Unseen passages are an important part of CBSE Class 10 English exam. CBSE Class 10 Students who are aiming to score high marks in English must practise different types of unseen passages. Doing so will help in fetching all 20 marks from the reading section of the English Language and Literature subject.
Unseen Passage for Class 10 English Reading Skills
Before going into the details of Class 10 unseen passages, let’s look at the marks weightage of the comprehension passage. As per the
CBSE Class 10 English syllabus, the passage is asked under the reading section.
Two unseen passages are asked in Class 10 CBSE English board exam as mentioned below:
Reading: 20 Marks
1) Multiple Choice Questions based on a
Discursive passage of 400-450 words to test inference, evaluation and vocabulary. Ten out of twelve questions to be answered. (10×1=10)
2) Multiple Choice Questions based on a
Case-based factual passage (with visual input statistical data, chart, etc.) of 300-350 words to test analysis and interpretation. Ten out of twelve questions to be answered. (10×1=10)
The total length of the two passages is around 700-750 words.
Unseen Passage for Class 10 – Tips to Handle Reading Comprehension
Below, we have provided some tips to answer the comprehension passage questions during the exam.
- Go through the entire passage thoroughly.
- Scan the passage quickly and try to find the main idea and theme on which the comprehension passage is based.
- Underline the important information of the passage.
- Now, read the question and go back to the unseen passage to find the answer.
- Avoid copy-pasting the answer from the comprehension passage. Try to frame the answer in your own words.
- To answer the vocabulary-based questions, like synonyms, antonyms, phrases, idioms etc., replace the word with the meaning. If the meaning is the same, then the answer is correct.
- To answer multiple choice questions, go through all the options and then mark the correct answer.
CBSE Class 10 Unseen Passage and Reading Comprehension
CBSE Class 10 English Discursive Passage
1. Read the passage given below.
The choices we make on a daily basis—wearing a seatbelt, lifting heavy objects correctly or purposely staying out of any dangerous situation—can either ensure our safety or bring about potentially harmful circumstances.
You and I need to make a decision that we are going to get our lives in order. Exercising self-control, self-discipline and establishing boundaries and borders in our lives are some of the most important things we can do. A life without discipline is one that’s filled with carelessness.
We can think it’s kind of exciting to live life on the edge. We like the image of “Yeah! That’s me! Living on the edge! Woo-hoo!” It’s become a popular way to look at life. But if you see, even highways have lines, which provide margins for our safety while we’re driving. If we go over one side, we’ll go into the ditch. If we cross over the line in the middle, we could get killed. And we like those lines because they help to keep us safe. Sometimes we don’t even realize how lines help to keep us safe.
I’m not proud of this, but for the first 20 years of my life at work, I ignored my limits. I felt horrible, physically, most of the time. I used to tell myself “I know I have limits and that I’ve reached them, but I’m going to ignore them and see if or how long I can get by with it.” I ran to doctors, trying to make myself feel better through pills, vitamins, natural stuff and anything I could get my hands on. Some of the doctors would tell me, “It’s just stress.” That just made me mad. I thought stress meant you don’t like what you do or can’t handle life, and I love what I do. But I kept pushing myself, traveling, doing speaking engagements and so on— simply exhausting myself.
Finally, I understood I was living an unsustainable life and needed to make some changes in my outlook and lifestyle.
You and I don’t have to be like everyone else or keep up with anyone else. Each of us needs to be exactly the way we are, and we don’t have to apologize for it. We’re not all alike and we need to find a comfort zone in which we can enjoy our lives instead of making ourselves sick with an overload of stress and pressure.
On the basis of understanding of the passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the twelve that follow. (1×10=10)
Q1) Which of the characteristics are apt about the writer in the following context: “I know I have limits and that I’ve reached them, but I’m going to ignore them and see if or how long I can get by with it.” ?
1. negligent
2. indecisive
3. spontaneous
4. reckless
5. purposeless
6. patient
a) 2 and 5
b) 3 and 6
c) 1 and 4
d) 2 and 3
Q2) The reason why living on the edge has become popular, is because of the
a) constant need for something different.
b) population being much younger.
c) exhausting effort to make changes.
d) strong tendency to stay within our limits.
Q3) The phrase “potentially harmful circumstances” refers to circumstances that can
(a) certainly be dangerous.
(b) be fairly dangerous.
(c) be possibly dangerous.
(d) seldom be dangerous.
Q4). Choose the option that correctly states the two meanings of ‘outlook’, as used in the passage.
1. A person’s evaluation of life
2. A person’s experiences in life
3. A person’s point of view towards life
4. A person’s regrets in life
5. A person’s general attitude to life
a) (1) and (4)
b) (2) and (3)
c) (3) and (5)
d) (4) and (5)
Q5) Choose the option that best captures the central idea of the passage from the given quotes.
1. It’s all about quality of life and finding a happy balance between work and friends.
2. To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.
3. Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.
4. Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create.
a) Option (1)
b) Option (2)
c) Option (3)
d) Option (4)
Q6) The author explains the importance of discipline and boundaries in our lives using the example of
a) road accidents.
b) traffic rules.
c) lines on the highway.
d) safe driving.
Q7) The author attempts to __________________ the readers through this write-up.
a) rebuke
b) question
c) offer aid to
d) offer advice to
Q8) What is the message conveyed in the last paragraph of the passage?
a) Love what you do.
b) Love yourself to love others.
c) Be the best version of yourself.
d) Be yourself
Q9) Which of the following will be the most appropriate title for the passage?
a) Much too soon
b) Enough is enough
c) How much is too much?
d) Have enough to do?
Q10) The author uses colloquial words such as “yeah” and “Woo-hoo!”. Which of the following is NOT a colloquial word?
a) hooked
b) guy
c) stuff
d) stress
Q11) Select the option that makes the correct use of “unsustainable”, as used in the passage, to fill in the blank space.
a) In the long run, the ______ officials followed emergency procedures.
b) Emergency procedures were _______ by the officials.
c) Officials reported an ________ set of events during the emergency.
d) Officials admit that the emergency system is _______ in the longer run.
Q12) What does the author mean when he says, “to get our lives in order”?
a) To resume our lives.
b) To organize our lives.
c) To rebuild our lives.
d) To control our lives.
Answers:
Ans 1) (c) 1 and 4
Ans 2) (a) constant need for something different.
Ans 3) (c) be possibly dangerous
Ans 4) (c) (3) and (5)
Ans 5) (d) Option (4)
Ans 6) (c) lines on the highway.
Ans 7) (d) offer advice to
Ans 8) (c) Be yourself
Ans 9) (c) How much is too much?
Ans 10) (d) stress
Ans 11) (d) Officials admit that the emergency system is __________ in the longer run.
Ans 12) (b) To organize our lives.
CBSE Class 10 English Case-Based Factual Passage
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
Cataract is the major cause of blindness, which is also caused by a damage to the cornea. It occurs more often in old age. As one starts growing old, the lens of the eye hardens, loses its transparency and becomes opaque. It obstructs the light rays from entering the eye.
The onset of cataract blurs the vision. Sometimes, the cataract patient sees multiple images instead of a single object image. Because of the gradual development of cataract, the afflicted person loses his/her vision and the world becomes dark to him/her.
The development of cataract is a complex process. However, the following factors can be attributed to its formation. Cataract generally develops in old age but sometimes, children are born with cataract because of hereditary defect. Eye injuries too, can cause cataracts.
People exposed to sun rays for longer periods develop cataract earlier than others. Researchers opine that the smoke inhaled while smoking carries substances internally damaging the eyes.
Ultraviolet radiation, invisible to the human eye, is linked to skin cancer. The victim loses vision and the world becomes dark to him.
On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer any eight of the following questions: 1×8
(a) What is the major cause of blindness?
(c) Why does the lens of the eye become opaque in old age ?
(f) How does cataract affect its victim ultimately ?
(d) How does one detect cataract in early stages ?
(e) Give any two factors which are responsible for the formation of cataract.
(i) Find the word from para 1 that means ‘that through which light cannot enter’.
(g) Which type of cancer is caused by ultraviolet radiation ?
(b) When does cataract generally occur ?
(h) How is smoking responsible for the development of cataract ?
Answers
(a) cataract
(c) lens of the eye hardens and loses its transparency.
(f) may lead to complete loss of vision
(d) vision becomes blurred / sees multiple images in place of one.(any one)
(e) eye injury / long exposure of sun rays / hereditary factors (any two)
(i) opaque
(g) skin cancer
(b) old age
(h) smoke when inhaled carries a substance that damages the eye and causes internal harm to the eye.
Students can also practise the unseen passages questions by solving the
CBSE Class 10 English Previous Year Papers.
CBSE Class 10 Unseen Passage
Read the passage given below:
Then all the windows of the grey wooden house (Miss Hilton used to live here. She expired last week), were thrown open, a thing I had never seen before.
At the end of the day a sign was nailed on the mango tree : FOR SALE.
Nobody in the street knew Miss Hilton. While she lived, her front gate was always locked and no one ever saw her leave or saw anybody go in. So, even if you wanted to, you couldn’t feel sorry and say that you missed Miss Hilton.
When I think of her house I see just two colours. Grey and green. The green of the mango tree, the grey of the house and the grey of the high iron fence that prevented you from getting at the mangoes.
If your cricket ball fell in Miss Hilton’s courtyard you never got it back. It wasn’t the mango season when Miss Hilton died. But we got back about ten or twelve of our cricket balls.
The house was sold and we were prepared to dislike the new owners even before they came. I think we were a little worried. Already we had one resident of the street who kept on complaining about us to our parents. He complained that we played cricket on the pavement; and if we were not playing cricket, he complained that we were making too much noise anyway.
One afternoon when I came back from school Pal said, ‘‘Is a man and a woman. She pretty pretty, but he ugly like hell.’’ I didn’t see much. The front gate was open, but the windows were shut again. I heard a dog barking in an angry way.
One thing was settled pretty quickly. Whoever these people were they would never be the sort of people to complain that we were making noise and disturbing their sleep.
A lot of noise came from the house that night. The radio was going at full volume until midnight when the radio station closed down. The dog was barking and the man was shouting. I didn’t hear the woman.
On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, complete the statements that follow: 1×8
(a) Nobody went into Miss Hilton’s house because her front _________ .
(b) Her house had only two colours, (i) ______, and (ii) _______ .
(c) The high iron fence did not let the boys get __________ .
(d) They never got it back if their __________ fell into her courtyard.
(e) The boys were ready to dislike the ____________ .
(f) One resident of the street always ___________ .
(g) The new owners of Miss Hilton’s house were (i) _______, and (ii) _______ .
(h) The man was shouting, the dog was barking, only __________ .
Answers
a) gate/door was always locked
b) grey, green
c) at the mangoes/mangoes
d) cricket ball/balls
e) new owners even before they came/ new owners
f) complained about them to their parents/kept on complaining
g) pretty woman, ugly man/man and woman
h) the woman was not heard/woman was silent /unheard / no voice of the woman
