BAL BHARATI PUBLIC SCHOOL, PITAMPURA, DELHI-110034

HALF YEARLY - ENGLISH

Time : 3 hours M.M. = 88

Please note: The students are not allowed to open the dictionary or any text book.
Please ensure that your question paper contains six pages.

Section – A (Comprehension)

I. Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow: (10 marks)

1. ‘Go and speak to your aunts and uncles, my dears,’ said Mrs. Tulliver, looking anxious. She wanted to whisper to
Maggie to go and have her hair brushed. ‘How do you do? I hope you are good children, are you?’ said Aunt Glegg,
in a loud forceful way, as she took their hands, hurting them with her large rings, and kissing their cheeks much
against their desire. ‘Well, my dears,’ said Aunt Pullet, ‘your hair grow wonderfully fast. I doubt they’ll outgrow their
strength’, she added, looking over their heads with a sad expression at their mother. ‘I think the girl has too much
hair. I’d have it thinned and cut shorter, sister, if I was you; it isn’t good for her health. It’s that as makes her skin so
brown, I shouldn’t wonder.’ ‘No, no,’ said Mr. Tulliver, ‘the child’s healthy enough- there’s nothing wrong with her’.

2. A dreadful feeling was gathering in Maggie’s heart.

‘Maggie,’ said Mrs. Tulliver calling Maggie to her and whispering in her ear,’ go and get your hair brushed. I told you
not to come in without going to Martha first, you know I did.’
‘Tom, come out with me,’ whispered Maggie, pulling his sleeve as she passed him, and Tom followed willingly
enough.

3. Tom followed Maggie upstairs into her mother’s room, and saw her go at once to a drawer from which she took out
a large pair of scissors.
‘What are they for, Maggie?’ said Tom,
Maggie answered by seizing her front locks and cutting them straight across the middle of her forehead.

4. Snip! Went the great scissors while Tom was speaking, and he couldn’t help feeling it was rather good fun: Maggie
would look so queer. ‘Here Tom, cut it behind for me,’ said Maggie, excited by her own daring and anxious to finish
the deed. And the locks fell heavily on the floor, and Maggie stood cropped in an uneven manner, but with a sense
of clearness and freedom, as if she had emerged from a wood into the open plain.

Write the answers in your own words unless the question specifically asks you to quote from the passage.

Q1. ‘I doubt they’ll outgrow their strength who is ‘I’ and ‘they in the above lines? What do you understand by ‘outgrow
their strength’? (2)

Q2. Do you think the aunts were popular among the children? Quote two examples from the passage. (2)

Q3. How was Mr. Tulliver’s behaviour towards Maggie different from Mrs. Tulliver’s behaviour? Give examples from the
passage. (2)

Q4. What did Tom feel when Maggie was cutting her hair? (1)

Q5. Why do you think Maggie cut her hair? (1)

Q6. Give a suitable title to this passage? (1)

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Q7. Find out the words from the passage which mean the same: (1)
1. Nervous (para 1)
2. Strange (para 4)

II. Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow: (12 marks)

1. I hadn’t decided whether I liked Afghanistan or not. I knew my father did, though he had been here for only four
months, working as an engineer at the Irrigation Project. My brother and I had stayed back in Delhi with my uncle
and aunt. We had come to spend our holidays with my parents in the small town of Kunduz, not far from the Russian
border. We had visited the historical place of Balk over the weekend, and were on our way back when everything
began to oppress me: the stillness of the wild rocky mountainside, bare of any vegetation; the ghostly craters of
rocks and stones; the dust and the heat. I felt uncomfortable. I looked at my brother, sitting next to me in the car.
Suddenly he said, “Look at this side. Isn’t it a perfect hiding place for dacoits?”

2. Without taking his eyes off the road before him, father said, “I haven’t been long enough in Afghanistan but I think
that the people of Afghanistan are rather friendly and hospitable.” I met his eyes in the rear view mirror. He smiled
at me and added “Oh, don’t look so frightened, Puja.” My father slowed down and brought the car to a halt on the
right. “Nothing to worry about,” he assured us. “I’m checking the rear wheels.” He got out of the car.

3. “Do you want some water, Puja?” asked Mother. I nodded and extended my hand, while my eyes travelled past her,
up the road. What I saw made me drop the cup. I continued to stare past my mother’s surprised face at two men
rushing towards our car. They were coming straight at us. I shrieked and pointed at them. “Dacoits! Dacoits!” My
mother turned around to stare at them. They were shouting, “Advia!” My mother shrieked too. “Papa, dacoits!
They’re coming straight at us. Come back. We have to leave. Start the car, Papa. Hurry! Please!” My brother said.
Sudhir banged the door and shouted at us, “Shut the doors. Wind up the window glass, fast.”

4. The taller of the two had already reached the bonnet. His left hand slid over the metal and touched my mother’s
window. He shouted something. “Lock the door, Ma. You must lock the door. Bring your window up, Puja. Do you
hear?” my brother shouted. I wanted to move, wind up the window, but I couldn’t. By that time, I had realized my
mistake and started raising the window glass. The hands were caught by the upward moving glass. He grabbed it,
and clung to it, trying to push it down with great force.

5. The glass inched up slowly, painfully. The man yelled and withdrew his hands. He shouted at my mother. His words
sounded like’ Advia’. Then from behind him, the other one emerged. Then grabbing my arm, he pushed himself
forward and he roared, “Advia, Advia, Advia!” As the car gathered speed he fell into a run beside it, still holding onto
the window frame with his left hand. And then his hands were gone, his hands were gone, his hands, his face and his
voice. I did not turn to look back. But Sudhir did. He cried excitedly, “We licked them. I was on the verge of crying as
I fought the voice still running through my head, “Advia, Advia.” “Pa,” I said finally, “I would like to look up the word
‘Advia’. I wonder what it means.” My father returned from the bedroom with a thick dictionary. It did not take him
long to find the word, but it took him almost a minute to read it. His face was pale and his eyes looked troubled as
he said in a flat voice “Advia means ‘medicine’.”

Write the answers in your own words unless the question specifically asks you to quote from the passage.

Q1. Puja was very scared and feeling uncomfortable. Give two instances from the passage. (2)
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Q2. ‘Isn’t it a perfect hiding place for dacoits’. Why was it the perfect hiding place for dacoits? (1)

Q3. Why did the father slow down the car? (1)

Q4. ‘What I saw made me drop the cup’. Who is ‘I’ and what made him/her drop the cup? (1.5)

Q5. Quote a line from the passage which shows that Sudhir was terrified. (1)

Q6. ‘He grabbed it, and clung to it’. What is ‘it’ and why did he grab it? (1.5)

Q7. Why did Puja’s father take a whole minute to read the meaning of ‘Advia’? (1)

Q8. Give a suitable title to this passage. (1)

Q9. Find out words from the passage that mean the same as the following: (2)

1. Welcoming and friendly (para 2)

2. To stop (para 2)
3. Look carefully (para 3)
4. To scream (para 3)

Section – B (Literature)

PART –A

1. Why did the dog refuse going to school? (1)

2. How can we justify hunting by animals? (1)
3. Why did Mareecha stop Ravanna from going ahead with his plan? Did he succeed in this attempt? Why or why not? (2)
4. Why do people hunt? How can hunting be controlled? (2)
5. How can we say that Ravanna was a hypocrite? What plan did he make to teach Ram a lesson? (2)
6. 'Mr. L seems to be confused throughout his conversation with the dog.' Justify this statement with two suitable examples.
(2)
7. The dog spoke about values such as kindness to be taught as part of the school curriculum. How far do you agree with
this? (2)

PART –B

1. Does 'sacrifice' play any role in 'Philip Alone'? How? (1.5)

2. Why did Perseus sympathize with Medusa when he saw her sleeping? Did this feeling remain for long? Why or why not?
(1.5)
3. What plan did Taro and Jiro make to trick the lord? Did they succeed in their plan? (2)
4. Polydectes was both cunning and cruel. Do you agree? Give suitable reasons to support your answer. (2)
5. 'Philip's blindness proved to be dangerous for him.' Give two instances from the story to prove this statement. (2)

PART –C

1. Where did the ‘Owl and the Pussycat’ get the ring from? Why did they need the ring? (1)
2. Do you think the soldier in the poem 'Soldier, Soldier' was dishonest? Why or why not? (1)
3. Did the lady succeed in bribing death in the poem 'Death and the Lady'? Explain. (1)
4. Which poem from 'C2- Folk Songs' did you like the most and why? (1)

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 Section – C (Grammar)

I. Use Since/For to complete the following sentences: (0.5X8=4)

1. I have been learning English _________ six months.

2. I have lived in my house ____________ twenty years

3. How long has it been _______________ you’ve been on holiday?

4. How long did you go on holiday _______________?

5. I worked there _____________ five years.

6. He hasn't spoken even a word to me ______________ the last meeting.

7. She’s been waiting ___________ 12.30 for you!

8. They’ve wanted to see the movie ___________ a long time.

II. Complete the following Conditional sentences: (7x1=7)

(a) The pizza will be tasty if _______________________________________.

(b) You will lose this book if _______________________________________.

(c) If it doesn’t snow, _______________________________________.

(d) Get ready quickly if _______________________________________.

(e) If she wants to reach on time, _______________________________________.

(f) We shall be very happy if _______________________________________.

(g) I will be very pleased if _______________________________________.

III. Put the verbs given in the brackets in the appropriate tense. (16x0.5=8)

1. It _______________ (rain) all week. I hope it stops by Saturday because I ___________ (want) to go to the beach.

Shhhhh! Be quiet! John ___________ (sleep).

2. I'm sorry I can't hear what you _________________ (say) because everybody _______________ (talk) so loudly.

3. When I ________________ (arrive) home last night, I discovered that Jane ______________ (prepare) a beautiful
candlelight dinner.

4. My English is really getting better. I _________________ (try) to learn the language since 1985.

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5. Since computers were first introduced to the public in the early 1980's, technology ________________ (change) a great
deal. The first computers ______________(be) simple machines designed for basic tasks.

6. After I graduate, I __________________ (attend) medical school and become a doctor. I have wanted to be a doctor all
my life.

7. Margie just called and said she would be here at 8 o'clock. By the time she gets here, we _________________ (wait) for
her for two hours.

8. Since when you ________________________ (learn) to ski? __________ you ____________ (think) I can be as good as
you at skiing?

9. How much ___________________ he _____________________ (earn) last week?

10. You look really great! ________________ you _________________(work) out at the fitness center recently?

IV. There is one error in each line of the paragraph given below. Identify the errors and correct them.
(8x0.5=4)

Incorrect Word Correct Word

If she came to me for help, I will certainly a) _________ ___________

do whatever I can to help him. b) _________ ___________

She has always helps me in my c) _________ ___________

time of need. I hopes that she d) _________ ___________

don’t have to face any problem. I think e) _________ ___________

An true friend always takes care f) _________ ___________

of us when we asked for help. It g) _________ ___________

was always good to have nice friends. h) _________ ___________

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 Section – D (Composition)

Write a paragraph of about 20 lines on any one of the following topics: (10)

• Write the points neatly before you write the paragraph.

• The paragraph must be indented or it will be marked zero.
• Be original and creative.

(a) If I were left alone on an island

(b) A lesson learnt that I would never forget
(c) My encounter with a dog that could speak
(d) Write a story beginning with "Medusa, the gorgon stood before me...”

Section – E (Supplementary Test – OLIVER TWIST)

Answer ANY EIGHT of the following questions: (8)

1. How did the surgeon find out that Oliver’s mother was not married?
2. What did the bag that Oliver’s mother give to Sally before dying contain?
3. Who was the stranger who had bumped into Oliver outside the inn and abused him?
4. Why did the bookstall owner get late in coming to save Oliver before the magistrate?
5. Who did Nancy go to meet secretly after overhearing Bill and Fagin’s conversation?
6. Why did the board refuse to give Oliver to Mr. Gramfield?
7. What did Mr. Brownlow do to prove Grimwig’s suspicion about Oliver wrong?
8. Why did Charlotte and Mrs. Sowerberry treat Oliver badly?
9. Who was called The Artful Dodger? Who did he take Oliver to, the first time they met?
10. Who was Mr. Gramfield? Why did he want to take Oliver with him?

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Marking Scheme:
Half-Yearly Exam - 88 Bonus
Section B Test - 2 Library Test - 5