Maharashtra Board Class 10 Solutions for English Reader – Nehru’s Letter to Children

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Maharashtra Board Class 10 Solutions for English Reader – Nehru’s Letter to Children

Question 1:
Young and Old
You are young. You must be observing the old and aged people around you. Compare and contrast the young and the old. Discuss with your partner and complete the following table.[Al, pg. 118]

Points of Comparison	Young People	Old People

Answer:

Points of Comparison	Young People	Old People
Stage of life	early stage of life	later stage of life
Physical appearance	smooth, soft and glowing skin	wrinkled, loose skin
Energy levels	very enthusiastic, active, strong	less enthusiastic and active, weak
Health	healthy, high immunity levels	generally sick, reduced levels of immunity
Outlook	adventurous, ready to take risks, run after fashions	satisfied, lead a stable life
Way of working	work by probability	work by experience
Mental ability	alert, quick and fast thinkers	slow and thoughtful in taking decisions, forgetful
Life experience	immature and less experienced	mature and more experienced

[Note: Students can add more points on their own.]

Question 1:
Letters
Letters are of two types. Discuss with your partner all the features of the formal and informal letters. Find the examples of this type first and then complete the following tree- diagram. [A2, pg. 118]

Question 3:
For the sake of the motherland Everybody wants to do something or the other for the sake of motherland. Discuss with your partner and complete the following. [A3, pg. 118]

Answer:
Children
i. be helpful
ii. be socially active
iii. respect elders
iv. be obedient
v. be honest and truthful
vi. co-operate
vii. be aware of rights and duties
Adults
i. follow rules and regulations
ii. have a fighting spirit
iii. promote unity
iv. respect culture
v. conserve nature
vi. care for public property, historical monuments, etc.
vii. fulfill duties and enjoy rights

Passage 1

A1. Factual Reading

Question 1:
Read the passage again and complete the following. [A6, pg. 121]
1. Jawaharlal Nehru wants to ____.
ii. The habit of old people is to ____.
iii. Wise people do not ____ .
iv. It is very easy to ____.
Answer:
i. be with children, talk to them and play with them.
ii. deliver sermons and good advice to the young.
iii. talk about their wisdom and do not behave as if they were superior.
iv. make friends with flowers and birds and everything in nature. ‘

Question 2:
Glance through the passage and complete the sentences.
i. We sit in our office and imagine that we are doing ______ work.
ii. You can recognize the flowers by ____ .[Mar 15]
iii. You can recognize the birds by ________
iv. The world is like the greatest _____ [Mar 15]
Answer:
i. very important
ii. their names
iii. their singing
iv. fairy tale

Read the passage from line (1 to 30) on page (119) of your textbook and answer the following questions.
[Dear Children, beauty of the world.]

A2. Understanding the Passage

Question 1:
Make a word register of the beautiful things that surround us in the world.
Answer:
Flowers, trees, birds, animals, stars, mountains, glaciers.

A3. Meaning from the Text

Question 1:
Write from the passage words that mean the following.
i. a lengthy speech
ii. highly intelligent
iii. a quality of being wise
iv. in a loving, kind manner
Answer:
i. sermon
ii. brilliant
iii. sensible
iv. affectionately

Question 2:
Arrange the following words in the alphabetical order. [Mar 15]
sensible, surrounding, strange, separate
Answer:
i. sensible
ii. separate
iii. strange
iv. surrounding

A4. Language Study
Do as directed.

Question 1:
I like being with children. (Rewrite using the infinitive form of the underlined word)
Answer:
I like to be with children.

Question 2:
I cannot forget my age. (Add a question tag)
Answer:
I cannot forget my age, can I?

Question 3:
I hope you will be more sensible. (Rewrite using ‘going to’)
Answer:
I hope you.are going to be more sensible.

Question 4:
How easy it is to make friends with them! (Rewrite as an assertive sentence)
Answer:
It is very easy to make friends with them.

Question 5:
You must have read many fairy tales.
(Choose the correct passive voice from the given alternatives)
i. Many fairy tales must have been read by you.
ii. Many fairy tales must had been read by you.
iii. Many fairy tales must has been read by you.
iv. Many fairy tales must be read by you. [Mar 15]
Answer:
i. Many fairy tales must have been read by you.

Question 6:
You must have read many fairy tales.
(Rewrite in simple future tense) Ans: You will read many fairy tales.

A5. Personal Response

Question 1:
What is your reaction to your parents’ advice and instruction?
[A5 – III (1), pg. 120] [Mar 15]
Answer:
My reaction to my parents’ advice is positive, but I do get annoyed by repeated instructions. I think that I should be trusted and given the freedom to take my decision in small matters. However, when I am undecided or confused, it is my parents’ advice that I look forward to.

Question 2:
How can we establish relation with the environment or nature? [A5 – III (3), pg. 120]
Answer:
We can establish a relation with the environment in various ways, like:
i. by conserving every aspect of nature.
ii. by mingling with our natural surroundings, enjoying and recognizing various colours, sounds and forms of nature.
iii. by going for treks or bird watching.

Passage 2

A1. Factual Reading

Question 1:
Read the passage again and complete the following.
*i. Grown-ups put themselves _______ . [A6-5, pg. 121]
ii. Children are unaware about the ______ . [Mar 15]
iii. Some months ago, the children of Japan wrote to me and-asked me to _________ .

Choose the correct words from the bracket and complete the sentences. [July 15]

i. The children of ______ wrote to me and asked me to send them an elephant. (China / Japan)
ii. This _____ animal became a symbol of India. (noble / wild)
iii. This gift of ours gave joy to so many children of Japan. (so few / so much)
iv. Everywhere, there are like you.
Answer:
i. Japan (children / elephants)
ii. noble
iii. so much
iv. children
Read the passage from line (31 to 56) on page (119, 120) of your textbook* and answer the following questions.
[Grown-ups have a ___________
_________ than I intended.]

A2. Understanding the Passage

Question 1:
Read the passage and complete the following web. [Mar 15]
Answer:
i. Religion
ii. Colour
iii. Nation
iv. Language

Complete by finding proper responses from the passage. [July 15]
i. Children of Japan demanded _________.
ii. The gift became a symbol _________.
iii. Similarity between the children of Japan and India _________.
iv. Source of getting information about a country_________
Answer:
i. an elephant
ii. of India
iii. is going to school, work, play, sometimes quarrel and make friends again
iv. by reading books and visiting the country
Complete the web.

A3. Meaning from the Text

Question 1:
Write down the opposites from the passage for the following. [July 15 – Set B]
i. received
ii. forget
iii. enemies
iv. foolish
Answer:
i. sent
ii. remember
iii. friends
iv. wise

Question 2:
Write words from the passage which means
i. something that separates people from one another
ii. sign or object which represents a person or an idea
iii. arguing or fighting verbally
iv. increase gradually in size and quality
Answer:
i. barrier
ii. ‘ symbol
iii. quarreling
iv. mount-up

A4. Language Study
Do as directed.

Question 1:
They build barriers. (Change the voice)
Answer:
Barriers are built by them.

Question 2:
They live in prisons of their own making.(Rewrite using ‘are going to’)
Answer:
They are going to live in prisons of their own making.

Question 3:
They live in prisons of their own making. (Select the proper question tag and rewrite)
i. do they?
ii. don’t they?
iii. didn’t they? [Mar 15]
Answer:
They live in prisons of their own making, don’t they?

Question 4:
The children of Japan wrote to me. (Frame a ‘Wh’ question to get the underlined part as an answer)
Answer:
Who wrote to me?

Question 5:
Go there as friends and you will find friends to greet you. (Use ‘ing’ form of the underlined word and rewrite) [July 15]
Answer:
Go there as friends and you will find friends greeting you.

Question 6:
You _____ friends to greet you.
(Choose the correct verb form from the brackets to make the sentence in simple Present Tense) (find /will find / finds) [July15]
Answer:
You find friends to greet you.

Question 7:
He taught us _____ face the world cheerfully and ______ laughter.
(Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions)
Answer:
He taught us to face the world cheerfully and with laughter.

Personal Response

Question 1:
How could you minimize the distance between people and communities, created by barriers?
[A5 – III (2), pg. 120]
Answer:
The ways in which I would try to minimize the distance between people and communities, created by barriers are:
i. I would make friends with children around me, irrespective of their caste, religion or status.
ii. I would visit their places and join them in their celebrations.
iii. I would also invite them to celebrate festivals in my family.
iv. I would try to understand their culture and respect our differences.

Question 2:
Unity in diversity is the characteristic of India. Support the statement by giving examples.
Answer:
The fact that ‘unity in diversity’ is a characteristic of India is evident through the variety of food, clothing, festivals and languages spoken in India. Even though we belong to different religions, we come together and celebrate festivals like Diwali, Holi, Christmas and New Year. Similarly, we enthusiastically try to learn other languages and try our hands at the delicious recipes of one another. We understand and co-exist with each other and live with a feeling of brotherhood.

Question 3:
Making friends is an art. What would you do to make many friends? [July 15]
Answer:
Making friends is certainly an art. I would make friends by being polite and courteous with people. I would take the first step and be open with people, so that they know my friendly nature and are able to approach me without hesitation. I would also be genuine and honest with others.

Additional Questions for Practice

Question 1:
Read to complete
Read the letter in about 5 minutes and fill in the blanks appropriately by selecting the proper words from the letter. You may work together with your partner. [A4, pg. 118]

The letter is written by_________ to_______ on________ . He liked_________ and________ with children. He loved to talk about _______,_______,_______,_______ _______ , _______ , and _______He gave________ as a gift to________ on behalf of _______ . His gift became__________ and _______between children of India and Japan.
Answer:
The letter is written by Jawaharlal Nehru to children on December 3. 1949. He liked talking and playing with children. He loved to talk about flowers, trees, birds, animals, stars, mountains and glaciers. He gave an elephant as a gift to the children of Japan on behalf of the children of India. His gift became a symbol of India and a link between children of India and Japan.

Read the letter again and after discussing with your partner, answer the following questions.

a. What do old people like to talk about?
Answer:
Old people like to deliver sermons and good advice to the young.

b. What do wise people avoid talking about?
Answer:
Wise people avoid talking about their wisdom.

c. Who are supposed to be doing very important work?
Answer:
Grown-ups are supposed to be doing very important work.

d. What could you recognize flowers and birds by?
Answer:
We could recognize flowers by their names and birds by their singing.

e. Who gets involved in arguments and quarrels?
Answer:
Grown-ups get involved in arguments and quarrels.

f. Who are unknown about the barriers?
Answer:
Children are unknown about the barriers.

g. What gift did Pt. Nehru send to the children of Japan?
Answer:
Pt. Nehru sent an elephant to the children of Japan.

ii. Answer in two to three sentences.
a. What opinion has Pt. Nehru formed about old people? What does he say about himself in this connection?
Answer:
According to Pt. Nehru, old people have a habit of delivering sermons and giving good advice to the young. They also have a habit of appearing to be wise, even though very few of them posses much wisdom. They do not admire the natural beauty. Nehru says that sometimes, while listening to others, he feels that he must be wise, brilliant and important. Then, looking at himself, he begins to doubt this.

b. How did Pt. Nehru relate the fairy tales with the world we live in?
Answer:
According to Pandit Nehru, the world we live in is the greatest fairy tale. It is the greatest story of adventure that was ever written, but we must have eyes to see, ears to hear and a mind that is open to an adventurous life and beauty of the world.

c. What are the common activities amongst the children all over the world?
Answer:
Children all over the world play and work with each other. They are ignorant of the barriers built up by grown-ups. They quarrel with their friends but make up quickly and do not keep grudges. They also make friends easily.

Question 3:
Expectations
Jawaharlal Nehru expects many things from the children through this letter. Glance through the letter again and find out the expectations. [A7, pg. 121]

i. Make friendship with the children of other countries.
ii. _______ .
iii. _______
iv. _______
Answer:
ii. Open their eyes and ears to the beauty and life that surrounds them.
iii. Make friends with everything in nature.
iv. Take a long time in growing up.

Question 4:
Match
Read the sentences given below and complete the sentences after matching column A with column B and forming a verb phrase. [A8, pg. 121]

	Column ‘A’		Column ‘B’
i.	look	a.	about
ii.	used	b.	at
iii.	show	c.	to
iv.	learn	d.	off

(i- b), (ii – c), (iii – d), (iv – a)
i. Some bright students always _________ their knowledge.
Answer:
show off

ii. We____ our past glory through history
Answer:
learn about

iii. _____ the worst condition of the earth due to pollution.
Answer:
Look at

iv. People in olden days________ worship nature.
Answer:
used to

Expressions of time
Read and discuss with your partner the given expressions and mention what time they indicate. You can take help of the sentences where they have appeared. Then use the expressions in the sentences that follow.

Column ‘A’ Expressions	Column ‘B’ Time indicated
some months ago
for the moment
last week
next week

i. . Some months ago, I _______ (go) to Mumbai.
ii. Next month, my uncle ________ (come) from U.S.A. .
iii. We ________ (see) an English movie last week.
iv. For the moment, we ________ (keep) quiet
since the teacher was giving important
instructions.
Answer:

	Column ‘A’ Expressions	Column ‘B’ Time indicated
	some months ago	past
	for the moment	present
	last week	past
	next week	future

i. had gone
ii. will come
iii. saw
iv. kept

Question 6:
Future Action
i. Look at the following sentences and the underlined part. Discuss with your partner the questions given below. Note your observations and responses. [A10, pg. 122]
a. You will be more sensible in life.
b. You are going to be more sensible in life.
Discuss
• What is the difference between the two sentences?
Answer:
There is hardly any difference in the meaning of the two sentences. The only difference is in the construction of the sentences.
• What are the different words in these sentences?
Answer:
In sentence (a), the simple future tense ‘will be’ is used while in sentence (b), the present continuous tense ‘are going to’ is used.
• Do they affect the meaning?
Answer:
No, they do not affect the meaning.
• What time of action is indicated in both the sentences?
Answer:
In both the sentences, future action is indicated.

ii. Here are ‘New Year Resolutions’ planned by Shivam. Work in pairs and frame sentences using either ‘will’ or ‘going to’ construction.

Answer:
a. Shivam is going to study for three hours daily.
b. Shivam will not behave rudely.
c. Shivam will exercise daily for at least 40 minutes.
d. Shivam will listen to the elders’ advice.
e. Shivam is going to wake-up early in the morning.
f. Shivam is going to plant at least ten trees.
g. Shivam will not watch TV for a long time.
Now, read the following sentences and change them using either ‘will-’ or ‘going to’ construction as suggested in the given examples. Write them in your notebook.

a. Pranav will not show off his wisdom.
Answer:
Pranav is not going to show off his wisdom.

b. India will prosper and go ahead fast.
Answer:
India is going to prosper and go ahead fast.

c. I will face my problems cheerfully.
Answer:
I am going to face my problems cheerfully.

d. They are going to abolish superstitions very soon.
Answer:
They will abolish superstitions very soon.

e. Nitesh is going to read many stories during the vacation.
Answer:
Nitesh will read many stories during the vacation. ‘

Now, discuss with your partner and prepare a plan for your holidays. Later on, report it to the class. Make use of ‘will’ or ‘going to’ construction appropriately.
a. I will be visiting Panchgani.
b. enjoy
c. watching
d. write
e. play
f. Add your ideas
Answer:
a. I will be visiting Panchgani.
b. I am going to enjoy the natural beauty there.
e. I will be watching the sunrise and sunset every day.
d. I am going to write all my experiences in my diary.
e. I am going to play with my brother at the Mapro garden in Panchgani.
f. I will eat strawberries in Panchgani.
g. I am also going to visif Mahabaleshwar.
[ Students are expected to report ¡lin class on their

Question 7:
Find out
Gather information about Jawaharlal Nehru and answer the questions given below. [pg. 123]
1. Jawaharlal Nehru’s favourite flower ______ .
ii. Jawaharlal was popularly known as _______ by the children.
iii. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first
iv. His birthday is celebrated as
v. Name of Nehru’s daughter ______ .
Answer:
i. Rose
ii. Chacha Nehru
iii. Prime Minister of india
iv. Children’s Day
v. Snltt Indira Gandhi

Question 8:
Further reading
Visit your school library and read more letters written by Jawaharlal Nehru. [pg. 123]
Also read, Nehru’s letter to Indira, the letters that he wrote when he was in prison.
[Students are expected to attempt the above activities on their own.’]

Question 10:
Letter
You have read a letter by Jawaharlal Nehru. Imagine that you are replying a letter. Discuss with your partner and develop a draft of the letter.
Tips!
You may use the following expressions:
i. It’s very kind of you _______
ii. We like your _______
iii. We promise you ____
iv. We are proud of_______
V. Children are unlike the grown ups in
vi. Itisourdutyto ______
vii. Your letter has
Answer:

B-14, Rutu Enclave
Gulmohar Nagar,
Mulund (East),
Mumbai — 400081.
24th July, 2016.

Dear Chacha Nehru,

It’s very kind of you to spend your precious time to write a letter to us. It was an honour to read it. Your letter really touched my heart because of its simplicity. My friends and I have been inspired by your message. It’s very true that we fail to appreciate beautiful things around us. Your letter has made us realise how we should enjoy nature and all its facets. Childhood is full of joy with no place for negative thinking or behaviour. We promise you that we will live a life that does not divide but unite the
society.

You have written about Mahatma Gandhi and how he was child-like in many ways. His teaching of facing the world cheerfully and with laughter inspires us a lot. We understand that it is our duty to do our bit for the progress and prosperity of our country.
We assure you that we will strive to be worthy of our country’s rich and varied heritage.

Yours affectionately,
ABC

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