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Read the given extract and… (Class 10 English 2025, Q7b)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2025, set 2/5/1 · 5 marks · Reading comprehension

CBSE Class 10 English 2025: question 7(b)

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2025, 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-basedAmanda!

Read the given extract and answer the questions.

Don't bite your nails, Amanda !
Don't hunch your shoulders, Amanda !
Stop that slouching and sit up straight, Amanda !
("There is a languid, emerald sea,
where the sole inhabitant is me
a mermaid, drifting blissfully.") (Amanda)

  1. (i)

    What image does the above extract create about Amanda's mother ?

    1 mark
  2. (ii)

    Why is the second verse written in brackets ?

    1 mark
  3. (iii)

    Amanda calls herself a mermaid because ________.

    1. (A)Mermaid is Amanda's favourite fantasy character.
    2. (B)Amanda loves watching a mermaid drifting in water.
    3. (C)Amanda longs to be free like a mermaid which sails effortlessly in the sea.
    4. (D)Amanda wants to sail with a mermaid in the deep-sea water.
    1 mark
  4. (iv)

    Amanda wants to be the sole inhabitant in the sea. Elucidate.

    2 marks

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2025 board paper, set 2/5/1.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Notice the repeated commands addressed to Amanda.

Hint 2

Brackets often separate thoughts from speech.

Hint 3

Ask what Amanda escapes from by imagining being alone in the sea.

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) Her mother is nagging, overbearing and dominating, always giving orders.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) The brackets show Amanda's private, inner thoughts, which she does not speak aloud.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) Option (C): Amanda longs to be free like a mermaid which sails effortlessly in the sea.

    1 mark

  4. (iv) Amanda is fed up with constant nagging and instructions. She wants peace and solitude, and wants to live independently on her own terms.

    2 marks

Answer: (i) nagging, domineering; (ii) inner thoughts; (iii) C; (iv) she wants peace and freedom from constant instruction

Where the marks are

  • Nagging/overbearing mother (1 mark)
  • Inner thoughts shown in brackets (1 mark)
  • Option C (1 mark)
  • Any two: tired of nagging, wants peace, independence (1+1 marks)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: Amanda! (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)
Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Amanda!, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2025 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.