CBSE Board Question Paper 2009
ENGLISH (Language and Literature)
[SET – I]
[Time allowed: 3 hours] [Maximum marks: 100]
General Instructions:
(i) This paper consists of four sections:
Section A Reading 20 marks
Section B Writing 20 marks
Section C Grammar 15 marks
Section D Text Books 45 marks
(ii) All questions are compulsory.
(iii) Marks are indicated against question.
SECTION – A (Reading) [20]
Q1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: 12
1. Bhutan is the most appropriate place to visit if one is seeking peace, one’s youth and discovery. October – November is the right time to pay a visit to this beautiful neighbor. Its blue skies, magnificent snow views, crisp mountain air and remarkably well preserved centers of Buddhist culture are worth enjoying.
2. Thimpu is the capital of Bhutan. It is spread along a willow lined river, Wang Chhu. All
buildings here are built traditional style and adorned with beautiful paintings. Thimpu has no traffic lights, something we Indians are not used to. Traffic is directed by policemen, standing on highly decorated boxes. They use exaggerated but elegant gestures to guide it. The main street, Norzim Lam, leads to the town centre and the clock tower with its adjoining hotels, shops restaurants.
3. Here there are many places worth seeing. One can visit Telecom Tower situated at the height of 8,807 ft. On your way down you can stop at the mini zoo, where you can see goat-antelope, known as Takin. It is Bhutan’s national animal. According to legend this large and certainly strange-looking animal was created by the 15th century saint, Lame Drukpa Kinleyn to prove his magical prowess.
4. in Thimpu, National Memorial Chorten is the most public religious place in the country. This white-domed building with its golden spires was built in 1947 in memory of the third king. Trashi Chhoe Dzong is the seat of the government as well as religious order. Built in the thirteenth century, it was renovated in 1962 when Thimpu became the capital.
5. Here archery is a favoured short which can be witnessed on weekends. Thimpu is the base for several walks into the stunning country side. Indian nationals do not need visas to travel to Bhutan. (302 words)
(a) When is the right time to visit Bhutan? 1
(b) Mention any two objects of nature which are worth enjoying there. 1
(c) How is the traffic in Thimpu managed without traffic lights? 2
(d) Name the national animal of Bhutan. Where can you see it? 1
(e) What is the legend associated with its creation? 1
(f) When and why was the National Memorial Chorten built? 2
(g) Find out from the passage the adjective forms of words given below: 2
(i) appropriately (Para 1)
(ii) beauty (Para 2)
(h) Find out from the passage the words which mean the same as the following: 2
(i) Movements of the part of body to convey meaning (Para 2)
(ii) Pointed parts of a tower (Para 4)
Q2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: 8
Florence Chadwick was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. At age 34, her goal was to become the first woman to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast. On the 4th of July morning in 1952 the sea was like an ice bath. The fog was so dense she could hardly see her support boats. She struggled on – hour after hour – while million s watched on television.
Alongside Florence in one of the boats, her mother and her trainer offered encouragement. They told her the goal wasn’t much farther. But all she could goal see was fog. They urged her not to quit. But with only half mile to go, she asked to be pulled out. Several hours later she told a reporter that it was not fatigue or even the cold water that defeated her. It was the fog. She was unable to see her goal.
Two moths later she tried again. It was the same dense fog, but she swam with her goal clearly pictured in her mind. She knew that somewhere behind fog was land. And this time she succeeded. She became the first woman to swim the Catalina channel, eclipsing the men’s recurred by tow hours. (210 words)
(a) What was Florence Chadwick’s goal at the age of 34? [1]
(b) How did the people witness her performance? [1]
(c) How did her mother and her trainer encourage Florence? [2]
(d) What made her quit when she had only a half mile to go? [1]
(e) In spite of the same fog, what made her to succeed the second time? [2]
(f) What record did she set? [1]
SECTION – B (Writing) [20]
Q3. You are Arun/Aruna, living at 537, D.D. A. Flats, Prashan Vihar, Delhi, you have come to know that your cousin often misses his classes in his new school. Since he is very intimate with you, write a letter advising him to avoid the company of those students who bunk off classes. [8]
OR
Injuries and death taking place due to underage driving are being reported almost everyday. Write a letter to the Commissioner of Traffic Police asking him to be very strict in such cases and also take necessary steps to stop this practice. You are Abha/Abhinav, P-37, Suman Apartments, New Delhi.
Q4. Eating of fast food, lack of exercise and activity have been causing life style diseases such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes etc. even among children. Write an article, in about 125 words on the rising tendency of the life style diseases among school children and how to prevent them. [8]
OR
Yamuna in Delhi has become extremely polluted. It has been reduced almost to a drain. Using the hints given below write a paragraph, in about 125 words, on the causes of the pollution of the Yamuna river and how to bring to its old glory. Once an overflowing clean river – now polluted – all garbage, industrial and domestic waste thrown into it – animals bathe – rituals performed – throwing of garbage and waste to be banned –separate proper places to be allocated for rituals.
Q5. You are Deepak/Deepika, Secretary of Ahimsa Club of Rishabh Public School, and Delhi. On 2nd October you school observed “International Day for Peace and Non-violence,” organizing various activities such as visit to Raj Ghat, charkha spinning, lectures by eminent Gandhians etc. Write a report in about 60 words for your school magazine. [4]
OR
Yoga camp was organized in you school. Mentioning the activities such as presentation of yogasans by the students of senior and junior wing, lectures delivered by experts on yagasans, pranayam, meditaion, foot etc. Write a report in about 60 words. You are Pranav/Prerna, Head Boy /Head Girl of Sarvoday Bal Mandir School, Gagan Vihar, Delhi.
SECTION – C (Grammar) [15]
Q6. The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Write the incorrect word and the correction in your answer sheet as given below against the correct blank number. Remember to underline the word that you have supplied. [3]
Robinson was shipwreck on e.g. shipwreck – shipwrecked
A island. It was inhabited (a)
Only by animals or birds. There (b)
Was not a single human beings (c)
On an island. He saw a (d)
Large number of multicolored bird (e)
Footmarks in the ground made him (f)
Fear the presence of dangerous animal.
Q7. Fill in the following blanks with suitable non – finites: [2]
Three tourists form Delhi decided (a) -------------------- (visit). Goa last year. They went there. While (b) ------------------------- (stand) at the Calangute beach, two of them decided (c) -------------------- (have) a dip in the sea. While (d) ------------------------- (play) in the water they were swept away by the current.
Q8. Read the dialogue and complete the passage given below. Write the correct answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. Do not copy the whole sentence. [3]
Son : Mummy, I am very hungry. Is there anything for me to eat?
Mother : I am preparing your lunch.
Son : When will it be ready?
Mother : In just 10 minutes.
The son told his mother that he was very hungry and asked (a) ------------------- for him to eat. The mother told him (b) ----------------------. The son inquired when it would be ready. The mother replied that (c) ------------------------.
Q9. Look at the words and phases given below. Rearrange them to form meaningful sentences. The first one has been done as an example. Write the correct sentences in your sheet. Remember to number the answers correctly. [2]
Example:
Birthday / 22nd / is / August / of / Ishita’s
(a) on that / made / her / a big/ mother / cake / occasion
(b) friends / party / invited / many / the / to / Ishita
Q10. Look at the sentences given below and complete the paragraph that follows. Write the correct answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. Do not copy the whole sentences. [3]
(a) Brutus allowed Antony to speak.
(b) Antony addressed the public.
(c) His speech aroused them to revolt.
Roman general Caesar was killed by Brutus and his friends. His friend, Antony came to express his grief. He (a) ----------------------. The public (b) ------------------------- . Hearing his speech they (c) -------------------------.
Q11. The underlined words in the following passage have been used inappropriately. Replace them with their appropriate forms. Write your answer in your answer sheet with correct numbers. Do not copy the whole passage.
He is a hockey player. He is not happy with the step – motherly (a) treat shown towards his (b) favour sport. The team was not given even a (c) receptive on their return to India after (d) win the world cup.
SECTION – D (Text Books) [45]
Q12. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. Write the answers in your answer sheet in one or two lines only. Remember to number the answers correctly. [5]
He wandered for seven years and finally sat down under a fig tree, where he vowed to stay until enlightenment came. Enlightened after seven days, he renamed the tree Bo tree (Tree of Wisdom) and began to teach and to share his new undersigns. At the Buddha preached his first sermon at the city of Benaras, most holy of the dipping places on the River Ganges.
(a) Which tree is referred to here? [1]
(b) What name did he give to it? [1]
(c) Why did he name it so [1]
(d) Where did he give his first sermon? [1]
(e) Which word/phrase in the passage means the same as ‘place for bathing’? [1]
Q13. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. Write the answers in your answer sheet in one or two lines only. Remember to number the answers correctly. [5]
The moon was coming up in the east, behind me, and stars were shining in the clears sky above me. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I was happy to be alone high up above the sleeping countryside. I was flying my old Dakota aeroplane over France back to England. I was dreaming of my holiday looking forward to being with my family. I looked at my watch: one thirty in the morning.
(a) Who is ‘I’? [1]
(b) What does ‘the sleeping countryside’ mean? [1]
(c) What was he doing? [1]
(d) What did he think of? [1]
(e) Which phrase in the passage means the same as ‘expecting/anticipating? [1]
Q14. Answer the following questions in about 80 words. [6]
Why does Lencho write a letter to God? What does he experience?
OR
Why did Mr. Keesing assign Anne extra homework, an essay on “A Chatterbox”? How did she justify her being a chatterbox?
Q15. Answer any two of the following questions in 30-40 words each. [4]
(a) Justify, in brief, the title of the play, “The Proposal”.
(b) Why was the young seagull afraid to fly?
(c) The people of Coorg have a tradition of courage and bravery. How has it been recognized in modern India?
Q16. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. Write the answers in your answer sheet. Remember to number the answers correctly. [4]
He should be snarling around houses
At the jungle’s edge,
Baring his white fangs, his claws,
Terrorizing the village!
(a) Who is ‘he’? [1]
(b) Where does he snarl around? [1]
(c) Why does he do it? [1]
(d) What effect does it have on the whole village? [1]
OR
All night the roots work
To disengage themselves from the cracks
In the veranda floor.
(a) Where are the roots? [1]
(b) What are the roots doing? [2]
(c) Where have the cracks appeared? [1]
Q17. Answer any two of the following questions in 30-40 words each on the basis of the lines given below: [6]
(a) To say that for destruction ice Is also great For the poet, what does ‘ice’ stand for? How is it sufficient to bring destruction? [3]
(b) They do not lie awake in the dark and Weep for their sins, -----------------. Who are ‘they’? How are they different from human beings? [3]
(c) The fog comes On little cat feet. How does the poet compare the fog with cat? Which poetic device is used here? [3]
Q18. Answer the following question in about 100 words: [8]
Who was Anil? How did he transform Hari Singh’s character?
OR
Describe the role of Ebright’s mother in making him a scientist.
Q19. Answer the following question in 30-40: [4]
What did Mrs. Pumphrey do to bring Tricki back to normal health? Was she wise?
OR
Why were two boys in London surprised?
Q20. Answer the following question in 20-30 words: [3]
Why was it not difficult for Horace to open the safe?
OR
Why did Bishambar’s marriage with Bholi not take place?