ASSEB| CLASS 10| ENGLISH| QUESTION PAPER

ASSEB| CLASS 10| ENGLISH| QUESTION PAPER - 2025| ASSAM BOARD

2025
ENGLISH
Full Marks: 90
Pass Marks: 27
Time: 3 hours
The figures in the margin indicate full marks for the questions.

SECTION-A

Choose the correct option for the following: (Q. No. 1 to 45) 1x45=45

1. "Brilliant scientist though he was, Griffin was rather a lawless person."

Which of the following alternatives expresses the writer's attitude to Griffin? [Hint: Footprints without Feet]

(a) accusation

(b) disappointment

(d) appreciation

When the young lawyer reached New Mullion his "eager expectations of a sweet and simple countryside was severely disappointed." Why? [Hint: The Hack Driver]

(a) The streets were muddy and houses looked dull.

(b) Small rivers overflowed the streets and houses did not have good paint.

(d) The shops were painted black and the streets were dirty.

2. Choose the indirect form of the following sentence

My friend said to me," Have you had your lunch?”

(a) My friend asked me if I had had my lunch.

(b) My friend told me if I had my lunch.

(d) My friend asked me if I had my lunch.

3. "Hey! a tea garden!" Rajvir cried excitedly. But Pranjol didn't share Rajvir's excitement. Why was it so?

(a) Because Pranjol did not like tea gardens.

(b) Because Pranjol loved the hills.

(d) Because Pranjol was annoyed with Rajvir.

4. On receiving the letter from the postmaster, Lencho did not seem surprised because

(a) he knew everything beforehand.

(b) he was confident of receiving a reply from God.

(d) he knew the postmaster was a good man.

5. According to the author of "Coorg", the people of Coorg are possibly descendents of the ________or the ________Choose the correct option to fill in the blanks.

(a) Arabs and Greeks

(b) Arabs and Afghans

(d) Africans and Afghans

6. Choose the correct tense form and fill in the blank.

The train ________before we reached the station.

(a) will have left

(b) was left

(d) has left

7. “Man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished." In this line from "Long Walk to Freedom", provide a word that has same meaning with the underlined word.

(a) put out

(b) suppose

(d) start out

8. What does the boy feel when he loses the ball as mentioned in “The Ball Poem"?

(a) anxious

(b) sad

(d) timid

9. How did the junior assistant of the law firm feel when he was sent to serve summons. [Hint: The Hack Driver]

(a) He felt sad.

(b) He found the work unpleasant.

(d) He used to be anxious.

Choose the correct synonym for the underlined word in the following sentence from "Footprints without Feet".

The bewildered boys had been following a scientist who had just discovered how to make human body transparent.

(a) terrified

(b) befooled

(d) traumatised

10. "Thirty-one minutes," Ausable said moodily. "The appointment was for twelve- thirty. I wish I knew you learned about the report, Max." What report was referred to by Ausable? [Hint: The Midnight Visitor]

(a) Report concerning some new missiles

(b) Report concerning espionage

(d) Report concerning World Wars

"The safe was not going to be hard to open." Horace Danby thought so because -

(a) He had lived with locks and safes all his life.

(b) Horace was familiar with the design of the safe.

(d) Horace would be assisted by the servants.

11. Did you _______the references from Shakespeare's drama? Fill in the blank.

(a) site

(b) cite

(d) cited

12. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank:

_________the long run, it is important to listen _________our instincts before taking a major decision.

(a) in, to

(b) during, for

(d) for, to

13. With reference to the chapter "Tea from Assam", what do you think is the speaker's tone in the quoted sentence "You seem to have done your homework before coming".

(a) casual

(b) appreciative

(d) humorous

14. Read the following statements with reference to "A Tiger in the Zoo" and choose the correct option -

Statement 1 - Ferocious animals like tigers are a threat to the natural and human world.

Statement 2 - Zoo animals become quite placid inside their cage.

(a) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are true.

(b) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are false.

(d) Statement 1 is false and Statement 2 is true.

15. Choose the option that correctly changes the voice of the given sentence:

I cooked all the dessert items served yesterday.

(a) All the dessert items served yesterday were cooked by me.

(b) All the dessert items served yesterday were my cooking.

(d) All the dessert items cooked by me was served yesterday.

16. According to the poet Leslie Norris, where should the tiger ideally be? [Hint: A Tiger in the Zoo]

(a) quietly walking in a cage in the zoo.

(b) sleeping in a concrete cell in the zoo.

(d) resting under the sun outside the cage.

17. The small boy in "The Ball Poem" is experiencing –

(a) realisation

(b) joy

(d) gladness

18. In the poem "Animals", the poet claims that he can live with -

(a) machines

(b) plants

(d) animals

19. Select the correct combination of sentence for the given sentences.

He has no strength. He has no intelligence.

(a) He has neither strength and no either intelligence.

(b) He has no strength and either no intelligence.

(d) He has neither strength and intelligence.

20. In "The Tale of Custard, the Dragon," how is Custard portrayed before the arrival of the pirates?

(a) as a cowardly and timid dragon.

(b) as a fierce and intimidating dragon.

(d) as an intelligent and cunning dragon.

21. Fill in the blank in the following sentence:

Lina is _________careful than her sister.

(a) more

(b) little

(d) most

22. With reference to The Ball Poem", choose the statement that correctly identifies the underlined words.

I would not intrude on him.

(a) The poet would not intrude on the boy.

(b) The passer-by would not intrude on the boy.

(d) The speaker would not intrude on the poet.

23. "A plague of locusts would have left more than this." Lencho made this remark as his crops were destroyed by -

(a) a landslide

(b) a hailstorm

(d) a flood

24. The ceremonies taking place in the sandstone amphitheatre of Pretoria refer to the celebration of South Africa's first _______and ______Government.

(a) autocratic and non-racial

(b) democratic and racial

(d) autocratic and racial

25. In this sentence from "A Letter to God", which literary device is used by the author to describe the field?

The field was white as if covered with salt.'

(a) Metaphor

(b) Simile

(d) Pun

26. "I have been reading as much as I could about tea," Rajvir said, "No one really knows who discovered tea but there are many legends." While making this statement in "Tea from Assam' Rajvir suggests that the traditional stories regarding the origin of tea are not till today.

Choose the correct option to fill in the gap in the above sentence.

(a) documented

(b) contradicted

(d) disregarded

27. In the poem 'Amanda', what is Amanda's primary desire?

(a) to become a mermaid

(b) to be alone and free

(d) to travel around the world

28. Why does even the most laidback individual becomes adventurous in Coorg?

(a) Because Coorgi people do not welcome laidback persons.

(b) Because Coorgi culture is adventure friendly.

(d) Because laidback people find it difficult to while away time at Coorg.

29. "Coorgi homes have a tradition of hospitality and they are more than willing to recount numerous tales of valour...." Which of the following options is closest to the meaning of the underlined part of the sentence quoted from "Coorg"?

(a) to count

(b) to narrate

(d) to prevent

30. "There is a languid, emerald sea,

where the sole inhabitant is me..... [Hint: Amanda] Choose the correct synonym for the underlined word -

(a) dynamic

(b) animated

(d) spirited

31. Identify the correct question tag to fill in the blank -

He is a teacher ________

(a) ain't he?

(b) wasn't he?

(d) isn't he?

32. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank-

All tickets for the cultural night have been ________.

(a) sold out

(b) sold away

(d) sold off

33. Horace Danby never got a chance to work on a new plan after the Shotover Grange episode. Why?

Because -

(a) He was put behind the bars.

(b) He was exhausted of all plans.

(d) He was upset with his accomplice.

"And as the light came on Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day." In this sentence from "The Midnight Visitor", what thrill is being referred to?

(a) A stranger with a pistol stood inside the hotel room.

(b) The hotel had arranged for a surprise welcome.

(d) Fowler came to know of a secret shared by Ausable.

34. Read the two statements given below with reference to "Madam Rides the Bus" and choose the correct option that follows -

Statement I- Valli had many playmates of her age in her neighbourhood.

Statement II - Valli gained many new unusual experiences by watching the street.

(a) Statement I is True and Statement II is False.

(b) Statement I is False and Statement II is True.

(d) Both Statement I and Statement II are False,

35. The structure they created formed the basis of one of the harshest, more inhumane societies that world has ever known. What does 'structure' refer to in this sentence from "Long Walk to Freedom"?

(a) the amphitheatre

(b) apartheid

(d) government and offices

36. In the story "A Letter to God", what was the most likely response that the postmaster expected in Lencho's second letter to God?

(a) sorrow

(b) happiness

(d) indignation

37. Identify the literary device used in this line from "Animals" -

"I think I could turn and live with animals...."

(a) alliteration

(b) simile

(d) metaphor

38. Choose the correct option to complete the sentence.

She gave ________money she had to the beggar.

(a) the little

(b) the few

(d) many

39. Fowler felt let down. Why? [Hint: The Midnight Visitor]

Because -

(a) Fowler did not get good food to eat.

(b) Fowler realised that the secret agent was not coming to the hotel.

(d) Fowler could not understand what the secret agent said.

"Just leave it to me and you will have them within an hour" - What is the context of this sentence quoted from 'A Question of Trust'?

(a) It's about books and Horace's library collection.

(b) It's about the kitchen and food.

(d) It's about the woman's cosmetics box.

40. "Shivering with cold he hurried to Drury Lane..." Which of the following alternatives explain the reason behind the subject's visit to Drury Lane? [Hint: Footprints without Feet]

(a) He wanted to watch a theatre.

(b) He wanted to spend some time at a shop.

(d) He wanted to become invisible

"But if I did not think much about Lutkins, the office did. I found them all upset." What made the office upset? [Hint: The Hack Driver]

(a) Because the speaker didn't bother much about Lutkins although he was paid for it.

(b) Because the speaker left Lutkins behind and gave away important papers to him.

(d) Because Lutkins had made fun of the office and wasted their time.

Question nos. 41 and 42 are based on seen comprehension. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

The house - the only one in the entire valley sat on the crest of a low hill. From this height one could see the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers that always promised a good harvest. The only thing the earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower. Throughout the morning Lencho who knew his fields intimately had done nothing else but see the sky towards the north-east.

41. Choose the correct antonym for the word 'crest' given in the passage.

(a) summit

(b) ridge

(d) bottom

42. What did Lencho do throughout the morning?

(a) Watched the river

(b) Watched the sky

(d) Watched the valley

Question nos. 43-45 are based on an unseen passage. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Rabindranath Tagore was born in 1861, into one of the foremost families of Bengal. He was the fourteenth child of Debendranath Tagore, who headed the Brahmo Samaj. The family house at Jorasanko in Calcutta was a hive of cultural and intellectual activity. Tagore was educated by private tutors and he first visited Europe in 1878. He started writing at an early age, and his talent was recognised by Bankimchandra Chatterjee, the leading writer of the day. In the 1890s Tagore lived mainly in rural East Bengal, managing family estates. In the early 1900s he was involved in the Swadeshi campaign against the British but he withdrew from it when the movement turned violent. In 1912 he came to England with Gitanjali, an English translation of some of his religious lyrics. It was acclaimed by W.B Yeats and later published by Macmillan, leading directly to his winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913.

43. Arrange the following events from Rabindranath Tagore's life chronologically.

(i) He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

(ii) He was born as the fourteenth child of Debendranath Tagore.

(iii) He came to England.

(iv) He first visited Europe in 1878.

(a) (ii), (iv), (iii), (i)

(b) (iv), (iii), (ii), (i)

(d) (ii), (iii), (iv), (i)

44. Who was Rabindranath Tagore's contemporary writer in Bengal?

(a) Bankimchandra Chatterjee

(b) Debendranath Tagore

(d) William Butler Yeats

45. Why did Rabindranath Tagore withdraw from the Swadeshi movement?

(a) Because it had turned violent.

(b) Because it hampered his writing activities.

(d) Because he wanted to set up a university.

SECTION-B

Answer the following briefly: 2x10=20

(Q. Nos. 46 to Q. 55)

46. Give a brief pen- picture of the tea garden as described in “Tea from Assam”.

47. "I knew that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as oppressed.” Why does Mandela say so in "Long Walk to Freedom"?

48. How does the author in "Coorg" bring out the unique martial status of the people of Coorg?

49. "These aren't raindrops falling from the sky, they are new coins. The big drops are ten cent pieces, and the little ones are free." Examine the irony that was awaiting Lencho as soon as the storm was over.

50. “A dime or another ball is worthless" - Explain. [Hint: The Ball Poem]

51. Do you consider Custard a brave dragon? Give reasons.

52. How does Walt Whitman conclude in the poem 'Animals' that animals are superior to humans?

53. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow:

"It was a new bus, its outside painted a gleaming white with some green stripes along the sides. Inside, the overhead bars shone like silver. Directly in front of Valli, above the windshield, there was a beautiful clock. The seats were soft and luxurious."

54. Describe the inside of the bus.

55. Give the opposites of the words 'soft', 'beautiful'.

SECTION-C

Answer the following.

56. How does Ausable overpower Max's plan by 'inventing the balcony' in "The Midnight Visitor"? 4

Provide a pen picture of " the charming lady" in "A Question of Trust". 4

57. Narrate in your own words the incidents that occur in the village inn after Griffin's arrival. [Hint: The Midnight Visitor] 4

"They're about the only folks in the town that missed seeing you yesterday." Who is the speaker? Who is "you" in the given sentence? What impression do you have about the speaker from the incidents that involved the person mentioned as 'you'? [Hint: The Hack Driver] 1+1+2=4

SECTION-D

58. Write an essay on any one of the following topics: 5

(a) The Importance of Sports

(b) Your favourite tourist destination

Write a story on the basis of the following outline. Give a suitable title.

Seema came back from the office saw the front door of her house was open- flowerpots in the verandah were lying scattered - her dog was barking from inside the house-. 5

59. You are Arshad/Afreen. Write a report for your local English newspaper on the lack of open spaces and playgrounds in your city/town. Highlight the importance of such spaces for the people pointing out the duties and responsibilities of the civic authorities in this regard. 3

Your school recently conducted a workshop on art and craft. Use the following information to write a report for your school bulletin.

· Date 15th August, 2024 Wednesday

· Time: 9 am onwards

· Place: School premises

· Chief Guest: Noni Borpujari [Renowned painter/sculptor from Assam] Events: Welcome speech by School Principal.

· A workshop was held involving the students in Do It Yourself (DIY) activities in various crafts.

60. Translate the following into the language as per your MIL/IL subject. 1x3=3

(a) The youth are the country's future.

(b) The Earth revolves round the Sun.

Write a substance of the following:

Early rising leads to health and happiness. The man who rises late can have little rest in course of the day. Anyone who lies on bed late is compelled to work till a late hour in the evening. He has to go without the evening exercise which is so necessary for his health. Inspite of all his effort his work will not produce as good results as that of the early riser. The reason for this is that he cannot take advantage of the refreshing hours of the morning. Some people say that the quiet hour of midnight is the best time for working. Several great thinkers say that they can write best only when they burn the midnight oil. Yet it is true to say that few men have a clear brain at midnight, when the body needs rest and sleep.

SECTION-E

GRAMMAR

61. Use the correct form of the tense of the verbs given in the brackets. 2

(i) The sun _______in the east. (rise)

(ii) When I met her, she _______a book. (read)

62. Do as directed for the following: 1x2=2

(i) I often go to Mumbai, Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (Join the sentences using a relative pronoun.)

(ii) I went to the market to buy some fruit, but the shopkeeper said that there were no fresh fruits that day. (Rewrite the sentence using direct speech)

63. Rewrite the following as directed: 1x2=2

(i) Man is mortal. [Make negative without changing the meaning]

(ii) Well done! [Make an assertive sentence]

***

ENGLISH SOLVED PAPERS PAGE LINK - Click here

Also Read:

1. Indian History

2. CURRENT AFFAIRS

3. GK

4. MCQ SOLVED

ASSEB| CLASS 10| ENGLISH| QUESTION PAPER - 2025| ASSAM BOARD