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NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Unit 1

A Letter to God Class 10

Unit 1 A Letter to God Exercise Answers & Summary

Oral comprehension check : Solutions of Questions on Page Number : 5

Q1 : What did Lencho hope for?

Answer :

Lencho hoped for rains as the only thing that his field of ripe corn needed was a shower.

Q2 : Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like 'new coins'?

Answer :

Lencho's crops were ready for harvest. However, they required a good downpour before harvesting. After a downpour, he could sell the harvest and get money. That is why he compared the raindrops to 'new coins'.

Q3 : How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho's fields?

Answer :

The rain was pouring down. But suddenly, a strong wind began to blow and very large hailstones began to fall along with the rain. The hail rained on the valley for an hour, because of which Lencho's fields were destroyed. There was not a single leaf left on the trees and the flowers were gone from the plants. The corn was completely destroyed.

Q4 :

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What were Lencho's feelings when the hail stopped?

Answer :

When the hail stopped, Lencho's soul was filled with sadness. He looked around at his fields and said that even a plague of locusts would have left more than what was left after the hailstorm. He said that they would have no corn that year andthey would go hungry. He was full of sorrow.

Q5 : Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?

Answer :

Lencho had faith in God. He had been instructed that God's eyes see everything, even what is deep in one's conscience. Therefore, he wrote a letter to God expressing his need for a hundred pesos so that he could sow his field again and live until the crop grew again.

Q6 : Who read the letter?

Answer :

When the postman saw that the letter was addressed to God, he laughed and took the letter to the postmaster, who then read it.

Q7 : What did the postmaster do then?

Answer :

In order to keep the writer's faith in God alive, the postmaster decided to answer the letter. When he read that Lencho needed hundred pesos, he asked for money from his employees. He himself gave a part of his salary. He could not gather the entire amount, but managed to send Lencho a little more than half the amount. He put the money in an envelope addressed to Lencho and signed it 'God'.

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Thinking about the textoral comprehension check : Solutions of Questions on Page Number

: 7

Q1 : Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?

Answer :

Lencho had complete faith in God. The sentences in the story that show this are as follows:

(i) But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley, there was a single hope: help from God.

(ii) All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he had been instructed, see everything, even what is deep in one's conscience.

(iii) “God,” he wrote, “if you don't help me, my family and I will go hungry this year.”

(iv) He wrote 'To God' on the envelope, put the letter inside and, still troubled, went to town.

(v) God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.

(vi) It said: “God: of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest, since I need it very much.”

Q2 : Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?

Answer :

No. Lencho was not at all surprised to see the letter from God with money inside it. His confidence and faith in God was such that he had expected that reply from God.

Q3 : Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter 'God'?

Answer :

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The postmaster sent money to Lencho in order to keep Lencho's faith in God alive. He turned serious when he read Lencho's letter and wished he had the same faith in God. Even after he saw that Lencho had requested for money, he stuck to his resolution of answering the letter. He gathered as much money as he could and sent it to Lencho. He signed it 'God' so that Lencho's faith would not get shaken.

Q4 : What made him angry?

Answer :

He got angry when he counted the money. There were only seventy pesos in the envelope. He was confident that God could neither make a mistake nor deny him what he had requested. Therefore, he concluded that the post office employees must have taken the remaining thirty pesos.

Q5 : Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?

Answer :

No, Lencho does not try to find out who had sent the money to him. This is because he never suspected that it could be anybody else other than God who would send him the money. His faith in God was so strong that he believed that God had sent him the money.

Q6 : Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation? [Remember that the irony of a situation is an unexpected aspect of it. An ironic situation is strange or amusing because it is the opposite of what is expected.]

Answer :

Lencho thought that the post office employees had taken the rest of the money. The irony of the situation was that the employees whom he called a “bunch of crooks” and suspected of taking some of the money were the same people who had contributed and sent him the money in the first place.

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Thinking about the textthinking about language : Solutions of Questions on Page Number : 8

Q1 : There are different names in different parts of the world for storms, depending on their nature. Can you match the names in the box with their descriptions below, and fill in the blanks? You may use a dictionary to help you.

gale, whirlwind, cyclone,

hurricane, tornado, typhoon

1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle:

__ __ c __ __ __ __

2. An extremely strong wind: __ a __ __

3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds: __ __ p __ __ __ __

4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel:

__ __ __ n __ __ __

5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic ocean: __ __ r __ __ __ __ __ __

6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage: __ __ __ __ l __ __ __ __

Answer :

1. Cyclone

2. Gale

3. Typhoon

4. Tornado

5. Hurricane

6. Whirlwind

Q2 : Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of 'hope' in Column B.

A B

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1

.

Will you get the subjects you want to study in colleg

e?

I hope so.

- a feeling that something good will probably h

appen

2

.

I hope you don't mind my saying this, but I don't like

the way you are arguing. -

thinking that this would happen (It may or ma

y not have happened).

3

.

This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS suff

erers. -

stopped believing that this good thing would

happen

4

.

We were hoping against hope that the judges would

not notice our mistakes. -

wanting something to happen (and thinking it

quite possible)

5

.

I called early in the hope of speaking to her before sh

e went to school. -

Answer :

A B

1

.

Will you get the subjects you want to study in coll

ege? Ihope so. -

wanting something to happen (and thinking it quite

possible)

2

.

I hope you don't mind my saying this, but I don't l

ike the way you are arguing. -

showing concern that what you say should not offen

d or disturb the other person: a way of being polite

3

.

This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS s

ufferers. - a feeling that something good will probably happen

4

.

We were hoping against hope that the judges wou

ld not notice our mistakes. -

wishing for something to happen, although this is ve

ry unlikely

5

.

I called early in the hope of speaking to her before

she went to school. -

thinking that this would happen (It may or may not h

ave happened.)

6

.

Just when everybody had given up hope, the fishe

rman came back, seven days after the cyclone. - stopped believing that this good thing would happen

Q3 : Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.

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Greedy Naïve stupid ungrateful

selfish comical unquestioning

Answer :

There might be a few people like Lencho in the real world. He is an unquestioning, naïve kind of a person.

Q4 : There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?

Answer :

The conflict between humans and nature is illustrated by the destruction of Lencho's crops by the hailstorm. Lencho had worked really hard on his fields and the harvest was really important for him. He required the money to feed his family. However, the nature turned violent. The rains were accompanied by a hailstorm, which destroyed the crops. The story also illustrates another conflict, between humans themselves. The postmaster, along with the help of the other post office employees, sent Lencho the money that they could manage to collect. They were not related to Lencho in any manner. It was an act of kindness and selflessness on their part. Even though they did a good deed, Lencho blamed them for taking away some amount of money. He called them “a bunch of crooks”. This shows that man does not have faith in his fellow humans, thereby giving rise to this conflict.

Thinking about language : Solutions of Questions on Page Number : 9

Q1 : Relative Clauses

Join the sentences given below using who, whom, whose, which as suggested. 1. I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)

2. My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well. (who)

3. These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent. (whose)

4. Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)

5. This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)

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Answer :

1. I often go to Mumbai, which is the commercial capital of India.

2. My mother, who cooks very well, is going to host a TV show on cooking.

3. These sportspersons, whose performance has been excellent, are going to meet the President.

4. Lencho prayed to God, whose eyes see into our minds.

5. This man, whom I trusted, cheated me.

Q2 : Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.

1. The trees lost all their leaves.

_______________________________________________________________

2. The letter was addressed to God himself.

_______________________________________________________________

3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.

_______________________________________________________________

Answer :

1. The trees lost all their leaves.

Not a leaf remained on the trees.

2. The letter was addressed to God himself.

It was nothing less than a letter to God.

3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.

Never in his career as a postman had he known that address.

Q3 : In pairs, find metaphors from the story to complete the table below. Try to say what qualities are being compared. One has been done for you.

Object Metaphor Quality or Feature Compared

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Cloud Huge mountains of cl

ouds The mass or 'hugeness' of mountains.

Raindro

ps

Hailston

es

Locusts

An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many p

eople dead.

An ox of a man.

Answer :

Object Metaphor Quality or Feature Compared

Cloud Huge mountains of cl

ouds The mass or 'hugeness' of mountains

Raindrop

s A curtain of rain The draping or covering of an area by a curtain

Hailston

es The frozen pearls The resemblance in colour and hardness of a pearl

Locusts A plague of locusts The consequences (destruction) of plague

Locusts A plague of locusts An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many

people dead

Man An ox of a man The working of an ox in the fields (hard work)

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NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Unit 2

Long Walk to Freedom Class 10

Unit 2 Long Walk to Freedom Exercise Answers & Summary

Oral comprehension check : Solutions of Questions on Page Number : 18

Q1 :

Where did the ceremonies take place? Can you name any public buildings in

India that are made of sandstone?

Answer :

The ceremonies took place in the sandstone amphitheatre formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

The Parliament House in New Delhi, the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi and Madras High Court in Chennai are some examples of Indian public buildings that are made of sandstone.

Q2 :

Can you say how 10 May is an 'autumn day' in South Africa?

Answer :

10 May is an 'autumn day' in South Africa because on this day there was the largest gathering of international leaders on South African soil for the installation of South Africa's first democratic, non-racial government.

Q3 :

At the beginning of his speech, Mandela mentions "an extraordinary human

disaster". What does he mean by this? What is the "glorious … human achievement" he speaks of at the end?

Answer :

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The 'extraordinary human disaster' that Mandela mentioned at the beginning of his speech refers to the inhuman practice of apartheid i.e., the racial discrimination suffered by the blacks at the hands of whites in South Africa. At the end, the 'glorious human achievement' that he spoke of refers to the establishment of South Africa's first democratic, non-racial government.

Q4 :

What does Mandela thank the international leaders for?

Answer :

Mandela felt privileged to be the host to the nations of the world because not too long ago, the South Africans were considered outlaws. He thus thanked all the international leaders for having come to witness his investiture as President since this event could be considered as a common victory for justice, peace and human dignity.

Q5 :

What ideals does he set out for the future of South Africa?

Answer :

Mandela had high hopes for the future of South Africa. He pledged to liberate all South Africans from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination. He also stressed that the beautiful land of South Africa would never ever experience racial discrimination again.

Q6 :

What do the military generals do? How has their attitude changed, and why?

Answer :

The highest military generals of the South African defence force and police saluted Mandela and pledged their loyalty. When the military generals saluted Mandela, he was not unmindful of the fact that not too many years ago, they would not have saluted him, but arrested him. This change in attitude was due to the fact that a new, non-racial government was elected and Mandela was then the President of South Africa.

Q7 :

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Why were two national anthems sung?

Answer :

On the day of the inauguration, two national anthems were sung, one by the whites, and the other by the blacks. This symbolized the equality of blacks and whites.

Q8 :

How does Mandela describe the systems of government in his country (i) in the

first decade, and (ii) in the final decade, of the twentieth century?

Answer :

(i) In the first decade of the twentieth century, the white-skinned people of South Africa patched up their differences and erected a system of racial domination against the dark-skinned people of their own land, thus creating the basis of one of the harshest and most inhumane societies the world had ever known.

(ii) In the last decade of the twentieth century, the previous system had been overturned forever and replaced by one that recognized the rights and freedoms of all peoples, regardless of the colour of their skin.

Q9 :

What does courage mean to Mandela?

Answer :

On seeing men stand up to attacks and torture without breaking and thus showing strength and resilience that defied the imagination, Mandela learnt that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.

Q10 :

Which does he think is natural, to love or to hate?

Answer :

For Mandela, love comes more naturally to the human heart than hate.

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Thinking about the textthinking about languageoral : Solutions of Questions on Page

Number : 24

Q1 :

Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration?

What did it signify the triumph of?

Answer :

BeforeNelson Mandela became the President, South Africa was in the grips of apartheid and was thus declared an outlaw by other nations. When Mandela became the President, he abolished apartheid and thus diplomatic relations were rebuilt with many countries. The inauguration of a new, non-racial government was a historic moment in South African as well as world history. Thus, several distinguished international leaders attended this inauguration. It signified the triumph of justice, peace and human dignity.

Q2 :

There are nouns in the text (formation, government) which are formed from the corresponding verbs (form,govern) by suffixing - (at)ionor ment. There may be change in the spelling of some verb - noun pairs: such

asrebel, rebellion; constitute, constitution.

1. Make a list of such pairs of nouns and verbs in the text.

Noun Verb

rebellion rebel

constitution constitute

2. Read the paragraph below. Fill in the blanks with the noun forms of the verbs in

brackets.

Martin Luther King's __________ (contribute) to our history as an outstanding

leader began when he came to the __________ (assist) of Rosa Parks, a

seamstress who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. In

those days American Blacks were confined to positions of second class

citizenship by restrictive laws and customs. To break these laws would mean

__________ (subjugate) and _______

Answer :

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1.

Noun Verb

Rebellion Rebel

Constitution Constitute

Formation Form

Government Govern

Obligation Oblige

Transformation Transform

Discrimination Discriminate

Deprivation Deprive

Demonstration Demonstrate

Oppression Oppress

Imagination Imagine

2. Martin Luther King's contribution(contribute) to our history as an outstanding leader began when he came to theassistance(assist) of Rosa Parks, a seamstress who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. In those days American Blacks were confined to positions of second class citizenship by restrictive laws and customs. To break these laws would mean subjugation(subjugate) and humiliation(humiliate) by the police and the legal system. Beatings,imprisonment(imprison) and sometimes death awaited those who defied the System. Martin Luther King's tactics of protest involved non-violent resistance(resist) to racial injustice.

Q3 :

What "twin obligations" does Mandela mention?

Answer :

Mandela mentions that every man has twin obligations. The first is to his family, parents, wife and children; the second obligation is to his people, his community and his country.

NCERT Solutions For Class 10 EnglishFirst Flight

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NCERT Solutions For Class 10 English First Flight