CBSE Class 10 English Assignment - Wings of Fire. Students are advised to refer to the attached assignments and practice them regularly. This will help them to identify their weak areas and will help them to score better in examination. Parents should download and give the assignments to their children for practice.

PASSAGE No. 9(12 Marks)

9. Read the following passage carefully:

EXCERPT FROM “WINGS OF FIRE”

A large variety of materials go into the making of a launch vehicle— both metallic

and non-metallic, which include composites and ceramics. In metals, different types of

stainless steel, alloys of aluminum, magnesium, titanium, copper, beryllium, tungsten

and molybdenum are used.

Composite materials are composed of a mixture or combination of two or more

constituents which differ in form and material composition and which are essentially

insoluble in one another. The materials which combine may be metallic, organic or

inorganic. While other material combinations possible are virtually unlimited, the

most typical composites in launch vehicles are made of structural constituents,

embedded in a matrix. We used a large variety of glass fibre reinforced plastic

composites and opened avenues for the entry of Kevlar, polyamides and carboncarbon

composites. Ceramics are special types of baked clay used for microwave

transparent enclosures. We considered using ceramics, but had to reject the idea then

due to technological limitations.

Through mechanical engineering, these materials are transformed into hardware. In

fact, of all the engineering disciplines which feed directly into the development of

rocketry, mechanical engineering is perhaps the most intrinsic one. Be it a

sophisticated system like a liquid engine or a piece of hardware as simple as a fastener,

its ultimate fabrication calls for expert mechanical engineers and precision machine

tools. We decided to develop important technologies like welding techniques for lowalloy

stainless steel, electroforming techniques, and ultra-precision process tooling. We

also decided to make some important machines in-house, like the 254-litre vertical

mixer and the groove machining facility for our third and fourth stages. Many of

our subsystems were so massive and complex that they implied sizeable financial

outlays.

Without any hesitation, we approached industries in the private sector and

developed contract management plans which later became blueprints for many

government-run science and technology business organizations.

- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions:

(2x4=8 Marks)

a) What are the two basic characteristics of composite materials?

b) Why didn’t the narrator use ceramics into the making of a launch vehicle?

c) Why does the narrator term mechanical engineering as the most interesting and

valuable engineering discipline?

d) How did the private industries contribute in making of the launch vehicle?

Choose the correct options out of the choices given as per the direction given:

(1x4 = 4 Marks)

a) The meaning of the word ‘insoluble’ in the given context is: (Para-2)

i) a problem which is impossible to solve

ii) a substance which does not dissolve in a liquid

iii) a person who is not liked by anyone

iv) a great occasion or event

b) The meaning of the word ‘embedded’ used in Para-2 is:

i) to rotate something

ii) to push something

iii) to pluck out something

iv) to fix something firmly

c) The word which means as – ‘very interesting or valuable’ in Para-3 is:

i) Mechanical ii) sophisticated iii) intrinsic iv) vertical

d) The word which is opposite of – ‘horizontal’: (from Para – 3)

i) material ii) expert iii) welding iv) vertical

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