FIRST FLIGHT

A Letter to God

1. What did Lencho hope for?

Ans:  Lencho hoped that hailstorm should go as quickly as possible.

2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?

Ans: As raindrops would have helped in getting a better harvest, resulting in more prosperity, so Lencho compared them with new coins.

3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?

Ans: The rain changed to hailstorm. All  the crop in the field was destroyed.

4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?

Ans: After the destruction caused by hail, Lencho was shattered. He could see a bleak future for him and his family. He was worried about lack of food for the coming year.

5. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?

Answer: Lencho had faith in God. He believed that God could see everything and would help him out. Lencho wrote a letter to the God, explained his situation and asked for some money from God.

6. Who read the letter?

Answer:  The postmaster read the letter.

7. What did the postmaster do then?

Answer:  Postmaster was deeply touched by Lencho’s faith in the God. The postmaster asked his colleagues to contribute some money so that they could send that to Lencho.

8. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?

Answer:  The following sentences explain Lencho’s faith in the God, “But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley, there was a single hope: help from God. “Don’t be so upset, even though this seems like a total loss. Remember, no one dies of hunger.”

9. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?

Answer:  Postmaster was moved by Lencho’s complete faith in the God. So, he decided to send money to Lencho. Moreover, the postmaster did not want to shake Lencho’s faith in God. So, he signed the letter ‘God’. It was a good ploy to convey a message that God had himself written the letter.

10. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why notAnswer: As Lencho had complete faith in God, so he did not try to find out the actual sender of money.

11. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation?

Answer: Lencho had all his doubts on people working in the post office. The irony of the situation is the                    finger pointing on those who had tried to help out Lencho. In real life also we come across such     situations. Many a time you would have tried helping someone and he may get a wrong message.

12. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?

Answer: Lencho was not surprised to get the money.

13. What made him angry?

Answer: The fact that he received half the amount he had requested for, made him angry.

14. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of a person would you say he is? You may select appropriate words from the following list to answer the question.

Greedy, naïve, stupid, ungrateful, selfish, comical, unquestioning

Answer:  In the real world it almost impossible to find people, like Lencho. Lencho seems to be naïve and unquestioning. Naïve in the sense that he doesn’t even bother to think about who sent the money or if God would actually send the money. Probably his naiveté comes from his unquestioning belief in the God.

DIFFICULT WORDS

*Bunch- Bunch means group    * Crooks- Crooks means dishonest people   * approaching- advancing

* The house- It was called the house because it was the only one in the valley. *Intimately- very closely

* an ox of a man- An ox of a man means a very strong man.  * Draped- Wrapped or covered                            

* Tapping- Giving * evident- evident means plain and clear * Supper- Evening meal * solitary- lonely 

* Predicted- predicted means said something about the future.  *Daybreak- Daybreak means sunshine

* Locusts- Crop destroying winged insects * Resolution- determined decision * denied- denied means refused.

 TEXTUAL QUESTIONS- PART (2)

Q.NO.(1) Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of aperson would you say he is?

Greedy, naïve, stupid, ungrateful, selfish, comical, unquestioning

Ans. There might be a few people like Lencho in the real world. As Lencho is a man of firm belief in the almighty God he is unquestioning and naïve kind of person.

LONG TYPE QUESTIONS

Q.NO.(1) Who was Lencho? Describe his firm faith in God?

Ans. Lencho was a poor farmer. He had firm faith in the almighty God. The firm faith of Lencho can be proved with the help of following evidence:-

                Once the hailstorm destroyed the crops of Lencho and left nothing. There was no one in the valley to help him and support his family. As had firm faith in God he wrote a letter addressing to God. He asked the God foe 100 pesos as to sow the field again and might feed his family that year. He was seeking the money to save his family as well as himself from starving.

              Lencho had explained each and every aspect of destruction in the letter. He went to the city pasted a stamp on the envelope and mailed it through the postal office. Obviously his action proves that he had firm belief that God would help him starving.

Q.NO.(2)Describe the character of Lencho in the light of his faith and attitude towards God and Man?

Ans. Lencho was a poor farmer. He was very hard-working. Once his harvest was destroyed completely because of hailstorm. He became hopeless because he did not have even a penny , so his family had to starve.

      Lencho was very simple person with firm faith in God. He hoped that God would help him and make sure that he and his family would not starve. He went to the office and a wrote an appealing  letter with confidence to God for help.He described each and every aspect of destruction and reason for seeking His help. He pasted a stamp and mailed through post office addressing to “The God”.

                              In the opinion of Lencho men are dihonest and deceitful. Without any hesitation he wrote a letter again to God after receiving 70 pesos donation from post office employees and remarked them as the bunch of crooks. As he believed that God helps innocent people in distress so he approached the God directly.Even he was not surprised to receive 70 pesos but became very angry that God would not make any mistake to send him 100 pesos so he wrote again for the rest amount .He requested God not to send the money through post as the people in post office were bunch of crooks.

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS- PART (2)

Q.NO.(1) Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of aperson would you say he is?

Greedy, naïve, stupid, ungrateful, selfish, comical, unquestioning

Ans. There might be a few people like Lencho in the real world. As Lencho is a man of firm belief in the almighty God he is unquestioning and naïve kind of person.

LONG TYPE QUESTIONS

Q.NO.(1) Who was Lencho? Describe his firm faith in God?

Ans. Lencho was a poor farmer. He had firm faith in the almighty God. The firm faith of Lencho can be proved with the help of following evidence:-

                Once the hailstorm destroyed the crops of Lencho and left nothing. There was no one in the valley to help him and support his family. As had firm faith in God he wrote a letter addressing to God. He asked the God foe 100 pesos as to sow the field again and might feed his family that year. He was seeking the money to save his family as well as himself from starving.

              Lencho had explained each and every aspect of destruction in the letter. He went to the city pasted a stamp on the envelope and mailed it through the postal office. Obviously his action proves that he had firm belief that God would help him starving.

Q.NO.(2)Describe the character of Lencho in the light of his faith and attitude towards God and Man?

Ans. Lencho was a poor farmer. He was very hard-working. Once his harvest was destroyed completely because of hailstorm. He became hopeless because he did not have even a penny , so his family had to starve.

      Lencho was very simple person with firm faith in God. He hoped that God would help him and make sure that he and his family would not starve. He went to the office and a wrote an appealing  letter with confidence to God for help.He described each and every aspect of destruction and reason for seeking His help. He pasted a stamp and mailed through post office addressing to “The God”.

                              In the opinion of Lencho men are dihonest and deceitful. Without any hesitation he wrote a letter again to God after receiving 70 pesos donation from post office employees and remarked them as the bunch of crooks. As he believed that God helps innocent people in distress so he approached the God directly.Even he was not surprised to receive 70 pesos but became very angry that God would not make any mistake to send him 100 pesos so he wrote again for the rest amount .He requested God not to send the money through post as the people in post office were bunch of crooks.

DIFFICULT WORDS

*Bunch- Bunch means group      * Predicted- predicted means said something about the future.

* Crooks- Crooks means dishonest people   * Draped- Wrapped or covered  * solitary- lonely  

* The house- It was called the house because it was the only one in the valley.

* approaching- advancing    * an ox of a man- An ox of a man means a very strong man.

* evident- evident means plain and clear   *Intimately- very closely  * denied- denied means refused

* Supper- Evening meal    * Locusts- Crop destroying winged insects  

* Resolution- determined decision  *Daybreak- Daybreak means sunshine    * Amiable- pleasant 

* Tapping- Giving    Amiable- pleasant    * wrinkling- furrowing/ of anger.

  Model Questions and Answers on ‘A Letter to God’ by G.L. Fuentes.

MAY 29, 2016 / SAZZAD SODIAL.

Very Short Type Questions:                                                                                                        Mark: 1each.

Choose the correct answer.

(a) A Letter to God was written by

(i) Ruskin Bond.                (ii) Lokesh Abrol.              (iii) G.L. Fuentes.

Ans: (iii) G.L. Fuentes.

(b) The house stood on

(i) the crest of a low hill.                                (ii) the crest of a mountain.         (iii) a deep valley.

Ans: (i) the crest of a low hill.

(c) The crop that grew was

(i) wheat.            (ii) corn.               (iii) barley.

Ans: (ii) corn.

(d) Lencho’s profession was

(i) share cropping.           (ii) farming.         (iii) brickmaking.

Ans: (ii) farming.

(e) Lencho went out into the rain to

(i) enjoy himself.              (ii) have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body.      (iii) collect rain water.

Ans: (ii) have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body.

(f) Lencho wrote a letter to

(i) God.                 (ii) the village master.    (iii) the post master.

Ans: (i) God.

(g) Lencho’s manner of posting the letter showed that

(i) he was truly a kind hearted and simple man. (ii) he was greedy.           (iii) he needed education.

Ans: (i) he was truly a kind hearted and simple man.

State whether the following are true or false :

(a)   Lencho was a farmer by profession.                                   

 Ans: True.

(b)   Lencho had no family of his own.                                     

Ans: False.

(c)    Lencho predicted the rain by looking at the clouds.                    

 Ans: True.

(d)   All the corns of Lencho were totally destroyed.                       

 Ans: True.

(e)   Lencho had an unshakable faith in God.                               

Ans: True.

(f)     Lencho expects 100 roubles in reply to his letter.                      

 Ans: False.

(g)   The Postmaster came to know about Lencho’s unshakable belief in God by opening and reading the letter of Lencho to God.                                     

  Ans: True.

     (h) Lencho wrote a second letter to God conveying his thanks to Almighty for fulfilling his wish.     

     Ans: False.

Choose the correct answer from the alternatives given :

(a) ______ sat on the crest of a low _____.              (top of a hill/middle/height)

Ans:       top of a hill.

(b) ______ was a downpour or at least ___              (wind/heavy fall of rain/storm)

Ans:       heavy fall of rain.

(c) ______ in that solitary house _____.                 (lonely/sociable/congested)

Ans:       lonely.

(d) ______ fat, amiable fellow _____.                   (unsociable/friendly/mannerless)

Ans:       friendly.

(e) ______ experiencing the contentment of a man _____. (disgust/derision/satisfaction)

Ans:       satisfaction

1.                  Who is the writer of the prose-piece, “A Letter to God”?

             Ans:   G.L. Fuentes is the writer of the prose-piece, “A Letter to God”.

2.                  Who was Lencho?

            Ans:  Lencho was a Latin American farmer.

3.                  Where was the house of Lencho situated?

            Ans:  The house of Lencho was situated on the crest of a low hill in a valley.

4.                  From where can one see the river?

           Ans:  One can see the river from the top of a hill.

5.                  What crop was farmed by Lencho?

           Ans:  Lencho farmed corn.

6.                   What was the peculiar thing about Lencho’s house?

            Ans: The peculiar thing about Lencho’s house was that it was the only one in the entire valley.

7.                  What did the crop need before ripening?

           Ans: The crop needed a downpour or at least a shower before ripening.

8.                  Who was the “woman” mentioned in the story?

           Ans:  The “woman” mentioned in the story was Lencho’s wife.

9.                  What was prepared by the woman?

            Ans:  Dinner was prepared by the woman.

10.               Where were the older boys working?

             Ans:  The older boys were working in the field.

11.               Where were the smaller boys playing?

            Ans:  The smaller boys were playing near the house.

12.               What was Lencho’s profession?

            Ans:  Lencho’s profession was farming.

13.               What happened during the meal

     Ans:  Big drops of rain began to fall during the meal.