General Instructions

The Question paper is divided into three sections:

Section A – Reading 20 marks

Section B – Writing and Grammar 30 marks

Section C – Literature Textbooks and Extended Reading Text 30 marks

AU questions are compulsory.

Marks are indicated against each question.

SECTION-A READING

Question 1:

Read the passage given below and answer the questions/complete the statements that follow:

Chocolate diamonds are actually brown diamonds and compared to the well- known white diamond
they aren’t much worth. Diamonds are produced in mines. The best known diamond mines are in
Australia, South Africa and Russia. The largest diamond mine was discovered in 1976 in the desert of
Australia near a little creek named Lake Argyle. Diamonds are created under very extreme conditions of
pressure and high temperature. It is a general misunderstanding that there exist only white colourless
diamonds. Actually, diamonds exist in many different colours.

Of all the diamond mines in the world, almost 80% of all diamonds produced are brownish in colour.
Because they were found in such large quantities compared to the other coloured diamonds, they were
considered as low-valued diamonds, only good for the industrial sector. But, a famous man called Le Vian
came with a marketing campaign to increase the popularity of the chocolate diamond. Instead of calling
it a brown diamond, he gave it popular names like caramel, chocolate, cinnamon and cognac. Since his
marketing campaign, chocolate diamonds are becoming very popular.

The value of a diamond is based on its shape, brightness and colour. Because white diamonds are rare,
their value is based on the fact that there are not many white diamonds around. But if you look at the
shape and brightness, then the brightest diamond in this world known to men is a brown diamond.
Before the development of the Argyle Diamond Mine in Australia in 1986, most brown diamonds were
considered, worthless for jewellery; they were not even assessed on the diamond colour scale, and were
predominantly used for industrial purposes.
However, marketing strategies changed in the 1980s and brown diamonds have become popular gems.
The change was mostly due to the supply: the Argyle mine, with its 35 million carats (7,000 kg) of
diamonds per year, makes about one third of global production of natural diamonds; 80% of Argyle
diamonds are brown. The percentage of brown diamonds is lower in other mines, but it is almost always
a significant part of the total production. Consequently, scientific research on causes of brown colour in
diamond and ways to alter it has intensified.

(a) The wrong notion about diamonds is that _______.

(b) Brown diamonds were considered low in value because _______ .

(c) Brown diamonds became popular owing to _______ .

(d) The value of a diamond is based on its _______ .

(e) Why are the white diamonds rare?

(f) Name the popular names given to brown diamonds by Le Vian.

(g) Based on shape and brightness, which is the brightest diamond known to the mankind?

(h) Find the word from the passage that means ’a planned set of actions aimed at achieving a particular
result’. (Para 2)

Question 2:

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

Su means number and Doku means single. The game of Sudoku has many similarities with the game of
life. Sudoku is a puzzle game designed for a single player, much like a crossword puzzle. The puzzle itself
is nothing more than a grid of little boxes called “cells”. They are stacked nine high and nine wide, making
81 cells total.

The roots of the Sudoku puzzle are in the Switzerland. Leonhard Euler created “carre latin” in the 18th
century which is similar to a Sudoku puzzle. The first real Sudoku was published in 1979 and was
invented by Howard Gams, an American architect. The real world wide popularity started in Japan in
1986 after it was published and given the name Sudoku by Nikoli.

In life, too, you start with a given set of notions and then work from there on. In Sudoku, you need to
follow a set of rules to build up the grid, filling each row, column and box with numbers ranging from one
to nine, so much like in life where you have to go on your way without hurting anyone else. Respect
every number (person), and things would be fine.

While playing, you never think of the end (the result); you just keep working on the numbers and the
final result (fruits of action) comes on its own. Extremely difficult puzzles may take hours. Similarly, to
achieve desired results in life may take years. The game of Sudoku and the game of life are best played in
calm but in a focused state.

Everything has to go together in a Sudoku grid: the rows, columns and squares. Exactly as in life. Your
duties towards your family, teachers, society and country all go on simultaneously. In Sudoku, the
arrangement of the given numbers is symmetrical. This is instructive in life, on how to maintain steadfast
faith, poise and equanimity despite situations when everything turns topsy- turvy.

There is a subtle difference between the two as well. Make a mistake and you can erase it and begin all
over again in Sudoku. Not so in life. You can learn a lesson through it, and avoid making the same
mistake in future.

(a) What is Sudoku?

(b) How has the writer compared the numbers in Sudoku to life?

(c) What is the similarity between Sudoku and Life?

(d) How do we achieve the desired result?

(e) What is meant by ’instructive ’? (Para 4)

(f) What is meant by ’equanimity’? (Para 4)

(g) Find the word opposite in meaning to ’obvious ’. (Para 5)

(h) Find the word opposite in meaning to ’ruffled ’. (Para 3)

SECTION-B WRITING AND GRAMMAR

Question 3:
You feel that speaking in English is the need of the hour. As your parents are unable to do so, you feel a
keen desire to teach them. Write in about 100-120 words a page in your diary expressing how you will
execute your plan.

Question 4:

Develop a story in about 200-250 words with the following beginning. Also give a suitable title.

An old couple was living in Shobit’s adjacent flat. One day, he saw some commotion in their house. He
went there and found....

Question 5:

Read the passage given below and fill in the blanks by choosing the most appropriate word from the
given options:

When India got Independence from the British, most things associated with

(a)…………… British were done away with, but some of (b)……………. pretty letter¬boxes managed to
survive. These letter-boxes have (c)………. nostalgic aura about them. Some are over 150 years old. Now
they all bear the logo of the Indian Postal Services.

(a) (i) and (ii) an (iii) a (iv) the

(b) (i) an (ii) the (iii) but (iv) an

(c) (i) a (ii) an (iii) the (iv) nor

Question 6:

In the following passage one word has been omitted in each line. Write the missing word along with the
word that comes before and the word that comes after it.

Festivals gifting go hand in hand while

Its fun be inundated with beautiful gifts,

Giving to others equally satisfying, and more

So when gifts are appropriate

Question 7:

Rearrange the following words or phrases into meaningful sentences:

(a) is a / whoever / great soul / is / man / brave / of

(b) end of / is to / the / life / true / never / know / ends / that / life.
(c) the fear itself / life / the / we / to fear / only / have / thing / is

(d) bravery/greatness/on one’s/depends.

SECTION-C

LITERATURE TEXTBOOK AND EXTENDED READING TEXT

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

Question 8:

It was a very old book. Margie’s grandfather once said that when he was a little boy, his grandfather told
him that there was a time when all stories were printed on paper. They turned the pages, which were
yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still instead of moving the way they
were supposed to-on a screen.

(i) Why were the pages of the book yellow?

(ii) Did Margie see the book for the first time?

(iii) What did Margie’s grand father tell him?

(iv) Trace a word from the passage that means ’with many folds or lines’.

OR

Two roads diverged in yellow wood.

And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveller, long I stood And looked down once as far as I
could To where it bent in the undergrowth;

(i) At which point had the poet reached?

(ii) Why was the traveller feeling sorry?

(iii) Where did the one road lead to?

(iv) Give the opposite to ’met at a point’ from the passage?

Question 9:

Answer the following questions is about 30-40 words each:

(a) How does the poet’s beloved become an inseparable part of nature?

(b) What is the belief of the people at Pashupatinath temple?

(c) Why does Sue rush down to meet Mr. Behrman?

Question 10:

Answer any one of the following questions in about 100-120 words.

In spite of all comforts and luxuries in today’s world, our grandparents still cherish their own time when
life was quite tough. Give your own views regarding this in 100¬120 words.

OR

What do the two roads symbolize in the passage 1 ? What is the significance of choosing a road?

Question 11:

Answer any one of the following questions in about 150-200 words:

What is the great service performed by Gulliver to the Emperor of Lilliput and what is his reward?

OR

Write a character-sketch of the Queen of Brobdingnag.

OR

What was Harris’ opinion about George?

OR

What reminds the author of Uncle Podger? How does Uncle Podger work when he undertook to do a job
like hanging a picture?