Oswal Practice Papers CBSE Class 10 English Solutions (Practice Paper - 7)

Section-A

Reading Skills

Reading Comprehension Through Unseen Passages

(i) D They absorb iron and zinc.

(ii) We know that iron deficiency can lead to anaemia, fatigue, brain fog, and tiredness. For this a combination of chickpeas and onions along with chaat masala and cilantro makes a delicious yet very powerful source of iron. A Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry says that sulphur compounds in onions and garlic help in the absorption of iron and zinc from chickpeas. Iron is required by the body to transport oxygen to its various parts.

(iii) it is the best source of catechins.

(iv) Same sense carrying words:

(a) incorporating, (d) include and (e) adding

(b) recommended and (c) favourite

(v) from a general mention of ‘Power food’ providing rich levels of nutrients like fibre, potassium and minerals, the author goes on to mention specifically the recommended common kitchen recipes, to yoghurt combined in banana smoothies to green tea as a ‘Power beverage’.

(vi) Yoghurt is packed with proteins that help preserve muscle mass, and bananas are packed with carbohydrates that help in refuelling energy and preventing muscle soreness.

(vii) D. Both (B) and (C)

(viii) Power food

II.

(i) they can use their noses to help researchers to find out why the killer whale population off the Northwest coast of United States is on the decline by searching for whale faeces floating on the surface of water.

(ii) (a consequence) and (provides the extremely energetic dogs a satisfying career).

(iii) The Scat detection dogs have enabled the scientists to non–invasively access a vast amount of genetic and physiological information to tackle conservation problems around the world. This type of non – invasive information gathering has proved vital for determining the causes and consequences of human disturbances on wildlife as well as the actions needed to mitigate such impacts.

(iv) Sniffer dog Tucker uses his nose to help researchers find out why a killer whale population off the northwest coast of the United States is on the decline.

(v) This means there is an increasing number of Americans who are getting afflicted with psychiatric or emotional disturbances.

(vi) A.

The ideal detection dog is extremely energetic.
Excessive play drive
Abandoned to animal shelters

(vii)

genetic information
physiological information.

(viii) D. All of the above.

Section-B

Writing Skills And Grammar

Grammar

III.

(i) grant

(ii)

Error	Correction
the amazing	an amazing

(iii) Tariq asked Sunil whether he had enjoyed travelling by sea.

(iv) C. that it was a lovely thought but she did not want anything for her birthday.

(v) (b) must

(vi)

Error	Correction
in	for

(vii)

Option No.	Error	Correction
B.	Has	Have

(viii) A. have been reading

(ix) Ross told Rachel that the movie was wonderful. To this, Rachel answered in the affirmative and said that she had enjoyed it a lot but she had to head home then because she had work the next day.

(x) D. washed

(xi) D. have completed

(xii)

Error	Correction
into	in

Section-C

Writing

IV. 1. A.

21, Janakpuri

Indore

27^th February, 20XX

The Manager

R K Travels

Indore

Subject: Enquiry about travel package for pilgrimage

Sir/Madam,

I am writing to enquire about the tour conducted by your travel agency by Deluxe buses to Badrinath, Kedarnath, and Haridwar. I have a family of six and I am keen on making a pilgrimage to these places. I would therefore like to know the schedule of your tour.

I would request you to please provide us with the necessary details such as the charges for the tour, boarding and lodging arrangements, and the total time needed for the tour. Additionally, we would also like to know if there are any special arrangements for senior citizens and children.

As we are planning to embark on this journey soon, we would appreciate it if you could revert with the required information at the earliest. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Thanking you,

Yours truly,

Shivam/Shivani

B. 112, Lajpatrai Colony,

Delhi

12th June, 20XX

The Editor,

The Times of India,

Delhi

Subject: Risk posed by open man holes in Lajpatrai colony

Sir,

Through the columns of your esteemed daily. I would like to bring to notice of the concerned authorities that for the past few weeks, the manholes in the streets of my locality are all lying uncovered. It is causing a serious risk to the residents of the locality. Last week, a toddler escaped by just a few steps else he would have fallen into the manhole.

It is a serious concern and all the residents of my locality are worried about the risks involved because of these open manholes. During the day time, still, everyone can see and walk carefully, but at night, it becomes extremely hazardous.

I would be grateful of you publish my letter in the column of your esteemed daily so that I can reach out to the concerned authority and they can take immediate measures and do the needful as early as possible. All the residents will be highly obliged if necessary steps are taken at the earliest in this regard.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Ravi Singh

A. The given bar graph represents the preferences of children in a school for playing volleyball and basketball over six years, from 2014 to 2019. According to the graph, the number of students interested in volleyball started at 200 in 2014 and increased to 450 in 2016, then again decreased to 150 in 2019. On the other hand, the number of students interested in basketball started at 350 in 2014, decreased to 250 in 2015, increased
to 400 in 2016, and remained consistent from 2017 to 2018 at 350. Therefore, it can be concluded that in the given period, the interest of students in volleyball fluctuated while the interest in basketball remained relatively stable. This information can be useful for the school administration to decide which games to encourage and promote among the students.

B. The bar graph displays the growth percentage in six sectors, namely Education, Private Sector, Government Sector, Medical, Transportation, and Agriculture in a developing country from 2012 to 2022. The data shows a concerning decline of nearly 25% in the Education sector from 2012 to 2022. In contrast, the Private Sector has seen a slight increase from less than 20% to 22% in 2022. The Government Sector, however, has remained stable at 18% in both years. The Medical and Transportation sectors have demonstrated considerable growth in 2022. Of these two sectors, the Transportation sector has improved more than the Medical sector, which has just doubled from 2012. The Agriculture sector has also shown a marginal decline from 12% in 2012 to 10% in 2022. Overall, while the Government, Medical, and Transportation sectors have displayed improvements, much more work needs to be done in the Education, Private, and Agriculture sectors.

Section-D

Literature Textbook And Supplementary Reading Text

V. 1. A.

(i) It can be inferred that the lady is a thorough conman as she has mastered the art of pretence to fool another thief, ironically with the same agenda.

(ii) False. It is an assumption since Horace believes the lie that the other thief is the owner of the house.

(iii) The lady fools Horace, the other thief by pretending to be the owner of the house. She makes an agreement that if he helps her to open the safe whose password she had forgotten, she would set him free as the jewellery had to be deposited in the locker.

(iv) The phrase from the extract which correctly describes the given phrase is “You’ve forgotten the numbers”.

1. B.

(i) D. She was travelling alone so she did not consider herself a child anymore

(ii) “Her” refers to Valliammai, an eight-year-old girl. Her overwhelming desire to experience a bus ride had come to fruition. She planned her bus ride meticulously and saved money for it. She planned to travel to the town and return back to her village by the same bus.

(iii) C. She was making too much noise

(iv) The actor would be required to focus on the conversation between the conductor and Valli wherein the conductor’s tone would be represented by the actor as one of empathy and affection for the child who was having a bouquet of emotions finely blended into excitement, nervousness and irritability.

2. A.

(i) natural

(ii) The poet wishes the tiger kept caged in a zoo be set free, as it was intended by nature. It should be set free and let be because terrorising the village is its natural behaviour and it should be allowed to terrorize because it’s a majestic beast, not meant to be caged and be an object for public entertainment.

(iii) A. Pitiful

(iv) The poet uses words that invoke a sense of urgency and worry on his part. He isn’t happy with the state that the tiger is in and speaks about it with utmost clarity that this isn’t what he wants for the majestic beast. The poet wants the readers as well to feel the inferior treatment meted out to the royal beast of prey.

2. B.

(i) The poem has alternate stanzas, one where Amanda’s parent is chiding her for not being prim and proper, and the next stanza has Amanda’s internal dialogue, where she expresses her desire to escape all of this and be left alone. Her inner desires have been given in parenthesis.

(ii) Amanda wishes to be left all alone as the constant bickering by her parents now seems to be reductive and constraining to her. She cannot handle such micromanagement by her parents and desires to be left alone, all by herself so she can enjoy her freedom.

(iii) A. despondent

(iv) Amanda is so bothered by her parents that she wishes them to be there no more. She imagines herself as an orphan, who has to answer no one and is free to do as their heart desire.

VI.

(i) When all attempts failed, the mother seagull came up with a strategy to instigate the seagull’s first flight with the help of a fish. She knew her son was extremely hungry, so she dropped food very close to him.
The pangs of hunger made the seagull plunge _____ his first flight.

(ii) The poet emphasizes that he never expected that the fall of some Dust of Snow from a poisonous hemlock tree could ever change his day. Both the crow and the hemlock tree, associated with ill omen, have
turned out lucky for him. Life is unpredictable and cannot be fixed with certain beliefs.

(iii) Natalya Stepanovna is a strong-willed, educated and good-looking girl of twenty-five who is also a good housekeeper and more effective than Lomov in speaking clearly and getting to the point. She is the leading female character of the play and the daughter of Chubukov. She is short tempered and
quarrelsome. Her will is focused on maintaining a superior manifestation and she insists that Oxen Meadows belongs to her family and not to Lomov. She is love-sick and fights and argues with Lomov till she learns that he wants to marry her. Natalya is a complex and multi-faceted character. Her snobbishess, impulsiveness, materialism, quick temper and manipulative nature create a memorable and entertaining character who plays a crucial role in the comic plot of the play.

(iv) People from Coorg usually have a history of following martial traditions since centuries, so it was quite natural for several men from the region to join the army enabling the British to raise a separate Coorg regiment. Even today, the Coorg regiment is the most decorated regiment in the Indian Army.

(v) Amanda is a little school-going girl. She is constantly nagged by her parent. It is probably the mother. Her mother’s constant instructions and expectations makes the little girl long for freedom. She feels overwhelmed by her mother’s constant reminders to perfect her behaviour and therefore remains lost in
her own daydreams.

VII.

(i) The Martians had come to invade the Earth in 2040. They came across a library and had no idea what purpose the books served. They mistook the books to be sandwiches at first and picked up a children’s nursery rhymes book. Misinterpreting the words written on it and taking everything for its literal meaning, they got frightened thinking that the Earthlings were more powerful than them and that they were planning to attack them. So they decided to leave the Earth.

(ii) ‘Footprints Without Feet’ is a story borne out of the vivid imagination that H.G Wells was capable of. The ability to move about remaining invisible has both its expected and unexpected consequences. And the unexpected ones result in very comic situations that probably make more of an impression in the mind of the reader.
The story’s emotional appeal lies mostly with the landlady who believed her departed mother still hovered in their house when she found that the chair she sat on was being thrown in the air.

(iii) Bholi was named the ‘simpleton’ by her family. She was a slow-learner, spoke with a stammer, had a pock-marked face, and was malnourished. All these made her the subject of ridicule by her family and her bullies. But once she started going to school, her education gave her the self-confidence of believing in her worth and standing up against social injustice.

VIII.

(i) Bondage and strength are explored in different ways in ‘Nelson Mandela - Long Walk to Freedom’ and ‘A Tiger in the Zoo.’ In Mandela’s case, his struggle against apartheid strengthened his resolve to fight for freedom and justice. However, in ‘A Tiger in the Zoo,’ the tiger’s captivity weakened its natural strength and power.

Both the works demonstrate that bondage can either break or build one’s strength. Mandela’s personal and political struggles served as a catalyst for his strength and determination, while the tiger’s confinement left it powerless and devoid of purpose.

Overall, ‘Nelson Mandela - Long Walk to Freedom’ and ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ highlight how differentcircumstances can affect one’s strength and resilience. While oppression can give rise to great leaders like Mandela, it can also break the spirit of others. Similarly, captivity can subdue even the mightiest of
beasts, as seen in the case of the tiger.

(ii) Good morning, everyone.

We know that the emotional challenges faced by young women are complex and can be difficult to navigate. However, by expressing ourselves honestly and seeking out genuine connections with others, we can overcome these challenges and lead fulfilling lives. Let us learn from the experiences of Anne
Frank and Anne Gregory, and strive to be true to ourselves while embracing our unique qualities and strengths.

Adolescence brings a rush of biological and mental changes and this triggers various emotions, especially among young girls. We see in, ‘From the Diary of Anne Frank’, Anne experiencing a gust of feelings, which are often conflicting in nature, like most of us. She finds herself lonely even in the midst of people and thus, only by writing in her diary she can fully express herself because “paper has more patience than people.”

Similarly in the poem, ‘For Anne Gregory’, we can understand the emotions of a young lady through a slightly different setup. She wishes to seek a lover whose love for her will be based on who she really is as a human being, and not based on her skin or hair colour. So, she doesn’t agree with the prevalent societal custom.

In conclusion, I would like to add that let us support each other and lift each other up so that we can all reach our full potential as strong and confident young women.

Thank you.

IX.

(i) 12th March, 20XX

Sunday

11:30 p.m.

My intelligence has never failed me. But till today I could not understand these earthlings. Their sandwiches had peculiar taste. So my suggestion was to do a bit of research before plunging on the attack. Sandwiches, we found out were actually for eye communication. All our crew members started reading them. Vitamin pills were used to increase our intelligence. Oop was assigned to do the reading job and provide us with the actual acumen of earthlings.

Oh my God the earthlings already know me! That ‘Humpty Dumpty’ was me and the earthlings had already planned the attack on us! So the wisest decision I took then was to fly back to our planet immediately. Oh! I Saved my crew members. I am a true Leader.

(ii) In James Herriot’s ‘Triumph of Surgery’, Mrs. Pumphrey sublimely undergoes a personality transformation. She initially comes across as an indulgent and doting pet owner. Her character is a typical example of a person blinded by love and by the perceived definition of care through her microscopic
mental conditioning. But when her dog Tricki recovers, she is full of gratitude for the doctor and seeing Tricky hale and hearty, she reassesses her priority to adopt a more responsible approach towards her pet care.