TBSE Class 11 Sample Paper 2023 English (Half Yearly)

Class XI : English : Half-yearly Exam : 2022-23 : Marks 80
SECTION A -READING (26 marks)
I. Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow:: 8 Marks
The film industry is facing the challenge of the television screen which, because of its
ready availability and nearness to entertainment seekers, is becoming very popular,
particularly in the West where television programmes are as indispensable to people as
newspaper material.Sustained entertainment for multitudes lasting two or three hours is
possible only in big cinema halls. Scenic beauty, background effects and colour techniques
which have made the products of cinema industry so attractive and delightful may not be
reproduced by television programme organisers, and therefore, this important invention in the
fi eld of wireless communication, in spite of having become a big rival of the cinema, may not
succeed in replacing it. The motion picture has also stepped into the international sphere as an
agent of goodwill and co-operation among nations. Cultural contacts which tend to reduce
tension in the world and bring harmony in international relations have been established
through the medium of films. The more people understand and appreciate the past history,
present aims, customs, habits and beliefs of men and women in foreign lands, the more will
they realise that their interests can best be served by establishing friendly relations with them
and by removing those irritants which breed distrust, lack of co-operation and the desire to
punish those whose views and attitudes are such as they do not like. As cultural agents movies
can cement ties of love and brotherhood among nations and teach them to confer on each
other the benefi ts of all the rich and glorious achievements of the present enlightened age. In
recent years, artists of the fi lm world have been visiting foreign lands with a view to
presenting before audience in those countries the best products of their cultural heritage. Film
festivals which many European and Asian countries have been organising from time to time
have also proved to be of immense value in reducing social barriers, colour prejudices and
other causes of friction between nations.
On the basis of your reading of the passage given above, answer the following
questions.(1 × 8 = 8)
1. The fi lm industry is facing the challenge of:
(i) the theatre (ii) fi nancial crunch (iii) waning people’s interest (iv) the television
screen
2. The TV has become popular because of:
(i) its entertaining programmes (ii) its educative value
(iii) its ready availability and nearness (iv) its wide appeal
3. Three things which make cinema so attractive are:
(i) scenic beauty, background effects and beautiful faces
(ii) scenic beauty, good sets and colour techniques
(iii) scenic beauty, gaudy dresses and colourful techniques
(iv) scenic beauty, background effects and colour techniques
4. Films have become agents of:
(i) pioneering (ii) providing (iii) conferring (iv) goodwill and cooperation
5. Which of these reduces the tension of the people and bring harmony?
(i) fi lm industry (ii) television programme (iii) beauty of nature (iv) cultural context

6. The artists of the fi lm industry visit foreign lands with the purpose of:
(i) establishing friendly relations with them
(ii) presenting best products of their cultural heritage
(iii) bringing harmony in international relations (iv) getting better opportunity.
7. Film festivals have proved to be of immense value in reducing social barriers and
colour _____
8. Irritants only breed mistrust and conflicts among nations. (True/False)

II. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (10 Marks)
Have you ever failed at something so miserably that the thought of attempting to do it
again was the last thing you wanted to do? If your answer is yes, then you are “not a
robot.” Unlike robots, we human beings have feelings, emotions, and dreams. We are
all meant to grow and stretch despite our circumstances and our limitations. Flourishing
and trying to make our dreams come true is great when life is going our way. But what
appens when it’s not? What happens when you fail despite all of your hard work?
Do you stay down and accept the defeat or do you get up again and again until you are
satisfi ed? If you have a tendency to persevere and keep going then you have what
experts call, grit. Falling down or failing is one of the most agonizing, embarrassing,
and scariest human experiences. But it is also one of the most educational, empowering,
and essential parts of living a successful and fulfi lling life. Did you know that
perseverance (grit) is one of the seven qualities that have been described as the keys to
personal success and betterment in society? The other six are: curiosity, gratitude,
optimism, self-control, social intelligence, and zest. Thomas Edison is a model for grit
for trying 1,000 plus times to invent the light bulb. If you are reading this with the lights
on in your room, you know well he succeeded. When asked why he kept going despite
his hundreds of failures, he merely stated that what he had been not failures. They were
hundreds of ways not to create a light bulb. This statement not only revealed his grit but
also his optimism for looking at the bright side. Grit can be learned to help you become
more successful. One of the techniques that helps is mindfulness. Mindfulness is a
practice that helps the individual stay in the moment by bringing awareness of his or her
experience without judgement. This practice has been used to quiet the noise of their
fears and doubts. Through this simple practice of mindfulness, individuals have the
ability to stop the self-sabotaging downward spiral of hopelessness, despair, and
frustration. What did you do to overcome the negative and self-sabotaging feelings of
failure? Reflect on what you did, and try to use those same powerful resources to help
you today.
On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions in
about 30-40 words each. (2 × 5=10)
9. According to the passage, what are the attributes of a human?
10. What is perceived as grit?
11. How is ‘failing’ an educational and empowering part of human life?
12. In what ways can grit be developed?
13. How does mindfulness help an individual?

SECTION B – Writing & Grammar (31 Marks)

III. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
(8 Marks)
The tests of life are its plus factors. Overcoming illness and suffering is a plus factor
for it moulds character. Steel is iron plus fire, soil is rock plus heat. So lets include
the plus factor in our lives.
Sometimes the plus factor is more readily seen by the simple hearted. Myers tells
the story of a mother who brought into her home - as a companion to her own son-
a little boy who happened to have a hunch back. She had warned her son to be
careful, not to refer to his disability. The boys were playing and after a few minutes
she overheard her son say to his companion " Do you know what you have got on
your back ?" The little boy was embarrassed, but before he could reply, his playmate
continued " It is the box in which your wings are, and some day God is going to cut
it open and then you will fly away and be an angel."
Often it takes a third eye or a change in focus, to see the plus factor. Walking along
the corridors of a hospital recently where patients were struggling with fear of pain
and tests, I was perturbed. What gave me a fresh perspective were the sayings put
up everywhere, intended to uplift. One saying made me conscious of the beauty of
the universe in the midst of pain, suffering and struggle. The other saying assured me
that God was with me when 1 was in deep water and that no troubles would
overwhelm me.
The import of those sayings also made me aware of the nector springs that flow into
people's lives when they touch rock bottom or are lonely or guilt ridden. The nector
springs make recovery possible, and they bring peace and patience in the midst of
negative forces.
The forces of death and destruction are not so much physical as they are psychic
and psychological. When malice, hatred and hard heartedness prevail, they get
channeled as forces of destruction. Where openness, peace and good heartedness
prevail, the forces of life gush forth to regenerate hope and joy. The life force is
triumphant when love overcomes fear. Both fear and love are deep mysteries, but
the effect of love is to build, whereas fear tends to destroy. Love is generally the
plus factor that helps build character. It creates bonds and its reach is infinite.
It is true there is no shortage of destructive elements - forces and people who seek
to destroy others and in the process destroy themselves -- but at the same time
there are signs of love and life everywhere that are constantly enabling us to overcome
setbacks. Solet’s not look at gloom and doom - let us seek positivity and happiness.
For it is when you seek that you will find what is waiting to be discovered

14. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it in
points only, using abbreviations, wherever necessary. Also suggest a suitable title.
(5 Marks)
15. Write a summary of the passage in not more than 80 words, using the notes
you have made. (3 Marks)

16. . You are going abroad. You want to sell your house, built three years ago.
Draft an advertisement in not more than 50 words giving all the necessary
details of the house and its locality. Contact no. xxxxxxxxxx
Or
You are Personal Assistant to G.M., ABC Metal Tools Company, Mumbai. Your
General Manager has asked you to draft a Classified advertisement for a
local daily for the post of two engineers. Draft the advertisement in not
more than 50 words. (3)
17 . Your school is going to organise a Diwali Mela. Design poster
to in form the students about it. (50 words)
Or
Design a poster in not more than 50 words for your school library on
the value of books and good reading habits. You may use slogans. (3)
18. . Write a letter to Sports Centre, Kolkata, placing an order for sports articles
to be supplied to your school, ABC School, Agartala. Sign as Ravi/Raveena, Sports
Secretary. (120-150 words)
Or
Write a letter to M/s. Oxford Publishing House, London complaining that the books
sent by them were not those you had ordered for. Ask for a replacement. You are Varun
Joshi, Sector-20, Chandigarh. ( 120-150 words) (5)

19. “The Internet cannot replace a classroom teacher”. Write a debate in 120-150
words
Or
Rising price can be controlled only by the Government”. Write a debate in 120-150
words (5)

20. Complete the following sentences by filling in the correct form of the verb. (1x4)
In the last hundred years, travelling (a) (become) much easier and very comfortable.
In the 19th century, it (b) (take) two or three days to cross North America
by a covered wagon. The trip (c) ____(be) very rough and often dangerous. Things (d)
(change) a great deal in the last hundred and fifty years. Now you can fly from New
York to Los Angeles in a matter of hours.
21.. Rearrange the following words or phrases to make meaningful sentences
(1 × 3 = 3) :
(a) the / on / forests / the / industry / oil / depends
(b) do / get / the / forests / from / what / we products / ?
(c) give / to / armies / wars / forests / during / our / cover

SECTION C - LITERATURE (31 Marks)

22. Read the extrat given below and answer the questions that follow:
(1 × 3 = 3)
The sea holiday
Was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry
With the laboured ease of loss.
(d) Which sea holiday is referred to here?
(e) What was poetess past?
(f) Why is the poetess nostalgic about her mother’s laughter?
23. . Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: ( 1x3)

She had always been short and fat and slightly bent. Her face was a criss-cross of wrinkles
running from everywhere to everywhere. No, we were certain she had always been as we
had known her. Old, so terribly old that she could not have grown older, and had stayed at
the same age for twenty years. She could never have been pretty; but she was always
beautiful.
a) Who is ‘She’ in the above lines?
b) What was the physical state of her?
c) Which of the following is the synonym of ‘Fat’?
24. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: ( 1x4)

We are poor. We had no money. Our whole tribe was poverty-stricken. Every branch of the
Garoghlanian family was living in the most amazing and comical poverty in the world.
Nobody could understand where we ever got money enough to keep us with food in our
bellies , not even the old men of the family. Most important of all , though, we were
famous for our honesty.
a) For what was the Garoghlanian family famous ?
b) What financial condition was Garoghlanian tribe undergoing?
c) Why could no member of Garoghlanian steal?
d) What does the phrase ‘ keep us with food in our bellies’ mean?

25. Answer any two of the following questions in 40 to 50 words. (3x2)
a) “This was the turning point in our friendship.” What was the turning point?
b) How is the tree transformed during the bird’s visit?
c) What ordeal awaited them on 2 January?
d) The poet’s mother would laugh looking at the photograph. Why?
26.. Answer any one of the following questions in 40 to 50 words. (3x1)
a) Who was John Byro? What did he first lose but finally recover?

b) How did the narrator and Mrs Dorling recognise each other?

27. ‘Both wry with the laboured ease of loss.’ The poet is missing her mother. What is
the role of the mother in forming the personality of a child? (120-150 words) (6)
Or
How did the children’s presence and behaviour during the crisis affect the narrator?

28. . Compare and contrast the characters of Mourad and Aram. (120-150 words) (6)
Or
Describe the narrator’s first visit to Marconi Street, No. 46.