English Language Revision-1

QUESTION 1
(Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question)

Write a composition (300-350 words) on any ONE of the following:

(i) Write an original story beginning with the words, - “He walked slowly along
the deserted street ………….”

(ii) Narrate an encounter with a celebrity who you admire and always wished to
meet.

(iii) You recently visited a religious place of worship. Describe in detail the
different sights, sounds and smells you experienced there.

(iv) ‘Discipline means success, excessive freedom means ruin’. Express your
views either for or against this statement.

(v) Study the picture carefully. Write a story or a description or an account of

what it suggests to you. Your composition maybe about the subject of the
picture or you may take suggestions from it; however, there must be a clear
connection between the picture and your composition.
QUESTION-2

i) You were helped by a stranger when you were in a helpless situation. Write a
letter to your friend giving details of why and how it happened. Express your
feelings during and at the end of the incident.

(ii) Write a letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic Control),

complaining about the traffic hazards in your locality. Suggest suitable remedies
to overcome the problems.

Question 3
1. The school has planned to conduct the “Prefects’ Investiture Ceremony”.
Draft a notice to be displayed on the school notice board, informing the
senior students about the event.

2. Write an email to the Chairman of Infosys, inviting him as the Chief

Guest for the Investiture Ceremony.

QUESTION-4

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

They drank their tea, listening to the sharp notes of the tailor-bird. As the brief
twilight faded, most of the birds fell silent. Sunder Singh lit his oil lamp and
said it was time for him to inspect the tunnel. He moved off towards the tunnel,
while Suraj sat on the cot, sipping his tea. In the dark, the trees seemed to move
closer to him. The night-life of the forest was conveyed on the breeze- the sharp
call of a barking deer, the cry of a fox, and the quaint tonk-tonk of a nightjar.
There were some sounds that Suraj did not recognize - sounds that came from
the trees, creaking and whispering, as though the trees were coming to life,
stretching their limbs in the dark, shifting a little, flexing their fingers.

Sunder Singh stood inside the tunnel, trimming his lamp. The night sounds were
familiar to him and he did not give them much thought; but something else – a
padded footfall, a rustle of the leaves made him stand still for a few seconds,
peering into the darkness. Then, humming softly to himself, he returned to see
where Suraj was waiting. Ten minutes remained for the night-mail to arrive.
As Sunder Singh sat down on the cot beside Suraj, a new sound reached both of
them quite distinctly- a rhythmic sawing sound, as of someone cutting through
the branches of a tree. “What is that?” whispered Suraj. “It is the leopard,” said
Sunder Singh. “I think it is in the tunnel”. “The train will soon be here,” said
Suraj. “Yes, my friend. If we do not drive the leopard out of the tunnel, it will
be run over and killed. I cannot let that happen.” “But won’t it attack us if we
try to drive it out?” asked Suraj, beginning to share the watchman’s concern.
“Not this leopard. It knows me well. We have seen each other many times. It
has a weakness for goats and stray dogs, but it will not harm us. Even so, I will
take my axe with me. You stay here, Suraj.” “No, I am coming with you. It will
be better than sitting here alone in the dark!” “Alright, but stay close behind me.
Remember, there is nothing to fear.”

Raising his lamp, Sunder Singh advanced into the tunnel, shouting at the top of
his voice to try and scare away the animal. Suraj followed close behind; but he
found that he was unable to do any shouting. His throat was quite dry. They had
gone about twenty paces into the tunnel when the light from the lamp fell upon
the leopard. It was crouching between the tracks, only five metres away from
them. It was not a very big leopard, but it looked lean and muscular. Baring its
teeth and snarling, it went down on its belly, tail twitching. Suraj and Sunder
Singh both shouted together. Their voices rang through the tunnel. The leopard,
uncertain as to how many terrifying humans were there in the tunnel with him,
turned swiftly and disappeared into the darkness. To make sure that it had gone,
Sunder Singh and Suraj walked the length of the tunnel.

(a) For each word given below, choose the correct meaning(as used in the
passage) from the options provided.

1. distinctly
(a) differently
(b)honestly
(c)genuinely
(d)clearly

2. advanced
(a)retreated
(b)gathered
(c)beforehand
(d)moved forward
3.Which word in the passage is the opposite of strength
(a)potential
(b)resilience
(c)transgression
(d)weakness

(b) Answer the following questions briefly:

1. What do you think Sunder Singh’s occupation was? Give a reason to support it.
2. How has the author personified the trees while describing them?
3. What made Sunder Singh stand still for a few seconds inside the tunnel?
4. Quote the sentence from the passage which best expresses Suraj’s fear for the
leopard.
5. Why was Sunder Singh sure that the leopard would not attack them?

(c) In not more than 50 words narrate the encounter that Suraj and Sunder had
with the leopard.

Do not copy the passage but write in correct serial order the word or phrase
appropriate to the blank space.

Example: (0) was going

a) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word
given in brackets. A wise old man __ 0__ (go) on a journey. As he ….1….
(travel) in the mountains, he ….2….(find) a precious stone in a stream. The
next day he met another traveller who …3… (be) hungry. The wise man
opened his bag to share his food with him. ….4..(see) the precious stone, the
hungry traveller asked the man …5… (give) it to him. Without …6…(think)
for a moment, the wise man gave it to him. The traveller left ….7…(rejoice)
in his good fortune. Indeed, the stone was precious enough to give him
security for a life-time.

After a week he came back to return the stone to the wise man. “I ..8…
(think),” he said, “ I know that the stone is very valuable, but I give it back to
you in exchange for something even more precious. Give me what you have
within you that …9…(enable) you ..10… (part) with the stone”.
b) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words:

1. Our conscience saves us ____ making bad choices.

2. The difference in price ____ the two phones is negligible.
3. I have come____ many good works of art.
4. The time is ten o’ clock ___ my watch.
5. She was entrusted ___ the job of maintain the records.
6. He asked his uncle if Shakespeare’s plays were still _______demand.
7. The manager was ___ pressure to take back the employee.
8. The teacher has a very high opinion ___ him.
9. A soldier should prefer honour ___ life.
10.We should guard ourselves ___ vices.

c) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using
‘and’, ‘but’ or ‘so’
1. The train arrived. All the vendors began shouting.
2. Games are good for the mind. Games are good for the body.
3. The man was very old. He could not walk around the town.
4. There was bright sunshine. The day was cold.
5. Edison made many inventions. They are useful.

d) Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after

each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the
meaning of the sentence.

1. She is very talented. She is hard working.

[Begin: Not only ………………………………]
2. This is the most wonderful scene in the movie.
[Use : Rewrite using “more wonderful” ]
3. I am too busy to read a book these days.
[Use ; Rewrite using …. “so ………that”]
4. I met you at the mall yesterday.
[Rewrite adding a suitable question tag.]
5. Only a strong person can endure hardships in life.
[Begin :None ………………………….]
6. Explorers have made amazing discoveries.
[Begin: Amazing ……………………..]
7. Life has many challenges. Still we cling to it.
[Begin: Although …………………………. ]
8. You must approach them. They will help you.
[Begin : Unless ………………………….. ]
9. He said, “The fields were destroyed by the floods”.
[Begin: He said that ………………………….]
10.Peter entered the museum. He started clicking pictures immediately.
[Begin: No sooner ………………………]

@@@@@@@@@@@@