Are you preparing for your Class 10 English Board Exams? One of the most critical chapters in the First Flight textbook is “Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.”
This chapter is an extract from the autobiography of Nelson Mandela, the first Black president of South Africa. It describes the historic inauguration ceremony held on 10th May 1994 at the Union Buildings amphitheater in Pretoria. For students, this chapter is vital because it covers complex themes like the definition of courage, the “twin obligations” of a man, and the concept that the oppressor is as much a prisoner as the oppressed.
Many students struggle with the specific details of this chapter, such as the names of the Deputy Presidents or the exact metaphors Mandela uses. To help you score full marks in the objective section, we have compiled 20 essential MCQs. Unlike standard quizzes, we have provided detailed explanations for each answer so you can understand the logic behind it.
Use this guide to test your knowledge and revise the entire chapter in minutes.
20 Important MCQs with Explanations
1. Where did Nelson Mandela’s inauguration take place?
a) Cape Town
b) Johannesburg
c) Union Buildings, Pretoria
d) Soweto
Answer: c) Union Buildings, Pretoria
Explanation: The ceremony took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheater formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria. It was attended by dignitaries and world leaders from more than 140 countries.
2. What does “Apartheid” refer to?
a) A form of government
b) Racial segregation policy
c) Freedom movement
d) Economic policy
Answer: b) Racial segregation policy
Explanation: Apartheid was a political system that separated people according to their race. It created a deep and lasting wound in the people of South Africa.
3. Who accompanied Mandela to the inauguration?
a) His mother
b) His wife
c) His daughter Zenani
d) His son
Answer: c) His daughter Zenani
Explanation: On that lovely autumn day, Mandela was accompanied by his daughter, Zenani. Family support was a key theme during this emotional moment.
4. What was the symbol of the new South African government?
a) South African flag
b) Nelson Mandela’s portrait
c) Union Buildings
d) African National Congress badge
Answer: a) South African flag
Explanation: The spectacular display of South African jets, helicopters, and troop carriers roared in perfect formation over the Union Buildings. The smoke trails of the Impala jets formed a “V” shape in the colors of the new South African flag (black, red, green, blue, and gold).
5. In Mandela’s speech, what did he vow?
a) To bring prosperity
b) To promote apartheid
c) To ensure equality and peace
d) To create a monarchy
Answer: c) To ensure equality and peace
Explanation: He pledged to liberate all people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender, and other discrimination.
6. What “extraordinary human disaster” does Mandela refer to?
a) Slavery
b) Apartheid
c) World War II
d) Economic recession
Answer: b) Apartheid
Explanation: By “extraordinary human disaster,” Mandela meant the decades of white supremacy and racial oppression that the Black population suffered under the Apartheid regime.
7. Which year marked the end of apartheid and Mandela’s inauguration as President?
a) 1980
b) 1990
c) 1994
d) 1996
Answer: c) 1994
Explanation: The first democratic, non-racial government elections were held in 1994, and the inauguration took place specifically on May 10, 1994.
8. Why were two national anthems sung during the inauguration?
a) To honour international guests
b) To symbolise unity between blacks and whites
c) To acknowledge Nelson Mandela
d) To commemorate African culture
Answer: b) To symbolise unity between blacks and whites
Explanation: The vision of whites singing ‘Nkosi Sikelel –iAfrika’ and blacks singing ‘Die Stem’ (the old anthem of the Republic) symbolized the equality and unity of the new nation.
9. What did Mandela pledge to the people of South Africa?
a) Political dominance
b) Racial superiority
c) Emancipation and equality
d) Economic development
Answer: c) Emancipation and equality
Explanation: He pledged that “never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.”
10. Who was the first deputy president during Mandela’s presidency?
a) Oliver Tambo
b) Thabo Mbeki
c) F.W. de Klerk
d) Chief Luthuli
Answer: b) Thabo Mbeki
Explanation: Note: Mr. F.W. de Klerk was sworn in as the Second Deputy President, while Thabo Mbeki was sworn in as the First Deputy President.
11. Mandela compares oppression to what in his speech?
a) Chains
b) A prison cell
c) A shackle
d) A burden
Answer: c) A shackle (Chains)
Explanation: He speaks of the “chains” on his people. He realized that his freedom was curtailed, but the freedom of everyone who looked like him was also curtailed.
12. What message did Mandela give regarding “freedom” in his speech?
a) It is easily attained
b) It is the right of only the oppressed
c) It is the right of all individuals
d) It should be taken by force
Answer: c) It is the right of all individuals
Explanation: Mandela emphasized that freedom is indivisible. The chains on any one of his people were the chains on all of them.
13. What “profound hurt” did Mandela refer to?
a) Colonialism
b) Apartheid
c) Economic disparity
d) Global warming
Answer: b) Apartheid
Explanation: He stated that the policy of apartheid created a deep and lasting wound in his country and his people, which would take generations to recover from.
14. According to Mandela, what quality was ‘natural’ to human beings?
a) Hatred
b) Envy
c) Love
d) Anger
Answer: c) Love
Explanation: Mandela famously wrote: “People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
15. What did Mandela call the people of South Africa?
a) True warriors
b) Gems of the nation
c) Greatest wealth
d) Real heroes
Answer: c) Greatest wealth
Explanation: He stated that while the country is rich in minerals and gems, its greatest wealth is its people, finer and truer than the purest diamonds.
16. Mandela’s idea of courage is best defined as:
a) Lack of fear
b) Triumph over fear
c) Confidence
d) Physical strength
Answer: b) Triumph over fear
Explanation: He learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
17. Who does Mandela believe should be free?
a) Only the oppressed
b) Only the powerful
c) Both oppressed and oppressors
d) Only the African natives
Answer: c) Both oppressed and oppressors
Explanation: This is a key concept. Mandela believed the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed because a man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred.
18. What was the main aim of Mandela’s political journey?
a) To secure his family’s future
b) To end racial discrimination
c) To create economic prosperity
d) To gain fame
Answer: b) To end racial discrimination
Explanation: His hunger for his own freedom became the greater hunger for the freedom of his people to live their lives with dignity and self-respect.
19. Mandela spent how many years in prison?
a) 15 years
b) 27 years
c) 10 years
d) 5 years
Answer: b) 27 years (approx 30 years)
Explanation: Mandela spent nearly 30 years (specifically 27 years) in prison before being released in 1990.
20. In Mandela’s view, what is the greatest wealth of South Africa?
a) Minerals
b) Land
c) Its people
d) Wildlife
Answer: c) Its people
Explanation: He values the citizens of the nation above the material wealth buried in the soil.
📝 Teacher’s Insight for Board Exams
When writing answers for Long Walk to Freedom, remember these two tips to score higher:
- Twin Obligations: Always remember Mandela mentions two obligations: one to his family (parents, wife, children) and one to his people/community/country. In a reign of terror (Apartheid), fulfilling both was impossible.
- Definition of Courage: Do not write that courage means “no fear.” You must write that courage means “conquering fear.” This distinction often carries 1 mark in short-answer questions.
Malik Mohd. Arshad is a Senior English Teacher at STS High School, Aligarh Muslim University, with 21+ years of experience in English Language Teaching (ELT). An M.A. in English and Linguistics, he combines traditional academic values with modern digital learning methods. He is also a certified alumnus of the Texas Intensive English Program (USA).