Trending ▼   ResFinder  

ICSE Class X Notes 2020 : Mathematics (Sanskriti the Gurukul, Kamrup)

35 pages, 36 questions, 0 questions with responses, 0 total responses,    0    1
Ayush Jalan
Sanskriti the Gurukul, Kamrup
+Fave Message
ProfileTimelineUploads
 Home > ayush_jalan >   F Also featured on: School Page

Formatting page ...

SOLUTION Model Specimen Paper English - II 3 Section - A (Drama) The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare Answer 1. (i) Ergo is a Latin word for therefore . Launcelot wants to play a game with his father, so he uses high-sounding words in order to confuse his father and disguise his own identity . He wants his father to think that he is the master; not a servant. Also, he calls Gobbo his father in a formal way to keep up the pretense for some time and gradually prove, he is the old man s son. The truth is, the speaker is really a servant who is planning to leave Shylock to seek a job with Bassanio. Launcelot uses high-sounding words in his conversation with Gobbo to impress him that he possesses classical learning and is a gentleman. Shakespeare wants to convey to the audience the habit of some vain people of his time, who pretended to be what they were not. (ii) Launcelot says according to mythology and classics, where the three sisters rule the destiny influencing the fate of man, Gobbo s son Launcelot is dead. (iii) Old Gobbo is shocked to hear about the death of his son whom he states has been his only support in his old age. (iv) When Gobbo asks Launcelot to tell him whether his son is really dead or not, Launcelot confesses that he is Gobbo s son. But Gobbo does not believe him. Then Launcelot mentions the name of his mother, Margery, as a proof to show that he really is Gobbo s son. Hence, Gobbo gets convinced about the truth. (v) In a humorous situation where Launcelot is asking his father s blessing, he kneels in front of his father. His father feels his beard and says that Launcelot has more hair on his face than their cart-horse has on his tail. Answer 2. (i) Launcelot says Well, well when his father announces that he has brought a gift for Shylock. Launcelot does not approve of it , as he has decided to leave the miserly Shylock. (ii) As Launcelot has decided to run away, he cannot wait to get going. He has decided to leave Shylock and find work with someone else. (iii) Launcelot says his master, Shylock, is a typical Jew. He means all Jews are miserly and care only for money. They will do anything to spare money and will not show kindness and consideration for relatives or servants. (iv) A halter is a rope to hang someone. Launcelot says that his master, Shylock, is a total Jew. Instead of giving him a present, his father should give him a noose to hang himself as he is not fit to live. Shylock had starved Launcelot to death and one can see his ribs so well that one can count them. (v) We come to know that Shylock is a miserly master who does not provide proper food or clothing to his servants, even when he exacts hard work from them. Launcelot, on the other hand, has served his master well, but cannot endure his master s cruelty any more and therefore he has decided to quit his service. | 2 | ICSE Model Specimen Papers, X Answer 3. (i) Prince of Morocco is referring to the colour of his skin. Being born and brought up in tropical region, he has a dark complexion. The scene is taking place in Portia s mansion at Belmont. They are in the room where the caskets are kept for display. (ii) Morocco feels very strongly about Portia and shows it by stating despite his dark complexion, he is as red-blooded as any man born in the freezing north, where the sun barely thaws the icicles. Morocco is willing to cut himself to prove to Portia that he has blood redder than the other man. However, later his words and choice of casket proves the hollowness of his feelings. (iii) Yes, the Prince is vain when he says that all the virgins of his land fall for his looks and valour. (iv) Yes, Morocco wants to prove to others that he is good enough to claim the most beautiful and rich lady in the world. He considers Portia as a prize to be won to satisfy his ego and prove to the world that he is good enough to marry the fairest lady, whom noble princes from all over the world, vie to own. (v) Morocco goes to each casket and analyses each one. The lead casket sounds too threatening as the one who chooses it should risk all one has. The silver casket says the chooser will get what he deserves and he fears that it may not include Portia; so he settles for gold which says, Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire. Portia is desired by many from every corner of the world. Moreover, he feels that such a great lady s portrait cannot be contained in the base lead or mediocre silver, but only the richest metal, gold. The Mousetrap Agatha Christie Answer 4. (i) Mollie and Giles are talking about Christopher Wren, a customer staying at the guest house. Mollie says that he has been given the best room because he liked the pretty fourposter bed. She finds him sweet as he readily offers his help in cooking. (ii) Mollie hurried out to the kitchen to get on with chores. She thought that the guests must have a nice dinner. She planned of opening two minced beef cans and cereal and a tin of peas, with a side of mashed potatoes and stewed figs and custard for dessert. (iii) Christopher Wren offered to help Mollie as he adored cooking. He suggested that they can have an omelette. He further added that it would be better if they had a bottle of cheap wine so that they could add it to the minced beef and cereals to give it a continental flavour. (iv) Mollie found Christopher Wren to be sweet as he readily offered his help because he adored cooking. He suggested some alterations could be made to the dinner menu which was already set by Mollie. He asked Mollie to show him where the kitchen was. He put on an apron and asked Mollie to leave it all to him and not to visit the kitchen for the next half an hour. His generous offer earned him praises from Mollie. (v) Giles disapproves of Wren as he held a general dislike for him. While handling his suitcase, he found that the suitcase had no weight at all. Giles suspects if it even had anything inside it. According to him, Christopher Wren was one of those young men who go about bilking hotel keepers. About Miss Casewell, Giles says, Terrible female if she is a female . To him, Miss Casewell seems too manly in manners for a woman. Answer 5. (i) Mrs Boyle said that the taxi would not risk coming up the drive way because of the awful weather and had stopped at the gate. There was a great difficulty in getting a taxi from the English - II | 3 | station. It seemed from her tone that she accused Giles for not making any arrangement to meet her at the station. Giles expressed his regret at this. Giles could not arrange everything because he did not know what train Mrs. Boyle would be coming by, otherwise, of course, she would have seen someone standing by to receive her at the station. (ii) Mrs. Boyle handed Giles her gloves and magazines. She stood by the fire to warm her hands. Then she talked about the Manor by a way of judging and criticising it. (iii) Giles went to give Metcalf a hand with the luggage. Giles told Mrs. Boyle that his wife Mollie would be there in a moment. He would just go and give Metcalf a hand with the bags. Saying this, Giles made his exit up right to the front door. (iv) Mrs. Boyle asked Mollie if they had much servant difficulty there in the guest house. Mollie replied that they had quite a good local woman who came in from the village. When Mrs. Boyle asked her about the indoor staff, she replied that there was no indoor staff, but only she and her husband. (v) Mrs. Boyle had understood that the Monkswell Manor was a guest house in full running order. To this, Mollie said that they were just starting. According to Mrs. Boyle, a proper staff of servants was essential before opening this kind of establishment. She considered their advertisement to be most misleading. Answer 6. (i) Paravicini, the unexpected guest said this to Mollie. Paravicini s car had run into a snowdrift. He was confused about his present location as there was snow everywhere. He thought he might freeze to death. However, luckily, he staggered through the snow and saw big iron gates. This was the good fortune he was referring to. (ii) Paravicini continued to thank Giles. When his car ran into a snowdrift, he was confused about his present location as there was snow everywhere. He had lost all hopes and thought that he might freeze to death. Hence, on seeing the guesthouse, he cried out that it was his stupendous good fortune to have found a habitation at last. The hosts had answered his prayers. His despair turned into joy. (iii) During the conversation, Paravicini moved down to Mollie, took her hand and kissed it. (iv) Giles and Mollie were a little uneasy about their last guest because he arrived unexpectedly. There had been a murder at twenty-four Culver Street, Paddington and the police were anxious to interview a man seen in the vicinity, wearing a dark overcoat, light scarf and a soft felt hat. Paravicini intensified the suspicion by saying that his arrival was quite dramatic. The hosts had absolutely no idea of his intentions, hence, Mollie and Giles were afraid and uneasy. (v) Paravicini was foreign, dark and elderly with a rather flamboyant moustache. He resembled the slightly taller edition of the character, Hercule Poirot. He wore a heavy fur-lined overcoat. He looked mysterious because of his over-friendly nature. Section - B (Poetry) A Collection of Poems Answer 7. (i) While narrating the events and results of the war, Old Kaspar also mentions the great victory that came after the war. He describes how the Duke of Marlborough was praised and honoured by the people of his country because of his role in the war. The nature of his act depends upon the perspective of different people. For those who belonged to his country, the Duke had done a great job in the war and brought his country, a glorious victory. And for those not from his | 4 | ICSE Model Specimen Papers, X nation, he was a mass murderer who was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of soldiers and civilians. (ii) When his grandfather tells him and his sister about the situation of the war and its consequences, Peterkin keeps on putting up more questions in front of his grandfather. Old Kaspar does not have much information to give. He tells them only those things that he has heard from others. When Peterkin hears his grandfather glorify the war, he expects something good to come out of it. But, to his disappointment, his grandfather has no answer as to what good came out of the war. (iii) While narrating the situation of war and its consequences, Kaspar tells the children about the events that followed the victory. He tells them how the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene, two important figures of the war, were loved and praised by all. It was completely out of bounds for the children to understand why anyone would praise someone who went around killing hundreds of people and ruining their property. They were surprised to learn that the criminals of war who did such a wicked thing were praised by everybody. (iv) In the poem, the poet describes the conversation between the grandfather and his grand-children about war. The grandfather not only narrates the situation and the consequences of the also describes how glorious their country s victory in the war was. But when the children ask him questions about the scenario of war, all he could tell them was that the war was said to be a great victory. All his information is from hearsay and this is the only information he had to share with the children. (v) On gaining detailed information about the war from their frand father, the children are appalled at the destruction and the loss caused by wars and their immediate consequences. They learn that thousands of people lost their lives with their bodies rotting under the sun and hundreds of homes were burnt down to the ground. After all this, the children have an obvious query as to what was the benefit that was gained from all this. At this, Old Kaspar is left speechless and he himself doesn t know what becomes of all this killing and destruction. All that he is able to say is that it was a great victory and he doesn t know of any true benefit gained from the war. Answer 8. (i) The poet often recollects the field of daffodils when he is in a sober or pensive mood. He mentions that often when he is lying on his couch with varied thoughts entering and leaving his mind, he thinks about the field of daffodils he had once seen while strolling near the bay. The poet expresses the joy with which his heart is filled on thinking about the flowers even though he may be in a sad mood. (ii) The poet has mentioned an inward eye through which he imagines the beauty of the flowers. The inward eye that the poet is referring to is the imagination of the mind. The poet has the scene of the daffodils stored in his memory and he often recollects them to bring calmness and pleasure to his heart. The inward eye may also refer to one s own introspection. (iii) It doesn t seem that the poet enjoys his loneliness. Humans are social animals and they often find solitude to be suffocating. The poet says that often when he is in a pensive mood, he lies down on his couch and thinks about the daffodils. When he recollects the scene of the field of daffodils, it gladdens his heart. In a way, the pleasure that he gets from imagining the field of flowers is primarily because he imagines them when he is lonely and free to think. The loneliness adds on to the taste of imagination. (iv) In the poem, the poet has described the effect that flowers have on the human psyche. He describes his personal experience when he had seen a field of daffodils. The poet s heart is filled with pleasure and joy when he thinks about the daffodils. The poet says that he often thinks about the daffodils when he is in a serious or pensive mood and then the thought of the flowers gladdens his heart and brings peace to his mind. English - II | 5 | (v) The poem describes how humans are intrinsically connected to the natural world. Humans themselves are a part of the natural cycle. We feel happy and peaceful in the company of nature because we are a part of nature and this is the same situation like the one where a child finds the most peace and comfort in the arms of its mother. We came from nature and when we are close to it, we become relaxed and calm. The vast oceans, the ruffling rivers, the chirping of birds and the bright flowers are all things that excite our senses. Answer 9. (i) In the poem, Television , the poet tells the parents to keep their children away from the television set as it harms their thinking and makes them lazy. Then he mentions the argument of parents to which he responds satisfactorily. At the end of the poem, the poet makes a final request to the parents. He requests them to throw away their television set and install bookshelves in its place. He asks them to stuff the shelves with books and encourage the children to read them. (ii) The children are used to watching the television for entertainment and they have become addicted to it. It seems impossible to separate them from it. But the poet insists that the TV should be thrown out of the house and a bookshelf should be installed in its place. He also foretells very honestly that the children will not like this decision. They will throw tantrums and kick around and shout, creating havoc. (iii) When the children are separated from the television set, they will protest against it in the beginning. The poet explains that they will kick around and shout loudly, throwing tantrums. But the poet says that this will only be a temporary stage. After some time, the children will get bored and when will they have nothing else to keep them entertained, they will eventually turn to books. And once they begin reading they will get addicted to it and they will enjoy reading a lot. They will love their parents even more for throwing away the TV and bringing them near books. (iv) The poet suggests that children should be encouraged to read and they should be kept away from the television set. He says that when they begin reading, they will get addicted to it and they won t even consider watching TV again. And when they look upon the time when they used to watch a lot of television, they will feel disgusted. They will wonder what pleased them so much in that box full of rubbish and useless content. (v) In the poem, Television, the poet makes a case against the television, saying that excessive watching of it causes laziness, idiocy and lack of imagination in children. He asks the parents to throw away their television sets and to bring in a lot of books in its place. He says that though in the beginning, the children will throw tantrums and cause trouble, they will soon begin to read books, and once they start reading, they will get addicted to it. The knowledge and other benefits that they gain from the pleasurable pastime of reading will make them thankful towards their parents. They will love their parents even more for saving them from that idiotic box and making them read wonderful books. Section - C (Prose) A Collection of Short Stories Answer 10. (i) Muni is the protagonist of the story who is old and extremely poor. He is talking to the rich American businessman. He meets the red-faced man when he is grazing his goats on the outskirts of the town and the American has come there asking for a gas station nearby. (ii) Muni is relieved at this stage because earlier he thought the American to be a policeman or a soldier who has come to arrest the murderer. When the American shows his card Muni shrinks away thinking it to be an arrest warrant. But the American s repeated gestures towards the horse statue relieved him that the subject matter of discussion was not the dead body but the horse statue. | 6 | ICSE Model Specimen Papers, X (iii) According to Muni, the horse has a spiritual significance. He calls it their guardian; it means death to their opponents. They believe that at the end of the Kali Yuga, this world and all the other worlds will be ruined. The Savior will come in the form of a horse called Kalki ; this horse will come to life and gallop and trample down all evil. (iv) The American businessman wanted to take the horse statue to his home in America. His only concern was to buy the horse statue as a decorative item for his drawing room. For him it was a souvenir and had no religious importance to it. He was so materialistic that he decided to make a place for the statue by removing his valuable books from his library. (v) Muni was totally uneducated and he did not know anything about the English language except the two words, Yes and No . He couldn t understand what the foreigner was speaking. When he was exhausted with the only English words he was well-versed in, he started speaking in Tamil. When the foreigner offered him a cigarette, Muni accepted it with surprise as no one had offered him smoke for years now. Muni smoked another cigarette offered by the foreigner with much ease. Both of them talked on subjects entirely unrelated to each other. The American now stood up on the pedestal of the statue in the manner a demonstrative lecturer would. He ran his fingers along the carved decorations around the horse s neck and appreciated it at length. He explained Muni that he could give a sales talk for the statue better than anyone else. He praised the vibrant colours of the statue although they were faded now. Answer 11. (i) They refers to the school children on the planet Venus. Her refers to Margot who has come from planet Earth and is a little reserved with these children. That s why they tease and bully her for not being like them. (ii) They carried her into the tunnel to lock her up inside a closet because they did not believe in what she told them about the beautiful life on earth and the sun. They did not accept the fact that according to scientists prediction, the sun was going to appear that day. They called it a joke and seized her roughly. They caught her up forcibly and while she protested and pleaded and cried, they showed no sign of sympathy. They pushed her in a room, into the closet and locked her. They stood outside looking at the door trembling from her beating it. They could hear her muffled cries. (iii) All the children on Venus planet are the victims of depression due to lack of sunlight for continuous seven years. They have been traumatized by the constant rain. They experience joys and displeasure in accordance with nature. When there is no sun, they seem dull and lethargic. They have even become cruel and insensitive. They become partners in crime with William in locking Margot in the closet without thinking about the consequences. (iv) Soon after the children locked Margot up, the rain stopped. It was as if in the midst of a film concerning an avalanche, a tornado, a hurricane, a volcanic eruption, something had gone wrong. All the noise stopped and the world came to a standstill. It seemed as everyone had lost their hearing. The children put their hands to their ears and amidst all that, the sun came out. (v) The appealing thing about the story is its artistic style in which the writer has drawn the real picture of Venus. The language is impressive, rich and illustrative. The lively picture of Venus comes before our eyes. The usage of metaphor sun is a flower that blooms for just one hour is brilliant. Above all it is a sci-fi which appeals to the children and they feel like travelling in space. The description of a bright yellow sun compared with a lemon is marvelous. Uses of colourful imagery are wonderful and the main thing that appeals is that the whole scene takes place on a single day. English - II | 7 | Answer 12. (a) Although Jesse Owen s full concentration was on his game and winning the gold medal, he got distracted after seeing Luz Long s performance. He thought that if Luz won, it would add support to Nazi s Aryan Superiority theory. He got irritated thinking about this; he was filled with anger and fouled twice in the qualifying jumps. His attitude towards his game had a very bad impact on him after fouling in the final qualifying jumps and this was eating him up. (b) The mistake of making fouls twice was rectified with the help of Luz Long s fruitful advice. He suggested him to draw a line few inches back of the board and aim at taking off from that line. His advise reassured Owens about him qualifying the jump without fouling. (c) Luz Long was a true sportsman and an amazing human being. He reduced Owens tension by showing compassion. He gave him a friendly advice of how to draw a line a few inches before the board and take off from there to avoid the foul. This helped Owens to qualify. Later when Owens met him after trials in his quarter, both talked for two hours about a lot of things. He angered Hitler by being friendly with Owens but didn t paid heed to it and developed a congenial relationship with him. He did not mind his defeat at all and showed no sign of jealousy towards Owens. Luz Long had the true spirit of sportsmanship. That s why when he saw Owens in trouble, he extended his hand to help him. Instead of seeing him as a rival, he was friendly with Owens. He proved to be Owens true guide; he respected him and considered him as his equal. Although he also had pressure on him of winning the medal but he had no intentions of not offering advice to an opponent. He helped Jesse in coming out of distress. Besides, he was an amazing human being. He took himself just as a participant and winning was only a matter of chance and efforts. Even after losing the game, he did not develop any rivalry towards Jesse. Rather he congratulated Jesse with a firm handshake in front of Hitler when Jesse won the gold medal. He showed exuberant courage to befriend Jesse in front of his leader. oo SOLUTION Model Specimen Paper English - II 6 Section - A (Drama) The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare Answer 1. (i) Bassanio is in Portia s house at Belmont. He is speaking to Portia. (ii) Bassanio emphasises the truth about his financial status when he says for indeed . He says that he was bragging and he had borrowed money from his dear friend who in turn had borrowed money from his enemy for his sake. (iii) Engag d means borrowed or in debt. He has borrowed money from Antonio, who in turn had to borrow from his sworn enemy, Shylock. (iv) The letter referred to is the one written by Antonio and is delivered to Bassanio. It bears the news that all of Antonio s ships have been carried away by the waves and all of his merchandise is lost. He has no money and his creditors are mercilessly demanding him to pay. According to his bond with the Jew, he will have to forfeit his flesh which means he will not be alive to see Bassanio again. Antonio also adds that Bassanio should not worry as all debts between them stand cleared; he only wishes to see his friend before he dies. (v) Portia promises to be Bassanio s wife and repay Antonio s debt. In the capacity of his would-be wife, she asks her husband to read the contents of the letter. Bassanio is thankful to Portia and finds it fit to read the details. Answer 2. (i) The song is sung in the famous Casket scene. Bassanio is eager to choose the right casket to win Portia s hand. Portia asks Nerissa and the others to sing the song of fancy as a fitting background for the unusual occasion. (ii) Fancy means attraction towards someone, however it should be from the heart and not by external factors. (iii) Fancy s knell means the end of attraction or love. The church bell is rung to announce the death of someone. Here it is connected with the death of desires. A wrong choice of the casket will be the end of Portia and Bassanio s love story. (iv) Yes, the song is meant to guide Bassanio to choose rightly. It implies that if he goes by a wrong choice he will loose Portia. So, Bassanio rejects both gold and silver caskets and settles for the least attractive casket, i.e., lead which contains Portia s portrait. (v) The song enhances the scene with its enigmatic lyrics guiding the suitor to make the right choice without breaking the rules of the game. It adds to the drama, suspense and musical entertainment of the scene. Answer 3. (i) Morocco is bewildered by the scroll inside the casket. He realises that he has made the wrong choice and will have to lead a cold life of celibacy. (ii) The proverb is All that glitters is not gold which means that one should not go by outward appearances as they can be deceiving. | 2 | ICSE Model Specimen Papers, X (iii) Morocco reads the scroll from the golden casket. It says that attractive appearance is not an indication of true nature within. Morocco reads that many men have become blinded by the shiny surfaces or sparkling appearances but they are corroded from inside. Morocco faces defeat by judging things from outwardly appearance and consequently bids farewell to Portia, failing as a suitor. (iv) Heat means the warmth of love and frost means the coldness of celibacy. Having made the wrong choice, Morocco has to bid farewell to Portia and go back only to never speak to any lady in the matter of marriage. (v) Morocco says that not only will he have to bid farewell to a warm relationship with Portia but also stick to the stipulation of not proposing marriage to any lady. According to the rule for losers, he bids farewell to Portia with a sad heart, which makes him leave abruptly without waiting to bid a formal farewell. The Mousetrap Agatha Christie Answer 4. (i) Mollie Ralston discovered Mrs Boyle s dead body. Trotter predicted that turning the radio loud was clearly the murderer s idea. If the murderer had left the hall from the left, he might have heard Mollie coming from the kitchen. He might have slipped out from the back stairs or into the dining room. (ii) Mollie heard the radio blaring out in the room. She could not think of anyone who had turned it on so loud. She was not sure but she thought she heard a door creak and shut just as she came out of the kitchen. (iii) Sergeant Trotter said that there would be another murder because below the two addresses in the notebook, Three Blind Mice was written. On the dead woman s body there laid a paper stating that it was the first murder and that there could be a possibility of two more murders taking place reflecting the idea of three little blind mice and a death for each one of them. To this, Giles added that there would have to be another connection with the Longridge Farm business. According to Sergeant Trotter, Mrs Boyle did not take things seriously and hid important information from him which became the cause of her death. (iv) There were two addresses in the notebook that was found at the crime scene. One address was of the twenty-four Culver Street where the murder took place. The other address was of Monkswell Manor House. So, it was possible that another murder would take place there. (v) From Mrs Ralston s statement, Trotter got to know that she was in the kitchen preparing vegetables. Afterwards she came out of the kitchen, along the passage, through the swing door and into the hall in the archway. The radio was blaring, but the light was switched off and the hall was dark. She switched the light on, and found Mrs Boyle dead and screamed. Giles was still in the bedroom. He looked out of the window to check if there was any sign of the telephone wires being cut. Christopher was in the kitchen, seeing if there was anything he could do to help Mrs Ralston. Paravicini was playing the piano in the drawing room. Miss Casewell was writing leters in the library and Major Metcalf was in the cellar. Answer 5. (i) Mollie and Giles had gone to London to buy anniversary presents for each other. They did not want the others to know as they wanted to surprise each other. (ii) Both Mollie and Giles had secretly went to London, without letting the other know, to buy a surprise present for each other. Mollie had brought cigars while Giles brought a hat for Mollie as an anniversary present. English - II | 3 | (iii) Trotter was the actual murderer. He was not a policeman. He was Georgie, Jimmy s brother. He had murdered Mrs Lyon because of her ill-treatment towards him and her younger brother Jimmy because of which he had died. He decided that he would kill her one day and he did the same. He killed Mrs Boyle because she was the magistrate responsible for sending the Corrigan children to live with the Stannings. (iv) Jimmy, the child who died, posted a letter to Mollie asking for help. She was ill, she went down with pneumonia. The letter was put aside with the others. It was weeks afterwards that she found it with a lot of other letters and by then that poor child was dead. So, the killer wanted to kill Mollie for being such an irresponsible teacher. (v) Major Metcalf revealed that he was the policeman himself. He had already understood that Trotter was not a policeman. As soon as the police got hold of the notebook with Monkswell manor written on it, they felt it was vital to have someone on the spot. Major Metcalf suspected Trotter to be the killer as he was the last guest who arrived unexpectedly in the terrible weather and introduced himself as the policeman. Answer 6. (i) One of the guests, Christopher Wren entered through the arch up right. He entered with a suitcase which he placed to the right of the refectory table. (ii) Christopher Wren is a rather wild-looking, neurotic young man. His hair is long and untidy and he wears a woven artistic tie. He is confiding, almost childish in manner. He finds his hostess charming and is fussy sometimes. (iii) Christopher had thought of Mollie as a widow of a retired General from the Indian Army. He had thought that she would have a grim and a Memsahibish outlook, and that the whole place would be simply crammed with Benares brass. But upon reaching the manor, he was surprised and delighted to find the place heavenly. (iv) Christopher had knowledge about good furniture. Pointing at the desk, he said that it is fake and pointing at the sofa table, he said that the table is genuine. (v) Christopher said that if they had a mahogany dining table, they would have to have the right family round it. He turned to Giles and pictured a family that had people like a stern handsome father with a beard, prolific faded mother, eleven grandchildren of assorted ages, a grim governess and somebody called poor Harriet , the poor relation who acted as general dogsbody and was very grateful for being given a good home. Section - B (Poetry) A Collection of Poems Answer 7. (i) In India, bangles are an important aspect of every traditional woman s idea of beauty and dressing well. For some groups, it holds sacred value as well. When a middle-aged wife wears colourful bangles, it shows the prosperity of her home. Her adorning of her arms with bangles is also a sign that she is perhaps free from the responsibilities towards her children as they have grown up and settled down themselves. She now has the time and luxury of dressing up and wearing bangles for the pleasure of her husband and that of herself. (ii) The poet mentions that the middle aged wife has finished her primary duties and now has time for attending to the husband and the Gods at her husband s side. The Gods at her husband s side may refer to the parents of her husband who are now old and she needs to take care of them. Or, it may actually refer to the Gods that were worshipped in her husband s family. It is | 4 | ICSE Model Specimen Papers, X interesting to note that the poetess refers to the Gods in reference to husband indicating at the Indian mentality where women are often supposed to consider their husbands as their Gods. (iii) The poetess makes suggestions in the poem for different types of women. She prescribes red and orange bangles for young brides, silver and blue ones for young maidens. Further, she mentions purple and gold bangles which according to her are most appropriate for a middle aged woman. The poetess feels these colours suit a woman who was past her young days and now was free from responsibilities of her children as well. (iv) In the poem, the poetess speaks on the behalf of the bangle sellers. The poetess explains how there are specific colours that are supposed to be suitable for women in a specific stage of their lives. She enlists the popular colours and the kind of women they match with. She suggests the silver and blue bangles for young unmarried girls, orange and red ones for brides and purple and gold for women who were past their prime and have reached their middle age. (v) In the last stanza, the poetess mentions a woman who is in the mid-life stage and opines that purple and gold coloured bangles are the most appropriate for such a woman. The poetess has described how the woman has reached the middle stage of her life and was past her prime. She has been a bride, a mother, a wife and was free from all those responsibilities. She had fed and brought up her sons and had served her household all her life. She was now the elder of the house and all the others seeked her blessings and love. Answer 8. (i) Old Kaspar narrates the story of his father to his grandchildren. He tells them how, during the war, his father and his family had to leave their house which was situated beyond the stream. During the war, the enemies burnt down his house and destroyed it. Kaspar s father had to run away with his wife and child. He had to roam around with his family looking for shelter and peace. (ii) While educating his grandchildren about the war, Old Kaspar also mentions the great destruction that wars cause; but he also claims that such loss is normal during wars in order to gain victory. During the war, there was vast destruction everywhere : Swords at work, people being killed and fires set all around, devastating people s property. Many pregnant women lost their lives and so did many new born children. Small children were orphaned and many mothers were rendered childless. This great loss of lives and loved ones is the normal result of every war. (iii) The old man, Kaspar, tells his grandchildren about his childhood when there was a war. He describes how their house was burnt down and they were left with nothing. His father had to run away from the place before their house was set ablaze. He took his wife and child with him and together they went away from there to some other place of peace. While running away from home, he had no idea where to go as there was no other place he knew as home. Somehow, he managed to settle his family down after sometime. (iv) When old Kaspar was asked by his grandchildren about the war, he tells them the story of his father. He narrates how his father had to leave his house and run around without a place that may shelter him and his family. He also narrates how the battlefield was full of dead bodies that were rotting. Kaspar himself narrates the dreadful results of the war but he also justifies all the killing and destruction by saying that people consider the victory a great one and that is what is important according to the general belief. (v) The country was engaged in war and this war had laid waste to the complete nation. There were guns and swords everywhere with people running around for their lives. The lives of hundreds of people were in disarray. The war that was supposed to bring prosperity along with its victory, brought only death, destruction and loss. Though the battle was won, there were hundreds of families that were orphaned or separated from each other. The entire country lay in ruin due to the war fought by the rulers and the government. English - II | 5 | Answer 9. (i) The black man did not approve of the white man in the group of people trapped in the snowstorm. Everybody need fire to keep themselves warm and in this situation, it was now the turn of the black man to put in his log of wood in the fire and keep it ablaze. At this moment, the black man felt it was his chance to spite the white man and because of this, revenge could be seen on his face. (ii) The black man had been harbouring, within him, dislike and hatred for the rich. Now when he came across a rich man who was in a lower position than him due to the current circumstances, he found it to be a perfect opportunity to spite him. He wanted to make the rich man feel how it is to be dependent on someone else s whims and fancies. (iii) The black man, among the group of people trapped in the cold, seems to have been a victim of racism in the past. His dislike and hatred for the whites shows how his past experiences have made him think ill of the whites. When it was the black man s turn to put in his log, he withheld his wood because he felt that this way, he could spite the white man and make him realise how equally important he was. The white man was now in dire need of warmth that could be achieved only from burning the log of wood that the black man possessed. The black man kept his wood with himself instead of putting it in the fire. (iv) With hatred for the whites harbouring in his heart, the black man must have always been looking for an opportunity to teach the whites a harsh lesson. Now, he was in a situation where he had the log of wood which was a necessity for everyone in the group, including the white man. The white man s life was now in the black man s hands. He tried to make use of this opportunity. But due to the cold, neither the white man was left alive to learn the lesson nor was the black man present to enjoy the revenge. (v) Caught in a snowstorm, six people have no one but themselves to help each other. Each of them has a log of wood which if burnt in sequence would keep all of them warm and comforted for a long time. This could have easily saved their lives. But each of them had some or the prejudice or hatred for one person or the other from the group. This dislike was so strong that it prevented them from burning the wood and keeping the fire alive. The black man disliked the white man and vice versa, the rich man disliked the poor man and vice versa, etc. Nobody was sensible enough to think about the imminent danger and all of them cherished their prejudices till they died. The cold killed them in a way but actually it wasn t the cold. And this is because they had a solution for the cold which they purposely didn t bring to use. Section - C (Prose) A Collection of Short Stories Answer 10. (i) When the other man saw that the young lady was acquainted with the handsome man handcuffed with him, he sensed Easton s embarrassment. On the other hand, the pretty woman was in a state of bewilderment, so he called Easton as marshall who was taking him to the Leavenworth prison for seven years of imprisonment in a case of counterfeiting. (ii) Mr Easton told the woman that he wanted to do something. Money, according to him had wings and to live in Washington, a lot of money was required. He saw the opportunities in the West as well. Miss Fairchild was surprised to know that Easton had preferred living in the West to become a marshal over living in Washington. (iii) In the course of conversation, the ruffled man told Miss Fairchild that he was being taken to Leavenworth prison for seven years of imprisonment in a case of counterfeiting. As the conversation continued, the woman was surprised to learn that Easton had given up his life | 6 | ICSE Model Specimen Papers, X in Washington to become a marshal in the West. She was impressed with this information and called him A Dashing Western Hero who rode and shot and faced all kinds of dangers. (iv) There is a verbal irony here as Mr Easton was not talking of his good days with Miss Fairchild. Rather he was talking about being locked up and not being free like a butterfly. His freedom had been snatched away because of his wrong act. But Miss Fairchild thought that he was talking about his social days and as he had taken up a job of responsibility, he would not be able to move as freely as he could earlier. (v) Miss Fairchild encountered Mr Easton, one of her old acquaintances in the same coach on the train to Denver in which she was travelling. She spoke to him but was surprised to see him handcuffed with the other man. The other man guessed her embarrassment and gave her an explanation. She then continued to chat with him but her eyes were still on the handcuffs. The other man told her that she should not worry as all the marshals handcuffed themselves to their prisoners. Answer 11. (i) When the neighbours discovered the dead woman at the threshold of her own door in the presence of her three children, they rushed to her tumbled-down hut. The dead woman was despised, mocked and condemned by almost every member of the village. But when she died, everybody gathered around her house. They were worried about her wretched children more than her and so in spite of pitying her, they were angry with her. (ii) The people of the neighbourhood came with grave clothes for the decent burial of the body and some came with food for the half-starving children. Women in the neighbourhood showed compassion towards Maggie because of her innocent looks and brought discarded clothes and dressed her in clean clothes. (iii) There were three children who were orphaned after the mother s death. They were nearly starving. Of these, John, was the oldest boy of twelve years. He was a stout lad who was able to earn his living with any farmer. The second child named Kate was between ten and eleven. She was a bright and active girl. She could turn out to be very useful if in good hands. The youngest among them was poor little Maggie who was hopelessly diseased. (iv) After the mother s death, the chief question was What is to be done with the children? The dead mother would be buried soon and she would be free from all the care or concern of the villagers, but humanity was something that could not leave the children to starve. After considering the matter and having discussed with his wife, farmer Jones decided to take John with him. Mrs. Ellis who was looking out for a bound girl did charity on her part by making choice of Katy, although she was too young to be useful for her. Only Maggie was left. (v) Maggie was the dead woman s third child. Two years ago, she had fallen from a window and injured her spine for which she was bedridden. Since then she had not been able to leave her bed except when lifted in the arms of her mother. She was crippled for life and nobody wanted to take her home as she would turn out to be a burden for anyone. Her innocent looks attracted everyone but no one was ready to take her. It was decided that she should be sent to the poorhouse. Finally Mr. Thompson took her home. He took pity on her and felt it forbidding leaving her alone. This shows that howsoever one maybe hostile towards someone but death changes and touches the inner self of the person. Answer 12. (a) The children had been living on the planet Venus where the sun shone once in seven years and it was the day when the sun was about to shine. Thousands upon thousands of days compounded and filled from one end to the other with rain, with the drum and gush of water with sweet English - II | 7 | crystal fall of showers and the concussion of storms so heavy they were tidal waves come over the islands. The previous day, they all had studied about the sun and wrote about it, about how like a lemon it was and how hot. They had written small stories or essays or poems about it. They imagined it to be a flower that blooms for just one hour. A group of school children was crowding around a window of their classroom and waiting anxiously for the heavy downpour to slacken and the sun to rise. (b) The story is a Science fiction about the life on planet Venus where it had been raining constantly for the past seven years and the children who were born on that planet were only two years old when they had last seen the sunshine. They were confined in the thick glass windows from which they could hear the loud noise of the rain and it was so wet outside that there was a rubber and ash coloured jungle of weeds, flowers and huge trees that covered the planet. (c) When the sun rose, the children came out shouting and laughing on the jungle mattresses. The joy on the faces of the children on seeing the yellow sun was indescribable. Even after the teacher s instructions and warning, they started running and turning their faces up to the sky and feeling the sun on their cheeks like a warm iron. They took off their jackets so that the sun could burn their arms. They found it better than the sun lamps. The children living on planet Venus were so happy to welcome the sun as if a child feels when he or she gets a new toy. They turn their faces up to the sky again and again to feel the warmth of the sun. They ran among the tress and for the slipped and fell, pushed each other and played hide and seek. It seemed as if they got the life in real sense. They put their hands up to the yellowness of the sun and tried to feel it on their faces. They breathed the fresh air and listened to the silence which took them to the soundless and motionless sea. oo SOLUTION Model Specimen Paper English - II 9 Section - A (Drama) The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare Answer 1. (i) Shylock is the speaker. Antonio s ships had sunk and he had no money to finance the trip for his friend, Bassanio. So they go to Shylock to take a loan. Then Shylock informs Bassanio, he does not have enough ready money and he will have to ask another wealthy Jew to raise enough ducats for him. (ii) (a) Shylock does not have ready cash in hand to lend it to Antonio. (b) Shylock cannot raise the requisite sum immediately. (iii) Tubal is a wealthy Jew of Venice and Shylock s friend. He is Shylock s confidante and helps him in many ways. He goes to track his friend s daughter Jessica, who had eloped with an English man, and informs him about a list of things she bought including a monkey with the ducats stolen from her father. He also brings Shylock the news that Antonio is on the verge of bankruptcy, thus providing an impetus to Shylock s wicked plan. (iv) Shylock says that he does not have full three thousand ducats with him but Tubal, a rich Jew could help him raise that amount. To Antonio, he politely says that he and Bassanio were talking about him just before he reached there. Shylock held racial prejudice towards Antonio for being a Christian and wanted to take revenge on him for lending money without interest at Rialto, thereby bringing the rate of usury down in Venice. Antonio has no respect for Shylock due to his attitude towards moneylending. (v) Shylock says that Antonio was the subject of his conversation with Bassanio. Although he addresses Antonio as Your worship , he has scant respect for him. He tells Antonio that he was an honourable man and he and Bassanio were talking about Antonio only. Answer 2. (i) Bassanio is the speaker. He is a friend of Antonio and is now in Venice. He is speaking about a rich beautiful girl in Belmont named Portia, to whom he is attracted. (ii) The word means refers to money and resources with which Bassanio can go to Belmont and participate in the quest to win Portia. (iii) (a) Status and riches equal to the suitors of Portia. (b) Undoubtedly lucky. (iv) Bassanio is from a well-to-do family but whatever money he had inherited was spent through his extravagant ways. He has borrowed a lot of money and is now dependent on Antonio. He wants to pay it back, by winning the hand of the rich Portia of Belmont. Although Bassanio is romantic and adventurous, there is a streak of irresponsibility in his nature. He takes life as it comes and is optimistic enough to take risks. No, his way of living was not justified according to Elizabethan standards, as prudence was used to be considered as a virtue. Overspending and irresponsible ways were frowned upon. | 2 | ICSE Model Specimen Papers, X (v) The intention of the speaker is to get more money from Antonio and go to Belmont, win the contest and with that money repay his friend. Many things go wrong along the way, beginning from Antonio borrowing money from Shylock and failing to pay back within three months, to Shylock taking him to the court and demanding a pound of his flesh. Yes, Bassanio s intention to go to Belmont and get married to Portia is fulfilled but at the expense of his friend. Answer 3. (i) According to Shylock, Antonio had insulted him by calling him a worthless Jew, a non-believer and usurer, who charged high interest for money lent to the poor. He also called him a ruthless dog and spat on his face as well as the gaberdine worn by the him. The characters are standing on a street in Venice. (ii) According to Shylock, Jews are persecuted, mocked and treated as inferior to Christians. They are spat upon, called names and made fun of. Their very faith is questioned and they are not included in their circle of friends. (iii) Shylock is speaking the truth as Anti-Semitism was prevalent in olden times. Christians believed people of other faith as pagans and especially looked down upon Jews. Christians followed the New Testament and Jews who believed in the Old Testament hated their ways. Antonio being a Christian was against usury, whereas Shylock did not find anything wrong in it. Ultimately, it was a case of racial prejudice that both suffered from. (iv) Antonio does not like or respect Shylock, the Jew, as he is a ruthless moneylender and also nurtures the general prejudice of the English for the Jews. He does treat the usurer with contempt and has insulted him many times in anger. But Antonio is ready to eat humble pie at the hands of the Jew in times of need. (v) Shylock refers to the stoic nature of his tribe that have suffered so much under the contempt and cruelty of the Christians. They have cultivated endurance as a virtue and hold it as a flag of identity. They are used to insult and ill-treatment. The Mousetrap Agatha Christie Answer 4. (i) A woman had been strangled at twenty-four Culver Street, Paddington and Trotter, the Sergeant has come to Monkswell Manor House to investigate the murder of Mrs Maureen Lyon. He says that somebody is going to be killed there. To this, Giles says that the whole thing is crazy. (ii) Trotter is the sergeant who has come to Monkswell Manor House to investigate the murder of Mrs Maureen Lyon as a connection has been found between the two addresses. (iii) A notebook was found near the scene of the crime. Two addresses were written in that notebook. One was twenty-four Culver Street and the other was Monkswell Manor. Superintendent Hogben sent Sergeant Trotter to the guest house to find a connection between the house, or anyone in the house and the Longridge Farm case. (iv) Sergeant Trotter informs the Ralstons that Lyon was not the real name of the murdered woman. She had a police record and her fingerprints were on file, so they were able to identify her without difficulty. Her real name was Maureen Stanning. Her husband was a farmer, John Stanning, who resided at Longridge Farm, not very far from there. They had adopted two boys and a girl. One of the children subsequently died as a result of criminal neglect and persistent ill-treatment. The Stannings were sentenced to terms of imprisoment. Mr Stanning died in prison whereas Mrs Stanning was duly released after serving her term. (v) Christopher finds Trotter to be melodramatic as well as attractive. He admires the sergeant because of his stern and hardboiled nature. English - II | 3 | Christopher finds the whole business of murder to be quite thrilling and adventurous. He likes the signature tune of the murderer. He feels the murderer must get a kick out of this. Answer 5. (i) Giles disliked the idea of friendship between Christopher and Mollie. When he came to know that Mollie had gone to London secretly, without letting him know, Giles accused her of having running to London, to meet Christopher on the sly. (ii) Mollie supported Wren which annoyed Giles. She told Giles that Wren was just unhappy but was not dangerous. Giles suspected his wife of having a relationship with Wren beyond his knowledge. Perhaps she had met him before and had suggested to him to come to the Monkswell Manor house. He suspected that something was cooking between the two. He accused Mollie of knowing Wren beforehand and perhaps she had been running up to London to meet him on the sly . (iii) Giles showed Mollie the bus ticket to London to which Mollie looked guilty. She feebly answered Oh that but could not provide any valid explanation for it. (iv) Mollie accused Giles of visiting London as well. She had discovered an evening paper from his overcoat pocket. Giles asked Mollie where had she found the paper and said that anyone could have kept the evening paper in his pocket. Later, he admitted that he had gone to London but not to meet a woman but to buy Mollie a surprise anniversary present. Small doubts can ruin a relationship. When Mollie and Giles accuse each other of hiding things, they grow suspicious and start doubting each other s loyalty. (v) Mollie and Giles had been married for a year. She had met him at a dance in London. They went in to a party. Giles had no family as all were dead. She had known him for only three weeks when they decided to get married. Answer 6. (i) Trotter asks Major Metcalf about his missing pair of skis from the cupboard near the kitchen door. He asks him and Miss Casewell if anyone of them had removed the pair. (ii) Major Metcalf went down to the cellar at the time Mrs Boyle was killed. He was just looking around into the cupboard place under the stairs near the kitchen. Lots of junk and sports tackle were there. Then, he noticed another door inside it. He opened it and saw a flight of steps. Being inquisitive in nature, he went down to inspect things. (iii) Trotter accused Major Metcalf of removing the pair of skis. He said that the Major had an excellent opportunity of taking them. (iv) Trotter said that if he was not one step ahead of the murderer, there was going to be another murder as according to the tune, there were three blind mice. Two mice, indicating the two murders which had already taken place. The third mouse was still there to be dealt with. (v) Trotter says that one of the six people is definitely the murderer. The killer is enjoying the game. He is enjoying a good deal as nobody is confessing anything. This is making things easier for the killer. Section - B (Poetry) A Collection of Poems Answer 7. (i) Of the six people trapped in the cold, one was a rich man. Like everyone else in the group, the rich man had log of wood to himself. He was busy thinking about the wealth he had accumulated. When it was his rich turn to put in his log and keep the fire burning, he took his steps back. He | 4 | ICSE Model Specimen Papers, X saw that a poor man was also sitting in the group. The rich man had long harboured hatred in his heart for the poor and now when he saw that the poor man too would benefit from his log of wood, he didn t approve of it. He was saving his wood from the poor. (ii) The rich man seemed to have long felt dislike and resentment for the poor. He believed that he was rich because of his hard work and struggle. If the poor man too must have worked hard he would have become rich. But the poor are lazy and not ready to adjust, that is why they are poor, according to the rich man. The rich man s log of wood didn t come of any help to him, let alone his wealth. (iii) The rich in the group did not put his log of wood in the fire to keep it burning because he didn t approve of the poor man in the group. The rich seems to believe that the poor are shiftless and they are poor because of their laziness. In his opinion, a hardworking person cannot be poor. Only the lazy and comfort loving are left poor because they don t work for their own betterment and prosperity. (iv) As the rich man was not prepared to sacrifice his log of wood for the warmth of the group, he kept holding his firewood in his hands. He did not wish to share his wood for the benefit of the poor person in the group whom he believed to be lazy and useless. In his final moments, the rich man was thinking about all the wealth he had accumulated in his life. His wealth and his rich status had affected him so much that even in his last moments, his mind was concentrating solely on his accumulated wealth. (v) The rich man was supposed to keep aside his prejudices for the poor and use his firewood for keeping the fire alive. If he had put in his log of wood in the fire, it would have generated enough warmth for all the remaining people in the group. By giving them the critically important warmth, the rich man could have saved his life while saving the others. If he lived, it would have been possible for him to return to his accumulated wealth which was on his mind all the time. Answer 8. (i) The poem describes how there was a common habit of reading among the children. There used to be books all around the children and they spent most of their free time with books. The poet has also mentioned some of the books that were popular that time. He tells about a story where some cannibals are crouching around a pot stirring something hot in it. There is a character named Penelope in the pot whom the cannibals are cooking. (ii) While referring to the reading habits of children in the past, the poet mentions a number of books of fiction that used to be popular and favourite among children. He talks about some of the classics of children s literature like the works of Nobel Prize winner Rudyard Kipling. His famous stories How the camel got his hump and How the monkey lost his rump have been mentioned among the beloved stories. (iii) The poet has mentioned a number of fictional characters whose books were read by children and was hugely popular amidst them. The list of characters includes, Penelope, Mr. Todd, Squirrel Nutkin, Piggling Bland, Mrs. Tiggy Winkle, Mr. Rat, Mr. Mole, etc. Some of the latter characters were creations of Miss Beatrix Potter. (iv) The poet, Roald Dahl, has made a strong statement about reading and has made his dislike for television very clear. He talks about the times when books were the only and most beloved pastime of children of all ages. He has enlisted a number of classics which were hugely popular in those times, like the works of Rudyard Kipling. He has narrated how the youngest ones among the children used to read the works of Beatrix Potter whose variety of funny characters had kept generations of children entertained. English - II | 5 | (v) In the poem, Television the poet has described how in the early times when there was no television, the favourite pastime of children was reading books. They spent most of their time reading interesting and informative books which educated as well entertained them. It had a great effect on their understanding and knowledge. The children were well equipped with varied information about the world around them. The habit of reading had opened up their minds and made them imaginative. When they had to imagine the visuals of their books on their own, the horizons of their thinking were broadened. Answer 9. (i) When Old Kaspar told his grandchildren how there was a battle fought between two groups of people and how the skull must have reached the rivulet, they were intrigued. They learnt that when a war took place, hundreds and thousands of people lost their lives and loved ones. This information excited a query in young Peterkin s mind. He asked his grandfather why were the people fighting and killing for. His sister listened on with rapt attention as she too wanted to know the same. (ii) The lines have been repeated many times in the poem in order to emphasise on the exact opposite of its meaning. It is used in a sarcastic manner where the idea is to explain how people are inconsiderate towards the loss of human lives and property when they only focus on gaining victory in wars. (iii) The poem is a narrative in the aftermath of the Battle of Blenheim. The battle was a part of the war that took place between England and France. Old Kaspar is educating his grandchildren about the war, the battles and the victories. But the truth is that Old Kaspar has no idea of the realities of the war. All the information that he has, is gained by hearsay and the same unverified knowledge he is passing on to his grandchildren. (iv) Old Kaspar began to tell his grandchildren about the war, when one evening his grandchildren find a skull near their house. He tells them that the skull may belong to one of hundreds of people who died during the war. The war caused vast destruction and thousands of people lost their lives but Old Kaspar didn't take that into consideration and went on telling them it was a great victory. He did not actually have any understanding of the war. (v) Old Kaspar was lecturing his grandchildren on war while he himself had scarce knowledge about the phenomenon. All that he knew had been learnt by hearsay. He had no information about the actual workings of battles and wars and that was why, though he had himself seen all the destruction of war, regardless of the harm, he kept on praising the resultant victory. He had only limited knowledge about the incidents of war and that too was from what he has heard from others. Section - C (Prose) A Collection of Short Stories Answer 10. (i) Chief Seattle, the leader of the Suquamish tribe in Western territory, is the speaker of these lines. The Native Americans are referred to as our people . He says that there was a time when the people of his tribe were larger in number. He uses the metaphor that once the Native Americans covered the land as the waves of a wind-ruffled sea covers its shell-paved floor . (ii) Chief Seattle tells that the tribe which once dominated the land has now been reduced to a mournful memory. They resembled the scattering trees of a storm swept plain . The greatness of the tribes has vanished. They possessed great values of peace, love and respect for mother Earth. They had high morals and followed the appropriate principles. They loved and preserved the nature and land as God loves and preserves mankind. But this tribe is now reduced to only a memory. | 6 | ICSE Model Specimen Papers, X (iii) The White settlers or the Americans are called paleface brothers . By hastening it , Seattle means hurriedly, that is, he would not take a quick decision of criticizing the Americans. He recalls the time when his tribe was spread all over the land but the Americans were stronger than the Red Indians and so they overpowered their land. Although the White men pushed their forefathers westward, they were indifferent to the feelings of Native Americans, still Seattle didn t hold them solely responsible for losing their land. (iv) Chief Seattle had been fair in presenting his views for the Whites or his own men. He did not exclude his tribe from being responsible for the loss of their ancestral land. The youth as he said was impulsive. He described his men as cruel and relentless when they became angry. They disfigured the faces of the wrong doers with black paints. They indulged in revengeful acts and war had resulted in loss of their lives. They were responsible for the untimely decay of their people. (v) Chief Seattle was known for the speech he made in the year 1854 in response to the Governor s proposal of buying the Native s land. He favoured the respect of the land rights of his people. At a very early stage of his life, he became famous both as the warrior and as a leader. He also became a renowned orator. His influence was widespread. He provoked the people by his speech about protecting and caring for his ancestral-land. He was a soft-hearted man who was close to nature and that s why he expected everyone to value nature. He did not want that hostility should continue between his people and the Whites. He spoke of war from painful experience. He believed that war would only result in loss. Chief Seattle was philosophical in his approach. According to him, the Earth did not belong to men but men belonged to the Earth. He thought that one should treat land as their brothers. He asked to love and care for the land because it was precious to everyone. He laid stress on the words love and care to show that he was really passionate about his ancestral land which he couldn t retrieve back and didn t want to part with it. Answer 11. (i) She in the above passage refers to Sibia. She was crossing the river on her way back to home after collecting the paper grass with her mother and other women. When she was halfway over, she halted to rest. At the same time, a Gujar woman came down with two gurrahs to get the water. She was within the reach of crocodile and with its teeth flashing, the crocodile slashed her leg. Seeing this, Sibia came into action and leaping like a rock goat, she jumped from boulder to boulder. The phrase leaping like a rock goat describes Sibia's agility in taking action immediately to save the life of the woman. (ii) The difficult stones seemed easy for Sibia when she saw the Gujar woman being attacked by the ferocious crocodile. In order to save her life, she jumped from rock to rock as if she had grown wings. Although, somewhere there were gaps in the middle but she didn t bother and in a moment she came beside the shrieking woman. (iii) A Gujar woman who came down with two gurrahs to get the clear water is the shrieking woman in the paragraph. She is shrieking because she is attacked by the giant reptile. The crocodile pulled her leg and tried to drag her and carry her into the deep end of the pool by threshing his mighty tail. (iv) Sibia did the daring thing and took an immediate action using her presence of mind at the right time. She showed courage and with all the force of her little body, she drove the hayfork at the crocodile s eye. One prong of it went in and the other scratched past the thorny cheek. (v) There is an irony in the end that after saving the life of the Gujar woman, Sibia went back for her grass, sickle and fork. There in the water she found a blue bead. Her heart was filled with ecstatic joy. Her long-awaited wish had been fulfilled. She had found the blue bead for her English - II | 7 | necklace. She walked back as if nothing had happened. Her feet smudged out the wriggle mark of snakes in the dust and there were malaria mosquitoes all over. There was a fear of the morose old elephant also but Sibia had no thoughts of these dangers. When she met her mother, she didn t describe her fight with the crocodile; instead she mentioned the blue bead only as her greatest achievement in life. Answer 12. (a) On being asked by his wife to bring the ingredients to prepare the sauce, Muni went to the shop in the third street. He was impatient but the shopkeeper paid no attention to him. Muni kept clearing his throat, coughing and sneezing until the shop man had to ask him, What ails you ? You will fly off that seat into the gutter if you sneeze so hard, young man . Muni laughed in order to please him at being called young man . This made the shopkeeper happy and he liked his sense of humour. The shopkeeper asked for five rupees and a quarter which Muni owed to him. At this Muni replied that he would pay off the debt on the first of the next month when his daughter would send him the money on his birthday. As the shopkeeper was very well aware of his tact, he asked him his age and caught him red-handed saying that he had already celebrated his birthday five weeks ago. Muni did not succeed as the shopkeeper denied giving him anything. (b) While Muni was watching his goats graze on the outskirts of the town Kritam, a red-faced man got down from his motor vehicle and approached towards Muni. He was wearing khaki clothes and from his appearance he seemed to be a policeman or a soldier. Muni thought that if he ran, the foreigner would either chase or shoot him and said Some dogs chase only those who run . He couldn t understand why that man was after him. Meanwhile the foreigner cried Marvelous ! Looking at the horse statue with his eyes fixed on it, Muni was frozen with fear and tried to edge away. Suddenly, the other man joined his palms together and with a smiling face said, Namaste ! How do you do ? (c) During a series of great misunderstanding between their conversation, the American followed Muni s look when he talked of his goats and thought that it was a policy to show interest towards the old man s pets. He went and stroked their backs showing courtesy. Old man thought that the American was making an offer for the goats and his dream of lifetime was about to be fulfilled. He had reared them up in the hope of selling them one day at a good price and with that money opening a small shop on that very spot. He dreamt of putting a thatched roof, spreading a gunny sack on the ground and display on it, fried nuts, coloured sweets and green coconuts for the thirsty and weary wayfarers on the highway. Thus, he made a deal with the American without realizing the veracity. oo SOLUTION Model Specimen Paper English - II 12 Section - A (Drama) The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare Answer 1. (i) Shylock is the speaker and he reveals his innermost feelings about Antonio in a soliloquy. Both Bassanio and Antonio are present there but he is actually addressing the audience. (ii) Bassanio along with Antonio goes to Shylock to borrow money to arrange for his trip to Belmont. Seeing Antonio, Shylock gives vent to his animosity in a soliloquy. The idea is that Shylock hates Antonio and will take any chance to take revenge. (iii) Shylock says Antonio looks like a typical tax collector who comes in an obsequious manner to collect money from the person whom he keeps insulting. (iv) Shylock is vengeful as he hates Antonio for lending money without interest. He is waiting to take revenge. He holds strong racial prejudice too. (v) From the given lines we can assume Antonio is a gentleman with qualities like charity in thought and action. He does not charge interest on the money he lends. Answer 2. (i) Bassanio is talking to Antonio. Antonio asks Bassanio what he wants to reveal to him and as long as it is honourable, Antonio promises all help within his capacity. Then Bassanio tells him about his debt and how much he is indebted to Antonio. (ii) Bassanio says, in his childhood, he used to find lost arrows by aiming another arrow in the same direction. In the same manner, he had lost whatever money Antonio had lent him but promises to get it back if Antonio gives him some more money. With that money he will win Portia s hand in marriage and her wealth and he will be able to pay him back all the money he owes to Antonio. (iii) Bassanio says he had lost all the money and he was in debt. He owed a lot to many people, especially to Antonio. Yes, we can term him as a spendthrift as he had squandered his inheritance as well as Antonio s money along with whatever he had borrowed from others. (iv) Bassanio is narrating the story of his childhood days to justify his present plan. When he used to lose arrows, he would aim another arrow in the same direction to find the lost ones. In the same way, he hopes to play with real situation, with Antonio s money, justifying it with the same logic as that of the game. (v) Bassanio is going to take another loan from Antonio, go to Belmont with that money and marry the rich Portia and repay all the loans. Answer 3. (i) Jessica is planning to elope with Lorenzo and become a Christian. The scene takes place at Shylock s house. (ii) Jessica feels she is a sinner as she happens to be the daughter of a Jew, who thinks only about money and who does not help those in need. She has lost all love and respect for her father as well as his faith. | 2 | ICSE Model Specimen Papers, X (iii) Like any other girl who decides to elope, Jessica also has apprehension. This is evident when she says, If thou keep promise . (iv) Jessica wants to marry Lorenzo, become a Christian and put an end to the confusion in her mind about being a Jew. (v) Launcelot and Jessica have decided to give upon Shylock because Launcelot cannot work under a miserly master who keeps showering him with abuse and Jessica is ashamed of her father and wants to marry a Christian and become a Christian. The Mousetrap Agatha Christie Answer 4. (i) Miss Casewell told that the police seemed to think it was a homicidal maniac who committed the murder. She mentioned that the murderer strangled a woman somewhere near Paddington. (ii) Christopher said that there was nothing much written in the paper about the murder. He read out the lines The police were anxious to interview a man seen in the vicinity of Culver Street at the time. He was about medium height, wearing darkish overcoat, light coloured scarf and soft felt hat . Police messages to this effect have been broadcast throughout the day. (iii) Miss Casewell says that the description about the man given in the newspaper is useful. It would fit anyone pretty well. Christopher questions When it says that the police are anxious to interview someone, is that a polite way of hinting that he is the murderer ? (iv) Mollie came down the stairs and approached to Miss Casewell. Mollie said that it was an awful night and asked her if she would like to come up to her room. The water was hot in case she would like to bathe. (v) Christopher was left alone when Mollie and Miss Casewell exited the stairs. He rose and made an exploration. He opened the door down left, peeped in and then made an exit. A moment or two, later, he reappeared on the stairs left. He crossed to the arch up right and looked off. He sang Little Jack Horner and chuckled to himself. He moved behind the refectory table. Giles and Mollie entered from the stairs. Christopher hid behind the curtain to listen to their conversation. Answer 5. (i) The police are they here. Giles and Mollie thought that they must have done something wrong so the police are sending an inspector or a sergeant. She wonders if it is because of those nylons from Gibralter. Giles asks if he has the wireless license. He also tells about an incident where he had a near shave with the car the other day though it was entirely the other fellow s fault. They also think if it is related to them, running their place as a guesthouse. Giles thinks they must have ignored some tinpot regulation of some Ministry or other. (ii) Mollie regrets and says that she wishes she had never started that place. Moreover, they are snowed up for days, everyone is cross and they would go through all their reserve of tins. (iii) Giles asks Mollie to cheer up. Everything is going all right at the moment. He has filled up all the coal-scuttles and brought in the wood and stoked the Aga and done the hens. He would go and do the boiler next and chop some kindling. He breaks off before finishing it. (iv) Mrs Boyle complains to Giles that the central heating in the library is practically stone cold. She reminds Giles that she is paying seven guineas a week and she does not want to freeze. To Mollie, she complains about Christopher Wren and says that he is a very extraordinary youngman, particularly in his manners and his ties. She asks her if he ever brushes his teeth. English - II | 3 | (v) Mollie tells Mrs Boyle that Mr Wren is an extremely brilliant young architect. His parents called him so because they hoped he would become an architect and he is nearly one; it turned out all right. Mrs Boyle says that she naturally has heard of Sir Christopher Wren. He was an architect and built St. Paul s. On knowing that Mollie is talking about her guest Christopher Wren, Mrs Boyle expresses her suspicion and finds the story fishy. She would have made some enquiries about him if she were Mollie. Answer 6. (i) Mrs Boyle and Major Metcalf are talking about Christopher Wren. Mrs Boyle complains about the guesthouse and says that she would not stay there long. To this, Christopher laughs and says that he feels she would stay there. This made Mrs Boyle form an opinion of him. She says that she finds him very peculiar. Major Metcalf expresses his surprise and says that he might have escaped from a lunatic asylum. (ii) Mrs Boyle complains about the lack of proper staff and finds it objectionable that Mollie does all the household work all alone. Seeing Mollie carrying a duster and a vacuum cleaner through the front hall, she says that all the housework should have been done in the morning before lunch. (iii) Mrs Boyle calls Miss Casewell a Socialist as she was speaking in support of Mollie when Mrs Boyle was criticising about her. (iv) Mr Boyle moves towards the library when Miss Casewell annoyingly increases the volume of the radio. Mrs Boyle is writing, so the loud noise acts as a hindrance. She finds the radio rather distracting when one is trying to write letters. (v) Miss Casewell turns on the radio and then increases the volume. Mrs Boyle is writing so the loud noise acts as a hindrance. She feels disturbed. Though she asks Miss Casewell to decrease the volume and she refuses to listen. This compels her to move to the library. Mrs Boyle is different from the others; she is fussy and complains about everything. She finds everything in the house casual and offhand. She complains about the lack of proper staff and finds it objectionable that Mollie does all the household work. Hence, nobody likes her. Section - B (Poetry) A Collection of Poems Answer 7. (i) Before the start of the race, the boy must have had great hopes regarding his future and it is obvious that he had been imagining his success for a long time. But in the beginning of the race, the boy stumbles and falls down feeling embarrassed and hurt. The boy fell down in the dirt and the poet says that his dreams too dashed in the dirt. By this, the poet refers to the breaking of the boy s dreams and aspirations. (ii) Though all the runners ran to help the boy, they didn t do it simultaneously. They did it one by one. As soon as the boy fell down, the runners broke away from the race and ran to help him. At first, one of the runners rushed to him and then the others followed suit one by one. Finally, all the other eight runners reached out to him and picked him up. (iii) The nine runners had been through rigorous training before entering the competition. The poet puts emphasis on their training because they were trained to compete with each other and move ahead leaving all the others behind. The generous act of the athletes went against their training when they selflessly broke away from the race and went to help their competitor. Moreover, | 4 | ICSE Model Specimen Papers, X they picked him up and ran with him to the finishing line. The poet emphasises how their intrinsic humanity overpowered their competitive training. (iv) The eight contestants attached more significance to humanitarian values underlying the spirit of sportsmanship rather than their competitive spirit that would earn them individual glory and honour. By their unique act, they proved that competition was important, but far more important than it was the spirit of the game. (v) The spirit of sportsmanship motivates a sportsperson to play a game without being insensitive to basic human values. It basically means that though sportspersons participating in the same event compete for success and glory with the same intensity and anxiety, they must not treat one another as enemies . Here, the athletes have shown a high degree of sportsmanship by sacrificing their own dreams, to help another athlete who was competing with them as a rival. Answer 8. (i) The night when the angel came to Abou Ben Adhem s room, he asked it whether he was in the list of people who loved God. The angel informed him that he was not in that list. Abou Ben Adhem felt a bit disappointed but he immediately requested the angel to write his name in the list of people who loved their fellow human beings. The angel wrote his name and then vanished into the night. (ii) The angel visited Abou Ben Adhem again the next night. It brought along the same golden book and this time informed Abou Ben Adhem of a new list of people who were blessed with the love of God. (iii) The angel was back with a new list the next night. Abou Ben Adhem was surprised on both the occasions. The angel had earlier brought a list of people who truly loved God and, the next time, it returned with a list of people who were loved and blessed by God. Ben Adhem wanted to be in the former list but he was not mentioned and so he had not expected his name in the latter list. (iv) The angel brought two different lists to Abou Ben Adhem on two different occasions. The first list had the names of people who loved God and the second list had the names of the people who were blessed with the love of God. Abou Ben Adhem's name was not in the first list but due to his love for other people, he got to be in the first place in the second list. Both the lists were honourable but being loved by God is a greater privilege than loving God. (v) Abou Ben Adhem was saddened on not finding his name in the list of people who loved God because he had hoped to be in it. Ben Adhem soon recovered from the sad shock and asked the angel to write his name instead in the list of people who loved their fellow human beings. The angel wrote his name and went away. Returning the next day, the angel brought back another list. This was a list of people who were loved and blessed by God and it was the most honourable list to be in. Ben Adhem felt that if he couldn t be in the list of people who loved God, how could he be in the greater list of those whom God loved. To his utmost surprise, the angel informed him he was at the top of the most respectable list. Answer 9. (i) The caged bird is having a very bad time in the cage. Trapped inside the cage it longs and dreams about freedom. The poet has called the cage a grave of dreams because the very cage symbolises the opposite of what the bird has been dreaming about. The bird is sad and remorseful while it sings to vent out its anger and restlessness. (ii) When the caged bird has no way venting out its restlessness and pain, it expresses itself by singing. The songs of the bird reach far into the distant hills. Being trapped in a wretched and restless state the bird can sing only about freedom and the lack of it. The poet mentions that the bird is singing songs with a fearful trill. The bird sings of unknown things which it longs for. The sad songs show how much the bird longs for its liberty. English - II | 5 | (iii) The free bird has all the freedom in the world and it can fly around to all the places it wishes to see. It has access to the hills and the streams, whereas, the caged bird has to live in extreme limitation. The legs of the caged bird are tied and its winged are clipped as well. Moreover, the cage in which it is kept is narrow and small. The free bird has no worries in the world while the caged bird has to live with unease and restlessness. In order to escape its misery, the caged bird has no way other than singing the songs of sadness. The free bird has no need for singing songs as it is already pleased. (iv) The free bird has the whole world to itself. It can fly around to distant hills and streams. The dreams of the caged bird are about freedom while the free bird is free to go wherever it wishes to be. The free bird thinks of the breeze and the wind that blows through the trees causing them to sigh and whistle. The bird thinks of the worms that are ready for it on the lawn early in the morning. When it flies in the sky, it seems the bird owns the sky. (v) In the poem Why the Caged Bird Sings , the poet Maya Angelou has defined the lives of two birds who live in two drastically contrasting states. The free bird has a life of pleasure where it can fly wherever its heart wills and so it has access to all the beauty of the world. On the other hand, the caged bird lives a life of misery and so suffering where it faces continuous struggle and discomfort. The difference between the lives of these birds is caused merely by captivity. If the caged bird is freed from the cage, it will be as happy as the free bird and it will not rot in the cage, singing songs of sadness. Section - C (Prose) A Collection of Short Stories Answer 10. (i) The old man is the speaker of these lines. He is speaking to the narrator of the story, Old Man at the Bridge . San Carlos in Spain was the old man s native town which was twelve kilometers away from the place where the old man is sitting. (ii) The other person is the narrator who is a soldier. He is doing his duty of observing the advancement of the army across the bridge. He is also among the volunteers to help the civilians. When he crosses the Pontoon bridge near the Ebro River which people are crossing to escape from the war zone, he observes an old man sitting, wearing steel rimmed spectacles and very dusty clothes. He is concerned about the old man s safety and asks him to cross the bridge and catch a truck towards Barcelona. (iii) The old man was the last one to leave the town because he was anxious about the safety of the animals he was taking care of which included two goats, a cat and four pair of pigeons. He had no family but these animals were his only family. He was feeling guilty that he had not been able to save the lives of the animals which were dependent on him. He was forced to leave his hometown, San Carlos, to escape from the artillery fire from the enemy as the Civil war had broken out in Spain. (iv) The old man s only worry was his innocent and helpless animals who were left unattended when he was displaced by the Civil War. He didn t have any family but these pets were his family and he was forced to leave them alone. He was least worried about the safety of the cat as it could look after itself and needed no one to survive. Then, there were pigeons which would fly away from the unlocked cage and save their lives. (v) In the last paragraph, the narrator wanted to convey that nothing could be done of the old man. He could see his forthcoming death because the old man was not ready to move. He refused to | 6 | ICSE Model Specimen Papers, X get up as he was tired and felt extreme weakness. The fascists were moving towards Ebro and the day was overcast so there were no planes in the sky to attack the people. That was his only good luck but soon they would cross the bridge and the old man would meet his fate. Thus, the story ends with the soldier s anxiety for the old man and the old man s anxiety for his animals. Answer 11. (i) The red man is a rich American businessman. He is sitting on the pedestal of a horse statue on the outskirts of Kritam. He is waiting for the old man Muni and some help to detach the horse statue from its pedestal and place it in his station wagon. (ii) The whole story revolves around the horse statue which attracted the American so much that he decided to take it home. His only concerned was to buy the horse anyhow and carry it as a decorative item for his house in U.S.A. For that purpose a long troubled conversation took place between him and Muni, on which the whole story depends. If the horse had not been there, there would be no reason left for the writer to weave a theme. (iii) The horse statue was very huge. It was made out of clay which was baked, burnt and brightly coloured. It reared its head proudly, prancing its forelegs in the air and flourishing its tail in a loop. Beside it, there stood a warrior with scythe-like moustache and a curved nose like an eagle. The horse was as white as a dhobi-washed sheet and its back was covered with a pure brocade of red and black lace which matched the multicoloured sash around the warrior s waist. (iv) The red man decided to take the horse back to his home. He assured Muni that it would find the best home in U.S.A. He planned to cancel his air ticket and take a boat home to carry the horse statue and keep it in his cabin all the way and pad it with straw to protect it from getting damaged. He was going to replace all the books in his library to make place for it in his drawing room and keep it as a souvenir. (v) He refers to Muni, the protagonist of the story who is old and extremely poor. He ran to his house after receiving a hundred rupee currency from the red-faced American. Muni thought that he had made a good deal with the foreigner for his goats which he wanted to get rid of. He hurried home with ecstatic joy as he had never seen such a large amount of money in his whole life. In the end, when he reached home and showed the money to his wife, she shouted that he might have stolen the money and in case the police arrested him, she would not be responsible for it. Meanwhile, they heard the goats bleating outside which made her more suspicious. Answer 12. (a) The huge crocodile lived in the deep water. It was twice the length of a tall man. It did not have to hide itself. It came to rest in the glassy shallows, among logs with its eyes and nostrils raised above the water to breathe the clean sunny air. Its tail had irresistible power to move with a vast force in the water. Its mouth ran almost the whole length of its head. It lay closed with an evil smile and where the yellow underside came up to it, it was green in colour. The mugger crocodile, blackish-brown above and yellowy-white under, lay motionless, able to wait forever till food came. The body of the crocodile was covered with the inch-thick hide that nothing could pierce it. Even the rifle bullets would bounce off. Only the eyes and the soft underarms were exceptions. It was ferocious and formidable. It propelled in the water by the irresistible and unimaginable power of its tail. It lived well with other crocodiles, muggers and fish-eating gharials. (b) Sibia, the main character or the protagonist of the story, is called a happy immature child woman at the age of only twelve years just because of her appearance and the burden which she bore to help in household chores. Her hair was black and she had great eyes. She had to carry the English - II | 7 | household duties. She husked corn, gathered sticks, put dung to dry, cooked and weeded and fetched water and cut grass for fodder. She went with her mother and other ladies to get paper grass from the cliffs. She lived in a mud house in a village above the fort. She had no proper clothes but her body was covered with rags. Those rags were also torn to make a skirt and a saree. She ate chapatti wrapped round green chilli and rancid butter. She was poor and never owned anything except a rag. She was interested in the natural jewellery made by seeds that rattled round her neck. She appreciated little things in life like watching Kashmiri merchant selling silks, smell of the wonderful dressing of the cloth stall etc. She was brave, laborious, courageous and extremely observant. (c) When Sibia saw the Gujar woman carried away by the giant crocodile, she immediately ran beside the shrieking woman without thinking anything and without wasting a moment. With a quick presence of mind she came into action and sprang up. She jumped from boulder to boulder leaping like a rock goat. She came on wings, choosing her footing mid-air and without even thinking of it she reached beside the shrieking woman. She did not hesitate and with all the force of her little body, drove the hayfork at the crocodile s eyes and one prong went in while the other scratched past the thorny cheek. The crocodile reared up in convulsion, till half of its lizard body was out of the river, the tail and nose nearly met over his stony back. Then he crashed back, exploding the water and in an uproar of bloody foam, it disappeared. Sibia got her arms round the fainting woman and somehow dragged her out of the water. She stopped her wounds with sand and bound them with rags and helped her reach home to the Gujar encampment where the men made a litter to carry her to someone for treatment. oo SOLUTION Model Specimen Paper English - II 14 Section - A (Drama) The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare Answer 1. (i) Antonio speaks these lines to his friends Salarino and Solanio. The characters are now in a street in Venice. (ii) Antonio says his financial situation is healthy. He is not worried about the merchandise in his various ships and this, he considers his good fortune. His ships are sailing to Tripolis, Mexico and England, Lisbon, Barbary, and India with rich cargo and he would be able to make huge profit out of them. (iii) Solanio says Antonio is sad because he is not merry. Earlier it was suspected that he was worried about his cargo. But, if neither business or love is the case, then it must be his nature that is responsible for it. (iv) Antonio is in a melancholic state. There is no particular reason for this except that his disposition is chronically melancholic. (v) Antonio loses all his argosies in the sea. He becomes absolutely penniless, his creditors trouble him and he has to forfeit the bond with Shylock. From this extract, we come to know that Antonio is not the type of person who worries unduly. He has good business acumen and prudently distributes his merchandise in different vessels and parts of the world, so that he is safe, even if he loses any one of it. He says that even if he doesn't do well this year, it will put no harm on him. Answer 2. (i) When Solanio and Salerio are discussing the reasons why Antonio felt melancholic, they say there are some people who are sad just because they are not merry. Humans differ in their attitude. Then they refer to Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings, the two-faced god who looks to the future and to the past. Likewise, there are people who laugh even on silly things and those who refuse to laugh even if the situation is ticklingly funny. (ii) Salerio says that Antonio is sad because he is not merry. He says to Antonio that it is as simple as to laugh and dance around and say that he is in good mood. He could just say that he is not sad. (iii) According to the above passage, some people will laugh at anything, and others are so grouchy that they will not even crack a smile when they hear something hysterically funny. (iv) (a) Nature has created humans with strange behaviour patterns. (b) Laugh so much that tears flow out from their eyes. (c) Of serious and somber nature. (v) Salerio contrasts sad Antonio to those people who are silly enough to laugh like parrots at the melancholic sounds made by bagpiper. | 2 | ICSE Model Specimen Papers, X Answer 3. (i) Antonio has insulted Shylock by making him lose out on interest, then mocked him for his loss as well as his gains, insulted his nation, made him lose his friends and incited his enemies. The scene takes place in a street in Venice. (ii) Shylock says Christians and Jews are created in the same manner and proportions; just like Christians, Jews too have hands, organs, limbs and senses, likes and dislikes. They feed on the same food, are injured by the same weapons, catch the same diseases, are cured by same medicines and suffer the same climatic conditions. They bleed, they laugh and die in the same way as Christians; so is the case with revenge too. (iii) According to Shylock, Christians insult the Jews with words and actions. They do not allow them to do decent business, they taunt them in the Rialto, spit on their faces and dress, and call them dogs. (iv) In all ways Christians have the upper hand. When Christians insult Jews, it is justified as revenge for some wrongdoing and when Jews wrong them, they are worthy to be taken revenge on. According to Shylock, since both are made in the same way, and both react in the same way, a Jew can take revenge in the same way. (v) Although Salarino is present, Shylock is actually indulged in a monologue that is almost like a soliloquy, revealing his innermost thoughts. His deep hatred and the grievances undergone by him just like the rest of his tribe are revealed here. His intention to exact the flesh of Antonio to feed the fish shows his deep feelings of revenge. The Mousetrap Agatha Christie Answer 4. (i) Before the curtain rises, the house lights fade to a complete blackout and the music of Three Blind Mice is heard. The stage is in complete darkness when the curtain rises. The music fades, giving place to a shrill whistle of the same tune, Three Blind Mice . A woman s piercing scream is heard. A mixture of voices is also heard saying : My God, what s that ? Went that way ! Oh, my God ! Then a police whistle sounds, followed by several other police whistles, all of which fade to silence. (ii) According to Scotland Yard, the crime has taken place at twenty-four Culver Street, Paddington. (iii) The lights shone up and revealed the hall at Monkswell Manor that is, the setting of the play. It was late afternoon and almost dark. Snow could be seen falling heavily through the windows up centre. There was a fire burning. A freshly painted signboard was standing on its side on the stairs against the archway left. Monkswell Manor Guesthouse was written on it in large letters. (iv) The murdered woman is Mrs Maureen Lyon. In connection with the murder, the police were anxious to interview a man seen in the vicinity, wearing a dark overcoat, light scarf and a soft felt hat. (v) Mollie Ralston entered through the arch up right. She was a tall, pretty young woman with an ingenuous air, in her twenties. Mollie Ralston put down her handbag and gloves on the armchair centre then walked towards the radio and switched it off during the next speech. She the placed a small parcel in the desk cupboard. Answer 5. (i) Giles and Mollie were talking about Christopher Wren. English - II | 3 | Giles suspected his wife of having a relationship with Wren beyond his knowledge. Perhaps she had met him before and had suggested to him to come to the Monkswell Manor House. He suspected that something was cooking between the two. (ii) Giles had read once in a paper that homicidal cases were able to attract women. He felt that Mollie was attracted to Wren because of this reason. (iii) According to Giles, Mollie went to London to meet Christopher Wren. He even showed her the bus ticket he found in her gloves. Mollie had actually gone to London to buy Giles an anniversary present. (iv) Mollie did not want Giles to know that she had gone to London to buy him an anniversary present. Giles found about it by confronting Mollie about the bus ticket he discovered from her glove. (v) Mollie had discovered an evening paper in her husband s overcoat pocket which proved that he too went to London the previous day. Paravicini hoped that they were not saying a little more than they meant. He said he knew how they felt. He had been through this kind of experience himself when he was younger. Answer 6. (i) Trotter is a detective sergeant who has come to Monkswell Manor to investigate the murder case, relating to the death of a Maureen Lyon of twenty-four Culver Street, London. He has come for the police protection. Sergeant Trotter appears on his skis and is a cheerful, young man with a slight cockney accent. (ii) Sergeant Trotter informs the Ralstons that Lyon was not the real name of the murdered woman. She had a police record and her fingerprints were on file, so they were able to identify her without difficulty. Her real name was Maureen Stanning. Her husband was a farmer, John Stanning, who resided at Longridge Farm, not very far from there. (iii) Sergeant Trotter refers to the Longridge Farm case where two boys and a girl were brought before the court as in need of care and protection. A home was found for them with Mr and Mrs Stanning at the Longridge Farm. One of the children subsequently died as the result of criminal neglect and persistent illtreatment. It was a sensational case. The Stannings were sentenced to terms of imprisonment. Mr Stanning died in prison whereas Mrs Stanning was duly released after serving her term. (iv) A notebook was found near the scene of the crime. Two addresses were written in that notebook. One was twenty-four Culver Street and the other was Monkswell Manor. Superintendent Hogben sent Sergeant Trotter to the guesthouse to find the connection between the house, or anyone in the house and the Longridge Farm case. (v) Superintendent Hogben could not come because of the hazardous weather. As Sergeant Trotter could ski, he was sent with instructions to get full particulars of everyone in the house and report back to Hogben by phone. Sergeant Trotter was also asked to take necessary measures to ensure everyone s safety in the house. Trotter hints at the danger that someone could be murdered in the house. Three Blind Mice was written below the two addresses. There was a paper with This is the First written on the dead woman s body. There was also a drawing of little three mice and a bar of music below the words. Section - B (Poetry) A Collection of Poems Answer 7. (i) The angel in Abou Ben Adhem s room had a golden book in its hand. The angel was writing, in the book, the names of the people who loved God. Abou Ben Adhem asked the angel what was | 4 | ICSE Model Specimen Papers, X being written in the golden book in the hands of the angel. The angel answered him and thus he learned about it. (ii) On seeing the angel write something in the golden book, Ben Adhem asked what it was writing. The angel answered Ben Adhem and told him that it was making a list of people who loved God. Abou Ben Adhem was amused to hear this and asked whether his name too was in the list. The angel told him that his name was not in the list. This saddened him a little. (iii) Abou Ben Adhem asked the angel about the list that it was preparing. The angel replied that the list was of people who loved God. Abou Ben Adhem was pious and good and according to him, he loved God. So he asked the angel whether his name too was in the list. The angel answered in the negative. Though he behaved cheerfully, Ben Adhem was saddened because he wished to be in the list. (iv) When Abou Ben Adhem was asking the angel whether he was in the list that the angel was preparing, he was obviously wishing to be in that list. He had asked the angel about himself with a lot of hope. And when the angel told him he was not in the list, he was evidently disappointed. He felt he was among those who loved God. (v) Abou Ben Adhem wished and expected to be in the list of the people who loved God. But when the angel told him that he was not in the list, he was disappointed. Nevertheless, he instantly overcame his displeasure and requested the angel to write his name in the list of people who loved their fellow human beings. Both these lists have a deep connection with each other. Ben Adhem got his name registered in the other because he knew when a person loves his fellow men, he is loved by God and being loved by God is greater than loving God. Answer 8. (i) The poet mentions the beauty of the daffodil flowers that he has witnessed while roaming around. He saw them spread all around and by the margin of the bay, the flowers seemed to be in competition with the waves of the bay. The waves glimmered and sparkled and the flowers were dancing in full blossom winning all the way. The poet says that the company of the daffodils is a pleasurable experience and he feels extremely gay and joyous in their company. (ii) When the poet saw the beautiful daffodils dancing for the first time, he was mesmerised by their glory. It relaxed him and gave him a serene pleasure to look at the daffodils and be in their company. The poet says that whenever he is in a pensive mood and feels gloomy, he brings to memory, the visual he had seen for the first time. The beauty of the daffodils that he had captured in his memory gave him the same contentment and pleasure every single time. He kept on recollecting the experience and it kept on keeping him gay. (iii) In the poem Daffodils , the poet, Wordsworth, has described how he once saw a field of blooming daffodils and the scene gave him immense pleasure. As he took in the beauty of the flowers, he felt he was in the most joyous company he ever had. During his first experience, the poet cherished the visual treat and he couldn t forget it even later on. He says that even after much time has passed, he remembered the visuals and gained pleasure from the recollection. We learn this from the lines where he says that he often lies down on the couch at home and thinks about the daffodils. (iv) In the poem Daffodils , the poet has based his composition on the simple and familiar themes of nature, beauty and memory. It has been long since the poet had last seen the field of daffodils but the poet says even after the passing of so much time, he stills recollects the visual and it gladdens his heart. Whenever he is in a dull mood and is feeling gloomy, he goes back, in memory, to visualise the daffodils and the very thought of them makes him happy. (v) Nature is intrinsically connected to our inner selves and that is why when we come close to nature, we feel relaxed and sooth. Elements of nature have the power to stimulate our emotions and they stir various feelings in us. One of the many things in nature that excite us is flowers. English - II | 5 | They are fragrant, blossoming in various colours and hues; they represent freshness and beauty. When we see them, we feel fresh ourselves. The feelings of the poet are very much relatable. The pleasure that the poet has felt and described is an experience that most of all humans have enjoyed and cherished. Answer 9. (i) The group of six men, trapped in the storm, struggling between life and death due to the severe cold, are full of prejudices. Their prejudices prevented them from using the only piece of wood they had which could have given them warmth and saved their lives. The poet calls them a forlorn group because they are in a very sad state and the readers feel pity for them and their foolishness. The only person who succeeded in surviving was the last man who had no prejudice for anyone. He was the only person left alive and he used his log to get the necessary warmth. (ii) The message of the poem itself is that we may all end up causing irreparable harm to ourselves if we keep on harbouring hatred and prejudice for each other. Every member of the group had a log of wood to himself and using the logs, they could have kept themselves warm and alive for hours on end. But their personal grudges made them fall blind to the severity of their act. Five out of the six members gained nothing but death. (iii) There were six men trapped in the snow and the poem tells us about the foolish behaviour of five of them. They had great dislike for one or the other member of the group because of which they refused to use their firewood to keep the fire burning. In the absence of the fire, they end up dying due to the severe cold. The foolish act of the five people shows their weak characters and their inability to suppress their hatred even in times of severe difficulty. (iv) It is not easy to say anything about the sixth man in the group trapped in the cold. All the others refused to share their firewood with one or the other due to their personal grudges and prejudice. This gives a clear idea about their characters and foolish attitude. But when it was the sixth person s turn to put in his log of wood, there was no one else left alive. He had to share the fire with nobody and there is no greatness in helping oneself. Hence, it is not possible to tell if the sixth person was any better than the other five. (v) The primary cause of the sad ending of the five people mentioned in the poem was their hatred and dislike for each other. They were prejudiced and did not want to share their log of wood with one or more members of the group. Their refusal to share their firewood resulted in their deaths due to the severe cold. They were ready to bear the cold but were reluctant to help each other due to their personal reservations. Five of the six people died though it was possible for them to share each other s firewood and keep everyone warm and alive. Section - C (Prose) A Collection of Short Stories Answer 10. (i) We , here refers to Jesse Owens, an American track and field athlete and Luz Long, the German athlete. The Olympic Games were held in Berlin and Hitler declared that his performers were members of the master race . This affected Owens performance and being a Negro, he was hot under collar. He got angry and made mistakes in his trial performances. He fouled in three qualifying jumps and this was eating him. (ii) Jesse Owens My Greatest Olympic Prize mentions Nazis idea of Aryan Superiority theory. The Aryan races were thought to predominate among Germans and other Northern Europeans. Nazis believed in the theory of racial hierarchy. They considered Germans as the part of Aryans, the | 6 | ICSE Model Specimen Papers, X master race and others inferior. Although Luz Long was schooled in the Nazi Youth movement, he didn t believe in the Aryan supremacy business. (iii) Luz Long was a blue-eyed, tall German athlete. He was an inch taller than Jesse Owens. He had a lean muscular body. He carried blonde hair and was astonishingly handsome. His face was carved perfectly with a chisel. (iv) Jesse did not tell Luz Long about his trouble but he seemed to understand Jesse s anger. Long tried to ease out the situation by explaining that he didn t believe in the Aryan-Supremacy business and when Jesse calmed down, he suggested him to draw a line a few inches back of the board and aim at taking off from that line. He assured him that he would never foul from that point. (v) When Owens won the finals, Luz Long came to him and congratulated him by warmly shaking hands with him. Owens found no feeling of regret or jealousy in him as he was also an opponent. He was highly influenced by Long s sportsmanship. Luz Long s friendship was the greatest Olympic Prize that he won in his whole life. His helpful nature and camaraderie touched Owens greatly. His friendship and him congratulating Owens over his victory was of value greater than the Gold Medal. Luz Long was a man of pure and genuine heart and soul. He represented the best example of Coubertin s message that the important thing at the Olympic Games was not winning but taking part. The essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well. Answer 11. (i) One of the boys of Margot s schoolroom is the speaker. He is addressing Margot when she reads the poem in the class in a quiet voice. He thinks that Margot is telling a lie and accuses her of not having written the poem herself. They are on the planet Venus where the sun shines only once in seven years and that too for an hour. (ii) The poem that Margot has written about the appearance of the sun, has been mentioned here. The significance of this is that the children living on Venus have forgotten how the sun looks as they had only seen it seven years ago when they were too young and now they can t recall the appearance of the sun. They have been living in a dark, water-logged world of continuous rain. They only discuss and write about the sun and that s why they are jealous of Margot because she has come from the planet Earth and has seen the sun. (iii) The teacher has gone out of the classroom for some work. In her absence, the classmates bullies and teases Margot as they hate her because they think that she is different from them. She belongs to a different planet Earth and knows how the sun looks like. They forcibly take her to a closet and lock her inside. (iv) Margot was a very frail girl who looked as if she had been lost in the rain for years and the rain had washed out the blue from her eyes, the red from her mouth and the yellow from her hair. She had an appearance of an old photograph dusted from an album and her voice was like a ghost. Apart from that she was pale and shy and did not mix with the other children. (v) The other children of the planet Venus were against Margot because they found her different from them in many ways. Firstly, she came from the Earth and had experienced the sun and secondly, she felt shy while mixing with them. She neither played games nor sang songs like them. Therefore, they developed antipathy towards her and confronted her many times. They felt jealous towards her and hated her because they thought that she was lying about sun. This shows that children have a natural tendency of being jealous towards those who have experienced something which they have not. They are intolerant towards them who are different from them. They become mean and insensitive and bully the other. English - II | 7 | Answer 12. (a) The tragedy in the life of the children in An Angel in Disguise is beyond imagination. Their poor mother died in front of her three frightened children : John, Kate and Maggie. They were nearly half starving. Of these, John, was the oldest boy of twelve years. He was a stout lad who was able to earn his living with any farmer. The second child named Kate was between ten and eleven. She was a bright and active girl. She could turn out to be very useful if in good hands. The youngest among them was poor little Maggie who was hopelessly diseased. Two years ago, she had fallen from a window and injured her spine for which she was bedridden. Since then she had not been able to leave her bed except when lifted in the arms of her mother. She was crippled for life and nobody wanted to take her home as she would turn out to be a burden for anyone. Her innocent looks attracted everyone but no one was ready to take her. It was decided that she should be sent to the poorhouse. (b) Joe s wife Mrs Thompson was childless, so she had no feelings. She was ill-tempered and that had become her usual nature. She had lost the purpose of living. When she saw Mr Thompson carrying a piece of precious burden in his arms from the window, she sharply questioned him about the child. Her tone was full of anger and astonishment and her face was in flame when she asked. You haven t brought home that sick brat . Her tone scared little Maggie and she started shrinking in Thompson s arms. He did not reply but carried Maggie to the small chamber on the first floor and laid her on a bed. (c) An Angel in Disguise is the most appropriate title for the story. Maggie, the youngest of three children brings joy and happiness in the lives of a childless couple, Mr and Mrs Thompson. She proves to be an angel for them. Mrs Thompson s attitude and behaviour show a drastic change. From a rude, ill-tempered and self-afflicting woman, Mrs Thompson is now a loving and caring figure. The sick and helpless child brings light and happiness to Thompson s house. She is a blessing for them. For a long period of time it has been dark, cold and miserable because Mrs Thompson had no one to take care of or to love. That is why she became sore, irritable and an ill-tempered and self-afflicting woman. Now the sweetness of that sick child who was thirsty for love is honey to her soul as she carries her in her heart as well as arms. Maggie comes as an angel in disguise and fills their dreary chambers with love. oo

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

Formatting page ...

 

  Print intermediate debugging step

Show debugging info


 

 

© 2010 - 2025 ResPaper. Terms of ServiceContact Us Advertise with us

 

ayush_jalan chat