CBSE Question Paper 2010 class 10 English Communicative

(i) This paper consists of four sections.

Section A – Reading 20 marks
Section B – Writing 30 marks
Section C – Grammar 20 marks
Section D – Literature 30 marks

(ii) Attempt all questions.

(iii) Do not write anything in the question paper.

(iv) All the answers must be correctly numbered as in the question paper and written in the answer sheet provided to you.

(v) Attempt all questions in each section before going on to the next section.

(vi) Read each question carefully and follow the instructions.

(vii) Strictly adhere to the word limit given with each question.

SECTION A (Reading) 20 Marks

1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow. 12 marks

1. I felt stupid, being made to stand on the desk while the other kids were bent over their notebooks. I couldn’t understand my new school or my new classmates, or their alien language – English – and the fact that they could do sums in their head, while I struggled with a paper and pencil. For me, at age six, the good times had ended. Life seemed a far cry from those days in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, all thanks to my grandfather’s reflected glory. He was a military doctor, a great man, and I lived with him. And so even policemen gave me affectionate salaams, which I learned to acknowledge with a nod. I’d simply lay my head down on the desk and sleep in class, if bored. I was a pampered little prince.

2. In early 1971, my parents decided it was time I moved to Bombay where father worked. My first few days were a disaster. No one spoke Tamil or Telugu, the only languages I knew. I couldn’t keep pace with their writing or reading. Then one day, a slight plump lady with large spectacles, wearing trousers walked into the classroom. “Hello,” she said, “My name is Miss Jean.

I am your new class teacher.” She’d done her homework. Spotting me in a back corner, she beckoned me to the front. My almost empty notebooks must have given Miss Jean a clue that I needed the extra attention. If the class had to write a page, I’d be made to write two. Even during PT, I had to stay back and write. When I was caught sneaking to the window to watch the others playing, Miss Jean put me in the middle row, far from the window.

3. I made some progress and Miss Jean made it a point to praise every little achievement. If I did my work wrong, she’d call me to her desk, hug me and show me how to correct my errors. Mistakes were only human in her eyes, but neglecting home work was a crime – there’d be a terse comment in my diary for mother to see. And I’d be grounded that evening. Meanwhile, I was getting possessive and minded if another child got more hugs. By Christmas, I stood fifth in class. “I am very proud of Srikant,” she told the class after reading out the marks. I related that moment to mother again and again. When I returned after summer vacations, I heard that Miss Jean had got married and was going to Australia.

4. Many years went by. I graduated in engineering, then in management, got a job, married and had kids. One day I found myself thinking of Miss Jean. Soon afterwards I found myself in Sydney, Australia, on an official trip. I tried looking up my teacher in the phone book. But it was of no help as I did not know even her surname. Thank you, Miss Jean, wherever you are for the tact and patience with which you taught me.

1.1 Complete the following sentences. 1x 8=8

(a) When the author got bored in his class while he studied in Nellore, he _____.

(b) He was given a preferential treatment when he was a child because ______.

(c) The author felt very bad and could not mix with his new classmates because ____.

(d) When Miss Jean discovered that the author needed her extra attention she assigned him _______.

(e) Miss Jean put the author in the middle row far from the window when she found ________.

(f) When the author committed mistakes, Miss Jean made it a point to ______.

(g) The author became so possessive of Miss Jean that ________.

(h) Although the author’s efforts failed to trace her later in Australia, he thanked her in his heart because _________.

1.2 Find words from the passage that mean the same as 1×4 = 4

(a) spoiled with too much attention (para 1)

(b) called / signalled (para 2)

(c) having excessive desire to own (para 3)

(d) fail to do something (para 3)

2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow. 8 marks

1. Ilkal, a small-town famous for its ethnic saris is in the northern district of Bijapur in Karnataka. But soon the sound of the loom may belong to the past as more and more weavers leave this art to join more profitable occupations. These saris are unique for their four to six inch broad reddish maroon borders with traditional, distinct designs. It is the families of dyers and weavers who together produce the Ilkal sari – a deep blue-black indigo body with red borders. It is woven in cotton or silk or a combination of both. The cotton before the advent of chemical colours, was indigo dyed, and the red border dyed with colours derived from flowers.

2. A weaver’ s living room includes a handloom pit, where the weaver works on the loom at the same time entertaining guests and customers. The bedroom is the store room for yam and also doubles as the domain of womenfolk of the house. It takes around a week to complete a sari. It is tiresome work. “The wholesaler gives us the required raw materials, mainly yam, and we weave the sari on a piecemeal basis” he elaborates. “We are then sure the sari is sold and we are not stuck with dead stock. This is how the system mostly works now.”

3. Traditionally, Ilkal saris were made using natural indigo dyes. Then, in the 1970s, the synthetic German indigo replaced this vat dying process. Today, this has given way to naphtha based dyes. The famed and centuries old indigo dying is now on the verge of extinction. As the new generation steps into more profitable avenues the skyline of Ilkal is fast changing too. “The most profitable business in the area now is granite,” states a weaver. With this stone being available in plenty here, a number of granite selling agencies and chimneys of granite processing units are proliferating all over. As more and more of town’s younger citizens step into newer ventures like that of selling stones, the loom may become a mere memory.

2.1 Complete the paragraph using one word only in each blank. 1×3=3

Ilkal, once a small town (a) ____________for its saris is fast changing into one known for granites. (b) _____________a sari takes almost a week and is tiresome work. The younger generation (c) _____________ granite business to sari weaving.

2.2 Complete the sentences given below: 1×5=5

(a) A weaver’s bedroom functions as _______________.

(b) German Indigo has replaced _______________.

(c) Weaving saris on a piecemeal basis ensures that _______________.

(d) Availability of granite stone in plenty in the area has led to

(i) _______________________

(ii) _______________________

SECTION B (Writing) (30 Marks)

3. You are Rahul, Secretary of the Arts Club, Navodaya School, Nagpur. An interschool cultural competition is being conducted in your school on the 25th of November. Put up a notice informing House Captains and Badge Holders about a meeting to discuss the arrangements for the programme. Write the notice in not more than 50 words. 5 marks

4. Your school has introduced Yoga classes recently. Write a postcard in not more than 50 words to your friend Kamal/Kamala, B-1 0, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road, Patiala, informing him/her about how they have benefited you. You are Sumit / Suman. Copy the format of the postcard from the question paper. 5 marks

5. You are Swathi, living at 10, Nana Saheb Road, Kanpur. You happened to see your neighbour’s ten-year-old housemaid being ill-treated by the house owner. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily in about 150-175 words about prevalence of child labour in spite of the strict rules laid down by the government. Take ideas from the hints given below:

• Made to work for long hours
• Ill-treated, paid very little.
• Law breakers to be punished 10 marks

6. You are Dr. Nishant / Nisha. You came across the following information about the outbreak of Swine flu and the number of lives taken by it. You decided to write an article for a leading daily about the precautions to be taken to prevent it from spreading. Write the article in 150-175 words using ideas from the unit on ‘Health and Hygiene,’ your own ideas, and the bar-graph given below. 10 marks

For the Blind

You are Dr. Nishant / Nisha. You came to know about the outbreak of Swine flu and the number of lives taken by it. You decided to write an article for a leading daily about the precautions to be taken to prevent it from spreading. Write the article in 150-175 words taking ideas from the unit on ‘Health and Hygiene’ along with your own ideas. Some hints are given below:

• Consult a doctor
• Wear Masks
• Avoid going to a crowded place
• Take medicines and rest as advised
• Avoid contact with those who are infected

SECTION C (Grammar) (20 Marks)

7. Look at the notes given below and complete the paragraph that follows. Do not add any new information. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. 1×4=4 marks

Cheetahs are man’s oldest companions. Their speed (a) _____________. Their system gets (b) ___________ with the effort and they need a long rest afterwards. Though they growl when angry (c) _____________. They were (d) _________ Egyptian Pharaohs.

8. The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Write the incorrect word and the correction in your answer sheet against the correct blank number. The first one is done as an example. ½x8=4 marks

9. Rearrange the following words and phrases to form meaningful sentences. The first one has been done as an example. Write the answers against the correct blank numbers in your answer sheet. 1×4=4 marks

Tend to / worry about / most of us / we take / the risks / in life

Most of us tend to worry about the risks we take in life.

(a) changes / the world / are / technological / sweeping /

(b) everyday living / timely / secure and / measures / happy / can make /

(c) occur / factors / misfortunes / due to / may / various /

(d) can minimize / risk management / the impact of / uncertain events / through / you

10. Fill in each blank in the following passage with one word only. Write the correct word in your answer sheet against the correct blank number. Do not copy the whole sentence. ½x8=4 marks

The notion (a) _________ religious faith can prompte physical well-being is not new. Most of us have heard of cases (b) ___________ which someone, seemingly by sheer faith and will, (c) _________ miraculously recovered (d) ___________ a terminal illness or survived far longer (e) ___________ doctors thought possible. What is new is that such rewards of religion (f) ___________ becoming the stuff of science. One of the (g) ___________ extensive reviews demonstrates that the connections between religion (h) ___________ science can cut across cultural and geographical boundaries.

11. Read the conversation given below and complete the passage that follows. Write the answers against the correct blank numbers. Do not copy the whole sentences. 1×4=4 marks

Rejula: M’am, may I borrow a dictionary? I forgot to bring mine.

Teacher: How can you be forgetful? Didn’t I remind you yesterday?

Rejula: Yes m’am, I am sorry, I will not repeat the mistake.

Teacher: Borrow it for today.

Rejula: Thank you, m’am.

Rejula requested the teacher (a) ___________ since she (b) _________.

The teacher chided her for being forgetful and asked her (c) ___________. When

Rejula promised not to repeat the mistake the teacher permitted her (d) _______.

Rejula was relieved and thanked the teacher.

Section D (Literature) (30 Marks)

12. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. Write the answers in your answer sheet in one or two lines only. Number the answers correctly. 3 marks

Now the nightingale, inspired,

Flushed with confidence, and fired

With both art and adoration,

Sang – and was a huge sensation.

(a) Name the poem and the poet. [1]

(b) Why did the nightingale flush with ‘confidence’? [1]

(c) How did she become a sensation? [1]

(c) animals from far and wide came to hear her song and appreciated her/ her song was in contrast to the crass cacophony of the frog (anyone)

13. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. Write the answers in your answer sheet in one or two lines only. Number the answers correctly. 3 marks

But no sweet bird did follow,

Nor any day for food or play

Came to the mariners’ hello!

And I had done a hellish thing,

And it would work’ em woe:

(a) Who is the speaker? [1]

(b) What is the ‘hellish thing’ done? [1]

(c) Explain; “work’ em woe.”

OR

She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.

I am important to her. She comes and goes.

Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.

(a) Why is the mirror important to “her”?

(b) Why does ‘she’ cry?

(c) What does “agitation of hands” mean?

14. Answer the following in 50-75 words. 4 marks

How does the poet employ the poetic device, ‘personification’ effectively in the poem, “Ode to the West Wind”?

OR

How does ‘Night of the Scorpion’ bring out a mother’s love for her children?

15. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow in one or two lines only. 4 marks

“Let me see some tenderness connected with a death.”

(a) Why does the speaker desire to see a sight of tenderness? [2]

(b) How does the ghost fulfill his desire? [2]

16. Answer the following in 50-75 words. 4 marks

How does Brutus convince the Roman mob that he was justified in murdering Caesar?

OR

Compare and contrast the characters of Ebenezer Scrooge and his impoverished clerk, Bob Cratchit in the play, “A Christmas Caro.”

17. Answer the following in 50-75 words. 4 marks

Describe the circumstances under which Ch-tsal was able to escape from earth.

OR

Why does Babuli compare himself to an innocent lamb in the lesson, “The Tribute”?

18. Answer the following in 150-175 words. 8 marks

You are Ali. Write a letter to your friend on your experiences at the post office where you go daily expecting a letter from your daughter.

OR

You are the grandmother in ‘The Ultimate Safari.’ Make a diary entry on your fears and anxieties concerning the future of your grandchildren.

CBSE Question Paper 2010 class 10 English Communicative

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