with his brilliant eyes. In “How to Tell Wild Animals”, however, the tiger is free in its natural habitat. It is depicted as a ferocious predator, the ‘noble wild beast’ that may attack and eat a human, and people are terrified of it. Thus, one poem portrays the tiger’s captivity and helplessness, while the other …

CBSE 2024 board paper · 5 marks

Read the following extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the given two : 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! (i) State any one point of contrast between the tiger in the zoo and in its natural habitat. (1) (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) (iii) The poet’s skillful use of imagery effectively depicts the confinement and frustration of the tiger. Elaborate in about 40 words. (2) (iv) Which phrase would correctly substitute ‘quiet rage’ in the given sentence from the extract ? (1) The few steps of his cage on pads of velvet quiet in his ‘quiet rage.’

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(i) (Any one) In the zoo the tiger can only stalk the few steps of his cage and is forced to be quiet, whereas in the forest he would move majestically wherever he wants, lurking in shadow, and snarl and terrorise the village. (ii) (Any one) That the tiger is by nature powerful, free and ferocious, and belongs in the wild jungle, not in a cage. (iii) (Any two images with elaboration) ‘In his vivid stripes’ shows the tiger’s majestic beauty, wasted inside a cage; ‘the few steps of his cage’ shows how little space he has; ‘pads of velvet quiet’ shows his soft, silent pacing; ‘in his quiet rage’ shows his suppressed anger and frustration at his confinement. (iv) Suppressed anger

CBSE 2024 board paper · 5 marks

Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any ONE of the given two. He stalks in his vivid stripes The few steps of his cage, On pads of velvet quiet, In his quiet rage (i) Explain the contrast created by the words, ‘stalks’ and ‘few steps of his cage’. (1) (ii) Which of the following best describes the tiger’s feelings in the context ? (1) (A) anger (B) conflicted (C) pessimism (D) apprehension (iii) Comment in about 40 words on the poet’s use of imagery in the above extract. (2) (iv) Which word in the stanza means the same as ‘clear and bright’ ? (1)

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(i) ‘Stalks’ suggests the confident, majestic movement of a free hunter, while ‘few steps of his cage’ shows his captivity – the contrast is between freedom/confidence and confinement/subdued life. (ii) (A) anger (iii) The poet uses vivid imagery to build the picture of a majestic tiger in confinement. Phrases like ‘vivid stripes’ and ‘pads of velvet quiet’ bring out the beauty and majesty of the animal, while ‘quiet rage’ and ‘few steps of his cage’ portray his confinement, helplessness and frustration. (Any two points.) (iv) vivid

CBSE 2024 board paper · 5 marks

Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two, (a) or (b) : 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) (i) Why is the tiger ‘stalking the length of his cage’ ? (1) (ii) What is the significance of the use of the word ‘locked’ to describe the concrete cell where the tiger is kept and how does it contrast with the tiger’s presence in its natural habitat ? Answer in about 40 words. (2) (iii) Complete the sentence with the appropriate option : (1) The lines from the poem tell us that the tiger is ______ . (A) enjoying his time in the cell (B) being indifferent to visitors because it is a daily routine for him (C) not as strong as his counterpart in the jungle (D) wanting to be free from the cage (iv) Identify the type of literary device used in the line : (1) ‘But he’s locked in a concrete cell’

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(i) He has only the length of his cage to walk about; there is no room to run or enjoy himself, so he is restless. (Any other suitable answer.) (ii) ‘Locked’ shows that the tiger cannot escape: his power and freedom have been snatched and his basic instincts crushed / subdued, so he cannot break away from captivity. In contrast, in his natural habitat he moves freely and is considered the most powerful animal. (1 mark for the significance, 1 for the contrast.) (iii) (B) being indifferent to visitors because it is a daily routine for him (iv) Alliteration – ‘concrete cell’

CBSE 2024 compartment paper · 3 marks

With reference to the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’, compare and contrast the life of a tiger in the zoo with the life of a tiger in its natural habitat. (A Tiger in the Zoo)

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(Content 2; Organisation 1 – any two-three relevant points) In its natural habitat the tiger roams about freely, lurks in the shadows of the long grass near the water hole looking for plump deer as prey, and snarls around the houses at the jungle’s edge, terrorizing the villagers with its white fangs and claws. In the zoo it is locked in a small concrete cell; its movement is restricted to a few steps of its cage. Caged and helpless, it shows only ‘quiet rage’, ignores the visitors and stares at the brilliant stars with its brilliant eyes.