passage practice 10th English A Triumph of Surgery By James Herriot :
Before Practice the Passages Read a while : Basics of the Chapter A Triumph of Surgery by James Herriot
Passage 1
I was really worried about Tricki this time. I had pulled up my car when I saw him in the street with his mistress and I was shocked at his appearance. He had become hugely fat, like a bloated sausage with a leg at each corner. His eyes, bloodshot and rheumy, stared straight ahead and his tongue lolled from his jaws.
Mrs Pumphrey hastened to explain, “He was so listless, Mr Herriot. He seemed to have no energy. I thought he must be suffering from malnutrition, so I have been giving him some little extras between meals to build him up, some malt and cod-liver oil and a bowl of Horlicks at night to make him sleep — nothing much really.”
“And did you cut down on the sweet things as I told you?”
“Oh, I did for a bit, but he seemed to be so weak I had to relent. He does love cream cakes and chocolates so. I can’t bear to refuse him.”
I looked down again at the little dog. That was the trouble. Tricki’s only fault was greed. He had never been known to refuse food; he would tackle a meal at any hour of the day or night.
Multiple Choice Questions
- How is Tricki’s appearance described in the passage?
a) Thin and energetic
b) Like a bloated sausage
c) Sleek and healthy
d) Small and playful - What did Mrs. Pumphrey believe was the cause of Tricki’s listlessness?
a) Old age
b) A serious injury
c) Malnutrition
d) Lack of affection - Which of the following did Mrs. Pumphrey give Tricki as “little extras”?
a) Vegetables and fruits
b) Malt, cod-liver oil, and Horlicks
c) Special medicated dog biscuits
d) Leftover table scraps - Why did Mrs. Pumphrey fail to cut down on sweet things for Tricki?
a) She forgot the vet’s advice.
b) She thought sweets were good for him.
c) She couldn’t bear to refuse him when he seemed weak.
d) The sweets were prescribed by another doctor. - According to the narrator, what was Tricki’s only real fault?
a) Laziness
b) Greed
c) Disobedience
d) Sickness
Passage 2
“Are you giving him plenty of exercise?”
“Well, he has his little walks with me as you can see, but Hodgkin, the gardener, has been down with lumbago, so there has been no ring-throwing lately.” I tried to sound severe: “Now I really mean this. If you don’t cut his food right down and give him more exercise he is going to be really ill. You must harden your heart and keep him on a very strict diet.”
Mrs Pumphrey wrung her hands. “Oh I will, Mr Herriot. I’m sure you are right, but it is so difficult, so very difficult.” She set off, head down, along the road, as if determined to put the new regime into practice immediately.
I watched their progress with growing concern. Tricki was tottering along in his little tweed coat; he had a whole wardrobe of these coats — for the cold weather and a raincoat for the wet days. He struggled on, drooping in his harness. I thought it wouldn’t be long before I heard from Mrs Pumphrey. The expected call came within a few days. Mrs Pumphrey was distraught. Tricki would eat nothing.
Multiple Choice Questions
- Why had there been “no ring-throwing lately” for Tricki?
a) Tricki was too tired to play.
b) Mrs. Pumphrey lost the rings.
c) Hodgkin, the gardener, was unwell.
d) The weather was too bad. - What was the narrator’s stern advice to Mrs. Pumphrey?
a) To give Tricki more treats.
b) To buy Tricki a new wardrobe.
c) To cut his food and give him more exercise.
d) To let Tricki rest all day. - How did Mrs. Pumphrey initially react to the narrator’s advice?
a) She argued that he was wrong.
b) She agreed but found it very difficult.
c) She ignored him completely.
d) She laughed and said it was a good joke. - What indicated Tricki’s worsening condition a few days later?
a) He started running away.
b) He was eating everything in sight.
c) He refused to eat even his favourite dishes.
d) He was barking non-stop. - What did the narrator observe about Tricki’s appearance as he walked away with Mrs. Pumphrey?
a) He was running happily in a new harness.
b) He was tottering and drooping in his tweed coat.
c) He looked energetic and strong.
d) He refused to wear his coat.
Passage 3
At the surgery, the household dogs surged round me. Tricki looked down at the noisy pack with dull eyes and, when put down, lay motionless on the carpet. The other dogs, after sniffing round him for a few seconds, decided he was an uninteresting object and ignored him. I made up a bed for him in a warm loose box next to the one where the other dogs slept. For two days I kept an eye on him, giving him no food but plenty of water. At the end of the second day he started to show some interest in his surroundings and on the third he began to whimper when he heard the dogs in the yard. When I opened the door, Tricki trotted out and was immediately engulfed by Joe, the greyhound, and his friends. After rolling him over and thoroughly inspecting him, the dogs moved off down the garden. Tricki followed them, rolling slightly with his surplus fat. Later that day, I was present at feeding time. I watched while Tristan slopped the food into the bowls. There was the usual headlong rush followed by the sounds of high-speed eating; every dog knew that if he fell behind the others he was liable to have some competition for the last part of his meal.
Multiple Choice Questions
- How did the other dogs at the surgery first react to Tricki?
a) They played with him immediately.
b) They were scared of him.
c) They found him uninteresting and ignored him.
d) They barked at him aggressively. - What treatment did the narrator give Tricki for the first two days?
a) A special diet of meat and vegetables.
b) No food, but plenty of water.
c) Several medicinal injections.
d) Small meals of cod-liver oil and Horlicks. - What was the first sign that Tricki was beginning to recover?
a) He ate a full meal.
b) He barked loudly.
c) He wagged his tail.
d) He whimpered when he heard the other dogs. - What happened when Tricki was first let out into the yard with the other dogs?
a) He ran away from them.
b) They rolled him over and inspected him.
c) He started a fight with Joe, the greyhound.
d) He ignored them and went back inside. - What was the scene like at feeding time at the surgery?
a) Calm and orderly.
b) A headlong rush with high-speed eating.
c) The dogs ate one by one.
d) The narrator fed each dog by hand.
Passage 4
When they had finished, Tricki took a walk round the shining bowls, licking casually inside one or two of them. Next day, an extra bowl was put out for him and I was pleased to see him jostling his way towards it. From then on, his progress was rapid. He had no medicinal treatment of any kind but all day he ran about with the dogs, joining in their friendly scrimmages. He discovered the joys of being bowled over, tramped on and squashed every few minutes. He became an accepted member of the gang, an unlikely, silky little object among the shaggy crew, fighting like a tiger for his share at mealtimes and hunting rats in the old henhouse at night. He had never had such a time in his life. All the while, Mrs Pumphrey hovered anxiously in the background, ringing a dozen times a day for the latest bulletins. I dodged the questions about whether his cushions were being turned regularly or his correct coat worn according to the weather; but I was able to tell her that the little fellow was out of danger and convalescing rapidly. The word ‘convalescing’ seemed to do something to Mrs Pumphrey.
Multiple Choice Questions
- What did Tricki do on the day after his first proper feeding time?
a) He slept all day.
b) He jostled his way to an extra bowl put out for him.
c) He refused to eat again.
d) He tried to play with the rats. - Which activity is NOT mentioned as part of Tricki’s new life with the gang?
a) Joining in friendly scrimmages.
b) Being bowled over and tramped on.
c) Swimming in the pond.
d) Hunting rats in the henhouse. - What kind of questions from Mrs. Pumphrey did the narrator have to dodge?
a) Questions about the surgery’s fees.
b) Questions about his own health.
c) Questions about if Tricki’s cushions were turned and coats were correct.
d) Questions about the other dogs. - What word seemed to have a significant effect on Mrs. Pumphrey?
a) Recovering
b) Improving
c) Healthy
d) Convalescing - What did Tricki become among the “shaggy crew”?
a) The leader of the pack.
b) An accepted member of the gang.
c) An outcast they ignored.
d) A dog they were all afraid of.
Summary of “A Triumph of Surgery”
“A Triumph of Surgery,” by James Herriot, is a heartwarming story about a small dog named Tricki, who is excessively pampered by his wealthy mistress, Mrs. Pumphrey. Her misguided love translates into overfeeding him with rich foods like cream cakes and chocolates, leading Tricki to become hugely fat, listless, and seriously ill.
Concerned, she consults the narrator, veterinary surgeon Mr. Herriot. He astutely diagnoses the problem not as a medical ailment but as a consequence of extreme indulgence. Realizing that advice alone won’t work, he suggests hospitalizing Tricki for a fortnight under observation. Despite Mrs. Pumphrey’s dramatic distress, Mr. Herriot takes the dog to his surgery.
At the surgery, Tricki receives no medicine or operations. Instead, he is put on a strict diet—no food for two days, only water—and is forced to exercise by playing with the pack of household dogs. This simple regimen works wonders. Tricki sheds his fat, becomes energetic, and discovers the joy of being a normal dog.
Meanwhile, a worried Mrs. Pumphrey sends lavish supplies like fresh eggs, wine, and brandy to build up his strength, which the vet and his staff happily consume. After two weeks, a transformed, lithe, and hard-muscled Tricki is returned to his overjoyed mistress. Unaware of the simple cure, she gratefully exclaims to Mr. Herriot, “This is a triumph of surgery!” The title is thus ironic, as the dog’s recovery was achieved not through surgery, but through common sense and discipline.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) for Class 10
Here are 10 important MCQs from the story:
- What was the primary reason for Tricki’s illness?
a) A viral infection
b) Malnutrition from not eating enough
c) Lack of exercise and overfeeding by Mrs. Pumphrey
d) An injury from playing - Who is ‘I’ in the story “A Triumph of Surgery”?
a) Hodgkin, the gardener
b) Mrs. Pumphrey’s husband
c) Tricki, the dog
d) Mr. Herriot, the veterinary surgeon - What was the “only fault” of Tricki, according to the narrator?
a) Laziness
b) Greed
c) Aggressiveness
d) Disobedience - What was the actual treatment Mr. Herriot gave to Tricki at the surgery?
a) A series of complex surgeries
b) Daily injections of vitamins
c) A controlled diet and plenty of physical activity
d) Special medicated dog food - Why did Mr. Herriot feel tempted to keep Tricki as a permanent guest?
a) Because he had grown very fond of Tricki.
b) To enjoy the fresh eggs, wine, and brandy sent by Mrs. Pumphrey.
c) He was worried Mrs. Pumphrey would make him sick again.
d) Mrs. Pumphrey had offered to pay him a large sum of money. - What did the other dogs at the surgery initially think of Tricki?
a) They found him to be a fun and interesting playmate.
b) They were afraid of him.
c) They thought he was an uninteresting object and ignored him.
d) They were aggressive and tried to attack him. - How long did Mr. Herriot suggest Tricki should be hospitalized?
a) A week
b) A fortnight (two weeks)
c) A month
d) Three days - The title “A Triumph of Surgery” is ironic because:
a) The surgery was actually a complete failure.
b) Mr. Herriot was not a real surgeon.
c) The dog’s recovery was achieved without any form of surgery.
d) Tricki was triumphant over the surgeon. - How did Tricki look when the narrator saw him in the street with his mistress?
a) Thin, active, and energetic
b) Hugely fat, like a bloated sausage
c) Frightened and timid
d) Clean and well-groomed - What does Mrs. Pumphrey’s character reveal about some pet owners?
a) They are often cruel and neglectful.
b) They can be loving but foolishly indulgent, causing more harm than good.
c) They are knowledgeable about animal nutrition.
d) They prefer to keep a distance from their pets.
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