SSC (English Medium) १० वीं कक्षा - Maharashtra State Board Question Bank Solutions for English

Suggest two measures to increase the number of birds.

Read the following passage and do the activities:
A1. Choose the correct alternatives from the given options and rewrite the sentences :
(appealing, casually, flattery, well-oiled) (2)
(1) I followed ….........
(2) Anil talked about the ….........wrestlers.
(3) I gave him my most ….........smile.
(4) A little …......... helps in making friends.

I was still a thief when 1 met Anil. And though only 15, was an experienced and fairly successful hand.
Anil was watching a wrestling match when I approached him. He was about 25 — a tall, lean fellow — and he looked easy-going, kind and simple enough for my purpose. I hadn’t had much luck of late and thought I might be able to get into the young man’s confidence.
“You look a bit of a wrestler yourself,” I said. A little flattery helps in making friends.
“So do you,” he replied, which put me off for a moment because at that time I was rather thin.
“Well, I said modestly, “I do wrestle a bit.”
“What's your name ?”
“Hari Singh,” I lied. I took a new name every month. That kept me ahead of the police and my former employers.
After this introduction, Anil talked about the well-oiled wrestlers who were grunting, lifting and throwing each other about. I didn't have much to say. Anil walked away. I followed casually.
“Hello again,” he said.
I gave him my most appealing smile. “I want to work for you”. I said.
“But I can't pay you.”
I thought that over for a minute. Perhaps I had misjudged my man. I asked, “Can you feed me ?”
“Can you cook ?”
“I can cook,” I lied again.
“If you can cook, then may be I can feed you.”
He took me to his room over the Jumna Sweet Shop and told me I could sleep on the balcony. But the meal I cooked that night must have been terrible because Anil gave it to a stray dog and told me to be off. But I just hung around, smiling in my most appealing way, and he couldn’t help laughing.

A2. Complete the following web-chart: (2)

A3. Find the similar meaning words from the passage for the following : (2)
(1) endearing
(2) miscalculated
(3) humbly
(4) awful

A4.
(1) “I want to work for you,” I said. (1)
     (Change it into indirect speech)
(2) I can’t pay you.                           (1) 
    (Rewrite making it affirmative)

A5. “We should learn from our own mistakes.” Explain. (2)

Read the following passage and complete the activities given below:

Read the passage and complete the activities given below
B1 Complete the table :
A few facts about the Mehendi rituals during marriage ceremonies are given below :
Write them into appropriate columns :
(i) A simple family affair.
(ii) Song and dance performances accompanied by lavish food and entertainment.
(iii) Creative family members, apply Mehendi to the bride.
(iv) Beauticians are appointed to apply Mehendi to the bride.
Fill in the table as :

Mehendi enjoys special attention during the wedding. In India, the day before the wedding is devoted exclusively to the elaborate ritual of applying Mehendi on the hands and feet of the bride. This practice is followed in Arab countries as well, except that it is held a few days prior to the wedding day. Songs are woven around the healing properties and lucky omens associated with mehndi are sung by the bride’s family and friends. An age-old belief handed down to generations lays great emphasis on the color of the bride’s Mehendi – a darker color suggests bountiful love and affection from the future in-laws and husband, and for this reason, brides take the pain to ensure that only the best quality henna is used for her wedding day.

The ritual of adorning the bride with henna is a sacred one and in some communities requires the initiation by the mother-in-law. A popular game during marriage function is the search for their names, by the bride and groom hidden within the elaborate pattern on the bride’s hands.

In certain parts of India, the bridegroom has his hands decorated with henna. The Mehendi function during marriages has evolved from simple family affairs of yesteryears to elaborate events of today. A lavish spread of food and entertainment in the form of song and dance performances have transformed it from a small function to a gala prelude. In earlier days, the task of applying Mehendi on the bride was the sole prerogative of creative family members. The demand for intricate and different style now, sees this job outsourced to beauticians skilled in this art. Beauty salons charge according to the style and complexity of pattern desired by the clients.

B2 What is the age-old belief related to the bride’s Mehendi color and its significance?

B3 Find the words :

Find the words from the passage :

Read the following passage and complete the activities given below :

A1 Find out :
Find from the passage the related words to the sea and write them.

ON FIERCE monsoon nights, about one and a quarter-mile off the Mumbai harbor, there have been occasions when 52-year-old Bikaji Ramchandra Dhuri is the only man on the sea. From the watchtower of the Prongs Reef Lighthouse, which is surrounded on all sides by the Arabian Sea, he has heard the sea rage like a possessed spirit – the darkness dispelled only by the beam of light flung across the waters from the tower he mans.

Dhuri is one of the last breeds of lighthouse keepers on the Indian coast, as a majority of the 182 lighthouses in the country are now unmanned. Built-in 1871, the Prongs Reef lighthouse was modeled on Scotland’s  Skerryvore Rocks Lighthouse and is located at a strategic spot on the western coast, marking the entrance to the busy Mumbai Harbour. It was meant to stem the number of shipwrecks off the harbor, which the lone Colaba lighthouse could not illumine on its own. “Even now, during nights, for fishing vessels without any gadgets, it’s the soft light from this tower which directs us to Mumbai,” says Vinayak Koli, a boatsman who helps ferry people and also goes on fishing expeditions.

Throughout the year, Dhuri lives in the lighthouse for 15 days at a stretch, when he is relieved by another keeper. In the monsoon, it becomes his home for three months. “We call it the Kalapana as we are alone in the middle of the sea for days, with basic supplies – and the revolving light that keeps the sea awake,” he says.

A2 Fill in the following information using words from the passage :
(i) The Prongs Reef lighthouse was modeled on _______.
(ii) Dhuri lives in the lighthouse for _______ at a stretch.
(iii) _______ is one of the last breeds of lighthouse keepers on the Indian coast.
(iv) The majority of the _______ lighthouses in the country are now unmanned.

Read the passage and complete the activities given below :
B1 Pick out 
The correct answers from the statements given below:

Read the following extract carefully and complete the activities given below :
A1 Complete the following : 
(i) Books were found on the _____________ and ____________.
(ii) The tales are described as ______________ and __________.

Read the following extract carefully and complete the activities given below :
A1 Complete the following : 
(i) Books were found on the _____________ and ____________.
(ii) The tales are described as ______________ and __________.

Read the following extract of the poem and complete the activities given below :

B1 State which of the following statements are

True or False :
(i) The elderly are nearest to our own exalted personality.
(ii) The elderly are those persons whose growth is stunted.
(iii) We should know our elderly people well, in order to receive guidance.
(iv) The elderly hold on to the frivolous aspects of life.

Read the passage carefully and complete the activities given below :
A1 True or False

Read the extract and do the following activities: 
A1 Complete :

There was a roaring in the wind all night;
The rain came heavily and fell in floods;
But now the sun is rising calm and bright,
 The birds are singing in the distant woods;
Over his own sweet voice the Stock-dove broods;
The Jay makes answer as the Magpie chatters;
And all the air is filled with pleasant noise of waters
All things that love the sun are out of doors;
The sky rejoices in the morning’s birth;
 The grass is bright with raindrops-on the moors
The hare is running races in her mirth;
And with her feet she from the plashy earth
Raises a mist; that, glittering in the sun,
Runs with her all the way, wherever she doth run. 

A2 What do the different birds do? Discuss. 

A3 The sky rejoices in the morning’s birth. (Name and explain the figure of speech) 

Read the following extract and do the given activities: 
A1. Match the following: 

 All the world’s a stage
 And all the men and women merely players;
 They have their exits and their entrances,
 And one man in his time plays many parts,
 His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
 Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
 Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
 And shining morning face, creeping like snail
 Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
 Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
 Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
 Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
 Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
 Seeking the bubble reputation
 Even in the cannon’s mouth 

A2. Complete the following table: 

A3. All the world’s stage: 
a. Alliteration
b.  Metaphor
c. Simile
(Choose the correct answer from the given options and explain the chosen figure of
speech) 

Read the following passage and do the activities:
A1 True or False:
Rewrite the following statements and state whether they are ‘true’ or ‘false’.
(i) Mashelkar’s mother did menial work to bring him up.
(ii) Mashelkar’s father died when he was twelve.
(iii) Mashelkar was born in a very rich family.
(iv) Tatas added much value to Mashelkar’s life. 

I start with my greatest guru-my mother. I was born in a very poor family and my father died when I was six. We moved to Mumbai and my mother did menial work to bring me up. Two meals a day was a tough challenge. I studied under street lights and I walked barefoot until, I think, I was twelve. I remember when I passed the seventh standard and I wanted to go into the eighth standard, our poverty was such that even to secure 21 rupees for secondary school admission became a big challenge. We had to borrow from a lady, who was a housemaid in Chaupati in Mumbai. That was the tough life I had.

In fact, I remember, my passing the SSC Examination-i.e. 11th standard. Those days it used to be not 10th standard or 12th standard but 11th standard. I stood 11th among 1,35,000 but I was about to leave higher education and find a job. What helped me was the scholarship by Sir Dorab Tata Trust. It was just 60 rupees per month and would you believe that 60 rupees per month from Tatas added so much value to my life that I have been able to stand here today before you to speak to you.

 I am on the Board of Tatas now and it is very interesting that the same Bombay House where I used to go to collect that 60 rupees per month now one goes and sits there like a Director on the Board of Tata Motors. The turn that these 40 years have taken is very interesting. It has all been possible because of the chance I got to do higher studies at the insistence of my mother. She gave me the values of my life. She was one of the noblest parents I have met in my life.

So, my greatest guru was my mother. My second guru was Principal Bhave, about whom I made a mention earlier. He taught us Physics. Because it was a poor school, I remember, it had to innovate to convey to the young students the message of Science. 

A2  Complete: 
 Complete the following sentences and write:
(i) Mashelkar was inspired by his greatest guru _______
(ii) Mashelkar studied under _______
(iii) Principal Bhave taught _______
(iv) The scholarship by _______ Trust helped him in higher education. 

A3 Find the meaning:
Choose the appropriate meaning of the underlined words from the given alternatives:
(i) We moved to Mumbai and my mother did menial work.
(a) skilled
(b) hard
(c) unskilled
(d) of low status

(ii) Because it was a poor school, it had to innovate to convey to the young students the message of science.
(a) do a cheap experiment
(b) introduce new things
(c) avoid
(d) try hard

(iii) I got to do higher studies at the insistence of my mother.
(a) firm saying
(b) being inspired
(c) being inspected
(d) being instigated 

(iv) That was the tough life I had.
(a) difficult
(b) soft
(c) cheap
(d) simple 

A4  Match:
Match the following sentences with their tags: 

A5  Personal Response: 
 “Mother is the greatest Guru.” Discuss.

Read the following passage and do the activities: 
B1  Match: 
Match the areas given in Column ‘A’ with the description of Mehendi design given in Column ‘B’: 

Henna comes from the leaves of the plant Lawsonia inertias. The plant grows in hot and dry climes and is native to North Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East. The leaves of the plant are dried and crushed to powder. Various additives such as coffee decoction, tea, lime juice, Mehendi and eucalyptus oil are mixed with the henna powder to increase the potency of the dry, this also helps to bind the powder to a paste-like consistency. The mixture is applied through cones in intricate patterns depending on the region of use.
 Album of Patterns
 Four major styles can be found in the vast dictionary of Mehendi designs. Earlier the application was restricted to hand and feet, but the adoption of Mehendi by different cultures throughout the world has seen experimentation on different body parts including the neck naval and back.
 North African patterns rely on geometrical images to trace the shape of hands and feet, Arabic designs borrow heavily from local textiles, paintings, and architecture. These are more spaced out, to allow the design to stand out boldly from the skin parts left untouched by henna. The Indian style comprises of delicate loops and curves, paisleys, teardrops and flowers that give a dainty filigreed glow-like effect. Though intricate patterning is the name of the game today, this trend took off in India only during the 20th century. The patterns preferred by the South Asian countries are mixed with Indo-Pakistani and Arabic design schemes. Chinese and Celtic symbols now find a place in the vast repertoire of Mehendi designs as well. 

B2  Complete:
Complete the following and write:
(i) The procedure before applying henna _______
(ii) The reasons for using additives _______
(iii) The suitable climatic conditions for the henna plant _______
(iv) Mehendi is used on _______

B3  Find words:
Look at the following description and find out proper words from the passage and write:
(i) Existing naturally in the place : - n _______
(ii) Consist of something: - c _______
(iii) Delicate decoration made from gold, silver and copper wire: - f _______
(iv) Substance that is added in small quantity : - a _______ 

B4  Language study:
Fill in the blanks with suitable subordinators given in the box:

(i) The mixture is applied through cones in intricate patterns _______ depend on the region of use.
(ii) The intricate pattern is the name of the game of today _______, this trend took off in India, recently.
(iii) North African pattern relies on geometrical images ______ they can trace the shape of hands and feet.
(iv) The patterns preferred by the South Asian countries are mixed with Indo-Pakistani _______ Arabic design schemes. 

B5  Personal Response:
Which Mehendi design do you like? Why?

 A1 Web :
Complete the following web with the help of the passage : 

My dictionary tells me that personality is the “Personal or individual quality that makes one person be different and act differently from another.” Personality is, “the total physical, intellectual and emotional structure of an individual, including abilities, interests, and attitudes.”
 There are many benefits to having a pleasant personality. There is only one opportunity to make a first impression, and all of us instinctively make decisions or judgments about an individual within the first few seconds of crossing paths. With that in mind, I believe when we teach our kids to smile, to be pleasant and cheerful, to be courteous and respectful of others, to pleasantly respond to requests or questions, we are helping them develop a personality that will open many doors for them. Once the doors are opened, the character will keep them open; but personality, not character, is on display in the first few seconds. Therefore, it’s important to develop a pleasant personality and use it for life. 

A2  Personality :
 Personality of an individual is recognized by : 
(i) _______          (ii) _______
(iii) _______       (iv) _______ 

A3 Vocabulary :
Find out words for the following from the passage and write:
(i) polite =
(ii) relating to feelings =
(iii) to do anything naturally without thinking =
(iv) a chance to do something = 

A4 Complete the following table : 

Select any word from the table and use it meaningfully in a sentence of your own. 

A5 Personal Response :
Why do you thing, personality development is necessary? 

Read the following passage and do the given activities :
B1  Select :
Complete the following sentences by selecting the correct alternatives: 
(i) It is more important to have _______ before rushing to work. (lunch, breakfast, dinner)

(ii) Skipping breakfast brings a higher risk of _______ (cancer, heart attack, brain attack)

(iii) An adequate _______ is provided by your meal. (energy, weight, height)

 (iv) More than half of the people risk heart attack due to _______ eating. (early morning, afternoon, late night) 

MEN WHO SKIP BREAKFAST FACE
27% HIGHER RISK OF HEART ATTACK

Late-Night Eaters at 55% risk. TNN.
 London-Breakfast is widely acknowledged as the most important meal of the day. But now, there’s more reason to have that piece of toast before rushing to work: Skipping breakfast has for the first time been associated with an increase in heart attacks.
 A study published in the American Heart Association journal circulation showed that men who skipped breakfast had a 27% higher risk of heart attack or death from coronary heart disease than those who didn’t.
 “Skipping breakfast may lead to one or more risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, which may, in turn, lead to a heart attack over time,” said Leah E. Cahill, lead author from the Harvard School of Public Health.
 “Our study group has spent decades studying the health effects of diet quality and composition, and now this new data also suggests overall dietary habits can be important to lower risk of coronary heart disease,” said co-author Eric Rimm.
 “Don’t skip breakfast,” Cahill said. “Eating breakfast is associated with a decreased risk of heart attacks. Incorporating many types of healthy foods into your breakfast is an essay way to ensure your meal provides adequate energy and a healthy balance of nutrients. 

B2 Find:
Find the pieces of ‘advice’ from the passage and write.  

B3 Antonyms :
Find out the antonyms for the following words from the passage and write:
(i) higher                (ii) decrease
(iii) excluding        (iv) low 

B4 Reported Speech :
Complete the reported speech of the following sentences given indirect form:
(i) “Our study group has spent decades studying the health effects of diet quality and composition,” said co-author Eric Rimm.
Co-author Eric Rimm _________
(ii) “Dont’s skip breakfast,” Cahill said.
Cahill _______ 

B5 Personal Response :
How will you practice the message implied in the passage in your life?

Read the extract and do the following activities :
B1 Likes and dislikes :
(i) The child likes eating _______
(ii) The child dislikes eating _______ 

They won’t eat peas, don’t like your bread -
For something in it crunches;
They gag on fat, the gravy’s gross,
They won’t eat grapes in bunches.
Tomatoes, onions, peppers, fish
Garlic nor cottage cheese;
Oh, it’s a dish uncommon rare
That truly seems to please.
No red sauce may the ice cream have,
“It’s bleeding,” they will say;
And gravely hand it to their mum
To take it to clean away
But let us speak of chocolate cake,
It must be frosted o’er;
They’ll devour three full slabs,
And calmly ask for more.
Oh, I do so always love to eat
With picky little pests,
Whose parents joy to make them
The most undesirable guests! 

B2 What message does the poem convey for children? 

B3 Pick out two pairs of rhyming words from the poem. 

Read the following extract and complete the activities given below : 
A1  Compare the old and new house and complete the table : 

I was thirteen, the year we moved to the Cantonment at Allahabad. In stark contrast to the razzle-dazzle of the city’s commercial areas like Katra and Chowk, the Cantonment was a quiet, orderly place with broad tree-lined roads that still carried the names of long-dead Britishers. Our bungalow was on a sleepy by-lane called MacPherson Road. When we first saw it, my brothers and I were delighted. It was by far the biggest house we had ever lived in. The task of furnishing those huge, echoing rooms daunted mother.

“Is a slightly smaller house not available?” she asked father, “We do not have enough curtains for this place. And the furniture seems a little inadequate. Why did they have to plan the kitchen at such a distance from the dining-room? It is like doing a route march. And who is going to help me keep this place clean and dusted?”
 Her misgivings and objections were undoubtedly valid. But, seeing our crestfallen faces, she sighed and gave in. We made extravagant promises to help in the household chores. Keep our rooms tidy. Put away our toys and books. She smiled with amused disbelief, her mind already working out how many meters of curtain-cloth would be needed and so on. 

A2  Complete :
Complete the following list of objections that the mother had with the new house :
(i) Inadequate _______ 
(ii) Do not have _______
(iii) Kitchen at a distance from _______
(iv) A very big _______ 

A3 Personal response:
Do you agree with the objections raised by the mother? Explain. 

Read the following passage carefully and complete the activities given below :
A.1) Complete the web :
Write the words from the passage on the web. 

          We saw small bits of grass peeping through the small cracks in concrete pavement. It left us thinking: however impossible things may look, there is always an opening…………
             We saw a tree bare of all leaves in the cold winter months. We thought its chapter was over. But three months passed, spring set in and the tree was back to its green majesty once again, full of leaves, flowers, birds, and life. What if we too had the conviction that, however difficult things are right now, it will not remain so forever. Remember, this too shall pass.
             We saw an army of ants lugging a fly which was at least ten times the ant’s size. The ants organized themselves around the fly, lifted it on frail feelers and carried it to quite a distance. Their teamwork and perseverance were impressive. What if we too are consistent, organized, focused ……… Spider webs are delicate, yet very strong. A rainbow colors the entire sky. Oysters take in a grain of sand they open up with a pearl. Innumerable stars shine across the infinite sky. Clouds take new shapes with every passing moment. The wind makes trees dance with unhindered passion. Water, without a hint of ego, changes its form according to the dictates of the sun and the wind. When we see a caterpillar turn into a butterfly, a flower turns into a fruit, we experience the alchemy of nature ………. We touch it and become gold ourselves.

A.2)  Finding meanings :
Write what you mean by :
(i) _______ there is always an opening.
(ii) _______ its chapter was over.
(iii) _______ the tree was back to its green majesty.
(iv) _______ this too shall pass. 

A.3) Matching :
Match the words in Column ‘A’ with their synonyms in Column ‘B’: 

A.4) Language study : 
Rewrite the sentence using the correct question tag given in the brackets :
(i) Water changes its form. (does it?, do it?, do they?, doesn’t it)
(ii) However impossible things may look, there is always an opening. (Rewrite using ‘but’) 

A.5)  Personal Response :
Nature is the best teacher. Explain. 

Read the following passage carefully and complete the activities given below: 
B.1)  Order :
Rearrange the following sentences in proper order:
(i) Hanmant joined engineering.
(ii) Hanmant got his Diploma and secured a job in Philips.
(iii) Hanmant migrated to Pune when he was in class VI.
(iv) Hanmant took up a painting job to earn. 

            Hanmant Gaikwad was born in Koregaon in Satara district.
            “My native place is Rahimatpur, around 10 km from Koregaon. My father was a clerk in the court and we lived in a small, rented house.”
            Hanmant was a brilliant student especially good in mathematics. When he was in class six, the family shifted to Pune. They lived in Phugewadi near Dapodi in a tiny one-room house-10 by 10 feet. At this point, Hanmant realized the difference between himself and those who had money.
            Hanmant was then studying at Modern High School. He needed one rupee to buy a bus ticket to and from the everyday. Even that was hard to come by.
           Despite the hardships, Hanmant secured 88% in class 10. Hanmant completed his diploma and joined Philips as a trainee. But he wasn’t happy with the work he got there.
           The natural choice for a diploma engineer is to go for a B.Tech. But engineering colleges charge hefty fees. At the time, the family’s only source of income was a teacher’s salary of Rs. 2,300 a month……….
           And then I decided to also do some earning. “Khud Ka Kamana Chalu Kiya”.
          Hanmant took up painting jobs and quickly discovered it was excellent business.
          The young engineering student paid his own fees from the third year onwards. But his lifestyle remained frugal.
         Life was getting better, but Hanmant had his sights set higher. In the final year of engineering, he was attracted to the writings of Swami Vivekananda.
         “I felt Ki Kuch Alag Karna hai. What should I do, I did not know but in 1993 I formed an organization-Bharat Vikas Pratisthan.”

B.2) Complete : 

B.3)  Rewrite the following sentence choosing the appropriate word/s for the underlined word/s : 
(i) His lifestyle remained frugal:
(a) simple
(b) meager
(c) extravagant

(ii) Despite hardships, Hanmant secured 88% in class X:
(a) In spite of
(b) Regarding
(c) Affected

(iii) Hanmant took up painting jobs:
(a) assumed
(b) to continue
(c) accepted

(iv) Hanmant had his sights set higher:
(a) looked ahead
(b) lofty ambitions
(c) looked above 

B.4)  Do as Directed
(i) Hanmant secured 88% in class X.                                   ( Begin the sentence as-88%....................)
(ii) In the final year of engineering, he was attracted towards the writings of Swami Vivekananda.       (Frame a ‘Wh-question’ to get the underlined part as the answer.) 

B.5) “Today’s hardships lead to tomorrow’s success”-Justify.