The World in A Wall STD 7 PDF

ENGLISH LITERATURE
Chapter 10.The World In A Wall
Std Vll
Answer the following questions with reference to the context
Ref.I. "But the shyest and most self- effacing of the wall community were the most
dangerous; you hardly ever saw one unless you looked for it."
Q.l. Describe the shyest and most self - effacing creatures of the wall community.
Ans. The shyest and most self - effacing creatures of the wall community were the black
scorpions. They were an inch long and looked as though they were made out of polished
chocolate. They were weird -looking things, with flattened, oval bodies, neat crooked legs
and enormous crab - like claws, bulbous and neatly jointed as armour. The tail-was like a
string of brown beads ending in a sting like a rose thorn.
Q.2. Why does the author call these creatures the shyest and most self - effacing
creatures?
Ans. The author, Gerald, calls the scorpions the shyest and most - effacing creatures because
you can hardly ever see one unless you looked for it, and yet there are several hundred living
in the cracks of the wall .
Q.3. Why does the author seem to be fond of these creatures?

Ans. The author seems to be very fond of these scorpions, as he finds them to be pleasant and
unassuming. They have the most charming habits, provided you do nothing silly or clumsy,
like putting your hand on one. The scorpions treat you with respect as their one desire is to
get away and hide as quickly as possible.
Q.4. How did Gerald learn so much about scorpions?

Ans. Gerald was always ripping sections of the plaster away so that he could watch them or
capture them and make them walk about in jam - jars so he could see the way their feet
moved. These sudden and unexpected assaults on the wall helped him discover quite a bit
about the scorpions.
Q.5.What did the author discover about their food habits and how did he
feel about the same?
Ans. Gerald found out that they ate bluebottles, grasshoppers, moths and lacewing flies.
Several times he found them eating each other, a habit he found most distressing in a creature
otherwise so impeccable.
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Ref.II “By crouching under the wall at night with a torch, I managed to catch
some brief glimpses of the scorpions' wonderful courtship dances.”
Q.1.Describe the wonderful courtship dances witnessed by the author.
Ans. Gerald would crouch under the wall at night to catch a glimpse of the scorpions'
wonderful courtship dance. He saw the scorpions standing, claws clasped, their bodies
raised to the skies and their tails lovingly entwined. He saw them waltzing slowly in
circles among the moss cushions, claw in claw.
Q.2. Why was Gerald unable to view the courtship dances properly?
Ans. Gerald was unable to view the courtship dances properly as these performances were
all too short, for almost as soon as he switched on the torch the partners would stop,
pause for a moment, and then, seeing that he was not going to extinguish the light,
they would turn round and walk firmly away, claw in claw, side by side. They were
definitely beasts that believed in keeping themselves to themselves.
Ref III “Then one day I found a fat female scorpion in the wall, wearing what
at first glance appeared to be a pale fawn fur coat.”
Q.l. Who does 'I' refer to in the above lines?

Ans. 'I' refers to Gerald Durrell.
Q.2. What did the author discover when he had a closer look at the fat female
scorpion?
Ans. When Gerald inspected the fat female scorpion closely he realized that the strange
garment, the pale fawn fur coat was made up of a mass of tiny babies clinging to the
mother's back.
Q.3.Why did Gerald have to smuggle the scorpion into the house? How did he
plan to do this?
Ans. Gerald was enraptured by the fat female scorpion so he made up his mind to smuggle
the family into the house and up to his bedroom so that he could keep them and watch them,
grow up. He planned to manoeuvre the mother and family into a matchbox and smuggle them
into the house.
Q4 “I completely forgot about my exciting new captures.”

a. What were the exciting new captures?
Ans. The exciting new capture was the mother scorpion with her babies.
b. Why did Gerald forget them? Where did he leave them?
Ans.Gerald forgot about the new captures because just as he entered the door
lunch was served, so he placed the matchbox with the scorpion and her babies
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carefully on the mantelpiece in the drawing room, so that the scorpions would get
plenty of air, and he made his way to the dining room and joined the family for
the meal.
Q .5.a) What made Larry roar with fright?

Ans. Larry, having finished his meal, fetched the cigarettes from the drawing
room, and lying back in his chair he put one in his mouth and picked up-the
matchbox' he had brought. Oblivious of his impending doom, Gerald watched him
open the matchbox. The female scorpion was agitated and a trifle annoyed at
being shut up in a matchbox for so long, and so she seized the first opportunity to
escape. She hoisted herself out of the box and scuttled on to the back of Larry's
hand. Feeling the movement of her claws, Larry glanced down to see what it was
and uttered a roar of fright on seeing the scorpion.
Q.5b) How did he react to this danger?

Ans. With a flick of his hand, Larry sent the unfortunate scorpion flying down the table, and
she landed midway between Margo and Leslie, scattering babies like confetti as she thumped
on the cloth.
Q.6 Why did Mother lose her breath and sit gasping?
Ans. Mother, completely bewildered by this sudden and rapid change from peace to chaos,put
on her glasses and peered down the table to see what was causing the pandemonium. At that
moment Margo, in a vain attempt to stop the scorpion’s advance, hurled a glass of water at
it.The shower missed the animal completely, but successfully drenched Mother, who, not
being able to stand cold water, promptly lost her breath and sat gasping.
Q.7. What were some of the things that the family wanted to do to the scorpions?
Ans. Leslie wanted to hit the scorpions with a book. The other members of the family also
wanted the scorpions to be slaughtered.
Q.8. Whom did Roger attack in the confusion? Why?

Ans. Roger, the dog, was mystified by the panic so he started barking hysterically. He was
under the impression that the family was being attacked and that it was his duty to defend
them. As Lugaretzia was the only stranger in the room, he came to the logical conclusion that
she must be the one responsible, so he bit her on the ankle.
Q.9. What did Gerald finally do with the scorpions?

Ans. Gerald spent half an hour rounding up the babies as they had hidden themselves under
various plates and bits of cutlery. He picked them up in a teaspoon and returned them to their
mother’s back. Then he carried them outside on a saucer and with the utmost reluctance,
released them on the garden wall.
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Q.10. Do you think it was wise of Gerald to spend the afternoon away from home? Give
reasons.
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ENGLISH LITERATURE

Chapter 10.The World In A Wall

Answer the following questions with reference to the context

Q.3. Why does the author seem to be fond of these creatures?

Q.4. How did Gerald learn so much about scorpions?

Q.l. Who does 'I' refer to in the above lines?

Q4 “I completely forgot about my exciting new captures.”

Q .5.a) What made Larry roar with fright?

Q.5b) How did he react to this danger?

Q.8. Whom did Roger attack in the confusion? Why?

Q.9. What did Gerald finally do with the scorpions?

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