Worksheet Solutions: Feathered Friend | Worksheets with Solutions for Class 8 PDF Download

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

(Instruction: Select the correct option for each question.)

Q1. Why was Sven Olsen easily qualified for work in space?
(a) He was very tall
(b) He was wiry and light in weight
(c) He had experience with animals
(d) He was a trained pilot

Ans: (b) He was wiry and light in weight
Spacers were usually thin and strong because weight mattered for space travel.

Q2. What pet did Sven smuggle into the space station?
(a) A dog
(b) A parrot
(c) A canary
(d) A cat

Ans: (c) A canary
The bird was named Claribel, a small yellow canary.

Q3. Why did the crew first think Claribel had fainted?
(a) She had eaten too much
(b) She had collided with a wall
(c) She was sick from space travel
(d) She lacked oxygen

Ans: (d) She lacked oxygen
Claribel fainted due to low oxygen, which helped the crew realize the danger.

Q4. What was the actual reason for the failure in the space station?
(a) A broken pipe
(b) Frozen air purifier and a failed alarm
(c) Electrical wiring issue
(d) Leakage of water vapor

Ans: (b) Frozen air purifier and a failed alarm
Earth’s shadow caused freezing, and the alarm was not connected properly.

Q5. What is the significance of Claribel in the story?
(a) She was just a pet for Sven
(b) She entertained the crew with songs
(c) She saved the crew’s lives
(d) She was part of a science experiment

Ans: (c) She saved the crew’s lives
Claribel acted as an early warning system when oxygen levels fell.

Fill in the Blanks

(Instruction: Fill in the blanks with the correct word based on the chapter.)

Q1. Sven smuggled a ______ into the space station.
Ans: canary

Claribel, the canary, was Sven’s secret pet.

Q2. Claribel fainted because of lack of ______ in the space station.
Ans: oxygen

The bird collapsed due to insufficient oxygen levels.

Q3. The alarms did not go off because the second alarm circuit was not ______.
Ans: connected

Only one alarm was working, and it failed.

Q4. The space station had experienced one of its rare ______ by Earth’s shadow.
Ans: eclipses

The eclipse caused the purifier to freeze.

Q5. Miners once carried ______ with them to detect dangerous gases.
Ans: canaries

Canaries acted as natural gas detectors in mines, similar to Claribel’s role in space.

Very Short Answer Questions 

(Instruction: Answer the following questions in one line.)

Q1. Who was Claribel?
Ans: Claribel was a yellow canary smuggled into the space station by Sven.

Q2. What work did Sven excel at in the space station?
Ans: Sven excelled at construction work, especially fitting girders in free fall.

Q3. What sound first revealed Claribel’s presence to the narrator?
Ans: A musical whistle revealed Claribel’s presence.

Q4. What revived Claribel when she fainted?
Ans: Oxygen revived Claribel.

Q5. What recognition did the narrator give to Claribel at the end?
Ans: He said Claribel safeguarded the crew’s lives better than costly machines.

Short Answer Questions 

(Instruction: Answer the following questions in 2–3 lines.)

Q1. Why was Claribel considered an ideal pet for the space station?
Ans: Claribel was thought to be the perfect pet for the space station because she was very light and did not require much food, which was important in space where resources were limited. She could also adapt quickly to the unusual conditions of zero gravity, unlike many animals. Her small size and easy care made her less of a burden for the astronauts.

Q2. Why did the crew have trouble hiding Claribel from VIP visitors?
Ans: The astronauts had difficulty hiding Claribel whenever important guests visited the space station. This was because Claribel often made sudden loud whistles and peeps that could easily give her presence away. Since pets were not officially allowed, the crew worried that these noises might alert the visitors and expose their secret.

Q3. How did Claribel save the crew from disaster?
Ans: Claribel saved the astronauts’ lives in an unexpected way. One day, she suddenly fainted, which was unusual and caught the crew’s attention. This fainting made them realize that the oxygen level inside the station was dropping. On checking, they discovered that the oxygen purifier had failed, and thanks to Claribel’s warning, they were able to fix it in time.

Q4. Why was the alarm system unreliable?
Ans: The alarm system that was supposed to detect oxygen problems was not dependable. Only one circuit had been connected to the system, and unfortunately, it failed to work when the oxygen purifier froze. Because of this, the astronauts could not rely on the machine to alert them to the danger.

Q5. What lesson does the story suggest about technology and nature?
Ans: The story suggests that technology, while advanced, is not always completely reliable. Machines can fail at critical moments, as seen with the alarm system. However, sometimes simple creatures like Claribel, with natural instincts and reactions, can provide warnings that even advanced systems miss. It reminds us that nature too has its own intelligence and importance.