CHENNAI SAHODAYA SCHOOLS COMPLEX

(General Instructions)
 This question paper contains 11 printed pages.
 This question paper contains IX questions.
 Write down the question number before attempting.
 15 minute prior reading time allotted for Question paper reading.
 The question paper contains three sections- reading, grammar& writing
and literature
 Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.

COMMON EXAMINATION
Class-10
(ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE / 184)
SET - III

Time Allowed: 3 hours Maximum Marks: 80

Roll No.: Date: 23.01.2023
Section A- Reading skills (20 MARKS)
I. Read the following passage (10 marks)
1. The Indian subcontinent consists of a number of separate linguistic communities, each of which
share a common language and culture. The people of India speak many languages and dialects
which are mostly varieties of about fourteen principle languages. Some Indian languages have a
long literary history; Sanskrit literature is three thousand years old and Tamil two thousand
years. India also has some languages that do not have a written form.
2. The number of people speaking each language varies greatly. For example, Hindi has more
than two hundred and fifty million speakers, but relatively few people speak Andamanese.
Although some of the languages are called Tribal or ‘aboriginal’, their population may be
larger than those that speak some European language. For example, Bhili and Santali, both
tribal languages, each have more than 4 million speakers. Gondi is spoken by nearly two
million people.
3. India's schools teach fifty-eight different languages. The nation has newspapers in eighty-seven
languages, radio programs in seventy-one languages and films in fifteen languages.
4. The Indian languages belong to four language families: Indo- European, Dravidian, Mon-
Khmer and Sino- Tibetan. Indo-European and Dravidian languages are used by a large majority
of India’s population. The language families divide roughly into geographic groups. The
languages of the Indo-European group are spoken mainly in Northern and Central regions. The
languages of southern India are mainly of the Dravidian group. Some ethnic groups in Assam
and other parts of Eastern India speak languages of the Mon-Khmer group. People in the
Northern Himalayan region and near Burmese border speak Sino-Tibetan languages.
5. Speakers of fifty-four different languages of the Indo- European family make up about three
quarters of India's population. Twenty Dravidian languages are spoken by nearly a quarter of
the people. Speakers of twenty Mon-Khmer languages and Sino-Tibetan languages together
make up about two percent of the population.

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6. Hindi is the principal official language of India. Sanskrit and sixteen regional languages are
also official languages. English has the status of an ‘associate language’. Hindi is the native
language of more than one third of India’s people and many others speak Hindi as a second
language. Only about two percent speak English but it serves as a common language among
most educated Indians and people use it for many official and administrative purposes.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
(1 X10=10)
i. Which language is considered to be the official language of India?
A. The official language of India is Hindi
B. The official language of India is Hindi Sanskrit and 16 regional languages
C. The official language of India is English
D. Both A and B
ii. ‘Ethnic group’ means the same as:
A. group that shares a common language, cultural beliefs and common history.
B. group that does not share a common language, cultural beliefs and a common history.
C. a group that shares different languages, cultural beliefs and a common history.
D. a group that shares a few languages, cultural beliefs and a common history.
iii. Which word in para 1 means’ a form of a language that is spoken in one area of a country ‘?
A. linguistic B. Dialect C. language D. literature.
iv. Complete the following with a phrase from para 6.
Opinion ----------------------------------------------------------
Reason -English serves as a common language among most educated Indians
v. State one point to prove that Indian languages have a long literary history.
vi. Choose two correct statements from the options given below
A. The Indo European language is mainly spoken in the Northern and Central regions
B. The Dravidian language is spoken in western India
C. Assam and northern India speak the Mon-Khmer dialect.
D. Sino-Tibetan language is spoken by people near the Burmese border and northern
Himalayan regions.
vii. What connection does the writer draw between Indo European language and India's
population.
viii. ‘Aboriginal’ means the same as
A. indigenous B. immigrant C. adventitious D. international.
ix. Supply one point to justify the following:
Some of the languages are called tribal or aboriginal but are spoken by more number of
people than those who speak European languages.
x. Choose the statement from the given options that is incorrect

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A. Twenty Dravidian languages are spoken by a quarter of India's population.

B. Speakers of fifty- four different languages of the Indo European family make up about
three quarters of India's population.
C. Speakers of twenty Mon-Khmer languages and Sino-Tibetan languages together make up
about two percent of the population.
D. India's schools teach eighty- five different languages.

II. Read the following passage carefully (10 marks)

1. The Nobel prize is an international award administrated by the Nobel Foundation and is based
on the fortune of Alfred Nobel, a Swedish inventor and entrepreneur. The Nobel Prize is
awarded for the best contribution in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Medicine Literature and
to the person who has contributed by and large to bring Peace on Earth. In 1968, Sweden’s
central bank established the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of
Alfred Nobel.
2. A look into the history of the recipients of the award reveals that only 57 women have received
the award compared to 873 male recipients. There are various historical reasons for why this is
the case, but the trend appears to be improving

3. Gorin Hansson, the permanent secretary of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science said”
While more women are being recognised now compared with previous decades, only about
10% of the professors in natural sciences in Western Europe or Northern America are women
and even lower if you go to East Asia”. All over the world, the number of men working in
STEM fields is much higher than the number of women.

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4. Hansson emphasized that they had made sure to identify the problem and also learn about
subconscious bias in the prize- awarding committees and academics. “We’ve had lectures by
sociologists, we’ve had group discussions, we have put quite a lot of effort into it”, he said.
5. “In the end, we will give the prize to those who are found the most worthy, those who have
made the most important contribution”, he added.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below. (1 X10=10)

i. Infer one reason for the following based on information in paragraph 2

Gender disparity among Nobel prize recipients.
ii. Based on the passage what efforts are being made by the Royal Swedish academy of Science
to address the low representation of female scientists?
A. The Academy is consciously awarding female scientists from the 2000s.
B. The Academy is inviting sociologists to lecture about the gender gap.
C. The Academy is hosting group discussions to boost the intelligence of female scientists.
D. The Academy is being headed by a team of women scientists.
iii. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word or phrase from para 4
overcooked : annoyed :: _________ : dissatisfaction
iv. Select the sentence that correctly uses the phrase’ by and large’ as used in paragraph 1
A. Paula prepared a by and large cake for dinner.
B. We bought by and large clothes for the campaign.
C. Most of the lions by and large eat deer when hungry.
D. She was so excited that she screamed by and large on the road.
v. Which of these can be inferred from the graph showing the number of women Nobel
laureates by decade?
A. No woman received the Nobel prize before the year 1910.
B. More women have received the Nobel prize since 1971 than men.
C. At least one woman received the Nobel prize every year since 1901.
D. Since 1961, women Nobel laureates have been increasing steadily every decade.
vi. The Nobel prize is an international award because it recognises the achievements made
A. in all subjects B. by all genders C. in all countries D. by all instructions
vii. Which of the following option corresponds to the word ‘receiver’
A. recipient B. investor C. entrepreneur D. none of these
viii. List any one reasons why there are less women selected for the Nobel prize when
compared to males even in modern times.
ix. Identify one criteria how a Nobel laureate is selected.
x. Select the option that titles para 1, 2 and 3 appropriately with reference to information in the
text.

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A. Origin of Nobel Prize, statistics of recipients, male domination

B. The Sveriges Riksbank, discrimination, positive change
C. Classification under Nobel Prize, improved scenario, intelligent men
D. Reasons historical, inequality, women focus on peace.

III. SECTION B – GRAMMAR (10 MARKS)

Attempt ANY TEN of the following questions. 10

(i) Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option. (1)
I can’t find my watch ,I __________it everywhere.
(a) looked up (b) looked for (c) looked in (d) looked through
(ii) Read the conversation between Mohit and Rohan. Complete the sentence by reporting
the student's reply correctly: (1)
MOHIT : Have you see langurs in the zoo?
ROHAN : My mother tells me to look at the mirror when I ask her to take me to the zoo.

Mohit asked Rohan if he had seen langurs in the zoo .Rohan replied _________.

(iii) Select the correct option to fill in the blank in the sentence below: (1)
Stand up for your rights because nobody else ______!
(a) need to (b) will (c) must (d) might

(iv) Complete the given narrative by filling in the blank with the correct option: (1)
In 1619,the first African slaves ______in Virginia ,USA and by 1790,their
numbers______nearly700,000.
(a) have arrived, reached (c) had arrived, reached
(b) arrived, had reached (d) arrived ,reached

(v) Select the correct option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the
following line from a newspaper: (1)
Over the recent years, many skilled craftsmen and women have lost their jobs inside the pottery
trade in the UK ,but gradually English porcelain is regaining its reputation.

OPTION NO ERROR CORRECTION

(a) recent few
(b) many A lot of
(c) inside in
(d) Isregaining Has regained

(vi) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence: (1)

Either of the two candidates _____eligible.
(a)are (b)is (c)has been (d)had been

(vii) Report the dialogue between Joel and Rex by completing the sentence. (1)
JOEL : Do you speak Italian? :
REX : No, I don’t speak Italian.

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In response to Joel’s question whether Rex speaks Italian, Rex says ______________.

(viii) Identify the error in the given question and supply the correction. (1)
Have you ever learn from a mistake you made?

(Use the given format for your response.)

ERROR CORRECTION

(ix) Report the dialogue between Anita and Reena by completing the narration. (1)
ANITA : Do you know how to swim?
REENA : Yes I learnt it during the summer vacation.
Anita asked Reena ______________. Reena replied in the affirmative and added that she had
learnt it during the summer vacation.

(x) Complete the following sentence by filling in the blank with the correct option. (1)
If I were a billionaire I ________buy a posh bungalow.
(a) would (b) should (c) will (d) must

(xi) Select the correct option to complete the narration of the dialogue between Anshu and
Mohan. (1)
ANSHU : When will you be coming back home?
MOHAN : I’ll be back by dinner time.
Anshu asked Mohan when he would be coming back home. Mohan replied________________.
(a) if he would be back home by dinnertime.
(b) that he would be back home by dinnertime.
(c) he would be back home by dinnertime.
(d) that he was coming back home by dinnertime.

(xii) Identify the error on tha board near a tree in the tropical rain forest in the Western
Ghats and supply the correction. (1)

KOKAM BUTTER TREE

It was an evergreen tree with drooping branches. The leaves are egg
shaped and dark green.

Use the given format for your response.

ERROR CORRECTION

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IV. SECTION B- CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS 10 MARKS

1. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. 5

A. You are Rajini/Rana, The Tour Co-ordinator, SNM High School, Pune. Write a letter to The
Manager, Hilltop Pine Resorts, Nainital, Uttarakand enquiring about accommodation for a group
of sixty students and six teachers for a two nights and three days stay from 15th March to 17th
March. Make enquiries about facilities available and the tariff.
OR
B. You are Vanathi /Varun .You attended an ‘Art of Living for Students Workshop’ organised by
your school’s Yoga Club. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper expressing your views about
how yoga is beneficial and how it helps in coping with academic pressure.

2. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. 5

A. With the help of the given flowchart, write an analytical paragraph in about 120 words on
‘Rising Prices’.

OR

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B. Read the following excerpt from an article that appeared in the magazine section of a local daily:

The ban on single-use plastic is impractical. The purpose of articles like bags and packaging is
ultimately to make human life easier. Plastic articles do this well, so they shouldn’t be banned.
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.

SECTION C- LITERATURE 40 MARKS

V. Reference to the context

1. Attempt ANY ONE of the two extracts given 5

A. IOTA : I can’t figure it out, Captain. (holding up a book) I’ve counted two thousand of these
peculiar items. This place must be some sort of storage barn. What do you think,
Sergeant Oop?

OOP : I haven’t a clue. I’ve been to seven galaxies, but I’ve never seen anything like this.
Maybe they’re hats. (He opens a book and puts it on his head.) Say, maybe this is a
haberdashery!

OMEGA : (bowing low) Perhaps the Great and Mighty Think Tank will give us the benefit of his
thought on the matter. (The Book that Saved the Earth)
(i) Select the option that correctly captures the usage of the expression 'figure out' from the first line
of the extract?
(a) It took them about one month to figure out how to start the equipment.
(b) Have you guys figured out a venue for the party yet?
(c) It is difficult to access funding before an outline business plan has been figured out.
(d) I took the figure out of the box and placed it on the mantelpiece.

(ii) Complete the analogy by selecting the suitable word from the text.
hint : strange:: clue:: ................

(iii) Omega's tone in the last sentence of the extract is one of

(a) gratitude (b) exaggeration (c) flattery (d) mockery

(iv) Choose the option that best explains the meaning of the word 'haberdashery' as used in the
extract.
(a) An investigator of strange unknown places
(b) A shop where cloth, pins and threads etc are sold
(c) A place where books are bound
(d) A sort of witchcraft

(v) What is common to a library and a barn, according to the extract?

OR

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B. During our childhood in Goa, the baker used to be our friend, companion and guide. He used to
come at least twice a day. Once, when he set out in the morning on his selling round, and then
again, when he returned after emptying his huge basket. The jingling thud of his bamboo woke
us up from sleep and we ran to meet and greet him. Why was it so? Was it for the love of the
loaf? Not at all. The loaves were bought by some Paskine or Bastine, the maid-servant of the
house! What we longed for were those bread-bangles which we chose carefully. Sometimes it
was sweet bread of special make. (Glimpses of India)

(i) Select the option that correctly captures the feeling that the baker's arrival evoked in
children's mind.
(a) irritation (b) optimism (c) excitement (d) indifference

(ii) State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE in the context of the extract above.
Both 'jingling' and 'thud' are onomatopoeic words because their respective sounds describe the
noise the baker's staff would make.

(iii) The names 'Paskine' or 'Bastine' most probably refer to the ............ in the narrator's family.
(a) servants (b) uncles (c) old men (d) older children

(iv) What light does the extract throw on the children's relationship with the baker?

(v) Select that option that is LEAST appropriate in the context of the following statement.
The extract contains the following types of imagery:
(a) auditory (sound) (b) visual (sight)
(c) gustatory (taste) (d) olfactory (smell)

2 Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. (5 Marks)

A. He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage. (A Tiger in Zoo)

(i) The expression 'quiet rage' is an example of the literary device that has contradictory terms.
Name the literary device.

(ii) The expression 'few steps' is suggestive of the tiger's

(a) inaction (b) laziness (c) freedom (d) captivity

(iii) In addition to oxymoron, two other literary devices used in lines 3 and 4 are
1. repetition 2. simile 3. anaphora 4. metaphor 5. alliteration
(a) Options 3 and 4 (c) Options 1 and 3
(b) Options 2 and 5 (d) Options 1 and 4

(iv) According to this extract, the tiger is in rage most probably because
(a) he is very hungry (c) he has been put in confinement
(b) he is being teased by the visitor (d) he hates the sound of car horns
(v) How do you think the meaning of 'quiet' in the third line contrasts with the meaning of 'quiet'
in the fourth line?

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OR
B. But presently up spoke little dog Mustard,
I'd have been twice as brave if I hadn't been flustered.
And up spoke Ink and up spoke Blink,
We'd have been three times as brave, we think,
And Custard said, I quite agree
That everybody is braver than me. (The Tale of Custard the Dragon)

(i) Which of the following statements are TRUE, according to the extract?

1. The dog and the kitten stopped bragging about their bravery.
2. Belinda never claimed that she was the bravest.
3. Blink was not cured of his boasting.
4. Custard never claimed to be the bravest.
5. Custard did not deserve being called brave.
6. Mustard confessed that he was flustered.

(a) Options 1, 3 and 5 (c) Options 2, 5 and 6

(b) Options 3, 4 and 6 (d) Options 4, 5 and 6

(ii) There is a repetition of "up spoke". There is inversion as the poet uses not 'spoke up' but 'up
spoke'. What does it show?
(a) A spirited speech (c) A convincing speech
(b) A slow speech (d) A concluding speech

(iii) ........ is to 'flustered' what 'sweet' is to 'sour'.

(a) agitated (b) suppressed (c) calm (d) silent
(iv) The character trait of Ink, Blink and Mustard' as evident in the extract is
_________________

(v) What is ironical about Custard's comment "I agree that everybody is braver than me"?

VI. Answer ANY FOUR of the following in about 40-50 words each. 4X3=12
i. Why does Gavin Maxwell say’the airhostess was the very queen of her kind’? (Mijbil the Otter)
3
ii. How did Nelson Mandela illustrate that depths of oppression can create heights of character?
(Long Walk to Freedom) 3
iii. Meticulous planning can help us achieve our goal. Validate this statement with reference to the
story ‘Madam Rides a Bus’. 3
iv. Anne Frank’s creativity saved her from punishment. Explain. (From the Diary of Anne Frank)
3
v. If the poet so wanted he could have easily bought another ball for the boy who had lost his ball.
Why do you think he does not do so? (Ball Poem) 3

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VII. Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 40-50 words each. 2X3=6
i. Were the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa just ornamental? What did Richard Ebright
prove in this regard? (The Making of a Scientist) 3
ii. Hari Singh could have lived like a rich Arab for a week or two with the money he stole from Anil
but he chose to go back to Anil. Why? (The Thief’s Story) 3
iii. Do you think that the young woman in red proved to be smarter than Horace Danby? Elucidate.
(A Question of Trust) 3

VIII. Answer ANY ONE of the following in 100 -120 words. 1X6=6 marks
i. Parental acts are for the betterment of the children. Justify this statement by taking points from
‘His First Flight’. 6

OR
ii The teachings of great people enable us to face even the most challenging situations in life.
Explain with reference to ‘The Sermon at Benaras’.

IX. Answer ANY ONE of the following in 100-120 words. 1X6=6

i. ‘Presence of mind is more powerful than a gun’. How far is it true in the case of Ausable, the
secret agent? (The Midnight Visitor) 6
OR

ii. ‘In the eyes of Bholi’s teacher there was the light of deep satisfaction that an artist feels when
contemplating the completion of her masterpiece’. How does Bholi become her teacher’s
masterpiece? Elucidate. (Bholi) 6

“End of paper”

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