CBSE 10th English Sample Paper 03 Solutions Page 1 Sample Paper 03 Solutions

ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE (184)

CLASS-X EXAM 2024-25
Time Allowed : 3 Hrs. Maximum Marks : 80 General Instructions :
Read the instructions very carefully and strictly follow them :
1. This question paper comprises 11 questions. All questions are compulsory.
2 The Question Paper contains THREE sections -
Section A : Reading Skills
Section B : Grammar and Creative Writing Skills
Section C : Literature Textbook
3. Attempt question based on specific instructions for each part.
for creativity. Teamwork introduces a concept
called distributed reasoning, often referred to as
brainstorming, where reasoning is shared among
a group of people.
SECTION A - READING SKILLS 20 5. “Creativity in science isn’t about drawing
something nice to explain an idea,” Andrews
1. Read the following text. 10 emphasizes. “It’s about asking what we can
1. In the classroom, expanding your thought process imagine together, what’s possible, and how we
can involve focusing on something known as could figure it out. That’s exactly what scientists
problem-based learning. This method involves do.”
the teacher posing a problem or question that 6. While arts and crafts can sometimes be helpful in
doesn’t have an obvious or clear solution, and presenting ideas, Smith points out that this isn’t
students are encouraged to think creatively and the same as recognizing the creativity that’s an
explore different ways to solve it. inherent part of science. “We often overlook the
2. Wallace believes that problem-based learning fact that science itself is a creative process,” she
helps students think in a scientific way. He recalls says.
an example from his own classroom where he 7. Smith continues by explaining, “The creativity in
had students read about fruit flies that were science lies in ideas, representations, and
missing an enzyme – a molecule that speeds up discoveries. It’s different from creating something
chemical reactions – needed to break down like a papier-mâché globe and painting it to
alcohol. “I had seven groups of students, and represent the Earth.”
each came up with a different method to
measure it,” he explains. “That’s what I call 8. At the end of the day, educators and scientists
agree that anyone can learn to think like a
creativity in a science class.”
scientist. “In schools, students often get the
3. “Being creative means taking risks and not fearing impression that science is only for a highly gifted
mistakes,” Andrews says. Many educators agree group of people,” says Herschbach. But he
with her, suggesting that unexpected results strongly believes that this is not the case.
provide valuable learning experiences. A good
scientist, Andrews says, would ask questions like 9. “Scientists don’t have to be exceptionally
intelligent,” Herschbach adds. “If you put in the
“Why did this happen?” and “What’s going on
effort, the knowledge is there waiting for you. By
here?”
working hard, you’ll have a great opportunity to
4. Engaging in discussions with others and working contribute to our species’ collective adventure of
in teams also promote associative thinking, a discovering more about the world.”
process where thoughts can flow freely from one
idea to another, which DeHaan explains is vital
Page 2 Sample Paper 03 Solutions CBSE 10th English
passage above.
Answer the following questions, based on the
 ideas visually.
i. In paragraph 1, what does the term “problem based (D) Scientific discovery depends entirely on
learning” imply about the teaching approach in intelligence.
classrooms? 1 (paragraph 8 and 9)
ii. Complete the following with the correct option : 1 Ans :
Problem-based learning encourages students to : i. The term “problem-based learning” implies that the
(a) Find a clear and straightforward solution. (b) teaching approach in classrooms focuses on
Think creatively and explore multiple solutions to presenting students with complex problems that
a problem. do not have clear solutions, encouraging them to
(paragraph 1) think creatively and explore multiple ways to
iii. How does Wallace’s example of fruit flies without solve them.
an enzyme illustrate creativity in scientific learning? ii. (b) Think creatively and explore multiple solutions
2 (paragraph 2) to a problem.
iii. Wallace’s example of fruit flies lacking an enzyme
iv. Choose the option that best reflects Andrews’ illustrates creativity in scientific learning by
view on creativity in science : 1 (a) Creativity in showing that his students came up with seven
science is about taking risks and not being afraid of different methods to approach the problem,
mistakes. demonstrating that science encourages multiple
(b) Creativity in science involves drawing creative approaches to solving challenges.
appealing representations of ideas. iv. (a) Creativity in science is about taking risks and
(paragraph 3) not being afraid of mistakes.
v. True. Associative thinking and teamwork
v. State whether the following statement is True or contribute to creativity in science, as they allow
False. 1 Working with others and discussing ideas to flow freely and encourage collaborative
ideas fosters associative thinking, which problem-solving.
contributes to creativity in science. vi. (B) Group brainstorming where ideas are shared
(paragraph 4) among team members.
vi. The writer mentions “distributed reasoning” in vii. Two points that differentiate arts and crafts from
paragraph 4. Which of the following is an scientific creativity :
example of distributed reasoning? 1 (A) (a) Scientific creativity involves generating new
Individual reflection on a problem before solving ideas, representations, and discoveries, while
it. arts and crafts are more about visually
(B) Group brainstorming where ideas are shared representing existing ideas.
among team members. (b) Scientific creativity is about exploring
(C) Analyzing scientific data by oneself. possibilities and figuring things out, rather
than making physical models like papier
(D) Referring to past experiences to solve an
mâché globes.
issue.
viii. (B) Anyone who works hard can learn to think
vii. List any two points that differentiate arts and like a scientist.
crafts from scientific creativity, as mentioned by
Smith. 2 (paragraphs 6 and 7) 2. Read the following text. 10
1. Coral reefs, often called the “rainforests of the
viii. Fill in the blank with the correct option : 1 sea,” are some of the most diverse ecosystems
Herschbach believes that scientific thinking is
on the planet. They support a vast range of
accessible to everyone because :
marine life, providing shelter, food, and breeding
(A) Science is a special gift for the exceptionally grounds for numerous species. Coral reefs cover
talented.
less than 1% of the ocean floor but are home to
(B) Anyone who works hard can learn to think
more than 25% of marine species.
like a scientist.
(C) Science requires artistic skills to explain
CBSE 10th English Sample Paper 03 Solutions Page 3
biodiversity but also for humans. They protect
2. Coral reefs are not only important for marine coastlines from erosion and storm surges, and
they support fishing industries and tourism,
 providing jobs and income for millions of people
worldwide. v. Read the given prompt and select the correct
option in the brackets to fill in the blank : 1 The
3. Unfortunately, coral reefs are under severe threat current global scenario, coral reefs are under
due to climate change, overfishing, and threat from climate change, pollution, and
pollution. Coral bleaching, caused by rising overfishing. Scientists predict a significant loss of
ocean temperatures, weakens the reefs and coral reefs in the coming decades.
makes them more vulnerable to disease and The percentage of coral reefs that could be lost
death. Studies estimate that if current trends by 2050 is _____ (60% / 90% / 75%).
continue, more than 90% of the world’s coral
reefs could be lost by 2050. vi. What are some of the methods mentioned in the
4. Efforts are being made globally to protect and passage that are being used to protect and
restore coral reefs. Marine protected areas, restore coral reefs? 1
sustainable fishing practices, and coral farming
vii. Complete the sentence suitably. 1 Coral
are some of the methods being employed to
bleaching is caused by .
preserve these ecosystems. However, without
significant action to reduce carbon emissions viii. Complete the following with a suitable reason : 1
and curb global warming, these efforts may not Scientists believe coral reefs are essential
be enough. because _____.
5. Scientists emphasize the urgency of addressing
ix. In the context of paragraph 5, why is reducing
climate change to save coral reefs. Protecting
carbon emissions important for the survival of
these ecosystems is not only essential for marine
coral reefs? 2
life but also for the millions of people who depend
on them for their livelihood. Ans :
Answer the following questions, based on the i. (B) They are as biodiverse as rainforests. (The
passage above. phrase “rainforests of the sea” compares coral
reefs’ biodiversity to that of rainforests.)
i. What does the phrase “rainforests of the sea” in ii (B) Both the assertion and reason are true, but the
paragraph 1 suggest about coral reefs? 1 (A) reason is not the correct explanation of the
They grow trees underwater. assertion.
(B) They are as biodiverse as rainforests. (C) (Coral reefs are vital for marine biodiversity, but
They occupy a large part of the ocean. (D) They their protection of coastlines does not directly
protect the planet from global warming. explain their role in biodiversity.)
iii Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor.
ii. Select the option that is true for the assertion and
iv Coral reefs provide protection from erosion and
reason given below. 1 Assertion : Coral reefs
storm surges, and they support fishing industries and
are vital for marine biodiversity.
tourism.
Reason : Coral reefs protect coastlines from
v. The percentage of coral reefs that could be lost by
erosion.
2050 is 90%..
(A) Both the assertion and reason are true, and
vi. Methods used to protect and restore coral reefs
the reason is the correct explanation of the
include marine protected areas, sustainable
assertion.
fishing practices, and coral farming.
(B) Both the assertion and reason are true, but
vii. Coral bleaching is caused by rising ocean
the reason is not the correct explanation of
temperatures.
the assertion.
viii Scientists believe coral reefs are essential
(C) The assertion is true, but the reason is
because they support marine biodiversity and
false. (D) The assertion is false, but the reason
provide livelihoods for millions of people.
is true.
ix. Reducing carbon emissions is crucial for the
iii. Identify the percentage of the ocean floor that survival of coral reefs because it helps mitigate
coral reefs cover, as mentioned in the passage. 1 global warming, which leads to rising ocean
iv. According to the passage, what are two major temperatures. These temperature increases
human-related benefits of coral reefs? 1 cause
Page 4 Sample Paper 03 Solutions CBSE 10th English
 coral bleaching, weakening the reefs and making
them more vulnerable to disease and destruction. Ans : (a)

SECTION B - WRITING SKILLS & v. Complete the given sentence, by filling in the
blank with the correct option :
GRAMMAR 20 GRAMMAR 10 Two years have passed since he _____ here.
3. Complete ANY TEN of twelve of the following (a) has come (b) come
tasks, as directed. (c) came (d) had come Ans : (c) came

i. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to vi. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the
complete the sentence. word in the bracket.
At one time, Mr. Nigel _____ this supermarket. They _____ (wish) me on my birthday every
(a) owned (b) used to own (c) had owned (d) year.
was owing Ans : (a) owned Ans : wish
ii. Read the conversation between Nisha and Anjali. vii. Report the dialogue between Parul and Nikhil, by
Complete the narration by reporting Anjali’s reply
completing the narration:
correctly.
Parul : Where did you spend your
Nisha : I want to improve my command over the holidays? Nikhil : I went to many hill
English language.
stations.
Anjali : For that you need to do a lot of reading in
English. Parul asked Nikhil _____. Nikhil replied that he
had gone to many hill stations.
Nisha said she wanted to improve her command
over the English language. Anjali said that Ans :
_____. where he had spent his holidays
Ans : viii. Identify the error in the given sentence and
for that she needed to do a lot of reading in supply the correction.
English. I like to drinking juice in the morning, and tea at
lunchtime.
iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the
given line. Use the given format for your answer:
Principal to a student : You _____ with bad girls.
Error Correction
(a) must not mix
(b) cannot mix
(c) may not mix
(d) None of these
Ans : (a) must not mix
Ans :
iv. Select the option that identifies the error and
Error Correction
supplies the correction for the following line: We,
here in India have so many religions, we eat so drinking drink
many different foods, we wear so much different
kinds of dresses.
Option No. Error Correction
ix. Transform the following direct speech into
(a) much many reported speech:
“Who now”, they had asked, “will listen to our
(b) eat ate troubles and protect us from the crocodiles ?”
Ans :
(c) have has
They had wanted to know who then would listen
(d) wear wears to their troubles and protect them from the
crocodiles.
 The father divided his property among his three
x. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply sons lest they will quarrel afterwards.
the correction.
CBSE 10th English Sample Paper 03 Solutions Page 5

Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction WRITING 10
Note : All details presented in the questions in writing
section are imaginary and created for assessment
purpose.
4A. You are Nitish /Nikita, the Head Boy/ Girl of
Ans : Tagore Public School, Agra. Write a letter to
Messers New Star Sports, Kalkaji, New Delhi
Error Correction
asking them to send sports equipment for the
will should games and sports department of your school. 5
Ans :
Tagore Public School
Agra
xi. Select the correct option to complete the narration 5th January, 20...
of the dialogue between Arthur and Kevin. Arthur M/s New Star Sports
: Kevin, are you going to the hospital again? Is Kalkaji
your mother okay? New Delhi
Kevin : My mother is now better. Thank God, she Subject : Order for Sports Equipment
has been back to normal since Friday. Sir,
I wish to place a bulk order for the supply of
Arthur asked Kevin if he was going to the hospital
sports goods and equipment for the school for
again. He also asked him whether his mother
the academic session 2020-21. The particulars of
was okay. Kevin replied that _____ and thanking
the goods/equipment and their quantity to be
God, the boy said that his mother had been back
supplied are given below. Kindly send them at
to normal since.
the above address through transport along with
(a) his mother was better now cash bill.
(b) his mother had been better now
(c) his mother is better now S.No Particulars Quantity
.
(d) his mother has been better now
Ans : (a) his mother was better now 1. Tennis Balls 30
pieces
xii. Identify the error in the given sentence and
supply the correction. 2. Tennis Racquets 22
I walk 3 kilometres each day to reach my pieces

school. Use the given format for your response. 3. Volleyballs 20

pieces
Error Correction
4. English Willow Bats 25
pieces

5. Batting Pads 20 pairs

6. Wicket-Keeping Pads 12 pairs

Ans :
Error Correction 7. Batting Gloves 15 pairs

each every 8. Wicket-Keeping 05 pairs

Gloves
 9. Practice Leather Balls 200 pieces
pieces

10. Practice Net 05

pieces All the items should be in good condition,
well-bound and packed properly. Any damage to
11. Skipping Ropes 24 these items during transportation will be your
pieces responsibility. The payment of these goods will
be made digitally. The items should reach the
12. Stumps 24
school in 10 days after the receipt of the letter;
pieces
otherwise the order shall stand cancelled.
13. Footballs 20
Page 6 Sample Paper 03 Solutions CBSE 10th English
public awareness towards the threat of reckless
Thanking you drivers can be raised. It is also the time for the
Yours sincerely traffic authorities to take strong measures against
Nitish/Nikita the reckless drivers, which includes levying
Head Boy/Girl heavy fines and forfeiting of their licenses if they
are found guilty of breaching the traffic rules.
OR Waiting for your prompt response.
Thanking You
4B. Write a letter to the editor of a local daily
Yours sincerely
complaining against the school-bus drivers for
Dipti/Deepak
rash-driving and overcrowding of buses causing
risk to the lives of innocent school children. You 5A. The following table gives information about some
are Dipti/Deepak of C-156, Janakpuri, New Delhi. of the world’s most studied languages. Write an
Ans : analytical paragraph summarizing the given
C-156, Janakpuri information by analyzing and reporting the main
New Delhi and relevant information. 5
February 19, 20... S Languag No. of Native Spea
The Editor . es people speaker kers
The Times of India No studyin s of a in
Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg . ga languag
langua e
New Delhi
ge
Subject : Regarding reckless driving of
school-bus drivers 1 English 1.5 527 101
Sir, . billion million
Through the column of your esteemed
2 French 82 118 51
newspaper, I wish to draw the attention of the
. million million
concerned authorities towards the grave issue of
rash driving being done by school-bus drivers 3 30 1.39 33
which poses a threat to the lives of innocent . Chinese million billion
school children and trespassers.
Driving in a zigzag manner on packed roads, 4 14.5 389 31
. Spanish million million
crossing speed-limits, not following traffic lights
has become very common. Despite such strict 5 Italian 8 67 29
regulations regarding speed, none of these . million million
drivers seem to follow them. This shows that
there is lack of implementation. This is a menace 6 3 123 25
. Japane million million
to other road users as the bus drivers that drive
se
at high speed might crush down whoever comes
in their way.
By addressing this issue, it is hoped that the
 Ans : On the other hand, Spanish has 389 million
native speakers but only 14.5 million people are
World’s Most Studied Languages studying the language, which is almost double
The table highlights some of the world’s most the number of people studying Italian.
studied languages and compares the data to the Meanwhile, Japanese is the least studied
actual native speakers (mother tongue) of each language with 3 million people. Thus, we can
language and also tells how many countries have conclude that there is no relation between how
speakers of each of the languages. As the table many native speakers are there and how many
clearly shows, English is one of the prominent people are actually studying a language. But,
languages in the world. There are 1.5 billion there is a relation between the number of
people studying the language as compared to 82 countries where a language is spoken and the
million people studying French, the second most number of people studying a language.
studied language, when there are only 527
million native speakers of English as compared OR
to Chinese which has 1.39 billion native 5B. Look at the given bar graph which shows the
speakers. We can also see that English is result of a survey conducted in the public and
spoken in 101 countries which is double the government schools of Mathura. The graph
number of countries where French is spoken and depicts the types of activities the teenagers from
triple the number of countries where Chinese is the age of 14 years to 19 years are involved in
spoken. But in terms of native speakers, during their leisure time.
Chinese has the most numbers at 1.39 billion,
even if the people studying it are only 30 million.
CBSE 10th English Sample Paper 03 Solutions Page 7 SECTION C - LITERATURE TEXTBOOK

40

6. Read the given extracts and answer ANY ONE of

the two questions given below 5
A. It was only when I began to learn that my boyhood
freedom was an illusion when I discovered as a
young man that my freedom had already been
taken from me, that I began to hunger for it.
At first, as a student, I wanted freedom only for
myself, the transitory freedoms of being able to
stay out at night, read what I pleased and go where
I chose. Later, as a young man in Johannesburg,
I yearned for the basic and honourable freedoms
of achieving my potential, of earning my keep, of
marrying and having a family - the freedom not
to be obstructed in a lawful life.
(Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)

i. What effect does the experience, as described in

the lines below, have on the narrator?
Write an analytical paragraph highlighting the school teenagers seem to be more tech-oriented
result of the survey, including all the main points in their leisure activities than government school
and relevant information. teenagers. Around 49 percent of teenagers from
public schools prefer to surf the net in their free
Ans :
time, while only 7 percent of government school
Difference in Leisure Activities of Teenagers teenagers attempt this, which is a big contrast.
The bar graph showcases the difference in the Same way, 20 percent of teenagers from public
leisure activities of teenagers from the age of 14 school use smart phones which is double the
to 19 years in the public and government schools percentage of teenagers from government school
of Mathura. As the graph portrays, the public who use smart phones. In contrast, 25 percent of
 government school teenagers prefer hanging out words.
with their friends whereas only 13 percent of
public school teenagers tend to do so. Even iv. From where does the speaker’s hunger for
watching TV in leisure time is an activity that is freedom begin?
preferred by government school teenagers than Ans :
public school teenagers, though there is not a
i. (B) motivates
huge difference in the percentage. Thus, we can
ii. Freedom was an illusion for the speaker because
say that public school teenagers in Mathura are
he was born in an apartheid country.
more tech oriented than government school
iii. The speaker mentions some freedoms as
teenagers as they prefer indoor activities like net
transitory because the freedoms we enjoy are
surfing, watching TV and using smart phone in
momentary and keep changing with time. He
their leisure time over hanging out with friends.
had different perceptions of freedom at different
It was only when I began to learn that my
stages of his life.
boyhood freedom was an illusion when I
iv. Adulthood
discovered as a young man that my freedom had
already been taken from me, that I began to
B. “Marriage gifts are meaningless without the sweet
hunger for it.
bread known as the ‘bol’ just as a party or a feast
Choose the most suitable option.
loses its charm without bread. Not enough can
(A) frustrates (B) motivates
be said to show how important a baker can be
(C) discourages (D) liberates
for a village. The lady of the house must prepare
ii. Why was freedom an illusion for the speaker? sandwiches on the occasion of her daughter’s
engagement. Cakes and ‘bor are a must for
iii. Why do you think the speaker mentions some
freedoms as ‘transitory’? Answer in about 40
Page 8 Sample Paper 03 Solutions CBSE 10th English
i. (c) Every house has their own furnace in Goa. ii. A
Christmas as well as other festivals. Thus, the marriage gift would have no meaning if a sweet
presence of the baker in the village is absolutely bread known as the ‘bol’ is not served to the guests
essential.” just like a party feast loses its charm without this
(Glimpses of India) sweet bread.
iii. The name of the sweet bread that is essential for
i. Breads are a very important part of the culture of
marriage gifts in the village is the “bol.”
the people in Goa.
iv. The traditional name of the bakers was ‘pader’
Which of the given options does not corroborate
and since they were a prosperous community,
the statement?
they resembled a jackfruit in appearance.
(a) Bols are central to marriage celebrations and
festivals. 7. Read the given extracts and answer the
(b) Festivals especially Christmas are incomplete questions for ANY ONE of the two, given. 5 A. An
without cakes. ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy As he stands
(c) Every house has their own furnace in Goa. rigid, trembling, staring down All his young days into
(d) Special sandwiches are made on a the harbour where His ball went. I would not intrude
daughter’s engagement. on him; A dime, another ball, is worthless.
Now he senses first responsibility
ii. What makes the marriage gifts meaningless? In a world of possessions.
Answer in about 40 words. (The Ball Poem)

iii. What is the name of the sweet bread that is i. Fill the blank with one word.
essential for marriage gifts in the village The boy’s ball went into the dark waters of the
according to the passage? _____.
ii. What is the significance of the use of the words
iv. What is the traditional name of bakers in Goa and ‘All his young days into the harbour’ to describe
what made them different from other people in the loss of the ball in the poem and how does this
appearance? word choice contribute to the overall mood and
tone of the poem?
Ans :
 consonance in ‘lost always, little boy’ and, asyndeton
iii. Complete the statement with correct facts : ‘I’ will in ‘A dime, another ball, is worthless.’
not intrude on the boy because _____. (a) he
won’t like the intrusion. B. He stalks in his vivid stripes
(b) ‘I’ wants him to face the situation. The few steps of his cage,
(c) another ball can be given to him. On pads of velvet quiet,
(d) the boy is stubborn. In his quiet rage.
He should be lurking in shadow,
iv. Comment on the poet’s use of language in these Sliding through long grass
lines. Near the water hole
Ans : Where plump deer pass.
(A Tiger in the Zoo)
i. harbour.
ii. The little boy stood shocked when he saw his ball i. Why is the tiger in a ‘quiet rage’?
drifting away. His rigidness shows that he
ii. Complete the following sentence with the
instinctively knew that it is irretrievable. With the
appropriate option.
ball, he also lost precious childhood memories
for good. The dark mood and the sad tone are The meaning of the line ‘in his quiet rage’ is
_____.
reflected in the choice of words: ‘ultimate shaking
grief,’ ‘rigid,’ ‘trembling,’ and ‘staring.’ (a) The tiger is hungry
iii. (b) ‘I’ wants him to face the situation. iv The stanza (b) The tiger is sleepy
is rich in figurative language. The poet has made (c) The tiger is unhappy and controlling his
effective use of alliteration in ‘buys a ball back,’ anger
repetition in ‘Balls, balls will be lost always,’ (d) The tiger is lazy
CBSE 10th English Sample Paper 03 Solutions Page 9
always took them in good humour and even
iii. How does the tiger show his presence? appreciated some of her arguments written in
the essay.
iv. Why does a tiger express his rage quietly ?
Answer in about 40 words. ii. What does Natalya say about the dog named
Guess?
Ans : (The Proposal)
i. The tiger is in a ‘quiet rage’ because his freedom Ans :
has been curtailed. While arguing with Lomov, Natalya told him that
ii. (c) The tiger is unhappy and controlling his anger her dog Squezzer was much better than
iii. The tiger shows his presence by baring teeth and Lomov’s dog Guess. She mentioned that Guess
claws, and by growling. had become too old and ought to be shot.
iv. The tiger expresses his rage quietly because there Natalya also claimed that Squezzer was
is nothing he can do from behind the bars of his hundred times much better than Guess.
cage. He is helpless as his strength now lies
inside the cage. He is no longer free as he was iii. How did the young seagull try to catch the
in the jungle. attention of his family?
(Two Stories About Flying)
8. Answer ANY FOUR of the following five Ans :
questions, in about 40-50 words. 4 3 12 # = Seeing that his family was not paying attention
to him from the meadow below, the young
i. Mr. Keesing was a strict but kind teacher. Explain
seagull slowly came up to the brink of the ledge
the truth of this statement.
and stood on one leg while hiding the other leg
(From the Diary of Anne Frank)
under his wing. He then closed his one eye and
Ans :
then the other and pretended to be falling
Mr. Keesing was a strict but kind teacher. He asleep. This is how he tried to attract the
punished Anne for her talkative behaviour by attention of his family.
making her write essays but he never took iv. How would a life on a tower be different from a life
offense to the words she wrote. Moreover, he anywhere else for Amanda ?
 (Amanda!) necklace missing ?
Ans : (The Necklace)
Life on a tower for Amanda would be very Ans :
different from her reality. Just like Rapunzel, Matilda went home from the ball at about four
even she desires to live on top of a tower, away o’clock in the morning. After reaching home, she
from everyday chaos. Amanda suffers due to the removed the wraps from her shoulder before the
constant nagging from her parents. She seeks a glass so that she could have a final view of her
place full of peace and serenity, where there is no glory. It was at that time that she found her
one to disturb her. Hence, she wishes to live on necklace missing.
a tower.
ii. “The two boys stared in surprise at the fresh
v. Do you think the trees are justified in the revolt? muddy imprints of a pair of bare feet.” What did
State two values which man should possess to the bewildered boys observe while looking at
stop the revolt. these footprints ?
(The Trees) (Footprints Without Feet)
Ans : Ans :
The trees inside the house get suffocated as they The two boys were surprised to see the fresh
grow. They try to free themselves from the cracks muddy imprints of a pair of bare feet. They
of the veranda floor and the leaves stretch out as wondered what a barefoot man was doing on the
if to move towards the glass. They are justified in steps of a house, in the middle of London. They
their revolt. Men should learn the importance of even observed that the footprints were
trees. appearing from out of nowhere as they could not
see a person. It is was a remarkable sight that
9. Answer ANY TWO of the following three bewildered the boys.
questions, in about 40-50 words. 23 6 # =

i. How and when did Matilda find the borrowed

Page 10 Sample Paper 03 Solutions CBSE 10th English
Ans :
iii. Had Anil really forgiven Hari Singh ? Support When the postmaster saw the letter addressed
your answer with evidence. to God, he broke out laughing, but almost
(The Thief’s Story) immediately he turned serious. He was amazed
Ans : at the faith of the writer and wished that he too
Anil did not make much money, so the amount could have the faith of the man who wrote the
stolen by Hari must have been very important. letter. This shows that he was an appreciative
The situation must have made him very angry. and amiable person.
But when he found out that Hari had made an He was kind, therefore in order not to shake
attempt to change his habits, Anil forgave him. the writer’s faith, he decided to answer the letter.
He thought that if Hari was given a chance, it will He was empathetic also. But, when he read the
help transform him. So, he forgave him and gave letter he realised that only goodwill wouldn’t do.
him an opportunity to improve himself. He even He would need money too. Still, he did not give
gave him Rupees 50 and promised to pay him up the idea of replying to the letter. He was
regularly from then on. determined and trustworthy and thus stuck on
his resolution. He asked for some money from
10. Answer ANY ONE of the following two his employees and he even himself gave a part
questions, in about 100-120 words. 6 of his salary. Several friends of his were obliged
to give something for an act of charity. The
i. “So, in order not to shake the writer’s faith in God,
postmaster was generous too. In the end, he
the postmaster came up with an idea to answer
sent 70 pesos to Lencho but he did not reveal
the letter”.
his identity. He did not want to break Lencho’s
What does this statement tell us about the
trust, hence signed the letter as God. This
postmaster? Was his idea successful ? How did
shows how selfless he was.
the receiver react?
(A Letter to God) ii. Being impressed by Custard’s feat, the young
 seagull’s sister wrote a letter to Custard seeking will automatically follow.
advice on addressing the situation with her
young brother. Write
11. Answer ANY ONE of the following two
Custard’s response to this letter. Base the advice
questions, in about 100-120 words. 6
from his experiences.
You may begin like this : i. After reading the story ‘Bholi’ by the author K.A.
Dear Ms Seagull, Abbas, what impression do you form of the
Thank you for seeking me out. I am humbled. protagonist of the story Bholi?
Based on my limited experiences I feel... Ans :
(The Tale of Custard the Dragon)
Bholi was a neglected child in the family. Due to
Ans : her deep black pockmarks, impaired speech and
Dear Ms Seagull, lack of sense, she was considered backward and
Thank you for seeking me out. I am humbled. a simpleton. The day she was brought to school,
Based on my limited experiences I feel if we run she avoided other girls, who made fun of her and
away from the difficult situation it becomes she could not even understand their language.
monstrous. A courageous person is always ready But due to her teacher’s encouragement and
to face the inverse conditions without boasting of sympathetic treatment, she became a bold girl.
his bravery. Cowards run away when the real Moreover, she turned out to be a good and
problem comes up and give baseless understanding person who was submissive to her
explanations for their fleet. parents’ wishes. She yielded to the wish of her
The case with your brother is somewhat parents to marry her off to Bishamber, a man who
different. he is not a coward but he is unable to was lame, old enough to be the age of her father
muster up the courage for his first flight. He is and had grown-up children. But later, she even
worried about the consequences of falling down. had the courage to reject her marriage because
Try to explain to him that birds are born with she did not want a husband who disrespected
innate flying skills and he should not worry about her father.
falling down. If he focuses on his aim, success
CBSE 10th English Sample Paper 03 Solutions Page 11

ii. “Horace had some hope because she seemed to

be amused at meeting him.” Why did Horace feel
so? Did he consider the young lady compassionate
towards him? Did he find her free from biases?
Discuss the values Horace should have imbibe
understanding of the person.
(A Question of Trust)
Ans :
Horace was a fifty-year-old man who used to rob
only to buy rare and expensive. This time he
decided to rob Shot over Grange. But as soon
as he entered the room, a young lady appeared.
She posed to be the lady of the house. She was
very confident in her way of mannerism. Then she
tried to be polite and nice to him. On hearing her,
Horace felt that he had a hope of escaping. He
found her a bit compassionate towards him. He
was amused at Horace. She acted in quite a subtle
manner and showed her sympathy and admiration
towards a simple and honest man. He could not
judge her ace. She made Horace promise that
he would never commit the crime again. Horace
should have been clever, shrewd and witty like
the lady.