Solving ICSE Class 10 English Language Previous Year Question Papers ICSE Class 10 English Language Question Paper 2022 Semester 2 is the best way to boost your preparation for the board exams.
ICSE Class 10 English Language Question Paper 2022 Solved Semester 2
Maximum Marks: 40
Time Allowed : One and a half hours
General Instructions :
- Answers to this Paper must be written on the paper provided separately.
- You will not be allowed to write during the first 10 minutes.
- This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.
- The time given at the head of this Paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.
- Attempt all questions.
- The marks intended for questions are given in brackets [ ].
Question 1.
Write a composition (300 – 350 words) on any one of the following: [20]
(i) If you were granted a special wi sh what would you choose? Say why you would make this choice and how it will be useful to you and your loved ones.
(ii) Write a short story in which the main characters are an old woman, a small child and a little puppy.
(iii) “More learning happens outside the classroom than inside it.”
Express your views either for or against this statement.
(iv) Describe a time when all the lights in your locality went off. What were the sounds you heard as you sat in the darkness ? How did you feel when the lights came on ?
(v) Study the given picture. Write a short story or description or an account of what the picture suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may take suggestions from it.
Answers:
(i) Wish to be a Millionaire
If I were granted a special wish, I would choose to become a millionaire. It does not mean that I am money-minded. I know that money matters a lot to me and my family. Moreover, with a lot of money I would be able to do some urgently needed social work. So my wish to be a millionaire is not merely for my personal well-being but for the well-being of others.
First of all, I would set aside a part of the money to be spent on my education. I want to become a surgeon for which I would need a lot of money. I would be able to fully concentrate on my ambition without any care for the money-aspect involved in achieving it. Then a part of money I would invest in buying shares of promising companies – IT, pharmaceutical firms, etc. which might give me ample dividends in future.
Then to help my dear parents I would buy them a good house w ith all modem amenities. The house might not be big, but it would be in a good locality. I would not spend much money on useless, luxurious items. As we have already a car, I don’t think we need to go in for another. In order to help my elder brother. I would give him some money to invest in his business. I think he would be happy and satisfied.
We belong to a remote village where there is no dispensary. The villagers have to come to the city even for minor medical problem. I would donate money to the Panchayat of the village to set up a dispensary there and arrange for the services of medical staff needed. This dispensary, I hope, would prove to be highly beneficial to the villagers. May God help me fulfil this wish of mine!
(ii) Duffy – A Dear Puppy !
The old woman was a rag-picker. She lived in a small hut on the outskirts of the city. Her hut was located some distant away from other huts of folks of her own profession, if you call it a profession. She had a seven years old son who would accompany her in his rags to far-off places and help her pick up broken plastic bottles, cups, screws, and such paraphamalia. The morning session from 5 to 7 was the most busy for them.
One day the mother-son duo found that a small puppy followed them wherever they went. The puppy did not move away even when the woman tried to shoo it away. It came right to the doorstep of their hut, and then settled itself luxurously in one comer.
Days passed, the puppy was now a member of the woman’s household. It was bring fed on pieces of stale bread or a stray biscuit, if there was any. It seemed to like the boy the most.
“Roomi, give this bread to puppy,” Mother said. The boy thought they should now name the puppy. So the puppy came to be called ‘Duffy’- a name the boy had heard a rich man use for his pet-dog.
Duffy soon grew up more on the crumbs of affection and care than on the crumbs of dry bread. He took upon himself the duty to guard the house. He would bark to keep off strangers. Roomi would like to spend his spare time in playing with Duffy. Duffy soon learnt to catch the ball thrown in the air. He also learnt to obey simple commands of Roomi. Mother would remain busy with her own routine.
It was a very hot summer night. Duffy was lying near the gate. Roomi and his mother were sleeping on the bare floor of the small open space before their room. Suddenly Duffy saw something black crawling outside the gate, trying to enter the hut. Instinctively, he pounced upon the intruder and began to bit it hard.
The sun rose as usual. Roomi and his mother woke up to go on their usual round of rag-picking. Roomi was surprised to find Duffy nowhere. He opened the gate. His Duffy was lying dead, and beside it lay a big cobra, dead with a number of wounds on its body.
Duffy was no more. Roomi missed him a lot. He would often weep in the memory of his dear friend ! Mother would console him with useless words.
(iii) “More learning happens outside the classroom than inside it.”
It is perfectly true that more learning happens outside the classroom than inside it. Classroom learning is no doubt valuable. It teaches us a lot. But the world outside the classroom is a great teacher. The things we learn at home and from our interactions with our friends, relatives and even strangers are of greater value and make us wiser to cope up with the demands and challenges of life.
For example, there are many life skills that we learn outside the classroom. It is from our parents that we learn how to sit, stand, walk and talk properly. If we are alert we learn from others all those socio-cultural values that are essential for us to learn and imbibe. When we go to a shop to buy anything, we learn many things-how to select or reject something, how to make a fair bargain, how not to be trapped by gullible talks of the shopkeeper, or by attractive labels.
When we go to an office, we learn how to express our views in a clear, concise manner. When we attend a camp or seminar, there is much food for thought. We learn the values of keeping our environment clean and safe, of saving water, of helping the needy and of facing natural disasters, etc.
It is from the outside world that we learn problem solving and decision-making. In fact, when we are in a difficult situation that we learn how to come out of it successfully. We have to have out-of-the box ideas to deal with an unusual situation or challenge. We learn from the experiences of our peers who faced such situations in the past. We formulate our own strategy. These are all problem-solving techniques which are learnt out of the classroom. If we are good problem-solvers we are also good decision makers.
Thus, we should never shut our eyes and ears to the outside world of our homes or classrooms. There is much that we can learn from others in the wide world.
(iv) Sounds in the Dark
I live in Preet Nagar, a developing colony, out-side the city. Only a few houses have come up. So the area is mostly deserted, especially during nights. Only a few dare-devils come to, or go out of, our colony after 10 p.m. There are frequent power cuts here.
One monsoon night I was all alone lying on my cot on the roof of my house. A few street lights were on. Suddenly the lights went off. There was pitch darkness all around. The sky was overcast. So there was no moonlight or starlight, whatsoever. I decided to keep lying.
What else I could do? A number of sounds assailed me as I tried to close my eyes and go to sleep. There were crackling, snapping and whining noises. Sometimes I thought these sounds were coming from the cluster of trees standing towards the left’ of our house. Sometimes I thought these are the sounds coming from electric wires round our roof.
A little later I heard multitude of natural sounds from various insects and birds sitting in trees. There was buzzing, chirping, shrieking, flapping, flittering, and what not. Birds and insects do not seem to rest at night. They continue doing one thing or the other.
I was then startled by a roar of thunder in the sky. There was a flash of lightning. Dark clouds could be seen moving menacingly. I thought it would start raining, but it didn’t. So I did not try to go down.
I was really frightened when I heard sounds of soft footsteps on my staircase. I thought of a thief or a robber at once. I was relieved when I found a cat passing by my bed carelessly.
Thank God, the lights came after an hour or so. I felt relieved and had a round on my roof. There was nothing to be afraid of. I lay on my bed and soon sleep overpowered me. When I woke up, I remembered the experience of sounds in the dark and shuddered.
(v) The picture shows an adolescent choosing some tool to set right the car beside him. He must be fourteen or sixteen. He is in a dirty vest and perhaps in a half-pant. Let us name him Mukesh.
Mukesh belongs to a very poor family. He has not been sent to school by his parents. His stem father has always looked upon education as useless, perhaps because he has himself been deprived of it. Moreover, he wants all male members of family to start earning as soon as possible. So Mukesh has never seen the face of a school. When he was five or six, he was sent to a ‘dhaba’ owner. He worked there for five long years. He learnt a lot many things these washing dishes, cleaning and sweeping, making tea and preparing some dishes. He also learnt playing various card games, and abuses from special nocturnal customers like truck drivers.
On his way home he would pass by car-repair shops. He would often stand and stare at beautiful cars, big or small.
He got fascinated by the sights and sounds of cars. The idea of becoming a motor mechanic slowly but steadily seized him. One day he met the owner of a garage and expressed his wish. The owner, a Sardaiji, looked at him contemptuously and shooed him away. But he was determined. He continued to pester Sardaiji. One day Sardaiji was in a good mood. In fact, he needed a helper. So he asked him to report the next day.
Mukesh came to the garage an hour earlier. He was given odd, useless jobs at first. But Mukesh proved to be a good learner. He became a full- fledged mechanic in a year or so.
Now he is happy and satisfied. He is given a regular pay. He hopes one day he will open his own garage.
Question 2.
Select any one of the following : [10]
(i) Your favourite aunt/uncle has asked you what you would like as a gift for your birthday. What gift would you choose (specify) and why would you choose this ? Write a letter to your aunt/uncle thanking her/him for the kind thought and telling her/him about the gift of your choice.
(ii) You are being considered for a Head boy/Head girl position in the school.’Write a letter to the Principal explaining why you think you would make a good Head boy/Head girl. Why does the role interest you? Describe ways in which you would carry out your responsibilities.
Answers:
(i) 125BRamNiwas
Inderlok Colony
Lucknow – 226002
May 5, 20…
Dear Uncle
Received your letter today and was really excited, to go through the contents. Thanks a lot for the kind offer you have given me to choose the birthday present I would like to have.
Dear uncle, I would like to have a smart phone as my birthday present. Most of my friends have smart phones. They have internet connections also. Their phones are very helpful to them in their studies also . When I am in their company and they are using their smart phones I feel a bit inferior to them because my simple phone does not have all those facilities which their phones have. I am sure this gift will be veiy helpful to me in my studies as well as in my interaction with my dear friends.
Thank you once again for asking nje about my choice. Pay my regards to dear aunt.
Your loving nephew
Somesh
(ii) Subash Hostel
Shimla
23 April 20…
The Principal
I have learnt from a very reliable source that my name is being considered for the position of the Head Boy in the school. I feel, that if I am made the Head Boy I shall discharge my duties in a very responsible manner.
The Head Boy, I feel, is a sort of bridge between the students and the administration. It is his duty to convey to the administration the problems and difficulties being faced by the students. He is also expected to help the principal in maintaining perfect discipline in the school. Sir, the role of the Head Boy suits me perfectly well as I have always aspired to be of some help to the administration in bringing about peace and order in the school so that academic pursuits go on undisturbed. I assure you, if your choice falls on me I shall not disappoint you. I shall carry on my responsibilities nicely.
Yours obediently
Kamal Kishore
Question 3.
(i) March 22nd is World Water Day. The school Dramatics Club is planning to stage a one-act play to mark the occasion and create awareness. Write a notice to be put up on the school notice board, giving details of the event. [5]
(iii) Write an e-mail to the Principal of a neighbouring school requesting him/her to send a team of children to participate in the interactive session which will follow the play. [5]
Answers:
(i) AB PUBLIC SCHOOL, NOIDA NOTICE
March 15, 20…
Observance of World Water Day
This is to inform you that Kalidasa Dramatics Club is planning to stage a one-act play to mark the World Water Day in the school auditorium on 22nd of March, 20.. at 10 a.m. The purpose is to create awareness among the people not to waste water. R.K. Bansal, the famous environmentalist will deliver a talk. All are requested to attend.
Ram Parkash
Secretary
(ii) From : ramparkashl25@ gmail. com
Date: 15:03:2022 04:15:25
To : [email protected]
Subject: Request to send team of children.
Sir
The Kalidasa Dramatics Club of our School is going to celebrate the World Water Day on 22nd March. The club is going to stage a one- act play to create awareness among the people not to waste water as it is a precious thing. Sh. R.K. Bansal, the famous environmentalist has been invited to deliver a talk. The talk will be followed by an interactive session. It will be very nice if you send a team of children to attend the talk and particpate in the interactive session after the play. Looking forward to a favourable response.
Ram Parkash
Secretary