मराठी

Read the following excerpt from a case study. Impacts of Festivities on Ecology Festivals are synonymous with celebration, ceremony and joy. However, festivals bring to the fore the flip side of - English - Language and Literature

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प्रश्न

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)?
थोडक्यात उत्तर

उत्तर

  1. Because the accepted norm is that festivals are synonymous with celebration/joy and people fail to see the other side, which is pollution.
    OR
    Festivals and pollution are two sides of the same coin currently/ polar opposites/completely in contrast, yet together with each other - where we associate festivals with joy and celebration, we can’t deny that pollution is an ignored reality.
  2. Second objective - Exploring solutions

    Significance - important for knowing steps that need to be taken to address the problem investigated in the research/knowing what are the immediate actions that need to be implemented to address the issue studied/ helps focus on what needs to be corrected & what needs to be avoided to solve the problem focusing on in the research.

  3. Researcher’s recommendation: Strict rules
    Justification: Strict rules are better than a total ban because banning does not serve the purpose of awareness/ people do not generally conform to banning and tend to revolt/ strict rules pose some restrictions but still give the needed freedom.
  4. the festivals cause pollution along with other issues (traffic, rampant use of plastic and unscientific methods of garbage disposal) that add to it.
    awareness is the only solution but the lack of it only adds to the problem.
  5. a large percentage of people (72%) abuse environmental resources to celebrate festivals.
    a high percentage of people (82%) use crackers to celebrate festivals in order to live up to the expectation of their social status.
  6. Gives a provision to/allows the respondents to choose not to express/not to answer/allows an option to those who lack clarity/are unwilling to respond.
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Notes

Guidance:

i. The learner is required to explain how pollution is the darker side of festivals and unfortunately goes hand-in-hand, often, with festivities.

  • Award maximum 1 mark for the complete correct answer.
  • There is no partial credit.
  • Accept any other similar complete interpretation, with reference to the given passage that conveys the reason why pollution is the flip side of festivals.

Guidance:

ii.

  • Award a maximum of 1 mark for the mention of any one of the valid signatures.
  • There is no partial credit.

Guidance:

iii. The learner is required to state the recommendation and then defend it against the other stated alternative.

  • Award a maximum of 1 mark for the complete correct answer.
  • Award partial credit of ½ mark if just the recommendation is listed or ‘strict rules’ is the response, without substantiation.

Guidance:

iv. The learner is required to rationalise why environmental groups and eco-clubs aren’t succeeding in their purpose.

  • Award a maximum of 1 mark for the complete correct answer including both situation and the reason
  • Award partial credit of ½ mark if just either aspect is listed.

Guidance:

v. The learner is required to study table 1 and

  • choose data that indicates what number percentage of people partake in activities that add to pollution.
  • Then, check to see if the number is higher than the number about ‘no to bursting crackers.
  • Finally rationalise the data to prove the Q statement, by using the evidence data.
  • Award maximum 1 mark for the mention of anyone point - identification + listing of percentage.
  • Award partial credit of ½ mark if the questionnaire point is listed without the percentage/percentage listed at the mention of the questionnaire point. 

Guidance:

vi. The learner is required to explain the role of the 'can’t say’ section, with reference to the study table 1.

  • Award a maximum of 1 mark for the complete correct answer - any one point.
  • No partial credit.
Unseen Passage Comprehension
  या प्रश्नात किंवा उत्तरात काही त्रुटी आहे का?
2021-2022 (April) Term 2 Sample

संबंधित प्रश्‍न

Read the following passage:

It's Beginning to Bite
 
In these trying times, when buying ordinary food stuff can burn a hole in your pockets, comes the news that can actually help us save some hard cash when we go out to shop the next time. According to a Stanford University study, the first of its kind in the world, there is no evidence to suggest that there are more nutritional benefits from expensive organic food than those grown by conventional methods. The researchers add that there is no difference in protein and fat content between organic and conventional milk and the vitamin count is similar in both types. The only benefit is that organic foods are not contaminated with pesticides but then before you chew on the plate of organic okra with roti made from organic wheat, they are not 100% pesticide free either. In India, organic food has been growing at 20-22% and the export market is valued at Rs. 1,000 crore. Obviously, the study is not good news for that sector and for people who are big on organic food.


In India, eating organic food is more of a style statement than due to health worries because the stuff is expensive. But people who can, do indulge in not only organic vegetables but even organic eggs laid by 'happy hens', who are allowed to roam around freely whereas 'unhappy hens' are kept in coops. Then there are companies that have installed music channels in their cowsheds and the milk from those sheds are sold at a marked up price since it has more nutritional value because the animals are happy thanks to lilting 24×7 music. We don't know yet any farmer using music to improve his crop quality, but then you never know : plants are known to respond to music.

Why such pickiness about food ? These days, the huge number of TV shows and articles that we see and read on food provide bread and butter for the specialist. But instead of decoding food, its sources and what has gone into growing it, isn't it much better to enjoy what's on the plate ?

(Adapted from The Hindustan Times)


Complete the statements given below by choosing the correct options from those that follow:

(a) According to a Stanford University study, organic food in relation to conventional food is________.
  (i) less nutritious
  (ii) more nutritious
  (iii) very conventional
  (iv) as nutritious

(b) The study will not be welcomed by _________.
  (i) farmers of conventional food
  (ii) makers of pesticides
  (iii) all sectors
  (iv) exporters of organic food

(c) We can save some hard cash by _________.
  (i) buying organic food
  (ii) not buying organic food
  (iii) going to the shop
  (iv) not buying food with pesticides

(d) Music channels are installed in the cowshed because the _________.
  (i) cows then give more milk
  (ii) milk is sold at a higher price
  (iii) milk becomes more pure
  (iv) workers becomes happy

(e) In the second paragraph, the author's attitude to the people who eat food sourced from 'happy' animals is that he _________.
  (i) is happy with them
  (ii) is unhappy with them
  (iii) is laughing at them
  (iv) wants crops to be grown similarly

(f) One benefit of organic food is that __________.
  (i) it is fashionable to eat
  (ii) only rich people can afford it
  (iii) it is less contaminated with pesticides
  (iv) even poor people can afford it

(g) The word 'contaminated' means ________.
  (i) adulterated
  (ii) for adults
  (iii) containing
  (iv) not healthy


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

When I got to New Mullion, my eager expectations of a sweet and simple country village were severely disappointed. Its streets were rivers of mud, with rows of wooden shops, either painted a sour brown, or bare of any paint at all.

(a) Who is 'I'?

(b) Why was 'I' disappointed?

(c) What does the word 'expectations' mean ?


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 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 passage and do the activities.

In the early days of farming, people did not understand how plants obtained essential nutrients. It so happened that wood ash, fish remains and slaughterhouse waste were thrown on vacant land just to get rid of them. Then, people started to notice that the grass, bushes and shrubs on this vacant land began to grow very well. They reasoned that if their farmland were similarly treated, the growth of their crops would also improve. People gradually began to realize that the nutrients required by plants came from the soil and that the amount of nutrients could be increased by the application of such organic remains to the soil. Thus started the manuring process in farming.
The practice of manuring has been practised as early since the seventeenth century. However, the importance of manuring was not properly understood until scientists began to study the nutritional needs of plants and gave birth to fertilizers. Thus, gradually, the use of fertilizers became accepted by farmers.
There are many types of manure and fertilizer currently being used. Manure is a substance derived from animals and plants. The most important advantage of using manure is the fact that they not only supply a wide range of plant
nutrients, but also improve the structure of the soil. It cements together the soil particles to form soil crumbs. The crumb structure is a desirable condition of cultivated soil. The addition of manure to soil will increase the inorganic and humus content which helps to prevent soil erosion and loss of plant nutrients when it rains. The common manure used in farming consists of farmyard manure, compost, blood meal, bone meal and fish meal.
Unlike manure, fertilizers are inorganic substances which do not improve the structure of the soil. They only supply extra amounts of nutrients to the growing plants when applied to the soil. The commercial fertilizers commonly used today
can be classified into three major categories; namely, nitrogen (N), phosphate and potash fertilizers.
Besides knowing the type of fertilizer to use, a farmer also needs to know when to apply the fertilizer and how to apply it. The fertilizer should be applied at the time when the plants need a particular nutrient most. The time and method
of application will determine how profitably the fertilizers have been used in farming. Fertilizers which have not been properly applied cannot be absorbed in large quantities by plant roots. These fertilizers may be washed away by rain
or they may kill the plants. This would mean a definite financial loss for the farmer.

(A1) Choose the correct option and rewrite the sentences.
(a) What did the people not understand in the early days of farming ? (1/2)
(i) how farming is done
(ii) how plants obtained essential nutrients
(iii) how grass, shrubs and bushes grow.

(b) What is manure ? (1/2)
(i) a substance derived from animals and plants.
(ii) the soil particles to form soil crumbs.
(iii) a combination of nitrogen, phosphate and potash.

(c) When should fertilizers be applied ? (1/2)
(i) When the plants get dried.
(ii) When the plants need a particular nutrient most.
(iii) In the early days of farming.

(d) What determines the profitability of the fertilizers ? (1/2)
(i) grass, bushes and shrubs
(ii) nitrogen, phosphate and potash.
(iii) The time and method of application.

(A2) How did the process of adding manure to the soil begin? (2)

(A3) Find out similar words from the passage. (2)
(i) necessary (ii) comprise
(iii) step by step (iv) ascertain

(A4)
(i) They supply extra amount of nutrients to the growing plants (Begin the sentence with ‘Extra amount of.......... ’.)(1)

(ii) It cements together the soil particles to form soil crumbs.
(Choose the correct option to name the tense.)(1)
(i) Simple present tense
(ii) Simple past tense
(iii) Simple future tense

(A5) ‘Agriculture plays important role in Indian economy’. Explain. (2)

(B) Read the passage given in Q. 4 (A) and write the summary of it. Suggest a suitable title to your summary. (5)


     We were an argrarian people. And my main hobby in my early teens was to wander through paddy field to see the different kinds of birds and how they nest. On the outskirts of the paddy fields, there had been many coconut trees and black palm trees. Beautifully crafted nests of the weaver-birds thookkanaam kuruvikal-would be seen dangling from the ends of palm leaves. Hundreds of these little birds would land on the paddy to squeeze the milk from the tender rice. They would come to the fields when the young stalks come out of the rise-plants. At this stage of the paddy, my father would send me to our field with a tin drum to scare these birds away. But often I have enjoyed the sight of these little birds balancing on the tender stalks and squeezing the milk out of the green rice. When the paddy is ripe enough to harvest, flocks of parrots would land there and cut the ripe stalks with their sharp beaks and fly away with the stalks dangling in their beaks. I have always liked to see this sight also.
       The nest of parrots were neatly crafted holes in the trunks of palm trees. I continued to wonder how they made chose holes on the hard trunks until I saw the patient work of the woodpeckers. They were the carpenters and their long, sharp and strong beaks, chisels. They make the holes (in search of worms inside the weak spots of the trunks) and the parrots occupy them. If I heard the sound tak, tak, tak. I knew it was a woodpeckers chiselling a had trunk. I would go after him. It seems that the woodpecker is the only bird which can walk perpendicularly on the tree trunks! How beautiful the sight was! Its strong legs, red crest, the dark red stripe on the face and black beak and the tak, tak, tak sound used to captivate me

A1. Complete the following table :Choose two sentence that appropriately mention the theme of the passage :

(i) The extract deals with the techniques to scare the birds away.
(ii) The extract depicts how parrots make holes on the tree trunks.
(iii) The extract depicts the writer’s love towards the birds.
(iv) The extract deals with the activities of different birds.

A2. Complete the flow-chart : 

A3. Complete the following table :

A4. Vocabulary -

Match the pairs of the words in column ‘A’ with their meaning in column ‘B’ :

Column ‘A’ Column ‘B’
(i) dangling (a) connected with farming
(ii) squeezing (b) attract the attention
(iii) agrarian (c) hanging freely
(iv) captivate (d) pressing firmly

A5. Personal response - 

Suggest two measures to increase the number of birds.

A6. Grammer -

Rewrite the following sentences in the way instructed
(i) The paddy is ripe enough to harvest
(Remove ‘enough’ and rewrite the sentence.)
(ii) How beautiful the sight was!
(Rewritte as an assertive sentence)


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 management through the watershed technique and water auditing. taking responsibility for the village's natural resources-planting trees and stopping grazing. contributing labour for the village work, and then expanding to bring about behavioral changes in the people for harboring 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 compulsory, as is the pre-marital HIV test. 

        The 'AdarshGaon' model prides itself on 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.

Questions:

(1) What features of 'Adarsh Gaon' are given in this extract? 

(2) What is the procedure for selecting 'Adarsh Gaon'?

(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 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 answer the questions given below :

I was 33 at the time, a doctor in the West End of London. I had been lucky)' in advancing through severed arduous Welsh mining assistantships to my own practice- acquired on the installment plan from a dear old family physician who, at our first interview, gazed at my cracked boots and frayed cuffs and trusted me.  
I think I wasn't a bad doctor. My patients seemed to like me not only 1he nice old ladies with nothing wrong with them, who lived near the Park and paid handsomely for my cheerful bedside manner but the cabbies, porters, and deadbeats in the mews and back streets of Bayswater, who paid nothing and often had a great deal wrong with them. Yet there was something- though I treated everything that came my way, read all Ille medical journals, attended scientific meetings, and even found time to take complex postgraduate diplomas - I wasn't quite sure of myself. I didn't stick at anything for long. I had successive ideas of specializing in dermatology, in aural surgery, in pediatrics, but discarded them all. While I worked all day and half of most nights, I really lacked perseverance, stability.  One day I developed indigestion. After resisting my wife's entreaties for several weeks, I went casually to consult a friendly colleague. I expected a bottle of bismuth and an invitation to a bridge. I received instead of the shock of my life: a sentence to six months' complete rest in the country on a milk diet. I had a gastric ulcer. 

(I) What does the doctor tell us about his profession?

(2) What sort of patients did the doctor handle? 

(3) What shock of life did the doctor receive when he visited his doctor colleague? 

(4) What qualities of the doctor appeal you the most? 

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

(i) I read all the medical journals.
(Rewrite it using the past perfect continuous tense.) 

(ii) I treated everything that came n1y way. 
(Rewrite the sentence beginning with "Everything ... ") 

(iii) I received the shock of my life. 
(Make it a Rhetorical question.) 

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

(i) involving a lot of effort and energy. 

(ii) serious requests   


Read the following passage carefully.
1. Few guessed that this quiet, parentless girl growing up in New York City would one day become the First Lady of the United States. Even fewer thought she would become an author and lecturer and a woman much admired and loved by people throughout the world.

2. Born Anna Eleanor Roosevelt in 1884 to wealthy, but troubled parents who both died while she was young, Roosevelt was cared for by her grandmother and sent to school in England. In 1905, she married her distant cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She and her husband had six children. Although they were wealthy, her life was not easy and she suffered several personal tragedies. Her second son died when he was a baby. In 1921, her strong athletic husband was stricken with polio, which left him physically disabled for life.

3. Eleanor Roosevelt was a remarkable woman who had great intelligence and tremendous strength of character. She never let things get her down. She nursed her husband back to good health and encouraged him to remain in politics. She then helped him to become Governor of New York, and in 1933, President of the United States.

4. While her husband was President, she took a great interest in all the affairs of the country. She became her husband's legs and eyes; she visited prisons and hospitals; she went down into mines, up scaffoldings, and into factories. Roosevelt was tireless and daring. During the depression, she travelled all over the country bringing goodwill, reassurance, and help to people without food and jobs. During World War II she visited American soldiers in camps all over the world. The United States had never known a First Lady like her.

5. Roosevelt also kept in touch with the American people through a daily newspaper column called 'My Day'. She broadcast on the radio and delivered lectures, all first for a First Lady.

1.1 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage answer the following questions: (any eight)

(a) How was Eleanor Roosevelt's personality in contrast to what she became?
(b) Apart from being the First Lady what else did she have to her credit?
(c) What challenges did she face in her personal life but remained unfazed?
(d) Eleanor was a strong woman who helped her husband become the President of America. How?
(e) What does the statement: 'she became her husband's legs and eyes' mean?
(f) What was her special contribution during the depression?
(g) How did she motivate soldiers during World War II?
(h) What did she do for the first time for a First Lady?
(i) What side of her personality is reflected in this passage?


Read the following passage and complete the activities:

A1. Complete the chart on the life stages of fireflies:  (2)

 

Fireflies are beetles and go through several life stages, starting out as an egg, then hatching into larvae. At the juvenile stage, they turn into pupae and then, finally adults. Fireflies spend most of their lives in a larval stage, hidden away. There are 2000 different species of fireflies. But they all go through a long juvenile stage and a short adult life, which is mainly about courtship, mating and reproduction. The juveniles living underground or underwater, are very different though-they're hunters, they eat snails and soft-bodied insects and they have very different habitats.

Conserving them is essential for human life as fireflies are a key part of the food web. They are predators of agricultural pests. In turn, they are prey for spiders and other insects. They are completely enmeshed in the web of life. In addition, about 70 years ago, scientists unravelled the mystery of fireflies' light-producing talents. Since then, the bio-chemical reactions that fireflies experience have been used in detecting bacterial contamination in foods, testing drugs against cancer, developing drought-resistant crops. They have been used in space exploration. So fireflies give us beauty and inventions. Fireflies carry oxygen, calcium, magnesium and a natural chemical called luciferin. These react together to produce the photons. This is how the fireflies glow.

Firefly tourism is growing across the world. In Maharashtra, for example, a particular species monsoon fireflies, emerge before the rains. They're beautiful and a festival is held in Purushwadi, encouraging firefly tourism. Its wonderful that people around the world go to see fireflies in their natural habitat. We need to be cautious. Too many people can disturb adult and larval habitats. Fireflies need darkness to communicate with each other and we need fireflies because they are harbingers of hope.

A2. Write two reasons for the conservation of fireflies. (2)

A3. Make antonyms of the following words using prefix: (2)

  1. different × ______
  2. experience × ______
  3. bacterial × ______
  4. natural × ______

A4. Do as directed:   (2)

(i) Too many people can disturb adult and larval habitat.
(Rewrite using 'as well as')

(ii) These react together to produce photons.
(Pick out the infinitive from the given sentence)

A5. Can you think of any other insect that teaches us some values of life? Explain with examples.  (2)


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

1. The Higgs boson has been called, or miscalled, the God particle, enabling it to pass into the realm of popular scientific lore, like the discovery of the smallpox vaccine, the structure of DNA, or the theory of relativity. It would be difficult for most people to understand its significance, just as it would be to comprehend the notion of relativity, but such problems are overcome by locating science in personalities as well as cultural and national traditions. The first thing that you and I know about the Higgs boson is that it’s named after Peter Higgs, a physicist at Edinburgh University who made the discovery - although the original insight, in one of those recurrent back stories of science, was Philip Anderson’s.

2. Still, we have Higgs, and Edinburgh, and western civilisation to fall back on. The rest - “the Higgs boson is a hypothetical elementary particle predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics. It belongs to a class of particles known as bosons ...” - we needn’t worry too much about. But maybe we should worry just enough to ask, “What is a boson?” since the word tends to come up as soon as Higgs does. Is it, an ignoramus such myself would ask, akin to an atom or a molecule? It is, in fact, along with the fermion (named after Enrico Fermi), one of the two fundamental classes of subatomic particles.

3. From Bose

The word must surely have some European genealogy. In fact, “boson” is derived from Satyendra Nath Bose, an Indian physicist from Kolkata who, in 1924, realised that the statistical method used to analyse most 19th-century work on the thermal behaviour of gases was inadequate. He first sent off a paper on quantum statistics to a British journal, which turned it down. He then sent it to Albert Einstein, who immediately grasped its immense importance, and published it in a German journal. Bose’s innovation came to be known as the Bose-Einstein statistics and became a basis of quantum mechanics. Einstein saw that it had profound implications for physics; that it had opened the way for this subatomic particle, which he named, after his Indian collaborator, “boson.” Still, science and the West are largely synonymous and coeval: they are words that have the same far-reaching meaning. Just as Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec’s paintings digest the Japanese prints they were responding to so we don’t need to be aware of Japanese prints when viewing the post-impressionists, western science is pristine, and bears no mark of what’s outside itself.

4. Other Indian contributions

The last Indian scientific discovery that is universally acknowledged is zero. Indians are very strong at maths, and the only modern Indian who’s remotely part of the western mythology of science is Srinivasa Ramanujan, equally well known for his Hindu idiosyncrasies and his agonised stay in Cambridge as he is for his mathematical genius.

5. Indians can be excellent geeks, as demonstrated by the tongue-tied astrophysicist Raj Koothrappalli in the U.S. sitcom Big Bang Theory; but the Nobel prize can only be aspired to by Sheldon Cooper, the super-geek and genius in the series, for whom Raj’s country of origin is a diverting enigma, and miles away from the popular myth of science on which Big Bang Theory is dependent. Bose didn’t get the Nobel Prize; nor did his contemporary and namesake, J.C. Bose, whose contribution to the fashioning of wireless predates Marconi’s. The only Indian scientist to get a Nobel Prize is the physicist C.V. Raman, for his work on a light at Kolkata University. Other Indians have had to become Americans to get the award.

6. Conditions have always been inimical to science in India, from colonial times to the present day; and despite that, its contributions have occasionally been huge. Yet non-western science (an ugly label engendered by the exclusive nature of western popular imagination) is yet to find its Rosalind Franklin, its symbol of paradoxical success. Unlike Franklin, however, scientists were never in a race that they lost; they simply came from another planet.

Based on your reading of the passage, answer twelve out of fifteen questions that follow:

(a) What is the first thing which the narrator knows about Higgs Boson?

(b) What is Bose-Einstein statistics?

(c) How does Sheldon view Raj’s country of origin?

(d) What do Van Gogh’s paintings do to Japanese prints?

(e) Has India always got credit for its merit?

(f) What do Higgs Boson have in common with Smallpox vaccine?

  1. Both are used in medical radiography.
  2. Both are part of scientific myth and legends now.
  3. Both were met with scepticism on their discovery.
  4. Both fetched their teams a Nobel prize.

(g) Which statement is not true about Boson?

  1. They were not discovered by Enrico Fermi.
  2. They constitute one class of subatomic particle.
  3. It is named after an Indian Physicist.
  4. It was discovered by Satyendra Nath Bose.

(h) Choose the word which is an apt synonym of the word Ignoramus. (used in para 2)

  1. Idiot
  2. Intelligent
  3. Idealist
  4. Ingenious

(i) How are esoteric scientific concepts made understandable for people?

  1. By printing short introductory courses.
  2. By comparing it with other scientific discoveries.
  3. By locating science in personalities, social and cultural traditions. iv. By revising the country’s educational structure.

(j) Based on the reading of the passage, which statements are correct about Higgs Boson.

  1. They are called God’s particle.
  2. Philip Anderson’s study provided the original insight.
  3. This concept is easily understood by common people.
  4. A physicist from Edinburgh University made the discovery.
  5. It was discovered by Albert Einstein.
  1. 1, 2 & 3
  2. 2, 3 & 5
  3. 1, 4 & 5
  4. 1, 2 & 4

(k) Which field of Physics was SN Bose working on?

  1. Quantum Mechanics
  2. Electromagnetism
  3. Geophysics
  4. Acoustic

(l) Which scientist/mathematician out of the following won the Nobel prize?

  1. J C Bose
  2. C V Raman
  3. Srinivasa Ramanujan
  4. S N Bose

(m) What is Srinivasa Ramanujan known for in popular culture?

  1. Mathematical genius.
  2. For formulation of game theory.
  3. Hindu Idiosyncrasies.
  4. Troubled stay in Cambridge.
  5. For devising another explanation for chaos theory.
  1. 1, 2 & 3
  2. 1, 3 & 5
  3. 1, 3 & 4
  4. 1, 4 & 5

(n) The conclusion of third paragraph highlights that ______.

  1. Western art grants recognition to all its inspirations.
  2. Van Gogh painted Japanese prints.
  3. Western art subsumes all the influences under it.
  4. Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec are post-impressionist painters.

(o) Why did JC Bose deserve a Nobel?

  1. He was an Indian physicist.
  2. He was the only one researching on wireless.
  3. His research & findings on wireless started before Marconi.
  4. He acquired American citizenship.

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 answer the questions that follow:

  1. Mankind's fascination with gold is as old as civilization itself. The ancient Egyptians held gold in high esteem. Gold had religious significance for them, and King Tutankhamen was buried in a solid gold coffin 3300 years ago. The wandering Israelites worshipped a golden calf, and the legendary King Midas asked that whatever he touched be turned into gold. 
  2. Not only is gold beautiful, but it is virtually indestructible. It will not rust or corrode. Gold coins and products fabricated from the metal have survived undamaged for centuries. Gold is extremely easy to work with. One ounce, which is about the size of a cube of sugar, can be beaten into a sheet nearly 100 square feet in size, and becomes so thin that light can pass through it. An ounce of gold can also be stretched into a wire 50 miles long. Gold conducts electricity better than any other substance except copper and silver, and it is particularly important in modern electronic industry.
  3. People have always longed to possess gold. Unfortunately, this longing has also brought out the worst in human character. The Spanish conquerors robbed palaces, temples and graves and killed thousands of people in their ruthless search for gold. Even today, the economy of South Africa's gold mines depend largely on the employment of black labourers who are paid about 40 pounds a month, plus boarding and lodging. They work in conditions that can only be described as cruel. About 400 miners die in South Africa each year.
  4. Much of the gold's value lies in its scarcity. Only about 80,000 tons have been mined in the history of the world. All of it can be stored in a vault 60 feet square, or a super tanker. Great Britain was the first country to adopt the gold standard, when the Master of the Mint, Sir Issac Newton, established a fixed price for gold in 1717. The discovery of gold in the last half of the nineteenth century in California (1848) and later in Australia and South Africa changed everything. Before the discovery there wasn't enough gold around for all the trading nations to link their currencies to the precious metal.
  5. An out-of-work prospector named George Harrison launched South Africa into the gold age in 1886 when he discovered the metal on a farm near what is now Johannesburg. Harrison was given a 12 pounds as a reward by the farmer. He then disappeared and was eaten by a lion.
  6. One of the biggest gold mining areas in the Soviet Union is the Kolyma River region, once infamous for its prison camp. The camp has gone, but in a way nothing has changed. Many ex-prisoners have stayed on to work in the mines and are supervised by ex-guards.
  7. Despite the current rush to buy gold, 75 percent of the metal goes into making jewellery. Italy is the biggest consumer of gold for this purpose, and many Italian jewellers even tear up their wooden floors and bum them to recover the tiny flecks of gold. Historically, the desire to hoard gold at home has been primarily an occupation of the working and peasant classes, who have had no faith in paper money. George Bernard Shaw defended their instincts eloquently, "You have to choose between trusting the natural stability of the honesty and intelligence of the members of the government," he said "and with due respect to these gentlemen, I advise to vote for gold."

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

  1. When was King Tutankhamen burled?      (1)
    1. 1717
    2. 1886
    3. 3300 years ago
    4. 1848
  2. Why did Egyptians hold gold in great esteem?      (1)
    1. because it is a good conductor of electricity.
    2. because of its religious significance.
    3. for lovely gold ornaments.
    4. because it is indestructible.
  3. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?       (1)
    1. Gold is the best conductor of electricity.
    2. Apart from gold, copper and silver are good conductors of electricity.
    3. Gold can be easily beaten, hence it is easy to work with.
    4. Gold plays an important role in the modern electronics industry.
  4. Select the option that displays what the writer projects, with reference of the following:      (1)
    The wandering Israelites worshipped a golden calf ______.
    1. importance of religion
    2. importance of the metal
    3. good conductor
    4. can replace money
  5. How were the black labourers exploited?         (1)
  6. Complete the following with the phrase from paragraph 1:    (1)
    Opinion Reason
      King Tutankhamen was buried in
    a solid gold coffin 3300 years ago.
  7. Based on your reading of the text list 2 reasons why the writer says that,
    Not only is gold beautiful but it is virtually indestructible.      (1)
  8. Who launched South Africa into the gold age?      (1)
    1. Issac Newton
    2. George Harrison
    3. George Bernard Shaw
    4. A farmer
  9. Select the option that corresponds to the following:    (1)
    The ancient Egyptians and the modern electronic industry both hold gold in high esteem.
    1. The hardworking student came first because of his diligent practice.
    2. Honesty is underrated whereas strategy is appreciated.
    3. The vibrant colours made the interiors look luminous.
    4. The steaming food was both appetizing and tasty.
  10. Supply one point to justify the following:     (1)
    The desire to hoard gold at home has been primarily an occupation of the working and peasant classes.

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 text.

 

Arthur lay in his cabin, still trying to piece together the events of the last few hours. He had watched his home planet of Earth be demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass, been saved by his friend Ford, and then whisked away on a ship that was powered by an "infinite improbability drive." It was all too much for him.

5.

Just then, Ford stuck his head around the door.
"Hey, Earthman," he said, "come and have a look at this."
Arthur stumbled after him down a corridor and into the ship's control room. He gazed in amazement at the banks of controls and flashing lights. In the center of the room was a large console covered in buttons and switches, and in the middle of the console was a small, white mouse.

10

"What's that?" asked Arthur.
"That's the ship's computer," said Ford.
Arthur stared at the mouse. "That's a computer?" he said.
"Yup," said Ford. "Five-dimensional, biologically-based, super intelligent, and in the form of a white lab mouse. Pretty neat, huh?"

15

"I don't know," said Arthur. "I don't think I really understand anything anymore. Why is a mouse the ship's computer?"
"It's a long story," said Ford. "But the short version is that the mice built the Earth as a giant computer to figure out the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. Then they ran out of money and had to destroy it to make way for a hyperspace bypass. So now they're using the Heart of Gold to finish the calculation."

20

Arthur was about to say something, but at that moment the ship's intercom crackled to life.
"Good evening, Heart of Gold," said a smooth, computerized voice. "This is Eddie, your shipboard computer. I'm feeling a bit depressed today. Would you like me to sing you a song?"
"Oh, not again," groaned Ford.

25

"Eddie, would you mind shutting up?" said Arthur.
Arthur sighed and leaned back against the console, trying to make sense of everything. But as he closed his eyes, he heard a voice inside his head.
"Hello?" it said.
Arthur jumped, startled. "Who's there?" he said.

30

"It's me," said the voice. "Marvin."
"Marvin?" said Arthur. "Who's Marvin?"
"The Paranoid Android," said the voice.
Arthur looked around, but he didn't see anyone. "Where are you?" he said.
"I'm down here," said the voice.

35

Arthur looked down and saw a small, metal figure shuffling across the floor. It was about three feet tall, with a round head and a body that looked like it had been cobbled together from spare parts. Its eyes were a dull red, and its voice was a monotone.
"I've been waiting for someone to talk to me for over two million years," said Marvin.

Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.

  1. Select the option that classifies Arthur's confusion about drastic events such as the destruction of his home planet and the introduction of new technologies, correctly.      (1)
    1. Routine and boredom
    2. Adventure and excitement
    3. Loss and change
    4. Calm and relaxation
  2. What is the significance of the white lab mouse in the control room of the Heart of Gold spaceship?     (1)
    1. It is the captain of the ship
    2. It serves as the ship's computer
    3. It is a pet of the crew
    4. It is used for scientific experiments
  3. Share evidence from the text, in about 40 words to support the view that the writer’s writing style is descriptive and humourous.     (2)
  4. Complete the sentence appropriately with a characteristic or its description.    (1)
    Based on the information given in the excerpt, one can infer that the mice who built the Earth are ______.
  5. Select the option that is similar in meaning to Ford’s expression, “Pretty neat, huh?".     (1)
    1. Easy, isn’t it?
    2. Could be worse, no?
    3. Impressive, yes?
    4. Too difficult for you?
  6. Explain, in about 40 words, why the name "The Paranoid Android" is considered ironic.       (2)
  7. In the line, “…a body that looked like it had been cobbled together from spare parts…”, what comparison does the word “cobbled” refer to?      (1)
  8. How does the following, impact the reader, even though they know Marvin is just an android?      (2)
    "I've been waiting for someone to talk to me for over two million years," said Marvin. Answer in about 40 words.
  9. Read the five headlines (a) -(e), given below:        (1)
    (a) HUMANITY'S JOURNEY WITNESSED BY A DEPRESSED ROBOT
    (b) HITCHHIKING THROUGH SPACE: A COMICAL TAKE ON THE END OF THE WORLD
    (c) NEW STUDY FINDS ALIENS LIVING AMONG US
    (d) GROUNDBREAKING TECHNOLOGY WILL SOON ENABLE TIME TRAVEL
    (e) INTERGALACTIC TRAVEL VIA NEW INFINITE IMPROBABILITY DRIVE
    Identify the option that displays the headline/s that DOES/ DO NOT correspond with occurrences in the passage.
    1. Only (a)
    2. (b) (c) and (d)
    3. Only (e)
    4. (a) and (e)

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 following passage carefully:

(1) Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues, as rapidly increasing production of disposable plastic products overwhelms the world’s ability to deal with them. Plastic pollution is most visible in developing Asian and African nations, where garbage collection systems are often inefficient or nonexistent. But the developed world, especially in countries with low recycling rates, also has trouble properly collecting discarded plastics. Plastic trash has become so ubiquitous that it has prompted efforts to write a global treaty negotiated by the United Nations.

(2) Plastics made from fossil fuels are just over a century old. Production and development of thousands of new plastic products accelerated after World War II. It transformed the modern age so much that life without plastics is unrecognizable today. Plastics revolutionized medicine with life-saving devices, made space travel possible, lightened cars and jets-saving fuel and pollution- and saved lives with helmets, incubators, and equipment for clean drinking water.

(3) The conveniences plastics offer, however, led to a throw-away culture that reveals the material’s dark side: today, single-use plastics account for 40 percent of the plastic produced every year. Many of these products, such as plastic bags and food wrappers, have a lifespan of mere minutes to hours, yet they may persist in the environment for hundreds of years.

(4) Most of the plastic trash in the oceans, Earth’s last sink, flows from land. Trash is also carried to sea by major rivers, which act as conveyor belts, picking up more and more trash as they move downstream. Once at sea, much of the plastic trash remains in coastal waters. But once caught up in ocean currents, it can be transported around the world.

(5) Millions of animals are killed by plastics every year, from birds to fish to other marine organisms. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by plastics. Nearly every species of seabirds eats plastics. Most of the deaths of animals are caused by entanglement or starvation. Seals, whales, turtles, and other animals are strangled by abandoned fishing gear or discarded six-pack rings.

(6) The solution is to prevent plastic waste from entering rivers and seas in the first place, many scientists and conservationists – including the National Geographic Society – say. This could be accomplished with improved waste management systems and recycling, better product design that takes into account the short life of disposable packaging, and reduction in manufacturing of unnecessary single-use plastics.

Answer the following questions, based on the above passage:

  1. Which of the following statements best describes the reason why plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues?
    1. Plastic trash collection systems have become inefficient or nonexistent.
    2. Rapidly increasing production of disposable plastic products overwhelms the world’s ability to deal with them.
    3. Some plastics have a lifespan of mere minutes to hours, yet they may persist in the environment for hundreds of years.
    4. The developed world, especially in countries with low recycling rates, has trouble properly collecting plastics.
  2. What is the tone of the writer in the given lines from paragraph 2? Rationalise your response in about 40 words.
    ‘It transformed the modern age so much that life without plastics is unrecognizable today.'
  3. The passage includes some words that are opposites of each other. From the sets (A) – (E) below, identify two sets of synonyms.
    1. garbage and trash
    2. starvation and strangled
    3. disposable and reductio
    4. persist and downstream
    5. transformed and revolutionized
  4. Complete the sentence appropriately:
    The writer says that most of the plastic trash is found in the Earth’s last sink and the reason it is transported around the world is _______.
  5. Based on the reading of the passage, examine, in about 40 words, the downside of the convenience that plastic offers.
  6. Complete the sentence appropriately:
    According to conservationists, the two ways in which most of the deaths of animals are caused are _______.
  7. Based on the passage, how can we contribute to the reduction of plastic waste?
    1. by internationalising the waste management system
    2. by minimizing the use of single-use plastics
    3. by not abandoning fishing gear
    4. by not using helmets made of plastic
  8. State one reason why plastic pollution is most visible in developing Asian and African nations.

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