13 Feathered Friend English - 13 Feathered Friend

What is the tone of the story?

What historical practice did Claribel’s fainting remind the narrator of?

How did the crew hide Claribel from VIPs?

What does “wiry” mean in the context of Sven’s description?

What role did Claribel play in the story?

The story uses humour to present science fiction.

The crew ignored Claribel after her discovery.

The air purifier failed due to a rare eclipse.

The narrator was a psychologist.

Claribel struggled to move in zero gravity.

By 2040, artificial intelligence 1. ________ (revolutionise) medical treatments. Researchers 2.________ (develop) AI-powered diagnostic tools that 3. ________ (transform) healthcare by the end of this decade. Next week, the International Science Congress 4. _______ (open) to showcase advancements in AI and robotics. In the coming years, robots 5. _______ (assist) surgeons in performing complex operations. Years ago, experts had predicted that AI would reshape our world, and now, as we approach the future, this 6. _______ (be) our new reality

Presently he shook his head. “I can’t hear anything, but that doesn’t prove she’s dead. I’ve never listened to a canary’s heart,” he added rather apologetically.
“Give her a shot of oxygen,” suggested somebody, pointing to the green-banded emergency cylinder in its recess beside the door. Everyone agreed that this was an excellent idea, and Claribel was tucked snugly into a face mask that was large enough to serve as a complete oxygen tent for her.
To our delighted surprise, she revived at once. Beaming broadly, Sven removed the mask, and she hopped onto his finger. She gave her series of “Come to the cookhouse, boys” trills—then promptly keeled over again.
“Idon’t get it, ” lamented Sven. “What’s wrong with her? She’s never done this before. ”
For the last few minutes, something had been tugging at my memory. My mind seemed to be very sluggish that morning, as if I was still unable to cast off the burden of sleep.
Q.1. What can be inferred from Claribel’s brief recovery and collapse?
A. Claribel was faking illness for attention.
B. The oxygen revived her only temporarily, indicating a deeper issue.
C. Claribel was frightened by the loud trills and fainted.
D. The oxygen supply was too strong or her.
Q.2. Why did the narrator describe his mind as “sluggish”?
Q.3. Select the correct option regarding Assertion (A) and Reason-(R).
(A): Claribel collapsed again after briefly reviving.
(R): There might have been a drop in the oxygen levels affecting both Claribel and the narrator.
A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
C. (A) is true, but (R) is false.
D. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Q.4. Replace the underlined word with a similar meaning word from the extract:
He regretted for the loss of his job that he had managed after experiencing some painful period of his life.

We were now on twelve-hour watches, which was not as bad as it sounds, since you need little sleep in space. Though of course there is no ‘day’ and ‘night’ when you are floating in permanent sunlight, it was still convenient to stick to the terms. Certainly when I woke that ‘morning’ it felt like 6:00 a.m. on Earth. I had a nagging headache, and vague memories of fitful, disturbed dreams. It took me ages to undo my bunk straps, and I was still only half awake when Ijoined the remainder of the duty crew in the mess. Breakfast was unusually quiet, and there was one seat vacant. “Where’s Sven?” I asked, not very much caring.
“He’s looking for Claribel, ” someone answered. “Says he can’t find her anywhere. She usually wakes him up. ”
Before I could retort that she usually woke me up, too, Sven came in through the doorway, and we could see at once that something was wrong. He slowly opened his hand, and there lay a tiny bundle of yellow feathers, with two clenched claws sticking pathetically up into the air.
Q.1. What can be inferred about Sven’s relationship with Claribel?
A. He treated Claribel like a research specimen.
B. He cared for Claribel deeply and was emotionally affected by her loss.
C. He was tired of Claribel waking him up.
D. He wanted someone else to take care of Claribel.
Q.2. Why did the crew continue using the terms ‘morning’ and ‘night’ in space despite the absence of a day-night cycle?
Q.3. Select the option that is correct for both (Assertion) A and (Reason) R. ’
(A): The narrator felt uneasy and had disturbed sleep.
(R): The unusual death of Claribel had already begun to affect the crew subconsciously.
A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
C. (A) is true, but (R) is false.
D. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Q.4. Replace the underlined word with a similar word from the extract:
I got up in the morning with a painful head.

Sven didn’t confess to her ownership for several days, and by that time it no longer mattered, because Claribel was a general pet. He had smuggled her up on the last ferry from Earth, when he came back from leave—partly, he claimed, out of sheer scientific curiosity. He wanted to see just how a bird would operate when it had no weight but could still use its wings.
Claribel thrived and grew fat. On the whole, we had little trouble concealing our guest when VIPs from Earth came visiting. A space station has more hiding places than you can count; the only problem was that Claribel got rather noisy when she was upset, and we sometimes had to think fast to explain the curious peeps and whistles that came from ventilating shafts and storage bulkheads.
Q.1. What can be inferred about Sven’s decision to bring Claribel to space?
A. He planned to gift Claribel to the space crew.
B. He brought her solely to entertain himself.
C. He smuggled her for fun, without any purpose.
D. He had both scientific curiosity and personal affection for her.
Q.2. What challenges did the crew face in hiding Claribel from VIP visitors?
Q.3. Select the option that is correct for both (Assertion) A and (Reason) R.
(A): Claribel became a shared companion for the entire crew.
(R): Sven took several days to admit she was his, by which time she was loved by all.
A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
C. (A) is true, but (R) is false.
D. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Q.4. Replace the underlined word with a word similar in meaning from the extract.
The guest was treated with great care and attention by the hosts.

I first became aware that Claribel was aboard when I was sitting in the little cubbyhole laughingly called my office, checking through my lists of technical stores to decide what items we’d be running out of next. When I heard the musical whistle beside my ear, I assumed that it had come over the station intercom, and waited for an announcement to follow. It didn’t; instead, there was a long and involved pattern of melody that made me look up with such a start that I forgot all about the angle beam just behind my head. When the stars had ceased to explode before my eyes, I had my first view of Claribel.
She was a small yellow canary, hanging in the air as motionless as a hummingbird—and with much less effort, for her wings were quietly folded along her sides. We stared at each other for a minute; then, before I had quite recovered my wits, she did a curious kind of backward loop I’m sure no earthbound canary had ever managed, and departed with a few leisurely flicks. It was quite obvious that she’d already learned how to operate in the absence of gravity, and did not believe in doing unnecessary work.
Q.1. What can be inferred about Claribel’s abilities from the description?
A. She struggles to adapt to zero gravity.
B. She is effortlessly skilled at moving in zero gravity.
C. She is a typical earthbound canary with no special skills.
D. She avoids moving and prefers to stay still.
Q.2. How can we conclude that Claribel was operating in zero gravity?
Q.3. Select the option that is correct for both (Assertion) A and (Reason) R.
(A): Claribel had learned to move efficiently in the absence of gravity.
(R): In zero gravity, movement requires less effort since there is no weight to support.
A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
B. Both (A) and (R) are time, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
C. (A) is time, but (R) is false.
D. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Q.4. Replace the underlined word with a word similar in meaning from the extract.
The car suddenly stopped at the red light.

“Sven’s team had one great advantage over the construction groups you see putting up skyscrapers down on Earth. They could step back and admire their handiwork without being abruptly parted from it by gravity. Don’t ask me why Sven wanted a pet, or why he chose the one he did. I’m not a psychologist, but I must admit that his selection was very sensible. Claribel weighed practically nothing, her food requirements were tiny—and she was not worried, as most animals would have been, by the absence of gravity. ”
Q.1. What can be inferred about Sven’s choice of Claribel as a pet?
A. He chose her because she could help with construction work.
B. He randomly picked any pet without thinking much.
C. He made a practical choice considering the space conditions.
D. He was unaware that pets weren’t allowed on the station.
Q.2. What does the phrase “without being abruptly parted from it by gravity” suggest about the advantage of working in space?
Q.3. Select the correct option for the Assertion (A) and Reason (R) given below:
(A): Sven’s choice of Claribel was appropriate for the space environment.
(R): Claribel did not require much space, food, or effort to care for, and adjusted well to zero gravity.
A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
C. (A) is true, but (R) is false.
D. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Q.4. Replace the underlined word in the sentence below with a similar meaning word from the extract.
Sentence: During the exhibition, artists proudly displayed their creations.

In what way does the story combine science with emotion?

How did Claribel prove to be more effective than the high-tech systems?

How did the narrator’s observation solve the mystery of Claribel’s fainting?

What was unusual about Claribel’s flight in the space station?

How did the narrator describe the space station environment?

In what ways does the story explore the theme of human error?

What does the story suggest about the limitations of technology in critical situations?

How did the space station crew manage their daily routines in space?

How did Sven’s curiosity and defiance prove to be a blessing in disguise?

What does the story reveal about the relationship between humans and animals?

Assertion (A): Claribel’s presence was a blessing for the crew.
Reason (R): Her fainting revealed a life-threatening issue with the air purifier.

Assertion (A): Sven’s job required precise coordination in zero gravity.
Reason (R): Girders floated freely, needing a “three-dimensional ballet” to position them.

The story compares Claribel to canaries used in _________ to detect gases. (mines, zero, ventilating)

Claribel performed _________ loops in the absence of gravity. (graceful, eclipse, skilled)

The crew passed the _________ bottle to stay safe during the crisis. (oxygen, intercom, graceful)

Sven brought Claribel to study her behaviour in _________ gravity. (zero, fainting, mines)

The narrator initially mistook Claribel’s whistle for the _________. (intercom, canary, oxygen)