Madhyamik Class 10 English Question Paper 2015
ENGLISH (Second Language)
Time : 3 Hours 15 Minutes
(First 15 Minutes for reading the question paper only, 3 Hours for writing)
Full Marks : For Regular Candidates – 90
For External Candidate – 100
Roll ____ No ____
Name ____
Registration No. ____ of ____
Answer all the questions in the space provided. There is enough space for the answers. However, the extra sheet will be supplied by the invigilator, if required.
Special credits will be given for the answer which are brief and to the point. Marks will be deducted for spelling mistakes, untidiness and bad handwriting.
- Section – A: Reading Comprehension – 20 marks (Seen)
- Reading Comprehension – 20 marks (Unseen)
- Section – B: Grammar and Vocabulary – 20 marks
- Section – C: Writing – 30 marks
- Section – D: Supplementary: 10 marks for external candidates only
Section – A
Reading Comprehension (Seen)
1. Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow :
It was a flowering mustard field, pale like melting gold, as it swept across miles and miles of even land. The child looked up to his father and mother, and filled with the joy and wonder of this vast glory, left the footpath and plunged into the field, prancing like a colt.
‘Come, child come, come on the footpath.’ He went towards his parents gaily and walked along side by side with them for a while. However, he was soon left behind, attracted by the little insects and worms along the footpath that were coming out from their hiding places to enjoy the sunshine. ‘Come, child, come,’ his parents called. They were resting under a tree, sitting on the edge of a well. He ran towards them.
An old banyan tree had outstretched its powerful arms over the blossoming jackfruit, jamun, neem, champak and serisha, and cast its shadows across beds of golden cassis and erimson gulmohar, as an old grandmother spreads her skirts over her young ones.
‘Come, child, come,’ they called to the child, who had now gone running around the banyan tree and, gathering him, they took the narrow, winding footpath which led to the fair from the mustard fields.
As they neared the village, the child could see many other footpaths full of crowds going to the fair.
A sweetmeat seller called out: gulab-jamun, rosgulla, burfi, jalebi, at the corner of the entrance, and a crowd pressed round his counter.
The child stared open-eyed and his mouth watered for the ‘burfi’, which was his favourite sweet.
A. Complete the following sentences with information from the text above : [2×3=6]
- The mustard field Stretched ____.
- The boy plunged into the field because ____.
- The powerful arms of an old banyan tree had ____.
B. Answer the questions in one or two sentences : [2×3=6]
- What did the child see as he approached the village?
- Mention any two comparisons that you find in the text.
- What was the effect of the sweetmeat seller’s call on the child?
2. Read the poem and answer the questions that follow :
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, ‘but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
‘With sixty seconds’ Worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it.
And-which is more-you’ll be a Man, my son!
A. Tick the right answer : [1×4=4]
i) If you want to be a Man –
- you should not walk with Kings
- you should keep in touch with common men
- you should be equally comfortable with Kings and common people.
- you should not keep in touch with ordinary men.
ii) If you treat all people equally –
- you will own the Earth
- you will be able to enjoy nothing on the Earth
- you will succeed in enjoying some good things on the Earth
- you will be loved and respected by all
iii) An ideal human being should-
- mix with common people and yet remain virtuous.
- only talk to virtuous people
- never talk with crowds in fear of losing virtue
- keep his virtue by avoiding a crowd full of virtuous people
iv) In the given stanza the poet suggests that we should–
- be ill-tempered
- remain indifferent to our status in the society
- never try to realise our dreams
- ignore the opinion of the people around us
b) Answer the following questions in one or two sentences : [2×2=4]
- What should be the ideal man’s attitude towards his friends and foes?
- Explain the phrase ‘the unforgiving minute’.
Reading Comprehension (Unseen)
3. Read the following text and answer the questions given below:
Fourteen-year-old Shivanand Tiwari has neither received any formal education nor been to school, but he is on his way to joining an IIT.
The prodigy from Rohtas district’s Dharmapura village has secured the 2,587th rank in IIT-JEE (Advanced) 2014.
“Till 2010, I didn’t have much inclination towards studies, except for solving maths problems, ” he said; “But then somebody suggested I aim for the IITS”, he recapitulated. Shivanand’s father Kamalakant Tiwari is a farmer and a history graduate, while his mother Kiran Devi. is a homemaker.
“Since childhood, I liked spirituality and learnt the epics, ” he said, “However when my father saw I liked studying maths and science, he also agreed to my higher studies.” The teenager can recite 700 ‘Shlokas’ from the Gita. Shivanand is well conversant with many works of Vivekananda. He declared, “I’m really interested in correlating spirituality and science.”
Shivanand scored 93.4% in his Higher Secondary exams this year, but was hoping for better grades in both exams. He desires to take another attempt at JEE next year to improve his rank.
[An adaptation of a report published in ‘The Times of India’ June 21, 2014]a) Complete the following sentences with information from the text : [2×4=8]
- Shivanand Tiwari comes from ____.
- Shivanand’s father is not only ____.
- Shivanand’s father agreed to his higher studies when ____.
- Shivanand wishes to take another attempt at JEE next year because ____.
b) Answer the following questions in one or two sentences : [2×3=6]
- Why did Shivanand decide to sit for the IIT-JEE 2014?
- Who is Kiran Devi and what is she ?
- What does Shivanand aim to do in future ?
C. Each of the following statements is either ‘True’ or ‘False’. Write ‘T’ for “true’ and ‘F’ for ‘False’ in the boxes on the right-hand side : [1×4=4]
- Shivanand had no formal school education.
- He had keen interest in studies.
- He loved to solve maths problems.
- He is quite satisfied with his rank in both exams.
D. Tick the most appropriate title : [2]
- A story of success
- Shivanand – A Prodigy
- The story of a Village boy
Section – B
[Grammar and Vocabulary]
4. Fill in the blanks with appropriate articles and prepositions : [1×4=4]
Lepcha Jagat is ____ most exquisite place in the western part ____ Darjeeling hills. It offers ____ unique experience ____ nature lovers with its alpine scenario and magnificent view of Kanchenjunga.
5. Do as directed : [1×4=4]
- He keeps saying, ‘I am very lucky. (Rewrite in Indirect Speech)
- Ramesh is an excellent singer. He also plays the guitar well (Join into a single sentence using ‘not only–but also’ )
- Many buildings have been damaged by flood. (Change the Voice)
- Sheetal is the fastest runner in the school. (Rewrite the sentence using fast)
6. Choose the correct phrasal verbs from the list given below to replace the words underlined. Write the correct phrasal verbs, changing the form, where necessary. There is one extra phrasal verb in the list : [4]
- The girl resembles her mother.
- Evening starts early in winter.
- Our school closes at 4.30 pm.
- The school magazine will be published.
7. Given below are the meanings of that words which you will find in the passage in Question No. 3. Find out the words and write them in the appropriate boxes on the right-hand side: [2×4=8]
- a young person who is unusually intelligent for his age
- a feeling that makes you want to do something
- recalled something to tell others about it
- familiar
Section – C
[Writing]
8. Write a paragraph (in about 120 words) on ‘Friendship’ based on the following points : [10]
[Points: the importance of friends–can share personal matters–help in time of need–a relation beyond selfish motives ]9. Write a newspaper report (in about 100 words) about a taxi driver who returned the ornaments of a passenger, mistakenly left in the taxi. You may use the following points : [10]
[Points: Date, place–what articles were left–how he got it-where he returned those things ]10. Write a letter (in about 120 words) to your cousin who stays abroad describing a family get-together recently held in your use. You may use the following points. [10]
[Points: the occasion, date, participating members, entertainment, your feelings]
