Practicing the CBSE Sample Papers for Class 10 English with Solutions Set 5 allows you to get rid of exam fear and be confident to appear for the exam.
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 10 English Set 5 with Solutions
Time : 3 hours
Maximum Marks: 80
General Instructions:
- 15-minute prior reading time allotted for Q-paper reading.
- The Question Paper contains THREE sections-READING, GRAMMAR & WRITING and LITERATURE.
- Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
Section – A
Reading (20 Marks)
I. Read the passage given below.
1. Located about 60 miles south of Baghdad in modern-day Iraq, the ancient city of Babylon served for nearly two millennia as a centre of Mesopotamian civilization.
2. One of its early rulers, Hammurabi, created a harsh system of laws, while in later times, the Babylonian language would be used across the Middle East as a way of communicating across borders. Another great accomplishment, if the ancient stories are true, is the construction of the Hanging Gardens, a wonder of the ancient world, which some believe was built by the biblical king Nebuchadnezzar II.
3. The ancient scientists who lived in the city made important discoveries in mathematics, physics and astronomy. Among their many accomplishments, they developed trigonometry, used mathematical models to track the planet Jupiter and developed methods of tracking time that is still used today. Ancient Babylonian records are still used by modern-day astronomers to study how the rotation of the Earth has changed.
4. Archaeologically, little is known about the early history of Babylon. Ancient records suggest that more than 4,000 years ago, at a time when the city of Ur was the centre of an empire, Babylon appears to have been a provincial administration centre. “Babylon had not been an independent city,” writes researcher Gwendolyn Leick in her book “The Babylonians”.
5. She notes that in 1894 B.C. after the Ur-based empire had collapsed, the city was conquered by a man named Samu-abum. He was an Amorite, a Semitic-speaking people from the area around modern-day Syria. He proceeded to turn Babylon into a petty kingdom made up of the city and a small amount of nearby territory. Babylon would remain this way until, six kings later, a man named Hammurabi (1792- 1750 B.C.) ascended the throne. He was the ruler who would go on to turn this once small kingdom into a great empire.
6. While the Law Code of Hammurabi (now in the Louvre) is well known for its “eye for an eye” style of lawmaking, it also sets out the nature of the relationship between Hammurabi, the gods and the people he ruled. Ultimately, Hammurabi’s empire was not to last, falling into decline after his death.
In 1595 B.C., the Hittite ruler Mursili I captured Babylon, bringing the rule of Hammurabi’s successors to a close. (Source: www..livescience. com)
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below:
(i) Choose the option that best captures the central idea of the passage from the given quotes.
A. “Civilization is a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities.” – Mark Twain
B. “The liberty of the individual is no gift of civilization. It was greatest before there was any civilization.” – Sigmund Freud
C. “The gross heathenism of civilization has generally destroyed nature, and poetry, and all that is spiritual”. – Muir
D. “Each civilization dies from indifference to the unique values which created it.” -Davila
Answer:
D. “Each civilization dies from indifference to the unique values which created it.” -Davila
(ii) Select the option that corresponds to the following relation below:
He was the ruler who would go on to turn this once small kingdom into a great empire.
A. The government assisted in transforming micro scale industries into large scale industries.
B. Some people think that it’s better to eat less than the appetite.
C. The vase had a very small neck, and spread out at the top like a bowl.
D. The little girl has a miniature garden in her house.
Answer:
A. The government assisted in transforming micro scale industries into large scale industries.
(iii) Select the option with reference to the following:
Which of the following options presents the correct order of the events?
1. Hammurabi, created a harsh system of laws.
2. The Babylonian language would be used across the Middle East as a way of communicating across borders.
3. The collapse of the Ur-based empire.
4. Babylon becomes a petty kingdom made up of the city and a small amount of nearby territory.
A. 1, 2, 3, 4
B. 3, 1, 4, 2
C. 3, 4, 1, 2
D. 3, 2, 4, 1
Answer:
C. 3, 4,1, 2
(iv) Complete the following with a phrase or an idiom from Paragraph 6.
| Opinion | Reason |
| Someone should be harmed as they harmed someone else |
Answer:
Eye for an eye
(v) The writer uses two contrasting words in the line- Ancient Babylonian records are still used by modern-day astronomers to study how the rotation of the Earth has changed. (Paragraph 3)
State one point of difference between ancient and modern
Answer:
Ancient is having lived or existed for a very long time, whereas modem means the present or recent times.
(vi) Based on your reading of the text list 2 reasons why the writer says that
“The ancient scientists who lived in the city made important discoverin”, (Paragraph 3)
1. _____________
2. _____________
Answer:
1. They developed trigonometry, used mathematical models to track the planet Jupiter.
2. They also developed methods of tracking time that Is still used today.
(vii) The writer says. ‘Babylon wouid remain this way until. six kings later, a man named Hammurabi (1792-1750 B.C.) ascended the throne”.
Select the reason of change of Babylon after the throne was ascended by Hammurabi.
A. He transformed a small kingdom into a great empire.
B. He was a ruthless leader.
C. He transformed a great empire into a small kingdom.
D. He was a fighter.
Answer:
A. He transformed a small kingdom into a great empire.
(viii) The writer says. “Samu-abum proceeded to turn Babylon into a petty kingdom (Paragraph 5)
Select the reason why the writer said so.
A. Samu-abum made Babylon a city with a small amount os’ nearby territory.
B. Samu-abum tuned Babylon into a very poor city.
C. Samu-abum was a weak ruler.
D. Samu-abum did nol look after the needs of the people of his kingdom.
Answer:
C. Samu-abum was a weak ruler.
(ix) Supply I point to justify the following:
One of its early rulers, Hammurabi, created a harsh system of laws.
Answer:
The Law Code of I-lammurab4 (now In the Louvre) is well-known for its “eye for an eye” style of lawmaking. It also sets out the nature of the relationship between Hammurabi, the gods. and the people he ruled.
(x) Choose the option that correctly states the two meaninss of ‘close’, as used In the passage.
1. adjacent
2. imminent
3. near-at-hand
4. approaching
5. across the street
A. 1 and 4
B. 2 and 3
C. 3 and 5
D. 4 and 5
Answer:
B. 2 and 3
II. Read the passage given below.
1. Elephant babies like coconut oil. This discovery has saved the lives of hundreds of orphaned, unweaned elephants, left behind when their mothers were killed, victims of the ivory wars that have catastrophically reduced elephant populations across Africa.
2. The discovery came after two decades of efforts by the renowned conservationist Daphne Sheldrick, who has died aged 83. She devoted most of her life rescuing young elephants and releasing them back into the wild.
3. When she first made attempts to keep the orphaned babies alive, often at one or two years old, with other milk sources, they remained malnourished and faded into death. It was only after trying every combination she could find that she hit on one baby milk formula from Europe, which contained coconut oil that seemed to work. She and the elephants never looked back, and now more than 230 elephants in Kenya, and many others in Asia and other parts of Africa, are alive, and mostly in the wild, thanks to her hand-rearing.
4. Her work grew from her care of orphaned elephants found by her husband, David Sheldrick, chief warden at the Tsavo National Park in Kenya in the 1960s. By the time her sanctuary was well- established, in the late 70s and 80s, each elephant had its own stall, as otherwise, they would disturb one another, was bottle-fed every three hours and was given blankets, raincoats and sunscreen as needed. A keeper slept with each animal under a year old, alternating lest the babies grow too dependent.
5. Often, the elephants arrived traumatised, having experienced the lethal violence and cruelty of poaching. It was crucial, in her view, to recognise their grief and help them to overcome it. “They are emotionally human animals,” she told journalists. “You have to think in human terms. How does a child feel when it has lost its whole family and is suddenly in the hands of the enemy?”
6. Throughout her life, Sheldrick championed the ability of elephants to communicate and their capacity for feeling. Once, she recounted, a female wrenched the tusks from a newly killed bull elephant and threw them into the jungle, before the eyes of the poachers.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below:
(i) Infer one reason for the following, based on information in Paragraph 4.
Each elephant had its own stall.
Answer:
Each elephant had its own stall, as otherwise, they would disturb one another.
(ii) Select the appropriate option to fill in the blank.
While referring to the emotional side of the elephants, Sheldrick said that ______________.
A. they are babies
B. they are weak
C. they are like human beings
D. they are like women
Answer:
C. they are like human beings
(iii) Complete the following analogy correctly with a word/ phrase from Paragraph 2:
critical: crucial:: ________ : eminent
Answer:
renowned
(iv) Choose the option that lists the correct answers for the following:
1. Queenie was a popular attraction for 40 years, giving children up to 500 rides a day, feeding gently out of their hands, and performing acts and tricks for their amusement. She was an Indian (or Asian) elephant, and adults and children alike delighted in her antics, queuing for hours to meet and interact with her.
2. After 40 years of carrying people along the same route, performing the same tricks, and being fed from taunting human hands, Queenie finally reacted in the way her instincts dictated. Although a good-natured animal, her frustrations should have been anticipated, and her actions avoided. In 1944, she trampled her keeper, Wilfred Lawson, to death.
A. (1) She was the gentle giant (2) she trampled her keeper to death
B. (1) She was gentle and sweet (2) she succumbed to the frustration of humans taunting her
C. (1) She was an Asian elephant and (2) she reacted to instincts
D. (1) She had long years of service (2) she gave an anticipated end to the keeper
Answer:
B. (1) She was gentle and sweet (2) she succumbed to the frustration of humans taunting her
(v) Select the chart that appropriately represents the workload of the conservationist Daphne Sheldrick through the given years, as per Paragraph 4.
A. Option 1
B. Option 2
C. Option 3
D. Option 4
Answer:
A. Option 1
(vi) How was Daphne Sheidrick able to save the lives of the orphaned elephants?
(A) By giving them a shelter
(B) By giving them food
(C) By giving them formula milk
(D) By giving them medicines
Answer:
(C) By giving them formula milk
(vii) Substitute the word ‘trying’ with ONE WORD similar in meaning, in the following, sentence from Paragraph 3:
It was only after trying every combination she could find that she hit on one baby milk formula from
Europe, which contained coconut oil that seemed to work.
Answer:
Attempting
(viii) List any 2 attempts made by Daphne Sheldrick to keep the orphaned elephant babies alive.
Answer:
- Other milk sources.
- Milk formula from Europe, which contained coconut oil.
(ix) List one reason why Daphne Sheldrick told journalists that “You have to think in human terms”.
Answer:
She had a deep sympathy towards elephants. Often, the elephants arrived traumatised, having experienced the lethal violence and cruelty of poaching. It was crucial, in her view, to recognise their grief and helped them to overcome it.
(x) Select the option that titles paragraphs 4- 6 appropriately, with reference to information in the text.
A. 1. National park and sanctuary
2. Cruelty of poaching
3. Deep sympathy
B. 1. Zoological park
2. Poaching as an art
3. Deep sympathy
C. 1. National park and sanctuary
2. Concern for tigers
3. Love for animals
D. 1. National park
2. Passionate towards hunting
3. Bird sanctuaries
Answer:
A. 1. National park and sanctuary
2. Cruelty of poaching
3. Deep sympathy
Section – B
Grammar (1o Marks)
III. Attempt ANY TEN of the following questions.
(i) Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete the magazine article.
The status of women in India _____________ a gradual change.
A. undergo
B. undergoes
C. is undergoing
D. has undergone
Answer:
D. has undergone
(ii) Read the conversation between a child and a balloon man. Complete the passage in the reported speech.
Child: I want a balloon, which I can release into the air.
Balloon man : Which colour do you want?
Child : Which colour will take me up with it?
A child told a balloon man that he wanted a balloon to which the balloon man asked ________. And the child then asked ________.
Answer:
Which colour he wanted, which colour would take him up with it.
(iii) Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the given narrative.
If you are nervous, I speak to her?
(A) shall
(B) would
(C) can
(D) could
Answer:
(A) shall
(iv) Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following line, from a news report:
Ten labourers are killed and four injured when the van in which they are travelling rammed into a truck park at Rampura crossing.
| Option No. | Error | Correction |
| (i) | are | were |
| (ii) | into | at |
| (iii) | when | where |
| (iv) | at | by |
Answer:
| Option No. | Error | Correction |
| A. | are | Were |
(v) Complete the given sentence by filling I the blank with the correct option.
Joshua, with his members, ________ really well.
A. sing
B. singing
C. have sung
D. sings
Answer:
(D) sings
(vi) Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket, for the given portion of a letter:
Subject: Increase of air pollution in East Hyderabad Respected Sir/Ma’am,
I am writing to you ________ (bring) to your notice the increasing effect of air pollution in our neighbourhood and in the surrounding area.
Answer:
to bring
(vii) Report the dialogue between a policeman and a driver by completing the sentence:
Policeman: Why were you driving at such a high speed?
Driver: Sorry sir! The engine is not working properly.
Policeman: Come to the police station and bring your car.
The policeman asked the driver the reason for his high speed to which he replied .
Answer:
To come to the police station and to bring his car.
(viii) Identify the error in the given sentence from a book review and supply the correction.
Money is certainly necessary to survive. But is money the more important part of life?
Use the given format for your response:
| Error | Correction |
Answer:
| Error | Correction |
| more important | most important |
(ix) Sushila shared some information with Uma about a visit to a zoo. Report Uma’s question.
Did you see the Royal Bengal Tiger?
Answer:
Uma asked Sushila whether she saw the Royal Bengal Tiger..
(x) You ________ disturb him during his work.
A. could not
B. don’t have to
C. must not
D. should not
Answer:
C. must not
(xi) Select the correct option to complete the narration of the dialogue between a mother and son:
Mother: What career do you want to choose in life?
Son: I want to become a doctor and serve my fellow beings.
The mother asked her son (a) ________, to which the son replied (b) ________.
A. (a) what career he wanted to choose in life, (b) that he wanted to become a doctor and serve his fellow beings.
B. (a) what career does he want to choose in life, (b) that he wants to become a doctor and serve his fellow beings.
C. (a) what career he wants to choose in life, (b) that he wants to be a doctor
D. (a) what career he wanted to choose in life, (b) that I want to become a doctor and serve my fellow beings.
Answer:
A. (a) what career he wanted to choose in life, (b) that he wanted to become a doctor and serve his fellow beings.
(xii) Identify the error on a shop’s hoarding and supply the correction, for the following sales offer:
Jindal Steel Pvt. Ltd. Bindapur, Jharkhand
New shop opened in 38 Middle Street.
Use the given format for your response.
| Error | Correction |
Answer:
| Error | Correction |
| in | at |
Section – C
Creative Writing Skills (10 Marks)
IV. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below.
Question 1.
A. Write a formal letter in 100-120 words to the editor of a newspaper regarding the nuisance created by stray animals.
Answer:
A. M- Block,
Janakpuri,
Delhi
16th June, 20XX The Editor,
The Times of India,
Delhi
Subject: Nuisance created by stray animals
Sir,
Through the columns of your leading newspaper, I want to bring to your notice that there are a lot of stray animals in our locality and they have been roaming freely. Sometimes the animals block and slow down the traffic by wandering towards the main road even in the peak hours of the day. On several occasions, they encroach into the lawns and parks and create a mess everywhere.
The residents have complained about this to the authorities many times but there is no feasible solution yet. This has become a concern which would need immediate action from the concerned authorities. We hope the concerned department will take some remedial steps in this regard.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
XYZ
OR
B. Write a letter to the editor of a leading newspaper in about 100-120 words, regarding the water woes faced by the residents of your society.
Answer:
102, Bal Vihar,
Delhi
21st October, 20XX
The Editor,
The Times of India,
Delhi
Subject: Poor quality and inadequate supply of water Sir,
Through the esteemed columns of this national daily, I would like to express my concern over the poor quality and insufficient supply of water in our residential locality. Most of the families have working members and hence the supply of palatable water on time is very much essential for them.
The average supply is only for 2 hours in a day and that too the timing is not fixed and therefore, many of us do not know when it is supplied. This hindrance makes the households run for water or get it at a huge expense in the form of packaged water. The poor quality of water leads to various diseases and many health issues.
A demand-driven supply is the need of the hour for all the residents here, hope the concerned authorities will take some immediate steps for the benefit of the residents.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
XYZ
Question 2.
Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below.
A. Write a paragraph in 100-120 words analysing the given map:
Answer:
A. The chart indicates the different varieties of addiction and the death rate of the consumers of such addictive constituents in the year 2011. Tobacco deaths stand at the highest peak.
Tobacco kills up to half of its users. Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year. In the year 2011, the chart shows that 480,000 tobacco users died. Whereas, illegal drugs like marijuana cause zero death rate.
In some cases, those drugs are deadlier because their legal status makes them more widely available. If heroin were as manageable to get as tobacco, more people would undoubtedly perish from it each year. But that’s not true in all cases. Alcohol is much more hazardous than marijuana, but marijuana is illegal in most states, while alcohol is legal for those over age 21.
OR
B. Read the following excerpt from a speech by Malala Yousafzai in her address to the United Nations, July 2013.
The wise saying, “A pen is mightier than a sword” was true. The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women. The power of the voice of women. Write a paragraph to analyse the given argument.
You could think about what alternative explanations might weaken the given conclusion and include rationale/evidence that would strengthen/counter the given argument.
Answer:
The pen is truly mightier than the sword, for those who wield it there is a great power for ideas of change, and progress is made known to all. When one writes, the written word reaches out far and wide. When changes for the better happen, there is a change in societies and communities. It also gives place to peace and order.
This would mean that the power held by the old and restrictive ideologies is lost. This scares leaders in any society for their power is lost. And when women are educated, they hold a lot of power which scares the men. But women need to be educated if we are to bring change across the world.
Section – D
Literature (10 Marks)
V. Reference to context.
Question 1.
Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given.
A. This, I was to learn, is a characteristic of otters; every drop of water must be, so to speak, extended and spread about the place; a bowl must at once be overturned, or, if it will not be overturned, be sat in and sploshed in until it overflows. Water must be kept on the move and made to do things; when static it is wasted and provoking.
Two days later, Mijbil escaped from my bedroom as I entered it, and I turned to see his tail disappearing round the bend of the corridor that led to the bathroom. (Mijbil the Otter)
(i) Why was Mijbil adamant on not keeping water static?
A. He disliked water and thus keep on disturbing it. ‘
B. It is a characteristic of otters.
C. He saved water by splashing it.
D. It is not made clear in the story.
Answer:
B. It is a characteristic of otters.
(ii) What does the author mean by saying that water must be made to do things according to Mijbil?
Answer:
Mijbil became excited and created mischief around water by playing with it, splashing water everywhere and not letting it sit still.
(iii) Fill in the blank with ONE WORD only.
Mijbil’s ________ comes through clearly when the author mentions his habit of constantly keeping water on the move.
Answer:
playfulness
(iv) How according to the author does Mijbil react to a bowl of water?
A. sitting and bathing in it
B. splashing and refilling it
C. throwing and running away from it
D. overturning or sitting in it
Answer:
D. overturning or sitting in it.
(v) Select the option that correctly captures the application of the word ’round’ as used in Para 2 of the extract.
A. Gautam lives round the comer of our school neighbourhood with his parents.
B. The best quality pearls are the ones that are lustrous and perfectly round in shape.
C. We were lost for an hour on the road and just driving round and round on the expressway.
D. The kids were insistent on riding a merry go round in the amusement park.
Answer:
A. Gautam lives round the corner of our school neighbourhood with his parents.
OR
B. What do they teach children nowadays? Well, you know, the invasion never really happened, because a single book stopped it. What was the book, you ask? A noble encyclopedia? A tome about rockets and missiles? (The Book that Saved the Earth)
(i) As per the play, what are the children taught in the era in which the plot has been set?
A. Books
B. A book that saved the earth from Martian invasion
C. Encyclopedia
D. A play book
Answer:
B. A book that saved the earth from Martian invasion
(ii) Complete the analogy by selecting the suitable word from the text.
invitation : invasion :: started: ________
Answer:
stopped
(iii) What does the historian do to prove her point about Martian History?
A. She opens out the pages of the encyclopedia.
B. She begins to tell the story of the episode.
C. She says rockets and missiles will prove her point.
D. She takes the help of a projector like device.
Answer:
D. She takes the help of a projector like device.
(iv) What does ‘tome’ mean?
A. It is a book.
B. Knowledge.
C. A voluminous book written in a scholarly manner.
D. Encyclopedia.
Answer:
C. A voluminous book written in a scholarly manner.
(v) According to your reading of this play, name the book that the narrator of the extract is talking about.
Answer:
Mother Goose.
Question 2.
Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given.
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)
(i) Complete the sentence appropriately.
It is clear that Metaphor is the poetic device used in ‘how to stand up….’ because ________.
(Clue: explain how metaphor applies here)
Answer:
‘How to stand up’ is a metaphor for coming to terms with life’s tragedies and moving on from them.
(ii) The poet has used a message in the given lines. What mood does he wish to create by its use?
… every man must one day know
… how to stand up …
A. thrilling
B. sinister
C. thoughtful
D. grim
Answer:
C. thoughtful
(iii) State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE:
The extract uses epistemology to convey the feeling of triumph over failure.
Answer:
False
(iv) Select the appropriate option to complete the sentence, according to the extract.
The idea of behind the boy learning ‘well behind his desperate eyes’ is that:
A. he is mourning for the loss but slowly coming to terms with it.
B. he is still hopefully waiting for things to correct themselves.
C. he is crying for the loss and desperately waiting for his ball to come back.
D. he is very desperate for everything to become normal.
Answer:
A. he is mourning for the loss but slowly coming to terms with it.
(v) How does the use of the concept of ‘loss’ impact this extract?
A. The boy experiences the loss of his favourite ball.
B. The concept of loss is something that shouldn’t be discussed too much.
C. It is because of the loss that the boy feels pain and the tone becomes serious.
D. Loss is secondary but the primary focus of the poem is on the ball.
Answer:
C. It is because of the loss that the boy feels pain and the tone becomes serious.
OR
B. Did you finish your homework, Amanda?
Did you tidy your room, Amanda?
I thought I told you to clean your shoes, Amanda!
(I am an orphan, roaming the street.
I pattern soft dust with my hushed, bare feet.
The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet.) (Amanda!)
(i) What is the speaker’s tone in the first stanza of the extract?
1. elated
2. frustrated
3. nagging
4. gentle
5. loving
Select the appropriate option:
A. 2, 4
B. 3, 5
C. 2, 3
D. 1, 2
Answer:
C. 2, 3
(ii) What does Amanda imagines herself to be an ‘orphan’, according to the extract?
Answer:
Amanda is tired of her over-controlling parents and wishes for the freedom of an orphan, who, according to her, has the freedom to do anything.
(iii) Identify the reason for the poet to put Amanda’s lines in parentheses, as per the extract.
A. It serves as an internal dialogue for the thoughts she cannot openly say.
B. It is the argument for every task that is being burdened on her shoulders.
C. Her imagination is wild and unrealistic which makes sense only in parentheses.
D. Her lines lack any poetic devices and breaks the flow of the poem.
Answer:
A. It serves as an internal dialogue for the thoughts she cannot openly say.
(iv) Complete the analogy using a word given in the extract.
golden : silver :: ________ : covered
Answer:
bare
(v) Select the sentence in which the word ‘pattern’ is used in the similar manner as line 6 of the extract.
A. It is hard to notice a pattern when the events are unpredictable and unknown.
B. Sima drew a traditional pattern on her door for festival decorations.
C. He was arrested in a similar pattern as the police had predicted before catching him.
D. She had set a pattern for subsequent research studies in the laboratory.
Answer:
B. Sima drew a traditional pattern on her door for festival decorations.
VI. Answer ANY FOUR of the following in about 40-50 words each.
(i) “When you have pets like Mijbil around you, you can never get a dull moment.” Discuss.
(Mijbil the Otter)
Answer:
Pets keep us entertained with their playful behaviour. Mijbil would also do the same and do it in its own way. He would invent a game with a rubber ball or would splash water playfully or gallop on the boundary wall during his walks. He would follow his master everywhere and jump about excitedly when let loose. He would keep himself occupied by remaining happy and energetic all the time.
(ii) Explain the symbols used in the poem Fire and Ice by Robert Frost.
Answer:
Frost depicts fire as human desires and lust for things. It symbolises all the uncontrolled greed that humans have for things. Ice is the symbol of coldness. It symbolises hatred, indifference, and coldness of heart. It depicts frozen relationships.
(iii) “You seem to have done your homework before coming,”. Who has done the homework and why is it so impressive? (Tea from Assam)
Answer:
Rajvir had done his homework as he was excited for his first visit to the Dhekiabari Tea estate in Assam. It was very impressive because Pranjol had grown up in that tea estate, yet didn’t know half as much as Rajvir who surprised Pranjol’s father with his in-depth knowledge about the discovery of tea.
(iv) Describe the pirate who comes through the window? What do all of them do when the pirate comes?
(The Tale of Custard the Dragon)
Answer:
The pirate had a wooden leg and his beard was black. He had a pistol in both his left and right hands and he held a cutlass in his teeth.
When they saw the pirate, Belinda cried for help, Ink, the cat, hid under the house, the mouse ran to his hole, the dog yelped and ran but the dragon attacked the pirate.
(v) Did Mandela think the oppressor is free? Why/Why not? (Nelson Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom)
Answer:
Mandela did not think that the oppressor is free. He believed that the oppressor is a prisoner of hatred.
He is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness.
VII. Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 40-50 words each.
(i) Describe the curious episode which took place in the clergyman’s study. (Footprints Without Feet)
Answer:
The clergyman and his wife heard noises in their study. They got up and went downstairs. They heard the chink of money as if someone was taking out the money from the clergyman’s desk. They opened the door. He and his wife searched behind the curtains but they found nobody there. However, the money was missing. It was a curious thing that happened in their study.
(ii) Why was the entire staff of Mrs. Pumphrey at work while Tricki was being taken to the hospital? (A Triumph of Surgery)
Answer:
The entire staff of Mrs. Pumphrey was at work while Tricki was being taken to the hospital for treatment because Tricki was a darling to Mrs. Pumphrey and she was crying out loud for him. To help her overcome the feeling, the entire staff was supporting her in one way or the other.
(iii) Describe the internal conflict in Hari Singh’s mind before the theft. (The Thief s Story)
Answer:
Hari Singh’s mind before the theft was occupied with an internal conflict because he had never met a more trusting person than Anil. He felt that it was difficult to rob a careless man like Anil because a greedy man was easier to cheat without feeling sorry for such kind of man.
VIII. Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words.
(i) Nelson Mandela and Carl Sandburg both described the arrival of things that were inevitable to stop, democracy and fog, respectively. Assume that they both discuss their viewpoints.
Write this conversation as per your understanding of Nelson Mandela and Fog.
You may begin like this:
Mandela: I could feel the change in weather of South Africa’s political environment when our voices became united against apartheid.
Sandburg: And I could sense the literal change in weather with the arrival of fog. Some things have a way of announcing their coming.
Answer:
Mandela: I could feel the change in weather of South Africa’s political environment when our voices became united against apartheid.
Sandburg: And I could sense the literal change in weather with the arrival of fog. Some things have a way of announcing their coming.
Mandela: Announce, it did indeed! The call of democracy’s coming was the voice of all those protestors and black people who were victims of subjugation.
Sandburg: I see that revolution as a turning tide of events. But the fog differed in that it came silently and went away just like that!
Mandela: Then I pray that democracy never leaves us like the fog that comes and goes. This change against racial discrimination is permanent.
Sandburg: It shall be. And this hard-earned right isn’t anything like a cat either. A cat, much like a fog, cannot be predicted how long will it stay.
Mandela: We the people know that our abolishment of apartheid is here to stay in South Africa, and it is going to be a benchmark for other nations.
Sandburg: It most definitely will be! And the coming generations shall be inspired from it.
OR
(ii) “I was very happy to go behind the strange aeroplane like an obedient child.”
Analysing the message of newfound hope in the given quote by the pilot (The Black Aeroplane), how can we say the feeling was mutual regarding the poet’s upliftment of the mood (Dust of Snow)?
Also, evaluate how both situations were similar or different.
Answer:
The pilot was flying from Paris to London when he got stuck in a storm at night and couldn’t find his way back. His fuel was running out and he was in major distress when suddenly a black aeroplane appeared out of nowhere and guided him safely to a nearby airport. The pilot landed the runway and was eternally grateful of the unexpected help.
The poet, on the other hand, was having a bad day, as is signified by the willow tree and the black crow, but an unexpected shower of snow dust from the branch of the tree as the crow took a flight, lifted his mood. He suddenly felt the weight of his worries lifted off and was rejuvenated to face his day. Both men received help where it was least expected. It sends a message that no matter how hard or unsolvable one’s worries are, life finds unexpected ways to untangle.
IX. Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words.
(i) Write the character sketch of Griffin.
Answer:
Griffin is an eccentric scientist who is gifted but lawless. He discovers invisibility drug with which the human body can become invisible and transparent as a sheet of glass. He misuses his greatest discovery and starts harming people. Despite the fact that he is the protagonist of the novel, his actions are more akin to those of an antagonist.
Griffin is very irritable and impatient. He loses his temper over petty things and starts hurting others. He has lost his conscience and doesn’t feel sorry even after his burglary led to his father’s death. Although Griffin is lonely and seems to have been misunderstood from time to time, he fails to gain sympathy due to his murderous rage and evil ways.
OR
(ii) “A good education can change anyone. A good teacher can change everything.” Discuss this with reference to Bholi.
Answer:
Bholi is a simple and innocent girl. She stammers while speaking. That’s why she speaks little and is an introvert. Education changed Bholi’s personality drastically and for good. After years of gaining education and with the help of her teacher, Bholi turned into a confident girl, Bholi’s teacher provided her the much needed sympathy, kindness, attention and love. She encouraged and supported Bholi.
She had full trust in Bholi’s capabilities. Her faith in Bholi helped her to become confident. She asked Bholi to put aside her fear of not being able to speak properly. She gradually got rid of her stammering. She strove really hard to overcome her inferiority complex and weaknesses. She transformed Bholi into a confident girl who could read, write and speak properly which is what eventually led to her having self¬respect and dignity and enabled her to fight the social evils.