BANGALORE SAHODAYA SCHOOLS COMPLEX ASSOCIATION

PRE-BOARD EXAMINATION (2023-2024)

Grade X

Date: 04.01.2024 Max. Marks: 80

Subject: English Language and Literature (SET 1) Time: 3 Hours
General Instructions:
1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections-READING, GRAMMAR & WRITING and
LITERATURE.
2. Attempt the questions based on specific instructions for each part.

SECTION A: READING SKILLS (20 marks)

Reading Comprehension Through Unseen Passages
I. Read the passage given below.
1. The main difference between men and animals is the difference in their power of concentration.
All success in any line of work is the result of this. Everybody knows something about
concentration. We see its results every day. High achievements in art, music, etc. are the result
of concentration. Those who have trained animals find much difficulty in the fact that they are
constantly forgetting what is told to them. They cannot concentrate their minds on anything
long at a time. Here is the difference between men and animals—the man has the greater power
of concentration and also constitutes the difference between one man to another. Compare the
lowest with the highest man. The difference is in the degree of concentration. This is the only
difference.
2. Everybody’s mind becomes concentrated at times. We all concentrate upon things we love, and
we love those things upon which we concentrate our minds. What mother is there that does not
love the face of her child? That face is to her the most beautiful in the world. She loves it
because she concentrates her mind on it, and if everyone could concentrate his mind on that
same face, everyone would love it. It would be to all the most beautiful face.
3. We all concentrate our minds upon those things we love. When we hear beautiful music, our
minds become fastened upon it and we cannot take them away. Those who concentrate their
minds on classical music do not like common music, and vice-versa. Music in which the notes
follow each other in rapid succession holds the mind readily. A child loves lively music because
the rapidity of the notes gives the mind no chance to wander. A man who likes common music
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 dislikes classical music because it is more complicated and requires a greater degree of
concentration to follow it.
4. The great trouble with such concentration is that we do not control the mind; it controls us.
Something outside of ourselves, as it were, draws the mind into it and holds it as long as it
chooses. We hear melodious tunes or see a beautiful painting, and the mind is held fast; cannot
take it away.
5. If I speak to you well about a subject you like, your mind becomes concentrated on what I am
saying. I draw your mind away from yourself and hold it upon the subject in spite of yourself.
Thus, our attention is held and our minds are concentrated upon various things, in spite of
ourselves. We cannot help it.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below: 10 Marks

i. What is the underlying theme of the author in paragraph 1? Which of the following sums up
the main thought of the author? (1)

a) Concentration constitutes the main difference between living creatures.

b) Concentration is what differentiates men from animals

c) Animals have better concentration than men.

d) Animals can be trained to perform which require high concentration.

ii. Select the option that corresponds to the following relations below. (1)

The greater the power of concentration, the bigger the success story.

a) The more you laugh- the lesser your illness.

b) The higher the stamina- the lower food intake

c) The smaller the car- the bigger the advantage

d) The heavier the luggage- the higher the penalty.

iii. Select the option that displays what the writer projects, with reference to the following. (1)
Those who have trained animals find much difficulty in the fact that they are constantly
forgetting what is told to them.

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 iv. What is the trouble with the concentration that is being talked about in the above passage?
When is it easy to concentrate our mind on a particular thing? (2)
v. What connection does the writer draw between concentration and the liking for classical
music? (1)
vi. Based on your reading of the text, list 2 reasons why the writer says that lively or fast music is
the popular choice of the majority. (2)
vii. The writer says ‘When we hear beautiful music, our minds become fastened upon it and we
cannot take them away.’ Choose the best option that reflects the meaning of the word ‘fastened’
in the given statement. (1)
a) Connected
b) Closed
c) Hooked
d) Secured
viii. Supply 1 point to justify the following: Our mind controls us; we do not control our mind. (1)

II. Read the passage given below.

1. In addition to using libraries and visiting art museums, historic site visitation is another
common form of public engagement with the humanities. According to the National
Endowment for the Arts’ Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA). the percentage of
people making at least one such visit fell steadily from 1982 to 2012, before rising somewhat
in 2017. Visits to historic sites managed by the National Park Service (NPS) were substantially
higher in 2018 than in 1980, despite a decline in recent years.
2. In 2017, 28% of American adults reported visiting a historic site in the previous year. This
represented an increase of 4.4 percentage points from 2012 but a decrease of 8.9 percentage
points from 1982. The bulk of the decline in visitation occurred from 2002 to 2008.
3. The recent increases in visitation rates were statistically significant for the 35-44- and 45-54-
year-old age groups. The larger change was found among 35-to-44-year-olds, whose visitation
rate increased 8.7 percentage points. Despite the increase from 2012 to 2017 for these groups,
there was a net decline in historic site visitation since 1982 for Americans of virtually all ages.
Only among the oldest Americans (age 75 or older) was the rate of visitation higher in 2017
than 35 years earlier.

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 From 1982 to 2017, the differences among age groups with respect to rates of historic site
visitation decreased. For example, in 1982, the rate of visitation among 25-to-34-year-olds (the
group most likely to visit a historic site in that survey) was approximately 11 percentage points
higher than that of the youngest age group (18-to-24-year-olds). and more than 17 points higher
than that of people ages 65-74. By 2017, however, the visitation rate of 25-to-34-year-olds had
dropped to within five percentage points of the younger cohort and was virtually identical of
that for the older group.
4. While visitation rates are converging among the age cohorts, the differences by level of
educational attainment are still pronounced. In 2017, as in earlier years, the visitation rate
among college graduates was more than twice as high as the rate among those who finished
their studies with a high school diploma (43% as compared to 17%). Among those who did not
finish high school, visitation rates were below 10% throughout the 2008-2017 time period.
Conversely, among Americans with a graduate or professional degree, visitation rates were in
the vicinity of 50% during these years. Data from the National Park Service (NPS) indicate the
types of historic sites visited most and also the demands made of these sites’ physical
infrastructure and staff. Visits to NPS historic sites rose from approximately 59.5 million in
1980 to almost 112 million in 2018. Throughout this time period, visits to historic sites
constituted approximately a third of total NPS recreational visitation.
5. Since hitting a recent low in visits in 1995, total visits to historic sites of all types increased
58% to a high of 120.3 million in 2016, before falling 7%, to 111.9 million visits in 2018.
6. Much of the recent growth in visits to historic sites occurred among parks classified as national
memorials and was driven by a particularly high level of visitation at sites that did not exist in
1995, such as the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (3.3 million visitors in 2018), the
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial (3.6 million visitors), and the World War II Memorial (4.7
million visitors). As a result, visits to national memorials increased by more than 300% from
1995 to 2016, even as the number of sites increased by just 26% (from 23 to 29). In comparison,
visits to national monuments increased by only 3%, even as the number of sites in the category
increased by 9% (from 64 to 70). From 2016 to 2018, the number of visits fell in every
category, with the largest decline occurring at the memorial sites (down 10%), and the smallest
drop at national monuments (3%).

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below: 10 Marks

i. Supply one common form of public engagement with the humanities. (1)

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 ii. Which age group had a higher rate of visitation to historic sites in 2017 than 35 years earlier
in America? (1)
a) 35–44-year-olds
b) 45–54-year-olds
c) 75 or more year-olds
d) 25–34-year-olds
iii. Explain in 40-50 words the importance of visiting historical sites in the development of our
national identity. (2)
iv. After the year 1995, total visits to historic sites of all types increased 58% in the year _____.
(1)
a) 2015
b) 2016
c) 2017
d) 2018.
v. State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE: (1)
The number of historical sites visits fell in every category from the year 2016 to the year 2018,
with the largest decline occurring at the memorial sites.
vi. Substitute the word ‘attainment’ with ONE WORD similar in meaning, in the following
sentence from paragraph 5: (1)
While visitation rates are converging among the age cohorts, the differences by level of
educational attainment are still pronounced.
vii. The rate of visitation among 25-to-34-year-olds was approximately _____ points higher than
that of the youngest age group i.e. 18-to-24-year-olds. (1)
a) 11 percent
b) 20 percent
c) 15 percent
d) 7 percent
viii. In earlier years the visitation rate among college graduates was more than twice as high as
the rate among those: (1)
a) who had a graduate or professional degree.
b) who finished their studies with a high school diploma.
c) who did not finish high school.
d) who were employed individuals.

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 ix. In America most of the _____ in visitation of historic sites occurred from the year 2002 to
the year 2008. (1)
a. increase b. Decline c. converging d. diverging

SECTION B: WRITING SKILLS & GRAMMAR (20 marks)

GRAMMAR 10 MARKS
III. Complete ANY TEN of twelve of the following tasks, as directed. (1X10=10)
i. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket.
This time tomorrow, I __________ (lie) on the beaches of Hawaii, away from this fast-paced
life.
ii. Rishabh said to us, “Let’s have a walk by the river.”
Convert Rishabh’s suggestion into an indirect speech.
iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the given line from a health magazine.
You _____ all that cheese; it isn’t good for you.
a. shouldn’t be eating
b. ought not be eating
c. cannot eat
d. need not eat
iv. Identify the error and supply the correction for the following line, from a news report on
the UNO.
All five permanent members have expressed the right of veto at one time or another.

ERROR CORRECTION

v. Fill in the blanks, using the correct form of the verb given in the bracket.
Neither the farmer nor the farm workers ___________ (willing) to settle the strike.
vi. Rishi asked Ali the question given below. Report Rishi's question.
Can you type this entire project by tomorrow morning?
vii. Fill in the blank for the given line, from a doorway sign
Caution! You __________ not enter. Only employees are allowed beyond this point.

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viii. Identify the error in the advertisement given below and supply the correction for the
same.
Looking to Buy a Guitar?
The brand-new guitar is for sale. It comes with a wooden, velvet-lined guitar case. If interested,
contact me at 99889xxxxx for more details.
Use the given format for your response.

ERROR CORRECTION

ix. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete this advertisement.
Are you looking for more books to read? Due to popular demand, we __________ back our
'Buy One Get One Free' offer next weekend!
a. brings
b. brought
c. will bring
d. were bringing
x. Read the conversation between a shopkeeper and a shopkeeper. Complete the sentence
by reporting the old man's reply correctly.
Old Man: How would you like me to pay you?
Shopkeeper: Can you pay me in cash?
The old man asked the shopkeeper how he would like the old man to pay him. The shopkeeper
asked the old man _____________.
xi. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket, for the given portion
of a diary entry:
Dear Diary, Today I saw the most beautiful sunrise over the ocean. I wish I could __________
(painting) it to truly capture and preserve the beauty I witnessed.
xii. Fill in the blanks with the correct word to complete the sentence:
There is ________ water left, so drink only if you must.
a. A little
b. Few
c. Much
d. Little
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 WRITING 10 MARKS
IV. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. (5)
A. You are Sunaina/Nayan of AL- 36, Block K, Jalandhar. You have recently noticed several
advertisements on TV, shopping areas and also around your school premises alluring everyone
to buy electronics by trapping customers with attractive discounts.
• 10% off on your favourite brands.
• This festive season buy one mobile for everyone.
• This year’s biggest exchange offer is yours for the taking!

Write a letter to the editor of a national daily in 120 words on the impact of gadgets on the life of
teenagers who seem to be more sold off on them than working adults. Throw some light on the
health hazards caused due to these gadgets and also suggest solutions to curtail this habit.
OR
B. You are a sports enthusiast Gaurav / Garima, residing at 450, June Pride Building, Pune. You
want to go to Gulmarg on a skiing vacation. Write a letter of enquiry to the Director J&K Tourism,
asking for relevant information like the suitable time, accommodation available, gear required,
cost, travel and ski assistance available, etc.

V. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. (5)

A. The following is the data for waste disposal from two years 1960 and 2011. Read and interpret
the graphical data of the pie charts and write an analytical paragraph in about 100-120 words.
Compare, contrast, understand and explain the given information in your own words.

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 OR
B. You are Rustom Hirjee, Head boy of Sarvodaya High School. You have to submit your
observations to the principal in 100-120 words about some mischievous students who have
been regularly involved in damaging property in the classrooms and the school campus. You
made some notes to write the observations in a paragraph.

Culprits Behavioural Advice taken Action taken

Issues
i. Senior wing i. Repeated i. Meeting of i. Students fined
ii. Mischief offenders disciplinary but problem
making ii. Threatened board persists.
students- middle ii. Attend
bullies schoolers if remedial
iii. Examples of they dared to classes
damage to complain
property

SECTION C: LITERATURE TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLEMENTARY READING TEXT

(40 marks)

VI. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given.

A. ‘‘It’s really getting bad now,’’ exclaimed the man. “I hope it passes quickly.” It did not pass
quickly. For an hour the hail rained on the house, the garden, the hillside, the cornfield, on the
whole valley. The field was white, as if covered with salt. Not a leaf remained on the trees. The
corn was totally destroyed. The flowers were gone from the plants. Lencho’s soul was filled
with sadness. When the storm had passed, he stood in the middle of the field and said to his
sons, “A plague of locusts would have left more than this.” (A Letter to God)

i. What makes Lencho worry about the situation? (1)

1. Rain stopped after a while
2. Rain was torrential
3. It was hail along with rain
4. Hail did not pass quickly
a. 1 only
b. 2 only

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 c. 3 and 4
d. 2 and 3
ii. How is metaphor used by the author to describe the condition of the field? (2)
iii. What, according to the extract, was the reason for Lencho’s lament? (1)
a. It did not rain as per his expectations.
b. Harm done to the field was worse than one done by the locusts.
c. Sadness overwhelmed him totally as his was the only field that was destroyed
d. His sons did not come at his call.
iv. Select the option that correctly captures the application of the word ‘sadness’ as used in the
extract. (1)
a. He saw the sadness in her eyes gave him resolve to fight through.
b. His closing years were filled with sadness.
c. He expressed his sadness about what had happened.
d. Sadness gave him resolve to fight through.

B. Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read. Following him
down the musty corridor of the gloomy French hotel where Ausable had a room, Fowler felt
let down. It was a small room, on the sixth and top floor, and scarcely a setting for a romantic
adventure. Ausable was, for one thing, fat. Very fat. And then there was his accent. Though he
spoke French and German passably, he had never altogether lost the American accent he had
brought to Paris from Boston twenty years ago. “You are disappointed,” Ausable said wheezily
over his shoulder. (The Midnight Visitor)
i. Substitute the word ‘musty’ with ONE WORD similar in meaning, in the following sentence
from extract: (1)

“Following him down the musty corridor of the gloomy French hotel where Ausable had a
room…”
ii. It can be inferred from the extract that a secret agent is expected to be (1)

1. fit.
2. compassionate.
3. apologetic.
4. suave.
5. violent.

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 a. Option 1, 3 & 5
b. Option 1 & 4
c. Option 2, 5 & 4
d. Option 2 & 3
iii. “If you expect nothing from somebody you are never disappointed.” Explain this statement in
light of Fowler’s experience. (40 words) (2)
iv. Choose the option that lists the INCORRECT statement about the given passage. (1)

a. Fowler had many expectations from Ausable.

b. Fowler looked crestfallen after he met Ausable.
c. Ausable was living in France as a spy.
d. Ausable had acquired the French accent over twenty years ago

VII. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given.
A. All night the roots work
to disengage themselves from the cracks
in the veranda floor.
The leaves strain toward the glass
small twigs stiff with exertion
long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof
like newly discharged patients
half-dazed, moving
to the clinic doors. (The Trees)
i. Choose the option that lists the examples of ‘exertion.’ (1)
1. Neha had been up all-night keeping accounts and now she’s resting.
2. Swati was running for five miles non-stop last evening.
3. Hemant is watching his favourite show and having snacks.
4. Sachin helped a senior citizen board a flight in the morning.
a) 1, 2
b) 2, 3
c) 3, 4
d) 1, 4
ii. Choose the correct option that mentions the correct poetic device against the correct example.
(1)
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 1.

simile long cramped boughs

metaphor like newly discharged patients
2.
personification small twigs stiff with exertion
simile like newly discharged patients

3.

Refrain under the roof

Simile leaves strain toward the glass

4.

Personification like newly discharged patients

Refrain half-dazed, moving

a) Option (1)
b) Option (2)
c) Option (3)
d) Option (4)

iii. Choose the option listing the image that the poem metaphorically represents. (1)

a) Option i
b) Option ii
c) Option iii
d) Option iv

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 B. An ultimate shaking grief fixes the boy
As he stands rigid, trembling, staring down
All his young days into the harbour where
His ball went. I would not intrude on him. (The Ball Poem)

i. The poet uses the word ‘ultimate’ to describe the boy’s reaction. (1)
Pick the meaning that DOES NOT display what, ‘ultimate’ means in the context given.
a. Consequent
b. Final
c. Conclusive
d. Fateful
ii. The boy is very young in this poem. As a mature, balanced grown-up, he might look back and
think that his reaction of ‘ultimate shaking grief’ was (1)
1. disproportionate to the loss.
2. pretension to procure a new toy.
3. according to his exposure and experience then.
4. a reaction to the failure of retrieving the toy.
5. justified and similar to what it would be currently.
a. 5 & 2
b. 1 & 3
c. 2 & 4
d. 3 & 4
iii. Why does the speaker choose not to intrude? (2)
iv. Pick the option that lists the boy’s thoughts, matching with the line – (1)
As he stands rigid, trembling, staring down

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 a. Option 1
b. Option 2
c. Option 3
d. Option 4
VIII. Answer ANY FOUR of the following five questions, in about 40-50 words. (4x3=12)

i. Why did Chubukov thank Lomov for proposing to his daughter? (The Proposal)
ii. Whose love is selfless? How is it different from that of human beings? (For Anne Gregory)
iii. How did Ink and Mustard make fun of the dragon? (The Tale of Custard the Dragon)
iv. What does the author, Lokesh Abrol, say about the coffee estates of Coorg?
(Glimpses of India: Coorg)
v. What lessons did Kisa Gotami learn from her futile venture regarding the mustard-seed?
(Sermon at Benares)
IX. Answer ANY TWO of the following three questions, in about 40-50 words. (2x3=6)
i. What are Hari Singh’s views about the reaction of different people on being robbed?
(The Thief’s Story)
ii. How did Bholi react when her father caught her by the hand to take her to school? (Bholi)
iii. Why did Horace think that the owners of Shotover Grange were foolish? (A Question of Trust)
X. Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words. (1x6=6)
A. Amanda feels unhappy with her mother’s nagging. She wants to leave everything and go to her
own world. Imagine one day she meets Anne Frank and the latter tries to tell her how parents
are always worried about their children’s behaviour. Prepare a set of dialogues between
Amanda and Anne based on the poem, ‘Amanda’ and the lesson, ‘From the Diary of Anne
Frank’. You may begin like this:
Amanda: I hate everyone at home. How can they pester a child so much?
Anne: Amanda, how can you even think like that……….

B. ‘Life starts where fear ends. Fear cripples our power to think.’ Elaborate on how this quote is
relevant to chapters, ‘His First Flight’ and ‘Nelson Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom’
XI. Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words. (1x6=6)
A. Matilda’s husband earns the sympathy and respect of the readers through his quiet, unassuming
nature. Explain. (The Necklace)
B. “Hobbies are a stepping stone to innovative ideas.” Elaborate with reference to “The Making
of a Scientist.”
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