DAV PUBLIC SCHOOL PGC, BIHARSHARIF, NALANDA

PRE BOARD EXAMINATION2020-21

SUBJECT –ENGLISH Std. IX

Time allowed: 3 Hrs. Maximum Marks : 80

General Instructions:

1. This paper is divided into two parts: A and B. All questions are compulsory.

2. Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read these
instructions very carefully and follow them.

3. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit

READING (20 marks)

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
A research conducted by SATHI says that it is a misconception that children living on
platforms are abandoned or are wrecked from homes. In reality, most of the children
flee from their homes without a thought and cannot retract their actions, either because
they have no money or are too frightened to go back. “We rescue 50 children daily from
the platforms across the country. Some of these children get lost even as their parents
search for them desperately,” said Anjali, project officer, SATHI.

Life on the platform is not easy. The longer a child lives on the platform, the more he
falls prey to addictions, abuse, petty thefts and odd jobs for survival. There is no place
like home for a child, therefore, in extreme cases of abuse and poverty the
organization’s first course of action is ’home placement.’

As SATHI’s secretary Pramod Kulkarni says, ’A child on the platform never grows up, he
just ages. Early intervention not only saves the child from the dangers of platform life
but, also makes repatriation easier as the child is more willing to go back home.’ But, it
is not an easy task. The organisation’s staff search the platforms across the country
from morning till night. Children are rescued from the platforms and are placed within
the safe limits of the SATHI shelters. They are counselled and those who are willing to
go back home are taken to their families as soon as possible.

Others who are reluctant to go back home are enrolled in “home orientation camps”.
Love, guidance and care provided, it paves the way for effective development of
problem-solving and social skills needed to build self-esteem and renew family ties.
Children addicted to substance abuse are sent to de-addiction camps.

(a) What has the research conducted by SATHI revealed?

(b) What does the phrase ’Life on the platform is not easy’ mean?
(c) What is the aim of the organization working for the welfare of these children?
(d) Which is the most important step in saving the lives of children?
(e) Find the word from the passage which means the same as ’advice’.
(f) After the child is in the safe limits, how is he helped further?
(g) What plans does SATHI have for children who do not want to go back home?
(h) How are the addicted children helped?

 2: Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: Many are familiar with
Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s literary works and songs. One may well ask: Is there a
central theme in Tagore’s works? There is a central theme, and that is his love of freedom and
non-conformity which is evident in his works. Apart from being a literary genius, have you ever
wondered what else did he love? Have you ever thought of tasting the bard’s favourite dishes?
Now Kolkata can boast of a cafeteria-cum-restaurant, ’Cafe The’, where people can get a taste
of Tagore’s culinary indulgences-all under one roof. It was conceived by Ratikanta Basu, who
undertook a lot of research to make it a reality. The restaurant is located on H Chi Min Sarani in
South Kolkata and is the first cafe- cum-restaurant in India that is exclusively dedicated to
Tagore cuisine. Tagore would encourage the ’thakurs’ (cooks) in his ancestral palace in the
northern part of the city to introduce Variations in the platter, by including local versions of
continental and Peshawari cuisine. Thus, the cross over culture ensconced silently in the
Kitchens of ’Thakurbari’ was launched, much before the clamour for cross-cultural cuisine
actually started. The poet’s innate wander lust took him to places like Italy, Spain, England,
Turkey, and he imbibed the food traditions of respective countries. Since he was exposed to
both oriental and continental cuisine, a penchant to blend the two forms came naturally. There
are not many documents to support that Tagore was a die-hard food lover. But he actually was
one, and whenever he attended a lunch or dinner abroad, he used to collect and bring back the
menu cards. A part of the menu card will be a facsimile of the menu laid out for the dinner party
hosted by India society, London, in 1912 to felicitate Tagore on the occasion of the publication
of ’Gitanjali’, a collection of his poems. Even the decor of the cafe in south Kolkata has been
designed to suit the ambience with large portraits of Tagore at various lunch and dinner parties
across the world, his framed write-ups on food, of course softly played Tagore songs.

(a) What was the underlying theme of Tagore’s works?

(b) How has Ratikant Basu paid tribute to Tagore?

(c) What do you understand by “cross-cultural cuisine”?

(d) What was the purpose of the dinner party hosted by India society?

(e) What is meant by ’penchant’? (Para 5 )

(f) What is meant by ’innate ’? (Para 5)

(g) Find the word opposite in meaning to ’disperse ’. (Para 6)

(h) Find the word opposite in meaning to ’covered’. (Para 5)

ECTION-B
WRITING AND GRAMMAR

Question 3:
You are Rahul/Rithika of class nine. You were shocked when you came across the
following 5 statistics about children in India.
Only 53% of inhabited India has a primary school.
17 million children are child labourers. 50% of Indian children are malnourished Write an
article for your school magazine expressing your views on the pathetic condition of
children, suggesting ways to improve the situation. (100-120 words)

Question 4:
Every drop counts. Let’s not waste so that others may survive. Develop a story in about 200-250
words with a suitable title.

Question 5:
Complete the passage given below by choosing the most appropriate options from the ones
that follow. Write your answer in the answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. Do not
copy the entire passage.

A few days later, Munshi Prem Chand resigned from (a) …………… job of inspector of schools (b)
…………… having worked in (c) …………… department for 10 years.
(a) (i) its                    (ii)the                   (iii) a            (iv) his
(b) (i) before             (ii) without         (iii) after       (iv) for
(c) (i) his                   (ii) is                    (iii) their       (iv) the

Question 6:
There is an error in each line. Write the incorrect word and the correction in the answer sheet as
given below:

Question 7:
Rearrange the following words or phrases into meaningful sentences:
e.g.: bravery/greatness/on one’s/depends.
Greatness depends on one’s bravery.
(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