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HALF YEARLY EXAMINATION (2018-19)ENGLISH (SET-A)TIME: 3 Hours Class: IX M.M.: 80GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:The question paper is divided into three sections:SECTION A: Reading (20marks)SECTION B : Writing & Grammar(30marks)SECTION C : Literature(30marks) All questions are compulsory Attempt the questions section wiseWriting should be neat and legibleThe paper consists of 11 questions __________________________________________________________________________________________SECTION-A (Reading) (20marks)Q1. Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow: (8)Dreams to RealityIt was evening in the picturesque seaside town of Rameshwaram, on the southern edge of Tamil Nadu. A cool breeze was gently blowing in from the sea. Along with the sound of waves lapping against the shore could be heard the sweet sound of birds circling overhead. Among the children playing on the beach was a boy with wavy hair and dreamy eyes. This youngster was Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam who later became the eleventh President of India.While spending time with his friends, Abdul was attracted by the sound of the birds flying above. He carefully observed that a fledgling perched on a boat was trying to take off. It spread its wings, fluttered briefly and sprang up. The air seemed to give the needed thrust for its take off! The bird soared up into the sky. It steered its pace and course with great ease. How Abdul wished he could fly like those beauties in the air! This passion for flying, aroused by the beautiful birds, later inspired Abdul Kalam to design India’s first rocket which successfully sent a satellite Rohini, into orbit on 18th July 1980. It was called the SLV-3 (Satellite Launch Vehicle). At the time when Abdul was growing up, no one had even dreamt of such a happening.Rameshwaram, where Abdul was born, was a small town. The town was famous for its Shiva Temple. Abdul stayed in the house with his father, mother, brothers and sister and led a secure and happy childhood. Abdul’s father, Jainulabdeen was a pious man. He led an austere life without depriving his family of the basic comforts. In this closely knit family, dinner was always a special meal. During dinner they exchanged views on a variety of topics ranging from family matters to spiritual subjects.The main income for Abdul’s family came from ferrying pilgrims across the sea between Rameshwaram and Dhanushkodi. Pilgrims visiting Rameshwaram made it a point to visit Dhanushkodi, twenty kilometres away in the sea. Dhanushkodi has religious significance. Ferrying pilgrims fetched good money and the family lived comfortably. However, a devastating cyclone lashed the shores of Rameshwaram and their boat was destroyed. The family lost their only source of livelihood in one swift, tragic stroke.The enterprising young Abdul wanted to help the family through the crisis. He realized that there was demand for tamarind seeds. He decided he would collect them and sell them to a shop near his house. His family wanted him to concentrate on his studies. He said he would study as well as help his family. Reluctantly, everyone agreed. Even while studying or enjoying the evenings with his friends on the beach, he set aside some time to collect tamarind seeds and sell them to a nearby shop. For this he was paid a princely sum of one anna! Besides selling tamarind seeds, he helped his cousin Samsuddin to sell the popular Tamil newspaper Dinamani to earn a little more money who gave Abdul a small amount for the service he had rendered. This is how Abdul earned his first wages. However, it was the joy of being able to care for his family that Abdul cherished most. Even decades later, he recalls earning his own money for the first time, with immense pleasure and a sense of pride.(A) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the following questions:(1×7=7) (i) Why did young Abdul observe the birds with intent eyes ?(ii) What inspired him to design a rocket ?(iii) How was the earning of the family destroyed in one stroke? .(iv) Abdul was a resourceful lad. Support this statement with two evidences from the passage.(v) Why was dinner a special meal in the Kalam family?(vi) In what way did the small town Rameshwaram gain a lot of fame? (vii) What did Abdul cherish most about the memory of his first earning ? (B) Find a word from the passage which means the same as the following: (1) (i) with hesitation (para 5)Q2 Read the following passage carefully: (12)Adoration by ManOther animals move about the world as nature made them. Why then, did man start to adorn himself by hanging things round the neck, arms, waist and legs or putting things on his head.We can imagine many reasons. If an exceptionally strong or brave man succeeded in killing an exceptionally large bear, might he not get the idea of boring a hole through one of its teeth with a sharp flint and lying the tooth round his neck in order to remind himself of his great achievement and to show his friends what a great man he was ? Gradually, it might have become the custom in that tribe for all strong and brave hunters to wear a bear’s tooth, and it might be regarded as a disgrace not to wear one and a sign that one was weak or very young.Another man might make an ornament of a coloured shell or stone simply because he liked it or because its shape reminded him of something. Then if he happened to escape from some danger when he was wearing it he might think the ornament had something to do with it- that it had magic qualities. And his friends and relations would not be satisfied until they had an ornament of the same kind.People who wear ornaments would soon learn to arrange them in different ways according to their size and colour in order to make them more decorative and impressive. A necklace found in Italy with the skeleton of young man of the Stone Age was quite elaborate. It consisted of stag’s teeth arranged at intervals with, between them, two upper rows made up of the vertebrae of a fish and row of shells.Another reason why men might tie feathers, horns, skins and all kinds of other things td themselves would be in order to make themselves look fierce and more terrifying to animals or to the men of other tribes.Objects such as sea-shells that came from a distance and were therefore, scarce for people living far inland— would come in time to have a special value and might be worn only by chiefs and their families in order to show that they were particularly important people.Primitive tribes living today often associate themselves with some particular animal or bird, such as an eagle or lion, or with a particular place, such as a mountain or river. Man may have started doing this kind of thing very early in his history. Then, every member of a group of family may have worn something such as feathers, claws or even a stone or wooden object of a certain shape or colour, to represent the animal or mountain or whatever it might be that they believed themselves to be connected with.So, as we have seen, clothing may have started as ornament or to distinguish one tribe from another or to show rank or because certain things were believed to have magical qualities. But in some places a time came when men and women began to wear clothes for other reasons. During the ice age, when the polar ice spread over far more of the world than it does today, some of the districts in which human beings were living became very cold and indeed. Man must have learnt that he would be more comfortable and more likely to survive, if he covered his body with the skins of animals. At first perhaps, he would simply tie a skin round his waist or over his shoulders but as time passed he learnt how to treat skin in order to make them softer and more supple and how to join them together in order to make better garments.Flint tools have been found buried deep under the earth floors of caves in which prehistoric men sheltered When the weather became colder. Some of the tools were probably used to scrape the inner side of skins to make them soft. Stone Age people may also have softened skins in the same way that Eskimo women do today, by chewing them. The teeth of Eskimo women are often worn down to stumps by the constant chewing of seal skins. Among the wonderful flint and bone tools and implements that later cave-men made, have been found some beautiful bone needles, some not bigger than those we use today: Although the people who made them had only flint tools to work with, some of the needles are finer and more beautifully shaped than those of Roman times.(A) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the given questions: (2×4 = 8)(i) According to the narrator how did the custom of wearing tooth of wild animals originate?(ii) What was so special about the necklace found in Italy ?(iii) Why did men begin to tie feather and skin?(iv) How did the Stone Age people soften animal skins?(B) Find the words from the above passage which mean the same as the following: (1×4 = 4) i) A decorative item (para 2)ii) In detail (para 2)iii) Rub against a hard surface (para 6)iv) Relating to early times (para 6) SECTION B (Writing & Grammar) (30 Marks)Q3 Children are the future of a nation . Schools play an important role in moulding their personality to enable them to become productive members of their society. Highlighting this crucial function of school, write an article for your school magazine on Role of school in a child’s life. You are Anshika / Anil. (Word limit 100-150) (8)You can use the given hints to frame your answer. Shaping of physical and mental healthDevelopment of right attitudeBuilding life skills Honing talents of the students Q4. Write a story in 150-200 words starting with the given line: (10)When Vinay woke up in the morning and looked at his face in the mirror , he did not recognize the face looking back at him. “This is not me”, he cried aloud………………………… Q5 Complete the paragraph by filling in appropriate words. (4)Hillary Clinton was (a) ________ (a/ the/ an/our) 67th U.S. Secretary of State. She embarked (b)________ (on/ in/ at/ for) a career in law graduating from Yale Law School. She (c)________(has been/ had been/ was/ was being) elected as Senator for New York state (d)_______ (for/ on/ in/ since) 2000. As Obama's Secretary of State (e) ________ (they/ her/ she/it) was the First Lady to serve in (f) ________ (the/ any/ a/ all) President's Cabinet. As the Secretary of State, she was responsible (g)_______ (to/ for/ of/ in) carrying (h)_____(/in/ over/up/out) the President's foreign policiesQ6 The following passage is not edited. There is an error in each line. Write the error and the correction in each part. (4)ErrorCorrectionShaw took the title for his play Pygmalion from a)------- ---------the ancient Greek legend of the famous sculptor naming b)------- --------- Pygmalion who could find nothing good for women c)-------- ---------and, as a result, he resolves to remain unmarried.d)------- --------- Q7 Arrange the given words to form meaningful sentences (4)(a)???is it/that/attracts/so many/to it/about/prayers/people/what(b)???offer/peace/of hope/and/of/mind/a lot/prayers.(c)????anything/the faith/they give/to believe/can/that/happen/you.(d)???ought/with/honest/heart/offered/ prayers/to/be.?SECTION-C (LITERATURE)Q8 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow : (4)Rush hour crowds jostle for position on the underground train platform. A slight girl, looking younger than her seventeen years, was nervous yet excited as she felt the vibrations of the approaching train. It was her first day at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London and daunting enough for any teenager fresh from a Scottish farm.Who is the ‘girl’ in the above lines ?Where was she going ?Why is the girl nervous and excited ?Find the word from the extract that means “frightening”.ORHe came to the door of a cottageIn travelling round the earthWhere a little woman was making cakesAnd baking them on the hearth.Name the poem and the poet.Whom does he refer to ?What was the little woman making ?Find the word from the extract that means “floor of a fire plae”.Q9 Answer the questions in 20-30 words : (5x2=10)Tommy thought the old books were funny and a big waste. Why ?What impact did Iswaran’s story of a female ghost have on Mahendra ? “Father’s great speech for the Port Authority had been lost.” How?The kind-hearted stranger tried his best to calm down the lost child but failed. Why did the child remain inconsolable ?How did the Guru and his disciple become the king and the minister of the kingdom?Q10 Answer the given question in 100-150 words: (8) Without mirror, the story will lose its charm and reality. Justify.?OR“A problem is only as big as we make it.” This thought has been very beautifully brought out in the lesson ,The sound of music. Elucidate .Q11 Answer the given question in 100-150 words: (8) “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long.” opines the narrator. Throw light on the qualities that you consider important to make a pet adorable.OR"The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde reflects the worst aspects of modern society which can be overcome by love and charity. Justify .HALF YEARLY EXAMINATION (2018-19)ENGLISH (SET-B)TIME: 3 Hours Class: IX M.M.: 80GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:The question paper is divided into three sections:SECTION A: Reading (20marks)SECTION B : Writing & Grammar(30marks)SECTION C : Literature(30marks) All questions are compulsory Attempt the questions section wiseWriting should be neat and legibleThe paper consists of 11 questions __________________________________________________________________________________ SECTION-A (Reading) (20marks)Q1. Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow: (8)These days, it is not unusual to see people listening to music or using their electronic gadgets while crossing busy roads or travelling on public transports, regardless of the risks involved. I have often wondered why they take such risks? Is it because they want to exude a sense of independence, or is it that they want to tell the world to stop bothering them ? Or is it that they just want to show how cool they are ? Whether it is a workman or an executive, earphones have become an inseparable part of our lives, sometimes even leading to tragicomic situations.The other day, an electrician had come to our house to fix something. We told him in detail what needed to be done. But after he left, I found that the man had done almost nothing. It later turned out that he could not hear our directions clearly because he had an earphone on. Hundreds of such earphones addicts commute by the Delhi Metro every day. While one should not begrudge anyone their moments of privacy or their love for music, the fact is ‘iPod oblivion’ can sometimes be very dangerous.Recently, I was travelling with my wife on the Delhi Metro. Since the train was approaching the last station, there weren’t too many passengers. In our compartment, other than us, there were only two women sitting on the other side of the aisle. And then suddenly, I spotted a duffel bag. The bomb scare lasted for several minutes. Everyone looked panicked. I was all ready to raise an alarm and call the police. My sense of responsibility towards my family and society would not let me rest in peace. I was very perturbed . All ready to take an action , I was about to make a call when suddenly a youth emerged from nowhere and picked up the bag. When we tried to stop him, he looked at us, surprised. Then he took off his earpieces, lifted the bag, and told us that the bag belonged to him and that he was going to get off at the next station.We were stunned but recovered in time to ask him where he was all this while. His answer : he was in the compartment, leaning against the door totally immersed in the music. He had no clue about what was going on around him. When he got off, earplugs in his hand, we could hear strains of the song.Answer the given questions:(1x7 = 7)(i) What reasons does the author offer for the people taking risks on the road ?(ii) Why didn’t the electrician carry out the work properly ?(iii) How did the sight of duffle bag impact everyone present on the train?(iv) Mention the narrator’s cause of concern about “Iphone oblivion” people?(v)Describe the feelings experienced by the narrator on that occasion. (vi) Explain the term ‘earphone addicts’?(vii) What was the attitude of the young man whose bag was the cause of all trouble?(B) Find a word from the paragraph indicated which is similar in meaning to the word given below: (i) absorbed (para 4)(1) Q2. Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:(12)Cardamom, admired as “Queen of Spices” belongs to ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is one of the most exotic and highly priced spices across the globe after Vanilla and Saffron. Indian cardamom has a history as old as human civilization. Cardamom is a native plant of parts of India, Sri Lanka and parts of southeast Asia, where it occurs in the wild. It has been introduced to other parts of Asia and is widely grown for its aromatic seeds. Cardamom is called as a versatile spice because of its usage in both sweet and salty foods. It is used in Auyervedic medicine preparations because of its healing effect and other properties. Its usage also in processed food, perfume, oleoresins etc. There are three typical kinds of cardamom grown in our country viz., Malabar, Mysore and Ceylon type. India was the major feeder of Cardamom to the entire world till entry of Guatemala into the spree. The major traded varieties of small cardamom in the Globe are the Malabar and the Guatemalan. Indian cardamom is slightly smaller, but most popular because of its aroma. In recent years, production in Guatemala surpassed the Indian figure. Indian cardamom is slightly smaller, but more aromatic. Other than India and Guatemala, it is being grown in Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Cardamom is grown commercially in plantations under the shade of tall forest trees. It is a very labor-intensive crop to produce. The fruits are picked individually by hand before they are fully ripe, over a period of several months. In India, cardamom grows under natural conditions of the evergreen forests in the Western Ghats. It thrives best in tropical forests at altitudes ranging from 600-1500 metres, receiving a well-distributed rainfall. Its optimum growth and development is observed in warm and humid places under the canopy of lofty, evergreen forest trees. It is highly sensitive to wind and drought and, therefore areas liable to be affected by these conditions are unsuitable. The crop does not survive in waterlogged or excessive moisture. The ideal site is a sloping land with good drainage. Fruits mature in about 3 to 4 months after flowering. They are small trilocular capsules, each containing about 15 to 20 seeds. On maturity, fruits turn into pale green. Under favourable conditions of the environment, a healthy adult plant would annually produce about 200 capsules, with a green weight of about 900 g, Cardamom plants normally start bearing two years after planting. Throughout the cropping season of cardamom, i.e. from August to March approximately 6 picking is done in each 45 days interval. In most of the areas the peak period of harvest is during October-November. Ripe capsules are harvested in order to get maximum green colour during curing. The output of cardamom is greatly influenced by climatic conditions. The cardamom plant requires a continuous spell of rain interspersed with periods of good sunshine. The plant is very susceptible to attack by pests and diseases. Besides, the cardamom growing tracts in the country are facing severe ecological degradation over the past two decades due to diminishing forest cover, leaving the region open to devastation by floods and droughts. Cardamom requires tropical forest conditions for growth and a lack of such areas makes very few states in the country suitable for its plantation. Answer the given questions : (1x8=8)Why is Cardamom referred to as “Queen of Spices”?What is versatile about this spice ?It is a very labour –intensive crop to produce . Give one reason in support of this statement.Which weather conditions are not apt for the cultivation of this crop ?What is the average output of a cardamom plant ?How has deforestation adversely affected the cultivation of this spice ?In which months the harvest of cardamom is at its apex? Mention the other spices which are as aromatic and expensive as cardamom ?Find the words from the above passage which mean the same as the following: (1×4 = 4)i) therapeutic (para 1)ii) fragrance (para 2)iii) shade (para 3)iv) ?wreckage (para 4)SECTION B (Writing & Grammar)Q3 In recent times, generation gap is widely seen between parents and children. This has led to several changes in the society especially in India where the joint family system was prevalent since ages. As Aman/Anamika write an article for your school magazine focusing on this issue of Generation Gap. (word limit 100-120) (8)You can use the given hints to frame your answer.Disparity in view, lifestyle, values – leading to generation gap – youth, late night parties and philosophy of carefree life – old age – traditional values of respecting elders being erodedQ4. Write a story in about 150-200 words starting with the given line: (10)It was 5p.m. and there was lot of traffic on the road. Mihir was driving his car when suddenly two teenagers on bike overtook his car ………………………..Q5 Complete the paragraph by filling in appropriate words. (4)A doctor had the habit of talking to the trees (a)______(on/in/along/with) the roadside as he took (b)_____(my/your/his/her) walks in the evening. He would (c)_____(bend/bent/bended/bending) to caress the trees lovingly and whisper kind words to (d)______ (it/they/them/those). This was an odd (e)_____(and/but/as/so) beautiful sight. It was indeed (f)_____(a/an/the/this) noble act in this wicked world. One day he was very upset on (g)_____ (see/seeing/saw/seen) one of his trees cut down. The nature lover was so hurt that he collapsed( h)_____(at, over, in on) the road. Q6 The following passage has not been edited. Identify the error in each line and write it along with the correction? (4)ErrorCorrectionMore of the fun and excitement in our life comes ? ? ?(a) ------- --------? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? from the use for our senses. Senses open up a ? ? (b) ------ --------? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? world which and full of sights, sounds, smells. ? ? ? ? ? ? (c) ------ --------? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? tastes and things with touch. They allow us ? (d) ------- --------to observe and understand the world around us. Q7 Arrange the given words to form meaningful sentences (4)children/kept/heart/for/young/writing/has/me/atwriting/children/when/seventeen/I/took/was/for/to/Ifiction/children/hooked/today/are/to/edgyways/I/the world/observe/interact/the/children/with??SECTION-C (LITERATURE)Q8 Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow : (4)To the little girl he was a figure to be feared and avoided. Every morning before going to work he came into her room and gave her a casual kiss, to which she responded with ‘Good Bye Father’. And oh, there was a glad sense of relief when she heard the noise of the carriage growing fainter and fainter down the long road! ,Whom does “he” refer to in the first line?What was his daily routine?‘When did the little girl feel a sense of relief ?Trace a word from the passage which means “answered”.?ORAnd I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow Dropping from the veils of the morning to Where the Cricket sings;There midnight’s all a glimmer and noon a purple glowAnd evenings full of the linnet’s wings.Name the poem and the poet.Where is the poet longing to have peace ?What does the poet mean by “the veils in the morning” ?Find a word from the extract which means “weak, faint, unsteady light.Q9 Answer the questions in 20-30 words : (5x2=10)What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have??Why did Kezia’s grandmother send her to the drawing room every Sunday afternoon ?Mention the type of woman that the doctor in the story “The Snake and the Mirror”, wants to get married to. How did the little swallow carry out the wishes of the Happy Prince ?‘Iswaran was a good cook as well as a good story teller’. Justify this statement with evidences from the story.Q10 Answer the given question in 100-150 words: (8)Einstein was an unusual child with no indication of his potential greatness. Comment.ORWind is a symbol of power and strength . How can we befriend it and survive in our struggle for existence.Q11 Answer the given question in 100-150 words: (8)Disciple in the story didn’t look into the depth of the matter and took a hasty decision of not leaving the kingdom of fools. What light does the story throw on the importance of good decision making in one’s life.OR“The Lost Child” vividly portrays the psychology of a child. Support this statement with evidences from the story. ................
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