Class 10 English Sample Paper with Solutions Set A

Students should go through the below Class 10 English Sample Paper with Solutions Set A provided below. The English Sample paper Class 10 has been prepared based on the latest examination pattern issued by CBSE. All Cass 10 English Sample Papers have been designed by expert teachers based on the latest syllabus and guidelines issued by CBSE, NCERT and KVS.

Class 10 English Sample Paper with Solutions Set A

Class 10 English Sample Paper Set A

Time Allowed : 3 Hours                                                                                                                                   Maximum Marks : 80
General Instructions :
(i) This paper is divided into three sections: A, B and C. All questions are compulsory.
(ii) Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read these instructions very
carefully and follow them.
(iii) Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions

Section A -Reading (20 Marks)

1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (8 Marks)

1. The film industry is facing the challenge of the television screen which, because of its ready availability and nearness to entertainment seekers, is becoming very popular, particularly in the West where television programmes are as indispensable to people as newspaper material. Sustained entertainment for multitudes lasting two or three hours is possible only in big cinema halls. Scenic beauty, background effects and colour techniques which have made the products of cinema industry so attractive and delightful may not be reproduced by television programme organisers, and therefore, this important invention in the field of wireless communication, in spite of having become a big rival of the cinema, may not succeed in replacing it.

2. The motion picture has also stepped into the international sphere as an agent of goodwill and co-operation among nations. Cultural contacts which tend to reduce tension in the world and bring harmony in international relations have been established through the medium of films. The more people understand and appreciate the past history, present aims, customs, habits and beliefs of men and women in foreign lands, the more will they realise that their interests can best be served by establishing friendly relations with them and by removing those irritants which breed distrust, lack of co-operation and the desire to punish those whose views and attitudes are such as they do not like. As cultural agents movies can cement ties of love and brotherhood among nations and teach them to confer on each other the benefits of all the rich and glorious achievements of the present enlightened age. In recent years, artists of the film world have been visiting foreign lands with a view to presenting before audience in those countries the best products of their cultural heritage. Film festivals which many European and Asian countries have been organising from time to time have also proved to be of immense value in reducing social barriers, colour prejudices and other causes of friction between nations.

(1.1) On the basis of your reading of the passage given above, answer the following questions.(1 × 8 = 8)

(a) The film industry is facing the challenge of:
(i) the theatre
(ii) financial crunch
(iii) waning people’s interest
(iv) the television screen

(b) The TV has become popular because of:
(i) its entertaining programmes
(ii) its educative value
(iii) its ready availability and nearness
(iv) its wide appeal

(c) Three things which make cinema so attractive are:
(i) scenic beauty, background effects and beautiful faces
(ii) scenic beauty, good sets and colour techniques
(iii) scenic beauty, gaudy dresses and colourful techniques
(iv) scenic beauty, background effects and colour techniques

(d) Films have become agents of:
(i) pioneering
(ii) providing
(iii) confercing
(iv) goodwill and cooperation

(e) Which of these reduces the tension of the people and bring harmony?
(i) film industry
(ii) television programme
(iii) beauty of nature
(iv) cultural context

(f) The artists of the film industry visit foreign lands with the purpose of:
(i) establishing friendly relations with them
(ii) presenting best products of their cultural heritage
(iii) bringing harmony in international relations
(iv) getting better opportunity.

(g) Film festivals have proved to be of immense value in reducing social barriers and colour _____

(h) Irritants only breed mistrust and conflicts among nations.
(True/False)

2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (12 Marks)

1. Have you ever failed at something so miserably that the thought of attempting to do it again was the last thing you wanted to do?

2. If your answer is yes, then you are “not a robot.” Unlike robots, we human beings have feelings, emotions, and dreams. We are all meant to grow and stretch despite our circumstances and our limitations. Flourishing and trying to make our dreams come true is great when life is going our way. But what happens when it’s not? What happens when you fail despite all of your hard work? Do you stay down and accept the defeat or do you get up again and again until you are satisfied? If you have a tendency to persevere and keep going then you have what experts call, grit.

3. Falling down or failing is one of the most agonizing, embarrassing, and scariest human experiences. But it is also one of the most educational, empowering, and essential parts of living a successful and fulfilling life. Did you know that perseverance (grit) is one of the seven qualities that have been described as the keys to personal success and betterment in society? The other six are: curiosity, gratitude, optimism, self-control, social intelligence, and zest. Thomas Edison is a model for grit for trying 1,000 plus times to invent the light bulb. If you are reading this with the lights on in your room, you know well he succeeded. When asked why he kept going despite his hundreds of failures, he merely stated that what he had been not failures. They were hundreds of ways not to create a light bulb. This statement not only revealed his grit but also his optimism for looking at the bright side.

4. Grit can be learned to help you become more successful. One of the techniques that helps is mindfulness. Mindfulness is a practice that helps the individual stay in the moment by bringing awareness of his or her experience without judgement. This practice has been used to quiet the noise of their fears and doubts. Through this simple practice of mindfulness, individuals have the ability to stop the self-sabotaging downward spiral of hopelessness, despair, and frustration.

5. What did you do to overcome the negative and self-sabotaging feelings of failure? Reflect on what you did, and try to use those same powerful resources to help you today.

2.1. On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions in about 30-40 words each. (2 × 4=8)

(a) According to the passage, what are the attributes of a human?
Ans. (a) According to the passage, grit, curiosity, gratitude, optimism, self-control, social intelligence and zest are the attributes of a human

(b) What is perceived as grit?
Ans. (b) If you have a tendency to persevere and keep going, we have what experts call grit.

(c) How is ‘failing’ an educational and empowering part of human life?
Ans. (c) Failing teaches us how to be perseverant and keep going for one’s goals. Each failure makes one understand what to do and what not to do.

(d) In what ways can grit be developed?
Ans. d) We should not accept defeat. Instead we should make efforts to overcome our limitations, and not to stay down. Thus, we can develop grit

2.2. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the following. (1 × 4=4)

(a) The synonym of ‘continue’ as given in paragraph 2 is _____
(i) robots
(ii) accept
(iii) persevere
(iv) flourish

(b) The synonym of ‘distressing’ as given in paragraph 3 is _____

(c) The antonym of forbidding as given in para 3 is _____
(i) fulfilling
(ii) agonizing
(iii) empowering
(iv) looking

(d) The antonym of ‘heedlessness’ as given in para 4 is ______

Section B – Writing & Grammar (30 Marks)

3. You are Anita of Adarsh Public School, Nagal, Punjab who had arranged a trip for fifty students of Nanital in summer vacations for ten days with ‘Mount Travel, and Tourism’. The arrangements done by the travel agency were far below standard. The accommodation and food facilities were inferior in quality. Write a letter of complaint to the director of the agency to stop duping tourists with false promises as it tarnishes the image of locals.                                                                        (100-150 words) (8 Marks) 
                                                                                                                or
India is a highly populated country. People lack in maintaining proper sanitation and hygiene as a result they suffer from various diseases. India has a serious sanitation challenge; around 60 per cent of the world’s open defecation takes place in India. Poor sanitation causes health hazards including diarrhoea, particularly in children under 5 years of age, malnutrition and deficiencies in physical development and cognitive ability. You are Nitin/Nikita, head boy/girl of Vikas Public School, Jaipur. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily, highlighting the problem and suggesting practical ways to ensure public sanitation and the right to dignity and privacy.                                                                                                                                                                                     (100-150 words)

Ans :
Adarsh Public School
Nagal, Punjab
23nd November, 2019
The Director
Mount Travels and Tourism
Nagal, Punjab
Sub: Inferior quality of food and accommodation.
Dear Sir,
I am constrained to express my displeasure and resentment at inferior arrangements made during our tour to Nanital summer vacations. Our tour was for ten days and arrangement made by your agency was below standard when we came back home, most of the students fell ill and they are unable to attend classes. During our negotiation for tour, following promises were made:
(a) Stay in good hotels
(b) Food at a good restaurant.
As above promises were fulfilled, we stayed in a lodge and were forced to eat local foods. Consequently most of students fell ill.
Certainly we are cheated by our agency. You are requested that you should not dupe local people because it tarnishes our image.
Yours sincerely
Anita

or

Vikas Public School
Jaipur
23nd November, 2019
The Editor
Rajasthan Patrika
Jaipur
Sub: Need for public sanitation.
Sir,
Through the column of your esteemed daily I want to highlight the serious problem of sanitation. Everybody knowns that India is a highly populated country. The people have no proper sanitation and hygiene facilities. Around 60 per cent of the world’s open defecation takes place in India. As a result, people suffer from various diseases. Diarrhoea, among various health hazards, is very common among the children of below five years of age. Poor sanitation also causes deficiencies in physical development and cognitive ability among people.
The government and the concerned authorities must take steps in this regard. They should put the public sanitation facilities at important places of villages, towns and cities. Besides, people should be made aware of diseases caused by open defecation. Sanitation should become our right to ensure dignity and privacy
Yours faithfully
Nitin
Head Boy

4. Develop a short story with the help of the given visual/starting line. Give a suitable title to your story. (150-200 words) (10 Marks) 
Ans :                                                                                   A Brave and Courageous Sailor
Yesterday I went to the beach with my friends. We were quite happy. We arrived at the beach at around 10:30 am. We selected a sport by the sea and placed our packets on the benches. After reaching the beach, we decided to play some games on the sand. As we had brought two footballs and there were six children, we started jumping and exchanging the ball with one another. During our play, the ball slipped away near the date tree and I hurried towards the tree to bring back the ball. Fortunately I watched a strange man near some bench. He was a tall man and wearing a long coat and hat. A big knife was fitted into his strong belt. As he had a different look and dress, I became interested in the man and watched him.

I went near the man who was calling someone and a hawk was flying near his leg. But the strange man was lame in his left leg and he was filled with courage and excitement. I thought him to be sea man and desired to meet him. Fortunately his eyes caught my presence and he called me there and then.

I gathered courage and approached him. The man was pleased with me. I asked him several questions, and he politely answered them all. During our gossip I came to know that he was John and a sailor by profession. He had brought up the hawk since he was of five years. He belonged to France and his father was also a sailor.

In the meantime my friends arrived at the spot. They were also surprised at the sailor. Although he was lame, he often liked to visit the new places. Now he is in our country and would stay for two more days. Really he was bold and courageous sailor.

or

It was an amazing day. Full of fun and frolic. We all stood aghast to see a strange flying object over our
heads. We started guessing… (write in 150-200 words).
Ans.                                                                                                         A Spy Camera
It was an amazing day, full of fun and frolic. We all stood aghast to see a strange flying object over to our heads. We started guessing about the object. My friend Deepak is very intelligent. He always gets high scores in science. I called him and wanted to take his help. He came to the place where I was standing and stared at the object. After some observation he said, “I think the strange object may be a part of plane and may have detached away from the plane body. Now it is flying in the air and may fall upon the ground

anytime.” As I was not satisfied with my friend’s observations, I decided to make my own observation because two strange objects was a curious thing for me. Certainly I was filled with curiosity and wanted

to know the object in detail. But Deepak wanted to go back home as it was getting dark. Certainly I could not stay Deepak further on the spot so my friend left me and I remained on the spot.

When the evening set in there was faint dark everywhere. I was still standing watching the strange object or UFO. When the strange object was at short distance over my head, I could clearly see it. I found that it was very big box fitted with huge cameras. It was an act of some enemy country because it was a sky camera. I found the country was in danger. So, I immediately called the police. The camera was brought down on the ground with the help of helicopter, and an extensive investigation was made. My information was correct. Hence, I helped the country.

5. Fill in the blanks choosing the most appropriate option from the ones given in the box. Write the answers in your answer-sheet against the correct blank numbers. (1 × 4 = 4)

Butterflies are abundant (a) _____ the Central African Republic. It (b) _____ home to nearly 600 identified species. Many butterflies are brilliantly coloured and small (c) _____ some are as big as saucers. Farmer Philippe (d) _____ solace in collecting butterfly wings from his fields and turning them into works of art. My favourite hobby, since my childhood, is catching butterflies.

(a) (i) in
(ii) from
(iii) for
(iv) into

(b) (i) has
(ii) is
(iii) was
(iv) are

(c) (i) if
(ii) therefore
(iii) so
(iv) while

(d) (i) find
(ii) to find
(iii) finding
(iv) finds

6. In the following passage one word has not been edited in each line. Write the incorrect word along with the correct word in the space provided. (1 x 4 = 4)

In Himalayas, the e.g. the a desert is turning green
                                                                                   Incorrect        Correction
Climate change in a Indian region of                       (a) _____         _____
Ladakh has shrunk glaciers or has made rainfall  (b) _____         _____
and temperature unpredictable. Water has           (c) _____         _____
needed to irrigating the fields                                  (d) _____         _____
Farmers may require aid from the government.

Ans,	Incorrect	Correction
(a)	a	the
(b)	or	and
(c)	has	is
(d)	irrigating	irrigate

7. Rearrange the following groups of words or phrases to make meaningful sentences. (4 Marks)

(a) enters/millions tons/the/every year/of/ocean/ plastic
Ans. Millions tons of plastic enters the ocean every year.

(b) are/waters/sightings/junk-filled/of/common 
Ans. Sightings of junk filled waters are common.

(c) population/middle-class/increasing/is/ coastlines/along
Ans. Middle-class population is increasing along coastline.

(d) trash/increase/has led/waste management/lack/of/in/to
Ans. Lack of waste management has led to increase in trash.

Section C – Literature (30 Marks)

8. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow: (1×4=4)

Some say the world will end in fire
Some say in ice
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.

(a) Some people say that this world:
(i) is very strange
(ii) is full of all sorts of people
(iii) will come to an end one day
(iv) will end in fire

(b) Others think that this world:
(i) will go on for ever
(ii) will end in wars and conflicts
(iii) will end in itself
(iv) will end in ice

(c) The poet has tasted the passions and pangs of _____

(d) The poet stands with those who _____ that this world will end in fire.

 or

Today, all of us do, by our presence here…confer glory and hope to newborn liberty. Out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud.

(a) Those who were present were conferring glory and hope:
(i) to newborn liberty
(ii) to the new nation
(iii) to the new government
(iv) to the new black president

(b) The apartheid regime was based on:
(i) mutual hatred
(ii) mutual trust
(iii) mutual cooperation
(iv) racial discrimination

(c) A new democratic and non-racial society was going to _____

(d) Nelson Mandela was the first black president of ______ [Fill in the right word

9. Answer any five of the following questions in 30-40 words each: (2 × 5 = 10)

(a) Hari Singh is both a thief and a human being. Explain.
Ans. No doubt Hari is a thief as well as good human being. Situations compel a person to become either beast or remain as a human being. Even goodness and nobility of a person changes anyone’s heart and mind.

(b) How does the necklace change the course of the Loisel’s life?
Ans. Only because of necklace and showing off, Loisel fell in a debt trap which forced her to live like an ordinary lower middle class housewife. She started doing all the household chores which a lady of her status normally does not do. Aspirations have no limits but one should never forget the ground realities.

(c) What do you think was the speaker’s attitude towards Amanda?
Ans. The speaker is concerned about Amanda and wants to unstil good habits and behaviour in her. The speaker wants her to give up bad habits and be organised in life. Speaker constantly keep instructing her with do’s and dot’s and doesn’t went Amanda to look gloomy.

(d) Why would you not agree with Lencho calling them ‘a bunch of crooks’?
Ans. Lencho was not at all justified in calling them ‘a bunch of crooks because they helped him by collecting money.

(e) Bholi’s heart was overflowing with a ‘New hope and a new life’. What does the phrase `the new hope and the new life’ mean?
Ans. It means, ‘To serve her parents in old age and to teach the students in the same school when she had learnt too much’.

(f) What colour is the young woman’s hair? What does she say she can change it to? Why would she want to do so?
Ans. The colour of the young woman’s hair is yellow. Her hair can be called ‘blonde’. She says that she can change the colour of her hair according to her choice. She can dye the hair brown, black or of carrot’s colour. She wants to show that outward appearances can easily be changed. A young man should not fall in love with her only after seeing her yellow hair or outwardly appearance

10. Answer any one of the following questions in about 100-150 words. (8 Marks)

(a) Simple moment proves to be very significant and saves rest of the day of poet from being wasted. Explain on the basis of the poem ‘Dust of Snow’.
Ans. In this poem, Robert Frost praises and describes different positions of nature. Here he touches different aspects of natural sights. There are many things in nature that are not considered auspicious like—crow and hemlock. Crow is not considered a good bird. Similarly, hemlock tree is a poisonous tree and that is why it is the symbol of sadness. When the crow shakes off the dust of snow from the hemlock tree, it falls on the poet. Thus the poet’s mood changes due to this incident. Robert Frost, in this poem, represents the crow and hemlock tree as inauspicious. But when the crow shakes off the dust of snow from the hemlock tree, it falls on the poet. It changes his dejected mood and saves the day from being spoilt

or

(b) What was Mijbil’s favourite game during Maxwell’s stay in London?
Ans. Mijbil invented a game with the ping-pong ball while his stay in London. One of Maxwell’s suitcase had got damaged its lid, when closed remained at a shope which Mij used as his game he would place the pingpong ball on the high end and allow the ball to slide down. Before the ball went down the slope he would dash around to the other end and spring up to grab it and trot off with it to the high end again. He would keep himself engrossed in the game for about half an hour at a stretch

11. Answer any one of the following questions in about 100-150 words. (8 Marks)

(a) Mrs. Pumphrey thought that her dog’s recovery was a triumph of surgery. Elaborate.
Ans. Mrs. Pumphrey was worried on noticing Tricki’s listlessness bouts of vomiting and lack of interest in food. She could not bear to see him in pain. She called on Dr. Herriot who advised hospitalisation for Tricki for a fortnight. The doctor knew that the chief cause of Tricki’s ailment was overfeeding. He was confident that by restricting the dog’s diet he would be able to make him well again. Keeping a vigilant eye on him, the doctor served him plenty of water but no food for the first two days. Tricki regained perfect health within a span of few days. According to Mrs. Pumphrey such quick and complete cure is usually possible only after surgery, so she thought that Tricki’s recovery was a triumph of surgery.

or

(b) People should always try to live within their means. Aspiration have no limits but one should never forget the ground realities. Elaborate on the basis of chapter, “The Necklace
Ans. Matilda was a pretty young woman. But she was a day-dreamer. Although she was born in a poor family, yet she dreams to have costly dresses and jewellery. She wanted to be honoured and respected like rich. One day her husband showed her an invitation from a minister. She emotionally forced to buy a new and costly dress for the ball. After this she borrowed a diamond necklace from her friend Forestier. She enjoyed the party heartily. She danced with enthusiasm. But she lost the necklace and in this way their problems started. To replace the necklace her husband had to borrow amount on a very high rate of interest. To repay that amount, they lived in rented house. She did all household work herself. Mr. Loisel worked extra to earn small wages. Thus, it is correctly said that we should always live within one means. Our aspirations have no limits. But we should never forget the ground realities. If Matilda had knowledge of this fact, her life would not have changed into realities.