Class 10 English Previous Year Question Paper (2019) with Solutions

by | Sep 16, 2024 | General | 0 comments

 

CBSE Class 10 English Chapter-wise Previous Years Questions (2019) with Solution

 

Class 10 English Question Paper (2019) – Solved Question papers from previous years are very important for preparing for the CBSE Board Exams. It works as a treasure trove. It helps to prepare for the exam precisely. One of key benefits of solving question papers from past board exams is their ability to help identify commonly asked questions. These papers are highly beneficial study resources for students preparing for the upcoming class 10th board examinations. Here we have compiled chapter-wise questions asked in all the sets of CBSE Class 10 English question paper (2019).

 

First Flight Book

 

Chapter 1 – A Letter to God

 

Q1. Why did Lencho write a letter to God? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Lencho’s crop had been destroyed by the hailstorm. He wrote a letter to God seeking help of 100 Pesos. He would use this money to feed his family and to seed the field again.

 

Q2. Why was Lencho angry on counting the money sent to him? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Lencho had asked for 100 Pesos but the envelope contained only 70 Pesos. This angered Lencho and he suspected that the post office staff had stolen his money.

 

Also See 

 

Chapter 2 – Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom

 

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

We, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare privilege to be host to the nations of the world on our own soil. We thank all of our distinguished international guests for having come to take possession with the people of our country of what is, after all, a common victory for justice, for peace, for human dignity. We have, at last, achieved our political emancipation. We pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination.

 

(a) Who does the pronoun ‘we’ refer to in the first line of the passage?

Ans. ‘We’ refers to the freedom fighters of South Africa.

 

(b) What did ‘we’ achieve at last?

Ans. They achieved freedom and ended the racial discrimination system called Apartheid.

 

(c) What does the word ‘bondage’ mean in the passage?

Ans. It means restriction and oppression.

 

(d) What have ‘we’ pledged to do?

Ans. ‘We’ have pledged to free ourselves from the oppression of someone that has led us into poverty, deprivation and discrimination.

 

Question Answers

 

Q1. What according to Nelson Mandela are a man’s twin obligations? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. A man’s twin obligations are his obligation towards his family and that towards his nation. According to Mandela, a man is free if he can fulfil both these obligations. 

 

Also See 

 

Chapter 3 – Two Stories About Flying (Part 1 – His First Flight)

 

Q1. How did the seagull’s parents try to make him fly? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. The parents tried different tactics to make the seagull fly. They scolded him, made him starve, ignored him and even left him stranded on a cliff.

 

Q2. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. The young seagull was afraid because he lacked courage. He was scared that his wings would not be able to bear his weight and that he would fall and hit the ground below.

 

Also See 

 

Chapter 3 – Two Stories About Flying (Part 2 – The Black Aeroplane)

 

Q1. Why did the pilot think of going back to Paris? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. The pilot had just crossed Paris when he saw dense black storm clouds ahead. He was reluctant to enter the storm and so, he thought of going back to Paris.

 

Also See 

 

Chapter 4 – From the Diary of Anne Frank

 

Q1. How did Mr. Keesing’s attitude towards Anne change? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Anne Frank was punished thrice and was asked to write essays related to her talkative nature. However, in every assignment, she came up with new stories through which she tried to justify her habit. Mr Keesing was impressed by her witty write ups and thus, his attitude towards her changed.

 

Also See 

 

Chapter 5 – Glimpses of India (Part 1 – A Baker from Goa) 

 

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

The baker usually collected his bills at the end of the month. Monthly accounts used to be recorded on some wall in pencil. Baking was indeed a profitable profession in the old days. The baker and his family never starved. He, his family and his servants always looked happy and prosperous. Their plump physique was an open testimony to this. Even today any person with a jackfruit-like physical appearance is easily compared to a baker.

 

(a) Where did the baker record his accounts?

Ans. The monthly accounts were recorded on some wall.

 

(b) Why did the baker and his family never starve?

Ans. They never starved because the bakery products were always in demand.

 

(c) Which word in the extract is a synonym of ‘rich’?

Ans. prosperous

 

(d) How can a baker be identified in Goa?

Ans. The jackfruit-like physical appearance of a person identifies him as a baker.

 

Question Answers

 

Q1. How do we know that Goa’s bakers are very prosperous? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Goa’s bakers are prosperous because there is an immense demand of bakery items. Some preparations are a part of various occasions and ceremonies. People buy breads and other baked goods every morning.

 

Q2. What importance does a baker enjoy in a Goan village? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. A Baker is considered a family member. Every morning, the people wake up to the jhang-jhang and thud of the baker’s bamboo. The baker visits twice a day and people buy bread and other baked goods on a daily basis.

 

Also See  

 

Chapter 5 – Glimpses of India (Part 2 – Coorg) 

 

Q1. How is the Coorgi tradition of courage and bravery recognised in modern India? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. The Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated in the Indian Army and the First Chief of the Indian Army, General Cariappa was a Coorgi. The Coorgis are the only people in India who are permitted to carry firearms without a licence. Thus, we see that the Coorgi tradition of courage and bravery is recognised in Modern India.

 

Also See  

 

Chapter 5 – Glimpses of India (Part 3 – Tea from Assam) 

 

Q1. Why did Pranjol not share Rajvir’s excitement on seeing the tree plantation? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Pranjol was not excited on seeing the tree plantations because it was his home and he had seen them earlier too. However, Rajvir was visiting Assam for the first time and was excited to see the tea plantations.

 

Also See 

 

Chapter 6 – Mijbil the Otter

 

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

When I casually mentioned this to a friend, he casually replied that I had better get one in the Tigris marshes, for there they were as common as mosquitoes, and were often tamed by the Arabs. We were going to Basra to the Consulate-General to collect and answer our mail from Europe. At the Consulate-General we found that my friend’s mail had arrived but that mine had not.

 

Questions :

(a) What was ‘they’?

Ans. It refers to otters.

 

(b) Where could the author get ‘one’?

Ans. He could get an otter in the marshes of Tigris river. 

 

(c) Find the exact word from the extract which means ‘domesticated.’

Ans. Tamed

 

(d) What did the author find at the Consulate-General?

Ans. He found that his friend’s mail had arrived and his mail had not arrived yet.

 

Question Answers

 

Q1. How did Maxwell get the otter? [30 – 40 words] 

Ans. Maxwell wanted to keep an otter as a pet instead of a dog. He expressed his wish before his friend who managed to get an otter and sent it to Maxwell through two Arabs. Thus Maxwell got his tamed otter.

 

Q2. Why do you think the otter was not friendly at first with the narrator? How did it behave at first? Why? [100 – 120 words]

Ans. Mij was an intelligent, friendly and fun-loving animal. When the author received it, for the first twenty-four hours it remained aloof and indifferent but later on, he took interest in his surroundings. He became friendly to the author. He enjoyed his bath. One day, he disappeared from the bedroom and entered the bathroom where he tried to open the tap.

His intelligence is further revealed when he invented a game of his own called ping-pong. Mij discovered that if the ball was placed on the high end of the suitcase, it would rather run down the length of the suitcase. He enjoyed playing with balls and marbles. Mijbil had developed certain compulsive habits like school children. He used to gallop at full speed on the thirty yards wall of a primary school.

Q3. What happened when Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom? What did it do two days after that? [100 – 120 words]

Ans. When Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom he went wild with joy in the water, plunging and rolling in the shooting operand down the length of the bathtub underwater and making enough slosh and splash for a hippo. He spilled and splashed every drop of water which showed his extreme love for water. Two days after, Mijbil escaped from the bedroom and entered the bathroom. By the time the narrator reached, Mijbil was up on the end of the bathtub and was fumbling at the taps with his paws. He struggled with the chromium tap till it had a full flow. 

 

Also See  

 

Chapter 7 – Madam Rides the Bus

 

Q1. What was the most fascinating thing that Valli saw on the street? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Valli did not have any friends. She would stand by the door of the house and watch the street. The bus to and from the town crossed once every hour. The sight of the bus filled with a new set of passengers every time it passed, was a source of fascination for her.

 

Q2. Valli’s dream was to enjoy a ride on the bus to the nearest town. What preparations did she make to realise her dream? [100 – 120 words]

Ans. She listened in on the conversations taking place between her neighbours and regular bus travellers. She even asked them questions. She was well-informed on the bus, the bus fare, and the travel time. Between her village and the closest town, a bus ran. Her village was six kilometres from the town.

The cost for one way was thirty paise. In order to pay for the two side trips, she had to collect sixty rupees. She had heard this from a well-dressed individual. It took 45 minutes to travel to the town. She would catch the bus in the afternoon at 1 o’clock and arrive in the town at 1:45. She planned to return around 2:45. She saved money despite all of her urges to buy balloons and toys. All the dropped coins that came her way, she gathered. She stayed away from the swing and the merry-go-round at the village fair. She then gathered the necessary funds.

 

Also See  

 

Chapter 8 – The Sermon at Benares

 

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

At twelve, he was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures and four years later he returned home to marry a princess. They had a son and lived for ten years as befitted royalty.

 

(a) Who does ‘he’ stand for?

Ans. ‘He’ stands for Gautam Buddha.

 

(b) What did ‘he’ study for four years?

Ans. ‘He’ studied Hindu sacred scriptures for four years.

 

(c) What does the phrase, ‘as befitted royalty’ mean?

Ans. It means that it was done in a way that was suitable for the royal people.

 

(d) What happened after ten years?

Ans. After ten years, Siddhartha renounced the world and royalty. The sorrows that he saw made him seek enlightenment.

 

Question Answers

 

Q1. How did Kisa Gotami realise that life and death is a normal process? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. When Kisa could not find a single household that had not experienced the pain of losing a beloved to death, she realised that life and death is a normal process. She thought that she had been selfish in her grief whereas death is common to all.

 

Q2. Why did Gotami go to the Buddha? What lesson did he teach her? [100 – 120 words]

Ans. Kisa wanted to bring her dead son to life. She sought help from every person whom she came across. Finally, she sought Buddha’s help. Gautama Buddha taught her that death is the ultimate truth and we are mortal beings.

 

Also See  

 

Chapter 9 – The Proposal

 

Q1. How did Chubukov react when Lomov asked for the hand of his daughter in marriage? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Chubukov was happy when Lomov proposed to marry his daughter Natalya. He hugs and kisses Lomov. He adds that he had been waiting for that day since a long time. He goes to call Natalya to meet Lomov.

 

Also See  

 

Deleted Chapter

 

Chapter – The Hundred Dresses Part 1

 

Q1. Why did Maddie write a note to Peggy and then tore it? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Maddie did not like the manner in which Peggy asked Wanda about the number of dresses she had. She wanted to tell Peggy to stop insulting Wanda. However, she could not gather the courage to send the letter because she feared that after Wanda, she could be the target of Peggy’s insults. Thus, she tore the letter.

 

Q2. Where in the classroom does Wanda sit and why? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Wanda sat in a corner of the room where boys who did not score much marks sat. It was that corner where there was most scuffling of feet, most roars of laughter, most dirt and mud on the floor. Nobody knew the reason behind her sitting there.

 

Q3. How was Wanda different from other girls? How did they treat her? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Wanda had an unusual last name and people thought it was funny. She did not have any friends and always wore a blue faded dress. The other girls mocked her and made fun of her.

 

Q4. When and why did Peggy and Maddie notice Wanda’s absence? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Wanda had been absent for two days but no one noticed. It was only when Maddie and Peggy waited for her outside school, to make fun of her, that they realized her absence.

 

Q5. At the end of the story, how does Wanda succeed in winning the love and confidence of her classmates? [100 – 120 words]

Ans. Wanda left the school because of the constant nagging and mocking of the classmates. However, to show her friendliness, she gifted a painting of her dresses, each to Maddie and Peggy. The girls were excited to get the beautiful drawings and on a careful look, they realised that the figures drawn resembled them. Thus, they felt guilty for making fun of Wanda and even wanted her to return.

 

Also See 

 

First Flight Poems

 

Poem 1 – Dust of Snow

 

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :

The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood.

 

(a) Name the poem and the poet.

Ans. Dust of Snow by Robert Frost

 

(b) What did the crow do to the hemlock tree?

Ans. The crow shook the tree as it flew off from it.

 

(c) What mood of the poet is conveyed here?

Ans. The poet was sad that day but later became happy.

 

(d) What did the crow and the hemlock symbolise?

Ans. Generally, they symbolize sadness. However, they turned out to be a good omen for the poet.

 

Also See 

 

Poem 4 – How to Tell Wild Animals

 

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

(A) If ever you should go by chance.

To jungles in the east;

And if there should to you advance.

A large and tawny beast,

If he roars at you as you’re dyin’

You’ll know it is the Asian Lion …

 

(a) Where can one find the Asian Lion?

Ans. One can find the Asian Lion in the jungles of the east.

 

(b) What are the characteristics of the Asian Lion?

Ans. The Asian Lion is a large and tawny beast who roars very loudly.

 

(c) What is the effect of the roar of a lion on you?

Ans. The roar of the lion is so loud that it can make us die.

 

(d) Identify the poem and the poet.

Ans. How to tell Wild Animals by Carolyn Wells.

 

(B) The true Chameleon is small.

A lizard sort of thing;

He hasn’t any ears at all,

And not a single wing.

 

(a) Name the poem and the poet.

Ans. How to tell Wild Animals by Carolyn Wells.

 

(b) Which other creature does a chameleon resemble?

Ans. Lizard.

 

(c) How does the poet describe a chameleon?

Ans. It is small, looks like a lizard. It does not have ears or wings.

 

(d) Give one extraordinary feature of a chameleon.

Ans. It changes its colour and matches it with its surrounding to become invisible.

 

Also See 

 

Poem 5 – The Ball Poem

 

Q1. Why was the boy upset on losing his ball? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. The boy was upset because the ball reminded him of the days passed by when he would play with it. He experienced a sense of responsibility towards his possession and so, he was sad on losing it.

 

Also See 

 

Poem 6 – Amanda

 

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

(There is a languid, emerald sea,

where the sole inhabitant is me–

a mermaid drifting blissfully.)

 

(a) Who does ‘me’ stand for?

Ans. ‘Me’ stands for Amanda.

 

(b) How does ‘me’ feel?

Ans. ‘Me’ feels blissful and calm.

 

(c) Who is ‘me’ compared to?

Ans. ‘Me’ is compared to a mermaid.

 

(d) Which word in the extract means opposite of ‘sorrowfully’?

Ans. blissfully.

 

Also See 

 

Poem 7 – The Trees

 

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

(A) My head is full of whispers

which tomorrow will be silent.

Listen. The glass is breaking.

The trees are stumbling forward

into the night. Winds rush to meet them.

The moon is broken like a mirror,

its pieces flash now in the crown

of the tallest oak.

 

Q1. Why would the whispers be silent tomorrow?

Ans. The whispers will be silent because the trees will move outside to the forest.

 

Q2. Why are the trees stumbling?

Ans. The trees are stumbling because they hurry to move outside after breaking the glass.

 

Q3. Which word in the stanza means the same as ‘Quiet’?

Ans. The word is ‘Silent’.

 

Q4. Which poetic device has been used in the sixth line of the stanza?

Ans. Simile has been used using ‘like’ for comparison.

 

(B) ……long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof

like newly discharged patients

half-dazed, moving

to the clinic doors.

 

(a) What are the boughs doing?

Ans. They are shuffling.

 

(b) What are the boughs compared to?

Ans. Newly discharged patients.

 

(c) Why does the poet use this comparison?

Ans. The boughs are not sure about their destination and way out of the house just like the newly discharged patients who are under the influence of the anasthesia and are uncertain about the way out of the hospital.

 

(d) What does ‘half-dazed’ mean?

Ans. It means a state of semi-consciousness. Here it could mean that they are still under the mild influence of the anasthesia that was administered to them.

 

Question Answers

 

Q1. Why is the poet writing long letters? Why does she not mention the departure of the trees? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. The poet is writing long letters probably to keep herself busy in some activity. She does not mention the departure of the trees in her long letters because she doesn’t want anyone to know that the trees inside her house are rebelling and fighting their way out to reach the forest. The trees struggle silently at night to break free from their captivity when no one is watching them. She wants the trees to be liberated and be one with nature where they belong. Therefore, she feels that it is best not to say a word about it to anybody.

 

Also See 

 

Poem 8 – Fog

 

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :

It sits looking

over harbour and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

 

(a) What does ‘It’ refer to here?

Ans. The fog.

 

(b) Where does ‘It’ settle over?

Ans. The harbour and city.

 

(c) What does ‘It’ do sitting on its haunches?

Ans. Looks over the harbour and city.

 

(d) Name the figure of speech used in these lines.

Ans. Personification

 

Also See 

 

Poem 9 – The Tale of Custard the Dragon

 

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

Now the name of the little black kitten was Ink,

And the little gray mouse, she called him Blink,

And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard,

But the dragon was a coward, and she called him Custard.

 

(a) Name the poem and its poet.

Ans. The Tale of Custard the Dragon by Odgen Nash.

 

(b) What is the colour of Belinda’s dog?

Ans. Yellow

 

(c) What were the kitten and the mouse called?

Ans. The kitten was called Ink and the mouse was called Blink.

 

(d) Which word in the stanza is the antonym of ‘dull’?

Ans. sharp

 

Also See 

 

Poem 10 – For Anne Gregory

 

Q1. The poet in the poem, ‘For Anne Gregory’ conveys that we should give importance to the inner beauty and not to the physical appearance. Elaborate with reference to the poem. [100 – 120 words]

Ans. In the conversation between Anne Gregory and another speaker, the poet tried to show that inner beauty is true beauty, while physical appearance is changeable and therefore meaningless. The first speaker tells Anne that young men love her for her beautiful yellow hair and may never love her for who she really is. Anne replies that her hair color can be changed to black, brown or carrot, which means that outer beauty is superficial and men should not love her for that. With Anne’s answer, the poet explained that only God preferred inner beauty to physical appearance. No one else loved someone for his or her inner beauty, other than God.

 

Also See 

 

Footprints Without Feet Book

 

Chapter 1 – A Triumph of Surgery

 

Q1. Was Tricki suffering from any ailment in reality? If not, then what made him inactive and lethargic? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Tricki was not suffering from any ailment. The only problem was overeating and inactivity. The main cause was the excessive pampering by Tricki’s mistress, Mrs Pumphrey.

 

Also See 

 

Chapter 2 – The Thief’s Story 

 

Q1. Why does Anil not hand Hari Singh over to the police? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Anil does not hand Hari Singh to the police because he feels that Hari has realized his mistake and has made amends. Hari places the money back from where he had taken it. Thus, Anil excuses him and does to report the matter.

 

Q2. Why does the thief say that it is difficult to rob a careless man? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. He says this because a careless man does not even realize that he has been robbed. Thus, the thief does not derive any pleasure from robbing a careless man.

 

Q3. Why did the thief change his name every month? How did he rob people? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. He changed his name to evade the police and his former employers. He would gain the confidence of his employer, cheat them and flee.

 

Check out 

 

Chapter 3 – The Midnight Visitor 

 

Q1. How was Ausable different from other secret agents? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Ausable did not fit the general description of secret agents. He was very fat. He spoke French and German passably and had an American accent that remained with him even after twenty years of moving from America to Paris.He did not get messages slipped into his hand by dark-eyed beauties. He seemed too boring to be a secret agent.

 

Also See 

 

Chapter 4 – A Question of Trust

 

Q1. How can you say that Horace Danby was good and respectable but not completely honest? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Horace Danby was good and respectable because he was an expert in his profession of making locks. However, as he loved collecting rare and expensive books, he robbed a safe every year to finance the purchase of these books through an agent. Thus he was not completely honest.

 

Q2. How did Horace enter Shotover Grange? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Horace had seen the housekeeper hang the key in the hook outside the kitchen door. He came out from behind the garden wall. He put on his gloves, took the key and opened the door of the kitchen and entered Shot over Grange.

 

Q3. What was Horace Danby suffering from? How did it affect him? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. He suffered from attacks of Hay fever in summers. He would experience a tickle in the nose, followed by a bout of sneezing.

 

Q4. Why did Horace Danby steal every year? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. He robbed a safe every year. Each year he planned a robbery and stole enough to last twelve months. Then he would buy the books he loved through an agent.

 

Q5. Horace was clever but the lady in red was cleverer. Do you agree with this statement? Justify your answer. [100 – 120 words]

Ans. Absolutely, I do agree with this statement. Horace was cunning since he carefully planned the robbery, researched the target, took the right tools, as well as his gloves to guarantee he left no fingerprints. But, the young woman in red had all the essential knowledge and, by pretending to be the mistress of the home, took advantage of Horace’s anxiety over being found out to get him to unlock the safe and give her the diamonds. Even when she diverted his attention by picking up a cigarette that Horace offered to light after taking off his gloves, she made sure that Horace left his fingerprints at the scene. As a result, the lady tricked him.

 

Also See 

 

Chapter 5 – Footprints without Feet

 

Q1. How did Griffin find himself invisible but naked in the chill January air for the second time? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. When the large London store opened in the morning, the sales people entered. Seeing them, Griffin panicked and ran. The assistants chased Griffin as he fled in a state of terror. He had to take off his newly discovered clothing in order to disappear, so for the second time he was both invisible and naked in the cold January air.

 

Also See 

 

Chapter 6 – The Making of a Scientist

 

Q1. How did Ebright’s mother help him in becoming a scientist? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Richard Ebright’s Mother was a dedicated, encouraging, and supporting person. Despite the difficulties of being a single parent, she always placed a high priority on his intellectual and educational advancement. She recognized his love for science. She frequently accompanied him to the library and even bought for him equipment including a telescope, a microscope, cameras, mounting materials, etc 

 

Q2. How did Ebright use determination and perseverance to achieve his aim of becoming a scientist? [100 – 120 words]

Ans. Richard Ebright had been a curious child since he was in kindergarten. His curiosity prompted him to collect rocks, fossils, coins and butterflies. His mother’s encouragement and his bright mind also contributed to making him a successful scientist. His response to Dr Fredrick A. Urquhart to collect butterflies for his research gave him an opportunity in his endeavours. Then in the seventh grade, he got a hint of what real science is when he entered a country science fair and lost. He realised that winners had tried to do real experiments, not simply made a neat display. Thereafter, Ebright worked sincerely on every science project he got every year in school. He then went on to win the highest honours and graduated from Harvard. He never lost his perseverance and determination and thus always kept on moving in life keeping all his failures aside and thus, he became a renowned scientist.

 

Also See 

 

Chapter 7 – The Necklace

 

Q1. Why do you think M. Loisel was a loving husband? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. He is a devoted spouse who cares about his wife and wants her to be happy. To satisfy his wife, he even puts aside his own desires. Even though his wife criticises their modest way of life and longs for a more lavish living, he is patient and understanding. Although he is happy to support Mathilde’s aspirations for a better life, he does not actively pursue them.

 

Q2. Mme Forestier proved to be a true friend of the Loisels. Elaborate. [100 – 120 words]

Ans. Mme Forestier proved to be a true friend of the Loisels. When Mme Loisel had no one, it was Mme Forestier who helped her. She let her try all her jewels and even allowed her to borrow whichever she liked the most. Later, in the end, when Matilda tells Mme Forestier how much trouble she had to go through because of the diamond necklace, Mme Forestier feels very sorry and tells her the truth that the necklace was fake. She could have said that the necklace was real but she chose to tell her the truth. All these things show that she was true friend.

 

Q3. Matilda wanted to live a life above her status. How did this desire of hers lead to her sufferings? [100 – 120 words]

Ans. It is a universal and time-tested fact that ostentation and vanity frequently lead to trouble. Matilda is an excellent example. Wise men have always stressed the axiom, “Cut your coat according to your cloth.” This cautionary proverb contains a wealth of wisdom. People, however, frequently succumb to worldly temptations such as ostentation and vanity. The Necklace is an excellent story that teaches a similar lesson. Matilda had been ambitious from the start. She had an undeniable attraction to the upper crust. She became overjoyed when her husband received an invitation to the ball. She went above and beyond her means to prepare for the ball. She went overboard on her dress.

 

She considered borrowing Madame Forestier’s necklace for the jewellery. Unfortunately, the borrowed necklace was misplaced during the party. To pay for the replacement of the lost necklace, she and her husband had to endure ten years of arduous headships. Madame Forestier informed her after ten years that it was a fabricated necklace. Matilda would not have faced all of those difficulties if she had not been so swayed by ostentation and vanity.

 

Also See 

 

Chapter 8 – Bholi

 

Q1. Bholi is a child different from others. This difference makes her an object of neglect and laughter. Elaborate. [100 – 120 words]

Ans. Bholi was the family’s fourth child. She was distinct from her siblings. Her face was disfigured. She was covered in black pockmarks. She was a slow student and thus, her nickname Bholi, meaning simpleton. She used to stammer as well. She did not get proper care at home. There were no new clothes made for her, and she was always given the dresses of her elder sisters. Nobody bothered to bathe her, oil her hair, or even clean her clothes. She was probably neglected because she was the youngest child in a family of seven. It’s possible that she didn’t capture her parents’ attention and affection because of her unattractive appearance or physical limitations.

 

Q2. It was education which made Bholi bold enough to say ‘No’ to Bishamber when he demanded five thousand rupees as dowry. Comment. [100 – 120 words]

Ans. All social ills can be solved through education. Illiteracy and ignorance only lead to poverty, suffering, and misery. Bholi initially lacks confidence due to her disabilities. She is quiet, timid, and mentally weak. Her ugliness and stammer prevent her from progressing. She is afraid to speak because others mock her.

School completely transforms her life. It opens up a new world of possibilities for her. Her teacher is kind and loving to her. Her love and support encourage Bholi to believe in herself. She studies and develops into a strong young woman. She is aware of her rights and asserts them. She will not marry a man who demands a dowry. Bholi’s life is thus altered as a result of her education.

 

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Chapter 9 – The Book that Saved the Earth

 

Q1. What difficulty do the crew of the space probe face on the Earth? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. The space probe landed in a public library. The crew was shocked because the place looked very strange as they had no idea of books. They think that the books are sandwiches or some communication devices. They were not able to decode the purpose of the books.

 

Q2. What is Think-Tank proud of? How do you know? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. Think-Tank is of the opinion that he is the most powerful and intelligent creature in the whole universe. He thinks himself to be the ruler of Mars and commands the Mars space control. He considers books as communication sandwiches because he is from the planet Mars. He is superior in his intelligence and authority so he wants to be appreciated. He boasts of his intelligence and power but decides to evacuate his planet and escape as soon as he gets to know that people from Earth had planned to take control of Mars. He smacks his mirror as it delays in praising him. 

 

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Deleted Chapter

 

Chapter – The Hack Driver

 

Q1. What does the hack driver do to help the lawyer to look for Oliver Lutkins? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. The Hackdriver takes the lawyer on a wild goose chase. He promises to find the man and takes the lawyer all around the town. He is Oliver Lutkins himself but he evades receiving the summons by befooling the lawyer.

 

Q2. Why did the young lawyer wish to return to New Mullion? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. The young lawyer enjoys the company of the hackdriver. Although he fails to serve summons to Oliver Lutkins, he enjoys the peaceful countryside. Thus, he wants to return to the town again.

 

Q3. Why did the lawyer hate his work? [30 – 40 words]

Ans. The lawyer was working as a junior assistant clerk. Instead of preparing legal briefs, his work was to serve summons. He had to go to dirty corners of the city, looking for the people and some of them even beat him up. Thus he hated his work and even thought of fleeing to his hometown.

 

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