SECTION - A
(READING)
1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
(1) Bubble wrap is a flexible transparent plastic material used for packing fragile items. It was invented by two engineers Al Fielding and Swiss inventor Mare Chavannes in Hawthorne, N.J. in 1957. However both of them were not trying to make a product to be used as packaging material. In fact they were trying to create textured wallpaper. They started out by sealing two shower curtains together in such a way that it would capture air bubbles which would make the textured appearance for their wallpaper. But this wallpaper idea didn’t sell too well.
(2) Not to be deterred, they then set about finding another use for their product. The alternate use they came up with was to use it as greenhouse insulation. While bubble wrap by itself does create somewhat of an insulating effect, this idea didn’t become popular either.
(3) It was three years after the initial creation of bubble wrap that Frederick W. Bowers, a marketer at Sealed Air, which makes bubble wrap, finally came up with the perfect use for their product. On October 5, 1959, IBM announced their new 1401 variable word length computer. Bowers got the idea that bubble wrap could be used as a good packaging material to protect the computer while it was being shipped. He then pitched the idea to IBM and demonstrated bubble wrap’s protective abilities. His demonstration went over well and IBM began purchasing bubble wrap to protect their 1401 and other fragile products they sold and shipped.
(4) One of the downsides to bubble wrap has always been the space it takes up during shipping and storage, for customers who are just buying the bubble wrap. In order to get around this problem, one of the dreams of the original inventors was that they’d someday be able to create a bubble wrap that customers could self inflate, as needed.
(5) While originally being used primarily for packaging for electronic equipment, today the vast majority of bubble wrap made is used for food packaging. Because bubble wrap makes a satisfying popping sound when compressed and ruptured, it is often used as a source of amusement.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the questions from the six given below: (1 × 5 = 5)
(i) What is the purpose of bubble wraps, as we see these days?
Answer : The purpose of bubble wraps is to use it for safe packaging purposes for fragile items.
(ii) What was the initial purpose of making bubble wraps?
Answer : The initial purpose of bubble wraps was to use it as textured wallpaper.
(iii) How did the bubble wrap come to be used as a packaging item?
Answer : When IBM saw the need to safely secure their fragile computer parts, they used bubble wraps which resulted in the use of such wraps for packaging purposes.
(iv) What was the one downside of bubble wraps?
Answer : The one downside of bubble wraps was that they take up too much space during shipping and storage for customers who buy only the wrap.
(v) How has bubble wrap use changed in recent times?
Answer : In recent times, bubble wrapping is used even in food packaging.
(vi) Which company became the first to use bubble wraps as a packaging material?
Answer : IBM became the first to use bubble wraps for their packaging material.
2. Read the following passage carefully.
(1) Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process. One of the greatest gifts any of us can ever receive is the gift of listening. It is also one of the greatest gifts we can ever give. Unfortunately, it appears to be a lost art. We live in a world where everyone is talking but few are listening. What often passes for listening is simply one person pausing to collect their thoughts for their next soliloquy.
(2) Hearing refers to the sounds that you hear, whereas listening requires more than that: it requires focus.
Listening means paying attention not only to the story, but how it is told, the use of language and voice, and how the other person uses his or her body. In other words, it means being aware of both verbal and non-verbal messages. Your ability to listen effectively depends on the degree to which you perceive and understand these messages.
(3) Listening is a difficult task. Like every skill, the more you do it, the better you get. Listening can be developed through practice, or lost if not used regularly. Good listeners focus on what they are hearing. They pause to think about what they’ve heard before responding. They ask questions because they want to know the answers, not just to keep the conversation going.
(4) So often, we are distracted with other things. We try to listen while continuing to work on the computer or watch television. To be fully present means we eliminate these distractions and focus exclusively on the other person. It takes great effort to be fully in the moment, leaning forward, with your ears and heart open.
Words are only part of the communication. Sometimes we need to experience the other person’s feelings to really understand. We need to listen with our heart as well as our mind. We must repeat back what the other person has said. When we do this – and do it accurately – we communicate what we understand. It also gives us an opportunity to re-calibrate our understanding if we have misunderstood something. Plenty of people are good talkers. Few are good listeners. If you develop the latter skill, you will find yourself invited into amazing conversations that wouldn’t otherwise happen.
On the basis of your reading of the passage answer the given questions. (1 × 5 = 5)
(i) What, according to the author, is a lost art?
Answer : According to the author, the art of listening is a lost art.
(ii) What is the main difference of listening and hearing?
Answer : Listening is the focus and understanding of what’s being said whereas hearing is the sound that you hear.
(iii) What do you mean by the phrase “to be fully present” in a conversation?
Answer : “To be fully present” in a conversation means to concentrate and be attentive of what the other person is saying without being distracted.
(iv) What, according to the author, is the key to an amazing conversation?
Answer : Being a good listener is the key to an amazing conversation.
(v) What makes one a “good listener”?
Answer : The ability or skill to focus on hearing what’s being said and understanding it makes one a good listener.
(vi) How is listening a “difficult task”?
Answer : Listening is a difficult task because it requires the skill to be able to understand fully, comprehend and be involved in the conversation.
Please click the link below to download CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature Term 2 2022 Sample Paper Solved Set B
