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       2. The Thief’s Story (Book: Supplementary)

       Short Answer-type Qs (30-40 words each)

Q1. Why was the thief grateful to Anil?

Ans. The thief was grateful to Anil because he gave him work. He taught him how to cook. He also taught him to write his name. He was also going to teach him to write full sentences.

Q2. What does the thief say about the reactions of the different people when they were robbed?

Ans. The thief told Anil that people react differently when they are robbed. A greedy man shows fear. A rich man shows anger and the poor person shows acceptance.

Q3. What was Anil’s job? What did he usually do with the money he earned?

Ans. Anil had no regular job for earning his livelihood. He wrote for some magazines to earn money. He used to celebrate whenever he got money.

Q4. Why did the thief want to become an educated man?

Ans. The thief also wanted to become an educated man. He had a dream to earn money like an educated person.

Q5.How did the thief realise that Anil knew that the money had been stolen?

Ans. The thief realised that Anil knew about his act of theft. Anil gave him a fifty rupee note. It was still wet. It meant that Anil had come to know that the notes were taken out by Hari Singh (the thief) and then put back under the mattress.

Q6.Why did the thief smile without any effort towards the end of the story?

Ans. Hari Singh (the thief) smiled at the end of the story. It was because Anil seemed to forgive him. In the beginning, the thief was guilty of his wrong act. But later, he felt sure that his master (Anil) had forgiven him.

Q7.Why, according to Hari Singh, is it difficult to rob a careless man? (2014)

Ans. The thief (Hari Singh) says that it is difficult to rob a careless man. It is because a careless person usually does not care about the theft done to him.

    

   Q8.What did Hari Singh smile in his most appealing way? (2014) )   ( Notes prepared by Shish Pal Chauhan)

 Ans. Hari Singh (the thief) wanted to impress Anil. So he smiled in his most appealing way. Hari Singh (the thief) wanted to work for him so that he could rob Anil later on of his money.

Q9. Why did Hari Singh consider friends to be more trouble than help? (2012)

Ans. Hari Singh had no friends because he was a professional thief. He did not want to tell anyone about his secrecy. So he considered friends troublesome in this way.

Q10.  Did Hari Singh know how to cook? What was his purpose?

Ans. Hari Singh did not know how to cook. But he wanted to live with Anil to rob him later on. So he told a lie to Anil. He knew that Anil was a kind person. So he would believe him easily.

Q11. Why was the thief boy happy to work for Anil?

Ans. First, he could befool Anil easily. Second, he taught him to cook and write his name. Third, he was making a profit of one rupee daily from the daily supplies. Fourth, Anil had promised to teach him to make full sentences.

Q12. Why did Hari Singh choose Anil as his victim?

Ans. Hari Singh chose Anil. He seemed to him a simple, kind, and easy-going man. It was clear that he could easily be befooled.

Q13. What forced the thief boy to go back to Anil even though he had reached the station to catch a train?

Ans. Anil was a kind and gentle person. Hari Singh robbed him of his money. He was about to board the train. His conscience pricked him. He realised his mistake. He wanted to be educated and make his future bright. So he came back.

Long Answer-type Questions

Q1.Write the Character sketch of the thief (Hari Singh)

Ans. Hari Singh was a fifteen-year-old thief. He befooled people easily. He could study people’s faces easily. He found Anil watching a wrestling match. He studied his face. He found him a kind and gentle person. Very soon he impressed him with his broad smile. Anil gave him work cooking at his house.

Hari Singh made a profit of one rupee daily. Anil taught him to write his name. He also promised Hari Singh to teach him to make sentences. But one day, Hari Singh robbed Anil of his money. He went to catch the train to leave Anil forever. But his conscience pricked him. So he came back to Anil and secretly put the money back in its place. Thus Anil’s love and good behavior changed a thief into a good person.

Q2. How did Hari Singh rob Anil of his six hundred rupees? What stopped him to run away?

Ans. Hari Singh wanted to rob Anil from the very beginning. But he could not proper chance. Anil had no regular way of making money. He earned money by fits and starts. Whenever he got any payment for his work, he would go out to enjoy himself. He used to spend money quickly. One day, Hari Singh noticed (saw) Anil placing (putting) six hundred rupees under the mattress of his bed. At night, Hari Singh stole the bundle of rupees. He also reached the railway station to catch a train. But he did not sit inside the train. He remembered Anil’s face and his kindness to him. He felt guilty about robbing a gentleman like Anil. He also wanted to be an educated person. So he came back home. Then he put that money in the same place.

Q3. Character sketch of Anil.

Anil was a tall, lean fellow of about 25 years. He looked easy-going, kind, and simple. Anil had no regular way of making money. He earned money by fits and starts. He used to spend money quickly. Then he would wait for the next cheque.

He trusted a boy of fifteen. He gave him food and shelter. He forgave him for his lies. He taught him to write his name. He also promised to teach him to write sentences. Anil gave him a fifty rupee note. He knew that Hari Singh had stolen his money. In spite of that, he promised to pay money in the future. He did not say anything to Hari Singh about the theft. Thus we can say that Anil was a thorough gentleman.

NCERT Solutions For Class 10 English Chapter 2-Nelson Mandela

 NCERT Solutions For Class 10 English Chapter 2-Nelson Mandela

Book: First Flight: Lesson 2. Nelson Mandela [ notes by Shish Pal Chauhan]

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela            

A.   Very Short Answer-type Questions (In Single Sentences)

1.   Mandela became the first black President of a new nation.

2.   Zenani was the daughter of Nelson Mandela.

3.  100,000 South African men, women, and children of all races sang and danced with joy.

4.    The inauguration ceremony took place on 10^th May 1994.

5.  Thabo Mbeki was sworn in as first deputy president.

6.  The formation of a democratic government in South Africa has been called a common victory for justice, peace, and human dignity.

7.  Nelson Mandela takes the pledge to remove the bondage of poverty, hunger, and all kinds of discrimination.

8.    The smoke that trailed in the sky by Impala jets symbolized the new South African flag.

9.  The old system in South Africa was based on hatred.

10. The policy of apartheid created a deep and lasting wound in South Africa to its people.

11. The people of South Africa are its greatest wealth.

12.  Obligations to his family, his people, and the country are the twin obligations for Mandela.

13.  The twin obligations are filled only in civil and humane societies.

14.  Hatred towards each other robs humanity.

15. Inauguration ceremony took place in Pretoria South Africa.

16. Mandela talks about the inauguration of the formation of the new government in South Africa in this lesson

17. Nelson Mandela feels hungry for the freedom of his countrymen.

Q1.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 campus of the Union Building of Pretoria. The Parliament House in New Delhi, the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, the Supreme Court of India, etc. are some examples.

Q2.Can you say how 10 May is an ‘autumn day’ in South Africa?

Ans: The tenth of May is an ‘Autumn Day’ in South Africa. It is because there was a large gathering of guests from across the world on that day there.

Q3. At the beginning of his speech, Mandela mentions “an extraordinary human disaster”. What does he mean by this? What is the “glorious … human achievement” he speaks of at the end?

Ans. The coloured people in South Africa had to suffer torture of all types. They suffered it for about three centuries. It was called ‘an extraordinary human disaster’.

Q4. What does Mandela talk of as a ‘glorious human achievement’?

Ans. Mandela talks of a ‘glorious human achievement’ because a black person became the president of South Africa. It was the country where the whites did all types of cruelties on them for about three hundred years.

Q5. What does Mandela thank the international leaders for?

Ans. Nelson Mandela thanks the international leaders because they came to South Africa to attend the function. It was of forming the first nonracial and democratic government there.

Q5. What ideals does he set out for the future of South Africa?

Ans. Mandela set out the ideals of removing poverty and discrimination of all types and the sufferings of people. He wanted to make his people proud of their democracy.

Q6. What do the military generals do? How has their attitude changed, and why?

Answer 

The military generals saluted Mandela and pledged their loyalty.
Their attitude towards the blacks had changed a lot. In the past, they would have arrested Nelson Mandela. But, at present, they were saluting him.

Q7. Why were two national anthems sung?

Ans. The two national anthems were sung. It was done to create a balance between two races, the white and the black. It showed the new government’s vision of equality also.

Q8. What does courage mean to Mandela?

Ans. Mandela thinks that courage is not the absence of fear in the mind. It is the victory over it. Fear is present in every person. But the brave person is one who conquers fear.

Q9. Mandela talks of twin obligations. What are these?

Ans. According to Mandela, every person has twin obligations in life. One is towards his family, to his wife and children. The other is towards his people and the country.

Q10.  In this lesson, Mandela talks of the oppressor. Is the oppressor free in any sense or Is he also a slave of something?

Ans. Madela says that the oppressor is also a slave of hatred. He is imprisoned behind bars of prejudices and narrow-mindedness. He has made the other person slave.

Q11. What does Mandela mean when he says that he is “the sum of all those African patriots”, who had made struggle for freedom in South Africa before him?

Ans. By saying so, he pays a glowing tribute to the patriots of South Africa who had struggled for freedom so far. He succeeded in his great mission of getting freedom to South Africa. So he finds their blessings in himself.

Long Answer-type Qs (About 100 words)

Q1. What twin obligations does Mandela talk about in this lesson?

Ans. Nelson Mandela says that everyone has twin obligations. One obligation is towards one’s family, children, and parents. Another obligation is towards his people and the country. People fulfil these obligations towards their families and the country in their own ways. But in South Africa, it was not possible to do so. The white-skinned people had put several restrictions on the black coloured people under the policy of apartheid. The person doing his duty for his people was punished and sent behind bars. Mandela was also sent to prison for fulfilling his obligation towards his people. Thus he was not allowed to fulfil his twin obligations.

Q2. How did the meaning of the word ‘freedom’ change with the passage of time for Mandela?

Ans. Mandela said that freedom had different meanings for him according to the stages in his age. In the days of his boyhood, it was just running into his fields near his mother’s hut and swimming in the clear water of a stream. He was free to do the small things that a child could do. A he grew in age, that freedom turned into an illusion for him. He began to understand that his freedom was already snatched. As a student, he desired for freedom only just for himself. It was the freedom to stay out at night, read what he pleased and go where he chose. Later as a young man, he yearned (wished) for a real kind of freedom. It was the freedom to fulfil his twin obligations. But it was not there.

Q3. What does Mandela say about the policy of apartheid? How did it affect people of South Africa?

Ans. The white-skinned peoples of South Africa patched up their differences and erected (set up) a system of racial domination (जातीय शाशन) against the dark-skinned peoples of their own land. The policy of apartheid /əˈpɑː.taɪt/ created a deep and lasting wound in my country and my people. The people of South Africa would take a long time to recover from the deep wound created by the policy of apartheid. But the continuous oppression and cruelty of the South Africans produced great men like Oliver  Tambos, Walter Sisulus, Chief Luthulis, etc. They were men of such extraordinary courage, wisdom, and generosity (kindness) that their like may never be known again.

 

 

 

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 1-A Letter to God

 Selected Qs Ans: A Letter to God

Q1.What did Lencho hope for?

Ans: Lencho hoped for rain because his dry field of ripe corn needed it very much. He and his family would remain hungry for the whole year if his crop was not saved.

Q2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?

Ans: Lencho’s crops were ripe and ready for harvesting. Lencho imagined that he would get money by selling his crops in the market. So he called the raindrops new coins.

Q3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?

Ans: Lencho was very happy when the rain started falling down in his fields. But soon, a strong wind blew and the raindrops changed into hailstones. His crops were destroyed.

Q4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?

Ans: When the hailstones stopped, Lencho was full of sadness. His crops were destroyed. He was shocked and full of worry. He thought that his family would remain hungry if no help reached him.

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

Ans: Lencho had full faith in God. He believed that God knows everything. God would certainly (surely) help him. So he wrote a letter to God requesting Him to send him 100 pesos to sow his crop again in his fields.

  Q6. What did the postmaster do after he got Lencho’s letter from the postman?

Ans: First, the postmaster laughed heartily. But after a few seconds, he became serious. His firm faith in God had a deep effect on the postmaster. So he did not want to shatter (shake/break) Lencho’s faith in God. So he decided to collect money to help him.

Q7. Why did the postmaster not want to shake Lencho’s faith in God?       or

What did the postmaster do to help Lencho?

Ans. The postmaster did not want to shatter (shake/break) Lencho’s faith in God. So he collected money from his employees for charity. He also gave some part of his salary. But he could collect only 70 pesos. He put that money in an envelope.

Q8.Was Lencho surprised to find an envelope for him with money in it?
Ans: No, Lencho was not at all surprised to see the envelope from God with money inside it. He was fully confident that god would surely help him.

Q9. What made Lencho angry?
Ans: When Lencho finished counting money, he found only seventy pesos. But he had demanded hundred pesos. He was confident that God could never deny him the requested money. So, he thought that the post office employees had stolen his thirty pesos.

Q10. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
Ans: The postmaster was emotionally moved by Lencho’s faith in God. So, he decided to send money to him. The postmaster did not want to shake Lencho’s faith in God. So, he signed the letter ‘God’. It was a good trick to make Lencho believe  that God himself had written that letter.

Q11. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Whynot?
Ans: No, Lencho did not try to find out who had sent the money to him. This is because he had great confidence in God. So he could never have the idea that human beings would help him. His faith in God was so strong that he believed that God had sent him the money.

Q12. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation? Ans: Lencho thinks that the post office people have taken the money. But they are the people who collect money to help him. Lencho thinks they have stolen his money. He calls them ‘ a bunch of crooks’. Thus there is an element of irony in this situation.

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Long Qs.

Q1. Why did Lencho write a letter to God? Why did he call the post office employees 'a bunch of crooks’?

Ans. Lencho’s ripe cornfields were destroyed by hailstones. He knew his family would die of hunger if no help reached him. He hoped that God would surely help him with money. So he wrote a letter to God.

The postmaster did not want to break Lencho’s faith in God. So he collected money from his employees to help Lencho. He put the money in an envelope to give it to Lencho the next Sunday. He came to get his letter and the envelope was delivered to him. He counted the money. He found less than 30 pesos. It made him angry. He wrote another letter to God in which he called the post office employees ‘a bunch of crooks’. He thought them dishonest persons and doubted that they had stolen his 30 pesos. This is also the irony in the story.

Q2. There are two kinds of conflicts 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 by the destruction of Lencho’s crops by the hailstorm. The storm of hailstones stands for nature while Lencho represents human beings. This is really the first conflict.

The second conflict in this story occurs when Lencho counts the money that he received in an envelope. He finds it short by 30 pesos. It made him angry. He believed that God could not have sent him less amount. He was sure that the post office employees must have stolen his 30 pesos from the envelope.

But the truth was that the postmaster really wanted to see him happy. So he collected money, put it into an envelope, and managed to deliver it to him. Ironically, Lencho thinks them all dishonest. This is the second conflict that was caused by a lack of faith among human beings.

 [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.]