Sacred trees form an important part of the ecological heritage of India. Most temples,
towns, villages-and sometimes even Muslim dargahs – are associated with trees. Some
plants are sacred to the individual deity; others are sacred to the place. Several plants have
been worshipped in India from time immemorial. Wherever the tulsi grows – from the
Indo-Gangetic plains to the shores of the Indian Ocean at Kanyakumari-it occupies a
position of pride in the central courtyard of the house, tended to, carefully, by the
housewife.
Apart from the elaborate myths connecting it to Krishna, the tulsi plant has several
medicinal properties.To protect and revere this plant with so many medicinal properties, it
was designated as sacred, a fitting tribute to its role in providing invaluable healthcare.
The worship of plants is an ancient phenomenon in India. It is probably the oldest form of
worship. The association of a single tree with a sacred sthala or sthana is reflected in the
chaitya vriksha and sthala vriksha or literature and society.
When people turned to food production, the Mother Goddess or the Earth Mother became
the chief deity. Fertility, creation and the world of plants and animals became her
blessings to her devotees. The worship of the tree was the adoration of her creative
abilities, symbolising fertility so essential or the survival of the early people. Spirits-good
or bad-were believed to reside in trees. If the trees were worshipped, then the resident
spirits were pleased. As sacred forests were replaced by agriculture, a single tree was left
and was designated as “sacred tree”
The earliest temples were little more than images placed under trees. Later. the tree and
the image were enclosed by a fence made of wood, followed even by stone. Numerous
references are made in literature to trees as abodes of gods. b)The worship of plants is an __________________________phenomenon in India.
(i)Ancient (ii) invaluable (iii) immemorial (iv) elaborate
Answers
CLASS X (2019-20)
ENGLISH (CODE 0184)
SAMPLE PAPER-3
Time Allowed : 3 Hours Maximum Marks : 80
General Instructions :
(i) This paper is divided into three sections: A, B and C. All questions are compulsory.
(ii) Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read these instructions very
carefully and follow them.
(iii) Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions
SECTION A - READING (20 MARKS)
1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions
that follow: (8 Marks)
1. Sacred trees form an important part of the
ecological heritage of India. Most temples, towns,
villages—and sometimes even Muslim dargahs—
are associated with trees. Some plants are sacred
to the individual deity; others are sacred to the
place... Several plants have been worshipped in
India from time immemorial. Wherever the tulsi
grows—from the Indo-Gangetic plains to the
shores of the Indian Ocean at Kanyakumari—
it occupies a position of pride in the central
courtyard of the house, tended to, carefully, by
the housewife.
2. Apart from the elaborate myths connecting it
to Krishna, the tulsi plant has several medicinal
properties. To protect and revere this plant with
so many medicinal properties, it was designated
as sacred, a fitting tribute to its role in providing
invaluable healthcare. The worship of plants is an
ancient phenomenon in India. It is probably the
oldest form of worship. The association of a single
tree with a sacred sthala or sthana is reflected in
the chaitya vriksha and sthala vriksha or literature
and society.
3. When people turned to food production, the
Mother Goddess or the Earth Mother became
the chief deity. Fertility, creation, and the world
of plants and animals became her blessings to
her devotees. The worship of the tree was the
adoration of her creative abilities, symbolising
fertility so essential or the survival of the early
people. Spirits—good or bad—were believed to
reside in trees. If the trees were worshipped, then
the resident spirits were pleased. As sacred forests
were replaced by agriculture, a single tree was left
and was designated as ‘sacred’ tree.
4. The earliest temples were little more than images
placed under trees. Later, the tree and the image
were enclosed by a fence made of wood, followed
even by stone. Numerous references are made in
literature to trees as abodes of gods.
1.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage given
above, answer the following questions.(1 × 8 = 8)
(a) _____ form an important part of the ecological
heritage of India.
(i) Indo-gangetic plains (ii) Mother Goddess
(iii) Sacred trees (iv) Kanyalcumari
(b) The worship of plants is an _____ phenomenon
in India.
(i) ancient (ii) invaluable
(iii) immemorial (iv) elaborate
(c) The _____ has several medicinal properties
(i) chaitya vriksha (ii) sthala variksha
(iii) tulsi plant (iv) sacred tree
(d) Tulsi was designated as sacred
(i) to protect it
(ii) to respect it
(iii) as it has many medicinal properties
(iv) all of these
(e) The most important things given by the mother
Earth to us are:
(i) air and fire (ii) creative abilities
(iii) plants and animals (iv) spirits
(f ) All trees except one were felled down by the early
people for:
(i) their shelter (ii) agriculture
(iii) earning money (iv) fuel
(g) A single tree left by the early people which was
designated as _____
(h) The worship of plants has been started by the
modern people. (True/False)
Ans :
(a) (iii) Sacred trees
(b) (i) ancient
(c) (iii) tulsi plant
(d) (iv) all of these
(e) (iii) plants and animals
(f) (ii) agriculture
(g) Sacred
(h) False
2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions
that follow: (12 Marks)
1. The time is now to save these magnificent cats,
before they vanish from the earth forever. There
is little time left to preserve these animals;
immediate action is required.
2. I cannot imagine, nor would I wish to live in a
world without tigers... without these magnificent
creatures in our forests living free–without captive
populations carrying on the gene pool. The power
and beauty of these animals is indisputable. Tigers
are an integral part of the ecosystem, as, they are
a major link in the food chain. Tigers have been
bestowed magical and supernatural properties
by many societies, and have also been revered as
gods. All living creatures of mother earth depend