Session Ending Exam, 2021-22
Class-XI
Subject -English
Max. Marks 40 Max. Time 2 Hrs
General Instructions:
1.Read Instructions carefully before attempting question paper.
2.There are three sections in this question paper and All questions are compulsory.
3. Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary.
4. Read these instructions very carefully and follow them.
5. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.
Part A: Reading
1. Read the passage given below.
- After a long and arduous struggle to popularise yoga, the world is now waking up to its wonders. Upon my arrival in New York on the evening of June 20, the Art of Living volunteers and the officials at the Permanent Mission of India informed me that the weather forecast predicted heavy rains, even thunderstorms over the next 24 hours. There was concern on their faces as they continued with preparations for the International Day of Yoga celebrations at the United Nations headquarters and Times Square. I remained confident that this momentous day would go well.
- To the delight of the organising teams, the sun came out just as we arrived at the venue. The UN Secretary General and his wife, the President of the General Assembly, and many ambassadors participated in the programme. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon even said, “We should do this before every negotiation, so that we can work with a calm mind.”
- WHO has warned that depression will become the biggest killer after HIV/AIDS by 2030. Today, an estimated $150 billion is spent on mental illness and depression in the US alone. While the remission rate through medical treatments is less than 14 per cent, a study has shown that the remission rate will be 64 per cent through meditation and yoga. I suggested to the Secretary General that if countries around the world spend 1 per cent of their defence budget on peace education and peacebuilding through yoga and meditation, it would make a significant difference.
- In terms of the way forward, we cannot have all and sundry teach anything in the name of yoga. We need to bring quality control and standardisation in teaching. Like cell phones have enhanced comfort and connectivity, yoga can take you to a whole new level. It can be used as a powerful tool in conflict resolution and trust building.
- When we started our efforts to bring this ancient wisdom to the fore, it was not easy. There was a lot of prejudice against yoga and even meditation. Today, meditation posture has become synonymous with relaxation and comfort. Earlier, the younger generation in the western world would often struggle to convince their parents to open to the benefits of yoga. Perhaps, this declaration by the UN will make their job easier.
— Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer any eight of the following questions:
1. What, according to the World Health Organisation, could be hazardous after HIV/AIDS by 2030?
WHO has warned that depression will become the biggest killer after HIV/AIDS by 2030.
2. What will be the effect of the declaration made by the UN?
The declaration by the UN will make the job of Art of Living volunteers easier.
3. Where was the International Day of Yoga celebrated?
The International Day of Yoga was celebrated at the UN headquarters and Times Square.
4. Why was it difficult for the writer to bring the ancient wisdom ‘Yoga’ to the fore?
It was not easy for the writer to bring the ancient wisdom to the fore. There was a lot of prejudice against yoga and even meditation.
5. According to the writer, what would make a significant difference?
If countries around the world spend 1 per cent of their defence budget on peace education and peacebuilding through yoga and meditation, it would make a significant difference.
6. Who all participated in the International Day of Yoga celebration?
UN Secretary General and his wife, the President of the General Assembly, and many ambassadors participated in the programme.
7. Who is the founder of ‘The Art of Living’?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is the founder of ‘The Art of Living’.
8. What was the concern mentioned in para 1?
The concern was that the weather forecast predicted heavy rains, even thunderstorms over the next 24 hours.
9. How can yoga contribute to make our life healthier?
Yoga can be a powerful tool in conflict resolution and trust building.
10. Which word from the passage (para 4) is opposite to ‘diminished?
Enhanced
2. Read the passage given below:
(1) The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre is a mass murder of Indians that took place on 13th April 1919 at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab. The incident happened on the day of Baisakhi, which is a major festival celebrated in the state of Punjab. Thousands of Indians gathered in the Bagh to peacefully celebrate Baisakhi and also to protest against the deportation of two national leaders, Saifuddin Kitchlew and Satyapal. Many merchants and traders from far off places had come to Amritsar to do business on the occasion of Baisakhi.
(2) But as a curfew was imposed by the British Administration and any celebration prohibited, people naturally gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh. Around six thousand Indians have gathered by mid-afternoon. General Dyer knew about the developments but he didn’t make any attempt to peacefully disperse the crowd. Without giving any sort of warning to the gathered crowd, General Dyer entered the Bagh with armed troops and blocked the only wide exit at the Bagh. When the panicked crowd was trying to leave the park, choking the only exit gate, General Dyer ordered his troops to open fire at the crowd towards the densest section.
(3) After about spending over 1600 rounds and around ten minutes, a cease-fire was ordered by Dyer. He is later known to have said that the action was not to disperse but to teach Indians not to disobey. Many people jump to their death in the only well at the center of the park to save themselves from the bullets. The action of Dyer got mixed reactions from over the world. Rudyard Kipling, the famous English writer stated that Dyer just did what he felt was the right thing to do. Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood and highly condemned the act of Dyer.
(4) It is a shameful scar on British Indian history, shameful for the Britishers of course, but no less shameful for the Indians. The reason being, the troop that opened fire on an unarmed crowd constituted of Indian soldiers from Sikh and Gorkha regiments. Dyer ordered his troops to shoot at the crowd from a high bank. The most heartbreaking analysis of the events at Jallianwala Bagh was done by Mahatma Gandhi. Sadly, Gandhi justified the acts of Dyer, by stating that as per his own perspective, Dyer was saving the lives of other Britishers living in Amritsar. How a peacefully gathered mob constituting largely of women and children, was a potential threat to the life of someone, was never ever made clear neither by Dyer nor by Mahatma Gandhi.
(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary-minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also supply an appropriate title to it.
Key-points– Notes (Heading, Sub-heading, Sub-Sub heading) 2 Marks
Key to Abbreviation in box (Minimum four) 1 Mark
Title and Summary 2 Marks
(b) Write a summary of the notes prepared, in not more than 50 words.
Part – B: Advanced Writing Skills & Grammar
3. The reckless and selfish behaviour of people breaking the protocols of social distancing and their necessary travelling left you perturbed. As Prabhat /Anjali, a responsible citizen of Shalimar One World Apartment, Bhubaneswar, design a poster drawing attention of the public to maintain proper etiquette to fight this virus.
Format, Content, Date, Time, Venue 2 Marks
Organisation Name, Issuing Authority 1 Mark
4. You are Suhani/Sahil of class XI, Albert Public School, Chennai. Write a letter to the Principal of National Fashion Institute, Rajnagar, Bhopal, seeking information in learning fashion technology through a correspondence course.
Format – 1 Mark
Content – 2 Marks
Expression – 2 Marks
OR
‘Reservations for unlimited period will lead to national disaster’. Write a Debate supporting the move giving a remedy to the problem.
5. Choose the correct determiner to complete the sentences-
(a) There aren’t __________ books in the library. (many, much)
(b) Do you have_________ idea about it? (few, many, any)
(c) What ________ unique idea! (a, an, the)
(d) I have found ______ book that I had lost. (a, an, the)
6. Read the jumbled words and arrange the sentence in its correct order-
(a) is/warning/major/factor/of/global/deforestation/global/the
Global deforestation is the major factor of global warming.
(b) impact/we/our/all/feel/the/of/in/daily/leadership/lives
We all feel the impact of leadership in our daily lives.
Section C (Literature)
7. Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow-
(ANY THREE)
I descend to lave the droughts, atomies, dust-layers of the globe,
And all that in them without me were seeds only, latent, unborn;
- With what purpose does the rain descend from the sky?
The rain descends from the sky in order to give life to the dry areas and wash the famine-stricken lands.
- How does the rain help the seeds?
The rain helps the seeds to germinate and grow into a new life.
- What is latent and unborn?
The seeds are latent and unborn.
- Why are seeds latent?
The seeds are latent because of lack of water which is needed to germinate and form a new plant.
8. Attempt ANY FOUR out of the five questions given below in 30-40 words each
(HORNBILL)
- What does the notice ‘The world’s most dangerous animal’ at a cage in the zoo at Lusaka, Zambia, signify?
The notice “The world’s most dangerous animals” at a cage in the zoo at Lusaka, Zambia signifies that man is solely responsible for all the deterioration in environment and depletion of natural resources. Thus, man is the world’s most dangerous animal.
- What do you learn about Taplow from the initial conversation between him and Mr Frank?
Taplow is a boy of sixteen. He is still in the lower fifth. He can’t specialise until the next term if he gets his result all right. Since his master, Mr Crocker-Harris has not told him the result, he will have to wait till the next day to learn his fate.
- What type of health troubles did the author experience during his journey in the Silk Road?
When the author was at a considerable height from the sea level, the mountain was covered with snow and there was lack of oxygen around. The author felt his head throbbing horribly. He took some water from the bottle, which was to help a rapid ascent. Finally, he was taken to a medical college by his fellow traveller.
- What is the poem ‘Childhood’ about?
In this poem, the poet thinks over his lost childhood. He wonders about the moment when he lost the innocence and realised that the world is not what it seemed to be.
- “I’m much obliged,” says Mrs Pearson. For what does she feel obliged and to whom?
Mrs Pearson feels obliged to Mrs Fitzgerald for telling her fortune. She thinks that it is quite wonderful to have a real fortune teller living next door.
9. Attempt ANY ONE out of the two questions given below in 120-150 words each
(SNAPSHOTS)
(a) Keeping the whole story in mind, briefly discuss Einstein’s character as it is revealed in the chapter.
Even as a student Einstein had a mind of his own. He was honest enough to tell the History teacher what he thought of the subject. He was interested in the study of science and Mathematics. He could not simply cram facts and was sure to fail in the examination. He hated violence. He loved Maths and Music which soothed his troubled nerves. Albert was sure of his potential and had self-prided.
(b) The story ‘Birth’ reflects the sincerity of a professional to his profession and that is the only factor that makes one successful. Comment.
Birth is the true reflection of a doctor’s sincerity to his profession. Despite his mental occupation and tiredness, Dr. Andrew Manson showed total commitment to the case. He did not let anything come in his way of his professional responsibility. Commitment is of prime importance in all professions whatsoever and medical profession is considered to be one of the noblest professions.