Please refer to Sample Paper Class 10 English Term 1 Set E with solutions provided below. We have provided CBSE Sample Papers for Class 10 English as per the latest paper pattern and examination guidelines for Standard 10 English issued by CBSE for the current academic year. The below provided Sample Guess paper will help you to practice and understand what type of questions can be expected in the Class 10 English exam.

CBSE Sample Paper Class 10 English for Term 1 Set E

READING

I. Read the passage given below.

I. Management is a set of processes that can keep a complicated system of people and technology running smoothly. The most important aspects of management include planning, budgeting, organizing, staffing, controlling, and problem-solving. Leadership is a set of processes that creates organisations in the first place or adapts them to significantly changing circumstances. Leadership defines what the future should look like, aligns people with that vision, and inspires them to make it happen despite the obstacles. This distinction is absolutely crucial for our purposes here: Successful transformation is 70 to 90 per cent leadership and only 10 to 30 per cent management. Yet for historical reasons, many organisations today don’t have much leadership. And almost everyone thinks about the problems here as one of managing change.

II. For most of this century, as we created thousands and thousands of large organizations for the first time in human history, we didn’t have enough good managers to keep all those bureaucracies functioning. So many companies and universities developed management programmes, and hundreds and thousands of people were encouraged to learn management on the job. And they did. But, people were taught little about leadership. To some degree, management was emphasized because it’s easier to teach than leadership. But even more so, management was the main item on the twentieth-century agenda because that’s what was needed. For every entrepreneur or business builder who was a leader, we needed hundreds of managers to run their ever growing enterprises.

III. Unfortunately for us today, this emphasis on management has often been institutionalized in corporate cultures that discourage employees from learning how to lead. Ironically, past success is usually the key ingredient in producing this outcome. The syndrome, as I have observed it on many occasions, goes like this: success creates some degree of market dominance, which in turn produces much growth. After a while keeping the ever larger organizations under control becomes the primary challenge. So attention turns inward, and managerial competencies are nurtured. With a strong emphasis on management but not on leadership, bureaucracy and an inward focus take over. But with continued success, the result mostly of market dominance, the problem often goes unaddressed and an unhealthy arrogance begins to evolve. All of these characteristics then make any transformation effort much more difficult.

IV. Arrogant managers can over-evaluate their current performance and competitive position, listen poorly, and learn slowly. Inwardly focused employees can have difficulty seeing the very forces that present threats and opportunities. Bureaucratic cultures an smother those who want to respond to shifting conditions. And the lack of leadership leaves no fore inside these organizations to break out of the morass.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any eight out of the ten questions by choosing the correct option.

Question 1. What is the main topic of the passage?
(a) Importance of management schools in the present context
(b) Good managers
(c) Importance of leadership in an organization
(d) Management and success of an organization

Question 2. Why did companies and universities develop programmes to prepare managers in large numbers?
(a) Companies and managers wanted to generate funds through these programs
(b) Organizations wanted to create communication networks through trained managers
(c) A Large number of organizations were created and they needed managers in good numbers
(d) Only trained managers could lead an organization to success

Question 3. Which of the following is not true?
(a) Bureaucratic cultures smother those who want to change conditions
(b) Leadership involves carrying out important functions such as budgeting and planning
(c) Pressure on managers comes mostly from within
(d) Leadership has the potential to establish direction

Question 4. Why, according to the author, is a distinction between management and leadership crucial?
(a) Leaders are reactive whereas managers are proactive.
(b) Organisations are facing problems of not getting good managers.
(c) Organisations are pursuing the strategy of status quo.
(d) In today’s context, organizations need leaders much more than managers in transforming them.

Question 5. Which of the following is not the characteristic of bureaucratic culture?
(a) Managers listen poorly and learn slowly.
(b) Managerial competencies are nurtured.
(c) Employees clearly see the forces that present threats and opportunities.
(d) Prevalence of unhealthy arrogance.

Question 6. Why does the attention of large organizations turn inward?
(a) Their managers become arrogant.
(b) They have to keep themselves under control.
(c) Their success creates market dominance.
(d) None of these

Question 7. Which of the following characteristics helps organizations in their transformation efforts?
(a) Emphasis on leadership but not on management
(b) A strong and dogmatic culture
(c) Bureaucratic and inward-looking approach
(d) None of these

Question 8. Which of the following statement is/are definitely true in the context of the passage?
A. Bureaucracy fosters strong and arrogant culture.
B. Leadership competencies are nurtured in largesize organizations.
C. Successful transformation in organizations is 70 to 90 per cent leadership.
(a) Only A and B
(b) Only A and C
(c) Only B and C
(d) All of these

Question 9. Which of the following is similar in meaning to the underlined word ‘nurtured’ as used in the passage?
(a) Created
(b) Developed
(c) Surfaced
(d) Thwarted

Question 10. Which of the following is similar in meaning to the word ‘smother’ as used in the passage?
(a) suppress
(b) encourage
(c) instigate
(d) criticise

II. Read the passage given below.

I. Technological evolution is a certainty. Cyber-physical systems, Big Data and the Internet of Things (IoT) have been changing the infrastructure of our world. In the 2020s, these phenomena, which are still in their nascency, will rapidly accelerate due to the increasing digitisation of key areas such as health, science, transport, communications and energy. The ubiquity of technology, and its increased ability to connect and communicate, has paved the way for this tipping point. Beneath the surface, we are moving towards an explosion of change.

II. Over 50% of our global population is now online, and the other half is following fast. To be precise, around 726 million people joined the web in the last three years. These new users will change the shape of the internet. Many of them will be lower income. They are choosing smart phones over laptops and tablets and are more likely to use voice commands.

III. Geodata and the IoT will create new markets and supply chains. The automation of manufacturing, services and mobility has already begun. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will reach what Gartner terms the ‘Plateau of Productivity’, in which the technology becomes both mainstream and viable. McKinsey estimates that 70% of companies may adopt at least one AI technology by 2030. It is unlikely they will all use it well, but those that do could manage to take us to a place where man and machine are indistinguishable.

IV. Bioscience has the potential to be transformative in the 2020s. Gene editing (CRISPR) technology will likely soon be able to edit genomes to allow animal organs to be accepted into human bodies–transforming, and perhaps saving, the lives of people currently waiting for organ transplants. Similar technology can also be used to combat inherited diseases, and even cancer. Elsewhere, gene therapy experiments are using the body’s immune system to fight cancer through reengineering our cells.

V. Technology has inarguably improved science, health, communications and transport. However, technology has not necessarily corresponded to increased economic productivity. Indeed, many of the most technologically advanced countries have seen productivity stagnate and stall, as discussed in growing inequality and opportunity.

VI. In the 2020s many questions around technology will be resolved. The scaffolding is in place. This will be the decade in which AI, Geodata, the IoT, Bioscience, and Quantum Computing are given the opportunity to change our world. Whether this change will be surfacelevel or truly transformative remains to be seen.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any six out of the eight questions by choosing the correct option.

Question 11. In the line “The ubiquity of technology, and its ……”,the word ‘ubiquity’ does not refer to
(a) Usage
(b) Ever-present
(c) Omnipresent
(d) Pervasive

Question 12. According to Mckinsey,
(a) 70% of all companies will depend on people who can use computers by the end of 2030
(b) 70% of companies will employ more labour force by the year 2030
(c) Nearly 70% of the companies will adopt use of at least one AI technology by 2030
(d) Nearly 70% of all the companies will stop using AI by the end of 2030

Question 13. One of the important predictions in the passage is that we are going to reach, ‘Plateau of Productivity’ with respect to digitization. Which option most reflects the meaning?
(a) The use of AI will stop as it will become more expensive
(b) There will be a widespread market use of AI even if it is not viable
(c) There will be no more resources left to develop AI
(d) The production and use of AI will be extensive and practicable

Question 14. According to the report, how many homes are smart in the year 2020?
(a) 25%
(b) 33%
(c) 40%
(d) 45%

Question 15. According to the report, what will generate new market chain and supply?
(a) Access to meta-data
(b) Artificial Intelligence
(c) Artificial Intelligence and Internet
(d) Geodata and Internet of Things

Question 16. Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the option that best lists the inherent benefits of biosciences.
1. Will help patients who need organ transplants
2. Will revolutionise use of computers and phones
3. Will revolutionise the industry and its development
4. Will revolutionise the development of new phones
5. Will allow for genome transformation of animals
6. Will revolutionise the field of cancer treatment
(a) 1, 2, 3
(b) 1, 5, 6
(c) 2, 3,4
(d) 3, 4, 5

Question 17. Which of the following statements is not true in the context of the passage?
(a) Technology advancement will change the way we use communication
(b) Technology advancement will improve economic productivity
(c) Technology advancement may not improve economic productivity
(d) Technology advancement will improve medical facilities

Question 18. According to the report, what is the most appropriate conclusion?
(a) Technological development may actually lead to social inequality
(b) There will be a lot of changes in technology development
(c) There will be technological development but its impact on society needs to be seen
(d) There will be technological development but no significant change in society

GRAMMAR & WRITING

GRAMMAR

III. Answer any five out of six questions by selecting the most appropriate option for each.

Question 19. Put _____ sugar in your tea; I haven’t put _____
(a) some, any
(b) any, any
(c) some, some
(d) any, some

Question 20. They _____ to go swimming every morning.
(a) did used
(b) must
(c) ought
(d) used

Question 21. The poor _____ suffered a lot due to the pandemic.
(a) have
(b) are
(c) is
(d) has

Question 22. I bought a new car last year, but I _____ my old car yet, so at present I have two cars.
(a) sell
(b) have not sold
(c) sold
(d) did not sell

Question 23. Which option displays the correct change of the following to reported speech?
He said to us, “Why are you all sitting about there doing nothing ?”
(a) He asked us why are we all sitting about there doing nothing.
(b) He asked us why we are all sitting about there doing nothing.
(c) He asked us why we were all sitting about there doing nothing.
(d) He asked us why were we all sitting about there doing nothing.

Question 24. Which option displays the correct change of the following to reported speech?
The pilot said, “Please don’t panic but tighten your seat belts.”
(a) The pilot told to the passengers that they should not panic but tighten the seat belts.
(b) The pilot told the passengers to not panic but to tighten their seat belts instead.
(c) The pilot told the passengers not to panic but to tighten your seat belts.
(d) The pilot told the passengers not to panic but tighten their seat belts.

WRITING

IV. Answer any five out of the six questions by selecting the most appropriate option for each.

Question 25. The subject of Business Letter should be _____.
(a) As long as possible
(b) Brief, Clear and Relevant
(c) Stretched and Irrelevant
(d) None of these

Question 26. Where is Receiver’s address written a Business or Official letter?
(a) On the top of the letter
(b) Just above the date
(c) Just below the date
(d) On the bottom of the letter

Question 27. What should be the tone of a writer while writing a Complaint Letter?
(a) Arrogant
(b) Humble
(c) Ungrateful
(d) Superstitious

Question 28. What is the chief purpose of writing a Complaint Letter?
(a) To file a complaint against antisocial elements, faulty product or poor service being provided
(b) To file a complaint against the politics happening in the country
(c) To file a complaint against those who are working according to your policies
(d) None of these

Question 29. How much space should be taken to write sender’s address in a Complaint Letter?
(a) 1-3 Lines
(b) 4-6 lines
(c) One Line
(d) None of these

Question 30. What does a letter to editor highlight?
(a) Societal issues
(b) Personal problem
(c) Grudges with family members
(d) Professional conflicts

LITERATURE

V. Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow:

Suddenly, I came out of the clouds and saw two long straight lines of lights in front of me. It was a runway! An airport! An airport! I was safe! I turned to look for my friend in the black aeroplane, but the sky was empty. There was nothing there. The black aeroplane was gone. I could not see it anywhere. I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota near the, control tower. I went and asked a woman in the control centre where I was and who the other pilot was. I wanted to say. ‘Thank you’.
(Two Stories About Flying)

Question 31. As the pilot came out of the clouds he saw:
(a) two straight lines of lights
(b) two curved lines of stones
(c) two straight lines of stones
(d) two curved lines of lights

Question 32. The woman at the control tower confirmed that:
(a) he could not land
(b) there was no facility
(c) there was no other aeroplane
(d) there was no signal

Question 33. He wanted to thank the other pilot for:
(a) his tea
(b) his help
(c) his notice
(d) his plans

Question 34. The pilot of old Dakota inquired about the other pilot as:
(a) he wanted to slap him
(b) he wanted to thank him
(c) he wanted to curse him
(d) he wanted to invite him

Question 35. The antonym of ‘straight’ is:
(a) simple
(b) curved
(c) common
(d) lined

VI. Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow:

Anyone could ramble on and leave big spaces between the words, but the trick was to come up with convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking. I thought and thought and suddenly I had an idea. I wrote the three pages Mr. Keesing had assigned me and was satisfied. I argued that talking is a student’s trait and that I would do my best to keep it under control, but that I would never be able to cure myself of the habit since my mother talked as much as I did if not more, and that there’s not much you can do about inherited traits.
(From The Diary Of Anne Frank)

Question 36. Mr. Keesing had assigned to Anne the task of:
(a) drawing a scene
(b) collecting stamps
(c) painting a glass
(d) writing an essay

Question 37. Anne’s argument about talking was that:
(a) talking is a fundamental right
(b) talking is a student’s trait
(c) talking is a birth-right
(d) talking is a duty

Question 38. Anne would never be able to cure herself of this habit since:
(a) her mother also talked much
(b) her father also talked much
(c) her grandma also talked much
(d) her grandpa also talked much

Question 39. The word ‘trait’ means:
(a) a particular quantity
(b) a particular quality
(c) a particular touch
(d) a particular lesson

Question 40. The subject Mr. Keesing was teaching to the class was:
(a) Physics
(b) Sociology
(c) Mathematics
(d) English

VII. Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow:

What is the boy now, who has lost his ball,
What, what is he to do? I saw it go
Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then
Merrily over- there it is in the water!
(The Ball Poem)

Question 41. The extract suggests that the poet is
(a) an onlooker observing
(b) a parent recounting the incident
(c) the boy talking about himself
(d) imagining the incident

Question 42. The poet seems to have indicated the merry bouncing of the ball to
(a) create a sense of rhythm in these lines.
(b) support the happiness of the experience of playing.
(c) contrast with the dejected feeling of the boy.
(d) indicate the cheerful mood of the boy.

Question 43. Choose the situation that corresponds to the emotion behind the exclamation mark in the poem.

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

Question 44. The poem begins with a question. Based on your reading of the poem, the speaker
(a) wants the boy to answer the question.
(b) expects the passers-by to respond.
(c) is looking for answers in a self-help book.
(d) is thinking to himself.

Question 45. Alliteration is a literary device that occurs with the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
Pick the option that showcases an example of alliteration from the extract.
(a) What is the boy now
(b) who has lost his ball
(c) I saw it go
(d) and then/merrily over

VIII.Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow:

He took me to his room over the Jumna Sweet Shop
and told me I could sleep on the balcony. But the meal
I cooked that night must have been terrible because
Anil gave it to a stray dog and told me to be off. But
I just hung around, smiling in my most appealing way,
and he couldn’t help laughing.
(The Thief’s Story)

Question 46. Who is ‘He’ in the above lines?
(a) Hari Singh
(b) Anil
(c) Ruskin Bond
(d) None of these

Question 47. What was the name of the shop above which Anil lived?
(a) Jumma Sweet Shop
(b) Jamun Sweet Shop
(c) Jamuna Sweet Shop
(d) Jumna Sweet Shop

Question 48. What kind of food was prepared by Hari Singh?
(a) Palatable
(b) Sumptuous
(c) Toothsome
(d) None of these

Question 49. What does the word ‘Stray’ mean?
(a) One who moves here and there aimlessly
(b) One who barks aimlessly
(c) One who bites aimlessly
(d) None of these

Question 50. What was Hari Singh by profession?
(a) A thief
(b) A wrestler
(c) A writer
(d) A book seller

IX. Attempt the following.

Question 51. Why was Lencho not surprised on seeing the money in the envelope?
(a) He was too sad to acknowledge it
(b) He had unwavering faith in God
(c) He was an ungrateful man
(d) None of the above

Question 52. “The structure they created formed the basis of one of the harshest, most inhumane, societies the world has ever known.” What structure is Mandela talking about?
(a) Racial domination against the black skinned
(b) Poverty and suffering
(c) Discrimination against the poor
(d) oppression of women

Question 53. Who is the author of “The Hundred Dresses I”?
(a) Liam O’ Flaherty
(b) Frederick Forsyth
(c) Roal Dahl
(d) El Bsor Ester

Question 54. What did Maddie think of herself after the letter was read out loud?
(a) Grateful
(b) Lucky
(c) Hero
(d) Coward

Question 55. What did the poet think of the day before the dust of snow fell on him?
(a) He was energetic
(b) He was rude
(c) He was lucky
(d) His day was ruined

Question 56. The poet brings about the contrast between the ice and _____ through the poem “Fire and Ice”.
(a) hatred
(b) destruction
(c) love
(d) fire

Question 57. What does the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ explain?
(a) That animals must be kept in zoo
(b) That animals must be hunted
(c) That animal should not be caged but let free in their natural habitat
(d) All of these

Question 58. Why is the narrator tempted to keep Tricki as a permanent guest?
(a) Because he loved Tricki
(b) He thought Mrs. Pumphrey woudn’t take good care of Tricki
(c) They would lose all Luxuries like eggs, wine and brandy
(d) None of the above

Question 59. What did Anil do with the money when he received a cheque?
(a) Deposited it in his account
(b) Bought household things
(c) Went out to celebrate
(d) Paid salary to the boy

Question 60. After making a theft in the shop of a theatrical company where did Griffin decide to go?
(a) Iping village
(b) Oxford city
(c) Paris
(d) London