UP Board Solutions for Class 11 English Prose Chapter 7 On an African River all question ans answer free pdf

Table of Contents

Explanation Type Question

Explain with reference to the context the following:

1- TheChobe…………………………………. by night.

Reference to the context: These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘On an African River’ written by David Livingstone. In the month of November 1853 author of the lesson went on his journey to Chobe river. In this passage he describes the habitation of wild animals in the said river.

Explanation: The author says that there was a great number of hippos in river Chobe. Some of them had turned ill-tempered. Their temper was so bitter that they attacked every boat that passed near them. Although they were not dangerous but they become so when a canoe passed by them while they had been sleeping. To avoid this situation, the traveller is advised to drive near the bank of that stream during the day time and in the middle of the stream during the night time.

2- Asarule……………………….………. one of them.

Reference to the context: These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘On an African River’ written by David Livingstone. The author is talking about the behaviour of hippos and elephant in these lines and how hippos break their canoe.

Explanation: In these lines the author is telling us that mostly hippos run away when they see a human being. A left out mad elephant from its herd is also very dangerous. In the same time, they were in a canoe which had been broken into pieces by the push from the hind (back) foot of a hippo.

3- I was told……………………….. werepassing.

Reference to the context: These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘On an African River’ written by David Livingstone. In these lines, the author was given advices to save himselfifa hippo attack their canoe.

Explanation: The author was told that if his canoe was attacked than he should dive deep into the river and stay there for few seconds. The hippo always searches for persons after breaking the canoe on the surface and if he is unable to find any person he runes away soon. One of the single’ bachelor’ hippo which was left out from his herd came out his lair and was trying to hurt the persons passing from there by putting his head up and running at high speed.

4- One cannot………………………………….to belarge.

Reference to the context: These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘On an African River’ written by David Livingstone. The author is saying that no one can determine the member of hippos in a herd.

Explanation: The author says that no one can tell the exact number of hippos in a herd as they are always hidden under water but they require to breathe so they happen to come on the surface of water for respiration in every few minutes. If the heads keep on coming up all the time as they need to breathe then we can estimate that the herd is supposed to be large and having many hippos.

5- Theyoung …………………………………..at othertimes. .

Reference to the context: These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘On an African River’ written by David Livingstone. The author is describing how the young and little hippos live.

Explanation: The author is telling that the young and little hippos stand on the neck of their mothers and their little head comes out before their mother’s head on the water surface to breathe. When the mother is incharge of her young little calf, then she has to come on the water surface more oftenly because she knows that the calf cannot stay under water without breathing for long time.

5- The number of crocodiles ……………………………… be seen.

Reference to the context: These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘On an African River’ written by David Livingstone. The writer had studied deeply the behaviour of crocodile of the river Chobe. In the given paragraph he enriches our knowledge about crocodile.

Explanation: In the given paragraph author speaks many unknown facts about crocodile and its natural habitat. The river Chobe is full of this reptile. Most of the crocodiles in this river are very hostile. They freely move in the river from this end to that end. Children of human race go to the bank of river to play or to fetch water. While playing in or near the river many a child has been caught by these savage reptiles. Even the cows and their calves are not spared. The crocodiles take cows into the deep of water as their prey. The crocodile’s teeth are very powerful but here it strikes the victim with the powerful tail, and the tail is much capable to overpower the prey. At this stage the prey is bound to be drowned into deep water. The crocodile is invisible at the time of resting on the surface of water, and in this stage it is not possible for the prey to guess the whereabouts of this vast reptile.

6- I could never ………………………………………. his thigh.

Reference to the context: These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘On an African River’ written by David Livingstone. In these lines the author describes about an incident when a crocodile had caught a man.

Explanation: In these lines the author discloses that when he observed a man being pulled by a crocodile, he began to tremble badly. He discloses that in such condition, the natives with sharp spears in their hands waited for their chance. When the crocodile began to carry his prey away, the natives stabbed from back upon his shoulder. Being injured, the crocodile used to set the prey free and flee from there. When the victimised man came out ,a sign of crocodile’s teeth could be seen upon his thigh.

7-One night ……………………………………. broken shells.

Reference to the context: These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘On an African River’ written by David Livingstone. In these lines, the author describes about the young crocodiles.

Explanation: The author says that one night when he and his friends were sleeping, two youngs of crocodile came out at the spot. He says that there were many young crocodiles sunning themselves on the sand in the sun. Perhaps it was the time when they come out of their lair. At one place the author noticed many ruined nests that were scattered here and there.

8- At one place ………………………….. of confinement.

Reference to the context: These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘On an African River’ written by David Livingstone. The author is describing the size of eggs and the place where they were kept.

Explanation: When the author was going with his group, they saw sixty eggs which were taken out from a single nest. The eggs were very big in size like the size of a goose’s egg and their outermost white shell bend when it was pressed. The distance from the water and the nest was about ten feet the place where the eggs were present looks like it was earlier used for the same purpose of laying eggs or giving birth. There was a broad path from the water to the nest. The companions told the author that the after laying the eggs, the mother leaves them and afterwards comes to take out the children from the confinement.

9- Fish ………………………………… at the bottom

Reference to the context: These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘On an African River’ written by David Livingstone. The author is telling us how the tail help the crocodiles to catch their food. He is telling how the speed of crocodile can be estimated in the water.

Explanation: The author says that fish is the main food of crocodiles. They eat both small and large fish. Sometime, a crocodile can run with a very fast speed on seeing man in the other bank of river. The speed of a crocodile is noticed by the high ripple that it makes on the water surface when it moves from one place to another. The ripples in the water are the result of the crocodile’s rapid motion at the bottom of water.

11- They seldom leave……………………………… never for gotten.

Reference to the context: These lines have been taken from the lesson ‘On an African River’ written by David Livingstone. The writer was an explorer. This is the concluding paragraph of the lesson. In this paragraph we come through the strange behaviour of baby crocodiles. The behaviour was personally experienced by author himself.

Explanation: It is seen that crocodiles never come out of water to catch a prey. But they do come out from the water to enjoy laying on the sandbanks and to have sunbath on sunny days. There was an incident when a little crocodile came out of water and without wasting any time it dashed at the feet of author. This creature was hardly three feet long. As this was an unusual attitude of this reptile family, the author was greatly surprised as what to do. He immediately rushed to the another direction. But the incident was rare one, as never again the author heard of the similar case. Fish is their liked food. The fishing is done at night and they eat this food happily with champing noise, as this is their happiest moment.

Comprehension

Read the following passages and answer the questions given below them:

1- On the 11th …………………………… stream by night.
Questions with their answers:

(i) What do you come to know about Chobe?
Ans: Chobe is a river in Africa continent which flows into the river Zambesi. The Chobe swarms with hippos.

(ii) How did the Chief help the author?
Ans: The Chief came to the river to check whether it was right time for parting and lent him his own canoe because it was broader than the author had used.

(iii) Why have the elderly males become soured in their temper?
Ans: The elderly males have become soured in their temper because they have been driven out of their herd.

(iv) When does the herd become dangerous?
Ans: The herd become dangerous when a canoe passes through the middle of it when they are asleep.

2- I was told ……………………………… be large.
Questions with their answers:

(i) Describe the word ‘bachelor’.
Ans: The hippo who has been driven away from his herd is called as ‘bachelor’.

(ii) Pick out the correct alternative from the list to replace the underlined word:
(a) goes away (b) stays there (c) sits down (d) comes back. ‘and if he sees none, he soon moves off.’
Ans: (a) goes away.

(iii) What was the author advised to do during attack?
Ans: The author was advised to dive to bottom in the river during attack because after breaking a canoe the hippo always looks on the surface for the people and if sees none he moves off.

(iv) Whom does the word ‘bachelor’ refer to in this passage?

Ans: The word ‘bachelor’ refer to the hippo who has been driven away from his herds.

UP Board Solutions for Class 11 English Prose Chapter 6 On an African River all question ans answer free pdf

3- The number …………………………….. cannot be seen.
Questions with their answers:
(i) In which river, the number of crocodiles is very great?
Ans: In the river Chobe, the number of crocodiles is very great.
(ii) Who are more dangerous than hippos and why? Ans: The crocodiles are more dangerous than hippos because crocodile hide themselves under water and
cannot be seen when catching its prey. They attack children, calves and cows every year.

(iii) What is there said about crocodiles?

Ans: The crocodile strikes the victim or prey with its tail and drags him into the water.
(iv) Why are many children carried off every year? Ans: When the children go down for water to play then they are carried off by crocodiles as their prey.

4- Fish is ……… …………… at the bottom.

Questions with their answers:
(i) What is it that helps crocodiles in catching their food? .
Ans: It is the broad scaly tail that help crocodiles in catching their food.

(ii) How is its speed judged?
Ans: His speed is judged by the high ripple made on the surface.

(iii) What is the reaction of a crocodile on seeing a man in the water?
Ans: The crocodile rushes across the stream with wonderful speed on seeing a man in the water.

(iv) Find out the correct pair of words which is the synonyms of scaly, assisted.
(a\) with layer, opposed
(b) helped, ————–pointed

UP Board Solutions for Class 11 English Prose Chapter 6 On an African River all question ans answer free pdf

5- They seldom ……………………….. never forgotten.
Questions with their answers:
(i) By which time crocodiles catch their prey?
Ans: In the night time, crocodiles catch their prey.
(ii) How did crocodiles take pleasure of a river?

Ans: The crocodiles take pleasure of a river by coming out in the day time and enjoy laying on the sandbanks. (iii) What unusual happening occurred with the author?
Ans: A little crocodile of about three feet long came out of water and dashed at the feet of author.

(iv) What type of sound do crocodiles make while eating?
Ans: The crocodiles make a loud champing noise while eating.

Short Answer Type Questions

Answer the following questions not more than 30 words each:

1- What does the hippo do after breaking a canoe?
Ans: After breaking a canoe a hippo always looks on the surface of the water for people. And if he finds none he soon moves off.

2- When is a herd of hippos dangerous and why?

Ans: A herd of hippos is never dangerous, except when a canoe is passed into the middle of the sleeping hippos. Then some of them may strike the canoe in terror.

3- What do you know about Chobe. Ans: Chobe is a river flowing into the Zambesi.

4- What type of creatures live in river Chobe?
Ans: The hippos, crocodiles and small and large fishes live in the river Chobe.

5- Who lent his canoe and to whom?
Ans: The Chief lent his canoe to the author.

6- Describe the incident which made the author fearful.
Ans: When author’s men used to swim across the stream , he used to become fearful as he once saw a poor fellow caught and taken below by the crocodile.

7- How do the a crocodiles do their hunting or catch their prey?
Ans: A crocodile reaches its hunt quite unseen. It strikes the hunt with its tail, drags him into water, drowns him and kills him.

8- When is the herd of hippos supposed to be large?
Ans: Every few minutes hippos show their heads above water to breathe. If the heads keep up coming all the time the herd is supposed to be large.

9- How does the mother crocodile behave after laying the eggs?
Ans: After laying the eggs, the mother crocodile covers them up and leaves them. And comes back in due time to help the young ones to come out of confinement.

10- How did the fellow escape from the crocodile?
Ans: When the fellow drag by the crocodile, he used his wits and stab the rugged-edged spear behind the shoulder of the crocodile and escape from him.

11- Explain the superstition prevalent in some tribes in south-east Africa.
Ans: If a man is bitten or if he has even had water splashed over him by the crocodile’s tail, he is driven out of the tribe, such is their superstition.

Long Answer Type Questions

Answer the following questions in not more than 150 words each:

1- Summarize the adventures the author faced during his sailing on Chobe.

Ans: David Livingstone was the most famous Scottish explorer. In the 19th century he revealed Africa to Europeans. He sailed into various streams with his fellow explorers. David experienced many type of adventures, dangers and risks during his wild life safari. When he travelled through the river Chobe he had to face many dangerous creatures like hippopotamuses and crocodiles. The ill-natured male hippopotamuses attacked every canoe that passed near them. The solitary males of this breed were much dangerous. One of the males smashed a canoe to pieces by a blow from his hind foot. The river Chobe was full of crocodiles. They were hostile. They seemed to be much savage. Many animals like cow and calf lost their lives by becoming their prey. David Livingstone could never help shuddering when he saw his men swimming across these hostile streams. Once a baby crocodile dashed after his feet and he had to run in another direction. This way the author Livingstone faced many adventures during his sailing on river Chobe.

2- What do you come to know about the hippos by the description of David Livingstone?

Ans: David Livingstone sailed into the river Chobe. During that period he experienced a lot about African wild life. This includes the habitat of hippopotamusces also. Generally hippopotamusces are not aggressive and hostile. Due to this nature they flee away when they see a man. But on the other hand the males who are living solitary life are very dangerous. They can smash a canoe into pieces, as was happened with a canoe. Generally these animals live in family forming large herds. Animals living in a herd are never dangerous. They do not attack on man unless man disturbs their life.

The hippopotamuses which are driven away from their herd are known as “bachelors’. Mostly they are illtempered and much furious. They are very dangerous towards man. The mother hippopotamus is very kind in caretaking of her calf. She brings the baby hippopotamus up in the water for respiration. Till she is in charge of the young, she takes full care ofthe little one.

3- Describe the life and behaviour of crocodiles in the Chobe river in south-central Africa.

Ans: David Livingstone gained vast knowledge of wild and water animals during his expedition in the areas of Kalahari Desert in south-central Africa. As the number of crocodiles is very great in the river Chobe, so Livingstone watched them in their natural habitat. The crocodiles of this area are more savage than in other areas. Many men and other mammals become prey to these creatures. The crocodile strikes the victim with its tail and then drags him in and drowns him.

Generally it is hard for a prey to come out of crocodile’s mouth. Once a man as prey, gave the crocodile a stab with his spear. Starting back in pain the creature left him and he came out safely with the deep marks of the reptile’s teeth upon his thigh. This creature like sunning themselves on sandbanks in company of other crocodiles. They build nest the river-side. The eggs are about the size of those of a goose. Fish is the main food of this reptile. Both small and large fish are liked by them. Crocodile can run with wonderful speed inside the water. They are very furious in the water, but seldom leave the water to catch a prey. for the purpose of food the fishing is chiefly done by night.

Multiple Choice Questions Choose the most suitable option:

1- Atonce place we saw ………….. eggs taken out of a single net.
(a) seventy (b) a hundred (c) sixty (d) countless
Ans:– (c) sixty

2- She returns ……….. ………. to help the young out of confinement.
(a) afterward (b)onward (c) backward (d) inward
Ans:– (a) afterward

3-The number of crocodiles is very great and in this river they are more ………………. than in some others.
(a) helpful (b) meek (c) savage (d) humble
Ans:– (c) savage

4- The crocodile is said by the natives to strike the victim with its……..
(a) leg (b) tail (c) head (d) mouth
Ans:–b) tail

5- Here, the people have …………………. towards persons who have met with such an adventure.
(a) no ill-feelings (b) ill-feeling (c) good feelings (d) crocodile’s
Ans:– (a) no ill-feelings

6- The ripple, of course, is caused by the………….rapid motion at the bottom.
(a)man’s (b) herd’s (c) hippo’s (d) crocodile’s
Ans:– (d) crocodile’s

7- As a rule, hippos flee when they see a …….
(a) hunter (b) tiger (C) man (d) soldier
Ans:– (C) man

8- Lair means.
(a) a person who tell a lie
(b) a person who is sleeping (c) a resting place of animals
(d) a resting place of men
Ans:– (c) a resting place of animals

9- Hippos require to come up every few …………….to breathe.
(a) minutes (b) seconds (c) hours (d) moments
Ans:– (a) minutes

10- I could ………………….. in it with ease.
(a) turn about (b) turn out (c) turn over (d) turn up
Ans:–(a) turn about

11- One of these ……………. as the hippos driven from the herd are often called.
(a)married (b) unmarried (c) bachelors (d) engaged
Ans:– (c) bachelors

12- They young when very little, take their ……………..on the neck of the mother.
(a) seat (b) stand (c) place (d) room
Ans:– (b) stand

Language Skills Type question

1- Write the synonyms of the following words:
swarm ——– flock
soured ——– frustrate
savage ——– brutal
victim ——– sufferer
shuddering ——– shiver
strewn ——– scatter
seldom ——– rarely

2-Read the phrases carefully and use them in your own sentences to bring out their meaning: to keep

coming up ——– The hippos have to keep coming up of the water in order to breathe.

to carry off ——– Someone carried off the chairs the last night.

turn about ——– They turn about as they saw the herd of elephants.

in charge of ——– He was in charge of the school when the Principal was absent.

to look for ——– He was looking for his notebook in his home while he left it in his school.
to hold on ——– “Hold on before you fall off” , Ram snarled.

by a blow ——– They hit the animal by a blow and the animal died.

in one’s temper ——– One should never rise one’s temper.

3- Write the antonyms of the following words:
soured ——– improve
savage ——– ame/ civilized
victim ——– attacker
release ——– imprison

4- List ‘A’ gives you the titles / adjectives used by the writer to describe the animals in the chapter you have just read. Write the names of the animals in list ‘B’ the given titles/ adjectives have been used for:

‘A’ ————– ‘B’
soured ——– hippos
ill-natured ——– hippo
bachelors ——– hippo
the thing ——– crocodile
the reptile ——– crocodile