From The Diary Of Anne Frank Solution of CBSE Class 10 First Flight

Anne provides a brief sketch of her life because she thought that no one would understand a word of her musings without knowing her background i.e. about her family, friends and the environment she had grown up in.

Question 2.

What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank?

Answer:

Writing in a diary was a really strange experience for Anne Frank because firstly, she had never written anything before. Secondly, she thought that neither she nor anyone else would be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old school girl later on. But she went on with it because she wanted to get rid of the various kinds of thought she hid in her mind.

Question 3.

Why does Anne want to keep a diary?

Answer:

Anne didn’t have any real friends to share her feelings and thoughts with. Further, she believed that paper had more patience than people and so she wanted to get all kinds of things off her chest and confide her innermost perceptions of different things with the diary.

Question 4.

What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother?

Answer:

Anne’s grandmother died in January 1942. The line mentioned by Anne i.e. “No one knows how often I think of her and still love her” gives us a deep insight into the feelings of sadness that surrounded her and the magnitude of love that she had for her grandmother. Further, the lighting of a candle by Anne on her birthday to mark the loving memory of her grandmother brings together those poignant feelings that hid inside Anne.

Question 5.

Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?

Answer:

Anne believed that paper had more patience than people and thought that she could freely express herself in her diary. Additionally, given the fact that Anne did not have that one trustworthy friend in her life, she was prompted to trust the diary more than the people around her.

Oral Comprehension Check Pg-54

Question 1.

Why was Mr. Keesing annoyed with Anne? What did he ask her to do?

Answer:

Mr. Keesing was Anne’s math’s teacher. He was annoyed with her because she talked too much in his class. After several warnings, he gave her an extra homework in which he asked her to write an essay on the subject ‘A Chatterbox’.

Question 2.

How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay?

Answer:

Anne wanted to give convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking to Mr. Keesing. After a lot of brainstorming, she wrote three pages arguing that talking was a student’s trait. However, she would do her best to keep it under control. She also wrote that she would never be able to cure herself of the habit as her mother also talked as much as she did and besides one cannot do much about inherited traits.

Question 3.

Do you think Mr. Keesing was a strict teacher?

Answer:

Yes, Mr. Keesing was a strict teacher. He did not allow students to talk in his class as he wanted them to concentrate on their studies. He often punished Anne for talking in between classes by giving her essays and extra work. However, he appreciated Anne for her strong arguments every time which can be traced from the instance when Mr. Keesing read out her beautiful poem on the topic ‘Quack Quack Quack, said Mistress Chatterbox.’ Such an instance shows that he was not only a strict teacher but also a fun loving person.

Question 4.

What made Mr. Keesing allow Anne to talk in the class?

Answer:

Anne was able to justify herself by giving strong arguments every time Mr. Keesing gave her a topic for writing. On three occasions, Anne was asked to do so however, she managed to impress Mr. Keesing every time with her unique ideas and opinions. Finally, Mr. Keesing gave up and accepted the talkative nature of Anne and allowed her to talk in the class.

Thinking About The Text

Question 1.

Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl?

Answer:

No, Anne was not right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl because after her death her diary became very popular and was translated into several languages. It emerged to be a very successful piece of writing and was widely read.

Question 2.

There are some examples of diary or journal entries in the ‘Before You Read’ Section. Compare these with what Anne writes in her diary. What language was the diary originally written in? In what way is Anne’s diary different?

Answer:

Though Anne was only thirteen when she started writing her diary, yet she became very famous when her diary got published after her death. It was translated into several languages and became one of the most popular books in the world. It was originally written in the Dutch language. Anne’s diary is different from other diaries in various ways because Anne considered her diary Kitty to be her closest and true friend with whom she shared very minute details of her life.

Question 3.

Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch of her family? Does she treat ‘Kitty’ as an insider or an outsider?

Answer:

Anne did not have a true friend with whom she could share her thoughts, personal feelings and experiences. She often felt depressed and alone. She thought that nobody would understand her musings and considered the need of giving a brief sketch of her family which comprised of an adorable father and mother, a kind grandmother and a caring elder sister. She named her diary ‘Kitty’, who became a true confidant and an insider to her.

Question 4.

How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs. Kuperus and Mr. Keesing? What do these tell you about her?

Answer:

Anne respected her father and claimed him to be the most adorable father in the whole world. She loved and missed her grandmother very much after her death in 1942. Mrs. Kuperus was the headmistress of her Montessori School and her teacher as well in the sixth form. Both of them had a heartbreaking farewell at the end of the year. Mr. Keesing was a strict teacher who punished Anne for her talkative nature. However, Later Anne was able to bring about a change in his attitude tactfully through her strong and amusing arguments. All these instances show that Anne loved and respected her elders and teachers. She was both sensible and sensitive.

Question 5.

What does Anne write in her first essay?

Answer:

In her first essay, Anne was given the task of writing on the subject “A Chatterbox” in which she had to present the necessity of talking. As she began thinking, she was able to write three pages in which she argued that talking was a student’s trait but would do her best to control it. Further, she wrote that she would never be able to cure herself of this habit since her mother talked as much as she did and there was not much she could do about the inherited traits.

Question 6.

Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr. Keesing unpredictable? How?

Answer:

According to Anne, Mr. Keesing could be termed as unpredictable. In the beginning, he was very strict and punished Anne by asking her to write essays on topics related to talking. In this way, he tried to play jokes on her in different ways. Each time Mr. Keesing gave Anne the topic for her essay; she smartly presented her arguments and successfully countered his jokes. Eventually, after Anne’s third write up, his attitude towards her changed and he became very lenient. He never punished her after that and even allowed her to talk in the class.

Question 7.

What do these statements tell you about Anne Frank as a person?

(i) We don’t seem to be able to get any closer, and that’s the problem. Maybe it’s my fault that we don’t confine in each other.

(ii) I don’t want to jot down the facts in a diary the way most people would, but I want the diary to be my friend.

(iii) Margot went to Holland In December; I followed in February When I was plunked down on the table as a birthday present for Margot.

(iv) If you ask me, there are so many dummies that about a quarter of the class should be kept back, but teachers are the most unpredictable creatures on earth.

(v) Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the trick was to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking.

Answer:

(i) These lines show that Anne had no true confidence. She even does not hesitate to blame her own self for this loneliness.

(ii) These lines show that she wanted to pursue things in her own way. She doesn’t want to maintain a diary only for jotting down the things but wanted the diary to be her true friend.

(iii) This sentence shows that Anne did not have a stable life from the very beginning of her early days of childhood.

(iv) This sentence shows that Anne is a very frank girl. She freely expresses her opinion about her class fellows as well as her teachers.

(v) This sentence shows that Anne is no rambler*. She is a serious girl who wants to do her best and make it different in every way possible.
Rambler* Meaning – A person who enjoys going for long walks.

Thinking About Language

Question 1.

Look at the following words.

These words are compound words. They are made up of two or more words.

Compound words can be:

•Nouns (a word that identifies a person, a place, an animal or a thing): headmistress, homework, notebook, outbursts

•Adjectives (a word that gives the description of a noun or a pronoun): long-awaited, stiff-backed

•Verbs( Verbs can be described as words that describe actions): sleep-walk, baby-sit

(Compound word)

Match the compound words under ‘A’ with their meanings under ‘B’. Use each in a sentence.

Answer:

Question 2.

Phrasal verbs

A phrasal verb is a verb followed by a preposition or an adverb. Its meaning is often different from the meaning of its parts.

Compare the meanings of the verbs gets on and run away in (a) and (b) below. You can easily guess their meanings in (a) but in (b) they have special meanings.

(a) She got on at Agra when the bus stopped for breakfast.

Dev Anand ran away from home when he was a teenager.

In (a) i.e. the first sentence, she got on refers to the movement of a person

Whereas

In the second sentence, it says that Dev Anand ran away i.e. left his house

(b) She’s eager to get on in life. (Succeed)

The visitors ran away with the match. (Won easily)

In (b) i.e. the first sentence, it refers to climbing the ladder of success

Whereas

In the second sentence, it refers to winning the match (ran away with the match)

Some phrasal verbs have three parts: a verb followed by an adverb and a preposition. For Example:

(c) Our car ran out of petrol just outside the city limits.

(d) The government wants to reach out to the people with this new campaign.

A. Look up the following in a dictionary for their meanings (under the entry for the italicized word).

(i) Plunge (right) in (ii) Kept back

(iii) Ramble on

(iv) Get along with

Answer:

(i) Plunge in – drive into. Eg- The drunk man plunged into the pole.

(ii) Kept back – to withhold. Eg- His result was kept back due to a compartment in three subjects.

(iii) Ramble on – to walk or talk in a confused way. Eg- He just went on rambling all evening.

(iv) Get along with – to be friendly with one another. Eg- In their first meeting only, they got along very well.

NOTE: As a noun, plunge means a brief swim or a fall but as a verb, its meaning may differ.

Question 3.

Phrasal verbs

A phrasal verb is a verb followed by a preposition or an adverb. Its meaning is often different from the meaning of its parts.

Compare the meanings of the verbs gets on and run away in (a) and (b) below. You can easily guess their meanings in (a) but in (b) they have special meanings.

(a) She got on at Agra when the bus stopped for breakfast.

Dev Anand ran away from home when he was a teenager.

In (a) i.e. the first sentence, she got on refers to the movement of a person

Whereas

In the second sentence, it says that Dev Anand ran away i.e. left his house

(b) She’s eager to get on in life. (Succeed)

The visitors ran away with the match. (Won easily)

In (b) i.e. the first sentence, it refers to climbing the ladder of success

Whereas

In the second sentence, it refers to winning the match (ran away with the match)

Some phrasal verbs have three parts: a verb followed by an adverb and a preposition. For Example:

(c) Our car ran out of petrol just outside the city limits.

(d) The government wants to reach out to the people with this new campaign.

B. Now find the sentences in the lesson that have the phrasal verbs given below. Match them with their meanings. (you have already found out the meanings of some of them.) Are their meanings the same as that of their parts? (Note that two parts of the phrasal verb may occur separated in the text.)

Answer:

Question 4.

Idioms

Idioms are groups of words with a fixed order, and a particular meaning different from the meanings of each of their words put together. (Phrasal verbs can also be idioms; they are said to be ‘idiomatic’ when their meanings are unpredictable). For example, do you know what it means to meet one’s match in English? It makes to meet someone who is as good as oneself, or even better, in some skill or quality. Do you know what it means to let the cat out of the bag? Can you guess?

A. Here are a few sentences from the text which have idiomatic expressions. Can you say what each means? (You might want to consult a dictionary first.)

(i) Our entire class is quaking in its boots.

…………………………………………………………..

(ii) Until then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart.

…………………………………………………………….

(iii) Mr. Keesing was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much.

…………………………………………………………………..

(iv) Mr. Keesing was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make sure the joke was on him.

…………………………………………………………………..

Answer:

(i) The sentence is trying to convey that all the students were frightened.

(ii) The sentence states that one must not stop believing that one can succeed.

(iii) The sentence says that Mr. Keesing had been annoyed since a long period of time.

(iv) The sentence is trying to convey the situation where a person who tried to make somebody look foolish instead looked ridiculous himself.

Question 5.

Here are a few more idiomatic expressions that occur in the text. Try to use them in sentences of your own.

(i) Caught my eye

(ii) He’d had enough

(iii) Laugh ourselves silly

(iv) Can’t bring myself to

Answer:

(i) caught my eye:

Meaning- to grab attention.
Example: All of a sudden, the beautiful view of the valley caught my eye.

(ii) He’d had enough:

Meaning- enough of something in particular.
Example: I have had enough before I joined the job.

(iii) Laugh ourselves silly:

Meaning- laugh for a long period of time.
Example: On the sight of a joker in the circus, we laughed ourselves silly.

(iv) Can’t bring myself to:

Meaning - The inability to do something that seems unpleasant.
Example: I can’t bring myself to speak about medicines.

Question 6.

Do you know how to use a dictionary to find out the meanings or idiomatic expressions? Take, for example, the expressions caught my eye in the story. Where-under which word-would you look for it in the dictionary?

Look for it under the first word. But if the first word is a ‘grammatically’ word like a, the, for, etc., then take the next word. That is, look for the first ‘meaningful’ word in the expression. In our example, it is the word caught.

But you wouldn’t find caught in the dictionary because it is the past tense of catch. You’ll find caught listed under catch. So you must look catch for the expressions caught my eye. Which other expressions with catch are listed below in your dictionary?

Note that a dictionary entry usually first give the meanings of the word itself, and then gives a list of idiomatic expressions using that word. For example, study this partial entry for the noun ‘eye’ from the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2005.

Eye

•Noun

•Part of the body, either of the two organs of the face that you see with: The suspect has dark hair and green eyes.

•Ability to see: A surgeon needs a good eye and a steady hand.

•The way of seeing -a particular way of seeing: He looked at the design with the eye of an engineer.

You have read the expressions ‘not to lose heart’ in this text. Now find out the meanings of the following expressions using the word ‘heart’. Use each of them in a sentence of your own.

1. Break somebody’s heart

2. Close/dear to heart

3. From the (bottom of your) heart.

4. Have a heart

5. Have a heart of stone

6. Your heart goes out to somebody.

Answer:

1. Break somebody’ heart:
Meaning-to crush someone to grief.
Example: Mohan’s failure broke the heart of his parents.

2. Close/dear to heart:
Meaning of deep importance and concern to one.
Example: My parents are very close to my heart.

3. From the (bottom of your) heart:
Meaning-with sincere feelings.
Example: I love my little sister from the bottom of my heart.

4. Have a heart:
Meaning-be merciful.
Example: One should always have a heart for the poor and the needy.

5. Have a heart of stone.
Meaning- to be of cruel nature.
Example: One must never have a heart of stone for anybody.

6. Your heart goes out to somebody:
Meaning to show concern for somebody.
Example: My heart goes out to the poor who are deprived of the basic necessities in life.

Question 7.

Contracted forms

When we speak, we use ‘contracted forms’ or short forms such as these:

Can’t (for can not or cannot)

I’d (for I would or I had)

She’s (for she is)

Notice that contracted forms are also written with an apostrophe to show a shortening of a spelling of not, would, or is as in the above example. Writing a diary is like speaking to oneself. Plays (often novels) also have speech in written form. So, we usually come across contracted forms in diaries, plays, and novels.

1. Make a list of the contracted forms in the text. Rewrite them in full forms of two words. For Example, I’ve = I have

2. We have seen that some contracted forms can stand for two different full forms:

For Example, I’d = I had or I would

There can be many such shorts forms i.e. contracted forms to shorten sentences. We often use such contractions in our daily life as well.

Find in the text the contracted forms that stand for two different full forms, and say what these are.

Answer:

Speaking

Question 1.

Here is an extract adapted from a one-act play. In this extract, angry neighbors who think Joe the Inventor’s new spinning machine will make them lose their jobs come to destroy Joe’s model of the machine.

You’ve just seen how contracted forms can make a written text sound like actual speech. Try to make this extract sound more like a real conversation by changing some of the verbs back into the contracted forms. Then speak out the lines.

[The door is flung open, and several men tramp in. They carry sticks, and one of them, HOB, has a hammer.]

Answer:

The use of contracted forms in the conversation:

Writing

Question 1.

Now you know what a diary is and how to keep one. Can you keep a diary for a week recording the events that occur? You may share your diary with your class if you wish to. Use the following hints to write your diary.

Though your diary is very private, write as if you are writing for someone else.

Present your thoughts in a convincing manner.

Use words that convey your feelings, and words that ‘paint pictures’ for the reader. Be brief.

‘Diary language’ has some typical features such as subjectless sentences (Got up late in the morning), sentence fragments without subjects or verbs (…… too bad, boring, not good), contracted forms (they’re, I’ve, can’t, didn’t, etc.) and everyday expressions which people use in speech. Remember not to use such language in more formal kinds of writing.

Answer:

Do it yourself.

Listening

Question 1.

Your teacher will read out an extract from The Diary of Samuel Pepys (see textbook page 60) about the great fire of London. As you listen complete this summary of the happenings.

Summary

This entry in the diary has been made on …. (i)…. By …..(ii) The person who told Pepys about the fire was called….(iii)….She called at….(iv)….in the morning. Pepys went back to sleep because…..(v)…..Pepys rose again at….(vi)…..in the morning. By then about….(vii)…..houses had been burned down. The fire had spread to…..(viii)…..by London Bridge. Pepys then walked to the….(ix)…..along with sir J. Robinson’s….(x)……

Answer:

(i) 2^nd September.

(ii) Samuel Pepys

(iii) Jane

(iv) About three

(v) The fire was on the backside of Marke-Lane at the farthest

(vi) Seven

(vii) 300

(viii) All fish street

(ix) Tower

(x) Little son.

Amanda - Thinking About The Poem

Question 1.

How old do you think Amanda is? How do you know this?

Answer:

According to the poem, Amanda seems to be a school going teenager who is asked about the completion of her homework and cleaning of her shoes. Further, the lines mentioned in the poem where Amanda is stopped from eating chocolates and the warning of Acne, a skin disease that clarifies she is an adolescent.

Question 2.

Who do you think is speaking to her?

Answer:

The person speaking to Amanda in the poem is the parent (probably her mother) who is constantly advising her about the difference between the right and the wrong.

Question 3.

Why are the stanzas 2, 4 and 6 given in the parenthesis?

Answer:

These stanzas are given in Parenthesis because they depict Amanda’s state of mind at different times. In stanza 2, she imagines herself as a mermaid* who is moving about and joyfully enjoying the pleasant waves of the sea. In stanza 4, she imagines herself as an orphan who can freely roam the streets leaving impressions of her bare feet. In stanza 6, she imagines herself to be Rapunzel who lived her life in a tranquil state of mind always since she would be alone in the tower as mentioned in the story of Rapunzel.

Mermaid* Meaning – A fictitious half human creature.

Rapunzel* Meaning- The heroine of a fairy tale who had golden hair.

Question 4.

Who is the speaker in stanza 2, 4 and 6? Do you think this speaker is listening to the speaker in stanzas 1, 3, 5 and 7?

Answer:

Amanda is the speaker in the stanzas 2, 4 and 6. These stanzas depict her state of mind where she is talking to her own self. However, she is not listening to the speaker in stanzas 1, 3, 5 and 7 which can be clearly understood from the line – “Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you, Amanda!” Amanda is lost in her own thoughts in which she aspires to be free to live her life the way she wants i.e. away from the nagging of her parents.

Question 5.

What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid?

Answer:

According to the poem, if Amanda were a mermaid, she would have blissfully drifted in the sea enjoying its smooth waves being the sole inhabitant.

Question 6.

If Amanda is orphan? Why does she say so?

Answer:

Amanda is not an orphan. She only imagines herself to be so because she feels that if she would be have been an orphan, she would have had the freedom to roam the streets leaving behind the soft impressions of her bare feet. In such a situation, she finds the silence to be golden and the freedom to be sweet.

Question 7.

Do you know the story of Rapunzel? Why does she want to be Rapunzel?

Answer:

Rapunzel was a beautiful golden-haired girl who had been kept in captivity by an evil witch. Amanda’s mother used to often scold her for not listening to her and so in order to get rid of her mother’s scolding, she thought that living in a lonely tower, just the way Rapunzel lived would be a life full of peace and tranquility.

Question 8.

What does the girl Yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda?

Answer:

Amanda yearns for perfect freedom in her life where she imagines escaping the expectations required of a school going, teenage girl. Amanda is an inquisitive girl who does not like to be constantly nagged and controlled by her parent. She wishes to set free and discover life in her own ways.

Question 9.

Read the last stanza. Do you think Amanda is sulking* and is moody?

Answer:

After reading the last stanza, Amanda does not seem to be moody or sulking. She only longs for freedom because she has her own opinion and ways of discovering life which is different from the opinion of her parent who constantly wants Amanda to listen and follow her advice.

Sulking* meaning -

From The Diary Of Anne Frank

Class 10th First Flight CBSE Solution

Oral Comprehension Check Pg-51

Oral Comprehension Check Pg-54

Thinking About The Text

Thinking About Language

Speaking

Writing

Listening

Amanda - Thinking About The Poem

Class 10^th First Flight CBSE Solution