SAMPLE PAPER

ENGLISH

SET - III

A. Reading 30 marks

B. Writing 30 marks

C. Grammar 15 marks

D. Literature 25 marks

Instructions :

1. Answer all questions.

2. All answers must be written in the spaces provided on this paper.

3. Please do not write anything in the margins.

SECTION - A (READING)

That morning I awoke to the sound of steady drizzle which sounded like tiny hoof-beats upon the roof. Out of the window the prospect was quite grey and dand drah. And the truth was apparent to me - the outing that my friends and I had planned for this holiday would definitely be cancelled. There would be no question of that excursion taking place - riding many miles out on bicycles was quite out of the question in such inclement weather weather weather conditions. I was decidedly depressed as I had placed great store upon that excursion taking place. It was to have been a most exciting outing. but I had to console myself by thinking of the proverb - Man proposes and god disposes.

I lazed in bed for some time longer than it was customary for me to do. Then I got up and had a wash, dressed and went down for breakfast. My mother was already busy about her household chores and she greeted me quite as cheerfully as ever. I did not feel cheerful but there was no point in complaining about something beyond her control or mine. So I sat down to breakfast and made the best of polite conversation between mother and son. After some time she said :'son, I nearly forgot to tell you that Jimmy phoned up to say that the outing was off on account of the rain. He said that you could arrange it on some other occasion when the weather was not so foul'.

You know what it is like ? Well, I finished breakfast and went back up to my room to sit and decide what I was going to do to keep myself occupied. I switched on the record player and listened to some music but it did not appeal much to me that morning. The rain seemed to have dampened my spirits pretty badly. then for a change, I took from my book shelf a book of poems and tried to concentrate on some of the philosophic thoughts that I discovered therein.

But that also did not hold my attention for long. Later, I began reading a novel and thus passed the hours till lunch time. with the little appetite, I sauntered down for the meal - chiefly because I did not want to hurt mother's feelings. so I made an effort to appreciate the delicious lunch that it was. She was pleased. Towards two o'clock the weather cleared up. Lunch being over, Mother and I settled down for a chat when the doorbell rang and who should enter but my married sister and her husband. We were really surprised to see them because they lived in another town quite far away. They had come by car and had wanted to give us a surprise. sure enough, it was a very welcome surprise. More so, when they announced that they had planned to take us back with them. The next day being Sunday, we could stay with them. Now this was really a pleasant surprise for me and for Mum. It did not take us long to pack up a few things and be ready to leave within the hour.

Just before we could leave home the phone rang; it was Jimmy again: he suggested that the outing be planned for the next day. I told him to go ahead and to have a good time - I would not be there. Upon this asking me what had gone wrong with me, as I had been the one to be so eager about it, I merely replied that I had far better things to do. I was glad - right glad that it had rained that day.

On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions as briefly as possible. Write your answers in the space provided.

(a) How had rain affected the writter's spirit?

Pick our and write two words from the passage which indicate that the weather was bad.

(b) .......................

(c) ....................

Two ways in which the writer tried to get over his depression were :

(d) ...................

(e) ..................

(f) What surprised Jimmy ? Why ?

..........because (g) ...............

(h) The writer was interested to cover many miles ......... with his friends.

(i) The writer's sadness and frustration turned into joy when ..........

(j) Point out an element of 'irony' in the last paragraph.

Quote a phrase or a sentence from the passage which reveals the specific characteristic of the speaker :

Those were the days of the wick lamps and hurricanes. Life at Sambrial revolved around a lamp - post lit every evening by a chowkidar who used a wooden ladder to reach the top of a bamboo post. It was around this lamp-post that my childhood was spent.

Sambrial was a sleepy village in pre-partition Punhab and was a

railway station on the Wazirabad - Sialkot branch line on which passenger trains crawled. sometimes the trains were so slow that one could get off, pluck flowers from the fields along the track and hop an again. The people of Sambrial were happy, even proud that

the train stopped there.

Sambrial was also known for night bats, fireflies and glow worms.

On dark nights during the summer and the winter rains, the winged insects used to dance round the lamp-post flashing their orange light. Beneath the lamp-post slept a beggar woman and above it nestled summer sparrows and winter parrots. On the ground children played merrily, sending stones and darts out of their catapults injuring a sparrow or a parrot. The beggar woman caressed the bruised bird. As a child it was my ambition to hit out at lamp, but the bamboo pole was too high. The lamp-post had withstood the stones and the rough weather. The lamp-post had come to symbolize the soul of Sambrial in its agony and ecstasy.

On Lohri night we listened to hymns. On Basant Panchami we picked flowers and placed them at the foot of the lamp-post. The one day some people came in blue uniforms and broke it down. Nobody played there after that; no sparrow ever chirped. that was the day when electricity came to our village.

The author uses certain expressions in the passage to suggest something to the reader. There are some suggestions given below in the circles. Choose suggestions that best fill each of the expressions in the table and write the answers in the space provided against each expression.

Cite three examples to show how life in Sambrial village rendered around the lamp-post. One example is given below.

The author spent his childhood around it .

(a) .....................

(b) ........................

(c) ..................

Legend tells us that in about three thousand years B.C. a Chinese empress, while taking her tea, out of curiousity, dipped the cocoon of a silk-worm into it and learnt to unwind the fine thread of silk of which it was composed. It was nearly five thousand years later that a Frenchman, experimenting with the crushed leaves of the mulberry tree, on which the silk-worm feeds, found out how to produce a fine silk-like filament which we now call artificial silk. Other scientists followed suit and many more fibres were produced but all of them had as their starting point some natural organic material, such as cellulose casein etc.

It is only in the last twenty five years that man has succeeded in synthesizing new fibres from inorganic material. nylon heads the ever lengthening list of new fibres that have made their appearance in the textile market. Is it not natural that the producers of silk, cotton and wool are alarmed?

On the basis of your reading of the passage fill in the blanks with suitable word (s) from the passage.

It was the ........................... of a Chinese Empress that actually started the discovery of .............. The Frenchman who .................. with mulberry leaves gave to the world ..................... Man has now learnt new fibres from inorganic materials. This in turn has paved way for the ................ of new synthetic fibres. It is but ............... that producers of cotton, wool and silk are .................. at this growing trend.

What characteristics of the Empress as well as the Frenchman is revealed through the passage ?

Make sentences of your own with the following words :

(a) Composed ..............................

(b) Stimulated ............................

SECTION B :(WRITING)

It was your birthday, and you wished to invite a dozen friends of yours to the party. But your suggestions were turned down. a heated argument followed. Your mother intervened and a compromise was reached to limit the invitees to half the number. Write a short diary entry expressing your feelings and your mood.

Study the graph chart below showing the likely rise in population in the three most populated countries of the world, and answer the following questions.

(a) Name the three most populated countries of the world in proper order :

(b) Name the two countries which can be called population giants.

(c) The population of the United States, currently (1993) estimated at million will rise it 298 millions in ......... and .....million in 2025.

(d) By the end of 2010, the population of India will rise by about ...............

(e) What is the estimated total population of the world today?

(f) How many more mouths will have to be fed in the world in the year 2025 ?

Read the following table about anti-nutrients and complete the gapped passage below.

Our social lives can often ....................... habits that affect our health. At parties for instance, it is fashionable to ............ such as tea, coffee, alcohol, which ................... all nutrients especially B complex, zinc and iron : the pressure for small families ......... which add to deficiencies of B6 and B complex.

Further potassium and magnesium deficiencies ....... diuretics which are commonly taken by people.

Read the following telephone conversation between Tarun and Karun. Karun has to go our for some urgent work. He writes the message for Tushar.

Tarun : Hello, is it 5745690?

Karun : Yes, who is speaking?

Tarun : Tarun, this said, May I speak to Tushar?

Karun : I'm afraid he is out. Any message ?

Tarun : Well, I'm wondering whether Tushar will be free this evening. I am going to the new film at Vivek. I'd like him to accompany me. by the way, when will he be back?

Karun : He's just gone to buy a book. I don't know what programme has he in the evening?

Tarun : Well, It's 3.45. I'll be reaching Vivek at 5.30. Can you tell him to meet me there?

Karun : Of course, I'll inform him, Bye!

Tarun : Bye ! Thank you.

SECTION C :(GRAMMAR)

In the following passage one word has been omitted in each line. Mark the place where you think a word has been omitted using a slash (/). Write the word you think has been omitted in the space provided. The first one has been done as an example.

town of Kanchipuram Tamil Nadu. ..........

Pilgrims have been going in

large numbers many centuries

because want to see the splendid

architecture the temples. Fortunately,

they have very problems to encounter.

Though streets are narrow, hundreds of tourist buses found in the city. The silk

sarees Kanchipuram are also source of attraction

to the pilgrims enjoy watching the skillful weavers at work.

Complete the following paragraph by using appropriate words in the blank. The first one has been done for you as an example.

A man saw a thief breaking into a house.

Instead (a) ............... raising a cry he decided to catch (b) ............... thief red-handed. He entered the house (c) .................. the window and moved stealthily (d) ........ the door. The room was pitch dark and he could not hear anything. (e) ........... he approached the door, it suddenly (f) .......................... from the other side. The other man asked, What (g) .................... you doing in (h) .........House?

Rajani and Vikram are discussing their plan for the evening. Complete the dialogue below in a suitable way. Write your answers in the spaces provided. The first one has been done as an example.

V : Did you watch the Talk Show programme on the TV last week?

R :No, I had just switched it on when some guests arrived.

V : Yes, it was very interesting. The guests on the show were Maradona and r. Baggio,

R : How said I missed it? I wish ............... it.

V : Don't worry . I'have taped it ................. it at my place?

R :Definitely I ...............my home work now. I'll complete it and be at your place in half an hour. Will that be okay for you ?

C : Certainly.

Look at the newspaper items below. Then use the information in the headlines to complete the news items. Write your answers in the spaces provided. The first one has been done for you as an example.

Four people were killed when police opened fire after the supporters of a losing candidate turned violent.

SUSMITA TO VISIT KOREA

Miss Universe Susmita Sen as a part of her cultural exchange programmes.

LONDON CONFIRMS RETALIATION BY TEHERAN

The tit for tat retaliation by ....................... confirmed by the British Foreign office.

ROMARIO FINED

The golden boy of Brazil, Romario ................. by the officials of Barcelona Club for not reporting in time.

SECTION D : (LITERATURE)

Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow :

Something there is that doesn't love a wall

That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it

And spills the upper boulders in the sun

And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.

(a) What does the poet mean by 'something'?

(b) How are gaps made in the wall?

(c) Explain : Frozen - ground -swell.

Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow.

It is hard to be self-possessed

with your jaw digging into your chest

So hard to retain your calm

When your finger nails are making serious

alterations in your life line or love line.

or some other important line in your palm.

(a) How can your jaw dig into your chest ?

(b) What makes him rub out the lines on his palm ?

(c) How does he view his visit to a dentist?

Read the extract from The Phoenix' and answer the questions that follow :

Ten years! Ten years with that stupid tin can. And now that lying computer ! I'm going crazy !

(a) What does the expression 'stupid tin-can' imply?

(b) What is the significance of ten years' in speaker's case ?

(c) Did the computer really tell a lie?

When Babuli arrived at the family home, what changes did he notice ? What was the reason for these changes ?