CBSE

SAMPLE PAPER 1
Class 10 - English Language and Literature
Time Allowed: 3 hours Maximum Marks: 80

General Instructions:

Read the instructions very carefully and strictly follow them :

1. This question paper comprises 11 questions. All questions are compulsory.

2. The question paper contains THREE sections -

Section - A : Reading Skills

Section - B : Grammar and Creative Writing Skills

Section - C : Literature Text Book

3. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.

Section A - Reading Skills

1. Read the following passage carefully: [10]
1. Floods are not new to India and this subcontinent, but in recent years the problem of flooding has received
much greater attention, perhaps largely because it has led to greater damage now than it did in the past.
Even though information on the impending occurrence of floods is now more accurate and certainly more
timely, often there is very little time or support infrastructure in place by which damage can be minimised.
This is particularly true in the case of flash floods resulting from sudden and excessive heavy rain.
2. In the case of India, flooding is very much related to the seasonal nature of our rainfall. The monsoons are
spread over a short period during the year and often bring a concentrated volume of rain, which cannot be
absorbed by the earth and finds an outlet only in the form of streams that join up with our major river
systems. Flooding due to heavy rain is confined not only to the main rivers of the country, but also affects
smaller tributaries and streams. Once these streams spill over their banks they could cause excessive harm,
mainly because those living near the banks of these streams, particularly in mountain areas, do not have
easy recourse to moving away quickly.
3. One major factor that could lead to a higher severity of flooding in the future is the danger of climate
change. While the evidence of the nature of impacts, resulting from climate change on precipitation and
flooding at the regional level, is not entirely clear, it could happen that the Indian subcontinent witnesses
and suffers the effects of a significantly changed pattern of monsoons. One set of scientists has estimated
that the monsoons could be shorter in duration but far more intensive; in other words, much greater
precipitation would take place in a much shorter period of time, thereby increasing the danger of floods.
Climate change is the result of human actions through the increased concentration of greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere, of which carbon dioxide is the most prominent.
4. At the local level also human actions have heightened the danger of floods through the cutting of trees in
the mountains as well as in the plains. In case of India, the ecological damage through deforestation of the
Himalayas has led to large-scale erosion of the mountain slopes and high levels of siltation. These lead to

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 the deposition of silt on the riverbeds in the plains and hence spillover of water whenever the volume in the
river reaches a certain level. With siltation on the riverbeds, flooding occurs even at very shallow water
levels. The vulnerability of the population has increased substantially because of population pressures. An
example is the stubborn and perhaps helpless settling of slum dwellers on the banks of the river Yamuna in
Delhi, who become victims of flooding. What is a mere trickle most of the year, bursts its banks during the
monsoons, as has been the case in recent years.
5. Flood forecasting is critical to minimising the damage from floods. It is for this reason that the Central
Water Commission has set up a network of forecasting stations, which cover the most important flood-
prone interstate rivers in the country. These stations produce forecasts that are used to alert the public and to
mobilize various official agencies so that they take both preventive as well as relief measures, whenever
required. However, even in cases where forecasts have been timely and generally accurate, people have
often been reluctant to move away, because in most cases they lack the means and physical options for
moving away from a danger zone to one that is relatively safe. In the case of flash floods, forecasts are
difficult to make, and often the time available for relief is very short.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below: (10)
(i) Based on the reading and understanding of the above passage, list 2 factors contributing to the severity of
floods in India. (1)
(a) ________
(b) ________
(ii) Select the option that corresponds to the meaning of the following sentence from paragraph 1: (1)
"Even though information on the impending occurrence of floods is now more accurate and certainly more
timely, often there is very little time or support infrastructure in place by which damage can be minimised."
(a) Flood information is timely but often ineffective due to lack of infrastructure.
(b) Flood information is delayed, leading to more damage.
(c) Accurate flood information always prevents damage.
(d) There is ample time to respond to flood warnings due to better infrastructure.
(iii) Based on your reading of the passage, examine in about 40 words how climate change could affect
flooding in India. (2)
(iv) What is the tone of the writer in the given line from paragraph 3? Rationalize your response in about 40
words: (2)
"One set of scientists has estimated that the monsoons could be shorter in duration but far more intensive."
(v) The phrase 'spillover of water' in paragraph 4 refers to: (1)
(a) Water overflowing its usual boundaries
(b) A slow and controlled release of water
(c) A reduction in water levels
(d) Water being absorbed by the earth
(vi) In sets a-e below, identify two sets of synonyms: (1)
a. erosion and siltation
b. intensive and concentrated
c. seasonal and continuous
d. stubborn and helpless
e. forecast and prediction

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 Options:
(a) b and e
(b) a and c
(c) b and d
(d) c and e
(vii) Complete the sentence appropriately: (1)
The cutting of trees in the mountains has led to ________.
(viii) Complete the following sentence: (1)
Flood forecasting is critical because ________.
2. Read the passage given below: [10]
1. Mango (Mangifera indica) is Asia's most popular fruit, and it has gained popularity around the world. It has
long been a component of culture and religion as a useful and tasty fruit. In addition to taste, it has many
good qualities thus making it to be called as "King of Fruits". Major mango-growing states in India include
Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Andhra Pradesh and Uttar
Pradesh are the leading states in mango production.
2. Mango is grown in an area of 5.58 million hectares of area in the world. India is the largest producer of
mangoes with 46.02 and 45.88 percent of the total world area and production, respectively. However, India
being the major shareholder in terms of mango production, exports only 0.52% of its total production
indicating the huge gap in exporting of mangoes. Peru exports about 46%, Thailand 24%, Mexico 18% and
Brazil 11% of their total mango production. These countries are the bigger challenges for Indian mango
exports. Hence, efforts are needed to evolve cheap transportation mechanism, increase the trade agreements
with major importing countries and enhance the productivity.
3. The top importing country is United States of America, however, India exports only two percent of its total
exports to the USA. The USA, European countries, the UK, Malaysia and Russia can be the other hotspots
where India can target to export the mangoes. The critical issue for exporting to the USA is transportation
cost (due to sea route distance) and limited shelf life of mango, while for Europe transportation costs as
well as competition by African countries are the major hurdles.
The following chart shows the major export destinations of Indian mangoes in 2019-20:
Table:
Major Export Destination of Indian Mangoes in 2019-20:

S. No. Country Percentage

1. U.S.A. 2

2. Kuwait 2

3. Saudi Arabia 3

4. Qatar 6

5. Bangladesh 6

6. Oman 7

7. U.K. 9

8. Nepal 24

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 9. United Arab Emirates 33

10. Bahrain 2

11. Others 6

(Adapted for academic usage.)

Answer the following questions, based on the passage above:
i. Complete the following analogy appropriately, based on your understanding of Para 1: (1)
We can say that for becoming the king of jungle, Lion has to be the strongest, bravest and the fiercest.
Similarly, Mango is known as the king of fruits because ________.
ii. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate option from those given in brackets, based on your understanding of
Para 2: (1)
The statement that, India is the largest producer of Mangoes with 45.88 percent of the total world
production can be attributed to Indian orchardists, is a/an ________ (fact/opinion) because it is a/an
________ (subjective judgement/objective detail)
iii. Justify the following in about 40 words: (2)
India being the major shareholder in terms of mango production, exports only 0.52% of its total production.
iv. Based on the table, which three countries were at par with each other in terms of mango import from India
in 2019-20? (1)
v. The top mango importing country is the U.S.A., however, India exports only two percent of its total exports
to the U.S.A. State any one inference that can be drawn from this. (1)
vi. In the given sentence taken from para-2, select the option that correctly replaces the underlined word, with
its most likely antonym. (1)
These countries are the bigger challenges for Indian mango exports.
1. enigmas
2. solutions
3. provocations
4. disputes
vii. Why is India described as the largest producer of mangoes in the world?
(Answer in about 40 words.) (2)
viii. Which of the following is the main takeaway from the study mentioned in the passage? (1)
1. India needs to produce more mangoes so that more can be exported.
2. The UAE imported most mangoes from India in 2019-20.
3. India is the largest producer of mangoes and by putting in more efforts, has the potential to be the largest
exporter too.
4. More study is needed to find ways to increase the export of mangoes from India.
SECTION B GRAMMAR
3. Complete ANY TEN of twelve of the following tasks, as directed [10]
(a) Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket, for the given portion of a letter: [1]
This selfless initiative ________ (carry) out with dedication and responsibility, deserves due
recognition.
(b) Read the given sentence from an art journal. Identify the error and supply the correction in the [1]
sentence.

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 When marginalized voices get a chance to tell their story, anger or sadness would be a justified theme.
Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction

(c) Read the conversation between a coach and his player. Complete the sentence by reporting the [1]
player's reply correctly.
Coach: Will you be able to report for morning practice during the summer break?
Player: Sir, I will report every morning at 7 a.m. sharp.
The coach while talking to the player asked him whether he would be able to report for morning
practice. The player affirmed ________.
(d) He said to me, "I have often told you not to play with fire". [1]
Reported speech: ________

a) He told me that he had often told me not b) He said that he has often been telling
to play with fire. me not to play with fire.

c) He said to me that he often told me not d) He reminded me that he often said to

to play with fire. me not to play with fire.
(e) Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option. [1]
___________ (Much / Many / Few) time is required to learn a new language.
(f) Identify the error and supply correction for the given part of the note appearing on an educational [1]
website.
Please Note: An early and active communication is required as late notification may result in a delay
redressal of your request.
Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction

(g) Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following line, from a [1]
news report:
This exams open doors to higher education, improve employment opportunities and increase options.

Option no. Error Correction

A this these

B open opens

C to for

D options option

(h) Complete the given narrative by filling in the blank with the correct option: [1]
When he ________ is not known.

a) will arrive b) has arrived

c) will have arrived d) arrived

(i) Read the conversation between the shopkeeper and the customer. [1]
Complete the sentence by reporting the reply correctly:
The shopkeeper: Do you want to buy the bead necklace?

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 The customer: I am looking for a more colourful one.
The shopkeeper asked the customer whether she would buy the bead necklace to which the customer
responded ________.
(j) Choose the correct reported speech of a given sentence: [1]
"The film began at seven o'clock," he said.

a) He said that the film had begin at seven b) He said that the film had begun at seven
o'clock. o'clock.

c) He says that the film had begun at seven d) He says that the film had begin at seven
o'clock. o'clock.
(k) Complete the line from a self-awareness song, by filling the blank with the correct option. [1]
"Where the mind ________ forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom my Father, let my country awake."
A. was led
B. has been led
C. is led
D. had led
(l) Identify the error and supply the correction, for the following: [1]

Government of Haryana
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
‘Nagar Van’ are being established for the objective to make the cities pollution free

Use the given format for your response.

error correction

SECTION B CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS

4. You are Hema/Hemant, 14/9, Hill Apartments, Jaipur. You are not satisfied with the facilities for tourists in [5]
Jaipur. Write a letter to the editor of a local daily giving suggestions on ways to improve the facilities for
tourists.
OR
Imagine that you are Ms. Kamala/Mr. Kamal, music teacher of National Public School. You were invited by Rising
Sun Public School, Mall Road, Bhopal to judge the participants in the singing competition to be held in the school.
Write a letter of thanks in 100 - 120 words to the Principal describing how you enjoyed the event.
5. A survey was conducted by a school to discuss the role that Information Technology/Computers play in the [5]
growth and development of children. The data is given below in the form of a pie chart. Analyze the data.

OR
The given graph shows the competition between big online shopping sites that is ABC and XYZ in India over the

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 duration between 2019 to 2022. Write an analytical paragraph in about 100 words from the details found in the graph.

SECTION C - LITERATURE
6. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given. [5]
(a) Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: [5]
Ausable was, for one thing, fat. Very fat. And then there was his accent. Though he spoke French and
German passably, he had never altogether lost the American accent he had brought to Paris from
Boston twenty years ago.
‘‘You are disappointed,’’ Ausable said wheezily over his shoulder.
i. Who is ‘you’ here? (1)
a. Fowler
b. Ausable
c. Waiter
d. Max
ii. How is Ausable different from other secret agents? (2)
iii. 'You’ believed that Ausable was ________. (1)
iv. It can be inferred from the extract that a secret agent is expected to be (1)
1) fit.
2) compassionate.
3) apologetic.
4) suave.
5) violent.
a. Option 1, 3 & 5
b. Option 1 & 4
c. Option 2 ,4 & 5
d. Option 2 & 3
(b) Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: [5]
All through the night, Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God, whose eyes, as he had
been instructed, see everything, to even what is deep in one’s conscience. Lencho was an ox of a man,
working like an animal in the fields, but still, he knew how to write. The following Sunday, at
daybreak, he began to write a letter which he himself would carry to town and place in the mail. It
was nothing less than a letter to God. “God,” he wrote, “If you don’t help me, my family and I will go
hungry this year. I need a hundred pesos in order to sow field again and to live until the crop comes
because of the hailstorm...”

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 a. Why Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God? Answer in about 40 words. (2)
b. Read the following descriptions (a)-(c) and identify which one correctly corresponds to the
extract. (1)
a. Lencho worked in fields like an ox of a man. He worked like an animal in the fields.
b. Lencho became stressed and disappointed as everything went against the plan.
c. He felt helpless as no corn had been left and feared, that they might have to starve this time.
c. What would be the word if a word were to be replaced with the phrase ‘the inner sense of right or
wrong’? (1)
d. Fill the blank with one word. Lencho wrote the letter to God, and he himself carried the letter to
town and dropped in the ________. (1)
7. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given. [5]
(a) Read the lines given below and answer the questions that follow: [5]
The trees inside are moving out into the forest,
the forest that was empty all these days
Where no bird could sit
no insect hide
no sun bury its feet in shadow.
i. Complete the sentence appropriately. (1)
It is clear that Personification is the poetic device used for 'No sun bury its feet....' because (Clue:
explain how personification applies here)
ii. State whether the following statement is True or False: (1)
The extract uses trees as a symbol for conservative people.
iii. Select the appropriate option to complete the sentence, according to the extract. The idea of a
forest that has been 'empty all these days' is ________. (1)
A. unnatural
B. scary
C. magical
D. legendary
iv. Which three things cannot happen in a treeless forest? (2)
(b) Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: [5]
Belinda still lives in her little white house,
With her little black kitten and her little gray mouse,
And her little yellow dog and her little red wagon,
And her realio, trulio, little pet dragon.
i. With whom does Belinda live and where? (1)
ii. How many characters and animals are introduced in this extract? (1)
a. 1, 4
b. 2, 5
c. 4, 1
d. 1, 5
iii. Fill in the blank with one word. Bravest of all pets was ________. (1)

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 iv. What effect do the words 'realio and trulio' have on the poem? (2)
8. Answer ANY FOUR of the following five questions, in about 40-50 words [12]
(a) What scenery did Rajvir notice while sitting in the train? [3]
(b) According to the poem, A Tiger in the Zoo, is it safe to allow tigers to live in their natural habitat [3]
these days?
(c) To what end does the playwright employ Lomov's palpitations in the play? [3]
(d) Why does Anne want to keep a diary? [3]
(e) What do you think would be enough to destroy the world? Can Fire and Ice contribute to it? [3]
9. Answer ANY TWO of the following three questions, in about 40-50 words. [6]
(a) Mrs. Pumphrey said, “This is a triumph of surgery.” What do you think about this statement? [3]
(b) Why did Bholi not want to go to school first? What did she realise later? [3]
(c) Why did Griffin take off his newly prepared clothes from London store? [3]
10. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words [6]
(a) Read the extracts given below and comment on the difference in the nature of help both the [6]
characters, of these two stories, received.
a. Suddenly I came out of the clouds and saw two straight lines of lights in front of me. It was a
runway! An airport! I was safe! I turned to look for my friend in the black aeroplane but the sky
was empty. [The Black Aeroplane]
b. All through the night Lencho thought only of his one hope: the help of God...The following
Sunday, at daybreak he began to write a letter...It was nothing less than a letter to God...The
following Sunday Lencho came a bit earlier than usual to ask if there was a letter for him....
Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money, such was his confidence. [A Letter
to God]
(b) After having read the lesson on the oppression that communities faced in South Africa, you were [6]
deeply hurt. You could also relate to the struggles and hardships of millions of Indians who fought
against the oppressive British rule.
Write a diary entry expressing your feelings about oppression faced by people in their homeland. You
may begin like this:
24 August 20XX,
Monday 9:00 pm My heart is filled with sadness as I think of the oppressed who had to tolerate the
inhuman attitude of the oppressors in their own land ...
11. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words. [6]
(a) One of your friends has to attend a class party at his/her school and wants to purchase the most [6]
expensive clothes and shows. He/She feels that this would make him/her stand out in the crowd.
You receive a call from your friend seeking advice on this matter. Write down that telephonic
conversation between your friend and yourself.
You may begin this way:
Friend: Hey, I want an honest opinion from you. Will you please help me?
You: ...
Friend: So, there's this class party I have to attend. It's a big deal!
You: ...
Answer in the context of the lesson The Necklace.

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(b) Based on the given context, write a diary entry, as the narrator, on what you experienced and the [6]
possible reason for it.
I should have been able to jump into one of the carriages, but I hesitated - for some reason I can't
explain - and I lost the chance to get away. Answer in the context of the lesson The Thief's Story.

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