2025
ENGLISH
The figures in the margin indicate full marks for the questions.
SECTION - A
Choose the correct option for the following: (Q. No. 1 to 45)
1 × 45 = 45
1. In this sentence from "A Letter to God", which literary device is used by the author to describe the field? "The field was white as if covered with salt."
2. According to the author of "Coorg", the people of Coorg are possibly descendents of the
3. "A plague of locusts would have left more than this." Lencho made this remark as his crops were destroyed by -
4. In the story "A Letter to God", what was the most likely response that the postmaster expected in Lencho's second letter to God?
5. The ceremonies taking place in the sandstone amphitheatre of Pretoria refer to
6. With reference to the chapter "Tea from Assam", what do you think is the speaker's tone in the quoted sentence "You seem to have done your homework before coming".
7. Read the two statements given below with reference to "Madam Rides the Bus" and choose the correct option that follows -
Statement I - Valli had many playmates of her age in her neighbourhood.
Statement II - Valli gained many new unusual experiences by watching the street.
8. "I have been reading as much as I could about tea," Rajvir said, "No one really knows who discovered tea but there are many legends." While making this statement in 'Tea from Assam' Rajvir suggests that the traditional stories regarding the origin of tea are not ______ till today.
9. The structure they created formed the basis of one of the harshest, more inhumane societies that world has ever known. What does 'structure' refer to in this sentence from "Long Walk to Freedom"?
10. "Coorgi homes have a tradition of hospitality and they are more than willing to recount numerous tales of valour...." Which of the following options is closest to the meaning of the underlined part?
11. "Man's goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished." Provide a word that has same meaning with the underlined word.
12. On receiving the letter from the postmaster, Lencho did not seem surprised because
13. Why does even the most laidback individual becomes adventurous in Coorg?
14. "Hey! a tea garden!" Rajvir cried excitedly. But Pranjol didn't share Rajvir's excitement. Why was it so?
15. "Thirty-one minutes," Ausable said moodily... "I wish I knew you learned about the report, Max." What report was referred to by Ausable?
OR
"The safe was not going to be hard to open." Horace Danby thought so because -
16. Horace Danby never got a chance to work on a new plan after the Shotover Grange episode. Why?
OR
"And as the light came on Fowler had his first authentic thrill of the day." What thrill is being referred to?
17. Fowler felt let down. Why?
OR
"Just leave it to me and you will have them within an hour" What is the context of this sentence quoted from 'A Question of Trust'?
18. How did the junior assistant of the law firm feel when he was sent to serve summons?
OR
Choose the correct synonym for the underlined word: "The bewildered boys had been following a scientist..."
19. "Brilliant scientist though he was, Griffin was rather a lawless person." Which alternative expresses the writer's attitude to Griffin?
OR
When the young lawyer reached New Mullion his "eager expectations of a sweet and simple countryside was as severely disappointed." Why?
20. "Shivering with cold he hurried to Drury Lane..." Which of the following alternatives explain the reason behind the subject's visit to Drury Lane?
OR
"But if I did not think much about Lutkins, the office did. I found them all upset." What made the office upset?
21. With reference to "The Ball Poem", choose the statement that correctly identifies the underlined words. "I would not intrude on him."
22. What does the boy feel when he loses the ball as mentioned in "The Ball Poem"?
23. In the poem "Animals", the poet claims that he can live with -
24. The small boy in "The Ball Poem" is experiencing -
25. "There is a languid, emerald sea, where the sole inhabitant is me ......" Choose the correct synonym for the underlined word [languid].
26. In the poem 'Amanda', what is Amanda's primary desire?
27. According to the poet Leslie Norris, where should the tiger ideally be?
28. Read the following statements with reference to "A Tiger in the Zoo" and choose the correct option -
Statement 1 - Ferocious animals like tigers are a threat to the natural and human world.
Statement 2 - Zoo animals become quite placid inside their cage.
29. In "The Tale of Custard, the Dragon," how is Custard portrayed before the arrival of the pirates?
30. Identify the literary device used in this line from "Animals" - "I think I could turn and live with animals...."
31. Identify the correct question tag to fill in the blank - "He is a teacher ____"
32. Select the correct combination of sentence for the given sentences. "He has no strength. He has no intelligence."
33. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank - "All tickets for the cultural night have been ____"
34. Did you ____ the references from Shakespeare's drama? Fill in the blank.
35. Choose the correct option to complete the sentence. "She gave ____ money"
36. Choose the option that correctly changes the voice of the given sentence: "I cooked all the dessert items served yesterday."
37. Choose the indirect form of the following sentence: My friend said to me, "Have you had your lunch ?"
38. Choose the correct tense form and fill in the blank. "The train ____ before we reached the station."
39. Fill in the blank in the following sentence: "Lina is ____ careful than her sister."
40. Choose the correct option to fill in the blank: "____ the long run, it is important to listen ____ before taking a major decision."
41. [Incomplete Question Context - "who knew his fields intimately had done nothing else but see the sky"]
42. Choose the correct antonym for the word 'crest' given in the passage.
Question nos. 43-45 are based on an unseen passage. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Rabindranath Tagore was born in 1861, into one of the foremost families of Bengal. He was the fourteenth child of Debendranath Tagore, who headed the Brahmo Samaj. The family house at Jorasanko in Calcutta was a hive of cultural and intellectual activity. Tagore was educated by private tutors and he first visited Europe in 1878. He started writing at an early age, and his talent was recognised by Bankimchandra Chatterjee, the leading writer of the day. In the 1890s Tagore lived mainly in rural East Bengal, managing family estates. In the early 1900s he was involved in the Swadeshi campaign against the British but he withdrew from it when the movement turned violent. In 1912 he came to England with Gitanjali, an English translation of some of his religious lyrics. It was acclaimed by W.B. Yeats and later published by Macmillan, leading directly to his winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913.
43. Who was Rabindranath Tagore's contemporary writer in Bengal?
44. Arrange the following events from Rabindranath Tagore's life chronologically.
- He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
- He was born as the fourteenth child of Debendranath Tagore.
- He came to England.
- He first visited Europe in 1878.
45. Why did Rabindranath Tagore withdraw from the Swadeshi movement?
SECTION - B
Answer the following briefly: (Q. Nos. 46 to Q. 55)
2 × 10 = 20
46. Give a brief pen- picture of the tea garden as described in "Tea from Assam".
47. "I knew that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as oppressed." Why does Mandela say so in "Long Walk to Freedom"?
48. How does the author in "Coorg" bring out the unique martial status of the people of Coorg?
49. "These aren't raindrops falling from the sky, they are new coins. The big drops are ten cent pieces, and the little ones are free." Examine the irony that was awaiting Lencho as soon as the storm was over.
50. "A dime or another ball is worthless" - Explain. [Hint: The Ball Poem]
51. Do you consider Custard a brave dragon? Give reasons.
52. How does Walt Whitman conclude in the poem 'Animals' that animals are superior to humans?
53. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
Read the passage and answer the questions that follow:
"It was a new bus, its outside painted a gleaming white with some green stripes along the sides. Inside, the overhead bars shone like silver. Directly in front of Valli, above the windshield, there was a beautiful clock. The seats were soft and luxurious."
54. Describe the inside of the bus.
55. Give the opposites of the words 'soft', 'beautiful'.
SECTION - C
56. How does Ausable overpower Max's plan by 'inventing the balcony' in "The Midnight Visitor"?
OR
Provide a pen picture of "the charming lady" in "A Question of Trust".
(4)
57. Narrate in your own words the incidents that occur in the village inn after Griffin's arrival.
OR
"They're about the only folks in the town that missed seeing you yesterday." Who is the speaker? Who is "you" in the given sentence? What impression do you have about the speaker from the incidents that involved the person mentioned as 'you'?
1+1+2=4
SECTION - D
58. Write an essay on any one of the following topics:
OR
Write a story on the basis of the following outline. Give a suitable title.
Seema came back from the office — saw the front door of her house was open — flowerpots in the verandah were lying scattered — her dog was barking from inside the house — ...
Seema came back from the office — saw the front door of her house was open — flowerpots in the verandah were lying scattered — her dog was barking from inside the house — ...
(5)
59. You are Arshad/Afreen. Write a report for your local English newspaper on the lack of open spaces and playgrounds in your city/town. Highlight the importance of such spaces for the people pointing out the duties and responsibilities of the civic authorities in this regard.
OR
Your school recently conducted a workshop on art and craft. Use the following information to write a report for your school bulletin.
- Date: 15th August, 2024 Wednesday
- Time: 9 am onwards
- Place: School premises
- Chief Guest: Noni Borpujari [Renowned painter/sculptor from Assam]
- Events: Welcome speech by School Principal. A workshop was held involving the students in Do It Yourself (DIY) activities in various crafts.
(5)
SECTION - E (GRAMMAR & TRANSLATION)
60. Translate the following into the language as per your MIL/IL subject. (1 × 3 = 3)
OR
Write a substance
Early rising leads to health and happiness. The man who rises late can have little rest in course of the day. Anyone who lies on bed late is compelled to work till a late hour in the evening. He has to go without the evening exercise which is so necessary for his health. Inspite of all his effort his work will not produce as good results as that of the early riser. The reason for this is that he cannot take advantage of the refreshing hours of the morning. Some people say that the quiet hour of midnight is the best time for working. Several great thinkers say that they can write best only when they burn the midnight oil. Yet it is true to say that few men have a clear brain at midnight, when the body needs rest and sleep.
61. Use the correct form of the tense of the verbs given in the brackets. (1 × 2 = 2)
- The sun ____ in the east. (rise)
- When I met her, she ____ a book. (read)
62. Do as directed for the following: (1 × 2 = 2)
- I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (Join the sentences using a relative pronoun.)
- I went to the market to buy some fruit, but the shopkeeper said that there were no fresh fruits that day. (Rewrite the sentence using direct speech)
63. Rewrite the following as directed: (1 × 2 = 2)
- Man is mortal. [Make negative without changing the meaning]
- Well done! [Make an assertive sentence]
