ICSE Total English Class 10 Solution : Chapter 8

Write a composition (300 – 350 words) on any one of the following: [20]

(i) Write a story which brings out the truth of the saying – ‘Leopards cannot change their spots.’

Answer:- Pankaj was known for his fiery temper and selfish nature. He bullied his younger siblings, argued with his parents, and had no patience for anyone. His family often sighed in frustration, wondering if he would ever change.

One summer, his grandfather arrived for a month-long visit. On the first day, Grandfather made an announcement: “I will gift ₹50,000 to the grandchild who shows the best behavior during my stay.” Pankaj’s eyes lit up with greed. This is my chance, he thought.

Determined to win, Pankaj put on a show of good behavior. He greeted everyone sweetly, helped his sister with homework, and even washed dishes without being asked. His family was astonished—was Pankaj truly changing? Grandfather observed quietly, neither praising nor criticizing.

For two weeks, Pankaj maintained his act. But pretending to be someone else was exhausting. His patience wore thin, and his real nature began to peek through—he snapped at his brother for being too loud and rolled his eyes when his mother asked for help.

Then came the final test. His younger brother, Rohan, proudly showed off a new pen he had bought with his pocket money. Pankaj’s eyes narrowed. “Give it to me,” he demanded. When Rohan refused, Pankaj’s temper exploded. He shoved his brother, snatched the pen, and yelled, “You don’t deserve nice things!” His mother rushed in, scolding him, but Pankaj shouted back disrespectfully.

Grandfather, who had witnessed everything, shook his head in disappointment. Calling Pankaj aside, he said, “Beta, no matter how hard you try to hide it, your true nature always shows. Just as a leopard cannot change its spots, a person’s core character remains the same unless they genuinely wish to change—not for reward, but for growth.”

Pankaj stood silent, realizing the truth in his grandfather’s words. His greed had made him pretend, but his anger had revealed his real self. That day, he learned that true change comes from within—not from pretending, but from sincere effort.

Moral: External motives may force temporary change, but one’s true nature always reveals itself in time.

(II) There are times when you want to take a break from the humdrum of your routine urban living and undertake a solitary journey. Narrate one such journey.

Answer:- The city’s constant honking and construction noises had become a relentless drumbeat in my skull. One October morning, I packed a rucksack with essentials, left a note for my flatmate, and boarded a northbound train without checking the schedule. By sunset, I found myself in a forgotten Himalayan hamlet where the only sounds were wind chimes and cowbells.

I rented a wooden cottage with a view of terraced fields stepping down the mountainside like a giant’s staircase. Each morning began with steam rising from my tin cup of ginger tea as I watched the valley shed its blanket of mist. With no itinerary or WiFi, time stretched and bent – an hour spent watching a spider weave its web felt more productive than any corporate meeting.

My days followed nature’s rhythm. I’d hike to a pine forest where sunlight fell in golden shafts between the trees, the carpet of needles muffling my footsteps. Sometimes I’d sit by a glacial stream, mesmerized by water polishing stones into smooth sculptures. The village shopkeeper, an old woman with eyes like wrinkled almonds, taught me to identify edible ferns that tasted of earth and rain.

One afternoon, I got lost following a shepherd’s trail. Instead of panic, I felt exhilaration – the mountain didn’t care about my deadlines or responsibilities. As dusk fell, a family of nomadic herders offered me shelter in their wool tent. Over yak butter tea, we communicated through gestures and laughter, their kindness needing no translation.

Returning after two weeks, the city’s smells assaulted me first – gasoline and fried food instead of pine resin and wet soil. But something had shifted. The honking traffic now moved like another mountain stream; my office cubicle felt temporary as a shepherd’s tent. The journey had given me what I truly sought – not escape, but perspective. The mountains still live within me, their silence a touchstone when urban chaos overwhelms.

(III) ‘Every year highly skilled people migrate to different countries in search of better job prospects, which is a national loss. Express your views either for or against this statement.

Answer:- For the View:
The exodus of highly skilled professionals—doctors, engineers, scientists, and IT experts—to foreign nations in search of better opportunities is often celebrated as individual success. However, this “brain drain” poses a severe threat to India’s progress, creating long-term economic, social, and cultural losses that outweigh short-term personal gains.

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Ultimately, brain drain is a national emergency disguised as personal achievement. Without systemic reforms, India risks becoming a nursery for global talent while struggling with its own development. The choice isn’t between opportunity and patriotism—it’s about creating opportunities within the nation so talent can thrive at home.

Against the View: While often viewed as a ‘brain drain,’ the migration of skilled professionals actually creates a dynamic global exchange that benefits both host and home nations in multiple ways. This phenomenon represents not a loss, but an evolution in how talent circulates in our interconnected world.

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In our borderless digital age, talent cannot be confined by geography. The engineer in Silicon Valley may mentor startups back home via Zoom; the doctor in London may advise her alma mater’s medical college. True development comes not from hoarding human capital, but from participating in this global circulation of knowledge and opportunity.

(IV) Describe a day which you consider the happiest day of your life that will remain etched in your memory forever.

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(v) Study the picture given below. Write a story or a description or an account of what it suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may take suggestions from it; however, there must be a clear connection between the picture and your composition.

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