CBSE class 10 Important English sample paper of 2020- 2021

• SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT-II
• CLASS-X
• ENGLISH( LANGUAGE & LITERATURE) Set-B
• Time allowed- 3 hours Maximum Marks-70
• Instructions:-
• Time allowed- 3 hours Maximum Marks-70
• Instructions:-
• (a) The question paper is divided in to three sections.
• (b) Section A: Reading 20 Marks
• Section B: Writing and Grammar 25 Marks

1. On the basis of your reading of the passage answer the following questions:

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

Fish keeping has benefits that make it an attractive hobby for millions of people . Aquariums can bring a bit of nature, a living ecosystem, into any home, including apartments that do not allow other pets. like tending a furry animal ,helping to maintain a fish tank can teach a child the responsibility of caring for other living creatures. As pets fish have distinct advantages: they are quiet, they do not chew or scratch the furniture ,and with a few slow -release feeders in their tank ,they can safely be left alone for a week or two. But it is likely the documented benefit to human health that has helped make aquariums so popular .like petting a dog or cat , gazing at an aquarium at the end of a long, hard day can reduce stress and lower blood pressure. Likewise ,research shows that people waiting to see a doctor or

undergo medical procedure were less anxious after watching fish swimming in a tank. Watching fish also has a significant calming effect on children with attention deficit as well as on elderly people with Alzheimer's disease. Today , home aquariums became popular as commercial fish breeding operations and air transport made it easy and affordable. More durable tanks and improved filtration system enabled hobbyists to sustain fish for longer periods. Today, home aquariums range from a child's goldfish bowl to elaborate tanks holding several hundred gallons of water and dozens of exotic fish.

more adventurous hobbyists opt for saltwater tanks ,which take more work and equipment to maintain a stable environment saltwater fish are more costly and more susceptible to changes in temperature and water quality than freshwater species .on the positive side ,they are spectacularly colorful and turn a tank into a dramatic focal point. Modern aquariums have evolved far beyond the boring rectangular tank. today's models come in almost any shape imaginable -round hexagonal, bow front .concave ,free form and flat to hang on the wall .they also have become key elements in home and office decor .they are built into walls and incorporated into tables ,lamps ,desks and even bath tubs. Almost any object it seems can be turned into a fish tank.                           (approx.360 words)

1. Why do people prefer keeping fish as a pet?
2. What are the special advantages of petting fish?
3. How does fish-keeping control high blood pressure?
4. Why is salt water tank used sometimes for keeping fish?
5. What is the main reason for the popularity of aquariums?
6. Why are aquariums available in different shapes?

1. Find a word from the passage which means the same as: a disease of the brain that affects memory.

1.  a disease of the brain that affects memory.
2. different/ unusual

1. 2. Read the passage given below:
2. During our growing up years we as children were taught–both at home and school–to worship the photos and idols of the gods of our respective religions. When we grow a little older, we were I holy books like The Bhagwad Gita, Bible and Quran; we were told that there are a lot of life lessons to be learnt from these holy books. We were then introduced to stories from ou mythologies which taught us about ethics and morality–what is good and what is bad. I also learnt to be respectful towards my parents who made my life comfortable with their hard work, love and care, and my teachers who guided me to become a good student and a responsible citizen. Much later in life, I realised that though we learn much from our respective holy books, there is a lot to learn from our surroundings. This realisation dawned upon me when I learnt to enquire and explore. Everything around us–the sun, the moon, the stars, rain, rivers, stones, rocks, birds, plants and animals–teach us many valuable life lessons.
3.  No wonder that besides the scriptures in many cultures nature is also worshipped. The message that we get is to save our environment and maintain ecological balance. People are taught to live in harmony with nature and recognise that there is God in all aspects of nature.
4. Nature is a great teacher. A river never stops flowing. If it finds an obstacle in its way in the form of a heavy rock, the river water fights to remove it from its path or finds an alternative path to move ahead. This teaches us to be progressive in life, and keep the lighting spirit alive.

5. Snakes are worshipped as they eat insects in the field that can hurt our crops, thus protecting the grains for us. In fact, whatever we worship is our helper and makes our lives easy for us. There are many such examples in nature, but we are not ready to learn a lesson. Overcome with greed, we are destroying nature. As a result we face natural disasters like drought, flood and landslides. We don’t know that nature is angry with us.

6.  However, it is never too late to learn. If we learn to respect nature the quality of our life will improve.

2.1. On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions in 30–40 words each:

(a) What are we taught in our childhood and growing up years?
(b) Why should we respect our parents and teacher
(c) What message do we get when we worship nature?
(d) How does a river face an obstacle that comes in its way?

2.2. On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer of the following:

(a) In para 5, the synonym of ‘catastrophe’ is ………………………….. .
(i) overcome
(ii) greed
(iii) disaster
(iv) drought


(b) In para 3, the antonym of ‘discordance’ is ………………………….. .
(i) scriptures
(ii) harmony
(iii) recognise
(iv) discomfort

(c) When we worship nature, the message we get is to save our environment and maintain ecological balance. (True/False)

(d) The stories from our mythologies taught us about …..

Section B 

 Writing & Grammar – 25 Marks 

Q.3 You are Neetu / Neelansh of Angel Public school, Delhi . You are concerned about the cleanliness in your school, as the students waste a lot of paper and do not use dust-bins properly .Write a letter to the Principal of your school, highlighting the possibility of diseases and the dire need for creating awareness about the prevention of such diseases through informative posters in the morning assembly and giving suggestions to maintain cleanliness in the school in about 120 words.

OR

You are Jaya /Ajay .After the recent earthquake ,You feel that there is need to be aware and alert about child labour. You are sad to know that Man is responsible for these problem due to his greed and carelessness. Write an article on 'Child labour' (about 100 -120 words )

Q4. Complete the following story in 150 to 200 words. Given below is the beginning of a story. Continue from this point and complete the story in about 150-200 words.

Enjoying a cup of tea while sitting on my balcony on a Sunday morning, suddenly I felt a deep pain in my chest. I thought that this was the last moment of my life. I wanted to call my daughter, my husband and everybody to say the final Good Bye, but couldn’t do so ….’

Q5. Read the passage given below and fill in the blanks by choosing the most appropriate word from the given options.

It is not possible even for the greatest optimist (a )-------------- ( on, for, of, to )smile all the time and feel good throughout the day. Every one (b) ----------- (had ,have, had having )a tension now or then, when everything seems dark. But once you develop a positive attitude (c)________ (so ,but ,and ,or) realize that life is a roller coaster ride, a series of ups and downs

Q6. The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Write the incorrect word and the correction against the correct blank number. The first one is done as an example.

Incorrect Correct

You are very trusting with my servant. The local e.g My _________Your

Grain merchant warns me one day. a.________ _______

You shall lock up your house when you b._______ ______

Go out and let the boy sleeps elsewhere. c._______ _______

some of this boy turn out to be thieves. d.______ ______

Q7. Rearrange the following words or phrases into meaningful sentences.

(i) work and play / things / different / parents see / as two
(ii) is a / of time / they / waste / think / that playing
(ii) important/games / studies / are as / as

Section – C

Literature Text Books and Long Reading Text - 25 marks

Q8. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

Natalaya: Papa gave 85 roubles for his Squeezer ,and Squeezer is heaps better than Guess !

Lomov : Squeezer better than Guess ?what an idea!( laughs ) Squeezer better than Guess !

Natalaya: Of course he's better! Of course Squeezer is young, he may develop a bit, but on points and pedigree he's better than anything that even Volchanetsky has got .

Lomov :Excuse me Natalaya Stepanovna , but you forget that he is overshot, and an overshot always means the dog is a bad hunter!

Natalaya : overshot ,is he? The first time I hear it

Lomov I assure you that his lower jaw is shorter than the upper.

Natalya : have you measured ?

a. Who are Squeezer and Guess?

b. How is Squeezer better than Guess ?

c. Find a word that refers to a currency .

OR

Belinda paled ,and she cried Help!Help!

But Mustard fled with a terrified yelp,

Ink trickled down to the bottom of the house hold,

And little mouse Blink strategically mouse-holed.

a. Why did Belinda cry for help?

b. Who was Mustard?

c. How did Blink react ?

Q9. Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words each.

1. How did Anne justify her being a chatterbox in her essay?

2. Hobbies play a very important role in one’s life; elaborate this with reference to “the Making Of a Scientist”.

3. What is a famous Indian legend regarding tea?

4. Why does Maxwell observe that the airhostess “was the very queen of her kind”? Why does the she say – ‘it would be better if you resumed your seat, and I will find the animal and bring it to you’?

Q10. Answer the following question in about 80 - 100 words--

Selfish is a common trait among all except a few and Kisa Gotami could not save herself untouched from it. She says, “How selfish am I in my grief!” Justify her statement to her realization of Death to all.(about 80 to 100 words)

OR

We should be content with what life gives us. If we long for more and are not contented with our means, we shall suffer much and face difficulties in our life. Justify it with reference to the character ‘ Matilda’ in the lesson ‘The Necklace’. (about 80 to 100 words)

Q11(A) Part A:

1.Why was Helen withdrawn from the Gilman School? How was her education pursued further?

OR

2. How did people along with Bishop Brooks contribute to Helen’s happiness?

Q11(B) Part B:

What punishment did Mr Keesing give to Anne Frank? How did she finally stop him from punishing?

OR

Anne was so witty, clever and wise in presenting her views on the subject. It is seen in her statement “There is no smoke without fire”. What does Anne Frank want to refer to by this statement. Explain.

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