ANNUAL EXAMINATION(2023-24)
ENGLISH – CORE (301)
CLASS-XI
Time allowed: 3 Hrs. Maximum Marks: 80
General Instructions:
1. 15-minute prior reading time allotted for Q-paper reading.
2. The Question Paper contains THREE sections-READING, WRITING and LITERATURE.
3. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part. Write the correct
question number in your answer sheet to indicate the option/s being attempted.
Section A: READING SKILLS (20 marks) Marks
I Read the passage given below. 10
Ghost nets aren’t supernatural, but they are legitimately scary. A ghost net is a fishing net that’s
been lost or abandoned in the ocean. They are one particularly appalling part of the global ghost
fishing problem, which includes fishing gear abandoned in the water. Any net or line left in the
1 ocean can pose a threat to marine life. Just because a net is no longer used by fishers doesn’t
mean it stops working. These nets continue to trap everything in their path, presenting a major
problem for the health of our oceans and marine life.
Ghost nets entangle sea turtles, dolphins and porpoises, birds, sharks, seals and more, apart from
catching fish. The nets keep animals from moving freely, cause injuries and keep mammals and
birds from rising to the surface for air. Since hundreds of animals can be caught in a single net,
2 this threat is monumental. The ghost nets harm coral reefs too—breaking corals, exposing them
to disease and even blocking the reefs from needed sunlight.
Ghost nets are also a major contributor to the ocean plastics’ crisis. Most modern nets are made
of nylon or other plastic compounds that can last for centuries. According to a 2018 study in
Scientific Reports, ghost nets make up at least 46 percent of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
3 Those abandoned fishing lines and nets that do breakdown never go away; they just become
smaller pieces of plastic. Marine animals mistake this microplastic for food and eat it, which can
harm internal organs, keep them from eating and expose them to toxic chemicals.
Exorcising ghost nets from our oceans will require commitment, cooperation and innovation.
Many groups are working to remove ghost nets from the sea and are collaborating with local
fishers and governments around the world to identify target areas and remove as many nets as
4 possible. In 2015, a single World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)-led mission in the Baltic Sea
hauled up 268 tons of nets, ropes and other material.
To stop these nets from becoming ghosts in the first place, conservation organisations advocate
for fishing gear that can be traced to its owner so anyone dumping nets can be fined and
refundable deposits on nets to encourage returning or recycling rather than littering. Tools like
sonar reflectors that can make ghost nets easier to find and working with small-scale fisheries to
5
develop more sustainable fishing gear and practices are other suggestions. It is only by attacking
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this problem from all sides, together with conservation partners, fishers and supporters, can we
banish ghost nets and protect our oceans.
(437 words)
Adapted—https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/our-oceans-are-haunted-by-ghost-nets-why-that-s-scary-and-
what-we-can-do—24
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below. 1x10
i Complete the sentence by choosing an appropriate option. 1
Ghost nets have been named so because they
A. cause much harm to the marine life.
B. are functional though not in use by fishers.
C. are not owned by anyone.
D. act as a snare for all animals in oceans.
ii Comment on the writer’s reference to the ghost nets in paragraph one, as a health 1
problem for the oceans.
iii List the two ways being entangled in a ghost net is likely to impact a walrus. 1
(Clue: Think about the type of animal a walrus is)
iv Select the option that conveys the opposite of ‘negligible’, from words used in 1
paragraph two.
A. unimpressive
B. monumental
C. exposing
D. threat
v The writer would agree with the given statements based on paragraph three,EXCEPT: 1
A. Most ghost nets take a few years to completely disintegrate.
B. Ghost nets contribute to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
C. Most ghost nets provide nutrition to marine animals, upon disintegration.
D. Ghost nets can curtail freedom of marine animals.
vi Some records share that fishing nets used to be made of common rope using natural 1
fibres, prior to the 1960s. Based on your understanding of paragraph three, list one
major advantage that these had over the fishing nets being used in present times.
vii Why is it fair to say that commitment and innovation have to go hand-in-hand to rid 1
the oceans of ghost nets?
viii Complete the given sentence with an appropriate inference, with respect to the 1
following:
The writer quotes the example of the WWF-led mission in the Baltic Sea (Paragraph 4),
in order to........................................................................................................................
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ix How can the solutions, suggested in paragraph five, best be described? 1
A. practical
B. presentable
C. popular
D. prejudiced
x Select the most suitable title for the above passage. 1
A. The Scary Side of Ghost Nets
B. Ghost Nets – A Result of Human Dominance
C. Ghost Nets – A Menace to Marine Life
D. Ways to Tackle the Problem of Ghost Nets
II Read the passage given below. 10
It is generally accepted that leadership development should be a part of the education system's
responsibility for preparing individuals to participate in a democratic and progressive society.
Many schools, colleges and universities, across nations, provide their students with leadership
1 courses, curricular programs and co-curricular programs that are designed to develop students’
formal knowledge about leadership as well as opportunities and experiences to develop students
as leaders and actually practise leadership. Yet, only a handful of studies have sought to
understand leader development from the students’ point of view, with students describing their
own experiences and what they learned from them in their own words.
A 2014 descriptive study sought to understand student leadership with research through key
events via the following research questions:
Research Question 1: What key events do student leaders in college, report as significantly
impacting their development as a leader?
Research Question 2: What lessons do student leaders in college, report learning as a result of
2
the key events they have experienced?
Research Question 3: Are certain key events more likely to be linked to particular lessons?
Approximately 130 students were contacted and the 72 interested, were interviewed. Two
members of the research team were present for each 15–45-minute interview. One member
served as the primary interviewer while the second ran the audio equipment.
The results for lessons learned (Table 1), were varied, but there were a few that were frequently
quoted.
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This study described the rich array of leadership lessons that students are learning through their
3 experiences. It revealed that student leaders are learning foundational leadership skills and
competencies that have positively impacted how to accomplish work, how to work with others
and how to be both supported by and support others.
(295 words)
Adapted-
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264696744_Key_Events_in_Student_Leaders'_Lives_and_Lessons_Learn
ed_from_Them
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below. 1x10
i Does the following statement agree with the information given in paragraph 1? 1
The researcher believes that educational institutions have ideal resources to study
impact of leadership skills on young adults.
Select from the following:
True - if the statement agrees with the information
False - if the statement contradicts the information
Not Given - if there is no information on this
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ii Do you think the researchers of the study aimed to change the students’ outlook 1
towards the development of leadership skills, directly or indirectly? Support your
answer with reference to the text.
iii Select the option that displays the most likely reason for including Research Question 3 1
in the 2014 study.
In order to find out if...
A. learning opportunities shape students’ overall personality.
B. leadership lessons are the result of the designed learning opportunities.
C. all learning opportunities cater to a specific lesson.
D. certain lessons are common in more than one learning opportunity.
Iv Complete the sentence based on the following statement. 1
More than 50% of the identified student respondents were keen to participate in the
2014 study.
We can say this because .
v Select the option that displays the key event designed with “Balancing Roles” (Table 1) 1
as the objective.
A. Students will be able to debate the issue at hand, with different teams.
B. Students will be able to manage the responsibilities of a mentor, planner
researcher and presenter.
C. Students will be able to surmount minor problems and focus on the final
goal.
D. Students will be able to explain concepts and clarify them for peers.
vi Complete the given sentence by selecting the most appropriate option. 1
The 2014 study attempts to understand student leadership by focussing on .
A. experiences that shaped students’ overall personality.
B. lessons gained by students as they grew up.
C. relationship of key events with particular lessons.
D. students in leadership roles.
vii The lessons for ‘Individual competencies’ had a range of responses. 1
Give one reason why having the least number of responses for ‘Decision Making’, is a
matter that needs attention.
viii Complete the given sentence by selecting the most appropriate option. 1
The concluding sentence of the text makes a clear case for by listing it
as a core competency for student leadership.
A. collaboration
B. flexibility
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C. hard work
D. observation
ix Complete the sentence appropriately with one/ two words. 1
In the context of “Working with Others” in Table 1, the lesson of ‘Conflict’ refers to
.
x Based on the reading of the text, state a point to challenge the given statement. 1
When theoretical knowledge about leadership suffices, it is a waste of funds by
educational organisations, to organise leadership camps and programmes.
III SECTION B – CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS 20
All the names and addresses used in the questions are fictitious. Resemblance, if any, is purely coincidental.
1. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. 5
A You are Josely Mathew, the President of the school book club. The club is organising a
drive for promoting reuse of study materials and books. Draft a notice in about 50
words, for the school notice board, addressing students of classes X-XII, informing
them about this drive and urging them to contribute to the endeavour. Mention how
the donated books would would benefit a charitable cause.
OR
B As the House Captain of A.B.M Public School, Telangana, draft a notice in not more
than 50 words for the school notice board, informing House members from X-XII
about the change in topic and submission dates for Round 1 of ‘Discovery’ - the
upcoming Inter- House Reasearch-based Paper Presentation Competition. Do not
forget to issue an apology for the above. You are Kruthika Reddy.
2. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. 5
A You are Dr. Suchitra Mukherjee. You have received an invitation from the Director,
Health Services, Kharagpur, W.B, to preside over a gathering of leading medical
practitioners attending a workshop on mental wellness on 09 November, 2023 at 11
a.m. in the Public Hospital, Jammu, J & K. Respond to accept the invitation in about 50
words.
OR
B Draft an invitation in about 50 words, on behalf of your aunt, Meghna Menon, which
she has to share to invite prior work colleagues to the inaugural event of her own
investment consultancy firm, in the Acer mall, Kozhikode, Kerala.
3. 5
You are Minu Sen, an intern in a software company in Hyderabad. You feel that the
growing relationship of companies with non-profit organisations have made
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) the buzzword today. Your own involvement in
one such project for your company has convinced you that CSR looks beyond the
company profits
and focuses on benefiting the greater community.
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Write a letter to the editor of a national daily in about 120-150 words, sharing your
opinion about CSR and its advantages and provide suggestions to make it an integral
part of every organisation. Use the given cues along with your own ideas to compose
this letter.
4. 5
You are Minu Sen, employed as an Asst. Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) in your current company in Hyderabad. You saw the given advertisement in the
newspaper and wish to apply for the position advertised.
Write a a letter to Credit Sage Pvt. Ltd. along with your bio-data, expressing your
interest in the situation vacant.
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Q6.Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow: (3marks)
For song, issuing from its birth-place, after fulfillment, wandering
Reck’d or unreck’d, duly with love returns)
a) Why are the last lines put within brackets?
b) ‘Reck’d or unreck’d’, what does this phrase mean? Where does the
song return?
c) Name the poet and its title.
Q7 . Identify the Poetic devices: (7marks) (alliteration not to be written)
a)Terribly transient feet
b) Laboured ease of loss
c) Silence surrounds us
d) Sleek as a lizard
e) I give back to my own origin
f) Where did my childhood go
g) Iam the poet of earth
Q8. Answer the following questions briefly: (15marks)
a) What caused a turning point in the friendship of Khushwant Singh with his
grand mother?
b) What was the only hope for the sailors of Wavewalker?
c) Why did the boy king change the name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun?
d) What do you think induced the boys to return the horse to its owner?
e) How did the narrator realise that she had come to the right address?
Q9. Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words:
(5marks)
a) Discuss the suitability of the title, “Discovering Tut : The Saga Continues”.
(or)
b)What efforts did Howard Carter make to separate King Tut’s mummy from its
solid gold bottom?
Q10. Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words:
(5marks)
a) Mourad had the ‘crazy streak’ running in his family. Which two characters
show this streak in their behaviour and words? Write briefly about them showing
how they can be called crazy.
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(or)
b) What was the narrator’s first impression about Mrs.Dorling?
Q11. Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words:
(5marks)
a) There is a parallel between two things in the poem “The Voice of Rain”.
Identify them and explain the similarity between the two.
(or)
b) Grandmother appeared like the ‘winter landscape in the mountains’. Discuss
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