Question

2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:-

On hearing the elephant fall, the wildlife warden stopped. When the tusker did not get up ,he blew his whistle. Dr.Ramesh and

the guard heard it and came running. The elephant lay stretched out .It was a frightening sight .They watched it and listened to

its deep,heavy breathing-a sign that the elephant was under the influence of the tranquilizer. The forest guards approached it

cautiously. The doctor carried out some tests to make sure that the elephant’s sleep was deep enough to allow him to perform

an operation. Fortunately for the forest guards, the elephant had fallen in such a way that its wound was exposed. I t was a

deep wound .When Dr.Ramesh opened it ,blood and pus spurted out and spattered his clothes.”The poor fellow must have

been in agony,”the doctor said. “No wonder he turned killer,”muttered the warden. The doctor probed deep into the wound

and dug out three pieces of lead ,obviously fired from some ancient muzzle-loading gun.He gave them to the warden.”It is the

work of some cultivator whose crop the tusker had become too fond of.”Chandran said in a low,angry voice. Dr Ramesh

cleaned the wound,poured in a good quantity of antibiotics that would help it heal quickly ,dressed it and stitched it up.As the

elephant showed no signs of waking up ,Dr Ramesh gave it an antidote for the tranquilizer. The group then retreated to a safe

distance and watched. After some time the fallen tusker stirred.Then very slowly it stood up.When it turned towards them

they noticed that its right tusk had broken off in the heavy fall at the point where it crossed the other.The bull elephant was no

longer the cross tusker in more sense than one!The pain the elephant once suffered from had vanished and it was free to swing

its trunk in any direction it pleased.It was as if an oppressive load had been lifted .It didnot need to depend on man-grown

crops any more. The tusker saw the two men,but made no attempt to attack.When it lifted its trunk hugh in the air and waved

it ,the men wondered if the elephant was trying to say ‘Thank you’!




i.Give the meanings of the following words:-


a.agony

b.muttered

c.probed




ii.Answer the following questions


a.The elephant lay ‘stretched out’.Why?


b.What made Dr Ramesh and the wildlife warden think that the elephant was thanking them?​

Answer 1

Answer:

a. agony - great pain or suffering

b. muttered - spoke in a low voice

c probed - examined searchingly