INDIAN EDUCATION SOCIETY

ES VALUE ADDITION
OUOH EDUCATION
Orion (ICSE)
Secondary (2022-23)

MARKS 80
STD: X Preliminary Examination
Time: 2 HRS
DATE:12/01/23 Subject: English Language Paper -1

Answers to this Paper must be written on the paper provided separately.

You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes.

This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.
The time given at the head of this Paper is the time allowed for writing the answers

Attempt all five questions.

The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ].
You ore advised to spend not more than 30 minutes in answering Question 1 and 20 minutes in
answering Question2.

Question 1

(Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question.)

Write a composition (300 - 350 words) on any one of the following:

a) If you learn from your defeat, you have not really lost. Narrate an incident from your life when you
experienced such a defeat. What lessons did you learn from your experience and how did you
overcome the pain of defeat?
b) 'Wild fires have become a serious threat for natural habitat nowadays.' Describe various factors that
enhance it as well as suggest a few remedial measures to overcome it.
c)'Government should give unemployment allowance to the unemployed people till they get a job."
Express your views either for or against this statement.
d) Write a short story which illustrates the truth of the statement, Trouble is the most common part of
life.
e) Study the picture given below. Write a story or a description or an account of what it suggests to you.
Your composition may be about the subject of the
picture you may take suggestions from it; howeve
or
there must be a clear connection between the picture and your
composition.
 Question 2

minutes on this question.)

(Do not spend more than 20
a) Write
Select a letter
any one oftothe
thefollowing
Secretary of the housing society where you live that you have noticed the childrenblem
fthe
and suggest ways in which this probi.
details of the misuse
Complex misusing the play area very often. Give
can be solved. him about the necesSaru
Write letter to your younger brother living boarding school in Mumbai, advising
in a ry
b) a
and also some suggestions to boost his immunity,
precautions he should take to protect himself from dengue

Question 3
three day Exhibition of
a) You are the Head of the Event club of your school. Your school
is planning to organize a
of the
received from this event will go towards the betterment
creative articles for Grade I to X pupils. The fund school notice
to be put up on your
children from the economically weaker section of the society. Write a notice
board giving the necessary details. (51

b) Write an seeking permission to have the time of the exhibition extended

E-mail to the Corporator of your area,
until 11:00 p.m. and support for the smooth functioning of the event on all three days. 15
Question 4
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: [20]
The Ghost Who Got in
It was Grandfather who finally decided that we would have to move to another house. And it was all because of a
Pret, a mischievous north-Indian ghost, who had been making life difficult for everyone. Prets usually live in peepal
trees, and that's where our little ghost first had his abode - in the branches of a massive old peepal tree which had

grown through the compound wall and spread into our garden. Part of the tree was on our side of the wall, part on
the other side, shading the main road. It gave the ghost a commanding view of the entire area. For many years the
Pret had ived there quite happily, without bothering anyone in our house. It did not bother me, either, and I spent a
lot of time in the peepal tree. Sometimes I went there to escape the adults at home, sometimes to watch the road
and people who passed by. The peepal tree was cool on a hot day, and the
heart-shaped leaves were always
revolving in the breeze. This constant movement of the leaves also helped to disguise the movement of the Pret, so
that I never really knew exactly where he sitting. But he
was paid no attention to me. The traffic on the road kept
him fully ocCupied.
Sometimes,
when a tonga was passing, he would jump down and
frighten the pony, and as a result the little pony
cartwould go rushing off in the wrong direction. Sometimes he would
get into the engine of a car or a bus, which
would have a breakdown soon afterwards.
And he iked to knock the
sola-topees (pith helmets) off the heads of sahibs or officials, who would
wonder how a strong breeze had sprung up so
suddenly, only to die down just as quickly. Although this special kind
of ghost could make himself felt, and sometimes
heard, he was invisible to the human eye. I was not invisible to the
hurman eye, and often got the blane for some of Pret's
pranks. If bicycle riders were stuck by mango seeds or
apricot stones they would look up, see a small boy in the branches of the tree, and threaten me
with dire
Consequences.
Drivers who went off after parking their cars in the shade
would sometimes come back to find their
tyres flat. My
protests of innocence did not carry much weight. But when mentioned the Pret in
I the tree, they would look uneasy,
either because they thought I must be mad, or because
they were afraid of ghosts, especially Prets. They would find
other things to do and hurry away. At night no one
walked beneath the peepal tree. It was said that if
beneath the tree, the Pret would jump down your throat and ruin you yawned
your digestion. Our gardener, Chandu who was
always taking sick leave, blamed the Pret for his tummy troubles. Once, when
yawning, Chandu had forgotten to
snap his fingers in front of his mouth, and the ghost had got in without any trouble.
 Ow
Choose the correct
rom the options provided: meaning (as used inthe
the passage)
passa
1) mischievous [3
a) troublemaker
b) troublesome
c) harmless
d) cheekily

2) commanding
a) bossy
b) strikin8
c) unimpressive
d) docile

3) invisible
a) unnoticeable
b) invisibility
c) visibility
d) discreetly

(1) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.

a) Why did grandfather decide to move to another house? [1]

b) Where did the little ghost first have his abode? [2]
c) How did the author spend his time in the peepal tree? 21
d) How was this Pret a special kind of a ghost? (2
e) Why did everyone avoid walking beneath the peepal tree at night? [2]
in) In not more than 50 words explain the different pranks played by the Pret. 8]

Question 5 (20
00 Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in brackets. Do not copy the passage
but write in correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the blank space.

Example: (0) gave [4]

Whenever Granny made vanilla or chocolate fudge, she (0)(give) me some to take to Mohan, the
gardener's son. It was no use_(1) take) him roast duck or curried chicken because in his house no one
(eat) meat. But Mohan liked sweets --- Indian sweets, which
_(3) (be) (make) with lots of milk
(2) .

and lots of sugar, as well as Granny's home-made English sweets. We ( 4 ) (will) climb into the branches of
We couldn't eat the jackfruit, except when it
the jackfruit tree and eat fudge or peppermints or sticky toffee.
(be) (cook) as a vegetable or made into a pickle. But the tree itself was wonderful for (6)
(5)
(live) in it ----squirrels and fruit bats and a pair of green
(climb). And some wonderful creatures
parrots. The squirrels were friendly and soon got into the habit of. 8 (eat) for her child.

(i) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words. [4

the car's window.
a) The bushes scraped
b) Roma manages to scrape on her salary.
c) Malaria has broken in the town.
the results were announced.
d) A felicitation was organized a few days
e) He was taken when he realized he had been cheated by his best friend.
f) In a years time this puppy will grow a big dog.
B) My sister has got the Civil Services Examinations.

h) The teacher was greatly incensed the child's obstinacy

3
 (10) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence withoutusing
and, but or so. Choose the correct option.

i) The stable door was open. The horse was stolen.

a) The stable door being open, the horse was stolen.
b) On opening the stable door, the horse was stolen.
c) The stable door being opened, the horse was stolen.
d) Stealing the horse, the stable door was open.

ii) We must finish this exercise. There are still three sentences.
a) We must finish this exercise for there are still three sentences.
b) There are still three sentences for this exercise to be finished.
c) We have still three sentences of this exercise to finish.
d) There are still three sentences for us to finish.

i) The men went out to see if anyone was missing. The women stayed behind to take care of the injured.
a) While the men went out to see if anyone was missing, the women stayed behind to take care of the injured.
b The men went out to see if anyone was missing and the women stayed behind to take care of the injured.
c The women stayed behind to take care of the injured so the men went out to see if anyone was missing.
d) Not oniy did the women stay behind to take care of the injured but also the men went out to see if anyone was

missing
iv) I wear this expensive outfit very sparingly. I bought it last month.
a) I wear
this expensive outfit which I bought last month
very sparingly.
b) I wear this expensive outfit very sparingly as I bought last month.
c)I wear this
inexpensive outfit which I bought last month very sparingly.
d) I wear this expensive outfit since I bought last month very sparingly.
(iv) Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions
given after each. Make otherchanges that may
be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence. Choose the correct
options. [8]
i)The police interrogated the suspect closely for over three hours. (Begin: The suspect..)
a) The suspect being interrogated closely for over three hours by the police.
b) The suspect was interrogated closely for over three hours by the police.
c) The suspect had been interrogated for over three hours by the police.
d) The suspect will be interrogated closely for over three hours by the police.

n) "Have you walked alorne, this long distance today?" he asked Sumita. (Begin: He asked Sumitaif..
a) He asked Sumita if she had walked
alone, that long distance that day.
b) He asked Sumita if she has walked alone, that long distance today.
c) He asked Sumita whether she walked alone, that long distance that day.
d) He asked Sumita if she had walked alone, this long distance that day.

fin) The old woman was too slow to catch the bus. (Begin: The old woman was so.
a) The old woman was so slow to catch the bus.
b) The old woman was so fast to catch the bus.
c) The old woman was so slow that she could not catch the bus.
d) The old woman was so fast that she could not catch the bus.

iv)Though Reema got an expensive gift she was not happy. (Begin: Inspite.
a) On getting an expensive gift Reema wasn't happy.
b) Inspite getting an expensive gift Reema was not happy.
c) Inspite Reema got an expensive gift she was not happy.
d) inspite of getting an expensive gift, Reema was not happy.
 sOon as we lit the
candle, the power supply was restored.
(Use: No
NO SOoner did we light the
candle, than the power supply was restored.sooner...
b) As we Iit the candle, the
power supply was restored.
c) The power supply was restored no sooner we lit the candle.
d) No sooner did we lit the candle, than the
power supply was restored.
6) Raju did not complete the exercise on time.
(Add a question tag)
a) Raju did not complete the exercise on time, didn't he?
b) Raju did not complete the exercise on
time, did he?
c) Raju did not complete the exercise on time, he did?
d) Raju did not complete the exercise on time, he didn't?

7) This is the funniest movie I have ever seen. (Begin Never . )

a) Never I have seen a funny movie as this.
b) Never have I seen such a funniest movie.
c) Never have i seen a movie as funny as this one.
d) Never had I seen a movie as funny as this one.

8) How cruel Shylock was to demand his pound of flesh! (Begin: It was very cruel..
a) It was very cruel of Shylock to demand his pound of flesh.
b) lt is very cruel of Shylock to demand his pound of flesh.
i t wasn't very cruel of Shylock to demand his pound of flesh.
d) it was very cruel of Shylock not to demand his pound of flesh.