MIDTERM EXAMINATION NOVEMBER /DECEMBER 2017( sample)

SUBJECT: English Language GRADE: 5

MAX MARKS: 50 DURATION: 1 hour

DATE : NAME:

INSTRUCTIONS/ADDITIONAL MATERIALS REQUIRED

1. There are two sections in this paper.

The first section is Reading – 25 mins and 20 marks
The Second section is Writing – 35mins and 30 marks

2. Read each question properly, making note of any sub parts. Answer all
parts of the question. All questions must be answered in the question
paper itself. Maximum marks are 50 and time allotted is 1 hour.

3. All answers must be written in blue or black pen.

4. Please write in English and no other language.

5. Marks are allotted to each question, keep it in mind while answering.

6. Keep track of the time.

Page 1 of 11
(Name of the teacher: Trishna Chaudhuri)
(Department: English )
 Section A: Reading
Spend 35 minutes on this section.
Q1.Read the text and then answer the questions.

Papyrus to Paper
The English word ‘paper’ comes from the Ancient Greek word papyros,
which is a type of plant. Papyrus grew wild in the valley of the River
Nile in Egypt. The Egyptians soaked the stalks of the plant in water until
they softened a little. Then, they were arranged crossways on top of
each other and mashed. The end result was something that looked a
lot like paper – but was difficult to produce and use.
Paper as we know it today was invented around 100 BC in China. A
government official named Ts’aiLun was the first to start making paper
on a large scale. He mixed finely chopped bark from mulberry trees and
hemp cloth with water, mashing it flat, and then pressed out the water
and let the paper dry in the sun.
Even after people in China began to use paper, it took another 1,000
years before it began to be used elsewhere. By 400 AD, people in India
were also making paper, and 500 years later it began to be used in the
Middle East. In Europe, by the tenth century, papermaking had begun
in Spain and Portugal. The Arab merchants living there at the time
helped to develop the paper industry. By 1400, the industry had moved
to France, Italy and Germany.
At the present time, paper is more or less made in the same way as it
was in the beginning. The only differences are that hemp is no longer
part of the process, and special machines have replaced the sun in the
drying process.

Page 2 of 11
(Name of the teacher: Trishna Chaudhuri)
(Department: English )
 1. Who was Ts’aiLun?
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__________________________________________________________ (1)

2. Tick two boxes to show which materials are used in papermaking today.

Bark

Cloth

Leaves

Plants

Water ( 2)

3. Paragraphs are used in the text Papyrus to paper. Draw lines to link each
paragraph with its main topic described in the boxes.

2nd paragraph How the use of paper spread.

3rd paragraph How paper is currently produced.

4th paragraph How the earliest paper was made. (2)

Page 3 of 11
(Name of the teacher: Trishna Chaudhuri)
(Department: English )
 4. What is used to dry paper nowadays?

__________________________________________________________(1)

5. Tick the best description of the whole text, Papyrus to paper.

It explains the history of paper making.

It gives information about the cost of making paper.
It describes the materials used to write on before
paper was invented. ( 1)

6. Read and compare these texts.

Text 1
Paper has many uses. In addition to
being necessary in the production of
books and magazines, it is utilised to
make household items such as
kitchen towels, napkins and
calendars. Paper also has many uses
in business.
Text 2
We use paper for loads of things –
writing notes, doing homework and
even writing answers to questions!
We see it every day in newspapers,
books and magazines – it’s
everywhere! But have you ever
thought about who invented it?

Page 4 of 11
(Name of the teacher: Trishna Chaudhuri)
(Department: English )
 The information in both texts is the same but the way it is written is
different.
Tickthe text you prefer to read.

Text 1 Text 2

Explain why you chose that text.

___________________________________________________________( 1)

7. Put the following in the order in which they appear in the text.

The plant stalks became soft.

The plant stalks were pressed.

The plant stalks were put in water.

The plant stalks were put in layers. (1)

8. Make a sentence with any one of the words given.

Invented Arranged Replaced

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________ (1)

Page 5 of 11
(Name of the teacher: Trishna Chaudhuri)
(Department: English )
Q 2.Read the text and then answer the questions.

The dawn chorus

The dawn chorus
In spring, as the days lengthen, birds burst into song around first light in a phenomenon
that is known as the ‘dawn chorus’. Birds sing throughout the day, but at dawn they sing
together to create an amazing symphony.

Early birds
The dawn chorus begins an hour or so before sunrise and may continue for an hour
afterwards. It can be heard from March through to July and is at its peak in May, after the
main arrivals of birds visiting for the summer.
Worm-eating birds, such as song thrushes, blackbirds and robins start to sing earlier in the
chorus than smaller, insect-eating birds, such as wrens and warblers. The order they join in
is believed to be related to the size of the birds’ eyes. Those with larger eyes can see better
in lower light levels, so are the first to make themselves heard.

Singing together
Most of the dawn chorus can be attributed to male songbirds. They sing to defend their
territories and attract females. But why first thing in the morning? It is thought that the low
light levels at dawn make it a bad time for a bird to forage for food, but a good time to
make a lot of noise while still avoiding predators. Also, at dawn the density of the air makes
it clear and still which allows sound to carry farther.

The songs
The songs of birds are learned, not inherited. Within a couple of months, young birds
develop a basic song which they then refine over the next year by listening to other more
mature adults of their own species. Some birds, such as the house sparrow, have just one
song. By comparison, other birds, such as song thrushesand nightingales have several
different songs in their repertoire.

Page 6 of 11
(Name of the teacher: Trishna Chaudhuri)
(Department: English )
1. What is the dawn chorus?
________________________________________________________________(1)
2. How long in the morning can the dawn chorus go on for?
______________________________________________________________(1)
3.Tick the best description of the text The dawn chorus.
It contains mostly opinions.
It contains mostly facts.
It contains about half facts and half opinions.
(1)
4. In the sentence given below match the words to the correct option.
John was horrified to return to the house and find his home burgled.
horrified Noun

home Verb

find pronoun

his Adjective (1)

5. Make a sentence with :
Forage : _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Inherit : _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Page 7 of 11
(Name of the teacher: Trishna Chaudhuri)
(Department: English )
6. Punctuate the sentence and rewrite it. ( 10 additions/errors need to be
made /corrected)
angela was saddened to hear of her uncles death he had been her favourite and
shed miss him a lot everyone gathered together to mourn his passing away the
house was filled with food that everyone had brought
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________________________________________________________________ (5)
Section B: Writing
Spend 35 minutes on this section..

Write a descriptive passage about a

carpet.

This could be in 1 st person or 3 rd

person.

There should be a title, paragraphs,

writer’s craft and a proper flow in the
writing.

Try and hook the reader .

PLANNING

Page 8 of 11
(Name of the teacher: Trishna Chaudhuri)
(Department: English )
Spend about five minutes making notes in the box given.

Scoring criteria: / 30

Purpose and audience [10] Punctuation [4]

Text structure [6] Spelling [4]
Sentence structure [6]

Write your story here:

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Page 9 of 11
(Name of the teacher: Trishna Chaudhuri)
(Department: English )
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Page 10 of 11
(Name of the teacher: Trishna Chaudhuri)
(Department: English )
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Page 11 of 11
(Name of the teacher: Trishna Chaudhuri)
(Department: English )