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Answer any four of the following… (English 2024 2/2/1 Q8)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2024, set 2/2/1 · 12 marks · Short answer

CBSE Class 10 English 2024: question 8

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2024, paper 2/2/1, section C, question 8, for 12 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q8 · 12 marks · Short answerA Letter to God

Answer any four of the following five questions, in 40-50 words each : 4 x 3 = 12

  1. (i)

    What idea does the Postmaster come up with ? What did he do to stick to his resolution ? (A Letter to God)

    3 marks
  2. (ii)

    Briefly bring out the contrast between the young seagull's initial attempts to fly and his first successful flight. (His First Flight)

    3 marks
  3. (iii)

    Explain why Amanda wants to be an orphan. Refer to the given lines, from the text - I am an orphan, roaming the street. I pattern soft dust with my hushed, bare feet. The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet. (Amanda)

    3 marks
  4. (iv)

    Mijbil turned out to be a playful pet. Elaborate. (Mijbil the Otter)

    3 marks
  5. (v)

    Ogden Nash uses vivid imagery in 'The Tale of Custard the Dragon' to appeal to the senses. Elaborate the imagery used for the Pirate.

    3 marks

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2024 board paper, set 2/2/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Recall the key event in each lesson or poem.

Hint 2

Note two relevant points for each question, in about 45 words.

Hint 3

Write in a clear order and check the spellings.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. (i) The Postmaster was moved by Lencho's faith and decided to answer his letter so that the farmer's belief in God would not be shaken. He asked his employees and friends for money and gave part of his own salary. He collected only seventy pesos, which he sent to Lencho in an envelope signed 'God'.

    3 marks

  2. (ii) At first the young seagull was afraid to fly. His legs would not move, he refused to leave the ledge and he shrieked with fear when pushed. In his first flight, he forgot his fears completely, as he spread his wings and soared. The flight ended with him floating on the sea, delighted and confident.

    3 marks

  3. (iii) Amanda is tired of being constantly watched, corrected and nagged by her mother. She imagines herself an orphan with nobody to give orders. She would roam the streets with bare feet, in golden silence and sweet freedom. This shows her longing for freedom, peace and space.

    3 marks

  4. (iv) Mijbil was full of play. He went wild with joy in the bathroom, splashing in the water. He played with a rubber ball and invented his own games, such as rolling it around and jumping over the fence. He treated everything as a toy and was very energetic.

    3 marks

  5. (v) The Pirate is shown in vivid images. He had a pistol in each hand and fired bullets, with a cutlass clenched in his teeth. He had a black beard and a wooden leg. He drank wine and looked up to no good. These visual and sound images make him fierce and frightening.

    3 marks

Answer: Model answers for (i) to (v) are given; any four are to be attempted.

Where the marks are

  • Content: any two relevant points per answer (2 marks each)
  • Organisation and accuracy of expression (1 mark each)
  • Answers kept within 40-50 words

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: A Letter to God (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)
Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from A Letter to God, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2024 board paper, set 2/2/1: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.