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VIBGYOR HIGH
First Preliminary Examination
AY 2022-2023
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Grade: X: Max. Mark~ : 80
Date : 18/11/2022 Time Allowed : 2 hour

INSTRUCTIONS:
• 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.
• The intended marks for the questions o.r parts of questions are given in
brackets [ ].
• Attempt all five questions.
• This Paper consists of 9 printed pages.
• You are advised to spend not more than 30 minutes in answering Questi.on 1
and 20 minutes in answering Question 2.

Question 1 (Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question.) (20]
Write a composition (300-350 words) on any one of the following:
(i) Write an original short story to illustrate the following proverb:
'Fortune favours the bold'.
(ii) You decided to play a prank on a dear friend. However, it did not go as
planned.
Narrating the events and how it affected your friendship, state the most
important lesson you learnt after it was all over.
(iii) Words have the power to heal, not to wound.
Express your views either for or against this statement.
(iv) A grandparent is a little bit of a parent, a little bit of a teacher and also
one's best friend.
Describe the role of grandparents in your life.

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qa~'"""lll.!'zll'
:~\ ' ~......
H1Gli
- = Write a story or a description
. . t e given below. or an
(v) Study the pie ur ~- . Your composition may be about th
hat it suggests to you. . e
account of w t ke suggestions from it; however
. · ture or you may a . . · ·
subJect of the pie . b tween the picture and your
.
there mus
t be a clear connection e

composition.

(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.) [10]

Question 2
Select any one of the following:

(i) You have received five thousand rupees from your uncle. Expressing
your· amazement and joy q.~ receiving the amount, write a letter to your
uncle thanking him for th~jame. You must mention how you intend to

spend it wisely.

(ii) Write a letter to the manager of a shopping complex complaining about

the lack of cleanliness observed by you. Suggest steps that can be taken

to improve things.

Juestion 3
(i) Write a notice for the students of Grade X informing them of a waste [5]
management workshop to be conducted in your school on

15th December, 2022. --

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 (ii)
Write an e-rnai; to th P . .
h
.
e nnc1pa1 of a • .
.
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er to be the guest speaker at th neighbouring school requesting him/ . [5]
e workshop.
istion 4
Read the followin .
g Passage careful! · .
follow: Yand answer the questions that [20]
"My aunt Will be down
young lady of fifteen. , presently, Mr. Nuttel," said a self-possessed
p·
nvately, Framton Nuttel doubt
strangers would hel the ed whethe: these formal visits on total
undergoing in this ruia1 re ner:e ~ur~ which he was supposed to be
I know there " his . t htreat. . I will give you letters of introduction to all
speak to a i;v· sis er ad said, "or else you will bury yourself and not
moping." rng soul, and your nerves will be worse than ever from

"D
sh~ _Yodu know many people a~ound_ here?" asked the young lady when
JU ged they had had sufficient silent communion.

"Har~ly a soul," said Fra~ton. "My sister visited here four years ago, and
she 1s the one who has given me letters of introduction."

"Then you know practically nothing about my aunt?" pursued the young
lady.

"Only, her name and address," admitted Framton.

"Her great tragedy happened just three years ago, n she started. "That
would be a year after your sister's visit. You must be wondering why we
keep that window open so late in the year," said the girl, indicating the
large French window that opened onto a lawn. "Out through that window,
three years ago, her husband and two young brothers went off for their
day's shooting. In crossing the moor they were engulfed in a
treacherous bog. Their bodies were never recovered."

Here the girl's voice faltered . "Poor aunt always thinks that they and the
little brown spaniel that was lost with them will walk back in through the
window one day. 1hat is why it is kept open every evening till dusk. You
know, sometimes on still evenings like this, I get a creepy feeling that
they will all walk in through that window!"

She broke off with a little shudder. It was a relief to Framton when the
aunt bustled into the room with apologies for being late.

"I hope you don't mind the open window," she said. "My h~sb~nd an~
bro· th ers will be home from shooting, and they always come in this way.
· saying,
· "H ere they are at
She suddenly brightened into alert attention
last!"
.
Framton sh1vere d s1·19 htl Y an d turned towards the young lady with a look

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HIGH
.,
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of sympathetic comprehension. In the deepening twilight t~ree· figures i
were walking noiselessly across the lawn, the brown ~paniel. clos~c:t
st
their heels. They all carried guns. Framton grabbed his walking '
dashed through the hall and the gravel drive in a hasty retreat

"Here we are, my dear," said Mr. Sappleton, coming in through the

window. 'Who was that who bolted out as we came up? One would thmk
he had seen a ghost," he said.
The young lady answered calmly. 'It must be the guest He was telling
me he has a horror of dogs. He had once been hunted into a cemetery
o~ the banks of the Ganges by a pack of dogs and had to spend the
nrght m a newly dug grave with the creatures snarling and foaming above
him."

Romance at short notice was indeed her speciality.

(i) F
or each word given below choose the correct meaning (as used in [31
th e passage) from the options provided: ·
1. treacherous
(a) untrustworthy
(b) dangerous
(c) marshy
(d) spongy
2. faltered
(a) delayed
(b) stopped
(c) wavered
(d) . doubted
3. bolted
(a) past
(b) cried
(c) crawled
(d) ran

(ii) Answer the following questions briefl y m

. your own words·
(a) Why had Mr. Nuttel been asked to reside in the countrysid ? . [21
(b) What efforts had been ma de by Framton's sister to hel h"e · . . [2]
unfamiliar place? Why? P ,m reside m the

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 (c) "Do you know m · · ·
any people around here?"
What do you think was th . . . [21
, e significance of this question by the 'self-
possessed young lady?
(d)
What, according to th - · - .
. e young lady, was the reason for Mr. Nuttel to leave [2]
in haste?
(e) - Quote the sente · f
nee rom the passage which suggests that the young [1]
lady was skilled at inventing stories.

(iii) I
n not more than 50 words state th.e reasons given by the young lady for [8]
the French window being left open. Why did Mr. Nuttel flee upon the
entry of the 'three figures'?

iuestion 5 (i) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the [4]
word given in brackets. Do not copy the passage but write in
correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the blank
space.
Example:
(0) Little Jatin _ _ _ (afraid) of stray dogs.
Answer: was afraid
Little Jatin - - - (0) (afraid) of stray dogs.
One evening, when a street dog _ _ _ (1) (begin) to bark at him,
Jatin turned and started _ _ _ (2) (run). The dog ran after him
barking loudly. The only safe place, Jatin knew, was his home and he ran

towards it.
Jatin's mother saw the dog----'-- (3) (chase) her son.

- - - (4) (Shout) out to him, she said, "Jatin, stop!"

(5) (Hear) his mother's voice, Jatin slowed down.
---
"Stop running. Turn and face the dog," his mother ordered.
such was the magic in her voice, Jatin _ _ _ (6) (find) himself turning
back and facing the dog. The moment Jatin stopped running, the dog
stopped too. When he turned and faced the dog, it _ _ _ (7) (quiet)

down and walked away.

Mother said to Jatin, "Never run away from a situation, my son. Always
face it. You will only then be _ _ _ (8) (victory).

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 -JDID HIG ~

(ii) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words:

(a) You should allow ___ delays when planning a journey.
(b) They auctioned _ _ _ _ their property as th ey were heavily in

debt.
{c) He is lame one leg.
again.
{d) When I lose my temper, it takes ages for me to calm
{e) Medicines should always be kept from children.
{ij Mary took exception her remarks.
{g) It is hard to live the pain of a serious illness.
(h) They moved the apartment as soon as it was ready.

(iii). Join the following sentences to . make one complete sentence [4]
without using and, but or so. Choose the correct option.
1. Sarita sees me watering the plants. She rushes to help me at once.
(a) No sooner than Sarita sees me watering the plants, when she
rushes to help me.
(b) No sooner does Sarita see me watering the plants than she rushes
to help me at once.
(c) No sooner does Sarita see me watering the plants than she rushes
to help me.
(d) No sooner does Sarita see me watering the plants when she rushes
to help me.

2. It.may be a pleasant day tomorrow. We will not go for the picnic.

(a) Although it may be a pleasant day tomorrow, we will go for the
picnic.
(b) Although it might be a pleasant day tomorrow, we will not go for the
picnic.
(c) Although it may be a pleasant day tomorrow, we will not be going
for the picnic.
(d) Although it may be a pleasant day tomorrow, we will not go for the
picnic.

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 ®

. moon,1t1
I will not give in toy I . . . HIGH.
3. ou. will not let you push me around.
(a) Neither will I gi ve to you nor will
. I let you push me around.
(b) Neither will 1give
· ·in to you nor let you push me around.
(c) Nei"th er would I give in it to you nor ·would I let you push me
around.
(d) Neither will I give in to you nor I will let you push me around. ·

4. They saw the futility of war. They laid down their arms.
(a) Seeing the futility of war, they had laid down their arms.
(b) Seeing the war being futile, they laid down their arms.
(c) Seeing the futility of war, they will lay down their arms.
(d) Seeing the futility of war, they laid down their arms.

(iv) Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions [8]

given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do
not change the meaning of each sentence. Choose the correct

options.
1. God is too kind not to forgive our faults.
(Rewrite using so ... that)
(a) God ls so very kind that he will forgive our fau1ts.
(b) God is so kind that he will forgive our faults.
(c) God is so kind that he may forgive our faults.
(d) God is so kind enough that he will forgive our faults.

2. He said to the security guard; "Do you know who lived here before the
· Sharma's occupied .this apartment?"
(Rewrite in the indirect speech.)
(a) He inquired of the security guard if he knew who lived here before
the Sharma's occupied that apartment.
(b) He inquired of the security guard if he knew who had lived there
before the Sharma's had occupied that apartment.
{c) He inquired of the security guard if he had known who lived here
before the Sharma's had occupied that apartment.

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 . HIGH~

· ·ty guard if he knew who had lived there

(d) He inquired of th~ secun
before the Sharma's occupied this apartment.

3. I had examined his scarred wrist and forehead closely.

(Begin: His ............ ........ .)

(a) His scarred wrist and forehead was closely examined by me.
(b) His scarred wrist and forehead had been closely examined by/.
(c) His scarred wrist and forehead have been closely examined by me.
(d) His scarred wrist and forehead had been examined closely by me.

· The Chinese language is one of th~ oldest in the world.

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(Rewrite using the positive degree of the adjective.)
(a) Very few languages in the world are as old as Chinese.

(b) No 0th er language in the world is as old as Chinese.

.
(c) Chinese is old er th an any other language in the world .
·
.(d) Chinese is old er th an many other languages in the world.

5. Is it any go0d trymg

. to escape?
(Begin: It ..... )
(a) It is not good _trying to escape.
(b) It is no good trymg
. to escape.
(c) It '.s never good trying to escape.
(d) It ,s nothing good trymg
. to escape.

6. B . r
Onl y a ittle child would write like th.
IS.
( egm: None ... .)
(a) None other than a rttl I e child
. will write like th.
(b) None but a little ch.ild can wnte. like th. IS.

(c) None but a little child would write like

(d) None except the little child would wn·te like
_s. this.

7. As soon as Mary sees her grandmoth

(Begin : Hardly............ ...... .) er, she runs to hug her.

(a) Hardly does Mary see her grandmoth

(b) Hardly had Mary er than she runs to hug h
seen her grandmoth er when she ran to hug her.
er.

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 -·
(c) Hardly does Mary see her grandmother when she runs to ·hug
HIGHher.

(d) Hardly did Mary see her grandmother when she ran to hug her.

8. She forgot my birthday. She did not even apologise for forgetting it
(Begin: Not only ....... ................... )

(a) Not only did she forget my birthday but also did not apologise for
forgetting it.

(b) Not only did she forget my birthday but also did not even
apologise for forgetting it· . logise for
(c) Not only did she forget my birth
. day but also did not apo

having forgotten it. d'd not apologise for

(d) Not only did she forget my b·rthday
1 but also I

being forgetful.

*****