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CONTENTS

Section S.No. Topic Page


Number

READING 1. Reading Comprehension 4-13

WRITING AND 1. Letter of order 14-17


GRAMMAR
2. Letter of inquiry 17-18

3. Analytical Paragraph Writing 18-22

4. Grammar 23-36

LITERATURE 1. First Flight 37-47

2. Poetry 47-54
3. Footprints Without Feet 55-64
SAMPLE PAPERS 1. Sample Paper-1 65-68

2. Sample Paper-2 69-72


3. Sample Paper-3 72-76
4. Sample Paper-4 76-80
5. Sample Paper-5 80-84
6. Marking Scheme for Sample 85-100
papers 1 to 5

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Reading Section

Tips for Reading Comprehension


Reading Comprehension or reading the passage is an ability of making meaning from text.
The main objective to read the passages is to gain an overall understanding of what is
described in the text. In Class 10th Term 2 examination, two types of passages will be given-

(i) Discursive Passage (400-450 words)- A discursive passage may include the opinion of
a person which is generally argumentative, persuasive and interpretative. It allows students
to arrive at a conclusion through reasoning and understanding rather than intuition. It
presents a balanced and objective approach towards the subject being discussed.

(ii) Case Based Factual Passage (300-350 words)- A case based factual passage is
composed of information in a direct manner about a particular subject. It also contains visual
and verbal inputs such as graphs, charts, pie-charts, etc. These passages focus completely on
details or facts. It may include instructions, a report or a description. It helps the reader to
develop a complete idea of a specific person, place, object or thing.

Steps to Attempt Reading Comprehension Questions

● Read each and every line of the passage carefully. Reading the passage twice is always
helpful, as it helps in better understanding and makes it easier for the students to find
answers.
● If the title of the passage is given, read it first, as it gives the central idea of the passage.
● Underline the difficult words while reading the passage.
● Always give emphasis on the beginning and end of the passage. These parts often hold the
most important information of the passage.

While answering, be sure that you've clearly understood the questions. Answers must be
relevant to the questions.

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Passage 1
Read the given passage carefully and answer any five questions: (1X5)
1. In a bid to address the serious issue of low nutrition levels among children in Karnataka,
especially in certain backward districts, the Department of Primary and Secondary Education
issued a government order (G.O.) stating that the government would provide boiled eggs or
bananas to students from classes 1 to 8 in schools run or aided by it under the Mid-Day Meal
Scheme. The move is expected to benefit children in the age group of 6-15 in seven districts.
The initiative, which is the result of long-pending demand by parents and right-to-food
activists, came into effect in the beginning of December and was implemented in the
relatively backward north-eastern districts of Bidar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Koppal, Ballari and
Vijayapura.
2. According to the G.O., the scheme would cost the government close to Rs.40 crore and
benefit some 14.44 lakh students. The eggs and bananas will be provided thrice a week or 12
days in a month until March 2022, when the nutrition levels of the students would be gauged
to assess the scheme's impact.
3. According to the latest edition of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019-20),
malnutrition and anaemia among women and children in Karnataka were of serious concern
and had actually worsened since NFHS-4, which was carried out in 2015-16. NFHS-5 also
pointed out that in Karnataka, 35.4 per cent of children under five were stunted while 32.9
percent were underweight. Health indicators of school going children have also worsened
since the pandemic began, because many students belonging to economically backward
homes did not get the midday meals as the schools were shut.
4. On the face of it, one would have expected all sections of society to welcome the G.O. as it
aims to increase nutrition levels among children and provides bananas to those who do not
eat eggs because of faith, tradition or dietary choice. (Sources in the Department of Public
Instruction said that the government may even replace bananas with high-protein vegetarian
alternatives in the future as bananas do not contain the same quantity of protein as eggs.)
5. Also, according to a survey done by the DIPR in Kalaburagi division, around 80 per cent of
the school children were keen on having eggs along with lunch. Hence, it was baffling to see
intense opposition to the move from a section of religious leaders, especially those from the
powerful Lingayat community.
6. Channa Basavananda Swamiji, national president of the influential Lingayat Dharma
Mahasabha (LDM), met Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai a few days after the order was
issued and submitted a memorandum demanding that eggs should not be provided to
children in schools. In its memorandum, the LDM said that it was not opposed to those who
eat eggs but opposed to the provision of eggs in schools.

1. How was the government order beneficial for the students?


2. What was the demand of the Lingayat Mahasabha?
3. Rewrite the following sentence by replacing the underlined word with a word from the
passage which means the same-
4. ‘The engineer calculated the distance between the railway tracks.’(para2)
5. How did the pandemic make the situation worse?
6. Name any two health hazards mentioned in the passage.
7. What does the term MDMS stand for in Para 1?

Passage 2
Read the given passage carefully and answer any five questions: (1X5)

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1. In order to understand why crypto currency is gripping the world and why people are
excited, it is essential to understand the definition and scope of digital currencies. The
simplest way to define this reasonably complicated subject is: crypto currency is virtual or
digital money that has secret codes embedded in it to make it safe and secure and, in some
cases, gives the owners an alias so that their true identity is kept secret. Popularly known as
digital tokens, crypto currencies can be transferred between two parties without the need for
a centralised regulator. The transaction is facilitated through the block chain technology,
which maintains the data in a public ledger open for anyone to see.
2. Simran Mulchandani, a former banker who runs Rangeet, an edutech organisation, says the
system evolved around the 2008 financial crisis that caused some of the biggest banks in the
world to go bankrupt. Obviously, millions of people lost their life savings. A person, or a
group of persons, called Satoshi Nakamoto, disillusioned with the way big banks handled the
crisis, launched their own secure and encrypted money, called Bitcoin, to create a fair system
that gives everyone control of their own money, shares and other belongings, without the
need to completely depend on banks that failed them.
3. Following Bitcoin's launch, other private digital currencies such as Ethereum, Litecoin,
Zcash and Dash came into the picture. According to CoinMarketCap.com, a website on crypto
currencies, there are close to 13,000 crypto currencies across the world. Not all are financial.
Unlike traditional currencies such as the dollar or the euro, digital currencies are not
particular to a country or area but can be used to buy things anywhere in the world. Crypto
currency can be visualised as virtual coins that are stored online in a digital wallet. They can
be used to buy things in the real world or online. For example, many restaurants and stores
now accept payment in Bitcoin.
4. Mulchandani says crypto currency is not just about money. In fact, that it is only for
financial transactions is a misconception. It will be an enabler for a lot more activities, which
will help people. One of the reasons for the popularity of crypto currencies is that they are
transacted on the block chain technology, which provides transparency, security and the
peer-to-peer transaction method. Many people find the removal of middlemen and their costs
to be an attractive feature.
5. But the RBI and SEBI have been raising concerns over businesses similar to chit fund
operations in small towns accepting money to invest in crypto assets. With the idea of making
quick gains, small investors could be placing themselves at substantial risk, say the
regulators. According to the RBI, it would be prudent to put in place regulations that would
ensure Indians benefit and are protected.

1. How is crypto currency different from the traditional currency? Give two differences.

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2. Find out the word from the passage which means “a false name”.(Para 1)
3. Name some digital currencies other than Bitcoin.
4. Why are people lured towards crypto currency? Give two reasons.
5. Was crypto currency the result of people’s misfortune? Give one reason.
6. What is the RBI’s concern over imprudent use of crypto currency?

Passage 3
Read the given passage carefully and answer any five questions: (1X5)
1. Smoking is proven to be harmful on a variety of levels. Smoking is estimated to increase
the risk for coronary heart disease and stroke by 2 to 4 times, and of lung cancer by more
than 25 times. Numerous other conditions are related to smoking, including pulmonary
hypertension (PH), a rare but severe disease characterized by high blood pressure in the
lungs. The pulmonary arteries of patients who suffer from PH become narrowed and
thickened, making it difficult for the heart to properly pump the blood into the lungs.

2. Cigarette smoke is known to be associated with pulmonary hypertension in humans and in


animal models. Although the etiology of pulmonary hypertension in smokers is not
understood, recent work has suggested a role for inducible nitric oxide synthase (INOS) in
inducing oxidative stress.

3. Cigarette smoking highly increases pulmonary hypertension mainly due to the reactive
nitrogen species and consequent oxidative vascular damages, as concluded by the authors. In
addition, smoking is the greatest contributor to the development of chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which are diseases
correlated with secondary pulmonary hypertension. Therefore, smokers who develop
pulmonary hypertension are likely to also suffer from other lung conditions.

4. There is currently no cure for pulmonary hypertension, but there are treatments that help
ease the symptoms of the disease and increase life expectancy. Medications and therapies are,
however, not enough and lifestyle alterations are also required to patients. Quitting smoking
is one of the most important alterations to be made on the health of PH patients, due to the
major impact that the habit has on overall health. When patients are not able to give up
smoking, the progression of the disease tends to be faster, while the quality of life is
decreased.

5. Patients who suffer from pulmonary hypertension and continue to smoke are more likely
to have exacerbated symptoms, including shortness of breath (dyspnea), fatigue, dizziness or
fainting spells (syncope), pain or pressure in the chest, swelling (edema) in the ankles, legs
and abdomen (ascites), irregular heart beat and difficulties in exercising or even performing
daily activities. Quit smoking is, however, not easy, but with physician’s advice and patient’s
own determination a cessation plan is possible.

1. Suggest a suitable title for the passage.


2. What happens to the pulmonary arteries of a patient who suffers from PH?
3. Name the diseases correlated with secondary pulmonary hypertension?
4. Which word in the passage means ‘deteriorating and making worse’?
5. (Para 5)
6. What precautions would you like to suggest a sufferer from pulmonary hypertension ?(
Any two)
7. What does the abbreviation COPD stand for?

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Passage 4
Read the given passage carefully and answer any five questions: (1X5)
1. Unlike a few previous instances when record-breaking vaccinations were carried out to
mark a special occasion, the milestone of 100-crore doses was crossed on a comparatively
uneventful day. By the end of the day on Thursday, fewer than 80 lakh doses were
administered. There have been about 20 occasions when at least this number of vaccines
have been administered in a single day.

2. But that takes nothing away from the enormity of the achievement. This is the fastest rate
of vaccination, not just in India, but possibly anywhere in the world. China has administered
almost twice the number of doses to its citizens but it had also started out much earlier than
anyone else. China had begun vaccinating its people in June last year, even before conducting
phase III trials of its vaccines.

--- Fig1 Fig2

3. India, on the other hand, began only in mid-January, with a limited supply of vaccines that
was put under further strain by the decision of the United States to clamp down on the export
of raw materials. The shortage of vaccines was felt most acutely during the devastating
second wave, the worst phase of the pandemic anywhere in the world. The situation is, of
course, drastically different now, with vaccines available mostly on demand and 50-60 lakh
doses being administered on many days.
4. India also has to remain open to the possibility of providing booster doses from sometime
next year. As of now, India looks all set to vaccinate about 70-80% of its adult population by
the end of this year. But by that time, the group that received their vaccine in January and
February might find its immunity waning. The discussion on booster doses in India -
frequency, timing- is still to begin, but it is likely that the cycle of vaccinating everyone would
repeat next year.
5. It is extremely important for the government and the people to realise that vaccination is
just one weapon in the fight against Covid-19. And that this weapon would be completely
ineffective, if the other weapons, those of masking and physical distancing, are also not
deployed simultaneously. Vaccinations have enabled a situation where people can return to
their normal lives, and usual economic activity can resume.
1. In Fig1, Sept has the tallest bar. What does it indicate?

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2. ‘But that takes nothing away from the enormity of the achievement’. What is that
enormous achievement?
3. Which phase of the pandemic is called the worst phase?
4. How has vaccination been useful in India?
5. Study the Figs2 and tell the total number of days when the doses of vaccination were
more than 80 lakh per day.
6. Name all the weapons against Covid19 mentioned in the passage. What do you suggest
to make them effective?

Passage 5
Read the given passage carefully:
1. IN the context of the recent Nipah virus (NIV) outbreak in Kerala, it is of interest to look at
the Nipah disease outbreaks in the Indian subcontinent since it spread to this part of South
Asia after it first broke out in Malaysia and Singapore during 1998-99. The virus, which
belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family, was first isolated from a patient from Sungai Nipah in
Malaysia and is, therefore, named after the village.

2. Looking at the table, one is bound to be struck by the skewed distribution of the outbreaks.
The glaring difference in outbreaks between Bangladesh and West Bengal is certainly curious
and should be of epidemiological interest. Since 2001, when it surfaced in Meherpur,
Bangladesh, that country has been reporting Nipah outbreaks practically every year. In
contrast, prior to the present Kerala outbreak, only two outbreaks were reported in West
Bengal-once in 2001 in Siliguri, and then in 2007 in an isolated incident limited to one family
in Nadia district. Siliguri is about 15 kilometres from the northern West Bengal-Bangladesh
border; Belechupara in Nadia district is also very close to the border.

3. Fruit bats belonging to the Pteropodidae family are a natural reservoir for the virus; large
fruit bats of the genus Pteropus have been implicated as the primary source of the virus in
these outbreaks. While in Malaysia and Singapore the transmission was through the “spill
over" of the virus from bats of the species P. vampyrus and P. hypomelanus (primary hosts)

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into pigs (intermediary hosts), and then from pigs to humans (via pig-rearing farms and
related commercial activities) followed by human-to-human transmission, the source of the
virus in both the Bangladesh and West Bengal outbreaks was the species P. gigantean (the
Indian flying fox). But unlike the Malaysia-Singapore outbreaks, the transmission here has
been direct from the primary hosts to humans.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer any five questions from the
six given below. (1X5=5)
1. Why was the virus named as Nipah?
2. Differentiate the outbreak of Nipah in Bangladesh from that of West Bengal ?
3. ‘.... and then in 2007 in an isolated incident limited to one family in Nadia district’. Tell
how many members of the family died?
4. Trace and answer the transmission of disease in Malaysia and Singapore?
5. Name the place in BanglaDesh where the outbreak is the most frequent from 2001 to
2009.
6. What was the mortality percentage in the cases of Siliguri and Meherpur?

Passage 6
Read the given passage carefully and answer any five questions: (1X5=5)
1 Sprouts relatively contain the largest amount of nutrients per unit of any food known to
man. Sprouts produce a fountain of power for chemical changes. Enzymes are produced,
starch gets converted into glucose, protein is transformed into amino acids and vitamin value
increases. In fact, a new explosion of life force takes place. According to Dr Bailey of the
University of Minnesota, USA, the vitamin C value of wheat increases 600% in the early
sprouting period. Dr CR Shaw of the University of Texas Cancer Centre found that cancer was
inhibited up to 90% when healthy bacteria were exposed to a cancer causing substance in the
presence of a juice made from wheat sprouts.
2. Enzymes, which initiate and control almost every chemical reaction in our bodies, are
greatly activated in the sprouting process. Enzymes spark the entire digestive system to
synthesise the nutrients in our food into blood. They are the key to longevity.
3. Sprouts are enjoyed more when they are fresh. Mix sprouts with other foods and dressing
according to your taste and enjoy eating them. But you must eat them every day, you will
soon realise that making sprouts a part of your diet has a dramatic effect on your health. With
this live food, all the cells of your body will become active and agile.

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4. The nourishment which develops as the sprouts grow is very stable and can be frozen or
dried for future. Sprouted potato or tomato seeds are likely to be poisonous. Alfalfa and
moong bean sprouts are excellent soft food. They are almost pre-digested and can be easily
assimilated even by the children and the elderly. They contain every known vitamin in
perfect balance necessary for the human body.

1. Name the element which initiates chemical reaction in our body?


2. ‘A new explosion of life force takes place.’ What does it mean in the given passage?
3. Write two qualities of Alfalfa and Moong bean sprouts.
4. Dr CR Shaw’s findings proved a boon. How?
5. Sprouts are beneficial for the eyes. Write one sentence from the passage in favour of
this statement.
6. Sprouting all types of seeds may not be nourishing or beneficial. Write one sentence
giving the same sense from the passage.

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Check your answers
Passage 1
1. It was beneficial because its aim was to enrich the low nutritional level of the students
in the age group of 6-15 in seven districts.
2. The Lingayat Mahasabha demanded or proposed not to provide eggs to children in
school.
3. The engineer gauged the distance between the railway tracks.
4. Due to the pandemic the students especially, from economically weaker sections,
stopped going to school. They couldn’t get MID DAY MEAL, this brought a downfall in
their health.
5. Malnutrition and Anaemia.
6. MID DAY MEAL SCHEME.
Passage 2
1. (a) Crypto currency is not particular to a country or an area but can be used to buy
things anywhere in the world. (b) It is not real money like dollars or euros (students
can write any two differences from the passage.)
2. Alias.
3. Ethereum, Litecoin, Zcash and Dash.
4. People are lured towards Crypto currency because (a) it is transacted on the Block
chain technology which provides security and transparency. (b) it removes the role of
middlemen.
5. Yes, it was the result of the financial crisis in 2008 which caused some of the biggest
banks in the world to go bankrupt.
6. The RBI says that the small investors could place themselves at substantial risk.
Passage 3
1. Role of Smoking in Pulmonary Hypertension or Any other relevant title.
2. The pulmonary arteries become narrowed and thickened, making it difficult for the
heart to pump the blood into the lungs.
3. Chronic bronchitis and Emphysema.
4. Exacerbated.
5. He should abstain from smoking and there is no cure for it, so he must continue with
medications and he should use some beneficial therapies which will help him
definitely. (any other relevance from the passage.)
6. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Passage 4
1. It indicates the highest doses administered in September.
2. The enormous achievement is the crossing of 100 crore doses of vaccination in total.
3. The second wave of the pandemic is called the worst phase.
4. It has enabled a situation where people can return to normal lives and economic activity
can be resumed.
5. The total number of days is 18.

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6. Vaccination/ vaccine, use of mask, maintaining physical/social distancing. All these
weapons are to be deployed simultaneously.

Passage 5
1. The virus was named after a village, Sungai Nipah in Malaysia.
2. In Bangladesh the virus was repeating almost every year since 2001 while in West Bengal
it was not repeating annually.
3. Five members died.
4. While in Malaysia and Singapore the transmission was through the “spillover" of the virus
from bats of the species P. vampyrus and P. hypomelanus into pigs , and then from pigs to
humans followed by human-to-human transmission.
5. Rajbari
6. Siliguri- 68%, Meherpur - 69%

Passage 6
1. Enzymes.
2. It means that taking sprouts regularly produces enzymes, converts starch into glucose,
transforms protein into amino acids and increases vitamin values.
3. They are excellent soft foods. They are almost pre-digested and can be easily
assimilated even by the children and the elderly. They contain every known vitamin in
perfect balance necessary for the human body.
4. It helped to fight against cancer. (Any other relevant ans.).
5. It helps to prevent cataracts and macular degeneration.
6. Sprouted potato or tomato seeds are likely to be poisonous.

**********************************************

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Writing Section

Format of Letter (Placing an Order)


Writer’s Address

Date
(Receiver’s Address)
The Manager/Firm’s name
Address of company

Subject: _____________________

Dear Sir/Madam (Salutation)

Body of the letter


❖ Ref. to quotation dated
❖ List of requirement/items to be ordered
❖ Date on which delivery is required
❖ Mode of payment
❖ Items to be in good condition and as per requirement.
❖ Any other required information

(Subscription)
Yours sincerely/truly
Signature
Name
Designation
LETTER OF PLACING AN ORDER
Question 1. You are Pramod Kumar, the Principal, Don Bosco School, Pune. Your school has
just started a music department. Write a letter to the Manager of Harmony Music House,
Pune, wholesale suppliers of musical instruments, placing an order for musical instruments
for the school. Ask for a discount on the catalogue prices. (120-150 words)
Answer:
Don Bosco Public School
Pune

January 27, 2022


The Manager
Harmony Music House
Ram Nagar, Pune

Subject: - Order for Musical Instruments


Dear Sir

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We wish to place an order for musical instruments for our school’s newly started music
department. The details of the order are as follows:
S.No. Name of the Musical Instruments Quantity

1 Banjo 5

2 Drum set 5

3 Guitar 6

4 Tabla 6

5 Guitar 6

6 Flute 7

7 Synthesiser 6

Kindly find enclosed a DD (No. 20892) for Rs.20, 000 drawn on SBI, Pune being the advance
payment against the above order. Any damage caused during packing and transportation will
be your responsibility. The delivery should be made within one week of receipt of this order.
The items shall be delivered to the school in perfect condition. The remaining amount shall be
paid by cheque within a week of the receipt of the above goods by us. We would request you
to give us the trade discount on the catalogue prices.
Yours sincerely
Sign________
Pramod Kumar
Principal

Question 2. Write a letter to the Manager of the Sunlight Sports, Jalandhar, placing an order
for sports articles for your school, Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2 AFS, Suratgarh as per previous
quotation.
Answer:
Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 2
Air Force Station
Suratgarh
27th January 2022
The Manager
Sunlight Sports
Jalandhar

Subject: Placing an order for Sports Goods


Dear Sir
This has reference to the quotation dated 19th December 2021, given by your sales agent. We
agree to it and hope that 30% discount, that is permissible to educational institutes, will be
given on our order. Please deliver the following items on the above mentioned address.
S. No. Name of the Items No. of Items Brand

1 Footballs 15 Nivea

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2 Cricket balls 10 Spartan

3 Tennis balls 20 Goofy

4 Cricket bats 10 GM

Kindly ensure that all the items should be in good condition and packed properly and
delivered within two weeks. We are enclosing 50% of the amount as advance with this letter.
The rest of the payment will be made in cash once the items are delivered to us. Any damage
during transportation will be your responsibility. Further, please note that transportation
charges shall be added to your account.
Yours sincerely
Sign_________
Hari Singh
Sports In-charge
Question 3.You are Rajesh Kumar Shukla, computer in charge of Kendriya Vidyalaya,
Lawrence Road, Allahabad. Your school wishes to buy 20 computers and computer
accessories from Microsoft Info Tech., 126, Connaught Place, New Delhi. Draft a letter placing
an order giving all the specifications of the product and its quality.
Answer:
Kendriya Vidyalaya
Lawrence Road
Allahabad

28th January 2022


M/S Microsoft InfoTech
Connaught Place
New Delhi

Subject: Placement of order for Computers and their Accessories


Dear Sir
This is to inform you that our school VMC has decided to place an order with your firm for the
supply of computers and computer accessories. All the products should be genuine. The price
mentioned in the quotation submitted by your representative has been approved and the
institutional discount of 20% offered by you has also been affirmed. Kindly send the following
items on the above mentioned address.
S. List of Items Name of the Brand No. of Items
No.

1. Desktop PC Dell 25

2. Integrated Computer Projector K-Yan 03

3. ChromeBook Lenovo 25

4. I-pad Apple 18

Kindly make it expedient to send the delivery within 10 days of the issue of this letter. I am

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confident that proper packing of the computers will be taken care of and responsibility for
the damage caused during transportation shall rest with you. I hope future repairs and
maintenance of the items will also be provided by you under AMC as consented by you
satisfactorily. The payment will be made through a crossed cheque to your agent after the
delivery of the mentioned goods. As negotiated earlier, the company will bear the
transportation charges.
Yours sincerely
Sign_________
Rajesh Kumar Shukla
(Head of Computer Deptt.)

Letter of Inquiry
Question: -4 You are Kritika, a student of class IX and resident of 46, Diamond Lane, Mall
Road, Shimla, and want to be a choreographer. Write a letter to the Director, National
Institute of Choreography, New Delhi, seeking information about their course, admission
procedure, eligibility criteria and other necessary details.
Answer:
46, Diamond Lane,
Mall Road
Shimla

27th January 2022


The Director
National Institute of Choreography
Delhi
Subject: Inquiry regarding Course in Choreography
Dear Sir/Madam
Referring to your advertisement regarding the courses in choreography offered by your
reputed institute, I want to state that I am currently in class IX and preparing for my final
exam. I am very much interested in dancing and want to take it as a career. I also understand
that this institute is by far the best so far as choreography is concerned and I would very
much like to be a part of it. Kindly send me the prospectus and the application form. I would
be highly grateful if you could provide me with the following information:
● The department and programme faculty

● Fee structure
● Scholarships available
● Admission procedure
● Eligibility criteria
● Hostel facilities
● Conveyance facility
Kindly send me the brochure along with the enrolment form at the earliest so that I could
register myself for the course.
Yours sincerely
Sign_________
Kritika

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Question 5. You are Abhinav, a resident of 18, South Enclave, Meera Marg, New Delhi 11006.
You want information about German Language Courses at Max Muller Institute, New Delhi.
Write a letter to the Director enquiring about the same.
Answer:
18, South Enclave
Meera Marg
New Delhi 11006

27th January 2022

The Director
Max Muller Institute
29 Block, Greater Kailash
New Delhi 110017

Subject: Inquiry about German Language Courses


Dear Sir
I wish to make certain inquiries about the German Language courses offered by your
institution. I have just completed class XII and want to pursue my career in German. I would
like to know the duration of the course, the fee structure and the transport facilities you offer.
Apart from this you are also requested to provide the following information pertaining to the
course in black and white.
⮚ No. of batches available
⮚ Fee structure
⮚ Duration of the course
⮚ Faculty for the course
⮚ Maximum number of students per batch
I will be grateful if you could send me the latest brochure along with the enrolment form
enabling me to register myself for the course at the earliest.
Yours truly/sincerely
Sign_____
Abhinav
ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPH
What is an Analytical Paragraph
An Analytical Paragraph is a form of descriptive writing which is written on the basis of a
given chart, graph, data, outline, clues, table, etc.
Format of Analytical Paragraph writing
An Analytical Paragraph shall include the following three parts-
1. Introduction - The introduction should describe in brief what the graph is about. Explain
in one or two lines the subject of the graph, pie-chart, data, table etc. given.
2. Body- This part of the analytical paragraph should contain details of the graph/chart given
in the question. It is extremely important to choose the significant details that should be
included in the paragraph. Explain in detail what the graph is about, use relevant figures,

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explain trends, make comparisons and contrasts.
3. Conclusion- Conclude the paragraph giving the overall view or summary of the graph.
It should summarize the ideas mentioned and the information in general. It should be
concluding in nature and act as the closing statement.

1. Study the graph given below. The chart depicts the number of students of class tenth
speaking English and Hindi in three different types of schools in New Delhi. Based on
the details given in the bar graph given below, write an Analytical Paragraph in 100-
120 words.

Answer- The chart illustrates the variation in the choice of English and Hindi languages in
three different types of schools in New Delhi. According to the graph, more than half of the
Government and Kendriya Vidyalayas use Hindi for expressing themselves. But more
Government school students, i.e. 80%, use the Hindi language as compared to Kendriya
Vidyalaya students where only 55% speak Hindi. In sharp contrast to this, approximately
70% or two-third of students of private schools speak English. Students of Kendriya
Vidyalayas are at second position in the choice of English language with 20 out of 45 choosing
English language. To summarize, mostly Hindi speaking children study in Government
schools and English speaking children join a private school. Students of Kendriya Vidyalayas
prefer to speak both in English and Hindi.

2. The pie chart below illustrates how internet users aged 16+ prefer to access the
internet at home and in other places. Summarise the information in the pie chart by
selecting and reporting the main features in 100-120 words.

19
Answer- This graph shows the results of a survey in which people aged 16 and over were
asked about their preferred devices for accessing the internet. Participants mentioned four
main devices in their answers: a computer, a laptop, a tablet and a smartphone. From the pie
chart, it is clear that the majority of participants prefer to use smartphones and laptops with
just three per cent difference between the two. Nearly every third participant prefers to go
online with a smartphone. Thirty percent like to use a laptop. A desktop computer accounts
for fourteen per cent of user’s preferred devices. Only a minority prefer a device other than
these main four. In conclusion, since mobile and portable devices are the most popular
choices, it is clear that many participants access the internet outside their homes as they do
not like to be fixed at a place. The desktop computer is the least popular choice. More and
more people access the internet with smartphones as their preferred choice.

3. The chart shows the division of household tasks by gender in Great Britain in the
year 2021. Write an Analytical Paragraph describing the chart given in not more than
120 words.

20
Answer- The chart shows the number of minutes per day spent by British men and women in
doing household tasks. On an average, the women spend about four hours doing household
tasks whereas the men spend less than two and half hours. The tasks on which women spend
more time than men include cooking, cleaning house, taking care of the children and laundry.
In doing all these tasks, women spend approximately 200 minutes which is almost three
times the time spent by men in these tasks. On the other hand, men spend twice the time than
women in doing tasks like gardening and maintenance of odd jobs in the house. Men spend
the highest time, almost 50 minutes, in gardening and pet care, while the women spend only
30 minutes for these tasks. The time spent by men in washing, ironing and sewing clothes is
as low as 2 minutes per day as opposed to 25 minutes spent by women. In short, women
spend far more time doing household chores than men whilst men prefer to do gardening, pet
care and maintaining odd jobs.

4. Here is a line graph showing the number of persons of different age groups killed in
accidents. Analyse the given data in a paragraph of 100–120 words.

21
Answer- The line graph illustrates the number of persons of different age groups killed in
accidents. It is evident from the graph that the maximum number of people who are killed in
road accidents are pedestrians. Among pedestrians too, people of 16–25 age groups record
the highest number of accident deaths that is 800. Coincidentally, this age group faces the
maximum number of motor bikers’ deaths in road accidents which are one-fourth of
pedestrians’ deaths. Whereas, people who die due to bus or car accidents belong to the 26–35
age group. But, after the age of 35 people get less caught in road accidents. It can be
concluded that 16–35 years of generation fall victim to road accidents more than the people
who have crossed 35 years. However, pedestrians are at the highest risk of accidents
followed by bus and car riders.

**********************************************

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GRAMMAR SECTION

DETERMINERS
Definition of Determiners - Determiners are those words that are prefixed before nouns
to determine their meaning. They can be divided into the following types:
1) Articles- a, an, the
2) Demonstratives- this, that, these, those
3) Possessives- my, your, our, his, her, its, their
4) Indefinite Adjectives- some, any, much, many, little, few, less
5) Others- all, each, every, both, neither, either, other, another, enough, most, several, one,
two, etc.

1. ARTICLES (TYPE OF DETERMINER)


(1) The Indefinite Article (A, An)
"A" and "an" are called indefinite articles. They define their noun as something
unspecific (e.g., something generic, something mentioned for the first time).
● This is a lake.
(This is a previously unspecified lake.)
(2) The Definite Article (The)
"The" is called the definite article. It defines its noun as something specific (e.g.,
something previously mentioned or known, something unique, something being
identified by the speaker).
● Yesterday I went to a lake. The lake was very beautiful.
(This is a previously specified lake, i.e., one already known to the readers.)

Important points to remember


i. The spelling of the word following the determiner is not important, only the sound is
important. Few words given below start with vowel letters but do not have vowel
sounds. So the determiner ‘a’ is attached to them. For example: A union, A one rupee
coin, etc.
ii. There are a few words that start with consonant letters but have vowel sounds. They are
preceded by the determiner ‘an’. For example: an honest man, an honor.

2. Demonstratives (This, that, These, Those)


Note that demonstrative determiners can also be used as demonstrative pronouns. When
they are used as determiners they are followed by the nouns they modify. Compare:

This is my camera. (Demonstrative used as a pronoun, subject of the verb is)


This camera is mine. (Demonstrative used as a determiner modifying the noun camera.)
The demonstrative determiners are used to talk about persons or things that have already
been mentioned. This and These refer to the things that are near and can be seen.
‘That ‘and ‘Those ‘are used to refer to the things that are at a distance but can be seen.
1. She lived in this house for four years.
2. I like this school.

This’ and ‘that’ are used for singular nouns and ‘these’ and ‘those’ for plural nouns.
1. Can you lift that box?

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2. Would you like to buy those books?
3. Possessives (My, our, your, his, her, its, their)
The possessives are used to show possession.
Possessive determiners are different from possessive pronouns - mine, his, hers, yours, ours,
theirs. Possessive pronouns can stand alone and are not followed by nouns.
Possessive determiners, on the other hand, are followed by nouns.

Compare
This is my house. (my is a possessive determiner. It is followed by the noun house which it
modifies) Is that car yours? (yours is a possessive pronoun. It is not followed by a noun.)

4. Ordinals: first, second, next, last, etc.


The ordinals show what position something has in a series:

1. He is the first boy who has joined this school.


2. I shall meet him next week.
3. He is the last man to help you.

5. Cardinals: one, two, three, hundred, etc.


Cardinals are ordinary numbers like one, two, three, etc. They show how many of something
there are:

● There were only ten boys in the class.


● She lived for eighty years.
● He has two daughters.

6. Quantifiers: much, some, several, a lot of, both, all, etc.


The quantifiers refer to the quantity of things or amount of something.

● All the children enjoyed the show.


● They didn’t make much progress.
● There was little water in the jug.

7. Distributives: each, every, either, neither.


Distributive determiners refer to each single member of a group.
1. Each is used when we talk about the members of a group individually and every when
we make a general statement. Both are followed by a singular countable noun:

1. He met each guest.


2. The minister visited every flood-affected area.

Either is used to talk about two things, but usually indicates that only one of the two is
involved.
1. Either of the two girls should come here.
Either can also mean
People stood on either side (both sides) of the road.

2. Neither is the negative of either:

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Neither member came to attend the meeting.
Neither is followed by a singular noun.

NARRATION: DIRECT & INDIRECT SPEECH


General Rules:
We remove inverted commas in Indirect speech.
We remove the comma(,) used after the Reporting Verb.
No change in the Tense of Reporting Verb. If there is an object after Reporting Verb,
change ‘said to’ into ‘told’ in statements and it is changed into ‘asked’ in interrogative
sentences. Tenses, Pronouns and words denoting nearness of time or position are
changed.
Rule-1 : If Reporting Verb is in Present or Future Tense, Tense of Reported Speech is not
changed- He says, “Hari is not well.”
He says that Hari is not well.

Rule-2 : If Reporting Verb is in Past Tense, Tense of Reported Speech is changed in


corresponding past tense.

Tense of the Verb in Direct speech Tense of the Verb in Indirect speech
1. V1/V1 + (s/es) V2
2.Does/do + not + V1 Did not + V1
3. Is/are/am + V1(ing) Was/were + V1 (ing)
4. Has/have + V3 Had + V3
5. Has/have + been + V1 (ing) Had been +V1 (ing)
6. V2 /Did + V1 Had + V3
7. Was/were + V1(ing) Had + been + V1(ing)
8. Will/shall/can/may +V1 Would/should/could/might + V1
9. Must/would/should/ought(to)/dare(to) +V1 Must/would/should/ought(to)/dare(to) +V1

*IF the sentence of reporting speech is Universal Truth, Habitual actions, or Historical fact or
any Proverb, the Tense of Reported Speech does not change though the Reporting Verb may be
in the Past Tense.
My teacher said, “The Sun rises in the East.”
My teacher said that the sun rises in the East.

RULES FOR CHANGING PRONOUNS


Person Nominative or Objective Form Reflexive form Possessive form
Subjective form
First Person I Me Myself my, mine
We Us Ourselves our, ours
Second Person You You Yourself/yourselves Your, yours
Third He Him Himself His
Person She It Her It Herself Her, hers
They Them Itself Its
Themselves Their, theirs

RULES FOR CHANGING Adverbs of Time and Place

Ago => before Now => then Tonight => that night
Come => go This =>that Today => That day

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Here => there These => those
Yet => Still Tomorrow => the next day / the following day
Yesterday => the previous day / the day before
Yesterday morning => the previous morning / the morning before

RULES OF CHANGING QUESTIONS (Interrogative Sentences)


-Reporting Verb ‘said to’ is changed to ‘asked’ or ‘enquired’ and ‘say to’ into ‘ask’,
Conjunction ‘that’ is not used.
-Interrogative Sentences are changed into Assertive Sentences. Sign of Interrogation (?) is
removed and full Stop (.) is used in its place.

Mahesh said to me, “Where is she?”


Mahesh asked me where she was.

-Pronoun, Verb and other words of Reported Speech are changed according to the rules of
the Assertive Sentence. If there is an auxiliary verb (is, am, are, was, were, do, does, did,
shall, will, has, have, had, can/may) in the beginning of the Reported Speech, the
connective word ‘if’ or ‘whether’ is used.

Jyoti said to me, “Are you reading a book?”


Jyoti asked me if I was reading a book.

*While changing an interrogative Reported Speech into Indirect Speech, the subject is
used before the verb as given in the example given above.

TENSES
Past Present Future

SIMPLE An action that ended An action that is A plan for an action in


in the past. habitual or repeated. the future
Formula Painted Paints/Paint Will paint.

Word clue He painted yesterday She paints every weekend. She will paint
tomorrow.
CONT IUOUS An action that was An action is in the An action that will
happening(past process of happen in the future for
(be)+ (verb) + ing. continuous) when Happening now. a length of time.
another action
finished
(simple past).

Formula Was/were painting Am/are/is painting


Will be painting
Word clue I was painting She is painting now. They will be
when I saw the painting when you
accident. arrive

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tomorrow.

PERFECT An action that An action that An action that will


(have)+ (verb)3 finished before happened at an finish before another
another action unsaid time in the action or time in the
past. future.
Formula Had painted. Have/has painted Will have painted

Word clue We had painted She has painted many He will have painted the
the house before portraits. bedroom before his
the rain daughter comes home.
started.
PERFECT An action that An action that happens An action that happens
CONTINUOUS happened over time over time, starting in the over time in the future
in the past before past and continuing before an other action.
another. action
(have)+ into the present.
been +
ing(verb)+
Formula Had been painting Have/has been painting Will have been pain ting
Word clue She had been I have been painting We will have been
painting for a while landscapes since I painting for several
when she started started school. hours before we can
classes. see how it looks.

SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

1. If the subject is singular the verb must be singular too.


Ex. 1: She weaves neatly.
Ex. 2: I write in the evening.

2. If the subject is plural the verb


must be plural
Ex.: We play with agility.

3. When the subject of the sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns
then use a plural verb.
Ex.: The Producer and actors work hard to put up a good show

4. When there is one subject and more than one verb, the verbs throughout the sentence
must agree with the subject.
Ex.: The management is strict and is thinking of making some changes in the rulebook.

5. When a phrase comes between the subject and verb, the verb still agrees with the
subject not with the noun or pronoun in the phrase following the subject of the sentences.

27
Ex.: The student with all the copies is allowed to enter the class.

6. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by ‘or’ or ‘nor’ use a
singular verb.
Ex. The manager or the assistant manager approves the bill.

7. When a compound subject contains both a singular and plural noun joined by ‘or’ or
‘nor’ the verb should agree with the subject that is closest to the verb.
Ex. The trainer or the officers write the report.
The officers or the trainer writes the report.

8. The following words and phrases require singular verbs: each, everyone, each
one, either, neither, everybody, anyone, anybody, nobody, somebody, someone,
no one.

Ex. Each of the runners was given the kit.


Neither of you was exempted.

9. Uncountable nouns take a singular verb.


Ex. The information was disseminated by the researchers.
The research is essential for up gradation.

10. Some countable nouns such as earnings, goods, odds, surroundings, proceeds,
contents and valuables only have plural form and take plural verbs.
Ex. The goods in the attic are expensive.
The earnings need to be mentioned in the form.

11. In sentences beginning with ‘there’ the verb agrees with what
follows the verb.
Ex. There are many factors affecting the rise in temperature.
There is little to do in this field.

12. Collective nouns are considered singular and take singular verbs.
Example: group, committee, family and class but if the focus is on individuals in the
group then the verb will be plural. This is rare.

MODAL AUXILIARIES
Modal are those auxiliary or helping verbs that are used to express the mode or manner of
the actions indicated by the main verbs. They express modes such as certainty, possibility,
willingness, obligation, necessity, and ability. Here are some characteristics of modal verbs:
They never change their form. You can't add "s", "ed", "ing"...
They are always followed by an infinitive without "to" (e. i. the bare infinitive.) Here is a list of
modals with examples:
Ex. The group does the work every day.
The team leaves at five in the morning.

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Modal Verb Expressing Example
1. Must Strong obligation We must stop when the traffic lights turn red.
Logical conclusion / Radha must be very tired. She has been working all day
Certainty long.
2. Must not Prohibition You must not spit in the hospital.
3. Can Ability She can swim.
Permission Can I use your pen please?
Possibility Smoking can cause cancer.
4. Could Ability in the past When she was young, she could run fast.
Polite permission/request Excuse me, could I just say something?
Possibility Accident could be avoided.
5. May Formal Permission/ May I use your phone please?
Blessings May God bless you with a long life!
Possibility, Probability There are heavy clouds in the sky. It may rain today.
6. Might Guessing He might be sleeping at this time.
Lesser possibility, I might go on a holiday to Australia next year.
probability
7. Need not Lack of necessity/absence I need not buy tomatoes. There are plenty of tomatoes in
of obligation the fridge.

8. Should/ Obligation I should / ought to see a doctor. I have a terrible headache.


ought to Advice You should / ought to revise your lessons
Logical conclusion He should / ought to be very tired. He's been working all
day long.
9. Will Order You will do it just now.
Warning/Threat You will be punished.
Promise I will surely help you.
Invitation Will you come to attend my birthday party?
Intention I will buy a car for you.
Determination They/we will work hard to win the match.

10. Would Habitual action I would listen to music all day long.
Willingness I would work hard to come up to your expectations.
Preference I would like to have a coffee.
Polite Request Would you like to come for dinner tonight?

1.Exercises on Gap Filling


Q: 1. Fill in the blanks with the suitable form of the words given in the bracket.
1. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease (i)…………… (cause) by the SARS-
CoV-2 virus. Most people infected with the virus (ii)………… (will) experience mild to
moderate respiratory illness and recover without (iii)…………..(require) special treatment.
However, some will become seriously ill and require medical attention. Older people and
those with underlying medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic
respiratory disease, or cancer (iv)………… (be) more likely to develop serious illness. Anyone
(v)…………. (could) get sick with COVID-19 and become seriously ill or die at any age.

29
2.Digital India is a campaign (i)…………….(launch) by the Government of India in order to
ensure the Government's services (ii)……….(be) made available to citizens electronically by
improved online infrastructure and by increasing Internet connectivity or (iii)………. (make)
the country digitally empowered in the field of technology. The initiative (iv)……………
(include)plans to connect rural areas with high-speed internet networks. It (v)………..
(consist) of three core components: The development of secure and stable digital
infrastructure, delivering government services digitally and universal digital literacy.

3. Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (i)……..(be)an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate


and commemorate 75 years of progressive India and the glorious history of its people,
culture and achievements. This Mahotsav is(ii)……………….(dedicate) to the people of
India who (iii)…………..(has) not only been instrumental in bringing India thus far in its
evolutionary journey but also hold within them the power and potential to enable Prime
Minister Modi's vision of activating India 2.0. The official journey of "Azadi ka Amrit
Mahotsav" (iv)…………………..(commence) on 12th March, 2021 which started a 75 week
countdown to our 75th anniversary of Independence and(v)………….. (will) end post a year on
15th August, 2023.
4. Raising a happy, healthy child is one of the (i)………..(much) challenging jobs a parent can
have and also one of the most rewarding. Yet many of us (ii)…….(doesn't) approach
parenting with the same focus we(iii)……… (will) use for a job. We may act on our gut
reactions or just use the same parenting techniques (iv)………..(my) own parents used,
whether or not these were effective parenting skills. Good parenting (v)…………………..(help)
foster empathy, honesty, self-reliance, self-control, kindness, cooperation, and cheerfulness,
says Steinberg, a distinguished professor of psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia.
5. The National War Memorial in India is a national monument built to honour and
remember soldiers of the Indian military who (i)…………….(fight) in armed conflicts of
independent India. The names of armed forces personnel killed during the armed conflicts
with Pakistan and China as well as the 1961 War in Goa, Operation Pawan, and other
operations such as Operation Rakshak (ii)……….. (be) inscribed on the memorial walls in
golden letters.
This monument is spread over 40 acres of land and was (iii)…………..(build) by
the Government of India around the existing chhatri (canopy), near India Gate, New
Delhi. The memorial wall is (iv)…………. (flush)with the ground and in harmony with existing
aesthetics. It was (v)………… (complete) in January 2019.
2. Exercises on Editing
1-The following passages have not been edited. There is an error in each line. Write the
incorrect word under the Error column and correct word under the Correction column:
--- Error Correction
Health precedes action. There are an (a) ………………….. ………………….
undisputed connection among being (b) ………………….. ………………….
fit and being our best. A simple rules (c) ………………….. ………………….
of 'five' helps make exercising a most (d) ………………….. ………………….
enjoyable activity. Woke up at 5 a.m., do (e) ………………….. ………………….

30
five stretches and five yoga asanas.
--- Error Correction

2. According to tradition Gautama Buddha sit (a) ………………….. ………………….


in meditation in the Bodhi tree at (b) ………………….. ………………….
Bodh Gaya. Unfortunately an original tree (c) ………………….. ………………….
has disappeared and is replace (d) ………………….. ………………….
through a successor-the Peepal tree. (e) ………………….. ………………….

--- Error Correction


3.Fine art can takes us to ecstatic (a) ………………….. ………………….
heights. Put our heart and soul into (b) ………………….. ………………….
it and it fills your up with real (c) ………………….. ………………….
happiness. All kind of arts are divine. (d) ………………….. ………………….
Any kind of art have the ability (e) ………………….. ………………….
to uplift your mood and the power to recondition your mind.

--- Error Correction


4. Harshil: I wished to know about the tour program your(a)………………….. ………………….
company offers. Also kindly let me knows the (b)………………….. ………………….
amount what I have to pay. (c)………………….. ………………….
Along with it let me know what the mode of payment are.(d)………………… ………………….
Travel Agent: I can certainly, if (e)………………….. ………………….
I am also allowed to speak.
---
--- Error Correction
5. The secretary was a chief guest. The sweets (a)………………….. ………………….
were distributed among the two teams (b)………………….. ………………….
who had reached the finals. Rural sports (c) ………………….. ………………….
events are promising in terms of identify (d)………………….. ………………….
sports talents. The government may hold such (e)………………….. ………………….
events to encourage the rural children and youth.
3. Exercises on Omission
In the following paragraphs, one word has been omitted in each line. Write the
missing word along with the word that comes before and the word that comes
after it against the correct blank number.
Before Missing After
Yesterday the guards caught panda e.g caught a panda
The woodland guards didn’t know to (a) ________ ________ ________
tame wild panda which had gone (b) ________ ________ ________
mad with anger. The tusk poachers killed (c ) ________ ________ ________

31
cub. It was one of the three brown pandas (d)________ ________ ________
that brought from Siberia with utmost care. (e) ________ ________ ________
Before Missing After
2. Madhya Pradesh a good place for Eco Camp. e.g. Pradesh is a
Panch Hill Eco Camp one of the ecotourism resorts (a) ______ ___________ ____
near Barog in Madhya Pradesh. Ecotourism (b) ______ ___________ ____
gaining popularity with passing day as more (c) ______ ___________ ____
and people want to get away from the (d) ______ ___________ ____
hectic schedules. This become a favourite tourist spot. (e) ______ ___________ ____

Before Missing After

3. Most people travel as part of their e.g. as a part


daily routine because it enjoyable. (a) _______ _______ _______
There lots of places to explore in (b) _______ _______ _______
the world. Travelling is worth penny (c) _______ _______ _______
you spend because memories last forever.
When travelling, one the opportunity (d) _______ _______ _______
to meet different people from areas. (e) _______ _______ _______
---
Before Missing After
4. There was a rich old man who in a palace. e.g. who lived in
There also lived nearby poor man in a hut. (a) _______ _______ _______
He on crumbs of food given by others (b) _______ _______ _______
But he cheerful and never complained. (c) _______ _______ _______
Once it happened so the poor man (d) _______ _______ _______
had to eat for a long while. So he (e) _______ _______ _______
went to the rich old man for help.
Before Missing After
5. It perfectly natural for us to use It is perfectly
a dictionary when we come across unfamiliar word. (a) _______ _______ _______
Some students use a dictionary too much which (b) _______ _______ _______
may not necessary at all. Dictionary may not be (c) _______ _______ _______
used too much. While reading article in (d) _______ _______ _______
a newspaper or a magazine we likely to meet (e) _______ _______ _______
a number of difficult words.

32
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
1-Choose the correct options to fill in the blanks to complete dialogue between Rosy
and her mother-

One morning Rosy requested her mother if (a)____________ the next morning. Her mother
enquired why she wanted to wake up early that day because it was a holiday the next day and
(b) ______________ To this, Rosy replied that she had decided to go for morning walks regularly.
Her mother said that that sounded nice and advised her not to give it up like (c) -----------------
-

2. Fill in the blanks to complete the dialogue between Mr. Sethi and Mr. Prakash.
/

One day Mr. Sethi and Mr. Prakash were in conversation. Mr. Sethi remarked that
(a)_______________ honest, hardworking and dedicated. To this Mr. Prakash quipped that in that
case (b) . Mr. Sethi wanted to know how that would help him. Candidly,
Mr.Prakash replied that (c)_____________________ such an employee.
3. Read the dialogue given below and then complete the Report. Write your answers in
your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers.
Rudra :I want to meet the Principal.
Peon : Sir, he is not in his office. He has gone to attend a meeting.

33
Rudra :When will he come back to the office?
Peon:: He will be here in another ten minutes.
Rudra went to the Principal's office and told the peon (a)._______________________ the Principal.
Respectfully, the peon told him that (b)____________________________and
(c)____________________________________. Rudra asked him (d).__________________________ . The peon
replied that (e)_________________minutes.
4. Read the following dialogues and complete the paragraph that follows.
Mathew : Dad, will you gift me an iPod ?
Dad: Not now, Wait till your class 12th board results.
Mathew: But, Dad, didn't you promise me one?
Dad: Yes, but my long cherished desire is to see you top class 12 too. You should prepare for
JEE-MAINS also.
Mathew asked his dad (a)__________________________________. Negating, Dad asked Mathew(b)
___________________ A little disappointed Mathew (c)___________________________. Motivating
Mathew, Dad said that his long cherished desire (d)_____________________________ top class 12 too.
He also wished that (e)__________________ JEE Mains also.

5.Read the dialogue and complete the passage given below.


Interviewer: So, why do you want to be a computer analyst?
Aditya: Well, I have always been interested in computers.
Interviewer: I see. Do you have any experience?
Aditya: No, but I’m a fast learner.
Interviewer: What kind of a computer do you use?
Aditya: Computer? Hmm, let me see. I can use a Mac. I also used Windows 11 once.
Interviewer: That’s good.
Aditya recently attended an interview for the selection of a computer analyst. At the
interview, he was asked (a) ………………………. To this question Aditya replied that (b)
………………………. When the interviewer asked him (e) ………………………. he replied that he (d)
………………………. Finally, the interviewer wanted to know (e) ………………………. Aditya replied
that he could use a Mac and had also used Windows 11 once in the past. The interviewer
seemed to be pleased with his answer.

Answers – GRAMMAR SECTION


1.Gap Filling
Answers 1.(a)caused (b)will (c)requiring (d)is (e) can
Answers 2.(a)launched (b) are (c)making (d)Includes (e)consists
Answers3.(a)is (b)dedicated (c)have (d)commenced (e)will

34
Answers 4.(a)most (b)don’t (c)would (d)our (e)helps
Answers 5.(a)fought (b)are (c)built (d)flushed (v)completed
2.Editing
Answers 1 (a) is (b) between (c) rule (d) the (e) wake
Answers 2 (a) sat (b) under (c) the (d) replaced (e) with
Answers 3 (a)takes – take (b)our-your (c)your – you (d)kind – kinds (e)have – has
Answers 4 (a)wished-wish (b)knows – know (c)what – that (d)are -is (e)can-will
Answers 5 (a)a – the (b)among – between (c)who – that (d)identify – identifying
(e)may – should
3.Omission
Answers1-
(Before Missing After)
(a) know how to
(b) tame the wild
(c) poachers had killed
(d) killed its cub
(e) that were brought
Answers 2.
Before Missing After
(a)Camp is one
(b)Ecotourism is gaining
(c) with each passing
(d)and more people
(e) This has become
Answer:3
Before Missing After
(a) it is enjoyable
(b)There are lots
(c)Worth every penny
(d) one gets the
(e) from different area
Answers : 4
Before Missing After
(a)nearby a poor
(b)He survived/lived on
(c)he was/remained cheerful
(d)so that the
(e)had nothing to
Answers : 5
Before Missing After
(a)across an unfamiliar
(b)students may use
(c )not be necessary
(d) reading an article

35
(e)we are likely

4. Direct and Indirect Speech


Answers :1 (a) she could wake her up early
(b) liked to sleep late
(c) she had done in the past
Answers :2 (a) he was looking for a new employee who would be
(b) he should hire him
(c) he could help him look for
Answers :3 (a) that he wanted to meet
(b) he was not in his office
(c) he had gone to attend a meeting
(d) when he would come back to the office
(e) he would be there in another te
Answers :4 (a) if he would gift him an iPod on
(b) to wait till his class 12 board results
(c) reminded dad if he hadn't promised him one
(d) was to see him
(e) he should prepare for

Answers :5 (a) why he wanted to be a computer analyst


(b) he had always been interested in computers
(c) whether/if he had any experience
(d) didn’t but that he was a fast learner
(e) the kind of computer he used

**********************************************

36
BOOK: FIRST FLIGHT

CHAPTER-GLIMPSES OF INDIA
PART 1. A BAKER FROM GOA- LUCIO RODRIGUES
THEME-The writer presents a pen-portrait of a traditional Goan village baker who still has
an important place in its society. ‘Glimpses of India’ conveys a strong message of the amazing
diversity of India. It is an engaging narrative which brings home to the readers the life and
times of the traditional bakers who were an important and inseparable part of the life of this
community.
KEY POINTS-
1. The Portuguese in Goa were lovers of bread.
2. Those eaters of bread have now gone but its makers still exist.
3. During the childhood days of the narrator, a baker used to be their friend, companion and
guide.
4. The baker came twice a day- once in the morning and again while returning home after
emptying his huge basket.
5. The jingling thud of the baker’s bamboo woke up the sleeping children. He would greet the
lady of the house.
6. The loaves were delivered to the servants of the house.
7. The children would peep into the baker’s basket for the bread bangles.
8. The children would eat bread with hot tea.
9. The marriages were incomplete without the popular bol bread. Bolinhas was must during
Christmas and all other festivals. On the occasion of daughter’s engagement, the lady of the
house had to prepare sandwiches.
10. The bakers wore a particular knee length frock known as kabai. Even today, anyone
who wears a shirt and trousers shorter than full-lengths, he is said to be dressed like a pader.
11. Baking was a profitable profession. Bakers had a plump physique testifying to this. The
bakers collected their bills at the end of the month. Monthly accounts used to be recorded on
small walls in pencils.

PART 2 -COORG- LOKESH ABROL


THEME- ‘Coorg’ familiarises us with a tourist place of India. It makes us feel the beauty of
Coorg. It makes us aware of the people of Coorg. It tells us about its location, historical
background, climate, etc. The attractive beauty of Coorg refreshes one's heart and soul.
1. Coorg or Kodagu, the smallest district of Karnataka, is a heavenly place. Coorg is midway
between Mysore and Mangalore. It is home to evergreen forests, spices and coffee
plantations. During the monsoons, it has lot of rains.
2. The best season to visit it is from September to March.
3. The people of Coorg are possibly of Greek and Arabic descent. It is said that a part of
Alexander’s army settled here. These people married among the locals. Their culture and

37
traditions are different from the Hindu mainstream. According to another theory, they are of
Arab origin.
4. Their culture is apparent in their martial traditions, marriages and religious rites. Coorgi
people and their homes are known for their hospitality. There are endless tales of valour
related to the people of Coorg.
5. In Coorg, you can take to high-energy adventures like river-rafting, canoeing, rock climbing
and trekking.
6. The Kodavus wear a long, black, embroidered coat called Kuppia.
7. The Coorg Regiment is one of the most decorated regiments in the Indian Army.
8. Kodavus are the only people in India permitted to carry firearms without a license.
9. The river Kaveri begins from the hills and forests of Coorg.
10. The Tibetan monks are amongst many surprises that can be seen there.
11. It is a tourist paradise, full of flora and fauna.

PART 3- TEA FROM ASSAM-ARUP KUMAR DUTTA


THEME- Arup Kumar Datta describes how popular tea has become as a beverage in the
world. The lesson is about two friends Pranjol and Rajvir who are travelling to Pranjol’s
hometown, Assam for the summer vacation. Assam is known as the ‘Tea Country’. It has the
largest concentration of plantations in the world. ‘Tea from Assam' is an appealing and
educational lesson about tea plantation along with its history and its significance. The writer
has tried to make it exciting by using a dialogue method.

CHARACTER SKETCH
Rajvir: He was a youngster and classmate of Pranjol in Delhi. He was excited to visit Tea
estate in Assam. He was invited there by Pranjol to spend summer vacation. He was an ardent
fan of detective stories. His knowledge about tea and its history was profound.
Pranjol: He had been born and brought up on the land of a tea plantation. He studied with
Rajvir in Delhi. His father was the manager of a tea-garden in Upper Assam. He invited Rajvir
to visit his home and Dhekiabari Tea Estate during summer vacation. He was also an ardent
fan of detective stories.
1. Pranjol and Rajvir were going to Assam by train.
2. Rajvir was busy looking at the beautiful scenery outside the train.
3. It was green everywhere as far as the eye could see.
4. The soft green paddy bushes gave way to tea bushes.
5. Assam has the largest concentration of tea plantations in the world. Tea is a very popular
beverage in India. Over eighty crore cups of tea are drunk every day throughout the world.
6. From China, tea came to European countries and then to Asian countries.
7. Pranjol’s father managed Dhekiabari, a tea garden.
8. There were many tea pluckers around the tea bushes.
9. The best tea is obtained between May to July.

OTHER TOPICS COVERED- Other Portuguese colonies in India, States and Union Territories
in India, Unity in Diversity, Tourism in India, Crops found in India, Geographical Indication
(GI Tag) etc.
Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words)

38
1. What do the elders reminisce about and why?
Ans 1. The elders reminisce nostalgically about the good old Portuguese days and the
Portuguese loaves of bread. The loaves of bread were an integral part of Goan’s life.
Marriages were meaningless without sweet bread. The lady of the house must prepare
sandwiches on her daughter’s engagement. Christmas and other festivals must have cakes
and bolinhas. They still remember the jingling thud of the baker in the morning.

2. How is a baker important to the Goan people?


Ans 2. Baker is important to the Goan people because they carry the age-old tradition of the
Portuguese of baking bread. The bakers were known as paders and carried bread in the
traditional baker's bamboo from house to house. The baker's cakes are also important for
village celebrations like Christmas.

3. How has the tradition of courage and bravery been recognised in modern India? Give
examples from the text. (Coorg)
Ans3.The people of Coorg are known for being fiercely independent, brave and courageous.
There are numerous tales of valour connected with the people of Coorg. The Coorg Regiment
is one of the most decorated regiments in the Indian Army. The first Chief of the Indian Army,
General Cariappa, was a Coorgi. The Coorgis are the only people in India who are permitted to
carry firearms without a licence.

4. What are the various legends about the origin of tea?


Ans 4. No one really knows who discovered tea. One Chinese emperor had always boiled
water before drinking it. A few leaves of the twigs burning under the pot fell into the water. It
gave it a delicious flavour. It is said they were tea leaves. According to an Indian legend Bodhi
dharma, an ancient Buddhist ascetic cut off his eyelids because he felt sleepy during
meditations. Ten tea plants grew out of his eyelids. The leaves of tea banished sleep. Tea was
first drunk in China during 2700 B.C. The words like ‘Chai’ and ‘Chini’ are from the Chinese
language. Tea came to Europe only in the sixteenth century. It was drunk more as medicine
than as a beverage.

5. Which place would you like to visit in India and why?


Ans5. (Student can write about any place he/she likes, One example is given here)
India is famous for its rich culture and heritage. I love nature, so to travel through Kerala is
like walking into a tropical paradise for me. Due to its scenic beauty it is also known as God's
own country. It is famous for its rich flora and fauna. Kerala is well known for its beaches,
huge temples, backwaters in Alappuzha and Kollam, mountain ranges and wildlife
sanctuaries.

Long Answer Type Questions (100-120 words)

1. Why does the author call Coorg' a piece of heaven’ that must have drifted from the
kingdom of God?
Ans 1. Coorg is among the most beautiful regions of India. The author rightly calls it a ‘piece of
heaven’ that must have drifted from the kingdom of God. This land of rolling hills is also the
home of beautiful rainforests. The rainforests cover more than thirty percent of Coorg. The
evergreen rainforests have a rich flora and fauna. The place is also famous for its coffee

39
plantation. The beautiful sprawling coffee estates are dotted with colonial bungalows. The
river Kaveri obtains its water from the hills and rainforests of Coorg. Kingfishers dive for
Mahaseer, a large freshwater fish in these waters. Squirrels and langurs drop partially eaten
fruit into the clear water. Elephants enjoy being bathed and scrubbed in the Kaveri by their
mahouts. The climb to the Brahmagiri hills gives a panoramic view of the entire misty
landscape of Coorg. The sixty-four acre island of Nisargadhama is a little paradise for tourists.
So are the temples and Buddhist monks wearing red, ochre and yellow robes. All of them
represent the heart and soul of India.

2. Inspired by the diversity in the chapter, ‘Glimpses of India’. Write a paragraph on


‘Diversity-the Uniqueness of India’.
Ans 2. India is a land of unity in diversity. It is a vast country with numerous variations in
races, cultures, languages and even geographical features. In reference to the chapter, it is
shown with the example of Assam, Goa and Karnataka. In the book “The Discovery of India”,
Jawaharlal Nehru says that Indian unity is not something imposed from the outside but
rather, “It was something deeper and within its fold, the widest tolerance of belief and custom
was practised and every variety acknowledged and even encouraged.” It was Nehru who
coined the phrase “unity in diversity” to describe India.
The term “Unity in Diversity” refers to the state of togetherness or oneness in spite of the
presence of huge diversity. “It is crucial to respect each other and support each other no
matter what our culture, background, gender, orientation or other differences may be. India
is a plural society. Its unity and diversity characterize it. Despite several foreign invasions,
Mughal rule and British rule, the nation’s unity and integrity have been maintained.
In crux, India is a country which perfectly demonstrates Unity in Diversity. In conclusion,
Unity in Diversity is an integral part of ethics and morality. Tolerance is the key to avoiding
conflicts.

CHAPTER-MADAM RIDES THE BUS -VALLIKKANNAN

THEME-Through Valli in Madam Rides the Bus, Vallikannan depicts the curious nature of
the children. The story also shows how easily children are fascinated by new things and their
curiosity doesn't end without experiencing the delights of fantasy in their life.

CHARACTER SKETCH
Valliammai- Valli is a very courageous, sensitive, self-respecting and intelligent girl. She is
only 8 years old but behaves like a more mature woman than her age.
Bus conductor- The bus conductor in 'Madam Rides the Bus' comes across as an amiable
person, with good manners and a general inclination to help and spread happiness. He
exhibits genuine concern for a young girl, who is travelling alone, by making sure that she is
comfortably seated and also offering to buy her something to drink. Such people are not only
happy and pleased with themselves but also radiate positive energy.

OTHER TOPICS COVERED- Desire of a child, Pre- planning for goals, Road Accidents,
Concept of life and death etc.

40
KEY POINTS-
1. The story is about an eight year old girl named Valliammai (Valli). She was very curious to
know about things.
2. Her favourite pastime was to stand at the front doorway of her house and see what was
happening in the street outside.
3. She would watch the bus that passed every hour from her village to the nearest town.
4. She developed a desire to ride the bus. This became her deepest desire.
5. Valli found out the details of the bus journey by listening carefully to the conversations
between her neighbours and regular bus users.
6. She came to know that the town was just six miles from her village and the fare for the bus
journey was thirty paise one way. The trip took 45 minutes.
7. Valli planned her visit to the town. She saved sixty paise for the fare. Finally, one day she
took the one o’clock bus to the town.
8. Valli was very happy to have got into the bus. During her first journey, she saw a canal,
palm trees, grasslands, distant mountains, blue sky, acres of green field, a cow running in
front of the bus, a tiny hamlet, odd wayside shops, vehicles, pedestrians.
9. She met a friendly conductor, an elderly man who advised her to sit down. An elderly
woman who was eating betel nuts asked Valli if she was traveling alone.
10. On the way to the town, Valli saw a cow running right in front of the bus. She clapped as
the cow kept on running towards the bus despite the continuous honking by the driver.
11. Valli did not get off the bus when it reached the town. She also declined the offer of a
cold drink by the conductor.
12. On the return journey, she saw the same cow lying dead by the roadside. This
unpleasant sight made her very sad.
13. The bus reached the village at three forty. She ran straight for her home after getting off
the bus. Her mother did not come to know about her journey.
14. Man has to learn and understand the nature of death too as it is an inseparable part of
life.

Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words)

1. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?


Ans 1. The conductor called Valli 'madam' because she behaved like a woman. She denied his
help and was very quick in her answers to the conductor's questions. This made the
conductor call her madam.

2. Meticulous and planned work can lead us to the path of success. Write your views
with reference to the chapter 'Madam Rides the Bus'.
Ans 2. Valli was a meticulous planner. She listened carefully to the conversations between her
neighbours and people who regularly used the bus and also asked discreet questions. She
picked up various small details about the bus journey and then planned it. She was successful
because of her pre - planning for the goal. In the same way, we can also achieve our goals.

3. What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about
things happening without our knowledge”.

41
Ans 3. Valli returned home after the bus ride. At that time her mother was talking with an
aunt. They were talking about things happening without their knowledge in the world
outside. Valli also agreed to their view because she had enjoyed a bus journey and they didn’t
know about it. Sometimes we know the things but can’t understand.

4. What are the similarities between Valli (Chapter-Madam Rides the Bus) and Bholi (
Chapter - Bholi).
Ans 4. Both the girls were young in their age. They both belonged to poor families. In the
case of Valli, she fulfilled her desire to travel by a bus by her determination. She was
confident and took care of her self-respect. In the case of Bholi (Sulekha), she also kept her
self-respect by not marrying Bishambar at the end of chapter. Education changed her life
from a neglected girl to a self- confident girl.

5. How did Valli react when she saw the dead cow by the roadside?
Ans 5. When Valli saw the dead cow by the roadside, she became very sad. She was now, in a
pensive mood as it was shocking to her that the animal she’d been laughing at a while ago,
was lying in the stillness of death.

Long Answer Type Questions (100-120 words)

1. Give a character-sketch of Valli in your own words by giving examples from the text.
Ans 1. Valli was a very courageous, sensitive, self-respecting and intelligent girl. She was
only 8 years old but behaved like a more mature woman than her age. She was a great
planner and planned things after knowing all necessary details about them. She wanted to
ride a bus so she started collecting every penny that came to her. She was determined to
resist any temptation that came in her way. She sacrificed buying peppermints, toys, balloons
and having a joy ride on a merry-go-round to save her money. She was curious by nature.
She was a good observer of things. Her favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway
of her house. She was full of excitement and enthusiasm. She enjoyed the landscape
looking outside the window —the canal, palm trees, grassland, distant mountains and green
fields gave her tremendous pleasure. She was a very sensitive girl. She was shocked to see
the same cow lying on the roadside smeared with blood. The horrible and frightening looks
dampened her enthusiasm. She stopped looking outside. She didn’t like being called a
‘madam’ or ‘a child’. She dared the conductor to mind his own business. She was a self-
respecting girl. She didn’t accept a free cold drink offered by the bus conductor.

2. Describe Valli’s interaction with -


(i) the conductor
(ii) with the old gentleman
(iii) with the elderly repulsive woman.
Ans 2.(i)The conductor was a jolly sort of person. He was fond of joking. He enjoyed teasing
Valli with his gentle comic remarks. He called her ‘madam’. Valli reacted sharply, replying
that she was not a ‘madam’. The conductor showed his concern when he tried to help her up,
she told him that she could help herself. Valli showed that she was a self-respecting girl. She
politely refused to accept a free drink from the conductor.

42
(ii)The old gentleman was honestly concerned when he found Valli standing in the bus.
‘Listen child... you shouldn’t stand like that’, he said. Valli was annoyed by his attention and
replied promptly that she was not a child. She had paid her thirty paise like everyone else.
(iii)The elderly woman who sat beside her, was quite repulsive to Valli. Valli didn’t like the
big holes in her ears and the ugly earrings in them. Nor did Valli relish the unpleasant smell
that came from the betel nut she was chewing. She couldn’t be social with such a person.

THE SERMON AT BENARES -By Betty Crenshaw

CHARACTERS- Gautama Buddha (the founder of the religion Buddhism), Kisa Gotami (a
young mother whose only son had died)

THEME-‘Sermon at Benares’ is the story of an unfortunate woman Kisa Gotami. She had lost
her only son. In her grief, she carried the dead body of her son from one place to another. In
the end, she came to Lord Buddha. She needed the medicine that could cure her son. The
Buddha asked her to bring him a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one had
lost a child, husband, parent or friend. Kisa Gotami didn’t find a house where some beloved
one had not died in it. She thought to herself that it was the fate of mankind.

MESSAGE-Death is inevitable. One should understand that human beings are mortal and no
one can escape death. People must understand that thinking about bound situations will
increase one's stress and lead to sorrows and sufferings.

Main Points of the story


1. Gautama Buddha was born as a prince named Siddhartha Gautama in Northern India.
2. He was married at the age of sixteen and enjoyed the royal luxuries for ten years.He had a
son.
3. Up to the age of twenty-five, he was shielded from the sufferings of the world.
4. One day, on his way to hunt he saw a sick man, an aged man, a funeral procession and then
a monk begging for alms.
5. These sights had a deep impact on Gautama, he gave up royal pleasures and set out to seek
enlightenment.
6. He wandered for seven years and finally sat down under a big tree in meditation.
7. Enlightenment came to him after seven days. He named the big tree the Bodhi Tree or Tree
of Wisdom.
8. He was known as the Buddha or the Awakened or the enlightened one.
9. Gautama Buddha preached his first sermon at the holy city of Benares on the River Ganges.
10. Kisa Gotami’s only son had died.
11. She was so grieved that she carried her dead son to all her neighbours.
12. She asked them to bring medicines to cure him.
13. She prayed to Buddha to give such medicine that might cure her son.

43
14. Gautama Buddha asked Kisa Gotami to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house
where no one had died.
15. She went from house to house in search of mustard seeds but she couldn’t find any
house where no one had ever died.
16. She considered the fate of human beings and realised that she was selfish in grief.
17. Death is inevitable to all mortals.
18. As the ripe fruits are in danger of falling, all earthen pots made by the potter break.
Similarly the mortals have the danger of death.
19. He who has overcome all sorrows and sufferings will become a blessed and enlightened
one.

Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words)

1. What did Kisa Gautami learn from the flickering of lights?


Ans- Kisa Gotami became weary and hopeless as she was unsuccessful in finding a home
where nobody had died and sat down at the wayside watching the lights of the city, as they
flickered up and were extinguished again. After deep reflection, she realised that man's fate
was just like these city lights that flicker and extinguish repeatedly.
2. According to Kisa Gotami what is the greatest grief in life?
Ans.- According to Kisa Gotami, the greatest grief in life is the death of one’s loved ones and
one’s inability to stop them from dying. Therefore, instead of lamenting on it, the wise should
not grieve. Weeping will only increase the pain and disturb the peace of mind of a person.

3. How did Kisa Gotami realise that life and death is a process?
Ans- Kisa Gotami went from house to house but was unable to find any house where nobody
had died. She was tired and hopeless and sat down at the wayside watching the lights of the
city as they flickered up and were extinguished again. She realised that similar to the city
lights human lives also flicker up for some time and are extinguished again.

4. What did the Buddha do after he had attained enlightenment?


Ans-When Buddha attained enlightenment, he started preaching and telling people about life
and its meaning. He spread his preaching far and wide so that people understood that death
and suffering are part and parcel of life.

5. Grief is often seen as a measure of love. Do you think the Buddha’s sermon
undermines a mother’s love? Justify your response.
Ans. – Kisa was a mother who had lost her only child. She was in grief and was unable to
accept this great loss. Buddha’s sermon does not undermine a mother’s love. It tries to make
the mother realize the bitter truth of life. She has to accept this harsh reality.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (Word limit: 100-120 words)

1. “The life of mortals in this world is troubled and brief and combined with pain….”
with this statement of Buddha, find out what Kisa Gotami learnt after the death of her
child.
Answer: According to Buddha, all men are mortal so those who have been born cannot avoid
dying. Life of mortals is always troubled and brief. Sorrows and sufferings are inevitable to
the mortals. All young and adults fall into the power of death; all are subject to death. So the
wise do not grieve, knowing the terms of the world. Kisa Gotami after the death of her child
learnt from Lord Buddha that death is common to all; he who has overcome pain will become

44
free from pain, and be blessed. People pitied her. Only then Buddha made her understand
that the life of mortals in this world is full of grief and combined with pain. Later Kisa
understood the reality and realized the fate of men and death is common to all of us.

2. What happened when Kisa Gotami went from house to house to get the mustard
seeds as instructed by Buddha? Does this teach you something about how to overcome
grief and hopelessness? Write your answer.
Answer: Buddha suggested Kisa Gotami to go and bring some mustard seeds from a house
where there had been no death. Poor Gotami went from house to house begging for a handful
of mustard seeds. The people pitied her. They were ready to give a handful of mustard seeds
to her. In short, there was no house where some beloved one had not died. Unable to find
such a house, she reflected upon her action. Truth dawned upon her. She realised that
surrendering ourselves is the only way to get rid of one’s pains and sufferings. There is a
continuous cycle of life and death, happiness and sorrows. Wise persons do not grieve. One
should remain calm and dauntless in all situations. By doing so, peace of mind can be
obtained.

THE PROPOSAL -By Anton Chekov


CHARACTERS-Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov (a landowner and father of Natalya),
Natalya Stepanovna (Chubukov’s twenty five year old daughter), Ivan Vasilevich Lomov(a
neighbour of Chubukov, a large and hearty but very suspicious landowner)

THEME-`The Proposal’ is a one-act play. Actually, it is a farce written by Anton Chekhov in


1888-89. The play is about the tendency of wealthy families to seek matrimonial ties. The real
purpose is to increase their estates and landed properties. Ivan Lomov was a wealthy
neighbour of another wealthy farmer Stepan Chubukov. Lomov comes to seek the hand of
Chubukov’s twenty-five-year-old daughter, Natalya. Lomov, Chubukov and Natalya are three
quarrelsome people. Amidst this quarrelling, they completely forget the real issue — the
marriage proposal. But good sense prevails in the end. Economic good sense ensures that the
proposal is made.

MESSAGE-Both Lomov and Natalya want to be life partners. However, unnecessary


quarrels over Oxen Meadows and their dogs Squeezer and Guess temporarily spoil their
game. The message of the play is that the main issue must not be clouded and lost sight of by
indulging in unnecessary and avoidable quarrels.

Main points of the Play


1. Lomov and Chubukov are neighbours and landlords.
2. Lomov comes to Chubukov with a proposal of marriage with Chubukov’s daughter Natalya.
3. Lomov is 35 years old and wants to lead a peaceful married life.
4. He thinks that Natalya is an excellent housekeeper and a good-looking girl.
5. He is excited and forgets the purpose of his visit.
6. He starts quarrelling with her over Oxen Meadows.
7. Natalya opposes Lomov and claims that Oxen Meadows belong to them.
8. Lomov is ready to show the documents to prove his ownership of Oxen Meadows.
9. He is ready to make Oxen Meadows a present to her.
10. Chubukov enters and adds fuel to the fire. Chubukov sides with his daughter Natalya.

45
11. Lomov threatens to go to court.They quarrel and indulge in abusing and insulting each
other.
12. Natalya comes to know that Lomov has come there with a proposal of marriage.
13. She blames her father for not telling her about it before.
14. She threatens to die if Chubukov doesn’t bring Lomov back.
15. Lomov returns and now they pick up a new quarrel over their dogs
16. Natalya says that her dog Squeezer is far superior to Lomov’s dog Guess.
17. Lomov is excited and his palpitations start rising.He falls down in the armchair and
loses his consciousness.
18. When Lomov comes back to his senses. Chubukov informs Lomov that Natalya is willing
to marry him.
19. He makes them embrace and kiss each other.
20. Chubukov blesses them with a happy married life.

Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words)

1. Chubukov says to Lomov, “And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my
own son.” Is he sincere in saying so? Give reasons.
Answer: Chubukov says to Lomov, “And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my
own son.” No, he is not sincere in saying so. He didn’t have a good opinion about him. He
thought that he had come there to ask for some money. He changed his stand only when he
came to know that Lomov wanted to marry Natalya, his daughter. It was something that
Chubukov always wanted.

2. Why did Lomov say, “Chubukov is not a good neighbour but a land grabber”?
Answer: Lomov said that Chubukov was not a good neighbour but a land grabber because of
certain experiences and real-life situations. Lomov came to the opinion that Chubukov was
a land grabber and not a good neighbour. The Oxen Meadows originally belonged
to Lomov's aunt's grandmother. She had given the land to Chubukov's grandfather's peasants
for temporary use.
3.
4. Justify the title of the play "The Proposal ".
Answer: The title of the play is 'The Proposal' and it is a very apt one because the whole play
is about Lomov proposing Natalya. Right from the beginning to the end of the play, the story
revolves around a marriage proposal. Lomov comes to Natalya's house to propose to her but
even before he does it, they both start fighting. As a result, Lomov becomes sick and leaves.
Natalya's father informs her about the intention of Lomov and she starts lamenting over the
loss. Lomov is called back and once again an argument ensues before proposing. Hence, we
can say that the title is perfect for the play.

5. What do you learn about Natalya from the play, ‘The Proposal’?
Answer:Natalya is the only daughter of the landowner Chubukov. She was very possessive
about her land and was very determined not to part with it. She was a short-tempered lady
who used to quarrel with anyone very often. She always pinpointed the amount of help she
had offered to her neighbours. Though well educated, she did not use her education wisely
and thoughtfully.

6. How does Chubukov join the quarrel between Natalya and Lomov?
Answer: Chubukov comes in and finds Natalya and Lomov quarrelling. When he finds that
they are quarrelling about the ownership of the Oxen Meadows. He also becomes angry.

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Instead of calming them down, he also starts quarrelling. He claims to be the owner of the
Meadows. He insults not only Lomov but also his ancestors.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (Word limit: 100-120 words)

1. Forgiveness is the foundation of a cordial relationship. Do you agree? How is this


message conveyed in the play “The Proposal”? How can forgiveness be inculcated
among students in the schools?
Answer: Yes, it is true that forgiveness is the foundation of all the cordial relationships in our
society. Most of the time enmity is developed due to communication gaps or
misunderstanding. Lack of tolerance and mismanagement of anger lead to enmity, whenever
there is any disagreement or difference of opinion; one must sit together and sort out the
issue amicably. One must forgive another. We make fences and spoil relationships. Anton
Chekov has conveyed this message in the play ‘The Proposal’. Lomov and Chubukov are
neighbours. They have a controversy on the issue of ownership of the Oxen Meadows. They
also have a difference of opinion on the superiority of the breed of their dogs. Lomov wants to
resolve the issue and visits Chubukov with a purpose to propose to Natalya. On the other
hand, when Chukubov sees Lomov, he suspects that he must have come to borrow money. It
is only the lack of forgiveness that creates unnecessary misunderstandings and leads to
quarrel on petty issues. The matter is not sorted out until they forgive each other. Therefore,
forgiveness should be inculcated amongst the students in our schools through examples from
real life and literature.

2. Is the play “The Proposal” a farce? Justify and describe the incidents of humour in
the play, ‘The Proposal’?
Answer: Anton Chekhov's "The Proposal" is usually classified as a farce, rather than satire,
because it is a short work that focuses on a single idea in a limited way with comical
stereotypes such as the hypochondriac (Lomov), the shrew (Natalya], and the hypocrite
(Chubukov). ‘The Proposal’ is certainly a humorous play. The very entry of Lomov in a formal
dress and the way Chubukov greets calling him ‘darling’, ‘my treasure’ or ‘my beauty’ makes
one laugh. Marriage proposal, supposed to be romantic, turns to be humorous as the way
Natalya and Lomov indulge in arguments over petty issues like ownership of Oxen Meadows
and superiority of dogs. The critical terms that the characters use for each other like a
scarecrow, turnip ghost, blind hen, stuffed sausage, etc., force one to laugh. The hysterical fit
of Natalya when she comes to know about the proposal and the wailing of father and
daughter when they think Lomov is dead create immense humour. Finally, the way with
which Natalya accepted the proposal is really humorous. Thus we see that the whole play is
replete with humour, making it a humorous play.

*************************************************

POETRY SECTION
AMANDA – By Robin Klein
MAIN POINTS
1. The poem is about an adolescent girl Amanda, who like any other child feels that her
freedom is curtailed, so she yearns for freedom.
2. She is nagged at by her parents. She wants freedom from all these restrictions and advice
about the various do’s and don’ts.

47
3. She dreams to lead a life of a mermaid in a calm, emerald coloured sea with her being the
only inhabitant there.
4. She feels that an orphan has more freedom than her.
5. She also wishes to lead a calm and quiet life in a tower like that of Rapunzel with nobody to
disturb her.
6. Amanda only hopes that her parents will allow her freedom of action and expression.
7. The poem sketches the mental state of a young girl, nagged and reprimanded continuously
by her mother.
8. The control on her is so constant that she has mentally switched off and has chosen to live
in her own beautiful inner world, free of restraints.
9. Amanda’s mother asks her not to sulk or feel unhappy any more. She feels that Amanda is
always moody and keeps on behaving like that. She must stop sulking and feeling unhappy.
Otherwise, people will think that Amanda is unhappy because her mother is always nagging
at her.
10. In stanzas 2, 4 and 6 parenthesis is used to describe the reactions of Amanda towards
her mother’s continuous nagging. Parenthesis is a remark that is added to a sentence, often to
provide an explanation.
11. The poetic devices used in the poem are:

● Anaphora — Repeated use of a word at the start of two or more items (don’t bite ........ don’t
hunch), (did you finish .... did you tidy)
● Assonance : Use of vowel sound ‘o’ (don’t hunch your shoulders, thought, told, you, your,
shoes)
● Rhyme scheme — aaba, ccc
● Metaphor — Use of word ‘emerald sea’ for green colour of sea being similar to the colour of
emerald
● Repetition — Repeated use of word ‘Amanda’
● Imagery — drifting blissfully
● Allusion — It is a reference to a person, event or thing to a part of another text. (‘Mermaid’
is a well-known imagery creature, Rapunzel a German folktale character)
● Alliteration — (‘Stop that slouching and sit up straight’ )—‘s’ sound is being repeated at the
start of closely placed words.
● Metaphor--comparison without using like or as. (Silence is golden freedom is sweet, I am
Rapunzel, I am mermaid)

Short Answer Questions (30-40 words)


Q.1 Amanda is alone but not lonely in the world she envisions? Justify the statement
with reference to any one image she pictures in her mind.
Ans.: Amanda often imagines herself to be one of the fictional characters in order to escape
from the reality of her mother's forced instructions on her. One such reference was her being
an orphan. She imagined being an orphan who lives alone as she has no parents. But at least
the orphan is free to move wherever and with whomever she wants to.

Q. 2 What do you think is the significance of the exclamation mark in the title of the
poem ‘Amanda!?
Ans.: The title of the poem "Amanda!" has an exclamation mark in it to emphasize the
frustration that the mother of this school-going girl named Amanda is inflicting upon her. The

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poet has used this exclamation mark with Amanda's name throughout the poem just to make
readers feel that Amanda's mother called out her name angrily.

Q. 3 How would you characterize the speaker in the poem 'Amanda? List any two
qualities, supporting the reason of your choice, with evidence from the poem.
Ans.: The speaker in the poem is Amanda's mother. She is a nag and lacks understanding on
her part of being a mother. It is clear from the poem that she constantly keeps on nagging
Amanda for biting her nails, sitting in a slouching posture, eating chocolates, etc. She doesn't
understand the psychology of her daughter's mind. In fact, she asks Amanda to stop sulking
because she was conscious of what people might think of her as a mother.

Q. 4 What does the girl yearn for? What does this poem tell you about Amanda?
Ans.: The girl Amanda yearns for freedom and peace in her life. She is constantly reminded of
her mistakes. Her parents want her to follow the code of conduct of good behavior. They are
doing so because they want their child to be well-mannered and obedient. But while doing
this they forget that she is a child and should be allowed some freedom. The poet has drawn
the reader’s attention towards the condition of children who are constantly oppressed by
their elders in the name of good behaviour.

Q. 5 Why does Amanda seem moody most of the time?


Ans.: Amanda seems moody most of the time because she is a teenager and is so involved in
her world of imagination that she does not pay attention to her mother. Amanda often
escapes from reality to her world of fantasy to get away from the continuous scolding. Her
day-dreaming makes her look moody and uninterested.

Long Answer Questions (100-120 words)

Q. 1 Read the quote given below carefully. Based on your understanding of the poem,
explain how and why this quote can be applied to the poem.
“All grown-ups were once children…but only a few of them remember it.”
Ans.: This quote can perfectly be applied to the poem ‘Amanda’ because it’s a fact that what
all children do, has already been done by their parents when they were kids. We all go
through the same stages of infancy, childhood, teenage and finally become an adult. What all
parents should remember is that they should give their child the same freedom and privacy
in life as they themselves wanted from their parents in childhood. Parents often tend to forget
the psychology of a child. Every child makes mistakes or misbehaves at times. However,
forced advice and constant nagging will only make a child defiant. Parents should try and
build a friendly relationship with their children and provide them sufficient freedom to live
life their own way.

Q. 2 Discuss the importance of proper upbringing with reference to the poem ‘Amanda’
by Robin Klein.
Ans.: Upbringing plays an essential role in personality development of a child. Whenever we
wish to admire or criticise someone, we talk about the upbringing of that person. Robin
Klein’s poem ‘Amanda’ highlights the problems of ‘proper’ upbringing of a child. To instill
good values and moral principles in a growing child is the foremost duty of the parents.
However, the poem shows how a child feels upset because of constant instructions. Amanda,
the little girl in the poem, goes through such a situation. She is instructed and scolded for her

49
habits. She gets no freedom and space for herself. As a result, she enters her world of
imagination. This world proves to be her defense against her scolding mother. In her world,
she seeks freedom and peace. She imagines herself as a mermaid who is the sole resident of a
beautiful sea. Then, she imagines herself as an orphan who is free to do anything. Finally, she
wants to be Rapunzel and live a peaceful life in a tower. Therefore, elders/parents must
maintain a balance. While instilling good manners, they should also give some freedom to
their children.

ANIMALS -By Walt Whitman


MAIN POINTS OF THE POETRY
1. The poet Walt Whitman made a break with tradition and wrote a new kind of poetry in
free verse.
2. In this poem, he tells frankly that he feels more comfortable and at home with animals
rather than his fellow human beings.
3. He has lost so much faith in the race of man that he wants to ‘turn’ and change his position
with animals.
4. Human beings have become mad running after material possessions. They are a bundle of
complications, contradictions and confusions.
5. Their conscience is not clear and so they suffer from nightmares and weep for their sins.
Animals, on the other hand, are calm, self-contained and content.
6. They don’t run after material things other than their food.
7. They don’t need to worship God as they never suffer from any sense of guilt or sin.
8. Ancestors of human beings shared those tokens of love and understanding in the remote
past. Unfortunately, humans have lost those virtues and tokens of love and understanding
completely forever.
9. The title of the poem ‘Animals’ is literally about them. But it does not describe any animal.
In fact, through this poem, the poet Walt Whitman expresses his own views and observations
about them.
10. The poetic devices used in the poem are:
● Rhyme scheme — no rhyme scheme is followed, blank verse.
● Assonance — Use of vowel sound ‘I’ (I think I... live with animals.
● Repetition — Use of the word ‘long’.
● Anaphora — Use of repeated words at the beginning of two or more consecutive lines (use
of ‘they do not’).
● Metaphor — ‘Sweat and whine’ refers to the cries and complaints of human beings. The
inner qualities of humans are referred to as ‘tokens’.

Short Answer Questions (30-40 words)

Q1- Whitman's ode to animals is merely a yearning for a simpler life. Do you agree?
Justify your answer.
Ans.: In the poem ‘Animals’, Whitman draws a contrast between humans and animals. With
the passage of time, humans have forgotten all those good qualities they possessed and have
become uncivilized beasts who are extremely jealous, greedy, egoistic, hypocrite, lusty and

50
discontent. In contrast, animals are peaceful, self-content and have been successful in
carrying the virtues that they had in them from the beginning of the world.

Q2- In the poem 'Animals' the poet writes: “Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented
with the mania of owning things,”. Taking ideas from the lines of the poem ‘Animals’,
mention the values we human beings should imbibe for a happy life.
Ans.: In the poem 'Animals' the poet writes the reasons why animals are better than human
beings. He mentions the various aspects in life where we have failed and the animals have
succeeded. The place where we have failed is our values. Virtues such as kindness bring
along other important values like innocence and honesty that together make the world a
better place to live. Even so, we are not satisfied with whatever we have and always want to
own more things. Animals on the other hand are not like this. Humans should have these
values which would help them to lead a happy and content life.
Q. 3 The poet has an exaggerated and idealized perception of animal life. Do you agree?
Why/ Why not?
Ans.: Yes, I think the poet has an exaggerated and idealized perception of animal life. It is a
fact that animals are pure souls. They do not commit any sin or crime as humans do. But they
are not dissatisfied and calm as the poet says. Even in the wild, the animals have to survive by
killing other innocent animals. ‘Survival of the fittest’ is the rule even there. The animals are
greedy too. Hence, I think the poet has exaggerated the piousness of the animal kingdom.

Q. 4 What is the difference between animals and humans regarding their attitude
towards sin and God?
Ans.: In the poem, the poet states that animals are simple and innocent creatures who commit
no sins. Therefore, they do not have to worry about forgiveness from God. However, humans
commit sins of greed, possession etc. As a result, they can’t sleep peacefully all night and pray
to God for forgiveness.

Q. 5 How can you relate Baloo’s words in The Jungle Book'—“They’ll ruin him. They’ll
make a man out of him!” to the poem ‘Animals’ by Walt Whitman?
Ans.: Baloo’s words, “They'll ruin him. They'll make a man out of him” aptly fit the poem
'Animals'. According to the poet, the animals are pure souls who are calm, composed,
satisfied, and happy. They have been able to preserve their natural values of innocence in
them. Baloo rightly said that if Mowgli would live amongst men, he would be ruined by them.
They would make him greedy, cold-hearted and insincere like themselves. The poet has the
same idea about humans in the poem 'Animals'.

Long Answer Questions (100-120 words)

Q. 1 Do humans kneel to other humans who lived thousands of years ago? Explain.
Ans.: Yes, human beings do kneel to other humans who lived thousands of years ago. Animals
don’t have this tendency. In this regard, the law of equality operates there. They are unaware
about their ancestors. On the other hand, humans have a tendency to show respect to those
who have shown rare heroism, bravery and spiritual values. Humans have a tendency to
assign divinity to such great ancestors. They assumed the status of gods and prophets over a
long period of time. Humans worship such ancestors.

51
Q. 2 The key to happiness is ‘Do not complain but accept the situation’. Elaborate it in
the context of the poem ‘Animals’.
Ans.: It is true that the key to happiness is ‘Do not complain but accept the situation. The poet,
Walt Whitman in the poem ‘Animals’ justifies the given statement. In the poem, animals are
compared to human beings to highlight the differences between them. On the basis of their
characteristics of happiness, equality, simplicity and many more ‘tokens’, animals have been
ranked much superior and nobler to humans. The poet explains his belief by stating that
animals are simple creatures who never complain about their situations. They have accepted
their natural surroundings and thus, are happy and satisfied with their lives. Humans, on the
other hand, have never accepted nature. They are always complaining about it and so, try to
change it. Thus, they lead an unhappy life. The ever increasing expectations of human beings
and their demanding, greedy and selfish nature leads to their unhappiness.

THE TALE OF CUSTARD THE DRAGON -By Ogden Nash

MAIN POINTS OF THE POETRY


1. ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ is a whimsical fantasy.
2. It is written in the form of a Ballad---a song or poem that tells a story.
3. Belinda lives alone in her house with four pets, a dog (Mustard), a cat (Ink), a mouse
(Blink) and a dragon (Custard).
4. All other dwellers of the house except Custard, pride themselves on their fearlessness.
They mock poor Custard for his timidity.
5. One day, they see a pirate climbing up through the window.
6. The pirate has a pistol in each hand and a dagger in his mouth.
7. His beard is black and one of his legs is of wood. Belinda turns pale on seeing the pirate
and cries for help.
8. The dog Mustard flees crying. Ink hides himself and the little mouse Blink disappears in
the mouse-hole.
9. But Custard jumps up at the pirate attacking him with his iron tail.
10. He pounces upon the pirate, fights ferociously, kills and swallows the pirate within no
time.
11. The poem ends ironically. After the danger is past, everyone begins to boast again about
their courage. Custard who fought like a hero against the pirate, agrees that everyone else is
braver than he is.
12. Appearances may be deceptive. And even your merit and real value may not be
recognized by your unwilling rivals.
13. The poet gives the message that one need not be brave all the time but it is worthwhile
to be brave when it really matters. This is conveyed through the character of Custard, the
dragon.
14. The poetic devices used in the poem are:

● Rhyme Scheme — Each stanza is composed of a pair of rhymed couplet (aa bb)
● Repetition — The word ‘little’ has been repeated.
● Anaphora — Repeated use of word at the start of two consecutive lines (and a little .......... and a
realio)

52
● Refrain — Repetition of a sentence again and again (and a realio, trulio)
● Poetic license —Certain spellings have been changed to create a musical effect.
● (realio, trulio for real, true, winda for window)
● Simile–Comparison between two different things. (mouth like fireplace, Belinda was as brave
as a barrel full of bears, clashed his tail like iron in dungeons, snorting like an engine)
● Metaphor—Comparison of two different things without the use of like or as. (chimney for a
nose)
● Alliteration—Use of same consonant sound in the beginning of the closely placed words. (and
he held in his teeth, beard was black)
● Repetition –suddenly suddenly they heard, she cried help help ..
● Oxymoron--use of two words with opposite meaning. (pet dragon)
● Onomatopoeia--usage of sound words to create dramatic effect. (giggled, weeck, Meowch)
● Transferred epithet--when an adjective usually used to describe one thing is transferred to
another. (terrified yelp)
Short Answer Questions (30-40 words)
Q. 1 Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called ‘cowardly
dragon’?
Ans.: Custard cried for a nice safe cage because he was a ‘coward’ who wanted peace and
safety. He is called a ‘cowardly dragon’ because apart from him, all other pets are described
as very brave. Belinda is as brave as a big group of bears, Ink and Blink can chase lions and
Mustard is like an angry tiger. Compared to all of them, the dragon demanded a nice safe cage
so it is called ‘Cowardly dragon’.

Q. 2 The poet could have included a burglar or an intruder in the poem, but chose to
include a pirate. Explain this choice.
Ans.: The poet chose a pirate over any burglar or a thief because a pirate looks evil and nasty.
The way his leg crippled as one of them was of wood, pistol in both of his hands and a cutlass
between his teeth was scarier than a burglar.

Q. 3 Custard humbly accepts that other animals are braver than him. Give a reason to
support your stance that humility is a virtue worth possessing.
Ans.: Humility is a wonderful human virtue. It makes a person humble and wiser. A person
who has achieved something isn't required to boast about it as his hard work and success
speaks for him. Custard humbly accepts that other animals are braver than him but in the
time of need, it is he only who faces the danger bravely. This shows that humility is a value
worth possessing.

Q. 4 Why did Belinda tickle Custard mercilessly? Why was he teased as ‘Percival’?
Ans.: Belinda had a very poor opinion of Custard. She considered him a coward and always
taunted and tickled him for being so. All other pets, Ink, Blink and Mustard mocked Custard's
timidity and lack of courage. Tauntingly, they called him Percival, who was a brave knight of
King Arthur.

Q. 5 Why is it fair to say that Custard could be the ‘poster-boy’ for the belief that the
real nature of a person is revealed at times of the greatest difficulty?

53
Ans.: Custard could be the perfect poster-boy for the belief that the real nature of a person is
revealed at times of the greatest difficulty. This is because Custard showed his true
courageous nature when he fought fiercely with the pirate. He was considered cowardly by
his house mates before this incident.

Long Answer Questions (100-120 words)

Q. 1 The dragon, Custard, was considered a coward. The humble dragon proved his
bravery in adversity. Analyse that certain qualities like bravery and courage are
situational and spontaneous. Express your views with reference to the poem, “The Tale
of Custard, the dragon”.
Ans.: It is true that bravery and courage are situational and spontaneous. This fact has been
aptly conveyed in the poem ‘‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’’. Wherein, the dragon was
considered a coward. He was laughed at for crying for a nice safe cage. He never boasted of
his bravery and courage, unlike Belinda and her other pets do. Everyone else, including
Belinda, Ink, Blink and Mustard claim to be brave. They even made fun of Custard’s
cowardice. However, when the time to show their courage came, none of them could face the
danger. They hid themselves in some corner of the house. It was only the Custard who dared
to face the frightening pirate. He not only fought the pirate but also ate him up. It was a
dangerous situation to which Custard spontaneously responded. His courage and bravery
came out in a threatening situation. Hence, it is true that qualities like courage and bravery
are situational and spontaneous.

Q. 2 In spite of being so powerful and displaying rare bravery in killing and swallowing
the pirate, why does the dragon Custard taunted as being a coward always asking for a
nice safe cage?
Ans.: No doubt, Custard has a lot of physical strength. Even his exterior was quite formidable.
He had big sharp teeth. There were spikes on his top. There were scales underneath. His
mouth was like a fireplace always spitting fire. He proved his strength and bravery when he
encountered the terrible pirate. The pirate had two pistols and a dagger but failed to hurt or
overpower Custard. The dragon fought valiantly and swallowed the pirate within no time.
Custard is constantly ridiculed and taunted by the weaker and more cowardly pets of Belinda.
The reason was simple. Custard had no self-respect. Nor was he aware of his great strength.
He had a very low opinion of himself. He always asked for a nice safe cage for his protection.
This was the reason that he was always taunted and ridiculed as a coward.

*********************************

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BOOK: FOOTPRINTS WITHOUT FEET

THE MAKING OF A SCIENTIST by Robert W. Peterson


1. At the age of 22, Richard Ebright and his college roommate excited the scientific world
with their theory on ‘How Cells Work' that was published in the ‘Proceedings of the National
Academy of Science’.
2. The achievement was like hitting a home run in sports.
3. Being an only child of his parents, Ebright started to collect things and started with
butterflies in kindergarten.
4. He also collected rocks, fossils and coins.
5. His mother encouraged him for learning, took him on trips, brought telescopes,
microscopes, cameras and other equipment for him.
6. His father died very young when Richie was in 3rd grade and his mother became his only
fellow and guide who kept him busy in learning and doing experiments after recognising his
driving curiosity with a bright mind.
7. Ebright had collected 25 species of butterflies around his hometown when he was in 2nd
grade.
8. His mother gifted him a children's book named ’Travels of Monarch X’ which described
how monarch butterflies migrated to Central America.
9. Ebright raised a flock of butterflies in his basement and sent tagged butterflies to Dr.
Urquhart who was the writer of the book.
10. When Richard was in 7th grade, he got a hint of real science after entering and losing the
County Science Fair because he had simply shown slides of frog tissues under a microscope.
11. He wanted to do a real experiment so he wrote to Dr. Urquhart for new ideas and
received many suggestions for an experiment.
12. When he was in eighth grade, he tried to find the cause of a viral disease that kills nearly
all monarch caterpillars every few years for which the results were not real but this time he
won.
13. The next year, his science project was to test the theory that viceroy butterflies copied
monarch butterflies which was placed first in zoology division and third in the County
Science Fair.
14. In his second year in High school, Richard began the research to discover an unknown
insect hormone.
15. He and his friend showed that 12 tiny gold spots on Monarch Pupa produced a hormone
necessary for the adult butterflies.
16. This Project won first place in the County Science fair and an entry into the
International Science and Engineering Fair.
17. He grew cells from a Monarch butterfly’s wings in a culture and was able to identify the
hormone’s chemical structure and showed how the cell can read the blueprint of its DNA.
18. Richard graduated from Harvard with highest honours and secured 2nd position in his
class of 1516.

55
19. He was a champion debater, a good canoeist and an expert photographer particularly of
nature and science exhibits.
20. Richard had a great admiration for his Social Studies teacher, Richard A Weiherer who
opened his mind to new ideas.
21. Richard A Weiherer said that Ebright wanted to compete and win for the right reasons
doing his best job.
22. ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ opened the world of science to him and he never lost his
scientific curiosity after that.
23. Thus the ingredients in making of a Scientist are- a first rate mind to add with curiosity,
a will to win for right reasons and the guidance of the motivators to shake it well.

MESSAGE: Anyone with a sharp mind, curiosity, dedication and observation, may achieve
anything in life. It only requires recognition of talent and a motivator.

THEME: The story is about a curious child and his journey in becoming a great scientist. It
talks about how his mother impacts his interest in science and enhances it.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. Why did Ebright soon lose interest in tagging butterflies?


Ans. Soon Ebright lost interest in tagging butterflies because it was a tedious task without any
outcome and feedback. He tried hard to catch the tagged butterflies to know more about them
but he could not. In all the time only two butterflies that he had tagged were caught.

2. What was the outcome of Ebright’s project on the gold spots?


Ans. This project of Ebright won first place in the County Science Fair. It also won him an
entry into the International Science and Engineering Fair. There he won third place for
Zoology. He also got a chance to work at the entomology lab at Walter Reed Army Institute of
Research.

3. Mention any two contributions of Ebright to the world of science.


Ans. Ebright’s contribution to the world of science was great. He was able to identify the
hormone’s chemical structure. The photos of the chemical structure of the hormone proved
an answer to the biology puzzle that was ‘How the cell can read the blueprint of its DNA’ that
is the blueprint of life. Second, he discovered an unknown insect hormone which led to his
new theory on the life of cells.

4. How did Richard Ebright’s mother enhance his scientific skills?


Ans. Ebright’s mother was a source of great inspiration for him who always encouraged and
provided constant company to him. She took him on trips and brought telescopes,
microscopes, cameras and other equipment to enhance his learning. She gifted the book
“Travels of Monarch X” to Richard which became a turning point in his life.

5. What were the other interests of Richard Ebright?

56
Ans. Ebright had other interests also. He became a champion debater and a public speaker. He
was a good canoeist and an all round outdoor person. He was an expert photographer of
nature and science exhibitions.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS:


1. ‘The Making of a Scientist' fixes certain values that ensure human progress and
contentment. Describe what these values are and how they help one in steady
progress.
Ans. “The Making of a Scientist’ describes how Ebright, a young fellow, became a true
scientist. He became so due to hard work and patience. Due to these, he found the world of
science open to him. Behind this, the role of his mother can’t be overlooked. At one stage he
didn’t know how to proceed but the gift of a book to him by his mother renewed his efforts to
reach the impossible summit. With what Ebright did, scientists and others shall know the
origins of diseases. His new theory about cell life shall enable all to know the secrets of life.
Obviously, his progress was due to his first-rate mind, curiosity, spirit to win with the right
reasons and ability to work very hard.

2. How can you say that Ebright had the ingredients necessary for making a scientist?
Ans. The necessary things in making a scientist are many. These are a first-rate mind,
curiosity and the will to win for the right reasons. Ebright had all these qualities. The Travels
of Monarch X’ opened the world of science to him. He never lost his scientific curiosity.
Ebright was a straight A grade student. He had other interests also. His social studies teacher
Richard A. Weiherer opened his mind to new ideas. Ebright also became a champion debater
and public speaker. He was also a good canoeist and all-round outdoors person. He was also
an expert photographer of nature and scientific exhibits.

THE NECKLACE By Guy de Maupassant


Main Characters:
Matilda Loisel – Main character
Mr. Loisel – Matilda’s Husband
Mme Forestier – A Rich Friend of Matilda

Main Points of the story


1. A young pretty woman Matilda is always dissatisfied with what she has and dreams of
grandeur and glamour of rich life but unfortunately married to a clerk in the office of the
Board of Education.
2. Her husband is content and happy but she suffers from poverty.
3. She doesn't like to visit her rich friend, a schoolmate at the convent because she used to
weep for the whole day after returning from her house.
4. One evening, her husband brings an invitation to the Minister of Public Instruction's Ball to
please Matilda but she becomes gloomy for not having nice clothes and asks to give the
invitation to some other colleague.
5. Her husband sacrifices his savings of 400 Francs that he kept for buying a gun at a hunting
party and asks her to buy a suitable costume for the ball.

57
6. When she becomes restless for not having any beautiful piece of jewellery, he advises her
to go and borrow one from her friend and she borrows a pretty diamond necklace from her
rich fellow, Mme Forestier.
7. Matilda is highly appreciated and becomes the centre of attraction for all the men in the
Ball which was a desired victory for her.
8. At 4:00 am Mr. Loisel and Matilda return home and she stands in front of the mirror to
grasp her last look but is shocked to find the necklace missing.
9. They search it everywhere and Mr. Loisel contacts the police, cab offices and gives an
advertisement in the newspaper for the same but in vain.
10. He suggests Matilda to tell Mme Forestier that the necklace has been given to repair its
broken clasp and thinks that he will get some more time to find it.
11. At last, the necklace is replaced with the same new one for 36000 Francs out of which
18000 Francs were borrowed at high rates of interest.
12. Now the repayment of the loaned money keeps them working hard day and night for
every sou.
13. Matilda sends away the maid, shifts to cheaper lodgings, washes dishes, clothes, brings
water and haggles for every sou.
14. Mr. Loisel works day and night to repay the loan with interest.
15. Matilda turns to a hard woman with her badly dressed hair but often she thinks of the
day of the Ball.
16. One Sunday, Matilda meets Madame Forestier in the Champs-Elysses but is not
recognised by her friend due to her worn out looks.
17. Matilda talks about her health and replacement of the diamond necklace to which Mme
Forestier gets shocked and informs her that her necklace was not real and its cost was hardly
500 Francs.

MESSAGE:
● We should be content with what life gives us.
● Show off and lies bring misfortune after sometime.

THEME: The main theme in "The Necklace" is greed, deceptive appearances, beauty and
vanity bring misfortune sometime. Mrs. Loisel's overwhelming desire to live a life of luxury
blinds her to the comforts she already possesses and ultimately leads to losing her wealth
and status she initially has.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:

1. Why did Matilda refuse to attend the Minister’s Ball?


Ans. Matilda refused to attend the Minister’s Ball because she did not have a beautiful dress
to wear for such a grand party and she always expected to be known and appreciated so she
denied going there in a poor robe.

2. Why was Matilda sad after returning from the Ball?


Ans. Matilda was sad after returning from the Ball on finding no diamond necklace around
her neck because she thought it a real one of high cost. She could not afford to buy a new one
so she was in distress.

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3. How did you find Mr. Loisel a loving husband?
Ans. Mr. Loisel was, indeed, a loving and caring husband. He brought the invitation to the
Minister's Ball to please her but when she denied attending without a good dress, he
sacrificed his savings that he kept to purchase a gun. Moreover he borrowed 18000 Francs to
buy a new necklace that looked exactly the same as Mme Forestier’s and after losing the
necklace also, he worked hard to repay the loan only for his wife.

4. What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin?


Ans. The main cause of Matilda’s ruin was herself. It came to her through the diamond
necklace. She had a dreamy nature and always thought that she had been made for a
sophisticated class society. She borrowed the necklace from Mme Forestier for seeking
admiration in the Ball and it changed her life completely because she lost it somewhere and
had to substitute it with another one.
5. What did Mr. Loisel do to find the lost diamond necklace?
Ans. Loisel went to look for the lost diamond necklace where they had walked. But he found
nothing. Then he went to the police to file a complaint. He also went to the cab offices. He
enquired everywhere about the lost necklace. He also put an advertisement in the
newspapers and offered a reward also.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS:


1. The Necklace reveals that vanity is an evil. It may bring joy for a short period but
ultimately it leads to ruin. If you were placed in a situation similar to that of Matilda,
what would you have done? Write your views.
Ans. It is true that 'The Necklace' shows that vanity is an evil. Matilda was vain of her beauty.
She always wanted to be appreciated for her beauty. She always thought that she had been
meant for a higher society. But she was married in an ordinary family. The invitation to the
party was the beginning of this vanity as an evil. She borrowed the diamond necklace for it.
But she lost it. Her vanity did not allow her to tell Madame Forestier of the loss. The party and
the appreciation brought her joy for a short period. Matilda was in the seventh heaven. But
the loss of the counterfeit necklace brought her ruin. She had to pay the price of vanity
through the loss.
If I were placed in such a situation, I would have told Madame Forestier of the loss. Firstly, I
would have never dreamt of things like Matilda. I would have recognized the realities of life
and gone ahead accordingly. Telling Madame Forestier would have brought out the real cost
of the necklace. I would have gladly paid it and saved myself from the ruin.

2. Matilda and Mme Forestier are talking about the fake Necklace in the Champs-
Elysses. Matilda is sad and her friend is shocked. Create dialogue writing between the
two.
Ans. Dialogue writing between Matilda and Mme Forestier in Champs-Elysses:
Matilda: Hey! Jeanne, What a surprise! How are you?
Forestier: Sorry! You must be mistaken, I don’t recognise you.
Matilda: Hey dear, it’s Matilda Loisel, your friend…. Remember?
Forestier: Ohhhh …no…what has happened to you? How worn out do you look ? It’s shocking.

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Matilda: Yes, all because of you.
Forestier: Because of me? Please Explain.
Matilda: I had lost your necklace in the Minister's Ball and I replaced it with the other one
that looked exactly the same so we had been repaying the loan of 18000 Francs for the last
ten years.
Forestier: So shocking!
Matilda: We had to cut down our expenses and I did everything without a maid.
Forestier: why didn’t you tell me about loss…. I am very sorry for you and your sufferings
because it was a fake Necklace and was not worth over 500 Francs.
Matilda: What ……. Oh my lord! My ten years! My beauty! My money!
Forestier: I will give you the necklace.
Matilda: But you can’t give my ten years back…..I have learnt a great lesson of life.
Forestier: I also have learnt a lesson that before lending anything to anyone I shall tell about
the price of the article to the borrower.

THE HACK DRIVER - BY SINCLAIR LEWIS


CHARACTERS- Oliver Lutkins (Bill Magnuson), Lawyer (the narrator), Lutkin’s mother.

THEME – This is the story of a young lawyer who goes to serve summons instead of
practicing law. Once he is directed by his law firm to serve summons on one Oliver Lutkins
who lived in a village called New Mullion. The young lawyer goes to the village and is
befooled by a simple country man.

MESSAGE- One should not trust anyone blindly. One needs to be smart and sharp-witted in
order to tackle the cunning people of the world.

MAIN POINTS-
1. After completing his graduation in law the narrator joins a big firm as a junior assistant
clerk.
2. He is given the uninteresting and dangerous job of serving summons which he doesn’t like.
3. He gets an opportunity to go to a village called New Mullion to serve summons to a person
named Oliver Lutkins who is required to appear in court as a witness of a case.
4. He is disappointed to see the narrow, muddy streets and wooden shops of New Mullion.
5. He meets a helpful hack driver Bill at the station who offers to take him in his cart and find
Lutkins.
6. Bill takes him to all the places where Lutkins could be found. He tells the lawyer that Oliver
Lutkins is good at deceiving people and plays a lot of poker.
7. He gives a vivid description of the village and the country life.
8. First he takes him to the Fritz shop, then to Gustaff the barber where they miss Lutkins by
a few minutes.
9. They go to the pool room where they come to know that Lutkins had gone to his mother’s
farmyard, three miles away from there.
10. They visit Lutkin’s home and meet his mother who frightens them away. She seizes an
iron rod from the stove and threatens to burn them if they dare to make a search there.
11. They do not find Lutkins anywhere but the lawyer is very happy to find such a friendly
and helpful man.
12. The Lawyer ends up paying for six hours to the hack driver.

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13. On his way back to the city he thought of coming to New Mullion to start his practice as
a lawyer.
14. He returns to the city. His chief rebukes him at his failure to find Lutkins.
15. Next day the chief sends the lawyer back to New Mullion, with a man who knows
Lutkins.
16. At the station, the lawyer shows his companion, the helpful hack driver Bill.
17. The lawyer is shocked when his companion tells him that the hack driver is Oliver
Lutkins.
18. The lawyer feels embarrassed and unhappy when he serves summons to a laughing
Oliver Lutkins.
19. The lawyer feels hurt when Oliver Lutkins offers him a cup of coffee at his neighbors,
who had not seen him the day before.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS- 30-40 WORDS ( 2 MARKS)

Q.1. Why was Bill so keen to help the narrator in finding Lutkins?
Ans. Bill himself was Lutkins. He knew the lawyer was searching for him. He wanted to play a
prank on him and offered to help him find Lutkins. He even made some money in this process
and made him wander here and there. He and his mother made a fool of the narrator and had
a great laugh.

Q.2 “He was no more dishonest than I”. Elaborate the statement with reference to “The
Hack Driver”.
Ans. The lawyer’s firm had paid him a big amount of money to visit New Mullion to serve
summons to Oliver Lutkins. But he paid a very little amount to the hack driver for taking him
around the village to find Lutkins.. Bill already knew that the lawyer was searching for him,
still, he made him wander here and there, and even charged him two dollars an hour for six
hours, including one hour of his lunch time. This made the lawyer say these words.

Q.3. How did the young lawyer feel when he came to know the reality of the hack driver
at last?
Ans. As long as the lawyer did not know that the hack driver was Lutkins himself, he enjoyed
the hack driver’s company and glowed in the warmth of his affection. But as the real identity
of the hack driver was revealed, the lawyer felt very hurt and insulted, especially when
Lutkins and his mother laughed at him and offered to have a cup of coffee with the neighbors
who couldn’t meet him the day before.

Q.4. Oliver Lutkins had to be served summons to appear as a witness in a law case. Why
do you think he had ignored all their letters and successfully baffled/failed their
attempts of serving summons?
Ans. Oliver Lutkins could successfully baffle the attempts to serve summons because he was a
crook who had a talent for dishonesty. He didn’t want to appear in court as a witness of a
case. He had a little respect for law because of which he ignored all their letters and
disobeyed the entire earlier summons.

Q.5. Mention two qualities of Bill that impressed the narrator most.
Ans. The first quality that struck the narrator was that Bill was a cheerful, friendly and
helpful man. Secondly he loved Bill for his simple and philosophical wisdom. The moment he
told Bill that he had come to serve summons on Oliver Lutkins , he took it as his own
responsibility to find Lutkins.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS- 120 WORDS ( 4 MARKS)

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Q.1 “A person may appear humble but actually he may not be so. Appearances can be
deceptive”. Explain with reference to the story ‘The Hack Driver’.

Ans. Appearances are not always true. At times a person on first meeting appears to be
friendly, co-operative, understanding but as the time unfolds, a different story is revealed.
When the lawyer comes to the city for the first time, he is very happy to meet the hack driver.
In fact the hack driver himself is Oliver Lutkins. It is so foolish to find that a wise person like a
lawyer is befooled. The hack driver seemed to be a simple country man ready to help. The
hack driver showed affectionate behavior. He left a favorable impression on the narrator’s
mind. But very soon the lawyer realized that he had been deceived by a simple country man.
Lutkins seemed to be so humble and helpful to the lawyer but turned out to be a deceiver.
Therefore the character of the hack driver proves that “Appearances can be deceptive”.
Q.2. Bill or Oliver Lutkins was a complete contrast to the narrator. How did a seasoned
crook like Lutkins outwit the gullible lawyer proving him a novice and just a bright boy
of seven?

Ans. It is a fact that both the main characters of the story are totally different. Bill or Lutkins
plots to cheat a simple lawyer under the garb of friendliness. The narrator is outwitted and
deceived due to his gullibility. Bill (Lutkins) knows how to confuse and misdirect the
narrator’s search for Oliver Lutkins. He befriends the lawyer, convincing him that he is the
only person in New Mullion who can help him in finding Oliver Lutkins. He overpowers the
narrator’s capacity for reasoning and thinking. The narrator becomes a soft target of cunning
Lutkins. He allows Lutkins all the space and time that he needs to plan out and scheme things.
The narrator became just a willing puppet in Bill’s hands. Actually, he danced to his tunes.
Bill’s pretensions clouded the narrator’s wisdom and sense of discretion. Bill (Lutkins) was
not a crook and fraud but an honest man full of human values for him. The cunning Lutkins
had the last laugh. When the narrator served summons, Lutkins and his mother laughed as if
he were a seven-year-old boy.

BHOLI - BY K. A. ABBAS

CHARACTERS- Bholi ( Sulekha), Ramlal( Bholi’s father), Bishamber (bridegroom) ‘


Teacher , Tehsildar

THEME- The major theme of the story is the impact of family on children. Bholi is a little
girl who fails to develop self-confidence because of her parents’ attitude towards her. The
story hints at why family support and emotional security are essential for proper
development of a girl and differently abled child.

MESSAGE- The main message of the story is that disabled children must be given
encouragement, love and education like their normal counterparts.

MAIN POINTS OF THE STORY


1. Bholi was a simple village girl and fourth daughter of Ramlal, the Numberdar
2. She was a simple girl, and had pock-marks on her face. Her real name was Sulekha.
3. When she was ten months old, she fell off her cot, damaging her brain that resulted in
making her stammer.

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4. When she was two years old, she became a victim of smallpox, which left pock-marks on
her face.
5. She learnt to talk at five years, but used to stammer.
6. A primary school was opened in the village and the Tehsildar told Ramlal to send his
daughters to school to set an example for villagers.
7. Though Ramlal’s wife felt that sending daughters to school would affect their chances of
marriage, Bholi’s parents decided to send Bholi to school because they felt she would be
difficult to get married anyway as she was ugly.
8. Bholi was initially afraid of going to school, but due to the encouragement of her teacher,
she continued her studies.
9. After a few years the village became a small town and Bholi received an offer of marriage
from a widower Bishamber who was lame but rich. He was as old as her father and had
grown up children of Bholi’s age. He also did not ask for any dowry.
10. At the time of the wedding, the bridegroom saw Bholi’s pock-marked face and
demanded Rs. 5000 as dowry, which Ramlal hardly managed to give.
11. Bholi refused to marry the greedy widower. She later on said that she would take care
of her parents and teach in the same school where she got her education.
12. Education had changed her attitude towards life. She gave all this credit to her teacher.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS- 30-40 WORDS ( 2 MARKS)

Q.1.Bholi’s real name is Sulekha. We are told this right at the beginning. But only in the
last but one paragraph of the story is Bholi called Sulekha again. Why do you think she
is called Sulekha at that point in the story?
Ans. The word Bholi means a simpleton. Throughout the story she had been a simpleton,
hardly expressing her opinion in any matter. The word Sulekha means the person with a
beautiful sense of letters. In this story this word has a larger meaning. It depicts being a
literate, intelligent and mature individual. After her education Bholi has really changed to
Sulekha and her assertion during marriage is her announcement to the world that she is no
more a Bholi but Sulekha.

Q.2. Give examples from the text, that Bholi was a neglected child.
Ans. Bholi was quite a neglected child at home. No new clothes were made for her and she
always wore passed-on dresses of her elder sisters. No one cared to bathe her or oil her hair
or even wash her clothes. The negligence was probably due to the fact that Bholi looked ugly
due to the pock marks on her face and she used to stammer.

Q.3. How does Bholi become her teacher’s masterpiece?


Ans. Bholi was definitely her teacher’s masterpiece because under her guidance, she
overcame her handicap of stammering. The shy and simple child bloomed into a bold and
confident girl. She was a true masterpiece because she had the courage to revolt against a
social evil of dowry and refused to marry the greedy and opportunist Bishamber Nath.

Q.4. Why do you think Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?
Ans. Bholi’s parents, in their ignorance and backward thinking, felt that daughters were a
liability or a burden to dispose off in marriage. Bholi, with her disadvantageous look and
stammering, had little chance of that. Therefore, a marriage proposal from Bishamber, a rich
grocer was considered a piece of luck, even though he was a widower with grown up
children, he walked with a limp and was old enough to be Bholi’s father.

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Q.5 “ God cannot be everywhere, so he created mothers” Do you think Bholi’s mother
complies with this statement?
Ans. Bholi’s mother does not comply with this statement. Bholi’s mother never took care of
her- neither in her childhood nor in her young age. She was not at all concerned about her
studies or clothing. She didn’t even bother about Bholi’s groom- whether he was an aged
person or a greedy one, will he honour her daughter or keep her as a slave or servant in his
house.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS - 120 WORDS (4 MARKS)


Q.1. God created this world but teachers create human beings. How does Bholi’s
teacher succeed in changing the course of her life?
Ans. Bholi was neglected by her parents on account of her looks and lack of intelligence. She
was sent to school as her mother thought her to be a burden and let the teachers at school
worry about her. Ironically, the teachers transformed her life completely. God created this
world but teachers create human beings.
Bholi did not know what exactly a school was and what happened there. In the class when her
teacher asked her name, she stammered and began to cry. She kept her head down
throughout the class. The teacher was very encouraging and friendly to her and this made her
gain confidence to speak.
She started seeing a ray of hope for a new life. After years of gaining education and with the
help of her teacher, Bholi turned into a confident girl. She no longer stammered and could
speak properly. She even had the courage to refuse marrying the lame old man because he
was greedy and asked money from her father to marry her.

Q.2. The story, ‘Bholi’ throws light on some social evils being practised in our society.
Bholi took a stand and succeeded in overcoming social barriers. What can you
contribute to change the social attitudes, illustrated in the story?
Ans. Social discrimination against girls has been highlighted in the narrative of ‘Bholi’ where
girls are considered a liability, a burden to be borne till they are eventually disposed off in
marriage.
The family, in particular and the society at large, have no faith in their capabilities and hence
do not consider it essential to educate them. But Bholi’s incident proves that daughters are
capable and responsible in supporting the family same as the men folk and can be the
breadwinners, if the family invests in their education.
A significant change in the social attitudes can be brought about by creating awareness and
counselling. Mass media such as television is very influential and significant work is already
being done to initiate a change in attitude towards the girls. Women in our Indian culture are
the ‘Ghar ki Lakshmi’ and deserve to be honoured. To save and honour girls and women, Save
Girl Child, National and International Girl /Women’s Day are also celebrated throughout the
world.

*******************************************

64
SAMPLE PAPER – 1
Time : 2 Hours M.M. : 40
General Instructions

1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections – READING, WRITING & GRAMMAR
and LITERATURE.
2. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.

SECTION A – READING (10 marks)


Q.1 Read the passage given below.
Widely seen as a disruption for the traditional banking and financial institutions,
cryptocurrencies have gained significant traction over the last half a decade, at the same time
creating a regulatory nightmare for banking regulators across the globe. At present, there are
around 969 cryptocurrencies in existence across the globe, with a total market capitalization
close to 116 billion US$.
A cryptocurrency is a digital currency created and stored electronically. Unlike monetary
currency, the supply of cryptocurrency is not determined by any central bank or authority
and the network is completely decentralized.
A cryptocurrency is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange that uses
cryptography to secure its transactions, to control the creation of additional units and to
verify the transfer of assets. Cryptocurrencies are a type of digital currency, alternative
currency and virtual currency. Cryptocurrencies use decentralized control as opposed to
centralized electronic money and central banking systems. The decentralized control of each
cryptocurrency works through a block chain, which is a public transaction database
functioning as a distributed ledger.
The validity of each cryptocurrency’s coins is provided by the block chain. A block chain is a
continuously growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked and secured using
cryptography.
It is transferred directly between peers and the transactions are confirmed in a public ledger,
accessible to all the users. The process of maintaining this ledger and validating the
transactions, better known as mining, is carried out in a decentralized manner. The
underlying principle of the authenticity of the present to historical transactions is
cryptographic proof, instead of trust; different from how it happens in the case of traditional
banking systems.
The first decentralized cryptocurrency was Bitcoin, created in 2009. Since then numerous
other cryptocurrencies have been created as already mentioned. Cryptocurrencies are
gaining popularity; they provide privacy protection, cost effectiveness, lower entry barriers;
can be used as alternatives to banking systems and fiat currencies, open source Methodology
and public participation and also immunity to government led financial retribution. Every

65
transaction is transparent, autonomous and secure. Due to these benefits, cryptocurrency
started to gain acceptance worldwide.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the six
given below: 5 *1=5
I. Why is crypto currency becoming popular?
II. How is crypto currency different from Traditional Banking?
III. In what manner does crypto currency operate?
IV. Would you like to invest in crypto currency? Why/Why not?
V. What is the use of a Block chain?
VI. Write a word synonymous to ‘traction’ para 1 line 2.

Q.2 Read the following excerpt from a case study on Consumption of Agrifood-

India has been one of the world’s fastest growing economies over the past twenty years. That
growth mainly reflects government reforms to support economic activity and to increase the
openness of the economy to global markets.
The resulting rise in household incomes and urbanisation have been positive influences
behind the long-term upwards trend in agrifood consumption, a trend that is not expected to
abate for decades.
India’s potential food and agricultural consumption has significant scope to increase. Even
without any changes to Indian government policies, the real value of agrifood consumption is
projected to more than double between 2009 and 2050 (Linehan et al. 2012). Agrifood
consumption volumes between 2009 and 2017 already increased significantly: dairy by 53%,
fruit by 32%, rice by 62% and vegetables by 29% (FAO 2020).
India’s long-term consumption increases will be characterised by a move towards more
diverse diets, with higher intake of dairy products, fruit and vegetables. Between 2009 and
2050, the real value of dairy consumption is projected to rise by 137%, fruit by 246% and
vegetables by 183% . The upward consumption trend is most pronounced among urban
households, where income growth is assumed to be greater than rural households.
The projections of India’s agricultural consumption to 2050 are presented in the graph
below.

66
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE question from the six
given below. ( 1X5=5)

I. Why is it assumed that India’s agrifood consumption would increase till 2050?
II. What significant changes will be there on increase in import of agrifood from
other countries?
III. Which agrifood is likely to have the largest consumption?
IV. Which agrifood is likely to have the lowest consumption?
V. Will increase in agrifood consumption create opportunities for employment?
Justify your answer.
VI. According to the graph the production of which agrifood would be the most
Profitable?

--
SECTION B – WRITING & GRAMMAR (10 marks)

Q.3 Attempt ANY ONE from I and II. 5 marks


I. The pie-chart below shows some data on the various uses of harvested rainwater to
fulfil non-potable water needs of a metropolitan city. Analyse the data and
summarise it in the form of a paragraph.

67
OR
II. Ravi Rao of 59 Adarsh Nagar, Sikandarabad, a class 10 student sees the advertisement
given below. He writes a letter to the institute seeking information about the subjects taught,
the timings of the classes, class size and fees. Write a letter in your own words. ( 5 marks)

Q.4 The following paragraph has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Identify the
error and write its correction against the correct blank number. The first one has been done
for you. ( 3 Marks )
--- Error Correction
The modern student understand the e.g. understand understands
important of physical exercise. (a) _______________ _____________
He spend one or two hours daily (b) ________________ _____________
in an open air where he takes (c) ________________ _____________
part in exercises.

Q.5 Read the conversation given below and complete the passage that follows. (2 marks)

Sita : Hello. Can I speak to Rani?


Meera : I am afraid; mother is not at home. May I know who is speaking?
Sita : I am Sita. Please tell her that I will pick her up at 7 pm for the reception.

68
Sita asked Meera if she could speak to Rani. Hearing this, Meera replied that she was afraid as
her mother was not at home. She asked _(a)______________________speaking. Sita introduced
herself and told her to tell her mother that (b)_________________________for the reception.

SECTION C – LITERATURE (20 marks)

Q.6 Answer ANY SIX questions in 30-40 words each. (2 X 6 = 12 marks)


I. The people of Coorg have a tradition of courage and bravery. How has it been
recognised in modern India?
II. How was Mrs. Loisel ‘a mistake of destiny’?
III. What filled ‘ Bholi’, a dumb cow, with a new hope in her ?
IV. ‘Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago.’
How does the poet distinguish between animals and human beings in these lines?
V. ‘Flickering of lights’ conveys a symbolic message in the chapter ‘Sermon at Benares’.
Justify.
VI. What happens to Lomov when he is in an excited state?
VII. How did Valli plan for her bus journey?

Q.7 Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 120 words each. (4 X 2 = 8 marks)
I. ‘Appearances are often deceptive’ comment in the light of chapter ‘The Hack Driver’.
II. ‘Success is failure turned inside out’. Prove the above statement with instances from
the journey taken by Richard Ebright from losing at the Science Fair to winning at
the International Fair.
III. ‘Bringing up teenagers can be both a challenge and fun’. How far do you agree?
Express your views with reference to Amanda’s life.

***************************

SAMPLE PAPER – 2
Time : 2 Hours M.M. 40
General Instructions
1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections – READING, WRITING & GRAMMAR
and LITERATURE.

2. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.

SECTION A – READING (10 marks)


Q.1 Read the passage given below.
Artificial intelligence rarely gets it wrong – it’s the culture that programmed it that’s messed
up, says Madhavi Venkatesan.

69
I have become accustomed to my smart phone alerting me in the morning of the time and
distance to my standard destination. But last weekend, when my routine changed, my
smartphone knew that I planned to cross state lines — even before I entered a new
destination address into my GPS system.
A few years ago, a friend who is a consultant in Silicon Valley, noted to me that our smart
technology was smarter than we understood. In fact, our pocket artificial intelligence (AI)
communicates with our other electronic devices. AI shares information across Bluetooth or
Wi-Fi networks. (Have you noticed how the passwords stored on your home computer are
available on your smartphone, even without synching?) He pointed that the combination of
learning algorithms and around the clock thinking mean that AI is constantly gathering
information which it then processes relative to its programming.
On the surface this may appear benign. But, once you consider how many of our daily
decisions are not conscious, AI has a tremendous opportunity to influence actions or inaction.
Taking this further, given the imperfections of our society, the benefits of AI for some may
continue at the persistence of marginalisation for others. AI is dependent on human
programming and its learning is dependent on the quality of data. Its objectivity is fiction.
Computer algorithms are an outcome of programming by a human being. Unchecked, this can
allow implicit bias, and other subjective criteria to initiate prejudice in AI decision-making.
With machine learning, a subset of AI, the data used to “teach” AI can result in fostering racial
and gender profiling, as well as other hidden and normalised biases. If a society has a history
of discriminatory practices, AI will provide a rear-view outcome, limiting equity-based
progress with seeming legitimacy.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the six
given below. (1x5=5)

I. How would you define AI after reading the above passage?


II. What impacts does AI have on a human mind ?
III.How did the writer understand that smart technology was smarter than
she thought?
IV. Rewrite the given sentence by replacing the underlined word with a word synonymous to
it… (Have you noticed how the passcodes stored on your home computers are available on
your smartphone, even without synching?)
V. What is the result of an unchecked Computer Algorithm?
VI. Are you in favour of AI or not? Give reason in support of your answer.

Q.2 Read the following excerpt from a case study on Endangered Species.
The number of threatened species is increasing. But while animals like critically endangered
orangutans or humpback dolphins are getting a lot of attention, the number of threatened
mammals has not been rising as fast as in other animal classes.
The number of threatened mammals (defined by the International Union for Conservation of
Nature and Natural Resources as species listed as either critically endangered, endangered or
vulnerable on the Red List) increased by only 21 percent between 2007 and 2020. During the
same time period, the number of endangered insects rose by 209 percent, the number of
endangered molluscs (a class including snails, slugs, mussels, squid and worms) rose by 135
percent, while endangered fish species increased by 167 percent and the number of
endangered reptiles even rose by 245 percent.
While the reasons for the endangerment of insects and fish are well known, less is written
about threats to reptiles and molluscs. According to the IUCN, many reptile species are
concentrated in rainforest regions and are therefore threatened by deforestation.

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Furthermore, the species are particularly sensitive to environmental changes, including
climate change. With molluscs, endangered species are mainly those who live on land and in
freshwater. They are threatened by habitat destruction or are being pushed out by invasive
species, according to the American Institute of Biological Sciences.
The IUCN updates its Red List several times a year. In the latest version for 2020, more than
15,400 animals were listed as threatened - almost double the number of 2007.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the six
given below. (1x5=5 Marks)
I. What do you understand by Endangered species?
II. Which classes of Fauna are more prone to extinction?
III. State some causes that have made some species endangered.
IV. Whom would you hold responsible for endangered species?
V. What steps can be taken to save the endangered species?
VI. Why do you think the number of threatened mammals is not rising as fast as the other
species?

SECTION B – WRITING & GRAMMAR (10 marks)


Q.3 Attempt ANY ONE from I and II. 5 marks

I. The table below shows the risk of death posed by five different causes in two income
groups of people along with the world average of these deaths. Study the data carefully and
then summarise it in the form of an analytical paragraph.

Risk World Low and High Income

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Middle
Income
Percentage of Deaths
● Indoor smoke from solid fuels 3.3 3.9 0.0
● Unsafe Drinking Water, insanitation, lack of hygiene 3.2 3.8 0.1
● Urban outdoor, Air pollution 2.0 1.9 2.5
● Global Climate Change 0.2 0.3 0.0
● Lead Exposure 0.2 0.3 0.0

II. You are John/Jonsy, the tour in charge of Grant Public School Agra. During the summer
break, you are planning to organize a tour to a place of historical importance. Write a
letter to The National Travel Agency, Agra, inquiring about the charges, facilities and all
the necessary details. (5 marks )

Q.4 The following paragraph has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Identify
the error and write its correction against the correct blank number. The first one has
been done for you. (3marks)
---
--- Error Correction
One day when Albert Einstein were e.g. were was
a small boy her father brought a compass. a) _________ ________
It was a small toys to entertain him. b) _________ ________
Albert trembles with excitement as c) __________ _________
he looked at the magic needle.

Q.5 Read the conversation given below and complete the passage that follows.

Jatin : Do you know that Rohan was hit by a car yesterday?


Karan : Oh no! When did it happen?

Jatin asked Karan if he knew that (i) ________________. Karan expressed amazement and asked
(ii) ___________________.

SECTION C – LITERATURE (20 marks)

Q.6 Answer ANY SIX questions in 30-40 words each. (2x6= 12 marks)
I. Comment on the role played by Richard’s mother in his success.
II. ‘To seek peace one should draw out the arrow of lamentation’. What do you infer from
Buddha’s statement?
III. What dampened Valli’s enthusiasm during the return journey?
IV. Describe Coorg’s weather. When is it most pleasant for the tourists to visit Coorg ?
V. Justify, in brief, the title of the play “The Proposal”.
VI. The poem ‘ A Tale of Custard the Dragon’ is full of humour. Bring out instances which
you found humorous.
VII. What does the narrator describe as “pretty disrespectful treatment” in the chapter?
‘The Hack Driver’?

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Q.7 Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 120 words each. (4 X 2 = 8 marks)
I. The people and surroundings are a great book to learn. Valli in the lesson ‘Madam
Rides the Bus’ learns a lot from others. Mention the traits of her character which
help her to learn from her surroundings.
II. The poet in the poem ‘Animals’ laments the loss of certain values on the part of
human beings, whereas animals seem to have retained them and are self-contented.
Analyse the cause of degeneration of values in today’s hard times.
III. The chapter ‘Bholi’ highlights the discrimination against the girl child. Analyse.

****************************************************

SAMPLE PAPER – 3
Time: 2 Hours M.M. : 40

General Instructions
1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections – READING, WRITING & GRAMMAR
and LITERATURE.
2. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.

3. There is no negative marking.

SECTION A – READING (10 marks)

Q.1 Read the passage given below.


OTT platforms in India are growing rapidly in terms of subscribership mainly due to a
number of factors. Digital India plays a major role in promoting the use of OTT platforms to
stream diverse content from all over the world. A youth oriented population has led to the
increase in the viewership of OTT platforms such as Netflix, YouTube, etc. The drop in prices
of smartphones and cellular data has enabled a large chunk of the population to gain access
to online platforms. India currently has about 220-250 million smartphone users which is
expected to hit 500 million by 2020.
There are also platforms like Saavn, Wynk, etc. that have become more popular due to its
wide variety of choices in music. YouTube is the 4th most used app in India, as the number of
smartphone users increases in India, there is scope for an increase in viewership.
One of the major challenges that OTT platforms face in developed countries is competition
like HBO, CBS, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, etc. The production cost that is incurred to cater
to niche audiences is also high. Entertaining content is a prerequisite to drive subscription
and grow consumer affinity. And mainly, the market in developed countries like the USA is
saturated which leads to expensive marketing budgets to push for viewership.
“The last couple of years have seen a boom in the OTT space. While initially there were
independent players acting as content curators, today broadcasters have their own digital
platform to cater to the internet-savvy audience. There is no doubt that the platform is being
aggressively marketed, be it in the form of TV ads, hoardings or free subscription offered to
subscribers.” ParthoDasgupta, CEO, BARC India.
Platforms like Voot, Sony Liv and Zee 5 are OTT platforms developed by existing broadcast
channels to remain relevant and to cater to the shift in audience from TV viewership to OTT

73
platforms. However, most of their content on these platforms are the same as the ones
broadcasted on TV.
OTT platforms’ business model would blanket subscribership with sponsored content. Their
revenue would be mainly generated from advertisements. “Netflix is positioning itself as to
how in terms of video content Netflix is the thing to do. Others are using content marketing
strategy to show their exclusive content as differentiator against others. But they end up
looking similar to each other. Netflix and Amazon are standouts as they know how to market
themselves and are able to bring in content outside TV. Hotstar is riding on cricket in a big
way.” Rajiv Dingra, Founder-CEO, WAT Consult.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the six
given below.
(1x5=5 Marks)
I. Why are OTT platforms trending? Give two reasons.
II. What are the challenges faced by OTT platforms’?
III. Using examples tell how OTT platforms are contrasting with each other?
IV. How are OTT platforms moving viewership from TV to OTT?
V. How do OTT platforms generate Revenue?
VI. “Entertaining content is a prerequisite to drive subscription and grow consumer
affinity.” Rewrite the sentence replacing the underlined phrase with words similar to it.

Q.2 Read the following excerpt from a case study on Favourite Subjects around the
world.
The 2018 Cambridge International Global Education Census provides a snapshot into the
lives of almost 20,000 teachers and students across the world. The Census sought to
understand both what and how students learn. It includes two online self-completion
surveys, one for students and one for teachers, which were promoted via social media
platforms, through Cambridge International’s schools networks and channels, on the
Cambridge International website, and at international school events.
The student survey was completed by 9,397 students who reported themselves to be aged
12-19. In this Data Byte we explore one question from the student survey, favourite subjects.
The chart displays the proportion of students reporting each subject as a favourite by
country. The area of each bubble is proportional to the proportion of student respondents to
the Global Education Census from the country that chose the subject.
This analysis investigates the ten countries that were the focus of the survey: Argentina,
China (including Hong Kong and Macau), India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Spain, Saudi
Arabia, South Africa and the USA. Each respondent could report up to three favourite
subjects. Subjects chosen by fewer than 7% of respondents in each of the ten countries were
excluded, along with free text responses, resulting in 7,579 responses.

74
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the six
given below. (1x5=5 marks)
I. How many students participated in the survey from India?
II. What percentage of students had Mathematics as their favourite subject in India?
III. Which subjects were the least favourite in India?
IV. According to the graph which two subjects appear to be the most popular among the
students around the world?
V. Which is your favourite subject? Why?
VI. What does each bubble represent in the graph?

SECTION B – WRITING & GRAMMAR (10 marks)

Q.3 Attempt ANY ONE from I and II. 5 marks


I. The visual below shows how gasoline and diesel reach our local gas stations. Study the
information carefully and then summarise it in the form of an analytical paragraph. Make
comparisons and draw conclusions as appropriate.

75
OR

II. You are Nalini/ Vishal, Hostel Warden, Modern Public School, Hubli. Write a letter to the
Sales Manager, Bharat Electronics and Domestic Appliances Limited, Bangalore, placing
an order for a few fans, microwave ovens and geysers that you wish to purchase for the
hostel. Also ask for the discount permissible on the purchase.

Q.4 The following paragraph has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Identify
the error and write its correction against the correct blank number. The first one has been
done for you.
(3marks)

--- Error Correction


TV viewing is the sedentary activity. e .g. the a
It has proved to being a significant a) ___________ _________
factor for childhood obesity. TV was b) ___________ _________
also making the children become use c) ___________ _________
to violence

Q.5 Read the conversation given below and complete the passage that follows. (2 Marks)

Sahil : I feel greatly tired now. Do you know any eating joint nearby?
Mahesh : Sure, you have to walk a little distance straightway. There you will
find a temporary stall.

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Sahil asked Mahesh (a)_________________________ eating joint nearby, expressing that he
felt greatly tired then. Mahesh assured him that he had to walk a little distance straight
away and there (b)_________________.

SECTION C – LITERATURE (20 marks)

Q.6 Answer ANY SIX questions in 30-40 words each. 2 X 6 = 12 marks

I. What impression do you form about Amanda, after reading the poem ‘Amanda’?
II. “Valli enjoyed each moment of her bus ride.” Explain.
III. Who was Lomov and why did he visit Chubukov ?
IV. Why did Custard, the dragon, cry for a nice, safe cage?
V. Madame Loisel was intoxicated with pleasure at the ball. Give two reasons to support
your Answer.
VI. The writer wasn’t very fond of New mullion when he reached the place. What made him
grow fond of the village and its people?
VII. Why did Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s proposal? Give two reasons.

Q.7 Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 120 words each. 4 X 2 = 8 marks

I. The gap/ divide between her grand dreams and ordinary living was the cause of
Matilda’s unhappiness? What did she dream of ?
II. It is not complaining but accepting a situation, the key to happiness in life. Elaborate
in the context of the poem ‘Animals’.
III. ‘To seek peace one should draw out the arrows of lamentation’ What do you infer
from Buddha’s statement?

*****************************************************

SAMPLE PAPER – 4
Time: 2 Hours M.M. : 40

General Instructions

1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections – READING, WRITING & GRAMMAR
and LITERATURE.
2. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
3. There is no negative marking.

77
SECTION A – READING (10 marks)

Q.1 Read the passage given below.


Online education refers to the process of education via the internet. Therefore, students can
seek knowledge and skills without going anywhere physically. The emergence of new
technologies like the internet made it possible for students to attain knowledge from any
corner of the Earth. However, there is no time-bound learning. The online education system is
available 24*7 for all the students.
Online education is the modern form of learning which is very different from the traditional
way of seeking knowledge. The teacher or mentor uses various means like texts, audios,
videos, animations, etc for a better understanding of the students.
Online education is not a new concept, it has its roots on the Earth years back. However, the
merging of new technologies with this concept would be new.
The first instance of Online Education came from the University of Illinois, the USA in 1960.
After that, the internet came into existence and students started using it for studies. In 1984,
the University of Toronto registered itself as the first university to offer complete online
courses.
In 1994, the first fully online curriculum was introduced by the CAL Campus. Gradually the
system of online education begins to grow in the world.
During the times of the Covid Pandemic, online education became the center of the education
system. And we can say that there is no turning point because more and more students are
opting for online courses instead of traditional methods of learning.
Online education can be proved beneficial in many ways. Some of the major advantages of
online education are as follows:
The process of gaining an education online saves lots of time and money for students. It saves
the transportation charge and traveling time.
Online education is available to all. Students belonging to any place or any age group can
study online. This is one of the major advantages for students who are physically impaired.
They need not go anywhere physically, instead they can get education from their comfortable
place.
Online education offers great flexibility to the students. Students can seek knowledge
anytime. There is no time-bound like that of the traditional method of learning.
A large variety of courses are available online. Apart from course knowledge, students can
learn things like personality development and other activities which are generally difficult to
learn offline.
Online education system is good for students who can study on their own. Students such as
kids cannot study online properly without anyone’s help. This type of study requires self-
concentration.
Devices such as computers or mobiles along with good internet connectivity are required for
online education. People without computers or areas with network issues cannot study
online.
Sitting for a long time in front of the screen may be injurious to health. It also affects the
physical development of the students. Not going to school will detach them from their friends
and society.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the six
given below. (1X5 =5 marks)
I How would you define Online Education?
II. When did online education become a new concept?
III. “Online education offers great flexibility to the students.” Rewrite the sentence
replacing the underlined words to give a contrasting meaning to it.

78
IV. How is physical development affected by Online Education?
V. State any two advantages of Online Education.
VI. State any two disadvantages of Online Education.

Q.2 Read the following excerpt from a case study on Organic Products and Chemical
Products.
Giving priority to organic substances and choices instead of artificial chemical oriented
products in your life gives you a lot of benefits. This type of preference over chemical
products is known as organic lifestyle. Organic products have better texture and taste better
than chemical products and organic foods tend to be more nutritious. Moreover, organic
agricultural practices, just like eco-friendly technologies, are the right choice for preserving
the environment. If we talk about Non organic lifestyle, it is actually a practice of living and
consuming toxic chemicals like pesticides, artificial fertilizers and antibiotics that are not
good for the human body.
A Chemical product or non-organic product is a substance that is formed as an outcome of a
chemical reaction. Soaps, detergents and cosmetics are some examples of chemical products.
These products may include harmful chemicals such as pesticides, polymers, electronic
chemicals, surfactants, construction chemicals, Industrial Cleaners, flavors and fragrances,
coatings, printing inks, food additives, paper chemicals, oil field chemicals, plastic, cosmetic
chemicals etc. They have adverse effects as they can cause several allergies, skin infections,
damage to internal organs, acne and pimples, damage to the nervous system, cancer, and
early ageing.
An Organic product is made from the materials produced by organic agribusiness/
agriculture. In other words organic products can be explained as products that are produced
or made from organic methods / ways i.e. organically. Hence they are beneficial for our
health. There are different types of organic products – Organic Food Products, Organic
Personal Care Products and Organic Supplements.
The food products which are coated with chemical made tins, wrapping, bottles and jars etc.
can lead to several health issues whereas organic food products are healthier than
conventionally produced foods. Organic foods have higher content of nutrients. Organic food
products are better than conventional food products which have chemicals involved during
production and processing. The residues of the chemicals in food products have destructive
effects on human health like food poisoning, intestine problems, breathing problems, cancer.

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Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the six
given below. (1X5 =5 marks)
I What do you understand about Organic Lifestyle?
II. Why do organic products gain preference over chemical products?
III. How is the human body affected by chemical products?
IV. Harmful chemicals present in chemical products are………………………………..
V. “Organic food products are better than conventional food products.” Explain.
VI. In which fields are organic products most popular?

SECTION B – WRITING & GRAMMAR (10 marks)


Q.3 Attempt ANY ONE from I and II. 5 marks
I. The visual below shows the life-cycle of a turtle. Study the information carefully and
then summarise it in the form of an analytical paragraph. Make comparisons and
draw conclusions wherever appropriate.

II. You are Mohan Bhagat of Eureka Forbes, Noida. You have received the reply to your
inquiry letter from Woodcutters Inc., dated 2 March 2022. You feel positive about the
company's terms and conditions. Write a letter, in about 100-120 words, placing an
order for the furniture that you have mentioned in the previous communication.
-- 5 marks

Q.4 Fill in the blanks with appropriate form of words given in the brackets: (3 marks)
In poor and under-developed countries millions of children (a).________________(fall)
victims to diseases, pain, ill health, etc. The declaration safeguards against these evils.
The government of India (b) _____________(accept) the declaration but many people still
(c)_____________(know) about the rights of the child.

Q.5 Read the conversation given below and complete the passage that follows. 2 marks

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Mother : Rohan, finish your food.
Rohan: I do not want to eat this vegetable.
Mother : Vegetables are good for health. You must eat them.

Mother told Rohan to finish his food. Rohan said that he (a) __________________. Mother said that
vegetables are good for health and (b) _____________________.

SECTION C – LITERATURE (20 marks)


Q.6 Answer ANY SIX questions in 30-40 words each. 2 X 6 = 12 marks
I. Why did the baker and his family always look happy and prosperous?
II. How does Natalaya react when she comes to know that Lomov had come to
propose for her hand?
III. Why does Amanda seem moody most of the time?
IV. What did Kisa Gotami do after the Buddha had asked her for a handful of mustard
seeds?
V. Matilda’s over-ambitious nature was the cause of her miseries, explain.
VI. “Really, I considered returning to New Mullion to practise law.” Why did the
young lawyer think so?
VII. Bring out the element of humor in the poem ‘A Tale of Custard the Dragon’.

Q.7 Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 120 words each. 4 X 2 = 8 marks
I. How did Ebright use determination and perseverance to achieve his aim of
becoming a scientist?
II. ‘It was a twist of fate that Bholi’s future was made better.’ justify the above statement
with reference to how Bholi was sent to school and educated.
III. What differences does the poet find between animals and human beings?

***********************************************************

SAMPLE PAPER – 5
Time: 2 Hours M.M.: 40
General Instructions
1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections – READING, WRITING & GRAMMAR
and LITERATURE.
2. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
3. There is no negative marking.

SECTION A – READING (10 marks)

Q.1 Read the passage given below.


Who’d have thought it would take a global pandemic and an economic crisis to see how we
can re-imagine our future on the planet?

81
COVID-19 has swept through the world like a tsunami wave. It has showed no discrimination,
infecting people regardless of religion, class or wealth, ignoring national borders, demanding
attention and sweeping aside any attempts to deliver 'business as usual'.
The ugly side of human selfishness was exposed as people stock-pile perceived necessities at
the expense of others, ignoring requests to stay at home and refusing to keep social distance.
Yet, it has also shined a light on the strength of our community, as thousands have
volunteered to help out, and waves of applause have rippled up and down the country in
appreciation of our key workers. These are the real heroes who place themselves in danger
every day, providing vital services, fighting the virus, and caring for the vulnerable and the
sick.
We have seen companies putting aside their competitive focus and profit-making activities as
they transform products and services to overcome shortages in equipment and facilities.
We have seen families spending more time together. We have seen a renewed discovery of
the value of nature and the outdoors as people find they have more time on their hands. We
have seen people walking, where once they would have used cars or buses. We have seen
people growing their own vegetables, making their own bread and buying produce from local
shops and farms.
The COVID-19 crisis, despite its many sad and horrible implications in terms of sickness and
death, is exactly what we needed to galvanise us, to draw us together as one global
community, to see more clearly what we are collectively capable of achieving, and to bring
into focus what needs to be done globally to secure our future on this planet.

The economic cycle is broken, or at least disrupted for a while. Our usual way of being has
changed – irreversibly and forever, maybe for the better. A search for different answers has
begun and a new kind of normal has quickly taken shape.

Our liability could become our opportunity. As we know, necessity is the mother of invention.

As the old ways of doing things have broken down under the pressure of a global crisis, we
become mindful of new ways of doing things breaking through.

Enforced social isolation has dramatically accelerated virtual working. Much of the face-to-
face activity once thought necessary for business – meetings, coaching, briefings,
presentations, conferences – are now firmly rooted in the digital world. At home we rely
more now on the internet for connecting with family, shopping, entertainment and social
activity.

Workplaces will likely continue to embrace some form of remote working and the structure
of the modern workplace will adapt. Modern technology is ready to facilitate remote working
and there are many benefits to both employees and employers to be taken advantage of. The
pandemic likely induced a change in working that would have happened in some years
anyway, it has simply been brought forward.
Travel is another industry that we likely see a long-term impact on. Wearing face coverings
on transport and preventing overcrowding will continue to be a focus. In addition,
international travel will continue to be under scrutiny. It can be predicted that infectious
disease outbreaks will continue to be closely monitored across the world, with travel
corridors continuing and border restrictions enforced in order to prevent future pandemics.
Finally, intermittent lockdowns may be part of the ‘new norm’. Governments will have
learned from their previous strategies and those of others. We may arrive at a place where
effective measures may be enforced temporarily to curb the potential spread of infectious
disease before it becomes out of hand.

82
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the six
given below. (1x5=5)
I. What ugly side of human selfishness has been exposed during Pandemic?

II. Write a word synonymous to ‘galvanise’.


III. How has modern technology helped during Pandemic? State any 2 ways.

IV. How has the Travel Industry been affected by the Pandemic? State any 2 effects.

V. What renewed discovery was made by humanity during the Pandemic?

VI. What will be the new normal after the Pandemic?

Q.2 Read the following excerpt from a case study on Video Gaming.
It all started in 1952 when British professor A.S. Douglas created OXO, better known as tic-
tac-toe at the University of Cambridge. Then Spacewar! came out in 1962, which was the first
video game that could be played on multiple computer installations.
In 1972, Atari introduced Pong, the first truly successful commercial arcade video game.
Since then, video games have evolved from arcade systems to home consoles, handheld
consoles, and mobile devices. Today, video games make up a massive $100 billion global
industry.
Video games are often at the forefront of computer technology and they have been a part of
our culture since the past few decades. But let’s face it, they have their share of Pros and
Cons. Let’s take a further look at the pros and cons of video games.
Video games aren’t bad for you as long as you aren’t overdoing it. So, enjoy your downtime
and relax with your games but get out there and keep your life as diverse as possible as well,
because eventually, you have got to win the game of life.

83
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY FIVE questions from the six
given below. (1x5=5)
I. Name the first video game.
II. State two advantages of video games.
III. State two disadvantages of video games.
IV. How does excessive gaming affect people?
V. How can you prevent yourself from being a victim of video gaming?
VI. How has video gaming evolved?

SECTION B – WRITING & GRAMMAR (10 marks)


Q.3 Attempt ANY ONE from I and II. 5 marks
I. The visual below shows differences between two types of diabetes* in humans.
Carefully study the information and then write an analytical paragraph comparing both
the types and highlighting similarities and differences.

II. You want to organize the ring ceremony of your daughter in hotel ‘Khanna
International’ Meerut. Write a letter in about 100-150 words to the manager, Khanna
International to find out the details and the cost of conducting the ring ceremony.
Mainly enquire about the catering cost per head, decoration charges, etc. Also ask for
the advance to be paid. You are Mohan Lal of 268, New Colony, Meerut. 5 marks

Q.4 Fill in the blanks with appropriate words. 3 marks

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Kishore (a)_________ be ashamed of himself as he said such a thing. He was never like this
before. He must have fallen in bad company. He (b) ________ be taught to keep away from such
bad company and (c)________ properly.

Q.5 Read the conversation given below and complete the passage that follows. 2 marks

Doctor : How can I help you?


Anil : Sir, my father is not well. Can you pay a visit to our house right
now?
Doctor : Sorry, at present I am busy. I can come after 1.30pm.

Doctor asked Anil (a)_________________ ________. Anil told him that his father was not well and
asked (b)____________________________. Doctor apologized and said that he was busy at that time
and could come after 1.30pm.

SECTION C – LITERATURE (20 marks)

Q.6 Answer ANY SIX questions in 30-40 words each. 2 X 6 = 12 marks


I. ‘This is a tea country now’. Explain this with reference to Assam.
II. How does Amanda describe her life as an orphan?
III. The poem ‘Animals’ is a satire on human beings. Justify.
IV. Justify the statement with instances that Valli was a mature girl and ahead of her age.
V. ‘The Necklace’ reveals that vanity is evil. It may bring joy for a short period but
ultimately it leads to ruin.Explain with reference to the story ‘The Necklace’.
VI. Richard Ebright displayed a well-rounded personality. Do you agree?
VII. How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life?

Q.7 Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 120 words each. 4 X 2 = 8 marks
I. In life, people who easily trust others are sometimes made to look foolish. One
should not be too trusting. Describe how Oliver Lutkins made a fool of the
young lawyer.
II. “The World is afflicted with death and decay, therefore the wise do not grieve,
knowing the terms of the world”. Explain with reference to the story “The Sermon
at Benares”.
III. The principle ‘forgive and forget’ helps a lot in maintaining cordial relations
with our neighbours. Do you think Chekov conveys this message in the play
‘The Proposal’?

*************************************************************

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SAMPLE PAPER-1
MARKING SCHEME
Ans. 1
1. Digitally created virtual currency, digitally stored
2. Authenticity of the present to historical transactions is cryptographic instead of trust.
3. Decentralized manner
4. Yes, its virtual and operates in decentralized manner or No, no trust but cryptographic
5. It decides the validity of crypto currency.
6. Gain popularity or hold

Ans. 2
1. The data collected shows a continuous increase in the consumption of Agrifood so it is
assumed that it would continue to be the same till 2050.
2. Foreign Investment will increase, new industries will be set up and business will foster.
3. Fruits Consumption is likely to have the largest increase in consumption.
4. Sugar and Rice consumption are likely to have the lowest increase in consumption.
5. Yes, new companies and industries will be set up to cope with the increase in
consumption of Agrifood thus creating more job opportunities as local labour would be
available at a much cheaper price.
6. Fruits

Ans. 3 Part I
Rain water harvesting holds a lot of promise in solving the water-woes of metropolitan cities.
The pie - chart shows how a particular household in a metropolitan city makes use of the rain
water it harvests. As it is clear from the pie-chart, a little over one third (36%) of all the
harvested rain water is consumed in washing clothes, while a little over one -fourth (26%) is
used in bathing. As much as 22% of the water thus collected is utilized in such activities as
gardening (13%), car washing (6%) and mopping floors (3%), whereas flushing accounts for
as much as 16% of the total rain water harvested by the household. Thus, it can be concluded
that, if rainwater is harvested and used properly, it can meet a range of non-potable water
requirements of the population in cities. It can also help save huge amounts of fresh drinking
water that can be used exclusively for cooking and drinking.

Ans. 3 Part II

59 Adarsh Nagar
Sikandrabad

20th February, 2022

The Director
Sure Shot Institute
14-A Lancer Barracks
Sikandrabad

Sub- Information about Coaching Classes


Sir

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This is with reference to the advertisement of your prestigious institute in the Hindu, dated
12th February 2022, I want to seek certain necessary information regarding the coaching
classes for X Science.
I am a student of X. I want the following information regarding the coaching classes:
1. Are all the topics prescribed in the syllabus of X covered in the coaching classes?
2. The timing of the classes.
3. Fees and the mode of payment.
4. Number of batches
5 . Conveyance facility

I hope you will provide me the above mentioned information at the earliest so that I can join
your institute from 1st March, 2022.

Thanking You,

Yours truly
Ravi Rao

Ans. 4
(a) important- importance, (b) spend- spends, (c) an- the

Ans. 5
(a) if she might know who was (b) she would pick her up at 7 pm

Ans.6
(i) The Coorgi tradition of courage and bravery has been recognized by awarding the
Coorg Regiment with the most number of gallantry awards. Besides, the Coorgis
are the only Indians allowed to carry firearms without a license.

(ii) Despite being a pretty lady, she belonged to the middle class family and had married a
clerk she was not ready to accept it and always thought it as the mistake of destiny. It
was because of her belief that she borrows the diamond necklace from her friend and
ruins her life because of her extravagant desires of luxury.

(iii) Bholi’s first day at school brought a hope of new life for her. She had found a loving and
kind teacher. The teacher had inspired her and given her a book and had made Bholi
feel confident about herself and realise that a new life was waiting for her.

(iv) The poem presents a striking comparison between animal world and human world. The
poet highlights in this poem that man always complains with his life and in order to get
more and more he is ready to surrender himself before anyone, but animals never bow
in front of anyone. They are always content with what they have.

(v) In the chapter ‘Sermon at Benares’, ‘flickering of lights’ is associated with the
momentary nature of human life. It highlights the inevitability of death in human life.
Anyone who is born is bound to die one day.

(vi) When Lomov is in an excited state, his heartbeat increases, lips tremble and there is a
twitch in his right eyebrow. When he goes to sleep in such a state, something pulls him
from his left side and he jumps like a lunatic.

87
(vii) Valli had gathered all the necessary details about the bus journey from those who
regularly used the bus. The town was six miles from her village. The one-way fare was
thirty paise. The trip to the town took forty-five minutes. If she took the one o’clock bus,
she could reach the town at one forty-five. She calculated that she could be back home
by about two forty-five.

Ans. 7
(i) Things are not always what they seem to be. Appearances are often deceptive. The
narrator reaches a village in the search of Oliver Lutkins. He meets a hack driver at the
station. The driver warns him about Lutkins. He takes him on a tour of the entire village
in search of Lutkins. He tells the narrator about his experiences and about the village
and its people. The narrator likes him for his helpful and kind nature. He even forgets all
about Lutkins. But, the next day he finds out that the hack driver was Oliver Lutkins
himself. He realises that a simple and kind person was a trickster in reality.

(ii) Success is the fruit of failure. It never comes straight but through failure. This can be
seen in the life of Richard Ebright. Although he earned top grades in school, on everyday
things he was just like every other kid. He faced many failures in his life but every
failure strengthened his will to succeed. When he was in seventh grade he participated
in the County Science Fair with his slides of frog tissues. But he could not win a prize.
This made him determined to win the prize and in his eighth grade, he again
participated in the science fair with the experiment of viral disease in monarch
caterpillars and won the prize. The very next Year he participated with his experiment
of whether viceroy butterflies copy the monarch butterflies in order to save their life
from the birds and this project won Ebright, third prize in overall County Science Fair.
His experiment regarding gold spots of monarch liar which he built a device that
showed that the spots produced hormones necessary for the full development of
butterflies won third prize in International science and Engineering fair. Next year his
advanced experiments on the monarch pupa won him first place at the International
science fair. Thus, for Richard Ebright, we can say that success is failure turned inside
out.

(iii) Bringing up teenagers is truly challenging and fun. Teenagers can be rebellious and
apparently hot-headed with a highly independent perspective. In such circumstances,
yelling at them, and nagging them, as done in the poem with Amanda, will only make
matters worse. Forcing decisions on them only make them more detached, as we see in
Amanda’s case, where she wishes to be the alone mermaid, an orphan, or the lonely
Rapunzel. To make things fun, one must become a friend where needed. Sometimes, one
needs to just ‘chill’ with one’s kids.

SAMPLE PAPER 2
MARKING SCHEME

Ans. 1
1. Smart technology, communication is through electronic devices
2. Influence actions or inactions, unconscious daily decisions, continue persistence of
marginalization
3. Passcodes available on home computers and other devices are available on smart
phones without synching.

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4. Synchronizing
5. Implicit bias, initiate prejudice in decision making
6. Yes, it makes life easy.
No, it is dependent on human programming and quality of data thus unreliable.

Ans. 2
1. Endangered species are under the threat of getting extinct.
2. Molluscs and Reptiles
3. Deforestation, environmental (climate) changes, habitat destruction
4. Human beings for recklessly exploiting all the Natural resources and the technological
and industrial advancements causing harm to the environment.
5. Providing protective habitat and survival zones.
6. Mammals adapt to the habitat changes easily due to their unique genetic structure.

Ans. 3 Part I
The table shows some statistics related to deaths among low and middle income groups as
well as high income groups due to five reasons – indoor smoke from solid fuels; unsafe water,
in-sanitation and lack of hygiene; urban outdoor pollution; global climate change and lead
exposure. As it is clear from the data, the high income group people die of outdoor pollution
more than any other cause. They account for 2.5% of all deaths which is higher than the
world average of 2.0%. A mere 0.1% people of this group die of drinking unsafe water, in-
sanitation and lack of hygiene. On the other hand, the lower and middle income group has a
mortality rate higher than the world average in all categories except urban outdoor air
pollution, where it is 0.1% less than the world average of 2%. This group accounts for 3.9%
and 3.8% deaths due to indoor smoke from solid fuels and unsafe drinking water, in-
sanitation and lack of hygiene respectively. Global climate change and lead exposure account
for 0.3% death each among this group. Overall, more people in the lower and middle income
group die of the given causes than the high income group people.

Ans. 3 Part II
Grant Public School
Agra

20th June 2022

The Manager
The National Travel Agency
Agra

Subject: Inquiry about the Charges and Facilities for a Tour to Agra

Sir
Our school is planning to organise a tour to Fatehpur Sikri, the abandoned capital of Akbar.
We are a group of seventy students. Seven teachers and four peons will also accompany us.
We plan to leave Agra for Fatehpur Sikri early in the morning of 25th June. You are required
to arrange for the comfortable stay of students and teachers. We expect a clean and
affordable accommodation in a good hotel. Dormitories for students can be managed.
However, two separate rooms with attached baths are needed for the teachers.
Kindly furnish the following details regarding the charges and facilities required by us during
our stay.

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1. How many rooms will be required to accommodate 70 students, 7 teachers and 4 peons.
2. Tariff of the rooms with group discount.
3. What will be the charges for breakfast, lunch and dinner per head.
4. Charges for air conditioned luxury buses.
5. Any other information or relevant details regarding the tour.

Yours truly
Sign______
John/Jonsy
Tour Incharge.

Ans. 4
a) her- his, b) toys- toy, c) trembles- trembled

Ans. 5
(a) Rohan had been hit by a car the day before
(b) when it had happened

Ans. 6
(i) Richard's mother played an important role in his life. In his younger days she acted as a
companion and encouraged him for learning. She took her on a trip and also bought
cameras, a microscope, telescope and mountaineering material etc. to increase his
interest. She had given a book known as ‘The Travels of Monarch X’ that opened the
world of science for him.

(ii) Buddha tells us about one inscrutable kind of suffering, i.e, death. Death is common to
all and nobody can escape it. Everything that is born will eventually come to an end.
Lamentation will not bring back the dead ones to life again. It tells upon a person's
health and he becomes sick and pale. He loses appetite and interest in life. One has to
learn that death is inevitable.

(iii) During her journey to the town, Valli was very enthusiastic and happy. But her
enthusiasm faded away at the sight of the young dead cow whom she saw running with
her tail upwards straight in front of the bus during her journey to the town and made
her laugh a lot.

(iv) The weather of Coorg is pleasant during the months from September to March. During
that time, the weather is perfect with some showers thrown in for good measure.
During the monsoon, it receives heavy rainfall.

(v) The play's title is 'The Proposal' and it is a very suitable one since the entire play is
about Natalya being proposed to by Lomov. The plot revolves around a marriage
proposal right from the beginning to the end of the play. Lomov comes to Natalya's
house to propose to her, but they both start arguing long before he does that. The play
ends with their marriage.

(vi) The poem 'The Tale of Custard the Dragon' is a humorous poem. The names of the
characters are funny. The pets call Custard by funny names, which makes the poem all
the more humorous. All the pets boast of being very brave but go into hiding as soon as
the pirate arrives.In the end, when the pirate is gulped by Custard, he starts looking for
a safe cage again and others start boasting of their bravery.

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(vii) The narrator describes the treatment given to them by Lutkins’ mother as a pretty
disrespectful treatment. She insults them. She marches towards them with a hot iron
rod. She laughs at them when they retreat with a fear from there.

Ans. 7
(i) It is absolutely true that the people and surroundings are a great book to learn from.
Valli is a perfect example of a person who learns from people and surroundings. Valli
had many traits such as confidence, self-reliance, self-respect, and courage.
Valli had a strong desire to take a ride in the bus. For this she saved money and did
planning to execute her plan. Valli had to work on so many details such as time, money,
and other things.
During the journey, she saw the canal and beyond it, palm trees, grassland, distant
mountains, and the blue, blue sky. She saw acres and acres of green fields.
Valli was amazed at the experience as the bus passed through a tiny hamlet , railway
level crossing, the train station and shopping street. Finally, the bust reached its stop.
On the return journey, Valli saw something unpleasant. The cow who had run in front of
the bus and seeing which Valli had laughed, she found the same cow lying dead by the
roadside. Perhaps some vehicle had run over it. This incident dampened her enthusiasm
and excitement.
In this manner, Valli learnt so much from people and surroundings.

(ii) The poet, Walt Whitman, has got a clear understanding of this universe. He has very
rightly brought before us the importance of traditions and values. He has understood
that animals are self-contained and fully satisfied with their lot. We human beings are
never satisfied.The values of human life are degenerating and rise in materialism is the
major cause of these conflicts. Human beings are developing qualities such as over
ambitiousness, selfishness, ill-will, hatred, bloodshed and cruelty. Due to these conflicts
there is no love and understanding. Thus dwindling human values are making people
blood thirsty and evil.

(iii) Nature does not discriminate, but society does. From time immemorial the world has
discriminated against the girl child. The chapter, ‘Bholi’ throws up many such instances.
Ramlal’s sons go to school and college. His daughters are not educated but married off.
Her mother does not think it necessary to take Bholi’s consent for her marriage. The
groom is old and lame. Still he demands dowry. Her father is ready to pay him also. It is
the girl herself who raises her voice against this marriage. She is criticised and
humiliated for standing up for her dignity. But she is firm and decides the course of her
life.

SAMPLE PAPER 3
MARKING SCHEME
Ans. 1
1. Promotion of Digital India, drop in prices of cellular data, streaming of diverse content
from all over the country and world.
2. Competition, high production cost, saturated markets in developed countries
3. OTT platforms like Netflix try to show that their content is different whereas other

91
OTT platforms use content marketing strategy. Platforms like Hotstar trends in cricket
thus contrasting each other.
4. HBO, Amazon Prime and Netflix are OTT platforms and Voot, Sony livand Zee 5 are OTT
platforms developed from existing Broadcast Channels and generally stream the same
channel content on OTT thus shifting the viewership from
channel to OTT.
5. Revenue is generated from advertisements and by blanketing subscribership with
Sponsored content.
6. Consumer preferences or fondness

Ans. 2
1. 3075
2. 0.20%
3. Music and Languages
4. English Language and Mathematics
5. Student will write their own response
6. Each bubble is proportional to the proportion of student respondents to the global
education census from the country that chose the subject.

Ans. 3 Part I
The visual shows how gasoline and diesel reach our local gas stations.
The entire process passes through several stages from the production or
import, refinement, storage, transportation and distribution. In the first stage, the crude oil
which is imported from other countries or produced domestically reaches refineries where it
is refined in several stages to obtain petrol and diesel, two among a whole range of petroleum
based products. These products are stored in refinery storage facilities which are connected
to a central pipeline delivery system. Petrol and diesel from this storage facility are carried to
bulk terminal storage tanks either through a network of pipelines or though tankers or
barges. Next, tanker trucks further transport these products from the bulk storage tanks to
the gas stations in towns and cities where consumers can buy them as and when they require.

Ans. 3 PART II
Modern Public School
Hubli

28th March 2022

The Sales Manager


Bharat Electronics and Domestic Appliances Limited
Bangalore

Subject- Placing an order for Domestic Appliances.

Sir
We are your old and regular customers. We want to place a bulk order for the purchase of
electronic and domestic appliances for the school hostel. As the new session will start from
next month, we have to ensure that we receive them within a week. Any further delay will not

92
be entertained. We expect a usual 10% discount on the goods purchased and an additional
5% discount given to the institutional buyers.
The particulars and the numbers of the items are as given below:

S. No. Particulars Quantity Brand

1 Ceiling fans 48’’ 15 Usha Or Orient

2 Table fans (Usha or Orient) 15 Usha or Orient

3 Microwave ovens 10 Diamond or Elpar

4 Geysers 24 Elpar or Bajaj

We hope all the items will reach us within a week as per the required specifications and
discounts.

Yours truly
Sign_______
Nalini/Vishal
(Hostel Warden)

Ans. 4
(a) being- be, (b) was- is, (c) use- used

Ans. 5
(a) if he knew any
(b) he would find a temporary stall

Ans. 6
(i) Amanda feels suffocated because she is controlled and instructed not to do one thing or
the other. She feels that her freedom is curtailed. But Amanda wishes to be free to live in
her own world. She is a very sensitive girl who indulges in daydreaming quite often. She
highly values silence and freedom.

(ii) Valli was very excited for the above said bus ride. She enjoyed each and every moment
of her bus journey. Right from sitting in the bus, she wanted to devour everything with
her eyes. She was enjoying natural scenes through bus window, road activities etc.

(iii) Lomo was an unmarried man of thirty-five and a wealthy landowner. He was anxious to
get married as he had already reached a critical age. So he decided to propose to
Natalaya, a girl of twenty-five. He visited Chubukov to ask for his daughter Natalaya's
hand in marriage.

93
(iv) Custard cried for a nice safe cage because he was a coward. He is called a “cowardly
dragon” because dragons are meant to be fierce and brave, but Custard is not. The other
residents of the house i.e. Belinda, Ink, Blink and Mustard were all very brave, but
Custard always wanted a cage so he could feel protected and secure.

(v) Madame Loisel was intoxicated with pleasure at the ball. Everyone wanted to be
introduced to her and dance with her. She danced with enthusiasm. She won everyone's
admiration and flattery. She looked the prettiest of all: elegant, gracious, smiling and full
of joy.

(vi) Initially, the writer did not like the village. His eager expectations of a sweet and simple
country village were severely disappointed but the friendly behaviour of Bill made him
grow fond of the village and its people. He was so open and full of warmth and affection
that the writer was touched.

(vii) Bholi’s parents accepted Bishamber’s proposal because it was quite difficult for them to
find a suitable match for her as she had pock marks and used to stammer. Bishamber
was a rich man. Her mother thought that Bholi was lucky to get such a well-to-do
bridegroom.

Ans.7
(i) Matilda (Mrs. Loisel) was not among those who take or accept life what it is. She was
never satisfied with her lot. Her humble family background didn’t match with her grand
dreams. She believed that she was born for all delicacies and luxuries of the world. Her
dreams were beyond her means. She dreamt of a big and grand house, marvellous
dishes, costly clothes and jewels. The harsh realities of life dashed her to the ground
from the seventh heaven of her dreamy world. Hence, she suffered and remained
dissatisfied. She did not like to visit her rich friends as it made her feel disappointed.

(ii) The poet Walt Whitman in his poem ‘Animals’ compares animals to human beings and
differentiates between them on the basis of their characteristics. Animals have been
ranked much higher than humans in poet’s perception. Since animals do not complain
about their situation, they are considered to be much happier than humans. Animals
live in natural surroundings, they accept their natural lives. Humans, on the other hand,
have never accepted nature, i.e., they complain about it and try to change it, leading to
an unhappy life. Animals never bow in front of others like them but human beings are
always ready to surrender for their personal benefits either monetary or social.
(iii) Buddha said that death is common to all mortals. Those who are born must die one day.
You cannot avoid it. Death is certain. As ripe fruits fall off the trees and meet an end so
do the lives of the mortals. Life of a man is like an earthen pot that breaks and meets its
end. No amount of weeping and lamenting can bring a dead back to life. So, wise men
don’t grieve. They understand that it is the law of nature. Also, weeping and lamenting
bring no gains. It rather spoils one’s health and gives more pain. If only you take out the
arrow of lamentation and get composed you will get peace of mind. So, overcome
sorrow and become free of sorrow.

SAMPLE PAPER 4
MARKING SCHEME

94
Ans. 1
1. Process of education via internet, distant learning, easy accessibility for all, various
means of mentoring
2. It became trendy during the Pandemic.
3. E- learning or distance learning, Popularity
4. Sitting in front of screen for prolonged periods hampers physical development,
eyesight and causes mental stress.

5. Self study is fostered, variety of means are available such as videos, animations,
movies etc.
6. Injurious to health, no physical development, detachment from family, friends
and society.

Ans. 2
1. When people choose organic substances instead of artificial chemical oriented
products to give benefits to their life it is known as organic lifestyle.
2. Organic products gain preference over chemical products because organic foods
are more nutritious, they have better texture, better taste, do not cause harm to the
body are healthy and have higher contents of nutrients.
3. It may cause several allergy skin infections damage to internal organ, acne and pimples
and damage to nervous system cancer, early ageing etc.
4. Pesticides, polymers, electronic chemicals, surfactants, construction chemicals,
industrial cleaners, flavors and fragrances, coatings, printing inks, food additives,
paper chemicals, oil field chemicals, plastic, cosmetic chemicals etc.
5. Organic food products do not involve any sort of chemicals during production
or processing and are healthy and do not cause food poisoning, intestine problems,
breathing problems, cancer etc.
6. Organic food product industry, organic personal care product industry, organic
supplements etc.

Ans. 3 Part I
The visual depicts the life cycle of a sea turtle. The life cycle of a sea turtle has several stages
like nesting, hatching, early childhood or juvenile period, adulthood and breeding and it
spans over a hundred years. Each female on an average nests, i.e. creates a safe underground
nest and lays eggs therein, for 5-6 nests per nesting season. Depending upon the species, a
turtle nest can contain 30 to 160 eggs which remain buried in sand pits 70-80 centimeters
deep. The eggs incubate for 45-70 days and as soon as they hatch, baby turtles rush towards
the sea. Young or juvenile turtles feed on planktonic invertebrates and move with ocean
currents in the first few years of their life. Upon reaching the size of about 60 centimeters, the
turtles settle in near-shore shallow waters to feed and mature to adulthood, which can take
anything between 20 to 50 years. Thereafter, turtles are ready for long distance breeding

95
migrations which may occur every 3 to 5 years. Turtles usually return to their original birth
place for breeding. After breeding is completed for the season, adults migrate back to for
aging grounds to feed and prepare for the next breeding season. That is how this cycle goes
on and on.

Ans. 3
Part II
Eureka House
Gandhi Road
Noida-223344

2nd March 2022

The Sales Manager


3/C, Woodcutters Inc.
Janakpuri, Delhi 112233

Subject- Placing an order for Furniture

Sir
This is a follow-up of our previous communication. Thank you for your timely response and
concern. We would like to place an immediate order for the following sets of furniture

S. No Code number Name of Article Material Quantity

1 2213 Conference table Wood 02

2 2276 Sofa Steel and Wood 02

3 2233 Chairs Wood 20

As per communication, we are sending a demand draft of ₹15,000 as an advance payment.


The rest of the money will be paid at the time of delivery. Kindly comply with our agreement
statements. We hope to receive the purchase in three working days.

Yours truly
Sign________
Mohan Bhagat
Assistant Engineer

Ans.4
(a) fall (b) has accepted (c) do not know

Ans.5
(a) he did not want to eat that vegetable
(b) he had to eat them

Ans. 6

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(i) Baking was indeed a profitable business in the old days. Almost for every festival and
occasion one required a bread or cake. The baker and his family never starved. Their
plump physique was an open testimony that they were happy and prosperous.The
baker used to collect his bills at the end of the month.

(ii) When Natalya comes to know that Lomov had come there to propose to her she was
shocked. She forgets the ownership of Oxen Meadows. She wails, changes her stance
and asks her father to fetch Lomov.

(iii) Amanda seems moody most of the time because she is lost in an imaginary world. Her
mother is always scolding her and telling her what she should or should not do. So
Amanda escapes into her own world where she imagines herself as an orphan, a
mermaid or as Rapunzel. This makes it look as though she is moody all the time.

(iv) Gautama Buddha askedKisa to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house where
death had never knocked at the door. KisaGotami went from door to door, but couldn’t
find a single house where death had not taken a beloved away. She could not get it as
death is inevitable and anyone who is born,is bound to die one day.

(v) Matilda’s overambitious nature led to her avoidable miseries. Just to show herself a rich
lady, she borrowed a necklace from her rich friend. Her miseries started when the
necklace was lost by her.Her whole life was spent in poverty and suffering paying for
loans which they took to pay the price of the necklace.
(vi) While returning, the young lawyer was too busy thinking about Bill Magnuson. He was
so fascinated with Bill being “so deep and richly human” and others so soft-spoken,
simple and wise that he thought of returning to New Mullion to practise law.
(vii) The poem 'The Tale of Custard the Dragon' is a humorous poem. The names of the
characters are funny. The pets are called Custard by funny names, which makes the
poem all the more humorous. All the pets boasted of being very brave but went into
hiding as soon as the pirate arrived.

Ans.7
(i) Beginning in kindergarten, Ebright collected butterflies with the same determination
and marked all his activities. In the second grade, he had collected all twenty five
species of butterflies found around his area. His determination to study butterflies
made him raise a flock of butterflies. He participated in science fairs, completed a
number of research projects and graduated from Harvard with highest honours. He
went on to become a graduate student researcher at Harvard Medical School. There he
began doing experiments to test his theory on DNA. Thus, his determination and
perseverance made him one of the greatest scientists. Though he was successful in
achieving success at young age but he never became over confident.

(ii) Bholi was a weak, timid person. She was an ignored child. Her parents treated her like a
burden. She was neglected, ill-treated and considered a dumb cow by her family. She
was sentto school.Her parents thought she would not be able to get a match with her
slow brain and pockmarked ugly face. This was a twist of fate for her.

97
At the school she luckily got a motivating, encouraging teacher who instilled in her
traits of self-confidence, self-respect and courage. To relieve her parents from worry,
she agreed to marry a lame, widower with grown-up children.
At the time of garlanding, the widower, Bishmabar noticed pockmarks on Bholi’s face.
He demanded Rs. 5000 as dowry money. Her father pleaded to lessen the amount but he
stuck to his demand. This aroused Bholi’s self-respect and she refused in front of all to
marry such a greedy, mean and heartless fellow. She decided to become a school
teacher and serve her parents in their old age.Her school teacher changed her future
and made it better. She transformed a timid, tame, dumb cow into a bold, courageous,
confident and self-respecting person.

(iii) The poet ‘Animals’ is a satire on human beings. It presents a striking comparison
between the human world and the animal world. The poet highlights false behaviour
and the nature of human beings. He enumerates that human beings always want to gain
more and more money, power and position. On the other hand animals are always
satisfied with what they have. They never bow in front of others like them to satisfy
their material goals like human beings. The poet seems fed up with human beings when
they preach about God but their sole target is to benefit themselves only. Animals never
talk about God or Godliness but they are always at peace.

SAMPLE PAPER 5
MARKING SCHEME

Ans. 1
1. People stock piled necessities, ignored instructions issued by government for
their own safety.
2. Startle or shock
3. Welcoming of digital world, remote work space and culture, spending more time
with family and developing strong relationships.
4. Wearing face masks, prevention of overcrowding public spaces, monitoring of travel
corridors and border restrictions.
5. Search for new and mindful ways, value of nature and outdoor learning, growing
own vegetables and making own bread.
6. Intermittent lockdowns, effective measures to curb the potential spread of infections
will be taken to learn lessons from the past.

Ans. 2
1. Space war
2. Improves motor skills and decision making skills, develops teamwork, relaxes mind and
body.
3. leads to addiction, poor eyesight, aggressiveness and violence, causes obesity,
uneasiness
4. reduces concentration and memory, leads to aggressiveness and violence, anti social
behaviour.
5. by not overindulging in the video games
6. It has evolved from Arcade systems to home consoles, handheld consoles and mobile
devices.

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Ans. 3 Part I
Diabetes is a disease in which the body's ability to produce or respond to the insulin hormone
is impaired due to various reasons. As a result of this impairment, there is an abnormal
metabolism of carbohydrates in the body and an elevation in the glucose levels in the blood.
Diabetes is of two types – Type 1 and Type 2. Both the types have certain similarities and
differences. Take for example, the symptoms in Type 1 – they can be usually seen in
childhood or young adulthood itself but in Type 2 they may not manifest in any form until the
disease is diagnosed. Type 1 is characterized by episodes of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar
levels whereas no such episodes are normally seen in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Type 1
accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all diabetes cases, the remaining are Type 2 cases, which are
typically diagnosed, though not always, in adulthood. In Type 1, the immune response of the
body eliminates the production of insulin hormone, whereas the bodies of patients with Type
2 diabetes develop resistance to insulin. While Type 2 can be prevented or delayed in a
majority of cases through exercise and diet regimes, Type 1, unfortunately, cannot be
prevented. It requires a lifelong use of insulin.

Ans. 3 –
Part II
268 New Colony
Meerut

22th October 2022

The Manager
Khanna International
Meerut

Subject: Enquiry about organising the Ring Ceremony.

Sir
This is hereby to state that my daughter’s ring ceremony has been fixed on 30th November
2022. I want to organise that function in your hotel ‘Khanna International’. Your hotel is one
of the best known hotels in the area, so we expect a good programme.

In this regard, kindly provide me following information:


(a) Catering cost per head (b) Decoration charges
(c) Charges for booking of hotel (d) Reception and welcome of guests
(e) Service charges (f) Any other charges
(g) Mode of payment

There will be about 100 persons attending the function. We want all the best facilities and
services for our guests. Kindly provide us the above said information at your earliest so that
we can plan further.

Yours Truly
Mohan Lal

Ans. 4
(a) should, (b) must, (c) behave

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Ans. 5
(a) how he could help him
(b) if he could pay a visit to their house right then

Ans.6
(i) Assam is known as the tea country. It has the world’s largest concentration of tea
plantations . A large number of tea gardens are there in Assam. Most of the tea grown
here is supplied all over the world. This is why Assam is referred to as “a tea country”.

(ii) Amanda values freedom more than anything in her life. She feels suffocated at home as
she is constantly nagged by her mother there. She wants to be an orphan. Like an
orphan, she likes to wander about the streets freely with bare feet.

(iii) The poem ‘Animals’ presents a striking comparison between human world and animal
world. It is a satire on false human behaviour, race of hoarding more and more
materialistic things. Whereas animals are always contended with what they have
without complaints.

(iv) Valli was just eight but she would not bear it if the conductor or any other person called
her a child nor did she like being called a madam.Valli being really devoted towards her
goals made sacrifices like not buying toys,balloons, go on the merry go ride etc just to
save money for her bus ride.Valli at the bus didn't confide into strangers rather focused
more on the outside scene.She got sad after seeing the dead cowand was disheartened.

(v) Matilda lost the necklace that she borrowed to get a little pleasure and show her vanity
at the minister’s party. She lost it. Both of them had to work very hard for ten years to
repay the loan they took to replace the lost necklace. Poor Matilda had to sacrifice her
comforts, youth, softness and beauty and Mr.Loisel also worked overtime.

(vi) Richard’s genius was obvious by the time he was in his second grade. He managed to
collect all 25 species of butterflies around his hometown and classify them. He also
loved to collect coins, fossils and rocks. Science was not his only passion. He was an
active member of school’s oratory club and model United Nations Club and was an
effective debater and a public speaker. He loved photography as well. He was a good
canoeist .He was an enthusiastic, honest and an outdoor person. Learning was easy for
him. So, he found it simple to devote time and energy to many other interests. He
became a champion in whatever he did. He believed in the spirit of competition to win.
But, he did not wish to defeat others just to win. He wanted to win to do his best. Thus,
he displayed a well-rounded personality.

(vii) Bholi was a mentally backward child. Everyone laughed at her. But her teacher brought
a new hope in Bholi's life. She filled her with confidence. Bholi refused to marry a
greedy person. She decided to teach in the village school. In this way Bholi's teacher
played an important role in changing the course of her life.

Ans. 7

100
(i) Oliver Lutkins made a fool of the young lawyer throughout his first visit to the village.
First he introduced himself as Bill at the railway station and assured the lawyer that
they would together search for Lutkins. He told the lawyer that he knew most of the
places where Lutkins used to hang out. In succession, he took the narrator to Fritz, then
to the barber’s shop, then Gray’s shop and finally Lutkins’ mother who he called a
‘terrible tigress’. He deceived the lawyer throughout and also charged two dollars an
hour including lunch hour. Thus, he was able to make a fool of the lawyer by taking him
all over the village without success, as the lawyer did not recogniseLutkins and so did
not realise that it was Lutkins himself who was taking him around.

(ii) According to Gautama Buddha, the world is affected by sufferings, disease and pain,
death and decay. Therefore, the wise persons do not mourn, knowing the terms of the
world. Nobody can get peace of mind from weeping or mourning. Rather his pain will be
greater and his body will suffer. He will make himself sick and pale, yet the dead cannot
be saved from his expression of sorrow. He who seeks peace should “draw out the
arrow” of lamentation, complaint and grief. In this manner, he who has become
composed will obtain peace of mind. He who has overcome all sorrows will become free
from sorrow, and be blessed.

(iii) Anton Chekov conveys the message that the principle of ‘forgive and forget’ helps a lot
in maintaining cordial relationship with one’s neighbours. Initially, the neighbours in
the play, Lomov, Natalya and Chubukov were fighting over petty issues. They were
putting important issues behind them and wasting their time by arguing over small
things. These arguments slowly developed into fights and they started hurling abuses at
one another. This spoiled their relationship with each other.It was when Natalya came
to know that Lomov had come to propose her that she left the topic of argument (Oxen
Meadows) behind. She also asked for forgiveness from Lomov and requested him to
come to the point. Hence it is mandatory to ‘forgive and forget’ if one wants to have
cordial relationship with others.

~~~~~*****~~~~~

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