CBSE Class 10 English Syllabus

What playful behaviour of Mij is described in 'Mijbil the Otter'?

Mij invents games with a ball and marbles, and becomes obsessed with the bathroom water, turning on the tap and splashing about with great joy.

In 'Madam Rides the Bus', who is Valli and what is her great desire?

Valli is a curious eight-year-old girl whose greatest wish is to ride the bus that passes through her village to the town and back.

In 'Madam Rides the Bus', what disturbing sight changes Valli's mood during her journey?

She sees a dead cow lying on the road, killed by a bus; this gives her a glimpse of the sad reality of life and death, dampening her earlier excitement.

What is the central theme of 'Madam Rides the Bus'?

A child's curiosity, independence, and self-reliance; Valli plans her secret trip carefully and refuses help, showing maturity beyond her years, while gaining insight into life's joys and sorrows.

In 'The Sermon at Benares', who was Kisa Gotami and what tragedy befell her?

Kisa Gotami was a woman whose only son died; grief-stricken, she carried his dead body from house to house begging for medicine to bring him back to life.

In 'The Sermon at Benares', what does the Buddha ask Kisa Gotami to fetch, and what does she learn?

The Buddha asks her to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one has ever died. Finding no such house, she learns that death is common to all and inevitable.

What is the central teaching of the Buddha in 'The Sermon at Benares'?

Death is unavoidable for all living beings; grieving and weeping only bring pain and harm the body. One must overcome sorrow, accept impermanence, and find peace by giving up lamentation.

In Chekhov's 'The Proposal', name the three main characters and the central conflict.

Lomov, Natalya Stepanovna, and her father Chubukov. Lomov comes to propose to Natalya, but they repeatedly quarrel—first over the ownership of Oxen Meadows, then over whose dog is better.

In 'The Proposal', what are the two main disputes that interrupt the marriage proposal?

A quarrel over the ownership of the disputed land called 'Oxen Meadows', and an argument over which dog is superior—Lomov's 'Guess' or Natalya's 'Squeezer'.

How does 'The Proposal' by Chekhov end?

Lomov nearly faints from agitation during a dog quarrel; Chubukov hurriedly joins Lomov's and Natalya's hands and gives his blessing, and the couple immediately resume bickering even after agreeing to marry.

In 'A Triumph of Surgery' by James Herriot, what is wrong with Tricki the dog?

Tricki is grossly overfed and pampered by Mrs Pumphrey; he has become hugely fat, listless, and ill due to overeating and lack of exercise.

In 'A Triumph of Surgery', how does Dr Herriot cure Tricki, and why does he call it a 'triumph of surgery'?

He takes Tricki to his surgery, puts him on a strict diet with plenty of exercise and no extra food; Tricki recovers fully. Herriot ironically calls the diet-and-exercise cure a 'triumph of surgery' though no operation was done.

In 'The Thief's Story' by Ruskin Bond, who is the thief and who is Anil?

The narrator is a 15-year-old thief (calling himself Hari Singh); Anil is the easy-going young writer who befriends, feeds, and teaches him cooking and reading/writing.

In 'The Thief's Story', why does Hari Singh return the money he stole from Anil?

Realising that being literate and educated would help him more than stolen money, and moved by Anil's trust and kindness, he returns the stolen notes before Anil wakes, choosing reform over crime.

In 'The Midnight Visitor' by Robert Arthur, how does Ausable outwit Max?

Ausable, an unimpressive-looking secret agent, invents a story about a non-existent balcony outside his window; the armed Max, believing the police are knocking, climbs out the window to escape and falls to his presumed death.

What does 'The Midnight Visitor' reveal about Ausable's character versus expectations?

Though Ausable does not fit the romantic image of a spy (fat, dull, with a French accent), he proves to be a clever, witty agent who defeats his enemy through presence of mind rather than action.

In 'A Question of Trust' by Victor Canning, what ironic theft happens to Horace Danby?

Horace Danby, a respectable safe-cracker, is fooled by a charming woman pretending to be the house owner's wife; he opens the safe for her, and she walks off with the jewels, later framing him for the theft.

What is the central irony in 'A Question of Trust'?

Horace Danby, a thief who never told a lie, trusted a stranger and was robbed by a smarter thief—proving that even among thieves, trust can be misplaced, and 'honour among thieves' does not exist.

In 'Footprints Without Feet' by H.G. Wells, who is the invisible man and how does his invisibility first become noticeable?

Griffin, a brilliant but lawless scientist, makes himself invisible. His presence is first noticed by two boys in London who see fresh muddy footprints appearing on their own.

In 'Footprints Without Feet', how does Griffin misuse his invisibility?

He steals, sets a landlord's house on fire, robs a clergyman and Mr Hall's inn, and assaults people—becoming a lawless, wandering criminal rather than using his discovery for good.

In 'The Making of a Scientist' by Robert W. Peterson, who is Richard Ebright and what early hobby shaped him?

Richard Ebright was a brilliant scientist who, as a child, collected butterflies and later all 25 species of butterflies found around his hometown, sparking his lifelong scientific curiosity.

In 'The Making of a Scientist', what major scientific discovery did Richard Ebright make?

He discovered the hormone-like chemical/mechanism behind cell function—identifying how a cell can read the blueprint of its DNA—based on his theory about the cell and the gold spots on a monarch pupa.

According to 'The Making of a Scientist', what ingredients made Richard Ebright a great scientist?

A first-rate mind, curiosity, the will to win for the right reasons, and a competitive spirit—plus the encouragement of his mother and inspiring teachers and science fairs.

In 'The Necklace' by Guy de Maupassant, who is Matilda Loisel and what does she borrow?

Matilda Loisel is a beautiful but dissatisfied woman who longs for wealth; she borrows a diamond necklace from her rich friend Madame Forestier to wear to a grand ball.

In 'The Necklace', what happens after Matilda loses the borrowed necklace?

She and her husband buy a real diamond necklace for 36,000 francs to replace it, plunging into debt and toiling in poverty for ten years to repay the loan.

What is the shocking twist at the end of 'The Necklace'?

After ten years of hardship, Matilda learns from Madame Forestier that the original lost necklace was a fake, worth at most 500 francs—revealing the futility of her sacrifice and her vanity.

In 'The Hack Driver' by Sinclair Lewis, who does the narrator hire to find Oliver Lutkins?

The narrator, a young lawyer's assistant, hires a friendly hack (taxi) driver named Bill to help him serve a summons on Oliver Lutkins in the town of New Mullion.

What is the twist in 'The Hack Driver'?

Bill the hack driver, who drove the narrator all over town searching for Lutkins, was Oliver Lutkins himself; the narrator only realises this on a later visit when Lutkins' own mother identifies them both.

In 'Bholi' by K.A. Abbas, who is Bholi and what difficulties does she face?

Bholi (real name Sulekha) is a backward, neglected girl who is slow to learn, stammers, and has pock-marks on her face; she is considered a burden and the least cared-for child in her family.

How does education transform Bholi, and how does she assert herself at the end?

School and her kind teacher give Bholi confidence and speech. At her wedding, when her greedy bridegroom Bishamber demands a dowry, Bholi courageously refuses to marry him and chooses to serve her parents and teach instead.

In 'The Book That Saved the Earth' by Claire Boiko, how is Earth saved from a Martian invasion?

A book—Mother Goose nursery rhymes—is misinterpreted by the Martian invaders (led by Think-Tank). They mistake the rhymes (like 'Humpty Dumpty' and 'jack and Jill') as proof of Earth's powerful weapons and flee in fear, saving the planet.

In 'The Book That Saved the Earth', who is Think-Tank and what is the play's setting/theme?

Think-Tank is the conceited, foolish Martian commander. Set in the 25th century, the play humorously shows the importance of books and the danger of arrogance and misinterpreting knowledge.