Read the passage given below and complete the statements that follow by choosing the most appropriate options from those given.

Jailbirds sing they say. And Subhadra Khosla, the youngest freedom fighter to be imprisoned at 13, was no exception. The only difference was that singing taught her the power of non-violence. Now, 80, Khosla recounted her days in jail. She was locked in jail with her mother for over a year. "One day, we decided to put one chair on top of another till we managed to take off the Union Jack and unfurl the national flag." The inmates of the jail found themselves facing a firing squad. "There were orders to shoot us. We didn't know what else to do. So we started signgning," said Khosla. Their voice had its impact.

"The guards were Indians too. They started crying and said they couldn't fire at us. That was our first win," a thrilled Khosla recalled. Khosla's father was a doctor and her brother, Krishna Kant later on became India's Vice-President. Khosla was picketing at Anarkali Bazar in Lahore in 1942 when she and her siblings were arrested. "It was unfair.

We were all children after all. But the British wanted to destroy families like ours. We fought for this freedom. But we still have to go beyond."

(a) The inmates of the jail had to face the firing squad because Khosla and her mother

….................. .

(i) unfurled the national flag

(ii) burned the Union Jack

(iii) unfurled the Union Jack

(iv) put one chair over a table

(b) The Khoslas expressed their protest by …........... .

(i) crying

(ii) singing

(iii) shouting

(iv) running away

(c) The British arrested the children to …........... .

(i) teach them a lesson

(ii) listen to the songs

(iii) destroy their families

(iv) take them to Britain

(d) The Khoslas showed the British the power of …........ .

(i) singing

(ii) money

(iii) violence

(iv) non-violence

(e) The word, 'impact' means …........... .

(i) disgust

(ii) effect

(iii) gain

(iv) affect

Read the passage given below and complete the statements that follow by choosing the most

appropriate options from those given.

Some reptiles are expert mimics, but they do it for a serious reason − to save their lives.

The harmless milk snake has the banded appearance of the poisonous coral snake. In areas where they live together, this mimicry happens. The non-poisonous Mexican king snake looks like the coral snake, when young. A harmless snake may look like a poisonous snake. This is Batesian mimicry. So, enemies mistake the harmless reptile for the poisonous one, and leave it alone. Blind legless lizards that live under the ground trick the enemies by displaying their tail. The underside of their tails is usually red or yellow in colour, and looks like an open mouth. The enemy attacks the tail, mistaking it for the head. The tail can withstand injury better than the head, and the life of the lizard is saved. When the enemy attacks lizards, they break off their tail. The tail jumps about on the ground, confusing the enemy, and helps the lizard to make good its escape.

(a) The milk snake and coral snake resemble in their ….............. .

(i) drinking of milk

(ii) banded appearance

(iii) poison fangs

(iv) outlook

(b) 'Batesian mimicry' helps the …................ .

(i) reptiles to do mimicry

(ii) harmless reptiles to escape

(iii) poisonous reptiles to escape

(iv) reptiles to sleep

(c) the enemy of the blind legless lizards attacks its …................. mistaking it for ….............. .

(i) tail, head

(ii) head, tail

(iii) tail, mouth

(iv) mouth, red

(d) When the tail of a lizard breaks off, it ….............. .

(i) saves its head from being cut

(ii) excites the lizard

(iii) makes the enemy happy

(iv) confuses its enemy

(e) The red or yellow structure which looks like an open mouth is the …................ .

(i) tail

(ii) limb

(iii) scales

(iv) head

Read the poem given below and answer the questions that follow:

Here comes the elephant

Swaying along

With his cargo of children

All singing a song:

To the tinkle of laughter

He goes on his way

And his cargo of children

Have crowned him with may.

His legs are in leather

And padded his toes:

He can root up an oak

With a whisk of his nose;

With a wave of his trunk

And a turn of his chin

He can pull down a house,

Or pick up a pin.

Beneath his grey forehead

A little eye peers:

Of what is he thinking

Between those wide ears?

What does he feel?

If he wished to tease,

He could twirl his keeper

Over the trees:

If he were not kind,

He could play cup and ball

With Robert and Helen

And Uncle Paul:

But that grey forehead,

Those crinkled ears

Have learned to be kind

In a hundred years:

And so with the children

He goes on his way

To the tinkle of laughter

and crowded with may.

(a) Where are the children?

(b) How can the elephant tease its keeper?

(c) Which characteristic trait of the elephant enables him to be with the children?

(d) What does the poet say about the elephant's strength?

(e) How does the poet describe the elephant's legs?

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.

Neem is very commonly seen in India. The entire tree i.e. the bark, leaves and flowers have a lot of medicinal value as it helps in curing various diseases. The leaves and the bark of this tree are very effective in controlling infections, deworming and in disinfecting and healing wounds. The fresh leaves can be used by extracting the juice or a paste of the leaves can be taken along with a small piece of jaggery. In case of wounds a few leaves can be boiled in water and then this water, when at tolerable temperature, can be used to wash the wounds. Two drops of neem oil can be used for applying on the wound. Neem also helps in relieving itch in case of allergic rashes. Neem water can be used in case of allergic reactions. The paste of neem seeds can be applied on the scalp and washed off after 10 minutes of application. It also helps in eliminating dandruff, boils on the scalp and also prevents hair fall. Neem is very useful in jaundice. The juice can be given along with honey. Neem is very useful in case of fever. Fresh leaves can be taken with tulsi leaves or with honey. Neem water can be used to soak the feet in case of cracks on dry feet. Neem leaf powder is used for preserving grains and pulses. Neem is of special importance on New Year's Day as a symbol of good health and longevity.

(a) What is the medicinal value of neem?

(b) What is the paste of neem seeds used for?

(c) How does neem help grains and pulses?

(d) What is neem a symbol of?

(e) Which word in the passage is the adjectival form of 'tolerate"?

Your school celebrated ‘Teacher’s Day’ on September 5^th. Write a short paragraph describing how you celebrated it giving all the relevant details in about 80 words.

In the tension ridden world of today it is very important that we live a healthy life with nutritious food and proper exercise. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper in about 120 words on how a healthy mind in a healthy body can bring about peace and happiness in life. You are Ram/Rama, 15 Pant Nagar, Agra. (8)

You are Ankit/Ankita. You visited the Arctic region as part of an expedition. The melting of the ice-caps and the rising water level alarmed you and made you realize the intensity of global warming. On your return you decided to write an article for a youth magazine on your concerns regarding the effects of global warming. Write the article in about 150 words.

Choose the appropriate options from the ones given below to complete the following passage.

Write the answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers:

The world we live in (a) ___________ changed a great deal (b) ___________ the last hundred years and it is likely to change (c) ________________ more in the next hundred. Some people would like to stop these changes and (d) __________ back to what they see (e) __________ a pure and simple age. But history (f) _______________ that the past was not (g) ____________ wonderful. It was good only (h) ____________ a privileged minority.

Read the newspaper headlines and complete the news items from the given options:

(a) Ban on Wheat Lifted

The government decided ____________ the 4-year-old ban on wheat export.

(i) lifted

(ii) has lifted

(iii) was lifting

(iv) to lift

(b) Housing Policy Approved

The Cabinet ____________ the draft of the State Housing Policy.

(i) was approving

(ii) has approved

(iii) will approve

(iv) has approve

(c) CBC Condemns Bomb Blast

The Catholic Bishops Council on Sunday ____________ the bomb blast at Delhi.

(i) condemned

(ii) was condemned

(iii) have condemned

(iv) condemns

(d) Dr. Invited for World Congress

Dr. Varun Vasudev ____________ to the 29^th World Congress.

(i) is inviting

(ii) has invited

(iii) has been invited

(iv) invited

Rearrange the following words and phrases to form meaningful sentences.

The first one has been done for you.

tongue / great / the gift / is a / of the / thing

The gift of the tongue is a great thing.

(a) miracles / great / can perform / orator / an /

(b) hands of / weapon / is / in the / it / a powerful / politicians /

(c) gatherings to / can persuade / of thinking / an orator / large / his way

(d) forcefully / has the / speaker / and convincingly / ability to / a good / speak

The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Write the incorrect word and the correction in your answer sheet. Underline the correct word supplied by you. The

first one has been done for you as an example.

Read the conversation given below and complete the passage that follows.

The interviewer asked the candidate (a) ___________ . The candidate replied that (b)

______________ the National Institute of Hotel Management. To the interviewer’s enquiry as

to whether he had any experience the candidate said that (c) ________________ in a hotel

reception for one year. The interviewer then wanted to know whether he could speak any

foreign language and the candidate informed him that (d) ______________ French and German.

(A) Read the following extract and answer the questions by choosing from the alternatives given below.

‘Come in, come in, sir!’ Patol Babu dragged the young man in and pushed the broken-armed chair towards him.

(a) Patol Babu was ___________

(i) a well-known film star

(ii) a rich businessman who ran a variety store

(iii) a successful stage actor

(iv) None of the above

(b) Who as the young man invited in by Patol Babu?

(i) Nishikanto Babu

(ii) Naresh Dutt

(iii) Mr. Pakrashi

(iv) Baren Mullick

(c) Why was Patol Babu excited on seeing the visitor?

(i) The visitor was his mentor.

(ii) He had offered him a role in a film.

(iii) He was his brother-in-law.

(iv) He was a famous director.

OR

The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,

The furrow followed free;

We were the first that ever burst

Into that silent sea.

(a) How did the mariners enter the silent sea?

(i) A storm drove them there.

(ii) The breeze stopped blowing and the sails dropped.

(iii) The Albatross took them there.

(iv) The helmsman steered the ship.

(b) Name the poem and the poet.

(i) The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by P. B. Shelley

(ii) The Ancient Mariner by S.T. Coleridge

(iii) The Mariner and the Albatross by D. H. Lawrence

(iv) The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by S.T. Coleridge

(c) Which poetic device is used in the above lines?

(i) Metaphor

(ii) Alliteration

(iii) Simile

(iv) Personification

(B) Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

It’s those Ouija board fanatics. There was a time when we had nothing much to occupy us and used to haunt a little on the side, purely for amusement, but not anymore.

(a) Who is the speaker? Who is being addressed?

(b) What is the speaker’s complaint?

(c) What is a Ouija board?

Answer any four of the following questions in 30−40 words each.

(a) What did Sosanko mean when he said that Patol Babu was lucky?

(b) What does his ‘voice of education’ tell the poet?

(c) What was common in all the computer games played by Michael?

(d) How did Caesar make the Romans his heirs?

(e) Why did John want his wife to get rid of the Ouija board she had bought?

Answer the following in about 120 words.

How was Mark Antony successful in setting mischief afoot?

OR

“That’s odd − the man hadn’t been paid yet. What a strange fellow!” What traits of Patol Babu

make him a strange fellow?