Refer to below provided Class 10 English Sample Paper with solutions. These Guess papers for English Class 10 have been designed based on the latest examination guidelines and paper pattern issued by CBSE. We have provided all Sample Papers for Class 10 English with answers. You can click on the links below to access the practice papers for free.

CBSE Sample Papers for Class 10 English

Class 10 English Sample Paper Term 1 Set A

Class 10 English Sample Paper Term 1 Set B

Class 10 English Sample Paper Term 1 Set C

Class 10 English Sample Paper Term 1 Set D

Class 10 English Sample Paper Term 1 Set E

Class 10 English Sample Paper Term 1 Set F

Class 10 English Sample Paper Term 2 Set A

Class 10 English Sample Paper Term 2 Set B

Class 10 English Sample Paper Term 2 Set C

Class 10 English Sample Paper Term 2 Set D

Class 10 English Sample Paper Term 1 Set A

READING

Read the passage given below.
I. The painstaking memorisation of mathematical tables, historical dates, capitals of countries and even poems leaves an indelible mark on every adult who has attended school. However, all educators deprecate this rote system learning by orally reciting and consigning lessons to memory as mindless and mechanical,which goes against critical thinking and creativity. But is this dichotomy between creativity and rote learning part of a lazy binary thinking?
II. We often hear about people who can repeat the entire telephone directory or memorise the entire dictionary. Indians have a history of highly developed systems of memorisation, perfected through centuries of Vedic learning. From a typically Western perspective, the permanency of the written word has been pitted against the ‘unconscious operation of memory’ of oral cultures and held to be more reliable in cultural transmission. However, refuting this thesis, Fritz Stall, an Indie scholar observes that the oral tradition in India is remarkable, “because it has led to scientific discoveries that are of enduring interest”. Of course, this mugging up can be aural (i.e., chanting aloud) or visual—mentally storing images in a visual map.
III. The advantages of rote memorisation—like it expands areas of the mind to great possibilities—are now becoming evident to the world. Various accounts from ancient India, including those from travellers like I-tsing, point to the fool-proof system of oral memorisation and the capacity to absorb volumes of data.
IV. A parallel dimension of transmission of knowledge also existed in India, with a flexible mode of oral communication through which knowledge was disseminated.One instance is the narrative-performative tradition of recitation, which extended basic story through interpolations, conscious extensions and embedding of sub-narratives. Many Indian myths, legends, epics and fables such as Kathasaritsagara and Jataka stories were spread though this process. While the story remains the same, the interpretation changes according to who says it, where it is said and how it is said. While communicating mathematics, philosophy and other scientific disciplines, cryptic text forms were created, that facilitated memorisation.
V. A related question pertains to cognition—how can we transmit principles using memorisation as a creative tool rather than as a mechanical process of repetition? Bhaskara’s Lilavati, the seminal 12th Century illustrates how memorisation and creativity go together.
VI. The fact that Bhaskara’s methods still figure in Indian pedagogic consciousness was recently brought home in a news report on the Ramanujan School of Mathematics in Patna, which trains youngsters from poor families to clear the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) entrance test. This year, all the 30 students of the school got through IITs. Anand Kumar, the school’s founder, called it the “sheer power of practice to break the so-called IIT code” and a student attributed the success to his teacher’s ability to teach differential calculus through a “thrilling story of a daring robber”.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any eight out of the ten questions by choosing the correct option.

Question. Cryptic texts were created for mathematics, philosophy, etc. because
a. these are very simple
b. these are easy to remember
c. these are short and easy
d. they are easy to interpret

Question. Why do you think the oral tradition in India is called remarkable?
1. It has helped to preserve Vedic learning.
2. Some of the old texts are still available.
3. It has led to scientific discoveries of enduring interest.
a. Only 1
b. 1 and 2
c. 2 and 3
d. Only 3

Question. Anand Kumar’s method is able to prove that ………….. .
a. Memorisation can be used as a creative tool rather than a mechanical process.
b. Visual maps can be formed through oral learning.
c. Various interesting discoveries can be made through the process of memorisation.
d. All of the above

Question. All educators condemn rote learning by
a. Making it a feat of memory.
b. Making it a critical learning.
c. Making it a creative and analytical learning.
d. Reducing it to oral recitation and a mechanical reading.

Question. What does Indians have a history of?
a. Highly developed systems of memorisation.
b. Underdeveloped systems of memorisation.
c. Highly developed systems of rote learning.
d. Underdeveloped systems of rote learning.

Question. Which of the following is an example of oral transmission of knowledge?
a. Spread of Kathasaritsagara and Jataka stories.
b. Teaching of differential calculus.
c. Memorisation of Mathematical tables, historical dates, capitals of countries and poems.
d. Both a. and b.

Question. Choose the option that displays the gist of the above passage.
a. “All genuine learning is active, not passive. It involves the use of the mind, not just the memory. It is a process of discovery, in which the student is the main agent, not the teacher.” – Mortimer Adler
b. “Many think of memory as rote learning, a linear stuffing of the brain with the facts, where understanding is irrelevant. When you teach it properly, with imagination and association, understanding becomes a part of it.” – Tony Buzan
c. “Your brain has a capacity for learning that is virtually limitless, which makes every human a potential genius.” – Michael J. Gelb
d. “The human brain had a vast memory storage. It made us curious and very creative.
Those were the characteristics that gave us an advantage – curiosity, creativity and memory. And that brain did something very special. It invented an idea called ‘the future’.” – David Suzuki

Question. What is the advantage of rote learning?
a. It promotes learning without understanding.
b. It does not add pressure to the mental faculties.
c. Mugging up can be aural as well as visual.
d. It expands areas of the mind to greater possibilities.

Question. Choose the option which uses the word ‘refute’ as it is used in the above.
a. It was one thing to tell herself everything was resolved, but quite another to thoroughly refute something she had always considered wrong.
b. She wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep, but she need to refute what her instincts told her before she acted.
c. Gabriel’s biggest mistake was not forcing you to refute your new world from the start.
d. No serious observer, acquainted with modern microscopic technical methods, has been able to refute the explanation of their observations.

Read the passage given below.

I. Depression is a common mental disorder affecting more than 264 million people worldwide. It is characterised by persistent sadness and a lack of interest or pleasure in previously rewarding or enjoyable activities. It can also disturb sleep and appetite; tiredness and poor concentration are common. Depression is a leading cause of disability around the world and contributes greatly to the global burden of disease. The effects of depression can be long-lasting or recurrent and can dramatically affect a person’s ability to function and live a rewarding life.
II. The causes of depression include complex interactions between social,psychological and biological factors. Life events such as childhood adversity, loss and unemployment contribute to and may catalyse the development of depression.
III. Psychological and pharmacological treatments exist for moderate and severe depression. However, in low and middle-income countries, treatment and support services for depression are often absent or underdeveloped. An estimated 76–85% of people suffering from mental disorders in these countries lack access to the treatment they need.
IV. Depression and associated mental disorders can have a profound effect on all aspects of life, including performance at school, productivity at work, relationships with family and friends and ability to participate in the community. Research also shows strong relationships between depression and physical health, including tuberculosis and cardiovascular disease. Depression affects all types of people –young and old, rich and poor – in all countries. Women are more likely to have depression than men.
V. WHO has developed brief psychological intervention manuals for depression that may be delivered by lay workers. An example is Problem Management Plus, which describes the use of behavioural techniques, relaxation training, problem-solving treatment and how to strengthen social support as means of managing depression.
The manual Group Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) for Depression describes a group counselling approach that focuses on identifying and addressing interpersonal difficulties. Finally, Thinking Healthy covers the use of cognitive-behavioural therapy for perinatal depression.
VI. WHO’s mental health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) focuses on helping countries to scale up first-line support for mental health conditions through training of non-specialists. This allows gaps in service to be filled and broadens the overall capacity of a country’s health-care system.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any six out of the eight questions by choosing the correct option.

Question. Depression is a leading cause of disability around the world. The disability here refers to
a. Mental disability
b. Physical disability
c. Both physical and mental disability
d. Cognitive disability

Question. What are the causes of depression?
1. Complex interactions between social, psychological and biological factors.
2. Childhood adversity.
3. Personal or professional loss.
4. Unemployment.
a. 1, 3 and 4
b. 1, 2 and 3
c. 2, 3 and 4
d. All of these

Question. What is the basic strategy that is included in all interventions developed by WHO?
a. Social support
b. Behaviour therapy
c. Medical care
d. None of these

Question. ………….. and ………….. treatments exist for moderate and severe depression.
a. Psychological, allopathic
b. Psychological, pharmacological
c. Allopathic, homeopathic
d. Ayurvedic, pharmacological

Question. The word ‘profound’ does not correspond to the word
a. Superficial
b. Intense
c. Great
d. Extensive

Question. Depression can negatively affect the ………….. .
a. Performance at school or office
b. Relationship with friends and family
c. Ability to participate in the community
d. All of the above

Question.  Select the correct option for (1) and (2).
(1) Depression can dramatically affect a person’s ability to live a rewarding life.
(2) A depressed person is unable to get satisfaction from his own life, there is absence of gratification.
a. (1) is the result of (2)
b. (2) furthers the meaning of (1)
c. (1) is independent of (2)
d. (2) contradicts (1)

Question. The consequences of depression include disturbed sleep and appetite patterns, lack of interest, ………….. .
a. tiredness and poor concentration
b. lack of sleep
c. lack of going out
d. lack of interaction

GRAMMAR AND WRITING

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

Question.They …………… to borrow from the bank to start their business.
a. need
b. need not
c. dare not
d. ought not

Question. The team which won four matches this year …………… nominated for the prestigious award.
a. has been
b. have been
c. are being
d. were being

Question.The chief …………… to send the children of the village to live in a settlement in the next valley.
a. had been deciding
b. decided
c. was deciding
d. have been deciding

Question. Which of the following is the indirect speech of the given sentence?
She said, “I’m having the interview at four o’clock.”
a. She said that she had the interview at four o’clock.
b. She said that she have been having the interview at four o’clock.
c. She said that she is having the interview at four o’clock.
d. She said that she was having the interview at four o’clock.

Question. Which of the following is the indirect speech of the given sentence?
“Get out of the car!” said the policeman.
a. The policeman requested him to get out of the car.
b. The policeman suggested him to get out of the car.
c. The policeman ordered him to get out of the car.
d. The policeman wanted him to get out of the car.

Question. Give me …………… advice on how to improve my writing skills.
a. some
b. many
c. much
d. more

Writing
Answer any five out of the six questions given, with reference to the context below.
You are Ashish. Write a letter to the newspaper editor highlighting the problem of bad condition of road near ABC colony, Gandhinagar through a letter.

Question. Choose an appropriate subject for the letter.
a. Construction of Road near ABC Colony, Gandhinagar
b. Improvement in Gandhinagar
c. Construction of Road in Gandhinagar
d. Problems due to Road in Gandhinagar

Question. Choose the concluding line for the letter.
a. I order you to publish my letter in your newspaper so that the higher authorities can take an immediate action and oblige me.
b. I want my letter to be published in your newspaper so that the higher authorities can take an immediate action and oblige.
c. I request you to publish my letter in your newspaper so that the higher authorities can take an immediate action and oblige us.
d. Publish my letter in your newspaper so that the higher authorities can take an immediate action.

Question.Complete the opening line of the letter.
…………… I want to draw the attention of the concerned authorities towards the issues people face in ABC Colony, Gandhinagar due to the bad condition of the road.
a. By the columns of your newspaper
b. Through your newspapers of your daily esteemed
c. Through the columns of your esteemed daily
d. By the column in the newspaper

Question.Complete the complementary closing for the letter.
Thanking you
……………
Ashish
a. Yours sincerely
b. Yours lovingly
c. Yours obediently
d. Your’s sincerely

Question. What will be the sender’s address for the above letter?
a. Ashish ABC Colony, Gandhinagar
b. Gandhinagar, ABC Colony
c. Ashish, Gandhinagar
d. ABC Colony, Gandhinagar

LITERATURE

Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow.

My father, the most adorable father I’ve ever seen, didn’t marry my mother until he was thirty-six and she was twenty-five. My sister, Margot, was born in Frankfurt in Germany in 1926. I was born on 12th June, 1929. I lived in Frankfurt until I was four.My father emigrated to Holland in 1933. My mother, Edith Hollander Frank, went with
him to Holland in September, while Margot and I were sent to Aachen to stay with our grandmother. Margot went to Holland in December and I followed in February, when I was plunked down on the table as a birthday present for Margot.
(From the Diary of Anne Frank)

Question. Who was Anne Frank?
a. A writer
b. The most renowned victim of holocaust
c. A simple girl living in Amsterdam
d. None of these

Question. Anne said, “I was plunked down on the table as a birthday present for Margot.” The phrase ‘plunked down’means …………… .
a. to throw down
b. to take down
c. to put down in a casual way
d. to write down

Question. How old was the speaker when she was sent to Holland?
a. Four years old
b. Six years old
c. Seven years old
d. Five years old

Question. Choose the option which does not use the word ‘emigrate’ as it is used in the above extract.
a. The Russians do not emigrate as isolated individuals; they migrate in whole villages.
b. In 1799 he found it advisable for his comfort, if not for his safety, to emigrate with his family to the United States.
c. For the last two centuries, since the Tamils started to emigrate to Sri Lanka with its Sinhala majority, the two ethnic groups have been in conflict.
d. Famine and pestilence at home drove men to emigrate hopefully to the golden East.

Question. Rearrange the events of the story from which this extract has been taken.
1. The speaker’s parents went to Holland.
2. The speaker and her sister went to Aachen.
3. Margot was born.
4. The speaker was born.
5. The speaker started school in Montessori nursery school.
6. The speaker and her sister went to Holland.
a. 615243
b. 231456
c. 142365
d. 341265

Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow.

Days passed and there was no answer, but the letter did not come back, so maybe Wanda had received it. Perhaps she was so hurt and angry she was not going to answer. You could not blame her. Weeks went by and still Wanda did not answer. Peggy had begun to forget the whole business, and Maddie put herself to sleep at night making speeches about Wanda, defending her from great crowds of girls who were trying to tease her with, “How many dresses have you got?” And before Wanda could press her lips together in a tight line, the way she did before answering, Maddie would cry out, “Stop!” Then everybody would feel ashamed the way she used to feel.
(The Hundred Dresses – II)

Question. What could be the least possible reason for Wanda not replying to their letter?
a. She was hurt and angry.
b. She did not want to forgive them.
c. She did not receive the letter.
d. She forgot who they were.

Question. Peggy and Maddie wrote a …………… letter to Wanda.
a. friendly
b. apologising
c. complaint
d. formal

Question. “Perhaps she was so hurt and angry she was not going to answer” – The line suggests that Wanda
a. got hurt by the teasing from Peggy and other girls.
b. was hurt because she had to left her school and city to move to a new city.
c. was angry at Peggy and Maddie.
d. None of the above

Question. Select the correct option for (1) and (2).
(1) Maddie used to make speeches in her sleep about Wanda.
(2) Maddie was deeply affected by the letter from Wanda’s father.
a. (1) is opposite to (2)
b. (2) is the cause for (1)
c. (2) is independent of (1)
d. Both (1) and (2) cannot be inferred from the passage.

Question. When did Maddie and Peggy decide to write a letter to Wanda?
1. When they could not find her at her house in Boggins Heights.
2. When Wanda left the school and the city.
3. When she wrote a letter to them.
Choose the correct option from the following.
a. Only 1 is correct
b. Only 2 is correct
c. 1 and 2 are correct
d. 2 and 3 are correct

Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow.
Some say the world will end in fire
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice. (Fire and Ice)

Question. Why do you think the poet has chosen two completely contrasting things to end the world?
a. Fire is compared to desires which means to like something or someone.
b. Ice is compared to hatred which means not liking something or someone.
c. Fire and ice show two extreme emotions which have the capability to destroy oneself.
d. None of the above

Question. The rhyming scheme of the poem is …………… .
a. abaa bcbcb
b. aaba bcbcb
c. aaab bcbcb
d. abab bcbcb

Question. What would be a better option to end the world?
a. Fire
b. Ice
c. Both fire and ice are equally competent
d. None of these

Question. Why is the poet in favour of fire destructing the world?
a. Fire is compared to desires.
b. The poet has realised that the desires are self-destructing.
c. The human desires are insatiable.
d. All of the above

Question. What does the poet want to convey through the poem?
1. We should not be greedy.
2. All humans should check their desire and hatred.
3. We should restrain our desire and love fellow beings.
a. Only 2
b. 1 and 3
c. 2 and 3
d. Only 3

Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow.

‘Extraordinary affair!’ the clergyman kept saying for the rest of the day. But it was not as extraordinary as the behaviour of Mrs. Hall’s furniture a little later that morning.The landlord and his wife were up very early and were surprised to see the scientist’s door wide open. Usually it was shut and locked and he was furious if anyone entered his room. The opportunity seemed too good to be missed. They peeped round the door, saw nobody and decided to investigate. The bedclothes were cold, showing that the scientist must have been up for some time and stranger still, the clothes and bandages that he always wore were lying about the room. All of a sudden Mrs. Hall heard a sniff close to her ear. (Footprints without Feet)

Question. Whose sniff did Mrs. Hall hear close to her ear?
a. The clergyman’s
b. A staff of inn
c. Griffin, the scientist’s
d. A ghost’s

Question. What did Mrs. Hall think of the room and the scientist?
a. The stranger is a ghost.
b. It had been haunted by spirits.
c. The stranger is a black-magician.
d. Both b. and c.

Question. What extraordinary affair is being talked about in the above extract?
a. Stealing of clergyman’s money without anyone being present in the room.
b. Moving of furniture on its own.
c. Mysterious sounds coming from the room.
d. None of the above

Question.Select the correct option for (1) and (2).
(1) The scientist used to get furious if anyone entered his room.
(2) The scientist let Mrs. Hall and the landlord to enter his room.
a. (1) is independent of (2)
b. (2) is the cause for (1)
c. (1) is false (2) is true
d. (1) is true (2) is false

Question. What happened when the landlord and his wife entered the strange scientist’s room?
1. The hat on the bedpost leapt up and dashed itself into her face.
2. The bedroom chair became alive and charged straight at her.
3. The extraordinary chair slammed and locked the door after them.
4. Mrs. Hall almost fell down the stairs in hysterics.
a. 1, 2 and 3
b. 1, 2, 3 and 4
c. 1 and 4
d. 2, 3 and 4

Attempt the following.

Question. Hari Singh observed in his career that a rich man shows …………… on getting robbed.
a. fear
b. anger
c. saddened face
d. loss of trust

Question. What happened when snow fell on the poet?
a. He noticed what’s happening around him.
b. His mood got changed.
c. He became happy.
d. All of the above

Question. Why did the postmaster get surprised on seeing the letter?
a. Because it was a letter to God.
b. Because he had never seen such a strong faith in God.
c. Both a. and b.
d. None of the above

Question. What all things did Mrs. Pumphrey’s staff give to Dr. Herriot when he took Tricki with himself?
1. Little coats, toys and rubber rings, day bed and night bed, favourite cushions
2. Breakfast bowl, lunch bowl, supper bowl
3. Wine and brandy
4. Cod liver oil and two dozen eggs
5. Horlicks, cakes and pastries
a. 1, 2 and 4
b. 2, 3, 4 and 5
c. 1 and 2
d. 3, 4 and 5

Question. According to the poet, what is the child learning in the poem ‘The Ball Poem’?
a. To bear loss
b. To take care of things
c. To be responsible
d. To be careful

Question. How is the tiger described in the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’?
a. Beautifully striped, poor, weak, velvety paws
b. Big white teeth and claws, helpless, strong, angry
c. Beautifully striped, velvety paws, big white teeth and claws, strong, angry
d. Beautifully striped, poor, weak, helpless, strong, angry

Question.The young seagull did not fell headlong when he took his first flight. The line suggests that the young seagull ……………. .
a. did not fell on his head
b. did not fell straight into the sea instead flew upwards
c. did not fell on his tail
d. did not fly upwards

Question. Given below are a few sentences. Identify the sentences which are FACTS and those which are OPINIONS and choose the correct option.
1. The moon came up from the east.
2. Storm clouds look like black mountains if you are in an aeroplane.
3. You ought not to follow a strange black aeroplane in storm clouds.
4. When flying an aeroplane, you need a compass, a radio and fuel.
5. An airport is the place where aeroplanes land and take off from.
a. Fact: 2, 3 and 5; Opinion: 1 and 4
b. Fact: 2, 3 and 4; Opinion: 1 and 5
c. Fact: 1, 4 and 5; Opinion: 2 and 3
d. Fact: 1; Opinion: 2, 3, 4 and 5