10th Old Question Paper [Englidh]

High School Examination  (Main) - 2023

ENGLISH

[ Maximum Marks: 75]

Time: 3 Hours 

Instructions:

(i) Read all the questions carefully

(ii) Read the instructions given with the questions before attempting them. 

(iii) Marks of each question are indicated against it Question 11. 12. 13 in 30 words. Question 14, 15, 16 in 75 words.

SECTION - A

(Reading)

1 Read the passage carefully and answer the following questions:

There, once, was a stingy baker. A poor man would stand outside his bakery every day, enjoying the nice smell of baking bread. The baker was very angry at the poor man. He felt that anyone who smelled his delicious products should pay for the smell. So he took the poor man to the court.

The judge heard the baker's complaint patiently. Then he asked the poor man. "Do you have any money?"

The poor man searched his pocket and produced two small coins. "This is all the money I have," he said to the judge. 

The judge took the coins from the poor man. The baker smiled and eagerly held out his hand.

But the judge did not give the baker the money. He only jingled the coins together. He then returned them to the poor man, saying, "Punishment should fit the crime. The price for the smell of bread shall be the sound of money."

Questions:

(i) The baker took the poor man to..........

(a) Court

(c) Bakery

(b) Temple

(d) His home

(ii) How many coins were found in poor man's pocket?

(a) Twenty

(c) Four

(b) Two

(d) One

(iii) Give a suitable title for the above passage.

(a) Kingdom of Fools

(b) Love begets Love

(c) There is a will, there is a way

(d) Tit for Tat

(iv) Which word is the opposite of the word 'rich' ?

(a) Honest

(c) Poor

(b) Stingy

(d) Judge

(v) The poor man stood outside the bakery....

(a) To buy bread.

(b) To eat bread.

(c) To enjoy the smell of baking bread.

(d) To steal bread.

2   Read the lowing passage carefully and answer the questions gives below it:

A bee went to a tank to quench its thirst, and tumbling in, was almost drowned. A dove that happened to pass that way saw the danger the be was in. It hastened to a neighbouring tree and, plucking off a leaf, dropped it into the water before the bee. The bee climbed on to the leaf, dried its wings and flew away to its hive, full of gratitude to the dove that had saved its life.

A few days later the same bee, while returning to its hive after a hard day's work, saw a cruel boy taking aim at the dove sitting upon the branch of a tree. At once, the bee flew to the wrist of the boy and, just when he was going to shoot the dove, stung it. The boy danced with pain while the dove, realizing the danger to which it was exposed, flew safely away. 

Questions:

(i) Who danced with the pain?

(a) the boy

(b) dove

(c) bee

(d) elephant

(ii) The meaning of the word 'tumbling' is

(a) falling

(b) neighbouring

(d) crying

(c) swimming

(iii) The bee went to the tank

(a) to quench its thirst

(b) to meet another bee 

(c) to save dove

(d) to bath

(iv) Who saved the bee?

(a) falcon

(b) boy

(c) ant

(d) dove

(v) What did the hee feel when it was saved by the dove?

(a) proud

(b) gratitude

(c) guilty

(d) disappoint

SECTION - B

3     Look at the visual input given below and write a small paragraph in about 75 words.

4.    Read the passage carefully and answer the following questions: 

Since time began, the natural broad-leaved mixed forests of the Himalayas have played a crucial role in the life of the people of that region. In fact, the forests are the foundation of the whole economy of the hill villages. Green leaves and grass, for example, provide fodder for the animals whose dung is used as fertilizer. Dry twigs and branches are the only sources of domestic cooking fuel. The forests also provide large supplies of fruits, edible nuts, fibres and herbs for local consumption. The forest breaks the flow of the seasonal rainfall that lashes the slopes of this mountain range every year during the monsoon. This creates springs and perennial streams which are vital for the mountain people and their animals during the hot summer months.

For many years, however, large areas of these rich forest resources have 2 been destroyed. For example, the forests of Tehri Garhwal were exploited to supply timber for the expanding railway network in the plains. The people of Fehri Garhwal in 1930 began a non-cooperation movement called Satyagraha form of peaceful resistance to obtain justice in opposition to the oppressive forest laws.

Questions:

(i) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make a note on it using abbreviations if needed.

(ii) Give a suitable title to it.

5     You are Manas Mansi, studying in Govt. Higher Secondary School, Balaghat. Write an application to your principal for issuing your school leaving certificate.

OR

You are Ritik/Ritika, lives in Indore. Write a letter to your friend inviting him/her to your father's promotion party.

6     Write an essay on any one of the following topics in about 250 words:

(i) Online Education

(ii) Disadvantages of Social Media

(iii) Population Growth

(iv) Electric Vehicles

(v) Women Empowerment

OR

Write a paragraph in about 150 words on the 'Importance of English'.

SECTION C

(Grammar)

7   Fill in the blanks: (any five )

(1) He died ___ cancer (of off, on) 

(2) Kite has ___  friends. (much, many, any)

(3) She ___ a song. (singing, sings, sung)

(4) ___ you live long (earn, might, may)

(5) July comes ___ August. (before, after, with)

(6) Ashoka was one of ___ greatest kings of India. (a, an, the)

(7) We ___ follow the traffic rules, (must, should, might)

8    Do as directed: (any five)

(1) Swimming is a good habit. (Rewrite the sentence beginning with "It") 

(2) Mamta goes to school every day. (Make interrogative) 

(3) He is so fat that he cannot run fast. (use too .....   to)

(4) The boy is my nephew.

The boy is wearing a blue shirt. (Rewrite the pair of sentences using 'who')

(5) Unless you run fast, you will miss the train. (Use 'If in place of Unless') 

(6) Police arrested the thief. (Make negative)

(7) Ram writes a letter. (Change the voice)

SECTION - D 
(Text Books)

9  (a) Read the extract carefully and answer the questions given below it: 

The moon was coming up in the cast, behind me, and stars were shining in the clear sky above me. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. I was happy to be alone high up above the sleeping countryside. I was flying my old Dakota aeroplane over France back to England. I was dreaming of my holiday and looking forward to being with my family. I looked at my watch one thirty in the morning.

Questions:

(i) How was the weather when the pilot started flying aeroplane?

(a) Clear

(b) Foggy

(c) Rainy

(d) Sunny

(ii) Pilot was going to

(a) France

(b) India

(c) USA 

(d) England

(iii) The above passage is taken from which lesson ?

(a) His First Flight 

(b) Black Aeroplane

(c) A Letter to God

(d) Glimpses of India

(b) Read the extract carefully and answer the questions

The fog comes 

on little cat feet.

It sits looking 

over harbour and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on. 

Questions:

(i) What has been personified in the above-given lines?

(a) harbour

(b) City

(c) fog

(d) cat 

(ii) After sitting fog _____.

(a) disappears

(b) moves on

(e) sits there only

(d) gets dense

(iii) The poet of the above poem is

(a) Pablo Neruda 

(b) Robert Frost

(c) Robin Klein

(d) Carl Sandburg

10    Answer the following questions:

(1) According to Nelson Mandela, what comes naturally to the human heart?

(a) hatred 

(b) love

(c) unity

(d) discrimination

(2) What was the name of Anne's diary?

(a) Benty 

(b) Kitten

(c) Kitty 

(d) Ketty

(3) Coorg is famous for 

(a) Tea 

(b) Coffee

(c) Sandal 

(d) Jute

(4) What name was given to the otter?

(a) Major

(b) Taro 

(c) Jim

(d) Mijbil

11 Answer the following questions: (any six) 

(1) Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?

(2) What Nelson Mandela thought about the oppressor?

(3) Why were two national anthems sung?

(4) What compelled the young seagull to take his first flight? 

(5) What is the Chinese legend about tea?

(6) How did Valli react for the dead cow? 

(7) Why did Siddhartha Gautama abandon his luxurious life?

(8) Where did Siddhartha Gautama get enlightenment?

What name was given to him after that?

12 Answer the following questions in 30 words: (any two)

(i) In the reference of the poem 'Fire and Ice', how will the world end?

(ii) What are the things that Amanda's mother ask her to do and not to do? 

(iii) How will the departure of the trees affect the house?

13 Answer the following questions (30 words): (any two)

(i) How did the narrator cure Tricki?

(ii) How did Ausable get rid of Max?

(iii) How did Griffin become invisible?

14 How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?

OR

How did the marriage take place finally?

15 What does the young boy say to Anne Gregory?

OR

Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called a "cowardly dragon"?

16 Noodle avoids offending Think-Tank but at the same time, he corrects his mistakes. How does he manage to do that?

OR

The course of the Loisels' life changed due to the necklace. Comment.