CBSE English X

Sample Paper 12 Page 1

Sample Paper 12
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. An ecosystem is a community of organisms that live and interact within a particular environment. In an
aquatic ecosystem, that environment is water and all the system’s plants and animals live either in or on that
water. The specific setting and type of water, such as a freshwater lake or saltwater marsh, determines which
animals and plants live there. Marine, or ocean, systems cover about 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface and
are identified by the presence of dissolved salts in the water. The level of salinity averages about 35 parts
per thousand g of water, but it can vary in response to climate or a nearby source of freshwater. Marine
organisms must adapt to either a constantly changing or stable level of salt content and cannot move
successfully from one to the other. saltwater ecosystems range from the abundant life of coastal areas to
the nearly barren ocean bottom. In marine habitats, the food chain begins with plankton, micro-organisms
that require sunlight for energy and growth, so systems closest to the surface or in relatively shallow
water support more life. These include estuaries, salt marshes, coral reefs and other tropical habitats, and
intertidal areas such as lagoons and kelp beds.
2. Animal life in marine ecosystems ranges from microscopic zooplankton though fish of all sizes to marine
mammals, including seals, whales and manatees. Freshwater-water that is either drinkable or has little or
no salt content-supports its own aquatic ecosystems. These include river and streams, lakes and ponds,
wetlands and even groundwater. Each of these systems is unique and ven within categories, any specific
habitat is affected by altitude/temperature and humidity. for instance, a plant native to warm shallow lake
in the tropics could not survive on the steep banks of a cold, fast-moving mountain stream Freshwater
ecosystems provide homes for a wide variety of animal life including insects, amphibians and fish.
One estimate of fish species puts the number that lives in freshwater at 40 per cent of the Earth’s total.
Worms, molluscs, algae and bacteria all live in freshwater systems, as do innumerable varieties of plants.
In addition, animals such as birds otters and bears use freshwater ecosystems as a food source.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
i. Which of the following statement is True according to the passage?
(a) 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface is covered in oceans
(b) 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface are marine bodies only
(c) 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface is solid landmass
(d) 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface form the entire aquatic system


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Page 2 Sample Paper 12 CBSE English X

ii. Select the option that best captures the central idea of the passage from the given quotes.
(a) There is a deep interconnectedness of all life on earth, from the tiniest organisms, to the largest
ecosystems, and absolutely between each person.” - Bryant McGill
(b) “Where there is a smoke, there is an ecologist.” - Ljupka Cvetanova
(c) “When we reconnect with nature, we will be restore ourselves.” - Lailah Gifty Akita
(d) “We can only predict the future ecological changes, by emergence of the past into the present.” -
Lailah Gifty Akita

iii. Select the option that corresponds to the following relation below:
Saltwater ecosystems range from the abundant life of coastal area to the nearly barren ocean bottom.
(a) In the season of spring, plenty of flowers grow while in the season of autumn, the leaves wither and
fall making it a barren season for the growth of plant.
(b) The distinct is the most barren and backward portion of the province.
(c) The room was austere, nearly barren of furniture and decoration.
(d) This zone has an abundant rainfall, dense forests and a fertile soil.

iv. Complete the following with a phrase from paragraph 1:

Opinion Reason
_______________ An ecosystem that lives and interacts within a particular environment.

v. The writer uses two contrasting words in the line:

Marine organisms must adopt to either a constantly changing or stable level of salt content. (Paragraph 1)
State one point of difference between constantly changing and stable.

vi. Based on your reading of the text, list 2 reasons why the writer says that:
Shallow water relatively support more acquatic life.
1. __________
2. __________

vii. The writer says, “Freshwater supports its own aquatic ecosystems”.
Select the reason that appropriately justifies the statement.
(a) Freshwater has little or no salt content.
(b) Freshwater provides oxygen to support the growth of aquatic ecosystem.
(c) It help to prevent erosion.
(d) It provides natural protection from flooding.

viii. Micro-organisms in the saltwater ecosystem grow in shallow water or near the surface because:
(a) the content of salt is low
(b) they get sunlight to grow
(c) they cannot breathe in deep water
(d) Both (a) and (b)


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CBSE English X Sample Paper 12 Page 3

ix. Supply 1 point to justify the following:

Micro-organisms in the saltwater ecosystem grow in shallow water or near the surface.

x. State whether the following statement is True or False :

Saltwater ecosystems range from the abundant life of coastal areas to the nearly barren ocean bottom.
II. Read the passage given below. 10
1. Demonetisation refers to an economic policy where a certain currency unit ceases to be used as a legal
tender. It occurs whenever there is a change in the national currency. The existing form or forms of money
is pulled from circulation and retired, to be replaced with new notes or coins. Sometimes, a country
completely replaces the old currency with new currency.
2. On 8 November, 2016, the Indian government decided to demonetise the 500 and 1000 rupee notes,
the two biggest denominations in its currency system. These notes accounted for 86% of the country’s
circulating cash. With little warning, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to the citizens
that these notes would be rendered immediately ineffective with immediate effect. People were given
time till the end of the year to deposit or exchange them for newly introduced 2000 rupee and 500 rupee
notes.
3. The government’s goal was to combat India’s thriving underground economy on several fronts:
eradicate counterfeit currency, fight tax evasion (only 1% of the population pays taxes), eliminate black
money accumulated from money laundering and terrorist-financing activities, and to promote a cashless
economy. Individuals and entities with huge sums of black money acquired from parallel cash systems
were forced to take their large denomination notes to a bank, and account for them satisfactorily and
submit proof if tax paid. If the owner could not provide proof of making any tax payments on the cash,
a penalty of 200% on the tax due was imposed.
4. Demonetisation had a severe impact on the gold market. The extraordinary demand for the yellow
metal, made a stiff hike in the cost. However, the Government made it mandatory that every buyer had
to submit his/her PAN card details for purchases made. Erring jewellers were brought to book.

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Page 4 Sample Paper 12 CBSE English X

5. Many Indians switched to alternative payment methods. The biggest gainers were mobile wallet
companies that offered easy transactions through a large network of partners. Alibaba-backed Paytm
saw a sevenfold increase in overall traffic. Prepaid cash cards were another option that the customers
found useful. Other alternatives were mobile payment systems linked to e-commerce businesses like Ola
Money, FreeCharge, Flipkart Wallet.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
i. Infer one reason for demonetisation.

ii. Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the option that lists the objectives of demonetisation.
1. In demonetisation, the existing form of money is pulled from circulation to be replaced with new
notes.
2. Demonetisation had a severe impact on the gold market.
3. Demonetisation eliminates black marketing.
4. Demonetisation eradicates money laundering.
5. Demonetisation helps to retain a cashless economy.
(a) 1 and 5 (b) 4 and 5
(c) 2 and 4 (d) 3 and 5

iii. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word from Paragraph 4.
awful : dreadful :: serious : _____
(Clue : Just like, awful is a synonym of dreadful, similarly serious is a synonym of...)

iv. Which of the following is not a mobile wallet company?

(a) Freecharge (b) Ola Money
(c) Paytm (d) Samsung

v. Select the chart that appropriately represents the growth in volume of rupees in 3 financial years (2015-
16, 2016-17 and 2017-18):

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CBSE English X Sample Paper 12 Page 5

vi. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option. Government’s goal was to eradicate _____.
(a) Counterfeit currency
(b) Black money
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) None of these

vii. Substitute the word ‘combat’ with one word similar in meaning in the following sentence from Paragraph
3. The government’s goal was to combat Indians thriving underground economy.

viii. List any two points on which the Indian Government thrive to combat underground economy.
1. __________
2. __________

ix. List one reason why the government decided to demonetise the 500 and 1000 rupee notes and not any
other.

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Page 6 Sample Paper 12 CBSE English X

x. Select the option that titles paragraphs 3-4 appropriately, with reference to the information in the text.
(a) 1. Demonetise 500 and 1000 rupee notes
2. Newly-introduced 2000 rupee note
3. Severe impact on the gold market
(b) 1. Severe impact on the gold market
2. Combat underground economy
3. Eliminate black money
(c) 1. Alternative payment methods
2. Newly introduced 2000 rupee
3. Ola money
(d) 1. Flipkart wallet
2. Severe impact on the gold market
3. Free charge

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 magazine article.
The thief and the eye-witness _____.
(a) has escaped (b) has been escaping
(c) was escaping (d) have escaped

ii. Read the conversation between Rohit and Amal and complete the narration that follows :
Rohit : I’m really looking forward to the class picnic tomorrow.
Amal : Yes, after a long time we will be meeting all our friends and teachers.
When Rohit said that he was looking forward to their class picnic, Amal affirmed that _____.

iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the given line to complete an online update.
During the college days, I _____ beat them all in the race!
(a) could (b) should
(c) can (d) might

iv. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following line, from self-help
book:
Goals provides direction to our behaviour and guide our actions and thoughts.
Option No. Error Correction
(a) provides provide
(b) behaviour behaviours
(c) to for
(d) guide guides


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CBSE English X Sample Paper 12 Page 7

v. Complete the notice by filling in the blank with the correct option:
The swimming pool _____ at 6 a.m. daily.
(a) open (b) is opening
(c) opened (d) opens

vi. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket.
The forecast _____ (mention) a quiet start to the day with a spell of rain to come later on in the afternoon.

vii. Report the dialogue between two friends, by completing the sentence:
Susan : Do you have any story books to read, Dorothy?
Dorothy : I prefer watching movies in my free time.
In response to the question about story books, Dorothy says that _____.

viii. Identify the error in the given sentence from an article and supply the correction.
Overeating is one of the more wonderful practices among those who think that they can afford it.

Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction

ix. Rohit shared some information with Ankit, about a movie. Report Ankit’s question.
Is the movie enjoyable?

x Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete the sentence.
It was a long day. You _____ be hungry.
(a) must (b) might
(c) need to (d) should

xi Select the correct option to complete the narration of the dialogue between Abraham and his brother
John.
Abraham : (humming) By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept at the memory of Zion,.....
John : What are you singing , Abraham ?
Abraham : Dear me , don’t you know its Psalm number 137?
John : If one priest found it difficult, then I’ll keep asking, till you know about it!
While Abraham was singing, John asked him what he was singing. Abraham, surprised, asked John if
he did not know that it was Psalm number 137. John exclaimed good-humouredly that if a priest found
it difficult then _____.
(a) he would kept asking till he know about it.
(b) he would keep asking till he knew about it.
(c) he would be keeping to ask until he came to know about it.
(d) None of the above

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Page 8 Sample Paper 12 CBSE English X

xii Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction.
There are so much ways of entertainment in life.
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. Write a formal letter (100-120 words) to the principal about the unhygienic conditions in the school
washrooms.

O

B. Write a letter to the Editor of a local newspaper complaining about employing minor children both boys
and girls as full domestic help is a common feature, also advocating the need to stop such practice which
deprives the children of their basic rights. You are Kumar/Nita, B-30, Mayur Vihar, Phase-II, Delhi.
2. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. 5
A. Study the graph given below. The graph depicts the number of students of class tenth speaking English and
Hindi in three different types of schools in New Delhi. Based on the details given in the bar graph given
below, write an analytical paragraph in 100-120 words.

O

B. Read the following excerpt from an article that appeared in the magazine section of a local daily:
“Technology is addicting, and like any drug, it is especially effective on children. Be it cell phones,
iPods, tablets, computers, or a simple television set, technology hooks children.”
Write a paragraph to analyse the given argument.
You could think about what alternative explanations might weaken the given conclusion and include
rationale/evidence that would strengthen/counter the given argument.

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CBSE English X Sample Paper 12 Page 9

SECTION C- LITERATURE 40

V. Reference to the Context 10

1. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. 5
1.A “Alas! the living are few, but the dead are many. Do not remind us of our deepest grief” And there was
no house but some beloved one had died in it.
(The Sermon at Benares)
i. What grief were they talking about when they said “Do not remind us of our grief”?
(a) The grief of losing a loved one.
(b) The grief that many people have died in their house.
(c) The grief of talking about losing a loved one.
(d) The grief that they had lost a son.

ii. What did they mean by ‘the living are few, but the dead are many’?

iii. Fill in the blank with ONE WORD only.

The people’s _____ comes through clearly when they say “Do not remind us of our deepest grief”.

iv. Which of the following statement is TRUE according to the given extract?
(a) The living population is very few.
(b) The living population has increased manifold.
(c) There was no house where no one had died.
(d) Both (a) and (c)

v. Select the option that correctly captures the application of the word ‘living’ as used in line 1 of the extract.
(a) He was offered the living of St Katherine’s.
(b) She was struggling to make a living as a dancer.
(c) The young man is dead. We have only to consider the living.
(d) Olivia has always been a model of healthy living.

O
1.B I had forgotten about them in the excitement of the theft. Whole sentences, I knew, could one day bring me
more than a few hundred rupees. It was a simple matter to steal - and sometimes just as simple to be caught.
But to be a really big man, a clever and respected man, was something else. I should go back to Anil, I told
myself if only to learn to read and write.
(The Thief ’s story)
i. Select the option that correctly captures the usage of the word ‘matter’ as used in the extract.
(a) Please phone me back - it’s a matter of some importance.
(b) Baking a cake isn’t difficult - it’s just a matter of following the recipe.
(c) Being arrested by the police is no laughing matter.
(d) Matter is of three types.


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Page 10 Sample Paper 12 CBSE English X

ii. Complete the following analogy by selecting the suitable word from the extract :
joyful : gloomy :: boredom : _____.
(Clue : Just like jouyful is opposite of gloomy similarly boredom is opposite of...)

iii. Select the option that displays the reason why Hari Singh wanted to return the money initially, even
though he had forgotten about the sentences.
(a) Anil was a genuine man.
(b) Anil was intelligent enough to catch Hari, whatsoever.
(c) Hari was scared.
(d) Hari pitied Anil as he usually he had no money himself.

iv. According to the extract, what did Hari mean by “a really big man”?
1. Learned
2. Bulky
3. Erudite
4. Muscular
5. Powerful
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 5
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 4 and 5

v. The author uses em-dash in the given extract. List any way in which it benefits the writer.

2. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. 5

2.A But he’s locked in a concrete cell,
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage,
Ignoring visitors.
(A Tiger in the Zoo)
i. Complete the sentence appropriately.
It is clear that Alliteration is the poetic device used for ‘But his locked in a concrete cell’ because _____.
(Clue : explain how alliteration applies here)

ii. The poet has used a poetic device in the given lines. What effect does she wish to create by its use?
His strength behind bars,
Stalking the length of his cage, .....
(a) Emphasis (b) Imagery
(c) Rhyme (d) Comparison

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

The extract uses tiger to symbolise the necessity of freedom.

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CBSE English X Sample Paper 12 Page 11

iv. Select the appropriate option to complete the sentence, according to the extract.
The idea depicted by the tiger that has been ‘Stalking the length of his cage’ is
(a) Unnatural (b) Scary
(c) Helplessness (d) Legendary

v. How does the use of personification impact this extract?

(a) It simplifies the meaning.
(b) It builds momentum.
(c) It makes the lines lyrical.
(d) It connects the reader more to the poem.

O
2.B Belinda giggled till she shook the house,
And Blink said Weeck! which is giggling for a mouse,
Ink and Mustard rudely asked his age,
When Custard cried for a nice safe cage.
(The Tale of Custard the Dragon)
i. What are the poetic devices used in the above extract?
1. Hyperbole
2. Onomatopoeia
3. Personification
4. Metonymy
5. Enjambment
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1 and 4
(c) 3 and 5 (d) 2 and 3

ii. What causes Custard to ‘cry’ for a cage?

iii. Identify the rhyme scheme of the given extract.

(a) aabb (b) abab
(c) abba (d) abcd

iv. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word from the extract :
Yeomanly : disloyal :: perilous _____
(Clue : Just like yemanly is an antonym for disloyal, similarly perious is an antonym for...)

v. Select the sentence in which the word ‘safe’ is used in the similar manner as line 4 of the extract.
(a) That shirt is real safe.
(b) Thieves broke into the safe and stole everything.
(c) Sonia said that she feels safe with Jitesh.
(d) With most of the votes counted now, I think it’s safe to say that we won.

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Page 12 Sample Paper 12 CBSE English X

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

i. What were the destructions caused by the hailstorm?

(A Letter to God)

ii. How did Anne Frank’s friends behave just before the declaration of the exam results?
(From the Diary of Anne Frank)

iii. What was the most fascinating thing for Valli?

(Madam Rides the Bus)

iv. What message does the poet wish to convey through “The Ball Poem”?

v. In the poem “How to Tell Wild Animals”, how does the poet caution the reader regarding the danger of
animals?

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

i. What happened at the ball? Was Matilda’s dream fulfilled?

(The Necklace)

ii. Is Max menacing or vulnerable? Comment with reference to “The Midnight Visitor”.

iii. Why did Bholi agree to the unsuitable match at first?

(Bholi)

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

i. “I’ll take the risk.” The narrator did take the risk. What difficulties did he face ? Who do you think must
have helped him ? As a pilot what would you do in such a situation ? Take risk or take a wise decision ?
(Two Stories About Flying)

O
ii. “The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement.”
If you had to use the message of the above quote from Nelson Mandela (Nelson Mandela Long Walk to
Freedom) to portray the liberation of women and what it signifies (The Trees), what would you include
in it? Also, evaluate what we can take from the notion.

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

i. Write a character sketch of Horace Danby.
(A Question of Trust)

O
ii. What was the impact of the book ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ on Richard Ebright ?
(The Making of a Scientist)

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