CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature

NCERT Solutions
First Flight 1
A Letter to God

Page No: 5 Oral Comprehension Check

1. What did Lencho hope for?

Ans: Lencho hoped for rains as then only he could get a better yield and thus feed his family.

2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
Ans: Lencho’s crops were ready for harvest. As raindrops would have helped in getting a
better harvest, resulting in more prosperity, so Lencho compared them with new coins.

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

Ans: The rain was pouring down. But suddenly, a strong wind began to blow, followed by a
devastating hailstorm. All the crops in Lencho's fields were destroyed.

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

Ans: After the hail stopped, Lencho's heart was filled with sadness.He was completely
shattered .He could see a bleak future for him and his family. He was worried about lack of
food for the coming year.

Page No: 6 Oral Comprehension Check

1. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Ans: Lencho had faith in God.He firmly believed that God can see everything,and even
knows what his people have in their hearts.He strongly felt that God will definitely help him
out of this situation. He wrote a letter to God saying that he needed some money to sow his
fields again.

2. Who read the letter?

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Ans: The postmaster read the letter.

3. What did the postmaster do then?

Ans: The postmaster was deeply moved by Lencho's faith in God. He did not want to
disillusion this faith. So he decided to collect the money and also asked his colleagues to
contribute so that he can send it to Lencho.

Page No: 7 Oral Comprehension Check

1.Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Ans: 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 God would definitely send
money and help him out of this situation.

2. What made him angry?

Ans: When he finished counting money, he found only seventy pesos in it. But he had
demanded hundred pesos. He was confident that God could neither make a mistake nor deny
him what he had requested. So,he was pretty sure that the post office employees must have
taken the remaining thirty pesos.

Thinking about the Text

1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
Ans: Lencho has complete faith in God. The following sentences prove his confidence:
(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

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rest, since I need it very much.”

2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
Ans: Postmaster was moved by Lencho’s strong faith in the God. So he decided to send
money to Lencho. Moreover, the postmaster did not want to disillusion him or shake his trust
in God. So, he signed the letter ‘God’. It was a good ploy to convey a message that God had
himself written the letter.

3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?
Ans: No, Lencho did not try to find out who had sent him the money because he trusted God .
His faith in God was so strong that he believed that only God could have sent him the money.

4. 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.]
Ans: Lencho had all his doubts on people working in the post office. The irony of the
situation is that Lencho blames those who had tried to help him out . In real life also we
come across such situations. Many a time you would have tried helping someone and he may
get a wrong message.Lencho thinks that the post office people have taken the money. But the
fact is that they only tried to help him by sending money . But, on the other hand, Lencho
thinks they have stolen his money. He even calls them crooks. Thus ,there is an element of
irony in this situation.

Page No: 8

5.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.

Greedy Naive stupid ungrateful

selfish comical unquestioning

Ans: I don't think there can be any such people in the real world. Lencho is literate and yet
he writes a letter to God and even posts it without writing an address on it.So,he can rightly

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be called naive and unquestioning.

6. There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and
between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
Ans: The conflict between humans and nature is shown when a hailstorm struck the field
and destroyed his farm. As the crops get damaged, Lencho started feeling sad and gloomy
and could foresee his dark future.This appropriately projects the conflict between nature
and man. The story also shows another conflict, between humans themselves. The
postmaster, along with the help of his colleagues , could manage to collect some money and
then sent it to Lencho . 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. This shows that man does not have faith in his
fellow humans, thereby giving rise to this conflict.

Thinking about the Language

1. 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 center 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 __ __ __ __

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Ans: 1. Cyclone
2. Gale
3. Typhoon
4. Tornado
5. Hurricane
6. Whirlwind

2. Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of ‘hope’ in Column B.

A B

Will you get the subjects you want to

a feeling that something good will
1. study in college? −
probably happen
I hope so.

I hope you don’t mind my saying this, thinking that this would happen (It may or
2. −
but I don’t like the way you are arguing. may not have happened).

This discovery will give new hope to stopped believing that this good thing
3. −
HIV/AIDS sufferers. would happen

We were hoping against hope that the wanting something to happen (and
4. −
judges would not notice our mistakes. thinking it quite possible)

showing concern that what you say should

I called early in the hope of speaking to
5. − not offend or disturb the other person: a
her before she went to school.
way of being polite

Just when everybody had given up hope,

wishing for something to happen,
6. the fishermen came back, seven days −
although this is very unlikely
after the cyclone.

Answer

A B

Will you get the subjects you want to wanting something to happen (and
1. −
study in college? I hope so. thinking it quite possible)

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 I hope you don’t mind my saying this, showing concern that what you say should
2. −
but I don’t like the way you are arguing. not offend or disturb the other person: a
way of being polite

This discovery will give new hope to a feeling that something good will
3. −
HIV/AIDS sufferers. probably happen

We were hoping against hope that the wishing for something to happen,
4. −
judges would not notice our mistakes. although this is very unlikely

I called early in the hope of speaking to thinking that this would happen (It may or
5. −
her before she went to school. may not have happened.)

Just when everybody had given up hope,

stopped believing that this good thing
6. the fisherman came back, seven days −
would happen
after the cyclone.

Page No: 9

3. 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 sports persons 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)
Ans: 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 sports persons, 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.

Page No: 10

4. Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas

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emphatically.

1. The trees lost all their leaves.

Ans: The trees lost all their leaves.
Not a single leaf remained on the trees.
2. The letter was addressed to God himself.
Ans: 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.
Ans: The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
Never in his career as a postman had he known that address.

Page No: 11

5.Inpairs, 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

Huge mountains
Cloud The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains.
of clouds

Raindrops

Hailstones

Locusts

An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and

leaves many people dead.

An ox of a man.

Ans:

Object Metaphor Quality or Feature Compared

Huge mountains
Cloud The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
of clouds

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

Hailstones The frozen pearls The resemblance in color and hardness of a pearl

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

An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and

Locusts A plague of locusts
leaves many people dead

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

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 CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature
NCERT Solutions
First Flight 2
Long Walk to Freedom

Page No: 18 Comprehension Check

1. Where did the ceremonies take place? Can you name any public buildings in India
that are made of sandstone?

Ans: The ceremonies took place in the amphitheater of the Union Building of Pretoria. The
Parliament House, The Rashtrapati Bhavan and 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.

2. Can you say how 10 May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa?

Ans: 10 May is known as 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.

Page No: 19

3. 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?

Ans: By "an extraordinary human disaster" Mandela means the inhuman practice of
apartheid i.e. the racial discrimination suffered by the blacks at the hands of whites in South
Africa.He considered it as "glorious human achievement" because of the establishment of
South Africa's first democratic,non-racial government,where the President was a black man.

4. What does Mandela thank the international leaders for?

Ans: Mandela felt privileged to be the host to the nations of the world because not too long

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ago, the South Africans were considered outlaws. On that day most of the countries’
dignitaries were present to attend the swearing in ceremony. 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.

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

Ans: Mandela sets out the ideals of poverty alleviation, removal of suffering of people. He
also dreams of a society where there would be no discrimination based on gender or racial
origins.

Page No: 21 Oral Comprehension Check

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

Ans: The highest military generals of the South African defense force and police saluted
Mandela and pledged their loyalty.
Their attitude towards blacks has suddenly changed. Instead of arresting a black, they
saluted him. If it was during apartheid era ,they would have arrested Mandela. The change
in their attitude was because of struggle and sacrifice put in by many heroes of South Africa.
This struggle not only ensured the freedom of South Africa but also brought a change of
mindsets for many.

2. Why were two national anthems sung?

Ans: On the day of the inauguration, two national anthems were sung.The interpretation of
national anthem from old republic as well as new republic was sign of the pledge of those
who were laying the foundation of a new nation. As it was a pledge to build a society devoid
of any type of discrimination , symbolizing the equality of blacks and whites, and to show
that it will be a truly multicultural society.

3. 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?
Ans: (i) In the first decade of the twentieth century, the white-skinned people of South Africa

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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 replaced by
another more strong pattern ,the one that recognized the rights and freedom of all people,
regardless of the color of their skin.

4. What does courage mean to Mandela?

Ans: For Mandela courage does not mean the absence of fear but a victory over fear.
According to him brave men need not only be fearless but should be able to conquer fear.

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

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

Page No: 24 Oral Comprehension Check

1. What “twin obligations” does Mandela mention?

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

2. What did being free mean to Mandela as a boy, and as a student? How does he
contrast these “transitory freedoms” with “the basic and honorable freedoms”?
Ans: Like any other kid, for Mandela also the freedom meant to make merry and enjoy the
blissful life in every possible way. But once an adult, the antics of childhood look like
transitory because in an adults perspective ,most of the childhood activities are waste of
time.As a grown-up, you have to step out of your comfort zone to earn a livelihood to bring
the bacon home.It is only then that you get an honorable existence in the family and in the
society.

3. Does Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/Why not?

Ans: Mandela does not feel that the oppressor is free because according to him an oppressor
is a prisoner of hatred, who is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness.

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He feels that both the oppressor and the oppressed are robbed off their humanity.

Thinking about the Text

1. Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration? What
did it signify the triumph of?
Ans: The presence of a large number of international leaders was a gesture of solidarity
from international community to the idea of the end of apartheid. It signified the triumph of
good over evil, the triumph of the idea of a more tolerant society without any discrimination.

2. What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those African
patriots” who had gone before him?
Ans: Mandela wants to pay his tribute to all the people who had sacrificed their lives for the
sake of freedom. He feels that he is simply the sum of all those African patriots who had gone
before him as he only was carrying forward the baton of the freedom struggle, the legacy of
leaders of yesteryears who had paved the path of co-operation and unity for him. Therefore,
he got the support of his people to be able to come to power to bring equality for his own
people.

3.Would you agree that the “depths of oppression” create “heights of character? How
does Mandela illustrate this? Can you add your own examples to this argument?
Ans: Yes, I agree that the “depths of oppression” create “heights of character”.Nelson
Mandela illustrates this by giving examples of great heroes of South Africa who sacrificed
their lives in the long freedom struggle. India is full of such examples. During our freedom
struggle ,there was a galaxy of leaders of great characters. Probably the oppression of British
rule created so many men of such characters. If we compare this with the quality of political
leaders India is having today, then Nelson Mandela seems to be absolutely right.

4. How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience?
Ans: With age ,Nelson Mandela realized that he had a lot of responsibilities towards his
people, his community and his country. As a boy, Mandela did not have a hunger for
freedom because he thought that he was born free. He believed that as long as he obeyed his
father and abided by the customs of his tribe, he was free in every possible manner. He had

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certain needs as a teenager and then certain needs as a young man.He slowly understands
that it is not just his freedom that is being curtailed, but the freedom of all blacks. It is after
attaining this understanding that he develops a hunger for the freedom of his people. Thus ,
age and experience made his perspective more wide.

5. How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life?

Ans: Mandela realized in his youth that it was not just his freedom that was being curtailed,
but the freedom of all blacks. The hunger for his own freedom gradually turned into hunger
for the freedom of his people. This desire of a non-racial society transformed him into a
virtuous and self-sacrificing man. Thus, he joined the African National Congress and this
changed the fearful man to a fearless rebel. He sacrificed the comforts of a settled family life
to fight for a greater cause.

Thinking about Language

I. There are nouns in the text (formation,government) which are formed from the
corresponding verbs (form,govern) by suffixing − (ation or ment.) There may be change
in the spelling of some verb − noun pairs: such
as rebel,rebellion;constitute,constitution.

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

Noun Verb

rebellion rebel

constitution constitute

... ...

... ...

... ...

... ...

Ans:

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 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. 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 __________ (humiliate) by the police and the legal
system. Beatings, __________ (imprison) and sometimes death awaited those who defied the
System. Martin Luther King’s tactics of protest involved non-violent __________ (resist) to
racial injustice.

Ans: Martin Luther King’s contribution (contribute) to our history as an outstanding leader
began when he came to the assistance (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

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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.

Page No: 25

II. Here are some more examples of ‘the’ used with proper names. Try to say what these
sentences mean. (You may consult a dictionary if you wish. Look at the entry for ‘the’)
1. Mr Singh regularly invites the Amitabh Bachchans and the Shah Rukh Khans to his parties.
2. Many people think that Madhuri Dixit is the Madhubala of our times.
3. History is not only the story of the Alexanders, the Napoleons and the Hitlers, but of
ordinary people as well.
Ans: 1. This means that Mr Singh regularly invites famous personalities such as Amitabh
Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to his parties.

2. This means that Madhuri Dixit is compared to a landmark in acting in the form of
legendary actress Madhubala.

3. This means that history is not only the story of the great fighters and leaders such as
Alexander, Napoleon and Hitler, but also of ordinary people.

Page No: 26

III.Match, the italicised phrases in Column A with the phrase nearest meaning in
Column B. (Hint: First look for the sentence in the text which the phrase in column A
occurs.)

A B

1. I was not unmindful of the fact. (i) had not forgotten: was aware of the fact

(ii) was not careful about the fact

(iii)
forgot or was not aware of the fact

When my comrades and I were pushed

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2. to our limits (i) pushed by the guards to the wall

(ii) took more than our share of beatings

felt that we could not endure the

(iii)
suffering any longer

3. To reassure me and keep me going (i) make me go on walking

help me continue to live in hope in this

(ii)
very difficult situation

(iii) make me remain without complaining

The basic and honorable freedoms of …

4. (i) earning enough money to live on
earning my keep…

(ii) keeping what I earned

(iii) getting a good salary

Answer

A B

1. I was not unmindful of the fact (i) had not forgotten; was aware of the fact

When my comrades and I were pushed felt that we could not endure the
2. (iii)
to our limits suffering any longer

help me continue to live in hope in this

3. To reassure me and keep me going (ii)
very difficult situation

The basic and honorable freedoms of

4. (i) earning enough money to live on
…earning my keep…

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 CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature
NCERT Solutions
First Flight 3
Two Stories about Flying

Page No: 36 Thinking about Text

1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? Do you think all young birds are afraid to
make their first flight, or are some birds more timid than others? Do you think a
human baby also finds it a challenge to take its first steps?

Answer: It is very well said that challenges make you strong and let you face your fear.The
young seagull also had a challenge to face, and he was afraid because it was his first flight.I
think mostly all young birds must be afraid to make their first flights but exceptions are
always there as they might not find it much challanging.Similarly, a human baby would also
find it a challenge to take their first step.

2. “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the
young seagull to finally fly?

Answer: The young seagull was very hungry. It was this hunger that ultimately compelled
and encouraged him to fly. When he saw his mother tearing at a piece of fish that lay at her
feet, his hunger intensified .He cried and begged her to give him some food. When he saw
her coming towards him with food in her beak, he screamed with joy and anticipation.
However, she stopped midway. Not being able to resist his hunger any longer, he dived at the
food in her beak. At that moment, his hunger overpowered his fear of the great expanse of
sea beneath the cliff. Finally, this plunge was followed by the seagull's first flight.

3. “They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. “Why did the seagull’s father and
mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?

Answer: The young seagull was afraid to fly. Even when he saw his parents, teaching and
helping his brothers and sisters to fly ,he still could not gather enough courage to make that
first flight. That is why his father and mother were scolding and taunting him of his

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cowardice.They threatened to let him starve on the ledge if he did not fly. They did so
because they wanted him to overpower his fear and take his first flight.

The Black Aeroplane

By Fredrick Forsyth

Page No: 40 Thinking about the Text

1. “I’ll take the risk.” What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?
Answer: The risk is to fly through the black storm clouds. The narrator takes the risk
because he wanted to reach Paris to celebrate Christmas with his family.

2. Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.
Answer: As he flew into the storm, everything went black. It was impossible to see anything
outside the plane. It jumped and twisted in the air. When he looked at his compass, he saw
that it was turning round and round. It was dead. Along with it, the other instruments,
including the radio, were also dead. Suddenly, he saw another aeroplane. Its pilot waved at
him, asking him to follow. He was glad to find a helper. He was using his last fuel tank and
there was only enough fuel to fly five or ten minutes more. Then, the other pilot started to go
down and he followed. He suddenly came out of the clouds and saw the runway, on which he
then landed his plane safely.

3. Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old
Dakota…”?
Answer: He was delighted to land safely out of dark stormy clouds, so, he was not sorry to
walk away from his plane. He felt bad, when he was no able to thank his guide, who guided
and saved him from that frightening situation, but he was so happy after landing that he
didn't feel sorry for not being able to thank the guide pilot.

4. What made the woman in the control centre look at the narrator strangely?
Answer: The women in the control room was surprised and looked at him strangely ,when
the narrator asked about the other aeroplane and its pilot. She said that no other areoplane
was seen on the radar during that time as the storm had already begun.

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5. Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves
and give reasons for your answer.
Answer: Probably, it was the narrator’s own self that helped him through the storm. There
was no other plane in the storm as the woman at the control centre could see only his plane
on the radar. Also, no other plane was flying that night. In his fear, he might have been
hallucinating. He was a good pilot, and it might have been his own self that came to his help.

Thinking about the Language

1. Try to guess the meanings of the word ‘black’ in the sentences given below. Check the
meanings in the dictionary and find out whether you have guessed right.
1. Go and have a bath; your hands and face are absolutely black __________.
2. The taxi-driver gave Ratan a black look as he crossed the road when the traffic light was
green.__________
3. The bombardment of Hiroshima is one of the blackest crimes against humanity. __________
4. Very few people enjoy Harold Pinter’s black comedy. __________
5. Sometimes shopkeepers store essential goods to create false scarcity and then sell these
in black. __________
6. Villagers had beaten the criminal black and blue. __________
Answer: 1. The meaning of ‘black’ in this sentence is that the face and hands are dark with
dust and heat.
2. Here, ‘black’ refers to an angry look.
3. Here, ‘blackest’ refers to the darkest and heinous crime against humanity.
4. Here, ‘black’ refers to dark and gloomy comedy.
5. The meaning of ‘black’ in this sentence is that the shopkeepers sell these goods ‘at a higher
price’.
6. Here, ‘black’ means that the criminal was beaten badly by the villagers.

Page No: 41

2.Match the phrases given under Column A with their meanings given under Column B:

A B

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 1. Fly a flag − Move quickly/suddenly

2. Fly into rage − Be successful

3. Fly along − Display a flag on a long pole

4. Fly high − Escape from a place

5. Fly the coop − Become suddenly very angry

Answer:

A B

1. Fly a flag − Display a flag on a long pole

2. Fly into rage − Become suddenly very angry

3. Fly along − Move quickly/suddenly

4. Fly high − Be successful

5. Fly the coop − Escape from a place

3. We know that the word ‘fly’ (of birds/insects) means to move through air using wings.
Tick the words which have the same or nearly the same meaning.

swoop flit paddle flutter

ascend float ride skim

sink dart hover glide

descend soar shoot spring

stay fall sail flap

Answer: The words which have the same or nearly the same meaning as ‘fly’ are as follows:
swoop, flit, float, dart, soar, hover, sail, skim, glide, flutter

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 CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature
NCERT Solutions
First Flight 4
From the Diary of Anne Frank

Page No: 49 Activity

1. Do you keep a diary? Given below under ‘A’ are some terms we use to describe a
written record of personal experience. Can you match them with their descriptions
under ‘B’? (You may look up the terms in a dictionary if you wish.)

A B

A book with a separate space or page for each day, in which you write down
(i) Journal
your thoughts and feelings or what has happened on that day

(ii) Diary A full record of a journey, a period of time, or an event, written every day.

(iii) Log A record of a person’s own life and experiences (usually, a famous person)

(iv)
A written record of events with times and dates, usually official
Memoir(s)

Ans:

A B

(i) Journal A full record of a journey, a period of time, or an event, written everyday

A book with a separate space or page for each day, in which you write down
(ii) Diary
your thoughts and feelings or what has happened on that day

(iii) Log A written record of events with time and dates , usually official

(iv)
A record of a person’s own life and experiences (usually a famous person)
Memoir(s)

2. Here are some entries from personal records. Use the definitions above to decide
which of the entries might be from a diary, a journal, a log or a memoir.

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(i) I woke up very late today and promptly got a scolding from Mum! I can’t help it − how can
I miss the FIFA World Cup matches?
Ans: Diary

(ii) 10:30 a.m. Went to the office of the Director

01:00 p.m. Had lunch with Chairman
05:45 p.m. Received Rahul at the airport
09:30 p.m. Dinner at home
Ans: Log

(iii) The ride to Ooty was uneventful. We rested for a while, every 50 km or so, and used the
time to capture the magnificent landscape with my handy cam. From Ooty we went on to
Bangalore.
What a contrast! The noise and pollution of this once − beautiful city really broke my heart.
Ans: Journal

(iv) This is how Raj Kapoor found me − all wet and ragged outside R. K. Studios. He was then
looking for just someone like this for a small role in Mera Naam Joker, and he cast me on the
spot. The rest, as they say, is history?
Ans: Memoir

Page No: 51 Comprehension Check

1. What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank?

Ans:It is a strange experience for her because of two reasons. First ,she had never written
anything like this before and secondly she thought that apparently nobody would be
interested in musings of a thirteen year old girl.

2. Why does Anne want to keep a diary?

Ans: Anne wants to keep a diary as she doesn't have friends.She needs some channel
through which she can get rid off all the burden and pain she is suffering from. Hence, she
wants to keep a diary. Anne Frank is searching for a friend in the form of her diary.

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3. Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?
Ans: The friends she had were there to have more fun and good times rather than the
ones whom she could confide in. She also believed that a paper has more patience than
people, so she decided to write and confide in a diary.

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

Ans:A good introduction gives a brief explanation about what a reader is going to
read.So,Anne provides a brief sketch of her life since no one would understand a word of her
musings if she were to jump right in.

2. What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother?

Ans: Her statement, that no one could understand her intensity of love for her grandma tells
that she loved her grandmother. Moreover, the touching gesture of lighting up one candle for
grandmother during Anne’s birthday is also a poignant reminder of her love for grandma.

Page No: 54 Oral Comprehension Check

1. Why was Mr Keesing annoyed with Anne? What did he ask her to do?
Ans: Mr. Keesing was annoyed with Anne because she was very talkative and this distracted
everybody in the class. He assigned her extra homework, asking her to write an essay on the
subject, ‘A Chatterbox’.

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

Ans: She gave two arguments to justify her being a 'Chatterbox' in the essay, one that
chatting is student's hobby and other reason that nothing can be done about the inherited
traits .She carried these genes from her mother as she was also very talkative.

3. Do you think Mr Keesing was a strict teacher?

Ans: Mr. Keesing may or may not be a strict teacher. But he expected discipline and silence
in his class while he was teaching, which is acceptable.He punished Anne by asking her to
write an essay on ‘A Chatterbox’. When Anne wrote a convincing essay on it, he received it
with a good laugh. However, when Anne continued with her talking, he punished her again
by asking her to write another essay; this time the topic was ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox’.

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Even after this when she kept talking, he asked her to write on the topic ‘Quack Quack
Quack, said Mistress Chatterbox”. He was trying to control a supposedly bad habit of Anne.
However, she came up with a brilliant poem, and he read this poem in the class,
acknowledging its content. Therefore, in regard of these events, Mr. Keesing cannot be
entirely labeled as a strict teacher. He was fun-loving too.

4. What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in class?

Ans: Anne was able to justify her talkative nature every time she was punished by Mr.
Keesing. On three occasions, as punishment, he gave her topics to write essays on. However,
on each occasion he was impressed by the manner in which she presented her arguments.
This helped Mr. Keesing to see the lighter side of a natural bubbly behavior of a teenager.
Finally, Mr. Keesing accepted the fact that Anne would always be that way. Hence, she was
allowed to talk in class.This also helped bridge the gap between the teacher and the student.

Thinking about the Text

1. Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings
of a thirteen-year-old girl?
Ans: No, Anne was not right when she said that the world would not be interested in the
musings of a thirteen-year-old girl.As most of the people do not want to see the world from a
child’s perspective because children are too immature for them. People seldom believe that a
child can also have beautiful insights about the trials and tribulations of human life.But
Anne became one of the most talked about author with her dairy"The Diary of a Young Girl".

2. There are some examples of diary or journal entries in the ‘Before You Read’ section.
Compare these with what Anne writes in her diary. What language was the diary
originally written in? In what way is Anne’s dairy different?
Ans: Anne’s diary was originally written in Dutch. Her diary was different from the others in
many aspects. She had named her diary ‘Kitty’. She thought of it as her only true friend
whom she could confide in. She treated it as another person who was listening to her daily
accounts. She wrote all her stories in it. She started by writing ‘Dearest kitty’ and ended the
account by writing ‘Yours, Anne’. Her diary was a lot more personal than other diaries, it
had informal tone which portrayed the exuberance and carefree nature of a teenager.

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3. Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch about her family? Does she treat ‘Kitty’ as
an insider or an outsider?
Ans: Anne Frank claims that paper has more patience than people. She usually sits
depressed and all alone .She claims of having no real friend .This lends the reader the
perception that there isn’t any body to take care of Anne Frank. To clear the clouds of doubt
and let her readers understand her well, Anne Frank gives the sketch of her adorable father,
compassionate mother, kind grandmother, and loving sister.
She treated Kitty as an insider because she called it her best friend and was ready to confide
in it.

4. How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs Kuperus and Mr
Keesing? What do these tell you about her?
Ans:Anne had fond memories of all the people in her life. Anne felt that her father was the
most adorable father she had ever seen.
Anne remembered her grandmother even after her death. She wrote in her diary that no one
knew how often she thought of her grandmother and still loved her.
In the sixth form at the Montessori nursery school, her teacher was Mrs Kuperus, who was
also the headmistress. At the end of the year, they were both in tears as they had a
heartbreaking farewell.
Mr Keesing was her Math teacher. He was always annoyed with her because she talked too
much. However, Anne was able to justify her talkative nature every time she was punished
by Mr. Keesing. On each occasion, he was impressed by the manner in which she presented
her arguments.
All these incidents show how lovable and smart Anne was. Everybody was attached to her,
and even Mr Keesing could not help but laugh at her essays and acknowledge her smart
mind.

5. What does Anne write in her first essay?

Ans: In her first essay, titled ‘A Chatterbox’, Anne wanted to come up with convincing
arguments to prove the necessity of talking. She began thinking about the subject. She wrote
three pages and was satisfied. She argued that talking was a student’s trait and that she
would do her best to keep it under control. She very frankly accepted that she would never

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be able to get rid of this habit since she carried it in her genes as her mother talked as much
as she did. There was not much that one could do about inherited traits. Mr. Keesing too had
a good laugh reading her arguments.

6. Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr. Keesing unpredictable? How?
Ans: Anne felt that a quarter of her class was dumb, and should be kept back and not
promoted to the next class. However, she also felt that teachers were the most unpredictable
creatures on earth. Mr. Keesing could be termed as unpredictable. The way Anne always
talked while the class was going on, any teacher would lose his temper. However, after
several warnings, all Mr Keesing did was to assign her extra homework. She had to write an
essay on 'A Chatterbox'. In this way, he tried to play a joke on her. Each time that he asked
her to write such essays, she wrote very well. She kept countering his jokes. One could not
have predicted that he would take all the jokes in the right spirit. Finally, when she wrote an
entire essay in verse he accepted her talkative nature and actually allowed her to talk in
class. He did not even assign her any more extra homework. That is why it can be said that
Mr. Keesing was unpredictable.

7. What do these statements tell you about Anne Frank as a person?

(i) We don’t seem to be able to get any closer, and that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my fault that
we don’t confide in each other.
(ii) I don’t want to jot down the facts in this diary the way most people would, but I want the
diary to be my friend.
(iii) Margot went to Holland in December, and I followed in February, when I was plunked
down on the table as a birthday present for Margot.
(iv) If you ask me, there are so many dummies that about a quarter of the class should be
kept back, but teachers are the most unpredictable creatures on earth.
(v) Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the trick was to
come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of taking.
Ans: (i) These lines show that Anne had no true friend whom she could confide in. She even
put the blame on herself that the fault might be hers.
(ii) This line shows that Anne really considered her diary as a friend whom she could trust
and narrate all her stories to. She did not want just a diary in which she could write down
the facts like others did. She considered it as her friend and named her Kitty.

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(iii) This statement shows that Anne was a fun-loving person. She was witty and knew how to
present things in a funny way. She narrated this incident with a lot of fun. The use of
‘plunked down’ shows her sense of humor.
(iv) This statement shows that she had an opinion on everything. She thought that a quarter
of her class was full of dummies, signifying that she herself was intelligent enough to make it
to the next class. She thought of teachers as the most unpredictable creatures on earth
because nobody could say which students would fail and which students would be passed on
to the next class.
(v) This statement shows that Anne knew a lot about writing. She was given the task of
writing an essay as a punishment. She took it with full vigor. She did not want to write it like
others who merely left big spaces between the words to make the essay look voluminous. She
knew that the trick was to come up with a convincing argument to prove the necessity of
talking. She was different in her approach from everybody else.

Page No: 55 Thinking about Language

I. Match the compound words under ‘A’ with their meanings under ‘B’. Use each in
sentence.

A B

1. Heartbreaking - obeying and respecting the law

2. Homesick - think about pleasant things, forgetting about the present

3. Blockhead - something produced by a person, machine or organization

4. Law-abiding - producing great sadness

5. Overdo - an occasion when vehicles/machines stop working

6. Daydream - an informal word which means a very stupid person

7. Breakdown - missing home and family very much

8. Output - do something to an excessive degree

Ans:

A B

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 1. Heartbreaking - producing great sadness

2. Homesick - missing home and family very much

3. Blockhead - an informal word which means a very stupid person

4. Law-abiding - obeying and respecting the law

5. Overdo - do something to an excessive degree

6. Daydream - think about pleasant things, forgetting about the present

7. Breakdown - an occasion when vehicles/machines stop working

8. Output - something produced by a person, machine or organization

II. 2. Now find the sentences in the lesson that have the phrasal verbs given below.
Match them with their meanings.

(i) plunge in speak or write without focus

(ii) kept back stay indoors

(iii) move up make (them) remain quiet

(iv) ramble on have a good relationship with

(v) get along with give an assignment (home work) to a person authority (the teacher)

(vi) calm down compensate

(vii) stay in go straight to the topic

(viii) make up for go to the next grade

(ix) hand in not promoted

Ans: (i) plunge in − go straight to the topic

- Since no one would understand a word of my stories to Kitty if I were to plunge right in, I’d
better provide a brief sketch of my life, much as I dislike doing so.
(ii) kept back − not promoted
- The reason, of course, is the forthcoming meeting in which the teachers decide who’ll move
up to the next form and who’ll be kept back.

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(iii) move up − go to the next grade
- The reason, of course, is the forthcoming meeting in which the teachers decide who’ll move
up to the next form and who’ll be kept back.
(iv) ramble on − speak or write without focus
- Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the trick was to
come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking.
(v) get along with − have a good relationship with
- I get along pretty well with all my teachers.
(vi) calm down − make (them) remain quite
- Even G.’s pleading advances and my angry outbursts can’t calm them down.
(vii) stay in − stay indoors
- I thought of this saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed and was
sitting at home with my chin in my hands, bored and listless, wondering whether to stay in
or go out.
(viii) make up for − compensate
- This birthday celebration in 1942 was intended to make up for the other.
(ix) hand in − give an assignment (homework) to a person in authority (the teacher)
- I handed it in, and Mr Keesing had nothing to complain about two whole lessons.

Page No: 56

III. 1. Here are a few sentences from the text which have idiomatic expressions. Can
you say what each means? (You might want to consult a dictionary first.)

(i) Our entire class is quaking in its boots.

Ans: Our entire class is quaking in its boots means shaking with fear and nervousness

(ii) Until then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart.

Ans: Until then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart means not to lose hope

(iii) Mr Keesing was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much.

Ans: Mr. Keesing was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much means for a long
period of time.

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(iv) Mr Keesing was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make
sure the joke was on him.

Ans: Mr. Keesing was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make
sure the joke was on him means he was outwitted by her

2. Here are a few more idiomatic expressions that occur in the text. Try to use them in
sentences of your own.

(i) caught my eye (iii) laugh ourselves silly

(ii) he’d had enough (iv) can’t bring myself to

Ans: (i) caught my eye

- A small red car passing by caught my eye.
(ii) he’d had enough
- He'd had enough of his nonsense.It had to be stopped right now.
(iv) laugh ourselves silly
- One girl said something funny, and we laughed ourselves silly.
(v) can’t bring myself to
- I can’t bring myself to eat anything but chocolates.

Page No: 57

IV. You have read the expression ‘not to lose heart’ in this text. Now find out the
meanings of the following expressions using the word ‘heart’. Use each of them in a
sentence of your own.

1. break somebody’s heart

2. close/dear to heart
3. from the (bottom of your) heart
4. have a heart
5. have a heart of stone
6. your heart goes out to somebody
Ans: 1. break somebody’s heart − to upset somebody deeply

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It has unfortunately become very easy these days to break somebody’s heart.
2. close/dear to heart − something or someone who is near and close to you
The drawing given to me by my little daughter is very close to my heart.
3. from the (bottom of your) heart − genuinely meaning or feeling something
He loved his son from the bottom of his heart.
4. have a heart − to evoke the feeling to help someone in distress
The poor beggar asked the rich man to have a heart and give him something to eat.
5. have a heart of stone − to not feel anything or any sentiment
The cruel landlady has a heart of stone as she beats up her children.
6. your heart goes out to somebody − to sympathies with someone else and understand his
feelings and distress
My heart goes out to the little girl who lost both her parents in a car accident.

Page No: 58

V. 1. Make a list of the contracted forms in the text. Rewrite them as full forms of two
words.
For example:
I’ve = I have
2. We have seen that some contracted forms can stand for two different full forms:
I’d = I had or I would
Find in the text the contracted forms that stand for two different full forms, and say what
these are.
Ans: (i) I’ve − I have
(ii) Doesn't − does not
(iii) Won’t − would not
(iv) I’m − I am
(v) Don’t − do not
(vi) Can’t − cannot
(vii) it’s − it is
(viii) That’s − that is
(ix) I’d − I would
(x) Didn't − did not

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(xi) Who’ll − who will
(xii) You’re − You are
(xiii) We’ll − We will
(xiv) There’s − there is
(xv) He’d − he had
(xvi) Who’s − who is
(xvii) Haven’t − have not
2 (i) I’d − I had or I would
(ii) He’d − He had or he would

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 CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature
NCERT Solutions
First Flight 7
Glimpses of India

Page No: 86 Oral Comprehension Check

1. What are the elders in Goa nostalgic about?

Ans: The elders in Goa were nostalgic about the good old Portuguese days, the Portuguese,
and their famous loaves of bread.

2.Is bread-making still popular in Goa? How do you know?

Ans: Yes, bread-making is still popular in Goa. The author has described about the existence
of time-old furnaces and their still burning fire. The Goan society is still having moulders,
bread mixers and bakers.

3. What is the baker called?

Ans: The baker is called a pader.

4. When would the baker come everyday? Why did the children run to meet him?
Ans: The baker would come twice every day, once when he set out in the morning on his
selling round, and then again, when he returned after emptying his huge basket. The
children ran to meet him not because of their love of the loaf, but because they actually
longed for the bread-bangles which sometimes, was a sweet bread of special make.

Page No: 87 Oral Comprehension Check

1. Match the following. What is a must

(i) as marriage gifts? cakes and bolinhas

(ii) for a party or a feast? sweet bread called bol
(iii) for a daughter’s engagement? bread

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 (iv) for Christmas? sandwiches

Ans:

(i) as marriage gifts? sweet bread called bol

(ii) for a party or a feast? bread
(iii) for a daughter’s engagement? sandwiches
(iv) for Christmas? cakes and bolinhas

2. What did the bakers wear: (i) in the Portuguese days? (ii) when the author was
young?
Ans: (i) In the Portuguese days, the bakers had a peculiar dress known as the kabai. It was a
single-piece long frock reaching down to the knees.
(ii) When the author was young, he saw the bakers wearing a shirt and trousers, which were
shorter than full-length ones and longer than half pants.

3. Who invites the comment − “he is dressed like a pader”? Why?

Ans: Anyone who wears a half-pant which reaches just below the knees invites the comment
that “he is dressed like a pader”. This was so because the bakers were known as pader and
they wore such half pants.

4. Where were the monthly accounts of the baker recorded?

Ans: The monthly accounts of the baker were recorded on some wall in pencil.

5. What does a ‘jackfruit-like appearance’ mean?

Ans: A ‘jackfruit-like appearance’ means a plump physique. Such a physique was linked to
the bakers because they never starved. Baking was apparently a profitable profession. The
baker, his family, and his servants always looked happy and prosperous and had a ‘jackfruit-
like appearance’.

Page No: 88

1.Which of these statements are correct?

(i) The pader was an important person in the village in old times.

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(ii) Paders still exist in Goan villages.
(iii) The paders went away with the Portuguese.
(iv) The paders continue to wear a single-piece long frock.
(v) Bread and cakes were an integral part of Goan life in the old days.
(vi) Traditional bread-baking is still a very profitable business.
(vii) Paders and their families starve in the present times.
Ans: (i) Correct
(ii) Correct
(iii) Incorrect. The paders still exist in Goan villages.
(iv) Incorrect. The paders wear shirts, and trousers that are shorter than full-length ones and
longer than half pants.
(v) Incorrect. Bread and cakes are still an integral part of Goan life.
(vi) Correct
(vii) Incorrect. Baking is still a very profitable business in Goa.

2. Is bread an important part of Goan life? How do you know this?

Ans: Bread is an important part of Goan life.Marriage gifts are meaningless without the
sweet bread known as the bol. For a party, bread is a must, while for Christmas, cakes and
bolinhas are a must. Sandwiches must be prepared by the lady of the house on her
daughter’s engagement. The author says that everybody loves the fragrance of loaves. The
elders were given loaves and the children were given bread-bangles, which they longed for.
Also, the fact that bakery is a profitable profession shows that the love for bread is enormous
in Goa.

3.Tick the right answer. What is the tone of the author when he says the following?
(i) The thud and the jingle of the traditional baker’s bamboo can still be heard in some
places. (nostalgic, hopeful, sad)
(ii) Maybe the father is not alive but the son still carries on the family profession. (nostalgic,
hopeful, sad)
(iii) I still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves. (nostalgic, hopeful, naughty)
(iv) The tiger never brushed his teeth. Hot tea could wash and clean up everything so nicely,
after all. (naughty, angry, funny)

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(v) Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals. (sad, hopeful,
matter-of-fact)
(vi) The baker and his family never starved. They always looked happy and prosperous.
(matter-of-fact, hopeful, sad)
Ans: (i)Nostalgic
(ii) Nostalgic
(iii) Nostalgic
(iv) Funny
(v)Matter-of-fact
(vi)Matter-of-fact

II. Coorg

By Lokesh Abrol

Page No: 92 Thinking about the Text

1. Where is Coorg?

Ans: Coorg is the smallest district of Karnataka, located midway between Mysore and
Mangalore.

2. What is the story about the Kodavu people’s descent?

Ans: It is believed that Kodavu people are of Arabic origin. It is said that some of Alexander’s
army men moved to south and settled there. Their costume, martial practices and marriage
rituals also point to the fact that they are from Arabic origin.

3.What are some of the things you now know about

(i) the people of Coorg?
(ii) the main crop of Coorg?
(iii) the sports it offers to tourists?
(iv) the animals you are likely to see in Coorg?
(v) its distance from Bangalore, and how to get there?
Ans: (i)The people of Coorg are fiercely independent. They are of Greek or Arabic descent.

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They have a tradition of hospitality. They enjoy recounting numerous tales of valour related
to their sons and fathers. Kodavus are the only people in India permitted to carry firearms
without a license. The author has described the people of Coorg as a proud race of martial
men and beautiful women.
(ii) Coffee is the main crop of Coorg. The coffee estates stand tucked under tree canopies in
prime corners.
(iii) The sports that Coorg offers to tourists are river rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock
climbing, mountain biking, and trekking.
(iv) The animals that one is likely to see in Coorg are birds, bees, butterflies, macaques,
Malabar squirrels, langurs, loris, and wild elephants.
(v) The distance between Coorg and Bangalore is around 260 km.From Mysore, it is 146 Kms
and there is good train connectivity between Mysore and Coorg. From Bangalore, bus
services are also available. From the rest of India, anybody can reach Bangalore airport by
flight and proceed towards Coorg.

Page No: 93

4.Here are six sentences with some words in italics. Find phrases from the text that
have the same meaning. (Look in the paragraphs indicated)
(i) During monsoons it rains so heavily that tourists do not visit Coorg. (para 2)
(ii) Some people say that Alexander’s army moved south ,along the coast and settled there.
(para 3)
(iii) The Coorg people are always ready to tell stories of their sons’ and fathers’ valour. (para
4)
(iv) Even people who normally lead an easy and slow life get smitten by the high-energy
adventure sports of Coorg. (para 6)
(v) The theory of the Arab origin is supported by the long coat with embroidered waist-belt
they wear. (para 3)
(vi) Macaques, Malabar squirrels observe you carefully from the tree canopy. (para 7)
Ans: (i) keep many visitors away
(ii) as one story goes
(iii)are more than willing to recount
(iv) the most laid back individuals become converts to

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(v) draws support from
(vi) keep a watchful eye

Thinking about the Language

1.Here are some nouns from the text.

culture monks surprise experience weather tradition

Work with a partner and discuss which of the nouns can collocate with which of the
adjectives given below. The first one has been done for you.

unique terrible unforgettable serious ancient wide sudden

(i) culture unique culture, ancient culture
(ii) monks _________
(iii) surprise _________
(iv) experience _________
(v) weather _________
(vi) tradition _________

Ans:

(i) culture unique culture, ancient culture

(ii) monks serious monks
(iii) surprise unique surprise, terrible surprise, unforgettable surprise
(iv) experience unique experience, terrible experience, unforgettable experience
(v) weather terrible weather
(vi) tradition unique tradition, ancient tradition

Page No: 94

2. Complete the following phrases from the text. For each phrase, can you find at least
one other word that would fit into the blank?

(i) tales of _______________

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(ii) coastal _______________

(iii) a piece of ______________

(iv) evergreen ______________

(v) _____________ plantations

(vi) _____________bridge

(vii) wild __________________

You may add your own examples to this list.

Ans: From the text

(i) tales of valour

(ii) coastal town

(iii) a piece of heaven

(iv) evergreen rainforests

(v) coffee plantations

(vi) rope bridge

(vii) wild elephants

Other than the text

(i) tales of morality

(ii) coastal food

(iii) a piece of cake

(iv) evergreen hero

(v) crop plantations

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(vi) sturdy bridge

(vii) wild beasts

Page No: 96 Thinking about the Language

I. 1. Look at these words: upkeep, downpour, undergo, dropout, walk-in. They are built
up from a verb (keep, pour, go, drop, walk) and an adverb or a particle (up, down,
under, out, in).

Use these words appropriately in the sentences below. You may consult a dictionary.

(i) A heavy ___________ has been forecast due to low pressure in the Bay of Bengal.

(ii) Rakesh will ___________major surgery tomorrow morning.

(iii) My brother is responsible for the ______________of our family property.

(iv) The ____________rate for this accountancy course is very high.

(v) She went to the Enterprise Company to attend a _______________ interview.

Ans: (i) A heavy down pour has been forecast due to low pressure in the Bay of Bengal.

(ii) Rakesh will undergo major surgery tomorrow morning.

(iii) My brother is responsible for the upkeep of our family property.

(iv) The dropout rate for this accountancy course is very high.

(v) She went to the Enterprise Company to attend a walk-in interview.

2. Now fill in the blanks in the sentences given below by combining the verb given in
brackets with one of the words from the box as appropriate.

over by through out up down

(i) The Army attempted unsuccessfully to ___________ the government. (throw)

(ii) Scientists are on the brink of a major ___________in cancer research. (break)

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(iii) The State Government plans to build a ______________for Bhubaneswar to speed up traffic
on the main highway. (pass)

(iv) Gautama’s ____________on life changed when he realized that the world is full of sorrow.
(look)

(v) Rakesh seemed unusually _______________ after the game. (cast)

Ans: (i) The Army attempted unsuccessfully to overthrow the Government.

(ii) Scientists are on the brink of a major breakthrough in cancer research.

(iii) The State Government plans to build a by-pass for Bhubaneswar to speed up traffic on
the main highway.

(iv) Gautama’s outlook on life changed when he realized that the world is full of sorrow.

(v) Rakesh seemed unusually down cast after the game.

Page No: 96

1. Think of suitable −ing or −ed adjectives to answer the following questions.

How would you describe:

(i) a good detective serial on television?

Ans: Interesting

(ii) a debate on your favorite topic ‘Homework Should Be Banned’?

Ans: Exciting

(iii) how you feel when you stay indoors due to incessant rain?

Ans: Bored

(iv) how you feel when you open a present?

Ans: Excited

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(v) how you feel when you watch your favorite program on television?

Ans: Interested

(vi) the look on your mother’s face as you waited in a queue?

Ans: Tired

(vii) how you feel when tracking a tiger in a tiger reserve forest?

Ans: Thrilled

(viii) the story you have recently read, or a film you have seen?

Ans: Boring

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 CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature
NCERT Solutions
First Flight 8
Mijbil the Otter

Page No: 106 Oral Comprehension Check

1. What ‘experiment’ did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?

Ans: Maxwell thought that he would keep an otter as a pet instead of a dog.This would be a
new experiment for him,as people seldom keep them as pets.Camusfearna ,ringed by water a
very short distance from door,would be a suitable spot for the experiment.

2. Why does he go to Basra? How long does he wait there, and why?

Ans: He goes to Basra, to the Consulate General, to collect and answer his mail from Europe.
He had had to wait there for five days for multiple reasons.Firstly, his mail didn't reach on
time. Then he tried to make a telephone call. This incident is of those days when one had to
book an international call 24 hrs in advance. The telephone line was not working properly
on the first day. Next day it was some public holiday so the exchange was closed.Then there
was some other breakdown. Finally ,after a torturous wait of five days, his mail arrived.

3. How does he get the otter? Does he like it? Pick out the words that tell you this.
Ans: When he received his mail, he carried it to his bedroom to read. There, he saw two
Arabs and beside them was a sack that twisted from time to time. They handed him a note
from his friend saying that he had sent him an otter.
Yes, he likes it. We know this because he uses the term ‘otter fixation’ to refer to his feeling
towards the otter. He felt that this 'otter fixation' or this strong attachment towards otters
was something that was shared by most other people who had ever owned one.

4. Why was the otter named ‘Maxwell’s otter’?

Ans: The otter was of a race previously unknown to science and was at length named by
zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli or Maxwell’s otter.

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5.Tick the right answer. In the beginning, the otter was

aloof and indifferent

friendly
hostile

Ans: In the beginning, the otter was aloof and indifferent.

6. What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom? What did it do two days
after that?
Ans: Otters live in water and it is their favorite playground. When Maxwell took Mijbil to the
bathroom, it went wild with joy in the water for half an hour. It was plunging and rolling in
it, shooting up and down the length of the bathtub underwater.Two days after that, it was
confident enough to go to the bathroom on its on. By the time he got there, Mijbil was up on
the end of the bathtub and fumbling at the chromium taps with its paws. In less than a
minute, it had turned the tap far enough to produce some water and after a moment,
achieved the full flow.

Page No: 108 Oral Comprehension Check

1. How was Mij to be transported to England?

Ans:As British airlines did not allow animals to be taken by plane so the author decided to
take it by another airline to Paris . Maxwell booked a flight to Paris and from there he would
go to London. The airlines insisted that Mij should be packed in a box ,not more than
eighteen square inches, that could to be placed on the floor, near his feet.

2.What did Mij do to the box?

Ans: The box was lined with metal sheet. Mij didn't find it comfortable to be there so tried to
escape. In its attempt to escape Mij tore into the metal lining of the box. As a result it hurt
itself and started bleeding.

Page No: 109 Oral Comprehension Check

3. Why did Maxwell put the otter back in the box? How do you think he felt when he did

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this?
Ans: As there was no other way to carry Mij to London so the author had put it back into the
box. He must have felt pity, the way the otter had hurt itself. Moreover, he must be worried
as well.

4.Why does Maxwell say the air hostess was “the very queen of her kind”?
Ans: Maxwell said that the air hostess was “the very queen of her kind” because she was
extremely friendly and helpful. He took her into confidence about the incident with the box.
She ,very generously, suggested him to put the otter on his knees. Hearing this,
Maxwell developed a profound admiration for her as she understood the pain of both, the
otter and its owner.

5. What happened when the box was opened?

Ans: When the box was opened, Mij darted out of the box and vanished. There were cries all
around.A woman stood up on her seat screaming. Maxwell saw Mij’s tail disappearing
beneath the legs of an Indian passenger. He dived for it, but missed. The air hostess
suggested him to be seated and that she would find the otter. After a while, Mij returned to
him. It climbed on his knees and began to rub its nose on his face and neck.

Page No: 110 Oral Comprehension Check

1. What game had Mij invented?

Ans: Mij had invented a game with a ping-pong ball. He made a damaged suitcase his
playground.He would put the ball at one end of its sloping lid and then grab it as it ran to the
other end.

2.What are ‘compulsive habits’? What does Maxwell say are the compulsive habits of
(i) school children
(ii) Mij ?
Ans: Compulsive habits are usually strange act or behavior which a person does without
clear reason.
(1) On their way to and from school, children make it a habit to place their feet exactly on the
center of each paving block.

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(2)Similarly, Mij had made it a habit to jump on to the school wall and go galloping all along
its length of thirty yards.

3. What group of animals do otters belong to?

Ans: Otters belong to a comparatively small group of animals called Mustelines, shared by
the badger, mongoose, weasel, stoat, mink and others.

4. What guesses did the Londoners make about what Mij was?
Ans: According to Maxwell, the average Londoner does not recognize an otter. The
Londoners, who saw Mij ,made different guesses about its identity. They made wildest
possible guesses, among other things, that it was a baby seal, a squirrel, a walrus, a hippo, a
beaver, a bear cub, a leopard or a brontosaur.

Thinking about the Text

1. What things does Mij do which tell you that he is an intelligent, friendly and fun-
loving animal who needs love?
Ans: Mij is an intelligent animal. It invented its own game with ping-pong balls. It learned to
screw the tap till water began to flow and then it would play and splash in the water. Though
it was aloof and indifferent in the beginning, it soon became very friendly. It got attached
with Maxwell. It responded when Maxwell called out his name. Maxwell left it in a box and it
got hurt while trying to come out of it. After Maxwell took it out, it clung to his feet. It was a
fun-loving animal. It enjoyed playing all kinds of games. It would play with a selection of
toys, ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit, and a terrapin shell. It got love and affection
from Maxwell.

2. What are some of the things we come to know about otters from this text?
Ans: Otters belong to a comparatively small group of animals called Mustelines, shared by
the badger, mongoose, weasel, mink and others. Maxwell’s otter was of a race previously
unknown to science and was at length named by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli
or Maxwell’s otter. They are often tamed by the Arabs. It is a characteristic of the otters that
every drop of water must be spread around the place.For them, water must be kept on the
move because they love to be in water. Otters love playing various games, especially with a

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ball.

3. Why is Mij’s species now known to the world as Maxwell’s otter?

Ans: Maxwell’s otter was of a race previously unknown to science and was at length named
by zoologists Lutrogale perspicillata Maxwell or Maxwell’s otter.

Page No: 111

4. Maxwell in the story speaks for the otter, Mij. He tells us what the otter feels and
thinks on different occasions. Given below are some things the otter does. Complete the
column on the right to say what Maxwell says about what Mij feels and thinks.

What Mij does How Mij feels or thinks

Plunges, rolls in the water and makes the water splosh and splash ________
Screws the tap in the wrong way ________
Nuzzles Maxwell’s face and neck in the aeroplane ________

Ans:

What Mij does How Mij feels or thinks

Plunges, rolls in the water and makes the water
went wild with joy
splosh and splash
Screws the tap in the wrong way irritated and disappointed
distressed chitter of recognition and
Nuzzles Maxwell’s face and neck in the aeroplane
welcome

5. Read the story and find the sentences where Maxwell describes his pet otter. Then
choose and arrange your sentences to illustrate those statements below that you think
are true.
Maxwell’s description
(i) makes Mij seem almost human, like a small boy.
(ii) shows that he is often irritated with what Mij does.
(iii) shows that he is often surprised by what Mij does.
(iv) of Mij’s antics is comical.
(v) shows that he observes the antics of Mij very carefully.

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(vi) shows that he thinks Mij is a very ordinary otter.
(vii) shows that he thinks the otter is very unusual.
Ans: (i) He spent most of his time in play.
(iii) I watched, amazed; in less than a minute he had turned the tap far enough to produce a
trickle of water, and after a moment or two achieved the full flow.
(v) A suitcase that I had taken to Iraq had got damaged on the journey home, so that the lid,
when closed, remained at a slope from one end to the other. Mij discovered that if he placed
the ball on the high end it would run down the length of the suitcase. He would dash around
to the other end to ambush its arrival, hide from it, crouching, to spring up and take it by
surprise, grab it and trot off with it to the high end once more.
(vii) It is not, I suppose, in any way strange that the average Londoner should not recognize
an otter, but the variety of guesses as to what kind of animal this might be came as a surprise
to me. Mij was anything but an otter.

Thinking about the Language

I. From the table below, make as many correct sentences as you can using would and/or
used to, as appropriate. (Hint: First decide whether the words in italics show an action,
or a state or situation, in the past.) Then add two or three sentences of your own to it.

Emperor Akbar be fond of musical evenings.

Every evening we take long walks on the beach
would
Fifty years ago, very few people own cars.
used to
Till the 1980's, Shanghai have very dirty streets.
My uncle spend his holidays by the sea.

Ans: 1. Emperor Akbar used to be fond of musical evenings.

2. Every evening we used to take long walks on the beach.
3. Fifty years ago, very few people used to own cars.
4. Till the 1980's, Shanghai used to have very dirty streets.
5. My uncle would spend his holidays by the sea.
6. My uncle used to take long walks on the beach.
7. My uncle used to be fond of musical evenings.

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 Page No: 112

II. Noun Modifiers

1. Look at these examples from the text, and say whether the modifiers (in italics) are nouns,
proper nouns, or adjective plus noun.

(i) An otter fixation (iv) The London streets

(ii) The iron railings (v) soft velvet fur
(iii) The Tigris marshes (vi) A four-footed soccer player

Ans: (i) Noun

(ii) Noun
(iii) Proper noun
(iv) Proper noun
(v) Adjective plus noun
(vi) Adjective plus noun

2. Given below are some nouns, and a set of modifiers (in the box). Combine the nouns
and modifiers to make as many appropriate phrases as you can. (Hint: The nouns and
modifiers are all from the texts in this book.)

temple three girls triangle dresses

person thoughts boys roar
gifts scream farewell expression
time subject landscape handkerchief
crossing flight chatterbox profession
physique coffee view celebration
college rough hundred stone ordinary
love uncomfortable white slang slack
bare railroad tremendous family marriage
plump invigorating panoramic heartbreaking birthday
incorrigible ridiculous loud first

Ans: Temple − white temple, stone temple, first temple

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Person − incorrigible person, ridiculous person
Gifts − hundred gifts, ordinary gifts, birthday gifts
Time − college time, rough time, first time
Crossing − railroad crossing, first crossing
Physique − plump physique, ordinary physique
Three girls − first three girls, incorrigible three girls
Thoughts − incorrigible thoughts, uncomfortable thoughts, ridiculous thoughts,
heartbreaking thoughts, first thoughts, ordinary thoughts
Scream − tremendous scream, loud scream
Subject − college subject, ordinary subject
Flight − rough flight, first flight
Coffee − invigorating coffee, ordinary coffee
Triangle − love triangle
Boys − college boys, incorrigible boys, rough boys, hundred boys
Farewell − college farewell, heartbreaking farewell
Landscape − bare landscape, rough landscape, white landscape
Chatterbox − incorrigible chatterbox
View − tremendous view, panoramic view, ordinary view
Dresses − hundred dresses, ordinary dresses, birthday dresses, marriage dresses
Roar − tremendous roar, loud roar
Expression − bare expression, slang expression, slack expression
Handkerchief − white handkerchief, ordinary handkerchief
Profession − family profession, first profession, ordinary profession
Celebration − tremendous celebration, family celebration, birthday celebration

Page No: 113

III.1. Match the words on the left with a word on the right. Some words on the left can go
with more than one word on the right.

(i) a portion of blood

(ii) a pool of cotton
(iii) flakes of stones
(iv) a huge heap of gold

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 (v) a gust of fried fish
(vi) little drops of snow
(vii) a piece of water
(viii) a pot of wind

Ans:

(i) a portion of fried fish

(ii) a pool of blood
(iii) flakes of snow
(iv) a huge heap of stones
(v) a gust of wind
(vi) little drops of water
(vii) a piece of cotton
(viii) a pot of gold

2. Use a bit of/a piece of/a bunch of/a cloud of/a lump of with the italicized nouns in the
following sentences. The first has been done for you as an example.

My teacher gave me a bit of

(i) My teacher gave me some advice.
advice.
(ii) Can you give me some clay, please. ________
(iii) The information you gave was very useful. ________
Because of these factories, smoke hangs over the
(iv) ________
city.
Two stones rubbed together can produce sparks of
(v) ________
fire.
(vi) He gave me some flowers on my birthday. ________

Ans:

(i) My teacher gave me some advice. My teacher gave me a bit of advice.

(ii) Can you give me some clay, please. Can you give me a lump of clay, please.
The information you gave was very The piece of information you gave was very
(iii)
useful. useful.

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 Because of these factories, smoke Because of these factories, a cloud of smoke
(iv)
hangs over the city. hangs over the city.
Two stones rubbed together can Two pieces of stones rubbed together can
(v)
produce sparks of fire. produce sparks of fire.
He gave me some flowers on my He gave me a bunch of flowers on my
(vi)
birthday. birthday.

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 CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature
NCERT Solutions
First Flight 9
Madam Rides the Bus

Page No: 119 Oral Comprehension Check

1. What was Valli’s favorite pastime?

Ans: Valli’s favorite pastime was to stand in the front doorway of her house and watch what
was happening in the street outside.

2. What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
Ans: A source of unending joy for Valli was the sight of the bus that travelled between her
village and the nearest town, filled with a new set of passengers each time it passed through
her street. Her strongest desire was to ride on a bus at least once.

3. What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?
Ans: Valli found out that the town was six miles from her village. The fare was thirty
paise one way. The trip to the town took forty-five minutes. On reaching the town, if she
stayed in her seat and paid another thirty paise, she could return home on the same bus. She
found out these details by listening carefully to the conversations between her neighbors and
the people who regularly used the bus. She also gained information by asking them a few
questions.

4. What do you think Valli was planning to do?

Ans: Valli was planning to travel on that bus.

Page No: 122 Oral Comprehension Check

1. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?

Ans: Valli is trying to behave more mature than her age. She is trying to look overconfident
and smart. When the conductor tries to help her get on the bus,she replies that she will
manage and doesn't need his help.The conductor is amused at her behavior and in an effort

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to tease her calls her ‘madam’.

2. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?
Ans: Valli stands up on her seat because her view was obstructed by a canvas blind that
covered the lower part of her window. As she was short,she had to stand up to look over the
blind. She saw that the road was very narrow, on one side of which there was the canal and
beyond it were palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and the blue sky. On the other side,
there was a deep ditch and many acres of green fields.

3. What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?
Ans: When the elderly man calls her a child, Valli tells him that there was nobody on the bus
who was a child.Valli thinks she is a grown up and doesn't like to be called a child .She tells
him that she too had paid her fare of thirty paise like everyone else.

4. Why didn't Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?
Ans: Valli found that elderly woman absolutely repulsive. She saw that the woman had big
holes in her earlobes with ugly earrings in them. She was chewing betel nut and the betel
juice was about to spill over her lips. That is why Valli did not want to make friends with her.

Page No: 125 Oral Comprehension Check

1. How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?
Ans: Valli had carefully saved every coin that came her way , resisting every temptation to
buy sweets,candies or toys. Finally,she managed to save sixty paise. This must have been
really difficult for her ,as she suppressed almost every desire just because she wanted to
have a ride on the bus.

2. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Ans: Valli saw a young cow, whose tail was high in the air, running right in front of the bus
in the middle of the road. The more incessantly bus driver honked, the more furious its
scamper became , right in front of the bus. Valli found it so amusing that she had tears in her
eyes. At last, the cow moved off the road.

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3. Why didn't she get off the bus at the bus station?
Ans: She did not get off the bus at the bus station because she was afraid of getting lost and
also she had to go back on that same bus. She took out another thirty paise from her pocket
and handed the coins to the conductor. She just wanted to ride on the bus.She also wanted to
reach home before her mother found her missing.

4. Why didn't Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you
about her?
Ans: Valli did not want to go to the stall and have a drink because she did not have any
money for that. Even when the conductor offered her a cold drink free of charge, she refused
firmly and said that she only wanted her ticket. This shows that Valli had a strong will power
and self pride. Possibly, she did not want to take anything for free, particularly from a
stranger.

Page No: 127 Thinking about the Text

1. What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you
this.
Ans: Valli’s deepest desire was to ride on the bus she saw everyday. The sentences in the
story which depict this are as follows:
“Day after day she watched the bus, and gradually a tiny wish crept into her head and grew
there: she wanted to ride on that bus, even if just once. This wish became stronger and
stronger, until it was an overwhelming desire.”

2. How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did
she save up the fare?
Ans: Valli very intelligently gathered the information and then planned her bus ride.She
decided to take the one o’clock afternoon bus, reach the town at one forty-five, and be back
home by about two forty-five. She found out that the town was six miles from her village.
The fare was thirty paise one way. The trip to the town took forty-five minutes. On reaching
the town, if she stayed in her seat and paid another thirty paise, she could return home on
the same bus. She had carefully saved whatever stray coins came her way, resisting every
temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons, and the like, and finally she had saved sixty

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paise.

3.What kind of a person is Valli? To answer this question, pick out the following
sentences from the text and fill in the blanks. The words you fill in are the clues to your
answer.

(i) “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!” And a tiny hand was raised ________________.
(ii) “Yes, I ____________ go to town,” said Valli, still standing outside the bus.
(iii) “There’s nobody here ____________,” she said haughtily. “I’ve paid my thirty paise
like everyone else.”
(iv) “Never mind,” she said, “I can ___________. You don’t have to help me. “I’m not a
child, I tell you,” she said, _____________.
(v) “You needn't bother about me. I _____________,” Valli said, turning her face toward the
window and staring out.
(vi) Then she turned to the conductor and said, “Well, sir, I hope ______________.”
Ans: (i) “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!” And a tiny hand was raised commandingly.
(ii) “Yes, I simply have to go to town,” said Valli, still standing outside the bus.
(iii) “There’s nobody here who’s a child,” she said haughtily. I’ve paid my thirty paise like
everyone else.”
(iv) “Never mind,” she said, “I can get on by myself. You don’t have to help me. “I’m not a
child, I tell you,” she said, haughtily.
(v) “You needn't bother about me. I can take care of myself,” Valli said, turning her face
toward the window and staring out.
(vi) Then she turned to the conductor and said, “Well, sir, I hope to see you again.”

For Valli, the bus journey probably symbolized the adult world. Like anyone else, she spent
her money to buy the ticket. She would have attained a great sense of pride and satisfaction
in doing so. Therefore, though a child, Valli wanted to be treated as a grown-up on the bus.
She had a great sense of self respect which prevented her from taking anyone’s help. She felt
she was able to take care of herself very well, and was easily irritated when anyone treated
her as a child.

4. Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’?

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Ans: When the conductor stretched out his hand to help her get on the bus, Valli said
commandingly that she could get on by herself, and that she did not require his help. She did
not act like a child, but as a grown-up girl .So, the conductor called her ‘madam’. She kept
stressing on the fact that she had paid her fare like everybody else and therefore, she should
not be treated differently.

5. Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.
Ans: The following lines in the text show that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus:
(i) “Valli devoured everything with her eyes.”
(ii) “On the one side there was the canal and, beyond it, palm trees, grassland, distant
mountains, and the blue, blue sky. On the other side was a deep ditch and then acres and
acres of green fields − green, green, green, as far as the eye could see. Oh, it was all so
wonderful!”
(iii) “Everyone laughed, and gradually Valli too joined in the laughter. Suddenly, Valli
clapped her hands with glee.”
(iv) “Somehow this was very funny to Valli. She laughed and laughed until there were tears
in her eyes.”
(v) “Valli wasn't bored to the slightest and greeted everything with the same excitement
she’d felt the first time.”

6. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
Ans: Valli refuses to look out of the window on her way back because she witnessed a
horrible sight. She saw a young cow lying dead by the roadside. It was the same cow that was
running in front of their bus, during her trip to the town. She felt sad and the memory of the
dead cow haunted her and she refused to look out of the window.

7. What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about
things happening without our knowledge.”
Ans: Valli’s mother said that many things happen around us, but we are usually unaware of
them. Valli had gone on a bus ride to town, all alone, and had come back without any harm.
She did all this without the knowledge of her mother. Hence, she agreed with what her
mother said.

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8. The author describes the things that Valii sees from an eight-year-old’s point of view.
Can you find evidence from the text for this statement?
Ans: The author has described the things that Valli saw from an eight-year-old’s point of
view. She was fascinated by a bus. Watching the bus filled with a new set of people each time
was a source of unending joy for her. Her strongest desire was to ride the bus. She saved
money by cutting on peppermints, toys, and balloons, and even resisting the temptation to
ride the merry-go-round at the fair. When the author describes the bus, the points he stresses
on are the color and look of the bus. It was a ‘new bus’, painted a ‘gleaming white’. The
overhead bars ‘shone like silver’. The seats were ‘soft and luxurious’. The descriptions that
the author gives when Valli looked outside are also typical for an eight-year-old. The ‘blue,
blue sky’ and the ‘acres and acres of green fields − green, green, green’ show the enthusiasm
of a kid on looking at different colors. Valli clapped her hands in glee on watching a cow run
right in front of the bus. She found it so funny that tears came into her eyes. On the other
hand, she felt sad on her way back when she saw the same cow lying dead. It had been a
‘lovable, beautiful creature’ and later it ‘looked so horrible’. The memory of the dead cow
haunted her so much that she refused to look outside the window. All the above statements
or reactions can be considered as an eight year old's point of view.

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 CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature
NCERT Solutions
First Flight 10
The Sermon at Benares

Page No: 135 Thinking about the Text

1. When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for?
Does she get it? Why not?

Ans: When Kisa Gotami’s son dies, she goes from house to house, asking if she could get some
medicine that would cure her child.No, she does not get it because her child was dead and no
medicine could bring back his life.

2. Kisa Gotami again goes from house to house after she speaks with the Buddha. What
does she ask for, the second time around? Does she get it? Why not?
Ans: When she meets the Buddha, he asks her to get a handful of mustard seeds from a
house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent or friend. She goes from one house to
another, but could not get the mustard seeds as there was not a single house where no one
has died in the family.

3. What does Kisa Gotami understand the second time that she failed to understand the
first time? Was this what the Buddha wanted her to understand?
Ans: Kisa Gotami understands the truth of life that death is common to all and that she was
being selfish in her grief. There was no house where some beloved had not died.
By sending her to different houses, Buddha wanted her to realize the fragile nature of
human life. He also wanted her to rise above worldly matters so that the departed soul could
rest in peace.

4. Why do you think Kisa Gotami understood this only the second time? In what way did
the Buddha change her understanding?
Ans: Kisa Gotami understood that death is common to all and that she was being selfish in
her grief. She understood this only the second time because it was then that she found that

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there was not a single house where some beloved had not died.
First time round, she was only thinking about her grief and was therefore asking for a
medicine that would cure her son. When she met the Buddha, he asked her to get a handful
of mustard seeds from a house where no one had died. He did this purposely to make her
realize that there was not a single house where no beloved had died, and that death is
natural. When she went to all the houses the second time, she felt dejected that she could not
get the mustard seeds. Then, when she sat and thought about it, she realized that the circle of
life is such that who is born ,must die. Death is common to all. This was what the Buddha had
intended her to understand.

5. How do you usually understand the idea of ‘selfishness’? Do you agree with Kisa
Gotami that she was being ‘selfish in her grief’?
Ans: Selfishness is preoccupation with I, me, and myself. Kisa Gotami was not in a position to
think about other people’s grief. It is natural to feel sad over death of near and dear ones. But
most people carry on their next responsibility of performing proper last rites of the dead.
People seldom carry a dead body in the hope of some miracle happening to that. The family
and the society always come together in hour of grief and sorrow.But Kisa Gotami was being
'selfish in her grief' and engrossed in her sorrow that she forgot to think about live members
of her family and society.

Page No: 136 Thinking about the Language

I. This text is written in an old-fashioned style, for it reports an incident more than two
millennia old. Look for the following words and phrases in the text, and try to rephrase
them in more current language, based on how you understand them.

give thee medicine for thy child

Pray tell me
Kisa repaired to the Buddha
there was no house but someone had died in it
kinsmen
Mark!
Ans: 1. Give you medicine for your child

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2. Please tell me
3. Kisa went to the Buddha
4. There was no house where no one had died
5. Relatives
6. Listen

II. You know that we can combine sentences using words like and, or, but, yet and then.
But sometimes no such word seems appropriate. In such a case was can use a semicolon
(;) or a dash (−) to combine two clauses.
She has no interest in music; I doubt she will become a singer like her mother.
The second clause here gives the speaker’s opinion on the first clause.
Here is a sentence from the text that uses semicolons to combine clauses. Break up the
sentence into three simple sentences. Can you then say which has a better rhythm when you
read it, the single sentence using semicolons, or the three simple sentences?
For there is not any means by which those who have been born can avoid dying; after
reaching old age there is death; of such a nature are living beings.
Ans: The single sentence using semicolons has a better rhythm. This is because the three
parts of the sentence are connected to each other in their meanings. The second clause gives
further information on the first clause. The third clause is directly related to both the first
and the second. Their meanings are better conveyed when they are joined by semicolons.

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 CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature
NCERT Solutions
First Flight 11
The Proposal

Page No: 157 Thinking about the Play

1. What does Chubukov at first suspect that Lomov has come for? Is he sincere when he
later says “And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son”? Find
reasons for your answer from the play.
Ans: At first, Chubukov suspects that Lomov has come to borrow money. He is not sincere
when he tells Lomov that he had always loved him and that he was like his own son. He had
decided that he would not give Lomov any money, if he tried borrowing from him. If he truly
meant what he had said, then he would not have thought of not giving him money. He said
so only because Lomov had come with the proposal to marry his daughter.

2. Chubukov says of Natalya: “... as if she won’t consent! She’s in love; egad, she’s like a
lovesick cat…” Would you agree? Find reasons for your answer.
Ans: Chubukov thought that Lomov was a good marriage prospect for his daughter. He had
been waiting for this proposal since long. When Lomov expressed his doubt regarding
Natalya’s consent to the proposal, Chubukov immediately told him that she was in love with
him. However, this was not true. Natalya did not seem to be in love with Lomov at any point
in the play. It seemed like she was more attached to her land, meadows and dogs than to
Lomov. In fact, the way they kept getting into arguments about trivial matters suggests that
neither Lomov nor Natalya was in love with the other.

3. (i) Find all the words and expressions in the play that the characters use to speak
about each other, and the accusations and insults they hurl at each other. (For
example, Lomov in the end calls Chubukov an intriguer; but earlier, Chubukov has
himself called Lomov a “malicious, double faced intriguer.” Again, Lomov begins by
describing Natalya as “ an excellent housekeeper, not bad-looking, well-educated.”)
Ans: (i) Several words and expressions have been used by the characters to describe each
other. Some of them are as follows:

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Chubukov : grabber; intriguer; old rat; Jesuit
Natalya : a lovesick cat; an excellent housekeeper; not bad-looking, well-educated
Lomov : a good neighbor; a friend; impudent; pettifogger; a malicious, double-faced intriguer;
rascal; blind hen; turnip-ghost; a villain; a scarecrow; monster; the stuffed sausage; the
wizen-faced frump; boy; pup; milksop; fool

Thinking about the Language

1. This play has been translated into English from the Russian original. Are there any
expressions or ways of speaking that strike you as more Russian than English? For example,
would an adult man be addressed by an older man as my darling or my treasure in an
English play?
2. Read through the play carefully, and find expressions that you think are not used in
contemporary English, and contrast these with idiomatic modern English expressions that
also occur in the play.
3. Look up the following phrases in a dictionary to find out their meaning, and then use each
in a sentence of your own.
(i) You may take it that
(ii) He seems to be coming round
(iii) My foot’s gone to sleep
Ans: Expressions not used in contemporary English
1. “my darling”, “my beauty”, “my precious”, “my angel”, “my beloved” (here, an older man is
addressing an adult man)
2. “…and so on…” (here, it is used after a sentence in order to complete it)
3. “…and all that sort of thing.” (not explaining what it is, just leaving it as it is)
4. “...and all that.” (again leaving the sentence as it is)
5. “the scarecrow”, “the stuffed sausage”, “the wizen-faced frump” (In this way, they hurled
insults at each other)
6. “And how may you be getting on?” (Here, Lomov is asking Chubukov about his well-being)
Modern English expressions
1. “Madam”, “my heart”, “honored Natalya Stepanovna” (used by Lomov for Natalya)
2. “Honored Stepan Stepanovitch” (used by Lomov for Chubukov)
3. “I beg your pardon…”

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4. “My dear fellow” (Chubukov addressing Lomov)
5. “malicious, double-faced intriguer”, “fool” (Chubukov insulting Lomov)

3. Meanings of the phrases:

(i) You may take it that I am lying, but in fact it will help you in the long run.
(ii) He seems to be coming round after the trauma of his father’s death.
(iii) After the three hour long yoga session, my foot’s gone to sleep.

Page No: 158

II. You mush have noticed that when we report someone’s exact words, we have to
make some changes in the sentence structure. In the following sentences fill in the
blanks to list the changes that have occurred in the above pairs of sentences. One has
been done for you.

1. To report a question, we use the reporting verb asked(as in Sentence Set 1).
2. To report a declaration, we use the reporting verb __________.
3. The adverb of place here changes to ___________.
4. When the verb in direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in reported speech is
in the ______________ tense (as in Sentence Set 3).
5. If the verb in direct speech is in the present continuous tense, the verb in reported
speech changes to ______________tense. For example, ____________ changes to was getting.
6. When the sentence in direct speech contains a word denoting respect, we add the
adverb _______________in the reporting clause (as in Sentence Set 1).
7. The pronouns I, me, our and mine, which are used in the first person in direct speech,
change to third person pronouns such as____________, ___________, ___________ or
__________in reported speech.

Ans: 1. To report a question, we use the reporting verb asked.

2. To report a declaration, we use the reporting verb declared.
3. The adverb of place here changes to there.
4. When the verb in direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in reported speech is in the
past tense.
5. If the verb in direct speech is in the present continuous tense, the verb in reported speech
changes to past continuous tense. For example,am getting changes to was getting.

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6. When the sentence in direct speech contains a word denoting respect, we add the adverb
respectfully in the reporting clause.
7. The pronouns I, me, our and mine, which are used in the first person in direct speech,
change to second person pronouns such as he/she,him/her,their or his/hers in reported
speech.

Page No: 159

III. Here is an excerpt from an article from the Times of India dated 27 August 2006.
Rewrite it, changing the sentences in direct speech into reported speech. Leave the
other sentences unchanged.

“Why do you want to know my age? If people know I am so old, I won’t get work!”
laughs 90-year-old A. K. Hangal, one of Hindi cinema’s most famous character actors.
For his age, he is rather energetic. “What’s the secret?” we ask. “My intake of
everything is in small quantities. And I walk a lot,” he replies. “I joined the industry
when people retire. I was in my 40s. So I don’t miss being called a star. I am still
respected and given work, when actors of my age are living in poverty and without
work. I don’t have any complaints,” he says, adding, “but yes, I have always been
underpaid.” Recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Hangal never hankered after money or
materialistic gains. “No doubt I am content today, but money is important. I was a fool
not to understand the value of money earlier,” he regrets.
Ans: 90-year-old A.K. Hangal, one of Hindi cinema’s most famous character actors,
laughingly asked why we wanted to know his age. If people knew he was that old, he would
not get work. For his age, he is rather energetic. We asked him what the secret was. He
replied that his intake of everything was in small quantities and he walked a lot. He said that
he had joined the industry when people retired. He had been in his 40s. So he did not miss
being called a star. He was still respected and given work, when actors of his age were living
in poverty and without work. He said he did not have any complaints, adding that he had
always been underpaid. Recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Hangal never hankered after
money or materialistic gains. He said that no doubt he was content at present, but money
was important. He said regretfully that he was a fool not to understand the value of money
before.

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