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Answer any four of the following… (English 2025 2/2/1 Q8)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2025, set 2/2/1 · 12 marks · Short answer

CBSE Class 10 English 2025: question 8

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2025, 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 answerNelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Answer any four of the following five questions in 40 – 50 words each: (4×3=12)

  1. (i)

    The transition from the apartheid system in South Africa to a new era of equality reflects broader historical trends in the struggle for human rights and social justice. Elaborate.

    (Nelson Mandela – Long Walk to Freedom)

    3 marks
  2. (ii)

    How does "The Ball Poem" by John Berryman explore the theme of loss and its profound impact on an individual's emotional state and perception of the world?

    (The Ball Poem)

    3 marks
  3. (iii)

    How does the description of the baker's lifestyle in the past evoke a sense of nostalgia?

    (Glimpses of India – A Baker from Goa)

    3 marks
  4. (iv)

    What role does each of Belinda's pets play in the narrative? Select any two of her pets.

    (The Tale of Custard the Dragon)

    3 marks
  5. (v)

    Valli found joy and fascination in the simple act of watching the bus pass through her village. What does this reveal about her perspective on life and her surroundings?

    (Madam Rides the Bus)

    3 marks

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2025 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 or idea of the text before writing.

Hint 2

Give two points, then link them in two or three sentences.

Hint 3

Keep to about 40-50 words for each answer.

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 end of apartheid marks the move from racial discrimination, injustice and long struggle to political freedom and equal rights for all. It shows how societies evolve towards human rights and justice, as in Mandela's South Africa.

    3 marks

  2. (ii) The poem shows the boy's deep grief over his lost ball. He is isolated and fixed on it. Money cannot replace it. The loss teaches him responsibility and shows that loss is a universal, irreversible experience.

    3 marks

  3. (iii) The baker's past life evokes nostalgia through traditional customs: the baker's jhang-jhang sound each morning, accounts kept in pencil on the wall, and his plump, friendly presence as a companion. These recall a simpler, warmer time.

    3 marks

  4. (iv) Mustard boasts of bravery and mocks Custard. Ink and Blink also ridicule him, since Blink the mouse is timid. Their mockery builds the irony that Custard, the supposed coward, alone fights the pirate and saves everyone.

    3 marks

  5. (v) Valli's joy in watching the bus shows her curiosity and her ability to find delight in ordinary things. Having no friends, the bus is her only source of adventure. It reveals an innocent, eager outlook on her surroundings.

    3 marks

Answer: Any four of the five answers (i)-(v) as given.

Where the marks are

  • Each answer: two relevant value points (2 marks) (per answer)
  • Each answer: clear expression (1 mark) (per answer)
  • Any four sub-parts are counted (4 x 3 = 12 marks)

Revise the chapter

Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2025 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.