Students can access the CBSE Sample Papers for Class 11 English with Solutions and marking scheme Set 1 will help students in understanding the difficulty level of the exam.
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 11 English Set 1 with Solutions
Time Allowed : 3 hours
Maximum Marks : 80
General Instructions:
- The Question paper is divided into three sections:
Section A: Reading Skills 26 marks
Section B: Grammar and Creative Writing Skills 23 marks
Section C: Literature 31 marks - All questions are compulsory.
- You may attempt any section at a time.
- All questions of that particular section must be attempted in the correct order.
Section – A (26 marks)
(Reading Skills)
1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: (10)
Computers are capable of doing extremely complicated work in all branches of learning. They can solve the most complex mathematical problems or put thousands of unrelated data in order. These machines can be put to varied uses. For instance, they can provide information on the best way to prevent traffic accidents.
They work accurately and at high speed. They save research workers’ years of hard work. This whole process by which machines can be used to work for us has been called ‘automation’. In future, automation may enable human beings to enjoy more leisure than they do today.
The coming of automation is bound to have important social consequences. Some years ago, an expert on automation, Sir Leon Bagrit pointed out that it was a mistake to believe that these machines could think. There is no possibility that human beings will be controlled by machines. Though computers are capable of learning from their mistakes and improving on their performances, they need detailed instructions from human beings to be able to operate.
They can never lead independent lives or rule the world by taking decisions of their own. Sir Leon said that in future, computers would be developed which would be small enough to be carried in one’s pocket. Ordinary people would then be able to use them to obtain valuable information. Computers could be plugged into a wireless network and can be used like radios. For instance, people going on holidays, could be informed about weather conditions.
Car drivers can be given an alternative route, when there is a traffic jam. It will also be possible to make tiny translating machines. This will enable people, who do not share a common language, to talk to each other without any difficulty or to read foreign publications.
It is impossible to assess the importance of a machine of this sort, for many international misunderstandings are caused simply due to our failure to understand each other. Computers will also be used in ordinary public hospitals. By providing a machine with a patient’s system, a doctor will be able to diagnose the nature of his illness. Similarly, machines could be used to keep a check on a patient’s health record and bring it up- to-date.
Doctors will, therefore, have immediate access to many facts which will help them in their work. Bookkeepers and accountants too could be relieved of dull clerical work. For the tedious task of compiling, and checking lists or figures could be done entirely by machines. Computers are the most efficient servant man has ever had and there is no limit to the ways they can be used to improve our lives.
A. Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate option. (1×6 = 6)
Question 1.
Tick the correct option :
(A) There is no possibility that human beings can be on their own with no need of machines.
(B) Human beings are likely to be controlled by machines one day.
(C) There is no possibility that human beings will ever be controlled by machines.
(D) Machines can replace humans.
Answer:
Option (C) is correct.
Explanation: The passage states that computers are incapable of independent thought or action. They can only operate based on the instructions that they are given by humans. Therefore, there is no possibility that machines will ever be able to control human beings.
Question 2.
Tick the correct option :
(A) Computers can solve only certain mathematical problems.
(B) Computers can’t solve any mathematical problems.
(C) Computers can solve the most complex mathematical problems.
(D) Computers can solve only simple mathematical problems.
Answer:
Option (C) is correct.
Explanation: It is mentioned in passage that computers can solve the most complex mathematical problems. They can also put thousands of unrelated data in order. This shows that computers are capable of performing very complex tasks.
Question 3.
Computers can be used :
(A) to find treatment for the patient’s illness.
(B) to prescribe a medicine for the patient.
(C) to diagnose the nature of patient’s illness.
(D) to keep the patient in good mood.
Answer:
Option (C) is correct.
Explanation: The passage states that computers can be used to diagnose the nature of a patient’s illness. This is because computers can analyze large amounts of data and identify patterns that may indicate a particular illness.
Question 4.
Many international misunderstandings are caused due to our failure to understand
(A) ourselves.
(B) other nations.
(C) our friends.
(D) each other.
Answer:
Option (D) is correct.
Explanation: The passage states that many international misunderstandings are caused simply due to our failure to understand each other. This is because people who do not share a common language may have difficulty communicating effectively. Computers can help to bridge this communication gap by providing real-time translations.
Question 5.
The antonym of the word ‘complicated’ is ……………….
(A) difficult
(B) simple
(C) easy
(D) strange
Answer:
Option (B) is correct.
Explanation: The word “complicated” means “involving many different parts or elements; complex.” The word “simple” means “not complicated; easy to understand or do.” Therefore, the antonym of the word “complicated” is “simple.”
Question 6.
The verb form of the word ‘alternative’ is ……………….
(A) alternate
(B) alter
(C) late
(D) elate
Answer:
Option (C) is correct.
Explanation: The word “alternative” means “a choice between two or more things.” The verb form of the word “alternative” is “alternate.” This means “to take turns; to do something at different times.”
B. Complete the following sentences as briefly as possible : (Do any 4) (1×4 = 4)
1. Computers are capable of doing extremely complicated work in all branches of ………………..
2. The whole process by which machines can be used to work for us has been called ………………..
3. Computers can be plugged into ………………..
4. Find the synonyms of the following words from the passage : (i) results (ii) monotonous
5. Bookkeepers and accountants feel relieved of dull clerical work while assessing the ……………….
Answer:
1. learning
Explanation: The first sentence of the passage mentions the same.
2. automation
Explanation: Automation is a process that helps to save years of hard work.
3. wireless network
Explanation: Computers could be plugged into a wireless network and can be used like radios.
4. (i) consequences
(ii) tedious
Explanation: Consequence is a result or an effect. Monotonous is something that is dull and tedious.
5. computers
Explanation: Computers allow the bookkeepers and accountants to be relieved of the dull clerical work.
2. Read the passage given below. (1×8 = 8)
I. The ocean is one of the most unexplored parts of our planet, with a large magnitude of undiscovered species and mysteries. It turns out from the studies conducted over the last few decades, this magnificent environment is under serious threat from human intervention, with plastics set to outnumber fish by 2050.
II. Marine life, as we know it, is suffering irreparable damage from the chemical pollution of the water bodies and the millions of tons of mismanaged waste dumped into the oceans every year. The result is a planetary crisis with over 100 million marine animals losing their lives every year, and the decay of the ocean’s ecosystem.
Shocking Ocean Pollution Statistics
- 100 million marine animals die each year from plastic waste alone.
- 1,00,000 marine animals die from getting entangled in plastic yearly – this is just the creatures we find.
- 1 out of 3 marine mammal species get found entangled in litter, 12-14,000 tons of plastic are ingested by North Pacific fish yearly.
- In the past 10 years, we’ve made more plastics than the last century. By 2050, the death pollution of fish will be outnumbers by our dumped plastic.
- The largest trash site on the planet is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, twice the surface area of Texas, it out numbered sea life there from 6 to 1.
- China is ranked #1 from mismanaged waste and plastics. However, the US is in the top 20 with a more significant waste per person contribution.
- 300 million tons of plastic gets created yearly, and this weighs the same as the entire human population, and 50% one time used plastic.
- There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic waste estimated to be in our oceans; 2,69,000 tons float, 4 billion microfibres per km2 dwell below the surface.
- 70% of our debris sinks into the ocean’s ecosystem, 15% floats and 15% lands on our beaches.
- In terms of plastic, 8.3 million tons are discarded in the sea yearly. Of which, 2,36,000 are ingestible microplastics that marine creatures mistake for food.
- Plastics take 500-1000 years to degrade; currently 79% is sent to lands or the oceans, while only 9% is recycled, and 12% gets incinerated.
- 1950-1998 over 100 nuclear blast tests occurred in our oceans.
- 500 marine locations are now recorded as dead zones globally currently the size of the United Kingdom’s surface (2,45,000 km2)
- 80% of global marine pollution comes from agriculture runoff, untreated sewage, discharge of nutrients and pesticides.
- 90% of the worldwide ocean debris comes from 10 rivers alone.
III. Almost 1,000 species of marine animals get impacted by ocean pollution, and we now have over 500 locations recorded as dead zones where marine life cannot exist. How did this happen, what is causing the most damage, find out everything above in the marine pollution statistics round-up.
IV. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a floating island of debris, accumulated in the North Pacific Ocean by an extensive system of currents called gyres. It is built up from two other waste patches, the western garbage patch near Japan and the eastern garbage patch near America’s west coast near California and Hawaii.
V. The North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone links the eastern and the western garbage patches, acting as a highway for waste to move from one to the other. Because of this, a small item of debris dropped near California can travel across to Japan, then eventually get sucked up by these swirling garbage patch vortexes.
VI. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch size is quite shocking. These patches of trash are said to be twice the size of Texas and float on the surface but do drop several meters into the ocean in places, which makes the correct size challenging to measure. The world’s largest garbage site is mainly made up of microplastics creating a vast cloud, with newer items of debris that haven’t broken down as much floating around like chunks in a soup. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch effects on marine life are extremely significant.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions by choosing the correct option.
Question 1.
According to the passage, what is going to outnumber the fish in the ocean by the year 2050?
(A) Pollution
(B) Garbage
(C) Plastics
(D) Human waste
Answer:
1. Option (C) is correct.
Explanation: It turns out from the studies conducted over the last few decades, this magnificent environment is under serious threat from human intervention, with plastics set to outnumber fish by 2050.
Question 2.
Marine life is suffering from irreparable damage because of:
I. the chemical pollution of the waters.
II. the rising global warming which is increasing the death rate of the ocean ecosystems.
III. the millions of tons of mismanaged waste dumped in the oceans each year.
(A) I and II
(B) II and III
(C) I and III
(D) I, II and III
Answer:
Option (C) is correct.
Explanation: Marine life, as we know it, is suffering irreparable damage from the chemical pollution of the waters and the millions of tons of mismanaged waste dumped in the oceans each year.
Question 3.
locations are recorded as dead zones where marine life cannot exist.
(A) 200
(B) 350
(C) 500
(D) 700
Answer:
Option (C) is correct.
Explanation: 500 marine locations are now recorded as dead zones globally, currently the size of the United Kingdom’s surface (2,45,000 km2)
Question 4.
The largest trash site on the planet, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is twice the size of which city?
(A) Arizona
(B) Florida
(C) Colorado
(D) Texas
Answer:
Option (D) is correct.
Explanation: The largest trash site on the planet is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, twice the surface area of Texas, it outnumbers sea life there 6 to 1.
Question 5.
Which country is ranked number one for mismanaged waste and plastics?
(A) Germany
(B) China
(C) USA
(D) India
Answer:
Option (B) is correct
Explanation: China is ranked #1 for mismanaged waste and plastics.
Question 6.
Which of the following statements is not true in the context of the passage?
(A) 90% of the worldwide ocean debris comes from 10 rivers alone.
(B) 700 marine locations are now recorded as dead zones globally.
(C) 70% of our debris sinks into the ocean’s ecosystem, 15% floats, and 15 % lands on our beaches.
(D) 100 million marine animals die each year from plastic waste alone.
Answer:
Option (B) is correct.
Explanation: 500 marine locations are now recorded as dead zones globally.
Question 7.
An extensive system of currents in the North Pacific Ocean is called …………..
(A) debris
(B) vortex
(C) convergence
(D) gyres
Answer:
Option (D) is correct.
Explanation: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a floating island of debris, accumulated in the North Pacific Ocean by an extensive system of currents called gyres.
Question 8.
A small item of debris dropped near California can travel across to Japan because of
(A) the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone
(B) the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
(C) the gyres
(D) the vortexes
Answer:
Option (A) is correct.
Explanation: The North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone links the east and western garbage patches, acting as a highway for waste to move from one to the other. Because of this, a small item of debris dropped near California can travel across to Japan, then eventually get sucked up by these swirling garbage patch vortexes.
3. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (8)
1. If you saw the Pangolin, you would probably find it quite adorable. It’s a shy stooped creature that ambles close to the ground, looking furtively at the world through beady eyes. When threatened, this prehistoric mammal curls up into a ball, presenting a hide covered in overlapping scales so thought that they can withstand a tiger attack or blows from an axe.
These scales are also the reason the Pangolin is on the endangered list. For this reason, they make it easy to capture and impossible to kill. So about 3,500 Pangolin are boiled alive in India every year, and about 10,000 worldwide according to the data from the UK based NGO Environmental Investigation Agency.
2. Thus separated from the skin, the scales fetch up to ? 15,000 per kg in the market, to eventually be used as a ‘tonic’ in traditional Chinese medicine. All this has made the Pangolin the most poached mamma in India and also the world. And yet there is little data about its decline, only vague estimates of how few are left, just the fact that the young are being poached so extensively to hint at how few adults probably remain. Chances are, you will never even see a picture of one.
3. Essentially, it is an orphan in the wild. Poached, seriously endangered and still largely ignored. And in the sense, if no one other, the Pangolin is not alone. Its predicament is shared by the Slender Loris and the Red Line Torpedo Barb, which are trapped and sold by the thousands as exotic pets.
Likewise, the Dugong or Sea Cow is hunted for its flesh and the first owlet is sought after for its supposedly magical properties. The Sea Cucumber, which is hunted as a delicacy and an ingredient in traditional Chinese and South-East Asian medicine, has been wiped out in many parts of the western coast. The Sea Horse, traded in thousands as aquarium pets, dried curios and ‘cure’ for asthma, faces the same fate on the eastern coast.
4. At a time when the impact of human activity is contributing to, if not causing, the climate change, species around the world are in peril; some still more than others. But within the world of endangered animals, discrimination persists. Worldwide, the species that pull on heartstrings and purse-strings tend either to be large, powerful animals at the top of a food chain (like the tiger and whale) or charismatic creatures (like the elephant or koala bear).
5. The hundreds of other critically endangered are left to make do with the scraps of attention, awareness and budgetary allotment left. Some like the Pangolin, amble into the news when their numbers drop very far or very fast, or both. Others, like the Red Line Torpedo Barb, which makes up 60% of India’s decorative fish exports, may make it to the news when they have disappeared altogether.
“With the bulk of endangered species, the conservation efforts end at moving them from one list to another as their numbers drop and they become more and more endangered. This is just a cosmetic change since it does not reflect any changes of real significance on the ground, says Shikhar Niraj, head of TRAFFIC India, a joint programme of World Wide Fund for Nature and the World Conservation Union. Since ‘celebrity animals like the tiger or the elephant are international symbols of Indian Wildlife, they tend to hog public attention. This is a bad news.
6. As marine ecologist Deepak Apte puts it, “We may concern ourselves with the flagship species hut il is the minutiae that actually balance the ecosystem. Be it the Scavenger species, the Sea Cucumber or the Insectivorous I..oris, it is these species that keep the ecosystem healthy and clean.”
(a) On the basis of your reading the passage, make notes using recognisable abbreviations wherever necessary. Use a format you consider suitable, supply a suitable title. (5)
(b) Make a short summary of the passage in about 50 words. (3)
Answer:
(a) Endangered Animals
1. Animals often poached:
1.1. Pangolin
1.2. Slender Loris
1.3. Red Line Torpedo Barb
1.4. Sea-Cucumber
1.5. Dugong
2. Pangolin:
2.1. shy stooped creature
2.2. ambles close to ground
2.3. beady eyes
2.4. looks furtively
2.5. hide covered with overlapping scales
3. Reasons for poaching:
3.1. Pangolin
3.1.1. used as a tonic in chinse medcn
3.2. Loris & Red Line Torpedo Barb
3.2.1. sold as pets
3.3. Dugong or Sea Cow
3.3.1. hunted for flesh
3.4. Sea Cucumber
3.4.1. eaten as a delicacy
3.4.2. ingr. in chinse. medon.
3.5. Sea Horse
3.5.1. traded as aquarium pet
3.5.2. cure for asthma
4. Need for consrvtn:
4.1. balance the ecosystem
4.2. keep the ecosystem healthy and clean.
Key to Abbreviation | ||
S.NO | Abbreviation | Word |
1. | chinse | chinese |
2. | medcn | medicine |
3. | consrvtri | conservation |
4. | ingr | ingredient |
5. | & | and |
(b) Summary
Animals which are endangered and often poached make a long list which indudes Pangolin, Slender Loris, Red Line Torpedo Barb, Sea- Cucumbers, Dugong, Sea Horse, etc. Pangolin, which is a shy stooped creature, has beady eyes and its hide is covered with overlapping scales.
It is hunted for its scales which are used as a tonic in Chinese medicines. Loris, Red Line Torpedo Barb and Sea-Horse are traded as pets whereas Dugong or Sea Cow is hunted for its flesh. But there is a need to conserve these endangered animals as they balance the ecosystem and keep it healthy and dean.
Section – B (23 marks)
(Grammar and Creative Writing Skills)
Grammar [7 Marks]
4. Choose the appropriate word from the options given to complete the following passage. (½ x 8 = 4)
Pampore, a small town (i) …………….. the banks of the river Jhelum, near Srinagar, is the main centre (ii) …………….. saffron cultivation in India. The best saffron (iii)…………….. from Spain, which is the world’s largest producer. Saffron, the (iv) …………….. spice in the world, is known as ‘kesar’ in (v) …………….. parts of India. It adds a golden colour to food and gives it (vi) …………….. unique flavour. Moreover, (vii) saffron goes a long way — for example, (viii)…………….. half a teaspoon is sufficient to flavour a litre of kheer,
(i) (a) in (b) on (c) from (d) between
(ii) (a) for (b) from (c) in (d) to
(iii) (a) is coming (b) will come (c) comes (d) came
(iv) (a) much expensive (b) more expensive (c) most expensive (d) expensive
(v) (a) other (b) another (c) every (d) each
(vi) (a) the (b) a (c) an (d) any
(vii) (a) a few (b) the few (c) a little (d) the little
(viii) (a) lesser than (b) less than (c) least than (d) lesser
Answer:
(i) (b) on
(ii) (a) for
(iii) (c) comes
(iv) (c) most expensive
(v) (a) other
(vi) (c) an
(vii) (c) a little
(viii) (b) less than
5. Rearrange the following words or phrases to make meaningful sentences: (1×3=3)
(a) the/Indian/English/exploited/the/farmers
(b) pay/the/had to/poor farmers/high taxes/very
(c) the class/at once/ordered/you/are/to leave
(d) is/as/Firozabad/bangle/known/town/the
Answer:
(a) The English exploited the Indian farmers.
Explanation: The sentence follows a simple subject-verb-object order.
(b) The poor farmers had to pay very high taxes.
Explanation: The sentence is structured in a simple subject-verb-object pattern, which is a common grammatical structure in English. It conveys the idea that the poor farmers had no choice but to pay taxes, and these taxes were at a significant and burdensome level, as emphasized by the adverb “very” and the adjective “high.”
(c) You are ordered to leave the class at once.
Explanation: The sentence follows a subject-verb-object structure and conveys that the person being addressed (You) has received an order to leave the class immediately (“at once”). The phrase “to leave the class” explains what the order entails.
(d) Firozabad is known as bangle town.
Explanation: The sentence follows a simple subject-verb-complement structure, and it effectively conveys the idea that Firozabad is recognized as a place known for its association with bangles.
Creative Writing Skills (16 Marks)
Question 6.
You are going abroad. You want to sell your house, built three years ago. Draft an advertisement in not more than 50 words giving all the necessary information. Details of the house and its locality. Contact no. 91xxxxxx
OR
You want to sell your car as you are going abroad. Draft a suitable advertisement in not more than 50 words to be published in classified columns of ‘The Times of India’. Give necessary details of the car. You are Amit/Amita residing in Karol Bagh, New Delhi.
Answer:
Suggested Value points :
House for Sale
- Location
- Type
- Size/area
- Facilities (electricity, water, parking, market)
- Cost/minimum price expected
- (Due credit should be given to economy of words) [DDE Marking Scheme]
Detailed Answer:
HOUSE FOR SALE
Available a single storey house in a posh area, built three years ago, 3 BHK, modular kitchen, 24×7 water facility, power back up, parking area, centrally located, price negotiable. For more details contact Rakesh at 982xxxxxxx
OR
CAR FOR SALE
Available Black Maruti Esteem car in good running condition, 2Oxx model, fitted with latest accessories, 44,000 km covered, self driven, owner going abroad. Price negotiable. Contact : Amita, 47 Karol Bagh,
New Delhi.
Question 7.
‘Draft a poster on ‘Respect Women’. (3)
OR
Draft a Poster on ‘Say No to Plastic Bags’.
Answer:
OR
Question 8.
Teachers and students are exploring various online learning tools. Write a speech to be delivered in the morning assembly in about 120-150 words on the benefits of online learning tools.
OR
Human activities are leading to serious environmental changes globally. It is going to cause much trouble to the future generation, write a speech to be delivered in the morning assembly. Do not exceed the word limit of 120-150 words.
Answer:
Benefits of online teaching tools
Respected Principal, teachers and my fellow students, good morning to all. Today, I, ABC of class XI, am going to present my views on the topic, ‘Benefits of online tools’. The online tools were in great demand during the pandemic when the entire mode of education was shifted from offline to online.Teachers and students started exploring the various tools to cater to their needs.
Teachers were aware of the challenges of online teaching. Engaging the students effectively was the need of the hour. The use of whiteboard, flipgrid, padlet, jamboard, etc. were used to enable the students to express their views, collaborate and create mind maps. Quizlet and Kahoot were used for quizzing which helped to make the class interesting and engaged the students.
Students also explored various online tools for presentations, projects and group activities. They explored Google forms to take survey, prezi for interactive presentation, mindnote to create and organise ideas, Canva to make posters, etc.
The tools opened plethora of opportunities to unravel the creativity, express ideas and think out of the box. Teachers took up the challenge and realised even though offline classes commenced, the online tools could be used for few activities. Even documentation of the activities was easy.
A paper less record of work seemed better than files submitted by the students. This is the need of the hour. Students in turn enjoy using the online tools for their projects / group activities. They can revisit, delete or add content easily. Thus, the online tools have enhanced the teaching learning process.
Thank you
OR
Influence of Human Activity on the Environment
Respected Principal, teachers and my fellow students, good morning to all. Today, I, ABC of class XI, am going to present my views on the topic, ‘Influence of Human Activity on the Environment’. Improvements in agriculture, health and medicine have produced a dramatic rise in the human population. This increase in population size leads to an increase in pollution and higher demand for the world’s resources.
Humans are using up the earth’s resources, including fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels in cars and power stations produces carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere and causes the temperature of the earth to rise. This leads to disruption of the weather patterns and natural calamities such as drought and floods occur. Some weeds may thrive on the extra carbon dioxide while other plants are killed.
Sulphur dioxide dissolves in rain producing Acid Rain. Acid rain damages trees and pollutes rivers and lakes. In many countries people are chopping down forests to provide timber to create space for agriculture for the growing population. This deforestation causes several problems such as the greenhouse effect, soil erosion and extinction of species.
To grow more crops, too much fertiliser is added and when it then rains, the fertiliser finds its way into rivers and lakes. This causes the water plants to grow and as there is competition for light, some will die. Use of pesticides also causes pollution. Pesticides kill insects that will damage crops. They also kill harmless insects or can get washed into rivers and pollute the water. They may even end up in the food chain. Thus, human activities have caused a lot of damage to our environment and it is high time to adopt organic farming, grow trees and use alternative energy sources.
Thank you
Question 9.
‘Aggression and sledging are an essential part of sports.’ Write a debate in 150-200 words either for or against the motion. You are Shivam/Shivani.
OR
You are Mukul Mahima of Alps Public School. Your school has organised a debate on “Social Media and Its Effects” and you will be participating from your school. Prepare your views against or in favour of the motion. – (150-200 words)
Answer:
Aggression and Sledging Are an Essential Part of Sports
Honourable jury members, respected teachers and my dear friends. Good morning everyone. I, Shivani, stand before you to speak on the topic ‘Aggression and sledging are an essential part of sports’, and I am going to speak against it, First, we should understand what sledging is? In sport, “sledging” or “taunting” describes the practice of using insulting, intimidating or provocative language or behaviour against an opponent to try and gain a competitive advantage.
Is this a justified way to win a game? I strongly feel that aggression and sledging are not essential part of sports. Sports are meant to test one’s physical and mental endurance; their purpose is not to incite people to get involved in brawls or altercations leading to scuffles. My opponents call sledging legitimate, but I hereby submit that people who become aggressive and start sledging are those who don’t understand the spirit of sports and sportsmanship.
If one has to win a game, one must do it by the dint of their skill or excellence in performance. So for me, sledging is nothing but an immoral and vile way to annoy your opponent. My dear friends, I would like to ask whether sledging really adds fun to the game? How can anger and aggression be good when they lead to altercations, fights and rows? Sledging must aim to be funny, creative, spontaneous and playful, rather than hurtful, serious, insulting, degrading and offensive in order not to corrupt the spirit of sport.
I conclude my speech by reasserting that aggression and sledging are not essential part of sports. They should be avoided by all players. The players, as with any sport, are the role models to the young and as such have to be responsible and accountable for their actions on and off the field. When one team loses, their players might take out frustration in the form of sledging, but there is no need to do so. Everyone must follow some guidelines and have the sensibility to deal with situations in a calm and rational way.
Thank you.
OR
Social Media and its Effects
Greetings to the respected jury. I am Mahima of Alps Public School. I have chosen to share some views in favor of “Social media and its effects.” Social media are referred to as the advanced online platforms which help people to come and connect together. Nowadays, it has become a great medium to share and start relationship between two and more individuals.
Apart from this, the social media genre has availed people quick access to precise and fundamental data. As we have seen, the schools have their own websites on which they provide academic information about the school’s regulations, rules, departments, environment and so on. The social media has also enabled people to share information not just with a group or a person, but with general public as well.
Section – C (31 marks)
(Literature)
Question 10.
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow (any two)
A. All three stood to smile through their hair (1×3=3)
At the uncle with the camera.
Question 1.
Who are ‘all three’ in the poem?
(A) Poet’s sisters
(B) Poet and her cousins
(C) Poet’s mother and her two cousins
(D) Poet’s brothers
Answer:
Option (C) is correct.
Explanation: The poem is about a childhood memory of the poet being at the sea with her cousins. The line “All three stood to smile through their hair” refers to the poet and her two cousins.
Question 2.
Why were they smiling?
(A) They were smiling because they were posing for the photograph.
(B) They were smiling because they were happy to be at the sea.
(C) They were smiling because they were having fun.
(D) All of the above
Answer:
Option (D) is correct.
Explanation: The girls are smiling because they are posing for the photograph, they are happy to be at the sea, and they are having fun. The line “All three stood to smile through their hair” suggests that they are all happy and carefree.
Question 3.
Whose uncle is referred to in the poem?
Answer:
Poet’s mother’s uncle is referred here.
Explanation: The line “At the uncle with the camera” suggests that the uncle who is taking the photograph is the poet’s mother’s uncle. This is because the poet’s mother is the one who is taking the poet and her cousins to the sea.
OR
B. They talked of love and preached of love,
But did not act so lovingly,
Was that the day!
Question 1.
Who ‘did not act so lovingly’?
(A) Poet’s parents
(B) Poet’s friends
(C) Adults around the poet
(D) Poet’s teachers
Answer:
Option (C) is correct.
Explanation: The poem is about the poet’s disillusionment with the adults around him. The line “They talked of love and preached of love, / But did not act so lovingly” suggests that the adults around the poet talked about love but did not act in a loving way.
Question 2.
About which day poet is talking?
(A) The day poet loses his book
(B) The day poet loses his pencil
(C) The day poet loses his car
(D) The day poet loses his childhood
Answer:
Option (D) is correct.
Explanation: The poem is about the poet’s loss of innocence. The line “Was that the day!” suggests that the day when the adults around the poet did not act lovingly was the day when the poet lost his childhood.
Question 3.
Name the poet.
Answer:
Markus Natten
Explanation: The poem is titled “Childhood” and it is written by Markus Natten. The poem is about the poet’s loss of innocence and his disillusionment with the adults around him.
Question 11.
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow. (1×3=3)
A. The turns became sharper and the ride bumpier, Tsetan now in third gear as we continued to climb. The track moved away from the icy river, labouring through steeper slopes that sported big rocks daubed with patches of bright orange lichen.
Question 1.
Who is the author of these lines ?
(A) Khushwant Singh
(B) Nick Middleton
(C) Terence Rattigan
(D) Nani Palkhivala
Answer:
Option (B) is correct.
Explanation: The passage provided here is taken from Nick Middleton’s book The Silk Road. The book is about Middleton’s journey along the Silk Road, a network of trade routes that connected Asia and Europe for centuries.
Question 2.
What was there beneath the rocks?
(A) Icy river
(B) Hunks of snow
(C) Orange lichen
(D) Red roses
Answer:
Option (B) is correct.
Explanation: The passage says that the rocks “sported big rocks daubed with patches of bright orange lichen”, so we can infer that there were patches of bright orange lichen beneath the rocks.
Question 3.
Who was driving the car?
(A) The narrator
(B) Nick Middleton
(C) Tsetan
(D) Kyangu
Answer:
Option (C) is correct.
Explanation: The passage says that “Tsetan now in third gear as we continued to climb”, so we can infer that Tsetan was driving the car.
OR
B. With land under my feet again, my thoughts were full of Larry and Herbie, cheerful and optimistic under the direst stress, and of Mary, who stayed at the wheel for all those crucial hours. Most of all, I thought of a seven-year-old girl who did not want us to worry about a head injury (which subsequently took six minor operations to remove a recurring blood clot between skin and skull), and of a six-year-old boy who was not afraid to die.
Question 1.
How did the girl get a head injury ?
(A) The girl fell overboard from the ship.
(B) The girl tripped while running on the ship.
(C) The ship got caught in storm.
(D) The ship was attacked by sharks.
Answer:
Option (C) is correct.
Explanation: The passage says that the girl got a head injury “which subsequently took six minor operations to remove a recurring blood clot between skin and skulL” This suggests that the girl got the head injury during the storm, when the ship was “caught in stress.” The storm would have caused the ship to rock and roll violently, which could have easily caused the girl to fall and hit her head.
Question 2.
Who were Larry and Herbie?
(A) The friends of the narrator
(B) The American and the Swiss crewmen
(C) The captains who came for rescue
(D) The island people who helped narrator and his family
Answer:
Option (B) is correct.
Explanation: The passage says that Larry and Herbie were “cheerful and optimistic under the direst stress.” This suggests that they were the crewmen of the ship. The passage also says that “Mary, who stayed at the wheel for all those crucial hours,” was the narrator’s wife. So Larry and Herbie were the American and the Swiss crewmen of the ship.
Question 3.
Which word in the passage means ‘terrible’?
(A) Direst
(B) Crucial
(C) Recurring
(D) Afraid
Answer:
Option (A) is correct.
Explanation: The word “direst” means “of the worst possible kind” or “extremely severe”. In the passage, the word “direst” is used to describe the stress that the narrator and his family were under during the storm.
Question 12.
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow: (1×4=4)
A. The workmen went and built the thing
They did so since he was the king
The King rode down the thoroughfare
To edify spectators there
Question 1.
What does ‘thing’ in line 1 refer to?
(A) Black
(B) Thoroughfare
(C) Arch
(D) Highway
Answer:
Option (C) is correct.
Explanation: The word “thing” in line 1 refers to the arch that the workmen built. This is clear from the context of the passage, which says that the workmen built the arch “since he was the king.” The king ordered the arch to be built, so it is reasonable to assume that the “thing” that the workmen built is the arch.
Question 2.
What kind of king was he?
(A) Just and placid
(B) Cruel
(C) Kind
(D) Wise
Answer:
Option (A) is correct.
Explanation: The king in the Tale of Melon City is a just and placid king, but he is also somewhat foolish. He is just in the sense that he wants to punish the people who are responsible for the arch being built too low. However, he is also foolish in the sense that he does not realize that he himself is responsible for the arch being built too low.
Question 3.
What did the architect remind the king of?
(A) That he had given the orders to build the arch
(B) That he had made amendments to the plans
(C) That the workmen had committed the mistake
(D) That his crown had not touched the arch.
Answer:
Option (B) is correct.
Explanation: The architect reminded the king that he had given the orders to build the arch. This is clear from the passage, which says that the architect said, “You had given the orders.” This suggests that the architect was reminding the king that he was the one who had wanted the arch to be built, and that he therefore cannot blame anyone else for the arch being built too low.
Question 4.
The rhyme scheme of the given lines is
(A) abab
(B) aabb
(C) abcb
(D) abba
Answer:
Option (B) is correct.
Explanation: The rhyme scheme of the given lines is aabb. The first and second lines rhyme with each other, and the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other.
OR
B. I rubbed it. My fingers grew warm from rubbing. I followed the lines of the pattern. Somewhere on the edge there should be a burn mark that had never been repaired.
‘My mother’ll be back soon,’ said the girl. ‘I’ve already made tea for her. Will you have a cup?’ ‘Thank you.’
Question 1.
What was the author rubbing ?
(A) Woollen cardigan
(B) Woollen table cloth
(C) Silver fork
(D) Cloth elastic
Answer:
Option (B) is correct.
Explanation: The author was rubbing a woollen table cloth. This is clear from the passage, which says that the author “rubbed it. My fingers grew warm from rubbing.” The author also says that the table cloth was “somewhere on the edge” and that there was a “burn mark that had never been repaired.” This suggests that the author was rubbing the table cloth to look for the burn mark.
Question 2.
How did the narrator discover for certain that ‘it’ was hers ?
(A) Because of its colour
(B) Because of the fabric used
(C) Because of a tea stain
(D) Because of a burnt edge
Answer:
Option (D) is correct.
Explanation: The narrator discovered for certain that the table cloth was hers because of the burn mark. The narrator says that the burn mark had “never been repaired,” which suggests that the narrator had seen the burn mark before. This means that the narrator must have owned the table cloth at some point in the past.
Question 3.
In which room did the incident take place?
(A) Bed room
(B) Drawing room
(C) Dining room
(D) Living room
Answer:
Option (D) is correct.
Explanation: The incident took place in the living room. This is clear from the passage, which says that the girl’s mother “will be back soon” and that the narrator “had already made tea for her.” This suggests that the narrator and the girl were in the living room, waiting for the girl’s mother to return.
Question 4.
When did the girl’s mother return ?
(A) Half an hour
(B) An hour
(C) Six hours
(D) Not given in the story
Answer:
Option (D) is correct.
Explanation: The time of the girl’s mother’s return is not given in the story. However, it is clear that the mother returned after the narrator had finished rubbing the table cloth and drinking tea with the girl.
Question 13.
Answer the following questions in 40 – 50 words each: (3×2=6)
(a) What happens to the laburnum tree after the goldfinch flies away?
OR
How did the poet look at the rain? What did he ask it?
Answer:
After singing, the goldfinch flies away into the infinite. The laburnum tree becomes silent and quiet again. Emptiness comes to it and it becomes as dead (silent) as it was earlier.
OR
The poet looked at the rain as ‘the soft falling shower’. The showers were falling very lightly producing a soft music. The poet was fascinated and asked who she was.
(b) What preparations did the author and his wife make for their round-the-world sea voyage?
OR
Who was King Tut? What happened when his mummy was being CT scanned ? What did the tourists do?
Answer:
The narrator planned to go on a round-the-world sea voyage on the same pattern as Captain James Cook had done 200 years earlier. For the past 16 years, he and his wife had spent all their leisure time developing and improving their skills with work related to travel on the sea. They had tested their boat ‘Wavewalker’ in the roughest weather also.
OR
King Tut was just a teenager when he died. He was the last heir of a powerful family that ruled Egypt and its empire for centuries. He was laid to rest laden with gold and forgotten. In 1922, Howard Carter discovered his mummy and startling facts about him came to light. When his mummy was CT scanned on January 5, 2005, an angry wind began to blow. Dark clouds appeared in the sky.
The tourists gazed at the murals on the walls in his burial chamber. They peered at the gilded face. Some tourists stood silently. They wondered if the Pharaoh’s curse-death or misfortune falling upon those who disturbed him – was really true. But except a change in the weather nothing happened.
Question 14.
Answer any one of the following questions in 40-50 words each. (1×3=3)
How does Mrs. Pearson propose to spend the evening? Is her proposal acceptable to the family?
OR
What dilemma did Andrew face when the child was born?
Answer:
Mrs. Pearson proposes that they would have a nice family game of rummy. Then children could get the supper ready while she has a talk with their father. Then looking sharply at the family, she asks them if they have any objection. All speak in one voice that it suits them. Thus, Mr. Pearson finally succeeds in keeping the family home that evening.
OR
The Morgans were expecting their first child after twenty years of their marriage. The child was stillborn and lifeless. The mother was in a desperate state and in immediate need of doctor’s attention. Now, Andrew was in a dilemma. He wanted to attend both of them and save them.
Question 15.
Answer any one of the following questions in about 120-150 words: (6×1=6)
Give a brief account of the author’s visit to the medical college at Darchen and the effect of the Tibetan medicines on him.
OR
Describe what Gaitonde read about the battle of Panipat in the library of the Town Hall. What were the immediate consequences?
Answer:
At first the author was impressed neither by the building of the medical college nor by the Tibetan doctor. The building looked like a monastery. The consulting room was dark and cold. The paraphernalia of a doctor. The doctor himself appeared like any other tibetan in a thick-pullover and wooly hat. He had no white coat on him. The author explained his sleepless symptoms and sudden aversion to lying down.
While feeling his pulse, the Tibetan doctor asked the author some questions. He diagnosed his illness as a cold and effects of the altitude. By now the author had developed some confidence in the doctor. He asked if he would recover enough to be able to do the Kora. The doctor assured him that he would be fine.
The doctor gave him a five day course of Tibetan medicine in fifteen screws of paper. The after breakfast package contained a brown powder. The author took it with hot water. The lunch time and bed time packages contained small spherical brown small pills. They looked like sheep dung, but the author took them. He found the medicines quite effective. After his first full day’s course, he slept soundly at night.
OR
At the Town Hall library, he read that the Battle of Panipat was won by the Marathas. Abdali was routed and chased back to Kabul. The book, however, did not give a blow by blow account of the battle. It elaborated in detail its consequences for the power struggle. The victory established Maratha supremacy in northern India. The East India Company shelved its expansion programme. The influence of the Peshwas increased and the trouble maker Dada Saheb was relegated to the background.
The East India Company was reduced to pockets of influence near Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. For political reasons, the Peshwas kept the puppet Mughal regime alive in Delhi. The Marathas understood the importance of technological age dawning in Europe. They set up their own centres for science and technology.
Question 16.
Answer any one of the following questions in about 120-150 words: (6×1=6)
What is the reaction of Doris and Cyril towards the unusual behaviour of their mother?
OR
Justify the title of the poem, “The Tale of Melon City”.
Answer:
Both Doris and Cyril are astonished at the unusual behaviour of their mother. She has always been very kind and affectionate, meek and submissive. But now she is very cold and indifferent, and seems to be in a defiant mood. She has not bothered to get tea ready for them and asks them to help themselves.
When Doris asks her to iron her yellow silk, mother refuses to oblige. She has not cared to put Cyril’s things out though she had promised that morning to look through them in case their was any mending. They are astonished to hear that mother, who has been running after them all the time taking their orders, now proposes to work forty hours a week and have two days off from household chores. They stand there to see her going to the kitchen to fetch stout for herself. As far as they know her she has never tasted stout. They thought that they had done something wrong and mother was offended with them.
But now they realise there is something wrong with the mother. Doris thinks mother might have hit her head and got some violent shock, but her idea seems too far-fetched to Cyril. Nevertheless, they laugh to think how she would behave when Dad comes home.
OR
The poem “The Tale of Melon City” has quite a significant ending. It has a direct bearing on the title. The end reveals that the incidents took place, long ago. It throws light on the old custom of the state to choose their ruler. Confronted with the dilemma, the ministers took the easy way out. The person who passed the City Gate was to name the next King. It was a chance for an idiot who gave the standard answer ‘a melon’ to every question.
Therefore, the melon was crowned the King, carried to the throne and respectfully set down there. The people are not at all ashamed to have a melon as their King. They say that if he rejoices in being a melon, that’s all right with them. They find no fault with him as long as he leaves them to enjoy their peace, freedom and free trade. The capital city is called Melon City after the King.