Class 10 English Previous Year Questions

Class 10 English Previous Year Questions

A Letter to God (G.L. Fuentes)

Question: Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like new coins? Answer: Lencho said the raindrops falling from the sky were like new coins. He viewed the big drops as ten cent pieces and the little ones as fives. He equated the rain to coins because the downpour was necessary for his field of ripe corn, promising the good harvest that he needed for economic gain. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’? Answer: The postmaster sends money to Lencho so that Lencho does not lose his complete faith in God. He signs the letter ‘God’ to ensure Lencho believes that the money came directly from God himself. Marks & Year: 5 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho ? Answer: The postmaster sends money to Lencho so that he can maintain his complete faith in God. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.

Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Question: What does “twin obligations” according to Mandela? Answer: According to Mandela, every man has twin obligations: an obligation to his family (parents, wife, and children) and an obligation to his people, his community, and his country. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life? Answer: Mandela’s desire for the freedom of his people transformed a frightened young man into a bold one, drove a law-abiding man to become a criminal, and turned a husband and family-loving man into one without a home. Marks & Year: 3 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: How did Mandela’s ‘Hunger for Freedom’ change his life ? Answer: Mandela’s hunger for freedom drove a law-abiding man to become a criminal and transformed a frightened young man into a bold one. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: How did Mandela’s ‘hunger for freedom’ change his life ? Answer: The intense desire for the freedom of his people transformed Mandela from a frightened young man into a bold one, turned a law-abiding man into a person viewed as a criminal, and made a family-loving man into a man without a home. His understanding of freedom grew from transient, personal liberties to the basic and honorable freedoms for his entire community. Marks & Year: 5 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).

Two Stories About Flying

A. His First Flight (The Young Seagull)

Question: Who had been afraid to fly? Answer: The young seagull had been afraid to fly. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: Who had already flown away the day before? Answer: The young seagull’s two brothers and his sister had already flown away the day before. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: Where did the young seagull run away back? Answer: He ran away back to the little hole under the ledge where he slept at night. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: What was the forceful thing to make the young seagull successful to fly? Answer: The sight of the food (specifically, the piece of fish that his mother held) maddened him, and this hunger was the powerful compulsion that finally made him overcome his fear and fly. Marks & Year: 3 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: Why was the young seagull afraid to fly ? Answer: The young seagull was afraid to fly because when he looked down at the great expanse of sea below, he felt certain that his wings would never support him. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: What does “The sight of the food maddened him” suggest ? Answer: This phrase suggests that the young seagull’s extreme hunger was a powerful, maddening force that overwhelmed his deeply ingrained fear of falling, thereby compelling him to attempt his first flight. Marks & Year: 5 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).

B. The Black Aeroplane (Frederick Forsyth)

Question: Describe the dangerous situation the narrator found himself in. Answer: The narrator found himself flying into huge black mountains of storm clouds. Inside the clouds, everything suddenly went black, and his old Dakota aeroplane jumped and twisted violently. His compass and radio had stopped working, leaving him lost in the storm. Marks & Year: 5 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm. Answer: As the narrator flew into the storm, the aeroplane began to jump and twist, and everything went completely black. He could not see anything outside the plane, and his instruments, including the compass and radio, failed, leading him to be lost. Marks & Year: 5 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: I’ll take the risk” What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it? Answer: The risk was flying the old Dakota aeroplane straight into the huge black storm clouds. The narrator took the risk because he was dreaming of his holiday and looking forward to being with his family, so he desperately wanted to get back to England. Marks & Year: 5 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025.
Question: Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely ? Answer: The source material does not provide a definitive answer but implies that the narrator was helped by another strange black aeroplane that appeared suddenly inside the storm and guided him out. The narrator later confirms that no other plane was visible on the radar, leaving the identity of the helper unknown. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).

From the Diary of Anne Frank

Question: How did Anne justify her being a chatter box in her essay? Answer: Anne justified being a chatterbox by offering convincing arguments to prove the necessity of talking. Her argument included the idea that talking is a student’s trait and that she inherited the trait from her talkative mother, meaning she could not do much to change it. Marks & Year: 3 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: Why was Mr. Keesing annoyed with Anne? Answer: Mr. Keesing was annoyed with Anne because she talked too much during class. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: How does Anne feel about her father and Mr. Keesing ? Answer: Anne seems to have a loving and secure relationship with her father, noting that she was “plunked down” as a birthday present for her sister after following her family to Holland. Regarding Mr. Keesing, she initially found teachers to be the most unpredictable creatures on earth. Although he was annoyed by her talking, he eventually accepted her humorous justification and allowed her to talk. Marks & Year: 5 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: What makes writing in a diary a strange experience for Anne Frank ? Answer: Writing in a diary was a strange experience for Anne because she had never written anything before, and she believed that nobody would be interested in the musings of a thirteen-year-old girl. Her primary motivation was wanting the diary to be a genuine friend. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).

Glimpses of India (Coorg, A Baker from Goa, Tea from Assam)

A. A Baker from Goa

Question: What is the baker called ? Answer: The source mentions the baker’s presence is absolutely essential for the village, especially for providing sweet bread (bol) for occasions like marriage and Christmas. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: Who used to buy loaves for them ? Answer: The loaves were bought by some Paskine or Bastine, the maid-servant of the house. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

B. Coorg

Question: What do you know about the Kodavu people’s descent? Answer: The Kodavu people are generally believed to be of Greek or Arabic descent. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: Where is Coorg ? Answer: Coorg is a location where the river Kaveri obtains its water from its hills and forests. It is a land known for evergreen forests, spices, and coffee plantations. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025.
Question: What is the story about the Kodavu people’s descent ? Answer: The story suggests that the Kodavu people are possibly of Greek or Arabic descent. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

C. Tea from Assam

Question: Where does Pranjol belong to in ‘Tea From Assam’? Answer: Pranjol is a youngster from Assam, and his father is the manager of a tea-garden in Upper Assam. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).

Mijbil the Otter (Gavin Maxwell)

Question: What group of animals do otters belong to? Answer: Otters belong to the small group of animals called Mustellines. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).

Madam Rides the Bus (Vallikkannan)

Question: What was the age of Valli? Answer: Valli was eight years old. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: What was Valliammai’s favourite pastime? Answer: Valliammai’s favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house, watching what was happening in the street outside. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: How did Valli gather the information about the bus journey? Answer: Valli gathered the information about the bus journey by listening carefully to the conversations of her neighbors and people who regularly used the bus, and by asking a few discreet questions. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: Valli used the hours of mother’s nap in: (Multiple Choice Question) Answer: Valli used the hours of her mother’s nap in Excursions. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: How did Valli plan her bus ride ? Answer: Valli planned her bus ride by thriftily saving whatever stray coins came her way and resisting temptations like peppermints, toys, and balloons. She saved a total of sixty paise (thirty paise fare each way) and aimed to take the one o’clock afternoon bus, returning by about two forty-five. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).

The Sermon at Benares

Question: How was prince Siddhartha transformed into Gautama Buddha? Answer: Prince Siddhartha, shielded from worldly sufferings, saw four sights while out hunting: a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession, and a monk begging for alms. These sights greatly moved him, causing him to seek enlightenment regarding sorrow. After wandering for seven years and meditating for seven days under the Bodhi tree, he became enlightened and was known as the Buddha. Marks & Year: 5 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: Why did Kisa Gotami go from house to house ? Answer: Kisa Gotami went from house to house carrying her dead child and asking for medicine (or someone) to cure him. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025.
Question: When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for ? Does she get it ? Why not ? Answer: She asks for medicine that can restore her dead child. The Buddha eventually asks her to procure mustard seeds from a house where no one has ever died. She does not receive the seeds because she discovers that death is universal and inevitable in all houses, thus beginning her spiritual understanding. Marks & Year: 5 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

The Proposal (Anton Chekhov)

Question: Write the character, which you like most in the play. Answer: (No answer provided as this is a subjective question). Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: Draw a character sketch of Natalya. Answer: Natalya is the twenty-five-year-old daughter of Stepan Chubukov. Along with Lomov and her father, she is characterized as a quarrelsome person who argues over petty issues. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023. (Also asked in 2024 Supp., 2025, and 2025 Model for 3 marks).
Question: What is the reason behind the quarrelling of Natalya and Lomov ? Answer: Natalya and Lomov quarrel over petty issues. Marks & Year: 3 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025.
Question: Write the character sketch of Lomov. Answer: Ivan Lomov is a long-time wealthy neighbour of Stepan Chubukov, who comes to propose marriage to Natalya. He is one of the three main characters, all of whom are described as quarrelsome people who argue over trivial matters. Marks & Year: 3 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: How does the play ‘The Proposal’ conclude. Answer: The proposal itself is nearly forgotten amidst the constant quarreling, but ultimately, economic good sense ensures that the proposal is made, although the quarreling is likely to continue. Marks & Year: 3 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: Describe the story of the play ‘The Proposal’. Answer: The play is a one-act farce focusing on the custom of wealthy families arranging marriages to increase their estates for economic benefit. The story revolves around Lomov attempting to propose to Natalya, but the proceedings are constantly interrupted by trivial arguments about land and dogs, highlighting the quarrelsome nature of all three characters. Marks & Year: 3 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).

Questions from Poems

Dust of Snow (Robert Frost)

Question: What does crow symbolise? Answer: The crow symbolizes sorrow or bad luck. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: What did the crow do Answer: The crow shook down on the poet the dust of snow from a hemlock tree. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: How does the poet’s mood change ? Answer: The poet’s mood changes because the small act of the crow showering him with dust of snow offered a moment of relief from his existing depressed or hopeless feelings, saving part of his day. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.

Fire and Ice (Robert Frost)

Question: According to the poem what the world will end in? Answer: According to the poem, the world will end either in fire or in ice. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: What do you know about fire and ice indicate in the poem ‘Fire and Ice’? Answer: Fire indicates desire, and ice indicates hate (or destruction caused by hate). Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: Which thing is also great for destruction? Answer: Ice (representing hate) is also great for destruction. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: What does ‘fire’ stand for ? Answer: Fire stands for desire. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).

A Tiger in the Zoo (Leslie Norris)

Question: Write the central idea of the poem, ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’. Answer: The central idea of the poem is the contrast between a tiger in its natural habitat (the jungle) and a tiger confined in a zoo, highlighting the misery and lack of freedom of the captive animal. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: How does the Tiger terrorise the village? Answer: The Tiger terrorizes the village by snarling around houses that are located at the jungle’s edge, baring his white fangs and claws. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).

How to Tell Wild Animals (Carolyn Wells)

Question: Write the identity of crocodiles? Answer: (The specific identity of crocodiles is not available in the provided English excerpts). Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: How do you identify an Asian lion ? Answer: You identify an Asian lion if you encounter a large, tawny beast that roars at you as you are dying. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.

The Ball Poem (John Berryman)

Question: Why is the boy very upset? Answer: The boy is very upset because he has lost his ball, which was likely a treasured possession. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: What does the poet say, the boy is learning from the loss of the ball ? Answer: The poet says the boy is learning the epistemology of loss—how to stand up and cope with loss, knowing what every man must one day know. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.

Amanda! (Robin Klein)

Question: What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid? Answer: If Amanda were a mermaid, she would be the sole inhabitant of the languid, emerald sea and would drift blissfully. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: Why is Amanda refused to eat chocolate ? Answer: Amanda is refused to eat chocolate because she needs to remember her acne. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so ? Answer: Amanda is not an orphan. She says so because she desires the silence and sweet freedom experienced by an orphan who roams the street barefoot. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023.

The Trees (Adrienne Rich)

Question: Where are the trees in the poem? Answer: The trees are currently inside (likely inside a house or container), moving out into the empty forest. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: How can you say that forest was empty according to the poem? Answer: The forest was empty because the poet notes that no bird could sit, no insect could hide, and no sun could bury its feet in shadow there. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: Write three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest ? Answer: Three things that cannot happen are: no bird could sit, no insect could hide, and no sun could bury its feet in shadow. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

For Anne Gregory (W.B. Yeats)

Question: What colour is the young woman’s hair? What does she say she can change it to? Answer: The young woman’s hair is honey-coloured (yellow). She says she can change the color to brown, black, or carrot. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023. (Also asked in 2025 Supp. for 2 marks).

Animals (Walt Whitman)

Question: Why does the poet want to live with animals? Answer: The poet wants to live with animals because they are so placid (calm) and self-contained. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: Why does the poet tell us that he feels more at home with animal than humans? Answer: The poet feels more at home with animals because they are calm, self-contained, and unlike humans, they do not sweat and whine about their condition. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023.

The Tale of Custard The Dragon (Ogden Nash)

Question: How did Custard look like ? Answer: Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth, spikes on top, scales underneath, a mouth like a fireplace, a chimney for a nose, and daggers on his toes. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: Who had big sharp teeth ? Answer: Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).

Fog (Carl Sandburg)

Question: What does Sandburg think the fog is like ? Answer: Sandburg thinks the fog is like a little cat. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper). (Also asked in 2025 Supp. for 2 marks).

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Class 10 English Previous Year Questions Footprints Without Feet

A Triumph of Surgery

Question: What is name of the dog in the lesson. ‘A Triumph of Surgery’? Answer: The name of the dog in the lesson ‘A Triumph of Surgery’ is Tricki. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: What was the name of the dog that Mrs. Pumphrey had ? Answer: The name of the dog that Mrs. Pumphrey had was Tricki. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: How does Mr. Herriot treat the dog? Answer: Mr. Herriot treated the dog by isolating him, keeping him on a very strict diet, controlling his food right down, and providing him with more exercise. The veterinary surgeon thought he knew a cure for the pathetic little animal. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: How did Tricki manage his food at first? Answer: The source material mentions Tricki was pampered and overfed by his rich mistress (Mrs. Pumphrey). Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: “I was really worried about Tricki this time; Who said this comment and why ? Answer: This comment was made by the narrator, Mr. Herriot, the veterinary surgeon. He was worried because Tricki had become extremely ill, looking like a bloated sausage. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).
Question: Who surged round the narrator? Answer: The specific identity of who surged round the narrator is not explicitly mentioned in the available passages. (In the context of the story, this typically refers to the other dogs at the surgery). Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: Why does Mrs. Pumphrey think the dog’s recovery is ‘a triumph of surgery’ ? Answer: Mrs. Pumphrey thinks the dog’s recovery is “a triumph of surgery” because she sees the dog’s dramatic and rapid recovery from severe illness to vitality as a miraculous medical achievement, despite the treatment being merely diet control and exercise, and not an operation. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

The Thief’s Story

Question: How did Anil change Hari Singh’s character? Answer: Anil changed Hari Singh’s character by educating him. He taught him to read and write whole sentences, enabling him to choose a respectable life over thievery, demonstrating that trust and learning are more valuable than crime. Marks & Year: 5 marks, Secondary Examination, 2018.
Question: Answer any one of the following questions in about 80 words: (i) Draw a character sketch of Hari Singh. Answer: Hari Singh is a young, fifteen-year-old thief who constantly changes his name. He is manipulative, aiming to rob Anil, but is ultimately transformed by Anil’s kindness and willingness to educate him. He is capable of goodness, choosing the potential of education over immediate monetary gain. Marks & Year: 5 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: How does Anil think about the thief ? Answer: Anil appears to be kind, trusting, and forgiving towards the thief. He offers to teach the thief to read and write, suggesting he believes in Hari Singh’s potential for reform. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: Describe the story of Anil and the thief. Answer: The story revolves around the relationship between Anil, a trusting struggling writer, and Hari Singh, a young thief. Hari Singh starts working for Anil with the intent to rob him. Anil’s kindness and his effort to teach Hari Singh to read and write lead Hari Singh to an internal conflict; ultimately, he returns the money he stole, opting for honesty and a chance at a better future through education. Marks & Year: 3 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: Write about Anil’s nature. Answer: Anil is kind, trusting, and forgiving. He is a struggling writer. His nature is transformative, as he seeks to educate the thief rather than handing him over to the police. Marks & Year: 3 marks, Secondary Examination, 2019.
Question: What is said about the different reactions of people when they are robbed? Answer: (The source material does not explicitly list the reactions, but generally, when robbed, the greedy are said to show fear, the rich show anger, and the poor show resignation.) Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: How many years old was Anil ? Answer: Anil was about 25 years old. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.

The Midnight Visitor

Question: How is Ausable different from other secret agents? Answer: Ausable is different because he does not conform to the romantic image of a secret agent; he is fat, lives in a miserable hotel room, and has an American accent. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: Who were secret agents ? Answer: Ausable and Max were secret agents. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: Ausable is expecting to get a very important _______ Answer: Ausable is expecting to get a very important Report. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

A Question of Trust

Question: What does Horace Danby like to collect? Answer: Horace Danby likes to collect rare and expensive books. Marks & Year: 4 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: Why does he steal every year? Answer: He steals every year to fund his purchase of the rare and expensive books that he loves. Marks & Year: 4 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: What caused Horace Danby to become a thief? Answer: Horace Danby stole every year to indulge his hobby of buying expensive and rare books, which necessitated robbing a safe once annually. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: Who is the writer of “A Question of Trust? Answer: Victor Canning is the writer of “A Question of Trust”. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: Who was Horace Danby ? Why did he steal something every year? Answer: Horace Danby was a fifty-year-old, honest-looking citizen who made locks. He stole once a year because he needed money to buy rare and expensive books. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).
Question: How old was Horace Danby ? Answer: Horace Danby was about 50 Years old. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).
Question: Why does Horace Dandy steal every year ? Answer: Horace Danby steals every year to satisfy his desire to buy rare and expensive books. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.

Footprints without Feet

Question: “Griffin was rather a lawless person” explain. Answer: Griffin was a lawless person because despite being a brilliant scientist who invented invisibility, he used this power for selfish, criminal acts. He set fire to his landlord’s house, stole clothes and food, and generally terrorized people, acting against the law. Marks & Year: 4 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: Who was Griffin and what did he do in the story? Answer: Griffin was a brilliant but lawless scientist who discovered how to make the human body transparent (invisible). In the story, he commits several crimes, including stealing, assaulting people, and burglarizing a clergyman’s house. Marks & Year: 3 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: How would you assess Griffin as a scientist? Answer: Griffin was a great scientist because he accomplished the rare feat of making the human body invisible. However, he was unethical, as he misused his discovery for lawless acts rather than good. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: What was the interesting incident based on the story [concerning Griffin]? Answer: The interesting incident was Griffin’s use of invisibility to commit crime, such as breaking into a London store, stealing clothes and food, and later robbing a clergyman. Marks & Year: 4 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).
Question: Where did the boys see muddy foot print? Answer: The boys saw muddy footprints in London. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).
Question: What curious episode occurs in the study ? Answer: The curious episode was the robbery in the clergyman’s study, where money disappeared from the desk, suggesting an invisible presence. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

The Making of a Scientist

Question: What is DNA fingerprinting & what are its uses? Answer: DNA fingerprinting involves the analysis of the structure of DNA. Richard Ebright’s work involved proving that the hormones he discovered were structural copies of the DNA of the cell’s nucleus. Marks & Year: 4 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: What was the Ebright’s project? Answer: Ebright’s project involved finding the hormone responsible for the growth of the gold spots on a monarch pupa. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: What are the qualities that go into the making of a scientist ? Answer: The qualities necessary for becoming a scientist include a first-rate mind, curiosity, and the will to win for the right reasons. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: Write the species and sub species of butterflies which was collected by Richard H. Ebright. Answer: (The specific species and sub-species are not mentioned in the available source material). Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).
Question: Who is scientist in “The Making of a Scientist’? Answer: Richard Ebright is the scientist in “The Making of a Scientist”. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).

The Necklace

Question: What was the problem of Name. Loisel? Answer: Mme. Loisel’s problem was that she felt she was born for luxury and delicacy, but her modest means forced her to suffer constantly, leading to perpetual misery. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: Who is the writer of ‘The Necklace’. Answer: Guy De Maupassant is the writer of ‘The Necklace’. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: With what do Mr. and Mme. Loisel replace ‘the necklace’? Answer: They replaced the lost necklace with a new diamond necklace by borrowing and getting into immense debt. Marks & Year: 4 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: How did Mme. Loisel replace the necklace? Answer: They purchased a new diamond necklace to replace the lost one, financing the purchase by exhausting all their savings and incurring massive debt, which took ten years of poverty and hard labor to repay. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: What was the reason of Liosel’s ruin? Answer: The loss of the borrowed necklace and the decision to replace it with an expensive diamond one, plunging them into ten years of poverty and hardship, was the cause of their ruin. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: What was the cause of change in the Loisels’ life ? Answer: The loss of the borrowed necklace and the decision to replace it with a costly new one caused a drastic change in their lives, forcing them into a decade of impoverishment and hard labor. Marks & Year: 5 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.

Bholi

Question: Why did Bholi reject the marriage? Answer: Bholi rejected the marriage because the groom, Bishamber, was greedy and demanded five thousand rupees as dowry after insulting her by pointing out her pock-marked face. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: Why was Bholi glad and what did she hope? Answer: Bholi was glad to find many girls almost of her own age present at the school, and she hoped that one of them might become her friend. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: What is the role of education in the life of Bholi? Answer: Education provided Bholi with the confidence, courage, and self-respect necessary to overcome her stammer and simple-mindedness. It enabled her to reject the unequal marriage proposal, leading to a transformative new life. Marks & Year: 5 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: Draw a character sketch of Bholi. Answer: Bholi (Sulekha) was the neglected, simple-minded daughter of Ramlal. Due to smallpox, she lacked good looks and confidence. Her teacher’s efforts transformed her, giving her the strength to speak up and refuse a greedy dowry-seeking groom. Marks & Year: 5 marks, Secondary Examination, 2019.
Question: How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life ? Answer: Bholi’s teacher motivated and encouraged her, helping her overcome social barriers and gain the necessary confidence to speak without stammering, thereby asserting her worth and altering her future. Marks & Year: 5 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: What was the name of Bholi ? Answer: The name of Bholi was Sulekha. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

The Book that Saved the Earth

Question: Which century was called the Era of the Book? Answer: The twentieth century was called the Era of the Book. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: Who was great and mighty ? Answer: Think Tank was referred to as great and mighty. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: Why did Think – Tank’s plan fail to invade the earth ? Answer: Think-Tank’s plan failed because the contents of the book, Mother Goose, were grossly misinterpreted by the Martians as intelligence reports and powerful threats from the Earthlings, causing Think-Tank to panic and order a quick retreat. Marks & Year: 3 marks, Secondary Examination, 2020. (Also asked for 4 marks in 2021).
Question: Name the book that saved the Earth. Answer: The book that saved the Earth was Mother Goose. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: Give the character sketch of Noodle? Answer: Noodle is the wise and subtle apprentice of Think-Tank. He is intelligent and constantly supplies the correct, humble advice which, though often twisted by Think-Tank, reveals the truth that saves Earth. Marks & Year: 3 marks, Secondary Examination, 2020.
Question: Who was mighty ? Answer: Think-Tank was mighty. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).
Question: Who is invited to a grand party. Answer: Matilda (Mme. Loisel) is invited to a grand party. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

Questions from Poems

Dust of Snow (Robert Frost)

Question: What did the crow do ? Answer: The crow shook down on the poet the dust of snow from a hemlock tree. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: How does the poet’s mood change ? Answer: The poet’s mood changes because the simple, natural action of the crow shaking the dust of snow onto him saves the rest of his day from sorrow. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: What is a ‘dust of snow’ ? Answer: Dust of snow refers to the fine particles or flakes of snow that fell onto the poet. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

Fire and Ice (Robert Frost)

Question: What do you know about fire and ice indicate in the poem ‘Fire and Ice’? Answer: Fire indicates desire, and ice indicates hate. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).

The Ball Poem (John Berryman)

Question: Why is the boy very upset? Answer: The boy is very upset because he has lost his ball. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: What does the poet say, the boy is learning from the loss of the ball ? Answer: The boy is learning the epistemology of loss—learning how to stand up and cope with loss, recognizing that this knowledge is something every person must eventually acquire. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.

How to Tell Wild Animals (Carolyn Wells)

Question: How do you identify an Asian lion ? Answer: An Asian lion can be identified if a large, tawny beast roars at you as you are dying. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.

Amanda! (Robin Klein)

Question: What could Amanda do if she were a mermaid? Answer: If Amanda were a mermaid, she would be the sole inhabitant of the languid, emerald sea and would drift blissfully. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: Why is Amanda refused to eat chocolate ? Answer: Amanda is refused to eat chocolate because she needs to remember her acne. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so ? Answer: Amanda is not an orphan. She says so because she desires the freedom, silence, and peace she associates with an orphan roaming the street, which is preferable to being constantly controlled. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).

The Tale of Custard The Dragon (Ogden Nash)

Question: How did Custard look like ? Answer: Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth, spikes on top, scales underneath, a mouth like a fireplace, a chimney for a nose, and daggers on his toes. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: Who had big sharp teeth ? Answer: Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).

The Trees (Adrienne Rich)

Question: Where are the trees in the poem? Answer: The trees are inside, moving out into the empty forest. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: How can you say that forest was empty according to the poem? Answer: The forest was empty because no bird could sit, no insect could hide, and no sun could bury its feet in shadow there. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: Write three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest ? Answer: Three things that cannot happen are: no bird could sit, no insect could hide, and no sun could bury its feet in shadow. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

Fog (Carl Sandburg)

Question: What does Sandburg think the fog is like ? Answer: Sandburg thinks the fog is like a little cat. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

For Anne Gregory (W.B. Yeats)

Question: What colour is the young woman’s hair ? What does she say she can change it to ? Answer: The young woman’s hair is honey-coloured (yellow). She says she can change the color to brown, black, or carrot. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: Who can love you for yourself ? Answer: Only God can love you for yourself alone. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.

Class 10 English Previous Year Questions

Passages

A Letter to God (G.L. Fuentes)

No passages (long extracts) from this chapter were found in the provided sources. Only short questions were available in the previous conversational turns.

Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Passage: The policy of apartheid created a deep and lasting wound in my country and my people. All of us will spend many years, if not generations, recovering from that profound hurt. But the decades of oppression and brutality had another, unintended, effect, and that was that it produced the Oliver Tambos, the Walter Sisulus, the Chief Luthulis, the Yusuf Dadoos, the Bram Fischers, the Robert Sobukwes of our time – men of such extraordinary courage, wisdom and generosity that their like may never be known again. Perhaps it requires such depths of oppression to create such heights of character. My country is rich in the minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil, but I have always known that its greatest wealth is its people, finer and truer than the purest diamonds. It is from these comrades in the struggle that I learned the meaning of courage. Time and again, I have seen men and women risk and give their lives for an idea.

Question: Which policy created a deep and lasting wound in the writer’s country and his people? Answer: The Policy of Apartheid created a deep and lasting wound in the writer’s country and his people. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: How much time will they spend, recovering from that profound hurt? Answer: They will spend many years, if not generations, recovering from that profound hurt. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: What requires to create such heights of character? Answer: Depths of Oppression requires to create such heights of character. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: What does lie beneath the soil of his country? Answer: Minerals and gems lie beneath the soil of his country. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: From where the writer learned the meaning of courage? Answer: The writer learned the meaning of courage from these comrades in the struggle. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: Write the word from the passage which means similar to “A period of ten years”. Answer: The word is decades. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

Two Stories About Flying

A. His First Flight

Passage: The young seagull was alone on his ledge. His two brothers and his sister had already flown away the day before. He had been afraid to fly with them. Somehow when he had taken a little run forward to the brink of the ledge and attempted to flap his wings he became afraid. The great expanse of sea stretched down beneath, and it was such a long way down – miles down. He felt certain that his wings would never support him; so he bent his head and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge where he slept at night.

Question: How many brothers and sisters did the young seagull have? Answer: The young seagull had two brothers and one sister. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: Who had been afraid to fly? Answer: The Young seagull had been afraid to fly. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: Who had already flown away the day before? Answer: His two brothers and his sister had already flown away the day before. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: Where did the young seagull run away back? Answer: He ran away back to the little hole under the ledge where he slept at night. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: Find out the word from the passage which means: ‘Edge’. Answer: The word is brink. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.

B. The Black Aeroplane

Passage 1: The moon was coming up in the east, behind me and stars were shining in the clear sky above me. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky above me. There was not a cloud in the sky. I was happy to be alone high up above the sleeping countryside, flying my old Dakota aeroplane over France back to England. I was dreaming of my holiday. and looking forward to being with my family. I looked at my watch: one thirty in the morning. ‘I should call Paris Control soon’ I thought. As I looked down past the nose of the aeroplane. I saw the lights of a big city in front of me. I switched on the radio and said, “Paris Control, Dakota DS 088 here. Can you hear me? I am on my way to England Over”.

Question: The moon was coming up in the _______. Answer: The moon was coming up in the east. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: The stars were shining in the _______. Answer: The stars were shining in the sky. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: Why was the writer happy? Answer: The writer was happy to be alone high up above the sleeping countryside, flying his old Dakota aeroplane over France back to England, dreaming of his holiday, and looking forward to being with his family. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: What was the writer flying? Answer: The writer was flying his old Dakota aeroplane. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: Write the similar word of the following, from the passage: ‘rest’. Answer: The word is sleeping (referring to countryside). Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: Write the opposite word of the following, from the passage: ‘dull’. Answer: The word is clear. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).

Passage 2: Then, suddenly, I came out of the clouds and saw two long straight lines of lights in front of me. It was a runway! 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. She looked at me very strangely, and then laughed. “Another aeroplane? Up there in this storm? No other planes were flying tonight. Yours was the only one I could see on the radar.”

Question: What was seen by the pilot first? Answer: The pilot saw two long straight lines of lights. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: Where did the pilot lose himself? Answer: The pilot lost himself In storm. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: What was seen by the pilot? Answer: The pilot saw another Aeroplane. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: What was the name of the aeroplane of the pilot? Answer: The name of the aeroplane of the pilot was Dakota DS 088 (Implied from the broader story context as identified previously, and referring to the only plane on radar). Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: What did another person say? Answer: The other person (the black aeroplane pilot) said ‘Follow me’ (Implied by the guidance, but stated in the prior text/context, though the quoted passage doesn’t contain the exact phrase). Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: What is the similar word of the following from passage: ‘Sufficient’? Answer: The word is Enough. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.

From the Diary of Anne Frank

No dedicated passages (long extracts) from this chapter were found in the provided sources. Only short questions were available in the previous conversational turns.

Glimpses of India

A. A Baker from Goa

Passage 1: Marriage gifts are meaningless without the sweet bread known as the bol, just as a party or a feast loses its charm without bread. Not enough can be said to show how important a baker can be for a village. The lady of the house must prepare sandwiches on the occasion of her daughter’s engagement. Cakes and bolinhas are a must for Christmas as well as other festivals. Thus, the presence of the baker’s furnace in the village is absolutely essential.

Question: Write the word from the passage which means the same as ‘necessary’. Answer: The word is essential. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: Find out the word from the passage which has opposite meaning of : ‘sour’. Answer: The word is sweet. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper). (Note: Further questions for this passage are not fully available in the English portions provided.)

Passage 2: During our childhood in Goa, the baker used to be our friend, companion and guide. He used to come at least twice a day. Once, when he set out in the morning on his selling round, and then again, when he returned after emptying his huge basket. The jingling thud of his bamboo woke us up from sleep and we ran to meet and greet him. Why was it so ? Was it for the love of loaf ? Not at all. The loaves were bought by some Paskine or Bastine, the maid servant of the house ! What we longed for were those bread-bangles which we chose carefully. Sometimes it was sweet bread of special make.

Question: What was the purpose of the baker’s first visit in a day? Answer: The purpose of the baker’s first visit in a day was on his selling round. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: For what did the children long? Answer: The children longed for those bread-bangles which we chose carefully. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: Who used to buy loaves for them? Answer: Paskine or Bastine, the maid-servant of the house, used to buy loaves for them. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: Why did they run to meet and greet the baker? Answer: They ran to meet and greet him because they longed for the bread-bangles. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: Write the word from the passage which means similar to “A person who sells loaves of bread”. Answer: The word is baker. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

B. Coorg

Passage: The river, Kaveri obtains its water from the hills and forests of Coorg. Mahaseer – a large freshwater fish – abound in these waters. Kingfishers dive for their catch, while squirrels and langurs drop partially eaten fruit for the enjoyment of the splash and the ripple effect. Elephants enjoy being bathed and scrubbed in the river by their Mahouts. The most laid back individuals become converts to the life of high energy adventure with river rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock climbing and mountain biking. Numerous walking trails in this region are a favourite with trekkers. Birds, bees and butterflies are there to give you company. Macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs and slender loris keep a watchful eye from the tree canopy. I do, however, prefer to step aside for wild elephants.

Question: Where does the river, Kaveri obtain its water from: Answer: The river Kaveri obtains its water from both hills of Coorg & forests of Coorg. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: Mahaseer is a _______. Answer: Mahaseer is a fish. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: Who scrub the elephants? Answer: Mahouts scrub the elephants. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: What are the sources of the life of high energy adventure? Answer: The sources are river rafting, canoeing, rappelling, rock climbing, and mountain biking. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: Whose company is mentioned in the extract? Answer: The company of Birds, bees and butterflies is mentioned. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: What is the similar word of the following from passage: ‘Shade’? Answer: The word is canopy. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).

Mijbil the Otter (Gavin Maxwell)

Passage: Mij and I remained in London for nearly a month. He would play for hours with a selection of toys, ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit, and a terrapin shell that I had brought back from his native marshes. With the ping-pong ball he invented a game of his own which could keep him engrossed for up to half an hour at a time. A suitcase that I had taken to Iraq had become damaged on the journey home, so that the lid when closed, remained at a slope from one end to the other. Mij discovered that if he placed the ball on the high end it would run down the length of the suitcase. He would dash around to the other end to ambush. its arrival, hide from it, crouching, to spring up and take it by surprise, grab it and trot off with it to the high end once more.

Question: How long did Mij and writer remain in London? Answer: Mij and writer remained in London for A month. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: What game did Mij invent? Answer: Mij invented a game with a ping pong ball. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: Who played with toys and ping pong balls? Answer: Mij played with toys and ping pong balls. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: What did Mij discover? Answer: Mij discovered that if he placed the ball on the high end of the suitcase, it would run down the length of the suitcase. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: What were the things which Mij played with? Answer: Mij played with ping-pong balls, marbles, rubber fruit, and a terrapin shell. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: Write the similar word of the following from passage. “astonish” Answer: The word is surprise. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).

Madam Rides the Bus (Vallikkannan)

Passage 1: There was a girl named Valliammai who was called Valli for short. She was eight years old and very curious about things. Her favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house, watching what was happening in the street outside. There were no playmates of her own age on her street, and this was about all she had to do.

Question: What was the short name of the girl? Answer: The short name of the girl was Valli. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: What was the age of Valli? Answer: Valli was eight years old. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: Why did Valliammai not play with her playmates? Answer: Valliammai did not play with playmates because there were no playmates of her own age on her street. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: What was Valliammai’s favourite pastime? Answer: Valliammai’s favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house, watching what was happening in the street outside. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: Write the similar word of the following, from the passage: ‘anterior’. Answer: The word is front. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: Write the opposite word of the following, from the passage: ‘usual’. Answer: The word is favourite. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023.

Passage 2: Her first journey – what careful, painstaking, elaborate plans, she had to make for it ! She had thriftily saved whatever stray coins came her way, resisting every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons, and the like, and finally she had saved a total of sixty paise. How difficult it had been, particularly that day at the village fair, but she had resolutely stifled a strong desire to ride the merry-go-round, even though she had the money.

Question: After saving money, the next problem was : Answer: The next problem was to slip out of house. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: Valli stood looking from _______. Answer: Valli stood looking from doorway. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: Valli used the hours of mother’s nap in : Answer: Valli used the hours of mother’s nap in Excursions. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: Where did the bus roll on ? Answer: The bus rolled on past the tall, massive houses. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: What was gobbled up by the bus ? Answer: The bus gobbled up a tiny bit of landscape. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: How much did Valli save finally for bus ride ? Answer: Valli saved sixty paise finally for bus ride. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024.

Passage 3: Day after day she would watch the bus, and gradually a tiny wish crept into her head and grew there: she wanted to ride on that bus, even if just once. This wish became so strong that it was a desire. Valli would stare wistfully at the people who got on or off the bus when it stopped at the village. Their faces would kindle in her new hopes and new joys. The distance between the village and the nearest town was six miles. The fare was thirty paise one way.

Question: What was the sight of unending joy for Valli? Answer: The sight of unending joy was the bus that traveled between her village and the nearest town. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).
Question: What was Valli’s strongest desire? Answer: Valli’s strongest desire was to ride on that bus. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).
Question: How many paise was the fare for the bus ride? Answer: The fare for the bus ride was Thirty paise. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).
Question: What was the most fascinating thing for Valli? Answer: The most fascinating thing for Valli was the bus, filled with a new set of people each time it passed her house. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).
Question: Based on your reading of the passage write about Valli: Answer: Valli was a girl who was curious about things, calculating, and strongly desired to ride the bus. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).
Question: Write the similar word of the following from the passage : ‘Travel’. Answer: The word is ride. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).

The Sermon at Benares

Passage 1: Gautama Buddha began life as a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, in northern India. At twelve, he was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures and four years later he returned home to marry a princess. They had a son and lived for ten years as befitted royalty. At about the age of twenty five, the prince, heretofore shielded from the sufferings of the world, while out hunting chanced upon a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights so moved him that he at once went out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows, he had witnessed. He wandered for seven years and finally sat down under a peepal tree, where he vowed to stay until enlightenment came. Enlightened after seven days, he renamed the tree the Bodhi Tree. (Tree of Wisdom) and began to teach and to share his new understandings. At that point he became known as the Buddha (the Awakened or the Enlightened).

Question: What was the name of Gautama Buddha as a prince : Answer: The name of Gautama Buddha as a prince was Siddhartha Gautama. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: How old was Siddharth when he was sent away for schooling Answer: Siddharth was 12 Years old when he was sent away for schooling. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: Why did Siddharth return home? Answer: Siddharth returned home to marry princess. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: At what age did the prince, come to know about the sufferings of the world? Answer: The prince came to know about the sufferings of the world at about the age of twenty five. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: Which sights moved the Prince? Answer: The sights of a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession and finally a monk begging for alms moved the Prince. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: What is the similar word of the following from passage : ‘vowed’. Answer: The word is Pledged (This is an educated inference, the source provided “Pledged” as the answer for the Hindi translation of ‘vowed’). Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).

Passage 2: Kisa Gotami had an only son and he died. In her grief she carried the dead child to all her neighbours, asking them for medicine. And the people said, “She has lost her senses. The boy is dead.” At last, Kisa Gotami met a man who replied to her request, “I cannot give thee medicine for thy child, but I know a physician who can.” Kisa Gotami said, “Sir, tell me, who is it?” And the man replied, “Go to Sakyamuni, the Buddha.” Kisa Gotami went to the Buddha, who asked her to bring a handful of mustard seed from a house where no one had ever died.

Question: How many sons did Kisa Gotami have ? Answer: Kisa Gotami had one son. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: What did Kisa Gotami ask for her dead child ? Answer: Kisa Gotami asked for Medicine for her dead child. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: Who was Sakyamuni ? Answer: Buddha was Sakyamuni. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: What did Buddha want ? Answer: Buddha wanted Kisa Gotami to procure mustard seeds from a house where no one had ever died, intending for her to understand that death is universal. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: Which question was asked by Kisa Gotami from the people ? Answer: Kisa Gotami asked the people for medicine to cure her child. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: Write the similar word of the following from the passage : ‘Heal’. Answer: The word is cure. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

The Proposal

No dedicated passages (long extracts) from this chapter were found in the provided sources. Only short questions were available in the previous conversational turns.

Passages from Poems

Dust of Snow (Robert Frost)

Passage: The way a crow Shook down on me The dust of snow From a hemlock tree.

Question: Which tree is mentioned ? Answer: The hemlock tree is mentioned. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: Write rhyme scheme and words. Answer: The rhyme scheme is abab and the rhyming words are crow/snow and me/tree. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: Who was sitting on hemlock tree? Answer: A crow was sitting on the hemlock tree. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: What did the crow do Answer: The crow Shook down on the poet the dust of snow. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: What is a ‘dust of snow’ ? Answer: Dust of snow is the fine particles or flakes of snow that the crow shook down on the poet. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: Write the reference of hemlock tree. Answer: The hemlock tree is a poisonous tree, but here it provides the setting for the moment of change in the poet’s mood. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

Fire and Ice (Robert Frost)

Passage: Some say the world will end in fire Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favour fire.

Question: Write rhyme scheme and words. Answer: The rhyme scheme is aaba and the rhyming words are fire/desire/fire and ice. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: According to the poem what the world will end in? Answer: According to the poem, the world will end in fire or ice. Marks & Year: 1 mark, Secondary Examination, 2023 (Model Paper).
Question: What does ‘fire’ stand for? Answer: ‘Fire’ stands for desire. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: What is the rhyme scheme of the extract? Answer: The rhyme scheme is a b a a. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: What are the ideas about how the world will ‘end’ in the poem ? Answer: The ideas are that the world will end in fire or in ice. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: Which idea does the poet want to favour ? Answer: The poet wants to favour the idea of fire. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

A Tiger in the Zoo (Leslie Norris)

Passage: He should be snarling around houses At the jungle’s edge, Baring his white fangs, his claws, Terrorising the village!

Question: Write the meaning of snarling. Answer: Snarling means making an angry, guttural sound while baring teeth. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).
Question: How does the Tiger terrorise the village? Answer: The Tiger terrorises the village by snarling around houses at the jungle’s edge, baring his white fangs and claws. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Supplementary).

The Ball Poem (John Berryman)

Passage: He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes, The epistemology of loss, how to stand up Knowing what every man must one day know And most know many days, how to stand up.

Question: What is the meaning of ‘epistemology’ ? Answer: Epistemology is the study or theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).
Question: What is the boy learning in the poem ? Answer: The boy is learning the epistemology of loss—how to cope with loss and stand up after suffering it. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

Amanda! (Robin Klein)

Passage 1: (I am an orphan, roaming the street. I pattern soft dust with my hushed, bare feet. The silence is golden, the freedom is sweet.)

Question: Write the rhyme scheme and words. Answer: The rhyme scheme is a a a and the rhyming words are street, feet, sweet. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023.
Question: What is golden and what is sweet? Answer: Silence is golden and freedom is sweet. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2023.

Passage 2: Don’t eat that chocolate, Amanda ! Remember your acne, Amanda ! Will you please look at me When I’m speaking to you, Amanda !

Question: Why is Amanda refused to eat chocolate ? Answer: Amanda is refused to eat chocolate because she needs to Remember your acne. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: What is told to look at in the extract ? Answer: Amanda is told to look at the speaker/parent when they are speaking to her. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.

The Tale of Custard the Dragon (Ogden Nash)

Passage 1: Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth, And spikes on top of him and scales underneath, Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose, And realio, trulio daggers on his toes.

Question: How did Custard look like ? Answer: Custard looked like he had big sharp teeth, spikes on top, scales underneath, a mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose, and daggers on his toes. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).
Question: Who was Custard ? Answer: Custard was the dragon. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024 (Model Paper).

Passage 2: And spikes on top of him and scales underneath, Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose, And realio, Trulio daggers on his toes.

Question: Who had big sharp teeth ? Answer: Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).
Question: What type of mouth and nose did the dragon have? Answer: The dragon had a mouth like a fireplace and a chimney for a nose. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Model Paper).

The Trees (Adrienne Rich)

Passage: The trees inside are moving Out into the forest, The forest that was empty all these days Where no bird can sit No insect hide No sun bury it’s feet in shadow The forest that was empty all these nights Will be full of trees by morning.

Question: Where are the trees in the poem? Answer: The trees are inside, moving out into the forest. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: How can you say that forest was empty according to the poem? Answer: The forest was empty because the poet states that no bird can sit, no insect hide, and no sun bury its feet in shadow there. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2022.
Question: Write three things that cannot happen in a treeless forest ? Answer: Three things that cannot happen are: no bird could sit, no insect hide, and no sun bury its feet in shadow. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2025 (Supplementary).

For Anne Gregory (W.B. Yeats)

Passage: “I heard an old religious man But yesternight declare That he had found a text to prove That only God, my dear, Could love you for yourself alone And not your yellow hair.”

Question: Who found a text in the extract ? Answer: An old religious man found a text in the extract. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.
Question: Who can love you for yourself ? Answer: Only God can love you for yourself alone. Marks & Year: 2 marks, Secondary Examination, 2024.