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Millennium"
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The Millennium School

ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE (Code No. 184)
Pre-Board II Examinations 2023-24

Subj €ct: English Class: X

l'ime Allowed: 3 Hrs. Maximum Marks: 80

General Instructions:
l.'fhe Question Paper contains THREE sections-READING, GRAMMAR & WRITING and LITERATURE.
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2. .\ttempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
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SEC'I'ION A- READING (20 Marks)

Ql. Read the follorving passage carelulll. 10

L In the surnnrer of 1967, when I was ten years old, my father caved into my persistent
pleas and took me to get my own dog. Together we drove in the family station wagon t'ar
into the Michigan countryside to a farm run by a rough-hewn woman and her ancient
mother. The fann produced just one cornmoditydogs. Dogs ofevery imaginable size and
-l'hey
shape and agc and temperament. had only rwo things in common: each was a mongrel
of unknown and distinct ancestry. and each was free to a good home.

2. I quickly decided the older dogs were somebody else's charity case. I immediately raced
to the puppy cage. "You want to pick one that's not timid," my father coached. "Try rattling
the cage and see which ones aren't afiaid."

3. I grabbed the chainlink gate and yanked on it with a lor.rd clang. The dozen or so puppies
reeled bacl<wartl, collapsing on top ofone another in a squiggling lreap oftur. Just one
lemaincd. llc was gold with a whitc blaze on his chest. and he charged at the gate, yapping
fearlessly. Hejurrped up and excitedly licked r.ny lingers thlough the f'encing. It was love at
first sight.

4. I blought him home in a cardboard box and named him Shaun. He was one ofthose dogs
that give dogs a good name. He effortlessly mastered every command I taught him and was
natr.rrally well-behaved. I couid drop a cmst on the floor and he would not touch it until I
gave the okay.

5. Rclativcs would visit for the wc-ckend and rcturned homc detcrmined to buy a dog o[ their
own, so impressed were they rvith Shaun-or "Saint Shaun," as I came to call him. Born with
the curse of'an uncertain lineage, he was one of the tens of thousands olunwanted dogs in
America. Yet by some sfi'oke of almost providential good fbrtune, he became wanted. He

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came into my life and I into his-and in the process, he gave me the childhood every kid
deserves.

6. The love affair lasted fourteen years, and by the time he died I was no longer the little boy
who had brought him along on that sun'rmer dav. I was a man, out ofcollege and working
across the state in my first realjob. Saint Shaun had stayed behind when I moved on. It was
where he belonged. My parents, by then retired, called to break the news to me. My mother
would later tell me, "ln fifty years of marriage, I've only seen your father cry .wice. The
first time was when we lost Mary Ann"-my sister, who was stitlbom. "The second time was
the day Shaun died."

7, Saint Shaun was the companion ofmy childhood. He was a perfect dog. At least that's
how I will always remember him. It w un who set the
a1 er do to co

Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.

i. Why does the writer say that he 'grabbed the chain-link and yanked on it with a loud
c lang "l
(a) Because all the other dogs didn't attract him.
(b) Because that was the standard procedure to select a dog.
(c) Because he wanted to pick the dog who was afraid of him.
(cl)rBecause he wanted to see rvhich of the dogs in that cage r.vere timid.

ii. "lt was Shaun who set the standard by which I would judge all other dogs to come."
What is the tone of the writer in the given lines from paragraph 7'l 2
Rationalise your response in about 40 words. ^dptt'!

iii. Complete the sentence appropriately. I

The author's anointing his dog as 'Saint Shaun' is the ultimate honour he could bestow
on his pet because .r.t. ,".dL\ raU t:zt'a."tl ard tshe ",r
U

iv. The passage includes some words that occur as companions with each other
From the sets (a)-{e) below, identify two sets of word{ompanions.
( a unknown and distinct ancestry
ozen and so
and temperament
(d/size and shape
(e) stayed behind and moved on

v. Complete the sentence appropriate l_,".

For the author. Shaun became a benchmark for a good pet. lt is evident from this
statemenl-

vi. Based on the reading ofthe passage, examine, in about 40 words, how the passage is as
much a tribute to the author's dog as is to his father too. 2

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elect the option that correspoflds to the underlined phrasal verb in the statement
"ln the summer of 1967, when I was I 0 years old, my f'atheriggrl..11lg my persistent
pleas and took me to get lny own dog." (Paragraph l)
-{a ) He rnade his lather succumb to his demand.
(b) He made persistent demands on his l'ather for a pet.
(c) Hc consistently requested his father.
(d) His father withstood his pleas.

viii. Complete the lines from a famous poem by supplying the missing word/words taking
cue from the word given in brackets I
.......Among the laurel bushes
And snagging goose-grass and rabbit lrcles,
I .fitund what I (furget), hidden Lvn .t i-t ;tr \
Under a wide oaA
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Q2. Read the following passage carelully. l0

l. Access to primary edncation is a basic right of every child. An effective pr;mary

education can build a solid fbundation and open avenues for t-uture success. With its
protirund implications on both the indiviclual and society, primary education plays a crucial
role in reducing extreme poverty and promoting social changes.'lhe Sr.tstainable
Development Agenda acknowledges the importance of primary education in Goal 4 which
stipulates that by 2030, the world should cnsure inclusive and equitable quality education
and promote lifelong learning opportunilies for all, including a target on universal access to
primary education. 'Ihough there are val'ying standards, primary education is typically
designed tbr children 6 to I I yeals of age.

2. Srgnificant progress has been made toward achieving universal primary education.
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Globally, the adjusted ner attendance rate reached 87 percent in 20l and about foru out of
five children attending primary education completed it. Additionally, over the past two
decades, the number of out-of-sclrool children was reduced by over 40 percerrt. However,
there is still a long way to go: 58 million children of primary school age remain out of
school, with the majority ofthem comrng from marginalised groups. In addition, recent
Mnltiple Indicator Cluster SLrrveys (MlC'S) results show that rnany children do not have
lor.tndational reading and numeracy skills. highlighting the massive challenge to achieving
inclusive and equitable quality education fbr all.

3. Globally, a lower proportion ofchildren tiom the poorest families attend prirnary
education compared with their wealthier peers. While almost all children from the top
r.r'ealth quintile atlend primary education. only 75 percent ol childr-en from the bottom
weallh quiDl.ile clo.

4. Across ditterent regions. houselrold \\,ealth impacts prin.rary school completion rates
di1I'er ently. West and Central Aliica has the largest gap of 58 percentage points in primary
school completion rates between tlie richest and poorest quintiles. In contrast, in East Asia
and the Pacitlc and Latin America and the Caribbean, children from the top and bottom
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u,ealth quintiles complete primarv school at more similar rates. with a gap of just l3
percentage points.

5, In the past 20 years, the number oloul-of-school children of primary education age fell
by more than 40 per cent, from 99 million in 2000 to 58 million in 2019. However, 54 per
cent of these out-of-school children were girls. Despite this tremendous progress, the world
must accelerate the pace at which the number ofout-of-school children is reduced, as the
total has remained stagnant since 2007.

Answer the lbllowing questions, based on the passage above.

i. Complete the following sentence appropriately. (Para4) I
_ have the highest rates ofprimary education completion in the rich quintile

ii, Fill the blanks with the appropriate option from those given in brackets, based on your
understanding of the passage:

There was a decline of_ (from 99 million in 2000 to 58 million in 2019/ from 99
million in 2000 to 68 million in 2019) in the number of out-of-school children of primary
education age is seen in the past two decades.

iii. How is primary education critical to both an individual and a society? 2

iv. State one target related to primary education

v. How much decline in the number of out-of-school children of primary education

age is seen in the past two decades?

Which word can substitute the word 'I-oundational' in the following, sentence from
paragraph 2. In addition, recent Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) results
show that many children do not have lbundational reading and numeracy skills,
highlighting the massive challenge to achieving inclusive and equitable quality
education for all. l
(a) Essential (b) Fundamental (c) Required (d) Primary

vii. How does the Sr,rstainable Development Goals give importance to primary education? 2

viii. ln 2019. about ibur oul ol'live children attending prirnary education completed it
suggests that I

(a) almost I00% children complctcd primary etlucrtion

(b) about 80%o children completed the primary education
(c) more than 80% children completed primary education
(d) less than 80% children completed primary education

Section B: Writing Skill and Grammar (20 Marks)

Q3. Attempt ANY TEN of the follo*'ing questions. 10rl=10

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i. Fill in the blank by choosing the corect option to complete the sentence.
Mv mother my clolhes 0l this line.
.
(a) is washing (b) was washing (c) has washing fl) will be washing

ii. Read the conversation berween Anamika and Ronak. Complete the narration correctly
Anamika: Can you teach me how to swim?
Ronak: Yes, I will. Come to my swimming club tomorrow.

Anamika asked Ronalt il he <:ould teot.h her how,to svr,im. Ronak replied that he ,- h^l^
wottlcl. He ulso asker! Anamiku t, ,,.^;w.r"^ &io A4r't"ox e-J
fo .ElY*l:. f^ia 5
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iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the given line.
How,ever honest h€ _, I do nol trusl him.
(a) is {b) may be (c) might be (d) could be

iv. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the following
line:
A little political thinker lhink that liberty and equality can't go together.

o p ti0n No. Error Correction

a A littlc Some
b think thinks
ct),_.____, can't c ou ldn't
d that those

Complete the given sentence, by filling in the blank with the corect option:
Many researchers how small business owners can be successJul beyond
the initinl Ja,w rcttrs in business.
@) have studied (b) has studied (c) had studied (d) is studied

vi. Fill in the blank by using the correct tbrnr olthe word in the bracket.
Age and experience (b4[rg) wisdom to man

vii. Complete the nanation r.rfthe dialoquc bctween Carrtarni and Silnran.
(iutrtunr- ll?tw ! )1nr neu, tlrcss is vcr'.t ltaniiJul.
,\'intnn- Thank rolt. M.)'t orh(r gili?d it to me on n.t, last ltirthtlq.t:.

Cautluri erclairnrd chccrlirllv ud toltl Simran

viii. Identity the error in the given sentcnce and sLrpply the correction
Over qgd is a kni/b that cut a lilA.
[.Jse the given fomrat for your response.

l,,rror
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(--orrection
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ix. Transform the following direct speech into reponed speech:

He said, 'Ravi, why are you sounding so depressed todayl "

x. Identify the error in the given sentencc and supplv the pgrrection.
The niws I heartl jusr niw l.s.!u s1/'clrge rnut .r,),, fr,?t)onot helieye it.
Use the given fbrmat tbr vour rcsponsc.

Error Correction
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xi. Anil recently attended an interview tbr the selection ofa computer progmmmer.
Select the correct option to complete the narration of the dialogue between
Interviewer and Anil.

Interviewer: So, why do you want to be a computer programmer?

Anil: Well, I have always been interested in computers.
Al the interview, Anil was asked why he wanted to be a computer programmer- To
this question he replied that he wanted to change his job because _.

(a) he had always be interested in computers

(S he had always been interested in cL)mputers
(c) he has always been interested in comprrters
(d) he have always been interested in computers

xii. Identify the error in the given description about Sachin Tendulkar and supply the
correction.
Sachit Tendulkar is the best crickcter in Intltu. He has playecl [o, ffi thon
tv,entt- tedrs fbr lhe Coaltrt.

Use the ven fomat for our res 0[se

Error Correction

WRITINC l0
Note: AII details presented in lhe questions are imaginary and created.for assessment purpo.te

Q4. Attempt ANY ONI from A and B gir en below. 5

A. Owing to the MCD employees' strike, the roads in your area are littered with garbage.
The place not only is stinking but also has become a health hazard. As Mini/Manish of 112.
Shahadra, Delhi, write a letter in 100-120 words to the editor ofa local newspaper informing
the concerned authorities of the unliygienic conditions and requesting them to take
appropriate and necessary actions in tl're malter.

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B. You are Nikhil,Nisha staying aI 53, Iladara Hills, Hyderabad. Last week you bought a
new laptop from 'M/S Clear Vision' of Hyderabad, with a warranty of 2 years You worked
on the laptop all week and finished writing a long assignment that is due shortly. However,
this week. the laptop doesn't even switch on. Write a letter to the dealer complaining about
the probleur and reqr.resting him to get thc defect rectified.

Q5. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B giren below:

A. The bar graph given below contains data related to the people's opinion about their
consideration fbr the most important tactor fbr success. Write an analytical paragraph in
i00-120 words alter observing the graph carefully and analysing; highlight the main
ltanrres and mal(e suitable compalisons t he Most lmportant Factor for Success.

6o%

50%
I

30%

2A?r

10%

w'^-
Hd Iale Hone$y Intatligence trlct Contaatl money

ffi row<u ffi ote,

OR

B. The tbllowing pie charts show the percentage ofstudents taking admission in ditierent
faculties of XYZ University over a certain period of trme. Write an analyical paragraph
on your understanding,of the grven data
Year 2015 Year 2019

Ld,vt
l-aa

2tft
ilL A'Jb

i! Lav/ r Arts , Science & Medicine d Business studics E La!/ n Arts r Science & Medicioe , Business Studies

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Mittennium
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SEC'IION C - LITERATURE (40 Marks)

Q6. Read the giyen extracts and answer thc questions lbr ANY ONE of the tryo. given.

A. "Richard would always give that extra effort, Mr. Weiherer said. What pleased me was.
here was this person who put in three or four hours at night doing debate research
besides doing atl his researclr with butterflies and his other inter€sts. 'Richard was
competitive,' Mr. Weiherer continued, 'but not in a bad sensc'. He explained, "Richard
wasn't interested in winning for winning's sake or winning to get a prize. Rather, he
was winning because he wanted to do the bestjob he could. For the right reasons, he
wants to be the best."
(fhe Making oJ'a Scientist)
i. Why did Mr. Weiherer consider Richard to be a hard worker? I

ii. State TRUE or FALSE

Only option 1d)Erre-tly corresponds to the extract.
(a) A review
(b) An interview
(c) An analysis
(d) A comment

iii. Why did Mr- Weiherer call Richard a true winncr? Answer in about 40 words. 2

iv. Why was Richard trying to win'.)

OR

*"What's the matter with you, you fool? Shouted Ramlal- "l am only taking you to
' school." Then he told his wife, "Let her wear some decent clothes today or else what will
the teachers and the other school girls think ofus when they see her'l New clothes had
never been made for Bholi. The old tlresses ofher sisters were passed on to her. No one
cared to mend or wash her clothes. tsuI today she was lucky to receive a clean dress
which had shnmk after many washings and no longer fitted Charnpa. She was even
bathed and oil was rubbed into her dry and matted hair. Only then did she believe that she
was being taken to a place better than her home! When they reached the school, the
children were already in their classrooms."
(Bholi)
i. Why was Bholi's hair matted? I

ii. State TRUE or FALSE. I

None of the terns (a)-(d) can be applred to the statement - What's the matter with vou,
you fool'/
(a) A hypothesis - a proposed explanation tbr a phenomenon
(b) An assumption - something that is assumed to be tRre without proofor taken for

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granted
(c) A statement - a definite or clear expression of something in speech or writing
(d) A premise - a proposition that tbms the basis of an argument

iii. Bholi had many apprehensions abolrt going to school. What made her feel that she was
going to a better place than her home'J Answer in about 40 words. 2

iv. How did Bholi feel at the end ofher first day in school?

Q7. licad the given extracts and answer lhc questions lbr ANY ONE of the two, given.

A. "iheard an old religior"rs man

But yesternight declare
That he had found a text to prove
That only God, my dear,
Could love you for yousell alone
And not your yellow hair."

i. Fill the blank with one word. I

The above stanza strongly detines the ldea of extemal and intemal

(l)Cnon." the phrase that best represents, 'love you fbr yourself alone'. I

{d) Unconditional lc.rve (b) [Jnseemly love

(c) Unrequited love (d) Undcrstated love

iii. What did the speaker olthe above lines hear?

iv. Identify the poetic device used in the line 'And not your yellow hair'. How does it
impact this extract? 2

OR
B. An ultinrltc shaking griel'lircs thc bo1-
As he stancls rigid. trembling. staring tkrwn
AII his young days into the harbour u,here
His ball wcnt. 1 ',vonld uot intrude on hiln;
A dimc, anotl.rcl ball, is rvolthless. Norv
He selses tirst responsibility
ln a rvorlcl of possessions.
(Th< Boll Poen)

i. (.ontpietc lhe sentc,lce appnrplialclv I

-l-hc .1.r....?B1pu,vt^
mood o1'thc br-ry in tlrc cxtract is ...!rsr.{f
'''''' ''''''' 'u wl
,)

What literalv device has been rrsed b_v the usage of 'ball' in the poern'? *.^fr,,- I

,^rtoJ{,x_?
iii. \Vhiclr ultimatc gricl'has tlxcd llrc lrov'l I

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'(r/t-o.. of his ball

(b) Loss of his tlcar one
(c) Loss of his toys
(d) None of these

iv. A ball is an easily available, inexpcnsive thing.'fhen. why is thc boy so sad to lose it? 2

Q8. Answer ANY FOUR of the following live questions, in about 40-50 rvords. 4x3=12

i. What brought a sudden change in the poet of 'Dust of Snow'?

ii. What is thJ greatest wealth ola country according to Nelson Mandela? tt
l' cc@
(Nelson Mondelo: Long Walk lo Freedom)
escribe the dreadful appearance of tlle pirate l
(The Tale of Custard tlrc Dragonl
iv. What were Lencho's t'eelings when he tbund the letter with money in it? What did
he do after opening the lener?
(A Letter to God)
v. How did Chubukov react when Lomov told him that he had come to proposc to his
daughter. Natalya?
(The Proposall

Q9. Answer ANY TWO of the following three questions, in about 40-50 n'ords. 2x3=6

i. Whose fooprints did the two boys fbllow? Why were they charmed then?
o.ll ebtltl\r-^e. , .,<rt?: | -i.'\! 1 6 .r-l iirl( f (Foolprints Wilhout Feet)
ii. Is Max menacing or wlngraqlre] Conrment with ref'erence to "The Midnight Visitor".
What are the subtle ways in which thc lady manages to dece ive Horace Danby into
/,
t A Que.ttioi o.l Trust)

Ql0. Answer ANY ONE of the lbllowing trvo questions, in about 100-120 words. lx6=6

A. "How to tell wild Animals" and "The Tale of Custard Dragon" both the poems deal wrth
lerocious animals with a different perspective. Humour necessarily does not come from
funny si$ations. Humour can be seen when there is none.
OR
atilda goes home af'ter meeting Mme Forestier after ten years and shares the fact with
M. Loisel that the necklace ur'as a false one. Write the dialogue between Matilda and M
Loisel.
Matilda: I don't know how to tell you this but I met Mme Forestier today and
she told me that her necklace was not a real diamond.
M. Loisel: What! I just can't believe my ears. That huge debt was for nothing!
Matilda:
M. Loisel
lThe Necklace)

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Qll. Answer ANY ONE of the lbllowing t\yo questions, in about 100-120 words. lf.A39 j,
"
A. "lntentions always do notjustify actions,". Analyze this quote with reference to "The .-,,t
'^. : , .i I

Question of Trust" I .. I,,,tl , I

Oll .:t t2,., .r t tar'

.
B. Noodle avoids oiTending Think-'l'ank Lrut at the same time corlects his mistakes. Lr !!l
\\rhat does this say abor.lt the characler olNoodle'l
(The Book Thctt Soved the Earth)

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