(English Medium) ICSE Class 10 - CISCE Important Questions for English 2 (Literature in English)

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

Bassanio: To You, Antonio,
I owe the most, in money and in love;
And from your love, I have a warranty
To unburden all my plots and purposes
How to get clear of all the debts I owe.
Antonio: I pray you, good Bassanio, let me know it; 

(i) Describe Antonio's mood at the beginning of this scene.
State any two reasons that Antonio's friends, who · were present, gave to explain his mood. 

(ii) What promise did Antonio make to Bassanio immediately after this conversation? 

(iii) What did Bassanio say to Antonio about 'a lady richly left' in Belmont? 

(iv) Why was Antonio unable to lend Bassanio the ·money that he needed? 

(v) What does the above extract reveal of the relationship between Antonio and Bassanio?
Mention' one way in which this relationship was put to the test later in the play.

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

Bassanio: A gentle scroll. - Fair lady, by your leave; (Kissing her)
I come by not, to give and to receive.
Like one of two contending in a prize,
That thinks he hath done well in people's eyes
Hearing applause and universal shout
Giddy in spirit, still gazing, in a doubt
Whether those peals of praise be his or no; 

(i) Where did Bassanio find the 'gentle scroll'? What 'prize' had Bassanio just won? 

(ii) Explain why Basscmio said he felt 'Giddy in spirit, still gazing, in a doubt'. 

(iii) Shortly after this exchange, Port: it gave Bassanio a ring as a token of her affection. What did the gift symbolize? 

(iv) What assurance did Bassanio give her when he accepted the ring? 

(v) What did Portia urge Bassanio to do when she learned that his friend Antonio was in trouble? What aspect of her character is revealed through her words? 

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

Duke: You hear the team’d Bellario, what he writes:
And here, I take it, is the doctor come.
[Enter Portia, dressed like a Doctor of Laws]
Give me your hand. Come you from old Bellario”?
Portia: I did, my lord.
Duke: You are welcome : take your place.
Are you acquainted with the difference
That holds this present question in the court?

(i) Where is this scene set? Why was Portia there?

(ii) What reason had Bellario given for his absence? Whom had he sent in this stead? 

(iii) Bellario's letter stated that he had taken some measures to prepare the 'young and learned doctor' to deal with the case. What were they? 

(iv) What was the 'difference' between Shylock the Jew and Antonio the merchant that the Duke was unable to resolve? 

(v) How does Portia succeed in saving Antonio? What does this reveal of her character? 

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

Giles: I beg your pardon. Did you say something?
Trotter: Yes, Mr. Ralston, I said ‘Is there an extension ?’ (He crosses to Centre.)
Giles: Yes, up in our bedroom.
Trotter: Go and try it up there for me, will you?
(Giles exits to the stairs, carrying the glove and bus ticket and looking dazed. Trotter continues to trace the wire to the window. He pulls back the curtain and opens the window, trying to follow the wire. He crosses to the arch up Right, goes out and returns with a torch. He moves to the window, jumps out and bends down, looking, then disappears out of sight. It is practically dark. Mrs. Boyle enters from the library up Left, shivers and notices the open window.)
Mrs Boyle: (Moving to the window) Who has left this window open?

(i) Why did Giles fail to hear what Trotter had said earlier·? Why did Giles look 'dazed'? 

(ii) What was Trotter attempting to do? Why? 

(iii) Why did Mrs. Boyle close the window? What did tl1e voice on the radio say about the 'mechanics of fear'? 

(iv) How did the murderer mask the sounds of the killing? Who entered the room immediately after the murder? What did this person see? 

(v) Who was the victim? Why was the victim murdered? What was the 'signature tune' that the murderer whistled? What is the significance of this tune in the context of the play? 

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

Trotter: (Leaning on the refectory table) Those simple actions took you rather a long time, didn’t they, Mr Ralston?
Giles: I don’t think so. (He moves away to the stairs)
Trotter: I should say you definitely - took your time over them.
Giles: I was thinking about something.
Trotter: Very well. Now then, Mr Wren, I’ll have your account of where you were.

(i) What 'simple actions' of Giles was Trotter referring to? Where had Giles been? Who had sent him there? 

(ii) How did Christopher Wren account for his whereabouts at the time of tire murder? 

(iii} Where was Paravicini at that time? What was he doing?

(iv) Whom did Giles accuse of having committed the murder? On what did he base this accusation? 

(v) Mollie shared her suspicions regarding the identity of the murderer with Trotter, later in this scene. Whom did she suspect of being the murderer? What reasons did she give for the suspicion?

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

Trotter: Yes. You've been extraordinarily foolish, you know. You've run a very good chance of being killed by holding out on me. As a result, you've been in serious danger more than once. 
Mollie: I don't know what you mean. 
Trotter: (moving slowly above the sofa table to the Right of the sofa, still quite natural and friendly) Come now, Mrs. Ralston. We, policemen, aren't quite so dumb as you think. All along I've realized that you had first-hand knowledge of the Langridge Farm affair. You know Mrs. Boyle was the magistrate concerned. In fact, you knew all about it. Why didn't you speak up and say so?
Mollie:  (Very much affected) I don't understand. I wanted to forget-forget. (She sits at the Left end of the sofa.) 

(i) What was the 'Longridge Farm' affair? 

(ii) Trotter revealed to Mollie some facts that he had uncovered about her past. What were they? 

(iii) What did Mollie want to forget? How was she linked with the ‘Longridge Farm affair’? 

(iv) How did Trotter manage a pass himself off as a policeman? How had he reached Monkswell Manor? 

(v) What did Trotter reveal to Mollie about this true identity? How was Mollie saved at the end of the play?

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

"Now tell us what it was all about"
Young Peterkin, he cries.
And little Willhelmines looks up
With wonder - waiting eyes,
"Now tell us all about the war,
And what they fought each other for".
       - After Blenheim, Robert Southey 

(i) Who are Peterkin and Wilhelmine? How does the poet describe the scene at the beginning of the poem? 

(ii) What did Young Peterkin find and where? Describe it?

(iii) Who is referred to as "each other"? What did they fight for?

(iv) To whom are the words in the extract addressed? How was this person's family affected by the war? 

(v) What, according to the poet, are the consequences that are often associated with great and famous victories? What message does the poet want to convey to the readers? 

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

There’s nobody on the house-tops now …..
Just a palsied few at the windows set;
For the best of the sight is, all allow,
At the Shambles’ Gate …… or, better yet,
By the very scaffold’s foot, I trow.
–  The Patriot, Robert Browning

(i) Who is the speaker? Where is he being taken? Why? 

(ii) Describe the scene when he had walked down the same street a year ago. 

(iii) Where does the speaker think all the people had gathered that day? Why does he think so? 

(iv) Describe the speaker's physical condition.

(v) What is the central message of the poem? Does the poem and on a note of hope or despair? Give one reason for your answer.

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

All around the field spectators were gathered Cheeril!g on all the young women and men Then the final event of the day was approaching The last race about the beginning. 
- Nine Gold Medals, David Roth 

(i) Where had the 'young women and men' come from? What had brought them together? How had they prepared themselves for the event?

(ii) What was the last event of the day? How many athletes were participating in this event? What signal were they waiting for? 

(iii) What happened to the youngest athlete halfway through the race? How did he respond? 

(iv) What 'strange' tum did the story take at this point? 

(v) Why does the poet say that the banner - 'Special Olympics' could not have been nearer the mark? What human quality does the poem celebrate?

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

It had no eyes ears, nose or mouth. It was just round smooth head - with a school cap on top of it And that's where the story should end.
But for Mr. Oliver, it did not end here.
The torch fell from his trembling hand. He turned and scrambled down the path, running blind. through the trees and calling for help.
He was still running towards the school buildings when he saw a lantern swinging in the middle of the path. 

(i) Who was Mr. Oliver? Where did he encounter 'It?

(ii) Where did Mr. Oliver work? Why did Life magazine describe this place as the 'Eton of the East'? 

(iii) Why had Mr. Oliver approached 'It' in the first place? What had lie mistaken it for? 

(iv) 'Whal is lantern? Who was holding the lantern? Why did Mr. Oliver feel relieved at the sight of the lantern?

(v) Briefly describe the meeting between the lantern bearer and Mr. Oliver. State one reason why 'A Face in the Dark' could be considered a horror story. ? 

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

An angry athlete is an athlete who will make mistakes, as any coach will tell you I was no exception. On the first of my three qualifying jumps, I leaped from several inches beyond the · take-off board for a foul. 

(i)  When and where is this story set? What reason does the narrator Jesse Owens give for the heightened nationalistic feelings at this time? 

(ii) In which event had Owens been confident of winning a gold medal? Why?

(iii) What had, made Owens angry enough to make mistakes?

(iv) Name Owens' rival who approached him at this point. What advice did this athlete give Owens? 

(v) How did the two athletes perform in the finals? What does Jesse Owens consider his 'Greatest Olympic Prize'? Why?

Answer the following questions with reference to Ray Douglas Bradbury's short story, 'All Summer in a Day'. 
(i) Name the planet on which this story is set. Describe everyday life on this planet. 

(ii) Why was there so much excitement in the schoolroom that morning? What sets Margot apart from the other children?

(iii) Describe how the planet was transformed when the sun came out and shone briefly over it.
Why was Margot not able to witness this phenomenon?
What emotion of you supposes the children experienced when Margot emerged at the end of the story?

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

One Sunday morning, which the animals assembled to receive their orders,
Napoleon announced that he had decided upon a new policy.
"From now onwards Animal Farm would engage in trade with the
neighboring farms: not, of course, for any commercial purpose, but
simply in order to obtain certain materials which were urgently necessary." 

(i) Why did the animals need 'certain materials'? What arrangement had Napolean made to engage in trade with the neighboring farms? 

(ii) Why did Napoleon's announcement make the animals uneasy? 

(iii) What did Squealer say to the animals to ease their doubts and fears?

(iv) Who was Mr. Whymper? What had the agreed to do? 
Why had he entered into this agreement with Napoleon? 

(v) There was a change in the attitude of humans towards Animal Farm.
Comment on this change. What were the signs and symptoms of this change?

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

One Sunday morning Squealer announced that the hens, who just come in to lay again, must surrender their eggs. 

(i) Why were the hens required to surrender their eggs? 

(ii) How did the hens react to receiving this information? 

(iii) The three young black Minorca pullets led the other hens in 'something resembling a rebellion'. How exactly did they do this? 

(iv) What steps did Napoleon take to put down this 'rebellion'? 

(v) How long did the rebellion last? Describe the consequences of the rebellion. What do you learn of Napoleon's character from the way in which he dealt with the rebellion? 

With references to George Orwell's Tlie Animd Fann', answer the following questions : 

(i) Who wrote the poem 'Comrade Napoleon'? 
How did Napoleon show his approval of the poem?

(ii) What precautions were taken to ensure Napoleon'? 

(iii) What single commandment replaced the seven commandments on Aninzal Farin? Mention some of the changes that the animals noticed in the behavior of the pigs after the new, commandment had been put up. 

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

The breaking down of discipline likewise affected the dogs in their relations with one another. They quarreled and bickered more than ever among themselves, till at times the camp was a howling bedlam: 'Dave and Sol-leks alone were unaltered, though they were made irritable by the unending squabbling.

(i) What led to the break-down of discipline in the dog team? 
How did it affect the relationship in the dogs? 

(ii) What other acts of indiscipline did Buck's encouragement lead to?

(iii) What started the dogs off on a chase after supper one night at the mouth of the river Tahkeena? 

(iv) Who led the dogs in the chase? What primitive urge did Buck experience during the chase? 

(v) How did Spitz use the chase to try and outwit Buck? What does this reveal of Spitz's nature? 

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

With the dogs falling, Mercedes weeping and riding, Hal swearing innocuously, and Charles's eyes wistfully watering, they staggered into John Thornton's camp at the mouth of White River. When they halted, the dogs dropped down as though they had all been struck dead. 

(i) Who were Mercedes, Hal, and Charles? How were they; related to each other? 

(ii) What was John Thornton doing when they arrived at his camp? Describe his responses to Hal's questions. Give one reason for his manner. 

(iv) What did Thornton warn them against? What reason did he give for his warning? How did Hal respond to Thornton's advice? 

(iv) How did Hal manage to get his dogs back on their feet? Why did Buck not respond to Hal's blows? 

(v) Describe how Thornton saved Buck's life. 

Answer the following questions with reference to Jack London's, 'The Call of the Wild'. 

(i) How was Thornton talked into a wager that involved Buck, during a conversation in the Eldorado Saloon? 

(ii) How did Thornton feel after he had committed Buck to the wager? 

(iii) Give a brief description of how Buck managed to win the wager for Thornton. 

What was announced on the loudspeakers before the start of the race in the poem, ‘Nine Gold Medals’?

Which of the following words would best describe Abou Ben Adhem?