A TRIUMPH OF SURGERY
By
James Herriot
1. Why is Mrs. Pumphrey worried about Tricki?
Ans. Mrs. Pumphrey is worried about Tricki, her pet dog, because he has stopped eating everything. He has become listless and seems to have no energy. He has bouts of vomiting. He spends all the time lying on rug, panting.
2. What does Mrs. Pumphrey do to help him? Is she wise in this?
Ans. She starts giving him some little extra diet between meals to build him up. She gives him some malt and cod-liver oil and a bowl of Horlicks at night. She also give him cream cakes and chocolates. No, she is not wise in this.
3. Who does 'l' refer to in this story?
Ans. ‘l' in this story refers James Herriot, the narrator of this story. He is a veterinary surgeon.
4. Is the narrator as rich as Tricki's mistress?
Ans. No, the narrator is not as rich as Tricki's mistress.
5. How does Mr. Herriot treat the dog?
Ans. Mr Herriot knew that Tricki's only problem was overfeeding. The only cure was to put him on strict diet. He took him to his surgery. For two days, he gave him no food but plenty water to drink. He kept him on a very strict diet and gave him plenty of exercise.
6. Why is he tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest?
Ans. When Mrs. Pumphrey came to know that Tricki was recovering fast, she started sending delicious food for him. She used to send fresh eggs, bottles of wines to enrich Tricki’s blood and build up strength. All this food was enjoyed by Herriot and his partner. Lunch became a ceremonial occasion for them. Thus it became a temptation to keep Tricki as a permanent guest.
7. Why does Mrs. Pumphrey think the dogs recovery is ‘a triumph of surgery'?
Ans. Tricki looks very ill when he is taken to the surgery. But he looks full of life after two weeks. Mrs. Pumphrey finds a complete change in him. That is why she thinks the dog's recovery is ‘a triumph of surgery’.
8. What kind of a person do you think the narrator, a veterinary surgeon, is? Would you say he is tactful as well as full of common sense?
Ans. I think that the narrator is quite tactful and full of common sense. He knows that Mrs. Pumphrey won't stop over-feeding her dog. Therefore, he takes the dog to his surgery. He does not give him any medicine. He gives him food only when he is hungry. He also gave the dog enough exercise. In this way, he treats the dog without any medicine. All this shows that he is quite tactful and full of common sense.
Q. 9. Do you think Tricki was happy to go home? What do you think will happen now?
Ans. I think that Tricki was quite happy to go home. As soon as he sees his mistress, he goes into her lap. Mrs. Pumphrey does not know the real cause of Tricki's illness. I think that Mrs. Pumphrey will again give Tricki a lot of food and make him ill.
10. Do you think this is a real-life episode or mere fiction? Or is it a mixture of both?
Ans. I think that this story is quite close to real life. But it has some elements of fiction also. It may be possible that a rich lady pampers her dog, over-feeds him and make him ill. But it appears to be unusual that she sends so many eggs and bottles of wine and brandy to the surgery that the entire staff can feast on them. Therefore, we can say that this story is a mixture of both real-life episode and fiction.
11. This episode describes the silly behaviour of a rich woman who is foolishly indulgent, perhaps because she is lonely. Do you think such people are merely silly, or can their actions cause harm to others?
Ans. I think that persons like Mrs. Pumphrey are over-indulgent because she is lonely. She can be called silly also because she lacks in common sense. All know that overeating and no physical exercise can make even an elephant ill. Such people can cause harm to others as Mrs. Pumphrey does to Tricki.
12. Do you think there are also parents like Mrs. Pumphrey?
Ans. Yes, there are parents like Mrs. Pumphrey. They love their wards very much but later when things get out of their control they repent much. But losses can't be made up.
13. What would you have done if you were: (i) a member of the staff in Mrs. Pumphrey's household (ii) a neighbour? What would your life have been like, in general?
Ans. If I were in the staff of Mrs. Pumphrey, I could have politely advised her in the matter. The advice would be: cut down Tricki's food. give it light food, if it had a liking for it. If I had been her neighbour, I could have advised her more emphatically. Tricki was not ill. But it was the effect of rich food given to it. My life would have been all right. A man or a woman should have some practical common sense also.
14. What would you have done if you were in the narrator's place?
Ans. If I had been in the narrator's place, I would have done the same thing as he did. I would have used the same tactfulness and common sense as Mr. Herriot had used to treat Tricki.
15. What was Mr. Herriot's strict advice? Did Mrs. Pumphrey heed his advice?
Ans. Mr. Herriot was a vet. He advised Mrs. Pumphrey to keep the dog on very strict diet and to cut down on sweet things. He also advised her to give the dog plenty of exercise. No, Mrs. Pumphrey did not act upon the vet's advice and made Tricki’s condition worse.
16. What excuses did Mrs. Pumphrey make about Mr. Herriot's advice?
Ans. Mrs. Pumphrey said that her gardener was ill. So there could be no ring throwing exercise for the dog. She also said her dog loved chocolates and cream cakes. So she couldn't refuse him these things.
17. Why did Mrs. Pumphrey make a frantic call to Mr. Herriot?
Ans. Mr. Herriot was a vet. Mrs. Pumphrey's dog had become very ill. He had stopped eating. He had bouts of vomiting. He kept lying on a rug. He kept panting all the time. That was why she made a frantic call to Mr. Herriot.
18. Describe the 'parting scene' between Tricki and Mrs. Pumphrey.
Ans. Mrs. Pumphrey started wailing. Her entire staff started running here and there. The maids rushed in and out to collect Tricki's beds, cushions and toys. Everybody was in tears when the car moved off with Tricki.
19. What evidence do you get from the text about Tricki's affluent living?
Ans. Tricki had a whole wardrobe of coats. He had different coats for different weather. He had a day bed and a night bed. He had a number of cushions, toys and rubber rings. He had a different bowl for each meal of the day.
20. Why was Tricki an uninteresting object for the other dogs at the surgery?
Or
The household dogs at the surgery rejected Tricki as 'an uninteresting object'. Why?
Ans. Tricki was so ill that he could not move. He looked at the other dogs with dull eyes. He did not show any interest in his surroundings. He lay motionless on a carpet. The other dogs found him an uninteresting object. They ignored him and went away.
Q. Write a brief summary of the lesson ‘A Triumph of Surgery’.
Q. Write a character of Mrs. Pumphrey.
Ans. Mrs. Pumphrey is worried about Tricki, her pet dog, because he has stopped eating everything. He has become listless and seems to have no energy. He has bouts of vomiting. He spends all the time lying on rug, panting.
2. What does Mrs. Pumphrey do to help him? Is she wise in this?
Ans. She starts giving him some little extra diet between meals to build him up. She gives him some malt and cod-liver oil and a bowl of Horlicks at night. She also give him cream cakes and chocolates. No, she is not wise in this.
3. Who does 'l' refer to in this story?
Ans. ‘l' in this story refers James Herriot, the narrator of this story. He is a veterinary surgeon.
4. Is the narrator as rich as Tricki's mistress?
Ans. No, the narrator is not as rich as Tricki's mistress.
5. How does Mr. Herriot treat the dog?
Ans. Mr Herriot knew that Tricki's only problem was overfeeding. The only cure was to put him on strict diet. He took him to his surgery. For two days, he gave him no food but plenty water to drink. He kept him on a very strict diet and gave him plenty of exercise.
6. Why is he tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest?
Ans. When Mrs. Pumphrey came to know that Tricki was recovering fast, she started sending delicious food for him. She used to send fresh eggs, bottles of wines to enrich Tricki’s blood and build up strength. All this food was enjoyed by Herriot and his partner. Lunch became a ceremonial occasion for them. Thus it became a temptation to keep Tricki as a permanent guest.
7. Why does Mrs. Pumphrey think the dogs recovery is ‘a triumph of surgery'?
Ans. Tricki looks very ill when he is taken to the surgery. But he looks full of life after two weeks. Mrs. Pumphrey finds a complete change in him. That is why she thinks the dog's recovery is ‘a triumph of surgery’.
8. What kind of a person do you think the narrator, a veterinary surgeon, is? Would you say he is tactful as well as full of common sense?
Ans. I think that the narrator is quite tactful and full of common sense. He knows that Mrs. Pumphrey won't stop over-feeding her dog. Therefore, he takes the dog to his surgery. He does not give him any medicine. He gives him food only when he is hungry. He also gave the dog enough exercise. In this way, he treats the dog without any medicine. All this shows that he is quite tactful and full of common sense.
Q. 9. Do you think Tricki was happy to go home? What do you think will happen now?
Ans. I think that Tricki was quite happy to go home. As soon as he sees his mistress, he goes into her lap. Mrs. Pumphrey does not know the real cause of Tricki's illness. I think that Mrs. Pumphrey will again give Tricki a lot of food and make him ill.
10. Do you think this is a real-life episode or mere fiction? Or is it a mixture of both?
Ans. I think that this story is quite close to real life. But it has some elements of fiction also. It may be possible that a rich lady pampers her dog, over-feeds him and make him ill. But it appears to be unusual that she sends so many eggs and bottles of wine and brandy to the surgery that the entire staff can feast on them. Therefore, we can say that this story is a mixture of both real-life episode and fiction.
11. This episode describes the silly behaviour of a rich woman who is foolishly indulgent, perhaps because she is lonely. Do you think such people are merely silly, or can their actions cause harm to others?
Ans. I think that persons like Mrs. Pumphrey are over-indulgent because she is lonely. She can be called silly also because she lacks in common sense. All know that overeating and no physical exercise can make even an elephant ill. Such people can cause harm to others as Mrs. Pumphrey does to Tricki.
12. Do you think there are also parents like Mrs. Pumphrey?
Ans. Yes, there are parents like Mrs. Pumphrey. They love their wards very much but later when things get out of their control they repent much. But losses can't be made up.
13. What would you have done if you were: (i) a member of the staff in Mrs. Pumphrey's household (ii) a neighbour? What would your life have been like, in general?
Ans. If I were in the staff of Mrs. Pumphrey, I could have politely advised her in the matter. The advice would be: cut down Tricki's food. give it light food, if it had a liking for it. If I had been her neighbour, I could have advised her more emphatically. Tricki was not ill. But it was the effect of rich food given to it. My life would have been all right. A man or a woman should have some practical common sense also.
14. What would you have done if you were in the narrator's place?
Ans. If I had been in the narrator's place, I would have done the same thing as he did. I would have used the same tactfulness and common sense as Mr. Herriot had used to treat Tricki.
15. What was Mr. Herriot's strict advice? Did Mrs. Pumphrey heed his advice?
Ans. Mr. Herriot was a vet. He advised Mrs. Pumphrey to keep the dog on very strict diet and to cut down on sweet things. He also advised her to give the dog plenty of exercise. No, Mrs. Pumphrey did not act upon the vet's advice and made Tricki’s condition worse.
16. What excuses did Mrs. Pumphrey make about Mr. Herriot's advice?
Ans. Mrs. Pumphrey said that her gardener was ill. So there could be no ring throwing exercise for the dog. She also said her dog loved chocolates and cream cakes. So she couldn't refuse him these things.
17. Why did Mrs. Pumphrey make a frantic call to Mr. Herriot?
Ans. Mr. Herriot was a vet. Mrs. Pumphrey's dog had become very ill. He had stopped eating. He had bouts of vomiting. He kept lying on a rug. He kept panting all the time. That was why she made a frantic call to Mr. Herriot.
18. Describe the 'parting scene' between Tricki and Mrs. Pumphrey.
Ans. Mrs. Pumphrey started wailing. Her entire staff started running here and there. The maids rushed in and out to collect Tricki's beds, cushions and toys. Everybody was in tears when the car moved off with Tricki.
19. What evidence do you get from the text about Tricki's affluent living?
Ans. Tricki had a whole wardrobe of coats. He had different coats for different weather. He had a day bed and a night bed. He had a number of cushions, toys and rubber rings. He had a different bowl for each meal of the day.
20. Why was Tricki an uninteresting object for the other dogs at the surgery?
Or
The household dogs at the surgery rejected Tricki as 'an uninteresting object'. Why?
Ans. Tricki was so ill that he could not move. He looked at the other dogs with dull eyes. He did not show any interest in his surroundings. He lay motionless on a carpet. The other dogs found him an uninteresting object. They ignored him and went away.
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q. Write a brief summary of the lesson ‘A Triumph of Surgery’.
Ans. Mrs. Pumphrey was a rich lady. She had a cute pet dog named Tricki. She pampered him very much. She loved him so much that she overfed him. She gave him food with rich fats. As a result Tricki became hugely fat. Now he looked like a bloated sausage. He became very lazy. When Mr. Herriot saw the fat dog, he was shocked. He made a plan and told Mrs. Pumphrey that Tricki needed treatment for his ailment, which was possible only in the hospital. The doctor knew that Mrs. Pumphrey would not be able to keep the dog on a proper diet. When the greedy dog went to hospital, he was given no food but plenty of water for two days. Soon, he shed off a lot of his body weight and became quite active. When Tricki was at home, he was pampered by Mrs. Pumphrey. He led a luxurious life, where he was served with cream cake, chocolate and even Horlicks at night. But when he came to the doctor, he became all right. When Mrs. Pumphrey saw her active dog, she thanked the doctor and felt that it was ‘a triumph of surgery’.
Q. Write a character of Mrs. Pumphrey.
Ans. Mrs. Pumphrey was a rich lady. She loved to live comfortably in a luxurious way. She pampered her dog Tricki very much. She was so fond of her dog that she had got for him a wardrobe of coats, separate beds for daytime and night time, and a number of lovely toys and cushions. She had also got for him a different bowl for each meal of the day. Thinking that he was suffering for malnutrition, she gave him food with rich fats. She gave him malt, cod-liver oil and even Horlicks at night. Tricki too was very greedy and he never refused food. All this made him hugely fat and lazy. Now she was much worried about him. She almost swooned when Herriot told her that Tricki must be hospitalized for a fortnight. She thought that Tricki would pine and die if he did not see his mistress even for a single day. She was very grateful to Herriot for his services to Tricki.
Q. Write a character-sketch of Tricki.
Ans. Tricki was a small dog. He was pampered and overfed by his mistress. He was given much nutritious food. He was greedy enough to refuse food any time. He liked eating cream cakes and chocolates. This made him hugely fat. He looked like a bloated sausage. He had bloodshot and rheumy eyes. He became dull, lazy and listless. He became seriously ill. He had bouts of vomiting. He was taken to Herriot's surgery. There he was given no food but plenty of water for two days. He was also given a lot of exercise to do. This made him quite fit and active. His mistress said about him that he would pine and die if he did not see her even for single day. This shows that he too loved his mistress very much.
No comments:
Post a Comment