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MAHESH TUTORIALS I.C.S.E.

GRADE - X (2015-2016) TOTAL MARKS : 80

Exam No. : MT/ICSE/PRELIM-I-SET A-004

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
ENGLISH Paper - 1
(Two hours)
Answers to this Paper must be written on the paper provided separately.
You will not be allowed to write during the first l5 minutes.
This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.
The time given at the head of this paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.
Attempt all four questions
The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ].
You are advised to spend not more than 35 minutes in answering Question 1
and 20 minutes in answering Question 2.

Question 1

(Do not spend more than 35 minutes on this question.) [25]

Write a composition (350 – 400 words) on any one of the following :
(a) A school carnival or fete is a great occasion for fun with friends.

(b) Write a short story which illustrates the truth of the statement, Rumour
is a great traveller.

(c) Siblings often grow up side by side in families; yet have very different
life experience. If you have one or more siblings and feel that your lives
have differed siginificantly, write an essay explaining how your lives
have differed significantly, write an essay explaining the reasons and
the effects of such differences.

(d) Which in your opinion is more important - a healthy body or a healthy

mind. Give relevant arguments to support your opinion.

(e) Write a story or an account of the description of what the picture suggests.
Your composition should be directly about the subject of the picture or
may take suggestion from it, but there must be a clear connection between
the picture and the composition.
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Question 2

(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.)

Select one of the following : [10]
(a) Write a letter of condolence to your friend who has lost his father.

(b) While on a business trip you had to spend a week at a large hotel.
However the poor facilities and the rude behaviour of the hotel staff
made your stay very unpleasant. Write a letter of complaint to the
manager of the hotel expressing your feeling of annoyance and suggesting
what could be done to improve the standard of the hotel.

Question 3

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow : [25]
The story of Robinson Crusoe, few people know, is based on a real life
incident. The son of a cobbler, Alexander Selkirk was a wayward young
man, with little respect for authority. Abject conditions at sea and the
cruelty of the captains made the sailors miserable during those days. It
was not surprising that Alexander became rebellious and malevolent
when he became a sailor.
In 1704, he was a Sailing Master on a ship; when it anchored for repairs
near the desolate island of Juan Fernandez about 650 kilometres west
of Chile. They were looking for gold, which they often got by plundering
other ships. In the days that followed, Alexander hatched a conspiracy.
He instigated the other sailors to leave the ship and remain on the

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island. They would declare a mutiny. Perhaps, Alexander reasoned,

that the captain would accept their demands if he believed that his men
would refuse to sail otherwise. Unfortunately for Alexander, the crew
played the Judas. The captain, getting to know of Alexander's part in
the planned mutiny, left him behind on the island as he was a bad
influence on the men. He was provided with a few necessities, among
them, a copy of the Bible.
Alexander, marooned on an island, populated only by wild cats and
goats became adept at hunting and his food soon comprised of fish,
turtles and meat. He also made clothes with goatskin. Although a
cobbler's son, he could not make shoes. Running barefoot after goats
had hardened the soles of his feet. He read the Bible again and again
and slowly took to reading it aloud. He spoke and sang to the cats and
learnt to milk goats.
Once, during his stay on the island, a Spanish ship anchored near the
island and the crew rowed in. Alexander was petrified and hid in the
thick foliage. In those days, Spain and England were at daggers drawn.
Fortunately, the Spaniards left after a brief rest.
In February, 1709, two English ships sailed in to collect fresh water and
shoot goats. Alexander rushed to them for succour. He looked strange
with his unkempt hair, beard and goatskin clothes. His rescuers
understood him with great difficulty. His speech had changed a great
deal. His vocabulary had shrunk and he had to grope for words. They
did, however, manage to understand his story finally.
Alexander took a job as a sailor on one of the ships and reached London
in 1711. He returned home with a large fortune. However, he ran out of
his fortune in two years and had to return to sea. Alexander's adventure
became well known.
Eight years later, Daniel Defoe gave the story a new shape with many
twists, calling it The Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe. It was now the
story of a man who was shipwrecked on an island and lived alone for an
unbelievable twenty eight years.

(a) Three words from the passage are given below. Give the meaning of
each word as used in the passage. One word answers or short phrases
will be accepted : [3]
(i) instigated
(ii) marooned
(iii) unkempt

(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words :

(i) Explain the phrase, 'with little respect for authority.' [2]

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(ii) Why did Alexander become reckless and malevolent when he
became a sailor? [2]
(iii) What was the conspiracy that Alexander hatched? Why did he do
so? [2]
(iv) How did the crew play the Judas? [2]
(v) Why was Alexander petrified when the crew of the Spanish ship
rowed in? [2]
(vi) Mention two points of difference between Alexander's actual story
and Defoe's version. [2]

(c) In about 60 words of your own, give an account of Alexander's

adventure on the island. [8]

(d) Give a title to your summary in 3 (c). Give a reason to justify your
choice. [2]

Question 4

(a) In the following passage, fill in each numbered blank with the correct
form of the word given in brackets. ( Do not copy the passage, but
write in correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the
blank space. [4]
In the olden days, when merchant ships usually __ 1 __ (employ) teenage
boys as part of the crew, a lad applied for one of these jobs. The owner of
the __ 2 __ (ship) company asked him what he __ 3 __ (can) do.
“I can do my best,” the boy answered, “to do what you are kind enough
__ 4 __ (let) me try.”
“What have you done?” asked the owner.
“I __ 5 __(saw) and split wood for my mother for nearly two years,”
replied the boy.
“What have you not done?” asked the employer.
After some __ 6 __ (think) the boy said, “I have not gossipped in school
for over a year.” “That is enough,” said the merchant, “I __ 7 __(take)
you aboard on my vessel and I hope some day __ 8 __ (see) you as its
captain. A boy who can master a wood -pile and control his tongue must
have good stuff in him.”

(b) Fill in the blanks with an appropriate word: [4]

(i) A cow feeds ________ grass.
(ii) I am indebted ________ my teacher for helping me.
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(iii) The sister was deprived ________ her share of property.

(iv) The army rounded ________ the insurgents last night.
(v) The old man hankered ________ money.
(vi) The aeroplane flew ________ the clouds.
(vii) Who will take ________ when the Mayor retires?
(viii) I do not have any complaint ________ her.

(c) Combine the following pairs of sentences into one sentence each. Do
not use 'and' ‘but’ or ‘so’ to join the sentences. You may change any
part of the sentence but ensure that you do not change the meaning
and that your sentence is grammatically correct: [4]
(i) He finished his work. He went to play.
(ii) The mangoes were very sour. He couldn’t eat them.
(iii) He is a good tennis player. There is no doubt about it.
(iv) Come back soon. We will wait for you till then.

(d) Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given. [8]
Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the
meaning of each sentence.
(i) “Would that I could swim like a fish!” said Harry.
(Begin: Harry wished...)
(ii) He inquired of us whether we were going home.
(Begin: He said to us,”...)
(iii) He never admitted that he had cheated me
(Begin : At no time)
(iv) None but a fool would believe you.
(Use : Only)
(v) If you wear thin clothes you will feel cold.
(Use: unless)
(vi) He received my message and immediately came to see me.
(Begin: As soon as...)
(vii) He is the cleverest man I have ever met.
(Use: clever)
(viii) It is most probable that it will rain today.
(Use: probability)

All the Best 

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MAHESH TUTORIALS I.C.S.E.

ICSE X Marks : 80
SUBJECT : ENGLISH (PAPER 1)

Exam No. : MT/ICSE/PRE PRELIM-SET -A-004 Time : 2 hrs.

Model Answer Paper

SECTION A
A.1
(a) An occasion looked forward to by most of us is the school fete. This is
usually held in October, before the onset of winter. This year our school
organized a fete on Saturday the 10th of October. Feverish preparation
began a fortnight before the event. Each class was asked to set up a stall
of their choice. Contributions from the students were collected, and
invitations were sent out to the parents, requesting them to join the
festivity with their friends and relatives.
The day turned out to be cloudy. By midday the Sun peeped through the
clouds that hung heavy in the sky. The clouds threatened to play spoilsport,
but thankfully a westerly breeze blew them steadily away, bringing much
cheer to our dampened spirits
Excited voices and shouts of glee from my friends greeted me, as I made
my way to the big playfield. Numerous colourful stalls had been set up
around the playfield. In the centre of the field, was an orchestra belting
out the latest musical hits.
It was exciting to see students manning the stalls, selling assorted items
from raffle tickets to ring a gift, hoopla. target practice. There was a
huge giant wheel for small children who were shouting with delight as
the wheel went up and down. There were also stalls of eatables selling
snacks, chowmein, cakes, chocolates and beverages like tea and coffee.
The students seemed to have matured overnight. They were working like
true businessmen, accounting for cash and stocks.
The eatable stalls were however the most crowded and noisy. The
occasional cackle of the loud speaker broke the revelry to make an
announcement.
A friendly tap on my shoulder made me turn around "Hi Siddhant,' said
Rohit as he caught my hand and escorted me to his stall selling raffle
tickets. He persuaded me to buy one. I reluctantly parted with a ten
rupee note in exchange for the ticket, which I carelessly shove in my
pocket. Thereafter I had a gala time with my friends eating chowmein
and ice cream, till we had run out of money. Just as I was about to
depart, the microphone cackled to life, announcing the number of the
lucky winner in the lucky draw. I pulled out the crumbled ticket from my
pocket. - Lo and behold ! I had struck the jackpot. In a trance I walked up
to the podium, to collect my prize.
Soon the program concluded. The Principal Father Rodriquez announced
that the fete had garnered a collection of ` 20,000 which would be
donated to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. Thereafter all boundaries
began to crumble, as teachers and students danced to the music of the
orchestra. I too joined in the fun and merrymaking. Later in the evening
I trudged home with my prize, which shall always remind me of the
wonderful time I spent in the school fete. [25]
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(b) Rumour is a great traveller. It spreads like fire. I was going to Canada by
Indian Airlines. Everything Was fine. I had got clearance from custom
officers. As I was ready to board the plane, I heard an announcement
from the plane, "The passengers are requested not to board the plane. It
is suspected that a terrorist has planted a bomb in the plane." As soon
as the announcement was made, panic spread all around. Passengers
ran here and there to save their lives. Soon all of them were taken in
custody by the airport authorities at a distance far away from the plane.
Then a special squad of police was sent by. They had special detectors to
detect anything that is alive and working. The search started at 10 a.m.
and went up to 2 p.m. Finally the help of trained dogs was also taken.
There was nothing in the plane. After 2 p.m. the air authorities declared
that there was nothing in plane. It was just a rumour. After the
announcemnt there was a sigh of relief on the faces of the people. The
flight after checking all the things, took off.
It is, of course a matter of deep concern that terrorists have become
over active these days. They continue to operate freely throughout the
country. The bomb attacks have resulted in huge losses of life and limb.
The government should take important steps against those people who
spread rumour which affects the peace of the people of our country. [25]

(c)  Introduction- Man is the only creation of God, endowed with a

unique individuality.
 Different in physical attributes.
 Different hobbies, interests.
 Greater life experiences making her confident, and knowledgeable.
 Conclusion- Distinctly different tastes, habits, and life experiences,
but bound by strong family ties, that would become stronger as life
goes by.
Man is perhaps the only creation of God, endowed with a unique
individuality, different from any other man. It is because of this we differ
in looks, colour, attitude, behaviour, likes and dislikes and-personality
traits, though born in the same family. It is thus quite natural for siblings
to have different life experiences, especially if they are not of the same
gender.
I have a sister who is eight years my senior. She is elegant and beautiful,
quite different to my stout and robust self. Being industrious by nature,
she is either busy in studies or doing needle work, which is her hobby. I
am on the other hand quite carefree, and fun loving. My studies are
confined to course books and newspapers. Staying at home is a taboo.
As regard hobbies, we are poles apart. While she likes cooking delicacies,
reading novels and chatting, I like to go out with my friends for a movie
or play cricket in the park close by. I enjoy the company of friends and
cousins, and occasionally go out to stay with them during weekends. We
play cricket, football and if we have to stay indoors, then there is nothing
better than computer games. This is however not to suggest, that my
sister has no friends. She goes out to watch movies with them, and when
they came home, they seem to only laugh and gossip.
Being elder to me, she treats me like a kid, lecturing me on what I
should, or should not do. This at times drives me wild, and we have our
usual tiffs. Unfortunately for me, my parents take her side and l am left

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puffing and fuming. However the animosity is short lived. We are back to
teasing each other, to the dismay of our parents.
As for life experiences, she has greater exposure, being elder to me. She
has travelled to many cities, studied in different schools, because of my
father's frequent transfers. She has been to different places like
Dehradoon, Srinagar, Delhi, etc., while I have only visited some of the
places and studied in only one school. This exposure has made her very
confident and knowledgeable.
Being sincere and hard working, she burnt the midnight oil while
preparing for the Common Admission Test Her good marks enabled her
to get admission in a prestigious college. I, on the other hand am not
very serious with my studies, and am constantly being lectured to mend
my ways.
Being the youngest in the family, I have been pampered, making me
carefree and fun loving. This is now going to change. With my sister
away to college, I would now have to shoulder greater responsibility and
become serious with my studies.
Though being siblings, we are distinctly different in tastes, habits, and
life experiences Nevertheless we are bound by strong family ties. These
would further strengthen, as life goes by. [25]

(d)  Introduction-A healthy mind is more important.

 It enables us to differentiate between good and bad.
 It is more lasting and grows with age.
 Increases with sharing, and makes us powerful.
 Influences our lives and those around us with examples of Mahatma
Gandhi and Helen Keller.
 Affects our personality.
 Conclusion-An essential prerequisite.
Man is the only creature in the entire universe blessed with a body and
a mind. It is this, which makes him the crown of creation. While a healthy
body is necessary, but in the absence of a healthy mind, he is no longer
a human being, but is more akin to an animal. Thus in my opinion a
healthy mind is more important than a healthy body. This is but echoed
by William Shakespeare when he said, "For sweetest things turn sourest
by their deeds, Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds"
Not only does it make us a proper human being, but also enables us to
differentiate between what is good or bad, virtuous and evil. So significant
is its contribution, that without it we cannot lead a happy life.
While the body is subject to ageing the mind is not. Thus a healthy
person may with passage of time, grow old with age. On the other hand,
the mental faculty of a person not only increases with age, but he becomes
more mature, wiser and experienced. People come to him for advice and
guidance.
Unlike the body which is unaffected by fatigue and overwork, the more
we use the mind the more perfect it becomes. It enables us to imbibe
knowledge, which we can use for our own betterment, or for the welfare
of the society. For as we all know "Knowledge is power". This power if
used judiciously can make us advance in our life. It is, therefore, not
uncommon to find people of a frail constitution, managing the destiny of
their countries. They hold say over millions of otherwise well-bodied
people.
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Thus we can also to a great extent influence the life of people around us.
At times so powerful is the impact, that we had Mahatma Gandhi who
despite his frail constitution led the entire country to wage a war for
independence. His unique approach of using the weapon of non-violence
and truth shook the mighty British Empire. They were in mortal fear of
this frail, semi clad fakir as they called him and had to at last concede
independence. Similarly we had Helen Keller, though being mute and
dumb since birth, led a normal life. This was by sheer dint of her will
power endowed to her by a healthy mind. Thus she became a source of
inspiration for even able bodied men and women. It is hence evident that
a healthy mind can more than make up for a frail or even a challenged
body.
So all pervading is its impact on our lives, that it moulds our personality
by making us humane, loving, compassionate and caring thus endearing
us to the people and the society. A healthy body on the other hand is of
no use, if it lacks a good personality. This is how people remember us by
our deeds and not by our looks.
This reminds us of what John Ruskin said, "Remember that the most
beautiful things are the most useless. Peacocks and lilies for instance."
Thus a healthy mind is not only more important, but an essential
prerequisite for us to lead a normal happy life. [25]

(e) FOOD POISONING

It was a long agonising wait outside the emergency ward of the civil
hospital. Sitting on the bench, I felt pangs of despair on hearing no news
of my brother, who had been wheeled into the intensive care unit. Like
me there were other members of my neighbourhood, each with a somber
expression reflecting anxiety. It was indeed an anticlimax to the grand
celebration we had yesterday, when there was an entertaining cultural
programme in our locality followed by a sumptuous dinner. The youth of
our neighbourhood were in the forefront in organising and managing the
programme, which was a grand success. This had created tremendous
goodwill and a spirit of camaraderie, as people of different caste and
creed hugged and wished each other Holi Mubarak.
It was only early in the morning that my younger brother Atul started
complaining of severe pain in his stomach. Within half an hour it grew
from bad to worse and he lost consciousness. I and my father rushed him
to the hospital, in an ambulance that I had called in the meantime. On
reaching the hospital we found a number of people from our locality,
each with a similar tale to tell. There was something wrong with the
dinner that had led to food poisoning. Some people were being wheeled
to the wards, followed by their relatives. Finding the atmosphere in the
hospital suffocating and depressing, I sat on the bench for a breath of
fresh air, surveying the pathetic sight.
My next door neighbour Mr. Gulam Mohammed sitting next to me patted
me, asking me not to worry, for all would be right soon The conversation
soon veered around to what could have gone wrong. It was probably the
ice-cream or the paneer dish which was the culprit. After some discussion
we concluded that it was the paneer vegetable, as I had not taken the
same brother had. They all nodded in agreement. It was then that I saw
my father walking towards me with a look of relief on his face. God was

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kind, Atul was out of danger. There was a sigh of relief all around. We
enquired about the fate of our other neighbours only to find that they
were all out of danger. The worse was indeed over. They were all safe
and would be discharged by evening. We returned home to get freshen
up and bring
food and clothing for Atul. [25]

A.2
(a) 1/153, Vijay Khand,
Gomti Nagar,
Mumbai - 400 069

10th December, 2015.

My dear Arun,
It was indeed shocking to learn of the untimely passing away of your
father. He seemed to be lively and happy when I last met him at your
place. It is unbelievable to think that he is no more with us. Your loss is
indeed irreparable, for nothing in the world could fill the vacuum created
by his untimely demise.
I am deeply grieved and would like to offer my sincerest sympathies, on
your great bereavement. I have no words to express my profound anguish
and sorrow on this great loss.
It is in such trying times that one despairs, but death is the ultimate
truth, which we have to accept. It is inevitable and we have no choice
but to reconcile to this fact of life. The Bhagwat Gita also says, “For what
is born death is certain, and for the dead birth is certain. Therefore
grieve and inspire us.
May God give you the forbearance, to bear this loss manfully and may his
great soul rest in peace.

Your friend,
S.Singh [10]

(b) 24, Mall Avenue,

M.G.Road,
Mumbai- 400 053

23rd December, 2015.

The Manager
Skylark Hotel,
Bombay.

Subject : Poor facilities in your hotel.

Dear Sir,
I had come on a business trip to Bombay and had checked in your hotel
on 3rd April 1999 in room on 106. I found the overall service of the hotel
quite poor, that belied your claim of offering three star facilities. I had

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brought this to your notice on a number of occasions, during my one

week stay in your hotel, but there was hardly any improvement.
The room given to me was humid with poor ventilation. The sheets were
dirty and quite shabby. When I requested room service to change them,
they were brusque in telling me that the sheets had been changed in
the morning. I had to remind them daily to change the sheets, that
poorly reflects on the quality of housekeeping. The room service was
atrocious and required several reminders before what was ordered finally
arrived.
The quality of food was not in keeping with the star status, though it was
priced accordingly. On a few occasions I had to return the food, as it did
not seem fit for eating. The staff at the reception counter was insensitive
to the need of guests. I would have to remind the operator a number of
times, before I could get my number. With all these shortcomings, the
tarrif charged for the single room was ` 2,500.00 per day, which is
unreasonable taking into account the amentities available.
I would therefore request you to kindly investigate the shortcomings, so
that guests are not put through the ordeal that I had to face. I would also
suggest that you should take immediate steps to improve the
housekeeping, catering and room services in your hotel. There seems
to be an immediate need for training the existing staff, on matters of
etiquette. You should also pay personal attention to the guests, so as to
make their stay comfortable. This will improve the goodwill of your hotel
and justify your claim of a three star hotel offering five star amenities.

Your truly,
S.Sharma [10]

A.3
(a) (i) incited, urged [1]
(ii) stranded, left alone [1]
(iii) untidy and dirty [1]

(b) (i) This means that he had almost no regard for his superiors. He paid
almost no heed to the orders, [2]

(ii) He became reckless and malevolent due to the bad or extreme

conditions at sea. He developed this nature also due to the cruelty
of the captains. [2]

(iii) The conspiracy was that he urged the sailors to leave the ship and
remain on the island because he felt that the captain would then be
forced to accept their demands. [2]

(iv) The crew played the Judas by betraying Alexander. They informed
the captain about his plans to revolt. [2]

(v) He was petrified because England and Spain were arch enemies at
that time. He thought that if the Spaniards found him there they
would kill him. [2]

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(vi) The two points of difference are :

(a) Alexander was marooned. He was not shipwrecked.
(b) He lived on the island only for five years, not for twenty eight
years. [2]

(c) Being marooned on the island, Alexander became adept at hunting. He

made clothes out of goatskin. He would read the bible loud and used to
sing to the cats. He learned to milk the goats. He once got frightened by
the arrival of a Spanish crew. He was rescued by English sailors after a
period of five years on the island. [8]

(d) A suitable title for the summary would be, 'Marooned'. The reason being
that it was only after being marooned that he experienced all these
adventures. [2]

A.4
(a) (i) employed [½]
(ii) shipping [½]
(iii) could [½]
(iv) to let [½]
(v) have sawn [½]
(vi) thinking [½]
(vii) will take [½]
(viii) to see [½]

(b) (i) on [½]

(ii) to [½]
(iii) of [½]
(iv) up [½]
(v) after / for [½]
(vi) over/above [½]
(vii) up / over [½]
(viii) against [½]

(c) (i) After finishing his homework he went to play. [1]

(ii) He could not eat the mangoes as they were very sour. [1]
(iii) There is no doubt about the fact that he is a good tennis player. [1]
(iv) We will wait for you therefore come back soon. [1]

(d) (i) Harry wished that he could swim like of fish. [1]
(ii) He said to us, “Are you going home?” [1]
(iii) At no time had he admitted that he cheated me. [1]
(iv) Only a fool would believe you. [1]
(v) Unless you wear thin clothes you will not feel cold. [1]
(vi) As soon as he received my message he came to see me. [1]
(vii) No other man that I have ever met is an clever as he is. [1]
(viii) In all probability it will rain today. [1]


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