Section A- Reading

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow: (2x2= 4 Marks)

When leaving his surgery on the morning of April 16, Dr. Bernard Rieux felt something
soft under his foot. It was a dead rat lying in the middle of the landing.

            On the spur of the moment he kicked it to one side and, without giving it a further
thought, continued on his way downstairs. Only when he was stepping out into the street did it
occur to him that a dead rat had no business to be on his landing, and he turned back to ask the
concierge of the building to see to its removal. It was not until he noticed old M. Michel’s
reaction to the news that he realized the peculiar nature of his discovery. Personally, he had
thought the presence of the dead rat rather odd, no more than that; the concierge, however, was
genuinely outraged. On one point he was categorical: “There weren’t no rats here.” In vain the
doctor assured him that there was a rat, presumably dead, on the second-floor landing; M.
Michel’s conviction wasn’t to be shaken. There “weren’t no rats in the building,” he repeated, so
someone must have brought this one from outside. Some youngster trying to be funny, most
likely.

            That evening, when Dr. Rieux was standing in the entrance, feeling for the latch-key in
his pocket before starting up the stairs to his apartment, he saw a big rat coming toward him from
the dark end of the passage. It moved uncertainly, and its fur was sopping wet. The animal
stopped and seemed to be trying to get its balance, moved forward again toward the doctor,
halted again, then spun round on itself with a little squeal and fell on its side. Its mouth was
slightly open and blood was spurting from it. After gazing at it for a moment, the doctor went
upstairs.

            He wasn’t thinking about the rat. That glimpse of spurting blood had switched his
thoughts back to something that had been on his mind all day. His wife, who had been ill for a
year now, was due to leave next day for a sanatorium in the mountains. He found her lying down
in the bedroom, resting, as he had asked her to do, in view of the exhausting journey before her.
She gave him a smile.

—Albert Camus, The Plague

1. What is the meaning of a “concierge”?

a. a caretaker
b. a waiter
c. a landowner
Answer: a
 2. Which of the following statements about Dr. Rieux is true?
a. He is a medical doctor.
b. He has a wife who is ill.
c. He is instantly concerned on seeing a dead rat on his landing.
d. He complains to the concierge regarding the dead rat.
Answer: a, b, d

Section B- Listening
(3x2= 6 Marks)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18WBvurDvmLvaRJfkEjj6CWaBDUEPb7vg/view?usp=sha
ring

Listen to the audio sample in the link and answer the questions below:
1. “But the times that you force you to claw and scratch and fight” The meaning of ‘claw and
scratch’ is

a. Scratch the base of the problem

b. Tear your problem
c. Hold on and fight through the problem

Answer: c

2. The meaning of ‘knocked down’ is

a. Being pushed down

b. Feeling a defeat
c. Suffering a beating

Answer: b

3. From the content, guess the meaning of ‘vague platitude’.

a. Meaningless place
b. Meaningless advice
c. Meaningless attitude
Answer: b

Section C- Grammar and Usage

(10x1= 10 Marks)
1. All of the bottles, even the cracked one, _______ in the fridge.
a. are
b. will
c. is
d. am
Answer: a

2. ‘Either Vibha or her pets _____ responsible for this mess.’

a) Is
b) Are
c) Has
d) Have
Answer- b

3. Identify the category of the underlined word.

Pass me the salt, please.

a. Noun
b. Adjective
c. Verb
d. Adverb
Answer- c

4.“I couldn’t _____________, and now everyone knows that Rita was fired.” Finish the
underlined part of this sentence.

a. hold myself
b. hold my tongue
c. hold my water
Answer: b
5. Choose the correct sentence from among the following sentences:
a. Neither Kamal nor Shefali like brown shoes.
b. Either Kamal or Shefali like brown shoes.
c. Either Kamal or Shefali does not like brown shoes.
d. Neither Kamal nor Shefali likes brown shoes.
Answer: c, d

Convert the following sentences into passive voice.

6. Vishnu rang the alarm when Jishnu found the smoke.
a) Jishnu found the smoke when Vishnu rang the alarm.
b) The alarm was rung by Vishnu when the smoke was found by Jishnu.
c) Vishnu was ringing the alarm when Jishnu was finding the smoke.
d) The alarm was rung by Vishnu when Jishnu finds the smoke.
Answer: b)

Convert the following sentences to active voice.

7. The cup was broken by Sandip.
a) The cup were broken by Sandip.
b) Sandip is breaking the cups.
c) Sandip broke the cup.
d) Sandip will break the cup.

Answer: c)

8. The orator and poet __ dead.

a) are
b) were
c) is
d) have
Answer: c

Identify the adverb.

9. I woke up late yesterday.
a) late
b) yesterday
c) up
 d) (a) and (b)
Answer: d

10. Identify the misspelt word:

a. Bouqet
b. Separate
c. Foreign
d. Cemetery
Answer- a

Section D- Writing
(1x5= 5 Marks)
Write an email to a company/organization that you want to work for, requesting for a summer
internship opportunity. Word limit is 200 words.