CBSE Class 10 English Chapter 1: A Letter to God Extract Based Questions from the First Flight Book
This post brings together extract-based questions from Chapter 1, “A Letter to God”, in the First Flight book.. Extract-based questions are an important part of the CBSE Class 10 English board exam, testing how well you understand and interpret a passage from the text. Practising them will help you read closely, pick out key details about Lencho and his faith, and answer accurately within the time limit. Also Included here are questions from CBSE Class 10 Board Exams from previous years.
A Letter to God Extract Based Questions
A. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
The house — the only one in the entire valley — sat on the crest of a low hill. From this height one could see the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers that always promised a good harvest. The only thing the earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower. Throughout the morning Lencho — who knew his fields intimately — had done nothing else but see the sky towards the north-east.
(i) Justify the statement: “The only thing the earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower.”
Ans. Lencho’s fields of ripe corn were ready for harvest and needed water to ensure a good yield, which is why he was eagerly looking at the sky for rain.
(ii) Fill in the blank:
Lencho knew his fields intimately because he had been observing the sky towards the _______ (north-east/south-west) all morning.
Ans. north-east
(iii) Examine the portrayal of Lencho in the given extract.
Ans. Lencho is portrayed as a dedicated and experienced farmer who knows his land intimately. He is deeply hopeful and relies completely on nature and timely rain for his crop’s success.
(iv) Why was Lencho observing the sky towards the north-east?
(A) He was waiting for his friends.
(B) He wanted to spot a rainbow.
(C) He was looking for signs of a storm.
(D) He was hoping for rain clouds to bring a downpour for his crops.
Ans. (D) He was hoping for rain clouds to bring a downpour for his crops.
B. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
It was during the meal that, just as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall. In the North East huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching. The air was fresh and sweet. The man went out for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body.
(i) Which of the following options justifies the reason why Lencho went out into the rain?
(A) To quickly take the clothes hanging outside on the cloth stand inside
(B) To take his domestic animals under the shade as it was raining
(C) To have the pleasure of feeling the refreshing rain on his body
(D) To check if the hail had started damaging his corn field
Ans. (C) To have the pleasure of feeling the refreshing rain on his body
(ii) Complete the sentence appropriately:
Lencho had stepped out during the meal because ____________.
Ans. he wanted to feel the pleasure of the rain on his body after his prediction of rain came true.
(iii) In the above lines, huge mountains of clouds are described as approaching. What is the significance of this detail in the context of Lencho’s situation?
Ans. The approaching huge mountains of clouds signified impending rain, which was desperately needed for Lencho’s field of ripe corn. To Lencho, it brought immense relief and promised a prosperous harvest for his family.
(iv) The tone of Lencho/the narrator in the above excerpt is:
- joyful
- optimistic
- anxious
- hopeless
- hostile
Select the correct option:
(A) 1, 2 and 3
(B) 3 and 4
(C) 1 and 2
(D) 4 and 5
Ans. (C) 1 and 2
C. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
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. Don’t be upset, even though this seems like a total loss. Remember, no one dies of hunger.
(i) Fill in the blank:
The residents of the solitary house believed that despite a total loss of crops, no one dies of _______ (hunger/fear).
Ans. hunger
(ii) What caused the residents to look for help from God?
(A) They lost their home to a fire.
(B) A total loss of their crops due to the hailstorm.
(C) They ran out of food supplies for the week.
(D) They wanted to build a new church.
Ans. (B) A total loss of their crops due to the hailstorm.
(iii) Justify the statement: “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.”
Ans. After the devastating hailstorm destroyed their entire crop, they had no other human support or source of income left, leaving divine intervention as their absolute last resort.
(iv) Examine the tone of the speaker in the extract.
Ans. The tone is deeply reassuring, resilient, and anchored in absolute faith, trying to comfort others in the family despite the overwhelming disaster.
D. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow:
With a satisfied expression he regarded the field of ripe corn with its flower, draped in a curtain of rain. But suddenly a strong wind began to blow and along with the rain very large hailstones began to fall. These truly did resemble new silver coins. The boys, exposing themselves to the rain, ran out to collect the frozen pearls.
i) Why did the boys run out into the rain?
(A) To take shelter under the trees.
(B) To save the harvested corn.
(C) To collect the frozen pearls or hailstones.
(D) To call their neighbors for help.
(C) To collect the frozen pearls or hailstones.
(ii) Justify the statement: “These truly did resemble new silver coins.”
Ans. The glistening hailstones caught the light and resembled shiny new silver coins, symbolizing prospective wealth to the children before they realized the destruction they would cause.
(iii) Examine the shift in mood within the extract.
Ans. The mood shifts abruptly from peaceful satisfaction and hope to sudden panic and destruction as the gentle rain turns into a violent hailstorm.
(iv) Fill in the blank:
The boys ran out into the rain to collect the frozen pearls, which were actually large _______ (hailstones/drops).
Ans. hailstones
E. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow :
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. Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields, but still he knew how to write. The following Sunday, at daybreak, he began to write a letter which he himself would carry to town and place in the mail. It was nothing less than a letter to God.
(i) Fill in the blank:
Lencho decided to write a letter to God on the following _______ (Sunday/Monday) at daybreak.
Ans. Sunday
(ii) Examine Lencho’s character traits as revealed in this extract.
Ans. Lencho is shown as hardworking, deeply religious, and possessing a child-like, unshakeable faith in God’s ultimate justice and attentiveness.
(iii) What did Lencho do at daybreak on Sunday?
(A) He went to harvest the remaining corn.
(B) He began to write a letter to God.
(C) He visited the postmaster to complain.
(D) He gathered his sons to plan a new farm.
Ans. (B) He began to write a letter to God.
(iv) Justify the statement: “Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields…”
Ans. This metaphor highlights Lencho’s extreme physical hard work and relentless dedication to toiling tirelessly on his land like an ox.
F. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow :
When he finished, he went to the window to buy a stamp which he licked and then affixed to the envelope with a blow of his fist. The moment the letter fell into the mailbox the postmaster went to open it. It said, “God of the money that asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest, since I need it very much. But don’t send it to me through the mail because the post office employees are a bunch of crooks, Lencho”.
(i) How did Lencho affix the stamp to the envelope?
(A) By using a wet sponge.
(B) By asking the postmaster for glue.
(C) By licking it and affixing it with a blow of his fist.
(D) By taping it securely with paper.
Ans. (C) By licking it and affixing it with a blow of his fist.
(ii) Examine the dramatic irony present in the conclusion of the story reflected here.
Ans. The irony lies in the fact that the post office employees, who actually pooled their own money to help Lencho out of kindness, are ironically labeled as “crooks” by him.
(iii) Justify the statement: “…the post office employees are a bunch of crooks, Lencho.”
Ans. Because Lencho received less money than he demanded from God, and due to his immense naivety, he falsely suspected the helpful post office staff of stealing the missing amount.
(iv) Fill in the blank:
Lencho received only _______ (seventy/fifty) pesos instead of the full amount he had requested.
Ans. seventy
G. Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow : (2026 Board Exam)
The postmaster — a fat, amiable fellow — also broke out laughing, but almost immediately he turned serious and, tapping the letter to his desk, commented, “What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter. Starting up a correspondence with God!’’ So, in order not to shake the writer’s faith in God, the postmaster came up with an idea: answer the letter.
(i) Justify the statement: “What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter.”
Ans. Lencho wrote to God as if He were an ordinary person who reads mail and sends money. Such complete, unquestioning trust amazed the postmaster, who could not match it himself.
(ii) Fill in the blank:
The postmaster turned serious on seeing the letter addressed to God because he realized that the writer had _______ (immense/limited) faith in God.
Ans. immense
(iii) Examine the portrayal of the postmaster in the given extract.
Ans. He is jovial and amiable, which is why he laughs at first. He then turns serious, showing sensitivity. He is kind and generous, because he wants to protect Lencho’s faith and decides to answer the letter, even though it means collecting money from others.
(iv) Why did the postmaster initially laugh on seeing the letter?
(A) It was a blank sheet of paper.
(B) He lacked faith in God.
(C) He had received such letters earlier.
(D) He had never known such an address.
Ans. (D) He had never known such an address. The postman had never come across a letter addressed to God.
Conclusion
Regular practice with these extract-based questions will sharpen your comprehension skills and help you answer confidently in the board exam. Read each extract carefully, focus on Lencho’s faith and the story’s irony, and you’ll be well prepared to score full marks.
