CBSE Class 10 English Sample Paper 2017 Set E

SECTION A (READING)

1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions / complete the sentences that follow :

In India, as perhaps in many other countries of the world, trees have been held in veneration since ancient times. Our rishis of yore retired to forests to meditate and to do penance amidst trees and “far from the madding crowd”. Our forbears loved trees and forests so much so that they even deified and worshipped them as abodes of Vrikshadevata and Vanadevata.Many of them were not cut without good reason. In ancient India, groves of trees and flower gardens were reared with loving care. In ancient Sanskrit literature there are many references to young maidens kicking the Ashoka tree to make it flower. But in fact the kick can be administered by anyone. The method seems to work, though nobody really knows why? Some say the kick interrupts the flow of water upwards, triggering a defence mechanism which causes the tree to flower. In Western countries people beat their walnut trees to encourage them to bear fruit. It is believed that a good beating ensures a good crop of walnuts. Like the Ashoka, the Walnut too is a tall tree. Perhaps all tall trees benefit from a sound beating occasionally. In parts of Uttar Pradesh they resort to another stratagem to get mango trees to flower. If a tree has not given fruit in a particular year, the owner, accompanied by three or four friends, walks menacingly towards it with an axe and loudly announces his intention of cutting down the tree. His friends persuade him not to do so. When he has gone they berate the tree for not giving fruit and advise it to give plenty of fruit the next time if it wants to live. The method is said to give good results.

(a) Why did our rishis retire to forests?

(b) Who are referred to Vrikshadevata and Vanadevata in the passage?

(c) Why are walnut trees beaten in western countries?

(d) In ancient times young maidens used to kick the Ashoka tree when it __________.

(e) In Uttar Pradesh mango trees are caused to flower by __________.

(f) According to some people kicking __________ the upwards flow of water.

(g) The Ashoka is a __________.

(h) The word „menacingly‟ means __________.

2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :

Current trends in technological and cultural development make it unlikely that public libraries will survive in their traditional format. The beginning of digital age makes public libraries out of date.

Firstly, the book itself is becoming a thing of the past. Although e-book usage has not become widespread as quickly as many anticipated with the coming of the computer, this slow adoption is beginning to accelerate with the recent development of specialized e-book readers which use electronic- paper technology, such as the kindle, which has sold tens of thousands of units. Just as consumers are moving away from hard - copy form in music and videos, towards electronic files, the same will happen with books once e - reader technology reaches the level achieved by the iPod for music. With the decline of the physical book will come the necessary decline of the physical library. Secondly, the internet is creating a culture where information and files are shared freely, denying the need for public institution to hoard and distribute books. This has already been observed in music and videos - despite their best efforts, recording companies cannot stop the inevitable free sharing of data. The same process is under way with books - Project Gutenberg makes it possible to find almost any popular classic free on-line, while Google Books is doing the same with more unknown selections. Already there is large collection of commercial books which have been turned into digital formats and are available for download. The internet presents a better way to achieve the goals of libraries than physical libraries themselves - namely free and open access to information and books. Providing free access to the internet would be a more effective way of making media available than building and supporting large buildings filled with unread books. Once this fact becomes apparent to governments, it will become difficult to justify the larger cost of running a traditional library. Less effect on environment is another point in favour of changing to a digital format. Furthermore, the internet has demonstrated its effectiveness for bringing people together in a social network to share preferences within a given area. Last fm is a popular music sharing and discovery resource. These types of sites are popular amongst the current generation, and are a likely candidate to replace the community served by traditional libraries. Trends indicate that traditional libraries will become outdated.

2.1 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage answer the questions that follow : 

(a) Books are becoming a thing of the past. Why ?

(b) What will lead to the decline of the public libraries ?

(c) What change has come about in the music and video industry ?

(d) Why will it become difficult to run a traditional library ?

2.2 Answer the following questions by selecting the correct options : 

(a) What is meant by the word, 'anticipated' ? (Para 2)

(i) adopted                 (ii) expected

(iii) committed             (iv) requested

(b) What is meant by the word, 'inevitable' ? (Para 3)

(i) incapable                  (ii) unmanageable

(iii) impossible               (iv) unavoidable

(c) What is the antonym of the word, 'access' ? (Para 4)

(i) approach                    (ii) entry

(iii) denial                       (iv) admission

(d) What is the antonym of the word, 'current' ? (Para 5)

(i) older                          (ii) accepted

(iii) favourite                   (iv) famous

SECTION B

(WRITING& GRAMMAR)

3.    Mobile phones, video games, internet and play station have replaced the conventional outdoor games that children used to play. Do you agree ? Write an article in about 100-120 words, expressing your agreement or disagreement with the same. 

4.    It was a hot day. A blind man was crossing the road. Suddenly a car came..... Complete the story in about 150-200 words.

5.   Complete the following paragraph by choosing the appropriate options from the ones given below. Write your answers in the answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. Do not copy the entire paragraph.

Baking developed (a) ______ an industry using machinery. In the United States, the baking

industry was built (b) ______ marketing methods and production techniques developed (c) ______ the Romans.

6. The following paragraph has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Write the error and the correction in your answer sheet against the correct blank number. The first one has been done as an example.

7. Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph that follows :

Wife :          The heat is very intense this year.

Husband :             Is it ? I don‟t feel it that way.

Wife : That is because you are in an air conditioned office the whole day.

The wife remarked that (a)__________. The husband sounded surprised and said that (b)__________. The wife then replied with understanding (c)__________.

SECTION C

(LITERATURE& LONG READING TEXT)

Read one of the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

8. “No one would believe it, “said Mrs. Pakcletide, her face changing colour as though it were giving through a book of patterns before post-time.

(a) Who is Mrs. Packletide talking to ?

(b) What would no one believe ?

(c) What is meant by a „book of patterns‟ ?

OR

“Then she turns to those liars the candles or the moon.

I see her back, and reflect it faithfully.”

(a) Why are the candles or the moon called liars ?

(b) What does “I” in the above lines refers to ?

(c) What do the words, „I see her back‟ mean ?

Answer the following questions in about 30 - 40 words.

9(i) Do you agree with the postmaster when he said to Ali: „What a pest, you are!‟ ?   

9(ii) Give two reasons why the audience praised the nightingale‟s song so lavishly. 

9(iii) What changes does the grandfather intend to make in the new will ? What effect does his intention have on his daughters ? 

9(iv) Mrs. Jorden says that she has a feeling that father has not paid his insurance premium. How do all react to it ? 

Answer one of the following questions in about 80-100 words.

10 Louisa Mebbin blackmailed Mrs. Packletide and managed to make a lot of money. As Louisa write a letter to a friend expressing your happiness at having achieved so much and how you did it Grandfather decides to move away from the daughters and settle with Mrs. John Shorrocks, rejecting their proposal to take care of him. Do you think he was right in doing so ? What would you have done if you were in his place ? 

Answer one of the following questions in about 150-200 words.

11 How does Anne feel living in the secret Annexe ? Describe. 

OR

What impression do you form of the Gestapo and their treatment of the Jews after reading „Diary of a Young Girl‟? 

OR

Education is a useful tool to identify the mysteries of nature and pleasures of life. Discuss with reference to „The Story of My Life‟. 

OR

Helen was a determined fighter who never gave up. Discuss.

Please click the link below to download CBSE Class 10 English Sample Paper 2017 Set E