ODISHA ADARSHA VIDYALAYA SANGATHAN

HALF YEARLY EXAMINATION, 2023-24

Class: X Full mark: 80

Subject: ENGLISH Time: 3 HRS

General Instructions:
1. All questions are compulsory.
2. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
3. The Question Paper contains THREE sections-
SECTION A- READING 20 MARKS
SECTION B- GRAMMAR &CREATIVE WRITING 20 MARKS
SECTION C- LITERATURE 40 MARKS
4. All answers must be correctly numbered as in the question paper and written in the answer sheet
provided.
5. Strictly adhere to the word limit
6. 15-minute prior reading time allotted for Q-paper reading.

SECTION A: READING SKILLS 20

MARKS

I Read the passage given below. 10

1 Social media sites serve as a platform to connect with our friends and relatives. We share our
happiness as well as sad moments on social media platforms to let those on our friend list know
how we are feeling and what we are doing in life. People ‘like’ our status updates, and
photographs and comments on them to tell us how they feel about it all. This is a great way to
socialise in this busy world. It makes us feel that everyone we love and want to be in touch with is
just a click away. However, social media becomes a problem when we get addicted to it.

2 Many people living in different parts of the world are suffering from social media addiction and
are bearing their consequences too. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter may help us
connect with our distant relatives and long-lost friends, but social media addiction is distancing us
from our immediate family and close friends. People addicted to social media are hooked to
these platforms for hours. They do not care if their loved ones are sitting with them or trying to
make a conversation. All they care about is who updated what on social media and how many
people liked or commented on their posts.
3 Social media addicts frequently check updates and notifications on social media platforms. This
can be as frequent as twenty-thirty times in an hour. Viewing a new notification, especially one
involving their posts makes them happy. Lack of it, on the other hand, can make them feel sad
and depressed.
4 All that the social media addicts care about is to maintain an attractive social media profile. They
are mostly seen clicking pictures during social events, family gatherings and even during get
together with friends. They hardly enjoy the moment or talk to the people around them. They are
either focused on collecting pictures that can be uploaded on their social media accounts or are
found busy checking and commenting on the status updates of those on their friend lists.
5 They post updates stating they are enjoying with their family or having fun with their friends,
while in reality, they do not even interact properly with anyone around. This is the grave reality of
social media addicts. Social media addiction is becoming a big problem. It is ironic how a platform

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 created to help people socialise is actually cutting them off from society.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below. 1x10

I What is the negative effect of social media? 1

a. Connecting with friends

b. Ignoring family
c. Ignoring friends
d. Making friends

ii Select the appropriate idea that corresponds to the following relation below: 1

Social media sites may help us connect with our distant relatives and long-lost friends
but social media addiction is distancing us from our immediate family and close
friends.

a. They walked together to the corner, but then they went away with others.
b. The study demonstrates the link between poverty and malnutrition.
c. Joint family connects each member of the family with one another, unlike a
nuclear family which makes us apart.
d. The four men followed them for some distance and then lost them on the
hillside
iii Select the option that displays what the passage projects with reference to the 1
following:
According to the context of the passage, what does a social media addict care about?

a. Family
b. Children
c. Parents
d. Update about friends
iv Complete the following with a phrase from Paragraph 1. 1

_______________ It’s very easy to get on computer and mobiles, especially

from the internet.
v Social Media Platforms make people depressed: 1

a. When they don’t get likes

b. When they don’t get notifications regarding their post
c. When they don’t enjoy with family members
d. None of these

vi State 2 things that the social media addicts do in social events. 1

1. ___________
2. ___________

vii Write the biggest problem of addiction. 1

viii The writer says, “We share our happiness as well as sad moments on social media 1
platforms.”

Select the reason why a social media user does so.

a. It makes them popular among their friend zone.

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 b. To let those on their friend list know how they are feeling and what they are
doing in life.
c. It makes them happy.
d. It provides them with healthy sleep patterns.
ix Supply 1 point to justify the following: 1

It is ironic how a platform created to help people socialise is actually cutting them off
from society.

x Choose the option that correctly states the two aspects of ‘social media’, as used in 1
the passage.
1. connects with friends
2. share happiness and sad moments
3. share property
4. share food
a. 1 and 2
b. 3 and 4
c. 2 and 3
d. 2 and 4

xi The benefits of social media is _________ 1

1. We share our happiness in social media.

2. It makes us feel that everyone we love and want to be in touch with is just a
click away.
3. This is a great way to socialise in this busy world.
4. It reduces mental problem.
a. 1 and 2
b. 1 and 3
c. 2 and 3
d. 3 and 4
xii Social media addiction is distancing us from our immediate family and close friends. 1

State one point of difference between addiction and distancing from the above
statement.

II Read the passage given below. 10

1 An ecosystem is a community of organisms that live and interact within a particular environment.
In an aquatic ecosystem, that environment is water and all the system’s plants and animals live
either in or on that water. The specific setting and types of water, such as a freshwater, lake or
saltwater marsh, determine which animals and plants live there. Marine or ocean systems cover
about 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface and are identified by the presence of dissolved salts in
the water. The level of salinity averages about 35% per thousand gm. of water, but it can vary in
response to climate or a nearby source of freshwater. Marine organisms must adapt to either a
constantly changing or stable level of salt content and cannot move successfully from one to the
other. Animal life in marine ecosystems ranges from fish of all sizes to marine mammals,
including seals, whales and manatees.
2 Saltwater ecosystems range from the abundant life of coastal areas to the nearly barren ocean
bottom. In marine habitats, the food chain begins with plankton--the micro-organism that
requires sunlight for energy and growth. So systems closest to the surface or in relatively shallow
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 water support more life. These include estuaries, salt marshes, coral reefs and other tropical
habitats, and intertidal areas such as lagoons and kelp beds.

3 Freshwater-water that is drinkable has little or no salt content-supports its own aquatic
ecosystems. These include river and streams, lakes and ponds, wetlands and even groundwater.
Each of these systems is unique within the categories; the specific habitat is affected by altitude,
temperature and humidity. For instance, a plant native to warm shallow lake in the tropics could
not survive on the steep banks of a cold, fast-moving mountain stream. Freshwater ecosystems
provide homes for a wide variety of animal life including insects, amphibians and fish. One
estimate of fish species puts the number that lives in freshwater of 40 per cent of the Earth’s
total. Worms, Mollusca, algae and bacteria all live in freshwater systems, as do innumerable
varieties of plants. In addition, animals such as birds, otters and bears use freshwater ecosystems
as a food source.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below. 1x10

i Which of the following statement is True according to the passage? 1

a. 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface is covered in oceans
b. 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface are marine bodies only
c. 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface is solid landmass
d. 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface form the entire aquatic system

ii Select the option that best captures the central idea of the passage from the given 1
quotes.
a. There is a deep interconnectedness of all life on earth, from the tiniest
organisms, to the largest ecosystems, and absolutely between each person.” -
Bryant McGill
b. “Where there is a smoke, there is an ecologist.” - Ljupka Cvetanova
c. “When we reconnect with nature, we will be restored ourselves.” - Lailah Gifty
Akita
d. “We can only predict the future ecological changes, by emergence of the past
into the present.” - Lailah Gifty Akita

iii Mention the reason for which the marine organisms cannot move successfully. 1

a. The level of salinity varies as per the climate

b. The salinity of water is 35% per thousand gram
c. The organisms have different eco systems
d. There is high level of salt content in the water
iv Complete the following with a phrase from paragraph 1: 1
An ecosystem that lives and interacts within a particular environment. __________

v Mention some of the salt water eco systems from paragraph 2. 1

vi Cause Effect 1
Each of the fresh water systems is unique within the
categories.
vii The writer says, “Freshwater supports its own aquatic ecosystems”. 1
Select the reason that appropriately justifies the statement.

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 a. Freshwater has little or no salt content.
b. Freshwater provides oxygen to support the growth of aquatic ecosystem.
c. It helps to prevent erosion.
d. It provides natural protection from flooding.
viii Micro-organisms in the saltwater ecosystem grow in shallow water or near the surface 1
because:
a. The content of salt is low
b. They get sunlight to grow
c. They cannot breathe in deep water
d. Both (a) and (b)
ix What does determine the living of plants and animal in water? 1

x State whether the following statement is True or False: 1

Saltwater ecosystem range from the abundant life of coastal areas to the nearly barren
ocean bottom.

xi Fresh water eco system provides home to __________ species of fish. 1

a. 35 % of earth’s total
b. 70% of earth’s total
c. 40% of earth’s total
d. More than 40% of total
xii __________ are the part of fresh water eco system. 1

1. Insects, amphibians and fish

2. Seals, whales and manatees
3. Worms, Mollusca, algae and bacteria
4. Plankton--the micro-organism
a. 1, 2 and 3
b. 2 and 3
c. 3 and 4
d. 1 and 3
SECTION B: GRAMMAR 10

III Attempt ANY 10 of the following questions. 10

i Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct options. 1

Rohan _________ to our house when I reached home.

a. Have come
b. Has come
c. Had come
d. Was come
ii Read the conversation between a teacher and a student. Complete the sentence by 1
reporting the student’s reply correctly.

Teacher: Have you done your homework?

Mohit: I was suffering from high fever so I could not do that.

The teacher asked Mohit if he had not done his homework to which Mohit replied that
his he ___________

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iii Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the given line. 1

We ________ help the poor.

a. Could
b. Should
c. May
d. Need
iv Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following 1
line.

He has always be the favourite of all in his family.

Option Error Correction

a his Their

b Has Have

c Be Been

d The A

v Complete the given narrative, by filling in the blank with the correct option: 1

Kane was just a student when his father _________ in a car accident.

a. Dies
b. Died
c. Dead
d. Was dying

vi Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket, for the given 1
portion of a letter:

You have to write a letter to the editor of a national daily drawing attention towards
the difficulty faced by the foreigners at tourist places

a. To restrict the foreigners to tourists place

b. Inconvenience faced by the foreigners at tourist place
c. Drawing attention towards the foreigners
d. Improper service for the common people at tourist place
vii Report the dialogue between a father and his son, by completing the sentence: 1

Mother: Do you want coffee or tea?

Nikita: I want coffee.

Mother asked Nikita _______________ to which she replied that she wanted coffee.

viii Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction. 1

I am sorry that I have not got time to picked you up.

Error Correction

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ix A student shared some information with the class about his visit to G20 summit. 1
Report one of the student’s question.

Did you meet the Prime minister there?

x Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete the slogan. 1

If you work, you ________ in the exam.

a. Will pass
b. pass
c. Passed
d. Should pass
xi Select the correct option to complete the narration of the dialogue between Rohan 1
and Ankit.

Rohan: How are your classes going on?

Ankit: It is good but I am not attending as my health is not good.

Rohan asked Ankit how his classes were going on. To this Ankit replied ____________

a. That it was good but he was not attending as his health is not good.
b. That it is good but he was not attending as his health is not good.
c. That it was good but he is not attending as his health is not good.
d. That it was good but he was not attending as his health was not good.

xii Ram __________ keep his words to repay the loan. 1

a. Would
b. Can
c. Should
d. Shall
IV SECTION B –CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS 10

1 Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. 5

1A You are Ankit/ Ridhima of 56, Lewis Road, New Delhi. You have noticed that many
youngsters are driving bikes harshly without licence which is also not good for them. It
also causes many accidents.

Write a letter to the Editor of The Bharat, in not more than 120 words drawing the
attention of the common people and the youngsters to aware about the dreadful effect
of harsh driving.

OR

1B You are Aditi/ Abhaya, the Secretary of Modern Public School. There are no sufficient
musical instruments in your school. Write a letter in 100-120 words to Gupta Musical
Shop, Buxi Bazar, Cuttack placing an order of different musical appliances.

2 Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. 5

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2A The given bar graph shows speaking of languages like Odia, Hindi and English by the
students of a school in the campus from 2019-2022. Write an analytical paragraph in
100-120 words based on the data given graph. The data is given in percentage.

6
5
4
Odia
3
Hindi
2
English
1
0
2019 2020 2021 2022

OR

2B The given pie chart represents the amount of money spent by Rohit on different items
in a month from his salary (Rs 60,000/-). Write an analytical Paragraph in about 100 to
120 words using the information given in the chart.

Household
15% savings Rent
40% Household
Education
10% Clothes Clothes
5% Rent Savings
25% Online Education
5% Gym

SECTION C – LITERATURE 40

V Reference to the Context. 10

1 Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. 5

1A. My country is rich in the minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil, but I have always
known that its great wealth is its people, finer and truer than the purest diamonds. It is
from these comrades in the struggle that I learned the meaning of courage. Time and
again, I have seen men and women risk and give their lives for an idea. I have seen
men stand up to attacks and torture without breaking, showing a strength and
resilience that defies the imagination.

i. When do men and women risk their lives according to the extract? 1

a. For their benefit

b. For the whole humanity
c. For their race
d. For an idea

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 ii. What opinion does the speaker have about the people in his country? 1

a. That the people of his country are developed.

b. That the people of his country are very valuable.
c. That the people of his country are not developed
d. That the people of his country are wealthy as they have diamonds
iii. The words _________ means ‘the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties’. 1

a. Courage
b. Resilience
c. Strength
d. Wealth
iv. According to the speaker, what is the greatest wealth of a nation? 1

a. Its minerals
b. Its gems
c. Its diamonds
d. Its people
v. Who are the sources of courage for Nelson Mandela? 1

a. The people of South Africa

b. The White People of South Africa
c. The comrades of South Africa
d. None of these
OR

1B. The river Kaveri, obtains its water from the hills and forest of Coorg. Mahaseer- a large 5
freshwater fish- abounds in these waters. Kingfishers dive for their catch, while
squirrels and langurs drop partially eaten fruit for the mischief of enjoying the splash
and the ripple effect in the clear water. Elephants enjoy being bathed and scrubbed in
the river by their mahouts. Birds, bees and butterflies are there to give you company.
Macaques, Malabar squirrels, langurs and slender Loris keep a watchful eye from the
tree canopy. (Coorg)

i. How do the elephants enjoy in the river? 1

ii. Why do Kingfishers drop partially eaten fruit in the river? 1

1. For the mischief of enjoying the splash in the clear water

2. For not enjoying the ripple effect in the clear water
a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. None of these
iii. Which word describes the behaviour of squirrels and langurs in the extract? 1

a. Scary
b. Aggressive
c. Playful
d. Alert
iv. Which title best suits this extract? 1

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 a. Curse of Kaveri
b. Vanishing Wildlife
c. Tropical Rainforest
d. Flourishing fauna of Coorg

v. Complete the analogy by selecting the suitable word from the text. 1

Ripple: wave:: abound: _________

2. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. 5

2A. He should be lurking in the shadow,

Sliding through long grass

Near the water hole

Where plump deer pass. (A Tiger in the Zoo)

i. Why should he be lurking in the shadow? 1

a. To rest for a while

b. To keep an eye on the young ones
c. To attack the deer that might came there
d. To sleep for a while
ii. According to the extract, the poet wishes for the tiger to be ‘sliding’ through the long 1
grass as this would
a. assist in keeping the prey unsuspecting of the predator’s sound.
b. aid in camouflaging the presence of the predator before it rushes in.
c. help the predator pounce on the prey comfortably without getting tired.
d. Support the predator’s vision as it eyes its prey
iii. Complete the sentence appropriately. 1

It is clear that Alliteration is the poetic device used for ‘plump deer pass’ because
____________________. (Clue: Explain how Alliteration applies here)

iv. Pick the option that does not use ‘lurking’ correctly to fill in the blanks. 1

a. My father finds you ________ in the bushes beneath my window.

b. The two demons were ______ in the shadows.
c. Mr Kumar was ___________ in the courtyard after his dinner.
d. He was trying to protect the rabbit from a _________ bird of prey.

v. State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE: 1

The poet uses personification in the above extract.

OR

2B. Don’t eat chocolate, Amanda!

Remember your acne, Amanda!
Will you please look at me when I’m speaking to you, Amanda! (Amanda)
i. Why is Amanda not looking at the speaker? 1

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 a. Playing games
b. Lost in her own thoughts
c. Busy in doing her work
d. She could not listen the command properly
ii. What causes acne according to the speaker? 1

iii. Which literary device is used in the last line of the extract? 1

A. Metaphor
B. Imagery
C. Repetition
D. Onomatopoeia
iv. Who is supposed to be the speaker in the above extract? 1

a. Amanda
b. The poet
c. Amanda’s friend
d. Amanda’s mother
v. What does this stanza informs about the speaker? 1

a. Tries to control Amanda

b. Physical beauty is important
c. Both a and b
d. Only b is correct
VI Answer ANY FOUR of the following in about 40-50 words each. 4*3=12

i. Why did Lencho write a letter to again God after getting money? (A Letter to God) 3

ii. ‘Mijbil was an intelligent and fun-loving animal’. Explain the statement by referring to 3
the context. (Mijbil the Otter)

iii. Even today any person with a jackfruit-like figure is easily compared to a baker. 3
Explain. (A Baker from Goa)

iv. What kind of whispers can the poet hear? Why will these be silent tomorrow? 3

(The Trees)

v. What made Mr Keesing allow Anne to talk in the class?(From the Diary of Anne Frank) 3

VII Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 40-50 words each. 2*3=6

i. Why did Anil not hand Hari Singh over to police? (A Thief’s Story) 3

ii. What did Griffin do in the shop of a theatrical company? (Footprints without feet) 3

iii. Describe Mme Loisel’s success at the ball. (The Necklace) 3

VIII Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words. 1*6=6

i. ‘Courage and determination can help us to overcome any obstacles’. On the basis of 6
your understanding of the chapter The Black Aeroplane, express your views in the
context of the given statement.

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 OR

ii. Compare the two poems ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ and ‘How to Tell Wild Animals’ and state 6
the condition of wild animal (Tiger) described in both the poems.

IX Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words. 1*6=6

i. Ausable was indeed a clever secret agent. Describe it by referring to the context. 6

(The Midnight Visitor)

OR

ii. Richard Ebright was an all-rounder person. Describe. (The Making Of a Scientist) 6

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