SSC (English Medium) इयत्ता १० वी - Maharashtra State Board Important Questions for English

Read the following poem and write an appreciation of it with the help of the given points in paragraph format.

Night of the Scorpion
 I remember the night my mother
was stung by a scorpion. Ten hours
of steady rain had driven him
to crawl beneath a sack of rice.

 Parting with his poison – flash
of diabolic tail in the darkroom –
 he risked the rain again

The peasants came like swarms of flies
and buzzed the name of God a hundred times
to paralyze the Evil One.

With candles and with lanterns
 throwing giant scorpion shadows
 on the mud-baked walls
 they searched for him: he was not found.
 They clicked their tongues.
 With every movement that the scorpion made his poison
 moved in Mother’s blood, they said.
 May he sit still, they said
 May the sins of your previous birth
 be burned away tonight, they said.
 May your suffering decrease
 the misfortunes of your next birth, they said.
 May the sum of all evil
 balanced in this unreal world
 against the sum of good
 become diminished by your pain.
 May the poison purify your flesh
 of desire, and your spirit of ambition,
 they said, and they sat around
 on the floor with my mother in the center,
 the peace of understanding on each face. 

More candles, more lanterns, more neighbors,
 more insects, and the endless rain.
 My mother twisted through and through,
 groaning on a mat.
 My father, sceptic, rationalist,
 trying every curse and blessing,
 powder, mixture, herb, and hybrid
 He even poured a little paraffin
upon the bitten toe and put a match to it. 
 I watched the flame feeding on my mother.
 I watched the holy man perform his rites to tame the
 poison with an incantation.
 After twenty hours
 it lost its sting.

 My mother only said
 Thank God the scorpion picked on me
 And spared my children.
-Nissim Ezekiel

you can use the following points while appreciating the given poem:
 i. Title 
 ii. Poet 
 iii. Theme/Central idea
iv.Rhyme scheme 
v. Figures of speech
vi. Special features (type the poem, imagery, implied meaning if any,etc.)
vii. Favorite lines
viii. Why I like/don’t like the poem. 

Read the following extract and complete the given activities:

A1. From the following extract of the poem provide evidence that it set in a rural background:

Evidence: 

1. ______
2. ______

A2. How did the peasants console the poet’s mother? (02)

A3. Pick out an example of Antithesis from the extract: (01)

Read the following poem and write an appreciation of it with the help of the given points in a paragraph format:

Points:

• The title and the poet of the poem
• Rhyme scheme
• Figures of speech
• Central Idea/Theme

Read the following passage and do the given activities :

B1. Answer in one word : (2)

1. At what age was Stephen diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?
2. Over the years. how many books has Stephen written or co-written?
3. When did Stephen catapult to international prominence?
4. In which year was his life story depicted?

Stephen Hawking (born January 8, 1942) is a British scientist, professor and author who has done groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology, and whose books have helped to make science accessible everyone. At the age of 21, while studying cosmology at the University of Cambridge, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Part of his life story was depicted in the 2014 film The Theory of
Everything.

Over the years, Stephen Hawking has written or co-written a total of 15 books. A few of the most noteworthy include :

In 1988 Hawking catapulted to international prominence with the publication of A Brief History of Time. The short, informative book became an account of cosmology for the masses and offered an overview of space and time, the existence of God and the future. The work was an instant success, spending more than four years atop the ‘London Sunday Times’ best-seller list. Since its publication, it has sold millions of copies worldwide and been translated into more than 40 languages.

A Brief History of Time also wasn’t as easy to understand as some had hoped. So in 2001, Hawking followed up his book with The Universe in a Nutshell, which offered a more illustrated guide to cosmology's big theories.

In 2005, Hawking authored the even more accessible A Briefer History of Time, which further simplified the original work’s core concepts and touched upon the newest developments in the field like String theory.

B2. Complete the following table with relevant information about Stephen Hawking: (2)

B3. Find out the 'Antonyms' from the passage for the following : (2)

1. worst × ______
2. exclude × ______
3. duplicate × ______
4. oldest × ______

B4.

1. It has sold millions of copies world wide and been translated into more than 40 languages.  (1)
   (Change it into simple sentence) 
2. The short informative book became an account of cosmology.  (1)
   (Add a Question Tag)

B5. ‘Stephen Hawking was a versatile personality’ Justify. (2)

Read the following poem and write an appreciation of the poem ‘The Will to Win’ in a paragraph format. 

Points-

• Title and Poet
• Rhyme scheme
• Figures of speech
• Theme/Central idea
• Favourite line
• Special features - Type of the poem, language, tone, implied meaning, etc.
• Why I like/dislike the poem.

             There had to be one successful story if Indians were to survive in sports
and we have that story now. Enough has been said about this great warrior
who conquered the world. This warrior is none other than Mary Mangte Komthe
Komqueror and the Komrade. She is famed as a five times World Boxing
Champion and the only boxer to win a medal in every one of the six world
championships. In the 2012 Olympics, she became the first Indian woman boxer
to qualify and win a bronze medal in the 51 Kg flyweight category of Boxing.

              Kom was born in Kangthei village, Moirang Lamkhai in Churachandpur
district of rural Manipur in eastern India. She came from a poor family. Her
parents, Mangte Tonpa Kom and Mangte Akham Kom were tenant farmers who
worked in jhum fields. Kom grew up in humble surroundings, helping her parents
with farm related chores, going to school and learning athletics initially and later
boxing simultaneously. Her father was a keen wrestler in his younger age.
 

             She had an eager interest in athletics since childhood and the success of
Dingko Singh a fellow Manipuri returned from the 1998 Bangkok Asian games
with a gold medal, Kom recollects had inspired many youngsters in Manipur to
try boxing and she too thought of giving it a try.
     

         Mary Kom’s career started in 2000 after her victory in the Manipur State
women’s boxing championship and the regional championship in West Bengal.
In 2001, she started competing at international level. She was only 18 years
old when she made her international debut at the first AIBA Women’s World
Boxing Championship in United States, winning a silver medal in the 48 kg
weight category. Her greatness is reinforced by the way she apoligized to the
whole nation for not being able to win the Gold. She is a legend for sure and
an idol for all the sportswomen to look up to.

(B1) Name the following.
(i) According to the writer the great warrior who conquered the world -
(ii) The State in which Mary Kom was born -
(iii) The kind of farming in which Mary’s parents were working as tenant
farmers -
(iv) The sportsman who inspired many youngsters in Manipur -

(B2) Complete the following.

(B3) Find out antonyms for the following from the passage.
(a) failure × (b) defeat ×
(c) weakened × (d) wealthy ×

(B4)
(i) She is a legend for sure and an idol for all sportswomen to look up to. (Use ‘Not only……….. but also’)
(ii) In the 2012 Olympics, Mary became the first Indian woman boxer to qualify
and win a bronze medal. (Use ‘As well as’)

(B5) What qualities do you think are required to become a good sportsman ?

Read the following passage and complete the activities:

B1. Choose the correct alternative:  (02)

1. Which state does Mary Kom belong to?
   a. Mizoram
   b. Manipur
   c. Gujarat
   d. Assam
2. Who inspired Mary Kom to choose Boxing as a career?
   a. Dingko Singh
   b. Sushil Kumar
   c. Vijendra Singh
   d. Adams
3. What were her parents?
   a. Teachers
   b. Boxers
   c. Tenant farmers
   d. Horticulturist
4. When did Marry Kom make her international debut in Boxing?
   a. At 20
   b. At 18
   c. At 48
   d. At 38

B2. What difficulties did Mary Kom face in her childhood?   (02)

B3. Find out one word for the following from the passage:   (02)

1. Shifting cultivation
2. Strengthened
3. First public appearance
4. One who makes history.

B4. Do as Directed:   (02)

1. Rewrite the sentence using an infinitive:
   She started competing at the international level.
2. Rewrite as an exclamatory sentence:
   Her father was a keen wrestler.

B5. “Sports are important in our life.” Elaborate.  (02)

Read the following passage and do the activities.

Smita bit her lip in self-reproach. She had been so excited at seeing the announcement, that she had not remembered that her brother was very ill. She had seen how the doctors had shaken their heads gravely and spoken words that neither she nor even her parents could understand. But somewhere deep inside Smita had known the frightening truth – that Anant was going to die. The word cancer had hung in the air – her brother was dying of cancer even though she pretended that all would be well and they would return together, a small family of four, to their home in Gaganpur. And he was only fifteen and the best table-tennis player in the school and the fastest runner. He was learning to play the sitar; they were both taking sitar lessons, but Anant was better than her as in many other things. He was already able to compose his own tunes to the astonishment of their guru. Then cancer had struck and they had come to Bombay so that he could be treated at the cancer hospital in the city.
Whenever they came to Bombay they stayed with Aunt Sushila. Her apartment was not big but there was always room for them. They had come with high hopes in the miracles of modern science. They told themselves that Anant would be cured at the hospital and he would again walk and run and even take part in the forthcoming table-tennis tournament. And, he would play the sitar-perhaps be a great sitarist one day. But his condition grew worse with each-passing day and the doctors at the cancer hospital said, ‘Take him home. Give him the thing he likes, indulge him,’ and they knew then that the boy had not many days to live. But they did not voice their fears. They laughed and smiled and talked and surrounded Anant with whatever made him happy. They fulfilled his every need and gave him whatever he asked for. And now he was asking to go to the concert. ‘The chance of a lifetime,’ he was saying. ‘When you are better,’ his mother said. ‘This is not the last time they are going to play.’ Smita stood at the window looking at the traffic, her eyes wet with tears. Her mother whispered, ‘But you Smita, you must go. Your father will take you.’ When she was alone with Aunt Sushila, Smita cried out in a choked voice, ‘No, how can I? We’ve always done things together, Anant and I.’ ‘A walk in the park might make you feel better,’ said Aunt Sushila and Smita was grateful for her suggestion.

(B1) Who said to whom. 02
(1) This is not the last time they are going to play.
(2) We have done things together.

(B2) Describe the condition of Smita and her reaction to Anant when she came to know about the concert. 02

(B3) Write the root forms of the given words from the passage. 02
1. Indulgence 2. Surroundings 3. Fulfilment 4. Happiness

(B4) Choose the appropriate adverb or adjective to fill in the gaps. 02
1. He was able to compose his own tunes. (use ‘could’ and rewrite the sentence.)
2. Smita cried out in a choked voice. (Identify the tense.)

(B5) The two contradictory pictures are depicted in the story. Describe them in your own word. 02

Read the following passage and do the given activities:

B1. Complete the following sentences from the passage:    (2)

1. He was only fifteen and _______.
2. Her apartment was not big but _____.
3. Whenever they came to Bombay _____.
4. He was already able to compose his own tunes _____.

B2. Why did Smita become nervous?   (2)

B3. Match the pairs with proper antonyms from the passage:   (2)

B4. Do as directed:   (2)

1. He was learning to play the sitar.
   [Frame 'Wh' question to get the underlined part as an answer]
2. He could be treated at the cancer hospital in the city.
   [Pick out the modal auxiliary and state its function]

B5. Personal Response   (2)

What would you prefer: music or sports? Give reasons to support your answer.

Read the following passage and complete the activities:

(B1) State whether the given statements are true or false:  (2)

1. The age of the girl was six.
2. The boy on the bed was fast asleep.
3. Pandit Ravi Shankar was a tabla maestro.
4. She had seen how the doctors had shaken their heads gravely.

(B2) Complete the following statements, giving reasons:  (2)

1. Anant was better than his sister in playing sitar because ______.
2. The girl was excited because ______.

(B3)                                                                                            (2)

1. Find any two adverbs from the passage ending with ‘ly’.
2. Find any two compound words from the passage.

(B4) Do as Directed:       (2)

1. "I’ve always wanted to hear him and see him," he said.
   (Change into indirect speech.)
2. His mother sprang to his side.
   (Add a question tag.)

(B5) Personal Response          (2)

Describe your experience of any musical concert that you have attended.

Read the following poem and write an appreciation of it with the help of the given points in paragraph format.

A Thing of Beauty is a Joy For Ever
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever :
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health and quiet breathing.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways
Made for our searching : yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves a way the pall
From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,
Trees old, and young, sprouting a shady boon
For simple sheep ; and such are daffodils
With the green world they live in ; and clear rills
That for themselves a cooling covert make
‘Gainst the hot season ; the mid forest brake,
Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms :
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read :
An endless fountain of immortal drink
Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink.
Nor do we merely feel these essences
For one short hour ; no, even as the trees
That whisper round a temple become soon
Dear as the temple’s self, so does the moon,
The passion poesy, glories infinite,
Haunt us till they become a cheering light
Unto our souls, and bound to us so fast,
That, whether there be shine, or gloom o’ercast
They always must be with us, or we die.
- John Keats

You can use the following points while appreciating the given poem.
• Title
• Poet
• Theme/Central Idea (At least 2 to 3 lines)
• Rhyme Scheme
• Figures of speech
• Special Features
(Type of the poem, imagery, implied meaning if any etc.)
(At least 3 to 4 lines)
• Favourite line/lines
• Why I like/don’t like the poem

Read the following extract and do the given activities :
A1. Fill in the web with what passion poesy can do to you: (2)

…...................and clear rills
That for themselves a cooling covert make
‘Gainst the hot season; the mid forest brake,
Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms :
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty deed;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read
An endless fountain of immortal drink
Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink.
Nor do we merely feel these essences
For one short hour; no, even as the trees
That whisper round a temple become soon
Dear as the temple’s self, so does the moon,
The passion poesy, glories infinite,
Haunt us till they become a cheering light
Unto our souls, and bound to us so fast,
That, whether there be shine, or gloom o’ercast
They always must be with us, or we die.

A2. List the things which express sorrow from the extract. (2)
A3. Write down the rhyme scheme of the last five lines. (1)

Read the following extract and do the given activities:

(A1) Complete the web:   (2)

(A2) List down two impacts of beautiful things on us:  (2)

1. _______
2. _______

(A3) Write down the Rhyme - scheme of the first four lines.  (1)

B. Read the following passage and do the given activities: 
B1. Choose the correct options from the bracket and fill in the blanks: 
 (younger, eighty, twenty, interval)
 i. I went over during the _______ and sat down beside her.
 ii. None of us are getting any _______.
 iii. It was _______ years ago.
 iv. I had _______ francs to last me the rest of the month. 
 

I caught sight of her at the play and in answer to her call. I went over during the interval and sat down beside her. It was long since I had last seen her and, if someone had not mentioned her name, I hardly think I would have recognized her. She addressed me brightly.
“Well, it’s many years since we first met. How time does fly! We’re none of us getting any younger. Do you remember the first time I saw you? You asked me to luncheon.”
 Did I remember?
 It was twenty years ago and I was living in Paris. I had a tiny apartment and I was earning barely enough money. She had read a book of mine and had written to me about it. I answered, thanking her, and presently, I received from her another letter saying she was passing through Paris and would like to have a chat with me. But her time was limited and the only free moment she had was on the following Thursday and would I give her a little luncheon at Foyot’s afterward? Foyot’s is a restaurant and it was so far beyond my means that I had never even thought of going there. I had eighty francs (gold francs) to last me the rest of the month and a modest luncheon should not cost more than fifteen. If I cut out coffee for the next two weeks, I could manage well enough.

B2. Where and when did they decide to have luncheon?

B3. Find out the ‘Synonyms’ from the passage for the following words: 
i. A set of rooms
ii. Acknowledged
iii. Handle
iv. Directed.

 B4. Do as directed: 
 i. I hardly think about it.
 (Begin the sentence with ‘How_______!)
 ii. She had read a book of mine.
 (Begin the sentence with ‘Hadn’t _______?)

B5. Personal Response: 
If you were in the place of the narrator, how would you have reacted in the given situation? 

Read the following passage and complete the activities:

B1. Complete the given sentences by choosing the correct option:  (2)

(i) The ______ on monuments and sites initiated a draft convention to create an international organisation responsible for protecting cultural heritage.

1. International Peace Committee
2. International Council
3. International Health Committee
4. World Heritage List

(ii) The famous dam situated in Egypt on River Nile is ______.

1. Buzwaa High Dam
2. Rizwa High Dam
3. Aswan High Dam
4. Kalwa High Dam

(iii) The idea of protecting cultural and natural heritage sites around the world began in the early ______ century.

1. twentieth
2. nineteenth
3. eighteenth
4. fifteenth

(iv) The project cost an estimated US $ 80 million, $ 40 million which came from ______ different countries.

1. 35
2. 55
3. 25
4. 50

B2. Complete the following information from the passage: (2)

B3. Pick out and write any four adjectives from the passage:  (2)

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

B4. Do as directed:  (2)

(i) UNESCO and International Council on Monuments initiated a draft convention to create an international organisation responsible for protecting cultural heritage.

(Use 'not only ______ but also' in the above sentence.) 

(ii) In 1968, the International Union for conservation of nature developed similar goals and presented them at the United Nations Conference on Human Environment is Stockholm, Sweden in 1972.
(Identify whether the above sentence is simple, compound or complex.)

B5. What measures will you adopt for prevention of any historical site?  (2)

Read the following extract and do the given activities:

A1. State whether the following statement is true or false:

1. He read the second; grin grew broader
2. After the poet read the third line he heard a chuckling noise
3. The fifth he broke into a roar.
4. The poet handed the paper to his servant.

A2.

1. Which line suggests that the servant was totally out of control.    (01)
2. What did the poet decide after looking at the miserable condition of his servant?  (01)

A3. Name and explain the figure of speech in the following line.  (01)

Pick out one line from the poem where the poet has used the Figure of Speech “Tuatology”

(B) Read the following poem and write an appreciation of it with the help of the given points in a paragraph:

Points:

• The title and the poet of the poem.      (1)
• Rhyme scheme        (1)
• Figures of speech      (1)
• Central Idea/Theme      (2)

Read the following passage and do the activities.
Social/Historical Context: Hemingway’s novel is based on real events and it also draws heavily on his own life. He had experience of fishing in the Cuban waters and like the old man he was also a fan of baseball. He worked for the Red Cross during the First World War and was injured by shrapnel when he was in Italy. Hemingway always talks about the need to struggle against defeat or death and how determination and endurance can help one to win in
this struggle. The old man is at the end of the novel very near death, but we know that the story of his suffering and loss will live on in the memories of the people of his village. Ultimately his story becomes one of triumph because the tales of his life will live on even after his death. The novel was published in 1952, when people were trying to recover from the mass destruction wrought by the two world wars, and this tale of endurance and ultimate triumph immediately struck a chord with the readers.
       Writing Style: Hemingway’s language is simple and pithy. He mostly writes in short and straight-forward sentences and practises an extreme economy in his
use of words. This simplicity is deceptive and a reader can read his work again and again and find new layers of meaning every time.

(A1) Complete the following sentences.
(a) Hemingway had experience of ……………..
(b) He worked for …………………… during the First World War.
(c) ‘The Old Man And The Sea’ was published in ………………….
(d) After reading his work reader can find ……………………..

(A2) Complete the following web.


(A3) Find the synonyms for the following from the passage.
(i) The ability to do something difficult for a long time.
(ii) Formed or worked
(iii) Brief
(iv) Likely to make someone believe something that is not true.
(A4)
(1) The old man is at the end of the novel very near death, but we know that the story of his suffering and loss will live on in the memories of the people of his village. (Rewrite the sentence using ‘Though’.)
(2) During the First World War Hemingway was injured by shrapnel. (Begin the sentence with ‘Shrapnel ………….)
(A5) Write four to five sentences about your favourite writer.

(1) Do as directed :
Master: “Well Shailesh, I hear you are taking part in the speaking competition.”
Pupil: “Yes; and I came to ask you to give me some hints on the art of public speaking.” [Change into indirect speech]
(2) The people regarded him ………….. imposter and called him …………. Villain[Insert correct articles]
(3) go then said the ant and dance winter away [Punctuat]

Pick out the infinitives from the following sentence.

He knew who were the right people to listen to and who to avoid.