Literature - PT 2 Practice

GRADE: X SUBJECT: English

INSTRUCTION SET:
1. Read the Text book thoroughly of each lesson.
2. Read the given material content.
3. Evaluate your understanding through the practice questions given at the end of the
material.
4. Read lessons and Practice OTBA questions as per the below given Schedule.
5. Do not pile the work for the end of the holidays for last two days. Plan properly
and prepare as per schedule which helps in stress free and easy completion of
syllabus
Schedule:
Date Lessons to be Prepared
21/09/2025 Footprints without Feet, A Question of Trust
22/09/2025 Glimpses of India (All 3 parts)
23/09/2025 Poetry: Tress, Amanda! , The Ball poem
24/09/2025 Midnight Visitor , Thief Story
25/09/2025 From the Diary of Anne Frank , Black Aeroplane
26/09/2025 Poetry: How to Tell wild Animals , Tiger in the Zoo
27/09/2025 Nelson Mandela , His First Flight
28/09/2025 Letter to God , Triumph of Surgery
29/09/2025 Dust of Snow , Fire and Ice
30/09/2025 Any Pending work of the above to be Completed
01/10/2025 Those who go to trip frpm 27th to 30th , Complete the work given
02/10/2025 upto 26th and the remaining work , try to finish slowly during the
revision time in school.
Write answers in Footprints notebook backside , date wise and each day the work shall
be acknowledged by parent’s sign.
NOTE: The very same preparation and practice work shall be considered for SEA
activity for internal marks. Submission shall be done on 3rd October without fail.
FIRST FLIGHT
Lesson 1: A Letter to God
1. The people at the post-office contribute to put together whatever they can manage, for
Lencho.
(a) What do you think was the main reason behind their help? Would you have done the
same if you were one of the employees?
(b) As an employee, write about your perspective and reason(s) for contributing to the
fund. The fact that you don’t want to say ‘no’ to a cause initiated by your boss, can also
be an equally compelling reason!
2. Read the given anecdote and analyse the similarities and differences with reference to
‘A Letter to God’.
A very poor woman called-in a radio station asking for help from God. A non-believer,
also listening to this radio program, decided to make fun of the woman. He got her
address, called his secretary and ordered her to buy food and take it to the woman.
However, the instruction was: "When the woman asks who sent the food, tell her that
it’s from the devil.'' When the secretary arrived at the woman's house, the woman was
very happy and grateful for the help. The Secretary then asked her, ''Don't you want to
know who sent the food?''
The woman replied, ''No, I don't even care because when God orders, even the devil
obeys!
3. The postmaster was a representative of God. Evaluate this statement in the context of
your understanding of ‘A Letter to God”.

Poem 1: Dust of Snow

1. As a crow you feel highly injured by the incorrect perception humans have about your
species.
Imagine yourself to be a crow and write your opinion about this prejudice. Make a case
for breaking stereotypes.
2. Imagine that Frost is of present day and has been invited to write for an e zine - “Teen
Talk”.
He chooses to draw upon his experience with the crow and the dusting of snow to share
his thoughts on ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’. As Frost, express your thoughts for the
e-zine.
Poem 2: Fire and Ice
1. Most of your classmates, like Frost, feel that man’s greed and rage or hate, would lead
the world to its destruction.
You feel that the ‘fire and ice’ in Mankind can be addressed to create a harmonious
world.
Write a speech, for your classmates, expressing your belief/s with respect to the poem.
2. Fire and Ice projects a pessimistic outlook. Comment.

Lesson 2: Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

1. Freedom is inconsequential if it is behind bars of prejudice and narrow mindedness.
How would you explain this statement? Support your answer with suitable examples
from the real world.
2. After having read the lesson on the oppression that communities faced in South Africa,
you were deeply hurt. You could also relate to the struggles and hardships of millions of
Indians who fought against the oppressive
British rule.
Write a diary entry expressing your feelings about oppression faced by people in their
homeland.
You may begin like this:
 24 August 20XX, Monday 9:00 pm
My heart is filled with sadness as I think of the oppressed who
had to tolerate the inhuman attitude of the oppressors in their
own land. …………(continue)………………
3. Prejudice based on race and colour or any other reason causes profound hurt.
Write about any one character from the chapters in First Flight who was subjected to
such prejudice?
Discuss the consequence of this prejudice for the character
4. Imagine that Nelson Mandela read ‘Fire and Ice’. As Mandela, write a diary entry
associating the impact of the troubled history of South Africa with the idea expressed in
the poem.
You may begin like this:
10 May 1994, Tuesday 10 p.m.
Today, when I am the President of South Africa, I can’t help recalling Robert
Frost’s ‘Fire and Ice’………………...(continue)………………….

Poem 3: A Tiger in the Zoo

1. Imagine the tiger writes a diary entry conveying how he feels helpless, angry and
frustrated in the concrete cell. He writes about his desire to be free. Write that diary
entry.
You may begin like this:
15 October 2020, Thursday 9:00 pm
I feel so vulnerable and annoyed at my state. I don’t know if I can ever be a free denizen
of the forest. -----------------------(continue)--------------------

2. Imagine that Man has been accused by the tiger of cruelty in an animal court. What
would be the tiger’s two major accusations and how would Man defend them? Present
your answer in two paragraphs.
3. The tiger in the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ presents a contrasting image with the tiger in
the poem ‘How to Tell Wild Animals’. Compare and contrast the two tigers with
reference to the manner in which they have been presented in both poems.

Lesson 3: Two Stories about Flying

1. The young seagull’s parents wanted him to fly, like his brothers and sister. How could
the young seagull’s newly flying siblings (Brother 1, Brother 2 and Sister) have
motivated him? Write a brief conversation among them.
2. A noted author, Richard Bach wrote – “For most gulls it was not flying that mattered,
but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight.”
Evaluate this statement with respect to the young seagull.
3. Look at the image of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Abraham Maslow devised a theory
of motivation that shows the basic needs at the bottom, and more advanced needs as you
move up. It includes the theory that fundamental needs must be met before an
individual can be motivated to achieve higher order needs.
 Where in this hierarchy of needs, would you locate the young seagull’s first flight?
Justify your response.
II. Black Aeroplane
1. Imagine that the narrator shared his story with friends and family once he got home.
One of them, a spiritual leader, decided to incorporate the story as part of his weekly
sermon to the congregation. Another friend, a
psychologist, worked the story into his next lecture on survival instinct and crisis
management.
Do you think the two interpretations of the story would be different? If so, how?
What insights might the narrator get about his mysterious experience, if he were to
attend both the sessions?
2. In a parallel world, the pilot of the black aeroplane narrates his adventure in a story
titled ‘The Old Dakota’. You come across an excerpt from the story,which responds to
the ending questions of ‘Black Aeroplane’ and describes the black aeroplane pilot’s
decision to fly away after watching the Dakota
land.
3. Compose the said excerpt of the story employing relevant details from ‘Black
Aeroplane’.

Poem 4: How to Tell Wild Animals

1. Write a letter to the poet detailing your favourite aspects of the poem and the ones that
you did not like. Include a request about which animal you’d like her to exclusively
compose a poem on. Give reason/s for your choice.
XYZ
USA
18 July XXXX
Dear Ms. Wells
I just read your poem “How to Tell Wild Animals” and enjoyed it thoroughly!
………………………. (continue)………………………….
Yours sincerely
2. Imagine the poet meets your pet. Write a detailed account of the characteristics the poet
could use for her poem, if she were to write about telling your pet.

Poem 5: The Ball Poem

1. The poem deals with a child understanding loss for the first time. Matches and
championships too, deal with a different sense of loss. Explain how games and sports
are a good way to train children to take losses in their stride
2. Imagine you are the boy’s elder sibling. He tells you about the loss of the ball on
reaching home. How would you assure him?
You may begin your reply like this:
I don’t think you should take this to heart. You see…
3. When we think of losses, we generally think of people or possessions. Time is
considered a very precious commodity. Explain why time can probably be one of the
things people bitterly regret losing/wasting.

Lesson 4: From the Diary of Anne Frank

1. Anne bid a ‘heartbreaking farewell’ to Mrs. Kuperus. As Anne, write a brief farewell
note to Mr. Keesing after being promoted to the next class.
Dear Mr. Keesing
It has been …………………………………………………………………………
2. Your teacher has organised a debate and you have been asked to speak on:
‘Consequences and Positive Reinforcements Have a Great Impact on Student
Behaviour’. Write the debate script with three-four points to supplement your stand,
either as a proposition speaker or as an opposition one.

3. You are stressed and anxious since your Annual results are going to be announced soon.
You decide to meet the school counsellor to share your anxiety and apprehensions.
Write the dialogue between you and your school counsellor.
You may begin like this:
School Counsellor: Hello Anne, please sit down. You look very disturbed and irritated.
What’s the matter?
You: Well, to be honest, we all are disturbed. But the irritation is because of the two
boys sitting behind……………
School Counsellor: First of all, you need to relax. Take a deep breath. How do you feel
we can deal with this situation rationally?
You: .......................................................................(continue)

Poem 6: Amanda!
1. How would you characterise the speaker in the poem ‘Amanda!’? List any two
qualities, supporting the reason of your choice, with evidence from the poem.

2. Read the quote given below carefully. Based on your understanding of the poem,
explain how and why this quote can be applied to the poem.
3. Colin Wilson, an English author, said, “Your imagination should be used not to escape
reality but to create it.” Discuss the given quote with respect to the character Amanda.

Lesson 5: Glimpses of India

I. A Baker from Goa’
1. In the chapter, ‘A Baker from Goa’ the narrator talks about his childhood in Goa and his
fond memories. Compare the childhood of Nelson Mandela with that of the narrator.

II. Coorg
1. The culture, lifestyle and traditions of a place are influenced by the people who lived or
settled there at some point of time. Cultural assimilation adds flavour to the existing
structure of a society. Summarise your opinion on the given idea.
2. Pen down a brief travelogue* entry, narrating any personal impression/s about a visit to
Coorg. Include your reflections about the differences between the place where you live
and the place you’ve visited.
(* A travelogue is a person’s account of a journey to another country or place. It can
either be a written report with many factual details or a narrative story about personal
impressions and experiences.)
You may begin like this...
As I stepped into the land of evergreen forests, I was blown away by the
pristine beauty and ………………………………(continue)

III. Tea From Assam

1. Rajvir did his study before his visit to the tea plantation. Is it good to do one’s research
before the start of a new venture or does it take away from the thrill of discovery?
Elucidate your stance.
Poem 7: The Trees
1. Imagine you are a senior journalist covering this event of the trees moving. Pen down a
120 words’ submission for the weekly newspaper column titled- ‘Change’
Include a brief account of your observation as well as your opinion.
You may begin like this:
CHANGE THIS WEEK
-Sr. correspondent, The U.S. Chronicle
It was a movement to behold! The trees…(continue)
2. Imagine yourself to be the tallest oak among the trees. Write a speech motivating the
other trees to work hard in order to move out of the veranda into the forest.
You may use the cue given below

The Importance of Working Together

Dear fellow trees, I see how charged up you all are to move away from the confines
of…(continue)

3. Imagine that the tallest oak in ‘Trees’ and the hemlock tree in ‘Dust of Snow’ share a
conversation about their speakers (The ‘I’ in the poems).
Write this conversation between the two trees.
You may begin like this:
Oak: Adrienne chose to stay indoors on the significant full moon night, you know.
Hemlock: Hmmm… Robert was out. Out in the snow that day. What do you think
Adrienne
might have been thinking?
Oak: Well…I feel………………………………. Why do you think Robert might have
been out on
a snowy day?
Hemlock……………………………….

4. The poem ‘Trees’ appears to be about trees, environment, deforestation and

afforestation. On a deeper level we discover that Adrienne Rich is expressing her
concerned about women and their emancipation. Elaborate with reference to the poem.

FOOTPRINTS WITHOUT FEET

Lesson 1: A Triumph of Surgery

1. Mrs. Pumphrey and Dr. Herriot have been invited to speak at a community pet adoption drive. There
were some differences in Mrs. Pumphrey and Dr. Herriot’s notions of responsibility and experiences
of keeping a pet.
As a reporter for the local pet magazine, write an article recording and comparing their perspectives.
Don’t forget to give it an interesting title.
2. Imagine that one of Mr. Herriot’s partners can understand the language of dogs and listens to Tricki on
his last night with them.
a) What might Tricki share about his experience?
b) How would he evaluate it in comparison to his home experience?
3. ‘Privilege often confuses actual needs for perceived ones.’ Evaluate this statement with reference to
Mrs. Pumphrey.
4. According to a popular quote— “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.”
In what way is this quote relevant to the events of the story?

Lesson 2: The Thief’s Story

1. Education means different things to different people. Evaluate how it impacted the young thief in the
story
2. It’s not easy to be mean to people who are very nice to you. Do you think that the young thief had to
work on giving himself valid reasons to be able to commit the theft? Or did the thieving come as
naturally to him this time, too? Write a brief analysis of his mood before the theft.
3. Why do you think the narrator used to feel that ‘friends were more trouble than help’? What could
have led him to believe this?
 Lesson 3: The Midnight Visitor
1. “Stereotypes are often misleading”. Elaborate on the given quote in the context of “The Midnight
Visitor”.
2. Ausable’s employer has been asked to write a recommendation letter for Ausable so that he may be
promoted to a higher rank in the secret services. As his manager, draft the letter detailing his
personality traits with reference to the instance in the chapter as a prime example of Ausable’s genius.
You may begin this way:

22, rue Nationale

Paris
26 March’ 78
The General Director
Department for Internal Security
11-A, Rue de Dunkerque
Paris
Subject: Letter of Recommendation
This is to state that Monsieur Ausable has been a committed employee with
us for the past two years. In this time, he has
………………………………(continue)…………………………
Yours sincerely
ABC
3. A new secret agent has asked Ausable’s opinion on the traits they should be looking for in a person
filling in his shoes. Create a conversation between Ausable and the new agent about indispensable
traits that a secret agent must have.
4. “Attack is the secret of defense.” Justify the statement in case of Ausable.
Lesson 4: A Question of Trust
1. Based on the story, would it be fair to say that deception is a crucial aspect of robbery.
Do you agree? Why/why not?
2. Imagine that the young lady thief writes a letter to Horace Danby while he is in prison.
Write the letter imaging yourself to be that young lady with respect to the story.
3. “How foolish people are when they own valuable things” Does this statement hold true
for Horace Danby himself? Support your answer with instances from “A Question of
Trust”.
Lesson 5: Footprints Without Feet
1. Scientists contribute to make the world a better place. Griffin is an antithesis to this
statement. Justify.
2. Readers believe that Griffin was a man without conscience. Discuss why our conscience
plays a vital role in shaping our character. Present a summary of your views on this.
3. Griffin set the house on fire when he was thrown out. Anger and revenge are in no way
a solution to any problem.
You are a columnist for a class X e-zine(magazine). Create a column on importance of
anger management for teens and its detrimental effects on health.
You may begin like this: