CBSE English X Sample Paper 22 Page 1

Sample Paper 22
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. Do you ever feel there’s a greater being inside of you bursting to get out? It is the voice that encourages
you to really make something of your life. When you act congruently with that voice, it’s like you are a
whole new person. You are bold and courageous. You are strong. You are unstoppable. But, then reality
sets in, and soon those moments are history. It is not hard to put yourself temporarily into an emotionally
motivated state. Just listen to that motivational song for that matter. However, this motivation does not
stay forever. Your great ideas seem impractical. How many times have you been temporarily inspired
with an idea like, “I want to start my own business.” And then a week later it’s forgotten! You come up
with inspiring ideas when you are motivated. But you fail to maintain that motivation through the action
phase.
2. The problem we ask ourselves is: Why does this happen? You can listen to hundreds of motivational
speakers and experience an emotional yo-yo effect, but it does not last. The problem is that as we are
intellectually guided, we try to find logic in emotional motivation and as we fail to find logic, eventually it
all fizzles out. I used to get frustrated when my emotional motivation fizzled out after a while. Eventually,
I realised that being guided by intellect was not such a bad thing after all. I just had to learn to use my
mind as an effective motivational tool. I figured that if I was not feeling motivated to go after a particular
goal, may be there was a logical reason for it. I noted that when I had strong intellectual reasons for doing
something, I usually did not have any trouble taking action.
3. But when my mind thinks a goal is wrong on some level, I usually feel blocked. I eventually realised
that this was my mind’s way of telling me that the goal was a mistake to begin with. Sometimes, a goal
may seem to make sense on one level but when you look further upstream, it becomes clear that the
goal is ill-advised. Suppose you work in sales, and you get a goal to increase your income by 20% by
becoming a more effective sales person. That seems like a reasonable and intelligent goal. But may be
you are surprised to find yourself encountering all sorts of internal blocks when you try to pursue it. You
should feel motivated but you just don’t. The problem may be that on a deeper level your mind knows
you don’t want to be working in sales at all. You really want to be a musician. No matter how hard you
push yourself in sales career, it will always be a motivational dead end.

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Page 2 Sample Paper 22 CBSE English X

4. Further when you set goals, that are too small and too timid, you suffer a perpetual lack of motivation.
You just need to summon the courage to acknowledge your true desires. Then you will have to deal with
the self-doubt and fear that’s been making you think too small. Ironically, the real key to motivation
is to set the goals and scare you. You are letting fears, excuses, limiting beliefs hold you back. Your
subconscious mind knows that you are strong, so it won’t provide any motivational fuel until you step
up, face your fears, and acknowledge your heart’s desire. Once you finally decide to face your fears and
drop the excuses, then you will find your motivation turning on full blast.

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

i. What does the author want to convey when he says, “When you look further upstream, it becomes clear
that the goal is ill-advised”?

ii. According to the passage, the key to motivation is _____.

iii. Replace the word ‘timid’ with the most suitable one identified from the passage.
So, he sat there trembling and afraid; for he was a timid, bashful man and did not like to be noticed.

iv. Which of the following is the most suitable title for the passage?
(a) Living Life with Success
(b) Why don’t we Feel Motivated?
(c) How to Achieve Intellectual Success?
(d) Feel Motivated, Feel High-spirited

v. What does the author mean when he says, “It eventually fizzles out.”
(a) We need continuous focus on goals.
(b) It reduces because of lack of practice.
(c) We become self-motivated with time.
(d) It slowly goes away as time passes.

vi. Which amongst the following is the nearest to ‘congruently’ in meaning?

(a) Periodically (b) In delusion
(c) Progressively (d) In agreement

vii. According to the passage, the author says about the emotional motivation that:
(a) it tends to be temporary.
(b) it has the potential to mislead us.
(c) both (a) and (b)
(d) neither (a) nor (b)

viii. “When you are setting goals that are too small, you _____.”

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CBSE English X Sample Paper 22 Page 3

ix. According to the passage, to get true motivation you first have to:
(a) acknowledge your true desires
(b) deal with your self-doubt
(c) not let your fears hold you back
(d) all of these

x. Complete the sentence as per your understanding of the passage. “Your subconscious mind knows that
you are strong, so it doesn’t let you _____.”

II. Read the passage given below. 10

1. A youngster quit Facebook in December after spending over three years on the social networking site.
With that one act, he bid a silent adieu to more than 300 contacts that he had added to his account during
the period. Like almost everyone from his friends’ circle, the 20-year-old was a regular on the service,
visiting it every day to post photos and update status. But last week, a new feature on Facebook called
`Timeline’ forced him to reconsider the pros and cons of being on the networking site.
2. “Everyone has some skeletons in their closet and I am just not comfortable with Facebook digging up
and displaying all the facets of my life on a bulletin board,” says this youngster who joined the network
in July 2007 while he was in Class 11.
3. Facebook, you see, had compressed the time he spent on the site and arranged it in chronological order.
And while he initially liked the new, neatly organised scrapbook-like feature, he wasn’t happy to reveal
posts from the past, those that, until recently, were hidden under layers and layers of recent updates. Just
clicking on a date on the timeline could transport his friends back in time and enable them to view every
embarrassing comment, link or photo he had posted on his profile.
4. I think it’s a recipe for disaster, he says, “In 2007, I had some wall posts, which seemed appropriate at the
time, but now after a lapse of four years, I have moved on and don’t want them to be openly displayed
for all to see.
5. And he is not alone. Many users, worried about how Facebook activity could possibly affect their offline
lives, are choosing to commit Facebook suicide. While some have privacy concerns, others feel that
the site that was meant to bring them closer to their friends, actually does the opposite; it reduces their
friendship to something superficial.
6. “Poking and liking are not enough to keep a friendship going”, says a business analyst. Having quit
Facebook three years ago, she prefers meeting her real friends face-to-face, instead of reading their trite
posts online.
7. “On Facebook, people hype everyday issues including what they ate and where they went on a daily
basis”, says this analyst who continues to use Twitter.
8. Similarly, an engineering student, quit Facebook last December, four years after joining it. One fine day,
he exported all the data from his account into a zip file and hit the delete button.
9. “I realised that when it came to my friends who really mattered, I could actually keep in touch with them
over the phone or by meeting them in real life”, he wrote on his blog.

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Page 4 Sample Paper 22 CBSE English X

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

i. The feature of Facebook where one can see the posts, the embarrassing comments and thoughts, photos
and links that a person has put on his profile in the past is _____.
ii. According to the passage, the social media _____.
(a) can cause more harm than good.
(b) is just a waste of time.
(c) connects one to real life.
(d) provides opportunity to meet people.
iii. The feature ‘Timeline’ on Facebook, according to the passage, forces the youngster to reconsider _____.
(a) meeting friends face to face.
(b) increasing use of social media.
(c) saving time on social media.
(d) the advantages and disadvantages of being on Facebook.
iv. Many people are getting out of Facebook as they feel _____.
v. The meaning of the word ‘share’ in para 3 is _____.
vi. Which of the following is OPPOSITE in meaning to the word ‘retained’, as used in the passage?
(a) exported (b) delete
(c) account (d) quit
vii. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE in the context of the passage?
(a) People love being poked and liked on Facebook.
(b) People visit social media every day to post photos and for status updates.
(c) No one prefers meeting real friends face-to-face, instead of reading their trite posts online.
(d) Few think that social media reduces their friendship to something superficial.
viii. The phrase ‘Facebook suicide’ refers to get someone _____.
ix. Which of the following statements is TRUE in the context of the passage?
(a) Time spent on social media is better than meeting face-to-face.
(b) Using social media could increase the time teens spend together in person.
(c) Stalking, personal attacks, and misuse of information are some of the threats faced by the users of
social media.
(d) Facebook activity does not affect real life.
x. Select the option that makes the correct use of ‘trite’, as used in the passage, to fill in the blank space.
(a) At that moment, his words sounded _____ to me.
(b) It was either a _____ or an excellent copy.
(c) Her _____ powers give life and colour to her paintings.
(d) A little _____ air might clear some of the cobwebs.

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CBSE English X Sample Paper 22 Page 5

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 an online update.
The mystery of why, home _____ biggest tech cos, can’t solve visa backlog.
(a) for world’s (b) to world’s
(c) of world’s (d) on world’s
ii. Read the conversation and complete the passage given below :
Gardener : Did you water the plant today?
Dev : No, but I will today.
Gardener : Then tomorrow I will get a sapling of sunflower.
The gardener asked Dev whether he had watered the plant that day. Dev replied negatively but further
informed that _____.
iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the given line, from an International front.
UN World Population Prospects 2022 predict that on November 15, global population will cross 8
billion, and during 2023, India will take over China’s.
(a) is predicting (b) had predicted
(c) predicts (d) has predicted
iv. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following line, from an
article:
Environment pollution has posed a serious threat not only on man but also among all living beings.
Option No. Error Correction
(a) has had
(b) threat threatened
(c) on in
(d) among amongst

v. Complete the given narrative, by filling in the blank with the correct option:
A. J. Cronin was a Scottish novelist and physician whose _____ combining realism with social criticism
won a large Anglo-American readership.
(a) was working (b) will be working
(c) works (d) has been working
vi. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket, for the given portion of a letter:
Subject: Bullying of a Class X student
Respected Sir/Madam,
With due respect, I bring to your notice that my brother, Ashutosh Roy, of Class X D, _____ (stay) in
dormitory No. 20 for last 6 months.
vii. Report the dialogue, by completing the sentence:
Reena : Do you know how to swim?
Surbhi : Yes, I know. I have learnt it during this summer vacation.
Reena asked Surbhi whether she knew how to swim. To this, Surbhi replied _____.

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Page 6 Sample Paper 22 CBSE English X

viii. Identify the error in the given sentence, from a magazine report and supply the correction.
Of all the honours bestowed in Indian Cinema, Dada Sahib Phalke award is a jewel in the crown.
Use the given format for your response.
Error Correction

ix. Place the correct form of the word in the blank:

A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for _____ (rhetoric) effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning
another.
x. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option, to complete the slogan by the Ministry of Forest.
_____ effort towards saving the environment is better than no effort.
(a) A little (b) The little
(c) Little (d) None of these
xi. Select the correct option to complete the narration of the dialogue between Umar and his friend, Lalit.
Umar : Where have you been all these days, Lalit?
Lalit : I was a little occupied with my board’s preparation.
Umar asked Lalit where he had been all those days. In response to the question, he replied _____.
(a) he has been a little occupied with his board’s preparation.
(b) that he had been a little occupied with his board’s preparation.
(c) if he has been a little occupied with his board’s preparation.
(d) that he has been a little occupied with his board’s preparation.
xii. Identify the error on a newspaper headline and supply the correction. In 5 years, the web of ropeways
could help end Shimla city’s traffic woes.
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. Your school had organised an educational trip to Fatehpur Sikri and Agra. You notice the dilapidated
condition of some of the monuments. Write a letter to the Municipal Chairman of Agra mentioning the
condition and requesting him to take urgent steps for the prevention of this valuable heritage. You are
Anuj/Anju, 40 Civil Lines, New Town. (100-120 words)

O
B. You are Anshul/ Anshika, a student of Grade X and a resident of 36 D Ring Road, ITO, New Delhi, wants
to be a choreographer. Recently you came across an advertisement by Set Fire Dance Academy, MG
Road, New Delhi, which offers various forms of dancing. Write an enquiry letter seeking information
about the course and its package. (100-120 words)

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CBSE English X Sample Paper 22 Page 7

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

A. The given chart shows the division of household tasks by gender in Great Britain. Write an analytical
paragraph describing the chart, in not more than 100-120 words.

O
B. Given below is a tabular statistic showing the quality of life in five countries, assessed under specific
parameters.
Write an analytical paragraph on the given information by selecting and reporting the main features, and
make comparisons where relevant. Write in 100-120 words.
Country GNP per head Daily calorie Life expectancy Infant mortality (per
(1982 : US dollars) supply per head at birth (years) 1000 live births)
Bangladesh 140 1877 40 132
Bolivia 570 2086 50 124
Egypt 690 2950 56 97
Indonesia 580 2296 49 87
USA 13160 3653 74 12

SECTION C- LITERATURE 40
V. Reference to the Context 10
1. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. 5
1.A Tenth May dawned bright and clear. For the past few days, I had been pleasantly besieged by dignitaries
and world leaders who were coming to pay their respects before the inauguration.
The inauguration would be the largest gathering ever of international leaders on South African soil. The
ceremonies took place in the lovely sandstone amphitheater formed by the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
For decades this had been the seat of white supremacy, and now it was the site of a rainbow gathering of
different colors and nations for the installation of South Africa’s first democratic, non-racial government.
(Nelson Mandela)
i. “For decades, this had been the seat of white supremacy”. Here, white supremacy refers to:
(a) control from white house.
(b) serving by landlords.
(c) white race mass.
(d) people following white flags.

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ii. “The inauguration would be the largest gathering”... inauguration literary means beginning of something.
Was it really an inauguration of something great? What was it?
iii. Which word from the passage means the same as placement of person in office with ceremony?
iv. Select the option that correctly captures the usage of the word ‘besieged’ as in the extract.
(a) The fortress was never captured by the enemy while besieged.
(b) It would have contained a besieged light to guide mariners.
(c) He’s very suave and besieged.
(d) All data stored in a central is besieged.
v. ‘The site of a rainbow gathering of different colours and nations’. The word ‘rainbow’ refers to:
1. People from different origin
2. Dignitaries from different countries
3. High profile dignitaries from different nations and race
4. Decor of amphitheatre with bright hue
(a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 2
(c) 1, 2, and 3 (d) Only 4

O
1.B There was no answer, the radio was dead too. I had no radio, no compass, and I could not see where I
was, I was lost in the storm. Then, in the black clouds quite near me, I saw another aeroplane. It had no
lights on its wings, but I could see it flying next to me through the storm. I could see the pilot’s face-
turned towards me. I was very glad to see another person. He lifted one hand and waved.
(Black Aeroplane)
i. The narrator expected an answer from :
1. storm
2. radio
3. may day
4. compass
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3 (d) Only 2
ii. ‘The black clouds quite near me’. Were the black clouds his hallucination? State your answer in Yes or
No.
iii. “He lifted one hand and waved.” What did the pilot want to say?
(a) Lift his spirit and fight the storm.
(b) Nothing is in apprehensions
(c) Follow him
(d) None of these

iv. Complete the analogy with the help of the given extract:
Narrator: no radio :: another pilot : _____.


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CBSE English X Sample Paper 22 Page 9

v. Complete the sentence with homophones.

I am _____ sure that the teacher asked the pupil to be _____.

2. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. 5

2.A If strolling forth, a beast you view,
Whose hide with spots in peppered,
As soon as he has lept on you,
You’ll know it is the Leopard.
Twill do no good to roar with pain,
He’ll only lep and lep again.
(How to Tell Wild Animals)

i. While walking, how does a leopard’s hide appear to be?

(a) Peppered (b) Struck with spots
(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) Only (a)
ii. If ‘you’ is Roger, when does he come to know that it is a leopard?
(a) when it leaps on him.
(b) when it jumps on him.
(c) when it fetches him.
(d) Both (a) and (b)
iii. Complete the analogy on the basis of your understanding of stanza.
strolling : stagnation :: _____ : decline
iv. Why won’t it do any good to roar with pain?
(a) because leopard’s grip is the toughest one
(b) because leopard is a ferocious animal
(c) both (a) and (b)
(d) none of these
v. The poet wants to introduce the readers with the _____ of wild animals.

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.
Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound,
And Mustard growled, and they all looked around.
(The Tale of Custard the Dragon)

i. What can you infer from the repetition of ‘suddenly, suddenly’ in the above stanza?


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Page 10 Sample Paper 22 CBSE English X

ii. A cage means captivity. Why is Custard inclined to remain in a cage despite what it symbolises?
This is so because he viewed it as a :
1. sanctuary
2. guardhouse
3. cubicle
4. refuge
5. booth
(a) 1, 2 and 5 (b) 1 and 4
(c) 3, 4 and 5 (d) 3 and 5
iii. Why has the poet used the word ‘weeck’ to signify the giggling of the mouse?
iv. Pick the option with the correct matches for columns A and B.
A B
Word Meaning
1. chuckle A. to smile in a half-suppressed mocking way
2. snigger B. to smile in an irritating, conceited manner
3. smirk C. to let out a quiet and suppressed laugh
D. to let out a laugh heartily and loudly
(a) 1-D, 2-A, 3-C (b) 1-C, 2-A, 3-B
(c) 1-B, 2-D, 3-C (d) 1-A, 2-C, 3-D
v. Which belief about dragons is in contrast to Custard’s behaviour in the extract?
(a) Dragons are brave and feared.
(b) Dragons can grant wishes.
(c) Dragons can become invisible at will.
(d) Dragons are soft-hearted and kind.

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

i. Chubukov says of Natalya: “... as if she won’t consent! She’s in love; egad, she’s like a lovesick cat...”
Would you agree? Find reasons for your answer.
(The Proposal)

ii. Why does the poet say that ‘Money is external’?

(The Ball Poem)

iii. How is the fog like a cat? What three things does the poem suggest?
(Fog)

iv. Why did Maxwell call the airhostess “the very queen of her kind”?
(Mijbil the Otter)

v. ‘Paper has more patience than people.’ Do you agree/disagree? Give reason.
(From the Diary of Anne Frank)

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CBSE English X Sample Paper 22 Page 11

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

i. “But there was one thing I could do-collect things”. What collection did Ebright make? When did he
start making collection?
(The Making of a Scientist)
ii. The best way to defend is to offend, but the same thing is not seen by Noodle. How does he manage to
do that?
(The Book That Saved the Earth)
iii. “Guilty mind is always conscious”. Do you think the thief was on the contrary obliged to Anil?
Substantiate your answer.
(The Thief ’s Story)

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

i. Imagine a software engineer meets Buddha and communicates the modern age anxiety and the threat of
livelihood. Suggest some philosophical tools which Buddha must have preached him to handle the same.
(The Sermon at Benares)


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ii. “Not enough can be said to show how important a baker can be for a village”. How were the services of
the baker required on various occasions?
(Glimpses of India)

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

i. Our sins never go unpunished. Horace Danby ultimately had to go to prison. This shows that in spite of
planning a crime intelligently and carefully, a criminal can’t escape the law. Explain.
(A Question of Trust)


O
ii. Bholi and Matilda, both are distinct characters, wherein one gave importance to self-instinct and the
other gave importance to her beauty. Assume they both meet each other at Bholi’s wedding and had a
conversation over the greed of Bishamber.
Write this conversation as per your understanding of ‘Bholi’ and The Necklace’.
You may begin like this:
Matilda : Are you fine now?
Bholi : Ya! much relieved.
(Bholi)

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