CBSE Class 10 English Reading, Writing and Grammar Assignment Set 15

Answer: He had been bloodied and badly beaten, and was too weak and had lost too much blood to haul himself inside.

Teacher's Note:
1. Look at the opening lines of the passage for the physical condition of the duck.
2. The answer needs both the cause (the beating) and the effect (weakness).

Answer: He was heartbroken. He sat down on the same bench where he used to meet Lionel and cried freely, and he died two weeks later.

Teacher's Note:
1. Mention his grief and the bench, as both are stated in the second paragraph.
2. The detail that he died soon after shows how deep the loss was.

Answer: After his weekly shopping he would sit on a bench and feed Lionel a slice of bread or a biscuit that he kept in his pocket, and the two enjoyed each other's company.

Teacher's Note:
1. Refer to the routine described after his shopping.
2. Keep the answer to what he did, not how he felt.

Answer: Children played with him, an old man fed him weekly, customers enjoyed his company, and after his death many friends and strangers sent condolences. A couple even travelled 100 km to bring a statue of a duck for his grave.

Teacher's Note:
1. Support your opinion with at least two incidents from the passage.
2. The outpouring of sympathy is the strongest evidence.

Answer: muttering

Teacher's Note:
1. The word describes how Lionel sounded near the children.
2. Match the meaning, not just the part of speech.

Answer: acquaintance

Teacher's Note:
1. Check the sentence that begins with 'The next day'.
2. An acquaintance is less close than a friend.

Answer: devastated

Teacher's Note:
1. The word is used for the customers who heard the news.
2. It is stronger than simply 'sad'.

Answer: waddle

Teacher's Note:
1. Ducks walk in this way, which is why the word suits Lionel.
2. The passage uses both 'waddle' and 'waddled'.

Answer: We failed to realise that evil grows stronger when good people stay silent and do nothing while others suffer.

Teacher's Note:
1. Link the question to the refrain of the poem.
2. The poet is speaking to people who looked away.

Answer: Because time has moved on and life has changed. The past cannot be undone, so the poet wants us to act now instead of dwelling on what happened.

Teacher's Note:
1. Use the line 'Time has moved on, life has changed' in your answer.
2. The poem asks for action in the present.

Answer: A wrong can be made right when good people decide to act, take a stand against injustice and correct it, instead of walking away.

Teacher's Note:
1. Notice that the poem says wrongs will be 'righted', not ignored.
2. Action by good people is the key idea.

Answer: Good men should not walk away from wrong. They should stand up, help those in need and fight evil.

Teacher's Note:
1. The refrain gives the opposite of what is expected.
2. State the duty in a positive way.

Answer: 'You' and 'I' refer to ordinary people, that is, the poet and every reader, who failed to help when others were in trouble.

Teacher's Note:
1. The poem speaks to society as a whole.
2. Avoid naming specific persons.

Answer: The children cried for help when the world was set alight by cruelty and violence.

Teacher's Note:
1. Read the second line of the first stanza.
2. The answer is a single word: help.

Answer: Their duty is to protect the weak, to resist evil and to stay active in setting wrongs right.

Teacher's Note:
1. Think of the duty as the reverse of walking away.
2. The refrain carries the message directly.

Answer: Evil wins, because nobody stands in its way.

Teacher's Note:
1. This is the line that is repeated at the end of each stanza.
2. It is the central message of the poem.

Answer: Model letter
M-206, Prashant Vihar
New Delhi
12 March 20XX
The Editor
The Times of India
New Delhi
Subject: Rising crimes against women
Sir/Madam,
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper I wish to express my deep concern about the growing number of crimes against women in our city. Almost every day the papers report cases of harassment, chain-snatching and violence, and many women now fear to step out after dark.
I urge the authorities to increase police patrolling, install more streetlights and CCTV cameras, set up fast-track courts and promote self-defence training in schools. Society must also change its attitude and respect women as equals.
I hope you will publish this letter so that it draws the attention of the concerned officials.
Yours faithfully
Ankit

OR Model article
Cleanliness: The First Step to a Healthy Life
By Ankita
Cleanliness is not just a habit but a necessity. A clean body and a clean surrounding keep diseases such as cholera, dengue and typhoid away. Dirty streets, overflowing garbage and polluted water spoil the beauty of our cities and harm our health. Each of us must dispose of waste in dustbins, avoid littering and keep public places tidy. Schools should teach children the value of hygiene, and campaigns like Swachh Bharat must be supported by every citizen. If we keep our homes and surroundings clean, we will live healthier and happier lives. Let us pledge to keep India clean.

Teacher's Note:
1. A letter needs sender's address, date, receiver, subject, salutation, body and subscription in the right format.
2. The article needs a title, byline and a clear beginning, middle and end within the word limit.

Answer: (a) that, (b) can, (c) when, (d) an.

Teacher's Note:
1. Each gap is decided by the word that follows it.
2. 'Astounding' begins with a vowel sound, so it takes 'an'.

Answer: (a) might → may; (b) shall → should (consistent with the rest of the passage); (c) but → and; (d) expect → expected.

Teacher's Note:
1. Check modals, conjunctions and verb forms line by line.
2. 'Neat and clean' are two similar qualities, so they need 'and'.

Answer: (a) that she wanted to order a big chocolate cake for her birthday; (b) asked her when her birthday was; (c) that she could collect it; (d) would be there.

Teacher's Note:
1. Shift the tense back and change pronouns and time words as in indirect speech.
2. A question becomes a statement without a question mark.