English Past Year Paper with Solutions - Delhi Set 1 (2020) | Past Year Papers for Class 10 PDF Download

General Instructions

Read the following instructions very carefully and strictly following them.
(i) Question paper comprises three section – A, B and C.
(ii) Section A – Reading (20 marks)
Section B – Writing & Grammar(30 marks)
Section C – Literature (30 marks)
(iii) There are 11 questions in the question paper. All questions are compulsory.
(iv) Answer should be brief and to the point.
(v) There is no overall choice in the question paper. However, an internal choice has been provided in Section B and Section C. Make your choices correctly.
(vi) In addition to this, separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary.
(vii) Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

Read the following passage carefully. 
Caged behind thick glass, the most famous dancer in the world can easily be missed in the National Museum, Delhi. The Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro is that rare artefact that even school children are familiar with. Our school textbooks also communicate the wealth of our 5000-year heritage of art. You have to be alert to her existence there, amid terracotta animals to rediscover this bronze image.

Most of us have seen her only in photographs or sketches, therefore the impact of actually holding her is magnified a million times over. One discovers that the dancing girl has no feet. She is small, a little over 10 cm tall-the length of a human palm-but she surprises us with the power of the great art-the ability to communicate across centuries.

A series of bangles-of shell or ivory or thin metal-clothe her left upper arm all the way down to her fingers. A necklace with three pendants bunched together and a few bangles above the elbow and wrist on the right hand display an almost modern art.

She speaks of the undaunted, ever hopeful human spirit. She reminds us that it is important to visit museums in our country to experience the impact that a work of art leaves on our senses, to find among all the riches one particular vision of beauty that speaks to us alone.

Q 1.
1.1 On the basis of your reading of the above passage answer the following questions. 
(i) The Dancing Girl belongs to: 
(a) Mohenjo-daro
(b) Greek culture
(c) Homo sapiens
(d) Tibet

Ans. (a)

(ii) In the museum she's kept among: 
(a) Dancing figures.
(b) Bronze statues.
(c) Terracotta animals.
(d) Books.

Ans. (c)

(iii) Which information is not given in the passage? 
(a) The girl is caged behind glass.
(b) She is a rare artefact.
(c) School books communicate the wealth of our heritage.
(d) She cannot be rediscovered as she's bronze.

Ans. (d)

(iv) 'Great Art' has power because: 
(a) It appeals to us despite a passage of time.
(b) It is small and can be understood.
(c) It's seen in pictures and sketches.
(d) It's magnified a million times.

Ans. (a)

(v) The jewellery she wears:
(a) Consists of only bangles of shell or ivory or thin metal.
(b) Is a necklace with two pendants.
(c) Both (a) and (b) are correct.
(d) Neither (a) nor (b) is correct.

Ans. (d)

(vi)  She reminds us:
(a) Of the never-say-die attitude of humans.
(b) Why museums in our country are exciting.
(c) Why she will make us come into money.
(d) Of dancing figures.

Ans. (b)

(vii) The synonym of the word "among" in para is 1 _____________

Ans. Amid

(viii) The size of the dancing girl is equal to the length of human palm. (True/ False)

Ans. True

Read the following passage carefully.
As the family finally sets off from home after many arguments there is a moment of lull as the car takes off. “Alright, so where are we going for dinner now?" asks the one at the driving wheel. What follows is a chaos as multiple voices make as many suggestions.
By the time order is restored and a decision is arrived at, tempers have risen, feelings injured and there is at least one person grumbling.

Twenty years ago, you would step out of home, decision of meal and venue already made with no arguments or opposition and everybody looked forward to the meal with equal enthusiasm. The decision was made by the head of the family and the others fell in line. Today every member of the family has a say in every decision which also promotes a sense of togetherness and bonding.

We empower our kids to take their own decisions from a very early age. We ask them the cuisine they prefer, the movie they want to see, the holiday they wish to go on and the subjects they wish to study.

It's a closely connected world out there where children consult and guide each other. A parent's well-meaning advice can sound like nothing more than unnecessary preaching) How then do we reach our children through all the conflicting views and make the voice of reason be heard? Children today question choices and prefer to go with the flow.

What then is the best path to take? I would say the most important thing one can do is to listen. Listen to your children and their silences. Ensure that you keep some time aside for them, insist that they share their stories with you. Step into their world. It is not as complicated as it sounds; just a daily half an hour of the 'quality time' would do the trick.

Q 2. 
2.1 On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the following questions in 30-40 words each.
(i) Write one advantage and one disadvantage of allowing every family member to be part of the decision making process.

One advantage of allowing every family member to be part of the decision making is that it promotes a sense of togetherness and bonding. One disadvantage is that it might cause arguments and by the time a decision is arrived at, tempers rise.

(ii) In today's world, what are parents asking their kids?

In today's world, parents ask their kids about everything. They ask them the cuisine they prefer, the movie they want to see, the holiday they wish to go on and the subjects they wish to study. This empowers the children.

(iii) Which two pieces of advice does the writer give to the parents?

The author advises the parents to listen to their children and ensure that they keep some time aside for their children. This would ensure a good 'quality time' and strengthen the familial bond.

(iv) The passage supports the parents. How far do you agree with the author's views? Support your view with a reason.

• I agree with the author as I too believe that it is very important to communicate within the family. Including children in the decision-making process empowers them. 
• Also, the children today question choices and prefer to go with the flow. They must be given preference in the family decision-making process.

2.2 On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the following:
(i) The synonym of 'hurt' as given in paragraph 2 is ________.
Ans. Injured

(ii) The word which means the same as 'a style or method of cooking in paragraph 4 is:
(a) Cuisine
(b) Gourmet
(c) Gastric
(d) Science
Ans. (a)

(iii) The antonym of 'agreeable' as given in paragraph 5 is _______.
Ans. Conflicting

(iv) The antonym of 'simple' as given in paragraph 6 is:
(a) Difficult
(b) Complicated
(c) Easy
(d) Tricky
Ans. (b)

Q 3. You are Vaibhavi Sinha, examination incharge, Goodway Public School, Aurobindo Road, Indore. You require 4 reams of white paper, 2 packets of carbon paper, one dozen registers, blue and red ballpoint pens (50 each). Place an order with Sunrise Stationery Mart, 12 Mall Road, Indore mentioning terms of payment, discount asked by you and delivery date. (100-150 words)

OR

Water scarcity is becoming a serious problem because sources of water are getting depleted day by day. Considering the gravity of the situation, write an article in 100-150 words on the topic, “Need of the Hour: Rainwater Harvesting. “You are Ram/Rama.

Goodway Public School  
Aurobindo Road, Indore
March 5, 20XX
Sunrise Stationery Mart
12 Mall Road, Indore

Dear Sir,

Subject: Purchase of stationery

I wish to place a bulk order for the supply of stationery for the school for the academic session 2020-2021. The particulars of the items and their quantity to be supplied are given below:

We are your regular customers and expect the maximum discount. Do send us the items from the fresh lot. The payment of these items will be digitally made. Do let us know the date by which you will deliver these items. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours truly
Vaibhavi Sinha
(Examination Incharge)

OR

Need of the Hour: Rainwater Harvesting
By Rama

Water is becoming a limited natural resource in the world. In an article published on the National Geographic website about Fresh Water Crisis, it has mentioned that out of the 70% of water which is covering the earth, only 2.5% is suitable for drinking and just 1% of freshwater is easily accessible. In the same article, the author talks about how people are wasting this limited resource. The growing scarcity of water is due to the rapid growth of population, rising demand for food and cash crops, increasing urbanization and rising standard of living.

On the other hand, people are writing articles and papers about how to solve this scarcity issue and all the resources presented about the conservation of water as a solution. I have heard people talking about the scarcity of water, but until the day I read the above-mentioned article, I didn't realize it was this bad. In another article, written by Michael Parfit, it was discussed that if there is no water, there is no life. We live by the grace of water. She talked about what would happen if the water scarcity problem is not solved. So there's a need to make people aware of this matter.

Rainwater harvesting is the need of the hour. If we let the rainwater go to waste, we soon will have no drinking water. The sources of freshwater are depleting at a rapid rate. We need to take serious steps and move to a sustainable way of living.

Q 4. Ahmad went to watch Diwali Mela with his parents. He wanted to enjoy a ride in the merry-go-round. His father________________

OR

Write a story in 150–200 words with the help of the following outline. Give it a suitable title also.
a cricket match __________ boys playing in the street _________ Ram hit the ball ___________ a second floor window pane broken_______.

Riding in the Merry-go-round  

Ahmad went to watch Diwali Mela with his parents. He wanted to enjoy a ride in the merry-go-round. His father, however, was against his wish to ride a scary-looking swing. He could see people moving frantically and shouting. Though they were having fun. But for Ahmad’s father, this wasn’t the concept of having fun.

He warned Ahmad against it but Ahmad insisted on riding with his father. Ahmad’s father had never before taken a joy ride but for the love of his son and his wish, he agreed to take the risk after a lot of convincing. As their turn arrived to climb in one of the seats, Ahmad’s father started to feel the jitters. The security near the ride fastened their seat belts and they were ready to roll. Ahmad’s father closed his eyes and started praying to God. The ride began with a Jerk which made Ahmad’s father open his eyes to check if Ahmad was fine and soon the ride started. Looking at Ahmad’s happy face, his fear vanished and he started enjoying the ride. By the end of it, the two had decided to take the ride once again!

OR

Gully Cricket

It was a summer evening and all the school going boys were enjoying their holidays by playing a game of cricket in the neighbourhood. It was now Ram’s turn to bat and he was known for his long shots. All the other kids were scared of him because he used to bat the ball so hard that they used to often end up losing it.

Today was no different, Ram hit the ball and it broke a windowpane on the second floor of the nearby building. All of us ran from the spot fearing that we would be given a nice scolding. But Ram did not move and he stood proudly with the bat in his hand. Five minutes later a young boy came down with the ball. He introduced himself as Shivam and gave the ball to Ram. As Shivam turned around, Ram said thank you to him but he did not respond. Ram pat on his shoulder and said thank you to him once again. This time the boy read his lips and replied welcome. He then told Ram that he had lost his power of listening when he was young. Ram asked him if he would like to play with them and he agreed happily. Since then, he has been giving tough competition to Ram in breaking window panes with his long shots.

Q 5. Fill in any four of the following blanks given below choosing the most appropriate options from the ones that follow. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. Communication __(a)__ become very effective __(b)__ instant due to smartphones. People are able ­­__(c)__ convey their messages all around the globe to __(d)__ loved ones __(e)__  spending hefty sums of money.

(a)
(i) is
(ii) has
(iii) have 
(iv) had

Ans. (ii)

(b)
(i) but
(ii) as
(iii) or
(iv) and

Ans. (iv)

(c)
(i) for
(ii) in
(iii) to
(iv) of

Ans. (iii)

(d)
(i) his
(ii) her
(iii) their
(iv) your

Ans. (iii)

(e)
(i) with
(ii) without
(iii) and
(iv) to

Ans. (ii)

Q 6. The following paragraph has not been edited. There is an error in each line. Write the error along with its correction in the space provided.

Q 7. Look at the words and phrases given below. Rearrange them to form meaningful sentences.
(i) easy/very/it/to open/it/was

Ans. It was very easy to open it.

(ii) to sleep/night/decided/every/they/a hotel/in

Ans. They decided to sleep in a hotel every night.

(iii) quickly/very/the clothes/they/and food/packed.

Ans. They packed the food and clothes very quickly.

(iv) the/problems/bags/heavy/in carrying/had/they

Ans. They had problems in carrying the heavy bags.

Q 8. And as the light came on, Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day. For halfway across the room, a small automatic pistol in his hand stood a man.
Ausable blinked a few times.
(i) Who was standing in the room with a pistol in his hand?
(a) Ausable
(b) Fowler
(c) Max
(d) A waiter

Ans. (c)

(ii) Ausable blinked because he:
(a) Was getting adjusted to the light.
(b) Got afraid of the man with a pistol.
(c) Was thrilled to have reached his room.
(d) Started thinking of how to get rid of the man.

Ans. (d)

(iii) Fowler was thrilled because what he saw looked like a _______.

Ans. Looked like a real thriller scene finally. The kind of action and scene he had been expecting while he was on his way.

(iv) Which word in the extract means the same as ‘genuine/real’?

Ans. Authentic

OR

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
I stand and look at them long and long.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition.
(i) The poet who has written these lines is _________.
(a) Robert Frost
(b) Carolyn Wells
(c) Walt Whitman
(d) Ogden Nash

Ans. (c)

(ii) Who are ‘they’ referred to here?
(a) Animals
(b) Tigers
(c) Ananda’s friends
(d) Wanda’s dresses

Ans. Animals

(iii) The poet looks at them long and long because he ________.

Ans. Admires the behaviour of animals and wants to stay with them.

(iv) Which word in the extract means ‘complain’?

Ans. Whine

Q 9. Answer any five of the following questions in 30-40 words each.
(i) “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? (His First Flight)

• The young seagull was very hungry. It was this hunger that ultimately compelled it to fly. Its hunger only intensified when it saw its mother tearing at a piece of fish that lay at her feet. It cried to her, begging her to get some food. 
• When its mother came towards it with food in her beak, it screamed with joy and anticipation. However, she stopped midway. It wondered why she did not come nearer. Not being able to resist or control its hunger any longer, it dived at the food in its mother’s beak. 
• At that moment, his hunger overpowered his fear of the great expanse of sea beneath the cliff. Finally, this plunge was followed by the natural reaction of its body, i.e., to fly.

(ii) Why does the poet not offer the boy money to buy another ball?

The poet does not offer him money to buy another ball because according to him, money or another ball is worthless. The boy was trying to understand his first responsibility as he had lost something, which could not be brought back.

(iii) Why is Coorg called the land of rolling hills?

Coorg is called the land of rolling hills as it has a lot of hills and also it is a hill station. It is a beautiful place and seems to have drifted from the kingdom of god. The entire area is situated among gentle sloping hills that seem to roll down in a panoramic view.

(iv) What made Hari Singh come back to Anil?

• Hari Singh returned to Anil because he felt guilty about robbing him. He thought that people have different responses to being robbed. Some people show fear, some show anger, and some show acceptance. 
• But, Hari knew that Anil would be sad, not for the loss of money but for the loss of trust. Hari did not have inner peace by robbing Anil. So, he returned back to him along with the money.

(v) Why was Matilda unhappy in her early married life?

• Matilda was always unhappy in her early married life because she was born in a family of clerks which seemed to be an error of destiny. She had high aspirations. She felt grieved at her miserable condition. 
• She thought that she was born for all delicacies and luxuries of the world. Her petty economic and social status tortured and angered her. She had a liking for marvellous dishes, nice frocks and jewels. But she could not attain them.

(vi) Describe the curious episode which took place in a clergyman’s study.

• A clergyman and his wife were awakened very early in the morning by noises coming from the study. They crept downstairs and heard the chink of money being taken from the clergyman’s desk. 
• With a poker grasped firmly in his hand, the clergyman hoped to surprise the thief. However, it was he who was surprised when he found the room to be empty. He and his wife looked under the desk, behind the curtains, and even up the chimney. 
• There was nobody there. Yet the desk had been opened and the housekeeping money was missing. It was a curious episode, and the clergyman kept saying the words “extraordinary affair” for the rest of the day.

Q 10. Attempt the following question in 100 – 150 words.
What things does Mij do which tell you that he is an intelligent, friendly and fun-loving animal who needs love?

• Mij was an intelligent animal. It invented its own game out of ping-pong balls. It screwed the tap till water began to flow and then it would play and splash in the water. Though it was aloof and indifferent in the beginning, it soon became very friendly. 
• It formed a special attachment with Maxwell. It responded when Maxwell called out his name. It grew desperate when Maxwell left it in a box and it got hurt while trying to come out of it. 
• After Maxwell took it out, it clung to his feet. It was a fun-loving animal. It enjoyed playing all kinds of games. 
• It would play with a selection of toys, ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit, and a terrapin shell. It required love and affection from Maxwell and it got that readily.

OR

What do you think about Anne’s talent for writing essays which she wrote convincingly when punished by the teacher?

• I think Anne was extremely talented when it came to writing. Anne won over her math teacher with the help of her three essays. Mr Keesing, her Mathematics teacher was upset with Anne because she was very talkative. 
• He assigned her extra homework,an essay on the subject 'A Chatterbox'. The task at hand was to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking and after devoting much thought to the subject, Anne wrote about how talking was a female trait,that she would try her utmost to keep it under control but could not guarantee success This made Mr Keesing laugh instead of being angry and he assigned her a second essay on 'An Incorrigible Chatterbox'. 
• Anne finished that essay too with her delightful sense of humour in aid but these essays did not succeed in Mr Keesing's objective to stop Anne from talking so much. Therefore, he told her to write another essay entitled, 'Quack, Quack, Quack,' said Mistress Chatterback'. But,  Anne turned in a poem on how a mother duck and a father swan with three baby ducklings who were bitten to death by the father because they quacked too much. 
• This won over Mr Keesing completely and he read out the poem in Anne's class and other classes, adding along his comments. From then on, Anne was allowed to talk and no extra assignments came her way. It resulted in Mr Keesing opening up and even cracking jokes in class. The entire incident proves that she had good writing and persuasion skills.

Q 11. Attempt the following question in 100 – 150 words.
Give a brief character sketch of Ebright’s mother.

• Richard Ebright's mother was a gentle, independent and strong lady who took care of herself as well as her child. She furnished Ebright with his full potential. She became his best friend, motivation and inspiration. 
• She would bring home friends for him and she considered Richie as her whole life. She got him a children's book called The Travels of monarch X which became a turning point in Ebright’s life and introduced him to a boundless world of science and technology. She took him on trips, bought him a telescope, microscope, cameras, mounting material and other equipment that helped him in many ways. 
• She encouraged and inspired Ebright’s interest in learning. And that is how she acts as a significant person in Ebright’s success story.

OR

How did the people on the earth help the Martian people? How did this effort help the people on both the planets?

• The people on earth taught the Martians how to read. They taught them the difference between a sandwich and a book. They helped them set up a model library. 
• It helped people on both the planets as they became friends and did not consider invasion as an option. 
• The people of the earth taught the Martians the value of peaceful coexistence and that it is fundamental to the survival of every race. Peaceful coexistence leads to development and fruitful life.