Section A : Reading Q1 Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: 1.

You
hope to do several things every day. At the end of each day, most of them are not done. You try using a
`to-do list' but discover in a short while that it is not helping you much. Tasks keep adding to it. In a few
weeks, it starts looking like a list of things you will never do and you feel stressed about it. 2. Making a
to-do list is not enough. It is useful only when you understand the key aspects of it and work on it
further. 3. To begin with, recognize that a to-do list is only a pool of tasks. It is just a rare collection that
gives you no idea of how you will get to it. To make it useful you have to define the 'when'. Entering
details about when you will do the different tasks, gives the to-do list a meaning. When you begin
creating a schedule, your focus shifts to how long you have to work on each task to complete it. This
way you are forced to be realistic about your goals. 4. You cannot do all the tasks on the list on the
same day. So, you should learn to prioritize. Rank the tasks using numbers or group them using letters of
the alphabet, according to the order of importance. Now start working according to the schedule where
your schedule went wrong by paying close attention to how you are spending the day. 5. Some of the
possible reasons are: you waste time, make a mistake in assessing how much time a task would take or
deal with 'urgent' tasks frequently. If the reason is wasting time, learn to concentrate on your work. If
you made a mistake in time assessment, prepare a more realistic schedule. 6. Another way to prioritize
tasks is based on the creative energy they require. Separate the tasks into creative and boring ones. This
approach helps you to stay productive even during cheerless parts of the day. 7. Making a schedule for
items in your to-do list does not promise that all of them are accomplished. But you can at least be
strategic about what is left behind and feel happy that you achieved what you accommodated in the

finite space. This way you can begin the next day on a positive note rather than feeling helpless and
frustrated about failing. 1.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions
in about 30-40 words each. (i) When does one start feeling stressed? One hopes to do several things
every day. At the end of each day, most of them are not done. Even keeping a to-do list doesn’t help.
Tasks keep adding to it. In a few weeks, there is a list of things one will never do and that’s when one
starts feeling stressed. (ii) Why is it important to add ‘when’ to the to-do list? Entering details about
when one will do the different tasks, gives the to-do list a meaning. This way you one is forced to be
realistic about his/her goals. (iii) Give ways to prioritize tasks. Rank the tasks using numbers or group
them using letters of the alphabet, according to the order of importance. Another way to prioritize tasks
is based on the creative energy they require. (iv) What are the possible reasons why one isn’t able to
finish the tasks in their schedule? Some of the possible reasons are: one wastes time, makes a mistake
in assessing how much time a task would take or deals with 'urgent' tasks frequently. 1.2 On the basis of
your reading the passage, fill in the following blanks with appropriate words and phrases. (a) Making a
schedule for items in your to-do list does not promise that
_______________________________________________________. Making a schedule for items in
your to-do list does not promise that all of them are accomplished. (b) When one is strategic about the
tasks left behind, one can begin the next day on a positive note rather than
_______________________________________________. When one is strategic about the tasks left
behind, one can begin the next day on a positive note rather than feeling helpless and frustrated about
failing. 1.3 Find out the words that mean the same as under. (a) evaluation (paragraph 5) assessment
(b) systematically planning to achieve the goal (paragraph 7) strategic
 Section B: Writing and Grammar Q2 Write an article in about 100-150 words on Swachh Bharat
Campaign (Clean India Campaign). Q3 Fill in the blanks by choosing the most appropriate options from
the ones given below. Write the answer in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers.
Mark Twain was the pen name of Samuel Clemens (a) ________was one of the greatest fiction writers of
America. He grew up in a small town (b) ________ the bank of the Mississippi River. (b) ________ a
small boy, he moved to Hannibal on the banks of the river (d) ___________ he experienced the
excitement of river travel. (a) (i) which (ii) who (iii) (iv) that (v) he (b) (i) on (ii) in (iii) (iv) at
(v) upon (c) (i) Since (ii) From (iii) As (iv) To (d) (i) which (ii) when (iii) (iv) whenever (v) wherever
Q4 In the following passages one word has been omitted in each line. Write the missing word in each
sentence of the given paragraph, along with the word that comes before and the word that comes after
it in the space provided. Before Missing Word After Last year was driest season. This year also e.g was
the driest there lesser rainfall than usual. If there is (a) there was lesser no water crops will fail .If trees
not get water (b) trees do not there will be no fruits, fibres medicines. If we (c) fibres or medicines
save we will face scarcity. Saving water is (d) will not face the most necessary action be taken now (e)
action to be Q5 Rearrange the following word clusters to make meaningful sentences. (a) in has
caused of severe fog North India several flights cancellation. Severe fog in North India has caused
cancellation of several flights. (b) Passengers / at / for /twenty four hours/ have been / airports /more
than /stranded Passengers have been stranded at airports for more than twenty four hours. (c) The /
for/ the passengers/ food and water / airlines / provision for/ have made The airlines have made
provision for food and water for the passengers. (d) They / also / the / to refund/ have / tickets/
decided They have also decided to refund the tickets. (e) This / disappointment/ going on vacation/
has caused / to those / a lot of/ with families This has caused a lot of disappointment to those going on
vacation with families. Section -C (Literature) Q6 Read the extract given below and answer the
questions that follow. (A) Peggy knocked firmly on the door, but there was no answer. She and
Maddie went around to the backyard and knocked there. Still, there was no answer. There was no doubt
about it. The Petronskis were gone. How could they ever make amends? (a) Why did Maddie and Peggy
go to Wanda’s house? a. to call her to play b. to say sorry for what they had done to Wanda c. to find
out why she wasn’t coming to school d. to give her the medal she had won in the drawing contest (b)
How did Wanda’s house look? a. shabby but big b. shabby but unclean c. shabby but clean d. shabby
but spacious (c) What did Wanda’s house remind Maddie of? a. Wanda’s faded blue cotton dress b.
Wanda’s faded green cotton dress c. Wanda’s hundred dresses d. Wanda’s sixty pairs of shoes (d) Find a
phrase from the passage which means ‘show one is sorry by doing something good’.

a. make amends b. wondering c. listless d. depressed (B) Stop that sulking at once, Amanda! You’re
always so moody, Amanda! Anyone would think that I nagged at you,
Amanda! (a) What does the speaker want Amanda to stop doing in the above passage? a. sulking b.
eating chocolate c. slouching d. nagging (b) Why is Amanda moody? a. Because she didn’t finish her
homework. b. Because she didn’t get to eat the chocolate. c. Because the speaker escapes in her
imaginary world. d. Because the speaker told her to stop biting her nails. (c) What does the speaker fear
the people will think about him/her? a. He/she keep nagging Amanda. b. He/she is very angry with
Amanda. c. He/she doesn’t love Amanda. d. He/she needs to see a counselor. (d) Find a word from the
passage which means ‘kept asking someone to do something.’ a. sulking b. nagged c. think d. moody
Q7 Answer the following in 30-40 words.

i. Why has Wanda’s father written a letter to Mrs. Mason? Jan Petronski wrote a letter
to Miss Mason, Wanda’s teacher, to inform her that Wanda and Jake would not come to school
anymore as they had shifted to a big city where no one would make fun of their names because there
would be many funny names and foreigners like her in the big city. The letter was also an indirect
complaint. ii. Do you consider Amanda’s mother to be a nagging mother? Amanda’s mother is indeed
a nagging mother. She is all about instructions and finding faults. No doubt it is her responsibility to
instill good values into her daughter, but not at the cost of her child’s happiness. One should know how
to strike a balance between disciplining a child and encouraging positive behaviour. iii. When did the
baker collect his bills? What showed that the bakers were prosperous? The baker usually collected his
bills at the end of the month. In the household, the baker’s monthly accounts used to be recorded on
some wall in pencil. Baking was a profitable business in those days. Their families never starved. Their
plump bodies showed that they were prosperous. iv. What is the message that Walt Whitman wants to
give to the readers through the poem ‘Animals’? There is nothing great about being humans. Human
beings have degraded themselves to the extent that animals appear to be noble and superior beings in
their comparison. No doubt, humans did possess those ‘tokens’ of love, innocence, simplicity,
contentment and independence. But they have given up these ‘tokens’ long ago. Animals still practice
those virtues and appear to be nobler than humans. v. How did Ebright’s mother help him in becoming
a scientist? Ebright’s mother made Ebright the center of her life. She would buy microscopes,
telescopes and books for him. She arranged trips for him and would also prepare difficult tasks for him.
This helped him to learn a lot. vi. How did Griffin first become visible? Griffin first became visible after
he slipped into a big London store for keeping warm and overslept there while wearing some clothes
taken from the store. The clothes made him visible to the shop assistants when the shop opened in the
morning. To escape from them, he had to shed all his clothes to become invisible again. Q8 Answer the
following in 100-150 words. (a) Why do you think Wanda’s family moved to a different city? Do you
think life there was going to be different for the family? Wanda’s family could no longer
tolerate the mockery she was subjected to other students made fun of her name and called her
‘Pollack’. Peggy and other girls often teased her by asking her about her hundred dresses which she said
she had ‘all lined up in her closet’ but wore the same faded blue dress that was too long and hung
loosely on her body. Fed up by this teasing Wanda’s family shifted to a big city where there were a lot of
foreigners with unfamiliar names. One cannot be certain whether the life of Wanda’s family was going
to be different in the city. But one thing seems certain that no one would have made fun of Wanda’s
name or looks. (b) What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda? A girl
like Amanda yearns for freedom and space for herself. She is incapable to fulfill the expectations of her
parents. Amanda is no less than a symbol for all the children who face similar fate irrespective of class,
colour or nationality. Traditional societies demand a certain type of behaviour from the individuals and
the training to produce such behaviour begins at a very young age. Parents ignore the innocence and
understanding level of their children, thus killing their imagination and thoughts. (c) Why is the poet so
impressed with animals that he wants to change sides and wishes to live with them? The poet feels that
humans have degraded themselves beyond redemption. Nothing great has been left with human beings.
He is fed up with their behaviour and wants to escape from the world of humans. No doubt, humans
were not so bad at one time. They shared ‘tokens’ of love, sympathy, contentment and innocence with
animals. However, the spirit of greed, over ambition, and arrogance overpowered them. They gave up
the path of virtue and the ‘tokens’ of love and sympathy. The burden of their sins and misdeeds lies
heavy on their hearts and souls. On the other hand, animals still maintain the old virtues left by man
long ago. They are content, self-sufficient and free from the burden of sins and misdeeds. Hence, the
poet wants to change sides and wants to be a part of the animal world. (d) What was the curious
episode that took place in the clergyman’s study? One day, early in the morning some sounds came
from the study. The clergyman and his wife were awakened. They came downstairs and heard the chink
of money from the study. It was clear that someone was robbing money from the clergyman’s desk. The
clergyman took a poker in his hand. He carefully opened the door. He expected to find a thief in the
room. So he shouted and asked the man to give in. But he found the room empty. They were surprised.
He and his wife looked under the desk and behind the curtains. They even checked the chimney. But
they did not find anybody. However, the desk had been opened. They found that money was missing
from the desk. This was really a curious episode. (e) How did Ebright discover an unknown insect
hormone? In his second year in high school, Ebright’s research led to his discovery of an unknown insect
hormone. Indirectly, it led to his new theory on the life of cells. He tried to answer a very simple
question. What is the purpose of the twelve tiny gold spots on a monarch pupa? To prove Ebright and
one other student built a device that showed that the spots were producing a hormone. It was
necessary for the butterfly’s full development. This project won Ebright first place in the county fair and
entry into the International Science and Engineering Fair. There he won third place for zoology.