Class 10 English: CBSE Sample Question Paper- Term II (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- READING, WRITING & GRAMMAR and LITERATURE.
2. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.

I. Read the following passage carefully:                                                                                                [5 Marks]

• 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 makes 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.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the six given below.
Q.1. What kind of chaos follows a decision, according to the passage?

According to the passage, by the time, an order is restored and a decision is arrived at, tempers rise, feelings are injured and there is at least one person grumbling.

Q.2. Why is it important for every member of the family to have a say in every decision?

It is important for every member of the family to participate in decision making as it promotes a sense of togetherness and bonding.

Q.3. What do children prefer these days?

Now-a-days, children prefer to go with the flow and they question choices.

Q.4. Pick the synonym of ‘hurt’ from paragraph 2.

Injured

Q.5. The antonym of ‘simple’ in paragraph 6 is __________.

Complicated

Q.6. What message does this passage convey?

The passage conveys that parents should give some space to children. They should listen to their children and their silences. They should let their children solve their problems by helping them from the back.

II. Read the following excerpt from a case study titled 'Sustainable Tourism'.           [5 Marks]

• The white tiger is an offspring of Bengal tiger, which has the necessary gene for white colouring. It has beautiful black stripes on a white coat. This species of animal has blue eyes and a pink nose.
• A pure white tiger is totally white without any stripe, which is due to the presence of double recessive allele in the genetic code. It happens only in the Bengal tiger subspecies, and only one in 10,000 births can have it naturally. White tigers are rarely seen in the wild, and only twelve of them have been spotted in India since last one-hundred years. Tigers have a life-span of 10-15 years. They are solitary animals, and are fond of hunting at night. Their diet consists of any animals that they can catch, and can eat up to 40 pounds of meat at one time. After such a big meal, they usually remain away for several days from food.
• They are slow runners, but good swimmers. They are poor climbers and cannot climb a tree easily. They live in an area ranging from 10 to 30 square miles depending upon the availability of prey, water and shelter. Habitat loss, poaching and expansion of human population have together contributed to their becoming endangered. They are widely hunted for their bodyparts, which are used in traditional Chinese medicines.
• Genetic inbreeding is another reason for their endangerment. Due to shortage in their number, this species of animal has been subjected to inbreeding. It has resulted in high mortality rates and severe disabilities. About 80 percent of the white tiger cubs are born with serious birthdefects related to inbreeding, and they soon die-off.
• The critical condition of this animal has attracted the attention of conservationists worldwide. World Wildlife Federation (WWF), defenders of wildlife, and many other wildlife organisations are working with the support of the government for the cause of protecting them from becoming extinct. Once they become extinct, it will not be possible to bring them back to life.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the six given below.

Q.1. Why is there no stripe on the pure white tiger?

There is no stripe on the pure white tiger due to the presence of double recessive allele in the genetic code.

Q.2. Which factors have led to the tiger species fall in the category of endangered species?

The tiger species has fallen in the category of endangered species because of habitat loss, poaching, expansion of human population and genetic inbreeding.

Q.3. Why are the tigers hunted?

The tigers are widely hunted for their body parts which are used in traditional chinese medicines.

Q.4. The word which means the same as 'illegal hunting'  in para 3  is _____________.

poaching

Q.5. What does the visual given about depict about the number of tigers?

The visual given above depicts an encouraging picture as it shows an increase in the number of tigers.

Q.6. What has contributed to the change in the number of tigers from 2006 to 2018?

The hard work of World Wildlife Federation, defenders of wildlife and many other organisation which are working with the support of government to protect the endangered tiger species has contributed to the increase in the number of tigers from 2006 to 2018.

III. Attempt ANY ONE from (i) and (ii).                                                                                                        [5 Marks]

Q.1. Your school has decided to take part in half marathon organised by an NGO in New Delhi. Write a letter in 150-200 words to the Area Manager of the NGO requesting permission to participate in the half marathon on 28 April starting from National Stadium. Request the NGO to provide your school with 200 T-shirts for boys and girls aged 15-17 years. You are School Captain, Manish Mehta, Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Saket.

Sarvodaya Vidhyalaya
Saket
April 18, 20××
The Area Manager
XYZ NGO
Karol Bagh
New Delhi

Subject : Permission to Participate in the upcoming Half-Marathon
Sir
It is a matter of great pleasure that authorities of our school have decided to take part in the halfmarathon organised by your reputed NGO. As the noble purpose of this marathon is to create awareness for ‘Clean City, Green City’, it will be our honour if you grant us permission to be a part of and support this noble cause.
Further I’d make a request to provide us 200 T-shirts for the boys and girls of our school, who are aged 15-17 years. I hope, we’ll receive the above mentioned consignment, along with the permission letter within this week so that the students may reach the National Stadium on April 28, at 5:30 a.m. sharp to join the marathon. We shall be highly obliged.
Thank you
Yours sincerely
Manish Mehta (School Captain)

Q.2. A survey was conducted by a school to discuss the role that Information Technology/Computers play in the growth and development of children. The data is given below in the form of a pie chart. Analyze the data in 100-120 words.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY V/S CHILDREN
A survey was conducted by XYZ school to discuss the role played by Computers and Information Technology in the growth and development of children. Only a margin 8% of the people opined that computers enhance creativity thus showing that they were not in favour of it. As many as 10% people believed that computers cause eye strain due to long sitting hours of children in front of it where as 12% people were of the opinion that children get access to so many sites that are inappropriate for their age. In fact 30% people, believed that Information Technology increases knowledge and helps in the growth and development of a child as compared to 25% people who were of the view that computers attract a child towards itself which results in the reduction of their outdoor activities. Very few people (15%) had the opinion that it helps academically. Hence, we can sum up that 53% of the people were in favour of computer usage by children where there were still 47% who did not favour it.

(IV) The following passage has not been edited. There is an error in each line against which a blank has been given. Write the incorrect word and the correction in your answer-sheet against the correct blank number. Remember to underline the word that you have supplied.              [3 Marks]

(V) Read the conversation given below and complete the passage that follows.           [2 Marks]
Two friends Sumit and Rahul were going home after school. Taking a bite at his bar of chocolate, Sumit said (a) _______ to go to Harvard. Rahul was duly impressed to hear this and said (b) ________. In his typical style Sumit replied that his father would have to work hard.

(a) When he grew up, he wanted
(b) that he would have to study really hard

(VI) Answer ANY SIX questions in 30-40 words each.                                                  (Marks 2 × 6 = 12)
Q.1. What is the significance of the Buddha’s request for a handful of mustard seeds and the addition of a condition to it?

Q.2. Justify how ‘Animals’ by Walt Whitman is a criticism of mankind and its ways?

Q.3. Comment on the tone of the speaker when she says ‘Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you, Amanda!’.

Q.4. A ballad includes the telling of a tale as well as a surprise ending. Using evidence from the poem, explain how these features are included in ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’.

Q.5. Which two issues about himself convinced Lomov of his decision to get married?

Q.6. Briefly state how Matilda invited ‘a dreadful life of necessity ’ into her family.

Q.7. The hack driver successfully trapped the narrator in his web of words. Comment.

(VII) Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 120 words each.                        (Marks 4 × 2 = 8)

Q.1. Parents play a crucial role in the upbringing of their children. Critically examine the parents of Bholi and Ebright, highlighting their impact on their children’s lives.

Value Points
Students may draw upon the following:

• Introductory sentence:
  (i) crucial and indelible role played by parents
  (ii) parents influence their children both implicitly (indirectly) and explicitly (directly)
  (iii) are role models, first teachers, friends, companions, guides
• Critical examination
  (i) Richard H. Ebright’s mother- loving, caring, understanding, a friend, a companion
  (ii) filled the vacuum in Ebright’s life in his father ’s absence
  (iii) invested time and energy in his upbringing which made him see heights of success
  (iv) Bholi’s parents – uncaring, indifferent, biased, insensitive, had a patriarchal mindset
  (v) traditional outlook- did not believe in the education of girls, totally indifferent to Bholi and her needs, neglected her
  (vi) did not bother to groom her (oil her hair, give her good clothes to wear)
  (vii) sent her to school not to educate her but to save their own face
  (viii) despite their prosperity, they left Bholi to her own misery, worst was when they decided to marry her off to Bishamber
  (Accept any other relevant content point that lends itself to critical examination)
• Concluding thought:
  (i) The contribution and companionship of parents cannot be denied. Love, care, and guidance from parents makes a difference, sculpts children and shapes their future.

Q.2. Pranjol and Rajvir discuss their next vacation destination. They shortlist Coorg and Goa. Rajvir is keen on Coorg and tries to convince Pranjol. Develop a conversation between the two, based on your understanding of Glimpses of India.
You may begin like this:
Rajvir: Hey Pranjol! I think we should be visiting Coorg. It is a beautiful place with coffee plantations. I can smell the aroma already!
Pranjol: We visited a tea plantation last year, in Assam; I want to…

Specimen answer to assist content points

• Rajvir: Hey Pranjol! I think we should be visiting Coorg. It is a beautiful place with coffee plantations. I can smell the aroma already!
• Pranjol: We visited a tea plantation last year, in Assam; I want to…
• Rajvir: There is a lot more to do in Coorg than smelling the coffee! The place has rainforests, so the mega fauna will be worth watching. Not just this, Coorg provides opportunities to indulge in adventure sports like river rafting, rappelling, mountain biking, to name a few.
• Pranjol: That sounds interesting, but I would prefer some serene moments too, away from this post-pandemic hustle-bustle.
• Rajvir: Oh! The answer is Coorg again!
• Pranjol: Oh, come on! You can’t be serious…
• Rajvir: Believe me, I am. Coorg is the place. It has beautiful natural walking trails and the Brahmagiri hills offer a panoramic view. I read that the place has the largest Tibetan settlement, so the environment will reflect peace and spirituality, I’m sure.
• Pranjol: Have to say, you’ve presented a fine case in favour of Coorg and convinced me. Let’s plan to leave for Coorg next Wednesday!
  

Q.3. Farce is a kind of comedy which includes situations and dialogues that are ridiculous, exaggerated and even absurd. Evaluate the play, The Proposal, as a farce.

Value Points

Students may draw upon the following:

• Introductory sentence:
  (i) farcical characters, their ridiculous and odd behaviour, unlikely and exaggerated situations (profuse in the play)
• Evaluation:
  (i) humor in the play, improbable situations, childish behavior of the characters (making a mountain out of a molehill), arguments and quarrels
  (ii) hurling of accusations and insults without a second thought
  (iii) resolving the differences and fighting again over another topic
  (iv) Lomov ’s nerve problems and other ailments, Chubukov ’s theatrical statements, Natalaya’s impulsive and belligerent remarks and other relevant evidence.
• Concluding Statement:
  (i) the manner in which the final proposal is made amidst all the chaos, makes the play a farce