Please see below Class 10 English Sample Paper Term 2 Set A 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 2 Set A

Section A
Reading

1. Read the passage given below.
Technology is making advancements at a rapid rate but at the cost of a valued tradition—the crafts industry. The traditional crafts industry is losing a lot of its trained and skilled craftsmen. With that, the art of embellishing brass and copper utensils with fine engravings is also disappearing. The government has identified around 35 crafts as languishing craft.
The speciality of handcrafted items is its design, an association with long traditions belonging to a specific region. The word ‘handcrafted’ does not imply the involvement of dexterous human fingers or an agile mind with a moving spirit anymore. Lessening drudgery, increasing production and promoting efficiency have taken precedence. The labour-saving devices are taking the place of handcrafted tools and this has jeopardized the skills of these artisans.
Mechanisation has made its way into everything – cutting, polishing, edging, designing etc. Ideally, the use of machinery should be negligible and the handicrafts should be made purely by hand with a distinguishable artistic appeal. However, with the exception of small-scale industries, the export units are mostly operated by machines. The heavily computerised designs contribute to a faster production at lower costs.
Although mechanization of crafts poses a challenge to safeguarding traditional crafts, the artisans are lured with incentives in order to impart handicrafts training. Some makers do see machines as a time-saving blessing since they are now able to accomplish difficult and demanding tasks with relative ease. These machines might give a better finesse to these products but they don’t stand out as handcrafted. Quantity has overtaken quality in this industry.
A need to highlight the importance of the handmade aspect is required by both the government and private sectors, in order to amplify awareness and also support the culture of making handicrafts. A few artisans are still trying their best to rejuvenate and revive their culture and heritage but it’s an uphill task competing with the machine-made goods. A multitude of artisans have changed their professions and are encouraging their progeny to follow suit. There are others who have stayed their ground but are clearly inclined towards buying machines.
Nearly two decades ago, there were around 65 lakh artisans in the country. Three years ago, when the government started the process of granting a unique number to the artisans based on the Aadhaar card, 25 lakhs were identified. Loss of traditional crafts is clearly a worrying issue, but it stands to reason that forcing any artisan to follow old ways when concerns of livelihood overrule other considerations, is unfair.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the six given below: 

(i) What does the writer mean by calling handicrafts a ‘valued tradition’?
Ans. • valued – showcase talents that are associated with artisans’ lifestyle and history
• tradition – represent rich our artistic culture / heritage / tradition

(ii) Rewrite the following sentence by replacing the underlined phrase with a word that means the same from lines 4-9. 
If it continues, the workcation (work + vacation) trend will be a powerful boost to domestic tourism operators failing to make progress in the economic slump caused due to the pandemic.
Ans. If it continues, the workcation (work + vacation) trend will be a powerful boost to domestic tourism operators languishing in the economic slump caused due to the pandemic.

(iii) State any two reasons why artisans are choosing to work via machines rather than handcrafted tools?
Ans. Saves labour / reduces drudgery / increases production / finesse / efficiency

(iv) Why do the artisans need to be ‘lured with incentives’ to impart handicrafts training?
Ans. Because if artisans impart training to mass/ bulk producers, they run the risk of losing their  traditional livelihood to them and hence need to be tempted via benefits or rewards, to do so.

(v) List one likely impact of the support of government and private sectors towards the culture of making handicrafts.
Ans. Creation of awareness and public support for the artisans and their work / more artisans would be incentivized to continue their tradition / artisans wouldn’t change their professions seeking better livelihood

(vi) How does the writer justify an artist’s act of abandoning her/his traditional craft for a more lucrative option?
Ans. Via the argument that the artisans cannot be expected to continue their profession if it is not  profitable, even though the loss of traditional crafts is perturbing.

2. Read the following excerpt from a case study titled Impacts of Festivities on Ecology.
Festivals are synonymous with celebration, ceremony and joy. However, festivals bring to fore the flip side of celebrations – pollution – air, water, soil and noise. This led to the need of assessing the awareness level among people about ecological pollution during festivals. So, a study was conducted by scholars of an esteemed university in India. This study was titled ‘Awareness Towards Impact of Festivals on Ecology’.
There were two main objectives of the study. The first one was to assess the awareness level among people about ecological protection during festivities. Exploring solutions to bring awareness about celebrating festivals without harming ecology was the second objective. The method used to collect data was a simple questionnaire containing 6 questions, shared with 50 respondents across four selected districts of a state in the southern region of India.
The research began by understanding the socio-economic conditions of the respondents before sharing the questionnaire. Once the responses were received, the data collected was tabulated (Table 1), for analysis.
Table-1: Awareness level among respondents 

The study recommended the imposition of strict rules and regulations as opposed to a total ban on all festive activities which have a drastic impact on our environment. The researchers believed that such measures would help in harnessing some ill-effects that add to the growing pollutionand suggested further studies be taken up across the country to assess awareness about ecological degradation. The observations made in the study pointed to the environmental groups and eco-clubs fighting a losing battle due to city traffic issues, disposal of plastics, garbage dumping and all sorts of ecological degradation. The researchers stressed that the need of the hour is increasing awareness among people to reduce ecological pollution which can be facilitated by celebrating all festivals in an ecofriendly manner.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the six given below:

(i) Why do the researchers call pollution the ‘flip side’ of festivals?
Ans. because the accepted norm is that festivals are synonymous with celebration/joy and people fail to see the other side, which is pollution

OR

festivals and pollution are two sides of the same coin currently/ polar opposites/ completely in contrast, yet together with each other—where we associate festivals with joy and celebration, we can’t deny that pollution is an ignored reality

(ii) Comment on the significance of the second objective of the study with reference to lines 6-10.
Ans. Second objective – Exploring solutions Significance- important for knowing steps that need to be taken to address the problem investigated in the research/ knowing what are the immediate actions that need to be implemented to address the issue studied/ helps focus on what needs to be corrected & what needs to be avoided to solve the problem focussed on in the research

(iii) Justify the researchers’ recommendation for limiting the drastic impact of festival pollution on the environment with reference to lines 14-17.
Ans. ▪ Researcher’s recommendation: Strict rules
▪ Justification: Strict rules are better than a total ban because banning does not serve the purpose of awareness/ people do not generally confirm to banning and tend to revolt/ strict rules pose some restrictions but still give the needed freedom.

(iv) Why do the researchers feel that environmental groups and eco-clubs are fighting a losing battle in the given scenario?
Ans. 1. The festivals cause pollution along with other issues (give examples) that add to it. 
2. Awareness is the only solution but the lack of it only adds to the problem.

(v) Even though a larger number of people say ‘no’ to bursting crackers than those who say ‘yes’, festival pollution persists. How does evidence from Table 1 support this statement?
Ans. 1. A large percentage of people (72%) abuse environmental resources to celebrate festivals
2. A high percentage of people (82%) use crackers to celebrate festivals in order to live up to the expectation of their social status

(vi) What purpose does the ‘Can’t Say’ column serve in the questionnaire (table 1)?
Ans. Gives a provision to/ allows the respondents to choose not to express/ not to answer/ allows an option to those who lack clarity/ are unwilling to respond.

Section B
Writing and Grammar 

3. Attempt ANY ONE from (i) and (ii).
(i) Study the concept chart from the self-help magazine section of a monthly publication. 

Write a paragraph in not more than 120 words, analysing the listed responses to the situation when one faces setbacks
(ii) You are Samina Zaveri, Class X, Vadodara, Gujarat. You come across the following information on a local library’s notice board. 

You wish to participate but require more information. Write a letter to Teen-Toggle Games Pvt. Ltd. in about 120 words, enquiring about rules, scholarship details and deadlines. Also enquire about specifications for solo or group entries.
Ans. (i)

Setbacks

Setbacks often leave one with a feeling of disappointment and sometimes even worse. The given concept chart displays two ways to handle setbacks, for the better or for the worse — healthy and unhealthy.
Healthy processing helps one learn from and let go the emotions inside. One should believe in oneself. In all of your jobs, expect that you will do well at your job. Your coworkers enjoy working with people with a ‘can-do’ attitude. Think about what you learned or gained from each new situation. An optimistic way of seeing a setback processes the ability to feel, reflect, learn and align.
On the contrary, inability to process leads to a block, self-criticism and self-doubt often times, we tend to wait for the setback to pass before we can move on. Very few times do we actually take up the deal with the failure head on. Acknowledging it and taking proactive mental and physical action to minimize the effect is what ‘handing’ a failure gracefully really means. Hence, responding to setbacks the positive way is empowering as it leads to success.
(ii) 53-B, Ring Road
Vadodara
Gujarat
January 12, 20XX
The Manager,
Teen Toggle Games Pvt. Ltd.
307, Satya Building
Coloba, Mumbai
Subject : Enquiry regarding Board Game Competition
Dear Sir
Referring to the information flashed on the library’s notice board, I want to state that I wish to participate in the Board Game Competition. So, I require some more information regarding the same kindly provide the details of the following :
1. Rules of the competition for all the rounds
2. Scholarship details
3. Type of entry – solo or group entries
4. Mode of conduction – online or offline
5. Consolation Prizes [if any]
Kindly specify the deadline too. So that I can register myself before the last date of the competition.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Yours faithfully,
Samina Zaveri

4. The following paragraph has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Identify the error and write its correction against the correct blank number. Remember to underline the correction. The first one has been done for you. 

Have you ever learn from a mistake you have made?         
Many shouldn’t admit doing so. For those who do,           
there was no need for guilt. We often make mistakes       
while taking risks, but all brush them aside and learn.     
With that, they usually don’t make mistakes the next time.  
Ans.

Have you ever learn from a mistake you have made?       
Many shouldn’t admit doing so. For those who do,         
there was no need for guilt. We often make mistakes       
while taking risks, but all brush them aside and learn.     
With that, they usually don’t make mistakes the next time.

5. Read the conversation between a teacher and student and complete the passage that follows.   

The biology teacher had instructed Sameer to draw the diagram of a bacterial cell and asked him …..(a)….. a blank sheet. Sameer respectfully answered that he had drawn the diagram but …..(b)….. to the naked eye.
Ans. why he had submitted
(b) he/ the teacher couldn’t see it because it is not visible

Section C
Literature

6. Answer ANY SIX questions in 30-40 words each.

(i) What is the significance of the Buddha’s request for a handful of mustard seeds and the addition of a condition to it?
Ans. 1. Mustard seeds easy to procure/ available in every household she knocked at
2. Added condition – must be procured form a house where no one had lost a child, husband, parent or friend
3. Made Kisa Gotami realize the universal nature of death

(ii) Justify how ‘Animals’ by Walt Whitman is a criticism of mankind and its ways?
Ans. 1. human beings seem to have dropped/ shed their values/virtues/attributes
2. human society blemished by ego, hypocrisy, hatred, materialism, fake display
3. profusion of complaints, race for greed and lack of contentment
4. the poet wishes to leave the human world and join animals as he finds them better than humans (a testimony)

(iii) Comment on the tone of the speaker when she says ‘Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you, Amanda!’.
Ans. Tone
1. exasperated
2. irritated
3. frustrated
4. annoyed
Or
words with similar meanings Illustration—Exclamation mark, suggestive of the inherent emotion

(iv) A ballad includes the telling of a tale as well as a surprise ending. Using evidence from the poem, explain how these features are included in ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’.
Ans. 1. Tale: The poem tells the story of Custard, the dragon (setting, characters, rising action, climax, resolution).
2. portrays his life with Belinda and the other pets where he is considered a coward
3. Surprise ending: The end of the poem shows how Custard rose to the occasion; gobbled the pirate and proved his bravery

(v) Which two issues about himself convinced Lomov of his decision to get married?
Ans. 1. He is expected to marry and cannot stay unmarried
2. He ought to lead a quiet, settled and regular life at his age(‘critical age’/ thirty-five).
3. He needs a partner as he suffers from palpitations and is always getting upset.

(vi) Briefly state how Matilda invited ‘a dreadful life of necessity’ into her family.
Ans. 1. Matilda’s extreme self-indulgence–dreams of a luxurious life, riches and jewellery
2. Doesn’t pay heed to the advice of wearing natural flowers– borrows the necklace– loses it
3. In paying for the necklace invited a horrible life of necessity and deprivation/ a life that resulted in a hand-to-mouth existence OR any other relevant point

(vii) The hack driver successfully trapped the narrator in his web of words. Comment.
Ans. 1. Hack driver – a conversationalist, cheerful, friendly, open
2. befriends the narrator who trusts him for everything he says and does
3. asks the narrator to stay behind, himself makes inquiries, offers home-made lunch, mints money
4. befools and outwits the narrator in the guise of help

7. Answer ANY TWO of the following questions in about 120 words each.
(i) Parents play a crucial role in the upbringing of their children. Critically examine the parents of Bholi and Ebright, highlighting their impact on their children’s lives.
(ii) Pranjol and Rajvir discuss their next vacation destination. They shortlist Coorg and Goa. Rajvir is keen on Coorg and tries to convince Pranjol. Develop a conversation between the two, based on your understanding of Glimpses of India.
You may begin like this:
Rajvir: Hey Pranjol! I think we should be visiting Coorg. It is a beautiful place with coffee plantations. I can smell the aroma already!
Pranjol: We visited a tea plantation last year, in Assam; I want to…
(iii) Farce is a kind of comedy which includes situations and dialogues that are ridiculous, exaggerated and even absurd. Evaluate the play, The Proposal, as a farce.
Ans. (i) 1. Introductory sentence:
2. crucial and indelible role played by parents
• parents influence their children both implicitly (indirectly) and explicitly (directly)
• are role models, first teachers, friends, companions, guides
2. Critical examination
• Richard H. Ebright’s mother- loving, caring, understanding, a friend, a companion
• filled the vacuum in Ebright’s life in his father’s absence
• invested time and energy in his upbringing which made him see heights of success
• Bholi’s parents – uncaring, indifferent, biased, insensitive, had a patriarchal mindset
• traditional outlook- did not believe in the education of girls, totally indifferent to Bholi and her needs, neglected her
• did not bother to groom her (oil her hair, give her good clothes to wear)
• sent her to school not to educate her but to save their own face
• despite their prosperity, they left Bholi to her own misery, worst was when they decided to marry her off to Bishamber
(Accept any other relevant content point that lends itself to critical examination)
3. Concluding thought:
• The contribution and companionship of parents cannot be denied. Love, care, and guidance from parents makes a difference, sculpts children and shapes their future
Ans. (ii) Rajvir:   Hey Pranjol! I think we should be visiting Coorg. It is a beautiful place with coffee plantations. I can smell the aroma already!
Pranjol: We visited a tea plantation last year, in Assam; I want to… 
Rajvir: There is a lot more to do in Coorg than smelling the coffee! The place has rainforests, so the mega fauna will be worth watching. Not just this, Coorg provides opportunities to indulge in adventure sports like river rafting, rappelling, mountain biking, to name a few.
Pranjol: That sounds interesting, but I would prefer some serene moments too, away from this post-pandemic hustle-bustle.
Rajvir: Oh! The answer is Coorg again!
Pranjol: Oh, come on! You can’t be serious…
Rajvir: Believe me, I am. Coorg is the place. It has beautiful natural walking trails and the Brahmagiri hills offer a panoramic view. I read that the place has the largest  Tibetan settlement, so the environment will reflect peace and spirituality, I’m sure.
Pranjol: Have to say, you’ve presented a fine case in favour of Coorg and convinced me. Let’s plan to leave for Coorg next Wednesday!
(iii) 1. Introductory sentence:
• farcical characters, their ridiculous and odd behaviour, unlikely and exaggerated situations (profuse in the play)
2. Evaluation:
• humor in the play, improbable situations, childish behavior of the characters (making a mountain out of a molehill), arguments and quarrels
• hurling of accusations and insults without a second thought
• resolving the differences and fighting again over another topic
• Lomov’s nerve problems and other ailments, Chubukov’s theatrical statements, Natalaya’s impulsive and belligerent remarks and other relevant evidence.
3. Concluding Statement:
• the manner in which the final proposal is made amidst all the chaos, makes the play a farce