FIRST FLIGHTCLASS 10 NCERT SOLUTIONADDITIONAL QUESTIONSCHAPTE 1- A LETTER TO GOD
.jpg "ncert class 10 english solutions")
A LETTER TO GOD
Oral Comprehension Check
1. What did Lencho hope for?
Answer: Lencho had hoped for a downpour or at least a shower for his ripe corn fields as it was needed for a good harvest.
2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
Answer: Lencho compared the raindrops to ‘new coins’, the big drops as ten cent pieces and the little ones as fives. As his crops were ready for harvest, he hoped that the rains would bring him prosperity so he felt the raindrops were like ‘new coins’.
3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
Answer: The rain started pouring down. But suddenly a strong wind blew and very large hailstones, like frozen pearls, began to fall along with the rain. The hailstorm continued for an hour and destroyed Lencho’s corn fields and washed away the flowers from the plants too.
4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
Answer: After the hailstones stopped, Lencho’s soul was filled with grief and dismay. He realised that everything was ruined by the hailstorm and nothing was left to feed his family for the entire year. He could visualize the bleak future of his family.
Oral Comprehension Check
1. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Answer: Lencho had strong faith in God. He believed that God’s eyes see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience. Hence, he wrote a letter to God citing that he needed a hundred pesos to sow his field again that was destroyed by the hailstorm.
2. Who read the letter?
Answer: The postmaster read Lencho’s letter addressed to God.
3.What did the postmaster do then?
Answer: Initially, the postmaster broke out into laughter, but was soon moved by the seriousness of Lencho’s faith in God. He didn’t want to shake the writer’s faith in the Almighty so he came up with an idea to collect money from his employees, friends and gave a part of his salary and sent it to Lencho.
Oral Comprehension Check
1. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Answer: No, Lencho was not at all surprised on receiving a letter from God with money in it. He was very confident and had firm faith in God that his request would definitely be taken care of by the Almighty.
2. What made him angry?
Answer: When Lencho counted the money he found seventy pesos only, instead of hundred pesos demanded by him from God. He was confident that God could neither make a mistake in sending him less money, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested. Therefore, he came to the conclusion that the post office employees must have taken the remaining thirty pesos from the envelope.
Thinking about the Text
1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
Answer: Lencho had complete faith in God as he was instructed that God could see everything and helped whoever was in deep trouble. Given below are a few sentences which exhibit his faith in God:
1. But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley, there was a single hope help from God.
2. All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he had been instructed, see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience.
3. “God”, he wrote, “if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this year”.
4. He wrote ‘To God’ on the envelope, put the letter inside and still troubled, went to town.
5. God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.
6. It said: “God: Of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest, since I need it very much”.
2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
Answer:The postmaster was deeply moved by Lencho’s faith in God. Hence, he decided to send some money to Lencho in order to avoid shaking the latter’s faith in God. So, he collected some money from his colleagues and friends and signed the letter as ‘God’. The postmaster felt it was an ideal ploy to convey a message to Lencho that God has sent him the money and that God himself signed on it.
3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?
Answer: No, Lencho did not try to find out who had sent him the money because he was confident that God had sent it to him. Not for a moment did he suspect that someone else other than God could have sent the money to him. His faith in the Almighty was so rock-solid that he knew that nothing escapes God’s eyes. Lencho felt that God was aware of the unfortunate incident faced by him and requested him to save him from this difficult situation.
4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation? (Remember that the irony of a situation is an unexpected aspect of it. An ironic situation is strange or amusing because it is the opposite of what is expected.)
Answer:Upon counting the money, when Lencho found seventy pesos only in the envelope instead of hundred pesos that he had requested from God, he was confident that the Almighty couldn’t have made such a big mistake. From this situation, he understood that the post office employees could have stolen the remaining thirty pesos from the envelope. Hence, he called them crooks.
The element of irony in this situation is that Lencho ends up suspecting those very people who helped him in his crisis, in order to avoid shaking his faith in God.
5. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.
greedy
naive
stupid
ungrateful
selfish
comical
unquestioning
Answer:It is not easy to find people like Lencho in the real world as he has a naïve and unquestioning nature. From the story, we can conclude that he is not stupid and a literate person who wrote a letter to God without any address requesting for money. Lencho had deep faith in God and was confident that he would definitely receive some financial help from the Almighty.
6.There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
Answer:The conflicts between humans and nature is shown in the story when Lencho’s crops were destroyed by the hailstorm. He had expected some good rain for a good harvest. However, when his crops were damaged by the hailstorm, he lost all hope and became sad at the sight of his destroyed field.
However, the story also depicts conflicts of humans between themselves. The postmaster collected some money from his colleagues, friends and gave a part of his salary to help Lencho so that the latter’s faith in God is not shaken. It was a beautiful act of selflessness and kindness on their part. Despite their noble act, when Lencho received the money, he blindly believed that God had sent him the money and he blamed the post office employees for stealing some money from the envelope. This implies that man lacks faith in his fellow human beings, which gives rise to conflicts amongst themselves.
Thinking about Language
1. There are different names in different parts of the world for storms, depending on their nature. Can you match the names in the box with their descriptions below, and fill in the blanks? You may use a dictionary to help you.
gale,
whirlwind,
cyclone,
hurricane,
tornado,
typhoon
1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle: _ _ c _ _ _ _
2. An extremely strong wind: _ a _ __
3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds: _ _ p _ _ _ _
4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel: _ _ _ n _ _ _
5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean: _ _ r _ _ _ _ _ _
6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage: _ _ _ _ l _ _
Answer:1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle: c y c l o n e
2. An extremely strong wind: g a l e
3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds: t y p h o o n
4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel: t o r n a d o
5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean: h u r r i c a n e
6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage: w h i r l w i n d
2.Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of ‘hope’ in Column B.
A
B
1. Will you get the subjects you want to study in college? I hope so.
– a feeling that something good will probably happen
2. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but I don’t like the way you are arguing.
– thinking that this would happen (It may or may not have happened.)
3. This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS sufferers.
– stopped believing that this good thing would happen
4. We were hoping against hope that the judges would not notice our mistakes.
– wanting something to happen (and thinking it quite possible)
5. I called early in the hope of speaking to her before she went to school.
– showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person: a way of being polite
6. Just when everybody had given up hope, the fishermen came back, seven days after the cyclone.
– wishing for something to happen, although this is very unlikely
Answer:
A
B
1. Will you get the subjects you want to study in college? I hope so.
– wanting something to happen (and thinking it quite possible)
2. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but I don’t like the way you are arguing.
– showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person: a way of being polite
3. This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS sufferers.
– a feeling that something good will probably happen
4. We were hoping against hope that the judges would not notice our mistakes.
–wishing for something to happen, although this is very unlikely
5. I called early in the hope of speaking to her before she went to school.
– thinking that this would happen (It may or may not have happened.)
6. Just when everybody had given up hope, the fishermen came back, seven days after the cyclone.
– stopped believing that this good thing would happen
3. Relative Clauses: Join the sentences given below using who, whom, whose, which, as suggested.
1. I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)
2. My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well. (who)
3. These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent. (whose)
4. Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)
5. This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)
Answer:
1. I often go to Mumbai, which is the commercial capital of India.
2. My mother, who cooks very well, is going to host a TV show on cooking.
3. These sportspersons, whose performance has been excellent, are going to meet the President.
4. Lencho prayed to God, whose eyes see into our minds.
5. This man, whom I trusted, cheated me.
4. Using Negatives for Emphasis: Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.
1. The trees lost all their leaves.
_____________________
2. The letter was addressed to God himself.
_____________________
3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
_____________________
Answer:
1. The trees lost all their leaves.
Not a leaf remained on the trees.
2. The letter was addressed to God himself.
It was nothing less than a letter to God.
3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
Never in his career as a postman had he seen that address.
5. Metaphors: In pairs, find metaphors from the story to complete the table below. Try to say what qualities are being compared. One has been done for you.
Object
Metaphor
Quality or Feature Compared
Cloud
Huge mountains of clouds
The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
Raindrops
Hailstones
Locusts
An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead
An ox of a man
Answer:
Object
Metaphor
Quality or Feature Compared
Cloud
Huge mountains of clouds
The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
Raindrops
Coins
The money that the good crops will bring when sold
Hailstones
Frozen pearls
Resembles the colour, hardness and brightness of pearls
Locusts
A plague of locusts
The destruction caused by plague and its consequences
Locusts
A plague of locusts
An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead
Lencho
An ox of a man
Strong and hardworking nature resembles the working of an ox in the field
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
Question 1.
The house- the only one in the entire valley- sat on the crest of a low hill. From this height one could see the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers that always promised a good harvest. The only thing the Earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower. Throughout the morning Lencho who knew his fields intimately had done nothing else but see the sky towards the North-East. “Now we’re really going to get some water, woman.
” The woman who was preparing supper, replied, “Yes, God willing”.
(a) Where was Lencho’s house located?
(b) What was Lencho’s wife preparing?
(c) Find the word from the passage which means ‘very closely’.
(d) What does ‘Crest’ means?
Answer:
Lencho’s house was located on the crest of a low hill.
(b) Lencho’s wife was preparing supper.
(c) The word is ‘Intimately’.
(d) Crest means the top part of a hill.
Question 2.
It was during the meal that, just as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall. In the North-East huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching. The air was fresh and sweet. The man went out for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body. [CBSE 2012]
(a) What could be seen approaching in the North-East?
(b) Why did Lencho go out?
(c) Give an antonym of the word Big.
(d) Which word in the passage is a synonym of ‘forecast’.
Answer:
(a) Huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching in the North-East.
(b) Lencho went out to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body.
(c) The word is ‘small’.
(d) The word ‘predict’ is a synonym of forecast.
Question 3.
With a satisfied expression he regarded the field of ripe corn with its flowers, draped in a. curtain of rain. But suddenly a strong wind began to blow and alongwith the rain very large hailstones began to fall. These truly did resemble new silver coins. The boys, exposing themselves to the rain, ran out to collect the frozen pearls.
(a) What happened to the rain suddenly?
(b) ‘The frozen pearls’ refers to which thing in the paragraph.
(c) Find the similar meaning-of ‘contented’ in the paragraph.
(d) Find from the passage a word which means ‘to take after’.
Answer:
(a) The rain suddenly changed into hailstones.
(b) ‘The frozen pearls’ refers to hailstones.
(c) The word is ‘Satisfied’.
(d) The word is ‘Resemble’.
Question 4.
Not a leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed. The flowers were gone from the plants. Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness. When the storm had passed, he stood in the middle of the field and said to his sons. “A plague of locusts would have left more than this. The hail has left nothing.
(a) Describe Lencho’s feeling as shown in the passage.
(b) What happened to the crop when the storm had passed?
(c) Find the word that means the opposite of ‘restored’ as used in the passage.
(d) What do you mean by ‘hail’ in the last line?
Answer:
(a) Lencho was filled with sadness when the storm had passed.
(b) The crop was completely destroyed when the storm had passed.
(c) The word is ‘destroyed’.
(d) ‘Hail’ is balls of ice that falls from the sky in the form of rain.
Question 5.
“That’s what they say: no one dies of hunger.” All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he had been instructed, see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience. Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields, but still he knew how to write. [CBSE 2014]
(a) What was Lencho’s only hope?
(b) How did Lencho work in the field?
(c) Find the exact word of similar meaning ‘moral sense’ given in the passage.
(d) Explain ‘an or of a man’.
Answer:
(a) Lencho’s only hope was the help of God.
(b) Lencho worked as an ‘ox’ in the field.
(c) The word is ‘conscience’.
(d) It means a man working hard like an ox or animal.
Question 6.
The postmaster- a fat, amiable fellow- also broke out laughing, but almost immediately he turned serious and tapping the letter on his desk, commented. “What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter. Starting.up a correspondence with God!”
So, in order ndt to shake the writer’s faith in God, the postmaster came up with an idea: answer the letter. But when he opened it, it was evident that to answer it he needed something more than goodwill, ink and paper. But he stuck to his resolution: he asked for money from his employees, he himself gave part of his salary and several friends of his vreie obliged io give something ‘for an act of charity’.
(a) What kind of a person the postmaster was?
(b) How did the postmaster help Lencho?
(c) Find the exact word in similar meaning ‘without delay’ given in the passage.
(d) Determination is synonymous with …………….
Answer:
(a) The postmaster was a fat, amiable and helpful fellow.
(b) The postmaster helped Lencho by collecting money from his employees and friends.
(c) The word is ‘Immediately’.
(d) Determination is synonym with Resolution.
Question 7.
The following Sunday, Lencho came a bit earlier than usual to ask if there was a letter for him. It was the postman himself who handed the letter to him while the postmaster, experiencing the contentment of a man who has performed a good deed, looked on from his office.
Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money; such was his confidence, but he became angry when he counted the money. God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.
(a) Why did Lencho come earlier to the post office?
(b) Why wasLencho angry when he counted money?
(c) Find the word which means the opposite of permitted from the passage.
(d) Which word in the passage gives the meaning ‘that one will be successful one day’.
Answer:
(a) Lencho came earlier to the post office to know if there was a letter for him.
(b) Lencho was angry when he counted money as it was not the full amount that he had demanded from God.
(c) The word is ‘denied’.
(d) The word is ‘confidence’.
Question 8.
When he finished, he went to the window to buy a stamp which he licked and then affixed to the envelope with a blow of his fist. The moment the letter fell into the mailbox the postmaster went to open it. It said: “God: Of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest, since I need it very much. But don’t send it to me through the mail because the post office employees are a ‘bunch of crooks’. Lencho.” [CBSE 2016]
(a) What did Lencho do wijh the stamp?
(b) What did the postmaster do when the letter fell into the mailbox and why?
(c) Find out the word which has the similar meaning as ‘attached’ used in the passage.
(d) Which word in the passage denotes a dishonest person?
Answer:
(a) Lencho licked and affixed the stamp to the envelope with a blow of his fist.
(b) The postmaster immediately opened the letter to know Lencho’s feeling for the money he had received.
(c) The word is ‘affixed’.
(d) The word is ‘crook’.
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
Who was Lencho? What were his main problems?
Answer:
Lencho was a hardworking farmer, who lived on the crest of a low hill. Due to the hailstorm his crops were destroyed, so he needed money to sow his field again and support his family. These were the main problems of Lencho.
Question 2.
Give a brief description of the view from Lencho’s house?
Answer:
Lencho’s house was situated on the crest of a low hill and it was the only one in the valley. One could easily see the river and the field of ripe corn from here.
Question 3.
What did Lencho compare the raindrops to and why?
Answer:
Lencho compared the raindrops to new coins because the crop needed the rain badly and it was the sign of good harvest. Good harvest meant prosperity for Lencho as he needed the money to fulfil his basic needs.
Question 4.
Why did Lencho write a letter to God?
Answer:
When.Lencho’s crops were completely destroyed by the hailstorm, he wrote a letter to God because he was the only hope in his despair. Lencho asked him to send hundred pesos to sow his field again and support his family.
Question 5.
Why and how did the postmaster help Lencho?
Answer:
The postmaster was determined to help Lencho. He did not want Lencho’s faith in God to be shaken so he asked his employees and friends to help Lencho. He also contributed a part of his salary for this act of charity.
Question 6.
How much money did Lencho need? How . much did he get?
Answer:
Lencho got seventy pesos. He was angry at the difference as he needed hundred pesos to sow the crops again and to support his family till the next harvest.
Question 7.
Why did Lencho not want the money to be sent through mail? CBSE 2016
Answer:
Lencho wrote in his second letter that he received only seventy pesos but he needed a hundred pesos.
He requested God not to send rest of the money by post since the post office employees were a bunch of crooks and would steal the money.
Question 8.
Do you think that Lencho was right to call the post office employees a bunch of crooks? Why or why not?
Answer:
Lencho called the post office employees a bunch of crooks as he did not get full money that he had demanded. He could not believe that God had sent him any less money so he doubted these people. But he was not right to call them a bunch of crooks.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
Who was Lencho and what circumstances forced him to write a letter to God?
Answer:
Lencho was a hardworking farmer who lived with his family on a crest of a low hill. He was very caring and God loving man. Though, he was a farmer he could read and write. Lencho eagerly waited for the rainfall in order to get good harvest and he became happy when it came. But the pleasing rain changed into hailstorm and destroyed his crop.
He became sad and was worried about his family as they might remain hungry that year. His last hope was the help from God as he had complete faith in him. Hence, he wrote a letter to God asking him to send hundred pesos to survive and to reharvest.
Question 2.
Give a character-sketch of Lencho.
Answer:
Lencho was a simple man and a hardworking farmer. He worked as an ox in his field.
Lencho’s entire crops were badly destroyed by the hailstorm. So, he became very sad as he was worried about his family. He was an optimistic person. Although his only source of living was taken away, he didn’t lose hope. He had his last hope in God. He was confident that God would help him in his distress. Lencho was an innocent atheist who didn’t know that there was no such living person as God who could send him money. He had blind faith in God and sought solution of his problem’Trom God only.
Question 3.
Sketch the character of the postmaster in the story ‘A Letter to God”.
(or)
How do you like ,the character of the postmaster in the story ‘A Letter to God?” Give reason for your answer.
Answer:
The postmaster was a fat and friendly fellow. He was a sensible human being. He first laughed looking at the letter which had a strange address. But soon he became serious. He was surprised at the faith that Lencho had in God. He wanted his faith not to be shaken.
The postmaster himself gave a part of his salary and also requested his employees and a few friends to contribute for charity. He felt happy and satisfied when Lencho received the money. This shows that he was a kind and empathetic person as well. He loved to help others.
Question 4.
How did the postmaster and post office employees help Lencho? How did he react to their help?
Answer:
The Postmaster and post office employees were very generous as they contributed for the act of charity. First they laughed when they saw Lencho’s letter to God, but soon they were impressed by his faith in God. They decided to send some money to Lencho so that his faith in God does not get shaken. They collected seventy pesos and sent it to Lencho.
When Lencho got the envelope and opened it to count money, he became angry. He again wrote a letter to God demanding the remaining thirty pesos. He thought that post office employees had taken away the remaining money and called them a bunch of crooks, which was not justified at all as they were the people who had helped him. But it shows his innocence and firm faith in God.
Question 5.
How did the hailstones affect Lencho’s field? What was Lencho’s only hope?
Answer:
Lencho, a hardworking farmer, worked like an ox for a good harvest, depended completely on his fields to take care of his family. He expected a good harvest that year. He needed a downpour for the crops to ripe, but the rain followed by hailstorm completely destroyed the crops.
It made him sad. He was worried for his family as he loved them so much. But Lencho had firm faith in God and believed that nobody died of hunger. So, he decided to seek help from God. He wrote a letter to God and asked him for a hundred pesos to survive and to sow new crop.
Question 6.
“Humanity still exists”, this is what we get to know after reading A letter to God’ in which firm faith in God of a poor farmer and helpfulness of the post office employees are aptly depicted thought. Write a paragraph on the values in it, in about 80-100 words. Give the paragraph a suitable title. [CBSE 2012]
Answer:
Existence of Humanity
After reading ‘A letter to God’, our faith in humanity stirs for strong. We learn from the story that there still are people who help others without any self interest. The postmaster and the post office employees lay an example for everyone of us to be kind. Though they all laughed at his letter, they were really moved by the grip of faith Lencho had in God. The way they all decided to help the stranger in his hard times restores our faith in the existence of humanity and motivates us to be a noble and kind person.
Question 7.
Describe Lencho’s qualities in light of his faith in God. Do you have faith in God like Lencho? Was Lencho’s reaction towards post office employees right?
Answer:
Lencho was a poor farmer who totally depended on the harvest to survive and fulfil basic needs of his family. Once his crops were destroyed due to heavy rainfall and hailstones and he was afraid to think how his family would survive. He believed that God would help him in this plight. He had firm faith in God, he believed that God would not let him be hungry.
Now-a-days faith in God like Lencho is almost impossible and unseen. People are very much aware that nobody is willing to help others without any self interest. Lencho’s reaction towards post office employees was not right or justified but it was just because of his innocence as he could not believe that God had done such a mistake. It were only the post office employees who had stolen money according to him.
.jpg "ncert class 10 english solutions")
A LETTER TO GOD
Oral Comprehension Check
1. What did Lencho hope for?
Answer: Lencho had hoped for a downpour or at least a shower for his ripe corn fields as it was needed for a good harvest.
2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
Answer: Lencho compared the raindrops to ‘new coins’, the big drops as ten cent pieces and the little ones as fives. As his crops were ready for harvest, he hoped that the rains would bring him prosperity so he felt the raindrops were like ‘new coins’.
3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
Answer: The rain started pouring down. But suddenly a strong wind blew and very large hailstones, like frozen pearls, began to fall along with the rain. The hailstorm continued for an hour and destroyed Lencho’s corn fields and washed away the flowers from the plants too.
4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
Answer: After the hailstones stopped, Lencho’s soul was filled with grief and dismay. He realised that everything was ruined by the hailstorm and nothing was left to feed his family for the entire year. He could visualize the bleak future of his family.
Oral Comprehension Check
1. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Answer: Lencho had strong faith in God. He believed that God’s eyes see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience. Hence, he wrote a letter to God citing that he needed a hundred pesos to sow his field again that was destroyed by the hailstorm.
2. Who read the letter?
Answer: The postmaster read Lencho’s letter addressed to God.
3.What did the postmaster do then?
Answer: Initially, the postmaster broke out into laughter, but was soon moved by the seriousness of Lencho’s faith in God. He didn’t want to shake the writer’s faith in the Almighty so he came up with an idea to collect money from his employees, friends and gave a part of his salary and sent it to Lencho.
Oral Comprehension Check
1. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Answer: No, Lencho was not at all surprised on receiving a letter from God with money in it. He was very confident and had firm faith in God that his request would definitely be taken care of by the Almighty.
2. What made him angry?
Answer: When Lencho counted the money he found seventy pesos only, instead of hundred pesos demanded by him from God. He was confident that God could neither make a mistake in sending him less money, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested. Therefore, he came to the conclusion that the post office employees must have taken the remaining thirty pesos from the envelope.
Thinking about the Text
1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
Answer: Lencho had complete faith in God as he was instructed that God could see everything and helped whoever was in deep trouble. Given below are a few sentences which exhibit his faith in God:
1. But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley, there was a single hope help from God.
2. All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he had been instructed, see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience.
3. “God”, he wrote, “if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this year”.
4. He wrote ‘To God’ on the envelope, put the letter inside and still troubled, went to town.
5. God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.
6. It said: “God: Of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest, since I need it very much”.
2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
Answer:The postmaster was deeply moved by Lencho’s faith in God. Hence, he decided to send some money to Lencho in order to avoid shaking the latter’s faith in God. So, he collected some money from his colleagues and friends and signed the letter as ‘God’. The postmaster felt it was an ideal ploy to convey a message to Lencho that God has sent him the money and that God himself signed on it.
3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?
Answer: No, Lencho did not try to find out who had sent him the money because he was confident that God had sent it to him. Not for a moment did he suspect that someone else other than God could have sent the money to him. His faith in the Almighty was so rock-solid that he knew that nothing escapes God’s eyes. Lencho felt that God was aware of the unfortunate incident faced by him and requested him to save him from this difficult situation.
4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation? (Remember that the irony of a situation is an unexpected aspect of it. An ironic situation is strange or amusing because it is the opposite of what is expected.)
Answer:Upon counting the money, when Lencho found seventy pesos only in the envelope instead of hundred pesos that he had requested from God, he was confident that the Almighty couldn’t have made such a big mistake. From this situation, he understood that the post office employees could have stolen the remaining thirty pesos from the envelope. Hence, he called them crooks.
The element of irony in this situation is that Lencho ends up suspecting those very people who helped him in his crisis, in order to avoid shaking his faith in God.
5. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.
greedy
naive
stupid
ungrateful
selfish
comical
unquestioning
Answer:It is not easy to find people like Lencho in the real world as he has a naïve and unquestioning nature. From the story, we can conclude that he is not stupid and a literate person who wrote a letter to God without any address requesting for money. Lencho had deep faith in God and was confident that he would definitely receive some financial help from the Almighty.
6.There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
Answer:The conflicts between humans and nature is shown in the story when Lencho’s crops were destroyed by the hailstorm. He had expected some good rain for a good harvest. However, when his crops were damaged by the hailstorm, he lost all hope and became sad at the sight of his destroyed field.
However, the story also depicts conflicts of humans between themselves. The postmaster collected some money from his colleagues, friends and gave a part of his salary to help Lencho so that the latter’s faith in God is not shaken. It was a beautiful act of selflessness and kindness on their part. Despite their noble act, when Lencho received the money, he blindly believed that God had sent him the money and he blamed the post office employees for stealing some money from the envelope. This implies that man lacks faith in his fellow human beings, which gives rise to conflicts amongst themselves.
Thinking about Language
1. There are different names in different parts of the world for storms, depending on their nature. Can you match the names in the box with their descriptions below, and fill in the blanks? You may use a dictionary to help you.
gale,
whirlwind,
cyclone,
hurricane,
tornado,
typhoon
1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle: _ _ c _ _ _ _
2. An extremely strong wind: _ a _ __
3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds: _ _ p _ _ _ _
4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel: _ _ _ n _ _ _
5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean: _ _ r _ _ _ _ _ _
6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage: _ _ _ _ l _ _
Answer:1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle: c y c l o n e
2. An extremely strong wind: g a l e
3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds: t y p h o o n
4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel: t o r n a d o
5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean: h u r r i c a n e
6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage: w h i r l w i n d
2.Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of ‘hope’ in Column B.
A
B
1. Will you get the subjects you want to study in college? I hope so.
– a feeling that something good will probably happen
2. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but I don’t like the way you are arguing.
– thinking that this would happen (It may or may not have happened.)
3. This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS sufferers.
– stopped believing that this good thing would happen
4. We were hoping against hope that the judges would not notice our mistakes.
– wanting something to happen (and thinking it quite possible)
5. I called early in the hope of speaking to her before she went to school.
– showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person: a way of being polite
6. Just when everybody had given up hope, the fishermen came back, seven days after the cyclone.
– wishing for something to happen, although this is very unlikely
Answer:
A
B
1. Will you get the subjects you want to study in college? I hope so.
– wanting something to happen (and thinking it quite possible)
2. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but I don’t like the way you are arguing.
– showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person: a way of being polite
3. This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS sufferers.
– a feeling that something good will probably happen
4. We were hoping against hope that the judges would not notice our mistakes.
–wishing for something to happen, although this is very unlikely
5. I called early in the hope of speaking to her before she went to school.
– thinking that this would happen (It may or may not have happened.)
6. Just when everybody had given up hope, the fishermen came back, seven days after the cyclone.
– stopped believing that this good thing would happen
3. Relative Clauses: Join the sentences given below using who, whom, whose, which, as suggested.
1. I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)
2. My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well. (who)
3. These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent. (whose)
4. Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)
5. This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)
Answer:
1. I often go to Mumbai, which is the commercial capital of India.
2. My mother, who cooks very well, is going to host a TV show on cooking.
3. These sportspersons, whose performance has been excellent, are going to meet the President.
4. Lencho prayed to God, whose eyes see into our minds.
5. This man, whom I trusted, cheated me.
4. Using Negatives for Emphasis: Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.
1. The trees lost all their leaves.
_____________________
2. The letter was addressed to God himself.
_____________________
3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
_____________________
Answer:
1. The trees lost all their leaves.
Not a leaf remained on the trees.
2. The letter was addressed to God himself.
It was nothing less than a letter to God.
3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
Never in his career as a postman had he seen that address.
5. Metaphors: In pairs, find metaphors from the story to complete the table below. Try to say what qualities are being compared. One has been done for you.
Object
Metaphor
Quality or Feature Compared
Cloud
Huge mountains of clouds
The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
Raindrops
Hailstones
Locusts
An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead
An ox of a man
Answer:
Object
Metaphor
Quality or Feature Compared
Cloud
Huge mountains of clouds
The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
Raindrops
Coins
The money that the good crops will bring when sold
Hailstones
Frozen pearls
Resembles the colour, hardness and brightness of pearls
Locusts
A plague of locusts
The destruction caused by plague and its consequences
Locusts
A plague of locusts
An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead
Lencho
An ox of a man
Strong and hardworking nature resembles the working of an ox in the field
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
Question 1.
The house- the only one in the entire valley- sat on the crest of a low hill. From this height one could see the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers that always promised a good harvest. The only thing the Earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower. Throughout the morning Lencho who knew his fields intimately had done nothing else but see the sky towards the North-East. “Now we’re really going to get some water, woman.
” The woman who was preparing supper, replied, “Yes, God willing”.
(a) Where was Lencho’s house located?
(b) What was Lencho’s wife preparing?
(c) Find the word from the passage which means ‘very closely’.
(d) What does ‘Crest’ means?
Answer:
Lencho’s house was located on the crest of a low hill.
(b) Lencho’s wife was preparing supper.
(c) The word is ‘Intimately’.
(d) Crest means the top part of a hill.
Question 2.
It was during the meal that, just as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall. In the North-East huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching. The air was fresh and sweet. The man went out for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body. [CBSE 2012]
(a) What could be seen approaching in the North-East?
(b) Why did Lencho go out?
(c) Give an antonym of the word Big.
(d) Which word in the passage is a synonym of ‘forecast’.
Answer:
(a) Huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching in the North-East.
(b) Lencho went out to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body.
(c) The word is ‘small’.
(d) The word ‘predict’ is a synonym of forecast.
Question 3.
With a satisfied expression he regarded the field of ripe corn with its flowers, draped in a. curtain of rain. But suddenly a strong wind began to blow and alongwith the rain very large hailstones began to fall. These truly did resemble new silver coins. The boys, exposing themselves to the rain, ran out to collect the frozen pearls.
(a) What happened to the rain suddenly?
(b) ‘The frozen pearls’ refers to which thing in the paragraph.
(c) Find the similar meaning-of ‘contented’ in the paragraph.
(d) Find from the passage a word which means ‘to take after’.
Answer:
(a) The rain suddenly changed into hailstones.
(b) ‘The frozen pearls’ refers to hailstones.
(c) The word is ‘Satisfied’.
(d) The word is ‘Resemble’.
Question 4.
Not a leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed. The flowers were gone from the plants. Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness. When the storm had passed, he stood in the middle of the field and said to his sons. “A plague of locusts would have left more than this. The hail has left nothing.
(a) Describe Lencho’s feeling as shown in the passage.
(b) What happened to the crop when the storm had passed?
(c) Find the word that means the opposite of ‘restored’ as used in the passage.
(d) What do you mean by ‘hail’ in the last line?
Answer:
(a) Lencho was filled with sadness when the storm had passed.
(b) The crop was completely destroyed when the storm had passed.
(c) The word is ‘destroyed’.
(d) ‘Hail’ is balls of ice that falls from the sky in the form of rain.
Question 5.
“That’s what they say: no one dies of hunger.” All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he had been instructed, see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience. Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields, but still he knew how to write. [CBSE 2014]
(a) What was Lencho’s only hope?
(b) How did Lencho work in the field?
(c) Find the exact word of similar meaning ‘moral sense’ given in the passage.
(d) Explain ‘an or of a man’.
Answer:
(a) Lencho’s only hope was the help of God.
(b) Lencho worked as an ‘ox’ in the field.
(c) The word is ‘conscience’.
(d) It means a man working hard like an ox or animal.
Question 6.
The postmaster- a fat, amiable fellow- also broke out laughing, but almost immediately he turned serious and tapping the letter on his desk, commented. “What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter. Starting.up a correspondence with God!”
So, in order ndt to shake the writer’s faith in God, the postmaster came up with an idea: answer the letter. But when he opened it, it was evident that to answer it he needed something more than goodwill, ink and paper. But he stuck to his resolution: he asked for money from his employees, he himself gave part of his salary and several friends of his vreie obliged io give something ‘for an act of charity’.
(a) What kind of a person the postmaster was?
(b) How did the postmaster help Lencho?
(c) Find the exact word in similar meaning ‘without delay’ given in the passage.
(d) Determination is synonymous with …………….
Answer:
(a) The postmaster was a fat, amiable and helpful fellow.
(b) The postmaster helped Lencho by collecting money from his employees and friends.
(c) The word is ‘Immediately’.
(d) Determination is synonym with Resolution.
Question 7.
The following Sunday, Lencho came a bit earlier than usual to ask if there was a letter for him. It was the postman himself who handed the letter to him while the postmaster, experiencing the contentment of a man who has performed a good deed, looked on from his office.
Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money; such was his confidence, but he became angry when he counted the money. God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.
(a) Why did Lencho come earlier to the post office?
(b) Why wasLencho angry when he counted money?
(c) Find the word which means the opposite of permitted from the passage.
(d) Which word in the passage gives the meaning ‘that one will be successful one day’.
Answer:
(a) Lencho came earlier to the post office to know if there was a letter for him.
(b) Lencho was angry when he counted money as it was not the full amount that he had demanded from God.
(c) The word is ‘denied’.
(d) The word is ‘confidence’.
Question 8.
When he finished, he went to the window to buy a stamp which he licked and then affixed to the envelope with a blow of his fist. The moment the letter fell into the mailbox the postmaster went to open it. It said: “God: Of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest, since I need it very much. But don’t send it to me through the mail because the post office employees are a ‘bunch of crooks’. Lencho.” [CBSE 2016]
(a) What did Lencho do wijh the stamp?
(b) What did the postmaster do when the letter fell into the mailbox and why?
(c) Find out the word which has the similar meaning as ‘attached’ used in the passage.
(d) Which word in the passage denotes a dishonest person?
Answer:
(a) Lencho licked and affixed the stamp to the envelope with a blow of his fist.
(b) The postmaster immediately opened the letter to know Lencho’s feeling for the money he had received.
(c) The word is ‘affixed’.
(d) The word is ‘crook’.
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
Who was Lencho? What were his main problems?
Answer:
Lencho was a hardworking farmer, who lived on the crest of a low hill. Due to the hailstorm his crops were destroyed, so he needed money to sow his field again and support his family. These were the main problems of Lencho.
Question 2.
Give a brief description of the view from Lencho’s house?
Answer:
Lencho’s house was situated on the crest of a low hill and it was the only one in the valley. One could easily see the river and the field of ripe corn from here.
Question 3.
What did Lencho compare the raindrops to and why?
Answer:
Lencho compared the raindrops to new coins because the crop needed the rain badly and it was the sign of good harvest. Good harvest meant prosperity for Lencho as he needed the money to fulfil his basic needs.
Question 4.
Why did Lencho write a letter to God?
Answer:
When.Lencho’s crops were completely destroyed by the hailstorm, he wrote a letter to God because he was the only hope in his despair. Lencho asked him to send hundred pesos to sow his field again and support his family.
Question 5.
Why and how did the postmaster help Lencho?
Answer:
The postmaster was determined to help Lencho. He did not want Lencho’s faith in God to be shaken so he asked his employees and friends to help Lencho. He also contributed a part of his salary for this act of charity.
Question 6.
How much money did Lencho need? How . much did he get?
Answer:
Lencho got seventy pesos. He was angry at the difference as he needed hundred pesos to sow the crops again and to support his family till the next harvest.
Question 7.
Why did Lencho not want the money to be sent through mail? CBSE 2016
Answer:
Lencho wrote in his second letter that he received only seventy pesos but he needed a hundred pesos.
He requested God not to send rest of the money by post since the post office employees were a bunch of crooks and would steal the money.
Question 8.
Do you think that Lencho was right to call the post office employees a bunch of crooks? Why or why not?
Answer:
Lencho called the post office employees a bunch of crooks as he did not get full money that he had demanded. He could not believe that God had sent him any less money so he doubted these people. But he was not right to call them a bunch of crooks.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
Who was Lencho and what circumstances forced him to write a letter to God?
Answer:
Lencho was a hardworking farmer who lived with his family on a crest of a low hill. He was very caring and God loving man. Though, he was a farmer he could read and write. Lencho eagerly waited for the rainfall in order to get good harvest and he became happy when it came. But the pleasing rain changed into hailstorm and destroyed his crop.
He became sad and was worried about his family as they might remain hungry that year. His last hope was the help from God as he had complete faith in him. Hence, he wrote a letter to God asking him to send hundred pesos to survive and to reharvest.
Question 2.
Give a character-sketch of Lencho.
Answer:
Lencho was a simple man and a hardworking farmer. He worked as an ox in his field.
Lencho’s entire crops were badly destroyed by the hailstorm. So, he became very sad as he was worried about his family. He was an optimistic person. Although his only source of living was taken away, he didn’t lose hope. He had his last hope in God. He was confident that God would help him in his distress. Lencho was an innocent atheist who didn’t know that there was no such living person as God who could send him money. He had blind faith in God and sought solution of his problem’Trom God only.
Question 3.
Sketch the character of the postmaster in the story ‘A Letter to God”.
(or)
How do you like ,the character of the postmaster in the story ‘A Letter to God?” Give reason for your answer.
Answer:
The postmaster was a fat and friendly fellow. He was a sensible human being. He first laughed looking at the letter which had a strange address. But soon he became serious. He was surprised at the faith that Lencho had in God. He wanted his faith not to be shaken.
The postmaster himself gave a part of his salary and also requested his employees and a few friends to contribute for charity. He felt happy and satisfied when Lencho received the money. This shows that he was a kind and empathetic person as well. He loved to help others.
Question 4.
How did the postmaster and post office employees help Lencho? How did he react to their help?
Answer:
The Postmaster and post office employees were very generous as they contributed for the act of charity. First they laughed when they saw Lencho’s letter to God, but soon they were impressed by his faith in God. They decided to send some money to Lencho so that his faith in God does not get shaken. They collected seventy pesos and sent it to Lencho.
When Lencho got the envelope and opened it to count money, he became angry. He again wrote a letter to God demanding the remaining thirty pesos. He thought that post office employees had taken away the remaining money and called them a bunch of crooks, which was not justified at all as they were the people who had helped him. But it shows his innocence and firm faith in God.
Question 5.
How did the hailstones affect Lencho’s field? What was Lencho’s only hope?
Answer:
Lencho, a hardworking farmer, worked like an ox for a good harvest, depended completely on his fields to take care of his family. He expected a good harvest that year. He needed a downpour for the crops to ripe, but the rain followed by hailstorm completely destroyed the crops.
It made him sad. He was worried for his family as he loved them so much. But Lencho had firm faith in God and believed that nobody died of hunger. So, he decided to seek help from God. He wrote a letter to God and asked him for a hundred pesos to survive and to sow new crop.
Question 6.
“Humanity still exists”, this is what we get to know after reading A letter to God’ in which firm faith in God of a poor farmer and helpfulness of the post office employees are aptly depicted thought. Write a paragraph on the values in it, in about 80-100 words. Give the paragraph a suitable title. [CBSE 2012]
Answer:
Existence of Humanity
After reading ‘A letter to God’, our faith in humanity stirs for strong. We learn from the story that there still are people who help others without any self interest. The postmaster and the post office employees lay an example for everyone of us to be kind. Though they all laughed at his letter, they were really moved by the grip of faith Lencho had in God. The way they all decided to help the stranger in his hard times restores our faith in the existence of humanity and motivates us to be a noble and kind person.
Question 7.
Describe Lencho’s qualities in light of his faith in God. Do you have faith in God like Lencho? Was Lencho’s reaction towards post office employees right?
Answer:
Lencho was a poor farmer who totally depended on the harvest to survive and fulfil basic needs of his family. Once his crops were destroyed due to heavy rainfall and hailstones and he was afraid to think how his family would survive. He believed that God would help him in this plight. He had firm faith in God, he believed that God would not let him be hungry.
Now-a-days faith in God like Lencho is almost impossible and unseen. People are very much aware that nobody is willing to help others without any self interest. Lencho’s reaction towards post office employees was not right or justified but it was just because of his innocence as he could not believe that God had done such a mistake. It were only the post office employees who had stolen money according to him.
Answer: Lencho had hoped for a downpour or at least a shower for his ripe corn fields as it was needed for a good harvest.
2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
Answer: Lencho compared the raindrops to ‘new coins’, the big drops as ten cent pieces and the little ones as fives. As his crops were ready for harvest, he hoped that the rains would bring him prosperity so he felt the raindrops were like ‘new coins’.
3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
Answer: The rain started pouring down. But suddenly a strong wind blew and very large hailstones, like frozen pearls, began to fall along with the rain. The hailstorm continued for an hour and destroyed Lencho’s corn fields and washed away the flowers from the plants too.
4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
Answer: After the hailstones stopped, Lencho’s soul was filled with grief and dismay. He realised that everything was ruined by the hailstorm and nothing was left to feed his family for the entire year. He could visualize the bleak future of his family.
Oral Comprehension Check
1. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Answer: Lencho had strong faith in God. He believed that God’s eyes see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience. Hence, he wrote a letter to God citing that he needed a hundred pesos to sow his field again that was destroyed by the hailstorm.
2. Who read the letter?
Answer: The postmaster read Lencho’s letter addressed to God.
3.What did the postmaster do then?
Answer: Initially, the postmaster broke out into laughter, but was soon moved by the seriousness of Lencho’s faith in God. He didn’t want to shake the writer’s faith in the Almighty so he came up with an idea to collect money from his employees, friends and gave a part of his salary and sent it to Lencho.
Oral Comprehension Check
1. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Answer: No, Lencho was not at all surprised on receiving a letter from God with money in it. He was very confident and had firm faith in God that his request would definitely be taken care of by the Almighty.
2. What made him angry?
Answer: When Lencho counted the money he found seventy pesos only, instead of hundred pesos demanded by him from God. He was confident that God could neither make a mistake in sending him less money, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested. Therefore, he came to the conclusion that the post office employees must have taken the remaining thirty pesos from the envelope.
Thinking about the Text
1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
Answer: Lencho had complete faith in God as he was instructed that God could see everything and helped whoever was in deep trouble. Given below are a few sentences which exhibit his faith in God:
1. But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley, there was a single hope help from God.
2. All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he had been instructed, see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience.
3. “God”, he wrote, “if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this year”.
4. He wrote ‘To God’ on the envelope, put the letter inside and still troubled, went to town.
5. God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.
6. It said: “God: Of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest, since I need it very much”.
2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
Answer:The postmaster was deeply moved by Lencho’s faith in God. Hence, he decided to send some money to Lencho in order to avoid shaking the latter’s faith in God. So, he collected some money from his colleagues and friends and signed the letter as ‘God’. The postmaster felt it was an ideal ploy to convey a message to Lencho that God has sent him the money and that God himself signed on it.
3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?
Answer: No, Lencho did not try to find out who had sent him the money because he was confident that God had sent it to him. Not for a moment did he suspect that someone else other than God could have sent the money to him. His faith in the Almighty was so rock-solid that he knew that nothing escapes God’s eyes. Lencho felt that God was aware of the unfortunate incident faced by him and requested him to save him from this difficult situation.
4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation? (Remember that the irony of a situation is an unexpected aspect of it. An ironic situation is strange or amusing because it is the opposite of what is expected.)
Answer:Upon counting the money, when Lencho found seventy pesos only in the envelope instead of hundred pesos that he had requested from God, he was confident that the Almighty couldn’t have made such a big mistake. From this situation, he understood that the post office employees could have stolen the remaining thirty pesos from the envelope. Hence, he called them crooks.
The element of irony in this situation is that Lencho ends up suspecting those very people who helped him in his crisis, in order to avoid shaking his faith in God.
5. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the box to answer the question.
greedy
naive
stupid
ungrateful
selfish
comical
unquestioning
Answer:It is not easy to find people like Lencho in the real world as he has a naïve and unquestioning nature. From the story, we can conclude that he is not stupid and a literate person who wrote a letter to God without any address requesting for money. Lencho had deep faith in God and was confident that he would definitely receive some financial help from the Almighty.
6.There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
Answer:The conflicts between humans and nature is shown in the story when Lencho’s crops were destroyed by the hailstorm. He had expected some good rain for a good harvest. However, when his crops were damaged by the hailstorm, he lost all hope and became sad at the sight of his destroyed field.
However, the story also depicts conflicts of humans between themselves. The postmaster collected some money from his colleagues, friends and gave a part of his salary to help Lencho so that the latter’s faith in God is not shaken. It was a beautiful act of selflessness and kindness on their part. Despite their noble act, when Lencho received the money, he blindly believed that God had sent him the money and he blamed the post office employees for stealing some money from the envelope. This implies that man lacks faith in his fellow human beings, which gives rise to conflicts amongst themselves.
Thinking about Language
1. There are different names in different parts of the world for storms, depending on their nature. Can you match the names in the box with their descriptions below, and fill in the blanks? You may use a dictionary to help you.
gale,
whirlwind,
cyclone,
hurricane,
tornado,
typhoon
1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle: _ _ c _ _ _ _
2. An extremely strong wind: _ a _ __
3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds: _ _ p _ _ _ _
4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel: _ _ _ n _ _ _
5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean: _ _ r _ _ _ _ _ _
6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage: _ _ _ _ l _ _
Answer:1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle: c y c l o n e
2. An extremely strong wind: g a l e
3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds: t y p h o o n
4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel: t o r n a d o
5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean: h u r r i c a n e
6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage: w h i r l w i n d
2.Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of ‘hope’ in Column B.
A
B
1. Will you get the subjects you want to study in college? I hope so.
– a feeling that something good will probably happen
2. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but I don’t like the way you are arguing.
– thinking that this would happen (It may or may not have happened.)
3. This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS sufferers.
– stopped believing that this good thing would happen
4. We were hoping against hope that the judges would not notice our mistakes.
– wanting something to happen (and thinking it quite possible)
5. I called early in the hope of speaking to her before she went to school.
– showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person: a way of being polite
6. Just when everybody had given up hope, the fishermen came back, seven days after the cyclone.
– wishing for something to happen, although this is very unlikely
Answer:
A
B
1. Will you get the subjects you want to study in college? I hope so.
– wanting something to happen (and thinking it quite possible)
2. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but I don’t like the way you are arguing.
– showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person: a way of being polite
3. This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS sufferers.
– a feeling that something good will probably happen
4. We were hoping against hope that the judges would not notice our mistakes.
–wishing for something to happen, although this is very unlikely
5. I called early in the hope of speaking to her before she went to school.
– thinking that this would happen (It may or may not have happened.)
6. Just when everybody had given up hope, the fishermen came back, seven days after the cyclone.
– stopped believing that this good thing would happen
3. Relative Clauses: Join the sentences given below using who, whom, whose, which, as suggested.
1. I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)
2. My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well. (who)
3. These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent. (whose)
4. Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)
5. This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)
Answer:
1. I often go to Mumbai, which is the commercial capital of India.
2. My mother, who cooks very well, is going to host a TV show on cooking.
3. These sportspersons, whose performance has been excellent, are going to meet the President.
4. Lencho prayed to God, whose eyes see into our minds.
5. This man, whom I trusted, cheated me.
4. Using Negatives for Emphasis: Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.
1. The trees lost all their leaves.
_____________________
2. The letter was addressed to God himself.
_____________________
3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
_____________________
Answer:
1. The trees lost all their leaves.
Not a leaf remained on the trees.
2. The letter was addressed to God himself.
It was nothing less than a letter to God.
3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
Never in his career as a postman had he seen that address.
5. Metaphors: In pairs, find metaphors from the story to complete the table below. Try to say what qualities are being compared. One has been done for you.
Object
Metaphor
Quality or Feature Compared
Cloud
Huge mountains of clouds
The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
Raindrops
Hailstones
Locusts
An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead
An ox of a man
Answer:
Object
Metaphor
Quality or Feature Compared
Cloud
Huge mountains of clouds
The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
Raindrops
Coins
The money that the good crops will bring when sold
Hailstones
Frozen pearls
Resembles the colour, hardness and brightness of pearls
Locusts
A plague of locusts
The destruction caused by plague and its consequences
Locusts
A plague of locusts
An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead
Lencho
An ox of a man
Strong and hardworking nature resembles the working of an ox in the field
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
Question 1.
The house- the only one in the entire valley- sat on the crest of a low hill. From this height one could see the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers that always promised a good harvest. The only thing the Earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower. Throughout the morning Lencho who knew his fields intimately had done nothing else but see the sky towards the North-East. “Now we’re really going to get some water, woman.
” The woman who was preparing supper, replied, “Yes, God willing”.
(a) Where was Lencho’s house located?
(b) What was Lencho’s wife preparing?
(c) Find the word from the passage which means ‘very closely’.
(d) What does ‘Crest’ means?
Answer:
Lencho’s house was located on the crest of a low hill.
(b) Lencho’s wife was preparing supper.
(c) The word is ‘Intimately’.
(d) Crest means the top part of a hill.
Question 2.
It was during the meal that, just as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall. In the North-East huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching. The air was fresh and sweet. The man went out for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body. [CBSE 2012]
(a) What could be seen approaching in the North-East?
(b) Why did Lencho go out?
(c) Give an antonym of the word Big.
(d) Which word in the passage is a synonym of ‘forecast’.
Answer:
(a) Huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching in the North-East.
(b) Lencho went out to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body.
(c) The word is ‘small’.
(d) The word ‘predict’ is a synonym of forecast.
Question 3.
With a satisfied expression he regarded the field of ripe corn with its flowers, draped in a. curtain of rain. But suddenly a strong wind began to blow and alongwith the rain very large hailstones began to fall. These truly did resemble new silver coins. The boys, exposing themselves to the rain, ran out to collect the frozen pearls.
(a) What happened to the rain suddenly?
(b) ‘The frozen pearls’ refers to which thing in the paragraph.
(c) Find the similar meaning-of ‘contented’ in the paragraph.
(d) Find from the passage a word which means ‘to take after’.
Answer:
(a) The rain suddenly changed into hailstones.
(b) ‘The frozen pearls’ refers to hailstones.
(c) The word is ‘Satisfied’.
(d) The word is ‘Resemble’.
Question 4.
Not a leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed. The flowers were gone from the plants. Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness. When the storm had passed, he stood in the middle of the field and said to his sons. “A plague of locusts would have left more than this. The hail has left nothing.
(a) Describe Lencho’s feeling as shown in the passage.
(b) What happened to the crop when the storm had passed?
(c) Find the word that means the opposite of ‘restored’ as used in the passage.
(d) What do you mean by ‘hail’ in the last line?
Answer:
(a) Lencho was filled with sadness when the storm had passed.
(b) The crop was completely destroyed when the storm had passed.
(c) The word is ‘destroyed’.
(d) ‘Hail’ is balls of ice that falls from the sky in the form of rain.
Question 5.
“That’s what they say: no one dies of hunger.” All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he had been instructed, see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience. Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields, but still he knew how to write. [CBSE 2014]
(a) What was Lencho’s only hope?
(b) How did Lencho work in the field?
(c) Find the exact word of similar meaning ‘moral sense’ given in the passage.
(d) Explain ‘an or of a man’.
Answer:
(a) Lencho’s only hope was the help of God.
(b) Lencho worked as an ‘ox’ in the field.
(c) The word is ‘conscience’.
(d) It means a man working hard like an ox or animal.
Question 6.
The postmaster- a fat, amiable fellow- also broke out laughing, but almost immediately he turned serious and tapping the letter on his desk, commented. “What faith! I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter. Starting.up a correspondence with God!”
So, in order ndt to shake the writer’s faith in God, the postmaster came up with an idea: answer the letter. But when he opened it, it was evident that to answer it he needed something more than goodwill, ink and paper. But he stuck to his resolution: he asked for money from his employees, he himself gave part of his salary and several friends of his vreie obliged io give something ‘for an act of charity’.
(a) What kind of a person the postmaster was?
(b) How did the postmaster help Lencho?
(c) Find the exact word in similar meaning ‘without delay’ given in the passage.
(d) Determination is synonymous with …………….
Answer:
(a) The postmaster was a fat, amiable and helpful fellow.
(b) The postmaster helped Lencho by collecting money from his employees and friends.
(c) The word is ‘Immediately’.
(d) Determination is synonym with Resolution.
Question 7.
The following Sunday, Lencho came a bit earlier than usual to ask if there was a letter for him. It was the postman himself who handed the letter to him while the postmaster, experiencing the contentment of a man who has performed a good deed, looked on from his office.
Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money; such was his confidence, but he became angry when he counted the money. God could not have made a mistake, nor could he have denied Lencho what he had requested.
(a) Why did Lencho come earlier to the post office?
(b) Why wasLencho angry when he counted money?
(c) Find the word which means the opposite of permitted from the passage.
(d) Which word in the passage gives the meaning ‘that one will be successful one day’.
Answer:
(a) Lencho came earlier to the post office to know if there was a letter for him.
(b) Lencho was angry when he counted money as it was not the full amount that he had demanded from God.
(c) The word is ‘denied’.
(d) The word is ‘confidence’.
Question 8.
When he finished, he went to the window to buy a stamp which he licked and then affixed to the envelope with a blow of his fist. The moment the letter fell into the mailbox the postmaster went to open it. It said: “God: Of the money that I asked for, only seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest, since I need it very much. But don’t send it to me through the mail because the post office employees are a ‘bunch of crooks’. Lencho.” [CBSE 2016]
(a) What did Lencho do wijh the stamp?
(b) What did the postmaster do when the letter fell into the mailbox and why?
(c) Find out the word which has the similar meaning as ‘attached’ used in the passage.
(d) Which word in the passage denotes a dishonest person?
Answer:
(a) Lencho licked and affixed the stamp to the envelope with a blow of his fist.
(b) The postmaster immediately opened the letter to know Lencho’s feeling for the money he had received.
(c) The word is ‘affixed’.
(d) The word is ‘crook’.
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
Who was Lencho? What were his main problems?
Answer:
Lencho was a hardworking farmer, who lived on the crest of a low hill. Due to the hailstorm his crops were destroyed, so he needed money to sow his field again and support his family. These were the main problems of Lencho.
Question 2.
Give a brief description of the view from Lencho’s house?
Answer:
Lencho’s house was situated on the crest of a low hill and it was the only one in the valley. One could easily see the river and the field of ripe corn from here.
Question 3.
What did Lencho compare the raindrops to and why?
Answer:
Lencho compared the raindrops to new coins because the crop needed the rain badly and it was the sign of good harvest. Good harvest meant prosperity for Lencho as he needed the money to fulfil his basic needs.
Question 4.
Why did Lencho write a letter to God?
Answer:
When.Lencho’s crops were completely destroyed by the hailstorm, he wrote a letter to God because he was the only hope in his despair. Lencho asked him to send hundred pesos to sow his field again and support his family.
Question 5.
Why and how did the postmaster help Lencho?
Answer:
The postmaster was determined to help Lencho. He did not want Lencho’s faith in God to be shaken so he asked his employees and friends to help Lencho. He also contributed a part of his salary for this act of charity.
Question 6.
How much money did Lencho need? How . much did he get?
Answer:
Lencho got seventy pesos. He was angry at the difference as he needed hundred pesos to sow the crops again and to support his family till the next harvest.
Question 7.
Why did Lencho not want the money to be sent through mail? CBSE 2016
Answer:
Lencho wrote in his second letter that he received only seventy pesos but he needed a hundred pesos.
He requested God not to send rest of the money by post since the post office employees were a bunch of crooks and would steal the money.
Question 8.
Do you think that Lencho was right to call the post office employees a bunch of crooks? Why or why not?
Answer:
Lencho called the post office employees a bunch of crooks as he did not get full money that he had demanded. He could not believe that God had sent him any less money so he doubted these people. But he was not right to call them a bunch of crooks.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
Who was Lencho and what circumstances forced him to write a letter to God?
Answer:
Lencho was a hardworking farmer who lived with his family on a crest of a low hill. He was very caring and God loving man. Though, he was a farmer he could read and write. Lencho eagerly waited for the rainfall in order to get good harvest and he became happy when it came. But the pleasing rain changed into hailstorm and destroyed his crop.
He became sad and was worried about his family as they might remain hungry that year. His last hope was the help from God as he had complete faith in him. Hence, he wrote a letter to God asking him to send hundred pesos to survive and to reharvest.
Question 2.
Give a character-sketch of Lencho.
Answer:
Lencho was a simple man and a hardworking farmer. He worked as an ox in his field.
Lencho’s entire crops were badly destroyed by the hailstorm. So, he became very sad as he was worried about his family. He was an optimistic person. Although his only source of living was taken away, he didn’t lose hope. He had his last hope in God. He was confident that God would help him in his distress. Lencho was an innocent atheist who didn’t know that there was no such living person as God who could send him money. He had blind faith in God and sought solution of his problem’Trom God only.
Question 3.
Sketch the character of the postmaster in the story ‘A Letter to God”.
(or)
How do you like ,the character of the postmaster in the story ‘A Letter to God?” Give reason for your answer.
Answer:
The postmaster was a fat and friendly fellow. He was a sensible human being. He first laughed looking at the letter which had a strange address. But soon he became serious. He was surprised at the faith that Lencho had in God. He wanted his faith not to be shaken.
The postmaster himself gave a part of his salary and also requested his employees and a few friends to contribute for charity. He felt happy and satisfied when Lencho received the money. This shows that he was a kind and empathetic person as well. He loved to help others.
Question 4.
How did the postmaster and post office employees help Lencho? How did he react to their help?
Answer:
The Postmaster and post office employees were very generous as they contributed for the act of charity. First they laughed when they saw Lencho’s letter to God, but soon they were impressed by his faith in God. They decided to send some money to Lencho so that his faith in God does not get shaken. They collected seventy pesos and sent it to Lencho.
When Lencho got the envelope and opened it to count money, he became angry. He again wrote a letter to God demanding the remaining thirty pesos. He thought that post office employees had taken away the remaining money and called them a bunch of crooks, which was not justified at all as they were the people who had helped him. But it shows his innocence and firm faith in God.
Question 5.
How did the hailstones affect Lencho’s field? What was Lencho’s only hope?
Answer:
Lencho, a hardworking farmer, worked like an ox for a good harvest, depended completely on his fields to take care of his family. He expected a good harvest that year. He needed a downpour for the crops to ripe, but the rain followed by hailstorm completely destroyed the crops.
It made him sad. He was worried for his family as he loved them so much. But Lencho had firm faith in God and believed that nobody died of hunger. So, he decided to seek help from God. He wrote a letter to God and asked him for a hundred pesos to survive and to sow new crop.
Question 6.
“Humanity still exists”, this is what we get to know after reading A letter to God’ in which firm faith in God of a poor farmer and helpfulness of the post office employees are aptly depicted thought. Write a paragraph on the values in it, in about 80-100 words. Give the paragraph a suitable title. [CBSE 2012]
Answer:
Existence of Humanity
After reading ‘A letter to God’, our faith in humanity stirs for strong. We learn from the story that there still are people who help others without any self interest. The postmaster and the post office employees lay an example for everyone of us to be kind. Though they all laughed at his letter, they were really moved by the grip of faith Lencho had in God. The way they all decided to help the stranger in his hard times restores our faith in the existence of humanity and motivates us to be a noble and kind person.
Question 7.
Describe Lencho’s qualities in light of his faith in God. Do you have faith in God like Lencho? Was Lencho’s reaction towards post office employees right?
Answer:
Lencho was a poor farmer who totally depended on the harvest to survive and fulfil basic needs of his family. Once his crops were destroyed due to heavy rainfall and hailstones and he was afraid to think how his family would survive. He believed that God would help him in this plight. He had firm faith in God, he believed that God would not let him be hungry.
Now-a-days faith in God like Lencho is almost impossible and unseen. People are very much aware that nobody is willing to help others without any self interest. Lencho’s reaction towards post office employees was not right or justified but it was just because of his innocence as he could not believe that God had done such a mistake. It were only the post office employees who had stolen money according to him.
Comments
Post a Comment