Series LRH/2 Code No. 2/211
ENGLISH (Language and Literature)
Time allowed : 3 hours Maximum Marks : 100
This paper consists of four sections
Section A Reading 20
Section B Writing 20
Section C Grammar 15
Section D Text Books 45
SECTION A (Reading 20 Marks)
1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :
1 The exchange of greetings among people is very common. The most popular medium for this is the greeting card. It is usually sent by post. It is an illustrated message that expresses friendship, love, affection, goodwill, gratitude or some similar sentiment. Greeting cards are also sent to convey congratulations, thanks or get-well messages.
2 The practice of exchanging these cards between friends is an ancient one. The ancient Egyptians celebrated New Year by giving each other' symbolic presents like scent bottles and mud tablets with the inscription "Good luck to you". In ancient Rome, the medium of expression was a branch of the Olive tree. Their leaves were coated with gold.
3 The practice of sending greetings for the New Year continued in Europe through the early days of the millennium. Then came the printing press. With its commercial use by 18th and 19th centuries, the exchange of New Year cards by merchants and tradesmen became very ordinary and uninteresting. Postal stamps and envelopes were introduced in 1840. They made the process of sending or passing the greetings from one person or place to another very convenient. The modern day greeting card became definite and clear in 1843 when the first Christmas card with season's greetings was designed in Britain. The commercial production of greeting cards became fully established by 1860.
4 There are several means of conveying greetings but the public post remains the most popular. In the modern times technology has greatly developed. There is almost a revolution in the field of communication. With the availability of this technology electronic mail is also being increasingly used for sending greetings.
5 In India, the practice of sending greeting cards was begun by the British. This practice still continues. We send greeting cards on occasions like New Year, Christmas, Diwali, Pongal, Durga Puja, Baisakhi, Bihu and other regional festivals. (309 words)
Answer the following questions briefly:
(a) Why do the people send greeting cards? 2
(b) What symbolic presents did the Egyptians send on the eve of New Year? 2
(c) How did the ancient Romans convey their greetings? 1
(d) What effect did the printing press bring on the exchange of New Year cards? 2
(e) What changes were brought with the introduction of postal stamps and envelopes ? 1
(f) Who introduced this practice in India ? 1
(g) Find out from the passage the adverb form of the words given below : 2
(i) usual (Para 1)
(ii) great (Para 4)
(h) Find out from the passage the word which means the same as the following : 1
‘sense of being thankful forever’ (Para 1)
2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: 8
A little girl was fond of asking new questions day after day. One day she asked her mother, “Mummy, which one is good - an apple or a pear, a rose or a jasmine, a ball or a doll ?”
The mother answered her questions easily but this time she was confused. How could she definitely say that one thing was good and the other was not ? However she evaded the answer somehow.
But after a few days the little girl posed another question. “Mummy, is a story good or a song ?”
This time the mother was well prepared and told the little girl that she would ask her a question first to which she should give a thoughtful reply. The mother then asked, “Tell me, is the sun good or the sky ?”
The little girl thought and thought but could not find the right answer. She looked at the sky and then at the sun. It was indeed very difficult for her to decide in favor of either of the two since both were stunningly beautiful. Besides both were so close and inseparable.
The little girl now understood the point. Thereafter she never asked which one was good - this or that. Now she began to ask, “What is good in stories? What is good in songs?” And the mother answered her questions happily. (215 words)
(a) What was the little girl fond of ? I
(b) Why did the little girl's question confuse the mother ? 2
(c) How did the mother solve the problem ? 1
(d) Why could the girl not decide in favor of either the sun or the sky ? 2
(e) What did she understand now ? How did she change herself ? 2
SECTION B (Writing 20)
3. During this summer vacation you haven't gone out of your city. Instead you have spent most of your time helping your mother in household chores. You have also learnt a lot of cooking from her. Write a letter to your friend narrating your new experiences. You are Ishita / Ishu, residing at 15, Vardhman Apartments, Kolkata. 8
OR
Most of the iron lids covering the drains in your colony have been stolen either by the rag pickers or the drug addicts, causing a lot of risk to the people, especially at night. Write a letter to the S.H.O. of the local Police Station requesting him to take urgent necessary action in the matter. You are Lavish / Lavisha living at 51, Vinod Nagar, Delhi.
4. Malaria is a water-borne disease caused by mosquito bite. Mentioning its symptoms such as shivering with high fever and headache, write an article, in about 80 words, on `Malaria and its Prevention'. Include all such steps which can be taken to stop breeding of mosquitoes. You are Naman / Namita.
OR
Some schools give projects to students in their holiday homework. It causes great worry to parents who search for specialists in model making. Using the hints given below write a paragraph in about 80 words on the topic `Is the Practice of Giving Projects in Holiday Homework of any Help to Students ?' You are Rakesh / Renu.
| projects for the students, not for parents - should be according to the level and intelligence of students - clear guidelines should be given on how to begin, proceed and end the project - guidance about various sources of information - sites, magazines, newspapers etc. be given - original work to be rewarded |
5. Your school organized a body building camp for the benefit of the students of your Zone. Mentioning the number of students who participated in the camp, the coaches invited, tips given by them about regular training of different parts of the body, diet to be taken, things to be avoided etc., write a report in about 60 words for your school
magazine. You are Ankit / Ankita, Secretary of the Health Club of your school. 4
OR
You are Akshat / Anshita, a reporter. You visited the site of an accident and took the following notes. Using the given information write a report in about 60 words for your paper.
| past 24 hours - separate road accidents - Delhi - killed three persons - first one - a man - 43 years old - crushed - died - unknown vehicle - Civil Lines area - Friday night - native of Darjeeling - job search - came to Delhi. |
SECTION C (Grammar 15)
6. 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. 2 x6=3
A textbooks is important but e.g. textbooks - textbook
it is only one among much (a)
sources that can be use (b)
in the class room. Students (c)
should be encouraged to reading (d)
outside his textbooks. Other (e)
source like the newspapers, magazines (f)
etc. should be extensively used.
7. Fill in the following blanks with suitable non-finites : 1/2 x4=2
A mini bus (a)__________ (carry) school students overturned in East Delhi on Monday morning (b)__________ (injure) eight students. The people said that its driver was used (c)__________ (drive) very fast. The driver tried (d)__________
(control) the bus but lost its balance on a speed breaker.
8. 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 sentences. 1x3=3
Rashmi : Who do you want to play with ?
Pulkit : I want to play with Ishita.
Rashmi : Which game do you want to play ?
Pulkil : I am interested in playing carom.
Rashmi asked Pulkit (a)__________ to play with. Pulkit replied (b)__________. Rashmi enquired which game (c)__________. Pulkit told her that he was interested in playing carom.
9. Look at the words and phrases given below. Rearrange them to form meaningful sentences. The first one has been done as an example. Write the correct sentences in your answer sheet. Remember to number the answers correctly. 1x2=2
Example :
became / rule / the Company / Calcutta / the capital / under
Calcutta became the capital under the Company rule.
(a) Calcutta / as the / of India / capital / replaced / in 1911 / Delhi
(b) built / New Delhi / the South of / was / the old city / to / during 1920's
10. 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. 1x3=3
(a) Heavy meal increases blood flow in the stomach.
(b) This induces sleep and lethargy.
(c) Take more proteins and less carbohydrates.
Feeling sleepy after a heavy meal is quite common. To aid the digestion process blood flow(a)__________ by it. As a result lesser blood reaches the brain and sleep and lethargy (b)__________. There is no need to make much changes in one's diet, only more proteins and less carbohydrates (c)__________.
11. The underlined words in the following passage have been used inappropriately. Replace them with their appropriate forms. Write your answers in your answer sheet against the correct numbers. Do not copy the whole passage. 1/2x4=2
In the near future we will be able to live longer than we do (a) current. We will be able to put (b) restrain on diseases such as cancer. The use of technology will better the chances of human (c) survive. Our quality of life will also improve (d) considerable.
SECTION D (Text Books 45)
12. 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
Their faces would kindle in her longings, dreams, and hopes. If one of her friends happened to ride the bus and tried to describe the sights of the town to her, Valli would be too jealous to listen and would shout, in English : "Proud! Proud!" Neither she nor her friends really understood the meaning of the word, but they used it often as a slang expression of disapproval.
(a) Whose faces are referred to here ? 1
(b) What feelings would they create in her mind ? 1
(c) What would make Valli jealous ? 1
(d) What would the English word `proud' mean to her ? 1
(e) Find from the passage the noun form of the word ‘disapprove’. 1
13. 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
“ I ought to go back to Paris,” I thought, but I wanted to get home. I wanted that breakfast.
‘I'll take the risk’, I thought, and flew that old Dakota straight into the storm.
Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black. It was impossible to see anything outside the aeroplane. The old aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air. I looked at the compass. I couldn't believe my eyes: the compass was turning round and round and round. It was dead.
(a) Who is ‘I’ ? 1
(b) Why did he think of going back to Paris ? 1
(c) Why didn't he go there ? 1
(d) What happened to his compass when he flew into the storm ? 1
(e) Which word in the passage is the adverb form of ‘sudden’ ? 1
14. Answer the following question in about 80 words : 6
Why does Maddie feel ashamed by the questions Peggy asks Wanda ? Is she also like Wanda or is she different?
OR
What games did Mij play when he was with the author in London ? Which game did he invent?
15. Answer the following question in 30-40 words : 4
Why does Natalya quarrel with Lomov ? What is the result ?
OR
What makes you laugh when Lomov and Chubukov first meet together ?
16. 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 hears the last voice at night,
The patrolling cars,
And stares with his brilliant eyes
At the brilliant stars.
(a) Who is ‘He’ ? 1
(b) Where is he at the moment ? 1
(c) What does he hear ? 1
(d) What is the similarity between him and the stars ? 1
OR
“I heard an old religious man
But yesternight declare
That he had found a text to prove
That only God, my dear,
Could love you for yourself alone
And not your yellow hair.”
(a) Who is ‘I’? 1
(b) Who could love you for yourself alone ? 1
(c) How could `He' do so ? 2
17. Answer any two of the following questions in 30-40 words each, on the basis of the lines given below : 6
(a) “From what I've tasted of desire ...”
What does the poet mean by ‘tasted of desire’? 3
(b) ‘... they are so placid and self-contained’
Who are `they' ? In what respect are they different from human beings ? 3
(c) ‘The fog comes on little cat feet.’
How does the fog come? Which poetic device is used here? Explain. 3
18. Answer the following question in 80-100 words : 8
How does Lutkins befool the lawyer? Describe the incidents from the story, ‘The Hack Driver’.
OR
Fowler feels bored and disappointed but gets “his first authentic thrill of the day”. How ? Explain.
19. Answer the following question in 30 - 40 words : 4
’You must harden your heart and help him on strict diet.’ Why does Mr. Herriot suggest this to Mrs. Pumphrey ?
OR
Why was the twentieth century called the ‘Era of the Books’ ?
20. Answer the following question in 20 - 30 words. 3
How were flowers hindering Horace in his work ?
OR
When did Bholi realize that she was going to a better place than her home ?