SECTION- A
READING COMPREHENSION (SEEN)
1. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Some days after the funeral, a special train took Gandhiji’s ashes to Allahabad. The compartment was decked with flowers. People on the train sang “bhajans”. People did not weep anymore for they could feel Gandhiji’s presence amid the flowers and the songs. At every station sorrowful crowds filled the platform. Amid song and prayer the train reached Allahabad. The ashes were immersed in the Ganges where a huge crowd had gathered at the bank. Afterwards we all went back to Delhi.
Back in Delhi, I felt at sea. I had not directly walked with Gandhiji, gone to prison at his call or made any sacrifice for my country. My sisters and I, and other young people like me, had been merely onlookers. But still I felt at sea. I felt I had grown up within a magic circle. With Bapu’s passing away. I felt the magic circle had vanished, leaving me unprotected.
With an effort I roused myself, I asked myself – had Bapu lived and died for nothing? How could I so easily lose courage when he was no longer there? My values were not so weak. Millions of people would have been ordinary folk but for Bapu. He brought them out of indifference and awakened them to one another’s suffering. What if now Bapu is gone? We were still there, young, strong and proud to bear his banner before us.
A. Write the correct alternative in the given space to complete the following sentences : 1×5=5
(a) After the funeral Gandhiji's ashes were taken to ……….
(i) Delhi
(ii) Allahabad
(iii) Kolkata
(iv) Patna
(b) People who were on the train with the ashes did not weep but
(i) offered prayer
(ii) sang songs
(iii) expressed sorrow
(iv) sang "bhajans"
(c) “Back in Delhi, I felt at sea” – In this sentence ‘felt at sea’ means.
(i) felt at a loss
(ii) visited the sea
(iii) felt very sad
(iv) felt very generous
(d) Like many other young Indians, the narrator and her sister had been…
(i) Gandhiji’s companions in prison
(ii) co-workers of Gandhiji
(iii) mere observers of Gandhiji’s work
(iv) making sacrifices for Gandhiji
(e) After Gandhiji’s death, the narrator wanted to
(i) lose motivation
(ii) remain courageous
(iii) turn indifferent
(iv) weaken values
B. Complete the following sentences with Information from the text: 1×3=3
(i) At the time of immersion of Gandhiji’s ashes_____________a huge crowd had gathered at the bank.
(ii) When Gandhiji passed away, the magic_______________the magic circle had vanished, leaving the narrator unprotected.
(iii) Even if Bapu was gone____________they were still there, young, strong and proud to bear his banner before them.
C. Fill in the chart with information from the text: 2×2 = 4
| Statement | Reason |
| (i) People stopped weeping for Gandhiji. | They could feel Gandhiji’s presence amid the flowers and the songs. |
| He awakened them to one another’s suffering and they are proud to bear his banner before us. | Gandhiji brought ordinary folk out of indifference. |
2. Read the poem and answer the questions that follow:
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gull's crying.
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
A. Tick the right answer:1×4=4
(a) The colour associated with the mist and dawn in the poem is____(i) white (ii) blue (iii) grey (iv) black
(b) The call that the poet cannot deny, is the call of the (i) white clouds (ii) running tides (iii) lonely sea (iv) grey mist
(c) “The vagrant gypsy life” in the third a of the poem actually refers to the wandering life of a (i) vagabond (ii) warrior (iii) gypsy (iv) sailor
(d) The intensity of the poet’s desire to go on a voyage is expressed by (i) repeating the same phrase ” I must go down…” (ii) describing the sea voyage in details (iii) comparing the voyager’s life with gypsies (iv) referring to the running tide and flying clouds
B. Answer the following questions:
(i) Which word in the poem tells you that this is not going to be the first voyage of the poet? Why does the poet ask for a star?
Answer: The word ‘again’ tells me that this is not going to be the first voyage of the poet.
The poet asks for a star to steer his tall ship.
(ii) What does the poet ask for at the end of his journey?
Answer: The poet aks for a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover and quiet sleep and a sweet dream at the end of his journey.
READING COMPREHENSION (UNSEEN)
3. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
More than 3,500 hectares of mangrove plantation have been done in the Sunderbans by the forest department in order to protect the delta from soil erosion as well as storms and cyclones. Large swathes of mangroves had got damaged in the Sunderbans when cyclone Amphan struck. Other factors like cutting down forests to make way for pisciculture ponds and farming fields have also played a part in this.
According to a senior officer of the forest department, many tens of thousands of migrant labourers had returned to the mangrove delta during the Covid-induced lockdown. Many of them took to an alternate livelihood. Some started farming and fishing in local ponds on a small scale and to make way for these large swathes of mangroves had been cut down leaving the area exposed to the vagaries of storms as well as soil erosion. The department has roped in the help of joint forest saplings. According to an estimate, by the end of 2022 around 17-5 lakh saplings will be planted.
Milan Mondal, the divisional forest officer of South 24-Parganas, said their efforts were paying off as the villagers themselves have realised the importance of the mangrove cover after the Sunderbans was lashed with back to back cyclones, including Amphan and Yaas. In areas like Lothian Island, G Plot and Frasergunj, mangrove saplings have been planted on as many as 230 acres. The forest department has also managed to generate employment for more than 12,500 villagers.
[Adapted from an article published in The Telegraph dated 25th July 2022]
A. Tick the right answer:
(i) An initiative for mangrove plantation has taken place in the Sunderbans by the
(a) irrigation department
(b) forest department
(c) agriculture department
(d) pisciculture department
(ii) Mangrove plantation initiative aimed at protecting Sunderbans from storms and
(a) human greed
(b) amphan
(c) pisciculture ponds
(d) soil erosion
(iii) The area covered with mangrove under this initiate measures less than
(a) 4000 hectares
(b) 3000 hectares
(c) 2000 hectares
(d) 2500 hectares
(iv) The number of cyclones named in this passage is
(a) three
(b) one
(c) two
(d) many
(v) The collaborators helping forest department in this initiative are
(a) local farmers and local women
(b) forest management committees and local women
(c) local farmers and local fishermen
(d) all the villagers and forest management committees
i) An appropriate title for the passage would be
(a) An endeavour to protect mangroves
(b) A bid to protect mangroves in Sunderbans
(c) Planting mangroves to protect the Sunderbans
(d) Plantation of mangroves for protection of life
B. Each of the following statements is either ‘True’ or ‘False’. Write The ‘True’ and ‘F’ for ‘False’ in the boxes on the right-hand side. Also pick out suitable line(s) or phrase(s) from the passage in support of your answers: (1+1)x3=6
(i) Cyclone Amphan damaged large areas of mangroves in the Sunderbans. (True)
Supporting sentence:_Large swathes of mangroves had got damaged in the Sunderbans when cyclone Amphan struck.
(ii) Cyclones are the only cause of the damage of the mangroves in the Sunderbans. (False)
Supporting sentence:__Other factors like cutting down forests to make way for pisciculture ponds and farming fields have also played a part in this.
(iii) Planting mangrove saplings has generated employment for many villagers. (True)
Supporting sentence:_The forest department has also managed to generate employment for more than 12,500 villagers.
C. Answer the following questions 2×4-8
(i) How many migrant labourers returned to the Sunderbans during Covid- induced lockdown and what alternative livelihood did they take in ?
Answer: Tens of thousands of migrant labourers returned to the Sunderbans during Covid- induced lockdown.
The alternative livelihood they took in are farming and fishing in local ponds.
(ii) What were the impacts of migrant labourers’ alternative livelihood on Sunderban’s nature?
Answer: The migrant labourers’ alternative livelihood left the area exposed to the vagaries of storms as well as soil erosion.
(iii) Name two areas of Sunderbans where mangrove saplings have been planted.
Answer: Lothian Island, G Plot and Frasergunj.
(iv) Who is Milan Mondal? What did he say about the effect of their effort on the villagers of the area?
Answer: Milan Mondal is the divisional forest officer of South 24-Parganas.
He said that their efforts were paying off as the villagers themselves have realised the importance of the mangrove cover after the Sunderbans was lashed with back to back cyclones, including Amphan and Yaas.
SECTION B
GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY
4. Write the correct alternatives to fill in the blanks :
The Tortoise set out to collect all the wisdom in the world, and as he _____(had been gathering/ gathered/had gathered) each piece he put it into a large gourd. This took a long time, and when Tortoise thought he ______(had collected/collected/collect) all there was, he _______(decides/had decided/decided) to hide the gourd on top of a tree.
5. Do as directed :
A. Fill in the blanks with appropriate articles and prepositions : 1×3=3
Life had not been smooth sailing for Sudha.
In 1981, the car she was travelling met with an accident and her right leg had to be amputated below the knee. She walked around with /on crutches.
B.
(i) People on the train sang “Bhajans”. (Change the voice)
Answer: Bhajans were sung on the train by people.
(ii) Samuel said, “Swaminathan, where is your homework ?” (Change into indirect speech)
Answer: Samuel asked Swaminathan where his home work was.
(iii) He put it in an envelope and sealed it. (Turn into a simple sentence)
Answer: Putting it in an envelope he sealed it./
Or, Having put it in an envelope he sealed it./ He sealed it putting in an envelope.
C. Choose the correct phrasal verbs from the list given below to replace the words underlined. Write the correct phrasal verbs in the boxes on the right-hand side changing the form where necessary. There is one extra phrasal verb in the list :
(i) Sahana visited you last night to invite you to
her birthday party. ( called on)
(ii) Solving the puzzle was so difficult that I stopped trying. (gave up)
(iii) The man created a story to avoid punishment. (made up)
[call up, make up, call on, give up]
6. Given below are the meanings of four words which you will find in the passage in Question No. 3. Find out the words and write them in the appropriate boxes on the right-hand side : 2×4=8
(i) loss —damage
(ii) unprotected —exposed
(iii) a person who moves from one place to another–migrant
(iv) work– employment
SECTION -C
WRITING
7. Write a short biography (in about 100 words) of Sukumar Ray, the great Bengall writer and poet, on the basis of the points given below: 10
Birth: 30 October, 1887
Parents : Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury and Bidhumukhi Devi
Education: Attended City College School – Graduated with double honours in Physics and Chemistry from Presidency College…trained in photography and printing technology from England.
Profession : Writer, illustrator, photographer, publisher of “Sandesh’, the famous children’s magazine.
Notable works: Notable for writing “nonsense” rhymes in Bengali e.g. Abol Tabol, Pagla Dashu, HaJaBaRaLa etc.
Death : September 10, 1923
Sukumar Roy
Sukumar Roy was a renowned Bengali author, poet, playwright, and illustrator, best known for his works for children. He was born on October 30, 1887, in the town of Joydebpur in the district of Narsingdi, in present-day Bangladesh.
His father’s name was Upendrakishore Roy Chowdhury and his mother’s name was Bidhumukhi Devi. His father was a famous writer and illustrator who played a significant role in the development of Bengali literature for children.
Sukumar Roy attended City College School and later graduated with double honours in Physics and Chemistry from Presidency College. He was also trained in photography and printing technology from England. He started working as a teacher at a school. However, his passion was writing, and he soon quit his job to pursue his literary career.
Some of Sukumar Roy’s most famous works include the poem collection, Abol Tabol which features “nonsense” rhymes and the play, Chalachittachanchari which satirizes the bureaucratic system of British India. His other notable works include Pagla Dashu, HaJaBaRaLA, Pheodar Moto, Jhalapala etc. He was the publisher of “Sandesh”, a famous children’s magazine.
Sukumar Roy’s influence on Bengali literature for children was significant, and he inspired several generations of writers and artists. He passed away on September 10, 1923, at the young age of 35, due to complications from an operation. However, his work continues to be celebrated and cherished by readers of all ages.
8. Write a letter (within 100 words) to the editor of an English daily expressing concern about the frequent accidents due to rash driving in your area: 10
To
The Editor,
The Times of India,
Kolkata -700001
Subject : Rash driving in our Jalpaiguri area.
Sir,
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the frequent accidents that occur in our Jalpaiguri town area due to rash driving. It is heartbreaking to see innocent lives being lost and families shattered due to the reckless behavior of some drivers.
Despite the installation of speed-breakers and traffic signals, many drivers continue to ignore the rules and put themselves and others in danger. The situation has only worsened with the increase in the number of vehicles on the road.
I urge the concerned authorities to take strict action against those who violate the traffic rules and put the lives of others at risk.I hope this issue receives the attention it deserves, and the necessary steps are taken to prevent further loss of life.
Yours Sincerely,
Trailakya Roy
Maharaj Nagar- Jalpaiguri
24th February, 2023
9. Write a paragraph (within 100 words) about how you celebrate Independence Day in your school. You may use the following points: 10
Time of attendance--- participants -- programmes ---significance of celebrating the day
Celebration of Independence Day in Our School
The celebration of Independence Day on 15th August of at Maharaja High School is a grand affair. Every year the students, teachers, and staff members dress in traditional attire, and the school premises are decorated with tricolor flags and flowers.
The ceremony begins with the hoisting of the national flag by the school Headmaster, followed by the singing of the national anthem. The students present various cultural programs, including patriotic songs, dances, recitation etc. which showcase the rich cultural heritage of India.
The highlight of the event is the speech by the school principal, who reminds us about the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters and urge us to work towards the progress and development of our nation.
The celebration ends with the distribution of sweets and the singing of the national song. The students and staff members leave the premises with a renewed sense of patriotism and pride for their country.
Overall, the Independence Day celebration at Maharaja High School is always a great experience, which instills a sense of national pride and unity among all present.
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