Class 10 English – Words and Expressions 2 Unit 6

📝 Section 1 — Language Notes

Story in Short — Mijbil the Otter

Gavin Maxwell brought home a young otter from Iraq.
He named the otter Mijbil (Mij for short).
Mij went wild with joy when it discovered water.
Mij was playful, intelligent, and full of energy.
Maxwell made arrangements to bring Mij to England.
People on the streets were curious about Mij.

Mijbil's Activities and Emotions

Plunges and rolls in water → goes wild with joy
Slides down the suitcase again and again → feels delighted
Explores the room → feels curious and excited
Chases a marble across the floor → feels playful
Squeezes out of the box → feels frustrated
Sleeping on the author's bed → feels content and safe

Reading Text — Baby Bhakat the Civet Cat

Baby Bhakat is a civet cat rescued from Assam.
He was found by Dharini who loves and rescues animals.
Bhakat lives with Dharini's family as their own baby.
He is nocturnal — active at night and sleeps in the day.
He is omnivorous — eats both plant and animal food.
He is arboreal — prefers living on trees.

Animal Word Groups — Key Vocabulary

nocturnal — active at night (e.g. civet cats, owls)
arboreal — lives mainly on trees (e.g. civet cats, monkeys)
omnivorous — eats both plants and animals
herbivorous — eats only plants
carnivorous — eats only meat
endangered — at risk of becoming extinct

Reading Text 2 — Human-Wildlife Conflict

As human areas grow, wildlife loses its natural habitat.
Animals like elephants eat crops and enter villages.
People lose crops, livestock, and sometimes their lives.
Animals are sometimes killed in retaliation.
Solutions: planting crops that repel animals (e.g. chilli for elephants)
Key idea: peaceful coexistence benefits both humans and wildlife.

Grammar — Compound Nouns and Noun Phrases

Two words joined together form a compound noun.
Examples: wildlife, rainforest, waterfall, bedroom
A noun phrase has a noun + its describing words.
Example: "a little thatched hut by a river"
Noun phrases help create detailed, vivid descriptions.

Pet Care and Responsibility — Key Ideas

Owning a pet requires daily care and attention.
Maxwell bought fish for Mij and built a water tank.
He took Mij for walks and exercise.
He made special travel arrangements for Mij to fly.
Caring for a pet teaches responsibility and empathy.

Conservation — Why Animals Need Protection

Many animals are losing their homes to human development.
Climate change makes conflict between humans and animals worse.
Protecting animals protects the natural balance of life.
Wildlife conservation helps everyone — humans and animals alike.

🎨 Section 2 — Visual Language Guide

Diagram 1 — Animal classification words: diet (what they eat) and habitat (where they live)

Diagram 2 — Causes of human-wildlife conflict and creative solutions

Diagram 3 — What Mijbil does and what each action reveals about his personality

Diagram 4 — Compound nouns formed by joining two words together

✏️ Section 3 — Solved Exercises

Exercise 1 — Comprehension: Baby Bhakat

1 Dharini (b) loves animals — he rescues and rehabilitates wild animals.

2 Civet cats are also called (c) toddy cats — they love the sweet sap from palm trees used to make wine.

3 Baby Bhakat loves to eat (d) meat — though he is omnivorous, meat is his favourite.

4 Baby Bhakat hates to (b) be in water.

5 The home for Bhakat is (c) a little hut by a river.

6 The NOT true statement is (b) "They keep the door closed to keep Bhakat safe." — in fact, the door is always open and Bhakat comes and goes freely.

Exercise 2 — Comprehension: Human-Wildlife Conflict

1 When communities expand, natural wild places are reduced and people and wildlife are increasingly coming into conflict over living space and food.

2 The "impact" means: the effects on people — they lose crops, livestock, property, income, food security, and sometimes their lives.

3 Climate change will make the conflict more intense because it will further reduce natural habitats and food sources for wild animals.

4 One solution mentioned: planting a barrier of crops that repel animals — for example, elephants do not like chilli, so chilli crops keep them away and can also be sold for income.

Exercise 3 — Mijbil's Emotions Table (Completed)

1 Plunges and rolls in water → Goes wild with joy

2 Slides repeatedly down the suitcase → Feels delighted and playful

3 Explores every corner of the room → Feels curious and intelligent

4 Chases a marble on the floor → Feels excited and active

5 Squeals and bites when disturbed → Feels frustrated or annoyed

6 Sleeps peacefully on the author's bed → Feels safe, content, and bonded

Exercise 4 — Animal Words in Sentences

1 Nocturnal: The owl is nocturnal — it hunts mice in the dark of night.

2 Arboreal: Monkeys are arboreal animals that spend most of their life in trees.

3 Omnivorous: Bears are omnivorous — they eat berries, fish, and honey.

4 Endangered: The Bengal tiger is an endangered species that needs our protection.

📋 Section 4 — Word Power

Word	Part of Speech	Meaning	Example Sentence
arboreal	adjective	living in or related to trees	Squirrels are arboreal creatures that build nests in trees.
nocturnal	adjective	active during the night	Bats are nocturnal and navigate using sound.
omnivorous	adjective	eating both plants and animals	Humans are omnivorous by nature.
inculcate	verb	to instill an idea or habit by repeated instruction	Good teachers inculcate a love of reading in students.
rehabilitates	verb	restores an animal or person to good health	The centre rehabilitates injured wild birds.
coexistence	noun	living peacefully together despite differences	Peaceful coexistence between humans and wildlife is possible.
endangered	adjective	at risk of extinction	Many endangered species need legal protection.
retaliation	noun	harm done as revenge for a previous harm	Animals are sometimes killed in retaliation for crop damage.
livestock	noun	farm animals kept for meat, milk, or work	Lions sometimes attack livestock on the farm's edge.
conflict	noun / verb	a serious disagreement or clash	Human-wildlife conflict is increasing globally.
sustainable	adjective	able to continue without harming the environment	Sustainable farming helps preserve wildlife habitats.
conservation	noun	protection of the natural world	Wildlife conservation saves animals from extinction.

📄 Section 5 — Practice

Practice 1 — Fill in the Blanks

Choose: nocturnal, arboreal, omnivorous, endangered, carnivorous

1. Lions are _______ — they eat only meat.
2. The pangolin is an _______ animal that needs protection.
3. Owls are _______ — they are active only at night.
4. Monkeys are _______ because they live mainly in trees.
5. Pigs are _______ — they will eat almost anything.

Practice 2 — True or False

1. Mijbil was a civet cat brought from Assam. ___
2. Baby Bhakat loves to be in water. ___
3. Planting chilli crops can help keep elephants away. ___
4. Human-wildlife conflict only affects poor communities. ___
5. Conservation efforts help both humans and animals. ___

Practice 3 — Match Animal Terms

1. nocturnal A. eats both plants and meat
2. arboreal B. active at night
3. omnivorous C. lives mainly on trees
4. carnivorous D. at risk of dying out
5. endangered E. eats only meat

Practice 4 — Grammar: Make Compound Nouns

Join the two words to make a compound noun. Use them in short sentences.

1. fire + place = _______
2. rain + bow = _______
3. black + bird = _______
4. day + dream = _______
5. sun + set = _______

Practice 5 — Writing Prompt

Imagine you are Mijbil. Write 5 sentences describing your first day in a new country. What do you see? What do you feel? Use "I" and show your emotions.

Answers to Practice Exercises

Practice 1 Answers: 1. carnivorous 2. endangered 3. nocturnal 4. arboreal 5. omnivorous

Practice 2 Answers: 1. False (Mijbil was an otter from Iraq) 2. False (Bhakat hates being in water) 3. True 4. False (it affects all — rich and poor) 5. True

Practice 3 Answers: 1 – B 2 – C 3 – A 4 – E 5 – D

Practice 4 Answers: 1. fireplace 2. rainbow 3. blackbird 4. daydream 5. sunset

🃏 Section 6 — Word Flashcards

arboreal

Lives in trees. "Baby Bhakat is arboreal — he always sleeps up in the rafters."

nocturnal

Active at night. "Civet cats are nocturnal animals with large eyes for the dark."

omnivorous

Eats both plants and animals. "Baby Bhakat is omnivorous — he loves meat and fruit."

coexistence

Living together peacefully. "Peaceful coexistence between humans and wildlife is the goal."

retaliation

Hurting back after being hurt. "Animals are sometimes killed in retaliation for damage."

compound noun

Two words joined into one. wildlife = wild + life. waterfall = water + fall.

conservation

Protecting nature and animals from harm and extinction.

sustainable

Can continue without damaging the environment. Sustainable farming protects wildlife.

Unit 6 — Mijbil the Otter Words and Expressions 2 • Class 10 • Different Learner Friendly Notes