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Read the following extract… (Class 10 English 2026, Q7B)

questionbuddy.in/q/cbse-10-english-2026-2-5-1-q7b-night-roots-work-disengage-themselves

EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2026, set 2/5/1 · 5 marks · Reading comprehension

CBSE Class 10 English 2026: question 7(B)

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2026, 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-basedThe Trees

Read the following extract and answer the questions.

“All night the roots work
To disengage themselves from the cracks
in the veranda floor. The leaves strain towards the glass
small twigs stiff with exertion
long-cramped boughs shuffling
under the roof
like newly discharged patients
half dazed, moving to the clinic doors” (Trees)

  1. (i)

    What do the roots work upon all night?

    1 mark
  2. (ii)

    Each part of the trees works to get itself free. Describe their struggle. (answer in about 40 words)

    2 marks
  3. (iii)

    Fill the blank with one word. The long branches are compared to _______.

    1 mark
  4. (iv)

    The phrase ‘half-dazed’ is used for the branches as they adjust from being indoors to being in the open. It highlights the branches’:

    1. (A)disorientation and fragility
    2. (B)experience and privilege
    3. (C)hurt and injury
    4. (D)barrenness and pain
    1 mark

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2026 board paper, set 2/5/1.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Look at the first two lines of the extract.

Hint 2

Go through roots, leaves, twigs and boughs and note what each does.

Hint 3

The simile at the end compares the branches to people recovering from illness.

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 roots work all night to disengage themselves from the cracks in the veranda floor, trying to break free.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) The roots strain to pull free from the cracks in the floor. The leaves stretch towards the glass, and the stiff twigs push themselves out with effort. The long, cramped branches shuffle under the roof, struggling to reach the open.

    2 marks

  3. (iii) patients

    1 mark

  4. (iv) (A) disorientation and fragility. 'Half-dazed' shows the branches are confused and weak after being confined, like newly discharged patients.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) disengage themselves from the cracks; (ii) roots, leaves, twigs and boughs all strain to break free; (iii) patients; (iv) A

Where the marks are

  • Roots try to break free from the cracks (1 mark)
  • Any two parts of the tree described in their struggle (2 marks)
  • Fills in 'patients' (1 mark)
  • Chooses option A (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: The Trees (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)
Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from The Trees, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2026 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.