CBSE Sample Papers for Class 11 English Set 9 with Solutions

Students must start practicing the questions from CBSE Sample Papers for Class 11 English with Solutions Set 9 are designed as per the revised syllabus.

CBSE Sample Papers for Class 11 English Set 9 with Solutions

Time : 3 hours
Maximum Marks : 80

General Instructions:

The Question paper is divided into three sections: Section A: Reading 26 marks, Section B: Writing Skills and Grammar 23 marks, Section C: Literature 31 marks.
All questions are compulsory.
You may attempt any section at a time.
Allquestions of that particular section must be attempted in the correct order.

Section-A
Reading (26 marks)

Question 1.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
1. We are what we eat. The type of food we eat has both immediate and long-term effects on us, at all the three levels-the body, the mind and the spirit. Food which is tamasik (i.e. stale or leftover) in nature is bound to generate stress as it tends to upset the normal functioning of the human body. Fresheners should be avoided. Taking piping hot tea/milk or steaming hot food, whenever available, must be preferred. Excessive use of condiments also disturbs one’s usually calm attitude.

Further, it is a mistaken belief that smoking or drinking, even in moderation, relieves stress. Simple meals with one or two food items, rather them too many lavish dishes, are advisable. Also, vegetarian diet is preferable. Although it is customary to serve fruits with food items, it is not the right thing to do. This is because different kinds of digestive secretions are produced by the stomach for variant food items. Mixing up too many varieties of food items in one meal creates problems for the digestive system. In fact, any one type of fruit, preferably taken in the morning, is better.

2. On an average, we eat almost three to four times the quantity of food than we actually need. A lot of body’s energy is used up for digesting the excess food. It is said that after a particular level of food intake, the ‘food actually eats one up’.

3. It is always good to eat a little less than your ‘full-stomach’ capacity. Besides, never eat food unless you are really hungry. To have dinner at 8 or 9 pm after a heavy snack around 5 or 6 pm in the evening is asking for trouble. In fact, skipping a meal is always good if the stomach is upset. There are varying views on the benefits of fasting, but we will not discuss them here. However, giving a break to one’s stomach, at least once a week, by having only fruit or milk, etc., may be worth a try.

4. While a little bit of water taken with meals is all right, drinking 30 to 60 ml of water with food is not advisable. Water, taken an hour or so before or after meals, is good for digestion. One’s diet must be balanced with all the required nutrients for a healthy living.

5. Also remember, excess of everything is bad. Related to the problem of stress, excessive intake of salt is definitely out. Too much of sugar, fried food and chilies are not good either. Over-indulgence and excessive craving for a particular taste/type of food generates rajasik (aggressive) or at worst, tamasik (dull) tendencies. An even more important aspect of the relationship between food and stress lies not so much in what or how much we eat but how the food is taken.

For example, food eaten in great hurry or in a state of anger or any other negative state of mind is bound to induce stress. How the food is served is also very important. Not only the presentation, cutlery, crockery, etc., play a role, the love and affection with which the food is served is also significant. Finding faults with food while it is being eaten is a bad habit. It is better not to eat the food you do not like, rather than finding faults with it.

6. It is good to have regular food habits. Workaholics who do not find time to eat food at proper meal time invite stomach ulcers. One must try to enjoy one’s food, and therefore, eating at the so-called lunch/dinner meetings is highly inadvisable.

Every morsel of food should be enjoyed with a totally peaceful state of mind. Food and discussions should not be mixed. There are accepted ways to ‘charge’ the food we eat. Prayer is perhaps ‘the best method for energizing the food and it does definite additional good at no extra cost.
By: Lt. Gen. M. M. Walia
A. On the basis of your understanding of the passage answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate option. (1 x 6 = 6)
1.1. Tamasik food influences a person by
(a) generating stress.
(b) making a person energetic.
(c) generating large amount of energy.
(d) making a person bold
Answer:
(a) generating stress.

1.2. Generally what incorrect belief do people practise at the table?
(a) Smoking helps to digest food.
(b) Smoking or drinking even in moderation relieves stress.
(c) Pickles add to taste.
(d) Condiments help to enhance appetite
Answer:
(d) Condiments help to enhance appetite

1.3. The writer says that the “food actually eats one up” because the
(a) Digestion takes too much time.
(b) Excessive intake of food takes a lot of body’s energy to digest it.
(c) Food sustains the body.
(d) Person becomes healthy.
Answer:
(b) Excessive intake of food takes a lot of body’s energy to digest it.

1.4. Rajasik tendencies are generated due to :
(a) Over indulgence in fried food.
(b) Too much use of spicy food.
(c) Over indulgence and excessive craving for a particular taste.
(d) Excess of everything.
Answer:
(c) Over indulgence and excessive craving for a particular taste.

1.5. Here, the word “charge” means
(a) to impose or ask as a price or fee
(b) to attack by rushing violently against
(c) to accuse formally
(d) to feel full of vigour
Answer:
(d) to feel full of vigour

1.6. What does ‘induce’ mean?
(a) Reduce
(b) Cause, influence
(c) Aggressive
(d) To intake
Answer:
(b) Cause, influence

B. Answer the following questions as briefly as possible: (Do any 4) (1 x 4 = 4)
2.1. ________ should be avoided.
Answer:
fresheners

2.2. It is always good to eat less than your ________ capacity.
Answer:
‘full-stomach’

2.3. Water, taken an hour or so before or after meals, is good for ________
Answer:
digestion

2.4. ________ who do not find them to eat food at proper meal times invite stomach ulcers.
Answer:
Workaholics

2.5. Find the word in the passage with the meaning to avoid extremes. (para 1)
Answer:
Moderation

2.6. Find the word in the passage with the meaning not worth recommending, (para 6)
Answer:
Inadvisable

Commonly Made Errors:

While answering questions related to Unseen Passages/Comprehensions, most students do not read the passages properly. Reading the passages properly is very essential.
Students need to keep in mind that the answers should be brief, relevant and be in their own words, while following the words in the passages carefully.
While answering, the students should verify the spellings of the difficult words from the passages themselves, if they are not sure of them in the first place.
Before answering multiple-choice questions, students should read the questions thoroughly and then the given options. Some options can be tricky and need careful attention.
Lastly, before moving on to the next question and just before the final submission of the answer-script, revise the answers carefully. This 1 will help you to find out and eliminate any errors that you have overlooked earlier.

Answering Tips:

The passages should be read silently and with full concentration.
Grasping the context of the passages is important.
New or difficult words should be deciphered in the context of their use in the passages.
Answers should be in complete sentences.
All answers should be written sequentially.
If a student cannot answer a question, or a part of a question, then it is unwise to continue spending time on it. It is advisable to leave the question for the time being, answer the rest of the questions and then go back to the unanswered question.
While answering an unseen passage or comprehension you might be aware of the source as you might have read it earlier. In that case, please do not get carried away in writing things beyond the scope of the passage. That will not fetch you extra marks. Please stick to the passage!
All spellings and answers related to seen/unseen passages or comprehensions are found within the scope of the passages; so, it is important to concentrate in them.
Lastly, there is no need to panic. Answering questions correctly is more important than answering all questions. So, adequate time should be given to answer each question properly.

Question 2.
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (1 x 8 = 8)
The Marathon of the Sands:
The Marathon des Sables, or ‘Marathon of the Sands’, which takes place in the Sahara Desert, has gained a reputation as the ‘toughest footrace on Earth’ since it began in 1986 with 186 competitors. Runners have to complete 250 kilometres in 6 days in one of the most challenging environments on the planet.

The event has 1,400 entries, with a support team of 400, and 200 members of the media are also involved in it this year. The race attracts runners from all over the world, and Moroccan runners have been particularly successful. Irishman Ben Turner, who is 71, is hoping to become the race’s oldest finisher ever.

In order to prepare for the race, he has spent the last month training in a hotter climate in Spain. For most runners, it is not about winning but about finishing the race and receiving the famous kiss on each cheek from Patrick Bauer, the man who originally set up the race.

The rules state that competitors must be able to rely on themselves: organizers provide everyone with water, but individual competitors are free to choose their own food items. There are strict rules about the weight of the items that competitors take with them. Equipment must weigh between 6.5 and 15 kilograms, and though tents are supplied, runners need to bring lightweight sleeping bags. Most runners aim for the lower end of the weight range, as it decreases the effort they need to put in during the race.

Marathon des Sables: numbers and facts
72 number of medical personnel present
28 age of the person making first attempt to complete the course
14 average speed in kilometres per hour of slowest runners
10 highest number of race won by a single person
2 helicopters available to follow runners’ progress
5 quad bikes to move equipment quickly

Deciding what to take is hard. Hot food or a music player? Runner David Kelly explains his choice. “I was happy to give up the luxury of a small stove to warm my food,” he says. “The only time I don’t have music playing to keep me going is when I’m doing the special hot yoga classes to help me prepare for the desert.” The temperatures in the Sahara Desert are very high during the day, but sink to freezing at night.

For another runner, Jordan Smith, recreating these conditions in the UK is a challenge – particularly in the British winter. Jordan knows that he cannot prepare for the heat and sun, so he ensures that he runs an average of one hundred kilometres a week, which has helped him to improve his strength. Although Jordan has been preparing for the event for a year, his biggest fear is the thought of not finishing, rather than the more common concern of being stung by a scorpion.
Question 1.
How many competitors are running in the race this year?
(A) 186
(B) 1400
(C) 400
(D) 200
Answer:
(B) 1400
Explanation: The event has 1,400 entries, with a support team of 400, and 200 members of the media are also involved in it this year.

Question 2.
Who organized the first Marathon des Sables?
(A) Ben Turner
(B) Jordan Smith
(C) David Kelly
(D) Patrick Bauer
Answer:
(D) Patrick Bauer
Explanation: Patrick Bauer, the man who originally set up the race.

Question 3.
Why do runners want to carry as little weight as possible?
(A) Decreases effort
(B) Increases efforts
(C) Weight is proportionate to cost
(D) Heavy weight is not permitted
Answer:
(A) Decreases effort
Explanation: Most runners aim for the lower end of the weight range, as it decreases the effort they need to put in during the race.

Question 4.
According to the chart, how many times has the most successful competitor won the race?
(A) 72
(B) 10
(C) 28
(D) 14
Answer:
(B) 10
Explanation: Highest number of race won by a single person is 10.

Question 5.
What is David Kelly’s biggest motivation while running?
(A) music player
(B) good food
(C) warm food
(D) yoga
Answer:
(A) music player
Explanation: Runner David Kelly explains his choice. “I was happy to give up the luxury of a small stove to warm my food,” he says. “The only time I don’t have music playing to keep me going is when I’m doing the special hot yoga classes to help me prepare for the desert.”

Question 6.
What was different about the equipment that Marie is bringing with her on this race?
(A) It was lighter.
(B) It was heavier.
(C) It was damp.
(D) It could be moved easily.
Answer:
(A) It was lighter.

Question 7.
What is Jordan most worried about?
(A) average speed
(B) thought of not finishing
(C) completion of course
(D) slow speed
Answer:
(B) thought of not finishing
Explanation: Although Jordan has been preparing for the event for a year, his biggest fear is the thought of not finishing, rather than the more common concern of being stung by a scorpion.

Question 8.
According to the chart, what is the primary age eligibility for the completion of course?
(A) 14 years
(B) 25 years
(C) 28 years
(D) No age limit
Answer:
(C) 28 years
Explanation: 28 is the age of the person making their first attempt to complete the course.

Question 3.
Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
1. Humour is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. Laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humour and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free and easy to use.

2. The ability to laugh, play and have fun with others not only makes life more enjoyable but also helps you solve problems, connect with others and be more creative. People who incorporate humour and play into their daily lives find that it renews them and all of their relationships.

3. Life brings challenges that can either get the best of you or become play things for your imagination. When you “become the problem” and take yourself too seriously, it can be hard to think outside the box and find new solutions. But when you play with the problem, you can often transform it into an opportunity for creative learning.

4. Playing with problems seems to come naturally to children. When they are confused or afraid, they make their problems into a game, giving them a sense of control and an opportunity to experiment with new solutions. Interacting with others in playful ways helps you retain this creative ability.

5. Here are two examples of people who took everyday problems and turned them around through laughter and play:

6. Raman, a student, was excited to finally have time to devote to golf, his favourite sport. But the more he played, the less he enjoyed himself. Although his game had improved dramatically, he got angry with himself over every mistake. Raman wisely realized that his golfing buddies affected his attitude, so he stopped playing with people who took the game too seriously.

When he played with ‘friends who focused more on having fun than on their scores, he was less critical of himself. Now golfing was as enjoyable as Raman hoped it would be. He scored better without working harder. And the brighter outlook he was getting from his companions and the game spread to other parts of his life, including his work.

7. Richa worked at home designing greeting cards, a job she used to love but now felt it had become routine. Two little girls who loved to draw and paint lived next door. Eventually, Richa invited the girls in to play with all the art supplies she had. At first, she just watched, but in time she joined in.

Laughing, colouring and playing pretend with the little girls transformed Richa’s life. Not only did playing with them end her loneliness and mild boredom, it sparked her imagination and helped her artwork flourish. Best of all, it rekindled the playfulness and spark in Richa’s relationship with her family.

8. As laughter, humour, and play become an integrated part of your life, your creativity will flourish and new discoveries for playing with friends, co-workers, acquaintances and loved ones will occur to you daily. Humour takes you to a higher place where you can view the world from a more relaxed, positive, creative, joyful and balanced perspective.
(a) On the basis of your reading the passage, make notes using recognisable abbreviations wherever necessary. Use a format you consider suitable, supply a suitable title. (5 marks)
Answer:
(a) RIGHT APPROACH TO LIFE
1. Right perspective:

Makes sitn somewhat better
No set quality or std to judge ppl
Perspective matters
Be comfortable with what you have

2. Know Your

Own worth
Sense of self
Cfrt zone

3. Learn to

Be fearless
Keep ego away
Benefit from self
Avail opportunities

4. Learn to accept

Limitations
Strengths

Key to Abbreviations
S. No.	Abbreviation	Word
1	sitn	situation
2	std	standard
3	cfrt	comfort
4	ppl	people

(b) Make a short summary of the passage in about 80 words. (3 marks)
Answer:
Summary:
One should have the right approach to life. The right perspective makes situations better. There is no set quality or standard to judge people. It is the perspective that matters. We must learn to be comfortable with what we have. For that one should first know one’s worth, sense of self and one’s comfort zone. Learning to be fearless or keeping ego away also helps a lot. One must avail the opportunities present around and should learn to accept the strengths and limitations.

Commonly Made Errors:

The most commonly made mistakes include not reading the passage thoroughly and not paying attention to details. This leads to unclear understanding of the context.
The next big mistake is not noting the ‘key- words’ in the passage. Identification of key-words is important to decide the main thrust of the passage and bring out the summary.
While substituting words for phrases and clauses, the appropriate form of the word should be used. For example, if the substitution requires the adjectival form of a word, then using the noun or the verb form can be fatal.
Punctuations are very important in summarisation or precis writing. They should be used prudently.
Spellings and grammar should be checked for during the note-making stage so that no corrections need be implemented during the summary or precis writing.
While providing a Title for the summary/precis, students should relate it to the context of the passage. Too much emphasis on making it catchy might lead to making the blunder of it being not related to the context.

Answering Tips:

While answering questions related to Notemaking and Summary (Precis Writing), it is important to read the passages properly and grasp their meanings. If need be, the passage should be read and re-read a number of times to ensure that every part of it is clear to the student.
Next, it is important to underline the important points in the passage. With practice, this can be done at the same time as the passage is being read.
The underlined portions should be summed up as separate bulleted points.
Thereafter, the students should read the bulleted points so that they are sure that those points are adequate in providing the gist of the passage. There should not be any ambiguity or lack of clarity in meaning anywhere.
While summarizing the bullets, one should be mindful to shorten the sentences as much as possible by substituting clauses and phrases with words conveying similar meanings.
Beginners are also advised to calculate the average number of words written by them in each line and then to calculate the number of lines required to write the precis or summary based on the average words per line.
The average word-limit per sentence should be between five to ten words.
Students are advised to draw columns with pencil such that the total number of cells in the table so formed exactly match the maximum permissible words in the summary. Then they should write one per cell to achieve the maximum word limit.
Lastly, students should ensure correctness of spellings, contextual use of substituting words and grammatical correctness.

Section – B
Writing Skills and Grammar (23 marks)

Question 4.
Design a poster for your School Fete. You may use slogans. Do not exceed 50-words. (3 marks)
OR
Imagining yourself to be the organizer of an “Abolish Child Labour Campaign”, create a poster highlighting the points of educating every child, free and compulsory till 14 years, child labour being illegal etc. Do not exceed the word limit of 50 words.
Answer:

OR
STOP CHILD LABOUR

Children are the future of our country
Give them proper education
Provide them healthy environment
Let them grow
Be kind to them

Don’t allow them:

To work in factories
To pull rickshaw
To work in hotels/ restaurants

Issued by: Children Welfare Society Bhopal

Commonly Made Errors:

Missing out one or more of the value points.
Spellings and grammar errors lead to communication of incorrect messages.
While trying to make the title catchy, students end up stitching together words used in the wrong context and thereby making up a meaningless title.
Also, spellings are tweaked sometimes to emphasis upon an idea or to attract the attention of the reader. However, often students fail to achieve the desired effect and end up simply making a spelling mistake!

Answering Tips:

While making a poster, it is important to keep in mind what ît is all about and whether the created poster gets across the idea clearly or not.
Next, it is important to design the poster properly. So, one needs to experiment with the font size, style and colour, as well as the layout.
Venue, date and time should be mentioned in such a manner that they do not escape peoples’ attention.
Lastly, students should ensure correctness of spellings, contextual use of substituting words and grammatical correctness.

Question 5.
You are the General Manager of a leading company. You need a Chartered Accountant for your office. Draft an advertisement in not more than 50 words to be published in the Times of India, New Delhi, under the classified columns. (3 marks)
OR
You are in need of a job. Draft a classified advertisement offering your services.
Answer:
SITUATION VACANT
Required an experienced Chartered Accountant, male/female, computer savvy, salary no bar for the deserving candidate. Interested candidates may contact the General Manager at ABC Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi 9453xxxxx

SITUATION WANTED
An Electronics and Communication Engineer, 30, female with 5 years experience at S.K. Engineering Works, looking for a suitable job in Delhi NCR in an electronics or Communications company. Ready to join immediately. For further details contact: +91-9825XXXX.

Question 6.
“Our large population is not a cause of poverty but an asset, a resource.” Write a debate in 120-150 words either for or against the motion. (6 marks)
OR
Raghav, a student of class XI, has been asked to make a speech on the “Ill-Effects of watching too much Television”. Write out the speech in 120-150 words.
Answer:
Our Large Population is not a Cause or Poverty but an Asset
A very good morning to all the Jury Members, Friends and Fellow Opponents. Today, I XYZ of class 12, would like to express my views against the motion ‘Our large population is not a cause of poverty, but an asset.’ I will -speak against the topic.

Be it IT jobs, sales, HP or marketing, job hunters frantically crowd at job fairs and career seminars. The literates, skilled and semi- skilled try their hand digitally or knock at various doors for the so-called interview.

Yes, this is a fact, dear friends, due to unchecked population, unemployment has become a serious social issue and the major challenge for the State and Central Governments. With the population reaching 1.3 billion and with more and more hungry mouths to feed, natural and man-made resources are unable to cope with the rising demand for food, shelter and clothing.

Poverty is glaring at our face even in the supersonic age. Reason? Our large population. Twenty Two percent of population is still below poverty tine, according to official statistics. To add more, theft, kidnapping, rape, robbery and burglary in most cases are committed by the migrant labourers living in slums on the outskirts of towns and cities.

Many a time, the teeming, unregistered population find their names in the voters’ list just to be used as muscle power by unethical political leaders, creating a class of hoodlums and assassins only. With a question, I put an end to my words. Are these thieves, murderers, robbers, hoodlums and assassins assets? We all know the answer.
Thanks you.
OR
Ill-Effects of Watching too much Television
Good Morning respected Principal, teachers and my fellow students. Today I Raghav of class XI will speak about the ill-effects of excessive television viewing. Nowadays watching too much TV has become a very widespread problem. We can see a TV in every home, even the parents begin to teach their children to watch TV from early childhood, because they think that it is a good way to develop a child.

Sometimes people forget that the TV does not always carry only positive aspects. Negative effects of the TV have become quite an obvious fact. As a consequence, TV affects human physical, mental and social health in a very destructive manner. One reason why people should not watch too much TV is the reduction of mental capacity. Because when people watch an excessive amount of television they do not look for new solutions for any problems.

As another reason, excessive TV watching leads to emotional frustration in families and problems with relatives. Also watching too much TV is harmful because the human brain is filled with redundant information. A huge stream of advertising, TV shows, TV series and news releases emotionally cripple a person. Thus, it can be said that in the modern times watching TV is an attribute of a limited world view and lazy lifestyle, which leads to many psychological and physiological problems.
Thank you

Question 7.
“Our large population is not a cause of poverty but an asset, a resource.” Write a debate in 120-150 words either for or against the motion. (6 marks)
OR
A number of your classmates (especially those from science and commerce streams) bunk their classes in order to attend coaching centres. Write a debate in 120-150 words on ‘Tuition at coaching centres is not essential.’
Answer:
Our Large Population is not a Cause or Poverty but an Asset
A very good morning to all the Jury Members, Friends and Fellow Opponents. Today, I XYZ of class 12, would like to express my views against the motion ‘Our large population is not a cause of poverty, but an asset.’ I will speak against the topic.

Yes, this is a fact. Dear friends, due to unchecked population, unemployment has become a serious social issue and a major challenge for the State and Central Governments. With the population reaching 1.3 billion and with more and more hungry mouths to feed, natural and man-made resources are unable to cope with the rising demand for food, shelter and clothing.

Poverty is glaring at our face even in the supersonic age. Reason? Our large population. Twenty Two percent of population is still below the poverty line, according to official statistics. To add more, theft, kidnapping, rape, robbery and burglary in most cases are committed by the migrant labourers living in slums on the outskirts of towns and cities.

Many a time, the teeming, unregistered population find their names in the voters’ list just to be used as muscle power by unethical political leaders, creating a class of hoodlums and assassins only. With a question, I put an end to my words. Are these thieves, murderers, robbers, hoodlums and assassins assets? We all know the answer.
Thank you.
OR
Tuition at Coaching Centres is not Essential
Good morning everyone,
Today, coaching classes have become ubiquitous in the lives of city students. It is impossible to imagine students’ lives without them. But here the question that arises is -are they really essential or more advantageous to us?

Today I am going to present my views in favour of the topic ‘Tuition at Coaching Centres is not Essential’. No, I don’t agree that we have to go to coaching centres to perform well in our exams. In fact going to coaching classes results in the wastage of a lot of time which we could have used for self-study. I believe that our school teachers are far better equipped to handle our syllabus and our requirements related to that. This is for the simple reason that they do not work for any other motive than for our benefit.

Coaching centres, on the contrary, are only money-making machines that operate only for financial motives. I ask you how many of us can actually go to a teacher at the coaching center and sit with him to clear our doubts, but we can always do this with our school teachers.

Our school teachers know our strengths and our weaknesses and work in accordance with that. In fact, the feedback that goes to parents from the school inspires or influences us to perform better. How many coaching centres are bothered to send our performance feedback to our parents. Performance, my friends, depends on our efforts not on coaching centres.

It depends on how well we can understand the concepts, practice those concepts, know our strengths and weakness and work on them and for all that I am sure schools are any day a better choice than coaching centres. They should re-orient their teaching towards competition, i.e., they should also impart competition oriented education in addition to the routine syllabus.
Thank you.

Question 8.
Fill in blanks with the appropriate option given below. Do any four. (1 x 4 = 4)
Asaf Khan who (a) ……………… the expedition against the city, (b) ……………… that the little country which (c) ……………… by a woman would (d) ……………… very easily without (e) ……………… even a blow.
(a) (i) had led (ii) led (iii) was leading (iv) has led
(b) (i) expected (ii) has been expecting (iii) had expected (iv) was expected
(c) (i) rule (ii) was ruled (iii) is ruled (iv) was ruling
(d) (i) was taken (ii) be taken (iii) will be taken (iv) is taking
(e) (i) striking (ii) is striking (iii) has been striking (iv) has struck
Answer:
(a) (ii) led
(b) (iii) had expected
(c) (ii) was ruled
(d) (ii) be taken
(e) (i) striking

Question 9.
A. he/my/letter/received/must have/by/now. (1 x 3 = 3)
(a) He must have received my letter by now.
(b) He must have now received by my letter.
(c) He must have received by now my letter.
(d) He by now must have received my letter.
Answer:
(a) He must have received my letter by now.

B. stories/ he/ wrote/ few/ that/ romantic/ very/ are/ the
(a) He wrote that the few stories are very romantic.
(b) The few stories that he wrote are very romantic.
(c) The few stories he wrote that are very romantic.
(d) He wrote the few stories that are very romantic.
Answer:
(b) The few stories that he wrote are very romantic.

C. you/would/when/meet/her/she/know did not.
(a) She did not know when you would meet her.
(b) You did not know when would she meet her.
(c) You did not know when she would meet her.
(d) She did not know when would you meet her.
Answer:
(a) She did not know when you would meet her.

Section – C
Literature (31 marks)

Question 10.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: (1 x 3 = 3)
In the afternoon yellow September sunlight
A few leaves yellowing, all its reeds fallen
(a) Which plant is described in the poem? (1)
(i) Apple tree
(ii) Cherry tree
(iii) Gulmohar tree
(iv) Laburnum tree
Answer:
(iv) Laburnum tree

(b) Identify the poet. (1)
(i) Shirley Toulson
(ii) Ted Hughes
(iii) Walt Whitman
(iv) Markus Natten
Answer:
(ii) Ted Hughes

(c) Who visited the tree? (1)
Answer:
A goldfinch visited the tree.
OR
Which, strange to tell, gave me an answer
I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain,
(a) Who are in conversation? (1)
(i) Poet and the eaith
(ii) Poet and the rain
(iii) Poet and a stranger
(iv) None of the above.
Answer:
(ii) Poet and the rain

(b) Which poetic device is used in ‘I am the Poem of Earth’? (1)
(i) Personification
(ii) Paradox
(iii) Alliteration
(iv) Simile
Answer:
(ii) Paradox

Question 11.
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow. (1 x 3 = 3)
A. She hobbled about the house in spotless white with one hand resting on her waist to balance her stoop and the other telling the beads of her rosary. Her silver locks were scattered untidily over her pale, puckered face, and her lips constantly moved in inaudible prayer. Yes, she was beautiful. She was like the winter land scape in the mountains, an expanse of pure white serenity breathing peace and contentment.
Question 1.
Who is the author of these lines?
(A) Shirley Toulson
(B) Nani Palkhivala
(C) A. R. Williams
(D) Khushwant Singh
Answer:
(D) Khushwant Singh

Question 2.
Who is being referred to here by the author?
(A) His grandmother
(B) His mother
(C) His wife
(D) His elder sister
Answer:
(A) His grandmother

Question 3.
What was the colour of the dress she used to wear?
(A) Black
(B) White
(C) Red
(D) Blue
Answer:
(B) White
OR
B. The night dragged on with an endless, bitterly cold routine of pumping, steering and working the radio. We were getting no replies to our Mayday calls – which was not surprising in this remote comer of the world.

Question 1.
Who are the authors of these lines?
(A) Gordon Cook and Alan East
(B) Khushwant and Williams
(C) Nathalie and Nani Palkhivala
(D) None of these
Answer:
(A) Gordon Cook and Alan East

Question 2.
Which incident is being described here?
(A) Journey to reach Cape of Good Hope
(B) Journey across the Indian Ocean
(C) Journey across the Pacific Ocean
(D) Journey across the Mediterranean Sea
Answer:
(B) Journey across the Indian Ocean

Question 3.
What does ‘Mayday’ refer to?
(A) Blood needed signal
(B) Pleasure signal
(C) Distress signal
(D) Death signal
Answer:
(C) Distress signal

Question 12.
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow. (1 x 4 = 4)
A. Nobody could understand where we ever got money enough to keep us with food in our bellies, not even the old men of the family. Most important of all, though, we were famous for our honesty. We had been famous for our honesty for something like eleven centuries, even when we had been the wealthiest family in what we liked to think was the world.
Question 1.
Who is the author of these lines?
(A) Marga Minco
(B) William Saroyan
(C) Masti Venkatesha Iyenger
(D) Patrick Pringle
Answer:
(B) William Saroyan

Question 2.
What was the main problem of Aram’s tribe?
(A) Population
(B) Unemployment
(C) Poverty
(D) Illiteracy
Answer:
(C) Poverty

Question 3.
Virtues of which tribe are being mentioned?
(A) Garoghlanian
(B) Garolanian
(C) Garo
(D) Garoglaijian
Answer:
(A) Garoghlanian

Question 4.
What was not a virtue of this tribe?
(A) Pride
(B) Honesty
(C) Theft
(D) Clarity
Answer:
(C) Theft
OR
B. ‘There is my daughter/ said my mother. She beckoned to me.
The woman nodded and picked up the suitcase under the coat-rack. She wore a brown coat and a shapeless hat.
‘Does she live far away?’ I asked, seeing the difficulty she had going out of the house with the heavy case.
Question 1.
From which story has this passage been taken?
(A) The Address
(B) Mother’s Day
(C) Birth
(D) None of these
Answer:
(A) The Address

Question 2.
What was the woman carrying in the suitcase?
(A) Gold
(B) Silver
(C) Platinum
(D) Diamond
Answer:
(B) Silver

Question 3.
Why didn’t the narrator object to Mrs. Dorling’s activities in time?
(A) She was silenced by her mother.
(B) She had come back to her home only during holidays.
(C) She was shy to confront others.
(D) She was indifferent about the activities of Mrs. Dorling.
Answer:
(B) She had come back to her home only during holidays.

Question 4.
Where is the story set?
(A) Germany
(B) Russia
(C) Britain
(D) Holland
Answer:
(D) Holland

Commonly Made Errors:

The most commonly made errors pertain to grammar and spellings
The second most commonly made errors pertain to the wrong perception and expression of the poetic devices. One must first explain what a poetic device is, such as simile, metaphor, allusion and so on, and then explain their usage in the context of the poem.

Answering Tips:

Read the poem thoroughly – more than once, if necessary-to grasp the gist of each stanza
Do not rely on paraphrases
Note the use of words and expressions
Find out the context of the poem
Try to understand meanings of words in context. Remember, poetic meaning of a word may be different from the actual meaning. Also, sometimes certain words may undergo such poetic modifications for the sake of rhythm, which is not generally seen in prose.

Question 13.
Answer the following questions in 40-50 words each. (3 x 3 = 9 marks)
(a) What problem did Carter face when he reached the mummy? How did he find a way out?
OR
What stories of the grandmother did the author treat as ‘Fables’ of the Prophets? Why?
Answer:
(a) Carter found that the ritual resins had become quite hard. These had fixed Tut to the bottom of his solid coffin. The heat of the sun could not melt it. So, the solid resins had to be chiseled away to free the King’s remains from the box.
OR
The author treated the stories of grandmother’s youth and beauty as fables as he had always seen her old and he found it hard to accept that she could once be pretty and young.

(b) Why does the poet feel that Heaven and Hell are not real places?
OR
Why do you think, the poet says nothing about her mother’s death?
Answer:
As the speaker grew mature, he acquired reasoning power. He realized that Hell and Heaven could not be found in Geography books or Atlas. Since they could not be located anywhere in the world map, he concluded that they did not exist. He would believe only what he could see and find.
OR
The poet has no words to express her reaction to this solemn and painful incident. Death silences everyone. The extensive quietness and prevailing gloom silences her.

(c) “This was the part that wouldn’t permit me to believe what I saw.” What part does the narrator hint at in the story, ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse?
OR
Why did the narrator go to number 46, Marconi Street in the story “The Address”?
Answer:
When the narrator begins the story, he is in mood of nostalgia. He was then nine years old. The world seemed to him full of every kind of splendour that he could imagine. Life appeared to him as a delightful and mysterious dream.
OR
This was the address of the woman who carried their valuables from her home for safety during war time. So, the narrator went there to claim the belongings of her mother.

Question 14.
Answer any one of the following questions in about 120-150 words: (6 marks)
What made the narrator set sail from Plymouth, England in July 1976? How did he prepare for his voyage?
OR
Gangadhar Pant could not help comparing the country he knew with what he was witnessing around him. Elucidate.
Answer:
The narrator had dreamt of sailing in the wake of Captain James Cook, the famous explorer. 200 years earlier. Captain Cook had made the round-the-world voyage. The narrator wanted to duplicate the voyage of Captain James Cook. For this purpose, he had made his boat Wavewalker. It was a 23-meter, 30-ton wooden hulled beauty, which was professionally built.

They had spent months fitting it out and testing it in the roughest weather. As regards the seafaring skills, the narrator had spent all his leisure time for the past 16 years in knowing those skills. So, he set sail in July 1976 with his wife Mary, son Jonathan, 6 and daughter Suzanne, 7 in his Wavewalker. He took two crewmen, one American Larry Vigil and the other Swiss Herb Seigler to tackle the world’s roughest sea the Southern Indian Ocean.
OR
Gangadhar Pant was an eminent writer of Pune. He had written the ‘History of India’ in five volumes. During his train journey he was wondering what course history would have taken if the result of the Battle of Panipat had gone the other way. This helped him to make a transition to the other world. India was altogether different country in this world.

Unlike the India he knew so well, the India he was witnessing around him, was self-sufficient and self-respecting. It was independent. It had never been enslaved by the white men. It had allowed the British to retain Bombay as their sole outpost. This was done for purely commercial reasons. These buildings and offices in this British Bombay were same as in typical high streets of a town in England.

East India House, the headquarters of the East India Company was housed in an imposing building outside Bombay V. T. The station itself looked remarkably neat and clean. The staff was mostly made of Anglo Indians and Parsees along with a handful of British officers. The Bombay, he knew, was altogether different. The offices of OCS buildings peeped above the shorter Victorian buildings. There was handloom House as well.

Question 15.
Answer the question in about 120-150 words: (6 marks)
Describe the narrator’s second visit to Mrs. Dorling’s house.
OR
Throw light on Mrs. Fitzgerald’s efforts to reform Mrs. Pearson’s family.
Answer:
The narrator’s first visit to Mrs. Dorling’s house was in vain. She decided to try for a second time. This time a girl of about fifteen opened the door to her. Her mother was not at home. The narrator said that she would wait for her. Following the girl along the passage, the narrator saw their old fashioned iron candle-holder hanging next to a mirror. The girl made her sit in the living room and went inside. The narrator was horrified to find herself in a room she knew and did not know.

She found herself in the midst of familiar things which she longed to see again but which oppressed her in the strange atmosphere. She dared not look around her. The woollen table cloth, the cups, the white tea-pot, the spoons, the pewter plate, everything was full of memories of her former life. Suddenly the objects linked with her former life lost their value in strange surroundings. They too appeared strange to aer. She no longer had the desire to possess them. She got up, walked to the door and left the house.
OR
Mrs. Pearson does not have the courage to stand up for her rights. Therefore, Mrs. Fitzgerald suggests a novel approach- exchange of personalities. Now, as Mrs. Pearson, with the personality of Mrs. Fitzgerald, she puts the plan of formation in action. She smokes, drinks and plays cards. All this is unusual for the family. She further shocks them by being tough with them in words and action. She asks them to look after themselves. She clearly tells them that she has already worked for more than eight hours that day.

She tells them plainly how they behave at home and work place. She is equally blunt with Mr. George Pearson, who goes away every evening to the club, leaving his wife alone at home. She reveals to him how the people at club make fun of him. In short, she makes them realize their responsibility toward the mother. In the end she performs the exchange of personalities once again. Thus, Mrs. Fitzerald makes the family members of Mrs. Pearson learn that she deserves respect and responsible behaviour from them. (6)

Commonly Made Errors:

The most commonly made errors pertain to grammar and spellings
The second most commonly made errors pertain to the wrong interpretation of the plot-structure and the character sketches.
Mixing up the names of the different places, i.e., mentioning the wrong place in the context of the wrong event.

Answering Tips:

Read the story thoroughly-more than once, if necessary-to grasp the gist
Do not rely on paraphrases
Note the character traits of both the major and the minor characters
Find out the context of the story. This will help to understand the sub-themes
Focus on the narrative style of the story.