SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 7 1

Sample Question Paper 10

English Language
ICSE Class 10th
1. (a) The Lazy Donkey
About a hundred years ago there lived a kind and hardworking farmer. He had a special power by which he could
understand the language of animals. One evening he heard the donkey and the bull talking to each other. He hid behind a
tree and listened. The bull was complaining to his friend, the donkey.
‘‘I am very tired’’, he said. ‘‘I have worked so hard in the fields today.’’
‘‘You don’t need to work so much’’, replied the donkey. ‘‘Look at me - all I do the whole day is eat, sleep and enjoy myself!’’
The bull thought that the donkey was very lucky. ‘‘What do I do to live like you’’, he asked sadly.
‘‘Well, I always pretend to be ill. Don’t eat your food, moan and roll on the ground as if you are in pain. Then the farmer won’t
take you to the fields’’, the donkey advised.
So, the next morning the bull did as the donkey had advised him. But the farmer, who had heard everything, was
determined to teach the lazy donkey a lesson. So, the farmer went to where the donkey was sitting and said aloud, ‘‘The
bull is sick. It will cost a lot of money to buy its medicines and feed the donkey at the same time. This year the crops weren’t
very good also. I’ll keep the bull as he is a hardworking fellow, but I will sell the donkey for some much needed cash.”
As soon as the farmer had gone away, the donkey rushed to the bull and said, ‘‘Brother, I overheard the farmer say that he
would give you antibiotics and no food, which will make you all right.”
‘‘What are antibiotics?’’ asked the bull.
‘‘Oh brother it is the medicine which has a bitter taste. And what’s more, you’ll have no food at all’’, said the donkey. ‘‘If I
were you, I would work hard instead of dying by drinking that medicine called antibiotics.’’
The bull agreed to work hard the next day because he was a simple minded animal. He thought, ‘‘Why die by drinking
medicine with no food?’’
The next day both the donkey and the bull were looking fresh. The donkey had learned its lesson and the farmer made sure
both had enough work from that day onwards.
(b) For the Motion
Respected judges and my worthy opponents, I will speak for the motion “Social networking has a bad effect on
teenagers.”
First I will narrate the results of extensive research done on the effect of social networking on teenagers. According to a
recent research in the UK, teenage children who spend more than 3 hours each school day on social media sites are more
than twice as likely to suffer poor mental health when compared to those who are not on social media. It seems that this
may cause these children to delay their emotional and social development. According to the report, social media are
potentially a source of social comparison, cyber bullying and isolation, which could lead to mental health problems.
The results of a survey from a University in Scotland show that use of social media particularly at night, with strong
emotional involvement, leads to poorer sleep quality, lower self-esteem and higher levels of anxiety. This can be a
problem, as teenagers with low self-esteem tend to grow up as depressed adults. Besides these negative effects, we all
know that social media are a distraction from their studies, causing such teenagers to perform poorly in examinations.
Also, it can become a serious addiction if they use social media too often. This can affect teenagers in a negative way by
causing depression if they are not allowed to access social media for some length of time.
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Teachers also observe that those teenagers who are members of social networks do not follow spelling and grammar rules
in their school work, as they have got used to using abbreviations commonly used on social media. Many simple children
find it hard to differentiate between social networking communication and real world communication. In fact, many
teachers are complaining that social networking communication with misspellings and lack of grammar are seeping
through to student’s school writings.
Another problem is that many social media sites such as Facebook, which give teenagers their own page having
information only about them, make teenagers more self-centred. Such sites lead some vulnerable teenagers to think that
everything revolves around them, which leads to emotional problems in their later life. This might also result in inability to
empathise with others.
Thus, it is clear that social networking has a bad effect on teenagers.
Against the Motion
Respected judges and my worthy opponents, I will speak against the motion “Social networking has a bad effect on
teenagers.” I want to say that social networking sites are not harmful in any way. Many parents think that teenagers can
only misuse these sites. But this is not true. Social networking sites are an easy way to communicate with other people.
Only if we give too much exposure to these sites to teenagers, then only will these sites become harmful.
It is very easy for parents to say that social networking causes problems with their teenagers. The nature of social
networking is such that it has a positive effect on teenagers. When parents let it go out of control, then it starts causing
negative effects. So, parents should improve their method of parenting by giving more of their time and attention to their
teenage children.
As they don’t give enough time to their children, the teenagers resort to spending time on social networking. Spending
time online is essential for young people to pick up the social and technical skills they need to be competent citizens in the
digital age. Teenagers must learn basic social and technical skills to fully participate in modern society. They learn to
adapt to permanent and public socialising as well as managing an elaborate network of friends and acquaintances.
In addition, social networking makes teenagers more in touch with their peers. Young people are motivated to learn from
their peers online. They interact and receive feedback from one another. They are motivated to learn more from each other
than from adults. Teachers and adults are no longer the only sources of knowledge.
Another fact is that social networking is a must for teenagers, as it is an important part of a teenager’s life. Social
networking provides an avenue for them to express their feelings and interact with other teenagers. It also provides them a
source of information as to what other teenagers are going through and how to overcome difficulties in various fields. Not
having access to social networking would isolate and limit their perspective on life.
There are many worse things in the world than social media that teenagers can get involved in. If social media are used
correctly, they will definitely lead to better development of teenagers.
(c) I remember the accident as if it happened only yesterday. I was having a great time at a friend’s birthday party. Soon, I had
to leave because I had homework to do. My mother came to pick me up in the car. I sat in the back seat. I remember the
weather that day: it was a cold and rainy. I was looking out of the window the whole time while my mother drove. I went into
a deep daydream, thinking about my planned trip to the mall next day.
Suddenly, I felt an impact as if I had been hit very hard. My mother tried to stop our car as fast as she could but her foot
slipped from the brake pedal and it was too late. The impact was so strong that it made me bang my head on the front seat.
Suddenly, just as I thought it was all over, another vehicle came right behind us to hit us from the back. It was really painful, I
lifted my head to look up and saw my mother: she was conscious but could not move.
Soon, I heard the siren from an approaching ambulance. They took my mother in the ambulance, as it appeared that she
had some major injury. Then my uncle arrived to take me home. There was a lot of traffic on the road and the occupants of
every car that passed by would stare at our damaged car as if the car was made of gold.
The next thing I remember is that I woke up in my bed at home. The first thing on my mind was my mother. I rushed to her
bedroom and found her sleeping in her bed. I was relieved and happy, my heart relaxed and I started breathing normally
again. I went close to her and stared at her for a short amount of time, examining her for injures. There were only minor
injuries. So, I got in her bed and went to sleep next to her.
(d) I returned to my city after almost five years. A lot has changed in these years while I was completing my studies abroad. A
lot has changed in Delhi’s infrastructure, wide roads, fly overs and wide network of Metro extending upto far off NCRs.
After coming out of the airport I boarded a Taxi which was very comfortable with AC and GPS fitted. The taxi driver was
speaking in English and then excused himself as he steered the vehicle to the side and answered his cell-phone. It was five
years and Delhi has changed considerably. The most unexpected thing happened when the taxi driver asked me whether I
would like to pay by cash or card. It was really amazing for me.
SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 7 3
On my way I noticed a network of wide-roads and fly overs. More over broad green sign boards gave an international
standard and it really dazzled me.
What caught my attention was the tremendous progress made by the Metro. More Metro stations have come up and more
Metro lines have opened connecting far off destinations all over Delhi and NCR. I also noticed new sanitation facilities and
public toilets constructed under Swach Bharat Abhiyan at different locations and there places have been kept clear and
easily usable for females as well.
I also met some of my friends in the evening. They took me to the near by Mall.
As one passed through, I could see the market completely transformed, new modern hospitals have come up.
Restaurants serving fast food and international cuisines with neon light and flashy sign boards covered the land Scape. I
treated my friends at a restaurant serving authentic Japanese cuisine. Everyone relished ‘Sushi’, the famous delicacy of
Japan. I could observe that not only the attitude but the tastes of the people have also changed. Five years ago, the only
restaurant we used to go was Pizza Hut or McDonald. But now Swiggy, Uberats have become common. Everything has
changed except too much pollution enveloping the city and safety of women which are two major areas where much
improvement needs to be done.
(e) The picture shows a beautiful landscape with hilly areas, small roods and houses. In this description narrator narrates his
experience as follows: I think we all have a beautiful place in our mind. In my mind I have a wonderful place that made me
happy a lot of times, many years ago. This place is meaningful to me because it is part of the countryside where I grew up
and is part of my childhood.
It was an isolated polluted area because of the coal industry there. People lived in apartment buildings because of very
little space being available. I grew up in one of the many buildings in this village admiring the beauty of the mountains from
my bedroom window, always exploring with my eyes the forest or the meadows, looking for a clean and quiet place.
Then I found one on a hill behind the town. It was about 100 feet square; it had seven old trees, wild flowers and a lot of
bugs and ants during summer time.
I used to go there to sit down on a rock. There was a very old tree, a maple tree, with a huge trunk. The others were smaller,
three in the back, three on my left side and the old maple tree on my right. There were flowers of many kinds i.e. white,
yellow, purple and blue. It was nobody’s place. Nobody owned that hill, but it was beautiful and peaceful and I dreamed
many times about a white house over there.
I used to go there to be alone or to dream with my eyes open, admiring the blue sky or the clouds. I liked to go there to lie
down on the grass, listen to the wind, kiss the flowers and watch the leaves moving. It was hard to go up the hill to get there,
but I wanted to see my seven trees every day, to see how the colour of the leaves changed and to feel the softness of the
grass. This place is far, far-away in time and space now, as it was part of my childhood. It meant a lot to me because it was
beautiful and natural. I really hope that any new construction will spare this place and other similar to it, for these are the
places that can bring and peace.
2. (a) Punjab Coaching Institute
Madhya Marg, Sector 7, Chandigarh - 160007
7th May, 20XX
The Proprietor
M/s Cool Service Agency
Sector 4, Panchkula - 134112
Subject Unsatisfactory Annual Maintenance Service for Samsung ACs
Dear Sir,
We had taken an AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract) for our 16 Samsung air conditioners with your agency under
contract no AMC 23/17 on 15th March, 20XX. At that time, we were assured by your Marketing Executive that your service
engineer would carry out a monthly preventive maintenance visit in the first week of every month and any other complaints
registered by us will be promptly attended to within one day.
Unfortunately, the preventive maintenance monthly visit for May has not been held so far. Last month two of our complaints
got unsatisfactory response from your side as they were attended after 4-5 days. This is causing great inconvenience to
us. Our students have started complaining and threatening to boycott classes due to the discomfort during summer.
You are requested to initiate action at the earliest so that you honour the terms of the AMC, otherwise we will be compelled
to go to the consumer forum for redressal.
Yours faithfully
Dev Arora
Manager
4 SAMPLE QUESTION PAPERS ICSE HISTORY AND CIVICS CLASS X

(b) K-8, Raja Surajmal Vihar

Bhiwani (Haryana)
20th February, 20XX
Dear Ms Hooda
I came to know that my younger son has broken one window glass of your house with the cricket ball, while playing in the
street. I hope no one was hurt due to the crash. I am extremely sorry for my sor’s carelessness. I apologise for the damage
caused by my son. I request you to please send me the bill for the repairs.
Also, I assure you that such incidence will not take place again, as I have taken my son to task and scolded him to be very
careful in future. If there is anything else I can do for you, please let me know. Once again apologies for the damage and
myson’s carelessness.
Yours sincerely
BS Chaudhary

3. (a) SULEKHA MEMORIAL PUBLIC SCHOOL, DELHI

nter School Dramatics Competition
27th January, 20XX
An Inter School Dramatics Competition is being organised on 12th February at Tagore Theatre. Those willing to
take part in the items which our school will be presenting should come for selection on 1st February, 20XX at 12:30
p.m. in the Assembly Hall. Only Class VI to XII students are eligible.
Dresses should be arranged by the participants.
Vandita
(Cultural Secretary)

(b) To : learn-englishfree@vsnl.com
Subject : Fantastic Website
Sir,
I have spent a lot of time at your website and liked it because of the wide variety of services the site offers; like personality
check tests, English for competitive examinations, particularly the section dealing with finding errors in sentences, essays
and important grammatical concepts.
I want to subscribe to this site. I request you to apprise me about the procedure and also about the discounts offered on
getting two more candidates to subscribe.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Prakash Jain
4. (a) (i) disturbed (ii) overwhelmed
(iii) interest
(b) (i) The advantage that the writer saw in being ignorant of his family history was that it would make his life much easier.
(ii) In the second paragraph, the author refers to the child he had been as ‘him’. The author could have sympathised with
‘him’ if ‘he’ had failed to learn ‘his’ mother tongue.
(iii) The author says that he could never forgive himself for not having the desire to learn his mother tongue because he had
been a coward by always thinking that he would not be able to do it.
(iv) The author feels that his grandfather might have conspired in making him ignorant because the author did not show
any interest in learning any more than what his grandfather had taught him.
(v) The easiest thing in the world for the author was to enjoy the sights and sounds of the countryside of Ukraine.
(c) The author feels bad not about that he did not know anything about his family’s past but he feels bad due to the fact that he
never wished to know more about his family’s past when he had settled in Australia, the fact that he did not know from where
he had migrated, bothered him quite a lot.
SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 7 5
5. (a) (i) have (ii) took
(iii) drive (iv) saw
(v) stretching (vi) come
(vii) dive (viii) enjoyed
(b) (i) with (ii) while
(iii) for (iv) during
(v) in (vi) on
(vii) during (viii) by
(c) (i) He became poor because he fell into bad habits.
(ii) We could not buy anything since the market was closed.
(iii) The tiger runs faster than the deer.
(iv) I must help her as she is ill.
Or As she is ill, I must help her.
(d) (i) When Sneha had completed her home work, she went to sleep.
(ii) Despite being illiterate, her grandmother has great understanding of education.
(iii) The audience said to Sonu Nigam, ‘‘Please, sing a song for us.’’
(iv) The young generation would rather use electronic gadgets than play games and sports.
(v) There is no human being who doesn’t have a flaw.
(vi) This is the most humiliating defeat at the World Cup, Pakistan has ever faced.
(vii) He is so big a liar that no one can trust him.
(viii) Were these lines being read by her?