LITERATURE (40 marks)

7. Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two-A
or B 1x6=6
A Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victory with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing. (poem - Keeping Quiet)

I. What is a common outcome of all the wars described?

II What does the imagery of ‘walking about with their brothers in the shade’ primarily
represent?
A. The readiness for further conflicts.
B. A return to normal activities post-conflict.
C. A moment of unity and peaceful reflection.
D. The physical environment of a typical war zone.

III. Complete the following suitably.

The putting on of ‘clean clothes’ by the warmongers, symbolises_________.

IV. Select the correct option from those given in brackets, to fill in the blank.

The excerpt tells us that the speaker ________ (condemns / glorifies) the destructive
nature of modern warfare.

V. Read the assertion and the reason below, with reference to the given extract.
Assertion: The poet advocates for 'doing nothing' as a way to prevent the devastation of
war.
Reason: 'Doing nothing' refers to a time for stopping any action for a few moments.

Choose the correct option regarding their relationship.

A. Both the assertion and the reason are true, and the reason is the correct explanation
of the assertion.
B. Both the assertion and the reason are true, but the reason is not the correct
explanation of the assertion.
C. The assertion is true, but the reason is false.
D. The assertion is false, but the reason is true.

VI. How can the message in the excerpt, about the outcome of wars be applied to promote
peace?

OR

B While greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey,

Swarm over their lives enforcing benefits

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 That are calculated to soothe them out of their wits,
And by teaching them how to sleep they sleep all day,
Destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way. (poem-The Roadside Stand)

I Select the phrase that suggests the following:

The so-called aids are not offered out of genuine care or consent but are imposed in a
controlling and perhaps unwelcome manner.

II What does the imagery of ‘swarm’ NOT represent in the given extract?
A. Coordinated help B. Overwhelming force
C. Discomfort and chaos D. Neglect of individual needs

III Complete the following suitably.

In the line, ‘destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way,’ the phrase ‘the ancient way’
refers to________.
IV. Select the correct option from those given in brackets, to fill in the blank.

The poet has used phrases like ‘greedy good-doers’ and ‘beneficent beasts of prey’ to
illustrate the ________ (irony/satire) in the situation where those claiming to help the rural
poor actually impose self-serving and detrimental actions on them.
V. Read the assertion and the reason below, with reference to the given extract.

Assertion: The poet criticizes the way the rural poor are treated by benefactors, suggesting
it instills ambition.
Reason: The interventions are overwhelmingly calming and lead to a loss of critical thinking
among the rural poor.
Choose the correct option regarding their relationship:
A. Both the assertion and the reason are true, and the reason is the correct explanation of
the assertion.
B. Both the assertion and the reason are true, but the reason is not the correct explanation
of the assertion.
C. The assertion is true, but the reason is false.
D. The assertion is false, but the reason is true.
VI. State in one sentence, what cautionary advice your address to the rural poor from the
extract, is most likely to include.

8. Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two,
(A) or (B) 4x1=4
A. To visit Antarctica now is to be a part of that history; to get a grasp of where we’ve come
from and where we could possibly be heading. It’s to understand the significance of
Cordilleran folds and pre-Cambrian granite shields; ozone and carbon; evolution and
extinction. When you think about all that can happen in a million years, it can get pretty
mind-boggling. Imagine: India pushing northwards, jamming against Asia to buckle its crust
and form the Himalayas; South America drifting off to join North America, opening up the
Drake Passage to create a cold circumpolar current, keeping Antarctica frigid, desolate,
and at the bottom of the world. (Journey to the End of the Earth)
I. Complete the following suitably.
The passage suggests that visiting Antarctica offers insight into geological processes and

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 Earth's history by ______________.

II. How does the author imply the role of geological knowledge in understanding the Earth's
past and potential future changes?

III. The writer says, ‘When you think about all that can happen in a million years, it can get
pretty mind-boggling.’
What is the most likely impact on the writer?
A. Feels overwhelmed by the vastness of geological time scales.
B. Is uneasy about the rapid pace of geological changes.
C. Feels indifferent towards geological phenomena.
D. Is surprised by the lack of significant geological events over a million years.

IV. How might understanding the geological processes mentioned in the passage help
scientists in predicting and mitigating future environmental changes, particularly in polar
regions?
OR
B. I cried aloud, shaking my head all the while until I felt the cold blades of the scissors
against my neck, and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my spirit.
Since the day I was taken from my mother I had suffered extreme indignities. People had
stared at me. I had been tossed about in the air like a wooden puppet. And now my long
hair was shingled like a coward’s! In my anguish I moaned for my mother, but no one came
to comfort me. Not a soul reasoned quietly with me, as my own mother used to do; for now,
I was only one of many little animals driven by a herder.
(Memories of Childhood: The Cutting of My Long Hair)

I. Complete the following suitably.

Zitkala-Sa's description of her experience at the boarding school conveys a sense of
abandonment through her portrayal of __________

II. List any one emotion that Zitkala-Sa experiences as her hair is being cut.

III. Select the suitable option to complete the following.

The metaphor of being ‘tossed about in the air like a wooden puppet’ contribute to the
reader's understanding of Zitkala-Sa's feelings of being ________.
A. forced to interact with others
B. manipulated and controlled
C. preached at and insulted
D. made to exist like toy animals

VI In what ways does the imagery of her ‘long hair shingled like a coward's’ symbolise the
erasure of Zitkala’s cultural heritage and the imposition of Western norms?

9. Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two, A
or B. 1x6=6
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 A. What a thunderclap these words were to me! Oh, the wretches; that was what they had put
up at the town-hall! My last French lesson! Why, I hardly knew how to write! I should never
learn anymore! I must stop there, then! Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons, for
seeking birds’ eggs, or going sliding on the Saar! My books, that had seemed such a
nuisance a while ago, so heavy to carry, my grammar, and my history of the saints, were
old friends now that I couldn’t give up. And M. Hamel, too; the idea that he was going away,
that I should never see him again, made me forget all about his ruler and how cranky he
was. (The Last Lesson)

I. What was the writer’s purpose in using the metaphor of a ‘thunderclap’?

II. Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank.
The use of exclamatory marks in the first five sentences of the extract serves to express
the speaker’s _______ (hidden/ intense) emotions.

III. Complete the following suitably.

The activities of seeking birds' eggs and sliding on the Saar reveal two things about Franz's
character before his change in perspective. First, his youthful carefree nature and second,
his preference for _________________.

IV. What is reflected through the shift in the speaker’s perception of Mr. Hamel, conveyed
through his readiness to forget the ruler?

V. Select the textual option that is closest to indicating a sense of panic.

A. Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons…
B. Why, I hardly knew how to write!
C. Oh, the wretches; that was what they had put up at the town-hall!
D. And M. Hamel, too;

VI. What does the following line from the extract, showcase?

My books, that had seemed such a nuisance a while ago, so heavy to carry, my grammar,
and my history of the saints, were old friends now that I couldn’t give up.

A. realization B. confusion
C. expectation D. affirmation
OR
B. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has acquired the
proportions of a fine art. Garbage to them is gold. It is their daily bread, a roof over their
heads, even if it is a leaking roof. But for a child it is even more “I sometimes find a rupee,
even a ten-rupee note,” Saheb says, his eyes lighting up. When you can find a silver coin in
a heap of garbage, you don’t stop scrounging, for there is hope of finding more. It seems
that for children, garbage has a meaning different from what it means to their parents. For
the children it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a means of survival.
(Lost Spring – Stories of Stolen Childhood)
I. What does Saheb's statement about finding money in the garbage reveal about his daily
life and aspirations?

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 II. Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank.
Describing garbage as ‘gold’ metaphorically elevates its value to the children, helping the
reader understand the _______ (dynamic / desperate) conditions under which these
children live, where even garbage can represent crucial economic resources.

III. Complete the following with a suitable reason.

Children continue to scrounge in the garbage because _______.

IV. How does the perception of garbage differ between children and adults in Seemapuri?

V. What is implied by the description of rag-picking as having ‘acquired the proportions of a

fine art’ in the excerpt?
A. Rag-picking is an undesirable and simple task that anyone can do without effort.
B. Rag-picking has evolved into a complex skill that is valued within the community.
C. Rag-picking is a temporary activity that does not significantly impact the community.
D. Rag-picking has the status of an artistic hobby that children pursue for enjoyment.

VI. What is the reason for Saheb’s eyes ‘lighting up’?

A. The immediate experience of finding something valuable.
B. Discussing his findings with others.
C. Reminiscing about past findings in the garbage.
D. Planning future scavenging expeditions

10. Answer any five of the following six questions in 40 50 words each : 5x2=10

I. Identify an instance of hope or resilience in ‘Lost Spring’ and analyse how it reflects one of
the story's themes.
II. Interpret the use of visual imagery by Kamala Das in her poem to depict the passage of
time.
III. What does the contrasting imagery of the church clock and the Prussian trumpets
represent, in ‘The Last Lesson’?
IV. How does the author's writing style in ‘The Interview’ affect the reader's understanding of
the story?
V. Explain how the rattrap symbolises the dual aspects of human nature. (The Rattrap)
VI What factor/s were largely instrumental in the victory of the peasants in ‘Indigo’?

11. Answer any two of the following three questions in 40 50 words each : 2x2=4
I. Discuss the significance of the toy tiger in the climax of ‘The Tiger King.’

II. Interpret the significance of both literal and metaphorical journeys in the story, ‘The Third
Level.’

III. How does Susan Hill subtly portray a blend of pessimism and optimism in ‘On the Face of
It’?

12. Answer any one of the following two questions, in about 120-150 words. 1x5=5

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