Read the following passage carefully and answer the questio…

Q1. [10]

(1) Silk is a natural protein fibre, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. Silk has a long history in India. It is known as Resham in eastern and northern India, and Pattu in the southern parts of India. India is the second largest producer of silk in the world after China. (2) Silk is renowned for its luxurious qualities with a natural soft and smooth texture that feels comfortable on the skin. One of its unique qualities is to absorb and release moisture, regulating the body temperature, and keeping the wearer cool and dry. (3) Silk is one of the strongest natural fibres, but it loses up to 20% of its strength when wet. Its elasticity is moderate to poor: if elongated even a small amount, it remains stretched. It can be weakened if exposed to too much sunlight. It may also be attacked by insects, especially if left dirty. (4) The process of silk production is known as sericulture. Silk is produced by several insects; but, generally, only the silk of moth caterpillars has been used for textile manufacturing. To produce 1 kg of silk, 104 kg of mulberry leaves must be eaten by 3000 silkworms. (5) So what makes silk so costly ? Firstly, cultivation of silk is a labour-intensive work. Secondly, the silk fabric is carefully derived from the larva of the silkworms which spin silk threads around themselves to make cocoons from natural sources. This makes the production limited due to factors like — climate, availability of quality mulberry leaves and time required by silkworms to complete their lifecycle. Thirdly, the intensive work can only be carried out with specialized knowledge and expertise by skilled artisans and craftsmanship. Lastly, superior quality silk fabrics are made from long and uniform silk fibres giving them a smooth and lustrous appearance. Thus, production requires careful selection, adding to the cost. In 2021, Karnataka was the highest producer of raw silk at 8483 metric tonnes followed by Andhra Pradesh at 5520 metric tonnes with Assam close behind at 5038 metric tonnes. At the other end of the spectrum there was Chhattisgarh (248 metric tonnes), Nagaland (230 metric tonnes) and UP trailed behind at 179 metric tonnes.

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions based on it.

(i) What does the phrase 'luxurious qualities' in paragraph (2) tell you about the silk fabric ? Write in 40 words with evidence from the text. [2]
(ii) Select the option that is true for the assertion and reason given below. Assertion : Silk production requires careful selection. Reason : Long and uniform silk fibres give silk a glossy appearance. [1]
1. A Both the assertion and the reason are true, and the reason is the correct explanation of the assertion.
2. B Both the assertion and the reason are true, but the reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
3. C The assertion is true, but the reason is false.
4. D The assertion is false, but the reason is true.
(iii) Justify the following statement : Silk whispers luxury! Its price reflects not just its rarity but the value of the meticulous process behind its creation. [1]
(iv) According to the passage, mention the top two countries that produce silk. [1]
(v) ''Factors like climate, availability of quality mulberry leaves and time required by silkworms to complete their lifecycle are important factors for the production of silk.'' State any one inference that can be drawn from this. [1]
(vi) Complete the following with a suitable reason from the text : Though silk is considered one of the strongest fibres, it is _________. [1]
(vii) Based on the given text, mention the states which produced the most and the least amount of raw silk in India in the year 2021. [1]
(viii) Complete the sentence suitably. 104 kgs of mulberry leaves eaten by 3000 silkworms results in ___________. [1]
(ix) With reference to the given passage, give one reason why silk production is considered labour-intensive. [1]

Previously asked in CBSE board exam

2025 2/1/1 Q2

Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:09 · grounding stimulus

Model Answer

(i) The phrase 'luxurious qualities' tells us that silk is an exceptionally fine and comfortable fabric. Evidence: it has "a natural soft and smooth texture that feels comfortable on the skin" and uniquely absorbs and releases moisture, regulating body temperature, keeping the wearer cool and dry.

(ii) A — Both the assertion and the reason are true, and the reason is the correct explanation of the assertion. (Long and uniform silk fibres give a smooth and lustrous appearance, making careful selection necessary, which adds to the cost.)

(iii) Silk is costly because its production is labour-intensive, requires skilled artisans with specialised knowledge, depends on natural factors like climate and mulberry leaf availability, and demands careful selection of long and uniform fibres — all making the creation meticulous and rare.

(iv) The top two silk-producing countries are China (largest) and India (second largest).

(v) Silk production is highly dependent on natural and environmental conditions, making it seasonal and geographically limited, which restricts output and contributes to silk's scarcity and high cost.

(vi) Though silk is considered one of the strongest fibres, it is not without weaknesses — it loses up to 20% of its strength when wet, has poor elasticity, can be weakened by sunlight, and may be attacked by insects.

(vii) Most: Karnataka (8483 metric tonnes); Least: Uttar Pradesh (179 metric tonnes).

(viii) 104 kg of mulberry leaves eaten by 3000 silkworms results in the production of 1 kg of silk.

(ix) Silk production requires specialised knowledge and expertise of skilled artisans and craftsmanship, making the entire process intensive in human effort and skill.

Source: Passage on Silk — paragraphs (1)–(5) and statistical data

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Explanation

(i) needs textual evidence — quote directly from paragraph 2. 40 words is the limit; don't exceed.
(ii) Option A is correct because paragraph 5 explicitly links careful selection to long/uniform fibres and lustrous appearance — the reason directly explains the assertion.
(iii) Justify means give reasons from the text; link labour, skill, natural dependency, and careful selection briefly.
(iv) Straight factual recall from paragraph 1.
(v) "Inference" = a logical conclusion drawn from the fact; here, it points to natural/seasonal limitations affecting production volume and cost.
(vi) Fill the blank with limitations listed in paragraph 3 — examiner expects at least one specific weakness.
(vii) Read the data table carefully: highest = Karnataka, lowest = UP.
(viii) Direct figure from paragraph 4 — just flip the statement.
(ix) Pick one clear reason from paragraph 5; skilled artisans/specialised knowledge is the most direct answer.

English Language & Literature — CBSE Class 10 board question