Past board exam questions
CBSE 2026 board paper · 6 marks
Evaluate how “A Triumph of Surgery” is a lesson in thoughtful parenting.
(Answer in about 100-120 words.)
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(Content 3 – any three points with textual evidence; Expression 2; Accuracy 1)
Mrs Pumphrey’s excessive love nearly kills Tricki. She mistakes indulgence for care, feeding him cream cakes, chocolates, malt and cod-liver oil until he becomes ‘a bloated sausage’ with ‘rheumy eyes’, listless and seriously ill. She ignores Dr Herriot’s advice to give him exercise and cut down on sweets, and even while he is at the surgery she keeps sending eggs, brandy and other treats. Tricki recovers only through a strict diet and exercise away from her. The story teaches that love without discipline is harmful: real care means setting clear boundaries and learning to say ‘no’. Just as Tricki was harmed by …
CBSE 2026 board paper · 6 marks
Compare and contrast Tricki’s condition before and after his stay at the surgery. How does this contrast help in understanding the role of proper care, discipline and environment in ensuring Tricki’s well-being ?
(A Triumph of Surgery)
(Answer in about 100-120 words.)
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(Content 3 – any three points supported by textual evidence; Expression 2; Accuracy 1)
Before his stay at the surgery, Tricki was hugely fat, like a bloated sausage, with bloodshot, rheumy eyes. Overfed by Mrs Pumphrey on cream cakes and chocolates, he moved lethargically, refused food, vomited and had difficulty breathing. After two weeks at the surgery he became a lithe, hard-muscled, active dog with a glossy coat, alert and excited to run to his mistress. The contrast shows that his illness came from pampering, not disease. At the surgery he got a controlled diet with no extra food, regular exercise, and a healthy environment where he played with other dogs, fought for his meals and …
CBSE 2026 board paper · 6 marks
How does Dr. Herriot’s approach to treat Tricki reflect his deep understanding of the animal’s needs and bring to the fore the character traits of patience, observation and empathy in ‘A Triumph of Surgery’ ? Discuss.
(Answer in about 100-120 words.)
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(Content 3 – any three points supported by textual evidence; Expression 2; Accuracy 1)
Dr. Herriot felt pity for Tricki when he saw the dog hugely fat, lethargic and refusing food, and he acted at once when it fell ill. With keen observation he understood that the real cause of the illness was overfeeding by the indulgent Mrs. Pumphrey, not any disease. So he avoided unnecessary medicines and chose a simple, practical cure: he took Tricki to the surgery, gave him no food for two days but plenty of water, controlled his diet and let him exercise and play with the other dogs. He watched the dog’s progress patiently over two weeks and wanted to cure him naturally. His empathy extended to Mrs. …
CBSE 2026 board paper · 6 marks
How does Mr. Herriot’s practical approach to Tricki’s illness in contrast to Mrs. Pumphrey’s emotional attachment highlight his role as both, a skilled veteran and a perceptive human being ? Elaborate.
(A Triumph of Surgery)
(Answer in about 100-120 words.)
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(Content 3 – any three points supported by textual evidence; Expression 2; Accuracy 1)
Mrs. Pumphrey loved Tricki blindly. Out of emotional attachment she pampered and overfed him with cream cakes, chocolates, malt and cod-liver oil, ignoring the danger to his health and the vet’s advice, until he became bloated, listless and ill. Mr. Herriot, by contrast, was practical and sensible. As a trained vet he saw at once that overfeeding was the cause, so he took Tricki to his surgery for treatment. There he gave him no medicine at all: only water for two days, a controlled diet and play with the other dogs, and he kept him under observation until he recovered fully. He was also a perceptive …
CBSE 2026 board paper · 6 marks
Evaluate the elements of humour and endearment in “A Triumph of Surgery”.
(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)
Humour: the exaggerated description of Tricki’s obesity – ‘hugely fat, like a bloated sausage’ – is comic. Mrs Pumphrey’s overindulgence and dramatic panic, feeding him malt, cod-liver oil, Horlicks and cream cakes, add situational humour. It is ironic that his ‘serious illness’ is only overfeeding and the ‘surgery’ is merely diet and exercise; Herriot’s practical approach contrasts with her emotional reactions, and he enjoys the eggs and wine she sends ‘for Tricki’s strength’.
Endearment: Mrs Pumphrey’s deep love and constant anxiety for Tricki, the bond between pet and owner, Herriot’s …
CBSE 2026 board paper · 3 marks
Why was Dr. Herriot really worried about Tricki ?
(A Triumph of Surgery)
(Answer in about 40-50 words.)
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(Content 2 – any two points; Expression 1)
Tricki had become hugely fat, like a bloated sausage, because Mrs Pumphrey overfed him with rich food – cream cakes, chocolates, malt, cod-liver oil and Horlicks – and gave him no exercise. He had become lethargic and listless, his eyes were bloodshot and rheumy, his tongue lolled from his jaws, he refused food and vomited. Herriot feared serious health complications if this continued.
CBSE 2026 board paper · 3 marks
Mrs. Pumphrey thinks Tricki’s recovery is a triumph of surgery. Discuss the irony in the above statement.
(A Triumph of Surgery)
(Answer in about 40-50 words.)
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(Content 2 – at least two value points; Expression 1)
The irony is that no surgery was performed on Tricki at all. Tricki had become ill because of overfeeding and lack of exercise. Herriot cured him simply with a balanced diet, no extra food and plenty of exercise while he played with the other dogs. Yet Mrs. Pumphrey believed his recovery was a ‘triumph of surgery’, which is ironic.
CBSE 2026 board paper · 3 marks
Considering the emotional attachment of Mrs. Pumphrey with Tricki, state the impact of the word ‘convalescing’ on her.
(A Triumph of Surgery)
(Answer in about 40-50 words.)
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(Content 2 – at least two value points; Expression 1)
‘Convalescing’ means recovering gradually after an illness. Hearing that Tricki was convalescing, the over-indulgent Mrs. Pumphrey, deeply attached to her pet, began sending fresh eggs, two dozen at a time, to build up his strength, besides bottles of wine to enrich his blood and brandy for his constitution – which the narrator and his colleagues enjoyed.
