Madhyamik English Suggestion 2026

এই আর্টিকেলে আমরা WBBSE বোর্ডের 2026 সালের মাধ্যমিক ইংরেজি সাজেশন নিয়ে আলোচনা করবো। এখানে দেওয়া প্রশ্নগুলো আসন্ন মাধ্যমিক পরীক্ষার জন্য অত্যন্ত গুরুত্বপূর্ণ।

Madhyamik English Suggestion 2026

SECTION – A

READING COMPREHENSION (SEEN) (20 MARKS)

PROSE

THE PASSING AWAY OF BAPU

UNIT – 1

Q.1. Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow –

I was having tea at home on the evening of 30th January, 1948, when I was called to Birla House by an urgent telephone. Gandhiji had been shot on his way to a prayer meeting. I was numb with shock as I got into the car.

At the Birla House, Gandhiji’s relatives and followers had gathered round his body. There was silence in the room as Gandhiji breathed his last. Words of Bapuji’s death had spread through out Delhi like a flame fanned by wind. Sad groups of men and women had collected around Birla House. Out of every window one could see a brown blur of faces. They did not make a sound. There was an unnatural silence. It was as if time stood still for those few minutes.

The people were too stunned to speak in the beginning. Later they clamoured wildly, shouting and crying. They jostled one another in a stampede to break into the house. They calmed a little when it was announced that they would be allowed to see Gandhiji before the funeral.

When one is faced with the shock of a loved one’s death, one whimpers: “What will become of me now that he has left me?” This was surely the question uppermost in the mind of the mourning people. They looked like lost children. It was the question in many of our hearts as we sat, still shocked and unbelieving. We listened to the broadcast telling the people of India that their Bapu was no more.

A. Write the correct alternative to complete the follwing sentences – [1 × 5 = 5]

1. Bapu was assassinated on –

1. 31th January-1949
2. 2nd October-1969
3. 15th August-1947
4. 30th January-1948

Ans – 3. 30th January – 1948

2. After getting the bad news, the author rushed to the –

1. Red Fort
2. Lohia Hospital.
3. Birla House.
4. Sabramati Ashram.

Ans – 3. Birla House.

3. Gandhiji had been shot on his way to –

1. a family meeting
2. the Birla House
3. a prayer meeting
4. an evening prayer

Ans – 3. a prayer meeting

4. The author came to know of Gandhiji’s death by –

1. a letter
2. a telephone call
3. a public broadcast
4. a telegram

Ans – 2. a telephone call

5. The words of Bapuji’s death spread in Delhi like –

1. a bullet
2. fire fanned by wind
3. a rush of flood
4. a rumour

Ans – 2. fire fanned by wind

6. The narrator went to Birla House by/on –

1. train
2. horse drawn carriage
3. foot
4. motor car

Ans – 4. motor car

7. In the beginning people –

1. remained silent
2. talked too much
3. talked a little
4. talked moderately

Ans – 1. remained silent

8. Death of Bapu left people –

1. indifferent
2. normal
3. shocked
4. unmoved

Ans – 3. shocked

9. People of dDelhi mourned Gandhi ji death like –

1. lost children
2. eccentrics
3. matured persons
4. political leader

Ans – 1. lost children

10. The author was having tea at home –

1. in the morning
2. in the evening
3. on the evening
4. at night

Ans – 3. on the evening

11. The author got –

1. a physical shock
2. mental shock
3. mental delight
4. casual leave

Ans – 2. mental shock

12. There was an unnatural silence in the room as –

1. Gandhiji lost his doughter
2. a boy died in the room
3. Gandhiji breathed his last
4. Gandhiji had become injured

Ans – 2. Gandhiji breathed his last

13. Words of Bapu’s death had spread through Delhi like a flame fanned by –

1. Celling fan
2. Oxyzen
3. Hand-fan
4. Wind

Ans – 4. Wind

B. Complete the following sentences with information from the text – 1 x 3 = 3

1. At the Birla House ___

Ans – Gandhiji’s relatives and followers had gathered round his body.

2. Words of bapu ji death had spread ___

Ans – through Delhi like a flame fanned by wind.

3. The narrator got an urgent telephone call on ___

Ans – 30th January, 1948.

4. The narrator was called to ___

Ans – Birla House.

5. The narrator received the news of Gandhiji’s death through an ___

Ans – Urgent telephone call.

6. The sad news of Gandhiji’s death spread through out Delhi like ___

Ans – a flame fanned by wind.

7. Gandhiji had been shot ___

Ans – on his way to a prayer meeting.

8. The news of Bapu’s death made the narrator ___

Ans – humb with shock.

9. Out of every window one could see ___

Ans – a brown blour of faces.

C. Fill in the chart with information from the text – 1 x 3 = 3

(i) Gandhiji had been shot on his way to a prayer meeting.
(ii) It was announced that people will be allowed to see Gandhiji before the funeral.
(iii) There was silence in the room.
(iv) One is faced with the shock of a love one’s death.

D. State whether the following statements are true or false. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false in the boxes on the right-hand side. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answers – 2 x 2 = 4

1. The author received an urgent telephone call in the morning.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – I was having tea at home on the evening of 30th January, 1948. When I was called to Birla House by an urgent telephone call.

2. People attempted to break into the Birla House.

Ans – [T]
Supporting Sentence – People jostled one another to break into the Birla House.

3. The news of Gandhiji’s death did not shock the people.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – “The people were too stunned to speak in the beginning.”

4. The news of Gandhiji death spread rapidly.

Ans – [T]
Supporting Sentence – News of Bapu’s death and spread like a flame fanned by wind.

5. At first people didn’t make sound.

Ans – [T]
Supporting Sentence – “The people were too stunned to speak in the beginning.”

6. People jostled in protest.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – People jostled one another to break in to the Birla House.

7. Gandhiji was shot while he was going to a prayer.

Ans – [T]
Supporting Sentence – Gandhiji had been shot on his way to a prayer meeting.

UNIT – 2

Q.1. Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow –

Gandhiji’s funeral was to take place the day after his death. Hours in advance, people lined the route the funeral procession was to follow. Padmasi, daughter of Mrs. Naidu, spoke for us all when she said simply: we will walk. It is the last time we shall be walking with Bapu.

It was an agonizing walk. Thousands silently watched the procession. Bapu lay on an open truck covered with flowers. Thousands of people wept, trying to touch Bapu’s feet. It was impossible to move in the thick crowd.

As I moved forward slowly I understood I was not merely in the midst of grieving people. This was even more than the funeral procession of India’s beloved leader. I was among people for whom walking with Bapu had a special meaning. We had walked with Bapu over the rough and smooth of India’s recent history. We could not now accept the fact that the man who had led us over many difficult paths, was never going to walk with us again. Bapu’s slight figure had walked, staff in hand, over a large part of India. To walk is to make slow progress. It is to think with clarity and closely look at all that is around you, from small insects to the horizon in the distance. Moreover, to walk was often the only way open to the average Indian. It required no vehicle except his own body and cost him nothing but his energy. Gandhiji took this necessity, as he took much that was commonplace and transformed it into a joyful effort.

A. Write the correct alternative to complete the follwing sentences – [1 × 5=5]

1. The last walk with Bapu was –

1. pleasant
2. painful
3. strange
4. delightful

Ans – 2. painful

2. According to the narrator, walking with Bapu was –

1. quite boring
2. not a commonplace affair
3. a usual affair
4. meaningless

Ans – 3. not a commonplace affair

3. While walking, Bapu used to carry a –

1. staff
2. flag
3. book
4. bag

Ans – 1. staff

4. The narrator comments that to walk is to make –

1. a tiresome journey
2. no progress
3. rapid progress
4. slow progress

Ans – 4. slow progress

5. According to the narrator, walk required –

1. a lot of money
2. vehicle
3. one’s own body and energy
4. a walking stick

Ans – 3. one’s own body and energy

6. Bapu lay on an open truck coverd with –

1. flowers
2. Charkhas
3. garlands
4. clothes

Ans – 1. flowers

7. The person spoken to was –

1. going to take part in walk with us
2. going to lead us in political movements
3. never going to take part in walk with us
4. going to declare a new political era

Ans – 1. never going to take part in walk with us

8. Gandhiji and walked over a large part of –

1. the world
2. Gujrat
3. South Africa
4. India

Ans – 4. India

9. Walking gives one a chance to –

1. see clearly
2. lose weight
3. See the people
4. thing witi clarity and observe closely

Ans – 4. thing witi clarity and observe closely

10. Gandhiji’s last rites were to be hold –

1. on the day of his death
2. within hours of his death
3. one day after his death
4. a week after his death

Ans – 3. one day after his death

11. Those watching the procession paid their respect through –

1. slogans
2. silence
3. sobs and tears
4. cries

Ans – 2. silence

12. Walking with Bapu was something –

1. mundane
2. extraordinary
3. Habitual
4. strenuous

Ans – 2. extraordinary

13. Padmasi was Mrs Naidu’s –

1. sister
2. niece
3. friend
4. daughter

Ans – 4. daughter

14. The day after Gandhiji’s death Nayantara Sehgal walked for the last time –

1. with the general people
2. with Padmasi
3. with Bapu
4. with the narrator

Ans – 3. with Bapu

15. It was impossible to move –

1. towards the Birla House
2. in the dense crowd
3. towards the Parliament House
4. from the Birla House

Ans – 2. in the dense crowd

16. “I was not merely in the midst of grieving people” – The person referred to here is –

1. Bapu
2. Netaji
3. Nehruji
4. Nayantara Sehgal

Ans – 4. Nayantara Sehgal

17. “I was not merely in the midst of grieving people” – The people were grieving for their –

1. relatives
2. beloved leader
3. fellow comrades
4. misdeed

Ans – 2. beloved leader

B. Complete the following sentences with information from the text – [1 × 3 = 3]

1. Bapu was being carried –

Ans – in an open truck.

2. Thousands of people were eager to –

Ans – touch Bapu’s feet.

3. Indian’s recent history was both –

Ans – rough and smooth.

4. Gandhiji’s used walking as a form of protest because it –

Ans – help to think with clarity and also helps to take a close look at all thatis around us.

5. Hours before the funeral procession had begun, people –

Ans – lined the route of the funeral procession.

6. The author walked with Gandhiji for the last time in –

Ans – his funeral procession.

7. While walking in Gandhiji’s funeral procession, Nayantara Sehgal felt –

Ans – She was among people for whom walking with Bapu had a special meaning.

8. To the average Indian, walking –

Ans – was the only available option

C. Fill in the chart with information from the text – [1 × 3 = 3]

Ans –

(a) It was impossible to move.
(b) because the walker then think with clarity and looks closely at all that is around him.
(c) it was the last time people would walk with Gandhiji.
(d) Walking makes one to think with clarity and observe everything closely.

D. State whether the following statements are true or false. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false in the boxes on the right-hand side. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answers – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. Bapuji was never followed by anyone.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – the whole of india followed bapu.

2. Padmasi was reluctant to walk in the funeral procession.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – ….she said simply: we will walk.

3. To walk in the funeral procession was joyful experience for Nayantara Sehgal.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – It was an agonizing walk.

4. People watching the funeral procession made a clamour.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – Thousands silently watched the procession.

5. In the funeral procession Gandhiji’s body was kept on a well-covered military van.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – Bapu lay on an open truck covered with flowers.

6. People taking part in the funeral procession shed tears.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – It is the last time we shall be walking with Bapu.

7. In the funeral procession people could move smoothly.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – We had walked with Bapu over the rough and smooth of India’s recent history.

UNIT – 3

1. Read the passage carefully adn 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 trian 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 would 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 to complete the following sentences – [1 × 5 = 5]

1. After the funeral Gandhiji’s ashes were taken to –

1. Delhi
2. Allahabad
3. Kolkata
4. Patna

Ans – 2. Allahabad

2. People who were on the train with the ashes did not weep but –

1. offered prayer
2. sang songs
3. expressed sorrow
4. sang “bhajans”

Ans – 4. sang “bhajans”

3. “Back in Delhi, I felt at sea”- In this sentence ‘felt at sea’ means –

1. felt at a loss
2. visited the sea
3. felt very sad
4. felt very generous

Ans – 1. felt at a loss

4. Like many other young Indians, the narrator and her sister had been –

1. Gandhiji’s companions in prison
2. co-workers of Gandhiji.
3. mere observers of Gandhiji’s work
4. making sacrifices for Gandhiji

Ans – 3. mere observers of Gandhiji’s work

5. After Gandhiji’s death, the narrator wanted to –

1. lose motivation
2. remain courageous
3. turn indifferent
4. weaken values

Ans – 2. remain courageous

6. people on the train sang –

1. thumri
2. bhajans
3. Ghazal
4. kawali

Ans – 2. bhajans

7. the passage ends with a sense of –

1. joy
2. self-realization
3. sadness
4. loss

Ans – 2. self-realization

8. the word decked means –

1. decorated
2. protected
3. carred
4. uncovered

Ans – 1. decorated

9. After coming back to Delhi, the author felt –

1. relieved
2. puzzled
3. helpless
4. lonely

Ans – 3. helpless

10. The ‘magic circle’ referred to by the author was –

1. a protective spell
2. a spell cast by a magician
3. Gandhiji’s able leadership and strengthening influence
4. to be among the most famous and influential IndiAns –

Ans – 3. Gandhiji’s able leadership and strengthening influence

11. The author realised that Bapu had lived and died for –

1. power
2. fame
3. a great cause
4. greatness

Ans – 3. a great cause

12. Gandhiji’s India would continue to live in the minds of –

1. his sons
2. his friends
3. the author
4. all Indians

Ans – 4. all Indians

B. Complete the following sentences with information from the text – [1 × 3 = 3]

1. At the time of immersion of Gandhiji’s ashes ___

Ans – a huge crowd had gathered at the Bank of the Ganges.

2. When Gandhiji passed away, the magic ___

Ans – Circle had vanished leaving me unprotected.

3. Even if Bapu was gone ___

Ans – they were still there young strong and proud to bear his banner before them.

4. A special train took ___

Ans – Gandhiji’s ashes to. Allahabad.

5. the ashes were immersed ___

Ans – in the Ganges in Allahabad.

6. Bapu brought ordinary people ___

Ans – out of indifference and awakened them to one another suffering.

7. We were still there, ___

Ans – young, strong and proud to bear his banner before us.

C. Fill in the chart with information form the text –

Ans –

(i) They could feel Gandhiji’s presence amid flowers and the songs.
(ii) millions of people would have been ordinary folk but for bapu.
(iii) The ashes were to be immersed in the Ganges in Allahabad.
(iv) Everyone wanted to pay their last respect to Варu.

D. State whether the following statements are true or false. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false in the boxes on the right-hand side. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answers – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. Gandhiji’s ashes wer immersed in Ahmedabad.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – Gandhiji’s ashes were immersed in Allahabad.

2. The narrator’s realization came after the demise of Bapu.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – the narrator felt that the ‘magic circle’ that she had grown up within, vanished after Bapu’s demise.

3. Bapu enkindled sympathy among people.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – Bapu brought people out of indifference and made them aware of each other’s problems.

4. With Bapu’s passing away, India ceased to exist.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – India would continue to live in his children.

OUR RUNAWAY KITE

UNIT – 1

Q.1. Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow –

Of course, there was nobody for us to play with on the Big Half Moon. We just had to make the most of each other, and we did.

We live on the Big Half Moon island. ‘We’ are Father and Claude and I and Aunt Esther and Mimi and Dick. It used to be only Father and Claude and I. It is all on account of the kite that there are more of us. This is what I want to tell you about.

Father is the keeper of the Big Half Moon lighthouse. I am eleven years old. Claude is twelve. In winter, when the harbour is frozen over, we all move over to the mainland. As soon as spring comes, back we sail to our own dear island.

The funny part used to be that people always pitied us when the time came for us to return. They said we must be so lonesome over there, with no other children near us. Of course, Claude and I would have liked to have someone to play with us.

It is hard to run pirate caves and things like that with only two. But we used to quarrel a good deal with the mainland children in winter. So it was perhaps just as well that there were none on the Big Half Moon. Claude and I never quarrelled.

To be sure, Father didn’t seem to have any relations except us. This used to puzzle Claude and me. Everybody on the mainland had relations. Why hadn’t we? Was it because we lived on an island? We thought it would be so jolly to have an uncle and aunt and some cousins. Once we asked Father about it, but he looked so sorrowful that we wished we hadn’t. He said it was all his fault. Claude and I didn’t understand what he meant.

A. Write the correct alternatives to complete the following sentences in the given spaces – [1 × 5 = 5]

1. Big Half Moon is the name of a/an ___.

1. mountain
2. lighthouse
3. island
4. planet

Ans – 2. lighthouse

2. The narrator is ___.

1. a boy of eleven years
2. a boy of twelve years
3. a girl of eleven years
4. a girl of twelve years

Ans – 3. a girl of eleven years

3. Number of persons needed to play pirate caves –

1. one
2. two
3. more than two
4. less than four

Ans – 3. more than two

4. When the children asked their father about relatives he became –

1. embarrassed
2. happy
3. irritated
4. sorrowful

Ans – 4. sorrowful

5. Before meeting Aunt Esther, the narrator lived with –

1. Mimi
2. Dick
3. Claude
4. Father and Claude

Ans – 4. Father and Claude

6. Claude is –

1. twelve years
2. ten years
3. fifteen years
4. sixteen years

Ans – 1. twelve years

7. The family moved over to the mainland in –

1. summer
2. winter
3. autumn
4. spring

Ans – 2. winter

8. The family sailed back to their island in –

1. monsoon
2. spring
3. winter
4. autumn

Ans – 2. spring

B. Fill in the chart with information from the text – [4 × 2 = 8]

Ans –

1. The narrator’s father was the keeper of the island’s lighthouse.
2. There was no other children except them on the Big Half Moon.
3. In winter the family moves over to the mainland.
4. No other children stayed there except them in the island.
5. He was asked whether he had any other relations except his children.

C. State whether the following statements are true or false. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false in the boxes on the right-hand side. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answers – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. During monsoon, the family returned to their island.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – As soon as spring comes, back we sail to our own dear island.

2. People felt that Claude and the narrator were lonesome in the island.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – They said we must be so lonesome over there, with no other children near us.

3. Claude and the narrator quarrelled.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – Claude and I never quarrelled.

4. Nobody on the mainland had relations.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – Everybody on the mainland had relations.

D. Complete the following sentences with information from the text – [1 × 3 = 3]

1. When the spring came the family used to ___

Ans – sail to their own dear island.

2. The narrator’s father was ___

Ans – the keeper of the Big Half Moon lighthouse.

3. The people of the mainland pitied them when ___

Ans – time came for them to return to the island.

4. We used to quarrel a good deal ___

Ans – with the mainland children in winter.

E. Answer the following questions – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. Why did the narrator and Claude make the most of each other?

Ans – Claude and the narrator had to make the most of each other because there was no other children.to play with them, on the Big Half Moon island.

2. What does the narrator want to tell her readers?

Ans – At first, the narrator lived on the Big Half Moon island with her Father and Claude. After that, because of a kite, she got Aunt Esther, Mimi and Dick. She wants to tell her readers about this particular incident.

3. Why did the narrator’s father look sorrowful?

Ans – Once Claude and the narrator asked their Father if he had any other relations, except them. Hearing this, their Father looked sorrowful.

4. When did the family return to their own dear island?

And. In spring, the family returned to their own dear island.

5. What did Claude and the author do with the children of the mainland?

Ans – Claude and the author used to quarrel a lot with the mainland children in winter.

6. How was the relation of Claude and the narrator?

Ans – Claude and the narrator had a friendly relationship. They always played together and never quarrelled.

7. What used to puzzle Claude and the narrator?

Ans – The fact that the narrator’s Father did not seem to have any relations puzzled the siblings.

UNIT – 2

Q.1. Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow –

It is always lovely on the Big Half Moon in Summer. When it is fine, the harbour is blue and calm, with little wind and ripples. Every summer, we had some hobby. The last summer before Dick and Mimi came, we were crazy about kites. A boy on the mainland showed Claude how to make them. Back on the island we made plenty of kites. Claude would go around to the other side of the island and we would play shipwrecked mariners signaling to each other with kites.

We had a kite that was big and covered with lovely red paper. We pasted gold tinsel stars all over it and had written our names full on it – Claude Leete and Philippa Leete, Big Half Moon lighthouse.

One day there was a grand wind for kite-flying. I’m not sure how it happened, but as I was bringing the kite from the house, I tripped and fell over the rocks. My elbow went clear through the kite, making a big hole.

A. Write the correct alternatives to complete the following sentences in the given spaces – [1 × 5 = 5]

1. The Big Half Moon looked lovely during –

1. spring
2. summer
3. autumn
4. winter

Ans – 2. summer

2. The narrator and his playmates pretended to be –

1. robbers
2. adventurers
3. mountaineers
4. shipwrecked mariners

Ans – 4. shipwrecked mariners

3. The part of the narrator’s body that went through the kite was his –

1. elbow
2. ankle
3. knee
4. fingers

Ans – 1. elbow

4. The narrator of the text is –

1. Dick
2. Mimi
3. Philippa
4. Claude

Ans – 3. Philippa

5. The kite was mended with a –

1. red paper
2. letter
3. leaflet
4. newspaper

Ans – 2. letter

6. The narrator and his company decorated the red kite with stars made of –

1. plastic
2. thin strips of shiny material
3. paper
4. colourful ribbons

Ans – 2. thin strips of shiny material

7. The harbour is –

1. blue and noisy
2. blue and chaotic
3. blue
4. blue and quiet

Ans – 4. blue and quiet

8. Every summer the narrator and Claude had some –

1. games
2. education
3. hobbies
4. signals

Ans – 3. hobby

9. During summer the harbour is full of –

1. lifting waves
2. tiny waves
3. running tide
4. violent storm

Ans – 2. tiny waves

10. The wind was ideal for –

1. paragliding
2. aeroplane flying
3. kite flying
4. balloon flying

Ans – 3. kite flying

11. A boy on the mainland showed Claude how to make –

1. minds
2. kites
3. ripples
4. mariners

Ans – 2. kites

12. Gold tinsel stars were pasted on –

1. the upper part of the kite
2. the entire kite
3. the lower part of the kite
4. the half portion of the kite

Ans – 2. the entire kite

14. The one, who tripped and fell over the rocks, was –

1. Aunt Esther
2. Philippa
3. Claude
4. Dick

Ans – 2. Philippa

15. The old letter was found in the bookcase of –

1. the bedroom
2. the living room
3. the sitting room
4. the kitchen

Ans – 3. the sitting room

16. Their kite had sailed away over to –

1. the island
2. the lighthouse
3. the banyan tree
4. the mainland

Ans – 4. the mainland

B. Fill in the chart with information from the text –

Ans –

1. They wanted to send the kite up before the wind fell.
2. They wanted to get some paper.
3. Claude was standing foolishly with a bit of cord in his hand.

C. Fill in the chart with information from the text – [1 × 3 = 3]

1. The visitors to the island last summer were ___

Ans – Dick and Mimi.

2. The name of the lighthouse was ___

Ans – Big Half Moon lighthouse.

3. They hurried to fix the kite because ___

Ans – the wind might, fell at any time.

D. Complete the following sentences with information from the text – [1 × 3 = 3]

1. The last summer Claude and Philippa were ___

Ans – crazy about kites.

2. Claude and Philippa played ___

Ans – shipwrecked mariners signaling to each other with kites.

3. The narrator’s elbow went clear through ___

Ans – the kite, making a big hole.

4. After patching up the kite, they dried ___

Ans – it by the fire.

5. The kite soared like ___

Ans – a bird.

E. State whether the following statements are True or False. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answer – [(1 + 1) × 3 = 6]

1. In summer the island is rough and windy.

Ans – False.
Supporting sentence – It is always lovely on the Big Half Moon in summer.

2. The names of Claude and Philippa were written on the kite.

Ans – True.
Supporting sentence – and had written our names full on it Claude Leete and Philippa Leete, Big Half Moon lighthouse.

3. Claude and Philippa were playing hide and seek.

Ans – False.
Supporting sentence – … we would play shipwrecked mariners signaling to each other with, kites.

4. There was no more red paper left in the lighthouse.

Ans – True.
Supporting sentence – We knew there was no more red paper.

5. Claude and Philippa used blotting paper to patch up the kite.

Ans – False.
Supporting sentence – We patched the kite up with the letter.

F. Answer the following questions – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. Why did the narrator’s elbow go through the kite?

Ans – While the narrator was bringing the kite from the house to send it upon the favourable wind, she tripped and fell over the rocks. Hence, her elbow went clear through the kite, making a big hole.

2. How did the kite get a big hole in it?

Ans – The kite got a big hole in it by narrator’s elbow when she was bringing the kite from the house and fell on rocks.

UNIT – 3

Q.1. Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow –

A month later a letter came for Father. After he finished reading it, his eyes looked as if he had been crying. “Do you want to know what became of your kite?” he said. Then he sat down beside us and told us the whole story.

Father had a brother and a sister. He had quarrelled with his brother and left home. Years afterward, he felt sorry and when he went back, he found his brother had died and he couldn’t find his sister.

The letter father had just received was from his sister, Aunt Esther, mother of Dick and Mimi. She was a widow who lived hundreds of miles, inland. One day when Dick and Mimi were out in the woods, they discovered the kite on the top of a tree and carried it home. When their mother saw the kite patched with the letter, she turned pale. It was the very letter she had once written to her brother. Philippa was her mother’s name and Claude was her father’s. She knew who we must be. So she sat down and wrote to Big Half Moon and Father received her letter.

Next day, Father went and brought Aunt Esther and Dick and Mimi with him. They have been here ever since. Aunt Esther is a dear and Dick and Mimi are toa jolly for words.

But the best of it all is that we have relations now!

A. Write the correct alternatives to complete the following sentences in the given spaces – 1 x 5 = 5

1. After a month a letter came for ___.

1. the narrator
2. the narrator’s brother
3. the narrator’s father
4. the narrator’s cousin

Ans – 3. the narrator’s father

2. The kite was found ___.

1. on the top of a tree
2. on the top of a house
3. on a wall
4. near à park

Ans – 1. on the top of a tree

3. The kite was patched with ___.

1. a piece of red paper
2. a piece of leather.
3. a piece of cloth
4. the letter

Ans – 4. the letter

4. Father left home after quarrelling with his –

1. brother
2. sister
3. uncle
4. aunt

Ans – 1. brother

5. When father went back home, he found that his –

1. mother had died
2. brother had died
3. sister had died
4. uncle had died

Ans – 2. brother had died

6. Aunt Esther had –

1. three children
2. one child
3. two children
4. no child

Ans – 3. two children

7. Seeing the kite patched with the letter, Aunt Esther became –

1. happy
2. sad
3. pale
4. worried

Ans – 3. pale

8. Dick and Mimi were the narrator’s –

1. friends
2. neighbours
3. seniors in schools
4. cousins

Ans – 4. cousins

9. The nature of Dick and Mimi, was –

1. quarrelsome
2. naughty
3. nasty
4. jolly

Ans – 4. jolly

B. Complete the following sentences with information from the text – [1 × 3 = 3]

1. A month later, father received ___

Ans – Aunt Esther’s letter.

2. Father left home ___

Ans – after quarrelling with his brother.

3. When father went back home ___

Ans – he found that his brother had died.

4. Aunt Esther was a ____

Ans – widow who lived hundreds of miles inland.

C. State whether the following statements are True or False. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answer. [(1 + 1) × 3 = 6]

1. The narrator’s father had siblings.

Ans – [T]
Supporting sentence – Father had a brother and a sister.

2. Dick and Mimi discovered the kite over a light post.

Ans – [F]
Supporting sentence – They discovered the kite on the top of a tree and carried it home.

3. Aunt Esther recognised the owners of the big kite.

Ans – [T]
Supporting sentence – She knew who we must be.

4. Father met his brother and sister after coming back.

Ans – [F]
Supporting sentence – When he went back, he found his brother had died and he couldn’t find his sister.

D. Answer the following questions – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. Why did Aunt Esther turn pale?

Ans – Aunt Esther turned pale because she found the kite patched with a particular letter which she once wrote to her brother.

2. Where was the letter that was patched on the kite found?

Ans – The letter that was patched on the kite was found lying on the book case in the sitting room of the lighthouse.

3. When did the narrator’s father receive a letter?

Ans – A month later, a letter was received by the narrator’s father.

4. What was the condition of the narrator’s father after reading the letter?

Ans – After the narrator’s father finished reading the letter, his eyes looked as if he had been crying.

5. What was the best thing for the narrator and her family?

Ans – The best thing for the narrator and her family was that they had relations like everyone.

6. what did the narrator’s father find when he went back home aferwards?

Ans – When the narrator’s father went back home. he found that his brother had died and he could not find his sister.

7. What is the best reward that the narrator and her family members have got at least?

Ans – The narrator and her family members were beside themselves with joy having found Aunt Esther and her children Dick and Mimi. The best of it all is that they have relation now.

THE CAT

UNIT – 1

Q.1. Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow –

Most people think that the cat is an unintelligent animal, fond of ease and caring little for anything but mice and milk. But a cat has really more character than most human beings, and gets a great deal more satisfaction out of life.

He or she is an athlete, an acrobat and a grim fighter. All day long the cat loafs about the house, takes things easy and allows himself to be pestered by the attentions of the people in the house. To pass the time away he sometimes watches a mouse-hole for an hour or two- just to keep himself from dying of boredom. People get this idea that this sort of thing is all that holds life for a cat. But watch him as the shades of evening fall. You can see the cat as he really is.

A. Write the correct alternative to complete the following sentences – [1 × 5 = 5]

1. The cat has really more character than most –

1. animals
2. human beings
3. birds
4. insects

Ans – 2. human beings

2. The cat is a –

1. merry fighter
2. timed fighter
3. grim fighter
4. quqrrelsome fighter

Ans – 3. grim fighter

3. In the daytime the cat mostly remains –

1. in the jungle
2. in the backyard
3. on the roof
4. in the house

Ans – 4. in the house

4. A cat is a fighter with –

1. Ferocity
2. Mildness
3. Generosity
4. Indifference

Ans – 1. Ferocity

5. In the story the cat is compared with a –

1. Rat
2. Dog
3. human being
4. The author

Ans – 3. human being

6. One can see the cat as he really is in the –

1. morning
2. night
3. afternoon
4. evening

Ans – 4. evening

7. The cat cares little for anything but mice & –

1. soup
2. juice
3. water
4. milk

Ans – 4. milk

8. Most people think that the cat is –

1. wise
2. unintelligent
3. clever
4. intelligent

Ans – 2. unintelligent

9. The time when the shades of evening fall is usually called –

1. afternoon
2. dusk
3. night
4. dawn

Ans – 2. dusk

10. The true nature of cat is revealed –

1. at dawn
2. at night
3. In the evening
4. In the afternoon

Ans – 3. In the evening

11. The cat sometimes passes the time away by watching a –

1. snake hole
2. mouse-hole
3. rabbit-hole
4. Squirrel-hole

Ans – 2. mouse-hole

12. The cat roams about the house –

1. for a minute
2. for a few minutes
3. for an hour or two
4. All day long

Ans – 4. All day long

13. Here the author highlight a cat’s –

1. idleness
2. intelligence
3. ferocity
4. foolishness

Ans – 2. intelligence

14. The cat allows himself to be –

1. patted
2. pestered
3. comforted
4. attented

Ans – 2. pestered

B. State whether the following statements are true or false. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false in the boxes on the right-hand side. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answers – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. According to most people the cat is an intelligent animal.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statements – Most people think that he cat is an unintelligent animal.

2. The cat has a carefree attitude.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statements – all day long the cat loafs about the house takes things easy and allows himself to be pesterd.

3. you can see the cat as he really is in the morning.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – but watch him as the shades of evening fall. you can see the cat as he really is.

4. A cat watches a mouse-hole only to pass the time.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – To pass the time away he sometimes watches a mouse-hole.

5. The cat watches a mouse for an hour or two.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – “He sometimes watches a mouse-hole for an hour or two.”

6. The cat cares only for rice and milk.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statements – Most people think that the cat is caring little for anything but mice and milk.

7. The cat has less personality than men.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – But a cat has really more character than most human beings.

8. People in the house are pestered by the cat.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – Allows himself to be pestered by the…….in the house.

C. Answer the following questions – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. What do most people think about cats?

Ans – Most people think that the cat is an ünintelligent animal, fond of ease and cares little for anything but mice and milk.

2. What does the cat do throughout the day?

Ans – Throughout the day, the cat loiters around the house, takes things easy and allows himself to be perstered by the attentions of the people in the house.

3. When should we watch the cat and why?

Ans – We should watch a cat as the shades of the evening fall. Only then we can see the cat as he really is.

4. What does the cat care for the most?

Ans – The cat cares the most for mice and milk.

5. What does a cat do to pass time?

Ans – When the cat feels bored, it watches a mouse-hole for an hour or two.

UNIT – 2

Q.1. Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow –

When the family sits down to tea, the cat puts in an appearance to get his share. He purrs noisily and rubs himself against the legs of the family members. If there is a guest at the table the cat is particularly civil to him, because the guest is likely to have the best of what is offered. Sometimes, instead of giving him something to eat, the guest stoops down and strokes the cat, and says, “Poor pussy! Poor pussy !”. The cat soon tires of that. He puts up his claw and quietly but firmly rakes the guest in the leg. “Ow!” says the guest, “The cat stuck his claws into me!” The delighted family remarks, “Isn’t it sweet of him? Isn’t he intelligent? He wants you to give him something to eat.”

The guest dares not do what he would like to do-kick the cat out of the window. So, with tears of rage and pain in his eyes, he affects to be very much amused, and sorts out a bit of fish from his plate and hands it down. The cat gingerly receives it, with a look in his eyes that says, “Another time, my friend, you won’t be so slow to understand.” He purrs as he retires to a safe distance from the guest’s boot before eating his food.

A. Write the correct alternative to complete the following sentences – [1 × 5 = 5]

1. The guest offers the cat a bit of –

1. biscuit
2. meat
3. chocolate
4. fish

Ans – 4. fish

2. According to the author the cat is particularly civil to the –

1. children
2. master
3. guest
4. family members.

Ans – 3. guest

3. The guest stoops down and –

1. strikes the cat
2. pats the cat
3. rakes the cat
4. strokes the cat

Ans – 1. strokes the cat

4. The Cat makes his entry when the table is set –

1. Breakfast
2. Lunch
3. Tea
4. Dinner

Ans – 3. Tea

5. The cat is impatient about the guest’s –

1. caress
2. praise
3. attention
4. neglect

Ans – 3. attention

6. The cat accepts the bit of fish –

1. gratefully
2. unwillingly
3. carefully/cautiously
4. none of them

Ans – 3. carefully/cautiously

7. At the cat’s behavior, the family is –

1. annoyed
2. delighted
3. surprised
4. embarrassed

Ans – 2. delighted

8. The cat rakes the guest in his –

1. leg
2. arms
3. feat
4. ankle

Ans – 1. leg

9. The eyes of the guest are filled with tears of –

1. rage and pain
2. fear and pain
3. agony
4. embarrassment

Ans – 1. rage and pain

10. The cat receives the bit of fish –

1. carelessly
2. gingerly
3. sincerely
4. seriously

Ans – 2. gingerly

11. The cat moves to a safe distance from the guest’s –

1. hand
2. nail
3. boot
4. leg

Ans – 3. boot

12. With tears of rage and pain in his eyes, guest affect to be very much –

1. amused
2. annoyed
3. unhappy
4. upset

Ans – 1. amused

13. The guest hands down the cat a bit of –

1. meat
2. fish
3. fruit
4. vegetable

Ans – 2. fish

14. The cat scratches the guest with his –

1. teeth
2. claw
3. paw
4. nails

Ans – 2. claw

15. While stroking the cat, the guest –

1. Stoops down
2. Stands up
3. Sings
4. Pinches the cat

Ans – 1. Stoops down

16. Stooping down the guest –

1. Strokes the cat
2. Kicks the cat
3. feed the cat
4. takes the cat in his

Ans – 1. Strokes the cat

B. Complete the following sentences with information from the text – [1 × 3 = 3]

1. The cat purrs and rubs himself against –

Ans – the legs of the family members.

2. The cat is particularly civil to –

Ans – a guest in the house.

3. The cat puts up his claw quietly but –

Ans – firmly.

4. The cat retires to –

Ans – a safe distance from the guest’s boot.

5. Actually, the guest wanted to –

Ans – kick the cat out of window.

6. To get his share, the cat purrs –

Ans – Noisily.

7. To get his share from the food offered to the guest the cat initially –

Ans – pays special attention to him.

8. The guest pretends that –

Ans – He has been much amused.

9. To get his share of food from the guest the cat –

Ans – scratches at his leg.

C. Answer the following questions –

1. What is the guest offered at the tea table?

Ans – The guest is offered the best of the food at the tea table.

2. How does the cat put up his claw?

Ans – The cat puts up his claws quietly.

3. When does the family express their delight?

Ans – When the family learns from the guest that the cat has scratched him the family expresses delight.

4. When does the cat appear before the family?

Ans – The cat appears before the family when they sits down to tea.

5. How does the cat behave with family members present at the tea-table?

Ans – The cat purrs loudly and rubs his body with the legs of family members.

6. Why does the cat purr nosily?

Ans – The cat purrs noisily to draw the attention of the family members and thereby claims his share.

7. Why does the guest sometimes stoop down?

Ans – The guest sometimes stoops down to stroke the cat.

D. State whether the following statements are true or false. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false in the boxes on the right-hand side. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answers – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. Finishing tea the Family gathers round the water.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – when the family has finished tea, and gathered round the fire.

2. He looks keenly from side to side and moves noislessly.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – He looks keenly from side to side and moves noislessly.

3. The cat comes to the – table in order to meet the guest.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statements – When the family sits down to tea, the cat puts in an appearance to get his share.

4. The cat is courteous to a guest –

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – “If there is a guest at the table cat is particularly civil to him.

5. The cat rubs the legs of the guest.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – He purrs noisily and rubs himself against the legs of the family members.

6. The cat is particularly civil to the guest.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – If there is a guest at the table the cat is particularly civil to him.

7. The guest out of anger wants to kick the cat out of the window.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – The guest dares not of the window.

8. The guest is much amused at the activities of the cat.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – He affects to be very much amused.

9. When the cat scratches the guest’s leg, the family feels very ashamed.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – The delighted family remarks

10. The cat scratches the guest.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – He rakes the guest in his leg.

11. The guest would like to kick the cat out of the door.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – The guest dares not do what he would like to do-kick the cat out of the window.

12. The family is delighted when the cat rakes the guest.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – He puts up … firmly rakes … delighted family.

13. The cat purrs as he retires to a safe distance before the guest strokes him again.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – He purrs as he retires to a safe distance from the guest’s boot before eating his food.

UNIT – 3

Q.1. Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow –

When the family has finished tea, and gathers round the fire, the cat casually goes out of the room. True life now begins for him. He saunters down his own backyard, springs to the top of the fence, drops lightly down to the other side. He trots across and skips to the roof of an empty shed. His movement becomes lithe and panther like. He looks keenly from side to side and moves noiselessly, for he has so many enemies – dogs and small boys with stones.

On top of the shed, the cat arches his back and rakes his claws once or twice through the soft back of the old roof. He stretches himself a few times to see if every muscle is in full working order. Then, drooping his head nearly to his paws, he sends across a call to his kindred. Before long they come, gliding; graceful shadows. No longer are they the meek creatures who an hour ago were mewing for fish and milk. They are now grim fighters.

Just think how much more he gets out of his life than you do out of yours! And the sports they have, too! As they get older they go in for sport to the suburban backyards. These backyards that are dull to us, are to them hunting grounds where they have more gallant adventure than King Arthur’s knights ever had.

It is always spoken as a reproach against cats that they are more fond of their home than of the people in it. Naturally, the cat, doesn’t like to leave his country, the land where all his friends are, and where he knows every landmark. Exiled in a new land, he would have to learn a new geography. So, when the family moves, the cat if allowed, will stay at the old house and attach himself to the new tenants. He will give them the privilege of boarding him while he enjoys life in his own way.

A. Write the correct alternative to complete the following sentences – [1 × 5 = 5]

1. When the family gathers round the fire, the cat goes out of the room –

1. cautiously
2. smartly
3. casually
4. noiselessly

Ans – 3. casually

2. Sauntering down his own backyard, the cat jumps to the top of the –

1. roof
2. fence
3. other side
4. shed

Ans – 2. fence

3. The cat looks keenly from side to side and moves –

1. carefully
2. anxiously
3. fearfully
4. noiselessly

Ans – 4. noiselessly

4. On top of the shed the cat –

1. mews
2. arches his back
3. goes to sleep
4. fights

Ans – 2. arches his back

5. As the cats get older they go in for sport to the –

1. neighbouring house
2. old roof
3. empty shed
4. suburban backyard

Ans – 4. suburban backyard

6. The cat’s movement becoems –

1. blithe
2. lithe
3. quick
4. slow

Ans – 2. lithe

7. The cat moves like a –

1. tiger
2. leopard
3. cheetah
4. panther

Ans – 4. panther

8. The cat looks keenly from side to side and moves –

1. carefully
2. anxiously
3. fearfully
4. noiselessly

Ans – 4. noiselessly

9. The enemies of the cat are –

1. dogs
2. men
3. small boys and dogs
4. small boys

Ans – 3. small boys and dogs

10. The cat rakes his claws –

1. sometimes
2. twice
3. once
4. once or twice

Ans – 4. once or twice

11. The cat rakes his claws through the –

1. hard bark
2. soft bark
3. soft birk
4. hard birk

Ans – 2. soft bark

12. When the family moves to some other place, the cat –

1. goes with them
2. leaves the place
3. permanently
4. remains in the same place

Ans – 4. remains in the same place

13. The cat goes out of the rooms –

1. before the Tea
2. after the Tea
3. during the Tea
4. after the lunch

Ans – 2. after the Tea

14. being afraid of enemies the Cat moves –

1. Violently
2. angrily
3. sadly
4. noiselessly

Ans – 4. noiselessly

15. The exciting hunting grounds of cats seem to us –

1. interesting
2. grim
3. dull
4. barren

Ans – 3. dull

B. Complete the following sentences with information from the text – [1 × 3 = 3]

1. The family gathers round the fire after –

Ans – Finishing their tea.

2. The cat skips to the roof of an empty shed where his movement becomes –

Ans – Lithe and panther like.

3. The cat stretches himself a few times to feel if –

Ans – Every muscle is full of working order.

4. In the evening the cat saunters down –

Ans – his own backyard.

5. The cat skips to the –

Ans – roof of an empty shed.

6. The cat skips to the roof of an empty shed where his movement becomes –

Ans – lithe and pantherlike.

7. The enemies of the cat are –

Ans – dogs and small boys with stones.

8. The cat does not like to leave –

Ans – his country.

C. State whether the following statements are true or false. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false in the boxes on the right-hand side. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answers – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. The cat sends across a call to his kindred by stretching himself a few times.

Ans – [F]
Supporting sentence – The cat stretches himself a few times to see if every muscle is in full working order. Then drooping his head nearly to his pears he sends across a call to his kindred.

2. The cats behave as gallantly as King Arthur’s knights.

Ans – [F]
Supporting sentence – The cats have more gallent adventure then King Arthur’s Knights.

3. The cat casually goes out of the room in the evening.

Ans – [T]
Supporting sentence – When the family has finished tea, and gathers round the fire, the cat casually goes out of the room.

4. The backyards which are the hunding grounds for the cats, are an interesting place for the human beings.

Ans – [F]
Supporting sentence – These backyards that are dull to us, are to them hunding grounds.

5. Cats are always blamed of being more fond of the people living in it than of their home.

Ans – [F]
Supporting sentence – It is always spoken as a reproach against cats that they are more fond of their home than of the people in it.

6. Cats love to enjoy life in his own way.

Ans – [T]
Supporting sentence – He will give them privilege of boarding him while he enjoys life in his own way.

7. After taking tea the family members go outside.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – “When the family has finished tea, and gathers round the fire…..

8. True life of the cat begins out of the room.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – …. The cat usually goes out the room. True life now begins for him.

9. The cat enjoys his life once he goes out of the room.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – True life now beings for him.

D. Answer the following questions –

1. How does the cat cross the fence?

Ans – The cat springs to the top of the fence and drops lightly down to the other side.

2. Why does the cat stretch himself?

Ans – The cat streches himself a few times to see if every muscle is in full working order.

3. Where do the cats go for sports as they grow older?

Ans – Cats go in for sports to the suburban backyards which are their hunting grounds.

4. What are cats generally blamed for?

Ans – Cats are generally blamed for being more fond of their home than of the people in it.

5. What will the cat do if allowed?

Ans – If the cat is allowed, he will stay at the old house and attach himself to the new tenants.

FATHER’S HELP

UNIT – 1

Q.1. Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow –

Lines: Lying in bed Swami realized with a shudder that it was Monday morning.

It looked as though only a moment ago it was Friday. Already Monday was here.

He hoped he didn’t have to go to school.

At nine o’clock, Swaminathan wailed, “I have a headache.”

Mother generously suggested that swami might stay at home. At 9:30, when he ought to have been in school prayer hall, Swami was lying on the bench in Mother’s room.

Father asked him, “Have you no school today?”

“Headache,” Swami replied.

“Nonsense! Dress up and go.”

“Headache!”

“Loaf about less on Sundays and you will be without a headache on Monday.”

Swami knew how strict his father could be, so he changed his tactics. “I can’t go so late in class.”

“You’ll have to. It is your own fault.”

“What will the teacher think if I go so late?”

“Tell him you have a headache and so are late.”

“He will send me if I say so.”

“Will he? Let us see. What is his name?”

“Samuel.”

“Does he always scold the student?”

“He is a very angry man. He is especially angry with boys who come in late.” “I wouldn’t like to go late to Samuel’s class.”

“If he is so angry, why not tell your headmaster about it?”

“They say that even the headmaster is afraid of him”.

A. Write the correct alternative to complete the following sentences – [1 × 5 = 5]

1. Swami did not want to go to school on –

1. Monday
2. Tuesday
3. Wednesday
4. Thursday

Ans – 1. Monday

2. Swami’s proposal of not going to school was accepted by –

1. his mother
2. his father
3. Samuel
4. his Head master

Ans – 1. his mother

3. On hearing that Swami had a headache his father was –

1. sad
2. worried
3. angry
4. indifferent

Ans – 3. angry

4. Swami found his father’s behaviour –

1. as much as normal
2. funny
3. painful
4. beyond expectation

Ans – 4. beyond expectation

5. With a shudder Swami realized it was –

1. Friday
2. Thursday
3. Wednesday
4. Monday

Ans – 4. Monday

6. Swami ought to have been in the school prayer-

1. 9:30 am
2. 9:00 a.m.
3. 8:00 a.m
4. 8:30 a.m

Ans – 1. 9:30 a.m

7. Swami was forced to go to school by his –

1. father
2. mother
3. teacher
4. headmaster

Ans – 1. father

8. What Swami emphasized about Samuel was his –

1. love
2. hatred
3. indifference
4. anger

Ans – 4. anger

9. When Swami ought to have been in the school prayer hall, he was lying on the –

1. bench
2. table
3. bed
4. desk

Ans – 1. bench

10. The person who forced Swami to go to school was –

1. his father
2. Samuel
3. his mother
4. he himself

Ans – 1. his father

11. Swami loaf about much on –

1. Sunday
2. Monday
3. Tuesday
4. Thursday

Ans – 4. Sunday

12. Swami’s father snatched the letter from Swami and –

1. tore it up
2. gave it to the
3. kept in with him
4. gave it to Samuel

Ans – 1. tore it up

13. According to Swami, his headmaster is a very ___ man.

1. cruel
2. angry
3. polite
4. meek

Ans – 4. meek

14. It seemed to Swami that only a moment ago it was –

1. Sunday
2. Saturday
3. Friday
4. Wednesday

Ans – 3. Friday

15. According to Swami, Samuel is especially angry with boys who are –

1. absent
2. late
3. inattentive
4. undisciplined

Ans – 2. late

16. Swami wanted that he had a headache at –

1. 9:30 a.m
2. 9:00 a.m
3. 8:00 a.m
4. 8:30 p.m

Ans – 2. 9:00 a.m

17. At nine O clock swami complained about –

1. fever
2. dizziness
3. headache
4. drowsiness

Ans – 3. headache

18. Swami knew his father was –

1. soft
2. kind
3. rude
4. firm

Ans – 4. firm

B. Complete the following sentences with information from the text – [1 × 3 = 3]

1. Swami wanted to defend himself by saying that ___

Ans – the headmaster had gone on a leave.

2. Swami introduced Samuel as ___ to his father.

Ans – an angry man.

3. It seemed to Swami as though a short while ago ___

Ans – it was Friday.

4. Swami ran to the headmaster’s room because ___

Ans – he had to deliver the letter.

5. Swami chose to lie ___

Ans – on a bench in her mother’s room.

6. Swami’s mother was generous and suggested ___

Ans – that Swami might stay at home.

7. Swami realised with a shudder ___

Ans – that it was Monday morning.

8. Swami’s father asked him whether Samuel ___

Ans – always scolds the students.

C. State whether the following statements are true or false. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false in the boxes on the right-hand side. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answers – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. Swami.said that he had a headache.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – ‘Headache’, Swami replied, “I have headche”.

2. Swami was lying in his father’s room.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – Swami was lying on the bench in Mother’s room.

3. Swami’s mother was quite generous.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – Mother generously suggested that Swami might stay at home.

4. Mother ordered Swami to go to school.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – Mother generously suggested that Swami might stay at home.

5. Swami’s father asked Swami if Mr. Samuel always rebuked the students.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – “Does he always scold the students?”

6. Swami was confident that Samuel would behave well with him.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – “He will scold me if I say so.”

7. According to Swami’s father, Swami was himself to be blamed for being late.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – It is your own fault.

8. Swami wailed at 9 o’clock.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – At 9 o’clock, Swaminathan wailed, “I have a headache.”

9. It was for Samuel that Swami did not want to go to school late.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – He is especially angry with boys who come in late.

D. Fill in the chart with information from the text – [4 × 2 = 8]

Ans –

1. He wailed that he had a headache.
2. Swami had a headache on Monday.
3. His father was very strict.
4. People said that the headmaster was afraid of the Maths teacher Samuel.

UNIT – 2

Q.1. Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow –

Swami hoped that with this his father would be made to see why he must avoid school for the day. But Father’s behaviour took an. unexpected turn. He proposed to send a letter with Swami to the headmaster. No amount of protest from Swami would make him change his mind.

By the time Swami was ready to leave for school, Father had composed a long letter to the headmaster. He put it in an envelope and sealed it.

“What have you written, Father? Swami asked apprehensively.

“Nothing for you. Give it to your headmaster and go to your class.”

“Have you written anything about our teacher Samuel?”

“Yes. Plenty of things.”

“What has he done, Father?”

“Everything is there in the letter. Give it to your headmaster.”

Swami went to school feeling that he was the worst boy on earth. His conscience bothered him. He wasn’t at all sure if his description of Samuel had been accurate. He felt he had mixed up the real and the imagined.

Swami stopped on the roadside to make up his mind about Samuel. Samuel was not such a bad man after all, Personally he was much more friendly than the other teachers. Swami also felt Samuel had a special regard for him.

Swami’s head was dizzy with confusion. He could not decide if Samuel really deserved the allegations made against him in the letter. The more he thought of Samuel, the more Swami grieved for him. To recall Samuel’s dark face, his thin moustache, unshaven cheek and yellow coat filled Swaminathan with sorrow.

A. Write the correct alternative to complete the following sentences – [1 × 5 = 5]

1. Swami’s father wrote the letter to Swami’s –

1. friends
2. headmaster
3. teacher
4. mother

Ans – 2. headmaster

2. The letter made Swami feel –

1. happy
2. sad
3. excited
4. worried

Ans – 4. worried

3. Swami stopped on his way to school to decide whether Samuel was an/an –

1. bad person
2. good and friendly person
3. honest person
4. dishonest person

Ans – 1. bad person

4. Swami felt dizzy because he was –

1. excited
2. indifferent
3. afraid
4. puzzled

Ans – 4. puzzled

5. The more Swami thought of Samuel the more –

1. aggrieved he felt
2. cheerful he felt
3. disappointed he
4. angry he felt

Ans – 1. aggrieved he felt

6. According to Swami, Samuel was –

1. rude
2. strict
3. more friendly than the other teachers
4. indifferent

Ans – 3. more friendly than the other teachers

7. The more Swami thought of Samuel, the more he felt –

1. agonized
2. sorrowful
3. relieved
4. reassured

Ans – 2. sorrowful

8. “Swami also felt Samuel had a special regard for him.” Here ‘regard’ means –

1. disrespect
2. affection
3. fun
4. puzzled

Ans – 2. affection

9. As Swami went to school he felt that he was –

1. the best boy on earth
2. the worst boy on earth
3. the most obedient boy on earth
4. the most intelligent boy on earth

Ans – 2. the worst boy on earth

10. According to Swami his father’s behaviour was –

1. expected
2. funny
3. unexpected
4. mean

Ans – 3. unexpected

11. Father’s letter to the headmaster was –

1. short
2. long
3. illegible
4. irrelevant

Ans – 2. long

12. Father ___ the content of the letter to Swami.

1. explained
2. did not explain
3. clarified
4. interpreted

Ans – 2. did not explain

13. The description of Swami about Samuel was –

1. correct
2. incorrect
3. fanciful
4. confusing

Ans – 2. incorrect

14. Individually Samuel was much more friendly than –

1. his classmates
2. his father
3. the headmaster
4. other teachers

Ans – 4. other teachers

15. To make up his mind for Samuel, Swami stopped on the –

1. roadside
2. riverside
3. backside
4. school gate side

Ans – 1. roadside

16. Samuel used to wear –

1. yellow shirt
2. yellow coat
3. yellow kurta
4. dark coloured coat

Ans – 2. yellow coat

17. Swami was bothered by –

1. bad weather
2. his father
3. Samuel
4. his conscience

Ans – 4. his conscience

18. While going to school Swami felt –

1. delighted
2. morose
3. guilty
4. angry

Ans – 2. morose

19. For Swami, Samuel had special –

1. regard
2. Cruelty
3. pity
4. sympathy

Ans – 1. regard

20. In school hours Samuel put on –

1. a shirt
2. a vest
3. a tunic
4. a coat

Ans – 4. a coat

21. The letter of Swami’s father to the headmaster was –

1. enveloped but unsealed
2. unenveloped and unsealed
3. unenveloped but sealed
4. enveloped and sealed

Ans – 4. enveloped and sealed

22. Father decided to send the headmaster a –

1. Telegrams
2. letter
3. notice
4. report

Ans – 2. letter

B. Complete the following sentences with information from the text – [1 × 3 = 3]

1. Swami’s father asked him to ___

Ans – Give the letter to his headmaster.

2. While going to school Swami felt ___

Ans – That he was the worst boy on earth.

3. Other teachers were not as ___

Ans – Friendly as Samuel.

4. Swami protested but he ___

Ans – could not change his father’s mind.

5. As Swami was getting ready for school, his father ___

Ans – had composed a long letter to the headmaster.

6. Swami was disturbed by ___

Ans – His conscience

7. Apprehensively Swami asked his father ___

Ans – “What have you written?”

8. Swami could not decide if his teacher ___

Ans – really deserved the allegations made against him in the letter.

9. Swami was doubtful about ___

Ans – The allegations made against him in the letter.

10. Swami felt he had mixed up ___

Ans – the real and the imagined.

11. Swami also felt Samuel had ___

Ans – a special regard for him.

C. State whether the following statements are true or false. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false in the boxes on the right-hand side. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answers – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. Father wrote about swami in the letter.

Ans – [F]
Supporting sentence – Father wrote plenty of things about samuel.

2. Swami’s head was dizzy for confusion.

Ans – [T]
Supporting sentence – Swami’s head was dizzy with confusion.

3. Father’s behaviour astonished Swami.

Ans – [T]
Supporting sentence – But Father’s behaviour took an unexpected turn.

4. Swami could change his father’s mind.

Ans – [F]
Supporting sentence – No amount of protest from Swami would make him change his mind.

5. Swami felt that his view about Samuel was a product of his imagination.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – He felt he had mixed up the real and the imagined.

6. Swami felt that the allegation against Samuel was accurate.

Ans – [F]
Supporting sentence – He wasn’t at all sure if his description of Samuel had been accurate.

D. Answer the following questions – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. Why did Swami’s conscience bother him?

Ans – Swami’s conscience bothered him as he wasn’t at all sure if his description of Samuel had been accurate.

2. How did Swami recall Samuel’s appearance?

Ans – Swami sorrowfully recalled Samuel’s dark face, his thin moustache, unshaven cheek and his yellow coat.

3. What did Swami’s father write in the letter?

Ans – Swami’s father wrote a long letter with plenty of complaints against Samuel.

4. How did Swami’s feel when he received the letter from his father?

Ans – As Swami overstated about Samuel, he felt worried.

5. How did Swami feel while going to school?

Ans – While he was going to school, he felt that he was the worst boy on earth.

6. Why did Swami stop on the roadside?

Ans – Swami stopped on the roadside to make up his mind about Samuel.

7. What did father tell Swami about the content of the letter?

Ans – Instead of telling what he had written, father said everything was there in the letter.

8. How was Swami’s relation with Samuel?

Ans – Friendly and has special regard for him.

9. Why was Swami’s head dizzy with confusion?

Ans – because he could not decide the accuracy of the allegation.

10. What did Swami hope?

Ans – Swami hoped that he was not able to convince his father by such excuse why he wanted to avoid his school that day.

POETRY

FABLE

UNIT – 1

Q.2. Read the following poem and answer the questions given below –

The mountain and the squirrel;
Had a quarrel;
And the former called the latter ‘Little Prig’
Bun replied,
‘You are doubtless very big;
But all sorts of things and weather
Must be taken in together,
To make up a year
And a sphere.
And I think it no disgrace
To occupy my place.
If I’m not so large as you,
You are not so small as I,
And not half so spry.
I’ll not deny you make
A very pretty squirrel track;
Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;
If I cannot carry forests on my back,
Neither can you crack a nut.’

A. Write the correct alternative to complete the following sentences in the given spaces – [1 × 5 = 5]

1. The quarrel took place between the squirrel and the –

1. Prig
2. Bun
3. Rabbit
4. Mountain

Ans – 4. Mountain

2. All sorts of things and weather make up a –

1. sphere and mountain
2. year and a sphere
3. mountain and a squirrel
4. pretty squirrel, track

Ans – 2. year and a sphere

3. The mountain can –

1. make squirrel track
2. crack nut
3. move from place to place
4. be very energetic

Ans – 1. make squirrel track

4. The squirrel claims that the mountain is –

1. as spry as him
2. not as big as him
3. not spry like him
4. equal in size with him

Ans – 3. not spry like him

5. ‘Little Prig’ refers to –

1. the mountain
2. the squirrel
3. the forest
4. a nut

Ans – 2. the squirrel

6. The mountain is –

1. very wise
2. quite lively
3. very big
4. very pretty

Ans – 3. very big

7. The quarrel was between –

1. the forest and the squirrel
2. a nut and the squirrel
3. talent and wisdom
4. the mountain and the squirrel

Ans – 4. the mountain and the squirrel

8. Unlike the squirrel the mountain can –

1. carry forests on its back
2. move about happily
3. crack a nut
4. make a sphere

Ans – 1. carry forests on its back

9. the tone of the poem is –

1. humorous
2. farcical
3. satirical
4. carelessly

Ans – 1. humorous

10. The poem, ‘Fable’ is a kind of –

1. lyric
2. sonnet
3. allegory
4. none of these

Ans – 3. allegory

11. According to the squirrel, talents –

1. vary
2. do not vary
3. do not disagree
4. do not exist

Ans – 1. vary

12. The poet of ‘Fable’ is a/an –

1. British poet
2. Indian poet
3. American poet
4. Canadian poet

Ans – 3. American poet

13. A very pretty squirrel track can be made of –

1. mountain
2. tree
3. river
4. road

Ans – 1. mountain

14. In this poem, the squirrel is described as ___.

1. large and boastful
2. lazy but wise
3. cute and intelligent
4. small and spry

Ans – 4. small and spry

15. The mountain is not even ___ so spry as the squirrel.

1. one-third
2. one-fourth
3. half
4. two-third

Ans – 3. half

16. ‘And not half so spry’ – here the word ‘spry’ means –

1. intelligent
2. active
3. lovely
4. lively

Ans – 4. lively

17. The mountain called the squirrel ‘little prig’ –

1. to please him
2. to mock him
3. to sympathies with him
4. to honour him

Ans – 2. to mock him

18. Bun has no doubt that the mountain is –

1. small
2. big
3. noble
4. tiny

Ans – 2. big

19. “And the former called the latter….” here ‘the former’ refers to –

1. the squirrel
2. the speaker
3. the weather
4. the mountain

Ans – 4. the mountain

20. The word ‘disgrace’ in the poem, ‘Fable’ means –

1. free
2. insult
3. respect
4. display

Ans – 2. insult

B. Answer the following questions – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. Why does the squirrel not consider it a disgrace to occupy his place?

Ans – though the squirrel is a very small animal, he thinks he has an important part to play in the grand schemeof nature. he feels no disgrace beacause he can perform many such which the mountain cannot.

2. What examples of differing talents does the squirrel give in the poem?

Ans – According to the squirrel, there are different talents which are well and wisely kept in the world. He further tells the mountain that skills and talents differ. In this world all exist with their own mission to fulfill. Finally the squirrel says straight that as he cannot carry the forest on his back so the mountain cannot crack a nut.

3. How does the mountain make fun of the squirrel?

Ans – The mountain makes fun of the squirrel by calling him a ‘little prig.

4. Mention two qualities of the mountain.

Ans – The mountain can make a very pretty squirrel track. Besides this, it can carry forests on its back.

5. What, according to the squirrel must be taken in together?

Ans – According to the squirrel, all sorts of things and weather must be taken in together to make a year as well as the whole world complete.

6. What is the opinion of the squirrel about itself and the mountain?

Ans – According to the squirrel, the mountain might be much bigger than it is size but it does not even have half the liveliness and energy of the squirrel.

7. ‘not half so spry’ – Who is ‘not half so spry’?

Ans – The mountain is not half so spry as the squirrel.

8. Who makes track for the squirrel?

Ans – The mountain makes track for the squirrel.

9. What are the limitations that a mountain or a squirrel have?

Ans – A squirrel being a very small animal cannot carry forests on its back. Similarly, though the mountain is very big, it cannot perform a simple task like cracking a nut.

10. What must be taken together to make up a year and a sphere?

Ans – According to the squirrel, all sorts of things and weather must be taken together to make up a year aş well as a sphere (i.e., the whole world).

11. What is the difference between the squirrel and the mountain?

Ans – The mountain is very big in size whereas the squirrel is a very small animal. The mountain may carry forests on its back but cannot crack a nut like the squirrel.

12. Why did the mountain call the squirrel a ‘little prig’?

Ans – The mountain called the squirrel a ‘little prig’ because the mountain felt that the squirrel carried a lot of air inspite being so small.

13. What should be ‘wisely put’ according to the squirrel?

Ans – According to the squirrel all kinds of different and good talents should be ‘wisely put’ to every creature in this world.

C. State whether the following statements are True or False. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answer – =(1 + 1) × 3 = 6]

1. A mountain is big but it is not so lively and energetic as the squirrel.

Ans – [T]
Supporting Sentence – And not half so spry.

2. The squirrel can carry forest on his back.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – I (the squirrel) can not carry forest on my back.

3. The squirrel can make a very pretty track.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – I’ll not deny you (mountain) make very pretty squirrel track.

4. It is a disgrace for the squirrel to be not as large as the mountain.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – And I think it no disgrace to occupy my place.

5. According to the squirrel, year is made of various weather.

Ans – [T]
Supporting Sentence – But all sorts of things and weather/Must be taken in together/To make up a year/And a sphere.

SEA FEVER

Q.2. Read the following poem and answer the questions given below –

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-gulls 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. Write the correct alternative to complete the following sentences – [1 × 4 = 4]

1. The call of the running tide –

1. can be easily denied
2. can not be denied
3. is not at all attractive
4. is most discouraging

Ans – 1. can not be denied

2. The poet would like to hear the cry of the –

1. nightingale
2. skylark
3. cuckoo
4. seagull

Ans – 4. seagull

3. The poet likes to lead a gypsy life because it is –

1. a carefree life full of adventures
2. full of responsibilities
3. full of luxury
4. dull and uninteresting

Ans – 1. a carefree life full of adventures

4. The wind on the sea is like a whetted -.

1. sword
2. arrow
3. spear
4. knife

Ans – 4. knife

5. The sea is described as –

1. lonely
2. deep
3. oceans
4. rivers

Ans – 1. lonely

6. The poet longs for a –

1. quiet life
2. stable life
3. gypsy life
4. lazy life

Ans – 3. gypsy life

7. In the poem ‘Sea Fever’, wind has been compared to a –

1. knife
2. blade
3. razor
4. spade

Ans – 1. knife

8. A ‘yarn’ is a tale of –

1. kings
2. fairies
3. an adventure
4. laughter

Ans – 3. an adventure

9. The poet wants a tale to be told by –

1. a gypsy
2. a captain
3. his friend
4. a sailor

Ans – 4. a sailor

10. The poet wants to sleep –

1. before the journey
2. during the journey
3. at the end of the journey
4. none of these

Ans – 3. at the end of the journey

11. The ship that the poet wants to travel on should be –

1. high
2. short
3. long
4. tall

Ans – 4. tall

12. The poet needs a star to –

1. guide him
2. give him light
3. look at
4. none of these de

Ans – 1. guide him

13. The white sail is shaking because –

1. it’s weak
2. it’s strong
3. it’s breezy
4. it’s windy

Ans – 4. it’s windy

14. The colour of the dawn that breaks is –

1. white
2. yellow
3. grey
4. ash

Ans – 3. grey

15. The poet cannot –

1. reject the call
2. decline the call
3. deny the call
4. accept the calls

Ans – 3. deny the call

16. The day when the poet sets out on his voyage should be –

1. windy
2. breezy
3. Stromy
4. cloudy

Ans – 1. windy

B. State whether the following statements are true or false. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false in the boxes on the right-hand side. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answers – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. The poet is not going out to the sea for the first time.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – I must go down to the seas again.

2. The poet does not want to sleep when the journey is over.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

3. On a windy day the white clouds will fly.

Ans – [T]
Supporting Statement – And all I ask is a windy day with white clouds flying.

4. The fellow-rover will be asked to tell a merry-story.

Ans – [T]
Supporting Statement – And I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow rover.

5. The poet wants to hear the cry of the nightingale.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – “And all I ask and teh seagulls crying.”

6. The poet hates wandering life.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – “I must go down to the seas again to the vagrant gypsy life.

7. To steer the ship the poet needs the moon.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.

8. The call of the running tide is wild and clear.

Ans – [T]
Supporting statement – The call of the running tide is a wild call and a clear call.

9. The poet is going out to the sea for the first time.

Ans – [F]
Supporting statement – I must go down to the seas again.

C. Answer the following questions – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. What will shake in the wind?

Ans – The white sail of the ship will shake in the wind.

2. Why are the gypsies vagrant?

Ans – The gypsies are vagrant because they have no fixed home.

3. What makes the poet ‘restless’ in the poem ‘Sea Fever’?

Ans – Longing for voyage makes the poet restless in the poem ‘Sea Fever’.

4. Where do the sea-gulls cry?

Ans – The sea-gulls cry above the sea in wind mist.

5. What makes the dawn ‘grey’?

Ans – Grey mist makes the dawn grey.

6. Which bird and animal has been mentioned in the poem?

Ans – The sea-gull and the whale have been mentioned in the poem.

7. “I must go down to the sea again” – Why has the word ‘again’ been used?

Ans – The poet, John Masefield has used the word ‘again’ because he had earlier experience of sea voyage and this journey would be his next wish.

THE SNAIL

UNIT – 1

Q.2. Read the following poem and answer the questions given below –

To grass, or leaf, or fruit, or wall
The snail sticks close, nor fears to fall
As if he grew there, house and all,
Together.
Within that house secure he hides
When danger imminent betides
Of storm, or other harm besides
Of weather.
Give but his horns the slightest touch,
His self-collecting pow’r is such,
He shrinks into his house with much
Displeasure.
Where’er he dwells, he dwells alone,
Except himself has chatells none,
Well satisfied to be his own
Whole treasure.
Thus, hermit-like, his life he leads,
Nor partner of his banquet needs,
And if he meets one, only feeds,
The faster.
Who seeks him must be worse than blind,
(He and his house are so combined)
If, finding it, he fails to find
Its master.

A. Write the correct alternative to complete the following sentences – [1 × 4 = 4]

1. The snail is not afraid to –

1. fight
2. hide
3. fall
4. touch

Ans – 3. fall

2. The snail faces imminent danger when there is –

1. storm
2. rain
3. thunder
4. lightning

Ans – 1. storm

3. With the slightest touch the snail shrinks into his house with much –

1. delight
2. displeasure
3. defiance
4. pain

Ans – 2. displeasure

4. In the house the snail lives –

1. alone
2. with others
3. with chattels
4. with family

Ans – 1. alone

5. The poem focuses on the –

1. life-cycle of a snail
2. food habit of a snail
3. private world of a snail
4. all of the above.

Ans – 3. private world of a snail

6. The snail usually –

1. sticks tightly to its position
2. grips with the horns
3. uses hadns and legs
4. gets support with teeth.

Ans – 1. sticks tightly to its position

7. He moves along –

1. with other snails
2. the river bank
3. with his house
4. the edge of the forest.

Ans – 3. with his house

8. The word ‘imminent’ means –

1. inborn
2. about to happen
3. danger
4. bad weather

Ans – 2. about to happen

9. The snail has got –

1. over confidence
2. self confidence
3. self-collecting pow’r
4. none of these

Ans – 3. self-collecting pow’r

10. His self-collecting power is –

1. very weak
2. very ordinary
3. very powerful
4. very insignificant

Ans – 3. very powerful

11. The only chattel the snail has is –

1. himself
2. horns
3. wall
4. house.

Ans – 1. himself

12. To be his own whole treasure the snail is –

1. satisfied
2. displeased
3. worried
4. irritated.

Ans – 1. satisfied

13. The snail sticks to –

1. grass
2. leaf
3. wall
4. all the above

Ans – 4. all the above

14. The snail is never scared to –

1. dance
2. sing
3. attack
4. fall

Ans – 4. fall

15. The most sensitive part of the snail is it’s –

1. legs
2. horns
3. shell
4. mouth

Ans – 2. horns

16. The writer of the poem is –

1. Ted Hughes
2. Ralph Waldo Emerson
3. William Cowper
4. Masefield

Ans – 3. William Cowper

17. The snail is well satisfied with –

1. his fate
2. his whole treasure
3. his family
4. his friend

Ans – 2. his whole treasure

18. A snail loves to dwell –

1. alone
2. in a group
3. within family
4. with another snail

Ans – 1. alone

19. The snail hides when there is –

1. fear
2. danger
3. displeasure
4. torture

Ans – 2. danger

B. Answer the following questions – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. What does the snail stick close to?

Ans – The snail sticks close to grass or leaf or fruit or wall.

2. What does the snail do when it faces danger?

Ans – When the snail faces danger he hides within that house he secures.

3. Which is the house of the snail?

Ans – The house of the snail is his shell on his back.

4. Where does the snail find safety?

Ans – The snail finds safety within his shell.

5. When does the snail hide in his house?

Ans – The snail hides in his house when he faces danger.

6. What kind of a life does the snail live?

Ans – The snail lives a self-sufficient life.

7. What else does the snail live with?

Ans – The snail lives with no other belongings apart from himself.

8. How does the snail live?

Ans – The snail lives a lonely life. He neither has any belongnings of his own, nor any desire. He is well-satisfied with himself.

9. What does the snail usually stick itself to?

Ans – The snail usually sticks itself to grass, or leaf or fruit or wall closely without fearing to fall.

10. What kind of power does the snail have?

Ans – The snail does have a great self-collecting power. He can shrink into his own house when he feels displeasure for touching his horns or sense any imminent danger of weather.

11. What makes a snail displeased?

Ans – The snail is displeased when someone touches its horns. Beside this he feels displeased for bad weather like storm.

12. What makes the snail well – satisfied?

Ans – The snail loves to dwell alone. He is a self-contained creature with no longing for personal belongings. This self-sufficient nature of the snail makes him well satisfied.

13. When does the snail feed faster?

Ans – The snail feeds faster when he meets another snail.

C. State whether the following statements are true or false. Write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false in the boxes on the right-hand side. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answers – [2 × 2 = 4]

1. The snail and his house are separable.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – As if he grew there, house and all together.

2. The snail has chatells to carry with him.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – Except himself has chatells none.

3. The snail is afraid of falling down.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – The snail sticks close, nor fears to fall.

4. The snail lives a very insecured life in its house.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – Within that house secure he hides when danger imminent.

5. The snail hides beneath the tree.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – Within that house secure he hides.

D. Fill in the chart with information from the text –

Ans –

1. He shrinks into his house with displeasure.
2. Well satisfied with his way of life.
3. The snail comes across someone during mealtime.

READING COMPREHENSION (UNSEEN) (20 MARKS)

Q.1. Read the passage below and answer the questions which follow –

With the passing of Soumitra Chatterjee, the world is a lesser place. At 85, chatterjee had spent practically his entire adult life being other people, on screen and stage. But behind all those roles, the essential Soumitra remained the same grounded, well-read and well-spoken, a man equally comfortable at home and in the world. He was, in fact a true renaissance man, an upstanding representative of the ‘Bengali Bhadralok’ that once made Calcutta the epicentre of art and culture.

He may have been best known for his long collaboration with Satyajit Ray, who gave him a memorable break in the movies with Apur Sansar, the third film of the Apu trilogy. But he never abandoned his first love, the theatre, and remained till the end, a man of many parts: A fine poet and playwright, long time editor of a magazine named ‘Ekkhon’, and most importantly, an aware citizen.

Ray and Chatterrjee worked well together, each growing along with the other. After Apur Sansar came Churulata, Aranyer Din Ratri, Ashani Sanket, the two wildly popular Feluda adventures, Sonar Kella and Joy Baba Felunath, Ghare Baire and Ganshatru. Each film was different, each part distinctive, but you can see both the director and the actor merge their handwriting to create the necessary outcome. Their partnership was rich and abiding, giving us timeless films. Much of the pleasure of watching Chatterjee at work was that he did’nt make it seem like work. It flowed, like life itself.

A. Choose the correct alternative – [1 × 6 = 6]

1. Soumitra Chatterjee passed away at the age of –

1. 35
2. 65
3. 75
4. 85

Ans – 4. 85

2. Satyajit Ray was a popular –

1. film director
2. music director
3. actor
4. singer

Ans – 1. film director

3. Soumitra Chatterjee’s first love was –

1. film
2. theatre
3. painting
4. editing

Ans – 2. theatre

4. Soumitra Chatterjee made his debut as a film actor –

1. in Ghare Baire
2. in Sonar Kella
3. in Apur Sansar
4. in Ashani Sanket

Ans – 3. in Apur Sansar

5. ‘Ekkhon’ is the name of –

1. a novel
2. a play
3. a short story
4. a magazine

Ans – 4. a magazine

6. The third film of Apu trilogy is –

1. Sonar Kella
2. Joy Baba Felunath
3. Ganshatru
4. Apur Sansar

Ans – 4. Apur Sansar

B. Each of the following statement is either ‘True’ or ‘False’. Write ‘T’ for ‘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) × 3 = 6]

1. Soumitra Chatterjee’s death is a great loss to Bengal only.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – with the passing away of Soumitra Chatterjee, the world is a lesser place.

2. Soumitra Chatterjee’s partnership with Satyajit Ray couldn’t earn much reputation.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – Ray and Chatterjee worked well together, each growing along with the other.

3. It was a treat to watch Soumitra Chatterjee at work.

Ans – [T]
Supporting Sentence – Much of the pleasure of watching Chatterjee at work was that he did’nt make it seem like work. It flowed, like life itself.

C. Answer the following questions – [2 × 4 = 8]

1. How was Soumitra Chatterjee as a human being?

Ans – As a human being, Soumitra Chatterjee had equally balanced his personal life and professional life. Simultaneously, he was a man, well connected with ground and a well reader as well as a well speaker.

2. Who gave Soumitra Chatterjee a break in the movie?

Ans – Satyajit Ray, a eminent film director, gave Soumitra Chatterjee a break in the movie with Apur Sansar, 3rd film of Apu trilogy.

3. Name two popular Feluda advantures of Ray and Chatterjee.

Ans – Sonar Kella and Joy Baba Felunath are the name of two popular Feluda adventures of Ray and Chatterjee.

4. Who once made Calcutta the epicentre of art and culture?

Ans – Bengali Bhadralok once made Calcutta the epicentre of art and culture.

Q.2. Read the passage below and answer the questions which follow –

I remember how my life’s work developed from the time when I was very young, when I was bout 25 years old, I used to live in utmost seclusion in the solitude of an obscure Bengal village by the river Ganges in a boat house. The wild ducks which came during the time of autumn from the Himalayan lakes were my only living companions and, in the Solitude, I seem to have drink in the open space like wind overflowing with sunshine. Murmur of the river used to speak to me and talk me the screts of nature, and I passed my days in the solitude dreaming and giving shape to my dream in the poem and studies and sending out my thoughts to the Calcuatta public through the magazines and other papers. You can well understand that it was life quite different from the life of the west. I do not know the Western poets of writers do pass the greatest part of their young days in such absolute seclusion. I am almost certain that it cannot be possible and the situation itself has no place in the Western world.

And then came a time when my heart felt longing to come out of the Solitude and to do some work for my human fellow-beings and not really give shapes to my ideas through some definite work, some definite work, some definite service for my fellow beings.

A. Tick the correct alternative to complete the following sentences – [1 × 6 = 6]

1. The obscure Bengal village stood by –

1. the Ichamati
2. the Ganges
3. the Bhagirathi
4. the roadside

Ans – 2. the Ganges

2. The narrators living company was –

1. village folk
2. farmers
3. wild ducks
4. Calcutta public

Ans – 3. wild ducks

3. The text is –

1. a biography
2. a story
3. an essay
4. An Autobiography

Ans – 4. An Autobiography

4. Through magazines and other papers the narrator sent –

1. his thoughts and ideas
2. his poems and studies
3. his poems only
4. his thought expressed in his poems and studies

Ans – 1. his thoughts and ideas

5. The poets life at the age of 25 was –

1. full of confusion
2. utmost seclusion
3. active
4. non contemplating

Ans – 2. utmost seclusion

6. The migratory birds came to the village in –

1. autumn
2. spring.
3. summer
4. winter

Ans – 1. autumn

B. State whether the following statements are True or False Prove sentences/phrases/words in support of your answer. [(1 × 1) × 3 = 6]

1. The narrator loved nature deeply.

Ans – [T]
Supporting Sentence – I seem to have drink in the open space like wind overflowing with sunshine. Murmur of the river used to speak to me and talk me the secret of nature.

2. Western poets always enjoy absolute seclusion.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – I do not know the western poets or writers do pass the greatest part of their young days in such absolute seclusion.

3. The poet was reluctant to do some definite service for his fellow beings.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – and to do some work for my human fellow beings…

C. Answer the following questions – [2 × 4 = 8]

1. How did the narrator pass his days in the Solitude of obscure Bengal?

Ans – The narrator passed his days in the solitude of obscure Bengal dreaming and giving shape to his dreams, study and sending his thoughts to Calcutta public through magazine and other papers.

2. What accoding to the narrator, was the difference between the life of the Western poets and the life of Indian poets?

Ans – The narrator joined that unlike the Indian poets, the western poets pass the greatest part of their young days in absolute seclusion.

3. What did the narrator’s heart long for?

Ans – The narrator’s heart longed for coming out of the solitude and to do some work for his human fellow-beings. He did not really want to give shape to his dreams through some definite work and some definite service to his fellow beings.

4. How did the narrator give shape to his dream of remaining in solitude?

Ans – The narrator gave shape to his dream of remaining in solitude through poems and studies.

Q.3. Read the passage below and answer the questions which follow –

Kolkata – Award winning poet, writer and acclaimed teacher Nabanita Deb Sen passed away in her South Kolkata residence after prolonged illness. She was 81.

She was born in 1938, to parents who were both poets and were associated with Rabindranath Tagore, from whom she got her name.

Her first collection of poems came out in 1959, the year she married Amartya Sen. She did her bachelor degree in English from Presidency College and mastered from Jadavpur University in comparative Literature. she completed her Ph. D. in 1964 from Indiana University, U.S.A.

A Sahitya Akademi and padmashri awardee ms. Deb Sen taught for many years at Jadavpur University and was favourite among students. her travelogue ‘Truck bahone Mac Mohone’ provides a wierd description of how she hitchhiked up to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh in an army truck. This book on her experience of visiting the China border was an all time best seller of Bengali literature.”

Lamenting her demise, writer Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay said, “Besides missing a friend, I will be missing her writings.”

A. Tick the correct alternative to complete the following sentences – [1 × 6 = 6]

1. Nabanita Deb Sen passed away at the age of –

1. 80
2. 81
3. 82
4. 83

Ans – 2. 81

2. Amartya Sen married Nabanita Deb Sen in –

1. 1959
2. 1938
3. 1964
4. 1961

Ans – 1. 1959

3. Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay was Nabanita Deb Sen’s –

1. father
2. husband
3. Pal
4. enemy

Ans – 3. pal

4. The degree Nabanita Deb Sen got from abroad –

1. B.A.
2. M.A.
3. Ph. D.
4. none of those

Ans – 3. Ph. D.

5. The residence of Ms. Deb Sen is located in –

1. North Kolkata
2. Kultali
3. South Kolkata
4. Kustia

Ans – 3. South Kolkata

6. She completed Ph. D. is –

1. 1961
2. 1962
3. 1963
4. 1964

Ans – 4. 1964

B. State whether the statements are True of False. Write ‘T’ for True and ‘F’ for False statements. Provide supporting sentences (S.S.) in favour of your answer – [(1 + 1) × 3 = 6]

1. Nabanita Deb Sen passed away suddenly.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Statement – Nabanita Deb Sen passed away …… after prolonged illness.

2. Nabanita Deb Sen’s parents were poets.

Ans – [T]
Supporting Statement – She was born in 1938 to parents who were both poets…

3. Nabanita Deb Sen never wrote a travelogue.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Statement – Her travelogue ‘Truck bahone Mac Mohone’…

C. Answer the following questions – [2 × 4 = 8]

1. What is ‘Truck bahone mac Mohone?

Ans – ‘Truck bahone mac Mohone’ is a travelogue written by Nabanita Deb Sen.

2. What information do you get about Nabanita Deb Sen’s education from text?

Ans – Nabanita Deb Sen did her bachelor degree from Presidency College and got mastery in comparative literature from Jadavpur University. She completed her Ph.D from Indiana University, U.S.A.

3. How did Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay react to Nabanita Deb Sen’s death?

Ans – On Nabanita Deb Sen’s death, Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay expressed his grave sorrow by saying, “Beside missing a friend, I will be missing her writings.”

4. What reward did Nabanita Deb Sen get as a recognition of being an exemplary writer?

Ans – No information is given in the text.

Q.4. Read the passage below and answer the questions which follow –

Santiniketan – a university town over 160 km from Kolkata, was originally an ashram built by Rabindranath Tagore’s father, Debendranath Tagore where anyone, irrespective of caste and creed, could come and medi-tate on the Supreme God, according to a description of the landmark on the official website of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

Debendranath Tagore, also known as ‘Maharshi’, meaning one who is both a saint and a sage, was a leading figure of the Indian Renaissance, it says. “Among the structures built by the Maharshi was the Santiniketan Griha and the beautiful stained glass Mandir, or temple where worship is non-denominational.

“Both structures, built in the second half of the 19th century, are important in their association with the founding of Santiniketan and the universal spirit associated with the revival and reinterpretation of religious ideals in Bengal and India”, the website says.

Visva-Bharati, located in Santiniketan, is one of the most prestigious universities in India with degree courses in Humanities, Social Science, Science, Fine Arts, Music, Performing Arts, Education, Agricultural Science and Rural Reconstruction.

The university was founded by Rabindranath Tagore. It was declared a central university and an institution of national importance by an Act of Parliament in 1951. Visva-Bharati is the sole central university of West Bengal and the Prime Minister is its chancellor.

A. Tick the correct alternative to complete the following sentences – [1 × 6 = 6]

1. Santiniketan was originally a/an –

1. learning centre
2. temple
3. ashram
4. heritage centre

Ans – 3. ashram

2. Debendranath Tagore was popularly called –

1. Supreme God
2. Maharshi
3. the poet’s father
4. monk

Ans – 2. Maharshi

3. Debendranath Tagore took leading role in Renaissance of –

1. India
2. Bengal
3. Asia
4. the world

Ans – 1. India

4. Visva-Bharati is a –

1. State University
2. Central University
3. University under both State and the Central Govt
4. a private university under state govt

Ans – 2. Central University

5. The Chancellor of Visva-Bharati is –

1. the Chief Minister
2. the President of the country
3. the Prime Minister
4. the President of UNESCO

Ans – 3. the Prime Minister

6. Visva-Bharati was declared an institute of national importance by –

1. UNESCO
2. the State Govt.
3. an Act of Parliament
4. UGC

Ans – 3. an Act of Parliament

B. State whether the following statements are True or False Prove sentences/phrases/words in support of your answer – [(1 × 1) × 3 = 6]

1. Rabindranath Tagore founded Santiniketan.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – Santiniketan, a university town over 160 km from Kolkata was originally an ashram built by Rabindranath Tagore’s father Debendranath Tagore.

2. The temple in Santiniketan is open to Hindus.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – or temple where worship is non-denominational.

3. The structures in Santiniketan were built in 19th century.

Ans – [T]
Supporting Sentence – Both structures built in the second half of the 19th centure

C. Answer the following questions – [2 × 4 = 8]

1. What sort of man was Debendranath Tagore?

Ans – Debendranath Tagore was both a saint and a sage and therefore he was also known as Maharshi.

2. Where is Santiniketan located?

Ans – Santiniketan is located at 160 km away from Kolkata.

3. Which courses does Visva-Bharati offer?

Ans – Visva-Bharati offers degree courses viz Humanities, Social Science, Science, Fine Arts, Music, Per-forming Arts, Education, Agricultural Science and Rural Reconstruction.

4. When and how was Visva-Bharati University upgraded?

Ans – Visva Bharati University was upgraded in 1951 by an Act of Parliament which declared it as a central university and an institution of National Importance.

Q.5. Read the passage below and answer the questions which follow –

Kolkata – Abhijit Mukherjee of IITOKharagpur has been honoured with a medal from American Geophysical Union (AGU), the world’s larget earth and space science organisation, for his contribution in the field of ground water research.

Mukherjee, who is also the first Indian fellow to the Geological Society of America (GSA), will be felicitated in San Francisco in December in front of 25,000 attendees from a hundred different countries.

Mukherjee has also been working with the Government of India’s Jal Jeevan Mission while recently imple-menting Artificial Intelligence in his work. He was recognised by the GSA last year for his pioneering research in the increasing arsenic levels in Bengal.

Having studied in South Point School and Asutosh College, Mukherjee said that his earliest area of focus had been groundwater, from Murshidabad to the Sundarbans.

After completing his PhD at the University of Kentucky, Mukherjee is currently a professor at the department of Geology and Geophysics and the School of Environmental Science and Engineering at IIT-Kharagpur.

A. Tick the correct alternative to complete the following sentences – [1 × 6 = 6]

1. Full form of AGU is –

1. American Geological Union
2. American Geophysical Union
3. Geophysical Society of America
4. Geological Soeiety of America.

Ans – 1. American Geophysical Union

2. Abhijit Mukherjee completed his PhD from –

1. The University of Cambridge
2. The University of Oxford
3. The University of Kentucky
4. The Stanford University

Ans – 3. The University of Kentucky

3. The world’s largest earth and space science organisation is –

1. AUG
2. GSA
3. GAS
4. AGU

Ans – 4. AGU

4. The felicitation programme will be held in –

1. December
2. October
3. September
4. November

Ans – 1. December

5. Mukherjee’s earliest area of focus was –

1. rainwater
2. seawater
3. underground water
4. groundwater

Ans – 4. groundwater

6. San Francisco is in –

1. USA
2. UK
3. Russia
4. Italy

Ans – 1. USA

B. State whether the following statements are True or False Prove sentences/phrases/words in support of your answer. [(1 + 1) × 3 = 6]

1. Abhijit Mukherjee is the first Indian fellow to the GSA.

Ans – [T]
Supporting Sentence – Abhijit Mukherjee who is also the first Indian fellow to the Geological Society of America.

2. In the felicitation ceremony 25000 attendees from America will be present.

Ans – [F]
Supporting Sentence – In the felicitation ceremoney, 25000 attendees…. countries.

3. Artificial Interlligence is being implemented in Jal Jeevan Mission.

Ans – [T]
Supporting Sentence – Artificial Interlligence is complemented by Mukherjee in Jal Jeevan Mission.

C. Answer the following questions – [2 × 4 = 8]

1. Name the department and the institution where Abhijit Mukherjee works now?

Ans – Now, Abhijit Mukherjee works as a professor at the department of Geology, Geophysics, Environmental Science and Engineering at IIT Kharagpur.

2. Why and how has Abhijit Mukherjee been honoured?

Ans – Abhijit Mukherjee has been honoured with a medal from American Geophysical Union for his essential research based on ground water.

3. Where did Abhijit Mukherjee Study?

Ans – Abhijit Mukherjee studied in South Point School and Asutosh College.

4. Why did the GSA recognise Abhijit Mukhejee last year?

Ans – GSA recognised Abhijit Mukherjee last year for his pioneering research in the increasing Arsenic levels in Bengal.

SECTION – B

GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY (20 MARKS)

4. Choose the Correct Alternative – [1 × 3 = 3]

1. As the temperature ___ (had soared/soars/has been soaring) so high, it ___ (is advised/advised/advises) to take cool showers many times a day. People ___ (drinks/drank/should drink) plenty of water.

Ans – has been soaring, is advised, should drink

2. The Tortoise set out to collect all the wisdom in the world, and as he ___ (has 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.

Ans – had gathered, had collected, decided

3. When I entered the house something ___ (smelling/smells/smelt) aweful. Someone ___ (had been cooking/has cooked/was cooking) and ___ (burn/burnt/has burnt) the meal.

Ans – smelt, had been cooking, burnt.

4. Riya who ___ (have been/has been/is being) ill for a month ___ (will visit/visited/had visited) the doctor last Monday. The doctor ___ (advised/had advised/will advise) her complete bed rest.

Ans – has been, visited, advised.

5. When Mrs. Gupta ___ (return/returned/was returning) home she noticed at once that thieves ___ (enter / have entered / had entered) her house during her absence. The local police station ___ (was informing/had informed/was informed) immediately.

Ans – returned, had entered, was informed.

6. Although children ___ (love/has loved/are loving) outdoor games, their parents ___ (is considering/consider/has considered) their interest as harmful and meaningless. A Child who spends time and energy in outdoor activities ___ (grows/had grown/is growing) up to be healthy and strong.

Ans – love, consider, grows.

7. Minara Begum, who ___ (was coaching/has been coaching/is coaching) national level gymnasts for 30 years, ___ (is surprised/has been surprised/was surprised) to receive a call from a parent soon after Deepa Karmakar ___ (will finish/will has finished/finished) fourth in the Olympics.

Ans – has been coaching, was surprised, finished.

8. Kanyashree, an initiative which ___ (has taken/has been taken/is taken) by the State Government of WB in order to support girls who ___ (do not pursue/could not pursue/cannot pursue) their education due to poor economic condition ___ (has achieved/have achieved/ achieve) international recognition.

Ans – has been taken, can not pursue, has achieved.

9. I was ___ (have/having/had) tea at home on the evening of 30th January 1948 when I ___ (was called/have been called/had been called) to Birla House by an urgent telephone. Gandhiji ___ (was/ have been/had been) shot on his way to a prayer meeting.

Ans – having, was called, had been.

10. Some days after the funeral, a special train ___ (was taking/had taken/took) Gandhiji’s ashes to Allahabad. The compartment ___ (was decked/decked/was decking) with flowers. People on the train ___ (were singing/sang/had sang) Bhajans.

Ans – took, was decked, sang.

11. Mother generously ___ (suggests/suggested/may suggest) that Swami ___ (does/may/might) stay at home. It was 9.30, when he ought to ___ (has been/have been/had been) in the school hall, Swami was lying on the bench.

Ans – suggested, might, have been.

12. Swami ___ (standing/stands/was standing/stood) at the entrance to his class. Samuel was teaching arithmetic. He ___ (looks/is looking/can look/looked) at Swami. Swami ___ (is hoped/hopes/hoped/had hoped) Samuel would scold him severely.

Ans – stood, looked, hoped.

13. Last year, the school got ___ (involve/involved/involving) in tree plantation ___ (collect/collected/collecting) saplings from the forest department, the students ___ (planting/planted/plant) trees on both sides of the state highway.

Ans – involved, collecting, planted.

14. Four persons ___ (kill/was killed/were killed) when a matador van ___ (collides/collided/was colliding) with a scooter last night. The driver of matador van ___ (is arrested/have arrested/has been arrested).

Ans – were killed, collided, has been arrested.

15. It was an agonizing walk. thousands silently ___ (watched/watch/were watching) the procession. Bapu ___ (lies/lay/was lying) on an open truck. thousands of people ___ (weep/wept/were weeping), trying to touch Bapu’s feet.

Ans – watched, lay, wept.

16. Last Sunday, while we ___ (watched/were watching/had watched) a match on television we ___ (hear/heard/had heard) a loud thud on the door. before opening the door, the robbers ___ (had broken into/ broke into/breaking into) the room.

Ans – were watching, heard, had broken.

17. When the bell ___ (rings/rang/were ringing/was ring) for the last period at 4:30, Swami ___ (picks/picked/was picking/had picked) up his books and ___ (ran/was ran/was running/is running) to the headmaster’s room.

Ans – rang, picked, ran.

18. When the family ___ (sits/is sitting/sat/will sit) down to tea, the cat ___ (puts/had put/ pull/will put) in an appearance to ___ (got/will get/get/is getting) his share.

Ans – sits, puts, get

19. A month later a letter ___ (come/will come/came) for father. After he ___ (finish/finished/finishing) reading it, his eyes ___ (looking/was looking/looked) as if he had been crying.

Ans – came, finished, looked.

20. He ___ (hope/hoped/was hoping) that he ___ (do not/did not/does not) have to ___ (go/goes/gone) to school.

Ans – hoped, did not, go

21. They ___ (help/helps/helped)to improve the quality of life of the drug users ___ (said/says/had been said)a recent study ___ (conducted/conducts/has conducted)by the Delhi based AIMS.

Ans – help, says, conducted.

22. With Bapu’s ___ (pass/passed/passing) away, I ___ (feel/feeling/felt) the magic circle had ___ (vanish/vanishing/vanished) leaving me unprotected.

Ans – passing, felt, vanished.

23. A month later a letter ___ (come/will come/came) for father. After Sandip ___ (finish/finished/finishing) reading it, his eyes ___ (looking/was looking/looked) as if he had been crying.

Ans – came, finished, looked.

24. Rabindranath used to ___ (sit/sat/sitting) by the window. He ___ (observed/has observed/had been observing) nature from the window of his room. His writings ___ (influenced/had been influenced/were influenced) largely by the environment around.

Ans – sit, observed, were influenced.

25. The patient ___ (has died/had died/died) before the doctor came. By this time tomorrow they ___ (will be left/will had left/will have left). We ___ (are reading/will be reading/have been reading) for a long time.

Ans – had died, will have left, have been reading.

5. Do as directed

A. Articles and Prepositions – [1 × 3 = 3]

Fill in the blanks with appropriate articles and prepositions –

1. We must consider ___ unemployment problem with great seriousness and try to solve it ___ the earliest opportunity. This would be beneficial ___ our younger generation.

Ans – she, at, for/to

2. Life had not been smooth sailing ___ Sudha. In 1981, ___ car she was travelling met with an accident and her right leg had to be amputated below the knee. She walked around ___ crutches.

Ans – for, the, with.

3. My neighbourhood is ___ very interesting place. My house is located ___ an area which has many stores and offices. The biggest store is only five minute’s walk ___ my house.

Ans – a, in, from

4. Wrestling is one of ___ oldest sports in the world. Ancient cave drawings of people wrestling with one another have been found ___ Europe. It is ___ serious sport.

Ans – the, in, a.

5. Suraj, ___ young diver jumped ___ the river and saved Niraj ___ drowning.

Ans – a, into, from.

6. In ___ evenings they would sit together ___ the dining table and rearrange the stamps. He had ___ album for each country.

Ans – the, on, an.

7. When John arrived ___ Mumbai ___ train, there was not ___ single penny in his pocket.

Ans – from, on, a.

8. When the family sits down ___ tea, the cat puts in ___ appearance ___ get his share.

Ans – to, an, to.

9. When ___ family sits ___ to tea, the cat puts ___ an appearance to get his share.

Ans – the, down, in.

10. He or she is an athlete, ___ acrobat and grim fighter. All day long the cat loafs ___ the house, takes things easy, and allows himself ___ be pestered by the attentions of the people in the house.

Ans – an, about, to.

11. English is an important language and spoken all ___ the world. It has now become ___ international language. English is also necessary ___ the Indian people.

Ans – over, an, for.

12. Porus put up ___ stiff fight ___ Alexander ___ he was defeated. The heroism ___ Porus and his army continues to inspire us.

Ans – a, against, and, of.

13. Bumrah grabbed two wickets ___ quick succession as India moved closer to victory in ___ first Test against England.

Ans – in, the.

14. Tension gripped Valparai, a tea-growing town ___ the slopes of ___ western Ghats near Coimbatore, after ___ 10-year-old male tiger sneaked into a cowshed in a thickly populated locality on Friday morning.

Ans – on, the, a

15. It is to think ___ clarity and closely look at all that is ___ you, from small insects to the horizon ___ a distance.

Ans – with, around, from.

16. To Cesarion, Orsino confided ___ (the/an/a) the whole history ___ (of/for/to) his love ___ (to/by/ for) the lady Olivia.

Ans – the, of, for.

17. Once upon ___ (a/an/the) time there lived ___ (the/an/a) ambitions king. He had two daughters. They were brought up ___ (in/by/to) their grandma.

Ans – a, an, by.

18. Most people think that ___ cat is ___ unintelligent animal, fond ___ ease and caring little for anything but mice and milk.

Ans – the, an, of.

19. Once I crept ___ ___ Oak wood I was looking ___ a Stag.

Ans – in, an, for.

20. As he entered ___ school gate ___ idea occurred ___ him.

Ans – the, an, to.

21. The leaning tower of Pisa was intended to serve as ___ bell tower but it began leaning soon ___ the construction started ___ August, 1173.

Ans – a, after, in.

22. The centre constituted a high level technical team ___ resolve Cauvery water dispute ___ Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Ans – to, between

23. Anuj has not done well ___ ___ exam as he expected ___ do. But he is not upset and would try harder ___ next time.

Ans – in, the, to, the

24. ___ liar needs ___ good memory. Sristy does not know how ___ swim.

Ans – A, a, to.

25. What is ___ most dreadful menace facing India today is ___ rise of communalism. We all should fight ___ it collectively.

Ans – the, the, against.

26. Kolkata is the capital ___ West Bengal. The city stands on ___ bank of Hooghly. There is ___ University in Kolkata.

Ans – of, the, a

27. Most people are fond ___ mystery stories. They find ___ extra pleasure ___ trying to solve the mystery along with investigators.

Ans – of, an, in.

28. Once ___ (a/on/the) retarded child, Somesh is now studying in ___ (a/an) university at Delhi with Honours ___ (at/in/on) English language and Literature.

Ans – a, a, in.

29. I remember ___ (a/on/the)afternoon when I received the telegram ___ my publisher in England stating ___ my winning Nobel Prize.

Ans – the, from, about.

30. Swami hoped that ___ this his father would be made ___ see why he must avoid school for ___ day.

Ans – with, to, the.

B. (i) Change the Voice – [1 × 3 = 3]

1. The students are staging a play.

Ans – A play is being staged by the students.

2. People on the train sang “Bhajans”.

Ans – Bhajans were sung on the train by people.

3. The poor man carried a heavy load.

Ans – A heavy load was carried by the poor man.

4. The authorities postponed the cricket match.

Ans – The cricket match was postponed by the authorities.

5. He has worked out the answers carefully.

Ans – The answers have been worked out carefully by him.

6. The teacher delivered a lecture to a group of students.

Ans – A lecture was delivered to a group of students by the teacher.

7. My friend gave me a story book.

Ans – A story book was given to me by my friend.

8. I am writing a poem.

Ans – A poem is being written by me.

9. The fish was cut into two halves by her.

Ans – She cut the fish into two halves.

10. Dhoni played cricket with some street player at night.

Ans – Cricket was played by Dhoni with some street player at night.

11. I was bringing the kite from the house.

Ans – The kite was being brought from the house by me.

12. Call of the running tide may not be denied.

Ans – Nobody may deny call of the running tide.

13. He will give them the privilege of boarding him.

Ans – They will be given the privilege of boarding him (by him).

14. They did not make a sound.

Ans – No sound was made by them.

15. Who is beaten by Niraj?

Ans – Whom does Niraj beat.

16. The news will please you.

Ans – You will be pleased with the news.

17. The door was opened by a young woman.

Ans – A young woman opened the door.

18. What will the teacher think if Sristi goes so late?

Ans – What will be thought by the teacher if Sristi goes so late?

19. Call the police at once.

Ans – Let the police be called at once.

20. Discipline should be maintained.

Ans – We should maintain discipline.

21. The man is reading an old newspaper.

Ans – An old newspaper is being read by the man.

22. What will the teacher think if Anand goes so late?

Ans – What will be thought by the teacher if Anand goes so late?

23. They have sold their house.

Ans – Their house has been sold by them.

24. We pasted gold tinsel stars all over the kite.

Ans – Gold tinsel stars were pasted all over the kite by us.

25. He had worked out the answers carefully.

Ans – The answers had been worked out carefully. (by him)

26. The teacher was reading a book.

Ans – A book was being read by the teacher.

27. What did they do?

Ans – What was done by them?

28. “What have you written, Father?”

Ans – “What has been written by you, Father?”

29. You make a very pretty squirrel track.

Ans – A very pretty squirrel track is made by you.

30. Samuel was teaching Arithmetic.

Ans – Arithmetic was being taught by Samuel.

31. They propose to build a dam for irrigation purposes.

Ans – A dam for irrigation purposes is proposed to be built. (by them)

32. Gandhiji had been shot on his way to a prayer meeting.

Ans – Someone had shot Gandhiji on his way to a prayer meeting.

33. She opened up her little bag.

Ans – Her little bag was opened up (by her)

34. Simran has dropped two cards.

Ans – Two cards have been dropped by Simran.

35. One should keep one’ promise.

Ans – Promises should be kept.

36. We expect good news.

Ans – Good news is expected.

37. Let him catch the train.

Ans – Let the train be catched by him.

38. There is no time to lose.

Ans – There is no time to be lost.

39. This is the time to close the shop.

Ans – This is the time for the shop to be closed.

40. It is time to accept the challenge.

Ans – It is time for the challenge to be accepted.

41. I like people to respect me..

Ans – I like to be respected.

42. I had to do it.

Ans – It had to be done by me.

43. I saw Nirbhay play.

Ans – Nirbhay is seen to play by me.

44. I know Kiran.

Ans – Kiran is known to me.

(ii) Change the mode of Narration

1. Swami said to his father, “Have you written anything about our teacher Samuel?”

Ans – Swami asked his father if he had written anything about their teacher Samuel.

2. Father asked Swami, “Have you no school today?”

Ans – Father asked Swami if he had no school that day.

3. “What have you written, Father?” Swami asked apprehensively.

Ans – Swami asked his father apprensively what he had written.

4. “Have you written anything about our teacher Samuel?” Swami asked.

Ans – Swami asked if his father had written anything about their teacher Samuel.

5. Father asked narrator, “Do you want to know what became of your kite?”

Ans – Father asked narrator if she wanted to know what had become of her kite.

6. The girl said “Hurrah! I have won the debate competition”.

Ans – The girl exclaimed in joy that she had won the debate competition.

7. The teacher said to the students, “Never sleep late on the night before the exam.”

Ans – The teacher advised the students never to sleep late on the night before exam.

8. Sandip said to my friend, “Do not neglect your studies”.

Ans – Sandip advised my friend not to neglect his studies.

9. I said to my Boss, “Please increase my salary.”

Ans – I requested my Boss to increase my salary.

10. Mehul said to the cobbler, “Can you repair my shoe?”

Ans – Mehul asked the cobbler if he could repair her shoe.

11. “Have you seen my dog anywhere?”, the little boy asked.

Ans – The little boy asked me if I had seen his dog anywhere.

12. Anand said, “I was going”.

Ans – Anand said that he had been going.

13. Anurag said to him, “May you be happy”.

Ans – Anurag blessed him that he might be happy.

14. I said to him, “Do not do it”.

Ans – I forbade him to do it.

15. Rahul said to me, “Will you go to school today?”

Ans – Rahul asked me if I would go to school that day.

16. Suraj said, “Don’t walk in the ice.”

Ans – Suraj forbade me to walk in the ice.

17. The man said to me, “Can you show me the way to the market?”

Ans – The man asked me if I could show him the way to the market.

18. The doctor said to the patient, “Please avoid taking potatoes.”

Ans – The doctor requested the patient to avoid taking potatoes.

19. Sofiya said to her friends, “Let us go for a picnic.”

Ans – Sofiya proposed to her friends that they should go for a picnic.

20. Chandar Sir said to Ankita, “Will you go to Delhi with me?”

Ans – Chandar Sir asked Ankita whether she would go to Delhi with him.

21. Prashant said to her, “I cannot recall your name”.

Ans – Prashant told her that he could not recall her name.

22. Hardik said to him, “May you be happy.”

Ans – Hardik blessed him that he might be happy.

23. Binay said, “Don’t walk on the ice”.

Ans – Binay forbade me to walk on the ice.

24. Harsh said, “Let us go home”.

Ans – Harsh proposed to me that they should go home.

25. Raja keeps on saying, “I can play cricket well.”

Ans – Raja keeps on saying that he can play cricket well.

26. Harsh said to her, “I cannot recall your name.”

Ans – Harsh told her that he could not recall her name.

27. He said, “I was going.”

Ans – He said that he had been going.

(iii) Analysis of Sentences –

1. I am too tired to walk. (Turn into a complex sentence)

Ans – I am very tired that i can’t walk.

2. He put it in an envelope and sealed it. (Turn into a simple sentence)

Ans – putting in an envelope he is sealed it.

3. You do not take care of your health. You may fall ill. (Join into a single sentence using an adverb clause)

Ans – Unless you take care of your health, you may fall ill.

4. Garbage causes pollution. It may be used as a source of energy. (Join into a single sentence using a relative clause)

Ans – Garbage which causes pollution, may be used as a source of energy.

5. It was raining. The children could not go out to play. (Join into a complex sentence)

Ans – As it was raining, the children could not go out to play.

6. He had quarrelled with his brother and left home. (Simple)

Ans – Quarrelling with his brother, he left home.

7. The cat is caring little for anything but mice and milk. (make simple)

Ans – The cat is caring only for mice and milk.

8. I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life. (make complex)

Ans – I must go down to the seas again so that I may spend the vagrant gypsy life.

9. The cat soon tires of that. (make negative)

Ans – The cat does not fail to tire of that soon.

10. He shrinks into his house. (make negative)

Ans – He does not fail to shrink into his house.

11. I was numb with shock. I got into the car. (Join into a simple sentence)

Ans – Being numb with shock I got into the car.

12. I was numb with shock as I got into the car. (Simple sentence)

Ans – Being numb with shock, I got into the car.

13. She is lying. Nobody knows the reason. (Join into a complex sentence)

Ans – Nobody knows why she is lying.

14. It is very cold outside. (Turn into an interrogative sentence)

Ans – Is it not very cold outside?

15. Be good and Simran will be happy. (Turn into a complex sentence)

Ans – If you become good, Simran will be happy.

16. Sristy is laughing. Nobody knows the reason. (Join into a complex sentence)

An – Nobody knows why Sristy is laughing.

17. You are doubtless very big. (make complex sentence)

Ans – It is doubtless that you are very big.

18. Everyone knows that beauty is shortlived. (Turn into a compound sentence)

Ans – Beauty is shortlived and everyone knows it.

19. The man answered promptly. (Use the noun form of ‘promptly’ to rewrite the sentence)

Ans – The man answered with promptness.

20. This was my dream beneath the boughs, the dream that altered me. (Join into Simple Sentence)

Ans – My dream beneath the boughs altered me.

21. As soon as spring comes, back we sail to our dear island. (make negative)

Ans – No sooner has spring come than back we sail to our dear island.

22. And all I ask is a tall ship and a Star to Steer her by. (make simple)

Ans – And all I ask is a Star to Steer by a tall ship.

23. I am sure how it happened. (make simple)

Ans – I am sure about the method of its happening.

24. He puts up his claw and quietly but firmly rakes the guest. (Simple sentence)

Ans – Putting up his claw, he firmly rakes the guest with quietness.

25. He completed his works. He took rest. (Simple)

Ans – Having completed his works, he took rest.

26. The time of departure of the train has changed. Alia knew it. (Complex)

Ans – Alia knew that the time of departure of the train has changed.

27. This is the burial-place of Michael M.S. Dutta. (Make it complex)

Ans. This is the place where Michael M.S. Dutta was buried.

28. Everybody on the mainland had relations. (make negative)

Ans – Nobody on the mainland was without relations.

29. He tried every method. (Make it negative)

Ans – He did not leave any method untried.

30. Their glory can never fade. (Make interrogative)

Ans – Can their glory ever fade?

31. In spite of being a child Sandip is mature. (Turn into a complex sentence)

Ans – although Sandip is a child he is mature.

32. He bought his uncle’s liberary. (complex)

Ans – He bought the liberary which belongs to his uncle.

33. Our forefathers lived in India. (Complex)

Ans – India is the land where our forefathers lived.

34. Tell me your address. (Complex)

Ans. Tell me where you reside.

35. I bought a blue pen. (Complex)

Ans – I bought a pen which is blue in colour.

36. The poem is too simple to need an explanation. (Complex)

Ans – The poem is so simple that it does not need an explanation.

37. In spit of their poverty, they help others. (Compound)

Ans – They are poor yet they help others.

38. The road was lit up by shop lights. (Complex)

Ans – The road was lit up by the lights used in shops.

39. Do you know Nirbhay? (Complex)

Ans – Do you know who Nirbhay is?

40. Every rose has a thorn. (Negative)

Ans – There is no rose without a thorn.

41. It never rains but pours. (Affirmative)

Ans – It always pours when it rains.

42. It is unique. (Negative)

Ans – Nothing is like this.

43. I love Anushka. (Negative)

Ans – I am not without love for Anushka.

44. There is no gain without risk. (Affirmative)

Ans – Every gain has risk.

(iv) Change into Indirect Speech.

1. The mother said to the boy, “do not waste time on mobile phone.” (Turn into indiredct speech)

Ans – The mother advised the boy not to waste time on mobile phone.

2. Samuel said, “Swaminathan, where is your homework?”

Ans – Samuel asked Swaminathan, where his homework was?

3. “Is there anybody there?” said the traveller.

Ans – The traveller asked if there was anybody there.

4. “What have you written, Mou?” The teacher said.

Ans – The teacher asked Mou what she had written.

5. The trainer said, “Why is everybody late today?”

Ans – The trainer asked why everybody was late that day.

6. The policeman said to the thief, “Where have you kept the stolen goods?”

Ans – The policeman asked the thief where he had kept the stolen goods.

7. “Swaminathan, Where is your homework?” Samuel enquired.

Ans – Samuel asked Swaminathan where his homework was.

8. Father asked him, “Have you no school today?”

Ans – Father asked him if he had no school that day.

9. She said, “I have your secret here inside my little bag.”

Ans – She said that she had his secret there inside her little bag.

10. Swami said to his father, “Have you written anything about our teacher Samuel?”

Ans – Swami asked his father if he had written anything about their teacher Samuel.

11. Loaf about less on Sunday and you will be without a headache on Monday.

Ans – Father asked Swami to loaf about less on Sunday’so that he would be without a headache on Monday.

12. “Everything is there in the letter. Give it to your headmaster”, Father said to Swami.

Ans – Father told Swami that everything was there in the letter and asked him to give it to his headmaster.

13. The policeman said to the thief, “where have you kept the stolen goods?”

Ans – The policeman asked the thief where he had kept the stolen goods.

14. He said to us, “Are you coming to the meeting today?”

Ans – He enquired of us if we were coming to the meeting that day.

15. The mother said to her children, “Do not go out in the sun.”

Ans – The mother told her children not to go out in the sun.

16. The girls said, “Hurrah! we have won the match.

Ans – The girls exclaimed with joy that they had won the match.

17. “What have you written, Nila?” the teacher said.

Ans – The teacher asked Nila what she had written.

18. Mother says, “Son, be a man.”

Ans – Mother orders her son to be a man.

(v) Clause –

1. Swami thought Samuel would scold him severely. (Use adjective form of ‘Severely’)

Ans – Swami thought Samuel would give him a severe scold.

2. The mountain and the squirrel had a quarrel.b (Use ‘quarrel’ as a verb)

Ans – The mountain quarelled with the squirrel.

3. You go anywhere. I shall follow you. (Join with an adverbial clause)

Ans – I shall follow you wherever you go.

4. Father snatched the letter away from Swami and tore it up. (Use participle)

Ans – Snatching the letter away from Swami, Father tore it up.

5. Akash cannot but be gay. (Use ‘help’)

Ans – Akash cannot help being gay.

6. Out of every window, one could see a brown blur of faces. (Use verb as a noun)

Ans – Out of every window, one could have a sight on a brown blur of faces..

7. People always pitied us. (Use ‘pitied’ as noun)

Ans – People always took pity on us.

8. Ravi wants something. It is a glass of water. (Join using Nominal Clause)

Ans – What Ravi wants is a glass of water.

9. She saw a snake. She ran away. (Use – Seeing)

Ans – Seeing a snake she ran away.

10. He is honest. He is rich. (Use – as well as)

Ans – He is honest as well as rich.

11. The Sun is a star. Everybody knows that. (Use – noun clause)

Ans – Everybody knows that the sun is a star.

12. His movement becomes pantherlike. (Use ‘movement’ as verb)

Ans – He moves like a panther.

13. True life now begins for him. (Use ‘begin’ as noun)

Ans – Now, it is the beginning of true life for him.

14. Work hard or fail in the exam. (Rewrite using ‘if’ clause)

Ans – If you do not work hard, you will fail in the exam.

15. I met her. I was in london. (Adverbial Clause)

Ans – I met her when I was in london.

(vi) Change of degree of comparison –

1. We should not show cruelty to animals. (Rewrite using adjective form of the word underlined)

Ans – We should not be cruel to animals.

2. Swami went to school feeling that he was the worst boy on earth. (Turn into positive degree)

Ans – Swami went to school feeling that no other boy on earth was as bad as he.

3. Kiran is the most intelligent girl. (Change into comparative degree)

Ans – Kiran is more intelligent than any other girl.

4. Eco-park is the largest park of West Bengal. (Turn into positive degree)

Ans – No other park of West Bengal is as large as Eco-park.

5. Rupak is taller than Rayma. (Change the degree of adjective)

Ans – Rayma is not as tall as Rupak.

6. Uzma is the best student in the class. (Rewrite the sentence using ‘better’)

Ans – Uzma is better than any other student in the class.

7. Chennai is one of the largest cities in India. (Rewrite the sentence using ‘larger’)

Ans – Chennai is larger than most other cities in India.

8. Apple is not so sweet as mango. (Rewrite using ‘sweeter’)

Ans – Mango is sweeter than apple.

9. No river in India is as large as the Ganga. (Make it affirmative)

Ans – Ganga is the largest river in India.

10. Diamond is one of the most costly stones. (Rewrite the sentence using positive degree)

Ans – Very few stones are as costly as diamond.

11. Niraj is one of the most intelligent boys in the class. (Rewrite the sentence using ‘more’)

Ans – Niraj is more intelligent than most other boys in the class.

12. Bangalore is cooler than Mumbai. (Rewrite using ‘cool’)

Ans – Mumbai is not so cool as Bangalore.

13. It is easier to win freedom than to preserve it. (Rewrite the sentence using ‘easy’)

Ans – It is not so easy to preserve freedom as to win it.

14. He was the worst boy on earth. (Turn into positive degree)

Ans – No other boy on earth was as bad as he was.

15. He was the worst boy on earth. (Change into comparative degree)

Ans – He was worse than any other boy on earth.

16. Kolkata is one of the oldest cities in the world. (Use positive degree)

Ans – Very few cities in the world are as old as Kolkata.

17. Lead is the heaviest of all metals. (Rewrite using positive degree)

Ans – No other metal is as heavy as lead.

18. This is the most beautiful flower in the vase. (Rewrite the sentence using ‘more beautiful’)

Ans. This is more beautiful than any other flower in the vase.

19. You are not so small as I. (Degree of comparison)

Ans – I am smaller than you.

20. The snail sticks close to grass. (Make interrogative)

Ans – Does the snail not stick close to grass.

(vii) Miscellaneous –

1. As soon as the sales began, we bought our puja present. (Use no sooner ….. than)

Ans – No sooner did the sales begin than we bought our puja present.

2. What a beautiful sight this is! (Make assertive)

Ans – This is a very beautiful sight.

3. The fox saw the grapes which were hanging high. (Change into simple sentence)

Ans – The fox saw the grapes hanging high.

4. Rima completed her work. She went out. (Use nominative absolute)

Ans – Having completed her work Rima went out.

5. The boy wrote the answer. The answer was incorrect. (Use adverbial phrase)

Ans – The boy wrote the answer in an incorrect way.

6. Gold is a precious metal. It is used to make ornaments. (Use noun in apposition)

Ans – Gold, a precious metal, is used to make ornaments.

7. The old man is unwell. He can not go out. (Use illusive conjunction)

Ans – The old man is unwell and therefore can not go out.

8. Debolina wrote the answer. The answer was correct. (Joint using adverbial phrase)

Ans – Debolina wrote the answer correctly.

9. Ritesh is an excellent singer. He also plays the guitar well. (Join using not only-but also)

Ans – Ritesh is not only an excellent singer but also plays the guitar well.

10. The people were too stunned to speak in the beginning. (Remove ‘too’)

Ans – The people were so stunned that they could not speak in the beginning.

11. Prashant cannot but obey his parents. (Use ‘help’)

Ans – Prashant cannot help obeying his parents.

12. Tanmay is the best student in the class. (Rewrite the sentence using ‘better’)

Ans – Tanmay is better than any other student in the class.

13. Dr. Ashutosh is very intelligent. Everyone praises him. (Join into a single sentence)

Ans – Everyone praises that Dr. Ashutosh is very intelligent.

14. Swapna goes to Gariahat by Ola-taxi daily. (Frame Question with ‘how’)

Ans – How does Swapna go to Gariahat daily?

15. I saw a mad dog. I ran away. (Use participle and join)

Ans – Seeing a mad dog, I ran away.

16. The spoon is made of silver. (Change question using ‘what’)

Ans – What is the spoon made of?

17. What is the time in your watch? (find error)

Ans – What is the time by your watch?

18. I have headache. (find error)

Ans – I have a headache.

19. He did nothing but played. (find error)

Ans – He did nothing but play.

20. Write with ink. (find error)

Ans – Write in ink.

21. He as well as I am guilty. (find error)

Ans – He as well as I is guilty.

22. Nirbhay says, “Nagma, you are adorable.”

Ans – Nirbhay tells Nagma that she is adorable.

23. He said to me, “Welcome.”

Ans – He welcomed me.

24. The teacher said, “Man is mortal.”

Ans – The teacher said that man is mortal.

25. She said to him, “Don’t make noise.”

Ans – She forbade him to make noise.

26. I said to her, “Depend on what I say.”

Ans – I asked her to depend on what I said.

27. He said to akshit, “May you succeed!”

Ans – He blessed Akshit that he might succeed.

28. Nirbhay said to nagma, “Let us go home.”

Ans – Nirbhay suggested to Nagma that they should go home.

29. He said, “Let him catch the train.”

Ans – He wished that he should catch the train.

30. He said to her, “Do sing it again.”

Ans – He asked her to sing it again.

31. She said to me, “will you help me?”

Ans – She asked me if I would help her.

C. Choose the correct phrasal verbs from the list given below to replace the words under-lined. 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 – [1 × 3 = 3]

1. (i) The robbers escaped with the ornaments.

Ans – kept away,

1. (ii) The old man died in his sleep.

Ans – passed away.

1. (iii) You must not hide anything from the police.

Ans – hold back.

[List of Phrasal verbs – Pass away, keep away, hold back, make off]

2. (i) Sahana visited you last night to invite you to her birthday party.

Ans – called on.

2. (ii) Solving the puzzle was so difficult that I stopped trying.

Ans – gave up.

2. (iii) The man created a story to avoid punishment.

Ans – made up.

[List of Phrasal verbs – call up, make up, call on, give up]

3. (i) He continued as if nothing had happened.

Ans – carried on.

3. (ii) She resembles her mother.

Ans – takes after.

3. (iii) Have the factory workers withdrawn the strike?

Ans – called off.

[List of Phrasal verbs – take after, carry out, carry on, call off]

4. (i) The dog followed the thief.

Ans – went after.

4. (ii) Have you read this book?

Ans – gone through.

4. (iii) The chief guest distributed the prizes.

Ans – gave away.

[List of Phrasal verbs – take back, go through, give away, go after]

5. (i) Khudiram sacrificed his life for his motherland.

Ans – gave up.

5. (ii) Police is investigating the case.

Ans – looking into.

5. (iii) I am trying to find a job.

Ans – looking for.

[List of Phrasal verbs – look into, come by, look for, give up]

6. (i) They started their journey early in the morning.

Ans – set out.

6. (ii) I cannot understand what you are saying.

Ans – make out.

6. (iii) The man abandoned evil company.

Ans – give off.

[List of Phrasal verbs – make out, give up, give off, set out]

7. (i) The patient will recover within a week.

Ans – come round.

7. (ii) Please do not reject my proposal.

Ans – turn down.

7. (iii) He wore a white shirt.

Ans – put on.

[List of Phrasal verbs – put on, put off, turn down, come round]

8. (i) The brave never surrenders to evil.

Ans – Gives in.

8. (ii) The rains will begin soon.

Ans – Set in.

8. (iii) His proposal was rejected.

Ans – Turned down.

[List of Phrasal verbs – turn down, give in, bear away, set in]

9. (i) Vidyasagar established many schools.

Ans – set up.

9. (ii) The strike was withdrawn.

Ans – called off.

9. (iii) The patient will recover soon.

Ans – come round.

[List of phrasal verbs – come round, call off, set up, put up, with, make out]

10. (i) Two friends quarrelled for nothing.

Ans – fell out.

10. (ii) The police chased the criminals.

Ans – ran after.

10. (iii) Sakshi resembles her mother.

Ans – takes after.

[List of phrasal verbs – take after, run after, fall out, go through, set out]

11. (i) The Kasba Police was chasing the Uber’s criminal driver.

Ans – running after.

11. (ii) Kanak started a new business of lady garments.

Ans – set about

11. (iii) The face of Rocky Bhai resembles Suraj.

Ans – takes after.

[List of phrasal verbs – give in, run after, take after, set about, put off]

12. (i) Aakash could not understand what Vinod said.

Ans – Make out.

12. (ii) By chance Rohini found some old coins in the box.

Ans – Came across.

12. (iii) The Chief Guest arrived exactly at 10 a.m.

Ans – Turned up.

[List of phrasal verbs – come across, set out, turn up, make out]

13. (i) The brave never surrenders to evil.

Ans – gives in.

13. (ii) The rain will begin soon.

Ans – set in.

13. (iii) His proposal was rejected.

Ans – turned down.

[List of phrasal verbs – turn down, give in, bear away, set in]

14. (i) We should reduce our expenses.

Ans – cut down.

14. (ii) The students wear blue uniforms.

Ans – put on.

14. (iii) They established a free coaching centre for poor students..

Ans – set up.

[List of phrasal verbs – Give in, turn down, set up, cut down, put on]

15. (i) Sonu cannot remember his name.

Ans – call up.

15. (ii) All the boys came.

Ans – turned up.

15. (iii) Chandan recovered slowly.

Ans – came round.

[List of Phrasal verbs – come round, turn up, call in, call up]

16. (i) Corona has appeared in the area.

Ans – broken out.

16. (ii) Our school ends at 4 p.m.

Ans – breaks up.

16. (iii) Sristy was reared by his grandfather.

Ans – brought up.

[List of Phrasal verbs – bring up, break out, break up, deal in]

17. (i) Over exercise affected his health.

Ans – told upon.

17. (ii) They abolished the custom.

Ans – did away with.

17. (iii) Extinguish the lamp.

Ans – put out.

[List of Phrasal verbs – do away with, put out, turn off, tell upon]

Given below are the meanings of four words which you will find in Question No. 3 (Unseen). Find out the words and write them in the appropriate boxes on the right-hand side. [2 × 4 = 8]

UNSEEN – 1

UNSEEN – 2

UNSEEN – 3

UNSEEN – 4

UNSEEN – 5

SECTION-C

WRITING SKILL (30 MARKS)

PARAGRAPH WRITING

1. Study the following points and write a paragraph describing on Child Labour –

2. Write a paragraph (within 100 words) about the ‘Outbreak of Dengue in Our State’ with the help of the following points –

[Introduction – cause of the disease – symptoms of dengue – precautions – conclusion.]

3. Write a paragraph (within 100 words) on Importance of Cleanliness with the help of the following points –

[Introduction – places generally found dirty carelessness of public places – spreading of bad smell and germs of diseases caused by dirt – importance of clean habits – desire for good health and environment individual civic sense and public consciousness required.]

4. Write a paragraph on ‘Plastic Bags’ developing the following points in about 150 words –
Points –

• Problems – Extensive use of plastic bags.
• Causes – Neither easily destructable nor biodegradable, if buned, add to air pollution. If thrown into drains, choke the water passing. Destroyed jute industry.
• Solutions – Use of plastic bags to be prohibited, paper and jute bags to be encouraged, general awareness through campaigns.

5. Write a paragraph (within 100 words) on Supply of drinking water to Kolkata.

6. Write a paragraph (within 100 words) on pollution with the help of the following points –

[Types of pollution – sources of air pollution – sources of sound and water pollution – results of pollution – need to control]

7. Write a paragraph (within 100 words) on Online Classes using the following points –

[Introduction necessity – advantages – disadvantages – conclusion.]

8. Write a paragraph (in about 130 words) on Drug Addiction with the help fo the following chart –

9. Write a paragraph (within 100 words) about the ‘Artificial Intelligence’ with the help of the following points –

[Introduction – benefits problem – conclusion.]

10. Write a paragraph on the basis of the points given below –

[Hints – A unique device – merits – demerits – conclusion]

11. Write in about 125 words a paragraph on ‘Stop Using Plastic Bags’.

12. Write a paragraph on the value of newspaper reading with the help of the following points –

[Points – Get information of various events-broadens knowledge base-educational values-students must make a habit of reading newspapers-improves outlook on life-great value-critic of administration, justice and law of any country-advocates liberty, equality and fraternity.]

13. Write a paragraph of Save Water Save Life.

14. Write a paragraph on the basis of the points given below –

[Travelling increases and supplements our knowledge, broadening our outlook by killing our narrowness, prejudices-contact with various people-helps the cause of national unity-develops resourcefulness-how to tide over unforeseen difficulties-helps in the future to struggle for existence.]

15. Write in about 125 words a paragraph on ‘My Aim in Life’.

16. Write a paragraph on the duties of a student with the help of the following points –

[Introduction-duties-first one is to study-duties to parents, to country, to society should try to form good habits, sound health-greater visions-social work-must utilize every minute.]

17. Write a paragraph on safe drive, save life.

[Points – Introduction-problems-benefits of safe driving-laws-mass-awareness.]

18. Write a paragraph (within 100 words) on the Seasons of Bengal using the following points –

[Hints – Introduction (six seasons) – change in cyclic order – first summer: heat, storm, fruits – rains: sky cloudy, no heat, agriculture, flood – autumn: clear sky, festival, holiday mood – winter: cold, painful for poor, flowers, fruits, festivals – spring: loveliest season, neither heat, nor cold, no rain all seasons useful.]

19. Write a paragraph on the help of the points given below –

• (i) Different types of games and sports –
• (a) Outdoor and indoor games; (b) athletics and gymnastics.
• (ii) Help physical and mental growth of men; build a strong body and sound mind.
• (iii) Develops team spirit, the value of discipline and sportsman spirit.
• (iv) Place and performance of games and sports in our country (far from satisfactory).

20. Study the following information and write a paragraph within 150 words on ‘Morning Walk’.
[Points – Early rising – fresh air – healthy mind – a good start of the day – close to proximity with nature – sound body and mind – conclusion.]

21. Write a paragraph on ‘The Science City in Kolkata’ by using the following hints (within 130 words).

• Location – At the Crossing of Eastern Metropolitan By Pass and Park Circus in an area of 50 acres.
• Inauguration – By Mr. I.k. Gujral, the then Prime Minister of India on 1st July, 1997.
• Reason to build it – To popularize science and to create science awareness among people.
• Exhibits – Marvellous Space Theatre, thrilling Time Machine, Science Gallery – a huge collection of insects, rope Way.
• Aim of the Exhibits – Create clear conception of natural science with pleasure.

22. Write a paragraph on ‘Kolkata Book Fair’ with the help of the following points –

[Site – Well-decorated book stalls – opportunity of choice of books – display of books – crowd of book lovers helps to grow interest on books – publishers from foreign countries – many rare books – cultural function – it has special attraction.]

23. Write a paragraph on the ‘Value of Education.’

(i) Education is the key to progress
(ii) Education makes a person perfect
(iii) Creates the thirst for knowl-edge
(iv) Removes superstitions
(v) India’s development depends on education for all.

24. Write a paragraph on the heavy flood in South Bengal. Some points are given below –

(a) Introduction;
(b) Causes – heavy rain, breaking of dams and embankments;
(c) Loss of crops, cattle washed off drinking water polluted-enteric diseases;
(d) Relief works;
(e) Conclusion.

25. Write a paragraph on ‘Global Warming’ developing the following points in about 150 words –
Points –

• Problems – Planet getting warmer day by day, ice gathered in polar region started melting.
• Effects – rising temperature of sea waters, marine life affected, rainfall has been quite irregular.
• Reasons – Large scale deforestation, consumption of fossil fuel, excessive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and insectisides in cultivation.
• Solutions – Afforestation has to be encouraged, alternative energy resources to be invented and use of biological and natural fertilizers and insecticides to be used.

BIOGRAPHY

1. Here is some information about Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, a great humanist. Write a short life history of him covering all points within 150 words.

[Hints – Introduction – born at Birsingha in Midnapore in 1820 – admitted to Sanskrit College – teacher, Principal of Sanskrit College – inspector of schools-ocean of learning – wrote many books ‘Barnaparichaya’ father of Bengali prose – social reformer, stopped child marriage, started widow remarriage – ocean of kindness – died in 1891.]

2. Study the following information about Swami Vivekananda, a great monk of India. Write a short biography (in 150 words) on the basis of the information –

• Birth – January 12, 1863, at North Kolkata Simla in Kolkata.
• Parents – Biswanath Dutta and Bhubaneshwari Devi
• Names – Narendranath; Pet name-Bile
• Childhood – Naughty and restless; Courageous
• Education – At home; Metropolitan School; Scottish Church College.
• Monastic Life – Met Sri Ramakrishna and became his disciple; known as Swami Vivekananda
• Achievements – Participation in the Parliament of Religions at Chicago 1893; Founded Ramakrishna Math and Mission at Belur, 1898
• Death – July 4, 1902.

3. Write a biography (within 100 words) on writter Leela Majumdar.

4. Write in about 150 words a paragraph on Satyajit Ray, the great film-maker on the basis of the points given below –

• Date of birth – 2nd May, 1921
• Place of birth – Garparh in Calcutta
• Parentage – Sukumar Roy-Suprabha Ray
• Versatality – Painter, writer, film-Maker, Musician
• 1955 – ‘Father Panchali’
• 1957 – His second film awarded at the Venice Film Festival
• 1982 – Homage to Satyajit ray, Cannes Film Festival
• 1992 – Oscar for lifetime achievement Bharat Ratna
• Death – April 23, 1992 after a three-month battle with cardiac illness.

5. Study the following information about Bibhutibhusan Bandopadhyay, an eminent Bengali novelist. Write a short biography (within 150 words) on the basis of the information given below –

• Birth and Place – September 12, 1894 at Ghoshpara Muratipur in North 24 Parganas
• Parentage – Eldest son of Mahananda Bandopadhyay and Mrinalini Devi
• Education – At home and village pathsala Entrance Exam, Bangaon High English School, 1914; I.A. and B.A. (with Distinction) Ripon College; started reading M.A. at C.u. but left.
• Professional Career – Teacher-Jangipara Minor School, Harinavi High English School; went to Bhagalpur as Assistant Manager of a landlord
• Novels – ‘Pather Panchali’ (1929), ‘Aparajita’, ‘Aranyak’, ‘Ichhamati’ etc.
• Stories – ‘Meghamallar’, ‘Mouriphul’ etc.
• Feature of writing – Romantic and realistic
• Death – 1st November 1950

6. Here is some outline on the life of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Read them carefully and write a short paragraph on him –

• Birth and Place – 15th Semptember, 1876 at Debanandapur in Hooghly
• Education – Early education at Bhagalpur, passed Entrance Examination, could not continue studies
• Works – Invented many scientific instruments (Crescograph, Potometer, P.B.S. etc) established Bose Institute (1917).
• Special information – A patriot, interested in literature
• Death – November 23, 1937

7. Here is some information about Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy. Write a paragraph about him in about 150 words –

• Birth – 2nd August, 1861 at Raruli Katipara in Khulna
• Primary education – Native village Admission to Hare School, Calcutta – 1871 Passed Entrance Examination – 1878 Gilchrist scholarship from Metropolitan College – 1882
• B.Sc. – University of Edinburgh
• D.Sc. – From the same university
• 1889 – Professor, Presidency College
• 1896 – Invention of mercurous nitrate
• 1900 – Established Bengal Chemical
• 1936 – Retirement
• Death – 16th June, 1944

REPORT WRITING

1. Write a report for the newspaper with the help of the information given below –

• place – Uzanbazar in Guwahati.
• Date and Time – November 1, 1998 in the evening.
• Cause – A powerful bomb exploded inside a shop.
• Result – The bomb-blasted shop completely destroyed, nearby shops partially damaged, whole area plunged into darkness.
• Casualties – Five killed, nine injured persons taken to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital; condition of six persons serious; human limbs strewn all over the blast site; search for more bodies was on (report police).

2. Write a report. OBSERVATION OF WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

3. Write a newspaper report on a train accident in about 120 words on the basis of the following information –

• Date – May 10th, 2014
• Place – Mairwa station of the Siwan-Gorakhpur Section on North Eastern Railways. The nature of the accident and the train involved. The last 3 bogies of the. New Delhi bound ‘Awadh Assam’ jumped the rails.
• Cause – The first plate found to be loose, may be maintenance lapse or an act of sabotage.
• Casualties – 21 persons killed and 25 injured.
• Compensation – The Bihar C.M. announced Government job in addition to monetary compensation.

4. Write a report for the newspaper with the help of the information given below –

• place – Uzanbazar in Guwahati.
• Date and Time – November 1, 1998 in the evening.
• Cause – A powerful bomb exploded inside a shop.
• Result – The bomb-blasted shop completely destroyed, nearby shops partially damaged, whole area plunged into darkness.
• Casualties – Five killed, nine injured persons taken to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital; con-dition of six persons serious; human limbs strewn all over the blast site; search for more bodies was on (report police).

5. Write a report. OBSERVATION OF WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

6. Write a newspaper report on a train accident in about 120 words on the basis of the following information –

• Date – May 10th, 2014
• Place – Mairwa station of the Siwan-Gorakhpur Section on North Eastern Railways. The nature of the accident and the train involved. The last 3 bogies of the. New Delhi bound ‘Awadh Assam’ jumped the rails.
• Cause – The first plate found to be loose, may be maintenance lapse or an act of sabotage.
• Casualties – 21 persons killed and 25 injured.
• Compensation – The Bihar C.M. announced Government job in addition to monetary compensation.

7. Write a report on the recent floods in North Bengal on the basis of the following hints (within 120 words) –

• Date – July 23, 1993
• Affected places – Birpara, Falakata, Madarihat, Mathabhanga, Hansimara, Jalpaiguri Town, Alipurduar, etc.
• Cause – Heavy rainfall; breaking of weak embankments.
• Damage Mud houses, crops and cattle.
• Relief and rescue measures – Govt. and voluntary organizations; IAF helicopters air-dropped food of relief materials. Steps taken to prevent epidemics.

8. Write a report for the newspaper about the destroying cyclone that claimed 19 lives in the districts of West Bengal 100 words on the basis of the following points –

• Date – 27.05.21
• Speed of wind – 130 km per hour.
• Districts affected – Purba Midnapore, 24 Parganas (South and North) Hooghly and Kolkata.
• Worst-affected – Khejuri, Ramnagar, Contai, Sutahata, Nandigram, Hingalganj and Gosaba.

9. Write a report. TEACHERS DAY OBSERVED

NOTICE

1. Your school is going to host an inter-school drama competition. Suppose you are the Cultural Secretary of your school. Write a notice (within 100 words) calling students to participate in the competition. Mention the time, date and venue of the competition. Your notice should be countersigned by the Headmistress/Headmaster of your school.

2. Write a notice as the Secretary of the Cultural Committee of your school, inviting students to participate in an Inter-school Quiz Contest to be held in your school.

3. Write a notice as the Cultural Secretary of your school, inviting students to submit their writings and sketches for the Annual School Magazine.

4. Rabindra Jayanti will be held at your school. You are the Secretary of the Cultural Association of your school. Draft a notice asking students to get their names enlisted for participantion in the function.

5. The school reunion will be observed next month. A cultural programme will be held for the occasion. As a school captain write a notice inviting names of participants. Mention the date, time and items for the event.

6. Write a notice as suppose you are the secretary of the Eco-club of your school. Now write a notice for the students on ‘Safe Drinking Water’ to make them conscious about the problems of drinking water.

7. Suppose you are the secretary of the Recreation Club of your school. Your school has arranged a trip to Science City, Kolkata. Now write a notice in about 100 words following the hints –

8. Write a notice as the Secretary of the Relief Fund Committee of your school, inviting students to contribute generously for the earthquake affected people of Nepal.

9. A teacher of your school has retired. He is an honour to your school. Write out a notice as school captain informing the students of a farewell meeting to be held in his honour.

10. Suppose you are the secretary of a local club. Write a notice inviting the members of the club as well as the local inhabitants for donating blood in a blood donation camp to be organized by your club.

11. As the Secretary of Students’ Association of your school write a notice for the students to come forwards to help the distressed people of flood affected areas of West Bengal.

12. Write a notice as the Secretary of the Tour Committee of your school inviting students of classes IX and X to participate in a day long trip to the Science City, Kolkata.

13. Imagine that you are the secretary of a club which offers social services to local people. Write a notice on behalf of you club to inform the public that an E.N.T. (Ear-Nose-Throat) treatment camp will be run by your club for a given period. A specialist will conduct the treatment programme. In the notice following particulars should be given along with the main information –

(a) Name of the locality of the club,
(b) Name of the E.N.T. specialist (use an imaginary name),
(c) Time when the camp will be held with dates and hours.

14. Write a school notice on behalf of the cultural secretary informing the students about a Science Exhibition in your school on the occasion of Saraswati Puja.

15. Write a notice as the Secretary of a local club write a notice to increase awareness of the local people against malaria and dengue.

LETTER WRITING

1. 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 –

2. Write a letter (within 100 words) to your friend describing a cultural programme you have attended recently. Your letter should include the following points –

[Name of the programme – venue – date – description of performances – your feelings].

3. Write a letter (within 100 words) to the editor of an English daily stating reasons why plastic carry bags should be banned.
Your letter may include the following points –

[Large scale use of plastic carry bags – choking sewage system – waterlogging on roads – drains overflowing pollution of land and ocean must be banned to save environment use of substitutes like jute bags and paper bags.]

4. Write a letter to the Inspector-in-Charge of your local police station complaining about the loss of your mobile phone in your area. Give details of the phone and the way in which it was lost.

5. Write a letter (in about 100 words) to a friend living in a village about the place you live in. You may use the following points –

[The name of the place you live in – district where situated – the people around you – sights worth seeing – why you like the place.]

6. Write a letter to your younger brother about the benefits of reading newspapers.

7. Write a letter (within 100 words) to the editor of an English daily about the disturbances caused by the thought less use of loudspeakers.

8. Write a letter to your friend inviting him to join the picnic party which will be held just after your Text Examination.

9. Suppose one of your friends is suffering from some serious ailments. He has lost all hopes, and thinks his future is sealed. Write a letter encouraging him within 120 words. You may cite the instances of Sudha Chandran and Ram Kumar a leprosy patient.

10. Write a letter to the headmaster for permission of a tree plantation programme in the school compound.

11. Study the information given below regarding the Independence Day Celebration in you school. Then write a letter to your friend in about 130 words about it –

[Date – Place – time participants, president and chief guest – other guests – flag hoisting – speeches patriotic songs – recitations – closing ceremony.]

12. Write a letter (in about 80 words) complaining to civic authorities, so that they may take immediate steps for preventing spread of malaria and other infections. Your letter should include the following points –

(a) Condi-tion of the people
(b) Condition of the area,
(c) Suggestions for prevention – drainage water – spraying insecticides – clearing garbage.

13. Write a letter of complaint to the police officer of a local police station about the loss of a bicycle.

14. Write a letter to a friend about your aim in life.

15. Your friend is ill and you are enxious for him. Now, write a letter to your friend advising him to consult a good doctor, to take medicine prescribed by him and to take rest.

16. Write a letter (within 100 words) to the Mayor of the Kolkata Corporation complaining against the deposit of garbage in the street.

17. Write a letter to your friend describing your visit to a place of historical importance.

18. In observing the Independence Day, a blood donation camp has been arranged by your local club to help the poor patients. Being the Secretary of the club, write a letter in about 120 words to the Health Officer of your area for the necessary permission. You can use the following points –

(i) Place of proposed camp with full address,
(ii) Time of blood donation,
(iii) Local people very eager to take part in this good cause,
(iv) The blood collected going to help the poor patients totally.

19. Write a letter (within 100 words) to the editor of a newspaper complaining against the bad condition of roads in your locality.

20. Write a letter to the Editor of an English daily expressing your grave concern about the sky-rocketing of prices of essential commodities.

21. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper complaining against the anti-social elements in your locality.

22. Write a letter (within 100 words) to the editor of a newspaper complaining against water-logging in some parts of your city during the rains.

23. Write a letter to the B.D.O. complaining against impure drinking water in your area.

24. Write a letter (in about 100 words) to your pen-friend in Madras about the 162nd birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore observed at your school.

PROCESS WRITING

1. Use the following flow-chart to write a paragraph (in about 100 words) on the preparation of a mixture useful for rehydration or maintaining balance of water in the body –

[Wash hands, pots, spoons, glass-boil one litre water in pot-cool-add six level teaspoons of sugar+half teaspoon of common salt-stir well-ready]

2. Use the following flow-chart to write a paragraph on how to prepare potato chips –

[Flow-chart – Potatoes collected – sorted cleaned – cut into round pieces – added salt and spices – fried – ready to sell in the market.]

3. Use the following flow-chart to write a paragraph (within 100 words) on how a school magazine is published – (Board Sample Paper)

[A fitting platform for budding writers and painters – essays, stories, poems, sketches collected from students and teachers – edited by the editor – sent to press – proofs corrected – final printing-cut into book forms-books bound – distributed among students, teachers and others.]

4. Study the following flow chart and describe how milk is processed in about 120 words.

5. Use the following flow-chart to write a paragraph on how to prepare Hand Sanitizer at home.

[Flow-chart – Collecting isopropyl alcohol, glycerine, hydrozen peroxide, distilled water and essential oil – mixing 2/3 cups of isopropyl alcohol + 2 table spoon of glycerine – adding hydrozen peroxide and distilled water pouring – essential oil – stiring the solution pouring into a bottle – lebelling.]

6. Study the following flow-chart and describe how ‘Mango-Pickle’ is prepared (in 100 words) –

[Mango-buying-sorting and removing rotten ones-cleaning-cutting into pieces-drying-mixing (sald + mustard oil + chilli)-Keeping on a big flat pot in the sun-pouring into jars.]

7. Study the following flow-chart to write how rice is processed in about 150 words –

[Chart – Cutting of stalks and tying in bundles-taking to farmhouse for threshing-collecting and spreading (grains) on the ground from height-storing (granaries)-taking out and winnowing-boiling (till water dries)-soaking overnight in water (mud containers)-draining of water (bamboo baskets)-boiling-drying (for 2 days)-spreading on the ground-Putting on ‘dheki’ or hawler machine-winnowing.]

8. Use the following flow-chart about the making of phenyl. Study it and describe the process.

[Flow chart – crushed resin + castor oil boiled-cooling-mixing caustic soda solution solution stirring pour creosote oil – left for 10 minutes add carbolic acid + potassium permanganate – pour water- stir the solution pour into another pot leave it for 24 hours – phenyl.]

DIALOGUE WRITING

1. Write a dialogue between a ticket inspector and a passenger travelling without ticket (in fifteen sen-tences).
Now write a conversation between the two. Start in the following manner –

2. Write a dialogue between a teacher and a student on his illness.

3. Write a dialogue between two friends about the harmful effects of using mobile phones.

4. Write a Dialogue between Father and Son about on Career.

5. Your examination will soon be over. You will have a long vacation then. How do you or your friends propose to spend it? Suppose you will be at home reading Keats, doing some mathematics, type-writing lessons and spoken English course while he will tour South India and see places. Imagine you are talking on the subject. Write down a dialogue between you and your friend.

STORY WRITING

1. Write a story (within 100 words) using the given hints. Give a title to the story.

[Three children collecting green mangoes near railway track – one sees a crack on rails – hears a train coming – senses danger – tears his red shirt three pieces – waves like flags – driver stops – accident avoided – children rewarded.]

2. Write a story (in about 100 words) with the help of the points given below and add a suitable title –

[shepherd tends sheep near a forest – raises false alarm of a wolf – villagers rush to his rescue – shepherd enjoys – one day wolf really comes – shepherd cries for help – no body comes – wolf kills sheep]

3. Study the outlines of the story and narrate it in a story form. Also suggest a suitble title and add a moral to it. Do not write more than 120 words –

[Points – A tiger kills and eats a lady – keeps her bangles – tiger grows old – cannot chase prey – waits by a river peeps out from bush – traveller frightened – tiger tells him not to be frightened – offers the traveller gold bangles – tiger pounces on him and kills him.]

4. Develop the following outline into a story –

[Points – Lord Buddha appointed a day for the collection fo alms – devotees brought him fifts – rich men came with their precious gifts – came on old and poor woman with a pomegranate – it was halfly eaten by her – Lord accepted it both hands coming from his seat.]

5. Study the following hints and use them to write out a story –

[Points – giant – a beautiful garden – went abroad – children played – giant came back home – angry – drove them out – wall, notice board – children asad – no spring – no change of season – long winter – giant surprised.]

6. Write a story in about 100 words using the following points –

[a fisherman went to sea – a storm arose – boat wrecked – he fell into the sea – floated for five days – only drank rain water – rescued by a ship – returned home]

7. Write a story with the help of the following points –

[A woman – a pet mongoose – she goes to market one day leaving her baby at home – mongoose guards it – a big cobra mongoose kills it woman returns – see blood -soaked mongoose – thinks it has killed her baby – kills the mongoose – repents later.]

8. Write a story with the help of the following points –

[Rich widow – becomes blind – sends for doctor – promises a handsome prize if cured no money if not cured – doctor agrees – comes everyday – gives medicine – robs widow’s furniture – house empty – widow’s vision restored – does not pay fee – widow defends herself – says, “Before there was furniture in the house, now I can’t see anything.”]

9. Write a story with the help of the following points –

[A hungry cricket – knocked at an ant’s door – ant allowed him to come in cricket explaines his plight to ant – ant moved with pity – asked the cricket about the way he spent spring – shut the door.]

10. Write a story with the help of the following points –

[A thirsty fox – in search of water – grows dark – falls into well – quenches thirst – fails to jump out – next morning a goat passes by – invites the goat to taste sweet water – goat jumps in – fox climbs out]

11. Write a story with the help of the following points –

[A lion in a forest – old – hits upon a plan – kills one animal each day for his food – rabbit’s turn – comes late – rabbit tells about another lion – lion angry – sees his image in a well – jumps and dies.]

12. Write a story with the help of the following points –

[A wolf meets a healthy dog – dog speaks highly his good luck – good food and rest – guards his master’s house only at night – wolf nearly gets tempted – sees a mark round the dog’s neck – the mark of chain – wolf departs]

13. Write a story with the help of the following points –

[A cap-seller – going to market – sits down under a tree for rest – falls asleep – wakes up – finds no cap – looks up – monkeys on the tree wearing caps – tries but fails to recover caps – hits upon a plan – takes off his cap and throws – monkeys imitate – collects his caps]

14. Study the outlines below and develop them into a story within 120 words –

[Points – A woman’s only son is dead – she goes to Loard Buddha – begs him to bring back her son to life – Lord Buddha asks her to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house where nobady has died – the woman finds no such house – Lord Buddha consoles her.]

15. Develop the following outlines into a story with a suitable title –

[Points – Two frients walking by a jungel – bear suddenly comes out – one of the friends climbs up a tree – the other cannot – lies flat on the ground feigning death – bear smells his face – thinks him dead and goes away the first friend comes down – enquire what the bear whispered into his ears – the friend replies, “Do not trust a friend who leaves you in danger.”]

2026 সালের মাধ্যমিক পরীক্ষার্থীদের জন্য আমাদের ইংরেজি সাজেশন এখানেই শেষ হলো। এই প্রশ্নগুলি তোমাদের কতটা সাহায্য করলো বা অন্য কোনো বিষয়ের সাজেশন প্রয়োজন কিনা, তা অবশ্যই আমাদের কমেন্ট করে জানিও। আর্টিকেলটি ভালো লাগলে বন্ধুদের সাথে শেয়ার করতে ভুলো না!

এছাড়াও, টেলিগ্রামের মাধ্যমে যোগাযোগ করতে পারেন—আমরা আপনাদের সকল প্রশ্নের উত্তর দেওয়ার জন্য সর্বদা প্রস্তুত