RASHTRIYA MILITARY SCHOOL ANNUAL EXAM CLASS XI

ENGLISH CORE (CODE 301)

PART A READING (40 Marks)

1. Read the following passage carefully: [10x1 10 Marks]

When Levi Strauss sold his first pair of jeans, they were not blue and they
were not denim. He was 21, a recent immigrant from Bavaria, when he landed in
San Francisco in 1850 with gold on his mind. His brother back East had stocked him
with some dry goods and bolts of canvas, which young Levi intended to sell as tents
and wagon tops. He wanted to raise cash to buy himself a claim in the gold digs.
Legend has it that a single encounter with a disgruntled miner changed his career.
Eyeing the goods, the miner said he would have done better to bring pants.

Pants wore out quickly in the gold digs. Very soon that miner had the toughest
pair of brown canvas pants in the West. Soon other gold prospectors came around
looking for those pants of Levi's. Within a few years he switched from canvas to
French denim, reputed to be the strongest fabric in the world. He later added the
indigo dye that puts the blue in blue jeans. Levi Strauss first designed and marked
Levi's' in 1850, and they have stayed essentialy the same ever since; there have
been only minor alterations to the original design.

Meanwhile, Jacom Davis, a tailor in Neveda, came up with the idea of copper
riveted pockets.
Miners kept loading ore into their pockets and ripping them out. One day, after
having repaired the same miner's pockets several times, the tailor sneaked off to the
harness shop and reinforced the seams with rivets. Davis knew he had a good thing,
so he went down to see.

Strauss in San Francisco and the two men took out a patent on riveted
pockets. Few other changes were made over the next century. Zippers repaired
button flies in 1920 (although later button flies had a resurgence of popularity) and in
1937 the rivets on the back pockets were moved inside in response to complaints
from school boards that the jeans students wore were damaging chairs and from
cowboys that their jeans were damaging their saddles. In the 1960s, they were
removed entirely from the back pockets.

Strauss developed the first and largest garment-making business west of the
became a San
Mississippi River. His reputation for probity and public spiritedness
Francisco legend. "You can buy Levis for a dollar, but you can't buy Levi Strauss for
a million dollar," it was said.

1.1 Based on your reading of the passage, complete ten out of the following
eleven statements by ticking the correct options:

(a) The first pair of jeans that Levi Strauss sold were made o **********

(1) blue denim (i) brown denim

(ii) blue canvas (iv) brown canvas

RMS ANNUAL EXAM CLASS XI/ FEB Page 1 of 11

2021/ENGLISH
 San Francisco in 1850 to..
(b) Strauss c a m e to
at the gold digs
() look for goldfor tents and wagon tops
canvas
sell
(ii) start a shop to sell dry goods
(ii)
manufacture and sell blue jeans
(iv)

(c) Levi stitched the first pair of jeans for *****°''*

(i) dissatisfied miner

a
(i) his brother (iv) Jacob Davis
(ii) himself

(d) Jacob Davis' contribution to the jeans was to * * * * * * ° * * *

blue.
() use indigo to dye the canvas used for making jeans
(i) start manufacturing jeans using denim cloth.
rivets.
(ii) strengthen the jeans pockets with copper
(iv) sneak the jeans into a harness shop.

(e) Levi Strauss established a reputation for . .

() integrity and devotion to the public welfare
(i) shrewdness and cunning
(ii) dishonesty and disregard to the public welfare
(iv laziness and unscrupulousness

() The passage highlights Levi Strauss'.

() ability to take advantage of people
(i) foresightedness and vision
(ii) ability to stitch good jeans from canvas

(iv) ability to market his product

(g)Immigrantsflocked to San Francisco a s .

(i) it had a natural port
(ii) it had discrete business prospects
(ii) political turbulence had rocked their native lands
(iv) gold had been discovered

(h) The word 'reinforced' means

(i) manufactured (i) damaged

(iii)strengthened (iv) produced

) The word 'probity' means

i) uprightness (i) inquisitiveness

(ii)curiosity (iv) invisibility
is..
The antonym of contented'
(i) patent i) damaging
(iii)reinforced (iv) disgruntled

the back pockets.

Complained against the rivets
on
(k) The ... . . .

(i) students
() miners
(iv) students & cowboys
(ii)cowboys

Page 2 of 11
RMS ANNUAL EXAM CLASS XI/ FEB 2021/ENGLISH
Q2. Read the following passage carefully: [8x 1 8 Marks]

ars ago, there was a group of briliant young men at the University of
Wisconsin, who seemed to have amazing creative literary talent. They were
would be' poets, novelists & essayists. They were extraordinary in their ability
to put the English language to its best use. These promising young men met

regularly to read & critique each other's work. And critique it they did!
These men were merciless with one another. They dissected the
minutest of literary expression into a hundred pieces. They were heartless,
such of
tough and even mean in their criticism. The sessions became themselves the
arenas
called
literary criticism that the members of the exclusive club
in the university
Stranglers'. Not to be outdone, the women of literary talent to the
were determined to start a club of their own, one comparable
read their
Stranglers'. They called themselves the Wranglers'. They, too, criticism
works to one another. But there was one great difference. The
was

was almost
much softer, more positive, more encouraging. Sometimes, there
no criticism at all. Every effort, even the feeblest one, was encouraged.

was doing an
Twenty years later, an alumnus of the university
vast difference
exhaustive study of his classmate's careers when he notices a
to the
in the literary accomplishments of the 'Stranglers' as opposed
not one had made
Wranglers'. Of all the bright young men in the 'Stranglers',
a significant literary accomplishment of any
kind. From the Wranglers' had
renown such as
of national
come six or more successful writers, some

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings who wrote The Yearling'.

level of
Talent between the two was probably the same and the
while the
education also on similar levels but the 'Stranglers' strangled,
a lift. The 'Stranglers
Wranglers' were determined to give each other
doubt. The VWranglers
promoted an atmosphere of contention and self
highlighted the best, not the worst.
Choose the correct option for eight of the nine questions given below:

(a) The Stranglers...

work mercilessly
(i) Read and critiqued each other's
and made fun
(ii) Read each other's work
(iii) Read each other's work
work
(iv) Read and chose the best of

(b) The Wranglers' **

() Read each other's work, had fun and left

(ii) Read each other's work and made no comment
(iii) Their comments of each other's text was softer and more positive
(iv) Their criticism was very hurting

(c) The bright young manin the 'Stranglers..

() Made it to great heights
the literary field
(ii) No one had achieved anything significant in
(ii) Loved each other's work
(iv) Became good friends
Page 3 of 11
RMS ANNUAL EXAM CLASs XI/ FEB 2021/ENGLISH
 The women group. .
(d) Discouraged all r i t e r s
i) of other's work
ii) Made fun very vociferous
own point of view and were
(iii) Had their criticized
Sometimes never
(iv)
other whereas the Wranglers'.
(e) The 'Stranglers' literally strangled each
Encouraged each other
(i) Discouraged each other
(i) Paid no attention to each other
(iii)
Were jealous of each other
(iv)
( Many students of University of Wisconsin . .
i) Were very rich (i) Were brilliant students
(iv) None of the above
(i) Had excellent literary talent

(g) "Merciless' means.

Ruthless (i) Fun loving
) (iv) Money minded
(iii) Rude

(h) Contention' means .

) Satisfaction (i) Opposition
(iv) Intention
(ii) Explanatory

) Antonym of 'lift' would be . . .

impair (i) enhance

(ii) bolster (iv) innenvate

an underlined
Q3. of the following sentences in this exercise has
Each
after the sentence. If one of the
word/phrase and three words/phrases are given
select the word/phrase
given words/phrases makes sentence grammatically correct,
as your answer. If the sentence is grammatically correct as it is, choose option (d)
i.e. No correction. Attempt any four out of five questions.
10 a.m.
)haveread this book since (b) have reading
(a) have been read
(c) have been reading (d) No correction

(i) Samir came to meet me after you have leaving

(a) have left (b) had left
(d) No correction
(c) left

As Meena heard the alarm, she left for work.

(ii) soon as
(b) hear
(a) hears
(d) No correction
C)will hear

(iv) When I left home my brother watch television.

(b) watched
(a) watches
(d) No correction
(c) was watching

RMS ANNUAL EXAM CLASS XI/ FEB 2021/ENGLISH Page 4 of 11

 (v) All of us have a great time at the party.
(a) had (b) will having
(c) having9 (d) No correction

Q4. In the following questions the first and last parts of the sentence are numbered
as S1 and s6. The rest of the sentence is spit into four parts and are named
as P, Q, R and S. These four parts are not given in their proper order. Read
the jumbled parts of the sentence and find out which of the four combinations
is correct. Then write the correct answer of only four out of five sentences.

() S1 A connection had long been suspected

S6 of this connection had not been understood.
P since both were at their worst in the
Q same regions and seasons, but the nature
R between the abundance of mosquitoes
S and the Occurrence of malaria
(a)Q S PR (b) R SPQ
(c) P S QR (d)S PRQ

$1 Science does not merely add new truths

(i)
S6 men's thinking and their lives.
P destroy some old truths and
Q discovers new truths that
thereby upsets the way of
to old ones, it also
(a)QSRP (b) RPSQ
(c) P SRQ (d)S QPR

(iti) S1 An outstanding feature of this century has been

S6 has meant greater political power.
P livingconditions of the
Q the improvement of the income and
R greater security and education which
S working man leading to
(6) R S P Q
(a) P S QR
(c)Q P SR (d) S RQ P

S1 Hobbies can fill our spare

(iv) do not hinder our regular work.
S6
P physical fatigue and
Q moments with enjoyment
R and pleasure, they also relieve
S mental tiredness and
(a) RQ PS (b)Q RSP
(c)S QPR (d) P Q SR

RMS ANNUAL EXAM CLASS XI/ FEB 2021/ENGLISH

Page 5 of 11
 (v) S1 Moisture is continuously lost
S6 lifeless complexion.
P and asresult of the stresses
Q as part of a natural process
R and strains of daily life
S leading to a dull, dry and
(a) S QPR (b) PR SQ
(c) R S QP
(d) QPRS
Q5. Read the following extracts and answer the questions of any one extract.
[3x1 3 Marks]
"Was it the time I realised that adults were not
all they seemed to be.
They talked of love and preached of love.
But did not act so lovingly."
5.1 When the poet talks about adults, he is talking about their . **''**

(a) arrogance (b) hypocrisy

(c) short sightednesss (d) vision

5.2 The Figure of Speech used in, "they talked of love and preached of love
is
(a) assonance (b) anaphora
(c) transferred epithet (d) simile

5.3 The poet of this extract is:

(a) Elizabeth Jennings (b) Terence Rattigan
(c) Markus Natten (d) W.B. Yeats

OR

"I descend to lave the droughts, atomies,

dust-layers of the globe,
All that in them without me were seeds
only, latent, unborn."

5.1 The extract has been taken from:

(a) The Laburnum Top (b) A Photograph
(c) Childhood (d) The Voice of the Rain

5.2 Lave the droughts' would mean:

(a) remove arid land (6) wash parched land
(c) blow away dust (d) plant seeds

5.3 What are latent and unborn?

(a) the earth (b) the seeds
(c) the dust particles (d) the plants

Page 6 of 11
RMS ANNUAL EXAM CLASS XI/ FEB 2021/ENGLISH
Q6. Read the following three prose extracts and answer questions of any two:

(a) "I lay back down and tried again. Same result. I was on the point of
disappearing into the land of nod when something told me not to. It must have
been those emergency electrical impulses again, but this was not the same as
on previous occasions. This time, I wasn't gasping for breath. was simply not
allowed to go to sleep.

i) This extract has been taken from:

(a) Discovering Tut
(b) The Ailing Planet
(c) Silk Road
(d) The Browning Version

(i) The author of the Chapter from where the extract has been
taken isS
(a) Nani Palkhiwala
(6) Kushwant Singh
(c) Jayant Narlikar
(d) Nick Middleton

(i) Why did the author say | lay back down and tried again'?
(a) he tried calling for help
(b) he sat up abruptly to try clear his nasal passage
(c) he went down on his knees to pray
(d) he lay back and tried to gaze at the stars
(b) "The funny thing is that in spite of everything, I do rather like him.
can't help it. And sometimes I think he sees it and that seems to shrivel him
up even more."

The speaker in this extract is:

(a) Taplow
(b) Crocker Harris
(c) Frank
(d) Millie

(i) "1 do rather like him." The speaker likes:

(a) Frank
(b) Crocker Harris
(c) Aescylus
(d) Millie

(i) The meaning of 'Shrivel' would be:

(a) contract
(b) shiver
(c) disappear
(d) blush

RMS ANNUAL EXAM CLASS XI/ FEB 2021/ENGLISH Page 7 of 11

(C) "Words mere words!" The fellow said he would leave but he did not make a
move. How can one expect words to match action in these days of Kaliyuga?

(i) Who said these words in the above extract?

(a) Shyama
(b) Shastri
(c) Ratna
(d) Rama Rao

Ci) When were these words spoken?

(a) when Ranga was awe struck by Ratna
(b) when Ranga returned from Bangalore
(c) when Shyama met Ranga for the first time
(d) when Shyama ridiculed Shastri

(ii) Who is 'the fellow' in the above extract?

(a) Rama Rao
(b) Shyama
(c) Ranga
(d) Shastri

Q7. Answer any five questions out of six given:

(a) What was the purpose of the author's journey to Mount Kailash?
() he was looking for adventure
i) he wanted to complete 'the kora'
() he wanted to conduct a researd
(iv) he wanted to travel

(b)Why does the poet in 'A Photograph' say that the sea 'appears to have
changed less'?
() it is not polluted
(i) to compare the mortal nature of human beings
(i) it has not shrunk
(iv) it is always calm

(c) Why does Dr Andrew say, "I have done something real at last"?
() he had cleared his exam
(i) he was able to recall the textual knowledge
(ii) he was able to bring an almost stillborn child to life
iv) he was declared a graduate

(d) Why does the narrator call Indian geographers in 'Ranga's Marriage' a

flock of sheep'?
t h e y were not knowledgeable
(i) they were sluggish
(ii) they blindly followed the British
iv) they did not take interest

Page 8 of 11
RMS ANNUAL EXAM CLASS XI/ FEB 2021/ENGLISH
 (e) Why was Howard Carter's investigation resented?
(i) due to professional rivalry
(i) because he was a foreigner
(ii) because he destroyed the mummy
(iv) because he used scientific means to investigate

( not complained
What did Sue reply when she was asked by her father about why she had
about her grave injuries?
() she was too stunned to speak
(i) she did not want to worry her parents
(ii) she was very timid
(iv) she had not bothered

PART B READING SECTION (40 Marks)

Q1. Research has shown that the human mind can process words at the rate of
about 500 per minute, whereas a speaker speaks at the rate of about 150
words per minute. The difference between the two, at 350, is quite large.

So, a speaker must make every effort to retain the attention of the audience
and the listener should also be careful not to let his mind wander. Good
communication calls for good listening skills. A good speaker must

necessarily be a good listener.

Listening starts with hearing but goes beyond. Hearing, in other words, is
involves
necessary, but is not a sufficient condition for listening. Listening
for concentration.
hearing with attention. Listening is a process that calls has to
While listening, one should also be observant. In other words, listening
Good
do with the ears, as well as with the eyes and making interpretation.
communication is essentially an interactive process. It calls for participation
rather than a monologue. It is
and involvement. It is quite often, a dialogue
also show or make it abundantly clear that one
necessary to be interested and
has to say.
is interested in knowing what the other person
to skills that be
listening is an art that can be cultivated. It relates
can
Good
much more than what the
developed. A good listener knows the art of getting
how to prompt, persuade but not to cut
speaker is trying to convey. He knows
has to say. At times the speaker may or
off or interrupt what the other person
articulate and well-organisedin his thoughts and
may not be coherent,
mind and yet he may fail to marshal the
expressions. He may have it in his
words while communicating his thoughts. Nevertheless a good listener
right articulate and facilitates him to get across the
puts him at ease, helps him
message that he wants to convey.
that barriers to listening are
For listening to be effective, it is also necessary
and psychological. Physical
removed. Such barriers can be both physical
to proper hearing, where as
barriers generally relate to hindrances
fundamental and relate to the interpretation
psychological barriers are more
and evaluation of the speaker and the message.

Page 9 of 11
RMS ANNUAL EXAM CLASS XI/ FEB 2021/ENGLISH
 makes notes on it using
1.1 On the basis of your reading of the above passage, wherever
abbreviations.
headings and sub-headings. Use recognisable [5 Marks]
title to it.
necessary (minimum 4). Also supply an appropriate

Write a summary of the above passage in about 80

words [3 Marks]
1.2

WRITING SECTION

Q2. You are the Secretary of the Music Club of your school. Your school is
the
organising
5th Inter-School Music Carnival for the students of class VI-XII. Write a notice
inviting those interested to appear for an audition in the presence of renowned
singer Rehmat Ali Khan. Provide the other necessary details. 3 Marks]
OR

You are Avinash, Cultural Secretary of Queen Mary Convent, Lucknow. You
want suitable students to represent your school in the Inter School English
Debate to be held shortly. Providing the necessary details, write a notice
inviting participation.
Q3. Public taps are always faulty and a lot of water is wasted. Design a poster in
not more than 50 words to make people aware of the need of saving water.
You are Rohan. (3 Marks
OR
Design a poster against the ill effects of plastics on the environment. Suggest
alternative solution as well.

Q4. You had sent some books through Richard Courier Services Private Limited.
New Delhi to your brother living in Baroda. After a week your brother reported
that he had not received the books. The local office of the company has not
given a satisfactory answer to your verbal complaint. Write a letter to the
Managing Director, Richard Courier Services Private Limited, New Delhi,
stating the facts and asking for immediate action. You are Avinash Pandey of
Clement Town, Dehradun. I5 Marks]
OR

Write a letter to the Principal of your school, asking for long leave due to
severe illness.

Q5. Media has a strong hold on society. Write a speech in 150-200 words on how
media influences public opinion, to be delivered in the School Assembly.
5 Marks]
OR
Racism is bad. Anyone and everyone can be exposed to racism. Write a
speech in 150-200 words on the topic 'Racism' to be delivered in the morning
assembly of your school.

RMS ANNUAL EXAM CLASS XI/ FEB 2021/ENGLISH Page 10 of 11

 LITERATURE SECTION

Q6.
Q6. Answer the following briefly in about 30 to 40 words:

(a) Mention three reasons why Kushwant Singh's grandmother wasS

disturbed when he started going to the city school.

OR
of the children and
What difference did you notice between the reaction
the adults when faced with danger?
Rain' put within
(b) Why are the last two lines of The Voice Of The
brackets??
OR
engine of the machine? What is
its
In The Laburnum Top', what is the
fuel?

Q7. Answer any one in 40 to 50 words:

Aram and Mourad's
Can stealing be justified for any reason? Explain
stealing of a horse in the light of this stateme t.
OR
his conversation with
What do you understand of Einstein's nature from
the head teacher?
his history teacher, his mathematics teacher and

Q8. Answer any one in 120 to 150 words:

Why does the author call the earth, The Ailing Planet? Who is
responsible for its condition? In your opinion, how can the ailing planet
Survive?

OR

Briefly recount what happened to the painter Wu Daozi in the chapte,

Landscape of the Soulr'.

Q9. Answer any one in 120 to 150 words:

Betrayal of trust isevil which may afflict people of any time

an or any
in the context of the chapter 'The Address'
age. Discuss this statement
OR
at home as well as
Today a woman shoulders all the responsibilities
'Need for Woman
outside, but she is still exploited. Write your views on the
Empowerment.

Page 11 of 11
RMS ANNUAL EXAM CLASS X1/ FEB 2021/ENGLISH