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STD.: X TIME: 2 hrs. SECOND PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2020-2021 ENGLISH LANGUAGE Paper I DATE: 18.02.2021 MARKS: 80 Answer 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 questions. The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ]. You are advised to spend not more than 30 minutes in answering Question 1 and 20 minutes in answering Question 2. This paper consists of five printed pages. Nothing should be written on the Question Paper. 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) Narrate your experience when you faced something unexpected. Give details on what the incident was, mentioning your thoughts and feelings and the outcome of that incident. b) You arrived home late in the evening from a family function, to find that some people from your neighbourhood have surrounded your next-door neighbour s house. Describe what you discovered. How did you and your family react? c) Volunteering for social causes should be made compulsory in schools. Express your views either for or against this statement. d) Write an original short story that begins with the words As the tail-lights of the car faded into the darkness, the only thing I could think of was what I had to do next. e) Study the picture given below. Write a short story or description or an account of what the picture suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may take suggestions from it Continued on Page 2 Question 2 (Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.) Select one of the following: [10] a) You have been selected for the National Bravery Award for children for 2021 for the exceptional courage displayed by you. Write a letter to your friend expressing your great excitement at the news of being selected and giving a brief account of your outstanding act of bravery. b) You were a part of an audience in a debate on Social Media and its effects on modern life. This set you thinking on how the youth of today are misusing social networking sites. Write a letter to the Editor of a newspaper on the dangers of such misuse and how it can be controlled. Question 3 [5 +5] a) You are the Head Boy/Head Girl of your school. Draft a notice for your school Notice Board, for the students of Classes VI to X to participate in the upcoming Inter House Dance Competition, giving necessary details. b) Write an email to the Principal of your school, requesting him/her to grant permission to conduct the Inter House Dance Competition stated in Question 3(a). Question 4 Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: [20] The following morning, before making my decision, I was invited to the end of term assembly and prize-giving. Please, would I come? They were going to have a party afterwards and there would be lots of fizzy drinks, cake and sweets. Fizzy drinks, sweets? Who could possibly refuse an invitation like that? When we arrived at what was now being referred to as the old school , the boys and girls were already arriving with their parents. All of them had dressed up in their smartest party outfits. Within minutes, of course, boys shirts became untucked and even the odd hole appeared in the knee of a new pair of trousers, much to the parents dismay. The girls, however, made an altogether better attempt to keep themselves presentable before we went into the old outbuilding that currently served as the schoolroom. Seated in neat rows on the floor, the children looked up expectantly at the teachers who were seated in chairs in front of them. My presence amongst their teachers did not seem to trouble any of them at all, preoccupied as they were with the excitements of the morning. Somewhat to my surprise, I noticed that a wide range of ethnic groups was represented. As I later found out, although most children were African, there were a number of white children from Zimbabwe and South Africa, two Chinese children and a little boy from the Indian subcontinent. Continued on Page 3 2 Assembly began with the singing of the school song Nokya ya Botselo ; it was also the name of the school The River of Life . Sung partly in Setswana and partly in English, and with accompaniment on the piano by a large enthusiastic lady, it was tuneful and extremely well sung. More than one of the parents, who were seated along the side of the room, became distinctly watery-eyed. Next on our programme was the national anthem, this time sung by the children standing smartly to attention, their eyes to the front, and hands placed proudly and firmly over their hearts: Fatsho lena la rona (Blessed be this Noble Land). The musical effect was slightly spoiled by the patriotic efforts of the piano player, who sang so loudly as to drown out the combined efforts of everyone else. Despite this, I felt so drawn to the experience that I too found myself standing straight-backed and solemn. It was all conducted with a simple dignity and pride. In one corner of the room stood the national flag: two strips of blue denoting the sky and water, and two thin strips of white and one thick strip of black representing the happy mix of people of differing skin colour. The musical interlude over, a number of children stood up to report in English on the term s events for this was a school in which all lessons and activities were conducted in English. These events seemed to have been impressively numerous. They included football tournaments, netball games, swimming competitions, math prizes, school camps, trips in every direction, choir practices, academic achievements and sporting triumphs all seemed to have played their part in the course of the term. Bearing in mind the isolated location of the school, I was deeply impressed that the efforts of the staff had provided all this for the children. To my surprise, I heard one boy mention that his football team had been to a town called Ghanzi to play a match. I estimated that it must have been roughly 600 miles away from the school. Prizes were duly awarded, and I think each and every child had the chance to stand up and receive a small neatly wrapped parcel. Eventually it was time for the Head teacher to wish everyone a happy holiday and tell them how much he was looking forward to seeing them the following term in their smart new building. Oh, before we say our final prayer, let me introduce Mr. Randall. He has come all the way from England to be with us today, and we very much hope that he will be joining us next term. All eyes were upon me. Don t you think it would be nice, children, if Mr. Randall could join us next term and help us in our school? Loudly the children burst into a blackmailing round of applause as Graham, the Head teacher, turned to me, smiled and shrugged. Closing the lid of her piano, the music teacher turned and gave me an encouraging thump on the shoulder. Behind her, the parents were engaged in much animated discussion and enthusiastic nodding of heads. Continued on Page 4 3 a) Three words or phrases are given below. Give the meaning of each as used in the passage. [3] i. isolated ii. impressed iii. estimated b) Answer the following questions briefly and in your own words. i. ii. iii. iv. v. Why did the writer agree to go to the prize-giving? [1] Using your own words, explain what the writer says about the similarities and differences between the appearance of the boys and the girls. [2] Explain why the children were not troubled to see the writer there. [2] Using your own words, explain the effect the singing of the national anthem had on the writer. [2] State any two phrases which the writer uses to suggest that everybody in the room, was keen that he should join the school. [2] c) In not more than 50 words, write a summary about what all impressed and surprised the writer during the prize giving [8] Question 5: 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: (0): is The terrain 0 _____ (be) more desolate than anything we have yet seen. Nothing 1____ (grow) on this salty lake floor which, in places, buckles and pushes up jagged crystalline hexagons half a metre wide. There are dangers too: 2_____ (cross) an unusually smooth patch, the front horse suddenly 3______(plunge) through the crust and sinks chest-deep in foul green slime. The man who 4______ (lead) it stands a moment dumbstruck on thin air before he too 5_______ (splash) in. We struggle to haul them out, the salt crust 6______ (splinter) under the hooves of the flailing horse, the hole 7______(wide), a salty stench everywhere. The condition is visibly 8_______(deteriorate) b) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words: i. The FIFA World Cup trophy is made _______18 carat gold. ii. You can never really succeed _______ adopting unfair means. iii. Prayer carries man ____________ difficulties. iv. He flew___________ a rage when he was challenged v. We should not look ___________ upon the poor. vi. I prefer fast food ___________ any other food. vii. The doctor cured her ___________ the disease. viii. The man was charged ___________ theft. [4] Continued on Page 5 4 c) Join the following sentences without using and, but or so i. You may stay. You may go. It is your decision. ii. Batman is a masked hero. He nabs the criminals of Gotham city during night. iii. JRD Tata was a man of honor. It distinguished him from other men. iv. The passage was very difficult. I could not translate it. [4] d) 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. [8] i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. It was wrong on the part of the management to dismiss him. (Use: ought). I do not think I can finish the work by today , said the plumber. (Rewrite in indirect speech.) To Iqbal s surprise, the office was closed. (Use: find) Much depends on how a politician behaves when he attains power. (Use: behaviour) He is too simple minded to be a successful agent. (Remove too ) Let the child not be disturbed. (Change the Voice) Manju is a fool. She does not trust people who are loyal to her. (Begin: It is ) You have probably given the book to somebody. (Begin: In .........................) ********************************** 5
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