Class 11 Question Paper 2023 English

ANNUAL EXAMINATION

Question Paper
2023

NCERT BASED SYLLABUS
FOR CBSE AND STATE BOARD
FOLLOWING NCERT

ANNUAL EXAMINATION (2022-23)

Class - XI Subject – English
Time – 3 Hours Maximum Marks- 80

General Instructions
1. This paper is divided into 3 Sections: A,B, and C. All the sections are compulsory.
2. Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary.
Read the instructions very carefully and follow them faithfully.
3. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

SECTION - A (READING) (26 Marks)

I. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. Although pollution of land, sea and air has been well documented, the latest and the least
recognised version is the swelling tide of noise which is engulfing urban as well as rural areas.
This has long-term implications on the ecology, health and productivity of a fast developing
country like India.

2. Unlike other pollutants, noise lacks visibility, seldom registering on the consciousness, except
as a trifling irritant to be dismissed at will and therefore less likely to be perceived as a threat.
Available data indicate that noise does pose a threat to health and is known to have caused a
number of complications. Declining productivity among workers in certain industries has been
directly correlated with noise levels, particularly those under constant exposure to the menace.

3. The first ever survey of the impact of noise on health, conducted by All India Institute of
Medical Sciences, has established that noise not only impairs the physical and psychological
functioning of the human organism, but also causes nausea, vomiting, pain, hypertension and a
lot of other complications, including cardio-vascular complaints.

4. A study by Post Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences, in Chennai, confirms such
conclusions. In 50 per cent of industries it was found that workmen exposed to higher
intensities of noise in occupational capacities, were often irritated, short-tempered and
impatient and more likely to resort to agitation and disrupt production. This was true of units
in heavy industrial pockets in and around the four metropolitan centres.

5. Recreational noise, another ugly facet, is becoming more widespread in cities and towns.
Loudspeakers are turned at full volume during marriages, festivals, jagrans, musical

programmes, particularly at night, without the least consideration for others. Even at 50 dB,
sound can awaken a person from deep slumber. As experiments have shown, loudspeakers
with output from 60 to 80 dB cause the pupils of a slumbering person to dilate, with increasing
intake of oxygen, resulting in palpitation. The effect is more pronounced in narrow lanes. TV
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sets are played at full volume at prime time, invariably disturbing neighbours. Noise making
seems to have become the latest status symbol, be it an election campaign or slogan shouting or
advertising ownership of a smart TV.

On the basis of your reading of the passage , answer the following questions by choosing
the best option : (1X10=10)
a) What is the difference between noise and other pollutants?
i) Noise is not resented.
ii) Noise is regarded as a small irritant and dismissed.
iii) People are not aware of noise as a pollutant.
iv) Noise can be found in rural as well as urban areas.
b) What are the diseases connected with the impact of noise?
i) Hypertension and cardio-vascular problems.
ii) Nausea, vomiting,pain
iii) Impaired physical and psychological functioning
iv) All of the above.
c) Recreational noise is created during
i) Public speeches
ii) Revelries and excursions
iii) Sports events
iv) Weddings,festivals and jagrans at night.
d) Engulfing in para 1 means……………….
i) Completely drown
ii) Surrounded
iii) Covered
iv) Divided by a gulf
e) In what way can creating noise be considered as a status symbol?
i) By playing loud music
ii) By showing off ones TV with a loud sound
iii) By delivering speeches
iv) By talking loudly
Answer the following questions briefly:
f) What effect do the loudspeakers with output from 60 to 80 dB have on a person who is
sleeping?
g) The swelling tide of noise pollution has long-term implications on the ………………..,
health and productivity of a fast developing country like India.

h) What does invariably stand for in para5?
i) Find a word which means the same as recorded (para1)

j) What is the reason behind declining productivity among workers in some industries?

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II. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. Work on four major road infrastructure projects planned as part of a Rs. 50,000 crore plan to
decongest Delhi and curb vehicular pollution will begin this year. The new road links will not
only reduce the traffic load on arterial roads such as Ring Road but also make it easier to travel
between various zones of the city.

2. The four projects, announced in the run-up to the 2019 general elections, are National Highway
709B (Akshardham to Eastern Peripheral Expressway to Saharanpur bypass), Delhi-No Direct
Flyway to KMP interchange via Kalindi Kunj bypass (part of Delhi-Mumbai expressway),
Urban Extension Road (UER)-II and Dwarka Expressway.

3. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is executing the four projects, said
while work on some has already begun, on others it will start this year.

4. Of the four projects, UER-II and Kalindi Kunj bypass were planned by the Delhi Development
Authority and the Delhi government's Public Works Department decades ago. But they got
stuck due to technical and land acquisition related issues, said senior DDA and PWD officials.

5. The 31.1 km corridor between Akshardham and EPE, part of national highway 709B, will start
from Akshardham flyover and pass through densely populated areas such as Geeta Colony,
Shastri Park, Khajuri Khas, etc. Of the 31.1 km, 14.7 km will be in Delhi and the entire stretch
will be elevated, officials said.

6. Though tenders for the project were floated in January 2019, the project got delayed as the
ministry of road transport and highways asked NHAI to reassess the financial viability of the
project and explore options to bring down the cost.

7. After the evaluation, the total cost of the project has been revised to 2,388 crore from the earlier
estimate of 2,820 crore. A senior NHAI official said, "We have opened the financial bids for the
project. The work on the 31.1 km stretch will be done in two packages. Based on the financial
bids, we have declared the contractors for the two packages. The work will be awarded soon."
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8. The official added, "The work should start soon. Some clearances such as environment, fire,
setting up a temporary bitumen plant, etc has to be taken."

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer the following questions by
choosing the correct option. (1X8=8)

(a) According to the passage, there are four major road infrastructure projects planned to -------
(i) decongest Delhi and curb vehicular pollution
(ii) sanitise Delhi and solve water problem
(iii) subsidise ration to the underprivileged people
(iv) give soft loans to all farmers

(b) The projects are planned as part of a ------------
(i) 20,000 crore plan
(ii) 50,000 crore plan
(iii) 30,000 crore plan
(iv) 40,000 crore plan

(c) UER-II project is held up due to
(i) wrong planning
(ii) technical and land related issue
(iii) insufficient fund
(iv) manpower problems

(d) In view of decongesting East Delhi, the 31.1 km corridor between Akshardham and EPE, part
of national highway 709B will start from --------
(i) Shastri Park
(ii) Khajuri Khas
(iii) Akshardham
(iv) Geeta Colony

(e) Though the tenders for the project were floated in January 2019, the project got delayed
because------------
(i) the ministry of road transport and highways asked NHAI to bring down the cost
(ii) of financial crisis
(iii) deadline of the project failed
(iv) there was an environmental issue

(f) After the evaluation, the total cost of the project as shown in the chart, is -------
(i) 1,388 crore
(ii) 3,277 crore
(iii) 2,388 crore
(iv) 3,118 crore

(g) The work on the 31.1 km stretch will be done in --------
(i) 5 packages
(ii) 2 packages
(iii) 6 package
(iv) 7 packages
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( h) The synonym of 'evaluation' as used in para 7 means the same as
(i) examination
(ii) test
(iii) assessment
(iv) Verification

III. Read the passage given below:

1. Classical dance evolved from Tamil Nadu's temples across centuries. The revived and reformed
Bharatanatyam keeps the art born of these ancient temples alive even to this day. Once
sustained and nurtured in temples as part of a rich and vibrant temple tradition, classical dance
in South India has remained over centuries a dynamic, living tradition that is continuously
renewed.

2. Even 2000 years ago, dance in India was a highly evolved and complex art. It was an integral
part of ancient Indian theatre as established by the Natya Shastra, the oldest and exhaustive
treatise on theatre and dramaturgy. Dance dramas were performed in temple precincts. Dance
movements were crystallised in stone as karanas in temple sculpture. Following the Bhakti
movement in the 6th century, dance and music became powerful vehicles of veneration. The
deity was treated like a much- loved king, praised and royally entertained with music and
dance, as part of the daily sacred rituals of worship. Gifted, highly educated temple dancers or
devadasis were supported by the temples that were richly endowed by the rulers. Some 400
temple dancers were dedicated to and maintained by the Brihadeswarar Temple in Thanjavur.
Dance evolved as a composite art in temples as dancers, nattuvanars (dance gurus), musicians,
poets, composers, architects, sculptors and painters shared a holistic approach to all the arts.

3. The evolution of Bharatanatyam derives from the invaluable contribution of The Tanjore
Quartet. The four Pillai brothers - Chinnayya, Ponnayya, Sivanandam and Vadivelu - served as
court musicians at the kingdom of Maratha king, Serfoji II in the early 19th century. Their
legacy to Bharatanatyam has been their restructuring of the dance repertoire into the margam
format and their vast and diverse music compositions set specifically for dance. Some of their
descendants like Guru Meenakshisundaram Pillai evolved the famous Pandanallur bani (style)
and trained many eminent dancers.

4. From the temples, dance made its way into the courts of kings and dancers were not just
devadasis, but also rajanartakis. By the early 17th century dance forms like sadir or chinna
melam, precursors to Bharatanatyam as we know it today had become popular in the courts of
the Maratha rulers in Thanjavur. However, in the 19th century, colonial propaganda perceived
such dance as vulgar and immoral. It led to the Anti-Nautch Movement and legislation against
temple dance and dancers. Divested of all patronage and temple support, devadasis were
thrown into dire straits. In the early 20th century, thanks to enlightened visionaries like EV
Krishna Iyer and later, Rukmini Devi Arundale, and the dedication of a handful of devadasis
and nattuvanars, classical dance was resuscitated and revived as bharatanatyam. Today, apart
from a few cultural festivals in some temples, dance has left the temple for the proscenium

stage.

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(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it using headings and
sub headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (minimum 4) and give an appropriate title.
(5)
(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words based on your notes. (3)

SECTION B (WRITING & GRAMMAR) (23 Marks)

IV. Answer ANY SEVEN out of Eight questions [from (a) and (b)] given below: (1X7=7)

(a) The following passage has not been edited. Find the error and write the correct word in
your answer sheet.
Error Correction
The poet relates an incident who changed (i) -------- --------
his life. It was the season where the leaves (ii) -------- --------
turned yellow. He reached a place when the road forked (iii) -------- --------
into two. For he was a single traveller who could not (iv) -------- --------

(b) Complete the sentences using suitable clauses :
(i) I am certain ----------------------
(ii) I know the boy ----------------------
(iii) You should act ----------------------
(iv) Walk carefully ----------------------

V. CREATIVE WRITING SKILL [3+3+5+5=16]

A.

Repeated earthquakes in India and elsewhere have resulted in unprecedented damage and
destruction to both life and property. Educating people on the precautions to be taken is the need
of the hour. Prepare a poster, in not more than 50 words, for creating awareness among the
people. [3]

OR
As the Manager of Excellent Coaching Centre, design a poster calling the attention of students
desirous of attending IIT, CLAT,GMAT coaching to join your coaching centre.(50 words)

B.

You want to let out a portion of your house. Draft a suitable advertisement to be published in the
classified columns of a newspaper giving all the relevant details. (50 words) [3]

OR

You are Rohit of 105, Rajendra Nagar, Ghaziabad. You want to sell your house. Write a suitable
advertisement to be published in the classified columns of a newspaper.(50 words)

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C.

You are a member of the Environment Club of your School. After visiting many places you have
realised that it is the need of the hour to protect our environment. Write a speech in 120-150 words
to create awareness among the people and how the children can contribute in a major way in this
project. [5]

OR
Charity begins at home. If we want our surroundings to be clean we have to begin with our selves,
make individual efforts not to make our surroundings dirty. Write a speech in 120-150 words on
'Role of individuals in society to keep our environment clean ' You are Karan/ Karuna.

D.

Your recent visit to a zoo forced you to realise that captivity is the greatest of all evils that can
befall on one. Write a debate in 120-150 words either for or against the motion on " Zoos should be
banned" . You are Anup/ Anima. [5]

OR
'Private cars should be banned in the congested commercial areas of the cities '. Write a debate in
120-150 words either for or against the motion.

SECTION C (Literature) (31 marks)

VI. Read the extracts given below and answer ANY ONE out of TWO (From A, B& C)

(A) . ... I would have [1X3=3]

Him prodigal, returning to

His father 's house, the home he knew,

Rather than see him make and move

His world. I would forgive him too,

Shaping from sorrow a new love.

(i) What is meant by... have him prodigal?

(ii) Who is the poet?

(a) Shirley Toulson

(b) Markus Natten
(c) Elizabeth Jennings
(d) Walt Whitman

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(iii) ' I ' does not want his son to..........
OR

They talked of love and preached of love,

But did not act so lovingly,

Was that the day !

(i) Name the poet and the poem.

(ii) ' They' stands for.....

(iii) Which trait of the adults has been discussed in these lines?
(a) matured behaviour
(b) interest in Geography
(c) helplessness
(d) hypocrisy of adults

(B) In his defence, Carter really had little choice. If he hadn't cut the mummy free, thieves most
certainly would have circumvented the guards and ripped it apart to remove the gold. In Tut's
time the royals were fabulously wealthy, and they thought or _ hoped_ they could take their
riches with them. For his journey to the great beyond,King Tut was lavished with glittering goods
: precious collars,inlaid necklaces and bracelets, rings,amulets,a ceremonial apron, sandals,
sheaths for his fingers and toes, and the now iconic inner coffin and mask _ all of pure gold.To
separate Tut from his adornments,Carter's men removed the mummy 's head and severed nearly
every major joint. [1X3=3]
a) What made Carter cut the mummy free?

i ) afraid of authorities

ii ) afraid of thieves

iii) afraid of the government

iv ) All of the above

b) What did the royals think or hope?

c) Which word in the passage means the same as evade?

OR

These shaggy monsters, blacker than the darkest night , usually wore bright red collars and
barked furiously with massive jaws. They were completely fearless of our vehicle, shooting

straight into our path, causing Tsetan to brake and swerve. The dog would make chase for a
hundred metres or so before easing off, having seen us off the property. It wasn’t difficult to
understand why ferocious Tibetan mastiffs became popular in China’s imperial courts as
hunting dogs, brought along the Silk Road in ancient times as tribute from Tibet.
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a) Which word in the above extract means the same as deviate?
i. Tribute
ii. Swerve
iii. Ancient
iv. Massive
b) Why were Tibetan mastiffs popular in China?
c) How has the author described the shaggy monsters?

(C) The floor was now a draggled mess. Stumbling over a sopping towel, Andrew almost dropped
the child, which was now wet and slippery in his hands, like a strange, white fish.

"For mercy 's sake, Doctor," whimpered the midwife. "It's stillborn."

Andrew did not heed her. Beaten, despairing, having laboured in vain for half an hour, he still
persisted in one last effort, rubbing the child with a rough towel, crushing and releasing the little
chest with both his hands, trying to get breath into that limp body. [1X4=4]

(a) What did Andrew conclude seeing the whiteness of the child?

i) that the child was anemic.

ii) that it was a case of asphyxiapallida

iii) that the child has inherited his mother 's complexion.

iv) that he was a very healthy child.

(b) What did the child look like?

(c) How did Andrew try to bring back the child to life?

(d) Which word in the above extract means the same as persevere.

OR

Mum _ you'll have to iron my yellow silk. I must wear it tonight. [ She now sees

what is happening, and is astounded .] What are you doing? [ She moves down left centre.] [Mrs
Pearson now uses her ordinary voice, but her manner is not fluttering and apologetic but cool and
incisive.]

(a) What is the speaker instructing her mother to do?

i) to get her a cup of coffee

ii) to prepare her breakfast

iii) to iron her yellow silk

iv) to get her a slice of cake
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(b) Where does the speaker want to go?

(c) Which word in the extract means the same as penetrating

(d) Write three to four words that bring out the characteristics of the ‘changed’ Mrs. Pearson?

VII . Attempt ANY TWO out of FOUR questions given below in not more than 40-50 words.
[3x2=6]
A. What information did Professor Gaitonde get from 'Bhausahebanchi Bakhar'?

OR
What physical discomfort did the narrator experience in Darchen? How did he find relief?

B. What points of similarity do you notice between rain and music in the poem The Voice of
the Rain?

OR
To what is the bird's (Goldfinch) movement compared? What is the basis for the comparison?

VIII. Attempt ANY ONE out of the two questions given below in 40-50 words. [3x1=3]
(i) Mrs Pearson says,".... I've joined the movement." What does she mean by movement?

(ii) Explain:" I stopped, horrified. I was in a room I knew and did not know?

IX. Attempt ANY ONE out of the TWO questions given below in not more than 120-150 words.
[6x1=6]
(i) Egypt is a popular tourist destination. People from all over the world visit this place to
acquire knowledge about mummies and King Tut. India too has many wonders that attracts
tourists. But our habits and behaviour drive the tourists away.
Write a speech in about 120-150 words on how we can make the tourists happy when they visit
India.

(ii) The grandmother was not an educated woman but very well new that education is the best
investment. Elucidate referring to the story – The Portrait of a Lady.

X. Attempt ANY ONE out of the TWO questions given below in not more than 120-150 words.

[6x1=6]
(i) ' The Tale of Melon City ' tells us the story of a king who either does not govern or
misgoverns. It is a satire on a ruler who has no concern for justice or welfare of the people in
his kingdom, blame gets shifted from one to the other. Elucidate.

(ii) A doctor must remain committed to saving life. Unfortunately,this commitment and

dedication is grossly lacking in today’s world. Justify this remark citing relevant examples
from the story – Birth.

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