CG Board (CGBSE / SCERT Chhattisgarh) Class 10 English Reader (Flight) Solutions | 2026-27 Edition
📚 Lesson Overview:
- Board: Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education (CGBSE) / CG SCERT Raipur
- Textbook: Flight English Reader Class 10 (2026-27 Official Edition)
- Unit: Unit 3: Inclusion
- Lesson 7: Unit 3 Reading A: The Girl Who Asked Why (वह लड़की जिसने पूछा क्यों)
- Coverage: Summary, Word Meanings, Comprehension, Vocabulary, Grammar, Listening, Speaking, Writing & Practice Exercises
End-of-Chapter Exercises (Solutions)
अभ्यास के सभी प्रश्नों के हल
"The Girl Who Asked Why" by Shon Mehta is an empowering stor…
शोन मेहता द्वारा लिखित कहानी "द गर्ल हू आस्क्ड व्हाई" (वह लड…
“The Girl Who Asked Why” by Shon Mehta is an empowering story about a young girl who challenged deep-rooted gender prejudice and traditional societal norms. Long ago, girls were barred from receiving an education and were expected only to learn cooking, handle household work, and get married at a certain age. However, this girl constantly questioned these rules by asking “Why?”. She agreed to learn cooking and housework because her mother explained they would make her self-dependent and capable of feeding herself. But when her parents proposed marrying her off simply because “everyone does”, she firmly refused, asserting that it was not a valid reason.
Recognizing her determination, her father, who was a teacher, admitted her to his academy. She learned hymns and their deeper meanings, asked insightful questions, and soon surpassed her father in knowledge. When the local king invited the brightest scholar from the academy to a global conference aimed at compiling all universal knowledge into books, she was chosen as the academy’s delegate.
At the conference, male scholars and delegates reacted with outrage upon seeing a woman climb the dais. They called her presence “preposterous” and a “sin against God”. An elderly scholar claimed that female intellect was inherently weaker than male intellect, citing ancient hymns. The girl boldly questioned this assumption, asking who wrote the hymns and how male ancestors determined female intellect was weaker. Unable to provide a single example or proof, the scholar admitted he needed time to study. Recognizing her merit and courage, the king permitted her to join the scholars’ panel. She actively participated in debates, astonished everyone with her brilliance, and contributed her own composed hymns to the final book, becoming the world’s first recognized female scholar.
- Relevant – Connected with the subject being discussed / ,
- Grandeur – Grand and beautiful / ,
- Hymns – Songs of praise usually of God / , ,
- Panel – A group of people chosen to make decisions /
- Surpassed – Exceeded in knowledge, outperformed / ,
- Forefathers – Male ancestors / ,
- Intellect – Mental capability, reasoning power / ,
Why do the children in the picture call…
चित्र में बच्चे स्वयं को विशेष इसलिए कहते…
The children in the picture call themselves special because each of them possesses unique abilities, talents, and determination despite facing physical disabilities or challenges.
What is special about them
उनकी विशेष बात उनकी जीवन के प्रति सकारात्मक…
What makes them special is their joyful spirit, mutual support, positive attitude toward life, and their refusal to let physical limitations hinder their growth and happiness.
What makes you different from them
शारीरिक रूप से शायद मुझे बैसाखी या व्हीलचेयर…
Physically, I may not have physical disabilities like using crutches or wheelchairs, but as human beings, we are all equal with our own distinct traits, strengths, and learning abilities.
The girl did not agree to her mothers…
लड़की अपनी माँ के इस विचार से सहमत…
c) marry at a certain age.**
The parents believed that the girl should marry…
मातापिता का मानना था कि लड़की को एक…
a) at a certain age.**
When the king allowed her to join the…
जब राजा ने उसे समिति में शामिल होने…
Put a tick (✓) on the comments that you think are correct and cross (X) the wrong ones based on the text:
| S.No. | The actual words spoken | Who said | What do these words show about the speaker? |
|---|---|---|---|
| a. | “A woman can’t sit on the scholar’s panel unless she is accompanied by a man.” | The King | He is prejudiced and bound by traditional royal rules. |
| b. | “Pardon me, Your Grace! But I was invited to join the discussion.” | The Girl | She is polite, courageous, logical, and firm in her stance. |
| c. | “But I don’t think a woman can join the discussion.” | A woman in the audience | She is influenced by orthodox societal conditioning against women. |
| d. | “So, by joining the discussion, what do you want to prove? That, women are better than men?” | An elderly scholar | He is arrogant, insecure, and defensive about male supremacy. |
| e. | “May I ask who wrote those hymns?” | The Girl | She is analytical, sharp-minded, inquisitive, and fearless. |
| f. | “…Why is a female intellect weaker than a male?” | The King | He is fair-minded, open to reason, and seeking logical proof. |
| g. | “I need to study, Your Grace, to come up with an example.” | An elderly scholar | He lacks real evidence, admits his ignorance, and accepts defeat. |
| h. | “You ask too many questions, girl!” | An elderly scholar | He is frustrated, short-tempered, and unable to answer logically. |
Task: Complete the grid with suitable information from the story.
Q: Which of the above utterances (actual words spoken) do you support and why?
b) was not sure of her worthiness.**
- a) She was wearing provoking clothes. -> (X)
- b) She was sinning against God. -> (X)
- c) She was of good reputation. -> (✓)
- d) She was very good looking. -> (✓)
- e) She was talented. -> (✓)
- f) She was very confident. -> (✓)
- g) She was not fit to be in a company of scholars. -> (X)
- h) She could marry a rich person. -> (✓)
- i) She would feel uncomfortable in the company of men. -> (X)
- Answer: I support the utterances spoken by The Girl (statements b and e) and The King (statement f). The girl’s utterances demonstrate polite courage, logical reasoning, and a quest for truth rather than blind acceptance. The King’s utterance shows a fair and unbiased ruler who values reason over baseless prejudices.
Why did the academy send the girl to…
अकादमी ने लड़की को सम्मेलन में इसलिए भेजा…
The academy sent the girl to the conference because she had surpassed everyone, including her father, in knowledge through her continuous questioning and learning, making her the brightest scholar in the academy.
Why did the king invite scholars and philosophers…
राजा ने दुनिया भर से विद्वानों और दार्शनिकों…
The king invited scholars and philosophers from all over the world because he wanted to gather inputs and compile all the knowledge in the universe into comprehensive books.
How did the girl justify her presence in…
लड़की ने यह कहकर अपनी उपस्थिति को सही…
The girl justified her presence by stating that the king’s invitation was for the brightest scholar of her academy, which she was, and that the invitation nowhere specified that only male scholars were allowed.
What made the king support the girl in…
राजा ने अंत में लड़की का समर्थन इसलिए…
The king supported the girl because she had earned her place strictly on merit, answered all objections logically, and the elderly scholar failed to provide any convincing evidence or example to prove that female intellect was weaker.
Women have weaker intellect say the hymns Do…
मैं इस विचार से पूरी तरह असहमत हूँ।…
Task: Tick (✓) the correct meaning of the underlined word in each of the following sentences.
I completely disagree with this view. Intellect is a human quality determined by education, critical thinking, opportunity, and effort, not by gender. Women throughout history have proven their brilliance in science, literature, philosophy, and leadership whenever given equal opportunities.
She usurpassedu her father in knowledge
She usurpassedu her father in knowledge
- Finite Verbs: Change according to the tense, number, and person of the subject (e.g., lives, was, wanted, learned).
- Non-Finite Verbs (Infinitives / Participles): Do not change with subject, number, or tense (e.g., to cook, to take care, cooking).
| Sentence / Phrase | Finite Verbs | Non-Finite Verbs |
|---|---|---|
| Girls were taught to cook… | were taught, married | to cook, to take care |
| Studying was off-limits… | was | Studying (Gerund) |
| …there lived a girl. | lived | None |
| She was a little different. | was | None |
| She always had… | had | None |
| …mother wanted her to learn cooking. | wanted | to learn, cooking |
| Why should I learn to cook? | should learn | to cook |
| …you can feed yourself… | can feed | None |
| …learned to cook. | learned | to cook |
| …wanted to teach her… | wanted | to teach |
Text Passage:
“Girls were taught to cook, to take care of the family, and then married off. Studying was off-limits to girls. In those times, there lived a girl. She was a little different. She always had lots of questions in her mind. When she was little, her mother wanted her to learn cooking. The girl asked her mother, ‘Why should I learn to cook?’ Mother said, ‘So that you can feed yourself when required.’ The girl said ‘Fair enough’, and learned to cook. After some time, her mother wanted to teach her household work.”
Completed Text:
| EVENT | RED HOUSE | GREEN HOUSE | BLUE HOUSE | YELLOW HOUSE | WINNER DECLARED |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sketching | Anju | Kabir (✓) | Tanya (✓) | Ravinder | Kabir & Tanya (Joint Winners) |
| Painting | Nivin | Sara | Bulbul (✓) | Abdul | Bulbul |
| Greeting Card | Rameshwari | Nandita (✓) | Alex | Suraj | Nandita |
| Rangoli | Chameli | Renu (✓) | Arti | Saroj | Renu |
| Table Tennis | Joel (✓) | Sima | Tanya | Jai | Joel |
| Chess | Vivek | Kevin (✓) | Rahul | Dipti | Kevin |
| Caroms | Daljit | Bina | Reshma (✓) | Tameshwer | Reshma |
Context from Appendix-I Listening Text:
Annual Prize Distribution Ceremony for inter-house co-curricular activities.
Special Prize: Rameshwari (Red House) – Participated in greeting card, painting, and sketching using her legs.
Description using hints: (swing, seesaw, girls, boys, parallel bars, single bar, crutches, dark glasses, go up and down, push, enjoy, swing)
Example from Textbook: Phatik (the boy in wheelchair) would find it difficult to climb a tree.
- a) defeated
- b) bypassed
- c) equaled
- Correct Option: a) defeated (exceeded/excelled in knowledge)
- : Surpassed (defeated / excelled)
2. The king wanted to compile all the knowledge.
- a) save
- b) gather
- c) share
- Correct Option: b) gather
- : Compile / (gather)
3. She noticed a large number of men, but hardly any women among the delegates.
- a) guests
- b) audience
- c) representatives
- Correct Option: c) representatives
- : Delegates (representatives)
4. The king gave a little chuckle.
- a) nod
- b) cry
- c) laugh
- Correct Option: c) laugh
- : Chuckle / (laugh)
5. They were sure that the girl will be humiliated by scholars.
- a) ignored
- b) praised
- c) insulted
- Correct Option: c) insulted
- : Humiliated (insulted)
6. If the scholars have objections, they can debate with her.
- a) argue
- b) fight
- c) talk
- Correct Option: a) argue
- : Debate – (argue)
Solution Table:
Once a fox was roaming around in the dark. Unfortunately, he fell into a well. He tried his level best to get out but all in vain. So, he had no other alternative but to remain there till the next morning. The next day, a goat came that way. She peeped into the well and saw the fox there. The goat asked, “what are you doing there, Mr. Fox?”
The sly fox replied, “I came here to drink water. It is the best I have ever tasted. Come and see for yourself.” Without thinking even for a while, the goat jumped into the well to quench her thirst. Then she looked for a way to get out. But just like the fox, she also found herself helpless to come out.
Then the fox said, “I have an idea. You stand on your hind legs. I’ll climb on your head and get out. Then I shall help you come out too.” The goat was innocent enough to understand the shrewdness of the fox and did as the fox said and helped him get out of the well. While walking away, the fox said, “Had you been intelligent enough, you would never have got in without seeing how to get out.”
Sample Description:
In this vibrant playground picture, children with diverse physical abilities are playing together with great joy. A boy wearing dark glasses is enjoying the seesaw as it goes up and down. Near the parallel bars, a boy wearing leg braces is exercising with full enthusiasm. Another boy with crutches is watching his friends perform acrobatic tricks on the single bar. A girl in a wheelchair is happily sitting nearby while a friend gently pushes her swing. Everyone is included, supporting each other, and enjoying their playtime together.
- Raju (the boy wearing dark glasses) would find it difficult to read a standard printed book without Braille.
- Mohan (the boy using crutches) would find it difficult to run in a 100-meter sprint race.
- Anu (the girl with a leg cast) would find it difficult to jump rope or play hopscotch.
- Suman (the boy with leg braces on parallel bars) would find it difficult to kick a football forcefully.