Q1.A. Read the following passage and answer the following questions. [9]
When the cousins appeared we excitedly told them about Old Tom. Dad rolled some mince balls and off we set to the stump. The cousins were from Mum’s side of the family and were all city-born and bred. They would almost faint at the sight of cows grazing, let alone a live snake. To them, snakes belonged in jars in a museum.
When we got to the stump, we all peered in and the city cousins were suitably horrified at the sight of Old Tom. The snake certainly looked huge. Dad rolled his sleeve right back of his shoulder with great gusto and wriggled close to the stump to get a good position. We all leaned for a good view.
Then as Dad reached into the stump with the mince ball in his hand, the snake suddenly coiled up, raised its neck and viciously struck Dad’s arm three or four times in rapid succession. Dad recoiled in shock and rolled several metres away from the stump. He was white as a ghost and completely dumbfounded as he looked at the blood-stained puncture holes in his arm.
I peered into the stump and saw two snake heads entwined in a tight embrace. In a frenzied delight, I yelled out: “Dad! Dad! Old Tom’s got a girl friend.” Pondering the situation for a moment, I added: “Girl snakes musn’t like being stroked.. Eh, Dad”
Questions :
1. How did Dad look after he was struck on his arm?
2. What did the narrator commenton seeing the two snake heads?
3. What, do you think,we can learn from this text?
4. (a) Dad recoiled in shock and rolled several metres away.
(Rewrite as a SimpleSentence)
(b) The snake certainly looked huge. (Rewrite as an ExclamatorySentence)
5. (i) Identifya compound word from the passage.
(ii) Frame one sentence usingboth, 'coil up' and 'recoiled'.
6. Why does the narrator say that his city cousins were suitably horrified?
Q1. B. Read the following passage and answer the following questions. (9)
I was tryingto figure out a way to tell this fellow, withoutbeing too blunt, that he just wasn’t what I had in mind at all. I asked him about his background. He said he had a degree in agriculture from Oklahoma State University and that he had been a ranch hand in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, for the past few years during the summers. He announced that was all over now, he was ready to be a success in “biness,” and he would just “shoreappreciate a chance.”
We continued to talk. He was so focused on success and how he would “shore appreciate a chance” that I decided to give him a chance. I told him that I would spend two days with him. In those two days I would teach him everything I thought he needed to know to sell one type of very small telephone system. At the end of those two days he would be on his own.He asked me how much money I thought he could make.
Itold him, “Lookinglike you look and knowingwhat you know, the best you can do is about $ 1,000 per month.” I went on to explain that the average commission on the small telephone systems he would be selling was approximately $ 250 per system. I told him if he wouldsee 100 prospects per month, that he would sell four of those a telephone system. Selling four telephone systems would give him $1,000. I hired him on straight commission with no base salary.
He said that sounded great to him because the most he had evermade was $ 400 per month as a ranch handand he was ready to make some money. The next morning, I sat him down to cram as muchof the telephone “biness” I could into a 22-years-old cowboy with no business experience, no telephone experience and no sales experience. He looked like anything but a professional salesperson inthe telecommunications business. In fact, he had none of the qualities I was looking for in an employee, except one: He had an incredible focus on being a success.
Questions :
1. Why was Cowboyfinally hired?
2. Which essentials did the cowboy lack?
3. What experiences would have made Cowboy a perfect hand for the company?
4. (a) He was ready to be a successin biness.
(Change the underlined word to an adjective and rewrite)
(b) I hired him on straightcommission with no base salary.
(Rewrite as an Affirmative Sentence)
5. (i) Write from the passage expressions meaning:
(a) to think about (b) to be very frank
(ii) Write the synonyms of : (a) incredible (b) approximately
6. What impressed you the most about the cowboy from the passage?
Q1. C. Read the following Poem and answer the following questions.
I have workoutclothes and sweat bands
Evena ‘get-fit’ coffeecup!
Butthat scale hasn’tbudged an inch
So,I’m on the verge of giving up!
I’vejust about convinced myself That it’s true what some folks say…. You have heard it too…….Eat Right! Get Fit? Die anyway!!
Sofor those who are devoted
Totrying to make me over, PLEASE! If God wanted me to touch my toes
Hewould have put them on my knees!
I believe He loves us as we are
Thatincludes both big AND small So when I reach the gates of Heaven It will be flab and all
Questions :
1. Whyis the poet convinced that he was not meant to touch his toes ?
2. Whatare the reasonsthat have made the poet give up exercising?
3. Whyis the word ‘PLEASE’ in capital letters ?
4. Giveone example of a figurative language.
5. Givetwo pairs of rhyming words .
Q1. D, Read the following Poem and answer the following questions. (5 marks)
And a merchant said, “Speak to us of Buying and Selling.” And he answered and said :
To you the earth yields her fruit, and you shall not want if you but knowhow to fill your hands.
It is in the exchangingthe gifts of the earth that you shall find abundance and be satisfied .
Yet unless the exchange be in love and kindly justice, it will but leadsome to greed and others to hunger.
When in the market place you toilers of the sea and fields and vineyards meet the weavers and the potters and the gatherers of spices,
Invoke then the master spiritof the earth, to come into your midst and sanctify the scales and the reckoning that weighs value against value.
And suffernot the barren-handed to take part in your transactions who would sell theirwords for your labour.
Questions :
1. Why should the master spiritof the earth be invoked?
2. What does The Prophetadvise the merchantsabout the exchange of goods?
3. What are the views of the poet about buying and selling ?
4. Pick the odd one out from each of the following sets :
(i) toilers, vineyards, weavers, potters.
(ii) buying, selling, exchanging, reckoning.
5. Bring out the antithetical idea contained in the eighth line of the poem.
Q.2. (A) Write any one of the following letters : 5
Write a letter to the Municipal Commissioner, requesting him for sanctions fora fly-over near the highway close to your place.
OR
Write a letter to your pen friend in Mauritiusasking him to come and participate in your elder brother’s wedding, mentioning some interesting events that will be part of the wedding celebrations.
Q.2. (B) Write any one of the following : 5
Prepare a tree diagram to represent the following information :
The word ‘Literature’ is really hard to define. Many interpretations are made about theword. But all are incomplete. Some opine that literature is themirror of life, some others say that it is the criticism of life. Whatever may be the controversy about the word, we may say that literature is that which reflectslife. The branches of literature are poetry, drama, novel and shortstories. Poetry isof two kinds, imaginative and realistic. Drama is either a comedy or a tragedy. Novels are also of many kinds, historical, psychological, realistic, scientific and regional. Short story is that one which stands very close to life inspiteof a little scope. OR
Prepare a fact file of a tourist place you have visited.
Q.3. (A) Write any one of the following: 5
Write a speech for the school assemblyon “Tree Plantation”.
OR
Write a dialogue between you and your friend on a popular TV programme.
Q.3. (B) Write any one of the following : 5
Write a report on Cleanliness Day organised by the BMC in the city.
OR
Frame 10 questions that you willask to interviewthe Zoo manager when your class visits the zoo. You want information about the problems faced bycaged animals and the authorities.
Q.4. Expand any one of the followingin about 100 words : 5
1. Manners are the ornamentsof a person
2. Service to man is serviceto God
3. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush
Answers:
Q1. A.
1. Dad was as white as a ghostand completely dumbfounded.
2. The narratorconcluded that girl snakesmustn’t like being stroked.
3. We can learn that animals are not very frightening and they retaliate only when we harm them.
4. (a) Recoiling in shock, Dad rolled several metres away.
(b) How huge the snake looked!
5. (i) blood-stained, city-born.(any one)
(ii) We recoiled at the sight of a snake whichcoiled up its head.
6. The narrator knew that his city cousins would almost faint at the sight of cows grazing, let alone a live snake. They had never seen snakes in theopen, so he had expected that the moment they would see Tom they would get very terrified. This is exactly what happend. Thus he says they were suitably horrified.
Q1. B.
1. Cowboy was finally hired as the writer decided to give him a chance because of his focus on success.
2. The cowboy lacked essentials like business experience, telephone experience and sales experience.
3. Knowledge about telephone systems and experience in some kind of a sales or a marketing job in any other company would have made Cowboy a perfect hand for the company.
4. (a) He was ready to be successful in biness.
(b) I hired him on straight commission without base salary.
5. (i) (a) to figure out (b) to be blunt
(ii) (a) unbelievable (b) roughly
6. I am impressed about the cowboy’s incredible focus on being a success despite having none of the required qualification of a salesman. He was mentally prepared to be a success in business and had left his past behind him. His determinationto move ahead with life is very inspiring.
Q1. C.
1. Thepoet is convinced that he was not meant to touch his toes, or else God would have put them on his knees.
2. The poet tried jumpingjacks, sit ups, crunches, running, pedalling, but did not reduce even an inch so he decided to give up exercises.
3. The word “PLEASE’is in capital letters because the poet wishes to express his fervent request to those who try to make him an exercise freak to stop bothering him about it.
4. ‘the scale hasn’t budged means he did not lose weight at all and ‘reach the gates of heaven’ means to die.
5. cup - up; say - anyway;please - knees; small - all. (any two)
Q1. D.
1. The master spirit of the earth should be invoked to sanctify the scales and bless the proceedings of work so that trade is done with honesty.
2. The Prophet advises the merchants to exchange the gifts of the earth with love and kindness to avoid injustice.
3. The poet believes that buying and selling should be done ethically otherwise it will lead to greed and hunger.
4. (i) vineyards (ii) reckoning.
5. ‘Yet unless the exchange be in love and kindly justice, it will but lead some to greed and others to hunger’. The antithetical ideas of greed and hunger are mentioned.