SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER: 01

ENGLISH
(LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE)
Time allowed: 3Hours
Maximum Marks: 80

SECTION-A
READING SKILLS (20 MARKS)
Q.1 Read the following passage carefully:
[10]
The choices we make on a daily basis—wearing a seatbelt, lifting heavy
objects correctly or purposely staying out of any dangerous situation—
can either ensure our safety or bring about potentially harmful
circumstances.
You and I need to make a decision that we are going to get our lives in
order. Exercising self-control, self-discipline and establishing boundaries
and borders in our lives are some of the most important things we can
do. A life without discipline is one that’s filled with carelessness.
We can think it’s kind of exciting to live life on the edge. We like the
image of “Yeah! That’s me! Living on the edge! Woo-hoo!” It’s become a
popular way to look at life. But if you see, even highways have lines,
which provide margins for our safety while we’re driving. If we go over
one side, we’ll go into the ditch. If we cross over the line in the middle,
we could get killed. And we like those lines because they help to keep us
safe. Sometimes we don’t even realize how lines help to keep us safe.
I’m not proud of this, but for the first 20 years of my life at work, I
ignored my limits. I felt horrible, physically, most of the time. I used to
tell myself, “I know I have limits and that I’ve reached them, but I’m
going to ignore them and see if or how long I can get by with it.” I ran to
doctors, trying to make myself feel better through pills, vitamins, natural
stuff and anything I could get my hands on. Some of the doctors would
tell me, “It’s just stress.” That just made me mad. I thought stress meant
you don’t like what you do or can’t handle life, and I love what I do. But I
kept pushing myself, travelling, doing speaking engagements and so on
— simply exhausting myself.
Finally, I understood I was living an unsustainable life and needed to
make some changes in my outlook and lifestyle.

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 You and I don’t have to be like everyone else or keep up with anyone
else. Each of us needs to be exactly the way we are, and we don’t have
to apologize for it. We’re not all alike, and we need to find a comfort
zone in which we can enjoy our lives instead of making ourselves sick
with an overload of stress and pressure.

On the basis of understanding the passage, answer the

following questions.
Part 1 to part 8 (1x 8)
Part 9 (2x1)

i. Which of the characteristics are apt about the writer in the following
context: “I know I have limits and that I’ve reached them, but I’m going
to ignore them and see if or how long I can get by with it.”?
1. negligent 2. Indecisive 3. spontaneous
4. Reckless 5. Purposeless 6. Patient

Which of the following pair of options is correct?

a) 2 and 5 c) 1 and 4
b) 3 and 6 d) 2 and 3

ii. The reason why living on the edge has become popular is because of
the
a) constant need for something different.
b) population being much younger.
c) exhausting effort to make changes.
d) strong tendency to stay within our limits.

iii. The phrase “potentially harmful circumstances” refers to?

iv. What is the central idea of the passage? Brief in 40-50 words.

v. The author explains the importance of discipline and boundaries in our

lives using the example of __________________.

vi. The author attempts to __________________ the readers through this

write-up.
a) rebuke
b) question
c) offer aid to
d) offer advice to

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vii. What is the message conveyed in the last paragraph of the passage?

viii. Which of the following will be the most appropriate title for the
passage?
a) Much too soon
b) Enough is enough
c) How much is too much?
d) Have enough to do?

ix. What is the tone of the speaker in the following lines? Rationalise your
response.
We can think it’s kind of exciting to live life on the edge. We like the image
of “Yeah! That’s me! Living on the edge! Woo-hoo!” It’s become a popular
way to look at life. But if you see, even highways have lines, which provide
margins for our safety while we’re driving.

Q.2 Read the following passage carefully:

[10]
1. India is a country of many languages. The constitution recognises 22
languages officially, but over 121 unique languages have been identified
in the country.
2. To preserve and encourage the literary function of language, the
government introduced 'classical languages' in 2004. According to the
Ministry of Culture, a classical language is one that is at least 1,500
years old and has ancient, valuable literature recorded in it. Further,
such a language is original and not derived from another language.
Based on 4 of 13 these guidelines, six languages have been classified as
classical languages: Tamil, Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and
Odia.

3. The following graph shows the percentage of Indian people whose

mother tongue is a classical language. This is as per data collected by
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 the census of 2011. The census was not conducted in 2021 due to the
pandemic.
4. According to the graph, around 6.7% of the Indian population are
native speakers of Telugu, whereas Sanskrit has been identified as a
mother tongue by only 0.002% of the population, which is around
24,821 people. Malayalam has the second lowest number of native
speakers, making up about 2.9% of Indians.
5. The 2011 census data also noted that a majority of the native
speakers reside in the area that their mother tongue originated from. For
example, 93% of Kannada speakers live in Karnataka. Similarly, 93% of
Malayalam speakers live in Kerala.
6. Balancing preservation of culture and inclusivity is a delicate
equation for a heterogeneous country like India. With growing
awareness, concepts like 'classical languages' may help us achieve
harmony.

Answer the following questions, based on the passage above:

NOTE: All parts carry 1 mark except part (iii) which carries 2 marks.

i. Which of these pieces of information can be confirmed by reading the

passage?
(I) the number of people in India who speak Tamil
(II) where the majority of native Sanskrit speakers live
(III) the reason Malayalam is considered a classical language
(IV) when the idea of classical languages was introduced in India
A. Only (I) B.
Only (IV)
C. Only (I) and (II) D. Only
(III) and (IV)

ii. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate option from those given in
brackets.
Based on the passage, the __________ (functional/historical) value of a
language is of utmost importance while (preserving/categorising) it as a
classical language.

iii. Imagine that a committee was formed to ensure that classical languages
have more native speakers by the time the next census is conducted. In
40 words, answer the following questions to help the committee achieve
its objective.
(1) Which classical language needs its attention most urgently and
why?
(2) Which classical language would be THIRD on its priority?

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 iv. State an example from the passage that shows that India is a
'heterogeneous country'. Answer in one sentence.

v. Why has the writer stated the following line in the passage? Give a
reason.
The census was not conducted in 2021 due to the pandemic.

vi. Complete the sentence based on information from the passage.

If Tamil originated from Tamil Nadu, we can infer that __________ of the
native Tamil speakers would be living in Tamil Nadu.

vii. Which of these hypothetical situations would help India achieve

harmony? Justify your answer in about 40 words.
(a) if the majority of Indians who speak a classical language are
settled abroad
(b) if more languages from remote and tribal areas of India are
identified as classical languages
(c) if the percentage of Indians who are native Telugu speakers
increases to more than 10 percent

viii. Which of these sentences uses 'delicate' in the same way as paragraph
(6) does?
A. She looked beautiful in the dress with the delicate floral pattern.
B. He was frequently admitted to the hospital due to his delicate
health.
C. This discussion will require careful consideration as it is a delicate
matter.
D. Please handle these delicate items carefully during transportation
as they break easily.

SECTION-B
WRITING AND GRAMMAR (20 MARKS)

Q3) Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below.

[5]
(A) Write a letter to Delhi Sports, Dharyganj, New Delhi, placing an order
for sports articles like football, cricket balls, tennis balls and cricket
bats to be supplied to your school. Sign as Ravi/Ravina, Sports
Secretary.

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 OR
(B) As Arman Singh, the school literary captain of Ujjwal Academy, Old
City, Ahmedabad, you believe that languages can help bridge
regional divides and promote unity. Write a letter to the editor of a
national daily, In about 120 words, Suggesting the introduction of an
online regional language learning program managed and run by
student council and language clubs in the city. The program aims to
help residents who have recently relocated to a new region in
picking up the local language organically. Share the importance and
credibility of such a program and suggest a feasible way to execute
it along with possible activities.

Q4) Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below.

[5]
(A) The given line graph provides information about changes in birth and
death rates in New Zealand between 1901 and 2101. Write an
analytical paragraph summarizing the information and make
comparisons where relevant in about 100-120 words.

(B) Given below is a newspaper report on the state of cancer prevailing

in India. You have been asked to write an analytical paragraph on
‘Cancer - a silent killer’ Taking information from the clipping given
below together with your own ideas, write this paragraph in 100-120
words. “In India, cities are more cancer-prone than rural areas. In the
early 1990’s, we expected one out of 10- 15 urban Indians to get
cancer in their life -time, that is every second or third family would
have to face this disease. This is partly due to high levels of benzene
in the air and also that the metros are exposed to high levels of
pesticides in their foods. In order to check the steady growth of
cancer in the country, the Government shall have to give priority to
preventive action. At the same time measures to undertake
improvement in facilities for the treatment of cancer shall have to be
adopted.”

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Q5) Attempt ANY TEN out of twelve questions given below:

i. Fill in the blanks with suitable form of verb given in bracket:

She said she would go on knitting as long as she ......... on the chair.
(has been sitting, was sitting)

ii. Identify the error and supplies the correction for the following line,
from a news report:
The Uttarakhand government said on the instructions of chief
minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, five resorts in Dhanachuli area of
Nainital district has been sealed.

iii. Complete the following excerpt from an inter-house music competition

with the correct option as given below.
The students of Don Bosco Primary School, Matunga, indeed know how
to fly. On 25th July, 2022, the Singing Competition was held for the
students of Stds III and IV. They did take us to a world _______ music
was the language.
(a) when
(b) where
© how
(d) whom

iv. Identify the error from a website article on reading habit and write
your correction in the format given below.
In response to character education stated in Indonesian Curriculum
2013, to build characters for students of early ages is significant. This
can be built through establishing reading habits and build character
education to young learners living in urban and suburban areas
simultaneously.

v. Fill up the blanks with the correct options given below.

My friend ________ (arrive) here just now.
A) has arrived
B) have arrived
C) has been arriving
D) arrives

vi. Given below is the conversation between Sunil and a police officer.
Complete the sentence by reporting it correctly.

Sunil : Where is my car, sir ? I parked it here.

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 Police officer : The car has been towed away as you parked it in the
‘No Parking’ zone.
Sunil asked the police officer where his car was that he had parked
there. The police officer replied that the car had been towed away as
______________.

vii. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the brackets.
Several new species of plants have recently ___________. (discover)
(A) discovered
(B) been discovered
© being discovered
(D) have discovered

viii. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction in
the given sentence:
Air pollution is continuous damaging the whole ecological system
affecting the lives of plants and animals as well.
(A) is – are
(B) continuous – continuously
© affecting – effecting
(D) lives – life

ix. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete the
sentence.
It was so dark that I fell down the stairs last night. I ___________ fixed
the light.
(A) must have
(B) would have
© could have
(D) should have

x. Report the dialogue between an employer and Raman. Complete the

sentence using reported speech.
Employer: Can you manage the post of a public relations executive?
Raman: I am sure I will be able to do the job competently.
The employer asked Raman ______________. Raman assured him that
he would be able to do the job competently.

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 xi. The following line has an error, which is underlined. Select the correct
option from the choices given below to replace the underlined word.
She may play the piano when she was only eleven.
(A) could
(B) ought to
© must
(D) should

xii. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the brackets,
for the given portion of a letter.
Dear sir,
This is to inform you that our school has __________ (decide) to place
an order with your company for computers.

SECTION-C
LITERATURE (40 MARKS)

Q6) Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the
two given: [5]

(A) I think he knew I made a little money this way but he did not seem
to mind. Anil made money by fits and starts. He would borrow one
week, lend the next. He kept worrying about his next cheque, but as
soon as it arrived, he would go out and celebrate. It seems he wrote
for magazines-a queer way to make a living!

[Link] did ‘I’ feel that uniting for magazines was a queer way to make a
living? Answer in about 40 words.
(2)

[Link] True or False.

(1)

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 None of the terms (a)-(d) can be applied to the statement — I think he
knew I made a little money this way but he did not seem to mind.
(a) A hypothesis - a proposed explanation for a phenomenon
(b) An assumption - something that is taken for granted or assumed
to be true
(c) A hyperbole - exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be
taken literally
(d) A premise - a proposition that forms the basis of an argument

[Link] information in the extract suggests that Anil could be a _____.

(1)

[Link] did the narrator mean by ‘I made a little money this way’?
(1)

OR

(B) On the day of the inauguration, I was overwhelmed with a sense of

history. In the first decade of the twentieth century, a few years after
the bitter Anglo-Boer war and before my own birth, the white
skinned peoples of South Africa patched up their differences and
erected a system of racial domination against the dark-skinned
peoples of their own land. The structure they created formed the
basis of one of the harshest, most inhumane, societies the world has
ever known.

[Link] system of racial domination against the dark-skinned people was

called as _____. (a) the policy of apartheid
(1)
(b) racial discrimination
(c) inhumane system
(d) harshest system

[Link] did the speaker call that structure ‘one of the harshest and the
most inhumane’? Answer in about 40 words.
(2)

[Link] in the blank with ONE WORD only.

(1)
Mandela is filled with _____ in the given extract.
[Link] the following descriptions (a)-(c) and identify which one correctly
corresponds to the extract.
(1)
(a) A debate
(b) A soliloquy
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 (c) A reflection

Q7) Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two
given. [5]

(A) Now he senses first responsibility

In a world of possessions. People will take
Balls, balls will be lost always, little boy.
And no one buys a ball back. Money is external.

[Link] the sentence appropriately.

(1)
In the given lines, the phrase ‘money is external indicates that _____.

[Link] poet has used a poetic device in the given lines. What effect does
she wish to create by its use?
(1)
Balls, balls will be lost always,
(a) emphasis
(b) comparison
(c) rhyme
(d) humour

3.‘He senses first responsibility’. What ‘responsibility’ is referred here?

(1)

4.“Money is external”. What does the poet mean by this expression?

(2)

OR
(B) The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbour and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

[Link] fog arrives and departs _____. 1

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 (a) by announcing its arrival
(b) silently
(c) loudly
(d) Both (a) and (c)

[Link] image does the poet give to the fog? What are the similarities
between that image and fog? Answer in about 40 words.
(2)

[Link] the figure of speech is prominent in the poem ‘Fog’ _____.

(1)

[Link] is fog doing?

(1)
Q8) Answer ANY FOUR of the following five questions in about 40-50 words each.
[4 x 3 = 12]

I. “Money is external”. What does the poet mean by this expression taken
from ‘The Ball Poem’?
II. What ideals does Mandela set out for the future of South Africa in his
speech?
III. How did Valli gather the details of the bus journey?
IV. How is the Goan baker still an important part of the life of a Goan village?
V. What does the line “never let down my bright hair” tell us about Amanda?

Q9) Answer ANY TWO of the following three questions in about 40-50 words
each. [2 x 3 = 6]

I. How does Think-Tank interpret the library found by his crew on earth? Why
does he ask Omega to eat a book?
II. Why did the police arrest Horace Danby when he had not kept the jewels
stolen from Grange safe?
III. Whose footprints did the two boys follow? Why were they charmed then?

Q10) Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words.

[1 x 6 = 6]

I. Rajvir felt too excited on reaching Assam while Pranjol showed least
interest in his excitement. What could be the reason behind this? Do you
think it is appropriate on Pranjol’s part to react like this? Justify you answer
with reason.
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 II. Imagine Anne Gregory grows up to be a motivational speaker. As Anne
Gregory, write a short speech on the importance of loving oneself.

You may begin this way:

Dear friends,
The importance of believing in oneself can never be overstated. It
becomes most important, therefore, to love oneself. I learnt this, as a
young teen, the day a poet pointed out that (continue)….

Q11) Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words.

[1 x 6 = 6]

I. Who do you think is the real culprit in the story ‘A Question of Trust’?
Explain.
II. Read the following quote.
“We are too involved in materialistic things, and they don’t satisfy us.
The loving relationships we have, the universe around us, we take these
things for granted.” – Mitch Albom Matilda was never satisfied with her
life and desired more. The given quote reflects her character. Justify.

##########

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