MES CENTRAL SCHOOL PUTHANATHANI

PERIODIC TEST - 2
English Language and Literature (184)
Time Allowed: 1 Hr 30mnts. Class: X Maximum Marks: 40

General Instructions:
1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections READING, GRAMMAR & WRITING and LITERATURE.
2. Attempt question based on specific instructions for each part.

SECTION A - READING SKILLS

Reading Comprehension Through Unseen Passages

1. Read the following text. 10

1. The conquest of happiness has meant different facts to different generations. Our forefathers took
pride in scholarship, a spirit of sacrifice and solicitude for the welfare of others. Gone are those days.
Today we live only for ourselves. We are jealous of the advancement of our neighbours. We end up
tense and unhappy.
2. The term ‘happy’ has a variety of meanings. It stands for the lucky, fortunate, content, glad or apt.
Happiness lies within the mind of the individual. No amount of external wealth may be helpful in
making him happy.
3. Our forefathers had lifestyles, very much different from those we have today. Their life was based
mainly on the concept of ‘Simple living and high thinking.’ People were satisfied with whatever they
obtained after working hard. Excessive material wealth did not mean much for them. They aimed at
deriving mental satisfaction and enrichment from whatever they did.
4. The structural framework of our forefathers’ families was different from those of ours. They lived in
a cohesive joint family structure where they were happier than we. They cared for each other. The
siblings grew up with their cousins. The bond of love which they shared cannot be easily found in the
nuclear family of the day. The family provided an emotional cushioning effect against tension and
stress. However, in the nuclear family, we are detached from the feelings towards our kith and kin. At
times even the cousins do not recognise one another, when they happen to be self-centred. Disputes in
the family may lead to divisions. This may finally destroy the family psyche.
5. The joint family system provided a proper environment for the child to grow up. The value of respect,
tolerance, responsibility, integrity, etc. were internalised in the child. In the long run, they became
better human beings, compared to those in the present generation. Our forefathers felt happiest if their
children became ‘honest’ human beings. But today we are happy only if we attain our coveted material
ends. We are ready to resort to any means to attain that end. Our philosophy of life has turned out
totally Machiavellian.
6. Our forefathers had a vision to make India the best. To attain their ambitions, they were ready to make
all sorts of personal sacrifices. Their happiness lay in that of the millions of Indian brothers and sisters.
On the other hand, today people are ready to migrate to the West, to enjoy a comfortable life. They run
away from the evils of the Indian society without trying to remedy them. Often they become
successful
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in foreign lands. But in the process, they become alienated from their motherland. The nostalgic
feeling of their childhood and the relationship they left lingered on which cannot make them happy.
Distance from their ailing parents is a worrying factor and keeps them perturbed. It is not easy for
them to return, as their children will not be able to adjust to the Indian environment and the way of
life. Thus, in our generation, tradition and modernity have intermingled to form our special system.
Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.
i. What concept was our forefathers’ life based upon? 1
(a) Satisfied with whatever they obtained after working hard.
(b) Simple living and high thinking.
(c) Excessive material wealth did not mean much for them.
(d) All of the above
ii. According to the passage, state two aspects which bring out the difference between lives of our
forefathers and today’s generation. Answer in about 40 words. 2
iii. Complete the sentence appropriately. 1
People are ready to migrate to the West because .....
iv. The passage includes some words that are opposites of each other. From the sets (a)-(e) below,
identify two sets of antonyms : 1
(a) Sacrifice and solicitude
(b) Happy and unhappy
(c) Satisfaction and enrichment
(d) Joint family and nuclear family
(e) Perturbed and compared
v. Complete the sentence appropriately. 1
People who migrate to foreign lands are which makes them feel anxious and concerned.
vi. Supply one point to justify the following. (Answer in about 40 words.) 2
The conquest of happiness has meant different facts to different generations.
vii. The intermingle of modernity and tradition is shown by ..... 1
(a) parents going to live at their children’s place.
(b) children staying away from their families.
(c) children helping their parents or grandparents in using smart gadgets.
(d) None of the above
viii. How does the joint family system make a child a good human being?

SECTION B - GRAMMAR & WRITING SKILLS

GRAMMAR

2. Complete ANY FIVE of six of the following tasks, as directed. 1x 5 = 5

i. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete the sentence. 1
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I following you in the evening today.
(a) will
(b) will be
(c) will have been
(d) would have been

ii. Read the conversation between Radha and Anu. Complete the narration by reporting Radha’s reply
correctly. 1
Anu : Today, it was boring at school, don’t you think so?
Radha : No, I think it was a fun day today.
While walking back from school, Anu and Radha were discussing their day, when Anu asked Radha
about her day at school and Radha replied .
iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the given line, from a newspaper. 1
In India, the death toll due to road accidents has increased drastically. Wider road awareness among
road users be taught to all the people.
(a) ought to (b) could
(c) should (d) will
iv. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following line, from a
news report: 1
Dolphins and killer whales has learned an elaborate routine to entertain aquarium audiences.
Option No. Error Correction
(a) an a
(b) to entertain entertaining
(c) audiences audience
(d) has have

v. Mohit shared some information with Jyoti about a visit to a circus. Report Jyoti’s question. 1
Did you see the clowns in the circus?
vi. Identify the error in the given sentence from an article and supply the correction. 1
What many people do not knew is that unlike most of their fellow astronauts, Neil Armstrong was a
civilian
Use the given format for your response.
Error Correction

WRITING
Note : All details presented in the questions are imaginary and created for assessment purpose.

3. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. 5

A. You are Abhimanyu Sikri, resident of 119, Nilgiri Apartments, Kirti Nagar, Delhi. You purchased a
wardrobe made of recycled wood shaving; from M/s Pawan Sales, Ramesh Nagar, Delhi. Write a letter
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of complaint to the Sales Manager asking for replacement of the product which you purchased 15 days
ago. You have found that doors do not shut and the paint is uneven.

Or
B. You are Narendra sharma/Nitin sharma, Head, Fitness Group of Gold Gym, 234, Ram Vihar, Delhi.
You wish to purchase certain herbal medicines and wellness products. Write a letter to the Store
Manager, M/s East India, 54, Preet Vihar, Delhi placing an order for the specific products required by
you.

SECTION C - LITERATURE 20
4. Read the given extracts and answer the questions. 4
A. She was not convinced. ‘No’, she replied, “there is nothing more humiliating than to have a shabby air
in the midst of rich women.”
Then her husband cried out, “How stupid we are! Go and find your friend Madame Forestier and ask
her to lend you her jewels.”
She uttered a cry of joy. ‘It is true!’ she said. “I had not thought of that.”
(The Necklace)
i. Why did she need the jewels? 1
(a) To go to a party of rich people
(b) For a photoshoot
(c) To get a replica made
(d) For wearing them at home
ii. What did Matilda’s husband suggest her? 1
iii. What kind of a person is Mme Loisel and why is she always unhappy? Answer in about 40 words. 2

5. Read the given extracts and answer the following questions given. 4
i. “Ink trickled down to the bottom of the household, And
little mouse Blink strategically mouseholed. But up jumped
Custard, snorting like an engine, Clashed his tail like irons
in a dungeon,
With a clatter and a clank and a jangling squirm, He went
at the pirate like a robin at a worm.”
(The Tale of Custard the Dragon)

(a) Fill in the blank with suitable words on the basis of your understanding of the given
lines.
The outcome of the clash between Custard and the pirate was that .
(b) What is the significance of the use of the words - ‘trickled down’ and ‘mouseholed’ to
describe the reactions of Belinda’s pets and how does this word choice contribute to the
overall situation in the poem?
(c) Match the figures of speech with their correct definitions that have been used by the
poet in the given extract.
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Column A Column B
A. alliteration 1. words like ‘and’ like’ used repetitively
B. repetition 2. repetition of the sounds ‘k’ and ‘s’
C. onomatopoeia 3. repetition of the sounds ‘n’ and ‘el’
D. consonance 4. use of sound words like clatter, snorting, jangling,
etc.

A B C D
(a) 1 3 2 4
(b) 2 1 4 3
(c) 3 2 1 4
(d) 4 3 2 1

(d) Comment on the poet’s use of language in these lines.

6. Answer ANY TWO of the following five questions, in about 40-50 words. 2x3=6
(a) The best way to defend is to offend, but the same thing is not seen by Noodle.
How does he manage to do that? (The Book That Saved the Earth)

(b) What was the most fascinating thing for Valli? (Madam Rides the Bus)

(c) How can one obtain peace of mind after a dear one’s death? (The Sermon at Benares)

(d) How is divine love different from human love? (For Anne Gregory)

7. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words. 1x 6 = 6
A. What are the main points of controversy over the ownership of Oxen Meadows between
Chubukov and Lomov? How and why does Natalya jump into the quarrel?
(The proposal)
Or
B. After reading the story ‘Bholi’ by the author K.A. Abbas, what impression do you form of the
protagonist of the story Bholi?
(Bholi)
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