CBSE English X

Sample Paper 10 Page 1

Sample Paper 3
Class X Exam 2022-23
English-Language and Literature (184)
Time Allowed : 3 Hrs. Maximum Marks: 80
General Instructions:
1. 15-minute prior reading time allotted for Q-paper reading.
2. The Question Paper contains THREE sections READING, GRAMMAR & WRITING and LITERATURE.
3. Attempt question based on specific instructions for each part.

SECTION A- READING SKILLS 20

I. Read the passage given below. 10
1. Birds have been building nests for over 100 million years. Dinosaurs, the ancestors of birds, also built
terrestrial nests over hundreds of millions of years. The diversity we see in bird’s nests today is a result
of these thousands of bird species, evolving in different environments, creating diverse ways to house
and protect their families.
2. We think of architecture as a result of conscious design, purpose and aesthetic expression there is,
precisely, such architecture in avian nests. These are not unplanned constructions. These are shaped by
a history of selection and functionality. Also, the diversity of materials used by birds to build nests is
astonishing and birds arrive at this independently.
3. As adults, the birds go out into nature alone and gather materials to construct their nests which have
very specific structures. They have extraordinary building capacities which show both flexibility and an
innate way of interacting with the environment.
4. Interestingly, all nests perform a physical job to house and protect a bird’s eggs from bad weather and predators.
The nest is also often the location of the development of the young. Therefore, knowing the nest’s centrality,
birds have developed habitat-based strategies to meet these needs. Diverse species use sticks, twigs, webs or
mud, handled in specific ways to create the nest they require. Like human builders, birds choose materials
related to the actual structure they want.
5. Birds’ nests also have regular styles of construction - historically conditioned by circumstances, like
human communities which use bricks or stones. Birds have a similar historical investment in their
nests. For instance, a group of land birds, which includes kingfishers, hornbills, and woodpeckers, is
about 60 million years old. All of these nest in holes, from ground burrows to holes in trees, where
they can safely keep their eggs. None of them has created an alternative way. Nests are, therefore,
conservative structures - birds don’t change the designs much, unless they are sure they are improving
on the conditions required for breeding and protecting their young.
6. Now weaver birds are an extraordinary example of a group that makes impressive nests. These include
an egg chamber suspended from a branch, with a doorway. The complexity is amazing - the fibres are
interlaced, like weaves.
7. This creates very strong water-repellent structures. The weaver bird starts with a vertical ring, like a
hoop, and adds a back hemisphere to this. It then weaves on the front to create a small door. Some
species add a tubular passage to the back chamber - this can be up to five times the length of the nest.


Continue on next page.....
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.

i. Infer one reason for the following, based on information in paragraph 1:

Different birds build their nests in different ways.

ii. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word from paragraph 3:
fuzzy : clarity :: rigid : _____
(Clue : Just like fuzzy means lacking in clarity, similarly rigid means lacking...)

iii. State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE:

Diverse species use sticks, twigs, webs or mud, handled in specific ways to create the nest they require.

iv. Substitute the word ‘instance’ with ONE WORD similar in meaning, in the following sentence from
paragraph 5:
Birds have a similar historical investment in their nests. For instance, a group of land birds,

v. Birds also have aesthetic sense. They show it through

(a) the architecture of their nests
(b) their multi-coloured plumes
(c) how they protect their families
(d) the precision of their nests

vi. When the birds think of building their nests, the most important factor in their minds is :
(a) its beauty
(b) its purpose
(c) its design
(d) its colour

vii. List any two jobs performed by a bird’s nest.

1. __________
2. __________

viii. The materials all birds use for building their nests are
(a) sticks
(b) twigs only
(c) webs or mud
(d) any of the above, according to their specific needs
ix. A woodpecker lays its eggs
(a) in a nest made of mud
(b) in a hole in a free
(c) in a web made of twigs
(d) in a nest made of sticks
x. ‘Nests are, therefore, conservative structures’ means
(a) nests are modern in design
(b) nests have to be carefully constructed
(c) nests are traditional in design
(d) nests are flashy and gaudy in looks
II. Read the passage given below. 10
1. In addition to using libraries and visiting art museums, historic site visitation is another common form of
public engagement with the humanities. According to the National Endowment for the Arts’ Survey of
Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA). the percentage of people making at least one such visit fell steadily
from 1982 to 2012, before rising somewhat in 2017. Visits to historic sites managed by the National Park
Service (NPS) were substantially higher in 2018 than 1980, despite a decline in recent years.
2. In 2017, 28% of American adults reported visiting a historic site in the previous year. This represented
an increase of 4.4 percentage points from 2012 but a decrease of 8.9 percentage points from 1982. The
bulk of the decline in visitation occurred from 2002 to 2008.
3. The recent increases in visitation rates were statistically significant for the 35-44- and 45-54-year-old
age groups 1. The larger change was found among 35-to-44-year-olds, whose visitation rate increased
8.7 percentage points. Despite the increase from 2012 to 2017 for these groups, there was a net
decline in historic site visitation since 1982 for Americans of virtually all ages. Only among the oldest
Americans (age 75 or older) was the rate of visitation higher in 2017 than 35 years earlier.
4. From 1982 to 2017, the differences among age groups with respect to rates of historic site visitation
decreased. For example, in 1982, the rate of visitation among 25-to-34-year-olds (the group most
likely to visit a historic site in that survey) was approximately 11 percentage points higher than that
of the youngest age group (18-to-24-year-olds). and more than 17 points higher than that of people
ages 65-74. By 2017, however, the visitation rate of 25-to-34-year-olds had dropped to within five
percentage points of the younger cohort and was virtually identical of that for the older group.
5. While visitation rates are converging among the age cohorts, the differences by level of educational
attainment are still pronounced. In 2017, as in earlier years, the visitation rate among college
graduates was more than twice as high as the rate among those who finished their studies with a high
school diploma (43% as compared to 17%). Among those who did not finish high school, visitation
rates were below 10% throughout the 2008-2017 time period. Conversely, among Americans with a
graduate or professional degree, visitation rates were in the vicinity of 50% during these years. Data
from the National Park Service (NPS) indicate the types of historic sites visited most and also the
demands made of these sites’ physical infrastructure and staff. Visits to NPS historic sites rose from
approximately 59.5 million in 1980 to almost 112 million in 2018. Throughout this time period, visits
to historic sites constituted approximately a third of total NPS recreational visitation.
6. Since hitting a recent low in visits in 1995, total visits to historic sites of all types increased 58% to a
high of 120.3 million in 2016, before falling 7%, to 111.9 million visits in 2018.
7. Much of the recent growth in visits to historic sites occurred among parks classified as national
memorials and was driven by a particularly high level of visitation at sites that did not exist in 1995,
such as the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (3.3 million visitors in 2018), the Martin Luther
King, Jr. Memorial (3.6 million visitors), and the World War II Memorial (4.7 million visitors). As
 a result, visits to national memorials increased more than 300% from 1995 to 2016, even as the
number of sites increased just 26% (from 23 to 29). In comparison, visits to national monuments
increased only 3%, even as the number of sites in the category increased by 9% (from 64 to 70).
From 2016 to 2018, the number of visits fell in every category, with the largest decline occurring at
the memorial sites (down 10%), and the smallest drop at national monuments (3%).

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.

i. Supply one common form of public engagement with the humanities.

ii. Which age group had a higher rate of visitation to historic sites in 2017 than 35 years earlier in America?
(a) 35-44 year-olds
(b) 45-54 year-olds
(c) 75 or more year-olds
(d) 25-34 year-olds

iii. After the year 1995, total visits to historic sites of all types increased 58% in the year _____.
(a) 2015
(b) 2016
(c) 2017
(d) 2018

iv. Name any two historical memorial in America.

1. __________
2. __________

v. State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE:

The number of historical sites visits fell in every category from the year 2016 to the year 2018, with the
largest decline occurring at the memorial sites.

vi. Write full form of SPPA.

vii. The rate of visitation among 25-to-34-year-olds was approximately _____ points higher than that of the
youngest age group i.e. 18-to-24-year-olds.
(a) 11 percentage
(b) 20 percentage
(c) 15 percentage
(d) 7 percentage

viii. Substitute the word ‘attainment’ with ONE WORD similar in meaning, in the following sentence from
paragraph 5:
While visitation rates are converging among the age cohorts, the differences by level of educational
attainment are still pronounced.
ix. In earlier years the visitation rate among college graduates was more than twice as high as the rate
among those :
(a) who had a graduate or professional degree.
(b) who finished their studies with a high school diploma.
(c) who did not finish high school.
(d) who were employed individuals.

x. In America most of the _____ in visitation of historic sites occurred from the year 2002 to the year 2008.
(a) increase
(b) decline
(c) converging
(d) diverging

III. SECTION B- GRAMMAR 10

Attempt ANY TEN of the following questions. 10

i. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete the sentence.
At one time, Mr. Nigel _____ this supermarket.
(a) was owing
(b) used to own
(c) had owned
(d) owned

ii. Read the conversation between Nisha and Anjali. Complete the narration by reporting Anjali’s reply
correctly.
Nisha : I want to improve my command over the English language.
Anjali : For that you need to do a lot of reading in English.

Nisha said she wanted to improve her command over the English language. Anjali said that _____.

iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the given line.
Principal to a student : You _____ with bad girls.
(a) must not mix
(b) cannot mix
(c) may not mix
(d) None of these
iv. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following line:
We, here in India have so many religions, we eat so many different foods, we wear so much different
kinds of dresses.
Option No. Error Correction
(a) much many
(b) eat ate
(c) have has
(d) wear wears

v. Complete the given sentence, by filling in the blank with the correct option :
Two years have passed since he _____ here.
(a) has come
(b) come
(c) came
(d) had come

vi. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket.
They _____ (wish) me on my birthday every year.

vii. Report the dialogue between Parul and Nikhil, by completing the narration:
Parul : Where did you spend your holidays?
Nikhil : I went to many hill stations.

Parul asked Nikhil _____. Nikhil replied that he had gone to many hill stations.

viii. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction.
I like to drinking juice in the morning, and tea at lunchtime.

Use the given format for your answer:

Error Correction

ix. Transform the following direct speech into reported speech:

“Who now”, they had asked, “will listen to our troubles and protect us from the crocodiles ?”

x. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option, to complete the sentence.
The father divided his property among his three sons lest they _____ quarrel afterwards.
(a) should
(b) shall
(c) will
(d) could
xi. Select the correct option to complete the narration of the dialogue between Arthur and Kevin.
Arthur : Kevin, are you going to the hospital again? Is your mother okay?
Kevin : My mother is now better. Thank God, she has been back to normal since Friday.

Arthur asked Kevin if he was going to the hospital again. He also asked him whether his mother was
okay. Kevin replied that _____ and thanking God, the boy said that his mother had been back to normal
since.
(a) his mother was better now
(b) his mother had been better now
(c) his mother is better now
(d) his mother has been better now

xii. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction.
I walk 3 kilometres each day to reach my school.

Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction

IV. SECTION B- CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS 10

All the names and addresses used in the questions are fictitious. Resemblance, if any, is purely coincidental.

1. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. 5

A. You are Nitish /Nikita, the Head Boy/ Girl of Tagore Public School, Agra. Write a letter to Messers
New Star Sports, Kalkaji, New Delhi asking them to send sports equipment for the games and sports
department of your school.

O

B. Write a letter to the editor of a local daily complaining against the school-bus drivers for rash-driving
and overcrowding of buses causing risk to the lives of innocent school children. You are Dipti/Deepak
of C-156, Janakpuri, New Delhi.

2. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. 5

A. The following table gives information about some of the world’s most studied languages. Write an
analytical paragraph summarizing the given information by analyzing and reporting the main and
relevant information.
 S. Languages No. of people Native speakers of a Speakers in
No. studying a language language
1. English 1.5 billion 527 million 101
2. French 82 million 118 million 51
3. Chinese 30 million 1.39 billion 33
4. Spanish 14.5 389 million 31
million
5. Italian 8 million 67 million 29
6. Japanese 3 million 123 million 25

O

B. Look at the given bar graph which shows the result of a survey conducted in the public and government
schools of Mathura. The graph depicts the types of activities the teenagers from the age of 14 years to
19 years are involved in during their leisure time.

Write an analytical paragraph highlighting the result of the survey, including all the main points and
relevant information.

SECTION C- LITERATURE 40
V. Reference to the Context. 10
1. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. 5
1.A The baker made his musical entry on the scence with the ‘Mang jhang’ sound of his specially made
bamboo staff. One hand supported the basket on his head and the other banged the bamboo on the
ground. He would greet the lady of the house with ‘Good morning’ and then place his basket on the
vertical bamboo. We kids would be pushed aside with a mild rebuke and the loaves would be delivered
to the servant. But we would not give up. We would climb a bench or the parapet and peep into the
basket.
(Glimpses of India)
i. How did the baker make his musical entry?

ii. How would the baker greet the lady of the house?
(a) by saying good morning
(b) by saying hello
(c) by bowing his head
(d) by jingling the bamboo stick

iii. What is the antonym of ‘vertical’?

(a) slanted
(b) straight
(c) horizontal
(d) diagonal

iv. Choose an option that states the meaning of the word ‘rebuke’
(a) a backlash of using an instrument
(b) to investigate something to a great extent
(c) an expression of disapproval or a scolding
(d) a scream to ward off something

v. What did the author and the other kids do to look into the baker’s basket?

O

1.B It is from these comrades in the struggle that I learned the meaning of courage. Time and again. I have
seen men and women risk and give their lives for an idea. I have seen men stand up to attacks and torture
without breaking, showing a strength and resilience that defies the imagination. I learned that courage
was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid,
but he who conquers that fear.
(Nelson Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom)

i. Who taught the real meaning of courage to Nelson Mandela?

ii. To author, the men and women risk and sacrifice their lives for:
(a) the sake of family
(b) the sake of an idea
(c) the sake of friends
(d) the sake of money
iii. The author defines courage not the absence of fear:
(a) but rather afraid of it
(b) but rather the triumph over it
(c) but presence of shivering
(d) but rather reject it

iv. The word ‘resilience’ means:

(a) the ability to deal with any kind of hardship
(b) the ability to conquer the foe
(d) the ability to dive deep
(d) The ability to keep mum

v. State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE:

People risking and giving their lives for an idea, braving torture without breaking, showing strength and
resilience when faced with atrocities, simply defies one’s imagination.

2. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given.

2.A No use to say ‘O there are other balls’ :
An ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy
As he stands rigid, trembling, staring down
All his young days into the harbour where
His ball went. I would not intrude on him;
A dime, another ball, is worthless. Now
He senses first responsibility
In a world of possessions. People will take
Balls, balls will be lost always, little boy.
(The Ball Poem)

i. What does the poet mean by ‘first responsibility’?

ii. Complete the analogy by selecting the suitable word from the extract:
privy : secret :: sympathetic : _____
(Clue : Just like privy is sharing in a secret, similarly sympathetic is sharing in...)

ii. Which figure of speech is used in the above lines?

(a) metaphor
(b) personification
(c) anaphora
(d) simile
iv. Which of the following emotions does the boy feel when the ball goes into the dark water of the harbor?
1. Grief
2. Disbelief
3. Hope
4. Desperation
5. Excitement
(a) Only 1 and 2
(b) Only 2 and 4
(c) Only 2, 3 and 5
(d) Only 1, 2 and 4

v. Which of the following is NOT a meaning one can signify with the word ‘ball’ in this poem ?
(a) innocence
(b) irreplaceable memories
(c) precious things
(d) darker path of life

O

2.B He hears the last voice at night,

The patrolling cars,
And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.
(A Tiger in the Zoo)

i. Select one word from the extract and fill in the blank:
To go around an area at regular times to check that it is safe is called _____.

ii. Who is ‘he’?

(a) a lion
(b) a tiger
(c) a jaguar
(d) a leopard

iii. At what does he stare?

(a) the visitors
(b) the bright stars
(c) the guards
(d) other animals
iv. What is the last thing the tiger hears at night ?

v. Why has the poet used the word ‘brilliant’ twice?

(a) to create a sense of rhyme in the poem
(b) to catch the attention of the reader
(c) to lay more stress on the brightness of the eyes and the stars
(d) there is no deeper meaning behind the usage

VI Answer ANY FOUR of the following in about 40-50 words each. 4 # 3 = 12

i. Mr. Keesing was a strict but kind teacher. Explain the truth of this statement.
(From the Diary of Anne Frank)

ii. What does Natalya say about the dog named Guess?
(The Proposal)

iii. How did the young seagull try to catch the attention of his family?
(Two Stories About Flying)

iv. How would a life on a tower be different from a life anywhere else for Amanda ?
(Amanda!)

v. Do you think the trees are justified in the revolt? State two values which man should possess to stop the revolt.
(The Trees)

VII Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 40-50 words each. 2#3 = 6

i. How and when did Matilda find the borrowed necklace missing ?
(The Necklace)

ii. “The two boys stared in surprise at the fresh muddy imprints of a pair of bare feet.” What did the bewildered
boys observe while looking at these footprints ?
(Footprints Without Feet)

iii. Had Anil really forgiven Hari Singh ? Support your answer with evidence.
(The Thief ’s Story)

VIII Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words. 6

i. “So, in order not to shake the writer’s faith in God, the postmaster came up with an idea to answer the
letter”.
What does this statement tell us about the postmaster? Was his idea successful ? How did the receiver react?
(A Letter to God)

O

ii. Being impressed by Custard’s feat, the young seagull’s sister wrote a letter to Custard seeking advice on addressing
the situation with her young brother. Write Custard’s response to this letter. Base the advice from his experiences.
You may begin like this:
Dear Ms Seagull,
Thank you for seeking me out. I am humbled. Based on my limited experiences I feel...
(The Tale of Custard the Dragon)
IX Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words. 6

i. After reading the story ‘Bholi’ by the author K.A. Abbas, what impression do you form of the protagonist
of the story Bholi?

O

ii. “Horace had some hope because she seemed to be amused at meeting him.” Why did Horace feel so?
Did he consider the young lady compassionate towards him? Did he find her free from biases? Discuss
the values Horace should have imbibe understanding of the person.
(A Question of Trust)

******
CBSE English X Sample Paper 10 (Solved)
Sample Paper 3 (Solved)
Class X Exam 2022-23
English-Language and Literature (184)
Time Allowed : 3 Hrs.
General Instructions:
1. 15-minute prior reading time allotted for Q-paper reading.
2. The Question Paper contains THREE sections READING, GRAMMAR & WRITING and LITERATURE.
3. Attempt question based on specific instructions for each part.
SECTION A- READING SKILLS 20
I. Read the passage given below. 10
1. Birds have been building nests for over 100 million
years. Dinosaurs, the ancestors of birds, also built
terrestrial nests over hundreds of millions of years.
The diversity we see in bird’s nests today is a result of
these thousands of bird species, evolving in different
environments, creating diverse ways to house and
protect their families.
2. We think of architecture as a result of conscious
design, purpose and aesthetic expression there is,
precisely, such architecture in avian nests. These
are not unplanned constructions. These are shaped
by a history of selection and functionality. Also, the
diversity of materials used by birds to build nests is
astonishing and birds arrive at this independently.
3. As adults, the birds go out into nature alone and
gather materials to construct their nests which have
very specific structures. They have extraordinary
building capacities which show both flexibility and an
innate way of interacting with the environment.
4. Interestingly, all nests perform a physical job to house
and protect a bird’s eggs from bad weather and predators.
The nest is also often the location of the development
of the young. Therefore, knowing the nest’s centrality,
birds have developed habitat-based strategies to meet
these needs. Diverse species use sticks, twigs, webs or
mud, handled in specific ways to create the nest they
require. Like human builders, birds choose materials
related to the actual structure they want.
5. Birds’ nests also have regular styles of construction
- historically conditioned by circumstances, like
human communities which use bricks or stones. Birds
have a similar historical investment in their nests.
For instance, a group of land birds, which includes
kingfishers, hornbills, and woodpeckers, is about 60
million years old. All of these nest in holes, from ground
burrows to holes in trees, where they can safely keep
Page 1
Maximum Marks: 80
their eggs. None of them has created an alternative
way. Nests are, therefore, conservative structures -
birds don’t change the designs much, unless they are
sure they are improving on the conditions required for
breeding and protecting their young.
6. Now weaver birds are an extraordinary example of
a group that makes impressive nests. These include
an egg chamber suspended from a branch, with a
doorway. The complexity is amazing - the fibres are
interlaced, like weaves.
7. This creates very strong water-repellent structures.
The weaver bird starts with a vertical ring, like a hoop,
and adds a back hemisphere to this. It then weaves on
the front to create a small door. Some species add a
tubular passage to the back chamber - this can be up
to five times the length of the nest.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer
the questions given below.
i. Infer one reason for the following, based on information
in paragraph 1:
Different birds build their nests in different ways.
Ans : Because of environmental differences.
ii. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word
from paragraph 3:
fuzzy : clarity :: rigid : _____
(Clue : Just like fuzzy means lacking in clarity,
similarly rigid means lacking...)
Ans : flexibility.
iii. State whether the following statement is TRUE or
FALSE:
Diverse species use sticks, twigs, webs or mud, handled
in specific ways to create the nest they require.
Ans : TRUE.
iv. Substitute the word ‘instance’ with ONE WORD
similar in meaning, in the following sentence from
paragraph 5:
Birds have a similar historical investment in their
nests. For instance, a group of land birds,
Ans : example.
v. Birds also have aesthetic sense. They show it through
(a) the architecture of their nests
(b) their multi-coloured plumes
(c) how they protect their families
(d) the precision of their nests
Ans : (a) the architecture of their nests
vi. When the birds think of building their nests, the most
important factor in their minds is :
(a) its beauty (b) its purpose
(c) its design (d) its colour
Ans : (b) its purpose
vii. List any two jobs performed by a bird’s nest.
1. __________
2. __________
Ans :
1. To house and protect its eggs.
2. To protect its eggs from bad weather.
viii. The materials all birds use for building their nests are
(a) sticks
(b) twigs only
(c) webs or mud
(d) any of the above, according to their specific needs
Ans : (d) any of the above, according to their specific
needs
ix. A woodpecker lays its eggs
(a) in a nest made of mud
(b) in a hole in a free
(c) in a web made of twigs
(d) in a nest made of sticks
Ans : (b) in a hole in a free
x. ‘Nests are, therefore, conservative structures’ means
(a) nests are modern in design
(b) nests have to be carefully constructed
(c) nests are traditional in design
(d) nests are flashy and gaudy in looks
Ans : (c) nests are traditional in design
II. Read the passage given below. 10
1. In addition to using libraries and visiting art museums,
historic site visitation is another common form of
public engagement with the humanities. According to
the National Endowment for the Arts’ Survey of Public
Participation in the Arts (SPPA). the percentage of
people making at least one such visit fell steadily from
1982 to 2012, before rising somewhat in 2017. Visits
to historic sites managed by the National Park Service
(NPS) were substantially higher in 2018 than 1980,
despite a decline in recent years.
2. In 2017, 28% of American adults reported visiting a
historic site in the previous year. This represented
an increase of 4.4 percentage points from 2012 but
a decrease of 8.9 percentage points from 1982. The
bulk of the decline in visitation occurred from 2002
to 2008.
3. The recent increases in visitation rates were
statistically significant for the 35-44- and 45-54-year-
old age groups 1. The larger change was found among
35-to-44-year-olds, whose visitation rate increased
8.7 percentage points. Despite the increase from
2012 to 2017 for these groups, there was a net decline
in historic site visitation since 1982 for Americans of
virtually all ages. Only among the oldest Americans
(age 75 or older) was the rate of visitation higher in
2017 than 35 years earlier.
4. From 1982 to 2017, the differences among age
groups with respect to rates of historic site visitation
decreased. For example, in 1982, the rate of visitation
among 25-to-34-year-olds (the group most likely to
visit a historic site in that survey) was approximately
11 percentage points higher than that of the youngest
age group (18-to-24-year-olds). and more than 17
points higher than that of people ages 65-74. By
2017, however, the visitation rate of 25-to-34-year-
olds had dropped to within five percentage points of
the younger cohort and was virtually identical of that
for the older group.
5. While visitation rates are converging among the
age cohorts, the differences by level of educational
attainment are still pronounced. In 2017, as in earlier
years, the visitation rate among college graduates
was more than twice as high as the rate among those
who finished their studies with a high school diploma
(43% as compared to 17%). Among those who did not
finish high school, visitation rates were below 10%
throughout the 2008-2017 time period. Conversely,
among Americans with a graduate or professional
degree, visitation rates were in the vicinity of 50%
during these years. Data from the National Park
Service (NPS) indicate the types of historic sites
visited most and also the demands made of these
 sites’ physical infrastructure and staff. Visits to NPS
historic sites rose from approximately 59.5 million
in 1980 to almost 112 million in 2018. Throughout
this time period, visits to historic sites constituted
approximately a third of total NPS recreational
visitation.
6. Since hitting a recent low in visits in 1995, total visits
to historic sites of all types increased 58% to a high
of 120.3 million in 2016, before falling 7%, to 111.9
million visits in 2018.
7. Much of the recent growth in visits to historic
sites occurred among parks classified as national
memorials and was driven by a particularly high
level of visitation at sites that did not exist in 1995,
such as the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
(3.3 million visitors in 2018), the Martin Luther
King, Jr. Memorial (3.6 million visitors), and the
World War II Memorial (4.7 million visitors). As a
result, visits to national memorials increased more
than 300% from 1995 to 2016, even as the number
of sites increased just 26% (from 23 to 29). In
comparison, visits to national monuments increased
only 3%, even as the number of sites in the category
increased by 9% (from 64 to 70). From 2016 to
2018, the number of visits fell in every category,
with the largest decline occurring at the memorial
sites (down 10%), and the smallest drop at national
monuments (3%).
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer
the questions given below.
i. Supply one common form of public engagement with
the humanities.
Ans : Visiting art museums.
ii. Which age group had a higher rate of visitation to
historic sites in 2017 than 35 years earlier in America?
(a) 35-44 year-olds
(b) 45-54 year-olds
(c) 75 or more year-olds
(d) 25-34 year-olds
Ans : (c) 75 or more year-olds
iii. After the year 1995, total visits to historic sites of all
types increased 58% in the year _____.
(a) 2015 (b) 2016
(c) 2017 (d) 2018
Ans : (b) 2016
iv. Name any two historical memorial in America.
1. __________
2. __________
Ans :
1. World War II Memorial.
2. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
v. State whether the following statement is TRUE or
FALSE:
The number of historical sites visits fell in every
category from the year 2016 to the year 2018, with
the largest decline occurring at the memorial sites.
Ans : TRUE.
vi. Write full form of SPPA.
Ans : Survey of Public Participation in the Arts.
vii. The rate of visitation among 25-to-34-year-olds was
approximately _____ points higher than that of
the youngest age group i.e. 18-to-24-year-olds.
(a) 11 percentage (b) 20 percentage
(c) 15 percentage (d) 7 percentage
Ans : (a) 11 percentage
viii. Substitute the word ‘attainment’ with ONE WORD
similar in meaning, in the following sentence from
paragraph 5:
While visitation rates are converging among the
age cohorts, the differences by level of educational
attainment are still pronounced.
Ans : realization.
ix. In earlier years the visitation rate among college
graduates was more than twice as high as the rate
among those :
(a) who had a graduate or professional degree.
(b) who finished their studies with a high school
diploma.
(c) who did not finish high school.
(d) who were employed individuals.
Ans : (b) who finished their studies with a high school
diploma.
x. In America most of the _____ in visitation of
historic sites occurred from the year 2002 to the year
2008.
(a) increase (b) decline
(c) converging (d) diverging
Ans : (b) decline
III. SECTION B- GRAMMAR 10 v. Complete the given sentence, by filling in the blank
with the correct option :
Attempt ANY TEN of the following questions. 10 Two years have passed since he _____ here.
(a) has come
i. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to
complete the sentence. (b) come
At one time, Mr. Nigel _____ this supermarket. (c) came
(a) was owing (d) had come
(b) used to own Ans : (c) came
(c) had owned
(d) owned
Ans : (d) owned

ii. Read the conversation between Nisha and Anjali.

Complete the narration by reporting Anjali’s reply
correctly.
Nisha : I want to improve my command over the vi. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word
in the bracket.
English language.
They _____ (wish) me on my birthday every year.
Anjali : For that you need to do a lot of reading in
English. Ans : wish

Nisha said she wanted to improve her command over vii. Report the dialogue between Parul and Nikhil, by
the English language. Anjali said that _____. completing the narration:
Ans : for that she needed to do a lot of reading in Parul : Where did you spend your holidays?
English. Nikhil : I went to many hill stations.

iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the Parul asked Nikhil _____. Nikhil replied that he
given line. had gone to many hill stations.
Principal to a student : You _____ with bad girls. Ans : where he had spent his holidays
(a) must not mix
(b) cannot mix viii. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the
(c) may not mix correction.
(d) None of these I like to drinking juice in the morning, and tea at
Ans : (a) must not mix lunchtime.

Use the given format for your answer:

iv. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies
the correction for the following line: Error Correction
We, here in India have so many religions, we eat so
many different foods, we wear so much different kinds
of dresses. Ans :

Error Correction
Option No. Error Correction
drinking drink
(a) much many
(b) eat ate
ix. Transform the following direct speech into reported
(c) have has speech:
(d) wear wears “Who now”, they had asked, “will listen to our
troubles and protect us from the crocodiles ?”
Ans : (a)
Ans : They had wanted to know who then would
listen to their troubles and protect them from the
crocodiles.
x. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option, to IV. SECTION B- CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS 10
complete the sentence.
The father divided his property among his three sons All the names and addresses used in the questions are
lest they _____ quarrel afterwards. fictitious. Resemblance, if any, is purely coincidental.
(a) should
1. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. 5
(b) shall
(c) will A. You are Nitish /Nikita, the Head Boy/ Girl of Tagore
(d) could Public School, Agra. Write a letter to Messers New
Ans : (a) should Star Sports, Kalkaji, New Delhi asking them to send
sports equipment for the games and sports department
xi. Select the correct option to complete the narration of of your school.
the dialogue between Arthur and Kevin. Ans :
Arthur : Kevin, are you going to the hospital again?
Is your mother okay? Tagore Public School
Agra
Kevin : My mother is now better. Thank God, she has
5th January, 20...
been back to normal since Friday.
M/s New Star Sports
Arthur asked Kevin if he was going to the hospital Kalkaji
New Delhi
again. He also asked him whether his mother was
Subject : Order for Sports Equipment
okay. Kevin replied that _____ and thanking God,
Sir,
the boy said that his mother had been back to normal I wish to place a bulk order for the supply of sports
since. goods and equipment for the school for the academic
(a) his mother was better now session 2020-21. The particulars of the goods/
(b) his mother had been better now equipment and their quantity to be supplied are given
(c) his mother is better now below. Kindly send them at the above address through
transport along with cash bill.
(d) his mother has been better now
Ans : (a) his mother was better now
S.No. Particulars Quantity
1. Tennis Balls 30 pieces
2. Tennis Racquets 22 pieces
3. Volleyballs 20 pieces
4. English Willow Bats 25 pieces
5. Batting Pads 20 pairs
6. Wicket-Keeping Pads 12 pairs
xii. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the 7. Batting Gloves 15 pairs
correction.
8. Wicket-Keeping Gloves 05 pairs
I walk 3 kilometres each day to reach my school.
9. Practice Leather Balls 200 pieces
Use the given format for your response. 10. Practice Net 05 pieces
Error Correction 11. Skipping Ropes 24 pieces
12. Stumps 24 pieces
Ans : 13. Footballs 20 pieces

Error Correction All the items should be in good condition,

each every well-bound and packed properly. Any damage to
these items during transportation will be your
responsibility. The payment of these goods will be
made digitally. The items should reach the school in
 10 days after the receipt of the letter; otherwise the 2. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. 5
order shall stand cancelled.
Thanking you A. The following table gives information about some
Yours sincerely of the world’s most studied languages. Write
Nitish/Nikita an analytical paragraph summarizing the given
Head Boy/Girl information by analyzing and reporting the main and
relevant information.
Or
B. Write a letter to the editor of a local daily complaining
S. Languages No. of N a t i v e Speakers
against the school-bus drivers for rash-driving and No. people sp eakers in
overcrowding of buses causing risk to the lives of studying of a
innocent school children. You are Dipti/Deepak of a language
C-156, Janakpuri, New Delhi. language
Ans :
1. English 1.5 billion 527 million 101
C-156, Janakpuri
New Delhi 2. French 82 million 118 million 51
February 19, 20... 3. Chinese 30 million 1.39 billion 33
The Editor
4. Spanish 14.5 389 million 31
The Times of India million
Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
New Delhi 5. Italian 8 million 67 million 29
Subject : Regarding reckless driving of school-bus 6. Japanese 3 million 123 million 25
drivers
Ans :
Sir,
Through the column of your esteemed newspaper, I World’s Most Studied Languages
wish to draw the attention of the concerned authorities The table highlights some of the world’s most studied
towards the grave issue of rash driving being done by languages and compares the data to the actual native
school-bus drivers which poses a threat to the lives of speakers (mother tongue) of each language and also
innocent school children and trespassers. tells how many countries have speakers of each of the
Driving in a zigzag manner on packed roads, crossing languages. As the table clearly shows, English is one
speed-limits, not following traffic lights has become very of the prominent languages in the world. There are
common. Despite such strict regulations regarding speed, 1.5 billion people studying the language as compared
none of these drivers seem to follow them. This shows to 82 million people studying French, the second most
that there is lack of implementation. This is a menace studied language, when there are only 527 million
to other road users as the bus drivers that drive at high native speakers of English as compared to Chinese
speed might crush down whoever comes in their way. which has 1.39 billion native speakers. We can also
By addressing this issue, it is hoped that the public see that English is spoken in 101 countries which is
awareness towards the threat of reckless drivers can double the number of countries where French is spoken
be raised. It is also the time for the traffic authorities and triple the number of countries where Chinese is
to take strong measures against the reckless drivers, spoken. But in terms of native speakers, Chinese has
which includes levying heavy fines and forfeiting of the most numbers at 1.39 billion, even if the people
their licenses if they are found guilty of breaching the studying it are only 30 million. On the other hand,
traffic rules. Waiting for your prompt response. Spanish has 389 million native speakers but only 14.5
Thanking You million people are studying the language, which is
Yours sincerely almost double the number of people studying Italian.
Dipti/Deepak Meanwhile, Japanese is the least studied language
with 3 million people. Thus, we can conclude that
there is no relation between how many native speakers
are there and how many people are actually studying
a language. But, there is a relation between the
number of countries where a language is spoken and
the number of people studying a language.
 Or
B. Look at the given bar graph which shows the result
of a survey conducted in the public and government
schools of Mathura. The graph depicts the types of
activities the teenagers from the age of 14 years to 19
years are involved in during their leisure time.
Write an analytical paragraph highlighting the result
of the survey, including all the main points and
relevant information.
Ans :
Difference in Leisure Activities of Teenagers
The bar graph showcases the difference in the leisure
activities of teenagers from the age of 14 to 19 years in
the public and government schools of Mathura. As the
graph portrays, the public school teenagers seem to
be more tech-oriented in their leisure activities than
government school teenagers. Around 49 percent of
teenagers from public schools prefer to surf the net
in their free time, while only 7 percent of government
school teenagers attempt this, which is a big contrast.
Same way, 20 percent of teenagers from public school
use smart phones which is double the percentage of
teenagers from government school who use smart
phones. In contrast, 25 percent of government school
teenagers prefer hanging out with their friends whereas
only 13 percent of public school teenagers tend to do
so. Even watching TV in leisure time is an activity
that is preferred by government school teenagers than
public school teenagers, though there is not a huge
difference in the percentage. Thus, we can say that
public school teenagers in Mathura are more tech
oriented than government school teenagers as they
prefer indoor activities like net surfing, watching
TV and using smart phone in their leisure time over
hanging out with friends.
SECTION C- LITERATURE 40
V. Reference to the Context. 10
1. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. 5
1.A The baker made his musical entry on the scence with
the ‘Mang jhang’ sound of his specially made bamboo
staff. One hand supported the basket on his head
and the other banged the bamboo on the ground. He
would greet the lady of the house with ‘Good morning’
and then place his basket on the vertical bamboo. We
kids would be pushed aside with a mild rebuke and
the loaves would be delivered to the servant. But we
would not give up. We would climb a bench or the
parapet and peep into the basket.
(Glimpses of India)
i. How did the baker make his musical entry?
Ans : The baker made his musical entry with the
‘jhang, jhang‘ sound of his bamboo staff.
ii. How would the baker greet the lady of the house?
(a) by saying good morning
(b) by saying hello
(c) by bowing his head
(d) by jingling the bamboo stick
Ans : (a) by saying good morning
iii. What is the antonym of ‘vertical’ ?
(a) slanted (b) straight
(c) horizontal (d) diagonal
Ans : (c) horizontal
iv. Choose an option that states the meaning of the word
‘rebuke’
(a) a backlash of using an instrument
(b) to investigate something to a great extent
(c) an expression of disapproval or a scolding
(d) a scream to ward off something
Ans : (c) an expression of disapproval or a scolding
v. What did the author and the other kids do to look 2. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given.
into the baker’s basket? 2.A No use to say ‘O there are other balls’ :
Ans : They would climb a bench or the parapet to An ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy
look into the baker’s basket. As he stands rigid, trembling, staring down
All his young days into the harbour where
Or His ball went. I would not intrude on him;
1.B It is from these comrades in the struggle that I learned A dime, another ball, is worthless. Now
the meaning of courage. Time and again. I have seen He senses first responsibility
men and women risk and give their lives for an idea. In a world of possessions. People will take
I have seen men stand up to attacks and torture Balls, balls will be lost always, little boy.
without breaking, showing a strength and resilience (The Ball Poem)
that defies the imagination. I learned that courage
was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. i. What does the poet mean by ‘first responsibility’ ?
The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but Ans : By ‘first responsibility’, he, means to look after
he who conquers that fear. his things properly.
(Nelson Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom)
ii. Complete the analogy by selecting the suitable word
i. Who taught the real meaning of courage to Nelson from the extract:
Mandela? privy : secret :: sympathetic : _____
Ans : The comrades in the struggle against apartheid. (Clue : Just like privy is sharing in a secret, similarly
sympathetic is sharing in...)
ii. To author, the men and women risk and sacrifice their
Ans : grief.
lives for:
(a) the sake of family iii. Which figure of speech is used in the above lines?
(b) the sake of an idea (a) metaphor (b) personification
(c) the sake of friends (c) anaphora (d) simile
(d) the sake of money Ans : (a) metaphor
Ans : (b) the sake of an idea
iv. Which of the following emotions does the boy feel
iii. The author defines courage not the absence of fear:
when the ball goes into the dark water of the harbor?
(a) but rather afraid of it 1. Grief
(b) but rather the triumph over it 2. Disbelief
(c) but presence of shivering 3. Hope
(d) but rather reject it 4. Desperation
Ans : (b) but rather the triumph over it 5. Excitement
(a) Only 1 and 2
iv. The word ‘resilience’ means: (b) Only 2 and 4
(a) the ability to deal with any kind of hardship (c) Only 2, 3 and 5
(b) the ability to conquer the foe (d) Only 1, 2 and 4
(d) the ability to dive deep Ans : (d) Only 1, 2 and 4
(d) The ability to keep mum
Ans : (a) the ability to deal with any kind of hardship

v. State whether the following statement is TRUE or v. Which of the following is NOT a meaning one can
FALSE: signify with the word ‘ball’ in this poem ?
People risking and giving their lives for an idea, (a) innocence
braving torture without breaking, showing strength (b) irreplaceable memories
and resilience when faced with atrocities, simply (c) precious things
defies one’s imagination. (d) darker path of life
Ans : TRUE. Ans : (d) darker path of life
 Or ii. What does Natalya say about the dog named Guess?
2.B He hears the last voice at night, (The Proposal)
The patrolling cars, Ans :
And stares with his brilliant eyes While arguing with Lomov, Natalya told him that
At the brilliant stars. her dog Squezzer was much better than Lomov’s dog
(A Tiger in the Zoo) Guess. She mentioned that Guess had become too
old and ought to be shot. Natalya also claimed that
Squezzer was hundred times much better than Guess.
i. Select one word from the extract and fill in the blank:
To go around an area at regular times to check that it iii. How did the young seagull try to catch the attention
is safe is called _____. of his family?
Ans : patrolling. (Two Stories About Flying)
Ans :
ii. Who is ‘he’ ? Seeing that his family was not paying attention to
him from the meadow below, the young seagull slowly
(a) a lion (b) a tiger came up to the brink of the ledge and stood on one
(c) a jaguar (d) a leopard leg while hiding the other leg under his wing. He then
Ans : (b) a tiger closed his one eye and then the other and pretended
to be falling asleep. This is how he tried to attract the
iii. At what does he stare? attention of his family.
(a) the visitors (b) the bright stars iv. How would a life on a tower be different from a life
(c) the guards (d) other animals anywhere else for Amanda ?
Ans : (b) the bright stars (Amanda!)
Ans :
iv. What is the last thing the tiger hears at night ? Life on a tower for Amanda would be very different
from her reality. Just like Rapunzel, even she desires
Ans : The voice of patrolling cars.
to live on top of a tower, away from everyday chaos.
Amanda suffers due to the constant nagging from her
parents. She seeks a place full of peace and serenity,
where there is no one to disturb her. Hence, she wishes
to live on a tower.
v. Why has the poet used the word ‘brilliant’ twice? v. Do you think the trees are justified in the revolt?
(a) to create a sense of rhyme in the poem State two values which man should possess to stop the
(b) to catch the attention of the reader revolt.
(c) to lay more stress on the brightness of the eyes (The Trees)
and the stars Ans :
The trees inside the house get suffocated as they grow.
(d) there is no deeper meaning behind the usage
They try to free themselves from the cracks of the
Ans : (c) to lay more stress on the brightness of the veranda floor and the leaves stretch out as if to move
eyes and the stars towards the glass. They are justified in their revolt.
VI Answer ANY FOUR of the following in about 40-50 Men should learn the importance of trees.
words each. 4 # 3 = 12
VII Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 40-50
i. Mr. Keesing was a strict but kind teacher. Explain the words each. 2#3 = 6
truth of this statement.
(From the Diary of Anne Frank) i. How and when did Matilda find the borrowed necklace
Ans : missing ?
Mr. Keesing was a strict but kind teacher. He punished (The Necklace)
Anne for her talkative behaviour by making her Ans :
write essays but he never took offense to the words Matilda went home from the ball at about four o’clock
she wrote. Moreover, he always took them in good in the morning. After reaching home, she removed the
humour and even appreciated some of her arguments wraps from her shoulder before the glass so that she
written in the essay. could have a final view of her glory. It was at that
time that she found her necklace missing.
ii. “The two boys stared in surprise at the fresh muddy
imprints of a pair of bare feet.” What did the bewildered
boys observe while looking at these footprints ?
(Footprints Without Feet)
Ans :
The two boys were surprised to see the fresh muddy
imprints of a pair of bare feet. They wondered what
a barefoot man was doing on the steps of a house, in
the middle of London. They even observed that the
footprints were appearing from out of nowhere as they
could not see a person. It is was a remarkable sight
that bewildered the boys.
iii. Had Anil really forgiven Hari Singh ? Support your
answer with evidence.
(The Thief’s Story)
Ans :
Anil did not make much money, so the amount stolen
by Hari must have been very important. The situation
must have made him very angry. But when he found
out that Hari had made an attempt to change his
habits, Anil forgave him. He thought that if Hari was
given a chance, it will help transform him. So, he
forgave him and gave him an opportunity to improve
himself. He even gave him Rupees 50 and promised to
pay him regularly from then on.
VIII Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120
words. 6
i. “So, in order not to shake the writer’s faith in God, the
postmaster came up with an idea to answer the letter”.
What does this statement tell us about the postmaster?
Was his idea successful ? How did the receiver react?
(A Letter to God)
Ans :
When the postmaster saw the letter addressed to
God, he broke out laughing, but almost immediately
he turned serious. He was amazed at the faith of the
writer and wished that he too could have the faith of
the man who wrote the letter. This shows that he was
an appreciative and amiable person.
He was kind, therefore in order not to shake the
writer’s faith, he decided to answer the letter. He
was empathetic also. But, when he read the letter
he realised that only goodwill wouldn’t do. He would
need money too. Still, he did not give up the idea
of replying to the letter. He was determined and
trustworthy and thus stuck on his resolution. He
asked for some money from his employees and he even
himself gave a part of his salary. Several friends of his
were obliged to give something for an act of charity.
The postmaster was generous too. In the end, he sent
70 pesos to Lencho but he did not reveal his identity.
He did not want to break Lencho’s trust, hence signed
the letter as God. This shows how selfless he was.
Or
ii. Being impressed by Custard’s feat, the young seagull’s sister
wrote a letter to Custard seeking advice on addressing the
situation with her young brother. Write Custard’s response
to this letter. Base the advice from his experiences.
You may begin like this:
Dear Ms Seagull,
Thank you for seeking me out. I am humbled. Based
on my limited experiences I feel...
(The Tale of Custard the Dragon)
Ans :
Dear Ms Seagull,
Thank you for seeking me out. I am humbled. Based
on my limited experiences I feel if we run away
from the difficult situation it becomes monstrous. A
courageous person is always ready to face the inverse
conditions without boasting of his bravery. Cowards
run away when the real problem comes up and give
baseless explanations for their fleet.
The case with your brother is somewhat different.
he is not a coward but he is unable to muster up the
courage for his first flight. He is worried about the
consequences of falling down. Try to explain to him
that birds are born with innate flying skills and he
should not worry about falling down. If he focuses on
his aim, success will automatically follow.
IX Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120
words. 6
i. After reading the story ‘Bholi’ by the author K.A.
Abbas, what impression do you form of the protagonist
of the story Bholi?
Ans :
Bholi was a neglected child in the family. Due to her
deep black pockmarks, impaired speech and lack of
sense, she was considered backward and a simpleton.
The day she was brought to school, she avoided other
girls, who made fun of her and she could not even
understand their language.
But due to her teacher’s encouragement
and sympathetic treatment, she became a bold
girl. Moreover, she turned out to be a good and
understanding person who was submissive to her
parents’ wishes. She yielded to the wish of her parents
to marry her off to Bishamber, a man who was lame,
old enough to be the age of her father and had grown-
up children. But later, she even had the courage
to reject her marriage because she did not want a
husband who disrespected her father.
 Or
ii. “Horace had some hope because she seemed to be
amused at meeting him.” Why did Horace feel so? Did
he consider the young lady compassionate towards
him? Did he find her free from biases? Discuss the
values Horace should have imbibe understanding of
the person.
(A Question of Trust)
Ans :
Horace was a fifty-year-old man who used to rob only
to buy rare and expensive. This time he decided to
rob Shot over Grange. But as soon as he entered the
room, a young lady appeared. She posed to be the
lady of the house. She was very confident in her way
of mannerism. Then she tried to be polite and nice
to him. On hearing her, Horace felt that he had a
hope of escaping. He found her a bit compassionate
towards him. He was amused at Horace. She acted
in quite a subtle manner and showed her sympathy
and admiration towards a simple and honest man. He
could not judge her ace. She made Horace promise
that he would never commit the crime again. Horace
should have been clever, shrewd and witty like the
lady.