Please see below Class 10 English Sample Paper Term 1 Set E with solutions. We have provided Class 10 English Sample Papers with solutions designed by English teachers for Class 10 based on the latest examination pattern issued by CBSE. We have provided the following sample paper for Term 2 Class 10 English with answers. You will be able to understand the type of questions which can come in the upcoming exams.

CBSE Sample Paper for Class 10 English Term 1 Set E

READING SECTION

I. Read the passage given below: 

I. The Elizabethan period was responsible for the characterization of women. In this period of History, upper- class women were viewed as subservient to men without being relevant to society. Marriages were the key to establish alliances with other powerful families and a wealthy welfare. Upper class women at this time were limited, and it is impossible to imagine about all the things they were able to do to reach an established and wealthy family based on morality. Things such as to stay at home governing a household, taking care of children and performing duties were daily life plans. There were some exceptions as is the case of Elizabeth Bennet, a character that appears in “Pride and Prejudice”.

II. In one of the most famous books she wrote “Pride and Prejudice”, she portrays in a sarcastic way the role of women in the golden age society. Austen’s powers of subtle discrimination and shrewd perceptiveness is revealed in this interesting book, and through it she is able to convey such a complex message using a simple, yet witty, style. Passion and reason were the perfect ingredients that Austen combined in order to produce a dramatic story that reflects society in the 18th century.

III. In “Pride and Prejudice”, Austen denounced the elements of marriage and society that she found distasteful. As women were not able to decide their own future or make their own choices and men ruled the world and depicted women to be weak and passive, Literature was a way for strong-willed women to share their opinions and peacefully suggest societal changes, therefore Jane Austen is the perfect example of this. In her book Jane tries to portray women as selfconfident, able to think for themselves and able to hold their own beliefs, drawing a fantastic picture of society, breaking rules with something that was far from being true. The feminist view of Austen was delivering the message that women were puppets of a monotonous society.

IV. On the other hand, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ reflects the idea that society in the 18th century was drawing attention only towards people’s belongings instead of feelings and senses as was the case of many marriages. It is important to mention that, Austen was thinking about female dependence over male genre, through ‘Pride and Prejudice’, she tries to portray marriages as the safest way to social standing and economic security. Jane also, portrays the idea of moral issues in her works.She believed that breaking rules was a way of expressing disagreement about society and it was reflected in the security with which she developed her book.

V. Women’s intellectual power is also represented in the story of Jane Austen`s book. In the plot she tries to figure out the idea of power controlled by a woman and this woman is represented through Elizabeth.She was changing a man`s mind so, that was a triumph for Austen, mainly because she was demonstrating that love can change everything and is the best weapon to fight against prejudices that are present in society. (506 words)

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any eight out of the ten questions by choosing the correct option.

Question 1. Daily life plans of women of the Elizabethan period included-
(a) going to work, home-making
(b) staying at home governing a household, taking care of children and performing duties
(c) taking care of own parents, earning money, making a household
(d) studying, painting, dancing, singing

Question 2. What are the perfect ingredients that Jane Austen mixed to create a dramatic story of the 18th-century society-
(a) Values and traditions
(b) Passion and reason
(c) Family and friends
(d) Love and society

Question 3. In the novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Austen was witnessed speaking against-
(a) Love
(b) Education
(c) Institution of marriage
(d) Society

Question 4. The theme of the novel discussed in the above passage states the view of Jane Austen’s-
(a) Realistic outlook
(b) Idealistic outlook
(c) Feminist outlook
(d) Post-modernist outlook

Question 5. The class of society talked about in the novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is-
(a) Upper-middle class
(b) Lower-middle class
(c) Lower class
(d) Aristocratic class

Question 6. The writing style adapted by Jane Austen was-
(a) Bold and complex
(b) Complicated yet funny
(c) Simple yet witty
(d) Authoritative yet humourous

Question 7. From the above passage who do you think is the protagonist of the novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’?
(a) Jane Eyre
(b) Elizabeth Bennet
(c) Anne Steele
(d) Emily Bronte

Question 8. Select an option that shows the appropriate synonym for ‘prejudice’-
(a) Partiality
(b) Sympathy
(c) Pleasing
(d) Justice

Question 9. Do you think Jane Austen is progressive regarding women’s emancipation?
(a) No, Austen showed a rather regressive outlook towards women’s upliftment
(b) She remained neutral regarding women’s emancipation.
(c) Yes, Austen showed a very positive outlook towards the progression of women.
(d) Through the novel, Austen’s reaction was unclear regarding women emancipation

Question 10. According to Jane Austen, what should be the primary element for marriage?
(a) Norms of society
(b) Money
(c) Social Status
(d) Love

II. Read the passage below.

I. In financial year 2020, the yield of rice across India was estimated to be approximately 2.7 thousand kilograms per hectare. A consistent increase in the yield of rice was noted since fiscal year 1991. Rice is a staple food grain in India,with the yield competing with China’s. The increasing Indian population is reflected by the growing rice demand across the country, as well as production and consumption volumes. ?

II. Along with other food grains, rice is arguably the most important part of an Indian meal at least once in a day, regardless of region. India was the largest global rice producer in terms of the area harvested. Although some of this is exported, these numbers were reached in order to meet the demand for the crop – a demand from about 1.3 billion people. Despite the cultivation of wheat and other products, rice was the most consumed agricultural product and had the highest market value in 2016.

III. Agriculture , the backbone of the Indian economy and the reason for over 60 percent of the population’s livelihood, gets arguably not as much assistance as it needs. Even in the face of governmental efforts to improve methods and to introduce education and development programs to ensure a more productive, less labor-intensive process, recent years have proved difficult for farmers. Excessive rain leading to flooding, droughts from unpredictable heat waves, in addition to the recent slump in the economy have led to challenging circumstances. High-yielding plants, agrochemicals and the use of technology might be solutions, reflected in an increasingly funded agrotechnology market in the country.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any six out of the eight questions by choosing the correct option.

Question 11. Select the option that lists the appropriate observation that can be made from the last paragraph.
(a) Farmers of rice cultivation are experiencing setbacks as less labour-intensive technology is being adapted for farming and erratic monsoon adds up to the difficulty.
(b) Farmers are happy with the technological development in the field of agriculture as their work is lessened and they can spend most time with their family.
(c) Technological change in the field of agriculture did not affect the farmers at all.
(d) Farmers are now shifting their work from agriculture to the industrial fields after the introduction of technology in the field of agriculture.

Question 12. “High-yielding plants, agrochemicals and the use of technology might be solutions, reflected in an increasingly funded agro-technology market in the country.”- What can be inferred from this line?
(a) Introduction of these new methods will make farming difficult as the farmers are uneducated.
(b) Introduction of these new methods will make cultivation easier for farmers and would not be a threat to their livelihood.
(c) Introduction of these new methods will make the farmers lazy thus production of rice will reduce.
(d) Introduction of these new methods in agriculture will not affect cultivation at all.

Question 13. The yield of rice according to Fig. 1, shows-
(a) A steady and gradual growth in rice production throughout
(b) A steady growth in yield of rice, then a gradual decline and then a growth in production of rice.
(c) A gradual decline in the rice production throughout from 1991 to 2020.
(d) The graph shows a straight line meaning no change in rice production.

For the Visually Impaired Candidates
Select the option that lists the appropriate answer to the question, what for majority of rice is cultivated in India-
(a) Export to other countries
(b) Consumption for the people of the country
(c) Half for the consumption of the people and half for export
(d) For the consumption of the farmers only

Question 14. Select the option that lists the name of the country with which India is competing in rice production-
(a) U.S.A.
(b) China
(c) Nigeria
(d) Bangladesh

Question 15. Select the option that displays the correct cause-effect relationship.
(a) Cause: India does not provide suitable conditions to grow wheat.
Effect: Rice is the staple food of the country.
(b) Cause: Rice is the staple food of India and is consumed at least once a day.
Effect: Though other food crops are also cultivated in India, rice was the most consumed agricultural product in 2016.
(c) Cause: There prevail erratic monsoon conditions in India.
Effect: Rice is not grown in India.
(d) Cause: There is too much governmental interference in agricultural fields.
Effect: Crops cannot be grown.

Question 16. Based on your reading of paragraph I, select the appropriate counter- argument to the given argument.
Argument- “The increasing Indian population is reflected by the growing rice demand across the country, as well as production and consumption volumes.”
(a) With the increase in population, demand for rice decreased as people started to consume more wheat products.
(b) With the increase of population, rice could not meet the demands for consumption.
(c) Rice production decreased due erratic monsoon conditions.
(d) With the increase in population, rice production in the country remained constant but imports of the same increased.

Question 17. Select the option that lists the correct statement in accordance to the above paragraph-
(a) The yield of rice in the financial year of 2020 was more than the yield in fiscal year 1991.
(b) The yield of rice in the financial year of 2020 was same as the yield in fiscal year 1991.
(c) The yield of rice of the financial year of 2020 decreased from the yield of fiscal year 1991.
(d) The yield of rice of the financial year of 2020 did not change much from the yield of fiscal year 1991.

Question 18. Read the statements and list the option that states which one is correct.
(1) Government’s interference to make agriculture less labour-intensive has affected the livelihood of farmers.
(2) Rains at appropriate intervals have ruined the rice cultivation process.
(3) Unpredictable heat waves have badly affected agriculture of rice.
(a) (1) and (2)
(b) All the points
(c) (1) and (3)
(d) Only (1)

WRITING

III. Answer any five out of the six questions by selecting the most appropriate option for each.

The Mayor of the city of Kolkata has put up a notice to inform residents of the New Alipore and other adjacent places about
repairing roads in the New Alipore area, which may result in certain inconveniences for the residents of the city.

Question 19. Select the appropriate title for the notice.
(a) Road Closed
(b) Scheduled Closure of Roads
(c) Traffic Congestion
(d) Repairing Roads for a Better Transport Facility

Question 20. Select the most appropriate opening line from the list of options given below.
(a) This is to inform all the residents of Kolkata about…
(b) This notice is written to share with you all some news about…
(c) Greetings and attention please, to everyone in Kolkata…
(d) I wish to share with all the officials of Kolkata that…

Question 21. Select the option with the information points to be included in the body of the notice.
1. Duration of the project undertaken                  2. Areas where roads will be closed
3. Alternate routes that can be accessed             4. Number of workers working
5. The daily wage of the workers                          6. Reason for the repair of roads
(a) (1), (2), (3) and (6)
(b) All the points 1 to 6
(c) (2), (5) and (6)
(d) (4) and (6)

Question 22. Select the suitable conclusion for the notice.
(a) Stay at home.
(b) Inconvenience regretted.
(c) Collaboration solicited.
(d) Stay alert.

Question 23. What should be the tone of the notice?
(a) Formal and informative
(b) Informal and casual
(c) Narrative
(d) Suggestive

IV. Answer any six of the seven questions given, with reference to the context below.

Mita, a resident of Park Street, Kolkata, wants to write a letter to the Editor of The Telegraph newspaper, expressing her grievances regarding the frequent waterlogging of the streets during the rainy season.

Question 24. Choose a suitable subject for Mita’s letter.
(a) Complaint against waterlogging in the streets
(b) Waterlogging in the streets should stop
(c) An appeal for the betterment of the roads
(d) Holes on roads should be covered

Question 25. Select the option that mentions the most appropriate opening line for the letter.
(a) Greetings and attention please, I would like to speak about…
(b) This letter is written to share my opinions regarding…
(c) With great admiration and belief in the columns of your newspaper, I seek to bring to your notice…
(d) This is to inform that all the residents of Park Street area find it difficult…

Question 26. Select the options that should be included in the body of the letter.
1. Problems faced by the residents
2. Approximate time of waterlogging in the streets
3. Traffic congestion as a result of the waterlogging
4. Difficulties of stray animals
5. Difficulty in conducting day-to-day activities
(a) Only (1)
(b) Both (4) and (5)
(c) All the points
(d) (3), (5), (2)

Question 27. Select an option that mentions the most appropriate opening line for the conclusion part of the letter.
(a) I would like if you tell the concerned authority…
(b) Hence, through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to appeal to the concerned administrative authority of the city…
(c) The authority must take necessary steps to…
(d) You should make immediate contact between the concerned authority and me, and we will discuss further about…

Question 28. The concerned authority which is to be mentioned in the conclusion part refers to
(a) The mayor of the city
(b) The President of the country
(c) Local police officer
(d) The Chief Minister of the state

Question 29. Some suggestions that can be included in Mita’s letter are
1. Covering the holes on the roads
2. Make the roads a little elevated
3. Improve underground drainage system
4. Make more hotels and restaurants in the area
5. Installing pumps to drain rainwater immediately after waterlogging
(a) All the points
(b) All of the options except (4)
(c) None of the above
(d) (1), (4), (5)

Question 30. What will be the suitable tone for Mita’s letter?
(a) Narrative
(b) Informal
(c) Literary
(d) Formal and appealing

LITERATURE

V. Read the extracts given below and attempt the questions that follow.

With that he picked me up and tossed me into the deep end. I landed in a sitting position, swallowed water, and went at once to the bottom. I was frightened, but not yet frightened out of my wits. On the way down I planned: When my feet hit the bottom, I would make a big jump, come to the surface, lie flat on it, and paddle to the edge of the pool. It seemed a long way down. Those nine feet were more like ninety, and before I touched bottom my lungs were ready to burst. But when my feet hit bottom I summoned all my strength and made what I thought was a great spring upwards. I imagined I would bob to the surface like a cork. Instead, I came up slowly. I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water – water that had a dirty yellow tinge to it. I grew panicky. I reached up as if to grab a rope and my hands clutched only at water. I was suffocating. I tried to yell but no sound came out. Then my eyes and nose came out of the water – but not my mouth.

Question 31. Who picked the narrator and tossed him into the deep into the end of the water?
(a) A boy of about eighteen years, with thick hair on chest, with a good physique.
(b) A man of thirty-five years, with a strongly build body.
(c) A boy of about twenty-four years, with a straight and stout body, with a mustache.
(d) A bouncer of a nearby club.

Question 32. “Then my eyes and nose came out of the water – but not my mouth.” – What happened next?
(a) The narrator flailed at the surface of the water, tried to bring his legs up, but they hung as dead weight, paralysed and rigid.
(b) The narrator could swim and reach the surface of the water.
(c) The narrator then again went down in the depth of the water as the boy again hit him with his arm.
(d) The narrator got to the surface of the water and floated along the water.

Question 33. The phrase ‘out of my wits’ means-
(a) feeling confident
(b) scared and frightened
(c) scared but hopeful
(d) feeling courageous

Question 34. Select the option that describes the nature of the narrator according to the above extract.
(a) Timid but confident
(b) Strong and smart
(c) Shy but strong
(d) Brave but feeble

Question 35. “It seemed a long way down. Those nine feet were more like ninety,…” – Why did the narrator feel so?
(a) Confident, that he could save himself
(b) Afraid, that he was drowning
(c) Brave, that he was strong enough to get back on the surface
(d) Foolish, that he should not have come to the pool

VI. Read the given extract to attempt questions that follow:

My acquaintance with the barefoot ragpickers leads me to Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically. Those who live here are squatters who came from Bangladesh back in 1971. Saheb’s family is among them. Seemapuri was then a wilderness. It still is, but it is no longer empty. In structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water, live 10,000 ragpickers. They have lived here for more than thirty years without an identity, without permits but with ration cards that get their names on voters’ lists and enable them to buy grain. Food is more important for survival than an identity.

Question 36. “My acquaintance with the barefoot ragpickers leads me to Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically.”- Why the word metaphorically is used?
(a) Delhi a metropolitan city is clean and inhabited by upper class or middle class families, whereas in contrastSeemapuri located near it is a slum area.
(b) Delhi is very well decorated and Seemapuri is not, thus this creates a difference between the two.
(c) Delhi is a bigger city than Seemapuri, so there is a contrast between the two.
(d) The people of Delhi is smarter than those of Seemapuri, that is why metaphorically is used.

Question 37. How have the citizens of Seemapuri lived there for more than thirty years?
(a) The citizens of Seemapuri have lived there with their valid citizenship certificates.
(b) The citizens of Seemapuri have lived there without any of their identity proofs or permits, but with ration cards that helped them get their names on the voters’ list.
(c) The citizens of Seemapuri live their illegally without any proof of their identity or citizenship.
(d) The citizens of Seemapuri live in rented houses.

Question 38. Select an option that lists the appropriate antonym for ‘periphery’-
(a) Boundary
(b) Verge
(c) Border
(d) Centre

Question 39. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words choosing from the options given.
When the ragpickers get money from the trash it is of _______ to the kids, but for the adults it is more of ______.
(a) wonder, survival
(b) Joy, sorrow
(c) Surprise, shock
(d) Wonder, bereavement

Question 40. Select the option from the list that has used in the passage that means the opposite of ‘confining’-
(a) Scrounging
(b) Becoming
(c) Aching
(d) Pitching

VII. Read the given extract to attempt questions that follow:

What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.
If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.

Question 41. Select an option that suggests the theme of the poem.
(a) Our lives have become so busy that we hardly get the time to take a break and enjoy life for what it is. Let all stop for a moment, not to be inactive but be in the moment and live for that moment.
(b) The poet asks the readers to leave everything and to be idle and lazy.
(c) The poet encourages to work more so that one can enjoy life later.
(d) The theme suggests that death is inevitable.

“Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victory with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.”

Question 42. What does this part of the poem suggest?
(a) The people who go on wars, their dresses would be clean from blood for once and they would connect with their brothers whom they lost during battles.
(b) They would get time to prepare for another upcoming war.
(c) The soldiers would get time to rest before their next war.
(d) The soldiers would take permanent retirement from military.

Question 43. “…victory with no survivors,…”
What does this phrase suggest?
(a) One party out of the two in a battle gets victory but with most of the soldiers dead.
(b) The party who achieves victory dies at the end of the war.
(c) Everyone dies in wars.
(d) War means the end of a soldier’s life.

Question 44. “It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,…”
What does this part of the poem suggest?
(a) The poet suggests that vehicles should rest so we should stop them for a moment.
(b) Life is dull with regular work.
(c) The moment at which everyone would withdraw from their busy schedule and be in the moment, would definitely turn out to be sublime and pure.
(d) Always being busy and rushing is bad for our health.

Question 45. Select the option that suggests the opposite of ‘interrupt’-
(a) Hinder
(b) Disturb
(c) Carry on
(d) Suspend

VIII. Read the given extract to attempt questions that follow:

Now he felt her hand on his arm and was aware of the pleasure it gave him, even though they had been married years enough to have the two children. For they had not married heedlessly in America. They had finished their work at school and had come home to Japan, and when his father had seen her the marriage had been arranged in the old Japanese way, although Sadao and Hana had talked everything over beforehand. They were perfectly happy. She laid her cheek against his arm.

Question 46. All the servants in Sadao’s household
(a) were happy with their master
(b) felt that he deserved a reward
(c) were very critical of him
(d) wanted him to let the soldier die

Question 47. Sadao removed the bullet from close to soldiers
(a) heart
(b) liver lungs
(c) Kidney
(d) lungs

Question 48. Both Sadao and Hana thought that keeping the wounded soldier in their house would
(a) win them a reward
(b) endanger all of them
(c) arouse police suspicion
(d) make the servants angry

Question 49. Sadao went to America to learn
(a) psychiatry
(b) surgery and medicine
(c) music
(d) fine arts

Question 50. At what age Dr. Sadao went to America?
(a) 22
(b) 32
(c) 12
(d) 42

IX. Attempt the following:

Question 51. Give a synonym for ‘skinny’-
(a) Healthy
(b) Strong
(c) Thin
(d) Chubby

Question 52. The whole poem ‘My Mother at Sixty-Six’, is in a single sentence, punctuated by commas. Why did the poet do so?
(a) The poet has used blank verse as the writing style.
(b) This indicates a single thought that is interconnected with many fragmented observations of real world, but altogether portraying a single idea.
(c) The poet tried to make the poem complex by putting the entire thought in one single sentence.
(d) The poet tried to make the poem simple by putting the entire thought in one single sentence.

Question 53. Select the option from the list that tells the relation of one of the ragpickers with the narrator in the story ‘Lost Spring’.
(a) Friend
(b) Acquaintance
(c) Relative
(d) Teacher

Question 54. What does the narrator mean by “temporary refuge from reality”?
(a) People have some passions which make them happy and joyful and transcend them into another world of utopian happiness when doing the same, temporarily escaping from the harsh reality.
(b) People can temporarily escape and live in other world.
(c) People can transcend into other world to get happiness.
(d) People seek the use of virtual reality to cope with their sadness.

Question 55. The other two people mentioned in the story ‘The Third Level’ who had passion for collecting stamps other than the narrator are-
(a) Narrator’s grandfather and President Roosevelt
(b) Narrator’s mother and Bob Dylan
(c) Narrator’s brother and President Roosevelt
(d) Narrator’s son and Micheal Jackson

Question 56. The term ‘single-minded’ means-
(a) half-hearted
(b) skeptical
(c) indecisive
(d) obsessive

Question 57. What was the name of the teacher in the story ‘The Last Lesson’?
(a) Mr. Johnson
(b) Mrs. Goodwill
(c) M. Hamel
(d) Ms. Porter

Question 58. The phrase “The paper-seeming boy with rat’s eyes” in the poem ‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’ means-
(a) malnourished and almost as thin as paper
(b) Unpleasant looking
(c) Having a scar near the ye
(d) Sly and secretive

Question 59. What is the name of the wife of the narrator in the story ‘The Third Level’?
(a) Helena
(b) Alison
(c) Louisa
(d) Jeremy

Question 60. “In death there is peace.” Select the option that suggests the correct name of the story.
(a) The Last Lesson
(b) Lost Spring
(c) The Enemy
(d) Deep Water