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Read the following text: (1) In… (English 2025 2/6/1 Q2)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2025, set 2/6/1 · 10 marks · Reading comprehension

CBSE Class 10 English 2025: question 2

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2025, paper 2/6/1, 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 following text:

(1) In today's contemporary online shopping landscape, a perfect storm of choice engulfs consumers. Research consistently indicates that individuals presented with a limited selection tend to make more confident and efficient decisions compared to those confronted with overwhelming choices.

(2) Consequently, assisting consumers in navigating the vast expanse of options available online has evolved into a thriving industry on a global scale. Many brands and retailers now employ marketing strategies revolving around the aspects given in the table below:

AspectDescription
IndustryHelping consumers decide what to buy online.
Marketing toolsSelecting, differentiation and discovery.
Data utilizationDigital advertising, cataloging people by gender, income level, personal interests and more.
Retail AssistanceAlgorithms, influencers and ad tech.
ChallengeChoice fatigue due to the overwhelming volume of consumer choices.
SolutionLifestyle influencers on Instagram providing aspirational content and product recommendations.

(3) For a relatively new breed of consumer product startups, a different approach emerges entirely. Rather than attempting to navigate the existing sea of products, these companies claim to revolutionize conventional consumer choices. Some brands offer limited, functional, mid-priced products, instilling customer confidence and breaking the cycle of consumerism.

(4) The global product abundance could be more equitable. Unfortunately, creators often prioritize wealthier consumers.

(5) For startups promising accessible simplicity, their very structure may eventually lead them back to an overwhelming array of choices. Most of these companies rely on hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital funding, and their inventors typically expect rapid growth.

(Adapted for academic usage)

Answer the following questions, based on the passage above:

  1. (i)

    What does the use of the phrase 'a perfect storm of choice', by the writer, in paragraph 1, tell us about their feelings?

    1. (A)The consumers are elated
    2. (B)The consumers are confused
    3. (C)The consumers are confident
    4. (D)The consumers are decisive
    1 mark
  2. (ii)

    Identify the word in paragraph 2, that indicates that the writer feels assisting consumers has become a profitable industry.

    1 mark
  3. (iii)

    Based on the aspects mentioned in the table, mention the marketing approach that is primarily concerned with understanding consumers based on various factors.

    1 mark
  4. (iv)

    Complete the following analogy approximately, based on your understanding of the table:
    Cataloging people by gender, income level, personal interests etc. is to Data utilization as Algorithms, influencers, and ad tech are to ________.

    1 mark
  5. (v)

    Which aspect in the table pertains to presenting consumers with carefully selected choices to assist decision-making?

    1. (A)Challenge
    2. (B)Data utilization
    3. (C)Marketing trends
    4. (D)Retail assistance
    1 mark
  6. (vi)

    Based on your understanding, fill the blank with the appropriate option from those given in brackets:
    The solution to combat choice fatigue to ________ (follow / employ / recommend) lifestyle influencers on Instagram who provide self-improving content and product references.

    1 mark
  7. (vii)

    Complete the sentence suitably:
    The different approach to revolutionise consumer choices is to ________.

    1 mark
  8. (viii)

    Complete the following with a suitable reason:
    The writer believes that the global product abundance cannot be equitable because ________.

    1 mark
  9. (ix)

    In the context of the last paragraph though the startups promise simplicity of access, what are the drawbacks of such a structure?

    2 marks

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2025 board paper, set 2/6/1.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Match each blank to the exact row or phrase in the table or paragraph.

Hint 2

For (v), find the row about selecting, differentiation and discovery.

Hint 3

For (ix), read the last paragraph and look for the two pressures on these startups.

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) B. A 'perfect storm' of choice suggests turmoil, so the consumers are confused.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) thriving (a thriving industry means a flourishing, profitable one).

    1 mark

  3. (iii) Data utilization. The table links it to cataloguing people by gender, income and interests.

    1 mark

  4. (iv) Retail Assistance. The analogy matches each description to its aspect in the table.

    1 mark

  5. (v) C (Marketing trends, i.e. the 'Marketing tools' row: selecting, differentiation and discovery). These are the means of presenting carefully selected choices.

    1 mark

  6. (vi) follow. Consumers follow lifestyle influencers on Instagram.

    1 mark

  7. (vii) The different approach is to offer limited, functional, mid-priced products, instilling customer confidence and breaking the cycle of consumerism.

    1 mark

  8. (viii) The global product abundance cannot be equitable because creators often prioritise wealthier consumers.

    1 mark

  9. (ix) Such startups depend on hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital funding. Their inventors expect rapid growth. Both pressures may push them back to an overwhelming array of choices, defeating the promised simplicity.

    2 marks

Answer: (i) B; (ii) thriving; (iii) Data utilization; (iv) Retail Assistance; (v) C; (vi) follow; (vii) offer limited, functional, mid-priced products; (viii) creators often prioritise wealthier consumers; (ix) dependence on venture capital and expectation of rapid growth lead back to too many choices

Where the marks are

  • (i) B (1 mark)
  • (ii) thriving (1 mark)
  • (iii) Data utilization (1 mark)
  • (iv) Retail Assistance (1 mark)
  • (v) C (1 mark)
  • (vi) follow (1 mark)
  • (vii) limited, functional, mid-priced products / customer confidence / breaking consumerism (1 mark)
  • (viii) creators prioritise wealthier consumers (1 mark)
  • (ix) Any two drawbacks: array of choices, venture capital reliance, rapid growth expectation (1+1 marks)

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 paper2025 board paper, set 2/6/1: 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.