Class-10th English All Chapters Keypoints

 Class-10th English 

All Chapters Keypoints

A Letter to God

By– G.L. Fuentes

Value Points of the Story

1. Lencho was a farmer.
2. His house was the only house in the valley and on the top of a hill.
3. Lencho’s fields needed rain for a good harvest.
4. He looked expectantly at the sky and it did rain at last.
5. The drops of rain were like the coins for him.
6. But his happiness was short lived as very large hailstones began to fall after the rain.
7. The hailstones destroyed all the leaves on the trees, plants and flowers.
8. There would be no crop that year.
9. There was a single hope: help from God.
10. On the following Sunday, he wrote a letter to God.
11. He needed a hundred pesos to sow his fields again and to live until the new crop came.
12. He wrote `To God’ on the envelope and put the letter into the mailbox.
13. The postman laughed heartily and took it to the postmaster.
14. The postmaster laughed too but soon he became serious.
15. He decided to reply to the letter and help Lencho.
16. He collected seventy pesos only from his employees and himself contributed a part of his salary.
17. He put the money in an envelope and posted it to Lencho.
18. Lencho had an unbroken faith in God and he was not surprised when he received the money.
19. His happiness was turned into anger as there were thirty pesos short of the money.
20. Lencho could never believe that God could ever deceive him.
21. So, he wrote another letter to God reminding Him that he received only 70 pesos sent by Him.
22. He asked God not to send the rest of 30 pesos through the mail as the post office employees were a ‘bunch of crooks’.

2- NELSON MANDELA LONG WALK TO FREEDOM

KEY POINTS

• Nelson Mandela swears in as the first black president of South Africa on 10th May 1994.

• The swearing in ceremony took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheater in Pretoria

• He addressed the rainbow gathering with a zest telling that never, never, and never again should it be that that beautiful land would experience the oppression of one by another.

• He wished that freedom in Africa should reign.

• The army officials who could have caught have and put him in jail before were saluting him to pay respect to the newly born democracy.

• The two national anthems were sung at the time of his swearing in ceremony.

• He recalls back the history and pays homage to the national martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their motherland.

• He tells that the martyrs were the men of extraordinary courage and wisdom and generosity.

• The country of South Africa is rich in minerals and gems but the greatest wealth of country is its people.

• He tells no one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion.

• If people learn to hate, they can be taught to love too.

• He talks that man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never exhausted.

• He talks about the twin obligations-obligation towards his family & obligation towards his nation. While discharging his duties he found he was not free.

• Hence, he joined African National Congress fought for the freedom of his country.

• He knew that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed.

• The oppressor and oppressed are alike are robbed of their humanity.

Chapter 3 - Two Stories about Flying

Chapter Highlights

1. Seagull family of 6 members.
2. The young seagull afraid of flying.
3. Family has concern of his food and fear of flying.
4. Cajoling and provoking him by family.
5. Family leaves him alone at the rock.
6. He cries because of heat and hunger.
7. No one looks at him except the mother.
8. Temptation by mother for a piece of fish.
9. He pretends to sleep but nobody comes to him,
10. Everybody taunts him for his cowardice.
11. The young seagull dives to catch a fish to feed himself.
12. He tries to spread his wings outwards.
13. He begins to fly slowly downwards and upwards.
14. He is now no longer afraid of flying and falling down in the sea. He soars with a joyous scream.
15. Seagull family comes near to him and encourages him.
16. He has made his first flight successfully.

PART-2 BLACK AEROPLANE

Chapter Highlights

1. The clear sky with shining stars
2. The author was about to meet his family at breakfast.
3. At 1:30 in the morning, author flew in his Dakota aeroplane and he was instructed to turn 12 degrees West by Paris Control.
4. He was around 150 kilometre away from Paris.
5. The cloud storms approached him.
6. He decided to enter the storm.
7. A risky decision of the author due to his willingness to see his family.
8. He lost the way in the storm.
9. All the instruments stopped working.
10. A black aeroplane appeared by the author side in the storm.
11. He was instructed to follow the black plane.
12. Without much fuel he flew for half an hour.
13. He landed safely on the runway.
14. He went out from his aeroplane to thank the pilot of the black aeroplane.
15. Got surprised not to find anyone there in the aeroplane.
16. The author asked the woman of Control Tower about the black aeroplane.
17. She laughed and replied in negative about such a plane.
18. A miracle with no explanation for the author which saved his life.

       4- The Diary of Anne Frank

Full TitleAnne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

AuthorAnne Frank

Type Of WorkDiary

GenreDiary; historical nonfiction

LanguageDutch

Time And Place WrittenAmsterdam, 1942–1945

Date Of First Publication1947

PublisherDoubleday

In depth Facts:

NarratorAnne Frank, a teenage Jewish girl

Point Of ViewAnne speaks in the first person and addresses her diary as a friend. Although she begins writing the diary without any intention of it being read or published, she later writes with the idea that the record of her experiences might be read by others to learn more about the war.

ToneAnne writes from the perspective of a young girl, so her tone is often emotional and insecure, and she is both critical of herself and others. Her accounts are highly personal and philosophical. She expresses her deep struggle to understand her evolving self, both in relation to her family and to the tumultuous world outside the annex.

TensePresent

Setting (Time)June 12, 1942–August 1, 1944

Setting (Place)Amsterdam, the Netherlands

ProtagonistAnne Frank

Major ConflictThe perils of living in hiding to escape Nazi persecution of Jewish people; this immediate struggle in Anne’s life occurs within the context of the sweeping conflict of World War II

ThemesThe loneliness of adolescence; the inward versus the outward self; generosity and greed in wartime

MotifsBecoming a woman; fear

SymbolsHanneli; Anne’s grandmother

ForeshadowingThere is no foreshadowing, since the diary is written in the present tense and Anne had no ability to discern the future. However, constant break-ins, the imprisonment of people who have been providing rations, growing Dutch anti-Semitism, and the probable capture of Anne’s friends, including Hanneli, all demonstrate the impending danger that threatens the inhabitants of the annex.

                        Glimpses of India

                    Part-1 A Baker from Goa

key points

• A Baker from Goa’ revolves around the relevance of a baker in the Goan culture which dates back to the time when Portuguese ruled over the city of Goa.
• The Portuguese may have left but the bread-makers continue to have an inevitable stature.
• In this story, the author recalls his childhood days and their excitement on seeing the baker.
• They were enthusiastic to the point that they would run to him as soon as they woke up without even brushing their teeth.
• ​They talk how the importance of bakers is still maintained in their villages even after the Portuguese have left. They are known as ‘Paders’ in Goa.
• The mixers, moulders and their time-tested furnaces continue to serve the people of Goa with their famous bread loaves. 
• It was the maid-servant of the house who collected the loaves while children sorted out the bread bangles for themselves.
• Bakery products have importance in the culture and traditions of Goa.
• Bol or sweet bread is a part of marriage gifts, cakes and Bolinhas or coconut cookies are eaten at every festival and the lady of the house prepares sandwiches at her daughter’s engagement.
• Earlier bakers wore a unique frock of knee-length known as ‘kabai’ but during the narrator’s childhood days, they wore a shirt and trousers of length slightly shorter than the usual ones.
• They generally collected their bills at the end of every month.
• Bakery has continued to be a profitable profession, managing to keep their families joyous and prosperous.

Part-2       Tea From Assam

1. Tea is really a very popular beverage in India.
2. You can bear the vendor shouting “chai-garam-garam chai” at every railway station.
3. More than eighty crores of cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world.
4. It was green, green everywhere and Rajvir had never seen so much greenery before.
5. The landscape changed and tea bushes took the place of green paddy fields.
6. A sea of tea-bushes stretched as far as the eyes could go.
7. Assam has the largest concentration of plantations in the world.
8. No one really knows who discovered tea.
9. One Chinese legend says that a few leaves of the twigs burning under the pot fell into the boiling water.
10. The leaves gave it a delicious flavour. They were tea leaves.
11. Words like Thai’ and thine are from the Chinese language.
12. According to an Indian legend, an ancient Buddhist ascetic cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during meditation.
13. Ten tea plants grew out of his eyelids.
14. Rajvir saw acre upon acre of tea bushes and nearly all of them were neatly pruned to the same height.
15. Groups of tea-pluckers with bamboo baskets on their backs were plucking newly sprouted leaves.
16. A tractor was pulling a trailer-load of leaves.
17. Rajvir asked Pranjol’s father if it was the second-flush or sprouting period.
18. The sprouting periods lasts from May to July and this period yields the best tea

PART II COORG

Coorg – A Heavenly Place
Coorg district of Karnataka lies between the towns of Mysore and Mangalore. It is like a heaven on Earth. It is inhabited by martial men, beautiful women and wild creatures.

Weather and Environment of Coorg
It is the smallest district of Karnataka. It consists of evergreen forests, spices and coffee plantations. The best season to visit coorg starts in September and continues upto March. The weather in coorg is pleasant during those months.

People of Coorg
The people here are possibly of Greek or Arabic descent. According to a legend, Alexander’s army moved South along the coast and settled there only when they were unable to return to their country. These people married among the locals and their culture can be witnessed by their martial traditions, marriages and religious rites. The Kodavus (residents of Coorg) wear a long black coat with an embroidered waist belt. Known as Kuppia, it resembles kuffia worn by the Arabs and the Kurds.

Bravery Tales of Coorg
Coorg people are well-known for their bravery. The Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated regiments of the Indian Army. General Cariappa, the first Indian Army Chief, was a Coorgi. Even today, only the Kodavus are permitted to carry firearms without a licence.

Wildlife In Coorg
Coorg is home to a large number of wild animals and birds. Mahaseer, a large freshwater fish, is found here. Kingfishers, squirrels and langurs live without any fear.
Wild elephants enjoy being bathed and scrubbed in the river by their mahouts. The river Kaveri gets its water from the hills of Coorg.

Coorg – A Tourist Place
Even the laziest tourists become adventurous on coming to coorg as it is full of adventure sports like river rafting, canoeing, rock climbing etc. The climb to Brahmagiri hills bring smiles to many faces as one can see the panoramic view of coorg from there.

Nature at Its Best
India’s largest Tibetan settlement at Bylakuppe is inhabited by monks in red, ochre and yellow robs. There are many more surprises waiting at Coorg for the tourists to discover.

Reaching Coorg
Coorg can be reached by road and by rail. If one prefers to go by air, then the nearest airports are Bangalore and Mangalore. By road, it is around 250 – 260 km from Bangalore.

Chapter Highlights

1. Coorg or Kodagu, the smallest district of Karnataka, is a heavenly place.
2. The best season to visit it is from September to March.
3. The people living there are probably the descendants of Arabs or Greeks.
4. Their culture is apparent in their martial traditions, marriages and religious rites.
5. The Kodavus wear a long, black, embroidered coat called Kuppia.
6. The Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated regiments in the Indian Army.
7. Kodavus are the only people in India permitted to carry firearms without a license.
8. The river Kaveri begins from the hills and forests of Coorg.
9. A variety of plants, birds and animals can be seen there.
10. The place offers a number of adventure sports for the tourists.
11. The Tibetan monks are amongst many surprises that can be seen there

Chapter 8          Mijbil the Otter

OVERVIEW OF THE CHAPTER
The Author Decides to Keep an Otter
The author travelled to Southern Iraq in 1956. He decided to keep an otter as a pet. As his native place of living, Camusfeama, had much water around, an otter was suitable for the experiment.

The Author and his Friend Travel to Basra
When the author mentioned about his wish to keep an otter as a pet to his friend, he suggested him to take an otter from Tigris Marshes as they are quite common there. They were going to Basra to collect their mails. The mail of his friend reached but his mail did not arrive.

The Author’s Mall Arrives and He Gets the Otter
The author sent a telegram to England as his’mail had not arrived. For three days there was no reply. He tried to make a phone call but due to some problems he was not able to get through. Finally, after five days his mail arrives.
Once his mail arrived, he went to his room to read it. There, he saw two Arabs with an otter. They told that it was for him.

Strangeness of the Otter
The otter changed the life of the author. The otter came on to the tiled floor from the sack (bag). At once, it appeared like a small dragon. From head to tail, his body was coated with mud. In between the mud, a velvet fur like creature resembling a chocolate brown mole appeared. There was a lot of dust on his body. It took the author a month’s time to remove all the dust from his body.

Domestication of the Otter
The narrator named the otter as Mijbil. In short, he was called as Mij. For the first twenty-four hours, the otter was neither unfriendly nor friendly. He was aloof and indifferent. He kept on sleeping on the floor far from the bed. The second night, he came onto the author’s bed and slept in the crook of his knees. In the day, he kept a keen interest in his surroundings. The author made a body belt for him. The otter liked playing in the water in the bathroom.

Mljbll’s Escape from the Bedroom
Two days later, Mijbil escaped from the author’s bedroom. He went to the bathroom. He entered the bathtub and turned the tap on with his paws within minutes.

Mijbil becomes Friendly
Within a very less time, he became very friendly. He followed the author when he called his name. He spent most of the time in playing with the rubber ball. He played it like a soccer ball. His favourite toys were the marbles.

Taking Mijbil Back to Home
Days passed peacefully at Basra. The author had a fear of transporting Mij to England and then to Camusfearna. The British airlines would not fly animals. He booked a flight to Paris and then from there to London. The airlines told him to pack Mij in a box. He made a box for Mij. He put him inside the box before the flight so that he becomes habitual to it. Then he went to have lunch.

The Otter and the Box
When the author came back after sometime, he was shocked to see a complete silence from the box. Blood was coming out from the airholes. He opened the box. He saw Mij covered with blood. Only 10 minutes were left for the flight and the airport was five miles away. He kept Mij inside the box and held the lid with his hands.

The Author Leaves for Airport
The author sat in the car with the box beside him. The driver drove the car very fast. Just when the aircraft was about to take off, he was rushed through to it by the angry officials at the airport.

The Author In the Aircraft
He had booked the front seat for him. He covered the floor around his seat with newspapers. He gave the parcel of fish to the airhostess for the otter. She suggested him to keep the otter on his knees.

Mijbil Goes out of the Box
Mij was out of the box at once. He disappeared in the aircraft. There was a woman shouting, “A rat! A rat!” in fear. The author tried to catch the otter but he failed. The air hostess told him to be seated and said that she would find the otter for him. Very soon the otter came near the author and climbed on his knees. He started rubbing his face and neck with his nose.

Mijbil Reaches London
The author remained in London for almost a month. Mij kept on playing with ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit and a terrapin shell that the author had bought from the marshes.

Mijbil Plays Outside the House
The author exercised Mij on a lead on the streets. Mij quickly developed certain habits during the walks on London streets. There was a primary school opposite to the author’s house. He would take the author near the outer wall of it which was some two feet high. He would then gallop on to this. This distracted the students and the staff. The people in London were not able to recognise the Otter and made wild guesses.

Chapter Highlights

1. After the death of his dog, the author decides to keep an otter as his pet.
2. As per his friend’s suggestion, he got an otter from Tigris Marshes.
3. The author felt that coming of the otter started a new phase of his life.
4. The otter first appeared as a small dragon. He was coated with mud.
5. It took ajot of time and effort for the author to remove the dust.
6. The otter loved to play with water, and could not stand still in front of it.
7. He also loved to play with the rubber ball. Marble toys were his favourite.
8. After some days, the author had to come back to London.
9. The transporting of Mijbil to London became a problem. British airline did not permit animals on its flights.
10. Another airline agreed to take the animal if packed in a box.
11. The author made a small box for the otter.
12. While in the plane, the otter escaped from the box. Some passengers. Shouted and stood on their seats on seeing the otter in the plane. At last, the otter came back and settled on the author’s knees.
13. On reaching London, people did not recognise the otter. They just made random guesses.
14. Mijbil played with ping-pong ball and develops certain playing habits in London.

Chapter 9 Madam Rides the Bus

1. An eight-year-old girl, Valli found the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town most fascinating. She wanted to ride the bus.

2. Valli made elaborate plans and saved sixty rupees in bus fares, both ways. Although the conductor reached out to help, she managed to get on by herself.

3. She sat on her seat with an elderly woman sitting beside her. The conductor called her ‘madam’ and joked about her. The bus started with a roar and Valli was constantly looking out the windows.

4. There was an old woman chewing betel who was very repulsive to Valli. Valli asked why she was traveling alone. “Don’t worry about me,” Valli replied.

5. A cow suddenly ran across the road, fast. The driver honked and honked, but the more he honked, the more frightened the cow became. Valli laughed until she cried.

6. Valli’s destination had arrived. The driver asked her to get off the bus, so she gave him thirty paise coins and told him she was going back on the same bus. The conductor was surprised.

7. Valli politely rejected the conductor’s offering of a free cold drink and asked if her mother would be looking for her. She replied negatively about this.

8. In her return journey, she saw the same cow lying dead by the side of the road. The memory of the dead cow haunted her and she stopped looking outside. She reached her village at 3.40 p.m.

9. Valli wished and hoped to see the driver again. She found her mother awake and talking to one of her aunts. Her aunt chatted a lot. She agreed that many things were happening outside without their knowledge.