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1. 1. We live in an age of wonders and miracles. It has been called the ‘Age of
Science’ and different aspects of our life that changed in the preceding
centuries have been attributed to science. This is completely true, but it is
only one side of the coin.The flip side is that as we have advanced more in
the field of technology, something fundamental to humanity has been left
behind. Values such as empathy and concern for our fellow human beings
are gradually being eroded due to the onslaught of our ever-evolving
lifestyles, aided by the marvels of technological advancements
2. Take the example of the Internet. On one hand, access to information
and knowledge at the click of a button is a veritable boon to everyone
(especially students) and this has made our lives much simpler. On the
other hand, it has severely limited actual contact with teachers, friends and
elders. Thus, the learning that a person gains is incomplete as he or she
cannot easily take the advice that another person can give on the basis of
knowledge and practical experience that is at his or her disposal.
3. Today, a small child can access and navigate the Internet with an ease
that still astounds those from the older generation. But what is even more
astounding is the neglect of the basic human traits of friendship,
relationships and family values. Owing to all the technological
advancements and the gadgets available today, children often miss out on
the most enriching childhood experiences such as playing outdoor games
with friends, which apart from being immensely enjoyable and physically
exhilarating, also develop traits such as teamwork and discipline at an early
age.
4. But now when the concept of friends is gradually being limited to virtual
friends on social networking sites, one shudders to think of the implications
for the personality development of a child because the time spent with
computers or mobile phones for entertainment can never really substitute
for the holistic benefits of outdoor play. Such examples can be found in
plenty.
5. Now if we compare the hustle and bustle of modern city life and the
peace and calm of a rustic village life, we can see that in cities, life is a race
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with a variety of factors. It is a race that everyone tries their level best to
win, but nobody actually wins as it never ends.
6. As for me, I think this age of rapid development has created at least as
many problems as it has solved, if not more. The reason is that the basic
goal of life, which should be the pursuit of happiness, has now been
replaced by the pursuit of money. Money and happiness are considered
analogous in our present society, but they actually are not so. In this
mindless pursuit of money, nobody has time now to appreciate the beauty
of life, which consists not of multi- billion-dollar skyscrapers, but a simple
act of kindness to someone in a time of need.
7. So there is an urgent need to stop for a moment and think about where
we are actually heading, is it development or destruction? Do we have to
wait until people have grown so much apart from each other that we cannot
see the suffering of our own species due to our mindless greed, or can we
still mend our ways?
8. To answer this question, I will take the help of that most magnificent of
human feelings-hope. I sincerely wish that we, as the most intelligent
species on earth, would take our fair share of responsibility and sincerely
think about the path we should follow. Though mankind will possibly last for
a long time thanks to its determination and sheer ingenuity, we have to
make sure we do not lose our humanity somewhere along the way.
1.1 According to the passage, it is like one side of the coin to say that life has
changed owing to science as
(a) age of science has brought wonders and miracles.
(b) different aspects of life have changed due to science.
(c) there is another side of the coin to look at.
(d) this side of coin is true and sufficient to look at.
1.6
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Find the word in PARA 8 which can replace ‘the power of creative
imagination/ cleverness’.
(a) Magnificent
(b) Sincerely
(c) Ingenuity
(d) understanding
Q2 Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that 1x8
follow: =8
Tower of Terror, Formula Rossa and Steel Dragon are just some examples.
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Name of ride Country Height Total cost Max. Speed
Tower of Australia 115 Meters A $16 million 161km/h
Terror
Formula United Arab 52 meters £19.5 million 240km/h
Rossa Emirates
Steel Dragon Japan 97 meters US$ 52 153km/h
million
However, there are limits to the physical forces that a person can tolerate
on a ride. People can cope more easily with the positive vertical- the feeling
of being pressed into their seats…than the negative vertical, which pushes
them out of it. Interestingly, Jay points out that the desire to make
rollercoaster rides higher and faster is slowly being replaced by a trend
towards more complex rides which offers a more lasting experience. Jay
explains: “A world famous ride such as Kingda Ka (in the USA) is over in
less than ten seconds although such a ride is thrilling, and gives you a rush
of adrenaline, there is an alternative. You can try a ride like Helix (in
Sweden), which lasts for two minutes – it’s my number one at the
moment.” All the same, Jay was eager for me to experience ‘air time’ – the
moment when you reach the top and hang, weightless, before plunging
down the other side. And when I finally did, I had to admit that it was
fantastic!
2.1 How do theme parks make sure each ride is safe every day?
(a) daily inspection
(b) open ride
(c) by test run
(d) None of these
What was the occupation of the man who first designed the rides at Coney
2.4 Island?
(a) business
(b) engineer
(c) designer
(d) teacher
What was the name of the device which was invented in 1912?
2.5
(a) cable
(b) Tower of Terror
(c) Under-friction wheel
(d) Steel Dragon
Q3 Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 8
The hectic pace of city life and the rapidly changing lifestyles are adding up
to cause an alarming increase in the incidence of heart attack among the
upwardly mobile youth in the city. Although presently this number is fairly
small, there has been a rise in the occurrence levels. Earlier heart Attacks
were not common among youth in the age group of 30 to 45 years
One of the primary reasons for the rise in incidence of heart attack is
because people here are genetically more vulnerable to heart ailments than
the rest of the world. Another significant reason which contributes to
increased risk of heart attacks among the youth is the unhealthy lifestyles.
There has been a change in food habits, increase in stress levels, drastically
changed living patterns with sedentary habits and erratic sleep. All this
clubbed with a predisposition to heart attacks can further increase the risk.
Other equally contributory factors to heart attack risk are smoking,
obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and of course, a family history. The onset
of heart attack can be detected with a few visible warning signs like chest
discomfort while walking, and/or shortness of breath etc. But it is important
to note that many heart-attacks can be silent without any symptoms or
forewarning.
Although people who are genetically predisposed to heart attacks cannot
actually reverse the risk, they can make amends by trying to lead a sensible
life style by making a few modifications in their food and exercise habits.
One of the most important preventive measures is to stop smoking. Since
work related stress is common among the youth today, it is another vital
reason to trigger heart attacks. Youth should learn to de-stress and relax
more often.
Unhealthy food habits and a sedentary life style can lead to obesity and a
chain of other problems. Working out or adopting a disciplined exercise
regimen can help in keeping weight in check. Brisk walking is another very
good option. Everybody should follow a regular health screening to rule out
diabetes and hypertension, and do a stress test, undergo a lipid profile test
and check their body mass index regularly.
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3.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage make notes using at least four 5
recognizable abbreviations. Give a suitable title to the passage too.
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Q10 A School should eliminate dress code/uniform. Write a debate either in favour 5
or against the motion. You are Kamana/Kailash of Spring Dale Public School
Pune. (120-150 words)
OR
B ‘Schools should allow students to use mobile phones in class rooms. As the
Sports Captain of your school KV No.1 Bhuj, write the debate either in
support of the topic or against the topic.
Section C Literature 31
Q11 Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: 1x3
Any One =3
A Then sleek as a lizard and alert and abrupt,
She enters the thickness and a machine starts up
(a) Who is she in the above lines?
i. She is a small girl
ii. She is the lizard
iii. She is the goldfinch
iv. She is the baby chick
(b) Which figure of speech is used in ‘sleek as a lizard’?
i. Alliteration
ii. Simile
iii. Personification
iv. Transferred epithet
(c) Explain ‘machine starts up’.
OR
B I know nothing of him
So try to build up a relationship
From how when he was small
(a) ‘I’ and ‘him’ in the first line refer to
i. The father and the son
ii. The mother and the son
iii. The son and the father
iv. The grandmother and the grandson
(b) Why is there a need to build a relationship?
i. Due to misunderstanding
ii. Due to generation gap
iii. Due to lack of tolerance
iv. All of the above
(c) Name the poem and the poet.
Q12 Read the given passages and answer the questions that follow: Any 1x3=
One 3
A She hobbled about the house in spotless white with one hand resting on her
waist to balance her stoop and the other telling the beads of the rosary. Her
silver locks were scattered unitedly over her pale face, and her lips
constantly moved in inaudible prayer. Yes she was beautiful. She was like
the winter landscape in the mountains, an expanse of pure white serenity
breathing peace and contentment.
(a) ‘Silver locks’ in the above lines refer to
i. Lock made of silver
ii. Hair
iii. Wound of white colour
iv. None of these
(b) ‘She’ in the above lines is compared to
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i. Winter landscape in the mountains
ii. Pale face
iii. Inaudible prayers
iv. Peace and contentment
(c) How did she use to hobble in the house?
OR
B As hills started to pull up once more from the rocky wilderness, we passed
solitary drokabas tending their flocks. Sometimes men, sometimes women,
these well-wrapped figures would pause and stare at our car, occasionally
waving as we passed.
(a) Who are drokabas in the above lines?
(b) Flocks here means
i. Group of sheep
ii. Hair
iii. Group of people
iv. Dress worn by the author
(c) Who waved at the author and his team?
i. The flock
ii. The men and women together
iii. Sometimes men sometimes women
iv. Cars that passed by
Q13 Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow: Any 1x4
One =4
A The episode he had witnessed at Cardiff station still obsessed him morbidly.
He thought of Bramwell, foolishly devoted to a woman who deceived him
sordidly, of Edward Page, bound to the shrewish Blodwen, of Denny, living
unhappily, apart from his wife. His reasons told him that all these marriages
were dismal failures. It was a conclusion which, in the present state, made
him wince.
(a) Who was living unhappily, apart from his wife?
i. Bramwell
ii. Denny
iii. Joe Morgan
iv. Edward Page
(b) Which episode did Andrew witness at Cardiff station?
i. Fight between two people
ii. Disappointing evening with Christine
iii. Bramwell was deceived
iv. Denny had met his wife there
(c) What did he wish to consider marriage as?
i. An exasperated state
ii. An idealistic state
iii. An advantageous state
iv. An idyllic state
(d) Where was Andrew when these thoughts muddled him?
i. At his work place
ii. At Joe Morgan’s home
iii. At Cardiff station
iv. On the way back to his home
OR
B The noose was set up somewhat high.
Each man was measured by and by.
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But only one man was so tall
He fitted. One man. That was all
(a) Why was the noose set up?
i. To hang the culprit of the arch
ii. To measure everyone’s height
iii. To enlighten the king
iv. All of these
(b) Who does ‘one man’ in the last line refer to?
i. The wisest man
ii. The old man
iii. The king
iv. The architect
(c) The phrase ‘by and by’ here means_________
i. One by one
ii. All together
iii. Some of them
iv. The last man
(d) What is the correct sequence of the episode according to the
poem/text?
Q17 Why did ‘The Address’ suddenly lose all its importance for the narrator? 6
OR
Mrs. Pearson’s children did not value her work as a homemaker and never
lent her a helping hand. Elucidate.
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