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Read the passage given below… (Class 10 English 2024, Q2)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2024, set 2/2/1 · 10 marks · Reading comprehension

CBSE Class 10 English 2024: question 2

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2024, paper 2/2/1, 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 passage given below :

(1) Mango (Mangifera indica) is Asia's most popular fruit, and it has gained popularity around the world. It has long been a component of culture and religion as a useful and tasty fruit. In addition to taste, it has many good qualities thus making it to be called as "King of Fruits". Major mango-growing states in India include Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are the leading states in mango production.

(2) Mango is grown in an area of 5.58 million hectares of area in the world. India is the largest producer of mangoes with 46.02 and 45.88 percent of the total world area and production, respectively. However, India being the major shareholder in terms of mango production, exports only 0.52% of its total production indicating the huge gap in exporting of mangoes. Peru exports about 46%, Thailand 24%, Mexico 18% and Brazil 11% of their total mango production. These countries are the bigger challenges for Indian mango exports. Hence, efforts are needed to evolve cheap transportation mechanism, increase the trade agreements with major importing countries and enhance the productivity.

(3) The top importing country is United States of America, however, India exports only two percent of its total exports to the USA. The USA, European countries, the UK, Malaysia and Russia can be the other hotspots where India can target to export the mangoes. The critical issue for exporting to the USA is transportation cost (due to sea route distance) and limited shelf life of mango, while for Europe transportation costs as well as competition by African countries are the major hurdles.

The following chart shows the major export destinations of Indian mangoes in 2019-20 :

Table :
Major Export Destination of Indian Mangoes in 2019-20 :

S. No.CountryPercentage
1.U.S.A.2
2.Kuwait2
3.Saudi Arabia3
4.Qatar6
5.Bangladesh6
6.Oman7
7.U.K.9
8.Nepal24
9.United Arab Emirates33
10.Bahrain2
11.Others6

(Adapted for academic usage.)

Answer the following questions, based on the passage above :

  1. (i)

    Complete the following analogy appropriately, based on your understanding of Para (1) :
    We can say that for becoming the king of jungle, Lion has to be the strongest, bravest and the fiercest. Similarly, Mango is known as the king of fruits because ______.

    1 mark
  2. (ii)

    Fill in the blanks with the appropriate option from those given in brackets, based on your understanding of Para (2) :
    The statement that, India is the largest producer of Mangoes with 45.88 percent of the total world production can be attributed to Indian orchardists, is a/an ______ (fact/opinion) because it is a/an ______ (subjective judgement/objective detail)

    1 mark
  3. (iii)

    Justify the following in about 40 words :
    India being the major shareholder in terms of mango production, exports only 0.52% of its total production.

    2 marks
  4. (iv)

    Based on the table, which three countries were at par with each other in terms of mango import from India in 2019-20 ?

    1 mark
  5. (v)

    The top mango importing country is the U.S.A., however, India exports only two percent of its total exports to the U.S.A. State any one inference that can be drawn from this.

    1 mark
  6. (vi)

    In the given sentence taken from para-2, select the option that correctly replaces the underlined word, with its most likely antonym.
    These countries are the bigger challenges for Indian mango exports.

    1. (A)enigmas
    2. (B)solutions
    3. (C)provocations
    4. (D)disputes
    1 mark
  7. (vii)

    Why is India described as the largest producer of mangoes in the world ? (Answer in about 40 words.)

    2 marks
  8. (viii)

    Which of the following is the main takeaway from the study mentioned in the passage ?

    1. (A)India needs to produce more mangoes so that more can be exported.
    2. (B)The UAE imported most mangoes from India in 2019-20.
    3. (C)India is the largest producer of mangoes and by putting in more efforts, has the potential to be the largest exporter too.
    4. (D)More study is needed to find ways to increase the export of mangoes from India.
    1 mark

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2024 board paper, set 2/2/1.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Read para 1 for (i) and the table for (iv).

Hint 2

For (iii), find the sentence beginning 'Hence, efforts are needed'.

Hint 3

For (vi), pick the word opposite to 'challenges'.

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) ...of its great taste and many good qualities.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) opinion; subjective judgement.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) Exports are low because of costly transportation, too few trade agreements with major importing countries and low productivity. Rivals such as Peru and Thailand export a far larger share of their production.

    2 marks

  4. (iv) Kuwait, the U.S.A. and Bahrain (2% each).

    1 mark

  5. (v) India's exports to the USA are low because of high transport cost over the sea route and the short shelf life of mangoes.

    1 mark

  6. (vi) Option (B) solutions.

    1 mark

  7. (vii) India has about 46% of the world's mango area and about 45.88% of world production. Its climate and large land under mango cultivation suit the crop, which makes it the largest producer.

    2 marks

  8. (viii) Option (C).

    1 mark

Answer: (i) of its great taste and good qualities; (ii) opinion, subjective judgement; (iii) high transport cost, few trade agreements, low productivity; (iv) Kuwait, USA, Bahrain; (v) high transport cost and short shelf life limit exports to USA; (vi) B; (vii) large area and suitable conditions give 45.88% of world production; (viii) C

Where the marks are

  • (i) Taste and good qualities (1 mark)
  • (ii) Both blanks correct (1 mark)
  • (iii) Any two reasons with justification (2 marks)
  • (iv) Three countries (1 mark)
  • (v) Valid inference (1 mark)
  • (vi) B (1 mark)
  • (vii) Area/production share and suitable conditions (2 marks)
  • (viii) C (1 mark)

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 paper2024 board paper, set 2/2/1: 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.