Question 2 - Chapter 8 - The Sermon at Benares - First Flight - Chapters (Literature) - English Class 10

Read the extract and answer the following questions

Extract:

GAUTAMA Buddha (563 B.C. – 483 B.C.) began life as a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, in northern India. At twelve, he was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures and four years later he returned home to marry a princess. They had a son and lived for ten years as befitted royalty. At about the age of twenty-five, the Prince, heretofore shielded from the sufferings of the world, while out hunting chanced upon a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession, and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights so moved him that he at once went out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows he had witnessed.

(The Sermons at Benares)

Question (i)

Which of the following is NOT a fact about Gautama Buddha's early life according to the extract?

• (a) He was born in northern India.
• (b) He was educated in the Hindu sacred scriptures.
• (c) He married a princess and had a son.
• (d) He left his home to become a monk at the age of twenty-five.

Answer:

 As written by the student:

(d) He left his home to become a monk at the age of twenty-five.

Step-by-step explanation:

•  The question asks us to identify the option that is not true or false according to the extract.
•  We can eliminate option A because it is true that Gautama Buddha was born in northern India, as mentioned in the extract.
•  We can eliminate option B because it is true that Gautama Buddha was educated in the Hindu sacred scriptures, as mentioned in the extract.
•  We can eliminate option C because it is true that Gautama Buddha married a princess and had a son, as mentioned in the extract.
•  We can choose option D because i t is false that Gautama Buddha left his home to become a monk at the age of twenty-five. The extract does not mention his age when he left his home, but according to other sources, he was twenty-nine years old when he did so.
•  Therefore, the correct answer is D.👍

Question (ii)

Why is it fair to say that Gautama Buddha's tone, when he went out into the world to seek enlightenment, was curious and compassionate? Answer in about 40 words.

Answer:

 As written by the student:

 Gautama Buddha's tone, when he went out into the world to seek enlightenment, was curious and compassionate because he was moved by the sufferings of the world that he had never seen before. He wanted to know more about the sorrows he had witnessed and find a way to end them.

Step-by-step explanation:

•  The question asks us to analyze Gautama Buddha's tone in a given sentence from the extract.
•  We can use clues from the extract to infer Gautama Buddha's tone, such as his words, punctuation, and motivation.
•  We can see that Gautama Buddha used the word "moved" to show his curiosity and compassion. He was touched by the sight of sickness, old age, death, and poverty that he had never experienced before.
•  We can also see that Gautama Buddha used a comma to show his pause and reflection. He was thinking about what he had seen and what it meant for him and others.
•  We can also see that Gautama Buddha had a strong motivation to seek enlightenment. He wanted to learn more about the sorrows of the world and find a solution to end them.
•  Therefore, it is fair to say that Gautama Buddha's tone was curious and compassionate.😊

Question (iii)

 Read the following descriptions (a)-(c) and identify which one correctly corresponds to the extract.

• (a) A biography is a written account of someone's life written by someone else.
• (b) An autobiography is a written account of someone's life written by themselves.
• (c) A memoir is a written account of someone's personal experiences or memories.

Answer:

 As written by the student:

(a) A biography is a written account of someone's life written by someone else.

Step-by-step explanation:

•  The question asks us to match the correct description to the extract.
•  We can eliminate option B because there is no autobiography in the extract. The extract is not written by Gautama Buddha himself, but by someone else who narrates his early life.
•  We can eliminate option C because there is no memoir in the extract. The extract is not based on someone's personal experiences or memories, but on historical facts and events.
•  We can choose option A because there is a biography in the extract. The extract is a written account of Gautama Buddha's life written by someone else who tells us about his birth, education, marriage, and departure from home.
•  Therefore, the correct answer is A.👏

Question (iv)

How would an actor express Gautama Buddha's feelings and thoughts through his/her voice while enacting this extract? Answer in about 40 words.

Answer:

 As written by the student:

An actor would express Gautama Buddha's feelings and thoughts through his/her voice by varying the tone, volume, and pitch according to the situation. He/she would use a calm and respectful tone for Gautama Buddha's peaceful and noble life. He/she would use a shocked and disturbed tone for Gautama Buddha's discovery and empathy of the sufferings of the world. He/she would use a determined and inspired tone for Gautama Buddha's quest and aspiration for enlightenment.

Step-by-step explanation:

•  The question asks us to suggest how an actor would use his/her voice to enact this extract.
•  We can use clues from the extract to identify Gautama Buddha's feelings and thoughts, such as his words, punctuation, and actions.
•  We can see that Gautama Buddha was peaceful and noble when he lived as a prince, studied the Hindu sacred scriptures, and married a princess. This shows his calmness and respectability.
•  We can see that Gautama Buddha was shocked and empathetic when he saw the sickness, old age, death, and poverty of the