CBSE Class 10 English — NCERT Solutions

Given: Lencho is a farmer whose fields need water.

Answer: Lencho hoped for rain. He had been watching the sky towards the north-east all morning, hoping that a good downpour or at least a shower would come and water his ripe cornfields, ensuring a good harvest.

Given: Lencho is a farmer who depends entirely on his crop for his livelihood.

Answer: Lencho compared the raindrops to 'new coins' because, for a farmer, rain means a good harvest, and a good harvest means money and prosperity. Just as new coins represent wealth, the raindrops represented future income and financial well-being for Lencho and his family. The large drops were like ten-cent coins and the small drops were like five-cent coins.

She tries to help him by giving him extras between meals such as malt, cod-liver oil, Horlicks, cream cakes, and chocolates. She also gives him little walks. No, she is not wise in this, because she keeps overfeeding him instead of cutting down his food and giving him proper exercise, which only makes his condition worse.

No. The narrator is a veterinary surgeon, but he is not as rich as Tricki’s mistress, Mrs Pumphrey. The story clearly shows her luxurious lifestyle and his simpler professional life.

South Africa had the apartheid system until very recently, as stated in the chapter.

The inauguration refers to the historic ceremony when Nelson Mandela took oath as South Africa’s first Black President after the country’s first democratic elections in 1994.

Anil tells him, "If you can cook, then may be I can feed you" and later lets him sleep on the balcony. So he gets food and a place to sleep in return for his work.

Given: The story describes a young seagull who is unable to make his first flight despite his family having already flown.

Answer:
The young seagull was afraid to fly because he felt that his wings would never support him in the air. Whenever he ran towards the edge of the ledge and looked down at the vast, deep sea far below, he became terrified. The great expanse of the ocean and the fear of falling made him retreat in fear.

It is quite natural for young birds to be afraid of their first flight, as it is an entirely new experience. However, some birds may be bolder by nature while others are more timid — just as individual personalities differ among humans.

Similarly, a human baby does find it a challenge to take its first steps. The baby has to overcome the fear of falling, balance its body, and coordinate its limbs — all for the very first time. In both cases, the first attempt requires courage and the overcoming of an instinctive fear.

Fowler is a young writer who wants to meet a real secret agent and get a thrilling experience. His first authentic thrill of the day comes when he enters Ausable’s room and sees Max standing there with a pistol. That sudden sight gives him his first real moment of excitement in the day.

From the given definitions:

• Journal = a book with a separate space or page for each day, where you write thoughts and feelings or events of that day.
• Log = a written record of events with times and dates, usually official.
• Memoir(s) = a record of a person's own life and experiences.
• Diary = a full record of a journey, period of time, or event, written every day.

So the matches are:

1. Journal
2. Log
3. Memoir(s)
4. Diary

India brings to mind many different people and places — crowded cities, villages, mountains, beaches, forests, rivers, temples, fields, and markets. It also brings to mind people in many kinds of dress, speaking different languages, and living different ways of life. The chapter shows that our country is varied and beautiful.

Given/Context: The story involves Horace Danby, a careful thief, who is tricked by a young woman who pretends to be the mistress of Shotover Grange.

Answer:
Yes, a careful reader can begin to suspect that the lady is not who she claims to be at several points in the story.

Clues that raise suspicion:

1. Her confident, commanding manner: A genuine mistress of the house who finds a burglar would normally be frightened or would call the police immediately. Instead, the lady remains completely calm and takes charge of the situation in a very bold and clever way — this is unusual behaviour for a homeowner.

2. Her knowledge of Horace's background: She seems to know a great deal about Horace — his hay fever, his love of rare books — almost as if she had done her research beforehand, which is suspicious.

3. She does not call the police: Instead of reporting him, she strikes a deal with him, which suggests she herself has something to hide or has an ulterior motive.

4. She asks him to open the safe without gloves: A real lady of the house would want the thief caught, not helped. Her insistence that he open the safe without gloves (so his fingerprints would be left behind) is the strongest hint that she is setting him up.

5. She claims to have forgotten the combination: This is a convenient excuse to make Horace do the actual breaking-in, which would implicate him fully.

Conclusion: The point at which suspicion becomes strongest is when she asks Horace to crack the safe and take the jewels for her, saying she has forgotten the combination. A real owner would know the combination or would have other means to access it. This strongly suggests she is not the lady of the house but rather another thief — which is confirmed at the end when Horace is arrested and the real owners return from London.

उत्तर व्यक्तिगत अनुभव पर आधारित है।

यदि आपका पालतू जानवर है, तो आप लिख सकते हैं कि पालतू रखना एक बड़ी जिम्मेदारी है। उसकी देखभाल के लिए भोजन, साफ़ पानी, व्यायाम, टीकाकरण, साफ़-सफाई, और प्रेम की ज़रूरत होती है।

Given/Context: Griffin is the invisible scientist in H.G. Wells' story 'Footprints without Feet.'

Answer:

Griffin was indeed a lawless person. The following incidents from the story support this view:

1. Setting fire to his landlord's house: When his landlord tried to evict him, Griffin, instead of leaving peacefully, set the house on fire — an act of arson that shows complete disregard for the law and for others' property.

2. Stealing from a London store: After becoming invisible, Griffin entered a big London store, ate and drank whatever he wished, and wore clothes without paying for them. He robbed the store of its goods.

3. Robbing a clergyman's house: Griffin broke into the clergyman's house and stole money from the desk. This was outright theft.

4. Robbing the theatrical company: He attacked the shopkeeper Marvel and stole money from him as well.

5. Attacking Jaffers and others: When the constable Jaffers tried to arrest him, Griffin attacked him and knocked him unconscious. He also hit several other people who tried to stop him.

Thus, Griffin misused his brilliant scientific discovery not for the benefit of humanity but for personal gain and revenge. He had no respect for law, property, or human life. His invisibility, instead of being used constructively, became a tool for crime and violence. This clearly establishes that Griffin was a lawless and irresponsible person.

Tick the phrases that appear in the story: a set of passengers, get on the bus, get off the bus, platform, Tickets, please, a roar and a rattle, a row of seats, slowing down to a crawl, blowing a whistle.

Given/Context: The question asks us to reflect on what it truly takes to become a scientist, economist, historian, or any other expert, drawing inspiration from Richard Ebright's story.

Answer:
Becoming a scientist, economist, or historian is not merely about reading many books on the subject. While reading provides the necessary theoretical foundation and background knowledge, it is only the starting point.

True expertise — especially in science — requires:

1. Keen observation: Noticing things around you carefully, just as Richard Ebright observed butterflies and other natural phenomena from a very young age.
2. Curiosity and questioning: Asking 'why' and 'how' about everything one observes.
3. Thinking and reasoning: Analysing observations logically to form hypotheses.
4. Doing experiments: Testing hypotheses through systematic experiments, recording results, and drawing conclusions.
5. Persistence: Not giving up after failures and continuing to investigate.

Richard Ebright is a perfect example — he did not just read about butterflies; he collected them, studied them, conducted experiments on them, and eventually made a path-breaking discovery about cell life. Thus, becoming a true expert involves a combination of reading, observing, thinking critically, and experimenting actively.

Given: A discussion-based activity about the word 'sermon'.

A sermon is a religious or moral speech, usually delivered by a spiritual leader (such as a priest, monk, or prophet) to an audience, with the purpose of giving moral or spiritual guidance.

Difference from a lecture or talk: A lecture is typically academic and informational, while a talk is a general, informal address. A sermon, however, is specifically moral or religious in nature and is meant to inspire, guide, or correct behaviour.

Negative/humorous use: Yes, the word 'sermon' can be used negatively or humorously to describe a long, preachy speech that someone does not want to hear. For example, 'My mother gave me a sermon about finishing my homework on time' implies that the speaker found the advice repetitive and tiresome, even if well-intentioned.

Mme Loisel is pretty, young, and ambitious for luxury. She is dissatisfied with her simple life and always feels that she was born for wealth, elegance, and comfort. She is unhappy because she is not content with her poverty, her plain apartment, simple food, and lack of jewellery and fine clothes. Even when she has a loving husband, she keeps longing for a richer life.

In the play, proposal means a marriage proposal: Ivan Lomov comes to ask for Natalya Stepanovna’s hand in marriage.

Bholi's father was worried because Bholi had neither good looks nor intelligence. He feared that, because of her pock-marks, stammering, and dullness, it would be difficult to find a suitable bridegroom for her.

The twentieth century was called the ‘Era of the Book’ because books were very common then and covered everything from ant eaters to Zulus. They taught, educated, illustrated, punctuated, and even decorated people’s lives. In short, books played a very important role in spreading knowledge in that age.