CCE Sample Paper 2011-2012 First Term English Communicative - Class 10 PDF Download

 Page 1


1 
 Summative Assessment – I- 2011 
 SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 
 CLASS X 
 English - Communicative 
Maximum marks: 80  Time-3 hours 
The question paper is divided into three sections. 
Section A:  Reading comprehension  20 marks 
Section B:  Writing  20 marks 
Section C:  Grammar  20 marks 
Section D:  Literature  20 marks 
 SECTION- A 
 (Reading -20 Marks) 
Q 1 Read the following passage carefully:  (5 Marks) 
We are in a rush. We are making haste. A compression of time characterises our lives. As time-use 
researchers look around, they see a rushing and scurrying everywhere. 
Instant services rule, pollsters use electronic devices during political speeches to measure opinions 
before they have been fully formed; fast food restaurants add express lanes. Even reading to 
children is under pressure. The volume “One Minute Bedtime Stories” consists of traditional stories 
that can be read by a busy parent in only one minute.  
Time is a gentle deity, said Sophocles. Perhaps it was, for him. These days it cracks the whip. We 
humans have chosen speed and we thrive on it – more than we generally admit. Our ability to work 
fast and play fast gives us power. It thrills us. And if haste is the accelerator, multitasking is the 
overdrive. 
Page 2


1 
 Summative Assessment – I- 2011 
 SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 
 CLASS X 
 English - Communicative 
Maximum marks: 80  Time-3 hours 
The question paper is divided into three sections. 
Section A:  Reading comprehension  20 marks 
Section B:  Writing  20 marks 
Section C:  Grammar  20 marks 
Section D:  Literature  20 marks 
 SECTION- A 
 (Reading -20 Marks) 
Q 1 Read the following passage carefully:  (5 Marks) 
We are in a rush. We are making haste. A compression of time characterises our lives. As time-use 
researchers look around, they see a rushing and scurrying everywhere. 
Instant services rule, pollsters use electronic devices during political speeches to measure opinions 
before they have been fully formed; fast food restaurants add express lanes. Even reading to 
children is under pressure. The volume “One Minute Bedtime Stories” consists of traditional stories 
that can be read by a busy parent in only one minute.  
Time is a gentle deity, said Sophocles. Perhaps it was, for him. These days it cracks the whip. We 
humans have chosen speed and we thrive on it – more than we generally admit. Our ability to work 
fast and play fast gives us power. It thrills us. And if haste is the accelerator, multitasking is the 
overdrive. 
2 
A sense of well being comes with this saturation of parallel pathways in the brain. We choose 
mania over boredom every time.  “Humans have never opted for slower,” points out the historian 
Stephen Kern. We catch the fever –and cramming our life feels good. 
There are definite ways to save time, but what does this concept really mean? Does time saving 
mean getting more done? If so, does talking on a cellular phone at the beach save time or waste it? 
Does it make sense to say that driving saves ten minutes from your travel budget while removing 
ten minutes from your reading budget?  
These questions have no answers. They depend on a concept that is ill formed; the very idea of 
time saving. Some of us say we want to save time when we really want to do more and faster. It 
might be simpler to recognize that there is time and we make choices about how to spend it, how 
to spare it, how to use it and how to fill it.  
Time is not a thing we have lost. It is not a thing we ever had. It is what we live in. 
Answer the following questions by selecting the most appropriate options from the ones given 
below: 
1) What Sophocles said is outdated because
a) humans today believe in leading a fast paced life
b) life today must be lived
c) humans have no other choice but to chase time
d) humans have admitted that time today is precious
2) Electronic poll devices, instant services, fast food restaurants signify
a) human desire to save time
b) time cracking the whip
c) our need to work fast as it gives us power
d) all of the above
3) According to the author we wish to save time because
a) we hope to be more efficient and capable
b) we wish to accomplish more in a short period of time
c) we wish to make appropriate choices
d) time saved is time earned
Page 3


1 
 Summative Assessment – I- 2011 
 SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 
 CLASS X 
 English - Communicative 
Maximum marks: 80  Time-3 hours 
The question paper is divided into three sections. 
Section A:  Reading comprehension  20 marks 
Section B:  Writing  20 marks 
Section C:  Grammar  20 marks 
Section D:  Literature  20 marks 
 SECTION- A 
 (Reading -20 Marks) 
Q 1 Read the following passage carefully:  (5 Marks) 
We are in a rush. We are making haste. A compression of time characterises our lives. As time-use 
researchers look around, they see a rushing and scurrying everywhere. 
Instant services rule, pollsters use electronic devices during political speeches to measure opinions 
before they have been fully formed; fast food restaurants add express lanes. Even reading to 
children is under pressure. The volume “One Minute Bedtime Stories” consists of traditional stories 
that can be read by a busy parent in only one minute.  
Time is a gentle deity, said Sophocles. Perhaps it was, for him. These days it cracks the whip. We 
humans have chosen speed and we thrive on it – more than we generally admit. Our ability to work 
fast and play fast gives us power. It thrills us. And if haste is the accelerator, multitasking is the 
overdrive. 
2 
A sense of well being comes with this saturation of parallel pathways in the brain. We choose 
mania over boredom every time.  “Humans have never opted for slower,” points out the historian 
Stephen Kern. We catch the fever –and cramming our life feels good. 
There are definite ways to save time, but what does this concept really mean? Does time saving 
mean getting more done? If so, does talking on a cellular phone at the beach save time or waste it? 
Does it make sense to say that driving saves ten minutes from your travel budget while removing 
ten minutes from your reading budget?  
These questions have no answers. They depend on a concept that is ill formed; the very idea of 
time saving. Some of us say we want to save time when we really want to do more and faster. It 
might be simpler to recognize that there is time and we make choices about how to spend it, how 
to spare it, how to use it and how to fill it.  
Time is not a thing we have lost. It is not a thing we ever had. It is what we live in. 
Answer the following questions by selecting the most appropriate options from the ones given 
below: 
1) What Sophocles said is outdated because
a) humans today believe in leading a fast paced life
b) life today must be lived
c) humans have no other choice but to chase time
d) humans have admitted that time today is precious
2) Electronic poll devices, instant services, fast food restaurants signify
a) human desire to save time
b) time cracking the whip
c) our need to work fast as it gives us power
d) all of the above
3) According to the author we wish to save time because
a) we hope to be more efficient and capable
b) we wish to accomplish more in a short period of time
c) we wish to make appropriate choices
d) time saved is time earned
3 
4) A word that means the same as ‘filled to capacity’ is
a) mania
b) saturation
c) cramming
d) bored
5) The passage
a) advocates the need to accelerate time so that we can meet our requirements
b) recognizes the need to rush and scurry all the time
c) advises us to recognize time and decide what to do with it
d) appreciates those who invest time wisely
Q 2   Read the following passage carefully:  (5 Marks) 
 A recent trip to Lucknow was an instant eye-opener and a more instant stimulus to introspection. 
The realization of self degradation started from the station itself. All set to fight the autowallah in 
Lucknow and accuse him of being a rude fleecer, I was stopped mid-sentence by his demeanour. He 
was mild, polished and totally agreeable to whatever I would pay him. He was sure I would not pay 
less than what the fare should be because he felt I had enough money to do so. Of course the 
respectful way he spoke to me took me completely off guard, and made me a wee bit ashamed. 
The aggression which one has to display all the time in Delhi, I realized was not needed here. In 
fact, it was shocking for the autowallah to encounter a presumptuous woman yearning for a fight. 
That’s what Delhi does to you. It takes away your polish. Unlike Delhi, Lucknow prefers to stay 
away from hysterical momentum. It takes an easy pace of life, teaches  residents to stay cool, enjoy 
food, take siestas and work without hitting the breakneck speed barrier. It has set its priorities 
right. It nurtures its young and it loves its old.  
In Delhi, morning walkers go for expensive paraphernalia. You need to drive at least five kms to 
hunt for a park. Back in Lucknow simply walk out of your house and your walk begins. No traffic 
and no pollution.  
On the basis of your reading of the above passage, complete the following sentences. Write the 
answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank number.   
1) The author was all set to fight with the autorickshaw driver in Lucknow as ………………………….
2) Your personality in Delhi becomes ……………………………………………….……………..
Page 4


1 
 Summative Assessment – I- 2011 
 SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 
 CLASS X 
 English - Communicative 
Maximum marks: 80  Time-3 hours 
The question paper is divided into three sections. 
Section A:  Reading comprehension  20 marks 
Section B:  Writing  20 marks 
Section C:  Grammar  20 marks 
Section D:  Literature  20 marks 
 SECTION- A 
 (Reading -20 Marks) 
Q 1 Read the following passage carefully:  (5 Marks) 
We are in a rush. We are making haste. A compression of time characterises our lives. As time-use 
researchers look around, they see a rushing and scurrying everywhere. 
Instant services rule, pollsters use electronic devices during political speeches to measure opinions 
before they have been fully formed; fast food restaurants add express lanes. Even reading to 
children is under pressure. The volume “One Minute Bedtime Stories” consists of traditional stories 
that can be read by a busy parent in only one minute.  
Time is a gentle deity, said Sophocles. Perhaps it was, for him. These days it cracks the whip. We 
humans have chosen speed and we thrive on it – more than we generally admit. Our ability to work 
fast and play fast gives us power. It thrills us. And if haste is the accelerator, multitasking is the 
overdrive. 
2 
A sense of well being comes with this saturation of parallel pathways in the brain. We choose 
mania over boredom every time.  “Humans have never opted for slower,” points out the historian 
Stephen Kern. We catch the fever –and cramming our life feels good. 
There are definite ways to save time, but what does this concept really mean? Does time saving 
mean getting more done? If so, does talking on a cellular phone at the beach save time or waste it? 
Does it make sense to say that driving saves ten minutes from your travel budget while removing 
ten minutes from your reading budget?  
These questions have no answers. They depend on a concept that is ill formed; the very idea of 
time saving. Some of us say we want to save time when we really want to do more and faster. It 
might be simpler to recognize that there is time and we make choices about how to spend it, how 
to spare it, how to use it and how to fill it.  
Time is not a thing we have lost. It is not a thing we ever had. It is what we live in. 
Answer the following questions by selecting the most appropriate options from the ones given 
below: 
1) What Sophocles said is outdated because
a) humans today believe in leading a fast paced life
b) life today must be lived
c) humans have no other choice but to chase time
d) humans have admitted that time today is precious
2) Electronic poll devices, instant services, fast food restaurants signify
a) human desire to save time
b) time cracking the whip
c) our need to work fast as it gives us power
d) all of the above
3) According to the author we wish to save time because
a) we hope to be more efficient and capable
b) we wish to accomplish more in a short period of time
c) we wish to make appropriate choices
d) time saved is time earned
3 
4) A word that means the same as ‘filled to capacity’ is
a) mania
b) saturation
c) cramming
d) bored
5) The passage
a) advocates the need to accelerate time so that we can meet our requirements
b) recognizes the need to rush and scurry all the time
c) advises us to recognize time and decide what to do with it
d) appreciates those who invest time wisely
Q 2   Read the following passage carefully:  (5 Marks) 
 A recent trip to Lucknow was an instant eye-opener and a more instant stimulus to introspection. 
The realization of self degradation started from the station itself. All set to fight the autowallah in 
Lucknow and accuse him of being a rude fleecer, I was stopped mid-sentence by his demeanour. He 
was mild, polished and totally agreeable to whatever I would pay him. He was sure I would not pay 
less than what the fare should be because he felt I had enough money to do so. Of course the 
respectful way he spoke to me took me completely off guard, and made me a wee bit ashamed. 
The aggression which one has to display all the time in Delhi, I realized was not needed here. In 
fact, it was shocking for the autowallah to encounter a presumptuous woman yearning for a fight. 
That’s what Delhi does to you. It takes away your polish. Unlike Delhi, Lucknow prefers to stay 
away from hysterical momentum. It takes an easy pace of life, teaches  residents to stay cool, enjoy 
food, take siestas and work without hitting the breakneck speed barrier. It has set its priorities 
right. It nurtures its young and it loves its old.  
In Delhi, morning walkers go for expensive paraphernalia. You need to drive at least five kms to 
hunt for a park. Back in Lucknow simply walk out of your house and your walk begins. No traffic 
and no pollution.  
On the basis of your reading of the above passage, complete the following sentences. Write the 
answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank number.   
1) The author was all set to fight with the autorickshaw driver in Lucknow as ………………………….
2) Your personality in Delhi becomes ……………………………………………….……………..
4 
3) Morning walkers in Lucknow require …………………………………………………………………………………….
4) The word in the passage that means the same as rude is ……………………………………………………..
5) The trip to Lucknow was an eye opener for the author because she realised……………………….
Q 3 Read the following passage carefully  (5 Marks) 
 Su means number and Duko means single. The game of Sudoku has many similarities to the game 
of life. The game consists of a 9x9 grid divided into 3x3 boxes in which a few numbers called 
“given”- the number of givens varies between 17 and 30 for a puzzle to be reasonably viable- are 
already in place. 
In life, too, you start with a given set of notions and then work from thereon. In Sudoku, you need 
to follow a set of rules to build up the grid, filling each row, column and box with numbers ranging 
from one to nine, so much like in life where you have to go on your way without antagonizing 
anyone else. Respect every number (person) and things would be fine. While trial or error may or 
may not work, the correct technique is in eliminating numbers that don’t fit in a particular box. 
In Sudoku, the arrangement of the given numbers is symmetrical. This is instructive in life, on how 
to maintain steadfast faith, poise and equanimity despite situations when everything turns topsy-
turvy. 
There is a subtle difference between the two as well. Make a mistake and you can erase it and 
begin all over again in Sudoku. Not so in life. You can learn a lesson though, and avoid making the 
same mistake in future. 
Answer the following questions by selecting the most appropriate options from the ones given 
below: 
1) The given numbers in Sudoku are comparable to the -------------------------------in life.
a) rules
b) notions
c) people
d) respect
2) In Sudoku, by eliminating numbers that do not fit we
a) keep reducing errors to succeed in life
b) keep adding the chances to solve the puzzle
c) restrict our choices
d) open new avenues
Page 5


1 
 Summative Assessment – I- 2011 
 SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 
 CLASS X 
 English - Communicative 
Maximum marks: 80  Time-3 hours 
The question paper is divided into three sections. 
Section A:  Reading comprehension  20 marks 
Section B:  Writing  20 marks 
Section C:  Grammar  20 marks 
Section D:  Literature  20 marks 
 SECTION- A 
 (Reading -20 Marks) 
Q 1 Read the following passage carefully:  (5 Marks) 
We are in a rush. We are making haste. A compression of time characterises our lives. As time-use 
researchers look around, they see a rushing and scurrying everywhere. 
Instant services rule, pollsters use electronic devices during political speeches to measure opinions 
before they have been fully formed; fast food restaurants add express lanes. Even reading to 
children is under pressure. The volume “One Minute Bedtime Stories” consists of traditional stories 
that can be read by a busy parent in only one minute.  
Time is a gentle deity, said Sophocles. Perhaps it was, for him. These days it cracks the whip. We 
humans have chosen speed and we thrive on it – more than we generally admit. Our ability to work 
fast and play fast gives us power. It thrills us. And if haste is the accelerator, multitasking is the 
overdrive. 
2 
A sense of well being comes with this saturation of parallel pathways in the brain. We choose 
mania over boredom every time.  “Humans have never opted for slower,” points out the historian 
Stephen Kern. We catch the fever –and cramming our life feels good. 
There are definite ways to save time, but what does this concept really mean? Does time saving 
mean getting more done? If so, does talking on a cellular phone at the beach save time or waste it? 
Does it make sense to say that driving saves ten minutes from your travel budget while removing 
ten minutes from your reading budget?  
These questions have no answers. They depend on a concept that is ill formed; the very idea of 
time saving. Some of us say we want to save time when we really want to do more and faster. It 
might be simpler to recognize that there is time and we make choices about how to spend it, how 
to spare it, how to use it and how to fill it.  
Time is not a thing we have lost. It is not a thing we ever had. It is what we live in. 
Answer the following questions by selecting the most appropriate options from the ones given 
below: 
1) What Sophocles said is outdated because
a) humans today believe in leading a fast paced life
b) life today must be lived
c) humans have no other choice but to chase time
d) humans have admitted that time today is precious
2) Electronic poll devices, instant services, fast food restaurants signify
a) human desire to save time
b) time cracking the whip
c) our need to work fast as it gives us power
d) all of the above
3) According to the author we wish to save time because
a) we hope to be more efficient and capable
b) we wish to accomplish more in a short period of time
c) we wish to make appropriate choices
d) time saved is time earned
3 
4) A word that means the same as ‘filled to capacity’ is
a) mania
b) saturation
c) cramming
d) bored
5) The passage
a) advocates the need to accelerate time so that we can meet our requirements
b) recognizes the need to rush and scurry all the time
c) advises us to recognize time and decide what to do with it
d) appreciates those who invest time wisely
Q 2   Read the following passage carefully:  (5 Marks) 
 A recent trip to Lucknow was an instant eye-opener and a more instant stimulus to introspection. 
The realization of self degradation started from the station itself. All set to fight the autowallah in 
Lucknow and accuse him of being a rude fleecer, I was stopped mid-sentence by his demeanour. He 
was mild, polished and totally agreeable to whatever I would pay him. He was sure I would not pay 
less than what the fare should be because he felt I had enough money to do so. Of course the 
respectful way he spoke to me took me completely off guard, and made me a wee bit ashamed. 
The aggression which one has to display all the time in Delhi, I realized was not needed here. In 
fact, it was shocking for the autowallah to encounter a presumptuous woman yearning for a fight. 
That’s what Delhi does to you. It takes away your polish. Unlike Delhi, Lucknow prefers to stay 
away from hysterical momentum. It takes an easy pace of life, teaches  residents to stay cool, enjoy 
food, take siestas and work without hitting the breakneck speed barrier. It has set its priorities 
right. It nurtures its young and it loves its old.  
In Delhi, morning walkers go for expensive paraphernalia. You need to drive at least five kms to 
hunt for a park. Back in Lucknow simply walk out of your house and your walk begins. No traffic 
and no pollution.  
On the basis of your reading of the above passage, complete the following sentences. Write the 
answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank number.   
1) The author was all set to fight with the autorickshaw driver in Lucknow as ………………………….
2) Your personality in Delhi becomes ……………………………………………….……………..
4 
3) Morning walkers in Lucknow require …………………………………………………………………………………….
4) The word in the passage that means the same as rude is ……………………………………………………..
5) The trip to Lucknow was an eye opener for the author because she realised……………………….
Q 3 Read the following passage carefully  (5 Marks) 
 Su means number and Duko means single. The game of Sudoku has many similarities to the game 
of life. The game consists of a 9x9 grid divided into 3x3 boxes in which a few numbers called 
“given”- the number of givens varies between 17 and 30 for a puzzle to be reasonably viable- are 
already in place. 
In life, too, you start with a given set of notions and then work from thereon. In Sudoku, you need 
to follow a set of rules to build up the grid, filling each row, column and box with numbers ranging 
from one to nine, so much like in life where you have to go on your way without antagonizing 
anyone else. Respect every number (person) and things would be fine. While trial or error may or 
may not work, the correct technique is in eliminating numbers that don’t fit in a particular box. 
In Sudoku, the arrangement of the given numbers is symmetrical. This is instructive in life, on how 
to maintain steadfast faith, poise and equanimity despite situations when everything turns topsy-
turvy. 
There is a subtle difference between the two as well. Make a mistake and you can erase it and 
begin all over again in Sudoku. Not so in life. You can learn a lesson though, and avoid making the 
same mistake in future. 
Answer the following questions by selecting the most appropriate options from the ones given 
below: 
1) The given numbers in Sudoku are comparable to the -------------------------------in life.
a) rules
b) notions
c) people
d) respect
2) In Sudoku, by eliminating numbers that do not fit we
a) keep reducing errors to succeed in life
b) keep adding the chances to solve the puzzle
c) restrict our choices
d) open new avenues
5 
3) In life, symmetry is maintained through
a) patience and hard work
b) balance inspite of hardships
c) constant trust
d) friends and enemies
4) In life we can learn from our mistakes but we cannot
a) begin afresh
b) undo them
c) relive them
d) commit them again
5) To ‘antagonise’ in the passage means
a) to be determined
b) to be noticeable
c) to please
d) to make someone angry
Q 4   Read the following poem carefully  (5 Marks) 
THESE DREAMS 
These dreams 
Obstinate offspring of my wayward mind 
Keep running out of my home 
All too often. 
Somewhat humiliated 
Somewhat hurt 
Somewhat angry 
At times they even rush out barefoot. 
It is difficult to pacify these stubborn kids or humour them 
For theirs is a search for eternal spring 
They wish to seek out the stars and talk to them 
I am a tired traveller 
And have not the will 
To chase them anymore.