Appreciation of English Literary Texts

Grade 10 – Model Paper

Prepared by the English Unit – Mi nistry of Educati on

Answer five questions only.

Answer question (1) one and (4) four others, selecting one from each section: POETRY, DRAMA,
PROSE and FICTION.

Part – I

1) Section A - Answer all questions.

Read the given extracts and answer the questions given below them.

i )‘Dost thou withdraw, and then the wolf rages wide,

And then the lion glares through the dun forest’
a) Name the work where these lines occur. Who wrote it?
b) Who is referred as ‘thou’? What time of the day does “thou” leave from?
c) What does the poet try to convey through the above lines? (05 marks)

ii) “Like one in danger; cautious,

I offered him a crumb,”
a) From where are these lines taken? Who wrote them?
b) Who is “him” and name a literary technique used in the second line?
c) Who was in danger and what may be the “danger” implied here? (05 marks)

iii) “We were calm, collected, and rational. Our emotions held true to our role as unofficial
ambassadors.”
a) Name the work that carries these lines. Name the writer.
b) Who are “we”? When were they “calm, collected and rational”?
c) What is suggested by the underlined phrase? (05 marks)

iv) “I know there are four jars of it in the store cupboard, because I looked, and of course
you know it there, but she said there wasn’t any.”
a) Name the work from which the above lines are taken? Name the author.
b) Who are “I” and “she”? What/ whom does he mean by “you”?
c) After this utterance what may have felt by “she” and what quality of “I” is seen here?
(05 marks)

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 v) “We’ll see when they carry them out.”
a) From where is this line taken? Name the writer.
b) Who are “they” and “them”?
c) What idea is suggested by the above line? (05 marks)

iv) “You’ve forgotten all your neighbours. You don’t go anywhere, and you see nobody.”
a) In which work do these lines appear? Who is the author?
b) Who is the speaker? To whom is he/ she speaking to?
c) Why does the speaker say these words? (05 marks)

Section B - Answer the questions in either (a), (b) or (c)

Either
a) Read the following passage and answer the questions given below.

“Break not mine old heart; say thou know’st me. Thou dost know me, dost thou not?” “Yea;
thou art my dread lord the king, whom God preserve!”“True, true- that is well- be comforted,
tremble not so; there is none here who would hurt thee; there is none here but loves thee.
Thou art better now; thy ill dream passeth – is’t not so? And thou knowest thyself now also –
is’t not so?”
“I pray thee of thy grace believe me, I did but speak the truth, most dread lord; for I am a
pauper born, and ‘tis by a sore mischance I am here, albeit I was therein nothing blameful. I am
but young to die, and thou canst save me with one little word. Oh, speak it, Sir! Die? Talk not
so, sweet prince- thou shalt not die!

i) What situation is described in this extract? Who are “thee” and “me” (the underlined
words)? (02 marks)
ii)Why was “I” in fear and wanted to be saved? (02 marks)
iii)Explain the meanings of the following.
a) whom God preserve-
b) by a sore mischance- (02 marks)
iv) What does the extract suggest about the “king”? (04 marks)

Or

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 b) Read the following passage and answer the questions given below.

‘I was sad and I was angry. Not because we had left Depanama. Not because we had become
poor and were shifting to a half house; I was too young to understand the implications of that,
and I was not angry because I was carrying a bag full of smelly onions and milchard rice.

i) Who is the speaker? Where is he going? (02 marks)

ii) Who are “we” mentioned here? (02 marks)
iii) Write in your own words the meanings of the following.
a) implications-
b) a half house- (02 marks)
iv) Why was the speaker sad and angry? (04 marks)

Or

c) Read the following passage and answer the questions given below.

‘Jagan felt shocked for a moment, but he also felt a sneaking admiration. “The boy is very
practical,” he said with feeling. He sat brooding for some time and then said, trying to put on a
happy look, “See how self –reliant he has grown! I have always believed in leaving the entity to
develop by itself, without relying on extraneous support. As they say in the Gita: Every soul is
God ...’

i) What is the situation presented in the extract? Where does it take place? (02 marks)
ii) Why did Jagan feel shocked? (02 marks)
iii) Write the meanings of the following in your own words.
a) a sneaking admiration:
b) without relying on extraneous support: (02 marks)
iv) What attitude of the speaker towards “the boy” is revealed through this passage?
(04 marks)

Part- II

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 Poetry
(Answer one question only.)

2) In the poem To the Nile, John Keats appreciates the natural beauty of the river Nile and
the great service rendered by it. Discuss.

3) The poem Once Upon a Time brings out the feelings of a father who finds it saddening
to follow the behavioural pattern of the people in modern society. Discuss.

4) “The wife in The Clown’s Wife has admirable qualities as a wife.” Do you agree with the
statement? Discuss with examples.

5) Farewell to Barn and Stack and Tree warns us not to take any decision in a hurry which
may bring irreparable effects on us. Comment.

6) “Even though the poem The Huntsman is regarded as a humourous poem, it also
teaches us a moral.” Support this idea. (15 marks)

Drama
(Answer one question only.)

7) “Anton Chekhov makes the drama, The Bear humorous by the behaviours of the
characters; Popova, Smirnov and Luka.” Support this statement by taking examples.

8) In the drama, The Bear, Popova and Smirnov show human weaknesses. Cite with
examples. (15 marks)

Prose
(Answer one question only.)

9) The Lumber Room by Saki is a fine example to show generation gap. Justify your answer
with examples.

10) “Oscar Wilde brings forth many weaknesses of people by the characters of the Student
and the professor’s daughter.” Support this statement referring to the prose, The
Nightingale and the Rose.

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11) A young student can learn many valuable qualities through the extract from “Colin
Cowrey Lecture- The Lahore Attack”. Support this statement taking examples from the
extract.

12) In the extract from Wave Sonali Deraniyagala frankly expresses how humans react in
unexpected situations. Discuss. (15 marks)

Fiction
(Answer one question only.)

13) “Mark Twain shows the weaknesses of the ruling class and suffering of the poor.” Use
examples to support.

14) “Jagan in The Vendor of Sweets is weak as a father yet he is affectionate.” Support your
answer by referring to the text.

15) “Bringing Tony Home evokes deep emotions with the description of the relationship of
the narrator with his dog”. Discuss. (15 marks)