CBSE Sample Papers for Class 10 English Communicative Set 2
These Samaple papers are part of CBSE Sample Papers for Class 10 English Communicative. Here we have given CBSE Sample Papers for Class 10 English Communicative Set 2
Time allowed: 3 hours
Maximum marks: 80
General Instructions
❖ The question papers divided into three sections :
Section A : Reading 20 marks
Section B : Writing and Grammar 30 marks
Section C : Literature 30 marks
❖ All questions are compulsory.
❖ You may attempt any section at a time.
❖ All questions of that particular section must be attempted in the correct order.
SECTION-A : READING
(Attempt all question from this section)
Question 1.
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :
1. Fleas are perfectly designed by nature to feast on anything containing blood. Fleas are ideally equipped to do what they do, making them very difficult to defeat. The bodies of these tiny parasites are well-suited for their job.
2. A flea has a very hard exoskeleton, which means the body is covered by a tough, tile-like plate called a sclerite. Because of these plates, fleas are almost impossible to squish. The exoskeletons of fleas are also waterproof and shock resistant and therefore, fleas are highly resistant to the sprays and chemicals used to kill them.
3. Little spines are attached to this plate. The spines lie flat against the flea’s thin, narrow body as the flea scurries through an animal’s fur in search of food. If anything tries to pull a flea off the hair coat, these spines extend and stick to the fur like velcro.
4. Fleas are some of the best jumpers in the natural world. A flea can jump seven inches, or 150 times its own length, either vertically or horizontally. An equivalent jump for a person would be 555 feet. Fleas can jump 30,000 times in a row without stopping and they are able to accelerate through the air at an incredibly high rate.
5. Fleas have very long rear legs with huge thigh muscles and multiple joints. Several of their joints contain a protein called resilin, which helps catapult fleas into the air as they jump. Outward facing claws on the bottom of their legs grip anything they touch when they land.
6. The adult female flea mates after her first blood meal and begins producing eggs in just 1 to 2 days. One flea can lay up to 50 eggs in one day and over 2,000 in her lifetime. Rea eggs can be seen with the naked eye, but they are about the size of a grain of salt. Shortly after being laid, the eggs begin to transform into cocoons. In the cocoon state, fleas are fully developed adults, and will hatch immediately if conditions are favourable. If not, it can remain dormant in the cocoon state for extended periods. Under ideal conditions, the entire life cycle may only take 3 weeks. Because of these characteristics, fleas are intimidating opponents. The best way to control fleas, therefore, is to take steps to prevent an infestation from ever occurring.
1.1. Attempt any eight of the following questions on the basis of the passage you have read: [1 x 8 = 8]
(i) What is the primary purpose of the passage ?
(ii) What is the author’s tone in the passage ?
(iii) According to the passage, why fleas are resistant to sprays and chemicals ?
(iv) How do little spines on it back help the fleas ?
(v) How are fleas considered to be great jumpers ?
(vi) How does the protein resilin help the fleas ?
(vii) How does the flea eggs protect themselves ? .
(viii) How long is the life cycle of a flea ? .
(ix) What is the best way to keep the fleas out ?
Question 2.
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : [12]
1. Parsons and Markwardt are the two characters of the story. They are both blind, but that is where the resemblance ends. Parsons is introduced to us as a gentleman, a person who is successful in life as he has made it his business to take his handicap as something which is unavoidable and does not allow it to stand in his way. Parsons is grateful that he has been given the gift of life and is an insurance agent whereas earlier he had been nothing more than a skilled labourer.
2. On the other hand there is Markwardt, who uses his blindness to gain sympathy from all those he meets and he turns into a common beggar. Fate brings the two men together. Markwardt attempts to sell Parsons a cigarette lighter and on being questioned about the cause of his blindness, he tells Parsons an all too familiar tale.
3. Markwardt relates the story of an incident which had taken place fourteen years earlier, a chemical explosion at C shop at the Westbury plant. In this explosion a hundred and eight people had been killed and two hundred injured. According to Markwardt he was one of those who had been crawling to safety when another man had climbed on top of him, hauled him back, trampled him and got out. At this point of the story. Parsons tells him that the story is true, except for one detail- Parsons had been the one who had been trampled upon by Markwardt.
4. We now realise the difference between the two men. It is a fact that both are blind, but it is only Markwardt who does not see and has no eyes. Parsons sees the beauty in life and thanks God for giving him life. He celebrates the fact that he is alive and makes use of the faculties he still has. Markwardt is truly blind, wrapped up in his disability and self-pity, so plagued by his guilt that perhaps he has rationalised the fact that he is the one to blame for another’s handicap or perhaps death. It appears as though he actually believes what he is saying. The story has a message for the reader, a message that tells us to look at life positively and make the most of all God’s blessings.
2.1. On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer any four of the following questions in about 30-40 words each: [2 x 4 = 8]
(i) Who was the blind beggar who met Mr. Parsons? Describe him.
(ii) Why is it said that Mr. Parsons was glad to be alive?
(iii) How had Markwardt got blind?
(iv) What was the flaw in Markwardt’s story?
(v) How does Parsons see life?
2.2. On the basis of your reading of the passage, fill in any two of the following blanks with appropriate words/phrases. [1 x 2 = 2]
(i) Parson does not allow his
(ii) Markwardt uses his
(iii) The story has a message that tells us
2.3. Attempt any two of the following. Find out the words that mean the same as below:
[1 x 2 = 2]
(i) Compulsory (Para 1)
(ii) Crushed under feet (Para 3)
(iii) Rejoice (Para 4)
SECTION-B : WRITING AND GRAMMAR
(Attempt all question from this section)
Question 3.
(a) You are Chandran/ Chandra of Class X of Vels International School, Mogappair, Chennai. Write a letter to the Manager of the Sports Store, Meerut, complaining about a defective sports watch you purchased from their store. Write as a Sports Secretary of your school. [8]
OR
(b) Reply to ‘Placing an Order’. You are the Manager of Victory Sports Company. Write a reply to the above letter stating your quotation for the enquiry made therein.
Question 4.
Write a short story, in about 200-250 words, with any one set of the cues given below. [10]
It came upon the midnight, the sound of a hundred frogs all bellowing, while the moon shone through the trees and all else calm.
OR
Meghna had just finished reading “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville as part of her English Project. She was tired after reviewing the book and was tired and …
Question 5.
Fill in any four of the following blanks choosing the most appropriate option from the ones given below. Write the answers in your answer-sheet against the correct blank numbers.
[1 x 4 = 4]
(a) I will arrive …………………. six o’clock.
(i) at
(ii) in
(iii) by
(iv) to
(b) He has been gone ……………………. Friday.
(i) for
(ii) from
(iii) since
(iv) by
(c) She is leaving …………….. five minutes.
(i) at
(ii) in
(iii) from
(iv) since
(d) I have known her ……………… last year.
(i) since
(ii) to
(iii) for
(iv) from
(e) We expect them ……………….. Wednesday.
(i) to
(ii) for
(iii) from
(iv) in
(f) We waited ………………… fifteen minutes.
(i) at
(ii) for
(iii) before
(iv) by
Question 6.
In the following passage one word has been omitted in each line. Write the missing word, in any four sentences of the given paragraph, along with the word that comes before and the word that comes after it in the space provided. [1 x 4 = 4]
Question 7.
Rearrange any four of the following word clusters to make meaningful sentences. [1 x 4 = 4]
(a) Next/year/will/ a/ build/ they/bridge/new
(b) new/a/ planet/astronomers/British/discovered
(c) Beri/ design/ will/ her/ Ritu/ costume
(d) deliver/my/ today/will/they/ on/computer/Monday
(e) students/ of/ one/the/ window/ the/ broke
SECTION-C : LITERATURE
(Attempt all question from this section)
Question 8.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. Write the answer in your answer sheets in one or two lines only. [1 x 4 = 4]
(a) If it’s an old tiger, I think you ought to get it a lot cheaper. A thousand rupees is a lot of money.
(i) Who is the speaker and whom is she addressing ?
(ii) What is she talking about and why ?
(iii) Is there any truth in what Miss Mebbin is saying ?
(iv) Find the synonym of the word ‘inexpensive.’
OR
(b) At length did cross an Albatross,
Through the fog it came;
As it had been a Christian soul,
We hailed it in God’s name.
(i) What situation is the mariner in as he speaks this verse ?
(ii) Why does the mariner call the Albatross a Christian soul ?
(iii) What does ‘we hailed it in God’s name’ mean ?
(iv) Find the synonym of the word ‘welcomed’.
Question 9.
Answer any four of the following questions in 30-40 words each: [2 x 4 = 8]
(i) Describe the scene of how Ali went to the post office hoping to receive a letter from his daughter.
(ii) ‘The ticket office gross crashed’— Explain with reference to ‘The Frog and the Nightingale.’
(iii) How and when does the mariner realise that God loves all creatures ?
(iv) What kind of a person is Henry Slater ?
(v) Can Calpumia’s dreams and fears be justified ?
Question 10.
Attempt any one out of the two following long answer type questions in 100-120 words. [8]
(a) Discuss as to why the ghosts are announcing a strike to John Hallock, the writer in ‘The Shady Plot.’
OR
(b) Was it because Calpumia was a woman that Caesar and his aides did not listen to her dreams and fears ? Explain.
Question 11.
(a) Answer the following question based on prescribed novel text for extended reading in about 200¬250 words. [10]
The Diary of a Young Girl
(i) Discuss the period during the end of the hiding of Anne Frank’s family and its interpretations.
OR
(ii) Discuss how Anne finds friendship and more with Peter in the close confines of the hiding and what does it represent.
(b) Answer the following questions based on the prescribed novel text for extended reading in about 200-250 words.
The Story of My Life
(i) Discuss Helen Keller’s early days of coping with her disabilities and the changes that came when Ms. Anne Sullivan enters in her life.
OR
(ii) Explain Helen Keller’s education in the early stages at the arrival of Ms. Anne Sullivan.
ANSWERS
SECTION-A
Answer 1.
1.1. (i) The primary purpose of the passage is to explain why a flea infestation is hard to get rid of.
(ii) The author’s tone is best described as informative.
(iii) The fleas are resistant to the sprays and chemicals because they have waterproof sclerites.
(iv) The little spines extend and stick like velcro when they are pulled away from the animal’s fur.
(v) A flea are best jumpers because they can jump seven inches, or 150 times its own length, either vertically or horizontally.
(vi) The protein resilin helps the fleas to catapult them into the air when they jump.
(vii) The flea egg, once they are formed into cocoon, remains dormant until conditions are favourable for them to emerge.
(viii) The entire life cycle only takes 3 weeks.
(ix) The best way to control fleas, is to take steps to prevent an infestation from ever occurring.
Answer 2.
2.1. (i) The blind beggar who met Mr. Parson is Markwardt who is bitter and uses his handicap
to create pity and beg. He is negative and has not moved forward to make something of his life.
(ii) Mr. Parsons is glad to be alive and that he can still make use of his other faculties to earn
and do better in life. He is thankful to God for blessing him. ‘
(iii) Markwardt got blind in a chemical explosion at C shop at the Westbury plant. He lies about his own situation whenever he can that someone else pushed him backwards when he tried to escape.
(iv) The flaw in Markwardt story is that it was he who had pushed Mr. Parsons and trampled upon while escaping the explosion and not the other way around as he tries to portray all along that he was the person to be pitied.
(v) Mr Parsons looks at life positively, he is glad that he is alive and has got the opportunity to become an insurance agent while he was just a skilled labourer earlier. He is happy to make use of his other faculties to earn a decent living.
2.2. (i) Parson does not allow his handicap to come in his way.
(ii) Markwardt uses his blindness to gain sympathy from all and he turns into a common beggar.
(iii) The story has a message that tells us to look at life positively and make the most of all God’s blessings.
2.3. (i) Unavoidable
(ii) Trampled
(iii) Celebrate
SECTION-B
Answer 3.
(a)
Vels International School,
Mogappair,
Chennai
27 September, 20XX
The Manager Sports Store,
Meerut.
Sub.: Defective stop watches purchased on 25 September 20XX
Sir,
I am writing this to express my extreme displeasure at the quality of the sports watches I purchased from your store two days ago.
As soon as I reached the school and opened the packet, I realised that two of the four watches I had purchased were not working. The third one has started giving trouble since yesterday. The button to stop is quite inflexible.
Understandably, I am disappointed at this purchase. Our school’s sport meet is around the comer where in these watches are needed urgently.
I was not able to check those watches properly on the day of purchase as I was in a hurry. But the salesman had advised me to buy them and I had trusted him.
I do hope that you would show me some consideration and either repair or replace these stop watches.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Chandran
(Sports Secretary)
OR
(b)
M/s. Victory Sports Company,
23, Hapur Road,
Meerut 13 June, 20XX
The Sports Secretary,
Caldwell Memorial School,
Beach Road, Tuticorin,
Tamil Nadu
Sub.: Delay in the delivery of the Items.
Sir,
With reference to your letter dated 1 June 20XX, this is to inform you that two of the goods you had ordered i.e., footballs and cricket bats are presently not in stock. However, we shall be getting those items in a couple of days’ time. This would delay the delivery of the goods for just two days. The inconvenience caused to you is regretted.
Please be assured of the quality and excellent packing of goods.
Thank you.
Yours truly,
Raja Kumar (Manager)
Answer 4.
It came upon the midnight/ the sound of a hundred frogs all bellowing, while the moon shone through the trees and all else calm with our shoes crunching the dry land we were trying to find our way back to the camp site and to our tents sneaking quietly. We could hear our heartbeats in the stillness of the night, we were scared to the core when we heard a very few leaves rustle against something.
Samson palpitated saying, “I told this was a crazy idea to sneak out in the first place.”
Sean calmly said, “It is fine, don’t panic, we will reach the site in a few minutes.”
“Are you sure, it does not seem like we are reaching anywhere,” said Vicky.
The boys were terrified that they had lost their way back and the stillness and the noises of the jungle made them feel even jitterier.
Suddenly they heard a low howl and all of the boys huddled in fear. Vicky whispered, “Now what was that ? Sean are you still saying that we are ok ?”
In their fear they could not see a bright light shining on them. Slowly they untangled themselves and looked into the face of the camp director.
OR
Megha had just finished reading “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville as part of her English Project. She was tired after reviewing the book and dozed off before she could turns off the lights and fell asleep.
Meghna felt the salty breeze mixed with the smell of fuel and she was face to face with Ishmael.
‘Hey Ishmael, how are you dude, what’s up ?’ asked Meghna.
Ishmael replied, “Hi Meghna, I am good, what’s up with you, why are you all fazed, remember, I asked your help to write a memoir along with me and write about Moby Dick.”
Meghna shushed him, ‘I remember it very well, I’m trying to be quiet and observe everything that’s happening here.”
‘Alright, now hurry up, we need to change you up into pants and shirt, so you can help the cook and be invisible and yet get to visit the Captain without suspicion.’
“That’s a great idea, let’s get going.” Replied Meghna excitedly.
They reached the laundry room, found the clothes they needed and soon she ran off to do her work. She had to take dinner to Captain Ahab and she was scared. She mustered her courage and went to the cabin and knocked at the door.
She heard a gruff ‘come in’.
When she looked up and saw it was her mother opening her room and coming in.
Answer 5.
(a) at
(b) since
(c) in
(d) since
(e) on
Answer 6.
Answer 7.
(a) They will build a new bridge next year.
(b) British astronomers discovered a new planet.
(c) Ritu Beri will design her costume.
(d) They will deliver my computer on Monday
(e) One of the students broke the window.
SECTION-C
Answer. 8.
(a) (i) The speaker is Miss Louisa Mebbin, the companion to Mrs. Packletide and she is addressing
Mrs. Packletide in this dialogue.
(ii) She is talking about offering thousand rupees to the villagers for keeping it in the vicinity where Mrs. Packletide is planning to hunt. She feels that it is too expensive for an old tiger.
(iii) There is truth in what Miss Mebbin is saying as it is actually a lot of money for hunting an old tiger.
(iv) The synonym of the word ‘inexpensive’ is cheap.
OR
(b) (i) The mariner along with other sailors has been surrounded with ice and went adrift in
the ocean.
(ii) The mariner calls the Albatross a Christian soul, because it comes as a saviour amidst nothingness as a symbol of hope.
(iii) It means that they greeted the Albatross as heaven sent and in God’s name.
(iv) The synonym of the word ‘welcomed’ is hailed.
Answer 9.
(i) Ali goes to the post office every day, sits in a particular corner of the building and is often taunted by the postmen calling out his name, who laughs when he jumps out of his place and comes to the door. In spite of it all, he goes there every day and returns empty handed.
(ii) The nightingale has been made to practice and sing continuously without break or rest by the frog and the animals get to hear only coarse songs and she made lesser billings than before.
(iii) The ancient mariner learns too late that God loves every creature, big or small. Each one is a living evidence to his power and add to the beauty of the Earth. Killing the Albatross is a sin because it is like destroy part of God’s creation.
(iv) Henry Slater is a stooping heavy man who is simple and prefers not to get in any squabble with his wife who is domineering and unpleasant at times. However, we cannot say that Henry Slater is not observant as he does give sharp comments at the right time.
(v) Calpumia states that she never stood on ceremonies and that she never stopped Caesar from doing things but here she pleads him not to step out of the house just for once, but he does not listen to her and her fears come true.
Answer 10.
(a) Helen, the ghost, has just made herself visible to the writer and announces that the ghosts are going on a strike. The ghosts had organised “The Writer’s Inspiration Bureau” where they scout for writers without ideas and a soft mind that can accept an impression. This is how Helen had been helping the writer with his stories. Helen seems to be the representative who appears to the writer asking to stop the ladies from using the Ouija boards. Helen explains that in early days the ghosts were happy haunting just for fun or do nothing but now they are being called so often by the Ouija board fanatics who are always asking questions and that too silly ones. She tells the writer that unless he stops the ladies from using the Ouija boards they are not going to help him with the stories.
OR
(b) Calpumia is a noble Roman woman who has an affectionate relationship with her husband and a deep concern for his safety. There is a little doubt that the commitment is mutual. When she has an ominous dream, Caesar agrees to stay at home to ease her mind.
Calphumia’s dream of Caesar’s body spurting blood like a fountain turns out to be prophetic. As we see later, Caesar is stabbed 33 times and the conspirators stand around afterwards and wash their hands in his blood.
At first, it seems like Caesar is going to heed his wife’s warning but Calpumia’s attempts to protect her husband are completely undermined when Decius shows up and says women don’t know how to interpret dreams. If this dream had come from someone other than Calpumia, who is a woman and thus considered less insightful during Caesar’s day, Caesar might have listened. Although Decius ultimately convinces Caesar to go to the Capitol, Caesar and Calpumia have discussed her concerns as equals.
Answer 11.
(a) (i) The end of the book is all the more overwhelming because of the war developments and Anne’s optimism. The invasion finally comes and it is welcomed. Further evidence that the Germans are losing their hold comes with the assassination attempt. Even the German people seems to no longer believe in Hitler’s dream.
Anne grows by leaps and bounds during this final section of the book. She develops the ability to see others clearly. Her father, for example, is no longer a man who disregards her emotions. Instead, he is a fully-fledged man, with weaknesses and strengths, and a fine character. She also scrutinises Peter anew. No longer is he the sweet boy with whom Anne is hopelessly infatuated. He is weak, lacking energy and short on character. Anne admits to herself that he is not what she would like him to be. Her love for him cools, especially after she has an argument with her father.
Many people champion the sentiments, Anne says, about believing in man’s inborn goodness and treasuring his ideals. This is outstanding since Anne was never in a position to have her ideals tested and it is not until her family is captured that she may really have had the opportunity to question the nature of man. This does not detract from the power of Anne’s sentiments, instead, it shows how compassionately conserved her innocence was until the unfortunate fact of her captivity.
OR
(ii) During February and March of 1944, Anne becomes aware of her growth and realises need for a friend from the opposite sex. Her love for Peter is innocent and touchingly naive and it has echoes of her relationship with Harry at the beginning of the book. It is refreshing to experience this relationship with Anne. The reader is reminded that she is, after all, only a teenage girl, with a regular teenage girl’s feelings about the opposite sex.
In many ways it appears the relationship is a relief to Anne, as well. She fully admits that she needs affection from a boy at this time of her life, and that is, in large part, why she chooses Peter. While Anne’s overwhelming need may lead the reader to believe that she is not really in love with Peter at all, it proves that life in the annexe is emotionally harsh and stifling for Anne. She develops feelings for Peter in parts because it makes her days more exciting and helps her to forget the pressures of life on a day-to-day basis. This does not make her feelings less valid, it merely points out a major theme of the diary: Anne’s loneliness and her desperate search for someone in whom she may confide her feelings. We also see that later she matures and finds Peter not to her expectations. She learns to move on, looking forward to freedom.
(b) (i) Helen’s early years were tinged with the happiness and energy of a child but they were also full of frustration and anger. To understand why, one must try to put himself in her shoes and imagine a world that is entirely dark, devoid of both the sounds and the images with which they are so familiar. As a young child, Helen gets angry so easily because she has been deprived of humankind’s most basic needs: the desire to be understood. In the early years following her illness, she had trouble finding a way to express herself to those around her. Predictably, her closest companions then were the few people who could understand her, with or without words: namely, her mother, her friend Martha and her pet, Bella. Beyond them, many relationships were closed off to Helen because she could not be understood, until her teacher came.
Anne Sullivan plays an equally important character. Readers learn about her through Helen’s eyes and it is clear right from the start how much Miss Sullivan meant to her. Helen paints her as a true heroine, with an air of brightness and love surrounding her from the moment she shows up on Helen’s porch. She clearly has great patience, carefully working to teach Helen the names of the things in the world around her and understanding Helen’s frustration when, at first, something does not click. But Miss Sullivan and Helen’s . relationship stretches far beyond that of just a teacher and a student: Anne is Helen’s closest friend. She sincerely loves and cares for her, almost like a mother figure and she has given Helen the vital gifts of knowledge and understanding.
OR
(ii) The arrival of Ms. Sullivan gave Helen Keller a shift from being the frustrated girl to be the joyful person at the prospect of learning new things that excited her. Helen learned the names of things and to spell words and her next task was learning how to read. Miss Sullivan taught her this by giving her slips of cardboard, on which there were raised letters. She got used to attaching these words to their objects and arranging them into sentences that she would act out with the objects themselves. This evolved into an ability to read full books.
Helen and Miss Sullivan often had their lessons outdoors, which pleased Helen, who was energised by nature. At a place called Keller’s Landing on the Tennessee River, Miss Sullivan taught Helen geography, making raised maps in the river’s clay. Helen loves learning and is enthusiastic about all of her lessons. It is only arithmetic that displeases her: she did not have the patience for maths and numbers. Sometimes, Helen’s lessons began with an object. When a man gifted her a collection of fossils, for example, Miss Sullivan used them to teach her about dinosaurs and the gift of a shell provided a lesson about the ocean. Over and over, Helen observed that how skilled Miss Sullivan was at teaching her. Her propensity for making every lesson interesting, her sympathy for Helen’s challenging behaviour and her careful and patient guiding of the young girl’s mind, all left a lifelong mark on her.
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