Sample Question Paper-10

ENGLISH – Language and Literature (Code 087)

Time allowed: 3 Hours. Maximum Marks : 80

Section – A
Reading [20 marks]

1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow. [8]
Evolution has designated vultures to be the ultimate scavengers. Enormous wingspans allow them to circle
in the air for hours. Their beaks, while rather horrifying, are weak by bird standards, made to scoop and eat
flesh.
However unappealing they may seem, vultures serve an important role in the ecological cycle: processing
dead bodies of animals. Only 20 years ago, India had plenty of vultures—flocks so enormous that they
darkened the skies. But by 1999, their numbers had dropped due to a mysterious kidney ailment. By 2008,
99.9 percent of India’s vultures were gone. It was finally discovered (hat they had been killed by a drug
called diclofenac (a pain reliever along the lines of aspirin or ibuprofen).
Indians revere their cows, and when a cow showed signs of pain, they treated it with diclofenac. After the
animal died, the vultures would eat the corpse. And though they can boast of perhaps having the world’s
most efficient digestive system, vultures cannot digest the drug.
India banned the use of diclofenac for veterinary use in 2006, but it’s still widely used. The near extinction
of vultures has caused the spread of pathogens in the country, as rats and dogs have moved in to take their
place. This would have otherwise been destroyed by the vultures.
Vultures need large ranges to scan for food and undisturbed areas in which to nest. They also need an
abundance of prey species since they rely more on chance than their own hunting skills to eat. All of these
things have been reduced by human activities. Meanwhile, there is a dramatic increase in secondary
poisoning. Vultures feed on carcasses laced with poison, intended to kill jackals or other predatory
carnivores. Or they are poisoned by the lead in animals left behind by hunters.
Answer:
1. Difficult Words
Scavengers-any animal that feeds on refuse and other decayed matter.
Vultures- predators Revere- worship, respect
Veterinary- animal’s treatment Carcasses- dead body of an animal
Prey- victim Pathogens- virus that can cause disease
Carnivores- an animal that feeds on other animals
1.1. On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer any eight of the following
questions. (8 x 1 = 8)
a. What role do vultures play in our evolution as scavengers?
b. What makes the wings and beaks of the vulture special?
c. How did their numbers decreased?
d. What do you know about the drug diclofenac?
e. What was the status of the number of vultures in India 20 years ago?
f. Secondary poisoning is ________
(i) eating corpse
(ii) small ranges to scan
(iii) reduced human activities
(iv) poisoned by the lead in animals left behind by hunters.
g. What factors can contribute to the increase of vulture population?
(i) undisturbed areas
(ii) only a lot of food
(iii) prey and undisturbed areas
(iv) a lot of infected carcasses
h. Diclofenac causes death of vultures because ________
i. Vultures feed on carcasses laced with poison actually meant to ________
Answer:
1.1. a. Vultures are the natural scavengers, they are an important part of our ecology an important part of our
ecology. They clean up our environment by processing . carcasses and helping to make our environment
disease free. [1]
b. The beaks are designed to scoop from the dead bodies of the animals and wide wings span helps them to
move in the air for a longer time. [1]
c. Their numbers have decreased because they fed on carcasses treated with a drug called diclofenac. [1]
d. The drug diclofenac is a pain reliever which the Indian vets used on cows, for pain relief. However the
vultures could not digest this drug while feeding on carcasses of such cows. [1]
e. 20 years ago, India had plenty of vultures. The flocks were so enormous that they darkened the skies [1]
f. (iv) poisoned by the lead in animals left behind by hunters. [1]
g. (iii)prey and undisturbed areas. [1]
h. Diclofenac filled carcasses eaten by vultures cannot be digested by them. [1]
i. (ii) to kill jackals and other animals [1]
Q 2. Read the passage Carefully [12]
(1) Have you ever failed at something so miserably that the thought of attempting to do it again was the last
thing you wanted to do?
(2) If your answer is yes, then you are 'not a robot'. Unlike robots, we human beings have feelings, emotions,
and dreams. We are all meant to grow and stretch despite our circumstances and our limitations. Flourishing
and trying to make our dreams come true is great when life is going our way. But what happens when it's
not? What happens when you fail despite all of your hard work? Do you stay down and accept the defeat or
do you get up again and again until you are satisfied? If you have a tendency to preserve and keep going
then you have what experts call, grit.
(3) Falling down or failing is one of the most agonizing, embarrassing and scariest human experiences. But
it is also one of the most educational, empowering and essential parts of living a successful and fulfilling
life. Did you know that perseverance (grit) is one of the seven qualities that have been described as the keys
to personal success and betterment in society? The other six are: curiosity, gratitude, optimism, self-control,
social intelligence, and zest. Thomas Edison is a model for grit for trying 1,000 plus times to invent the light
bulb. If you are reading this with the lights on in your room, you know very well that he succeeded. When
asked why he kept going despite his hundreds of failures, he merely stated that they were not failures. They
were hundreds of ways not to create a light bulb. This statement not only revealed his grit but also his
optimism for looking at the bright side.
(4) Grit can be learnt to help you become more successful. One of the techniques that help us is mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a practice that helps the individual stay in the moment by bringing awareness of his or her
experience without judgement. This practice has been used to quieten the noise of their fears and doubts.
Through the simple practice of mindfulness, individuals have the ability to stop the self-sabotaging
downward spiral of hopelessness, despair and frustration.
(5) What did you do to overcome the negative and self-sabotaging feelings of failure? Reflect on what you
did, and try to use those same powerful resources to help you today.
(A) On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer any four of the following questions in about 30-40
words each. [2 x 4 = 8]
(i) According to the passage, what are the attributes of a human?
(ii) What is perceived as grit?
(iii) How is 'failing' an educational and empowering part of human life?
(iv) In what ways can grit be developed?
(v) How does mindfulness help?

(B) On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer any four of the following : (1x4 = 4)
(i) While inventing the light bulb, Thomas Edison had failed ____________
(a) 1000 times (b) 10000 times
(c) 10000 times (d) 10000 times
(ii) Failure is a part of ____________ life.
(a) normal (b) common
(c) human (d) ordinary
(iii) In paragraph 2, ____________ means to continue.
(a) robots (b) satisfied
 (c) persevere (d) flourishing
(iv) In paragraph 3, the svnonvm of 'distressing' is ____________
(a) embarrassing (b) scariest
(c) agonizing (d) failing
(v) ____________ helps in preventing individuals from going down the lines of despair.
(a) Mindfulness (b) Satisfied
(c) Persevere (d) Flourishing
Answer:
(a) (i) Feelings, emotions, dreams, eagerness to grow and flourish are the attributes so as to realize
(ii) If you have a tendency to persevere and keep going, then you have what experts call grit.
(iii) Failing teaches how to be perseverant and keep going for one's goals. Each failure makes one
understand what to do and what not to do.
(iv) Do not accept defeat; make efforts to overcome limitations; by not staying down.
(v) Mindfulness is a practice that helps the individual stay in the moment by bringing awareness of his or her
experience without judgment. This practice is a technique that many have used to quieten the noise of their
fears and doubts. [2 x 4 = 8]
(B) (i) (a) 1000 times
(ii) (c) human
(iii) (c) Persevere
(iv) (c) agonizing
(v) (a) Mindfulness [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2019] [1 x 4 = 4]

Section – B
Writing and Grammar [30 Marks]
3. Learning is a process of acquiring new, or modifying existing, knowledge, behaviors, skills. Write an
article as Manav/Manvi on ‘The importance of acquiring new skills to enrich our lives’. In 100-150 words.
OR [8 Marks]
You are Mohan/Mohini. Taking help from the information given below, write a letter to the editor of a
national daily showing your concern at the outdated education system which has not helped in creating more
jobs in India. Also suggest some measures to make it more meaningful and job-oriented. Write this letter in
about 100-150 words.
Hints : Influence of western education due to colonisation — More theoretical than practical — Not job
oriented — Vocational training.
Answer:
The importance of acquiring new skills to enrich our lives
 By Manav/Manvi [8 Marks]
Gone Our whole life is a process of learning. The day we feel that we have learnt enough we have
mentally cease to exist. Our minds should always be eager to learn new ideas and concepts at any age.
Apart from our formal education we can try to acquire other skills that we are interested in. Some people
do not get enough time or do not have enough means to pursue their interests and learn new skills but
later in life they try to fulfill this desire.
However there are many people who do not want to add on any botheration to their lives. They are
afraid to come out of their comfort zone and try to acquire a new skills. They feel that it is a waste of
time and they rather continue safely with whatever they have already learnt. They are afraid to take
up new challenges. These kind of people do not live life to the fullest sometimes it is as if they just
exist! These people mosey spend their lives in a very mediocre manner.
If we want to live an exciting life we must be brave enough to take up challenges without thinking
of success or failure. Robert Frost chose the less travelled road in spite of knowing that he may not
be successful. We must be always ready to learn something new something that interests us and who
knows in the course of just pursuing our hobby we may become a known and successful person.

OR
12, Kamla Lotia College 8
Kanpur
20th March, 20xx
To,
The Editor
The Hindustan Times
New Delhi
Sub: Job-oriented Education
Respected Sir/Madam,
Through the columns of your prestigious newspaper, I want to highlight that education system in India
needs to be revised. Our education system is not job oriented as it contains more theoretical content than
for practical use. It needs to get revised according to the current requirements. And also more emphasis
should be given on practice of that and proper implementation of the knowledge learned. Most of the
educational institutions are failing to fulfill the anthem of education. Our education system should be
such that, it respects our culture and strives to preserve it. Our present education system is merely a
continuation of the western system of the colonial era. It is highly loaded in favour of academics. The
old practices and traditions continue.

The school education provides little or no vocational and technical training. The results are quite
unproductive. Our educated young men and women don’t get meaningful employment. Their frustration
finds outlets in crimes and violence. It doesn’t augur well for the nation and its youth.

We have to wake up and catch up with the rest of the world. For it is necessary to maintain the
“desirable education system” that should mould and equip the students to catch up with every change of
this modern world. It is necessary to maintain an education system that can mould and equip the
students to catch up with every change of this modern world.
The Government and the concerned educationists must take stock of the education system from new and
meaningful angles. First of all, vocational and technical education and training should be made an
essential part of high-school education.

Every student must be asked to choose or select his trade or vocation. Adequate coaching and vocational
training must be provided at the school level itself. I hope the government and the educationists will rise
up to the occasion and give a new definition and direction to our outdated education system.

Yours faithfully
Mohan/Mohini
Q 4. Complete the following story- (150-200 words): [10]
a pond a crocodile ...... a monkey on a tree were friends. Crocodile's wife wanted monkey's heart monkey
bewildered planned heart, home went back to get it saved himself. (150-200 words)
OR
You were playing cricket in a park. Suddenly you saw an old man, just collapsing on the pavement. You all
rushed to him (150-200 words)
Answer:
The Crocodile and the Monkey
Once a crocodile lived in a pond. Near that pond, there was a berry-tree. A monkey lived on that tree. Both
of them became friends. Every day, the crocodile used to come out of the pond and the monkey served him
with the berries. The crocodile enjoyed the fruits very much. One day, it came to crocodile's mind that the
monkey's heart might be very sweet because he used to relish those delicious and sweet berries all the time.
So he made a plan. The next day, he went to the monkey and told him that his wife wanted to invite him to
dinner. The monkey got ready and jumped on the , crocodile's back to go to his wife. After some time, he at
once sensed something wrong. He came to the conclusion that crocodile had planned to take out his heart by
killing him. He made a plan. He said to the crocodile, "Brother, I know you wanted my heart. Don't worry, I
am your real friend. My heart is with my mother. Just wait. I'll bring it for you." After saying these words,
he jumped back to the tree. The crocodile thought that the monkey had gone to his home to get his heart
back. But the fact was that he was befooled by the clever monkey. Hence, with his intelligence, the monkey
saved himself. [10]
Commonly Made Errors
 Many students start writing a story without thinking of the plot. They do not even decide the
characters.
 The story written are superfluous.
 The students forget to give a suitable title.
 They do not try to bring out a moral or a message in the end.
Answering Tips
 The story needs to be original.
  Students should avoid abrupt beginning rather it should be exciting and capture attention. They
should connect the sentences logically.
OR
One day, I was playing cricket in a park with my friends, suddenly I saw an old man, just collapsing on the
pavement. All of us rushed to him and tried to call him. But he was unconscious. Sensing the need of the
hour, I ran back, took out the water bottle from my bag and sprinkled some water on his face. After a few
moments, he opened his eyes. With gestures, he told us that he was very thirsty and hungry. We gave him
water to drink. One of my friends gave him a packet of biscuits. I gave him two bananas that I had brought
with me from my house. After having all that, the old man looked quite satisfied.
Then we asked him about his whereabouts so that his family members might be informed. But to our
surprise, on hearing the word family, he started crying bitterly. We tried to soothe him and asked what had
made him to suffer. Then he told us his story. He had two sons. After the death of his wife, his sons asked
him, rather pressurised him for the division of his property. Both of them assured him that he would live
with them turn-wise, i.e., for one month, he would live with his younger son and then next month, he would
live with the elder one. And he agreed to do so. But that was the biggest mistake of his life. For two months
everything went quite okay. In the third month, he fell ill. Neither of his sons wanted to bear the expenses,
incurred on his illness and medicines. Then they made a plan. One day both of them asked him that they
would take him to an expert doctor so that he would get cured very soon. They brought him to that strange
city and asked him to wait there as they had to search out the address of the doctor. He agreed and waited for
them, sitting outside the bus station, with no money or assets with him. When both of them didn't return till
evening, he realized that his sons had abandoned him. Even then he tried to search for them-empty stomach.
On hearing his story, we became very sad. Then one of my friends suggested that he should be taken to an
old age home where his father was a manager. Since then, he has been living there but his sons never
returned.
5. Fill in the blanks in the paragraph given below by choosing the most appropriate options from the
ones that follow. Attempt any four. [4 x 1 = 4]
Poor environmental quality a. its greatest impact on people whose health status is already he risk. Therefore,
environmental health must address the societal c. environmental factors that increase the likelihood d,
exposure and disease. Climate disasters are around 50 percent more e. two decades ago.
a. (i) some (ii) has (iii) but (iv) if
b. (i) have (ii) has (iii) at (iv) have been
c. (i) a (ii) is (iii) the (iv) and
d. (i) of (ii) but (iii) if (iv) where
e. (i) to (ii) is (iii) than (iv) has
Answer:
a. (ii) has b. (iii) at c. (iv) d. (i) of e. (iii) than (4)
Q 6. The following paragraph has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Write the incorrect
word and the correction in your answer sheet against the correct blank number. (Any four) [4]
Error Correction
A saint walks the streets of Kolkata. (i) _________ _________
It can happen only at India. It (ii) _________ _________
is time that us realise our (iii) _________ _________
strength. We are greater people. We (iv) _________ _________
have so much religious leaders. (v) _________ _________
Answer:
Error Correction
(a) walks walked
(b) at in
(c) us we
(d) greater great
(e) much many [4]

Answer Tips:
 Adequate practice in Tenses and verb forms can give example of exercise in gap filling
 Carefully identify the subject than fill the verb in concord.
7. Rearrange the following words/phrases to form meaningful sentences. Attempt any four. (4)
a. Indian / of / is / controlled / India / the / government / Railways / by
b. It / is / world / of / the / the / networks / in / largest / one
c. million / 20 / about / passengers / Indian / daily / by / travel / Railways
d. Indian / of / covers / almost / the / parts / Railways / all / country
e. railway/fourth/national/system/ India’s/the/is/largest/world/the/in/network/railway
Answer:
a. Indian Railways is controlled by the government of India. (1)
b. It is one of the largest networks in the world. (1)
c. About 20 million passengers travel daily by Indian Railways. (1)
d. Indian Railways covers almost all parts of the country. (1)
e. India’s national railway system is the fourth largest railway network in the world. (1)

Section - C
Literature [30 marks]
Q 8. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
The creature that emerged from this sack on to the spacious tiled floor of the consulate bedroom resembled
most of all a very small, medieval-conceived, dragon. From the head to the tip of the tail he was coated with
symmetrical pointed scales of mud armor, between whose tips was visible a soft velvet fur like that of a
chocolate-brown mole. [1 x 4 = 4]
(a) What was the name of author's pet?
(i) Molly (ii) Mijbil
(iii) Micky (iv) Mini
(b) What was the colour of otter's velvet fur ?
(i) Dark brown (ii) Brown
(iii) Chocolate-brown (iv) Light brown
(c) Otter resembled a small, medievally conceived ____________
(i) cat (ii) tiger
(iii) dragon (iv) elephant
(d) Find a word from the passage that means the same as 'came out of'.
(i) emerged (ii) creature
(iii) consulate (iv) resembled
OR
There is a languid, emerald sea, where the sole inhabitant is me— a mermaid drifting blissfully.
(a) Who does ' me' stand for?
(i) Amanda's mother (ii) Amanda's sister
(iii) Amanda (iv) Amanda's is friend
(b) How does ' me' feel?
(c) Who is ' me' compared to?
(d) Which word in the extract means opposite of ' sorrowfully'?
(i) languid (ii) blissfully
(iii) inhabitant (iv) sole
Answer:
(a) (ii) Mobil
(b) (iii) Chocolate-brown
(c) (iii) dragon
(d) (i) emerged
OR
(a) (iii) The word 'me' stands for Amanda. [1 x 4 = 4]
(b) 'Me' feels if she were a mermaid then she could blissfully swim in the blue sea, where she could be the
only inhabitant.
(c) 'Me' or Amanda is compared to a mermaid.
(d) (ii) blissfully.
9. Answer any Sve of the following questions in 30-40 words each. [5 x 2 = 10]
a. How did Buddha teach Kisa Gotami the truth of life?
b. What was unusual about the dress of Wanda?
c. Why did the woman in the control room look surprised when the narrator asked her about the pilot who
had helped him?
d. Who was Lutkins? Could the narrator serve the summons on his first visit to New Mullion? Why/ Why
not?
e. How did the story of the balcony help Ausable escape?
f. Why was Horace Danby arrested? How did he try to defend himself?
Answer:
a. Kisa Gotami was devastated by the death of her only son and wandered door to door, seeking help.
Someone directed her to Sakvamuni. the Buddha, who asked her to bring a handful of mustard seeds. This
raised a hope in Gotami’s heart that her son could be revived. But the condition imposed by Sakyamuni was
that the seeds should be from a house where people had not lost a loved one to death. Kisa Gotami’s futile
search made her realise the bitter truth that sorrows are a part and parcel of life and one can attain peace only
by acceptance. [2]
b. Wanda always wore a faded blue dress that didn’t fit her well. It was neat but it was wrinkled all over and
required good ironing. She always wore the same dress. [2]
c. The woman was shocked as she had not seen any another aeroplane flying that night. Moreover she could
see only one plane on the radar. [2]
d. Oliver Lutkins was a man from New Mullion who was to be served a summon to testify for a pending
court case. The narrator, the lawyer who was assigned this task could not serve the summons because he was
cleverly tricked by Lutkins who exploited the gullibility of former and pretended to help him find Lutkins
who was actually all the time with him. The village folks ridiculed him. [2]
e. Ausable knew that Max was scared and he used his ignorance and foolishness in his own favour. He
framed the story of the balcony to convince Max about the balcony which was actually non-existent. It
helped Ausable to get out of a dangerous and critical situation. [2]
f. Horace Danby was arrested because his fingerprints were all over the safe and the room. He I had opened
the safe on the request of the Lady in Red. He tried to tell the police that the wife of the owner had asked
him to open the safe but the wife of the owner who was a grey haired woman of sixty said it was all
nonsense.
Q 10. Answer any one of the following in 100 -150 words : [8]
Was Anne an intelligent girl ? Support your answer giving instances ?
OR
'Arguments and disputes seldom solve a problem'. 'Describe the dispute between Natalya and Lomov over
the dogs and their superiority.
Answer:
Anne was indeed a very intelligent girl. She was a thirteen years old school going girl, but her diary shows
that she was more than mature enough for her age. Anne was a jewish girl who had to go into hiding during
World War II to avoid the Nazis. Nobody ever thought of writing an account of how Hitler tortured Jews.
But Anne Frank did so. On her thirteenth birthday her father gifted her a diary, in which chronicles of the
events of her life were written. She decided to write a diary because she felt that paper was more patient than
people. Only an intelligent girl could think so wisely and deeply. In school in her Maths period, she proved
her necessity of talking. She defended her habit as hereditary. By writing a poem of a mother duck and a
father Swan in a humorous form, she very wisely turned a punishment into a joke. Even Mr. Keesing, her
Maths teacher, took the joke in the right way and read the poem to the class, after that he was often seen
making jokes in the class. Only an intelligent girl like Anne could do that. [8]
OR
Value Points:
 Natalya and Lomov fought over superiority of their dogs-Squee/.er and Guess –
 Guess -lame, good hunter
 Squeezer -high pedigree, over shot, bad hunter
 Sillv argument should never come in the way of matrimony
 Tolerance, acceptance paves the way to good relationship.
Detailed Answer:
Natalya and Lomov fought over the superiority of their dogs-Squeezer and Guess. Lomov was pained to
hear that despite many qualities, Guess had two major defects, i.e., the dog was old as well as short in the
muzzle. Lomov was proud of his dog's pure breed, its well sprung ribs. It was also a good hunter. On the
other hand, Natalya's high pedigree-squeezer was a bad hunter. She pointed out that her dog, Squeezer was
better than Guess. She remarked that Guess was old, ugly and a worn out cab horse. She also called Guess a
lame dog. Then Lomov stated that his dog had become lame since its leg had been bitten by some other dog.
Though Lomov had come there to propose Natalya as he wanted to marry her, they involved themselves in
silly arguments— that also over petty issues. Their main purpose was sidelined in the dispute. But such silly
argument should never come in the way of matrimony. Rather it is the attribute of tolerance and acceptance
that paves the way to good relationship.
Commonly Made Error
 Most of the students simply mentioned the events and incidents of disputes instead of
fulfilling the demand of the question.
 Students must be taught to analyse an event or character related to the question.
11. Answer the following question in 100-150 words. [8]
We often get angry on trivial matters and then we have to regret later. Do you think Natalya was justified in
getting argumentative with Lomov? Could she have handled the situation in a better way?
OR
Valli’s wish to see beyond her village results in an unforgettable journey for her.What do you think made
her journey so special and memorable for her.
Answer:
Yes I think we all need to manage our anger to lead a stress free life. In our anger we may speak out
something for which we may regret later. So it is always advisable to control our anger or not to speak at all
when we are angry. In the story The Proposal’ Natalya is angry on every issue that Lomov talks about.
Although the play is humorous and it ends happily ,this may not be the case always. Reckless use of words
often ends in broken relationships so we should deal with such kind of situations in a matured manner and
observe restrain so that we can attempt to solve the problem amicably. [8]
OR
Valli was a very poor village girl. She loved to watch the different activities of people around her.
She was fascinated by a bus that came to her village at a stipulated time. It was her dream to travel in the bus
and visit the city. The bus ride became an obsession with her. She had saved up money by sacrificing small
things like peppermints, toys, balloons etc. Valli was a simple village girl for whom a bus ride was a great
achievement. Valli finally makes this journey. The conductor proves to be a nice man who call Valli
‘madam’. He is concerned about her and dropv her safely to her house. Valli also stands on her seat to see
the world outside the bus. She admires a number of things and is also crestfallen when she sees the dead cow
on her return journey. All these things makes Valli’s journey memorable. [8]