BANGALORE SAHODAYA SCHOOLS COMPLEX ASSOCIATION (BSSCA)

PRE-BOARD EXAMINATION (2022-2023)SET B

Date: Max. Marks: 80

Subject: English Language and Literature- Code -184 Time: 3hrs
General Instructions:
1. 15-minute prior reading time allotted for Q-paper reading.
2. The Question Paper contains THREE sections-READING, GRAMMAR & WRITING
and LITERATURE.
3. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
___________________________________________________________________________
SECTION A- READING SKILLS 20 MARKS

I. Read the passage given below. 10 Marks

1. Birds have been building nests for over 100 million years. Dinosaurs, the ancestors of birds,
also built terrestrial nests over hundreds of millions of years. The diversity we see in bird’s nests
today is a result of these thousands of bird species, evolving in different environments, creating
diverse ways to house and protect their families.

2. We think of architecture as a result of conscious design, purpose and aesthetic expression there
is, precisely, such architecture in avian nests. These are not unplanned constructions. These are
shaped by a history of selection and functionality. Also, the diversity of materials used by birds to
build nests is astonishing and birds arrive at this independently.

3. As adults, the birds go out into nature alone and gather materials to construct their nests which
have very specific structures. They have extraordinary building capacities which show both
flexibility and an innate way of interacting with the environment.

4. Interestingly, all nests perform the physical job of house and protecting a bird’s eggs from bad
weather and predators. The nest is also often the location of the development of the young.

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 Therefore, knowing the nest’s centrality, birds have developed habitat-based strategies to meet
these needs. Diverse species use sticks, twigs, webs, or mud, handled in specific ways to create
the nest they require. Like human builders, birds choose materials related to the actual structure
they want.

5. Birds’ nests also have regular styles of construction - historically conditioned by

circumstances, like human communities which use bricks or stones. Birds have a similar historical
investment in their nests. For instance, a group of land birds, which includes kingfishers,
hornbills, and woodpeckers, is about 60 million years old. All of these nest in holes, from ground
burrows to holes in trees, where they can safely keep their eggs. None of them has created an
alternative way. Nests are, therefore, conservative structures - birds don’t change the designs
much unless they are sure they are improving on the conditions required for breeding and
protecting their young.

6. Now weaver birds are an extraordinary example of a group that makes impressive nests. These
include an egg chamber suspended from a branch, with a doorway. The complexity is amazing -
the fibers are interlaced, like weaves.

7. This creates very strong water-repellent structures. The weaver bird starts with a vertical ring,
like a hoop, and adds a back hemisphere to this. It then weaves on the front to create a small door.
Some species add a tubular passage to the back chamber - this can be up to five times the length
of the nest.

I. 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:

Different birds build their nests in different ways.

ii. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word from paragraph 3:
fuzzy: clarity:: rigid: _____
(Clue: Just like fuzzy means lacking in clarity, similarly rigid means lacking...)

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

Diverse species use sticks, twigs, webs, or mud, handled in specific ways to create the nest they
require.

iv. Substitute the word ‘instance’ with ONE WORD similar in meaning, in the following
sentence from paragraph 5:
Birds have a similar historical investment in their nests. For instance, a group of land birds,
which includes kingfishers, hornbills, and woodpeckers, is about 60 million years old.

v. Birds also have an aesthetic sense. They show it through

(a) the architecture of their nests (b) their multi-coloured plumes
(c) how they protect their families (d) the precision of their nests'

vi. When the birds think of building their nests, the most important factor in their minds is
(a) its beauty (b) its purpose (c) its design (d) its colour

vii. List any two jobs performed by a bird’s nest.

A._______________

B. _______________

viii. The materials all birds use for building their nests are

(a) sticks (b) twigs only

(c) webs or mud (d) any of the above, according to their specific needs

ix. A woodpecker lays its eggs

(a) in a nest made of mud (b) in a hole in a tree

(c) in a web made of twigs (d) in a nest made of sticks

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x. Nests are, therefore, conservative structures’ means

(a) nests are modern in design (b) nests have to be carefully constructed

(c) nests are traditional in design (d) nests are flashy and gaudy in looks

II. Read the passage given below. 10 Marks

1. The ocean is one of the most unexplored parts of our planet, with a magnitude of undiscovered
species and mysteries. It turns out from the studies conducted over the last few decades, this
magnificent environment is under serious threat from human intervention, with plastics set to
outnumber fish by 2050.
2. Marine life, as we know it, is suffering irreparable damage from the chemical pollution of the
waters and the millions of tons of mismanaged waste dumped in the oceans each year. The result
is a planetary crisis with over 100 million marine animal lives getting lost every year and the
decay of the ocean’s ecosystem. Shocking Ocean Pollution Statistics

• 100 million marine animals die each year from plastic waste alone.

• 100000 marine animals die from getting entangled in plastic yearly - this is just the
creatures we find

• 1 in 3 marine mammal species get found entangled in the litter, and 12-14000 tons of
plastic are ingested by North Pacific fish yearly.
• In the past 10 years, we’ve made more plastic than in the last century. By 2050, the
pollution of fish will be outnumbered by our dumped plastic.
• The largest trash site on the planet is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, twice the surface
area of Texas, it outnumbers sea life there 6 to 1.
• Chine is ranked #1 for mismanaged waste and plastics. However, the US is in the top 20
with more significant waste per person contributions.
• 300 Million tons of plastic gets created yearly, and this weighs the same as the entire
human population, and 50% is single-use only.
• There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic waste estimated to be in our oceans. 269000 tons

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 float and 4 billion microfibers per km2 dwell below the surface.
• 70% of our debris sinks into the oceans’ ecosystem, 15% floats and 15% lands on our beaches.
• In terms of plastic, 8.3 million tons are discarded in the sea yearly. Of these, 236000 are
ingestible microplastics that marine creatures mistake for food.
• Plastics take 500-1000 years to degrade; currently 79% is sent to lands or the oceans, while
only 9% is recycled, and 12% gets incinerated.
• 1950-1998 over 100 nuclear blast tests occurred in our oceans.

• 500 marine locations are now recorded as dead zones globally, currently the size of the
United Kingdom’s surface (245000 km2 )
• 80% of global marine pollution comes from agriculture runoff, untreated sewage, and
discharge of nutrients and pesticides.
• 90% of the worldwide ocean debris comes from 10 rivers alone. 3. Almost 1,000 species
of marine animals get impacted by ocean pollution, and we now have over 500 locations
recorded as dead zones where marine life cannot exist. How did this happen, and what is
causing the most damage, find out everything above in the marine pollution statistics
roundup.

3. Almost 1,000 species of marine animals get impacted by ocean pollution, and we now have
over 500 locations recorded as dead zones where marine life cannot exist. How did this happen,
what is causing the most damage, find out everything above in the marine pollution statistics
roundup.
4. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a floating island of debris, accumulated in the North Pacific
Ocean by an extensive system of currents called gyres. It is built up from two other waste patches,
the western garbage patch near Japan and the eastern garbage patch near America’s west coast
near California and Hawaii.

5. The North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone links the east and western garbage patches,
acting as a highway for waste to move from one to the other. Because of this, a small item of
debris dropped near California can travel across to Japan, then eventually get sucked up by these
swirling garbage patch vortexes.

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6. The great pacific garbage patch size is quite shocking. These patches of trash are said to be
twice the size of Texas and float on the surface but do drop several meters into the ocean in
places, which makes the correct size challenging to measure. The world’s largest garbage site is
mainly made up of microplastics creating a vast cloud, with newer items of debris that haven’t
broken down as much floating around like chunks in a soup. The great pacific garbage patch
effects on marine life are extremely significant.

II. Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given. 10 Marks
i. In the ocean what is set to out-number the fish by the year 2050?

(a) pollution (b) plastics (c) human waste (d) garbage

ii. List any two reasons for the following, based on information in paragraph 2
Marine life is suffering from irreparable damage.
1. ___________________________

2. ___________________________

iii. The largest trash site on the planet, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is twice the size of which
city ?
(a) Arizona (b) Colorado (c) Texas (d) Florida

iv. Which country is ranked number one for mismanaged waste and plastic?
(a) China (b) USA (c) India (d) France

v. Complete the following analogy correctly with a word from paragraph 3:

slug: land:: shark: __________
(Clue: Just like a slug lives on land, similarly a shark lives in...)

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vi. Which of the following is NOT a place from where 80% of global marine pollution comes?
(a) untreated sewage (b) agriculture run-off
(c) discharge of nutrients and pesticides (d) factory waste disposal

vii. List one reason for the following, based on information in paragraph 5:
A small item of debris dropped near California can travel across to Japan.

viii. State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE;

700 marine locations are now recorded as dead zones globally.

ix. Substitute the word ‘irreparable’ with ONE WORD similar in meaning, in the following
sentence from paragraph 2:
Marine life, as we know it, is suffering irreparable damage from the chemical pollution of the
waters.

x. An extensive system of currents in the North Pacific Ocean is called :

(a) vortex (b) convergence (c) gyres (d) debris

SECTION B- GRAMMAR AND WRITING 20 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 party workers were busy campaigning _____________ the polls.
(a) ahead by (b) ahead out (c) ahead of (d) ahead in

ii. Read the conversation between two friends and report the sentence by reporting the correct
reply.
Divya: So, after living in Bangalore for a decade, are you satisfied?

Madhav: I love the city as it has its own charm.

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 Divya asked Madhav if after living for a decade in Bangalore was he satisfied. Madhav told her
that he loved the city as (a)________________________________

iii. Replace the underlined words from the option given.

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: A little political thinkers think that liberty and equality can’t go together.

Option No. ERROR CORRECTION

A. can’t couldn’t

B. think thinks

C. A little Some

D. go goes

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

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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. Choose the correct option to replace the highlighted one.

I will come tomorrow unless I have to look after the kids.
(a) until (b) must (c) whenever (d) No correction

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.

The level of intoxication ________ (vary) from subject to subject.

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

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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 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 Furnitures, 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.

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

SECTION C- LITERATURE 40 MARKS

VI. Reference to the Context 10 Marks

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

1. Which of the following describes Buddha’s teachings as 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

2. Which of the following statements cannot be attributed to the Buddha based on the given
extract?
a. The inevitability of death makes grieving futile.

b. Death is common so one must grieve for the lost ones.

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 c. Wise are those who do not grieve during the day but lament at night

d. Understanding that life is finite leads to wisdom.

(a) i & ii (b) ii & iii (c) iii & iv (d) i & iv

3. Choose the option that appropriately completes the following:

Lamentation grief::____________ :______________

a. laughter: joke b. discomfort: fear

c. celebration: joy d. resignation: loss

4. 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)

5. 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

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 OR
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. 5 Marks

1. ‘’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.

2. 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

3. 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

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4. ‘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 traveled across the wild country.
c. The people are like wild beasts!

d. He couldn't help but detect her wild pulse.

5. 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.

VII. Attempt ANY ONE of the two extracts given.

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 5 Marks

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

a. metaphor b. simile c. alliteration d. imagery

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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. 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

B. 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) 5 Marks

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 1. Who is ‘I’ in the first line?
a. Child b. Child’s father c. Poet d. None of these

2. 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

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

4. 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

5. 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.

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

A. ‘’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.
B. The crow and hemlock are usually used as negative references in literature. How are they used
in the poem?
C. Why did Mr. Keesing call Anne an ‘incorrigible chatterbox’?

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D. What was the effect of hailstones on Lencho’s crop?
E. The ‘’yellow hair’’ is a symbol in the poem. Briefly explain with reference to the poem. ‘For
Anne Gregory’.

IX. Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 40-50 words each: ( 2 x 3 Marks = 6 )
A. Albert Einstein said, ‘The important thing is to never stop questioning.’ Richard was a genius
who proved this quote true. Justify
B. Griffin’s brilliance as a man of science fades before his darker traits. Comment.
C. Expression of Love can sometimes put your dear ones in trouble. Explain this with reference
to the chapter- ‘The Triumph of Surgery’

X. Answer ANY ONE of the following in 100-200 words. 6 marks

‘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

‘’Bravery is about acting on it and not boasting about it’. Explain with reference to the poem. The
Tale of the Custard Dragon’.

XI. Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 100-120 words. 6 marks
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
Not accepting the limitations of our life makes us unhappy in our lives. Describe how
Matilda Loisel suffers in her life because she does not accept the fact that to be happy one
need not be rich.

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