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Read the given source and… (Social Science 2025 32/5/1 Q34)

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Social ScienceCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2025, set 32/5/1 · 4 marks · Case-based

CBSE Class 10 Social Science 2025: question 34

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2025, paper 32/5/1, section E, question 34, for 4 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q34 · 4 marks · Case-basedCompetency-basedPrint Culture and the Modern World

Read the given source and answer the questions that follow:

Pages of Gutenberg's Bible, the first printed book in Europe.

Gutenberg printed about 180 copies, of which no more than 50 have survived.

Look at these pages of Gutenberg's Bible carefully. They were not just products of new technology. The text was printed in the new Gutenberg press with metal type, but the borders were carefully designed, painted and illuminated by hand by artists. No two copies were the same. Every page of each copy was different. Even when two copies look similar, a careful comparison will reveal differences. Elites everywhere preferred this lack of uniformity: what they possessed then could be claimed as unique, for no one else owned a copy that was exactly the same.

In the text you will notice the use of colour within the letters in various places. This had two functions: it added colour to the page, and highlighted all the holy words to emphasise their significance. But the colour on every page of the text was added by hand. Gutenberg printed the text in black, leaving spaces where the colour could be filled in later.

  1. (34.1)

    Mention the contribution of Gutenberg in the field of printing.

    1 mark
  2. (34.2)

    How were the books borders painted and illuminated?

    1 mark
  3. (34.3)

    Describe any two benefits of colouring in the letters.

    2 marks

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2025 board paper, set 32/5/1.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Look at the first lines of the source and the history of printing.

Hint 2

Re-read how the borders were made.

Hint 3

The source states the two functions of colour.

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. (34.1) Johann Gutenberg developed the first mechanical printing press in the 1430s in Europe. This started the print revolution, the shift from hand printing to mechanical printing.

    1 mark

  2. (34.2) The borders were carefully designed, painted and illuminated by hand by artists, so no two copies were the same.

    1 mark

  3. (34.3) Benefit 1: The colour added brightness to the page and highlighted the holy words, which emphasised their significance.

    1 mark

  4. (34.3) Benefit 2: Gutenberg printed the text in black and left spaces for colour to be filled in by hand. This made every copy unique, which the elites preferred.

    1 mark

Answer: (34.1) First mechanical printing press (1430s). (34.2) By hand, by artists. (34.3) Added colour and highlighted holy words; made each copy unique.

Where the marks are

  • Gutenberg's contribution (1 mark)
  • Borders painted by hand by artists (1 mark)
  • Two benefits of colouring (2 marks)

Revise the chapter

Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Print Culture and the Modern World, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2025 board paper, set 32/5/1: 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.