Page 148 NODIA Sample Paper 16 CBSE X English

Sample Paper 16
Class X Exam 2023-24
English Language and Literature (184)
Time Allowed : 3 Hrs. Maximum Marks: 80
General Instructions:
1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections READING, GRAMMAR & WRITING and LITERATURE.
2. Attempt question based on specific instructions for each part.

SECTION A - READING SKILLS 20

Reading Comprehension Through Unseen Passages

1. Read the following text. 10

1. Not too long ago, a group of teachers made a study of the students and learning problems. A curious
fact came out of this study. The teachers discovered that the students who did poorly in subjects such as
Maths or Art could still do very well in other subjects. But the students who did poorly in reading, almost
did poorly in all their other courses.
2. For a while, the teachers who made the study were puzzled by this but they soon had an answer to this
puzzle. The teachers looked at the subjects that the students were failing in and discovered that even
subjects like Maths and Science were based on reading.
3. Of course, there were also other skills involved such as learning to add and subtract in Maths class.
Most of the explanations of how to do things had to be read by the students. Much of the home work
assignments required students to read long sets of directions and tests and problems in class often
involved story problems, problems that were explained in words and had to be read and understood
before they could be solved. Your success or failure in these classes will depend on your ability to read
the required material.
4. Finally, if you go to college, almost all your study time will be spent in reading. You need more and more
information and most of the information come from the printed material you have to read. Even if you
could get tapes or movies containing all the information, you need to know that they would not be of
much help until and unless you know how to read. Magazines and books may all be on microfilm in the
next few years, but they will still have to be read. The same is true of most of what you have to learn in
school. Your school is probably not going to throw all printed material out of the window very soon.
5. Success in school courses still depends on an ability to read and those students, who cannot read or at
least read well enough to master material, are in trouble. You are moving into a world where everyday
more and more technical reading is required. Instructions for using applications are becoming more
complex. There are written instructions to follow, for food preparations, traffic signs, travel directions
and safety information, all requiring the ability to read.
6. Also your ability to get and keep a job is directly related to your ability to read. Even the simplest jobs
require some reading ability and many people advance to more important and better paying jobs by
getting additional knowledge and skills through reading. The more specialised the job, the greater the
need to read confidently, quickly and efficiently. Doctors read professional journals so that they can use

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Page 149 NODIA Sample Paper 16 CBSE X English

the latest medical knowledge in treating patients while pharmacists have to read the prescriptions the
doctors write. Lawyers spend their days reading briefs. The number of semiskilled and professional
occupations that require high reading ability is increasing rapidly. Today a person who cannot read is
almost unemployable.
Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.
i. What is the most essential pre-requisite to keep a job? 1
(a) One’s ability to hear
(b) One’s ability to write
(c) One’s ability to read
(d) One’s ability to speak
ii. How is reading ability helping various professionals in their fields? Answer in about 40 words. 2
iii. Complete the sentence appropriately. 1
“The students who did poorly in reading, almost did poorly in all their other courses”
This is so because _____ .
iv. The passage includes some words that are opposites of each other. From the sets (a)-(e) given below,
identify two sets of antonyms. 1
(a) Puzzled and understood
(b) Subjects and courses
(c) Add and subtract
(d) Explanation and information
(e) Instruction and briefs
v. Complete the sentence appropriately. 1
The study of a group of teachers revealed that ........
vi. List the ways in which reading is crucial to student life. Answer in about 40 words. 2
vii. Select a suitable title for the given passage. 1
(a) The results of the Survey
(b) The skills needed in life
(c) Reading
(d) Learning how to Read
viii. Why is reading crucial in the modern-day world? 1

2. Read the following text. 10

1. Right from literacy, accessibility to schools and household expenditure on education, the rural-urban
gap remains significant. There is a digital divide, too, with just 4% of rural households having access to
computers as compared to 23% in urban areas. These and other trends in a rural-urban gap in education
are revealed in the details of a survey conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO).


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Page 150 NODIA Sample Paper 16 CBSE X English

2. The report on ‘Household Social Consumption: Education’ surveyed 1.13 lakh households spread across
over 8,000 villages and 6,000 urban blocks between July 2017 and June 2018. The study involved 1.52
lakh students across different levels of study.
3. On accessibility, while 92.7% of the rural households have a primary school within 1 km as compared
to 87.2% in urban areas, the situation gets skewed as only 38% of the rural households have access to
secondary school as compared to 70% in the urban areas on similar parameters.
4. While accessibility to a neighbourhood school at the primary level is not an issue in rural areas, the gross
attendance ratio is also satisfactory with nearly 100% of boys and girls in rural as well as urban areas
attending classes. However, in sync with reduced accessibility, there is a gap at a the secondary level
between rural and urban settings. The all India literacy rate among persons aged 7 years and above is
77.7%. However, for the same age group, rural literacy is 73.5% and for urban areas it is, 87.7%.
5. The digital divide between rural and urban households is stark with just 4% of the rural population
having access to computers. The report highlighted that while only 15% surveyed population in the rural
cluster has internet access, 42% of the students in the urban areas have access to the internet.
6. At school level while the majority of the urban households had shown a preference for private schools,
it’s the opposite for rural households. The report highlights that 76.1% of the rural children are attending
primary and middle school run by the government, while only 38% of the urban children are attending
government schools. However, for graduate and above studies, 49.7% rural students are attending classes
in government institutions as compared to 41% of the urban counterparts in government institutions.

Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.

i. Complete the following sentence appropriately. 1
The majority of urban households show preference to _____ .
ii. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate option from those given in the brackets, based on your understanding
of passage. 1
Rural areas have _____ (more/less) primary schools _____ (within/without) a km as compared to that
in urban areas.
iii. What data shows that the rural-urban gap is visible at the secondary level of education? Answer in about
40 words. 2
iv. What did the survey conducted by the NSO cover? 1
v. In which aspect is the condition of education in the urban and rural households equal? 1

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Page 151 NODIA Sample Paper 16 CBSE X English

vi. Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the option that lists the factors that indicate the
rural-urban gap. 1
(a) Infrastructure development and Employment opportunities
(b) Accessibility to schools and Digital divide
(c) Right to literacy and Household expenditure
(d) All of the above
vii. Explain in about 40 words the digital divide between rural and urban households based on the
passage. 2
viii. What does the Household Social. Consumption: Education focus on? 1
(a) Need for making technology more affordable
(b) Backtracking of online education.
(c) Rural-urban gap in education
(d) How the digital divide is non-existent in education.

SECTION B - GRAMMAR & WRITING SKILLS 20

GRAMMAR 10

3. Complete ANY TEN of twelve of the following tasks, as directed. 1 # 10 = 10

i. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete an online update. 1
A new understanding of the fundamental connection between mind and body explains phenomena such
as phantom limbs, and _____ surprising implications.
(a) have
(b) are
(c) is
(d) has
ii. Read the conversation between Sudhir and Riya. Complete the sentence by reporting Riya’s reply
correctly. 1
Sudhir : Riya, what is the reporting time for photoshoot tomorrow?
Riya : I have no clue as I was not there during the briefing.
Sudhir asked Riya what was the reporting time for photoshoot the following day. In response to his
question, Riya answered that _____.
iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the given line, from a magazine. 1
When our cherished ideas are contradicted by the facts, we avoid the human tendency to double
down on those ideas.
(a) must
(b) need
(c) can
(d) could

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Page 152 NODIA Sample Paper 16 CBSE X English

iv. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following line, from a news
report. 1
As per the report, India will allowed food processors to import duty-free wheat against a commitment
to export flour.
Option no. error correction
(a) the a
(b) will would
(c) allowed allow
(d) against for

v. Complete the given narrative, by filling in the blank with the correct option : 1
The two parks in our locality have virtually _____ over by undesirable elements.
(a) been taking (b) take
(c) taken (d) been taken
vi. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket, for the given portion of a letter. 1
Subject : Request for kind perusal
Dear Sir
This is to respectfully submit that the students of Agatha House _____ (seek) approval for organising an
Inter-house Rangoli Making Competition to be undertaken by the house.
vii. Report the dialogue between a father and his son, by completing the sentence. 1
Father : Why are you late from school, Amit?
Amit : While coming from school to bus stop, I slipped by stepping on a banana peel.
Father asked Amit _____ late from school. In response to the question, Amit replied that while coming
from school to bus stop, he had slipped by stepping on a banana peel.
viii. Identify the error in the given sentence, from a school magazine report and supply the correction. 1
Exploring solutions to brought awareness about celebrating festivals without harming ecology was the
second objective of the competition.

Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction

ix. Ahmed shared some information with Anmol about his visit to a book fair. Report Anmol’s question. 1
Did you buy any book from the fair?
x. Read the slogan by the Ministry for Child Welfare. Identify the error and supply the correction. 1
Can’t we ask our children to reject junk food?

Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction

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Page 153 NODIA Sample Paper 16 CBSE X English

xi. Select the correct option to complete the narration of the dialogue between Sanskriti and her friend
Pranika. 1
Sanskriti : I couldn’t find you on the school bus this morning. Did you miss the school bus?
Pranika : No, my dad was enroute to the school. So, he offered me to drop me to the school.
Sanskriti told Pranika that she couldn’t see her on the school bus that morning and further asked _____.
In response to her question, Pranika replied that her father was enroute to the school and offered her to
drop her to the school.
(a) that if she had missed the school bus
(b) if she had missed the school bus
(c) that if she missed the school bus
(d) that if you had missed the school bus
xii. Identify the error on a shop’s hoarding and supply the correction, for the following sales offer. 1
SUPER SAVER DEALS !!!
With Mom and Me Super Saver Days Offers, got discounts on daily essentials, personal care, baby care,
fashion, kitchen & dining, nutrition, and more.

Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction

WRITING 10
Note : All details presented in the questions are imaginary and created for assessment purpose.

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

A. Drinking water is becoming a rare commodity. Industrial development is filling our rivers, seas and
oceans with toxic pollutants which are a major threat to human health. You are deeply saddened to
see water pollution as an appalling problem, which is powerful enough to lead the world on a path of
destruction.
Write a letter to the Editor of Express News to make the public aware about the causes of water pollution
and also suggest the measures to prevent water pollution. You are Parul Aggarwal, C-316, Jaswant Lane,
New Delhi.


O
B. You are Christopher Joanne, a resident of C-216, Margaret Green Avenue, Loni Road, Delhi. Three
students of grade 10 from your residential complex went around the city at midnight and covered
shelterless people with blankets without waking them up. You think that their work deserves appreciation
and recognition.
Write a letter to the Secretary of your society, seeking recommendation for these youth, to be nominated
for ‘Star Volunteers Award’. Suggest other ways how such acts of kindness could be recognised and
awarded in the future.

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Page 154 NODIA Sample Paper 16 CBSE X English

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

A. After the birth of a child, fathers spend more time in office, whereas mothers spend less. Given below is
a graph showing average weekly hours worked by gender and household type of the year 2014. Write an
analytical paragraph by summarising the information given below.

O
B. A group of enterprising young adults conducted a survey on reopening of educational institutions in the
National Capital.

SECTION C - LITERATURE 40

6. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given. 5
A. CHUBUKOV : And that blind hen, yes, that turnip-ghost has the confounded cheek to make a proposal,
and so on!
NATALYA : What proposal?
CHUBUKOV : Why, he came here to propose to you.
NATALYA : To propose? To me? Why didn’t you tell me so before?
(The Proposal)

i. Identify Natalya’s reaction at this point in the play. 1

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Page 155 NODIA Sample Paper 16 CBSE X English

ii. What made Natalya react so sharply to her father’s words? Explain the irony in her words. Answer in
about 40 words. 2
iii. State TRUE or FALSE. 1
None of the descriptions (a)-(d) correctly corresponds to the extract.
(a) A debate is a formal discussion on a particular topic, usually with two or more people presenting
different viewpoints and arguments.
(b) A soliloquy is a speech given by a character alone on stage, which reveals their innermost thoughts
and feelings to the audience.
(c) An aside is a brief comment or remark made by a character directly to the audience, which is not
intended to be heard by other characters on stage.
(d) A dialogue is the exchange of spoken words between two or more characters in a book, play, or
other written work.

iv. If an actor were to enact this extract, what would he be required to focus on, while modulating his
voice? 1

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B. “Tell me another!” scoffed Pranjol.
“We have an Indian legend too.
Bodhidharma, an ancient Buddhist ascetic, cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during meditations.
Ten tea plants grew out of the eyelids. The leaves of these plants when put in hot water and drunk,
banished sleep.”
“Tea was first drunk in China,” Rajvir added, “as far back as 2700 B.C.! In fact, words such as tea, chai
and chini are from the Chinese. Tea came to Europe only in the sixteenth century and was drunk more
as medicine than as beverage.”
(Glimpses of India)

i. What is the main idea of this extract? 1

(a) Tea as a popular beverage in Europe and how it spread.
(b) Origin of tea in India and why it became popular in Europe.
(c) Importance of India in popularising tea and influencing Europe.
(d) Indian legend on tea and how it travelled from China to Europe.

ii. Why do you think Pranjol ‘scoffed’? Answer in about 40 words. 2

iii. When did tea come to Europe? 1

iv. Read the following descriptions (a)-(c) and identify which one correctly corresponds to the extract. 1
(a) A conversation is a talk between two or more people, in which news and ideas are exchange.
(b) A soliloquy is a speech given by a character alone on stage, which reveals their innermost thoughts
and feelings to the audience.
(c) An aside is a brief comment or remark made by a character directly to the audience, which is not
intended to be heard by other characters on stage.
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Page 156 NODIA Sample Paper 16 CBSE X English

7. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given. 5
A. Money is external.
He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes,
The epistemology of loss, how to stand up Knowing what every man must one day know
And most know many days, how to stand up
(The Ball Poem)
i. The speaker of the above lines is _____. 1
(a) An observer
(b) The boy’s parent
(c) The ball salesman
(d) A friend
ii. ‘The boy is learning to stand up’. What does it mean in the content of the extract? 1
iii. According to the poet, what do we mostly learn about loss from? 1
iv. What does the boy learn by losing the ball according to the extract? (Answer in about 40 words) 2

O
B. “Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears,
And Ink and Blink chased lions down the stairs,
Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage,
But Custard cried for a nice safe cage.”
(The Tale of Custard the Dragon)

i. In what way does the use of conjunctions ‘and’ and ‘but’ in this extract signify? 1
ii. What is the significance of Custard crying ‘for a nice, safe cage’? How does this contribute to the overall
mood and tone of the poem? 1
iii. Choose the most appropriate option. What does the extract demonstrate about other pets of Belinda? 1
(a) The entire lot was as brave as could be.
(b) They all had flamboyant personalities.
(c) Ink, Blink, and Mustard pretended to be brave.
(d) They were known for being fearful.
iv. Comment on the poet’s use of language in these lines in 40 words. 2

8. Answer ANY FOUR of the following five questions, in about 40-50 words. 4 # 3 = 12
i. ‘Every journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step.’ With reference to the chapter ‘His First
Flight’, analyse the statement and show your acquaintance. 3
(Two Stories About Flying)

ii. The poem ‘Fire and Ice’ uses the metaphor of the end of the world to characterise this destruction. Do
you agree? Support your answer with reasons. 3
(Fire and Ice)

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Page 157 NODIA Sample Paper 16 CBSE X English

iii. Valli’s unique maiden bus ride experience was pleasant because the bus conductor was an affable man.
Do you agree? Why/Why not? 3
(Madam Rides the Bus)
iv. What does the poet want to demonstrate through the poem ‘A Tale of Custard the Dragon’? 3
v. How can we say that Chubukov was continuously trying to reconcile the differences between Natalya
and Lomov? (Any one example) 3
(The Proposal)

9. Answer ANY TWO of the following three questions, in about 40-50 words. 2#3 = 6
i. Griffin had become a scientist just to satisfy his own ego and carry out satanic deeds. Comment. 3
(Footprints without Feet)
ii. The writer has given ample chance to the readers to ridicule the character Max in the chapter ‘The
Midnight Visitor’. Substantiate your answer with examples from the text. 3
(Footprints without Feet)
iii. Validate the importance of ‘Try and try until you succeed’, in the context of Richard Ebright in ‘The
Making of a Scientist’. 3
(The Making of a Scientist)

10. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words. 1#6 = 6
A. Matilda goes home after meeting Mme Forestier after ten years and shares the fact with M. Loisel that
the necklace was a false one. Write the dialogue between Matilda and M Loisel.
Matilda : I don’t know how to tell you this but I met Mme Forestier today and she told me that her
necklace was not a real diamond.
M Loisel : What! I just can’t believe my ears. That huge debt was for nothing!
Matilda : ________________________.
M Loisel : ________________________.
(The Necklace)

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B. Valli’s visit to the town has been disclosed and mother gives her a scolding. Develop a conversation
between Valli and her mother emphasising how important it is to follow the instructions given by the
elders.
(Madam Rides the Bus)

11. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words. 1#6 = 6
A. Mrs Hall was disgraced solely because of her sheer negligence. Do you think she could have avoided her
woes and miseries only if she had been a little vigilant and more careful? Comment.
(Footprints without Feet)

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B. Horace might not have ended up in prison repenting at the way he was deceived but by cursing the lady
in red. Examine the statement ‘A Question of Trust’ giving reasons for the same.
(A Question of Trust)

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