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Kerala Syllabus Class 10 English Question Paper March 2021 with Answers
Time: 2½ Hours
Total Score: 80 Marks
Instructions:
- 20 minutes is given as cool off time.
- Use cool off time to read the questions and plan your answers.
- Attempt the questions according to the instructions.
- Keep in mind the score and the time while answering the questions.
- The maximum score for questions from 1 to 45 will be 80.
Questions 1 – 5. Read the following excerpt from ‘The Snake and the Mirror’ and answer the questions that follow.
It was a hot summer night about ten o’clock. I had my meal at the restaurant and returned to my room. I heard a noise from above as I opened the door. The sound was a familiar one. One could say that rats and I shared the room. I took out my box of matches and lighted the kerosene lamp on the table.
The house was not electrified; it was a small rented room. I had just set-up medical practice and my earnings vyere meagre. I had about sixty rupees in my suitcase. Along with some shirts and dhotis, I also possessed one solitary black coat which I was then wearing.
Question 1.
What is the time referred to in the passage? (1)
Answer:
About ten o’clock in the night.
Question 2.
‘The sound was a familiar one’. What makes the homeopath say so? (2)
Answer:
The homeopath says so because there were some rats in the room he stayed and so he was familiar with the sound.
Question 3.
Identify the sentence that tells you the homeopath is not an experienced doctor. (1)
Answer:
“I had just set up medical practice and my earnings were meagre. “
Question 4.
What were the possessions of the homeopath ? (1)
Answer:
He had about 60 rupees in his suitcase. He had some shirts and dhotis and a black coat.
Question 5.
Pick out the word that means‘not having enough of something’ from the passage. (1)
Answer:
meagre
Questions 6 – 9: Read the lines from ‘The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ and answer the questions that follow.
Upon the time of sparrow chirp
When the moths came once more,
The old priest Peter Gilligan
Stood upright on the floor.
‘Mavrone, mavrone! The man has died
While I slept in the chair.’
He roused his horse out of its sleep
And rode with little care.
Question 6.
Pick out the two references in the first stanza that tell you the time is early morning. (2)
Answer:
a) The time of sparrow chirp
b) The moths came once more
Question 7.
Identify an instanace of alliteration in the first stanza. (1)
Answer:
Priest Peter
Question 8.
How did Peter Gilligan express his sadness in not performing his duty? (1)
Answer:
He expresses his sadness in not performing his duty by saying, “Mavrone, mavrone! The man has died while’ I slept in the chair.
Question 9.
What did Peter Gilligan do once he realised his mistake? (1)
Answer:
He roused his horse out of its sleep and rode without any delay.
Question 10: Read the lines from the poem ‘Lines Written in Early Spring’ and prepare a note of appreciation focusing on its theme, imagery and poetric devices.
I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.
To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.
Answer:
The poet says that while sitting reclined on a woodland grove, his mind was filled with several thoughts. While he finds solace in the nature’s beauty, the same beauty also reminds him of sad thoughts. The speaker appreciates the nature for her god like abilities of linking a human soul to herself but he also feels grief while thinking about how cruelly man has separated himself from mother nature. The poet is highly appreciative of nature’s beauty. He finds delight in the green bowers and has faith that the beautiful flowers enjoy every ounce of the air they breathe and they are thankful for living beside the nature.
The speaker observes the birds which sing and hop around him. He is in awe of these creatures. Though the speaker does not understand their language and ways, he does recognize that the birds are creating all these movements out of sheer pleasure and joy. The breeze blowing is sweet and light, the twigs are spreading out as’if to catch the sweet air and all the poet can do is gather pleasure in their existence. The speaker questions that if this is heaven and this is the holy plan of nature then what man has done to himself is really bad. Man has separated himself from such joy and is spending his time hating one another and fighting wars.
The poem has 6 quatrains and the rhyming scheme is abab. There are examples of personification. There isfine visual and auditory imagery. We too feel like the poet reclining in the grove watching the flowers and listening to the music of the birds. Nature is really beautiful.
Question 11: Read the lines from the poem ‘The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ and prepare a note of appreciation focusing on its theme, imagery and other poetric devices.
The old priest Peter Gilligan
Was weary night and day
For half his flock were in their beds
Or under green sods lay.
Once, while he nodded in a chair
At the moth-hour of the eve
Another poor man sent for him
And he began to grieve.
Answer:
The poem The Ballad of Father Gilligan’ by the renowned Irish poet William Butler Yeats is a typical ballad. Composed in quatrains with the rhyme scheme of ABCB, the poem narrates the story of priest Peter Gilligan. The poem deals with the themes of the pity and piety of the old priest, the death and miseries of his parishioners and the limitless love and mercy of God. The priest is very tired and upset because half of his parishioners are either dead or in sick-bed due to an epidemic. He is in service of them day and night.
Being very tired and upset, one evening he muttered he had no rest, no joy and no peace. Soon he realized his mistake and prayed God for forgiveness, and while praying he fell asleep on a chair. He’ could not attend the last moments of a dying man. He woke up only the following morning at the time of sparrow chirp. He realized his failure of duty and soon he roused his horse and rode to the sick man’s house. When he reached the house, the sick man’s wife asked the priest in surprise why he came again. She also toIrftftSt the man had died an hour earlier as merry as a bird. From the wife’s words, the priest understood that God had sent an angel to do his duties in his absence. He then knelt in prayer and praised God saying that the most powerful God has shown mercy upon him, the silliest of God’s creations.
There is repetition in the poem. The opening line ’’The old priest Peter Gilligan” is repeated four tirpes. There are many examples of alliteration in the poem such as ‘priest Peter, ‘die and die’, ‘Mavrone mavrone the man”, ‘no rest, nor joy, nor peace’, etc.-, The word ‘And’ is repeated at the beginning of several successive lines, which is an example of anaphora. The priest’s riding horse, dawn and dusk with the presence of moths, are examples of visual Images. The chirp of sparrows and the priest’s cry of ‘mavrone, mavrone’ are auditory Images. ‘Stars began to peep’ is an example of Personification. ‘He died as merry as a bird’ is a simile. It is a fine poem with a beautiful message.
Questions 12 – 17: Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
A lovely little girl was holding two apples with both hands. Her mom came in and softly asked her little daughter with a smile, “My sweetie, could you give your mom one of your apples?”
The girl looked up at her mom for some seconds, then she suddenly took a quick bite on one apple, and then quickly on the other. The smile on mom’s face froze. She tried hard not to reveal her disappointment.
Then the little girl handed one of her bitten apples to her mom. She said, “Mummy, here you are. Take this apple. This is the sweeter one.”
No matter who you are, how experienced you are, and how knowledgeable you think you are, always delay judgement. Give others the privilege to explain themselves. What you see may not be the reality.
Question 12.
What did the mother ask the little girl for? (1)
Answer:
The mother asked the little girl to give her one of her apples.
Question 13.
What did the girl do after hearing the mother’s question? (1)
Answer:
After hearing the mother’s question, the girl bites both the apples she had.
Question 14.
Pick out the sentence that tells you the mother was upset. (1)
Answer:
“The smile on mom’s face froze.” or “She tried hard not to reveal her disappointment.”
Question 15.
The passage says that we should not …………………. (1)
Answer:
The passage says that we should not jump to conclusions.
Question 16.
The little girl bit both the apples to ………………..(1)
Answer:
The little girl bit both the apples to see which was sweeter.
Question 17.
Which apple did the girl hand over to her mother? (1)
Answer:
The girt handed over the sweeter apple to her mother.
Questions 18 – 22. Answer in about 120 words.
Question 18.
The fight between the cobra and the mongoose in the story ‘Adventures in a Banyan Tree’ is an exciting one. Narrate the fight scene in your own words. (Hints:- Cobra glides out of the clump – mongoose emerges from the bushes – mongoose is a clever fighter – cobra is skilful – mongoose bites the snake – mongoose wins – drags the cobra to the bushes)
Answer:
The boy was sitting on the platform half way up the 20. tree. It was an April afternoon. Warm breezes had sent everyone indoors. The boy was thinking of going for a swim, when he saw a black cobra coming out of a group of cactus. It was looking for a cooler place in the garden. A mongoose also came out and went towards the cobra. They came face to face.
The Cobra knew that the 3 feet long mongoose is a fine fighter, clever and aggressive. But the cobra was also an experienced fighter. He could move with great speed and strike the mongoose. His sharp teeth were full of poison. It was a battle of champions.
The cobra hissed. His tongue darted in and out. It was 6 feet long. It raised its three feet high and raised its broad, spectacled hood. The mongoose was also ready to fight Its hair on the spine stood up like bristles. They would help him to prevent his body from getting bitten. A myna and a jungle crow were watching the fight. At one stage they dived towards the cobra, but they missed it. The myna went back. The crow was trying to turn around when it was struck by the cobra. It died soon. The mongoose proved too clever for the cobra and finally it was killed by the mongoose which dragged it into the bush.
Question 19.
For compassionate souls helping others is a means to find happiness. Prepare a write-up based on the story The Best Investment I Ever Made’ justifying this statement. (7)
(Hints :- Narrator is a young doctor – a sergeant in¬forms him about a suicide case – tries hard to bring the man back to life – the man comes back to life – tells his story – narrator gives seven pounds and ten shillings)
Answer:
Cronin was travelling in a ship from New York. On the second day he realized that someone named John and his wife were eager to meet him. When they meet, John tells his story. John’s parents were dead. His uncle helped him to get a job of a clerk on a London Lawyer’s office. John had no friends and he fell into bad company. He started betting on horses. He lost all his savings, He than stole some money from the office safe to make a final bet. But again he lost. He wanted to commit suicide. He went to the room and turned on the gas. Cronin, who was a doctor, was called to attend to John who has found unconscious.
There was also a policeman and the landlady of John. When John was revived, he told the three people why he stole the money. They felt pity for him. The doctor gave him the money to place it back in the safe from where he had taken it. The policeman would not report any case against John. The landlady would give him a month’s free board. John now changed completely. He worked hard and became a success. Now he and his wife are helping the backward, maladjusted and delinquent youth to return to normal life. Cronin feels that the money he gave John was the best investment he has ever made. It shows that for compassionate souls helping others is a means to find happiness.
Question 20.
Satyajit Ray and his team needed a tiger for the film ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’. But shooting the scene with the tiger turned out to be a very difficult task. Prepare a description in your own words detailing the difficulties they faced in shooting the scene at Notun Gram. (7)
(Hints:- Brings a tiger from the circus company – a lorry arrives with two tigers – the animal trainer Mr. Thorat tries to control the tiger – shooting completed – poor results – second attempt – shoots the scene)
Answer:
The famous Indian Film Director Satyajit Ray is getting ready to take his shots with a tiger for his film “Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne”. The tiger is from Bharat Circus. The shooting is taking place in a bamboo grove at Notun Gram. Thoratfrom Bharat Circus comes to the location with the tiger. Some 25 people are there to watch the shooting. The tiger is in a cage. Thorat’s men fix a five foot iron rod to the ground. They take a thin long wire and fix one end to the tiger’s skin collar. The other end is tied to the rod.
The door of the cage is opened and what followed was utter confusion. The tiger jumped and ran towards the spectators who fled for their lives. Then it rolled about dragging the trainer with it. When, the tiger calmed down, some shots were taken. But they found that the shots were not good enough. The shots were so dark that the tiger could not be seen distinctly from the trees and leaves. The scenes had to be shot again on a later date.
Question 21.
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer is a master storyteller. The story The Snake and the Mirror’ is an excellent example of his writing style blended with humour. Narrate in your words the incidents in the story highlighting the elements of humour. (7)
(Hints:- The homeopath shares the room with rats – earthshaking decisions – wishes to marry a fat woman – snake admires its own beauty – thief leaves the vest)
Answer:
The homeopath in the story is a poor man. His earnings are meagre. He has only Rs. 60 with him. He lives in a small rented room which is infested with rats. There is no electricity in the room. He is concerned with his appearance and he spends a lot of time in front of the mirror. He is conscious hfe is a doctor. He wants to appear smart and handsome. For that he will keep a thin moustache and keep smiling.
He wants to be a successful and rich man. He wants to marry a lady doctor with money and also good practice. He wants her to be very fat so that she does not catch up with him if he makes a mistake and wants to run away from her. But he ends up marrying a thin and slender woman who could run like a sprinter. He is proud of his looks.
He is feeling very happy when suddenly from the beam a cobra falls on him and coils itself around his arm. All his dreams about making himself more handsome and getting married vanish like mist in the sunshine. He has no medicine with him against snake poison. So he prays God to save him. When the snake moves out of his hand, seeing its reflection in the mirror, he flees for his dear life. When he returns the next day, he finds that even his small belongings, except his dirty vest, were gone. The poor doctor loses even the little he had. The story is very humorous because of the funny character of the homeopath.
Question 22.
Mr. John in the story, ‘The Best Investment I Ever Made’, met with unexpected twists and turns in his life. Narrate in your own words the events that happened in the life of Mr. John. (7)
(Hints:- An advocate’s clerk – falls victim to the habits of loose society – steals money – terrified of the prosecution – attempts suicide – Cronin helps – works as a social worker)
Answer:
John’s parents were dead. His uncle helped him to get a job of a clerk on a London Lawyer’s office. John had no friends and he fell into bad company. He started betting on horses. He lost all his savings. He then stole some money from the office safe to make a final bet. But again he lost. He wanted to commit suicide. He went to the room and turned on the gas. Cronin, who was a doctor, was called to attend to John who has found unconscious. There was also a policeman and the landlady of John.
When John was revived, he told the three people why he stole the money. They felt pity for him. The doctor gave him the money to place it back in the safe from where he had taken it. The policeman would not report any case against John. The landlady would give him a month’s free board. John now changed completely. He worked hard and became a success. Now he and his wife are helping the backward, maladjusted and delinquent youth to return to normal life.
Questions 23 – 27. Answer in about 80 words.
Question 23.
Prepare a profile of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer using the hints given. (6)
Born : 21 January 1908, Thalayolaparambu
Known as : Beypore Sultan
Spouse : Fabi Basheer
Notable works : ‘Balyakalasakhi’, ‘Shabdangal’,’ ‘PathummayudeAadu’
Awards : Padma Shri, Vallathol Award, Muttathu Varkey Award
Death : 1994
Answer:
Vaikom Muhammed Basheer was born at Thalayolaparambu, Vaikom, in Kottayam district, Kerala, on 21 January 1908. He is also known as the Beypore sultan. His wife was Fabi Basheer. Basheer was involved in the Freedom Movement and he spent sometime in the jail because of the activities connected with the Freedom Movement. He was a follower of Gandhi and met him when Gandhi came to Vaikom. Some of his notable works are “Premalekhanam”, “Balyakalasakhi”, “Shabdangal” and PathummayudeAadu”. Basheer has received many Awards and Honours which include “Padmashri”, “Vallathol Award”, and “Muttathu Varkey Award”. Basheer is one of the most popular writers of Malayalam literature. He is a great humorist and he had a special knack for making people smile and laugh. He died in 1994.
Question 24.
Mr. John in the story, The Best Investment I Ever Made’, writes a letter to Cronin thanking him for his help. Write the likely letter.
Answer:
Bristol Street
London IW43
2 January 1975
Dearest Dr. Cronin,
I don’t know how to express my gratitude to you for your generosity in helping me out of my dire predicament. Thank you, doctor! Thank you very much!
I lost my parents quite early in life. My uncle helped me to get a job of a clerk in a London Lawyer’s office. I had no friends and I soon fell into bad company. I started betting on horses. I lost all my savings. I then stole some money from the office safe to make a final bet. But again I lost. I wanted to commit suicide. I went to the room and turned on the gas and I became unconscious.
Dr. Cronin, you were then called to attend to me. There was also a policeman and my landlady. When I was revived, I told you and others why I stole the money. You all felt pity for me. You gave me the money to place it back in the safe from where I had taken it. The policeman would not report the case against me. The landlady would give me a month’s . free board. All these charitable acts changed me completely.
I then decided to work hard to become a success. And now I, along with my wife, am helping the backward, maladjusted and delinquent youth to return to normal life. All this was possible because of your timely help. I thank you once again for helping me at a critical time of my life. My wife is also very grateful to you, doctor.
May God bless you so that you can continue with your excellent work for a long time to come.
Thanking you, once again!
Yours sincerely,
(John)
Question 25.
The shooting at Notun Gram where Mr. Thorat arrived with two tigers in a lorry turns out to be an interesting incident for the onlookers. Imagine that you are a news reporter who happened to be at the shooting location. Prepare the likely news report.
Answer:
Notun Gram: Having heard that Satyajit Ray is getting ready to take his shots with a tiger for his film “Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne”, some 25 people come there to watch the shooting. Thorat from Bharat Circus comes to the location with two tigers. Both the tigers are in cages. The tigers are from Bharat Circus. The shooting is taking place in a bamboo grove at Notun Gram. The tiger which is going to be used for the shooting is in a cage. Thorat’s men fix a five foot iron rod to the ground.
They take a thin long wire and fix one end to the tiger’s skin collar. The other end is tied to the rod. The door of the cage is opened and what followed was utter confusion. The tiger ran towards the onlookers and they fled for their lives. It then jumped and rolled about dragging the trainer with it. When the tiger calmed down, some shots were taken. But they found that the shots were not good enough. The shots were so dark that the tiger could not be seen distinctly from the trees and leaves. The scenes had to be shot again on a later date. It was an interesting sight to see the famous film director shooting scenes with a tiger.
Question 26.
Mr. John in the story, The Best Investment I Ever Made’, decides to dedicate the rest of his life fqr people in need. Attempt a character sketch of Mr. John.
Answer:
John is a major character in the story “The Best Investment I Eve Made” by A.J. Cronin. John’s parents were dead. His uncle helped him to get a job of a clerk in a London Lawyer’s office. John had no friends and he fell into bad company. He started betting on horses. He lost all his savings. He then stole some money from the office safe to make a final bet. But again he lost. He wanted to commit suicide: He went to the room and turned on the gas. Cronin, who was a doctor, was called to attend to John who has found unconscious. There was also a policeman and the landlady of John. When John was revived, he told the three people why he stole the money. They felt pity for him.
The doctor gave him the money to place it back in the safe from where he had taken it. The policeman would not report any case against John. The landlady would give him a month’s free board. All these charitable things done to him by Cronin, the policeman and the land lady changed John completely. He worked hard and became a success. Now he and his wife are helping the backward, maladjusted and delinquent youth to return to normal life. John was helped by some people when he as in trouble. Now he wants to help others. It shows the good nature of John. He is a model for others to emulate.
Question 27.
The story The Adventures in a Banyan Tree’ describes a boy’s close-knit relationship with nature. Based on the story, prepare a write-up on the topic ‘Life in harmony with nature’.
Answer:
Life In Harmony with Nature
The boy in the story loved nature and he lives a life in harmony with nature. There is a banyan tree near the house of the boy’s grandfather. The boy spends his time on the tree very often. He has built a platform in the tree. He often sits there and reads and then spends his time observing the nature around him. Once he witnesses a fight between a mongoose and a cobra. The cobra hissed and his tongue darted in and out. It raised its broad, bespectacled hood. The mongoose was ready to fight. Its hair stood on the spine like bristles. A myna and a jungle crow were watching the fight. The mongoose-killed the cobra and dragged it into the bush.
A squirrel lived on the banyan tree. Once, the boy’s grandfather brought a white rat from the bazaar. The boy took the white rat to the tree. Soon the squirrel and the white rat became friends. They mated and the squirrel gave birth to three baby squirrels. The boy was surprised to see the baby squirrels. He told his grandfather about it. Then the grandfather said that squirrels and rats were related and if they mated they could have babies. For the boy it was new information. Life in harmony with nature makes it interesting and healthy.
Questions 28 – 36: Answer in about 60 words.
Question 28.
Even Mr. Thorat, the animal trainer, was surprised by the sudden emergence of the tiger from the cage in the lorry. Imagine you happened to meet Mr. Thorat and talk about the incident. Prepare the likely conversation between Mr. Thorat and you. (At least five exchanges).
Answer:
I : Good afternoon Mr. Thorat!
Thorat : Good afternoon. May I know your name?
I : I am Gopal. I belong to the Notun Gram village.
Thorat : How did you know my name?
I : I asked Satyajit Ray and he told me. Mr. Thorat, you looked surprised when the tiger jumped from the cage in the lorry. Were you worried?
Thorat : Yes, I was indeed worried. I thought it might break the chain and attack some of the onlookers.
I : Anyway, thank God nothing bad happened. Why did you bring two tigers?
Thorat : I brought 2 tigers so that if one has some problem, I could use the other. As a precaution I brought two tigers.
I : That was good. We enjoyed watching the shooting. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Thorat : It was nice talking to you. I am sure you will watch the film when it is released.
I : Of course, I will.
Thorat : Okay, thanks!
Question 29.
The Literary Club of your school has decided to conduct an Online Literary Fest. Well-known writer M.T.Vasudevan Nair has consented to inaugurate the fest. As the convener of the club you are asked to prepare a notice for the function. Draft the likely notice.
Answer:
ST. GEORGE’S HIGH SCHOOL, EDAPPALLY
LITERARY CLUB
20.3.2021
NOTICE
The Literary Club is organizing on Online Literary Fest. The renowned writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair has very kindly consented to inaugurate the Fest. The inaugural function will take place at 10.00 a.m. on the 30th of March, in our school auditorium.
It is a rare chance for you to see and hear one of the most famous writers of our generation. Entry is free. So do come and take part in the function.
Riya B. Francis
Secretary, English Club
Question 30.
Returning home after escaping from the snake, the homeopath was shocked to see almost everything he had was stolen. He was upset and jotted down his thoughts in his diary. Write the likely diary entry.
Answer:
Last night was the worst in my life. I returned to my room after taking my dinner. The room was not electrified. There was a kerosene lamp on the table. There was also a mirror there. There were rats in the room and they were making noise. I lit the lamp and looked into the mirror. I was thinking of my marriage, when cobra fell on me and coiled round my arm. I was stunned with fear. Fortunately for me, the snake saw its reflection in the mirror and moved towards it. I ran for my life. I went to a friend’s house and spent the night there.
I came back early next morning. What do I see? All my belongings – my suitcase, my shirts and my dhoties and my black coat – were stolen. Only my dirty vest was left behind. I was in real trouble. I will have to borrow a shirt and dhoti from my friend. I have no money to buy new things. I hope my friend will help me.
Question 31.
Martha, in the story The Scholarship Jacket’ happened to hear the conversation between Mr. Schmidt, her History teacher and Mr. Boone, her Math teacher. Write a paragraph on the topic of their discussion and the arguments they put forward to justify their points.
Answer:
Martha was a Class 8 student in a Texas school. In the school there was a custom that the student who maintained the topmost grades for all the 8 years would be awarded a scholarship jacket on the passing out function. (In America, even this is called graduation.) The jacket was free. But that year a Board Member wanted his daughter to get the scholarship jacket. For that, a new rule was made that only if the student pays 15 dollars, the jacket would be given. The member and some of his supporters among the staff knew that Martha was too poor to pay 15 dollars.
Then the jacket will go to Joanna, the daughter of the Board Member. Mr. Schmidt, Martha’s history teacher insisted that the scholarship jacket should go to Martha, whether she pays the money or not. According to him if merit was the only consideration, the jack should go to Martha. But Mr Boone, who was Martha’s Math teacher, felt that the jacket should be given to Joanna as she is the daughter of a Board Member, who owns the only store in town. Martha overheard this conversation between Mr. Schrnidt and Mr. Boone. She was grateful to Mr. Schmidt for supporting her.
Question 32.
After reaching home AM informed his sister Zahra that he had lost her shoes. Zahra was disappointed. Write the likely conversation between Ali and Zahra.
Answer:
Ali : Zahra, I have lost your shoes.
Zahra : Lost my shoes? What are you saying? How did you lose them?
Ali : I had your mended shoes in a bag. I then went to a vegetable shop. I kept the bag with the shoes outside, near the boxes of vegetables.
Zahra : And then?
Ali : As I was buying potatoes and other things, a junk collector came and took the bag with your shoes and put it in his handcart did went away. I did not know that. When I came to pick the bag it was missing.
Zahra : I will inform dad about the loss of my shoes.
Ali : Please don’t. He will scold me and beat me.
Zahra : What will I wear to school tomorrow?
Ali : You can wear my sneakers.
Zahra : It is okay for tomorrow. But you must do something so that I can have something to wear to school.
Ali : I will do my best to get you your shoes.
Zahra : Better! Otherwise our parents will know and you will be in trouble.
Question 33.
The boy in the story ‘Adventures in a Banyan Tree’ was excited to see the fight between the mongoose and the cobra. He wrote his thoughts in his diary. Write the likely diary entry.
Answer:
Today I saw an interesting fight between a cobra and a mongoose. It was a warm afternoon. The warm breeze kept people inside their homes. I was sitting on the platform in the tree, I was feeling drowsy and was thinking of going for a swim in the pond behind the house. Soon I saw a black cobra, coming out of a group of cactus. It was looking for a cooler place in the garden. A mongoose also came out and went towards the cobra. They came face to face. The cobra hissed, his tongue darted in and out.
The cobra was 6 feet long. It raised’Rs body 3 feet high and raised its broad, spectacled hood. The mongoose was also ready to fight. Its hair on the spine stood up like bristles. Two other spectators also came, a myna and a jungle crow. They settled down on the cactus to watch the fight. The cobra stuck the mongoose, but it neatly jumped to one side and bit the snake on the back and moved away from the reach or the snake.
The moment the cobra struck, the crow and myna flew fast towards it, but they collided in midair and then they returned to the cactus. There was some blood on the cobra’s back. It struck again but missed. The mongoose jumped again and bit the cobra; The crow and myna dived at the cobra. The cobra struck the crow and it died. The myna flew away. The cobra was weakening. The mongoose picked the cobra by its hood and dragged it into the bushes. I went home and told my grandfather about the fight I witnessed.
Question 34.
The story ‘Vanka’ narrates the torturing experiences faced by a boy named Vanka at Alyakhin’s house. Write a brief paragraph describing Vanka’s experiences at Alyankhin’s house.
Answer:
Vanka suffered a lot in the house of Alyakhin. Alyakhin beats him with the stirrup-strap because he had gone to sleep while rocking the baby of Alyakhin. Alyakhin’s wife is also a cruel woman. One day she told Vanka to clean a herring. He began cleaning it from the tail. She took it and rubbed its head on his face. Other apprentices make fun of him. They send him to buy vodka and make him steal the master’s cucumbers. He is not given enough food in the Alyakhin home. They give him bread in the morning, gruel for dinner and again bread for supper. He never gets tea or cabbage soup. They make him sleep in the passage. When the baby cries, he does not get any sleep as he has to rock it. He wants to escape from Alyakhin because he suffers a lot in his place.
Question 35.
Imagine that you happened to meet the Grandfather in the story ‘Adventures in a Banyan Tree’. Prepare a set of five questions you would like to ask him.
Answer:
a) Grandfather, I know that you love your grandson very much, Why are you so happy with him?
b) Why do you allow your grandson to spend so much time in the banyan tree?
c) Why do you like this place so much?
d) Suppose somebody offers you a very good price for your house and land here. Will you sell it and move to a town?
e) How did you know that rats and squirrels belong to the same family and they can mate and have babies? Is it from experience or have you learnt about it?
Question 36.
In her speech on the topic The Danger of a Single Story’ Adichie explains how the single story about something is often incomplete. Write a paragraph on how Adichie shows us an example for this in the case of Fide’s family.
Answer:
A single story creates stereotypes. The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but they are incomplete. Adichie gives the example of their houseboy Fide. Her mother told her that his family was very poor. Her mother sent yams, rice and old clothes to his family. When she could not finish her food her mother would say, “Finish it. Don’t you know that people like Fide’s family have nothing to eat?” Adichie felt pity for Fide’s family. One day she went to Fide’s village.
Fide’s mother showed her a beautifully patterned basket of dyed raffia that Fide’s brother had made. She was surprised. She never thought a member of Fide’s family could make something so beautiful. She had heard about their poverty and she simply knew only one thing about them – they were poor. Their poverty was her single story of them. When Adichie went to the USA, her roommate was surprised to hear her speaking English. The Americans thought Africans were uncivilized and so her roommate was surprised to hear Adichie speaking English.
Questions 37 – 42. The table given below shows the details of a few Nobel Prize winners. Study the table and answer the questions that follow.
| Name | Literary Area | Year | Country |
| Dorris Lessing | Novel | 2007 | The UK |
| Mario Vargas Llosa | Novel and Drama | 2010 | Peru |
| Bob Dylan | Song writer | 2016 | The USA |
| Louise Gluck | Poetry | 2020 | The USA |
Question 37.
Identify from the above table the song writer who won the Nobel Prize for literature. (1)
Answer:
Bob Dylan
Question 38.
Dorris Lessing was given the Nobel Prize in the year ………………… (1)
Answer:
2007
Question 39.
Which writer in the above list has two literary areas to his credit? (1)
Answer:
Mario Vargas Llosa
Question 40.
Who, according to the list above, is the latest winner of the Nobel Prize? (1)
Answer:
Louise Gluck
Question 41.
The country with two Nobel laureates in the list is …………………. (1)
Answer:
The USA
Question 42.
Who is the only poet in the list? (1)
Answer:
Louise Gluck
Question 43.
Complete the conversation suitably. (6)
Friend : You look really sad ………….(a)…………. ?
Martha : Yeah, I never thought I should pay for the scholarship jacket.
Friend : ………….(b)…………. ?
Martha : I won’t get the scholarship jacket this year.
Friend : ………….(c)…………. ?
Martha : They can take such decisions as they please.
Friend : …………..(d)…………. ?
Martha : No, I can’t pay the amount they demanded.
Friend : Then you can approach Grandfather. If you ask him ………….(e)…………. ?
Martha : I don’t think so.
Friend : Then you’d better ……………(f)…………..
Martha : Yeah, I’m thinking of complaining to the higher authorities.
Answer:
a) don’t you
b) If you don’t pay what will happen?
c) Can they take such decisions?
d) Can you pay the amount they demanded?
e) he will give you the money.
f) complain.
Question 44.
Fill in the blanks using the right phrases from the ones given in the box.
put up with, go on, turn down, go for, turn up
A lot of people ……………(a)…………… to watch the shooting of the film. The film crew ……………(b)…………… requesting the people to clear the field. But all the requests were ……………(c)…………… by the big crowd that assembled there. But when the tiger emerged from the cage and …………..(d)…………. the crowd, they ran for their lives.
Answer:
a) turned up
b) went on
c) turned down
d) went for
Question 45.
There are a few errors in the passage given below. They are underlined. Edit them.
In the case of very famous stars, this job is done over (a) their stand-ins. A stand in is usually a person that (b) is physical (c) similar to the real star. The stars themself (d) arrive only when the lights are ready and it is time to taking (e) a shot.
Answer:
a) by
b) who
c) physically
d) themselves
e) take