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Instructions:The question paper is divided into three sections.Section A – Reading20 MarksSection B – Writing & Grammar25 MarksSection C – Literature25 MarksAll questions are compulsory.You may attempt any questions at a time.All questions of a section must be attempted in the correct order.SECTION A(READING – 20 Marks)1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions / complete the sentences that follow: (8)Perhaps the environmental crisis' at hand has not yet touched your life, but the time is shortly to come. Recent NASA reports of a 60% loss of ozone over the Arctic provide an explanation for increased severity in the worlds weather patterns which has only begun to affect us whether directly or indirectly. The social, political and economic implications are difficult to imagine as our ozone layer continues to thin, forests disappear and desertification is occurring at an alarming rate. Today, almost 1 million acres of forest disappear each week. This alarming rate of deforestation is forcing many world economies to rethink their business and manufacturing practices. A seventy-feet tree cut for its lumber takes 65 years to replace. A seventy-feet bamboo cut for the market can be replaced in less than 3 months, and bamboo is officially recognized as the world’s fastest growing plant. Some species can grow 3 feet per day! Driven by the constantly-growing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products, bamboo is gaining momentum as a reliable source of high quality and durable green building material over traditional non-sustainable products. Bamboo is known to produce 30% more oxygen than a hardwood forest of comparable size, while preventing erosion, restoring soil, providing sweet edible shoots and removing toxins from contaminated soil. Ecologists tout bamboo as a logical, renewable source of building material. Many promote bamboo planting for erosion prevention, and to reverse the effects of global warming. Being a grass, bamboo regenerates without replanting after harvesting. Traditional hardwood lumber trees, such as oak, maple, and birch, take 40-50 years to regenerate. In the meantime, there is less oxygen produced, less carbon dioxide consumed, and more soil runoff in the spot where those trees were harvested- all producing negative environmental effects. Our planet is suffering from resource depletion, habitat loss, species extinction, and ecosystem pollution. The choice of bamboo as building material will greatly help reverse those negative trends. (a) Use of bamboo is gaining momentum because __________. (b) The greatest advantage of bamboo is that it__________. (c) The word ‘tout’ in para three means__________. (d) ‘More soil run off in the spot’ means __________. (e) The antonym for the word ‘reliable’ is __________. (f) ______________ take 40-50 years to regrow ________. (g) Four problems troubling the earth are__________. (h) The author is promoting the use of _________as a building material. 2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions/complete the statements that follow: (2 x 4)+(1 x 4) = 12 The cross-cultural spread of English is unprecedented in other ways. It is more widely used than any of the other colonial languages like French, Portuguese or Spanish. It even has a wider use than some of the languages associated with international non-western religious traditions like Arabic or Sanskrit. In countries like India and Nigeria, English is used at all levels of society: in local English, language newspapers and broadcasting, in public administration, in university education, in major industries, in the courts and the civil services. Its global stature is backed up by massive English-language training programmes, an international business that in textbooks, language courses, video programmes and computerized instruction is worth hundreds of millions of pounds or dollars to the economies of the US and the UK. The English language is now one of the Britain's most reliable exports. It is an ideal British product, needing no workers and no work, no assembly lines and no assembly, no spare parts and very little servicing; it is used for the most intimate and the most public services everywhere.Indeed with nearly 200 languages, India needs English to unify the country. Professor Lal, a champion of Indian English who runs a well-known writers’ workshop and claims that in simple numerical terms, in a country of 840 million, more Indians speak English and write English than in England itself. Even Malcolm Muggeridge said – ‘The last Englishman left will be an Indian’. Malcom Muggeride’s insightful observation underlines the importance of the English language for India. The people of India have begun to understand the potential of English in terms of better job opportunities in the corporate world. There is therefore a strong desire among parents to admit their children in public school where the standard of English is very high. Our educationists are working towards improving the standard of English in state owned schools. Government schools need to improve their standard of teaching English to compete with the public English medium schools.(a) Why is English more important than other colonial languages? (b) Why is English so important in India? (c) What is the importance of the English language for the economies of the US and the UK ? (d) Why does the author consider English as an ideal British export product? (e) What is meant by the word ‘traditions’? (Para 1) (i) ways (ii) habits (iii) customs (iv) ideas (f) What is meant by the word ‘reliable’? (Para 2) (i) truthful (ii) honest (iii) decent (iv) dependable (g) What is meant by the word ‘opportunities’? (Para 3) (i) offers (ii) rights (iii) possibilities (iv) payments (h) What is meant by the word ‘improve’? (Para 3) (i) progress (ii) upgrade (iii) beautify (iv) solidify SECTION B(WRITING & GRAMMAR – 25 Marks)3. Proper diet and regular exercise improve memory and learning. Taking help from the unit, ‘Health and Medicine’ and the following points, together with your own ideas, write an article in about 120 words on the topic, ‘Exercise Enhances Memory’. (5)An hour’s daily work outWalking, cycling regularly for six months to a year, (even among the elderly) increases the size of crucial parts of the brain Spread awareness through posters and morning assembly talksPersuade others too, to not to be couch potatoesGo out and exercise for better performances at academics4. It was a hot day. A blind man was crossing the road. Suddenly a car came .........Complete the story in 150-200 words. (10)5. Read the passage given below. Fill in the blanks by choosing the most appropriate word / phrases from the given options. (3)Blue is (a) __________ colour of light (b) __________ violet and green on the visible spectrum. Blues vary (c) __________ shade or tint ; darker shades of blue contain black or grey, while lighter tints contain white. (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (a) a the an this (b) among between in within (c) at on in with 6. The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Write the incorrect word and the correction in your answer sheet against the correct question number. The first one has been done as an example. (4) Error Correction Finally, one day, Sunita ran out in patience. eg. in of Enough was enough. She decide to confront (a) _____ _____ Suruchi. She asked her why she was been nasty (b) _____ _____ to her. She had done nothing to offend you. She (c) _____ _____ knew the confrontation will mean the end of their (d) _____ _____ relationship. 7. Rearrange the following jumbled words/phrases to make meaningful sentences. (3)a) age to age / ideas / thoughts / and / from / man’s / are / changing b) this is why / always / are / changing / things c) law of / in fact / nature / the / change / is SECTION C (LITERATURE – 25 Marks)Read the extract and answer the questions that follow. (3)So the nightingale once more,Quite unused to such applause,Sang till dawn without a pause.The nightingale was not used to so much praise and appreciation. Why?Why did the creatures of the Bog want the nightingale to sing once more?What were the frog’s thoughts at this time?Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each. (2 × 4 = 8)How does Mrs. Slater plan to outshine the Jordans? What does it reveal about her character?How is the mirror exact?Describe how the monuments and statues brave the ravages of time.What are the three things that grandfather plans to do on Monday next? Answer any ONE of the following questions in 80-100 words. (4)Man’s words can heal a wound or cause such deep wounds which can never be healed. So, one should speak after measuring his thoughts and words. Elaborate the statement in the light of the story ‘The Letter’?ORBoth the boys at Verona were full of grit, determination and hope. At a young age they exhibited qualities that are difficult to come by even in adults. This story teaches us not to lose hope and courage even in adverse situations. Elaborate.Answer any one of the following questions in about 150 to 200 words. (10) Describe a significant historical event that occured during the author’s life that may have had an influence upon her writing.ORDraw a character sketch of Margot Frank. ************************************************************************************ ................
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