(1 – 8) Answer each of the following questions in about THREE sentences. 8 × 2 = 16
1. ‘Out of its leprous hide..’ What is leprous hide? What come(s) out of leprous hide? (On Killing a Tree)
2. Why did the Bates employ Anna as Nanny? Do you think they were right in doing so? (Circus Cat, Alley Cat)
3. What are the incidents Mother narrates to prove that it was God who gave through his people? (Mother Teresa)
4. Why did Rex ignore wagons? (Snapshot of a Dog)
5. Why didn’t the tiger attack the deer or her fawn? (Fire in the Forest)
6. How did Vinoba demonstrate his level-headedness? (Vinoba-A Portrait sketch)
7. ‘Barber, barber, you’re in luck’-Why does Nash think the barber is in luck? (I’ll Get One Tomorrow)
8. Why does Russell say that specialists do not necessarily possess wisdom? (Knowledge and Wisdom)
(9 – 13) Choose the correct meanings of the
words on the left and write them in your answer book. 5 × 1/2 = 21/2
9. Assuage : show soothe send attempt
10. Intrepid : daring interval dry tasteless
11. Sparing : indulgent thrifty calm extravagant
12. Integrity : internal result honesty ingredient
13. Fervour : zeal courage relax bias
(14 – 18) Note the meaning of each underlined word in the sentence in which it occurs. Select the option that conveys the meaning and write it in your answer book. 5 × 1/2 = 21/2
14. The dangling wires were potential threat to the life of any passerby.
a) cheap b) weak c) hanging d) low
15. A bulging belly is often considered a symbol of affluence.
a) swollen b) straight c) angry d) hungry
16. Their shower of affection overwhelmed him.
a) won b) depressed c) pacified
17. Her undue lenience made the children complacent.
a) harsh b) excessive c) strong
18. The descendants of the Nawab are living in utter poverty.
a) relatives b) benefactors c) successors
(19 – 24) Choose the alternative that best fits the blank in each sentence and write it in your answer book. 6 × 1/2 = 3
19. They failed to _____ his efforts to make peace.
(appreciate, appropriate, demonstrate)
20. The jungles of Andaman are _____ by palaeolithic tribes. (lived, settled, inhabited)
21. He _____ in the food in a hurry as he was in a rush to leave. (ate, stuffed, chewed)
22. Being _____ between the two fat men, he was feeling uncomfortable. (sitting, fixed, wedged)
23. His _____ teeth gave him an ugly appearance. (projecting, outcome, protruding)
24. You will have few friends left if you don’t _ . (get your ways, mend your ways, pave your ways)
(25 – 28) Find the wrongly spelt word in each of the following sets and write it out correctly in your answer book. 4 × 1/4 = 1
25. conferred preferred referred oferred
26. tremenduous cautious hazardous apparatus
27. shining begining evening coming
28. embarrased harassed prescribed arrived
(29 – 36) Write out in your answer book the words of your choice against the question numbers.
(29 – 32) In each set, find the word in which the underlined part is pronounced in the same way as in the key word. 4 × 1/4 = 1
29. breath : breathe set kite tin
30. deer : keep layer seek fear
31. chandelier : chortle charisma sugar chore
32. subtle : rib stubble barber doubt
(33 – 36) Find the word in each set that rhymes with the key word. 4 × 1/4 = 1
33. grand prix: key licks sticks vex
34. expected : appealed roared suited packed
35. shuns : missions cans plans comes
36. dream : form seem lean been
37. Read the following passage in which the end of each sentence is not indicated. Decide where each sentence ends. Write
out in your answer book, the last word of
each sentence followed by (.) or (?) or (!). 4 × 1/2 = 2
George was evidently upset do you know what’s happened now he asked me I was prepared for the worst
38. Use commas, full stops, exclamation/question/ quotation marks wherever necessary and re-write the sentences in your answer book. 3 × 1/2 = 11/2
(a) Nitai said grandfather shall we go now
(b) it isnt night yet replied Jagannath
(c) it is night now a little while later the boy exclaimed grandfather come lets go
(39 – 43) Read sentence (a). Then complete sentence (b) using the ideas in(a). Keep sentence(b) as close in meaning as possible to sentence (a). Write it in your answer book. 5 × 1 = 5
39. (a) I said to the boy, “ What made you drop the project and why did you come to a decision to start it again?”
(b)I asked him ___________
40. (a) They have decided to continue playing though their key player is injured.
(b) It ___________
41. (a) He left his wife and his office. He wanted to enjoy himself.
(b) Wanting ___________
42. (a) I was not discouraged though I was tired and hungry.
(b) In spite ___________
43. (a) The son decided to leave. He was disgusted with his father’s miserly ways.
(b) If the son ___________
44. Identify the part of speech of each underlined word. Write the words and their parts of speech in your answer book. 4 × 1/2 = 2
Einstein never accepted that the universe was governed by chance.
45. Rewrite the following after making necessary corrections. 1× 1 = 1
Why you didn’t told me that you didn’t did the work?
46. Rewrite the following passage, making any improvements you think are necessary. 1 × 2 = 2
The old man had a grandson. The grand son’s name was Gokul. The old man was attached to Gokul. Gokul was four years old. Gokul was
mischievous. Gokul loved to play tricks on the old man.
(47 – 51) Read the following passage and answer the questions given below it. 5 × 1 = 5
Early morning hours are ideal for exercise, study, practicing music and yoga. Early morning hours are just as suited to worship as they
are for other things. There is no specific time to think of God. In fact, it is important that our thoughts should always be of Him.
But if a time were to be thought of as the best for worship, if a time had to be named as ideal, it would be the early morning hours.
The early morning hours are perhaps ideal, because they are free from polluting atmosphere, compared with the rest of the day. When we talk of pollution, there are two kinds: external and internal. The morning hours, when most people are yet to awake, the potential for them to resort to the environmentally polluting activities is less than later in the day. Internal pollution is the corruption of our minds, by thoughts which we should never entertain. We are prey to several unnecessary thoughts and often we are prey to sinful
thoughts too. As the day progresses, we may have thoughts of envy, jealousy; we may have a tendency to gossip. All of these pollute our
minds. But when we wake up early after a good night’s rest, and then begin the day with worship, we are able to focus our minds on the Lord, and to think of His auspicious qualities, instead of concerning ourselves with matters of the world which can bring
nothing but sorrow. When we begin the day early, and begin it with worship, we begin the day auspiciously.
47. What are the activities that are best to be done in the early hours of a day?
48. According to the author of the paragraph, what is the most suitable time for worship?
49. What is special about early morning hours, that makes them ideal?
50. What is internal pollution? What activities can pollute our minds?
51. How can we prevent the pollution of our minds?
52. Read the following passage.
A hundred metres further along the trail, Malcolm stopped short. Two bear cubs were playing in the creek gully, about twenty metres to their right. The day before, they had seen a mother grizzly and two cubs. They had shouted and waved and watched through binoculars as the mother reared up and roared at them. That had been more funny than frightening, with a safe kilometre and half of distance separating them. But now a mother bear, perhaps the same grizzly,
could be just over the ridge, obscured by the bushes. Malcolm stood stiffly, trying to decide what to do. Perhaps they could slip by quietly. But as he lifted his boot for the first step, the mother bear suddenly came charging over the ridge with a half-growl, half-scream of rage. Barb saw immediately that it was the
grizzly-the silvertip fur glistened in the sunlight, and there was the characteristic hump on its back. How can something so huge move so fast?-she thought, then felt herself being flung into a snowbank by Malcolm.
Now read the following statements and find SIX of them which are in agreement with the passage. Write only the letters of the TRUE
statements. 6 × 1/2 = 3
(a) Malcolm stopped on seeing the bear cubs a little distance away.
(b) Malcolm was sure of what he had to do.
(c) Barb was surprised at the agility of the bear.
(d) Barb could recognize that it was a grizzly bear.
(e) They waved and shouted when they saw the grizzly cubs twenty metres away.
(f) The grizzly ignored their presence.
(g) The grizzly had been hidden until it attacked them unexpectedly.
(h) Malcolm tried to save Barb by throwing her into a snowbank.
(i) They had fun, teasing the bear, the previous day.
(j) They felt frightened when they saw the bear with cubs more than a kilometre away.
(53 – 55) Read the following passage.
Lil’ Johnny’s mother took him with her to the bank on a busy Friday. They were in line behind a rather obese lady wearing a business
suit, complete with a pager. As the mother patiently waited, Lil’ Johnny looked at the women in front of him and observed loudly, “Mom, she’s REALLY FAT.” The lady looked at Johnny, made eye contact with his mother and gave an understanding smile. Lil’ Johnny received a quiet reprimand. After a minute or two, Lil’ Johnny spread his hands as far as they will go and loudly said, “I bet
she is fatter than that.” At this the lady glared at Johnny. His embarrassed mother severely scolds her son. Again after a couple of
minutes Lil’ Johnny stated loudly, “Look how her tummy hangs over her belt.” The lady turned and told Johnny’s mother to control her rude child and his mother threatened him with his very life and existence. Things in the bank are quiet. The lady moved to the front
of the line when her pager begins to emit its distinctive tone. Lil’ Johnny yelled in a panic at the top of his voice, “RUN FOR YOUR
LIFE MOM, SHE’S BACKING UP!”
Now complete the following statements. In each case, write down the number of the statement and your choice in your answer book. 3 × 1/2 = 11/2
53. Johnny and his mother were standing in the bank
a) behind a tall lady.
b) behind a fat lady.
c) behind a rich lady.
d) behind a slim lady.
54. Johnny’ remarks
a) were ignored by the lady in front of them.
b) annoyed the lady in front of them.
c) were encouraged by his mother.
d) flattered the lady in front of them.
55. Johnny warned his mother to run away because
a) he thought his mother would hit him.
b) the lady turned back to hit him.
c) he wanted to save his mother.
d) he thought that the woman was going to move back.