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Answer ANY FOUR of the… (Class 10 English SQP 2023-24, Q8)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Sample paper, session 2023-24 · 12 marks · Short answer

CBSE Class 10 English sample paper 2023-24: question 8

From the official CBSE sample question paper for 2023-24, section D, question 8, for 12 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q8 · 12 marks · Short answerGlimpses of India

Answer ANY FOUR of the following five questions, in about 40-50 words. (4x3=12)

  1. i

    Justify the opinion that the traditional baker and his bread play a significant role in the cultural and social fabric of Goan society. (Glimpses of India-I)

    3 marks
  2. ii

    How does Leslie Norris use vivid imagery and metaphorical language in A Tiger in the Zoo, to effectively depict the confinement and oppression, experienced by the captive tiger.

    3 marks
  3. iii

    Explain how the description of the devastation caused by the hailstorm reflects the sadness within Lencho, in A Letter to God? Refer to the given lines, from the text -

    Not a leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally destroyed. The flowers were gone from the plants. Lencho's soul was filled with sadness.

    3 marks
  4. iv

    Kitty was a trusted friend to Anne. Elaborate. (From the Diary of Anne Frank)

    3 marks
  5. v

    How does Ogden Nash's The Tale of Custard the Dragon, challenge the notion that individuals should conform to societal expectations?

    3 marks

Source: official sample paper from cbseacademic.nic.in (PDF). See it in the full Sample paper 2023-24.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Recall the specific lines or incidents from the text for each question.

Hint 2

Organise 3 points: a statement, textual evidence, then a conclusion.

Hint 3

Keep to 40-50 words and avoid generalities.

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) The Goan baker and his bread are central to local culture. The Portuguese left, but the bakers and their old furnaces remained. Bread is essential in every Goan ceremony and meal, and a symbol of status. The baker delivers door to door, and the trade passes from father to son, keeping heritage alive.

    3 marks

  2. (ii) Norris uses vivid images such as "vivid stripes" and "pads of velvet quiet" to show the tiger's beauty confined in a cage. He contrasts its expected life in the wild, "sliding through long grass", with its actual state. "Quiet rage" and the tiger staring at the stars show its suppressed anger and longing for freedom.

    3 marks

  3. (iii) The ruined landscape mirrors Lencho's mind. "Not a leaf remained" and the flowers being gone show emptiness and loss. The corn, his only livelihood, is destroyed, so the bare field becomes a metaphor for his despair and hopelessness, which the line about his soul filled with sadness confirms.

    3 marks

  4. (iv) Anne treated Kitty as a trusted friend. She could pour out her thoughts without fear of rejection or judgement. Kitty eased her loneliness and isolation in hiding. Though the diary could not reply, personifying it gave her comfort, companionship, privacy and a safe outlet for emotions.

    3 marks

  5. (v) Nash subverts expectations. Belinda is brave, while the men Ink, Blink and Mustard are weak and flee. Custard, mocked as a coward, bravely defends the household when the pirate comes. The poem suggests that people have their own strengths and need not conform to stereotypes or labels.

    3 marks

Answer: Any four of (i)-(v) answered as above (all five model answers are given).

Where the marks are

  • Each answer: relevant content points (1 mark)
  • Each answer: organised, coherent expression (1 mark)
  • Each answer: accuracy of language and text reference (1 mark; half a mark is deducted if there are more than 2 errors)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: Glimpses of India (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)
Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Glimpses of India, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paperSample paper 2023-24: 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.