B

PRE – BOARD EXAMINATION (DEC – 2022)

GRADE: X MARKS: 80
DATE: 14. 12. 2022 TIME: 3 HRS
ENGLISH: LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

General Instructions:

1. There are three sections in this paper. Answer all the questions section-wise and
between each section leave some space.
2. Please write the question number EXACTLY as given in the question paper.

3. Answers for all the questions are to be written in the answer sheet only.
4. Write neatly and legibly.

SECTION A: READING (20 marks)

I. Read the article and answer the questions that follow. (1x10=10)

Walking the soft white beaches of Los Roques, it is rare to see another human being. There are
empty conch shells, coral sculptures, scuttling hermit crabs, shiny lizards and long-legged
sandpipers. A nocturnal heron watches while a fluffy white chick sits in its nest amid the green
sea-purslane[1]. When I took to the warm turquoise waters, jumping jacks flopped in the
shallows; frigate birds with sharply angled wings floated above; curious terns looked me in the
eye; and pelicans dive-bombed for breakfast. Below the surface, designer fish played hide and
seek in the corals: angelfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, blueheads, snappers, baby damsels and a
fleeing turtle, to mention but a few.

Los Roques is an uninhabited coral archipelago 150 km off the coast of Venezuela comprising
42 small islands surrounding a huge lagoon. Here, in this paradisiacal playground, hurricanes
rarely happen. The days are hot and the nights cool. Venezuelans visit at weekends to snorkel,
scuba dive and watch the sunset, returning to Gran Roque, the only inhabited island, for dinner
and a comfortable and dense night in the exclusive company of the active, alert and majestically
quiet Eurasian eagle uhu.

We took a boat up the Orinoco River. Our guides encouraged us to take a dip in the river at
sunset. It looked inviting - the wide dark waters tinged with pink, parrots winging their way
-1-
home above a wall of green jungle. A young Belgian couple took the plunge. But are there
crocodiles? And piranha fish? Yes. But we never saw any, much to our chagrin. We were,
however, tickled pink at the sight of the electric-blue morpho butterflies, with wings as large
as your hand, noisy families of red howler monkeys and the part-reptile guacharacca[2] bird, a
hangover from prehistoric times. A magnificent puma, brought in as a baby by the Indians,
paced the length of its enclosure. In the rafters of the dining room an ocelot and a raccoon [3]
played together while a family of otters honked noisily for scraps at our table. A huge tarantula
sitting on an adjacent banana plant caused a stir. The young Belgian, in whose close proximity
I sat, took it on the back of his hand; unfortunately, his mosquito repellent irritated the spider
which slowly hunched up ready to deliver its poison. But a native skilfully and casually coaxed
it back to its leaf.

On retiring, keeping images of the tarantula at bay, I concentrated on counting the flashing
fireflies outside my room. I kept my shoes and socks on, just in case, and the night passed
peacefully. In the morning a black object whizzed past my ear and stuck on the shower room
wall. It was a flying frog (usually found in the toilet bowl). Gross! I skipped my shower.

[1]
any of a number of small, typically fleshy-leaved plants which grow in damp or marshy
habitats
[2]
medium-sized turkey-like bird with greyish plumage
[3]
a greyish-brown American mammal with a fox-like face with a black mask, a ringed tail, and
the habit of washing its food in water
Passage source: Cambridge IGCSE® First Language English Coursebook

On the basis of your understanding of the passage attempt the questions that follow:

i. What does the phrase ‘dive-bombed for breakfast’ mean?

A. crouching and evacuating to catch the prey

B. fluttering and swooning to catch the prey

C. attacking by swooping down to catch the prey

D. targeting and swooning to catch the prey

ii. What does the text mean by ‘took to the warm turquoise waters’?

A. to understand the warm sea water B. to observe the warmth from the sea water

C. to learn about the sea water D. to swim in the warm sea water

iii. Which two reptiles have been mentioned in the text?

A. sandpipers and guacharaccas B. crocodiles and lizards

C. otters and flying frogs D. ocelot and tarantula

-2-
iv. What frightened the writer?

A. the flying frog B. the howl of the monkeys

C. the crocodile D. the puma

v. State two differences between the two places mentioned in paragraph 2.

vi. What are the two night birds that can be seen in the two places mentioned in the passage?

vii. In a sentence, say what makes Venezuelans prefer Los Roques to spend their weekends.

viii. Which incident mentioned in the passage adversely affected the writer?

ix. On which two places is paragraph 2 based?

x. Read paragraph 3 and complete the following sentences in your own words:

The writer was disappointed because ____________________.

The writer was delighted because _______________________.

II. Read the article about a tree called the Mountain Ash, and then answer the following
questions. (1x10=10)
The Mountain Ash Tree

I have come to a forest on the Australian island of Tasmania and I am near

the top of a mountain ash, one of the tallest trees on earth. I’m here with some
scientists who are taking measurements of the tree, and collecting information
about the wildlife which lives in it. The insects, possums, reptiles, and even
frogs which are found in the treetops rely on rainwater which collects in holes
in the tree trunk. One of the scientists, Pete Douglas, suddenly shouts:
“There’s a huge hole here full of rainwater! This is the perfect place to
observe the wildlife.” We all make our way towards Pete’s discovery.

Today is windless and dry, which means that the trunk of the mountain ash
tree is its usual whitish-grey colour. In wet weather, however, the tree trunk
turns bright green. There are over 140 mountain ash trees more than 85 metres
tall in Tasmania, and the one we are climbing is almost 90 metres tall, the
height of a thirty-storey building. However, these trees are not as tall as some
of the North American giant redwoods, and neither do they live as long – 400 rather than 3000
years – but they are the tallest flowering trees on earth.

Most mountain ash trees, however, seem to have a natural height limit. There is a point where
they find it difficult to go any further up, and grow wider instead. A tree needs energy to grow
taller, and the leaves in the treetop are very important because they absorb energy from sunlight.
Treetop leaves also need water, however. The taller a tree is, the harder it becomes for the tree
to pull up enough water from the ground to feed those leaves, and they grow less. As a result

-3-
of this, they capture less energy from the sun, which in turn slows the tree’s growth.

One of my fellow climbers, Laura Potter, has been looking closely at the leaves growing at the
top of the tree that we are climbing. “The leaves are quite large,” she says. “That’s not what I
expected to find, which might mean that the tree hasn’t yet reached its peak height.” Mountain
ash trees often die from forest fires before they
reach their full height, whereas giant redwoods
which are affected by fire grow new branches.
Redwoods are also able to produce chemicals that
resist diseases. Mountain ash trees, on the other
hand, cannot protect themselves like that, and
diseases often kill them.

The biggest threat to mountain ash trees in the last

200 years, however, has been humans. Logging
companies have cut down huge areas of mountain
ash forests in order to provide wood for building
and other purposes. Moreover, logging businesses
in the 19th and 20th centuries generally chose to
cut down the giant trees first because these provided more wood. Surprisingly, Pete Douglas
and his colleagues are not pessimistic about the future of the tallest mountain ash trees. “Large
areas where they grow are now protected by state regulations,” says Pete. Unfortunately,
several logging companies have continued to cut down mountain ash trees in unprotected areas.
However, even this is changing. Falling prices for mountain ash wood mean that some
businesses are abandoning their activities.

Pressure from environmental organisations is also forcing them to look for more sustainable
sources of wood. Climate change may also affect the mountain ash trees. Scientists don’t yet
know, however, whether warmer temperatures will limit the growth of these trees or encourage
them to get even taller. Only time will tell.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage attempt the questions that follow:

i. The article chiefly highlights…………………….

A. the research of Pete and his fellow scientists B. the various types of trees

D. the uniqueness of the mountain ash tree D. Options A & C

ii. State two differences between the mountain ash and the giant redwood.

iii. According to the chart, how high is the tallest mountain ash tree alive today?

iv. Enumerate one disadvantage of a tall tree.

v. How does a shortage of water affect the leaves at the top of tall trees? Give two details.

vi. What has surprised Laura Potter about the tree that she is studying?

vii. It is evident from the article that giant trees were felled first because …………………..
-4-
viii. State whether the given statement is true or false:

The giant redwoods are not affected by forest fires.

ix. How are governments helping to preserve mountain ash forests?

x. Pick out the statement /statements that are inappropriate to the article.

1. Redwoods produce chemicals that resist diseases.

2. Scientists are not uncertain if warmer temperatures will limit the growth of the

trees.

3. Most mountain ash trees have a natural height limit.

4. Logging was popular only in the 19th and 20th centuries.

A. Option 1 B. Options 2 & 3

C. Options 2 & 4 D. Option 4

III SECTION B: GRAMMAR

Attempt ANY 10 of the following questions: (10)

i. Read the conversation between a mother and her son. Complete the statement by
reporting the son’s reply correctly.

Mother: “Don’t you have to go to office today? It’s already seven o’clock.”

Son: “I don’t have any important meetings today, mother; I’ll be going late today.”

Mother reminded her son that it was already seven o’ clock. She also enquired if he didn’t
have to go to office that day. The son replied stating .........................

ii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the given line.

You ...................buy a lottery ticket if you are under 18 years of age.

A. can’t B. won’t C. ought not D. shan’t

iii. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete Peter’s statement.

My dog likes to................... of his kennel to chase squirrels.

A. break in B. break out C. break off D. break through

-5-
iv. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following
line, from a news report:

While speaking to India Today, a expert decoded the mechanism of a suspension bridge and
explained the possible reasons behind the Morbi bridge collapse.

Option Nos.: Error Correction

A. speaking had spoken
B. a an
C. a the
D. behind beyond

v. Complete the given narrative, by filling in the blank with the correct option:

We never thought that the journey...............so long.

A. will take B. took C. had taken D. would take

vi. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket, for the given
portion of a letter:

Subject- Complaint regarding receipt of wrong set of books.

Sir/Madam

On February 1, 2022, I bought a book set (Order No. 000154) to be …............ (deliver) to
my friend in Chandigarh, Sector-20.

vii. Report the dialogue between a tourist and a guide by completing the sentence.

Guide: If you have any questions while we’re going along, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Tourist: I have a question actually.

Guide: Sure, what’s that?

Tourist: Where’s the best place to have dinner around here?

The tourist enquired as to which.............................................

viii. Identify the error in the given sentence, from an article and supply the correction.

During the times in the Covid pandemic, classes were shifted from offline to online.

Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction

-6-
ix. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option.

She’s on diet. She ................. not eat at all.

A. shall B. will C. would D. can

x. Milli wants her friend, Ruby’s assistance in solving a Math sum. Report her question.
How have you solved this sum?

xi. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option, to complete this statement on vigilance
awareness week.

Bulk SMS featuring the Vigilance toll free number 1064 ................ be sent to lakhs of mobile
users in the State for wide circulation.

A. will B. should C. can D. may

xii. Identify the error on an ayurvedic oil company’s hoarding and supply the correction.

BHAIDYANATH RHUMA OIL

Bhaidyanath Rhuma Oil is effective in curing joint pain, rheumatoid arthritis, in inflammation
of joints.

IV. SECTION B –CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS 10

All the names and addresses used in the questions are fictitious. Resemblance, if any, is purely coincidental.

1. Attempt any one of the following between 100 and 120 words: Either A or B. (5)

A. You are the store manager of Hotel Emerald Bay, Chennai. You need to order 50 kilograms
each of mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, unflavoured cream cheese, ricotta cheese and
parmesan cheese for the hotel from a vendor. Write a letter to the manager of Topi-sun Dairy,
Chennai, placing an order for the given items.
OR
B. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper expressing your concern about the increasing
ignorance of the people toward the basic traffic rules, especially when an ambulance is in a
rush to rescue critical patients. In your letter, sensitize the readers about the significance of
strictly following traffic rules, especially to prioritize the movement of ambulances.

2. Attempt ANY ONE of the following between 100 and 120 words. (5)

A. Use the given tables to write an analytical paragraph on the production and import of crude
oil in India in the vacation season of December 2017 to 2021.

-7-
 Table 1: Crude oil PRODUCTION per day in December of years 2017 - 2021

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Crude oil (barrels / day) 1329 1490 1000 990 1988

Table 2: Crude oil IMPORT per day in December of years 2017 - 2021

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Crude oil (barrels / day) 4889 4341 980 750 4993

OR

B. Observe the data on the casualties predicted for each year from the year 2100 in the given
states of India due to the increasing intensity of heat. Analyze how the spike in temperature is
expected to affect the mortality rate of India in the future as projected.

-8-
 SECTION C - LITERATURE 40

V. Reference to the Context

1. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. 5

1.A. “...and she also asked a few discreet questions here and there. This way she picked up
various small details about the bus journey. The town was six miles from her village. The
fare was thirty paise one way — “which is almost nothing at all,” she heard one well-
dressed man say, but to Valli, who scarcely saw that much money from one month to the
next, it seemed a fortune”

i. What does ‘this’ refer to in the given extract?

ii. Select the option that correctly captures the application of the word ‘picked up’ as used in
the extract.

A. They won't let him out of hospital until his health has picked up quite a lot.
B. Rather gingerly, George picked up the tiny bundle.
C. They picked up the conversation from where they left off yesterday.
D. She picked up Spanish when she was living in Mexico.

iii. Why did Valli pick up various small details about the bus journey?

A. She liked to always pick up these small details.

B. She liked to observe the people.
C. The people are going to help her during the bus journey.
D. She inferred many details that would help her in her bus journey.

iv. Replace the underlined word with its right synonym contextually.

She also asked a few discreet questions here and there.

A. careful B. tactless C. unnoticeable D. conspicuous

v. From the given extract we can infer that Valli is ………………….

1. smart 2. foresighted 3. affluent 4. calculative

A. 1 & 2 B. 1 & 3 C. 1, 2 & 4 D. 3 & 4

OR

1.B Well, it’s time I did some real work, I told myself; I’m out of practice. And if I don’t take
the money, he’ll only waste it on his friends. After all, he doesn’t even pay me.

Anil was asleep. A beam of moonlight stepped over the balcony and fell on the bed. I sat
up on the floor, considering the situation. If I took the money, I could catch the 10.30
Express to Lucknow. Slipping out of the blanket, I crept up to the bed. Anil was sleeping
peacefully. His face was clear and unlined; even I had more marks on my face, though
mine were mostly scars.

-9-
i. Choose an appropriate option that imitates the literary device as used in, “A beam of
moonlight stepped over the balcony”.

A. The beam of the light cannot be tolerated while driving.

B. The beam of light danced away to glory as we drove past the forest.
C. They sat down with the light in their hands as they did not know the path.
D. The lights are on, so there must be somebody at home.

ii. Why did Hari Singh say, “it’s time I did some real work”?

A. Hari was out of touch with cooking.

B. Hari decided to save Anil’s money.
C. Anil never paid Hari.
D. Hari decided to rob Hari off.

iii. “he’ll only waste it on his friends. After all, he doesn’t even pay me”. This indicates that
…………….

A. Hari Singh was convincing himself about the act he was to commit.
B. Hari Singh was annoyed with Anil.
C. Anil was a spendthrift.
D. Hari Singh was blaming Anil.

iv. Complete the analogy by selecting the suitable word from the extract.

frown: smile:: blemishes: _________________

v. Pick a line from the extract that shows Hari Singh is guilt ridden.

2. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. 5

2.A

All night the roots work

to disengage themselves from the cracks
in the veranda floor.
The leaves strain toward the glass
small twigs stiff with exertion
long-cramped boughs shuffling under the roof
like newly discharged patients
half-dazed, moving
to the clinic doors.

i. Complete the sentence appropriately.

- 10 -
It is clear that simile is the poetic device used for ‘under the roof like the newly discharged
patients’ because …………………. (Clue: explain how simile applies here)

ii. State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE:

The extract uses trees as an extended metaphor to females who are in need of

healing.

iii. How does the use of enjambment impact this extract?

A. It forces frequent pauses. B. It simplifies the meaning.

C. It builds momentum. D. It makes the lines lyrical.

iv. The phrase, “newly discharged patients” suggests that the trees were ……

A. angry or irritated because they were not receiving medical help or remedy, but now
they're cured and want to stay away from clinics.

B. discontent or disturbed and in need of support from the clinic staff, but now their
complaints have been addressed and they are content to live their lives.

C. misunderstood or mistreated and in need of medical attention or care, but now they're
healthy and ready to step out and promote the facility.

D. unwell or unhappy and in need of medical help or remedy, but now they're
cured and ready to venture out and live their lives.

v. Choose the option that DOES NOT state the meaning of the underlined word. ‘to
disengage themselves’
A. withdraw B. disentangle C. extricate D. embroil

OR

2. B

(I am Rapunzel, I have not a care;

life in a tower is tranquil and rare;

I’ll certainly never let down my bright hair!)

Stop that sulking at once, Amanda!

You’re always so moody, Amanda!

Anyone would think that I nagged at you, Amanda!

- 11 -
i. Why has Amanda’s name repeated thrice in the given extract?

ii. What is the tone of the mother when she says the last three lines?

A. considerate B. oppressing C. authoritative D. patronising

iii. A word in the extract that means ‘silent, unpleasant and angry’ is ………………

iv. Amanda desires to live in the tower because ……………………

A. She likes to have long beautiful hair.

B. She wants to enjoy a quiet and peaceful tower.
C. She wants a house like the tower.
D. She wants to avoid her irksome life and experience a quiet and peaceful time.

v. Why is the first stanza in the extract given in parenthesis?

1. To distinguish from mother’s voice.

2. As the child’s thoughts and imagination are not expressed vocally.
3. Because it is a story that the child is planning to express.
4. Because the daughter is annoyed with the mother.

A. only 1 B. only 4 C. both 3 & 4 D. both 1 & 2

VI. Answer ANY FOUR of the following in about 40-50 words each. 3*4=12

i. Do you think being enlightened placed a far greater responsibility on Buddha than being a
king would have? Justify your stance.

ii. How can you say that the conductor in the story Madam Rides the Bus was a good-natured
jolly fellow? Support your answer with examples.

iii. “I wish I had the faith of the man who wrote this letter.” In the light of this statement
describe Lencho’s character.

iv. Anne called 26 July a tumultuous day. Explain the reason behind it.

v. The people of Coorg have a tradition of courage and bravery. How has it been recognised in
modern India?

VII. Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 40-50 words each. 3*2=6

i. When and why did the woman in red say, “Society must be protected from men like you”?
Doesn’t it sound ironic? (A Question of Trust)

ii. What do you think were the feelings of Madam Forestier when she came to know that
Matilda had returned her a diamond necklace in place of an artificial one?

- 12 -
iii. Hobbies play a very important role in one’s life; elaborate this with reference to “The
Making of a Scientist”?

VIII. Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100 -120 words. 1*6=6

i. The tiger in the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’ presents a contrasting image with the tiger in the
poem ‘How to Tell Wild Animals’. Compare and contrast the two tigers with reference to
the manner in which they have been presented in both poems

ii. The principle ‘forgive and forget’ helps a lot in maintaining cordial relations with our
neighbours. Do you think Anton Chekov conveys this message in the play ‘The Proposal’?

IX. Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words. 1*6=6

i. Presence of mind and intelligence are more powerful than a gun. How far is it true in the case
of Ausable, the secret agent?

ii. Read the following quote by an American author, E. E. Hale.

“I am only one but, I am one. I cannot do everything but I can do something. And I will not let
what I cannot do interfere with what I do.”

Bholi’s evolution from a ‘dumb cow’ to a ‘masterpiece’ supports the given quote. Justify.

~~~~~~~~~

- 13 -