NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight
Chapter From the Diary of Anne Frank
Updated For 2024-2025
Exams
Thinking about the Text
Q.1: What makes writing in a diary a
strange experience for Anne Frank?
Answer:
Writing in a diary is strange for Anne because she feels that later on, neither
she nor anyone else would be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old
girl. However, she still feels a strong need to express her thoughts and
emotions, even if only on paper.
Q.2: Why does Anne want to keep a
diary?
Answer:
Anne wants to keep a diary because she feels lonely and doesn’t have a true
friend with whom she can share her deepest thoughts and feelings. The diary
becomes a friend she can confide in, and she names it “Kitty.”
Q.3: Why did Anne think she could
confide more in her diary than in people?
Answer:
Anne feels that she cannot confide in her friends because they only talk about
ordinary things. She finds it difficult to form deeper connections with them.
In contrast, she feels that the diary is patient and non-judgmental, making it
easier for her to express her innermost thoughts and feelings.
Q.4: Why does Anne provide a brief
sketch of her life?
Answer:
Anne provides a brief sketch of her life to give context to her diary entries.
She wants to ensure that if anyone were to read her diary, they would
understand her background and the circumstances under which she is writing.
Q.5: What tells you that Anne loved her
grandmother?
Answer:
Anne’s deep love for her grandmother is evident when she writes about how often
she thinks of her, even after her grandmother’s death. She also mentions that
she lit a candle for her grandmother during her birthday celebration, showing
her emotional connection to her grandmother’s memory.
Q.6: Why was Mr. Keesing annoyed with
Anne? What did he ask her to do?
Answer:
Mr. Keesing was annoyed with Anne because she talked too much during his math
class. As punishment, he assigned her extra homework, asking her to write an
essay on the topic “A Chatterbox.”
Q.7: How did Anne justify her being a
chatterbox in her essay?
Answer:
In her essay, Anne justified her being a chatterbox by arguing that talking is
a trait of students and that she inherited the habit from her mother. She
humorously added that there’s not much one can do about inherited traits,
implying that it is natural for her to talk a lot.
Q.8: Do you think Mr. Keesing was a
strict teacher?
Answer:
Although Mr. Keesing was initially strict and punished Anne for talking, he had
a sense of humor. He eventually appreciated her creative essays and even
laughed at them. Over time, he allowed her to talk in class, showing that he
wasn’t overly harsh or rigid.
Q.9: What made Mr. Keesing allow Anne
to talk in class?
Answer:
Mr. Keesing allowed Anne to talk in class after she submitted a creative poem
that humorously addressed the topic he had given her. He appreciated her
originality and began to make jokes with her, which showed that he had
developed a soft spot for her and her writing.
Thinking about Language
Q.1: Match the compound words under ‘A’
with their meanings under ‘B’. Use each in a sentence.
|
A |
B |
|
Heartbreaking |
Producing great sadness |
|
Homesick |
Missing home and family very much |
|
Blockhead |
An informal word meaning a very |
|
Law-abiding |
Obeying and respecting the law |
|
Overdo |
Do something to an excessive degree |
|
Daydream |
Think about pleasant things, |
|
Breakdown |
An occasion when vehicles/machines |
|
Output |
Something produced by a person, |
Example
sentences:
- The movie’s ending was so heartbreaking
that everyone in the theater cried. - After moving to another city, I
felt homesick and missed my family. - Stop acting like a blockhead
and pay attention to what’s being said. - He is a law-abiding citizen
and always follows the rules. - You shouldn’t overdo your
exercise routine; it can lead to injury. - I often daydream about
traveling the world. - The car had a breakdown on
the highway, and we had to call for help. - The factory’s output
increased significantly after the new machines were installed.
Q.2: Phrasal Verbs
(i) Plunge
in – Go straight to the topic
(ii) Kept back – Not promoted
(iii) Move up – Go to the next grade
(iv) Ramble on – Speak or write without focus
(v) Get along with – Have a good relationship with
(vi) Calm down – Make (them) remain quiet
(vii) Stay in – Stay indoors
(viii) Make up for – Compensate
(ix) Hand in – Give an assignment (homework) to a person in authority
(the teacher)
Q.3: Idiomatic Expressions
(i) Our
entire class is quaking in its boots.
Answer: This means the entire class is feeling very nervous and scared.
(ii) Until
then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart.
Answer: This means that they encourage each other to stay hopeful and
not get discouraged.
(iii) Mr.
Keesing was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much.
Answer: This means that Mr. Keesing had been irritated with Anne for a
long time due to her constant talking in class.
(iv) Mr.
Keesing was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d
make sure the joke was on him.
Answer: This means that Mr. Keesing intended to tease Anne with the
topic for her essay, but she would turn the joke back on him with her creative
response.
Thinking about Language (continued)
Q.4: Here are a few more idiomatic expressions
that occur in the text. Try to use them in sentences of your own.
(i) Caught
my eye
Answer: The beautiful painting in the gallery immediately caught my
eye as I entered the room.
(ii) He’d
had enough
Answer: After hours of trying to fix the computer, John decided he’d had
enough and called a technician.
(iii) Laugh
ourselves silly
Answer: We watched a comedy movie last night and laughed ourselves
silly at the hilarious scenes.
(iv) Can’t
bring myself to
Answer: I can’t bring myself to tell him the bad news because I
don’t want to hurt his feelings.
Q.5: You have read the expression ‘not
to lose heart’ in this text. Now find out the meanings of the following
expressions using the word ‘heart’. Use each of them in a sentence of your own.
- Break somebody’s heart
Meaning: To cause someone to feel great sadness or disappointment.
Sentence: It would break her heart if she knew how much her
absence affected us. - Close/dear to heart
Meaning: Something that is very important or precious to someone.
Sentence: This project is close to my heart because I’ve
been working on it for years. - From the (bottom of your) heart
Meaning: Sincerely and with deep emotion.
Sentence: I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all
your help and support. - Have a heart
Meaning: To show compassion or mercy.
Sentence: Please have a heart and consider giving them
another chance to prove themselves. - Have a heart of stone
Meaning: To be unfeeling, cold, or unsympathetic.
Sentence: The man who evicted the poor family without any reason has
a heart of stone. - Your heart goes out to somebody
Meaning: To feel sympathy for someone.
Sentence: My heart goes out to the victims of the disaster
and their families.
Q.6: Contracted Forms
- Make a list of the contracted
forms in the text. Rewrite them as full forms of two words.
Here are some
contracted forms from the text and their full forms:
- I’m = I am
- I’ve = I have
- It’s = It is
- We’ll = We will
- Can’t = Cannot
- Doesn’t = Does not
- Don’t = Do not
- He’s = He is
- Find in the text the contracted
forms that stand for two different full forms, and say what these are.
Here is a
contracted form from the text that can stand for two different full forms:
- I’d = I had / I would