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E–14265

Universal Tutorials – X ICSE

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Full Test 02 : English–I
Date: 30th December, 2016
Recommended Time: 2 hours 15 min Max. Marks: 80
Answers 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 this paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.
Attempt all four questions.
The allotment of marks for questions or parts of questions is given in brackets [ ].
You are advised to spend not more than 35 minutes in answering Question 1 and 20 minutes in
answering Question 2.

Question 1)
Do not spend more than 35 minutes on this question [25]
Write a composition (350–400 words) on any one of the following
a) ‘Corporal punishment should be abolished in all educational institutions.’ Write your views for or
against the statement.
b) Write a composition on the ‘Post Office’ as an institution serving the public. State some of
the services offered by the post office to the public and the growing importance of the
post office today.
c) Write a story in which a soldier, a child and a pet play an important role.
d) Explain how your brother / sister has influenced your life. Refer to relevant incidents or relate
appropriate anecdotes to show how his/her example or actions have affected your life.
e) Look at the cartoon given below and write a descriptive account of what happened before
the situation suggested by the cartoon.

Question 2)
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question) [10]
Select one of the following:
a) The children in your neighbourhood are forced to play on the street for want of a proper play
area. Write a letter to the Editor of a popular newspaper, pointing out the need for a playground
in your neighbourhood.
b) Write a letter to your friend requesting a letter of recommendation to support your application for
a job in a large firm.

Question Paper Universal Tutorials – X ICSE (2016–17) – English I Page 1 of 3

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Question 3)
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow [25]
Suddenly, the voice of a man exploded into the quiet of the evening. It was my boy Mdisho.
“Simba, Simba”, he was yelling from somewhere behind the house.
Simba is Swahili for lion. All three of us leapt to our feet. Mdisho came tearing round the corner
of the house yelling at us in Swahili. “Come quick. A huge lion is eating the wife of the cook.”
Robert flew into the house and returned in five seconds holding a powerful rifle and ramming a
cartridge into the breech. Mdisho was yelling, “The lion has taken the wife of the cook and is
eating her and the cook is chasing the lion and trying to save his wife.”
As we came running round the corner, we saw four or five house–boys leaping about and
shrieking, “Simba, Simba! Simba!” The boys were all clothed in spotless white cotton robes, and
each had a scarlet “Tarboosh” on his head. The “tarboosh” is a sort of top–hat without a brim.
“Where is it? Robert shouted, but he had no need to ask, for we very quickly spotted the massive
lion not more than eighty yards off and trotting away from the house.
The lion had the woman by the waist and was loping away from us in the calmest possible
manner. Behind the lion ran the cook, running most bravely and waving his arms, clapping,
leaping and shouting “Simba! Simba! let go off my wife!”
Oh, it was a scene of great tragedy and comedy both mixed together; and now Robert was
running after the cook who was running after the lion. He was holding his rifle in both hands and
shouting to the cook, “Pingo! Pingo! get out of the way. Pingo, lie on the ground so I can shoot
the Simba!” But the cook ignored him and kept on running, and the lion ignored everybody, not
altering his pace at all.
Both the cook and Robert were travelling faster than the lion who really didn’t seem to care
about his pursuers at all. And as for me I didn’t know what to do to help them so I ran after
Robert. It was an awkward situation because there was no way Robert could take a shot at the
lion without risking a hit at the cook’s wife, let alone at the cook himself who was still right in his
line of fire.
The lion was heading for one of those hillocks that was densely covered with jungle trees and we
all knew that once he got in there, we would never be able to get at him.
The incredibly brave cook was now not more than ten yards behind the lion and Robert was
thirty or forty yards behind the cook.
Suddenly Robert stopped, raised his rifle and took aim. There was an almighty crack as the gun
went off and I saw a spurt of dust just ahead of the lion. The lion stopped dead and turned his
head. He saw the arm–waving, shouting cook, and Robert, and me. He had certainly heard the
rifle shot and seen the spurt of dust. He must have thought an army was coming after him
because instantaneously he dropped the cook’s wife on the ground and with bounding strides
was away before Robert could ram in another cartridge.
The cook reached the wife first, then Robert, then I. I couldn’t believe what I saw. The cook’s
wife looked up and smiled. She said in Swahili. “The old lion couldn’t scare me. I just lay there in
his mouth pretending I was dead and he didn’t even bite through my clothes”.

a) Give the meanings of the following words as used in the passage

One word answers or short phrases will be accepted [3]
i) tearing round the corner
ii) ramming
iii) massive

b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words. [12]

i) What had caused the confusion and panic in the house? [2]
ii) How were the little servant boys dressed? [2]
iii) Why did the author consider the scene to be one of comedy and tragedy? [2]
iv) What two reasons prevented Robert from shooting at the lion initially? [2]
v) What did all fear would happen if the lion was not stopped quickly? [2]
vi) What frightened the lion into releasing the woman? [2]

c) In not more than 60 words describe how the woman was rescued from the clutches of the
lion? [8]

d) Give a title to the passage and give a reason to justify your choice [2]

Question Paper Universal Tutorials – X ICSE (2016–17) – English I Page 2 of 3

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Question 4)
a) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in
brackets. Do not copy the passage, but write in correct serial order the word or
phrase appropriate to the blank space. [4]
(0) A woman ________(wait) at an airport one night, with several long hours before her
flight.
Answer: was waiting.
She (1) _____ (hunt) for a book in the airport shops, (2) _____ (buy) a bag of cookies and
found a place to sit. She (3) ______ (engross) in her book but happened to see that the
man sitting beside her, bold as could be, grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in
between, which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene. So she (4) _________ (munch) the
cookies and watched the clock, as the gutsy thief diminished her stock. She (5)
__________ (get) more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I
(6) ______ (black) his eye.” With each cookie she took, he took one too. When only one
was left, she wondered what he would do. With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh,
he (7) _________ (take) the last cookie and broke it in half. He offered her half, as he ate
the other. She had never known she could be so angry and turned to gather her
belongings. As she reached for her baggage, she gasped with surprise, there was her
bag of cookies, in front of her eyes. If mine are here, she moaned in despair, the others
were his, and he had (8) _______ (try) to share.

b) Fill in the blanks (use a single appropriate word). [4]

i) He jumped _______ the roof and broke his leg.
ii) As we got _________ the taxi, it sped off.
iii) She waited _________ dark to elope.
iv) The sun is shining _________ the mountain.
v) He entered the house _________ the back door.
vi) She carried the bag ________ her shoulders.
vii) He angrily stamped ___________ the rug.
viii) The milk spilled _____________ the stove.

c) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using ‘and’, ‘but’ or
‘so’.
i) The minister was wise. The king did not trust him.
ii) We reached the port. The storm came on.
iii) One should not borrow money. One should not lend money.
iv) She will win the prize. She deserves it. [4]

d) 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. [8]
i) These windows need cleaning again.
(Begin: These windows will )
ii) My mother said I could go with you only if I returned home by five o’ clock.
(Use: as long as)
iii) It doesn’t matter which chemical you put into the mixture first, the results will be the same.
(Use: difference)
iv) Who does this pen belong to? (Begin: Do you know )
v) Heavy firing has caused the closure of the highway. (Begin: Due )
vi) I’ve never seen so many people in this building before. (Begin: This is )
vii) If we light the fire, the rescuers will see us. (Begin: We will )
viii) Only a few books were remaining on the shelf when we left. (Begin: Most )

Question Paper Universal Tutorials – X ICSE (2016–17) – English I Page 3 of 3