CBSE English X Sample Paper 18 Page 1

Sample Paper 18
Class X Exam 2023-24
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. Meditation has become a mainstream activity in many parts of the world. Though the main reason to
meditate is for spiritual awareness, there are additional benefits from learning to focus our attention within.
One of these is the healing it brings about in our physical bodies. Over the past few decades, doctors and
scientists have been studying the body-mind connection and its relationship to physical health. Medical
research has indicated a link between certain illnesses and our state of mind and emotional condition.
2. It has been found that when we undergo mental stress, emotional pain or depression, our physical
resistance to disease drops. We become more susceptible to catching a disease because our ability to
keep our immune system in top working order decreases.
3. Science has pinpointed that certain diseases such as digestive problems, breathing problems, heart
disease, and migraine headaches, to name a few, may sometimes be caused due to stress. Thus, we arrive
at the possibility that by reducing stress in our lives, we can improve our physical health and well-being.
4. To begin to explore this possibility, it is imperative to understand the root cause of stress in our lives. In
this hectic and fast-paced world, we are constantly being bombarded with information, and stimuli.
5. Life has become increasingly complicated. With competing priorities, family and social obligations,
increasing responsibilities, and looming deadlines, people seem to have too much to do and not enough
time to do it. We hold jobs that require long hours and too much responsibility.
6. Medical research has shown that meditation, the process of taking our attention away from the stresses
and strains of the outer world, and focusing it within ourselves, can help reduce stress in our lives. In
doing so, it can reduce our chances of developing a stress-related illness.
7. When we meditate on the inner light and sound of God, we come in contact with God’s love within us,
which fills us with inner peace, joy, bliss and happiness. This experience takes our attention away from
the stresses and pains of the outer world. As we spend time in meditation, we create a calm haven in
which we restore equilibrium and peace to our mental functioning.
8. Researchers have recorded that the brain activity in people who meditate reflects a state of deep relaxation.
Their mind becomes calmer. The tranquil effect of meditation lasts beyond the time spent in meditation.
The carry-over effect helps us maintain peace of mind as we continue our activities throughout the day.


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Page 2 Sample Paper 18 CBSE English X

9. We become more in control of our reactions and maintain an even keel in the face of conflict, or in the
midst of turmoil and strife. It also gives us a private retreat of bliss and peace within us that we can
retreat to anytime we wish. This refuge helps take our attention away from the pains of the world and
gives us another mechanism by which we can reduce stress in our lives.

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

i. Why has meditation become a mainstream activity in many parts of the world?
(a) Because it helps us maintain peace of mind
(b) Because it gives us a private retreat of bliss and peace
(c) Because it reduces our chances of developing a stress-related illness
(d) All of these

ii. Select the option that displays what the writer projects, with reference to the following :
Researchers have recorded that the brain activity in people who meditate reflects a state of deep relaxation.
(Paragraph 8)
(a) Reflection (b) Meditation
(c) Vexation (d) Both (a) and (c)

iii. Discuss the main objectives of meditation.

iv. Based on your reading of the passage, list two reasons why the writer says that :
We become more in control of our reactions and maintain an even keel in the face of conflict, or in the
midst of turmoil and strife. (Paragraph 9)

v. What are the findings of doctors and scientists about meditation?

vi. What are the ill-effects of stress according to the passage you have read above?

vii. Supply 1 point to justify the following :

We become more susceptible to catching a disease because our ability to keep our immune system in top
working order decreases.

viii. How does meditation relieve us from stress? Answer the question with reference to paragraph 6.

ix. Select the option that displays what happens when we come in contact with God’s love.
(a) It fills us with the feeling of resurrection.
(b) It fills us with the feeling of pessimism.
(c) It fills us with inner peace, joy, bliss and happiness.
(d) It fills us with the feeling of prejudice and parochialism.

x. How are the people who meditate significantly different from others?

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CBSE English X Sample Paper 18 Page 3

II. Read the passage given below. 10

1. Our history makes it evident that the Indian Plastics Industry made a vigorous beginning in 1957, but it
took more than 30 years for it to pervade Indian lifestyles. In 1979, the market for plastic was just being
seeded by the state-owned Indian Petrochemicals and it was only in 1994 that plastic soft drink bottles
became a visible source of annoyance.
2. In the same year, people in other cities were concerned about the state of public sanitation and also urged
regulatory bodies to ban the production, distribution and use of plastic bags. However, the challenge was
greater than it appeared at first.
3. The massive generation of plastic waste in India is due to rapid urbanisation, spread of retail chains,
plastic packaging from grocery to food and vegetable products, to consumer items and cosmetics. The
projected high growth rates of GDP and continuing rapid urbanisation suggests that India’s trajectory of
plastic consumption and plastic waste is likely to increase.

4. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report of 2018, India stands among
few other countries like France, Mongolia and several African countries that have initiated total or
partial national level bans on plastics in their jurisdictions. On World Environment Day in 2018, India
vowed to phase out single-use plastics by 2022, which gave a much-needed impetus to bring this change.
5. In this context, thereafter, ten states (Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Odisha, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu) are currently sending
their collected waste to cement plants for co-processing. Twelve other states/UTs are using plastic
waste for polymer bitumen road construction and still four other states are using the plastic waste for
waste-to-energy plants and oil production. A world of greater possibilities has now opened up to initiate
appropriate and concrete actions to build up the necessary institutions and systems before oceans turn,
irreversibly, into a thin soup of plastic.
6. However, there is no one single masterstroke to counter the challenges witnessed by the staggering
plastic waste management in the country. The time is now to formulate robust and inclusive National
Action Plans, and while doing so, the country will establish greater transparency to combat the plastic
jeopardy in a more sustainable and holistic way.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.

i. Infer one reason for the following, based on the information given in paragraph 6.
The country will establish greater transparency to combat the plastic jeopardy in a more sustainable and
holistic way.


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Page 4 Sample Paper 18 CBSE English X

ii. Select the appropriate option to fill in the blanks. (Paragraph 3)

The massive generation of plastic waste in India is due to _____, spread of retail chains, _____ and
vegetable products.
(a) partial national level bans
(b) rapid urbanisation
(c) plastic packaging from grocery to food
(d) both (b) and (c)

iii. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word/phrase from paragraph 4 :
_____ : impulsion :: perseverance : tolerance

iv. Select the correct option to complete the following sentence. (Paragraph 6)
The time is now to formulate _____ and inclusive National Action Plans.
(a) concerted
(b) muscular
(c) vigorous
(d) none of these

v. With reference to the graph, write one conclusion that can be drawn about the production of plastic in
2019.

vi. Fill in the blank by selecting the correct option.

‘The challenge was greater than it appeared at first.’ The challenge was _____.
(a) to urge the authorities to impose partial ban on plastic
(b) to implement total ban on giving licence to units
(c) to gauge the risk of plastic
(d) to urge regulatory bodies to ban the production, distribution and use of plastic bags

vii. Substitute ‘the path followed by a projectile flying or an object’ with ONE WORD similar in meaning,
from paragraph 3.

viii. When did the plastic industry make vigorous beginning?

ix. Discuss the steps taken to combat the challenges of plastic waste.

x. Select the option that suggests a suitable title.

(a) Safe Disposal of Plastic
(b) Indian Plastic Industry: Rise and Challenge
(c) Plastic Waste Management
(d) A World of Plastic

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CBSE English X Sample Paper 18 Page 5

III. SECTION B- GRAMMAR 10

Attempt ANY TEN of the following questions. 10

i. The ACC _____ the date of examination to recruit soldiers and train them to become commissioned
officers in the Indian Army.
(a) will announce (b) has announced
(c) to be announced (d) announcing

ii. Read the conversation between Amit and Shlok. Complete the sentence by reporting Shlok’s statement
correctly.
Amit : Are you going to Delhi today?
Shlok : No, I am coming with Devendra. He will start day after tomorrow.
Amit rang up Shlok and asked whether he was going to Delhi the following day. In response to this,
Shlok replied _____.

iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the given line, from the speech of the school President.
I _____ admit, the trek which we thought would be a boring and exhausting experience was one of the
most enjoyable experiences we have had this term.
(a) must (b) should
(c) need (d) would

iv. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following line, from a news
report:
Every inhabitant of planet Earth depend on water for their survival and their day-to-clay activities.
Option No. Error Correction
(a) their there
(b) depend depends
(c) every each
(d) and or

v. Complete the given narrative, by filling in the blank with the correct option.
If you move around hoping your problems _____, they won’t.
(a) will solve (b) will solved
(c) will have solved (d) will be solved

vi. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket, for the given portion of a letter:
Subject : Electricity problem in the locality
Please _____ (publish) an article in your esteemed daily, so that the authorities should focus on that
and take any action against the situation. So that we will be free from the current worst condition of the
electricity breakdown.

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Page 6 Sample Paper 18 CBSE English X

vii. Report the dialogue between Aman and a confectioner, by completing Aman’s sentence :
Confectioner : How may I help you, child?
Aman : I am looking for an eggless cake for my granny’s birthday.
The confectioner on noticing a small child Aman, asked him affectionately _____. In response to the
question of the confectioner, Aman replied that he was looking for an eggless cake for his granny’s
birthday.

viii. Identify the error in the given sentence, from an e-magazine report and supply the correction.
In the last decade, conservationists and academics have turned his attention to studying the best ways to
install these natural features in the North.
Use the given format for your response.
Error Correction

ix. The class teacher shared some information, with Prakriti, about the Open House. Report class teacher’s
question.
Why were your parents absent, yesterday?

x. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option, to complete the slogan by the local counselor of your
ward.
_____ we afford to survive without trees? Think twice.
(a) Can (b) Should
(c) Will (d) May

xi. Select the correct option to complete the conversation between Abhigyan and Anmol.
Abhigyan : Anmol, why did you not attend the Biology class yesterday?
Anmol : Actually, I was practising for my Physics test.
Abhigyan asked _____ . Anmol replied that he had been practising for his Physics test, actually.
(a) Anmol why he has not attended the Biology class last day.
(b) Anmol that why he has not attended the Biology class last day.
(c) Anmol why he had not attended the Biology class last day.
(d) Anmol why he has not attended the Biology class yesterday.

xii. Identify the error spotted from a local newspaper and supply the correction required :
Save Wildlife
Its all part of an effort to find ways to protect coastal communities and make space for wildlife.
Use the given format for your response.
Error Correction

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CBSE English X Sample Paper 18 Page 7

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 Arnav / Athiya, a resident of Surya Nagar Colony, Vadodara, Gujarat. You noticed that the curb
on wearing masks has been lifted but even then, we, as sincere citisen need to be responsible and wear
masks religiously.
Write a letter to the editor of The Gujarat Times, drawing attention towards the same. Explain how such
acts impact the health of the community and requesting immediate intervention and strict action against
the violators.

O

B. Whenever a child is restless, they are given to play a video on mobile phone. Children also use it as
bait and they refuse to eat. In no time, your child becomes obsessed with screens. Mobile phones have
become a common fad these days.
Write a letter to the editor requesting to publish an article voicing your opinion and concern that the
children are being physically inactive while sitting over time with a mobile phone.
Assign yourself as Nidhi Kamat, Vasant Kunj Lane, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

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

A. Habits take time to develop. It doesn’t happen overnight. When you find yourself engaging in an
unhealthy habit, stop as quickly as possible as it leads to obesity. Analyse the given statement and write
a paragraph with the help of points mentioned below
• Reinforce your new, healthy habits and be patient with yourself.
• Eat only when you’re truly hungry.
• Plan meals ahead of time.

O

B. Homelessness is not a condition unknown to children in India. Situations like natural disasters and
conflicts render many homeless or force them to live in unsafe housing conditions. Living on the streets
or in urban slum dwellings, lack of basic facilities and unhygienic living conditions become a way of
life.
In view of the above remarks, write a paragraph analysing the mentioned points given below.
• Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances
• Orphaned and Abandoned Child
• Migrant Children
• Child Labour
• Child Trafficking
• Child Suffering from Abuse

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Page 8 Sample Paper 18 CBSE English X

SECTION C- LITERATURE 40

V. Reference to the Context 10

3. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. 5
1.A The moon was coming up in the east, behind me, and stars were shining in the clear sky above me. There
wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I was happy to be alone high up above the sleeping countryside. I was flying my
old Dakota aeroplane over France back to England. I was dreaming of my holiday and looking forward to
being with my family. I looked at my watch at one thirty in the morning. I should call Paris Control soon.
I thought. As I looked down past the nose of the aeroplane, I saw the lights of a big city in front of me.
(Two Stories About Flying)

i. Why did the pilot think of calling Paris Control?

(a) Because he was unable to see anything
(b) Because there were clouds in the sky
(c) Because he wanted to know the weather before the start
(d) Because he wanted to change his plan

ii. Which direction do you think the pilot was heading to?

iii. Fill in the blank with ONE WORD only.

The thought of the coming holiday and the time the pilot would spend with his family made him _____.

iv. ‘I saw the lights of a big city in front of me.’ What is the light the pilot is referring to?
(a) Lights and bulbs of the city
(b) Lights of the high rise
(c) Lights of the runway
(d) Both (a) and (b)

v. How was the weather initially according to the pilot?

(a) Favourable (b) Adverse
(c) Cloudy (d) Full of black clouds

O
1.B Natalya : Excuse my interrupting you. You say, “my Oxen Meadows”. But are they yours?
Lomov : Yes, mine.
Natalya : What are you talking about? Oxen Meadows are ours, not yours!
Lomov : No, mine, honoured Natalya Stepanova.
Natalya : Well, I never knew that before. How do you make that out?
Lomov : How? I’m speaking of those Oxen Meadows which are wedged in between your birchwoods
and the Burnt Marsh.
Natalya : Yes, yes... they’re ours.
Lomov : No, you’re mistaken, honoured Natalya Stepanova, they’re mine.
Natalya : Just think, Ivan Vassilevitch! How long have they been yours?
(The Proposal)

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CBSE English X Sample Paper 18 Page 9

i. Select the option that doesn’t correctly capture the usage of the word ‘make out’
from the 5th line of the extract.
(a) I could not make out what the reason of the furore was.
(b) The children didn’t make out what was instructed.
(c) She makes herself out to be smarter than she really is.
(d) None of these

ii. Complete the analogy by selecting the suitable word from the extract.
restricted : proscribed :: respected : _____.

iii. “How long have they been yours”? What is ‘they’ referred to here?
(a) Burnt Marsh (b) Oxen Meadows
(c) Birchwoods (d) None of these

iv. Who does the Oxen Meadows actually belong to?

(a) Lomov (b) Chubukov
(c) Natalya (d) Can’t be determined

v. Based on the extract, recall any two incidents of Mr Chubukov’s welcoming attitude when Lomov first
appeared in the scene.

4. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. 5

2.A All night the roots work
to disengage themselves from the cracks
in the veranda floor.
The leaves strain toward the glass
small twigs stiff with exertion
long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof
like newly discharged patients
half-dazed, moving
to the clinic doors.
(The Trees)
i. The poet has used ‘The Trees’ signifying their effort, by giving them symbolic meanings different from
their literal meanings. Identify the poetic device used here.

ii. It appears that the leaves of the trees strive hard to put immense pressure on the glass window, so
that_____.
(a) it could exhibit its vigour
(b) they could break it and go outside
(c) it could heave a sigh of relief
(d) none of these

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Page 10 Sample Paper 18 CBSE English X

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

The poem shows women as trees because the women have been liberated in the homes.

iv. Select the most suitable option to complete the sentence that the extract demonstrates. The small twigs
have become very hard due to applying so much pressure _____.
(a) to free themselves
(b) to show their solidarity
(c) to scare the conventional set up of the society
(d) to reunite with the lost boughs and twigs

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

(a) It evokes a mental image or other kinds of sense impressions.
(b) It exploits the different possible meanings of a word that there are words which sound alike but
have different meanings.
(c) It leads to a conclusion that seems logically unacceptable or self-contradictory.
(d) It raises an exclamation by addressing to a person (typically one who is dead or absent) or a thing.

O
2.B Never shall a young man
thrown into despair
By those great honey coloured
Ramparts at your ear
Love you for yourself alone
And not your yellow hair
(For Anne Gregory)
i. ‘Never shall a young man’ reminds us of _____. (Hint: when the structure of a sentence is changed by
the poet to create rhyme)
(a) Metaphor (b) Hyperbole
(c) Inversion (d) Oxymoron

ii. What makes the young men fall in love with her, according to the stanza?

iii. The poet says that no one can love Anne, for what she is. One can love her only for _____.
(a) her outward beauty
(b) her beautiful yellow hair and her physical beauty
(c) her innocence
(d) her witty nature

iv. Complete the analogy about the poet’s hair

precise: crisp :: _____ : wretchedness

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CBSE English X Sample Paper 18 Page 11

v. Select the sentence in which the word ‘love’ is used in the similar manner as line 5 of the stanza.
(a) The love of his life is be loyal to his beloved.
(b) Love thy country and respect your countrymen.
(c) Love has always been treacherous to me.
(d) Love knows no boundary, no country, no caste.

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

i. ‘Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run.’ How do you think this statement would work for the young
seagull?
(Two Stories About Flying)

ii. Discuss what Frost wants to convey through the poem ‘Fire and Ice’.

iii. Valli’s venture to the town brings an alarm to the parents. Elucidate.
(Madam Rides the Bus)

iv. Give the character sketch of the dragon.

(The Tale of Custard the Dragon)

v. Chubukov’s attempt to appease Lomov is no strange in context with today’s scenario where marriage of
Indian daughters is concerned. Comment.
(The Proposal)

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

i. Do you think Mrs Pumphrey’s overindulgence would not let Tricky lead a healthy lifestyle? Give reason
for your answer.
(A Triumph of Surgery)

ii. Fowler was disappointed to see Ausable. Validate the statement.

(The Midnight Visitor)

iii. All might have been well, had Griffin woken up on time in the store. Elucidate the statement.
(Footprints without Feet)
VIII Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words. 6

i. Imagine that you met Rajvir and discussed with him more about tea plantation. Develop the conversation.
(Glimpses of India)

O
ii. One should understand that human beings are mortal and no one can escape death. Revelations made by
Lord Buddha teach us so.
Share two key opinions from what you learnt from the lesson The Sermon at Benares’.
(The Sermon at Benares)

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Page 12 Sample Paper 18 CBSE English X

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

i. Hari Singh’s change of heart surprised everyone and a seasoned thief like Hari Singh was forced to
change his ways. Show your acquaintance with the statement analysing the chapter ‘A Question of
Trust’.

O
ii. Hari Singh (A Thief’s Story) and the lady (A Question of Trust) in red were alike. Validate the statement
by giving valid reasons.

******

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