Beehive Poem The Snake Trying - CBSE Test Papers

CBSE Class 9 English Language and Literature
Beehive Poem Chapter-9 The Snake Trying
Test Paper-01

Read the following passages & answer the questions:
  1. The snake trying
    to escape the pursuing stick,
    1. What is the snake trying?
    2. Who is pursuing the snake?
    3. How is it trying to escape?
    4. Who is carrying the stick?
  2. with sudden curvings of thin
    long body. How beautiful
    and graceful are his shapes!
    1. What are ‘curvings’?
    2. What is beautiful and graceful?
    3. Whose long and thin body is being talked about?
    4. Who is the poet of the poem?
Answer the following questions in about 30 words:
  1. What is the poet trying to say through this poem?
  2. Most of us think that snake is poisonous and kill it. Do you think it is correct?
  3. What are the reasons that people fear a snake?
  4. Why don’t we let the animals live the way they want?
  5. Is the snake in the poem a dangerous one?
  6. Who is pursuing the snake with a stick and how the snake is trying to escape?
Answer the following questions in about 100 words:
  1. Have you ever seen a snake in your life, what was your reaction?
  2. When we see a snake charmer with a snake and mongoose, we want to see a fight between the two. Do you think it is correct?
CBSE Class 9 English Language and Literature
Beehive Poem Chapter-9 The Snake Trying
Test Paper-01

Answers
    1. The snake is trying to escape from being hit?
    2. The poet has not specified but probably a man is pursuing the snake with a stick.
    3. It trying to escape by gliding through the water and hiding into the reeds.
    4. The pursuer is carrying the stick.
    1. ‘Curvings’ are the zig-zag movements of the slim body of the snake.
    2. The movement of the snake is beautiful and graceful.
    3. The snakes long and thin body is being talked about.
    4. The poet of the poem is W.W.E Ross.
  1. The poet trying to convey that not all snakes are poisonous and there therefore we should not kill it. Every specie has a right to live and should be allowed to live unthreatened.
  2. Most of us think that snake is poisonous and kill it. It is not correct. Most snakes are harmless. Whatever snakes that are poisonous also don’t harm unless they are in danger.
  3. Most people fear a snake because we are made to understand that all snakes are poisonous and thus harmful and must be killed when seen.
  4. We, the human species consider ourselves as the most intelligent of all species and consider it our right to live on this planet and treat other species our enemies if dangerous. And as such don’t allow the animals live the way they want.
  5. The snake in the poem is not a dangerous one. From the title of the poem we get the idea that the snake is the victim and not a hunter.
  6. A man is pursuing the snake with a stick. The snake is trying to escape by gliding through the water and into the reeds and save itself from being hurt.
  7. Though we live in an urban area it is rather difficult to see a snake. However, we get a chance to see the snakes either in the zoo or snake parks or with snake charmers. I am blessed that I had a chance to encounter a live water snake in a lake beside our neighborhood. It was resting on the branch of a tree when went there to swim. The scene was so beautiful and mesmerizing that I kept watching it forgot the purpose. Then suddenly a team of two three boys came and tried to hurt it. It disappeared in a flash and didn’t reappear. I felt that I missed something enchanting and wished to get another glance. But this wish has remained unfulfilled,
  8. When we see a snake charmer with a snake and mongoose, we want to see a fight between the two. Snakes and mongoose are natural enemies because one’s life depends on other’s death. The snake charmer trains the mongoose and removes the venom from the cobra thus making both harmless to each other. Since they are natural enemies they start a fight the moment they see each other. It is human instinct to enjoy fights be it a cat fight among ladies or bull fight or two people fighting in the streets. However, we should not propagate fight as it is harmful and bring peace among the fighters.