BANGALORE SAHODAYA SCHOOLS COMPLEX ASSOCIATION (BSSCA)

PRE-BOARD EXAMINATION (2022-2023) SET A

Date: Max. Marks: 80

Subject: English Language and Literature - Code-184 Time: 3 hrs
General Instructions:
I. The question paper is divided into three sections:
SECTION A: Reading 20 MARKS
SECTION B: Writing and Grammar 30 MARKS
SECTION C: Literature 30 MARKS
II. All questions are compulsory.
III. You may attempt any section at a time.
IV. All questions of that particular section must be attempted in the correct order.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
SECTION A- READING SKILLS 20 MARKS
I. Read the passage given below.

"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your
teeming shore”

1. These are the words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty in New York. But ironically, those who go there are not
the poor and wretched, but the skilled and highly qualified doctors, engineers, scientists, nurses and technicians,
from other countries including India.

2. The urge to go to the West has become compelling in India in post-independence years. Both the world war
and political upheavals like civil wars and revolutions spawned large migrations during the first half of this
century. The migrations in the latter half stemmed from economic motivation. People in power, like scientists,
and skilled persons have, from the very beginning, played a key role in international migration. The conscious
policy to encourage migration of high-quality manpower from other regions and countries is related to the
positive contribution made by the immigrants to their country of adoption, resulting in a net advantage to it.
3. The earnings and remittances from the Indians settled abroad or their eventual return, are poor compensation
for the lasting and serious loss inflicted by their outflow. The specific objectives of the anti-brain drain policies,
within the framework of independent development, are to bring back to a limited extent, the lost talents and
skills from abroad and reduce the outflow in the short run, and finally end it, except that necessitated by genuine,
multi-lateral international dependence.

4. Brain Drain means professionals going abroad to work. This is not good because nowadays all the good brains
are going out to work for other countries. If they had efficiently utilised their brains in this country, India could
have been a better country. America has become a developed country because its maximum number of
employees consists of Indians only. So if those employees had worked for India, India would surely have
become America. So Brain Drain is not good from an economic point of view.

I. Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY TEN. 10 marks

i. What kind of people do not go to America?

(a) Doctors (b) Engineers (c) Farmers (d) Scientists

ii. When the urge to go abroad become compelling to India?

(a) In pre-independence years (b) In post-independence years
(c) After 1975 (d) It was always there
iii. Who have played a key role in international migration?
(a) skilled workers (b) Scientists
(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) Only (a)

iv. What is meant by Brain Drain'?

(a) A disease related to the brain (b) Brain surgery
(c) An underdeveloped brain (d) Professionals going abroad to work.

v. What were the objectives of the anti-brain drain policies?

(a) To keep talented and skilled in other countries
(b) To restrict the outflow of talented and skilled professionals
(c) To bring back the lost talents and skills from abroad and to reduce the outflow in the short run.
 (d) All the above

(vi) From para 1 find a word which means similar to ‘disruption’.__________________

(vii) Find the word from the passage which means 'great changes or disturbances'. (para 2) ____________

(viii) Find the word opposite in meaning to 'earnings. (para 3)

(a) Expenses (b) Compensation (c) Policies (d) Skills

(ix) What are the reasons behind anti-brain drain policies?

(x) How would India benefit if all these people stay in India only?

(xi) Find the word from the passage opposite to ‘fortunate’. ( para 1)

II. Read the passage given below.

1. Sniffer dog Tucker uses his nose to help researchers find out why a killer whale population off the northwest
coast of the United State is on the decline. He searches for whale faeces floating on the surface of the water,
which are then collected for examination. He is one of the elite team of detection dogs used by scientists
studying a number of species including right whales and killer whales.
2. Conservation canines are fast becoming indispensable tools for biologists according to Aimee Hurt, associate
director and co-founder of Working Dogs for Conservation, based in Three Forks, Montana.
3. Over the last few years, though, so many new conservation dog projects have sprung up that Hurt can no
longer keep track of them all. Her organization’s dogs and their handlers are fully booked to assist field
researchers into 2012.
4. “Dogs have such a phenomenal sense of smell,” explained Sam Wasser, director of the center for Conservation
Biology at the University of Washington in Seattle. He has worked with scat-detection dogs since 1997.
Scientists have been using Conservation Canines in their research since 1997. These dogs have enabled them to
non-invasively access vast amounts of genetic and physiological information which is used to tackle
conservation problems around the world. Such information has proved vital for determining the causes and
consequences of human disturbances on wildlife as well as the action needed to mitigate such impacts.
5. The ideal detection dog is extremely energetic with an excessive play drive. These dogs will happily work all
day long, motivated by the expectation of a ball game as a reward for sample detection. The obsessive
high-energy personalities of detection dogs also make them difficult to maintain as pets. As a result, they
frequently find themselves abandoned in animal shelters facing euthanasia. The programme rescues these dogs
and offers them a satisfying career in conservation research.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.

i. Infer one reason for the following, based on information in Paragraph 1:

Sniffer dog Tucker is one of the elite teams of detection dogs used by scientists studying several species.

ii. Select the appropriate option to fill in the blank.

These dogs cannot be kept as pets because _____.
(a) they are obsessed with high energy personality of detection
(b) they are possessive
(c) they are aggressive
(d) they are lazy with no personality

iii. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word from Paragraph 2.
Contradictory : similar:: trivial: ________
(Clue: Just like contradictory is an antonym of similar, similarly trivial is an antonym of...)

iv. Choose the option that lists the correct answers for the following:
1. Scarf, since she was a pup of five, helped track poachers even beyond the neighbourhood. The anti-poaching
team loves Scarf so much that they put her safety above theirs.
2. Once they reach age 10, we have to retire them. No matter how close they are to us, at that age they cannot
continue to do their jobs. There is no law that states what to do with these dogs once they retire.
(a) 1. Scarf gets love
2. but a retired dog cannot be loved.
(b) 1. The handler places priority on Scarf
2. No one might know what can be done once the dog retires.
(c) 1. Scarf is very special
2. after she retires she will still be special.
(d) 1. Scarf’s talent was beyond expectation
2. so was the talent of all other sniffer dogs.

v. If the initial number of dogs by 2000 were 50 for assisting psychiatric/emotional needs, then which point in
the graph accurately gives the increase for dogs needed for psychiatric/emotional assistance?

(a) 200 (b) 100 (c) 350 (d) 400

vi. Fill in the blank by selecting the correct option. The type of dogs that have increased over the years in
California is _____.
(a) medical (b) mobility (c) psychiatric/emotional (d) None of these

vii. Substitute the word ‘abandoned’ with ONE WORD similar in meaning, in the following sentence from
Paragraph 5:
As a result, they frequently find themselves abandoned to animal shelters, facing euthanasia.
viii List two types of information that detection dogs can give to tackle conservation problems around the world.
1. __________
2. __________

ix. List one reason why the writer says “The ideal detection dog is extremely energetic with an excessive play
drive”.

x. Select the option that titles the detection dogs under Paragraph 5 appropriately, with reference to information
in the text.
(a) 1. The ideal detection dog is extremely energetic.
2. Excessive play drive
3. Abandoned to animal shelters
(b) 1. Indispensable tools for biologists
2. Excessive play drive
3. Human disturbances on wildlife
(c) 1. Searches for whale feces
2. Abandoned in animal shelters
3. Conservation Canines
(d) 1. Field researchers
2. Human disturbances on wildlife
3. Conservation Canines

SECTION B- GRAMMAR AND WRITING 10 MARKS

III. Attempt ANY TEN of the following questions. 10 Marks
i. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete the following sentence.
The school results have been good_____________ our expectations.
(a) contrary to (b) contrary by (c) contrary with (d) contrary in

ii. Read the conversation between two friends and report the sentence by reporting the correct reply.
Anthony: Did you see my brand-new watch? Isn't it fine?
Tanu: Yes, it is! Did you buy it from the mall?
Anthony asked Tanu if she had seen his new watch and he wanted to know whether it was a fine one. Tanu
agreed and asked Anthony (a)________________________________ .
iii. You look happy. You may have heard about your promotion.
(a) might have (b) could have
(c) must have (d) No correction

iv. Anshita, who has been suffering due to tooth pain was asked the following question by Anannya.
Report Anannya's question.
Why don't you go to the doctor?

v. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following line, from a news report:
Exploring the universe means studying the universe for the sake of knowledge in the largest interest of mankind.

Option no. Error Correction

A. to, largest that, large

B. to, largest for, larger

C. means, to mean, for

D. exploring, interest explore, interests

vi. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket, for the given portion of a letter:
Subject: Increase of noise pollution in East Bangalore
Respected Sir/Ma’am,
I am writing to you _____ (bring) to your notice the increasing effect of noise pollution in our neighbourhood
and in the surrounding area.

vii. Identify the error in the given sentence from a book review and supply the correction.
Money is certainly necessary to survive. But is money the more important part of life?
Use the given format for your response:

ERROR CORRECTION
viii. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option, to complete the sentence.
You _____ disturb him during his work.
(a) could not (b) don’t have to
(c) must not (d) should not

ix. Transform the following direct speech into reported speech:

“Who now”, they had asked, “will listen to our troubles and protect us from the wild animals ?”

x. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket.
They ________ (wish) me on my birthday every year.

xi. Complete the given sentence, by filling in the blank with the correct option:
Two years have passed since he _________ here.
(a) has come (b) come
(c) came (d) had come

IV. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. 5 Marks

A. You are a resident of Mana Jardin Apartment, Sarjapur, Bangalore. Your residential area is flooded with
roadside dwellers who are deprived of basic civic amenities like electricity, public toilets, and shelter. Write a
letter to the Editor of The Times of India, highlighting the problems of these roadside dwellers, and also the
problems posed by them to the public. Give suggestions for improvement.
OR
B. You have a newly constructed Pet store in your area, and as the owner of the store, write a letter to M/s.
Kotakal Furniture, Chennai placing the order of the required furniture and other types of equipment that you
would need in your store.

V. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below. 5 Marks

A. Given below is a newspaper report on the state of cancer prevailing in India. You have been asked to write an
analytical paragraph on ‘Cancer - a silent killer’ Taking information from the clipping given below together with
your own ideas, write this paragraph in 100-120 words.
“In India, cities are more cancer-prone than rural areas. In the early 1990s, we expected one out of 10- 15 urban
Indians to get cancer in their lifetime, that is every second or third family would have to face this disease. This is
partly due to high levels of benzene in the air and also that the metros are exposed to high levels of pesticides in
their foods. In order to check the steady growth of cancer in the country, the Government shall have to give
priority to preventive action. At the same time measures to undertake improvement in facilities for the treatment
of cancer shall have to be adopted.”
OR

B. The following pie chart shows the comparison of different kinds of energy production in France in two
different years.

Study the pie charts and summarise them into an analytical paragraph of 100-120 words.

SECTION C- LITERATURE 40 MARKS

V. Reference to the Context 10 Marks
1. Attempt ANY ONE of the two extracts given. 5 Marks
1. A “Of those who, overcome by death, depart from life, a father cannot save his son, nor kinsmen their
relations. Mark! while relatives are looking on and lamenting deeply, one by one mortals are carried off, like an
ox that is led to the slaughter. So the world is afflicted with death and decay, therefore the wise do not grieve,
knowing the terms of the world.

i. Which of the following describes Buddha’s teachings in the best way?

a. We just have one life to live to the fullest. - unknown
b. "The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot."-Michael Altshuler
 c. Death, after all, is the common exception from birth. Neither heroes nor cowards can escape it. - Ellis
Peters
d. Stages of grief - 1. Denial 2. Anger 3. Bargaining 4. Depression 5. Acceptance

ii. Which of the following statements cannot be attributed to the Buddha based on the given extract?
i. The inevitability of death makes grieving futile.
ii. Death is common so one must grieve for the lost ones.
iii. Wise are those who do not grieve during the day but lament at night
iv. Understanding that life is finite leads to wisdom.
(a) i & ii (b) ii & iii (c) iii & iv (d) i & iv

iii. Choose the option that appropriately completes the following:

Lamentation grief::____________ :______________
(a) laughter: joke (b) discomfort: fear
(c) celebration: joy (d) resignation: loss

iv. Choose the option that lists the set of statements that are NOT TRUE according to the given extract.
(i) In this world human beings are slaughtered like ox (ii) The terms of the world are irrelevant.
(iii) There is hope for the dead to obtain peace. (iv) Weeping and grieving won’t cause disarray.
(a) (i) & (ii) (b) (ii) & (iv) (c) (iii) & (iv) (d) (ii) & (iii)

v. The given extract is paraphrased below. Choose the option that includes the most appropriate solutions for the
blanks.
(i) The act of___________________ is not only purposeless, but rather_____(ii)______ , causing pain and
trouble. It only serves to ______(iii)______ peace of mind___(iv)____ without complaint is crucial to well-being
and peace.
(a) (i) grief, (ii) harmful, (iii) destroy, (iv) accepting
(b) (i) grieving, (ii) counterproductive, (iii) take away, (iv) acceptance
(c) (i) weeping, (ii) productive, (iii) take away, (iv) lamenting
(d) (i) grieving, (ii) harmful, (iii) destroy, (iv) lamenting

OR
1.B. For the first twenty-four hours, Mijbil was neither hostile nor friendly; he was simply aloof and indifferent,
choosing to sleep on the floor as far from my bed as possible. The second-night Mijbil came on to my bed in the
small hours and remained asleep in the crook of my knees until the servant brought tea in the morning, and
during the day he began to lose his apathy and take a keen, much too keen, interest in his surroundings. I made a
body belt for him and took him on a lead to the bathroom, where for half an hour he went wild with joy in the
water, plunging and rolling in it, shooting up and down the length of the bathtub underwater, and making enough
slosh and splash for a hippo.

i. ‘’Mijbil was neither hostile nor friendly; he was simply aloof and indifferent’’ From the actions of the given set
of friends, choose the person whose behaviour is likely to resemble Mijbil's.
(a) Ananya rudely tells her best friend to stop bothering her.
(b) Rishabh was amicable since the day he walked into his new classroom.
(c) Skanda became spiteful as soon as he started earning money.
(d) Riza was distant for a while after losing her dog.

ii. Select the option that correctly puts the following events in the correct order.
(i) Mijbil immensely enjoyed playing in the water.
(ii) Mijbil gets a body belt.
(iii) Mijbil doesn’t respond to the surrounding.
(iv) Mijbil goes to the bathroom.
(a) . i, ii, iii, iv (b) i, iii, iv, ii (c) iii, ii,iv, i (d) ii,iii, iv, i

iii. The words ‘’slosh and splash’’ are examples of onomatopoeic words that go together phonetically resembling
the sound that they describe. Choose the option that DOES NOT fit the given description.
(a) knock-knock (b) pitter (c) Chirp/Chirrup (d) hip-hop

iv. ‘where for half an hour he went wild with joy in the water’ From the following sentences choose the one
which has similar usages of the word ‘wild’.
(a) Any time a wild animal isn't afraid of you, there is probably something wrong.
(b) Again they travelled across the wild country.
(c) The people are like wild beasts!
(d) He couldn't help but detect her wild pulse.
v. Choose the option that correctly describes a body belt in the given context as explained by the four people
given below.
(a) A body belt is a device specially made for swimmers and scuba divers, which helps them breathe underwater.
(b) Body belts resemble waist belts and keep our body upright, in a standing position.
(C) Body belts are used for restraining while doing certain activities, in order to prevent injury.
(D) A body belt is an accessory used by bodybuilders for weight training as a measure against muscle and bone
injuries.

2. Attempt ANY ONE of the two extracts given. 5 Marks

A. My head is full of whispers

which tomorrow will be silent.
Listen. The glass is breaking.
The trees are stumbling forward
into the night. Winds rush to meet them.
The moon is broken like a mirror,
its pieces flash now in the crown
of the tallest oak

1. The literary device used in “The moon is broken like a mirror,” is

(a) metaphor (b) simile (c) alliteration (d) imagery

2. ‘My head is full of whispers’. Where are all the whispers coming from?
(a) grasses and wild plants (b) leaves and lichens of the trees
(c) wind (d) moon

3. The pieces of the broken moon are shining

(a) In the oak forest (b) in the sky
(c) On the roof tree (d) on the top branches and leaves of the tallest oak tree.

4. Find the word from the extract which means the same as ‘shine’
(a) crown (b) mirror (c) pieces (d) flash
5. Why tomorrow it will be silent?
(a) The trees would be cut down
(b) (b) The trees would return back to their natural habitat
(c) The trees would go back to sleep
(d) The roots of the trees would bind them

OR
2B. His ball went. I would not intrude on him;
A dime, another ball, is worthless. Now
He senses first responsibility
In a world of possessions. People will take
Balls, balls will be lost always, little boy. (The Ball Poem)

i. Who is ‘I’ in the first line?

(a) Child (b) Child’s father (c) Poet (d) None of these

ii. What does the word ‘Intrude’ mean in the poem?

(a) To enter with permission (b) To enter without permission
(c) To enter someone’s heart without permission (d) None of these

iii. Why does the poet not want to intrude on the child?

iv. What is the poet trying to make the child understand?

(a) That he should forget the ball and stand up for the future
(b) That he should keep on remembering the ball
(c) That he should worry about other balls
(d) None of these

v. State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE:

According to the poet, the time has come for the boy to learn the responsibility of taking care of his things.
 [ LITERATURE - 30 MARKS ]

VI. Answer ANY FOUR of the following in about 40 to 50 words. (4 x 3=12 )

i. ‘’Never mind, ’I can get on by myself.’’ ‘’You don’t have to help me,’’ said Valli. She showed extraordinary
courage in taking the bus journey all alone. Express your views on Valli’s character.
ii. The crow and hemlock are usually used as negative references in literature. How are they used in the poem?
iii. Why did Mr. Keesing call Anne an ‘incorrigible chatterbox’?
iv. How did Lencho react to receiving the letter?
v. The ‘’yellow hair’’ is a symbol in the poem. Briefly explain with reference to the poem. ‘For Anne Gregory’.

VII. Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 40-50 words each: (2x3=6)
(i) What was Ebright’s mother’s contribution in making him a scientist?
(ii) How did Giffin manage to come out of the fiddly situation for the second time in the month of January?
(iii) Expression of Love can sometimes put your dear ones in trouble. Explain this with reference to the chapter-
‘The Triumph of Surgery’

VIII. Answer ANY ONE of the following in 100-200 words. ( 6 marks )

(i) ‘At last the darkness of the night reigned everywhere. And she considered the fate of men, that their lives
flicker up and are extinguished again.’
Based on your understanding of the above lines, write a dialogue between the buddha and Kisa Gotami
expressing what Kisa Gotami understood.
OR
(ii) “Bravery is about acting on it and not boasting about it”. Explain with reference to the poem- The Tale of the
Custard Dragon’.

IX. Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words. ( 6 marks )
(i) Hari Singh says- ‘’He knew it but neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything.’’ Anil successfully handled
the situation by not discussing it at all. Express your thoughts on it.

OR
(ii) ‘People should be satisfied with what they have. Desires have no limit but one should never forget the ground
realities’. Elaborate on the bases of the chapter- The Necklace.
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