English · Sample Paper 3

General instructions

Section A · Reading skills

1. Question 110 marks

   Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

   1. For centuries, the people of Ladakh have lived in one of the driest places on earth. Winters are long and bitterly cold, and the little water that farmers get comes from glaciers melting in late spring. But as glaciers retreat higher up the mountains, the melt arrives later and later — often after the sowing season has begun.

   2. In 2013, an engineer named Sonam Wangchuk came up with a simple idea. If water could be frozen in winter close to the villages, it would melt in spring exactly when farmers needed it. He piped stream water downhill during winter and let it shoot upwards through a vertical pipe. In the freezing air the water froze as it fell, slowly building a cone of ice several storeys high.

   3. Because a cone exposes very little surface to the sun for its size, these 'ice stupas', named after the Buddhist shrines they resemble, melt slowly. Some have lasted well into June, supplying water to saplings and fields when the streams are still dry.

   4. The idea has spread to other villages, where local youth help build and maintain the stupas. Competitions are held to see which village can build the tallest one. Scientists caution that ice stupas cannot replace glaciers, but they show how communities can adapt to a changing climate with low-cost solutions.

   5. For the farmers of Ladakh, the stupas are more than a source of water. They are a reminder that the answers to big problems are sometimes found in the hands of local people.

   Answer the following (1 mark each):

   (i) Where do Ladakhi farmers get their water from?

   (ii) Why has the timing of water supply become a problem?

   (iii) What was Sonam Wangchuk's idea?

   (iv) How is an ice stupa formed?

   (v) Why are these structures called 'ice stupas'?

   (vi) Why do ice stupas melt slowly?

   (vii) How long have some stupas lasted?

   (viii) What caution do scientists give?

   (ix) Find a word in paragraph 1 that means 'move back'.

   (x) Find a word in paragraph 4 that means 'warn'.

2. Question 210 marks

   Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

   A survey of 600 Class 10 students in a city asked how they travel to their coaching classes in the evening.

   • 30% go by two-wheeler driven by a parent, 25% by auto-rickshaw, 20% cycle, 15% walk and 10% use the city bus.
   • The average one-way travel time was 25 minutes; bus users took the longest, 40 minutes on average.
   • 45% of students said they felt tired before the class began.
   • Students who cycled or walked reported feeling the least tired.
   • After the city introduced a special evening bus route for students, bus use rose from 10% to 22% within four months.

   Answer the following (1 mark each):

   (i) How many students took part in the survey?

   (ii) What is the most common mode of travel?

   (iii) How many students cycle to coaching classes?

   (iv) What was the average one-way travel time?

   (v) Which group took the longest to travel?

   (vi) What percentage of students felt tired before class?

   (vii) Which students felt the least tired? (a) bus users (b) cyclists and walkers (c) auto users (d) two-wheeler users

   (viii) What step did the city take?

   (ix) By how many percentage points did bus use rise?

   (x) Suggest one reason why more students began using the bus.

Section B · Grammar and writing

1. Question 31 mark

   Choose the correct option to fill in the blank:

   She ______ the novel by the end of next week.

   1. A.finishes
   2. B.will have finished
   3. C.has finished
   4. D.had finished
2. Question 41 mark

   Choose the correct modal:

   It's cloudy; it ______ rain later.

   1. A.must
   2. B.might
   3. C.should
   4. D.ought
3. Question 51 mark

   Choose the correct option:

   Mathematics ______ my favourite subject.

   1. A.are
   2. B.is
   3. C.were
   4. D.have been
4. Question 61 mark

   Choose the correct determiner:

   ______ student in the class received a certificate.

   1. A.All
   2. B.Every
   3. C.Many
   4. D.Few
5. Question 71 mark

   Choose the correct reported form:

   She asked, "Can you help me?"

   1. A.She asked if I could help her.
   2. B.She asked can I help her.
   3. C.She asked that could I help her.
   4. D.She told if I can help her.
6. Question 81 mark

   Identify the error and choose the correct option:

   He has been working here since five years.

   1. A.has → had
   2. B.working → work
   3. C.since → for
   4. D.here → there
7. Question 91 mark

   Choose the correct passive form:

   Who wrote this letter?

   1. A.By whom was this letter written?
   2. B.Who was written this letter?
   3. C.By whom this letter was written?
   4. D.Whom wrote this letter?
8. Question 101 mark

   Choose the correct preposition:

   The train arrived ______ the station on time.

   1. A.in
   2. B.at
   3. C.on
   4. D.to
9. Question 111 mark

   Choose the correct reported form:

   The coach said, "Well done, boys!"

   1. A.The coach applauded the boys, saying they had done well.
   2. B.The coach said well done boys.
   3. C.The coach told the boys well done.
   4. D.The coach asked the boys well done.
10. Question 121 mark

    Choose the correct option:

    No sooner ______ the bell rung than the students rushed out.

    1. A.did
    2. B.had
    3. C.has
    4. D.was
11. Question 135 marks

    You are Ishita/Ishaan of 7 Lake View Road, Bhopal. Write a letter in about 120 words to the editor of a newspaper about the poor condition of public parks in your area, suggesting improvements.

12. OR

    Question 135 marks

    You are Pooja/Pranav of 22 Gandhi Nagar, Indore. Write a letter in about 120 words to the Principal requesting permission to organise a book donation drive in school.

13. Question 145 marks

    The table shows the percentage of households in a town using different cooking fuels in 2010 and 2025. Write an analytical paragraph in about 120 words.

    | Fuel | 2010 | 2025 | |---|---|---| | LPG | 45% | 82% | | Firewood | 35% | 8% | | Kerosene | 15% | 2% | | Electric/induction | 5% | 8% |

14. OR

    Question 145 marks

    The data below shows the number of visitors (in thousands) to a national park in different seasons of 2024. Write an analytical paragraph in about 120 words.

    | Season | Winter | Spring | Summer | Monsoon | |---|---|---|---|---| | Visitors (thousands) | 45 | 30 | 15 | 5 |

Section C · Literature

1. Question 155 marks

   Read the summary and answer the questions that follow.

   In 'A Tiger in the Zoo', Leslie Norris describes a tiger pacing in a small concrete cell. The poet imagines where the tiger should be — hiding in the long grass near a water hole, waiting for plump deer, or snarling around houses at the jungle's edge. Instead, he ignores visitors, listens to patrolling cars at night and stares at the brilliant stars with his brilliant eyes.

   (i) Where is the tiger in reality? (1 mark)

   (ii) Where should the tiger ideally be? (1 mark)

   (iii) What does the tiger do at night? (1 mark)

   (iv) What contrast does the poet draw? (1 mark)

   (v) What is the theme of the poem? (1 mark)

2. OR

   Question 155 marks

   Read the summary and answer the questions that follow.

   In 'The Tale of Custard the Dragon', Ogden Nash tells of Belinda, who lives with a black kitten, a grey mouse, a yellow dog and a little pet dragon named Custard. Everyone mocks Custard as a coward because he cries for a safe cage. One night a pirate climbs in through the window. While the others run and hide, Custard attacks and gobbles up the pirate. Afterwards, the others still boast that they are brave.

   (i) Who are Belinda's pets? (1 mark)

   (ii) Why was Custard called a coward? (1 mark)

   (iii) What happened when the pirate came? (1 mark)

   (iv) What is ironic about the ending? (1 mark)

   (v) What kind of poem is this? (1 mark)

3. Question 162 marks

   What did Lencho hope for, and what happened to his crop?

4. Question 172 marks

   What does Mandela mean by 'twin obligations'?

5. Question 182 marks

   Why did Anne Frank call her diary 'Kitty'?

6. Question 192 marks

   Why did Matilda borrow a necklace from Mme Forestier?

7. Question 203 marks

   Describe the pilot's experience in 'The Black Aeroplane'.

8. OR

   Question 203 marks

   How is coffee grown in Coorg? Describe the people of Coorg.

9. Question 213 marks

   How did Valli plan her first bus journey?

10. Question 223 marks

    What does the poem 'Amanda' tell us about the relationship between children and adults?

11. Question 233 marks

    Why was Tricki's health affected? How did Mr Herriot cure him?

12. Question 243 marks

    How did a book given by his mother change Richard Ebright's life?

13. Question 256 marks

    Describe how Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha and the message of his sermon at Benares.

14. OR

    Question 256 marks

    Describe the author's journey with Mijbil from Basra to London.

15. Question 266 marks

    How did Anil's trust change Hari Singh?

16. OR

    Question 266 marks

    How did education transform Bholi's life?