CHENNAI SAHODAYA SCHOOLS COMPLEX

COMMON EXAMINATION
Class-10
ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE (Code No. 184)
SET 1 - MARKING SCHEME

Time allowed: 3 Hours Maximum Marks: 80

SECTION A: READING SKILLS (20 marks)

1. Discursive passage 10m

i C. Reassuring 1

ii Planning a birthday party is like conducting an orchestra. There are 2

many different elements – the venue, the guests, the food, the (Any relevant
entertainment – and they all need to work together in harmony explanation can
to create a memorable event. be accepted)

iii The blogger suggests that before deciding on the type of the
birthday party we should know the personality (½ m) and
1
preferences (½ m) of the birthday honoree in order to successfully
plan a birthday party.

iv C. Hana, the HR of a company, plans a relaxation party with a spa

session and a candle light dinner, for her team after their hectic 1
schedule.

v The idiom, ‘like trying to herd cats’ refers to a futile attempt to

control/group/organize a class of entities which are inherently
2
uncontrollable. On top of it, the person needs to juggle flaming
(Any relevant
torches which is highly challenging and demands our complete
explanation can
attention. Therefore, the blogger compares the challenges to be
be accepted)
met out by a person who plans a birthday party to a person who
herds the cats while he juggles too.

vi There are countless types of birthday parties like surprise parties, 1

themed parties, milestone birthday parties, adventure parties, (Any one)

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 relaxation parties, destination parties, etc, that you can plan for but
the beauty of it is that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
OR
Remember, what works best for one party might not work for
another!

vii One can make a birthday party unique by adding their personal
1
touch and a dash of creativity.

viii seasoned 1

2 Case-based factual passage 10m

i According to the 2020 North American Camping Report, in the 2

United States, 48.2 million households reported that they camped (Any relevant
at least once during 2020, including 10.1 million households who explanation can
said they went camping for the first time, which equates to one-
fourth of the campers. be accepted)

ii The outdoor activities which enhance self-esteem are physical

demands of backpacking, setting up tents and making camp, 1
hiking, fishing, and exploring nature.

iii
1. Sign in the site to browse for camping

2. Searching camp site and choosing the preferred location

3. Booking after satisfied with the rules of the site 1

4. Making payment

iv I would start browsing for other sites which would suit my 1

preference. (Any relevant
answer can be
accepted as it is
an open ended
question)

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 v From the above passage, we can conclude that camping sites are
like schools which imparts overall development of the learner.
1
From the above passage, we can conclude that a camping site is (Any relevant
like a school which imparts overall development of the learner/ answer can be
relationship building, opportunities to learn and develop new accepted
skills/physical and mental development of the
learner/education through nature/

vi Sleeping under the stars can help promote our natural circadian 2
rhythm, which is a foundation for high quality sleep and health. (Any relevant
Feelings of connection to nature enhance psychological health and explanation can
well-being. be accepted)

vii B. To draw someone into your group you need to be

1
accommodative.

viii The number of campers increasing every year is the result of

increasing stress levels in the present world and the people's 1
awareness towards staying fit.

SECTION B: WRITING SKILLS & GRAMMAR (20 marks)

GRAMMAR 10 marks

3 Complete ANY TEN out of twelve, of the following tasks, as directed. 10x1=10

i including 1

ii 1
Error Correction

would will

iii The passenger asked the conductor if/whether that bus would cover the route 1
to Dal lake.

iv that they’d / they would visit it the next day / the following day. 1

v an 1

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 vi must 1

vii
1
D neither either

viii B. live 1

ix if/whether he could manage all those 1

x C. are planning 1

xi D. followed 1

xii
Error Correction

can must

WRITING 10 marks

Note: All details presented in the questions are imaginary and created for assessment purposes.

4. A Maximum mark- 5 marks

Format – 1
Sender’s address, date, receiver’s address, salutation and subject, body of the content,
complimentary close (Yours truly / Yours faithfully/ Yours sincerely)
[full credit if all aspects included. Partial credit (1⁄2 mark) one-two aspects are missing.
No credit if more than two aspects are missing]

Content -2
[ 1⁄2 mark for each content point area addressed - suggestion, importance, implication,
recommendation]

Organisation of ideas -1
[effective style, orderly sequence, paragraphed structure and formal tone and
vocabulary]

Accuracy -1
[Spelling, punctuation and grammar]

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4. B Same as 4.A

5.A Maximum mark - 5 marks

Content -2
Four trends/ points included & well-developed with sustained clarity

Organisation of ideas -2
[effective style, orderly sequence, single paragraph structure, tone (appropriate to the
question asked) and functional vocabulary]

Accuracy- 1
[Spelling, punctuation and grammar]

5.B Same as 5.B

SECTION C : LITERATURE TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLEMENTARY

READING TEXT (40 marks)

Read the extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE out of the 5 marks
6
two extracts given.

A Glimpses of India 5

The thud and jingle of the traditional baker’s bamboo, announce their
i 1
arrival in the morning.

ii C. Disinterested 1

During the author’s childhood in Goa, he describes that the bakers used to
be their friend, companion and guide to show their intimacy in their
iii relationship. The jingling thud of his bamboo woke them up from sleep and 2
they ran to meet and greet him eagerly. (Students self expression can be
accepted based on the given hints)

iv C. A diary entry of one’s personal life events 1

OR

B The Proposal 5

i D. ownership of Meadows 1

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ii making bricks for her 1

According to Natalya, Oxen Meadows belonged to them because both her

iii grandfather and great-grandfather reckoned that their land extended to 2
Burnt Marsh, which means Oxen Meadows were theirs.

iv A. a bond or other security with no fixed maturity date. 1

7 Read the extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE out of the two
5m
extracts given.

A Amanda 5

No, Amanda will never let down her hair if she becomes Rapunzel because she
i wants to lead a tranquil life without being disturbed by anyone. She wants to 2
escape from the person (may be her mother) who nags her.

ii rare 1

The stanza is given within parenthesis to highlight that those were the thoughts
iii of Amanda, not spoken out explicitly by her to the person/ her mother who 1
instructed her.

iv Allusion 1

OR

B The Tale of Custard the Dragon 5

i A. that Belinda has a pet dragon 1

The poet has misspelt the words ‘realio, trulio’ to bring in the rhythm and
ii 1
humour using poetic licence.

iii D. They were ferocious. 1

Custard, the dragon, was described ferociously as having big sharp teeth,
spikes on top of him and scales underneath. His mouth was similar to a
iv fireplace, and his nose was like a chimney. Also, he had daggers on his toes. 2
But contrasting to it, his character appears to be too timid, always crying for a
safe cage to protect himself from others bullying him.

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 Answer ANY FOUR of the following five questions, in about 40-50
words.

8 (Content-2; Organisation -1 4x3=12

1⁄2 mark to be deducted for Accuracy from the overall credit of a
response, if error density is high -more than a total of 2 spellings and/or
grammatical errors.)

Nelson Mandela pledged to liberate all his people from the continuing
bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other
i 3
discrimination. Never again his land and people will experience the
oppression of one by another.

For the first twenty-four hours Mijbil was neither hostile nor friendly; he
was simply aloof and indifferent, choosing to sleep on the floor as far from
my bed as possible. The second night Mijbil came on to my bed in the small
ii 3
hours and remained asleep in the crook of my knees until the servant
brought tea in the morning, and during the day he began to lose his apathy
and take a keen, much too keen, interest in his surroundings.

The moral of the poem 'For Anne Gregory' is that physical beauty is just
skin-deep. It is momentary. Unfortunately, most people are attracted by the
iii 3
colour of their skin and hair. Only God can love a person for
himself/herself alone.

What the onlooker does is correct. He says that he would not intrude on the
boy at such a moment because he wants the boy to learn a valuable lesson
from this experience. Offering him money to buy another ball would also
iv be futile because the boy can never truly recover what he has lost 3
because it’s the memory which is attached with the ball which cannot
be replaced. The poet wants the boy to learn about responsibility and to
know how to keep moving forward even in the face of suffering and loss.

Yes, the Buddha’s ideas and way of teaching continue to hold meaning for
us which is over 2500 years old. Yes, we have found better ways to deal
with grief.
(The following justifications, or any other relevant explanation can be
accepted)
v 3
● Helping each other to get over difficult times - spending time with
the bereaved one’s and not letting them alone
● Listening to music or engaging in activities to distract from thinking
about the lose
● Getting proper guidance from trained psychiatrists or counsellors

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 Answer ANY TWO of the following three questions, in about 40-50
words.

9 (Content-2 ; Organisation -1 2x3=6

1⁄2 mark to be deducted for Accuracy from the overall credit of a
response, if error density is high -more than a total of 2 spellings
and/or grammatical errors.)

Hari Singh thought Anil’s job was queer because he did not have a fixed
source of income. At times he had to borrow; and at times he would lend.
i 3
He often waited for his cheque. It appeared he wrote for a magazine. As
soon as the cheque arrived, he would celebrate by spending it lavishly.

The most important thing that Ebright found out was the discovery of the
unknown insect hormone (twelve tiny gold spots) which eventually led
to a new theory on cell life (cells can read the blueprints of its DNA.
Explanation:
● The gold spots on Monarch pupas were producing hormones that
ii 3
were responsible for the growth and the formation of butterfly
wings.
● How cells can read the blueprints of its DNA which controls the
hereditary and determines the form and functions of the cell,
proving that DNA is the blueprint for life.

The apprentice of Think-Tank, Noodle, comes out as an interesting figure

in the story. He is very polite and smart. He corrects the mistakes of his
iii 3
ruler very humbly by giving indirect suggestions. Also, he is very wise
and well informed.

Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 100-120

words.
10 1x6=6
Content 3 Expression 2 Accuracy 1

Suggested value points:

Valli's boldness gave her the freedom to explore the outside world while
the seagull could not recognise it initially but later with the help of his
mother.
Valli:
(A) ● Valli was an eight-year old village girl. 6
● She was mature, clever and practical beyond her years.
● Her strongest desire was to take a bus ride. She boldly and
meticulously planned for it by gathering the information about
distance, ticket money and fare.
● She boarded the bus without anyone's help.

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 ● She did not like being called 'Madam' or 'Child'.
● She refused a free treat by the conductor and did not talk to
strangers.
● This shows her commanding, confident and self-dependent nature
who enjoyed being independant.
Seagull:
● The young seagull lacked the courage due to the seed of fear that
was grown in his mind.
● The great expanse of sea stretched down beneath, and it was such
a long way down — miles down.
● He felt certain that his wings would never support him; so he bent
his head and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge where
he slept at night.
● Even when each of his brothers and his little sister, whose wings
were far shorter than his own, ran to the brink, flapped their wings,
and flew away, he failed to muster up courage to take that plunge
which appeared to him so desperate.
● Without prior practice and experience, he lacked the necessary
skills and self-assurance to venture into the unknown realm of
flying.
● These fears of failure and lack of courage took him a lot of time
to rule the sky with his wings.

OR

Suggested value points:

Dust of Snow:
● Communication between nature and humans.
● Nature is a healer and helps to overcome negative human
emotions.
● How insignificant natural events bring about a noticeable change
in one’s life.
Tiger in the Zoo:
● Humans are cruel and selfish. They take away the freedom of a
(B) living being. 6
● Government should concentrate on increasing forest reserve areas
rather than creating zoos to protect animals.
The Trees:
● Conflict between man and nature.
● Plant is brought inside the house when it is a sapling but as it
grows, it gets suffocated with the limited space available.

Nature is a healer. Do not be selfish. Be friendly and live peacefully,

without disturbing the flora and fauna.

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 Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 100-120
words.
11 1x6=6
Content 3 Expression 2 Accuracy 1

Suggested value points:

Boli:
● Boli was neglected by her parents on account of her looks and lack
of intelligence.
● She used to stammer because of which the other children made
fun of her and mimicked her. As a result, she talked very little.
● She was called a dumb-cow by others.
● She was sent to school as her parents believed her chance of
getting married was narrow.
● The teacher’s motivation and friendly nature made Bholi perceive
education
● She became a transformed personality due to education
● She refused to marry the man who was trying to exploit her father
due to her looks.
● She forgave her parents for all their mistakes and offered to take
(A) 6
care of them by taking a job in the school where she studied.
● Thus, education brought about a change in intelligence and
character and made her a refined person.

Griffin:
● Griffin was a brilliant scientist, as he discovered the scientific
formula to make a human body invisible.
● But he seemed to enjoy the feeling of power when he became
invisible.
● He misused his discovery to satisfy his personal needs and got
sadistic pleasure by hurting others.
● Although he was brilliant in his job, he was not a noble scientist
who made contributions to the larger benefit of society.
● His discovery of invisibility was therefore done just for his own
benefit.

OR

Suggested value points:

Ausable:
● Ausable's intelligence can be proved by the way he got rid of Max
(B) by a quick lie that there was a balcony attached to the window of 6
his room and it was the police who were knocking at the door,
while it was Henry, the waiter.
● Max jumped out thinking that there was a balcony, out of the fear

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 of police and died falling from the sixth floor of the building.
● Ausable observed that Max can be cornered with the sound of the
knocking at the door as he was impulsive and tensed in completing
his work fast before something goes wrong.
● Ausable had the brilliance to yarn up a story so very convincingly
even when his life was at stake which highlights his street
smartness.
Street smartness is characterised by a keen sense of observation,
understanding of people's intentions, and the ability to assess risks and
make quick decisions.

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END OF PAPER

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