VIDYA DEVI JINDAL SCHOOL, HISAR

PRE-BOARD EXAMINATION (2020-21)

ENGLISH-Language and Literature
Class X

Time Allowed: 3 Hours Maximum Marks: 80

General Instructions:
1. This question paper comprises of 13 questions on 12 printed pages.
2. This paper is divided into two parts: A and B. All questions are compulsory.
3. Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read
these instructions very carefully and follow them.
4. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.
_________________________________________________________________________

Part A – OBJECTIVE 40 MARKS

READING 20 marks

1. Read the passage given below.

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door, to pay his way through school, found that he
had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house.
However, he flustered when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for water.
She thought he looked hungry, so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly and then asked,
“How much do I owe you?” “You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept
money for a kindness.” He said… “Then I thank you from my heart.”

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man also grew
strong. Earlier, he was ready to give up and quit.

Years later, that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to
the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr Howard Kelly was called in for the
consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately
he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to the patient’s room. Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in
to see the woman. He recognised her at once. Determined to do his best to save her life, he went back to the
consultation room. From that day he gave special attention to this case. After a long struggle, the battle was
won.

Dr Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote
something on the edge and the bill was sent to the woman’s room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it
would take the rest of her life to pay it all. Finally, she looked, and something caught her attention on the side
of the bill. She read these words… “Paid in full with one glass of milk.” Signed Dr Howard Kelly.

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Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: “Thank You, God, that Your love has spread a broad
through human hearts and hands.”

The Tribune (Modified)

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below by choosing the
most appropriate option. 1x10=10

i. Howard Kelly’s statement, “How much do I owe you?” shows that as a poor boy, he had the
quality of

a. self-respect and dignity

b. ingratitude and apathy
c. self pity and helplessness
d. ignorance and indifference

ii. Choose the option that best captures the central idea of the passage from the given quotes.

a. Kindness is a gift everyone can afford to give.

b. Kindness can make a bad day good, and a good day better.
c. An act of kindness always come back to you.
d. The small act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.

iii. ‘A strange light filled his eyes’ means that

a. Dr Howard Kelly had become the specialist.

b. Dr Howard Kelly received a glass of milk to drink.
c. Dr Howard Kelly successfully sold goods from door to door.
d. Dr Howard Kelly expected the patient to be that young woman who offered him a glass of milk.

iv. Which of the following statements are not true about the lovely young lady?

1. The lady asked for a glass of water.

2. The lady’s mother suffered from a rare disease.
3. The lady offered a large glass of milk.
4. The lady feared to open the bill.

a. 2 and 3
b. 1 and 2
c. 1 and 4
d. 2 and 4

v. What did the lovely young lady and Dr Howard Kelly owe each other?

a. a hospital bill
b. an opportunity to express gratitude

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 c. a glass of milk
d. an act of benevolence

vi. Young Dr Kelly flustered to ask for a meal because

a. he carried a plate of sandwiches.

b. he was carrying goods.
c. he also wanted a glass of milk.
d. a lovely young lady opened the door.

vii. Which of the characteristics are apt about Young Dr Kelly in the following context?
“One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door, to pay his way through school.”
1. self reliant
2. courteous
3. self sustaining
4. miserable

a. 2 and 3
b. 1 and 2
c. 1 and 3
d. 3 and 4

viii. Give a similar word to ‘baffle’.

a. perplex
b. restrain
c. defeat
d. clear

ix. After a long struggle, the battle was won. Here the word ‘battle’ refers to
a. the local doctor’s efforts to determine what had made the old woman critical.
b. Young Dr Howard Kelly’s struggle to ask for a meal.
c. Dr Kelly’s struggle to save the sick old woman.
d. The woman’s struggle to recover from her illness.

x. Which of the following is the best lesson that the story teaches?
a. When in need, seek help.
b. One good deed leads to another.
c. Always repay the debt you owe.
d. Save enough money for medical care in old age.

2. Read the passage given below.

LIGHTNING STRIKES KILL MORE THAN FLOODS AND CYCLONES

Lightning strikes claim more lives annually in India than other natural disasters such as floods and
cyclones. They have turned deadlier over the years. Climate change is leading to extreme weather events-
such as storms, rain, heatwaves and lightning-that are getting more frequent and more intense, causing

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 more deaths and destruction. However, while floods and heat waves that impact huge swathes of the
population attract the spotlight, lightning strikes that prove dangerous to individuals get less attention.

The average number of people who died of lightning strikes every year between 2006 and 2015 was about
50% higher than the decade before, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows. Taking into
account population growth, the average deaths from lightning strikes per million people in 2006-2015 was
26% more than in 1996-2005.

Part of the reason for the higher number is better reporting but the increasing number of lightning strikes
could be played a role, scientists from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, examined
satellite data for the period from 1990-2013 and found a 2-3 % increase in lightning strikes.

Lightning deaths are more common in rural areas where the presence of open spaces and outdoor work
leads to more casualties. However, higher particular matter, pollution and loss of vegetation is also making
urban areas more susceptible to lightning strikes.

The researchers found that Aerial Optical Depth (AOD), which captures how much sunlight is obstructed
from reaching the earth’s surface by aerosols, has a positive correlation with lightning strikes. More green
cover also decreases the chances of a deadly lightning strike. “When aerosol loading increases in the
atmosphere, it makes the cloud grow taller. If the vertical height of the cloud increases, there will be an
increase in the charge separation, the greater the likelihood of a lightning strike,” he said.

How climate change impacts lightning strikes is still not well understood. Abnormal surface-level heating
the leads to the formation of deeper thunderstorm clouds, could be giving rise to more lightning strikes,
the scientist said.

However, not everybody is convinced that atmospheric pollution is contributing to mor lightning strikes.
“Deep convective clouds have greater chance of lightning events, but it depends greatly on how the clouds
are developing, how the internal charging takes place,” S N Tripathi, a scientist at IIT Kanpur, said.

Experts, however, agree that India is especially prone to lightning strikes and also fatalities, and not having
a monitoring network and lack of awareness are costing lives. Barring a handful of states, there is no
lightning monitoring network on the ground.

“India is a very populous country- this certainly is a factor. But another very important factor is that India
is a country where a lot of people work outdoors. These people are often caught in places that provide no
proper shelter for safety when storms threaten, “Mark Hoekzema, chief meteorologist at Earth Networks,
a US-based company that operates a global lightning detection network, said.” Another reason is the
climate of India- being in the location it is on the earth, with a lot of heat and plenty of moisture from the
Indian Ocean, it is an area that gets a lot thunderstorms,” he said.

IITM, which is under the earth sciences ministry, operates a lightning location network in Maharashtra. It
is planning to expand this network, but some states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, and
most recently Odisha, have already signed agreements with Earth Networks to provide lightning
monitoring services.

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On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below by choosing the
most appropriate option. 1x10=10

i. The average number of deaths per million people due to lightning strikes between 2006-2015 was
____________ than in 1996-2005.
a. 50% higher
b. 50% lower
c. 26% higher
d. 26% lower

ii. What is making urban areas more susceptible to lightning strikes?

a. Presence of open spaces and lack of shelters.
b. Lack of an efficient lightning monitoring network.
c. Government apathy and lack of awareness among people
d. Higher particulate matter, pollution and loss of vegetation

iii. Which of the following views belong to SN Tripathi?

a. The greater the charge separation, the greater the likelihood of a lightning strike.
b. Increased aerosol in the atmosphere cause clouds to grow taller.
c. Deep convective clouds have greater chances of lightning strikes.
d. An increase in the vertical height of the cloud will result in an increase in charge separation.

iv. Some scientists disagree that ___________ could lead to more lightning strikes.
a. surface heat
b. atmospheric pollution
c. thunderstorms
d. climate change

v. India has to suffer greater loss of lives during lightning because of lack of
a. public awareness
b. proper outdoor shelters
c. proper monitoring network
d. all of the above

vi. IITM operates a lightning location network in

a. Andhra Pradesh
b. West Bengal
c. Karnataka
d. Maharashtra

vii. Which of the following statement is incorrect?

a. Lightning deaths are more common in urban areas where the presence of open space and outdoor work
leads to more casualties.
b. Higher particular matter, pollution and loss of vegetation is also making urban areas susceptible to
lightning strikes.
c. Abnormal surface level heating that leads to the formation of deeper thunderstorm clouds, could be
giving rise to more lightning strikes.

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 d. How climate change impacts lightning strikes is still not well understood.

viii. V Gopalkrishnan and his colleagues at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune
examined
a. The average deaths from lightning strikes per million people in 2006-2015.
b. Satellite data for the period from 1990-2013 and found a 2-3 % increase in lightning strikes.
c. The greater the charge separation, the greater the likelihood of a lightning strike.
d. How much sunlight is obstructed from reaching the earth’s surface by aerosols?

ix. In which sentence the word ‘lightning’ is used correctly?

a. Lightning flashed around them and thunder rumbled.
b. He prefers natural lightning for his photography.
c. My attempt at lightning the situation fell on deaf ears.
d. Good lightning will enhance my room.

x. Give the antonym of the word ‘obstructed’.

a. clogged
b. cut off
c. eclipsed
d. permissible

LITERATURE 10 MARKS

3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. 1x5=5

“It was only when I began to learn that my boyhood freedom was an illusion. When I discovered as a young
man that my freedom had already been taken from me, that I began to hunger for it. At first, as a student, I
wanted freedom only for myself, the transitory freedoms of being able to stay out at night, read what I pleased
and go where I chose. Later, as a young man in Johannesburg, I yearned for the basic and honourable freedoms
of achieving my potential, of earning my keep, of marrying and having a family- the freedom not to be
obstructed in a lawful life. But then I slowly saw that not only was I not free, but my brothers and sisters were
not free. I saw that it was not just my freedom that was curtailed, but the freedom of everyone who looked
like I did. That is when I joined the African National Congress, and that is when the hunger for my own
freedom became the greater hunger for the freedom of my people.”

i. What did Nelson Mandela finally conclude about freedom?

a. His boyhood freedom was an illusion.
b. He was deprived of transitory freedoms.
c. The basic and honourable freedoms of achieving potential was missed.
d. The freedom was curtailed in South Africa for anyone who looked like him.

ii. Which attributes of Nelson Mandela are highlighted in understanding the true meaning of
‘FREEDOM’ through his surroundings?
1. observant
2. logical
3. presence of mind
4. compassionate

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 5. determination

a. 1, 5, 4
b. 1, 2, 3
c. 3,4,5
d. 1,2,4

iii. Choose the option that lists the set of statements that are NOT TRUE according to the given extract.

1. Nelson Mandela yearned for the basic and honourable freedoms.

2. Nelson Mandela saw that it was just his freedom that was curtailed, others who looked like him enjoyed
the freedom.
3. When Nelson Mandela began to learn that his boyhood freedom was a real, he discovered that his
freedom had already been taken from him.
4. Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress.

a. 1 and 4
b. 2 and 4
c. 2 and 3
d. 3 and 4

iv. Which word does ‘transitory’ NOT correspond to?

a. ephemeral
b. perpetual
c. evanescent
d. brief

v. The full name of Nelson Mandela is

a. Nelson Mandela
b. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
c. Nelson Madiba Xhosa Mandela
d. Nelson Rolihlahla Madiba Mandela

4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. 1x5=5

“But presently up spoke little dog Mustard,

I’d have been twice as brave if I hadn’t been flustered.
And up spoke Ink and up spoke Blink,
We’d have been three times as brave, we think,
And Custard said, I quite agree
That everybody is braver than me.”

i. The poet of the afore extract is

a. Walt Whitman
b. William Wordsworth
c. Ogden Nash

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 d. Adrienne Rich

ii. The rhyme scheme of the given stanza is

a. ‘aabbcc’
b. ‘abcabc’
c. ‘aabcbc’
d. ‘ababcc’

iii. What qualities of the dragon is highlighted in the extract?

a. humble and polite
b. nervous and timid
c. coward and soft
d. pride and witty

iv. In which context are the members explaining?

a. Being scared of the dragon.
b. Being scared of the pirate.
c. Being scared of the pirate and Custard killing the pirate.
d. They always felt that they were the best.

v. Who was the real hero?

a. Pirate
b. Mustard
c. Blink
d. Custard

GRAMMAR 10 MARKS

5. Choose the correct options to fill in the blanks to complete the note about India’s Covid-19.
1x3=3
India’s Covid-19 caseload went past 95 lakh, while the total number of people who __i_ from the disease
____ii____ to 89.73 lakh pushing the national recovery rate to 94.11 percent, according to the Union
Health Ministry data updated. The total coronavirus cases _____iii______ to 95,34964 with new 35,551
new infections being reported in a day, while the death toll climbed to 1,38,648 with 526 new fatalities.
i.
a. has recuperated
b. have recuperated
c. are recuperated
d. had recuperated

ii.
a. surged
b. surges
c. surge
d. is surging

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iii.
a. mount
b. are mounted
c. mounted
d. is being mounted

6. Read the following conversation and then report what was said by completing the following passage.
1x3= 3

Jannat: What a cold day it is! I think it’s the coldest day of this season.

Himani: I don’t mind the cold. It is the summer that bothers me.

Jannat exclaimed________i_______ and added that _________ii_____________. Himani replied

__________________iii_______________.

i.
a. that it was a cold day.
b. it was a cold day.
c. that it is a cold.
d. it is a cold day.

ii.
a. she thought it to be the coldest day of that season.
b. she thinks it is the coldest day of that season.
c. she thought that it was the coldest day of that season.
d. She thinks that it is the coldest day of that season.

iii.
a. that she did not mind the cold and it was the summer that bothered her.
b. that she did not mind the cold and it is the summer that bothers her.
c. that she did not minded the cold and it was the summer that bothered her.
d. that she did not mind the cold and it is the summer that bothered her.

7. Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct options for sentences given below. 1x4=4

i. It was __________ historic day for the organisation when ___________ honour was bestowed upon its
employees.
a. a, an
b. an, the
c. the, a
d. an, a

ii. At this time tomorrow we ______________ our project details to our teacher.

a. are presenting
b. shall be presenting

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 c. have been presenting
d. will have presenting

iii. Each of the boys _________ given a prize.

a. is
b. were
c. are
d. has

iv. Neither she nor her sisters ________ the temple.

a. visits
b. visit
c. is visiting
d. has visited

TYPE B- SUBJECTIVE 40 MARKS

WRITING 2x5= 10

8. Attempt ANY ONE of the following in 100-120 words. 5 marks

A. You are Richa, a resident of Lotus Espacia, Sector 100, Noida. You have noticed that some residents of
your society are repeatedly flouting quarantine rules laid out during the outbreak of the COVID–19 pandemic.
They move in a group violating the norms of social distancing. Also, the use of mask is negligible. Partying
at home is a regular affair, which has around 20-25 people under one roof. Write a letter to the President of
Resident Welfare Society, drawing attention towards the same. Explain how such acts impact the health of
the community and request for the immediate intervention and strict action.

OR

B. You are Janhvi from Friend’s Colony, Lucknow. Write a letter to Agarwal Book Store of your city,
requesting home delivery of the books, stationery and art materials you had ordered telephonically. Share the
reason for being unable to pick up the goods in person. Confirm your address details and a convenient time
slot.

9. Attempt the following in 100-120 words. 5 marks

The chart below displays data about the number of digital devices purchased in Rishunagar across the years
2015-2020. Write a paragraph analysing the given data.

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 LITERATURE 30 MARKS

10. Answer ANY TWO questions in 20-30 words each from (A) and (B) respectively.

(A) ANY TWO 2x4=8 marks

a. Why does Anne Frank provide a brief sketch of her life as a prelude to her diary?
b. How did the children of Room Thirteen celebrate the announcement of Wanda’s win in the drawing
competition?
c. One passenger mentioned that the thirty paise fare was ‘almost nothing at all’. Why was this sum a ‘fortune’
for Valli?

(B) ANY TWO 2x2=4 marks

a. Why did Ramlal feel that Bholi was trying to disgrace her family?
b. What was the shocking discovery Matilda made ten years later?
c. Mr Ebright has varied interests. In addition to science, what were the other interests of Richard?

11. Answer ANY TWO questions in 30-40 words each from (A) and (B) respectively. 3x4=12 marks

(A) ANY TWO 3x2= 6 marks

a. What do ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ symbolise in the Robert Frost’s poem?
b. What state of mind does the tiger have in his cage? How is it different from that of a tiger in the wild?
c. Why did Lancho ask for paper and ink at the post office? What did he do with them?

(B) ANY TWO 3x2=6 marks

a. According to Bill, why had Lutkins gone to his mother’s farm?
b. Why was it important for Mrs. Pumphrey to be a little cruel in order to be kind towards Tricki?
c. What ‘curious episode’ occurred at clergy man’s house? What do you think had actually happened?

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12. Answer ANY ONE of the following in 100-120 words. 5x1=5 marks

(A) Read the extracts given below and comment on the difference in the nature of help both the characters, of
these two stories, received.

a) Suddenly I came out of the clouds and saw two straight lines of lights in front of me. It was a runway! An
airport! I was safe! I turned to look for my friend in the black aeroplane but the sky was empty. [The Black
Aeroplane]

b) All through the night Lancho thought only of his one hope: the help of God…The following Sunday, at
daybreak he began to write a letter…It was nothing less than a letter to God...The following Sunday Lancho
came a bit earlier than usual to ask if there was a letter for him…. Lancho showed not the slightest surprise
on seeing the money, such was his confidence. [A Letter to God]

OR

(B) What problems does Amanda’s elders have with her? Do you think it is right for a child of her age to
behave the way she does? Give reasons in supports of your view.

13. Answer ANY ONE of the following in 100-120 words. 5x1=5 marks

(A)Bholi was known to be a ‘dumb cow’. How did she turn to be an outspoken and fearless girl? Write a
character sketch of Bholi in the light of the story?

OR

(B) Richard H Ebright exploited his childhood loneliness to his advantage. Explain.

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