Some voices echo through time with their honesty and courage. NCERT Solutions Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 4, From the Diary of Anne Frank, shares entries from the personal diary of a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl hiding from Nazi soldiers during World War II. Anne Frank's diary reveals her everyday thoughts, her wish for a true friend, and her experiences at school. Despite living in fear, her writing shows the spirit of a cheerful teenager finding hope in dark times. This chapter introduces students to diary writing, teaches about courage and optimism during hardships, and provides insight into the Holocaust period. This chapter is part of the comprehensive NCERT Solutions Class 10 English First Flight series, which covers all chapters in detail.
The NCERT Solutions for From the Diary of Anne Frank provided here give clear, complete answers to all textbook questions, helping students understand Anne's feelings and situation, learn about World War II history, master the diary writing format, resolve doubts easily, and prepare effectively for school exams and board examinations.
Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 4 Question Answer
Q.
Activity
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.)
|
A
|
B
|
|
(i) Journal
|
– A book with a separate space or page for each
day, in which you write down your thoughts
and feelings or what has happened on that day
|
|
(ii) Diary
|
– A full record of a journey, a period of time, or
an event, written every day
|
|
(iii) Log
|
– A record of a person’s own life and experiences
(usually, a famous person)
|
|
(iv) Memoir(s)
|
– A written record of events with times and
dates, usually official
|
Q.
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?
(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.
(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 HandyCam. From Ooty we went on to Bangalore.
What a contrast! The noise and pollution of this once-beautiful city really broke my heart.
(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!
Q.
Oral Comprehension Check
What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank?
Q.
Why does Anne want to keep a diary?
Q.
Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?
Q.
Oral Comprehension Check
Why does Anne provide a brief sketch of her life?
Q.
What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother?
Q.
Oral Comprehension Check
Why was Mr Keesing annoyed with Anne? What did he ask her to do?
Q.
How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay?
Q.
Do you think Mr Keesing was a strict teacher?
Q.
What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in class?
Q.
Thinking about the text
Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl?
Q.
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?
Q.
Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch about her family? Does she treat ‘Kitty’ as an insider or an outsider?
Q.
How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs Kuperus and Mr Keesing? What do these tell you about her?
Q.
What does Anne write in her first essay?
Q.
Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr Keesing unpredictable? How?
Q.
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 talking.
Q.
Thinking about language
I. Match the compound words under ‘A’ with their meanings under ‘B’. Use each in a sentence.
|
A
|
B
|
|
1. Heartbreaking
|
– obeying and respecting the law
|
|
2. Homesick
|
– think about pleasant things, forgetting about the
Present
|
|
3. Blockhead
|
– something produced by a person, machine or
Organization
|
|
4. Law-abiding
|
– producing great sadness
|
|
5. Overdo
|
– an occasion when vehicles/machines stop working
|
|
6. Daydream
|
– an informal word which means a very stupid person
|
|
7. Breakdown
|
– missing home and family very much
|
|
8. Output
|
– do something to an excessive degree
|
Q.
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 a phrasal verb may occur separated in the text.)
(i) plunge in – speak or write without focus
(ii) kept back – stay indoors
(iii) move up – make (them) remain quiet
(iv) ramble on – have a good relationship with
(v) get along with – give an assignment (homework) to a person in authority (the teacher)
(vi) calm down – compensate
(vii) stay in – go straight to the topic
(viii) make up for – go to the next grade
(ix) hand in – not promoted
Q.
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. ____________________
Q.
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 (iii) laugh ourselves silly
(ii) he’d had enough (iv) can’t bring myself to
Q.
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
Q.
Make a list of the contracted forms in the text. Rewrite them as full forms of two words.
For example:
I’ve = I have
Q.
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.
Q.
Writing
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 subject less 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.
Q.
Listening
Your teacher will read out an extract from The Diary of Samuel Pepys (given on the next page) 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 _____________. The person who told Pepys about the fire was called _____________. She called at _____________in the morning. Pepys went back to sleep because ________________. Pepys rose again at __________ in the morning. By then about __________ houses had been burned down. The fire had spread to ___________ by London Bridge. Pepys then walked to the _________ along with Sir J. Robinson’s ____________.
Download the PDF of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 4 - From the Diary of Anne Frank
Class 10 Chapter 4 English First Flight Questions & Answers - From the Diary of Anne Frank
Activity (page 49)
Q.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.)
A
|
B
|
(i) Journal
|
– A book with a separate space or page for each
day, in which you write down your thoughts
and feelings or what has happened on that day
|
(ii) Diary
|
– A full record of a journey, a period of time, or
an event, written every day
|
(iii) Log
|
– A record of a person’s own life and experiences
(usually, a famous person)
|
(iv) Memoir(s)
|
– A written record of events with times and
dates, usually official
|
Solution:
| A |
B |
| (i) Journal |
– A full record of a journey, a period of time, or an event, written every day |
| (ii) Diary |
– A book with a separate space or page for each day, in which you write down your thoughts and feelings or what has happened on that day |
| (iii) Log |
– A record of a person’s own life and experiences (usually, a famous person) |
| (iv) Memoir(s) |
– A written record of events with times and dates, usually official |
Q2. 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?
(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.
(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 HandyCam. From Ooty we went on to Bangalore.
What a contrast! The noise and pollution of this once-beautiful city really broke my heart.
(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!
Solution:(i) Diary
(ii) Log
(iii) Journal
(iv) Memoir
Oral Comprehension (Check page 51)
Q1. What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank?
Solution: Anne Frank finds writing in a diary a strange experience because she has never written anything before. Also, it occurs to her that later on no one, including her, will be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old schoolgirl.
Q2. Why does Anne want to keep a diary?
Solution:
Anne seems to have everything that a thirteen-year-old girl needs, except one true friend. She finds it her fault that she doesn’t confide in her friends, and so she wants to keep a diary.
Q3.Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?
Solution:
When Anne would be with her friends, she had a good time. However, she could not bring herself to talk about anything other than ordinary everyday talks. She didn’t get any closer to her friends and confide in them, so she started the diary and made it her true friend.
Oral Comprehension (Check page 51)
Q1. Why does Anne provide a brief sketch of her life?
Solution: For Anne, her diary is her friend who she calls ‘Kitty’. In order to enhance the image of this long-awaited friend in her imagination, she feels the need of providing a brief sketch of her life to her diary. Moreover, it occurs to her that no one would understand a word of her stories to Kitty if she were to plunge right in.
Q2.What tells you that Anne loved her grandmother?
Solution: Anne gave a brief account of her grandmother in her diary. The sketch about her grandmother tells us how much she loved her grandmother. She wrote in her diary that no one knew how often she would think of her grandmother and still loved her when she had died in January 1942. Moreover, Anne lit up her grandmother’s candle along with the rest on her birthday celebration on 12th June
Oral Comprehension (Check page 54)
Q1.Why was Mr Keesing annoyed with Anne? What did he ask her to do?
Solution: Mr. Keesing was annoyed with Anne because she talked a lot in the class. He assigned her extra homework - to write an essay on the subject, ‘A Chatterbox’.
Q2.How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay?
Solution:
Anne argued about the topic ‘Chatterbox’ that talking, according to her, was a student’s trait. She also justified her being a chatterbox by writing in the essay that she would not be able to cure herself of the habit since it was an inherited trait from her mother.
Q3.Do you think Mr Keesing was a strict teacher?
Solution: I think Mr. Keesing was a strict teacher, but he was not rigid exactly. Perhaps he was annoyed with Anne because she talked a lot in the class. After several warnings, he assigned Anne extra homework to write an essay on ‘A Chatterbox’. When Anne accomplished the task given with a valid justification, he had a good laugh at it. With repeated talking from Anne’s end, Mr. Keesing finally asked her to write an essay entitled ‘Quack Quack Quack, said Mistress Chatterbox’.
Anne believed that he was trying to play a joke on her. She managed to come up with a brilliant poem in order to make sure that the joke was rather on him. However, Mr. Keesing took the joke right way and read the poem to the class as well. Therefore, keeping in mind these events, Mr. Keesing cannot be labelled completely as a strict teacher. He was fun-loving too, or at least Anne’s write-ups made him so.
Q4. What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in class?
Solution: Anne was well able to justify her talkative nature through every punishment she got from Mr. Keesing. It eventually convinced him that no amount of punishment availed Anne to stop talking in the class. Hence, he stopped assigning her any extra homework and allowed her to continue with her talking in class.
Thinking about the text (page 54-55)
Q1.Was Anne right when she said that the world would not be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl?
Solution: Anne was not entirely right when she said so because the manner in which she chronicled her day-to-day activities in her diary was quite interesting; unlike the way most people would follow – jotting down facts. However, she was apprehensive when she said this because she had never written anything before.
Q2. 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?
Solution:
Anne’s diary was originally written in Dutch. Her diary is different in many ways. To her, the diary was a close friend, and so she even named it ‘Kitty’. Her diary was not just a log for her to jot down facts into; it was more of a friend that she would confide into. She also addressed her diary as ‘Dearest Kitty’ in all her accounts and signed off by writing, ‘Yours, Anne’.
Q3. Why does Anne need to give a brief sketch about her family? Does she treat ‘Kitty’ as an insider or an outsider?
Solution:
Anne believes that she is completely alone in the world even with a loving family that comprises her loving parents and an elder sister, and about thirty people she could call friends, around her. She feels that on the surface she seems to have everything, except one true friend. Thus, she starts off with giving a brief sketch of her family, so that if anyone ever comes to read from her ‘Kitty’, her stories could make some sense to them. Undoubtedly, she treats it as an insider, rather a close friend she could confide in.
Q4.How does Anne feel about her father, her grandmother, Mrs Kuperus and Mr Keesing? What do these tell you about her?
Solution:
For Anne, her father is the most adorable father.
She loves her grandmother, but never shows her emotions, so no one knows how often she thinks of her grandma even after her death, and how much she still loves her.
Mrs Kuperus is Anne’s headmistress in the sixth form at the Montessori nursery school. At the end of the year, they are both in tears as they say a heartbreaking farewell.
Mr Keesing, her maths teacher, is pretty much annoyed with her for ages because she talks too much. He keeps giving her punishments in form of essays about topics such as ‘A Chatterbox’, ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox’ and ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox’. However, every time Anne is able to justify her talkative nature and make him laugh with her arguments.
Her feelings for others tell us how sensitive she is. Also, her behaviour with people around her exhibits her acute smartness in tackling different situations to her advantage.
Q5.What does Anne write in her first essay?
Solution:
Anne knows that the trick is to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking on her first essay, titled ‘A Chatterbox’. She writes in the pages assigned by Mr Keesing that talking is a student’s trait and that she would do her best to keep it in under control, but that she would never be able to cure herself of the habit since her mother talked as much she did if not more, and that there’s not much one can do about inherited traits. Mr Keesing had a good laugh at her arguments.
Q6. Anne says teachers are most unpredictable. Is Mr Keesing unpredictable? How?
Solution:
Mr Keesing, who taught maths, was annoyed with Anne because she talked a lot in the class. It is but natural for any teacher to be annoyed and punish a student if the later chooses to talk so much in the class. His way of punishing her was quite amusing, needless to say unpredictable, as he assigns her one essay after the other on the topic – A Chatterbox. However, even after several warnings and successful submissions of her extra assignments, she never stopped talking.
His unpredictability got surfaced one more time when he took the joke about Anne’s last assignment in the right spirit. He indeed allowed her to talk in class and didn’t assign her any extra homework. In a way, it can be said that Mr Keesing was unpredictable.
Q7. 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 talking.
Solution:
(i) In these lines, Anne realises that she has no true friends whom she could confide in. She also seems to put the blame on herself that the fault might be hers.
(ii) The line shows that Anne considered her diary as her true friend with whom she could share her deepest thoughts and concerns. She didn’t want to just keep to writing facts into it every day like most people did.
(iii) The statement exhibits Anne’s witty side. She had her way with words and narrated this incident with a lot of humour, using the phrase, ‘plunked down’.
(iv) The line shows that Anne was quite opinionated young girl, who believed that most of the students in her class were unintelligent (dummies) and so they should ideally be kept back. However, she supposed the teachers to be the most unpredictable creatures on earth because no one could predict who they would keep back and who they would promote to next class.
(v) The statement shows that Anne was a rational thinker who believed in giving logical reasons for her talkative nature, instead of just finishing of the assignment for the sake of doing it. She was smart in her approach towards different things.
Thinking about language (page 55-58)
Q1. I Match the compound words under ‘A’ with their meanings under ‘B’. Use each in a sentence.
A
|
B
|
1. Heartbreaking
|
– obeying and respecting the law
|
2. Homesick
|
– think about pleasant things, forgetting about the
Present
|
3. Blockhead
|
– something produced by a person, machine or
Organization
|
4. Law-abiding
|
– producing great sadness
|
5. Overdo
|
– an occasion when vehicles/machines stop working
|
6. Daydream
|
– an informal word which means a very stupid person
|
7. Breakdown
|
– missing home and family very much
|
8. Output
|
– do something to an excessive degree
|
Solution:.
| A |
B |
| 1. Heartbreaking |
– producing great sadness |
| 2. Homesick |
– missing home and family very much |
| 3. Blockhead |
– an informal word which means a very stupid person |
| 4. Law-abiding |
– obeying and respecting the law |
| 5. Overdo |
– do something to an excessive degree |
| 6. Daydream |
– think about pleasant things, forgetting about the present |
| 7. Breakdown |
– an occasion when vehicles/machines stop working |
| 8. Output |
– something produced by a person, machine or organisation |
Q2. 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 a phrasal verb may occur separated in the text.)
(i) plunge in – speak or write without focus
(ii) kept back – stay indoors
(iii) move up – make (them) remain quiet
(iv) ramble on – have a good relationship with
(v) get along with – give an assignment (homework) to a person in authority (the teacher)
(vi) calm down – compensate
(vii) stay in – go straight to the topic
(viii) make up for – go to the next grade
(ix) hand in – not promoted
Solution:
(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 for two whole lessons.
Q3.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. ____________________
Solution:
(i) Our entire class is quaking in its boots. Shaking with fear and nervousness
(ii) Until then, we keep telling each other not to lose heart. Not to lose hope
(iii) Mr. Keeping was annoyed with me for ages because I talked so much. Since a long time
(iv) Mr. Keeping was trying to play a joke on me with this ridiculous subject, but I’d make sure the joke was on him. He was outwitted by her
Q4. 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 (iii) laugh ourselves silly
(ii) he’d had enough (iv) can’t bring myself to
Solution:
(i) caught my eye
While walking down the street last evening, beautiful street lamps caught my eye.
(ii) he’d had enough
James decided he’d had enough, and he drew back from the project.
(iii) laugh ourselves silly
Bob said that he would give a farewell speech, and we laughed ourselves silly.
(iv) can’t bring myself to
I can’t bring myself to talk to her, I still remember what a heated argument we had last time!
Q5.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.
-
break somebody’s heart
-
close/dear to heart
-
from the (bottom of your) heart
-
have a heart
-
have a heart of stone
-
your heart goes out to somebody
Solution:
- break somebody’s heart − to make somebody very sad
It breaks my heart to see her suffer.
- close/ dear to heart − something which is of great importance to you
The ruby earrings given to me by my grandma are close to my heart.
- from the (bottom of your) heart − an expression of sincerity
He loves Maria from the bottom of his heart.
- have a heart − to ask someone to show kindness
Have a heart and contribute to this noble cause of helping the poor!
- have a heart of stone − to not have any sympathy for others
He won’t understand your feelings; he has a heart of stone.
- your heart goes out to somebody − to sympathize with someone
My heart goes out to the victims of the war.
Q6. Make a list of the contracted forms in the text. Rewrite them as full forms of two words.
For example:
I’ve = I have
Solution:
(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
Q7. 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.
S(i) I’d − I had or I would
(ii) He’d − He had or he would
Writing (page 59)
Q1. 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 subject less 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.
Solution:
Saturday
10:40 p.m.
Dear Diary
Today, being a Saturday, I got up late. The entire week had been very hectic. At school, I had speech competition on Monday. On Tuesday, we had to attend a seminar at school which was very boring. I can’t tell you how busy I was on Wednesday. It was my cousin’s birthday and I had to shop for him. That day we slept at 2 am. Though it was very tiring, we enjoyed and had a lot of fun. On Thursday I had to submit my science project. On Friday, while returning from tuition classes, a bike hit my bicycle and I fractured my left leg. I have been asked to take bed rest for 15 days.
The entire week had been eventful. I will also be fine in a few days
Prateek
Listening (page 59)
Your teacher will read out an extract from The Diary of Samuel Pepys (given on the next page) 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 _____________. The person who told Pepys about the fire was called _____________. She called at _____________in the morning. Pepys went back to sleep because ________________. Pepys rose again at __________ in the morning. By then about __________ houses had been burned down. The fire had spread to ___________ by London Bridge. Pepys then walked to the _________ along with Sir J. Robinson’s ____________.
Solution:
This entry in the diary has been made on 2nd Sep by Samuel Pepys .The person who told Pepys about the fire was called Jane. She called at about three in the morning. Pepys went back to sleep because the fire was on the backside of Marke-lane at the farthest. Pepys rose again at seven in the morning. By then about 300 houses had been burned down. The fire had spread to all fish street by London Bridge. Pepys then walked to the tower along with Sir J. Robinson’s little son.
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 4 - FAQs
Q1. Why did Anne Frank start writing a diary?
Anne received a diary as a birthday gift when she turned thirteen on June 12, 1942. She decided to write in it because she felt lonely and wanted someone to share her deepest thoughts with. Although she had loving parents and many friends at school, she felt that no one truly understood her inner feelings. She believed that paper has more patience than people, meaning her diary would listen to everything without judging her. Anne named her diary "Kitty" and wrote to it like a trusted friend, sharing her joys, fears, and daily experiences while hiding from the Nazis.
Q2. What does Anne write about her relationship with her classmates and teachers?
Anne describes herself as a talkative student, which often got her into trouble with her strict math teacher, Mr. Keesing. He punished her multiple times by assigning essays on topics like "A Chatterbox" to make her stop talking in class. However, Anne cleverly wrote humorous and convincing essays that defended her talkative nature, even arguing that talking is a student's trait and inherited from her mother. Her witty responses eventually impressed Mr. Keesing, and he stopped punishing her. This shows Anne's intelligence, creativity, and ability to handle difficult situations with humor and confidence.
Q3. What makes Anne Frank's diary important for students to study?
Anne Frank's diary is not just a personal record but a powerful historical document that shows the real experiences of people suffering during the Holocaust. For Class 10 students, it teaches empathy, tolerance, and the dangers of hatred and discrimination. The diary format helps students learn how to express personal thoughts and emotions in writing. For board exams, students should understand Anne's character, the historical context of Nazi persecution, the significance of her writing style, and the themes of hope and resilience. Her story reminds us to value freedom and stand against injustice in all forms.