English: Class 10 (Words and Expressions) — Chapter 6: Mijbil the Otter

Reflecting on the chapter 'Mijbil the Otter', this section highlights the commitment and arrangements made by the author for his pet otter, including:

• Providing suitable food (getting fish).
• Taking the pet for walks and exercise.
• Providing toys, space, and water to play.

A true story from Assam written by conservation photographer Rommel Shunmugam about a baby Civet cat named Bhakat who was rescued and raised by a human family (Dharini and Anjali).

Key Vocabulary:

• arboreal: Living in trees.
• inculcate: To instill an attitude, habit, or belief in someone.
• nocturnal: Active during the night.
• omnivorous: Feeding on food of both plant and animal origin.
• rehabilitates: Restores to health or normal life.

Key Facts about Civet Cats:

• Also called toddy cats because they live on palm trees and drink sweet sap.
• They are nocturnal, having large eyes to see in the dark, and long tails for balance on tree-tops.

An article discussing the global issue of human-wildlife conflict arising from community expansion and reduction of natural habitats.

Key Vocabulary:

• coexistence: Living together in peace.
• conflict: A serious disagreement or argument.
• endangered: Seriously at risk of extinction.
• livestock: Farm animals regarded as an asset.
• retaliation: The action of returning a military attack; counterattack.

Key Concepts:

• Impacts: Loss of crops, livestock, property, and human lives; retaliatory killing of endangered animals.
• Solutions: Simple and creative measures like planting barrier crops (e.g., chilli barriers to repel elephants) which also generate income.

An article from PETA advocating for the inherent worth of animals, independent of their utility to humans.

Key Vocabulary:

• consideration: Careful thought, typically over a period of time.
• exploitation: The action of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work.
• familial: Relating to or occurring in a family.
• inherent: Existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute.
• arbitrary: Based on random choice or personal whim.
• compassion: Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.
• empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Core Principles:

• Animals have the capacity to feel pain, pleasure, fear, loneliness, and familial love.
• Distinction between equal consideration (not causing suffering) and equal treatment (e.g., voting rights, which are irrelevant to animals).
• Cruelty-free choices in food, fashion, and entertainment act as a form of non-violent protest.

• (a) serious, grave, ridiculous (odd), stern, solemn
• (b) suitable, unfitting (odd), appropriate, right, proper
• (c) hostile, unfriendly, averse, agreeable (odd), unreceptive
• (d) peaceful, harmonious, quiet, serene, violent (odd)
• (e) appalling, atrocious, wonderful (odd), awful, dreadful

Many English words can function as both nouns and verbs depending on context:

• Cross: (Verb) By then it had crossed my mind... | (Noun) I've put a cross on the map.
• Ring: (Verb) Camusfearna, ringed by water... | (Noun) She put the ring back in the box.
• Other examples: Book, Mail, Cable, Sack, End, Head, Colour, Lead.

Noun modifiers are adjectives or adjective phrases that provide more information about a noun.

Example: I went to a party. It was a Christmas party. The party was lovely. → I went to a lovely Christmas party.

Practice Exercises:

• (a) I bought a Maruti car. The colour is blue. It is sporty. → I bought a sporty blue Maruti car.
• (b) He made a speech. The speech was short. The speech was interesting. → He made a short, interesting speech.
• (c) Suresh went to a house. It was decorated beautifully. → Suresh went to a beautifully decorated house.
• (d) She bought a dress. It is a designer one but frightfully expensive. → She bought a frightfully expensive designer dress.
• (e) The food was tasty. It was prepared quickly. → The quickly prepared food was tasty.

Adjectives ending in -ing describe the characteristic of a person, thing, or situation. Adjectives ending in -ed describe a feeling or emotion.

• His behaviour was disappointing. People present there were disappointed.
• The death of 40 jawans was shocking. We were shocked when we heard the news.
• I met an interesting person in the party. He was interested in tasting each and every dish.

Both would and used to can describe repeated past actions, but used to is preferred for past states or situations that are no longer true.

• Every day she would come home from work with a rose.
• When I was a child, I used to believe that fireflies were small fireballs.

A heartwarming story of a 130-year-old crocodile named Gangaram who lived in a pond in Bawamohatra village, Chhattisgarh.

• Friendly Nature: Children could swim around him; he never harmed anyone; he would eat rice and dal served by villagers.
• Coexistence: The villagers worshipped him as a divine creature and friend. Upon his death, over 500 villagers attended his funeral, carrying him on a decorated tractor.
• Village Name: The village was affectionately called Magarmachha vala gaaon (the Crocodile's village).