Pre - Board Examination [2023-24]
District : Karnal
Class: 10th
Subject: English
Time: 3 Hours. M.M.: 80
General Instructions:
(i) The Question Paper contains four sections – Reading Skills, Grammar, Writing Skills and Literature.
(ii) Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
SECTION-A (20 Marks)
(Reading Skills)
1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: (10)
India’s rich cultural heritage always provided unity in diversity. It is this coming together of people of different cultural
groups and the people of different religions that has given India a distinctive characteristic. Each Indian was seen to be a
messenger of peace and harmony, yet what is happening today? Why are we ready to break that strong bond of unity in
the name of religion?
Each one of us must realise that the only future for India and her people is one of tolerance and cooperation which has
been the basis of our culture from ages past. We have laid down in our Constitution that India is a secular State. This does
not mean irreligion. It means equal respect for all faiths and equal opportunities for those who profess any faith, an aspect
of our culture, which is also one of the highest barriers between one Indian and another and those who promote disruptive tendencies do not serve the cause of India or her culture. They weaken us at home and discredits abroad.
Response on Choice
1. Secularism calls upon us to :
(a) Be non-believer in all. (b) Respect all religions (c)Disrespect all religions. (d) Hate all religions
2. India’s cultural heritage provided us a
(a) Love and cunningness (b) Love and diversity
(c) Unity in diversity. (d) Tolerance and cooperation
3. The people who create disruptions also weaken:
(a) The diversity of our country (b) The cooperation of our country
(c) The Backbone of our country (d) The unity of our country
4. Each Indian was seen to be
(a) Messenger of love and peace. (b) A messenger of peace and harmony
(c) A messenger of unity and love. (d) A messenger of love and laugh
5. The meaning of the term ‘diversity’ is :
a) Integration. (b) Variety
Sentence Completion & Gap Filling.
6.…………………. …………………………Is the sole basis for existence of India because of her diverse culture..
7. India is a form of………………………………………………….democracy as described in democratic politics.
8. Recently, people of India have neglected the spirit of……………………………. And tolerance.
9. To live in ………… … ………………. ..is the distinct characteristic only found in individuals of India and not in the
citizens of other countries.
10…………………………. ……. Tendencies raise their heads when people misunderstand religion and do not resort to
self realisation.
2. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. (10)
God created universe in the image of paradise. And there is no doubt. Once the world was very beautiful and could be
called heaven. There were clean and sparkling rivers. There were dense jungles. In those jungles there was wildlife in
abundance. The air was fresh and pure. But all this has changed. Man has polluted the whole world.
The world today faces a great danger. It is the danger of environmental pollution. During the last few years there has been
reckless cutting of trees all over the world. Also, there has been fast industrialization of every country. Big factories emit
millions of tons of smoke every day. Then there has been great increase in the number of trucks, buses, cars and scooters.
These emit poisonous gases that pollute the atmosphere.
Questions:
(i) What has changed the beautiful world into a polluted one?
(ii) What are the two main causes of environmental pollution mentioned in the passage?
(iii) What was the world like in its pristine state?
(iv) What do big factories emit into the atmosphere?
(v) What has been the impact of deforestation?
Choose the correct option:
(vi) What did God create the universe in the image of?
(a) Garden (b) Paradise (c) Trees (d) Jungles
(vii) The world faces the great danger of ………….
A. Factories. B. Animals C. Environmental pollution. D. Enemies
(viii) Who is responsible for polluting the world?
(a) Man. (b) God (c) Gases (d) None of these
(ix) What does the word ‘abundance’ mean?
(a) In very less quantity (b) In very great quantity ( c) In very large quantity. (d) None of these
(x)What is the antonym of ‘heaven’?
(a) Beautiful. (b) Bad ( c )Comfortable. (d) Hell
Section -B
Grammar – 10 Marks
3. Attempt any ten sentences from the given Items.
A. Fill in the blanks with correct form of the verb,
(i) I ………….. ( see) a snake yesterday.
a. Had seen b. see c. saw d. have seen
(ii) The Muslims……………. (bury) their dead.
A. buried B. had buried C. bury D. have buried
B. Fill in the blanks with correct article.
(iii) He is……………M.L.A.
(a) a (b) the (c) an (d) no article
(iv)……….. dog is a faithful animal.
(a) a (b) no article (c) an (d) the
C. Punctuate the following sentences:
(v) Delhi the capital of India stands on the banks of river Yamuna
A: Delhi the capital of India stands on the banks of river Yamuna.
B: Delhi, the capital of India, stands on the banks of river Yamuna.
C: Delhi, the capital of India, stands on the banks of river Yamuna.
D: Delhi, the capital of India stands on the banks of river Yamuna.
(vi) Rani please answer the phone
A: Rani please answers the phone.
B: Rani, Please answer the phone.
C: Rani, please answer the phone.
D: Rani, ’please answer the phone’.
D. Change the following sentences into indirect speech:
(vii) Pamela said, “Man is mortal.”
a. Pamela said that man isMortal.
b. Pamela said that man was mortal.
c. Pamela said man isMortal.
d. None of the above
(viii) He said, “I will return tomorrow.”
(A) He said that he will return tomorrow.
(B) He said that he would return tomorrow.
(C) He said that he would return the next day.
(D) He said that I would return the next day.
E. Fill in the blanks with suitable modals.
(ix) We ……… go for the Zoo tomorrow.
(a) will (b) can (c) should (d) shall
(x) If had left early like everyone else did, I …………. Sitting here now listening to all this rubbish.
(a) May not be (b)May be ( c) wouldn’t be. ( d) Was
F. Fill in the blanks with correct non-finite form of the verb.
(xi) He came …… (run) to meet me.
(a) Run (b) To run ( c) running (d) Ran
(xii) Children like ………. (burst) fire crackers at the time of Diwali.
(a) burst (b) having burst (c) to burst (d) bursting
SECTION-C (10 Marks)
(Writing Skills)
4. Attempt any one of the following: 5 Marks
(i) Write an application to the Principal of your school, requesting him to arrange extra classes for maths and
English before board exams.
(ii) Injuries and death are taking place due to road accidents.The reasons for all these accidents are under age
reckless and rash driving. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper highlighting all these reasons. You are
Bani or Bablu a resident of Paschim Vihar area, New Delhi.
5. Attempt any one of the following: 5 Marks
(i) Write a brief report in about 40 words on tree plantation camp you are a reporter named Chirag of Times of India.You
attended a tree plantation camp organised by model School of Panipat.
(ii) Write a paragraph on the topic, 'Work is Worship'.
SECTION-D
40 Marks (Literature)
6. Do any one of the passages given below and answer the questions that follow. 5 Marks
The policy of apartheid created a deep and lasting wound in my country and my people. All of us will spend many years,
if not generations, recovering from that profound hurt. But the decades of oppression and brutality had another,
unintended, effect, ‘ and that was that it produced the Oliver Tambos, the Walter Sisulus, the Chief Luthulis, the Yusuf
Dadoos, the Bram Fischers, the Robert Sobukwes of our time-men of such extraordinary courage, wisdom and generosity
that their like may never be known again. Perhaps it requires such depths of oppression to create such heights of character.
My country is rich in the minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil, but I have always known that its greatest wealth is its
people, finer and truer than the purest diamonds.
(a) What did the policy of apartheid create?
(b) According to Mandela, what is the greatest wealth?
(c) Find out the word in the passage which means ‘large-heartedness.’
(d) Pick out the word from the passage which means to treat somebody/something cruelly and unfairly.
Or
The baker made his musical entry on the scene with a ‘jhang, jhang’ sound of his specially made bamboo staff.One hand
sported the basket on his head and the other banged the bamboo on the ground.He would greet the lady of the house with
“good morning” and then place is a basket on the vertical bamboo. We kids would be pushed aside with a mild rebuke and
the loves would be delivered to the servant.But we would not give up.We would climb a bench or the parapet and peep
into the basket, somehow. I can still recall the typical fragrance of those loaves. Loaves for the elders and the bangles for
the children.
Questions:
1. How did the Baker greet the lady of the house?
2. Where did he place his basket?
3. What did the author and the other kids do though they were rebuked?
4. What can the author still recall?
5. Which words in the passage mean (i) helped. (ii) welcome.
7.Attempt any two questions: 2*3=6 Marks
(i) Were the post office employees a ‘bunch of crooks’? Why?/Why not? How would you describe them?
(ii) “The sight of the food maddened.”What does this suggest?What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?
(iii) How did Valli save up money for her first journey?Was it easy for her?
(iv) ‘The Proposal’ is really a great comedy, full of humour. Explain the statement.
8. Give a pen portrait of a Baker in a village of Goa. 6 Marks
Or
“Paper has more patience than people”. Explain.
9. Attempt any one from the given stanzas: 5 Marks
There is a languid, emerald sea,
where the soul inhabitant is me - a mermaid, drifting blissfully.
Questions:
1. How is the sea portrayed here?
2. Who is Amanda as per this stanza?
3. Who is the soul inhabitant of the sea?
4. Find words from the stanza which mean the same as :
a. Relaxed and peaceful b. water – fairy.
5. Name the poem and the poet.
Or
Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears,
And Ink and Blink chased lions down the stairs,
Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage,
But Custard cried for a nice safe cage.
Questions:
1. How brave is Balinda?
2. Who chased the lions down the stairs?
3. What is the quality of mustard?
4. What did custard want the most?
5. Name the poem and the poet.
10. Attempt any two of the following questions: 2*3=6
1. What does Frost want to say in the poem ‘Fire and ice’?
2. What is the boy learning by the loss of his a ball? ( The Ball Poem)
3. What is the fog compared to? What does it look over? (Fog)
4. What last voice does the tiger here at night? What does he stare act? ( Tiger in the Zoo)
11. Answer any two of the following questions: 2*3=6
1. Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?
2. How did a book become a turning point in Richard Ebright’s life?
3. What curious episode occurs in the study?
4. Why did Mrs. Pumphrey say, “This is a Triumph of surgery.”Did she know that Tricky' sailment was?
12. The course of the Loisels, life changed due to the necklace. Comment. (6 Marks)
Or
“Presence of mind and Intelligence are more powerful than gun”. How far is it true in case of Ausable, the secret
Agent?