SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER - 3

English Core (301)

Class XI (2024-25)
Time Allowed: 3 hours Maximum Marks: 80
General Instructions:
Read the following instructions very carefully and strictly follow them :
1. This question paper has 15 questions. All questions are compulsory.
2. This question paper contains three sections -
Section A : Reading Skills,
Section B : Grammar and Creative Writing Skills
Section C : Literature.
3. Attempt all questions based on specific instructions for each part. Write the correct
question number and part thereof in your answer sheet.
4. Separate instructions are given with each question/part, wherever necessary.
5. Adhere to the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.
SECTION A : READING SKILLS (26 marks)
1. Read the text carefully and answer the questions: [10]
Punctuality is a necessary habit in public affairs of a civilized society. Without it
nothing could ever be brought to a conclusion, everything would be in a state of
chaos. Only in a sparsely populated rural community is it possible to disregard it.
In the ordinary living there can be some tolerance of unpunctuality. The
intellectual, who is working on some abstruse problem, has everything
coordinated and organized for the matter in hand. He is therefore forgiven, if late
for the dinner party. But people are often reproached for unpunctuality when their
only fault is cutting fine. It is hard for energetic, quick-minded people to waste
time, so they are often tempted to finish a job before setting out to keep an
appointment. If no accidents occur on the way, like punctured tires, diversion of
traffic, sudden descent of fog, they will be on time. They are often more
industrious, useful citizens than those who are never late. The over-punctual can
as much be a trial to others as the unpunctual. The guest who arrives half an hour
too soon is the greatest nuisance. Some friends of my family had this irritating
habit. The only thing to do was to ask them to come half an hour later than the
other guests. Then they arrived just when we wanted them. If you are catching a
train, it is always better to be comfortably early than even a fraction of a minute
 too late. Although being early may mean wasting a little time, this will be less
than if you miss the train and have to wait an hour or so for the next one. And you
avoid the frustration of arriving at the very moment when the train is drawing out
of the station and being unable to get on it. An even harder situation is to be on the
platform in a good time for a train and still to see it go off without you. Such an
experience befell a certain young girl the first time she was travelling alone. She
entered the station twenty minutes before the train was due since her parents had
impressed upon her that it would be unforgivable to miss it and cause the friends
with whom she was going to stay to meet her. She gave her luggage to a porter
and showed him her ticket. To her horror, he said that she was two hours too soon.
She felt in her handbag, for the piece of paper on which her father had written
down all the details of the journey and gave it to the porter. He agreed that a train
did come into the station at the time on the paper and that it did stop, but only to
take on water, not passengers. The girl asked to see a timetable, feeling sure that
her father could not have made such a mistake. The porter went to fetch one and
arrived back with the station master, who produced it with a flourish and pointed
out a microscope ‘o’ beside the time of the arrival of the train at his station. This
little ‘o’ indicated that the train only stopped for water. Just at that moment, the
train came into the station. The girl, tears streaming down her face, begged to be
allowed to slip into the guard’s van. But the station master was adamant: rules
could not be broken. And she had to watch that train disappear towards her
destination while she was left behind.

(i) Complete the sentence by choosing an appropriate option.

It is better to reach the platform before the train arrives because ________.
i. You will have time to relax at the station
ii. It’s good to waste some time in life
iii. It can help you avoid frustrations of work
iv. It’s better than watching the train leave in front of your eyes

(ii) Comment on the writer’s reference to the features of energetic and quick-minded
people.

(iii) List the two ways which can hinder a punctual person from reaching a place on
time.
(Clue: Think about the obstruction one may face)

(iv) Select the option that conveys a similar meaning of ‘inflexible’, in the passage.
 i. Over-punctual
ii. Energetic
iii. Adamant
iv. Abstruse

(v) Find a word opposite in meaning to clear/obvious in the passage:

i. community
ii. abstruse
iii. diversion
iv. industrious

(vi) Reaching early may mean wasting a little time. Based on your understanding of the
given passage, justify how reaching early does not always mean wasting time.

(vii) Why is it fair to say that punctuality necessary in a civilized society?

(viii) Complete the given sentence with an appropriate inference, with respect to the
following:
Some friends of my family has this irritating habit of arriving half an hour too soon.
We can deal with them by ________.

(ix) The over-punctual can be as much a trial to others as the unpunctual

i. He has everything coordinated and organized
ii. He believes that the early bird gets the worm
iii. He is wasting as much time as the unpunctual ones
iv. There is hardly any difference between the unpunctual and over punctual

(x) Select the most suitable lesson that the above passage conveys.
i. Punctuality is a necessary habit
ii. Correct knowledge is necessary
iii. Punctuality along with correct information is necessary
iv. All of these

2. Read the text carefully and answer the questions: [8]

1. E-learning is the process of acquiring knowledge through electronic technologies
and resources. A rise in the number of internet users has increased the market
demand for sophisticated online learning courses. According to the Office for
National Statistics, nearly all adults in the age group of 10 to 44 years in the UK
were recent internet users (99 %) in 2019.
The availability of enhanced network connectivity coupled with the convenience
offered by on-demand courses, will drive the market size.
2. According to the World Economic Forum, around 1.2 billion children are out of
classrooms with schools shut down globally due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Electronic Learning Management Systems such as Google Classroom is helping
classes to connect distantly. communicate efficiently and stay organized. Large
scale national efforts to leverage technology to the market players in support of
distance education, remote, and online learning during the covid-19 pandemic
are emerging and evolving rapidly.
3. The virtual classroom technology in the e-learning market is expected to grow at
a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 11% during the forecast timespan.
A virtual classroom is a digital environment that enables live interaction between
a tutor and a learner. Videos conferencing and online white-board for real-time
collaboration are the most common tools used in a digital teaching space.
Synchronous and collaborative virtual classes allows active participation of
students, reacting an environment similar to a physical classroom.
4. The technique is gaining traction with an increasing number of corporate and
academic sectors deploying it for enhanced training sessions. Multilateral
organizations and world bodies, such as WHO and G 20, are also deploying e-
learning modes to teach healthcare professionals.
5. Content providers segment accounted for around 60% e-learning market share in
2019 E-learning providers share content on a varied range of topics by
collaborating with domain experts that help them to develop the learning
content. They focus on offering specific and customized content as per the end-
user requirements.
(i) Select the option that is true for the two statements given below.
1. According to the World Economic Forum, around 1.2 billion children are out of
classrooms.
2. Schools are shot down due to COVID-19 pandemic.
a. (1) is the result of (2).
b. (1) is the reason for (2).
c. (1) is independent of (2).
d. (1) contradicts (2).

(ii) Multilateral organizations and world bodies are ________ to teach healthcare
professionals.

(iii) Select the option that lists the INCORRECT statement from the ones given below.
(I) E-learning is the process of acquiring knowledge through electronic
technologies and resources.
(II) All adults in the age group of 16 to 14 years in the UK were recent internet
users (99%) in 2019.
(III) A rise in the number of internet users has increased the market share physical
classroom.
(IV) Content providers segment accounted for around 60% e-learning share in
2010.
a. (III)
b. (IV) and (II)
c. (II) and (I)
d. (l)

(iv) State the common tool used in digital teaching space.

(v) What is the process of acquiring knowledge, through electronic technology and
resources?
 (vi) Select the appropriate option to fill in the blank.
________ is gaining attention in the academic sectors.
a. Paperback
b. Virtual classrooms
c. E-books
d. Offline classes

(vii) Pick the option that gives the correct meaning of the following statement from the
options given below.
The online market of learning is supposed to be maximized by 2026.
(I) Nearly all adults in the age group of 16 to 44 years in the LK were recent
internet users (99 %) in 2018.
(II) A virtual classroom is a sophisticated environment that enables live interaction
(III) The E-Learning market size is expected to reach $357 billion by 2026.
(IV) Video conferencing and online whiteboard are the most common tools used in
the World Eonomic Forum.
a. (I)
b. (IV)
c. (II)
d. (III)

(viii) E-commerce providers share content on a varied range of topics. (True/false).

3. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow. [8]
Governments have seized on tourism as a way of creating employment and
bringing income—preferably foreign exchange— into troubled economies. For
years, tourism's capacity to filter wealth through communities has been a major
argument in its favour. The tourist spends money on accommodation, food and
souvenirs, bringing income to the suppliers of these goods and services, whose
money will, in turn, circulate through the economy.
But if the hotels are foreign-owned, local people have little to gain. Nor are they
better off if tourists, though staying among them, come prepared to be self-
sufficient. In both cases, tourists are strongly resented by the locals, who see huge
increases in prices as the only visible result of tourism's economic impact.
Job creation is another common advantage of tourism. Governments subsidise
tourism projects in the expectation of increasing employment opportunities in the
 new hotels and restaurants. But such work is frequently poorly paid and is seasonal.
Local people may be neither willing to do small and mean unskilled jobs nor highly
trained enough to be managers or tour operators. They stand on the sidelines while
foreign staff and migrants fill the vacancies. Social tensions surface all too easily in
such situations.
Any kind of change brings tensions and economic development tends to increase
the generation gap. The young learn new skills while the older generation finds its
traditions devalued or rejected. Tourists bring with them different cultures and
ideas. Their dress and behaviour may be very attractive to the younger generation,
but not to the older one. On the beaches and bar strips of Asia, Africa and the
Pacific, you can see how readily young people have been lured from their villages
by the promise of bright lights and money.
In relation to the environment, even the most blundering tourism enthusiast is faced
with the trunA that tourists destroy the very things they have come for. In Kenya, a
country that depends heavily on tourism, there is a real danger of 'tourist pollution'
in the most popular game parks. Animals in the Maasai Mara Reserve are
constantly disturbed by tourist buses, their prey scattered, their feeding grounds
damaged. If the animals disappear, so may tourism.
a. On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, make notes on it using
headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever
necessary-minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also supply an
appropriate title to it.
b. Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.

Section B : Grammar (7 Marks)

4. Answer any SEVEN of the following questions: [7]

(i) Have you ______ (see) the baby? (Fill tense correctly) [1]

(ii) He told me that he ________ (watch) the movie. (Fill tense correctly) [1]

(iii) __________ the rain stopped, we started our journey. [1]

(where/when/whose/which)

(iv) An educated man is one _________ expression is educated. [1]

(where/when/whose/which)

(v) It is a very pleasant weather. (Transform to exclamatory) [1]

 (vi) This tea is too hot for me. (use so .. that) [1]

(vii) the/call/manager/soon. (reorder correctly) [1]

(viii) bird/beautiful/how/is/the/! (reorder correctly) [1]

Section - B Creative Writing Skills (16 Marks)

5. Principal, Sunrise Global School, Agra requires a receptionist for her school. Draft [3]
a suitable advertisement in about 50 words to be published in the classified
columns of a national newspaper giving all the necessary details of qualifications
and experience required in the receptionist.

OR
Write an advertisement in not more than 50 words for the Lost and Found column of the
daily ‘National Herald’, Lucknow stating the loss of your wallet containing a DD for Rs
32500 and some cash, while travelling by bus from Hazratganj to Nirala Nagar in
Lucknow. You are Raman/Roopa, 22 A Hazratganj, Lucknow.

6. You are a member of the SPCA. Draft a poster in not more than 50 words to create [3]
awareness on the need to prevent cruelty to animals. You are Suhas/Suhasini.

OR
Publicly we proclaim that dowry is an evil. Privately we want our sons to fetch good
dowries. Right from our school days we should be taught that demanding and even
giving dowry is not only illegal but immoral too. Draw a poster in about 50 words
highlighting dowry as a curse. You are Vikram/Sonia.

7. Rising incomes of the middle class families are leading to obesity among their [5]
children. Poring over books for hours coupled with the lure of TV and the internet
has led to a sedentary lifestyle. Addiction to junk food is another cause of obesity.
Write a speech in 150-200 words on obesity, its causes and how to prevent it.

OR
Arun Kumar is a resident of Kalkaji. He is an active member of the citizen's forum. He
is shocked to read the news that the Government has decided to increase the prices of
petroleum products with immediate effect. He wants to enlighten fellow citizens about
the impact of Government decision on the common man. Draft Arun’s speech in about
150- 200 words highlighting the impact of the hike in prices of petroleum products on
the life of common man.
 8. Write a debate either for or against the motion: Admission to top-notch institutes [5]
guarantees a successful career. (150 – 200 words)

OR
‘The policy of reservation of seats for admission to the professional courses is good for
the deprived sections of society.’ Write a debate in 150-200 words either for or against
the motion.

Section C : Literature (31 Marks)

9. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, [3]
given.

(i) Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: [3]
Father and son, we both must live
On the same globe and the same land,
He speaks: I cannot understand
Myself, why anger grows from grief.
We each put out an empty hand,
Longing for something to forgive.
i. Where have the father and the son to live?
ii. What does the father mean when he says: “We both must live on the same
globe and the same land.”?
iii. What can’t the father understand?

(ii) Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: [3]
For song, issuing from its birthplace, after fulfilment, wandering
Reck’d or unreck’d, duly with love returns.
i. How does song have its fulfilment?
ii. Explain the words: ‘reck’d or unreck’d’.
iii. What returns with love? Where does it return?

10. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, [3]
given.

(i) Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: [3]
A Flawless half-moon floated in a perfect blue sky in the morning we said our
goodbyes. Extended banks of cloud-like long French loaves glowed pink as the
sun emerged to splash the distant mountain tops with a rose-tinted blush. Now
that we were leaving Ravu, Lhamo said she wanted to give me a farewell
 present. One evening I’d told her through Daniel that I was heading towards
Mount Kailash to complete the kora, and she’d said that I ought to get some
warmer clothes. After ducking back into her tent, she emerged carrying one of
the long-sleeved sheepskin coats that all the men wore. Tsetan sized me up as
we clambered into his car. "Ah, yes," he declared, "drokba, sir."
We took a short cut to get off the Changtang. Tsetan knew a route that would
take us south-west, almost directly towards Mount Kailash. It involved crossing
several fairly high mountain passes, he said. "But no problem, sir", he assured
us, "if there is no snow." What was the likelihood of that I asked. "Not
knowing, sir, until we get there."
i. What did the clouds in the morning sky resemble as the sun emerged?
ii. Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from Lhamo's gesture
of giving the protagonist a long-sleeved sheepskin coat as a farewell present
in the passage.
iii. Identify the line from the text that bears evidence of the fact that the
protagonist's association with Lhamo and Ravu is not a recent one.

(ii) Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: [3]
When I went up to University, I was given a room of my own. The common
link of friendship was snapped. My grandmother accepted her seclusion with
resignation. She rarely left her spinning-wheel to talk to anyone. From sunrise
to sunset she sat by her wheel spinning and reciting prayers. Only in the
afternoon she relaxed for a while to feed the sparrows. While she sat in the
verandah breaking the bread into little bits, hundreds of little birds collected
round her creating a veritable bedlam of chirrupings. Some came and perched
on her legs, others on her shoulders. Some even sat on her head. She smiled but
never shooed them away. It used to be the happiest half-hour of the day for her.
i. What was the significance of the afternoon ritual where the grandmother fed
sparrows, and why was it the happiest half-hour of the day for her?
ii. If the grandmother were writing in her diary about her seclusion, what might
have she expressed? Answer with reference to the text.
iii. Pick evidence from the passage that suggests the grandmother found solace
and happiness in her daily interactions with sparrows?

11. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, [4]
given.
(i) Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: [4]
Andrew, abruptly recalled from the contemplation of his own affairs, told
Morgan to wait. He went into the house for his bag, then together they set out
for Number 12 Blaina Terrace. The night air was cool and deep with quiet
mystery. Usually so perceptive, Andrew now felt dull and listless. He had no
premonition that this night call would prove unusual, still less that it would
influence his whole future in Blaenelly.
The two men walked in silence until they reached the door of Number 12, then
Joe drew up short.
i. Complete the sentence appropriately.
The author’s purpose in creating a mysterious environment, is to
_______________.
ii. In the given extract, which of the following emotions was not felt by
Andrew?
a. Thoughtful
b. Embarrassment
c. Listless
d. Upset
iii. Which trait of Andrew is highlighted in the line " Usually so perceptive,
Andrew now felt dull and listless "?
iv. How is the line, "He had no premonition that this night call would prove
unusual", an example of contrast?

(ii) Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: [4]
A lovely name, John Byro said, for a lovely horse. I could swear it is the horse
that was stolen from me many weeks ago.
May I look into his mouth?
Of course, Mourad said, the farmer looked into the mouth of the horse.
Tooth for tooth, he said, I would swear it is my horse if I didn’t know your
parents. The fame of your family for honesty is well known to me. Yet the
horse is the twin of my horse. A suspicious man would believe his eyes instead
of his heart. Good day, my young friends.
i. What does the line, ' A suspicious man would believe his eyes instead of his
heart' suggest?
ii. How was John Byro feeling over his missing horse?
A. he was sad
 B. he was overwhelmed
C. he got enraged
D. he was excited
iii. John Byro didn't suspect the boys. This is because
________________________.
iv. How did John Byro examine the horse and what was his conclusion?

12. Answer the questions from either (a) or (b) in 40-50 words: [6]

(i) i. Give reason: The boy king changed his name from Tutankhaten to [3]
Tutankhamun?

ii. What do you think the goldfinch does in the thickness of the laburnum [3]
tree?

(ii) i. What did the travellers do to save themselves? [We are Not Afraid to Die] [3]

ii. What did the poet realize when he was twelve years? Answer in context of [3]
Childhood.

13. Answer ANY ONE of the following three questions, in about 40-50 words [3]

(i) How did Mrs. Dorling behave when the narrator visited her address? [3]

(ii) Who was George? What did people say about him at the club? [3]

14. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 120-150 words. [6]

(i) Describe Gangadharpant’s journey by train from Pune to Bombay. [6]

(ii) Its silence silences, writes Shirley Toulson. The loss of her mother has silenced [6]
her. Do you think that this attitude of the poet is the right attitude to live life?
Why/ Why not?

15. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 120-150 words. [6]

(i) Mob psychology is beyond any reason. Politicians use this in their favour. A [6]
good leader can use the mob to achieve some useful purposes or goals.
Elucidate. Answer in the context of The Tale of Melon City.

(ii) Comment on the ending of the play Mother’s Day. [6]

 Solution
SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER - 3
English Core (301)
Class XI (2024-25)
SECTION A : READING SKILLS (26 marks)
1. Read the text carefully and answer the questions:
Punctuality is a necessary habit in public affairs of a civilized society. Without it nothing
could ever be brought to a conclusion, everything would be in a state of chaos. Only in a
sparsely populated rural community is it possible to disregard it. In the ordinary living
there can be some tolerance of unpunctuality. The intellectual, who is working on some
abstruse problem, has everything coordinated and organized for the matter in hand. He is
therefore forgiven, if late for the dinner party. But people are often reproached for
unpunctuality when their only fault is cutting fine. It is hard for energetic, quick-minded
people to waste time, so they are often tempted to finish a job before setting out to keep an
appointment. If no accidents occur on the way, like punctured tires, diversion of traffic,
sudden descent of fog, they will be on time. They are often more industrious, useful
citizens than those who are never late. The over-punctual can as much be a trial to others
as the unpunctual. The guest who arrives half an hour too soon is the greatest nuisance.
Some friends of my family had this irritating habit. The only thing to do was to ask them
to come half an hour later than the other guests. Then they arrived just when we wanted
them. If you are catching a train, it is always better to be comfortably early than even a
fraction of a minute too late. Although being early may mean wasting a little time, this will
be less than if you miss the train and have to wait an hour or so for the next one. And you
avoid the frustration of arriving at the very moment when the train is drawing out of the
station and being unable to get on it. An even harder situation is to be on the platform in a
good time for a train and still to see it go off without you. Such an experience befell a
certain young girl the first time she was travelling alone. She entered the station twenty
minutes before the train was due since her parents had impressed upon her that it would be
unforgivable to miss it and cause the friends with whom she was going to stay to meet her.
She gave her luggage to a porter and showed him her ticket. To her horror, he said that she
was two hours too soon. She felt in her handbag, for the piece of paper on which her father
had written down all the details of the journey and gave it to the porter. He agreed that a
train did come into the station at the time on the paper and that it did stop, but only to take
on water, not passengers. The girl asked to see a timetable, feeling sure that her father
could not have made such a mistake. The porter went to fetch one and arrived back with
the station master, who produced it with a flourish and pointed out a microscope ‘o’ beside
the time of the arrival of the train at his station. This little ‘o’ indicated that the train only
stopped for water. Just at that moment, the train came into the station. The girl, tears
 streaming down her face, begged to be allowed to slip into the guard’s van. But the station
master was adamant: rules could not be broken. And she had to watch that train disappear
towards her destination while she was left behind.
(i) (iv) It’s better than watching the train leave in front of your eyes
(ii) Energetic, quick-minded people do not waste time.
They are often tempted to finish a job before setting out to keep an appointment.
​If no accidents occur on the way, like punctured tires, diversion of traffic, sudden
descent of fog, they will be on time. (any one)
(iii)Accidents that occur on the way, like
a. punctured tires,
b. diversion of traffic,
c. sudden descent of fog, may obstruct a punctual person from being on time. (any two)
(iv)(iii) adamant
(v) (ii) abstruse
(vi)Although being early may mean wasting a little time, this will be less than if you miss
the train and have to wait an hour or so for the next one.
(vii)To avoid chaos in the society and to reach conclusion.
(viii)
asking them to come half an hour later than the other guests.
(ix)(iii) He is wasting as much time as the unpunctual ones
(x) (iii) Punctuality along with correct information is necessary

2. Read the text carefully and answer the questions:

1. E-learning is the process of acquiring knowledge through electronic technologies and

resources. A rise in the number of internet users has increased the market demand for
sophisticated online learning courses. According to the Office for National Statistics,
nearly all adults in the age group of 10 to 44 years in the UK were recent internet users
(99 %) in 2019.
The availability of enhanced network connectivity coupled with the convenience
offered by on-demand courses, will drive the market size.
2. According to the World Economic Forum, around 1.2 billion children are out of
classrooms with schools shut down globally due to COVID-19 pandemic. Electronic
 Learning Management Systems such as Google Classroom is helping classes to connect
distantly. communicate efficiently and stay organized. Large scale national efforts to
leverage technology to the market players in support of distance education, remote, and
online learning during the covid-19 pandemic are emerging and evolving rapidly.
3. The virtual classroom technology in the e-learning market is expected to grow at a
CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 11% during the forecast timespan. A
virtual classroom is a digital environment that enables live interaction between a tutor
and a learner. Videos conferencing and online white-board for real-time collaboration
are the most common tools used in a digital teaching space. Synchronous and
collaborative virtual classes allows active participation of students, reacting an
environment similar to a physical classroom.
4. The technique is gaining traction with an increasing number of corporate and academic
sectors deploying it for enhanced training sessions. Multilateral organizations and world
bodies, such as WHO and G 20, are also deploying e-learning modes to teach healthcare
professionals.
5. Content providers segment accounted for around 60% e-learning market share in 2019
E-learning providers share content on a varied range of topics by collaborating with
domain experts that help them to develop the learning content. They focus on offering
specific and customized content as per the end-user requirements.
(i) (a) (1) is the result of (2)
Explanation: It is clearly given in paragraph 2 of the passage that according to the
World Economic Forum, around 1.2 billion children are out of classroom as schools are
shut down due to COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, (a) is the right answer.
(ii) Deploying e-learning modes
(iii)(a) (III)
(iv)Online whiteboard
(v) E-learning
(vi)(b) Virtual classrooms
(vii)(d) (III)
(viii)
False
Explanation: E-learners providers share content on a varied range of topics, not e-
commerce.

3. Title: Cold -The Viral Infection

Notes
I. Fighting common cold
i. most common almt
 ii. typhus & plague erd
iii. common cold diff to solve
II. Causes of cold
i. viral inf
ii. viruses - rhinoviruses
iii. affect lining of nose
III. Research work
i. tcq of tissue culture dev
ii. discovery of large no of viruses
iii. previously not known
IV. Why repeated attacks
i. cold viruses attack surface cells
ii. immunity not guaranteed
iii. cold persists
Key to Abbreviations
almt - ailment
diff - difficult
tcq - technique
no - number
erd - eradicated
inf - infection
dev - development
Summary:-
Medical science has got rid of most of the deadly diseases like plague or typhus but one,
which is common cold, which happens so frequently. Cold is a common ailment which is a
cause of difficulty for scientists. It is caused by infection of the lining of the nose and
other passages by a number of different viruses, thus, making it difficult to prescribe a
common remedy. Immunity through vaccination cannot be given against repeated virus
attacks, as it does not affect the bloodstream. The development of the technique of tissue
culture, in which bits of animal tissue are enabled to go on living and to multiply
independently of the body. We get repeated attacks of cold because the virus infects the
surface cells and immunity from one virus does not guarantee protection from others.
Section B : Grammar (7 Marks)
4. Answer any SEVEN of the following questions:
(i) seen
(ii) had watched
(iii)When
 (iv)whose
(v) What a pleasant weather it is !
(vi)This tea is so hot that I cannot take it.
(vii)Call the manager soon.
(viii)
How beautiful the bird is!

Section - B Creative Writing Skills (16 Marks)

RECEPTIONIST WANTED
Applications for female receptionist are invited by Sunrise Global School in Agra. The
person should be below 28 years of age with a pleasing personality. The candidate should
be a graduate with at least three years of experience in a similar position. Knowledge of
computers, short hand, fluency in English and good communication skills is essential.
Salary commensurates with experience. Interested candidates may apply with complete
bio-data within seven days to Principal, Sunrise Global School, Agra. Contact: +91-
5. 98221XXXXX or E-mail: [email protected]
OR
LOST! LOST! LOST!
Lost a blue coloured Levis wallet containing a DD of Rs.50,000 and some cash
somewhere on the route between Hazratganj and Nirala Nagar on 20th May around 5:00
pm. If anyone finds it, please contact Raman, 22 A, Hazratganj, Lucknow, phone no.
98322XXXXX
Finder will be suitably rewarded.
 PREVENT CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
Don't just get angry-Get Active

Animals are beaten and neglected daily

They struggle for survival
They aren't provided with food or water and are left in unsanitary conditions
Know whom to call to report animal cruelty
Contact local Police Station or SPCA to fight this crime
Together we need to build a better world
Let us sympathise towards those who remain mute and neglected for animals too
deserve care
SPCA
96, Mayapuri, Delhi-56
6. Ph: 968575XXXX, 256545XX
Issued in Public Interest by Suhas, SPCA
OR
Dowry is a Curse
Stop Immoral acts. Let's build a better human society.

As an evil it causes:
Unnecessary mental pressure on the bride and her family.
Deaths of the bride.
Ill-treatment to the bride and her family at the hand of the groom and his family.
Let us join together and eradicate this menace from our society.
Issued in public interest by Vikram/Sonia, Secretary Society for Creation of
Awareness (SCA)
7. Obesity-A Severe Problem
Good morning everyone! I, XYZ, have come before you all to draw your attention towards
the problem of obesity in children, its causes and how it can be prevented.
Obesity has become a major concern among children in the recent years. Rising income
levels of the middle-class families coupled with the sedentary lifestyle of children and
addiction to junk food has aggravated the problem of child obesity.
This trend of overweight children is most common and prevalent in the metro cities where
kids spend most of their time indoors in schools, tuitions, watching TV or sitting in front
 of the computer. In addition to this, their food intake comprises a variety of junk food that
is not beneficial for their health. We need to take some strong steps to prevent children
from leading this kind of unhealthy lifestyle.
It is very important for parents to cultivate healthy eating habits in their children and
increase the time for physical activities. Children should be encouraged to play outdoor
games and take up activities like yoga, dancing, karate etc. The use of computers and time
spent indoors should be regulated. Along with an increase in the physical activity levels, it
is important to bring a significant change in the diet of children by decreasing the junk
food quotient to a great level. Children should be encouraged to eat nutritious food like
fruits and vegetables and avoid fatty-food and aerated drinks.
I am sure that a little effort on the part of the parents can ensure a healthy and disease-free
life for their children.
Thank you!
OR
IMPACT OF RISE IN PRICES OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
Respected Chairman and dear friends!
The decision of the Central Government to hike the prices of Petroleum products has
shocked all the consumers. The salaried classes and the middle-income group are the
worst affected. As a common man, I resent this harsh decision of the government. The
increase is not only sudden but steep also. The common man is already reeling under the
spiralling prices. The recent hike in the cost of petroleum products will push the
expenditure graph up by 30 to 40 percent. The increase in the prices of diesel and petrol
will not only increase the expenditure on one’s own vehicle but also increase the freight of
goods and their initial cost will. The essential commodities will get dearer. Fares of buses,
autos and taxis will have an upward swing. Shopkeepers will enhance the prices of even
those articles which are produced locally. This sympathetic rise in prices of commodities
will make it difficult to live within a fixed income. This escalation will mean cutting down
the necessary expenditure by curbing some needs of the family.
I urge the Finance Minister to reconsider the decision which is bound to hit hard millions
of working classes and salaried people besides, creating a vicious circle of spiralling
prices. It is earnestly hoped that my views will merit some consideration at the hands of
the authorities.
Thank you.
8. (Against)
Parents' struggle to get their children admitted to top-notch institutions starts even before
the birth of their children. Nowadays it is very difficult to get admission to the
kindergarten of a prestigious school. So, some parents book seats for their children even
before they are born.
Nowadays 'Entrance Coaching' has become a 'multibillion dollar' business. Some parents
do not send their children to regular school after class X but get them admitted to
'Entrance Coaching Institutes'. The students attending these institutes spend 15 to 20 hours
every day in preparation for various entrance tests.
The question I would like to pose to everyone present here is this: Does admission to top-
notch institutes guarantee a successful career? My answer to this question is an emphatic
‘no’. If so, why should one struggle to get admission to these institutes?
I believe that success is the result of hard work. Great and successful people in the history
of the world were hardworking. Many of them like Abraham Lincoln and A.P.J Abdul
Kalam were not born with silver spoons in their mouth. Even our contemporaries like
Sundar Pichai the CEO of Google was born into an ordinary family. Though he studied at
IIT, Kharagpur, it is not his degree from that prestigious institute that won him success in
life but his hard work.
If admission to a prestigious institute guarantees success, all those who come out of such
institutes would automatically be successful in life. But the reality is not so. On the
contrary, many who studied in ordinary institutes have become highly successful in life.
I want to reiterate that we should control our urge to get into a prestigious institute in order
to fulfil our desire to be successful in life. On the contrary, we should be determined to
work hard to achieve success in life.
OR
For the Motion
Worthy Chairperson, Secretary and Dear Students,
Today, I Sameer, stand before you to speak in favour of the motion, "The policy of
reservation of seats for admission to the professional courses is good for the deprived
sections of society".
The fact that the Indian society still remains a caste based hierarchical system is not
unknown to anyone. The lower caste people have always been exploited by the high caste
ones and have suffered the demerits of socio-economic underdevelopment to the
maximum extent. The aim of reservations in admission to the professional courses is to
bring the backward castes at par with the other sections of the society. Though it appears
as a violation of the principle of equality, yet its justification is sustained by the obligation
of a social welfare state. The backward classes suffer from huge issues, ranging from
poverty to unemployment, without any fault of their own. And as citizens of the country,
it's our responsibility to help them overcome the barriers.
Article 46 of the Indian Constitution says that the state shall promote with special care the
educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people. Further, the
 clause 4 of the Article 15, added in the first Constitutional Amendment Act of 1951,
clearly says that nothing shall prevent the state from making any special provision for the
advancement of any socially and educationally backward class of citizens.
The Constitution was designed to help the deprived sections of society, and thus, the
policy of reservation is justified.
Thank you!
Against the Motion
Worthy Chairperson, Secretary and Dear Students,
Today, I Kaveri, stand before you to speak against the motion, "The policy of reservation
of seats for admission to the professional courses is good for the deprived sections of
society".
There is no denying to the fact that the Indian Constitution provides reservation to the
socially, culturally and economically backward citizens of the country. However, the
policy of reservation stated in the Constitution was initially designed as an ad-hoc policy
for ten years. But it never saw an end and continued to get extensions at the end of every
ten years. The other people, who are deprived of opportunities to take admission in
professional courses due to the reservation policy, thus get frustrated and angry and rightly
so. In addition, the policy of reservation contradicts the principle of equality. Equality
means equal treatment to all the people. Everyone has the right to avail equal and fair
opportunities. But, special privileges and extra protection to certain classes of people
based on reservation not only violates the policy of equality but also violates the very
spirit of democracy. Further, the reservation policy has actually created a new class of
vested interests in Indian society. These people permanently continue to earn the benefits
of the reservation policy even after getting ample resources and opportunities. Thus, the
policy has created the psychology of dependency among them.
Thus, this policy will actually harm the deprived sections in the long run and so it needs
immediate suspension.
Thank you!
Section C : Literature (31 Marks)
9. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given.
(i) i. They have to live on the same globe and the same land.
ii. The father means to say that they must live in the same home and under the same
roof. They should not live as strangers to each other.
iii. The father can't understand why anger grows from his grief He can't understand why
in his grief, he becomes angry.
(ii) i. It has its fulfilment when it showers its strains on the world.
 ii. It does not matter to the soul whether anyone pays heed to its music or not (reck’d or
unreck’d).
iii. The song returns with love. It returns to its birthplace which is the soul.

10. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given.
(i) i. The clouds in the morning sky were described as resembling long French loaves, and
they glowed pink as the sun emerged.
ii. Lhamo's gift of a sheepskin coat suggests her concern for the protagonist's well-being
on his journey to Mount Kailash, emphasizing the harsh weather conditions in the
region.
iii. The line that bears evidence to the fact that the protagonist's association with Lhamo
and Ravu is not a recent one is: "One evening I’d told her through Daniel that I was
heading towards Mount Kailash to complete the kora..." This indicates that the
protagonist had prior interactions with Lhamo, as he had communicated with her
through Daniel before their departure.
(ii) i. The grandmother found happiness in feeding sparrows in the afternoon because it
was a peaceful and joyful time when the little birds gathered around her, creating a
lively and pleasant atmosphere amid her otherwise secluded and prayerful routine.
ii. In her diary, the grandmother might have expressed acceptance of her seclusion,
finding solace in her spinning wheel, prayers, and the joyful company of sparrows.
iii. The evidence from the passage showing the grandmother's happiness with sparrows
is her joy in feeding them, their close interaction, and her smiling, making it her
happiest time.

11. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given.
(i) i. ...highlight that something unusual was about to happen that would influence
Andrew’s future life in Blaenelly.
ii. (b) Embarrassment [Andrew was contemplative and upset about his experience with
his girlfriend. He felt dull and listless.]
iii. Andrew was generally full of life and spirit but was silent and lacked energy that
night.
iv. It was a cool night, and the streets were silent. Andrew had no idea something
strange would happen that night which would change his life forever.
(ii) i. The statement by John Byro suggests that a suspicious person is more likely to
trust what he sees with his own eyes rather than his intuition or feelings.
ii. (a) he was sad
 iii. John Byro did not accuse the boys of stealing his horse because he knew their
family and parents. He was concerned about their family's integrity and renowned
honesty.
iv. He examined the horse and studied it tooth by tooth. He came to the conclusion that
the horse looked identical to his stolen horse.

12. Answer the questions from either (a) or (b) in 40-50 words:
(i) i. Tutankhamun means ‘Living image of Amun’. He was a major god in ancient Egypt.
King Amennotep smashed the images of Amun and closed his temples. Tut oversaw
a restoration of the old ways. He also changed his name to express his belief on
Amun.
ii. As the goldfinch enters the thickness of the laburnum tree there is a spontaneous
outbreak of twittering, quavering sounds and tremor of wings. The whole tree seems
to shake slightly and is excited.
(ii) i. They tried to pump out water from the boat. The writer plugged the holes through
which the water was coming. Most importantly, the family didn't lose hope and were
standing together in such difficult times.
ii. At the age of twelve, the poet learnt that Hell and Heaven were not real but mere
stories and that science didn’t support the existence of Hell and heaven.

13. Answer ANY ONE of the following three questions, in about 40-50 words
(i) When the narrator visited Mrs. Dorling’s address and informed the lady that she was
Mrs. S’ daughter, at first Mrs. Dorling behaved as if she didn’t recognize her and tried
to avoid her. Dorling said that she had hoped no one from the author’s house would
come to claim her possessions.
(ii) He was Mrs. Pearson's husband. The people at the club called him Pompy-ompy
Pearson because they thought he was very slow and pompous.

14. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 120-150 words.
(i) Professor Gaitonde (Gangadharpant) travelled from Pune to Bombay by train. The
Jijamata express had its first stop at Lonavala. The ghat section was quite familiar to
him. The train passed through Kalyan.
He made a plan of action in Bombay. He was a historian. He had written five volumes.
He planned to go to a big library and read history books to find out how the present
state of affairs had been reached. Thereafter, he would discuss his findings with
Rajendra Deshpande.
The train stopped beyond the long tunnel at a small station, Sarhad. An Anglo-Indian
 checked the permits. This was the place where the British Raj began. Pant had not been
to this Bombay before. He talked with his fellow passenger Khan sahib. The professor
got some information on life in British India. He also noticed the words written and the
Union Jack painted on the carriage. He had not expected all that.
(ii) There is no doubt that Shirley Toulson has given a very touching tribute to her mother
by remembering her through her verses. It is apparent that she is very much nostalgic
and is grieving at the loss of her mother. Though she says that over the years she has
adjusted to her mother’s absence, the circumstances have surely filled her with silence
and a deep void.
We cannot deny that it hurts very much to lose someone, but the attitude shown by the
poet at the end is not the right way to live your life. Life will keep going on even if we
stop to lament our loss.
Loss is universal. It is the law of nature. We cannot let ourselves get depressed because
of this. It is also understandable that we grieve. However, grieving to the point of
hampering the normal functioning of our lives is not acceptable.

15. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 120-150 words.
(i) The mob may be very intelligent and sensible but when they are excited, they act solely
on their emotions and set aside their reasoning skills. They can behave irrationally. As
craftily focused in the poem, the crowd observing their idiosyncratic king became
restless and eagerly wanted someone to be hanged. It was totally inhuman to desire a
hanging just for excitement purpose. Many politicians try to arouse public sentiments to
achieve their personal goals or at times to damage the good image of an honest party or
leader. A good leader can mobilize the crowd to achieve some visions or goals which
may be beneficial for the nation. For example, Gandhiji aroused the sleeping
conscience of the common man to set India free. It was with the sincere efforts of a
large gathering of common people who religiously believed in satyagraha and non-
violence that the Britishers finally left India and India became free after almost two
centuries.
(ii) The play has a happy ending with a complete reversal of the initial situation. Mrs.
Pearson is now cheerful while the family looks anxiously at her. When she smiles, they
feel much relieved and smile back at her. None of them is going out.
For the first time, perhaps she tells the members of the family what they should do.
Instead of behaving timidly, she looks sharply at the family and asks if they have any
objections. George is the first to yield. He agrees to do whatever she says. Still smiling,
she suggests that they should have a nice family game of rummy and then the children
could get the supper ready while she has a talk with their father. George supports her
and looks enquiringly at the children. Cyril hastily approves the proposal while Doris
agrees hesitatingly. A sharp command: “What Speak up!” does the trick and Doris
agrees. Mrs. Pearson bids goodbye to Mrs. Fitzgerald and smilingly asks her to come
again soon. The ending seems quite natural. It also leaves a message for the mothers.
They should assert themselves.