English Medium इयत्ता १० - CBSE Question Bank Solutions for English - Language and Literature

Find, in the first stanza, three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest.

What picture do these words create in your mind: “... sun bury its feet in shadow...”? What could the poet mean by the sun’s ‘feet’?

Where are the trees in the poem? What do their roots, their leaves and their twigs do?

What does the poet compare their branches to?

(i) How does the poet describe the moon: (a) at the beginning of the third stanza, and (b) at its end? What causes this change?

(ii) What happens to the house when the trees move out of it?

(iii) Why do you think the poet does not mention “the departure of the forest from the house” in her letters? (Could it be that we are often silent about important happenings that are so unexpected that they embarrass us? Think about this again when you answer the next set of questions)

Now that you have read the poem in detail, we can begin to ask what the poem might mean. Here is one suggestion. Can you think of others?

Does the poem present a conflict between man and nature? Compare it with A Tiger in the Zoo. Is the poet suggesting that plants and trees, used for ‘interior decoration’ in cities while forests are cut down, are ‘imprisoned’, and need to ‘break out’?

Now that you have read the poem in detail, we can begin to ask what the poem might mean. Here is one suggestion. Can you think of others?

On the other hand, Adrienne Rich has been known to use trees as a metaphor for human beings: this is a recurrent image in her poetry. What new meanings emerge from the poem if you take its trees to be symbolic of this particular meaning?

There are nouns in the text (formation, government) which are formed from the corresponding verbs (form, govern) by suffixing – (at)ion or ment. There may be change in the spelling of some verb – noun pairs ; such as rebel, rebellion; constitute, constitution.
Make a list of such pairs of nouns and verbs in the text

Answer the following question in 30-40 words:

Why does the poet not offer the boy money to buy another ball?

Answer the following questions in 30-40 words : 

What are the three things that can't happen in a treeless forest?

i. Complete the sentence appropriately.  (1)

It is clear that Personification is the poetic device used for ‘No sun bury its feet….’ because ______.

ii. The poet has used a poetic device in the given lines. What effect does she wish to create by its use?  (1)

1. emphasis
2. comparison
3. rhyme
4. humour

iii. State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE:  (1)

The extract uses trees as a symbol for conservative people.

iv. Select the appropriate option to complete the sentence, according to the extract.  (1)

The idea of a forest that has been ‘empty all these days’ is ______.

1. unnatural
2. scary
3. magical
4. legendary

v. How does the use of enjambment impact this extract?

1. It forces frequent pauses.
2. It simplifies the meaning.
3. It builds momentum.
4. It makes the lines lyrical.

Answer the following question in 40 – 50 words.

‘The Ball Poem’ initially appears simple but it is actually quite impactful and intense. Comment upon the theme of ‘The Ball Poem’.

Given below are some nouns, and a set of modifiers (in the box). Combine the nouns and modifiers to make as many appropriate phrases as you can. (Hint: The nouns and modifiers are all from the texts in this book.)

Match the words on the left with a word on the right. Some words on the left can go with more than one word on the right.

Use a bit of/a piece of/a bunch of/a cloud of/a lump of with the italicised nouns in the following sentences. The first has been done for you as an example.

(i)  My teacher gave me some advice.  My teacher gave me a bit of advice.

(ii) Can you give me some clay, please. _________________

(iii) The informationyou gave was very useful____________

(iv) Because of these factories, smoke hangs over the city. __________________________

(v) Two stonesrubbed together can produce sparks of fire.

_________________________

(vi) He gave me some flowers on my birthday. _________________________

Study the concept chart from the self-help magazine section of a monthly publication.

Write a paragraph in not more than 120 words, analysing the listed responses to the situation when one faces setbacks.

Gurmeet Kaur is an aspiring candidate for a public- funded engineering college in the suburbs. She belongs to a nearby village, has minimal technological skills and exposure, has the required cut-off percentage and is looking for a complete or partial scholarship.

Write a paragraph in about 100-120 words analysing her SWOT notes to support your stand on whether she should /not join the college.

A group of enterprising young adults conducted a survey on reopening of educational institutions in the National Capital.

Write a paragraph in about 120 words analysing the listed responses.

A survey was conducted in the National Capital in over twenty schools about 40 different activities that interest the children in the age group of 13 years to 15 years. Write a paragraph in not more than 120 words, analyzing the following information.

Don't you have ______ friends in the school?