HBSE Class 10 Sample Paper 2024 English

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SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER (2023-24)
CLASS: 10th
SUBJECT : ENGLISH
Time: 3 Hours M.M. : 80
General Instructions:-
(i) The Question Paper contains four sections – Reading Skill, Grammar,
Writing Skill and Literature.
(ii) Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.

SECTION - A 20 Marks
(READING SKILL)
1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that
follow : (10)
(i) The Amazon is the world's largest tropical rainforest. It covers an area
of nearly 2.8 million square miles, which is nearly the size of the
continent of Australia. The Amazon rainforest gets its life from the
majestic Amazon river, the world's second largest river, which runs
directly through the heart of the region. The rainforest itself is simply the
drainage basin for the river and its many tributaries. The vast forest itself
consists of four layers, each featuring its own ecosystems and specially
adapted plants and animals.
(ii) The forest floor is the lowest region. Since only two per cent of the
sunlight filters through the top layers to the understorey, very few plants
grow here. The forest floor, however, is rich with rotting vegetation and
the bodies of dead organisms which are quickly broken down into
nutrients and decomposers such as millipedes and earthworms use
these nutrients for food.
(iii) The understorey is the layer above the forest floor. Much like the forest
floor, only about 2-5 per cent of the sunlight reaches this shadowy realm.
Many of the plants in the understorey have large, broad leaves to collect
as much sunlight as possible. The understorey is so thick that there is

very little air movement. As a result, plants rely on insects and animals
to pollinate their flowers.
(iv) The layer above the understorey is the canopy. This is where much of
the action in the rainforest occur. Many canopy leaves have specially
adapted leaves which form “drip tips". Drip tips allow water to flow off the
leaves. The canopy leaves are very dense and filter about 80 per cent of
the sunlight. The canopy is where the wealth of the rainforest's fruits and
flowers grow. Bromeliads, cuplike plants, provide drinking pools for
animals and breeding locations for tree frogs.
Questions :
(i) How much area is covered by the Amazon rainforest?
(a) About 3.8 million square miles (b) About 2.8 million square miles
(c) About 4.8 square miles (d) About 1.8 million square miles

(ii) ……………………..is the world's second largest river.
(a) The Thames (b) The Nile
(c) The Amazon (d) The Brahmaputra

(iii) The Amazon rainforest is simply the…………… for the river.
(a) Drainage basin (b) Catchment area
(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) Neither (a) nor (b).

(iv) How much sunlight is received by the understorey of the rainforest ?
(a) About 3-5 per cent (b) About 2 per cent.
(c) About 2-5 per cent (d) About 2-4 per cent.

(v) Bromeliads which are ................ provide drinking pools for animals and
breeding locations for tree frogs.
(a) Cup-shaped pits (b) Open spaces
(c) Water points (d) Cuplike plants.

(vi) How many layers does the vast forest consist of?

(vii) Why is there very little air movement in the understorey?
(viii) What is a canopy?
(ix) What is the food for millipedes and earth worms?
(x) What will be the suitable title for this passage ?

2. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that
follow : (10)
1. Water is being used as if it is a never-ending source. Obviously, we cannot
decide how much rain we will get, nor can we predict to a good degree of
accuracy when rain would occur. The only thing we can do to save ourselves
from the dangerous situation of "lack of water to drink while we are thirsty" is
to conserve water.

2. Let us ask ourselves how much water is wasted when we brush our teeth
due to the non-stop flow from the tap, Water is wasted while washing clothes,
cleaning dishes and flushing the toilet. Most of us know about these things but
realizing it and taking remedial steps is crucial. We can impart the message of
conservation to our children in school so that the younger generation today will
become responsible citizens of tomorrow.

3. All of us can conserve at least a bucket of water everyday by using the
scarce resource prudently. Please remember, a bucket of water saved by
every individual everyday in our country of billion-plus means enormous.

4. We may become richer if we have a lot of gold reserves, but we will die if
we don't have water. In India, where agriculture is the primary occupation for
many people, water conservation is a must.

Questions :

1. What is difficult to predict?

2. Which hazardous situation we may face in future?

3. What can be done to make the younger generation responsible citizens of
tomorrow?

4. What is the only solution to the crisis of water?

5. Why is water more precious than gold?

(6-10) Choose the correct option.

6. Water is being used as if ________ .

a. It is a holy source. b. It can be recycled.
c. It will always be available. d. It will never be available in future.

7. Which of the following is not mentioned in paragraph two among the
examples of water wastage?
a. flushing the toilet b. washing clothes
c. cleaning dishes d. washing cars

8. What is the primary occupation for many people in India?
a. fishing b. agriculture
c. swimming d. cycling

9. What message does the passage convey?
a. Save Trees b. Save Girl Child
c. Save Nature d. Save Water

10. What does the word 'prudently' mean?
a. effectively b. greatly
c. rudely d. carefully

SECTION – B 10 Marks
(GRAMMAR)
3. Attempt any ten sentences from the given items. (10 X 1 =10)
A. Fill in the blanks with correct form of the verb.
(i) She __ (go) to temple everyday.
a. go b. goes
c. is going d. has been going

(ii) We __ (wait) for the school bus at the moment.
a. waits b. is waiting
c. are waiting d. have waited

B. Fill in the blanks with correct article.

(iii) He is _______ M. L. A.
a. the b. an
c. a d. No article

(iv) _____ Man is mortal.
a. The b. A
c. an d. No article

C. Punctuate the following sentences :

(v) dr anu said why are you beating rajesh

a. Dr. Anu said, "Why are you beating Rajesh?"
b. Dr Anu said, "why are you beating Rajesh!"
c. Dr Anu said, " Why are you beating rajesh."
d. None of these

(vi) we went to agra on friday
a. We went to agra on Friday
b. We went to Agra on friday
c. We went to Agra on Friday?
d. We went to Agra on Friday.

D. Change the following sentences into indirect speech :

(vii) The teacher said to me," Don't go there."
a. The teacher forbade me to go there.
b. The teacher asked me not to go there.
c. The teacher ordered me not to go there.
d. All of these

(viii) My father said, " Union is strength. "
a. My father said that union was strength.
b. My father said if union is strength.
c. My father said that union is strength.
d. My father exclaimed with sorrow that union is strength

E. Fill in the blanks with suitable modals.

(ix) He ran fast so that he ________ catch the bus.
a. may b. might
c. will d. would

(x) I ___________ swim when I was young.
a. can b. may
c. need d. could

F. Fill in the blanks with correct non finite form of the verb.

(xi) The signboard said, " No _______." (park)
a. park b. parking
c. parked d. to park

(xii) We were made _________ (paint) the wall.
a. painting b. to paint
c. painted d. paint

SECTION – C 10 Marks

(WRITING SKILL)
4. Attempt any one of the following : (5)
(i) Write an application to the librarian of your school, requesting him/her to
remit the fine for returning the books late. You are Aarush/Arshita,
student of 10th A class of R.M.S. Sr. Sec. School, Ambala.
(ii) Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper about the polluted water
supply in your area.
5. Attempt any one of the following : (5)
(i) Your school has organized a Blood Donation camp. Write a report about
the camp for your school magazine.
(ii) You have been transferred to Mumbai and you want to sell your Hyundai
car. Write a suitable advertisement for a newspaper.

SECTION - D 40 Marks
(LITERATURE)
6. Do any one of the passages given below and answer the questions that
follow. (5)
Immediately, Lencho went up to the window to ask for paper and ink. On the
public writing-table, he started to write, with much wrinkling of his brow,
caused by the effort he had to make to express his ideas. When he finished,
he went to the window to buy a stamp which he licked and then affixed to the
envelope with a blow of his fist. The moment the letter fell into the mail box the
postmaster went to open it. It said: “God: of the money that I asked for, only
seventy pesos reached me. Send me the rest, since I need it very much. But
don't send it to me through the mail, because the post-office employees are a
bunch of crooks… Lencho.”
(i) Why did Lencho go up to the window?
(ii) Which feeling of Lencho does the phrase „much wrinkling of his brow‟
express?
(iii) How much money did Lencho find in the envelope?
(iv) Why did Lencho call the employees „a bunch of crooks'?
(v) Name the chapter and its writer.

OR
The second night Mijbil came on to my bed in the small hours and remained
asleep in the crook of my knees until the servant brought tea in the morning,
and during the day he began to lose his apathy and take a keen, much too
keen, interest in his surroundings. I made a body-belt for him and took him on
a lead to the bathroom, where for half an hour he went wild with joy in the
water, plunging and rolling in it, shooting up and down the length of the
bathtub underwater, and making enough slosh and splash for a hippo.
(i) Who was Mijbil?
(ii) Where did Mijbil sleep?
(iii) What happened when Mijbil was taken to the bathroom?
(iv) What did the author make for Mijbil ?
(v) Name the lesson and its writer.

7. Attempt any two questions:- (2x3=6)
(i) What compelled the young seagull to take his first flight?
(His First Flight)
(ii) Why does Anne Frank want to keep a diary?
(The Diary of Anne Frank)
(iii) Where is Coorg situated? What is it famous for? (Coorg)
(iv) Why does the conductor call Valli „madam‟? (Madam Rides the Bus)

8. What does Nelson Mandela recall on the day of inauguration?
(Nelson Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom) (6)
OR
Why did the Buddha ask Kisa Gotami to bring a handful of mustard seeds?
What message did he want to convey? (The Sermon at Benares)

9. Attempt any one from the given stanzas : (5)

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.
(i) What is the poet's opinion about the ending of the world?
(ii) What do people think about the ending of the world?
(iii) What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
(iv) Which word in the stanza means “agree”?
(v) Name the poet and the poem.
OR
What is the boy now, who has lost his ball,
What, what is he to do? I saw it go
Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then
Merrily over- there it is in the water!
No use to say 'O there are other balls':
(i) From which poem has this stanza been taken?
(ii) Why does the poet repeat the word 'What'?
(iii) Which feeling is expressed in the first line?
(iv) Where did the ball go?
(v) How was the ball bouncing?

10. Attempt any two of the following questions: (2x3=6)
(i) How would the tiger behave in the forest? (A Tiger in the Zoo)
(ii) What does the poem tell us about Amanda? (Amanda!)
(iii) How does the fog come? ( Fog)
(iv) How did Custard kill the pirate? (The Tale of Custard the Dragon)

11. Answer any two of the following questions: (2x3=6)
(i) Why does Mrs. Pumphrey think the dog‟s recovery is a triumph of
surgery?
( A Triumph of Surgery)
(ii) Describe Max as a secret agent. (The Midnight Visitor)
(iii) What was the cause of Matilda‟s ceaseless suffering? (The Necklace)

(iv) What is Think-Tank‟s second guess about books? (The Book That
Saved the Earth)
12. Prove the following quotation true in the context of 'The Thief's Story' : (6)

"Trust and the spirit to forgive someone can change a person."

OR
How did the teacher help Bholi to become a confident girl? (Bholi)