English — Model Question Paper 1

Questions 1–5 · Textbook prose

Read the passage based on Luigi Pirandello's story 'War' and answer questions 1–5. (5 × 1 = 5)

At daybreak, a heavy woman dressed in black is helped into a crowded second-class carriage of a slow local train. Her husband, a small, frail man with a pale face, thanks the passengers who made room for her and explains why she is so upset: their only son, just twenty years old, is leaving for the front in three days, and they are travelling to see him off. The woman hides her face in the collar of her coat. Soon the travellers begin to compare their sorrows. One has had a son at the front since the first day of the war; another has two sons and three nephews there. Then a stout, red-faced man with bulging eyes declares that parents should not weep, because young men gladly give their lives for their country. His own son, he says, died a hero and sent word that he was content, so he does not even wear mourning. The others nod in admiration — until the woman in black turns to him and asks one simple question.

1. Why was the woman in black so distressed? [1 mark]
2. Why does the stout man say he does not wear mourning for his son? [1 mark]
   • He did not love his son very much.
   • He claims his son died happily as a hero for his country, so there is nothing to mourn.
   • Mourning clothes were not allowed on the train.
   • His son had only been wounded, not killed.
3. The passengers compare their sorrows with one another. What does this suggest? [1 mark]
   • Only rich families suffer in a war.
   • The passengers were enjoying the journey.
   • The war has brought grief and anxiety to almost every family.
   • The passengers wanted the woman to leave the carriage.
4. What 'simple question' does the woman finally ask the stout man, and how does it affect him? [1 mark]
5. Identify the Noun Phrase in the subject position and the Verb Phrase in the sentence: 'The frail little husband explained the family's sorrow to the other passengers.' [1 mark]

Questions 6–9 · Antony's funeral speech

The lines below are from Mark Antony's speech in Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar'. Answer the questions. (4 × 1 = 4)

6. 'Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.' On what occasion does Antony speak these words? [1 mark]
7. 'And Brutus is an honourable man.' Antony repeats this line again and again. Which device does he use, and with what effect? [1 mark]
   • Simile — it compares Brutus to an honourable man.
   • Verbal irony — the praise gradually comes to mean the opposite and turns the crowd against Brutus.
   • Personification — it gives human qualities to Brutus.
   • Alliteration — it creates a musical effect.
8. 'He hath brought many captives home to Rome, Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:' What point is Antony making about Caesar with this example? [1 mark]
9. 'O judgement, thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason!' Name the figure of speech used in the first line. [1 mark]

Question 10 · Appreciation or comparison

Answer either (A) or (B). (1 × 5 = 5)

10. (A) In Sylvia Plath's poem 'Mirror', the mirror itself is the speaker. In the first stanza it describes itself as exact and truthful, without likes or dislikes — not cruel, only honest — and says it spends its days gazing at the spotted pink wall opposite, which seems a part of its heart. In the second stanza it becomes a lake. A woman bends over it every day, searching for who she really is; she turns to the kinder light of candles and the moon, weeps, and wrings her hands. In the lake she has drowned a young girl, and an old woman rises towards her day after day like a frightening fish. Write an appreciation of the poem, commenting on its theme, the speaker, imagery and poetic devices. [5 marks]

    OR

    (B) In the song 'Another Day in Paradise', a homeless woman calls out to a man passing in the street; he pretends not to hear, whistles, and crosses to the other side, while she struggles on with blistered, aching feet. The singer keeps urging listeners to think again before turning away, because for most of us it is just another comfortable day. Read the poem below. The Bus Stop An old man sleeps on the bus-stop bench, his bundle tied with string; the morning buses hiss and go, the office bells will ring. A girl in a yellow raincoat stops, unwraps her lunch of bread; she breaks it, leaves the larger half beside his sleeping head. The rain falls on the rich and poor, on all who hurry past; a little bread, a little care — it's kindness that will last. Write a paragraph comparing and contrasting the song with the poem, focusing on their theme, the response of the passers-by, tone and devices.

Questions 11–14 · Unseen passage

Read the passage and answer questions 11–14. (4 × 1 = 4)

Shields of the Coast
Along the backwaters and river mouths of Kerala grow strange forests that stand with their feet in salt water. These are mangroves. Their tangled roots, some of which poke up out of the mud like pencils to breathe, hold the soil together and break the force of waves. When a cyclone strikes, a thick belt of mangroves can act like a living sea wall, protecting the villages behind it. Mangroves are also nurseries of the sea. Prawns, crabs and the young of many fish shelter among the roots before swimming out to open water, so the livelihood of thousands of fishing families depends on them. Herons, egrets and kingfishers nest and feed in their branches. Scientists have also found that the soil beneath mangroves locks away carbon far more efficiently than many forests on land, which makes these trees valuable allies in the fight against climate change. Yet for a long time mangroves were treated as wasteland. Large stretches were cleared for fish farms, roads and buildings, or buried under dumped waste. In recent years, however, schools, fishing communities and local self-governments have begun planting saplings and guarding the patches that remain. A forest that once seemed useless is slowly being recognised as a shield, a nursery and a store of hope.

11. How do mangroves protect coastal villages during a cyclone? [1 mark]
12. Why does the writer call mangroves 'nurseries of the sea'? [1 mark]
13. According to the passage, mangroves help in the fight against climate change because [1 mark]
    • they bring heavy rain to the coast.
    • they keep the sea water cool.
    • they keep birds away from fish farms.
    • the soil beneath them stores carbon very efficiently.
14. Read the statements and choose the correct option. (i) Mangrove roots help to hold the soil together. (ii) Mangroves grow only in fresh water. (iii) Many mangrove forests were cleared for fish farms and roads. (iv) Local communities have started protecting the remaining mangroves. [1 mark]
    • (i), (iii) and (iv) are correct.
    • (i), (ii) and (iii) are correct.
    • (ii), (iii) and (iv) are correct.
    • (i), (ii) and (iv) are correct.

Questions 15–18 · Writing (choice)

Each question has a choice. Answer either (A) or (B).

15. (A) Guy de Maupassant's 'A Piece of String' shows how an innocent man is destroyed by the suspicion of his neighbours. Write a review of the story. [7 marks]

    OR

    (B) In 'In the Attic', a German officer secretly feeds and shelters a starving Jewish pianist in the ruins of Warsaw. In 'Beloved Boles', a student who once looked down on his lonely neighbour Teresa ends up writing letters for her twice a week. Drawing on these two pieces, prepare a write-up titled 'Kindness Knows No Borders'.

16. (A) Mark Antony uses words as a weapon. Through a speech that seems modest and respectful, he turns the Roman crowd against the men who killed Caesar. Prepare a character sketch of Mark Antony as he appears in the funeral speech. [6 marks]

    OR

    (B) Imagine you are Teresa in Maxim Gorky's 'Beloved Boles'. Narrate the events of the story from your point of view — from the day you first asked the student to write a letter to the days when he wrote to and from Boles for you.

17. (A) Prepare a news report for a newspaper based on the hints given below. • District panchayat launches mobile library van 'Vayana Vandi' • Flagged off by the District Collector on 5 October at the Civil Station • Over 5,000 books in Malayalam, English and Hindi • Will visit 40 tribal and coastal hamlets every week • Reading clubs for children in each hamlet; NSS volunteers to help • Aim: bring the joy of reading to every doorstep [6 marks]

    OR

    (B) In Paul Laurence Dunbar's 'The Seedling', a tiny seedling lying in the dark earth admits that it is not very strong but decides to do its best — and pushes its way up into the light until it becomes a plant. Write a paragraph on the message of the poem and its relevance to students today.

18. (A) In Pirandello's 'War', the frail old husband sees the stout traveller — who had spoken so bravely about his son's death — suddenly break down in sobs when the old man's wife asks him a simple question. That night, the old husband writes his diary. Prepare the likely diary entry. [4 marks]

    OR

    (B) Imagine you are the narrator of Fatou Diome's 'Préférence Nationale'. Your French friend had protested that you could do better than selling bread in a bakery. Write an email to her describing what happened at the bakery and at the café where you met a woman looking for a French tutor.

Questions 19–21 · Writing

Answer all the questions.

19. Prepare a profile of Guy de Maupassant using the clues given below. • Born: 5 August 1850, Normandy, France • Educated at Rouen; served in the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71) • Worked as a government clerk in Paris; guided by the novelist Gustave Flaubert • First success: 'Boule de Suif' (1880) • Over 300 short stories, six novels (including 'Bel-Ami'), three travel books, a volume of verse • Best-known story: 'The Necklace'; known for realism and surprise endings • Called a master of the modern short story • Died: 6 July 1893, Paris [6 marks]
20. The Nature Club of your school is organising a Bird-Watching Camp on 12 November to mark the birth anniversary of Dr Salim Ali. Dr Leena Joseph, a well-known ornithologist, will lead the camp. Draft an invitation for the event. [4 marks]
21. Read the passage based on 'A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings' and frame questions as directed. One rainy day, Pelayo found a very old man with huge wings lying face down in the mud of his courtyard. He called his wife Elisenda, and they stared at the strange creature for a long time. A neighbour woman told them that he was an angel who had come for their sick child. Pelayo locked the old man up with the hens in the chicken coop. Soon crowds gathered, and the couple charged five cents for admission to see the angel. (a)–(c) Frame three Wh- questions. (d) Frame one Yes/No question. [4 marks]

Questions 22–26 · Unseen text (survey table)

Study the survey table and answer questions 22–26. (5 × 1 = 5)

How Class 10 students spend their evenings
Average minutes per day, 5 p.m.–8 p.m. Survey of 100 boys and 100 girls in a school in Thrissur.

Activity | Boys | Girls | All students
Mobile phone / social media | 62 | 48 | 55
Study and homework | 58 | 72 | 65
Outdoor games / sports | 35 | 15 | 25
Household chores | 10 | 30 | 20
Reading (other than textbooks) | 8 | 14 | 11
Watching TV | 7 | 1 | 4
Total | 180 | 180 | 180

22. On which activity do the students, taken together, spend the most time in the evening? [1 mark]
23. How much more time do girls spend on household chores than boys? [1 mark]
24. Which activity do the girls spend the least time on? [1 mark]
    • Reading (other than textbooks)
    • Outdoor games / sports
    • Watching TV
    • Household chores
25. Read the statements and choose the correct option. (i) Boys spend more time on mobile phones than girls do. (ii) Girls spend more than twice as much time on outdoor games as boys. (iii) On average, students read for pleasure for less than a quarter of an hour a day. (iv) Overall, students spend less time on mobile phones than on studies. [1 mark]
    • (i), (ii) and (iii) are correct.
    • (ii), (iii) and (iv) are correct.
    • (i), (ii) and (iv) are correct.
    • (i), (iii) and (iv) are correct.
26. The survey shows that girls spend far less time on outdoor games than boys. Suggest one step the school could take to change this. [1 mark]

Questions 27–32 · Language and grammar

Answer all the questions.

27. The passage below has six errors, shown in bold. Edit the passage. (6 × ½ = 3) Guy de Maupassant, who are remembered as a master of the short story, write more than three hundred stories. In 'A Piece of String', an old peasant pick up a bit of cord from the road. His enemy, Malandain, whom is watching from his doorway, reports him to the Mayor. Nobody believes the old man, and the shame make him ill. He dies repeat that he is innocent. [3 marks]
    • (a) are
    • (b) write
    • (c) pick
    • (d) whom
    • (e) make
    • (f) repeat
28. Fill in the blanks with suitable phrasal verbs from the box, in their appropriate forms. (4 × 1 = 4) [ look down on, give in, put up with, break down, carry on ] At first, the student used to (a) ______ Teresa because of her rough looks and loud voice. Though she was terribly lonely, Teresa refused to (b) ______ to despair. When her secret came out, she almost (c) ______ in tears. Ashamed of himself, the student (d) ______ writing letters for her twice a week. [4 marks]
    • (a) At first, the student used to ______ Teresa…
    • (b) Teresa refused to ______ to despair.
    • (c) she almost ______ in tears.
    • (d) the student ______ writing letters for her…
29. Choose the right word from the brackets to fill in each blank. (6 × ½ = 3) [3 marks]
    • (a) Caesar refused to ______ the crown that Antony offered him. (accept / except)
    • (b) Everyone in the carriage ______ the woman in black nodded in agreement. (accept / except)
    • (c) The ______ of the story is that we should never judge people by their looks. (moral / morale)
    • (d) After the long retreat, the ______ of the soldiers was very low. (moral / morale)
    • (e) Szpilman was so ______ from hunger that he could hardly stand. (weak / week)
    • (f) Alone in the loft, Szpilman counted every day and every ______ until the war ended. (weak / week)
30. Complete the conversation between Arjun and his grandmother. (5 × 1 = 5) Arjun: Grandma, our class is visiting the mangrove forest near the river mouth tomorrow. You have been there before, (a) ______? Grandma: Yes, many years ago. (b) ______? Arjun: We are leaving at seven in the morning. Grandma: That's early! You (c) ______ (go) to bed early tonight. Arjun: I will. Would you mind (d) ______ (wake) me up at six? Grandma: Not at all. Will you take the boat ride there? Arjun: No, I would rather (e) ______ (walk) along the boardwalk and watch the birds. [5 marks]
    • (a) You have been there before, ______?
    • (b) Grandma: ______? / Arjun: We are leaving at seven in the morning.
    • (c) You ______ (go) to bed early tonight.
    • (d) Would you mind ______ (wake) me up at six?
    • (e) I would rather ______ (walk) along the boardwalk…
31. Report the following dialogue. (2 × 1 = 2) A citizen: "Why are you speaking at Caesar's funeral, Antony?" Antony: "I have come to bury Caesar, not to praise him." [2 marks]
    • (a) A citizen: "Why are you speaking at Caesar's funeral, Antony?"
    • (b) Antony: "I have come to bury Caesar, not to praise him."
32. Fill in the blanks with suitable articles, prepositions or conjunctions. (6 × ½ = 3) W. B. Yeats wrote 'The Wild Swans at Coole' (a) ______ he was staying at Coole Park, (b) ______ estate of his friend Lady Gregory (c) ______ the west of Ireland. He counted fifty-nine swans on (d) ______ lake. The swans seemed as young as ever, (e) ______ the poet felt old and tired. He watched them (f) ______ a long time before they flew away. [3 marks]
    • (a) ______ he was staying at Coole Park
    • (b) ______ estate of his friend Lady Gregory
    • (c) ______ the west of Ireland
    • (d) on ______ lake
    • (e) ______ the poet felt old and tired
    • (f) watched them ______ a long time