Class 10 English First Flight NCERT Solutions Chapter 4 – From the Diary of Anne Frank

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight (Textbook in English for class X) covering all question answers of lessons and poetry and Footprints without feet (Supplementary Reader) updated for new academic session.

Revision Notes Class 10 English

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED

Page No: 49 Activity

1. Do you keep a diary? Given below under ‘A’ are some terms we use to describe a written record of personal experience. Can you match them with their descriptions under ‘B’? (You may look up the terms in a dictionary if you wish.)

Ans:

2. Here are some entries from personal records. Use the definitions above to decide which of the entries might be from a diary, a journal, a log or a memoir.
(i) I woke up very late today and promptly got a scolding from Mum! I can’t help it − how can I miss the FIFA World Cup matches?
Ans: Diary

(ii) 10:30 a.m. Went to the office of the Director
01:00 p.m. Had lunch with Chairman
05:45 p.m. Received Rahul at the airport
09:30 p.m. Dinner at home
Ans: Log

(iii) The ride to Ooty was uneventful. We rested for a while, every 50 km or so, and used the time to capture the magnificent landscape with my handy cam. From Ooty we went on to Bangalore.
What a contrast! The noise and pollution of this once − beautiful city really broke my heart.
Ans: Journal

(iv) This is how Raj Kapoor found me − all wet and ragged outside R. K. Studios. He was then looking for just someone like this for a small role in Mera Naam Joker, and he cast me on the spot. The rest, as they say, is history?
Ans: Memoir

Page No: 51 Comprehension Check

1. What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank?
Ans:It is a strange experience for her because of two reasons. First ,she had never written anything like this before and secondly she thought that apparently nobody would be interested in musings of a thirteen year old girl.

2. Why does Anne want to keep a diary?
Ans: Anne wants to keep a diary as she doesn’t have friends.She needs some channel through which she can get rid off all the burden and pain she is suffering from. Hence, she wants to keep a diary. Anne Frank is searching for a friend in the form of her diary.

3. Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?
Ans: The friends she had were there to have more fun and good times rather than the ones whom she could confide in. She also believed that a paper has more patience than people, so she decided to write and confide in a diary.

1. Why does Anne provide a brief sketch of her life?
Ans:A good introduction gives a brief explanation about what a reader is going to read.So,Anne provides a brief sketch of her life since no one would understand a word of her musings if she were to jump right in.

2. What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother?
Ans: Her statement, that no one could understand her intensity of love for her grandma tells that she loved her grandmother. Moreover, the touching gesture of lighting up one candle for grandmother during Anne’s birthday is also a poignant reminder of her love for grandma.

Page No: 54 Oral Comprehension Check

1. Why was Mr Keesing annoyed with Anne? What did he ask her to do?
Ans: Mr. Keesing was annoyed with Anne because she was very talkative and this distracted everybody in the class. He assigned her extra homework, asking her to write an essay on the subject, ‘A Chatterbox’.

2. How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay?
Ans: She gave two arguments to justify her being a ‘Chatterbox’ in the essay, one that chatting is student’s hobby and other reason that nothing can be done about the inherited traits .She carried these genes from her mother as she was also very talkative.

3. Do you think Mr Keesing was a strict teacher?
Ans: Mr. Keesing may or may not be a strict teacher. But he expected discipline and silence in his class while he was teaching, which is acceptable.He punished Anne by asking her to write an essay on ‘A Chatterbox’. When Anne wrote a convincing essay on it, he received it with a good laugh. However, when Anne continued with her talking, he punished her again by asking her to write another essay; this time the topic was ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox’. Even after this when she kept talking, he asked her to write on the topic ‘Quack Quack Quack, said Mistress Chatterbox”. He was trying to control a supposedly bad habit of Anne. However, she came up with a brilliant poem, and he read this poem in the class, acknowledging its content. Therefore, in regard of these events, Mr. Keesing cannot be entirely labeled as a strict teacher. He was fun-loving too.

4. What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in class?
Ans: Anne was able to justify her talkative nature every time she was punished by Mr. Keesing. On three occasions, as punishment, he gave her topics to write essays on. However, on each occasion he was impressed by the manner in which she presented her arguments. This helped Mr. Keesing to see the lighter side of a natural bubbly behavior of a teenager. Finally, Mr. Keesing accepted the fact that Anne would always be that way. Hence, she was allowed to talk in class.This also helped bridge the gap between the teacher and the student.

Thinking about the Text

1. Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl?
Ans: No, Anne was not right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl.As most of the people do not want to see the world from a child’s perspective because children are too immature for them. People seldom believe that a child can also have beautiful insights about the trials and tribulations of human life.But Anne became one of the most talked about author with her dairy”The Diary of a Young Girl”.

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 dairy different?
Ans: Anne’s diary was originally written in Dutch. Her diary was different from the others in many aspects. She had named her diary ‘Kitty’. She thought of it as her only true friend whom she could confide in. She treated it as another person who was listening to her daily accounts. She wrote all her stories in it. She started by writing ‘Dearest kitty’ and ended the account by writing ‘Yours, Anne’. Her diary was a lot more personal than other diaries, it had informal tone which portrayed the exuberance and carefree nature of a teenager.

3. Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch about her family? Does she treat ‘Kitty’ as an insider or an outsider?
Ans: Anne Frank claims that paper has more patience than people. She usually sits depressed and all alone .She claims of having no real friend .This lends the reader the perception that there isn’t any body to take care of Anne Frank. To clear the clouds of doubt and let her readers understand her well,  Anne Frank gives the sketch of her adorable father, compassionate mother, kind grandmother, and loving sister.
She treated Kitty as an insider because she called it her best friend and was ready to confide in it.

4. How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs Kuperus and Mr Keesing? What do these tell you about her?
Ans:Anne had fond memories of all the people in her life. Anne felt that her father was the most adorable father she had ever seen.
Anne remembered her grandmother even after her death. She wrote in her diary that no one knew how often she thought of her grandmother and still loved her.
In the sixth form at the Montessori nursery school, her teacher was Mrs Kuperus, who was also the headmistress. At the end of the year, they were both in tears as they had a heartbreaking farewell.
Mr Keesing was her Math teacher. He was always annoyed with her because she talked too much. However, Anne was able to justify her talkative nature every time she was punished by Mr. Keesing. On each occasion, he was impressed by the manner in which she presented her arguments.
All these incidents show how lovable and smart Anne was. Everybody was attached to her, and even Mr Keesing could not help but laugh at her essays and acknowledge her smart mind.

5. What does Anne write in her first essay?
Ans: In her first essay, titled ‘A Chatterbox’, Anne wanted to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking. She began thinking about the subject. She wrote three pages and was satisfied. She argued that talking was a student’s trait and that she would do her best to keep it under control. She very frankly accepted that she would never be able to get rid of this habit since she carried it in her genes as her mother talked as much as she did. There was not much that one could do about inherited traits. Mr. Keesing too had a good laugh reading her arguments.

6. Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr. Keesing unpredictable? How?
Ans: Anne felt that a quarter of her class was dumb, and should be kept back and not promoted to the next class. However, she also felt that teachers were the most unpredictable creatures on earth. Mr. Keesing could be termed as unpredictable. The way Anne always talked while the class was going on, any teacher would lose his temper. However, after several warnings, all Mr Keesing did was to assign her extra homework. She had to write an essay on ‘A Chatterbox’. In this way, he tried to play a joke on her. Each time that he asked her to write such essays, she wrote very well. She kept countering his jokes. One could not have predicted that he would take all the jokes in the right spirit. Finally, when she wrote an entire essay in verse he accepted her talkative nature and actually allowed her to talk in class. He did not even assign her any more extra homework. That is why it can be said that Mr. Keesing was unpredictable.

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 confide in each other.
(ii) I don’t want to jot down the facts in this diary the way most people would, but I want the diary to be my friend.
(iii) Margot went to Holland in December, and 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 taking.
Ans: (i) These lines show that Anne had no true friend whom she could confide in. She even put the blame on herself that the fault might be hers.
(ii) This line shows that Anne really considered her diary as a friend whom she could trust and narrate all her stories to. She did not want just a diary in which she could write down the facts like others did. She considered it as her friend and named her Kitty.
(iii) This statement shows that Anne was a fun-loving person. She was witty and knew how to present things in a funny way. She narrated this incident with a lot of fun. The use of ‘plunked down’ shows her sense of humor.
(iv) This statement shows that she had an opinion on everything. She thought that a quarter of her class was full of dummies, signifying that she herself was intelligent enough to make it to the next class. She thought of teachers as the most unpredictable creatures on earth because nobody could say which students  would fail and which students would be passed on to the next class.
(v) This statement shows that Anne knew a lot about writing. She was given the task of writing an essay as a punishment. She took it with full vigor. She did not want to write it like others who merely left big spaces between the words to make the essay look voluminous. She knew that the trick was to come up with a convincing argument to prove the necessity of talking. She was different in her approach from everybody else.

Page No: 55 Thinking about Language

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

Ans:

II. 2. Now find the sentences in the lesson that have the phrasal verbs given below. Match them with their meanings.

Ans: (i) plunge in − go straight to the topic
–  Since no one would understand a word of my stories to Kitty if I were to plunge right in, I’d        better provide a brief sketch of my life, much as I dislike doing so.
(ii) kept back − not promoted
–  The reason, of course, is the forthcoming meeting in which the teachers decide who’ll move    up to the next form and who’ll be kept back.
(iii) move up − go to the next grade
–  The reason, of course, is the forthcoming meeting in which the teachers decide who’ll move     up to the next form and who’ll be kept back.
(iv) ramble on − speak or write without focus
–   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.
(v) get along with − have a good relationship with
–   I get along pretty well with all my teachers.
(vi) calm down − make (them) remain quite
–   Even G.’s pleading advances and my angry outbursts can’t calm them down.
(vii) stay in − stay indoors
–  I thought of this saying on one of those days when I was feeling a little depressed and was      sitting at home with my chin in my hands, bored and listless, wondering whether to stay in or     go out.
(viii) make up for − compensate
–  This birthday celebration in 1942 was intended to make up for the other.
(ix) hand in − give an assignment (homework) to a person in authority (the teacher)
–  I handed it in, and Mr Keesing had nothing to complain about two whole lessons.

Page No: 56

III. 1. 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.

Ans: Our entire class is quaking in its boots means shaking with fear and nervousness

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

Ans: Until then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart means not to lose hope

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

Ans: Mr. Keesing was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much means for a long period of time.

(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.

Ans: Mr. Keesing was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make sure the joke was on him means he was outwitted by her

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

Ans: (i) caught my eye
–    A small red car passing by caught my eye.
(ii) he’d had enough
–   He’d had enough of his nonsense.It had to be stopped right now.
(iv) laugh ourselves silly
–    One girl said something funny, and we laughed ourselves silly.
(v) can’t bring myself to
–   I can’t bring myself to eat anything but chocolates.

Page No: 57

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

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
Ans: 1. break somebody’s heart − to upset somebody deeply
It has unfortunately become very easy these days to break somebody’s heart.
2. close/dear to heart − something or someone who is near and close to you
The drawing given to me by my little daughter is very close to my heart.
3. from the (bottom of your) heart − genuinely meaning or feeling something
He loved his son from the bottom of his heart.
4. have a heart − to evoke the feeling to help someone in distress
The poor beggar asked the rich man to have a heart and give him something to eat.
5. have a heart of stone − to not feel anything or any sentiment
The cruel landlady has a heart of stone as she beats up her children.
6. your heart goes out to somebody − to sympathies with someone else and understand his feelings and distress
My heart goes out to the little girl who lost both her parents in a car accident.

Page No: 58

V. 1. Make a list of the contracted forms in the text. Rewrite them as 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:
I’d = I had or I would
Find in the text the contracted forms that stand for two different full forms, and say what these are.
Ans: (i) I’ve − I have
(ii) Doesn’t − does not
(iii) Won’t − would not
(iv) I’m − I am
(v) Don’t − do not
(vi) Can’t − cannot
(vii) it’s − it is
(viii) That’s − that is
(ix) I’d − I would
(x) Didn’t − did not
(xi) Who’ll − who will
(xii) You’re − You are
(xiii) We’ll − We will
(xiv) There’s − there is
(xv) He’d − he had
(xvi) Who’s − who is
(xvii) Haven’t − have not
2 (i) I’d − I had or I would
(ii) He’d − He had or he would