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OR (B) Read the following… (Class 10 English 2023, Q7b)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2023, set 2/5/1 · 5 marks · Reading comprehension

CBSE Class 10 English 2023: question 7(b)

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2023, paper 2/5/1, section C, question 7(b), for 5 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q7(b) · 5 marks · Reading comprehensionCompetency-basedThe Tale of Custard the Dragon

OR

(B) Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

But the dragon was a coward, and she called him Custard.
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.

  1. (i)

    Complete the analogy by selecting the suitable word from the extract. sharp : blunt : : above : ________

    1 mark
  2. (ii)

    Which one of the following is not a feature of the Dragon?

    1. (A)big sharp teeth
    2. (B)spikes on the top
    3. (C)brave as a lion
    4. (D)could release fire from the mouth
    1 mark
  3. (iii)

    What effect does the poet want to create by the simile 'mouth like a fireplace'?

    1. (A)emphasis
    2. (B)compassion
    3. (C)rhyme
    4. (D)pathos
    1 mark
  4. (iv)

    Complete the sentence appropriately. It is clear that 'Metaphor' is the poetic device used for 'chimney for a nose' because __________. (Clue: explain how metaphor applies here)

    1 mark
  5. (v)

    State whether the following statement is True or False based on the given extract: Custard's formidable appearance was a true reflection of his courage.

    1. (A)True
    2. (B)False
    1 mark

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2023 board paper, set 2/5/1.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Find the word in the extract that means the opposite of 'above'.

Hint 2

The poem says plainly that the dragon was a coward.

Hint 3

A metaphor compares directly without 'like' or 'as'.

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) Sharp and blunt are opposites; the opposite of 'above' in the extract is 'underneath'.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) Option (C): the dragon was a coward, not brave as a lion.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) Option (A) emphasis: the simile stresses the dragon's fierce, fire-breathing look.

    1 mark

  4. (iv) It is a metaphor because the nose is directly compared to a chimney, as it breathes out smoke like one, without using 'like' or 'as'.

    1 mark

  5. (v) False: he looked fierce but was a coward.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) underneath; (ii) C; (iii) A, emphasis; (iv) the nose is compared to a chimney as it breathes out smoke; (v) False

Where the marks are

  • (i) underneath (1 mark)
  • (ii) C (1 mark)
  • (iii) emphasis (1 mark)
  • (iv) nose compared to chimney, breathes smoke (1 mark)
  • (v) False (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from The Tale of Custard the Dragon, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2023 board paper, set 2/5/1: 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.