Read the following passage carefully and answer the followi…

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 following questions, based on the above passage:

(i) Silk is a popular fabric in India. Support the above statement 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 feels comfortable to the skin. Reason: It made of natural protein fibre. [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: Though one of the strongest natural fibres, silk remains stretched. [1]
(iv) According to the passage, in what way is sunlight harmful to silk? [1]
(v) "To produce 1 kg of silk, 104 kg of mulberry leaves must be eaten by 3000 silkworms." State any one inference that can be drawn from the above statement. [1]
(vi) Complete the following with one suitable reason from the text: Silk production work can be carried out by skilled artisans because _________. [1]
(vii) Based on the given text, which state was the smallest producer of silk. [1]
(viii) Complete the sentence suitably. To carry out silk production requires careful selection because ___________. [1]
(ix) Give one reason to support why production of silk is limited. [1]

Previously asked in CBSE board exam

2025 2/3/1 Q2

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

Model Answer

(i) Silk has a long history in India and is popular across regions. It is called Resham in eastern and northern India and Pattu in southern India, showing its widespread cultural presence. India is also the second largest producer of silk in the world.

(ii) B — Both the assertion and the reason are true, but the reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion. Silk feels comfortable because of its natural soft and smooth texture, not merely because it is a protein fibre.

(iii) Although silk is one of the strongest natural fibres, its elasticity is moderate to poor. If elongated even a small amount, it remains stretched and does not return to its original shape.

(iv) Exposure to too much sunlight can weaken silk, reducing its strength and durability.

(v) Silk production is extremely resource-intensive; a very large quantity of raw material (mulberry leaves) and a large number of silkworms are needed to produce even a small amount of silk.

(vi) Silk production work can be carried out by skilled artisans because it requires specialised knowledge, expertise, and craftsmanship.

(vii) Uttar Pradesh (UP) was the smallest producer of silk in 2021, producing only 179 metric tonnes.

(viii) To carry out silk production requires careful selection because superior quality silk fabrics are made from long and uniform silk fibres, giving them a smooth and lustrous appearance.

(ix) Silk production is limited because it depends on factors like climate, availability of quality mulberry leaves, and the time required by silkworms to complete their lifecycle.

Source: Passage on Silk / Sericulture

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Explanation

(i) Two pieces of evidence are needed for 2 marks — regional names and India's global rank both count.
(ii) The comfort comes from the texture (para 2), not from being a protein fibre — so the reason doesn't explain the assertion. Choose B.
(iii) Quote/paraphrase directly from para 3 on elasticity.
(iv) One-line answer quoting para 3 is sufficient for 1 mark.
(v) An inference means drawing a logical conclusion — here it's about how resource-heavy silk production is.
(vi) Complete the sentence using the exact phrase from para 5 about specialised knowledge.
(vii) Read the data carefully — UP at 179 MT is the lowest figure listed.
(viii) The sentence completion answer is directly in para 5 (last point).
(ix) Pick any one factor from para 5 — climate, mulberry leaves, or lifecycle time.

English Language & Literature — CBSE Class 10 board question