COIMBATORE SAHODAYA SCHOOLS COMPLEX

&
MADURAI SAHODAYA SCHOOLS COMPLEX
AISSE/AISSCE
COMMON MOCK EXAMINATION
ACADEMIC YEAR 2021-22- TERM I
SET – A

ROLL NUMBER : SUBJECT CODE : 184

GRADE: 10 SUBJECT: ENGLISH LANG & LIT

DATE: 10. 11. 2021 DAY : WEDNESDAY

MAX MARKS: 40 TIME : 90 MINUTES

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections.

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

1
 SECTION A - READING
I. Read the given passage carefully.
1. Day after day, inside and outside of business, we miss important information
because we don't listen with full attention. We also misunderstand and misinterpret
messages and ideas because of our preconceptions, biases, and wishes. Take the
manager, who dreaded to see his secretary go away for her two-week vacation. When
the secretary told the boss she'd be taking time off, it just didn't sink in. Said the
secretary later: "I told my boss three times I was planning on taking my vacation in
October. It just didn't register."

2. Minor slipups in communication can have major repercussions, as any sensitive

manager knows. Lack of communication between you and others in your company can
not only foul up job assignments and raise the cost of doing business, it can also hurt
feelings and generally lower morale.

3. Listening is an art that requires work, self-discipline, and skill. The art of
communication springs as much from knowing when to listen as it does from knowing
how to use words well. Ask any good salesperson or negotiator about the value of
silence. He or she will tell you good listeners generally make more sales and better
deals than good talkers.

4. To sharpen listening skills, you need patience and practice. Here are some
suggestions that have helped others become better listeners:
• RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO MONOPOLIZE CONVERSATION. If you like
to dominate a situation or feel you know everything and there is nothing to know
about a subject, you're probably a poor listener. Remain open to new ideas instead
of impatiently waiting for a chance to butt in with what you think is the final word
on the subject. Before you speak, make sure that the speaker has had a chance to
make his point. Many people think aloud and tend to grope for their meaning. Their
initial statements may be only a vague approximation of what they mean.
• AVOID JUDGING THE SPEAKER TOO SOON. Good listeners try not to become
preoccupied with a speaker's mannerisms or delivery. Instead of thinking, for

2
 instance, "What a monotone this guy has," ask yourself, "What's in the message
that I should know?" or "What can this add to my knowledge and experience?"
• DON'T FAKE ATTENTION. When we decide that what a speaker has to say is
boring or useless, we frequently pretend to listen. It's usually quite easy for an
attentive listener to recognize that our "uh-huhs" are really "ho-hums." When he
does, his thinking is likely to become confused, he may get annoyed, and his
delivery will probably deteriorate.

5. Attentive listeners remain alert and maintain eye contact. Simple gestures like
nodding, raising the eyebrows, or leaning forward - all can convey interest. Occasional
comments, such as "I see," "That's interesting," or "Tell me more about that," if said
with genuine interest, can go a long way toward reassuring the speaker.
(450 words)
Author: E U G E N E R A U D S E P P
Source: https://www.inc.com/magazine/19811001/33.html/accessed on 21/Oct/2021

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer ANY EIGHT questions
from the ten that follow.

Q1. What, according to the author, is the essential thing that has to be cultivated?
A. The art of patience and practice
B. The art of being attentive and active listening
C. The art of responding
D. The art of resisting temptation

Q2. Select the appropriate message conveyed in paragraph 2:

A. Lack of communication plays heavily on the business.

B. Lack of good communication makes people so sensitive that it brings down the
reputation of the company.
C. It is important to have good communication so that there are minor repercussions.
D. It is important to pay close attention to what one utters because a miniscule of
mistake not only affects the business but also hurts the feelings of people.

3
Q3. Select the option with the underlined words that can suitably replace ‘deteriorate’ as
used in paragraph 4.

A. His marks in the annual exam will progressively become worse.

B. Repairing the house will cost high due to bad maintenance.
C. When he hears the disturbing news, he will drown in sadness.
D. Megha will probably reduce her weight in a few days.

Q4. What is the tone of the writer when he cites ‘Said the secretary later: "I told my boss
three times I was planning on taking my vacation in October. It just didn't register."?

A. upset and disturbed

B. disturbed and devastated
C. depressed and outraged
D. sarcastic and outraged

Q5. Choose the option that best conveys the message in – ‘We also misunderstand and
misinterpret messages and ideas because of our preconceptions, biases, and wishes.’

A. Listeners fail to understand because they wish not to.

B. Listeners do not get it right as they have their own views and preferences.
C. Listeners fail to judge their understanding capabilities.
D. Listeners do not know the language so they misunderstand and interpret as per
their wish.

Q6. Select the qualities of a good listener:

1. Being unbiased about the speaker
2. Being attentive to the mannerisms of the speaker
3. Having genuine attention and appropriate body language
4. Being patient without interrupting the speaker

A. 1, 2 & 3 B. 2 & 3 C. 1, 3 & 4 D. 2, 3 & 4

Q7. An affix is a set of letters that is added to a root word or base word to give a new
meaning. ‘Misinterpret’ is one such word that has an affix. Find a word from
paragraph 1 that has affix/es.

A. preconceptions B. secretary C. business D. attention

Q8. Which one of the following points is NOT mentioned by the author about listener/s?

A. Trying to dominate and present one-sided ideas will make one a poor listener.
B. Good listeners are patient and wait for their turns.
4
 C. Good listeners pretend and make “ho hums” and "uh-huhs".
D. Fake attention will affect the delivery of the speaker.

Q9. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to paragraph 3?

A. A negotiator and a sales representative know the worth and value of listening.
B. A negotiator and salesperson must be silent always.
C. Listening is an art that demands an ethical use of words.
D. A talkative negotiator and a talkative salesperson do better deals and more sales.

Q10. Choose the option that lists the quote best expressing the central idea of the
passage.

A. B.

C. D.

II. Read the given passage carefully.

India is one of the fastest growing economies in 2020. Poverty is on the decline with close
to 44 Indians escaping extreme poverty every minute, according to the World Poverty
Clock. According to the Brookings report, today India has 73 million people living in
extreme poverty which makes up 5.5% of its total population.

Two-thirds of people in India live in poverty. 68.8% of Indian population lives on less
than $ 2 a day. Over 30% even have less than $1.25 per day and such people are considered
extremely poor.

More than 800 million in India are considered poor. Most of them live in the countryside
and keep afloat with odd jobs. The lack of employment which provides a liveable wage in
rural areas is driving many Indians into rapidly growing metropolitan cities, such as
Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru.
5
 27/10/2

In 2019, the Indian government stated that 6.7% of its

population is below its official poverty limit.
According to Oxfam, India’s top 1% of the population
now holds 73% of the wealth while 670 million
citizens, comprising the country’s poorest half, saw
their wealth rise by just 1%. As per the Tendulkar
Poverty Line, poverty reduced from 14.9 percent in
2011 to 7.0 percent in 2017 – the fastest pace the
country has seen yet. So, 2020 is extremely challenging
year not only for government and business, but also for
those who are on the borderline of poverty. Fiscal,
monetary and administrative policies have to be
designed in a way that provides safety for those living at the brink of poverty. Lifting
people out of poverty ought to be on top of the government’s priority.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer ANY SIX questions
from the eight that follow.
Q11. As per the graph, which of these is/are the cause (s) of poverty in India?
A. Colonial Rule
B. Lack of Education

6
 C. Population Explosion
D. All of these

Q12. According to the graph, which state has the highest number of people living
below poverty line?
A. Rajasthan B. Bihar C. Madhya Pradesh D. Uttar Pradesh

Q13. Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the option that lists the
reason for people migrating to metropolitan cities.
1. Poverty
2. More employment opportunities in metropolitan cities
3. Government schemes
4. Lack of employment
5. Better crops
A. 1, 2 and 5
B. 1, 2 and 4
C. 2, 4 and 5
D. 2, 3 and 4

Q14. One of the policies that is required to be designed in a way to provide safety for
those living at the brink of poverty is:
A. Fiscal B. Monetary C. Administrative D. All of these

Q15. In line “… employment which provides a liveable wage”, the word ‘liveable’
DOES NOT refer to:
A. good enough B. acceptable C. frugal D. comfortable

Q16. Choose the option that lists statement that is NOT TRUE:
A. One-third of people in India live in poverty.
B. Corruption contributes to poverty.
C. Chandigarh has the lowest number of people living below poverty line.
D. Poverty may develop due to limited resources.

Q17. The year 2020 is an extremely challenging year for:

A. The government
B. The businessmen

7
C. The people living on the border line of poverty
D. All of these

Q18. Poverty in India reduced at the fastest pace in:

A. 2010 B. 2012 C. 2015 D. 2017

SECTION B - GRAMMAR AND WRITING

GRAMMAR
III. Answer any FIVE out of the six questions by selecting the most appropriate
option for each.

Q19. Ravi as well as Rohit ………………… joined the class.

A. were B. have C. has D. are
Q20. Identify the tense used in the given sentence. “I am visiting her now.”
A. Present indefinite tense
B. Future perfect continuous tense
C. Future perfect tense
D. Present continuous tense

Q21. What is your idea about happiness?

“To make even one unfortunate happy if I ……………….
A. may B. will C. should D. can

Q22. You can pick ……………….. of the two.

A. many B. more C. either D. some

Q23. Pick out the indirect speech for the given direct speech:
I asked the shopkeeper, “What is the price of this bike?”
A. I asked the shopkeeper that what the price of this bike was.
B. I asked the shopkeeper what is a price of this bike.
C. I asked the shopkeeper what was the price of that bike.
D. I asked the shopkeeper what the price of that bike was.

Q24. Change the given interrogative sentence into an appropriate affirmative sentence:
Why to waste time in useless activities?
A. It is extreme foolish to waste time in useless activities.
8
 B. It was extremely foolish to waste time in useless activities.
C. It were extremely foolish to waste time in useless activities.
D. It is extremely foolish to waste time in useless activities.

WRITING

IV. Answer any FIVE out of the six questions given, with reference to the context
below.

You are Sanjay, a resident of Mumbai, Maharashtra. You have to write a letter to the
editor of ‘The Chronicle’, Mumbai drawing the attention of the concerned authorities
towards the safety of the students of a local school. There is a busy road in front of
the school which many students have to cross on their way to and back from school.
They run a great risk due to improper facilities.

Q25. What should the sequence of the following be in the letter?

A. Receiver’s address, date, sender’s address, subject, salutation

B. Receiver’s address, sender’s address, salutation, date, subject
C. Sender’s address, date, receiver’s address, subject, salutation
D. Sender’s address, receiver’s address, salutation, subject

Q26. Select an appropriate subject for this letter.

A. Drawing attention towards repair of roads.

B. Inconvenience faced by students.
C. Requesting a zebra crossing and traffic lights in front of the school.
D. Request to assign security personnel for the safety of the students.

Q27. Which option should Sanjay select to elaborate on the difficulties faced by the
students?

A. - Absence of zebra crossing

- Absence of traffic lights
- Considerable chances of accidents

B. - Zigzag roads
- Lack of security
- Heavy traffic
9
 C. - Restless children
- Incompetent administration
- Carelessness of the authorities

D. - Heavy traffic
- Incompetent administration of school
- Negligence of the board of members

Q28. Select the option that correctly justifies the choice of the concluding portion of this
letter.

1. I want the authorities to take actions on this issue. You should post my thoughts in
your esteemed newspaper.
2. I request you to share my views in your newspaper to attract the attention of the
authorities concerned.

A. Yes to option 1 because of the authoritative tone.

B. No to option 1 because of the informal tone.
C. Yes to option 2 because of the polite tone indicating request.
D. No to option 2 because of the casual tone.

Q29. Select the most appropriate concluding sentence for this paragraph.
I hope that my letter will ________.

A. improve the awareness of the traffic problem

B. spread awareness about the current situation among the residents of our area
C. help the concerned authorities take cognizance of this situation
D. help the maintenance of the roads and to understand the need of proper facilities

Q30. The most appropriate superscription for this letter is……..

A. Your’s faithfully
Sanjay
B. Yours faithfully
Sanjay
C. Yours Faithfully
Sanjay
D. Your’s Faithfully
sanjay

10
 SECTION C - LITERATURE

This section has sub-sections – V, VI, VII, VIII & IX. There are a total of 30 questions
in this section. Attempt any 26 questions from the sub-sections V to IX.

V. Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow:

“It’s really getting bad now,” exclaimed the man. “I hope it passes quickly.” It did not
pass quickly. For an hour the hail rained on the house, the garden, the hillside, the
cornfield, on the whole valley. The field was white, as if covered with salt. Not a leaf
remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed. The flowers were gone from the
plants. Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness. When the storm had passed, he stood in
the middle of the field and said to his sons, “A plague of locusts would have left more
than this. The hail has left nothing. This year we will have no corn.’’ That night was a
sorrowful one. “All our work, for nothing.” “There’s no one who can help us.” “We’ll
all go hungry this year.”

Q31. What does ‘it’ in the above passage refer to?

A. flowers B. hail C. cornfield D. valley

Q32. Why was Lencho’s heart filled with sadness?

A. His cornfield was completely destroyed.
B. The hail had left nothing in the field.
C. Their hard work had been in vain.
D. All of the above.
Q33. Pick the option that correctly classifies fact/s (F) and opinion/s (O) of the students
below.

A. F - 1, 2, 3 and O - 4
B. F - 1, 4 and O - 2, 3
C. F - 1, 3 and O - 2, 4
D. F - 2, 3, 4 and O -1

11
Q34. Which word does ‘plague’ not correspond to?
A. gratification B. pest C. invasion D. infestation

Q35. Choose the characteristic displayed by Lencho when he says, “There’s no one who
can help us”.
A. desperate B. anger C. despair D. sympathy

VI. Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow:
“It was only when I began to learn that my boyhood freedom was an illusion, when I
discovered as a young man that my freedom had already been taken from me, that I began
to hunger for it. At first as a student, I wanted freedom only for myself, the transitory
freedoms of being able to stay out at night, read what I pleased and go where I chose.
Later, as a young man in Johannesburg, I yearned for the basic and honourable
freedoms...”

Q36. The title that best suits this extract is …………..

A. Freedom for everything
B. Significance of Freedom
C. Knowledge in Freedom
D. Realisation of Freedom
Q37. Why do you think the speaker mentions some freedoms as ‘transitory’?
A. The freedoms are momentary and keep changing with time.
B. The definition of freedom is constant but perspectives differ.
C. Freedom means different things to different people.
D. Freedom is not that important after a certain age.

Q38. Choose the option that best fits the usage of the word ‘illusion’ as used in the
extract.
A. He was never able to get past the illusion.
B. The illusion I experienced was quite intriguing.
C. A large mirror in the room creates an illusion.
D. I was living under the illusion that this is possible.

12
Q39. The speaker says, ‘at first as a student I wanted freedom only for myself.’ Why do
you think he only thought about himself?
A. He didn’t want to think about the freedom denied to others.
B. He was being selfish and was only bothered about himself.
C. He didn’t think that freedom denied to him was important for others.
D. He was too young to realise that freedom was denied to others as well.

Q40. A part of the extract has been paraphrased. Choose the option that includes the
most appropriate solution to the blanks in the given paraphrase of the extract.
The speaker’s belief about freedom, since childhood proved false. It was not until
the speaker grew up to be a young man when it (i) …………………… on him that
he was (ii)………………. of freedom. Then he began (iii)………………….. it.
A. i) desired ii) dawned iii) depriving
B. i) dawned ii) deprived iii) desiring
C. i) dawned ii) arrived iii) desiring
D. i) arrived ii) deprived iii) dawned

VII. Read the given stanza to attempt the questions that follow:
What is the boy now, who has lost his ball
What, what is he to do? I saw it go
Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then
Merrily over — there it is in the water!
No use to say ‘O there are other balls’:
An ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy
As he stands rigid, trembling, staring down
All his young days into the harbour where
His ball went.
Q41. The poet uses the ball as a symbol of the boy’s …………….
A. sense of adventure
B. ability to bounce back
C. carefree childhood days
D. extended family

13
Q42. The poet feels that there is no point consoling the boy as ………..
A. it would give him false hope
B. he might demand for a new ball
C. it might distress him further
D. whatever he has lost is irretrievable

Q43. The literary devices used in the above given extract are…………..
A. synecdoche and oxymoron
B. Repetition and Anaphora
C. Anaphora and simile
D. Simile and personification

Q44. ‘Merrily over — there it is in the water!’ The dash here is meant to convey
A. some familiar experience
A. a feeling of excitement
B. a sense of unexpected interruption
C. some thoughtful moments

Q45. The word that DOES NOT indicate a physical manifestation of sorrow in the boy, is
A. worthless B. shaking C. trembling D. rigid

VIII. Read the given stanza to attempt the questions that follow:
The entire staff was roused and maids rushed in and out bringing his day bed, his night
bed, favourite cushions, toys and rubber rings, breakfast bowl, lunch bowl, supper bowl.
Realising that my car would never hold all the stuff, I started to drive away. As I moved
off, Mrs Pumphrey, with a despairing cry, threw an armful of the little coats through the
window. I looked in the mirror before I turned the corner of the drive; everybody was in
tears. Out on the road, I glanced down at the pathetic little animal gasping on the seat by
my side. I patted the head and Tricki made a brave effort to wag his tail. “Poor old lad,” I
said. “You haven’t a kick in you but I think I know a cure for you.”

Q46. What might the atmosphere of the household in the above extract signify?
A. Mrs Pumphrey’s status in society reflected in Tricki’s lifestyle.
14
 B. The staff’s love for Tricki, which matched that of Mrs. Pumphrey.
C. The grand life of comforts and luxuries that Tricki enjoyed.
D. Mrs. Pumphrey’s indulgence and anxiety acted upon by the staff.

Q47. Given below are some well-known quotes shared by the staff to console Mrs.
Pumphrey, after Tricki’s departure. Choose the option that correctly identifies the quote that
IS NOT appropriate to the consolation offered.

i) Once you choose hope, anything is possible.

ii) There is a crack in everything; that’s how light gets in.
iii) We grow fearless by walking into our fears.
iv) Mostly it is loss which teaches us about the worth of things.

A. Option (i) B. Option (ii) C. Option (iii) D. Option (iv)

Q48. As the extract indicates, Mrs. Pumphrey indulged Tricki and bought him many things.
Choose the option that best describes the kinds of advertisement/s that seem likely to
persuade Mrs. Pumphrey to buy something for Tricki.
i) Statistics Appeal – Such advertisements use facts and data to convince consumers to
buy products.
ii) Scarcity Appeal – Such advertisements create a feeling of exclusivity and are often used
to convince people to take advantage of a sale or limited period offer.
iii) Personal Appeal – Such advertisements focus on evoking emotions to convince
consumers and often relate to family or other inter-personal interactions.
iv) Fear Appeal – Such advertisements focus on inspiring some kind of fear to convince
consumers to take action in order to avoid certain negative or undesirable consequences.
A. Options (i), (ii) and (iv)
B. Options (iii) and (iv)
C. Options (i), (iii) and (iv)
D. Option (ii) only

Q49. The narrator describes Tricki as a “pathetic little animal”. The use of the word
‘pathetic’ indicates that the narrator ………………….
A. was very fond of Tricki
B. thought Tricki was contemptible
15
 C. pitied Tricki’s condition
D. believed Tricki’s health was deteriorating

50. ‘You haven’t a kick in you…’ Which image best describes the given description of
Tricki?

A. B. C. D.

IX. Attempt the following:

Q51. Which of the pilot’s instruments stopped working first?
A. compass
B. radio
C. compass and radio stopped together
D. both were working

Q52. In the third assignment that was given, Anne wrote about …..
A. a mother duck and a father swan with three baby ducklings who were bitten to death
by the father because they quacked too much.
B. a mother duck and a father swan with three baby ducklings who were bitten to death
by the mother because they quacked too much.
C. a mother duck and a father swan with three baby ducklings who were bitten to death
by the father and the mother because they quacked too much.
D. a mother duck and a father swan with so many ducklings who were bitten to death by
the father because they quacked too much.

Q53. What reason did Maddie give herself to justify teasing Wanda?
A. Wanda used to lie about their dresses.
B. Wanda deserved it.
C. Peggy was the best liked girl and couldn’t do anything wrong.
D. both A and B

16
 Q54. The dictionary says the following about migration- Migration involves the movement
of people (birds, fish etc.) from one place to another with intentions of settling,
permanently or temporarily, at a new location (geographic region). Which of the
following options INCORRECTLY uses ‘migration’?
A. After gold was found in the uninhabited region, there was a migration to that area.
B. Bears sleep through winters. This migration helps bears to use their stored energy
much more slowly.
C. There was a mass migration of youngsters to the tagged locale, to assist the cause for
charity.
D. Scientists have studied the migration of fish over long distances in the river

Q55. Assertion- (A) The poet had been in the sorrowful and depressive mood in the poem
‘Dust of Snow’.
Reason – (R) The poet had seen a crow on a hemlock tree.
A. Both A and R are true and R is correct explanation of A.
B. Both A and R are true and R is NOT the correct explanation of A.
C. A is true but R is false
D. A is false but R is true.
Q56. By “ignoring visitors”, what is the poet trying to say?
A. tiger knows his power is restricted
B. there is no use of showing rage
C. he is less terrorising because of the cage
D. all of the above

Q57. Match the words given in column I with their meaning in column II and choose the
correct option accordingly: (The Thief Story)
I II
A. Appealing i. insincere praise
B. Unlined ii. attractive
C. Modestly iii. showing no sign of worry or anxiety
D. Flattery iv. without boasting; in a humble way

17
 A. A-i, B-ii, C-iii, D-iv
B. A-ii, B-iii, C-iv, D-i
C. A-iii, B-i, C-iv, D-ii
D. A-iv, B-iii, C-ii, D-i

Q58. What can you infer from the given lines? - “But I knew that Anil’s face, when he
discovered the theft, would show only a touch of sadness. Not for loss of money,
but for the loss of trust.”
i. The thief knew a person’s feeling by looking at his face.
ii. The thief knew that Anil would care about him and the money.
iii. The thief knew if Anil had caught him, he would have called the police and got him
imprisoned.
iv. The thief knew that his action would sadden Anil.
A. Only option ii can be inferred
B. Options ii and iii can be inferred
C. Only option iv can be inferred
D. Options i and iv can be inferred
Q59. Match the dialogues from the story ‘Footprint Without Feet’ with their speakers.
I II
A. “Surrender” i. Jaffers
B. “My reason for coming to Iping is a desire for solitude. ii. Mrs. Hall
C. “I want to know what you have been doing to my chair iii. Clergyman
upstairs”
iv. Griffin

A. A-i, B-iv, C-ii

B. A-ii, B-iv, C-iii
C. A-iii, B-iv, C-ii
D. A-iv, B-i, C-iii

Q60. Given below are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Read both
the statements carefully and choose the correct alternative from the following.

18
 Assertion (A) Mr. Jaffers the village constable could be able to arrest Griffin.
Reason (R) Mr. Jaffers was very loyal to his duty and he never failed to
perform it well because Jaffers believed if a magistrate’s warrant ordered a
person’s arrest, then that person had to be arrested with or without his head.

A. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

B. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
C. A is true but R is false
D. A is false but R is true

****************************

19