Solving ICSE Class 10 English Language Previous Year Question Papers ICSE Class 10 English Language Question Paper 2012 is the best way to boost your preparation for the board exams.
ICSE Class 10 English Language Question Paper 2012 Solved
Question 1.
(Do not spend more than 35 minutes on this question.) [25]
Write a composition (350 – 400 words) on any one of the
following:
(a) Write an original short story that begins with the words: It wasn’t going to be easy she knew….. but somehow she had to confront him. She took a deep breath, and walked into the room.
(b) “Money causes more harm than good. ” Express your view either for or against this statement.
(c) People play a very important role in our lives. Describe in vivid detail, any one person and show how he/she has been a very special influence in your life.
(d) Modes of Communication are continually changing. What are some of these changes? Say which one change you like best and why?
(e) Study the picture given below. Write a story or a description or an account of what it suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may take suggestions from it; however, there must be a clear connection between the picture and your composition.
Answers:
(a) It wasn’t going to be easy she knew but somehow she had to confront him. She took a deep breath, and walked into the room. Her boss was in a very angry mood. No sooner did she take her seat than he showered a volley of questions on her. “Where had you been these two days? Why didn’t you inform the office where you were ? Why didn’t you send even a message ?” She remained silent, trying to think of the words in which she should explain her predicament. When her boss calmed down a little, she took courage to open her mouth. She told her boss very politely that she had gone, with her mother to Chandigarh and she intended to return the next morning, but her mother had a stroke early that morning. She was taken to the P. G. I. The doctors said that it was a massive heart attack and she was to be kept in I. C. U.
She was so upset that she could not decide what to do. She informed her father who was away to Mumbai. The doctors said that her mother was to be operated and that very day she must deposit rupee one lakh. She was utterly non-plused. From where was she to bring the money ? Her father, who was to arrange the money was not likely to arrive in one day. In the meantime the nurses were asking her to bring one medicine or another. She was running literally from the medicine counter to the I. C. U. After twenty hours the doctors declared that her mother was out of danger. Yesterday, her father, too, had arrived. Her mother was still in P. G. I. Giving this information in one breath she looked at the face of her boss. She heaved a sigh of relief when she observed that her boss seemed to be convinced. She finally added that she had been so busy and upset that she could not attend the office.
(b) Some persons erroneously think that money is the root cause of all evils and it causes more harm than good, but I do not agree with it. I strongly believe that it is money which makes the mare go. In the absence of money all our plans come to a standstill. Not to speak of meeting the basic needs of life like food, clothing and shelter, can we think of getting our children admitted in good schools in the absence of money ? Is it possible to bring up the family, to educate the children, to give them the facilities of life, to entertain them without money ? Certainly not. Moreover who amongst us is without aspirations ? Can we think of the fulfilment of our aspirations if we have no money. Man has four objectives in life, namely to taste the pleasures of senses i.e. to enjoy the comforts of life, to earn money and fame, to do acts of charity and finally to get liberation. The fulfilment of all these depends on money, so money is all important.
Money, in fact is the be all and end all of life. It is the means of material progress. Even mental and spiritual advancement can’t be thought of in the absence of money. All the good things of life can be achieved only through money. It is wrong to think that money in any way causes harm to anyone. It does not cause harm, it is only the misuse of money which causes harm. It is said that excess of money drags one into all sorts of evils which bring ruin to oneself and one’s family. But we must remember that money should be used in a sensible way. If money is judiciously spent and shared with others it can bring prosperity in life. It can make our life comfortable and happy.
(c) Man is a social animal. He cannot live without society. Instinctively, he is attracted towards others and wherever he finds someone who leaves an undeliable impression on his mind, he likes to imitate him. In fact the desire to imitate is instinctive. Little girls, observing their mothers, like to bathe, dress and comb their baby dolls and little boys like to imitate their elders in their dress, their manner of walking and their style of talking. When they grow up, they make the person who impresses them their role model and try to be like him or her.
I am highly impressed by my uncle, Dr. Pawan Sharma. He is a doctor by profession but I appreciate him as a man. Of all the persons in the family, he is the only person who has left an undeliable impression on me.
My uncle is a man of strong will power and firm determination. In his boyhood he saw a poor sick man, the head of a family, suffering from tuberculosis and dying by inches because he could not afford to get treatment in a hospital. After his death, poverty drove the whole family to ruin. My uncle resolved that he would become a doctor and give free treatment to those sick persons who can’t afford to take costly treatment in big hospitals. Once he had determined no obstacle could stand in his way. Shortage of funds was one problem but my uncle worked hard and won a scholarship.
He passed the examinations with distinction and became a doctor. Once he became a doctor he did not forget his aim in life. He opened his clinic and started his practice. Offers came to him to work in big hospitals but he declined. He fiimly believes that the service of the suffering humanity is the service of God.
I have observed him very closely and never have I seen him swerving from his duty. He is sincere to his patients, to his friends and all around him.
I too have a desire to be like him, sincere, strong and firm.
(d) Communication is the process of meaningful interaction among human beings. More specifically, it is the process by which meanings are perceived and understanding is reached among human beings. Modes of communication refer to vehicles or channels through which communication is delivered. Numerous communication modes are used when we want to convey something, for example face to face conversation, telephones, email, fax, etc. Ever since human beings started communicating, the modes of communication have ever been changing.
The most common mode is face to face communication. It may be between two persons or between two groups. It may also assume the form of a speech or address by one person to the audience.
A substitute for face to face communication is teleconferencing. It is used when two persons are hundreds of miles away from each other. Through teleconferencing, they can hear and see and talk to each other.
Another mode of communication is telephone. It is the most frequently used means of oral communication. Most of the urgent matters are dealt on phone these days. Through audio conferencing group communication is also possible.
Another mode of communication is Paging system. Under this system the sender dials the Pager Number and conveys the message through human voice. The Paging Service provider forwards the message that gets printed on the pager of the Pager holder. Thus the message is received without actual dialogue.
The most important mode of communication is mobile phone. Mobile phones provide an edge over fixed telephony. The person holding mobile can be contacted at anytime, anywhere. Because of the advantages of this mode of communication, mobile phones are becoming more and more popular.
Apart from these modes of oral communication, there are also modes of written communication like FAX and E-mail.
Undoubtedly the best mode of communication is mobile phone. The possessor of mobile phone can talk and transact even while driving a car or a motorbike. Moreover it is very handy and convenient. It also provides Internet access anytime. No wonder it has found a place in every heart and every pocket.
(e) India is the land of festivals. Not a month goes by when one or the other festival does not fall. They speak of traditions and culture of the country. One such festival is ‘Lohri.’ It is celebrated in north India especially in Punjab. It falls on the thirteenth of January every year when it is extremely cold. Children are very happy. They move in groups from one house to another singing songs of ‘Lohri’ and asking for money and gifts. They are given groundnuts, ‘rewaris’ and especially, popcorns. Shops are decorated and furnaces are set to roast popcorns. The picture too shows a young girl roasting corns. She has packed them and they are ready for sale.
At night people get together and make bon-fire. They worship the god of fire and offer him groundnuts, ‘rewaris’ and pop-corns. Some families celebrate it on a very large scale. They hold feasts and invite their friends and relatives. They also give very costly gifts to their newly married daughters. They wish their friends and relatives ‘Happy Lohri’. Like all big festivals it is the festival of enjoyment and fellow feeling. It brings together people of all communities.
Question 2.
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.)
Select ONE of the following: [10]
(а) Many areas near your school have been affected by floods. You are President of your school social service club. Write a letter to the Mayor of your town/city telling him/her what you plan to do for the relief of the victims, suggest ways in which you can combine with other organisations to bring about better distribution of relief items.
(b) You were taken by your school to visit a place of historical interest. Write a letter to your classmate who was unable to go on the trip telling him/her about the trip, why it was important and what you gained from the experience.
Answer:
(a) 27, Lajpat Nagar
Amritsar
The Mayor
Municipal Corporation Amritsar
Sub : The problems of the Flood Victims Sir
As is known to every resident of Amritsar, the recent floods have caused indescribable harm to the people especially those living in rural areas. It is encouraging that many welfare organisations are coming forward to help the victims of floods. Many areas near our school have also been affected. As a result of it our school has been closed. As president of the school social service club. I feel that the relief items that people contribute are not evenly distributed to all the victims. If the relief work is done with proper planning and some volunteers from the school are also taken, we can expedite the relief work. The people who are affected by the floods are leading a very miserable life and they need individual attention. Myself and some of my friends are ready to work day and night for it.
Yours faithfully
Suman
(b) 36, Model Town Ludhiana
My dear Sunil
You will be glad to know that we have come back from the tour to Agra. It was indeed a very enjoyable and educative trip. I wish you had been with us.
As planned we started from Delhi at 9 a.m. and reached hotel Sartaj at 11.30 a.m. where we had scheduled to take our breakfast. In the beautiful spacious lawn, where tables were especially laid for us, we had our breakfast and started the journey again.
In half an hour we reached Agra and went straight to see the Taj. I had read a lot about its matchless beauty but all descriptions paled into insignificance when I actually saw it. Its beauty and splendour is indescribable. It stands on the right bank of river Jamuna. It is built of snow- white transparent marble. It is an immortal momment of love — a dream in marble.
The guide we had taken, was very helpful. He showed us the tombs where the king and the queen lie buried side by side. The walls of the ceiling of the tomb are inlaid with precious stones.
Dear Sunil, had you been with us, we would have enjoyed much more. I feel, I have learnt many facts of history from this trip. More when we meet.
Yours sincerely
Raman
Question 3.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the ques-tions that follow:
It was a dull autumn day and Jill Pole was crying behind the gym.
She was crying because they had been bullying her. This is not going to be a school story, so I shall say as little as possi-ble about Jill’s school, which is not a pleasant subject. It was Co-educational, a school for both boys and girls, what used to be called a “mixed” school; some said it was not nearly so mixed as the minds of the people who ran it. These people had the idea that boys and girls should be allowed to do what they liked. And unfortunately what ten or fifteen of the biggest boys and girls liked best was bullying the others.
All sorts of things, horrid things, went on which at an ordinary school would have been found out and stopped in half a term, but at this school they weren’t. Or even if they were, the people who did them were not expelled or punished. The Head said they were interesting psychological cases and sent for them and talked to them for hours. And if you knew the right sort of things to say to the Head, the main result was that you became rather a favourite than otherwise.
That was why Jill Pole was crying on that dull autumn day on the damp little path which runs between the back of the gym and the shrubbery. And she hadn’t nearly finished her cry when a boy came round the comer of the gym whistling, with his hands in his pockets. He nearly ran into her.
“Can’t you look where you’re going?” said Jill Pole.
“All right,” said the boy, “you needn’t start—” and then he noticed her face, “I say, Jill,” he said, “what’s up?”
Jill only made faces; the sort you make when you’re trying to say something but find that if you speak you’ll start crying again. “It’s Them, I suppose — as usual,” said the boy grimly, digging his hands further into his pockets. Jill nodded. There was no need for her to say anything, even if she could have said it. They both knew.
“Now, look here,” said the boy, “its no use..”
He meant well, but he did talk rather like someone beginning a lecture. Jill suddenly flew into a temper (which is quite a likely thing to happen if you have been interrupted in a cry). “Oh, go away and mind you own business,” she said. “Nobody asked you to come barging in. did they? And you’re a nice person to start telling us what we all ought to do, aren’t you? I suppose you mean we ought to spend all our time sucking up to Them, and currying favour, and dancing attendance on Them like you do.”
“Oh, Lord!” said the boy, sitting down on the grassy bank at the edge of the shrubbery and very quickly getting up again because the grass was soaking wet. His name unfortunately was Eustace Scmbb, but he wasn’t a bad sort.
“Jill!” he said. “Is that fair?”
“I d-don’t know and I don’t care,” sobbed Jill.
Eustace saw that she wasn’t quite herself yet and very sensibly offered her a peppermint. He had one too. Presently Jill began to see things in a clearer light.
“I’m sorry, Eustace,” she said presently.
(a) Give the meaning of each of the following words as used in the passage. One word answers or short phrases will be accepted. .
(i) bullying (line 3)
(ii) expelled (line 17)
(iii) barging in (line 47) [3]
(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.
(i) Why was Jill crying ? [2]
(ii) Why do you think she was crying behind the gym? [2]
(iii) Who is the ‘Them ’referred to in line 24? [2]
(iv) Why did Jill fly into a temper ? [2]
(v) Which sentences tell us that both Jill and Eustace Scrubb had suffered similarly? [2]
(vi) When did Jill begin to see things differently? [2]
(c) (i) What kind of school did the children go to? Write
your answer in not more than 60 words. [8]
(ii) Give a title to your summary in 3 (c). Give a reason to justify your choice. [2]
Answers :
(a) (i) intimidating weaker persons
(ii) to force someone to leave the school
(iii) burst into someone rudely, awkwardly
(b) (i) Jill was crying because senior students had been bullying her.
(ii) She was crying behind the gym because it was a lonely place where she was not observed and mocked at by others.
(iii) The word ‘Them’ refers to senior students who move in groups and bully others.
(iv) Jill flew into temper because she was interrupted in a cry.
(v) The following sentences tell us that both Eustace Scrubb and Jill, had suffered similarly, z. “Its them I suppose as usual.” ii. “Now look here” said the boy, “Its no use ……”
(vi) Jill began to see things differently when Eustace Scrubb offered her peppermint.
(c) (i) The children attended a co-educational school or a mixed school. Here the administrators felt that the boys and girls should be allowed to do what they liked. Groups of the biggest boys and girls liked to bully others. All sorts of horrid things went on here. The students who indulged in such things were neither punished nor expelled. Even the head of the school approved of their actions.
(ii) “Maltreatment of younger students by the Bigger ones” (3.c) Since the passage is about an incident of bullying of junior students by senior students the title is appropriate.
Question 4.
(a) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in brackets. Do not copy the passage, but write in correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the blank space.
Example :
(0) My guide _______ (tell) me if I wanted to meet these people I would have to walk two miles.
Answer: told.
We finally (1) ____ (reach) a village where I (2) ____ (meet) a lady whose age I (3) ___ (can) not immediately make out. My translator (4) ____ (find) it difficult to interpret the lady’s words because her dialect was quite different. She (5) ____ (is) a dark-skinned and dark-haired lady. She must have been around seventy years old but there was no grey in her hair. She obviously could not afford to dye her hair. So what was her secret? Nobody (6) ____ (know). It must have been a ‘secret ’ common to allfor not one person in that whole village (7) ____ (has) a trace of grey hair! I (8) ___ (think) about it for a long time. [4]
(b) Fill in the blanks with an appropriate word:
(i) He was touched ___ pity when he heard the tale.
(ii) There is always a demand ___ good tailors.
(iii) The mother prevented her child ____ going out in the rain.
(iv) The baby crawled ___ the table and hid there.
(v) Once upon a time the great King ruled ___ all these villages and towns.
(vi) She is the smarter ____ the two.
(vii) Sheila insists ____ wearing that dress, although her mother thinks it is too short for her.
(viii) The teacher complained _____ him when she met his mother in the market. [4]
(c) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so.
(i) He lived in the city for many years. He could notfind his way about.
(ii) She complained that her brother did not know anything. Her brother claimed he knew everything.
(iii) The coffee isn’t strong. It won’t keep us awake.
(iv) I finished my homework. I switched on the TV. [4]
(d) Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence.
(i) My mother left a month ago.
(Begin : It has ………)
(ii) Anil was wrong to lose his temper.
(Begin : Anil ought ……)
(iii) As soon as the Chief Guest had seated himself the play began.
(Begin : No sooner )
(iv) Rajiv said to Aijun, “Is this the book you were reading yesterday?”
(Begin : Rajiv asked Arjun if…….)
(v) Only a foolish person would be taken in by this trick.
(Begin : None ……)
(vi) Everybody has heard of Gandhiji.
(Begin : Who …..)
(vii) He will issue the cheque only when he hears from the head office.
(Begin : On …….)
(viii) Father will send you a message if his flight is cancelled.
(Begin : Should……..) [8]
Answers :
(a) (1) reached
(2) met
(3) could
(4) found
(5) was
(6) knew
(7) had
(8) thought
(b) (i) with
(ii) for
(iii) from
(iv) under
(v) over
(vi) of
(vii) on
(viii) against
(c) (i) Despite having lived in the city for many years he could not find his way out.
(ii) Contrary to his claim that he knew everything she complained that her brother did not know anything.
(iii) The coffee, not being strong, won’t keep us awake.
(iv) Having finished my work, I switched on the T.V.
(d) (i) It has been one month since my mother left.
(ii) Anil ought not have lost his temper.
(iii) No sooner did the chief guest take his seat than the play began.
(iv) Rajiv asked Aijun if that was the book he had been reading the previous day.
(v) None but a fool would be taken in by this trick.
(vi) Who has not heard of Gandhiji ?
(vii) On hearing from the head office the cheque will be issued by him.
(viii) Should his flight be cancelled, father will send you a message.