Solving ICSE Class 10 English Language Previous Year Question Papers ICSE Class 10 English Language Question Paper 2013 is the best way to boost your preparation for the board exams.
ICSE Class 10 English Language Question Paper 2013 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: “In the background I could hear an awful commotion, men s voices raised and women screaming. ”
(b) ‘Boarding schools are far better than day schools for the all-round education of a child Express your view either for or against this statement.
(c) You were on a school trip and were on your way back to the hotel late one night when your school bus, full of children, broke down in a lonely area. Describe what you saw and experienced as you looked around. How was the problem solved?
(d) Teaching someone else how to do something can be a rewarding experience. Think ofa skill that you have helped someone to develop. Perhaps you taught someone how to swim or to bake a cake, or helped someone learn how to study more effectively. Narrate the events that made up the process of teaching the skill, and say what made the experience important and memorable for you.
(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.
Answer:
(a) Make use of the following hints and develop them into a story.
Hints
- “In the background I could hear an awful commotion men’s voices raised and women screaming.”
- a case of gas leakage in the kitchen
- suddenly there was fire in the house
- plastic wares and wooden items caught fire
- confusion in the house
- visibility poor
- women started screaming
- men cried for help
- neighbours rushed for rescue operation
- the fire brigade was summoned
- no lose of human life
- household goods destroyed
- police visited the scene and started investigating the case
(b) Make use of the following hints :
- Views in favour
- good to send children to boarding schools
- helps in independent thinking and decision-making
- personality development
- a child learns to do things indepen-dently
- a home away from home
- Views against
- no good to send children to boarding school
- children feel homesick
- fall in a bad company and go astray
- cases of children giving up their studies and returning home
- not perfectly and completely useful
(c) Make use of the following hints :
Hints:
- educational trip to a hill station
- children gay and happy
- stayed at a city hotel
- one day children went for sight scene
- on their way back the bus broke down
- a lonely area, part of the forest
- problems and difficulties all around
- the teachers in charge came into action
- asked for police help and a van to take the children back to the hotel
- a horrible experience
(d) Make use of the following hints :
Hints :
- I and my grandmother lived in a small village
- grandmother was illiterate
- started taking interest in reading and writing
- I undertook the task of teaching her
- started telling the story of Kashiyatre by Triveni
- the grandmother showed interest in the story
- grandmother’s resolve to learn to read Kannada
- I laboured hard to help her achieving her goal
- the grandmother proved to be a good student; she was able to read and write
(e) Make use of the following hints.
Hints :
- children’s love for adventure and excursions
- the picture suggests children on a picnic tour
- a lake nearby a hill station
- natural surroundings
- elephants available for a ride
- children decide to have a ride on the elephant in a lake
- the experience proves adventurous and exciting
Question 2.
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.) Select ONE of the following: [10]
(a) You will soon have to make a decision about the subjects that you wish to study in classes XI and XII.
Write a letter to your Grandfather telling him about the subjects that you plan to take up. Be sure to explain the reason for your choice and how you think these subjects would help you in the future.
(b) The children in your neighbourhood are forced to play on the streetfor want of a proper play area. Write a letter to the Editor of a popular newspaper, pointing out the need for a playground in your neighbourhood.
Give reasons why you think a play area is necessary and point out how it would benefit everyone who lives in that area.
Answer:
(а) 1015, Sector 20
Chandigarh
7th April, 20…
My dear Grandfather
You will be glad to know that I have been successful in my class X examination. It is a matter of genuine pride that I have topped the list of successful candidates appearing from the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Now I have a plan to join Commerce group in class XI. I have taken this decision after serious consultation with my teachers and friends. After doing my XII examination I have a mind to join B.com Professional Course. Thereafter my plan is to do Post-graduation in Business Management.
I do hope that you will agree to my plan of action. You are well aware that our country is making rapid progress in all fields of activity especially in the field of business. Many multi-national companies have come to India and set up their offices in most part of the country. There are many job opportunities. It is in the light of this development programme in the country that I have decided to join the Commerce group.
I am quite confident that you will approve of my choice of selecting the.subjects of Commerce group. I would like to hear from you at the earliest. I know my grandfather is an experienced person. Your advice and guidance will be of great value to me.
Pay my deepest regard to dear grandmother.
Yours affectionately
Sushmita
Or
(b) 20, Ashok Nagar
Vikas Margh, New Delhi
15 April, 20 ……
The Editor
The Times of India
New Delhi
Subject: Need for a playground Sir
I shall be very grateful to you if you kindly publish my views on the need of providing a playground in our area in the columns of your prestigious newspaper.
The residence of Ashok Nagar area have no public parks and a playground. The children are forced to play on the street. The result is that it causes inconvenience to the residence of this area. Often there are quarrels and disputes of petty issues. The parents of children strongly support their children playing in the street while others object to their playing in the street.
Their argument is that children break the windowpane of their houses and sometime cause injuries to the passers-by. It has become a serious problem for this area. The only solution lies in providing a playground in our neighbourhood. It would be a boon to the residence of this area.
I am quite confident that the views published in your esteemed newspaper will give wide publicity to our demand and the authorities will consider the proposal seriously.
Thanking you
Yours truly
Sandeep
Question 3.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
There were other boys in Manjari village, but Bisnu was the only one who went to school. His mother would not have fussed if he had stayed at home and worked in the fields. That was what the other boys did; all except lazy Chittru, who preferred fishing in the stream or helping himself to the fruit off other people’s trees.
But Bisnu went to school. He went because he wanted to. No one could force him to go; and no one could stop him from going. He had set his heart on receiving a good schooling. He wanted to read and write as well as anyone in the big world and so he walked to school every day.
A colony of langoors lived in the forest. They fed on oak leaves, acoms, and other green things, and usually remained in the trees, coming down to the ground only to play or sun themselves. They were beautiful, supple-limbed animals, with black faces and silver-grey coats and long, sensitive to tails. They leapt from tree to tree with great agility. The young ones wrestled on the grass like boys.
A dignified community, the langoors did not have the cheeki-ness or dishonest habits of the red monkeys of the plains; they did not approach dogs or humans. But they had grown used to Bisnu’s comings and goings and did not fear him. Some of the older ones would watch him quietly, a little puzzled. They did not go near the town; because the boys threw stones at them. And anyway, the forest gave them all the food they required. Coming from another direction was a second path, and at the junction of the two paths Sarru was waiting for him. Sairu came from a small village about three milesi from Bisnu’s and closer to the town.
They hailed each other, and walked along. They often met at this spot, keeping each other company for the remaining two miles.
‘There was a panther in our village last night,’ said Sarru. This information interested but did not excite Bisnu. Panthers were common enough in the hills and did not usually present a problem except during the winter months, when their natural prey was scarce.
‘Did you lose any animals?’ asked Bisnu.
‘No. It tried to get into the cowshed but the dogs set up the alarm. We drove it off.’
‘It must be the same one which came around last winter. We lost a calf and two dogs in our village. ’
‘Wasn’t that the one the shikaris wounded? I hope it hasn’t become a cattle-lifter.’
‘It could be the same. It has a bullet in its leg. These hunters are the people who cause all the trouble. They think it’s easy to shoot a panther. It would be better if they missed altogether, but they usually wound it.’
‘And then the panther’s too slow to catch the barking-deer and starts on our own animals’.
‘We’re lucky it didn’t become a man-eater. Do you remember the man-eater six years ago? I was very small then. My father told me all about it. Ten people were killed in our valley alone.’
‘What happened to it?’
‘I don’t know. Some say it poisoned itself when it ate the headman of the village.’
Bisnu laughed. No one liked that old villain. They linked arms and scrambled up the stony path to school.
(a) Give the meaning of each of the following words as used in the passage. [3]
One word answers or short phrases will be accepted.
- agility (line 20)
- hailed (line 36)
- villain (line 67)
Answer:
- moving quickly and easily
- greeted
- a wicked person
(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.
(i) How was Chittru different from other boys? [2]
(ii) What was Bisnu s ambition? [2]
(iii) What information did Sarru give Bisnu? [2]
(iv) How did the information affect Bisnu? [2]
(v) Why did the panther become a cattle-lifter? [2]
(vi) What joke does Sarru make? [2]
Answer:
(i) Chittru was different from other boys. He was lazy. He preferred fishing in the stream or plucking fruit from other people’s trees.
(ii) Bisnu was ambitious. He wanted to become something in life. Therefore he went to his school regularly. He was unlike the children of his village.
(iii) Sarru came from a small village. Sarru and Bisnu often met at particular spot while going to school. Sarru informed Bisnu that a panther was seen in his village last night.
(iv) The information about the panther interested Bisnu but did not excite him. It was so because panthers were very common enough in the hills. So they did not present a problem.
(v) Panthers do not find a prey in winter season. Therefore they become cattle lifters.
(vi) Sarru told Bisnu that his father once narrated the incident of ten people being killed in the valley by these panthers. Some people say that a panther ate the headman of the village. Bisnu laughed at this joke.
(c) (i) In not more than 60 words describe what the narrator tells us about the behaviour of the langoors. [8]
(ii) Give a title to your summary in 3 (c). Give a reason to’justify your choice. [2]
Answer:
(i) There was a colony of langoors in the forest. They lived on trees and fed on oak leaves, a corns and other green things. Sometimes they would come down to the ground only to play in the sun. They looked beautiful with their black faces, silver grey coats and long sensitive tails. They were very quick in moving from tree to tree. They often wrestled on the grass like young boys. They did not harm human beings.
(ii) The Colony of Langoors. This title is apt, suitable and suggestive.
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. [4]
Example:
(0) A woman ____________ (wait) at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight.
Answer: was waiting.
She (1) _________ (hunt) for a book in the airport shops, (2) _________ (buy) a bag of cookies and found a place to sit. She (3) _________ (engross) in her book but happened to see that the man sitting beside her, bold as could be, grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between, which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene. So she (4) _________ (munch) the cookies and watched the clock, as the gutsy thief diminished her stock. She (5) _________ (get) more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, (6) _________ (black) his eye. “With each cookie she took, he took one too. When only one was left, she wondered what he would do. With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh, he (7) _________ (take) the last cookie and broke it in half He offered her half, as he ate the other. She had never known she could be so angry and turned to gather her belongings. As she reached for her baggage, she gasped with surprise, there was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes. If mine are here, she moaned
in despair, the others were his, and he (8) _________ (try) to share.
Answer:
1. hunted
2. bought
3. was engrossed
4. munched
5. got
6. had blackened
7. took
8. tried
(b) Fill in the blanks with an appropriate word: [4]
- She takes a lot of trouble _________ her work.
- Our English friends have taken _________ Indian food quite quickly.
- He got an A+ _________ the Mathematics test.
- He jumped _________ the river to save his friend from drowning.
- Always be prepared _________ a surprise test.
- She hid _________ the cupboard and gave everyone a fright.
- She is fond _________ pets.
- The brothers quarrelled _________ themselves for their father s property.
Answer:
- for
- to
- in
- into
- for
- in
- of
- with
(c) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so. [4]
(i) We had better get ready now. We may not have time to reach the airport.
Answer:
We had better get ready now because we may not have time to reach the airport.
(ii) Mr. Liew has been sick. He has been so since he came back from Japan.
Answer:
Mr. Liew has been sick after he came back from Japan.
(iii) The debating teams were very happy. Both were declared joint-champions.
Answer:
The debating teams were very happy as they were declared joint-champions.
(iv) He escaped from the prison. He looked for a place where he could hide.
Answer:
After he escaped from the prison, he looked for a place where he could hide.
(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. [8]
(i) These windows need cleaning again.
(Begin : These windows will ………………)
Answer:
(i) These windows will be cleaned again.
(ii) My mother said I could go with you only if I returned home by five o’clock.
(Use: as long as)
Answer:
My mother said, “As long as I did not return home by five o’clock, you could go with me.”
(iii) It doesn’t matter which chemical you put into the mixture first, the results will be the same.
(Use: difference)
Answer:
There will be no difference whichever the chemical you put into the mixture first.
(iv) Who does this pen belong to?
(Begin : Do you know …………….)
Answer:
Do you know to whom this pen belongs to ?
(v) Heavy rain has caused the cancellation of the outdoor garden party.
(Begin : Due ……………..)
Answer:
Due to heavy rain the garden party was cancelled.
(vi) I’ve never seen so many people in this building before.
(Begin : This is ……………….)
Answer:
This is the first occasion I have seen so many people in this building.
(vii) If we light the fire, the rescuers will see us.
(Begin : We will…………….)
Answer:
We will be spotted by the rescuers, if we light the fire.
(viii) Only a few books were remaining on the shelf when we left.
(Begin : Most……………..)
Answer:
Most of the books had disappeared on the shelf when we left.