CBSE Class 10 English language & Literature 2022 Paper

The question paper contains three sections Reading, Writing & Grammar and Literature. Time allowed is 2 hours and Maximum Marks are 40. This question paper contains 7 questions.

Section A

Reading: 10 marks

1. Read the passage given below : 

Sifting through the sands of time

1 When you're on the beach, you're stepping on ancient mountains, skeletons of marine animals, even tiny diamonds. Sand provides a mineral treasure-trove, a record of geology's earth-changing processes.

2 Sand : as children we play on it and as adults we relax on it. It is something we complain about when it gets in our food, and praise we would discover an account of a geological past and a history of marine life that goes back thousands and, in some cases, millions of years.

3 Sand covers not just sea-shores, but also ocean beds, deserts and mountains. It is one of the most common substances on Earth. And it is a major element in man-made items too - concrete is largely sand, while glass is made of little else.

4 What exactly is sand ? Well, it is larger than fine dust and smaller than shingle. Depending on its age and origin, a particular sand can consist of tiny pebbles or porous granules. Its grain may have the shape of stars or spirals, their edges jagged or smooth. They have come from the erosion of rocks, or from the skeletons of marine organisms which accumulate on the bottom of the oceans, or even from volcanic eruptions.

5 Colour is another clue to sand's origins. If it is a dazzling white, its grains may be derived from nearby coral outcrops, from crystalline quartz rocks or from gypsum. On Pacific islands jet black sands form from volcanic minerals. 

6 Usually, the older the granules, the finer they are and the smoother the edges. The fine, white beaches, for instance, are recycled from sandstone several hundred million years old. Perhaps they will be stone once more, in another few hundred million.

7 Sand is an irreplaceable industrial ingredient whose uses are legion : but it has one vital function you might never even notice. Sand cushions our land from the sea's impact, and geologists say it often does a better job of protecting our shores than the most advanced coastal technology.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer any five questions from the six given below :

  1. How is sand a 'treasure-trove' ?
  2. How is sand both a pain and a pleasure ?
  3. Name two man-made materials that contain sand.
  4. List the different shapes of sand.
  5. What is the origin of white sand ?
  6. In what ways are older granules different from recent granules ?

2. Read the passage given below : 

Extraction And Purification Of Drinking Water

1 Some consumers choose to purchase bottled drinking water, rather than relying on city tap water supplies. Bottled water has typically been extracted from underground sources. If water exists underground, but has no natural exit points, bottling companies may construct a water table well by drilling down to extract water from an unconfined aquifer. This is done when the earth's natural water level - known as a water table - is much lower than the earth's surface. In some cases, as with a valley or gully on a mountain, the level of the water table may be higher than the Earth's surface, and a natural spring can emerge. Bottling companies are permitted to extract this water from a hole drilled into the underground spring, but the composition of the water must be identical to that of the naturally surfacing variety nearby.

2 Artesian water is drawn from a confined aquifer, a deep underground cavity of porous rock that holds water and bears pressure from a confining layer above it. This water can be accessed if companies drill a vertical channel down into the confined aquifer. Due to the pressurised nature of this aquifer, water will often rise up from within it and form a flowing artesian well, which appears as an explosive fountain at the Earth's surface. However, this only occurs when the surface is lower than the natural water table. If the surface is not lower than the natural water table, it is still possible to draw artesian water by using an extraction pump.

3 Some bottled water is advertised as 'purified', which means it has been subjected to a variety of cleansing processes. A common filtering procedure, known as reverse osmosis, involves the water being pressed through microscopic membranes that prevent larger contaminants from passing through. The microscopic size of these holes is such that they can even obstruct germs, but they are most effective against undesirable materials such as salt, nitrates and lime scale. One disadvantage of reverse osmosis is that a lot of unusable water is generated as a by-product of the procedure; this must be thrown away. 

4 For treating pathogens, an impressive newer option is ultraviolet (UV) light. Powerful UV light has natural antibacterial qualities, so this process simply requires water to be subjected to a sufficient strength of UV light as it passes through a treatment chamber. The light neutralises many harmful germs by removing their DNA, thereby impeding their ability to replicate. A particularly impressive quality of UV light is its ability to neutralise highly resistant viral agents such as hepatitis. 

5 The overall effects of UV light treatment are variable, however, which leaves many municipal water treatment processes relying on chlorination. Its powerful and comprehensive antimicrobial effect notwithstanding, chlorination is also extremely inexpensive and remains the only antimicrobial treatment capable of ensuring water remains contaminant-free all the way through the pipes and to the taps of domestic homes. Many members of the public remain suspicious of water that has been treated with such a harsh chemical. Its ease of use and affordability has meant that chlorine often plays an important role in making tainted water supplies safe for consumption immediately after natural disasters have occurred. 

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer any five questions from the six given below : 

  1. Under what conditions does a natural spring emerge ?
  2. What is a confined aquifer ?
  3. What forms a flowing artesian well ? 
  4. Explain the term 'purified' water ?
  5. How are pathogens treated ?
  6. Why is municipal water treated by chlorination ?

Section B

Writing and Grammar: 10 marks

3. Attempt any one from (i) and (ii). 

(i) You are Rita/Rahul and you came across the following information on your local club notice-board.

Better Living 

How to tackle stress, build concentration and remain fit and healthy - Yoga, a way of life - Join free yoga camp for students.

You wish to enrol but require more information. Write a letter to the Yoga Institute, M.G. Road, Pune, enquiring details of timing, batch size, eligibility, etc. for joining the course.

(ii) Internet provides every information one seeks at the click of a button. As a result children today are living in a comfort zone. According to research, this will result in long-term consequences which will affect their brain. Based on the following chart, write an analytical paragraph in not more than 120 words on activities to improve brain power :

4. The following paragraph has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Identify the error and write its correction against the correct blank number. Remember to underline the correction. The first one has been done for you. 

While the worst for COVID-19 in India (e.g.) for / of

seems to be over, one may remain (a)

vigilant and response quickly to (b)

any future spike of cases.  (c)

5. Read the conversation below and complete the passage that follows :

Rahul : It is difficult to fight against peer pressure. Youth easily gets influenced by the lifestyle of its peers.

Radhika : Peer pressure has its benefits as well. Our peers also motivate and inspire us to do better and work hard.

Rahul said that it was difficult to fight against peer pressure as (a) _____ . Radhika replied that peer pressure had its benefits as well it (b) _____ . 

Section C

Literature: 20 marks

6. Answer any six questions in 30 - 40 words each : 

(i) How, according to Buddha, can one obtain peace of mind ? (The Sermon at Benares)

(ii) "Don't bite your nails Amanda ! Don't hunch your shoulders Amanda !" What does this reflect about Amanda's mother and Amanda ?

(iii) Walt Whitman in 'Animals' shows his preference for living with animals. Justify.

(iv) Write a brief character sketch of Lomov. (The Proposal)

(v) What are the essential qualities for becoming a scientist, according to Ebright's teacher ? (The Making of a Scientist)

(vi) Describe the feelings of the young lawyer when he came to know the reality of the hack driver.

(vii) What attracts visitors to Coorg ? (Glimpses of India)

7. Answer any two of the following in about 120 words each : 

(i) Matilda realised that one little act of negligence can lead to total ruin. What do you learn from this and how would you move on in life ? (The Necklace)

(ii) Imagine you are Bholi and you have been invited to give a speech on the importance of girl education. Write the speech on 'Girl Education and Empowerment'.

(iii) Valli was a mature girl and ahead of her age. Justify the statement with evidence from the text. (Madam Rides the Bus)