MBOSE Class 10 Question Paper 2020 for English Old Course

Total No. of Printed Pages—16
X/20/E(O)

2020

ENGLISH
( Old Course )

( FOR CANDIDATES WITH INTERNAL ASSESSMENT )

Full Marks : 80
Pass Marks : 24

( FOR CANDIDATES WITHOUT INTERNAL ASSESSMENT )

Full Marks : 100
Pass Marks : 30

Time : 3 hours

( FOR ALL CATEGORIES OF CANDIDATES )

General Instructions :

(i) The candidates are advised to attempt all questions
accordingly.

(ii) Marks allocated to every question are indicated against
each.

(iii) Question Nos. 1 to 16 are to be answered by all Candidates.

(iv) Question Nos. 17 to 20 are to be answered by Candidates
without Internal only.

/55 [ P.T.O.

( 2 )

SECTION—A
( Prose )

1. Choose and write the correct answer (any three ) : 1×3=3

(a) Maria Sharapova was proud of her

(i) Siberian nationality

(ii) Russian nationality

(iii) American nationality

(b) Promodini was saved from a lot of embarrassment
after the implementation of the suggestions given by

(i) Mr. David
(ii) Mr. Dhanda

(iii) Mr. Bhandari

(c) Mr. Framton Nuttel was advised by the doctor to
avoid

(i) violent physical exercise

(ii) mental excitement

(iii) mental excitement and violent exercise

(d) Megan decided not to give her baby for adoption
when

(i) her mother took her to the doctor

(ii) she delivered the baby

(iii) she was expelled from school

X/20/E (O)/55 [ Contd.

( 3 )

(e) The narrator and her family would have liked to take
off their coats but did not because
(i) they were afraid of falling sick
(ii) they would have to run any minute
(iii) they were wearing more clothes than usual

2. State whether the following statements are True or False
(any three) : 1×3=3

(a) Christine Arnothy and her parents amazingly
survived to escape over the Austrian border.

(b) When Bruno was sent to the Zoo at Mysore,
everyone was relieved but the author’s wife was
inconsolable.

(c) Claire was not at all sympathetic towards Megan.

(d) Maria Sharapova was ten-years-old when she left for
the USA.

(e) Promodini was very friendly to all the Guests who
came to the Guest House.

3. Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices
given in the brackets (any three ) : 1×3=3

(a) It was Mr. David who came to our _____.
( house/rescue )

(b) It was a relief to Framton when the aunt _____ into
the room.
( bustled/bolted )

X/20/E (O)/55 [ P.T.O.

( 4 )

(c) Megan gave birth to a baby _____.
( boy/girl )

(d) “I used to be so _____”, Maria recalls.
( lonely/friendly )

4. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions
that follow (any two ) : 3×2=6

(a) “You wicked girl ! You ....... You little devil. Get to
your room !”
(i) Who said this and to whom? 1+1=2
(ii) Why did the speaker term the girl as ‘wicked’? 1

(b) “That’s the dream that kept me going.”
(i) Who is the speaker of the given line? 1
(ii) What is the dream that the speaker is referring
to? 1
(iii) Which qualities in the speaker made her
realise her dream? 1

(c) “For old ones like you, I shall ask extra.”
(i) Who was the speaker here? 1
(ii) To whom were these words spoken? 1
(iii) Why did the speaker ask for ‘extra’? 1

5. Answer any two of the following questions : 5×2=10
(a) Where was Bruno found? What accident befell
Bruno the first time at the author’s house? What
made the author give Bruno to the Zoo? 1+2+2=5

X/20/E (O)/55 [ Contd.

( 5 )

(b) Why had the writer’s friend recommended the
Bhandari’s Guest House? What was the writer’s own
opinion once he was there? What did he observe
about the Bhandari couple? 2+1+2=5

(c) In the story Through the Iron Curtain, the narrator
and her family had a plan to execute. What was the
plan? What were they running away from? Why
could their dog not go with them? 3+1+1=5

(d) Where was Maria Sharapova born? Why did she
leave her mother and the country of her birth? What
lesson did this enforced separation from her mother
teach Maria? 1+2+2=5

SECTION—B
( Poetry )

6. Choose and write the correct meaning from the options
given below (any four ) : 1×4=4

(a) Gently weeps in rainy tears

(i) it begins to drizzle

(ii) the poet weeps as it rains

(iii) people weep like rain

(b) A single body breathes

(i) a person needs air

(ii) we will die when we stop breathing

(iii) men all over are essentially the same

X/20/E (O)/55 [ P.T.O.

( 6 )

(c) Desert sand of dead habit
(i) life chained by fear
(ii) life chained by reason
(iii) reasons are overshadowed by customs

(d) Full of the linnet’s wings
(i) the birds flying here and there
(ii) the wings of the linnets will look pretty
(iii) the linnets will flap their wings

(e) April’s in the West Wind
(i) the wind reminded him of his approaching youth
(ii) the wind reminded him of the past youth of his
life
(iii) the poet felt the pleasant sensation of the month
of April from the wind

(f) War’s long winter starv’d
(i) during wars people starve
(ii) during winter people starve
(iii) during wars and winter, people starve

7. Supply the missing lines in the following extracts
(any two ) : 1×2=2

(a) “I will arise and go now, for always night and day

___________________________________________________”

X/20/E (O)/55 [ Contd.

( 7 )

(b) “Where words come out from the depth of truth
___________________________________________________”

(c) “Larks are singing in the west, brother, above the
green wheat,
___________________________________________________”

8. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions
that follow (any one) : 3

(a) “Into that heaven of freedom, My father, let my
country awake.”

(i) Who is the poet praying to and for whom? 1+1=2

(ii) What does the term ‘heaven of freedom’ mean? 1

(b) “I will arise and go now and go to Innisfree
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles
made.”

(i) Who wrote the poem The Lake Isle of Innisfree? 1

(ii) Why does the poet want to go to the lake Isle of

Innisfree? 1

(iii) How does the poet intend to build his cabin on
the island? 1

9. Answer any one of the following questions : 6

(a) How is Coates Kinney’s mind affected by the rain?
What are the various memories that the sound of the
rain bring to the mind of the poet? 2+4=6

X/20/E (O)/55 [ P.T.O.

( 8 )

(b) What is the poet’s reaction when he feels the West
Wind? What are the sights from his homeland that
the poet recalls? 2+4=6

(c) Who wrote the poem Where The Mind Is Without
Fear? What kind of freedom does the poet wish for
his countrymen and what kind of place does he want
his country to be? 1+3+2=6

SECTION—C
( Rapid Reader )

Answer either from Group—A or from Group—B

Group—A

( The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde )

10. Answer, in brief, any four of the following questions :
1×4=4

(a) Who identified Sir Danvers Carew’s body?

(b) Whom did Mr. Enfield rescue in The Story of the
Door?

(c) What happened to Dr. Jekyll at Regents Park?

(d) Who was Poole?

(e) What did the drawer in the cupboard marked ‘E’
contain?

(f) Who were ‘the three very old friends’ in the story
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ?

X/20/E (O)/55 [ Contd.

( 9 )

11. Who was Sir Danvers Carew? How did Sir Danvers
Carew die? What was found at the crime scene? 1+3+2=6

Or
Why did Dr. Jekyll invent the transcendental medicine?
How did he feel when he took the drug? How did it bring
about his death? 1+2+3=6

Group—B
( The Count of Monte Cristo )

10. Answer, in brief, any four of the following questions :
1×4=4
(a) How did Villefort protect his father?
(b) What was the name of the inn owned by
Caderousse?
(c) How did Albert Morcerf challenge the count of
Monte Cristo to avenge his father’s disgrace?
(d) What did the bundle that Bertuccio took from
Villefort contain?
(e) What present did Cavalcanti give his old friend?
(f) What papers did Haydee produce to prove her
identity?

11. Who was Abbe Faria? Why was he placed among the
mad prisoners? Describe his appearance. 1+2+3=6

Or
How did Dantes persuade the telegraph man to send a
false message to Paris? What was the message? How did
the false message affect Danglars? 2+2+2=6

X/20/E (O)/55 [ P.T.O.

( 10 )

SECTION—D
( Grammar and Composition )

12. Rewrite the following as directed : 1×8=8
(a) He told his mother that he would become a brave
General one day.
( Begin with : He said ..... )
(b) She exclaimed with regret that she had been very
foolish.
( Begin with : She said ..... )
(c) To see is to believe.
( Rewrite the sentence using a gerund )
(d) The people do not admire this picture.
( Change into the passive voice )
(e) I have given you all the facts. I have nothing more
to say.
( Rewrite the sentence using the
‘ing’ form of the verb )
(f) The teacher said to the student, “Why were you
absent yesterday?”
( Begin with : The teacher asked .... )
(g) The flowers were not touched by us.
( End with ..... the flowers )
(h) He is going to Pune. He will start a business there.
( Join the two sentences into one,
using an ‘Infinitive’ )

X/20/E (O)/55 [ Contd.

( 11 )

13. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions
(any four ) : ½×4=2
(a) One must be Loyal _____ one’s motherland.
(b) The young scholar has an aptitude _____ science.
(c) The doctor relieved him _____ pain.
(d) He complained to the principal _____ me.
(e) India and Pakistan were ______ War in 1971.
(f) A band of robbers emerged _____ the forest.

14. Make sentences with any four of the following idioms :
1×4=4
(a) end in smoke
(b) cock and bull story
(c) at the eleventh hour
(d) crocodile tears
(e) raining cats and dogs

15. Read the passage given below and answer the questions
that follow :
Polythene shopping bags and wrappers are a potential
threat to urban environment. Once we have discarded
them after use, we do not lose our link with them. They
return to us in a variety of ways, though we do not
realise it. For example, they choke our drains and
provide breeding facilities to deadly germs. A recent
study has shown that about 250 tonnes of plastic wastes
come from various colonies of major cities everyday. This
disrupts or blocks the sewer system, the essential
arteries of city life.

X/20/E (O)/55 [ P.T.O.

( 12 )

Unfortunately, even villages and small towns are not free
from this danger. Millions of people carry their shopping
in colourful bags. After sometime, they are disposed off
in wells, rivers, tanks and drains. Many throw them into
fields, forest areas and by the side of roads, without a
thought for the environment. As these polythene bags
and wrappers are light, they are borne aloft by the wind
or swept away by rain. Unlike jute, cotton or paper bags,
they remain undissolved in the mud and stop the rain
water from seeping deep into the earth.

Questions :

(a) What is a threat to urban environment? 1

(b) How do polythene shopping bags and wrappers
return to us in a variety of ways? 1

(c) What do the plastic wastes from major cities do? 1

(d) Where are the colourful shopping bags disposed off? 1

(e) Where do the polythene bags and wrappers remain? 1

(f) Find words from the passage which mean the same
as :
(i) thrown away
(ii) cause disorder in ½+½=1

Or
(a) While travelling by bus in your town, you lost a
bag containing your certificates. Write a classified
advertisement for a newspaper under the heading
‘Lost and Found’. 3

X/20/E (O)/55 [ Contd.

( 13 )

(b) The Principal of your school is planning to organize
a debate competition. Write a notice to be put up on
the School Notice Board. 3

16. Attempt either (a) or (b) : 10

(a) Write an essay (in about 200 words) on any one of
the following topics :

(i) Friendship
Points : Introduction—necessity of friends—
proper selection of friends—conclusion.

(ii) Students and Examinations
Points : Introduction—fear and stress of doing
well in Exams—pressure to compete with friends
and to meet expectations of parents—conclusion.

(iii) Health is wealth

Points : Introduction—importance of good
health—how to stay healthy—conclusion.

(b) (i) Recently you watched a movie based on a true
story and the movie had a great impact on you.
Write a letter to your friend telling him/her all
about it.

Or
(ii) You recently spent a holiday with a friend in
his/her city. Write a letter to thank him/her and
describe some of the things you enjoyed most
during your stay there.

X/20/E (O)/55 [ P.T.O.

( 14 )

( For Candidates without Internal Assessment )
( Marks : 20 )

17. Answer the following in 1 sentence or 2 sentences each
(any five ) : 2×5=10

(a) Who shot the mother bear?

(b) What was Maria’s favourite food?

(c) “But where can we spend the night and the whole of
tomorrow?” Who spoke these words and why?

(d) “I almost get a creepy feeling that they will all walk
in through that window.” Who said this and to whom
was it spoken?

(e) Who was Claire? How did she react to Megan’s
pregnancy?

(f) Where was Mr. Bhandari’s Guest House situated
and what were the facilities provided?

18. Match the columns given below : 1×5=5

(a) The head is held high (i) William Butler Yeats
(b) What a joy to press (ii) to hate our brothers
the pillow
(c) And evening full of the (iii) people live with dignity
Linnet’s wings and self-respect
(d) It’s blue sky, and white (iv) rain on the roof
clouds and warm rain
and sun
(e) Whenever we are told (v) John Masefield

X/20/E (O)/55 [ Contd.

( 15 )

19. Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices
given in the brackets : ½×4=2

(a) Ere she left them till the _____.

( dawn/dusk )

(b) While I stand on the roadway, or the pavements
_____.

( black/gray )

(c) _____ are singing in the West.

( Larks/Thrushes )

(d) Where the clear stream of _____ has not lost its way.

( vision/reason )

20. Answer either Group—A or Group—B :

Group—A
( The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde )

Answer the following in 1 sentence or 2 sentences each
(any three ) : 1×3=3

(a) Who was Dr. Lanyon?

(b) Why were the Sunday walks of Enfield and Utterson
peculiar?

(c) “If you fail tonight, I am lost.” Who said this and to
whom?

(d) Who witnessed the murder of Sir Danvers Carew?

X/20/E (O)/55 [ P.T.O.

( 16 )

Group—B
( The Count of Monte Cristo )

Answer the following in 1 sentence or 2 sentences each
(any three ) : 1×3=3

(a) Who was Haydee?

(b) How did Fernand end his life?

(c) Why did the jeweller return to the inn?

(d) Under which two names did Dantes disguise
himself?

  

X/20/E (O)/55 20K