ICSE Class 10 English Solutions – Page 2

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions My Lost Dollar

August 11, 2022November 15, 2017 by Veerendra

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions My Lost Dollar

Passage 1

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

He has owed it to me for twelve months, and I fear there is little prospect of his ever returning it. I can realize whenever I meet him that he has forgotten that he owes me a dollar. He meets me in the same frank friendly way as always. My dollar has clean gone out of his mind. I see that I shall never get it back.

On the other hand I know that I shall remember all my life that Todd owes me a dollar. It will make no difference, I trust, to our friendship, but I shall never be able to forget it. I don’t know how it is with other people, but if any man borrows a dollar from me I carry the recollection of it to the grave.

Who is Todd? What does he owe the narrator of the story?

Answer:
Todd is the narrator’s friend who owes him a dollar.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Does Todd remember that he owes the narrator some money?

Answer:
No, Todd doesn’t remember that he owes the narrator some money.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

How do we know that Todd has forgotten about the dollar?

Answer:
The narrator explains that Todd meets him in the same frank friendly way as always. This indicates that he doesn’t remember the dollar.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Will their friendship be affected by one dollar? How does the author feel about his lost dollar?

Answer:
The author feels miserable about the dollar that his friend owes him. He says that he will carry the recollection of it to his grave. However he also mentions that the one lost dollar will not make a difference to their friendship.

Question 5.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What tone does the narrator employ to describe his situation?

Answer:
The narrator employs a humorous tone to describe his situation. He uses exaggeration and a bit of satire to begin his story and explain that Todd has forgotten to pay him back a dollar he owes. The narrator says that although Todd may have forgotten about the dollar, he (the narrator) will remember it to his grave.

Passage 2

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

…he was about to leave for Bermuda. He needed a dollar in change to pay his taxi; and I lent it to him. It happened quite simply and naturally, I hardly realized it till it was all over. He merely said “Let me have a dollar, will you!” And I said, “Certainly. Is a dollar enough?” I believe, in fact I know, that when Todd took that dollar he meant to pay for it.

He sent me a note from Hamilton, Bermuda. I thought when I opened it that the dollar would be in it. But it wasn’t. He merely said that the temperature was up to nearly 100. The figure confused me for a moment.

Why did Todd borrow a dollar from the narrator?

Answer:
Todd needed a dollar in change to pay for his taxi ride so he borrowed the same from the narrator.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why was the narrator willing to pay for Todd?

Answer:
When Todd asked for the dollar, the narrator felt with certainty that Todd meant to pay it back to him, he therefore gave it to Todd willingly.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What did Todd send the narrator from Bermuda?

Answer:
The narrator received a note from Hamilton, Bermuda sent by Todd. The narrator thought it was his dollar but much to his disappointment, it was a note describing the temperature of Bermuda.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Do you think the narrator exaggerates the story of his lost dollar?

Answer:
When someone borrows money, they ought to return it. With this principle in his mind, the narrator frets and fumes over how Todd has forgotten to pay him back. He makes several assumptions about how he is never going to get his money back from Todd. He explains how Todd doesn’t remember borrowing the dollar at all and keeps meeting him as usual. It is thus evident that the narrator exaggerates the case of his lost dollar.

Passage 3

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

We spent the evening together, talking about Bermuda. I was thinking of the dollar but of course I didn’t refer to it one simply can’t. I asked him what currency is used in Bermuda, and whether the American Dollar goes at par (I put a slight emphasis on the American Dollar), but found again that I could not bring myself to make any reference to it.

It took e sometime (I see Todd practically every day ay my Club) to realize that he had completely forgotten the dollar. I asked him one day what his trip cost him and he said that he kept no accounts. A little I asked him if he felt settled down after his trip, and he said that he had practically forgotten about it. So I knew it was all over.

Did the narrator directly seek his dollar from Todd?

Answer:
The narrator never asked Todd directly to return his dollar but instead expected Todd to remember that he owed him a dollar.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

When did the narrator realise that he is never going to get his dollar back?

Answer:
When the narrator asked Todd how much he spent on his trip, Todd told him that he kept no accounts. This practically proved that since the man doesn’t manage his finances well he would never have remembered the single dollar he once borrowed. Therefore, the narrator realised that he would never get his dollar back from Todd.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Do you think the narrator is obsessed with the loss of his dollar?

Answer:
Yes, the narrator seems to be obsessed with his lost dollar. He mentions the dollar throughout the story. In fact, every time he comes across Todd, he only thinks of his dollar, although he never directly asks for it and claims that it will not stand between their friendship.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What details did the narrator seek from Todd about his trip? Why?

Answer:
The narrator asked Todd about the currency used in Bermuda in a hope to remind him of the one American dollar that Todd owed him. Further, he asked Todd how much the trip to Bermuda cost him. The narrator made such several indirect references to money hoping that he would remember that one dollar he owes him. However, all the attempts made by the narrator failed miserably and he could never get his dollar back.

Passage 4

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

I bear Todd no grudge. I have simply added him to the list of men who owe me a dollar and who have forgotten it. There are quite a few of them now. I make no difference in my demeanour to them, but I only wish that I could forget.

I meet Todd very frequently. Only two nights ago I met him out at dinner and he was talking, apparently without self-consciousness, about Poland. He said that Poland would never pay her debts. You’d think a thing like that would remind him, wouldn’t you? But it didn’t seem to.

Why does the narrator bear no grudge?

Answer:
The narrator had lent his friend Todd a dollar which the latter has forgotten to pay back. In this reference, the narrator mentions that despite Todd forgetting about his dollar, he bears Todd no grudge. He does not give a reason for it except that there are quite a few of his other friends too who owe him a dollar and have forgotten about it.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What kind of list has the narrator made? Who is the latest person to be added to that list?

Answer:
The narrator has a list of men who owe him a dollar and who have forgotten to repay it. Having understood that Todd will never repay the dollar too, the narrator has added him to this list.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What could the narrator not forget?

Answer:
The narrator could not forget the people whom he had lent money and who have not paid him back. He doesn’t have any hard feelings for them but he cannot forget about his money either.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why did the narrator think that discussing about Poland would remind Todd about the unpaid dollar?

Answer:
One day the narrator met Todd out at dinner where Todd was talking about how Poland would never pay her debts. The narrator wished that Poland’s debts might remind Todd of the dollar he hadn’t paid the narrator. Unfortunately, this too didn’t remind Todd of the dollar.

Passage 5

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

But meantime, a thought – a rather painful thought – has begun to come in to my mind at intervals. It is this. If Todd owes a dollar and has forgotten it, it is possible – indeed it is theoretically probable – that there must be men to whom I owe a dollar which I have forgotten. There may be a list of them. The more I think of it the less I like it, because I am quite sure that If I had once forgotten a dollar, I should never pay it, on this side of the grave.

What painful thought comes to the narrator’s mind as he thinks about his lost dollar?

Answer:
As the narrator thinks about his dollar, he thinks it is quite possible that he too may have taken a dollar from people and has failed to repay it.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

How does the narrator feel about him being similar to Todd in not repaying the dollars he might have taken from people?

Answer:
The narrator feels uncomfortable at the thought of owing money to people. He feels that it is theoretically probable that there are people in the world from whom he may have taken a dollar but who haven’t asked their dollars back and whose dollar he too has forgotten about.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What is the tone of the given extract?

Answer:
The author has used a confessional tone in the given extract. In this extract, he realises that like Todd, he too may have forgotten about money taken from some men.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Explain the line “I should never pay it, on this side of the grave”.

Answer:
The narrator is trying to explain that if he had taken a dollar and had forgotten about it, and does not have a recollection of it so far then he will never remember in this life.

Passage 6

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

If there are such men I want them to speak out. Not all at once; but in reasonable numbers and as far as may be in alphabetical order and I will immediately, write their names down on paper. I don’t count here men who may have lent me an odd dollar over a bridge table: and I am not thinking (indeed I am taking care not to think) of the man who lent me thirty cents to pay for a bottle of plain soda in the Detroit Athletic Club last month. I always find the Canada frontier, and that man who advanced that thirty cents knows exactly why I felt that I had done enough for him, but if any man ever lent me a dollar to pay for a taxi when I was starting for Bermuda, I want to pay it.

… I want to start a general moment, Back to Honesty movement for paying all these odd dollars that are borrowed in moments of expansion. Let us remember that the greatest nations were built upon the rock basis of absolute honesty.

In conclusion may I say that I do particularly ask that no reader of this book will be careless enough to leave this copy round where it might be seen by Major Todd, of the University Club Montreal.

What kind of men is the narrator referring to in the given extract?

Answer:
The narrator is referring to men from whom he may have borrowed money but whom he has forgotten to pay back.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

In conclusion may I say that I do particularly ask that no reader of this book will be careless enough to leave this copy round where it might be seen by Major Todd, of the University Club Montreal.

What does the narrator want those men to do?

Answer:
The narrator wants those men to speak out in reasonable numbers so that he can write down their names on paper and pay them back one by one.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

In conclusion may I say that I do particularly ask that no reader of this book will be careless enough to leave this copy round where it might be seen by Major Todd, of the University Club Montreal.

How according to the author are great nations built?

Answer:
According to the author, great nations are built on the rock basis of absolute honesty.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

In conclusion may I say that I do particularly ask that no reader of this book will be careless enough to leave this copy round where it might be seen by Major Todd, of the University Club Montreal.

Do you think the author wants his friend Todd to know that he expected him to return the dollar once upon a time?

Answer:
No. We know this because the author mentions not wanting a copy of his story to be lying around such that his friend Major Todd may see it and realise that he never returned the dollar to the author.

Question 5.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

In conclusion may I say that I do particularly ask that no reader of this book will be careless enough to leave this copy round where it might be seen by Major Todd, of the University Club Montreal.

Write a character sketch of the narrator with reference to the story My Lost Dollar.

Answer:
In the short story My Lost Dollar, the narrator describes his discomfort about living with the fact that his friends whom he had lent money have totally forgotten about the same. The author’s character at first appears to be a light-hearted one who can move on in life with the help of humour. However, as the story proceeds, it is seen that the author is rather sarcastic about Todd’s poor memory in relation to the lost dollar. Although he says that he will never hold a grudge against him over a dollar, his thoughts wander in the direction of his dollar every time the two meet. Deep within his heart, he wants his dollar back and makes many futile attempts at reminding Todd of the same. However, he keeps his attitudes and behaviour intact with Todd despite his problem of the lost dollar. When nothing worked out, he seemed to have written this story to express his feelings. He tells his readers to circulate the story wisely, as if trying to hint that if the story, with Todd’s name clearly in it, is read by Todd, he may remember to pay back the author his dollar after all.

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions Small Pain in my Chest [Poem]

August 11, 2022November 15, 2017 by Veerendra

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions Small Pain in my Chest [Poem]

Passage 1

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

The soldier boy was sitting calmly underneath that tree.
As I approached it, I could see him beckoning to me.
The battle had been long and hard and lasted through the night
And scores of figures on the ground lay still by morning’s light.

Why was the soldier sitting calmly under the tree?

Answer:
The war had ended by the break of day. This soldier was the only alive one among the hundreds of other who died fighting the war. He was sitting calmly under the tree as there are no more enemies to fight.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What does the phrase ‘sitting calmly’ signify?

Answer:
The phrase ‘sitting calmly’ indicates the stillness and silence which follows a storm. The soldier has no need to be worried or to be on his guard as there are no enemies left to fight, he is therefore calm It also stresses on the fact that his fellow soldiers are all lying dead around him and therefore, he has no one to talk to.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why did the soldier call the narrator?

Answer:
The soldier was wounded and too tired to get water for himself. He called the narrator hoping that he would help him with some water so that he could quench his thirst and his wounded body could be relieved of some pain.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Explain the line ‘And scores of figures on the ground lay still by morning’s light’.

Answer:
The given lines explain how the soldiers fought hard all night. In the morning, the wounded soldier boy who sat under a tree saw all of his fellow soldiers lying dead beside him on the battle field.

Passage 2

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

“I wonder if you’d help me, sir”, he smiled as best he could.
“A sip of water on this morn would surely do me good.
We fought all day and fought all night with scarcely any rest –
A sip of water for I have a small pain in my chest.”

What help does the soldier need from the narrator?

Answer:
The soldier is wounded and wants the narrator to give him some water.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why is the soldier smiling?

Answer:
Although the soldier is wounded, like a true fighter he has a smile on his face as he doesn’t believe in showing his pain. He is smiling to assure the narrator that he is just tired after the night’s fight and there is nothing else wrong with him.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why doesn’t the soldier directly tell the narrator that he has been wounded by a bullet?

Answer:
The soldier has faced and suffered the devastating reality of a war and does not want a civilian to be acquainted with the language of guns and bullets. Therefore, he only tells the narrator that he is tired and feeling a slight pain in his chest instead of telling him how seriously injured he is.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why do you think the soldier asks for a sip of water?

Answer:
The soldier asks for a sip of water to feel some relief from his pain. He perhaps knows that death is now imminent and wants to drink water for the last time before he falls into an eternal slumber of death.

Passage 3

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

As I looked at him I could see the large stain on his shirt
All reddish – brown from his warm blood mixed in with
Asian dirt.
“Not much”, said he. “I count myself more lucky than the rest.
They’re all gone while I just have a small pain in my chest.”

What does the narrator notice on the soldier’s shirt?

Answer:
The narrator notices a large reddish brown stain on the soldier’s shirt.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why is the stain ‘all reddish brown’?

Answer:
The stain is all reddish brown because it is the soldier’s blood mixed with the mud of the Asian land where the Vietnam War was fought.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why does the soldier count himself lucky? Do you think he is really lucky?

Answer:
The soldier counts himself as lucky because he is alive unlike his fellow mates, who have lost their lives while fighting the war. Unfortunately, he is not lucky as he has been hit with a bullet and will soon die like the other soldiers.

Passage 4

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

“Must be fatigue”, he weakly smiled. “I must be getting old.
I see the sun is shining bright and yet I’m feeling cold.
We climbed the hill, two hundred strong, but as we cleared the crest,
The night exploded and I felt this small pain in my chest.”

Who smiled weakly in the extract? Why?

Answer:
The soldier smiles weakly as he is seriously injured but doesn’t want to reveal his pain to a civilian (the narrator). His pain is excruciating but by smiling weakly, he tries to hide it.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why is the soldier feeling cold?

Answer:
The soldier’s injury is causing his bodily functions to deteriorate as a result of which he is feeling cold even on a warm sunny morning.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why does the soldier feel that he is getting old? Is the reason that he gives true?

Answer:
The young soldier feels that he is getting old because he is experiencing fatigue and weakness. However, the true reason for his weakness is the bullet in his chest that is pushing him towards death.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What does “the night exploded” refer to?

Answer:
The phrase ‘the night exploded’ refers to the sudden attack on the soldier’s army by the enemies which may have included bomb explosions along with the firing of bullets. The soldier along with the other mates had been fighting the entire night. The poet has personified the night to describe how gruesome the war had been.

Passage 5

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

“I looked around to get some aid – the only things I found
Were big, deep craters in the earth – bodies on the ground.
I kept on firing at them, sir. I tried to do my best,
But finally sat down with this small pain in my chest.”

Why is the soldier looking around?

Answer:
The soldier is injured and is looking around in the hope of getting some aid.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Does the soldier find help? What does he see around him?

Answer:
The soldier doesn’t find help, instead he sees deep craters in the earth and dead bodies of his fellow soldiers around him.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why did the soldier have to stop firing?

Answer:
The soldier fought bravely until finally he was wounded by a shot and had to stop firing. .

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What does the soldier want to justify when he says “I tried to do my best”?

Answer:
When the soldier tells the narrator that he tried to do his best, he is emphasising on the fact that he fought with all his might to bring down the enemies and keep his fellow mates safe.

Passage 6

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

“I’m grateful, sir”, he whispered, as I handed my canteen
And smiled a smile that was, U think, the brightest that I’ve seen.
“Seems silly that a man my size so full of vim and zest,
Could find himself defeated by a small pain in his chest.”

What according to the soldier is silly?

Answer:
According to him, it is silly for a soldier, who ought to be full of energy and vigour to be defeated by a small pain in the chest.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What is the actual condition of the solider?

Answer:
The soldier has been fatally wounded in the war and is currently in acute pain. However, he portrays exactly the opposite of his true condition. He tries to show that he is fine and that it is just a small pain in his chest. In reality, he is counting the last few minutes of his life.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What is the soldier grateful for?

Answer:
The soldier is grateful that the narrator gives him some water to sip in his last moments.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why is the smile of the soldier described as the brightest by the narrator?

Answer:
The narrator understands that in order to hide his pain, the soldier is trying to force a smile on his face. Beneath the smiling face is a worn out body and a heart shredded apart by the death and destruction around him. Therefore, the narrator says that his is the brightest smile he has ever seen.

Passage 7

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

“What would my wife be thinking of her man so strong and grown,
If she could see me sitting here, too weak to stand alone?
Could my mother have imagined, as she held me to her breast,
That I’d be sitting HERE one day with this pain in my chest?”

What about his wife and mother is the soldier thinking?

Answer:
The soldier wonders what his wife would think of him if she knew that her husband, a strong soldier, could not even bear a small pain in his chest and stand alone. Then he thinks about his mother, he wondering how his mother will react after knowing that a boy that she held close to her heart is sitting in the battlefield with a fatal wound.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why does the soldier always refer to his pain as small?

Answer:
It is a known fact that the injury caused by explosions or bullet wounds can be very serious, and at most times, fatal. However, the soldier constantly stresses on the fact that the pain in his chest is small or little. Through this he wishes to tell the narrator that the physical and mental trauma that soldiers suffer during the war is much severe than a bullet wound but they are trained to deal with it for the good of their nation.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why do you think the soldier is thinking about his family?

Answer:
The soldier is thinking about his family as he realises that he is living the final moments of his life. In these moments, he tries to think about his life in retrospect, without any lament about the war that is taking him to his death. All that he does is talk to the narrator calmly as if wanting to be heard in his final minutes of being alive. He thinks about his family especially his wife and mother who he knows will wonder how a soldier like him couldn’t escape the explosion despite being trained to dodge life threatening circumstances like these. As he knows that he will not be able to talk to his family for the last time or listen to them, he ponders over what they might say if they see him in this condition.

Passage 8

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

“Can it be getting dark so soon?” He winced up at the sun.
“It’s growing dim and I thought that the day had just begun.
I think, before I travel on, I’ll get a little rest……
And, quietly, the boy died from that small pain in his chest.

I don’t recall what happened then. I think I must have cried;
I put my arms around him and I pulled him to my side
And, as I held him to me, I could feel our wounds were pressed
The large one in my heart against the small one in his chest.

What do the first two lines of the given extract tell about the soldier’s condition?

Answer:
The first two lines of the stanza are among the last few lines of the poem where the soldier succumbs to his injuries. In the given lines, the soldier winces up at the sun and tells the narrator that he feels as if it is getting dark soon although the day has just began.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Explain “before I travel on”.

Answer:
In the third line of the given extract, the soldier is finally seen telling the narrator that it is time for him to embrace death and ‘travel on’ but he must get a little rest before moving on.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you think are the feelings of the narrator in this stanza?

Answer:
The narrator has been a patient listener for the wounded soldier throughout their conversation. The soldier tells him how he fought the war all night along with the others, how his family will think about him after his death, and how he is luckier than his dead soldier friends to have lived till the break of this day.
At the end of this stanza, the narrator tells the readers that the soldier quietly dies from the small pain in his chest. The narrator feels helpless and remorseful to see the young soldier succumb to his injuries. In their short conversation the narrator has learned a lot about the soldier and cannot help but feel overwhelmed by the fact that the soldier, who put up a brave fight against death, has now humbly accepted it.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

How does the narrator express his feelings for the dead soldier?

Answer:
When the soldier dies, a kind of numbness comes over the narrator; he mentions not being able to remember what happened next. He further says that he must have cried but does not seem to have a clear memory of it. He pulls the soldier to his side and as he holds him close to his chest, he feels a large pain in his own heart. The narrator says both their chests pressed to each other are wounded by this war.; His heart is emotionally wounded by the loss of the soldier’s life while the soldier’s chest is wounded the physical injury and trauma from the war.

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions Hunger

August 11, 2022November 15, 2017 by Veerendra

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions Hunger

Passage 1

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

The market was really crowded. The shops were full of items waiting to be sold. Though things were expensive, people were buying them anyway. There was unemployment, but people were eating and drinking. With thoughts such as these crossing his mind, Rizwan stood at a shop selling cold drinks, looking for someone who worked for a living but was not a shop owner. At the instant his eyes fell on man carrying a load on his head and walking in his direction. Rizwan quickly went up to him and, without any greeting placing a hand on his shoulder, enquired, “Your name?”

“Kasim,” caught unawares, the middle – aged man stopped.

What was the scene at the market?

Answer:
The market was crowded with people and shops. The shops were full of items waiting to be sold. Although things were expensive, people were buying them anyway. They were buying, eating, drinking.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

“Kasim,” caught unawares, the middle – aged man stopped.

What was Rizwan look for? Who was he?

Answer:
Rizwan was looking for someone who worked for a living but was not a shop owner. Rizwan was a journalist.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

“Kasim,” caught unawares, the middle – aged man stopped.

Who did Rizwan catch hold of in the market?

Answer:
Rizwan caught hold of a middle-aged man walking in his direction carrying a load on his head.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

“Kasim,” caught unawares, the middle – aged man stopped.

Who was Kasim?

Answer:
Kasim was a rag seller by profession. From his appearance, he didn’t look like a shop owner, and was thus a perfect candidate for Rizwan’s interview.

Question 5.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

“Kasim,” caught unawares, the middle – aged man stopped.

“There was unemployment but people were eating and drinking.” What picture does this line paint of the society?

Answer:
The story is set in 1979 when the Shah of Iran was defeated by the Khomeini government. Although the Khomeini government had promised several good things to the people of Iran, there were innumerable people still unemployed after the new government came to power. The rich grew richer while the poor became poorer.

Passage 2

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

“Do you know the government is helping poor farmers?”
“No, but who are you? A tout or ….?”
“Journalist. Chacha, are you afraid of me?”
“No, but one never knows in this place.”
“Would you like to do farming?”
“No.”
“But why?”
“This is my profession.”
“Ask your father?”
“He’s too old.”
“Ask your brother, we will arrange for the land.”
“I don’t have a brother.”
“What does your father do?”
“Starve.”

What was Kasim’s reaction to Rizwan’s interrogation?

Answer:
Kasim was skeptical about Rizwan. He was not very comfortable when Rizwan was asking him questions. He thought that Rizwan was a tout.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why was Kasim not ready to farm?

Answer:
Kasim didn’t want to farm because he did not have a land of his own and he was already in the profession of selling old clothes. By selling old clothes, he thought was earning enough to manage a life.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What impression of Rizwan do you form after reading the extract? What is the reality about him?

Answer:
After reading the extract, one feels that Rizwan is a successful journalist who is interrogating poor people like Kasim to expose their condition and bring about a social change. However, Rizwan is as desperate as Kasim in trying to earn a decent livelihood. The new government has filled the lives of poor people with uncertainty and this is very clear from Rizwan’s and Kasim’s condition.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What is the importance of the last two lines of the extract?

Answer:
The last two lines of the extract describe how pathetic the situation was in Iran during that time. People were suffering during the reign of the Shah and even after the Khomeini government took over, nothing changed. The rich continued to live a lavish life while the poor ones like Kasim and his family continued to suffer. Kasim’s father lived a life full of want and starvation. Their life was filled with poverty and longing.

Passage 3

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

“Did you or he know that we have a store – house of petrol – we call it black gold.”
“No.”
“Who was the shah?”
“I don’t know.”
“Was the common man happy in his reign?”
“How would I know anything about this shah?”
“Was your father happy?”
“No.”
“Yes, he used to talk of his father and how he died of hunger or cold.”
“Anything else?”
His father had told my father that his father used to work in somebody’s house. Died of high fever.”
“What did he do?”
“Physical labour”.

Whom does Rizwan refer to as the Shah?

Answer:
Rizwan refers to the former Shah of Iran who ruled the country before the Khomeini government came into power.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

“Did you or he knew that we have a store – house of petrol – we call it black gold.”
“No.”
“Who was the shah?”
“I don’t know.”
“Was the common man happy in his reign?”
“How would I know anything about this shah?”
“Was your father happy?”
“No.”
“Yes, he used to talk of his father and how he died of hunger or cold.”
“Anything else?”
His father had told my father that his father used to work in somebody’s house. Died of high fever.”
“What did he do?”
“Physical labour”.

Kasim said that he didn’t know who the Shah was. What does this indicate about him?

Answer:
Being the citizen of a country, it is very natural that one ought to know who rules the nation. However, Kasim denied to have known the Shah or the new ruler. This indicates either that he was oblivious of the government and its battles, or that he was intentionally avoiding as he didn’t trust Rizwan.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What kind of a life did Kasim’s father and the father’s father lead?

Answer:
Both Kasim’s father and his grandfather led a difficult life. They were physical labourers and lived in pathetic conditions. Kasim’s great grandfather died of deprivation either of hunger or cold. In addition, Kasim’s grandfather, according to his father, used to work in somebody’s house where he died of high fever. Thus, Kasim and his older generations had always lived a miserable life full of starvation and ill health.

Question 4.
ead the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Was Kasim looking ahead to change his lifestyle?

Answer:
Kasim was not even remotely familiar with the idea of living a better life. He too was living in adverse conditions like his father did. In addition, when Rizwan asked him about his son, he said that he was waiting for the boy to get a little older so that he too could join his profession. He didn’t hope that his son would receive education and do better in life.

Passage 4

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

“Well, you could live a more comfortable life.”
“We work so hard, yet…”
“Try to understand what I am saying! Out new government has sent us to help you, to talk to you and to understand your problems, so as to give you a better life.”
“I don’t want it.”
“But why?”
“We were asked a lot of questions last time too and then after the procession nobody remembered anything.”
“It won’t happen this time.”
“We slept hungry that night.”
“Why?”
Because all day we were shouting slogans instead of working.”
“Really!”
“Now it’s time for my work. Salaam!”
“Wait it’s time for my work. Salaam!”
“Wait a minute, Chacha!”
“No sir! There must be some labourers near the ditch right now wanting to buy some warm clothes.”

How did Kasim react to Rizwan assuring him a comfortable life?

Answer:
To Kasim, a comfortable life was nothing but a myth. He did not believe that it was possible to live a better life in his country.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why did Kasim not believe that the new government was out there to help people like him?

Answer:
Kasim told Rizwan that the last time they were promised a good life, he slept hungry that night after shouting slogans for the new government. The new government had promised a good life, but after it came into power, the poor people were forgotten completely and life was as usual miserable for people like Kasim.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Where was Kasim heading towards?

Answer:
Kasim used to sell old clothes. He was heading towards a ditch where there were workers. He hoped to find someone who would be in need of some warm clothes. This would give him an opportunity to earn some money.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What address did Kasim give Rizwan so that they could meet the next day?

Answer:
Although Kasim had a home in the village, he did not have a place to stay in the city. Sometimes he slept under a bridge while sometimes he found a place outside a shop. Therefore, he was unable to give any address to Rizwan for their next meeting.

Passage 5

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Only today he had found a job for himself through an acquaintance in the Kihaan newspaper. He had been work on the condition that first he would contribute a few articles, and then he shall be considered for the job. He had been told to submit interviews with five people along with their names and addresses. It was difficult enough to identify these people in this crowded market, To make them talk was an ordeal.

The evening was turning dark. Rizwan was thinking of the unending problems back home. His mother was ill, his father had died almost two years ago and his two younger brothers had to drop out of school. It seemed now it was time to starve.

Why was Rizwan worried as the day came to an end?

Answer:
It was the first day of Rizwan’s work where he had been asked to submit a few articles first so that he could get a permanent job. Unfortunately, it had been a tough day as he had barely been successful at extracting information from Kasim. He was worried about his job.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Was Rizwan’s condition better than Kasim’s?

Answer:
Rizwan’s condition was as pitiful as that of Kasim. Both were victims of the ongoing political drama in Iran. Although Rizwan had got a job in a newspaper, he would be made permanent only if he submitted a few articles first.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why was it difficult for Rizwan to submit articles to the newspaper?

Answer:
It was very difficult to find people in the crowded market and assume that they would be ready to give an interview. There was a great deal of political unrest in the country at that point of time and people were skeptical of anyone who tried to seek information from them. Given these circumstances, Rizwan found it very difficult to complete his task.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

How was the condition of Rizwan’s family?

Answer:
Rizwan’s family was not in a god condition. His mother was ill and his father had passed away two years ago. Financial adversities had forced his brothers to drop out of school.

Passage 6

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

He thought for a minute and then wrote his own name and address on Kasim’s interview and drew a deep breath. When he came out he had the satisfaction of knowing that he would be coming for work for the next day, but the problem of finding another name and address for tomorrow was already beginning to worry him. He shook his head as though telling himself – who knows what all may happen tomorrow. If he is still alive, surely he would find a way. His stomach was gnawing with hunger pangs. He was exhausted and famished, and now he simply wanted to reach home as quickly as possible.

What satisfaction did Rizwan have as he came out of the newspaper office?

Answer:
Rizwan had the satisfaction of going to work the next day as he came out if the office after submitting his article.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Whose name did Rizwan write on the article? Why?

Answer:
Rizwan wrote his name on the article. As Kasim did not give his address, his article would be rejected and he would lose his job. Therefore, he filled in his details instead.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What thoughts did Rizwan have about tomorrow?

Answer:
Rizwan was worried about the uncertainty that continued to loom over his life even the following day. He had no clue as to how he would find another person for an interview the next day and how he would be able to keep his job.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Describe Rizwan’s character.

Answer:
Rizwan was one among the millions of Irani people who were reeling under uncertainty in Iran. The new government had brought no hope, as the poor continued to be poor. Rizwan is a poverty stricken educated man in search of a way to sustain his family of a widowed mother and two school dropout brothers. Although there isn’t much difference between him and Kasim, it is clear that he makes a desperate attempt to rise above his misery. Unlike Kasim, he does not resign himself to fate. Instead, he struggles to face each day as it comes. He tries hard to persuade Kasim for an interview and it is commendable of him to not lose his cool after many unsuccessful attempts to make Kasim speak up. He continues to pursue Kasim and tries to understand his situation. Although he too is starving and miserable after a thankless day, he wants to head home to eat something and get ready for the next day. He thinks life may change for good if he lives to see the next day. Rizwan’s character teaches us the qualities of faith, patience, and endurance in the worst of times.

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions In the Bazaars of Hyderabad [Poem]

August 11, 2022November 15, 2017 by Veerendra

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions In the Bazaars of Hyderabad [Poem]

Passage 1

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you sell, O ye merchants?
Richly your wares are displayed.
Turbans of crimson and silver,
Tunics of purple brocade,
Mirrors with panels of amber,
Daggers with handles of jade.

What is displayed by the merchants? Where?

Answer:
The merchants have grandly displayed their wares in the bazaars of Hyderabad. There are turbans in crimson and silver and purple brocade tunics for sale. The merchants also have mirrors with amber panels and jade-handled daggers for sale.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you sell, O ye merchants?
Richly your wares are displayed.
Turbans of crimson and silver,
Tunics of purple brocade,
Mirrors with panels of amber,
Daggers with handles of jade.

Explain the lines:
Mirrors with panels of amber
Daggers with handles of jade

Answer:
The lines ‘mirrors with panels of amber’ refer to the antique looking mirrors having amber edges.

The line ‘daggers with handles of jade’ refers to daggers that have handles studded with the green coloured precious stone called jade.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you sell, O ye merchants?
Richly your wares are displayed.
Turbans of crimson and silver,
Tunics of purple brocade,
Mirrors with panels of amber,
Daggers with handles of jade.

Describe the given extract in your own words.

Answer:
This is the first stanza of the poem. It describes the richness of India. The poet opens the poem with a luxurious and an opulent vision of merchants displaying turbans of silver and crimson, colours that are synonymous with royalty and elegance. Next, we read about purple coloured tunics, a colour which again represents royalty. The merchants also have mirrors with amber panels and daggers with jaded handles.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you sell, O ye merchants?
Richly your wares are displayed.
Turbans of crimson and silver,
Tunics of purple brocade,
Mirrors with panels of amber,
Daggers with handles of jade.

State the rhyme scheme of the given lines.

Answer:
The rhyme scheme of the given lines is a-b-c-b-c-b.

Passage 2

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you weigh, O ye vendors?
Saffron and lentil and rice.
What do you grind, O ye maidens?
Sandalwood, henna and spice.
What do you call, O ye pedlars?
Chessmen and ivory dice.

What are the vendors selling?

Answer:
The vendors are selling commodities of daily use such as saffron, lentil and rice.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you weigh, O ye vendors?
Saffron and lentil and rice.
What do you grind, O ye maidens?
Sandalwood, henna and spice.
What do you call, O ye pedlars?
Chessmen and ivory dice.

What is in store from maidens and pedlars?

Answer:
The maidens have brought to the market sandalwood, henna, and spices that they themselves have ground. The pedlars have chessman and ivory dice on sale.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you weigh, O ye vendors?
Saffron and lentil and rice.
What do you grind, O ye maidens?
Sandalwood, henna and spice.
What do you call, O ye pedlars?
Chessmen and ivory dice.

Who are the chessmen? What are they made of? What does it signify?

Answer:
The solid figures used to play chess are the chessmen. The pedlars have displayed chessmen and dice made of ivory. This indicates the Indian fascination for games and the use of precious materials to make the game pieces.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you weigh, O ye vendors?
Saffron and lentil and rice.
What do you grind, O ye maidens?
Sandalwood, henna and spice.
What do you call, O ye pedlars?
Chessmen and ivory dice.

Name and explain the figure of speech in the second line of the given extract.

Answer:
The figure of speech in the second line ‘saffron and lentil and rice’ is climax as the things ‘saffron, lentil and rice’ have been mentioned in the increasing order of usage.

Passage 3

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you make, O ye goldsmiths?
Wristlet and anklet and ring,
Bells for the feet of blue pigeons,
Frail as a dragon-fly’s wing,
Girdles of gold for the dancers,
Scabbards of gold for the king.

What do the goldsmiths make?

Answer:
The goldsmiths are people who make expensive and intricately designed ornaments. They have on sale wristlets, anklets and rings that will adore delicate hands and feet. They have girdles and scabbards for the dancers and kings. In addition, the goldsmiths have also designed delicate bells for the feet of blue pigeons.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you make, O ye goldsmiths?
Wristlet and anklet and ring,
Bells for the feet of blue pigeons,
Frail as a dragon-fly’s wing,
Girdles of gold for the dancers,
Scabbards of gold for the king.

What do scabbards and girdles of gold refer to?

Answer:
The dancers can buy straps of gold to tie around their waist for their various performances. These straps are nothing but girdles that are being sold in the bazaars of Hyderabad. In addition, the goldsmiths have gold scabbards to cover the swords of the kings. The mention of the two together reflects the wide range of articles which the goldsmiths have made thus highlighting their skillfulness.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you make, O ye goldsmiths?
Wristlet and anklet and ring,
Bells for the feet of blue pigeons,
Frail as a dragon-fly’s wing,
Girdles of gold for the dancers,
Scabbards of gold for the king.

What is special about the pigeon bells?

Answer:
The pigeon bells that are made by the goldsmiths are as delicate as a dragon fly’s wings. The skilful hands of the goldsmiths have made the bells so light that the feet of the pigeon wearing them will not be discomforted.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you make, O ye goldsmiths?
Wristlet and anklet and ring,
Bells for the feet of blue pigeons,
Frail as a dragon-fly’s wing,
Girdles of gold for the dancers,
Scabbards of gold for the king.

Name and explain the figure of speech in the given extract.

Answer:
The extract uses simile in the line ‘Frail as a dragon-fly’s wing’ to compare the bells to the delicate wings of a dragon fly. A simile is a figure of speech in which a direct comparison is made between two different objects using ‘like’ or ‘as’. This figure of speech is use to share the qualities of one object with the other.

Passage 4

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you cry, O ye fruitmen?
Citron, pomegranate and plum.
What do you play, O musicians?
Cithar, sarangi and drum.
What do you chant, O magicians?
Spells for the aeons to come.

What does the word ‘cry’ mean in the given extract?

Answer:
The word ‘cry’ refers to the sharp calls given out by sellers to attract buyers.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you cry, O ye fruitmen?
Citron, pomegranate and plum.
What do you play, O musicians?
Cithar, sarangi and drum.
What do you chant, O magicians?
Spells for the aeons to come.

Name and explain the figure of speech in the second line of the extract.

Answer:
The figure of speech in the line ‘Citron, pomegranate and plum’ is alliteration as the sound of ‘p’ has been repeated in the words ‘pomegranate’ and ‘plum’.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you cry, O ye fruitmen?
Citron, pomegranate and plum.
What do you play, O musicians?
Cithar, sarangi and drum.
What do you chant, O magicians?
Spells for the aeons to come.

What are the magicians doing? What does the word ‘aeon’ mean?

Answer:
The magicians in the bazaars are attracting the attention of the crowd by chanting spells so that people are easily drawn to the bazaar. The word ‘aeon’ in the context above means a very long period of time, the end of which is not known.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you cry, O ye fruitmen?
Citron, pomegranate and plum.
What do you play, O musicians?
Cithar, sarangi and drum.
What do you chant, O magicians?
Spells for the aeons to come.

What is on display for the buyers in the given stanza?

Answer:
In this stanza, the poet writes about fruits like citrons, pomegranates and plums that are being sold by the fruit sellers. Further, she also mentions the musicians who have their cithar, sarangi and drum on display.

Passage 5

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What do you weave, O ye flower-girls?
With tassels of azure and red?
Crowns for the brow of a bridegroom,
Chaplets to garland his bed,
Sheets of white blossoms new-gathered
To perfume the sleep of the dead.

What are the flower-girls doing in the bazaar?

Answer:
The flower-girls have come to the bazaar to sell flowers. They are making different decorative ornaments out of flowers for different occasions and inviting people to buy them.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

How has the poet used flowers to describe various occasions in this stanza?

Answer:
This is the last stanza of the poem. In this stanza, the poet describes how flowers are used to make tassels, crowns and chaplets for the bridegroom and the bride to wish them a happy married life. In addition, she also describes how fresh white flowers are collected for people who wish to pay their last tribute to their loved ones who are no more.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Identify and explain the figure of speech used in the last line of the poem.

Answer:
The poet uses euphemism in the last line of the poem. The phrase ‘the sleep of dead’ indirectly refers to a sleep from which one would never awake; that is, it refers to the condition of being dead.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Find a word from the stanza that means ‘garlands’.

Answer:
Garland: chaplet

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions Journey by Night

August 11, 2022November 15, 2017 by Veerendra

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions Journey by Night

Passage 1

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Sher Singh himself was only twelve years old, brown and cheerful, a child of the jungle, and his brother was several years younger. There had been other children of course, but they were dead, carried off by cholera and influenza and such, and by jungle accidents. Now there was only this Sher Singh, and the little brother Kunwar.

‘I will wring out rags in boiling water and lay them on his stomach,’ said their mother. She did not smile. She did not weep. She had lived through everything over and over again.

‘What shall I do? Asked Sher Singh, who was feeling ill inside him because of his brother. ‘I will get the sticks for the fire. And the dung. I will get the water. Let me tear up the rag’.

Why did the mother not smile or weep?
Answer:
Mother was worried about Kunwar’s failing health and thought that she’d lose him too like her other children. She was tired and alone and had lived through the deaths of many of her children before hence, she neither smiled nor wept.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

‘I will wring out rags in boiling water and lay them on his stomach,’ said their mother. She did not smile. She did not weep. She had lived through everything over and over again.

‘What shall I do? Asked Sher Singh, who was feeling ill inside him because of his brother. ‘I will get the sticks for the fire. And the dung. I will get the water. Let me tear up the rag’.

What happened to the other children?

Answer:
Sher Singh and Kunwar had many siblings but unfortunately they had died due to serious illnesses such as cholera and influenza and by jungle accidents.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

‘I will wring out rags in boiling water and lay them on his stomach,’ said their mother. She did not smile. She did not weep. She had lived through everything over and over again.

‘What shall I do? Asked Sher Singh, who was feeling ill inside him because of his brother. ‘I will get the sticks for the fire. And the dung. I will get the water. Let me tear up the rag’.

What was wrong with Kunwar?

Answer:
Sher Singh’s younger brother Kunwar was seriously ill. It was not clear what was wrong with him, but the child was constantly crying due to the pain in his stomach and fever.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

‘I will wring out rags in boiling water and lay them on his stomach,’ said their mother. She did not smile. She did not weep. She had lived through everything over and over again.

‘What shall I do? Asked Sher Singh, who was feeling ill inside him because of his brother. ‘I will get the sticks for the fire. And the dung. I will get the water. Let me tear up the rag’.

What does the sentence ‘She had lived through everything over and over again.’ mean?

Answer:
Sher Singh’s mother had other children apart from Kunwar and Sher Singh. However, they had all died due to illnesses such as influenza and cholera or forest mishaps.

Question 5.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

‘I will wring out rags in boiling water and lay them on his stomach,’ said their mother. She did not smile. She did not weep. She had lived through everything over and over again.

‘What shall I do? Asked Sher Singh, who was feeling ill inside him because of his brother. ‘I will get the sticks for the fire. And the dung. I will get the water. Let me tear up the rag’.

What does the phrase ‘carried off by’ mean?

Answer:
The phrase ‘carried off’ in the given context means ’caused the death of someone’.

Passage 2

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

They used fuel recklessly to get the water hot soon. They laid steaming cloths on the child’s little belly. But after a bit Sher Singh’s mother said,’ He must be carried into hospital at Kalaghat.’

Then Sher Singh knew that his brother was dying. When she said the word ‘Hospital’ He knew it, For all jungle people are well aware that hospital is but the resort of the doomed. Something took him by her throat.

‘I will run for my father,’ he cried.

‘It may be days before you find him.’

Why was fuel being burned recklessly?

Answer:
Mother thought that if she wrung out rags in boiling water and laid them on Kunwar’s stomach, he would feel better. They used fuel recklessly so as to boil the water sooner.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

‘I will run for my father,’ he cried.

‘It may be days before you find him.’

What does the line ‘something took him by the throat’ mean?

Answer:
Mother said that Kunwar had to be taken to the hospital. Sher Singh knew that people from the village went to the hospital only to never return. In addition, the absence of his father, scared Sher Singh all the more and he felt choked under emotional stress which is expressed in the words ‘something took him by the throat’.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

‘I will run for my father,’ he cried.

‘It may be days before you find him.’

Would it be possible for Sher Singh to find his father so that he could take Kunwar to the hospital?

Answer:
Sher Singh’s father was out on a hunting expedition and it would not be possible for him to find his father in time to take his little brother to the hospital.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

‘I will run for my father,’ he cried.

‘It may be days before you find him.’

How did Sher Singh help his mother in making Kunwar feel better?

Answer:
Sher Singh ran around to collect the sticks and dung to set up the fire and the water to boil the rags in. He also tore up the rag so that Mother could wring out the rags in and lay them on Kunwar’s stomach.

Passage 3

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Kalaghat was at least fifty miles away, but Sher Singh hoped that if he could get through the jungle and cross the two rivers that lay between him and his goal, he might get a lift in a bullock cart or perhaps even a broken – down truck for the last part of his journey. Motors were now beginning to appear even on jungle roads where for immemorial centuries there had been nothing but ox and pony.

But not yet.

Here, where the path was rutted with cart wheels, and his bare toes disappeared into silk-soft dust, he was alone on the track that wound into forest, into night.

What all would Sher Singh have to cross before reaching the hospital in Kalaghat?

Answer:
Sher Singh would have to get through the jungle and cross two rivers to reach the hospital in Kalaghat.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

But not yet.

Here, where the path was rutted with cart wheels, and his bare toes disappeared into silk-soft dust, he was alone on the track that wound into forest, into night.

Why did Sher Singh have to go alone with Kunwar?

Answer:
Sher Singh’s father was not at home and it would be days before he returned from his hunting expedition. Therefore, Sher Singh had to take his sick brother Kunwar alone to the hospital.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

But not yet.

Here, where the path was rutted with cart wheels, and his bare toes disappeared into silk-soft dust, he was alone on the track that wound into forest, into night.

What mode of transport was Sher Singh hoping to get a lift in to reach the hospital?

Answer:
Sher Singh was hoping to get a lift in a bullock cart or perhaps even a broken-down truck for the last part of his journey to the hospital in Kalaghat.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

But not yet.

Here, where the path was rutted with cart wheels, and his bare toes disappeared into silk-soft dust, he was alone on the track that wound into forest, into night.

What can be said about Sher Singh’s determination to get his brother to the hospital?

Answer:
Sher Singh was not big enough to carry Kunwar on his back. However, this did not deter him from setting off from his village to Kalaghat nonetheless. He had mentally the ways he would take to get to the road that could get him a lift till the hospital. This shows that he was strongly determined to save his brother’s life.

Passage 4

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Kunwar, was twitching and groaning on his back, was already getting heavier. Oh, for a rest to let aching muscles draw up from the painful stretching and strain. But it was too soon to rest yet, and presently he got his second wind.

Around him lay primeval forest in which the struggle of vegetation and the struggle of life continued as they had done since the beginning of the world. Luxuriant bamboo sprang fast from its nodules; impenetrable thorn thickets fought for air; trees and undergrowth and scrub and grass, And in his jungle lived the animals of the forest, the monkeys and raucous peacocks, tiger and panther and bear and elephant. Since the deer were now so poached and decimated, the beasts of prey were obliged to kill domestic animals for food. Sometimes even man.

Why did Sher Singh feel that Kunwar was getting heavier?

Answer:
Sher Singh was only twelve years old, too young to carry another boy on his back. He was finding it difficult to carry Kunwar, who was burning with fever. His muscles got tired after carrying his brother and hence, he felt that the boy was getting heavier.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why has the author called the jungle primeval?

Answer:
The jungle was dense and full of flora and fauna. It had been there since the beginning of the world. This is the reason why the author calls the forest primeval or ‘ancient’.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Describe the jungle as mentioned in the passage.

Answer:
The jungle was luxuriant with bamboo and thorn thickets. There was undergrowth and grass all around. There animals such as monkeys, raucous peacocks, tigers, panthers, bears and elephants too. The beasts of prey would not only kill domestic animals but also humans for food as the most of the deer in the forest were poached.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Describe Kunwar’s discomfort.

Answer:
Kunwar was so ill that he was disoriented. He kept twitching and groaning on Sher Singh’s back. He had high fever and a severe pain in his stomach. It was not clear what was wrong with him, but his mother thought that he must have contracted cholera or influenza, diseases that had taken away lives of other villagers in the past.

Passage 5

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Their ears flapped, their tails swung, their shadows were brilliant on the white sand, much brighter than any shadow by day. They were so near he could smell elephant, hear the squeak of sand crushed under their feet, and the brush of rough hide, one against the other. He could see the toss and hustle of great heads and black backbones.

The tusker was playing his trunk to find fro to learn whatever the breeze could tell him; and suddenly he hesitated. The trunk came round towards the boys.

Sher Singh chilled with fright. With Kunwar to carry, he could neither climb nor run. If he shouted, it could not but bring the catastrophe upon them.

Prayer after prayer fled up like birds from is frightened spirit.

Where was Sher Singh and what was he doing when he heard the elephants approaching?

Answer:
Sher Singh had reached a cliff which was above a river-bed when he realised that he could not go any further without some rest. He slowly laid down his brother, supporting him against a tree when he heard the elephants approaching.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

The tusker was playing his trunk to find fro to learn whatever the breeze could tell him; and suddenly he hesitated. The trunk came round towards the boys.

Sher Singh chilled with fright. With Kunwar to carry, he could neither climb nor run. If he shouted, it could not but bring the catastrophe upon them.

Prayer after prayer fled up like birds from is frightened spirit.

Described the elephants mentioned in the passage as seen by Sher Singh?

Answer:
Sher Singh while on his way to the hospital Sher Singh came across a herd of elephants moving along a water body in the jungle. He saw their ears flapping, and their tails swinging as they moved. He also heard the crushing of sand under their feet and the brushing of their rough hide against each other.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

The tusker was playing his trunk to find fro to learn whatever the breeze could tell him; and suddenly he hesitated. The trunk came round towards the boys.

Sher Singh chilled with fright. With Kunwar to carry, he could neither climb nor run. If he shouted, it could not but bring the catastrophe upon them.

Prayer after prayer fled up like birds from is frightened spirit.

Why was Sher Singh frightened?

Answer:
Sher Singh saw a herd of elephants walking past the river bed below the cliff he was sitting on with Kunwar. Among the cows and the babies, there was a tusker whose cheeks were smeared with dark, oily musth. In that condition, if the elephant spotted him and Kunwar, they both could have been killed by him. This thought frightened Sher Singh.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

The tusker was playing his trunk to find fro to learn whatever the breeze could tell him; and suddenly he hesitated. The trunk came round towards the boys.

Sher Singh chilled with fright. With Kunwar to carry, he could neither climb nor run. If he shouted, it could not but bring the catastrophe upon them.

Prayer after prayer fled up like birds from is frightened spirit.

What does the expression ‘prayer after prayer fled up’ mean?

Answer:
Sher Singh knew the danger which the herd of elephants posed to him and his little brother. With Kunwar on his back, he could neither run nor climb if the tusker in the herd attacked them. Therefore, with cold fear in his heart, Sher Singh prayed fervently for some aid. The author uses the expression ‘prayers after prayers fled up’ to stress on his nervousness.

Passage 6

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Far away, in another world, there came the yap of pi-dogs heralding village.
Suddenly, somehow…….. people.
After that, the next he knew they were in a bullock cart, then a truck.
‘Where have you come from, boy?’
“Laldwani.’
‘You carried him alone? Across the river in flood?
They were at the hospital.

What was Sher Singh’s condition by the time he reached the road?

Answer:
Sher Singh was exhausted by the time he reached the road. The gushing river seemed to have sucked up all his strength. He neither knew what happened nor was in the condition to wring his dhoti dry. He stumbled as he walked, and his knees bent and trembled under the weight of his brother

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

Why did the doctor call out Sher Singh ‘Bahadur’?

Answer:
Sher Singh Sher Singh travelled the entire way from Laldwani to the hospital in Kalaghat all alone on foot by night carrying his ailing little brother on his back. On his way he braved the dense forests and gushing ice-cold waters of the stormy river. When the doctor realised all that this twelve-year-old boy had gone through for his brother’s life, he added the title ‘Bahadur’ to his name.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

How did the boys finally reach the hospital?

Answer:
After carrying Kunwar on his back through the primeval forest and struggling through the cold river, Sher Singh reached a road from where he got a lift in a bullock cart and then a truck which finally took him to hospital at Kalaghat.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

What did Sher Singh eat while his brother was being treated in the hospital?

Answer:
Sher Singh had no money when he reached the hospital so he worked at the rail yard loading coal. He used the money that he got for his work to buy some coarse flour, mustard oil, and chillies. This he then used to prepare his own meal.

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions The Inchcape Rock

August 11, 2022November 15, 2017 by Veerendra

ICSE Class 10 English SolutionsThe Inchcape Rock [Poem]

Passage 1

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

No stir in the air, no stir in the sea,
The Ship was still as she could be;
Her sails from heaven received no motion,
Her keel was steady in the ocean.

Without either sign or sound of their shock,
The waves flow’d over the Inchcape Rock;
So little they rose, so little they fell,
They did not move the Inchcape Bell.

What is the rhyme scheme of the given lines?

Answer:
The rhyme scheme of the given lines is aa-bb-cc-dd.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

No stir in the air, no stir in the sea,
The Ship was still as she could be;
Her sails from heaven received no motion,
Her keel was steady in the ocean.

Without either sign or sound of their shock,
The waves flow’d over the Inchcape Rock;
So little they rose, so little they fell,
They did not move the Inchcape Bell.

Why didn’t the waves move the Inchcape bell?

Answer:
The waves were small and there was no stir in the air or sea therefore they did not move the Inchcape bell.

Question 3
RRead the extract and answer the questions that follow:

No stir in the air, no stir in the sea,
The Ship was still as she could be;
Her sails from heaven received no motion,
Her keel was steady in the ocean.

Without either sign or sound of their shock,
The waves flow’d over the Inchcape Rock;
So little they rose, so little they fell,
They did not move the Inchcape Bell.

Which lines indicate that the ocean was calm and steady?

Answer:
The lines ‘No stir in the air, no stir in the sea’ and ‘So little they rose, so little they fell’ indicates that the ocean was calm and steady.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

No stir in the air, no stir in the sea,
The Ship was still as she could be;
Her sails from heaven received no motion,
Her keel was steady in the ocean.

Without either sign or sound of their shock,
The waves flow’d over the Inchcape Rock;
So little they rose, so little they fell,
They did not move the Inchcape Bell.

Name and explain the figures of speech in
a. Without either sign or sound of their shock,
b. So little they rose, so little they fell,

Answer:
Without either sign or sound of their shock,
Alliteration: The sound ‘s’ has been repeated in the words ‘sound’ and ‘shock’.

So little they rose, so little they fell,
Repetition: The phrase ‘so little they’ has been repeated in the lines for poetic effect.

Passage 2

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Abbot of Aberbrothok
Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock;
On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung,
And over the waves its warning rung.

When the Rock was hid by the surge’s swell,
The Mariners heard the warning Bell;
And then they knew the perilous Rock,
And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok

Why was the bell placed on the rock?

Answer:
The bell was placed on the rock so that sailors who were sailing off the eastern coast of Scotland could know that they are close to the Inchcape Rock hidden under the waves and prevent crashing into it.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Abbot of Aberbrothok
Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock;
On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung,
And over the waves its warning rung.

When the Rock was hid by the surge’s swell,
The Mariners heard the warning Bell;
And then they knew the perilous Rock,
And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok

What warning did the bell give?

Answer:
When the sea surged, the bell on the buoy floated and rung and warned the sailors of the rock which was hidden below the waves.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Abbot of Aberbrothok
Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock;
On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung,
And over the waves its warning rung.

When the Rock was hid by the surge’s swell,
The Mariners heard the warning Bell;
And then they knew the perilous Rock,
And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok

Who tied the bell to the rock?

Answer:
The Abbot of Aberbrothok, a good natured soul, had tied the Inchcape Bell to the rock.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Abbot of Aberbrothok
Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock;
On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung,
And over the waves its warning rung.

When the Rock was hid by the surge’s swell,
The Mariners heard the warning Bell;
And then they knew the perilous Rock,
And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok

Name and explain the figure of speech in the lines:
And over the waves its warning rung.

Answer:
Inversion: The normal order of words has been reversed for emphasis.
The correct order is ‘Its warning rung over the waves.”

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Abbot of Aberbrothok
Had placed that bell on the Inchcape Rock;
On a buoy in the storm it floated and swung,
And over the waves its warning rung.

When the Rock was hid by the surge’s swell,
The Mariners heard the warning Bell;
And then they knew the perilous Rock,
And blest the Abbot of Aberbrothok

Whom did the mariners bless? Why?

Answer:
The mariners blessed the Abbot as by tying the bell to the Inchcape Rock he had been instrumental in saving many sailing accidents.

Passage 3

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Sun in the heaven was shining gay,
All things were joyful on that day;
The sea-birds scream’d as they wheel’d round,
And there was joyaunce in their sound.

The buoy of the Inchcape Bell was seen
A darker speck on the ocean green;
Sir Ralph the Rover walk’d his deck,
And fix’d his eye on the darker speck.

How did the buoy look from a distance?

Answer:
The buoy looked like a dark spot on the vast green ocean.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Sun in the heaven was shining gay,
All things were joyful on that day;
The sea-birds scream’d as they wheel’d round,
And there was joyaunce in their sound.

The buoy of the Inchcape Bell was seen
A darker speck on the ocean green;
Sir Ralph the Rover walk’d his deck,
And fix’d his eye on the darker speck.

Why did the birds sound happy that day?

Answer:
The birds sounded happy that day as the day was bright and sunny.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Sun in the heaven was shining gay,
All things were joyful on that day;
The sea-birds scream’d as they wheel’d round,
And there was joyaunce in their sound.

The buoy of the Inchcape Bell was seen
A darker speck on the ocean green;
Sir Ralph the Rover walk’d his deck,
And fix’d his eye on the darker speck.

Who was Sir Ralph?

Answer:
Sir Ralph the Rover was a pirate.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Sun in the heaven was shining gay,
All things were joyful on that day;
The sea-birds scream’d as they wheel’d round,
And there was joyaunce in their sound.

The buoy of the Inchcape Bell was seen
A darker speck on the ocean green;
Sir Ralph the Rover walk’d his deck,
And fix’d his eye on the darker speck.

What does the phrase ‘fixed his eye on the darker speck’ indicate?

Answer:
The phrase indicates that the pirate set his wicked eye on the Inchcape Bell and stared at it intently.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The Sun in the heaven was shining gay,
All things were joyful on that day;
The sea-birds scream’d as they wheel’d round,
And there was joyaunce in their sound.

The buoy of the Inchcape Bell was seen
A darker speck on the ocean green;
Sir Ralph the Rover walk’d his deck,
And fix’d his eye on the darker speck.

List words from the given lines that reflect happiness.

Answer:
Gay, joyful, joyaunce

Passage 4

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

He felt the cheering power of spring,
It made him whistle, it made him sing;
His heart was mirthful to excess,
But the Rover’s mirth was wickedness.

His eye was on the Inchcape Float;
Quoth he, “My men, put out the boat,
And row me to the Inchcape Rock,
And I’ll plague the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

Who is the ‘he’ referred to in the first line?

Answer:
The ‘he’ referred to in the first line is Sir Ralph the Rover.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

He felt the cheering power of spring,
It made him whistle, it made him sing;
His heart was mirthful to excess,
But the Rover’s mirth was wickedness.

His eye was on the Inchcape Float;
Quoth he, “My men, put out the boat,
And row me to the Inchcape Rock,
And I’ll plague the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

What kind of happiness was reflected on his face?

Answer:
The happiness on Sir Ralph’s face was rooted in wickedness.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

He felt the cheering power of spring,
It made him whistle, it made him sing;
His heart was mirthful to excess,
But the Rover’s mirth was wickedness.

His eye was on the Inchcape Float;
Quoth he, “My men, put out the boat,
And row me to the Inchcape Rock,
And I’ll plague the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

In which direction did the Rover want his men to row?

Answer:
The Rover wants his men to row him to the Inchcape Rock.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

He felt the cheering power of spring,
It made him whistle, it made him sing;
His heart was mirthful to excess,
But the Rover’s mirth was wickedness.

His eye was on the Inchcape Float;
Quoth he, “My men, put out the boat,
And row me to the Inchcape Rock,
And I’ll plague the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

Explain the line “I’ll plague the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

Answer:
The above lines indicate that the Rover had come up with a wicked plan to wreck the good intended work of the Abbot of Aberbrothok.

Passage 5

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The boat is lower’d, the boatmen row,
And to the Inchcape Rock they go;
Sir Ralph bent over from the boat,
And he cut the bell from the Inchcape Float.

Down sank the Bell with a gurgling sound,
The bubbles rose and burst around;
Quoth Sir Ralph, “The next who comes to the Rock,
Won’t bless the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

Where do the boatmen row the boat?

Answer:
The boatmen rowed the boat to the Inchcape Rock.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The boat is lower’d, the boatmen row,
And to the Inchcape Rock they go;
Sir Ralph bent over from the boat,
And he cut the bell from the Inchcape Float.

Down sank the Bell with a gurgling sound,
The bubbles rose and burst around;
Quoth Sir Ralph, “The next who comes to the Rock,
Won’t bless the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

What did Sir Ralph the Rover do?

Answer:
Sir Ralph the Rover bent over from his boat and cut the bell from the Inchcape Float.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The boat is lower’d, the boatmen row,
And to the Inchcape Rock they go;
Sir Ralph bent over from the boat,
And he cut the bell from the Inchcape Float.

Down sank the Bell with a gurgling sound,
The bubbles rose and burst around;
Quoth Sir Ralph, “The next who comes to the Rock,
Won’t bless the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

Why did the Rover cut the bell?

Answer:
The rover cut the bell because he wanted ships to crash against the rock so that he could then plunder their goods.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

The boat is lower’d, the boatmen row,
And to the Inchcape Rock they go;
Sir Ralph bent over from the boat,
And he cut the bell from the Inchcape Float.

Down sank the Bell with a gurgling sound,
The bubbles rose and burst around;
Quoth Sir Ralph, “The next who comes to the Rock,
Won’t bless the Abbot of Aberbrothok.”

Name and explain the figure of speech in:
a. Down sank the Bell with a gurgling sound,
b. The bubbles rose and burst around;

Answer:
Down sank the Bell with a gurgling sound
Onomatopoeia: The word ‘gurgling’ is used to hint the sound of the drowning bell.

The bubbles rose and burst around;
Alliteration: The sound ‘b’ has been repeated in the words ‘bubbles’ and ‘burst’.

Passage 6

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Sir Ralph the Rover sail’d away,
He scour’d the seas for many a day;
And now grown rich with plunder’d store,
He steers his course for Scotland’s shore.

So thick a haze o’er spreads the sky,
They cannot see the sun on high;
The wind hath blown a gale all day,
At evening it hath died away.

Where did Sir Ralph the Rover sail? Why?

Answer:
Sir Ralph the Rover sailed into the sea as looking out for ships that crashed against the Inchcape Rock so that he could raid and plunder them.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Sir Ralph the Rover sail’d away,
He scour’d the seas for many a day;
And now grown rich with plunder’d store,
He steers his course for Scotland’s shore.

So thick a haze o’er spreads the sky,
They cannot see the sun on high;
The wind hath blown a gale all day,
At evening it hath died away.

Why were his men unable to see anything when they steered towards Scotland?

Answer:
A thick haze had spread over the sky due to which his men couldn’t see anything when they steered towards Scotland.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Sir Ralph the Rover sail’d away,
He scour’d the seas for many a day;
And now grown rich with plunder’d store,
He steers his course for Scotland’s shore.

So thick a haze o’er spreads the sky,
They cannot see the sun on high;
The wind hath blown a gale all day,
At evening it hath died away.

The word sail’d means ‘sailed’, but is written in a different way. Find other such words in the given lines and also state their modern spelling.

Answer:
scour’d: scoured
plunder’d: plundered
o’er: over

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Sir Ralph the Rover sail’d away,
He scour’d the seas for many a day;
And now grown rich with plunder’d store,
He steers his course for Scotland’s shore.

So thick a haze o’er spreads the sky,
They cannot see the sun on high;
The wind hath blown a gale all day,
At evening it hath died away.

Find words from the given lines that mean: steal, mist and guide

Answer:
steal: plunder
mist: haze
guide: steer

Passage 7

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

On the deck the Rover takes his stand,
So dark it is they see no land.
Quoth Sir Ralph, “It will be lighter soon,
For there is the dawn of the rising Moon.”

“Canst hear,” said one, “the breakers roar?
For methinks we should be near the shore.”
“Now, where we are I cannot tell,
But I wish we could hear the Inchcape Bell.”

They hear no sound, the swell is strong,
Though the wind hath fallen they drift along;
Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock,
“Oh Christ! It is the Inchcape Rock!”

Why couldn’t the sailors tell where they were?

Answer:
There was a lot of haze and darkness engulfing the ocean due to which the sailors couldn’t see where they were.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

On the deck the Rover takes his stand,
So dark it is they see no land.
Quoth Sir Ralph, “It will be lighter soon,
For there is the dawn of the rising Moon.”

“Canst hear,” said one, “the breakers roar?
For methinks we should be near the shore.”
“Now, where we are I cannot tell,
But I wish we could hear the Inchcape Bell.”

They hear no sound, the swell is strong,
Though the wind hath fallen they drift along;
Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock,
“Oh Christ! It is the Inchcape Rock!”

What fate does the ship meet at the end of the stanza?

Answer:
The ship crashes against the Inchcape rock at the end of the stanza.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

On the deck the Rover takes his stand,
So dark it is they see no land.
Quoth Sir Ralph, “It will be lighter soon,
For there is the dawn of the rising Moon.”

“Canst hear,” said one, “the breakers roar?
For methinks we should be near the shore.”
“Now, where we are I cannot tell,
But I wish we could hear the Inchcape Bell.”

They hear no sound, the swell is strong,
Though the wind hath fallen they drift along;
Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock,
“Oh Christ! It is the Inchcape Rock!”

What conditions lead to the wreckage of the ship?

Answer:
Bad weather and the absence of the Inchcape bell caused the ship to crash against the rock.

Question 4.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

On the deck the Rover takes his stand,
So dark it is they see no land.
Quoth Sir Ralph, “It will be lighter soon,
For there is the dawn of the rising Moon.”

“Canst hear,” said one, “the breakers roar?
For methinks we should be near the shore.”
“Now, where we are I cannot tell,
But I wish we could hear the Inchcape Bell.”

They hear no sound, the swell is strong,
Though the wind hath fallen they drift along;
Till the vessel strikes with a shivering shock,
“Oh Christ! It is the Inchcape Rock!”

Why did the sailor wish he could hear the Inchcape Bell?

Answer:
In the absence of the bell, the sailors were clueless about where they were or if they were near the shore. Moreover, they had no way of avoiding crashing into the dreaded Inchcape Rock if they drew close to it. Hence, a sailor thought it would be good had the bell been there.

Passage 8

Question 1.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair,
He curst himself in his despair;
The waves rush in on every side,
The ship is sinking beneath the tide.

But even in his dying fear,
One dreadful sound could the Rover hear;
A sound as if with the Inchcape Bell,
The Devil below was ringing his knell.

How did Ralph the Rover react to the ship hitting the rock?

Answer:
When the ship hit the Inchcape Rock, Ralph the Rover realised what a grave mistake he had made by cutting off the Inchcape Bell. His ship was now sinking as waters entered the vessel from all sides. In despair, agony, and frustration he tore at his hair and cursed himself for cutting off the bell.

Question 2.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair,
He curst himself in his despair;
The waves rush in on every side,
The ship is sinking beneath the tide.

But even in his dying fear,
One dreadful sound could the Rover hear;
A sound as if with the Inchcape Bell,
The Devil below was ringing his knell.

Whom did Sir Ralph the Rover hear ringing the bell as the ship sank?

Answer:
Sir Ralph the Rover believed he heard the Devil ringing the bell as though indicating that he himself had come to drag the rover to hell for his cruel deeds.

Question 3.
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair,
He curst himself in his despair;
The waves rush in on every side,
The ship is sinking beneath the tide.

But even in his dying fear,
One dreadful sound could the Rover hear;
A sound as if with the Inchcape Bell,
The Devil below was ringing his knell.

Compare and contrast the character of Sir Ralph the Rover with that of the Abbot of Aberbrothok?

Answer:
The Abbot was a benevolent and an empathetic man while the pirate was a cruel and an inhuman pirate. On the one hand, the abbot placed a bell on the Inchcape Rock to warn sailors of the hidden rock. On the other hand, Sir Ralph the Rover cut the bell off because he did not want sailors to sail across the rock safely. The Abbot taught for the well being of others while Sir Ralph only thought about plundering and increasing his wealth. He was so reckless that he didn’t think twice before cutting off the bell. Ultimately, divine justice was served and he was punished for his recklessness.

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions India’s Heroes

August 11, 2022November 14, 2017 by Veerendra

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions India’s Heroes

Passage 1

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

All forty hands went up in unison. Mrs Baruah beamed. Clearly, this assignment had not been a drudge.
“Wonderful!” Mrs Baruah said. “Remember that it does not have to be a profession. You can also speak of someone whom you’d want to be like -maybe a role model or a mentor. You may even talk of a particular trait or quality that you admire in a person and wish to emulate. ”
A crackle of sheets was heard as students hurriedly arranged the pages on which they had written their assignments. They were eager to speak in front of their classmates.

What was Mrs Baruah’s class eager about?

Answer:
Mrs Baruah’s class was eager about speaking in front of their classmates about what they would like to be when they grow up.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Why were all the forty students eager to talk in front of the class?

Answer:
Each student in Mrs Baruah’s class had prepared a speech on what they would like to become when they grew up. The children had put in all their feelings and efforts in their speeches and were excited about presenting their views before their class.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Which figure of speech has been used in the sentence ‘A crackle of sheets was heard…’

Answer:
The figure of speech used in the line is onomatopoeia.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What instructions did Mrs Baruah give her students before they began their speeches?

Answer:
Mrs Baruah told her students that the speeches didn’t necessarily have to be about which profession they wanted to choose. It could be about a person who may have influenced them or even a quality or trait that they admired in a person and would wish to emulate.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What do you think Mrs Baruah wanted to emphasise when she said that the children could talk about a person or a quality they admire?

Answer:
Mrs Baruah wanted the students to express their perception of their future selves through the speeches. Therefore it could also be about a person or even a quality that the students wished to emulate. She thus tried to emphasise that a person can become successful not merely by choosing a profession, but also by having a role model and strong values to follow and emulate.

Passage 2

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

However, he had worked hard on his assignment and had written it from the depth of his heart. It was different from the others as it did not focus on any one person, profession or quality. It was a combination of traits and people from different walks of life- people who had stirred Kabeer’s heart.

Clearing his throat, he began, “When I grow up, I want to be brave like Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan, the thirty-one year old National Security Guard (NSG) commando, who laid down his life fighting the terrorists in Mumbai in November 2008.”

How was Kabeer’s assignment different from others?

Answer:
Kabeer’s assignment did not talk about what profession he wanted to choose when he grew up or about any one person or quality he admired. It has a mention of people who had made a difference to hundreds who were affected during the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Why had Kabeer worked hard on his assignment?

Answer:
Through Kabeer’s speech it is visible that he was deeply affected by the terrorist attack. He was also profoundly inspired by the people he spoke about. Therefore, though he was not good at making public speeches he prepared well for this speech by gathering detailed information on all the martyrs of 26/11.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What happened in November 2008 in Mumbai?

Answer:
In November 2008, ten terrorists carried out a series of coordinated shooting and bombing acts in Mumbai. The attack lasted for four days.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

In what way do you think had Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan stirred Kabeer’s heart?

Answer:
Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan was deployed to clear Hotel Taj of terrorists. He arranged for the evacuation of one of his commandos who was injured in the exchange of fire. Despite knowing that his life was in danger, he told his team to stay down and went upstairs to handle them. He bravely fought till the end despite being hit with bullets.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Which qualities of Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan did Kabeer want to emulate?

Answer:
Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan didn’t think twice about risking his life when he was deployed to clear Hotel Taj. He not only chased the terrorists, but also helped with the evacuation of the soldiers injured during the firing. Instead of escaping from the scene, he faced death bravely and selflessly. Kabeer wanted to become like Major Sandeep and put others’ lives and wellbeing before his own.

Passage 3

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Outside the birds chirped, cars honked and the younger children were enjoying their recess. However, class 8A, oblivious to everything, was all years as Kabeer continued. “When I grow up, I want to be like Vishnu Dattaram Zende, who was an announcer with the Mumbai railways for 10 years. On 26 November, he heard a loud explosion at one end of the CST platform and saw that some people had bloodstains on their clothes. He guessed that something was wrong and used the public announcement system to tell people to go out from a different exit. Instead of running for his life, for almost half an hour he continued to make announcements, even though he knew that the terrorists could attack him. They fired a bullet into Vishnu Zende’s cabin, but it missed him.

How is the scene outside the classroom different from the atmosphere inside?

Answer:
The atmosphere outside the classroom was relaxed and carefree. The birds chirped, the cars honked and Younger children were enjoying their break time as usual.. In contrast to this, inside the classroom, the air was rather tensed as Kabeer narrated one of the most horrible terror attacks on Mumbai that killed hundreds of innocent people.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What did Vishnu Zende do after he saw people running around with bloodstained clothes?

Answer:
Vishnu Zende sensed that something was wrong when he saw people running around with bloodstained clothes and immediately used the public announcement system to direct people to the other exit of the station.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What happened as Vishnu Zende made the announcements?

Answer:
As Vishnu Zende tried to rescue the people stranded at CST, the terrorists fired a bullet in the direction of the cabin where he was making the announcements. However, he survived the attack as the bullet narrowly missed him.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What is common between Mr Zende and Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan?

Answer:
Both Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan and Mr Zende prioritised the lives of fellow citizens over their own during the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008. In doing this, Major Sandeep lost his life while Mr Zende missed death narrowly. However, the risk did not stop them from saving the lives of people threatened during the night of the attacks.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

How did Vishnu Zende’s presence of mind help the hundreds of commuters inside CST?

Answer:
When Vishnu Zende heard an explosion and saw some people running here and there with bloodstains on their clothes, he sensed danger and without wasting time, used the public announcement system to save the lives of many others. He asked the passengers to not go in the direction where the blast was heard but instead exit from the station from a safer point. His presence of mind helped many innocent people save their lives.

Passage 4

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

“When I grow up, I want to be like Karambir Singh Kang, the General Manager of the Taj Hotel, who, instead of worrying about his own safety or his family’s needs, first helped his guests and staff out of the hotel. His wife and children were trapped in a room engulfed by fire. They died of suffocation. Even on hearing of their deaths, Karambir Singh Kang did not abandon his responsibilities, and continued to fight for his guests’ safety. The noble and the loyal manager, despite his own irreparable loss, still remains at the Taj helping to restore the heritage structure.

What did Karambir Singh Kang do on hearing about his wife and children?

Answer:
Karambir Singh’s wife and children were trapped in a room engulfed by fire. They died of suffocation. However, despite hearing this news, he continued to fight for the safety of his guests.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

How is Karambir Singh Kang’s act exceptional and commendable?

Answer:
Karambir Singh Kang bravely continued to rescue the guests despite knowing that his family was in danger. Even after coming to know that his wife and children had died of suffocation, he continued to save the guests of his hotel. Only an extraordinary human being could have done this. Karambir Singh’s act is indeed exceptional and commendable.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where is Karambir Singh Kang at present?

Answer:
Karambir Singh did not abandon his responsibilities after the attack. Despite his own irreparable loss, he still remains at the Taj helping to restore the heritage structure.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Do you think Karambir Singh Kang should have saved his family first and then rescued the guests?

Answer:
The situation in which Karambir Singh Kang was caught was a very difficult one. If he had saved his family at the cost of the life of the guests, he would have never been able to forgive himself for failing his duties. Whether or not he should have saved his family was not at all in his control. He rescued those whom he came across first and unfortunately by the time he reached his family, they had lost the battle with life.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

In what way does Kabeer want to emulate Karambir Singh Kang when he grows up?

Answer:
When Kabeer grows up, he wants to be like Karambir Singh Kang so that he may have the courage to answer duty calls first and then prioritise his personal life.

Passage 5

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

“When I grow up, I want to be fearless like Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare, who pursued the terrorists in a jeep. He was gunned down by terrorists near Cama Hospital, along with his valiant comrades DIG Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar. Hemant Karkare was a brave officer who served in Austria for seven years in the Research and Analysis Wing of India, as an Intelligence Officer. Shaheed Karkare spent his life fighting terror, to make our tomorrow terror-free.”

“When I grow up, I want to be caring like Mohammed Taufeeq Sheikh, popularly known as Chotu Chaiwala, a young boy who ran a tea stall outside CST station. He was among the first to help transport the injured to St George Hospital. Had it not been for the efforts of people like him, many of the wounded might not have made it to the hospital on time.”

How did Kabeer feel as he read his speech?

Answer:
Kabeer was overwhelmed by the emotions as he read a strong emotional account of what happened during the November 2008 attacks. However, like a brave soldier, he contained his emotions and continued to read his speech.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Who was Hemant Karkare?

Answer:
Hemant Karkare was the chief of the Anti-Terrorism Squad. He served as an Intelligence Officer in Austria for seven years in the Research and Analysis Wing of India.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

How was Hemant Karkare killed?

Answer:
Hemant Karkare was gunned down by terrorists near Cama Hospital as he was bravely pursuing them in a jeep.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

How did Chotu Chaiwala contribute to saving the injured people?

Answer:
Chotu Chaiwala was among the first to help transport the injured to St George Hospital. He was a young boy who ran a tea stall outside CST station and whose original name was Mohammed Taufeeq Sheikh.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

How do the people mentioned in this extract contribute during the terrorist attack of 26/11?

Answer:
The trio, Hemant Karkare, DIG Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar were highly qualified police officers who faced the terrorists in Mumbai on 26 November 2008fearlessly. The three were killed in action by the terrorists during attack. On the other hand, Mohammed Taufeeq Sheikh, popularly known as Chotu Chaiwala, was a young boy who ran a tea stall outside CST station. He was no officer or had no arms, but he was among the first to help transport the injured to St George Hospital. Had it not been for the efforts of people like him, many of the wounded might not have made it to the hospital on time.

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions Where the Mind is Without Fear [Poem]

August 11, 2022November 14, 2017 by Veerendra

ICSE Class 10 English Solutions Where the Mind is Without Fear [Poem]

Passage 1

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth

What prayer does the poet make for his countrymen in the first line of the extract? Why?

Answer:
The poet prays that the people of his country may have no fear in their minds. He makes this prayer as this poem was written during the colonial rule in India when radical thoughts and free-spirited people were repressed.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls

Where words come out from the depth of truth
What could be the dangers if knowledge is restricted?
Answer:
When knowledge is restricted, various blocks are imposed on the people trying to acquire knowledge. These restrictions are based on wealth, caste, class, gender, religion, etc.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What is meant by ‘narrow domestic walls’? Explain how these ‘walls’ can be detrimental to the country’s progress.
Answer:
The narrow domestic walls are those of caste, creed, religion, colour, and superstitions. If people get trapped within these ‘walls’ they will never become broad-minded and progress in life. As a result, the country’s progress will be affected.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Do you agree with the poet when he states that we must always give importance to ‘truth’?

Answer:
Yes, truth must be given a lot of importance. It is the truth that prevails in the end. No matter how bitter it is to experience, a single truth is better than thousand sugar coated lies.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

How does the poet reflect the true meaning of freedom through the poem?

Answer:
In the poem, the poet has expressed a desire for his countrymen to be free not only from physical bondage but also from emotional barriers. He says that the characteristics of truth, fearlessness, clarity of thought and progressive thinking along with freedom from any kind of bondage is necessary for every human being.

Passage 2

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit

What does ‘from the depth of truth’ refer to?

Answer:
The phrase ‘from the depth of truth’ refers to honesty. The poem was written during the time India was a British colony and Tagore used this phrase to urge Indians to be courageous and speak their hearts out before the world.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What does the phrase ‘tireless striving’ mean? What does the poet want people to achieve through tireless striving?

Answer:
The phrase ‘tireless striving’ is used by the poet to urge his countrymen to break free from sloth and inactivity and struggle hard constantly to achieve perfection in whatever they choose to do and thus make their country a free nation.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Name and explain the figure of speech in ‘clear stream of reason’?

Answer:
The figure of speech is metaphor because reason has been compared to ‘a clear stream’. A mind without reason and rationality is stagnated and unable to achieve its goal. On the other hand, a mind that thinks clearly will be able to achieve its goals.

Question 4

Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

What does ‘dead habit’ refer to? How does it affect a person?

Answer:
Dead habit’ refers to mindless practicing of obsolete customs and traditions, old beliefs, superstitions and a narrow-minded attitudes. This habit corrodes the mind and renders it useless.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Give two examples of alliteration from the extract.

Answer:
(i)Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
(ii) Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit

Passage 3

Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Whom does ‘thee’ in the above extract refer to?

Answer:
The ‘thee’ in the above extract refers to the Almighty God to whom the poem is dedicated.

Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Whom does the poet ask the Almighty to lead?

Answer:
The poet is asks the Almighty to lead and guide the minds of the people of India who are under the British rule.

Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

What is meant by ‘ever widening thought and action’?

Answer:
The phrase ‘ever widening thought and action’ refers to a process where people break all obsolete rules, attain thoughtfulness and put those thoughts into action as they fight for freedom from colonial rule.

Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Explain the phrase ‘let my country awake’.

Answer:
The phrase ‘let my country awake’ is an indication of a prayer to the almighty to help the people of India fight for their freedom and break free from the bondages of British rule.

Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Why has the poet associated freedom with heaven?

Answer:
In the poem, the poet talks about freedom on two levels, the freedom of every individual and India’s freedom from the British rule, which lasted from 1857 to 1947. After almost a century of bondage, misery and discrimination, the poet feels that it is natural for freedom to feel like heaven. Hence, he has associated freedom to heaven in the given extract.