CBSE Class 10 English Communicative Sample Paper Set A

CBSE Class 10 English Communicative Sample Paper Set A. CBSE issues sample papers every year for students for class 10 board exams. Students should solve the CBSE issued sample papers to understand the pattern of the question paper which will come in class 10 board exams this year. The sample papers have been provided with marking scheme.It’s always recommended to practice as many CBSE sample papers as possible before the board examinations. Sample papers should be always practiced in examination condition at home or school and the student should show the answers to teachers for checking or compare with the answers provided. Students can download the sample papers in pdf format free and score better marks in examinations. Refer to other links too for latest sample papers.

SECTION - A: (READING) 

1. Read the following passage carefully: 

1. Our house is filled with photos. They cover the walls of my kitchen, dining room and den. I see our family's entire history, starting with my wedding, continuing through the births of both sons, buying a home, family gatherings and vacations. When my sons were little, they loved to pose. They waved, danced, climbed trees, batted balls, hung upside down from the jungle gym and did anything for a picture. But when they reached adolescence, picture-taking changed into something they barely tolerated. Their bodies were growing at haphazard speeds. Reluctantly they stood with us or with their grandparents at birthday celebrations and smiled weakly at the camera for as short a time as possible.

2. I am the chronicler of our photographs. I select those to be framed and arrange the others in albums. The process is addictive, and as the shelves that hold our albums become fuller and fuller, I wonder what will become of them. Will anyone look at these photographs in future years? If my sons look at them, what will they think of us and of themselves? One bright afternoon, I took some photographs of my father with my husband as they fished in a lake near our vacation house. As my sons and I sat on the shore and watched them row away, I picked the camera up and photographed the beautiful lake surrounded by green trees. The two men I loved gradually grew smaller until all I could see were my father's red shirt, and the tan and blue caps on their heads.

3. My father died a week later, and suddenly those photos became priceless to me. I wept when I pasted them in our album. I wept again afterwards when I saw my younger son looking at them. It was a few days before he went away to college. He had taken all our albums down from the bookshelves in the den and spread them out on the carpet. It had been a very long time since I had seen him doing this. Once he stopped posing for pictures, he seemed to lose interest in looking at them. But now he was on the verge of leaving home. This was his special time to look ahead and look back. I stood for a moment in the hall by the den, and then tiptoed away. I didn't take a photo of my son that afternoon, but I will remember how he looked for as long as I live. Some pictures, I learned, don't have to be taken with a camera.

1. Fill in the summary using one word only. 

The author was (a) _____________________________ about taking photographs and framing them. But she always (b) ____________________________ whether her sons would ever look at them. She was full of (c) _____________________________ when

she pasted the pictures of her father's last days in the album. She learnt that some pictures always (d) _____________________________ in one's mind without a camera.

2. Two examples that show that the author's sons were averse to taking photographs are: (lx2=2 marks)

(a) _______________________

(b) _______________________

3. Give words that mean the same as 

1. not organized or planned (para 1)

2. one who records events in order (para 2)

3. very valuable (para 3)

4. continued engagement with an activity (para 2)

2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by choosing the answers from the given options (5 marks)

Style is a way of writing, a manner of expressing one‘s thoughts and feelings in words. The matter remaining the same, the manner may change. It may be high sounding, or simple and yet emotional or a plain, brief statement without feelings. The same fact may have different effects on the reader because of variations in style. Some people think that style, or what they might call 'good style‘ or 'literary style‘, is something that can be added to plain thought or a plain statement of facts, as icing can be put on a cake. A student once said to me, ―I have written my report, but I have brought it to you to put some style into it.‖ I could not put style into it. It was already written in a certain style, though it may not have been a very good style. I could have re-written it in a certain style. Then it would have been my arrangement of facts, my choice of words, and my style. As a man thinks and feels, so he writes. If his thoughts are clear and sharp, his writing will reflect this.

a) The effect of written word on the reader varies according to

i) variation in style                    ii) variation in words

iii) the mood of the reader         iv) length of the writing

b) It is not possible to put some style to other person‟s writing because

i) style cannot be added             ii) each writing has its own style

iii) styles are different                iv) the writer will not like it

c) Muddled means

i) clear                ii) lucid

iii) unclear           iv) aggressive

d) A matter written in one style has to be__________ if somebody decides to rewrite it

i) partly changed           ii) rewritten

iii) rephrased                iv) corrected

e) If thoughts are clear and sharp, the writing would be

i) high sounding           ii) bad

iii) boring                    iv) clear and sharp

3. Read the following poem carefully: 

Once upon a time, son

They used to laugh with their hearts

And laugh with their eyes;

But now they laugh only with their teeth,

While their ice-block-cold eyes

Search behind my shadow.

                                There was a time indeed

                                They used to shake hands with their hearts;

                                But that‘s gone, son.

                                Now they shake hands without their hearts

                                While their left hands search

                                My empty pockets.

"Feel at home‖", "Come again,"

They say, and when I come

Again and feel at home, once,

Twice, there will be no thrice –

For then I find doors shut on me.

                              So, I have learnt many things, son.

                              I have learnt to wear many faces

                              Like dresses – home-face,

                              Office-face, street-face, host-face,

                              Cocktail-face, with all their conforming smiles

                              Like a fixed portrait smile.

And I have learnt, too.

To laugh with only my teeth

And shake hands without my heart.

I have also learnt to say`Goodbye‘

When I mean`Good`riddance‘;

To say`Glad to meet you‘

Without being glad; and to say `It‘s been

Nice talking to you‘, after being bored.

                                 Believe me, son

                                 I want to be what I used to be

                                 When I was like you. I want

                                 To unlearn all these muting things.

                                 Most of all I want to relearn

                                 How to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror

                                 Shows only my teeth like a snake‘s bare fangs!

So show me, son

How to laugh; show me how

I used to laugh and smile

Once upon a time when I was like you.Gabriel Okar

2. Answer the following questions by choosing an appropriate option from those given below:

1. The father also „wears many faces‟ as he

a. wants to imitate other b. wants to hide his feelings

c. wants to wear a portrait smile d. doesn‘t like the face he has

2. The father yearns to laugh like

a. a child b. his son

c. other people d. he used to when he was young

3. The father appeals to his son as

a. he doesn‘t laugh anymore

b. his laughter does not reflect his feelings

c. he is old and can no longer laugh like a child

d. he has forgotten how to laugh

4. The poem clearly conveys that

a. appearances are deceptive

b. people are actors

c. children teach adults

d. when you grow up you have to relearn things

5. The human behaviour being discussed here is

a. dishonesty b. benevolence

c. hypocrisy d. friendliness

Section B

Writing 

3.You are the Secretary of Nature club of Modern Public school, Chennai. A tree saplings planting campaign is being organized by the club to mark the World Environment Day.draft a notice informing this to the members of the club. Include necessary details. 4marks

5 You are Ravikant. You received your first salary. You want to purchase an electronic gadget. You discussed about it with one of you colleagues, Prerna. Write a dialogue in about 100 words with her about the brand, model, size and price of the gadget you have finalized to purchase. 6 marks

6 Write a letter in about 120 words to the Manager of Mawana Sugar Mill seeking permission to visit the Mill. Give the number of students and the date on which you propose to visit. Sign yourself as Amit/Amrita, General Secretary.St Mary Convent, Hyderabad. 7 marks

7. You are Durvasa/Draupath.You saw an advertisement in a magazine for youth. Upset by the misleading language, you decide to write an article entitled ‖Health is a treasure with no short cuts‖for publication in your school magazine. Write the article in 150 words. 8 marks

Section C

Grammar 

8. Complete the paragraph choosing the correct options : 

When (a) __________ papayas (b) __________ our garden were ripe, grandmother(c)__________ sent a basket of (d) __________ to her friend, Mrs. Ghosh (e) __________ was the Principal (f) __________ the nursery school. On (g) __________ occasion, Henry (h) __________ to get into the basket.

(a) (i) a (ii) the (iii) an (iv) few

(b) (i) on (ii) for (iii) in (iv) upon

(c) (i) ever (ii) usually (iii) never (iv) is

(d) (i) them (ii) it (iii) these (iv) tha(e)

(i) which (ii) when (iii) that (iv) who

(f) (i) of (ii) in (iii) on (iv) for

(g) (i) this (ii) which (iii) it (iv) the

(h) (i) managed (ii) manage (iii) want (iv) desire

9. Complete the following dialogue by choosing the most appropriate options. 

John: Friends, I sent you many flowers on Valentine s Day

Harry : (a)________

Jack : Are you sure you sent it to us?

John : (b)________

Harry : You must have sent cauliflowers!

John : (c)________

Jack : I kept them in the refrigerator !

Harry : (d)________

(a) (i) I sent many flowers on Valentine s

(ii) I had sent flowers on Valentine s

(iii) What do you mean? I did not receive them

(iv) he sent many flowers on Valentine s

(b) (i) Yes, they were big white ones.

(ii) No, they were big white ones.

(iii) What did he mean ?

(iv) That what he meant was flowers.

(c) (i) What he got in return

(ii) what had he got in return

(iii) Will I get anything in return ?

(iv) Your guess is right

(d) (i) Thanks for sending cauliflowers.

(ii) Must have sent cauliflowers.

(iii) Thanks you may have sent cauliflowers

(iv) Should you had sent cauliflowers ?

10. Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph that follows in reported speech. 

Kavita : Where do you want to go ?

Sabita : I want to go to the drop point near the Zoo

Kavita : In that case you will have to get down at the Lakshmi Nagar bus stop and take an auto.

Sabita : How long will I take to reach there ?

Kavita asked Sabita (a)_______________ Sabita told her that

(b)_______________ Kavita told Sabita that (c) _______________ at the Laxmi

Nagar and take an auto. Sabita asked Kavita (d)________________.

11. Rearrange the following to form meaningful sentences. 

a) an immediate / of energy / bananas are / source / and prolonged

b) levels up / snacking / helps to / on bananas / keep blood sugar / between the meals

c) bananas can / people trying / smoking / also help / to give up

d) are /bananas / every / season /in/ available

12.Read the newspaper headlines and complete the reports. 

(i) WOMAN TIED UP, ROBBED

Two unidentified men _____________ of her mobile phone.

(ii) FOOD INFLATION STEPS TO 16.75%

Food inflation _______________ the week ending 12 th December.

(iii) JCB ENTERS SHOE BUSINESS

JCB India on Thursday ___________ its entry into the footwear segment by

launching a range of safety and lifestyle shoes.

(iv) BABY SURVIVES TSUNAMI, FOUND IN CLUMP OF TREES

A 16 month- old baby _____________ alive in a clump of trees days after the evastating tsunami that killed 44 people.

Section D

Literature 

13. (A) Read the excerpt given below and complete the statements that follow by choosing the right options : 

Animals for miles around

Flocked towards the magic sound

And the frog with great precision

Counted heads and charged admission

(a) Animals came from miles around__________.

(i) to listen to the frog s baritone

(ii) for a meeting with other creatures

(iii) to discuss the problems of the creatures of the bog

(iv) to listen to the nightingale s sweet songs

(b) The frog counted heads with precision because he wanted to_____________.

(i) know the exact number of people coming for the concert

(ii) avoid most of the crowd

(iii) make money by giving entry tickets to all who came to the concert

(iv) see that there was proper seat arrangement for all the guests

(c) The frog in these lines seems to be_____________.

(i) proud (ii) meticulous

(iii) boastful (iv) greedy and money-minded

13.(B). Read the excerpt given below and answer the questions that follow : 

Lakshmi Das, were you indeed the first to come to the office this morning ?

(a) Who is the speaker here ?

(b) Who appeared first to the speaker ?

(c)What was given by the speaker to that person who appeared first ?

2. The dream is all amiss interpreted

It was a vision fair and fortunate

a) The speaker of these lines is:

i. Cassius

ii. Marcus Brutus

iii. Decius Brutus

iv. Mark Antony

b) The speaker aims to:

i. guide Caesar

ii. mislead Caesar

iii. give Caesar a false sense of security

iv. reveal the reality behind the dream

c)"miss interpreted‟ means that the dream:

i. is inappropriate

ii.is incomplete

iii. is wrongly interpreted

iv. is differently construed

14. Answer any four of the following in about 30- 40 words. 

a). How did the war affect the boys‘ family?

b). Justify the statement of the mirror, I am not cruel, only truthful.

c).At the end of the lesson Mrs packletide decides to stop indulging herself in game shooting.Why did she take such a decision?

d) Why did Ali give up hunting ?

(e) How did the frog exploit the nightingale ?

15.If you are the postmaster in The Letter , describe how you have come to realize the importance of a letter in 150 words

OR

Yet in both these boyish faces there was a seriousness which was far beyond their years. Does this sentence signal anything to you? Write a paragraph in about 150 words about the boys‘s lifestyle and the need for it.

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