CREST English Olympiad Class 10 Sample Paper

Q.1

Choose the correct meaning of the idiom given in quotes in the sentence:

Kelly was left 'high and dry' by her friends when she lost all her money.

Q.2

Read the passage and fill in the blank:

As the rulers of the planet, humans like to think that it is the large creatures who will emerge victorious from the struggle for survival. However, nature teaches us the opposite; it is often the smallest species which are the toughest and most adaptable. A perfect example is the hummingbird, which is found in the Americas. One species of hummingbird is known as the bee hummingbird, which ranks as the world's smallest and lightest bird, and it is barely visible when it is in flight.
Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards. They feed mainly on the nectar of flowers, a liquid that is rich in energy. Nectar is an ideal food source, for hummingbirds need an incredible amount of energy to sustain their body metabolism. A hummingbird's wings flap at a rate of about 80 times per second, and its tiny heart beats more than 1000 times per minute. This is why they must consume relatively large quantities of food. In the course of a day, a hummingbird consumes about half its body weight in nectar.

The hummingbirds are exclusive in the sense that _______________________________________.

Q.3

Complete the analogy:

fearless : daunt

Q.4

Read the jumbled parts of a sentence and find out which of the four combinations is correct. The first and last sentences have been given already:

1 : A connection had long been suspected
P : since both were at their worst in the
Q : same regions and seasons, but the nature
R : between the abundance of mosquitoes
S : and the occurence of malaria
6 : of this connection had not been understood.

Q.5

Combine the sentences by changing the adjective to a noun. Choose from the following:

"Josephine is a stupid girl. She gets into trouble often."

Q.6

Choose a suitable option which expresses the same sentence in passive/active voice:

The government has launched a massive women's welfare programme in New Orleans.

Q.7

Choose the most suitable option to fill in the blank:

We met a lot of interesting people ________ our holiday.

Q.8

Read the passage and answer the question:

Iron is only one chemical element. Steel, on the other hand, is a mixture of at least two elements-iron and carbon. Steel may have as much as 1.5 percent carbon in it. But the steel we use most often has only 0.2 percent carbon in it. Besides carbon, steel may have small amounts of other metals that have been put into the 'melt' on purpose.
Metals like manganese, found in some forms of iron, can improve the quality of steel. But there are also some elements found in steel which do not belong. An element such as sulfur can ruin steel. Steel makers try their best to get rid of it.
Without the use of steel, the face of the world today would look a lot like the way it did in the middle of the 1800s. We would not have tall skyscrapers, huge steamships, cars, planes and large machines to make life easier.

The manganese found in iron is_________.

Q.9

Read the passage and answer the question:

Tom Hamilton liked his Aunt Prudence. She taught at the university. Her name was Dr. Prudence Hamilton. When she came to Tom's father's farm in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, which is part of the province of British Columbia, she always brought presents. Tom liked her.
He didn’t like her constant companion, Genevieve Trueheart, a dog.
Tom Hamilton was fond of other dogs. He had a dog, a bull terrier called Rusty, a fighter right from the word go. Rusty kept the pheasants out of the garden. He worked for a living. Tom couldn't like Genevieve Trueheart. She was good for nothing. She never even looked like a dog. She was a great big soft wheezing lazy wagging monster, a great big useless lump.

Which of the following DOES NOT describe Genevieve Trueheart?

Q.10

Read the passage and answer the question:

Sails are usually found on boats. But even without a boat, a sail can be useful. In winter, you can use a sail when you are on ice skates. If the ice is smooth and there is a good wind, you can have lots of fun. The sail will propel you across the ice at great speeds. You can use it at other times of the year, too. Try using one when you're on roller skates or on a skateboard. If you have a surfboard or a small rowboat, you can also have fun with a sail.
To make a sail, you need a double bed sheet and a T-shaped frame. Put the frame together from two light sticks. Sew your bed sheet to the frame. It will look like a triangle when it is finished. As a rule, the sail should be as tall as you. Quite a lot of sewing is needed. You may need someone to help you with the sewing.
How long you hold the sail is up to you. Put handholds where you want them or just hold on to the frame. To use it with a boat or surfboard, rig up a kind of mast and attach your sail to it.

To make a sail, you must sew the bed sheet to the _________.