Class 12 Question Bank अंग्रेजी

Class 12 English Question Bank

SECTION-A READING
READING COMPREHENSION

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions given below
them.

Passage 1

Once upon a time, there lived a queen in the city of Benaras. Her name was Khema
and she was the wife of King Bahuputtaka. One night, the Queen had a dream of a
beautiful golden goose that spoke with great wisdom, almost as if he was a sage.
She told her husband that she desperately wanted to see a bird just like the one in
her dream. So the King asked his ministers to find out all that they could about a
bird such as this. He was told that such a bird did exist but was extremely rare and
difficult to find. They advised him to build a beautiful lake on the outskirts of
Benaras so that he may attract such a rare and lovely creature to reside there. In
this way, the queen might have her wish. Towards the north, on Mount Cittakuta,
there lived about ninety thousand wild geese headed by a beautiful golden goose
called King Dhatarattha. He got to hear of this exquisite lake surrounded by water
lilies and lotuses floating on the surface. The King had invited all the birds to come
and live on it; promising that none of them would ever be harmed. Corn was
scattered on a daily basis in order to attract the birds. So a couple of geese went
up to their King, the golden goose and told him that they were quite tired of living
up on the mountains and would like to see this wonderful lake where they had been
promised food and protection. The king agreed to their request and took the flock
down towards Benaras. Meanwhile, at the lake King Bahuputtaka had placed
hunters all around in order to capture any golden goose that happened to pass by.
So the next morning, when the headhunter saw this flock of geese approaching he
was very excited to see their golden leader. He immediately went about setting up
a snare amongst the water lilies and lotuses, as he knew that the leader would
definitely be the first to alight. The whole flock came flying down in one mighty
swoop and as expected it was the King‘s foot that touched the water first. He was

ensnared and could not escape. Seeing this, the other geese flew into a panic. But
none had the courage to try to free their king and so flew back to Mount Cittacuta
for safety. All except one. He was the chief captain, Sumukha. King Dhatrattha
entreated him to fly to safety too, as he would surely be captured if he stayed by

his side. But Sumukha replied that he would never desert his master in the face of
danger and would either try to save him or die by his side. At this point the hunter
approached and as Sumukha saw him he decided to appeal to his compassion. The
hunter asked the golden goose how come he had not noticed the trap that was set.
The golden goose replied that when one‘s time was up it was no use to struggle
against what was fated and one must just accept it. The huntsman was very
impressed with his grace and wisdom. He then turned to Sumukha and asked why
he had not filed with the other birds even though he was free to do so. Sumukha
answered that the golden goose was his King, best friend and master and that he
could never desert him even at the cost of his own life. Hearing this, the hunter
realized that these were a couple of rare birds of great nobility. He didn't care much
for his own King‘s reward and decided to do the right thing and set them free. He
told Sumukha that as he was ready to die for his King he would set them both free
to fly wherever they wished.
Questions:
i Why were the geese keen on visiting the lake in Benaras?
(a) They were invited personally by King Bahuputtaka
(b) They were tired of their told lake
(c) They were amused by the water lilies and lotuses
(d) The lake was not very far from the mountains
(e) To lake was to be a source of good food and protection
ii Why did the king approach the ministers?
(a)In order to find out the best location for the lake
(b)In order to find out if a golden goose existed
(c)To enquire about his wife‘s dreams
(d) To devise a plan to capture all rare bird species
(e) To enquire about the best hunter in the locality
iii Why did the headhunter release the King, golden goose?
(a) He was impressed by his wisdom and nobility
(b) The geese were a rare species of birds
(c) The golden goose, King Dhatarattha promised him a handsome reward
(d) The hunter sympathised with a golden goose
(e) The hunter did not want the chief captain to lose a friend
iv What was the king‘s intention behind building a lake?
(a) To attract all rare species of living animals and birds

(b) To beautify the city of Benaras
(c) He did not want to go against the wishes of his wife
(d) He wanted to capture the golden goose
(e) He enjoyed bird watching and wanted to create a natural habitat for them

v Why did the flock of geese panic and retreat to Mount Cittacuta?
(a) Their King took the wrong route to the lake and they lost their way
(b) Their King, the golden goose, was captured
(c) Their chief captain, Sumukha betrayed the King
(d) They spotted many hunters by the lake
(e) None of these
vi What advice did the ministers give to the king?
(a) That no such golden goose existed and he was only wasting his time searching
for one
(b) To create an artificial golden goose, for the queen
(c) To build a lake in order to attract the golden goose
(d) To open a sanctuary of rare birds for the queen
(e) To have a beautiful garden surrounded by flowers and trees
vii Which of the following statements would best describe the qualities of
Sumukha?
(1) Betrayer of the flock (2) The Selfless Goose (3) Loyal towards the king (4) The
native and ignorant goose
(a) Only (1) (b) Only (2)
(c) Only (3) and (4) (d) Only (1) and (4)
(e) Only (2) and (3)
Instructions: Choose the word which is most nearly the same in meaning to the
word asked.
viii. Exquisite
(a) Expensive (b) Delicate (c) Elaborate
(d) Wonderful (e) Efficient
ix. Snare
(a) Trap (b) Alarm (c) Plan
(d) Arrangement (e) Efficient
x. Desert
(a) Displease (b) Encourage (c) Instigate
(d) Escort (e) Abandon
Passage 2
Akbar was the son of humble parents. His father was a schoolmaster. There was
never very much money in the house, so he didn‘t enjoy any luxuries. All he wanted
was to learn more and more. Books were not easily available then as they were

handwritten and very expensive. Akbar read all the books he could lay his hands
on. In due course, he mastered Arabic, Persian, Philosophy and Astronomy and
dreamt of getting a position at court. But for this, one had to really excel in some
field. Also one needed a patron close enough to the Emperor to recommend a

newcomer. It was a few months before he could find a patron and a few more
months before he could find a suitable opportunity to recommend him to the
Emperor who asked what he had learnt and what work he could do. On hearing the
same, he said, ―We are pleased to give the young man a chance. Let him take
charge of the royal poultry house!‖ When he heard the news Akbar was
heartbroken. He, a scholar, capable of debating with the most learned men, was
asked to look after chicking hens! All the same, he got down to work with great
determination. His only concern was hens. He saw to it that they were well fed and
had clean water, that their living quarters were clean and if a fowl took ill that it
was separated from the others and given proper treatment. Meanwhile, the
Emperor had forgotten about the scholar he had packed off to mind the hens. But
one day while his Finance Minister was reading out the palace accounts to tell the
Emperor how much money had been spent on the royal household, he mentioned
such a low figure that the Emperor sat up. ―Have most of the hens died?he asked.
―No, your Majesty‖ was the reply – ―The hens are not only alive but are plump
and fit.‖ "Send for the scholar,‖ the Emperor demanded. When Akbar came to the
palace, the Emperor demanded ―Aren‘t you feeding them properly?‖ ―I am, sire,
only the food is different – I‘m feeding them what cannot be used in the royal
kitchen, vegetable peels and dough used to seal the vessels while cooking for your
Majesty. The hens not only enjoy it but it is also very good for them. ―Good work,
we hereby promote you to the rank of royal librarian. Akbar was bitterly
disappointed. He had spent the first thirty years of his life gaining knowledge. How
he wished to gain that knowledge and help people. Instead, as head of the royal
library he would be seeing only books and no people. But he buckled down to
organizing the library. A year later the Emperor came to visit the library. He was
surprised to find each book covered with a packet of silk, velvet or brocade. There
were hundreds of books and not one without a cover. ―You have used expensive
material to cover the books but have not charged us. Surely you are not spending
your own money? Akbar bowed low, ―Your Majesty, these covers did not cost
anything. Everyday dozens of people come to the court with humble grievances on
sheets of paper which are folded and placed inside a bag of the most expensive
material that they can afford. I have used them. The emperor was very pleased and
gave him a bigger responsibility.
Questions:
i. Which of the following can be said about Akbar‘s family?

(1) They were poor and uneducated.
(2) They discouraged him from becoming courtier.
(3) He was ashamed of them and did not introduce them at Court.
(a) None (b) Only (1) (c) 2 and 3

(d) Only 3 (e) All of these
ii. Which of the following is TRUE in the context of the passage?
(1) Akbar was aged when he was finally made a courtier.
(2) Akbar excelled at whatever job the Emperor assigned him.
(3) The Emperor did not value a person‘s education but his family background.
(a) All of these (b) Only 2 (c) 1 and 2
(d) 2 and 3 (e) Only 1
iii. How many years of Akbar‘s life was spent gaining knowledge?
(a) 50 (b) 20 (c) 10
(d) 30 (e) None of these
iv. Choose the word which is OPPOSITE in meaning to the word BITTERLY as used
in the passage
(a) Sweetly (b) Angrily (c) Sourly
(d) Freezing (e) Gladly
v. How did Akbar handle his appointment as royal librarian?
(a) He was angry and was waiting for an opportunity to tell the king so
(b) He was thrilled since he loved books.
(c) He was disappointed but put his best efforts into the job
(d) He considered it a good opportunity to learn more
(e) He was very happy since he preferred reading to interacting with people.
vi. How did Akbar manage the cover for books?
(a) He used the used-sheets of papers
(b) He spent his own money for this.
(c) He borrowed covers for books
(d) He was not aware of it.
(e) None of the above
vii. Why did the Emperor send Akbar when he was in charge of poultry?
(a) To test Akbar‘s knowledge of poultry.
(b) To see if Akbar was worthy of higher responsibility.
(c) To understand why the poultry was thriving despite reduced expenditure on
them.
(d) To scold him for feeding the poultry leftovers instead of healthy food.
(e)To demand an explanation for the poultry being overweight and unfit.
viii. What lesson can be learnt from the story?
(a) Patience and hard work will help one achieve success.

(b) Pursuit of riches and wealth is all that matters
(c) One should use any means of possibility to attain a promotion.
(d)One should be satisfied with whatever job one gets and not much more.
(e)It is very difficult to get something in life without bribing.

ix. Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word LOW
as used in the passage.
(a) Small (b) Gentle (c) Unhappy
(d) Short (e) Soft
x. Choose the word which is most nearly the SAME in meaning as the word CLOSE
as used in the passage.

(a) Shut (b) End (c) Neighbouring
(d) Dear (e) Careful
Passage 3
Oscar Wilde once remarked, “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are
someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” As he
so wryly observed, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” The vast
majority of us are not who we have been pretending to be, and the lives we’ve
been living until now are molded according to rules and values that are not our
own. Most of humanity is stuck in someone else’s discarded chewing gum and, is
yet to break free. Unless you have been brave enough to forsake this trap, here is
your likely portent: your religious convictions are those of your parents or
community and your political allegiances conform to the party system that society
offers. These are desirable choices that hold societies together. They make you who
you are, you might argue. True, but only if you might argue. True, but only if you
are content with admiring the wrapping and never looking inside the box. If you
dared to look you’d discover how these basic thoughts originate in a fundamental
belief formed during the first years of your life. Children usually bend their
perceptions and interpretations of reality to match those who care for them. They
find ways to please in order to receive attention. As they grow up, the issues may
change, but the initial patterns of conformity remain ingrained in them. The price
for surrendering to consensus is steep. It is nothing less than the loss of
individuality. You disengage from the grandness of creation and implode into the
holographic illusions humans have come to call reality. You become one of Oscar
Wilde’s other people thinking someone else’s opinions and assuming they are your
own. This condition is virtually universal. It is also the underlying cause of the world

as we know it. People cling so tightly to their personal and social identities that they
are blinded to anything that does not validate them. The way out is easier than
anyone might imagine. However, very few summon the courage, for it requires

them to leave the comfort of their own world and walk alone, unaided by the crutch
of dogma. Most people would rather get caught up in the business of earning a
living, raising a family unwillingly or helping their community, than deal with the
unsettling immensity of all that. Yet it seems that all humans are meant to take this
epic journey of discovery at some point in their series of lives on this planet.
Questions:
i. In spite of the dismal scenario depicted in the passage, the writer talks of his
epic journey of discovery. This discovery pertains to the
(a) longing for immortality (b) Yearning for utopia
(c) quest for excellence (d) search for reality
ii. The expression ‘holographic illusions’ means
(a) sense of bewilderment (b) shady dealings
(c)self-created phantasm (d) artificial images
iii. In the context of the passage, children adjust their ideas of reality, so that they
(a) are in conformity with their beloved ones
(b) can modify them according to the need of the situations
(c) may not be considered arrogant
(d) can use them to their advantage
iv. Which of these is not true in the context of the passage?
(a)We generally imitate others in everything
(b) People are happy to take on others’ roles
(c)We speak in other people’s voices most of the time
(d) People are genuine in expressing their feelings
v. In the context of the passage, ‘wryly’ means
(a) repulsively (b) hesitatingly
(c) disapprovingly (d) unwillingly
vi. In the context of the passage, how can humanity get stuck in someone else’s
discarded chewing gum?
(a) By using discarded things
(b)By appreciating others' ideas
(c)By giving preference to others’ views over one’s own views.

(d) By choosing a product which is sponsored by some great personality
vii. What does the expression ‘lives a mimicry, passions a quotation’ mean?
(a) Lives an imitation, feelings a borrowing

(b) Lives a sham, feelings a deception
(c) Lives a parody, feelings a repetition
(d) Lives a duplication, feelings a recitation
viii. ‘Unless you have been brave enough to forsake this trap’ implies that one has
to be
(a) very pretentious to discard one’s convictions
(b) coaxed to come out of the clutches of tradition.
(c) quite serious to give up the old values
(d) daring enough to break free from the stranglehold of others’ views
ix. To which of the following does the picture presented in the passages, not
conform?
(a) Adopt a dogmatic approach towards life
(b) Subscribe to others’ views
(c) Profess borrowed conviction
(d) Cast themselves according to their own ways
x. The writer of this passage envisages a world where people will
(a) desire to make these choices which hold the societies together
(b) profess implicit allegiance to social institutions
(c) have the courage to chart their independent course of action
(d) take pride in an unquestioned loyalty to old values
Passage 4
The task which Gandhiji had taken in hand was not only the achievement of political
freedom but also the establishment of a social order based on truth and non-
violence, unity and peace, equality and universal brotherhood, and maximum
freedom for all. This unfinished part of his experiment was perhaps even more
difficult to achieve than the achievement of political freedom. Political struggle
involved fight against a foreign power and all one could do was either join it or wish
it success and give it his moral support. In establishing the social order of this
pattern, there was a lively possibility of a conflict arising between groups and
classes, of our own people. Experience shows that man values his possessions even
more than his life because in the former he sees the means for perpetuation and

survival of his descendants even after his body is reduced to ashes. A new order
cannot be established without radically chaining the mind and attitude of men
towards property and at some stage or the other, the ‘haves’ have to yield place to

the ‘have-nots’. We have seen, in our time, attempts to achieve a kind of egalitarian
society and the picture of it after it was achieved. But this was done, by a large
amount, through the use of physical force. In the ultimate analysis, it is difficult if
not impossible, to say that the instinct to possess has been rooted out or that it will
not reappear in an even worse form under a different guise. It may even be that,
like a gas kept confined within containers under great pressure, or water held by a
big dam, once a barrier breaks, the reaction will one day sweep back with a violence
equal in extent and intensity to what was used to establish and maintain the
outward egalitarian form. This enforced egalitarianism contains, in its bosom, the
seed of its own destruction. The root cause of class conflict is possessiveness or the
acquisitive instinct. So long as the ideal that is to be achieved is one of securing the
maximum material satisfaction, possessiveness can neither be suppressed nor
eliminated but will grow on what it feeds. Nor will it cease to be such – it is
possessiveness, still, whether it is confined to only a few or is shared by many. If
egalitarianism is to endure, it has to be based not on the possession of the
maximum material goods which cannot be shared by others or can be enjoyed only
at the expense of others. This calls for substitution of spiritual values for purely
material ones. The paradise of material satisfaction that is sometimes equated with
progress these days neither spells peace nor progress. Mahatma Gandhi has shown
us how the acquisitive instinct inherent in man could be transmuted by the
adoption of the ideal of trusteeship by those who ‘have’ for the benefit of all those
who ‘have not’ so that, instead of leading to exploitation and conflict it would
become a means and incentive, for the amelioration and progress of society,
respectively.
Questions:
i. The unfinished task of Mahatma Gandhi was
(a) fighting against the foreign power
(b) establishment of a peacefully coexistent non-violent society
(c) achievement of political freedom
(d) None of these
ii. Select the best option to complete the sentence. Gandhi aimed at _____

(a) establishing a non-violent society (b) universal brotherhood
(c) achieving political freedom (d) all of these

iii. According to the passage, people ultimately overturn the form of a social
order.
(a) which is based on conciliation and rapprochement
(b) which is not congenial to the spiritual values of the people
(c) which is based on coercion and oppression
(d) which does not satisfy their basic needs.
iv. According to the passage, which of the following statements is not true?
(a) It is difficult to change the mindset of people towards property.
(b) In an egalitarian society, material satisfaction can be enjoyed only at the
expense of others.
(c) A social order based on truth and non-violence alone can help the
achievement of maximum freedom for all
(d) In establishing the social order of Gandhiji’s pattern, the possibility of a
conflict between different classes hardly exists.
v. In the context of the passage, what is meant by adoption of the ideal of
trusteeship?
(a) The privileged class voluntarily renounces the possessive instinct
(b) Substitution of spiritual values by material values by those who live in the
paradise of material satisfaction.
(c) To equate peace and progress to material satisfaction.
(d) ‘haves’ to adopt the ideal for the benefit of the society.
vi. Choose the most appropriate title for the passage.
(a)The social order of Gandhi's vision
(b) The renunciation of the possessive instinct
(c)Material values vs. Spiritual values
(d) Class conflicts in an egalitarian society
vii. Answer the following questions in the context of the passage. Why does man
value his possessions more than his life?
(a) To get recognition in society
(b) To preserve his name even after death through his possessions.
(c) He has the instinct of possession. (d) Possessions are essential to lead a

comfortable life.
viii. Egalitarianism means
(a) violence (b) inequality

(c) suppression (d) social and political equality
ix. In the context of the passage, which of the following statements is false?
(a) Satisfaction of material needs cannot earn peace and progress.
(b)Conflicts between groups and classes are bound to arise.
(c)The instinct of possession causes conflicts.
(d) The instinct of possession can be rooted out completely.
x. In the passage, the metaphor of ‘paradise’ has been given for _______
(a) fulfilling spiritual needs (b) renunciation of material goods.
(c) taking care of material needs (d) acquisitive instinct.
Passage 5
In November 1918, Dr.Ambedkar joined Sydenham College as a professor of
political economics and worked there for two years. With his little savings, some
help from the Maharaja of Kolhapur, and with a loan of five thousand rupees from
his friend, Naval Bhathena, he left for England in 1920 to complete his studies in
Law and Economics. He resumed his studies at the London School of Economics and
kept his terms at Gray’s Institute of Law. He turned his attention to the London
Museum where the relics of the saintly and scientific thoughts are preserved,
where the ruins of the antique world are displayed and where Karl Marx, Mazzini,
Lenin and Savarkar had dug for knowledge and digested it. In the Museum, he
pored over books from morning till evening. Time was an important factor with
him. To save both money and time, he would go without lunch. After this, the
second round of reading begins at his residence. The endless reading would go on
till early morning. He told his roommate that his poverty and lack of time required
him to finish his studies as early as possible.
During these studies in London for his academic eminence, he had not forgotten
the real aim in his life. He could not for a minute forget the dumb faces of the
untouchables in India. He took up this matter with the Secretary of State for India
and also held discussion with Mr. Vithalbhai Patel in London. Neither could he
forget the alien political realities of the nation. In a paper read before the Students
Union and also in his famous thesis, “The Problem of the Rupees”, he exposed the
hollowness of the British policies in India, which caused a stir in the academic world

of London and Ambedkar was suspected to be an Indian Revolutionary.
Questions:
i. Where did Dr.Ambedkar teach?

(a) London School of Economics. (b) Sydenham College
(c)London Museum (d) Gray’s Institute of Law
ii. Dr Ambedkar was a teacher of
(a) Political Economics (b) Law
(c) Literature (d) Political Science
iii. Who amongst the following was Dr Ambedkar’s benefactor?
(a) Raja of Kathiawar (b) Queen of England
(c) Raja of Kolhapur (d) Lord Gray
iv. Name Dr Ambedkar’s friend who helped him to go to England.
(a) Nawal kishore (b) Karl Marx
(c) Lenin (d) Naval Bhathena.
v. Why did Dr Ambedkar try to finish his studies as early as possible?
(a) Due to illness (b) For lack of resources and time
(c) due to adverse climate (d) Due to nostalgia
vi. What was Dr. Ambedkar’s real aim in life?
(a) Upliftment of the downtrodden caste. (b) Upliftment of his family
(c) Academic eminence (d) Successful career as a lawyer.
Vii .What was the core slogan raised by Dr. Ambedkar?
(a) Self-awareness amongst the oppressed. (b) Open revolt
(c) Pacification of the untouchables. (d) Revolt of the oppressors
viii. Where did Dr. Ambedkar spend most of his time in London?
(a) Courtrooms (b) India House
(c) Royal House (d) London Museum
ix. How many years did Dr. Ambedkar expose in his thesis?
(a) 1 year (b) 2 years
(c) 3 years (d) 4 years
x. What did Dr. Ambedkar expose in his thesis?
(a) Marginality of the rulers (b) Infallibility of the British Rule
(c) Universal laws of brotherhood (d) Hollowness of the English policies in
India.

Passage 6

The great sage once had a group of disciples. They were all very bright and eager
students and the sage had all the reasons to be proud of them. One day the sage
realized that he had imparted enough knowledge to his disciples. Now they were
all very learned. There was only one thing the sage had not taught them, and that
was the special verse that could bring the dead back to life. The sage knew that
such knowledge was too wonderful and could prove to be a dangerous thing in the
hands of someone who was not very wise. The sage pondered over this for a long
time. But he also knew that if he did not pass on this secret verse, it could die with
him. So, at last he called his cleverest disciple aside and said, ―I am going to teach
you a very special verse. If you chant this you can bring to life a dead person or
animal. Use only when you need it to and never misuse, or test your powers vainly.
He then called all the disciples together and said, ―I am sending you all into the
forest for forty days. Go together and come back together. Each one of you has to
guide one another and do good things. So the disciples started out together into
the forest. They were all united. But the clever disciple who knew the verse wanted
to show he was better than the others, as they walked into the forest, they came
across a dead tiger on the way. It was huge and looked wickedly fierce even when
dead. The clever disciple stopped and said to the others, ―Now I am going to show
you what our teacher had taught me alone. He has taught me how to bring life back
into the dead. The others would not believe him and he said, ―I would prove it to
you by bringing this tiger back to life.‖ But the other disciples said, ―Do not do
anything to prove your knowledge vainly. Moreover, if you put life into this tiger, it
will only turn on us and kill us all. This will not be a wise thing to do. But the clever
disciple had decided to prove himself and prepared to recite the verse. But before
he did so, the other disciples scrambled up to the topmost branch of a big tree
nearby. The disciple then recited the magical verse. The tiger slowly began to
breathe, ―It's working, cried the disciple in excitement and joy. The tiger opened
its eyes and saw him jumping and shouting in front of him. Roaring loudly, the tiger
pounced on the poor disciple and killed him. The other disciples on the tree
watched helplessly as the tiger threw down the dead body of the disciple and went
away into the forest. After some time the disciples came down, took the body and
went to the sage. The sage looked at them and said, ―Now you see what can
happen if you don‘t use your learning wisely. Let this be a lesson for you. With that,
the sage uttered the magic verse and brought the dead disciple back to life. The
sage then taught the verse to all his disciples and sent them into the world to do

well. He was sure that after such a lesson, they would be wiser and use their
knowledge learning only for doing good.
Questions:
i. What did the sage say to his disciple while teaching his secret verse?

(a) Not to share it with others. (b) Not to practice it on animals
(c) Not to use it to prove his superiority (d) Never to misuse the power of the
secret verse.
ii. Why was the sage proud of his disciples?

(a) Because they never misused their knowledge.
(b) Because they were very friendly with each other.
(c) Because they were very obedient
(d) Because they were very brilliant
iii. Why did all the disciples except one, climb up to the highest branches of the
tree?
(a) Because they did not know the secret verse.
(b) Because they wanted to watch the scene of the tiger coming to life, from a
distance.
(c) Because they felt their lives were in danger.
(d) Because they did not approve of the behavior of one of their fellows
iv. Why were the disciples sent to the forest by the sage?
(a) He wanted them to be eliminated
(b) So that the disciple could show them the magic of the secret verse.
(c) He did not want to teach them anything more.
(d) To teach them the lesson not to use their learning unsafely.
v. What is the message conveyed in the passage?
(a) A teacher must pass on all his knowledge to others before he dies.
(b) Knowledge and learning should never be misused.
(c) Teachers should impart equal knowledge to all their disciples.
(d) None of these.
vi. Why did the sage decide to pass on his secret verse to his disciple?
(a) So that the cleverest disciple could revive the tiger.
(b) We wanted to see if the cleverest disciple abided by his instructions.
(c) He did not want the verse to die with him.
(d) So that the cleverest disciple could take his place.
vii. Why did the clever disciple recite the verse to the dead tiger?
(a) To carry out the instructions of the sage.
(b)To flaunt the power of the verse to the other disciples.
(c) So that the tiger may come back to life.
(d) So that he could test the power of the verse.

viii. How did the other disciples react when the clever disciple decided to bring
the tiger back to life?
(a) They tried to deter him from doing so (b) They remained indifferent

(c) They were quite surprised (d) They felt quite happy
ix. Who is referred to as wicked and fierce by the author?
(a) All the disciples (b) The tiger
(c) The sage (d) the clever disciple
x. In the context of the passage, which statement is false?
(a) The sage was prejudiced against the clever disciple.
(b) The sage wanted the disciples to use their learning only for doing good.
(c) The sage brought the clever disciple back to life.
(d) The sage taught the secret verse to all his disciples.
Passage 7
The choices we make on a daily basis—wearing a seatbelt, lifting heavy objects
correctly or purposely staying out of any dangerous situation—can either ensure
our safety or bring about potentially harmful circumstances.
You and I need to make a decision that we are going to get our lives in order.
Exercising self-control, self-discipline and establishing boundaries and borders in
our lives are some of the most important things we can do. A life without discipline
is one that’s filled with carelessness. We can think it’s kind of exciting to live life on
the edge. We like the image of “Yeah! That’s me! Living on the edge! Woo-hoo!”
It’s become a popular way to look at life. But if you see, even highways have lines,
which provide margins for our safety while we’re driving. If we go over one side,
we’ll go into the ditch. If we cross over the line in the middle, we could get killed.
And we like those lines because they help to keep us safe. Sometimes we don’t
even realize how lines help to keep us safe.
I’m not proud of this, but for the first 20 years of my life at work, I ignored my limits.
I felt horrible, physically, most of the time. I used to tell myself “I know I have limits
and that I’ve reached them, but I’m going to ignore them and see if or how long I
can get by with it.” I ran to doctors, trying to make myself feel better through pills,
vitamins, natural stuff and anything I could get my hands on. Some of the doctors
would tell me, “It’s just stress.” That just made me mad. I thought stress meant you
don’t like what you do or can’t handle life, and I love what I do. But I kept pushing
myself, traveling, doing speaking engagements and so on— simply exhausting
myself. Finally, I understood I was living an unsustainable life and needed to make
some changes in my outlook and lifestyle.
You and I don’t have to be like everyone else or keep up with anyone else. Each of
us needs to be exactly the way we are, and we don’t have to apologize for it. We’re

not all alike and we need to find a comfort zone in which we can enjoy our lives
instead of making ourselves sick with an overload of stress and pressure.

Questions:

I) which of the characteristics are apt about the writer in the following context: “I
know I have limits and that I’ve reached them, but I’m going to ignore them and
see if or how long I can get by with it.”?
(a) Negligent (b) Indecisive
(c) Spontaneous (d) Purposeless
ii The reason why living on the edge has become popular, is because of the
(a) Constant need for something different.
(b) Population being much younger.
(c) Exhausting effort to make changes.
(d) Strong tendency to stay within our limits.
iii The phrase “potentially harmful circumstances” refers to circumstances that
can
(a) Certainly be dangerous. (b) Be fairly dangerous.
(c) Be possibly dangerous. (d) Seldom be dangerous.
iv The author explains the importance of discipline and boundaries in our lives
using the example of
(a) Road accidents. (b) Traffic rules.
(c) Lines on the highway. (d) Safe driving.
v The author attempts to __________________ the readers through this write-up.
(a) Rebuke (b) Question
(c) Offer aid to (d) Offer advice to
vi Which of the following is the ‘noun’ form of the word ‘unsustainable’
(a) unsustain (b) sustain
(c) unsustainability (d) unsustained
vii What does the author mean when he says, “to get our lives in order”?
(a) To resume our lives. (b) To organize our lives.
(c) To rebuild our lives. (d) To control our lives.
viii Noun form of ‘dangerous’.
(a) Danger (b) endanger
(c) dangerous (d) none of these
ix What had the narrator finally understood?
X What do people need to find according to the narrator?

Passage 8

Cataract is the major cause of blindness, which is also caused by damage to the
cornea. It occurs more often in old age. As one starts growing old, the lens of the
eye hardens, loses its transparency and becomes opaque. It obstructs the light rays
from entering the eye.The onset of cataract blurs the vision. Sometimes, the
cataract patient sees multiple images instead of a single object image. Because of
the gradual development of cataract, the afflicted person loses his/her vision and
the world becomes dark to him/her. The development of cataract is a complex
process. However, the following factors can be attributed to its formation. Cataract
generally develops in old age but sometimes, children are born with cataract
because of hereditary defect. Eye injuries too, can cause cataracts.
People exposed to sun rays for longer periods develop cataract earlier than others.
Researchers opine that the smoke inhaled while smoking carries substances
internally damaging the eyes.
Ultraviolet radiation, invisible to the human eye, is linked to skin cancer. The victim
loses vision and the world becomes dark to him.
Questions:
i What is the major cause of blindness?
(a) pollution (b) mobile phones
(c) cataract (d) None of these
ii Why does the lens of the eye become opaque in old age?
(a)it loses its transparency (b) it becomes dirty
(c) it becomes old (d) All of these
iii How does cataract affect its victim ultimately?
(a) Leads to partial loss of vision (b) leads to complete loss of vision
(c) both of these (d) None of these
iv How does one detect cataract in early stages ?
(a) Vision becomes clear (b) vision becomes blurred
(c) see multiple images (d) both b and c.
v Find the word from Para 1 that means ‘that through which light cannot enter’.
(a) transparent (b) opaque
(c) semitransparent (d) none of these
vi Noun form of patient.
(a) patient (b) patience
(c) passionate (d) None of these
vii Type of cancer caused by ultraviolet radiation is…….

(a) blood cancer (b) breast cancer
(c) skin cancer (d)lung cancer
viii The onset of cataract……….the vision.
(a) blurs (b) distracts

(c) diffracts (d) protracts
ix when does cataract generally occur?
x How is smoking responsible for the development of cataract?
Passage 9
Then all the windows of the grey wooden house (Miss Hilton used to live here. She
expired last week), were thrown open, a thing I had never seen before.
At the end of the day a sign was nailed on the mango tree: FOR SALE.
Nobody in the street knew Miss Hilton. While she lived, her front gate was always
locked and no one ever saw her leave or saw anybody go in. So, even if you wanted
to, you couldn’t feel sorry and say that you missed Miss Hilton.
When I think of her house I see just two colours, Grey and green. The green of the
mango tree, the grey of the house and the grey of the high iron fence that
prevented you from getting at the mangoes.
If your cricket ball fell in Miss Hilton’s courtyard you never got it back. It wasn’t the
mango season when Miss Hilton died. But we got back about ten or twelve of our
cricket balls.
The house was sold and we were prepared to dislike the new owners even before
they came. I think we were a little worried. Already we had one resident of the
street who kept on complaining about us to our parents. He complained that we
played cricket on the pavement; and if we were not playing cricket, he complained
that we were making too much noise anyway.
One afternoon when I came back from school Pal said, ‘‘Is a man and a woman. She
pretty, but he ugly like hell.’’ I didn’t see much. The front gate was open, but the
windows were shut again. I heard a dog barking in an angry way.
One thing was settled pretty quickly. Whoever these people were they would never
be the sort of people to complain that we were making noise and disturbing their
sleep.
A lot of noise came from the house that night. The radio was going at full volume
until midnight when the radio station closed down. The dog was barking and the
man was shouting. I didn’t hear the woman
Questions:
i Nobody went into Miss Hilton’s house because her front door was always………
(a)locked (b) settled
(c) open (d)None of these
ii Her house had only two colours----------

(a) Black and white (b) red and green
(c) grey and green (d) purple and green
iii The high iron fence did not let the boys get __________ .
(a) at the mangoes (b) at the guavas

(c) at the bananas (d) at the oranges
iv they never got it back if their __________ fell into her courtyard.
(a) Cricket ball (b) tennis ball
(c) volleyball (d) badminton shuttle
v The boys were ready to dislike the ____________ .
(a )new children (b) new owners
(c) new neighbours (d) none of these
vi One resident of the street always ___________ about them.
(a) Talked (b) complained
(c) discussed (d) none of these
vii The noun form of settle is-----
(a) Settling (b) settled
(c) settlement (d) settlement
viii The adjective form of ‘station’----
(a) Stationed (b) stationary
(c) stand (d) stational
ix How were the new owners of Miss Hilton’s house?
x Whose house was put on sale?
Passage 10
Caged behind thick, glass the most famous dancer in the world can easily be missed
in the National Museum, Delhi. The Dancing Girl of Mohenjo – Daro is that rare
artifact that even school children are familiar with. Our school textbooks also
communicate a wealth of our 5000 years heritage of art. You have to be alert to
her existence there, amid terracotta animals to rediscover this bronze image.
2. Most of us have seen her only in photographs or sketches; therefore the impact
of actually holding her is magnified a million times over. One discovers that the
dancing girl has no feet. She is Wall, a little over 10 cm tall, the length of a human
palm, but she surprises us with the power of great art, the ability to communicate
across centuries.
3. A series of bangles of shell or ivory or thin metal clothes her left upper arm all
the way down to her fingers. A necklace with three pendants bunched together and
a few bangles above the elbow and wrist on the right-hand display almost modern
ar.
She speaks of the undaunted, ever hopeful human spirit. She reminds us that it is
important to visit museums in our country to experience the impact that a work of

art leaves on our senses, to find among all the riches one particular vision of beauty
that speaks to us alone.
Questions:

i The Dancing Girl belongs to:
(a) Mohenjo-daro (b) Greek culture
(c) Homo sapiens (d) Tibet
II In the museum she’s kept among:
(a) dancing figures (b) bronze statues
(c) terracotta animals (d) books
iii Which information is not given in the passage?
(a) the girl is caged behind the glass
(b) she is a rare artefact
(c)school books communicate the wealth of our heritage
(d) she cannot be rediscovered
iv. Great AK has power because;
(a) it appeals to us despite a passage of time
(b)its small and can be understood
(c) it is seen in pictures and sketches
(d) its magnified a million times
v. The jewelry she wears consists of ------
(a) Bangles of shell (b) necklace
(c) anklets (d) all these
vi. She reminds us of-----------
(a) Our culture (b) our past
(c) our traditions (d) why museums of our country are exciting
vii. Synonym of the word ‘among’ in para 1
(a) Amid (b) between
(c) rediscover (d) communicate
viii. Antonym of the word magnify is---
(a) Amplify (b) enhance
(c) verify (d) compress
ix. What is the size of the dancing girl?
x. What does the dancing girl speak of?

Note Making

Read the following passage carefully and make notes on them also give a
suitable title to them.

1. Destruction of forests has a major impact on the productivity of our croplands.
This happens in two ways. Soil erosion increases manifold and the soil literally gets
washed away, leading to an accentuated cycle of floods and droughts. But equally
important is the impact of the shortage of firewood on the productivity of
croplands. When firewood becomes scarce, people begin to bum cow dung and
crop wastes. In many places cow dung and crop wastes are now the major sources
of cooking energy. Thus, slowly every part of the plant gets used and nothing goes
back to the soil. Over a period of time this nutrient drain affects crop productivity.
Add to this the technology of the Green Revolution, the technology of growing high
yielding varieties on a limited diet of chemical fertilizers like nitrogen, phosphates
and potash. The total biomass production goes up and so does the drain of the
nutrients from the soil.

2. Women’s education in India is one of the foremost concerns of the Government
of India as well as of the society at large. It is due to the fact that at the present
time, the educated women play a very significant role in overall development and
progress of the country. Women hold a prominent position in Indian society and all
over the world. However, since the prehistoric times women were denied
opportunities and had to suffer for the hegemonic masculine ideology. This
unjustifiable and unwarrantable oppression had resulted into a movement that
was fought to achieve the equal status of women all over the world. Women’s
education in India is the consequence of such progress and this led to the
tremendous improvement of women’s condition throughout the world.
Nevertheless eradication of female illiteracy is considered as a major concern
today. In the present era, Indian society has established a number of institutions
for the educational development of women and girls. These educational
institutions aim for immense help and are concerned with the development of
women. In modern society, women in India have come a long way. Indian women
are at par with men in all kinds of tasks like reaching the moon, conquering Mount
Everest, and participating in all fields. All this is possible just because of education
and the profound impact it has had on women.

3. Life is not a bed of roses, but a bed of thorns. It is full of dangers and difficulties.
In the race of life, we should not be afraid of the risk which is but natural. Success
in any work in life goes to those persons who welcome risk. Science would not have

made such wonderful achievements if our scientists had not risked their lives and
comforts. The more difficult the work is, the harder our efforts should be to
perform it. Life is not smooth sailing. Petty difficulties frighten a weak heart, who
is not prepared to take a risk. But brave hearts achieve fame and honour because
they enjoy taking risks. In short, risk brings success and works miracles.

4. Conversation is indeed the most easily teachable of all arts. All you need to do in
order to become a good conversationalist is to find a subject that interests you and
your listeners. There are, for example, numberless hobbies to talk about. But the
important thing is that you must talk about other fellow’s hobby rather than your
own. Therein lies the secret of your popularity. Talk to your friends about the things
that interest them, and you will get a reputation for good fellowship, charming wit,
and a brilliant mind. There is nothing that pleases people so much as your interest
in their interest. It is just as important to know what subjects to avoid and what
subjects to select for good conversation. If you don’t want to be set down as a wet
blanket or a bore, be careful to avoid certain unpleasant subjects. Avoid talking
about yourself, unless you are asked to do so. People are interested in their own
problems, not in yours. Sickness or death bores everybody. The only one who
willingly listens to such talk is the doctor, but he gets paid for it.

5. In the world have we made health an end in itself? We have forgotten that health
is really a means to enable a person to do his work and does it well. A lot of modern
medicine is concerned with promotion of good health. Many patients as well as
many physicians pay very little attention to health; but very much attention to
health makes some people imagine that they are ill. Our great concern with health
is shown by the medical columns in newspaper, the health articles in popular
magazines and the popularity of the television programme and all those books on
medicine we talk about health all the time. Yet for the most the only result is more
people with imaginary illnesses. The healthy man should not be wasting any time
talking about health, he should be using health for work, the work he does and the
work that good health makes possible.

6. Although speech is the most advanced form of communication, there are many
ways of communicating without using speech. Signals, signs, symbols and gestures

may be found in every known culture. The basic function of a signal is to impinge
upon the environment in such a way that it attracts attention, as for example, the
dots and dashes of a telegraph circuit. Coded to refer to speech, the potential for
communication is very great. Less adaptable to the codification of words, signs also

contain meaning in and of themselves. A stop sign, for example, conveys meaning
quickly and conveniently. Symbols are more difficult to describe than either signals
or signs because of their intricate relationship with the receiver’s cultural
perceptions. In some cultures, applauding in a theatre provides performers with an
auditory symbol of approval. Gestures such as waving and handshaking also
communicate certain cultural messages. Although signals, signs, symbols and
gestures are very useful, they do have a major disadvantage. They usually do not
allow ideas to be shared without the sender being directly adjacent to the receiver.
As a result, means of communication intended to be used for long distances and
extended periods are based upon speech. Radio, television and the telephone are
only a few of such means.

7. Fat comes in two types; Omega-3 which is found in marine life and Omega-6
which is concentrated in vegetable oils. The first is good, the other is plain rotten.
The best source of Omega-3 is preferably sea-fish. But frying it in Omega-6 rich
vegetable oil kills all its goodness. Ageing brains have low levels of thiamin, which
is concentrated in wheat germ and bran, nuts, meat and cereals. Better brain-food
comes from liver, milk and almonds, which are rich in riboflavin and extremely good
for memory. Carotene, available in deep green leafy vegetables and fruits, is also
good for geriatric brains. So is a high iron diet; it can make old brains gallop
hyperactively like young ones. Iron comes from greens; liver shell-fish, red meat
and soyabeans. Seas-food, very high in iron, is an excellent diet supplement. The
New England Journal of Medicine reported in its May, 1985 issue that 30 grams of
fish a day could result in a dramatic drop in the chances of acquiring cardiovascular
diseases. Sea fish, particularly shell-fish, crabs, mackerel and sardines, are more
effective than riverine fish because the latter is more vulnerable to chemical
effluents.
8. Life is not a bed of roses, but a bed of thorns. It is full of dangers and difficulties.
In the race of life, we should not be afraid of the risk which is but natural. Success
in any work in life goes to those persons who welcome risk. Science would not have
made such wonderful achievements if our scientists had not risked their lives and
comforts. The more difficult the work is, the harder our efforts should be to
perform it. Life is not smooth sailing. Petty difficulties frighten a weak heart, who
is not prepared to take a risk. But brave hearts achieve fame and honour because

they enjoy taking risks. In short, risk brings success and works miracles.

9. Conversation is indeed the most easily teachable of all arts. All you need to do in
order to become a good conversationalist is to find a subject that interests you and

your listeners. There are, for example, numberless hobbies to talk about. But the
important thing is that you must talk about other fellow’s hobby rather than your
own. Therein lies the secret of your popularity. Talk to your friends about the things
that interest them, and you will get a reputation for good fellowship, charming wit,
and a brilliant mind. There is nothing that pleases people so much as your interest
in their interest. It is just as important to know what subjects to avoid and what
subjects to select for good conversation. If you don’t want to be set down as a wet
blanket or a bore, be careful to avoid certain unpleasant subjects. Avoid talking
about yourself, unless you are asked to do so. People are interested in their own
problems, not in yours. Sickness or death bores everybody. The only one who
willingly listens to such talk is the doctor, but he gets paid for it.

10. In the world have we made health an end in itself? We have forgotten that
health is really a means to enable a person to do his work and does it well. A lot of
modern medicine is concerned with promotion of good health. Many patients as
well as many physicians pay very little attention to health; but very much attention
to health makes some people imagine that they are ill. Our great concern with
health is shown by the medical columns in newspaper, the health articles in popular
magazines and the popularity of the television programme and all those books on
medicine we talk about health all the time. Yet for the most the only result is more
people with imaginary illnesses. The healthy man should not be wasting any time
talking about health, he should be using health for work, the work he does and the
work that good health makes possible.

SECTION B (WRITING)

Poster Making/advertisement/notice

1. You are the secretary of “Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals”. Prepare
an attractive poster appealing the people to be kind to animals.

2. You are the Cultural Minister of your school Your school Govt. H. S. S. Datia is
going to organize a “Bal Mela” on Children’s Day. Design a poster to inform the
students about the various activities in the mela. Ask the students to participate
in it.
3. Prepare an attractive poster against the use of drugs.
4. Design an attractive and instructive poster of the Bhopal Police to educate and
warn the people not to touch unclaimed articles-like toys, boxes, bags, mobiles
etc.
5. Design an attractive poster with catchy slogans on ‘Blood Donation Camp’
6. You are Alok Khare, the secretary of the cultural activities of your school. Draft
a notice giving information about the selection of two participants from your school
to take part in the inter-school debate competition.
7. Your father has been transferred to another city. You want to sell certain
household goods. Design a suitable advertisement to be published in local
newspaper.
8. You are Aishwarya Patel, student of class XII of Govt.HSS, Dewas. You have
found a bag in the school playground. Prepare a notice for the school notice
board to inform about the bag.
9. You are S. Rajan of Barwani. You want to let your flat. Write out an
advertisement to be published in the classified column of a newspaper
10. You are Rishi Sahni. Your father has been transferred to Delhi. You want to sell
certain household goods. Draft an Advertisement in not more than 50 words.

Report/Paragraph/Article Writing

1. With the help of the following words given below produce a write up on ‘NSS
Camp’ (in about 120 words)

a. NSS Camp in Rampur village b.100 volunteers c. Planting of trees

d. cleaning of drains e. Adult literacy classes

2. With the help of the following inputs produce a write up on Value of Games.

a. Necessary for life b. Removes monotony c. Make our body
healthy

d. Learning good habits e. Develop quality and brotherhood

3. You have witnessed an accident. Write a report for a newspaper about the
accident using the following details; (in about 120 words)

a. Where, when and how did the accident happen,
b. people, vehicle involved, loss of life and property
c. The scene of accident,
d. details of casualties-deaths, injured ,hospitalized

5. You are Kunal, as a responsible citizen you have organized a campaign on ‘Say
No to Polythene Bags’ in your locality. Write a report using the following inputs.
(in about 120 words)

a. campaign in our locality b. disastrous effects of polythene
c. chokes the sewage system d. to make public aware of its harm
e. to make locality polythene free

6. Last Monday you went to the hospital to see your friend who was admitted
there. Using the following input produce a small write up on ‘A visit to a
hospital’ (in about 120 words)

a. registration counter b. people in front of doctors room c. surgical ward

d. nurses attending e. medical ward-patients lying on their beds

5. Write an article on ‘Man, Computer and Mobile’ for your school magazine using
the following inputs.( in about 120 words)

a. So many technical devices b. computer: a great invention

c. stores large data d. a reliable device
e. mobile: a basic necessity f wonderful various purposes
g. internet: a home of knowledge

7. Write a short paragraph on any one of the following topics in about 120
words.

A- The Problem of Unemployment B-Value of Games and Sports

C- Pollution Problem: A Great Challenge D- COVID-19 : its impact on our life

E- Harmful Effects of Junk food F- Online Education: Boon or Bane

G- Importance of English

Letter writing
Informal letters
1 You are Praveen Mahajan, residing at 23 Janki Nagar Indore. Write a letter to
friend Jaideep describing him about your preparation for the upcoming Board
examinations.
2 You are Mohan Verma living at 121 Sharda Colony Jabalpur. Write a letter to
your father about your hostel life as you have joined the hostel recently.
3 Write a letter to your friend Amar giving him tips to prepare for JEE mains
exams.
4 You are Amit Nema, living at 123-Gagan Hostel Ratlam. Write a letter to your
father describing him about a picnic spot you have visited last Sunday.
5 Write a letter to your friend Sujata inviting her to spend the summer vacation at
your place Bhopal.

Formal Letters

(A) Write a letter to M/s Deepali stationery mart,New market, Ratlam asking them
to send their rates and terms of supply of stationery items
(B) Write a letter to the collector of your district about the lack of facilities and
malfunctioning of the government hospital of your area.
(C) Write a letter to the collector of your district about the nuisance of
loudspeakers in your area requesting him to impose a ban on the use of
loudspeakers.
(D) Write an application to the principal of your school requesting him to issue a
School Leaving Certificate/Transfer Certificate.You are Mohan student of class XII
Govt.Higher Secondary School, Dindori.
(E) Write an application to the Principal requesting him to issue you a character
certificate as you have to submit it in the office of Collector for your selection in
the revenue department.
(F) You are Aditya Pandey, residing at 53, Vikas Nagar, Ujjain. Write a letter to the
Postmaster complaining against the Postman of your area.

SECTION B (GRAMMAR)
(Fill in the blanks)

DETERMINERS

A. Complete the following sentences using ‘some/any’.

1. I am going to buy....................clothes.
2. There is not…..………orange juice in the fridge.
3. Has he got…..………friends?
4. Can I have…..………. soup, please?
5. Come and see me…………….time you want.
6. Don’t make …………….noise. He wants to get………….sleep.
7. I am thirsty. Can I have…….………water, please?
8. Would you like………….tea?
9. George and Alice haven’t got….……. children.

10.They have hardly..………. Knowledge of English
11.My mother has not purchased …………. apples.
12.He crossed the frontier without…………..difficulty.

13.They bought….………books.
14.Are there…..……….letters for me?
15.He has given me…..……….money to start my business.

B. Complete the following sentences using ‘much/many’.

1. I made a good…….………friends.
2. There is not…..………water in the lake this year.
3. Have you read…..………English poems?
4. The boys made …..………. noise in the class.
5. Does he do…………..work daily?
6. How…………….times did you meet him?
7. How…………….time do you take to reach your school?
8. I don’t know how…….………things he has stolen.
9. He had too……………work to do.
10.How….……….sugar do you take in your tea?
11.My brother doesn’t take..………. interest in games.
12.We do not spend..…………. money on books.
13.How…………..languages do you know?
14.….………words are missing in this paragraph.
15.He did not make…..……….mistakes.
16.He may take as…..……….pens as he likes.
C. Complete the following sentences using ‘each/every’.
1. There were four books on the table. .............. Book was a different colour.
2. Mohan loves reading. He has read ................ book in the library.
3. He goes for a walk ................ day.
4. There is a bus............. ten minutes.
5. Study ............... sentence carefully.
6. Every sentence must have a verb.
7. In a football match, ............ team has 11 players.
8. I was away ten days and it rained ............. day.
9. It rained .................. day during my holidays.
10.There were six shirts on the shelf. ……………shirt was a different colour.

11.The Olympic Games are held…………... four years.
12.There are two girls here and …...........girl has a beautiful pen.
13.In a game of tennis there are two or four players. ……………..player has a racket.

14.The trees have been planted on …………….side of the road.
15.The sun rises in the east……………..day.
16.I tried to phone her two or three times, but…………… time there was no reply.
17.He comes to me …………...five days.
18.He has two sons. ………………son has a bike.
19.He goes to church ………...Sunday.

D. Complete the following sentences using ‘either/neither’.

1. There are two restaurants here. We can’t go to ................ restaurant
because............ restaurant is very good.
2. Mohan has given me two books but I have not read................ book.
3. Mohan has given me two books but I have read...............book.
4. Come on Tuesday or Thursday. ……………… day is ok.
5. …………….. accusation is true. He is sure to be acquitted.
6. He can write with …………….. hand.
7. There were trees on………………side of the road.
8. ……………… twin was invited to the party so they did not go there.
9. He may join…………….party but he found.. ……………party acceptable.
10.There were flowers on………………..side of the river.
11.He could not meet me on Monday or Tuesday because I was at school on
……………..day.
E. Complete the following sentences using ‘all/whole/both’.
1. ……………..exercises are not equally easy to do.
2. The ……………….world wept at Gandhiji’s death.
3. ……………..his legs have been injured in the accident.
4. He spent ………….the money.
5. He paid his …………….attention to his studies.
6. He can play badminton with ………….the hands.
7. Please take the ………………loaf of bread.
8. …………..my friends help me.
9. We spent ………………..day on the beach.

10.We spent the ……………….day on the beach.

F. Complete the following sentences using ‘few/a few/the few/little/a little/the
little

1. He is not popular. He has.............. Friends.
2. I enjoy my life here. I have ............. friends and we meet quite often.
3. He wants to spend ................ days that are left to him in solitude.
4. We must be quick. There is................. Time.
5. Let’s go and have a drink. We have got ............. time before the train leaves.
6. He spent.................money that was left in his purse.
7. I have got ……………………questions to ask.
8. I don’t think Rohit would be a good teacher. He has got...............patience.
9. Listen carefully. I’m going to give you …………………..advice.
10. This city is not a very interesting place to visit, so……………...tourists come here.
11. ……………...public gardens that we have are not maintained properly.
12. ……………....milk that he had has turned sour.
13.We must hurry up. We have got only………………….time.
14. The village was very small. There were only………………….houses.
15. Would you like…………..........milk in your coffee?
16.10- Do you mind if I ask you……………………..questions?
MODALS

Fill in the blanks using the appropriate modal given in the bracket.

1. He is the chief guest. He ...............to be here on time. (can, should, must, ought)
2. ....................you lend me a few hundred dollars? (could, may, must)
3. It is dangerous to go out alone at night. You .......................never do it. (could,
should, shall)
4. If you start in the morning, you .............reach there by evening. (will, would,
could)
5. They sell the best pizza in town. You.........................definitely try it. (should,
would , could)
6. If it rains, we ....................get wet. (would, could, will)

7. If she spoke a little French, she ..............................find a better job. (will, can,
could )

8. He ...........................be an introvert during his university days. (should, would,
used to)
9. ..........................you like to come with me? (could, would, should)
10.....................you solve this puzzle? ( can, may, will)
11.Although she tried, she ....................solve the problem. (could not, cannot, will
not)
12.My grandmother is ninety. She .......................still read without glasses. ( can,
will, could)
13.You ...........................regret this. (shall, will, can)
14.I ...........................go no matter what. (will, shall, can, would)
15............................you mind moving a bit? ( will, would, should)
16.You ............................not repeat this. (shall, may, might)
17.You ..........................pay for this. (shall should, would)
18........................ I call the doctor? (should, would, will)
19.All students .............................submit their assignments by Friday. ( would,
should , could)
20.If I knew his name, I ....................tell you. (will, would, should)
21.How ..................you call me names? ( will, dare, must)
22.I ................... sing better when I was younger. (should, would, could)
23.You ..........................not play with fire. ( should, must, need)
24.I think it ...................rain today. ( may, must, can’t)
25.Work hard lest you .......................fail. ( would, could, should)
26............................God bless you with a grand success. ( can, could, may)
27.............................her soul rest in peace. (would, could, may)
28.He played well so that he ....................win the game. (will, may, might, would)
29.Ram earns money so that he ..........................buy a bike. ( will, may, might,
could)
30.We .....................follow the rules of the road to avoid accidents. (must, should,
ought )
31................. I do that sum for you? (shall, will, can, may)
32.He said that he .........................come the next day. ( will, would, may)

33.Mohan asked me if I .......................help him. ( can, could, may)
34.Sita asks him what he ................do for her. (can, shall, may)

Answer key to fillers (Determiners)

Some/any

1-some 2-any 3-any 4-some 5- any 6- any, some 7- some 8- some 9- any 10-
any 11- any 12- any 13- some 14- any 15- some

Much/many

1- many 2- much 3- many 4- much 5- much 6- many 7- much 8- many 9- much
10- much 11- much 12- much 13- many 14- many 15-many 16- many

Each/every

1- each 2- every 3- every 4- every 5- each 6- every 7- each 8- each 9- every 10-
each 11- every 12- each 13- each 14- each 15- every 16- each 17- every 18-
each 19- every

either/neither

1- either, neither 2- either 3- neither 4- either 5- neither 6- either 7- either 8-
neither 9- either , neither 10- either 11- neither

both/all/whole

1-all 2- whole 3- both 4- all 5- whole 6- both 7- whole 8- all 9- all 10- whole

Few/little

1- few 2- a few 3- the few 4- little 5- a little 6- the little 7-a few 8- little 9- a
little 10- few 11- the few 12- the little 13- a little 14- a few 15- a little 16- a few

Modals

1- must, 2- could, 3- should, 4- will, 5- should, 6- will, 7- could, 8- used to,
9- would, 10- can, 11- could not, 12-can, 13- shall, 14- will, 15- would, 16- shall, 17-
shall, 18- should, 19- should, 20- would, 21- dare, 22- could, 23- must,

24- may, 25- should, 26- may, 27- may, 28- might, 19- may, 30- must, 31- shall,
32- would, 33- could, 34- can

Do as directed.

CLAUSES

Combine the following pairs of sentences to make a compound sentence using
one of the conjunctions given in the bracket.

1. Let me come in. I will break down the door. (but, else, and)
2. She may call a physician. She may consult a Vaidya. ( either........or, but,
otherwise)
3. You can’t get stamps today. The post office is closed. (and, still, so)
4. He ran fast. He could not catch the ball. ( otherwise, or, but)
5. She worked pretty hard. She failed in the examination.( yet, and, therefore)
6. He drinks wine daily. He gambles in the club. ( but, else, not only ........but
also)
7. They did not look at him. They did not talk to him. ( not only..... but also,
neither.....nor, or)
8. You can take a pen. You can take a book. ( either...........or, but, else)
9. Hire a taxi. You can’t catch the train. ( and, but, otherwise)
10.He came late. He was not allowed to enter the hall. ( and , but, therefore, else)
11.She washed clothes. She ironed them. (and, but, else)

Combine the pair of sentences into a complex sentence having an adverbial
clause of reason/cause.

1. You are honest. I will help you.
2. He was ill. He could not come.
3. I did not buy the house. I did not like its location.
4. He had to go. His wife was not feeling well.
5. I was tired. I could not play in that match.

6. He did not study well. He failed.
7. He succeeded. He laboured hard.
8. There was no rain this year. The paddy crops dried up.

Combine the pair of sentences into a complex sentence having an adverbial
clause of contrast.

1. Our team played extremely well. They could not win the match.
2. I shall come. It rains.
3. I would not do this illegal thing. You paid me.
4. I knocked the door. Nobody opened it.
5. I rang the well. No one came out.
6. You don’t like him. You can still be polite.
7. He has been very unfortunate. He is always cheerful.

Combine the pair of sentences into a complex sentence having an adverbial
clause of manner.

1. You have treated me in a certain way. I will treat you in the same way.
2. Men may sow much or little. They will reap accordingly.
3. I did it. The way you told me.
4. Do this. The way you are directed.
5. You may do this work. The way you please.

Combine the pair of sentences into a complex sentence having an adverbial
clause of time.

1. There is life. There is hope.
2. There is unity in our country. We will remain strong.
3. The train reaches the station. The passengers rush towards the compartments.
4. The thieves saw the police. They ran away.
5. The peon rang the bell. Students go to their classes.
6. Many years have passed. India became free.
7. He has lived with his father. He arrived in this city.

Combine the pair of sentences into a complex sentence having an adverbial
clause of purpose.

1. He works hard. He may pass.
2. He plays well. He wants to win the match.
3. He ran fast. He aimed at catching the bus.
4. His mother starved herself. She wanted to feed her son well.
5. Work hard. You might fail.
6. Walk fast. You might be late.
7. Obey the orders. You might be punished for not obeying them.

Combine the pair of sentences into a complex sentence having an adverbial
clause of condition.

1. You speak the truth. You will be pardoned.
2. You work hard. You can get success.
3. It does not rain. The crops will ruin.
4. I had a calculator. I would give it to you for your examination.
5. Someone tried to blackmail me. I would inform the police.
6. He had tried to leave the country. He would have been stopped at the frontier.
7. He had worked hard. He would have passed.
8. He didn’t visit Agra. He didn’t see the Taj.
9. You do not work hard. You cannot get success.
10.It had not rained. She would not have stayed home.

Combine the pair of sentences into a complex sentence having an adverbial
clause of result/consequence.

1. He was very weak. He could not walk.
2. Mohan ran very fast. He won the prize.
3. I am busy. I can’t go to the cinema.
4. That conductor was experienced. He could not mind harsh words.
5. He is a very intelligent boy. He can pass the exam easily.

6. Mohan is a very brave boy. He cannot be frightened.
7. The box was very heavy. She could not lift it.

Combine the pair of sentences into a complex sentence having an
adjective/relative clause.

1. The place was a railway station. We first met there.
2. I saw the Taj. It is in Agra.
3. The boy is my friend. His father is the Principal of this school.
4. The man is coming to tea. You met him yesterday.
5. The man is his uncle. The man came to see the teacher.
6. This is the man. The man stole your watch.
7. I know the man. You saw him at the station.
8. The match was very thrilling. We saw the match yesterday.
9. This is the school. My father teaches here.

Combine the pair of sentences into a complex sentence having a noun clause.

1. He is honest. I do not doubt it.
2. He will come today. I am sure of it.
3. You have acted wrongly. I believe so.
4. A lazy man injures no one but himself. This is not true.
5. Someone has been making a great noise. I should like to know the person.
6. The messenger told us something about that matter. I heard it.
7. I don’t know. Who is she?
8. I can’t say. Is he ill?
9. Tell me. Where is he?
10.I don’t know this. Where does he live?
11.The news is this. India has won the match.
12.Somebody called me. I don’t know who.
13.Can you tell me? How have you come?

Combine the pair of sentences using a non-finite clause.

1. He lied in the bed. He was reading a novel.
2. He sat in the tree. He was cutting off a branch.

3. He opened the box. He took out a gun.
4. He heard the news. He felt very happy.
5. He reached home. He had a bath.

6. The sun rose. The fog disappeared.
7. He was defeated. He fled away.
8. They were beaten up. They began to cry.
9. I was asked. I replied.
10.He studied well. He failed.
11.He called them loudly. They gave no answer.
12.He is healthy. He is intelligent also.
13.He was late. He was punished.
14.The king entered the court. He was followed by the courtiers.
15.We saw the children. They were playing in the garden.

Do as directed.
1. As soon as he knew my result, he informed me. ( Rewrite the sentence using
‘no sooner.......than’)
2. No sooner does the peon ring the bell than the students go to their classes. (
Rewrite the sentence using ‘as soon as’)
3. As soon as the guard waved the green flag, the train started moving off. (
Rewrite the sentence using ‘hardly ..........when’)
4. I had to take a taxi so that I might reach there in time. ( Rewrite the sentence
using ‘to’)
5. We eat so that we may live. ( Rewrite the sentence using ‘to’)
6. If he does not have time, he will not help you. ( Rewrite the sentence using
‘unless’)
7. If it rains, we will not play. ( Rewrite the sentence using ‘unless’)
8. If you hire a taxi, you can catch the train. ( Rewrite the sentence using ‘unless’)
9. Unless you speak the truth, you will not be pardoned. ( Rewrite the sentence
using ‘if’)
10.Unless I have money, I cannot buy this car. ( Rewrite the sentence using ‘if’)
11.He was so drunk that he could not drive home. ( Rewrite the sentence using
‘too.......to’)
12.Suresh is too deaf to hear the thunder. ( Rewrite the sentence using

so.......that’)
13.The tea is too hot for him to drink. ( Rewrite the sentence using ‘so........that’)

14.The light was so dim that we could not read by it. ( Rewrite the sentence using
‘too.......to’)
15.The tree was too high to climb up. ( Rewrite the sentence using ‘so.........that)
16.No other boy is as intelligent as Mohan in this school. ( Rewrite the sentence
using ‘comparative degree’)
17.Rose is more beautiful than any other flower in this garden. ( Rewrite the
sentence using ‘positive degree’)
18.Few men are as great as M. K. Gandhi in India. ( Rewrite the sentence using
‘superlative degree’)

Identify the underlined clauses in the following sentence and tell if they are
adverbial clauses/ adjective clauses/noun clauses.
1. I know where he lives.
2. I know the place where he lives.
3. You may go where you like.
4. Where there is will, there is a way.
5. I know the man who is wearing a blue shirt.
6. I don’t know who made this mistake.
7. The news that he has been arrested is true.
8. He is so weak that he cannot walk anymore.
9. He asked me if I was going to Delhi that day.
10.Give attention to what he says.

TEXT BOOKS

Extract from Flamingo - Prose section

Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow.

Extract-1
Poor man! It was in honour of this last lesson that he had put on his fine Sunday
clothes, and now I understand why the old men of the village were sitting there in
the back of the room.It was because they were sorry, too, that they had not gone

to school more. It was their way of thanking our master for his forty years of
faithful service and of showing their respect for the country that was theirs no
more.

Questions.
i. Who does the narrator refer to as ‘poor man’?
a. the villager b. Franz
c. M. Hamel d. None of the avobe.
ii Why does the narrator call the French teacher as ‘poor man’?
a. He sympathizes with the teacher as he had to leave the village.
b. He believes that the teacher was poor.
c. He feels sorry for the teacher as it was his last lesson.
d. None of the above.
Iii How many years had the teacher given his service in the school?
a. thirty years b. forty five years
c. fourteen years d. forty years
iv Who sat on the back benches on the last lesson?
a. Franz b. the village people
c. the new teacher d. M. Hamel
v Who is the writer of the lesson ‘The Last Lesson’?
a. Alphonse Daudet b. Selma Lagerlof
c. William O Douglas d. Anees Jung

Extract-2
When I passed the town hall there was a crowd in front of the bulletin-board. For
the last two years all our bad news had come from there-the lost battles, the draft,
the orders of the commanding officer-and I thought to myself , without stopping.
“What can be the matter. Now?”Then, as I hurried by as fast as I could go, the
blacksmith, Watcher, who was there, with his apprentice, reading the bulletin,
called after me, “Don’t go so fast, bub: you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!”I
thought he was making fun of me, and reached M Hamel’s little garden all out of
breath.

Questions.

i. Where had all the bad news come from for last two years?
a. school b. Prussia
c. Alsace d. Bulletin-board

ii. What did the blacksmith say to Franz?
a. to read the bulletin-board b. to complete his homework
c. to hurry to school d. to not go so fast
iii. What has M Hamel’s ‘little garden’ been referred to in this extract?
a. his home b. his school
c. his country d. his garden
iv. Which of these means ‘apprentice’?
a. mentor b. amateur
c. engineer d. writer
v. What was the motive of the blacksmith Watcher?
a. To ridicule Franz
b. To boost the morale of Franz
c. To dominate little Franz
d. To make him realize the importance of his mother tongue

Extract-4
“My children, this is the last lesson I shall give you. The order has come from Berlin
to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new Master comes
tomorrow. This is your last French lesson. I want you to be very attentive.”What a
thunderclap these words were to me! Oh, the wretches; that was what they had
put up at the town hall!My last French lesson! Why, I hardly knew how to write! I
should never learn anymore! I must stop there, then! Oh, how sorry I was for not
learning my lessons, for seeking birds’ eggs, or going sliding on the Saar! My books,
that had seemed such a nuisance a while ago, so heavy to carry, my grammar, and
my history of the saints, were old friends now that I couldn’t give up.
Questions .
i. Which of these orders has come from Berlin?
a. closure of school b. no French to be taught
c. rustication of Franz d.transfer to M. Hamel
ii Why does M. Hamel want the students to be attentive?
a. because the order has come from Berlin

b. because it is his last French lesson
c. because he is about to tell important questions for their exam because the
government officer is on a visit

iii. Which of these seemed ‘old friends’ to Franz?
a. M. Hamel b. the blackboard
c. his classmates d. his books
iv. “What a thunderclap these words were to me!”
Which of these expresses the meaning of the underlined word in the above line?
a. loud and clear b. startling and unexpected
c. pleasant and welcome d. encouraging and full of zeal
v. Which of these moods did Franz express when he was told that it was his last
French lesson?
a. inspired and cheerful b. repenting and sorrowful
c. optimistic and serious d. romantic and humorous

Extract-5
"Why do you do this?" I ask Saheb whom I encounter every morning scrounging
for gold in the garbage dumps of my neighbourhood. Saheb left his home long
ago. Set amidst the green fields of Dhaka, his home is not even a distant memory.
There were many storms that swept away their fields and homes, his mother tells
him. That's why they left, looking for gold in the big city where he now lives. "I
have nothing else to do," he mutters, looking away. "Go to school," I say glibly,
realizing immediately how hollow the advice must sound. "There is no school in
my neighbourhood. When they build one, I will go."

Questions-
i. Who is ' I ' in the above lines?
(a) Anees Jung (b) Jack Finney
(c) Alphonse Daudet (d) Collin Dexte
ii. Which chapter has this extract been taken from?
(a) Lost Spring (b) The Last Lesson
(c) Deep Water (d) The Rattrap
iii. What does the word 'Amidst' mean?
(a) In the middle of (b) In the corner of
(c) In the right side of (d) In the left side of
iv. Why does the word 'Glibly' mean
(a) Superficially (b) Intrinsically

(c) confidently (d) None of these

Extract-6

"If I start a school, will you come?" I ask, half-joking. "Yes," he says, smiling broadly.
A few days later I see him running up to me. "Is your school ready?" "It takes longer
to build a school," I say, embarrassed at having made a promise that was not
meant. But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world. After
months of knowing him, I ask him his name. "Saheb-e-Alam," he announces. He
does not know what it means. If he knew its meaning-lord of the universe - he
would have a hard time believing it.

Questions-
i. Why does the narrator feel embarrassed?
(a) For making a fake promise (b) For making a promise that she can keep
(c) For making a real promise (d) For not making any promise
ii. Which literary device is there in sahib's name?
(a) Satire (b) Irony
(c) Paradox (d) Hyperbole
iii. What does phrase 'Abound in' mean?
(a) Pullulate with (b) Teem in
(c) Exist in large quantity (d) all of these
Iv. Find out the synonym of the word 'Bleak' from the following.
(a) Black (b) Dim
(c) Hopeless (d) All of these
Extract-7
It had happened when I was ten or eleven years old. I had decided to learn to swim.
There was a pool at the Y.M.C.A. in Yakima that offered exactly the opportunity.
The Yakima River was treacherous. Mother continually warned against it, and kept
fresh in my mind the details of each drowning in the river. But the Y.M.C.A. pool
was safe. It was only two or three feet deep at the shallow end; and while it was
nine feet deep at the other, the drop was gradual. I got a pair of water wings and
went to the pool. I hated to walk naked into it and show my skinny legs. But I
subdued my pride and did it.

Questions-
i. Who is 'I' in the above lines?
(a) President Roosevelt (b) The instructor

(c) William Douglas (d) Alphonse Daudet
ii. What does the word 'Treacherous' mean?
(a) Dangerous (b) Safe

(c) Punitive (d) All of these
iii. How was YMCA pool safer?
(a) For it had instructors
(b) For it had life guards
(c) For it had shallow water to learn swimming
(d) All of these
iv. What does the speaker mean by 'I subdued my pride'?
(a) A. Put pride down by force (b) B. Brought pride out of control
(c) raised his pride (d) all of these

Extract-8
From the beginning, however, I had an aversion to the water when I was in it. This
started when I was three or four years old and father took me to the beach in
California. He and I stood together in the surf. I hung on to him, yet the waves
knocked me down and swept over me. I was buried in water. My breath was gone.
I was frightened. Father laughed, but there was terror in my heart at the
overpowering force of the waves. My introduction to the Y.M.CA. Swimming pool
revived unpleasant memories and stirred childish fears. But in a little while I
gathered confidence.

Questions-
i. Who is the author of Deep Water?
(a) John Updike (b) Gertrude Simmons
(c) William Blake (d) None of these
ii. What does the word 'Revived' mean?
(a) Given fresh life (b) Restored to consciousness
(c) Resuscitated (d) All of these
Iii. What does the speaker mean by 'I was buried in water'?
(a) That he was drenched (b) that he was drowned
(c) That he lost his breath in the pool (d) All of these
Iv. Why did he go to Y.M.C.A pool?
(a) Because it was safer (b) Because it was riskier

(c) Because it had personal instructor (d) All of these

Extract -9

When Frank Buchman’s Moral Rearmament Army, some two hundred strong,
visited Madras sometime in 1952, they could not , have found a warmer host in
India than the Gemini Studios. Someone called the group an international circus.
They weren’t very good on the trapeze and their acquaintance with animals was
only at the dinner table, but they presented two plats in a most professional
manner. Their ‘ Jotham Valley’ and ‘The Forgotten Factor’ ran several shows in
madras and along with the other citizens of the city, the Gemini family of six
hundred saw the plays over and over again. The message of the play were usually
plain and simple homilies, but the sets and costumes were first-rate.

Questions-
i. What is the full form of M. R. A.?
(a) Main River Area (b) Moral Rearmament Army (c) Main
Road Access
ii. When did MRA visit Madras?
(a) 1952 (b) 1962 (c) 1942
iii. What things attracted the audience in the plays staged by MRA?
(a) their make-up (b) their sets and costumes (c) their dialogues
iv. How many people were there in the Gemini family?
(a) 400 (b) 500 (c) 600
v. Madras is known as --- in present time.
(a) Chennai (b) Chenab (c) Chelsy
Extract -11
In all instances of frustration, you will always find the anger directed towards a
single person openly or covertly and this man of the make-up department was
convinced that all his woes, ignominy and neglect were due to Kothamanglam
Subbu. Subbu was the No. 2 at Gemini Studios. He couldn’t have had a more
encouraging opening in films than our grown-up make-up boy had.
Questions-
i. The boy in the make-up department was jealous of---
(a) Subbu (b) Greta Garbo (c) Asokamitran

ii. Who was No. 2 at the studios?

(a) Robert Clive (b) Rati Agnihotri (c) Kothamangalam
Subbu
iii. Who was frustrated?
(a) A boy of make-up department (b) Subbu (c) Gemini Studios
iv. Who is the author of ‘Poets and pancakes’?
(a) William Douglas (b) b-Louis Fischer (c) Asokamitran
v. What is adjective form of anger?
(a) angry (b) anger (c) agree
Extract-12

Lewis Carroll , the creator of Alice in Wonderland, was said to have had ‘a just
horror of the interviewer and he never consented to be interviewed- It was his
horror of being lionized which made him thus repel would be acquaintances,
interviewers, and the persistent petitioners for his autograph and he would
afterwards relate the stories of his success in silencing all such people with much
satisfaction and amusement.

Questions-

i. ‘Alice in Wonderland’ is created by ------
(a) Lewis Carroll (b) Rudyard Kipling (c) V. S. Naipaul
ii. Lewis Carroll’s opined that interviews and auto graph create—
(a) wonder (b) terror (c) horror
Iii. Who has expressed on the interviewers negatively?
(a) Rudyard Kipling (b) Lewis Carroll (c) Christopher
iv. The above extract has taken from—
(a)-The Last Lesson (b)-Lost Spring (c)-The
Interview
v. Who is the author of the lesson
(a) Alphonse Daudet (b) Christopher Silvester (c) Asokamitran
Extract-13

Since its invention a little over 130 years ago, the Interview has become a

commonplace of journalism. Today, almost everybody who is literate will have read
an interview at some point in their lives, while from the other point of view, several
thousand celebrities have been interviewed over the years, some of them

repeatedly. So it is hardly surprising that opinions of the interview- of its functions,
methods and merits- vary considerably. Some might make quite extravagant claims
for it being, in its highest form, a source of truth and in its practice an art.
Questions:

i. The interview has become a commonplace of---
(a) passivism (b) atheism (c) journalism
ii. Interview has been invented a little over – years ago.
(a) 160 (b) 130 (c) 140
Iii. Some say that interview is a source of –
(a) truth (b) invention (c) lies
iv. The opinion about the interview --- considerably.
(a) very (b) vary (c)
vile
V. Almost everybody who is --- will have read an interview at some point in their
lives.
(a) illiterate (b) versed (c) literate
Extract-14
And then I have a secret. Did you know what will happen if you eliminate the empty
spaces from the universe, eliminate the empty spaces in all the atoms? The
universe will become as big as my fist. Similarly, we have a lot of empty spaces in
our lives. I call them interstices. Say you are coming over to my place. You are in an
elevator and while you are coming up, I am waiting for you. This is interstice, an
empty space. I work in empty spaces. While waiting for your elevator to come up
from the first to the third floor, I have already written an article.
Questions:
I. What is interstices?
(a) empty space (b) a book (c) universe
ii. What Umberto Eco has done while waiting for the interviewer’s elevator to
come up?
(a) read a book (b) wrote an article (c) took a nap

iii. How does Eco find so much time to write so much?
(a) working all the day

(b) working in interstices of time
(c) working at home
iv. What will the universe become if the empty space is eliminated?
(a) as big as a fist (b) as bid as a thumb (c) as big as a finger
Extract -15
Sophie watched her back stooped over the sink and wondered at the incongruity
of the delicate bow which fastened her apron strings. The delicate-seeming bow
and the crooked back. The evening has already blacked in the windows and the
small room was steady from the stone and cluttered with the heavy-breathing man
in his vest at the table and the dirty washing piled up in the corner. Sophie felt a
tightening in her throat. She went to look for her brother Geoff.
Questions:
(i) How did Sophie feel to see the bow which fastened her apron strings?
(a) She felt amazed (b) she felt ashamed
(c) she felt wondered (d) none of these.
(ii) What was the condition of the small room?
(a) It was well lighted (b) it was dark there
(c) It was steamy (d) All of these
(iii) What did Sophie do when she felt tightening in her throat?
(a) She drank some water
(b) She felt dizzy
(c) She went out to look for her brother Geoff
(d) She stayed in the room
(iv) Name the writer of this chapter.
(a) Christopher Silvester (b) Ashokamitran
Extract -16
“It was nothing like that, Geoff- It was me spoke first. When I saw who it was, I said,
“Excuse me, but aren’t you Danny Casey?” And he looked sort of surprised. And he
said, “Yes, that’s right.” And I knew it must be him because he had the accent, you
know, like when they interviewed him on the television. So I asked him for an
autograph for little Derek, but neither of us had any paper or a pen. So then we just
talked a bit. About the clothes in Royce’s window. He seemed lonely. After all, it’s
a long way from the west of Ireland. And then, just as he was going, he said, If I
would care to meet him next week he would give me an autograph then. Of course,
I said I would.”

Questions:
i. Who looked sort of surprised and why?
(a)Sophie (b) Jansie

(c) Geoff (d) Danny Casey.
ii. How did Sophie confirm that he was Danny Casey?
(a) By his accent (b) by his face
(c) by his voice (d) None of these

iii. What did Sophie ask Danny Casey?
(a) For a meeting with him (b) for his autograph
(d) for his photograph (d) All these
iv. While going, what did Danny Casey ask her?
(a) A meeting with her (b) her photograph
(d) her contact no (d) none of these

Extract-17
After dark she walked by the canal, along a sheltered path lighted only by the glare
of the lamps from the wharf across the water, and the unceasing drone of the city
was muffled and distant. It was a place she had often played in when she was a
child. There was a wooden bench beneath a solitary elm where lovers sometimes
came. She sat down to wait. It was the perfect place; she had always thought so,
for a meeting of this kind. For those who wished not to be observed. She knew he
would approve.

Questions:
I. After dark, where did she walk along?
(a) highway (b) a congested street
(b) (c) a sheltered path (d) a canal
ii. Why that place was suitable for meeting?
(a) The city was noisy (b) There was a crowed in the city
(c) The city was muffled and distant (d) All of these
iii. Where did she sit?
(a) In a room (b) on a bench
(c) under a shade (d) kept standing there in sunshine
iv. Why it was a perfect place?
(a) It was close to her house (b)It was a peaceful place to sit
(c) Nobody could observe them there (d) All of these

Extract-18
The old man was just as generous with his confidences as with his porridge and
tobacco. The guest was informed at once that in his days of prosperity his host had
been a crofter at Ramsjo Ironworks and had worked on the land. Now that he was

no longer able to do day labour, it was his cow which supported him. Yes, that bossy
was extraordinary. She could give milk for the creamery every day, and last month
he had received all of thirty kronor in payment. The stranger must have seemed
incredulous, for the old man got up and went to the window, took down a leather
pouch which hung on a nail in the very window frame, and picked out three
wrinkled ten-kronor bills. These he held up before the eyes of his guest, nodding
knowingly, and then stuffed them back into the pouch.
Questions:
1. What was the profession of the host?
(a)milkman (b) ironsmith
(c) crofter (d)shopkeeper
2. Which of these has similar meaning to the word ‘incredulous?
(a)simple (b) doubtful
(c)naive (d) innocent
3. What did the crofter do with the milk?
(a) consumed himself (b)sold to neighbours
(c) supplied to diary (d)stored for cheese making
4. From which lesson the above extract has been taken?
(a)Indigo (b) The Third Level
(c) The Enemy (d) The Rattrap
5. Porridge is –
(a)food (b) bird (c) game (d) all of these

Extract from Flamingo – Poetry

Read the following extracts and answer the questions given below by choosing
the correct option.

Exrtact-1
Driving from my parent’s
Home to Cochin last Friday
Morning, I saw my mother,
Beside me,
Doze, open mouthed, her face
Ashen like that
Of a corpse and realized with pain
That she was as old as she
Looked but soon
Put that thought away
And looked out at young trees sprinting...
Questions:
i. Which of these best applies to the given extract?
a. a conversation b. a piece of advice
c. a recollection d. an argument
ii. Which of these literary devices has been used in the line ‘her face ashen like
that of a corpse’?
a. personification b. alliteration
c. simile d. metaphor
iii. Which of these is the tone of the poet in the given extract?
a. happy and romantic b. gloomy and fearful
c. cheerful and humorous d. angry and frustrated
iv. Which of these figures of speech has been used in the line ‘the young trees
sprinting’?
a. personification b. metaphor
c. simile d. alliteration
v. Find out the word from the extract that means ‘dead body’.

Exrtact-2

But after the airport’s
security check, standing a few yards
away, I looked again at her, wan, pale

as a late winter’s moon.
And felt that old
Familiar ache, my childhood’s fear
But all I said was see you soon, Amma,
All I did was smile and smile and smile.......
Questions:
i. Why did the poet look at her mother again?
a. to see if she was sleeping b. to check if she was well
c. to bid her good bye d. to say something to her
ii. Which of these has the poet compare mother’s face to?
a. full moon brightness b. late winter’s moon
c. young children d. young tree
iii. Which of these was the reason of mother’s pale face?
a. mother’s old age b. mother’s depleting energy
c. mother’s illness d. both (a) and (b)
iv. What was the poet’s childhood fear?
a. mother’s illness b. mother growing old
c. losing her mother forever d. shifting to a new city
v. Why did the poet say, “See you soon, Amma?
a. bidding farewell b. being hopeful to meet mother again
c. to comfort her mother d. none of these
vi. Why did the poet smile again and again?
a. pretending to smile b. trying to hide her fear from mother
c. to distract her mother d. both (a) and (b)

Exrtact-3
Now we will count to twelve
And we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the Earth
Let’s not speak in any language,
Let’s stop for one second,
And not move our arms so much
Questions:
i. The poem from which has the above text been taken is …….
a. My Mother at SixtySix
b. An Elementary School Classroom School in a Slum
c. Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda
d. Thing A Beauty
ii. Who is the poet of Keeping Quiet?
a. Kamala Das b. Stephen Spender
c. Pablo Neruda d. John Keats
iii. What does the poet want others to do?
a. To keep quiet and introspect b. To make noise and find fault
c. To spread wars all around d. None of these
iv. Why should we keep quiet according to the poet?
a. For attaining peace b. for maintaining brotherhood
c. for silence d. All of these
Extract 4
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from heaven’s brink
Questions:
i. Name the poem and the poet of the above text.
ii. What is the effect of this ‘immortal drink’ on us?

a. gives immortality b. gives immense joy and pleasure
c. gives wealth d. gives power

iii. Write the words from the extract which mean-
A-stories B-magnificence
Extract 5
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.
Questions:
i. What removes pall from our life?
a. dark spirit (b) b. Trees old, and young
c. all the unhealthy things (d) d. Nature’s beauty
ii. What is the meaning of gloomy?
a. all the unhealthy things b. dark spirits
c. dull and depressive d. none of these
iii. Why are we despondent?
Extract 6
The little old house was out with a little new shed
In front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped,
A roadside stand that too pathetically pled,
It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread,
But for some of the money, the cash, whose flow supports
The flower of cities from sinking and withering faint.
Questions:
i. Name the poem and the poet of the above text.
ii. What do the flowers of cities in a roadside stand refer to?
a. city people b. city cars
c. urban crowd d. The pleasures of cities
iii. What is a Roadside Stand in the poem?
a. a bus stop b. a waiting point

c. a shed outside a roadside old house d. none of these

Extract 7
It is in the news that all these pitiful kin
Are to be bought out and mercifully gathered in
To live in villages, next to the theatre and the store,
Where they won’t have to think for themselves
Anymore,
While greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey,
Questions:
i. Who are the greedy Doers?
a. the government b. old people
c. The rural people d. The polished city folk
ii. Who are beasts of prey in the poem?
a. the government officials b. Rural folk
c. The city folk d. All the above
iii. What promise was the government making to relocate the villagers?
a. to give them all the luxuries b. to show them movies
c. their all needs will be looked after d. all the above
Extract 8
When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, and unafraid.
Questions:
i. The above extract has been taken from—
a. Keeping Quiet b. Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers c. A Roadside Stand
ii. Who will go on prancing?
a. aunt b. panel c. tigers
iii. The word ‘terrified’ means—
a. frightened b. excited c. tired
Extract 9
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,

Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.

Questions:
i. The poem “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” is written by—
a. Kamala Das b. Robert Frost c. Adrienne Rich
ii. “a world of green” means—
a. farm b. field c. forest
iii. Who do not fear the men?
a. Aunt Jennifer b. tigers c. denies

Extract from Vistas

Read the following extracts and answer the questions given below by choosing
the correct option.

Extract-1
Yes, I’ve taken the obvious step: I talked to a psychiatrist friend of mine, among
others. I told him about the third level at Grand Central Station, and he said it was
a waking dream wish fulfillment. He said I was unhappy. That made my wife kind
of mad, but he explained that he meant the modern world is full of insecurity,
fear, war, worry and all the rest of it, and that I just want to escape. Well, who
doesn’t? Everybody I know wants to escape, but they don’t wander down into any
third level at Grand Central Station.

Questions:
i. Why did the narrator go to a psychiatrist?
a. Because he went through an experience no one else did.
b. Because he wanted to know why he was unhappy.
c. Because he was depressed.
d. Because he wanted to meet him.
Ii. What is ‘Waking dream wish fulfillment;’ according to the psychiatrist?
a. Charley’s finding of a third level at the station
b. Charley’s realization of his wish to visit Galesburg Illinois
c. Charley’s escaping into his daydreaming everyday

d. Charley’s post stamp collecting habit

iii. What was the third level?
a. A third platform on the station
b, A third storey on the station
c. A level in the game that Charley had been playing
d. None of the above
iv What does the psychiatrist explain to Charley?
a. That the modern world is not an ideal one
b. That the modern world has many mysteries
c. That the third level is just a movie
d. That it was the result of stress and anxiety of his mind
Extract-2
Everyone stood transfixed in stupefaction. They looked wildly at each other and
blinked. ‘‘O wise prophets! It was I who spoke.’’ This time there were no grounds
for doubt. It was the infant born just ten days ago who had enunciated the words
so clearly. The chief astrologer took off his spectacles and gazed intently at the
baby. ‘‘All those who are born will one day have to die. We don’t need your
predictions to know that. There would be some sense in it if you could tell us the
manner of that death,’’ the royal infant uttered these words in his little squeaky
voice.
Questions-
i. Who is ‘I’ in these lines?
a. The Tiger King b. the prophet
c. The tiger king’s father d. The Tiger King’s wife
ii. Who spoke at the age of 10 days?
a. The Tiger King b. Dr.Sadao
c. Evans d. Jack
iii. What did the royal infant want to know?
a. The exact manner of his marriage
b. The exact manner of his death
c. The exact manner of his sitting on his throne
d. The exact manner of his life

iv. Find out the synonym of ‘utter’ from the following-
a. to speak b. to express
c. to let out d. All of these

Extract-3
Crown prince Jung Jung Bahadur grew taller and stronger day by day. No other
miracle marked his childhood days apart from the event already described. The boy
drank the milk of an English cow, was brought up by an English nanny, tutored in
English by an Englishman, saw nothing but English films — exactly as the crown
princes of all the other Indian states did. When he came of age at twenty, the State,
which had been with the Court of Wards until then, came into his hands.

Questions-
i. How was the Tiger King brought up?
a. By royally b. By penury
c. Beggarly d. None of these
ii. What is nanny?
a. Nurse b. Nursemaid
c. Custodian of a child d. None of these
iii. At what age was he handed in throne
a. 10 Years b. 15 Years
c. 10 Years d. 20 Years
iv. What is court of wards?
a. A legal body created by East India Company
b. An illegal body created by East India Comy
c. A neutral body created by East India Company
d. None of these
Extract-4
Early this year, I found myself aboard a Russian research vessel the Akademik
Shokalskiy heading towards the coldest, driest, windiest continent in the world:
Antarctica. My journey began 13.09 degrees north of the Equator in Madras, and
involved crossing nine time zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water, and at
least as many ecospheres.
Questions-
i. Name the chapter.
a. Evans Tries an O Level b. Memories of Childhood

c. The Tiger King d. Journey to the End of the Earth

ii. Who is 'I' in the above lines?

a. Tishani Doshi b. Kalki
c. Pearl S Buck d. William Saroyan
iii. What was Akademik Shokalskiy ?
a. A Boat b. A Canoe
c. A Watercraft d. All of these
iv. Where was the narrator travelling to?
a. Amsterdam b. Antarctica
c. Australia d. America
Extract-5
Later on, when it’s a bit cooler, I’ll get the ladder and a stick, and pull down those
crab apples. They’re ripe for it. I make jelly. It’s a good time of year, September.
Look at them---orange and golden. That’s magic fruit. I often say. But it’s best
picked and made into jelly. You could give me a hand.
Questions-
i. From which lesson the extract has been taken?
a. The Third Level b. The Enemy c. On The Face of it.
ii. Who has spoken these words?
a. Mr. lamb b. Derry c. Mother
iii. What will be made of the crab apple?
a. juice b. jelly c. sweets
iv. What is orange and golds?
a. mango b. banana c. apple
Extract 6
You think….’Here a boy’. You look at me and then you see my face and you think.
“That’s bad. That’s a terrible thing. That’s the ugliest thing I ever saw.” You think,
’Poor boy.’ But I’m not. Not poor. Underneath, you are afraid. Anybody would be.
I am. I look in the mirror, and see it. I’m afraid of me.
Questions-
i. Who is the boy in the above extract?
a. Lamb b. Derry c. None
ii. What does ‘the ugliest thing’ refer to?
a. face of the Derry b. face of Mr. Lamb c. face of the mirror

iii. What does the boy feel when he look in the mirror?
a. excited b. happy c. afraid
iv. The above words are spoken to….