PODAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Periodic Test 2 (2021-22)

Std: X Subject: English
Total Marks: 40 Duration: 90 minutes
General Instructions:
1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections.
2. Section A-READING has 18 questions. Attempt a total of 14
questions, as per specific instructions for each question.
3. Section B-WRITING & GRAMMAR has 12 questions. Attempt a total of 10
questions, as per specific instructions for each question.
4. Section C-LITERATURE has 30 questions. Attempt 26 questions, as per specific
instructions for each question.
5. All questions carry equal marks.
6. There is no negative marking.
7. Writing time: 90 minutes

SECTION A-READING
I. Read the passage given below:
Have you ever failed at something so miserably that the thought of
attempting to do it again was the last thing on your mind?
If your answer is yes, then you should understand that you are not a
robot. Unlike robots, we human beings have feelings, emotions and
dreams. We are all meant to grow despite our circumstances and
limitations. Flourishing and trying to make our dreams come true feels
great when life goes our way. But what happens when it does not? What
happens when you fail despite all your hard work? Do you stay down and
accept defeat or do you get up again? If you tend to persevere and keep
going, you have what experts call ‘grit’
Falling down or failing is one of the most agonising, embarrassing and
scary human experiences. But it is also one of the most educational,
empowering, and essential parts of living a successful and fulfilling life.
Did you know that perseverance (grit) is one of the seven qualities that
has been described as the key to personal success and betterment in
society? The other six are curiosity, gratitude, optimism, self-control, social
intelligence and zest. Thomas Edison is an example of grit for trying more

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 than 1,000 times to invent the light bulb. If you are reading this with the
lights on in your room, you will realise the importance of his success.
When asked why he kept going despite hundreds of failures, he merely
stated that they had not been failures; they were hundreds of attempts
towards creating the light bulb. This statement not only revealed his grit
but also his optimism for looking at the bright side.
Grit can be learnt to help you become more successful. One of the
techniques that help is mindfulness. Mindfulness is a practice that makes
an individual stay at the moment by bringing awareness of his or her
experience without judgement. This practice has been used to quieten the
noise of fears and doubts. Through this simple practice of mindfulness,
individuals have the ability to stop the self-sabotaging downward spiral of
hopelessness, despair, and frustration.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any eight out of the
ten questions by choosing the correct option.
Q. 1 The reason why you are not a robot is that____________.
A. you fail miserably at tasks that affect your emotions

B. failure and success can affect your emotions

C. you work hard

D. you have limitations

Q. 2 Choose the option that best captures the central idea of the passage from
the given quotes.

A. Option (1)
B. Option (2)

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 C. Option (3)

D. Option (4)
Q. 3 What is the tone of the following text: ‘Falling down or failing is one of
the most agonising, embarrassing, and scary human experiences. But it is
also one of the most educational, empowering, and essential parts of
living a successful and fulfilling life.’
A. humorous

B. optimistic

C. horrifying

D. solemn
Q. 4 _______________ was created after several attempts.
A. Electricity

B. Light bulb

C. Current

D. Tube light
Q. 5 Which of the following sentences makes the correct use of the word ‘grit’,
as used in the above passage?
A. Get rid of that grit in your shoes.

B. She had a bit of grit in her eyes.

C. The road had been covered with grit.

D. Her grit never made her give up.

Q. 6 How does mindfulness help?
A. It creates awareness.

B. It quietens the noise of fears and doubts.

C. It helps one become successful.

D. It helps develop focus and judgement.

Q. 7 What is one of the most educational and agonising of all experiences?
A. failing

B. flourishing

C. mindfulness

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 D. perseverance
Q. 8 Choose the option that correctly states the meaning of ‘social
intelligence’ as implied in the passage.
A. knowing others

B. knowing oneself and others

C. knowing oneself

D. knowing one’s surroundings

Q. 9 The importance of perseverance and optimism for a successful and
fulfilling life is explained using the example of ________.
A. Thomas Edison

B. flourishing

C. robots

D. limitations
Q. 10 What is the message conveyed in the last paragraph of the passage?
A. Always aim for the best.

B. Live life king size.

C. Mindfulness overcomes the negative impact of failure.

D. Social intelligence is crucial for a successful life.

II. Read the passage given below.
In addition to using libraries and visiting art museums, historic site
visitation is another common form of public engagement with the
humanities. According to the National Endowment for the Arts’ Survey of
Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA), the percentage of people making
at least one such visit fell steadily from 1982 to 2012, before rising
somewhat in 2017. Visits to historic sites managed by the National Park
Service (NPS) were substantially higher in 2018 than 1980, despite a
decline in recent years.
In 2017, 28% of American adults reported visiting a historic site in the
previous year. This represented an increase of 4.4 percentage points
from 2012 but a decrease of 8.9 percentage points from 1982. The bulk
of the decline in visitation occurred from 2002 to 2008. The recent
increases in visitation rates were statistically significant for the 35-44- and
45-54-year old age groups. The larger change was found among 35-to-

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 44-year- olds, whose visitation rate increased 8.7 percentage points.
Despite the increase from 2012 to 2017 for these groups, there was a net
decline in historic site visitation since 1982 for Americans of virtually all
ages. Only among the oldest Americans (age 75 or older) was the rate of
visitation higher in 2017 than 35 years earlier.
While visitation rates are converging among the age cohorts, the
differences by level of educational attainment are still pronounced. In
2017, as in earlier years, the visitation rate among college graduates was
more than twice as high as the rate among those who finished their
studies with a high school diploma (43% as compared to 17%).
Since hitting a recent low in visits in 1995, total visits to historic sites of
all types increased 58% to a high of 20.3 million in 2016, before falling
7%, to 111.9 million visits in 2018.
In 1982, the rate of visitation among 25-to-34-year-olds (the group most
likely to visit a historic site in that survey) was approximately 11
percentage points higher than that of the youngest age group (18-to- 24-
year-olds) and more than 17 points higher than that of people ages 65-
74. By 2017, however, the visitation rate of 25-to-34-year-olds had
dropped to within five percentage points of the younger cohort and was
virtually identical of that for the older group.
Much of the recent growth in visits to historic sites occurred among
parks classified as national memorials and was driven by a particularly
high level of visitation at sites that did not exist in 1995, such as the
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (3.3 million visitors in 2018), the
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial (3.6 million visitors), and the World
War II Memorial (4.7 million visitors). From 2016 to 2018, the number of
visits fell in every category, with the largest decline occurring at the
memorial sites (down 10%), and the smallest drop at national
monuments (3%).
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any six out of the
eight questions by choosing the correct option.
Q.11 Which of the following is NOT a common form of public engagement
with the humanities?
A. visiting art museums

B. using libraries

C. visiting historic sites

D. visiting public memorials

Q.12 Which age group had a higher rate of visitation to historic sites in 2017

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 than 35 years earlier in America?
A. 35-44 year olds

B. 45-54 year olds

C. 75 or more year olds

D. 25-34 year olds

Q.13 After the year 1995, total visits to historic sites of all types increased 58%
in the year _________.
A. 2015

B. 2016

C. 2017
D. 2018
Q.14 The number of historical sites visits fell in every category from the year
2016 to the year 2018, with the largest decline occurring at _________.
A. the archaeological sites

B. the art museums

C. the memorial sites

D. the national monuments

Q.15 Though the visitation rates are converging among the age groups, the
differences by the level of _______________are still pronounced.
A. employment attainment
B. gender category

C. international visitation

D. educational attainment
Q.16 Which of the following is NOT a historical memorial in America?

A. World War II Memorial

B. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

C. Lincoln Liberty Memorial

D. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

Q.17 In 2017, ______ of American adults reported visiting a historic site.
A. 17%

B. 28%

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 C. 22%

D. 18%
Q.18 Visits to historic sites managed by the ________ were substantially higher
in 2018.
A. National Park Service

B. National Public Service

C. National Public Survey

D. National Park Survey

SECTION B-GRAMMAR and WRITING
GRAMMAR
III. Answer any five out of six questions by selecting the most
appropriate option for each.
Q. 19 Fill in the blank with the correct modal.
In general, you _______ have a receipt if you want to return something.
A. can

B. must

C. might

D. may
Q.20 Fill in the blank with the correct determiner.
Unfortunately, I have ______ talent for music although I have always
wanted to be a famous singer.
A. a few
B. many
C. little
D. enough
Q. 21 I am sorry the house is not for sale any longer. It _______ to a timber
tycoon.
A. was being sold
B. will be sold
C. is sold
D. has been sold

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Q 22. Which option displays the correct change of the following to reported
speech?
He said, “Bring a glass of water, please.”
A. He requested me to bring a glass of water.
B. He ordered me to bring him a glass of water.
C. He commanded me to bring a glass of water.
D. He proposed me to bring a glass of water.
Q. 23 Which option displays the correct change of the following to reported
speech?
Rathi said, “Reschedule the meeting to next Monday.”
A. Rathi asked for the meeting to be rescheduled to the next Monday.
B. Rathi asked to reschedule the meeting to the following Monday.
C. Rathi said to reschedule the meeting for Monday.
D. Rathi asked for the rescheduling of the meeting for the following Monday.
Q. 24 The crowd that _________ due to the commotion has dispersed now.
A. have gathered
B. has been gathered
C. has been gathering
D. had gathered

WRITING
IV Answer any five out of the six questions given, with reference to the
. context below.
You are Dinesh Sharma, the resident of H-20, Lake View City Residential
Society, Kailash Puram, Delhi.
You need to write a letter to the Municipal Councillor attracting his
attention towards lack of amenities in your locality park. Choose the most
appropriate option from the given options.
Q. 25 What will you write in place of t h e ‘Sender’s address’?

A. Dinesh Sharma, H-20, Lake View City Residential Society, Kailash Puram
B. H-20, Lake View City Residential Society, Kailash Puram, Delhi
C. H-20, Lake View City Residential Society

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 D. Dinesh Sharma, H-20, Lake View City Residential Society, Kailash Puram,
Delhi
Q. 26 Choose the appropriate subject for the letter.
A.
Attracting the attention of the Municipal Councillor
B. Attracting lack of amenities in the locality park
C. Lack of amenities in the locality park.
D. We need amenities for our park in our locality.
Q. 27 The park in our locality is the only place where _________________.
Complete the sentence.
A. we can go shopping
B. we are going for strolling and doing exercises
C. we were going for strolling, walking and doing exercises
D. we can go for a walk and engage in recreational activities
Q. 28 Which option should Dinesh select to suggest immediate changes to be
implemented to improve the amenities?

A. Option A
B. Option B
C. Option C

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 D. Option D
Q. 29 Which phrase best describes the salutation for the letter?
A. Yours affectionately
B. Yours lovingly
C. Yours faithfully
D. Your best wisher
Q. 30 Which sentence best describes the concluding sentence?
A. I seriously want you to take some action against all this.
B. I request you to take prompt actions and restore the park to its original
condition.
C. I request you to spread awareness about the issue.
D. I want you to take action against the authorities.

SECTION C-LITERATURE

This section has sub-sections – V, VI, VII, VIII & IX. There are a total of
30 questions in this section. Attempt any 26 questions from the sub-
sections V to IX.
V. Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow:
Everything was going well — it was an easy flight. Paris was about 150
kilometres behind me when I saw the clouds. Storm clouds. They were
huge. They looked like black mountains standing in front of me across
the sky. I knew I could not fly up and over them, and I did not have
enough fuel to fly around them to the north or south. “I ought to go
back to Paris,” I thought, but I wanted to get home. I wanted that
breakfast. ‘I’ll take the risk,’ I thought, and flew that old Dakota straight
into the storm.”
Q. 31 Based on the given extract, choose the option that lists the meme
which would be the most appropriate response to “…it was an easy
flight”?

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 A. Option (i)
B. Option (ii)
C. Option (iii)
D. Option (iv)
Q. 32 How would you describe the ‘risk’ the narrator took?

A. calculated

B. impetuous

C. navigable

D. unavoidable
Q. 33 Select the correct option to fill in the given blanks:
risk: risky::__________: ________
A. danger: dangerously

B. peril: imperilled

C. hazard: hazardous

D. caution: precaution
Q. 34 In what way might the reference to the Dakota as ‘old’ be relevant?
A. It is employed by the narrator as a term of endearment.

B. It did not have enough fuel to fly around the storm clouds.

C. Its antique value made it expensive and precious to the narrator.

D. Its ability to negotiate the storm clouds might have been uncertain.
Q. 35 Read the following statements and then select the option that best
describes the above extract.
Statement I – The narrator’s desire to reach home and see his family
which made him complacent.
Statement II – The narrator was unaware of the threat that the adversarial
storm clouds presented.
Statement III – The narrator’s decision making was quick but was
irresponsible as well as dangerous.
A. Statement I is False, Statement II is True, Statement III cannot be inferred.

B. Statement I and III are True, Statement II cannot be inferred.

C. Statement I cannot be inferred, Statement II is False, Statement III is True.

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 D. Statement I and II are False, Statement III is True.
VI. Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow:
“Mr Keesing had a good laugh at my arguments, but when I proceeded to
talk my way through the next lesson, he assigned me a second essay. This
time it was supposed to be on ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox’. I handed it in,
and Mr Keesing had nothing to complain about for two whole lessons.
However, during the third lesson, he’d finally had enough. “Anne Frank, as
a punishment for talking in class, write an essay entitled-‘Quack, Quack,
Quack, said Mistress Chatterbox’.”
Q. 36 What convincing argument was made by Anne?

A. She was talkative just like any other student in the class.

B. She had the right to be talkative, as it was a classroom and not a prison.

C. She had inherited the trait from her mother, so couldn’t stop being
talkative.
D. She found it impossible to be quiet like the others as she couldn’t
change herself.
Q. 37 What does ‘had a good laugh’ imply, in the context of Mr. Keesing?
It means that he __________________.
A. celebrated his ability to make Anne write the essay

B. ridiculed Anne in front of the whole class

C. pulled up Anne for her arguments in the essay

D. realised the humour in it and was amused

Q. 38 Based on this extract, pick the option with the list of words that best
describe Mr Keesing.
A. grumpy and creative
B. strict and innovative

C. tolerant and strict

D. innovative and jovial

Q. 39 Why do you think Mr Keesing chose the title ‘An Incorrigible Chatterbox’
for Anne, to write on?
This was so because he expected ___________________.
A. Anne to express her inability to elaborate on such a topic

B. that this would embarrass Anne and would check her indiscipline
C. her to apologise and not repeat her talkative behaviour

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 D. Anne to explore her creative writing skills
Q. 40
How did Anne feel when she was punished the third time by Mr Keesing?
She ____________________.
A. was happy as she had to write three essays on the same topic

B. enjoyed making fun of Mr Keesing in her own way

C. was worried as she had run of original ideas for her essay

D. was thrilled at another opportunity to showcase her writing abilities

VII. Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow:
He stalks in his vivid stripes
The few steps of his cage,
On pads of velvet quiet,
In his quiet rage.
Q. 41 The fact that he is stalking the few steps means ________________.

A. He is free.
B. He is caged.
C. He is roaming in the forest.
D. He is wandering in the long grass.
Q. 42 ‘Pads of velvet’ means ___________.

A. the animal’s walk

B. the animal’s soft fur

C. the animal’s soft soles

D. the animal’s roar

Q. 43 Pick out the word from the stanza that means the same as ‘bright’.

A. stripes

B. velvet

C. rage

D. vivid
Q. 44 Name the poetic device used in line 1.

A. Metaphor
B. Simile

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 C. Personification

D. Repetition
Q. 45 Which tiger do you think is he?

A. Option a

B. Option b

C. Option c

D. Option d

VIII. Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow:
Anil was watching a wrestling match when I approached him. He was
about 25-- a tall, lean fellow – and he looked easy-going, kind and
simple enough for my purpose. I hadn’t had much luck of late and
thought I might be able to get into the young man’s confidence. “You
look a bit of a wrestler yourself,” I said. A little flattery helps in making
friends.
Q. 46 According to the extract, the young boy was watching the wrestling match
because he __________________.
A. had been invited there by the wrestlers

B. was supposed to meet someone there

C. was looking for simple people to dupe

D. loved wrestling and followed it very closely

Q. 47 ‘I hadn’t had much luck of late’ means that the boy hadn’t ___________.

A. ever conned people successfully

B. been successful in duping people lately

C. understood the consequences of thievery till date

D. considered the role of fate in deceiving others

Q. 48 ‘I might be able to get into the young man’s confidence.’
Choose the option that DOES NOT display what the statement means.

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 A. He wanted to win his trust.

B. He wanted him to share his thoughts without caution.

C. He wanted him to feel comfortable in revealing more details about

himself.
D. He wanted to be able to spend quality time with him.
Q. 49 ‘Anil looked easy-going, kind and simple to the narrator.
Which of the given characteristics would NOT fit in with this description?
A. compassionate

B. suave

C. uncomplicated

D. carefree
Q. 50 Based on the line, “A little flattery helps in making friends.” Choose
the option that displays the quote closest in meaning.
A. Imitation is the best form of flattery; people generally understand that
my comedy is not intended to hurt anybody
B. I know imitation is the highest form of flattery, but stealing one's identity
is totally different.
C. Nothing is so great an example of bad manners as flattery. If you
flatter all the company, you please none; If you flatter only one or
two, you offend the rest.
D. One may define flattery as a base companionship which is most
advantageous to the flatterer.

IX. Attempt the following.

Q. 51 How did Lencho and his family react to the calamity?

A. Lencho and his family were filled with sorrow but they had faith in God.

B. Lencho and his family were filled with excitement. They thought it would
be an opportunity to hunt in the forest.
C. Lencho and his family with filled with contentment.

D. Lencho and his family were filled with guilt.

Q. 52 How does Nelson Mandela define the meaning of courage?

A. triumph over fear

B. triumph over love

C. triumph over selfishness

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 D. triumph over poverty
Q. 53 What changed the poet’s mood in the poem ‘Dust and Snow’?

A. The walk in the snow changed the poet’s mood.

B. The hemlock tree changed the poet’s mood.

C. The falling of the snow on the poet changed his mood.

D. The crow changed the poet’s mood.

Q. 54 In the poem ‘Fire and Ice’, how are fire and ice similar even though they
are contradictory traits?
A. Fire and ice are similar in the sense that both can destroy the world.

B. Fire and ice are similar in the sense that both can cause sensations of
heat and cold.
C. Fire and ice are similar in the sense that both unite people.

D. Fire and ice are similar in the sense that both can be destroyed by water.
Q. 55
Why was the young seagull not flying with the rest of the family?
A. He was hurt. He had a broken wing and could not fly until he was healed.

B. He was too young. His wings were too small to support him.

C. He was afraid to fly. He was sure that his wings would not support him.

D. He was too lazy to fly. He wanted his family to catch fish and feed him.
Q. 56 In the poem ‘A Tiger in the Zoo’, how does the caged tiger feel?

A. The caged tiger is happy and satisfied. He enjoys it when people come to
see him and bring him his food.
B. The caged tiger is happy and satisfied. He does not have to hunt for food
or terrorise people anymore.
C. The caged tiger feels hungry and frustrated. The zookeeper forgot to feed
him and clean his cage.
D. The caged tiger feels angry and frustrated. He is not interested in the
people who come to see him.
Q. 57 Who found Anne Frank’s diary?

A. Otto Frank, Anne’s father found her diary.

B. Margot Frank, Anne’s sister found her diary.

C. Anne’s teacher, Mr Keesing, found her diary.

D. Anne’s pet, Kitty, found her diary.

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 Q. 58 Why did Mrs Pumphrey relent even after the doctor had suggested her to
cut down on Tricki’s sweets?
A. Her husband asked her to do so.

B. The narrator asked her to do so

C. She couldn’t bear to refuse Tricki anything.

D. She realised she had been wrong.

Q. 59 Hari Singh did not catch the train. Why?

A. He couldn’t reach the railway station on time.

B. The train was very crowded.

C. He didn’t get a ticket.

D. His inner conscience held him back.

Q. 60
What kind of a person was Griffin?
A. Griffin was a brilliant scientist. He was also kind and gentle.

B. Griffin was a budding scientist. He was also a good magician.

C. Griffin was a brilliant scientist. He was also a lawless person.

D. Griffin failed as a scientist. He was dejected with life.

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