The passage discusses human attitudes towards insects. It notes that humans generally fear insects and try to exterminate them because they can transmit diseases, damage crops, sting or bite. However, many of these fears are unreasonable and difficult to erase. The passage also notes that insects can be fascinating to observe and read about. The author describes an experiment where they tried to prevent ants from reaching aphids on their peach tree by wrapping sticky tape around the base of the tree. However, the ants were able to circumvent this method by climbing up the wall and accessing the tree from above, demonstrating their ingenuity.
The passage discusses human attitudes towards insects. It notes that humans generally fear insects and try to exterminate them because they can transmit diseases, damage crops, sting or bite. However, many of these fears are unreasonable and difficult to erase. The passage also notes that insects can be fascinating to observe and read about. The author describes an experiment where they tried to prevent ants from reaching aphids on their peach tree by wrapping sticky tape around the base of the tree. However, the ants were able to circumvent this method by climbing up the wall and accessing the tree from above, demonstrating their ingenuity.
The passage discusses human attitudes towards insects. It notes that humans generally fear insects and try to exterminate them because they can transmit diseases, damage crops, sting or bite. However, many of these fears are unreasonable and difficult to erase. The passage also notes that insects can be fascinating to observe and read about. The author describes an experiment where they tried to prevent ants from reaching aphids on their peach tree by wrapping sticky tape around the base of the tree. However, the ants were able to circumvent this method by climbing up the wall and accessing the tree from above, demonstrating their ingenuity.
The passage discusses human attitudes towards insects. It notes that humans generally fear insects and try to exterminate them because they can transmit diseases, damage crops, sting or bite. However, many of these fears are unreasonable and difficult to erase. The passage also notes that insects can be fascinating to observe and read about. The author describes an experiment where they tried to prevent ants from reaching aphids on their peach tree by wrapping sticky tape around the base of the tree. However, the ants were able to circumvent this method by climbing up the wall and accessing the tree from above, demonstrating their ingenuity.
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Grammar and Composition
(Two hours)
Answer to this paper must be written on the paper provided separately.
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 the paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.
Attempt all the four questions.
You are advised to spend not more than 35 minutes in answering question 1
and 20 minutes in answering question 2
Question 1
Write a composition of reasonable length [350-400 words] in any one of the following: [25]
(a) 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.
(b) Man is often ruined by his pride.
(c) All is well that ends well. Narrate an incident that reveals the truth of the statement.
(d) Relate a short story which has as its theme Regret but Too Late to Repent
Question 2
Select any one of the following: [10]
(a) A friend in need is a friend indeed. Write a letter to your friend thanking for all the help provided to you during a difficult situation.
OR 1
(b) Write a letter to the Manger of a firm complaining about goods delivered to you in damaged condition. Explain the nature of the damage and request him to replace it without further delay. Question 3
Read the following passage and answer the questions a, b, c, and d given below:
We have been brought up to fear insects. We regard them as unnecessary creatures that do more harm than good. Man continuously wages war on them, for they contaminate his food, carry diseases or devour his crops. They sting or bite without provocation, they fly uninvited into our rooms on summer nights, or beat against our lighted windows. We live in dread not only of unpleasant insects like spiders or wasps, but of quite harmless ones like moths. Reading about them increases our understanding without dispelling our fears. Knowing that the industrious ants live in a highly organized society does not prevent us from being filled with revulsion when we find hordes of them crawling over a carefully prepared picnic lunch.
No matter how much we like honey, or how much we have read of the uncanny sense of direction which bees possess, we have a horror of being stung. Most of our fears are unreasonable, but they are difficult to erase. At the same time, however, insects are strangely fascinating. We enjoy reading about them, especially when we find that like the Praying Mantis, they lead perfectly horrible lives. We enjoy staring at them, entrance as they go about their business, unaware -we hope of our presence. Who has not stood in awe at the sight of a spider pouncing on a fly, or a column of ants triumphantly carrying home an enormous dead beetle?
Last summer, I spent many days in the garden watching thousands of ants crawling up the trunk of my prized peach tree. The tree has grown against a warm wall on a sheltered side of the house. I am specially proud of it, not only because it has survived several severe winters, but because it occasionally produces luscious peaches. During the summer I noticed that the leaves of the tree had begun to wither. Clusters of tiny insects called Aphids were to be found on the underside of the leaves. They were visited by a large column of ants which obtained a sort of honey from them. I immediately embarked on an experiment which, even though it failed to get rid of the ants, kept me fascinated for twenty four hours. I bound the base of the tree with sticky tape, making it impossible for the ants to reach the Aphids. The tape was so sticky that they did not dare to cross it. For a long time, I watched them scurrying around the base of the tree in bewilderment. I even went out at midnight with a torch and noted with satisfaction and surprise that the ants were still swarming around the sticky tape without being able to do anything about it. I got up early next morning to find the ants were climbing up the wall of the house and then on to the leaves of the tree. I realized sadly that I had been completely defeated by their ingenuity. The ants had been quick to find an answer to my thoroughly unscientific methods.
(a) Three words or phrases are given below. Give the meaning of each word as used in the passage. One word answer or short phrases will be accepted. [3]
i. Dispelling 2 ii. Pouncing
iii. Ingenuity (b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words. [10]
i. What is our attitude towards insects?
ii. Why does man try to exterminate insects?
iii. Why does the writer say that knowing about insects does not make man change his attitude towards insects?
iv. What was the reason that the leaves of the tree were beginning to wither in summer?
v. What did the writer do to prevent the ants from reaching the Aphids? Was it successful?
(c)Describe in not more than 60 words the behaviour that we show towards insects. [10]
(d) Give an apt title to your summary and justify the choice of the title. [2]
Question 4
(a) Rewrite as directed the sentences given below according to the instruction given after each and making other changes that may be necessary, without changing the meaning of each sentence. [10]
1. Either Nita or her sister at fault.
(Fill in using is/are)
2. Why did you not attend the function last night?
(Change the voice.)
3. Sheena said, Alas! How foolish of me to leave out one question!
(Change into indirect speech)
4. The Taj Mahal is the grandest building in the world.
(Use: grand)
5. None but a fool would do such a thing.
(Change into an assertive sentence)
3 6. As soon as he finishes his work, he starts singing in joy.
(Begin: No sooner..) 7. You should open the door then only you will come to know what lies behind it.
(Rewrite using Unless)
8. The suit was so expensive that I could not buy it.
(Use: too)
9. It was too hot. We could not practice our game.
(Begin: Had .)
10. He was late. He was admitted.
(Use despite)
(b) Complete the paragraph given below with the correct form of the word given in brackets.There is no need to write the whole passage; but the words in the correct order. [5]
The children 1 (stop) chatter as Mrs. Hughes 2(enter).
Then they 3(stand up) and 4(say) in a loud chorus, Good Morning, teacher.
Mrs. Hughes 5(smile) , 6(say) good morning too and7(tell) the
class
8 (sit down).At a glance it 9 (seem) 10 (be) about thirty students
in the class.
(c) Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions. [5]
1. We have been living this town eight years.
2. The ceremony is scheduled to take place ..Sunday 6.p.m.
3. The farmers sons quarreled themselves over the share of profit.
