Grade XIEnglish Mock Test

Grade XI

English Mock Test *The purpose of this test is to provide you important and useful practice questions. Choices have not been

mentioned in some questions, deliberately to help you come up with the correct answer by your own understanding. The test otherwise follows the latest exam pattern that you may expect in your final exams.

Questions

Q.1 Read the following passage carefully:

One cannot deny the significance of fruits in our diet. Fruits provide many essential minerals and vitamins to our body. Though there are numerous fruits available, papaya is considered as the healthiest fruit. It is high in vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium and folate. It is also rich in the anti-cancer antioxidant lycopene. What’s more, studies show that the body absorbs lycopene better from papaya than from other lycopene-rich fruits and vegetables.

There is also some evidence that papaya may improve digestion. It contains papain, an enzyme that makes protein easier to digest. Papaya favours digestion as well as cures skin irritation and sunburns. The most important of these virtues is the protein-digesting enzyme in the milky juice. The enzyme is similar to pepsin in its digestive action and is said to be so powerful that it can digest 200 times its own weight in protein. It assists the body in assimilating the maximum nutritional value from food to provide energy and body-building materials.

Papain in raw papaya makes up for the deficiency of gastric juice and fights excess of unhealthy mucus in the stomach, dyspepsia and intestinal irritation. The ripe fruit, if eaten regularly, corrects habitant constipation, bleeding piles and chronic diarrhoea. The juice, used as a cosmetic, removes freckles or brown spots due to exposure to sunlight and makes the skin smooth and delicate. A paste of papaya seeds is applied in skin diseases like those caused by ringworm. The black seeds of the papaya are highly beneficial in the treatment of cirrhosis of the liver caused by malnutrition, alcoholism, etc.

A tablespoon of its juice, combined with a hint of fresh lime juice, should be taken once or twice daily for a month. The fresh juice of raw papaya mixed with honey can be applied over inflamed tonsils, for diphtheria and other throat disorders. It dissolves the membrane and prevents infection from spreading.

Based on the given paragraph and stats, answer the following questions (any ten) (1x10=10)

(a) Papaya is rich in an anti-cancer antioxidant called __________.

(i) papain

(ii) lycopene

(iii) Both (i) and (ii)

(iv) none of the above

(b) Consider the statement: Papaya is the only fruit rich in lycopene.

(i) The given statement is true

(ii) The given statement is false

(iii) The statement cannot be confirmed based on the given text

(c) Papaya may help improve _________________.

(i) skin

(ii) digestion

(iii) liver health

(iv) all of the above

(d) The ____________ enzyme present inside the papaya helps in digestion.

(i) lycopene

(ii) papain

(iii) both (i) and (ii)

(iv) none of the above

(e) Find a word from the passage similar in meaning to ‘subjection’.

(i) absorbs

(ii) exposure

(iii) dissolves

(iv) freckles

(f) What does ‘inflamed’ mean?

(i) diseased

(ii) highly discolored

(iii) red and swollen or painful because of an infection

(iv) all of the above

(g) Papaya _________ is used as a cosmetic.

(i) seeds

(ii) leaves

(iii) juice

(iv) rind

(h) Raw papaya juice combined with ______________ is used to treat inflamed tonsils.

(i) lycopene

(ii) papain

(iii) lime juice

(iv) honey

(i) Consider the given statements:

Statement 1: Paste of papaya seeds can be used in the treatment of certain skin diseases.

Statement 2: Papain helps to improve digestive health.

(i) Only statement 1 is true.

(ii) Only statement 2 is true.

(iii) Both statements are true.

(iv) Both statements are false.

(j) What should be consumed to correct habitant constipation?

(i) Black papaya seeds

(ii) Ripe papaya

(iii) Both (i) and (ii)

(iv) None of the above

(k) What does ‘deny’ mean?

(i) to refuse to admit or accept something

(ii) to say it is true

(iii) to undermine the importance of something

(iv) all of the above

Q. 2 Read the following passage carefully:

1. The Dominican Republic is located in the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region, with the Atlantic Ocean on the north and the Caribbean Sea on the south. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island it shares with Haiti. The Dominican Republic is the second-largest Caribbean nation by area (after Cuba) and third by population.

2. The original inhabitants of the island were the Tainos tribe, an Arawak people. Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492 and claimed the island for Spain. The Europeans brought with them diseases like smallpox, measles and so on decimating the population of the Tainos people.

3. Having established themselves in Hispaniola, the Spanish found it was a springboard for more exploration and conquest throughout the New World. Santo Domingo became the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Americas, and the first seat of the Spanish colonial rule in the New World.

4. After almost three centuries of Spanish rule, in November 1821, the Dominican people declared independence. But, in February 1822, the newly independent country was annexed by Haiti. In 1844, the Dominican War of Independence brought them victory and freedom. The Dominican Republic is the birthplace of Merengue–a musical genre. It has a lively, fast-paced rhythm. Bachata, a form of music and dance that originated in the countryside and rural marginal neighbourhoods, is enjoyed the world over. Salsa music, on the other hand, leaves no one untouched.

5. Baseball is by far the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic. The country has a baseball league of six teams. As far as literature is concerned, the Dominicans claim that Christopher Columbus was one of their first writers. This is because he had an immense fascination for his logs and journals.

6. The majority of writers are from powerful Dominican families or the church. One of the most well-known was Friar Bartolome de Las Casa. He started a style of literary nostalgic writing called Indigenismo with his literary work entitled Apologetic Historias de Los Indios. His work helped spread the Indigenismo (a political ideology emphasizing the relationship between the nation-state and

indigenous nations and indigenous minorities) movement through the Dominican Republic and further throughout Mexico and the U. S. as well.

7. Another author that had a great influence was the poet Felix Maria del Monte. He is known as the father of Dominican literature because of his patriotic literary writings. As per the 2014 survey, the ethnic composition of Dominican Republic is as follows:

Based on the given paragraph and stats, answer the following questions (any eight) (1x8=8)

(a) Which is the second-largest Caribbean nation?

(i) Haiti

(ii) Hispaniola

(iii) Dominican Republic

(iv) Cuba

(b)Who were the original inhabitants of the island?

(i) Tainos tribe

(ii) Awarak people

(iii) Both (i) and (ii)

(iv) None of the above

(c) Who is known as the father of Dominican literature?

(i) Christopher Columbus

(ii) Felix Maria del Monte

(iii) Friar Bartolome de Las Casa

(iv) All of the above

(d) What is the antonym of ‘decimating’? (para 2)

(i) affecting

(ii) creating

(iii) procuring

(iv) elevating

(e) What does ‘springboard’ correspond to, in general?

(i) something that provides impetus to a change

(ii) something that provides impetus to a beginning

(iii) something that provides impetus to progress

(iv) All of the above

(f) For how many years approximately did Spanish rule prevail over Dominican Republic?

(i) 100 years

(ii) 200 years

(iii) 300 years

(iv) 400 years

(g) Which race is the most prevalent in Dominican Republic?

(i) Mixed

(ii) Black

(iii) White

(iv) Other

(h) What percentage of the population is the black race?

(i) 0.3

(ii) 13.5

(iii) 15.8

(iv) 70.4

(i) In general, what does ‘ethnic’ refer to?

(i) connected to a particular race

(ii) connected to a particular religion

(iii) Both (i) and (ii)

(iv) None of the above

Q. 3 Fill in the blanks using the correct option: (Attempt any four) (4x1=4)

(a)___________ house I have been planning to buy for years is now available for sale.

(i) A

(ii) The

(iii) This

(iv) That

(b)The ___________ girl in the row is my sister.

(i) one

(ii) first

(iii) both (i) and (ii) are correct

(iv) no determiner is required

(c) This time tomorrow, I __________________ for London.

(i) left

(ii) will be leaving

(iii) leaves

(iv) have been leaving

(d) Ms. Shreya ____________________ in this school since 1992.

(i) has taught

(ii) is teaching

(iii) have been teaching

(iv) has been teaching

(e) The train _________ at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow.

(i) will have left

(ii) leaves

(iii) left

(iv) will have been leaving

Q.4 Choose the correct option: (Attempt any four) (4x1=4)

(a)Make a meaningful sentence by reordering the given words:

best/ Coorg/ time/ to/ is/ March/ the/ visit/

(b) Make a meaningful sentence by reordering the given words:

seems/ be/ a/ Coorg/ God/ of/ kingdom/ land/ piece/ to/ drifted/ from/ the

(c) This concept is so difficult that I cannot understand it. (Use ‘too’)

(d) Mr. Kalra’s bungalow is so huge that it may be mistaken for a hotel. (Use ‘enough’)

(e) Kevin is the strongest boy in the group. (Transform into comparative)

Q.5 Read the given lines and answer the questions: (Attempt any one extract) (3x1=3)

Eternal I rise impalpable out of the land and the bottomless sea, Upward to heaven, whence, vaguely form'd, altogether changed, and yet the same, I descend to lave the droughts, atomies, dust-layers of the globe... (a) Who is ‘I’? (i) The poet (ii) Rain (iii) Water vapours (iv) Mother Nature (b) What does ‘lave’ mean here? (i) wash (ii) old form for ‘love’ (iii) old form for ‘have’ (iv) enter (c) Why is ‘I’ impalpable? (i) because it cannot be felt by touch

(ii) because it is rises forever (iii) because it rises from the land and the bottomless sea (iv) because it makes our hearts palpitate OR Some twenty — thirty — years later She’d laugh at the snapshot. “See Betty And Dolly,” she’d say, “and look how they Dressed us for the beach…” (a) Who is ‘she’? (i) The poet (ii) Poet’s mother (iii) Poet’s friend (iv) Mother’s cousin (b) Who are ‘Betty and Dolly’? (i) Poet’s friends (ii) Two random strangers (iii) Poet’s mother’s cousins (iv) None of the above (c) How old was ‘she’ when the snapshot was taken? (i) Nearly 12 years old (ii) Nearly 25 years old (iii) Nearly 55 years old (iv) Nearly 40 years old Q.6 Read the given lines and answer the questions: (Attempt any two out of three extracts) (6x1=6)

(A) Her silver locks were scattered untidily over her pale, puckered face, and her lips constantly moved in inaudible prayer. Yes, she was beautiful. She was like the winter landscape in the mountains, an expanse of pure white serenity breathing peace and contentment.

(a) Who does ‘her’ refer to? (i) Narrator’s mother (ii) Narrator’s grandmother (iii) Narrator’s muse (iv) None of the above (b) Why was ‘she’ beautiful? (i) She had a pretty face (ii) She had silver locks and puckered face (iii) She had a divine beauty (iv) All of the above (c) What does ‘an expanse of pure white serenity’ mean? (i) She is compared to calm and peaceful winter landscape (ii) She is extremely fair (iii) Both (i) and (ii) (iv) None of the above

(B) One day back there in the good old days when I was nine and the world was full of every imaginable kind of magnificence, and life was still a delightful and mysterious dream, my cousin Mourad, who was considered crazy by everybody who knew him except me, came to my house at four in the morning and woke me up tapping on the window of my room.

(a) The given lines have been taken from the chapter ______________. (i) The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse (ii) A Summer of the Beautiful White Horse (iii) Summer of the Beautiful White Horse (iv) The Summer of the White Beautiful Horse (b) When were the days ‘good old’? (i) When the narrator was nine years old (ii) When the world was full of imaginable magnificence

(iii) When life was carefree and delightful (iv) All of the above (c) The chapter says that Mourad enjoyed being __________ more than anybody else who had ever fallen into the world by mistake. (i) sensible (ii) daring (iii) alive (iv) all of the above

(C) An angry wind stirred up ghostly dust devils as King Tut was taken from his resting place in the ancient Egyptian cemetery known as the Valley of the Kings. Dark-bellied clouds had scudded across the desert sky all day and now were veiling the stars in casket grey. It was 6 p.m. on 5 January 2005. The world’s most famous mummy glided head first into a CT scanner brought here to probe the lingering medical mysteries of this little understood young ruler who died more than 3,300 years ago.

(a) What phrases does the narrator use to show that mysterious tales surround King Tut? (i) an angry wind stirred the ghostly devils (ii) dark-bellied clouds had scudded across the desert sky (iii) probe the lingering medical mysteries (iv) All of the above (b) What is meant by ‘lingering’? (i) persisting (ii) longing (iii) complicated (iv) ancient (c) Tut’s mummy had been discovered by Carter in the year ________. (i) 1990 (ii) 1920 (iii)1940 (iv) 2000

Q.7 Answer the following questions by choosing the correct option: (Attempt

any five) (5x1=5) (a) Identify the poetic device used in the underlined part: And the sea, which appears to have changed less, Washed their terribly transient feet. (i) Oxymoron (ii) Transferred Epithet (iii) Alliteration (iv) Both (ii) and (iii) (b) By the end of the story ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’, the

horse had become _________________ . (i) more wild and rough (ii) more strong and better tempered (iii) free-spirited (iv) all of the above (c) What did the narrator decide at the end of the story ‘The Address’? (i) She decided to visit again next time (ii) She decided to remember the address forever (iii) She decided to forget the address (iv) None of the above (d) What does ‘dao’ mean? (i) old chinese painting (ii) reproduction of reality with perfection (iii) both the path or the method, and the mysterious works of the Universe (iv) all of the above (e) How did the Laburnum tree become ‘alive’? (i) by the coming of the goldfinch

(ii) due to the arrival of the spring season (iii) it became alive as the morning approached (iv) all of the above (f) Ranga’s homecoming was considered as a big event. Why? (i) Ranga was the most popular boy in the village (ii) Everyone was expecting a gift from Ranga (iii) Ranga was the only one from the village who had gone to a big city for higher

studies (iv) All of the above Q.8 Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:

The railways had a permanent and far-reaching influence on village life. Their life-giving injection of cheap and rapid transport revived old decade fishing harbours into ship-building centres, converted tiny inland route centres into railway towns. The scenery itself was changed. To secure the easy gradients demanded by railway engineers, great embankments and high viaducts were thrown across wide valleys; soaring bridges made light of deep river barriers; and tunnels, their portals massively decorated with turrets and battlements, penetrated steep hillsides. Little hamlets of railway men grew up around the stations, which were generally a mile or two from the centre of villages they served.

These new communities were related to existing villages, because railways served as major outlets for farm commodities and as a means of obtaining supplies of fertilizer and farm equipment. Slow passenger trains, stopping at country halts provided a cheap way of getting to market towns and there was the occasional excursion trip to the seaside or beauty spot. The poorest class of villagers and the farm labourers began to enjoy the advantages of railway travel only towards the end of the century, when wages had risen and the fares had come down but long before the railways had offered men a more attractive means of employment, countrymen made up a fair proportion of the quarter of a million employed by the railways in the 1870s.

Though railways offered a new field of employment, they destroyed an old one. The advent of cheap, fast railway travel spelled the early demise of the coaches. Within a few years, it was no longer possible for the roadside cottager to set his clock by the passing of the mail, or for country children to wait excitedly for the great event of the coach’s appearance, emerging suddenly over the brow of the hill with whip cracking and steam rising from the horses.

(A) Write short notes for the given passage. Give a suitable title. (5 marks)

(B) Write a short summary of the given passage. (3 marks)

Q.9 Write a notice for your school notice-board inviting the students of grades 9 to 12 to give their names for a Science Quiz Competition. Mention the important details.

OR

Write a notice for your school notice board requesting the students to make donations for the poor children living in a nearby slum area. Mention the necessary details. (3 marks)

Q. 10 Your school is planning to drive a ‘Water Conservation’ project in your district. As the Secretary of the Science Club, make a poster on ‘Water Conservation’ to be displayed in the different areas of your district.

OR

Your school is planning to inform the people about the ways one can be safe during a flood. Make a poster informing people how to be safe during a flood. (3 marks)

Q.11 Write a letter to the Manager of the Transport Corporation of Lucknow, complaining about the poor condition of the Lucknow Transport Corporation (LTC) Buses and bus stands. Also, provide some suggestions to improve the condition. You are Amit/ Amita, resident of 12 – A, Green Tree Housing Society, Lucknow. Word limit 120 – 150 words.

OR

You are Harshit/ Harshita, Librarian of Rose Galleria School, New Delhi. You had placed an order of a few books for your school library. When the books were delivered, you found that some books were damaged. Write a letter to the manager of Sai Publishers Limited, New Delhi asking for an immediate replacement. Word limit 120 – 150 words. (05 marks)

Q.12 Write a speech in about 120-150 words for your school morning assembly on “Importance of Morning Walk'. You may use the following hints with your own ideas.

Hints: makes you rise early-----fresh air----- blood rushes through your body------energy for the day-----hungry for breakfast-----good for studies-----all day active

OR

Prepare a debate of about 120-150 words on the topic: Controlling the time a teenager dedicates to playing computer games or uses the internet is not needed any longer. (05 marks)

Q.13 Answer any one of the questions from each Part A and Part B: (2x2=4)

(A)

According to Carter what would have happened to the mummy if he had not detached it from the coffin?

OR

Why did crocker Harris not disclose taplows result?

(B)

Then sleek as a lizard and alert and abrupt, she enters the thickness...

Who is referred to by ‘she’ in this line? Identify the literary device used in this line.

OR

All they seemed to be, They talked of love and preached of love…

What is the poet’s confusion about adults? Which poetic device is used in the given lines ‘They talked of love and preached of love’?

 

Q. 14 Answer any one of the given questions in about 40-50 words: (1x2=2)

What according to you is the central idea of the play ‘Mother’s Day’?

OR

Explain how Andrew brought the still born child back to life.

Q.15 Answer any one of the following questions in about 120-150 words: (1x5=5)

Comment on how Shirley Toulson has described her feelings of loss through the motif of a photograph.

OR

Walt Whitman has beautifully traced the life cycle of rain in the poem ‘The Voice of the Rain’ and stressed on the life giving aspect of Mother Nature. Comment.

Q.16 Answer any one of the following questions in about 120-150 words: (1x5=5)

Albert Einstein once said, “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” Reflect on the given statement with reference to Einstein’s experience at school.

OR

What were Andrew’s views on marriage? Describe in detail.

ANSWERS:

1.

(a) (ii) lycopene

(b) (ii) The given statement is false

(c) (iv) all of the above

(d) (ii) papain

(e) (ii) exposure

(f) (iii) red and swollen or painful because of an infection

(g) (iii) juice

(h) (iv) honey

(i) (iii) Both statements are true.

(j) (ii) Ripe papaya

(k) (i) to refuse to admit or accept something

2.

(a) (iii) Dominican Republic (b) (i) Tainos tribe (c) (ii) Felix Maria del Monte (d) (ii) creating (e) (iv) All of the above (f) (iii) 300 years (g) (i) Mixed (h) (iii) 15.8 (i) (iii) Both (i) and (ii)

3. (a) (ii) The

(b) (ii) first

(c) (ii) will be leaving

(d) (iv) has been teaching

(e) (ii) leaves

4. (a) The best time to visit Coorg is March.

(b) Coorg seems to be a piece of land drifted from the kingdom of god.

(c) This concept is too difficult for me to understand.

(d) Mr. Kalra’s bungalow is big enough to be mistaken for a hotel.

(e) Kevin is stronger than any other boy in the class.

5. (a) (ii) Rain

(b) (i) wash

(c) (i) because it cannot be felt by touch

OR

(a) (ii) Poet’s mother

(b) (iii) Poet’s mother’s cousins

(c) (i) Nearly 12 years old

6.

(A)

(a) (ii) Narrator’s grandmother

(b) (iii) She had a divine beauty

(c) (i) She is compared to calm and peaceful winter landscape

(B)

(a) (i) The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

(b) (iv) All of the above

(c) (iii) alive

(C)

(a) (iv) All of the above

(b) (i) persisting

(c) (ii) 1920

7. (a) (iv) Both (ii) and (iii)

(b) (ii) more strong and better tempered

(c) (iii) She decided to forget the address

(d) (iii) both the path or the method, and the mysterious works of the Universe

(e) (i) by the coming of the goldfinch

(f) (iii) Ranga was the only one from the village who had gone to a big city for higher studies

8. (A)

Railways

1. Devp. of rlwys influenced-

(i) comm.

(ii) industrial and commercial development

(iii) development of new towns

2. Transformed natural landscape of the village with construction of-

(i) embankments

(ii) viaducts

(iii) bridges & tunnels

3. Rlwy stations created their own hamlet- opened main comm. link 4. Rlwys resulted in more journeys- recreational and commercial purpose 5. Rlwy fares- cheap 6. More employment opportunities

Key:

&- and

Rlwys- Railways

Comm.- communication

(B) The passage is about the development of railways and how it affected village life. Railways influence communication, industrial and commercial development as well as development of new towns. The natural landscape of the villages was transformed with the construction of embankments, viaducts, bridges and tunnels. The advent of railways resulted in more journeys for recreational or commercial purposes. The fares were cheaper and thus affordable. It opened more opportunities for employment but also closed traditional employment.

9. (* Note: Format- 1 mark/ Content- 1 mark/ Expression- 1 mark. Notice on any one topic has to be written. Refer to a sample answer given below)

10. (*Note: Format- 1 mark/ Content- 1 mark/ Expression- 1 mark. Poster on any one topic has to be made. Refer to a sample answer given below)

Rose Galleria Senior Secondary School, Mumbai NOTICE

15 January, 2021 Science Quiz Competition

The Science Society of our school is organizing a ‘Science Quiz Competition’ on 7 February, 2021 for the students of grades 9 to 12. Interested students are requested to give their names to the undersigned latest by 20 January, 2021. Contact the undersigned for any further queries. Shamsher Secretary Science Club

11. (*Note: Format- 1 mark/ Content- 2 marks/ Expression- 2 marks. One out of two letters has to be written. Refer to a sample answer given below)

Green Tree Housing Society

Lucknow

26th April 2019

The Manager

Transport Corporation of Lucknow

Lucknow

Dear Sir/ Madam

Subject: Complaint letter for the poor condition of the Lucknow Transport Corporation (LTC) Buses and bus stands

I am Amit, a resident of Green Tree Housing Society, east Lucknow and off late I have been coming across many such instances where the buses I board for travelling to my office in the southern part of Lucknow are in extremely poor condition. Not only this but the LTC buses on other routes are also not maintained properly. Often, the bus breaks down in the middle of the road and all the passengers have to wait for another bus to arrive. Also, a foul smell is always present in the bus, especially on the route number 43. It is not just about the buses, but also the bus stands, the benches are broken and the roof is broken for most of them. It is my sincere request to you to kindly look into the matter on an urgent basis and take necessary steps to improve a common man’s travelling experience.

Yours Truly

Amit

12. Good morning, everyone. All of us know that good habits form the base of a good life. Today, I am here to share my thoughts on ‘The importance of Morning Walk’.

A good physical workout is the key to a healthy life. Contrary to the beliefs of the young generation, one does not need to spend hefty amounts on fashionable gyms to stay fit and healthy. One of the most effective and yet cheap ways to stay healthy is walking and specifically walking in the morning.

A morning walk can do wonders for one’s body. A rigorous walk in the fresh air leads to proper blood flow circulation in the body. It creates heat, which leads to the burning of excessive fat and helps you get back into shape. Also, it makes you rise early, and creates good space for breakfast in your stomach. Just 20-30 minutes of brisk walk can control the cholesterol levels, cardiovascular diseases and keep the body weight under control.

However, a morning walk cannot work independently. It has to be accompanied with a balanced diet. It is important that people understand the importance of morning walk following a diet plan to attain a healthy lifestyle. At the end, I would like to say that we all must take out at least some time for our morning walk and keep ourselves healthy.

OR

Good morning, everyone. In the modern 21st century wherein the usage of the internet is ever expanding, there have yet again arisen discussions around whether there is a need to control the time a teenager spends on the internet. The topic of today’s debate is ‘Controlling the time a teenager dedicates to playing computer games or uses the internet is not needed any longer’ and I am going to speak against the topic. It is considered that controlling the time a teenager dedicates to playing computer games or uses the internet is not possible any longer. If we observe the studies conducted by the 2015 Pew Internet and American Life Project survey, 92% of teens ages 13 to 17 go online daily and 71% of teens use more than one social networking site. Although the internet is a useful tool for information gathering and connecting with people, over the past few years, people; especially teens have become addicted to it and the situation is such that it has now become health threatening. In this circumstance, it becomes extremely significant to control the time a teenager spends on computer games and the internet. The role of parents and

teachers becomes quite indispensable. Children must be made aware of the pros and cons of using technology. They must develop into responsible users of technology. Thus, I strongly believe that no matter what the time is, children should always be checked upon their exposure to technology only then it works as a boon.

13. (A)

Tut was buried with many precious ornaments. According to Carter, if he had not detached the mummy of Tut from its coffin, thieves would have ransacked the coffin to steal the gold ornaments and other precious jewellery.

OR

Mr Crocker Harris was a very strict teacher. According to the school of Taplow, the results were to be declared by the headmaster on the last day so as to avoid any kind of stress to the students. Mr. Crocker was very obedient to rules and so he never disclosed the result earlier than the decided time.

(B)

‘She’ refers to the mother Goldfinch. Simile has been used here. The movement of the Goldfinch bird has been compared to the movement of a lizard.

OR

Poet’s confusion about adults is their unstable behavior. They talk about loving each other but instead behave in a rude manner. The poetic device used in the lines is repetition.

14. The central idea of the play ‘Mother’s Day’ is to redefine the significance of a mother in a family. The central character, Mrs. Pearson was docile by nature. She gave her entire day in meeting the demands of her family members but everyone in the family took her for granted and almost ill treated her. She had been upset about the way her family members treated her. So, Mrs. Fitzgerald, her magician neighbour, decides to teach her family members a lesson. Finally, the family

members realize that without Mrs. Pearson they will be unable to live properly. So, they decide to respect Mrs. Pearson.

OR

The story ‘Birth’ relates how Andrew, a medical fresher handles a child delivery case in a mysterious way and brings back life in a seemingly dead born child. Assuming the newborn child was dead, the midwife had dumped it beneath the bed. Andrew pulled it out and he could understand that it was a case of suffocation. He started giving the necessary treatment to the child and did not lose heart. The midwife repeatedly told Andrew that the child was still born, but Andrew did not pay any heed and continued with the treatment, trying to infuse breath into the limp body. Finally a miracle happened. The child started turning around and came back to life.

15. In the poem, ‘A Photograph’, Shirley Toulson has expressed her feeling of loss through the motif of a photograph. Nostalgically recollecting the fond memories, the poet looks at a very old photograph of her mother who has been dead for nearly twelve years. The photograph, on a cardboard frame, shows the poet’s mother, with her two girl cousins each holding one of her hands. She was the eldest of the three and everyone was smiling with their hair falling on their faces, to get clicked by the camera of their uncle, on an occasion when they went paddling. The sea, which has undergone no change, washed their transient feet.

Some twenty or thirty years later, the poet’s mother laughed at the picture pointing out how she, Betty and Dolly dressed for the beach holiday. The sea holiday was a thing of the past for her mother at that time, while her mother’s laughter is the poet’s past now. Both signify their respective losses and the pain involved in recollecting the past.

Her mother is dead for nearly twelve years now. And for the present ‘circumstance’ the poet has nothing left to say. She is absorbed into the memories of her dead mother. Thus, through a motif of a photograph, the poet expresses her feelings of loss.

OR

In the poem ‘The Voice of the Rain’, Walt Whitman beautifully describes the life cycle of the rain and refers to the power of Mother Nature. The rain identifies itself as the ‘Poem of Earth’. It says that it rises from the land and the deep sea, in the form of the intangible water vapours, and goes up to the immeasurable sky. It then takes the form of clouds with various shapes. Although it changes in its form and shape, its core existence remains the same. It descends or falls on the surface on the earth to eliminate droughts, wash away the tiny particles and settle down the dust layers. It reinvigorates the dry lands and gives life to the seeds that, otherwise, have remained dormant. Thus, during its life cycle, the rain purifies and beautifies the earth. The regenerative and life giving power of Nature is highlighted in the poem.

16. Einstein always believed that true knowledge was not memorizing fact but being able to create new knowledge. His experience at school is a testimony to his viewpoints. He believed in education but did not consider learning facts as education. He hated school because he hated the conventional form of education and teachers found him to be a ‘disgrace’. Einstein was so against the idea of going to school and adapting to the set education pattern that he once confided in his friend that he thought he would never pass the examinations for the school diploma. Finally, he had an epiphany about averting school forever. He wanted to learn only to gain knowledge and not just to collect a degree. Thus, his school experience rightly demonstrates his belief that any fool can know. The point is to understand.

OR

In the story ‘Birth’, Andrew’s thoughts on marriage are discussed. Andrew reaches the conclusion, after witnessing the episode at Cardiff station ,that all marriages were dismal failures. The thought of Bramwell who was foolishly devoted to a woman who deceived him sordidly, obsessed him morbidly. He also thought of Edward Page who was married to the shrewish Blodwen, of Denny who was unhappy living apart from his wife. He winced at the realisation of his conclusion that he drew from the relationships.The shining eyes of Christine admitted a conclusion that made him wish to consider marriage as an idyllic state. There was a conflict whether to follow his level, doubtful mind or his overflowing heart which

made him resentful and confused. Thus, Andrew’s views on marriage were not very positive and clear.