Magadh International School, Gaya

Class 10 - English Communicative (101) (2024-25)

Maximum Marks: 80 Time Allowed: : 3 hours

General Instructions:

Read the following instructions very carefully and strictly follow them :

i. The question paper is divided into four sections - A, B, C and D.

Section A - Reading Skills (22 marks)
Section B - Writing Skills (22 marks)
Section C - Grammar (10 marks)
Section D - Literature Textbook (26 marks)
ii. There are 10 questions in the question paper. All questions are compulsory.
iii. Answers should be brief and to the point.
iv. You may attempt any section at a time.
v. All questions of that particular section must be attempted in the correct order.
vi. Instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary.

SECTION A : READING SKILLS (22 marks)

1. Read the text carefully and answer the questions: (12 Marks)
1. Before starting an operation, the nurse in charge usually counts the cotton mops. A mop is a piece of sterilised cotton
gauze. At the end of the operation, she counts the used and unused mops and totals them. This figure should tally
with the number of mops counted at the start of the surgery. This procedure is followed strictly to prevent the
possibility of a mop getting left behind in a patient’s body through oversight.
2. The operation was successful and the surgeon was about to sew up and close the abdomen. In keeping with the
routine, he asked the OT nurse, “Sister, is the mop count okay? If it is fine, give me the needle and catgut.” The
young nurse counted the mops and said, “Sorry doctor, the count is not okay. There is a difference of one mop.”
3. The surgeon started searching inside the abdomen. He found no mop. “No sister, there is nothing inside”, he told her.
The nurse searched the OT, but she too could not find the missing mop. She was quite concerned. If the mop count
did not tally, the surgeon could not stitch up the patient’s abdomen. The surgeon was concerned too. He insisted that
if the missing mop was not found, then there must have been an error in the initial count. Politely, but firmly, she
said, “No sir, unless I find that missing mop, I cannot give you the needle and catgut.”
4. The surgeon controlled his rising anger and searched the abdomen once again. The nurse was in a dilemma. But she
did not change her stand. The surgeon warned angrily, “If you do not obey my instructions, I will dismiss you after
the operation.”
5. The inexperienced nurse’s apparent defiance made the surgeon angry. He looked down in frustration. To his
amazement, he saw the blood-soaked cotton mop lying on the OT floor. “Hey, the mop is here”, he exclaimed. “Now
the count is complete. Give me the ...”. Before he could complete the sentence, the needle and catgut were in his
hands.
6. After everything was over, the surgeon called the young nurse aside and expressed his appreciation. He told her, “I
am sorry that I put extra pressure on you, sister. However, I am curious to know how you could stand your ground
even after I threatened you.” She said hesitantly, “Sir, I merely obeyed the principle taught to me by my teacher, if the
 mop count is not correct, then the needle and catgut should not be given to the surgeon. I just followed my teacher’s
words.” The surgeon was wonderstruck and immensely pleased.
i. At the end of the operation, the count of used and unused mops is not tallied with the mop count before the
operation. What does it suggest? (1)
a) Less than required mops have been used in the surgery.
b) There is a possibility of wastage of mops during the surgery.
c) A mop may be retained in the patient’s body.
d) Additional mops have been used in the surgery.
ii. She was quite concerned. Why do you think she was concerned? (1)
a) The patient’s condition was worsening.
b) The doctor was getting angry.
c) There was a delay in the completion of surgery.
d) The missing mob was found on the floor.
iii. Despite pressure from the surgeon, the nurse stands her ground. What does it reveal about her character? (2)
iv. Identify the tone of the surgeon when he says, I will dismiss you after the operation. (1)
v. Was it justified on the part of the doctor to put extra pressure on the nurse? Give reason in support of your
answer. (2)
vi. Which word in paragraph 4 means the same as a situation in which you have to make a difficult choice? (1)
vii. Complete the following sentence appropriately: (1)
The nurse did not give the needle and catgut to the surgeon as she was sure .
viii. Complete the following: (1)
made the surgeon angry.
ix. What was the doctor reminded by the nurse after the operation? (1)
a) To be patient while performing a surgery
b) To follow the principles strictly
c) To be more careful when using the mops
d) To be flexible in his approach
x. After the surgery, the doctor was convinced that he had a competent nurse with him. (1)
a) True b) False
2. Read the text carefully and answer the questions: (10 Marks)
Read the following table displaying the reasons why the airlines in our country are struggling to survive.
Despite being touted as the fastest growing aviation sector in the world, airlines in our country have struggled to
survive because of the reasons displayed in the following table:
Tax Burden High Competition Indian Aviation Policy Ownership of Fleets Other Factors
High operational Lack of financial Affect on passenger
Airport fees for using Barriers to entry and
expenses due to resources for airlines to growth due to
airport facilities growth
high taxes buy planes increasing cost

From 20042016,
new airlines
require
Airfares 15% Passing on the bulk About 80% of
five-year High costs for training
below the of charges to commercial fleet is
domestic of airline crew
breakeven point passengers leased
experience
to have a fleet of
20 aircrafts
 State imposed Offering lower ticket Change in High costs due to Inadequate number of
taxes on jet fuel fares to remain Aviation Policy leasing Flight Training
competitive in 2016 Organisations
Removal of five-
year domestic
experience rule

Opposition of changes
Payment of heavy
in rules by legacy
annual lease rents
carriers
i. How has Indian Aviation Policy posed barriers to entry and growth of the airlines in the country? (1)
ii. To remain competitive, it is essential for the airlines: (1)
a) to increase ticket fares
b) to have five years domestic experience
c) to offer lower ticket fares to passengers
d) to lease the fleet
iii. Some airlines face problems in acquiring ownership of planes. Give one reason and effect of the given
statement. (2)
iv. Select the correct option to complete the following analogy: (1)
Aviation Policy : a fleet of 20 aircrafts : : : commercial aircrafts on lease
a) both tax burden and high competition b) ownership of fleets
c) high competition d) tax burden
v. What could be the likely reason for opposing the changes in Aviation Policy by legacy carriers (older
airlines)? (2)
vi. Complete the following sentence appropriately: (1)
Some states in the country contribute to the tax burden on the airlines because .
vii. Identify from the following a potential effect of inadequate number of Flight Training Organisations in a
country. Support your choice with one reason. (1)
i. Effect on passenger growth
ii. Decrease in tax burden
iii. Crunch in pilots
viii. Select the correct option to complete the following sentence appropriately. (1)
The airport fees paid for using airport facilities by the airlines:
a) does not affect the passengers
b) is passed on to the passengers’ ticket fares
c) is 15% of the total taxes paid by the airlines
d) is not applicable to the commercial fleets
SECTION B : WRITING SKILLS (22 marks)
3. Write an email to the Principal of your school requesting him to grant you five-days leave to attend your sister’s
marriage.
4. Write a descriptive paragraph on Stephen Hawking based on the clues given below
Well known cosmologist and author - born in Oxford, England - very talented - studied physics at Oxford - known for
his research on origin of the universe and books.
5. You are Shrawan of C-2, Janakpuri, Delhi, you wish to make a pilgrimage to Badrinath, Kedarnath, and Haridwar with
your family of five. You saw this advertisement somewhere over the internet about Char Dham Yatra.
 Write a letter to S.S. Travels Station Road, Delhi, enquiring about the schedule of their conducted tour by Deluxe buses
to these places. Ask about the charges, boarding and lodging arrangements and the total time needed for the tour.

OR
Write a letter to the Editor of ‘The Hindustan Times’, New Delhi about the incidents of violence taking place with the
aged living alone at home, drawing the attention of the authorities towards the problem.
6. Abundance of advertisements in newspapers, magazines and even on television is a wastage of both time and money of
readers and viewers. You are Shobha/Sameer. Write an article on the topic, Excessive Use of Advertisements in Media
using the following clues.
Clues
i. Public attention
ii. Profitable
iii. More advertisements than the actual content
iv. Readers disappointed-articles serve no purpose
v. Consume big spaces- waste the time, energy as well as money
vi. Information misleading and confusing-unhealthy competition

OR

Visiting new places and meeting new people enhance our understanding and knowledge besides being a source of great
pleasure. Write an article, in about 150 words, on the topic: Travel - A Source of Knowledge and Pleasure. You can
take hints from the unit Travel and Tourism of the MCB. You are Ganesh/Pooja.
SECTION C : GRAMMAR (10 marks)
7. Complete the tasks A-C , as directed.
1. Fill in the blanks (a)-(c) with the appropriate option from those in the brackets.
They ate (a) (some/any/all) night. The maids were tired walking (b) (down/up/to) and down the
hall (c) (but/to/and) serving them. The crowd too dispersed gradually.
2. In the following passage, one word has been omitted in each line. Write the missing word along with the words
before and after against the correct blank number:
Word Before Missing Word Word After
One thing we all must do to cooperate (a)
with police and pay heed to their advice. (b)
They warn us not touch unidentified and (c)
unclaimed suspicious objects transistors, brief cases, etc. (d)
3. Do as directed.
i. Rearrange the following jumbled words/phrases in the given dialogue to create a meaningful sentence.
It is a sparsely populated town in Uttarakhand. It has an average literacy rate of 77%.
 Devprayag/pandas/Badrinath Dham/the/is/seat of
ii. Read the conversation given below. Based on your reading, fill in the blanks appropriately.
Sameer: Neha, why do you keep on wasting time in useless pursuits?
Neha: It’s not a useless job, I am trying to make a angel with this waste material.
Sameer: What is the need to do all this, when you have so many important things to do?
Neha: I am making a angel to bless my family.
Sameer asked Neha why she kept on wasting time in useless pursuits Neha told Sameer that it was not a
useless job and that (a) . Sameer asked what was the need to do all those things when she had so
many important things to do To which Neha replied (b) .
SECTION D : LITERATURE TEXTBOOK (26 marks)
8. Read the given excerpts and answer the questions briefly, for ANY TWO excerpts, of the three, given.
1. Read the extract carefully and answer the questions that follow:
But must I confess how I liked him,
How glad I was he had come like a guest in quiet, to drink at my water-trough
And depart peaceful, pacified, and thankless,
Into the burning bowels of this earth?
a. Did the poet like the snake?
b. What was his initial response on seeing the snake?
c. Why does he say that the satiated snake departs thanklessly?
d. Where would it go?
2. Read the extract carefully and answer the questions:
Caesar shall forth: the things that threaten’d me Ne’er look’d but on my back; when they shall see The face of
Caesar, they are vanished.
a. Where is Caesar planning to go to?
b. What does the word vanished mean in this context?
c. Caesar said these words in reply to what request?
d. What omens were responsible for the other person making this request?
3. Read the extract carefully and answer the questions that follow:
We do many things, Sir, Nicola answered seriously. He glanced at us hopefully. Often we show visitors through the
town to Juliet’s tomb and other places of interest.
a. To whom is Nicola speaking?
b. What things did Nicola and his brother do?
c. What does the word glanced mean?
d. Why was Nicola serious?
9. Answer ANY FIVE of the following six questions in about 30- 40 words each
1. What impression do you form about the king when he calls himself the king of kings? Answer to the context of the
poem Ozymandias.
2. How did the postmaster become a changed man? Answer to the context of the chapter The Letter.
3. Why could John Hallock not give his whole time to writing?
4. How did Patol Babu react to the offer of a role in a film?
5. How did Michael equip himself for the game experience at the Powerbase?
6. Why do you think Elizabeth would not make a claim for the bureau and the clock?
10. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions in about 150 words.
1. Greed and deception govern the lives of the Slaters and the Jordans. Do you agree? Answer with reasons supporting
your point of view.
2. Before targeting anyone, one must not forget that even a biter can be bitten. Explain with the reference to the story.