CBSE Class 10 English Reading Comprehension Passages Assignment Set 01

Official CBSE Assignments for Class 10 English

Review targeted academic assignments with the CBSE Class 10 English Reading Comprehension Passages Assignment Set 01. Built according to official CBSE standards for the 2026-27 term, these downloadable Class 10 English worksheets support effective daily practice for Reading.

Solved Practice Assignments for English

View or download the dedicated CBSE Class 10 English Reading Comprehension Passages Assignment Set 01 resource below. Engaging with these assignments under focused study conditions ensures continuous academic progress and mastery of the 2026-27 curriculum.

Questions

Passage 1 (Questions 1 to 8)

Ilkal, a small town in the Bijapur district of northern Karnataka, is famous for its ethnic sarees. The sound of the handloom may soon belong to the past, because more and more weavers are leaving the craft for more profitable occupations. An Ilkal saree has a deep blue-black indigo body and a reddish maroon border four to six inches wide, with traditional and distinct designs. Families of dyers and weavers work together to produce it, using cotton, silk or a combination of both. Before chemical colours came in, the cotton was dyed with indigo and the red border was coloured with dyes derived from flowers.

A weaver's living room includes a loom pit, where he works and entertains guests and customers at the same time. The bedroom is the store for yarn and also the domain of the women of the house. A saree takes about a week to complete, and the work is tiring. 'The wholesale dealer gives us the raw material, mainly yarn, and we weave the saree on a piecemeal basis,' a weaver explains. 'The saree is then sure to be sold and we are not stuck with dead stock.'

Traditionally, natural indigo dyes were used. In the 1970s, synthetic German indigo replaced the vat-dyeing process, and today naphtha-based dyes have taken over, so the centuries-old craft of indigo dyeing is on the verge of extinction. As the new generation moves into more profitable avenues, the skyline of Ilkal is changing too. 'The most profitable business in the area is now granite,' says a weaver. With stone available in plenty, granite-selling agencies and the chimneys of processing units are proliferating all over the town, and the loom may become a mere memory.

Q1. What is Ilkal famous for? [1 mark]
(a) Its art form
(b) Its ethnic sarees
(c) Its weavers
(d) Its handlooms

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: (b) Its ethnic sarees. The first sentence says the town is famous for ethnic sarees.

Teacher's Note:
1. Read the opening sentence of the passage.
2. Look for the product, not the people.

Q2. The weavers are leaving this profession to [1 mark]
(a) join more profitable organisations
(b) join industries
(c) become manufacturers of raw materials
(d) none of these

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: (d) none of these. The passage says they move to more profitable occupations, and the options (a)–(c) do not match this exactly; the new trade mentioned is granite business.

Teacher's Note:
1. Match the wording of the options with the text carefully.
2. The new occupation named in the text is the granite business.

Q3. The most profitable business in the area now is [1 mark]
(a) saree weaving
(b) granite
(c) chimneys
(d) indigo dyeing

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: (b) granite. A weaver states that granite is the most profitable business.

Teacher's Note:
1. Look for the weaver's statement near the end.
2. Chimneys belong to granite units; they are not the business.

Q4. Ilkal is a small town situated in [1 mark]
(a) Maharashtra
(b) Assam
(c) Karnataka
(d) Puducherry

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: (c) Karnataka. The first sentence places Ilkal in the Bijapur district of Karnataka.

Teacher's Note:
1. The location is given at the start.
2. Bijapur is in Karnataka.

Q5. The word 'proliferating' in the passage means [1 mark]
(a) increasing rapidly
(b) disappearing slowly
(c) moving away
(d) becoming smaller

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: (a) increasing rapidly. Granite agencies and chimneys are multiplying all over the town.

Teacher's Note:
1. Use the context of the sentence.
2. The opposite idea is shrinking looms.

Q6. The natural indigo dye was first replaced by ________ and later by naphtha-based dyes. [1 mark]
(a) flower-based dyes
(b) synthetic German indigo
(c) red border dyes
(d) cotton dyes

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: (b) synthetic German indigo. In the 1970s synthetic German indigo replaced the natural vat dyeing process.

Teacher's Note:
1. Follow the order of change in the passage.
2. Naphtha dyes came after the German indigo.

Q7. A weaver's bedroom is also used as ________. [1 mark]

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: a store room for yarn (and the domain of the women of the house).

Teacher's Note:
1. Read the paragraph about the weaver's home.
2. The bedroom has two uses.

Q8. Even today Ilkal sarees are made using natural indigo dyes. (True / False) [1 mark]

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: False. Natural indigo has been replaced by synthetic and then naphtha-based dyes.

Teacher's Note:
1. The passage says indigo dyeing is on the verge of extinction.
2. Look for the word 'traditionally'.

Passage 2 (Questions 9 to 17)

Air pollution is the worst form of pollution affecting us, and by polluting the air we are working towards our own destruction. Every year millions of people die because of indoor and outdoor air pollution, a fact that should open our eyes. Smoke from industries, factories, vehicles and cigarettes is the largest source, and it causes many respiratory diseases.

Smoking harms not only the smoker but also those who breathe in the smoke around them, the passive smokers. Air is also polluted by burning garbage, dry leaves, wood for cooking and fire crackers. Garbage can be recycled instead of being burnt, and dry leaves can be buried in pits, which also fertilises the soil. Stoves, LPG and other non-conventional sources of energy should be used for cooking. Air pollution also threatens historical monuments such as the Taj Mahal.

One common type of outdoor pollution is smog, a brown, hazy mixture of gases and particles. It forms when gases released by burning petrol and other petroleum products react with sunlight in the atmosphere. This creates ozone, a toxic form of oxygen, and exposure to high concentrations of it causes headaches, burning eyes and irritation in the respiratory tract.

Q9. What shows that we are irresponsible occupants of the earth? [2 marks]

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: The way we pollute the air shows that we are irresponsible occupants of the earth; by polluting it we are working towards our own destruction.

Teacher's Note:
1. Use the first paragraph of the passage.
2. Answer in two lines of 30–40 words.

Q10. What are the major sources of air pollution? [2 marks]

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: The major source is smoke from industries, factories, vehicles and cigarettes. Burning garbage heaps, dry leaves, wood for cooking and fire crackers also pollute the air.

Teacher's Note:
1. Name the largest source first.
2. Add the other sources briefly.

Q11. How is air polluted? What can we do to check air pollution? [2 marks]

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: Air is polluted by smoke and by burning garbage, leaves, wood and crackers. We can check it by recycling garbage instead of burning it, burying dry leaves in pits, and using stoves, LPG and other non-conventional energy for cooking.

Teacher's Note:
1. Answer both parts of the question.
2. Give one solution for each source.

Q12. In what ways is smog a health hazard? [2 marks]

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: Smog contains ozone, a toxic gas. Exposure to high levels of it causes headaches, burning eyes and irritation of the respiratory tract.

Teacher's Note:
1. Look at the last paragraph.
2. Mention at least two symptoms.

Q13. ________ heaps should not be burnt but recycled. [1 mark]
(a) Dung
(b) Food
(c) Plastic
(d) Garbage

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: (d) Garbage. The passage says garbage can be recycled instead of being burnt.

Teacher's Note:
1. Find the sentence on recycling.
2. The word is repeated in the text.

Q14. ________ is a hazy mixture of gases and particulates. [1 mark]
(a) Smoke
(b) Smog
(c) Cloud
(d) Fog

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: (b) Smog. Smog is described as a brown, hazy mixture of gases and particles.

Teacher's Note:
1. Look at the last paragraph.
2. Smog = smoke + fog.

Q15. In the original passage, the word that means 'appeared' is [1 mark]
(a) surfaced
(b) looked
(c) contributed
(d) affected

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: (a) surfaced. Diseases have 'surfaced' means they have appeared.

Teacher's Note:
1. Substitute each option into the sentence.
2. Surface means to come up or appear.

Q16. The synonym of 'the burning process' in the passage is [1 mark]
(a) irritation
(b) combustion
(c) concentration
(d) tract

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: (b) combustion. Combustion means the process of burning.

Teacher's Note:
1. Think of the chemistry term for burning.
2. Eliminate the unrelated words.

Q17. We are ________ occupants of this earth. [1 mark]
(a) old
(b) irresponsible
(c) disciplined
(d) regular

View Answer & Explanation

Answer: (b) irresponsible. The passage calls us irresponsible occupants because we pollute the air.

Teacher's Note:
1. Use the opening paragraph.
2. It is a criticism.

CBSE Class 10 English Assignments for Reading

Chapter Practice Questions for Class 10 English

Review targeted chapter assignments for Class 10 English Reading. Built according to official CBSE guidelines, these downloadable problem sets help students build accuracy and prepare effectively for school tests.

Key Advantages of Solving Reading Assignments

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How to Approach English Reading Assignments

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  3. Progress Monitoring: Note down complex formulas or concepts, clearing them up using available online practice aids.

FAQs

Where can I download the latest CBSE Class 10 English Reading assignments?

You can download free PDF assignments for Class 10 English Reading from StudiesToday.com. These practice sheets have been updated for the 2026-27 session covering all concepts from latest NCERT textbook.

Do these English Reading assignments include solved questions?

Yes, our teachers have given solutions for all questions in the Class 10 English Reading assignments. This will help you to understand step-by-step methodology to get full marks in school tests and exams.

Are the assignments for Class 10 English Reading based on the 2026 exam pattern?

Yes. These assignments are designed as per the latest CBSE syllabus for 2026. We have included huge variety of question formats such as MCQs, Case-study based questions and important diagram-based problems found in Reading.

How can practicing Reading assignments help in English preparation?

Practicing topicw wise assignments will help Class 10 students understand every sub-topic of Reading. Daily practice will improve speed, accuracy and answering competency-based questions.

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