मराठी
महाराष्ट्र राज्य शिक्षण मंडळएचएससी वाणिज्य (इंग्रजी माध्यम) इयत्ता १२ वी

Read the Following Extract and Answer the Questions Given Below. - English

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प्रश्न

Read the following extract and answer the questions given below.         

            I grew up in India in which telephones were both rare and virtually useless. When I left India in 1975 to go to the US for graduate studies, we had perhaps, 600 million residents in the country and just two million landline telephones. Having a telephone was a rare privilege: if you weren’t an important government official, or a doctor, or a journalist, you might languish in a long waiting list and never receive a phone.

             Telephone were such a rarity (after all, 90% of population had access to a telephone line) that elected members of Parliament had amongst their privileges the right to allocate 15 telephone connections to whomever they deemed worthy.

              And if you did have a phone, it wasn’t necessarily a blessing. I spent my high school years in Calcutta, and I remember that if you picked up your phone, you had no guarantee you would reach the number you had dialled. Sometimes you were connected to someone else’s ongoing conversation, and they had no idea you were able to hear them; there was even a technical term for it, the ‘cross - connection’ (appropriately, since these were connections that made us very cross). If you wanted to call another city, say Delhi, you had to book a ‘trunk call’ in the morning and then sit by the telephone all day waiting for it to come through; or you could pay eight times the going rate for a ‘lightning call’ = but even lightning struck slowly in India those days, so it only took half an hour instead of the usual three or four or more to be connected.
 

Questions:

(1). Why were telephones a rarity before 1975? (1)

(2) What special rights did elected members of Parliament use to have? (2)

(3) How did the author differentiate between a ‘trunk call’ and a ‘lightning call’?  (2)

(4) Do you think the cellphone has made us global?  (2)

(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed.  . (3)

(i) You could pay eight times the going rate for a ‘lighting call’. (Rewrite it using modal auxiliary showing compulsion) 

(ii) I spent my high school years in Calcutta. [Rewrite it using past perfect tense] 

(iii) Telephones were a rarity. [Make it a rhetorical question] 

(6) Match the words in column ‘A’ with their meanings in column ‘B’.  (1)

  Column A   Column B
(i) Privilege
(i)
means to reach or get
(ii) Access
(ii)
remedy
    (iii) special right

 

 

उत्तर

1.Ans. Majority of the population had no access to a telephone before 1975 thus telephones were a rarity before 1975. 

2.Ans. The elected representative of Parliament had the right to allocate 15 telephone connections to whomever they think worthy. 

3.Ans.One could book a ‘trunk call’ in the morning and then wait for hours for it to come through. Or otherwise one could pay eight times the current rate for a ‘lightning call’ and get connected in half an hour. 

4.Ans. Yes the cellphone has made us global because now we can communicate with anyone in the world in realtime. It has almost removed the distance barriers between any two persons in the world. 

5.1 Ans. You must pay eight times the going rate for a ‘lightning call’. 

5.2 Ans. I had spent  my high school years in Calcutta. 

5.3 Ans.  Weren’t telephone a rarity? 

6.Ans.

  Column A   Column B
(i) Privilege
(i)
special right
(ii) Access
(ii)
means to reach or get
shaalaa.com
Unseen Passage Comprehension
  या प्रश्नात किंवा उत्तरात काही त्रुटी आहे का?
2013-2014 (March)

APPEARS IN

संबंधित प्रश्‍न

A1. Guess
Select the correct alternatives from the boxes : (2)

(1) The Olympic Games were originally held in honour of:
(a) The Priests (b) The Greeks
(c) The Spartans (d) Zeus

(2) The Olympics were held after every …………..
(a) Year (b) Four years
(c) Three years (d) Two years

(3) All came to know of Olympia from the:
(a) Olympics (b) Spartans
(c) Syracusans (d) Athenians

(4) Altis was the name of a :
(a) God (b) Race
(c) Festival (d) Enclosure

Olympia, the original site of Olympic Games in ancient Greece is situated in a quiet, beautiful valley. The old ruins are shaded by evergreen oaks, pines and poplars, as well as olive trees. Olympia was never a city but a sacred ground occupied by temples and dwellings for the priests. At the centre was the enclosure known as Altis, dedicated to Zeus, the god of gods. It was in honour of Zeus that the quadrennial festival and the games were held.

The fame of Olympia rests largely upon Olympic Games. They were a great national festival of the entire Greek race. During the week of the festival the Athenians, the Spartans, the Syracusans and other groups, all forgot their narrow identities. They regarded an Olympic victory as the highest honour. The simple reward of a twig of wild olive immortalized the victor and his family.
The Olympic Games were held regularly in peace and in war at an interval of four years for over a thousand years from 776 B.C. till 393 A.D. Originally, men who spoke Greek as their mother tongue were allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. No married women were allowed to be present. The athletic programme was varied by the presence of historians, orators and writers. After each event a herald announced the victor's name and handed him a palm. On the last day the successful competitors were each given a garland of wild olive.

A2. Select
Select the word each from the circle which mean the following:                                              (2)
(1) Occurring at the interval of four years
(2) Wreckage
(3) Take part in a game
(4) One who wins.

A3. Complete :
Complete the table and frame your sentence with anyone word : (2)

Noun Adjective Verb
  beautiful  

A4. (i) The old ruins are, shaded by evergreen oaks, pines and .poplars as well as olive trees.
(Insert not only ……. but also and rewrite).                                                                            (1)
(ii) No married women were allowed to be present. (Remove 'No' and rewrite the sentence without changing its meaning)                                                                                                         (1)

A5. Personal response
How are the winners in Olympics rewarded today?                                                                 (2)


The hopping kangaroo is a familiar sight in every snapshot relating to Australia. Members of the kangaroo family can be as small as a rat or as big as a man. Kangaroos are found mainly in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea. Kangaroos, which are big-footed marsupials that evolved in Australia, use their short front legs like arms. The man-sized kangaroos of Australia are capable of speeding up to 88 km/hr for short distances, their means of locomotion being their powerful hind legs, which carry them over the ground in jumps of 9 m or more at a time.
Weighing around 70 kg, they have an average lifespan of around six to eight years and a maximum lifetime of 20 years. When bothered by predators, kangaroos often head for the water, standing submerged to the chest and attempting to drown the attacker by holding him under water. Another defensive technique is to get their back to a tree and kick at their adversary with their clawed hind feet, sometimes with sufficient force to kill a man. Normally shy animals, they alert other kangaroos to danger by beating on the ground with their hind feet. This loud alarm signal carries over a long distance.
The tail is important for kangaroos. It holds them in balance and supports them when they sit or fight against other kangaroos. The kangaroo uses its short legs as arms. With them it scratches itself, cleans its fur and holds branches when it eats leaves. Kangaroos are marsupials and the females carry newborns in a pouch in front of their abdomens. The babies are born small and climb up into safety of the pouch. There, for the next 225 days or so, they eat, sleep and grow. Once they reach full development, they leave the pouch. A young kangaroo that leaves the pouch is called a ‘joey’. To keep from getting too hot, the kangaroos take naps in the afternoon and do most of their grazing at night. But the best stay-cool secret of these creatures is the spit bath! Kangaroos drool and lick saliva all over their faces and bodies to cool down.

On the basis of your reading of the above passage, complete the following sentences with appropriate words/phrases:
(a) When followed by predators, kangaroos submerge ____________ and _________________.

(b) The powerful hind legs help kangaroos to __________________.

(c) Kangaroos are mainly found in Australia and are ____________________.

(d) They use their front legs to ___________________.

(e) Kangaroos warn others of danger by _______________________.

(f) The secret of kangaroos to stay cool is ______________________.

(g) They use their tails to _________________________.

(h) Before becoming ‘joeys’, the young ones stay in the ______________ and ________________.


Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

These meadows aren't worth much to me. They only come to five dessiatins, and are worth perhaps 300 roubles, but I can't stand unfairness. Say what you will, I can't stand unfairness.

(a) Who speaks the above lines and to whom?

(b) How much are the meadows worth?

(c) Find a word in the extract the means 'not based on what is just.'


Read the passage given below :

Kausani is situated at a height of 6,075 feet in the Central Himalayas. It is an unusally attractive little town. It covers just about 5.2 sq. kms. It lies to the north of Almora in Uttarakhand's picturesque kumaon region.

Kausani provides the 300-km wide breathtaking view of the Himalayas. It is the most striking aspect of the place. Snow-capped peaks are spread in a stately row. They stare at you in silvery white majesty. The most famous peak on view is Nanda Devi, the second highest mountain in India. It is situated at a height of 25.645 feet and 36 miles away as the crow files. The other famous peaks on view are choukhamba (23,420 feet) and Trishul (23,360 feet). Then there are also Nilkanth, Nandaghunti, Nandaghat and Nandakot. On a clear day, the blue of the sky makes a splendid background to these peaks. At sunrise and at sunset, when the colour changes to a golden orange, the scene gets etched in your memory.

When Gandhiji visited this place in 1929, its scenic beauty held him spellbound. He named it the 'Switzerland of Indian'. He prolonged his two-day stay to fourteen days, making time to write a book, 'Anashakti Yoga'. The place where he was staying was originally a guest-house of the tea estate. It was renamed 'Anashakti Ashram' after the book.

Kausani is the birthplace of Sumitranandan Pant, India's poet laureate. Its natural surroundings inspired many of his poems. Its tea gardens mingle with dense pine forests and fruit orchards. The area is also host to many fairs and religious caremonies. If Uttaranchal is the abode of gods, Kausani is God's own backyard. There is no traffic, no one is in a hurry. If serenity could be put on a canvas, the picture would resemble Kausani.

On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the following questions :

(a) Where is Kausani situated ?

(b) What is the most striking aspect of Kausani ?

(c) Which is the most famous peak on view from Kausani ?

(d) How did Kausani influence Sumitranandan Pant ?

(e) When does the view of peaks become so memorable ?

(f)  How can we say that Gandhiji was greatly charmed by the natural beauty of Kausani ?

(g) What makes Kausani a calm and quiet place ?

(h) Why, do you think, is Kausani known as 'God' s own backyard' ?


 Read the passage given below:

1. Every morning Ravi gives his brain an extra boost. We're not talking about drinking strong cups of coffee or playing one of those mind-training video games advertised all over Facebook. "I jump onto my stationary bike and cycle for 45 minutes to work," says Ravi. "When I get to my desk, my brain is at peak activity for a few hours." After his mental focus comes to a halt later in the day, he starts it with another short spell of cycling to be able to run errands.

2. Ride, work, ride, repeat. It's scientifically proven system that describes some unexpected benefits of cycling. In a recent study in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, scientists found that people scored higher on tests of memory, reasoning, and planning after 30 minutes of spinning on a stationary bike than they did before they rode the bike. They also completed the tests faster after pedalling.

3. Exercise is like fertilizer for your brain. All those hours spent on exercising your muscles, create rich capillary beds not only in leg and hip muscles, but also in your brain. More blood vessels in your brain and muscles mean more oxygen and nutrients to help them work. When you pedal, you also force more nerve cells to fire. The result: you double or triple the production of these cells – literally building your brain. You also release neurotransmitters (the messengers between your brain cells) so all those cells, new and old, can communicate with each other for better, faster functioning. 'That's a pretty profound benefit to cyclists.

4. This kind of growth is especially important with each passing birthday, because as we age, our brains shrink and those connections weaken. Exercise restores and protects the brain cells. Neuroscientists say, "Adults who exercise display sharper memory skills, higher concentration levels, more fluid thinking, and greater problem-solving ability than those who are sedentary."

5. Cycling also elevates your mood, relieves anxiety, increases stress resistance, and even banishes the blues. "Exercise works in the same way as psychotherapy and antidepressants in the treatment of depression, maybe better," says Dr. Manjari. A recent study analyzing 26 years of research finds that even some exercise – as little as 20 to 30 minutes a day – can prevent depression over the long term.

6. Remember: although it's healthy, exercise itself is a stress, especially when you're just getting started or getting back into riding. When you first begin to exert yourself, your body releases a particular hormone to raise your heart  rate, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels, says Meher Ahluwalia, PhD, a professor of integrative physiology. As you get fitter, it takes a longer, harder ride to trigger that same response.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, complete the statements given below with the help of the options that follow:

(a) Ravi gets his brain to work at peak level by

(i) drinking three cups of coffee.
(ii) playing games that need brain activity.
(iii) cycling on a stationary bike.
(iv) taking tablets to pump up his brain.


(b) When nerve cells work during exercise then

(i) the body experiences stress.
(ii) the brain is strengthened by multiplying them.
(iii) you start to lose your temper.
(iv) your stationary cycle starts to beep.


Answer the following questions briefly:
(c) How does exercise help the brain?
(d) Why does Ravi do a circuit of 'ride, work, ride'?
(e) What is the work of neurotransmitters?
(f) What benefits other than greater brain activity does one get from cycling?
(g) Why is exercise so important for adults?
(h) How is exercise itself a stress?

(i) Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following:
(i) manure (para 3)
(ii) inactive (para 4)

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:            
 1. We sit in the last row, bumped about but free of stares. The bus rolls out of the dull crossroads of the city, and we are soon in open countryside, with fields of sunflowers as far as the eye can see, their heads all facing us. Where there is no water, the land reverts to desert. While still on level ground we see in the distance the tall range of the Mount Bogda, abrupt like a shining prism laid horizontally on the desert surface. It is over 5,000 metres high, and the peaks are under permanent snow, in powerful contrast to the flat desert all around. Heaven Lake lies part of the way up this range, about 2,000 metres above sea-level, at the foot of one of the higher snow-peaks.
 2. As the bus climbs, the sky, brilliant before, grows overcast. I have brought nothing warm to wear: it is all down at the hotel in Urumqi. Rain begins to fall. The man behind me is eating overpoweringly smelly goat's cheese. The bus window leaks inhospitably but reveals a beautiful view. We have passed quickly from desert through arable land to pasture, and the ground is now green with grass, the slopes dark with pine. A few cattle drink at a clear stream flowing past moss-covered stones; it is a Constable landscape . The stream changes into a white torrent, and as we climb higher I wish more and more that I had brought with me something warmer than the pair of shorts that have served me so well in the desert .The stream (which, we are told rises in Heaven Lake) disappears, and we continue our slow ascent. About noon, we arrive at Heaven Lake, and look for a place to stay at the foot, which is the resort area. We get a room in a small cottage, and I am happy to note that there are thick quilts on the beds.

3. Standing outside the cottage we survey our surroundings. Heaven Lake is long, sardine-shaped and fed by snowmelt from a stream at its head. The lake is an intense blue, surrounded on all sides by green mountain walls, dotted with distant sheep. At the head of the lake, beyond the delta of the inflowing stream, is a massive snow-capped peak which dominates the vista; it is part of a series of peaks that culminate, a little out of view, in Mount Bogda itself.

 4. For those who live in the resort there is a small mess-hall by the shore. We eat here sometimes, and sometimes buy food from the vendors outside, who sell kabab and naan until the last buses leave. The kababs, cooked on skewers over charcoal braziers, are particularly good; highly spiced and well-done. Horse's milk is available too from the local Kazakh herdsmen, but I decline this. I am so affected by the cold that Mr. Cao, the relaxed young man who runs the mess, lends me a  spare pair of trousers, several sizes too large but more than comfortable. Once I am warm again, I feel a pre-dinner spurt of energy – dinner will be long in coming – and I ask him whether the lake is good for swimming in.
 5. "Swimming?" Mr. Cao says. "You aren't thinking of swimming, are you?"
 6. "I thought I might," I confess. "What's the water like?"
 7. He doesn't answer me immediately, turning instead to examine some receipts with exaggerated interest. Mr. Cao, with great off-handedness, addresses the air. "People are often drowned here," he says. After a pause, he continues. "When was the last one?" This question is directed at the cook, who is preparing a tray of mantou (squat white steamed bread rolls), and who now appears, wiping his doughy hand across his forehead. "Was it the Beijing athlete?" asks Mr. Cao.

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, complete the statements given below with the help of options that follow:

(a) One benefit of sitting in the last row of the bus was that:
(i) the narrator enjoyed the bumps.
(ii) no one stared at him.
(iii) he could see the sunflowers.
(iv) he avoided the dullness of the city.

(b) The narrator was travelling to:
(i) Mount Bogda
(ii) Heaven Lake
(iii) a 2000 metre high snow peak
(iv) Urumqi

(c) On reaching the destination the narrator felt relieved because:
(i) he had got away from the desert.
(ii) a difficult journey had come to an end.
(iii) he could watch the snow peak.
(iv) there were thick quilts on the bed.

(d) Mount Bogda is compared to:
(i) a horizontal desert surface
(ii) a shining prism
(iii) a Constable landscape
(iv) the overcast sky

Answer the following questions briefly:
(e) Which two things in the bus made the narrator feel uncomfortable?
(f) What made the scene look like a Constable landscape?
(g) What did he regret as the bus climbed higher?
(h) Why did the narrator like to buy food from outside?
(i) What is ironic about the pair of trousers lent by Mr. Cao?
(j) Why did Mr. Cao not like the narrator to swim in the lake?
(k) Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following:
(i) sellers (para 4)
(ii) increased (para 7)

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

The most alarming of man’s assaults upon the environment is the contamination of air, earth, rivers, and sea with lethal materials. This pollution is for the most part irrevocable; the chain of evil it initiates is for the most part irreversible. In this contamination of the environment, chemicals are the sinister partners of radiation in changing the very nature of the world; radiation released through nuclear explosions into the air, comes to the earth in rain, lodges into the soil, enters the grass or corn, or wheat grown there and reaches the bones of a human being, there to remain until his death. Similarly, chemicals sprayed on crops lie long in soil, entering living organisms, passing from one to another in a chain of poisoning and death. Or they pass by underground streams until they emerge and combine into new forms that kill vegetation, sicken cattle, and harm those who drink from once pure wells.

It took hundreds of millions of years to produce the life that now inhabits the earth and reached a stage of adjustment and balance with its surroundings. The environment contained elements that were hostile as well as supporting. Even within the light of the sun, there were short wave radiations with power to injure. Given time, life has adjusted and a balance reached. For time is the essential ingredient, but in the modern world is no time.

The rapidity of change and the speed with which new situations are created follow the heedless pace of man rather than the deliberate pace of nature. Radiation is no longer the bombardment of cosmic rays; it is now the unnatural creation of man’s tampering with the atom. The chemicals to which life is asked to make adjustments are no longer merely calcium and silica and copper and all the rest of the minerals washed out of the rocks and carried in the rivers to the sea; they are the synthetic creations of man’s inventive mind, brewed in his laboratories, and having no counterparts in nature.

(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary-minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also supply a title to it.

(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.


Read the passage given below :

1. To ensure its perpetuity, the ground is well held by the panther both in space and in time. It enjoys a much wider distribution over the globe than its bigger cousins and procreates sufficiently profusely to ensure its continuity for all time to come.

2. There seems to be no particular breeding season of the panther, although its sawing and caterwauling is more frequently heard during winter and summer. The gestation period is about ninety to a hundred days (Whipsnade, ninety-two days). The litter normally consists of four cubs, rarely five. Of these, generally, two survive and not more than one reaches maturity. I have never come across more than two cubs at the heels of the mother. Likewise, graziers in the forest have generally found only two cubs hidden away among rocks, hollows of trees, and other impossible places.
 
3. Panther cubs are generally in evidence in March They are born blind. This is a provision of Nature, against, their drifting away from the place of safety in which they are lodged by their mother, and exposing themselves to the danger of their being devoured by hyenas, jackals, and other predators. They generally open their eyes in about three to four weeks.
 
4. The mother alone rears its cubs in seclusion. It keeps them out of the reach of the impulsive and impatient male. As a matter of fact, the mother separates from the male soon after mating and forgets all about their tumultuous union. The story that the male often looks in to find out how the mother is progressing with her cubs has no foundation except in what we wish it should do at least.
 
5. The mother carries its cubs about by holding them by the scruff of their neck in its mouth. It trains them to stalk and teaches them how to deliver the bite of death to the prey. The cubs learn to treat all and sundry with suspicion at their mother’s heels. Instinctively the cubs seek seclusion, keep to cover and protect their flanks by walking along the edge of the forest.
 
6. I have never had an opportunity to watch mother panther train its cubs. But in Pilibhit forests, I once saw a tigress giving some lessons to its little ones. I was sitting over its kill at Mala. As the sunset, the tigress materialized in the twilight behind my machan. For about an hour, it scanned and surveyed the entire area looking and listening with the gravest concern. It even went to the road where my elephant was awaiting my signal. The mahout spotted it from a distance and drove the elephant away.
 
7. When darkness descended upon the scene and all was well and safe, the tigress called its cubs by emitting a low haa-oon. The cubs, two in number and bigger than a full-grown cat, soon responded. They came trotting up to their mother and hurried straight to the kill in indecent haste. The mother spitted at them so furiously that they doubled back to its heels immediately. Thereafter, the mother and its cubs sat undercover about 50 feet (15 m) away from the kill to watch, wait, look, and listen. After about half an hour’s patient and fidget less vigil the mother seemed to say ‘paid for’. At this signal, the cubs cautiously advanced, covering their flanks, towards the kill. No longer did they make a beeline for it, as they had done before.
 
8. The mother sat watching its cubs eat. and mounted guard on them. She did not partake of the meal.
 
On the basis of your understanding of the above passage complete the statements given below with the help of options that follow :
 
(a) To protect its cubs the mother panther hides them
(i) among rocks
(ii) in the branches of the trees
(iii) behind the tree trunks
(iv) at its heels
 
(b) The male panther :
(i) is protective of its cubs
(ii) trains its cubs
(iii) watches the progress of the mother
(iv) is impulsive and impatient

Answer the following questions briefly :
 
(c) How many cubs does the mother panther rarely deliver?
 
(d) What may happen if the panther cubs are not born blind?
 
(e) Why did the mahout drive his elephant away?
 
(f) Why did the tigress spit at its cubs?
 
(g) From the narrator's observation, what do we learn about the nature of the tigress?
 
(h) Why does the panther not face the risk of extinction?
 
(i) Find words from the passage which mean the same as each of the following :
(i) moving aimlessly (para 3)
(ii) came down / fell (para 7)

Read the passage given below:

People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doing so. They can have a delightful surprise when they find something useful which they did not know they owned. Those who never have to change house become indiscriminate collectors of what can only be described as clutter. They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards, and attics for years in the belief that they may one day need them. Old people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons, lack of physical and mental energy, and sentiment. Things owned for a long time are full of associations with the past, perhaps with the relatives who are dead, and so they gradually acquire a sentimental value.

Some things are collected deliberately in an attempt to avoid wastage. Among these are string and brown paper, kept by thrifty people when a parcel has been opened. Collecting small items can be mania. A lady cuts out from newspaper sketches of model clothes that she would like to buy if she had money. As she is not rich, the chances are that she will never be able to afford such purchases. It is a harmless habit, but it litters up her desk.

Collecting as a serious hobby is quite different and has many advantages. It provides relaxation for leisure hours, as just looking at one’s treasure is always a joy. One doesn’t have to go out for amusement as the collection is housed at home. Whatever it consists of - stamps, records, first editions of books, china – there is always something to do in connection with it, from finding the right place for the latest addition to verifying facts in reference books. This hobby educates one not only in the chosen subject but also in general matters which have some bearing on it.

There are other benefits also. One gets to meet like-minded collectors to get advice, compare notes, exchange articles, to show off one’s latest find. So one’s circle of friends grows. Soon the hobby leads to traveling, perhaps a meeting in another town, possibly a trip abroad in search of a rare specimen, for collectors are not confined to one country. Over the years one may well become an authority on one’s hobby and will probably be asked to give informal talks to little gatherings and then, if successful, to larger audiences.

(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary-minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also, supply an appropriate title to it.

(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.


Read the passage given below :

It is surprising that sometimes we don't listen to what people say to us. We hear them, but we don't listen to them. I was curious to know how hearing is different from listening. I had thought both were synonyms, but gradually, I realised there is a big difference between the two words.

Hearing is a physical phenomenon. Whenever somebody speaks, the sound waves generated reach you, and you definitely hear whatever is said to you. However, even if you hear something, it doesn't always mean that you actually understand whatever is being said. Paying attention to whatever you hear means you are really listening. Consciously using your mind to understand whatever is being said is listening.

Diving deeper, I found that listening is not only hearing with attention, but is much more than that. Listening is hearing with full attention, and applying our mind. Most of the time, we listen to someone, but our minds are full of needles chatter and there doesn't seem to be enough space to accommodate what is being spoken.

We come with a lot of prejudices and preconceived notions about the speaker or the the subject on which he is talking. We pretend to listen to the speaker, but deep inside, we sit in judgement and are dying to pronounce right or wrong, true or false, yes or no. Sometimes, we even come prepared with a negative mindset of proving the speaker wrong. Even if the speaker says nothing harmful, we are ready pounce on him with our own version of things.

What we should ideally do is listen first with full awareness. Once, we have done that, we can decide whether we want to make a judgement or not. Once we do that, communication will be perfect and our interpersonal relationship will become so much better. Listening well doesn't mean one has to say the right thing at the right moment. In fact, sometimes if words are left unspoken, there is a feeling of tension and negativity. Therefore, it is better to speak out your mind, but do so with awareness after listening to the speaker with full concentration.

Let's look at this in another way. When you really listen, you imbibe not only what is being spoken, but you also understand what is not spoken as well. Most of the time we don't really listen even to people who really matter to us. That's how misunderstandings grow among families, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters.

(A) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it, using heading and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary − minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also supply an appropriate title to it.

(B) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.


(A) Read the fo llowing extract and answer the questions given below :

Kalpana Chawla was extremely proud other birth-place and made every effort to bring it into the lime-light. During space flights she vit, (mid prondk point it out to her Fellow-astronauts. Once, during the second Hight she remembered her closest friend, Dais Chawla, who died in a road accident. In fact, despite her celebrity status, she took pains to track down her former teachers, classmates and friends in India and showed a keen desire to stay in touch with them.

Her affectionate and humble nature won the hearts of all who came in contact with her. Although Kalpana had a strong desire to go to Mars, fly over its canyons she was equally concerned about the well-being of the earth. She always urged young people to listen to the sounds of nature and take care of our fragile planet. During, her space trips, she took many breatlitakilig photographs of the earth for various terrestrial studies later on the ground. When she was in space, she always felt a sense of connection with everyone on the earth.

It was Kalpana's cherished desire to visit India again. But that was not to be. A few months after her tragic death, Harrison visited India. He went to her school and college, met her family, teachers and friends and scattered her ashes over the Himalayas.

(1) What is the extract about? (1)

(2) How was Kalpana connected with India and Indians? (2)

(3) How was Kalpana concerned about the well-being of the earth? (2)

(4) What would you like to do For India? (2)

(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed:

(i) She took many breathtaking photographs of the earth.
(Rewrite it using the Present Perfect Continuous tense.) (1)

(ii) He scattered her ashes over the Himalayas.
(Rewrite it beginning with 'Her ashes ...... ')(1)

(iii) Kalpana was extremely proud of her birth-place and made every effort to bring it into limelight.
(Rewrite it using 'not only ...... but also'.)(1)

( 6) Give the antonyms from the extract for -

(i) collected                           (1/2)
(ii) forgot                              (1/2)

(B) Summary :
Write a summary of the above extract with the help of the following
points and suggest a suitable title :
Points : Kalpana's affection towards India and Indians her humble - nature her love for the earth Harrison's visit to India. (4)


Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
That day Reuben fold two sacks, which he took to the rambling wooden factory and sold to the man in charge of packing nails. The boy's hand tightly clutched the small five-cent pieces as he ran two kilometres home.
Near his house stood the ancient barn that housed the family's goats and chickens. Reuben found a rusty baking- soda tin and dropped his coins inside. Then he climbed into the loft of the barn and hid the can beneath a pile of sweet-smelling hay.
It was supper time when Reuben got home. His father sat at the big kitchen table, working on a fishing net. Dora was at the black kitchen range, ready to serve dinner as Reuben took his place at the table.
He looked at his mother and smiled. Sunlight from the window gilded her, shoulder-length blond hair. Five foot three, slim and beautiful, she was the centre of the home, the glue that held it together.
Her chores were never-ending. Sewing clothes for her family on the old Singer treadle machine, cooking meals and baking bread, planting a vegetable garden. milking the goats and scrubbing soiled clothes on a washboru·d. But she was happy. Her family and their wellbeing were her highest priority.
Every day after chores and school, Reuben scoured the town, collecting the burlap nail bags. On the day the two-room schoolhouse closed for the summer, no student was more delighted than Reuben. Now he would have more time to devote to his mission.

(1) What is the main theme of the extract? (1)

(2) Where did Reuben keep his savings? Why? (2)

(3) Describe Reuben's mother and her daily chores. (2)

(4) What would you like to present to your mother on Mother's Day? Why? (2)

(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :

(i) He looked at his mother and smiled.
(Rewrite it as a Simple Sentence.) (1)

(ii) Her family and their well-being were her highest priority.
(Rewrite it in the Positive Degree.) (1)

(iii) She was the centre of the home. (1)
(Make it a Rhetorical Question)

(6) Find out the words from the extract which mean -

(i) dried grass (1/2)

(ii) routine tasks (1/2)


Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:

One day, King Amrit and Chandan were taking a walk on the terrace of the palace. The terrace offered a beautiful view of the surroundings, and they could see far into the distance. They spotted the weekly market from up there, with people in colourful clothes buying and selling all kinds of things. There was plenty to buy and people had money to buy too. There were no poor people to be seen anywhere. The King watched with a smile on his face. He was delighted to see the prosperity of his kingdom. Like any good ruler, he was happy ·when his people were happy.
       He turned to Chandan and said, ''See how contented my people are. But I want to check this first-hand by talking to them. Tomorrow, summon people from all walks of life to the court, and I will ask them myself how they are doing.'' Chandan was used to the king's strange requests and went off to carry out this order.

       The next day, the King arrived in the court humming a happy tune to himself. Seeing all the people gathered there waiting for him, he was even more pleased. He cleared his throat and said in a loud voice, ''I have called you here to ask you a very important question. As your king, I need to know if all of you are contented. Do you have enough for your needs? Do you know anyone who is not happy about anything?''.

(1) What do you understand about the King from this extract?
(2) Why did the King want to talk to his people?
(3) How did the King come to know about the prosperity of his kingdom?
(4) According to you, what should the Government do for the bettennent of the poor people?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) He was delighted to see the prosperity of his kingdom.
(Make it a rhetorical question.)
(ii) Summon people from all walls of life to the court
(Rewrite it beginning with 'Let ..... ')
(iii) As soon as the King arrived in the court humming a
happy tune to himself, he cleared his throat.
(Rewrite it using 'No sooner .... than'.)

(6) Find out the words from the extract which mean:
(i) development
(ii) examine


(A) Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
   Chronic floods during the monsoon, on average, affect more than 30 million Indians annually Ironically, 60% of India's farmland, 66% of its livestock and its entire forest area depend on rains for survival.
   According to a recently released Central Water Commission (CWC) report, on an average, 7·21 million hectares (roughly 72,000 sq. km.) go under floodwater. This water typically ravages 3·78 million hectares of agricultural land, damaging crops worth Rs. 1, 118 crores annually.
   Heavy rains and floods account for nearly 1,700 lives lost annually. Apart from this, I ·25 lakh houses are annually damaged by torrential rains that also wipe out nearly 96,000 livestock.
   Floods are the most recurrent natural calamity, hitting India almost every year. According to the CWC's report on financial aspects of flood control, anti-sea erosion and drainage projects, it is not possible to provide absolute protection instantly to all flood-prone areas. It says that such an attempt will neither be practical nor economically viable.
   The CWC's analysis of floods in India from 1953 to 2011 shows a marginal decline in flood-affected areas over the years, the data shows 1977 1978 and 1979 were the worst-hit. The 1977 floods killed over 11,000 people, six-time the average for the 59 years, between 1953 and 2011. In terms of area and population affected, the floods of 1978 were the most destructive.
  In terms off the financial loss, recent floods have been far more destructive. The total loss of crops, houses and public utilities in 2009 was Rs. 32541 crores, the highest for any year.

Question
(1) What is the above extract about?

(2) How do floods adversely affect India?

(3) Why is it not possible to provide absolute protection to all flood-prone areas?

(4) How would you help the flood-affected people?

(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) The floods of 1978 were the most destructive.
(Change the sentence into the 'positive degree'.)
(ii) Floods are the most recurrent natural calamity hitting India almost every year.
(Make it a complex sentence.)
(iii) Floods have been far more destructive.
(Rewrite the sentence using the Simple Present tense.)

(6) Give the meanings of:
(i) entire
(ii) calamity

(B) Write a brief summary of the above extract with the help of the points given below and suggest a suitable title.
Floods - natural, recurrent calamity in India - destroy life and property - no absolute protection - neither practical nor economically viable- floods in 1977 and 1978. 


Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
 
The special school did Chaitanya a lot of good. He was now a much more confident person, adored by his teachers, his friends and his school staff. His speech improved and expression became clearer. His social manners became laudable.
 
Academically, he was still lagging behind the expected standard of learning but it was okey. He started developing an all- around interest in craft, art, music, dancing and sports.
 
Early in 1997-98, when he returned from state level inter- school sports, he had two prizes to his credit and a silver medal. He had won his laurels in athletic events and the silver medal in a running race.
 
When I saw the prizes and read the citation Chaitanya had received, I was stupefied, in total disbelief, then- hugged him, kissed him and cried unabashedly to my heart’s content. That day, I cried for the first time out of joy and a sense of being vindicated. Without practice he had competed with approximately 1,800 children drawn from various schools all over the state. He was subsequently selected for the marathon race, but he could not participate due to a healthy problem.” May be next year, he would”, I assured myself. And I, as his proud mother, would proudly chronicle his future achievements and success to inspire other mothers of the world.
 
Looking back at my own life, I feel that it is the spirit with which we can accept our life gracefully is what matters ultimately; and it is love which nourishes us.
1. What does the extract focus on? (1)
2. How  Chaitanya’s mother react when she saw the prizes? (2)
3. What were Chaitanya’s achievements in sports? (2)
4. How can you help a special child like Chaitanya? (2)
5. Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed:
(i) When I saw the prizes, I was stupefied. (1)
(Rewrite the sentence using ‘No sooner…… than’)
(ii) He was still lagging behind the expected standard of learning, but it was okay. (1)
(Rewrite the sentence using ‘Although’)
(iii) He started developing an all – round interest in craft and sports. (1)
(Rewrite the sentence using infinitive form of the word underlined) 
6. Find out the words / phrases from the extract which mean: (1)
(i) to take part in = 
(ii) surprised =

Read the following extract and answer the question given below:    (11)
Researchers· recently announced the earth could actually
withstand up to 200,000 times the current population. They arrived at this figure by calculating the amount of heat a human body emits. and only at l ·3 million billion would the earth be too hot to be habitable. And though it would feel like being in a can of sardines if that figure were ever reached, the earth is capable of comfortably sustaining a population several times the current 6·5 billion.
In fact, fertility is actually on the decline worldwideThough
population has grown, the rate of growth has fallen sharply. Twenty years ago, the UN projected that population would reach l l · 16  billion in 2050, today they say it will reach only 9·37 billion. Moreover, human population will stabilize at about 11 ·5 billion.While this figure is almost twice the current one, it is hardly claustrophobic.
         True, the demands on resources are heavy even now, but this is more due to the manner in which these resources are being used. In fact, figures show that a bigger population does not amount to greater consumption. Over 20% of the world 's people in the highest income countries account for 86% of total private consumption expenditure - the poorest 20% a tiny 1 ·3%. With just 5% of the world's population, the US consumes about 40% of the world's resources. Would you say the US is overpopulated? 
     Concerns on scarcity of food are equally baseless. In fact, global food production has actually kept up with population growth . If people starve in many countries it is not because food is becoming scarce; it is because those people cannot afford it.

Questions: 
(1)  What conclusions did the researchers arrive at? (1)
( 2) How does the writer explain that the fertility is  on the
decline?   (2) 

(3) What does the extract predict about the fear-, of scarcity of food? (2)
( 4) How will population become a gift in the global market
scene? (2) 
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed:
(i) The earth could withstand upto 200,000 times the
current population.
(Rewrite the sentence using the modal auxiliary showing 'certainty'.)  (I)
(ii) The earth would be too hot to be habitable.
(Remove ' too' and rewrite the sentence.) (1) 
(iii) These resources are being used. 
(Rewrite the sentence beginning with, 'We ............ ') (I)
( 6) Write the antonyms of:
(i) habitable      (1/2)
.
(ii) stabilize       ( 1/2 )


Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
Dairy farming is a major livelihood followed by many households in rural areas. This includes rearing milk cattle - cows, buffaloes, goats, and sheep. There is a shortage of milk in the country as consumption in both urban and rural areas has risen sharply.
 
Dairying is an important source of subsidiary income to marginal farmers and agricultural labours. They play a very important role in milk production of the country. In 1986 - 87, about 73 percent of rural households owned livestock. According to the National Sample Survey of 1993 - 94, the livestock sector produces regular employment to about 9.8 million persons in principal status and 8.6 million in subsidiary status, which constitutes about 5 percent of the total workforce.
 
The Manure from animals provides a good source of organic matter for improving soil fertility and crop yields. The gas obtained by processing dung is used as a fuel for domestic purposes and also for running engines to draw water from wells. The surplus fodder and agricultural by-products are gainfully utilized for feeding the animals. Since agriculture is mostly seasonal, there is a possibility of finding employment throughout the year for many persons through dairy farming.
 
The milk processing industry is a small one. Only 10 percent of all the milk produced is delivered to some 400 dairy plants. A specific Indian phenomenon is the unorganized sector of milkmen and vendors, which handles around 65 - 70 percent of the national milk production. They collect milk from local producers and sell it in both urban and non - urban areas.
1. What is the main theme of the extract?
2. How is dairy farming beneficial for farmers besides getting milk?
3. What information does the National Sample Survey of 1993 - 94 provide?
4. How, according to you, can dairy farming improve the financial condition of farmers?
5. Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed:
(i) The gobar gas obtained by processing dung is used as fuel.
(Rewrite the sentence beginning with 'People…………')
(ii) The consumption of milk in both urban and rural areas has risen sharply.
(Rewrite the sentence using the past perfect tense)
(iii) The milk processing industry is a small one.
(Make is a complex sentence)
6. Form the antonyms of the following words by adding prefixes.
(i) fertility x 
(ii) possibility x 

Read the following passage and do the activities.

The Delhi Metro is a metro system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Bahadurgarh, Ballabhgarh, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Noida in the National Capital Region of India. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited
(DMRC), a State-owned company with equal equity participation from the Government of India and the Government of Delhi, built and operates the Delhi
Metro. It is the second oldest metro in India after the Kolkata Metro.
The Delhi Metro is the largest and busiest metro in India, and the world’s 9th longest metro system in length and 16th largest in ridership. A member of CoMET, the network consists of eight colour-coded regular lines, with a total
length of 317 kilometres, serving 231 stations including 6 on Airport Express line and interchange stations. The system has a mix of underground, at-grade, and elevated stations using both broad-gauge and standard-gauge. DMRC operates over 2,700 trips daily. In the financial year 2016–17, the Delhi Metro had an average daily ridership of 2.76 million passengers and served 100 crore (1.0 billion) riders.
         The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation was certified by the United Nations in 2011 as the first metro rail and rail-based system in the world to get “carbon credits for reducing greenhouse gas emissions” and helping in reducing pollution levels in the city by 630,000 tonnes every year. Planning for the metro started in 1984 when the Delhi Development Authority and the Urban Arts Commission came up with a proposal for developing a multi-modal transport system for the city. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was incorporated in May 1995, construction started in 1998, and the first section, on the Red Line, opened in 2002. The development of the network was divided into phases, Phase I containing 3 lines was completed by 2006, and Phase II in 2011. Phase III is scheduled to be mostly complete by 2018.

(A1) Name the following.
(a) The Government authority which built and operates the Delhi Metro -
(b) The first and the oldest Metro in India -
(c) The satellite cities nearby Delhi -
(d) The largest and busiest metro in India -

(A2) The salient features of Delhi Metro are -

(A3) Find out antonyms from the passage for the following.
(i) shortest ´ (ii) increasing ´
(iii) irregular ´ (iv) ended ´

(A4) The Delhi Metro is the largest and busiest metro in India.
(Complete the following sentences with the help of the given sentence.)
(i) No other metro................................
(ii) The Delhi Metro is larger.......................

(A5) “Transportation is the backbone of Indian economy’’ - Elaborate

(B) Read the passage given in Q. 4 (A) and write the summary of it. Suggest a suitable title to your summary.


Read the following passage and do the activities.

Galaxies are vast clusters of thousands of millions of stars, planets, gases and dust, which are held together by gravity. There are over one thousand million galaxies, and each is a very long way from its nearest neighbour.
Galaxies were formed during the Big Bang explosion about 15,000 million years ago. When this phenomenon occurred, everything that was in the universe flew out in different directions. Scientists believe that the galaxies were formed from lumps of matter that resulted. However, the process is nowhere near complete. The universe is still expanding, galaxies are still moving away from each other, new stars are still being created.
Galaxies are classified according to their shapes. There are three main types. The most common type of galaxy is The Spiral. This has several spiral arms radiating out from the center. Spiral galaxies have a large cluster of stars in their nucleus. The second type is the Barred spiral. In this type of galaxy, the spiral arms curve away from the opposite ends of a sort of bar going through the middle of the nucleus. These contain large amounts of gas and dust as well stars. The third type of galaxy is electrical. These consist almost entirely of stars and contain very little gas or dust. Some galaxies have irregular, uneven shapes and cannot be classified.

(A1) State whether the following statements are true or false. 02
(1) The most common type of galaxy is the barred spiral.
(2) Galaxies are clusters, held by gravity.
(3) Scientists do not believe in the Big Bang explosion.
(4) Galaxies are moving from each other.

(A2) Complete the web chart. 02

(A3)
(a) Find out similar words from the passage. 01
(i) mass (ii) happenings
(b) Give the verb form of the given words. 01
(i) classified (ii) directions

(A4) Identify and name the clause. 02
Scientists believe that the galaxies were formed from the lumps of matter.

(A5) Can there be life in another galaxy? Give reasons for your answer. 02

(B) Read the passage given in Q. 4 (A) and write the summary of it. Suggest a suitable title to your summary. (05)


Read the following extract and complete the note given below :
The small village of Somnathpur contains an extraordinary temple, built around 1268 A.D by the Hoyasalas of Karnataka - one of the most prolific temple builders. Belur and Helebid are among their better-known works. While these suffered during the invasion of the 14th century, the Somnathpur temple stands more or less intact in near-original condition. The small temple captivates with the beauty and vitality of its detailed sculpture, covering almost every inch of the walls, pillars and even ceilings. It has three Shikhars and stands on a star-shaped raised platform with 24 edges. The outer walls have a profusion of detailed carvings: the entire surface run over by carved plaques of stone: There were vertical panels covered by exquisite figures of God and Goddesses, with many incarnations being depicted. There were nymphs too some carrying an ear of maize, a symbol of plenty and prosperity. The elaborate ornamentation, very characteristic of Hoyasala sculptures was a remarkable feature. On closer look and it is worth it-the series of friezes on the outer walls revealed intricately carved caparisored elephants, charging horsemen, stylized flowers and warriors.

                      Somnathpur Temple

(1) Location : ___________
(2) Year : 1268 A.D.
(3) Built by : ___________
(4) Captivates with : ___________
(5) Structural features :
    (i) Three Shikhars
    (ii) Star-shaped platform with 24 edges
   (iii) Outer wall carvings, ___________
    charging horsemen, __________ and warriors.
   (iv) Nymphs-symbol of ___________


Read the first activity, read the extract and then do all the activities:
The next year Dell enrolled at the University of Texas. Like most first-year students, he needed to earn spending money. Just about everyone on campus was talking about personal computers. At the time, anyone who didn’t have a PC wanted one, but dealers were selling them at a hefty mark-up. People wanted low-cost machines custom-made to their needs, and these were not readily available. Why should dealers get such a big mark-up for so little added value ? Dell wondered. Why not sell from the manufacturer directly to the end user ?
Dell knew that IBM required its dealers to take a monthly quota of PCs, in most cases more than they could sell. He also knew that holding excess inventory was costly. So he bought dealers’ surplus stock at cost. Back in his dormitory room, he added features to improve performance. The improved models found eager buyers. Seeing the hungry market, Dell placed local advertisements offering his customized computers at 15 percent of retail price. Soon he was selling to businesses, doctors’ offices and law firms. The trunk of his car was his store; his room took on the appearance of a small factory.
During a holiday break, Dell’s parents told him they were concerned about his grades. “If you want to start a business, do it after you get your degree,” his father pleaded. Dell agreed, but back in college he felt the opportunity of a lifetime was passing him by. “I couldn’t hear to miss this chance,” he says. After one month he started selling computers again- with a vengeance.

A1. True / False - (2)
Rewrite the following sentences stating against each of them whether they are true or false :
(i) Dell bought computers directly from the IBM company.
(ii) Dealers were selling computers at high prices.
(iii) Dell’s father wanted Dell to get his degree.
(iv) Dealers disagreed to sell the surplus stock of computers to Dell.

A2. Give reasons - (2)
Dell wanted to stait a business of selling computers because :
(i) ____________
(ii) ____________

A3. Guess : (2)
“I couldn’t bear to miss this chance,” Dell says. Guess. which chance Dell did not want to miss”.

A4. Vocabulary - (2)
Find out the words from the extract which mean :
(i) college hall of residence
(ii) large amount added to the cost price
(iii) quantity of good in stock
(iv) with great intensity

A5. Personal response : (2)
Suggest two strategies businessman to become a successful businessman.

A6. Grammar - (2)
Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) Seeing the hungry market, Dell placed local advertisement. (Make it a compound sentence)
(ii) He added features to improve performance. (Frame ‘Wh’ question to get the underlined part as an answer.)


Read the extract and do the activities that follow : 

‘Your father was my enemy,’ said Frederick. ‘I would have been better pleased by your brave deed if you had told me of another father?’
‘I am proud to be Sir Rowland's son,’ answered Orlando angrily,’ and I would not change my place to be the heir of this dukedom.’
The Duke and his lords went away, leaving Orlando alone with Rosalind and Celia. Celia was angry with her father for speaking so unkindly to Orlando. ‘Would I have done this in my father’s place?’ she said to Rosalind.
‘My father loved Sir Rowland as much as his own soul,’ Rosalind said to Celia, ‘and all the world agreed with him. If I had known that his young man was Sir Rowland’s son I should have begged him with tears not to take so great a risk.’
‘Let us go and speak to Orlando,’ said gentle Celia. ‘I am ashamed of my father’s rude and angry words.’
The two girls went up to Orilando and praised him for his bravery. Rosalind took a gold chain from her neck and gave it to him. ‘I would like to give you more’, she said, ‘but I am not rich.’ Then she and Celia went away.
Orlando, however, could not forget them. He had already fallen in love with the fair Rosalind, but he could not stay at the Duke’s palace. His friends warned him that Frederick was angry and jealous of him. They told Orlando to leave the dukedom, because the Duke meant to do him harm.

A1. Match - 

Match the characters and their attributes: 

  A   B
i. Celia a. fair
ii. Orlando b. rude and unkind
iii. Frederick c. gentle
iv. Rosalind d. brave

A2. Write an imaginary paragraph: 

Write an imaginary paragraph in about 50 words in continuation with the given extract. 


Read the following passage and do the given activities :
A1. Fill up the blanks with virtues of dogs : (2)

(1) __________ 
(2) __________
(3) __________
(4) __________

      Human and dogs are inseparable for thousands of years and they are dependent on each other for protection and survival. Relationship between humans and dogs is often characterized by strong emotional bonds which run both way. Dogs are very popular as pets and companions. Dog is the ‘Man’s Best Friend’ and a family member. The dog is one of the most loyal, faithful and devotee animal. In earlier days dogs were kept mainly for hunting and guarding; now they are kept for companionship, protection and showmanship.
       There are millions of people all over the world who are dog lovers Puppies need more attention at the, early age. As much as possible try many methods of socialization, such as playing with them, taking them for walk, expose them to crowds, make them to obey the orders etc.

A2. Methods of socialization of puppies are : (2)
(1) …......................
(2) …......................
(3) …......................
(4) …......................

A3. Cross out the odd man : (2)
(i) Inseparable, dependent, protection, popular.
(ii) Hunting. guarding, playing, petting.
(iii) Earlier, human, relationship, family
(iv) Often, mainly, now, emotional

A4.
(1) There are millions of people all over the world. (1)
(Pick out the determiners and write them)
(2) Puppies need more attention. (1)
(Rewrite the sentence without changing its meaning beginning with : Puppies don’t ….....)

A5. Should we ban keeping pets ? Justify. (2)


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

1 Even before the independence of India, father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi had said that, “Sanitation is more important than Independence.” He had emphasized the importance of cleanliness and sanitation in daily lives. However, he failed in his aim because of the incomplete participation of the people. After many years of independence of India, a most effective campaign of cleanliness has been launched to call people for their active participation and complete the mission of cleanliness. The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee while addressing the Parliament in June 2014 said, “For ensuring hygiene, waste management and sanitation across the nation, a Swachh Bharat Mission will be launched. This will be our tribute to Mahatma Ghandhi on his 150 birth anniversary to be celebrated in the year 2019.” In order to fulfil the vision of Mahatma Gandhi and make India an ideal country in the world, the Government of India initiated a campaign called ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi (2" of October). This campaign aims at completing the mission by 2019.
2 Through this campaign the Government of India would solve the problem of lack of sanitation by improving the waste management techniques. Clean India movement is completely linked with the economic strength of the country. The basic goal behind the launch of the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ is to provide the country with enough sanitation facilities as well as to eliminate all the unhealthy practices of people in their daily routine. The completion of this mission would indirectly draw the attention of business investors to India, enhance the GDP growth, draw tourists from all over the world, create a variety of avenues of employment, reduce health costs, reduce death rate, and reduce fatal disease rate and many more. It has been requested that every Indian devote at least 100 hours per year to cleanliness in India which is sufficient to make this country a clean country by 2019. The cleanliness drive also ensures cleanliness in the official buildings. Spitting paan, gutka and other tobacco products in the government offices has been banned.

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer any eight of the following questions: 

  1. What is the passage about?
  2. What was the result of incomplete participation of the people in the mission?
  3. Why has 2019 been kept as the target year of completion?
  4. What did Gandhiji say about sanitation?
  5. How can the problem of lack of sanitation be solved?
  6. How will it impact our economy?
  7. What has been banned in the offices?
  8. What request has been made to Indians to accomplish it?
  9. What does ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ aim at?

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

1

As a novelist and storyteller, I have always drawn upon my memories of places that I have known and lived in over the years. More than most writers, perhaps, I find myself drawing inspiration from the past — my childhood, adolescence, youth, early manhood ... But to talk of my early inspiration I must go back to my very beginnings, to the then small, princely state of Jamnagar, tucked away in the Gulf of Kutch. Here my father started a small palace school for princesses. I was there till the age of six, and I still treasure vivid memories of Jamnagar's beautiful palaces and sandy beaches.

2 Some of these landmarks are preserved for me in photographs taken by my father, which I have to this day. An old palace with pretty windows of coloured glass remained fixed in my memory and many years later gave me the story, “The Room of Many Colours”, which also inspired an episode in a TV serial called Ek Tha Rusty. I spent a memorable year and a half with him in New Delhi, then still a very new city — just the capital area designed by Edwin Lutyens and Connaught Place, with its gleaming new shops and restaurants and cinemas. I saw Laurel and Hardy films and devoured milkshakes at the Milk Bar, even as the Quit India Movement gathered momentum.
3 When I was seventeen, I was shipped off to the UK to “better my prospects” as my mother put it. Out of longing for India and the friends I had made in Dehra came my first novel — The Room on the Roof — featuring the life and loves of Rusty, my alter ego. In the 1950s everyone travelled by sea, as air services were still in their infancy. A passenger liner took about three weeks from Southampton to Bombay (now Mumbai). After docking in Bombay, I took a train to Dehra, where I stepped onto the platform of the small railway station and embarked on the hazardous journey of a freelance writer. Railway stations! Trains! Platforms! I knew as long as these were there I would never run out of stories.
4 I also looked for inspiration in tombs and monuments and the ever-expanding city, but did not find it, and my productivity dropped. Escape from Delhi had become a priority for me. I felt drawn to the hills above Dehra. On the outskirts of Mussoorie I found a small cottage, surrounded by oak and maple trees where the rent, thankfully, was nominal. :
5

I'm of the opinion that every writer needs a window. Preferably two Is the house, the room, the situation ... important for a writer? A good wordsmith should be able to work anywhere. But to me, the room you live in day after day is all-important. The stories and the poems float in through my window, float in from the magic mountains, and the words appear on the page without much effort on my part. Planet Earth belongs to me. And at night, the stars are almost within reach. 

1. On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer any four of the following questions in 30 - 40 words each:

  1. What does the writer remember about Jamnagar?
  2. How did he spend time in Delhi? 
  3. What was the inspiration for the first novel and why?
  4. What was the importance of trains and railway stations in his life? 
  5. What was the importance of a window in the writer’s life?

2. On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, fill in any two of the following blanks with appropriate words/phrases:

  1. He was shipped off to UK for ______. 
  2. Everyone travelled by sea because ______.
  3. The productivity dropped because ______.

3. Find out words/phrases from the passage that mean the same as the following. Attempt any two.

  1. gulped down/swallowed (para 2)
  2. early stage (para 3)
  3. attracted to (para 4)

Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:

Researchers recently announced the earth could actually withstand up to 200,000 times the current population. They arrived at this figure by calculating the amount of heat a human body emits, and only at 1.3 million billion would the earth be too hot to be habitable. And though it would feel like being in a can of sardines if that figure were ever reached, the earth is capable of comfortably sustaining a population several times the current 6.5 billion.
In fact, fertility is actually on the decline worldwide. Though the population has grown, the rate of growth has fallen sharply. Twenty years ago, the UN projected that the population would reach 11.16 billion in 2050, today they say it will reach only 9.3 billion. Moreover, the human population will stabilize at about 11.5 billion. While this figure is almost twice the current one, it is hardly claustrophobic.
True, the demands on resources are heavy even now, but this is more due to the manner in which these resources are being used. In fact, figures show that a bigger population does not amount to greater consumption. Over 20% of the world's people in the highest-income countries account for 86% of total private consumption expenditure - the poorest 20% a tiny 1.3%. With just 5% of the world's population, the US consumes about 40% of the world's resources. Would you say the US is overpopulated?
  Concerns on the scarcity of food are equally baseless. In fact, global food production has actually kept up with population growth.

(1) What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
(2) What is the relationship between the population and the available resources?
(3) Why do the researchers claim that the earth is capable of sustaining a bigger population?
(4) What, according to you, are the problems caused by the increasing population?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) The earth would be too hot to be habitable. (Remove 'too'.)
(ii) Though the population has grown, the rate of growth has fallen sharply. (Rewrite it using 'but')
(iii) Moreover, the human population will stabilize at about 11.5 billion. (Make it 'less definite'.)
(6) Find out the words from the extract which mean :
(i) natural capacity to produce  (ii) shortage


Read the following extract and complete the table given below:

Children are perpetually asking questions. As adults, we are awkward with questions. We link the act of asking questions to ignorance. It indicates that we do not know; hence, we may look stupid while asking questions. 

Children have no shame, whereas adults suffer from layers and layers of shame. Because children have no shame, they are more capable of failing at something and moving on from it. Our sense of shame makes us inhibited. So we do not try new things at work.

Children quickly make friends with strangers. Put two small kids alongside a few toys and they will start playing before they care to know about each other’s antecedents. As adults, we seek the false comfort of known relationships before we agree to play with each other.

Children freely express their emotions; adults learn to suppress their emotional side. We come to the workplace and are frequently counselled, “Do not get emotional.”

Children play. They find play in everything. Adults shun play and consider it the opposite of “serious work”. To a child, every act is an act of play.

Traits Delinking Childhood and Adulthood:

  Traits Children Adults
1

Asking Questions

Perpetually ask questions freely

(1) Feet awkward with questions

(2) ___________

2

Feeling Shame

(1) Feel no shame

(2) ____________

(1) Suffer from shame

(2) Inhibited to try new things at work

3

Making friends

(1) Quick in making friendship without knowing each other

(1) ____________

4

Expressing emotions

(1) ____________

(1) Suppress emotions.


A Read the first activity, read the extract and then do all the activities :

A1. Complete :

Complete the following sentences :

(1) The two organizations that conducted the research to develop a smartphone-based optical bio-sensor are _______ and __________ .

(2) The _________ and _________ methods were used in the research instead of the differential method.

Urea is a major product of nitrogen metabolism in humans. It is eliminated from the body mainly by the kidneys through urine. Urea levels in body fluids, such as blood and saliva, rise drastically under certain kidney dysfunctions. Heart failure, hypovolemic shock, gastrointestinal bleeding, and severe infections can also lead to a rise. Thus urea in blood and saliva provides key information on renal function and helps diagnose various disorders.

Most methods for estimating urea in body fluids are based on colorimetry. These methods are time-consuming and involve painful blood extraction. Collecting saliva is non-evasive and research has correlated salivary and blood urea levels.

Recently scientists from the IIT-D and the AIIMS, New Delhi successfully developed a smartphone-based optical biosensor to detect urea in saliva. To fabricate the sensor, they directly immobilised the urease enzyme with a pH indicator on a filter paper-based strip. As a response to the urea on saliva, the paper strip changes colour. The red, green and blue levels help measure urea concentration.

The scientists used the slope method, sensor response change per unit time, instead of the differential method, the difference in sensor response between two-time intervals, to increase sensitivity and eliminate interference by variations in ambient light.

The team clinically validated spiked saliva samples and samples from healthy volunteers.

The smartphone application with paper strip can even be operated by non-professional with limited training. This saves time and cost spent on bulky spectroscopic procedures. The report can revolutionise the medical screening of large populations. And such mass screening of diseases would boost national health.

A2. Complete the following sentence using the correct alternatives from those given below :

Two objectives to conduct the research are ___________ .

(i) The colorimetry method used to estimate urea in body fluids consumes more time.

(ii) Information obtained from the presence of urea in blood and saliva is not helpful to diagnose various diseases.

(iii) Collecting samples of saliva is a non-invasive procedure.

(iv) Blood extraction is the easiest and less painful exercise.

A3. Write two benefits of the smartphone-based optical biosensor.

A4. Find out similar-meaning words from the extract for the following words :

(1) specimen (2) extremely (3) focus (4) remove

A5. Personal Response : 

'Research revolutionises the lifestyle of people in all spheres of life'-

Do you agree? Explain with an example in about 25 words.

A6. Grammar :
Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :

(1) These methods are time consuming and painful.
(Rewrite the sentence using 'as well as'.)

(2) The smartphone application with paper-strip can be operated.
(Begin the sentence with 'They  ___ .) 

(B) Summerise the above extract with the help of the points given and suggest a suitable title::
Research by the organisations - methods adopted - reasons for the research - advantages.


Read the extract and do the activities that follow :

Two weeks later, I wrote: "Dear Mum, thanks for the socks. But I wish you had sent me a food parcel instead. How about some guava cheese? And some mango pickle. They don't give us pickle in school. Headmaster's wife says it heats the blood."

"About that skeleton. If a dead body was hidden in that cupboard after 1930- must have been, if the newspapers of that year were under the skeleton - it must have been someone who disappeared around that time or a little later. Must have been before Tirloki joined the hotel, or he'd remember. What about the registers- would they give us a clue?"

Received a parcel containing guava cheese, strawberry jam, and mango pickle. HEadmaster confiscated the pickle. Maybe he needed it to heat his blood.

A note enclosed with parcel read: "Old hotel registers missing. Must have been thrown out. Or perhaps Mr. Green took them away when he left. Tirloki says a German spy stayed in the hotel just before the War broke out. The spy used to visit the Gurkha Lines and the armaments factory. He was passing information on to a dentist who visited Germany every year. When war broke out, the dentist was kept in a prisoner-of-war camp. The spy disappeared-some say to Tibet. Could the spy have been silenced and put away in the cupboard? But I keep forgetting it was a woman's skeleton. Tirloki says the spy was a man. But a clever spy may have been a woman dressed as a man. But a clever spy may have been a woman dressed as a man. what do you think? "

It was the football season, and I wasn't doing much thinking. Chasing a football in the monsoon mist and slush called for single-minded endurance, especially when we were being beaten 5-0 by Simla Youngs, a team of junior clerks from the government offices. Not the ideal training for a boy-detective. The winter holidays were still four months distant, and the case of the unidentified skeleton appeared to be resolving itself with a little help from my mother and her friends.

B1. Complete :
Complete the following sentences :

(1) The narrator's football team was beaten 5-0 by ___________ .
(2) Headmaster's wife says that ___________ .
(3) Things that the narrator received in the parcel are __________ .
(4) The German spy was passing information ___________ .

B2. Write a gist :

Write a gist of the extract in about 50 words.


(A) Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
       One afternoon in 1977, as his parents and two brothers fished in the Gulf of Mexico, 12-year old Michael Dell sat on the beach. painstakingly putting together a trotline - a maze of ropes to ''which several fish hooks could be attached."You're wasting your time," the rest of the family called to Michael, as they pulled in fish. "Grab a pole and join in the fun."
        Michael kept working. It was dinner time when he finished, and everyone else was ready to call it a day. Still, the youngster
cast the trotline far into the water. anchoring it to a stick that he plunged deep in the sand.
        Over dinner, his family teased young Michael about coming away empty-handed. But afterward, Michael reeled in his trotline, and on the hooks were more fish than the others had caught all together!
       Michael Dell has always been fond of saying, "If you think you have a good idea, try it!" And today, at 29 he has discovered the power of another good idea that has helped him rise in just a few years from teen to a tycoon. He has become the fourth-largest manufacturer of personal computers in America and the youngest man ever to head a Fortune 500 corporation.
(1) What were Michael Dell’s achievements at his age of 29?
(2) What is the secret of Michael Dell’s Success?
(3) How did Michael surprise his family members?
(4) Do you think trying new ideas can make your life successful? How?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed:
(i) He has discovered the power of another good idea.
(Rewrite the sentence beginning with 'The power of ...' )
(ii) Michael Dell sat on the beach.
(Rewrite it using past perfect continuous tense.)
(iii) The youngster cast the trotline.
(Frame a Wh-question to get the underlined part as
its answer.)
(6) 'Grab a pole and join in the fun'.
Pick out the contextual meaning of the underlined word from
the options are given below:
(i) smash
(ii) hold firmly
(iii) throw away


Read the following extract and answer the questions given below :

But being named an 'AdarshGaon · is far from easy. Villages had to give a proposal after Which a committee headed by Mr. Pawar inspected the villages. "The villages had to show dedication in the struggle to fight mediocrity. They had to follow all the conditions of becoming an 'AdarshGaon '. We chose villages with a revolutionary spark." Mr. Pawar says. 

Villages need to follow strict rules. The process begins with effective water managc1nent through the watershed technique and Water auditing. taking responsibility for the village's natural resources -phmting trees and stopping grazing, contributing labour for the village Work, and then expanding to bring about behavioral changes in the people for harbouring social change. Hiware Bazaar is free of any kind of addiction and there are no liquor or tobacco shops in the village. Vasectomy has been made co1npulsory. as is the pre-marital HIV test. 

The 'AdarshGaon · n1odcl prides itself of being based on the joint decisions made by the (Gram Sabha, Where all the villagers are present. Even while selecting the new villages under the scheme, Mr. Pawar made sure that the decision to become an ideal village was taken by the entire village together. 

The greatest victory for Hiware Bazaar so far has been the reverse migration that the village has witnessed since 1989. As many as 93 families have come back to the village, "from the slums in Mumbai and Pune." Mr. Pawar says. 

(1) What features of 'AdarshGaon' are given in this extract?
(2) What is the procedure for selecting 'AdarshGaon'?
(3) What is the greatest victory for Hiware Bazaar? 
(4) Do you think all villages in Maharashtra should follow the ideals of Hiware Bazaar? Why? 
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the Ways instructed : 

(i) Mr. Pawar inspected the villages. 
(Rewrite it using the noun form of the word underlined.)
(ii) Vasectomy has been made compulsory by the villagers.
(Rewrite it beginning with -"The villagers ........ ".) 
(iii) There are no liquor or tobacco shops in the village. 
(Rewrite it using 'neither ........ nor'.)

(6) Find out the words from the extract which mean : 

(i) causing a great change 
(ii) the quality of being average


Read the passage given below :

Globalization

Globalization is the way to open businesses, improve technological growth, economy, etc, at the international level for all countries. It is the way in which manufacturers and producers of the products or goods sell their products globally without any restriction. It provides huge profits to the businessmen as they get 1ow cost labor in poor countries easily. It provides a big opportunity for companies to„ deal with the worldwide market. 

Globalization helps to consider the whole world 'as a single market. Traders are extending their areas of business by treating the world as a global village. Earlier till the 1990s, there was a restriction on importing certain products that were already manufactured in India like agricultural products, engineering goods, food items, and toiletries. However, during the 1990s there was pressure from. the rich countries on the poor and developing countries to allow them to spread their businesses by opening their markets. In India, the globalization and liberalization process was started in 1991. 

After many years, globalization brought about a major revolution in the Indian market when multinational brands came to India and started delivering a wide range of quality products at cheap prices. Prices of good quality products came down because of the cutthroat competition in the market. 

Globalization and liberalization of the businesses in India have flooded the market with quality foreign products but have affected the local Indian industries adversely to a great extent resulting in job loss to poor and uneducated workers. Globalization has been a bonanza for the consumers, however, a loss to the small-scale Indian producers. 

Globalization has had some very positive effects on the Indian consumer in all sectors of society. It has affected the Indian students and education sector to a great extent by making study books and a lot of information available over the internet. The collaboration of foreign universities with Indian universities has brought about a huge change in the field of education.

Globalization of trade in the agricultural sector has brought varieties of quality seeds that have disease resistati8e; property. However, it is not good for the poor Indian farmers because the seeds and agricultural technologies are costly.

It has brought about a huge revolution in the employment sector by the spread of businesses like cottage, handloom, carpet, artisan carving, ceramic, jewelry, and glassware, etc

(a) What is globalization?

(b) Write any two advantages of globalization.

(c) What was the pressure from the rich countries in the 1990s?

(d) What is the effect of multinational brands entering the Indian market?

(e) How are the prices of quality products affected due to globalization?

(f) How have foreign products affected the local industry adversely?

(g) What has been the impact of globalization on Indian students?

(h) Why has globalization had a negative effect on the poor Indian farmer?

(i) How has the cottage industry benefited from globalization?


A. Read the following passage and do the given activities:-

A1. Answer in one word or two:- (02)

  1. The Queen of the spices.
  2. The areas of cultivation of the first type of cardamom.
  3. Anyone area of cultivation of the second type of cardamom
  4. The small variety of cardamom is known for-

Cardamom, the Queen of all spices, has a history as old as the human race. It is the dried fruit of a herbaceous perennial plant. Warm humid climate, loamy soil rich in organic matter, distributed rainfall and special cultivation and processing methods all combine to make Indian cardamom truly unique in aroma, flavour, size and it has a parrot green colour.

Two types of cardamom are produced in India. The first type is the large one, which has not much significance as it is not traded in the international market. It is cultivated in the North-eastern area of the country. The second type is produced in the Southern states and these are traded in the international market. These are mainly cultivated in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. As per the international market rules, only 7 mm quality was previously traded in exchanges. But later, it relaxed its norms, and now 6 mm quality is also traded in the exchanges. Special to Indian taste buds, cardamom is not only unique to our land but also to our senses. The addition of this fragrant spice can add layers of taste to your tea, food, and overall dining experience.

The small variety is known for its exotic quality throughout the world. Traditional auction markets also exist for trading in small cardamom in the country.

A2. Provide information: Indian cardamom is said to be unique in aroma, flavor, size, and colour due to -- (02)

  1. ______
  2. ______
  3. ______
  4. ______

A3. Write the synonyms for the following from the passage :- (02)

  1. unusual
  2. pleasant smell
  3. importance
  4. holding moisture

A4. Do as directed:- (02)

  1. The first type is the large one, which has not much significance.
    (Identify the subordinate clause)
  2. Cardamom is not only unique to our land but also to our senses.
    (Rewrite the sentence using ‘as well as’)

A5. Indian food is incomplete without spices. State your view. (02)

B. Write a short summary of the passage given in above and suggest a suitable title. (05)


Read the following passage and complete the activities:

A1. State whether the following statements are True or False.  (02)

  1. Time is the most valueless resource.
  2. The importance of time management is self-evident.
  3. Allow the time to flow and pass away.
  4. Time’s nature is clear.

Time is the most valuable resource available to every individual.

Time is a resource to measure quantitatively but its nature is unclear. Time is a fleeting, limited, and intangible human resource which is always calculated and used accordingly. The time of the day is as shown on the clock or announced on the media like radio, television constantly guides us in carrying out daily activities, distribution of time for work, rest, entertainment and checking the progress during the day.
The secret of time management lies in successfully identifying and eliminating time-wasting activities with effective and efficient utilization of time. In order to be a good time manager, grab the time, utilize it properly and invest it into productive work. Do not allow the time to flow and pass away without offering any result.
The importance of time management is self-evident. Every individual has twenty-four hours a day to use. One must be aware of the available time and time needed to complete the daily routine. Everyone must remember that time cares only for those who take care of time. So, for the achievement of goals, proper planning and utilization of time are very important which is definitely possible only through time management.

A2. What are the secrets of a good time manager?    (02)

A3. 

  1. Pick out two adverbs from the given passage.
  2. Write the root word for the following:
    1. utilization
    2. entertainment

A4. Do as Directed:   (02)

  1. Rewrite the sentence using ‘Not only ……. But also’
    For the achievement of goals, proper planning and utilization of time are important.
  2. Do not allow the time to flow.  (Make the sentence assertive)

A5. “Time once lost, is lost forever.” Justify   (02)


Read the extract and complete the activities given below :

    Luxurious houses on the edge of a big city which one promoter sold with the tagline ‘‘Where Nature peeps through every window.’’ All the advantages of a modern lifestyle but with the added bonus of fresh air. But nature isn’t greenery alone; it also includes wild animals.
   While the view from the picture windows was easy on the eye, occasionally, it made them gulp with nervousness. At dusk, wild cats leaped out of the adjoining forest on to the top of the peripheral walls and strolled nonchalantly. Sometimes, they lounged on ledges with their long tails swinging freely, oblivious of the many worried human eyes pinned on them. Their cold yellow aggressive eyes turned black as their pupils dilated with failing light.
   Some Mumbaikars paid a lot of money to see leopards on safari in Africa. But to watch them from one’s own home was disconcerting. These predators were out of line, stepping off nature into the city. Why did the leopards not stay within the 100-square kilometre Sanjay Gandhi National Park? Perhaps, the leopards thought that if people could venture into nature to jog, walk and picnic, why couldn’t they hang around apartment blocks? If people could enjoy nature, couldn’t nature savour humanity’s offerings?
   Capturing leopards is extraordinarily simple. These curious cats seem incapable of resisting a free meal, walking into baited traps without hesitation. The reason the felines are attracted to their residential community is prey : stray dogs that live on rubbish heaps. Taking care of the food source is the best course of action, the volunteers said.

A1. Rewrite the following sentences as per their occurrence in the extract :

  1. Instead of capturing leopards we can take care of their food.
  2. Leopards leave their habitat and enter the human habitat.
  3. Modern lifestyle and nature both attract the dwellers.
  4. Leopards can enjoy human surroundings by leaving nature.

A2. Complete the following sentences :

  1. Nature is a combination of ______ and ______
  2. The best of both the worlds include ______ and ______
  3. The wild animals are out of line as ______
  4. The wild cats are attracted towards residential areas because ______

A3. Find out the words for leopards used in the extract :

  1. ____________
  2. ____________
  3. ____________
  4. ____________

A4. ‘‘If people could venture into nature to jog, walk, and picnic, why couldn’t the wild animals hang around apartment blocks?’’ Express your opinion.

A5. Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :

  1. Taking care of the food source is the best course of action.
    (Use infinitive form of the underlined word and rewrite.)
  2. Nature isn’t greenery alone; it also includes wild animals.
    (Rewrite it by using ‘not only ... but also’.)

A6. Find a word for each of the following expressions from the extract :

  1. Enjoy the taste of something
  2. Embarrassing and confusing to watch
  3. Not conscious or aware of something or someone
  4. Relaxed and in an unworried manner

Read the following excerpt from a case study.

Impacts of Festivities on Ecology
5 Festivals are synonymous with celebration, ceremony and joy. However, festivals bring to the fore the flip side of celebrations – pollution – air, water, soil and noise. This led to the need of assessing the awareness level among people about ecological pollution during festivals. So, a study was conducted by scholars of an esteemed university in India. This study was titled Awareness Towards Impact of Festivals on Ecology.
10 There were two main objectives of the study. The first one was to assess the awareness level among people about ecological protection during festivities. Exploring solutions to bring awareness about celebrating festivals without harming ecology was the second objective. The method used to collect data was a simple questionnaire containing 6 questions, shared with 50 respondents across four selected districts of a state in the southern region of India.
15

The research began by understanding the socio-economic conditions of the respondents before sharing the questionnaire. Once the responses were received, the data collected were tabulated (Table 1), for analysis. 

Table-1: Awareness level among respondents

QUESTIONS YES % NO % CAN’T SAY%
1. Do you feel that bursting crackers is a must during festivities? 46 54 0
2. Do you think most people abuse environmental resources during the celebration of festivals? 72 28 0
3. Do you think that celebrations & festivities result in uniting people? 64 32 4
4. Do you enjoy bursting crackers for amusement? 68 32 0
5. Do you feel pressured to burst crackers during festivals as an expectation of your social status? 82 12 6
6. Are you aware of waste segregation & disposal guidelines for better ecology? 56 40 4
20 The study recommended the imposition of strict rules and regulations as opposed to a total ban on all festive activities which have a drastic impact on our environment. The researchers believed that such measures would help in harnessing some ill-effects that add to the growing pollution and suggested further studies be taken up across the country to assess awareness about ecological degradation.
25  The observations made in the study pointed to the environmental groups and eco-clubs fighting a losing battle due to city traffic issues, disposal of plastics, garbage dumping and all sorts of ecological degradation. The researchers stressed that the need of the hour is increasing awareness among people to reduce environmental pollution which can be facilitated by celebrating all festivals in an eco-friendly manner.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.

  1. Why do the researchers call pollution the ‘flip side’ of festivals?
  2. Comment on the significance of the second objective of the study with reference to lines 7-12.
  3. Justify the researchers’ recommendation for limiting the drastic impact of festival pollution on the environment with reference to lines 16-21.
  4. Why do the researchers feel that environmental groups and eco-clubs are fighting a losing battle in the given scenario?
  5. Even though a larger number of people say ‘no’ to bursting crackers than those who say ‘yes’, festival pollution persists. How does evidence from table 1 support this statement?
  6. What purpose does the ‘Can’t Say’ column serve in the questionnaire (table 1)?

Read the following passage and do the activities.

November 4, 1851.

Dear Brother John Honston,

When I came to Charleston day before yesterday, I learned that you were anxious to sell the land where you live, and move to Missouri. I have been thinking of this ever since, and cannot but say such an idea is quite foolish. What can you do in Missouri better than here? Is the land any richer? Can you, there, any more than here, raise com and wheat without work? Will anybody there, any more than here, do your work for you? If you intend to go to work, there is no better place than right where you are; if you do not intend to work, you cannot get along anywhere. Crawling about from place to place can do you no good. You have raised no crop this year. What you really want is to sell the land, get the money and spend it. Part with the land you have and my life upon it-never after will you own a spot big enough to bury you. Half of what you will get for the land, you will spend in moving to Missouri, and the other hall you will eat, drink, wear out and no foot of land will be brought. Now I feel it my duty to have no hand in such a piece of foolery.

Now do not misunderstand this letter. I do not write it in any unkindness. I write it in order, if possible, to get you to face the truth which truth is, you are poor and needy because you have idled away your time. Your thousand excuses for not getting along better are all nonsense. They deceive nobody but yourself. To go to work is the only cure for your case.

Affectionately,
Your brother,
Abraham Lincoln.

A1. Answer the following whether True or False:

  1. Writer came to Charleston
  2. Writer is Abraham Lincoln
  3. Letter is for sister Honston
  4. No crop was raised

A2. How, according to Lincoln, would his brother spend the money coming from selling the land?

A3.

  1. Find out two words with prefix from the passage.
  2. Write two different words on your own by using the same prefix.

A4. Do as directed:

  1. Rewrite the sentence using 'Not only .......... but also'.
    She forgot to wish me on my birthday and did not even apologize.
  2. Change the voice:
    The workers built the dome.

A5. Lincoln wishes to have no hand in selling the land Justify.


Read the passage given below.

1 It is generally accepted that leadership development should be a part of the education system's responsibility for preparing individuals to participate in a democratic and progressive society. Many schools, colleges and universities, across nations, provide their students with leadership courses, curricular programs and co-curricular programs that are designed to develop students’ formal knowledge about leadership as well as opportunities and experiences to develop students as leaders and actually practise leadership. Yet, only a handful of studies have sought to understand leader development from the students’ point of view, with students describing their own experiences and what they learned from them in their own words.
2

A 2014 descriptive study sought to understand student leadership with research through key events via the following research questions:
Research Question 1: What key events do student leaders in college, report as significantly impacting their development as a leader?
Research Question 2: What lessons do student leaders in college, report learning as a result of the key events they have experienced?
Research Question 3: Are certain key events more likely to be linked to particular lessons? Approximately 130 students were contacted and the 72 interested, were interviewed. Two members of the research team were present for each 15 – 45 minute interview. One member served as the primary interviewer while the second ran the audio equipment.
The results for lessons learned (Table 1), were varied, but there were a few that were frequently quoted.

Lessons learned Responses
Identity  
Self Identity 58
Leadership Identity 54
Professionalism 30
Balancing Roles 19
Individual Competencies  
Delegation 17
Decision Making 15
Adaptability/Flexibility 38
Resilience/Persistence/Hard Work 18
Taking Initiative 36
Accountability/Responsibility 29
Big Picture 27
Learing to Teach/Learn 18
Support Systems  
Developing and Using Support Systems 36
Being a Support System 28
Working with Others  
Communication 59
Teamwork 26
Conflict 21
Diversity 32
Inspiring and motivating others 17
Others working with others 30
Getting the job done  
Task skills 55
Environment 34
3 This study described the rich array of leadership lessons that students are learning through their experiences. It revealed that student leaders are learning foundational leadership skills and competencies that have positively impacted how to accomplish work, how to work with others and how to be both supported by and support others.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.

(i) Does the following statement agree with the information given in paragraph 1? (1)

The researcher believes that educational institutions have ideal resources to study impact of leadership skills on young adults.

Select from the following:

  1. True - if the statement agrees with the information
  2. False - if the statement contradicts the information
  3. Not Given - if there is no information on this

(ii) Do you think the researchers of the study aimed to change the students’ outlook towards the development of leadership skills, directly or indirectly? Support your answer with reference to the text. (1)

(iii) Select the option that displays the most likely reason for including Research Question 3 in the 2014 study. (1)

In order to find out if... 

  1. learning opportunities shape students’ overall personality.
  2. leadership lessons are the result of the designed learning opportunities.
  3. all learning opportunities cater to a specific lesson.
  4. certain lessons are common in more than one learning opportunity.

(iv) Complete the sentence based on the following statement. (1)

More than 50% of the identified student respondents were keen to participate in the 2014 study.

We can say this because ______.

(v) Select the option that displays the key event designed with “Balancing Roles” (Table 1) as the objective. (1)

  1. Students will be able to debate the issue at hand, with different teams.
  2. Students will be able to manage the responsibilities of a mentor, planner researcher and presenter.
  3. Students will be able to surmount minor problems and focus on the final goal.
  4. Students will be able to explain concepts and clarify them for peers.

(vi) Complete the given sentence by selecting the most appropriate option. (1)

The 2014 study attempts to understand student leadership by focussing on ______

  1. experiences that shaped students’ overall personality.
  2. lessons gained by students as they grew up.
  3. relationship of key events with particular lessons.
  4. students in leadership roles.

(vii) The lessons for ‘Individual competencies’ had a range of responses. (1)
Give one reason why having the least number of responses for ‘Decision Making’, is a matter that needs attention.

(viii) Complete the given sentence by selecting the most appropriate option. (1)

The concluding sentence of the text makes a clear case for ______ by listing it as a core competency for student leadership.

  1. collaboration
  2. flexibility
  3. hard work
  4. observation

(ix) Complete the sentence appropriately with one/two words. (1)

In the context of “Working with Others” in Table 1, the lesson of ‘Conflict’ refers to ______.

(x) Based on the reading of the text, state a point to challenge the given statement. (1)

When theoretical knowledge about leadership suffices, it is a waste of funds by educational organisations, to organise leadership camps and programmes.


Read the following passage and do the given activities:

A1. Match the columns A with B correctly:  (2)

A B
(i) Rocket programming (a) IIT (Bombay)
(ii) Graduation (b) ISRO
(iii) Masters in Engineering (c) S. T. Hindu College
(iv) Ph.D (d) IISC

 

The humble son of a farmer from Sarakkalvilai village in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district, Dr. K. Sivan as Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) chairman was leading the Chandrayaan-2 mission to the moon. Sivan studied in a Tamil medium government school. After graduating from S.T. Hindu College in Nagercoil, Sivan completed a Master's in Engineering from IISC in 1982. In 2006, he received Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Bombay.

Sivan is the first graduate in his family. His brother and two sisters were unable to complete higher education due to their poverty.  "When I was in college, I used to help my father in the field. That was the reason he got me admitted to a college near our house." Sivan told TOI, "Only when I had completed my B.Sc. (Mathematics) with 100% marks his mind changed." Sivan said he had spent his childhood days without a shoe or sandal. I continued wearing a vesti (dhoti) till college. I wore pants for the first time when I entered MIT." He joined ISRO in 1982 and worked on almost all rocket programmes. Before taking charge as an ISRO chairman in January 2018, he was the director, of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) which develops rockets. He is known as ISRO's 'Rocket Man'.

A2. Answer the following questions in a few words. (One or two words)    (2)

  1. What is Dr. Sivan known as?
  2. In which subject Dr. Sivan scored 100% marks in B.Sc.?
  3. When did Dr. Sivan join ISRO?
  4. In which space centre Dr. Sivan was the director?

A3. Match the word connectors from the passage and use one of the connectors in your own sentence:  (2)

A B
(i) Tamil (a) School
(ii) Government (b) Medium
  (c) Centre

A4. Do as directed:   (2)

  1. Sivan is the first graduate in his family.    (Rewrite as a negative sentence)
  2. His brother and two sister were unable to complete higher education due to their poverty.
    (Rewrite the above sentence using 'neither ____nor')

A5. Personal Response:   (2)

What inspiration can we draw from Dr. Sivan's success?


Read the passage given below:

  1. Starting Monday, the country's low-cost Mars mission with the red planet for an extended period will enter the "blackout" phase snapping communication with the satellite. From June 8 to 22 the Sun will block Mars from the Earth snapping communication with the satellite.
  2. A senior Indian Space Research Organisation official said. "This will be for the first time that there will be a communication break for such a long period of about 15 days. During this period, there will be no communication with the satellite", he added.
  3. Expressing confidence about regaining control over the satellite once the blackout phase is over, he said, "the scenario has been tested and the line of communication will be established." The spacecraft's life has been extended for another six months in March due to surplus fuel.
  4. Stating that the spacecraft has been "configured" for the blackout, the ISRO official said, "we are not sending any commands to the spacecraft now, till 8th June few hours of signals will be sent by the spacecraft that will be for about two to three hours per day". In May next year, the mission will have to go through a similar phase once again, if there is another extension of mission life when the Earth will come between the Sun and Mars.
  5. Scripting space history, India on September 24 last successfully placed its low-cost Mars spacecraft in orbit around the red planet in its very first attempt, breaking into an elite club of three countries.
  1. Infer one reason for the following based on information in paragraph 1.  (1)
    The 'blackout' phase is significant ______.
  2. Choose the appropriate option to fill in the blank.    (1)
    From paragraph 1 & 2, we can infer that there will be ______.
    1. no communication with the people.
    2. blackout phase.
    3. satellite will get no communication.
    4. the moon will block the earth.
    5. the communication break will be for 15 days.
    1. 1, 2 & 3
    2. 1, 3 & 4
    3. 2, 3 & 5
    4. 3, 4 & 5
  3. The communication with the satellite will break for approximately ______ days.    (1)
    1. 10
    2. 15
    3. 20
    4. 25
  4. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word/phrase from paragraph 2:     (1)
    aroma : cooking : : ______ : space research
    (Clue - just like aroma is integral to cooking, similarly __ is/are integral to space research.)
  5. According to ISRO official till 8th July, when Sun will block Mars, ______ signal/signals per day will be sent to the spacecraft.     (1)
    1. no
    2. considerable
    3. indefinite
    4. only for few
  6. Select the correct option to complete the following sentence:    (1)
    The ISRO officials are ______ about their control over the spacecraft after the blackout phase.
    1. doubtful
    2. apprehensive
    3. confident
    4. jittery
  7. The spacecraft's life was extended by six months because of ______.       (1)
    1. extra fuel
    2. incomplete work
    3. lack of communication amongst ISRO officials
    4. technical problems in its landing
  8. Read the following sentences:    (1)
    (A) The blackout was a sudden development.
    (B) Because of this, the officials are very nervous about the success of the spacecraft.
    1. Both (A) & (B) are true.
    2. Both (A) & (B) are false.
    3. (A) is true and (B) is false.
    4. (A) is false and (B) is true.
  9. Substitute the word 'nonpareil' with one word similar in meaning in the following sentence from paragraph 5.    (1)
    India managed to get into the nonpareil club of Mars spacecraft in orbit.
  10. The word 'fascination' in the opening sentence means the same as:    (1)
    1. enchantment
    2. boredom
    3. disinterest
    4. ugliness

Read the following passage.

A Dirshti was young woman who had always been fascinated by the supernatural. She had read countless books and watched numerous documentaries about ghosts and otherworldly beings. So, when she heard about an abandoned hotel on the outskirts of town that was said to be haunted, she knew she had to investigate.
B One night, Dirshti decided to sneak into the dilapidated hotel with a few of her friends. As they made their way through the dark, eerie corridors, they heard strange noises and felt cold spots. They were convinced that they were not alone.
C Suddenly, they came across a room that was different from the rest. It was filled with old cooking equipment and strange symbols etched into the walls. Drishti felt a chill run down her spine as she entered the room. She knew that this was where the most paranormal activity occurred. As they were examining the room, they heard a loud bang coming from the hallway. They froze in fear, not knowing what was coming their way. They could hear footsteps approaching, and they knew they had to hide.
D They quickly ducked behind some old shelves as the footsteps grew louder. The sound of breathing was getting closer and closer until finally, they saw a figure appear in the doorway. It was a man wearing a chef’s hat, with a face that was twisted in a sinister smile. Drishti and her friends felt their blood run cold as the man approached them. They could feel his cold breath on their faces as he leaned in, whispering in a deep voice, "You shouldn't be here."
E Dirshti and her friends were frozen with fear as they stared into the chef's eyes. But suddenly, the lights flickered on and the figure disappeared. They looked around the room, and everything seemed normal. They had been so scared that they hadn't realized they were in a room with faulty wiring
F Disappointed, they realized that their ghost hunt had been a bust. They left the hotel feeling deflated and let down. They had hoped for an exciting, spine-tingling adventure, but all they got was a scary moment caused by faulty wiring. As they drove home, they couldn't help but feel foolish for getting so worked up over nothing. They had been so convinced that they would find evidence of the paranormal that they had overlooked the simple explanation for the noises they had heard.
G Dirshti learned an important lesson that night. Sometimes, the scariest things are the ones that we create in our own minds. She realized that she didn't need to chase after the supernatural to experience thrills and excitement. The world around her was full of mystery and wonder, and she was content to experience it without the need for ghosts and ghouls.

Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.

(i) How does the setting contribute to the overall mood and atmosphere of the story?    (1)

    1. It creates a sense of nostalgia.
    2. It provides a sense of false security.
    3. It adds to the suspense in the story.
    4. It presents a contrast with the real world.

(ii) List two ways, how the disappointment that Drishti and her friends felt after their ghost hunt is analogous to the feeling of waking up from a dream. Answer in 30 -40 words.    (2)

(iii) What is the main flaw in Drishti's approach to investigating the haunted hotel?   (1)

  1. She was too focused on finding evidence of the paranormal.
  2. She was too skeptical and refused to believe in the possibility of ghosts.
  3. She relied too heavily on other people's accounts of the supernatural.
  4. She didn't take enough precautions to ensure her safety.

(iv) After which paragraph of the story, would the following paragraph most likely be placed?   (1)
They commenced walking through the hotel, Drishti’s torchlight barely illuminating the darkness around her. Suddenly, they heard a loud creaking noise behind them. Drishti whipped around, pointing her flashlight in the direction of the noise. Nothing. Shaken, they all quickened their pace.

(v) Briefly explain (in 30-40 words) any two elements that classify the story as scary  (2)

(vi) Substitute the underlined word in the following sentence with a word/ phrase from paragraphs 4- 6, that means the same.     (1)

The sound of the footsteps outside the door left her petrified and the rasping breathing added to her horror.

(vii) What is the most significant lesson that Drishti learns from her experience in the haunted hotel?   (1)

  1. The importance of avoiding risk-taking.
  2. The need to be more sceptical of the supernatural.
  3. The value of evaluating your weaknesses
  4. The power of imagination to create suspense.

(viii) Complete the following appropriately.   (1)

Based on the use of the word "dilapidated" to describe the hotel in Paragraph 2, we can infer that its condition was ______.

(ix) Complete the sentence appropriately.   (1)

If the title, The Hotel Haunting is given to this passage, it would be an inappropriate title, as compared to The Unsettling Encounter at the Abandoned Hotel because ______.

(x) State whether the given assertion is TRUE or FALSE.   (1)

The reason Drishti and her friends visited the abandoned hotel was to prove the existence of ghosts.


Read the following text.

(1) As a high school student, studying poetry can be a rollercoaster ride. This journey is punctuated by moments of profound appreciation for simpler pieces and intermittent frustration with more complex works. Let's be real here -some poems are just plain confusing and no amount of re-reading seems to help decipher the intended meaning. The puzzlement that results from such instances can be both vexing and demotivating. If solving a riddle is what was intended, then playing Sudoku is a better option. One is led to ponder if obscurity was the goal.
(2) Conversely, some pieces resonate with the reader's soul. Stirring feelings of warmth, happiness, and connection to the world. Often, these compositions centre on themes that are universally understood, such as love, nature, or faith. Being able to actually understand what the poet is trying to say can feel like a little victory and is a welcome relief after grappling with more perplexing poetry.
(3) Then there are poems that are emotionally charged; the ones that make the reader curl up in a ball and cry or jump up and down with joy. One is left in awe of the poet's ability to convey emotion through words. Let’s not forget the downright weird poems. These are the ones that defy categorization and leave the reader to their own devices in attempting to interpret meaning. The author's use of figurative language and unconventional imagery can create a sense of bewilderment that is either intriguing or off-putting. Regardless, the reader can appreciate the uniqueness of the work.
(4) Despite the wide range of emotions and reactions that come with studying poetry, it can be a rewarding pursuit. Not only does reading poetry allow one to appreciate the artistic beauty of the written word but also enables one to develop crucial critical thinking and analytical skills. The process of unlocking a poem's meaning can feel like cracking a code or solving a puzzle but the sense of accomplishment derived from mastering a challenging piece can be deeply gratifying. Finally, impressing an English teacher with a well-analysed poem can be a source of pride and validation.
(5) Overall, studying poetry is like a box of mixed chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. But whether it's complex, emotional, simple, or just downright weird, there's always something to be gained from the experience. So, let's applaud all the poets out there, for making us laugh, cry, scratch our heads, and occasionally feel like a genius.

Answer the following questions based on the passage above.

i. Which of the following statements best describes the author's attitude towards studying poetry?   (1)

    1. Finds poetry to be a frustrating and meaningless endeavor.
    2. Believes that the emotional rollercoaster of studying poetry is not worth the effort.
    3. Recognizes the challenges of studying poetry but also acknowledges the rewards it offers.
    4. Feels that poetry is too obscure and abstract for the average person to appreciate.

ii. What is the tone of the writer in the given lines from paragraph (1)? Rationalise your response in about 40 words.    (2)

If solving a riddle is what was intended, then playing Sudoku is a better option. One is led to ponder if obscurity was the goal.

iii. Complete the sentence appropriately.   (1)

The author's use of vivid imagery in the paragraph (3), such as "curl up in a ball and cry" and "jump up and down with joy", greatly affects the reader because ______.

iv. The passage includes some words that are opposites of each other. From the sets (a) - (e) below, identify two sets of antonyms:    (1)

(a) intriguing and off-putting (b) deciphering and interpreting
(c) appreciate and applaud (d) simple and challenging
(e) emotions and feelings

v. Complete the sentence appropriately.   (1)

We can say that the author's tone becomes more neutral and objective when discussing weird poems, compared to other types of poetry because ______.

vi. Based on the reading of the passage, examine, in about 40 words, how studying poetry can be like exploring a new city.    (2)

vii. What is the message conveyed by Hina's experience, in the following case?   (1)

Hina spends hours trying to analyze a poem for her assignment and finally feels a sense of accomplishment and pride, once she understands.

  1. Only those with natural talent for poetry should engage with it.
  2. Persistence makes studying poetry a rewarding pursuit.
  3. Study of poetry is guaranteed to impress others.
  4. The efforts of studying poetry is inversely proportional to the rewards gained.

viii. State whether the following lines display an example of a simple/complex/ emotionally charged/downright weird, poem.   (1)

The sun rises in the east,
A new day begins, a fresh start.
Birds chirp, nature wakes up,
A peaceful feeling in my heart.

Read the following text.

(1) Reduction in green areas has caused various environmental problems. People squeezed between concrete structures are looking for various ways to meet their longing for green. One of the ways to do so, is vertical gardens and green walls. Vertical gardening is a unique method of gardening where plants are grown in a vertical position or upward, rather than in the traditional method of planting them on the ground.
(2) The purpose of vertical gardens and green walls, which arises from the studies of different disciplines (landscape architects, architects, engineers, etc.), is to close the cold image of concrete and increase the visual value. In these systems, nature and structures are integrated, and thus, urban areas and the desired environment have become intertwined.
(3) Vertical garden case studies often show that, though functionality should be in the foreground when vertical gardens are planned, they are generally made as aesthetic elements in the city's underpasses and city squares and decorative elements in residences without seeking functionality.
(4) Experts support that the visual quality and evaluation of landscape architecture are determined based on the satisfaction of the users. Hence, a survey questionnaire was prepared for residents of varied age groups from of a metropolitan city. The given Table 1, displays these responses:
 
Table 1 - Total number of participants : 400
No. Survey statements Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Vertical gardens -
1 improve quality of life of people in urban areas 191 138 43 9 19
2 reduce noise pollution 128 164 77 25 6
3 increase air quality -indoors and outdoors 172 147 51 28 2
4 reduce energy and water consumption 58 47 125 68 2
5 positively impact global warming 114 144 106 30 6
6 have a relaxing and calming effect 161 177 44 7 11
7 cost too much 86 107 152 42 13
8 make plants look beautiful 195 139 44 6 16
9 add naturalness to the environs 135 173 55 25 12
10 are among the determining factor to visiting a place 59 133 141 54 13
11 are inconvenient indoors 9 84 123 126 48
12 can be applied in every place 71 132 97 77 23
13 have a functional feature 81 207 100 10 2
14 distract drivers 34 101 106 131 28
15 funds are best used for social issues 57 72 100 130 41
(5) The study acknowledged that vertical gardening has the potential to transform urban spaces into green, sustainable areas, and further research should explore the impact of vertical gardening on the environment and human well-being.

Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.

i. Complete the following analogy appropriately, based on your understanding of paragraphs 1 & 2.   (1)

We can say that the situation of people living in concrete structures is comparable with a fish living in a fishbowl, and the need for vertical gardens to the need for decorations in the fishbowl because ______.

ii. Fill the blanks with the appropriate option from those given in brackets, based on your understanding of paragraph 2.   (1)

The statement that urban spaces have become more closely connected with the desired natural surroundings through the incorporation of nature and structures in vertical gardens and green walls is a _______ (fact/ opinion) because it is a _______ (subjective judgement/ objective detail).

iii. Justify the following, in about 40 words.   (2)

While the survey results suggest that vertical gardens may be effective in improving the quality of life in urban areas, further research and evaluation may be necessary to fully understand their effectiveness and potential drawbacks.

iv. Based on the survey results, which two concerns should a city government, looking to install vertical gardens, address?   (1)

v. In Table 1, statement 3, "Vertical gardens increase air quality - indoors and outdoors," received the most neutral responses from participants, with 51 respondents indicating a neutral stance. State any one inference that can be drawn from this.   (1)

vi. Select the option that correctly displays what ‘intertwined’ signifies. (Reference-Paragraph 2)   (1)

(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v)
  1. (i), (iv) and (v)
  2. Only (ii)
  3. Only (iii)
  4. (ii) and (v)

vii. Infer one benefit and one drawback of vertical gardening in comparison to other solutions, such as community gardens or parks. (Answer in about 40 words)      (2)

viii. Which of the following is the main takeaway from the study mentioned in the passage?     (1)

  1. Vertical gardening has minimal impact on the environment or human well-being.
  2. Vertical gardening is a sustainable practice that can transform urban spaces into green areas.
  3. The impact of vertical gardening on the environment and human well-being has already been thoroughly explored.
  4. The study needs to include experts from horticultural firms to offer any recommendations for further research.

Read the extract given below:

(1) Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. When areas in and around Leh began to experience water shortages, life didn't grind to a halt. Why? Because a retired civil engineer in the Jammu and Kashmir Government came up with the idea of artificial glaciers.
(2) Ladakh, a cold desert at an altitude of 3,000 - 3,500 meters above sea level, has a low average annual rainfall rate of 50 mm. Glaciers have always been the only source of water. Agriculture is completely dependent on glacier melt, unlike the rest of river/monsoon-fed India. But over the years, with increasing effects of climate change, rainfall and snowfall patterns have been changing, resulting in severe shortage and drought situations. Given the extreme winter conditions, the window for farming is usually limited to one harvest season.
(3) It is located between the natural glacier above and the village below. The one closer to the village and lowest in altitude melts first, providing water during April-May, the crucial sowing season. Further, layers of ice above melt with the increasing temperature, thus ensuring continuous supply to the fields. 

Therefore, farmers have been able to manage two crops instead of one. It costs about 1,50,000 and above to create a glacier.

(4)

Fondly called the glacier man, he has designed over 15 artificial glaciers in and around Leh since 1987. In recognition of his pioneering effort, he was conferred the Padma Shri by The President of India.

(5)

There are a few basic steps followed while creating an artificial glacier. River or stream water at high altitude is diverted to a shaded area of the hill, facing north, where the winter sun is blocked by a ridge or a mountain range. At the start of winter ie., in November, the diverted water is made to flow on sloping hills facing distribution channels. Stone embankments are built at regular intervals which impede the flow of water, making shallow pools which freeze, forming a cascade of ice along the slope. Ice formation continues for 3-4 months resulting in a large accumulation of ice which is referred to as an ‘artificial glacier’.

Based on your understanding of the extract, answer the questions below:

  1. Infer one reason for, the following, based on information in paragraph 1.       (1)
    Areas in and around Leh began to experience water shortage but life didn't grind to a halt.
  2. Select from the passage the appropriate option to fill in the blanks:     (1)
    Agriculture is completely dependent on ______ unlike the rest of river/monsoon-fed India.
    1. rainfall pattern
    2. climate change
    3. glaciers melt
    4. extreme winter conditions
  3. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word/phrase from paragraph 3:       (1)
    Icing : cake :: layers : ______.
  4. Select the correct option to complete the following sentence:       (1)
    At the start of winter the diverted water is made to flow ______.
    1. on sloping hills facing distribution channels.
    2. on high altitude.
    3. on ice-cold water level.
    4. on mountain range.
  5. From the chart select the months of water surplus.    (1)
    1. January, February.
    2. November, December.
    3. July, August, September.
    4. March, April
  6. Fill in the blank by selecting from the passage the correct option:     (1)
    The ______ have been the only source of water in areas in and around Ladakh.
    1. glaciers
    2. rivers
    3. streams
    4. water springs
  7. The word 'located' in paragraph 3 means:       (1)
    1. found
    2. locally found
    3. situated
    4. adapted
  8. Write any two steps followed while creating the glaciers.      (1)
  9. List one reason why artificial glaciers seem the best option.      (1)
  10. Select the most suitable title from the following for the passage:    (1)
    1. Water Shortage.
    2. New Ways Pool Water.
    3. Artificial Glacier.
    4. River Beds.

Read the passage given below:

  1. Starting Monday, the country's low-cost Mars mission with the red planet for an extended period will enter the "blackout" phase snapping communication with the satellite. From June 8 to 22 the Sun will block Mars from the Earth snapping communication with the satellite.
  2. A senior Indian Space Research Organisation official said. "This will be for the first time that there will be a communication break for such a long period of about 15 days. During this period, there will be no communication with the satellite", he added.
  3. Expressing confidence about regaining control over the satellite once the blackout phase is over, he said, "the scenario has been tested and the line of communication will be established." The spacecraft's life has been extended for another six months in March due to surplus fuel.
  4. Stating that the spacecraft has been "configured" for the blackout, the ISRO official said, "we are not sending any commands to the spacecraft now, till 8th June few hours of signals will be sent by the spacecraft that will be for about two to three hours per day". In May next year, the mission will have to go through a similar phase once again, if there is another extension of mission life when the Earth will come between the Sun and Mars.
  5. Scripting space history, India on September 24 last successfully placed its low-cost Mars spacecraft in orbit around the red planet in its very first attempt, breaking into an elite club of three countries.
  1. Infer one reason for the following based on information in paragraph 1.  (1)
    The 'blackout' phase is significant ______.
  2. Choose the appropriate option to fill in the blank.    (1)
    From paragraph 1 & 2, we can infer that there will be ______.
    1. no communication with the people.
    2. blackout phase.
    3. satellite will get no communication.
    4. the moon will block the earth.
    5. the communication break will be for 15 days.
    1. 1, 2 & 3
    2. 1, 3 & 4
    3. 2, 3 & 5
    4. 3, 4 & 5
  3. The communication with the satellite will break for approximately ______ days.    (1)
    1. 10
    2. 15
    3. 20
    4. 25
  4. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word/phrase from paragraph 2:     (1)
    aroma : cooking : : ______ : space research
    (Clue - just like aroma is integral to cooking, similarly __ is/are integral to space research.)
  5. According to ISRO official till 8th July, when Sun will block Mars, ______ signal/signals per day will be sent to the spacecraft.     (1)
    1. no
    2. considerable
    3. indefinite
    4. only for few
  6. Select the correct option to complete the following sentence:    (1)
    The ISRO officials are ______ about their control over the spacecraft after the blackout phase.
    1. doubtful
    2. apprehensive
    3. confident
    4. jittery
  7. The spacecraft's life was extended by six months because of ______.       (1)
    1. extra fuel
    2. incomplete work
    3. lack of communication amongst ISRO officials
    4. technical problems in its landing
  8. Read the following sentences:    (1)
    (A) The blackout was a sudden development.
    (B) Because of this, the officials are very nervous about the success of the spacecraft.
    1. Both (A) & (B) are true.
    2. Both (A) & (B) are false.
    3. (A) is true and (B) is false.
    4. (A) is false and (B) is true.
  9. Substitute the word 'nonpareil' with one word similar in meaning in the following sentence from paragraph 5.    (1)
    India managed to get into the nonpareil club of Mars spacecraft in orbit.
  10. The word 'instinct' in the passage means the same as:    (1)
    1. lack
    2. impulse
    3. inability
    4. incapacity

Read the following text.

(1) In recent years, there has been a surge in both group and solo travel among young adults in India. A survey conducted among young adults aged 18-25 aimed to explore the reasons behind their travel preferences and recorded the percentage variation for 10 common points that influence travel choices.
(2) Among those who prefer solo travel, the most common reason cited was the desire for independence and freedom (58%), followed closely by the opportunity for introspection and self-discovery (52%). Additionally, solo travellers appreciated the ability to customize their itinerary to their preferences (44%) and the chance to meet new people on their own terms (36%).
(3) On the other hand, those who prefer group travel often cited the desire for socializing and making new friends (61%) as their primary reason. Group travel also provided a sense of security and safety in unfamiliar places (52%) and allowed for shared experiences and memories with others (48%). Additionally, group travellers enjoyed the convenience of having pre-planned itineraries and organized transportation (38%).
(4) Interestingly, both groups had similar levels of interest in exploring new cultures and trying new experiences (40% for solo travellers, 36% for group travellers). Similarly, both groups valued the opportunity to relax and escape from the stresses of everyday life (36% for solo travellers, 32% for group travellers).
(5) However, there were also some notable differences between the two groups. For example, solo travellers placed a higher priority on budget-friendly travel options (38%) compared to group travellers (24%). Conversely, group travellers were more likely to prioritize luxury and comfort during their travels (28%) compared to solo travellers (12%).
(6) Overall, the survey results suggest that both group and solo travel have their own unique advantages and appeal to different individuals, based on their preferences and priorities.

Answer the following questions, based on given passage.

  1. Infer two possible ways that the survey, mentioned in paragraph (1) could be beneficial. Answer in about 40 words.     (2)
  2. Which travel choice point of the survey would influence tour operators to incorporate group dinners, social events, and shared accommodations in their itinerary?    (1)
    1. Freedom to customise itinerary
    2. Luxury and comfort
    3. Security and safety
    4. Desire for making new friends
  3. What do the top choices in the survey, for travelling solo and in a group suggest about young adults?   (1)
  4. Identify the solo traveller from the following three travellers:      (1)
    1. Reshma- I don’t want to keep hunting for rickshaws or taxis. A pre-booked vehicle is perfect.
    2. Nawaz-I’m happy sharing a room in a hostel. I don’t need hotel accommodation.
    3. Deepak-I’m not worried about my well-being, even while exploring remote areas.
  5. Which of the following is an example of an opportunity for self-discovery, as mentioned in paragraph 2?      (1)
    1. Trying new cuisine
    2. Hiring a tour guide
    3. Purchasing local artifacts
    4. Advance booking travel tickets
  6. How might the differences in budget priorities between solo and group travellers impact the types of accommodations and activities offered by the travel industry in India?      (2)
  7. Complete the sentence appropriately. The similarities in the percentage of both solo and group travellers who are interested in exploring new cultures and trying new experiences may be due to ______.     (1)
  8. State TRUE or FALSE.    (1)
    The title, "Wanderlust: The Solo Travel Trend Among Young Adults in India", is appropriate for this passage.

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

1. The man with the white face entered the carriage at Rugby. He moved slowly in spite of the urgency of his porter, and even while he was still on the platform I noted how ill he seemed. He dropped into the corner over against me with a sigh, made an incomplete attempt to arrange his travelling shawl and became motionless, with his eyes staring vacantly. Presently he was moved by a sense of my observation, looked up at me, and put out a spiritless hand for his newspaper. Then he glanced again in my direction. I feigned to read. I feared I had unwittingly embarrassed him, and in a moment I
was surprised to find him speaking.
2. "I beg your pardon?" said I.
"That book," he repeated, pointing a lean finger, "is about dreams."
"Obviously," I answered, for it was Fortnum Roscoe's Dream States, and the title was on the cover.
He hung silent for a space as if he sought words.
"Yes," he said at last, "but they tell you nothing."
I did not catch his meaning for a second.
"They don't know," he added. I looked a little more attentively at his face.
"There are dreams," he said, "and dreams."
That sort of proposition I never dispute.
"I suppose--" he hesitated. "Do you ever dream? I mean vividly."
"I dream very little," I answered. "I doubt if I have three vivid dreams in a year."
"Ah!" he said and seemed for a moment to collect his thoughts.
"Your dreams don't mix with your memories?" he asked abruptly.
"You don't find yourself in doubt; did this happen or did it not?"
"Hardly ever. Except just for a momentary hesitation now and then. I suppose few people do."
"Does he say--?" He indicated the book.
"Says it happens at times and gives the usual explanation about intensity of impression and the like to
account for its not happening as a rule. I suppose you know something of these theories--"
"Very little--except that they are wrong."
3. His emaciated hand played with the strap of the window for a time. I prepared to resume reading, and that seemed to precipitate his next remark. He leant forward almost as though he would touch me.
"Isn't there something called consecutive dreaming--that goes on night after night?"
"I believe there is. There are cases given in most books on mental trouble."
"Mental trouble! Yes. I daresay there are. It's the right place for them. But what I mean--" He looked at his
bony knuckles. "Is that sort of thing always dreaming? Is it dreaming?
Or is it something else? Mightn't it be something else?"
4. I should have snubbed his persistent conversation but for the
drawn anxiety of his face. I remember now the look of his faded eyes and the lids red stained--perhaps you know that look.
"I'm not just arguing about a matter of opinion," he said.
"The thing's killing me."
"Dreams?"
"If you call them dreams. Night after night. Vivid!—so vivid . . . this--" (he indicated the landscape that went streaming by the window) "seems unreal in comparison! I can scarcely remember who I am, what business I am on . . . ."He paused. "Even now--"
"The dream is always the same--do you mean?" I asked.
"It's over."
"You mean?"
"I died."
"Died?"
5. "Smashed and killed, and now, so much of me as that dream was, is dead. Dead forever. I dreamt I was another man, you know, living in a different part of the world and in a different time. I dreamt that night after night. Night after night I woke into that other life. Fresh scenes and fresh happenings--until I came upon the last--"
"When you died?"
"When I died."
"And since then--"
"No," he said. "Thank God! That was the end of the dream.. . "
6. It was clear I was in for this dream. And after all, I had an hour before me, the light was fading fast, and Fortnum Roscoe has a dreary way with him. "Living in a different time," I said: "do you mean in some different age?"
"Yes."
"Past?"
"No, to come--to come."
"The year three thousand, for example?"
"I don't know what year it was. I did when I was asleep, when I was dreaming, that is, but not now--not now that I am awake.
There's a lot of things I have forgotten since I woke out of these dreams, though I knew them at the time when I was--I suppose it was dreaming. They called the year differently from our way of calling the year . . . What did they call it?" He put his hand to his forehead. "No," said he, "I forget." He sat smiling weakly. For a moment I feared he did not mean to tell me his dream. As a rule, I hate people who tell their dreams, but this struck me differently. I proffered assistance even. "It began--" I suggested.
7. "It was vivid from the first. I seemed to wake up in it suddenly. And it's curious that in these dreams I am speaking of I never remembered this life I am living now. It seemed as if the dream life was enough while it lasted. Perhaps--But I will tell you how I find myself when I do my best to recall it all. I don't remember anything clearly until I found myself sitting in a sort of loggia looking out over the sea. I had been dozing, and suddenly I woke up--fresh and vivid--not a bit dreamlike—because the girl had stopped fanning me."

On the basis of your reading of the above excerpt, choose the correct option to answer the following questions:

  1. How did the man with the white face behave as he entered the carriage?     (1)
    1. Excited and enthusiastic
    2. Scared
    3. Excited and nervous
    4. showed no enthusiasm
  2. What was the name of the book which the narrator was reading?     (1)
    1. Fortnum Roscoe's Dream States
    2. Dream States
    3. Dreams of the States
    4. State of the Dream
  3. What was the man’s opinion about the theory of dreams given in the narrator’s book?     (1)
    1. He felt that it was all correct.
    2. He felt the book painted a wrong picture.
    3. He felt that the book explained nothing.
    4. He felt that the book was confusing.
  4. Statement 1: The narrator couldn’t snub the man’s conversation.
    Statement 2: The man with the white face looked anxious.      (1)
    1. Both 1 & 2 are correct and 2 is the reason for 1.
    2. Both 1 & 2 are correct and 2 is not the reason for 1.
    3. 1 is correct and 2 is incorrect.
    4. Both 1 & 2 are incorrect.
  5. What is NOT the reason for narrator being interested in listening to the man’s description of his last dream?    (1)
    1. The man’s dream was about an alien.
    2. It was getting dark.
    3. The narrator had still an hour’s journey left.
    4. His book was getting boring.
  6. What did the man NOT say about the last dream which he had?      (1)
    1. It was a dream which wasn’t clear.
    2. He was sitting in the loggia.
    3. His last dream was very clear.
    4. He would wake up in these dreams suddenly.
  7. Which of the following is NOT true for the Man with the white face?      (1)
    1. He moved around slowly.
    2. He looked sickly.
    3. He didn’t want to talk about his dream.
    4. He didn’t believe in theories of Fortnum Roscoe's Dream States.
  8.  "I dream very little," I answered. "I doubt if I have three vivid dreams in a year. This line highlights that the narrator did not –     (1)
    1. Have normal dreams.
    2. Good sleep pattern.
    3. Give much importance to the science behind dreams.
    4. like talking to the man with the white face.
  9. How does the use of vivid and descriptive language in the passage enhance the reader's understanding of the man's experience?       (1)
  10. Complete the sentence appropriately.       (1)
    It is fair to say that the man's experience of consecutive dreaming is similar with being lost in a maze because ______.
  11. Choose the right answer which explains the phrase:       (1)
    He hung silent for a space as if he sought words.
    1. he was at a loss of words.
    2. he was indecisive.
    3. he was left hanging because of his indecisiveness.
    4. he stayed silent for some time as if he searched for words.
  12. State whether the following opinion is TRUE or FALSE.     (1)
    The author implies that memory and consciousness are not objective, but rather are shaped by our subjective experiences and perceptions.
  13. What does the man with the white face, most likely mean by "there are dreams, and dreams"? (Reference - paragraph 2)     (1)
  14. What do the man's "vacant" stare and "spiritless" hand suggest about his condition?      (1)
  15. In paragraph 2, the narrator says, “I did not catch his meaning for a second.”
    Which of the following expressions correctly display the usage of “catch”?      (1)
    1. catch a glimpse
    2. catch a hunger
    3. catch an anger
    4. catch a skill

Read the passage given below:

(1) When we think of the game of cricket, we come to the conclusion that it is primarily a game that depends on outstanding physical activities, good hand-eye coordination, speed, skill and strength. It provides entertainment and generates strong feelings of excitement. A good match of cricket or of any other game neither adds to the existing stock of human knowledge nor reveals any secret of existence. It does not carry any deep meaning but most people, particularly the lover of sports attach deep emotions and numerous meanings to it. Games are thought of as a metaphor for life. They are supposed to teach many lessons. In fact, more is said and written about a cricket match than about scientific findings or great philosophy.
(2) This is because games, like a morality play, in which settings and rules are made by us, can easily make people test their fair and foul conduct, principles of reward and punishment, and emotions of joy and disappointment. They can make us experience the thrill of war without exposing us to its dangers. A man watching a cricket match on T.V. and munching popcorn is like a surrogate warrior. In fact, games provide us with a safe outlet for our aggressiveness.
If games become aggressive, they lose the very purpose of providing entertainment and purging us of our aggressiveness. They can calm our impatience without creating any conflict.
(3) Commentators, journalists, politicians and analysts can do a great favour to the competing teams by keeping the excitement within limits. The teams should play without being dominated by feelings of national honour and shame. Excellent performance of the players of both teams should be enjoyed and appreciated.
Winning or losing in a game should not be taken seriously. A game is fun if it is played with true spirit of sportsmanship.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below:

  1. Complete the sentence by choosing an appropriate option: (1)
    Most people conclude that cricket is primarily a game because ______.
    1. it is played as a match
    2. it requires two teams
    3. it includes physical activity
    4. it depends only on skill and strength.
  2. Comment on the writer's reference to 'that cricket does not reveal any secret of existence. (1)
  3. List two responses to which watching a game of cricket gives rise to. (1)
  4. Select the option that conveys the opposite of 'destroy' from words used in the passage. (1)
    1. reveals
    2. experience
    3. generate
    4. purging
  5. The writer would not agree with the given statements based on paragraph 2, EXCEPT (1)
    1. Rules of any game are made by people.
    2. Watching a cricket match makes the viewer believe that he is fighting a battle.
    3. It is necessary for a game to be aggressive in order to build excitement.
    4. A game can test people's sense of fair judgement.
  6. With reference to the passage, a spectator is compared to a 'surrogate warrior'. (1)
    Choose the option that best describes this phrase:
    1. a spectator who is paid to watch.
    2. a spectator who is in pain while watching the match.
    3. a spectator who enjoys the match as an armchair soldier.
    4. a spectator who makes judgments about reward and punishment.
  7. Why does the writer compare games to a morality play? (1)
  8. Complete the given sentence with an appropriate inference with respect to the following: (1)
    The writer says that games can calm our impatience without creating any conflict by ______.
  9. The writer advises the players that games should not become aggressive because ______. (1)
  10. Select the most suitable title for the above passage. (1)
    1. Excellent Performance by Cricketers
    2. The Benefits of Playing Cricket
    3. Cricket - The King of Games
    4. The True Spirit of Playing Games

Read the passage given below:

(1) Seagulls, as you know, never falter, never stall. To stall in the air is for them a disgrace and a dishonour. But Jonathan Livingston Seagull, unashamed, stretching his wings again in that trembling hard curve – slowing, slowing, and stalling once more –was no ordinary bird. Most gulls don't bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight – how to get from shore to food and back again. For most gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight. More than anything else, Jonathan Livingston Seagull loved to fly.
(2) This kind of thinking, he found, is not the way to make oneself popular with other birds. Even his parents were dismayed as Jonathan spent the whole day alone, making hundreds of low-level gliders, experimenting. "Why, Jon, why?" his mother asked. "Why is it so hard to be like the rest of the flock, Jon? Why can't you leave low flying to the pelicans, the albatross? Why don't you eat? Son, you're bone and feathers!" "I don't mind being bone and feathers, Mom. I just want to know what I can do in the air and what I can't, that's all. I just want to know." "See here Jonathan," said his father, not unkindly. "Winter isn't far away. Boats will be few, and the surface fish will be swimming deep. If you must study, then study food, and how to get it. This flying business is all very well, but you can't eat a glide, you know. Don't you forget that the reason you fly is to eat?"
(3) Jonathan nodded obediently. For the next few days, he tried to behave like the other gulls; he really tried, screeching and fighting with the flock around the piers and fishing boats, diving on scraps of fish and bread. But he couldn't make it work. It wasn't long before Jonathan Gull was off by himself again, far out at sea, hungry, happy, learning. The subject was speed and in a week's practice he learned more about speed than the fastest gull alive. Time after time it happened. Careful as he was, working at the very peak of his ability, he lost control at a high speed. The key, he thought at last, dripping wet, must be to hold the wings still at high speeds – to flap up to fifty and then hold the wings still.
(4) From two thousand feet he tried again, rolling into his dive, beak straight down, wings full out and stable from the moment he passed fifty miles per hour. It took tremendous strength, but it worked. In ten seconds he had blurred ninety miles per hour. Jonathan had set a world speed record for seagulls! But victory was short-lived. The instant he began his pullout, the instant he changed the angle of his wings, he snapped into the same uncontrollable disaster, and at ninety miles per hour, it hit him like dynamite. Jonathan Seagull exploded in midair and smashed down into a brick-hard sea. As he sank low in the water, a strange hollow voice sounded within him. There's no way around it. I am a seagull. I am limited by my nature. If I were meant to learn so much about flying, I'd have charts for brains. If I were meant to fly at speed, I'd have a falcon's short wings. Short wings. A falcon's short wings! That's the answer! What a fool I've been! All I need is a tiny little wing, all I need is to fold most of my wings and just fly on the tips along. Short wings!

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below:

  1. Complete the sentence by choosing an appropriate option: (1)
    Majority of seagulls fly only short distances as ______.
    1. they are more interested in food than flight
    2. they don't have energy
    3. they are not meant to fly low
    4. food is not available at high speed
  2. Why were Jonathan Livingston's parents' dismayed? (1)
  3. Give two reasons for Jonathan's unconventional behaviour. (1)
    (Clue: think about Jonathan's point of view.)
  4. Select the option that conveys the opposite of 'glory' from the words used in paragraph 1. (1)
    1. disgrace
    2. dishonour
    3. learning
    4. unashamed
  5. The writer would not agree with the given statements based on paragraph 2, EXCEPT (1)
    1. Jonathan could not fly but only glide.
    2. Jonathan wanted to be popular with other birds.
    3. Jonathan realised that even the albatross flew at high altitudes.
    4. The reason seagulls flew was to find food.
  6. Jonathan was different, from other seagulls. Based on your understanding of paragraph 2, list what Jonathan wanted to know. (1)
  7. What was the mother's concern about Jonathan? (1)
  8. Complete the given sentence with an appropriate inference with respect to the following: (1)
    Father reminds Jonathan that he 'can't eat a glide' in order to ______.
  9. It, wasn't long before Jonathan Gull was off by himself again, far out at sea. Which trait of Jonathan does this statement reveal? (1)
    1. practical bird
    2. persistent learner
    3. lonely and sad
    4. carefree and irresponsible
  10. Was it fair to fly like a falcon when he was just a seagull? Why does he say so? (1)

Read the following extract and Complete the activities given below:

Love is a great force in Private life; it is indeed the greatest of all things, but love in public affairs does not work. It has been tried again and again; by the people of the Middle Ages, and also by the French Revolution, a secular movement which reasserted the Brotherhood of Man, And it has always failed. The idea that nations should love one another, or that business concerns or marketing boards should love one another or that a man in Portugal should love a man in Peru of whom he has never heard — it is absurd, unreal, dangerous. ‘Love is what is needed,” we chant, and then sit back and the world goes on as before.

The fact is we can only love what we know personally. And we cannot know much. In public affairs, in the rebuilding of civilization, something much less dramatic and emotional is needed, namely tolerance. Tolerance is a very dull virtue. It is boring. It is negative. It merely means putting up with people, being able to stand things. No one has ever written an ode to tolerance or raised a statute to her. Yet this is the quality which will be most needed after the war. This is the sound state of mind which we are looking for. This is the only force which will enable different races and classes and interests to settle down together to the work of reconstruction. 

The world is very full of people— appallingly full; it has never been so full before and they are all tumbling over each other.

Most of these people one doesn’t know, and some of them doesn't like. Well, what is one to do? If you don't like people, put up with them as well as you can. Don't try to love them; you can't. But try to tolerate them. On the basis of that tolerance, a civilized future may be built. Certainly, I can see no other foundation for the post-war world.

A1. Choose two correct alternatives which define the theme of the extract:     (2)

  1. Love is a greater force in private as well as in public affairs.
  2. To rebuild civilization we need tolerance more than love.
  3. Patience is the solution in any sort of confrontation.
  4. When you do not like people, nations or civilizations, you need to love them to change them.
  1.  

A2. Complete the following table with the help of the extract:     (2)

Give one merit and one demerit of ‘Love’ and ‘Patience.’

Love (i) ______
(ii) ______
Patience (i) ______
(ii) ______

A3. Write how we can build up a civilized society; with the help of the extract:   (2)

A4. ‘Love and tolerance are the true indicators of a civilized person.’ Justify.      (2)

A5. Do as directed:        (2)

  1. It has been tried again and again.
    (Identify the Active Voice of the above sentence from the given options and rewrite.)
    1. They had tried it again and again.
    2. They has tried it again and again.
    3. They tried it again and again.
    4. They have tried it again and again.
  2. It is the sound state of mind which we are looking for.
    (Identify the correct simple sentence from the given options and rewrite.)
    1. It is the sound state of mind and we are looking for it.
    2. We are looking for the sound state of mind.
    3. We are looking for it but it is the sound state of mind.
    4. The sound state of mind is looked for.

A6. Match the words in column ‘A’ with their meanings in column ‘B’.    (2)

Column ‘A’ Column ‘B’
(i) Secular (a) feeling of great friendship and understanding between people.
(ii) Absurd (b) a society which has its own highly developed culture and ways of life.
(iii) Civilization (c) not connected with any religion.
(iv) Brotherhood (d) not at all logical or sensible.

Read the following passage carefully:

(1) Rotation of crops is a universal phenomenon which is practised by most of the farmers of the tropical and temperate countries. The main objective of rotation of crops is to obtain higher agricultural returns on the one hand, and to maintain the soil fertility on the other.

(2) In other words, the rotation of crops helps in making agriculture more sustainable. The importance of crop rotation is more in the areas where farmers grow two, or more than two crops in the same field in a year. Irrigation facilities have also been appreciably developed in the country during the last three decades. The availability of water to the arable land has helped in the intensification of agriculture.

(3) In the areas such as Punjab and Haryana, where the Green Revolution is a big success, one soil exhaustive crop (rice) is followed by another soil exhaustive crop (wheat). Subsequently, the field vacated by wheat is devoted to either rice or maize or cotton. Thus, in one year, the farmers are harvesting three soil exhaustive crops from the same field. Such a rotation of crops may fetch more income to the farmers, but depletes the soil fertility at a faster pace.

(4) A number of field studies were conducted to assess the traditional crop rotation pattern. One such field study about the changes in the rotation of crops was conducted in the village Banhera (Tanda), Haridwar district. The main rotation of crops of the village is shown in the table below.

 

Traditional Rotation of Crops (1960-65) in Banhera (Tanda)
Year Kharif (mid-June to mid-October) Rabi (mid-October mid-April) Zaid (April to June) No. of days land left fallow
1960 Millet/fodder/rice Gram Fallow 90
1961 Fallow Wheat Fallow 210
1962 Millet/fodder/rice Gram Fallow 90
1963 Fallow Wheat Fallow 210
1964 Millet mixed with urad/fodder/rice Gram Fallow 90
1965 Fallow Wheat Fallow 210

Answer the following questions, based on the above passage:

  1. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate option from those given in brackets, based on your understanding of para 2.
    One of the reasons that there has been an intensification of agriculture in the country is the development of irrigation facilities is a/an ______ (fact/opinion) because it is a/an ______ (subjective judgement/objective detail).
  2. Based on your understanding of paras 1 and 2, state whether the following statement is true or false.
    If proper irrigation facility is provided, higher agricultural returns can be obtained by making crop rotation more sustainable.
  3. Justify the following in about 40 words.
    Crop rotation may fetch more income to the farmers, but depletes the soil fertility at a faster pace.
  4. Based on the table, mention the years when the land was left fallow for maximum number of days.
  5. The study conducted in village Banhera (Tanda) reflects that during the years 1960 to 1965, from April to June, the land was left fallow or uncultivated throughout. State any one inference that can be drawn from this.
  6. Select the option that correctly states the significance of crop rotation as given below:
    1. Crop rotation is done to obtain higher agricultural returns.
    2. Higher agricultural returns can be obtained by harvesting soil-exhaustive crops.
    3. Crop rotation demands that land should be left fallow for a few months to increase the fertility of soil.
    4. Better irrigation facility to the arable land has helped in the intensification of agriculture.
    5. If crops to be harvested are chosen wisely, crop rotation can help in maintaining fertility of soil.
      1. (1), (2) and (4)
      2. (1) only
      3. (3) and (5)
      4. (1) and (5)
  7. Crop rotation is helping in making agriculture more sustainable. Mention one benefit and one drawback of crop rotation. (Answer in about 40 words)
  8. Which of the following is the main takeaway from the study mentioned in the passage?
    1. The study needs to include more valid data to support the practice of crop rotation
    2. Crop rotation is a sustainable practice that can transform the agricultural sector.
    3. The impact of crop rotation on farmer’s upliftment has been thoroughly explained.
    4. Crop rotation is independent of the type of crops harvested and availability of water for irrigation.

Read the following passage and do the activities:

A1. Complete the following sentences from the passage: (2)

  1. Kalam earned a degree in ______ engineering.
  2. DRDO stands for ______.
  3. Kalam was ______ of the SLV-III, the first satellite launch vehicle.
  4. Kalam served as lecturer at ______.

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, in full Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, (born October 15, 1931, Rameshwaram, India - died July 27, 2015, Shillong), Indian scientist who played a leading role in the development of India's missile and nuclear weapons programmes. He was President of India from 2002 to 2007.

Kalam earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from the Madras Institute of Technology and in 1958 joined the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In 1969, he moved to the Indian Space Research Organisation, where he was project director of the SLV-III, the first satellite launch vehicle that was both designed and produced in India. Rejoining DRDO in 1982, Kalam planned the programme that produced a number of successful missiles, which helped earn him the nickname “Missile Man”. Among those successes was Agni, India's first intermediate-range ballistic missile, which incorporated aspects of the SLVIII and was launched in 1989.

Kalam remained committed using science and technology to transform India into a developed country and served as lecturer at several universities. Kalam wrote several books, including an autobiography, Wings of Fire (1999). He received the Padma Bhushan (1981), Padma Vibhushan (1990), Indira Gandhi award for National Integration (1997) and the India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna (1997).

A2. Complete the web diagram: (2)

A3. Fill in the blanks by using the suitable phrases/words from the bracket: (2)
[moved to, served as, launched, autobiography]

  1. Mr. Gunaji has ______ a Principal in this college.
  2. “The Story of My Experiments with Truth” is the ______ of Mahatma Gandhi.
  3. My teacher ______ to England for further studies.
  4. ISRO successfully ______ Chandrayaan-3 mission.

A4. Do as directed: (2)

  1. Kalam wrote several books. (Frame a Wh-type question to get the underlined part as answer)
  2. Kalam earned a degree in aeronautical engineering. (Begin the sentence with “A degree in…….)

A5. Who is your role model? Write few lines about him/her. (2)


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