CBSE Previous Year Question Papers Class 10 English SA2 Delhi – 2014
Time allowed: 3 hours Maximum marks: 70
The Question Paper is divided into three Sections:
Section A – Reading 20 Marks
Section B Writing & Grammar 25 Marks
Section C – Literature 25 Marks
General Instructions:
- All questions are compulsory.
- You may attempt any Section at a time.
- All questions of that particular Section must be attempted in the correct order.
SET I
SECTION A – READING
Question.1. Read the following passage:
It’s Beginning to Bite
In these trying times, when buying ordinary food stuff can bum 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 that 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 is sold at a marked up price since it has more nutritional value because the animals are happy thanks to lilting 24 x 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)
1.1 On the basis of your reading of the above passage complete the following statements with suitable words/phrases:
(a) Buying ordinary food stuff can———-in these trying times. ,
(b) Organic and conventional milk has the———-and———-content and the vitamin count is also similar in both.
(c) According to a Stanford University study, organic food in relation to conventional food is ———-.
(d) One benefit of organic food is that ———-.
(e) Milk from cows which have music channels installed in the cowshed is ———-.
(f) In India, eating organic food is a ———-.
(g) The growth rate of organic food market in India is———-and the export market is valued at———-
(h) According to the author it is much better to ———- the food on one’s plate rather than ———-it.
Answer.
(a)bum a hole in our pockets
(b)protein; fat
(c)as nutritious
(d)it is less contaminated with pesticides
(e)sold at a higher price
(f)style statement
(g)20-22%; Rs 1,000 crore
(h)enjoy; decoding
Question.2. Read the passage given below:
The Perfect Dog
1. In the summer of 1967, when I was 10 years old, my father caved into my persistent pleas and took me to get my own dog. Together we drove in the family station wagon far into the Michigan countryside to a farm run by a rough-hewn woman and her ancient mother. The farm produced just one commodity — dogs. Dogs of every imaginable size and shape and age and temperament. They had only two things in common: each was a mongrel of unknown and distinct ancestry and each was free to a good home.
2. I quickly decided the older dogs were somebody else’s charity case. I immediately raced to the puppy cage. “You want to pick one that’s not timid,” my father coached. “Try rattling the cage and see which ones aren’t afraid.”
3. I grabbed the chain-link gate and yanked on it with a loud clang. The dozen or so puppies reeled backward, collapsing on top of one another in a squiggling heap of fur. Just one remained. He was gold with a white blaze on his chest, and he charged at the gate, yapping fearlessly. He jumped up and excitedly licked my fingers through the fencing. It was love at first sight.
4. I brought him home in a cardboard box and named him Shaun. He was one of those dogs that gives dogs a good name. He effortlessly mastered every command I taught him and was naturally well behaved. I could drop a crust on the floor and he would not touch it until I gave the okay.
5. Relatives would visit for the weekend and returned home determined to buy a dog of their own, so impressed were they with Shaun—or “Saint Shaun,” as I came to call him. Bom with the curse of an uncertain lineage, he was one of the tens of thousands of unwanted dogs in America. Yet by some stroke of almost providential good fortune, he became wanted. He came into my life and I into his—and in the process, he gave me the childhood every kid deserves.
6. The love affair lasted fourteen years and by the time he died I was no longer the little boy who had brought him along on that summer day. I was a man, out of college and working across the state in my first real job. Saint Shaun had stayed behind when I moved on. It was where he belonged. My parents, by then retired, called to break the news to me. My mother would later tell me, “In fifty years of marriage, I’ve only seen your father cry twice. The first time was when we lost Mary Ann” — my sister, who was stillborn. “The second time was the day Shaun died.”
7. Saint Shaun of my childhood. He was a perfect dog. At least that’s how I will always remember him. It was Shaun who set the standard by which I would judge all other dogs to come. ‘ (Marley and Me by John Grogan)
2.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions briefly:
(a) What commodity did the farm produce? Which two things were common in each of these commodities?
(b) How did the author decide which puppy he wanted to take home from the dog farm?
(c) Why was Shaun one of those dogs that give dogs a good name?
(d) On what two instances did the author’s father cry?
Answer. (a) The farm produced just one commodity and that was dogs of every shape size, age and temperament. All these dogs had two things in common, each dog was a mongrel of unknown and distinct ancestry and each was free to a good home.
(b) On his father’s advice, the author took the chain-linked puppy cage and yanked on it loudly. This action scared* all the puppies but one who charged at the gate, yapping fearlessly. He was a gold puppy with a white blaze on his chest. The author automatically fell in love with this puppy as he excitedly jumped up and licked the author’s fingers and decided to take him home.
(c) Shaun was an extremely obedient dog. He mastered every command taught to him by the author and was naturally well behaved. He was so obedient that even if a crust would fall on the floor, he did not touch it till he got an okay from his master.
(d) The author’s father first cried when they lost his sister Mary Ann, who was stillborn. And the second instance was when the author’s dog ‘Shaun’ died.
2.2 Choose the most appropriate meaning of the given word from the options provided
(a) The word ‘pleas’ means
(i) to please someone (ii) noticeable
(iii) urgent request (iv) a command
(b) The word ‘collapsing’ means
(i) falling (ii) lying (iii) climbing (iv) declining
(c) The word ‘lineage’ means
(i) lining up (ii) descent from an ancestor
(iii) forefathers (iv) move forward
(d) The word ‘retired’ means
(i) to get tired (ii) withdraw from one’s work
(iii) to get hurt (iv) join work
Answer. (a) (iii) urgent request
(b) (i) falling
(c) (ii) descent from an ancestor
(d) (ii) withdraw from one’s work
SECTION B – WRITING & GRAMMAR
Question.3. You are Ankita staying at 35, Palam Street, Nagpur. You recently attended a seminar on ‘Effective Listening Skills’ and found it to be of great value. Write a letter to your friend, Anita in 100-120 words, giving details of the seminar and sharing what you learnt in the seminar. You can use the points given below: 5
* Venue and participants
* Listening is as important as speaking
* Listening—a tool in good communication
* Builds concentration
* Important for a student
Or
Write-an article in about 100-120 words on ‘River pollution.’ You may use the clues given below:
* rivers, biggest source of water
* victims of pollution
* industrial waste
* city waste drained into them
* religious ceremonies—idol immersion
* garlands and flowers
* ashes after cremation poured into rivers
Answer.
35, Palam Street
Nagpur
13th September, 2014
Dearest Anita
I hope you and your family are doing well.
I recently attended a two-day seminar on ‘Effective Listening Skills’ in my school and found it to be of great value. Almost fifty class X students participated in this seminar which was conducted by various experts that included renowned psychologists and writers. This seminar emphasized on how one could become an active listener and also acquire the skills to listen strategically. We understood that listening is a tool in good communication and is as important as speaking. It builds concentration which is most important for students. We were also told about the four key components of the strategic listening process, which are hearing, interpreting, evaluating and responding.
This seminar helped us to develop an understanding of the attitudes and skills necessary for effective listening. It was indeed most enlightening.
Bye for now. Give my regards to Uncle and Auntie.
Ankita
Or
River Pollution
By: ABC
It is indeed unfortunate that rivers, which are our largest source of water are victims of pollution.
Countless tanneries, chemical plants, textile mills, slaughter houses, hospitals contribute to pollution of rivers by dumping untreated waste into it. People who do not have the proper living Conditions in India, resort to carrying out all their daily activities like bathing, washing and defecation, on the bank of rivers, and thus pollute them. Discharge of sewage and other domestic waste into the rivers is yet another cause of river pollution in our country. During religious ceremonies idol immersion in the rivers is yet another environmentally hazardous practice, that is polluting the rivers. Religious practices also demand that floral offerings be cast off in rivers and the ashes, after cremating a person should also be poured into rivers. Unfortunately one concludes despite laws dealing with the task of prevention and control of river pollution there is no end to the misery we humans inflict on our rivers.
Question.4. Complete the given story in 150-200 words.
It was an unusual instance. Mr. Subramanium was late for his lecture. He hurried to his room and saw a peon dusting the table by putting all the articles of his table to one side. Mr. Subramanium mistook him for a thief who had come to steal the office property ——.
Or
Complete the given story in 150-200 words.
One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the purpose of showing his son how the poor people live so he could be thankful for his wealth. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip”?—————.
Answer. It was an unusual instance. Mr. Subramanium was late for his lecture. He hurried to his room and saw a peon dusting the table by putting all the articles of his table to one side. The professor mistook him for a thief who had come to steal the office property. He entered the room silently and caught hold of the peon. Caught off guard, the peon tried his best to reveal his identity, but the professor was not ready to reason out. He did not let him loose lest he might run away. At last, the office boy had to yell for help. Many people gathered’ to help the poor man and assured the professor of his identity. Discovering the truth, the professor felt embarrassed and apologized for his misunderstanding.
Or
One day a father of a very wealthy family took his ‘son on a trip to the village with the purpose of showing his son how the poor people live so he could be thankful for his wealth. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip”? “It was great, Dad,” the son replied. “Did you see how poor people can be?” the father asked. “Oh yes” said the son. “So what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father. The’ son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.” “We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.” “Our verandah reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.” “We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.” “We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.” “We buy our food, but they grow theirs.” “We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them.” With this the boy’s father was speechless. Then his son added, “Thanks dad for showing me how poor we are.”
Question.5. Complete the paragraph given below by filling in the blanks with one word only with the help of options that follow:
While peeling the sweet lime and oranges (a)……… careful so that the segments are not mashed. The lettuce leaves are (b)……… into pieces. They are kept in ice-cold water (c)………ten minutes.
(a) (i) was (ii) is (iii) be (iv) will
(b) (i) broken (ii) break (iii) breaks (iv) broke
(c) (i) with (ii) for (iii) on (iv) during
Answer. (a) (iii) be
(b) (i) broken
(c) (ii) for
Question.6. In the following passage, one word has been omitted in each line. Write the missing words along with the word that comes before and the word that comes after in your answer sheet against correct blank number.
The days global warming a very hot (a) —– ——- ——–
topic, seeing as the earth grows hotter each passing (b) —– ——- ——–
year. The effect of man’s industrialization quietly (c) —– ——- ——–
yet continuously eked away at the delicate balance the (d) —– ——- ——–
planet’s atmosphere and ecosystem, but within last (e) —– ——- ——-
30 years the damage markedly increased. (f) —– ——- ——–
The cruel perspective of global warming a phenomenon (g) —– ——- ——–
of increase the average temperature of an atmosphere. (h) —– ——- ——–
Answer. (a) warming is a (b) hotter with each
(c) industrialization has quietly (d) balance of the
(e) within the last (f) damage has. markedly
(g) warming is a (h) increase in the
Question.7. Rearrange the following words / phrases to form meaningful sentences:
(a) more than / are child workers / the Indian population / five per cent of /
(b) engaged / in agriculture / tens of thousands / are chiefly /
(c) work / in urban areas / many/of industries / in a variety /
Answer. (a) More than five percent of the Indian population are child workers.
(b) Tens of thousands are chiefly engaged in agriculture.
(c) Many work in urban areas in a variety of industries.
SECTION C – LITERATURE & LONG REAPING TEXT
Question.8. Read the extract given below and answer briefly the questions that follow:
“…….its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed.
(a) What do “lifeless things” refer to?
(b) How do we know that he was a good sculptor?
(c) How did the heart feed the passions?
Or
Read the extract given below and answer briefly the questions that follow:
“I hadn’t the shade of an idea, but at the time that didn’t worry me in the least. You see, 1 had often been like that before “
(a) Who is ‘I’? What did he not have an idea about?
(b) Why was he not worried? . ‘
(c) What had actually happened earlier to make things right for him?
Answer. (a) “Lifeless things” refers to the fragments of the statue.
(b) We know that he was a good sculptor because the expression of the King’s frown, a wrinkled lip and a sneer survive till today on the statue’s face.
(c) The heart feeds the passions due to Ozymandias’ emotions which are revealed by the expressions on his face.
Or
(a) T -refers to John Hailock. He did not have an idea as to how he was going to find a suitable plot for writing a ghost story.
(b) He was not worried he had often been in a similar situation and finally he always came up with solutions.
(c) It seemed he had always been able to come up with an idea for a plot, out of nowhere.
Question.9. Answer any four of the following in 30-40 words each:
(a) How did Sebastian Shultz communicate with Michael? What did he say in his last message?
(b) What is the dilemma that the poet faces when he sees the snake?
(c) Why did Calpurnia try to stop Caesar from going to the senate?
(d) What happened when the ship reached the land of mist and snow?
(e) What special touches did Patol Babu give to his role to make it more authentic?
Answer. (a) Sebastian Shultz communicated with Michael through the printer attached to the computer. In his last message he asked if they could have one last try at the game and told him to enter ‘Warzone’. If that did not work, he would not bother him again.
(b) The poet experiences conflicting emotions and a dilemma when he sees the snake. The snake’s grace and dignity fascinate him. But education and social conventions tell him that the poisonous snake should be killed, whereas his instinct tells him not to kill that creature which was not harming him.
(c) Calpurnia begs Caesar not to go to the senate house because she had dreamt and heard about various unnatural occurrences on that day, which she felt were ill-omens. She considers them as a warning for Caesar’s forthcoming end. Fearing his life is in danger she forbids him from venturing out of the house.
(d) When the ship reached the land of the mist and snow, it became extremely cold and a ‘ mast-high iceberg, emerald green in colour came floating by. The floating ice and the
steep sides of the iceberg presented a very dismal scene. The mariners could see no form of life as they were totally surrounded by ice which cracked and made growling sounds.
(e) Since Patol Babu was a meticulous man he gave special touches to his inconsequential role to make it more authentic. He began with practicing the exclamation ‘Oh!’ in a number of different ways to get the perfect emotion. He decided to be engrossed in reading a newspaper at the time of colliding with the hero so as to bring out the character’s loss of attentiveness. He also brought out a series of emotions of irritation, pain and anguish when he collided with the hero.
Question.10. ‘Not that I loved Caesar less, but I loved Rome more.’
Brutus says this as he justifies to the Romans why Caesar was assassinated by them, Do you agree with Brutus? Justify your answer in 80-100 words by giving examples from the play.
What values does Brutus display as he says this line to the Romans?
Or
Sharing his grief with the wedding guest help alleviate the pain of the ancient mariner. As the wedding guest, write a page of your diary on your encounter with the ancient mariner and how you come to sympathize with him.
Answer. Although Brutus is sincere in his love for his country and for the liberty of the people of Rome, his act of joining the conspirators and assassinating Caesar are not justified. Brutus is an idealist who completely lacks practical insight and cannot judge people. Though he claims that he consented to join the conspirators for killing Caesar for the noble cause of saving his country from Caesar’s dictatorship, his claim is absolutely unjustified. By falling an easy prey to the conspirators’ malicious intentions and growing jealousy towards Caesar, Brutus displays his complete lack of insight into people’s thoughts and intentions. He is an idealist, a dreamer who commits not one but two strategic blunders. First he joins hands with the conspirators and betrays Caesar and then he permits Mark Antony to address the people of Rome after Caesar’s death.
Or
25th February, 20xx
When I had set off for the wedding never had I thought that I would be at the receiving end of an incident which would leave an everlasting impression on me. As the old man stopped me when I was about to enter the wedding hall, I had thought he was an eccentric person who had lost his mental balance. But the sparkle in his glittering eyes held me hypnotically and I was unable to move from there even though he did not hold me physically. Then he began his story and as his story unfolded I could see a tormented look on his face which I realized was the guilt of his wanton action that weighed heavily on his mind and soul. Narrating it, perhaps over and over again, always made him feel a little lighter. When the ancient mariner had started relating his tale, I was a disinterested listener eager to join the wedding feast but towards the end of his story, not only was I totally engrossed but also completely sympathized with the old man whose guilt did not allow him to get even some peace of mind.
Attempt either Part (A) or Part (B)
PART (A)
Question. 11A. Describe in 200-120 words Margot and Anne’s relationship with their parents.
Or
Write a character sketch of Mrs. Van Daan in 100-120 words.
Answer. Anne adores her father, he is her idol and they share a very special relationship. Anne feels this special bonding with him because she considers herself to be more similar to him than to her mother and sister. She continually tries to impress her father, live upto his expectations and to obey his wishes. But this is not to be seen in Anne’s relationship with her mother. Anne can sense her growing distance horn her mother, who she feels is more close to Margot. Anne feels she does not fit with her mother and sister. Anne and her mother have a different opinion on everything. Anne came to understand that her differences with her mother resulted from misunderstandings which were as much her fault as her mother’s and even realized that she added unnecessarily to her mother’s suffering. Anne was jealous of Margot for the special attention and privileges she received from their father and also because she (Margot) had quite a good relationship with their mother.
Or
Mrs. Van Daan is one person Anne cannot stand. Anne feels she is aggressive, selfish, rarely helpful and always instigates fights. Her character does not change over time. She remains petty, egotistical and disagreeable. Mrs. Van Daan frequently complains about the family’s situation, a criticism that Anne does not approve of. Being a quarrelsome and irritating woman, Mrs. Van Daan is always picking a fight with someone, especially her husband. She also constantly criticizes Anne’s behaviour, indicating that, she (Anne) has not been raised properly. She is also jealous of Anne’s relationship with her son, Peter and wants him to confide in her rather than in Anne. But generally she is a neat and tidy woman, who Anne at times finds easier to approach than her own mother.
PART (B)
Question.11B.How did Helen Keller enjoy her visit to the World Fair? (100-120 words)
Or
Attempt in 100-120 words a character sketch of Miss Sullivan.
Or, What role did Mr. Gilman play in Helen Keller’s life? (100-120 words)
Answer. During the summer of 1893, Helen and Miss Sullivan visited the World Fair with Dr. Alexander Graham Bell. Helen recalls those delightful days when she felt that many of her childish fancies became beautiful realities. Each day, in her imagination, she made a trip round the world, and saw many wonders from the farthermost parts of the world, which included marvels of invention, treasuries of industry and skill and all the activities of human life, actually passed under Helen’s finger tips. Mr. Higinbotham, President of the World Fair, gave her the consent to touch the exhibits and with a keen eagerness, Helen took in the glories of the Fair with her fingers. Everything fascinated her because it felt so lifelike and she thought them to be angel visions which the artist had caught and bound in earthly forms.
Or
Anne Sullivan was a life long teacher and companion to Helen Keller. Her arrival brought about a miraculous change in Helen’s life and the world became more meaningful and full of things quivering with life for Helen. Miss Sullivan was extremely sensitive and so she had an inexplicable sympathy with Helen’s pleasures and desires. She came up with the most interesting and novel ways to tutor Helen. Miss Sullivan’s sympathy, genius and loving nature made the first few years of Helen’s education most joyous and beautiful. Time and again she provided Helen with the much needed courage and hope and it was due to her consistent patience and perseverance that Helen came out of her dark and sordid world.
Or
Mr. Gilman was the principal at Radcliffe College, where Helen attained her degree. He was the only teacher who had learned the finger language to instruct Helen in her studies. Mr. Gilman instructed her for a part of the year in English literature. Mr. Gilman’s extensive views on history and literature, his clever explanations made Helen’s work easier and more convenient. He read all the papers to her by the means of the manual alphabet. He sat with her and read the examination papers to her sentence by sentence. He spelled out to her what she had written so that she could make the required changes. He sent her written work to the examiners with the certificate that Helen herself had written the papers. But he thought Helen was overworked even though Miss Sullivan did not think that she was. Finally due to a difference of opinion between him and Miss Sullivan,
Helen’s mother withdrew her from school. Though Mr. Gilman did help Helen he underestimated her capacity for hard work.
SET II
Note: Except for the following questions, all the remaining questions have been asked in Set-I.
SECTION B
Question.5. Complete the paragraph given below by filling in the blanks with one word only with the help of options that follow:
He is the first to (a)…….. served. He is a glutton (b)…….. he likes the food. While eating he (c)…….. a lot.
(a) (i) is (ii) was (iii) be (iv) been
(b) (i) if (ii) while (iii) where (iv) but
(c) (i) talk (ii) talks (iii) talked (iv) talking
Answer. (a) (iii) be
(b) (iv) but
(c) (ii) talks
Question.7. Rearrange the following words/phrases to form meaningful sentences:
(a) your destiny / it / right hand / is said / your / that / is in /
(b) problems / determine / how / our personalities / with / in life / we deal /
(c) that others / can cope / some people / better / hardships, / with /
Answer. (a) It is said that your destiny is in your right hand.
(b) Our personalities determine how we deal with problems in life.
(c) Some people can cope better with hardships than others.
SECTION C
Question.9. Answer any four of the following in 30-40 words each:
(a) How do we know that Patol Babu was a dedicated actor?
(b) Why does the ancient Mariner compel the wedding guest to listen to his story?
(c) How does Decius Brutus persuade Caesar to accompany him to the senate house?
(d) Why did the second game seem very real to Michael?
(e) What does the poet’s ‘voice of education’ tell him on seeing the snake?
Answer. (a) Patol Babu was a dedicated actor. He practices hard to give special touches to his inconsequential role, to make it more authentic. He began by practicing the monosyllable dialogue ‘Oh!’ in different ways to get the perfect emotion. He also brought about a series of facial emotions when he collided with the hero.
(b) The ancient Mariner compelled the wedding-guest to listen to his story because sharing his grief with the wedding-guest helps to alleviate the pain of the mariner. His burden of guilt of killing an innocent bird is too heavy to bear and he desperately needs someone to hear out his story to relieve himself.
(c) Decius Brutus persuades Caesar to accompany him to the senate house by reminding him that the senators had decided to crown Caesar as the king and if he did not go to the senate house on that day, the senators may change their minds about crowning him.
(d) In the second game ‘Dragonquest’ the players were knights who had to save Princess Aurora from the dragon. It seemed very real to Michael because he received a message on the scoresheet from Sebastian to save him. All through the game as he and Sebastian were running away from the dragon, Michael could hear, feel and even smell the dragon in close pursuit.
(e) The poet’s voice of education and social conventions make him think that the golden brown poisonous snake should be killed and as a brave man he must undertake the task of killing it. The poet thus puts down his pitcher, picks up a log and hurls it at the snake.
SET III
Note: Except for the following questions, all the remaining questions have been asked in Set-I and Set-11.
SECTION B
Question.3. You are Kiran. You have been asked to write an article for the school magazine on The Importance of Value Education in School/ Write the article in about 100-120 words from the notes given below:
* Academics not enough
* Values stay lifelong
* Values bind family, society
* Schools inculcate values
* Personality development
Answer. The Importance of Value Education in School
Value based education is an educational philosophy that promotes an approach to teaching and learning based on positive human values. Today imparting academic knowledge to students is not enough. In order to provide a well rounded education to pupils, it is of utmost importance to include value based education in the curriculum. After home, school is the most important influence in a student’s life as students spend most amount of the time there. These values which are imparted to the young generation not only stay lifelong with them but also help in binding families and societies together. Values add to the overall personality development of children making them confident positive thinking individuals who will not only work for their own individual good but for the good of society as a whole.
Question.7. Rearrange the following words / phrases to form meaningful sentences:
(a) standing / a woman / the doorway / was / in /
(h) young / dressed / in red / and was / was/ she /
(c) was / hands / my dog / her / licking /
Answer. (a) A woman was standing in the doorway.
(b) She was young and was dresses in red.
(c) My dog was licking her hands.
SECTION C
Question.9. Answer any four of the following in 30-40 words each:
(a) Why did the news of Shultz’s miracle recovery shock Michael?
(b) What were the poet’s thoughts after the snake had gone?
(c) What did Caesar leave for the Romans in his will?
(d) Why did the wedding guest “beat his breast”?
(c) How does the poet bring out the ‘insignificance of humans’ in the poem ‘Ozymandias’?
Answer. (a) Michael was shocked by the news of the ‘miracle recovery’ because it was about the recovery from coma of a boy who he had gotten to know so well recently. The boy in question was Sebastian Shultz, his companion in the psycho-drive game. Michael had’finally succeeded in saving Sebastian in the game after several futile attempts and now that finally Sebastian Shultz too had come out of coma. Michael was shocked on discovering that the real Sebastian and the one in the game were actually the same person.
(b) After the snake had gone, the poet is gripped with a sudden sense of guilt. He regrets his wanton act of hitting the snake. He feels it was wrong on his part to throw a log of wood at the snake. He wishes the snake would come back so that he could make amends and expiate for his petty, cowardly act.
(c) Caesar left seventy-five drachmas to every Roman in his will. Moreover, he left his private garden and orchards on the Tiber riverside for the rest and recreation of the citizens of Rome and their coming generations.
(d) The Wedding-Guest could hear the sound of the bassoon which signalled the arrival of the bride and meant that the wedding ceremony would begin soon. But he was not able to attend the celebrations and was forced to listen to the mariner’s tale so he beat his breast in utter desperation.
(e) The poet emphasizes how only the legs of the statue of King Ozymandias stand erect, the upper portion has fallen and is almost buried in the desert. So the message conveyed through this poem is that the glories of our blood and state are mere shadows and not everlasting. Even the authority of a king has to end. Their attempt to immortalise themselves by building statues and monuments is futile as they too get ruined as time passes by.
