Basic English Grammar rules can be tricky. In this article, we’ll get you started with the basics of sentence structure, punctuation, parts of speech, and more.
We also providing Extra Questions for Class 10 English Chapter wise.
Unseen Passage for Class 10 CBSE With Answers Pdf
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.
1. Gradually emerging as one of the most popular sporting events today, cycling in fact has a long history.
The 1890s were considered to be the golden age of cycling and it is no wonder that cycling rolled onto the modem Olympics scene in 1896 when road cycling and track cycling debuted at the Olympics Games in Athens, Greece.
2. Today, cycling is divided into four main disciplines: road, track, mountain bike and BMX, with the last two events making their first appearances in the recent Games. There are two road cycling events each for men and women. The participants for the road race start at the same time and the first one to cross the finishing line takes away the gold. The length of the men’s route is about 155 miles and the women’s route measures about 87 miles. There are also time trial races where riders sfdrt 90 seconds apart.
3. The competitor who rides the course the fastest, wins. This course is shorter, with the men’s measuring 27 miles and the women’s measuring 18 miles.
4. There are five track cycling events that test a rider’s speed and endurance. The riders use track bikes which have no brakes and fixed wheels that forces the riders to pedal continuously. To stop, riders put pressure on the pedals. The sprint event involves a series of three-lap races in which individuals race head-to-head. There is also a team sprint. In the keirin, riders start the race by following a pacing motorcycle, and then speed to the finishing line. For the team pursuit, two opposing teams start the race on opposite sides of the track.
The team that catches up to the challenger first, or that records the fastest time over the full distance, wins. The fifth event, the Omnium made its Olympic debut in London. In this multiple-race format, individuals compete in six different events on the track.
5. Often considered the latest version of the cycling sports, mountain biking entered the Olympics at the 1996 Games, in Atlanta, Georgia. The contest takes place over a rugged, hilly course in the countryside and involves moderate to high degree of technical riding. It is one of the most extreme forms of cycling where the rider has to ride through rough terrain. Each competition can last up to an hour and 45 minutes. Riders start the race together and must complete a set number of laps. The first competitor to cross the finishing line wins the gold and the glory.
6. The newest of the Olympic cycling events is BMX (bicycle motocross). This high-flying sport first started gaining popularity in the 1960s, in California. It made its second Olympic appearance at the 2012 London Games. The competition was held on a short, outdoor track. Riders started off on a ramp about 26 feet high. The runs lasted only 40 seconds each, but the race was demanding. Riders faced jumps and bumps at every turn. Men competed in a total of four heats and women in three. The top four riders from the men’s semi¬final and the women’s semi-final moved on to the finals. The medals were decided over one last run.
7. The popularity of cycling is gaining momentum each year. All the four cycling events drew big crowds at the 2012 London Olympics.
1.2 On the basis of your reading of the passage, complete the following sentences:
(a) With regard to cycling, the 1890s were considered to be
(b) Cycling became a part of the modem Olympics in
(c) The latest version of the cycling sports is considered to be
1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow. (8 marks)
1. There was a time in India when the birth of a girl child was akin to the coming of the goddess Lakshmi. But now a situation has come when she is not even allowed to be bom into the world. It is a shame that in a developing country like India which had a female president and where several states are being administered by women, cases of female foeticide are on the increase.
2. Female foeticide or simply, sex selective abortion of females is responsible for the gender gap that is . seen in India. In fact, as the UN observes, India is one of the few countries in the world with an adverse child sex ratio in favour of boys. It is primarily the prospect of having to pay a dowry that drives parents to kill their girl child in the foetal stage itself. While sons are supposed to offer security and support to their families in old age, daughters are perceived as a social and economic burden. Besides these reasons, parents are scared about bringing up their daughters in today’s society which is fraught with injustices and atrocities against women.
3. What is more alarming is the fact that in urban areas, cases of female foeticide are more prominent. A major reason attributed to this is the easy availability of diagnostic centres in cities as well as easy access to latest advances in modem medical sciences like amniocentesis and ultrasonography. These tests were initially developed for detection of congenital abnormalities in the foetus, but now they are the major means by which parents come to know the sex of their child. Newspaper reports of foetuses’ being found in dustbins and drains near hospitals are common these days.
4. The gender gap that is seen in the country is evident in the census reports starting from 1991 to 2011. In 1991, the overall sex ratio in India was 947 girls to 1000 boys which dropped down to 927 in 2001. In spite of the progress and changes that are seen in the country, the sex ratio rose by just 0.75% in the 2011 census.
5. The first step towards the eradication of this brutal form of killing would be to bring about a change in the attitude of people. Indian society is still entrenched in patriarchy where the birth of a boy is considered cause for celebration but that of a girl is considered an embarrassment. A change in attitude can be brought about by widespread awareness programmes on the importance and value of a girl child. Workshops and seminars have been organised through voluntary organisations at state, regional, district and block levels to create awareness against this social evil.
6. The Government of India has recently launched a ‘Save the Girl Child Campaign’ to check female foeticide and infanticide. In order to check female foeticide, the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act was formulated in 1994 which laid down the situations in which the use of pre-natal diagnostic techniques is prohibited.
7. It is important for people to realise that the progress of a nation depends upon both its men as well as women. The country needs more women like Saina Nehwal and Arundhati Roy and this will only happen if we let the girl child live.
2.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions.
(a) What has led to the gap among the number of boys and girls in India?
(b) What has the easy access to diagnostic centres in cities resulted in?
(c) Why were amniocentesis and ultrasonography tests initially developed? .
(d) What are the different ways of creating awareness about the importance of girls?
(e) What is the difference between foeticide and infanticide?
2.2 On the basis of your reading of the passage, complete the following sentences:
(a) In India, the birth of a girl child was earlier compared to
(b) Cases of female foeticide is observed more widely in
(c) The Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act laid down the situations