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Read the extract given below… (Class 10 English 2023, Q2)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2023, set 2/4/1 · 10 marks · Reading comprehension

CBSE Class 10 English 2023: question 2

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2023, paper 2/4/1, section A, question 2, for 10 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q2 · 10 marks · Reading comprehensionCompetency-basedReading (unseen passages)

Read the extract given below:

1. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. When areas in and around Leh began to experience water shortages, life didn't grind to a halt. Why? Because a retired civil engineer in the Jammu and Kashmir Government came up with the idea of artificial glaciers.

2. Ladakh, a cold desert at an altitude of 3,000 – 3,500 meters above sea level, has a low average annual rainfall rate of 50 mm. Glaciers have always been the only source of water. Agriculture is completely dependent on glacier melt, unlike the rest of river/monsoon–fed India. But over the years, with increasing effects of climate change, rainfall and snowfall patterns have been changing, resulting in severe shortage and drought situations. Given the extreme winter conditions, the window for farming is usually limited to one harvest season.

3. It is located between the natural glacier above and the village below. The one closer to the village and lowest in altitude melts first, providing water during April–May, the crucial sowing season. Further, layers of ice above melt with the increasing temperature, thus ensuring continuous supply to the fields. Therefore, farmers have been able to manage two crops instead of one. It costs about 1,50,000 and above to create a glacier.

4. Fondly called the glacier man, he has designed over 15 artificial glaciers in and around Leh since 1987. In recognition of his pioneering effort, he was conferred the Padma Shri by The President of India.

5. There are a few basic steps followed while creating an artificial glacier. River or stream water at high altitude is diverted to a shaded area of the hill, facing north, where the winter sun is blocked by a ridge or a mountain range. At the start of winter i.e., in November, the diverted water is made to flow on sloping hills facing distribution channels. Stone embankments are built at regular intervals which impede the flow of water, making shallow pools which freeze, forming a cascade of ice along the slope. Ice formation continues for 3-4 months resulting in a large accumulation of ice which is referred to as an 'artificial glacier'.

[Figure: Chart of water availability by month, described in diagramNote.]

Based on your understanding of the extract, answer the questions below:

  1. (i)

    Infer one reason for the following, based on information in paragraph 1. Areas in and around Leh began to experience water shortage but life didn't grind to a halt.

    1 mark
  2. (ii)

    Select from the passage the appropriate option to fill in the blanks: Agriculture is completely dependent on ……………… unlike the rest of river/monsoon-fed India.

    1. (A)rainfall pattern
    2. (B)climate change
    3. (C)glaciers melt
    4. (D)extreme winter conditions
    1 mark
  3. (iii)

    Complete the following analogy correctly with a word/phrase from paragraph 3: icing : cake :: layers : ……………………

    1 mark
  4. (iv)

    Select the correct option to complete the following sentence: At the start of winter the diverted water is made to flow ………………..

    1. (A)on sloping hills facing distribution channels.
    2. (B)on high altitude.
    3. (C)on ice–cold water level.
    4. (D)on mountain range.
    1 mark
  5. (v)

    From the chart select the months of water surplus.

    1. (A)January, February.
    2. (B)November, December.
    3. (C)July, August, September.
    4. (D)March, April.
    1 mark
  6. (x)

    Select the most suitable title from the following for the passage:

    1. (A)Water Shortage.
    2. (B)New Ways to Pool Water.
    3. (C)Artificial Glacier.
    4. (D)River Beds.
    1 mark

Figure in the paper: A chart with the horizontal axis showing months from January to December and a bell-shaped curve labelled 'Meltwater Discharge' peaking around July–August. Above the axis are markers for 'Sowing Period' (around March–April) and 'Harvest Period' (around September–October), and a hatched area labelled 'Supplement by Artificial Glaciers' with a 'Critical Phase' marked around April–May. Beneath the axis is a bar divided into: 'No Irrigation' (January–March), 'Water Deficit' (March–June), 'Water Surplus' (June–September), and 'No Irrigation' (October–December). See it in the official paper.

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2023 board paper, set 2/4/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Read the paragraph named in each question.

Hint 2

For (v), read the bar beneath the chart's axis.

Hint 3

The title should cover the whole passage, not one detail.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. (i) A retired civil engineer came up with the idea of artificial glaciers.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) (C) glaciers melt.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) Ice. Layers of ice are to the glacier what icing is to the cake.

    1 mark

  4. (iv) (A) on sloping hills facing distribution channels.

    1 mark

  5. (v) The chart shows water surplus in June-September, so the best option is (C) July, August, September.

    1 mark

  6. (vi) Ice formation continues for 3-4 months.

    1 mark

  7. (vii) Glaciers.

    1 mark

  8. (viii) (a) found or (c) situated.

    1 mark

  9. (ix) Water is diverted to a shaded, north-facing area where a ridge blocks the winter sun; stone embankments are built at regular intervals (any two).

    1 mark

  10. (x) (C) Artificial Glacier.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) a retired civil engineer's idea of artificial glaciers; (ii) C; (iii) ice; (iv) A; (v) C; (x) C

Where the marks are

  • Each sub-part is worth 1 mark (10 marks)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: Reading (unseen passages)
Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Reading (unseen passages), one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2023 board paper, set 2/4/1: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.