Class 10 English: CBSE Sample Question Paper- Term I (2021-22) - 2 | CBSE Sample Papers For Class 10 PDF Download

Class-X

General Instructions:
Read the following instructions very carefully and strictly follow them:

1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections. 
2. Section A-READING has 18 questions. Attempt a total of 14 questions, as per specific instructions for each question. 
3. Section B-WRITING & GRAMMAR has 12 questions. Attempt a total of 10 questions, as per specific instructions for each question. 
4. Section C-LITERATURE has 30 questions. Attempt 26 questions, as per specific instructions for each question. 
5. All questions carry equal marks. 
6. There is no negative marking.

I. Read the passage given below.

1. If you are addicted to coffee, and doctors warn you to quit the habit, don’t worry and just keep relishing the beverage, because it’s not that bad after all! In fact, according to a new study, the steaming cup of Java can beat fruits and vegetables as the primary source of antioxidants. Some studies state that coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in American diet and both caffeinated and decaf versions appear to provide similar antioxidant levels. 
2. Antioxidants in general have been linked to a number of potential health benefits, including protection against heart diseases and cancer. But Sandra Vinson, a dietitian, said that their benefits ultimately depend on how they are absorbed and utilised in the body. The research says that coffee outranks popular antioxidant sources like tea, milk, chocolate and cranberries. Of all the food and beverages studies, dates actually have the most antioxidants based solely on serving size, but since dates are not consumed anywhere near the level of coffee, the drink comes as the top source of antioxidants, Vinson said. 
3. Besides keeping you alert and awake, coffee has been linked to an increasing number of potential health benefits, including protection against liver and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease according to some recently published studies.
4. The researchers, however, advise that one should consume coffee in moderation, because it can make you jittery and cause stomach pains.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any eight out of the ten questions by choosing the correct option.
Q.1: _____________have the most antioxidants among all the food and beverages.
(a) Dates 
(b) Cranberries 
(c) Tea and Milk 
(d) Coffee

Correct Answer is Option (a)
Of all the food and beverages studies, dates actually have the most antioxidants based solely on serving size.

Q.2: According to dietitian Sandra Vinson, the benefits of coffee ultimately depend on:
(a) how it is relished.
(b) how they are absorbed and utilised in the body.
(c) how they are served and consumed.
(d) whether it keeps us alert and awake.

Correct Answer is Option (b)
Sandra Vinson, a dietitian, said that their benefits ultimately depend on how they are absorbed and utilised in the body.

Q.3: What is the correct order of the information given below?
I. Antioxidants are linked to a number of health benefits.
II. One should consume coffee in moderation.
III. Decaf versions of coffee provide antioxidants levels.
IV. Dates have the most antioxidants based solely on serving size.
(a) III, I, IV, II
(b) III, IV, I, II
(c) III, I, II, IV
(d) II, I, IV, III

Correct Answer is Option (a)

Q.4: Coffee provides a large number of health benefits including protection against:
(a) liver and colon cancer
(b) type 2 diabetes
(c) Parkinson’s disease
(d) All of the above

Correct Answer is Option (d)
Coffee has been linked to an increasing number of potential health benefits, including protection against liver and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease according to some recently published studies. Coffee does not help in stomach ache and lung diseases.

Q.5: Besides keeping us alert and awake, coffee provides us protection against:
I. liver and colon cancer
II. stomach ache 
III. type 2 diabetes
IV. lung diseases
(a) I and II
(b) II and III
(c) I and IV
(d) I and III

Correct Answer is Option (d)
Coffee has been linked to an increasing number of potential health benefits, including protection against liver and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease according to some recently published studies.

Q.6: The word in para 3 and 4 which means the same as ‘nervous’ is:
(a) Alert
(b) Awake
(c) Moderation
(d) Jittery

Correct Answer is Option (d)

Q.7: Consumption of coffee in excess:
(a) is a suggestion from doctors.
(b) doesn’t call the utter need to quit it.
(c) provides the richest source of maximum antioxidants.
(d) will make one feel jittery and cause stomach pains.

Correct Answer is Option (d)
The researchers advise that one should consume coffee in moderation, because it can make you jittery and cause stomach pains.

Q.8: Which of the following is the primary source of antioxidants?
(a) Jav
(b) Fruits
(c) Vegetables
(d) Both (a) and (b)

Correct Answer is Option (a)
According to a new study, the steaming cup of Java can beat fruits and vegetables as the primary source of antioxidants.

Q.9: What does the author mean when he uses the word ‘absorbed’?
(a) Solely
(b) Immersed
(c) Utilised
(d) Potential

Correct Answer is Option (b)

Q.10: Which word in para 1 conveys the opposite of `sober’?
(a) Decaf
(b) Quit
(c) Addicted
(d) Primary

Correct Answer is Option (c)

II. Read the passage given below. 

1. The report, progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (2000-2017): Special focus on inequalities, is the most recent publication by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, which tracks global progress in achieving the water and sanitation portion of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2. The 17 SDGs aim is to “end poverty in all its forms everywhere” by 2030. Goal 6 calls for universal access to safe and adequate access to drinking water and sanitation services. 
3. According to the new report, progress has been made since 2000, yet billions of people are still underserved. The report delineates between access to basic services, which has greatly improved, and access to “safely managed” services, which is inadequate in many parts of the world. Only about 45 per cent of the global population has access to safely- managed sanitation services. In 2017, an estimated 673 million people continued to openly defecate, most of them in 61 “high burden” countries where the practice remained common among more than 5 per cent of the population. 
4. To qualify as being “safely managed”, drinking water must meet three criteria: be accessible on the premises, be available for at least 12 hours per day and be free from E. coil, arsenic or fluoride contamination. Sanitation is considered safely managed when facilities are not shared with other households, and waste is safely treated on-site or at an off-site facility. 
5. In 2017, an estimated 5.3 billion people had access to safely-managed drinking water. Of that number, 1.4 billion used basic services, 206 million used limited services, 435 used unimproved sources and the remaining 144 million relied on untreated surface water. 
6. Poor and rural populations are at the greatest risk of being left behind. In 2017, urban access to basic drinking water services was at 97 per cent, while rural coverage was at 81 per cent. 
7. In terms of sanitation, an estimated 2.1 billion people gained access to basic services between 2000 and 2017, but 2 billion remain without access. 
8. The report also focuses on improvements in eliminating open defecation. Between 2000 and 2017, the global rate of open defecation fell from 21 percent to 9 per cent.
   

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any six out of the eight questions by choosing the correct option.
Q.11: The given passage focuses on:
(a) drinking water
(b) hygiene
(c) sanitation
(d) All of these

Correct Answer is Option (c)
The title of the report is “The report, progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (2000-2017)”

Q.12: What is the percentage of population which has access to sanitation services?
(a) 45%
(b) 21%
(c) 5%
(d) 9%

Correct Answer is Option (a)
Only about 45 per cent of the global population has access to safely- managed sanitation services.

Q.13: Which type of water is considered as safely managed and drinking water?
(a) Accessible every time when needed
(b) Available for at least 12 hours per day
(c) Free from harmful substances
(d) All of the above

Correct Answer is Option (d)
To qualify as being “safely managed”, drinking water must meet three criteria: be accessible on the premises, be available for at least 12 hours per day and be free from E. coil, arsenic or fluoride contamination.

Q.14: What target has been set by UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) programme?
(a) End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
(b) Access to safe and adequate drinking water.
(c) No open defecation.
(d) All of the above.

Correct Answer is Option (d)
The 17 SDGs aim is to “end poverty in all its forms everywhere” by 2030. Goal 6 calls for universal access to safe and adequate access to drinking water and sanitation services.

Q.15: What percentage of people in urban areas have access to drinking water?
(a) 45%
(b) 5%
(c) 97%
(d) 81%

Correct Answer is Option (c)
In 2017, urban access to basic drinking water services was at 97 per cent, while rural coverage was at 81 per cent.

Q.16: Which countries have the maximum access to safely managed water?
(a) Australia and New Zealand
(b) Europe and North America
(c) Small Island Developing states
(d) Northern Africa and Western Asia

Correct Answer is Option (a)

Q.17: Which country has the least accessibility to basic drinking water?
(a) Oceania
(b) Sub-Saharan Africa
(c) Latin America and the Caribbean
(d) Europe and North America

Correct Answer is Option (d)

Q.18: Rank the following countries from the highest to the lowest accessibility to surface water:
A — Latin America and the Caribbean 
B — Oceania
C — Sub-Saharan Africa 
D — Europe and North America
(a) BCDA
(b) BACD
(c) BCAD 
(d) BADC

Correct Answer is Option (c)

III. Answer any five out of the six questions by selecting the most appropriate option for each.
Q.19: I think it ________ rain today.
(a) shall
(b) should
(c) might
(d) has to

Correct Answer is Option (c)
think - probability So, Modal - might

Q.20: If you read newspapers, you ________ notice that there is a definite space for letters.
(a) would 
(b) could
(c) will
(d) can

Correct Answer is Option (c)
Certainty - will

Q.21: As soon as the teacher entered the class, the students __________________ up to wish her.
(a) stand
(b) stands
(c) stood 
(d) are standing

Correct Answer is Option (c)
‘stand’ and ‘stands’ are used to indicate present tense, ‘standing’ is used to indicate continuous tense – an event that is/ was happening at the moment. The action of students has already completed in the past.

Q.22: The River Ganga __________________ its origin in the Himalayas.
(a) has
(b) had
(c) will have
(d) have

Correct Answer is Option (a)
‘will have’ and ‘have’ are used to indicate I or plural nouns/pronouns, ‘had’ is used to indicate past tense. The origin of River Ganga is still at the same place and it is a statement of fact only.

Q.23: The patient ____________________ before the doctor arrived. 
(a) dies
(b) dead
(c) had died
(d) will die

Correct Answer is Option (c)
The event happened in the past, but first event (death of patient) was immediately followed by the second event (arrival of doctor). So, use of Past perfect tense is correct.

Q.24: This jacket is ___________ warm to wear.
(a) for
(b) too 
(c) much
(d) so

Correct Answer is Option (b)
The use of ‘too…to’ is made to express that the fact cannot be believed to be correct.

IV. Answer any five out of the six questions given, with reference to the context below.
Sapna has written a complaint letter to the Municipal Corporation of her area regarding the leaking water taps in the colony. Some gaps have been left in the letter and marked as (25), (26), (27), (28), (29) and (30). Complete the letter by choosing the correct option.
12 Mall Road,
Agra
28th March, 20××
The Municipal Commissioner
Municipal Corporation
Agra
Subject: (25) ________________
Sir,
I, on behalf of all the members of this colony, I am (26) ________________to you to complain about the current issue of water leakage from the taps and supply joints in our colony.
We have been facing this issue for last one or two weeks. The water is not getting supplied due to the  (27)________________. Summers are approaching and there is always a shortage of water and if, so much water is wasted every day, it will create (28)________________.
We shall be exceedingly thankful if  (29)________________.
Thank You
(30)________________
Sapna
Q.25:
(a) Complaint against taps
(b) Complaint against your officials
(c) Complaint against careless attitude of Municipal Corporation
(d) Complaint against Water Leakage

Correct Answer is Option (d)

Q.26:
(a) writing this letter
(b) sending this letter
(c) mailing this letter
(d) signing this letter

Correct Answer is Option (a)

Q.27:
(a) irregular water supply hours
(b) poor quality of underground pipelines
(c) old and outdated disposal system of the colony 
(d) inefficiency of the staff of Municipal Corporation

Correct Answer is Option (c)

Q.28:
(a) a big problem for the residents of the colony
(b) a big gap in the economy of the state
(c) a wide gap between the rich and the poor
(d) a nationwide strike.

Correct Answer is Option (a)

Q.29:
(a) the required repair and maintenance work in our colony is carried out at the earliest.
(b) the new roads are constructed at the earliest. 
(c) the required water tanks are built in our colony is carried out at the earliest.
(d) the required water connections and meters are planted as the earliest.

Correct Answer is Option (a)

Q.30:
(a) Yours truly
(b) Lovingly
(c) Yours obediently
(d) Only Yours

Correct Answer is Option (a)

V. Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow: 
But the decades of oppression and brutality had another unintended effect and that was that it produced the Oliver Tambos, the Walter Sisulus, the Chief Luthulis, the Yusuf Dadoos, the Bram Fischers, the Robert Sobukwes of our times — men of such extraordinary courage, wisdom and generosity that their like may never be known again. Perhaps it requires such depths of oppression to create such heights of character. My country is rich in the minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil, but I have always known that its greatest wealth is its people, finer and truer than the purest diamonds. It is from these comrades in the struggle that I learned the meaning of courage. Time and again, I have seen men and women risk and give their lives for an idea.

(Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)

Q.31: What was the unintended effect of the long oppression? Choose the correct option.
(a) It made the people indifferent to injustice.
(b) It made the people reject oppression.
(c) It influenced a generation to fight against injustice.
(d) It made people accept their oppression.

Correct Answer is Option (c)

Q.32: Men of such extraordinary courage refers to the people who:
(a) liberated and abolished the Apartheid system.
(b) used their resources to spread awareness.
(c) fought for their country’s freedom.
(d) demonstrated utmost strength to oppose the system.

Correct Answer is Option (d)

Q.33: Nelson Mandela compares ___________ to diamonds.
(a) his countrymen
(b) patriots
(c) wise men
(d) the oppressed

Correct Answer is Option (a)

Q.34: When Nelson Mandela says, “I have seen men and women risk and give their lives for an idea.”, he means that they are___________.
(a) stubborn 
(b) committed
(c) intelligent
(d) proud

Correct Answer is Option (b)

Q.35: Select the suitable word from the extract to complete the following: depths: heights : : compassion :___________.
(a) wisdom
(b) oppression
(c) struggle
(d) courage

Correct Answer is Option (c)
Depths and heights are antonyms, so are compassion and brutality. Please note that brutality is correctly mentioned in MS while there is typo in question paper.

VI. Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow:
Let me put it more clearly, since no one will believe that a thirteen-year-old girl is completely alone in the world. And I’m not. I have loving parents and a sixteen-year-old sister and there are about thirty people I can call friends. I have a family, loving aunts and a good home. No, on the surface I seem to have everything, except my one true friend. All I think about when I’m with friends is having a good time. I can’t bring myself to talk about anything but ordinary everyday things.

(From the Diary of Anne Frank)

Q.36: Why does Anne feel the following?
…no one will believe that a thirteen-year-old girl is completely alone in the world. 
(1) People knew she had a family. 
(2) People rejected the idea of loneliness.
(3) She had several friends.
(4) She had a cheerful personality.
(5) Her life was comfortable.
Choose the correct option from the following:
(a) (1) and (5) 
(b) (1), (3) and (4)
(c) (2) and (3)
(d) (2), (4) and (5)

Correct Answer is Option (b)

Q.37: Select the most appropriate option for (1) and (2).
(1) …on the surface I seem to have everything, except my one true friend.
(2) Anne doesn’t truly connect with anyone.
(a) (1) is true and (2) is false. 
(b) (2) is the opposite of (1). 
(c) (1) furthers the meaning of (2).
(d) Both (1) and (2) cannot be inferred from the extract.

Correct Answer is Option (c)

Q.38: From the options given below, identify Anne’s tone in the extract.
(a) Restless
(b) Dissatisfied 
(c) Scared
(d) Hurt

Correct Answer is Option (b)

Q.39: Select the option which displays an example of ‘having a good time’.
(a) He is out for a picnic with his friends and they are laughing and singing together.
(b) He is studying hard for the periodic test the following day to improve his scores.
(c) He is trying to convince his father to purchase the latest video games for him.
(d) He just rescued an injured puppy and is tending to its wounds.

Correct Answer is Option (a)
Having good time means enjoying life with pleasure and as per one’s own wish.

Q.40: What do we get to know about Anne when she says the following?
I can’t bring myself to talk about anything but ordinary everyday things Choose one from the following to answer:
(a) She is proud of her ways.
(b) She is struggling to strike conversations.
(c) She is unsure of her own thoughts. 
d) She is unable to have a satisfying conversation.

Correct Answer is Option (d)

VII. Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow: 
Money is external.
He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes, The epistemology of loss, how to stand up
Knowing what every man must one day know
And most know many days, how to stand up

(The Ball Poem)

Q.41: The poet says money is external. What does it mean in this extract? 
(a) Money helps us purchase materials that make life worth living.
(b) Money promotes materialism and hunger for power among youngsters.
(c) Money only impacts a person’s external environment.
(d) Money buys materialistic things and can be earned again, when lost.

Correct Answer is Option (d)

Q.42: What does the boy learn by losing the ball, according to the extract?
(1) Loss is the unavoidable truth of life. 
(2) Material objects can be replaced.
(3) Money buys happiness.
(4) Losses in life can be prevented with care.
(5) Life continues despite losses. 
(a) (1), (2) and (5) 
(b) (2) and (4) 
(c) Only (1)
(d) (3) and (5)

Correct Answer is Option (a)

Q.43: The boy is learning how to stand up… This means that he is learning to be___________in the face of difficulties.
(a) patient
(b) resilient 
(c) defensive 
(d) judgemental

Correct Answer is Option (b)

Q.44: Which option lists who is speaking these lines?
(a) An observer
(b) The boy’s parent
(c) The ball salesman 
(d) A friend

Correct Answer is Option (a)

Q.45: According to the poet, from whom do we mostly learn about loss?
(a) Elders
(b) Experiences
(c) Books
(d) Teachers

Correct Answer is Option (b)

VIII. Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow:
I followed casually. “Hello again,” he said.
I gave him my most appealing smile.
“I want to work for you,” I said.
“But I can’t pay you.”
I thought that over for a minute. Perhaps I had misjudged my man. I asked, “Can you feed me?” “Can you cook?”
“I can cook,” I lied again.
“If you can cook, then maybe I can feed you.”
He took me to his room over the Jumna Sweet Shop and told me I could sleep on the balcony. But the  meal I cooked that night must have been terrible because Anil gave it to a stray dog and told me to be off. But I just hung around, smiling in my most appealing way and he couldn’t help laughing. 

(The Thief’s Story)

Q.46: Even though Hari Singh followed Anil casually, it was a/an ______________.
(a) careless action
(b) staged move. 
(c) unusual decision
(d) bold step.

Correct Answer is Option (b)

Q.47: From the following options, identify Hari Singh’s intention behind the appealing smile.
(a) Deceit
(b) Harm 
(c) Hatred 
(d) Jealousy

Correct Answer is Option (a)

Q.48: Select the option listing Anil’s characteristics, as revealed in the extract.
(1) unassuming 
(2) kind
(3) determined
(4) naïve 
(5) humorous
(a) (2) and (3)
(b) Only (5) 
(c) (1), (2) and (4)
(d) Only (2)

Correct Answer is Option (c)

Q.49: Select the most appropriate option based on (1) and (2).
(1) Anil gave his meal to a stray dog.
(2) Hari Singh did not know how to cook.
(a) (2) is true and (1) is false.
(b) (2) is the result for (1).
(c) (2) is the cause for (1).
(d) (2) is false and (1) is true.

Correct Answer is Option (c)

Q.50: The phrase hung around suggests that Hari Singh continued to____________.
(a) smile
(b) cook
(c) appeal
(d) linger

Correct Answer is Option (d)

IX. Attempt the following.
Q.51: Lencho is___________when he says, “that’s what they say: no one dies of hunger.”
(a) doubtful
(b) stressed
(c) confused
(d) dismissive

Correct Answer is Option (d)
Dismissive means he is working on a trivia, whether the given statement is to be belied or not.

Q.52: Which option correctly replaces the underlined phrase in the give line from Fire and Ice?
I hold with those who favour fire.
(a) am as experienced as
(b) strongly disagree with
(c) have the same opinion as
(d) habitually avoid

Correct Answer is Option (c)

Q.53: The purpose of the treatment, given to the young seagull by his parents, was to…………..
(a) teach him a lesson about the importance of food.
(b) inculcate obedience towards them. 
(c) let him overcome his fear.
(d) improve his relationship with his siblings.

Correct Answer is Option (c)

Q.54: Peggy often gave a nudge to one of her friends when she spoke to Wanda in the school yard. This meant that she wanted her friend to_____________.
(a) stop talking to Wanda and move on
(b) observe and partake in the joke on Wanda 
(c) ignore the complete situation with Wanda
(d) interrupt any reply that came from Wanda

Correct Answer is Option (b)

Q.55: In the poem Dust of Snow, which negative symbols have been used to create a positive effect?
(a) Hemlock tree; crow
(b) Crow; snow
(c) Snow; hemlock tree
(d) Crow; dust

Correct Answer is Option (a)

Q.56: Mandela refers to liberty as “newborn” because it:
(a) was dependent on others for growth and guidance.
(b) had recently been attained with lots of struggle. 
(c) made people experience infant-like excitement. 
(d) arrived unexpectedly for everyone.

Correct Answer is Option (b)

Q.57: In the poem A Tiger in the Zoo, what does the tiger’s ‘quiet rage’, indicate? It indicates that the tiger’s anger is:
(a) forgotten
(b) provoked 
(c) suppressed
(d) opposed

Correct Answer is Option (c)
Suppressed means blocked up or bottled. The tiger is in captivity and has no way to vent out his anger.

Q.58: Identify the option that aptly describes Griffin.
(a) Greedy, yet kind
(b) Proud and honourable 
(c) Considerate and selfless
(d) Brilliant, but lawless

Correct Answer is Option (d)

Q.59: Anil’s carelessness made stealing from him___________for Hari Singh. 
(a) uninteresting 
(b) difficult 
(c) systematic
(d) predictable

Correct Answer is Option (a)

Q.60: What does the exclamation, “This is a triumph of surgery!”, by Mrs. Pumphrey, mean?
(a) The surgery was successful. 
(b) The mistress could take back her pet. 
(c) The doctor was a great veterinarian.
(d) The planned venture was fruitful.

Correct Answer is Option (d)