SECOND MODEL EXAMINATION 2022-2023

STD X Marks : 80
Time 2 hrs
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
PAPER 1
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You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes.
This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.
The time given at the head of this paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.
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Attempt all questions.
The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ].
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Question 1
(Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question.)
Write a composition (300-350 words) on any one of the following: (20)
(a) Write an original short story entitled ‘Man is often ruined by his pride’.
(b) “Billions of dollars are spent every year by the world’s space agencies; this
money does not bring us any direct benefit. Instead, we should pull the plug and
spend it elsewhere.” Express your views either for or against this statement.
(c) You were held up in a village railway station one night due to an accident. Give
an account of your experience.
(d) School is a temple of learning. But this belief is fast changing now. Keeping in
view the trend adopted by the students of today, give your views on the statement.
(e) Study the picture given below. Write a short story or a description or an
account of what it suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of
the picture or you may take suggestions from it; however, there must be a clear
connection between the picture and your composition.
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Question 2
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question)
Select any one of the following: [10]
(a) You, along with some of your friends, have visited a place of tourist interest
recently. Write a letter to your uncle about the visit, describing the attractions of
the place and its impact on you.
(b) Write a letter to the editor of a national daily about the increasing level of noise
pollution in the world. Suggest a few ways in which the menace of noise pollution
can be controlled.
Question 3
(a) You are Priya/Prem, the Cultural Secretary of S.K.M. Public School,
Bengaluru. You have been asked to inform the students about a forthcoming
Interschool Dramatics Competition. [5]
(b) Write an e-mail, addressing teacher’s in-charge of different classes that will
participate in the function. [5]
Question 4
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Vasili was a dishonest country merchant. He had a servant, named Nikita, who was
valued everywhere for his dexterity and pleasant temper. But Nikita never settled
down anywhere for long because he was a drunkard. But Vasili took him for his
honesty. He never paid Nikita the promised sum of eighty roubles a year, but only
about forty, which he gave him in small sums, mostly in goods from his own shop
and at higher prices.
Vasili wanted to acquire a grove of oak trees in the nearby village of Gorachkin.
From this deal, he hoped to realise a tidy profit. It was winter and the ground was
covered with snow. Vasili ordered his horse and sledge made ready for the trip.
His motto in business was, "Lose an hour and you can't catch it up in a year." His
wife was apprehensive about his leaving, especially alone, and got him to take
Nikita with him.
The two men set off together. The going was fairly easy at first, despite the snow-
covered roads. However, soon the wind became much stronger than either had
anticipated, and the blowing snow diminished visibility. After they had been
riding for about ten minutes, it became obvious that the sledge had strayed off the
road. After a prolonged search, the horse managed to stumble back on a road that
led to another village.
However, no sooner was the sledge headed towards Gorachkin than they got lost
again. It was getting dark, and the wind was blowing in their faces. They let the
horse try to find the way. Some time passed, but the animal did manage to come
onto a roadway again. This led them to Grishkino, the same village that they had
recently left. They had been travelling in circles.
Vasili decided to try to escape on the horse, leaving Nikita to his fate. He reasoned
that for his servant, "It's all the same to him whether he lives or dies. What's his
life worth?" Vasili rode through the snow in the direction of what he believed was
worth? Vasili rode through the snow in the direction of what he believed was a
village. He continued to ride but soon discovered that he was again travelling in
circles. The horse finally led him back to Nikita.
The half-frozen servant had crawled into the sledge to keep himself warm. Nikita
told him that he felt that he was dying. Vasili stood silent and motionless for half a
minute. His terror had now quite left him. Then suddenly he began to brush the
snow off Nikita and push it out of the sledge. He then opened his fur coat and lay
down on top of Nikita, covering Nikita's body with the warmth of his own.
And he remembered his money, his shop, his house, and the buying and selling. It
was hard for him to understand why he had troubled himself with all those things
with which he had been troubled. 'Well, it was because he did not know what the
real thing was,' he thought. His whole being was filled with joyful emotion. He felt
himself free and that nothing could hold him back any longer.
He laid down that way, protecting Nikita for the rest of the night. When Nikita
awoke before daybreak, he found his dead master lying on top of him. Both the
master and the horse were frozen stiff, but Nikita survived.
(i) For each word given below choose the correct meaning (as used in the passage)
from the options provided. [3]
1. Anticipated
(a) to doubt (b) to amaze (c) to expect/predicted (d) to surprise
2. Diminished
(a) made less / faded (b) glorify (c) maginfy (d) applaud
3. Crawled
(a) floated (b) dragged (c) glided (d) raced
(ii) Answer the following questions in your own words.
(a) Why was Vasili planning to go to Gorachkin? What made him take his
servant with him? [2]
(b) Give two examples to show that the weather was bad during the journey.
[2]
(c) Give an example to show that Vasili and his servant had been moving in
circles. [1]
(d) What did Vasili realise about his wealth and worldly possessions at the
end? [2]
e) What emotions did Vasili have before his death? [2]
(iii) In not more than 50 words state the difference in Vasili's attitude towards his
servant in the beginning and at the end of the passage. [8]
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Questions 5
(i) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in
brackets. Do not сору the passage but write in correct serial order the word or
phrase appropriate to the blank space. [4]
Example: (0) called
A reporter 0 (call) on Thomas A. Edison one afternoon, ___1___ (interview) him
about a substitute for lead in the manufacture of storage batteries that the scientist
___2___ (look) for. Edison _3_ (inform) the man that he ___4___ (make) 20,000
experiments but none of them ___5___ (work).
"But aren't you ___6___ (discourage) by all this waste of effort?' The reporter
asked amazed. "Waste??" exclaimed Edison. "There ___7___ (be) no waste. I
___8___ (discover) 20,000 things that won't work.
(ii) Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word. [4]
(a) The monkey jumped .......... the compound wall and escaped.
(b) The buses were held ........... by the striking workers.
(c) The old man made ............ all his property to his elder son.
(d) I was warned ............. going out at night.
(e) The school is named ............... its founder.
(f) Charges of corruption were levelled ........... the official.
(g) The students prefer the new syllabus ......... the old.
(h) It is not easy to part .............. your parents.
(iii) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using
and, but or so. Choose the correct option. [4]
1. The woman's house was burgled yesterday. I am sorry for her.
(a) I am sorry the woman whose house was burgled yesterday.
(b) I am sorry for the woman whose house was burgled yesterday.
(c) I am sorry for the woman whose house burgled yesterday.
(d) I am sorry for the woman house was burgled yesterday.
2. They did not believe me. I had to give them evidence.
(a) I had to give them evidence as they did not believed me.
(b) I had to gave them evidence as they did not believe me.
(c) I had to give them evidence as they did believe me.
(d) I had to give them evidence as they did not believe me.
 3. This book is easier. That book is easy.
(a) This book is easier than that book.
(b) This book is easiest than that book.
(c) This book is more easier than that book.
(d) This book is too easier than that book.
4. It was late. I hoped to catch the last train.
(a) I hoped to catch the train also it was late.
(b) I hoped to catch the train or it was late.
(c) I hoped to catch the train as it was late.
(d) I hoped to catch the train so it was late.
(iv) Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given after
each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of
each sentence. Choose the correct options. [8]
1. You remembered to give me the letter, didn't you? (Begin: You didn't......)
(а) You didn't forget to give me the letter, didn’t you?
(b) You didn't forgot to give me the letter, did you?
(c) You didn't forget to give me the letter, did you?
(d) You forget to give me the letter, did you?
2. To know if I will succeed tomorrow is difficult. (Begin: It ...)
(a) It is difficult to know if I will succeed tomorrow.
(b) It is difficult to know, if I will succeed tomorrow.
(c) It is difficult to knew if I will succeed tomorrow.
(d) It is difficult to be known if I will succeed tomorrow.
3. People say that there may be another World War. (Begin: It...)
(a) It was said that there may be another World War.
(b) It was said there may be another World War.
(c) It is said there may be another World War.
(d) It is said that there may be another World War.
4. You'd help me taking him to a hospital. (Begin: I would ...)
(a) I would like you to help me to taking him to a hospital.
(b) I would like you to help him taking me to a hospital.
(c) I would like you to help me taking him to a hospital.
(d) I would like you to help him taking him to a hospital.
5. Nobody has ever treated me like this before. (Begin: Never....)
(a) Never has nobody treated me like this before.
(b) Never has anybody treated me like this before.
(c) Never did anybody treated me like this before.
(d) Never anybody has treated me like this before.
6. He took a bath and had breakfast. (Begin: Having taken ...)
(a) Having taken bath, he had had breakfast.
(b) Having taken bath, he had breakfast.
(c) Having taken bath he had breakfast.
(d) Having taken bath, he had have breakfast.
7. He has suffered a great loss, yet he is cheerful. (Begin: Though ...)
(a) Though he has suffer a great loss yet he is cheerful.
(b) Though he has suffered yet a great loss he is cheerful.
(c) Though he has suffered a great loss yet he is cheerful.
(d) Though he has suffered a great loss he is yet cheerful.
8. "I may never meet you here again," he whispered to Susan. (Begin: He
whispered to Susan that...)
(a) He whispered to Susan that he might never meet him again.
(b) He whispered Susan that he might never meet him there again.
(c) He whispered to Susan that he might never meet him here again.
(d) He whispered to Susan that he might never meet him there again.