CBSE English X Sample Paper 9 Page 1

Sample Paper 9
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
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1. Economist, ethicists and business experts persuade us that honesty is the best policy, but their evidence
is weak. We hoped to find data that would support their theories and thus, perhaps, encourage higher
standards of business behaviour. To our surprise, their pet theories failed to stand up. Treachery, we
found, can pay. There is no compelling economic reason to tell the truth or keep one’s word. Punishment
for the treacherous in the real world is neither swift nor sure.
2. Honesty is, in fact, primarily a moral choice. Business people do tell themselves that, in the long run,
they will do well by doing good. But there is little factual or logical basis for this conviction. Without
values, without a basic preference of right over wrong, trust based on such delusion would crumble in
the face of temptation. Most of us choose virtue because we want to believe in ourselves and because
others respect and believe us.
3. And due to this, we should be happy. We can be proud of a system in which people are honest because
they want to be, not because they have to be. Materially, too, trust based on morality provides great
advantages. It allows us to join in great and exciting enterprises that we could never undertake if we
relied on economic incentives alone.
4. Economists tell us that trust is enforced in the market place through retaliation and reputation. If you
violate a trust, your victim is apt to seek revenge and others are likely to stop doing business with you, at
least under favourable terms. A man or woman with a reputation for fair dealing will prosper. Therefore,
profit maximisers are honest. This sounds plausible enough until you look for concrete examples. Cases
that apparently demonstrate the awful consequences of trust turn out to be few and weak, while evidence
that treachery can pay seems compelling.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.

i. According to the passage, what do economists and ethicists, want us to believe?

(a) Businessmen should always be honest
(b) Businessmen cannot always be honest
(c) Businessmen turn dishonest at times
(d) Businessmen are honest only at times

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ii. What did the author find out about the theory that ‘honesty is the best policy’?
(a) It is correct on many occasions
(b) It is correct for all businesses
(c) It is a useless theory
(d) It is a theory which seems to be correct only occasionally
iii. Infer one reason for the following, based on information in paragraph 2:
Businessmen are honest in their dealings.
iv. According to the author, which of the following, is the reason for being honest in business?
(a) It gives no immediate benefits
(b) It gives no long-term benefits
(c) It makes a person self-seeking
(d) None of these

v. Supply one point to justify the following:

The author says that one can be proud of the present situation.

vi. Suppy one material advantage which the author sees in being honest.
vii. Which of the following phrases is most nearly the same in meaning as the word ‘persuade’ as it has been
used in the passage?
(a) Give an assurance
(b) Give an opinion
(c) Try to convince
(d) Cheat

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

Economists believe that all businessmen are dishonest.

ix. Substitute the word ‘conviction’ with ONE WORD similar in meaning, in the following sentence from
paragraph 2:
Business people do tell themselves that, in the long run, they will do well by doing good. But there is
little factual or logical basis for this conviction.

x. Which of the following best describes what the author is trying to point out through the last sentence of
the passage, “Cases that…..compelling”?
(a) The consequences of business
(b) The contradictions in the real world
(c) Economists predict incorrectly
(d) The contradictions is unreal
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 CBSE English X Sample Paper 9 Page 3

II. Read the passage given below. 10

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1. The ocean is one of the most unexplored parts of our planet, with a magnitude of undiscovered species and
mysteries. It turns out from the studies conducted over the last few decades, this magnificent environment
is under serious threat from human intervention, with plastics set to outnumber fish by 2050.
2. Marine life, as we know it, is suffering irreparable damage from the chemical pollution of the waters and
the millions of tons of mismanaged waste dumped in the oceans each year. The result is a planetary crisis
with over 100 million marine animal’s lives get lost every year, and the decay of the ocean’s ecosystem.
Shocking Ocean Pollution Statistics

• 100 melon marine animals die each year from plastic waste alone.
• 100000 marine animal die from getting entangled in plastic yearly - this is just the creatures
we find
• 1 in 3 marine mammal species get found entangled in litter, 12-14000 tons of plastic are
ingested by North Pacific fish yearly.
• In the past 10 years, we’ve made more plastic than the last century. By 2050, the pollution
of fish will be outnumbered by our dumped plastic.
• The largest trash site on the planet is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, twice the surface
area of Texas, it outnumbers sea life there 6 to 1.
• Chine is ranked #1 for mismanaged waste and plastics. However, the US is in the top 20
with a more significant waste per person contributions.
• 300 Million tons of plastic gets created yearly, and this weighs the same as the entire human
population, and 50% is single-use only.
• There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic waster estimated to be in our oceans. 269000 tons
float, 4 billion microfibers per km2 dwell below the surface.
• 70% of our debris sinks into the oceans’s ecosystem, 15% floats and 15% lands on our
beaches.
• In terms of plastic, 8.3 million tons are discarded in the sea yearly. Of which, 236000 are ingestible
microplastics that marine creatures mistake for food.
• Plastics take 500-1000 years to degrade; currently 79% is send to lands or the oceans, while
only 9% is recycled, and 12% gets incinerated.
• 1950-1998 over 100 nuclear blast tests occurred in our oceans.
• 500 marine locations are now recorded as dead zones globally, currently the size of the
United Kingdom’s surface (245000 km2)
• 80% of global marine pollution comes from agriculture runoff, untreated sewage, discharge
of nutrients and pesticides.
• 90% of the worldwide ocean debris comes from 10 rivers alone.
3. Almost 1,000 species of marine animals get impacted by ocean pollution, and we now have over 500
locations recorded as dead zones where marine life cannot exist. How did this happen, what is causing
the most damage, find out everything above in the marine pollution statistics roundup.
4. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a floating island of debris, accumulated in the North Pacific Ocean by an
extensive system of currents called gyres. It is built up from two other waste patches, the western garbage
patch near Japan and the eastern garbage patch near America’s west coast near California and Hawaii.

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5. The North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone links the east and western garbage patches, acting as
a highway for waste to move from one to the other. Because of this, a small item of debris dropped near
California can travel across to Japan, then eventually get sucked up by these swirling garbage patch
vortexes.
6. The great pacific garbage patch size is quite shocking. These patches of trash are said to be twice the size
of Texas and float on the surface but do drop several meters into the ocean in places, which makes the
correct size challenging to measure. The world’s largest garbage site is mainly made up of microplastics
creating a vast cloud, with newer items of debris that haven’t broken down as much floating around like
chunks in a soup. The great pacific garbage patch effects on marine life are extremely significant.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
i. In the ocean what is set to outnumber the fish by the year 2050?
(a) pollution (b) plastics
(c) human waste (d) garbage
ii. List any two reasons for the following, based on information in paragraph 2
Marine life is suffering from irreparable damage.
1. __________
2. __________
iii. The largest trash site on the planet, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is twice the size of which city ?
(a) Arizona (b) Colorado
(c) Texas (d) Florida
iv. Which country is ranked number one for mismanaged waste and plastics ?
(a) China (b) USA
(c) India (d) France
v Complete the following analogy correctly with a word from paragraph 3:
slug : land :: shark : _____
(Clue : Just like a slug lives on land, similarly a shark lives in...)

vi. Which of the following is NOT a place from where 80% of global marine pollution comes ?
(a) untreated sewage
(b) agriculture run-off
(c) discharge of nutrients and pesticide
(d) factory waste disposal

vii. List one reason for the following, based on informatin in paragraph 5:
A small item of debris dropped near California can travel across to Japan.

viii. State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE;

700 marine locations are now recorded as dead zones globally.

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 CBSE English X Sample Paper 9 Page 5

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ix. Substitute the word ‘irreparable’ with ONE WORD similar in meaning, in the following sentence from paragraph 2:
Marine life, as we know it, is suffering irreparable damage from the chemical pollution of the waters...

x. An extensive system of currents in the North Pacific Ocean is called :

(a) vortex
(b) convergence
(c) gyres
(d) debris

III. SECTION B- GRAMMAR 10

Attempt ANY TEN of the following questions. 10
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i. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete the sentence.
The mechanic _____ the vehicle since the morning.
(a) repaired
(b) repairing
(c) has been repairing
(d) will be repairing

ii. Read the conversation between customer and shopkeeper. Complete the sentence by reporting
shopkeeper’s reply correctly.
Customer : Can I have a bottle of juice?
Shopkeeper : Sorry, we only have milk bottles.

The customer asked the shopkeeper if he could have a bottle of juice. The shopkeeper apologized and
said _____.
iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the given line.
Genius does what it must, and talent does what it _____.
(a) can
(b) would
(c) may
(d) should

iv. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following line:
There are not some buses because the drivers have gone on a strike.
Option No. Error Correction
(a) are is
(b) the a
(c) some any

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Page 6 Sample Paper 9 CBSE English X

(d) have has

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v. Complete the given sentence, by filling in the blank with the correct option:
I have _____ Lakshmi for the past twelve years.
(a) know
(b) knew
(c) known
(d) knows
vi. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket.
According to the news, the shower _____ (were) to take place.
vii. Report the dialogue between Meena and Neha, by completing the narration:
Meena : Tomorrow is your birthday, what do you want as a gift?
Neha : That is a lovely thought but I don’t want anything.

Meena asked Neha since the next day was her birthday, _____. Neha replied that that was a lovely
thought but she did not want anything.
viii. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction.
Dawn’s favorite activity is draw sketches of her family.

Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction

ix. Transform the following direct speech into reported speech:

He said, “Has anybody been unkind to you ?”

x. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option, to complete the sentence.
There _____ something wrong with the cooker today.
(a) must be
(b) should have been
(c) must have been
(d) None of these
xi. Select the correct option to complete the narration of the dialogue between Tanmay and Astha.
Tanmay : How did you spend your vacation?
Astha : I visited Kashmir with my parents.

Tanmay asked Astha how she had spent her vacation. Astha replied that _____.
(a) she has visited Kashmir with her parents
(b) she had visited Kashmir with her parents
(c) she have visited Kashmir with her parents
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 CBSE English X Sample Paper 9 Page 7

(d) she hadn’t visited Kashmir with her parents

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xii. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction.
We can expect few more mosquitoes after continued falls of rain.

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

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A. You are Arihant/Ananya of Ashok Vihar. Write a letter of complaint to Cabinet World regarding the
faulty cabinet that they have sold to you. Invent the necessary details on your own.

Or

B. You are Mohammad Ali/Sahiba Ali, residing in 1545, Kirti Nagar, New Delhi. Write a letter to the
Deputy Commissioner of Police, drawing his attention to the deteriorating law and order situation in the
city.

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

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A. The following line graph shows the average monthly temperatures in three major cities. Write an
analytical paragraph on the basis of the line graph reporting the important information and making
comparisons where relevant.

Or

B. The graph below shows fast food consumption among men and women in 2015. Write an analytical
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 Page 8 Sample Paper 9 CBSE English X

paragraph in 100-120 words by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.

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SECTION C- LITERATURE 40

V. Reference to the Context 10

1. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. 5
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1.A Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black. It was impossible to see anything outside the aeroplane.
The old aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air. I looked at the compass. I couldn’t believe my eyes : the
compass was turning round and round and round. It was dead. It would not work! The other instruments
were suddenly dead, too. I tried the radio.
(Two Stories About Flying)

i. What was causing the plane to jump and twist in the air ?
(a) air pressure
(b) wind currents
(c) black stormy clouds
(d) dead engine

ii. Infer one reason for the following, based on information in the extract:
The compass was turning round and round.

iii. The narrator couldn’t see outside the aeroplane because :

(a) it was too bright to look outside.
(b) he was too high in the clouds to see anything clearly.
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CBSE English X Sample Paper 9 Page 9

(c) everything was black inside the storm clouds.

(d) there was too much lightening.

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

It was impossible to see anything outside the aeroplane.

v. Over which country was the pilot flying at this moment ?

(a) Germany (b) Spain
(c) United Kingdom (d) France

Or

1.B It was green, green everywhere. Rajvir had never seen so much greenery before. Then the soft green
paddy fields gave way to tea-bushes.
It was a magnificent view. Against the backdrop of densely wooded hills a sea of tea bushes stretched
as far as the eye could see. Dwarfing the tiny tea plants were tall sturdy shade-trees and amidst the
orderly rows of bushes busily moved doll-like figures. In the distance was an ugly building with smoke
billowing out of tall chimneys.
“Hey, a tea-garden !” Rajvir cried excitedly.
Pranjol, who had been born and brought up on a plantation, didn’t share Rajvir’s excitement.
(Glimpses of India)

i. Supply one reason for the following, based on information in the extract:
Pranjol did not share Rajvir’s excitement about the view outside.

ii. Why has the building been called ugly ?

(a) because it was an old building
(b) because the construction was bad
(c) because smoke was coming out of its tall chimneys
(d) because it didn’t have a good history

iii. Why did Rajvir cry excitedly ?

(a) because he saw too much greenry
(b) because he saw a tea-garden
(c) because he saw a plantation
(d) because he saw an ugly building

iv. What has been called ‘magnficent’ in the extract?

v. Which of the following options tells the meaning of the word ‘billowing’ ?

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(a) aggressively shooting upwards

(b) rolling outward
(c) moving at a great speed
(d) gathering at a place
2. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given.
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2.A Now the name of the little black kitten was Ink,
And the little grey mouse, she called him Blink,
And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard,
But the dragon was a coward, and she called him Custard.
(The tale of Custard the Dragon)

i. Who is ‘she’?
(a) Amanda (b) Belinda
(c) Wanda (d) Peggy

ii. What was the little kitten called?

(a) Mustard (b) Blink
(c) Ink (d) Custard

iii. Supply one characteristic of the dragon according to the extract.

iv. Infer one reason for the following, based on information in the extract:
The little dog was called Mustard.

v. Choose an option that is an antonym of the word ‘coward’.

(a) weakling (b) scaredy cat
(c) aggressor (d) master

Or
2.B The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
(Dust of Snow)

i. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word from the extract:
eider : duck :: cedar : _____
(Clue : Just like an eider is a type of duck, similarly a cedar is a type of...)

ii. Which literary device has been used throughout the poem?
(a) Simile

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 CBSE English X Sample Paper 9 Page 11

(b) Personification
(c) Alliteration
(d) Enjambment

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iii. Where is the poet sitting in the poem Dust of Snow?

(a) Under a laburnum tree
(b) Under a hemlock tree
(c) Under a peepal tree
(d) None of these

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

hemlock tree is a a poisonous tree with white flowers.

v. What makes the fine particles of snow fall from the tree?
(a) Frog
(b) Crow
(c) Snake
(d) Goldfinch

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

View Solution
i. What does Chubukov at first suspect Lomov had come to his house for ?
(The Proposal)

ii. How did Valli manage to leave her house?

(Madam Rides the Bus)

iii. ‘Money is external.’ What does the poet John Berryman mean by these words?
(The Ball Poem)

iv. The “yellow hair” is a symbol in the poem. Briefly support the statement with reference to the poem “For
Anne Gregory”.

v. How far would you agree that one’s positivity can bring in a spark of brightness even in adverse
circumstances.?
(A Letter to God)

VII Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 40-50 words each. 2#3 = 6
View Solution
i. Was there any balcony outside the window? What role does it play in the story, ‘The Midnight Visitor’?

ii. ‘If the theory proves correct, it will be a big step towards understanding the processes of life.’ What is
the theory and who proposed it?
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(The Making of a Scientist)

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

(The Necklace)

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

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i. According to Nelson Mandela, every man in life has twin obligations. What are these obligations ? Do
you agree with Nelson Mandela’s opinion about the ‘twin obligations’?
(Nelsom Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom)

Or

ii. How does Amanda tackle the nagging nature of her parents? Explain with examples from the poem
‘Amanda!’. What values does it portray about Amanda?

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

View Solution
i. “Oh I will, Mr Herriot. I’m sure you are right, but it is so difficult, so very difficult.”
Above statement easily shows that Mrs Pumphrey is a very loving and caring mistress for Tricki. Explain
the truth with instances from the story ‘A Triumph of Surgery’.

Or

ii. “A lawless scientist is a curse to the society.”

Discuss with reference to the story ‘Footprints without Feet’.



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