Festivals and Celebrations
Last Updated: August 2026
What you get on this page
Complete solutions for every textbook exercise in Reading I Battle of the Oranges and Reading II Thanksgiving Around the World. Answers are in the answer key sections.
Grammar explanations on indirect speech for questions and statements with rule formulas, tables of forms, worked examples and traps.
Writing format guides for the essay and the informal letter. Every required part explained.
Practice questions in the SEE paper format. Answers not included.
Jump to what you need
Teacher's Insight
What the unit is really testing
Grammar I: Indirect Questions
Rules · formula · examples
Grammar II: Indirect Statements
Rules · formula · examples
Reading I Answers
Battle of the Oranges · solutions
Reading II Answers
Thanksgiving · solutions
Writing I: Essay
Answer
Writing II: Letter
Answer
Practice Questions
SEE format · answers not included
Complete solutions for Class 10 English Unit 2 Festivals and Celebrations. This page covers Reading I Battle of the Oranges and Reading II Thanksgiving Around the World with all textbook exercises, grammar on indirect questions and indirect statements and writing tasks for SEE 2083.
What this unit is really testing
Unit 2 pairs a first-person travel diary with a survey of how a single holiday is celebrated in different countries. The first is personal. The second is comparative. The exam pairs them because both texts describe festivals but use completely different reading skills. Reading I asks you to follow a personal experience. Reading II asks you to compare seven cultural traditions and keep them separate in your mind.
The tricky part of Reading I is the narrator's voice. She is amused, not frightened. The blood on her face is not real. It is blood orange juice. The exam may ask why she retreats to the back of the square. The answer is not fear. It is curiosity mixed with caution.
The tricky part of Reading II is the country-to-country comparison. Each country gives thanks for something different. USA for the first harvest. South Korea for ancestors. Brazil for an abundant harvest. Liberia for freedom. Barbados for sugar cane. Ghana for the end of famine. Iran for the harvest and the goddess Mehr. The exam tests whether you can hold seven different traditions without mixing them.
Exam weight of this unit. Indirect speech appears in the grammar section. The essay and the informal letter belong to Free Writing I and II. Each carries between six and eight marks.
Where this unit's content types appear in the SEE paper
Reading 1 (5 marks). A short extract from either passage with one comprehension question type. Length about 100 words.
Reading 2 (10 marks). A short extract from either passage with two comprehension question types. Length about 200 words.
Reading 3 (10 marks) and Reading 4 (15 marks). Unseen passages of the same text types. A travel piece or a cultural article can appear here. Reading 4 includes vocabulary items.
Grammar (11 marks). Indirect speech appears in the transformation section and in the multiple choice in context section.
Writing. The essay and the informal letter belong to Free Writing I and Free Writing II.
What to remember from this unit
Reading I in one sentence. A travel writer visits the Italian town of Ivrea during the Battle of the Oranges, gets hit by fruit, worries about blood on her face, then remembers blood oranges exist.
Memory device for Reading I. Red hat. Orange to the chest. Orange to the forehead. Fear of blood. Blood oranges. Retreat to the back. Silvia with a black eye. Massi the aranceri. Decline the offer.
Reading II in one sentence. Seven countries celebrate Thanksgiving in seven different ways and each one gives thanks for something different.
Memory device for Reading II. USA for harvest. Korea for ancestors. Brazil for carnival and beach. Liberia for freedom. Barbados for sugar. Ghana for the end of famine. Iran for Mehr.
Errors seen in real SEE scripts
- Thinking the narrator is genuinely injured. The "blood" on her face is blood orange juice. The text says so directly. Students who write "she was bleeding" miss the joke.
- Confusing the red hat rule. The hat is for protection. Tourists without it become targets. The hat is a symbol of freedom from Roman times. Both facts matter.
- Mixing up the seven countries in Reading II. USA for harvest. Korea for ancestors. Brazil for carnival. Liberia for freedom. Barbados for sugar. Ghana for famine. Iran for Mehr. Keep them separate.
- Missing the origin of each tradition. Brazilian Thanksgiving was started by a president who visited the USA. Liberian Thanksgiving was started by freed American slaves. The exam tests who started what.
- Forgetting to change pronouns in reported speech. When you report a sentence, the pronoun must shift to match the new speaker. "I am tired" from Mary becomes "She said she was tired."
- Mixing if and that in reported speech. Statements use that. Yes or no questions use if or whether. Wh questions use the wh word.
- Writing essays without a thesis statement. The essay needs one clear sentence at the end of the introduction that states what the essay will argue.
- Writing informal letters in formal language. Informal letters use contractions, warm greetings and personal references. Formal letters do not.
Grammar I: Indirect Questions
Indirect questions are used to report what someone asked without quoting their exact words. The word order changes. The reported question becomes a statement. The question mark disappears.
Rule formula
Yes or no question: Reporting verb + if or whether + subject + verb.
Wh question: Reporting verb + wh word + subject + verb.
Example: "Are you working tonight?" becomes He asked if I was working that night.
Example: "What did you eat?" becomes She asked what I had eaten.
Word order change table
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| Are you working tonight? | He asked if I was working that night. |
| Is this the road to the station? | She wanted to know if that was the road to the station. |
| Did you do your homework? | She inquired if I had done my homework. |
| Have you been to Paris? | He was asked if he had been to Paris. |
| How long have you been working here? | She asked how long I had been working there. |
| Where will you stay tonight? | He asked where I would stay that night. |
Worked example
Direct: Agaman asked, "Are you working tonight?" Reported: yes or no question, so use if. Do you work becomes I was working. Tonight becomes that night. Result: Agaman asked Timothy if he was working that night.
Direct: "How long have you been working in this company?" Reported: wh question, so keep how long. Have you been working becomes I had been working. This becomes that. Result: Usha inquired Anuj how long he had been working in that company.
Common traps
- Do not keep the question mark. Reported questions end with a period.
- Do not keep the auxiliary do or does. "Do you live in Patan?" becomes "if I lived in Patan".
- Yes or no questions take if or whether. Wh questions never take if.
- Shift the tense when the reporting verb is in the past.
Grammar II: Indirect Statements
Indirect statements report what someone said without quoting their exact words. The reporting verb is said or told. When the reporting verb is in the past, the reported verb shifts back one tense. Time and place words also change.
Rule formula
Direct: Subject + reporting verb + "exact words".
Reported: Subject + said (that) + shifted clause.
Example: Raima said, "We have to cross the river." becomes Raima said that they had to cross the river.
Tense shift table
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| Simple present | Simple past |
| Present continuous | Past continuous |
| Present perfect | Past perfect |
| Simple past | Past perfect |
| Will | Would |
| Can | Could |
| May | Might |
| Must | Had to |
Time and place word changes
| Direct | Reported |
|---|---|
| now | then |
| today | that day |
| tomorrow | the following day |
| yesterday | the day before |
| next week | the following week |
| last week | the week before |
| here | there |
| this | that |
| these | those |
Worked example
Direct: The father said, "I love my children more than wealth." Reported: the reporting verb is past, so love becomes loved. My becomes his. The result is: The father said that he loved his children more than wealth.
Direct: The Science teacher said, "The coal gives off thick smoke." Reported: this is a general scientific fact, so the verb can stay in simple present. The result is: The Science teacher said that coal gives off thick smoke.
Common traps
- Do not change the tense if the reporting verb is present. "She says she is tired" keeps is.
- Do not change the tense for universal truths. "The earth revolves around the sun" stays in present.
- Change pronouns to match the new speaker. I becomes he or she. We becomes they.
- Reported speech does not use quotation marks.
Essay
Slot. Free Writing II. Marks. 8. Length. About 200 words.
Introduction. Two to three sentences. First sentence hooks the reader. Last sentence states your main argument. This is the thesis.
Body paragraph one. First reason or example. Topic sentence, then two to three supporting sentences, then a closing line for the paragraph.
Body paragraph two. Second reason or example. Same structure.
Conclusion. Two to three sentences. Restate the thesis. End with a broader thought or a call to action.
Tone. Formal. Third person. No contractions unless the topic is personal.
Common mistake. No thesis. Without a clear argument sentence, the essay reads as a report, not an essay.
Informal Letter
Slot. Free Writing I or II. Marks. 6 or 8 depending on the year. Length. About 150 to 200 words.
Sender's address. Top right corner. Place only. No date.
Date. Below the address on the right side.
Salutation. Dear plus the first name. Example: Dear Sanjay,
Opening line. Ask about the reader's wellbeing. Example: I hope you and your family are doing well.
Body. Two or three short paragraphs. State the reason for writing in the first sentence of the first paragraph. Add details in the second. Ask a question or make a request in the last.
Closing. Warm wishes. Take care, hope to see you soon, best wishes.
Sign-off. Yours lovingly or Yours affectionately. Then your name.
Common mistake. Writing in formal language. Informal letters allow contractions, questions and personal details.
Reading I: Battle of the Oranges
The article is a first-person travel piece about the Battle of the Oranges in Ivrea, Italy. The narrator is hit in the chest by an orange and falls into a pile of orange mush. The red hat she wears is required by public notice during the carnival. It is the symbol of the carnival itself and a symbol of freedom. She is hit again on the forehead and panics when she thinks she sees blood. Then she remembers blood oranges. She retreats to the back of the square. Nine teams of aranceri on foot hurl oranges at opponents on horse-drawn carriages. After an hour the square is covered in a thick sludge of orange pulp and horse manure. She meets Silvia with a black eye who says the carnival is good for psychological health. Massi the aranceri invites her to join the fight. She declines.
Glossary
Q. no. A
| Q.no. | Answer |
|---|---|
| a. | mush → a soft thick mass of mixture |
| b. | jerk → to make something move with a sudden short sharp movement |
| c. | concussion → a temporary loss of consciousness |
| d. | pulp → the soft part inside fruits and vegetables |
| e. | clutch → to hold something tightly |
| f. | sip → to drink something, taking a very small amount each time |
Q. no. B
| Q.no. | Answer |
|---|---|
| a. | True |
| b. | True |
| c. | False |
| d. | False |
| e. | False |
| f. | False |
Q. no. C
| Q.no. | Answer |
|---|---|
| a. | The red hat is the symbol of the carnival itself and a symbol of freedom. |
| b. | When she wipes her face she feels shock at seeing blood and worries about needing stitches or a concussion, then feels relief when she remembers it is from blood oranges. |
| c. | After an hour battle of the oranges the square is covered in a thick sludge, mixture of orange pulp and horse manure and it smells sharp, sweet-and-sour. |
| d. | Aranceri members chase the cart for a while, hurling the last of their supplies. |
| e. | Yes, Silvia enjoys this carnival because during these three days she can let it all out, all the frustrations she has built up during the year and afterwards she feels refreshed. |
| f. | Massi says forget the nets because if a person wants to live the carnival, a person has to be in the middle of the battle. |
Q. no. D
Bisket Jatra
Bisket Jatra, also known as Sindoor Jatra, is a traditional festival celebrated in Bhaktapur, Nepal. It takes place annually during the Nepali month of Baisakh, which falls in April. The festival honours Lord Bhairava, a fierce form of Lord Shiva, and the goddess Bhadrakali.
The main highlight of Bisket Jatra is the chariot procession. Two large chariots dedicated to the deities are pulled through the streets by groups of enthusiastic devotees. Teams compete for the honour of pulling the chariots, as it is believed to bring good fortune for the year. The festival also includes cultural performances, traditional music, dance and theatrical shows. Both locals and tourists gather to watch the celebration, with people wearing traditional clothes as the streets fill with music, drum beats and cheers.
The festival has ancient origins believed to go back several centuries to the Kirata era before being absorbed into the Hindu culture of the Kathmandu Valley. Bisket Jatra remains an important part of local culture and draws people from all around to take part in the festivities. It showcases Nepal's rich heritage and gives the community a chance to come together and celebrate their traditions.
Grammar I: Answer Key
Q. no. A
| Q.no. | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| a. | Agaman asked Timothy if he was working that night. | yes or no question takes if |
| b. | A stranger wanted to know from me if that was the road to the station. | this becomes that |
| c. | My friend inquired her if she had done her homework. | past reporting verb shifts present perfect to past perfect |
| d. | The tourist was asked if he had been to Paris. | passive reporting verb, past perfect stays |
| e. | Usha inquired Anuj how long he had been working in that company. | wh question takes no if |
| f. | My mother asked me what flavour ice cream I had had at the party. | simple past becomes past perfect |
| g. | The teacher wanted to know if they had studied reported speech before. | yes or no question takes if |
| h. | I asked him where he would stay that night. | will becomes would, tonight becomes that night |
| i. | Sumangal asked his friend how many players had been shown yellow cards by the referee. | passive voice kept in reported form |
| j. | Sarita wanted to know from Sommaya what magic the medicine had had on the patient. | simple past becomes past perfect |
Q. no. B
| Q.no. | Answer |
|---|---|
| a. | Kritika asked me why I had gone out the previous night. |
| b. | Sunita asked Usha who that beautiful woman had been. |
| c. | Gaurab asked Yang Dolma how her mother was. |
| d. | My friend wanted to know what I was going to do at the weekend. |
| e. | My teacher asked me where I would live after graduation. |
| f. | Anusha asked Melisha what she had been doing when she had seen her. |
| g. | I asked the pilgrim how the journey had been. |
| h. | Krishna asked how often I went to the cinema. |
| i. | The Principal asked me if I lived in Patan. |
| j. | Niraj asked Luniva if Phadindra had arrived on time. |
Reading II: Thanksgiving Around the World
The article surveys how Thanksgiving is celebrated in seven different countries. In the USA it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November with roast turkey and parades. In South Korea Chuseok is celebrated on the 15th day of August by the lunar calendar to honour ancestors with food and wine and visits to graves. In Brazil, President Gaspar Dutra established the festival in 1949 after visiting the USA. In Liberia the festival was started by liberated American slaves to give thanks for freedom. In Barbados, Crop Over celebrates the sugar cane harvest and lasts twelve weeks. In Ghana, Homowo celebrates the end of a long famine. In Iran, Mehregan celebrates a successful harvest and the goddess Mehr.
Glossary
Q. no. A
| Q.no. | Answer |
|---|---|
| a. | intermittently |
| b. | commemorate |
| c. | typically |
| d. | crescent-shaped |
| e. | vibrant |
| f. | revellers |
| g. | exotic |
| h. | pervade |
| i. | flamboyant |
| j. | frantic |
Q. no. B
| Q.no. | Answer |
|---|---|
| a. | Liberia |
| b. | Iran |
| c. | Ghana |
| d. | South Korea |
| e. | Brazil |
| f. | USA |
| g. | South Korea |
Q. no. C
| Q.no. | Answer |
|---|---|
| a. | The main feature of American Thanksgiving is Thanksgiving dinner with family where it plays a central role in the celebrations, with Americans eating more food on Thanksgiving Day than any other day of the year, including Christmas. |
| b. | Parades in Thanksgiving in America include parade floats and huge balloons, usually based on cartoon characters, current Broadway shows and other topical themes. |
| c. | Chuseok is celebrated on the 15th day of August according to the lunar calendar to commemorate the fall harvest and to honour one's ancestors. |
| d. | Thanksgiving began in Brazil when the former Brazilian President, Gaspar Dutra, visited the USA and was fascinated with the holiday, so he established the festival in his home country in 1949. |
| e. | Thanksgiving in Liberia was started by liberated American slaves to give thanks for freedom. |
| f. | Thanksgiving is celebrated in Barbados for the sugar cane harvest. |
| g. | Homowo is marked in Ghana to jeer or hoot at hunger and to celebrate the ending of a long famine suffered by the Ghanaians. |
Q. no. D
In my community, people extend their gratitude for food and harvest through various traditional practices. During harvest season, families offer the first portion of their crops to deities at local temples as a gesture of thanks. Many communities organise feasts where neighbours gather to share freshly harvested food and celebrate together. Farmers perform special puja ceremonies in their fields to thank the land and nature for providing abundant crops. Elders bless the younger generation and share stories about the importance of respecting food and never wasting it. These traditions help maintain a strong connection between people, nature and the food that sustains them.
Grammar II: Answer Key
Q. no. A
| Q.no. | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| a. | witnessed | past reporting verb, shifts present to past |
| b. | revolves | universal truth, keeps present tense |
| c. | can't | present reporting verb, no tense shift |
| d. | loves | present reporting verb, no tense shift |
| e. | had completed | past reporting verb, shifts present perfect to past perfect |
| f. | is | universal truth, keeps present tense |
| g. | wanted | past reporting verb, shifts present to past |
Q. no. B
| Q.no. | Answer |
|---|---|
| a. | Raima said that they had to cross the river and go ahead. |
| b. | Smarika told her friends that she would meet them the following day. |
| c. | Chandani said that she could not come to school the following day. |
| d. | Dorje apologised and said that he could not lend me any money that day. |
| e. | The teacher said that then we could solve the remaining problems ourselves. |
| f. | The police said that the incident probably had taken place the day before. |
| g. | I told him that I lived in Changunarayan those days. |
| h. | They told us that they would like to join us too. |
| i. | The Science teacher said that coal gives off thick smoke. |
| j. | Resham said that she had never seen such a strange animal anywhere else. |
| k. | The father said that he loved his children more than wealth. |
Writing I: Answer Key
Essay — The Festival I Enjoy Most
Every community has a festival that shapes its identity. In Nepal, the festival I enjoy most is Dashain because it brings families together in a way no other celebration does.
The first reason is the reunion. Family members who live in different cities or work abroad return home for Dashain. Grandparents meet grandchildren. Cousins who have not seen each other for a year sit around the same table. This reunion matters more than any ritual.
The second reason is the tradition of receiving tika and jamara from elders. The red tika on the forehead and the yellow jamara behind the ear are not just decorations. They carry blessings that connect the younger generation to the older one. The elder who gives tika is passing on hope and good wishes for the year ahead.
In conclusion, Dashain is not just a holiday. It is a yearly reminder of where we come from. It teaches respect, patience and gratitude. For these reasons, it remains the festival I look forward to most every year.
Writing II: Answer Key
Informal Letter — Inviting a Friend to a Festival
Kathmandu
10 October 2026
Dear Sanjay,
I hope you and your family are doing well. I am writing to invite you to celebrate Tihar with my family this year.
My mother is already planning the menu. We will make sel roti, lakhamari and several sweets. My grandmother has promised to teach us how to make the Deusi Bhailo group costumes this year. I remember you said you always wanted to join a Deusi group but never had the chance. This is your chance.
You can come on the day of Laxmi Puja and stay for three days. We have enough room for you. Bring your guitar if you can. My cousins would love to hear you play.
Please write back and tell me if you can come. It will not be the same without you.
Yours affectionately,
Saurav
Questions beyond the textbook exercises
These questions follow the SEE paper format. All content is drawn from Unit 2 only. Answers are not provided.
True or False
- The Battle of the Oranges takes place in Ivrea, Italy.
- Wearing a red hat during the carnival makes a person a target.
- Silvia wants to avoid the carnival because she finds it stressful.
- Chuseok is celebrated to honour ancestors.
- Thanksgiving in Brazil was started by liberated American slaves.
Fill in the Gaps
- The red hat worn during the carnival is called the __________ frigio.
- Nine teams of __________ take part in the Battle of the Oranges.
- Chuseok is celebrated on the 15th day of August according to the __________ calendar.
- Thanksgiving in Brazil was established by President __________ in 1949.
- The Homowo festival in Ghana celebrates the end of a __________.
Short Answer
- Why does the narrator retreat to the back of the square?
- Why does Silvia say the carnival is good for psychological health?
- How does Chuseok differ from Thanksgiving in the USA?
- What is the significance of the marjoram in Mehregan?
Grammar: Indirect Questions
- "Are you coming to the festival?" he asked. (Change to indirect speech)
- "Where did you buy that hat?" she asked. (Change to indirect speech)
- "Have you ever been to Korea?" they asked. (Change to indirect speech)
- "Why are you laughing?" he asked. (Change to indirect speech)
- "Will you help me prepare the feast?" she asked. (Change to indirect speech)
Grammar: Indirect Statements
- "I will visit you next week," she said. (Change to indirect speech)
- "I have finished the work," he said. (Change to indirect speech)
- "The sun rises in the east," the teacher said. (Change to indirect speech)
- "I am going to the market now," she said. (Change to indirect speech)
- "We had a wonderful time at the festival," they said. (Change to indirect speech)
Writing Task
Write an essay in about 200 words on any one of the festivals you celebrate in your community.
- Include an introduction with a clear thesis.
- Add two body paragraphs with reasons.
- Close with a conclusion that restates your thesis.