PRE-BOARD

SUBJECT– ENGLISH
Maximum Marks : 80 Class –Xth Time : 3 Hours

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS 02-02-2019

I. The question paper is divided into three sections :
SECTION A : Reading 20 MARKS
SECTION B : Writing & Grammar 30 MARKS
SECTION C : Literature 30 MARKS
II. All questions are compulsory.
III. You may attempt any section at a time.
IV. All questions of that particular section must be attempted in the correct order.
Section A : Reading [20 Marks]
SECTION - A
1. Read the passage given below and answer any eight of the questions that follow :
[1 × 8 = 8 Marks]
Thornfield Hall was a large gentleman’s house in the country, near a town called Millcote. There, after
my sixteen-hour journey, I was welcomed by Mrs. Fairfax. She was a little old lady, dressed in black,
who seemed glad to have someone else to talk to, apart from the servants. Although the house was
dark and frightening, with its big rooms full of heavy furniture, I was excited at being in a new place, and
looked forward to my new life there, working for kind Mrs. Fairfax.
But I was surprised to discover on my first full day at Thornfield that Mrs. Fairfax was not in fact the
owner, as I had assumed, but the housekeeper, and that my new master was a Mr. Rochester, who was
often away from home. My pupil was a girl called Adele, seven or eight years old, who was born in
France and could hardly speak English. Luckily I had learnt French very well at Lowood, and had no
difficulty in communicating with Adele, a pretty, cheerful child. It appeared that Mr. Rochester, who had
known Adele and her mother very well, had brought Adele back to England to live with him after her
mother had died. I taught her for several hours every day in the library, although it was not easy to make
her concentrate on anything for long, as she was clearly not used to the discipline of lessons.
One day I took the opportunity of asking Mrs. Fairfax a few questions about Mr. Rochester, as I was
curious about him, and the little housekeeper seemed happy to talk.
‘Is he liked by most people ?’ was my first question.
‘Oh yes, his family have always been respected here. They’ve owned the land around here for years,’
she replied.
‘But do you like him ? What is his character like ?’
‘I have always liked him, and I think he’s a fair master to his servants. He’s a little peculiar, perhaps.
He’s travelled a lot, you know. I expect he’s clever, but I can’t tell, really.’
‘What do you mean, peculiar ?’ I asked, interested.
It’s not easy to describe. You’re never sure whether he’s serious or joking. You don’t really understand
him, at least I don’t. But that doesn’t matter, he’s a very good master.’
(a) Why was Mrs. Fairfax glad to receive the narrator ?
(b) Why was the narrator excited ?
(c) What wrong assumption was made by her ?
(d) Why had she come to Thornfield Hall ?
(e) How do we know that Mr. Rochester was a man of noble nature ?
(f) Why was it difficult to make Adele study for long hours ?
(g) Why was Mr. Rochester liked by most people ?
(h) What was peculiar about the nature of Mr. Rochester ?
(f) How does the narrator describe Adele ?
2. Read the passage given below : [12 Marks]
People who smoke are being hounded out of all public places - offices, restaurants, educational
institutions, buses, trains etc. Away from home now it is becoming nearly impossible to find a place to
smoke. Growing restrictions and the fear of various diseases caused by tobacco are prompting many
smokers to stop smoking. Nineteen states in the U.S. have made laws against smoking.
Taxes on tobacco products are being raised. Smoking is banned at several places. Still the number of
smokers is rising in India. More than 25 crore people in India are addicted to tobacco. And according to
a WHO report around half of them will die of tobacco related diseases. Unfortunately most people in
India still need a strict warning based on a test report before they decide to give up smoking. Patients
too seek medical help only after they show serious symptoms of an illness. Some hospitals have set up
centres to identify risk factors among the young so that they can take preventive measures like giving
up smoking early in life.
Tobacco is the second biggest cause of death in the world. It is responsible for the death of five crore
people each year all over the world. Half of the people who are addicted to tobacco will ultimately be
killed by this addiction. Many people get rid of this habit on their own and those who are willing to, but
can’t, go to de addiction centres. These centres use counselling, nicotine replacement therapy and
prescriptive drugs to deal with withdrawal problems.
Quitting cold turkey - stopping the use of tobacco at once - works well but only for those who have
control and determination to quit.
(2.1) On the basis of your understanding of the passage answer any four of the following questions :
[2 × 4 = 8 Marks]
(a) For which two reasons do smokers give up smoking ?
(b) Name two steps taken in India against smoking.
(c) Why is the situation unfortunate in India ?
(d) How do people get rid of smoking ?
(e) What does ‘cold turkey’ mean ?
(2.2) Complete any two of the following statements : [1 × 2 = 2 Marks]
(f) In the U.S.,____ states have passed laws against smoking.
(g) More than _____ in India are addicted to tobacco. .
(h) Tobacco is the _____biggest killer in the world.
(2.3) Choose the meanings of the given words/phrases from the options that follow each word/phrase :
(any two) [1 × 2 = 2 Marks]
(i) hounded out
(i) driven out (ii) given out (iii) washed (iv) endangered
(j) restrictions
(i) checks (ii) imitations (iii) failures (iv) defeats
(k) prompting
(i) abusing (ii) initiating (iii) empowering (iv) encouraging

Section B : Writing & Grammar [30 Marks]

3. You are Arun/Anita, 22 New Light Colony, Guwahati. The park in your colony has not been maintained
properly for quite some time. Write a letter in 100-120 words to the Chief Officer, Horticulture Dept,
complaining against the park incharge for not doing his duty properly. You may use the following points :
[8 Marks]
• boundary wall broken
• flower beds but no flowers
• no proper cutting of hedges
OR
You are Ms. Alka Rao, Manager, S.J. Public School, Guntur. Place an order in 100-120 words with
Janatha Garments, Station Road, for 200 trekking suits for your students. Ask for a discount and an
early delivery.
4. Write a story in 200-250 words based on the following clues : [10 Marks]
A house full of rats - happy - a cat comes - rats in danger - how to warn - a small rat - tie a bell - bell
ringing - warning - an elder rat - who will bell the cat ?
OR
It was a dark night. We had lost our way among the fields. Then I saw a light in the distance. We started
walking in that direction………
2
5. Fill in any four of the blanks in the sentences given below choosing the most appropriate options from the ones
that follow. Write the answers in your answer-sheet against the correct blank numbers : [1 × 4 = 4 Marks]
One morning not (a)__________ days later, as I was leaving the house, I was started (b)__________
find Mini, seated on a bench near (c)__________ door, laughing (d)__________ talking (e)__________
the great Cabuliwala.
(a) (i) little (ii) many (iii) much (iv) more
(b) (i) off (ii) on (iii) to (iv) of
(c) (i) all (ii) the (iii) a (iv) an
(d) (i) and (ii) but (iii) yet (iv) since
(e) (i) by (ii) at (iii) for (iv) with
6. The following paragraph has not been edited. There is an error in each line. Identify the error, write it
and its correction as shown in the example : (any four) [1x4 = 4 Marks]
Error Correction
Wisdom come through reading. (a) ______ ______
Those who reads live a thousand (b) ______ ______
lives; those who doesn’t read live (c) ______ ______
only one. Books opens our minds (d) ______ ______
and taught us what no one else can. (e) ______ ______
7. Rearrange the following words/phrases to form meaningful sentences. (any four) [1x4 = 4 Marks]
(a) drink/we/ unclean/must/ water/not.
(b) by/may/unclean/we/sick/water/drinking/fall
(c) people/for/of/lack/water/clean/thousands/die/year/every
(d) need/water/was/be/clean/will/is/always/and/basic/our
(e) government/our/making/provide/us/to/is/efforts/water/clean
Section C : Literature 30 [Marks]
8. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow : [1× 4 = 4 Marks]
Narcsh Dutt cast an appraising look at Patol Babu and gave a nod. ‘Oh yes’, he said. There is no doubt
about that. By the way. the shooting takes place tomorrow morning’.
(a) Who is Naresh Dutt ?
(b) Why has he come to meet Patol Babu ?
(c) What do his words ‘Oh yes’ mean ?
(d) What is meant by ‘shooting’ ?
OR
But I am constant as the northern star,
Of whose true-fix’d and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.
(a) Who is the speaker ?
(b) What is the northern star ?
(c) What is special about it ?
(d) What is firmament ?
9. Answer any four of the following in 30-40 words each : [2 × 4 = 8 Marks]
(a) How does Shakespeare immortalize his friend ?
(b) Comment on “Virtually True” as a piece of science fiction.
(c) “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings.” What docs Ozymandias mean by ‘king of kings’ ?
(d) “I have something to expiate” What does the poet have to expiate?
(e) Bring out the irony in the title “Dear Departed”.
10. Answer the following in 100-200 words : [8 Marks]
How does Antony avenge Caesar’s assassination?
OR
Animal life is as sacred as human life. Describe how ancient mariner and other sailors suffered because
the ancient mariner had killed the albatross.
11. Answer the following question in 200-250 words : [10 Marks]
Describe Helen Keller’s experience at Radcliffe.
OR
Describe Helen’s parents’ role in her life.
OR
How does Anne mature as her diary progresses ?
OR
Attempt a character sketch of Margot.