CBSE Class 10 English Unseen Passage B

CBSE Class 10 English Unseen Passage B. Students should do unseen passages for class 10 English which will help them to get better marks in English class tests and exams. Unseen passages are really scoring and practicing them on regular basis will be very useful. Refer to the unseen passage below with answers. 

Unseen Passage for Class 10

1. As heart disease continues to be the number one killer in the United States, researchers have become increasingly interested in identifying the potential risk factors that trigger heart attacks. High-fat diets and life in the fast lane have long been known to contribute to the high incidence of heart failure.

2. But according to new studies, the list of risk factors may be significantly longer and quite surprising.

3. Heart failure, e.g., appears to have seasonal and temporal patterns. A higher percentage of heart attacks occurs in cold weather and more people experience heart failure on Monday than on any other day of the week. In addition, people are more susceptible to heart attacks in the first few hours after waking. Cardiologists first observed this morning phenomenon in the mid-1980 and have since discovered a number of possible causes. An early-morning rise in blood pressure, heart rate and concentration of heart stimulating hormones, plus a reduction of blood flow to the heart, may all contribute to the higher incidence of heart attacks between the hours of 8.00 a.m. and 10.00 a.m.

4. In other studies, both birthday and bachelorhood have been implicated as risk factors. Statistics reveal that heart attack rate increases significantly for both females and males in the few days immediately preceding and following their birthdays. And unmarried men are more at risk for heart attacks than their married counterparts. Though stress is thought to be linked in some way to all of the aforementioned risk factors, intense research continues in the hope of future comprehending why and how heart failure is triggered.

Question. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(i) Cardiology
(ii) Diet and stress as factors in heart attacks
(iii) Seasonal and temporal patterns of heart attacks
(iv) Risk factors in heart attacks
Ans : (iii) Seasonal and temporal patterns of heart attacks

Question. The word ‘potential’ could best be replaced by which of the following?
(i) Harmful
(ii) Possible
(iii) Unknown
(iv) Primary
Ans : (ii) Possible

Question. According to the passage, which of the following is not a possible cause of many heart attacks?
(i) Decreased blood flow to the heart
(ii) Increased blood pressure
(iii) Lower heart rate
(iv) Increase in hormones
Ans : (iii) Lower heart rate

Question. Which of the following is cited as a possible risk factor?
(i) Getting married
(ii) Rainy weather
(iii) Eating fatty foods
(iv) Driving fast
Ans : (iii) Eating fatty foods

Question. As used in the passage, which of the following could best replace the word ‘reveal’?
(i) Observe
(ii) Show
(iii) Explain
(iv) Mean
Ans : (ii) Show

Question. Which of the following does the passage infer?
(i) We now fully understand how the risk factors trigger heart attacks
(ii) We do not fully understand how the risk factors trigger heart attacks
(iii) We have not identified risk factors associated with heart attacks
(iv) We have recently begun to study how risk factors work
Ans : (ii) We do not fully understand how the risk factors trigger heart attacks

Question. Choose the word opposite in meaning to the word ‘intense’ as used in the passage.
(i) casual
(ii) significant
(iii) serious
(iv) necessary
Ans : (i) casual

Question. Pick out a word from the passage, which means
‘very likely to be influenced or affected’.
(i) triggered
(ii) stimulating
(iii) susceptible
(iv) temporal
Ans : (iii) susceptible

Question. The passage is most likely to be
(i) a report
(ii) an article
(iii) a letter
(iv) an itinerary
Ans : (ii) an article

Question. The antonym of “aforementioned” is
(i) last
(ii) forward
(iii) introductory
(iv) head
Ans : (i) last

Discursive Passage for Class 10

1. Management is a set of processes that can keep a complicated system of people and technology running smoothly. The most important aspects of management include planning, budgeting, organizing, staffing, controlling, and problem-solving. Leadership is a set of processes that creates organisations in the first place or adapts them to significantly changing circumstances. Leadership defines what the future should look like, aligns people with that vision, and inspires them to make it happen despite the obstacles. This distinction is absolutely crucial for our purposes here: Successful transformation is 70 to 90 per cent leadership and only 10 to 30 per cent management. Yet for historical reasons, many organisations today don’t have much leadership. And almost everyone thinks about the problems here as one of managing change.

2. For most of this century, as we created thousands and thousands of large organizations for the first time in human history, we didn’t have enough good managers to keep all those bureaucracies functioning. So many companies and universities developed management programmes, and hundreds and thousands of people were encouraged to learn management on the job. And they did. But, people were taught little about leadership. To some degree, management was emphasized because it’s easier to teach than leadership. But even more so, management was the main item on the twentiethcentury agenda because that’s what was needed. For every entrepreneur or business builder who was a leader, we needed hundreds of managers to run their ever growing enterprises.

3. Unfortunately for us today, this emphasis on management has often been institutionalized in corporate cultures that discourage employees from learning how to lead. Ironically, past success is usually the key ingredient in producing this outcome. The syndrome, as I have observed it on many occasions, goes like this: success creates some degree of market dominance, which in turn produces much growth. After a while keeping the ever larger organizations under control becomes the primary challenge. So attention turns inward, and managerial competencies are nurtured. With a strong emphasis on management but not on leadership, bureaucracy and an inward focus take over. But with continued success, the result mostly of market dominance, the problem often goes unaddressed and an unhealthy arrogance begins to evolve. All of these characteristics then make any transformation effort much more difficult.

4. Arrogant managers can over-evaluate their current performance and competitive position, listen poorly, and learn slowly. Inwardly focused employees can have difficulty seeing the very forces that present threats and opportunities. Bureaucratic cultures an smother those who want to respond to shifting conditions. And the lack of leadership leaves no fore inside these organizations to break out of the morass.

Question. What is the main topic of the passage?
(i) Importance of management schools in the present context
(ii) Good managers
(iii) Importance of leadership in an organization
(iv) Management and success of an organization
Ans : (iii) Importance of leadership in an organization

Question. Why did companies and universities develop programmes to prepare managers in large numbers?
(i) Companies and managers wanted to generate funds through these programs
(ii) Organizations wanted to create communication networks through trained managers
(iii) a Large number of organizations were created and they needed managers in good numbers
(iv) Only trained managers could lead an organization to success
Ans : (iii) a Large number of organizations were created and they needed managers in good numbers

Question. Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?
(i) Bureaucratic cultures smother those who want to change conditions
(ii) Leadership involves carrying out important functions such as budgeting and planning
(iii) Pressure on managers comes mostly from within
(iv) Leadership has the potential to establish direction
Ans : (ii) Leadership involves carrying out important functions such as budgeting and planning

Question. Management education was emphasized in the management programs because
(i) Motivating employees were thought to be done by managers
(ii) Organizations wanted to create a powerful guiding coalition
(iii) Establishing direction was the main force of organizations
(iv) Management was the main item on the agenda in organizations.
Ans : (iv) Management was the main item on the agenda in organizations.

Question. What is the historical reason for many organizations not having leadership?
(i) Leaders allow too much complacency in organizations
(ii) Leaders are not adept in carrying out managerial functions and organizations need good managers only
(iii) The view that leaders are born and not made
(iv) Socio-political pressure
Ans : (ii) Leaders are not adept in carrying out managerial functions and organizations need good managers only

Question. Which of the following is similar in meaning to the underlined word ‘nurtured’ as used in the passage?
(i) Created
(ii) Developed
(iii) Surfaced
(iv) Thwarted
Ans : (ii) Developed

Question. Why, according to the author, is a distinction between management and leadership crucial?
(i) Leaders are reactive whereas managers are proactive.
(ii) Organisations are facing problems of not getting good managers.
(iii) Organisations are pursuing the strategy of status quo.
(iv) In today’s context, organizations need leaders much more than managers in transforming them.
Ans : (iv) In today’s context, organizations needle aders much more than managers in transforming them.

Question. Which of the following is not the characteristic of bureaucratic culture?
(i) Managers listen poorly and learn slowly.
(ii) Managerial competencies are nurtured.
(iii) Employees clearly see the forces that present threats and opportunities.
(iv) Prevalence of unhealthy arrogance.
Ans : (iii) Employees clearly see the forces that present threats and opportunities.

Question. Which of the following is similar in meaning to the word ‘smother’ as used in the passage?
(i) suppress
(ii) encourage
(iii) instigate
(iv) criticise
Ans : (i) suppress

Question. How has the author defined management?
(i) It is the process of adapting organizations to changing circumstances.
(ii) It is the system of aligning people with the direction it has taken.
(iii) It refers to creating a vision to help direct the change effort.
(iv) None of these
Ans : (iii) It refers to creating a vision to help direct the change effort.

Question. Why does the attention of large organizations turn inward?
(i) Their managers become arrogant.
(ii) They have to keep themselves under control.
(iii) Their success creates market dominance.
(iv) None of these
Ans : (ii) They have to keep themselves under control.

Question. What, according to the author, is leadership?
(i) Process which keeps the system of people and technology running smoothly
(ii) Planning the future and budgeting resources of the organization
(iii) Inspiring people to realize the vision
(iv) None of these
Ans : (iii) Inspiring people to realize the vision

Question. Which of the following characteristics helps organizations in their transformation efforts?
(i) Emphasis on leadership but not on management
(ii) A strong and dogmatic culture
(iii) Bureaucratic and inward-looking approach
(iv) None of these
Ans : (iv) None of these

Question. Why were people taught little about leadership in management programmes?
(i) Teachers were busy in understanding the phenomenon of leadership.
(ii) Enough study material was not available to facilitate teaching of leadership.
(iii) Focus of these programmes was on developing managers.
(iv) None of these
Ans : (iii) Focus of these programmes was on developing managers.

Question. Which of the following statement is/are definitely true in the context of the passage?
A. Bureaucracy fosters strong and arrogant culture.
B. Leadership competencies are nurtured in large- size organizations.
C. Successful transformation in organizations is70 to 90 per cent leadership.
(i) Only A and B
(ii) Only A and C
(iii) Only B and C
(iv) All of these
Ans : (ii) Only A and C

Unseen Passage with multiple choice questions for Class 10
 

1. We have inherited the tradition of secrecy about the budget from Britain where also the system has been strongly attacked by eminent economists and political scientists including Peter Jay.

2. Sir Richard Clarke, who was the originating genius of nearly every important development in the British budgeting techniques during the last two decades, has spoken out about the abuse of budget secrecy: “The problems of long-term tax policy should surely be debated openly with the facts on the table. In my opinion, all governments should have just the same duty to publish their expenditure policy. Indeed, this obligation to publish taxation policy is really essential for the control of public expenditure in order to get realistic taxation implications.”

3. Realising that democracy flourishes best on the principles of open government, more and more democracies are having an open public debate on budget proposals before introducing the appropriate Bill in the legislature. In the United States the budget is conveyed in a message by the President to the Congress, which comes well in advance of the date when the Bill is introduced in the Congress.

4. In Finland the Parliament and the people are already discussing in June the tentative budget proposals which are to be introduced in the Finnish Parliament in September. Every budget contains a cartload of figures in black and white - but the dark figures represent the myriad lights and shades of India’s life, the contrasting tones of poverty and wealth, and of bread so dear and flesh and blood so cheap, the deep tints of adventure and enterprise and man’s ageless struggle for a brighter morning.

5. The Union budget should not be an annual scourge but a part of presentation of annual accounts of a partnership between the Government and the people. That partnership would work much better when the nonsensical secrecy is replaced by openness and public consultations, resulting in fair laws and the people’s acceptance of their moral duty to pay.

Question. How do the British economists and political scientists react to budget secrecy? They are
(i) in favour of having a mix of secrecy and openness.
(ii) indifferent to the budgeting techniques and taxation policies.
(iii) very critical about maintenance of budget secrecy.
(iv) None of these
Ans : (iii) very critical about maintenance of budget secrecy.

Question. The author thinks that openness in budget is essential as it leads to
(i) prevention of tax implications
(ii) People’s reluctance to accept their moral duties
(iii) exaggerated revelation of the strengths and weaknesses of economy
(iv) None of these
Ans : (iv) None of these

Question. The author seems to be in favour of
(i) maintaining secrecy of budget
(ii) judicious blend of secrecy and openness
(iii) transparency in budget proposals
(iv) None of these
Ans : (ii) transparency in budget proposals

Question. The secrecy of the budget is maintained by all of the following countries except
A. Finland
B. India
C. United States
(i) Only A
(ii) Only B
(iii) Only C
(iv) A and C
Ans : (iv) A and C

Question. Which of the following statements is definitely true in the context of the passage?
(i) The British Government has been religiously maintaining budget secrecy.
(ii) Budget secrecy is likely to lead to corrupt practices.
(iii) Consulting unjustifiable taxes with public helps make them accept those taxes.
(iv) None of these
Ans : (iv) None of these

Question. Sir Richard Clarke seems to deserve the credit for
(i) transformation in the British budgetary techniques.
(ii) Maintenance of secrecy of the British budget.
(iv) None of these
Ans : (i) transformation in the British budgetary techniques.

Question. From the contents of the passage, it can be inferred that the author is
(i) authoritarian in his approach.
(ii) a democratic person.
(iii) unaware of India’s recent economic developments
(iv) a conservative person.
Ans : (ii) a democratic person.

Question. Which of the following statement(s) is/are definitely False in the context of the passage?
A. Transparency helps unscrupulous elements to resort to corrupt practices.
B. Open approach of Government is a sign of healthy democracy.
C. People’s acceptance of their moral duties can best be achieved through openness and public consultations.
(i) Only A
(ii) Only B
(iii) Only C
(iv) A and B
Ans : (i) Only A

Question. For making the budget realistic, the Government should
(i) refrain from making public the proposed provisions before finalization.
(ii) discuss it secretly within themselves.
(iii) encourage the public to send in their suggestions.
(iv) consult the public to send in their suggestions.
Ans : (iv) consult the public to send in their suggestions.

Question. Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage
SCOURGE
(i) presentation
(ii) whip
(iii) compromise
(iv) remedy
Ans : (ii) whip

Question. Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage
MYRIAD
(i) adequate
(ii) functional
(iii) incompatible
(iv) abundant
Ans : (iv) abundant

Question. Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage
DUTY
(i) obligation
(ii) imposition
(iii) tax-liability
(iv) function
Ans : (i) obligation

Question. Choose the word which is most opposite inmeaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage
FLOURISHES
(i) disappears
(ii) degenerates
(iii) vanishes
(iv) opens
Ans : (ii) degenerates

Question. Choose the word which is most opposite inmean ing to the word printed in bold as used in the passage
DEBATED
(i) questioned severely
(ii) opposed strongly
(iii) accepted unconditionally
(iv) discussed frankly
Ans : (iii) accepted unconditionally

Question. Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning to the word printed in bold as used in the passage
IMPORTANT
(i) major
(ii) uncountable
(iii) significant
(iv) trivial
Ans : (iv) trivial

Unseen Passage for Class 10 with answers pdf
 

1. In a disarmingly frank talk at the Indian Merchants Chamber in Mumbai the Japanese Ambassador in India dwelt at length with issues that exercise the mind of Japanese investors when they consider investment proposals in India.

2. Raising the question “What comparative advantages does India offer as an investment market ?” he said though labour in India is inexpensive, wage levels are offset by productivity level to a large extent.

3. Acknowledging that vastness of the Indian market is a great inducement for investment in manufacturing industry he wondered if it was justifiable to provide that overseas remittance of profit in foreign exchange to be fully covered by exchange earnings as had been done. Significantly, on the eve of the prime Minister exports, meeting this demand.

4. The Ambassador said foreign investors needed to be assured of the continuity and consistency of the liberalization policy and the fact that new measures had been put into force by means of administrative notifications without amending Government laws acted as a damper.

5. The Ambassador pleaded for speedy formulation of the exit policy and pointed to the highly restrictive control by the Government on disinterment by foreign partners in joint ventures in India.

6. While it is ail too easy to dismiss critical comment on conditions in India contemptuously, there can be little about that if foreign investment is to be wooed assiduously, we will have to meet exacting international standard and cater at partially to what we may consider the idiosyncrasies of our foreign collaborators. The Japanese too have passed through a stage in the fifties when their products were divided as substandard and shoddy. That they have come out of the ordeal of fire-to emerge as an economic super power speaks as much of their doggedness to pursue goals against all odds as of their ability to improvise internationally acceptable standards.

7. There is no gain-saying that the past record of Japanese investment is a poor benchmark for future expectations.

Question. The author has appreciated the Japanese for their
(i) quality of products manufactured in the fifties.
(ii) passing through an ordeal
(iii) perseverance for raising quality of products
(iv) None of these
Ans : (iii) perseverance for raising quality of products

Question. According to the Japanese Ambassador, whichof the following motivates the foreign investors to invest in Indian manufacturing industry ?
(i) Very large scope of Indian market
(ii) Overseas remittance of profit in foreignex change
(iii) High productivity level
(iv) None of these
Ans : (i) Very large scope of Indian market

Question. The purpose of the author in writing this passage seems to be to-
(i) discourage foreign investment in India
(ii) critically examine Indian investment environment
(iii) paint a rosy picture of India’s trade and commerce
(iv) criticize Government’s liberalization policy
Ans : (ii) critically examine Indian investment environment

Question. Which of the following suggestions were expected by the Japanese Ambassador ?
A. Speedy formulation of the exist policy
B. Imposing restrictions of disinvested by foreign partners in joint ventures in India.
C. Continuity and consistency of the liberalization policy
(i) A and B only
(ii) B and C only
(iii) A and C only
(iv) All of these
Ans : (iv) All of these

Question. According to the Japanese Ambassador’ India offers a comparative advantage of foreign investors in terms of -
(i) inexpensive labour
(ii) abysmally low wage levels
(iii) higher productivity
(iv) None of these
Ans : (iv) None of these

Question. For seeking more and more foreign investment,the author suggests that we should -
(i) satisfy fully the whims of our foreign collaborators
(ii) dismiss all critical comments on Indian conditions
(iii) link profit repatriations to exports
(iv) raise the quality of product of match international standards
Ans : (iv) raise the quality of product of match international standards

Question. From the passage it can be inferred that the author is -
(i) a political commentator
(ii) a secretary of the Japanese Ambassador
(iii) A Japanese investor
(iv) an Indian investor
Ans : (i) a political commentator

Question. The author attributes Japan’s emergence as an economic super power to -
A. their ability to overcome any ordeal.
B. their tenacity and perseverance despite unfavourable circumstances.
C. their ability to improvise and adapt to globally acceptable quality levels.
(i) A and B only
(ii) B and C only
(iii) A and C only
(iv) All of these
Ans : (iv) All of these

Question. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true about the critical comments on investment conditions in India?
A. These comments are difficult to be countered.
B. These comments are received from various international quarters.
C. These comments are based more on bases than on facts.
(i) Only C
(ii) Only B
(iii) Only A
(iv) None of these
Ans : (ii) Only B

Question. Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
ASSIDUOUSLY
(i) persistently
(ii) hearty
(iii) feebly
(iv) deliberately
Ans : (iv) deliberately

Question. Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
IDIOSYNCRASIES
(i) demands
(ii) needs
(iii) deviations
(iv) ideologies
Ans : (iv) ideologies

Question. Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
SHODDY
(i) extraordinary
(ii) unprofitable
(iii) cheap
(iv) disadvantageous
Ans : (iii) cheap

Question. Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
INDUCEMENT
(i) incentive
(ii) motive
(iii) impediment
(iv) temptation
Ans : (iii) impediment

Question. Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
JUSTIFIABLE
(i) unreasonable
(ii) formidable
(iii) irrevocable
(iv) unscrupulous
Ans : (iv) unscrupulous

Question. Choose the word which is most opposite in meaning of the word printed in bold as used in the passage.
CONTEMPTUOUSLY
(i) amicably
(ii) reasonably
(iii) respectfully
(iv) methodically
Ans : (iii) respectfully

Short Unseen Passage Class 10 with questions and answers
 

Q. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. 

Question. Why was scholar refused admission of a good school ? 

Question. What kind of curriculum, the Education system tries to make ? 

Case based factual Passage for Class 10

As the Indian middle class is getting more affluent, the number of celebration parties is growing and so is the guest list. We have functions for birth celebration, first birthday celebration, engagements, marriages, promotions, sixtieth birthdays, marriage jubilees and even retirement policy. Lot of people get invited to each of these.

Just inviting people to such celebrations is not a problem. Because if a person eats at one place, he/she would save food he/she would have eaten somewhere else. The problem is, there is no RSVP (which is a French abbreviation that stands for ‘Reply, if you please’) culture in India. We send invites, but we don’t ask people whether they are planning to attend or not. The host does not get any feedback and has a vague idea of how many people will show up. Certainly if more people showed up unexpectedly and had no food to eat, it would be embarrassing. So they just end up making enough for a large number of people. This results in wastage of food, cooking gas and manpower. And because electricity is costly and food storage equipment is not so easily available, huge amount of food goes waste.

Then we have people offering food and oil to gods. While so many people are going hungry, we are bathing idols of our gods in milk, honey or oil. We throw rice on the couple of marriages.

There is also a lot of wastage in how we get our food. The last end of our food and vegetable supply chains are street vendors, who lack adequate infrastructure to store food to reduce waste.

Our best of the best software engineers are writing software to run banks in US and Europe. Can’t we launch a website that makes it possible for people to reply to invites using an easy, online or mobile based application? Yes, we need this one change in our culture – replying to invites and confirming whether we can make it to the celebration or not. Best of the best MBAs are launching marketing campaigns worldwide to increase market share of consumer products worldwide. Can’t we launch a cultural change campaign?

We make choices and every choice has consequences. Sadly when faced with consequences if our choices, we externalize the blame. We find someone else to fault. We imagi9nje only of that evil outside somewhere is fixed, we the pious people would continue living our pristine and perfect lives.

If we saved all this food, it would suddenly make extra food available, thereby reducing food demand and eventually reducing food prices.

1.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer any four of the following questions: 

Question. What are the different ways in which foods is being wasted in India?
Answer : The different ways in which food is being wasted in India are the functions for birth celebration, first birthday celebration, engagements, marriages, promotions, sixtieth birthdays, marriage jubilees and even retirement parties. In all these parties everyone did not turn up and host does not get any feedback and only have a vague idea how many people will show up. 

Question. What do you understand by RSVP culture? Why do we badly need it in our country?
Answer : RSVP culture is ‘Reply, if you please’, according to this culture the invitees should give their confirmation about attending the certain p0arty whether they can make it for celebration or not. India needs it badly because in our country there is a lot of wastage of food during the celebrations. 

Question. How can software engineers help prevent food wastage in our country?
Answer : Software engineers can prevent food wastage by launching a website that make it possible for people to reply to invites using an easy, online or mobile based application.

Question. What does the author mean by ‘culture change campaign’? Does he believe that the people ot the country can bring about the change? Why/ why not?
Answer : Cultural change campaign means a culture of replying to invites and confirming whether the guests can make it to the celebration or not. The people of the country can bring this change because if the people will save the food in this manner, then there will be less wastage of food and abundant availability of food in the nation.

Question. What will happen if we stop wasting food? 
Answer : If we stop wasting food, it would make extra food available thereby reducing food demand and eventually reducing food prices.

1.2 Complete any two of the following statements briefly: 

Question. The number of celebration parties is growing rapidly in India because …………. 
Answer : Indian middle class is getting more affluent. 

Question. In Indian parties often more food is cooked than is necessary so that …………. 
Answer : If more people showed up unexpectedly the invitee has enough food for large number of people. 

Question. Because of lack of ……………………… and expensive ………………….. a huge amount of food goes waste in India. 
Answer : Adequate infrastructure and expensive electricity and food storage equipment. 

1.3 Find words/phrases in the passage that mean the opposite of the following. Attempt any two: 

Question. Poor and needy (paragraph 1) 
Answer : Opposite of poor and needy is affluent. 

Question. Clear (paragraph 2) 
Answer : Opposite of clear is vague. 

Question. Irreligious, unholy or sinful (paragraph 6)
Answer : Opposite of irreligious, unholy or sinful is pious.

More CBSE Class 10 English Unseen Passage..........

Unseen Passage for Class 10 with answers

Unseen Passage for Class 10 with questions and answers pdf