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CBSE Previous Year Question Papers Class 10 English 2014 Term 1

CBSE Previous Year Question Papers Class 10 English 2014 Term 1

Time allowed : 3 hours
Maximum marks: 70

Note : All questions except the following questions have been already asked in the previous sets.


Question 1.
Read the passage given below carefully: [8]
Postal service had its origin in the necessity of maintaining communications between different parts of an empire. It enabled the emperor to keep a track of all that was happening. Earlier the post was a privilege reserved for kings and emperors alone. Today, it is at the service of the humblest citizen.

All early carrier systems were run along courier routes whether in India, Egypt, China or Great Britain. Now means of communications have improved greatly and air, railway and motor services all play an important role in carrying letters speedily to their destinations. The romance of the post, however, lies in the mail-runners pass through jungles, climb hills, cross rivers, brave wild animals and dacoits to carry your letters safely.

The postal system has been in existence in India since 1296. The Pathan ruler, Alauddin Khilji, had a horse-and-foot postal organisation to receive regular news of the condition and progress of his army. This system was greatly improved during the time of Sher Shah who only reigned for a short time (1541 to 1545). During these five years he built a 2,000-mile road from Bengal to Sind and constructed sarais along the roads. He established horse despatches throughtout the Empire. Two horses were always kept ready at each sarai to ensure the quick transfer to despatches. A further development in the means of transport occurred during the reign of Akbar (1556 to 1605) when camels were used in addition to horses. History alos tells of Raja Chikka Deva of Mysore who organised a regular postal service throughout his dominion in 1672.

The next constructive step was taken by the East India Company who had spread their activities to Madras, Bombay and Calcutta by 1688. A regular exchange of correspondence was necessary, so the East India Company established major post offices at Bomaby and Madras, and smaller ones at various places to receive and despatch letters. Lord Clive improved the postal system in 1766, although it was reserved for govemement use only. It was thrown open to the public in 1774. At that time, the lowest rate of letter postage was 2 annas for every 100 miles. To facilitate the payment of postage a special copper token of the value of 2 annas was struck by the mint.

On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the questions given below: [1 × 8 = 8]
(a) How did the postal service begin?
(b) What was the advantage of postal service?
(c) How are these services different today?
(d) What difficulties did the mail runners face?
(e) Who was the first person to begin a postal organization?
(f) How did Sher Shah promote postal services?
(g) Name the two places where the first post officers were built?
(h) What was the use of copper token?
(a) The postal services begin as there was a need to maintain communication between different parts of an empire.
(b) Postal services enabled the king to keep a track of the happenings in his empire and the progress of his army.
(c) Today, means of communication have improved greatly and air, railway and motor servies play an important role in carrrying letters speedily to their destinations.
(d) The mail-runners used to pass through jungles, climb hills, cross rivers, brave and wild animals and dacoits.
(e) Alauddin Khilji was the first person to begin a postal organization.

(f) Sher Shah promoted postal services by building a 2000-mile road from Bengal to Sind and constructing sarais along the roads.
He also established horsedespatches throughout the Empire.
(g) Bombay and Madras.
(h) It facilitated the payment of postage.

Question 2.
The makers of fast foods fed starving soldiers stationed in remote areas, millions of those displaced by natural calamities and silenced hunger pangs of thousands during economic crises. From once being a source of sustenance, instant food—pushed by aggressive advertising—is slowly evolving as a staple diet.

Against the backdrop of Nestle India, maker of Maggi 2-Minute Noddles, being embroiled in a scare over the product allegedly containing dangerously high level of lead, experts also highlighted the lack of nutrition in these products that are increasingly usurping the gastronomic space in the country. “People often think ’ that having instant noddles of cereal in the morning is a wholesome meal. Convenience food need not always be nutritionally sufficient,” expert says.

“They are calorie packed, contain more taste enhancers, little nutrition and lack fibre.

In noodles, for example, the vegetables, which provide fibre, are too fine and they are dehydrated. While eating them once in a while is all right, it could lead to life-long constipation if taken on a regular basis. Most of the processed food have high sodium content. To this, we add sauces, which again have high sodium content. So we are basically stuffing ourselves with a lot of sodium and little else.”

Experts say in several instant food products and breakfast cereals, the health benefits are either destroyed by the manufacturing process or stripped away before it is consumed. When manufacturers speak of ‘value-added’ products, they seldom look at the nutrition side, and instead look for ways to add cost to things by creating convenience. While several countries are reverting to their traditional cuisine, India is increasingly absorbing instant breakfast.

Consumer activists have asked the government to strengthen policy guidelines and make nutrition-fact labelling mandatory in India. ‘Right not, it is mandatory for food , products to only include the ingredients and composition. We still have a long way to go before including the nutritional content,” said former director, Food Safety and Standards Authority in India.
(a) On what kind of food do people survive in emergency? [2 × 4 = 8]
(b) Why was Nestle India in trouble about their popular product?

(c) Why is it not advisable to consume instant food daily?
(d) How can we make people aware of food safety and its nutritional content
(e) Choose the best options: [1 × 4 = 4]
1. A word which means, ‘distant’
(i) staple
(ii) instant
(iii) remote
(iv) sustenance
2. A word which means to remove water from something’ is:
(i) dehydrate
(ii) gastronomic
(ii) convenience
(iv) wholesome
3. The synonyms for returning to original / going back:
(i) instant
(ii) reverting
(iii) processed
(iv) stuffing
4. The antonym of ‘optional / volunteer’ is
(i) strengthen
(ii) ingredients
(iii) mandatory
(iv) nutritional
(a) In emergencies, people survive on instant food which can be cooked easily.
(b) Nestle India was introuble because their popular product contained dangerously high levels of lead.
(c) Instant food could lead to life long constipation if consumed daily as it contains high sodium content.

(d) We have to strengthen policy guidelines and make nutritions-facts labelling mandatory for food products in India in order to make people aware of the product’s safety and its nutrional content.
(e) 1. (iii) remote
2. (i) dehydrate
3. (ii) reverting
4. (iii) mandatory


Question 3.
Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper about the ever increasing problems of traffic jams in 100-120 words. Give suggestions that school students and other young people to use cycles instead of scooty, bike or cars. You are Sneh/Sneha [5]
Write an article in 100-120 words on the topic ‘Clean City Campaign’ in your school.
31-C, Mayur Vihar
New Delhi
20 November 20XX
The Editor
The Times of India
Sub : Use of cycles to Avoid Traffic Jams.
Through the esteemed columns of your newspaper, I seek to draw the attention of the school children to use cycles instead of going to school in cars, on bikes etc. Due to over¬crowded roads and traffic jams, it is very difficult to travel to school. As we all know the air quality has reached a very dangerous level and its causing lung diseases among the students. Further, cycling promotes good physical exercise which is a must for growing children.
Using cycles is very benefical for the air quality smooth traffic and physical health. If the school authorities take a strict action against the pollution-creating vehicles used for school and take his initiative seriously our young generation would be hale and hearty.
Thanking You
Your truly
By x y z
On 2nd Oct, 2014, the Prime Minister of India started “Clean City Campaign” urging the people maintain cleanliness in their houses, offices, institutes, markets, roads and other public places.

Our school also organised this purposeful campaign to highlight the need to live in clean and hygienic conditions. The principal of our school formed a committee of dedicated and active teachers who selected volunteers in the morning assembly. These volunteers were further divided into three groups. The taksforce, the watchdog and the campaigners. The campaigners prepared posters, charts, models and presented cultural programmes in the morning assembly. The taskforce was given the charge of cleaning the classrooms and corridors. The watchdogs supervised the work accomplished by the other two groups.

Thus, the volunteers worked on warfooting level and soon the whole school bore a different look—free from dust and garbage. The foul smell of decayed leaves and filhy washrooms was changed to the fragrance of flowers.

Through various awareness programmes, the students were trained to live in clean surroundings and hygienic conditions.

Question 4.
Complete the following story in 150-200 words: [10]
Roshan was about to leave the platform, when suddenly he saw a young child following him. He thought that boy to be a beggar and offered him a one-rupee coin. The boy refused to accept the money and followed him further. Roshan was shocked to see the boy
Roshan was about the leave the platfrom, when suddenly he saw a young child following him. He thought that boy to be a beggar and offered him a one-ruppee coin. The boy refused to accept the money and followed him further. Roshan was shocked to see the boy. The boy refused to accept the money saying that he was not a beggar. Roshan asked him how could he help him? The boy told him that his name was Kamal and he had come to Delhi with his father. His father went to attend a meeting, so he left him in a park outside his office. He started playing there. Soon he started running for a kite and unfortunately lost track of his father’s office. Then he got worried because it was getting darker.

Roshan took him to the police station. In the police station, the child rushed towards a man who was sitting there already. The man was Kamal’s father. Kamal started crying on seeing his father. His father told everyone that the child was eager to see a big city, so he had brought him to Delhi. He got scared to know that he had lost his son in such a big city but thankfully, he found Kamal back safe and sound.

Question 5.
Fill in the blanks with suitable words:
When we decided (a) ….. (move) to the hills our first thoughts (b) ….. (be) focused on our strengths. The transition to the rocky terrain was as smooth (c) …… it could be. [1 × 3 = 3]
(a) to move
(b) were
(c) as

Question 6.
The following passage has not been edited. There is an error in each line. Write the incorret word and the correction in the blank spaces. The first one has been done as an example : [1 × 4 = 4]
CBSE Previous Year Question Papers Class 10 English 2014 Term 1 1
CBSE Previous Year Question Papers Class 10 English 2014 Term 1 2


Question 8.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: [1 × 3 = 3]
I looked at the compass. I couldn’t believe my eyes: the compass was turning round and ’ round, it was dead and would not work! The other instruments were suddenly dead, too. I tried the radio.

Paris Control? Paris Control? ‘Can you hear me’? There was no answer. The radio was dead too. I had no radio, no campass and I could not see where I was. I was lost in the storm. Then in the black clouds quite near me, I saw another aeroplane. It had no lights on its wings, but i could see it flying next to me ’through the storm.
(a) Why could the pilot not believe his eyes?
(b) What major problems did he face?
(c) Why did he try to contact ‘Paris control’
Some say the world will end in fire
some say in ice.
From what I have tasted of desire I hold with these who favour fire?
(a) What do ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ stand for?
(b) What is the rhyming scheme of the stanza?
(c) Why does the poet hold with those who favour fire?
(a) The pilot could not believe his eyes because his compass was not showing direction. It was out of order and was going round and round.
(b) All the major instruments of his aeroplane were dead. He had no radio, no compass and he could not even see where he was. He was lost in the storm.
(c) He tried to contact’ Paris control’ because he was helpless as all the instruments of his aeroplane failed.
(a) ‘fire’ stands for vitality and ‘ice’ stands for ‘indifference / cold behaviour.
(b) The rhyming scheme is a, b, a, a.
(c) The poet hold with those who favour fire because they are optimist and have high hopes in life.

Question 9.
Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each : [2 × 4 = 8]
(a) Why did the postmaster reply to Lencho’s letter
(b) WhydoesMandelathanktheintemational leaders?
(c) How did Max avoid the police?
(d) What made the boys follow the footprints?

Question 10.
Answer the following question in 80-100 words : [4]
On the basis of story ‘A Question of Trust’ what suggestions would you give to your friend who is going to his grandfather’s hous during summer vacations so that any clever theif like Horace Danby may not enter his house to steal in his absence.
Many students make fun of other students who are different from them like in colour, weight, height, money or any other way. Express your views on the topic ‘Bullying in Schools’ to ensure that the victim students does not have to leave school like Wanda.

Question 11.
Answer the following question in 100-120 words :** [10]
Write the character sketch of Helen, the young girl.
Write the character sketch of Dr. Alexander Graham Bell.
Write the character sketch of Mr. Otto Frank.
What kind of life did the inmates lead in the Secret Annexe?

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