NCERT Solutions for class 10
English First Flight
Lesson 1 A Letter to God
Word meaning
1. Crest - the highest/top part of the hill
2. Dotted with - scattered over an area
3. Predict - foretell the future,say in advance
4. Draped - covered
5. Hailstones - frozen rain
6. Locusts - insects which fly in big groups and destroy crops
7. Solitary - lonely, single
8. Resemble - be similar
9. Plague - cause of disaster
10. Upset - disturbed
11.Tap - give light
12. Conscience - an inner sense of right and wrong
13. Pesos - a currency used in several latin american countries
14. Obliged - compelled
15. Amiable - friendly and pleasant
16. Contain - have within itself
17. Slightest - very little
18. Correspondence - an act of writing letters
19. Resolution - a firm decision
20. Effort - attempt
21. Contentment - satisfaction
22. Crooks - dishonest persons/people
23. Bunch - group
Questions on Page No. 5
Ques 1 : What did Lencho hoped for?
Ans : Lencho hoped for rains as his field of ripe corn needed a shower in immediate effect for better growth.
Ques 2 : Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like 'new coins' ?
Ans : Because raindrops will help crops to grow and grown crops could be sold to the market for good money. that is why he compared the raindrops to 'new coins'.
Ques 3 : How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho's fields?
Ans : The rain was pouring down and Lencho was satisfied but suddenly a strong wind began to blow and very large hailstones began to fall along with the rain for one hour. because of this Lencho's fields were destroyed. Leaf and flowers were gone from the plants. The corn was completely destroyed.
Ques 4 : What were Lencho's feelings when the hail stopped?
Ans : When the hail was stopped, Lencho's soul was filled with sadness. He looked around at his fields and said that even a plague of locusts would have left more then what was left after the hailstorm. He said that they would go hungry this year. He was full of sorrow.
Questions on Page No. 5
Ques 1 : What did Lencho hoped for?
Ans : Lencho hoped for rains as his field of ripe corn needed a shower in immediate effect for better growth.
Ques 2 : Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like 'new coins' ?
Ans : Because raindrops will help crops to grow and grown crops could be sold to the market for good money. that is why he compared the raindrops to 'new coins'.
Ques 3 : How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho's fields?
Ans : The rain was pouring down and Lencho was satisfied but suddenly a strong wind began to blow and very large hailstones began to fall along with the rain for one hour. because of this Lencho's fields were destroyed. Leaf and flowers were gone from the plants. The corn was completely destroyed.
Ques 4 : What were Lencho's feelings when the hail stopped?
Ans : When the hail was stopped, Lencho's soul was filled with sadness. He looked around at his fields and said that even a plague of locusts would have left more then what was left after the hailstorm. He said that they would go hungry this year. He was full of sorrow.
Questions on Page No. 6
Ques 1 : Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Ans : Lencho and his entire family had faith on God. So, he wrote a letter to God explaining everything and demand for 100 pesos.
Ques 2 : Who read the letter ?
Ans : Postmaster (head of the postoffice) read the letter.
Ques 3 : What did the postmaster do then ?
Ans : When postmaster read the letter, he laughed first and suddenly he stopped and decided to help Lencho. He contribute his salary and collect some money from the employees of the postoffice and also from his friends. he put the money in the envolope and addressed it to Lencho.
Questions on Page No. 7
Ques 1 : Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Ans : No he was not surprised because his faith and confidence in God was such that he had expected that reply from God.
Ques 2 : What made him angry?
Ans : Lencho got angry when he counted the money. There were only 70 pesos and he asked for 100 pesos. He was confident that God could neither make a mistake nor deny what he had requested.
Exercise
Ques 1 : Who does Lencho have complete faith in ? Which sentences in the story tell you this ?
Ans : Lencho had complete faith in God. The sentences in the story that show this are as follows:-
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. "God", he wrote, "If you don't help me, my family and I will go hungry this year".
4. He wrote 'to God' on the envelope, put the letter inside and still troubled went to town.
5. God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.
6. It said "God: of the money that I asked for only seventy pesos reached me. send me the rest, since I need it very much.
Ques 2 : Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter 'God' ?
Ans : The Postmaster sent money to Lencho in order to keep Lencho's faith in God alive. He signed it 'God' to ensure that Lencho's faith was not shaken.
Ques 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 the money to him. Because he had great confidence in God and he never thought that it could be someone else other than God who would send him the money.
Ques 4 : Why does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation?
And : Lencho thought that the post office employees had taken the rest of the money. Irony of situation was that the postmaster and the employees whom he called a "bunch of crooks" were the same people who had contributed and sent him the money.
Ques 5 : Are there people like Lencho in the real world?What kind of person would you say he is ?You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.
Ans : There might be a few people like Lencho in the real world. He is and unquestioning, naive kind of a person.
Ques 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 conflicts between humans and nature is illustrated by the destruction of Lencho's crops by the hailstorm. Lencho was a hard worker. He had worked really hard on his fields and the harvest was very important for him and he required money to feed his family.However the nature turned violent. Heavy rain and hailstorm destroyed the crops.
The story also illustrates another conflict between humans themselves.The postmaster along with the help of other postoffice employees and friends sent Lencho the money. 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 blammed them for taking away some amount of money. He called them 'A bunch of crooks'. This shows that man does not have faith in his fellow humans, thereby giving rise to this conflict.
Thinking about Language
I.
1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds mov in a circle: CYCLONE
2. An extremely strong wind: GALE
3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds: TYPHOON
4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel: TORNADO
5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean: HURRICANE
6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage: WHIRLWIND
II. Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of hope in column B.
III. Relative clauses
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)
Ans: I often go to Mumbai which is the commercial capital of India.
2. My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well.(who)
Ans: My mother who cooks very well is going to host a TV show on cooking.
3. These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent.(whose)
Ans: These sportspersons whose performance has been excellent, are going to meet the president.
4. Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds.(whose)
Ans: Lencho prayed to God, whose eyes see into our minds.
5. This man cheated me. I trusted him.(whom)
Ans: This man, whom I trusted,cheated me.
IV. Using Negatives for Emphasis
Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.
1. The trees lost all their leaves.
Ans: Not a leaf remained on the trees.
2. The letter was addressed to God himself.
Ans: it was nothing less than a letter to God.
3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
Ans: Never in his career as a postman had he known that address.
V. Metaphores
1. Clouds - Huge mountains of clouds - The mass or 'hugeness' of mountains.
2. Raindrops - Newcoins - The size and value of new coins 10 cents and 5 cents.
A curtain of rains - The dropping or covering of an area by curtain.
3. Hailstones - the frozen pearls - The resemblance in colour and hardness of a pearl.
4. Plague - A plague of Locusts - An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves man people dead.
5. Locusts - A plague of Locusts - The consequences (destruction) caused by Locusts.
6. Man - An ox of a man - The working of an ox in the fields (hard work).
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Ques 1 : Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Ans : Lencho and his entire family had faith on God. So, he wrote a letter to God explaining everything and demand for 100 pesos.
Ques 2 : Who read the letter ?
Ans : Postmaster (head of the postoffice) read the letter.
Ques 3 : What did the postmaster do then ?
Ans : When postmaster read the letter, he laughed first and suddenly he stopped and decided to help Lencho. He contribute his salary and collect some money from the employees of the postoffice and also from his friends. he put the money in the envolope and addressed it to Lencho.
Questions on Page No. 7
Ques 1 : Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Ans : No he was not surprised because his faith and confidence in God was such that he had expected that reply from God.
Ques 2 : What made him angry?
Ans : Lencho got angry when he counted the money. There were only 70 pesos and he asked for 100 pesos. He was confident that God could neither make a mistake nor deny what he had requested.
Exercise
Ques 1 : Who does Lencho have complete faith in ? Which sentences in the story tell you this ?
Ans : Lencho had complete faith in God. The sentences in the story that show this are as follows:-
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. "God", he wrote, "If you don't help me, my family and I will go hungry this year".
4. He wrote 'to God' on the envelope, put the letter inside and still troubled went to town.
5. God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.
6. It said "God: of the money that I asked for only seventy pesos reached me. send me the rest, since I need it very much.
Ques 2 : Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter 'God' ?
Ans : The Postmaster sent money to Lencho in order to keep Lencho's faith in God alive. He signed it 'God' to ensure that Lencho's faith was not shaken.
Ques 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 the money to him. Because he had great confidence in God and he never thought that it could be someone else other than God who would send him the money.
Ques 4 : Why does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation?
And : Lencho thought that the post office employees had taken the rest of the money. Irony of situation was that the postmaster and the employees whom he called a "bunch of crooks" were the same people who had contributed and sent him the money.
Ques 5 : Are there people like Lencho in the real world?What kind of person would you say he is ?You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.
Ans : There might be a few people like Lencho in the real world. He is and unquestioning, naive kind of a person.
Ques 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 conflicts between humans and nature is illustrated by the destruction of Lencho's crops by the hailstorm. Lencho was a hard worker. He had worked really hard on his fields and the harvest was very important for him and he required money to feed his family.However the nature turned violent. Heavy rain and hailstorm destroyed the crops.
The story also illustrates another conflict between humans themselves.The postmaster along with the help of other postoffice employees and friends sent Lencho the money. 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 blammed them for taking away some amount of money. He called them 'A bunch of crooks'. This shows that man does not have faith in his fellow humans, thereby giving rise to this conflict.
Thinking about Language
I.
1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds mov in a circle: CYCLONE
2. An extremely strong wind: GALE
3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds: TYPHOON
4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel: TORNADO
5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean: HURRICANE
6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage: WHIRLWIND
II. Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of hope in column B.
III. Relative clauses
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)
Ans: I often go to Mumbai which is the commercial capital of India.
2. My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well.(who)
Ans: My mother who cooks very well is going to host a TV show on cooking.
3. These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent.(whose)
Ans: These sportspersons whose performance has been excellent, are going to meet the president.
4. Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds.(whose)
Ans: Lencho prayed to God, whose eyes see into our minds.
5. This man cheated me. I trusted him.(whom)
Ans: This man, whom I trusted,cheated me.
IV. Using Negatives for Emphasis
Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.
1. The trees lost all their leaves.
Ans: Not a leaf remained on the trees.
2. The letter was addressed to God himself.
Ans: it was nothing less than a letter to God.
3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
Ans: Never in his career as a postman had he known that address.
V. Metaphores
1. Clouds - Huge mountains of clouds - The mass or 'hugeness' of mountains.
2. Raindrops - Newcoins - The size and value of new coins 10 cents and 5 cents.
A curtain of rains - The dropping or covering of an area by curtain.
3. Hailstones - the frozen pearls - The resemblance in colour and hardness of a pearl.
4. Plague - A plague of Locusts - An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves man people dead.
5. Locusts - A plague of Locusts - The consequences (destruction) caused by Locusts.
6. Man - An ox of a man - The working of an ox in the fields (hard work).
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