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Class 10 English Chapter 6 The Hundred Dresses Part 2 Important Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. State the reason behind the letter of Mr Petronski, Wanda’s father?

Answer: Mr Petronski, Wanda’s father wrote the letter because he was upset to know about what all his daughter had to go through because of her strange name.

Question 2. What do you think about Wanda’s-action of not coming to school anymore?

Answer: Wanda never replied to anyone against their misbehaviour. But due to insult she faced, she decided not to come to school anymore. It was very mature of her age to teach them lesson without any argument.

Question 3. How did Peggy and Maddie try to amend for their behaviour towards Wanda? 

Answer: Both Peggy and Maddie decided to change their behaviour as Peggy had tried to justify that it was not her dress for which she teased her. Maddie decided not to be a mute spectator and promised herself that she would try to protect if anyone would be mocked down.

Question 4. What impression do you form of Wanda Petronski on the basis of reading the lesson ‘The Hundred Dresses’?  
(or)
What kind of a girl was Wanda Petronski?

Answer: Wanda Petronski was a polish girl who was very simple. She used to keep herself calm and silent in every condition and never reacted when Peggy teased her and took it lightly. She always replied everyone with a smile. She even gifted her drawings to Peggy and Maddie which showed her innocent and loving behaviour.

Question 5. Why did Maddie rush to Peggy’s house while gazing at the drawing?

Answer: Maddie rushed to Peggy’s house while gazing at the drawing because she had seen her face in the drawing and wanted to confirm about Peggy for the same.

Question 6. Why did Peggy and Maddie assume that Wanda had received their letter?

Answer: Peggy and Maddie assumed that Wanda had received their letter because in her letter to Miss Mason, Wanda requested her to gift her drawings to both of them.

Question 7. Why did Maddie have sleepless nights?

Answer: Maddie had sleepless nights because she was very upset about what all had happened and couldn’t amend her behaviour towards Wanda as she had shifted to some other city.

Question 8. What did the children of room thirteen do on the Christmas eve?

Answer: The children of room thirteen decorated their room with great love and affection. They decorated it with Christmas bells and a christmas tree.

Question 9. Why was there no reply of the letter written to Wanda by the girls? 

Answer: The girls, Maddie and Peggy, didn’t receive any reply from Wanda either because of her anger towards them or because they wrote the address of her old house in Boggins heights and not of her new house.

Question 10. What did Peggy say to Maddie when they did not find her at Boggins Heights?

Answer: Peggy told Maddie that Wanda had won because of her teasing that inspired her to draw such beautiful dresses otherwise, she would not have been able to win the contest.

Question 11. What did Mr Petronski’s letter say?

Answer: Mr Petronski’s letter said that Wanda would not come to school anymore. Now they were moving to a big city where no one would ask about her funny name.

Question 12. How does Maddie feel after listening to the note from Wanda’s father?

Answer: Maddie feels very sad. She could not put her mind to her work. She had a very sick feeling in the bottom of her stomach.

Question 13. What excuses does Peggy think up for her behaviour? Why?

Answer: Peggy makes an excuse that she never called her a foreigner or made fun of her name. She says that she did not know that Wanda would feel hurt.

Question 14. What are Maddie’s thoughts as they go to Boggins Heights?

Answer: Maddie was thinking that she would tell Wanda they were sorry for their behaviour and ask her not to move away as everybody would be nice to her.

Question 15. Why did Mr Petronski write a letter to the school teacher?

Answer: Mr Petronski wrote a letter to the school teacher because the students of her class made fun of Wanda’s name and dress.

Question 16. What did Peggy and Maddie want to say to Wanda after meeting her?

Answer: Peggy and Maddie wanted to say sorry for their behaviour. They hoped that Wanda would not have left the school/city and they would meet her at Boggins Heights.

Question 17. What happened when Maddie and Peggy recognised Wanda’s house?

Answer: There was no one in the house. Peggy knocked at the door. But she could not get any answer. Peggy repeated it but all in vain. After this they were confirmed that there was no one in the house.

Question 18. What did the girls know at the end/last?

Answer: Maddie and Peggy came to know that Wanda liked them very much. Wanda designed their faces in her dresses. Although they teased her, yet she loved them.

Question 19. What does Maddie want to do?

Answer: Maddie wants to tell Wanda that she never meant to insult her. She was sorry for everything. She did not want Wanda to leave that place. She wants to tell her that she was very much troubled over the incident.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. What did Maddie and Peggy write in the letter to Wanda? What happened to it? How did Maddie behave even though Peggy had begun to forget the whole business?

Answer: Peggy and Maddie wrote a friendly letter to Wanda. Rather than being sorry they asked her about her new school, new teacher. They told her about the result of drawing contest which she had won and that her drawings were very beautiful. They meant to say sorry indirectly. They signed it with lot of X’s for love and didn’t say anything to tease her. But they did not get any reply from her. After sometime Peggy had begun to forget the whole business. But Maddie was surrounded by the thoughts of Wanda and everything that happened to Wanda. She felt guilty and decided not to be silent anymore so that other might not feel ashamed like her.

Question 2. You are ‘Wanda’. You are deeply hurt by the behaviour of your classmates. Express your feelings in the form of a diary entry. 

Answer:
Tuesday , 30th March 20XX 10:00 AM Dear diary,
I am very much aggrieved and disturbed by the insulting words of my classmates: Peggy and Maddie as both of them leave no stone unturned to look me down. And being a Polish girl having a long name, I feel helpless to revert them in the same coin. Peggy is vain; she teases me by asking about my dress. She asks me how many dresses, shoes, hats etc do I have. When I reply that I have a 100 dresses and sixty pairs of shoes; – they ask whether all of them are of different colours and designs. Maddie always remains calm and thus supports Peggy in doing so; she lacks courage to state what is right and what is wrong.

I never react and try to smile at their irritating questions because I know, there will be no difference, between me and them if I too turn the table to their side in the same way. Now that my father has come to know what I am going through, he has decided to shift to another city in order to avoid confrontation and racism as such humiliating circumstances can neither be tolerated nor can be accepted.

Question 3. Give a character sketch of Wanda Petronski?

Answer: Wanda Petronski a polish girl has shifted to America with her parents and younger brother. She is very kind and simple-hearted; she never behaves badly with anyone. She feels disturbed when Peggy teases her. But she replies confidently and courageously to what Peggy says to her. She wears the same blue faded dress everyday but she never complains about anything. She is very talented and has a good hand at drawing. She also wins the drawing contest and thus shows her creative side.

She is forgiving and generous as she forgives Peggy and Maddie by gifting them two of her drawings in which she draws their faces.
So, it can be said that she is a mature, sensible and loving girl who cares about everyone.

Class 10 English Chapter 5 The Hundred Dresses Part 1 Important Questions

Question 1. Describe the reaction of Wanda Petronski to Peggy and Maddie.

Answer: When Peggy and Maddie made fun of Wanda Petronski, she did not speak to them and remained serious. As she had no American friend she walked alone with dull eyes and hitched her shoulders in a funny way.

Question 2. Why did Maddie write a note to Peggy and then tore it?

Answer: Maddie wrote a note to Peggy to stop making fun of Wanda. But she tore it because she thought that it could annoy Peggy and she would make fun of her instead.

Question 3. Explain two dresses of Wanda Petronski in brief.

Answer: Each dress of Wanda was different from the other as one of the dresses was in a brilliant jungle green colour and the other was red sash. Actually each of them were beautiful enough to win the competition individually.

Question 4. What kind of a girl was Peggy?

Answer: Peggy was the most attractive and intelligent girl. She was very sentimental. She couldn’t bear an animal to be hurt and protected small children from bullies, but towards Wanda, she had a different attitude.

Question 5. What was the competition about in the school?

Answer: There was a drawing competition in the school. In the competition all boys had to draw a motorboat and all girls had to make sketches of a dress.

Question 6. Who won the drawing competition in each category? What had they drawn?

Answer: Jack Beggles who drew a motor boat won in the boys category and Wanda Petronski who drew hundred different dresses won the girls medal in the drawing competition.

Question 7. Did Wanda have a hundred dresses? Why do you think she said she did?

Answer: No, Wanda did not have a hundred dresses. She had only one dress. Wanda was a creative girl. She had a hundred designs of different dresses in her mind. She said that she had a hundred dresses to arouse curiosity among the girls who asked her this question mockingly.

Question 8. How does everyone in the class react to Wanda’s drawing?

Answer: Everyone clapped after having a look of Wanda’s drawing. Even the boys who were not interested in drawing applauded and whistled at the taw-dropping sketches that Wanda had made of the hundred dresses she claimed to have.

Question 9. How did the children react when Wanda was declared winner of the contest?

Answer: The children suddenly and spontaneously clapped hands. Even the boys were glad to have a chance to stamp on the floor. They put their fingers in their mouths and whistled, though they were not interested in dresses.

Question 10. What was the opinion of the judges about Wanda?

Answer: Wanda had drawn one hundred designs of dresses, which were all different and all beautiful. In the opinion of the judges any one of the drawings was worthy of winning the prize. So she was declared winner of the girls medal.

Question 11. Where in the classroom does Wanda sit and why?

Answer: Wanda sits in the seat next to the last seat in the last row in Room thirteen. She sits in the corner where there is mud and dirt on the floor. The atmosphere is noisy as well. It is because she has to come from muddy area.

Question 12. Where does Wanda live? What kind of place do you think it is?

Answer: Wanda lives at Boggins Heights. It is a place full of mud and dirt. There is earth all round. There are no metallic roads. The atmosphere must be unhygienic.

Question 13. When and why do Peggy and Maddie notice Wanda’s absence?

Answer: Peggy and Maddie notice Wanda’s absence on Tuesday. But on Wednesday again, Peggy and Maddie noticed that Wanda was not present in the class. They waited for her in the way and they became late on her account. Thus both noticed her absence.

Question 14. What do you think ‘to have fun with her’ means?

Answer: Here it means that Peggy and Maddie desired to enjoy with her. They did not want to tease her but it was a way to pass a happy time.

Question 15. In what way was Wanda different from the other children?

Answer: Wanda was different from other children. She had a funny name. It was hard to speak. She used to say that she had hundred of different dresses. She possessed sixty pairs of shoes.

Question 16. Did Wanda have a hundred dresses? Why do you think she said she did?

Answer: Wanda Petronski did not have a hundred dresses. She used to say that they were all lined up in closet. Wanda was not an ordinary person. She said so to arouse curiosity and she did. She had creative tastes.

Question 17. Why is Maddie embarrassed by the questions Peggy asks Wanda? Is she also like Wanda, or is she different?

Answer: Maddie is embarrassed when Peggy asks Wanda questions about different items like dresses, hats and other things. These questions are in Peggy’s funny voice. It is because Maddie is a poor girl. She wears the old clothes handed by others. Maddie is not like Wanda. She is quite different. She thanks herself that she does not live in Boggins Heights.

Question 18. Why didn’t Maddie ask Peggy to stop teasing Wanda? What was she afraid of?

Answer: One day Maddie was doing her arithmetic sums absentmindedly. She was happy that she had not made any fun of Wanda. She decided to write a note to Peggy requesting her to stop asking Wanda about her dresses. But she had no courage. She thought she would become the next target.

Question 19. Who did Maddie think would win the drawing contest? Why?

Answer: Maddie thought that Peggy would win the drawing and colour contest. It was because Peggy drew better than anyone else in the room. She could even copy a picture from a magazine or some film star’s head alike. Maddie was thus good at making pictures.

Question 20. Who won the drawing contest? What had the winner drawn?

Answer: The drawing contest was won by Wanda Petronski. There were drawings all over the room in dazzling colours. They were very brilliant and had lavish designs. For Wanda’s work, she was given a medal and applauses.

Class 10 English Chapter 4 From the Diary of Anne Frank Important Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Describe Anne’s Feelings about having a diary.

Answer: Anne feels it is silly for a 13 years old teenager to have a diary as it would seem she has many friends and other people to talk to, but in reality, she states she feels very lonely in the world. She wishes her diary to become her friend.

Question 2. Why did Anne feel like writing?

Answer: Anne had no real friend. Even she had a greater need to get all kinds of things off her chest. So, she felt like writing. Though she had a whim that none would take interest in her views because of her small age.

Question 3. Anne was not alone in this world. How?

Answer: Anne was not alone in this world. She had loving parents and a sixteen year old sister. She had a deep intimacy with thirty people. She could call them friends. She had a family, loving aunts and a sweet home.

Question 4. What did Anne think of having a true friend?

Answer: Anne thought that one could have good time with a true friend. Friendship brings closeness and helps in confiding in each other. Though we can talk about ordinary things with anybody else too.

Question 5. Why does Anne Frank think that ‘paper’ has more patience than ‘people’?

Answer: Anne believes that paper has more patience than people because it listens to her more patiently and silently it does not react like other people and also because she can confide in her diary all her secrets.

Question 6. What does Anne Frank tell about her family in her diary?

Answer: Anne Frank tells that she has very lovely and caring family.
Her parents and her elder sister love her a lot. There are about thirty people near by her whom she can call friends. She has loving aunts and a good home but she wants to have a true friend with whom she can share her feelings and thoughts.

Question 7. Describe your views about Mr Keesing as a teacher.

Answer: Mr Keesing seems to be a strict teacher but he actually believes taking actions with good intention and for the development of children. He tries to control her bad habit of talking too much but as soon as he is convinced that her habit does not affect her studies, he overlooks her shortcoming.

Question 8. What does Anne write in her first essay to support her habit of talking so much?

Answer: Anne Frank supports her nantte by stating that talking is a student’s trait and she will try to control it. But she also says that she has got it from her mother and such inherited traits cannot be curbed.

Question 9. What was Mr Keesing’s reaction after reading Anne’s poem on the third essay that he had given to her to write?

Answer: When Mr Keesing read Anne’s poem on the third essay that he had given her to write, he took the joke the right way. He understood the intention of Anne and felt it in good humour. After that he allowed her to talk and did not punish her by assigning her extra work.

Question 10. Why was Anne’s entire class anxious and nervous?

Answer: Anne’s class was anxious and nervous about the result. It was yet to be decided who would be promoted to the higher class or who would not because many deserved it.

Question 11. Describe Anne’s love for her grandmother. 

Answer: When Anne’s grandmother died, she stated that no one could understand her intensity of her love for her grandma. She also said that no one could imagine how much she thought of her. Lighting up extra candle for her during her birthday showed her love for grandmother.

Question 12. Describe about Anne Frank’s early education.

Answer: Anne Frank got her early education at the Montessori Nursery School until she was six. She started in the first form and in the sixth form, she had developed such a good relation with her headmistress Mrs Kuperus that both of them were in tears on the farewell.

Question 13. Why was Anne’s entire class quacking in the boots?

Answer: Anne’s entire class was shaking with fear and nervousness because of the forthcoming teacher’s meeting. The teachers had to decide who would move up to the next grade and who would be kept back or not promoted.

Question 14. Why was Anne in tears when she left the Montessori school?

Answer: Anne studied at the Montessary school. She stayed there till she was in the sixth form. She was very much attached to her teacher and headmistress Mrs Kuperus. At the end of the year they were both in tears as they bid ‘a heartbreaking farewell’.

Question 15. Where did Anne stay before going to Holland?

Answer: Anne’s father emigrated to Holland in 1933 and her mother went with him in September. Anne and her sister did not go with their parents. They were sent to Aachen to stay with their grandmother.

Question 16. Why did Anne feet alone?

Answer: Anne felt alone though she had loving parents, relatives and thirty friends. It was because she could not confide in them. Though she enjoyed their company, yet she could not get close to any one of them.

Question 17. How did Mr Keesing stop punishing her?

Answer: Mr Keesing read the poem by Anne. In this poem, a father swan bit his three ducklings to death. He could not bear their excessive quacking. Mr Keesing took the jokes. He read the poem to the class. He never punished her after that.

Question 18. What punishment was given to Anne?

Answer: Anne was a talkative girl. Her maths teacher was annoyed at her talkative nature. So he gave her an essay “A Chatterbox’ to write as a punishment.

Question 19. Why does Anne want to keep a diary?

Answer: Anne has got no friend with whom she can confide in (her secrets) and pass time. She feels herself alone in this world.

Question 20. Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?

Answer: It is because of the fact that she can have a good time with her diary. She may be able to confide more with her diary by remaining quite close with it. She can even have heart to heart talk with her.

Question 21. Why does Anne provide a brief sketch of her life?

Answer: Anne has named her diary ‘Kitty’. She is her friend now. She will address and talk to her throughout. No one would understand her directly if she fails to give her brief sketch to the people.

Question 22. What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother?

Answer: When the parents of Anne went to Holland, she and her elder sister, Margot went to stay with their grandmother. She loved her very much. She was thinking of her. On Anne’s birthday, a special candle I for the grandma was also lit.

Question 23. How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay?

Answer: Anne was an intelligent girl. She explained in writing the necessity of talking. She argued that talking is a student’s trait. She tried to control it but she was helpless since her mother was more talkative than her. It was her inherited trait.

Question 24. What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in-class?

Answer: Mr Keesing thrice gave Anne a writing job on her talkative nature. On all the three occasions she came out successful. In the third attempt the ball fell on the teacher and he became her victim. Finding himself unsuccessful, he allowed Anne to talk in the class.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Anne called 26th July a ‘tumultuous’ day. Explain the reasons behind it.

Answer: Anne called 26th July a tumultous day as it was full of tension and fright. The first warning siren was sent off in the morning but nobody paid any attention to it because it only meant that the planes were crossing the coast. The siren alarmed again around 2 O’clock in the afternoon. Anne and her sister went upstairs but after five minutes they heard loud gunshots. After half an hour, drone of engines faded and life became normal. The city was enveloped in thick fog. But after dinner time, there was another gun-fire round and swarms of planes. The air was buzz with the drone of engines. Nobody was able to sleep that night because it repeated again at midnight.

Question 2. Why did Anne think that she could confide more in her diary than in the people?

Answer: Anne Frank did not have a friend with whom she could share now. Although she had spent a good time with her friends but she was unable to share her views and thoughts with them. When she got her diary, she decided to share everything with it because she believed that nobody would be interested enough in her musings. So, she treated her diary as her best friend. It would keep her life a secret and would not react like people. She confided everything in the diary; her family, her fear, her loneliness, her life and considered it her best friend.

Question 3. Who helped Anne in writing the essay and how?

Answer: Anne was fond of talking a lot. Mr Keesing punished her and gave her essays to write one after another as she didn’t stop talking in the class. When she was asked to write the essay on Ans. the topic ‘Quack, Quack, Quack said Mistress Chatterbox’ she decided to make it original. Her friend Sanne helped her as she was good at poetry and suggested her to write the entire essay in verse. Anne tried to play a joke on Mr Keesing with the essay. Mr Keesing took it in the right way and read it in the class. He understood that she was not a dull student, but talkative so he allowed her to talk and did not punish her again.

Question 4. Write the character sketch of Anne Frank.

Answer: Anne Frank was born on 12th June 1929 in Frankfurt Germany. She was four years old when her father went to Holland to find a better place for his family to live. She was very intelligent and always wanted to become a writer. She loved Peter even when she had to face opposition from her family in this regard.
She was a very good reader as well, she continued reading books, translated chapters, wrote down the vocabulary and worked hard on her skills. Like any child, she loved her parents but later grew a dislike towards her mother as she compared Anne to Margot. She was always jealous with her. She believed that time would come when the problems would be over. She felt alone although there were thirty people around her but she hardly could call anyone a true friend. Anne died of typhus in the concentration camp at Berger-Belsen in late February or early March of 1945.

The Black Aeroplane
Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Describe author’s feeling while he was flying his aeroplane back to England?

Answer: The author was very excited while he was flying his aeroplane back to England because he wanted to spend his holiday with his family at home.

Question 2. How much fuel was there in the aeroplane when the writer started flying?

Answer: There was sufficient fuel in the tanks of the aeroplane to reach England safely when the writer started flying.

Question 3. What risk did the writer take while flying? Why?

Answer: The writer decided to risk to fly through the storm clouds because he wanted to enjoy his holiday with his family back in England.

Question 4. What did the writer feel inside the clouds?

Answer: When the writer entered the clouds, it became impossible to see outside the aeroplane. The aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air and all the instruments like compass etc stopped working due to the weather conditions.

Question 5. What did the writer, see inside the black clouds?

Answer: The writer saw a black aeroplane which had no lights on its wings. The writer could see the face of the pilot in the black clouds who was waving and signalling him to follow to get out of the storm.

Question 6. Why did the writer follow the pilot of another aeroplane? 

Answer: The writer followed another aeroplane because he had lost the way in the storm and was unable to see anything. The pilot of another aeroplane was helping him to get out of the storm and land safely.

Question 7. Why did the woman in control room get shocked when the writer asked about another aeroplane?

Answer: The woman in the control room was shocked when the writer asked about another aeroplane because there was no such plane flying in the sky that night as she saw on the radar.

Question 8. Why did the writer want to meet the pilot of another black aeroplane?

Answer: The writer wanted to meet the pilot of another black aeroplane to thank him as he had saved the life of the writer by helping him come out from in the storm.

The Black Aeroplane
Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. How did the writer get out of the storm in the night to land safely?

Answer: The writer was flying his old Dakota aeroplane when he saw the black clouds. He was lost in the storm. Suddenly, he saw a black aeroplane by his side, which had no lights, on its wings.

The pilot instructed the writer to follow as he had lost the way. He obeyed him like a child. He was very happy to follow him. After some time the pilot of another plane started to land. The writer followed him blindly through the storm and came out of the clouds. He saw the lights of the runway and landed safely.

Question 2. Why was the writer happy when he decided to fly in the night?

Answer: The writer was very happy when he decided to fly that night because he was going home to his family to enjoy his holiday. When he started, everything seemed to be perfect. The sky was clear, no clouds could be seen and the stars were shining. It all made it an easy task for the writer to fly that night over the sleeping countryside of Paris. His assumption of everything being in place made him happy.

Question 3. The pilot wanted to thank another pilot after his safe landing. Why? What values of the writer are reflected from his action?

Answer: The pilot (writer) of the old Dakota was caught in the storm. He lost his contact with the control room. In this troubling situation, his fuel tank was also empty. He lost all his hopes but suddenly a black strange plane appeared. The pilot of the black place asked writer to follow him. The writer landed safely. After his safe landing, he wanted to thank the pilot of the black plane. This shows his gratitude towards the pilot of the Black Plane. He was thankful to him for saving his life. It shows that the pilot of Dakota had a value of gratefulness in his character.

Question 3. “The Black Aeroplane’ is a mystery Story. Explain.
OR
Do you agree that the story ‘The Black Aeroplane’ is a mystery? Justify your answer with reasons.

Answer: Yes, ‘The Black Aeroplane’ is a mystery story. The pilot of old Dakota was caught in the storm. He was helpless as his instruments had stopped functioning. He did not know what to do. Suddenly he saw a black Aeroplane flying next to him. It was a strange plane flying in the storm without lights.

The pilot of the black aeroplane helped him in landing safely. On landing he turned back to look for the friend but he had disappeared. The black aeroplane had gone, the lady in control centre told him that he was the only one flying that night. There was no other plane. He could not understand who helped him. It was really a big mystery.

Question 4. Define the values that reflect from the action of the pilot of old Dakota aeroplane when he wanted to thank the pilot of the Black aeroplane.
OR
The pilot wanted to thank another pilot after his safe landing. Why? What values of the writer are reflected from his action?

Answer: The pilot of the Old Dakota was caught in the storm. He lost his contact with the control room. In this troubling situation, his fuel tank was also empty. He lost all his hopes but suddenly a black strange plane appeared.

The pilot of the black plane asked the writer to follow him. The writer landed safely. After his safe landing, he wanted to thank the pilot of black plane. This shows his gratitude towards the pilot of black plane. He was thankful to him for saving his life. It shows that the pilot of Dakota had a value of gratefulness

Class 10 English Chapter 3 His First Flight Important Questions

His First Flight
Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly?

Answer: Whenever the young seagull took a little run forward to the extreme edge of the ledge and attempted, to flap his wings, he became afraid. Seeing the vast area of the sea, he thought his wings would never support him.

Question 2. How were Seagull’s parents helping his brothers and sister for “perfecting them in the art of flight”?

Answer: The young seagull was afraid of flying, but his two brothers and a sister had started flying. But his parents were teaching them to be perfect in the art of flying. They were teaching them how to skim the waves and how to dive for fish.

Question 3. What was his family doing on the plateau when seagull failed to draw their attention?

Answer: The two brothers and the sister of the young seagull were half asleep with their heads sunk into their necks. His father was preening the feathers with his beak on his white back. Only his mother, standing on a little mound on the plateau, was looking at him.

Question 4. What was the young seagull’s mother doing before him?

Answer: The young seagull’s mother was standing on the plateau, her white breast thrust forward. She tore a piece of fish that lay at her feet, then she scrapped each side of her beak on the rock.

Question 5. When did the seagull get over his fear of flying over the sea?

Answer: The seagull was afraid of flying over the sea because he thought that he would drown. His family decided to teach him a lesson. They left him unattended. The mother tore at a piece of fish that lay at her feet now and then in his front. Since the seagull was hungry too much, he was. compelled to attempt his first flight in order to get food. He was successful. This is when he got over his fear flying over the sea.

Question 6. Describe the young seagull’s expression when he saw his mother with food.

Answer: The young seagull uttered a joyful scream because he thought that his mother was bringing food for him. He tried to come nearer to her as she flew across.

Question 7. Why did the young seagull feel very miserable on the ledge?

Answer: The young seagull felt very miserable on the ledge as he was alone and his family had already flown away. He was feeling very hungry and had nothing to eat. His condition was worsening because he could not even dive for fish.

Question 8. How did the young seagull and his family celebrate his first flight? 

Answer: When the young seagull started flying and got over his fear, his family screamed around him out of joy. They praised him and offered him scraps of dog-fish out of delight as he made a successful attempt

Question 9. Describe the first flight of the young seagull.

Answer: The young seagull dived at the fish due to hunger and fell
outwards and downwards into space. He thought of getting drowned but his wings spread outwards automatically. He moved downwards and outwards and landed safely on the sea and floated on it without any fear.

Question 10. “He dropped his legs to stand on the green sea.” How did his family react when he did so?

Answer: Being tired and weak with hunger, the young seagull dropped his legs to stand on the green sea. His entire family came around him screaming, praising him and their beaks were offering him scraps of dog-fish.

Question 11. When did the seagull’s flight begin? Where did it end?

Answer: The seagull’s flight began when he moved to the brink of the ledge. He dived at the fish, which was in his mother’s beak. His fight ended when, after being tired of his first flight and being weak, he dropped himself on the surface of the sea and floated on it.

Question 12. How did the seagull get over his fear of the water?

Answer: After his first flight, the seagull was tired of his strange experience. He dropped his two legs to stand on the green sea. He screamed fearfully and attempted to rise again flapping his wings. He overcame his fear of the water by floating on it.

Question 13. Do you sympathise with the seagull? Why?

Answer: We sympathise with the seagull because, due to his fear of flying, he had to remain lonely and hungry, after his family had left him to suffer. He could not muster courage to fly like his brothers and sister.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. How did the mother make the young seagull come out of his fear and teach him the art of flying?
(or)
How did the seagull family help the young seagull overcome his fear and fly?
(or)
Why was the young seagull afraid of flying? What compelled the seagull to finally fly?
(or)
Describe the tricks used by the seagull family to help the young seagull overcome his fear and fly.

Answer: The young seagull was afraid of flying because he thought that his wings won’t support him and he would drown. When his family left him alone of the ledge, he felt alone and was very hungry. They tried hard to make him fly but he never showed the courage to try. His mother knowingly tore a piece of fish near him and flew across to him with it. She came close to him but did not go nearer. Already mad by hunger, he dived at the fish but fell into space. After sometime his wings spread outwards and he began to fly. His family landed on the sea ahead of him. They beckoned him so he landed on the sea and began to sink into water but when his belly touched the water, he floated without any fear and difficulty.

Question 2. Do you think that the seagull’s family loved him? Justify their attitude towards him?

Answer: The young seagull had two brothers and a sister. His parents flew with them to leave him alone on the ledge as he could not muster up the courage to fly with them. His parents could have fed him.

But, they refused to give him any food. They wanted him to fly and dive for his food. They threatened to let him starve. They did so because they loved him.
The parents were right in what they did because they wanted to teach him the importance of confidence and self-reliance. One can’t depend on their parents all his life to be fed. Thus, it was important for him to learn to fly, dive and search his own food. So, the attitude the seagull family showed to him was actually their love, care and concern for him.

Question 3. Why was the young seagull pretending to be asleep? What did he actually observe while doing so?

Answer: The young seagull came to the brink of the ledge. He stood there on one leg with the other leg hidden under his wing. He closed his one eye, then the other, and pretended to be falling asleep. He did so because he wanted to know whether they were interested in him or not but he observed that his family was not noticing him. He saw his brothers and sister lying on the plateau. They were dozing. His father was preening the feathers on his white back. Only his mother was looking at him. Now and then, she tore at a piece of fish that lay at her feet. Then she scrapped each side of the back on the rock.

Question 4. How did the young seagull get over his fear of sea water and what was his family’s reaction on it?

Answer: The young seagull had made his maiden flight successfully. When he was near the sea. he was flying straight over it. He observed a vast green sea all around him. He turned his beak sideways and cawed amusedly. His family was very happy and landed ahead of him. They beckoned to him.
When he landed on the sea, he began to sink but he tried in despair and his belly touched the water and he sank no further. He was floating on water. This way he got over his fear of seawater and his family praised him a lot and offered him the dog-fish as a reward.

Question 5. Fear and lack of confidence stop one from learning new things. Do you agree? How did these two traits of the young seagull make him coward? How did he overcome these short comings?

Answer: Yes, it is true that fear and lack of confidence stop one from learning new things as in the story, the young seagull lacked the value of courage and confidence in his character. He was too scared of flying. His family tried hard to make him fly but he refused to do so because of his fear of sinking in the seawater. They even scolded him for his cowardice. They tried to tempt him with food but he was not willing to learn flying. Once he dived, his fear disappeared and he enjoyed his first flight.

It is a fact that unless we try for something and overcome our fear, we can’t learn anything. Confidence and motivation are two most important traits that make any learning possible.

Class 10 English Chapter 2 Long Walk to Freedom Important Questions

Question 1. Where did the oath-taking ceremony take place?

Answer: The oath-taking ceremony took place in Union Buildings of Pretoria.

Question 2. What promise does Mandela make in the beginning of opening of his oath-taking speech?

Answer: Mandela thanks all the international leaders and guests as he calls it an occasion of joy and victory for Justice. He promises that the country shall not again experience the oppression of one by another.

Question 3. What ideals did Mandela set out for the future of South Africa in his speech?

Answer: Mandela set out ideals for the future of South Africa because he had deep feelings for his country and countrymen. He pledged to liberate all the people from poverty, deprivation and discrimination.

Question 4. What freedom meant to Mandela in childhood? 

Answer: During childhood the meaning of freedom for Mandela was quite limited he considered it to be free to run in the fields, to swim in the clear stream, free to roast mealies and ride the board backs of slow moving bulls.

Question 5. Why did inauguration ceremony take place in the amphitheatre formed by the Union Building in Pretoria?

Answer: It was the first democratic, non-racial government taking oath in South Africa. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries from more than 140 countries around the world and thousands of the people of South Africa of all the races to make the day memorable. So, it took place in, the amphiteatre formed by the Union Building in Pretoria.

Question 6. What are the ideals which Mandela set for the future of South Africa in his swearing- in ceremony?

Answer: Mandela emphasised to liberate all the people from poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discriminations in his swearing-in ceremony.

Question 7. What did Mandela think for oppressor and oppressed? 

Answer: Mandela always thought that both oppressor and oppressed are deprived of their humanity. Oppressor is a prisoner of hatred while oppressed has no confidence in humanity so both of them need to be liberated.

Question 8. What do you understand by Apartheid’?

Answer: ‘Apartheid’ is a political system that divides people according to their race. In this system black-coloured people in South Africa were not free even to discharge their personal and social obligations of being parents, sons and husbands, etc.

Question 9. Describe the effect of the policy of apartheid on the people of South Africa.

Answer: The policy of apartheid could not be considered fortunate for the people of South Africa. It created distance and a deep wound in the country and the people. Many great men like Oliver Tambo, Walttr Sisulu, Yusuf Dadoo, Bram Fischer, etc were produced due to the brutality and oppression. They were men of great character

Question 10. How is courage related to the brave man according to the author of the lesson?

Answer: The author believes that courage is not the absence of fear, but it is the triumph over it. The brave man is not the one who does not feel fear of any kind but he is the one who has the courage to conquer it.

Question 11. Could everyone fulfil the obligations personal or social in South Africa?

Answer: No, everyone was not free to fulfil their obligations because of colour of the skin. If a person tried to fulfil their obligations, they were punished and isolated for being a rebellion.

Question 12. What did Mandela realise about his brothers and sisters? 

Answer: Mandela realised that his brothers and sisters were not free in their own country due to their colour. The freedom of everyone in his society was curtailed. He joined the African National Congress and fought for the freedom.

Question 13. Why was Nelson Mandela changed into a bold man?

Answer: Nelson Mandela was changed into a bold man due to his . desire of the freedom for his country and his countrymen. He wanted to live a life with dignity as he could not enjoy the limited freedom.

Question 14. What did Mandela think about the oppressor and the oppressed?

Answer: Mandela thought about the oppressor and the oppressed that both are robbed equally. A mail who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred. In the same way, if his freedom is taken away, they both are without freedom. So both of them must be liberated.

Question 15. How did ‘hunger for freedom’ change Mandela’s life?

Answer: In the beginning of his life, Mandela was not aware about freedom. Later, Mandela found that his freedom had been taken away from him. As a student, he wanted freedom only for himself but slowly his own freedom became the greater hunger for the freedom of his people. This changed him completely.

Question 16. What are the ‘twin obligations’ referred to by Nelson Mandela?

Answer: According to Nelson Mandela, every man has two obligations in life. The first obligation is to his family, to his parents, wife and children. Secondly, he has an obligation to his country, people, and community.

Question 17. Could a man. according to Mandela, fulfil these twin obligations in a country like South Africa?

Answer: No, these twin obligations could not be fulfilled by a man, in a country like South Africa, according to Mandela. It was because a man of dark colour who attempted just to live as a human being was punished and isolated in the country.

Question 18. What is the meaning of courage to Mandela?

Answer: According to Mandela, courage was not the absence of fear, but triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. Mandela learned the true meaning of courage from his comrades in the struggle.

Question 19. What was unique in the inauguration ceremony?

Answer: The inauguration ceremony took place in the amphitheatre formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria. For decades, this had been the seat of white supremacy. Now it was the oath taking ceremony day for South Africa’s first democratic, non-racial government. It was really a unique occasion.

Question 20. Describe the inauguration ceremony in simple words?

Answer: It was the day of 10th May, 1994. The first democratic, non- racial government was to be installed. Dignitaries from different countries participated in the ceremony. South African men, women and children of all races were present there.

Class 10 English Chapter 1 A Letter to God Important Questions

Short Type Answer Questions

Question 1. Who was Lencho? What were his main problems? 

Answer: Lencho was a hardworking farmer, who lived on the crest of a low hill. Due to the hailstorm his crops were destroyed, so he needed money to sow his field again and support his family. These were the main problems of Lencho.

Question 2. Give a brief description of the view from Lencho’s house?

Answer: Lencho’s house was situated on the crest of a low hill and it was the only one in the valley. One could easily see the river and the field of ripe corn from here.

Question 3. What did Lencho compare the raindrops to and why?

Answer: Lencho compared the raindrops to new coins because the crop needed the rain badly and it was the sign of good harvest. Good harvest meant prosperity for Lencho as he needed the money to fulfil his basic needs.

Question 4. Why did Lencho write a letter to God?

Answer: When.Lencho’s crops were completely destroyed by the hailstorm, he wrote a letter to God because he was the only hope in his despair. Lencho asked him to send hundred pesos to sow his field again and support his family.

Question 5. Why and how did the postmaster help Lencho?

Answer: The postmaster was determined to help Lencho. He did not want Lencho’s faith in God to be shaken so he asked his employees and friends to help Lencho. He also contributed a part of his salary for this act of charity.

Question 6. How much money did Lencho need? How much did he get?

Answer: Lencho got seventy pesos. He was angry at the difference as he needed hundred pesos to sow the crops again and to support his family till the next harvest.

Question 7. Why did Lencho not want the money to be sent through mail? 

Answer: Lencho wrote in his second letter that he received only seventy pesos but he needed a hundred pesos. He requested God not to send rest of the money by post since the post office employees were a bunch of crooks and would steal the money.

Question 8. Do you think that Lencho was right to call the post office employees a bunch of crooks? Why or why not?

Answer: Lencho called the post office employees a bunch of crooks as he did not get full money that he had demanded. He could not believe that God had sent him any less money so he doubted these people. But he was not right to call them a bunch of crooks.

Question 9. How was Lencho sure that it was going to rain?

Answer: Lencho knew his fields intimately and he could predict the weather by looking at the sky. His experienced eyes saw clouds and he predicted rain.

Question 10. What promised a good harvest?

Answer: Lencho felt that the field of ripe corn dotted with flowers always promised a good harvest. That is why he was anticipating a good harvest.

Question 11. How did Lencho regard his field? Why?

Answer: When it started raining Lencho regarded his field with satisfaction. He was happy to see his crop draped in a curtain of rain. He hoped to reap a good harvest.

Question 12. Why was Lencho’s soul filled with sorrow?

Answer: The hail and hailstones rained on the valley for an hour. It had left the field totally covered with snow. The crop was completely destroyed. It made Lencho’s soul filled with sorrow.

Question 13. Why was the family not really upset?

Answer: Though Lencho’s family was facing ruin, yet they were not really upset. It was because having immense faith in God, they were confident that God would help them.

Question 14. Why did the postmaster send a reply to Lencho’s first letter addressed to God?

Answer: The postmaster “was a generous and amiable man. He was impressed by Lencho’s firm faith in God. To sustain that faith, the postmaster sent a reply to Lencho.

Question 15. Why was Lencho angry when he received the letter?

Answer: The postmaster could raise only 70 pesos which he sent to Lencho, supposedly from God. Lencho was angry to find 30 pesos less than the amount he asked for. He was angry because he thought the post office employees had kept 30 pesos sent to him by God.

Question 16. Do you think the post-office employees were ‘a bunch of crooks’?

Answer: No, they were kind, generous and helpful persons. The postmaster contributed a part of his salary and motivated his friends and colleagues for a charitable cause. So they were not a bunch of crooks.

Question 17. How would you describe Lencho?

Answer: Lencho was a simple, naive and a hard-working farmer. He was not only energetic, he had full faith in God also. He became a victim of natural calamity, befit God helped him indirectly.

Question 18. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?

Answer: Lencho said that the raindrops were like new coins. It was because the raindrops could cause a good harvest that his field needed most. Thus he would get a rich crop. Further the raindrops had a brightness like new coins.

Question 19. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?

Answer: The rain changed into heavy hailstone. In no time the whole valley was covered with hailstones. His fields became white as if covered with salt. His com was totally destroyed.

Question 20. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?

Answer: When the hail stopped, Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness. He was very much troubled. His com was totally destroyed. He said, “the hail has left nothing. This year we will have no com. We will all go hungry”.

Question 21. What made Lencho angry?

Answer: Lencho was angry on counting the money since it was less than the amount he had asked for. He had deep faith that God could neither make a mistake nor could deny what was requested.

Question 22. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter “God”?

Answer: The postmaster was a very generous fellow. In order not to shake Lencho’s faith in God, he collected money and sent it to Lencho. The postmaster signed the letter “God”, lest Lencho should think that the money had not been sent by God.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Who was Lencho and what circumstances forced him to write a letter to God?

Answer: Lencho was a hardworking farmer who lived with his family on a crest of a low hill. He was very caring and God loving man. Though, he was a farmer he could read and write. Lencho eagerly waited for the rainfall in order to get good harvest and he became happy when it came. But the pleasing rain changed into hailstorm and destroyed his crop.
He became sad and was worried about his family as they might remain hungry that year. His last hope was the help from God as he had complete faith in him. Hence, he wrote a letter to God asking him to send hundred pesos to survive and to reharvest.

Question 2. Give a character-sketch of Lencho.

Answer: Lencho was a simple man and a hardworking farmer. He worked as an ox in his field. Lencho’s entire crops were badly destroyed by the hailstorm. So, he became very sad as he was worried about his family. He was an optimistic person. Although his only source of living was taken away, he didn’t lose hope. He had his last hope in God. He was confident that God would help him in his distress. Lencho was an innocent atheist who didn’t know that there was no such living person as God who could send him money. He had blind faith in God and sought solution of his problem’Trom God only.

Question 3. Sketch the character of the postmaster in the story ‘A Letter to God”.
(or)
How do you like, the character of the postmaster in the story ‘A Letter to God?” Give reason for your answer.

Answer: The postmaster was a fat and friendly fellow. He was a sensible human being. He first laughed looking at the letter which had a strange address. But soon he became serious. He was surprised at the faith that Lencho had in God. He wanted his faith not to be shaken.
The postmaster himself gave a part of his salary and also requested his employees and a few friends to contribute for charity. He felt happy and satisfied when Lencho received the money. This shows that he was a kind and empathetic person as well. He loved to help others.

Question 4. How did the postmaster and post office employees help Lencho? How did he react to their help?

Answer: The Postmaster and post office employees were very generous as they contributed for the act of charity. First they laughed when they saw Lencho’s letter to God, but soon they were impressed by his faith in God. They decided to send some money to Lencho so that his faith in God does not get shaken. They collected seventy pesos and sent it to Lencho.

When Lencho got the envelope and opened it to count money, he became angry. He again wrote a letter to God demanding the remaining thirty pesos. He thought that post office employees had taken away the remaining money and called them a bunch of crooks, which was not justified at all as they were the people who had helped him. But it shows his innocence and firm faith in God.

Question 5. How did the hailstones affect Lencho’s field? What was Lencho’s only hope?

Answer: Lencho, a hardworking farmer, worked like an ox for a good harvest, depended completely on his fields to  take care of his family. He expected a good harvest that year. He needed a downpour for the crops to ripe, but the rain followed by hailstorm completely destroyed the crops.

It made him sad. He was worried for his family as he loved them so much. But Lencho had firm faith in God and believed that nobody died of hunger. So, he decided to seek help from God. He wrote a letter to God and asked him for a hundred pesos to survive and to sow new crop.

Question 6. “Humanity still exists”, this is what we get to know after reading A letter to God’ in which firm faith in God of a poor farmer and helpfulness of the post office employees are aptly depicted thought. Write a paragraph on the values in it, in about 80-100 words. Give the paragraph a suitable title. 

Answer: Existence of Humanity
After reading ‘A letter to God’, our faith in humanity stirs for strong. We learn from the story that there still are people who help others without any self interest. The postmaster and the post office employees lay an example for everyone of us to be kind. Though they all laughed at his letter, they were really moved by the grip of faith Lencho had in God. The way they all decided to help the stranger in his hard times restores our faith in the existence of humanity and motivates us to be a noble and kind person.

Question 7. Describe Lencho’s qualities in light of his faith in God. Do you have faith in God like Lencho? Was Lencho’s reaction towards post office employees right? 

Answer: Lencho was a poor farmer who totally depended on the harvest to survive and fulfil basic needs of his family. Once his crops were destroyed due to heavy rainfall and hailstones and he was afraid to think how his family would survive. He believed that God would help him in this plight. He had firm faith in God, he believed that God would not let him be hungry.
Now-a-days faith in God like Lencho is almost impossible and unseen. People are very much aware that nobody is willing to help others without any self interest. Lencho’s reaction towards post office employees was not right or justified but it was just because of his innocence as he could not believe that God had done such a mistake. It were only the post office employees who had stolen money according to him.