Class 11 Sample Paper English (Half Yearly)

SAMPLE
PAPER
Half Yearly Examination

Prepared For
NCERT BASED SYLLABUS
Applicable For
CBSE BOARD AND STATE BOARD USING NCERT

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HALF YEARLY EXAMINATION
SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER

English Core
Time : 3 Hours Max. Marks : 80

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
• This paper is divided into three sections A, B and C. All the sections are compulsory.
• Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read the
instructions very carefully and follow them faithfully.
• Do not exceed the prescribed word-limit while answering the questions.

Section – A (Reading) [26]
I. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow. [1x10=10]
(1) Like Celine Dion’s Academy Award-winning Titanic theme song, ‘My Heart Will Go On’, the mystery around
what led to the sinking of the superliner on 14 April, 1912, it seems, will continue forever. So even one hundred
years after the incident happened, we have yet another theory bobbing to the surface. To recount the old official
tale, RMS Titanic was on its way from Southampton to New York when it struck an iceberg just off the coast
of Newfoundland. The massive blow hit the 100-metre long starboard section of the hull, creating a huge fissure
in its hull. Seawater rushed inside its six supposedly watertight compartments. Soon all the cabins were flooded
and within the next three hours, the ship went down. More than 1,500 people lost their lives in disaster.
According to some hypotheses, Titanic was doomed from the start by the design so many lauded as state of the
art.
(2) But not many bought this theory and a legion of stories about the legend began to come out. The latest has been
floated by science writer Richard Corfield who says that the rivets that held the ship’s hull together were not
according to their specifications in composition or quality and gave way when the ship hit the iceberg. A quick
web search, however, reveals that the fascinating thing called the human mind is capable of much more; while
one pinned the accident down to a fire inside the ship’s coal bunkers, another one talked about the curse of the
Pharaohs because a traveler had with him a sarcophagus containing the mummy of an ancient Egyptian priestess.
Other than these glamourous theories, there are the ordinary ones: the helmsman making a steering blunder and
the ship moving too fast to win the Blue Riband, a prestigious prize awarded to a ship for making the fastest
North Atlantic crossing.
(3) So, what makes the Titanic story tick? From the very beginning, its story was tailor-made to be fascinating copy.
Investigating it made good business too: from books to research grants to underwater expeditions, not to mention
a mega budget movie. In other words, the Titanic story has been done to death. May be the hundredth year is a
good time to leave the ship in its watery grave once and for all.

Attempt the questions given below by selecting the most appropriate option.
(i) According to Richard Corfield, the cause of sinking of the Titanic was…….
(a) The cursed mummy being carried in the ship.
(b) The helmsman moving the ship too fast
(c) The poor quality of the rivets

(d) A fire inside the ships coal bunkers.
(ii) The prize for the fastest ship to cross the North Atlantic was the …………..
(a) Sacrophagus Prize
(b) Blue Riband
(c) North Atlantic Prize

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(d) None of these
(iii) Investigation to the Titanic story led to good business in …………..
(a) Ship construction
(b) Underwater fishing
(c) Tailor-made stories
(d) Publishing books
(iv) The word………………in paragraph 2 means ‘large number’.
(a) Legion
(b) Together
(c) Numerous
(d) Fastest

Attempt the questions given below by answering them as briefly as possible .
(v) How can Celine Dion’s Academy Award-winning theme song be compared with the mystery around
what led to the sinking of the Titanic?
(vi) What blunder did the helmsman make and why?
(vii) Who were the people who profited from the Titanic disaster?
(viii) When did the Titanic sink?
(ix) Why Titanic was doomed from the start?
(x) How many people lost their lives in the disaster?

II. Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow. [1x8=8]
(1) Keep your watch accurate. For some people moving up the time on their watch will help them get up
earlier. For others, they will remember that the time on the watch is wrong and will disregard it
altogether. It may be helpful to set your watch just two minutes ahead instead of five or ten.
(2) Keep a clock, phone, computer or anything that displays time in each room of your house. One of the
easiest ways to run late is simply by not realising that the time is passing as quickly as it is.
(3) Set all your clocks and watches to the same time. Don't be too optimistic. Things usually take longer
than what you would expect, even without major delays. If you have a dinner appointment at 7:30
p.m., don't think you can work till 7:00 p.m., then take a bath, dress and reach on time. Realistically,
calculate the time you will take at each step and then add 10 minutes more to allow for unexpected
delays, or you cannot get to your job done in time.
(4) Wake up when you are supposed to wake up. Don't hit the snooze button, keep on lying in bed, and
watch TV at the very start of your day. Maybe you can try even setting your alarm-clock ten minutes
earlier than you need. If you have difficulty with this, move your alarm clock to somewhere away from
your bed; that way, you will have to get up to turn it off. Commit yourself to being 15 minutes early
for everything. If you have to reach your place of work at 8:00 am, don't even tell yourself this. Just
tell yourself (and everyone else who listens - but don't annoy them or make them think that they are
late or early!) "I have to be at work at 7:45." If you do this, you will be on time even with little
unforeseen delays. You will be on time even with a traffic jam.

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Attempt the questions given below by selecting the most appropriate option.
(i) It is good to commit yourself __________________ for everything
(a) To be late
(b) To delay
(c) To being 15 minutes early
(d) To search to the last moment
(ii) The writer suggests to keep the watch ________________ .
(a) Ahead of time
(b) Accurate
(c) Inaccurate
(d) None of these
(iii) The given chart shows that students should get up ________________.
(a) Before 5 a.m.
(b) After 5 p.m.
(c) Between 5 a.m. to 6 a.m.
(d) At 7 a.m.
(iv) A student spends maximum time in ________________ during the day time.
(a) Taking meals
(b) Taking rest
(c) School
(d) Sleep

Attempt the questions given below by answering them as briefly as possible.
(v) What has been described as one of the easiest ways of running late by the author?
(vi) Which word from the second paragraph means ‘to become conscious of something’?
(vii) Mention one of the various ways suggested by the author to wake up on time.
(viii) How much liberty should we take for keeping our watch accurate?

III. Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow. [5+3=8]
(1) The nine letter word “interview” can cause the most knowledgeable and strong person to perspire. That may be
one reason, political leaders and corporate giants normally do not agree for an interview. But the popular ones,
or those who want to make an impact, willingly give interviews. In modern times, whether you like interview
or not, your prospects depend on its success. So you must know what an interviewer expects from you.
(2) First an academic question. What is an interview? It is a discussion in which an interviewer faces a candidate
for a short while and asks questions to probe his knowledge and awareness on the subject. This is done to assess
the personality of the interviewee. It is a very formal means of interaction with one person facing a group of
persons, each of whom is a specialist in his or her field.
(3) Knowledge is an important component of success in an interview. It has two aspects: range and depth. The
former implies that you should know a lot beyond your own specialization and the latter means an awareness
of the various aspects of the topics under discussion. An in-depth knowledge is gained through reading and
listening. Listening is more important than reading. Be a keen listener, store major facts in your mind and use
them at the appropriate time.
(4) Next comes appearance, which means your dress for the interview. You must be elegantly attired for the
occasion. Wear a simple outfit that suits your physique and features. Women should wear sarees or any other
sober dress. Casuals like kurta-pyjama should not feature in your selection of dresses.
(5) Conducting yourself in an apt way is equally significant. The way you move yourself, sit on the chair, place

your hands and your brief-case and talk to the members reflect your behaviour. Walking sloppily, talking loudly
or inaudibly, getting irritated easily, and showing documents insistently are symptoms of bad behaviour. A
better way is to enter the room smartly, move forward with dignity, greet the board, sit when asked to, and thank
at the end before you leave.

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(6) Expression is the most important aspect of the interview. It conveys your views and opinions. For good
expression, what you need is clarity of mind and speech. Show your balanced thinking to convey your views
clearly.
(7) Convey your views effectively. In an interview, you may be asked questions where you have to either agree or
disagree. Whatever your approach, convince the board that it is unbiased. The board may not agree with your
view. Even if you disagree, let not your face show it. Create an impact through your expressions. Give an
impression of being a leader. Show that you can cooperate and get cooperation that you can share views and get
people to accept your authority to reach decisions and implement them.
(8) Finally, never consider yourself to be a perfect man. Being a human being makes you susceptible to flaws.
However, try to conform to the highest standards and reach as close to perfection as possible.

(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it, using headings and
subheadings. Use recognizable abbreviations (minimum four) and give an appropriate title. [5]
(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words based on your notes.[3]

Section-B (Writing and Grammar)[23]
IV. Answer ANY SEVEN out of EIGHT questions [from (a) and (b)] given below. [1X7=7]
(a) Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb (mixed tenses) given in brackets.

I (i)………..(halt) on the road. As soon as I saw the elephant, I (ii) ……………. (know) with perfect certainty
that I ought not (iii) …………… (shoot) him. But at that moment I (iv) ……………. (glance) round at the
crowd that was following me and was eager for fun and meat. Now I was in a tricky situation which tried limits
of my patience.

(b) Read the words and phrases given below and rearrange to form meaningful sentences.

(i) providence/Vivekananda/in/of/believed/the/God
(ii) began to/the station/cards/the train/when/play/whistled off/we/from
(iii) fear/farmers/displacement/from/economic zones/special/large-scale
(iv) the/gives/freedom/sense/enjoy/of/it/me/I

V. CREATIVE WRITING SKILL [3+3+5+5=16]
(A) You are S.K. Bhagat of Shakti Nagar, Delhi. You are a Chartered Accountant and are
capable of handling accounts and managing company finances, having six years of
experience. Draft a Classified Advertisement for ‘The Times of India’ seeking a job (full
time/part time). [word-limit – 50] [1x3=3]
OR
You wish to open a show-room for ‘Adidas’ and are looking for a suitable place to purchase.
Draft a Classified Advertisement for it to be published in ‘The Tribune’, New Delhi, giving
all relevant details. [word-limit – 50]
(B) Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment needs a poster for its ‘Prevention of Drug
Abuse’ campaign on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse (26 th June every
year). Draft a poster to raise public awareness against this evil in not more than 50 words.

[1x3=3]
OR
In a recent survey, it was found that your city has the highest rate of pollution in the country.
Innumerable vehicles on the road and lack of green cover have made the air unfit to breathe.
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On behalf of MVN Public School, draft a poster in about 50 words, creating awareness about
the need to keep your city clean and green. You are Rakshita/Rohit. [word-limit – 50]

(C) As the Head Boy/ Girl of your school, you have found some students reaching school late in
the morning, coming late to their classrooms after recess, and returning lazily to the theory
class after doing practicals in the laboratory. Write a speech in 120-150 words that you will
deliver on the importance of discipline and punctuality in life. [5]

(D) India has completed 75 years of independence and is emerging as a global power. Yet, youth
is getting increasingly concerned about standard of education, problem of corruption and
environmental issues in the country. Write a speech in not more than 120-150 words on your
vision of India in 2040 to be delivered in the morning assembly.
[5]

Section – C (Literature) [31]
VI. Read the extracts given below and answer ANY ONE out of TWO for each question.
(A) All three stood still to smile through their hair [1x3=3]
At the uncle with the camera. A sweet face,
My mother’s, that was before I was born.
And the sea, which appears to have changed less,
Washed their terribly transient feet.

(i) Who is the poet of these lines?
(a) Shirley Toulson
(b) Sirley Tolson
(c) Shirley Tolson
(d) None of the above
(ii) Which poetic-device is used in the phrase “transient feet”?
(iii) A deep and significant contrast has been drawn in the last two lines between the sea and the humans by
using the phrases …………………….. and …………………
OR
Then sleek as a lizard, and alert, and abrupt,
She enters the thickness, and a machine starts up
Of chitterings, And a tremor of wings, and trillings –
The whole tree trembles and thrills.

(i) ‘She’ in the second line is ……………………..
(ii) The whole tree trembles because of the lizard. (True/False)
(iii) Which of the following poetic devices has been used in the first line?
(a) Personification
(b) Metaphor

(c) Simile
(d) Transferred Epithet

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(B) She hobbled about the house in spotless white with one hand resting on her waist to balance
her stoop and the other telling the beads of her rosary. Her silver locks were scattered
untidily over her pale, puckered face, and her lips constantly moved in inaudible prayer. Yes,
she was beautiful. She was like the winter landscape in the mountains, an expanse of pure
white serenity breathing peace and contentment. [1x3=3]

(i) Who is being described in the given extract and by whom?
(ii) Which word used in the extract is a synonym of ‘satisfaction’?
(iii) What does the author mean by ‘an expanse of pure white serenity breathing peace and contentment’?

OR
In July 1976, my wife Mary, son Jonathan, 6, daughter Suzanne, 7, and I set sail from
Plymouth, England, to duplicate the round-the-world voyage made 200 years earlier by
Captain James Cook. For the longest time, Mary and I — a 37-year-old businessman —
had dreamt of sailing in the wake of the famous explorer, and for the past 16 years we
had spent all our leisure time honing our seafaring skills in British waters.
(i) Whose ‘round the world voyage’ was duplicated by the narrator?
(a) Gordon Cook
(b) Jonathan Cook
(c) James Cook
(d) Alan East
(ii) ‘The narrator and his wife Mary were passionate about round-the world voyage.’ How is that evident?
(iii) Explain the expression ‘honing our seafaring skills’.
(C) Every family has a crazy streak in it somewhere, and my cousin Mourad was considered the
natural descendant of the crazy streak in our tribe. Before him was our uncle Khosrove, an
enormous man with a powerful head of black hair and the largest moustache in the San
Joaquin Valley, a man so furious in temper, so irritable, so impatient that he stopped anyone
from talking by roaring, It is no harm; pay no attention to it. [1X4=4]

(i) Name the two members of the Garoghalanian tribe who were considered the crazy streaks.
(ii) ‘It is no harm; pay no attention to it.’ - was Mourad’s pet dialogue. True/False
(iii) What superlative feature did uncle Khosrove have?
(iv) Which from the following is an antonym of ‘descendent’.
(a) primogenitor
(b) offspring
(c) successor
(d) crazy
OR
My fingers grew warm from rubbing. I followed the lines of the pattern. Somewhere on the edge there
should be a burn mark that had never been repaired.
'My mother'll be back soon,' said the girl. ' I've already made tea for her. Will you have a cup?'
'Thank you.'
I looked up. The girl put cups ready on the tea-table. She had a broad back. Just like her mother. She

poured tea from a white pot. All it had was a gold border on the lid, I remembered. She opened a box
and took some spoons out.
(i) Who is being referred to as ‘mother’ in the lines?
(ii) What did the narrator remember about the table-cloth that once belonged to her mother?

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(iii) What character trait of the ‘the girl’ is being reflected in the lines?
(iv) For whom ‘my’ has been used in the line, ‘My fingers grew warm from rubbing'?
(a) Mrs. Dorling
(b) Mrs. S
(c) Ms. Marga Minco
(d) Mrs. Dorling’s daughter

VII. Attempt ANY TWO out of FOUR questions given below in not more than 40-50 words.
[3x2=6
A. “I was sure my grandmother would be upset.” What was Khushwant Singh sure about? Was he right?
OR
“I had no time to worry about bumped heads”, says the narrator. What problem do you think deserved
his immediate attention? [We’re not Afraid to Die if We can All be Together]

B. In “A Photograph”, what does the poetess mean when she says “Both wry with the laboured ease of
loss”?
OR
Why is the image of the engine evoked by Ted Hughes?
VIII. Attempt ANY ONE out of TWO questions given below in not more than 40-50 words.
[3x1=3]
(i) “A man could be the father of his son’s flesh, but that did not mean that he was the father of his spirit.”
What does William Saroyan mean by this assertion?
(ii) Under what circumstances did Mrs. S. allow their valuable possessions to be carried away by Mrs.
Dorling?
IX. Attempt ANY ONE out of TWO questions given below in not more than 120-150 words.
[6x1=6]
(i) Animals recognize and value a relationship established with human beings. Explain this, keeping in
mind the relationship established by Khushwant Singh’s grandmother with animals.
(ii) In words of the captain of Wavewalker, the crew was ‘cheerful and optimistic under direst stress,’ and
was able to bring the ship out of crisis. Elaborate how the optimism of crew-members helped them to
be through the disastrous storm.
X. Attempt ANY ONE out of TWO questions given below in not more than 120-150 words.
[6x1=6]
(i) How does the story “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse” convey the message of honesty and
integrity. How do the characters maintain it irrespective of their desire to keep the horse with
themselves?
(ii) Betrayal of trust is an evil which may afflict people and leave them traumatized forever. Discuss this
statement in the context of the chapter ‘The Address’.

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