Page 1 Sample Paper 6 CBSE X English

Sample Paper 6
Class X Exam 2023-24
English Language and Literature (184)
Time Allowed : 3 Hrs. Maximum Marks: 80
General Instructions:
1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections READING, GRAMMAR & WRITING and LITERATURE.
2. Attempt question based on specific instructions for each part.

SECTION A - READING SKILLS 20

Reading Comprehension Through Unseen Passages

1. Read the following text. 10

1. A UNICEF report, 2021 pointed out that some 100 million girls are at risk of child marriage over the next
decade. The pandemic has led to “school closures, economic stress, service disruptions, pregnancy, and
parental deaths”, leaving a further 10 million vulnerable girls facing the possibility of child marriage.
2. In Rajasthan, civil society organisations are battling the practice, empowering the girls and succeeding.
Launched on International Women’s Day in 2019, Naubat Baja relies largely on the strength of mobile
phones, which have penetrated the remotest corners of India and are the youth’s favourite mode of
communication, particularly in areas with little access to television, cable, or the internet.
3. The words Naubat Baja, stand for an ensemble of musical instruments that were played together in
earlier times to catch the attention of people. This initiative is a new incarnation of the digital age,
relaying messages against harmful practices such as child marriage and gender discrimination. Posters
against early marriage are a part of the campaign by Naubat Baja Missed Call Radio, a cloud telephone-
based radio channel in Rajasthan, that addresses issues of adolescents’ well-being, empowerment and
health. Volunteers and adolescent group leaders associated with Naubat Baja are called champions.
4. Girls phone the Naubat Baja number and receive a callback, which contains a 15-minute recording of
free entertainment, peppered with Hindi film songs, short stories and audio dramas themed around social
issues narrated through comedy or satire. There is news about job opportunities, general knowledge
facts and information about government welfare schemes aimed at the youth. Messages on themes such
as child marriage, domestic violence, adolescent girls’ health, menstrual hygiene, gender sensitisation,
financial awareness are conveyed through the dramas.
5. The regularly updated programme, overseen by UNFPA representatives, is produced in studios
with the help of a content team of researchers and presented by professional audio content makers
and popularised through social media, graffiti and awareness campaigns in rural and urban areas by
volunteers, community leaders, Panchayats (rural governing bodies), Anganwadi (rural child care
centres) and ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers.
6. In Rajasthan, efforts are on to draw in more partners in the drive like the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan
(NYKS)- one of the largest youth networks in the world to popularize messages aired by Naubat Baja.
Once the strategies start to bear fruit, thousands of ordinary girls will dare to dream.

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Page 2 Sample Paper 6 CBSE X English

Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.

i. Why does the writer wish to project when he says this? 1

A UNICEF report, 2021 pointed out that some 100 million girls are at risk of child marriage over the
next decade.
(a) agitation against the authorities
(b) insecurity about the world trend
(c) alarm for the lives of the girls
(d) conviction about the helpless situation

ii. The writer emphasizes that Naubat Baja uses its content very cleverly to rake up sensitive social issues
through theatrical performances (Paragraph 4). 2
What is the similarity between the two? Rationalise your response in about 40 words.

iii. Complete the sentence appropriately. 1

The campaign content used in Naubat Baja is being done with a professional touch _____.

iv. The passage includes some words that are opposites of each other. From the sets (a)-(e) below, identify
two sets of antonyms. 1
(a) rural and urban areas
(b) child marriage and early marriage
(c) gender discrimination and sensitisation
(d) well-being and health
(e) television and cable

v. Complete the sentence appropriately. 2

The representatives of the United Nations and champions keep the youth updated by providing
them with _____.

vi. Based on your reading of the passage, prove that Naubat Baja has successfully reached even the remotest
corners of inaccessible areas. 1

vii. How are civil society organisations using technology to their advantage to bring about social change? 1
(a) They are using a cloud-based telephone service to reach people.
(b) They are using poster campaigns at grass root levels.
(c) They are using satire and comedy to push their social messages.
(d) They are relying on their collaboration with UNO.

viii. The mass reach of the Naubat Baja in both rural and urban areas involving local community platforms
in Rajasthan has been made possible due to the combined efforts of _____. 1

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Page 3 Sample Paper 6 CBSE X English

2. Read the following text. 10

1. Today sustainability-environmental, social and economic-is increasingly recognised as the benchmark
for all tourism businesses. As noted by the UN World Tourism Organisation, 57 per cent of international
tourist arrivals will be in emerging economies, by 2030.
2. The various ‘Tourism Terms’ are : Eco Tourism, Ethical Tourism, Geo Tourism, Pro-Poor Tourism,
Responsible Tourism and Sustainable Tourism. Based on the study conducted by Travel Bureau, the
market profile of an ecotourist is given below :
Age : 35-54 years old, although age varied with activity and other factors such as cost.
Gender : 50 per cent females and 50 per cent males, although, clear differences based on activity were
found.
Education : 82 per cent were college graduates, a shift in interest in ecotourism from those who have
high levels of education to those with less education was also found, indicating an expansion into
mainstream markets.
3. Household Composition: No major differences were found between general tourists and experienced
tourists.
Party Composition : A majority (60 per cent) of experienced ecotourism respondents stated they prefer
to travel as a couple, while only 15 per cent stated they preferred to travel with their families, and 13 per
cent preferring to travel alone.
4. Trip Duration: The largest group of experienced ecotourists (50 per cent) preferred trips lasting 8-14
days.
Expenditure : Experienced ecotourists were willing to spend more than general tourists, the largest
group (26 per cent).
Important Elements : The top three responses of experienced ecotoursists were:
(a) wilderness setting
(b) wildlife viewing
(c) hiking/trekking.
Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.

i. Complete the following analogy appropriately, based on your understanding of paragraph 1. 1

We can say that as sustainable development should be integral to careful consumption of resources
similarly, multi-dimensional sustainability _____ .

ii. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate option from those given in brackets, based on your understanding
of paragraph 2. 1
The profile of an ecotourist varies according to the level of education, gender, age, etc. but a clear
differentiation in choice of activities between males and females is a/an _____ (fact/opinion) because it
is a/an _____ (subjective judgement/ objective detail).

iii. Justify the following, in about 40 words. 2

An experienced ecotourist is not averse to spending more money and time on his travel.

iv. Based on the survey results, which two factors indicate a shift in mainstream travel markets when we
talk about ecotourism? 1

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Page 4 Sample Paper 6 CBSE X English

v. As noted by the UN World Tourism Organisation, 57 per cent of international tourist arrivals will be in
emerging economies, by 2030. State any one inference that can be drawn from this. 1

vi. Select the option that correctly displays what ‘mainstream’ signifies. (Reference-Paragraph 2) 1

(a) Only (ii)

(b) Only (i)
(c) (ii), (iii) and (iv)
(d) (i) and (v)

vii. Infer one benefit and one drawback of household composition in the survey on ecotourism. Answer in
about 40 words. 2
viii. Choose the option that is the correct answer for the following. 1
1. Rama Kant, an NRI, loves animals and wishes to travel to places that safeguard their rights and
inculcate awareness of their rights. What kind of tourist is he?
2. Vimal Singh from the USA is an environmental scientist and has always chosen to travel to places
that are examples of a symbiotic relationship between man and nature. What kind of tourist is he?
(a) 1 is a geotourist and 2 is a responsible tourist.
(b) 1 is an ecotourist and 2 is a geotourist.
(c) 1 is a sustainable tourist and 2 is a pro-poor tourist.
(d) 1 is an ethical tourist and 2 is a geotourist.

SECTION B - GRAMMAR & WRITING SKILLS 20

GRAMMAR 10
3. Complete ANY TEN of twelve of the following tasks, as directed. 1 # 10 = 10
i. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete the sentence. 1
When the third entered the house, the inmates _____ in the hall.
(a) were slept
(b) were sleeping
(c) slept
(d) had been sleeping

ii. Read the conversation between Harry and Cobbler. Complete the sentence by reporting cobbler’s reply
correctly. 1
Harry : Can you polish my shoes?
Cobbler : Yes sir. But I will take 10 rupees for each shoe.
Harry asked the cobbler if he could polish his shoes. The cobbler replied affirmatively but said that
_____

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Page 5 Sample Paper 6 CBSE X English

iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the given line. 1
You _____ work hard if you want to get good marks.
(a) must
(b) might
(c) can
(d) should

iv. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following line, from a news
report : 1
Our soldiers are better equipped than that of Pakistan.
Option No. Error Correction
(a) are is
(b) equipped equip
(c) that those
(d) of at

v. Complete the given sentence, by filling in the blank with the correct option : 1
Rohit _____ when we arrived at the party.
(a) had already left
(b) has already left
(c) have already left
(d) was already left

vi. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket. 1
The Sushi and the pasta _____ (look) delicious.

vii. Report the dialogue between a doctor and patient, by completing the narration : 1
Doctor : You should take this medicine every day.
Patient : Should I take it before dinner or after dinner?
Doctor : No, you should take it after breakfast.

The Doctor advised the patient that he should take that medicine every day. The patient further asked
_____. The doctor replied negatively and then said that he should take it after breakfast.

viii. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction. 1
The boys were played in the park when it started raining.

Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction

ix. Transform the following direct speech into reported speech : 1

The principal said, “Why didn’t you attend the flag hoisting ceremony, Anuj ?”

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Page 6 Sample Paper 6 CBSE X English

x. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction. 1
The German force lost no time in retreat lest they might be cut off and surrounded.

Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction

xi. Select the correct option to complete the narration of the dialogue between Sunita and Neetu. 1
Sunita : Tomorrow is your birthday, what do you want as a gift?
Neetu : That is a lovely thought but I don’t want anything.

Sunita asked Neetu since the next day was her birthday, what she wanted as a gift. Neetu replied that that
was a lovely thought but _____.
(a) she do not want anything.
(b) she did not wanted anything.
(c) she did not want anything.
(d) she wants something.

xii. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction. 1
Have you got some proof that he committed the crime?

Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction

WRITING 10
Note : All details presented in the questions are imaginary and created for assessment purpose.

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

A. Increase in the number of private vehicles coupled words to the editor of a local daily urging people with
the lack of civic sense has led to several road to use public transport and to have patience while accidents
in your city. Write a letter in 100-120 words. You are Ram/Rama, 4 Raja Road, Karnal.

O

B. You are Parvati/Praveen, Store In-Charge of Aman Stores, 32/54, Ravi Nagar, Delhi. Your school
requires school bags and accessories in bulk for the commencement of the new session. Write a letter
of enquiry to the Sales Manager, Duckback Industries Ltd. 13/4, Maharajpur, Delhi enquiring about the
details of goods manufactured.

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Page 7 Sample Paper 6 CBSE X English

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

A. The following pie-chart shows the comparison of different kinds of energy production in France in two
different years.

Study the pie-charts and summarise them into an analytical paragraph of 100-120 words.

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B. Study the given line graph carefully and summarise it into a paragraph of 100-120 words.

SECTION C - LITERATURE 40

6. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given. 5
A. Coorg, or Kodagu, the smallest district of Karnataka, is home to evergreen rainforests, spices and coffee
plantations. Evergreen rainforests cover thirty per cent of this district. During the monsoons, it pours
enough to keep many visitors away. The season of joy commences from September and continues till
March. The weather is perfect, with some showers thrown in for good measure. The air breathes of
invigorating coffee. Coffee estates and colonial bungalows stand tucked under tree canopies in prime
corners.
(Glimpses of India)

i. What do you understand by the term colonial bungalow? 1

ii. What can be inferred from the given line? 1

“During the monsoons, it pours enough to keep many visitors away”

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Page 8 Sample Paper 6 CBSE X English

iii. State TRUE or FALSE. 1

Only (b) correctly corresponds to the extract.
(a) A debate is a formal discussion on a particular topic, usually with two or more people presenting
different viewpoints and arguments.
(b) A description is the pattern of narrative development that aims to make vivid a place, object,
character, or group.
(c) An aside is a brief comment or remark made by a character directly to the audience, which is not
intended to be heard by other characters on stage.
(d) A Ballad is a short poem that tells a simple story and has a repeated refrain.

iv. Which is the best time to visit Coorg? Answer in about 40 words. 2

O
B. “But, please, Stephen Stepanovitch, how can they be yours? Do be a reasonable man! My aunt’s
grandmother gave the Meadows for the temporary and free use of your grandfather’s peasants. The
peasants used the land for forty years and got accustomed to it as if it was their own, when it happened
that.....
(The Proposal)
i. Why did the peasants treat the land as their own? 1
(a) They used the land for forty years.
(b) They got accustomed to using the land.
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) None of the above
ii. Who is the speaker of the above lines? What light do these lines throw on the speaker’s character? What
reaction did his words get? Answer in about 40 words. 2

iii. Read the following descriptions (a)-(c) and identify which one correctly corresponds to the extract. 1
(a) A debate is a formal discussion on a particular topic, usually with two or more people presenting
different viewpoints and arguments.
(b) A soliloquy is a speech given by a character alone on stage, which reveals their innermost thoughts
and feelings to the audience.
(c) None of the above

iv. Why did his aunt’s grandmother give the meadows? 1

7. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given. 5
A. “Ink trickled down to the bottom of the household,
And little mouse Blink strategically mouseholed.
But up jumped Custard, snorting like an engine,
Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon,
With a clatter and a clank and a jangling squirm,
He went at the pirate like a robin at a worm.”
(The Tale of Custard the Dragon)

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Page 9 Sample Paper 6 CBSE X English

i. Fill in the blank with suitable words on the basis of your understanding of the given lines. 1
The outcome of the clash between Custard and the pirate was that _____.

ii. What is the significance of the use of the words - ‘trickled down’ and ‘mouseholed’ to describe the
reactions of Belinda’s pets and how does this word choice contribute to the overall situation in the
poem? 1

iii. Match the figures of speech with their correct definitions that have been used by the poet in the given
extract. 1
Column A Column B
A. alliteration 1. words like ‘and’ like’ used repetitively
B. repetition 2. repetition of the sounds ‘k’ and ‘s’
C. onomatopoeia 3. repetition of the sounds ‘n’ and ‘el’
D. consonance 4. use of sound words like clatter, snorting, jangling, etc.

A B C D
(a) 1 3 2 4
(b) 2 1 4 3
(c) 3 2 1 4
(d) 4 3 2 1

iv. Comment on the poet’s use of language in these lines. 2

O
B. What is the boy now, who has lost his ball,
What, what is he to do? I saw it go
Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then
Merrily over-there it is in the water!
(The Ball Poem)

i. In what way does the language used in this poem challenge traditional ideas of what poetry should be? 1

ii. What is the significance of the use of no punctuation after the words ‘What is the boy now, who has lost
his ball,’ and the use of a dash in ‘Meetly over-there it is in the water!’ in the poem and how does this
contribute to the overall mood and tone of the poem? Answer in about 40 words. 2

iii. Complete the sentence with the appropriate option. 1

The poet seems to have indicated the merry bouncing of the ball to _____.
(a) create a sense of rhythm in these lines.
(b) support the happiness of the experience of playing.
(c) contrast with the dejected feeling of the boy.
(d) indicate the cheerful mood of the boy.

iv. Identify the use and purpose of repetitive sounds used in the given lines of the poem. 1

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Page 10 Sample Paper 6 CBSE X English

8. Answer ANY FOUR of the following five questions, in about 40-50 words. 4 # 3 = 12
i. Do you consider Amanda’s mother to be a nagging mother? 3
(Amanda!)

ii. How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay? 3
(From the Diary of Anne Frank)

iii. How does the tiger walk in the cage? 3

(A Tiger in the Zoo)

iv. After achieving political emancipation what does Mandela want to do in South Africa? 3
(Nelson Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom)

v. “He disappeared at high speed down the aircraft.” What did Mij do when he came back to Maxwell’s
seat ? 3
(Mijbil the Otter)

9. Answer ANY TWO of the following three questions, in about 40-50 words. 2#3 = 6

i. Do you think Mr. Loisel had an enjoyable evening at the ball? 3

(The Necklace)

ii. How does Think-Tank interpret the library found by his crew on earth ? Why does he ask Omega to eat
a book? 3
(The Book that Saved the Earth)

iii. Why did the police arrest Horace Danby when he had not kept the jewels stolen from Grange safe? 3
(A Question of Trust)

10. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words. 1#6 = 6

A. Valli was a young girl yet she shows the characteristics of a mature and practical person which were
beyond her years. Justify the statement by giving the character sketch of her personality. 3
(Madam Rides the Bus)


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B. ‘Departure is painful’. So is the departure of the trees painful for the poetess. What will happen after
their departure? 3
(The Trees)

11. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words. 1#6 = 6

A. Dr. James Herriot was a competent veterinary surgeon. His practical approach and common sense helped
in the rapid recovery of Tricki. Comment. 3
(A Triumph of Surgery)

O
B. Love, human sympathy and education can transform even a thief. How could Anil bring such a change
in Hari Singh? 3
(The Thief ’s Story)


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