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Presidency School

Bangalore East

I Preparatory Examination – 2011-2012

Subject: ENGLISH

Grade: X Max.Marks:80

Date: 29/08/11 Duration: 3 hrs

Section – A(Reading) 20 Marks

1.Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: (5x1=5)

The French anthropologist Louis Dumont would have been 100 years of age on August 1, 2011. Although criticised, his interpretation of the Indian society cannot be ignored.

After World War II , Louis Dumont’s anthropological oeuvre marked a new area for the sociology of India, and his work, although internationally acclaimed is still open to debate.

Dumont was born in Thessaloniki , (Greece ) in 1911 and died in Paris in 1998. He was first a students of the French anthropologist Marcel Mauss at the Institute of Ethonology of the Museum of Man in Paris form 1936 to 1939, and later joined the Museum for Arts and Popular religious festival in Southern France. Yet, later he was to receive international fame and recognition for his work on India.

Dumont was a prisoner of war in Germany (1940-45), where he started learning Sanskrit with the German Indologist and Jain scholar Walther Schubring. After the war, he went to South India and did fieldwork among the Kallar in Tamil Nadu. In 1957, he published a monograph on A South Indian Subcaste: Social Organization and Religion of the Pramalai Kallar ,which marked a profound change in the paradigm of the sociology of India.

--The Hindu

Answer the following questions by selecting the most appropriate options from the ones given below:

  1. Loius Dumont is a French anthropologist . An anthropologist is some one who works for the benefit of

i)Animals

ii)mankind

iii)Doctors

iv)Teachers

  1. Loius Dumont’s work has won him

i)International renown .

ii)No fame.

iii)Notoriety across the globe.

iv)ill repute in his own country.

  1. Dumont was

i)Was student of Marcel Mauss and later worked with Museum for Arts and Popular Religious Festival.

ii)Was working with Museum for Arts and Popular Fiction and later worked under Marcel Mauss.

iii)Was a colleague of Marcel Mauss and then joined Museum for Arts and popular Cinema.

iv)Was a student-associate at museum for Arts and Popular Tradition and then studied under Marcel Mauss.

  1. 1n 1957 Dumont published a monograph on

i)A North Indian Subcaste: Social Organization and Religion of the Pramalai Kallar.

ii)A South Indian Caste : Social Orientation and Religion of the Pramalai Kallar.

iii)A South Indian Subcaste: Social Organization and Religion of the Pramalai Kallar.

iv)A South Indian Subcaste: Social Organization and Religion of the Parimalai Kallar.

  1. In the above passage , the word profound has been used in the sense of the word

i)Slight

ii)Major

iii)Unimportant

iv)Irrelevant

2. Read the passage carefully: (5x1=5)

A Patriotic Pilgrimage

Zumbo, our sturdy Gorkha driver, seemed to be in love with his voice. When he wasnot telling us what to see in Sikkim, he was reeling off Hindi songs,old ones mostly.

It was unusually warm in Gangtok that morning . Zumbo took no time speeding past the city limits and was soon climbing towards Nathu La pass. The roads became narrow, winding and sometimes, slushy; at times it became part of the cavernous cliff edges. There was a pattern in Zumbo’s singing. It became loud every time the road became a weathered ribbon.

Nathu La ,one of the three trading posts between India and China, and which connects Sikkim with Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China, is just 54 km from Gangtok. But it’s the treacherous climb , to over 14, 150 ft, and the bone-chilling weather that makes the drive to Nathu La thrilling.

Throughout the winding road,we had for company boisterous water falls, heavy misty and snow-covered peaks in the distance . When we crossed the 15th Mile Sikkim police checkpost, we stopped for a while. It was cold and a hot cup of tea did wonders. A few bends later I was snapped out of my reverie. “Saab, that’s the Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary , “ Zumbo said, pointing to a board on a slope. “ This is home to the red panda and the blood pheasant (the state animal and bird respectively).And you have a whole lot of invaluable herbs and plants.” An icy breeze wafted in from the lowered car window, forcing me to pull it up instantly.

At certain parts the road was being widened. Workers, in that biting cold , were going about their work with zeal. “This is going to be a highway connecting Gangtok to Lhasa and beyond, to Manasarovar. It will be complete in three years time. , “ Zumba told me. Apart from the occasional Army truck , a stray dog or porters with loads strapped to their backs , there was hardly any movement on the road.

-The Hindu

Answer these questions after reading the passage carefully:

i)Why does the author say that his driver was in love with his voice?

ii)How were the roads towards Nathu La?

iii)Nathu la is one of the three trading posts between India and China, and it also

______.

iv)The word reverie means ______.

v)How does the driver describe the Kyongsla Alpine Sanctuary ?

3. Read the following poem carefully:(5x1=5)

Fair pledges of a fruitful tree,

Why do ye fall so fast

Your date is not so past,

But you may stay here awhile

To blush and gently smile.

What, were ye born to be

An hour or half’s delight

And so bid good night?

T’was pity Nature brought ye forth

Merely to show your worth

And lost you quite.

But you are lovely leaves, where we

May read how soon things have

Their end,though ne’er so brave;

And after they have shown their pride

Like you awhile, they glide

Into the grave.

-Ben Jonson

On the basis of your reading of the poem complete the sentences that follow:

i)The poet calls the flowers ______.

ii)The poet feels sorry that ______.

iii)The flowers have a short span of life . We know this from the line ______.

iv)The word in the poem that means the same as ‘forward’ is ______.

v)According to the poet the flowers tell us that ______.

4.Read the passage carefully: (5x1=5)

Did you know that the industrial products we use aren’t just a combination of mechanics and industrial material? An entire creative thought process goes into designing these products.An exhibition in Bangalore ,title , Connecting concepts , explores design as a creative acitivity. Organised by Srishti School of Art , Design and Technology in association with Premsela Dutch Platform for Design and Fashion, The Netherlands Architecture Institute, and Design Cooperation Brainport and curated by Danish industry designer Ed Van Hinte , “ Connecting Concepts” displays products behind which ,unique and clever ideas have been invested.

Traditional techniques which have been incorporated in new products and the evolution of ideas has resulted in path –breaking designs. Ed explained the importance of the design process. “ The process behind the creation of a product is much more than the finished product itself. The Netherlands is known for its unique industry design. The design process of a country can provide a deeper cultural understanding of a country. The geographical location of Netherlands, for instance , has led to the evolution of certain traits in the people. The country lies below sea level, which explains the stubbornness and determination inherent in the Danish. This determination is found in the way industrialists experiment with design despite industries being fewer in number . Graphic designers receive a lot of Government funding.

-The Hindu

Answer these questions on the basis of your reading of the passage :

i)Industrial products are just a combination of mechanics and industrial material

  1. Always
  2. Sometimes
  3. Once in a while
  4. Never

ii)Ed Van Hinte is a

  1. Danish designer
  2. French designer
  3. Russian designer
  4. Indian designer

iii)______and ______has resulted in path-breaking designs.

  1. Incorporation of new methods
  2. Incorporation of traditional techniques in new products and evolution of ideas.
  3. Incorporation of new thoughts and development
  4. Incorporation of tradition and technology

iv)The geographical location of the country is responsible for

  1. The stubbornness and determination in the people of Netherlands
  2. The meekness and submissiveness in the people of Netherlands.
  3. The possessiveness and arrogance in the people of Netherlands.
  4. The honesty and ruggedness in the people of Netherlands.

v)According to Ed

  1. The product is independent of the design process.
  2. The process behind the creation of a product is as important as the product itself.
  3. The design process has nothing to do with the product.
  4. The process of designing is a complicated one which is interesting.

Section B (Writing) 20 Marks

5. Given below are the details of Santosh Hegde , Lokayukta . Using the details write a short description of him in about 80 words for your class magazine. (1x4=4)


Born on 16 June, 1940- Nitte Village of Karkala Taluk, Dakshina Kannada District- Law Degree-Government Law College, Bangalore- Presently University Law College, Bangalore- completed his graduation in law-joined the Bar in January 1966- appointed- the Advocate General of Karnataka in February 1984 - continued till 1988.

Appointed- Additional Solicitor General of India in November 1989 - In November 1998- appointed as Solicitor General of India- the only person to be – appointed-Karnataka so far.

After retirement from the Supreme Court in June 2005, , Justice Hegde-appointed- Chairperson, Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal, New Delhi on 6.7.2005 and functioned in that position . August 2006- was appointed as Lokayukta of Karnataka State from August 2006 for 5 years.

Conferred Honorary Doctorate of Law by the University of Mangalore in February 2005; by the Karnataka State Open University Mysore in March, 2009.

6. International schools are mushrooming all over the place. They seem to be offering hi-fi facilities to students. They try and lure parents and children promising them international education . With inputs from the lesson ‘Education’write an article expressing your opinion about the topic. (1x8=8)

7. You are Aniruddh . You have won the Presidency Challenge Cup , War of Words trophy for the current year. You write a diary entry describing your feelings, your preparations , the support and guidance you received etc. (1x8=8)

SECTION C (GRAMMAR) 20 MARKS

8. Complete the passage given below by choosing the most appropriate options.(1/2x8=4)

If I (a)_____(know) that they were honest, I’d have gladly lend them the money. Unless you (b)______(be )very sure of someone’s intentions , you cannot lend him /her your hard-earned money. But for the want of money they (c)_____(ruin). If I really (d)______(perceive) that they were so desperately in need of money, I (e)______

(do) my best for them. If I (f)______(read ) their diary before, I would have known the whole truth. Unless you (g)______(spend) time with someone you (h) ______(judge) them

  1. i. know ii. had known iii. Would know iv. Would have known
  2. i. is ii. am iii. are iv. was
  3. i. will have ruin ii. can have ruin iii. shall have ruined iv. Would have been ruined
  4. i.could perceive ii.can perceive iii.will perceive iv. Shall perceive
  5. i.will have ii. shall have iii. could have iv. would have done
  6. i. read ii. would read iii. shall read iv. had read
  7. i. spend ii. spent iii. would spend iv. will spend
  8. i. can’t judge ii. will not judge iii. shall not judge iv.should not judge

9. Read the following conversation and complete the passage that follows: (1x4=4)

The fox opened the door and said to the stork ,” Please come in and share my food ?”

The fox served the soup in shallow bowls so that the poor stork stayed hungry.

The selfish fox asked , “ why haven’t you taken your soup?”

The stork replied , “ It was very kind of you to invite me for dinner today. Please come to my house tomorrow for dinner.”

The fox opened the door and (a)______. The fox served the soup in shallow bowls so that poor stork stayed hungry. The selfish fox asked the stork (b) ______. The stork replied that (c) ______and further requested (d)______.

10. The following passage has not been edited . There is an error in each line. Write the incorrect word and the correction in the blanks given below. Number the blanks correctly. (1 x4=4)

Incorrect word Correction

A bionic eye who allows the blind to see has been a. ______

approved after through testing. The test has b.______

demonstrated but the device is safe c.______

while could mean that it eventually becomes d.______

routinely available at the NHS.

11. Rearrange the following words /phrases to form meaningful sentences.(1x4=4)

a. only/people/advertising/join/crazy/do

b. plague/clichés/avoid/like/let’s

c. their work /set/answer/every /a serious /through/work/researcher/asks/question/that/out/to /through

d. Indu Balachandran’s /insight/the /ad world/book/interesting/humorous/provides /into/an

12. Given below is a set of instructions for making ‘Khubanii Ka Meetha’. On the basis of instructions given complete the following paragraph. (1x4=4)

1. Wash apricots and soak in 2 cups of water overnight.

2. Remove apricots, add sugar towater and cook to make a syrup.

3.Slit apricots, remove the seeds and keep them aside.

4.Add apricots to the syrup and cook until thick.

5. Add lemon juice –remove from fire.

6. Break the seeds gently and remove the almonds.

7. Boil them and peel the skin.

8. Serve with unsweetened whipped cream.

Apricots (a)_____and soaked in two cups of water overnight. The apricots (b)______and sugar is added to water and (c)______to make a syrup. The apricots (d)______

andseeds are removed . Apricots are added to the syrup and cooked until thick. Lemon juice is added and removed from fire. The seeds are broken gently and the almonds are removed . They are served with unsweetened whipped cream.

  1. i. Is washed ii.were washed iii. Are washed iv. Was washed
  2. i. Are removed ii. Will be removed iii. Can be removed iv. had been removed.
  3. i. Cooked ii. Were cooked iii. Can be cooked iv. Shall be cooked
  4. i. Are slit ii. Can be slit iii. Will be slit iv. Had been slit

Section D (Literature ) 20 Marks

13.A.Read the extract and answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate options. (1x3=3)

A woman bends over me ,

Searching my reaches for what she really is.

Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.

  1. What is the woman bending over ?
  1. The mirror ii. Lake iii. The opposite wall iv. The moon and the candles
  1. Why does the mirror call the candle light and moon light liars?

i.because they make people beautiful.

ii.they hide the blemishes of people with their soft light .

iii. they hide the blemishes and make people look beautiful in their soft glow

iv. they can’t talk

  1. Why does she turn to them in spite of calling them liars?

i.the reality is too harsh for her to bear.

ii.she is desperately looking for someone to comfort her .

iii. she wants to be told that she is still beautiful

iv. she can hide her signs of greying in their light.

Or

For several days Ali had not come to the post office . There was no one with enough sympathy or understanding to guess the reason , but all were curious toknow what had stopped the old man. At last he came again, but it was a struggle for him to breathe and on his face were clear signs of approaching end. That day he could not contain his impatience.

  1. Ali had not come to the post office for many days because he ....
  1. Had gone to the city to meet his daughter.

ii. had gone to attend a marriage.

iii.was in the hospital.

iv. was not keeping well for so many days.

  1. Ali couldn’t contain his impatience because ...

i.everybody made fun of him

ii. he was very ill and knew that his end was near.

iii. he had lost hope of receiving a letter from his daughter.

iv. being ill he could not wait in the post office for the letter any longer.

c.The people at the post office were ..

i.very helpful

ii.worried about Ali’s health

iii.understood Ali’s feelings

iv.selfish and heartless.

14. Answer any four out of the following questions in 30-40 words .(2x4=8)

a.Bring out the irony in the title of the play ‘The Dear Departed’.

b. How could Mrs. Packletide face the camera with a light heart though she had not killed the tiger?

c. Do you think the nightingale is ‘brainless’? Give reasons for your answer.

d.Why does the poet in the poem ‘Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monuments’ refer to time as being sluttish?

e.Although Nicola and Jacopo are young boys , the author refers to them as gentlemen. Why does he do so?

15. Answer any one of the following in about 150 words. (6x1=6)

Mr. Abel Merry Weather writes a letter to his friend , James explaining his decision to get married as well as the disgraceful behaviour of his daughters and his sons –in-law. Write the letter in about 150 words.

Or

“Tortured by doubt and remorse , he sat down in the glow of the charcoal sigri to wait. Who is tortured by doubt and remorse ? Why ? What is he waiting for ?

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