Bihar Board class 10 English prose chapter 6 – “Once Upon A Time” solutions are available here. Our subject experts have answered all the exercise questions and made them available for free. Using the question answer of chapter 6, you can understand this chapter more appropriately.
“Once Upon A Time” is an enlightening chapter that presents an extract from a speech by the renowned author Toni Morrison. This powerful piece introduces students to the profound impact of language on society and personal growth. Through a captivating blend of storytelling and analysis, Morrison explores how language can be a tool for revolution, change, and understanding.
Bihar Board Class 10 English Prose Chapter 6 Solutions
Contents
| Chapter | 6. Once Upon A Time |
| Author | Toni Morrison |
| Subject | English (Panorama) |
| Class | 10th |
| Board | Bihar Board |
Very Short Answer Type Questions
B.1. Answer the following questions briefly
Q1. How was the old woman?
Ans. The old woman was blind but renowned for her wisdom.
Q2. Is this folk lore prevalent in one culture or many?
Ans. This folklore is prevalent in many cultures across different regions.
Q3. Who is the father of that old woman?
Ans. The old woman’s father was a Black American slave.
Q4. Where does the old woman live?
Ans. The old woman lives alone in a small house on the outskirts of town.
Q5. How is her reputation for wisdom?
Ans. Her reputation for wisdom is widely respected and unquestioned.
Q6. What is her position in the neighbourhood?
Ans. The respect and honor she commands extend far beyond her immediate neighborhood.
Q7. What position she hold among her people.
Ans. Among her people, she is seen as both an upholder and interpreter of the law.
Q8. What does the old woman know about those people?
Ans. The old woman can only discern her visitors’ intentions, as she cannot see them due to her blindness.
Q9. Who visited the old lady one day?
Ans. A group of young people visited the old woman one day.
Q10. What was the purpose of visit of those people?
Ans. The young visitors aimed to prove the old woman a fraud by challenging her supposed clairvoyance.
Q11. What was the plan of those people?
Ans. Their plan was to enter her house and ask her a question to test her abilities.
Q12. What is the difference between the old woman and those people?
Ans. The main difference is that the old woman is blind and elderly, while the visitors are young and sighted.
Q13. What was the reaction of the young people when woman was silent for long?
Ans. When the woman remained silent for a long time, the young people struggled to contain their laughter, eventually mocking her perceived inability to respond.
Q14. What was the answer of the old woman?
Ans. The old woman replied that she didn’t know if the bird was dead or alive, but she knew it was in the young person’s hands.
Q15. The young visitors are reprimanded for which conduct of theirs?
Ans. The young visitors are reprimanded for flaunting their power and exploiting the old woman’s perceived helplessness.
Q16. What one understand by‘bird’ and woman in terms of the Nobel Laureate?
Ans. In the context of the Nobel Laureate’s speech, the ‘bird’ symbolizes language, while the ‘woman’ represents a skilled writer.
B. 2. Short Answer Type Questions.
Q1. Who are ‘they’ according to the writer’s perception?
Ans. According to the writer, ‘they’ refers to the young visitors who came to challenge the old blind woman’s wisdom.
Q2. According to the writer the future of language was in whose hands?
Ans. The writer suggests that the future of language is in the hands of the younger generation, represented by the young visitors.
Q3. What according to the writer could have been the purpose of visit of such young people?
Ans. The writer speculates that the young people’s visit could have been a trick to expose the old woman as a fraud or to provoke her into speaking.
Q4. When one is young then how one sees language?
Ans. When one is young, language is often seen as a tool for self-expression and exploration, like a form of meditation.
Q5. How is language interpreted by the old woman?
Ans. The old woman interprets language as the symbolic bird, emphasizing that its fate (alive or dead) depends on how the young people choose to use it.
C. 1. Long Answer Questions.
Q1. Enumerate the traits of the old woman.
Ans. The old woman is blind but renowned for her wisdom. She lives alone in a small house outside town and is the daughter of Black American slaves. Her reputation for wisdom extends far beyond her neighborhood. She possesses extraordinary insight and remains calm when challenged by young visitors. The woman demonstrates patience and tolerance, responding to their provocative question about a bird with composure. Her dignified response shows her wisdom and ability to see beyond surface-level trickery. These qualities earn her respect and admiration from those who encounter her.
Q2. Have you recently heard a story which is interesting? Write down in 100 words?
Ans. “Gillu” by Mahadevi Verma is a touching tale about compassion and the bond between humans and animals. The story revolves around the author’s care for an injured baby squirrel she names Gillu. She nurtures it back to health, providing a makeshift nest and nutritious food. Gillu becomes a loving companion, even comforting Verma during her illness. Sadly, Gillu dies after two years, deeply affecting the author. The story beautifully illustrates Verma’s empathy and highlights the profound connections we can form with nature. It serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of kindness and the lasting impact of such experiences on our lives.
Q3. Do you think that language is crucial to a writer ? Give any three reasons.
Ans. Yes, language is crucial to a writer for several important reasons:-
- Expression: Language allows writers to convey complex ideas, emotions, and experiences with precision. It’s the primary tool for translating thoughts into words that resonate with readers.
- Imagination: Through vivid descriptions and carefully chosen words, writers can create mental images and entire worlds without the need for visual aids. This power of language helps readers “see” the story unfold in their minds.
- Communication: Language enables writers to effectively share messages, themes, and perspectives with their audience. The right words can make abstract concepts understandable and relatable.
- Creativity: Writers use language to develop unique styles and voices. They can play with words, sentence structures, and literary devices to create engaging and memorable works.
- Emotional impact: Skillful use of language helps writers evoke powerful emotions in readers, creating a deeper connection to the story or message.
Q4. Quote a few lines from the text which highlights the plight of woman and depressed classes.
Ans. “Tell us what it is to be a woman so that we may know what it is to be a man. What it is to have no home in this place. To be set adrift from the one you know. What it is to live at the edge of towns that cannot bear your company.”
This quote illustrates the marginalization and displacement experienced by women and oppressed groups. It emphasizes their struggle for identity and belonging in a society that often excludes them.
“Tell us about wagonload of slaves, how they sang so softly their breath was indistinguishable from the falling snow. How they knew from the lurch of the nearest shoulder that the next stop would be their last.”
These lines powerfully depict the suffering of enslaved people, highlighting their quiet resilience in the face of immense hardship and the constant threat of death.
Q5. Write a paragraph on a character, in the story that has impresed you.
Ans. The old woman in the story is a truly impressive character. Despite her blindness, she possesses remarkable wisdom that is respected far beyond her neighborhood. Her ability to see beyond physical appearances and understand deeper truths is awe-inspiring. The woman’s calm and measured response to the young visitors’ challenge demonstrates her patience and insight. She doesn’t fall for their trick but instead offers a profound lesson about responsibility and the power of choice. Her character embodies resilience, wisdom, and dignity in the face of adversity, making her a compelling and admirable figure in the story.
C. 3. Composition.
1 . You received a prize for writing story. Prepare a speech to be delivered while accepting the prize.
Ans. “The Social Media Dilemma” is a contemporary story that reflects recent cultural shifts. It follows teenager Mia as she navigates the complexities of social media. Mia becomes obsessed with gaining followers and likes, neglecting real-life relationships and her mental health. The story explores themes of online validation, cyberbullying, and the pressure to present a perfect image online. After a series of eye-opening events, including a friend’s social media-induced depression, Mia learns to balance her online presence with real-world connections. The story highlights the impact of social media on modern youth culture, addressing issues of self-esteem, privacy, and the value of authentic relationships in the digital age.
2 . Write a paragraph on a character from his story which impressed
Ans. One childhood story that has stayed with me is “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein. It tells the tale of a boy and a tree, and their lifelong relationship. As a child, the boy plays with the tree, enjoying its shade and climbing its branches. As he grows older, he repeatedly returns to the tree, each time asking for something: apples to sell, branches to build a house, and finally the trunk to make a boat. The tree, out of love, gives the boy everything it has until it’s just a stump. In the end, the now elderly man returns, needing only a place to rest, which the tree-stump gladly provides. This simple yet profound story teaches about unconditional love, the nature of giving, and the cycle of life, leaving a lasting impression on readers of all ages.
D. 1. Word Study
Correct the spelling of the following words:-
assersion, Instrument, speculison movee, riputation, Lach Slinece, vertion
Ans. Assertion instrument speculation motive interruption latch Silence version.
D.2. Word Meaning.
Match the words or phrases in column (A) with their meanings in column (B).
| A | B |
|---|---|
| Amusement | pastime |
| Version | statement of account |
| Violate | to break |
| Speculation | mental view. |
D. 3. Phrase
‘Once upon a time’ is a phrase used in the text. Find out more phrases from the text and use in sentence of your own.
Ans.
(i) In the lorce of: This story is famous in the lore of many cultures.
(ii) Without question: He is known to all without question.
(iii) Responsible for: Ramu was the only man who was responsible for that work.
(iv) Mouth to mouth: Wine was passed from month to mouth.
(v) Glance into: They glanced into each other’s eyes.
E. Grammar
Ex. 1. Punctuation Marks are essential in the language composition. In class IX you have already studied about few punctuation marks. Here below few other punctuation marks are given. See them minutely and learn these marks
(1) !’ = Note of Exclamation
(2) ” ” = Inverted commas.
(3) ( ) = Bracket parenthesise
Now locate the punctuation marks from the passage given below
Raman: Hello! How do you do?
Ali: Hello! I am fine Raman. Well done! you have brought a laureate for the school.
Raman: Ali,’ I always remember your advice, perfection is essential for success in every walk of life my grandfather told me. “True devotion bear a delicious fruit”, it means (true) result.
Answer:
Raman: T Note of exclamation, interrogation mark.
Ali: T Note of exclamation (.) Full stop.
Raman: (‘) comma,”” inverted commas.
G. Translation
Translate into Hindi/your mother language:-
One day the woman is visited by some young people who seem bent on disproving her clairvoyance and showing her up for the fraud they believe she is. Their plan is simple: they enter her house and ask the one question the answer to which rides solely on her difference from them, a difference they regard as a profound disability: her blindness. They stand before her, and one of them says, “old woman, I hold in my hand a bird. Tell me whether it is living or dead.”
Ans.
एक दिन कुछ नवयुवक बुढ़िया के यहाँ भ्रमण करते हैं, जिनका मकसद होता है – यह सिद्ध करना कि वह अन्तर्यामी नहीं है तथा एक धोखेबाज है। उसकी योजना साधारण है। वे लोग उसके घर में प्रवेश करते हैं और एक प्रश्न पूछता है। उसका उत्तर उन लोगों के विचार से पूर्णता भिन्न रहता है। इतनी भिन्नता कि वे उसकी अयोग्यता का कारण अंधापन मानते है। वे लोग उसके पास खड़े रहते हैं और उनमें से एक प्रश्न करता है, “बूढ़ी औरत, मैंने अपने हाथ .. में एक चिड़ियी पकड़ी है, मुझे बताओ, यह जीवित है या मृत।”.
