English Medium Class 10 - CBSE Question Bank Solutions for English Communicative

Read the following excerpt from a news story and answer the questions
given below the excerpt.

74 killed in Myanmar quake.

MAESAI (THAILAND). At least 7 4 people were killed in a strong earthquake that struck Myanmar, state media said on Friday, while a series of aftershocks have caused panic but only limited damage in Thailand and Laos. The death toll from Thursday's 6.8 magnitude tremor was expected to rise slightly in Myanmar after 225 homes and nine government buildings were destroyed. Over 100 people were injured, according to state television.
The quake sparked panic, but no major damage in other countries across southeast Asia has been reported. An aftershock of an estimated magnitude of 5.5 rattled Thailand on Friday but caused limited damage, although residents living in properties close to the epicentre were advised to leave their homes.
                                                                              - Hindustan Times - March 26, 2011

1. Are all the verbs in the passage in passive voice? What do you infer from this?

____________________________

____________________________

2. Underline the passive constructions in the passage and comment on why the
passive is more appropriate than the active in these.

____________________________

____________________________

3. Rewrite the second paragraph, keeping all the verbs in active voice. Begin like
this ...... .
Authorities expect the death toll_____________

_____________________________

_____________________________

4. Does the re-written paragraph read well or is it a little awkward? Give reasons
for your answer.

_______________________________

_______________________________

Mr. Mehta and family decide to drive down to Goa for a holiday. On their way their car develops some problem. Given below is a conversation among the Mehta family members. Read the conversation and complete the conversation using suitable modals from the ones given in the box.
Note: Sometimes there could be more than one correct answer. You may also have to use some of the modals in the boz: more than once.

Mrs Mehta   : What is the matter? Why have you stopped?
Mr Mehta     : The car is giving some trouble.I have a feeling something is
                    wrong with the engine. Let me check.

Mrs Mehta    : Do you think we ____ run out of petrol?

Mr. Mehta    : No, we _____run out of petrol. I got the tank filled before starting.

Mrs Mehta   : If there is a technical fault, do you thinkyou ____be able to fix it?

Mr. Mehta    : Let me first check what is wrong.

Dinu : Dad, look there's smoke coming out . The _____become too hot.

Mr Mehta    : Dinu, be careful. Don't take the cap off the radiator. You ______
not dothat. You getboilingwateralloveryou.

Mrs Mehta  : Yes, Dinu, we ______have to wait till the engine cools down.

Dinu            : And how long do you think it________ take for that ?

MrMehta     :  I'm not sure. We have to wait for about fifteen minutes.

Dinu            : Dad, I saw a garage about half a mile back. I suppose we                             ____ ask them to fix the problem.

MrMehta     : You____ worry . The car____ be all right . I got it serviced before starting. I am sure it's just got too hot. Let's wait and allow the engine to cool a bit.

Dinu            : Mom, I am feeling hungry. I have something to eat? Mrs Mehta         : There are some sandwiches in the car. You have them.

Respond to the following situations by writing one sentence using might have, must have, should have, could have or ought to have. The first one has been done as an example.

1. Amber was certain that he would be here today, but he hasn't come yet (miss, flight) 

Response : He must have missed his flight; nothing else would have held him up.

2. I was asked to be here for ameetingat 10.00 today. It's already 10.30 and only a few of us are present. (meeting, cancel}

Response : The meeting _____________' but you'd better wait for another half an hour.

3. They say they definitely sent the appointment letter by post, but it never
arrived. (send fax message) 

Response:They _____________________ instead.

4. The Municiplality did not bother about keeping the locality clean. When the epidemic broke out, it claimed many lives. (take precautions, prevent epidemic) 

Response: The Municipality __________________

5. The Principal is not in her office. She probably had some urgent work at home. (go, home)

Response : She ________________________

6. Asha wasn't really a big hit as the heroine of the play. The director needn't have limited his choice to Class XII sutdents alone. (try, some of the XI class students)

Response : He _______________________

Complete the following paragraph on a school sport meeting by ruling in the blanks with could not have, might not have, should not have or would not have.

At this year's sports meeting, many records were broken but the reigning sports champion, Ravi, surprisingly could not make it to the finals in any of his favourite events. Perhaps he_______ missed so many of his practice sessions. His coach tends to think that he __________ had the time to get fit enough because of his special classes in the evenings. Even if he had tried, he_________beaten Ramu, who was much better prepared. If it had not been for Ramu, our school___________ gained a place in the draw of the inter school tournament.

Now read the following extracts from a passage about a diamond:

a. The Jacob Diamond is believed to have been mined in Africa and was
bought in London by Shimla-based trader called A.M. Jacob, after whom it is
named.

b. Weighing 184.75 carats, it was reckoned to be the world's seventh largest
diamond.

c. The Jacob Diamond was bought by the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, Mah bub Ali
Khan.

d. It was considered to be such a lucky stone that when the Nizam was offered
Rs. 1 million by the Agha Khan, he spurned the offer.

e. The famous diamond was later purchased by the Indian Government for Rs. 40
crore.

1. Give the article a title (use not more than three words) _________________________

_____________________________

2. Underline all the verb forms in the extracts above. What is the most common
verb form in the passage called? _______________________________

3. Write the appropriate newspaper headline for extract c. above. Use the jumbled
words given in the box below:

______________________________________

4. Now write a headline for extract e. above.

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

5.  Compare your answers with your partner and then the rest of the class. Your
teacher will then discuss the possible answers.

6. Now read the extract again. You want to write a headline based on this extract. You also want to focus attention on the Nizam of Hyderabad, not the Agha Khan. Write a headline to summarise this extract in not more than five words.

Anant has retumed from an interview. Read the dialogue, that takes place between Anant and his father. In pairs, ml in the blanks using any suitable modals. To help you, the number of words you need to use is given in brackets.

Father  :   Well, Anant, how was the interview ?

Anant  :   Father, it was a real nightmare. Just about everything went wrong. I was late. I didn't have the required papers and the GK questions ........ !

Father   : Really I Anant, please don't think I'm lecturing you, but I'd like to say something about how you ________(2) handled the whole business better.

Anant   : Father, I wish you ________ (2) say that. You ______ (2) seen the amount of effort I put in.

Father  : Well .... I have my doubts about that. First, let's take up this business about being late.

Anant : Please remember I only got six days' notice.

Father : No, my dear, it was more than that. Ifl'm not mistaken, you got the interview call on Saturday itself. Ifl'd been you, I______ (2) begun my preparation on Saturday itself. Honestly you (3) gone off on that weekend trip.

Anant  : Father you know I'd been planning to go on that trip for ages.

Father : Well ..... if you had stayed home you _______ (2) made a list of the papers required and filed them systematically.

Anant : Yes, perhaps you're right, but father- those GK questions .... ?

Father : What about them? Haven't you been reading the papers regularly?

Anant: Yes of course. But those questions were so outdated. I ______ (3)

answered them even if I had read the paper every single day for the past 10 years.
Father : Anant, there is no point complaining now. You _______ (1)/ (2) be
prepared to be more alert about these things.

 Now practise writing a few headlines based on the following cues.

a.  e.g. Police - received anonymous tip/ complaint - managed to catch culprits -
produced in court

Expansion : The culprits were caught and prosecuted by the police.

b. Young Sikkimese - succeeds - scales steepest face - Mt. Kanchenjunga

Expansion : __________________________________________

a : Government- passed legislation - ban smoking in state ofTamil Nadu - people
not received it well.

Expansion : ________________________________________

b ; The ruling party - excessive election spending - no proper accounts kept - no
convincing answer to opposition questioning.

Expansion : 

c ; SIEMENS, Germany has appointed new Managing Director - J. Shubert after
convening General Bnody meeting - last week

Expansion_________________________________________

d : Rice shortage - increase production, says Government

Expansion _________________________________________

e : Archaeological Survey of India - has excavated Buddhist Stu pa - in village in
Haryana

Expansion ___________________________________________

f : Cricket team - prepares - tour to England - July 2011- selectors announce
team

Expansion ___________________________________________

Read the following letter and choose the most suitable alternative from
those given. Underline your choice. Sometimes more than one alternative is suitable.

In two places in the incomplete sentence there has been some reduction,
in order to avoid repetition.

1. What are the two words missing between if and found?

And what are the three words missing between 'if and 'innocent'

Read the following paragraph, which contains some repetition. Edit and
rewrite the sentences so that you have one improved sentence.

a. The policeman, having been injured by the angry crowd, was lifted up by two
Arun College students. He was carried to a nearby ambulance. Then he was
taken to the city hospital.

______________________________________

Now give the sentence you have written a headline. Some of it has been done for you.

b. Suppose you wish to focus attention on the kindness or bravery of the students
who helped the policeman, rather than on the policeman himself. Rewrite
passage a. above so that the focus is on the students, and give your passage a
headline.

What is the difference between the verb forms you used in 'a' above and
those you used in 'b'?

____________________________________

____________________________________

Read the set of instructions below and underline the main verb in each
sentence.

When we write a description of this experiment, which tense do we use?

Complete the description of the experiment using the information in B 1, by writing the verbs in the correct form. One example has been done for you

A screwdriver (place) is placed inside a coil carrying a direct current. The
screwdriver (become)____________ magnetised. It (removed) _____________carefully and
(place)_______________- in iron filings. It (attract) _____________the fillings.

 Now read these instructions.

HOW TO DEMAGNETISE A SCREWDRIVER USING A COIL

1. Place the magnetised screwdriver blade inside the coil.
2. Pass an alternating current through it.
3. Slowly withdraw the screwdriver from the coil to a distance of about one metre
while the current is flowing.
4. It becomes demagnetised.
5. Switch off the current.
6. Place the screwdriver in iron filings.
7. It does not attract the filings.

Write your own description of this experiment, using the Present Passive where
appropriate.

A magnetised screwdriver is placed inside the coil .....__________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

 As illustrated in India Today, September 1996, Ponniah Ramar, 34, an amiable individual from a Tamil Nadu village, claims to be able to convert a bucket of water into half a bucket of volatile fuel by adding a secret herb or so he says! Here is the illustration of the process of preparing the fuel. Write a report for the Junior Science Digest. You may use a combination of active and passive voice in your report, depending on what you wish to focus attention on.

                                                             MYSTERY FUEL

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Think back to when you were a small child. For each year, from the ages of five to ten, write a sentence in the simple past passive.

When I was five, I was called Bug Bunny by my sister.
When I was six, I wasn't allowed to ..... .

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

________________________

________________________

Show your writing to your partner. Do you share any experience?
(Correct each other's work, as necessary').

Look at the picture below. At present this room is in a terrible state. Suggest what should be done to make it fit for a student to live and work in. Use different modals in the Passive voice, as in the example.

__________________________

__________________________

_________________________

__________________________

__________________________

_________________________

Two months later, you return to the room to observe the changes made. Write a letter to a friend asking him to pay a visit to your newlyrenovated room. Describe in detail what has been changed. Use the space given.

                                     The Road to English
A . (Adapted from an article by Arishban Bagchi (Hindu college) [The Hindustan Times, 4October1996]

1. The great question, after you have failed to put yourself in an engineering or medical college in contemporary Indian society, is whether you'll ever find a job.

2. "Ohl He showed such promise during his early days," says the sister of the neighbour of your aunt in Timbuctoo. "Now look at my Bittoo,11 she goes on. "In spite of being so brilliant and all, he could only barely manage a grade A+ at MIT, and then he only just managed a well- paid job. How difficult gettingjobs must be."

3. The next line reads, "I wonder how your son will find a job, being a nonengineer, and that too in India."

4. Your father's friend, a prosperous doctor, decides to come visiting. Quite predictably, his first question on seeing you is the inevitable, "Why in heaven's name did you not qualify in the pre-medical test?' Followed by the equally inevitable, "Now what are you going to do?11

5. He raves on about his nephew who has just gone to the UK for his FRCS, and his daughter who has just completed her MBBS from AIIMS with top results, and what exciting prospects they have.

6. Your father into whose eyes you haven't dared to look for quite some time, speaks up. "I have lost all hope for him. However, educating him is my duty and I won't shirk from it."

7. Someone speaks up. "Let him go to college to study Physics or Chemistry." Everyone sits in silence. You cannot help feeling a little proud. At length, someone plucks up the courage: "It's quite impossible to educate him any further. Youngsters these days never seem to listen to what we have to say."

8. "I will study English Literature," you say, dropping a bombshell, fearless of the consequences. Amazingly, it works. The crowd hurries to disperse. You are so relieved to see their backs that you don't care. Thankfully, your parents voice no objection, remembering, perhaps, that you did manage to score highly in English in your Board exams.

9. So you finally take English literature as your subject of study.

B. Work in pairs and list the speakers in the passage you have just read.

i.____________________
ii.____________________
Ill.____________________
iv.____________________
v.____________________

 B .Still working in pairs, answer the following.

1. Did anyone actually say (or write) "Oh! He showed such promise during his early days?" (Yes/No) How can you tell? _____________

2. Is "Now look at my Bittoo", said by the same person as the extract in 1 above? (Yes/ No) How do you know? __________

3. In paragraph 4, who says "Now what are you going to do?" What words help you to know? ___________

4. i) In paragraph 5, who is the speaker?___________ Discuss and work out what must have been his exact words. Then write them below.______________

   ii) Underline the verb which tells you how the person must have said this.
     [Hint: Try to work out the meaning of this verb. ]

        ______________________

        ______________________

5. How many of the nine paragraphs in the passage are reporting what someone has said? ____________________

6. How many paragraphs include the exact words of the various speakers (direct speech)? ______________

7. How many paragraphs have reported them 'indirectly' (indirect speech)?

8. What is your conclusion about how writers report what someone says or has said in a newspaper article such as this?

____________________

An architect is speaking at a special meeting of the Town Council. She is presenting her proposals for improving one area of the town. Using the notes below, write down what she will say to the Town Council. You may start the report as given below.

"Firstly, the polluted slum settlements will be cleared and replaced with lowcost
housing ... "

Now                                                                                                  Future

slum settlement/ people                                                   build low cost housing

sleeping on streets                                                             

six cinemas/ no theatre                                                    turn one cinema into a theatre

open sewers                                                                      cover sewers

only one old primary                                                        setup/ establish two more

school (overcrowded)                                                      primary schools, and one

                                                                                          secondary school

no parks or open spaces                                                  create small parks between

                                                                                         low-cost housing blocks

Study the examples below:

Examples:

1. a) Mr. Akshay Pandey's car was damaged in an accident.

    b) A mechanic repaired the car.

Usually in such situations, type 'b' sentences are rather uncommon. Instead,
the same idea would be expressed as

Mr. Pandey got his car repaired.

This means that Mr. Pandey arranged for a mechanic to repair his car. He did
not repair it himself. It can also be written thus:

Mr.Pandey had his car repaired.

Use the words in brackets to complete the following sentences. Use the
structure: 'have/ get something done'.

1. My neighbours ____________________ (their garden/ relay) at the moment.
2. I lost my identity card. I'll have to ______________ another (another/ make)
3. __________________-{you/ milk/ deliver) to your house every day, or do your go out and buy it?
4. A: Can I see the photographs you took during our school day function?
B: I'm afraid_______________________(not/ the film/ develop) yet.
5. Your suit is a little tight. Why don't you------------(a new one/ make)?

Answer the following questions using 'to have something done'. The first one has been done as an example.

1. Why did you go to the garage?                                  To have my car serviced.
2. Why did you go to the doctor?                                    ___________________________
3. Why did you go to the bank?                                       ___________________________
4. Why did you go to the tailor?                                      ____________________________
5. Why did you go to the photo studio?                          ___________________________
6. Why did you go to the dentist's?                                  ___________________________

A reporting verb is used in both direct and indirect (reported) speech. The
reporting verb usually adds to the meaning of each sentence for instance,
it may show the speaker's MOOD (e.g. agreed), PURPOSE (e.g. asked),
MANNER OF SPEAKER (e.g. shouted). An example is: 

In this sentence, the reporting word 'complained' shows that the tourist was clearly unhappy about the arrangements.

Now work in groups of four. Read the following sentences carefully, and circle the reporting verbs. Then discuss and write the ways in which each reporting verb adds to the meaning of its arrangement.

1. "When I was in school, I used to skip a few classes, especially Moral Science because of the bookish manner in which it was treated," confessed the retired IAS Officer.

______________________________

2. Saurav's friends protested that he should have been included in the school badminton team, on the basis of his fine performance in the inter-house matches.

______________________________

3. "Make a circle, make a circle!" Mira shouted, firmly pulling and pushing the children till a kind of vague circle was formed.

________________________________

4. The music teacher warned the children against getting carried away and
getting out of tune.

________________________________

5. "Father, you must tell me what you meant exactly when you said that I was the same as every other teenager," Varun insisted.

_______________________________

6. "Oh God! She is coming again," the children whispered to each other, when they saw Mrs. Sharma striding towards their classroom for the third time that day.

_______________________________