Oswal Practice Papers CBSE Class 10 English Solutions (Practice Paper - 8)

(i) The context suggests that the thief finds pleasure in the process of robbing and this enjoyment is diminished when the victim doesn’t even notice the theft.

This implies that the thief takes pleasure not only from the material gain but also from the psychological impact on the victim, highlighting a certain level of psychological complexity in the character’s motivations and mindset.

(ii) False, it’s a premise since it forms the basis for the argument presented in the passage and sets the stage for the idea that robbing a careless man is difficult due to his lack of the item’s awareness, which diminishes the thief’s enjoyment.

(iii) The thief, who introduced himself as Hari Singh had been staying with Anil since one month. He had stopped stealing since his association with him, but now he was again eager to steal a large sum of money earned by Anil.

(iv) The phrase from the extract that would correctly substitute the given phrase is “Out of practice”.

OR

1. B.
(i) D. She could never ever find a real friend to confide in

(ii) Anne was an insightful 13 year old school girl. The extract portrays her loneliness and the dilemma on how to spend her idle time at home reveals the lack of a real friend in her life. This became the ultimate reason to start penning down her feelings in a diary.

(iii) B. A soliloquy is a speech given by a character alone on stage, which reveals their innermost thoughts and feelings to the audience.

(Cannot be (a) since it is not a formal discussion and cannot be (c) because what she speaks is certainly not brief).

(iv) The actor would be focusing on the musings of a 13 year old girl in a chirpy tone and then the volume being toned down because of the realisation of loneliness in the absence of a true companion.

2. 2. A.

(i) women

(ii) The poetess uses ‘trees’ as a metaphor for women, whose absence in this world would be chaotic. She dreams of an equal society for women and uses trees to describe how they are all coming out of homes to enrich the ‘forests’ of the world.

(iii) B. Jubilant

(iv) The poetess uses a tone of anticipation of good news. She spins words in a way that gives a sense of a grand scheme about to happen. The trees are breaking their shambles and rushing out to new hopes and
finally breathing. The world outside is also ready to welcome them.

OR

2. B.

(i) The poem has a very lazy but quick flow. It is short and crisp. The tone and setting is very similar to the subject being described in the poem itself. Just as fog lingers for a while and disappears, so does this poem begins and ends abruptly.

(ii) The poet uses the metaphor of a cat to describe the fog in his poem. The poet is comparing the fog to a cat. He compares the stealthy and calm demeanour of the fog’s motion to that of a cat’s movement.

(iii) A. stealthy

(iv) The poem is set in a coastal city that is harbouring the sea and is prone to fog easily. The fog quickly comes and goes, giving us a perception of a fast-paced city.

VI.

(i) According to Buddha, death and suffering are part and parcel of life. One cannot avoid this truth. One has to meet one’s destiny which is death. Birth and death are inevitable and related in a cycle, whoever enters the world has to exit at some point. One must remain calm and composed so that pain doesn’t overcome one, in the hour of grief. Nobody can get peace of mind by weeping or grieving, instead, the body will suffer. Wise people, never complain or lament over their loss but accept the truth. Hence, the wisdom lies in the fact that people should not get distressed by pain, suffering and death.

(ii) Divine love is everlasting and transcends physical beauty whereas human love is restricted to physical or external beauty only. In divine love the beauty of the soul is given priority wherein virtues and qualities of head and heart are appreciated whereas, human love gives priority to body and physical charm.

(iii) Anne Frank is a thirteen-year-old girl who does not have any friends therefore she resorts to writing a diary where she can confide her true thoughts and feelings. She said this on one of the days when she was sitting depressed holding her chin in her hands. She decided she would only let a real friend read her diary if she found any.

(iv) For

Laid-back people do get converted to a high adventure life in Coorg, because of the clear pristine climatic conditions which do have a role in energising visitors. Also, the existence of facilities like rappelling, mountain biking, rock climbing, and river rafting do turn up the levels of excitement.

(Against)

It is not necessary for all laid-back individuals to get excited with the adventurous life in Coorg, because
the high adventure sports demand considerable ramping up of energy levels and also these sports can be fraught with risks, which can be enough to dampen the excitement.

(v) The poem ‘Fog’ is a metaphorical composition. It is because the poet has tried to bring two very different things, fog and cat on the same plane by just dwelling on the similar qualities of stillness between their
way of motion.

VII.

(i) Horace Danby used to make locks for a living and commit a careful robbery once every year. He felt that his targets were foolish people because their valuable possessions tempted him to rob them. However, he himself became a fool when a lady thief robbed him of the valuable things that he obtained from Shotover Grange.

(ii) Madame Loisel’s covetous attitude became the bane of her existence. She was resentful of the life and luxury she had, always wanting more and better. This led to a series of events that pushed her into debt
and a hard life of toil and labour for over a decade that took away everything she already had earlier. Thus, it is better to be content with whatever one has.

(iii) Mrs Pumphrey thought that her dog’s recovery was a triumph of surgery because Tricki had regained perfect health within a span of a few days only. Such a quick and complete cure is usually possible only after surgery. However, she was not right in this belief since Tricki had recovered through the simple process of strict diet and exercise.

VIII.

(i) Nelson Mandela’s life is a testament to the power of resilience, forgiveness and commitment. Like a strong tree, he weathered numerous challenges in his struggle against apartheid in South Africa. Just as a tree that leaves a lasting impact on the environment and the ecosystems, Mandela’s principles and actions had a lasting impact on generations to come. Trees are symbols of inter-connectedness and unity
within the environment. Mandela emphasized the importance of unity amongst diverse groups and the need for cooperation to achieve a just society. Both Nelson Mandela’s life and the symbolism of trees
embody qualities of strength, growth, endurance and impact.

OR

(ii) Good morning, everyone.

Today, I would like to draw your attention to a topic that has become increasingly relevant in our modern society—materialism and its connection to human desires. In Anton Chekhov’s play, ‘The Proposal’, we see how the pursuit of wealth and status can lead individuals to treat human relationships as mere business deals, devoid of genuine emotion or empathy. The characters in the play, such as Lomov and Natalya, exemplify how the desire for material possessions can corrupt one’s character and ultimately
lead us to lose sight of what truly matters. Similarly, in Robert Frost’s poem, ‘Fire and Ice’, the poet suggests that our insatiable desire for material wealth, represented by “fire,” and the “ice” representing the coldness that results from our obsession with possessions, may ultimately lead to the destruction of the world.

In our modern world, we are bombarded with messages that encourage us to consume more, buy more, and accumulate more. However, we must ask ourselves whether this is truly the path to happiness and
fulfillment.

To conclude, it is essential that we remain mindful of the impact of materialism on our desires and our relationships with others. We must prioritise human connection and empathy over superficial possessions, and work towards a more compassionate and sustainable future.

Thank you.

IX.

(i) 29 December, 20XX

Sunday

12 : 15 a.m.

I was born in a well-to-do household in our village, which was steeped in traditions that demanded that girls need not be educated and should be married off at a young age.
My sisters were quite beautiful but unfortunately, due to a smallpox attack in my childhood, my face was disfigured with pockmarks so marriage was probably out of the question. So my parents grudgingly
admitted me to a school and my life changed thereafter.

When my parents decided to arrange my marriage with a middle-aged widower, who demanded a heavy dowry, I decided to take things in my hand. I refused to get married and instead, I decided to continue my life as a teacher in the village school. Thus the educated Bholi got back her identity of
becoming Sulekha.

OR

(ii) Griffin is a brilliant scientist who successfully turns himself invisible. In the beginning, he feels a sense of achievement but his excitement quickly turns into frustration. He resorts to stealing and other illegal activities to sustain himself. His detachment from the society and his new found power makes him ruthless and unstoppable. Eventually, Griffin’s actions catch up with him and he begins to realise the
consequences of his choices. He might also be tormented by guilt and regret recognising that his actions have brought unwanted troubles for himself. Griffin’s character arc serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition and the consequences of disregarding the ethical implications of one’s actions.

So, all we see in his character is that ironically a brilliant discovery renders him homeless, and struggling for mere survival.