✦ CBSE – X – UT ✦
Unit Test – 2
Class: X Subject: English Language & Literature Maximum Marks: 40 Time: 2 hrs
Section A – Reading (10 Marks)
Q.1. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions below.
The Power of Reading (Para 1) Reading is one of the most powerful tools for gaining knowledge.
(Para 2) It improves concentration, imagination, and vocabulary. (Para 3) Unlike watching
television, reading requires active engagement. (Para 4) Books transport readers to different worlds
and experiences. (Para 5) Despite this, many young people prefer screens to pages.
Based on the passage, answer the following:
1. What does reading improve apart from imagination? (1)
2. Fill in the blank: Reading requires active ________. (1)
3. Write one word from the passage meaning 'paying attention.' (1)
4. Mention one drawback of preferring screens over reading. (1)
5. Identify the word in Para 1 opposite of 'weak.' (1)
6. Find the logical error in this statement: 'Reading is less engaging than television.' (1)
Section B – Grammar (5 Marks)
Q.2. Error Correction (3 marks)
a) He don’t like to play cricket.
b) The committee have decided to meet tomorrow.
c) Either the teacher or the students is late.
Q.3. Fill in the blanks (2 marks)
a) Fifty rupees ___ not a big amount. (is/are)
b) Either my cousin or my friends ___ going to the fair. (is/are)
Section C – Literature (20 Marks)
Q.4. Reference to Context (Choose any ONE – 5 marks)
(a) Prose Extract – Mijbil the Otter
“For the first night, Mijbil slept on my bed, lying curled up under my blanket in the small hours of the
morning.”
i. Who is 'Mijbil'? (1)
ii. Assertion–Reason: Assertion (A): Mijbil was restless at night. Reason (R): He slept peacefully
under the blanket. Options: Both true / Both false / A true R false / A false R true. (1)
iii. Fill in the blank: Mijbil slept ______ up under the blanket. (1)
iv. Find a word from the extract meaning 'twisted into a circle.' (1)
v. Identify the literary device in 'curled … blanket.' (1)
OR
(b) Poem Extract – The Trees
“The forest that was empty all these nights will be full of trees by morning.”
i. What change is symbolized here? (1)
ii. Assertion–Reason: A: The poet shows the forest becoming alive again. R: The trees are returning
to their rightful place. (1)
iii. The phrase 'full of trees' is a metaphor for ______. (1)
iv. Find a word from the extract meaning 'not having anything.' (1)
v. Name the literary device in 'forest … full of trees.' (1)
OR
(c) Poem Extract – Fog
“It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on.”
i. What does the fog do after looking over the city? (1)
ii. Assertion–Reason: A: The fog is compared to a cat. R: It is restless and noisy. (1)
iii. 'Fog' is a metaphor for ______. (1)
iv. Write one word from the extract meaning 'legs bent while sitting.' (1)
v. Identify the literary device in 'silent haunches.' (1)
Q.5. Short Answer Questions (Any 3 × 3 = 9 marks)
i. In Footprints Without Feet, what does Griffin’s misuse of science tell us? (40–50 words)
ii. How did Ebright’s work on butterflies in The Making of a Scientist show his determination?
(40–50 words)
iii. What does Mijbil the Otter teach us about human-animal relationships? (40–50 words)
iv. How do the poems The Trees and Fog convey human connection with nature? (40–50 words)
Q.6. Long Answer Question (6 marks)
Answer any ONE (120 words):
i. How does The Making of a Scientist inspire young learners to value curiosity and hard work?
ii. What universal message about freedom and confinement is conveyed through The Trees?
iii. How does Mijbil the Otter show the importance of patience, empathy, and adaptability?
Section D – Writing Skills (5 Marks)
Q.7. Analytical Paragraph (5 marks)
The following data shows the number of books read by students in a year. Write an analytical
paragraph in 100–120 words.
Books Read per Year – % of Students
0–2 books – 25%
3–5 books – 40%
6–10 books – 20%
More than 10 books – 15%