Table of Contents
About the Text and the Author:
Andrew Barton Paterson (1864-1941) was an Australian poet, journalist and author who wrote extensively on Australian life. His notable works include Waltzing Matilda and The Man from Snowy River.
The Cat describes in minute detail the daily activities of cats. The humorous narrative takes us into the world of cats and indicates to us that they may not be the gentle and timid creatures that we take them for.
Unit 1 Summary:
Most people think that the cat is an unintelligent animal who only cares for mice and milk. But a cat really has a more important character than most humans. He or she is actually an athlete, acrobat and a grim fighter. In the day the cat loaves about the house and tries to get attention from the people in the house. Sometimes he watches a mouse hole for hours just to keep himself from dying of boredom. People think a cat only does these things in his life. But one can see the real character of a cat at night.
[ বেশিরভাগ লোক মনে করে যে বিড়াল একটি বুদ্ধিহীন প্রাণী যে শুধুমাত্র ইঁদুর এবং দুধের কথা ভাবে। কিন্তু একটি বিড়ালের সত্যিই বেশিরভাগ মানুষের চেয়ে আরও গুরুত্বপূর্ণ চরিত্র রয়েছে। সে আসলে এক ক্রীড়াবিদ, অ্যাক্রোব্যাট এবং একজন মারাত্মক যোদ্ধা। দিনের বেলা বিড়াল ঘরের মধ্যে ঘোরাফেরা করে এবং বাড়ির লোকের দৃষ্টি আকর্ষণ করার চেষ্টা করে। কখনও কখনও সে একঘেয়েমি থেকে নিজেকে বাঁচাতে ঘন্টার পর ঘন্টা একটি ইঁদুরের গর্ত দেখে। লোকেরা মনে করে যে একটি বিড়াল তার জীবনে কেবল এই কাজগুলি করে। কিন্তু রাতের বেলা বিড়ালের আসল চরিত্র দেখা যায়। ]
Unit 1 Word Notes
Unintelligent : বুদ্ধিহীন
Fond of : খুবই পছন্দের
Character : ব্যক্তিত্ব
Satisfaction : সন্তোষ, তৃপ্তি
Athlete : ক্রীড়াবিদ
Acrobat : যিনি কঠিন শারীরিক নড়াচড়ার মাধ্যমে বিনোদন করেন
Grim : গম্ভীর
Fighter : যোদ্ধা
Boredom : একঘেয়েমি
Comprehension Exercises (Unit 1)
1. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
(a) Most people think that the cat is
(i) wise (ii) unintelligent (iii) clever (iv) intelligent
Ans: (ii) unintelligent
(b) The cat cares little for anything but mice and
(i) soup (ii) juice (iii) water (iv) milk
Ans: (iv) milk
(c) One can see the cat as he really is in the
(i) morning (ii) night (iii) afternoon (iv) evening
Ans: (iv) evening
2. Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
(a) The cat really has more character than most human beings, and gets a great deal more satisfaction out of life.
(b) The cat sometimes watches a mouse-hole for an hour or two just to keep himself from dying of boredom.
(c) All day long the cat allows himself to be pestered by the attentions of the people in the house.
3. State whether the following statements are True or False. Provide sentences / phrases /words in support of your answer:
(a) The cat is not fond of ease. False
Supporting Statement: Most people think that the cat is an unintelligent animal, fond of ease and….milk.
(b) The cat has no athletic skills. False
Supporting Statement: He or she is an athlete an acrobat and a grim fighter.
(c) The cat takes things very easily. True
Supporting Statement: All day long the cat loafs about the house, takes things easy and….the house.
Unit 2 Summary:
When the family sits down to tea, the cat rubs himself against the leg of the family members to get his share. He becomes particularly civil to the guest because the guest gets the best food. When the guest, instead of giving him some food, strokes him saying poor pussy, the cat quietly but firmly rakes his claws into the guest. The guest becomes very angry but can’t throw the cat so he forcibly gives the cat a bit of fish. The cat gingerly receives the fish and goes to a safe distance from the guest’s boot.
[ যখন পরিবার চা খেতে বসে, বিড়ালটি তার ভাগ পেতে পরিবারের সদস্যদের পায়ে নিজেকে ঘষে। সে অতিথির কাছে বিশেষভাবে সুশীল হয়ে ওঠে কারণ অতিথি সেরা খাবার পায়। অতিথি যখন তাকে কিছু খাবার দেওয়ার পরিবর্তে তার গায়ে হাত বুলিয়ে বলে গরীব বিড়াল, বিড়ালটি নিঃশব্দে কিন্তু দৃঢ়ভাবে অতিথির গায়ে আঁচড় দেয়। অতিথি খুব রেগে যায় কিন্তু বিড়ালটিকে ছুঁড়ে ফেলে দিতে পারে না তাই সে বাধ্য হয়ে বিড়ালটিকে একটু মাছ দেয়। বিড়ালটি সাবধানে, কোন শব্দ না করে মাছটিকে গ্রহণ করে এবং অতিথির বুট থেকে নিরাপদ দূরত্বে চলে যায়। ]
Unit 2 Word Notes
Purrs : গরগর আওয়াজ করা
Noisily : সশব্দে
Rubs : ঘষা
Civil : সভ্য, ভদ্র
Stoops : নত হওয়া
Quietly : শান্তভাবে, নিস্তব্ধভাবে
Firmly : দৃঢ়ভাবে
Rakes : আঁচড় দেওয়া
Stuck : আটকে পড়া
Delighted : আনন্দিত
Rage : ক্রোধ, প্রচণ্ড রাগ
Amused : আনন্দিত
Gingerly : সাবধানে, কোন শব্দ না করে
Unit 3 Summary:
After finishing tea the family gathers around the fire and the cat goes out of the room. Now his true life begins. Crossing a fence he goes to the roof of an empty shed. His movements become lithe and pantherlike. He moves noiselessly because of his enemies – dogs and small boys with stones. On top of the shed, he checks his every muscle and calls his kindred. Now the meek creatures have become grim fighters. The backyards are the hunting grounds for them where they have a more gallant adventure than King Arthur’s knights. It is always told that the cats love the house more than the people in it. So when a family moves, the cat, if allowed, will stay in the old house and attach to the new tenants because he knows everything about the old land and doesn’t have to learn about the new land.
[ চা শেষ করে পরিবার আগুনের চারপাশে জড়ো হয় এবং বিড়ালটি ঘর থেকে বেরিয়ে যায়। এখন তার আসল জীবন শুরু হয়। একটি বেড়া পেরিয়ে সে একটি খালি শেডের ছাদে যায়। তার নড়াচড়া সুন্দর এবং প্যান্থারের মতো হয়ে যায়। সে তার শত্রুদের – কুকুর এবং পাথর সহ ছোট ছেলেদের কারণে শব্দহীনভাবে চলে। শেডের উপরে সে তার প্রতিটি পেশী পরীক্ষা করে এবং তার নিকটবর্তী আত্মীয়দের ডাকে। এখন নম্র প্রাণীরা ভয়ঙ্কর যোদ্ধা হয়ে উঠেছে। পিছনের উঠোন তাদের জন্য শিকারের ক্ষেত্র যেখানে রাজা আর্থারের নাইটদের চেয়ে তাদের বেশি সাহসী অভিযান রয়েছে। এটি সর্বদা বলা হয় যে বিড়ালরা বাড়ির লোকদের চেয়ে বাড়িটা বেশি পছন্দ করে। তাই যখন একটি পরিবার চলে যায়, বিড়াল, অনুমতি দিলে, পুরানো বাড়িতে থাকবে এবং নতুন ভাড়াটেদের সাথে সংযুক্ত হবে কারণ সে পুরোনো জমি সম্পর্কে সবকিছু জানে এবং নতুন জমি সম্পর্কে তাকে জানতে হবে না। ]
Unit 3 Word Notes
Saunters : ধীরগতিতে, স্বাচ্ছন্দ্যে হাঁটা
Backyard : বাড়ির পিছনের দিকের উঠোন
Fence : বেড়া
Lithe : সুন্দর
Keenly : গভীরভাবে
Kindred : নিকটবর্তী আত্মীয়
Meek creatures : নম্র প্রাণী
Gallant : সাহসী
Reproach : দোষারোপ করা
Exiled : নির্বাসিত
Privilege : বিশেষ সুবিধা বা অধিকার
Comprehension Exercises (Unit 2)
4. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
(a) The cat rubs himselfs against the legs of the family members and noisily
(i) purrs (ii) howls (iii) barks (iv) mews
Ans: (i) purrs
(b) With tears of rage and pain in his eyes, the guest affects to be very much
(i) amused (ii) annoyed (iii) unhappy (iv) upset
Ans: (i) amused
(c) The guest hands down the cat a bit of
(i) meat (ii) fruit (iii) fish (iv) vegetable
(iii) fish
5. Fill in the chart with information from the text:
| a) the guest calls the cat | “Poor pussy! Poor pussy!” |
| b) part of the guest’s body that the cat rakes | leg |
| c) the thing from which the cat stays at a safe distance | The guest’s boot |
6. Answer the following questions:
(a) when does the cat make an appearance to get his share of food?
Ans: The cat puts in an appearance to get his share of food when the family sits down to have tea.
(b) Who is the cat particularly civil to?
Ans: If there is a guest at the table the cat is particularly civil to him.
(c) How does the cat receive the bit of fish handed down by the guest?
Ans: The cat gingerly receives it, with a look in the eyes of the guest.
Comprehension Exercises (Unit 3)
7. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences:
(a) The cat saunters down his own –
(i) courtyard (ii) front yard (iii) backyard (iv) shipyard
Ans: (iii) backyard
(b) The cat skips to the roof of an empty
i) room ii) shed (iii) floor iv) corridor
Ans: (ii) shed
(c) Exiled in a new land, the cat would have to learn new
(i) history (ii) manners (ii) culture (iv) geography
Ans: (iv) geography
8. Complete the following sentences with information from the text:
(a) When the family gathers around the fire, the cat casually goes out of the room.
(b) The cat droops his head nearly to his paws and sends a call to his kindred.
(c) Cats go for sport to the suburban backyards as they get older.
9. Fill in the chart with information from the text:
| (a) The cat has many enemies. | He looks keenly from side to side and moves noiselessly. |
| (b) He wants to see if every muscle is in full working order. | The cat stretches himself a few times. |
| (c) The cat knows his friends and every landmark. | The cat does not like to leave his country and the land. |
Grammar in Use
10. Split the following sentences:
(a) They postponed their visit as the programme was called off.
Ans: The programme was called off. They postponed their visit.
(b) Having fought the battle, he returned victorious.
Ans: He had fought the battle. He returned victorious.
(c) He poured some water into the glass and drank it.
Ans: He poured some water into the glass. He drank the water.
(d) He was afraid lest he be proved guilty.
Ans: He might be proved guilty. He was afraid of that.
11. Join the following pairs of sentences into a single sentence:
a) He is wise. He is brave.
Ans: He is wise as well as brave.
b) My grandfather lives in a big house. The house is by the river.
Ans: My grandfather lives in a big house by the river.
c) I got a new book. I felt happy.
Ans: I felt happy after getting a new book.
d) Muskan is sick. She could not attend the function.
Ans: Muskan is sick so she could not attend the function.
Writing Activity
12. Suppose you are the Secretary of a club which has decided to open a library. Write a notice (within 100 words) to the members of your club inviting them to actively join this programme by donating books for the library.
*Rules are previously mentioned in Lesson 4, Activity 7.
Ans:
ABC CLUB
NOTICE
Date: 29.11.2021
Inauguration of Bibhutibhushan Granthagar
All of our members of the ABC Club are hereby informed that the cultural committee of the club has decided to start a open library on the 1st floor of the club building. The inauguration ceremony will take place at 12 PM on 25th December, 2021. Each and every member should actively participate in the program by donating books as much as possible. All the students will get free access to the library and others will be charged a very minimal amount for maintenance and enlargement of the library. The program will be hosted by the undersigned and the cultural secretary. All the members are asked to be present and volunteer the program as well. Further information will be shared shortly.
Sd/………………..
Secretary
ABC Club
(Words: 121)
Extra Comprehension Exercises
Unit 1:
1. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences :
a) A cat is a/an
(i) acrobat (ii) grim fighter iii) acrobat and grim fighter
Ans. iii) acrobat and grim fighter
b) All day long the cat loafs about the
(i) house (ii) backyards iii) frontyards
Ans. ii) house
c) A cat allows himself to be pestered by
(i) people (ii) dogs (iii) none
Ans. i) people
2. Complete the following sentences with information from the text :
a) The cat gets a great deal more satisfaction out of life.
b) The cat watches a mouse-hole for an hour or two just to keep himself from dying of boredom.
c) But watch him as the shades of evening fall.
3. Anwer the following questions:
1. What misconception people do hold about a cat?
Ans: Most people think that the cat is an unintelligent animal, fond of ease and caring little for anything but mice and milk.
2. What does the cat do all day long?
Ans: All day long, the cat loafs about the house, takes things easy and allows himself to be pestered by the attention of the people in the house.
3. When should one watch a cat to know the cat’s real nature?
Ans: One should watch a cat as the shades of evening fall to see his real nature.
Unit 2:
1. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences :
a) The cat rubs himself against the legs of the
i) family members ii) guest iii) kids
Ans. i) family members
b) The cat stuck his claws into
i) a family member ii) the guest iii) a kid
Ans. ii) the guest
c) The cat receives the fish
i) gingerly ii) happily iii) sadly
Ans. i) gingerly
2. Complete the following sentences with information from the text :
a) The cat is particularly civil to the guest because the guest is likely to have the best of what is offered.
b) He puts up his claw and quietly but firmly rakes the guest in the leg.
c) He wants you to give him something to eat.
3. Anwer the following questions:
1. How does the cat behave with the family members?
Ans: The cat purrs slowly and rubs himself against the legs of the family members.
2. What does the cat do before eating his food?
Ans: The cat purrs as he retires to a safe distance from the guest’s boot before eating his food.
3. What does the guest do instead of giving the cat food?
Ans: Sometimes, instead of giving the cat some food, the guest stoops down and strokes him and says “poor pussy! Poor pussy!”
Unit 3:
1. Choose the correct alternative to complete the following sentences :
a) The cat’s movement becomes
i) lithe ii) lithe and pantherlike iii) pantherlike
Ans. ii) lithe and pantherlike
b) The enemies of the Cat are
i) dogs ii) small boys iii) dogs and small boys with stones
Ans. iii) dogs and small boys with stones
c) The cats are now
i) grim fighters ii) meek creatures iii) fighters
Ans. i) grim fighters
2. Complete the following sentences with information from the text :
a) No longer are they the meek creatures who an hour ago were mewing for fish and milk.
b) It is always spoken as a reproach against cats that they are more fond of their home than of the people in it.
c) He will give them the privilege of boarding him while he enjoys life in his own way.
3. Anwer the following questions:
1. When does the cat go out of the room?
Ans: When the family has finished tea and gathers around the fire, the cat goes out of the room.
2. Who are the cat’s enemies?
Ans: Dogs and small boys with stones are the cat’s enemies.
3. What does the cat do when the family moves?
Ans: When the family moves, the cat, if allowed, stays at the old house and attaches himself to the new tenants.
