Skip to content

Answer any two of the following… (English 2024 2/5/1 Q9)

questionbuddy.in/q/cbse-10-english-2024-2-5-1-q9

EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2024, set 2/5/1 · 6 marks · Short answer

CBSE Class 10 English 2024: question 9

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2024, paper 2/5/1, section C, question 9, for 6 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q9 · 6 marks · Short answerThe Midnight Visitor

Answer any two of the following three questions in 40–50 words each: (2 x 3 = 6)

  1. (i)

    One should never judge a book by its cover. Explain with reference to Ausable and how he outwits Max with his presence of mind. (The Midnight Visitor)

    3 marks
  2. (ii)

    "Horace Danby is a thief who was cheated by another thief." Justify. (A Question of Trust)

    3 marks
  3. (iii)

    How can one say that Ebright's curiosity / inquisitiveness drove him to become a scientist? (The Making of a Scientist)

    3 marks

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2024 board paper, set 2/5/1.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Recall the plot of each story in three or four events.

Hint 2

Choose the two events that best prove the statement given in the question.

Hint 3

Keep each answer to 40-50 words, with an opening line and two points.

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) Ausable is chubby, clumsy and untidy, so he does not look like a secret agent, yet he is clever. Facing Max, he stays calm and invents a convincing story that the room is bugged and the 'police' are coming. Max panics and jumps off the balcony. So appearances deceive.

    3 marks

  2. (ii) Horace Danby was a thief who planned to rob a house. A lady, who was also there to rob it, posed as the owner's wife and tricked him into opening the safe for her. She took the jewels and left, and the police arrested Danby for the theft. Thus a thief was cheated by another thief.

    3 marks

  3. (iii) Ebright's curiosity made him collect butterflies and read widely about them. He wrote to Dr Urquhart to learn more. His curiosity led to a research project on butterflies, and it later shaped his theory about how cells live. This made him a scientist.

    3 marks

Answer: Answers given for (i), (ii) and (iii) (any two are required).

Where the marks are

  • Each answer has two relevant points (2 marks) and organisation (1 mark)
  • (i) Ausable's looks versus his presence of mind in outwitting Max
  • (ii) the lady posed as the owner's wife, took the jewels, and Danby was arrested
  • (iii) butterfly collecting, contact with Dr Urquhart, research leading to a new theory

Revise the chapter

Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from The Midnight Visitor, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2024 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.