LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

First Preliminary Assessment-2022 (English Paper – 2) Std X

Maximum Marks 80
Time allowed : Two hours

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 the paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.
The Paper has four sections

Section A is compulsory – All questions in Section A must be answered.

You must attempt one question from each of the Sections B, C and D and one other question from any

Section of your choice.

SECTION A

Question 1

Read the following questions and choose the most appropriate response from the choices given
below ( Please do not copy the question – simply write out in correct serial order the appropriate
word or phrase.)

(i)It has been mentioned in the story ‘’An Angel in Disguise’’ that Maggie’s mother was despised,
scoffed at and angrily denounced by

(a) Farmer Jones and Mrs Ellis

(b) All the villagers excluding the village children

(c) Everyone in the village including the clergy

(d) Everyone in the village

Page 1 of 13
(ii) We are told that Joe Thompson made or mended sleds and wagons for the children without a
draft on their hoarded sixpences. The phrase ‘’without a draft’’ means

(a) without causing an increase in the money they had

(b) without having to make a draft for remitting money

(c) without a drain on the money they had saved

(d) without asking their parents for their pocket money

(iii)The little match girl could see through the walls into the room because

(a)the walls turned translucent in the light of the match

(b)the window had thin muslin curtains through which she could see

(c)the bricks became transparent as gauze

(d)the bricks crumbled down and the room became visible

(iv) When the people of the town saw the little match girl lying frozen to death next morning,
they said,

(a) ‘’She was cold because it snowed the whole night.’’

(b) ‘’She lost her apron and slippers and so couldn’t bear the cold.’’

(c) ‘’She was evidently trying to warm herself.’’

(d) ‘’Poor thing! She couldn’t find her way home in the dark.’’

(v)In the story ‘’The Blue Bead’’, we are told that the crocodile was an ‘’antediluvian saurian.
‘’Antediluvian refers to

(a) a reptile of the pre-historic age

(b) a minotaur of the pastoral age

(c) a minotaur of the epic age

(d) a beast of the ice age

Page 2 of 13
(vi)Which of the following statements is Not true of the central character in the story ‘’All
Summer in a Day’’?

(a)She felt nostalgic about her days on Earth

(b) She loved to sing songs about the raindrops that fell in a shower of crystals

(c)She had come to Venus five years ago

(d)She lived in an underground city

(vii)And the banner above and nine smiling faces

Said more than these ________ (complete the sentence)

(a) lines ever will

(b)words never will

(c) words ever will

(d)phrases ever will

(viii) Maya Angelou is a well-known feminist writer who speaks for

(a)African Americans

(b)Hispanics

(c)Red Indians

(d)Asian Americans

(ix)In the poem ‘’Abou Ben Adhem’’, the phrase ‘’may his tribe increase’’ means

(a)may Abou’s family members increase

(b) may Abou have more years to live

(c)may Abou’s tribe possess larger flocks of sheep

(d) may there be more people on earth like Abou

Page 3 of 13
(x)Which of the following is NOT one of the themes of the poem ‘’The Patriot’’

(a)Public adulation is fickle

(b)Life is uncertain

(c) People are eternally kind and compassionate

(d) Rise and fall of heroes

(xi)When Shylock learns that Antonio has to declare himself as a bankrupt he tells Tubal to

(a) go to the court of justice and inform the Duke

(b) confiscate Antonio’s house and goods with the help of an officer of the law

(c) get an officer of the law and book his services a fortnight ahead

(d) tell an officer of the law that Antonio must be arrested at once

(xii)When does Bassanio say ‘’The substance of my praise doth wrong this shadow…’’?

(a)When he sees the caskets

(b) When he reads the inscriptions on the caskets

(c)When he meets Portia on his arrival from Venice after the trial

(d) When he sees Portia’s portrait

(xiii)Launcelot thinks Jessica is truly damned because

(a) she has married a Christian

(b) she has run away from home

(c) she has been profligate with the ducats she stole from her father

(d) she will be punished for the sins of her father

(xiv)When Lorenzo asks Jessica her opinion of Portia, the latter says that
Page 4 of 13
 (a)she has no words to express how good Portia is

(b)she has no words to describe Portia’s beauty

(c)she has no words to express her gratitude for Portia’s generosity

(d)she has no words to express how good a mistress Portia is to her servants

(xv) Who says to whom the following ’’What, woulds’t thou have a serpent sting thee twice?’’

(a) Bassanio to Shylock

(b) Shylock to Antonio

(c) Shylock to the Duke

(d) Shylock to Bassanio

(xvi)Thisbe and Pyramus are the considered to be symbols of

(a) deserted love

(b) unfaithful love

(c) faithful love

(d) god like amity

SECTION B

(Answer one or more questions from this Section)

DRAMA

(The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare)

Question 2

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

Bassanio : Wrest once the law to your authority:

To do a great right, do a little wrong…
(i) Where does this scene take place? What is the occasion? Who answers Bassanio? [3]
Ans: The court of justice in Venice.
Antonio’s trial
Page 5 of 13
 Portia
(ii) Explain the given lines. What is his reason for making this request? [3]
Bassanio requests that the law be twisted in this one occasion/ an irregularity be
committed in order to do a great act of justice. Bassanio says that the law should be bent a
little bit so that it will restrain Shylock from demanding the fulfillment of his desire which is
to get the penalty. This should be done to save Antonio’s life.

(iii) The answer Bassanio gets is: ‘’It must not be;’’ Give three reasons why the speaker
says so. [3]
Portia says so because according to her –
A judgement based on statutory law cannot be altered
It would be recorded for a precedent
And many an error would by the same example come into the affairs of the state.

(iv) A little later as Shylock is ready to take his pound of flesh Portia says: ‘’Tarry a little;
there is something else.’’ What is she referring to? What would happen to Shylock as a
consequence? [3]
Portia says that the bond gave Sylock no jot of blood. It expressly mentioned a pound of flesh.
In taking the flesh even if a drop of Christian blood was shed, Shylocks’s lands and goods would
be confiscated by the laws of Venice and taken over by the state.

(v) At the end of the scene Bassanio offers to gratify the lawyer who had saved Antonio.What
does he offer? Why is the offer refused? What does the lawyer ask for instead? Why does
Bassanio not give the lawyer what is asked for at that point of time? [4]
Bassanio offers three thousand ducats.
The lawyer that is Portia says that a person is well paid when he is well satisfied and since she
had been able to save Antonio she was satisfied and felt she had been well paid and did not
need anything else.
Asks for the ring Portia had given Bassanio at their marriage
Bassanio was reluctant to give the ring as his wife had given it to him and he had promised
never to part with it under any circumstance.

Question 3

Jessica: I am never merry when I hear sweet music.

Lorenzo: The reason is your spirits are attentive:

(i) Where are Jessica and Lorenzo at this point of time? Who had arrived a while ago and with
what news? [3]
They are in the avenue to Portia’s house.
Stephano with the news that their mistress Portia would be home before the break
of day.

Page 6 of 13
 (ii) Explain what Lorenzo means when he says:’The reason is your spirits are attentive’ [3]
When Jessica says that she is never happy when she hears sweet music, Bassanio tells
her that the reason is that her soul is wholly enraptured, therefore there is no room
for light thought.
(iii) Write two examples Lorenzo gives to show how music has a strong effect on everything on
earth. [3]
When a herd of colts who run around madly since that is the nature of their hot
blood, hear some music, they come to a mutual standstill, and their savage eyes turn
mild.
Orpheus with his music could move trees, stones and change the course of rivers.
(iv) What does Lorenzo have to say about a person who is ‘’not moved with concord of sweet
sounds’’? Your answer must have three points. [3] not
According to Lorenzo, a person who is not moved by the concord of sweet sounds
is a man who is
fit for treason, strategems, and spoils
his thoughts and feelings are dull as night
his emotions are as dark as hell
and such a man must not be trusted

(v) Later in the scene, Portia says that music sounds much sweeter at night than by day. Write
one example she gives with reference to birds. How does she rationalize this
observation? [4]
Portia says that music sounds sweeter by night. Nerissa tells her that it is because the
night is silent. Portia agrees with her and says that a crow would sound as sweet a
musician as the lark when neither is attended/ the nightingale would be considered
no better a musician than the wren if she should sing in the day when every bird is
making a harsh sound. (Any ONE example)
This is because the true worth and value of a thing depends on the way it has been
seen or heard at an appropriate time. (‘’How many things by season season’d are’’)

SECTION C

(Answer one or more questions from this Section)

PROSE – SHORT STORIES

(A Collection of ICSE Poems and Short Stories)

Question 4

Read the following extract from the lesson ‘My Greatest Olympic Prize’ and answer the
questions that follow:

Page 7 of 13
I knew that if it hadn’t been for him I probably wouldn’t be jumping in the finals the following
day. We sat in his quarters and talked for two hours – about track and field, ourselves, the
world situation, a dozen other things.

(i)What feat made Jesse Owens the best remembered athlete in Olympic history? Where and
when did this happen? [3]

Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin and this
stunning achievement made him the best remembered athlete in Olympic history?

(ii)What myth spread by the German Chancellor affected the American athlete badly? [3]

Hitler had spread the myth that one ethnic group was superior to all others. Moreover,
he refused to acknowledge that a ‘’black’’ man could ever be successful.

(iii)This event saw the beginning of a lifelong friendship between Owens and a German athlete.
Name the German. What has Owens mentioned about the German athlete when they had met
for the first time which tells you he was not like most young Germans who had been schooled in
the Nazi youth movement.

[3]

The German was Luz Long, a star track and field athlete representing Germany at the
Olympics.

Owens writes that Luz Long seemed to understand why Owens was angry. He tried to
reassure the American athlete. Owens says that although like young Germans of the
time, Luz long had been schooled in the Nazi youth movement, he didn’t believe in it
any more than Owens did. The two young athletes laughed over the fact that Luz really
looked the part. This tells us that unlike most other young Germans who had been
brainwashed into thinking they were superior as a race, Luz did not believe in the Aryan
supremacy theory at all.

(iv)Sports have always been very competitive. What sets the German athlete apart from most
sportsmen? Explain with the help of an example. [3]

Although Luz Long was a star athlete and obviously wanted to win the gold, he
considered the spirit of sportsmanship more important than a medal. He believed in the
ethos underlying the Olympics that it is not winning but taking part.

Page 8 of 13
 When he saw Owens fouling at the trials, he gave him some sound advice as to how he
could overcome his problem. He also boosted his morale by reminding him that he was
one of the best athletes in the world and could qualify with his eyes closed. Luz knew
that Owens was his closest rival and helping him qualify made his job of getting the gold
that much more difficult. But to Luz the spirit of sportsmanship which he proved by
helping a fellow athlete was far more important. This incident proves that for Luz Long
what was important was not just winning but how he played the game.

(v) How did the two athletes perform in the finals? What does Jesse Owens consider his
‘Greatest Olympic Prize’? Why? [4]

• Luz Long - broke his own personal record • Owens - set an Olympic record (of 26 feet 5 – 5/16
inches)/ won the Gold Medal (2)

• The friendship that sprang up between himself and Luz Long. (1)

• It proved that it was possible for two people to rise above petty barriers like race and colour
– to compete with each other and yet remain the best of friends/ remained lifelong friends (or
any acceptable reason)[1]

Question 5

Read the following extract from the lesson ‘All Summer in a Day’ by Ray Douglas Bradbury and
answer the questions that follow:

‘’It’s stopping, it’s stopping!’’

‘’Yes, yes!’’

Margot stood apart from them, from these children who could ever remember a time when
there wasn’t rain and rain and rain.

(i) Describe how people lived on the planet. Your answer must have three points. [3]

The people who had come to settle on Venus were called rocket men and women. They lived in
underground cities.

They could not go out of the underground city for seven years as it rained incessantly.

The people used sun lamps that simulated natural light.

Children studied in a classroom that had huge glass windows and played in the tunnels of the
underground cities they could not go out to play.

(ii) Why was there so much excitement in the school room that morning? [3]
Page 9 of 13
The sun would shine that day for a brief 2 hours/ happened only once in 7 years/ they had
waited for this day/ The sun was to appear that day and the children (all 9-year olds) were
excited because they had no personal memory of seeing / experiencing the sun /they had only
heard of it and were eager to experience it for themselves.

(iii) With the help of three points, show how the absence of the sun affected Margot. [3]

Margo had come from Ohio to Venus with her parents when she was four but she remembered
the sun quite well. She missed the golden beauty of the sun and its warmth.

• Without the sun, she started fading away. She was affected mentally as well as
physically. She was like an old faded photograph. It seemed the colour was washed out
of her. Her voice was like the whisper of a ghost.

• Margot was different as

she would not play (did not run when they tagged her) with the other children /

she refused to sing along with them/ sang only if song was about sun or summer.

• The incessant rain affected her so badly that once while in the shower, she started
screaming that the water must not touch her.

(iv)Describe how the planet was transformed when the sun came out and shone briefly over it.

When the sun came out, the world seemed to come to a standstill. There was immense silence.

It seemed as if a film about a natural calamity had been replaced by a tropical scene of great
beauty.

The sun was a flaming bronze and the sky was a blazing blue tile colour

(v)‘’They stood as if someone had driven them, like so many stakes, into the floor.’’

Why did the children stand immobile? Why could they not look at each other? What dark aspect
of children’s nature is manifest in the story? What note of optimism does the writer strike at the
end of the story? [4]

• They were reminded that they had shut Margot in a closet.

• They realized that they had been cruel to Margot and they had all been co-conspirators..
Therefore, their sense of shame and guilt prevented them from looking at each other,it
was as if they saw their own guilt reflected in the eyes of their friends.

• Children can be cruel to those who are different, or are weaker than them. They can
bully such another child thoughtlessly

Page 10 of 13
 • The note of optimism is that the children realized their mistake and were ashamed and
remorseful. This gives hope that they would not do something like this again.

SECTION D

(Answer one or more questions from this Section)

POETRY

(A Collection of ICSE Poems and Short Stories)

Question 6

Read the following extract from the poem ‘Nine Gold Medals’’ by David Roth and answer the
questions that follow:

He gave out a cry of frustration and anguish

His dreams and his efforts dashed in the dirt
(i)Who is ‘’he’’? What ‘’special’’ event is he participating in? Why is it called ‘’special’’?[3]
‘’he’’ is the youngest runner participating in the last race of the day, the 100metres run.
He is participating in the Special Olympics.
The ‘athletes’ in the poem are disabled people who are participating in the ‘Special Olympics’.
They had come from all over the world. It is termed ‘Special Olympics’ because it is an event
organised for differently abled people.

(ii)How has the poet created a sense of excitement and anticipation as the participants line up for
the race? Your answer must have three points. [3]

The athletes had come from many countries and each wanted to make their country proud by
winning a medal.
The air was filled with suspense as it was the last event of the day, the hundred-yard race
which was the final race of the Special Olympics. The crowd cheered on the young women and
men, the loudspeakers called out the names of the runners, the runners stood poised for the
sound of the gun. There was a sense of anticipation and excitement as everyone waited for the
runners to take off.

(iii)What indicates to us that the participants were determined to bring laurels to their country?
[3]

Page 11 of 13
 • We are told that the athletes who came from different countries had trained for weeks
and months for the race. This shows their determination and desire to win a medal-gold,
silver or bronze.
• They stood ready to take off and when the pistol was shot, each seemed to explode from
their starting point without wasting a moment.

(iv)What unfortunate event occurred as soon as the race started? Why did ‘’he’’ cry out in
frustration and anguish? [3]

The race began and all the contestants started running. Suddenly, the youngest contestant
stumbled and staggered and fell on his knees to the ground.
He cried out in frustration and anguish because he had prepared for many months to win a
medal and now he saw his dreams dashed in the dirt. The fall did not hurt him as much as the
realisation that he would not win a medal. This caused him to cry out in anguish and frustration
.

(v)How was the race reduced to a walk? What does this unusual turn of events tell us about the
athletes? [4]

•
All the nine runners had gone through rigorous training for the event and each was
determined to win the race, but the youngest of them fell down as soon as the race
started. The remaining eight runners stopped when they heard his cry of anguish. They
stopped in their tracks and came back to him one by one. They helped him up and then
joining hands, all the nine athletes walked to the finish line together. They walked slowly
as their youngest comrade could not run. Thus the race was reduced to a walk.
• This tells us that the other athletes understood what the youngest of them was feeling,
they empathised with him. They were ready to sacrifice their hopes of winning a medal
in order to help him. They epitomised the true spirit of sports that the important thing in
the games is not winning but taking part and the essential thing in life is not conquering
but fighting well.

Question 7
Read the following extract from the poem ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ by Maya Angelou
and answer the questions that follow:

The caged bird sings

with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still

Page 12 of 13
(i)What is the ‘’caged bird’’ a metaphor for in the poem? Which metaphor does the poet use in
stark contrast to the caged bird and and for whom? [3]
Symbolizes the African-Americans who have been oppressed all through their history by the
whites in America.
The metaphor the poet uses to bring out the contrast is ‘’free bird’’ which symbolizes the white
people in America.

(ii)The poet writes: ‘’and dares to claim the sky’’

Explain what the poet means by this line. Who dares to claim the sky and why is he able to do so?
What does the line mean?
The line means that the bird has the freedom to achieve what he desires and dreams of.
The free bird.
He is able to do so as he has the freedom to dream big. He has many opportunities to achieve
his dreams therefore he can dare to claim the sky.

(iii)With the help of three points, describe the caged bird’s state of captivity. [3]

The caged bird stalks in his narrow cage.

He is filled with anger and frustration because of his captivity.
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied.
All he does is open his throat and sing.

(iv)Explain ‘’fearful trill’’. Why does the caged bird sing thus? [3]
The caged bird sings in a quavering voice that echoes his fear.
He is afraid of the unfamiliar world outside. He does not know what to expect from this free
world he has never known. Yet, he longs to be free and

(v)The third verse has been repeated at the end of the poem. What is the significance of this?
Explain with the help of two points. [4]
The third verse is repeated to tell us that the caged bird in spite of living in captivity voices his
protest against those who oppress him. The poet wants to tell us that the blacks in America
have been oppressed for many years. The discriminatory attitude of the white community have
stopped the black man from achieving his dreams. The caged bird who is a symbol of the
oppressed black community sings in a fearful trill as it is afraid, yet it cannot forget its longing
for freedom. His song is heard far away and brings hope to others who are not free and gives
them the courage to speak up and fight for freedom. His song is the song of freedom.

********************

Page 13 of 13