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Feathered Friend Extra Question Answer Class 8 English Chapter 13
Feathered Friend Short Questions and Answers
Question 1.
Why was Claribel brought to the space station, and how did the crew react to her presence?
Answer:
Claribel was brought aboard by Sven, out of scientific curiosity to see how a bird would adapt to zero gravity. Initially, he did not admit to bringing her. The crew was surprised but quickly grew fond of her. Claribel adapted well to the absence of gravity and became a general pet. Despite being smuggled in, she became an integral part of the space station’s environment.
Question 2.
How did Claribel behave when she was first discovered by the narrator?
Answer:
Claribel was seen hanging in the air with folded wings, showing she was well-adjusted to zero gravity. She was motionless and calm, unlike how birds behave on Earth. She performed an impressive backward loop, which no earthbound bird could do. This fascinated the narrator. It indicated how easily she had adapted to her new surroundings.
Question 3. What made the narrator realize something was wrong with the air in the station?
Answer:The narrator felt sluggish and had a nagging headache. He noticed Claribel fainted even after being revived once. This unusual behaviour triggered a memory of how miners used canaries to detect poisonous gases. He connected the dots and suspected something was wrong with the air. His timely realization possibly saved the crew.
Question 4.
What role did Claribel play in detecting the danger on the space station?
Answer:
Claribel fainted due to lack of oxygen before any of the alarms went off. Her reaction served as an early warning system. The narrator realized that like canaries in coal mines, Claribel had detected a drop in air quality. This prompted an investigation. Thus, she played a vital role in alerting the crew to a potentially deadly situation.
Question 5.
Why didn’t the air alarms go off initially in the station?
Answer:
The station had duplicate alarm circuits. But only one was operational, and the other was not connected. An eclipse by Earth’s shadow caused part of the air purifier to freeze. This failure wasn’t detected due to the missing backup alarm. Claribel’s fainting served as an alternative warning system.
Question 6.
What does the story suggest about curiosity and unconventional thinking?
Answer:
Sven’s curiosity in bringing Claribel seemed odd at first. But it led to a lifesaving discovery. The story shows that unconventional thinking can have great value. Sometimes solutions come from unexpected places. It celebrates curiosity as an essential part of scientific progress.
Question 7.
Describe the narrator’s first encounter with Claribel.
Answer:
He heard a musical whistle and thought it was the intercom. Looking up, he was shocked to see a canary floating mid-air. She did an acrobatic move and flew away. The narrator was amazed at her comfort in zero gravity. Itywas a unique and memorable introduction.
Question 8.
What does Claribel’s behavior in space suggest about animals’ adaptability?
Answer:
Claribel quickly adjusted to the absence of gravity. She floated calmly and moved efficiently. Unlike most animals, she wasn’t distressed. This suggests some animals can adapt well to space. It opens up questions for further scientific study.
Question 9.
How did the narrator describe the space station environment?
Answer:
The narrator mentioned how spacers lived in constant sunlight without a true sense of night and day. Tasks were done in shifts despite the unusual time cycle. Space was filled with technical equipment, storage areas, and hiding spots. Gravity was absent, so people and objects floated around. This unique environment made Claribel’s presence both challenging and amusing.
Question 10.
What was unusual about Claribel’s flight in the space station?
Answer:
Unlike birds on Earth, Claribel did not need to flap her wings constantly. She floated with ease and used minimal effort to navigate. She performed stunts like backward loops, which earthbound canaries wouldn’t do. Her comfort in zero gravity impressed the narrator. It showed her natural ability to adapt.
Question 11.
How did the narrator’s observation solve the mystery of Claribel’s fainting?
Answer:
The narrator connected the bird’s fainting to old mining practices. He remembered how canaries warned miners of dangerous gases. This helped him suspect that something was wrong with the station’s air. His memory and quick thinking led to an investigation. It ultimately saved everyone on board.
Question 12.
How did Claribel prove to be more effective than the high-tech systems?
Answer:
Despite millions spent on technology, the failure went undetected. Claribel’s fainting alerted the crew before any alarms did. Her reaction helped diagnose a potentially fatal issue. This proved the importance of simple, natural indicators. She became an unexpected but essential safety feature.
Question 13.
In what way does the story combine science with emotion?
Answer:
The setting and plot are based on science fiction and space technology. Yet the core revolves around a small bird and human feelings. The emotional bond with Claribel adds warmth to a cold, mechanical world. The story blends facts with humour and sentiment. This combination makes it both thought-provoking and heartwarming.
Feathered Friend Long Questions and Answers
Question 1.
What does the story reveal about the relationship between humans and animals?
Answer:
The story shows that humans form emotional bonds with animals even in the most technical and unnatural environments like a space station. Sven’s decision to bring a bird into space may seem odd, but it was driven by a mix of curiosity and companionship. Once discovered, Claribel was accepted and loved by the whole crew. Her presence added warmth to their sterile surroundings. She was not just a pet, but a source of joy and eventually, a savior. The crew’s reactions— worry, grief, relief—show deep emotional investment. This highlights the timeless and universal connection between humans and animals.
Question 2.
How did Sven’s curiosity and defiance prove to be a blessing in disguise?
Answer:
Sven defied any unspoken regulations by bringing Claribel aboard the station. He did so mainly out of curiosity, wanting to study how a bird would fly in space. Though it seemed a reckless move at first, it turned out to be a wise decision. Claribel’s fainting alerted the crew to a malfunction in the air system. Without her, the crew may not have realized the danger until it was too late. Sven’s disobedience thus saved lives. The story suggests that sometimes, breaking the rules for the right reasons can lead to positive outcomes.
Question 3.
How did the space station crew manage their daily routines in space?
Answer:
The crew worked in shifts, often on twelve- hour watches, despite no natural day or night. They used bunk straps to sleep and kept track of time using Earth-based references. Tasks like eating, storing items, and even hiding Claribel had to be done carefully in zero gravity. Breakfasts were quiet, and oxygen management was crucial. Life in space required discipline and adaptation. The crew maintained a routine to stay functional. Claribel’s presence added a touch of normalcy and comfort to this strict environment.
Question 4.
What does the story suggest about the limitations of technology in critical situations?
Answer:
The story shows that even highly advanced systems can fail at crucial moments. The air purifier, part of a multi-million-dollar space setup, froze during an eclipse. To make matters worse, one of the alarm circuits wasn’t even connected. The single functioning circuit also failed, and no one noticed the oxygen drop. In this scenario, a small bird, Claribel, sensed the danger before any equipment did. Her fainting served as an unplanned but effective alert system. This highlights how human oversight and reliance on machines can be dangerous without natural backups or instincts.
Question 5.
In what ways does the story explore the theme of human error?
Answer:
The story emphasizes that even trained professionals can make serious mistakes. Jim, the duty engineer, was confident that the air systems were working. However, he forgot that the backup alarm wasn’t connected. This oversight almost cost the crew their lives. The failure of the purifier during the eclipse added to the danger. It took the crew a while to understand what was wrong. The narrative reminds readers that even in space, human error remains a risk.
Feathered Friend Extract Based Questions and Answers
I. “Sven’s team had one great advantage over the construction groups you see putting up skyscrapers down on Earth. They could step back and admire their handiwork without being abruptly parted from it by gravity. Don’t ask me why Sven wanted a pet, or why he chose the one he did. I’m not a psychologist, but I must admit that his selection was very sensible. Claribel weighed practically nothing, her food requirements were tiny—and she was not worried, as most animals would have been, by the absence of gravity. ”
Question 1.
What can be inferred about Sven’s choice of Claribel as a pet?
A. He chose her because she could help with construction work.
B. He randomly picked any pet without thinking much.
C. He made a practical choice considering the space conditions.
D. He was unaware that pets weren’t allowed on the station.
Answer:
C. He made a practical choice considering the space conditions.
Question 2.
What does the phrase “without being abruptly parted from it by gravity” suggest about the advantage of working in space?
Answer:
It suggests that in space, there is no gravity to pull workers or materials down. Sven’s team could move freely around the structure they were building. Unlike on Earth, where gravity restricts movement, space allowed them to hover nearby. This made it easier to check and admire their work without risk. It highlights the unique working conditions in zero gravity.
Question 3.
Select the correct option for the Assertion (A) and Reason (R) given below:
(A): Sven’s choice of Claribel was appropriate for the space environment. (R): Claribel did not require much space, food, or effort to care for, and adjusted well to zero gravity.
A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
C. (A) is true, but (R) is false.
D. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Answer:
A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Question 4.
Replace the underlined word in the sentence below with a similar meaning word from the extract.
Sentence: During the exhibition, artists proudly displayed their creations.
Answer:
handiwork.
II. I first became aware that Claribel was aboard when I was sitting in the little cubbyhole laughingly called my office, checking through my lists of technical stores to decide what items we’d be running out of next. When I heard the musical whistle beside my ear, I assumed that it had come over the station intercom, and waited for an announcement to follow. It didn’t; instead, there was a long and involved pattern of melody that made me look up with such a start that I forgot all about the angle beam just behind my head. When the stars had ceased to explode before my eyes, I had my first view of Claribel.
She was a small yellow canary, hanging in the air as motionless as a hummingbird—and with much less effort, for her wings were quietly folded along her sides. We stared at each other for a minute; then, before I had quite recovered my wits, she did a curious kind of backward loop I’m sure no earthbound canary had ever managed, and departed with a few leisurely flicks. It was quite obvious that she’d already learned how to operate in the absence of gravity, and did not believe in doing unnecessary work.
Question 1.
What can be inferred about Claribel’s abilities from the description?
A. She struggles to adapt to zero gravity.
B. She is effortlessly skilled at moving in zero gravity.
C. She is a typical earthbound canary with no special skills.
D. She avoids moving and prefers to stay still.
Answer:
B. She is effortlessly skilled at moving in zero gravity.
Question 2.
How can we conclude that Claribel was operating in zero gravity?
Answer:
Because she was hanging motionless in the air and performed a backward loop without effort, which would not be possible under normal gravity.
Question 3.
Select the option that is correct for both (Assertion) A and (Reason) R.
(A): Claribel had learned to move efficiently in the absence of gravity.
(R): In zero gravity, movement requires less effort since there is no weight to support.
A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
B. Both (A) and (R) are time, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
C. (A) is time, but (R) is false.
D. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Answer:
A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Question 4.
Replace the underlined word with a word similar in meaning from the extract.
The car suddenly stopped at the red light.
Answer:
ceased
III. Sven didn’t confess to her ownership for several days, and by that time it no longer mattered, because Claribel was a general pet. He had smuggled her up on the last ferry from Earth, when he came back from leave—partly, he claimed, out of sheer scientific curiosity. He wanted to see just how a bird would operate when it had no weight but could still use its wings.
Claribel thrived and grew fat. On the whole, we had little trouble concealing our guest when VIPs from Earth came visiting. A space station has more hiding places than you can count; the only problem was that Claribel got rather noisy when she was upset, and we sometimes had to think fast to explain the curious peeps and whistles that came from ventilating shafts and storage bulkheads.
Question 1.
What can be inferred about Sven’s decision to bring Claribel to space?
A. He planned to gift Claribel to the space crew.
B. He brought her solely to entertain himself.
C. He smuggled her for fun, without any purpose.
D. He had both scientific curiosity and personal affection for her.
Answer:
D. He had both scientific curiosity and personal affection for her.
Question 2.
What challenges did the crew face in hiding Claribel from VIP visitors?
Answer:
The main challenge was Claribel’s tendency to make strange sounds—peeps and whistles—especially when upset, which could draw unwanted attention from VIPs.
Question 3.
Select the option that is correct for both (Assertion) A and (Reason) R.
(A): Claribel became a shared companion for the entire crew.
(R): Sven took several days to admit she was his, by which time she was loved by all.
A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
C. (A) is true, but (R) is false.
D. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Answer:
A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Question 4.
Replace the underlined word with a word similar in meaning from the extract.
The guest was treated with great care and attention by the hosts.
Answer:
visitor
IV. We were now on twelve-hour watches, which was not as bad as it sounds, since you need little sleep in space. Though of course there is no ‘day’ and ‘night’ when you are floating in permanent sunlight, it was still convenient to stick to the terms. Certainly when I woke that ‘morning’ it felt like 6:00 a.m. on Earth. I had a nagging headache, and vague memories of fitful, disturbed dreams. It took me ages to undo my bunk straps, and I was still only half awake when Ijoined the remainder of the duty crew in the mess. Breakfast was unusually quiet, and there was one seat vacant. “Where’s Sven?” I asked, not very much caring.
“He’s looking for Claribel, ” someone answered. “Says he can’t find her anywhere. She usually wakes him up. ”
Before I could retort that she usually woke me up, too, Sven came in through the doorway, and we could see at once that something was wrong. He slowly opened his hand, and there lay a tiny bundle of yellow feathers, with two clenched claws sticking pathetically up into the air.
Question 1.
What can be inferred about Sven’s relationship with Claribel?
A. He treated Claribel like a research specimen.
B. He cared for Claribel deeply and was emotionally affected by her loss.
C. He was tired of Claribel waking him up.
D. He wanted someone else to take care of Claribel.
Answer:
B. He cared for Claribel deeply and was emotionally affected by her loss.
Question 2.
Why did the crew continue using the terms ‘morning’ and ‘night’ in space despite the absence of a day-night cycle?
Answer:
They used those terms for convenience and routine, even though there was no real day or night due to constant sunlight in space.
Question 3.
Select the option that is correct for both (Assertion) A and (Reason) R. ’
(A): The narrator felt uneasy and had disturbed sleep.
(R): The unusual death of Claribel had already begun to affect the crew subconsciously.
A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
C. (A) is true, but (R) is false.
D. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Answer:
B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
Question 4.
Replace the underlined word with a similar word from the extract:
I got up in the morning with a painful head.
Answer:
nagging
V. Presently he shook his head. “I can’t hear anything, but that doesn’t prove she’s dead. I’ve never listened to a canary’s heart,” he added rather apologetically.
“Give her a shot of oxygen,” suggested somebody, pointing to the green-banded emergency cylinder in its recess beside the door. Everyone agreed that this was an excellent idea, and Claribel was tucked snugly into a face mask that was large enough to serve as a complete oxygen tent for her.
To our delighted surprise, she revived at once. Beaming broadly, Sven removed the mask, and she hopped onto his finger. She gave her series of “Come to the cookhouse, boys” trills—then promptly keeled over again.
“Idon’t get it, ” lamented Sven. “What’s wrong with her? She’s never done this before. ”
For the last few minutes, something had been tugging at my memory. My mind seemed to be very sluggish that morning, as if I was still unable to cast off the burden of sleep.
Question 1.
What can be inferred from Claribel’s brief recovery and collapse?
A. Claribel was faking illness for attention.
B. The oxygen revived her only temporarily, indicating a deeper issue.
C. Claribel was frightened by the loud trills and fainted.
D. The oxygen supply was too strong or her.
Answer:
B. The oxygen revived her only temporarily, indicating a deeper issue.
Question 2.
Why did the narrator describe his mind as “sluggish”?
Answer:
The narrator’s mind was sluggish because he was possibly affected by the same environmental condition that had caused Claribel’s collapse. This indicates that something was wrong with the station’s atmosphere.
Question 3.
Select the correct option regarding Assertion (A) and Reason-(R).
(A): Claribel collapsed again after briefly reviving.
(R): There might have been a drop in the oxygen levels affecting both Claribel and the narrator.
A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
C. (A) is true, but (R) is false.
D. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Answer:
A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
Question 4.
Replace the underlined word with a similar meaning word from the extract:
He regretted for the loss of his job that he had managed after experiencing some painful period of his life.
Answer:
Lamented
Feathered Friend Extra Questions for Practice
I. Passage For Comprehension
Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
1. He came back ten minutes later with a sheepish expression. It was one of those accidents that couldn’t possibly happen; we’d had one of our rare eclipses by Earth’s shadow that night; part of the air purifier had frozen up, and the single alarm in the circuit had failed to go off Half a million dollars’ worth of chemical and electronic engineering had let us down completely. Without Claribel, we should soon have been slightly dead. So now, if you visit any space station, don’t be surprised if you hear an inexplicable snatch of birdsong. There’s no need to be alarmed; on the contrary, in fact. It will mean that you’re being doubly safeguarded, at practically no extra expense.
Question 1.
What does the phrase “slightly dead” most likely suggest?
A. The crew would have become tired and dizzy.
B. The crew would have just fainted due to lack of sleep.
C. The situation would have turned fatal had Claribel not warned them.
D. Only Claribel would have been affected.
Question 2.
What was the primary cause of the emergency aboard the space station?
Question 3.
Assertion (A) and Reason (R):
(A): Claribel became a symbol of safety in space stations.
(R): Her reaction helped detect a life-threatening fault that technology failed to warn about.
A. Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
B. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
C. (A) is true, but (R) is false.
D. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Question 4.
Replace the underlined word with a similar word from the extract:
He returned with a guilty look on his face.
II. Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
How was Claribel revived the first time she fainted?
Question 2.
How did the team feel when they thought Claribel had died?
Question 3.
Why did Sven not admit to bringing Claribel at first?
Question 4.
What technical issues caused the air purifier to malfunction?
Question 5.
What does the narrator mean when he says, ‘pipe of peace?
III. Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
How did Claribel come on the space station? Why was her arrival kept as a secret?
Question 2.
Describe the narrator’s reaction when he first saw Claribel.
Question 3.
How did Claribel’s fainting help the crew uncover a serious danger on the station?
Question 4.
Describe the characteristic qualities that Claribel holds beyond being a pet.
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