Class 5 English The Secret cavern QA
A. Answer the questions in a few lines
1. How does the speaker describe the cavern?
A- The speaker describes the cavern as splendid, big and black, hidden underneath the boardwalk. It is secret and no other children know about it.
2. Why does the speaker wish to live inside the cavern all alone?
A- She wishes to live there alone because it is her secret place where she can imagine being a pirate, keep treasures, and enjoy her own world of adventure.
3. Why does the speaker do things in a secretive manner? Why doesn’t she want anyone else to know?
A- She does everything secretly because she wants the cavern to remain special and private. If others know, it will no longer be her own secret hideout.
B. Read the lines from the poem and answer the questions
1. “There I keep my treasures in a box” ,Shells and coloured glass and queer-shaped rocks
a. Where does the speaker keep all her treasures?
A- She keeps her treasures in a box inside the secret cavern.
b. What all does her treasure include?
A- Her treasure includes shells, coloured glass, and queer-shaped rocks.
c. How does she keep her treasures safe?
A- She keeps them in a secret hiding place that she has hollowed out and marked with yellow pebbles so no one else can find it.
2. “I shall dig and paddle till it’s dark ,Then go out and man my pirate bark”
a. What activity will the speaker do till dark?
A- She will dig and paddle in the cavern till it gets dark.
b. What is a pirate bark?
A- A pirate bark is a small sailing vessel (ship) used by pirates.
c. What does the speaker plan to do using the pirate bark?
A- She plans to sail out like a pirate, capture enemies, and bring them back as captives to her secret cave.
Extra Questions and Answers
1. Where is the secret cavern hidden?
A- It is hidden underneath the boardwalk, way back, and can be reached only by crawling under the posts and steps.
2. What things does the child keep in the cavern?
A- The child keeps shells, coloured glass, queer-shaped rocks, and other treasures in a box.
3. How did the child make the hiding place?
A- The child hollowed it out with clamshells and a spade.
4. How did the child mark the secret place?
A- The child marked it with yellow pebbles in a row.
5. What does the child imagine the cavern as?
A- The child imagines it as a splendid lair, like a pirate’s cave, with chests, weapons, a flag with skulls and bones, and a glowing lamp.
6. What does the child dream of doing when grown up?
A- The child dreams of living there all alone, digging and paddling till dark, sailing a pirate ship (pirate bark), and keeping captive foes in the cave.
7. What is the repeated line in every stanza? Why is it important?
A- The line is “None of all the other children know!
It is important because it shows the joy of keeping a secret hideout only for oneself.
8. What does the cavern represent for the child?
A- It represents imagination, adventure, and a private world away from others.
9. Which two words in the poem tell us that the cavern feels scary and mysterious?
A- The words black and lurid.
10. What kind of feeling does the poem give to the reader?
A- It gives a feeling of adventure, secrecy, and childhood imagination.
