Note: For Full notes Consult Mamta Publication Guide.
Q3. Identify the various literary devices used by Thurber in order to generate humour and sarcasm in the story.
Ans. As a humorist, Thurber uses a number of literary devices. The literary devices help to make a work humorous and sarcasm. He has used various literary devices such as: exaggeration, hyperbole, understatement diction, tone, and irony. The most important literary devices of this story is personification of the dog, he has become as a family member of the family. The dog Muggs in this story is treated as a human being in the whole story. Mother cares him more than to her own children. He treats him as a mother treats a naughty child. As the mother love the naughty child more than the normal ones. In the same way in the story the mother loves and takes care of Muggs more than any one.
Thurber has also used diction in this story “The Dog that Bit the People”. He used the as a tool to expresses the story as a humorous story. He uses in this story the back tone which helps to make it more humors. As whenever he writes in the story “The Dog that Bit People” about the dogs character but he writes in the tongue of mother that this is not a big deal. The mother always defends the dog Muggs bit to the people. She did not blame the dog instead she blames the people to whom he bits.
Q4. Identify any one humorous episode from the text and describe its impact on you as the reader.
Ans. The whole story is humorous but the episode when mother goes to Chittenden to meet a mental healer. This humorous episode has impacted me as a reader. The incident from the story is as: “One time my mother went to the Chittenden Hotel to call on a woman mental healer who was lecturing in Columbus on the subject of Vibrations. She wanted to find out if it was possible to get harmonious vibrations into a dog. ‘He’s a large tan-colored Airedale, mother explained. The woman said that she had never treated a dog but she advised my mother to hold the thought that he did not bite and would not bite. Mother was holding the thought the very next morning when Muggs got the iceman but she blamed that slip-up on the iceman. ‘If you didn’t think he would bite you, he wouldn’t mother told him. He stomped out of the house in a terrible jangle of vibrations.”
Exercise 2
Choose the correct option.
1. Thurber begins his essay with anecdotes about other dogs to
a. make fun of owners who take their relationships with dog too seriously.
b. establish his fondness for dogs and set a humorous tone.
c. set a positive tone before describing the problems with Muggs.
d. tell an amusing story.
Ans. a. make fun of owners who take their relationships with dog too seriously.
2. The two moments of keenest embarrassment faced by the narrator are
a. a Scotch terrier Jeanie delivering a pup on the roadside.
b. a French poodle getting sick.
c. Muggs biting his boss.
d. both a. and b.
Ans. d. both a. and b.
3. It was a disadvantage being one of the family because
a. Muggs never bit any family member.
b. Muggs bit the family rarely.
c. Muggs often bit the family members.
d. none of the above
Ans. d. none of the above
4. Thurber's anecdote about the thunder machine is intended to show
a. how his family members tried to adjust to the dog's behaviour.
b. how easily animals can be deceived by humans.
c. how the author attempted to punish the dog for biting him.
d. why the neighbours wished the family would get rid of the dog.
Ans. a. how his family members tried to adjust to the dog's behaviour.
5. 'Muggs could read him like a book.' This remark suggests that
a. mother is unhappy with Muggs.
b. mother is secretly happy that the Congressman was bitten.
c. mother wants to get rid of Muggs.
d. none of the above
Ans. b. mother is secretly happy that the Congressman was bitten.
6. Mother goes to attend the lecture on Harmonious Vibrations in order to know
a. how to get people to like the dog.
b. why the dog behaves as he does.
how to restore the dog's strength.
d. how to change the dog's behaviour.
Ans. d. how to change the dog's behaviour.
7. What did the narrator do when Muggs bit him slightly?
a.The narrator locked the dog up in the kitchen.
b. The narrator grabbed the dog by his tail and hoisted him into the air.
c. The narrator beat the dog.
d. The narrator frightened the dog by vigorously shaking a sheet of iron.
Ans. b. The narrator grabbed the dog by his tail and hoisted him into the air.
8. How did the mother stop the children when they got into fights?
a. The mother used to throw a saucepan of cold water on them.
b. The mother used to frighten them by vigorously shaking an iron sheet.
c. The mother used to beat them with a stick.
d. The mother used to shout at them.
Ans. b. The mother used to frighten them by vigorously shaking an iron sheet.
9. What does the narrator mean when he says Muggs got to 'seeing things’?
a. Muggs had a sixth sense.
b. Muggs was very intuitive.
c. Muggs began imagining things that were not there.
d. Muggs had good eyesight.
Ans. c. Muggs began imagining things that were not there.
Exercise 3
Match the names of the animals with the corresponding adjectives.
1. bear a. aquiline
2. lion b. bovine
3. fox c. leonine
4. cow d. feline
5. cat e. vulpine
6. eagle f. ursine
7. horse g. serpentine
8. goat h. equine
9. snake i. hircine
10. apian j. bee
Ans. 1=f, 2=c, 3=e, 4=b, 5=d, 5=a, 7=h, 8=i, 9=g, 10=j
Exercise 4
Given below are some more words with the roots hypo and hyper. Match the words given on the left with their correct meanings.
1. hyperventilate a. relating to speeds of more than five times the speed of sound
2. hypoxia b. the condition of having an abnormally low body temperature
3. hype c. a deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues d. a deficiency of glucose in the bloodstream
4.hypertrophy d. a deficiency of glucose in the bloodstream
5. hyperbole e. relatively unlikely to cause an allergic reaction
6. hypochondria f. the enlargement of an organ or tissue from the increase in size of its cells
7. hypoglycaemia g. a very large self-service store with a wide range of goods, usually outside a town
8. hypermarket h. an exaggerated statement not to be taken
9. hypoallergenic i. breathing at an abnormally rapid rate
10. hypersonic j. a nervous disorder, especially depression or extreme anxiety, focused on one's health
11. hypothermia k. extravagant or intensive publicity or promotion
Ans. 1=i, 2=c, 3=k, 4=f, 5=h, 6=j, 7=d, 8=g, 9=e, 10=a, 11=b
Exercise 5
Here are some words from both British and American English which are similar in meaning. Identify them and write them in pairs.
flat pavement petrol elevator garden apartment trainers fall drugstore motorway gas
lift sneakers yard highway sidewalk autumn chemist
Ans. Flat= apartment, Garden=Yard, Drugstore= Chemist, Motorway=Highway, Petrol=Gas, Elevator=Lift, Trainers=Sneakers, Fall=Autumn, Pavement=Sidewalk.
Exercise 6
Find out the meanings of the following American expressions and use them in sentencer of your own.
1. Hang in there (remain persistent and determined in difficult circumstances) Running the last five miles of the marathon was excruciating but I hung in there and finished the race.
2. Hit the sack (to go to bed in order to sleep) I've got a busy day tomorrow, so I think I'll hit the sack.
3. Take a rain check (used to tell someone that you cannot accept an invitation now, but would like to do so at a later time) Mind if I take a rain check on that drink?
4. Ride shotgun (travel as a guard next to the driver of a vehicle) police have begun riding shotgun on buses to protect frightened drivers and passengers.
5. Something sucks/ to suck at something (to draw something in by or as if by exerting a suction force especially ) He tilts his head back, sucks on his wad of tobacco.
Exercise 7
Pick appropriate words from the box and fill in the blanks.
switchboard operator daguerreotypist lamplighter water carrier vivandière
pinsetter town crier book peddler cavalrymen dispatch rider
1. a person who carries and distributes water to troops or domestic establishments (water carrier)
2. a person or mechanical device that places the pins in position in a bowling alley (Pinsetter)
3. a person who captured and developed the first successfully-produced type of photograph (daguerreotypist)
4. operators who would connect callers to each other via a switchboard (switchboard operator)
5. a military messenger who used either a horse or a motorcycle to deliver urgent orders and messages between headquarters and military units (dispatch rider)
6. a person who was employed to make public announcements in the streets or marketplace of a town (town crier)
7. a travelling vendor who would peddle the latest books, going door to door in towns and cities (book peddler)
8. a woman attached to military regiments who sold provisions and spirits to soldiers (vivandiere)
9. a person employed to light and maintain candle or, later, gas streetlights (lamplighter)
10. the first round of soldiers who rode on horseback and charged towards the enemy line during a war (cavalrymen)
Grammar
Note: Please before this Exercise watch live classes of ‘Active and passive voice’ on you tube channel ‘Dear Students (Salim Sir)’
Exercise 8
Change the voice from active to passive.
1. The girl hugged her pet.
Ans. The pet was hugged by the girl.
2. The boy caught the falling kite.
Ans. The falling kite was caught by the boy.
3. Someone has picked my pocket.
Ans. My pocket has been picked.
4. The judge found him guilty of theft.
Ans. He was found guilty of theft.
5. The farmer's wife carried a pot of milk on her head.
Ans. A pot of milk was carried by the farmer’s wife on her head.
6. I know her.
Ans. She is known to me.
7. He annoyed her.
Ans. She was annoyed with him
8. The news pleased her.
Ans. She was pleased by the news.
9. He made everyone happy.
Ans. Everyone was made happy by him
10. Saba was inspired by her class teacher.
Ans. The class teacher inspired Saba.
Exercise 9
Change the voice from passive to active.
1. He was praised by his mother.
Ans. His mother praised him.
2. The child was frightened by the noise.
Ans. The noise frightened the child.
3. The city was destroyed by an earthquake.
Ans. An earthquake destroyed the city.
4. The leader was welcomed by the people.
Ans. The leader was welcomed by the people
5. A book was bought by me.
Ans. I bought a book.
6. He was made king.
Ans. They made him a king.
7. The project has been completed by them.
Ans. They completed the project.
8. A car was being driven by her.
Ans. She was driving a car.
9. Tea is being made by them.
Ans. She is making tea.
10. A house has to be chosen.
Ans. We should choose a house.
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