Question Bank — First Flight 2 — Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

NCERT Class 10 English · Chapter 2 · CBSE Board Pattern

Class 10 English Chapter 2 Question Bank CBSE Board Pattern

QUESTION BANK

NCERT Class 10 English – First Flight, Unit 2
Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom + A Tiger in the Zoo

Section A — MCQs (10 questions, 1 mark each)

  1. On 10 May 1994 the ceremonies took place in
    (a) Cape Town (b) Johannesburg (c) the Union Buildings amphitheatre, Pretoria (d) Soweto

  2. Mandela says the greatest wealth of his country is
    (a) its minerals and gems (b) its people (c) its military (d) its international allies

  3. Assertion (A): Mandela felt he was “simply the sum of all those African patriots who had gone before me.”
    Reason (R): He believed the long line of patriots ended with him and would not continue.
    (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
    (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
    (c) A is true but R is false.
    (d) A is false but R is true.

  4. The two national anthems sung on inauguration day symbolised
    (a) military power (b) racial reconciliation (c) economic progress (d) international trade

  5. According to Mandela, courage is
    (a) the absence of fear (b) the triumph over fear (c) physical strength (d) political power

  6. Assertion (A): The policy of apartheid produced men of extraordinary courage and generosity.
    Reason (R): Depths of oppression can create heights of character.
    (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
    (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
    (c) A is true but R is false.
    (d) A is false but R is true.

  7. In the poem “A Tiger in the Zoo”, the tiger’s “quiet rage” is shown by
    (a) roaring at visitors (b) stalking the length of his cage (c) sleeping all day (d) ignoring the stars

  8. Mandela’s “twin obligations” were to his
    (a) party and country (b) family and people (c) prison mates and guards (d) international guests

  9. The word “emancipation” in the lesson means
    (a) freedom from restriction (b) imprisonment (c) military victory (d) economic growth

  10. The tiger in the poem should be “sliding through long grass” near
    (a) a concrete cell (b) the water hole (c) the visitors’ gallery (d) the stars

Section B — Reference to Context (3 extracts, 4 marks each)

Extract 1

“Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.”

(i) Who is the speaker and what occasion is being addressed?
(ii) What does the repetition of “never” emphasise?
(iii) Identify the literary device used in the line.
(iv) What does the speaker pledge for the future of South Africa?

Extract 2

“He should be lurking in shadow, / Sliding through long grass / Near the water hole / Where plump deer pass.”

(i) Name the poem and the poet.
(ii) What should the tiger be doing in its natural habitat?
(iii) Identify the contrast the poet draws between the two stanzas.
(iv) What mood is created by the words “plump deer pass”?

Extract 3

“I was not born with a hunger to be free. I was born free — free in every way that I could know.”

(i) Who is the speaker?
(ii) How does Mandela describe his boyhood freedom?
(iii) Which literary device is used in the repetition of “free”?
(iv) How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change later?

Section C — Short Answer (5 questions, 3 marks each)

  1. Why did a large number of international leaders attend Mandela’s inauguration? What did it signify?
  2. What does Mandela mean when he says he is “simply the sum of all those African patriots”?
  3. How does Mandela define true courage?
  4. In the poem, how does the tiger’s behaviour in the cage differ from what it would do in the wild?
  5. What “twin obligations” did Mandela mention? Why could he not fulfil both in South Africa?

Section D — Long Answer (2 questions, 6 marks each)

  1. Character sketch of Nelson Mandela on the basis of the lesson (100–120 words).
  2. “Freedom is indivisible.” How does Mandela justify this statement? What values does he uphold? (100–120 words)

Section E — Language and Writing (2 questions, 4 marks each)

  1. From the text, make a list of any four verb–noun pairs formed by adding –ion or –ment (e.g., form–formation). Also give the meanings of any two words from the lesson: resilience, emancipation, deprivation, prejudice.

  2. Write a diary entry (80–100 words) as Nelson Mandela on the night of 10 May 1994, expressing your feelings about the day’s events and your hopes for South Africa.

▶ Answer Key Attempt all questions first,
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Section A

  1. (c) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (b) 5. (b) 6. (a) 7. (b) 8. (b) 9. (a) 10. (b)

Section B

Extract 1

(i) Nelson Mandela, inauguration as first democratic President.
(ii) Strong determination that oppression must never return.
(iii) Repetition / anaphora.
(iv) Political emancipation and end of all discrimination.

Extract 2

(i) “A Tiger in the Zoo” – Leslie Norris.
(ii) Lurking in shadow, sliding through long grass near water hole.
(iii) Natural freedom vs captivity.
(iv) Peaceful, natural hunting scene.

Extract 3

(i) Nelson Mandela.
(ii) Free to run, swim, roast mealies, ride bulls.
(iii) Repetition / anaphora.
(iv) From personal freedom to freedom of his people.

Section C (key points – 40–50 words)
1. Signified triumph of democracy and international support for ending apartheid.
2. He saw himself as continuation of the struggle started by earlier patriots.
3. Courage = triumph over fear, not absence of fear.
4. In cage: stalks limited space in quiet rage; in wild: lurks, slides, terrorises.
5. Family and community/country; apartheid made both impossible.

Section D (key content points)
1. Mandela: patient, courageous, visionary, selfless, values equality, learned courage from comrades, sees people as true wealth.
2. Freedom of one is linked to freedom of all; oppressor also loses humanity; values justice, dignity, non-racialism.

Section E

  1. Pairs: rebel–rebellion, constitute–constitution, form–formation, govern–government. Meanings: resilience (ability to recover from hardship), emancipation (freedom from restriction).
  2. Diary: warm, reflective tone; mention rainbow gathering, two anthems, hope for future, personal gratitude. Format: Date, Dear Diary, body, sign-off.
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All questions are answerable from the NCERT chapter text. Reviewed by GFIS faculty.