MANGADU PUBLIC SCHOOL

THANGAM AVENUE, CHIKARAYAPURAM, KOVUR, CHENNAI -128

Periodic Test- 1 (2019-20)

Subject: English Marks: 25

Class: XI Duration: 1 hour

Section A (Reading)
I. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow each of them:
(10)
1) Today there is a lot of talk about the environment. All Nations are coming to an
agreement to save planet earth. Like we pollute the earth, we pollute the water; we also
pollute the subtle environment through a negative feelings and emotions. We have
become a victim of our environment. We are not in control of our mind. We hear a lot
about other things in life but we spend very little time to hear about ourselves. How to
handle our mind? How to be in the present moment? How to be happy and grateful? This
we have not learnt. This is a most unfortunate thing. Then what is a solution? This is
where we miss a very fundamental principle that governs our environment, our mind our
emotions and our life in general.
2) Our body has the capacity to sustain much longer, the vibration of bliss and peace then it
gives negative emotions because positivity is the centre of our existence. Just like in a
structure of atom, protons and neutrons are in the centre of the atom and electrons are
only the periphery, same is with our lives; the centre core of our existence is bliss,
positivity and joy but it is surrounded by a cloud of negative ions. Through the help of the
breath we can easily get over our negative emotions in a short period of time. Through
meditation and certain breathing techniques, we can clear this negative cloud.
3) This life has so much to offer to you. You can see this once you take some time off,
rejuvenating the soul. Your soul is hungry for a smile from you. If you could give this,
you will feel energized the whole year and nothing whatsoever, can take the smile from
you.
4) Everyone wants to be successful in life. But without knowing what success is, you want
to be successful. What is the sign of success? Just having a lot of money, is that success?
Why do you think money means success? Because money gives you freedom so that you
can do whatever you want. You may have a big bank balance, but, you have stomach
aches, ulcers, you may have to go for bypass surgery; can't eat this, can't do this, can't do
that. We spend half our health to gain wealth and spend half our wealth to gain back the
health. Is this success? It is very bad mathematics.
5) Look at all those who claim to be successful- are they successful? No, they are miserable.
Then, what is the sign of success? It is confidence, compassion, generosity and a smile
 that none can snatch away, being really happy and being able to be more free. These are
the signs of successful person.
6) Take some time off to look a little deeper into yourself and calm the mind down. Thus
erasing all the impression that we are carrying in our minds and experience the presence,
the divine that is very core of our existence. This is feeling the presence!

1) On the basis of your and reading of the passage answer the following questions by
choosing the best of the given choices: (4)
a) How do we pollute our environment?
i) by becoming victims to our environment
ii) by not listening to indications about ourselves
iii) through a negative thoughts and feelings
iv) by not being in control of our mind
b) How can we get rid of negative emotions?
i) by keeping longer the vibrations of bliss
ii) through meditation and using some breathing techniques
iii) by ignoring clouds
iv) by preserving the protons and neutron
c) What are the signs of a successful person?
i) confidence compassion generosity and happiness
ii) to be free rich powerful and smiling
iii) to be not miserable
iv) generosity not being miserable good health and wealth
d) What according to the author is bad mathematics?
i) having money but no freedom
ii) having stomach aches, ulcers and Bypass surgery
iii) can't eat this, can do this, can do that
iv) to spend our health to gain wealth and wealth to regain health
2) Answer the following questions briefly: (2)
i) What are the signs of successful person?
ii) What can happen if you calm down the mind?
3) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes using heading and
subheading in any suitable format. Use recognizable abbreviations. Give a suitable title to
the passage. (4)
Section B (Writing) (5)
II) A) While walking in a park in your neighborhood you found a small plastic bag
containing some documents and some cash. Write a notice in about 50 words to be
put on the park notice board asking the owner to identify and collect it from you. You
are Amar/ Amrita 9875673832.
(or)
B) Design a poster not in more than 50 words for you school library on the value of
books and good reading habits. You may use slogans.
 Section C (Literature) (10)
III) Answer the following questions: (any 3) (3*2=6)
1. What was the importance of the hallmark of the tribe?
2. Mention 3 ways in which the author’s grandmother spent her days after the author
grew up.
3. ‘A sweet face,
My mother’s, that was before I was born.
And the sea, which appears to have changed less,
Washed their terribly transient feet.
i) Where are the lines from who is the poet?
ii) What has not changed much why?
4. There is nothing to say at all.
Its silence silences.
i) What is the object which is being discussed here?
ii) Interpret the phrase silence silences.

IV) Answer the following in 100-50 words: (any 1) (1*4=4)

1. Three stanzas of the poem “photograph” depict three different phases. What are
they?
2. “Religion was the dominant feature of her life.” Comment on this statement in
regard to Khushwant Singh’s grandmother as projected in – “The Portrait of a
Lady”.
 MANGADU PUBLIC SCHOOL
THANGAM AVENUE, CHIKARAYAPURAM, KOVUR, CHENNAI -128
Periodic Test- 1 (2019-20)

Subject: English Marks: 25

Class :XII Duration: 1 hour

Section A (Reading)
I) Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow each of them:
(10)
1) In the democratic countries, intelligence is still free to ask whatever question it chooses.
This freedom, it is almost certain, will not survive another war. Educationists should, therefore,
do all they can, while there is much time, to build up in the minds of their charges, a habit of
resistance to suggestion. If such resistance is not built, the men and women of next generation
will be at the mercy of that skillful propagandist who contrives to seize the instruments of
information and persuasion. Resistance to suggestion can be built up in two ways. First, children
can be taught to rely on their own internal resources and not depend on incessant stimulation
from without. This is doubly important. Reliance on external stimulation is bad for the character
moreover such stimulation is stuff with which propagandists beat their hooks, the jam is which
dictators conceal their ideological pills. An individual who relies on external stimulations
thereby exposes himself to the full force of whatever propaganda is being made in his
neighborhood. For a majority of people in the west, purposeless reading, purposeless listening-in,
purposeless listening to radios, purposeless looking at films, have become addictions,
psychological equivalent of alcoholism and morphinism. Things have come to such a pitch that
there are many millions of men and women who suffer real distress if they are cut off for a few
days or even few hours from newspapers, radio, music or moving pictures. Like the addict to a
drug, they have to indulge, their vice not because the indulgence gives them any real pleasure,
but because unless they indulge, they feel painfully subnormal and incomplete. Even by
intelligent people it is now taken for granted that such psychological addictions are inevitable
and even desirable, that there is nothing to be alarmed at it in that fact that the majority of
civilized men and women are now in capable of Living on their own spiritual resources, but have
become abjectly dependent on incessant stimulation from without.
2) How can children be taught to rely upon their own spiritual resources and resist the
temptation to become the reading addicts, hearing addicts, seeing addicts? First of all, they can
be taught how to entertain themselves by making things, by playing musical instruments, by
purposeful study, by scientific observation, by the practice of some art and so on. But such
education of the hand and the intellect is not enough. The Other method heightening the
resistance to suggestion is purely intellectual and consists in training young people subject the
diverse devices of the propagandists to critical analysis. The first thing that educators must do is
to analyze the words currently used in newspapers, on platforms by preachers and broadcasters.
Their critical analysis and constructive criticism should reach out to the children and the youth,
with such clarity that they learnt to react to forceful suggestion the right way at right time.
1. On the basis of your reading of the passage answer the following questions by choosing
the best of the given choices: (5)
a) What does the author want educationists to do?
i) Teach the students to use their freedom judicially
ii) To build the students mind a resistance to suggestion
iii) Seize the instruments of Information and persuasion
iv) Teach the students how to survive another war
b) Mention the two ways in which resistance to suggestion can be built up
i) Reliance on external stimulation to promote and teaching of art
ii) Reading and looking at films to be encouraged
iii) Rely on one’s own internal resources and intellectual analysis of the
devices of propagandists
iv) Read newspaper enjoy music for moving pictures
c) Give an example of psychological addiction
i) Alcoholism and morphinism
ii) Purposeless reading of newspaper listening to Radio music etc.
iii) Playing musical instruments
iv) Purposeful study
d) Find the word from the passage which means continuing without interruption
i) incessant ii) skillful
iii) Doubly iv) external
e) Choose the right synonym for the word encouragement from the following options
i) Incentive ii) stimulate
iii) Stimulation iv) promote
2. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes using heading and subheading
in any suitable format. Use recognizable abbreviations. Give a suitable title to the passage. (5)

Section B (Writing) (5)

II) Do as directed:
A) You are Radha/ Ravi, head of the music department at The Learner’s Paradise school,
Hosour. Write a notice giving information regarding the upcoming singing competition in the
school. Include relevant information like date, time venue, age group categories, prizes, judges
and sponsors for the event. The maximum word limit is 50 words.
(or)
B) Write a letter to the Mayor of your city seeking a solution to the problem of water logging in
your area. You are Raj / Rani of Dharma Colony, Saithapet.
 Section C (Literature) (10)
III) Answer the following questions: (any 3) (3*2=6)
1) Talk about the aversion of Franz on the French language, and how did he reciprocated it.
2) “I looked again at her, wan, pale
as a late winter’s moon and felt that old
familiar ache,…”
i) Bring out the figure of speech and explain it.
ii) What does 'old familiar ache' mean?
3) What do the parting words of the poet and her smile signify?
4) Apparent illogicality sometimes turns to be a futuristic projection? Discuss
IV) Answer the following in 100-50 words: (any 1) (1*4=4)
1) The walls of the classroom are decorated with the pictures of ‘Shakespeare’,
‘buildings with domes', ‘world maps' and beautiful valleys. How do these contrast
with the world of these children?
2) Explain the habit of escapism in the story Third Level.