ICSE Class 10 English Solutions India’s Heroes
Passage 1
Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
All forty hands went up in unison. Mrs Baruah beamed. Clearly, this assignment had not been a drudge.
“Wonderful!” Mrs Baruah said. “Remember that it does not have to be a profession. You can also speak of someone whom you’d want to be like -maybe a role model or a mentor. You may even talk of a particular trait or quality that you admire in a person and wish to emulate. ”
A crackle of sheets was heard as students hurriedly arranged the pages on which they had written their assignments. They were eager to speak in front of their classmates.
What was Mrs Baruah’s class eager about?
Answer:
Mrs Baruah’s class was eager about speaking in front of their classmates about what they would like to be when they grow up.
Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
All forty hands went up in unison. Mrs Baruah beamed. Clearly, this assignment had not been a drudge.
“Wonderful!” Mrs Baruah said. “Remember that it does not have to be a profession. You can also speak of someone whom you’d want to be like -maybe a role model or a mentor. You may even talk of a particular trait or quality that you admire in a person and wish to emulate. ”
A crackle of sheets was heard as students hurriedly arranged the pages on which they had written their assignments. They were eager to speak in front of their classmates.
Why were all the forty students eager to talk in front of the class?
Answer:
Each student in Mrs Baruah’s class had prepared a speech on what they would like to become when they grew up. The children had put in all their feelings and efforts in their speeches and were excited about presenting their views before their class.
Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
All forty hands went up in unison. Mrs Baruah beamed. Clearly, this assignment had not been a drudge.
“Wonderful!” Mrs Baruah said. “Remember that it does not have to be a profession. You can also speak of someone whom you’d want to be like -maybe a role model or a mentor. You may even talk of a particular trait or quality that you admire in a person and wish to emulate. ”
A crackle of sheets was heard as students hurriedly arranged the pages on which they had written their assignments. They were eager to speak in front of their classmates.
Which figure of speech has been used in the sentence ‘A crackle of sheets was heard…’
Answer:
The figure of speech used in the line is onomatopoeia.
Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
All forty hands went up in unison. Mrs Baruah beamed. Clearly, this assignment had not been a drudge.
“Wonderful!” Mrs Baruah said. “Remember that it does not have to be a profession. You can also speak of someone whom you’d want to be like -maybe a role model or a mentor. You may even talk of a particular trait or quality that you admire in a person and wish to emulate. ”
A crackle of sheets was heard as students hurriedly arranged the pages on which they had written their assignments. They were eager to speak in front of their classmates.
What instructions did Mrs Baruah give her students before they began their speeches?
Answer:
Mrs Baruah told her students that the speeches didn’t necessarily have to be about which profession they wanted to choose. It could be about a person who may have influenced them or even a quality or trait that they admired in a person and would wish to emulate.
Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
All forty hands went up in unison. Mrs Baruah beamed. Clearly, this assignment had not been a drudge.
“Wonderful!” Mrs Baruah said. “Remember that it does not have to be a profession. You can also speak of someone whom you’d want to be like -maybe a role model or a mentor. You may even talk of a particular trait or quality that you admire in a person and wish to emulate. ”
A crackle of sheets was heard as students hurriedly arranged the pages on which they had written their assignments. They were eager to speak in front of their classmates.
What do you think Mrs Baruah wanted to emphasise when she said that the children could talk about a person or a quality they admire?
Answer:
Mrs Baruah wanted the students to express their perception of their future selves through the speeches. Therefore it could also be about a person or even a quality that the students wished to emulate. She thus tried to emphasise that a person can become successful not merely by choosing a profession, but also by having a role model and strong values to follow and emulate.
Passage 2
Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
However, he had worked hard on his assignment and had written it from the depth of his heart. It was different from the others as it did not focus on any one person, profession or quality. It was a combination of traits and people from different walks of life- people who had stirred Kabeer’s heart.
Clearing his throat, he began, “When I grow up, I want to be brave like Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan, the thirty-one year old National Security Guard (NSG) commando, who laid down his life fighting the terrorists in Mumbai in November 2008.”
How was Kabeer’s assignment different from others?
Answer:
Kabeer’s assignment did not talk about what profession he wanted to choose when he grew up or about any one person or quality he admired. It has a mention of people who had made a difference to hundreds who were affected during the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008.
Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
However, he had worked hard on his assignment and had written it from the depth of his heart. It was different from the others as it did not focus on any one person, profession or quality. It was a combination of traits and people from different walks of life- people who had stirred Kabeer’s heart.
Clearing his throat, he began, “When I grow up, I want to be brave like Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan, the thirty-one year old National Security Guard (NSG) commando, who laid down his life fighting the terrorists in Mumbai in November 2008.”
Why had Kabeer worked hard on his assignment?
Answer:
Through Kabeer’s speech it is visible that he was deeply affected by the terrorist attack. He was also profoundly inspired by the people he spoke about. Therefore, though he was not good at making public speeches he prepared well for this speech by gathering detailed information on all the martyrs of 26/11.
Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
However, he had worked hard on his assignment and had written it from the depth of his heart. It was different from the others as it did not focus on any one person, profession or quality. It was a combination of traits and people from different walks of life- people who had stirred Kabeer’s heart.
Clearing his throat, he began, “When I grow up, I want to be brave like Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan, the thirty-one year old National Security Guard (NSG) commando, who laid down his life fighting the terrorists in Mumbai in November 2008.”
What happened in November 2008 in Mumbai?
Answer:
In November 2008, ten terrorists carried out a series of coordinated shooting and bombing acts in Mumbai. The attack lasted for four days.
Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
However, he had worked hard on his assignment and had written it from the depth of his heart. It was different from the others as it did not focus on any one person, profession or quality. It was a combination of traits and people from different walks of life- people who had stirred Kabeer’s heart.
Clearing his throat, he began, “When I grow up, I want to be brave like Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan, the thirty-one year old National Security Guard (NSG) commando, who laid down his life fighting the terrorists in Mumbai in November 2008.”
In what way do you think had Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan stirred Kabeer’s heart?
Answer:
Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan was deployed to clear Hotel Taj of terrorists. He arranged for the evacuation of one of his commandos who was injured in the exchange of fire. Despite knowing that his life was in danger, he told his team to stay down and went upstairs to handle them. He bravely fought till the end despite being hit with bullets.
Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
However, he had worked hard on his assignment and had written it from the depth of his heart. It was different from the others as it did not focus on any one person, profession or quality. It was a combination of traits and people from different walks of life- people who had stirred Kabeer’s heart.
Clearing his throat, he began, “When I grow up, I want to be brave like Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan, the thirty-one year old National Security Guard (NSG) commando, who laid down his life fighting the terrorists in Mumbai in November 2008.”
Which qualities of Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan did Kabeer want to emulate?
Answer:
Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan didn’t think twice about risking his life when he was deployed to clear Hotel Taj. He not only chased the terrorists, but also helped with the evacuation of the soldiers injured during the firing. Instead of escaping from the scene, he faced death bravely and selflessly. Kabeer wanted to become like Major Sandeep and put others’ lives and wellbeing before his own.
Passage 3
Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
Outside the birds chirped, cars honked and the younger children were enjoying their recess. However, class 8A, oblivious to everything, was all years as Kabeer continued. “When I grow up, I want to be like Vishnu Dattaram Zende, who was an announcer with the Mumbai railways for 10 years. On 26 November, he heard a loud explosion at one end of the CST platform and saw that some people had bloodstains on their clothes. He guessed that something was wrong and used the public announcement system to tell people to go out from a different exit. Instead of running for his life, for almost half an hour he continued to make announcements, even though he knew that the terrorists could attack him. They fired a bullet into Vishnu Zende’s cabin, but it missed him.
How is the scene outside the classroom different from the atmosphere inside?
Answer:
The atmosphere outside the classroom was relaxed and carefree. The birds chirped, the cars honked and Younger children were enjoying their break time as usual.. In contrast to this, inside the classroom, the air was rather tensed as Kabeer narrated one of the most horrible terror attacks on Mumbai that killed hundreds of innocent people.
Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
Outside the birds chirped, cars honked and the younger children were enjoying their recess. However, class 8A, oblivious to everything, was all years as Kabeer continued. “When I grow up, I want to be like Vishnu Dattaram Zende, who was an announcer with the Mumbai railways for 10 years. On 26 November, he heard a loud explosion at one end of the CST platform and saw that some people had bloodstains on their clothes. He guessed that something was wrong and used the public announcement system to tell people to go out from a different exit. Instead of running for his life, for almost half an hour he continued to make announcements, even though he knew that the terrorists could attack him. They fired a bullet into Vishnu Zende’s cabin, but it missed him.
What did Vishnu Zende do after he saw people running around with bloodstained clothes?
Answer:
Vishnu Zende sensed that something was wrong when he saw people running around with bloodstained clothes and immediately used the public announcement system to direct people to the other exit of the station.
Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
Outside the birds chirped, cars honked and the younger children were enjoying their recess. However, class 8A, oblivious to everything, was all years as Kabeer continued. “When I grow up, I want to be like Vishnu Dattaram Zende, who was an announcer with the Mumbai railways for 10 years. On 26 November, he heard a loud explosion at one end of the CST platform and saw that some people had bloodstains on their clothes. He guessed that something was wrong and used the public announcement system to tell people to go out from a different exit. Instead of running for his life, for almost half an hour he continued to make announcements, even though he knew that the terrorists could attack him. They fired a bullet into Vishnu Zende’s cabin, but it missed him.
What happened as Vishnu Zende made the announcements?
Answer:
As Vishnu Zende tried to rescue the people stranded at CST, the terrorists fired a bullet in the direction of the cabin where he was making the announcements. However, he survived the attack as the bullet narrowly missed him.
Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
Outside the birds chirped, cars honked and the younger children were enjoying their recess. However, class 8A, oblivious to everything, was all years as Kabeer continued. “When I grow up, I want to be like Vishnu Dattaram Zende, who was an announcer with the Mumbai railways for 10 years. On 26 November, he heard a loud explosion at one end of the CST platform and saw that some people had bloodstains on their clothes. He guessed that something was wrong and used the public announcement system to tell people to go out from a different exit. Instead of running for his life, for almost half an hour he continued to make announcements, even though he knew that the terrorists could attack him. They fired a bullet into Vishnu Zende’s cabin, but it missed him.
What is common between Mr Zende and Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan?
Answer:
Both Major Sandeep Unnikrishanan and Mr Zende prioritised the lives of fellow citizens over their own during the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008. In doing this, Major Sandeep lost his life while Mr Zende missed death narrowly. However, the risk did not stop them from saving the lives of people threatened during the night of the attacks.
Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
Outside the birds chirped, cars honked and the younger children were enjoying their recess. However, class 8A, oblivious to everything, was all years as Kabeer continued. “When I grow up, I want to be like Vishnu Dattaram Zende, who was an announcer with the Mumbai railways for 10 years. On 26 November, he heard a loud explosion at one end of the CST platform and saw that some people had bloodstains on their clothes. He guessed that something was wrong and used the public announcement system to tell people to go out from a different exit. Instead of running for his life, for almost half an hour he continued to make announcements, even though he knew that the terrorists could attack him. They fired a bullet into Vishnu Zende’s cabin, but it missed him.
How did Vishnu Zende’s presence of mind help the hundreds of commuters inside CST?
Answer:
When Vishnu Zende heard an explosion and saw some people running here and there with bloodstains on their clothes, he sensed danger and without wasting time, used the public announcement system to save the lives of many others. He asked the passengers to not go in the direction where the blast was heard but instead exit from the station from a safer point. His presence of mind helped many innocent people save their lives.
Passage 4
Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
“When I grow up, I want to be like Karambir Singh Kang, the General Manager of the Taj Hotel, who, instead of worrying about his own safety or his family’s needs, first helped his guests and staff out of the hotel. His wife and children were trapped in a room engulfed by fire. They died of suffocation. Even on hearing of their deaths, Karambir Singh Kang did not abandon his responsibilities, and continued to fight for his guests’ safety. The noble and the loyal manager, despite his own irreparable loss, still remains at the Taj helping to restore the heritage structure.
What did Karambir Singh Kang do on hearing about his wife and children?
Answer:
Karambir Singh’s wife and children were trapped in a room engulfed by fire. They died of suffocation. However, despite hearing this news, he continued to fight for the safety of his guests.
Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
“When I grow up, I want to be like Karambir Singh Kang, the General Manager of the Taj Hotel, who, instead of worrying about his own safety or his family’s needs, first helped his guests and staff out of the hotel. His wife and children were trapped in a room engulfed by fire. They died of suffocation. Even on hearing of their deaths, Karambir Singh Kang did not abandon his responsibilities, and continued to fight for his guests’ safety. The noble and the loyal manager, despite his own irreparable loss, still remains at the Taj helping to restore the heritage structure.
How is Karambir Singh Kang’s act exceptional and commendable?
Answer:
Karambir Singh Kang bravely continued to rescue the guests despite knowing that his family was in danger. Even after coming to know that his wife and children had died of suffocation, he continued to save the guests of his hotel. Only an extraordinary human being could have done this. Karambir Singh’s act is indeed exceptional and commendable.
Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
“When I grow up, I want to be like Karambir Singh Kang, the General Manager of the Taj Hotel, who, instead of worrying about his own safety or his family’s needs, first helped his guests and staff out of the hotel. His wife and children were trapped in a room engulfed by fire. They died of suffocation. Even on hearing of their deaths, Karambir Singh Kang did not abandon his responsibilities, and continued to fight for his guests’ safety. The noble and the loyal manager, despite his own irreparable loss, still remains at the Taj helping to restore the heritage structure.
Where is Karambir Singh Kang at present?
Answer:
Karambir Singh did not abandon his responsibilities after the attack. Despite his own irreparable loss, he still remains at the Taj helping to restore the heritage structure.
Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
“When I grow up, I want to be like Karambir Singh Kang, the General Manager of the Taj Hotel, who, instead of worrying about his own safety or his family’s needs, first helped his guests and staff out of the hotel. His wife and children were trapped in a room engulfed by fire. They died of suffocation. Even on hearing of their deaths, Karambir Singh Kang did not abandon his responsibilities, and continued to fight for his guests’ safety. The noble and the loyal manager, despite his own irreparable loss, still remains at the Taj helping to restore the heritage structure.
Do you think Karambir Singh Kang should have saved his family first and then rescued the guests?
Answer:
The situation in which Karambir Singh Kang was caught was a very difficult one. If he had saved his family at the cost of the life of the guests, he would have never been able to forgive himself for failing his duties. Whether or not he should have saved his family was not at all in his control. He rescued those whom he came across first and unfortunately by the time he reached his family, they had lost the battle with life.
Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
“When I grow up, I want to be like Karambir Singh Kang, the General Manager of the Taj Hotel, who, instead of worrying about his own safety or his family’s needs, first helped his guests and staff out of the hotel. His wife and children were trapped in a room engulfed by fire. They died of suffocation. Even on hearing of their deaths, Karambir Singh Kang did not abandon his responsibilities, and continued to fight for his guests’ safety. The noble and the loyal manager, despite his own irreparable loss, still remains at the Taj helping to restore the heritage structure.
In what way does Kabeer want to emulate Karambir Singh Kang when he grows up?
Answer:
When Kabeer grows up, he wants to be like Karambir Singh Kang so that he may have the courage to answer duty calls first and then prioritise his personal life.
Passage 5
Question 1
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
“When I grow up, I want to be fearless like Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare, who pursued the terrorists in a jeep. He was gunned down by terrorists near Cama Hospital, along with his valiant comrades DIG Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar. Hemant Karkare was a brave officer who served in Austria for seven years in the Research and Analysis Wing of India, as an Intelligence Officer. Shaheed Karkare spent his life fighting terror, to make our tomorrow terror-free.”
“When I grow up, I want to be caring like Mohammed Taufeeq Sheikh, popularly known as Chotu Chaiwala, a young boy who ran a tea stall outside CST station. He was among the first to help transport the injured to St George Hospital. Had it not been for the efforts of people like him, many of the wounded might not have made it to the hospital on time.”
How did Kabeer feel as he read his speech?
Answer:
Kabeer was overwhelmed by the emotions as he read a strong emotional account of what happened during the November 2008 attacks. However, like a brave soldier, he contained his emotions and continued to read his speech.
Question 2
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
“When I grow up, I want to be fearless like Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare, who pursued the terrorists in a jeep. He was gunned down by terrorists near Cama Hospital, along with his valiant comrades DIG Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar. Hemant Karkare was a brave officer who served in Austria for seven years in the Research and Analysis Wing of India, as an Intelligence Officer. Shaheed Karkare spent his life fighting terror, to make our tomorrow terror-free.”
“When I grow up, I want to be caring like Mohammed Taufeeq Sheikh, popularly known as Chotu Chaiwala, a young boy who ran a tea stall outside CST station. He was among the first to help transport the injured to St George Hospital. Had it not been for the efforts of people like him, many of the wounded might not have made it to the hospital on time.”
Who was Hemant Karkare?
Answer:
Hemant Karkare was the chief of the Anti-Terrorism Squad. He served as an Intelligence Officer in Austria for seven years in the Research and Analysis Wing of India.
Question 3
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
“When I grow up, I want to be fearless like Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare, who pursued the terrorists in a jeep. He was gunned down by terrorists near Cama Hospital, along with his valiant comrades DIG Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar. Hemant Karkare was a brave officer who served in Austria for seven years in the Research and Analysis Wing of India, as an Intelligence Officer. Shaheed Karkare spent his life fighting terror, to make our tomorrow terror-free.”
“When I grow up, I want to be caring like Mohammed Taufeeq Sheikh, popularly known as Chotu Chaiwala, a young boy who ran a tea stall outside CST station. He was among the first to help transport the injured to St George Hospital. Had it not been for the efforts of people like him, many of the wounded might not have made it to the hospital on time.”
How was Hemant Karkare killed?
Answer:
Hemant Karkare was gunned down by terrorists near Cama Hospital as he was bravely pursuing them in a jeep.
Question 4
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
“When I grow up, I want to be fearless like Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare, who pursued the terrorists in a jeep. He was gunned down by terrorists near Cama Hospital, along with his valiant comrades DIG Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar. Hemant Karkare was a brave officer who served in Austria for seven years in the Research and Analysis Wing of India, as an Intelligence Officer. Shaheed Karkare spent his life fighting terror, to make our tomorrow terror-free.”
“When I grow up, I want to be caring like Mohammed Taufeeq Sheikh, popularly known as Chotu Chaiwala, a young boy who ran a tea stall outside CST station. He was among the first to help transport the injured to St George Hospital. Had it not been for the efforts of people like him, many of the wounded might not have made it to the hospital on time.”
How did Chotu Chaiwala contribute to saving the injured people?
Answer:
Chotu Chaiwala was among the first to help transport the injured to St George Hospital. He was a young boy who ran a tea stall outside CST station and whose original name was Mohammed Taufeeq Sheikh.
Question 5
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
“When I grow up, I want to be fearless like Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief Hemant Karkare, who pursued the terrorists in a jeep. He was gunned down by terrorists near Cama Hospital, along with his valiant comrades DIG Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar. Hemant Karkare was a brave officer who served in Austria for seven years in the Research and Analysis Wing of India, as an Intelligence Officer. Shaheed Karkare spent his life fighting terror, to make our tomorrow terror-free.”
“When I grow up, I want to be caring like Mohammed Taufeeq Sheikh, popularly known as Chotu Chaiwala, a young boy who ran a tea stall outside CST station. He was among the first to help transport the injured to St George Hospital. Had it not been for the efforts of people like him, many of the wounded might not have made it to the hospital on time.”
How do the people mentioned in this extract contribute during the terrorist attack of 26/11?
Answer:
The trio, Hemant Karkare, DIG Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar were highly qualified police officers who faced the terrorists in Mumbai on 26 November 2008fearlessly. The three were killed in action by the terrorists during attack. On the other hand, Mohammed Taufeeq Sheikh, popularly known as Chotu Chaiwala, was a young boy who ran a tea stall outside CST station. He was no officer or had no arms, but he was among the first to help transport the injured to St George Hospital. Had it not been for the efforts of people like him, many of the wounded might not have made it to the hospital on time.