Class XI - English Practice Paper - 2

Subject: English

Class XI

Time Allowed: 3 hours

Max. Marks: 80

General Instructions:

(i) The question paper comprises two parts A and B :

(ii) Part A: 40 Marks

Reading section: 18 Marks

Grammar section: 8 Marks

Literature section: 14 Marks

(iii) Part B: 40 Marks

Reading section: 8 Marks

Writing section: 16 Marks

Literature section: 16 Marks

(iv) There is no overall choice, however an internal choice has been provided within the question. Make your choices correctly.

PART A

READING

I. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

1. Time was when even wild horses could not drag me within miles of a barber’s shop or salon as they are called now-a-days. Those were days when hippie cult held sway and a close cropped guy was an exception. Yet, even in those days, civilization was measured by the length of your locks and I was no exception. Much water has flown under the bridge since then. In recent times, I began to yearn for barber’s ministration the moment my hair kisses my ears. But then there is another reason for this yearning and that is my barber, Salim. He is more educated than me, having done his Masters in Literature with a first class first, capable of quoting Chaucer and Byron with equal felicity as Raja Rao and Narayana. He had been an English Professor for a couple of years but when his father, who ran the salon, kicked the bucket, he found that it was good economics to make a switch over.

2. Salim’s salon was a salon with a difference. A big sign board announced that ‘Politics’ was a taboo. Salim once enlightened me on this, recalling that he had sent a customer packing though only half of his hair had been cut because he had dared to take a political stand, to add insult to injury, which was contrary to Salim’s viewpoint. I once asked him, “Don’t you miss all those students whom you were teaching English Literature? I have heard a couple of them saying that you were the best among the lot.” “Not at all,” said Salim without batting an eyelid, “they might no longer be my students but they are my customers now. And I do manage to clear a doubt or two when they come for a sitting.” It was then that I realised that the barber’s itch for literature had not dampened even a bit, though combs and scissors had replaced his original tools of trade.

(C.V. Arvind)

Answer ANY TEN of the following questions by choosing the most appropriate option:

1. In earlier days’ civilization was measured by:

(a) wild horses.

(b) length of hair locks.

(d) number of salons in the town.

2. Salim switched over from professor to a barber because

(a) of family pressure.

(b) of his passion for this profession.

(d) it was a good economics to make a switch over.

3. Salim considered politics

(a) to be having liberality.

(b) to be a taboo.

(d) to be good and essential for everyone.

4. Meaning of ‘kicked the bucket’ is

(a) to harm as well as humiliate.

(b) to show no surprise or concern.

(d) died.

5. Was Salim still in touch with his students?

(a) No, he was not in contact with them.

(b) Yes, he met them occasionally but never solved their problems.

(d) His students were his customers and he used to solve their doubts.

6. The writer often thought about Salim as he

(a) was more educated.

(b) had received his Masters degree in first class.

(d) All of these

7. What is barber’s shop called these days?

(a) Hippi cutt

(b) Salon

(d) Saloon

8. In earlier days, civilization was measured by………

(a) Masters in Literature

(b) education

(d) number of cars

9. Salim’s ‘shop’ was……… from that of others.

(a) opposite

(b) different

(d) None of these

10. Find the word from the passage which have the same meaning as ‘longing for something’.

(a) earn

(b) learn

(d) desire

11. Find the word from the passage which is opposite to ’duplicate’.

(a) wild

(b) quote

(d) original

II. Read the passage and then answer the following questions.

When David and Patricia Jones sailed off in a boat from the United Kingdom, they were intending to take their boat on a short trip for a couple of weeks. They wanted to sail to northern Spain. Amazingly, fourteen years later, they have just returned, after an adventure which took them 94,000 kilometres. During their journey, they visited 56 countries, swam with dolphins, and even survived running out of water for 20 days, by filtering seawater.

They bought a second-hand boat, which needed US $10,000 spent on repairs, in addition to the US $25,000 purchase price. When the work on the boat was finished, they were ready to begin their first journey. The couple were both skilled sailors, and they thought that a short trip would allow them to see what living in a small space was like before attempting a longer ocean crossing in the future. They also wanted an idea of how much food and drink they would need to take to last the journey.

Sailing to Spain, however, was so successful that they decided to continue to the USA, stopping in New York for a two-day shopping trip. They didn’t really feel like normal holidaymakers, because they spent their time buying safety equipment and medicine for the next stage of their journey. Surprisingly, Patricia’s happiest memory of the city was when she saw a dentist, as she had complained of painful toothache on the boat for days! After the USA, they sailed via the Panama Canal and the Pacific Ocean towards Australia, before returning home.

Although using wind power most of the time meant there were fewer stops for refuelling, they still needed money to keep the boat running safely. On one occasion, the side of the boat was damaged when they hit an object floating in the sea. Because of these costs, in the middle of their trip, they decided they would have to use all their savings. Even with that money, they still preferred trading some of their possessions for the supplies they needed. On one island that they visited near Fiji, they handed over some tools that they were carrying in return for fresh fruit and vegetables. Patricia explains, “One of the villagers saw a rope we had with us. We had wanted to use it to climb the mountain there, but the weather wasn’t good enough. In fact, the villagers needed the rope to repair a roof in the village that had been damaged by a recent storm. So we exchanged it for enough food for a month!”

During their trip, the couple had some incredible experience, so they are already planning another adventure, this time travelling through European canals.

Answer the following questions by choosing the correct option (any 8)

1. How long were David and Patricia expecting their first trip to last?

(a) weak

(b) 20 days

(d) a month

2. How many US dollars did they pay to buy their boat?

(a) US $ 25000

(b) US $ 2500000

(d) US $ 250000

3. What did they plan to check for their next step of journey?

(a) medicine

(b) safety equipment

(d) Neither (a) nor (b)

4. What was Particia’s most delightful memory?

(a) When she got drinks

(b) When she sailed via Panama Canal

(d) When she visited the dentist

5. How did using the wind benefit them on their journey?

(a) saved time

(b) saved money

(d) None of these

6. How did they finance the second half of their trip?

(a) by trading

(b) by using all their savings

(d) Neither (a) nor (b)

7. What did they use their climbing rope for when visiting an island near Fiji?

(a) used it for repair

(b) exchanged it for food

(d) tied on the roof

8. According to the chart, in which months did they travel the same average distance?

(a) December and March

(b) January and April

(d) March and April

9. In which month, they covered the maximum distance?

(a) December

(b) January

(d) March

GRAMMAR

III. Complete the sentences, choosing the correct option (any four)

1. Efficiency of a plant…… by the load it take.

(a) knows

(b) is known

(b) has been known

(d) has known

2. Every day, my maid……. a plate.

(a) breaks

(b) has broken

(d) will break

3. Last week, I…… an animation movie.

(a) watched

(b) would have watch

(d) was watching

4. I…….. from fever since Monday.

(a) am suffering

(b) had been suffering

(d) was suffering

5. She never……… about her children.

(a) worry

(b) worries

(d) is worrying

IV. Choose the correct option to rearrange the following words/phrases to make meaningful sentences. (any four)

1. Bimla/her/husband/that/told/a coward/he/was.

(a) Husband told Bimla that he was her coward.

(b) Bimla told a husband that he was her coward husband.

(d) Bimla told that her husband he was a coward husband.

2. he/my/letter/received/must have/by/now.

(a) He must have received my letter by now.

(b) He must have now received by my letter.

(d) He by now must have received my letter.

3. stories/he/wrote/few/that/romantic/very/were/the

(a) He wrote that the few stories are very romantic.

(b) The few stories that he wrote are very romantic.

(d) He wrote the few stories that are very romantic.

4. you/would/when/meet/her/she/know did not.

(a) She did not know when you would meet her.

(b) You did not know when would she meet her.

(d) She did not know when would you meet her.

5. English/whom/by/you/had/been/taught?

(a) By whom you had been taught English?

(b) English had been taught you by whom?

(d) By whom English had been taught you?

LITERATURE

V. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow (any one)

In the afternoon yellow September sunlight

A few leaves yellowing, all its reeds fallen

1. Which plant is described in the poem?

(a) Apple tree

(b) Cherry tree

(d) Laburnum tree

2. Identify the poet.

(a) Shirley Toulson

(b) Ted Hughes

(d) Markus Natten

3. Who visited the tree?

(a) A goldfinch

(b) A sparrow

(d) The poet

Which, strange to tell, gave me an answer

I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain,

1. Who are in conversation?

(a) Poet and the earth

(b) Poet and the rain

(d) None of the above

2. Which poetic device is in ‘I am the Poem of Earth’?

(a) Personification

(b) Paradox

(d) Simile

3. Name the poet.

(a) Shirley Toulson

(b) William Huges

(d) Walt Whitman

VI. Read the following extracts and answer the questions of any two extracts.

A. Its 80-year old Creator-Director, Nek Chand, is not hailed as India’s biggest contributor to outsider art. The fiftieth issue (Spring 2005) of Raw Vision, a UK-based magazine pioneer in outsider art publications, features Nek Chand, and his Rock Garden sculpture ‘Women by the Waterfall’ on its anniversary issue’s cover.

The notion of ‘art brut’ or ‘raw art’, was of works that were in their raw state as regards cultural and artistic influences.

(i) What is created as ‘raw art’ by Nek Chand?

(a) Rose Garden

(b) Terrace Garden

(d) All of these

(ii) What is used in Nek Chand’s creation as raw material?

(a) stone

(b) waste material

(d) All of these

(iii) By which organization, Nek Chand will be honoured?

(a) UNO

(b) UNESCO

(d) None of these

B. Shastri turned to Ranga. “When did the young son of our accountant clerk come home? What can I do for him? It’s very rarely that he visits us.”

‘Take out your paraphernalia. Our Rangappa seems to have something on his mind. Can you tell us what’s worrying him? Shall we put your Science of Astrology to the test?

(i) What did Shastri take out to read Ranga’s stars?

(a) a piece of paper, some cowries

(b) two sheets of paper, some cowries

(d) two sheets of paper, some cowries & a book of Palm leaves

(ii) Where was Shastri when Shyama went there to thank him?

(a) at the village pond

(b) at the village Sarpanch’s house

(d) at the village well

(iii) On what occasion, did Ranga invite Shyama to his house?

(a) It was Ranga’s birthday.

(b) It was Ranga’s anniversary.

(d) It was Ranga’s son’s birthday.

C. Mrs Fitzgerald: [impressively] Now you listen to me. You admitted yourself you were spoiling ‘em—and they didn’t appreciate you. Any apologies—any explanations—an’ you’ll be straight back where you were. I’m warning you, dear. Just give ‘em a look—a tone of voice—now an again, to suggest you might be tough with ‘em if you wanted to be—an’ it ought to work. Anyhow, we can test it.

(i) To whom was Mrs Fitzgerald talking?

(a) to Mr Pearson

(b) to Mrs Pearson

(d) Cyril

(ii) How was the listener spoiling ‘them’?

(a) by bearing their ‘maltreatment’.

(b) by not standing up for his/her rights

(d) All of these

(iii) What did Mrs Fitzgerald suggest the listener to set ‘them’ right?

(a) Interchange of personality with that of the listener

(b) Use of a magic band

(d) Use of black magic spell

VII. Answer any five questions by choosing the correct option.

1. What did the sparrows do when the grandmother fed them?

(a) They flew away immediately.

(b) They used to sit on her head.

(d) They never touch the crumbs of bread.

2. Which question/questions still linger about Tut?

(a) How did Tut die?

(b) How old was he at the time of his death?

(d) Neither (a) nor (b)

3. Which local bird is like the goldfinch?

(a) A sparrow having colours on its body.

(b) The peacock with multi- coloured feathers.

(d) Any sparrow

4. In ‘Childhood’, the poet is talking about which day?

(a) The day poet loses his book.

(b) The day poet loses his pencil.

(d) The day poet loses his childhood.

5. What was the narrator’s immediate reaction when he saw his cousin Mourad sitting on a beautiful white horse?

(a) He too sat on that horse.

(b) Both of them planned enjoy the ride together.

(d) He started clapping and dancing.

6. What was the History teacher’s opinion of Albert?

(a) He believed that Albert was a boy of deep thinking.

(b) He had a very low opinion of Albert.

(d) He thought that Albert never tried to learn anything

PART – B

READING

Q. 1 Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. Every living creature has a time machine that regulates activities. It tells men or animal when to wake up when to sleep, when to slow down psychological activities, it also deals with regulating the body temperature and release of specific hormones at the proper time. A few call it biological clock while others refer to it as the circadian clock. It’s study is known as chrono-biology’.

2. The human body clock completes its cycle over a period of about 24 hours. In the normal circumstances activities of nerve cells drive the clock. In day-to-day life, one never experiences the rhythms of this state because the clock is always influenced by time cues in the environment.

3. These cues, called ‘zeitgebers’ (a German word meaning ‘time givers’) synchronize the clock with the daily solar cycle. Daylight, diet, physical activity, social behaviours are the wellknown zeitgebers. How they influence the clock is still unknown, but it is certain that all the cues are interdependent. For example, regular cycle of sleep and activity affects the time we eat, social interaction and even exposure to daylight.

4. To prove that humans possess an internal, self-sustaining clock and do not simply adjust their behaviour in response to environmental time cues it was essential to create a ‘ time-free’ environment. The first experiments of this kind were carried out in the late 1970s and 1980s by groups in Europe and the US. During the experiment, which continued for months, the subject chooses when he or she eats and sleeps, but no information is given about time— no TV, no radio, no social contacts and no clock. It emerged that subjects placed in such an environment do not slip into random habits but maintain a routine, powerful evidence for the existence of an internal body clock in humans. All the subjects in the experiments, regardless of whether they were interested in what they were doing, tended to wake up at regular times.

5. Every person, to an extent, has an alarm clock fitted in the mind. Give it a try. Think and set the time in your brain before you set off to sleep. To your assignment, your brain will transmit signals and you will wake up at the required time. Our biological clock is set accordingly and that’s the reason that counsellors suggest students not to disturb their clock during their exams as it disturbs the whole metabolism. The 24-hour body clock should start at the regular time to have optimum performance during the exams. If we are regular and keep our routine under check, we hardly need reminders for day–to–day activities. We need not see the clock for our lunch, dinner or other times.

A. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes using headings and subheadings. Use recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary. Use a format you consider suitable, supply an appropriate title to it.

B. Write a summary of the above passage in about 50 words.

Q. 2. The residents’ Welfare Association, Green park is organising ‘Holi Fiesta’ in the locality. As the President of the Association, draft a notice in not more than 50 words informing the residents about the same. Give other essential details too.

Your school is celebrating its Golden Jubilee next month. As Cultural Secretary, write a notice in not more than 50 words for your school notice board giving details of the cultural programme to be organised by your school. Invite the names of participants

Q.3. Design a poster on ‘SAVE THE EARTH’ on behalf of the Pollution Control Board, Rajasthan.

Imagine that a career counselling session is being organised Mr. P.K. Puri in Hotel Ashoka, New Delhi. Draft a poster in 50 words for the same.

Q. 4. Sheela/Rahul, a class XII student of 15, M.G. Road, Agra desires to be a Fashion Designer. She/he writes to the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Ahmedabad seeking information about their courses, admission procedure, eligibility criteria, fee structure, placement opportunities, etc.

As the Head Boy/Head Girl, write a letter to the Principal making a complaint against the improper facilities of drinking water.

Q.5. Career conscious students focus primarily on academics and neglect participation in games and sports, not realizing how important physical activities are. You are Vineet/Vinita. Prepare a speech in 120-150 words to be delivered in the morning assembly of your school on the topic, ‘Balancing Academics and Sports’.

Although students have been using cell phones consistently in their daily lives for almost a decade, schools continue to resist allowing the devices into the classroom. Schools generally grapple with new technologies, but cell phones’ reputation as a nuisance and a distraction has been hard to dislodge. Using information given below, prepare a debate in about 120-150 words in favour of or against the topic ‘Cell phones should be allowed in schools’.

LITERATURE

Q. 6. Answer any two of the following questions in 30-40 words.

A. What happened when Wu Dozi clapped his hands?

What preparations did the author and his wife make for their round-the-world sea voyage?

B. What happens to the Laburnum tree after the goldfinch flew away?

How is the cyclic movement of rain brought out in the poem? Compare it with what you have learnt in science?

Q. 7. Answer any one question in 40-50 words.

Which tribe did Aram belong to? What was the image of his tribe?

How does Mrs. Pearson propose to spend the evening? Is her proposal acceptable to the family?

Q. 8. Answer any one of the following questions in about 120-150 words.

Which art does Nek Chand represent and how? How has he been honoured?

What impression do you get of Frank from the play “The Browning Version’?

Q. 9. Answer ANY ONE question in about 120-150 words.

Why was Ranga’s homecoming a great event? What was the reaction of the people when they saw him?

What impression do you form of Andrew Manson on the basis of the story ‘Birth’?

Class XI – English Practice Paper – 2