English Language

Grade XI
Max Marks: 50 Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Read the given passage and answer the questions

A few old men sit in the deep shade of the arched porch to the Muttrah souk, Oman’s oldest market. They
sip small cups of coffee while watching the stream of shoppers entering and leaving.

The main thoroughfare which is wide enough to drive a car along, twists its way inland for about a mile.
The high ceiling of the souk is covered with brightly coloured cloth in geometrical designs of red, blue,
green, and yellow. Narrow alleyways lead off this main route, so that, viewed from above the entire 5
area resembles a gnarled tree with crooked branches radiating from its craggy central trunk.

Traders line the alleyways selling cloth, food, antiques, clothes, shoes, silverware, pots and pans. The scents
of coffee, leather, spices, herbs, new fabrics and old wood mingle with one of the ancient scents of Arabia,
more evocative of the East than any other incense.

Shops selling incense are found all over the souk. Some large stores have a variety of perfumes, 10
essences, herbs and natural extracts. Others are merely makeshift platforms of cardboard boxes on which
are balanced rows of gold and silver coloured containers. The harsh neon light of the souk glistens on the
shining metal and cut glass of the perfume bottles.

The traditions of perfume manufacture reach deep into the history of Arabia, where perfume has long been
used equally by men and women. In modern times it is worn for purely cosmetic reasons. But in 15
olden days, perfume served to mask the unpleasant odours that might be found in daily life, from camels to
cremations. A reminder of the past is found on the neckline of the long indigo robes still commonly worn
by men. From it hangs a small tassel which, when soaked in perfume, would be held under the nose when
its owner was confronted with any noxious smell.

The base material for Arabian perfumes is resin tapped from a small tree which grows in the Dhofar 20
region of southern Oman. The hard lumps of gum which are extracted from the frankincense tree were
valued as highly as gold 2,000 years ago. About 3,000 tonnes were exported annually to Egypt, Rome and
all the Mediterranean and Near East countries. It was highly prized in India and as far afield as China.
The annual frankincense consumption at the temple of Baal in Babylon was two and a half tonnes while in
Rome the emperor Nero burned practically an entire year’s production at the funeral of his wife, Popea. 25

The introduction of artificial substitutes in the past 50 years has caused a significant decline in the value of
frankincense. Nowadays, anyone can afford the luxury of buying the best quality and it is still used locally
in Oman in many different ways. Beehive shaped baskets are placed over burning frankincense so that
clothes draped over them are infused with the scented smoke. Frankincense is also used as an ingredient in
medicines to cure almost any ailment imaginable. 30

Frankincense (known as luban) or incense (bokbur) are usually used when entertaining guests in an Omani
home. After the coffee and dates, visitors will be offered a tray of various perfumes in small ornate bottles.
After this, an incense burner with glowing coals is sprinkled with frankincense or bokbur and passed to each
guest in turn. The rich smoke is fanned into the hair, beard and clothes, whereupon the guest will say
goodbye and depart in a cloud of fragrance. 35

In a revival of Arabian perfume traditions, Amouage was created by French perfumer, Guy Robert, using
floral and fruity essences like roses, jasmine, lilies, peaches, apricots, lime and apple, combined with wood
scents like patchouli, sandalwood, myrrh and the silver frankincense which comes from eastern Dhofar.
Page 1 of 4
The complexity of the perfume is matched by its containers. Designed by Aspreys of London, they are
based on the shape of a mosque for the women’s fragrance and on the hilt of the khanjar, the traditional 40
Ornani dagger, for the men’s scent. The flasks are made of silver, 24-carat gold and French lead crystal
making Amouage ‘the most valuable perfume in the world’.

Once again, frankincense is the gift of kings.

Joan and Richard Hansen Muhibah

Select appropriate, contextual answers to the following questions. [20]

A B C D Ans
1 What is a souk? a cup of coffee a shopping mall a shady place a kind of D
market
2 What is the an alleyway is an alleyway is alleyways are alleyways have B
difference wide. narrow. only for tourists. crooked trees.
between the
main
thoroughfare and
an alleyway?
3 What is the main its smell its feel its taste its colour B
characteristic of
incense?
4 Incense is sold in metal and in cardboard only in glass only in gold B
glass boxes. bottles. containers.
containers.
5 What is unusual only men use it. it is no longer it has an both men and D
about perfume in used today. unpleasant smell. women use it.
Arabia?
6 Which words purely cosmetic any noxious smell mask the soaked in C
mean hide nasty reasons unpleasant perfume
smells? odours
7 What do you silver or gold wood cotton or wool plastic C
think a tassel
might be made
of?
8 Why might many people few people many people few people A
frankincense wanted it but wanted it and wanted it and wanted it and
have been as there was a there was a there was a there was a
valuable as gold? limited supply limited supply. plentiful supply. plentiful supply.
in the world.
9 How do we frankincense oman exported frankincense was frankincense was B
know Oman was was used in frankincense to found in dhofar. like gold.
involved in pagan worship. asia and europe.
international
trade 2000 years
ago?
10 What can we he hated her he did not think he did not know he loved her D
guess about because he had much of her her well because very much
Neros her burnt. because pagan she stayed in because he
relationship with worship was babylon when he spent so much
Popea? more important to was in rome. money on her
him. funeral.
Page 2 of 4
 11 A word in the gum polish base tree A
text that means
the same as resin
is
12 What is true it is cheap it is cheap it is cheap it is cheap C
about because few because bees can because of because it is a
frankincense people want it. make it. artificial medicine.
today? alternatives.
13 What would be you would feel you would be you would smell you would be C
the result of full. given dates when of frankincense. given a present
visiting an you leave. of frankincense.
Omanis home?
14 What are the roses lilies gold sandalwood gold silver glass flowers wood D
three sources of myrrh silver fruit
Amouage
perfume?
15 What two things the contents and the container a traditional the contents and B
make Amouage the designer and the dagger and a the container
expensive? fragrance mosque design
16 sip means gulp wash enjoy a drink drink small D
quantity
17 harsh means soft unpleasantly flashing fading B
strong
18 mask means develop hide fancy party B
19 noxious means concealed harmful revealed lie B
20 ailment means sickness fear food pharmacy A

Write meaning and effect of the following words/phrases [30]

Word/Phrase Meaning Effect

Gives a sense of…….
21 the deep shade area protected from sunlight comfort
22 the stream of one after another continuity
23 twists its way frequently bending indirectness
24 lead off goes from direction
25 a gnarled tree knotted distortion
26 mingle with mix with combination
27 merely just simplicity
28 glistens on sparkles reflection from a shiny surface
29 reach deep ancient history
30 for purely cosmetic reasons superficiality unnecessary
31 highly prized expensive rarity
32 practically almost not quantifiable / not measurable
33 a significant decline less in demand rejection
34 infused with permeate with saturation
Page 3 of 4
35 a revival of a resumption of to begin again

Page 4 of 4