Kindly share you feedback about the website – Click here
Class X Exam 2023-24
English Language and Literature (184)
Time Allowed: 3 hours Maximum Marks: 80
General Instructions:
1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections – READING SKILLS, GRAMMAR & WRITING SKILLS, and LITERATURE TEXTBOOKS.
2. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
SECTION A: READING SKILLS (20 MARKS)
Reading Comprehension Through Unseen Passages
1. Read the following text.
1. In the classroom, broadening your thinking can mean emphasizing something called problem based learning. In this approach, a teacher presents a problem or question with no clear or obvious solution. Students are then asked to think broadly about how to solve it.
2. Problem-based learning can help students think like scientists, Wallace says. He cites an example from his own classroom. Last fall, he had students read about fruit flies that lack an enzyme-a molecule that speeds up chemical reactions-to break down alcohol. “I had seven groups of students, and got seven different ways to measure,” he says. “That’s what I would call creativity in a science class.”
3. “Creativity means taking risks and not being afraid to make mistakes,” adds Andrews. In fact, she and many educators agree, when something comes out differently than expected, it provides a learning experience. A good scientist would ask “Why?” she says, and “What’s happening here?”
4. Talking with others and teamwork also help with associative thinking-allowing thoughts to wander and freely associating one thing with another-that DeHaan says, contributes to creativity. Working on a team, he says, introduces a concept called distributed reasoning. Sometimes called brainstorming. This type of reasoning is spread out and conducted by a group of people.
5. “When you talk about creativity in science, it’s not about, have you done a nice drawing to explain something,” she says. “It’s about, What are we imagining together? What’s possible, and how could we figure that out? That’s what scientists do all the time.”
6. Although using arts and crafts to represent ideas can be helpful, Smith says, it is not the same as recognizing the creativity inherent in science. “What we’ve been missing is that science itself is creative,” she explains.
7. “It’s a creativity of ideas and representations and finding things out, which is different from making a Player-mâché globe and painting it to represent the Earth,” she says.
8. In the end, educators and scientists agree that anyone can learn how to think like a scientist. “Too often in school, students get the impression that science is for a specially gifted subspecies of humanity,” Herschbach says. But he insists just the opposite is true.
9. “Scientists don’t have to be so smart,” he continues. “It’s all there waiting for you if you work hard at it, and then you have a good chance of contributing to this great adventure of our species and understanding more about the world we live in.” (Adapted from the American Heritage Children’s Science Dictionary)
Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.
i. Why does the writer say that problem-based learning can ‘broaden one’s thinking?
(a) It can lead to creative resolution of an issue at hand.
(b) It can lead to people working in a pedantic manner.
(c) It can lead to the expansion of the human brain literally.
(d) It can lead to people working independently.
View AnswerAns. (a) It can lead to creative resolution of an issue at hand.
ii. What makes Herschbach debunk the popular misconception that scientists are more gifted than others? Rationalise your response in about 40 words.
View AnswerAns. Educators and scientists agree that anyone can learn how to think like a scientist. One needs to contribute to the greater understanding of the world and resolve its problems with a spirit of inquiry and hard work qualities that are mandatory to become a good scientist.
iii. Complete the sentence appropriately.
The author tries to establish a link and a point of similarity between problem-based learning and thinking like a scientist when he says that ………. .
View AnswerAns. it can broaden one’s thinking by encouraging a person to look at a problem from different perspectives.
iv. The passage includes some word-pairs that are closely related or similar to each other. From the sets (a)-(e) below, identify sets that go against the essence of the passage.
(a) arts and crafts
(b) ideas and representations
(c) educators and scientists
(d) distributed reasoning and brainstorming
(e) scientists and gifted subspecies
View AnswerAns. (a) arts and crafts
(e) scientists and gifted subspecies
v. Complete the sentence appropriately.
DeHaan lays deep emphasis on the benefits of associative thinking in science and emphasises that its maximum benefits can be drawn out ………. .
View AnswerAns. in a team setting that allow thoughts to freely associate one thing with another.
vi. Based on the reading of the passage, examine, in about 40 words, what disconnect or point of difference does the writer draw out between creativity in art and craft and creativity in science.
View AnswerAns. Creativity in science refers to the creativity of ideas and representatives and finding things out. It means taking risk, asking questions, and making mistakes whereas in art, the focus is on beauty and symbolism.
vii. Which of these explanations does not relate to the concept of distributive reasoning?
(a) It is synonymous with brainstorming.
(b) It is prevalent among the scientific community only.
(c) It is a part of associative thinking.
(d) It requires a team to conduct it successfully.
View AnswerAns. (b) It is prevalent among the scientific community only.
viii. Fill in the blank with suitable word/words.
This great adventure of our species in Paragraph 9 refers to ………. .
View AnswerAns. the existence of human beings on earth.
2. Read the following text.
1. Air pollution affects health seriously. Of the most polluted 30 cities in the world, 21 were in India in 2019. As per a 2016 study, at least 140 million Indians breathe air that is 10 times or more over the WHO safe limit and 13 of the world’s 20 cities with the highest annual levels of air pollution are in India.
2. Air pollution kills 2 million Indians prematurely every year. Emissions come from vehicles and industry, whereas in rural areas, much of the pollution stems from biomass burning for cooking and keeping warm. In autumn and winter months, large scale crop residue burning in farms — a cheaper alternative to mechanical tilling — is a major source of smoke, smog and particulate pollution.
3. India has a low per capita emissions of greenhouse gases but the country as a whole is the third largest greenhouse gas producer after China and the United States. A 2013 study on non-smokers has found that have 30% have weaker lung function than Europeans. 4. The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 has failed to reduce or regulate pollution because of poor enforcement of the rules
5. In 2015, GOI, together with IIT Kanpur launched the National Air Quality Index. In 2019, India launched ‘The National Clean Air Programme’ with tentative national target of 20%¬30% reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations by 2024, considering 2017 as the base year for comparison. It will be rolled out in 102 cities that are considered to have air quality worse than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
6. There are other initiatives such as a 1,600 kilometre-long and 5 kilometre-wide The Great Green Wall of Aravalli-an ecological corridor along Aravalli range from Gujarat to Shivalik Hills with the planting of 1.35 billion native trees over 10 years to combat the pollution.
7. In 2019, IIT Bombay, in partnership with the McKelvey School of Engineering (USA), launched the Aerosol and Air Quality Research Facility to study air pollution in India.
Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.
i. Complete the following analogy appropriately, based on your understanding of paragraphs 1 and 2.
The fact- ‘Of the most polluted 30 cities in the world, 21 were in India in 2019’ is comparable with urban Indians living in gas-chambers and the air that we breathe can be compared to a mixture of ………. .
View AnswerAns. toxic gases that are 10 times or more over the WHO safe limit.
ii. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate option from those given in brackets, based on your understanding of paragraph 2.
Air quality in India has worsened so much in the last few years that is contributing to the premature deaths of 2 million Indians every year is ………. (a fact/ opinion) because unfortunately, it is ………. (a/an subjective judgement/ objective detail) that proves that air pollution can be fatal to human health.
View AnswerAns. a fact, an objective detail.
iii. Toxic air emissions are not just rampantly widespread in the cities but are equally pervasive in rural areas threatening the health of people. Justify the following, in about 40 words.
View AnswerAns. 102 Indian cities are considered to have air quality worse than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards with at least 140 million Indians breathing toxic air whereas, in rural areas, much of the pollution stems from biomass burning for cooking and keeping warm especially, in autumn and winter months.
iv. List any two examples of indoor or domestic pollution as mentioned in the passage.
View AnswerAns. 1. Domestic cooking using biomass and keeping warm in winter.
2. Passive smoking.
v. Study the statement.
Mechanical tilling is an unpopular method to remove stubs from the fields. State any one inference that can be drawn from this.
View AnswerAns. Our farmers prefer to get rid of the agricultural residue by burning it because it is cheaper and commonly used method.
vi. Select the options that correctly display what ‘tilling’ signifies. (Reference-Paragraph 2)
(a) Only (i)
(b) Only (ii)
(c) (ii), (iii) and (iv)
(d) (i) and (v)
View AnswerAns. (d) (i) and (v)
vii. Mention a few steps taken by the government to tackle the problem of air pollution and why some of the efforts fail to make a mark. (Answer in about 40 words)
View AnswerAns. The government and IIT Kanpur have launched the National Air Quality Index. An ecological corridor along the Aravalli range from Gujarat to Shivalik Hills is being established by planting 1.35 billion native trees. But poor enforcement of the laws e.g. The Air Act, 1981 is a drawback we suffer from.
viii. Select the correct option to complete the following sentence.
In 2019, India Launched. The National Clean Air Programme with tentative national target of _____.
1.20%- 30% reduction in PM 2.5.
2. Study air pollution in 102 cities that are worst affected.
3. 20%-30% reduction in PM 10.
4. Take 2017 as the base year.
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 2 and 4
View AnswerAns. (c) 1 and 3
GRAMMAR & WRITING SKILLS
GRAMMAR
3. Complete ANY TEN of twelve of the following tasks, as directed.
i. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete the sentence.
The bridge is being _____ at the moment so it can’t be used.
(a) repaired
(b) repairing
(c) repair
(d) repairs
View AnswerAns. (a) repaired
ii. Read the conversation between Raman and Anitha. Complete the sentence by reporting Anitha’s reply correctly.
Raman : What’s the matter, Anitha?
Anitha : Oh, nothing. You cannot help me. I only want that blue umbrella.
Raman asked Anitha what the matter was. She replied that it was nothing and he could not help her as _____
View AnswerAns. she only wanted that blue umbrella.
iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the given line.
_____ I suggest a slight change in your plan ?
(a) May
(b) Would
(c) Must
(d) Will
View AnswerAns. (a) May
iv. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following line :
The people of India show remarkable unity at the time of Kargil Conflict.
Ans. Option (c)
v. Complete the given sentence, by filling in the blank with the correct option :
When I was a child, I _____ to school everyday instead of going by cycle.
(a) walked
(b) have been walking
(c) had walked
(d) have walked
View AnswerAns. (a) walked
vi. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket.
Many a student _____ (try) hard to pass his entrance exam.
View AnswerAns. tries
vii. Report the dialogue between Gardener and Dev, by completing the sentence :
Gardener: Did you water the plant today?
Dev: No, but I will, today.
Gardener: Then tomorrow I will get a sapling of sunflower.
The Gardener asked Dev if he had watered the plant that day. Dev replied negatively but said he would that day. Then the gardener said that _____
View AnswerAns. he would get a sapling of a sunflower the next day.
viii. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction.
Diwali, well known as the festival of lights, is a festival that is celebrate in almost all parts of India.
Use the given format for your response.
Ans.
ix. Transform the following direct speech into reported speech :
The beggar said to the old man, “Can you tell me the way to the nearest temple?”
View AnswerAns. The beggar asked the old man if he could tell him the way to the nearest temple.
x. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction.
You have a large number of shirts. You can not buy any more.
Use the given format for your response.
Ans.
xi. Rohit and Rajat are discussing their plans for the weekend. Complete the dialogue below by choosing the correct option.
Rohit : How do you like the idea of going to the zoo?
Rajat : That sounds good, But I _____ my parent’s permission.
(a) needs to take
(b) need not to take
(c) needs not to take
(d) need to take
View AnswerAns. (d) need to take
xii. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction.
At the age of seventeen, Galileo know that he had discovered an important law- a law of a pendulum.
Use the given format for your response.
Ans.
WRITING
Note : All details presented in the questions are imaginary and created for assessment purpose.
4. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below.
A. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper highlighting the problem of traffic jam near Chinpumi Temple Crossing and suggesting some remedy for it.
View AnswerAns.
232, Friends Colony
Noida
16th May, 20XX
To,
The Editor
The Hindustan Times
New Delhi
Subject: Chaotic traffic condition near Chintpurni Temple Crossing
Respected Sir,
Through this letter of mine, I wish to draw the attention of the authorities towards the problems faced by students everyday. We reach our college fifteen minutes late as our college bus gets stuck in a traffic jam near Chintpumi Temple crossing. People park their vehicles in a haphazard way. Beggars crowd the gates as well as roads, waiting for someone to come out of the temple and give alms to them. There is a traffic signal at that crossing but people do not follow it.
It is my humble request that a parking area should be allotted to the Temple site so that people can park their vehicles in a proper way. The Temple Trust should appoint someone who can make the beggars sit in a queue and that too on the footpath and not on the road. And last but not the least, a police-picket should be there at the crossing to make people follow the rules and regulations.
I hope you’ll publish this letter in your esteemed newspaper so that some actions can be taken in this matter.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely
Akriti
OR
B. You are Neelam/Rakesh, Store Incharge Diksha Stores, 32/54, Rajeev Nagar, Delhi. Your school requires school bags and accessories in bulk for the commencement of the new session. Write a letter of inquiry to the Sales Manager, Sky Bags Industries Ltd. 15/3, Ravi Nagar, Delhi enquiring about the details of goods manufactured.
View AnswerAns.
Diksha Stores
32/54, Rajeev Nagar
Delhi
28th August, 2019
The Sales Manager
M/s Sky Bags Industries Limited
15/3, Ravi Nagar
Delhi
Subject: Inquiry about school bags and accessories
Sir,
There has been enormous demand by our customers of the school bags and accessories you manufacture for primary and secondary school students and they are inquiring about quality, price, durability, etc.
We shall feel obliged if you could please send us 100 pieces of school bags for every age group on approval and return basis.
If we find the quality and price satisfactory then we expect to purchase more from you. Before placing a large order of the bags, we would like you to send the above quantity of the desired products on approval basis.
The remaining of the unsold pieces would be returned to you at your expense within a period of one month from receipt of the products.
We hope to hear from you very soon.
Yours faithfully
Rakesh
Store Incharge
5. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below.
A. The two maps below show an island, before and after the construction of some tourist facilities. Write an analytical paragraph in 100-120 words by selecting and reporting the main features, and making comparisons where relevant.
Ans.
Transformation of an Island
Both maps display an island, before and after it was developed for tourism. The island is approximately 250 metres long, has palm trees dotted around it, is surrounded by ocean and has a beach to the west. Over the period, the island was completely transformed with the addition of a hotel and a pier; however, the eastern part of the island appears to have been left undeveloped. The most noticeable additions are the hotel rooms. 6 buildings, surrounding some trees, have been built in the west of the island and 9 buildings have been constructed in the centre of the island. Between the two accommodation areas, a reception building and a restaurant have been developed. A pier has also been built on the south coast of the island, allowing yachts access to the resort. Apart from the trees, the beach remains the only natural feature to remain relatively untouched; however, it does appear that it is now used for swimming.
OR
B. Study the concept chart from a recent study by WHO that has described some positive effects of quitting smoking.
Write an analytical paragraph in 100-120 words, analysing the given information.
View AnswerAns.
Positive Effects of Quitting Smoking
Smoking is the silent killer that affects a large number of people around the world. The negative effects of tobacco smoke are well known, but the good news is that the positive effects of kicking the habit can’t be missed. A smoker can leave the habit forever and can see the amazing results to live a healthier and happier life. As part of a report released by the World Health Organization for World No Tobacco Day, the potentially devastating effects of smoking can be successfully reversed. After just 20 minutes, the first health improvements begin with a drop in heart rate and blood pressure. Within 12 hours carbon monoxide levels drop to normal and after a few weeks lung function increases and circulation improves. Within 1-9 months the person experiences decreased coughing and shortness of breath. Even the elevated risk of stroke or coronary heart disease is gone within 15 years. Cancer of lungs along with that of mouth, throat, oesophagus, bladder, cervix and pancreas also becomes a much less significant threat after about ten years. So, quitting smoking is the best decision a smoker can take to improve the quality of his life.
SECTION C – LITERATURE
6. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given.
A. Oop: I haven’t a clue. I’ve been to seven galaxies, but I’ve never seen anything like this. Maybe they’re hats. (He opens a book and puts it on his head.) Say, maybe this is a haberdashery!
Omega: (bowing low) Perhaps the Great and Mighty Think-Tank will give us the benefit of his thought on the matter.
Think-Tank : Elementary, my dear Omega. Hold one of the items up so that I may view it closely. (Omega holds a book on the palm of her hand.) Yes, yes, I understand now. Since Earth creatures are always eating, the place in, which you find yourselves is undoubtedly a crude refreshment stand. (The Book that Saved the Earth)
i. Why did Omega bow low before Think-Tank?
View AnswerAns. Omega bowed low before Think-Tank as a mark of respect and recognition of supremacy.
ii. Choose the option that associates the person to a haberdashery.
(a) Jagdeep is a primary school teacher who teaches English.
(b) Tanishq is a tailor who makes garments for men only.
(c) Falguni is a chemist who manufactures her own medicine.
(d) Asma is an engineer who works on designing space stations.
View AnswerAns. (b) Tanishq is a tailor who makes garments for men only.
iii. What is Think-Tank proud of? Answer with reference to the extract in about 40 words.
Ans. Think-Tank was proud of his intelligence and might. He always try to prove himself as the most intelligent Martian. It is clear from his self-praise and boastful habits. He acts high and mighty and order people around.
[/expand]iv. Which phrase would correctly substitute in the given sentence from the extract ?
Elementary, my dear Omega.
(a) ‘It’s simple general knowledge, Omega.’
(b) ‘It’s something that a primary school person won’t understand, Omega.’
(c) ‘It’s quite obviously deducible, Omega’
(d) ‘It’s a little more than complicated, Omega.’
View AnswerAns. (c) ‘It’s quite obviously deducible, Omega’
OR
B. On the day of the inauguration, I was overwhelmed with a sense of history. In the first decade of the twentieth century, a few years after the bitter Anglo-Boer war and before my own birth, the white skinned peoples of South Africa patched up their differences and erected a system of racial domination against the dark-skinned peoples of their own land. The structure they created formed the basis of one of the harshest, most inhumane, societies the world has ever known. (Nelson Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom)
i. The system of racial domination against the dark-skinned people was called as _____.
(a) the policy of apartheid
(b) racial discrimination
(c) inhumane system
(d) harshest system
View AnswerAns. (a) the policy of apartheid
ii. Why did the speaker call that structure ‘one of the harshest and the most inhumane’? Answer in about 40 words.
View AnswerAns. The structure refers to the racial domination against the black-skinned. The speaker calls that structure “one of the harshest and the most inhumane” because it was biased against the blacks and deprived them of even the basic of Fundamental Rights.
iii. Fill in the blank with ONE WORD only.
Mandela is filled with _____ in the given extract.
View AnswerAns. pride
iv. Read the following descriptions (a)-(c) and identify which one correctly corresponds to the extract.
(a) A debate
(b) A soliloquy
(c) A reflection
View AnswerAns. (c) A reflection
7. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given.
A. If ever you should go by chance
To jungles in the East;
And if there should to you advance
A large and tawny beast,
If he roars at you as you’re dyin’
You’ll know it is the Asian Lion ….
(How to Tell Wild Animals)
i. Fill in the blank with ONE word only.
A person’s heart begins to beat when the lion roars because he is _____.
View AnswerAns. scared
ii. What does the poet mean by ‘Jungles in the East’?
(a) Forests in East direction
(b) Forests of India
(c) Forests in Asian countries
(d) Forest in the East of London
View AnswerAns. (c) Forests in Asian countries
iii. What does the poet say about the Asian Lion in this extract? Answer in about 40 words.
View AnswerAns. The poet says that the Asian Lion is a large beast. He is brown-wish yellow in colour and is found in the forests of the eastern countries of the world. Its roar is very loud and terrifying.
iv. Which genre is most appropriate for the poem?
View AnswerAns. The poem “How to Tell Wild Animals’ is a humorous poem. It depicts the ways to identify different dangerous animals which may not be practical but when read the approaches evoke fun and laughter.
OR
B. The fog comes on little cat feet.
It sits looking over harbour and city
on silent haunches and then moves on. (Fog)
i. Highlight any two characteristics of fog from its description in the poem.
View AnswerAns. 1) The fog is a silent and mysterious thing.
2) It enters a city without any warning or sign and leaves just silently.
ii. How does the poet compare fog to a cat? Answer in about 40 words.
View AnswerAns. The poet compares the fog to a cat because of similarity in their movements. The silent steps of a cat and the way it sits by folding its knees are both very similar to the way fog comes and surrounds the city and harbor and looks over it.
iii. Why do you think fog is a free verse poem?
(a) It has only six lines.
(b) It has no regular rhyme scheme.
(c) It is divided in two paragraphs.
(d) Both (a) and (b)
View AnswerAns. (b) It has no regular rhyme scheme.
iv. Comment, in detail, on the significance of the closing phrase of the poem- ‘moves on’.
View AnswerAns. The phrase ‘moves on’ is crucial to depict the mysterious quality of the fog. It comes and leaves suddenly without being noticed by anyone.
8. Answer ANY FOUR of the following five questions, in about 40-50 words.
i. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’? (A Letter to God)
View AnswerAns. The postmaster was a kind, generous, helpful and God fearing man. When he received the letter written to God asking for 100 pesos he felt sympathetic towards Lencho. Hence, he decided to help Lencho. He gave a part of his salary and asked the other employees to help. He signed the letter ‘God’ in order to preserve the man’s faith in God.
ii. What special characteristic of Mijbil did Maxwell learn after he took him to the bathroom? (Mijbil the Otter)
View AnswerAns. Maxwell took Mijbil to the bathroom. For half an hour he went wild with joy in the water, plunging and rolling in it, shooting up and down the length of the bathtub underwater, and making enough slosh and splash for a hippo. Maxwell learnt that Mijbil had immense love for water.
iii. Why did the Buddha ask Kisa Gotami to bring a handful of mustard seeds? (The Sermon at Benares)
View AnswerAns. The Buddha asked Kisa Gotami to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one had died ever, because he wanted her to realize the ultimate truth of life. Now she came to know that no one can escape death is common to all.
iv. Describe the method Anne Gregory suggested in order to prove that she is loved for who she is. (For Anne Gregory)
View AnswerAns. She said that she would change her hair from yellow to some other colour by applying a hair dye to confirm that she is lived for her inner beauty and not for her outer personality.
v. “Fire and Ice” project a pessimistic outlook. Comment.
View AnswerAns. The poet links human desire to be the reason for the possible extinction of the world. The poem tries to imply that humanity should not try to innovate and develop new weapons. It projects a pessimistic outlook by suggesting that following dreams and passion by humankind may lead to catastrophic destruction on the earth.
9. Answer ANY TWO of the following three questions, in about 40-50 words.
i. Why was Tricki an uninteresting object for other dogs at the surgery? (A Triumph of Surgery)
View AnswerAns. At the surgery, the household dogs surged around Dr. Herriot to see Tricki. Tricki looked down at the noisy pack with dull eyes and when put down, lay motionless on the carpet. The other dogs sniffed around for a few seconds and then deciding he was an uninteresting object and ignored him.
ii. Henry unintentionally saved Ausable’s life. Briefly comment. (The Midnight Visitor)
View AnswerAns. Henry had come to serve water in the room. But, Ausable took the benefit of his knocking at the door. He warned Max that it was police and he would be caught soon if he did not jump out of the window. In this way, Ausable was saved by Henry, though, intentionally.
iii. How did the Loisels react when they realized that the necklace had been lost? (Necklace)
View AnswerAns. The Loisels became very unhappy when they understood that the necklace had been lost. They were sure that the loss of the necklace would make their life miserable because Mr Loisel was a poor clerk. So, it was very difficult for them to replace the lost diamond necklace.
10. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words.
A. Valli was sensitive, but at the same time, she was fearless and quite determined. Think of another character from your textbook, First Flight, who displayed similar character traits. Compare and contrast the lives of Valli and the other character.
View AnswerAns. Valli was a young girl of 8 years who still displayed mature and responsible behaviour in the story. She was bold enough to fulfil her desire of riding a bus without her parents help in any way. I think Anne Frank had the same characteristics. Even after being punished thrice for talking in class, she did not get depressed and accepted the punishment intelligently. Her answers impressed her teacher and he praised her writings in front of other students.
I feel Nelson Mandela, too, was a man of strong determination and willpower. He also sacrificed material possessions for fulfilling his desire of getting freedom from apartheid in South Africa. For this, he had to spend a large part of his life in prison away from his family. These three characters portrayed similar attributes in their respective lessons.
OR
B. Explain the phrase “the forest that was empty all these days”. After reading the poem “The Trees”, for whom do you think are the forests needed ? Imagine you are a tree in a forest, what values would you like the humans to learn from the tree ?
View AnswerAns. In the poem ‘The Trees’ poetess Adrienne Rich subtly drives home the message about the importance of trees. Without trees, the birds would not have a place to sit, insects will have no place to hide and the sun would not bury its feet in shadow. As saplings we enjoy the beauty of plants as they adorn the surroundings. But slowly the tree spreads its roots, its branches and leaves and seems to yearn to go outside where it can live and grow without any restrictions. No more does the tree look attractive indoors. The trees are, however, welcomed into nature by strong winds and the moon. The author hereby emphasizes that trees need to be kept alive, but should not be ‘imprisoned’ inside the house as they look more beautiful, and tend to thrive outdoors that is where trees belong.
11. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words.
A. “And in her smiling eyes was the right of deep satisfaction that an artist feels when he is contemplating the completion of his masterpiece.” Imagine you are Bholi’s teacher. You are overwhelmed with a sense of satisfaction to see the conversion of ‘Bholi’ to ‘Sulekha’. Express your feelings in the form of a diary entry.
View AnswerAns.
Diary Entry
11.04.20XX
Today I felt very much satisfied as I got success in changing Bholi to Sulekha. As her name signifies Bholi was really a simple girl. I cannot forgot her first entry in my class. A frightened, confused and a simple girl was her first appearance. She used to stammer while speaking. But my two words of affection filled her with confidence. She left stammering and became a confident, determined girl. She was determined to learn everything silently. In her family, nobody noticed the changes that took place in her personality, and got her engaged to a fifty years old lame man with two children. She kept the honour of her parents and agreed to this marriage. But she could not stand with the demand of dowry. She threw away her garland in the fire and asked her father to take back the money. She raised her voice against dowry. She asked the ladies of the village why girls should be treated like -dumb cow.
This was the change I always wanted to see in her personality. Today, I feel I have completed my masterpiece without any error. Today she signified her real name Sulekha.
OR
B. Give a character-sketch of Hari Singh.
View AnswerAns. Hari Singh had become an experienced, seasoned and successful thief at the age of fifteen. He stole from his employers and escaped every time. He changed his name occasionally to avoid being caught by the police or his previous employers. He started working for Anil, a writer. He made profit from the daily supplies. He got many opportunities to rob Anil. However, he did not like to rob a careless fellow who would fail to notice his skill. One day, he made off with Anil’s money and reached the station. He did not board the slow-moving train intentionally.
Hari Singh could show false smile on his face to exploit the situation. He was a man of noble conscience. He was a grateful person. He was not a betrayer. He was career-conscious.