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(A) We have, at last… (Class 10 English 2026, Q6A)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2026, set 2/1/1 · 6 marks · Reading comprehension

CBSE Class 10 English 2026: question 6(A)

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2026, paper 2/1/1, section C, question 6(A), for 6 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q6(A) · 6 marks · Reading comprehensionCompetency-basedNelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

(A) 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. Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another. The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement.
(Nelson Mandela – Long Walk to Freedom)

  1. I.

    What is the tone Nelson Mandela is UNLIKELY to have used in his speech?

    1. (A)inspirational
    2. (B)assertive
    3. (C)conflicted
    4. (D)direct
    1 mark
  2. II.

    According to Mandela, emancipation is not merely political. Elaborate.

    2 marks
  3. III.

    Fill in the blank with the correct word from the bracket:
    Mandela's speech swings between references to the past and a ________ (bleak/promising) future.

    1 mark
  4. IV.

    With reference to the extract explain the sentence, "The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement."

    1 mark

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2026 board paper, set 2/1/1.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Pick the tone that does not suit a confident speech.

Hint 2

Read the list after 'liberate all our people from'.

Hint 3

The sun never setting means the achievement lasts.

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) (C) conflicted. Mandela's speech is inspirational, assertive and direct. It is firm and hopeful, with no inner conflict or doubt.

    1 mark

  2. (II) Emancipation is not only political freedom. It also means freeing all people from poverty and deprivation.

    1 mark

  3. It also means freeing them from suffering and from discrimination based on gender and other grounds.

    1 mark

  4. (III) promising

    1 mark

  5. (IV) It means that South Africa's hard-won freedom and democracy will last forever. The country will never again suffer oppression of one group by another.

    1 mark

Answer: (I) C; (II) freedom from poverty, deprivation, suffering and discrimination; (III) promising; (IV) democracy and freedom will endure for ever.

Where the marks are

  • Option C (1 mark)
  • Two aspects of non-political emancipation (2 marks)
  • promising (1 mark)
  • Explains the sentence (1 mark)

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 paper2026 board paper, set 2/1/1: 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.