PART –I
Line 1:
It is an Ancient Mariner
• The poem opens abruptly (suddenly) in the manner of a ballad (which can be sung) without any wasteful description.
• Our attention is immediately drawn to the central figure of the story i.e. the mariner.
Ancient Mariner :
• Ancient conveys the two fold sense of ‘old’ & of ‘old time’.
• An atmosphere of bygone days permeates throughout the whole poem.
Line 2:
Three
• This number has mystical & supernatural associations.
Line 3 :
Long grey beard & glittering eye.
• These are two of the most striking features of the mariner’s appearance.
• Time & again in the course of the poem we are reminded of one or the other of these features.
• They lend a sense of mystery to his personality, at the same time they bring a touch of vividness to the description.
Line-3 & 4 :
• The wedding guest is irritated at being interrupted.
• He is the next of kin & his impatience is quite understandable.
• There is going to be however a change in his attitude.
• He is going to listen to the mariner with a peculiar docility ( not very much opposing).
• This change of attitude suggests how powerful is the impact of the mariner’s story.
Line – 10:
The mariner, totally unheedful of the wedding guest’s impatience, again plunges into the story abruptly. This lends another touch of weirdness to his personality.
Line – 12: Eftsoons.
• This means soon after or immediately. The archaic phraseology is used to suggest the atmosphere of the bygone days. The mariner drops the hand off the wedding guest and holds him only with the glittering eye. The fascination is now complete. The guest is not going to show any further impatience.
Line-15 & 16:
• Mark the complete change in the attitude of the wedding guest. He is now as eager & docile as a 3 year’s child.
• These 2 lines were contributed by William Wordsworth.
Line – 21:
• The story once again begins with an abruptness peculiar to it. This abruptness suggests the rapid pace of the narrator. Notice how vivid is the description of the people gathered on the coast to bid the sailors’ farewell & the sailing away of the ship.
• A critic comments, “ it is indeed a voyage from the world of reality into the world of imagination. But Coleridge’s genius has helped us to believe that the wonders that are to follow are convincing as he has used simple device of giving us a setting of actual possibility.”
Line 23 & 24:
• The objects i.e. the kirk, the hill, the lighthouse top are mentioned in the order in which they disappear from the mariner’s sight.
Line -30:
• The sun is getting more & more overhead everyday. They are approaching the equator.
Line 31 & 31:
• So far no dramatic element has entered the story. So when the wedding guest hears the sound of merry making, he is not able to control or hide his impatience.
• The magic of the glittering eye is probably losing its hold. But once the narrative will begin again, and on a more dramatic note, the listener is all attention.
• He again interrupts the mariner in line 79 but out of fear rather than impatience.
Line 41 to 44:
• The storm is personified here. As the narrative gains intensity the words used become more meaningful.
Line-43:
• The storm is being described as a bird of prey chasing its victim.
Line 45 to 50:
• The ship is presented as a fear stricken person fleeing from his enemy who is closely chasing him.
Line -55: Dismal Sheen.
• Sheen means brightness. But ‘dismal sheen’ suggests cheerless brightness. The mariner could not have liked the brightness of ice in that region of cold and desolate atmosphere; hence to him the brightness of ice appears to be dull & cheerless.
Line -59:
• The ice made fearful noises like an angry monster.
• A critic comments on this & the next few scenes, just as the intense cold forms so marked a contrast with the fiery heat of the coming scene to which all this is but leading, so do these fearful noises, prepare by contrast for fearful silence to follow.
Line-62:
• This description shrouds the albatross with mystery. He suddenly appears on the scene as if from nowhere.
Line- 63:
• In that region of dreary desolation, the albatross is the only representative of life. The words “Christian soul” at once gave him human and divine associations. He is considered to be a bird of good omen and is hailed with great joy & hospitality.
Line 50 – 70:
• A critic comments on these lines in a very interesting manner. He says “The details of the voyage are all chronicled (recorded) with such order & regularity , that there is such a diary like air about the whole thing , that we accept it almost as if it were a series of extracts from a ship’s records.”
• In these lines Coleridge makes the ship enter the polar region, the land of mist & snow , the land where huge monster like icebergs drift about making fearful noises.
Line 74:
Shrouds
• It is a rope reaching from the masthead to the side of the ship to which it is secured. It helped to support the masts.
Line 75: Vespers nine.
• It means evenings.
• Usually vesper is used in the sense of ‘evening prayer’.
• Nine – another mystical number like 3 which has supernatural associations.
Line 78-79:
• This interruption by the wedding-guest is definitely not out of impatience.
• He has seen a look of horror gradually appearing & deepening on the mariner’s face and he is frightened. His exclamation wrings from the mariner an avowal of his crying i.e. he seemed to be rather reluctant in confessing it for fear of the agony it would bring with it.
Line 81
• The first part of the poem concludes with a direct reference to the wanton act of shooting the albatross.
Line 88-89
• The vacuum (emptiness because it was not there) created by the death of the albatross is felt by everyone.
Line 90-95
• The other mariners emphasized the fact that the Albatross was a bird of good omen and the ancient mariner had done something very sinful by shooting it .
Line 96-101
• The fog and the mist having cleared off quite unexpected, the sun rose in its entire glorious splendour. The sailors now changed their opinion about the Albatross.
• They declared him to be a bird of ill omen and applauded the ancient mariner for having shot him. According to the critics’ comments, they thus made themselves accomplices in the crime.
• According to a critic, “the changing, variable attitude of the shipmates is noteworthy. They judge the deed and consider it good or bad, not on its merit or by any standard of right or wrong but simply by the result it brings to them and as often as those omens change, so often do they change. They not only make themselves accomplices in the crime, but they are graceless accomplices without the redeeming feature of consistency.
Line 102-105
• A very fine stanza in which the swift movement of the verse reflects the swift movement of the ship.
Line 103
• As the ship was cutting through the waves, it made a track on the surface of water. The mariner felt that the track followed the ship like a swiftly moving stream.
Line 104-105
• The ship now entered the Pacific Ocean.
• A new phase of the journey has begun. But it has been introduced without any preliminaries. The ancient mariner refers to the silent sea as if it were as known to the wedding guest as to the mariner himself.
Line 106-109
• The poet now wants to convey a touch of stillness. So in this stanza, we have a very slow rhythmic movement of the verse. According to a critic, “each line halts” and the effect created by the whole stanza is a feeling of stagnation and helplessness.
Line 110-115
• The sky is hot like burning copper. The mariner’s guilt begins to be reflected in the external nature. There is always a very close correspondence between the fate of the ship and the moves of nature.
Line 116-117
• Two very famous lines giving a perfect picture of a becalmed ship on a completely still ocean.
Line 122
• The stillness of the sea was so complete that it began to rot. A poetic exaggeration is employed to intensify the horror of the sea.
• Christ – an appeal to Christ for help and mercy. A very ironic situation, for one who so mercilessly shot the Albatross is now begging for mercy.
Line 124-125
• These are two of the most gruesome lines ever written. The full effect can be seen best and appreciated when they are read slowly. It is the repetition of words ‘slimy’ and the addition ‘with legs’ that create the extreme sense of the hideousness of the spectacle.
Line 128
• Witch’s oil – the ingredients used by the witch to prepare her broth. There is a description of such a broth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
Line 131
• The spirit – the avenging spirit of the South Pole, whose anger has been aroused by the shooting of Albatross.
Line 137
• Evil looks – the tongues of the sailors are dry, their throats are parched. So they cannot utter any words. They curse the mariner with their eyes.
Line 140
• Like part one, this part also concludes with a significant reference to the Albatross. The sailors, in order to fix the sole responsibilities of the sins on the mariner, hang the dead Albatross around his neck.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
JULIUS CAESAR
Character sketch of Julius Caesar
Caesar, as portrayed by Shakespeare, is a mixture of weakness and strength. In the very opening scene of the play the playwright gives us an impression of Caesar as a political and military strength, though at certain times he tells us that his power is being undermined by certain officers of the state.
Although Caesar shows complete disregard for any kind of superstition yet at certain occasions he reveals to be under the impact of superstitions.
Caesar is fearless but at the same time he has a wavering mind also. When Calpurnia tries to convince him to remain indoors, Caesar fearlessly says that he is ready to accept whatever may be the consequences of stepping out on that day. He very philosophically declares that cowards die many times before their death and the brave never taste of it except once. But when Calpurnia pleads in front of him and bends on her knees, Caesar agrees to follow the words of his wife.
Again when Decius comes and misinterprets Calpurnia’s dream, Caesar is fully convinced and also tempted by the thoughts of being offered the kingly crown, so he decides to get ready to leave the house.
•Here Caesar feels greatly pleased by the flattering interpretation of Calpurnia’s dream .Thus, he appears to have a wavering mind.
Caesar reveals his firmness and his arrogance in the Senate House when Metellus Cimber approaches him with a petition. Caesar firmly rejects the request. Here we admire Caesar’s firmness but we strongly disapprove the arrogant and proud manner in which he speaks to the petitioner. He claims to be one man among countless men as he never changes his mind and never modifies his decisions.
Caesar is also very graceful and dignified in receiving the Senators when they come to his house to fetch him to Senate House. In a very hospitable manner, he offers them to come inside and taste some wine.
Caesar as portrayed by Shakespeare does arouse our admiration because of his strength of character and understanding of human nature but we feel disappointed by his wavering nature, his love of flattery, his arrogance and his boastfulness.
Character Sketch of Marcus Brutus
•When Cassius approaches Brutus and tries to convince and bring him into conspiracy, Shakespeare shows the conflict in his mind due to his love for Caesar and love of freedom .Cassius is able to read the disturbance going on in Brutus’ mind. He targets the mind of Brutus accordingly and succeeds in luring him in the conspiracy party by playing upon his sense of honour and love for freedom and partly also by appealing to him in the name of his ancestors.
•Although Brutus greatly values freedom and wants to safeguard the interest of the common people, yet he is at the same time a dear friend of Caesar.
•Brutus is an idealist who is opposed by the realism and practical sense of Cassius.
•The idealism of Brutus comes out in the course of the play especially when the conspiracy is being planned against Caesar.
•Being an idealist and a visionary with little knowledge of practical realities he fails as a statesman and as a military leader. The lack of political foresight and incapacity to judge the characters of the people whom he has to convince constitute the tragic flaw in him. He shows himself to be too self righteous and self opinionated.
•In dealing with Antony, Brutus shows the same ignorance of the practical reality of life as he had previously when the conspiracy was discussed by him with his fellow conspirators. He shows himself to be more than willing to negotiate with Antony, contrary to the wishes of Cassius and permits him to address the mob. He certainly takes the precaution of himself addressing the mob first, but he then departs, leaving the field free for Antony. He does not foresee the harm which Cassius could and which Antony now does to the cause of the conspirators.
SPEECH OF BRUTUS TO THE MOB:-
•The manner in which Brutus addresses the Roman mob is like a philosopher and not like a politician.
• He tries to appeal to the minds of people not realizing that the mob has only feelings and emotions and no capacity to think.
•In his speech he says that Caesar was ambitious and that it was necessary to kill him in order to prevent him from becoming a dictator and ruling people as if they were his slaves.
•This agreement certainly influences the listeners deeply and emphatically approves the action of the conspirators whereas contrary to this Antony’s speech appealed to the hearts and emotions of the mob and Antony is able to neutralize completely the effect of Brutus’ speech.
TWO MAJOR BLUNDERS COMMITTED BY BRUTUS
One major blunder is that Brutus gives an exhaustive speech to the Roman mob which is beyond their level of understanding.
Another great blunder is committed by him in coming out of the market place immediately after completing his speech and leaving the field clear for Antony. Antony takes full advantage of this and turns the plans of the conspirators upside down.
Antony’s superb oration and its effect upon the mob.
•The speech which Antony delivers to the mob just after Brutus has finished his speech,is a superb specimen of oratory.This speech again shows how crafty he is as the only objective of the speech was to arouse the passions of the mob and to incite them to rebellion against the conspirators and he succeeds fully in this target.
•On the face value Antony seems to be just expressing his grief over Caesar’s death in front of the men. But the ultimate effect of the oration is that the mob feels enraged against the conspirators.
•In the speech Antony points out that Caesar was not at all ambitious that he had the welfare of common people at heart, that the conspirators and specially Brutus have proved ungrateful to Caesar and have committed a severe and a criminal act in murdering him.
•The mob is completely charged by this speech and declares its intentions to cause destruction to the conspirators and also to kill hem. Left alone , Antony feels glad at the result he has achieved and in a brief soliloquy he says that he has been able to set mischief afoot and that the mischief will now take its own course.
Antony’s speech gives an altogether different turn to the events. It is indeed a crucial speech and it marks a turning point in the play.
•Antony proves himself to be a very confident military commander and the victory which he got at the end is as much due to his efforts and initiative in the war as to Octavious Caesar.
Contrast between the funeral speeches of Brutus and Antony.
•Brutus’ speech to the mob is the speech of a philosopher who speaks in a logical manner whereas Antony’s speech is emotional and is intended to stir the feelings and passion of the listeners.
•Brutus’ speech is cold and intellectual. His speech appeals to the intelligence of the listeners and it fails because the listeners in this case are not intelligent enough.
•Brutus’ speech was argumentative and somewhat difficult to understand. His speech is undoubtedly an excellent specimen of reasoning. The logic behind his speech is absolutely clear but again the point remains that logic is something which the common people do not understand. But it does not mean that Brutus is speaking to people who are utterly ignorant. The point is that the people understand his reasoning only to a limited extent. They surrender to his logic only because they have a high opinion about him.
•Brutus fails to understand the mob:
Brutus tries to appeal to the people’s love of freedom. He tries to stir their hatred of tyranny but he does not understand that people at this point in Roman history are not very enlightened and they do not understand the talk about freedom and slavery.
Speech of Antony
The merits of Antony’s speech are:
•Antony knows the psychology of the mob and he appeals directly to this psychology. He does not talk of the principle of freedom or the evil of tyranny and slavery rather he speaks about the wounds which have been inflicted upon Caesar’s body.
•He speaks about the ingratitude of Brutus who was loved as a dear friend by Caesar.
•He talks of Caesar’s will in which he had made the roman mob an heir to his property.
•Antony makes use of several rhetoric devices in the course of his speech. He makes use of irony when he says again and again that Brutus is an honorable man and others too are honorable man.
•He exploits the sympathy of the mob by pointing to each wound on Caesar’s body by connecting it with one or other conspirator.
•Another important difference is that Brutus speaks to the mob in prose, whereas Antony speaks to mob in verse. Antony’s speech makes use not only of rhetorical but also of poetic devices. Therefore Antony imparts narrative quality to his speech and targets the feelings and passion of his listeners.
Caesar, as portrayed by Shakespeare, is a mixture of weakness and strength. In the very opening scene of the play the playwright gives us an impression of Caesar as a political and military strength, though at certain times he tells us that his power is being undermined by certain officers of the state.
Although Caesar shows complete disregard for any kind of superstition yet at certain occasions he reveals to be under the impact of superstitions.
Caesar is fearless but at the same time he has a wavering mind also. When Calpurnia tries to convince him to remain indoors, Caesar fearlessly says that he is ready to accept whatever may be the consequences of stepping out on that day. He very philosophically declares that cowards die many times before their death and the brave never taste of it except once. But when Calpurnia pleads in front of him and bends on her knees, Caesar agrees to follow the words of his wife.
Again when Decius comes and misinterprets Calpurnia’s dream, Caesar is fully convinced and also tempted by the thoughts of being offered the kingly crown, so he decides to get ready to leave the house.
•Here Caesar feels greatly pleased by the flattering interpretation of Calpurnia’s dream .Thus, he appears to have a wavering mind.
Caesar reveals his firmness and his arrogance in the Senate House when Metellus Cimber approaches him with a petition. Caesar firmly rejects the request. Here we admire Caesar’s firmness but we strongly disapprove the arrogant and proud manner in which he speaks to the petitioner. He claims to be one man among countless men as he never changes his mind and never modifies his decisions.
Caesar is also very graceful and dignified in receiving the Senators when they come to his house to fetch him to Senate House. In a very hospitable manner, he offers them to come inside and taste some wine.
Caesar as portrayed by Shakespeare does arouse our admiration because of his strength of character and understanding of human nature but we feel disappointed by his wavering nature, his love of flattery, his arrogance and his boastfulness.
Character Sketch of Marcus Brutus
•When Cassius approaches Brutus and tries to convince and bring him into conspiracy, Shakespeare shows the conflict in his mind due to his love for Caesar and love of freedom .Cassius is able to read the disturbance going on in Brutus’ mind. He targets the mind of Brutus accordingly and succeeds in luring him in the conspiracy party by playing upon his sense of honour and love for freedom and partly also by appealing to him in the name of his ancestors.
•Although Brutus greatly values freedom and wants to safeguard the interest of the common people, yet he is at the same time a dear friend of Caesar.
•Brutus is an idealist who is opposed by the realism and practical sense of Cassius.
•The idealism of Brutus comes out in the course of the play especially when the conspiracy is being planned against Caesar.
•Being an idealist and a visionary with little knowledge of practical realities he fails as a statesman and as a military leader. The lack of political foresight and incapacity to judge the characters of the people whom he has to convince constitute the tragic flaw in him. He shows himself to be too self righteous and self opinionated.
•In dealing with Antony, Brutus shows the same ignorance of the practical reality of life as he had previously when the conspiracy was discussed by him with his fellow conspirators. He shows himself to be more than willing to negotiate with Antony, contrary to the wishes of Cassius and permits him to address the mob. He certainly takes the precaution of himself addressing the mob first, but he then departs, leaving the field free for Antony. He does not foresee the harm which Cassius could and which Antony now does to the cause of the conspirators.
SPEECH OF BRUTUS TO THE MOB:-
•The manner in which Brutus addresses the Roman mob is like a philosopher and not like a politician.
• He tries to appeal to the minds of people not realizing that the mob has only feelings and emotions and no capacity to think.
•In his speech he says that Caesar was ambitious and that it was necessary to kill him in order to prevent him from becoming a dictator and ruling people as if they were his slaves.
•This agreement certainly influences the listeners deeply and emphatically approves the action of the conspirators whereas contrary to this Antony’s speech appealed to the hearts and emotions of the mob and Antony is able to neutralize completely the effect of Brutus’ speech.
TWO MAJOR BLUNDERS COMMITTED BY BRUTUS
One major blunder is that Brutus gives an exhaustive speech to the Roman mob which is beyond their level of understanding.
Another great blunder is committed by him in coming out of the market place immediately after completing his speech and leaving the field clear for Antony. Antony takes full advantage of this and turns the plans of the conspirators upside down.
Antony’s superb oration and its effect upon the mob.
•The speech which Antony delivers to the mob just after Brutus has finished his speech,is a superb specimen of oratory.This speech again shows how crafty he is as the only objective of the speech was to arouse the passions of the mob and to incite them to rebellion against the conspirators and he succeeds fully in this target.
•On the face value Antony seems to be just expressing his grief over Caesar’s death in front of the men. But the ultimate effect of the oration is that the mob feels enraged against the conspirators.
•In the speech Antony points out that Caesar was not at all ambitious that he had the welfare of common people at heart, that the conspirators and specially Brutus have proved ungrateful to Caesar and have committed a severe and a criminal act in murdering him.
•The mob is completely charged by this speech and declares its intentions to cause destruction to the conspirators and also to kill hem. Left alone , Antony feels glad at the result he has achieved and in a brief soliloquy he says that he has been able to set mischief afoot and that the mischief will now take its own course.
Antony’s speech gives an altogether different turn to the events. It is indeed a crucial speech and it marks a turning point in the play.
•Antony proves himself to be a very confident military commander and the victory which he got at the end is as much due to his efforts and initiative in the war as to Octavious Caesar.
Contrast between the funeral speeches of Brutus and Antony.
•Brutus’ speech to the mob is the speech of a philosopher who speaks in a logical manner whereas Antony’s speech is emotional and is intended to stir the feelings and passion of the listeners.
•Brutus’ speech is cold and intellectual. His speech appeals to the intelligence of the listeners and it fails because the listeners in this case are not intelligent enough.
•Brutus’ speech was argumentative and somewhat difficult to understand. His speech is undoubtedly an excellent specimen of reasoning. The logic behind his speech is absolutely clear but again the point remains that logic is something which the common people do not understand. But it does not mean that Brutus is speaking to people who are utterly ignorant. The point is that the people understand his reasoning only to a limited extent. They surrender to his logic only because they have a high opinion about him.
•Brutus fails to understand the mob:
Brutus tries to appeal to the people’s love of freedom. He tries to stir their hatred of tyranny but he does not understand that people at this point in Roman history are not very enlightened and they do not understand the talk about freedom and slavery.
Speech of Antony
The merits of Antony’s speech are:
•Antony knows the psychology of the mob and he appeals directly to this psychology. He does not talk of the principle of freedom or the evil of tyranny and slavery rather he speaks about the wounds which have been inflicted upon Caesar’s body.
•He speaks about the ingratitude of Brutus who was loved as a dear friend by Caesar.
•He talks of Caesar’s will in which he had made the roman mob an heir to his property.
•Antony makes use of several rhetoric devices in the course of his speech. He makes use of irony when he says again and again that Brutus is an honorable man and others too are honorable man.
•He exploits the sympathy of the mob by pointing to each wound on Caesar’s body by connecting it with one or other conspirator.
•Another important difference is that Brutus speaks to the mob in prose, whereas Antony speaks to mob in verse. Antony’s speech makes use not only of rhetorical but also of poetic devices. Therefore Antony imparts narrative quality to his speech and targets the feelings and passion of his listeners.
Monday, January 17, 2011
CLASS IX & X
CHANGES IN THE PATTERN OF THE ENGLISH QUES PAPER FOR SA 2
Question Paper Design SA 2
English Communicative
Classes IX
Code No. 101
The design of the question papers in English Communicative for classes IX & X has
undergone a few changes. They are as under:
Section A - Reading: 20 marks (Question 1-4)
In the existing scheme of the question paper Students answer questions based on four
unseen passages carrying five marks each -all the questions are MCQs.
The change proposed is that students be given two passages (carrying 5+5 marks) out of four which are based on MCQ responses. The other two should require effort on the part of the students to supply the responses.
In the proposed question paper scheme
~ Students will be expected to attempt four passages carrying five marks each.
~ Passage types will include literary, discursive or factual. One out of the four passages will be a poem.
~ Two out of four passages will have Multiple Choice Questions carrying 5+5=10 marks
~ Two out of four passages will have questions wherein students will be expected to supply the responses. This will carry 5+5=10 marks.
Question types will be :
Sentence completion
Gap filling
Note: The weightage given to MCQs to be reduced from the existing 20 Marks in the Reading Section to 10 Marks
Section B--Writing: 20 marks (Question 5-7)-No change
The writing section comprises three writing tasks as indicated below:
Q 5 A short answer question of upto 80 words in the form of a Biographical Sketch (expansion of notes on an individual's life or achievements into a short paragraph)/Data Interpretation,Dialogue Writing or Description (People, Places, Events).
The question will assess students'skill of expressing ideas in clear and grammatically correct English, presenting ideas coherently and concisely, writing a clear description, a clear account of events, expanding notes into a piece of writing , or transcoding information from one form to another. 4 Marks
Q 6 A long answer question (minimum 120 words) in the form of a formal letter/ informal letter or an email. The output would be a long piece of writing and will assess the use of appropriate style, language, content and expression. 8 Marks
Q 7 A long answer question (minimum 150 words) in the form of a diary entry, article, speech,story or debate.
Students' skill in expression of ideas in clear and grammatically correct English, planning,organizing and presenting ideas coherently by introducing, developing and concluding a topic,comparing and contrasting ideas and arriving at a conclusion, presenting an argument with supporting examples, using an appropriate style and format and expanding notes into longer pieces of writing and creative expression of ideas will be assessed. 8 Marks
Important Notes on Format and Word Limit:
Format will not carry any separate marks and in most cases, format will be given in the question paper.
The word limit given is the suggested minimum word limit. No candidate may be penalised for writing more or less than the suggested word limit. Stress should be on content, expression,coherence and relevance of the content presented.
Section C - Grammar: 20 marks-(Question 8-12)
In the existing scheme of the question paper Students answer five questions of four marks each -all MCQs that test various grammatical items in context.
The change proposed is that students be given two questions (carrying 4+4 marks) out of five which are based on MCQ responses. The other three should require effort on the part of the students to supply the responses.
In the proposed question paper scheme:
This section will carry five questions of four marks each
Out of five questions two questions (question 8 and 9) carrying 4 marks each ie total eight marks will have MCQs .The test types for MCQs include:
Gap filling
Sentence completion
Dialogue Completion
Question 10, 11, and 12 will be based on response supplied by students.
These test types which will not be tested as MCQs include
Sentence reordering
Editing
Omission
Sentence transformation
Note : The weightage given to MCQs to be reduced from the existing 20 marks in the
grammar section to 8 marks
Section D - Literature-20 Marks (Question 13-15)
In the existing scheme of the question paper students answer questions based on two extracts out of three for reference to context (Prose/poetry or play) carrying three marks each (Total -6 Marks) -all MCQs.
The change proposed is that students be given one extract for reference to context (carrying 3 marks) out of two which is based on MCQ responses. The other extract should require effort on the part of the students to supply the responses.
In the proposed question paper scheme:
Q13 A) One out of two extracts for reference to context with MCQs (based on poetry / prose/drama).The extract will carry 3 marks.
B) One extract for reference to context (based on poetry / prose/drama) where students will be expected to supply the answer. The extract will carry3 marks. 6 Marks
Q14. Four out of five short answer type questions based on prose, poetry or plays of 2 marks each. The questions will not test recall but inference and evaluation. 8 Marks
Q15. One out of two long answer type questions to assess personal response to text by going beyond the text/ poetry / prose/drama. Creativity, imagination and extrapolation beyond the text and across two texts will also be assessed. 6 Marks
Total No. Existing Weighatage Proposed Weighatage
of Marks to MCQs to MCQs
Section A-Reading 20 Marks 20 Marks 10 Marks
Section B-Writing 20 Marks Nil Nil
Section C-Grammar 20 Marks 20 Marks 8 Marks
Section D-Literature 20 Marks 6 Marks 3 Marks
Total 80 Marks 46 Marks 21 Marks
Percentage 57.5 % 26.25%
Note: The weightage given to MCQs to be reduced from the existing 06 Marks in the
Literature Section to 3 Marks
Question Paper Design SA 2
English Communicative
Classes IX
Code No. 101
The design of the question papers in English Communicative for classes IX & X has
undergone a few changes. They are as under:
Section A - Reading: 20 marks (Question 1-4)
In the existing scheme of the question paper Students answer questions based on four
unseen passages carrying five marks each -all the questions are MCQs.
The change proposed is that students be given two passages (carrying 5+5 marks) out of four which are based on MCQ responses. The other two should require effort on the part of the students to supply the responses.
In the proposed question paper scheme
~ Students will be expected to attempt four passages carrying five marks each.
~ Passage types will include literary, discursive or factual. One out of the four passages will be a poem.
~ Two out of four passages will have Multiple Choice Questions carrying 5+5=10 marks
~ Two out of four passages will have questions wherein students will be expected to supply the responses. This will carry 5+5=10 marks.
Question types will be :
Sentence completion
Gap filling
Note: The weightage given to MCQs to be reduced from the existing 20 Marks in the Reading Section to 10 Marks
Section B--Writing: 20 marks (Question 5-7)-No change
The writing section comprises three writing tasks as indicated below:
Q 5 A short answer question of upto 80 words in the form of a Biographical Sketch (expansion of notes on an individual's life or achievements into a short paragraph)/Data Interpretation,Dialogue Writing or Description (People, Places, Events).
The question will assess students'skill of expressing ideas in clear and grammatically correct English, presenting ideas coherently and concisely, writing a clear description, a clear account of events, expanding notes into a piece of writing , or transcoding information from one form to another. 4 Marks
Q 6 A long answer question (minimum 120 words) in the form of a formal letter/ informal letter or an email. The output would be a long piece of writing and will assess the use of appropriate style, language, content and expression. 8 Marks
Q 7 A long answer question (minimum 150 words) in the form of a diary entry, article, speech,story or debate.
Students' skill in expression of ideas in clear and grammatically correct English, planning,organizing and presenting ideas coherently by introducing, developing and concluding a topic,comparing and contrasting ideas and arriving at a conclusion, presenting an argument with supporting examples, using an appropriate style and format and expanding notes into longer pieces of writing and creative expression of ideas will be assessed. 8 Marks
Important Notes on Format and Word Limit:
Format will not carry any separate marks and in most cases, format will be given in the question paper.
The word limit given is the suggested minimum word limit. No candidate may be penalised for writing more or less than the suggested word limit. Stress should be on content, expression,coherence and relevance of the content presented.
Section C - Grammar: 20 marks-(Question 8-12)
In the existing scheme of the question paper Students answer five questions of four marks each -all MCQs that test various grammatical items in context.
The change proposed is that students be given two questions (carrying 4+4 marks) out of five which are based on MCQ responses. The other three should require effort on the part of the students to supply the responses.
In the proposed question paper scheme:
This section will carry five questions of four marks each
Out of five questions two questions (question 8 and 9) carrying 4 marks each ie total eight marks will have MCQs .The test types for MCQs include:
Gap filling
Sentence completion
Dialogue Completion
Question 10, 11, and 12 will be based on response supplied by students.
These test types which will not be tested as MCQs include
Sentence reordering
Editing
Omission
Sentence transformation
Note : The weightage given to MCQs to be reduced from the existing 20 marks in the
grammar section to 8 marks
Section D - Literature-20 Marks (Question 13-15)
In the existing scheme of the question paper students answer questions based on two extracts out of three for reference to context (Prose/poetry or play) carrying three marks each (Total -6 Marks) -all MCQs.
The change proposed is that students be given one extract for reference to context (carrying 3 marks) out of two which is based on MCQ responses. The other extract should require effort on the part of the students to supply the responses.
In the proposed question paper scheme:
Q13 A) One out of two extracts for reference to context with MCQs (based on poetry / prose/drama).The extract will carry 3 marks.
B) One extract for reference to context (based on poetry / prose/drama) where students will be expected to supply the answer. The extract will carry3 marks. 6 Marks
Q14. Four out of five short answer type questions based on prose, poetry or plays of 2 marks each. The questions will not test recall but inference and evaluation. 8 Marks
Q15. One out of two long answer type questions to assess personal response to text by going beyond the text/ poetry / prose/drama. Creativity, imagination and extrapolation beyond the text and across two texts will also be assessed. 6 Marks
Total No. Existing Weighatage Proposed Weighatage
of Marks to MCQs to MCQs
Section A-Reading 20 Marks 20 Marks 10 Marks
Section B-Writing 20 Marks Nil Nil
Section C-Grammar 20 Marks 20 Marks 8 Marks
Section D-Literature 20 Marks 6 Marks 3 Marks
Total 80 Marks 46 Marks 21 Marks
Percentage 57.5 % 26.25%
Note: The weightage given to MCQs to be reduced from the existing 06 Marks in the
Literature Section to 3 Marks
Friday, January 14, 2011
CLASS IX
SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT II
The Question paper is divided into four sections:
Section A Reading 20 marks
Section B Writing 20 marks
Section C Grammar 20 marks
Section D Literature 20 marks
General Instructions
1. All questions are compulsory
2. You may attempt any section at a time
3. All questions of that particular section must be attempted in the correct order
SECTION A - READING
1. Read the poem given below and complete the summary by filling in the
appropriate word. Supply only one word for each blank. 5
YOUNG, GIFTED BUT BLACK
When Mebula Ramsandra
Was three years old
His mother told him, that if he wanted
To be a big strong man
He'd have to drink all his milk ---
And he did.
When Mebula Ramsandra
Was five years old
His teacher told him
That if he wanted
To go to a grammar school1
He'd have to try harder with his homework ---
And he did.
When Mebula Ramsandra
Was fifteen years old
His lecturer told him
That if he wanted to be a lab technician
He'd have to go to University ---
And he did.
So ten years later
When Mebula Ramsandra
Was twenty-five years old
A big, strong, clever, educated postgraduate -----
The man on the other end of the telephone said
If he wanted to work for him,
He'd have to be big, strong, clever, educated postgraduate ----- and
White.
A young Mebula Ramsandra was advised by his mother to consume (a) _________ if
he wanted to be big and strong. At the age of five his teacher warned him that if he
didn't put in (b) _______ work, he wouldn't be able to go to Grammar School. When he
was in his teens, he was told that he would have to go to University to be a lab (c)
_________. After ten years his job application was rejected because he was (d)
_______. Surely the man on the other side of the telephone was (e) __________.
2. Read the passage and complete the sentences given below. 5
Massage can be a natural tranquilliser. It has been used in virtually every culture
throughout history to relieve aches and pains, unknot tense muscles, and help the body-- and the mind-- to relax. There are several types of the massage, but the most popular are Oriental massage and Swedish massage. The chief difference between them is that some of the strokes in Swedish massage are designed to stimulate a rather than to relax the body.
It is unfortunate that many people who might benefit from massage never try it,
dismissing it as a specialised treatment for athletes or disabled people or as an
unjustifiable indulgence. If you think this way, you are missing out on something enjoyable. Any one can learn to give massage. It is a simple extension of warm human care and touch. Professional masseurs and masseuses offer the benefit of both skill and experience.They should be trained in anatomy and physiology so that they can identify muscles that are in spasm or painful knots that have built up by misuse of the body. Experienced professionals generally understand the requirements of various body types and are able to choose strokes that the beneficial for the individual. During a typical one-hour session the routine builds subtly in intensity and then subsides.
1. Besides relieving pain, massage also (a) __________________________________.
2. While the oriental massage focuses on (b) _________________________________.
some aspects of the Swedish massage are meant for (c) ______________________.
3. Many people associate massage with pleasure, thinking that it is useful only for
(d) ________.
4. To identify painful muscles and knots, masseurs should have knowledge in
(e) ____________.
3 Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by
choosing the answers from the given options. 5
SPACE
"It scares me," said Jack Hills, an astronomer at New Mexico's Los Alamos National
Laboratory. "It really does." He and the rest of the world had good reason to be worried.
Astronomer Brian Marsden, at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics had
just announced that a newly discovered asteroid 1.6 km wide was headed for Earth
and might pass as close as 48,000km in the year 2028. "The chance of an actual
collision is small," Marsden reported, "but not entirely out of the question."
An actual collision? With an asteroid of that size? It sounded like the stuff of science fiction and grade-B movies. But front-page stories and TV newscasts around the world soon made clear that the possibility of a direct hit and a global catastrophe well within the lifetime of most people on Earth today was all too real.
Then suddenly, the danger was gone. Barely a day later, new data and new calculations
showed that the asteroid, dubbed 1997 XF11, presented no threat at all. It would miss
Earth by 1 million Km - closer than any previously observed asteroid of that size but a comfortable distance. Still, the incident focused attention once and for all on the largely ignored danger that asteroids and comets pose to life on Earth.
XF11 was discovered last Dec. 6 by astronomer Jim Scotti, a member of the University
of Arizona's Spacewatch group, which scans the skies for undiscovered comets and
asteroids. Using a 77-year-old telescope equipped with an electronic camera, he had
recorded three sets of images. The digitized images, fed into a computer programmed
to look for objects moving against the background of fixed stars, revealed an asteroid that Scotti, in an e-mail to Marsden, described as standing out "like a sore thumb."
1. The world had reasons to worry because…………………….
a. it could come to an end
b. it would be hit by an asteroid
c. it might be hit by an asteroid
d. the astronomers had predicated a definite collision
2. The news that soon came as a relief was that………………….
a. there was no asteroid
b. the asteroid would disintegrate in space
c. it would cross the earth at a safe distance
d. it would be too small to cause harm
3. The asteroid XF11was discovered when…………………………..
a. Jim Scotti observed the sky
b. Scotti saw it through a telescope
c. Marsden discovered it through the computer
d. Jack Hills observed the sky
4. The astronomer, described the asteroid as standing out "like a sore thumb"
because………………
a. it was not a pleasant sight
b. it was noticeable in an unpleasant way
c. it was threatening and ugly
d. it had become huge as it neared the earth
5. The word in the second paragraph that means disaster is………………….
a. collision
b. dubbed
c. catastrophe
d. danger
4. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by
choosing the answer from the given options: 5
Coded Messages
Arabic mathematicians made tremendous contributions to cryptanalysis - the science
of decoding scrambled messages. Their interest stemmed partially from their religion.
The holy Koran contains revelations made by the Prophet Mohammed. The text
contained dictated messages that the Prophet had received from the archangel Gabriel.
However, these revelations were not necessarily placed in the order in which the Prophet had received them. To deduce the order of the revelations and place them in
chronological context, Muslim scholars determined that some passages contained
words coined more recently, and some contained words that were older.
Then, they counted the frequencies of words in each revelation, paying attention to the frequencies of modern and ancient words. Passages which contained a greater
frequency of modern words were considered to have been written later.
In the ninth century, an Arab mathematician called Al-Kindi employed a similar technique to break encrypted messages - frequency analysis. Letters are ranked according to how commonly they occur. Then, the encrypted message is taken, and the most frequent letter appearing in the code is noted. The code is then compared to the language, and using the correspondence in rank, the encrypted message can be unscrambled. He described this in a book - A manuscript on deciphering cryptographic messages.
1. The art of deciphering scrambled messages has its roots in………………
a. cryptanalysis
b. Arabic language
c. religion
d. Mathematics
2. The Holy Koran documents the messages of …………………..
a. The Prophet Mohammed
b. Archangel Gabriel
c. Arabic hymns
d. Muslim Scholars
3. Placing the text of Koran in a sequential order was done……………..
a. by determining the chronological order of events
b. with the help of Arabic mathematicians
c. by using the frequency of modern and ancient words
d. by breaking the cryptic code contained in the messages
4. Al-Kindi's contribution has been acknowledged in the field of……..
a. encrypting messages
b. cryptanalysis
c. language analysis
d. preparing a manuscript
5. The word in the last paragraph that means 'coding of a clear text' is…………
a. deciphering
b. encrypted
c. revelation
d. scrambled
SECTION - B WRITING -20 MARKS
5. One hundred persons each in three age groups were interviewed on their
musical preferences. All the persons did not have interest in music. Of those
who did like music, there was much variation in their tastes. On the basis of
the information given in the table below about musical preferences of the
people in the three age groups, write a paragraph in about 80 words about the
popular forms of music and how the taste in music differs with age.Age Form 15-20 21-30 31+
Classical 6 4 17
Pop 7 5 5
Rock 6 12 14
Jazz 1 4 11
Hip-Hop 9 3 4
29 28 51
6. While reading a magazine you came across the following article
There is a growing lack of sensitivity and respect for our fellow
creatures. There is talk about the food web and the energy cycles
and ecological balance and how removal of any element disrupts
the whole system, and how this can affect human beings too.
What this approach lacks is the essential interaction with Nature
and with other human beings. Indeed, in many environmental
activities the opposite takes place.
You are an educationist and feel that Environmental Education imparted in
schools, need reorientation. The stress should not be on preserving Nature for
human use, but for protecting animals and plants for their own sake. Based on the
information given above and ideas from the Unit Environment, write a letter to the
editor of a national daily in about 120 words on the subject and give it a suitable title.
7. Look at the picture given below and write in 150 words a story that begins
"I didn't tell my Dad about the green monster I found at the bottom of the garden
because...
SECTION - C GRAMMAR - 20 MARKS
8. Choose the most appropriate option from the ones given below to complete
the following passage. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the
correct blank number. Do not copy the whole passage. ½x8= 4
Since the beginning of human existence, people (a) ______________________ over
the world have expressed their emotions and ideas (b) ________________ the
medium of dance. The word 'folk' means people. Folk dances express the moods
and feelings of (c) ___________________ common people. Different regions
(d) _____________ India have their own dances. (e) ______________ dance is
accompanied by music and songs of the region to (f) ______________ it belongs.
(g)______________ recent times folk dances have gained
(h) ___________________ popularity, partly because of films and television shows.
(a) (i) all (b) (i) in
(ii) whole (ii) into
(iii) much (iii) through
(iv) more (iv) of
(c) (i) the (d) (i) at
(ii) a (ii) of
(iii) an (iii) for
(iv) some (iv) from
(e) (i) Each (f) (i) what
(ii) All (ii) which
(iii) Whole (iii) who
(iv) Many (iv) whose
(g) (i) Of (h) (i) great
(ii) For (ii) for
(iii) In (iii) much
(iv) Until (iv) many
9. Given below are some tips on how to improve your memory. Read the given
hints and complete the passage by filling in the gaps choosing the answers
from the given options. 1 × 4 = 4
How to Improve Your Memory
G Exercise your brain.
G Reduce stress.
G Create vivid, memorable images.
G Repeat things you need to learn.
G Group things you need to remember.
G Try meditation.
There are some simple steps that can help you to improve your memory. The first step
(a) .................................... with things like crossword puzzles, chess etc. The second
step is (b) ..................................... lives because stress can cause us to forget things.
The next step (c).......................................... which will help us to remember things. Another
method involves repeating things that we want to learn and (d)……………………. so
that we do not forget them easily. Finally, the most important method is to try meditation.
(a) (i) being to exercise your brain (ii) is to exercise one's brain
(iii) is to exercise your brain (iv) being exercising the brain
(b) (i) to reduce stress in your (ii) reducing stress in one's
(iii) reduction of stress in one's (iv) to reduce stress in our
(c) (i) is creating vivid and memorable (ii) is to creating vivid and
images memorable images
(iii) creating vivid and memorable (iv) creation of vivid and
images memorable images
(d) (i) to group things together (ii) group things together
(iii) to be grouping things together (iv) grouped things together
10. The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each line.
Write the incorrect word and the correction in your answer sheet against the
correct question number. Remember to underline the word you have supplied.
½ x8= 4
Often these days we hear and speak of the conquered (a) _______ _________
in nature, 'the taming of a river', 'the war against insects' (b)_______ _________
and so on. Often these phrases being used without consciously (c) ______ ______
attaching any value to them, but those have an (d) _______ _________
underlying attitude of hostile towards Nature and Nature's (e) _______ _________
creatures, a viewpoint which seeming to assume (f) ________ _________
Nature as an enemy that needs to being vanquished. (g) _______ _________
Alternatively, Nature is seen merely as the 'resource' to be (h) _______ ________
'exploited'
11. Look at the words and phrases below. Rearrange them to form meaningful
sentences. Write the correct sentences in your answer sheet. 1×4 = 4
one / fell / day / a / farmer's / will / donkey / into / down / a
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well.
(a) the / farmer / know / to / didn't / do / cried / animal/the / and / what
(b) invited / he / neighbors / all / help / his / to / him
(c) what / donkey / the / didn't / at first / realize / was / happening
(d) he / everybody's / to / then / amazement / down/ quietened
12. Read the following conversation and complete the passage given below.lx4= 4
Customer: Can I have a small bottle of tomato sauce?
Shopkeeper: Sorry, I have only big bottles.
Customer: When will it be available?
Shopkeeper: I can give it to you tomorrow.
Customer: Thank you, then I will get it tomorrow.
The customer asked the shopkeeper (a) …………………….. . The shopkeeper said
that he only had big bottles of tomato sauce. The customer wanted to know (b)
…………………….. . The shopkeeper said that (c) …………………….. .. The customer
thanked him and said that (d) …………………….. .
SECTION - D LITERATURE-20 MARKS
13.A Read the extract and answer the following questions by choosing the most
appropriate option. 1x3= 3
I touch gently at the windows with my
Soft fingers, and my announcement is a
Welcome song. All can hear, but only
The sensitive can understand.
(a) When the speaker taps at the windows____
(i) people welcome the speaker
(ii) people sing songs in praise of the speaker
(iii) people enjoy the sound made on the windows
(iv) flowers and fields sing a song
(b) Only the sensitive can understand________
(i) the song of the rain
(ii) the joy of the rain
(iii) the rain's sighs
(iv) the rain's affection
(c) The song of the Rain is a/an_______________ poem.
(i) narrative
(ii) autobiographical
(iii) biographical
(iv) satirical
OR
"You are like a child. I can't trust you out of my sight. No sooner is my back turned than
you get that little minx Marie to sell the silver salt-cellars."
(a) The listener got Marie to sell the silver salt-cellars as
(i) he needed the money to pay the rent
(ii) he needed to help Marie pay her rent.
(iii) Mere Gringoire needed money to pay her rent.
(iv) the bailiff had to be paid.
(b) The speaker's tone is ____________
(i) gentle
(ii) furious
(iii) sad
(iv) reproachful
(c) She did not want the salt-cellars sold as ___________________
(i) they had been in their family for years
(ii) she wanted to eat salt out of silver salt cellars.
(iii) they were very rare and expensive
(iv) her mother had given them to her
13B. Read the lines given below and answer the questions that follow. 1x3= 3
"Good-luck to you, Trevelyan," I said. "And may you get the petunias for your princess!"
(a) Why does the narrator call the listener Trevelyan?
(b) Why does the narrator refer to petunias?
(c) What is the tone of the speaker in the above lines?
14. Answer any four of the following questions. (30-40 words each) 2x4= 8
(a) Private Quelch is equally unpopular among his friends as well as superiors.
Comment.
(b) In what ways is Pescud like the hero of a romantic novel?
(c) In what ways do the parishioners take advantage of the Bishop's kindness?
(d) In what sense are men and women merely players on the stage of life?
(e) Why does the narrator from the poem 'Oh,I wish I'd looked after me teeth' say it
is a 'time of reckonin' for her now?
15. As Harold, write a diary entry about your feelings on learning that your father
is the famous boxer Porky and how your classmates have changed after
learning this. 6
OR
How did the Bishop react on learning about the betrayal by the convict? What
does it reflect about him?
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT II
The Question paper is divided into four sections:
Section A Reading 20 marks
Section B Writing 20 marks
Section C Grammar 20 marks
Section D Literature 20 marks
General Instructions
1. All questions are compulsory
2. You may attempt any section at a time
3. All questions of that particular section must be attempted in the correct order
SECTION A - READING
1. Read the poem given below and complete the summary by filling in the
appropriate word. Supply only one word for each blank. 5
YOUNG, GIFTED BUT BLACK
When Mebula Ramsandra
Was three years old
His mother told him, that if he wanted
To be a big strong man
He'd have to drink all his milk ---
And he did.
When Mebula Ramsandra
Was five years old
His teacher told him
That if he wanted
To go to a grammar school1
He'd have to try harder with his homework ---
And he did.
When Mebula Ramsandra
Was fifteen years old
His lecturer told him
That if he wanted to be a lab technician
He'd have to go to University ---
And he did.
So ten years later
When Mebula Ramsandra
Was twenty-five years old
A big, strong, clever, educated postgraduate -----
The man on the other end of the telephone said
If he wanted to work for him,
He'd have to be big, strong, clever, educated postgraduate ----- and
White.
A young Mebula Ramsandra was advised by his mother to consume (a) _________ if
he wanted to be big and strong. At the age of five his teacher warned him that if he
didn't put in (b) _______ work, he wouldn't be able to go to Grammar School. When he
was in his teens, he was told that he would have to go to University to be a lab (c)
_________. After ten years his job application was rejected because he was (d)
_______. Surely the man on the other side of the telephone was (e) __________.
2. Read the passage and complete the sentences given below. 5
Massage can be a natural tranquilliser. It has been used in virtually every culture
throughout history to relieve aches and pains, unknot tense muscles, and help the body-- and the mind-- to relax. There are several types of the massage, but the most popular are Oriental massage and Swedish massage. The chief difference between them is that some of the strokes in Swedish massage are designed to stimulate a rather than to relax the body.
It is unfortunate that many people who might benefit from massage never try it,
dismissing it as a specialised treatment for athletes or disabled people or as an
unjustifiable indulgence. If you think this way, you are missing out on something enjoyable. Any one can learn to give massage. It is a simple extension of warm human care and touch. Professional masseurs and masseuses offer the benefit of both skill and experience.They should be trained in anatomy and physiology so that they can identify muscles that are in spasm or painful knots that have built up by misuse of the body. Experienced professionals generally understand the requirements of various body types and are able to choose strokes that the beneficial for the individual. During a typical one-hour session the routine builds subtly in intensity and then subsides.
1. Besides relieving pain, massage also (a) __________________________________.
2. While the oriental massage focuses on (b) _________________________________.
some aspects of the Swedish massage are meant for (c) ______________________.
3. Many people associate massage with pleasure, thinking that it is useful only for
(d) ________.
4. To identify painful muscles and knots, masseurs should have knowledge in
(e) ____________.
3 Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by
choosing the answers from the given options. 5
SPACE
"It scares me," said Jack Hills, an astronomer at New Mexico's Los Alamos National
Laboratory. "It really does." He and the rest of the world had good reason to be worried.
Astronomer Brian Marsden, at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics had
just announced that a newly discovered asteroid 1.6 km wide was headed for Earth
and might pass as close as 48,000km in the year 2028. "The chance of an actual
collision is small," Marsden reported, "but not entirely out of the question."
An actual collision? With an asteroid of that size? It sounded like the stuff of science fiction and grade-B movies. But front-page stories and TV newscasts around the world soon made clear that the possibility of a direct hit and a global catastrophe well within the lifetime of most people on Earth today was all too real.
Then suddenly, the danger was gone. Barely a day later, new data and new calculations
showed that the asteroid, dubbed 1997 XF11, presented no threat at all. It would miss
Earth by 1 million Km - closer than any previously observed asteroid of that size but a comfortable distance. Still, the incident focused attention once and for all on the largely ignored danger that asteroids and comets pose to life on Earth.
XF11 was discovered last Dec. 6 by astronomer Jim Scotti, a member of the University
of Arizona's Spacewatch group, which scans the skies for undiscovered comets and
asteroids. Using a 77-year-old telescope equipped with an electronic camera, he had
recorded three sets of images. The digitized images, fed into a computer programmed
to look for objects moving against the background of fixed stars, revealed an asteroid that Scotti, in an e-mail to Marsden, described as standing out "like a sore thumb."
1. The world had reasons to worry because…………………….
a. it could come to an end
b. it would be hit by an asteroid
c. it might be hit by an asteroid
d. the astronomers had predicated a definite collision
2. The news that soon came as a relief was that………………….
a. there was no asteroid
b. the asteroid would disintegrate in space
c. it would cross the earth at a safe distance
d. it would be too small to cause harm
3. The asteroid XF11was discovered when…………………………..
a. Jim Scotti observed the sky
b. Scotti saw it through a telescope
c. Marsden discovered it through the computer
d. Jack Hills observed the sky
4. The astronomer, described the asteroid as standing out "like a sore thumb"
because………………
a. it was not a pleasant sight
b. it was noticeable in an unpleasant way
c. it was threatening and ugly
d. it had become huge as it neared the earth
5. The word in the second paragraph that means disaster is………………….
a. collision
b. dubbed
c. catastrophe
d. danger
4. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by
choosing the answer from the given options: 5
Coded Messages
Arabic mathematicians made tremendous contributions to cryptanalysis - the science
of decoding scrambled messages. Their interest stemmed partially from their religion.
The holy Koran contains revelations made by the Prophet Mohammed. The text
contained dictated messages that the Prophet had received from the archangel Gabriel.
However, these revelations were not necessarily placed in the order in which the Prophet had received them. To deduce the order of the revelations and place them in
chronological context, Muslim scholars determined that some passages contained
words coined more recently, and some contained words that were older.
Then, they counted the frequencies of words in each revelation, paying attention to the frequencies of modern and ancient words. Passages which contained a greater
frequency of modern words were considered to have been written later.
In the ninth century, an Arab mathematician called Al-Kindi employed a similar technique to break encrypted messages - frequency analysis. Letters are ranked according to how commonly they occur. Then, the encrypted message is taken, and the most frequent letter appearing in the code is noted. The code is then compared to the language, and using the correspondence in rank, the encrypted message can be unscrambled. He described this in a book - A manuscript on deciphering cryptographic messages.
1. The art of deciphering scrambled messages has its roots in………………
a. cryptanalysis
b. Arabic language
c. religion
d. Mathematics
2. The Holy Koran documents the messages of …………………..
a. The Prophet Mohammed
b. Archangel Gabriel
c. Arabic hymns
d. Muslim Scholars
3. Placing the text of Koran in a sequential order was done……………..
a. by determining the chronological order of events
b. with the help of Arabic mathematicians
c. by using the frequency of modern and ancient words
d. by breaking the cryptic code contained in the messages
4. Al-Kindi's contribution has been acknowledged in the field of……..
a. encrypting messages
b. cryptanalysis
c. language analysis
d. preparing a manuscript
5. The word in the last paragraph that means 'coding of a clear text' is…………
a. deciphering
b. encrypted
c. revelation
d. scrambled
SECTION - B WRITING -20 MARKS
5. One hundred persons each in three age groups were interviewed on their
musical preferences. All the persons did not have interest in music. Of those
who did like music, there was much variation in their tastes. On the basis of
the information given in the table below about musical preferences of the
people in the three age groups, write a paragraph in about 80 words about the
popular forms of music and how the taste in music differs with age.Age Form 15-20 21-30 31+
Classical 6 4 17
Pop 7 5 5
Rock 6 12 14
Jazz 1 4 11
Hip-Hop 9 3 4
29 28 51
6. While reading a magazine you came across the following article
There is a growing lack of sensitivity and respect for our fellow
creatures. There is talk about the food web and the energy cycles
and ecological balance and how removal of any element disrupts
the whole system, and how this can affect human beings too.
What this approach lacks is the essential interaction with Nature
and with other human beings. Indeed, in many environmental
activities the opposite takes place.
You are an educationist and feel that Environmental Education imparted in
schools, need reorientation. The stress should not be on preserving Nature for
human use, but for protecting animals and plants for their own sake. Based on the
information given above and ideas from the Unit Environment, write a letter to the
editor of a national daily in about 120 words on the subject and give it a suitable title.
7. Look at the picture given below and write in 150 words a story that begins
"I didn't tell my Dad about the green monster I found at the bottom of the garden
because...
SECTION - C GRAMMAR - 20 MARKS
8. Choose the most appropriate option from the ones given below to complete
the following passage. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the
correct blank number. Do not copy the whole passage. ½x8= 4
Since the beginning of human existence, people (a) ______________________ over
the world have expressed their emotions and ideas (b) ________________ the
medium of dance. The word 'folk' means people. Folk dances express the moods
and feelings of (c) ___________________ common people. Different regions
(d) _____________ India have their own dances. (e) ______________ dance is
accompanied by music and songs of the region to (f) ______________ it belongs.
(g)______________ recent times folk dances have gained
(h) ___________________ popularity, partly because of films and television shows.
(a) (i) all (b) (i) in
(ii) whole (ii) into
(iii) much (iii) through
(iv) more (iv) of
(c) (i) the (d) (i) at
(ii) a (ii) of
(iii) an (iii) for
(iv) some (iv) from
(e) (i) Each (f) (i) what
(ii) All (ii) which
(iii) Whole (iii) who
(iv) Many (iv) whose
(g) (i) Of (h) (i) great
(ii) For (ii) for
(iii) In (iii) much
(iv) Until (iv) many
9. Given below are some tips on how to improve your memory. Read the given
hints and complete the passage by filling in the gaps choosing the answers
from the given options. 1 × 4 = 4
How to Improve Your Memory
G Exercise your brain.
G Reduce stress.
G Create vivid, memorable images.
G Repeat things you need to learn.
G Group things you need to remember.
G Try meditation.
There are some simple steps that can help you to improve your memory. The first step
(a) .................................... with things like crossword puzzles, chess etc. The second
step is (b) ..................................... lives because stress can cause us to forget things.
The next step (c).......................................... which will help us to remember things. Another
method involves repeating things that we want to learn and (d)……………………. so
that we do not forget them easily. Finally, the most important method is to try meditation.
(a) (i) being to exercise your brain (ii) is to exercise one's brain
(iii) is to exercise your brain (iv) being exercising the brain
(b) (i) to reduce stress in your (ii) reducing stress in one's
(iii) reduction of stress in one's (iv) to reduce stress in our
(c) (i) is creating vivid and memorable (ii) is to creating vivid and
images memorable images
(iii) creating vivid and memorable (iv) creation of vivid and
images memorable images
(d) (i) to group things together (ii) group things together
(iii) to be grouping things together (iv) grouped things together
10. The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each line.
Write the incorrect word and the correction in your answer sheet against the
correct question number. Remember to underline the word you have supplied.
½ x8= 4
Often these days we hear and speak of the conquered (a) _______ _________
in nature, 'the taming of a river', 'the war against insects' (b)_______ _________
and so on. Often these phrases being used without consciously (c) ______ ______
attaching any value to them, but those have an (d) _______ _________
underlying attitude of hostile towards Nature and Nature's (e) _______ _________
creatures, a viewpoint which seeming to assume (f) ________ _________
Nature as an enemy that needs to being vanquished. (g) _______ _________
Alternatively, Nature is seen merely as the 'resource' to be (h) _______ ________
'exploited'
11. Look at the words and phrases below. Rearrange them to form meaningful
sentences. Write the correct sentences in your answer sheet. 1×4 = 4
one / fell / day / a / farmer's / will / donkey / into / down / a
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well.
(a) the / farmer / know / to / didn't / do / cried / animal/the / and / what
(b) invited / he / neighbors / all / help / his / to / him
(c) what / donkey / the / didn't / at first / realize / was / happening
(d) he / everybody's / to / then / amazement / down/ quietened
12. Read the following conversation and complete the passage given below.lx4= 4
Customer: Can I have a small bottle of tomato sauce?
Shopkeeper: Sorry, I have only big bottles.
Customer: When will it be available?
Shopkeeper: I can give it to you tomorrow.
Customer: Thank you, then I will get it tomorrow.
The customer asked the shopkeeper (a) …………………….. . The shopkeeper said
that he only had big bottles of tomato sauce. The customer wanted to know (b)
…………………….. . The shopkeeper said that (c) …………………….. .. The customer
thanked him and said that (d) …………………….. .
SECTION - D LITERATURE-20 MARKS
13.A Read the extract and answer the following questions by choosing the most
appropriate option. 1x3= 3
I touch gently at the windows with my
Soft fingers, and my announcement is a
Welcome song. All can hear, but only
The sensitive can understand.
(a) When the speaker taps at the windows____
(i) people welcome the speaker
(ii) people sing songs in praise of the speaker
(iii) people enjoy the sound made on the windows
(iv) flowers and fields sing a song
(b) Only the sensitive can understand________
(i) the song of the rain
(ii) the joy of the rain
(iii) the rain's sighs
(iv) the rain's affection
(c) The song of the Rain is a/an_______________ poem.
(i) narrative
(ii) autobiographical
(iii) biographical
(iv) satirical
OR
"You are like a child. I can't trust you out of my sight. No sooner is my back turned than
you get that little minx Marie to sell the silver salt-cellars."
(a) The listener got Marie to sell the silver salt-cellars as
(i) he needed the money to pay the rent
(ii) he needed to help Marie pay her rent.
(iii) Mere Gringoire needed money to pay her rent.
(iv) the bailiff had to be paid.
(b) The speaker's tone is ____________
(i) gentle
(ii) furious
(iii) sad
(iv) reproachful
(c) She did not want the salt-cellars sold as ___________________
(i) they had been in their family for years
(ii) she wanted to eat salt out of silver salt cellars.
(iii) they were very rare and expensive
(iv) her mother had given them to her
13B. Read the lines given below and answer the questions that follow. 1x3= 3
"Good-luck to you, Trevelyan," I said. "And may you get the petunias for your princess!"
(a) Why does the narrator call the listener Trevelyan?
(b) Why does the narrator refer to petunias?
(c) What is the tone of the speaker in the above lines?
14. Answer any four of the following questions. (30-40 words each) 2x4= 8
(a) Private Quelch is equally unpopular among his friends as well as superiors.
Comment.
(b) In what ways is Pescud like the hero of a romantic novel?
(c) In what ways do the parishioners take advantage of the Bishop's kindness?
(d) In what sense are men and women merely players on the stage of life?
(e) Why does the narrator from the poem 'Oh,I wish I'd looked after me teeth' say it
is a 'time of reckonin' for her now?
15. As Harold, write a diary entry about your feelings on learning that your father
is the famous boxer Porky and how your classmates have changed after
learning this. 6
OR
How did the Bishop react on learning about the betrayal by the convict? What
does it reflect about him?
Julius Caesar
A SOLILOQUY AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE PLAY
• A Soliloquy is a speech which a character makes to himself when he is alone.
• In this, he expresses his deepest and most secret thoughts as nobody is listening to him.
• He is able to speak freely without any restrictions.
• In a theatrical performance the soliloquy was used as a means of expressing a character’s private thoughts which were to be brought out when the dramatist wanted a character to reveal his private thoughts to the audience without any other character coming to know of his thoughts.
Soliloquies by Antony-
1. There are two soliloquies by Antony. After the conspirators have left him alone with the dead body of Caesar, Antony comes out with a soliloquy that he would do his utmost to instigate the people against the murderers of Caesar and that he would cause a bloody civil war in the country.
2. This is a forceful soliloquy in which Antony expresses his secret determination to avenge the murder of Caesar. This is of course a highly secret resolve by Antony and it could be expressed only in a soliloquy.
3. The Second Soliloquy takes place after Antony succeeded in inciting the people for a rebellion against the conspirators. He says that mischief is now afoot and that it would take its own course. Here Antony is privately expressing his satisfaction at the result which he had achieved by addressing the mob.
FICKLE MINDEDNESS OF THE MOB
1. The play reveals that the mob does not have the capacity for thinking independently and it is somewhat unsteady in its opinions and views.
2. Throughout the play they reveal that it is easy to influence and sway the mob.
3. Anyone who targets the sentiments and emotions of the mob is able to convince the mob and win over its confidence.
4. Is the mob capable to understand the reasoning of Brutus?? The mob has a great respect for Brutus and therefore it quickly falls under the spell of Brutus’ arguments, though the mob is not fully able to comprehend what Brutus is speaking. The mob does not understand ideas such as freedom and slavery. The common people do not have any idea of what is meant by the rights and liberties of people. That is why when the mob says that Brutus should be given a statue with his ancestors and further that Brutus should be made Caesar, the mob reveals the fact that it has not understood at all that Brutus spoke. It could not understand that Caesar was a selfish man and that he was murdered because he could have become a dictator and could have crushed their rights. It is most illogical on their part to offer to give Brutus, the position and title of Caesar.
5. The mob’s quick response to Antony’s emotional speech-
When the mob is addressed by Antony, it quickly falls under the influence of Antony’s rhetoric.
Due to this, the mob is filled with a great pity for the dead Caesar and a fierce hatred for the conspirators. Therefore, the slogans are shouted that they would seek the conspirators, burn their houses and kill them.
The mob does not have the capacity to consider matters and affairs in a rational manner. These people are lacking in common sense though they respond quickly and spontaneously to an emotional speech.
The mob is uneducated and therefore, irrational. But it does have the capacity to feel. Antony’s speech moves them greatly because it is addressed not to their intelligence but to their feelings and emotions.
• A Soliloquy is a speech which a character makes to himself when he is alone.
• In this, he expresses his deepest and most secret thoughts as nobody is listening to him.
• He is able to speak freely without any restrictions.
• In a theatrical performance the soliloquy was used as a means of expressing a character’s private thoughts which were to be brought out when the dramatist wanted a character to reveal his private thoughts to the audience without any other character coming to know of his thoughts.
Soliloquies by Antony-
1. There are two soliloquies by Antony. After the conspirators have left him alone with the dead body of Caesar, Antony comes out with a soliloquy that he would do his utmost to instigate the people against the murderers of Caesar and that he would cause a bloody civil war in the country.
2. This is a forceful soliloquy in which Antony expresses his secret determination to avenge the murder of Caesar. This is of course a highly secret resolve by Antony and it could be expressed only in a soliloquy.
3. The Second Soliloquy takes place after Antony succeeded in inciting the people for a rebellion against the conspirators. He says that mischief is now afoot and that it would take its own course. Here Antony is privately expressing his satisfaction at the result which he had achieved by addressing the mob.
FICKLE MINDEDNESS OF THE MOB
1. The play reveals that the mob does not have the capacity for thinking independently and it is somewhat unsteady in its opinions and views.
2. Throughout the play they reveal that it is easy to influence and sway the mob.
3. Anyone who targets the sentiments and emotions of the mob is able to convince the mob and win over its confidence.
4. Is the mob capable to understand the reasoning of Brutus?? The mob has a great respect for Brutus and therefore it quickly falls under the spell of Brutus’ arguments, though the mob is not fully able to comprehend what Brutus is speaking. The mob does not understand ideas such as freedom and slavery. The common people do not have any idea of what is meant by the rights and liberties of people. That is why when the mob says that Brutus should be given a statue with his ancestors and further that Brutus should be made Caesar, the mob reveals the fact that it has not understood at all that Brutus spoke. It could not understand that Caesar was a selfish man and that he was murdered because he could have become a dictator and could have crushed their rights. It is most illogical on their part to offer to give Brutus, the position and title of Caesar.
5. The mob’s quick response to Antony’s emotional speech-
When the mob is addressed by Antony, it quickly falls under the influence of Antony’s rhetoric.
Due to this, the mob is filled with a great pity for the dead Caesar and a fierce hatred for the conspirators. Therefore, the slogans are shouted that they would seek the conspirators, burn their houses and kill them.
The mob does not have the capacity to consider matters and affairs in a rational manner. These people are lacking in common sense though they respond quickly and spontaneously to an emotional speech.
The mob is uneducated and therefore, irrational. But it does have the capacity to feel. Antony’s speech moves them greatly because it is addressed not to their intelligence but to their feelings and emotions.
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