CBSE Class 10 English Expected Question Paper 2025

A Letter to God

• Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?

• Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why did he sign the letter ‘God’?

Nelson Mandela - Long Walk to Freedom

• Why were two national anthems sung?

• What does courage mean to Mandela?

Two Stories About Flying

• “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to fly finally?

• What made the woman in control centre look at the narrator strangely?

From the diary of Anne Frank

• From the diary of Anne Frank: Why did Anne think she could confide more in her diary than in people?

• Why was Mr. Keesing annoyed with Anne? What did he ask her to do?

Glimpses of India

• What does "a jackfruit-like appearance" mean?

• Is bread an important part of Goan life? How do you know this?

Mijbil the Otter

• What "experiment" did Maxwell think Camusfearna would be suitable for?

• Why was the otter named "Maxwell's Otter"?

Madam Rides the Bus

• What was Valli's favourite pastime?

• What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?

The Sermon at Benares

• When her son dies, Kisa Gotami goes from house to house. What does she ask for? Does she get it? Why not?

The Proposal (play)

• What does Chubukov at first suspect that Lomov has come for? Is he sincere when he later says, "And I have always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son." Find reasons for your answer from the play.

Dust of Snow

• What is a "dust of snow"?

• What does the poet say has changed his mood?

Fire and Ice

• For Frost, what do "fire" and "ice" stand for?

A Tiger in the Zoo

• Notice the use of repeated words in lines such as these. What do you think is the effect of this repetition?

How to Tell Wild Animals

• How does the poet suggest that you identify the lion and the tiger? When can you do so according to him?

The Ball Poem

• What does the poet say the boy is learning from the loss of the ball? Try to explain this in your own words.

Amanda

• Why are stanzas 2, 4, and 6 given in parentheses?

• Is Amanda an orphan? Why does she say so?

The Trees

• Where are the trees in the poem? What do their roots, their leaves, and their twigs do?

• Does the poem present a conflict between man and nature?

This Fog

• Does the poet actually say that the fog is like a cat?

The Tale of Custard the Dragon

• Do you find the tale of Custard the Dragon to be a serious or a lighthearted poem?

For Anne Gregory

• What does the young man mean by "great honey-coloured ramparts at your ear"?

A Triumph of Surgery

• Why is Mrs. Pumphrey worried about Tricki?

The Thief’s Story

• What does Hari Singh say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?

The Midnight Visitor

• How is Ausable different from other secret agents?

Question of Trust

• Horace Danby was a meticulous planner but still he faltered. Where did he go wrong and why?

Footprints without Feet

• How did the invisible man first become visible?

The Making of a Scientist

• How did a book become a turning point in Richard Ebright’s life?

The Necklace

• What kind of person is Mathilde Loisel? Why is she always unhappy?

Bholi

• How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life?

The Book That Saved the Earth

• In what ways does Think-Tank misinterpret innocent nursery rhymes as threats to the Martians?