SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER - 1

Class – X
Session: 2021-22 (TERM II) Time Allowed: 120 minutes
Subject: English Maximum Marks: 40

General Instructions:

1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections-READING, WRITING & GRAMMAR and
LITERATURE.
2. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.

SECTION A (READING)

1. Read the passage given below : [5 Marks]

(1) Music is perhaps the most popular and widely practiced form of fine arts,
transcending all kinds of cultural and linguistic barriers. Any form of fine art is difficult
to master and almost impossible to perfect and music is no exception.
(2) Nature, it is learnt, has blessed almost two-thirds of the human race with musical
ability of some sort. Music has the power to bring out the deepest emotions. In fact, it
is a magic medicine and many seek refuge in it when they are depressed or stressed.
It is this intimacy that makes us listen to music or even hum or sing sometimes. This
singing, or realistically speaking, expressing one’s emotion musically sometimes
takes a serious turn.
(3) The desire to sing before an audience is innocent and beautiful and indeed it is
perfectly alright to have such a genuine desire. But it is also important to understand
that singing is an intricate art — a highly refined one at that, which requires
systematic, prolonged and strict training, to be acceptable. This is an aspect we
forget in our keen desire to reach the stage and perform. It is almost like preparing a
formal meal for some specially invited guests, without even having learnt and
trained in the basics of cooking.
(4) These days almost everyone sings and it does not stop here. Most of us want to
become professional singers. Result: a complete disregard for and ignorance of the
training part, as the need is never felt to go through one and the urge to get to the
stage and perform overcomes even a little desire to learn, if any. If at all, somewhere
along the way one feels the need to gain some knowledge and training, it leads to
hurried shortcuts and half-hearted attempts, best described as ‘Crash Courses’.
(5) It is observed that those who have attained the so-called partial success,
suddenly feel that they lack the required knowledge and are not learned enough. But
it is too late by then. It should be understood here that the stage or a performance
brings in a different mind-set within the artist. It is always recommended and rightly
said that while on stage, cover the mistakes and weaknesses if any, and get along. But
the contrary is true when it comes to acquiring knowledge and during the learning
process. While under training, the student is expected to make mistakes but then
rectify those mistakes under the supervision and guidance of the teacher. Therefore,
it is good to make mistakes and then be corrected during the process of learning as
this subsequently makes one flawless and educated. This is a different mind-set. And
these two mind-set discussed above, (those of a performer and that of a student)
cannot coexist.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from
the six given below:
(i) What happens when most of us want to become a professional singer?
(ii) What should one do when on stage?
(iii) Which two mind-sets are discussed in the last line of the above passage?
(iv) How can we say that music is a magic medicine?
(v) What is best described as a Crash Course?
(vi) 'Transcending' in Paragraph 1 means ______________.

2. Read the following passage carefully: [5 Marks]

(1) As the family finally sets off from home after many arguments, there is a moment
of lull as the car takes off. “Alright, so where are we going for dinner now?” asks the
one at the driving wheel.What follows is chaos, as multiple voices makes as many
suggestions.
(2) By the time, order is restored and a decision is arrived at, tempers have risen,
feelings injured and there is at least one person grumbling.
(3) Twenty years ago, you would step out of home, the decision of meal and venue
already made with no arguments or opposition and everybody looked forward to the
meal with equal enthusiasm. The decision was made by the head of the family and the
others fell in line. Today every member of the family has a say in every decision which
also promotes a sense of togetherness and bonding.
(4) We empower our kids to make their own decisions from a very early age. We ask
them the cuisine they prefer, the movie they want to see, the holiday they wish to go
on and the subjects they wish to study.
(5) It’s a closely connected world out there, where children consult and guide each
other. A parent’s well meaning advice can sound like nothing more than unnecessary
preaching. How then do we reach our children through all the conflicting views and
make the voice of reason be heard? Children today question choices and prefer to go
with the flow.
(6) What then is the best path to take? I would say the most important thing one can
do is to listen. Listen to your children and their silences. Ensure that you keep some
time aside for them, insist that they share their stories with you. Step into their world.
It is not as complicated as it sounds; just a daily half an hour of quality time would do
the trick.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from
the six given below:
(i) What kind of chaos follows a decision, according to the passage ?
(ii) Why is it important for every member of the family to have a say in every decision ?
(iii) What do children prefer these days ?
(iv) Pick the synonym of ‘hurt’ from paragraph 2.
(v) The antonym of ‘simple’ in paragraph 6 is __________.
(vi) What message does this passage convey?
 SECTION-B — WRITING AND GRAMMAR

3. Attempt ANY ONE from (i) and (ii). [5 Marks]

(i) The given pie-chart shows the popular international brands of shoes and

their respective shares in the high-end shoe-market in India in the year 2020.
Study the chart carefully and write an analytical paragraph in about 120
words giving the general trends and other necessary details. Don’t forget
to compare the segments where relevant

OR
(ii) You are Parvati/Praveen, Store incharge of Aman Stores, 32/54, Ravi Nagar, Delhi.
Your school requires school bags and accessories in bulk for the commencement of
the new session. Write a letter of enquiry to the Sales Manager, Duckback Industries
Ltd, 13/4, Maharajpur, Delhi enquiring about the details of goods manufactured.

4. The following paragraph has not been edited. There is one error in each line.
Identify the error and write its correction against the correct blank number.
Remember to underline the correction. The first one has been done for you.
[3 Marks]
Error Correction
The rose-ringed parakeet also known as a E.g. a the
ring-necked parakeet, was a gregarious tropical a) ........................ ........................
Afro-Asian parakeet species that has an extremely b) ........................ ........................
large range. The adult male sports a read or c) ........................ ........................
black neck ring.

5. Read the conversation between a teacher and student and complete the
passage that follows. [2 Marks]

Teacher : Aniket, why were you absent yesterday?

Aniket : Yesterday I had a cold and fever, ma’am. I couldn’t inform you beforehand.

The teacher asked Aniket (a) ....................................................... . Aniket replied that

(b) ....................................................... and added that he couldn’t inform him beforehand.

Section C - Literature

6. Answer ANY SIX questions in 30-40 words each. [2×6=12 Marks]

1. What filled Bholi’, a dump cow, with a new hope in her?
2. Why did Ebright lose interest in tagging butterflies?
3. Why was Mme Loisel always unhappy?
4.Why did the lawyer call his work ‘unpleasant’?
5.What did Custard look like?
6. Why do you think M. Loisel was a loving husband?
7. What does the hack driver do to help the lawyer to look for Oliver Lutkins?

7. Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 120 words each. [2×4=8 Marks]
(i) “The life of mortals in this world is troubled and brief and combined with pain
.......... .” With this statement of the Buddha, find out the moral value that Kisa
Gotami learnt after the death of her child.
(ii) What really hurt the feelings of the narrator in the story, “The Hack Driver”?
(iii) Custard though mocked for his cowardice, displayed courage and was the one
who saved the day in the end. Pick a character from any of the units
(lessons/poems) in First Flight, who displayed similar characteristics, like Custard
and overcame a troubling issue? What similarities and differences do you find
between the character and Custard?

x-x-x- End of Question Paper -x-x-x

 SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER - 1
Class – X
Session: 2021-22 (TERM II) Time Allowed: 120 minutes
Subject: English Maximum Marks: 40

ANSWER KEY

1.
(i) Such desires result in a complete disregard for and ignorance of the training part.
(ii) When on stage, one should cover the mistakes and weaknesses if any and get along.
(iv) Indeed, Music is a magic medicine as it can make one cry or bring smile on one’s face.
(v) Hurried shortcuts and half hearted attempts at learning something are described as
crash courses.
(vi) Rise above.
2.
(iii) Now-a-days, children prefer to go with the flow and they question choices.
(iv) Injured
(v) Complicated
4.(a) was — is
(b) a — an
(c) read — red
5.(a)Why he had been absent the previous day.