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ICSE Class X Prelims 2025 : English Paper 1 (English Language) (GEMS Modern Academy, Dubai)

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PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2025 ENGLISH LANGUAGE Grade: 10 Time: 2 hours Date: 10.01.2025 Max. Marks: 80 Answers to this Paper must be written on the paper provided separately. You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes. This time is to be spent in reading the question paper. The time given at the head of this Paper is the time allowed for writing the answers. Attempt all five questions. The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ]. Question 1 (Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question.) Write a composition (300-350 words) on any one of the following: [20] a. Write an original short story in which a police officer, a young boy and a strange man form the main characters. b. Write an account of a moment when you took responsibility for a mistake. How did this impact your self-awareness and relationships with others? c. Social media is a threat to a child s mental health. Express your views either for or against this statement. d. You have recently shifted to a new house. Describe how you felt and what you saw, your surroundings and your first impressions of the new house and how is it different from your old house. e. Study the picture given below. Write a story or a description or an account of what it suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may take suggestions from it. However, there must be a clear connection between the picture and your composition. Page 1 of 6 Question 2 (Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.) Select one of the following: [10] a) You have not visited your grandparents for a long time. Write a letter to your grandfather, explaining that you propose to visit him after you complete your Board Examinations, telling him how you would like to spend time with him. b) You do not have a bus stop in your locality. Write a letter to the Municipal Commissioner of your city/town, complaining about the problem. Offer suggestions and request him to set up a bus stop in your locality for the residents. . Question 3 [5+5] a) Your school is hosting a charity fair. Draft a notice informing the students of your school about the event. b) Write an email to the Principal of a neighbouring school inviting him/her to inaugurate and be the Chief Guest at the event. Question 4 Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: [20] 1. On my animal-collecting trips for zoos to various parts of the world, I have had to mother quite a number of baby animals, and I have always found it a most nerve-racking task. The first real attempt I made at being a foster-mother was to four baby hedgehogs. The female hedgehog is a very good mother. She constructs an underground nursery for her young: a circular chamber about 30 centimetres below ground-level, lined with a thick layer of dry leaves. Here she gives birth to her babies which are blind and helpless. They Page 2 of 6 2. 3. 4. 5. are covered with a thick coating of spikes, but these are white and soft, as though made of rubber. They gradually harden and turn brown when the babies are a few weeks old. When they are old enough to leave the nursery the mother leads them out and shows them how to hunt for food; they walk in line, the tail of one held in the mouth of the baby behind. The baby at the head of the column holds tight to mother's tail with grim determination, and they move through the twilit hedgerows like a strange prickly centipede. To a mother hedgehog the rearing of her babies seems to present no problems. But when I was suddenly presented with four blind, white, rubbery-spiked babies to rear, I was not so sure. My first job was to feed the babies but an ordinary baby's feeding-bottle was much too large for their tiny mouths. Luckily, a friend s young daughter had a doll's feeding-bottle, and I managed to persuade her to part with it. After a time the hedgehogs took to this and thrived on a diet of diluted cow's milk. At first I kept them in a shallow cardboard box. But in record time the original nest was so unhygienic that I found myself having to change the leaves ten or twelve times a day. I began to wonder if the mother hedgehog spent her day rushing to and fro with piles of fresh leaves to keep her nest clean, and, if she did, how on earth she found time to satisfy the appetites of her babies. Mine were always ready for food at any hour of the day or night. You had only to touch the box and a chorus of shrill screams arose from four little pointed faces poking out of the leaves, each head decorated with a crew-cut of white spikes; and the little black noses would wave desperately from side to side in an effort to locate the bottle. I think I tended to overfeed them, for their tiny legs could not support the weight of their fat bodies, and they would advance across the carpet with a curious swimming motion, their tummies dragging on the ground. However, they progressed very well: their legs grew stronger, their eyes opened, and they would even make daring excursions as much as 15 centimetres away from their box. I was very proud of my prickly family,and looked forward to the day when I would be able to take them for walks in the evening and find them delicious titbits like snails or wild strawberries. Unfortunately this dream was never realised. From My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (i) For each word given below choose the correct meaning (as used in the passage) from the options provided: [2] a. grim (line 11) a) humorous b) serious c) annoying d) painful b. thrived (line 17) a) dragged b) faded c) flourished d) struggled Page 3 of 6 (ii) Which word in the passage means the opposite of the word bland ? a) tastefully b) unpalatable c) delicious d) repulsive [1] (iii)Answer the following questions briefly in your own words: a. Why did the writer go to various parts of the world to collect animals? [1] b. Explain the change that takes place in baby hedgehogs a few weeks after they are born. [2] c. How did the writer solve the problem of feeding the baby hedgehogs? [2] d. Give two reasons why the baby hedgehogs had difficulty in walking. [2] e. In what way are hedgehogs similar to human babies? [2] (iv) In not more than 50 words, summarise the process of rearing hedgehogs as described by the author. [8] Question 5 (i) In the following passage, fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in brackets. Do not copy the passage, but write in correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the blank space: [4] Example: could From his perch behind the clock, Hugo (0) ------(can) see everything. He rubbed his fingers nervously against the small notebook in his pocket and (1) . (tell) himself to be patient. The old man in the toy booth was(2) . (argue) with the girl. She (3) . (be) about Hugo s age and he often saw her go into the booth and (4) . (disappear) behind the counter. The old man (5) . (look) agitated today. Had he figured out some of his toys were (6) . (miss)? Well, there was nothing to be (7) . (do) about that now. The old man and the girl argued some more and finally she closed her book and (8) . (run) off. (ii) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words: a. b. c. d. e. [4] She was looking forward __________ meeting her friends. The chef sprinkled salt __________ the dish before serving it. They decided to rule __________ the idea of expanding after careful consideration. He was apprehensive __________ the upcoming exam. The hikers were stranded __________ the mountain for several hours. Page 4 of 6 f. Despite his talent, he was overlooked __________ the promotion. g. The teacher will go __________ the new plan for the seating arrangement in the next class. h. After months of preparation, they finally went __________ with the presentation. (iii) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so. Choose the correct answer: [4] 1.We attended all the lectures. Some topics remain unclear. (a) We attended all the lectures but some topics remain unclear. (b) Although we attended all the lectures, some topics remain unclear. (c) We attended all the lectures, however, some topics remain unclear. (d) Although we attended all the lectures but some topics remain unclear. 2. She was very nervous before the interview. She gave a great performance. (a) She gave a great performance despite she was very nervous before the interview. (b) Although being very nervous before the interview, she gave a great performance. (c) She was very nervous before the interview, but she gave a great performance. (d) Despite being very nervous before the interview, she gave a great performance. 3. You cannot board the plane. You do not have a boarding pass. (a) You cannot board the plane unless you have a boarding pass. (b) You cannot board the plane since you have a boarding pass. (c) You cannot board the plane whereas you have a boarding pass. (d) You cannot board the plane if you have a boarding pass. 4. The student did not complete the assignment. The teacher did not check it. (a) Neither the student nor the teacher completed the assignment. (b) Neither does the student nor the teacher checked the assignment. (c) Neither the student nor the teacher completed or checked the assignment. (d) Neither did the student complete the assignment nor did the teacher check it. (iv) Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence. Choose the correct option: [8] 1. Shakespeare is more talented than most of the dramatists I have read. [Use: Few] (a) The dramatists I have read have fewer talents as Shakespeare. (b) Few dramatists I have read are as talented as Shakespeare. (c) Few dramatists I have read are not as talented as Shakespeare. (d) The dramatists I read do not have as such talents as Shakespeare. 2. She is too young to drive a car. [Remove: too ] (a) She is quite young to drive a car. (b) She is not young enough to drive a car. Page 5 of 6 (c) She is so young that she cannot drive a car. (d) She is so young she can drive a car. 3. He completed the project on time. He was praised by his boss. [Begin: Since ] (a) Since he was praised by his boss, he completed the project on time. (b) Since he completed the project on time, he was praised by his boss. (c) Since he had completed the project on time, his boss praises him. (d) Since his boss praised him, he completed the project on time. 4. They were thrilled to hear the news of their success. [Begin with: Hearing...] (a) Hearing the news of their success, they were thrilled. (b) Hearing the success news, they were thrilled. (c) They were thrilled hearing the success of the news. (d) Hearing about their success news, they were thrilled. 5. As soon as the bell rang, the students left the classroom. [Begin: No sooner ] (a) No sooner the bell rang than the students left the classroom. (b) No sooner did the bell ring than the students left the classroom. (c) No sooner had the bell rang than the students left the classroom. (d) No sooner had the students left the classroom than the bell rang. 6. Mr. John has trained his parrots very well. (Begin with: The parrots ) (a) The parrots were trained very well by Mr. John. (b) The parrots are being trained very well by Mr. John. (c) The parrots had been trained very well by Mr. John. (d) The parrots have been trained very well by Mr. John. 7. Mother asked, "Did you finish your dinner?" [Begin: Mother asked ] (a) Mother asked if I had finished my dinner. (b) Mother asked if I did finish my dinner. (c) Mother asked me had I finished my dinner. (d) Mother asked me if I had been finishing my dinner. 8. She enjoys reading novels more than watching movies. [Begin with: She would rather ] (a) She would rather read novels than watch movies. (b) She would rather to reading novels to watching movies. (c) She would rather prefer to read novels than watch movies. (d) She would rather prefer to read novels than watching movies. Page 6 of 6

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