ANIMALS, BIRDS AND Dr. DOLITTLE - Let us do these activities before we read. (Page 274)
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1. Do you have a pet or a domestic animal? If yes, why? If not, why not? How do people usually spend time with a pet or domestic animal? Share your thoughts with your classmates and the teacher.
Yes, I have a pet dog. I keep it because it is friendly and playful. People usually spend time with their pets by playing with them, taking them for walks, and feeding them.
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2. You must have read stories where animals and birds talk. If you had a chance to communicate with an animal or a bird, who would you like to speak to and why? Share your thoughts with your classmates and the teacher.
I would like to speak to a parrot because it is known for mimicking sounds, and it would be very interesting to have a real two-way conversation with it.
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3. If we closely observe the body language of animals and birds, we can understand what they want to tell us. Work in pairs and study the pictures given below. Find out what emotions these animals and birds are trying to convey. Share your observations with your classmates and the teacher.
1. The duck is conveying anger or aggressiveness.
2. The cat is conveying fear and defensiveness.
3. The dog is conveying happiness and excitement.
4. The parrot is conveying curiosity or confusion.
Let us discuss (Page 277)
I. Complete the following sentence by selecting a suitable reason.
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The Cat's-food-Man suggests to Doctor Dolittle that he should become an animal doctor because he believes that Dolittle
Answer: 4. knows more about animals than the local veterinarians
II. Fill in the blanks by choosing the suitable option given in the brackets.
- Doctor Dolittle reacts to Polynesia's information about animal languages with both excitement and curiosity (certainty/curiosity). He rushes to write (write/memorise) the bird words she provides and is interested in learning more.
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III. Do you think Doctor Dolittle would be famous as an animal doctor? If yes, why? If not, why not?
Yes, Doctor Dolittle would be famous as an animal doctor because he can communicate directly with animals in their own language. This allows him to understand their problems accurately and provide the best treatment.
Let us discuss (Page 281)
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I. What became a common sight in Puddleby after Doctor Dolittle started treating animals?
Answer: 2. Farm animals wearing glasses
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II. What challenges do you think Doctor Dolittle might face if more and more animals come to him for help?
Doctor Dolittle might face challenges such as managing a huge crowd of different animals, preventing fights between predator and prey species, and running out of space in his house and garden.
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1. How might he overcome these challenges to ensure that he provides good treatment?
He can overcome these challenges by creating special designated areas and separate doors for different kinds of animals, just as he did in the story, and by organising a waiting system.
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III. Arrange the following events in correct order according to the story. Two have been done for you. Share your answers with your classmates and the teacher.
Correct Order:
1. ( 3 ) A man with a stomach-ache visits Doctor Dolittle and suggests he should treat animals instead of people.
2. ( 6 ) The parrot, Polynesia, encourages Doctor Dolittle to become an animal doctor, revealing that animals can talk.
3. ( 4 ) Polynesia teaches Doctor Dolittle animal languages and he starts understanding and communicating with animals.
4. ( 1 ) Doctor Dolittle decides to stop being a doctor for people and becomes a doctor for animals.
5. ( 10 ) Word spreads, and people start bringing their sick pets and farm animals to Doctor Dolittle for treatment.
6. ( 5 ) A plough horse with vision problems visits Doctor Dolittle, who prescribes green spectacles, to improve the horse's eyesight.
7. ( 8 ) Doctor Dolittle's ability to communicate with animals helps him diagnose and treat their illnesses effectively.
8. ( 2 ) Animals from near and far come to Doctor Dolittle for help, crowding his garden.
9. ( 7 ) Doctor Dolittle installs special doors for different animals to enter his house for treatment.
10. ( 9 ) Doctor Dolittle gains fame among animals worldwide, and they come to him from various places for his help.
Let us think and reflect (Page 282)
I. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
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1. "If I say, 'Polly wants a cracker', you understand me. But hear this: Kaka oi-ee, fee-fee?"
"Good Gracious!" cried the Doctor. "What does that mean?"
"That means, 'Is the porridge hot yet?'-in bird language."
"My! You don't say so!" said the Doctor. "You never talked that way to me before."
"What would have been the good?" said Polynesia, dusting some cracker crumbs off her left wing. "You wouldn't have understood me if I had."
(i) Complete the sentence by choosing the correct option.
In the line, "Good Gracious!" cried the Doctor, the expression 'Good Gracious' can be replaced byAnswer: B. gosh -
(ii) Why had Polynesia never used bird language with the Doctor earlier?
Polynesia never used bird language earlier because the Doctor wouldn't have understood her.
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(iii) Identify whether the following statement is true or false.
Polynesia had been munching on a food item while talking to Doctor Dolittle.Answer: True -
(iv) How did Doctor Dolittle feel according to the extract?
Answer: B. surprised
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2. "I would like a pair like yours," said the horse-"only green. They'll keep the Sun out of my eyes while I'm ploughing the field."
"Certainly," said the Doctor. "Green ones you shall have."
"You know, the trouble is, Sir," said the plough horse as the Doctor opened the front door to let him out "the trouble is that anybody thinks he can doctor animals just because the animals don't complain. As a matter of fact, it takes a much cleverer man to be a really good animal doctor than it does to be a good people's doctor."
(i) Choose a word from the extract to complete the analogy.
digging : flower bed :: ploughing : field -
(ii) Choose the correct word to complete the sentence.
Doctor Dolittle's attitude in the extract isAnswer: C. understanding -
(iii) Complete the sentence with an appropriate reason.
Based on the extract, we can conclude that doctors take animals for granted because the animals don't complain. -
(iv) Do you agree with the concluding sentence of the extract? Why/why not?
Yes, I agree. Since animals cannot complain or explicitly describe their symptoms using human language, an animal doctor needs to be much cleverer and more observant to properly diagnose and treat them.
Answer the following questions. (Page 283)
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1. How can we say that Polynesia was a good trainer of animal language?
Polynesia was a good trainer because she patiently taught Doctor Dolittle the "Birds' A.B.C." and gave him bird words slowly so he could write them down. She also helped him observe and understand non-verbal cues, like a dog twitching its nose.
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2. Explain how Doctor Dolittle gave equal and individual attention to each animal who came to him for treatment.
He gave individual attention by communicating with them in their own languages, listening to their specific problems, and providing customized solutions, like green spectacles for the horse. He also made separate doors for different animals so each type could enter comfortably.
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3. How does Doctor Dolittle's readiness to follow the parrot's advice highlight the importance of listening to different viewpoints?
His readiness shows that valuable advice can come from unexpected sources. By listening to the parrot with an open mind, he discovered a completely new skill that transformed his career and life for the better.
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4. Which qualities of Doctor Dolittle made him famous among the animals? Explain with evidence from the text.
His ability to speak and understand animal languages, his genuine care, and his medical skill made him famous. The text mentions that as soon as animals found he could talk their language, they told him where the pain was, making it easy for him to cure them, which led to his worldwide fame.
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6. Why did Doctor Dolittle decide to give up being a people's doctor and become an animal doctor?
He decided to become an animal doctor because he realised he could communicate with animals directly. His human patients were fewer, and he understood that animals needed a dedicated doctor who could actually understand their pain.
