ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Paper I [Set-13]
CLASS – X
Time : 2 hrs Maximum Marks : 80
Answers to this Paper must be written on the paper provided separately.
You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes.
This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.
The time given at the head of this Paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.
Attempt all five questions.
The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets []. You are advised to spend
not more than 30 minutes in answering Question 1 and 20 minutes in answering Question 2.

Question 1.
(Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question) [20]
Write a composition (300 - 350 words) on any one of the following.

(a) Write a humorous story ending with, 'He disappeared in the crowd.'
(b) Narrate an incident where you made the best use of a bad situation and eventually learnt an
important life lesson.
(c) ‘Democracy is the best form of government.’ Express your views either for or against this
statement.
(d) Imagine you are one among the crowd in a shopping mall, awaiting the arrival of popular film-stars,
who are coming there for the promotion of their film. Describe the scene and your own reaction to
it.
(e) Study the picture given below. Write a short story or a description or an account of what the picture
suggests to you. Your composition may be 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.
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question)
Select any one of the following. [10]

(a) Your father was out of India when heavy rains lashed your city. He is worried and has written to
you enquiring about your welfare. Write a reply to his letter.
(b) You to have left behind your cellphone in a Shopping Mall. Write a letter to the Manager to inquire
if it has been found. You will have to describe the phone, the time, the place and other relevant
details to help the Manager trace your phone.

Question3.
(a) Your school is organising a campaign for creating awareness about the hazards of throwing
household waste in the open and in waterbodies. Write a notice for your school informing the
students about the campaign and inviting them to participate in it. [5]
(b) Write an email to a famous environmentalist requesting him to guide the students of your school in
organising this awareness campaign and establishing a compost plant in your school. [5]

Question 4.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

The Calcutta where I was born was an altogether old-world place. Hackney carriages lumbered about the city
raising clouds of dust, and the whips fell on the backs of skinny horses whose bones showed plainly below
their hide. There were no trams then, no buses, no motors. Business was not in the breathless rush that it is
now, and the days went by in leisurely fashion. Clerks would take a good pull at the hookah before starting
for office, and chew their betel as they went along. Some rode in palanquins, other joined in groups of four
or five to hire a carriage in common, which was known as a "share carriage". Wealthy men had monograms
painted on their carriages, and a leather hood over the rear portion, like a half-drawn veil. The coachman sat
on the box with his turban stylishly tilted on one side, and two grooms rode behind, girdles of yaks’ tails
round their waists, startling the pedestrians from their path with their shouts of "Hey-yo."
Women used to go about in the stifling darkness of closed palanquins; they shrank from the idea of
riding in carriages, and even to use an umbrella in sun or rain was considered unwomanly. Any woman who
was so bold as to wear the new-fangled bodice, or shoes on her feet, was scornfully nicknamed “mem-sahib”,
that is to say, one who had cast off all sense of propriety or shame. If any woman unexpectedly encountered
a strange man, one outside her family circle, her veil would promptly descend to the very tip of her nose, and
she would at once turn her back on him.
There was no gas in the city, and no electric light. When the kerosene lamp was introduced, its
brilliance amazed us. In the evening the house-servant lit castor-oil lamps in every room. The one in our
study-room had two wicks in a glass bowl.
By this light my master taught me from Peary Sarkar's First Book. First I would begin to yawn, and
then, growing more and more sleepy, rub my heavy eyes. At such times I heard over and over again the
virtues of my master’s other pupil, Satin, a paragon of a boy with a wonderful head for study, who would rub
snuff in his eyes to keep himself awake, so earnest was he. But as for me - the less said about that the better!
Even the awful thought that I should probably remain the only dunce in the family could not keep me awake.
When nine o'clock struck I was released, my eyes dazed and my mind drugged with sleep.
There was a narrow passage, enclosed by latticed walls, leading to the interior of the house. A dimly
burning lantern swung from the ceiling. As I went along this passage, my mind would be haunted by the idea
that something was creeping upon me from behind. In those days devils and spirits lurked in the recesses of
every man's mind, and the air was full of ghost stories. One day it would be some servant girl falling in a dead
faint because she heard the nasal whine of Shank-chunm. The female demon of that name was the most bad-
tempered devil of all, and was said to be very greedy of fish.
The very atmosphere was so enmeshed in ghostly terrors that I could not put my feet into the
darkness under the table without them getting the creeps.
(a) For each word given below choose the correct meaning (as used in the passage) from the options
provided: [3]
(i) lumbered
(a) moved slowly (b) rushed (c) ran (d) moved speedily
(ii) startling
(a) pushing (b) surprising (c) weighing (d) predicting
(iii) stifling
(a) energising (b) invigorating (c) suffocating (d) refreshing

(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.

(i) Describe briefly the carriages used by wealthy men. [2]
(ii) According to the narrator, what was the position of women in the period described by him?
[2]
(iii) Describe how the houses were lit during the narrator's childhood days. [1]
(iv) Who was Satin? Why did the narrator detest him? [2]
(v) What fear would haunt the narrator, while moving through a narrow passage leading to the
interior of his house? [2]
(c) In not more than 50 words, state the conditions prevalent in Calcutta as described by the narrator.
[8]

Question 5.
(a) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with correct form of the word given in brackets. Do not copy
the passage, but write in correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the blank space.
[4]
Example: (0) decided
Once there was a swallow who …………(0)………… (decide) not to fly south for the winter. However
when the weather …………(1)………… (turn) cold, he reluctantly started …………(2)………… (fly)
southwards. In short time ice began to form on its wings and it fell to earth frozen still.
A cow passed by and …………(3)………… (drop) its dung on the little swallow. The dung warmed it and
defrosted its wings. Warm and happy, able …………(4)………… (breathe), it started to chirp. Just then a
large cat came by and …………(5)………… (hear) the chirping, found out where it was coming from,
clawed away the dung and …………(6)………… (swallowed) the swallow.
The story shows that everyone who …………(7)………… (drop) dung on you is not necessarily your
enemy; everyone who gets you out of the dung is not necessarily your friend; and if you are warm
and happy in a pile of dung, …………(8)………… (keep) your mouth shut.
(b) Fill in each blank with appropriate words. [4]
(i) The officers proceeded …………………… the tax evaders.
(ii) I came ……………………… an article about my school in a magazine.
(iii) I want to impress ………………………… you the need for hard work.
(iv) The police broke …………………… the demonstration.
(v) He has travelled all ………………………… Europe.
(vi) She takes ……………………… her father in her external appearance.
(vii) I dispensed …………………… the services of my maid.
(viii) I now call ……………………… the Chief Guest to speak.
(c) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using 'and', 'but' or 'so'.
Choose the correct option. [4]
(i) Einstein was a great scientist. He discovered the theory of relativity.
a) Einstein was a great scientist when he discovered the theory of relativity.
b) Einstein was a great scientist who discovered the theory of relativity.
c) Einstein discovered the theory of relativity hence he was a great scientist.
d) Einstein was a great scientist because he discovered the theory of relativity.
(ii) His illness was serious. He stayed in bed for one month.
a) He stayed in bed for one month with serious illness.
b) He stayed in bed for one month for his serious illness.
c) When his illness was serious, he stayed in bed for one month.
d) Since his illness was serious, he be stayed in bed for one month.
(iii) The rains failed this year. The harvest was poor.
a) The harvest will be poor as the rains will fail this year.
b) Due to the failed rains this year the harvest was poor.
c) The harvest was poor as the rain was poor.
d) The harvest was poor as the rains fail this year.
(iv) He did not come to school. He did not inform anyone.
a) He neither came to school nor informed anyone.
b) Neither did he came to school nor did he informed anyone.
c) As he did not come to school he did not inform anyone.
d) He did not inform anyone so he did not come to school.
(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 each sentence. Choose the
correct options. [8]

(i) It is a pity that I did not take my doctor's advice. (Use: wish)
a) I wish I would have taken my doctor's advice.
b) I wish I had taken my doctor’s advice.
c) I wish I could have taken my doctor's advice.
d) I wish I have taken my doctor’s advice.
(ii) He decided to walk instead of taking the bus. (Use: Rather than ....)
a) He decided to walk rather than take the bus.
b) He decided to walk rather than taking the bus.
c) Rather than taking the bus he decided to walk.
d) Instead of taking the bus he decided to rather walk.
(iii) The price of vegetables has risen recently. (End: ....vegetables.)
a) Recently there has been a rise in the prices of vegetables.
b) Recently there is a rise in the prices of vegetables.
c) Recently there has been price rise of vegetables.
d) Recently there was a rise in the prices of vegetables.
(iv) He never takes up the work which he does not finish. (Begin: He always ...)
a) He always takes up the work which he can finish.
b) He always takes up the work which he cannot finish.
c) He always takes up the work which he could finish.
d) He always takes up the work which he would finish.
(v) Jimmy was the strongest of all men. (Use: stronger)
a) Other men are stronger than Jimmy.
b) Other men can be stronger than Jimmy.
c) Jimmy was stronger than all other men.
d) Jimmy was stronger than other such men.
(vi) "Do you have any hotel in the city?" my uncle asked me. (Begin: My uncle ……)
a) My uncle asked me if I have any hotel in the city.
b) My uncle was asking me if I have any hotel in the city.
c) My uncle asked me if I had any hotel in the city.
d) My uncle asked me do you have any hotel in the city.
(vii) He was accused of telling lies. (Begin: People ....)
a) People were accusing him of telling lies.
b) People accused him of telling lies.
c) People accuse him of telling lies.
d) People accused him of lying.
(viii) If you go for an interview, you may be selected for the post. (Begin: Unless ....)
a) Unless you go for the interview, you will not be selected for the post.
b) Unless you don't go for the interview, you will not be selected for the post.
c) Unless you go for the interview, you will be selected for the post.
d) Unless you don't go for the interview, you will be selected for the post.