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CBSE Class 10 English Grammar Quiz: 50 Mixed MCQs (Tenses, Modals, Subject-Verb)
CBSE Class 10 English Grammar Quiz: 50 Mixed MCQs
Sunday, September 7, 2025
Poem Midnight Wood by Raymond Wilson - Summary Q&A Word meanings - Clas 6 Literary Reader Chapter 5
Poem Midnight Wood by Raymond Wilson - Summary Q&A Word meanings - Class 6 Literary Reader Chapter 5: A child-friendly guide with meanings, solved answers, and a quick quiz for revision.
Table of Contents
Summary of the Poem Midnight Wood
The poem takes the reader into a dark forest at midnight, asking what the eyes see, the ears hear, and the river hides. Strange shapes, whispering plants, and shrieking owls make the forest feel dangerous. The final warning from owlets suggests that anyone entering must choose the wood or river—and may be lost forever.
The poem shows how fear grows in darkness: normal things seem scary, and sounds feel louder. It is not only the forest, but the night and imagination that create a chilling mood.
Word Meanings of the Poem Midnight Wood
| Word/Phrase | Meaning (Simple English) | Meaning (Simple Hindi) |
|---|---|---|
| Mist | Very light cloud near the ground that makes it hard to see | हल्का कुहासा, जमीन के पास हल्का धुंध |
| Hunchback shapes | Shapes that look bent or hunched, like curved backs | झुकी‑झुकी आकृतियाँ, कूबड़ जैसी |
| Frond | Large leaf, usually of a fern or palm | बड़ी पत्ती (आमतौर पर फर्न/खजूर की) |
| Fern | A plant with feathery leaves that grows in shade | फर्न—छाँव में उगने वाला पौधा |
| Clutching grass | Grass that seems to grab or hold as one walks | पकड़ने जैसा लगता घास |
| Snigger | To laugh quietly in a rude or teasing way | दबी हँसी, खिल्ली उड़ाना |
| Otter | Water animal with webbed feet and brown fur | ऊदबिलाव |
| Owlets | Baby owls | उल्लू के बच्चे |
| Whispering fear | Soft sounds that make one feel scared | धीमी आवाज़ें जो डर पैदा करें |
| Drift | To float and move with water or wind | बहना, सरकना |
| Shriek | To cry out in a loud, high-pitched voice | चीखना |
| Dead of night | The darkest, quietest time late at night | रात का सबसे गहरा समय |
Let's enjoy the poem (Q&A)
1. Did you notice that each of the four stanzas in the poem describes one group of things that might make us afraid when we are alone in a wood at night? Can you list them?
- a. The things we see: mist, moonlight, star, cloud, hunchback shapes.
- b. The sounds we hear: thin wind, frond and fern, clutching grass sniggering.
- c. The things the river hides: otter, water‑rat, old can, bones of fish and man.
- d. The threats we face: owlets warn that whoever comes is lost forever.
2. What do these phrases mean?
- a. ‘hunchback shapes’: bent, crooked shapes that look like hunched backs in the dark.
- b. ‘clutching grass’: grass that feels like it is grabbing at one’s feet while walking.
3. Look at stanza 3. Which of the objects mentioned would you normally not expect to see in a river? How do you think they got there?
The “old can” and “bones of man” are unexpected in a river; the can suggests human littering, and “bones of man” is likely an imagined fear image, used to make the scene feel dangerous and mysterious.
4. If you believe what the owlets are actually saying, would you want to go to the wood?
No, because the owlets warn that whoever enters must choose between wood and river and will be lost, which makes the place feel unsafe at night.
5. Why do you think the poet repeats the phrase ‘dark in the wood’ several times?
The repetition builds rhythm and a strong mood of fear, reminding that darkness changes normal sights and sounds into something scary.
6. Are the sounds and sights described in the poem frightening in themselves? Does darkness have something to do with the way we feel in a wood at night?
Most things are ordinary (plants, wind, river, owls), but in the dark they seem dangerous. Yes, darkness and imagination make everything feel scarier.
7. If you found yourself all alone in a wood at midnight, would you be frightened?
Yes, because limited light and unfamiliar sounds can cause fear; staying calm, using a light, and thinking logically would help reduce that fear.
Interactive Quiz on the poem Midnight Wood
Midnight Wood – Comprehension Quiz
The Bus Stop That Ate Children: Summary, Q&A, Word Meanings, Quiz (Class 6)
This chapter, “The Bus Stop That Ate Children” by Susan Gates, is a suspenseful story set near a giant baobab tree used as a bus stop. In this blog post you will find the story summary, word-meanings, Q&A and an interactive quiz for better understanding and exam prep!
Table of Contents
Story Summary
Precious must wait alone at a bus stop made inside a huge baobab tree while going to the market for rice, cassava, and beans. Her brother Kapito once told frightening tales that the “witch tree” eats children, making her feel nervous. When a tapping sound comes from a bump on the trunk, Precious panics—until a tiny hornbill chick squeezes out through a hole. She realizes the “witch’s larder” is just a bird’s nest sealed with mud. Relieved, she boards the bus, wiser about how stories can scare and also entertain.
Word Meanings
| Word/Phrase | Meaning (Simple English) | Meaning (Simple Hindi) |
|---|---|---|
| Baobab | A very large African tree with a thick trunk and hollow space | बहुत बड़ा अफ्रीकी पेड़ जिसकी मोटी तना और खोखला भाग होता है |
| Hollow | Empty space inside something | अंदर से खाली |
| Witch (witch tree) | A magical, scary woman in stories; here, a scary idea about the tree | डायन; यहाँ पेड़ के बारे में डरावनी कल्पना |
| Nightmare | A very scary dream | डरावना सपना |
| Responsibility | Duty to do something important | ज़िम्मेदारी |
| Lumpy / Warty | Having many bumps or lumps on the surface | उभरा‑उभरा / मस्सेदार सतह |
| Scowling face | An angry-looking face | गुस्से वाला चेहरा |
| Thatch | Roof made from straw or reeds | फूस/घास‑फूस की छत |
| Guzzle | To drink or eat quickly and greedily | हड़बड़ी और लालच से पीना/खाना |
| Prowl | To move quietly while hunting or sneaking | दबे पाँव घूमना |
| “Scared out of your wits” | Extremely frightened | बहुत ज़्यादा डरे होना |
| Larder (witch’s larder) | A place to store food; here, bumps called a “store” in the scary tale | खाने का भंडार; यहाँ डरावनी कहानी में “भंडार” |
| Piping voice | Very high, thin sound | पतली, ऊँची आवाज़ |
| Hornbill | A bird with a hard, horn-like beak | एक पक्षी जिसकी चोंच सींग जैसी होती है |
| Sealed | Closed tightly so nothing can go in or out | कसकर बंद |
| Exhausted | Very tired | बहुत थका हुआ |
| Cassava | Starchy food made from a tropical plant’s root | कसावा—एक कंद से बना स्टार्चयुक्त आहार |
| Rumpled | Looking crumpled or untidy | सिकुड़ा/बिखरा‑सा |
| Tap, tap | Light, repeated knocking sound | हल्की‑हल्की ठक‑ठक |
Let's Infer (Q&A)
1. The baobab tree “was the kind of tree you could believe all sorts of things about”. What sorts of things does the author have in mind?
Because the tree is huge, ancient, lumpy, and hollow, people imagine it as a “witch tree” that can hide spirits, trap children, or swallow them—mysterious powers that turn an ordinary bus stop into a scary legend.
2. A gullible person is someone who is willing to believe anything or anyone. Is Precious gullible? How can you tell?
Precious is not fully gullible. She feels scared by Kapito’s stories, but she also questions them and finally checks the bump herself. When the hornbill chicks appear, she changes her belief using real evidence.
3. Think of appropriate words to describe Kapito. (Support your choices with reasons.) Do you think he enjoys scaring his little sister?
Kapito is imaginative, playful, and dramatic. He clearly enjoys scary storytelling and likes teasing Precious with ghostly details, so yes—he enjoys giving her harmless scares through his tales.
4. Which words would you use to describe Precious when she is waiting at the bus stop? How does she feel when she realizes that the bus stop is not a witch?
At first she is anxious, cautious, and responsible. After seeing the chicks, she feels relieved, amused, and confident, understanding how stories can seem real but be explained by nature.
5. When you saw the title “The Bus Stop That Ate Children”, what kind of story did you expect? How would you describe the story now that you have read it?
The title suggests a horror story. After reading, it feels like a gentle mystery that turns into a realistic explanation, teaching critical thinking and courage in a fun, child-friendly way.
Let's discuss (Q&A)
1. Is Kapito doing the right thing by telling Precious scary stories? Should Precious tell scary stories about the child-eating bus stop to her new brother or sister?
Scary stories can be fine if told kindly and followed by the truth, so children learn to ask questions. If Precious tells such stories, she should also explain the real reason (the hornbill nest) so younger kids feel safe and curious, not terrified.
2. Do children enjoy reading or listening to scary stories? Do you enjoy reading a frightening story?
Many children enjoy a little safe fright—it’s exciting and builds imagination. The best scary stories end with sense and comfort, helping readers become brave and thoughtful about what is real.
