Practice Paper
TERM II (2021 – 2022)
Class – XI
English – Core
Time: 2 hours Maximum Marks: 40
General Instructions:
1. This paper is divided into two sections: A & B. All the sections are compulsory.
2. Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read these instructions carefully and follow them.
3. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.
SECTION – A
Reading Comprehension
Q.1 Read the passage carefully.
For lasting and clear eyesight eyes need care in the form of preventive measures, a continuous lifelong exercise. Eyes just don’t see; they do the talking also. This is why of all our senses the most precious is eyesight. Eyes need care in the form of prevention, and knowing some preventive methods in eye care can make your eyes look bright and healthy and leave you with excellent eyesight.
How do we keep our eyes bright and healthy? Eat good amount of vegetables, fruits, omega
3 fatty acids, beta carotenes with vitamins A, C and E , enjoy good sleep and avoid direct
sunlight. Therefore, good habits and a good general health care play a major role in eye care.
Eyes are a window to the human body; while you look out through this window, we, the eye
doctors, can look in to find conditions such as glaucoma, abnormal blood pressures, diabetes,
heart diseases and other health concerns much before your notice its adverse impacts, and
help you take preventive measures.
It is never too early to begin eye check-ups. Throw torchlight from different directions and
look for fixation in new-borns and, if in doubt, take the baby to an eye specialist. By the time
a child is four, it is imperative to have a check-up for squint, signs for opacity brought in by
cataracts and minus and plus powers to decide whether or not glasses are needed. Ultraviolet-protective sunglasses from childhood can help protect eyes from the harmful UV rays. Once in the teens, contact lenses can be worn in place of glasses, but never sleep with them on, as they reduce the supply of air and blood to the cornea and can damage eyes. When in 20’s, you can get rid of glasses with lasers. Lasik or permanent contact lenses.
An emerging and alarming trend is the Computer Eye Syndrome, which appears to be
catching on in early adult life. We cannot escape the use of computers, but sadly, our eyes are not designed to cope with these screens, Continuous staring at monitors reduce blinking,
causes strain to the eyes and can lead to dry eyes as well. Therefore, it is always better to take a break of ten minutes every hour and look at distant objects, such as landscapes or even television.
Glaucoma or raised pressure in eyes and diabetic retinopathy are silent killers of eyesight.
Therefore, checking eyes once every six months is essential. If afflicted with diabetes, diet,
exercise and drugs are to be remembered in that order to keep the doctor away.
Around the age of 40, more or less everybody requires reading glasses, a condition known as
presbyopia. But now you can get rid of these glasses as well, with lasers called INTRACOT
and SUPRACOR. One can develop cataract, defined as the loss of transparency in the natural
lens of the eye, at any age, but it usually strikes in old age. It is treated by replacing the opaque
lens with an artificial lens called the intraocular lens. The latest in cataract removal techniques
is called femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery, which is blade free, hands free and makes
the operation precise, safe and accurate.
Based on you understanding of the passage, answer any eight out of the ten questions given
below.
i) What are the ways suggested to keep our eyes bright and healthy?
Eating good amount of vegetables, fruits, omega 3 fatty acids, and consuming
beta carotenes.
ii) By examining the eyes, what are the health conditions that a doctor can detect?
a doctor can detect conditions such as glaucoma, abnormal blood pressure,
diabetes, heart diseases and other health concerns
iii) According to the passage, when should eye check-ups begin?
eye checkups should begin by the time a child is four, but people ignore the
subsequent years
iv) Why should we never sleep with contact lenses?
we never sleep with contact lenses because it reduces the supply of air and blood
to the cornea and can damage eyes
v) Why is it imperative to have a check-up every year for a child of four years?
It is imperative to have a checkup to look for squint, signs of opacity brought in
by cataracts and minus or plus powers to decide whether glasses are needed or
not.
vi) What have doctors advised to prevent our eyes from harmful UV rays?
Ultra violet protection sunglasses from childhood can help protect eyes from the
harmful UV rays.
vii) How does continuous staring at monitors affect our eyes?
continuous staring at monitors reduces blinking, causes strain to the eyes and can
lead to dry eyes as well.
viii) What, according to the passage, do you infer from the term ‘presbyopia’?
A condition around the age of 40, where more or less for everybody requires
reading glasses is known as presbyopia.
ix) Why is it essential to check eyes every six months?
Glaucoma or raised eye pressure in eyes and diabetic retinopathy are silent
killers of eyesight. Therefore, checking eyes once every six months is essential.
x) a) Which word from the passage is similar to ‘precautionary’?
preventive
b) Which word from the passage is the opposite to ‘unnecessary’?
imperative
Q 2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
There was a village in a kingdom. There was living a milkman. His name was Deenu. He had
built his hut far away from his village, in the woods. He loved the quietness of the woods
rather than the noisy atmosphere of the village. He lived in his hut with his two cows. He fed
them well and took proper care of them. Every day he took the two cows to a nearby lake to
bath them. The two cows gave more milk. With the milk that the two cows gave, he earned
enough money to live happily.
Deenu was an honest man. Though he was content, at times he would be restless. “There is so
much wrong and evil in this world. Is there nobody to guide the people?” this thought made
his sad every now and then.
One evening, the ignorant man, Deenu was returning home after selling milk in the village.
He saw a saint sitting under a tree and meditating. He slowly walked up to him and waited
for the saint to open his eyes. He was happy to be with the saint for some time. He decided to
wait there itself till the saint opened his eyes.
After a while, the saint slowly opened his eyes. He was surprised to see a man patiently sitting
beside him.
“What do you want?” asked the saint humbly.
“I want to know what the path to Truth and Piety is? Where shall I find Honesty?” asked
Deenu.
The saint smiled and said, “Go to the pond nearby and ask the fish the same question. She
will give you the answer.”
Then as asked to do, the ignorant man, Deenu went to the nearby pond and asked the same
question to the fish. The fish said, “O kind man! First, bring me some water to drink.” Deny
was surprised. He said, “You live in water. But you still want water to drink? How strange!”
At this moment, the fish replied, “You are right. And that gives you the answer to your
question as well. Truth, Piety and honesty are inside the heart of a man. But being ignorant,
he searches for them in the outer world. Instead of wandering here and there, look within
yourself and you will find them.”
This gave an immense satisfaction to Deenu. He thanked the fish and walked home a wiser
man. He changed the way in which he saw this world as well as himself. From that day, Deenu
never felt restless.
He took his best to carry this message to the rest of his fellow human beings. All his friends
accepted him as their master and consulted him to overcome their mental problems. He led
them properly.
i) On the basis of your reading of the passage, make notes on it, using headings and
subheadings. Use recognisable abbreviations (minimum 4)
ii) Write a summary of the notes prepared, in not more than 80 words
SECTION – B
WRITING AND GRAMMAR
Q 3. As Shekhar/ Shikha , a responsible resident of Sukna Apartments, design a
poster, drawing attention of the public to maintain proper COVID 19 protocols to
combat the virus.
Q 4. You are Chetan/Chetna of 420 Green Apartments, Gandhi Road, Siliguri. You want want
information about French Language Courses at Foreign Languages Institute, Hill Cart Road,
Siliguri. Write a letter to the director enquiring about the same.
Q 5 Answer any two questions (a, b or c)
a) Choose the correct determiner to complete the sentences.
i) It seems we have had (a lot of, many, lots of) assignments in Physical education this year.
ii) (Most, many, a lot of) Americans do not like George Bush
b) Change the verbs in the verbs into suitable tenses
i) They(drink)_________ coffee when I arrived.
were drinking
ii) After I (wash)_________ the car I put it in the garage.
washed
c) Put the jumbled words in order to make it into a meaningful sentence.
i) born/geniuses /not /made/ are
Geniuses are born not made.
ii) have/in/been/their/ respective/ trailblazers/ fields/ they
They have been trailblazers in their respective fields.
SECTION – C
LITERATURE
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow (ANY ONE)
Q6.
The concept of sustainable development was popularised in 1987 by the World Commission
on Environment and Development. In its report it defined the idea as “Development that
meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”, i.e., without stripping the natural world of resources future generations would need. In the zoo at Lusaka, Zambia, there is a cage where the notice reads, ‘The world’s most dangerous animal’. Inside the cage there is no animal but a mirror where you see yourself. Thanks to the efforts of a number of agencies in different countries, a new awareness has now dawned upon the most dangerous animal in the world. He has realised the wisdom of shifting from a system based on domination to one based on partnership.
i) When was the sustainable development used by the World Commission on Environment
and Development?
In 1987, the Sustainable Development was used by the World Commission on
Environment and Development
ii) How is the idea of sustainable development defined in the report
It is defined as development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
iii) What did the sign at Lusaka read?
The sign read , “The world’s most dangerous animal.”
iv) What was inside the cage?
He has realised the wisdom of shifting from a system based on domination to one on
partnership
Q 7. When did my childhood go?
Was it the day I ceased to be eleven,
Was it the time I realised that Hell and Heaven,
Could not be found in Geography,
And therefore could not be,
Was that the day!
i) Name the poet and the poem.
Childhood , Markus Natten
ii) At what age does the poet think that he lost his childhood?
the poet thinks that he lost his childhood after he crossed the age of eleven
iii) What did the poet realise?
The poet realised that Hell and Heaven cannot be found in any geographical places.
iv) How did the poet conclude that Hell and Heaven were imaginary places?
The poet conclude that Hell and Heaven were imaginary places because there is no
mention of places like Hell or Heaven in any geographical books.
Q 8. Answer any ONE of the following questions
i) What kind of teacher was Mr Crocker Harris? Do you think Taplow hated him? Justify your
answer on the basis of your reading the play.
He was a strict disciplinarian. He called Taplow even on the last day of school to make up
for the missed class. He is fair with all his students. He gives marks according to what they
deserve. He shows only of the day of the result. His behaviour was crude towards his students, but he always thought about the welfare of his students. He a teacher who abides by all the rules.
Taplow has some resentment and anger for Mr Crocker Harris as he has been called for an
extra class. He is afraid of him. Hr thinks that Crocker Harris is devoid of feelings. But Taplow
still respects him and likes him for being a man of his words and his discipline.
ii) In the chapter ‘Silk Route’, the author was fascinated by the awesome mastiffs. Why?
When the author cored the nomad’s tents he noticed a huge black dog, a Tibetan Mastiff
guarded most of the tents. These monstrous creatures would tilt their great big heads when
someone moved towards them. As they grew closer, these dogs would race straight towards
them, like a bullet from a gun. These dogs were pitch black and usually wore bright red
colours.
They barked furiously with their gigantic jaws and were so fearless that they ran straight into
the path of their vehicle. They chased them for about a hundred metres. The author could
understand why. The Tibetan mastiffs became popular in China’s imperial courts as hunting
dogs.
Q 9. Answer any THREE of the following questions
i) How did Einstein’s medical certificate prove useless?
Einstein got the medical certificate with the help of Yuri, but before he could submit it to
the head master, he was expelled from the school for being rebellious.
ii) What do Doris and Cyril feel about Mrs Pearson’s changed behaviour?
They felt that something was wrong with their mother as she was not behaving in character.
They thought she had gone crazy or had a concussion.
iii) Why was Joe Morgan so tense and waiting anxiously for Dr Andrew that night?
He needed the help of Dr Andrew. His wife Susan was in labour. She was going to deliver
their first child after twenty years of marriage. So, he stood waiting anxiously for the doctor
iv) What would Mrs Pearson like the members of her family to do?
She would want them to stop at home in the evening and give her a hand with supper She
would also like to play a nice game of rummy, which she fails to have except at Christmas.