Class 10 Sample Paper Social Science (Half Yearly)

SAMPLE
PAPER
Half Yearly Examination

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HALF YEARLY EXAMINATION
SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER

Class - X Subject – Social Science
Time – 3 Hours Maximum Marks- 80

General Instructions :
i. Question paper comprises five Sections – A, B, C, D and E. There are 32 questions in the
question paper. All questions are compulsory.
ii. Section A – Question no. 1 to 16 are Objective Type Questions of 1 mark each.
iii. Section B – Question no. 17 to 22 are short answer type questions, carrying 3 marks each.
Answer to each question should not exceed 80 words.
iv. Section C – Question no. 23 to 26 are source based questions, carrying 4 marks each.
v. Section D – Question no. 27 to 31 are long answer type questions, carrying 5 marks each.
Answer to each question should not exceed 120 words.
vi. Section E – Question no. 32 is map based, carrying 5 marks with two parts, 32.1 from
History (2 marks) and 32.2 from Geography (3 marks).
vii. There is no overall choice in the question paper. However, an internal choice has been
provided in few questions. Only one of the choices in such questions have to be attempted.
viii In addition to this, separate instructions are given with each section and question,
wherever necessary.

SECTION-A

1. Who was the chief architect of the unification of Germany?
A. Otto von Bismarck
B. Cavour
C. Metternich
D. Mazzini [1]
2. Romanticism refers to a:
A. cultural movement
B. religious movement
C. political movement
D. literary movement [1]

3. Which of the following countries is considered as the ‘cradle of European civilization’?
A. England
B. France
C. Greece
D. Russia

4. Fill in the blank: [1]
The piece of land left uncultivated for the past 1 to 5 agricultural years is called ________.

1

OR

____________ Resources which are found in a region, but have not been utilised.

5. Find the incorrect option regarding unclassed forests. [1]
A. These forests are mostly managed by both private communities and the government.
B. All human activities are allowed in these forests.
C. These forests are mostly found North-Eastern states and parts of Gujarat.
D. These forests constitute about more than half of the total forest land in India.
6.Identify the forest conservation programme with the help of the following features. [1]

A. In these programme furnishes a good example for involving local
communities in the management and restoration of degraded forests.
B. It depends on the formation of local (village) institutions that undertake
protection activities mostly on degraded forest land managed by the forest
department.
C. In return, the members of these communities are entitled to intermediary
benefits like non timber forest produces and share in the timber harvested by
‘successful protection’.

7. Match the following and choose the correct option given below : [1]

River Projects Rivers
a. Bhakra Nangal i. Krishna
b. Sardar Sarovar ii. Mahanadi
c. Nagarjuna Sagar iii. Narmada
d. Hirakud iv. Satluj
Options :

A. a-iv, b-iii, c-ii, d-i
B. a-ii, b-iii, c-iv, d-i
C. a-ii, b-iv, c-i, d-iii
D. a-iv, b-iii, c-i, d-ii

8. Complete the following table: [1]

Food Crop Annual Rainfall Cropping Season
Wheat A. ? B. ?

9. What is federalism? [1]

10. What did Gandhiji say about the relationship between religion and politics? [1]

OR

What do you mean by quest for political dominance?

11. What is meant by sexual division of labour? [1]

OR
2

Mention one situation where expression of caste differences play a positive role.

12. Human Development Report is published by. [1]
A. UNDP
B. IMF
C. World Bank
D. WHO

13. Which component is important for comparing different countries? [1]
A. Population
B. Income
C. Per Capita Income
D. Resources

14. What will be the top priority in the development goal of a landless labourer? [1]
A. Expansion of rural banking
B. Establishment of a high school
C. More days of work and better wages
D. Metal roads for transport

15. Which sector has emerged as the largest producing sector in India. [1]
A. Secondary sector
B. Primary sector
C. Tertiary sector
D. Science and Technology sector

16. Which example does not fall under unorganised sector? [1]
A. A doctor in a hospital treating a patient
B. A daily wage labourer working for a contractor
C. A farmer irrigating his field
D. A handloom weaver working on a loom in her house.

SECTION-B

Short answer questions:

17. Explain the three types of flows within international economy in exchanges? [3]

18. State three reasons why Europeans fled to America in the 19th century. [3]

OR
Enumerate the importance of Silk Route.

19. “Planning is widely accepted strategy for judicious use of resources”. Explain this statement
with examples. [3]

3

20. What were the majoritarianism measures adopted in Sri Lanka to establish Sinhala supremacy?
[3]

OR
What amendments were worked out by the Belgian leaders in order to accommodate regional
differences and cultural diversites?

21. State two points about the developmental goals that are observed in day to day life? [3]

22. What is average income of a country? Why is Per Capita Income considered as an important
parameter of measuring development? [3]

SECTION-C

23. Read the source given below and answer the questions that follows: (1+1+2=4)

The Independence Day Pledge, 26 January 1930

‘We believe that it is the inalienable right of the Indian people, as of any other people, to have
freedom and to enjoy the fruits of their toil and have the necessities of life, so that they may have
full opportunities of growth. We believe also that if any government deprives them, the people
have a further right to alter it or to abolish it. The British Government in India has not only
deprived the Indian people of their freedom but has based itself on the exploitation of the masses
and has ruined India economically, politically, culturally and spiritually. We believe, therefore, that
India must sever the British connection and attain Purna Swaraj or Complete Independence.’

23.1. Explain the immediate effects of the Lahore Session of the Congress on the Indian National
Movement? [1]

23.2. Who was the President of the Congress when the decision was taken to celebrate 26 January
1930 as the Independence Day? [1]

23.3. Why must India sever the British connection and attain Purna Swaraj? Explain briefly. [2]

24. Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow:
Given the abundance and renewability of water, it is difficult to imagine that we may
suffer from water scarcity. The moment we speak of water shortages, we immediately
associate it with regions having low rainfall or those that are drought prone. We
instantaneously visualise the deserts of Rajasthan and women balancing many
‘matkas’ (earthen pots) used for collecting and storing water and travelling long
distances to get water. True, the availability of water resources varies over space and time,
mainly due to the variations in seasonal and annual precipitation, but water scarcity in
most cases is caused by over-exploitation, excessive use and unequal access to water

among different social groups. Where is then water scarcity likely to occur? As you have
read in the hydrological cycle, freshwater can be obtained directly from precipitation,
surface run off and groundwater.

4

Answer the following MCQs by choosing the most appropriate option.

24.1The availability of water resources varies over : [1]
A. Space
B. Time
C. Variation in precipitation
D. All of the above
24.2 Identify the cause of water scarcity. [1]
A. Overuse of aquifers
B. Increased human consumption
C. No change in climate
D. Both A & B
24.3 ___________ is the largest consumer of surface water. [1]
A. Animals
B. Aqua culture
C. Irrigated agriculture
D. Industries
24.4 A large amount of population requires more water not only more domestic use also to
produce more ___________. [1]
A. Farms
B. Forests
C. Food
D. Factories

25. Read the source given below and answer the questions that follows: (1+1+2=4)

Communalism is a belief that all those who have a common religion have, as a result, common
social, cultural and economic interests and identities. It is a notion that religion forms the base of
the society and the basic unit of division and that it is religion which determines all other
interests of its adherents. Hence, communalism is a phenomenon of superimposition of religious
beliefs on all other aspects of a man’s life because in pre-independent India, communalism
mainly manifested itself in Hindu-Muslim context, hence it is also loosely referred to as Hindu-
Muslim problem even though it contains in its gamut all rabble-rousing saber-rattling extremists
of all hues. Ingrained in this concept of communalism are three mistaken beliefs:

1. interests of the adherents of a religion are the same.

2. interests of the adherents of different religions were different.

3. interests of adherents of different religions were also antagonistic.

25.1. Which idea is communal politics based on? [1]

25.2. What is the most ugly form of communalism? [1]

25.3. What does communalism in its extreme form lead to? [2]

5

26. Study the given bar graph carefully, and answer the following questions: [4]
Graph 1

A. 1. Which was the largest producing sector in 1970-71?
B. 2. Which was the largest producing sector in 2010-11?
C. 3. Can you say which sector has grown the most over the past thirty years?
D. 4. What was the GDP of India in 2010-11?

SECTION-D

Long answer questions:

27. What steps were taken by the French revolutionaries to create a sense of collective belonging,
among the people of France? [5]

OR

Explain the process of Italian unification.

28. Differentiate between Subsistence Farming and Commercial Farming. [5]

OR

Suggest the initiative taken by the government to ensure the increase in agricultural

production.

6

SECTION-D

29. Give an account of the ethnic composition of Sri Lanka. [5]

30. Discuss the Constitutional Amendments of 1992 regarding decentralisation of power. [5]

31. Compare the economic activities of the Public sector with that of the Private sector [5 pts]. [5]

OR

What do you understand by disguised unemployment? Explain with an example .

SECTION-E

Map skill based question: (1+1=2)

32.1. Two places A and B have been marked on the given outline map of India. Identify them and
write their correct names on the lines drawn near them.

A. The place where Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place.

B. The place where the Indian National Congress Session was held in December, 1920.

32.2 (i) Two features A, B and C are marked on the given political outline map of India.
Identify these features with the help of the following information and write the
correct names of any TWO on the answer script. [1]
A. Typeofsoil
B. Type of soil
C. A Wheat producing state
(ii) On the Political Map of India locate and label any ONE of the following with suitable
symbols. [2]

D. Tehri Dam
E. Rana Pratap Sagar Dam

7

GEOGRAPHY

8

HISTORY

9

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