INDIAN SCHOOL AL WADI AL KABIR

QUESTION BANK- A LETTER TO GOD (2022-23) Sub: ENGLISH

Class: X
A Letter to God Summary
Lencho was a dedicated farmer. He was expecting a decent harvest. However, to his grief, a hail
storm came and destroyed his harvest completely. Lencho was very sad. However, he had a strong
belief in God. He was certain that God would help him. Also, he was an extremely straightforward
man. Although working for a long time on the farm, he knew writing. Thus, he composed a letter to
God. In the letter, he asked God to send him one hundred pesos. At that point, he went to the post
office and put his letter into the post box. The postman removed the letter from the letter-box. He
read the address on it and laughed very much. Also, he rushed to the postmaster and demonstrated
to him that strange letter. Moreover, the postmaster also laughed in the same way when he saw the
address of God. However, on reading the letter, he got very serious. He lauded this man who had
unquestioned faith in God and decided to help him in terms of money. He asked the employees of
the post office to give charity. Moreover, he gave a part of-of his salary too. However, they were
able to collect only a little more than 50 pesos as requested for by Lencho. The postmaster put the
money in an envelope. It was addressed to Lencho.

On Sunday, Lencho once again came to the post-office. He asked if there was a letter for him. The
postmaster took out the letter and handed it to Lencho. Lencho was not surprised after seeing the
money. But when he counted the money, he became angry on God. He was sure that God could not
have made a mistake. He took paper and ink and wrote one more letter to God. Then he put it into
the letter-box. After Lencho had left the place, the postmaster and the employees read the letter. In
it, Lencho had complained to God that he had received only seventy pesos. Also, he requested God
to send him the rest of the money this time. However, he asked God not to send the money through
the mail. He wrote that the post-office employees were a bunch of crooks and thus might have
stolen the money.

Character sketch

Lencho Lencho is the main character of the story “The Letter to God.” He is a poor farmer who
is the sole bread-earner of the family. He had faith in God. Lencho lived in a small house which
was situated on the crest of a low hill in the valley. Throughout the morning Lencho sat in his
house and waited for the rain to come. He wished for the rain or the shower for his field in which
he had grown his crops but due to hailstorm his crops were destroyed. Lencho wrote the letter to
God as he thought that he would be the only one to help him in his bad times. He wrote a letter
addressing to God to send him 100 pesos so that he and his family can survive in such a difficult
situation.

ISWK/ QUES BANK/ 1 | P a g e

Postmaster - The postmaster was a fat and amiable fellow. He was a sensible and a
compassionate human being who was amazed by the depth of faith in God that is shown by
Lencho. Although at first he was amused by Lencho’s letter to God, he became serious and
wanted to help Lencho because he didn’t want his faith to be shaken. The postmaster himself
gave a part of his salary and also requested his employees and a few friends to contribute for
charity. He felt happy and satisfied when Lencho received the money. This shows that he was a
kind and empathetic person as well. He loved to help others.

I. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS:

Read the following questions and choose the best option as answer:

1. Lencho was a farmer.

(i) content (ii) greedy (iii) hard working (iv) satisfied

2. Lencho calls the big rain-drops

(i) gold coins (ii) 5 pesos (iii) silver coins (iv) money

3. Who sent the money to Lencho?

(i) postmaster (ii) God (iii) relatives (iv) well wishers

4. The postmaster- a fat, amiable fellow. AMIABLE means

(i) unsociable (ii) friendly (iii) manner less (iv) charitable
5. “experiencing the contentment of a man ……”. The underlined word means
(i) disgust (ii) derision (iii) ridicule (iv) satisfaction

II. REFERENCE TO CONTEXT:

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.

1. “Not a leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed. The flowers were gone
fromthe plants. Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness. When the storm had passed, he stood in
the middle of the field and said to his sons. “A plague of locusts would have left more than
this. The hail has left nothing’.
(a) Describe Lencho’s feeling as shown in the passage.
(b) What happened to the crop when the storm had passed?
(c) Find the word that means the opposite of ‘restored’ as used in the passage.
(d) What do you mean by ‘hail’ in the last line?
Answer:
(a) Lencho was filled with sadness when the storm had passed.
(b) The crop was completely destroyed when the storm had passed.
(c) The word is ‘destroyed’.
(d) ‘Hail’ is balls of ice (hail stones) that falls from the sky in the form of rain.

2. “That’s what they say: no one dies of hunger.” All through the night, Lencho thought
only ofhis one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he had been instructed, see everything,
even what

ISWK/ QUES BANK/ 2 | P a g e

 is deep in one’s conscience. Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields,
butstill he knew how to write”.
(a) What was Lencho’s only hope?
(b) How did Lencho work in the field?
(c) Find the exact word of similar meaning ‘moral sense’ given in the passage.
(d) Explain ‘an ox of a man’.
Answer:
(a) Lencho’s only hope was the help of God.
(b) Lencho worked like an ‘ox’ in the field. He was strong and hardworking.
(c) The word is ‘conscience’.
(d) It means to be strong and working hard like an ox.

3. “God,” he wrote, “if you don’t help me, my family and I will go hungry this year. I
need a hundred pesos in order to sow my field again and to live until the crop comes,
because of thehailstorm ….”
(a) What help has he asked for?
(b) Why did he need help?
(c) Why did Lencho write a letter to God?
(d) Why were Lencho and his family in distress?
Ans.

(a) He has asked for a hundred pesos in order to sow his field again.
(b) He needed help because the hailstorm had destroyed his crop, and his family would
gohungry.
(c) Lencho’s crops were completely destroyed by the hailstorm. He had nobody to help
buthe had faith in God.
Lencho’s crops were completely destroyed by the hailstones. He feared that he and his
family would go hungry.

EXTRA QUESTIONS: -
Question 1 : The house – the only one in the entire valley – sat on the crest of a low hill. From
this height one could see the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers that always
promised a good harvest. The only thing the Earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower.
Throughout the morning Lencho who knew his fields intimately had done nothing else but see
the sky towards the North-East. “Now we’re really going to get some water, woman. “The
woman who was preparing supper, replied, “Yes, God willing”.

i) Where was Lencho’s house located?

a) On the crest of low hill

b) In the entire valley

c) In the field of ripe corn

d) Towards the North-Earth

ISWK/ QUES BANK/ 3 | P a g e

ii) What was Lencho’s wife preparing?

a) Good harvest

b) Supper

c) Clothes

d) Coffee

iii) Find the word from the extract which means ‘very closely’.

a) Promisingly

b) Entire

c) Intimately

d) Towards

iv) What does ”crest’ mean?

a) Surface of the hill

b) Center of the hill

c) Bottom of the hill

d) Top of the hill

Answer : i) a) On the crest of low hill

ii) b) Supper

iii) c) Inimately

iv) d) Top of the hill

Question 2 : It was during the meal that, just as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to
fall. In the North-East huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching. The air was fresh
and sweet. The man went out for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on
his body.
i) What could be seen approaching in the North-East?

a) The fresh air

b) Huge mountains of clouds

ISWK/ QUES BANK/ 4 | P a g e

c) Big drops of rain

d) Herd of stray animals

ii) Why did Lencho go out?

a) To protect his ripe crops

b) To shoo away the stray animals

c) To irrigate his fields

d) To have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body

iii) Find the word from the extract which means ‘forecasted’.

a) Predicted

b) Dotted

c) Approached

d) Seen

iv) What do you mean by huge mountains of clouds?

a) Very high clouds

b) Very dark clouds

c) Clouds promising heavy rains

d) Clouds making hilly pattern

Answer : i) b) Huge mountains of clouds

ii) d) To have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body

iii) a) Predicted

iv) c) Clouds promising heavy rains

Question 3 : With a satisfied expression he regarded the field of ripe corn with its flowers,
draped in curtain of rain. But suddenly a strong wind began to blow and along with the rain very
large hailstones began to fall. These truly did resemble new silver coins. The boys, exposing
themselves to the rain, ran out to collect the frozen pearls.
i) What happened to the rain suddenly?

ISWK/ QUES BANK/ 5 | P a g e

a) It stopped

b) It turned into acid rain

c) It changed into hailstones

d) It started raining more heavily

ii) What did hailstones resemble in the extract?

a) Silver coins

b) Ice-creams

c) Flowers

d) Snow peaks

iii) Find a word in the given extract which means the same as ‘contented’.

a) Regarded

b) Draped

c) Exposed

d) Satisfied

iv) What does the word ‘exposing’ mean in the extract?

a) Hiding

b) Coming out in open

c) Preventing

d) Influencing

Answer : i) c) It changed into hailstones

ii) a) Silver coins

iii) d) Satisfied

iv) b) Coming out in open

Question 4 : Not a leaf remained on the trees. the corn was totally destroyed. The flowers were
gone from the plants. Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness. When the storm had passed, he
ISWK/ QUES BANK/ 6 | P a g e
stood in the middle of the field and said to his sons, “A plague of locusts would have left more
than this. The hail has left nothing”.
i) What happened to the crop when the storm had passed?

a) It blossomed

b) It remained as it was

c) It grew to produce more seeds

d) The corn was totally destroyed

ii) What was the status of leaves after the storm?

a) They turned green

b) They turned pale

c) They were detached from the trees

d) They dried up

iii) Describe Lencho’s feelings as shown in the extract.

a) He was elated

b) He was very sad

c) He was angry

d) He was charged up

iv) Find the opposite of ‘destroyed’ from the passage.

a) Restored

b) Lost

c) Grown

d) Passed

Answer : i) d) The corn was totally destroyed

ii) c) They were detached from the trees

iii) b) He was very sad

ISWK/ QUES BANK/ 7 | P a g e
iv) a) Restored

Question 5 : “That’s what they say: no one dies of hunger.” All through the night, Lencho
thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he had been instructed, see
everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience. Lencho was an ox of a man, working like an
animal in the fields, but still he knew how to write.
i) What was Lencho’s only hope?

a) The help of God

b) The help of the government

c) Flourishing of his another of his another crop

d) His family’s support

ii) Despite being a farmer what did Lencho know?

a) How to please God

b) How to write

c) How to talk

d) How to die

iii) How did Lencho work in the field?

a) Like a farmer

b) Like a businessman

c) As hard as an animal

d) As comfortably as the rich

iv) What does that word ‘conscience’ in the extract mean?

a) Knowledge

b) Awareness

c) Interest

d) Moral sense

Answer : i) a) The help of God

ISWK/ QUES BANK/ 8 | P a g e
ii) b) How to write

iii) c) As hard as an animal

iv) d) Moral sense

I. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:

(Answer the following questions in 30-40 words)

1. Describe the destruction caused by hailstones in Lencho’s fields.

Ans: The hail rained on Lencho’s house, garden, cornfield, the hillside and the entire
valleyfor an hour. The field was white, as if covered with salt. Not a leaf remained on the
trees.
The corn in Lencho’s cornfield was totally destroyed.

2. What were Lencho’s feelings when the rain/hail had stopped?

Ans: Lencho was filled with sadness after the rain/hail had stopped. His corn was
totallydestroyed. He told his sons that they would have no corn that year. But he was
hopeful ofgetting help from God.

3. What did the postmaster do in order to not break Lencho’s firm belief/faith in
theAlmighty/God?
Ans: In order to not break Lencho’s firm belief/faith in the Almighty/God, the
postmasterdecided to answer the letter as God himself. He collected money from his
employees, friends and contributed a part of his salary to send to Lencho. He put the
money in an envelope and sent it.

4. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter with money in it? Why/Why not?
Ans. No, Lencho was not at all surprised to receive the envelope with the money in it
becausehe had utter faith in God. His unshakeable faith gave him utter confidence.

5. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like “new coins”?
Answer – Lencho’s crops were ready for harvest. As raindrops would help him in getting a
better harvest, resulting in more prosperity, So Lencho compares them with new coins.

6. How did the rain change? what happened to Lencho’s field?

Answer – The rain is about to pour down. But suddenly a strong wind began to blow
and very large hailstones begin to fall along with the rain. Therefore, all the crops of
Lencho’s field got destroyed.

7. How did the employees help Lencho?

Ans – When the postmaster used to read the letter he found that very funny but also
he gets serious about the matter later. He thought why not helping him, He used to
discuss this matter with other employees in the post office and ask them to donate a
little bit of money from their salary. So, after that everyone agreed to the postmaster
and everyone donated some money from their salary. After that, he puts that money in
a letter and handed over to Lencho.

ISWK/ QUES BANK/ 9 | P a g e

 III. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:
(Answer the following questions in 100-120 words)

1. Describe Lencho’s qualities in light of his faith in God. Do you have faith in God like
Lencho?Was Lencho’s reaction towards post office employees right?
Ans: Lencho was a poor farmer who totally depended on the harvest to survive and
fulfillbasic needs of his family. Once his crops were destroyed due to heavy rainfall and
hailstones and he was afraid to think how his family would survive. He believed that
Godwould help him overcome the situation. He had firm faith in God, he believed that
God would not let him and his go hungry.
Now-a-days faith in God like Lencho is almost impossible and unseen. People are very
aware that nobody is willing to help others without any self- interest. Lencho’s
reaction towards post office employees was not right or justified, but it could be
because of his innocence as he could not believe that God had made such a mistake.
Therefore, only thepost office employees who had stolen money according to him.

2. “Humanity still exists”, this is what we get to know after reading A letter to God’ in
whichfirm faith in God of a poor farmer and helpfulness of the post office employees are
aptly depicted thought. Write a paragraph on the values in it, in about 80-100 words.
Ans: After reading the lesson, ‘A letter to God’, our faith in humanity becomes strong.
Welearn from the story that there still are people who help others without any self-
interest.
The postmaster and the post office employees lay an example for every one of us to be
kind.Though they all laughed at Lencho’s letter, they were really moved by the strong
faith he had in God. The way they all decided to help the stranger in his hard times
restores our faith in the existence of humanity and motivates us to be noble and kind.

3. How did the postmaster and post office employees help Lencho? How did he react to their
help?
Answer:
The Postmaster and post office employees were very generous as they contributed for the act of
charity. First they laughed when they saw Lencho’s letter to God, but soon they were impressed
by his faith in God. They decided to send some money to Lencho so that his faith in God does
not get shaken. They collected seventy pesos and sent it to Lencho.
When Lencho got the envelope and opened it to count money, he became angry. He again
wrote a letter to God demanding the remaining thirty pesos. He thought that post office
employees had taken away the remaining money and called them a bunch of crooks, which was
not justified at all as they were the people who had helped him. But it shows his innocence and
firm faith in God.

4. How did the hailstones affect Lencho’s field? What was Lencho’s only hope?
Answer:
Lencho, a hardworking farmer, worked like an ox for a good harvest, depended completely on
his fields to take care of his family. He expected a good harvest that year. He needed a
downpour for the crops to ripe, but the rain followed by hailstorm completely destroyed the
crops.
It made him sad. He was worried for his family as he loved them so much. But Lencho had firm
ISWK/ QUES BANK/ 10 | P a g e
faith in God and believed that nobody died of hunger. So, he decided to seek help from God.
He wrote a letter to God and asked him for a hundred pesos to survive and to sow new crop.
Intext Questions – On Page 5* – A Letter To God (Extra Questions)

Q1. What did Lencho hope for?

Answer – Lencho hopes for a downpour for at least a shower.
Q2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like “new coins”?
Answer – Lencho said the raindrops were like “new coins” because he hoped for a good
harvest.
Q3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s field?
Answer – At first the big drops of rain began to fall. then suddenly a strong wind begins to
blow and along with the rain very large hailstones begin to fall. The corn was totally destroyed.
Lencho’s fields turned white as if covered with salt.
Q4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
Answer – When the hail stopped, Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness because the hailstones
had completely destroyed his crop. He feared his family would starve that year. Thus, his hopes
were shattered. However, Lencho had only one hope. It was the help of God. A Letter To God
Class 10 Important Question

Intext Questions – On Page 6* – A Letter To God (Extra Questions)

Q1. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
Answer – Lencho had faith in God, whose eyes see everything, even what is deep in one’s
conscience. He said ‘no one dies of hunger’. He decided to write a letter to God to seek his
help. In his letter, he represented God to send him a hundred pesos.
Q2. Who Read The Letter?
Answer – The postmaster read the letter which was given to him by the postman.
Q3. What did the Postmaster do then?
Answer – The postmaster read the letter. He was highly impressed by the writer’s faith in God.
So, in order not to shake the writer’s (Lencho’s) faith in God, he decided to answer the letter
and help the man in distress. He collected 70 pesos and sent them to Lencho.

Intext Questions – On Page 7* – A Letter To God (Extra Questions)

Q1. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
Answer – Lencho showed not the slightest surprise to find a letter for him with money in it,
because such was his faith in God. He believed that God sees everything, even what is deep in
one’s conscience. He had also heard people say, “No one dies of hunger”.
Q2. What made him (Lencho) angry?
Answer – When Lencho received the letter and counted the money, he became very angry. The
envelope contained only seventy pesos, whereas he had requested God to send him a hundred
pesos. God could not make a mistake. He thought that the post-office employees had cheated
him and kept the rest of the money.

ISWK/ QUES BANK/ 11 | P a g e