Maharashtra Board Class 10 English 03-N-874 2024 Question Paper (Available): Download Question Paper with Answer Key And Solutions PDF

Step 1: Understanding the Question:

The question requires us to determine if the statement "Steve Jobs was diagnosed with cancer" is true or false based on the provided passage.


Step 2: Locating Relevant Information in the Passage:

We need to scan the passage for information about Steve Jobs and a cancer diagnosis.

The very first sentence of the passage states: "About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer." The narrator of this passage is Steve Jobs.


Step 3: Evaluating the Statement:

The statement directly matches the information given in the first sentence of the passage.

Therefore, the statement is True.


Step 4: Final Answer:

The statement is True.
Quick Tip: For True/False questions, always locate the exact sentence or phrase in the passage that supports or contradicts the statement. Don't rely on prior knowledge outside the given text.

Step 1: Understanding the Question:

We need to verify the truthfulness of the statement "We should be trapped by dogma" according to the passage.


Step 2: Locating Relevant Information in the Passage:

The passage gives several pieces of advice. We look for the keyword 'dogma'.

The third paragraph explicitly states: "Don't be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people's thinking..."


Step 3: Evaluating the Statement:

The passage gives a direct command *not* to be trapped by dogma. The statement says we *should* be trapped by dogma. This is a direct contradiction.

Therefore, the statement is False.


Step 4: Final Answer:

The statement is False.
Quick Tip: Pay close attention to negative words like 'not', 'don't', or 'never' in both the passage and the question. They can completely reverse the meaning of a statement.

Step 1: Understanding the Question:

The question asks whether the passage supports the idea of having the courage to follow one's heart and intuition.


Step 2: Locating Relevant Information in the Passage:

We search the passage for keywords like 'courage', 'heart', and 'intuition'.

The fourth paragraph begins with: "And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."


Step 3: Evaluating the Statement:

The statement is an exact quote of the advice given in the passage.

Therefore, the statement is True.


Step 4: Final Answer:

The statement is True.
Quick Tip: Statements in comprehension questions are often direct quotes or paraphrases of the text. If you find an exact match, your answer is likely straightforward.

Step 1: Understanding the Question:

We need to determine if the statement "Our time is unlimited" is true or false based on the passage's message.


Step 2: Locating Relevant Information in the Passage:

We look for phrases related to time and its limits.

The second paragraph contains the sentence: "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."


Step 3: Evaluating the Statement:

The passage explicitly states that time is "limited". The statement claims time is "unlimited". This is a direct opposite.

Therefore, the statement is False.


Step 4: Final Answer:

The statement is False.
Quick Tip: Synonyms and antonyms are often used in comprehension questions. 'Limited' is the antonym of 'unlimited'. Recognizing this relationship can help you answer quickly.

Step 1: Understanding the Question:

The task is to complete a web diagram by identifying the life lessons shared by Steve Jobs in the passage. Two lessons are already provided. We need to find four more.


Step 2: Identifying Life Lessons in the Passage:

By reading the passage carefully, we can extract the key pieces of advice or "life lessons":

1. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." (Partially given)

2. "Don't be trapped by dogma..."

3. "...Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice." (Partially given)

4. "...have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."

5. "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish." (This is presented as a wish and a guiding philosophy.)


Step 3: Filling the Web Diagram:

Based on the lessons identified, we can fill the empty boxes in the web.

1. Your time is limited.

2. Don't waste time living someone else's life (Given).

3. Don't be trapped by dogma.

4. Let other's opinion not drown out our inner voice (Given, rephrased from the passage).

5. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

6. Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.
Quick Tip: When asked to summarize points in a diagram, look for imperative sentences (commands/advice) in the text. They often directly state the key messages or lessons.

Step 1: Understanding the Question:

The task is to complete the given sentence by finding the relevant information from the passage.


Step 2: Locating the Information:

The passage states, "And he was only fifteen and the best table-tennis player in the school and the fastest runner."


Step 3: Completing the Sentence:

Based on the text, the sentence can be completed as follows:

He was only fifteen and the best table-tennis player in the school and the fastest runner.
Quick Tip: For sentence completion tasks, look for the exact starting phrase in the passage. The words that follow are usually the answer you need.

Step 1: Understanding the Question:

We need to find the concluding part of the sentence "Her apartment was not big but..." from the provided text.


Step 2: Locating the Information:

The last sentence of the passage reads: "Her apartment was not big but there was always room for them."


Step 3: Completing the Sentence:

The completed sentence is:

Her apartment was not big but there was always room for them.
Quick Tip: Pay attention to conjunctions like 'but', 'and', or 'so' in the question. They are strong indicators of where to look in the passage to find the rest of the sentence.

Step 1: Understanding the Question:

The goal is to complete the sentence starting with "Whenever they came to Bombay" using information from the passage.


Step 2: Locating the Information:

The second to last sentence of the passage is: "Whenever they came to Bombay they stayed with Aunt Sushila."


Step 3: Completing the Sentence:

The completed sentence is:

Whenever they came to Bombay they stayed with Aunt Sushila.
Quick Tip: Scanning the text for keywords from the incomplete sentence is an effective strategy to quickly locate the required information. Here, the keyword is "Bombay".

Step 1: Understanding the Question:

We need to complete the given sentence about Anant's ability to compose tunes by finding the rest of the information in the passage.


Step 2: Locating the Information:

The passage states: "He was already able to compose his own tunes to the astonishment of their guru."


Step 3: Completing the Sentence:

The completed sentence is:

He was already able to compose his own tunes to the astonishment of their guru.
Quick Tip: Always read the full sentence in the passage to understand the context, which ensures you provide a complete and accurate answer.

Step 1: Understanding the Question:

The question asks for the reason behind Smita's nervousness or distress. The passage uses the phrase "bit her lip in self-reproach," which indicates this feeling.


Step 2: Analyzing the Passage:

The passage states, "Smita bit her lip in self-reproach. She had been so excited at seeing the announcement that she had not remembered that her brother was very ill."

This shows a sequence of events:

1. Smita saw an announcement and got excited.

2. In her excitement, she momentarily forgot about her brother's severe illness.

3. When she remembered, she felt guilty and distressed ("self-reproach").

This sudden, guilty remembrance of the harsh reality of her brother's condition, after a moment of excitement, made her nervous.


Step 3: Final Answer:

Smita became nervous because she had been very excited after seeing an announcement, and in that excitement, she had forgotten that her brother, Anant, was very ill. When she remembered his condition, she felt a pang of guilt and self-reproach, which made her nervous.
Quick Tip: To answer 'why' questions, look for cause-and-effect relationships in the text. Words like 'because', 'so that', or phrases indicating reasons will point you to the answer.

Step 1: Understanding the Question:

The question asks to identify four things from the poetic extract that cause suffering, pain, or sadness to human beings.


Step 2: Locating Information in the Extract:

The poem lists several negative aspects of life that cause sorrow, stating that beauty helps us overcome them. The lines are:

"Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,

Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkened ways

Made for our searching..."


Step 3: Identifying Four Things:

From these lines, we can list the causes of suffering:

1. Despondence: A state of low spirits caused by loss of hope or courage.

2. Inhuman dearth of noble natures: A lack of good, kind-hearted people.

3. Gloomy days: Sad and depressing times.

4. Unhealthy and o'er-darkened ways: The difficulties and negative paths we encounter in life.


Step 4: Completing the Web:

The four things that cause suffering and pain are:

- Despondence

- Gloomy days

- Inhuman dearth of noble natures

- Unhealthy and o'er-darkened ways
Quick Tip: In poetry, look for words with negative connotations (like 'despondence', 'gloomy', 'darkened') to identify sources of pain and suffering. The poet often contrasts these with positive elements.

Step 1: Understanding the Question:

The question asks us to identify two effects or impacts that beautiful things have on human beings, according to the poem.


Step 2: Locating Information in the Extract:

The poem describes the positive effects of beauty in several places.

- Lines 3-5: "...but still will keep / A bower quiet for us, and a sleep / Full of sweet dreams, and health and quiet breathing." This describes beauty providing a peaceful refuge, good sleep, and health.

- Lines 12-13: "Some shape of beauty moves away the pall / From our dark spirits." This means beauty removes sadness and negativity from our minds.


Step 3: Listing Two Impacts:

Based on the text, we can list the following impacts:

% Option
(i) It removes the pall from our dark spirits. (It removes sadness and negativity).

% Option
(ii) It provides a quiet bower for us. (It gives us a peaceful, shady place for rest).

(Another valid answer could be: It gives us a sleep full of sweet dreams, health, and quiet breathing.)
Quick Tip: When a question asks for "impacts" or "effects," look for verbs in the text that show what the subject (in this case, "a thing of beauty") does to or for us. Words like "keep," "moves away," "provides" are good indicators.

Step 1: Understanding the Question:

The task is to determine the rhyme scheme of the first four lines of the given poem.


Step 2: Key Concept: Rhyme Scheme:

A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with the same letter all rhyme with each other.


Step 3: Analyzing the First Four Lines:

Let's look at the last word of each of the first four lines:

1. A thing of beauty is a joy for ever : (Let's label this 'a')

2. Its loveliness increases; it will never : (Rhymes with 'ever', so this is also 'a')

3. Pass into nothingness; but still will keep : (Does not rhyme with 'ever', so this is 'b')

4. A bower quiet for us, and a sleep : (Rhymes with 'keep', so this is also 'b')


Step 4: Final Answer:

The pattern formed is aabb. Therefore, the rhyme scheme of the first four lines is aabb.
Quick Tip: To find the rhyme scheme, assign the letter 'a' to the last word of the first line. For each subsequent line, if the last word rhymes with a previous line's last word, assign it the same letter. If it doesn't rhyme with any previous line, assign it a new letter ('b', 'c', etc.).

Appreciation of the Poem: 'All the World's a Stage'


The poem 'All the World's a Stage' is a famous monologue from William Shakespeare's play 'As You Like It'. The title itself introduces the central metaphor of the poem. The poet, the legendary William Shakespeare, masterfully compares life to a theatrical play. The poem is written in blank verse, which means it is in iambic pentameter but does not have a consistent rhyme scheme, so it is considered free verse. The most prominent figure of speech is the Metaphor, which is established in the very first line, "All the world's a stage," and is extended throughout the poem by comparing men and women to "players" and the phases of life to "acts". Other figures of speech include Simile, as seen in "creeping like snail" and "Sighing like furnace," which create vivid imagery. Repetition is used effectively in the last line ("sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything") to emphasize the complete loss at the end of life. The central idea of the poem is the transient and cyclical nature of human life. Shakespeare divides a man's life into seven distinct stages, from infancy to old age, showing how a person's roles, responsibilities, and physical attributes change over time, ultimately leading to a state of helplessness similar to where life began. The theme reflects on the temporary nature of human existence and the universal journey that every individual undertakes.
Quick Tip: When writing a poem appreciation, structure your paragraph around the given points. Start with the title and poet, then discuss the technical aspects like rhyme scheme and figures of speech, and finally, conclude with the deeper meaning or central theme of the poem.

Step 1: Understanding the Question:

The task is to match the achievements or qualifications in Column A with the corresponding institutions or organizations in Column B, based on the information provided in the passage.


Step 2: Locating Information and Matching:

- (i) Rocket programming: The passage states, "He joined ISRO in 1982 and worked on almost all rocket programmes." This links rocket programming to ISRO. So, (i) matches with (b).

- (ii) Graduation: The passage mentions, "After graduating from S.T. Hindu College in Nagercoil...". This links graduation to S.T. Hindu College. So, (ii) matches with (c).

- (iii) Masters in Engineering: The passage says, "...Sivan completed a Master's in Engineering from IISC in 1982." This links the Master's degree to IISC. So, (iii) matches with (d).

- (iv) Ph.D: The passage states, "In 2006, he received Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Bombay." This links the Ph.D to IIT (Bombay). So, (iv) matches with (a).


Step 3: Final Answer:

The correct pairs are:

% Option
(i) Rocket programming - (b) ISRO

% Option
(ii) Graduation - (c) S.T. Hindu College

% Option
(iii) Masters in Engineering - (d) IISC

% Option
(iv) Ph.D - (a) IIT (Bombay)
Quick Tip: For matching questions based on a passage, scan the text for the keywords from one column (e.g., 'Graduation', 'Ph.D') and then find the associated name or place mentioned in the same sentence.

Step 1: Understanding the Questions:

The task is to provide short, precise answers to four factual questions based on the passage.


Step 2: Finding the Answers in the Passage:

- (i): The last sentence of the passage states, "He is known as ISRO's 'Rocket Man'."

- (ii): The passage quotes Dr. Sivan: "...completed my B.Sc (Mathematics) with 100% marks..."

- (iii): The passage mentions, "He joined ISRO in 1982..."

- (iv): The passage says, "...he was the director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)..."


Step 3: Final Answers:

% Option
(i) ISRO's 'Rocket Man'

% Option
(ii) Mathematics

% Option
(iii) 1982

% Option
(iv) Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)
Quick Tip: When the question asks for an answer in "one or two words," extract only the key information and avoid writing a full sentence.

Step 1: Understanding the Question:

First, match the words from column A to column B to form compound phrases found in the passage. Second, use one of these phrases in a new sentence.


Step 2: Matching the Words:

- The passage says, "Sivan studied in a Tamil medium government school." This shows 'Tamil' connects with 'Medium'.

- The same sentence shows 'Government' connects with 'School'.

- Matches: (i) Tamil - (b) Medium, (ii) Government - (a) School.


Step 3: Using a Connector in a Sentence:

We can use the phrase "government school".

- Sentence: Many brilliant students in our country receive their early education from a government school.

(Alternatively, using "Tamil medium": Children who study in a Tamil medium school find it easy to communicate with the local people.)
Quick Tip: Word connectors or collocations are words that frequently appear together. When asked to use one in a sentence, ensure the new sentence is grammatically correct and makes sense.

Dr. Sivan's success story is a powerful source of inspiration. The primary lesson we can draw is that poverty and humble beginnings cannot be a barrier to achieving great success if one has determination and works hard. He came from a poor farmer's family and even worked in the fields to support them, but he never gave up on his education. His journey shows the importance of perseverance.


Secondly, his story highlights the value of education as a tool for empowerment. Despite studying in a Tamil medium government school and facing financial hardships, he pursued higher education relentlessly, eventually earning a Ph.D. from a prestigious institution like IIT Bombay. This inspires us to value education and seize every opportunity to learn.


Finally, Dr. Sivan's life teaches us to remain humble and connected to our roots. Even after reaching the pinnacle of his career as the ISRO chairman, he speaks openly about his simple childhood, inspiring us to be proud of our journey and never forget where we came from. His dedication, humility, and hard work are qualities that everyone can aspire to emulate.
Quick Tip: For personal response questions about inspiration, structure your answer by identifying 2-3 key values or lessons from the person's life. Use phrases like "The primary lesson is...", "Secondly...", and "Finally..." to organize your points.