CBSE English X Sample Paper 14 Page 1

Sample Paper 14
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. Till 1988, the Pamban Bridge was the only surface transport that connected Tamil Nadu’s island of
Rameswaram to the mainland. Said to be an engineering marvel, the Pamban Bridge was once India’s
longest sea bridge, till the Bandra-Worli sea link came up in 2009. What makes Pamban Bridge more
wonderful is that it was built more than 100 years ago.
2. The 2.057 km long bridge, also known as Bridge No. 346 in Indian Railway reference, consists of over
140 spans. The amazing feature of a double-leaf section that can be raised to allow movement of ships
and boats was designed by German engineer Scherzer. The 114th span, midway along the bridge, is
called the Scherzer span.
3. Interestingly, the Scherzer span is now being replaced by a modern one to improve the life of the bridge.
Pamban Bridge is a cantilever bridge, that has structures that project horizontally into space, supported
only on one end.
4. Until recently, the two leaves of the bridge were opened manually using levers by workers, says Indian
Railways. Following cyclone-induced tragic train accident in 1964, Indian Railways installed devices to
check the wind velocity across the Pamban via duct. Train movement on the bridge is halted when the
wind speed exceeds 58 kmph.
5. The construction of the Pamban Bridge began in 1911 and it was opened in 1914. It was only in 2007
that the railway line on Pamban Bridge was converted from metre-gauge to broad-gauge.
6. According to Indian Railways, the famed Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram and the Pamban
Bridge draw scores of foreign tourists and inland pilgrims to the island.
7. Even as Indian Railways’ Pamban Bridge continues to be an engineering marvel, yet another railway
bridge that is likely to be a stunning site is coming up in Jammu and Kashmir. Said to be the world’s
highest railway bridge, the Chenab bridge, is set to be completed by 2019. The bridge will be taller than
Paris’ famous Eiffel Tower and is being built to withstand earthquakes.
8. Yet another bridge that will be a landmark is the Bogibeel Bridge - India’s longest rail-cum-road bridge.
The Bogibeel double-deck bridge is being built over the Brahmaputra in the Dibrugarh district of Assam
and will connect the North and South banks of the river. The total length of the rail-cum-road bridge will
be 4.9 km.

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Page 2 Sample Paper 14 CBSE English X

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Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
i. How was the Pamban bridge used to be?
(a) The Pamban bridge used to be the only surface transport of India.
(b) The Pamban bridge used to be the longest sea bridge.
(c) The Pamban bridge used to be operated manually.
(d) All of the above

ii. Select the option that corresponds to the following relation below:
Train movement on the bridge is halted when the wind speed exceeds 58 kmph.
(a) The car was stopped by the policeman because it exceeded the maximum limit.
(b) The valley of the river exceeds 1000 m, and the stream has a length of not less than 1300 m.
(c) The more we looked the fewer things we found to retrieve.
(d) As we saw more, it was harder to believe.

iii. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the Pamban Bridge:
(a) Pamban Bridge connects Tamil Nadu’s island of Rameswaram to the mainland.
(b) Pamban bridge is longer than the Bandra-Worli sea link.
(c) Pamban bridge draws a lot of foreign tourists.
(d) Pamban bridge is also known as Bridge No. 346 in Indian Railway reference.

iv. Complete the following with a phrase from Paragraph 1.

Opinion Reason
_______________ Something that causes wonder, admiration, or astonishment

v. The writer uses two types of gauge in the line- “It was only in 2007 that the railway line on Pamban
Bridge was converted from metre-gauge to broad-gauge”. State 1 point of difference between metre
gauge and broad gauge.

vi. Based on your reading of the text, list 2 reasons why the writer says that “The Pamban Bridge is an
engineering marvel”
1. ________
2. ________

vii. What is the 114th span, midway along the bridge called ?

viii. The writer says, “Yet another bridge that will be a landmark is the Bogibeel Bridge”. Select the reason
why Bogibeel Bridge will be a landmark:
(a) India’s longest rail-cum-road that will connect the North and South banks of the river.
(b) World’s longest rail-cum-road will connect the North and South banks of the river.
(c) Asia’s longest rail-cum-road will connect the North and South banks of the river.
(d) India’s shortest rail-cum-road will connect the North and South banks of the river.
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ix. Supply 1 point to justify the following:

The Chenab Bridge is said to be the world’s highest railway bridge.

x. The Bogibeel double deck bridge is being built over the _____.
(a) Ganga River
(b) Yamuna River
(c) Brahmaputra River
(d) Saraswati River

II. Read the passage given below. 10

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1. The Arctic is warming more than twice as fast as the rest of the world, and some scientists believe that
thawing permafrost ground frozen since the last Ice Age - is about to release enormous amounts of
climate-warming emissions. In the coldest regions of planet Earth, ice binds together soil, rock, sand and
organic matter. This layer of permafrost can begin just centimeters below the Earth’s surface. Anywhere
cold enough to keep the ground frozen year-round for at least two years counts as permafrost. About a
quarter of the Northern Hemisphere contains permafrost.

2. Warmer temperatures in the Arctic are causing snow and ice to disappear. As ice covering the sea
shrinks back, it exposes darker waters that absorb solar radiation rather than reflecting it back out in
the atmosphere. This is called the albedo effect, and helps explain why the Arctic region is warming so
much faster than the rest of the world. This chart shows how much average surface air temperatures have
changed at different latitudes since 1960.
3. The Siberian Arctic town of Verkhoyansk in June registered a record high temperature of 38 degrees
Celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit) during a prolonged heat wave. Record fires have also engulfed vast swathes
of Siberian Russia, emitting more carbon dioxide than Switzerland or Norway in a year.
4. The boreal forests of the Arctic have evolved to survive and thrive from occasional fires that would
naturally occur every few decades or centuries in the region. But the more recent fires are different,

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Page 4 Sample Paper 14 CBSE English X

scientists say. They are starting months earlier than they ever have before, and are smoldering through
the winter as underground ‘zombie fires’.
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5. The more intense fires are also burning up peat bogs. A forest might grow back in a few decades and
reabsorb the carbon it released when it burned; a peat bog is the accumulation of thousands of years of
partial decomposition.
6. The best way to prevent permafrost from thawing is to limit climate change by reducing fossil fuel
emissions and protecting forests, scientists say. But once permafrost thaws, there’s nothing that can be
done to stop the carbon from being released.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
i. Infer one reason for the following, based on information in Paragraph 2.
The Arctic region is warming so much faster than the rest of the world.

ii. From Paragraph 1, it can be inferred that ______and ______ are true about permafrost.
1. ground frozen since the Second Ice Age
2. ice, soil, rock, sand and organic matter bound together
3. can begin just centimetres below the Earth’s surface
4. it is year-round frozen ground for at least one year
option :
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 3 and 4

iii. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word from paragraph 1:
authentic: genuine:: huge : _____
(Clue : Just like authentic is a synonym for genuine, similarly huge is a synonym for...)

iv. Consider the following statements:

Assertion (A) : The Arctic region is warming faster than the rest of the world.
Reason (R) : The exposed layer of darker waters is absorbing radiation.
(a) (A) is correct and (R) is the appropriate explanation of (A).
(b) (A) is incorrect and (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is correct and (R) is incorrect.
(d) (A) is incorrect and (R) is correct.

v. Why is the exposure of darker waters spell disaster for the atmosphere?
(a) it absorbs radiation instead of reflecting it back
(b) it can lead to infectious diseases
(c) it releases carbon dioxide
(d) it releases oxygen
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vi. Which of the following is the correct consequence of heat waves?

(a) The Siberian Arctic town of Verkhoyansk in June registered a record high temperature of 39
degrees Celsius.
(b) Record fires engulf vast swathes of Siberian Russia.
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) None of the above

vii. Substitute the word ‘prolonged’ with ONE WORD similar in meaning, in the following sentence from
paragraph 3:
The Siberian Arctic town of Verkhoyansk in June registered a record high temperature of 38 degrees
Celsius during a prolonged heat wave.

viii. List any two ways to prevent permafrost from thawing.

ix. List 1 reason why the scientist says- “the more recent fires are different”?

x. According to the chart, what is the hottest temperature that the Arctic has reached since 1960?
(a) + 1 degree
(b) + 2 degree
(c) + 3 degree
(d) + 4 degree

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.
A school of fish _____ spotted in the lake.
(a) are (b) have
(c) has (d) was

ii. Meenu : Will you attend Pamela’s birthday party?

Mayank : My father will not give me permission.
Meenu : But why?
Mayank : He wants me to prepare for tomorrow’s test.
Meenu asked Mayank if he would attend Pamela’s birthday party, to which Mayank replied that _____.

iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank.

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Page 6 Sample Paper 14 CBSE English X

You _____ use mobile phones inside the aircraft.

(a) had to (b) can
(c) could (d) mustn’t
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iv. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following line.
An entire household was in the control of my mother-in-law.
Option No. Error Correction
(a) An The
(b) The An
(c) was is
(d) of with

v. Complete the notice by filling in the blank with the correct option:
I knew that Ramesh _____ Jaipur before, so I asked him to recommend a good hotel.
(a) had visited
(b) has been visiting
(c) visited
(d) been visiting

vi. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket.
The servants _____ (quarrel) for half an hour when we arrived home.

vii. Report the dialogue between a soldier and a boy, by completing the narration.
Boy : Sir, you are a war veteran , how does it feel to receive the adulation?
Soldier : Son, it is very difficult question. We kill our enemies to keep our nation safe. But it is just
humans killing humans.
In response to the question the boy has asked, the soldier says that _____

viii. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction.
Discipline in life ensure peace and harmony which in turn, offers the impetus for a nation’s progress.
Use the given format for your response.
Error Correction

ix. Transform the following direct speech into reported speech :

I said to him, “Will you teach me?”

x. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete the sentence.
You _____ pay attention in the class.

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 CBSE English X Sample Paper 14 Page 7

(a) can (b) should

(c) may (d) might

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xi. Select the correct option to complete the narration of the dialogue between a father and a son.
Father : Why do you keep breaking a new toy, Son?
Son : If I keep it, will you buy me a new one?
Father asked Son the reason for breaking a new toy every time to which Son asked good humouredly
that if he kept it safe _____ .
(a) will you buy me a new one.
(b) if she would buy me a new one.
(c) then would she buy a new one for him or not
(d) if she would herself buy a new one

xii. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction.
We have the little money right now; we should go out for dinner another day.
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. Write a formal letter to the commissioner of police in about 100-120 words, to employ extra constables
at the beat box close to the locality to check on crimes.
Or
B. Write a formal letter to the editor of a newspaper in about 100-120 words, highlighting the need to learn
English communication for basic necessities.
2. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below.
View Solution
A. The chart shows the division of household tasks by gender in Great Britain. Write an analytical paragraph
describing the chart given in 100-120 words.

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Or
B. Read the following excerpt from an article that appeared in the magazine section of a local daily:
The World Health Organization defines mental health as a “state of well-being whereby individuals
recognize their abilities, are able to cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully,
and make a contribution to their communities.”
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.

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 .The baker usually collected his bills at the end of the month. Monthly accounts used to be recorded
on some wall in pencil. Banking was indeed a profitable profession in the old days. The Baker and his
Family never starved. He, his family and his servants always looked happy and prosperous. Their plump
physique was an open testimony to this.
(Glimpses of India)
i. Why was the baker and his family considered happy and prosperous?
(a) They had a plump physique
(b) They all were obese and ate a lot.
(c) They never starved and made profits
(d) They made little money but many friends.

ii. What was the need for the author to call out the baker’s plump physique while mentioning his profession
and family?

iii. Fill in the blank with ONE WORD only.

Even the baker’s servants lived prosperously in the village, which sets the precedent of how much _____
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CBSE English X Sample Paper 14 Page 9

the business of bakery must have been.

iv. What sort of comparison with a baker does one invite in terms of anatomy?
(a) Wearing half pant which reaches just below the knees
(b) Carrying bamboo sticks with bells
(c) Riding a cycle with a basket
(d) Jackfruit-like body shape

v. Select the option that correctly captures the application of the word ‘open’ as used in the given extract.
(a) All the pharmacy shops were open in my area even during the lockdown.
(b) His views on women’s rights are an open declaration to his respect for women.
(c) The teacher told us that she was open to new ideas for the school play.
(d) It takes me time to open up to people I rarely meet in my life. Ans. B. His views on women’s rights
are an open declaration to his respect for women.
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Or
1.B “But, my dearie, I thought it would make you happy. You never go out, and this is an occasion, and a
fine one! Everybody wishes one, and it is very select; not many are given to employees. You will see
the whole official world there.”
She looked at him with an irritated eye and declared impatiently, “What do you suppose I have to wear
to such a thing as that?”
(The Necklace)
i. Select the option that correctly captures the usage of the word ‘out’ from the extract.
(a) The jam and jellies quickly went out of stock at the harvest festival.
(b) Their team had only one good batsman who got out after a while.
(c) We missed our teacher at the picnic as she could not go out with us.
(d) You missed out the opportunity of scoring good marks by not studying.

ii. Complete the following analogy by selecting the suitable word from the extract :
sad : happy :: contented : _____.
(Clue : Just like sad is opposite of happy, similarly contended is opposite of... )

iii. Select the option that displays the reason why the ball was a fine occasion for both of them.
(a) The whole world would be there.
(b) The ball required fancy clothes and jewels.
(c) The invitation was only for a few selected.
(d) This was their rare chance to go out.

iv. According to the extract, what did Madame Loisel most likely meant when she said ‘wear to such a thing
as that ...’?
1. she does not know what a ball is

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 Page 10 Sample Paper 14 CBSE English X

2. she hated what she had

3. she would borrow jewels
4. she did not know what should be worn to a ball
5. she did not have anything fancy enough
option :
(a) 1 and 4
(b) 2 and 5
(a) 3 and 4
(d) 3 and 5

v. The story emphasises on the ungrateful nature of Madame Loisel in the given extract. List two ways in
which the mess in the end could have been avoided at this stage itself.

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2. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. 5

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2.A He should be snarling around houses
At the jungle’s edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorising the village!
(A Tiger in the Zoo)
i. Complete the sentence appropriately.
The poet employs onomatopoeia in this stanza in ‘snarling around houses’ because _____.
(Clue: explain how onomatopoeia applies here)

ii. The tiger bares his white fangs to:

(a) scare the villagers
(b) scare the animals
(c) show his power
(d) attract another tiger

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

The extract emphasises on the wild nature of the tiger and how it should be.

iv. Select the appropriate option to complete the sentence, according to the extract.
The poet has used the words ‘fangs’, ‘claws’ and ‘Terrorising’ to paint an imagery in the given lines.
The symbolism he wishes to employ by using this is _____ and _____.
(a) power, dominance
(b) evil, destructive
(c) chaos, death
(d) life in captivity

v. What is the impact of masculine pronouns used for the tiger in the given poem?

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CBSE English X Sample Paper 14 Page 11

(a) It personifies the tiger as strong and meek.

(b) It personifies the tiger as fierce and dynamic.
(c) It enforces the idea that the tiger has escaped.
(d) It doesn’t contribute to the poem in any form.

Or
2.B The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.
(Dust of Snow)
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i. What is the poet’s tone in the extract?

1. excited
2. calm
3. weary
4. lethargic
5. rejoiced
option :
(a) 3 and 4 (b) 1 and 4
(a) 1 and 5 (d) 2 and 5

ii. What has saved the poet’s day that he ‘rued’ according to the extract?

iii. Identify the symbols that represent the poet’s depressive mood, as per the extract.
(a) the crow and the hemlock tree
(b) the dust of snow falling from the tree
(c) the change of mood in his heart
(d) his day being saved at last

iv. Complete the following analogy about the poet’s experience.

white : snow :: _____ : crow

v. Select the sentence in which the word ‘shook’ is used in the similar manner as line 2 of the extract.
(a) They shook hands at the airport and parted their ways.
(b) The accident shook his family to their core.
(c) She shook the laundry before hanging it on the line.

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 Page 12 Sample Paper 14 CBSE English X

(d) He shook his head in shame when his name was called at the last.

VI. Answer ANY FOUR of the following in about 40-50 words each.
View Solution

i. What does the author think of the wealth of the country?

(Nelson Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom)

ii. While alone on the ledge, how did the little seagull try to draw the attention of his family?
(Two Stories About Flying)

iii. Why was Anne’s entire class anxious and nervous?

(From the Diary of Anne Frank)

iv. How does everyone celebrate Custard getting rid of the pirate?
(The Tale of Custard the Dragon)

v. Kisa compared human life to an inanimate object. What is it and why does she do so ?
(The Sermon at Benares)

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

i. Why did the thief smile without any effort towards the end of the story?
(The Thief ’s Story)

ii. “Horace Danby was good and respectable — but not completely honest”. Why do you think this
description is apt for Horace?
(A Question of Trust)

iii. Why was “the strange scientist strongly suspected of having had a hand” in the burglary at the clergyman’s
home ?
(Footprints Without Feet)
VIII Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words. 6
View Solution

i. Describe Lencho’s qualities in light of his faith in God. Was Lencho’s reaction towards post office
employees’ justified?
(A Letter to God)

Or

ii. How is the lost ball, the metaphor of the lost childhood of the boy ? Why doesn’t the poet want to ‘intrude
on’ the boy by offering him money to buy another ball ?
(The Ball Poem)

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

View Solution

i. “Too much of anything is good for nothing.” Justify it with regard to “A Triumph of Surgery”.

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CBSE English X Sample Paper 14 Page 13

Or

ii. Noodle avoids offending Think-Tank but at the same time corrects his mistakes. What does this say
about the character of Noodle?
(The Book That Saved the Earth)



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