Solving ICSE Class 10 English Literature Previous Year Question Papers ICSE Class 10 English Literature Question Paper 2021 Semester 1 is the best way to boost your preparation for the board exams.
ICSE Class 10 English Literature Question Paper 2021 Solved Semester 1
Maximum Marks: 40
Time allowed: One hour
General Instructions
- You will not be allowed to write during the first 10 minutes.
- This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.
- ALL QUESTIONS ARE COMPULSORY.
- The marks intended for questions are given in brackets [ ].
Select the correct option for each of the following questions.
Section – A
Question 1.
When is Hans Christian Andersen s story, ‘The Little Match Girl’set ? [1]
(a) On a cold, dark, Christmas Eve
(b) On a cold, wet, winter’s day
(c) On a cold, dark New Year’s Eve
(d) On a snowy day in early December
Answer:
(c) On a cold, dark New Year’s Eve
Question 2.
Which of the following does NOT appear in the visions that the Little Match girl sees ? [1]
(a) A beautifully decorated Christmas Tree
(b) Her kind and loving Grandmother
(c) An iron stove with brass handles
(d) Colourful fireworks display
Answer:
(d) Colourful fireworks display
Question 3.
When Shylock speaks of Jessica’s elopement he exclaims, ‘My own flesh and blood to rebel! ’. What feeling do his words convey ? [1]
(a) Pride
(b) Envy
(c) Betrayal
(d) Remorse
Answer:
(c) Betrayal
Question 4.
What important character trait of Bassanio’s helps him choose the right casket ? [1]
(a) His honesty and integrity
(b) The ability to look beyond outward appearances
(c) His love for Portia
(d) His dislike of gold and silver
Answer:
(b) The ability to look beyond outward appearances
Question 5.
What is the central theme of Maya Angelou’s poem, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ’? [1]
(a) Freedom and oppression
(b) Reality and appearance
(c) Animal Rights
(d) Environmental crisis
Answer:
(a) Freedom and oppression
Question 6.
How does Portia plan to rescue her husband’s friend Antonio from Shylock’s clutches ? [1]
(a) She would pay six thousand ducats and deface the bond.
(b) Appear in court disguised as a lawyer andfight the case for Antonio.
(c) Spend some days at a monastery in prayer and medita-tion accompanied only by Nerissa.
(d) Humiliate Shylock at the trial and win the case for Antonio.
Answer:
(b) Appear in court disguised as a lawyer and fight the case for Antonio.
Question 7.
The conversation between Launcelot, Jessica and Lorenzo in Act 3 Scene 5, creates …… before the highly dramatic Trial
Scene that follows. [1]
(a) dramatic irony
(b) comic relief
(c) heightened tension
(d) an unpleasant atmosphere
Answer:
(b) comic relief
Question 8.
What is the Patriot in Browning’s poem referring to when he says, ‘Thus I entered, the thus I go ! ’? [1]
(a) His birth and death.
(b) His entry into public life and his decision to quit
(c) His short-lived, dramatic rise and fall in popularity
(d) His career as a soldier
Answer:
(c) His short-lived, dramatic rise and fall in popularity
Question 9.
In the short story, ‘The Blue Bead’, the highlight of Sibia’s day was …… [1]
(a) killing the crocodile
(b) rescuing the Gujar woman
(c) killing the crocodile and rescuing the Gujar woman
(d) finding the blue bead for her necklace
Answer:
(c) killing the crocodile and rescuing the Gujar woman
Question 10.
The author says that the crocodile was ‘twice the length of a tall man ’. This means that the crocodile was approximately ……. [1]
(a) twelve feet long
(b) four feet long
(c) twenty feet long
(d) fifty feet long
Answer:
(a) twelve feet long
Section – B
Question 11.
Read the following extract from The Merchant of Venice (Act 3) and. answer the questions that follow by choosing the most appropriate response from the choices given below:
Shylock: How now, Tubal! What news from Genoa ?
Hast thou found my daughter ?
Tubal: It often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find her.
(i) Who is Tubal? [1]
(a) Shylock’s friend
(b) Antonio’s friend
(c) The devil
(d) Shylock s wife
Answer:
(a) Shylock’s friend
(ii) What news of Jessica does Tubal bring to Shylock ? [1]
(a) She was spending Shylock’s money extravagantly.
(b) She had exchanged Shylock’s ring for a donkey.
(c) She had given away Shylock’s diamond worth two thousand ducats in Frankfort.
(d) She had died and had been buried with jewels in her ears.
Answer:
(a) She was spending Shylock’s money extravagantly.
(iii) What news of Antonio s misfortune does Tubal share with Shylock? [1]
(a) Antonio s sailors had not survived the shipwreck.
(b) Antonio s ship had been looted by pirates at Tripolis.
(c) Antonio’s merchant ship had been wrecked on its way from Tripolis.
(d) The crew on Antonio s ship had mutinied and taken control of the vessel.
Answer:
(b) Antonio’s ship had been looted by pirates at Tripolis.
(iv) What does Shylock instruct Tubal to do after this exchange? [1]
(a) Go to the synagogue and arrange for a gaoler.
(b) Hire an officer of the law and meet him afterwards at the synagogue.
(c) Go to Genoa and arrange for Jessica to be brought home.
(d) Have Antonio’s creditors swear that he was broke.
Answer:
(b) Hire an officer of the law and meet him afterwards at the synagogue.
(v) Which of these words spoken by Shylock reflect his vengeful nature ? ‘ [1]
(a) My own flesh and blood to rebel!
(b) What, what, what ? Ill luck, ill luck ?
(c) There I have another bad match.
(d) I will have the heart of him, if he forfeits.
Answer:
(d) I will have the heart of him, if he forfeits.
Question 12.
Read the following extract from Act 3 of ‘The Merchant of Venice ’and answer the questions thatfollow by choosing the most appropriate response from the choices given below :
Portia: I would detain you here for some month or two
Before you venture for me. 1 could teach you
How to choose right, but then I am forsworn;
So will I never be : so you may miss me
(i) How would you describe Portia s state of mind based on your understanding of the given extract ? [1]
(a) tense and anxious
(b) terrified and remorseful
(c) excited and guilty
(d) confident and hopeful
Answer:
(a) tense and anxious
(ii) Why does Portia want to detain Bassanio for a ‘a month or two ’ before he takes the casket test ? [1]
(a) She wants to spend time with him and get to know him better.
(b) She is afraid that he might choose the wrong casket and she would never see him again.
(c) She wants to keep him in Venice and away from the influence of Antonio.
(d) She is lonely and enjoys his company.
Answer:
(b) She is afraid that he might choose the wrong casket and she would never see him again.
(iii) Why does Portia say she cannot help Bassanio choose the right casket ? [1]
(a) It would be dishonest if she did.
(b) She would be breaking her promise to her father if she did.
(c) She believes in justice and fair play.
(d) She has sworn not to help him.
Answer:
(b) She would be breaking her promise to her father if she did.
(iv) “Let me choose; For, as I am, I live upon the rack. ” says Bassanio in response to Portia’s plea. [I]
Give the meaning of the word ‘rack ’ in this context.
(a) A wooden shelf to hold books
(b) a framework, for holding or storing things
(c) a bedlike open frame used as a torture device
(d) To cause extreme pain or distress
Answer:
(c) a bedlike open frame used as a torture device
(v) What does Portia give to Bassanio as a token of her love? [1]
(a) Her house
(b) Her servants
(c) Herself
(d) A ring
Answer:
(d) A ring
Question 13.
Read the following extract from the short story, ‘The Little Match Girl ‘and answer the questions that follow by choosing the most appropriate response from the choices given below:
Lights were shining in every window, and there was a glorious smell of roast goose in the street, for this was New Year’s Eve, and she could not think of anything else.
(i) What do the words, ‘she could not think of anything else’ tell us about the condition of the little girl ? [1]
(a) She was cold and miserable.
(b) She was reminded of her grandmother’s cooking.
(c) She was very fond of roast goose.
(d) She was desperately hungry.
Answer:
(d) She was desperately hungry.
(ii) What did the Little Match Girl do when she could no longer bear the cold ? [1]
(a) Started a fire to keep herself warm.
(b) Tried to find shelter in one ofthe houses on the street.
(c) Struck a match to warm her frozen fingers.
(d) Lay down in the cold and talked to her grandmother.
Answer:
(c) Struck a match to warm her frozen fingers
(iii) When did the little girl’s grandmother appear before her? [1]
When she struck the ……. match.
(a) first
(b) second
(c) third
(d) fourth
Answer:
(d) fourth
(iv) Read thefollowing statement and pick out the one that is NOT true of the Little Match Girl. [1]
(a) She came from a very poor family.
(b) She loved her grandmother dearly.
(c) She was about seventeen years old.
(d) She had no slippers of her own, so she wore her mother s.
Answer:
(c) She was about seventeen years old.
(v) What happened to the little girl at the end of the story?
(a) She froze to death.
(b) Her father came looking for her.
(c) Some kind people gave her food and shelter.
(d) An angel appeared and carried her away to her grandmother s house.
Answer:
(a) She froze to death.
Question 14.
Read the following extract from the short story, ‘The Blue Bead’and answer the questions that follow by choosing the most appropriate response from the choices given below:
At the same moment, a Gujar woman came down with two gurrahs of water on the other side. In order to get the good clear water, which would quickly fill both gurrahs to the top without sand, she walked onto the stepping- stones. She was within a yard of the crocodile when he lunged at her.
(i) What was Sibia doing when the Gujar woman came down to the river to collect water? [1]
(a) On her way to the cave to check on her clay cups.
(b) Resting on a boulder in the middle of the river.
(c) Walking home with her mother after a hard day’s work.
(d) Cutting paper grass on the mountainside.
Answer:
(b) Resting on a boulder in the middle of the river.
(ii) Why did the Gujar woman not notice the crocodile until it was too late ? [1]
(a) He was well hidden among the drifting logs of timber.
(b) She was thinking about the men who had gone to the bazaar.
(c) She could not see very well.
(d) It was pitch dark as it was late at night.
Answer:
(c) She could not see very well.
(iii) Listed below are some facts about crocodiles taken from the story. Pick out the one which is NOT true : [1]
(a) Crocodiles are afraid of noise.
(b) Crocodiles are herbivores.
(c) Crocodiles swallow stones to assist with their digestion.
(d) Crocodiles have thick, impenetrable hides
Answer:
(b) Crocodiles are herbivores.
(iv) How did the Gujar woman try to save herself? [1]
(a) By uttering a shrill, piercing scream.
(b) By dropping her gurrahs into the river.
(c) By driving her hayfork into the creature’s eye with all her might.
(d) By clinging desperately to a floating log of wood.
Answer:
(d) By clinging desperately to a floating log of wood.
(v) What does Sibia’s delight in finding the blue bead tell us about her nature ? [I]
(a) That she is a remarkably courageous young girl.
(b) That she is an immature child-woman.
(c) That she is innocent and childlike.
(d) That she is childish and brave.
Answer
(c) That she is innocent and childlike.
Question 15.
Read the following extract from the poem, ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ’ and answer the questions that follow by choosing the most appropriate response from the choices given below:
But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage
(i) The word ‘stalks ’in the above extract can best be replaced with [1]
(a) plant stems.
(b) paces to andfro.
(c) hides in a comer
(d) crowds.
Answer:
(b) paces to and fro.
(ii) What is the caged bird blinded by? [1]
(a) The bars of his cage.
(b) His tears.
(c) His anger.
(d) His fears.
Answer:
(c) His anger.
(iii) Why have the bird’s wings been clipped and his feet tied? [1]
(a) To punish him.
(b) To tease him.
(c) To control him.
(d) To make him fit into the cage.
Answer:
(c) To control him.
(iv) Which of the following actions is associated with the caged bird? [1]
(a) soaring high on the wind.
(b) floating down with the current.
(c) claiming the open skies.
(d) pouring his heart out in song.
Answer:
(d) pouring his heart out in song.
(v) What is the mood conveyed in the above extract? [1]
(a) Frustration
(b) Guilt
(c) Loneliness
(d) Joy
Answer:
(a) Frustration.
Question 16.
Read the following extract from the poem, ‘The Patriot’ and answer the questions that follow by choosing the most appropriate answer from the choices given below:
Alack, it was I who leaped at the sun
To give my loving friends to keep !
Nought man could do, have / left undone
And you see my harvest, what I reap
This is very day, a year is run.
(i) What do the words‘ leaped at the sun ’imply? [1]
(a) Space travel.
(b) Jumped towards the sun.
(c) Tried to touch the sun.
(d) Attempted the impossible.
Answer:
(d) Attempted the impossible.
(ii) Which of the following statements does NOT describe the present condition of the speaker? [1]
(a) Drenched in the rain.
(b) Both wrists tied tightly behind his back.
(c) Forehead bleeding from the stones thrown at him.
(d) Greeted and cheered by loyal crowds.
Answer:
(d) Greeted and cheered by loyal crowds.
(iii) ‘Nought man could do, have I left undone: ’in the above extract means: [1]
(a) I have undone all that a person can do.
(b) I have done everything that was humanly possible.
(c) I have done nothing that a person could do.
(d) I have done what any man would do.
Answer:
(b) I have done everything that was humanly possible.
(iv) Why had the people gathered in large numbers exactly a year ago? [1]
(a) To greet and welcome the Patriot.
(b) To watch the Patriot being hanged.
(c) To give him the sun from the skies.
(d) To set the church spires aflame with flags.
Answer:
(a) To greet and welcome the Patriot.
(v) The tone of the speaker in the above lines is ……… [1]
(a) Sarcastic.
(b) Bitter.
(c) Joyous.
(d) Hopeful.
Answer
(b) Bitter.