‘A letter to God’ CBSE Question Bank (QB) contains questions provided by CBSE for students to practice drafting answers to different questions from the lesson ‘A Letter to God. The questions have been solved here but try writing your answers also.
CBSE Question Bank Questions
Q. People get support from family and friends during bad times. How does Lencho’s family behave after the harvest is ruined? [CBSE QB, 2021]
Ans. After the entire crop was ruined in the hailstorm, Lencho’s family members solaced him and asked him not to lose hope. They reminded him that in God’s world no one died of hunger.
Q. ‘Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields, but still he knew how to write.’ What does Scan to know more about this chapter this line tells us about the norm amongst such farmers, then? [QB 2021]
Ans. Lencho was a hard-working farmer. He worked hard in the field like an Ox. But unlike farmers, he was also a literate person.
Q. What, according to you would have been the likely reaction of Lencho’s wife upon knowing about him writing an actual letter to God? [QB 2021]
Ans. Lencho’s wife might be surprised for the unshakeable faith upon God of her husband. Later she might have told him that it was a foolish act.
Q. Lencho waited eagerly for a reply to his letter to God. Do you think the postmaster was also very keen to know Lencho’s reaction upon receiving the ‘reply’? [QB 2021]
Ans. Yes, I think the postmaster was also very keen to know Lencho’s reaction upon receiving the ‘reply’ as he thought that Lencho would be extremely ecstatic and surprised to receive the money that he asked from God. The postmaster was expecting to see a great amount of happiness on Lencho’s face upon receiving the ‘reply’.
Q. Lencho and his family knew the implications the hailstorm would have on their lives. Write a conversation between Lencho and his wife as they watched the downpour turn to a hailstorm. [QB 2021]
Answer.
Lencho: The weather is getting worst now. I have an intuition something bad is going to happen.
Wife: Yes, it has been raining hard for quite a long time. It will destroy our crop.
Lencho: Look! Good Lord! It is hailing now. God save my corns!
Wife: Don’t worry. God won’t let his children starve.
Lencho: I see no hope! We are ruined!
Q. ‘The field was white, as if covered with salt.’ This is how the field is described after the hailstorm. The pelting hailstones could have been easily seen as sugar cubes. Do you think comparing it with sugar would have been more appropriate? Why/ Why not? [QB 2021]
Ans. According to me, comparing it to the hailstones is more appropriate because the hailstorm destroyed Lencho’s fields. Comparing the hailstones with sugar would mean that it benefitted him. On the contrary, the hailstorm caused a lot of damage and all his harvest was destroyed.
Q. Lencho did not bother exploring any other means to resolve his situation but just turned to God. Do you feel that his approach was justified? Why/Why not? [QB 2021]
Ans. Lencho was filled with dejection and despair after the hailstorm stopped. He and his family had to suffer a huge loss as they had nothing to sell. In that moment of despair, he did not explore any other means to resolve his problem but just turned to God. He believed that God would help him in his plight. Yes, I feel that Lencho’s approach was justified as God is never disappoints a person at the time of predicament. If a person has an extreme faith in God, God helps him through his messengers on Earth.
Q. The people at the post-office contribute to put together whatever they can manage, for Lencho.
(a) What do you think was the main reason behind their help? Would you have done the same if you were one of the employees?
(b) As an employee, write about your perspective and reason(s) for contributing to the fund. The fact that you don’t want to say ‘no’ to a cause initiated by your boss, can also be an equally compelling reason! [QB 2021]
Answer:
(a) The main reason behind their help was to keep Lencho’s faith in God intact. Yes, I would also like to help someone who has such an immense faith in Almighty God by giving a part of my earning just like the postmaster and the post office employees did.
(b) Exactly, saying ‘no’ to a cause initiated by my boss won’t be a wise decision. Lencho, who was a poor farmer, was in a fear of going hungry this year. His ripe corn got destroyed due to an unexpected hailstorm. Lending a helping hand is a true spirit of a true human being. I, too, won’t hesitate while helping Lencho. Moreover, to find people like Lencho is very rare in this materialistic world. He was true gem of his own type. And helping such a man was infact, just like helping God himself.
Q. 2. Read the given anecdote and analyse the similarities and differences with reference to ‘A Letter to God’.
A very poor woman called-in a radio station asking for help from God. A non-believer, also listening to this radio program, decided to make fun of the woman. He got her address, called his secretary and ordered her to buy food and take it to the woman. However, the instruction was: “When the woman asks who sent the food, tell her that it’s from the devil.” When the secretary arrived at the woman’s house, the woman was very happy and grateful for the help. The Secretary then asked her, “Don’t you want to know who sent the food?” The woman replied, “No, I don’t even care because when God orders, even the devil obeys!
Ans. There are many similarities in the anecdote like: The poor woman too had immense faith in God just like Lencho. She too asked help from God, Himself instead of asking aid from people around her. Just like Lencho she too believed the devils bunch of crooks excited in this world. The man made fun of her in the same ways as the post office employees laughed on Lencho when they read his first letter. But both the non-believers the post office employees rendered a helping hand to the needy. The differences are as follows: The poor woman considered a devil as help from God. She became happy when she saw the food. On the contrary, Lencho became angry because the amount of money was less than desired one. The man who helped the old woman called himself as a devil whereas the postmaster himself signed as the ‘God’.
Q. 3. The postmaster was a representative of God. Evaluate this statement in the context of your understanding of ‘A Letter to God’. [QB 2021]
Ans. The Postmaster was a representative of God. He was an epitome of humanity. At first, when he saw the letter addressed to ‘God’, he laughed at it but then after reading it, he was amazed by Lencho’s deep faith in God. So, he decided to help him on behalf of God. He decided to collect some money by asking his fellow post office employees and his friends to contribute their share to it. He himself donated a part of his own salary to the cause. He wanted to help Lencho to keep his belief in God intact. He didn’t want Lencho’s faith to be shaken. Lencho’s unshakeable faith in God made the postmaster, a representative of God. God ultimately helped Lencho through the postmaster.
Q. Explain the qualities of the post office employees. [CBSE SQP 2018-19]
Ans. The Employees were kind, helpful and considerate. They were an epitome of humanity. When they saw Lencho’s deep faith in God, they wanted to help him on behalf of God. For this act of charity, they contributed their share of money. This proves that they had empathy and compassion for Lencho.
Q. Lencho had faith in God but lacked faith in humanity. Elaborate with reference to ‘A Letter to God’. [CBSE SQP, 2020]
Answer:
- Lencho- a simple person.
- Started correspondence with God, immense faith, asked for money.
- Received a lesser amount, blamed the post office employees.
- Didn’t realise the irony- they were the real helpers, who had contributed parts of their salary.
- Didn’t act practically.
Q. Why would you not agree with Lencho calling them ‘a bunch of crooks’? [CBSE SQP 2018-19]
Ans. Lencho was not at all justified in calling them ‘a bunch of crooks’ because they helped him by collecting money and understanding Lencho’s unshakable faith in God. Each one of them parted with some money for the act of charity which ‘a bunch of crooks’ would never do.