CBSE Class 10 English Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom Important Questions Set 02

Extract Based Questions

Extract 1

(a). What is the policy of Apartheid?
(a) The racial discrimination by Whites against Blacks in South Africa.
(b) The gender discrimination in South Africa.
(c) The religious discrimination in South Africa.
(d) None of the above
Answer: (a) The racial discrimination by Whites against Blacks in South Africa.

(b). The blacks were _______________.
(a) given full rights
(b) deprived of their rights
(c) content
(d) racists
Answer: (b) deprived of their rights

(c). Nelson Mandela defined the meaning of ‘courage’ as____________.
(a) the absence of fear
(b) the triumph of it over fear
(c) the absence of doubts
(d) None of the above
Answer: (b) the triumph of it over fear

(d). Synonym of the word ‘profound’ is:
(a) mild
(b) weak
(c) loose
(d) strong
Answer: (d) strong

(e). Antonym of the word ‘wisdom’ is:
(a) knowledge
(b) learning
(c) understanding
(d) stupidity
Answer: (d) stupidity

(f). How does Nelson Mandela define the meaning of ‘courage’ and ‘the brave man’?
Answer: According to Nelson Mandela, courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. In the same way, the brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

Extract 2

(a). Why did inauguration ceremony take place in the amphitheatre formed by the Union Building in Pretoria?
Answer: It was the first democratic, non-racial government taking oath in South Africa. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries from different countries around the world and thousands of people of South Africa of all the races to make the day memorable. So, it took place in the amphitheatre formed by the Union Building in Pretoria.

(b). Why is 10th May, 1994 important for South Africa?
Answer: 10th May, 1994 is important for South Africa as the inaugural oath taking ceremony of Nelson Mandela and his colleagues took place on this day. Nelson Mandela became the first black President of South Africa after three centuries of white rule.

Short Answer Questions

Question 1. Where did the ceremonies take place? Can you name any public buildings in India that are made of sandstone? (NCERT)
Answer: The ceremonies took place in the Union Building amphitheater in Pretoria. Red Fort is made of sandstone.

Question 2. Can you say how 10 May is ‘an autumn day’ in South Africa? (NCERT)
Answer: On 10 May, which was a lovely day in South Africa, Nelson Mandela became the first Black President.
South Africa lies in the Southern Hemisphere, so May falls in autumn there.

Question 3. At the beginning of his speech, Mandela mentions ‘an extraordinary human disaster’. What does he mean by this? What is the ‘glorious … human achievement’ he speaks of at the end? (NCERT)
Answer: By human disaster, Nelson Mandela means to say that the coloured people have suffered a lot due to discrimination at the hands of whites. He considers it a great glorious human achievement that a black person had become the president of a country where the blacks are not considered as human beings and are treated badly.

Question 4. What does Mandela thank the international leaders for? (NCERT)
Answer: Nelson Mandela thanks the international leaders for attending the ceremony in which a Black was being honoured to receive the highest post of the country.

Question 5. What ideals does he set out for the future of South Africa? (NCERT)
Answer: He wants Africa to be free in the true sense where all are equal. He wants the glorious land to be free from the discrimination of any sort.

Question 6. What do the military generals do? How has their attitude changed, and why? (NCERT)
Answer: The Generals saluted Nelson Mandela. Their attitude towards Blacks had taken a great change. Instead of arresting a Black, they saluted him.

Question 7. Why were two national anthems sung? (NCERT)
Answer: There were two National Anthems in South Africa, one for Whites and the other one for Blacks.

Question 8. How does Mandela describe the system of government in his country (i) in the first decade, and (ii) in the final decade, of the twentieth century? (NCERT)
Answer: Nelson Mandela describes the system of government in his country as the most inhumane, and harshest. The white people dominated over the Black or dark-skinned people of their own country. Comparatively, the final decade of the twentieth century recognised the rights and freedoms of all people regardless of their colour.

Question 9. What does courage mean to Mandela? (NCERT)
Answer: To Mandela, courage is to risk and give one’s life for an idea. Courage is to stand up to attacks and tortures without breaking and to show strength and resilience that are unimaginable. In fact, courage is the triumph over fear. He learnt the meaning of the word ‘courage’ when he saw the cruel behaviour of the Whites towards Blacks. He knew he had to show courage to bring freedom to each one of them.

Question 10. Which does he think is natural, to love or to hate? (NCERT)
Answer: According to Nelson Mandela, to love is natural because man is not born to hate others. He is taught to hate others for one reason or the other.

Question 11. What ‘twin obligations’ does Mandela mention? (NCERT)
Answer: Nelson Mandela mentions twin obligations in everybody’s life. The first obligation is towards his family, his parents, his wife and his children or the people to whom he is related by birth and emotions. The second obligation is towards his people, his society and his country.

Question 12. What did being free mean to Mandela as a boy, and as a student? How does he contrast these ‘transitory freedoms’ with ‘the basic and honourable freedoms’? (NCERT)
Answer: As a boy, being free meant to be able to stay out at night, to be able to read what he pleased and freedom to go anywhere he liked. There is a contrast in these freedoms and the basic and honourable freedom which meant to achieve his potential. He wanted to be free to earn and marry. He wanted to be free to be able to have his own family.

Question 13. Does Mandela think that the oppressor is free? Why/Why not? (NCERT)
Answer: Nelson Mandela thinks that the oppressor is not free because he is the captive or slave of hatred. He is enslaved by the prejudice and narrow-mindedness because he is unable to think or act without prejudice and narrow-mindedness.

Question 14. Why did such a large number of international leaders attend the inauguration? What did it signify the triumph of ? (NCERT)
Answer: Such a large number of international leaders attended the inauguration because it was the first democratic election in the history of South Africa. Nelson Mandela became the first Black President with a great victory. It was the triumph of justice, peace and human dignity.

Question 15. What does Mandela mean when he says he is ‘simply the sum of all those African patriots’ who had gone before him? (NCERT)
Answer: Nelson Mandela wants to pay his tribute to all the people who had sacrificed their lives for the sake of their freedom. He feels that he is the sum of all those African patriots who had gone before him because those heroes of yesteryears had paved the path of cooperation and unity for him. Therefore, he got the support and love of his people to be able to come to power to bring equality for his own people.

Question 16. Would you agree that the ‘depths of oppression’ create ‘heights of character’? How does Mandela illustrate this? Can you add your own example to this argument? (NCERT)
Answer: The depths of oppression create heights of character because the people who are oppressed by the mightier learn to cooperate with the other members of the group. They are not afraid of their death, naturally they do not fall a prey to greed of any type. The more they tolerate the more is the fire for liberation ignited. The more they are oppressed, the more they tolerate. There are ample examples of such bravery and courage. Mahatma Gandhi resolved to send Britishers out of the country when he was oppressed by them. He felt that the greater the atrocities, the higher the resistance. The freedom fighters specially the revolutionaries were oppressed by the Britishers but they did not bend before them rather they preferred death to the humiliating life of a slave.

Question 17. How did Mandela’s understanding of freedom change with age and experience? (NCERT)
Answer: With the changing of age, Nelson Mandela realised that he had a lot of responsibilities towards his people, his community and his country. Now when he was grown up, he was not going to be contented with his own freedom. He could not be happy till all the Blacks were free from the discrimination on the basis of their colour. He felt the chains on his people were the chains on him. As he grew in years, he started thinking more about his people and country. Now he did not want anything for him because he had learnt that he could not be happy till his own people were happy.

Question 18. How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life? (NCERT)
Answer: The very desire to bring freedom for his people changed his life. From a frightened young boy, he was transformed into a bold one. In his young age, he loved his family but now he did not have any home. He was compelled to live like a monk though he was a life loving man. He felt that freedom is indivisible and he could not be free if his own people were not free. This very idea changed his life. He did not want to rest till he had achieved freedom for all the people of his own country.

Question 19. What did Nelson Mandela remember on the day of the inaugural ceremony? (CBSE 2020)
Answer: Overwhelmed /historic inaugural ceremony/ Nelson Mandela recognized: Racial domination against dark skinned people/ New society to be born/ humanity to be proud of struggle for justice, peace and human dignity/ sacrifices/ freedom from white supremacy.

Question 20. Where did the inauguration ceremony take place?
Answer: The inauguration ceremony took place at Union Buildings amphitheatre in Pretoria.

Question 21. What was the pledge taken by Nelson Mandela?
Answer: To liberate all the black people from the continuing bondages of poverty, deprivation, suffering and racial discrimination.

Question 22. Which colours were used in the new flag of South Africa?
Answer: Black, red, green, blue and gold.

Question 23. What were the two anthems sung on ‘that day’?
Answer: ‘Nikosi Sikelel Africa’ and ‘Die stem’.

Question 24. Which party did Nelson Mandela join?
Answer: Nelson Mandela joined African National Congress.

Question 25. What was the significance of the inauguration ceremony taking place in the amphitheatre formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria?
Answer: The inauguration ceremony which took place in the amphitheatre formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria was the largest gathering ever of international leaders on South African soil for the installation of South Africa’s first democratic, non-racial government.

Question 26. “It is from these comrades in the struggle that I learned the meaning of courage.” Who is Nelson Mandela talking about?
Answer: The decades of oppression and brutality had produced the Oliver Tambos, Walter Sisulus, Chief Luthulis, Yusuf Dadoos, Bram Fischers and Robert Sobukwes. These men were of extraordinary courage, wisdom and generosity, and it is from these comrades in the struggle that Mandela learned the meaning of courage.

Question 27. Briefly state the meaning of “glorious human achievement” that Mandela speaks of at the end of his inaugural speech.
Answer: When Mandela speaks of the “glorious human achievement”, he refers to the victory achieved by abolishing ‘apartheid’ and the installation of South Africa’s first democratic government with him as its first black President. It freed black people from poverty, oppression, discrimination and deprivation, and made South Africa a non-racial democracy with equal rights for all its citizens.

Question 28. The speaker says, ‘At first as a student I wanted freedom only for myself.’ Why do you think he only thought about himself?
Answer: The speaker was too young to realise that freedom was denied to others as well. There was a possible lack of awareness due to youth and limited life experience. It also implies that the speaker’s understanding of broader social issues developed over time.

Question 29. How did Mandela’s idea about freedom change as he was growing up? (Diksha)
Answer: Mandela’s understanding of freedom shifted from personal liberties to collective liberation. Initially desiring individual freedoms, he later saw freedom as the liberation of all from apartheid’s oppression. He learned that everyone was bound by the same chains and that freedom is indivisible. His view matured to embody resilience and justice for all.

Question 30. State two ways in which the oppressor and the oppressed are similar, according to Mandela. (CBSE Practice Set 2023)
Answer: According to Mandela, both the oppressor and the oppressed are robbed of their humanity. If one person takes away another person’s freedom, he himself becomes a prisoner of prejudice, shackled and restricted by his own biases and actions. While the oppressed are dehumanised because that is how the oppressors treat them, the oppressors too are dehumanised as a consequence of their own actions.

Question 31. What ideals does Nelson Mandela set out for the future of South Africa? (Delhi Gov. QB 2022)
Answer: Nelson Mandela hoped that the new era of democracy in South Africa would rid the country of the evils of poverty, injustice, deprivation and discrimination. He promised to work for these ideals on the day of his government’s installation and make this dream a reality.

Question 32. What did Mandela think about the oppressor and the oppressed? (CBSE 2011)
Answer: Mandela always thought that both the oppressor and the oppressed are robbed of their humanity. The oppressor is a prisoner of hatred, locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness, while the oppressed has no freedom. So, both of them need to be liberated.

Question 33. What did Mandela realise about his brothers and sisters? (CBSE 2012)
Answer: When Mandela grew up, he realised that the brothers and sisters of his race had no liberty in their own country due to the colour of their skin. He then decided to fight for the freedom and dignity of the people of his community.

Question 34. The story is a powerful example of resilience and the triumph of the human spirit. Explain.
Answer: Mandela and his comrades faced decades of oppression, imprisonment and torture, yet they never gave up their fight against apartheid. Their resilience finally led to South Africa’s first democratic, non-racial government, with Mandela as President. This shows that the human spirit can triumph over the harshest injustice.

Question 35. What role does persistence play in Mandela’s life?
Answer: Persistence shaped Mandela’s life. He spent many years in prison and gave up comfort and family life, but he never abandoned the struggle for freedom. His steady commitment over decades finally brought the end of apartheid and made him the first black President of South Africa.

Question 36. How does the author’s choice of descriptive language contribute to the overall tone and atmosphere of the story?
Answer: Mandela uses vivid, emotional language such as ‘bondage of poverty’, ‘prisoner of hatred’ and ‘the sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement’. Such words create a solemn yet hopeful atmosphere. The tone becomes dignified and inspiring, conveying both the pain of oppression and the joy of freedom.

Question 37. Which ‘extraordinary human disaster’ did Mr. Mandela speak about at the beginning of his speech?
Answer: By the ‘extraordinary human disaster’ Mr. Mandela mentioned at the beginning of his speech, he was referring to apartheid. It was a system prevalent in South Africa, which segregated people based on their race.

Question 38. What does Mr. Mandela pledge to have for the newly liberated South Africa?
Answer: Mr. Mandela pledged to liberate the people of South Africa from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other forms of discrimination.

Question 39. How has the attitude of the military generals towards Mr. Mandela changed?
Answer: There is a change in the attitude of the military generals towards Mr. Mandela. They saluted him and pledged their loyalty. This change in their attitude is significant because during apartheid the same military generals would have arrested him instead of saluting him.