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Out of the experience of an… (Class 10 English 2026, Q6a)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2026, set 2/2/1 · 5 marks · Case-based

CBSE Class 10 English 2026: question 6(a)

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2026, paper 2/2/1, section C, question 6(a), for 5 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q6(a) · 5 marks · Case-basedCompetency-basedNelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud. 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. (Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)

  1. (i)

    Which of the following options justifies the statement made by Mandela, "We, who were outlaws …"?

    1. (A)The international leaders who came to attend the ceremony
    2. (B)Due to Apartheid, many countries broke diplomatic relations with South Africa
    3. (C)The Commonwealth countries and their people
    4. (D)The people who fought in the Anglo-Boer War
    1 mark
  2. (ii)

    Complete the sentence appropriately: Mandela thanked all the distinguished international guests because ____________.

    1 mark
  3. (iii)

    In the above lines, Mandela mentions 'extraordinary human disaster'. What is the significance of this phrase in his speech?

    2 marks
  4. (iv)

    The tone of Mandela in the above excerpt is: 1. unifying 2. determined 3. aggressive 4. pessimistic 5. hopeless. Select the correct option.

    1. (A)1, 2 and 4
    2. (B)2 and 4
    3. (C)1 and 2
    4. (D)4 and 5
    1 mark

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

Hints

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

Hint 1

Recall what the world did to South Africa during apartheid.

Hint 2

Ask what the 'common victory' was that the guests came to share.

Hint 3

Decide whether the tone is hopeful and shared, or angry and gloomy.

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) (B) Because of apartheid, many countries had cut diplomatic ties with South Africa, so it was treated as an outlaw.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) Mandela thanked them because they had come to share in a common victory for justice, peace and human dignity, supporting the fight against apartheid.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) The phrase refers to apartheid, the racial discrimination that lasted far too long. Black South Africans suffered oppression and were denied basic rights, and the emphatic phrase draws attention to how great that suffering was.

    2 marks

  4. (iv) (C) 1 and 2. The tone is unifying and determined.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) B; (ii) they came to share a common victory for justice, peace and human dignity; (iii) apartheid, a long-lasting disaster of oppression and denial of rights; (iv) C

Where the marks are

  • (i) B (1 mark)
  • (ii) Valid reason (1 mark)
  • (iii) Two points on the significance of the phrase (2 marks)
  • (iv) C (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 2/2/1: 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.