Read the following passage and answer the given questions:
Total Marks: 20
The Beast of Bodmin Moor is a phantom wild cat that is purported to live in the area of
Cornwall, England, though it has been spotted around Kent and even as far as some areas of
Scotland.
There is no doubt that Bodmin Moor is a creepy place. Should you happen to find yourself alone
there as dusk is falling, try not to think about the layers of legend, horror and mystery associated
with this wild and rugged landscape, and in particular, whatever you do, try not to let your mind
dwell on The Beast.
The Beast is the result of some sixty sightings of a black panther-like big cat, supposedly three to
five feet long and sporting white-yellow eyes, combined with numerous reports of mutilated
livestock. The evidence was robust enough that in 1995 the government ordered an official
investigation into the existence of such a beast. The report finally concluded that there was no
verifiable evidence of a big cat on Bodmin Moor, although it was careful to state that there was
no evidence against it, either.
Shortly after the report was published the public were flabbergasted when a small boy found a
leopard skull lying on the banks of the River Fowey. Big cat speculation reached fever pitch.
Had it escaped from a nearby zoo? Was it the author of the mutilations?
The Natural History Museum, boringly, soon found the leopard skull to have been imported into
this country as part of a leopard-skin rug put as a hoax.
Once again, the controversy died down. Although sightings were still reported with reasonable
regularity, until, in 1998, video footage was released that clearly showed a black animal,
probably a big cat, around three and a half feet long. The video, described by curator
of Newquay Zoo and wild cat expert as 'the best evidence yet' that big cats do indeed roam
Bodmin Moor, was part of another batch of information submitted to the government by local
MP Paul Tyler.
Nicole Panteli, a journalist for a weekly newspaper shared her experience of an encounter with
the beast. Nicole was lost. It was easy to lose one’s way on the moor, especially on a November
afternoon when the light was thickening and the landscape stretched the same grey in all
directions. She drove along a narrow, empty road, looking for a road sign or any building which
might contain an inhabitant to give her directions. A fleeting, shadowy movement by the
roadside reminded her of the tales of the Beast of Bodmin Moor which had fascinated her as a
child. She remembered being told that a vicious predator had killed large numbers of sheep, but
that a government investigation had not found evidence to prove that there was a foreign big cat
in the area, and had concluded that native wild animals were the culprits.
However, as she rounded the bend, thinking about these things, she saw a startlingly large, black
feline cross the road with an unhurried, sinuous, fluid movement. Its thick, sinewy shoulders
suggested massive strength and speed, like that of engine pistons. As it passed, it turned to stare
at her and its great, yellow, black-slitted orbs were caught in the headlights. She noticed its
pricked, tufted ears and its short, coarse, raven-black coat before it turned, raising and waving its
curved snake of a tail as if making a victory salute. The spectral vision dissolved into the bushes,
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leaving her with a thumping heart and the feeling that she had witnessed a supernatural
manifestation.
Theories abound. If it does exist (and many swear it does), perhaps the animal is a big cat that
escaped a zoo or a private collection and was not reported because it had been imported illegally,
a hypothesis rejected by scientists on the grounds that the numbers needed to sustain a breeding
population would be too large for the food supply. Some believe the animal is a species of wild
cat that is believed to have become extinct in Britain more than a hundred years ago. Some, after
reading reports not just of hissing and growling but of sounds like a woman screaming, are
inclined to blame the paranormal. Meanwhile, the sightings continue.
You have been warned!
Ques 1: How does the author create a sense of suspense in the opening paragraph of the passage?
[02 m]
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Ques 2: What does the phrase ‘reached fever pitch’ mean (line 12)?
[01 m]
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Ques 3: Identify the figurative language used in the phrase ‘author of the mutilations’? What
does this mean?
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Ques 3: Give the meaning of:
[03 m]
i. robust enough (line 07) _________________________________________________________
ii. flabbergasted (line 11) _________________________________________________________
iii. sinuous (line 32) _____________________________________________________________
Ques 4: According to the passage what evidence is there that the Beast of Bodmin is real? [03 m]
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Ques 5: Why do you think the local authorizes refuse the existence of the Legend?
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Ques 6: How does Nicole Pantile’s description make the Beast more real for the reader? Explain
with reference to the figurative language used.
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Ques 6: What do you think is the attitude of the author towards the legend of the Beast of
Bodmin? Justify your point with two examples from the text.
[04 m]
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Summarize the extract in 100-120
Essay Topics:
1. Describe the feeling of loneliness. The catch? You can only use sounds, colours, and textures.
OR
2. Write a story about a time you realized that the fault was your excessive use of technology.