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Kerala Syllabus Class 10 English Question Paper March 2024 with Answers
Time: 2½ Hours
Total Score: 80 Marks
Questions 1 – 5. Read the excerpt from “The Snake and The Mirror’ and answer the questions that follow. (5 × 1 = 1)
I took a close look at my face in the mirror. I made an important decision – I would shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome. I was, after all, a bachelor, and a doctor! I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile. I made another earthshaking decision. I would always keep that attractive smile on my face …………… to look more handsome. I was after all a bachelor, and a doctor too on top of it!.
Again came that noise from above.
I got up, lit a beedi and paced up and down the room. Then another lovely thought stuck me. I would marry. I would get married to a woman doctor who had plenty of money and a good medical practice. She had to be fat, for a valid reason. If I made some silly mistake and needed to run away she should not be able to run after me and catch me!
With such thoughts in my mind I resumed my seat in the chair in front of the table. There were no more sounds from above. Suddenly there came a dull thud as if a rubber tube had fallen to the ground ………………. surely nothing to worry about. Even so I thought I would turn around and take a look. No sooner had I turned than a fat snake wriggled over the back of the chair and landed on my shoulder. The snake’s landing on me and my turning were simultaneous.
Question 1.
What were the two important decisions taken by the homeopath?
Answer:
The two important decisions taken by the homeopath were:
a) He would shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome,
b) He would always keep that attractive smile on his face.
Question 2.
Why did the homeopath want to marry a fat lady doctor?
Answer:
The homeopath wanted to marry a fat lady doctor because if he made some silly mistake and needed to run away, she should not be able to run after him and catch him.
Question 3.
How did the homeopath react when the snake landed on his shoulder?
Answer:
When the snake landed on his shoulder, the homeopath held his breath like a stone. He was too afraid to make any move.
Question 4.
Pick out a word from the passage that means ‘happening or done at the same time.’
Answer:
Simultaneous
Question 5.
What lovely thought struck the homeopath’s mind?
Answer:
The lovely thought that struck the homeopath’s mind was about his marriage. He would get married to a woman doctor who had plenty of money and a good medical practice. He wanted herto be fat.
Questions 6 – 9: Read the lines from the poem, ‘Mother to Son’ and answer the questions give below.(4 × 1 = 4)
But all the time
I’sebeena-climbin’on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
So, boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps.
Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now –
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still combin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
Question 6.
What is the message conveyed in the given lines?
Answer:
The message is life is very hard and on the journey of life we come across so many obstacles. But we should not get discouraged and continue with the journey forward without getting tired or afraid. The mother has been doing that and she wants her son to follow the same principle.
Question 7.
What does the expression ‘reachin’ landin’s imply?
Answer:
“Reachin’ landin’s” implies reaching different destinations and achieving various goals, by passing different stages of life.
Question 8.
How did the speaker face the challenges in her life?
Answer:
The speaker faced the challenges in her life with courage and determination. She had to turn corners and sometimes walk in the dark with no light at all. But she never turned back.
Question 9.
Which figure of speech is used in the line ‘And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair’?
Answer:
Metaphor.
Question 10.
Read the lines from the poem ‘The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ and prepare a note of appreciation focussing on the theme, images, and other poetic devices.
The old priest Peter Gilligan
Was weary night and day
For half his flock were in their beds
Or under green sods lay.
Once, while he nodded in a chair
At the moth-hour of the eve
Another poor man sent for him,
And he began to grieve.
‘I have no rest, no joy, nor peace,
For people die and die;
And after cried he, ‘God forgive!
M y body spake not I! ’
Answer:
Peter Galligan was an old priest. He was tired night and day because half of his parishioners were lying sick or were buried as they died. Once while he was sitting on a chair and dozing, somebody came to call him to give the last sacrament to a poor dying man. Since the priest was very tired, he was sad as he couldn’t rest at all. So he is complaining to God saying that he has no rest, no joy, no peace as people are dying one after another. Then suddenly he realises that he should not make such complaints as it is his duty to serve the dying and the dead. So he seeks forgiveness from God and says it was his body that made such a complaint.
The theme of the poem is the hard work of a priest in times of epidemics. A duty minded priest has no rest at such times. The dying people are to be given due sacraments before they die and when they die they have to be buried in the proper religious way. The poem is in rhyme and the rhyming scheme is abcb. We find some old English words like ‘spake’ used here. ‘Moth-hour of the eve” is also an old English usage. There is repetition “people die and die” The poem is a fine one as it reveals the dutyminded behaviour of old Fr. Peter Gilligan.
Questions 11 – 15: Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow. (5 × 1 = 5)
An old man named Santiago had been fishing for days without catching anything. He was tired and hungry, but he was determined to catch a fish. One day, early in the morning, Santiago felt a tug on his line. He knew that this was no ordinary fish. This was the biggest fish he had ever caught. The fish fought hard, pulling the old man’s boat far out to sea. Santiago fought back, reeling in the line as fast as he could. After hours of struggle, the old man finally landed the fish. It was a huge marlin, the largest ha had ever seen. Santiago was exhausted, but he was also proud. He had caught the fish of a lifetime. As he was tying up the marlin, a group of sharks appeared. They began to circle the boat, waiting for a chance to attack. Santiago fought off the sharks for hours, but they were too many for him. One by one, they took pieces of the marlin, until there was nothing left but its skeleton. Santiago was heartbroken, but he knew that he had done his best. He had caught the fish of a lifetime, and he had fought bravely to protect it.
Question 11.
What was old Santiago determined to do?
Answer:
Old Santiago was determined to catch a fish.
Question 12.
How did the fish react when it was caught by Santiago?
Answer:
When it was caught by Santiago, the fish fought hard pulling Santiago’s boat far out to sea.
Question 13.
Santiago was proud. Why?
Answer:
Santiago was proud because he had caug ht the fish of his life time; the huge marlin he caught was the largest he had ever seen.
Question 14.
What happened to the marlin caught by Santiago?
Answer:
The marlin caught by Santiago was eaten by the sharks until nothing but the skeleton was left.
Question 15.
What did Santiago feel about his effort though he got only the skeleton of the marlin?
Answer:
Though he got only the skeleton of the marlin, Santiago felt that he had caught the fish of a life time and he had fought bravely to protect it.
Questions 16 – 17: Answer any ONE of the following in about 120 words. (1 × 7 = 7)
Question 16.
I’ve never owned a penny in my life – cash down, that’s my motto and I want you to do the same’. These are the words of Aunt Jane from the play The Never-Never Nest’. She was disappointed with Jack’s and Jill’s way of life. Their expenditure was beyond their earnings. In the light of your reading of the play, prepare a review of it.
[Hints: Jack and Jill live in a house with all modem amenities – Aunt Jane visits them – upset to see them moving into a debt trap – advises them – warns them to change their lifestyle.]
Answer:
“The Never-Never Nest” is a one-act Play by Cedric Mount. It exposes the shams of contemporary society which tries to live beyond its means. It warns the people against the modern “Buy Now Pay Later” scheme which tempts people to buy things which are not essential for them. Since they don’t have to pay immediately, they are tempted to buy things that are available on instalments. In the play we see Jack and Jill, a young couple with a baby. Jack earns only 6 Pounds a week. Jill is a housewife. But they go on getting all kinds of luxury items on instalments. The monthly instalments come to more than 7 Pounds.
To make up the deficit they will take a loan which will further increase theirfinancial burden. In their lounge in the villa, they have fine furniture, a radiogram and a piano. They also have a refrigerator and a car. But all these and the villa itself are bought on instalments. So nothing is their own, even their baby, as they owed money to the doctor. They have to finish the instalments to make the baby fully their own. Their Aunt comes and pays them 10 Pounds and Jill pays it to the doctor hoping that at the least the baby in the house will be their own. The play is a warning to those who live beyond their means and go on buying things on instalments.
Question 17.
The boy in the story ‘Adventures in a Banyan Tree’ was excited and thrilled to witness the fight between the cobra and the mongoose. After reaching the house, he narrates the fight scene to his grandfather. Prepare the likely narrative.
[Hints; Boy sits on a platform – a huge black cobra glides out of a clump of cactus – a mongoose also emerges – come face to face – starts fighting – myna and jungle crow arrive – cobra strikes the crow – cobra weakens – mongoose wins the fight]
Answer:
Grandfather, today I saw a fight between a mongoose and a cobra.
I was sitting on the platform I made in the banyan tree near our house. Today when I was sitting there I saw the fight between the mongoose and the cobra. They were fighting in the garden. There was a warm breeze which had kept people inside their homes. I was also feeling drowsy and was thinking of going for a swim in the pond near our house. I then saw a cobra coming out of cactus bush. It was looking for a cooler place in the garden.
A mongoose also came out and went towards the cobra. They came face to face. The cobra knew that the 3 feet long mongoose was a fine fighter. But the cobra was also an experienced fighter. His sharp teeth were full of poison. The cobra hissed. His tongue darted in and out.
The cobra was 6 feet long. It raised its spectacled hood. Apart from me, there was a myna and a jungle crow watching the fight. The cobra was moving from side to side looking for a chance to attack the mongoose. As the mongoose moved nearer, the cobra struck. But the mongoose jumped to one side and was not struck. Then it bit the snake on the back and moved away.
When the mongoose struck the cobra, the crow and the myna flew fast towards it, but they collided in mid air and they returned to the cactus. The mongoose struck again and there was blood on the cobra’s back. The crow and the myna dived at the cobra. The cobra struck the crow and the crow died. The myna flew away.
The snake was weakening. The mongoose picked the cobra by its nose. The cobra coiled around the mongoose. But soon it stopped trying to get away. The mongoose carried the cobra into the bushes. The myna flew away and I came down to inform you about the fight and the death of the cobra.
Questions 18 – 20: Answer any TWO of the following: Each question carries five scores. (2 × 5 = 10)
Question 18.
The Literary Club of your school has decided to conduct a ‘Book Fest’ and an exhibition of Vaikom Muhammed Basheer’s works on July 5, Basheer Day. Prepare a notice inviting the public to the Fest.
Answer:
DON BOSCO H.S.S. IRINJALAKUDA
LITERARY CLUB
28 June 2024
NOTICE
As you all know 5 July is celebrated all over Kerala as the Basheer Day to keep alive the memory of the great Malayalam novelist Vaikom Muhammed Basheer. As part of our celebrations on that day, the Literary Club of this school has decided to conduct a Book-Fest and an exhibition of Basheer’s works. The Book Fest and the Exhibition will be inaugurated by the Hon. Minister, of Higher Education, Ms R. Bindu. The Fest and the Exhibition will take place in the School Auditorium. All the works of Basheer will be available in the Exhibition.
The time of the Inauguration will be 3.00 p.m. on 5 July 2024.
You are cordially invited to come and attend the Book-Fest and the Exhibition.
Sd/-
(Aisha Muhammed)
Secretary
Question 19.
Nilkanta was quite shocked when he saw Kiran pulling out the missing inkstand from his box. He was upset that Kiran had found out his prank. His last hope of proving himself innocent failed miserably. He decided to leave the house. Before leaving, he jotted down his feelings in his diary. Prepare the likely diary entry.
Answer:
20 July 2018
Today is one of the saddest days in my life. Even Didi Kiran, whom I loved more than my life, has misunderstood me. I know she has been showing me all kinds of love and affection and giving me all the things I needed. I had thought my miserable life with the theatrical group had ended and with the love Didi Kiran gave me I was living most happily. I know I am mischievous but I never would do anything to spoil the happiness of Didi Kiran.
All my misery is caused by Satish. If he was not the brother-in-law of Didi Kiran I would have beaten him up. When I took the grand inkstand he brought and hid it in my box, my only intention was to take revenge on him. He is the one who spoilt my happy life. After his coming, Didi Kiran was almost neglecting me. I certainly was jealous. I simply wanted to throw the inkstand in the river to show my anger towards Satish.
But now Didi Kiran has discovered the inkstand in my box. She had come to my room to give me a surprise present – two sets of clothes, a new pair of shoes and even some money. She wanted to put them in my box as a surprise. It was then she saw the inkstand. I felt so ashamed because she would think I am a thief. I don’t want to stay here anymore.
I have no courage to face my loving Didi Kiran in whose eyes I have become a petty thief. I am going away from her, forever. But I will remain thankful to her till the last breath of my life for all the good things she did for me.
Question 20.
Anton Chekhov’s short story ‘Vanka’ portrays the plight of a nine year old boy named Vanka. Write a paragraph on the sufferings of the boy in Alyakhin’s house.
Answer:
The 9 year old boy Vanka suffered a lot in the house of Alyakhin. He used to get a lot of beating there. One day, the master took him by the hair and dragged him into the yard. He beat the boy badly with the stirrup-strap. The crime Vanka did was he had gone to sleep while he was rocking the baby of the master. On another day Vanka was asked by Alyakhin’s wife to clean a herring. He began cleaning it from the tail. She took it and rubbed its head on Vanka’s face. Other apprentices make fun of him. They send him to buy vodka and steal the master’s cucumbers. Vanka is not given enough food to eat. They give him bread in the morning, gruel for dinner and again bread for supper. He is never given tea or cabbage soup. They make him sleep in the passage. When the baby cries, Vanka can’t sleep at all. He has to rock the baby. Vanka really had a veryjiard life at Alyakhin’s house.
Questions 21 – 25: Answer any THREE of the following: Each question carries six scores. (3 × 6 = 18)
Question 21.
The boy in the story ‘Adventures in a Banyan Tree’ was very much thrilled about his acquaintance with the grey squirrel. He writes a letter to one of his friends telling him about his friendship with the squirrel. Prepare the likely letter.
Answer:
T.S. Narayanan 83-XXII,
Malgudi Kodambakkam
Madras – 600 008
Mobile 9496 123456
e-mailk: tsnaravanan@hotmai.com
1 May 2023
Dearest Ali,
I am writing this letter to tell you something about a special friend of mine. I had told you that there is a huge banyan tree near our house. I had made a platform halfway up the tree and I used to spend my time in the hot afternoons there. I sometime read books and at other ti mes just look at the fine sights around. There was a small grey squirrel living on the tree. He was my first friend there. Initially he did not like me. But when I started giving him pieces of cake and biscuits be became friendly. He became so friendly that he started taking things from my hand. Sometimes he even searched my pockets and took out the things.
Once, my grandfather brought home a white rat from the bazaar. I would often take this rat to the roots and branches of the banyan tree. Soon the grey squirrel and the white rat became thick friends. They often went together for excursions among the branches. Then the squirrel started building a nest. For that he used straw and grass and to line the nest he took the knitting wool of my grandmother. After a few days I saw three white baby squirrels. When I mentioned this to my grandfather he told me that rats and squirrels were related to each other and it was possible for them to have babies if they mated.
It was news to me! The squirrel was the father of those babies.
Say “Hi” to your sister. Bye for now.
Yours lovingly,
Sd/-
(Narayanan)
Question 22.
Martha Salinas was awarded the Scholarship Jacket for maintaining the highest grades for eight years by her school. She delivered a speech after receiving the Scholarship Jacket. Prepare the text of the speech.
Answer:
Respected Principal, my dear teachers and friends, It is with joy and sorrow that I stand here. Joy because I have passed the’ 8th grade and received the scholarship jacket. Sorrow because I have to leave this school and my beloved teachers that have made me grow wiser and my friends with whom I have spent 8 years of my childhood. I thank the Principal and my teachers and my classmates who have helped me in getting this scholarship jacket. My sister had earned it a few years ago and now I am getting it and I am sure my family members will be proud of me.
I take this opportunity to especially thank my History Teacher, Mr. Schmiat who has helped me in different ways. I will always remember him with gratitude. Before I conclude, I would like to make a suggestion. This year the Board had decided to charge 15 dollars for the jacket. But fortunately for me the Principal was kind to make an exception and that is why I am getting this jacket. I want to say to everyone concerned that a scholarship jacket will not remain a scholarship jacket, if one has to pay for it even a single dollar.
I once again thank everyone for making my stay in this school a memorable one. I wish all my classmates a successful future.
Martha
Question 23.
You were inspired by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s speech and decided to include an interview with Adichie in your school magazine. As one of the editors of the school magazine, prepare six questions to interview her.
Answer:
a) When did you realise that you had the talent for writing?
b) Who has exerted the greatest influence on you as a writer?
c) You speak about the dangers of a single story. But how are the common people able to know the truths behind all the stories?
d) Which book had the greatest impact on you?
e) Would you like to visit India, the largest democracy in the world?
f) How would you I ike to be remembered by posterity?
Question 24.
Kiran, one of the central characters in the story ‘The Castaway’, was loved by everyone in the family. Based on the reading of the story, prepare a character sketch of Kiran.
Answer:
Kiran is a major character in the story The Castaway’ by Rabindranath Tagore. She is the wife of Sharat. She is loved by everyone in the village. Once she fell seriously ill and her husband Sharat and mother-in-law took her to a riverside house in Chandernagore Village for a change. She is alright now. She wants to be in the company of people. She is jovial and fun-loving. She has a generous heart. When Nilkanta comes to the riverside house unexpectedly, she becomes much delighted and forgets about going back to her home in the village.
Soon Kiran and Nilkanta become good friends. She likes his presence and enjoys his various theatrical performances. She always supports him and ignores all the mischief he and his naughty friends make, without paying any attention to the complaints of her husband and mother-in-law. She is almost like the mother and sister of Nilkanta. But when Satish, Kiran’s brother-in-law, comes to stay with them, she ignores Nilkanta. This saddens Nilkanta. He wants to take revenge on Satish.
So he takes the favourite ornamental inkstand of Satish and keeps it in his box with a plan to throw it in the river. Kiran wants to give some presents to Nilkanta and she opens his box to place those presents and then she finds the inkstand there. Embarrassed by the discovery of Kiran, Nilkanta goes away without a trace. But Kiran wants to protect the good name of Nilkanta and so she throws the box into the river so that nobody will know he was the one who took the inkstand. Kiran is a kind-hearted and generous lady and we love her for that.
Question 25.
Prepare a profile of Rabindranath Tagore using the details given.
Birth : 7 May 1861, Kolkata
Occupation : Poet, Novelist, Dramatist, Essayist, Fictionist, Play-wright.
Spouse : Mrinalini Devi
Notableworks : Gitanjali, Bhikharini, Kabuliwala, The Hungry Stones, The Runway, The Broken Nest.
Awards and
Honours : Nobel Prize in Literature (1913)
Death : 7 August 1941, Kolkata
Answer:
Rabindranath Tagore, a Nobel Laureate from India known as the Bard of Bengal, was born on 7 May, 1861, in Kolkata. He was a multi-talented genius, as he was a poet, novelist, dramatist and essayist. His wife was Mrinalini Devi. They had 5 children, 2 of whom died when they were very young. Tagore’s notable works are “Gitanjali”, “Bhikharini”, “Kabuliwalah”, “The Hungry Stones”, “The Runway” and “The Broken Nest”. He got the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. He established the Santiniketan in 1901. Santiniketan was a residential school and centre for art based on ancient Indian traditions and a vision of the unity of humanity transcending religious and cultural boundaries. He is the author of two National Anthems – “Jana Gana Mana” of India and “Amar Shonar Bangla” of Bangladesh. He died on 7 August 1941.
Questions 26 – 30: Details of the batsmen who hit centuries in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 are given in the table below. Study the table and answer the questions that follow: (5)
Question 26.
Who hit the most number of centuries in the ICC World Cup 2023?
Answer:
Quinton de Kock
Question 27.
Who is the highest aggregator of runs in the ICC World Cup 2023?
Answer:
Virat Kohli
Question 28.
Glenn Maxwell scored 201 in the ICC World Cup 2023 against ……………….. .
Answer:
Afghanistan
Question 29.
How many centuries did Mitchell Marsh score in ICC World Cup 2023?
Answer:
Two
Question 30.
Which country is represented by two players in the table?
Answer:
Australia
Question 31.
Report the following dialogue. (2)
Satyajit Ray : What can we do to let the tiger free in the bamboo grove?
Thorat : We can tie a thin wire round the tiger’s neck.
(a) Satyajit Ray asked ……………………..
(b) Thorat replied …………………..
Answer:
Satyajit Ray asked what they could do to let the tiger free in the bamboo grove.
Thorat replied saying that they could tie a thin wire round the tiger’s neck.
Question 32.
Complete the following passage using appropriate forms of the phrasal verbs from the ones given below.
Vanka ………….(a)……….. his mind to post the letter he had written. He ………….(b)………his coat and ran to the place where the post box was kept. It was not easy for him to ………(c)………… the cold outside. He wanted to come back before his master and mistress …………..(d)………….
(make up, put up with, turn up, put on)
Answer:
a) made up
b) put on
c) put up with
d) turned up
Question 33.
There are a few errors in the passage given below. They are underlined. Edit them. (4)
Kiran have (a) enjoyed being with the villagers steaming with fun. But here of (b) the riverside, she could not tolerate the heavy burdan (c) of doing nothing. That was their point of discussion. He lost his spirit when she suddenly stopped responding and turn (d) her head away.
Answer:
a) had
b) at
d) burden
d) turned
Question 34.
Complete the conversation between Ali and Zahra. (5)
Zahra : You are upset ………….(a)……….. ?
Ali : Yes, dear.
Zahra : ………….(b)……….. ?
Ali : I list your shoes at AkbarAqa’s shop.
Zahra : ………….(c)……….. ?
Ali : Yes, I searched the place properly, but couldn’t find it.
Zahra : If you don’t get my shoes ………….(d)………..
Ali : Don’t tell Father, he will beat both of us.
Zahra : What shall I wear tomorrow?
Ali : You had better ………….(e)………..
Zahra : OK. I will wear your sneakers.
Answer:
a) aren’t you?
b) Why?
c) Did you search the place properly?
d) I will tell father.
e) wear my sneakers.
Question 35.
Complete the following passage choosing the right words from those given in brackets. (4)
Grandad was probably standing ………….(a)……….. the gate at this moment, screwing up his eyes to look at the bright red light coming ………….(b)……….. the church windows, or stumping about in his felt boots, fooling ………….(c)……….. the servants. His rattle would be fastened ………….(d)……….. his belt.
(at, from, in, with, to)
Answer:
a) at
b) from
c) with
d) to
Question 36.
Read the following sentences and identify the Noun Phrases in the subject position. (2)
(a) A long supporting gable rested on the beam over the wall.
(b) The boy turned out to be a boon to every – one i n the village.
Answer:
a) A long supporting gable – NP
b) The boy – NP