Formatting page ...
PRACTISE PAPER Class X Subject ENGLISH LANGUAGE ___________________________________________________________________________ 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 four questions. The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ]. You are advised to spend not more than 35 minutes in answering Question 1 and 20 minutes in answering Question 2. _________________________________________________________________________ Question 1 (DO NOT spend more than 35 minutes on this question.) [25] Write a composition (350 - 400 words) on any one of the following: (a) Describe an occasion when you have been part of a large crowd at a public event. Concentrate on the crowd, its behavior and reasons, the variety of individuals in it, rather than on the event itself. (b) Describe a recent visit to some place which has left a deep impression on you. (c) Corruption is the greatest obstacle to the development of our country. Do you agree? (d) Write an account of a book or a film or a television programme that you have enjoyed, and try to analyse what particular features gave you pleasure. (e) Study the picture given below. Write a story or a description or on account of what the picture suggest you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or may take suggestions from it, but there must be some clear connection between the picture and the composition. Question 2 (DO NOT spend more than 20 minutes on this question) [10] Select ONE of the following a) You have deeply hurt your uncle by rejecting the wrist watch he sent by mail for your birthday. Write a letter to him apologizing for your mistake and give suggestions as to how you could mollify him. b) As secretary of the Literary Society of your school, write a letter to a renowned author requiting her to preside over the Annual Poetry Recitation composition, giving some idea about the completion and the participants. Question 3 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. [25] The Star-Child is the story of an infant boy found abandoned in the woods by a poor woodcutter, who pities him and takes him in. He grows up to be exceedingly beautiful, but vain, cruel, and arrogant, believing himself to be the divine child of the stars. He lords himself over the other children, who follow him devotedly, and takes pleasure in torturing the forest animals and town beggars alike. One day, a beggar, haggard and with bleeding feet, comes to town in search of her lost son, who the Star-Child is revealed to be. However, he rejects her and sends her away, and in doing so, is transformed into a loathsome cross between a toad and a snake as a punishment. His followers abandon him, and he sets off to seek forgiveness from his mother. He also repents his cruelty and asks forgiveness from the animals he tortured. At length, he comes to a city, where he is captured and sold into slavery. His master treats him cruelly. On his first task, he sends him to find a piece of white gold hidden in the forest. The Star-Child searches all day, but cannot find it. On returning to the city, he sees a rabbit caught in a trap and stops to free him. In gratitude, the rabbit shows him where the gold is and the StarChild gets it. However, returning with the gold, a beggar calls to him that he will surely starve unless he can give him money for food. The Star-Child gives him the gold, and his master beats him and gives him neither food nor water that night. For the second task, he is told to go find a piece of yellow gold hidden in the forest. Again, the rabbit shows him where it is, and again, the beggar meets him at the gate, and again, the StarChild gives him the gold. His master beats him and chains him up. For the final task, his master tells him that unless he finds the hidden piece of red gold, he will kill him. The rabbit shows him where the gold is hidden, and he returns to the city with it. Along the way, he again meets the beggar and gives him the gold, deciding it means more to him than it does to himself. Upon entering the city, everyone awaits him to crown him the new king, and he discovers the city's present rulers to be his mother, the beggar woman, and his father, the beggar he had given the gold to. At that point also, he is transformed to his former beautiful self. (a) Three words or phrases are given below. Give the meaning of each as used in the passage.[3] i) abandoned ii) cross iii) former (b) Answer the following questions briefly and in your own words [12] i. Who is Star-Child? How does he grow up? [2] ii. Who is the beggar that comes to the town one day? What happens to the star-child then? iii. What were three tasks given by the master to the Star-Child? [2] iv. Who helped the Star-Child to succeed in the tasks? [2] v. What did the Star-Child do after he had succeeded in each of the tasks? [2] vi. What happened to the Star-Child at the end of the story? Why? [2] (c) In not more than 60 words, describe how he repented and how did he transform to his former beautiful self. [8] (d) Choose a suitable title for the story and give reasons for the choice of the title.[2] Question.4 (a) 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: am convinced I ___0___ (convince) that my father ___1___ (remember)by all those who value integrity. He __2___ (be) man of learning and also saw to that he ___3____ (teach) his pupils with passion and patience. He, at times ___4____ (use) to lose his temper, but that was because he always ___5____ (want) his pupils to learn and learn well. As a person, he was honest and simple. His greatness ____6___ (lie) in the fact that he ____7____ (have) a pure heart, devoid of malice. Such a man is always valued and ____8____ (be) very rare to find. (b) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words:[4] (i) The early man prepared himself for a life _______ retirement. (ii) Do you take his word _______ mine? (iii) Rohini is very concerned _______ her father s health. (iv) Altaf had many books and papers scattered all ______ the room. (v) The Phoenix is a legendary bird that rises ______ its ashes. (vi) The police pulled the briefcase from _______ the table. (vii) The mob rushed onto the pavement, everyone seemed angry ______ everyone else. (viii) The old woman looked ________ the cupboard, searching for the photograph. (c ) Rewrite the following sentences after making necessary changes as directed or fill in the blank with a suitable word to make it a meaningful sentence.[4] (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) He said to his brother, I go for a walk every morning. (Convert to indirect) Tiger is the fastest animal in the world. (Use faster ) The musician said to the sponsor, I can give a programme next week. (Begin : The musician told .) Cleopatra is the most famous Egyptian queen. (Begin: No other .) (d) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but, or so[4] (i) Sonia asked a riddle. I was unable to solve it. (ii) John helped Thomas. Thomas will always be grateful. (iii) Rajan is a great cricketer. He is also popular. (iv) Adnan sang a wonderful song. It became hit (v) Tina went to Tom s house in the evening. She lost her anklet. (vi) Those days were marvelous. Can we forget them? (vii) Susanna gave a blanket to her maid.. She bought it last week. (viii) Rashmi has a remunerative job. She does not look after her family .
|
