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CBSE Class 10 English Question Paper 2017 (Delhi) with Solutions
Time allowed: 3 hours
Maximum marks: 80
General Instructions:
Read the instructions very carefully and strictly follow them:
The Question Paper is divided into three Sections:
Section A – Reading Skills 20 Marks
Section B – Writing Skills with Grammar 30 Marks
Section C – Literature Textbook and Supplementary Reading Text 30 Marks
General Instructions:
- All questions are compulsory.
- You may attempt any Section at a time.
- All questions of that particular Section must be attempted in the correct order.
Section A – Reading 20 Marks
Question 1.
Read the passage given below carefully:
During our growing up years we as children were taught—both at home and school – to worship the photos and idols of the gods of our respective religions. When we grow a little older, we were to read holy books like The Bhagwad Gita, Bible and Quran; we were told that there are a lot of life lessons to be learnt from these holy books. We \yere then introduced to stories from our mythologies which taught us about ethics and morality- what is good and what is bad. I also learnt to be respectful towards my parents who made my life comfortable with their hard work and love and care, and my teachers who guided me to become a good student and a responsible citizen.
Much later in life, I realised that though we learn much from our respective holy books, there is a lot to learn from our surroundings. This realisation dawned upon me when I learnt to enquire and explore. Everything around us-the sun, the moon, the stars, rain, rivers, stones, rocks, birds, plants and animals-teach us many valuable life lessons.
No wonder that besides the scriptures in many cultures nature is also worshipped. The message that we get is to save our environment and maintain ecological balance. People are taught to live in harmony with nature and recognise that there is God in all aspects of nature.
Nature is a great teacher. A river never stops flowing. If it finds an obstacle in its way in the form of a heavy rock, the river water fights to remove it from its path or finds an alternative path to move ahead. This teaches us to be progressive in life, and keep the fighting spirit alive.
Snakes are worshipped as they eat insects in the field that can hurt our crops, thus protecting the grains for us. In fact, whatever we worship is our helper and makes our lives easy for us. There are many such examples in nature, but we are not ready to learn a lesson. Overcome with greed, we are destroying nature. As a result we face natural disasters like drought, flood and landslides. We don’t know that nature is angry with us.
However, it is never too late to learn. If we learn to respect nature the quality of our life will improve.
1.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions briefly: 2 × 4 = 8
(a) What are we taught in our childhood and growing up years?
Answer:
During our growing up years we are taught to worship the photos and idols of gods of our respective religions.
We are taught to read holy books like, The Bhagwad Gita, Bible and Quran.
(b) Why should we respect our parents and teachers?
Answer:
We should respect our parents as they made our lives comfortable with their hardwork, love and care. Our teachers guided us to be good students and responsible citizens.
(c) What message do we get when we worship nature?
Answer:
When nature is worshipped, we get the message to save our environment and maintain ecological balance. We also learn to be progressive in life and live in harmony with nature. We also recognize that there is God in all aspects of nature.
(d) How does a river face an obstacle that comes in its way?
Answer:
If the river faces an obstacle like a heavy rock in its way, it fights to remove it from its path or finds an alternate path to move ahead.
1.2 Choose meanings of the words given below with the help of options that follow: 4
(a) guided
(i) answered
(ii) advised
(iii) fought
(iv) polished
Answer:
(ii) advised
(b) explore
(i) search
(ii) frequent
(iii) describe
(iv) request
Answer:
(i) search
(c) valuable
(i) proper
(ii) desirable
(iii) available
(iv) useful
Answer:
(iv) useful
(d) harmony
(i) beauty
(ii) friendship
(iii) discomfort
(iv) honesty
Answer:
(ii) friendship
Question 2.
Read the passage given below:
Why The government has finally managed to spark interest in the strategic disinvestment of Air Ind,ia, having received multiple expressions of interest, according to the secretary of the department of investment and public asset management (DIPAM).
1. Why is Air India seeing greater interest now? The union government has sweetened the deal for investors as the Air India Ltd. sale evoked no response initially. This could have possibly encouraged interested buyers. For one, 100% of Air India is up for grabs, compared to just 76% earlier. The Government also made a change in the terms of bidding by allowing potential investors to bid on the basis of enterprise value, which is equity value plus net debt. As a result, investors can detemine the amount of Air India’s debt that they would want to take on, rather than being saddled with a fixed quantum of debt determined by the government.
2. Who are the potential bidders for the airline? The names of the bidders have not been officially disclosed. Reports have said the Tata Group and a Section of Air India’s staff, along with the US-based firm Interups Inc. are among the suitors for the airline. Some reports suggest that low-cost carrier Spicejet Ltd has also expressed interest. Getting hold of Air India will give the Tata Group and Spicejet a strong domestic presence, with the second highest market share by far, after Indigo. Vistara can catch up on network coverage if it buys Air India’s operations and can leverage its image of being an aspirational airline, said analysts at Kotak Institutional Equities.
3. What all does debt-laden Air India bring to the table? Air India’s international operations and slots are the most coveted by potential acquirers, noted Kotak Institutional Equities analysts. The airline also has reasonable reach and network coverage in domestic market, which will help potential acquirers gain Considerable scale. The airline brings a lot of debt too but most of it is likely to be borne by the government.
4. What will be the likely impact of AI-Tata deal? If the Tata group bags Air India, it could pave way for consolidation in the aviation sector, say analysts Tata Sons holds a 51% stake in Vistara and a majority stake in AirAsia India. Air India, AirAsia and Vistara accounted for a combined domestic market share of 22.9% in October according to data of the DGCA. The deal could make Tatas the second largest player in the sector after Indigo, which enjoys a market share of 55.5%. However, the Tatas would have to first simplify structures with partners in existing airlines.
5. Are there any hurdles for potential bidders? Every asset is valuable only at a certain
price. If the eventual bids are high relative to the asset value, turning the airline around could be challenging. In any case, the acquirer will need to make radical operational changes and cut costs to make the business viable. A group such as the Tatas, with deep pockets and a love for the aviation business, could well be willing to incur losses for longer than others. However, unless it streamlines its various aviation operations, it may only be setting up for a bigger failure with Air India acquisition. – By Pallavi Pengonda
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer any eight questions from the twelve that follow: 1 × 8 = 8
(a) To evoke response in Air India Ltd/s sale the government has:
(i) given more incentives to investors.
(ii) given investors more lucrative offers.
(in) further sweetened the deal.
(iv) all the above
Answer:
(iv) all the above
(b) The changed bidding terms:
(i) offers 76% of Air India’s shares.
(ii) does not allow investors to bid an the basis of enterprise value.
(iii) allows investors to decide the debt they want to take on.
(iv) saddles the investors with a fixed amount of debt.
Answer:
(iii) allows investors to decide the debt they want to take on.
(c) The word ‘potential’ in Para 1 DOES NOT mean the same as:
(i) possible
(ii) impractical
(iii) prospective
(iv) likely
Answer:
(ii) impractical
(d) The suitors for Air India does not include:
(i) Tata group
(ii) US-based firm
(iii) Spice jet
(iv) Indigo
Answer:
(iv) Indigo
(e) On the basis of the pie chart the highest market share in domestic business is of:
(i) Tata Group
(ii) Go Air
(iii) Air India
(iv) Indigo
Answer:
(iv) Indigo
(f) The word ‘suitors’ in Para 2 means the same as:
(i) suppliant
(ii) opponent
(iii) benefactor
(iv) donor
Answer:
(i) suppliant
(g) Air India debt is likely to be borne by:
(i) Tata Group
(ii) The government
(iii) Indigo
(iv) Vistara
Answer:
(ii) The government
(h) By bagging the Air India deal Tata Sons will:
(i) get consolidation in the aviation sector.
(ii) get reasonable reach and network leverage in the domestic market.
(iii) get of being an aspirational airline leverage.
(iv) all the above
Answer:
(i) get consolidation in the aviation sector.
(i) To make business viable the acquirer will need to:
(i) cut costs.
(ii) increase asset value.
(iii) make radical operational changes.
(iv) both (i) and (iii).
Answer:
(iv) both (i) and (iii).
(j) Choose the option that lists statements that is NOT TRUE.
(i) The investors are not allowed to bid on the basis of enterprise value.
(ii) Air India has reasonable reach in the domestic market.
(iii) Tata Sons holds 51% stake in Vistara.
(iv) Every asset is valuable at a certain price.
Answer:
(i) The investors are not allowed to bid on the basis of enterprise value.
(k) The word ‘coveted’ in Para 3 means the same as:
(i) Sought after
(ii) Unenviable
(iii) Unwanted
(iv) Ineligible
Answer:
(i) Sought after
(l) Tatas will set up for bigger failure with Air India acquisition if:
(i) it does not simplify structures.
(ii) it does not streamline its aviation operations.
(iii) its assets are not valuable.
(iv) they agree to incur losses.
Answer:
(ii) it does not streamline its aviation operations.
Section B – Writing Skills with Grammar 30 Marks
Question 3.
Accidents in big cities is a common phenomenon. Unfortunately, hardly anyone comes to the rescue of road victims because of fear of harassment by the police. Now that the Supreme Court has issued guidelines that people who take road victims to a hospital will not be questioned or detained, there is no reason why bystanders / passersby should hesitate to help road victims and thus discharge their duty as responsible citizens. Write a letter in 100 – 150 words to the editor of a national daily requesting him to make people aware of Supreme Court guidelines and urge them to help people in distress. You are Shorn / Shobha, 24, Raj Nagar, Kanpur. 10
Or
Question 3.
Many students from different parts of the Country come to Delhi to study. Finding affordable accommodation is the main problem faced by them. Landlords charge exorbitant rents and in some cases refuse to rent rooms to them because of their different food habits and Culture. The hostel facility provided by educational Institutions is too inadequate to meet the demand. Write a letter in 100-120 words to The the Editor of a local daily drawing attention of the authorities and requesting them to take appropriate action. You are Raman/Raveena, 12, Station Road, Delhi. 10
Answer:
24, Raj Nagar
Kanpur
22
nd
December, 20xx
The Editor
The Daily News
Kanpur
Subject: Creating public awareness regarding Supreme Court guidelines about road accidents
Sir
Through the medium of the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I intend to make people aware of Supreme Court guidelines regarding road accidents.
Accidents are a common occurence in big cities. But unfortunately hardly anyone comes to the rescue of road accident victims because of fear of harassment by the police. Now the Supreme Court has issued guidelines that people who take road accident victims to a hospital will neither be questioned nor detained. This should be incentive enough
for bystanders or passers by to help these victims and discharge their normal duty as responsible citizens. Receiving prompt help from bystanders is also likely to considerably reduce the number of deaths due to road accidents wherein a victim many a times succumbs to his injuries due to delayed aid.
I hope you will publish my letter in your newspaper so as to make people aware of these Supreme Court guidelines and also urge them to help people in distress.
Yours sincerely
Shom/Shobha
Or
12, Station Road Delhi
5
th
May, 20XX
The Editor
The Hindustan Times
Delhi
Subject: Inadequate decent and affordable accommodation for outstation students studying in Delhi
Sir
Through the medium of the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to draw the attention of the concerned authorities on the lack of decent and affordable accommodation for outstation students studying in Delhi.
Many students come to study to Delhi from different parts of the country. The main problem they face is of finding affordable accommodation. Landlords charge exorbitant rents and sometimes refuse to rent rooms to them because of their different food habits and culture. The hostel facility provided by the educational institutions is too inadequate to meet the demand. This problem needs to be dealt with on a priority basis by the authorities. They need to take action against landlords and the government needs to fix the rent slabs. The government should also make it mandatory for the educational institutions to meet the demand for boarding and lodging of students. Moreover the government can build hostels for students with food and medical facilities.
I hope you will publish my letter in your newspaper so that the concerned authorities can take appropriate action in this matter.
Yours sincerely
Raman / Raveena
Question 4.
Attempt ANY ONE of the following in 100 – 120 words.
[A] The chart below displays how irrelevant reading has become among the present generation. Write a paragraph analyzing the given data. 8
Or
[B] Read the following excerpt from an article that appeared in a local daily.
Choosing a definite career and deciding a career goal is very important. A career counsellor (no you, yourself) is the best person to guide you in the choice of a career.
Write a paragraph to analyse the given argument.
You could think about what alternative explanations might weaken the given conclusion and include rational/evidence that would strengthen/ counter the given argument. 8
Answer:
[A] Books were considered to be a man’s best friend, Books work as gateways to the pristine world and have the potential to broaden ones way of thinking. Books are a man’s gateway to knowledge, but unfortunately as is evident from the given histogram reading has become irrelevant among the present day generation. From the year 2016 to 2020 the number of books read per 100 students has come down to less than half. In 2016 the number was almost 45 for girls and 40 for boys. Furthermore, It has reduced to a little above 10 in girls and barely 10 amongst boys. These falling numbers can mainly be attributed to the popularity of the Internet, which has become a vital source of knowledge and information for the younger generation and thus has superseded the importance of books.
Or,
[B] The world is developing and progressing at a very fast pace. This is providing multiple and varied options for us to pursue as our career. But this is also creating a lot if uncertainty in our mind as to what career we should opt for. Though it cannot be denied that we ourselves, are the best person to decide our choice of career, but it will be beneficial for us if we trust a career counselor, who is familiar with the various available career options. Not only do career counsellors provide us with the right guidance, they assess our interests and acumen and based on that they help us choose the career option that best suits our capability and potential.
Question 5.
Complete the following paragraph by filling in the blanks with the help of the given options: 1 × 4 = 4
Medicinally, the bark of (a) ……………….. Kadam tree is used (b) …………….. an antiseptic and (c) …………….. fevers. The juice of this tree (d) ………….. used to kill germs in the sores.
Answer:
(a) (iii) the
(b) (iii) as
(c) (iii) for
(d) (i) is
Question 6.
The following paragraph has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Write the error and its correction as shown in the example.
Answer:
(a) for … of
(b) the … a
(C) on … in
(d) dare … dared
Question 7.
Rearrange the following words/ phrases to form meaningful sentences. 1 × 4 = 4
(a) reward / its / is / honesty / own /
(b) teaches us / our dealings / honesty / religion / in / to be /
(c) everywhere / and / is respected/honesty man / an / admired /
(d) leads / he / a / and / happy / prospers / life /
Answer:
(a) Honesty is its own reward.
(b) Religion teaches us to be honest in our dealings.
(c) An honest man is respected and admired everywhere.
(d) He prospers and leads a happy life.
Section C – Literature Text & Supplementary Reading Text 30 Marks
Question 8.
Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow: 1 × 4 = 4
“But I can get a hair-dye
And set such colour there,
Brown, or black, or carrot,
That young men in despair
May love me for myself alone
And not my yellow hair.”
(a) Who is speaking these lines?
Answer:
A young woman, who is the poets friend, is the speaker of the above lines.
(b) Why are young men in despair?
Answer:
The young men are in despair as they are in love and see the honey coloured hair falling at the side of the young girls ears. Such yellow hair are possessed by middle age women.
(c) What is the antonym of the word, ‘despair’?
Answer:
Antonym of’despair’ – hope.
(d) What is the speaker ready to do to get the love of her lover?
Answer:
The young woman is ready to dye her hair in any colour, brown, black or carrot so that she may be loved for herself.
Or
“Please don’t shout! You can shout yourself hoarse in your own house but here I must ask you to restrain yourself!”
(a) Who is speaking and to whom?
Answer:
The above lines are spoken by Natalya to Lomov.
(b) What is the dispute over?
Answer:
The dispute between Natalya and Lomov is over the ownership.
(c) What does the word, ‘restrain’ mean?
Answer:
The word ‘restrain’ means ‘to control or keep check/restrict.’
(d) What reason does the visitor give for shouting?
Answer:
Lomov tells Natalya that if he would not have had painful palpitations and if he had not been upset, he would not have shouted and talked this way.
Question 9.
Answer the following questions in 30 – 40 words each. 2 × 5 = 10
(a) What are the three things that can’t happen in a treeless forest?
Answer:
According to the poet no bird can sit in a treeless forest, no insect can hide there. There is also no sun to bury its feet in the shadow of the trees.
(b) Why was Matilda always unhappy after her marriage?
Answer:
Matilda had no dowry, no hopes, no means of becoming known, loved and married by a rich man. She allowed herself to marry a petty clerk in the office of the board of education. She was unhappy after her marriage as she suffered from the poverty of her apartment, the shabby walls and the worn chairs. All these things tortured and angered her.
(c) What advice did the doctor give to Mrs. Pumphrey? Why did she not follow it? What excuses did she make?
Answer:
The doctor told Mrs. Pumphrey that she should control Tricki’s diet. She should cut down on the sweet things. He had to be given plenty of exercise or he would really become very ill. He advised her to harden her heart and keep Tricki on a very strict diet. But Mrs Pumphrey found it rather difficult to follow the doctor’s advice. She felt that Tricki was rather listless and seemed to have no energy. She assumed he was suffering from malnutrition so she gave him little extras between meals. She told the doctor that Tricki could not exercise as the gardener was unwell, so there could be no ring-throwing lately.
(d) How did Anne finally stop Mr. Keesing from punishing her? Explain.
Answer:
Anne had annoyed Mr. Keesing by her incessant chatting. He assigned her to write an essay each time. When Anne wrote her third essay entitled ‘Quack, Quack, Quack, Said Mistress Chatterbox’, she wrote the whole essay in verse with help from her friend Sanne. She made sure the joke in her essay aimed at Mr. Keesing. Luckily Mr. Keesing took the joke in the right way. He read the poem to the whole class and finally stopped punishing Anne and allowed her to talk.
Question 10.
Answer the following questions in about 100 – 150 words. 8
Whenever we want to achieve something difficulties always come in our way. What did Valli have to do to go and ride in a bus?
Or
How did the Buddha teach Kisa Gotami the truth of life? What lesson did he want to teach her?
Answer:
Valli’s earnest wish was to ride on the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. Her meticulous planning and strong will power made her plan and execute the journey successfully. She saved money, gathered the required information and waited patiently for the right time to go on her journey.
For many days and months Valli listened carefully to conversations between her neighbours and people who regularly used the bus. She asked a few questions. Thus she picked up various small details about the journey. The town was six miles from her village. The fare was thirty paise one way. She calculated and recalculated, planned and replanned. She saved whatever coins came her way, resisting every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, ballons. She resisted a strong desire to ride the merry-go-round at the village fair. In this way, Valli sacrificed on many little joys to achieve her dream of going on a bus ride.
Or,
Kisa Gotami had gone to Buddha to get medicine that would cure her son. Buddha told her to get a handful of mustard-seeds from a house where no one had lost their loved one. So she went from house to house to procure such a seed but she was unable to do so as every house had lost a loved one. Buddha changed her understanding by making her realize that the life of mortals is brief and combined with pain.
She realised that death was common to all and she was being selfish in her grief. Those who are born have to die and after a loved one’s death one cannot obtain peace of mind by grieving and lamenting. To seek peace of mind one must throw out grief and sorrow from their lives. Buddha wanted Kisa Gotami to understand that the life of mortals in this world is troubled, brief and combined with pain. There is no way in which those who have been bom could avoid dying. After reaching old age there is death. Both young and old, fools and wise all are subject to death. The world is afflicted with death and decay, so the wise people do not grieve knowing the terms of the world. If one does grieve, his pain would be greater and his body would suffer.
Question 11.
Answer the following questions in about 100 – 150 words. 8
Education is always a great asset in the life of a woman. How did Bholi, an educated girl, face the challenge posed by Bishambar’s greed?
Or
A vast number of children are interested in studying science all over the world these days. After studying the lesson, ‘The Making of a Scientist’, what qualities should a person imbibe to become a scientist?
Answer:
The story ‘Bholi’ presents certain attitudes which are still prevalent in the villages of India. Girls’ education is not given priority and they are brought up only with the aim that they should be married as soon as it is feasible. Bholi was a neglected child because her parents felt she had neither the looks nor the intelligence but her teacher at school helps her to overcome these barriers. Her teacher’s encouragement and affection gave her a new life. Her teacher removed fear from her heart and made speak like anyone else.
She even gave her a book and encouraged her to read. She became an intelligent, sharp and fearless girl who knew her mind. School and education made her became a confident, bold and outspoken girl. Bholi, the under confident girl, who was unsure of herself, underwent a complete personality change towards the end of the story. When her prospective bridegroom, Bishamber demanded five thousand rupees to marry her, she confronted him with a cold contempt in her eyes. When Bishamber raised the garland to place it round her neck, she struck out her hand and flung the garland into the fire clearly indicating that she would not have a mean, greedy and contemptible coward as her husband.
Or,
The ingredients in the making of a scientist start with a first-rate mind, a must have scientific curiosity and the will to win for the right reasons. Being a scientist does not mean you cannot be an all-around outdoor person. Having interest in other activities like debating, photography helps learning to become easy. An inspiration, an adviser can help open one’s mind to new ideas. Being a scientist one must be prepared to make that extra effort. A person must be competitive not in the bad sense but in the sense to always remain ahead in his learning. One must be interested in winning not just for the sake of winning or for a prize but because he wanted to do the best job. For the right reasons, he wants to be the best. That is a ‘true scientist’.