Students can access the CBSE Sample Papers for Class 10 English with Solutions and marking scheme Term 2 Set 2 will help students in understanding the difficulty level of the exam.
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 10 English Term 2 Set 2 with Solutions
Time Allowed: 2 Hours
Maximum Marks: 40
General Instructions:
- The Question Paper contains THREE sections-READING, WRITING & GRAMMAR and LITERATURE.
- Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
SECTION – A
Reading (10 Marks)
Question 1.
Read the passage given below.
Politeness has been correctly defined as benevolence in trifles. It is the desire to put people we meet perfectly at ease, and save them from every kind of petty discomfort and annoyance. The limited part of benevolence called politeness requires only an inclination to make people happy while they are in our presence. This can be done without any sacrifice on our part or only with a slight sacrifice of personal comfort.
5. Politeness is said to be one of the important characteristics of a civilised person. It must be implemented in every walk of life. An honest and polite person is polite with everyone elders, people of lower status, workers, and even children. Not only with humans but we must also be polite with animals.
Politeness is a skill. Like any other skill, you can master it with practice. The greatest enemy
10. of politeness is-ego. To be a polite person, you have to sacrifice your ego. It is difficult for an egoist to be polite. You have to apply politeness in your thinking, speech, and actions. Actions work more than words. Polite actions will give positive results. In our daily lives, we come across many incidents where people are unnecessarily rude. Politeness will reduce your stress and help you be productive. Apart from immediate benefits, you protect your
15. future as well. Being polite makes you mentally healthy.
Different rules of behaviour have to be observed at different places, for example in the street or in the drawing-room, at home or at school, in the company of friends or with strangers. We must also consider the great diversity of social etiquette which distinguishes one country from another.
Politeness, besides being a duty that we owe to others, is also a valuable possession for
20. ourselves. It costs nothing, and yet may in many cases bring much profit. The great advantage of this excellence of conduct was very clearly expressed by Dr Johnson when he said that the difference between a well-bred and an ill-bred man is that one immediately attracts your liking, the other your dislike.
On the basis of gour understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the six given below. (1 × 5)
(A) What does the writer mean by saying one can be polite with ‘a slight sacrifice of personal comfort’? (1)
Answer:
(A) By the given phrase, the writer means that one needs to just come out of their comfort zone a little or avoid any slight inconvenience in order to make others happy by being polite.
(B) Rewrite the following sentence by replacing the underlined phrase with a word that means the same from lines 1-5.
Ronit is the youngest brother so, he usually help his elder siblings with work in a negligible amount. (1)
Answer:
Ronit is the youngest brother, so he usually helps his elder siblings with work in trifle.
(C) State the meaning of‘ill-bred ’ as implied in the passage. (1)
Answer:
An ‘ill-bred’ person is the one who is rude and lacks mannerism in his conduct in his upbringing. But in this passage, the word has been used appropriately for the people who lack ‘politeness’ in them.
(D) How has the writer explained the importance of politeness in a conduct? (1)
Answer:
The writer has explained the importance of politeness by stating that a polite person receives love and like instantly from others while an impolite person receives dislike.
(E) List two examples that can make us learn how polite a person really is in his life in the passage. (1)
Answer:
A bonafide polite person will always be polite with animals along with people. He will also be polite with strangers too.
(F) How does the writer justify politeness as a ‘skill’? (1)
Answer:
The writer justifies politeness as a ‘skill’ by stating that in the way a skill can be honed and made better through practice, politeness too can be made better by practising verbally and through polite actions.
Question 2.
Read the following excerpt from a case study titled ‘Discriminating Gender’.
Children in India live in diverse circumstances and have equally diverse needs and rights. Along with their needs to be educated, healthy, and skillful, they need, and have rights to adequate nutrition, to live in a safe and supportive environment, have opportunities to reach their optimal nentiat and generally lead healthy, joyful, and fulfilling lives so that they can become productive and well-adjusted citizens of tomorrow.
5. Children in our country face many challenges. Many of them are first-generation learners and face a myriad of problems throughout their schooling. Due to the socio-economic and cultural determinants, they may be vulnerable in many ways. Peer pressure and lack of positive role models may prompt them to make unsafe and unhealthy choices.
Anxiety and depression amongst the students, to the point of turning them suicidal, have been a cause for concern in the recent past. Girls are more vulnerable and face discrimination at many levels from being unwelcome since birth
10. to being pulled out of school for a variety of reasons. Dropping out of school, low motivation for academics, and general disinterest in sports and physical activities are some of the problems that need to be addressed. A survey done by Educating India, shows that nearly 65% of girls in the rural areas have depression as they felt inferior to boys due to their parents making them drop the school. The survey was conducted on 100 girls through a questionnaire that had 5 questions which was tabulated and studied. (Table 1)
15. Child malnutrition is rampant in most parts of the country. This has an adverse bearing on their cognitive capacities, learning performance, and physical capacity. India is one among the many countries where child malnutrition is severe. Malnutrition is a major underlying cause of child mortality in India. Our children have the right to have a good quality education, skill-building facilities, a safe and supportive environment, positive role models, empowerment, and friendly health services and counselling. Well-informed and skilled children are likely to make better 20. decisions concerning their careers and relationships, habits, physical and mental health, and also will be successful and an asset to the society.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the six given below. (1 × 5)
(A) What does the writer mean by saying that most of the children are ‘first generation learners’? (1)
Answer:
First generation learners refer to those students whose parents did not obtain a Higher Secondary Education. So, the writer means that many of the children in India belong to ‘first generation learners.’
(B) Comment on the significance of preventing ‘malnutrition in children’ as given in the lines 15-20. (1)
Answer:
Preventing ‘malnutrition in children’ is significant in order to improve children’s cognitive capacities, learning performance, and physical capacity. It is also important to control child mortality in India.
(C) Justify the writer’s opinion of ‘skilled children’ as an asset to society. (1)
Answer:
The writer has justified his opinion of ‘skilled children’ being an asset to society by saying that skilled children make better decisions for their career, relationships and health. This makes them successful in life and successful people are assets to the society.
(D) Why does the writer say that children face a‘myriad of problems’in schooling? (1)
Answer:
The writer say that children face a ‘myriad of problems’ in schooling as many of them suffer due to their socio-economic background and cultural differences.
(E) Parents in the rural areas still choose their sons over daughters to send to school. How does evidence from table support this statement? (1)
Answer:
From the table, we can see that 77% of girls have said ‘yes’ to the fact that they were not given the chance to study like their brothers.
(F) What is the purpose of ‘Can’t Say’ column in Question 4 of the table (questionnaire)? (1)
Answer:
The ‘Can’t Say’ column is for those girls who might have any other reason of their depression or who are just unaware of the cause of their emotions.
Section – B: [10 marks]
WRITING AND GRAMMAR
Question 3.
Attempt ANY ONE from (A) and (B).
(A) Study the concept chart from a recent study by WHO that has described some positive effects of quitting smoking.
Write a paragraph in not more than 120 words, analysing the given information. (5)
Answer:
Global warming refers to an increase in the average temperature of the Earth as a result of the greenhouse effect in which, gases in the upper atmosphere trap solar radiation close to the planet’s surface instead of allowing it to dissipate into space. The world is reeling in the after¬effects of global warming, with recurring environmental disasters like earthquakes, floods, cyclones, etc., causing loss of life and property. Increasing numbers of vehicles and mass deforestation have led to a spike in greenhouse gases.
Both natural and human-made conditions can be responsible, but humans can reduce it. Using less energy or alternative, non-polluting energy sources like solar and wind powers and afforestation can slow or stop global warming. Decomposing waste in landfills produces methane and other greenhouse gases. Waste also requires energy to manufacture in the first place, which can be reduced.
(B) You are Anuj of 451 C, Kailash Colony, New Delhi. You come across the following advertisement by Alexa Graphics Solution:
You are interested in doing a short-term course in computer graphics during vacation. Write a letter to the Director, Alexa Graphics Solution, in about 120 words, inquiring about their short-term courses and asking for other necessary details. (5)
Answer:
451 C, Kailash Colony
New Delhi
10th June, 20XX
The Director
Alexa Graphics Solutions
Laxmi Nagar
New Delhi
Subject: Inquiry regarding the computer graphic course
Dear Sir/Madam
I have completed my XII grade with computer science as one of the subjects.
I would like to learn computer graphics and wish to join a short-term course for the same in your institution. Kindly send me the details about the courses offered, duration, fee structure and the eligibility criteria.
Also tell if you provide weekend courses or night classes.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Yours sincerely
Anuj
Question 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.
Books helped us know more about our ancestry. Through books, we get to knew about great writers, poets or philosophers. Books have solutions in them By reading books, our knowledge increased. One should develop a habit of reading books.
Answer:
(a) Explanation: As the sentence is in the present tense, ‘know’ is the correct answer.
(b) Explanation: ’or’ is used to define a choice between things while ‘and’ is used to define things collectively. The correct conjunction to be used here is ‘and’. Hence, it is the right answer.
(c) Explanation: As the sentence is in the present tense, ‘increases’ is the correct answer.
Question 5.
Read the conversation between a teacher and student and complete the passage that follows.
Raman: Mr Vijay is on the line Sir. He wants to know if you received his email.
Boss: I don’t know if it is in the mailbox Raman!
Raman: Yes, it is Sir! It says “You have still not replied to the earlier urgent email sent to you last week. Please reply at the earliest.”
The boss’s secretary Raman told him that Mr Vijay was on the line. He was asking
(a) ……………………. The boss told Raman that he did not know if it was in the mailbox. Raman informed the boss that there was a mail which said that he had not repLied to the earlier urgent e-maiL (b) ……………………… There was a request to repLy to it. (1 + 1)
Answer:
(a) if he had received the email
(b) that was sent to him last week
Section – C [20 marks]
LITERATURE
Question 6.
Answer ANY SIX questions in 30-40 words each.
(A) What was the significance of baker’s dress in the narrator’s childhood days? (2)
Answer:
During the narrator’s childhood, the bakers would wear a shirt and trousers which were shorter than full-length ones and longer than half-pants. People who wear such pants even today are nicknamed as “pader”.
(B) Justify Amanda’s choice of being Rapunzel in the poem, ‘Amanda’. (2)
Answer:
In the poem ‘Amanda’, Amanda was fed up of her mother’s constant nagging and thus, wanted to live alone like Rapunzel who lived alone in a tower, with no one to nag her all the time. Amanda thought that Rapunzel’s life must have been very peaceful and wonderful.
(C) Comment on the tone of a person when he said to Kisa Gotami, “Do not remind us of our deepest grief.’’ (2)
Answer:
The tone of the person in the quote is solemn because universality of grief and pain makes us solemn, which is unavoidable and harsh truth. Nobody can escape death.
(D) Fun can prove to be cruel if it extends beyond limit. Using evidence from the peom, explain how this concept is represented in ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’. (2)
Answer:
In the poem The Tale of Custard the Dragon’, Belinda tickled Custard for fun so much that it turned into cruelty. Her other pets bullied Custard by calling him Percival who was the legendary brave knight of King Arthur teasingly. All that teasing was beyond fun and rather bullying.
(E) What advice did the Tehsildar give Ramlal at the opening ceremony of the primary school in Bholi’s village? (2)
Answer:
When the Tehsildar came to perform at the opening ceremony of the village school, he advised Ramlal that as he was the revenue officiaL of the village, he must set an example for the villagers by sending his daughters to school.
(F) Briefly state what life-changing decision has the poet Walt Whitman taken in the poem ‘Animals’. (2)
Answer:
In the poem ‘Animals’, Walt Whitman has decided to leave behind the society of humans because he finds them complicated and false. He decides to live with animals because they still retain the basic aspects of their nature as a living being which humans gave up long ago.
(G) The narrator is not unhappy at his failure in finding Lutkins. Comment. (2)
Answer:
The narrator hated city life and was unhappy at the thought of serving summons on people. His ride through the village made him very happy. He was overjoyed to meet the hack driver. So he was happy though he had not found Lutkins.
Question 7.
Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 120 words each.
(A) In the greed of achieving an objective, people may even shake hands with their rivals at times. Critically examine Lomov’s visit to Chubukov for marrying Natalya, even when the two families never got well along, based on your reading of the chapter ‘The Proposal’. (4)
Answer:
In the chapter, ‘The Proposal1, Lomov was an unmarried man in his mid-thirties. He couldn’t get a bride of his choice but looking for a bride at his advancing age. So, he decided to compromise by proposing to Natalya for the marriage in order to his greedy personal objective. Natalya, on the other hand, was Chubukov’s daughter and Lomov’s immediate neighbour.
She was too waiting for someone’s proposal as she was not married. Both the families never got well along. Even after that, Lomov wanted to marry Natalya as he had no other option he thought Natalya was fairly good-looking, well-educated and a great housekeeper. So, Lomov visited Chubukov’s home with a proposal to marry his daughter in order to achieve his objective of getting married.
(B) Ebright had nothing really to do in his hometown Reading when he was young. His mother kept him busy with new books and equipment. Reflecting upon Ebright’s curiosity in the chapter ‘Making of a Scientist’, develop a conversation between Ebright and his mother when Ebright gets bored.
You may start like:
Ebright: Mom…l have nothing to do. This town is devoid of interesting things! Ebright’s mother: Why Richie? Don’t you
(4)
Answer:
Ebright: Mom.J have nothing to do. This town is devoid of interesting things! Ebright’s Mother: Why Richie? Don’t you have to collect colourful butterflies, rocks and rock fossils tomorrow? Also, I will buy you some new books on butterflies by Dr Urquhart. I have heard they are extremely good.
Ebright: Oh great! I can also click pictures of the natural objects. I need a telescope for gazing stars at night. Can you buy me one, mom?
Ebright’s Mother: Sure Richie. You also need to finish up your school project at the earliest. I will help you with that. Your friends might come over the weekend to stay with you.
Ebright: Thanks mom!
(C) A person’s surrounding plays a very crucial role in shaping its decisions and desires in life. In context of the story ‘Madam Rides the Bus’, evaluate how Valli developed interest and desire in her to ride the bus.(4)
Answer:
Valli an eight-year-old girl condensed no playmate of her age. She used to stand at the doorway of her house and watch the happenings of the street. She enjoyed the views of the outside world and learned a lot from the instances that she viewed. Her favourite time of the day was an hour during mid-day, when a bus used to ply between her village and the nearest town.
She used to get excited by looking at the people in the bus. Many of her friends used to describe their experiences of the bus ride to Valli, listening to which, she became jealous. Looking at the bus for days from the door of her house, she developed a strong desire to ride it herself all alone.