First Flight Chapter 2 (Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and the poem “A Tiger in the Zoo”), here are 50+ MCQs tailored for the SEBA (Secondary Education Board of Assam) board examination preparation.
Section A: Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
1. When was the inauguration day sworn in?
a) 10th March
b) 10th May
c) 20th May
d) 10th April
2. Where did the inauguration ceremony take place?
a) Cape Town
b) The Union Buildings amphitheatre in Pretoria
c) Johannesburg stadium
d) The Parliament House in Durban
3. Which political party did Nelson Mandela belong to?
a) Inkatha Freedom Party
b) African National Congress (ANC)
c) National Party
d) United Democratic Front
4. How many seats did the ANC win in the first democratic elections?
a) 252 of 400
b) 250 of 400
c) 400 of 400
d) 300 of 400
5. Who accompanied Nelson Mandela on the inauguration day?
a) His wife
b) His daughter Zenani
c) His son
d) Thabo Mbeki
6. Who was sworn in as the Second Deputy President?
a) Thabo Mbeki
b) Mr. de Klerk
c) Oliver Tambo
d) Walter Sisulu
7. Who was sworn in as the First Deputy President?
a) Thabo Mbeki
b) Mr. de Klerk
c) Zenani
d) Bram Fischer
8. What does Mandela refer to as an “extraordinary human disaster”?
a) The Anglo-Boer war
b) The rule of Apartheid
c) Poverty in Africa
d) The imprisonment of soldiers
9. In his speech, Mandela wished that “The sun shall never set on so glorious a…”
a) Political victory
b) Human achievement
c) Military display
d) African alliance
10. What spectacular display was performed by the military over the Union Buildings?
a) A marching parade
b) A display of Impala jets and helicopters
c) A gun salute
d) A fireworks display
11. What colors were emitted by the Impala jets in the chevron formation?
a) Black, red, green, blue and gold
b) Black, red, white, blue and gold
c) Orange, white and blue
d) Green, yellow and black only
12. Why did the military generals salute Mandela instead of arresting him?
a) Because he was old
b) Because of his military strength
c) Because their attitude had changed towards the new democracy
d) Because they were afraid of the ANC
13. Which two national anthems were sung on the day of the inauguration?
a) ‘Nkosi Sikelel -iAfrika’ and ‘God Save the Queen’
b) ‘Nkosi Sikelel -iAfrika’ and ‘Die Stem’
c) ‘Die Stem’ and ‘We Shall Overcome’
d) ‘Waka Waka’ and ‘Die Stem’
14. What did the “old anthem” of the Republic represent?
a) The vision of the blacks
b) The vision of the whites
c) The vision of the military
d) The vision of the international guests
15. In which decade of the 20th century was the system of Apartheid erected?
a) The last decade
b) The first decade
c) The fifth decade
d) The third decade
16. How does Mandela describe the system of Apartheid?
a) Just and fair
b) One of the harshest, most inhumane societies
c) A temporary arrangement
d) A necessary evil
17. What created the “heights of character” in the South African patriots?
a) Good education
b) Depths of oppression
c) Military training
d) International support
18. According to Mandela, what is South Africa’s greatest wealth?
a) Minerals
b) Diamonds
c) Its people
d) Gold
19. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a patriot of the struggle?
a) Oliver Tambo
b) Walter Sisulu
c) Chief Luthuli
d) Winston Churchill
20. According to Mandela, courage is not the absence of fear, but the…
a) Ignoring of it
b) Triumph over it
c) Hiding of it
d) Lack of it
21. Mandela believes that if people can learn to hate, they can be taught to…
a) Fight
b) Love
c) Ignore
d) Fear
22. “Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never…”
a) Extinguished
b) Ignited
c) Burned
d) Found
23. What are the “twin obligations” Mandela mentions?
a) Obligation to his job and his party
b) Obligation to his family and obligation to his people
c) Obligation to God and obligation to the law
d) Obligation to his friends and obligation to his enemies
24. What happened to a man of colour in South Africa who attempted to live as a human being?
a) He was rewarded
b) He was punished and isolated
c) He was given a government job
d) He was sent abroad
25. As a child, what did “freedom” mean to Mandela?
a) To read what he pleased
b) To run in the fields and swim in the stream
c) To marry and have a family
d) To vote in elections
26. As a student, what kind of freedom did Mandela want?
a) The transitory freedoms
b) The permanent freedoms
c) The freedom to rule
d) The freedom to fight
27. When did Mandela join the African National Congress?
a) When he was a child
b) When he realized his family’s freedom was curtailed
c) When he realized the freedom of everyone who looked like him was curtailed
d) When he became a lawyer
28. What transformed the “frightened young man” into a “bold one”?
a) The desire for the freedom of his people
b) The hatred for the white rulers
c) The love for his family
d) The fear of prison
29. According to Mandela, freedom is…
a) Divisible
b) Indivisible
c) Temporary
d) An illusion
30. According to Mandela, the oppressor is a prisoner of…
a) War
b) Hatred
c) Justice
d) Fear
31. A man who takes away another man’s freedom is locked behind the bars of…
a) Jail
b) Prejudice and narrow-mindedness
c) Iron and steel
d) Law and order
32. What is the meaning of the word “emancipation”?
a) Slavery
b) Freedom from restriction
c) Imprisonment
d) Governance
33. What does “resilience” mean in the context of the lesson?
a) The ability to deal with hardship and recover
b) A lack of strength
c) A types of weapon
d) A political system
34. The word “transitory” means:
a) Permanent
b) Not permanent
c) Transparent
d) Traditional
35. What does “curtailed” mean?
a) Increased
b) Reduced
c) Divided
d) Expanded
Section B: Poem – A Tiger in the Zoo
36. Who is the poet of “A Tiger in the Zoo”?
a) Robert Frost
b) Leslie Norris
c) Robin Klein
d) Walt Whitman
37. How does the tiger walk in the cage?
a) In vivid stripes
b) On pads of velvet quiet
c) With loud footsteps
d) Running quickly
38. What emotion does the tiger feel in the cage?
a) Quiet happiness
b) Quiet rage
c) Excitement
d) Fear
39. Where should the tiger be lurking according to the poet?
a) In the cage
b) In shadow
c) Near the cars
d) In the village
40. Why should the tiger be near the water hole?
a) To drink water
b) To see his reflection
c) Where plump deer pass
d) To hide from the sun
41. How would the tiger terrorise the village?
a) By roaring loudly
b) Baring his white fangs and claws
c) By attacking the houses
d) By chasing the villagers
42. Where is the tiger’s strength now?
a) In his paws
b) Behind bars
c) In the jungle
d) In his roar
43. How does the tiger react to the visitors?
a) He attacks them
b) He ignores them
c) He roars at them
d) He stares at them
44. What is the last voice the tiger hears at night?
a) The zookeeper
b) Other animals
c) The patrolling cars
d) The birds
45. What does the tiger stare at with his “brilliant eyes”?
a) The visitors
b) The cage walls
c) The brilliant stars
d) The patrolling cars
46. The word “vivid” in “vivid stripes” means:
a) Dull
b) Bright and clear
c) Dark
d) Faded
47. “On pads of velvet quiet” is an example of:
a) Metaphor
b) Simile
c) Personification
d) Oxymoron
48. Where is the “concrete cell” located?
a) In the jungle
b) In the zoo
c) In the village
d) Near the water hole
49. What describes the tiger’s movement in the cage?
a) Sliding
b) Stalking
c) Lurking
d) Bounding
50. The tiger is ignoring visitors because:
a) He is asleep
b) He is restricted and unhappy
c) He is blind
d) He is afraid of them
51. (Grammar from text) “The bandage was wound around the wound.” This sentence is an example of:
a) Synonyms
b) Homophones/Homographs
c) Antonyms
d) Adjectives
52. (Grammar from text) The noun form of the verb “rebel” is:
a) Rebelling
b) Rebellion
c) Rebellious
d) Rebelled
Answer Key
* (b) | 2. (b) | 3. (b) | 4. (a) | 5. (b) | 6. (b) | 7. (a) | 8. (b) | 9. (b) | 10. (b)
* (a) | 12. (c) | 13. (b) | 14. (b) | 15. (b) | 16. (b) | 17. (b) | 18. (c) | 19. (d) | 20. (b)
* (b) | 22. (a) | 23. (b) | 24. (b) | 25. (b) | 26. (a) | 27. (c) | 28. (a) | 29. (b) | 30. (b)
* (b) | 32. (b) | 33. (a) | 34. (b) | 35. (b) | 36. (b) | 37. (b) | 38. (b) | 39. (b) | 40. (c)
* (b) | 42. (b) | 43. (b) | 44. (c) | 45. (c) | 46. (b) | 47. (a) | 48. (b) | 49. (b) | 50. (b)
* (b) | 52. (b)