Question 1 (Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question.) Write a composition (300-350 words) on any one of the following: [20]
(i) You are waiting for your mother on a railway station. Write a description of the place.
(ii) Migration of people from villages and towns to cities should be banned. Express your views either for or against this statement.
(iii)Narrate an incident when you were in trouble and your neighbours were of great help to you.
(iv) Write a short story about a beggar who finds a fortune in a heap of rubbish.
(v) Study the picture given below. Write a short story or description or an account of what the picture suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may take suggestions from it; however, there must be a clear connection between the picture and your composition.
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Question 2 [10] (Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.) Select any one of the following:
(i) Write a letter to your cousin inviting him/her to spend the summer vacation with you.
(ii) Write a letter to the manager of a bank requesting for an appointment to discuss formalities for getting an educational loan.
Question 3
(i) Your school is hosting an Elocution Competition on the occasion of Republic Day. Write a notice informing students of Grade VIII to X to submit their names for the competition. [5]
(ii) Write an email to the principal of a neighbouring school inviting him/her to the event and requesting him /her to judge the event. [5]
Question 4 Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
The boy was idling in the market-place on the lookout for mischief. All at once he saw it beckoning him. Workmen had been slating the church spire, and their ladders stretched invitingly from earth to steeple.
All children like scrambling up to high places to see if the world looks any different from an apple tree or a stable loft. Over and above his love for climbing, Michael had a longing to do things that had never been done before. As he gazed at the spire, crowned r by a golden ball and weather-vane, an idea crept into his mind—he would be the first person in flushing to stand on the golden ball beneath the weather-vane!
He glanced around. No one was looking; Michael began to swarm up the ladder. At the top of the tower there rose a slated spire crowned by a golden ball and weather-vane. At last Michael found himself squatting on top of, the ball, holding on by the vane.
Presently he heard workmen moving below. He did not peer over or speak. He was not going to be hauled down before flushing had seen him. The voices died away and Michael sat resting.
At last he felt ready to startle the town. He pulled himself to his feet, and keeping tight hold of the weather-vane, managed to stand on top of the ball. It was well that he had a cool head and iron nerves. Someone must have cast a casual glance up at the vane and seeing his little figure, cried out. In a minute or two Michael was delighted to see the market-place full of people who had rushed out of their shops and houses to gaze at the dizzy sight. It was splendid to have all those eyes and hearts glued upon you! But Michael did not intend to stay there until he was fetched down, to be handed over to his father and cuffed before the crowd.
After a while he prepared to descend of his own free will. He leaned over the ball. The ladder had gone. The workmen had taken it away! A sudden feeling of sickness and giddiness came over Michael. He mastered it. To wait for rescue was a humiliating end to his escapade. He would come down alone, even if it cost him his life.
The spire at the base of the ball was only half slated, and Michael saw some hope of gaining a foothold on the old part. He clasped his arms round the top of the ball and let his body swing down; he was just able to feel the first slate with his toes. Those toes were shod with iron toe-caps, for Michael was hard on his shoes. Michael kicked with his murmured toes till the slate crashed and fell in; then he got a foothold on the wooden laths beneath.
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He rested for a minute, with aching arms and a stiff body. He must change his grip on the ball, which was too big to slide his arms down; he must get clear of it, and somehow grasp the spire beneath. One false move and he would be hurled to death on the cobbles below.
Slowly he began to slide his hands together at the top of the ball, and then downward over its bulging face. Every inch was packed with peril; every inch pushed him backward towards death. It seemed to him that he would be too weak to hold on when the time came for him to grasp the spire.
But at last the steady, deadly creeping of his fingers brought him to a point where he could bend forward. With a sudden snatch he caught the base of the ball.
The next moment he was kicking out a stairway in the old tiles and swarming swiftly down. He reached the foot of the spire, lifted the trapdoor of the tower, ran down the steps, and was caught by his father in the organ loft.
(a) Give the meaning of the following words as used in the passage: Choose the correct options. [2] (i) startle a) frighten b) shining c) begin d) fantasy
(ii) casual a) dotted b) speckled c) unintended d) noticed
(b) Which word in the passage means the opposite of the word ‘release.’ [1] a) fiercely b) grasp c) leave d) strong
(c) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.
(i) What was Michael doing in the market-place? What attracted his attention? [2] (ii) What did Michael long to do? What did he plan to do to accomplish this? [2] (iii)Which sight filled Michael’s heart with delight and why? [2] (iv) Why did Michael not wait for rescue? [2] (v) Which sentence in the passage shows that Michael was tired? [1]
(d) In not more than 50 words, trace Michael’s descent from the top of the ball to the foot of the spire. [8]
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Question 5
(i) 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]
Example: (0) am convinced.
I (0) ………. (convince) that my father (1) ………… (remember) by all those who value integrity. He (2) ………… (be) a man of learning and also saw to it that he (3) ……….. (teach) his pupils with passion and patience. He, at times (4) ……….. (use) to lose his temper, but that was because he always (5) ………….. (want) his pupils to learn and learn well. As a person, he was honest and simple. His greatness (6) ……….. (lie) in the fact that he (7) ………. (have) a pure heart, devoid of malice. Such a man is always valued and (8) ………. (be) very rare to find.
(ii) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words: [4]
a) The worker asked ………. his wages. b) He is qualified ………. the post. c) She is fond ………. cooking. d) He is not interested ………. the job. e) He is angry ………. me. f) I am not partial ……. anyone. g) My father is very liberal ………. money. h) She is fond ………. cooking.
(iii) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so. Choose the correct option. [4]
1. John gave me the novel. John wanted me to review it.
a. I gave john a novel idea to review. b. John gave me a novel idea to review. c. John gave me a novel idea and told me to review it. d. I was given a novel idea by john.
2. Debjani received my note. She sent her reply within a week.
a. Debjani sent a reply within a week of receiving my note. b. Debjani received my note but she sent her reply after a week. c. Debjani received my reply within a week of sending the note. d. Debjani received my note after a week and she replied.
3. Rajat is a great footballer. He is also popular.
a. Besides being a great footballer, Rajat is also very popular. b. Rajat is a great and famous footballer. c. Rajat is a great as well as famous footballer. d. Rajat is a popular footballer and great.
4. Joanna saw that I was confused. She came to my rescue.
a. On seeing me confused, Joanna came to my rescue. b. Joanna saw I was confused, so she came to my rescue. c. Joanna was confused so I came to her rescue. d. I was confused because Joanna came to my rescue.
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(iv) Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of any of each sentence. Choose the correct options. [8]
1. Anne paid a heavy price for her recklessness. (Begin : It …………..)
a. It was her recklessness that Anne paid a heavy price with. b. It was a heavy price which Anne paid for her recklessness. c. It was a price that she, Anne paid for her recklessness. d. Anne paid a heavy price for her recklessness.
2. No sooner had Ram narrated the story than he was praised. (Begin : Hardly…………..) a. Hardly had Ram narrated the story when he was praised. b. Hardly had Ram narrated the story than he was praised. c. Hardly was ram praised when he narrated the story. d. Hardly did Ram narrated the story when he was praised.
3. Tanuja is a very friendly girl and is always cheerful. (Begin : Besides………….)
a. Besides being a very friendly girl, Tanuja is always cheerful. b. Besides being a friendly girl, Tanuja is always very cheerful. c. Besides being very friendly, Tanuja is cheerful. d. Besides being a very cheerful girl, Tanuja is always friendly.
4. They had to put off the garden party because of the heavy rain. (Begin: The heavy………….) a. The heavy rain put off the garden party. b. The heavy party had to be cancelled because of the rain c. The heavy rain made them put off the garden party. d. The heavy rain stopped them from putting off the party.
5. Margaret said to me, “Meet me tomorrow without fail”. (End: ………… without fail.) a. I was told by Margaret not to forget to meet her the next day. b. Margaret said to me, that to meet me tomorrow without fail. c. Margaret told me that she would meet me the next day without fail. d. Margaret told me to meet her the next day without fail.
6. In spite of my warning, Dev ignored me. (Add a question tag.)
a. In spite of my warning Dev ignored me, right? b. In spite of me warning Dev, he ignored me. c. Didn’t he ignore me in spite of my warning? d. In spite of me warning, Dev ignored me, didn’t he?
7. The business talks failed because neither side was willing to compromise. (Begin: Since……) a. Since the business talks failed, neither side was willing to compromise. b. Since neither side was willing to compromise, the business talks failed. c. Since no side was compromising, the business talks failed. d. Since neither side was willing to fail. the business talks also failed.
8. They were very scared and so they could not speak. (Begin: Being……) a. Being very scared, they could not speak. b. Being afraid to speak, they were very scared. c. Being not very scared, they could speak. d. Being very scared, they had to speak. *******************************************************************************
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