DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL GHAZIABAD

ANNUAL EXAMINATION (2013-2014)

CLASS-XI
SUBJECT- FUNCTIONAL ENGLISH
Time- 3 hrs.

SET-A

M.M-80

General Instructions:
(a) This paper is divided into four sections: A, B, C and D. All sections are compulsory.
(b) Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read
these instructions carefully and follow them faithfully.
(c) Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.
SECTION-A (Advanced Reading Skills)
(20 marks)
Q. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

(12 marks)

1) Untainted by lifes experiences, Lucy Mathen, 57, is as fresh as a teenager out to change the
world. A decade ago she founded Second Sight, a non-profit organization that raises funds for
cataract surgeries for the underprivileged. Not only did she find hope everyday, but also gave
some to thousands of people in vast parts of rural India-Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa, the
worst affected cataract belt in the world.
2) Ten years after its inception, Second Sight now has a database of 100 experienced eye surgeons
from the UK and India, including herself. All of them volunteer to spend short periods of time in
India, providing free surgery to the blind. True to her nature, adding a little spunk to her job was
inevitable. Being a sports enthusiast, raising funds by running in the London Marathon was the
obvious choice. I hate the celebrity culture that dominates TV and the media, particularly when
it impinges on humanitarian work. I believe it is deeply cynical to think that people will pay
attention to social causes only through celebrities, she says.
3) But this was not what she started out to do. For Mathen, life came full circle with a dramatic
twist of fate. A journalist for the first 15 years of her career, including a fairly long stint with the
BBC, she went to Afghanistan in 1988 to shoot a documentary on women. It was there, that she
met a doctor and realized that he was risking his life to speak to them. I suddenly felt like a bit
of a fraud. Thats when I vowed that if I were ever in a war zone again, I would be a medico and
not a reporter, says Mathen. In 1989, she enrolled at the St. Georges Hospital Medical School,
London. At 36, she was almost double the age of the average student in her class. But that did
not deter her from becoming a doctor. ``My mother is the greatest influence in my life. She has
always taught me that one can achieve anything one wants with a bit of determination,she
says. Her husband, Mark Rees, an IT consultant, always motivated her to follow her heart.
4) Studying medicine was just the beginning of a long journey. She went on to specialize in
ophthalmology and her reason is simple. The eye doctors I met seemed so much happier than
the other specialists, she says. But the going got tougher .While she was struggling to get
surgical experience in her first ophthalmic job, she came to India to train in a surgical course. It
was here that she encountered the magnitude of the problem. Even though she returned to
England to work with the National Health Service, she knew she had to come back to contribute
substantially towards eliminating cataract blindness. After four years, she returned and travelled

extensively through the northern part of India. With 80 percent of the countrys blind living in
rural areas, she was shocked to see that most of the opthalmologist were in cities.``I found that
there were many eye hospitals with the required equipment in place. What was missing were the
surgeons.
5) After working in the rural areas of six northern states, she finally narrowed down her work to
areas that were the most affected--rural Bihar and Orissa. On one of the busy days at the Akhand
Jyoti Eye Hospital, run by Mrityunjay Tiwari in Bihar, Second Sights main partner hospital in
the region, she and Tiwari sat down and planned a target to eliminate blindness from certain parts
of Bihar by October 14, 2010 which is also World Sight Day.
6) Apart from being actively involved in eradicating cataract blindness, Mathen is also the
catalyst behind the idea of the Akhand Jyoti Football Academy, a project that started as a whim
but ended up doing a lot more than just teaching village girls how to play football. A downside
of getting older is that ones peers seem to give up on team games. That is why I feel like Im in
heaven when I play football with the girls in Bihar, says Mathen. In this area ,where poverty
drives the families to get their daughters married way before the legal age, this academy trains
60 girls (often malnourished )in lieu of a promise from their families to stave off their wedding
age to nothing less than 21.The hospital also pays the tuition fee for their schooling apart from
providing nutritious mid-day meals, English language and IT classes and an internship at the
hospital.
7) Women like Mathen, who carve out their own unique path in the world, lead by example and
compel others to question their priorities. Passionate and driven, a vision like hers will help
people look at the world in a new light.
Q1. i) On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions:
(8 marks)
(1) At what age did Lucy Mathen found the` Second Sight?
1
(2) How did she manage to raise funds?
1
(3) What is Mathens opinion about celebrity culture?
1
(4) When and why did she decide to become a doctor?
2
(5) When she came back to India what was her observation about the country and what
did she decide to do?
2
(6) Mention other social activities in which the Philanthropist is involved in.
1
ii) Find words /phrases in the passage which mean the same as the following:
( 1 ) have an effect, specially a negative one
( para 1 )
( 2 ) removing completely
( para 4 )
( 3 ) courage and spirit
( para 2 )
( 4 ) stop and delay
( para 6 )
Q2. Read the following passage carefully:
(8 marks)
1 Aesthetically arranged flowers in simple decorative containers indicate your taste in interiors
and help create the right ambience in a room. Flowers to match or contrast the colour scheme of
your dcor lend a specific character to your premises.
2 Flowers can be placed in a living room, or on a dining table, in a study or bathroom. Different
flowers for each room create homeliness. They make the room look beautiful and serene.
Flowers can motivate a student to concentrate, embellish a dining table with an aura of happiness
and relax the diners. Fresh flowers are not available throughout the year. Roses and gladioli go

pale in the summers and shrink quickly. If you want to create the effect of flowers in your
environs, without having to worry about their maintenance, go for artificial flowers.
3 With the availability of artificial flowers, one does not have to rush out to purchase fresh
flowers at early hours too. The only trick is to know the art of arranging them. Once you have the
arrangement right, it lifts up your spirit and enhances the colour and brightness in your living
space. Exotic European flowers like Tulips, Daffodils, Irises, Daisies, Delhphinium, Orchids and
Ivy can all be yours, for a price. Imported artificial flowers have to be arranged with the help of
filters.
4 Artificial flowers that look real from a distance can be made of silk, crepe, velvet or synthetic
paper. Some of the imported flowers have a natural sheen and unless you touch them, it is
difficult to make out if they are real. This is particularly true for artificial greens- shrubs, money
plants, creepers, plants and trees- these look good in hotel lobbies and restaurants. For instance,
it is difficult to decide whether the 20 feet tall trees at the Hyatt Regency lobby are real or
artificial.
5. But if you purchase artificial flowers in the hope that they will last a lifetime, you are sadly
mistaken. They may not wilt as quickly as natural flowers but will require your attention for
their maintenance, says Roop Sagar, owner of flower shops at Maurya Sheraton and Radisson
hotels.
6. Owing to dust in our environment and the dust storms in summers, artificial flowers attract dirt
and have to be cleaned delicately. In the monsoon months, on the other hand, dampness robs
them off the sheen and they appear listless. Vacuum cleaning and soft handling restore them to
their original shape and charm. After cleaning, they require fresh arrangement with fillers like
dried leaves, adds Roop. Unlike real red roses, whose sales shoot up during the Valentines
season, artificial red roses are classics that sell throughout the year!
(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it using headings and subheadings.
(5 marks)
(b) Write a summary of the above passage in about 80-100 words.
(3 marks)
SECTION- B (Effective Writing skills)

(20 marks)

Q. 3. You are Nitish/Neha. You have been invited by the Youth Club of your locality to act as
one of the judges for an Inter School Solo Song Competition organized by the club. But
unfortunately, you cannot accept the invitation due to a previous engagement. Write a formal
reply to the Secretary of the club regretting your inability to accept the invitation. (80 words) 5
OR
Read the following information provided and write a factual description of the place referred to.
You are Reena/Rishabh, an executive working for a travel company. Do not use more than 80
words .

Holy city of Amritsar

Q.
4
letter to
Editor

Population :

2 million

People

Warm, friendly, vibrant ,fun loving&

hard working

Main languages

Punjabi, Urdu, English

Main attractions

Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh ,

Wagah border

Getting there

By air, road or rail.

Write a
the
of
a

national daily on the issue of the overcrowding of the school buses and the safety of school
children. Also, give your suggestions to avoid accidents of the vehicles used for ferrying school
children. You are Mehek/Mohan of Golden Shepherd School, New Delhi.
7
OR
You are planning to host your parents twenty fifth marriage anniversary at Club 99, Sec 18,
Noida. Write a letter of enquiry to the Manager of the club asking him about the catering cost,
parking and venue decoration, facilities etc. Write a letter in not more than 120 words.
Q5. The instances of student violence have been on the increase with students killing their peers
and frequently indulging in violence etc. This gives rise to tragic and untimely deaths and a
feeling of insecurity in the society. Write a speech to be given in the morning assembly in about
150 -200 words analyzing the causes and giving suggestions on how this tendency can be curbed.
8

OR

Raghav attends a talk by a leading heart specialist and decides to write an article for the school
magazine on The secret to a healthy life lies in the lifestyle. Write the article in not more than
150-200 words..
SECTION C (GRAMMAR)

15 marks

Q6. You are asked to interview ace Director Arvind Rai ,who makes inspirational films for
children. He also received the National Award for his film Veer Arjuna. Frame a dialogue with
five sets of exchanges based on the clues given below.
5
Eg.

You- Heartiest Congratulations on your films success!

A.R- Thank you for the compliment!

Reasons for making- lack of good films for children ; expenditure ,making films- less,
compared to commercial films ; when, feel hard work pays- appreciation from children ;
need for making such films- help, imbibe values, inspire children; feelings, receive National
award- thank God and people of my country
Q7. A leading shopping mall has recently opened a branch in Mumbai. You are Rahul/Rita who
has joined the Customer Care Cell of the mall. You have been asked to construct a set of 10
questions to be used in a feedback form for people visiting the mall. Using the given inputs
make the questionnaire.
5
location; leading brands , under one roof ; parking space ; spacious food court; staff ;
cleanliness ;discounts ,festivals ;safety and security ; landscaping ; fire safety measures
Q8.Read the passage given below carefully. There is an error in each line. Write the incorrect and
correct word in the answer sheet. The first has been done as an example.
Incorrect
Correct
People travelling long distances frequently has to decide
has
have
a) whether they would prefer to go by land, sea and air.
b) Hardly anyone can positively enjoys sitting in a train for
c)more than a few hours. Train compartments soon got
d)cramp and stuffy. It is almost impossible to take your
e) mind of the journey. Reading is only a partial solution,
f) for the monotonous rhythm of the wheel clicking at the
g) rails soon lulls you to sleep. During a day, sleep comes
h) through snatches. At night when you really wish to
i)sleep, you rarely manage to do so. If you are luckier
j)enough to get a couch, you spend half a night staring at
the small blue light in the ceiling.
SECTION D (LITERATURE)
(25 marks)
Q.9. Choose any one of the following extracts and answer the questions that follow:
3
i. she was as old as she looked
But soon put that thought away, and
looked out at young
trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes
a. What was the poet initially looking at?
b. Why did she start looking out?
c. What did the poet see from the window of the car?
Or
ii. I turned my gaze, but I was at a loss
That she should stand thus, till I came across
A naked manand now the thought arose.

1
1
1

a. Who is I in the above lines?

b. Why did he turn his gaze?
c. What was the thought that arose in his mind?
Q.10. Answer any three of the following questions in about 30-40 words each
a. What is the message of the poem Missed?
b. Explain any two literary devices used in the poem The City Planners
c. What should be the philosophy of life as expressed in A Psalm of Life?
d. What secret of machines is revealed in the poem Modern Machinery?

1
1
1
3x2= 6

Q.11. Answer any one of the following questions in about 80-100 words each:
4
a. Do you think Freddie was an eager learner? Substantiate your answer suitably.
b. Through the character of Aunt Jane in The Never-Never Nest, the author gives a message
to the readers. Discuss with special reference to the advice given by Aunt Jane to the young
couple.
Q.12. Answer any two of the following questions in about 50 words each:
2x3=6
a. Describe the old man in The Old Man at the Bridge.
b. In The Eyes Have It, what was the mistake that the narrator thought he had committed?
What was the reaction of the girl?
c. Dose big virmsave no self-respect says Gessler. Why does he say so about the big firms?
Q.13. Answer any one of the following questions in about 100-120 words:
6
a. You are Tertia Arnfeld. You are worried at the thought of your husband being treated by a
robot. Write a letter to your best friend describing your apprehensions and fears. Also tell how
you initially tried to convince Arnfeld not to undergo such treatment.
OR
b. Imagine yourself to be Phatik. You have come to stay at your uncle Bishambers house. You
are disturbed by the cramped atmosphere in the house. Write a page in your diary explaining why
you have decided to run away from your aunts place.

DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL GHAZIABAD

ANNUAL EXAMINATION ( 2013-2014 )
CLASS- XI
SUBJECT- FUNCTIONAL ENGLISH
Time 3 hours

SET B

MM: 80

General Instructions:
1. This paper is divided into four sections: A, B, C, and D. All the sections are compulsory.
2. Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read
the instructions carefully and follow them faithfully.
3. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

SECTION A (READING)

I. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

(20 marks)

(12marks)

1. The role friends play in our lives has become significantly greater than at any other time in our
history. Today many of us live and work great distances from where we were born or grew up
and are separated from our original families. The pain we feel when we are away from our
families can be significant.

2. The happiness of the individual relies on friendships, which form a necessary human
connection. It is perfectly normal to need and want friends and depression is more prevalent
among those who lack friends. They lack the intimacy and richness friends can bring into our
lives. Frequently friends reflect similar values to us. Yet, these values are often different from the
ones we grew up with; they are the values we created for ourselves in our adult lives. True
friendship is one of the most beautiful things on this earth. It transcends time, gender, races, and
culture. It has the power to change our lives. Our friends play an indispensable role in our lives
because they satisfy our needs, as we in turn satisfy needs they have in their own lives.

3. Communication skills are fundamental in all friendships. The more friends and acquaintances
we have, the greater are our communication skills. Some call these, social skills.

4. Like watering a plant, we grow our friendships (and all our relationships) by nurturing them.
Friendships need the same attention as other relationships, if they are to continue. These
relationships can be delightfully non-judgmental, supportive, understanding and fun. Friends act
as our personal therapist in whom, we can confide our deepest, darkest secrets. We go to them
for advice and for perspective on things. Our closest friends are usually our confidants.
5. Sometimes a friendship can bring out the positive side that we never show in any other
relationship. This may be because the pressure of playing a role (daughter, partner or child) is
removed. With a friend we are to be ourselves and free to change. Of course we are free to do
this in all other relationships as well, but in friendships we get to have lots of rehearsals and
discussions about changes as we experience them. It is an unconditional experience where we
receive as much as we give. We can explain ourselves to a friend openly without the fear of
hurting a family member. How do friendships grow? The answer is simple. By remembering
what is most important to our friends and asking them about it; putting ourselves in their
position; showing empathy; seeing the world through the eyes of our friends, we will understand
the value of friendship. All this means learning to accept a person from a completely different
family to our own or perhaps, someone from a completely different cultural background. In turn
we gain tolerance and acceptance for our own differences.

6. Friendships are made by being considerate, which means all the communication skills come
into play: active listening skills, questioning skills, negotiation skills, reflecting content skills,
reflecting emotion skills, and editing ourselves.

7. Friendships offer a great opportunity to learn about ourselves because a friend can reflect back
to us how we come across in the world. They also allow us to practice skills in dealing with
personal boundaries by looking after ourselves as well as our friend. They help us develop
resilience in relation to the wider social world beyond our families.

QI Read the questions given below and answer them1) Why do friends play a more significant role today than ever before?

2)
3)
4)
5)

Why is friendship considered as an essential human need?

How is friendship different from other relationships?
Mention two essential human values that help friendship to grow.
Which communication skills help in building friendship?

1
2
2
2

QII Pick out words from the passage which mean the same as each of the following : (1x3=3)
i. basic / essential (para 3)
ii. point of view (para 4)
iii. crucial (Para 2)
Q2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

(8 Marks)

Despite all the research, every one of us catches cold and most of us catch it frequently.
Our failure to control one of the commonest of all ailments sometimes seems ridiculous.
Medical science regularly practices transplant surgery and has rid the countries of such
killing diseases as Typhus and the Plague.
But the problem of common cold is unusually difficult and much has yet to be done to
solve it. It is known ,that a cold is caused by a number of viral infections that affect the
lining of the nose and other passages leading to the lungs but the confusing variety of
viruses make study and remedy very difficult. It was shown in 1960 that many typical
colds in adults are caused by one or the other of a family of viruses known as
rhinoviruses, yet there still remain many colds for which no virus has as yet been
isolated.
There is also the difficulty that because they are so much smaller than the bacteria which
cause many other infections, viruses cannot be seen with ordinary microscopes. Nor can
they be cultivated easily in the bacteriologist's laboratory, since they only grow within the
living cells of animals or plants. An important recent step , however, is the development
of the technique of tissue culture, in which bits of animal tissue are enabled to go on
living and to multiply independently of the body. This has greatly aided virus research
and has led to the discovery of a large number of viruses. Their existence had previously
not only been unknown but even unsuspected.
With a common cold, you can catch it from another person who is infected with the virus.
This usually happens by touching a surface contaminated with cold germs for example - a
computer keyboard, doorknob, or eating utensil, and then touching your nose or mouth.
You can also catch a cold by encountering secretions someone with a cold has sneezed
into the air.
A cold begins when a cold virus attaches to the lining of your nose or throat. Your
immune system sends white blood cells out to attack this germ. Unless you've
encountered that exact strain of the virus before, the initial attack fails and your body
sends in reinforcements. Your nose and throat get inflamed and produce a lot of mucus.

With so much of your body's energy directed at fighting the cold virus, you're left feeling
tired and miserable.
While getting chilled or wet is not a cause of common colds, there are factors that make
you more susceptible to catching a cold virus. For example, you are more likely to catch a
common cold if, you are excessively fatigued, have emotional distress, or
have allergies with nose and throat symptoms.
The fact that we can catch cold repeatedly creates another difficulty. Usually a virus
strikes only once and leaves the victim immune to further attacks. Still we do not gain
immunity from colds. Why? It may possibly be due to the fact that while other viruses get
into the blood stream where anti - bodies can oppose them, the viruses causing cold
attack cells only on the surface. Or it may be that immunity from one of the many
different viruses does not guarantee protection from all the others. It seems, therefore,
that we are likely to have to suffer colds for some time yet.
(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it in points only,
using abbreviations wherever necessary. Also suggest a suitable title.
5
(b) Write a summary of the passage in not more than 80 words using the notes made.
3
SECTION B (Writing)

20 marks

Q.3. You are Rohit/ Rita, Secretary, Welfare Association ABC Colony, Chennai. Write a notice
in not more than 80 words to be placed on the notice board informing the residents that, there
would be no water supply for two days in your colony due to major pipeline repair work.
5
OR
You are Kamala/ Kundan, Secretary, Greenland Enterprises Ltd., Delhi-6. Your Chairman has
asked you to draft an advertisement for a local daily under the classified columns for the vacant
post of one accountant and two office assistants. Draft the advertisement in not more than 80
words
Q.4. You are Manohar Rao ,a B.Tech from Manipal University. You come across an
advertisement in the Times of India for the post of Computer Engineer trainee by Prabhu
Software Company Ltd. Apply in response to this advertisement, giving your detailed bio-data
and necessary details.
(7)
OR
You are R.N Chowdhary, 336, W.E. Area, New Delhi. You recently got an electricity meter
installed at your place , but it has started giving you trouble . Write a polite complaint to the
General Manager, Electricity Board, Shankar Seth Road, New Delhi, highlighting the nature of
complaint and requesting him to look into the matter. Your meter number is 0396369.

Q.5. Your school organised an exhibition-cum-sale of the items prepared under SUPW (Socially
Useful Productive Work) by the school students. There was an overwhelming response from the
public. Prepare a report in 100 125 words for a local daily. You are the Coordinator, S.U.P.W.
activities, T.N. School, Gurgaon.
(8)
OR
As compared to the older generation, the youth of today are greatly inclined to pursue
adventurous activities either for money or for fun. There is a latest craze for joining reality
shows, rafting, rock climbing, mountaineering etc. Write an article highlighting the advantages
and perils involved in such activities in 120-150 words on the topic The Adventurous Youth of
the 21st century.
SECTION C

15 MARKS

Q.6.You are Neelam, a Star News Correspondent. You have been asked to interview legendary
singer Lata Mangeshkar. Based on the clues given below frame a set of five exchanges
between you and the famous play back singer.
(5)
Eg:
Neelam

- Congratulations on being honoured with the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna.

Lata. Mangeshkar -

Thank you!

define ,journey- fulfilling , thank God ; unfulfilled dreams learn classical music ;
compose music occasionally ; first lesson in music my father ; reasons, launch own music
label- access good music
Q.7.
You have to interview Sebastian Vettel, winner of the Formula One World
Championship ,who recently visited your school. Based on the following clues, frame a set of
ten questions that you asked him. One has been done as an example.
5
Eg. How has your experience of being Formula One driver been?
Inspiration- promote the sport- handle , so much fame - qualities to make it to top- age,
started driving - risk involved in sport - plans after retirement - measures to drive safe - family
support - feelings, most successful Formula One drivers
Q.8. Read the passage given below carefully. There is an error in each line. Write the incorrect
and correct word in the answer sheet. The first has been done as an example.
5

Incorrect
In order to make something happen, there can first be a
can
a) dream. All great visionaries and pioneers were first or foremost,
b) dreamers, whose dreams contained the touch of the impossible.
c) Let us take the examples of Gandhi, who also dreamed an impossible
d) dream. To dream of freeing India off more than 100 years of British
e) rule- a powerful imperial power- was novel enough , and to dream
f) that freedom would be achieved without a single shots being fired
g) is audacious. Dreams play a very important role in our life. They
h) provide us with a vision of what we want to achieve of life. When
i) our dreams have a touch of the impossible, it stretches it .
j) It grabs and pulls us out of our comfort zone. It forces us to employing
new and innovative ways to achieve our goals.

Correct
must

SECTION D (LITERATURE)
(25 marks)
Q.9. Choose any one of the following extracts and answer the questions that follow:
3
i) In the worlds broad field to battle,
In the bivouac of life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
a. What has the world been compared to in the above lines?
b. What does the poet mean by dumb, driven cattle?
c. How should one act in life?
Or
ii. The ladies, all gaily apparelled,
Sat round looking on at the match,
In the tree-tops the dicky-birds carolled,
All was peacetill I bungled that catch.
a. Pick out and name one example of imagery used in the above lines.
b. Describe the ladies who had come to watch the match.
c. Explain All was peacetill I bungled that catch.

1
1
1

1
1
1

Q.10. Answer any three of the following questions in about 30-40 words each
3x2= 6
a. What is the message of the poem The Modern Machinery?
b. Explain the condition of the doctor after the bombing.
c. How does Kamala Das bid farewell to her mother?
d. How does the poet describe the residential complex she sees while travelling through the
streets in the poem The City Planners?
Q.11. Answer any one of the following questions in about 80-100 words each:

a. How was Charles Carters way of teaching different from Cades? Substantiate.
b. Though Jack and Jill had everything, nothing really belonged to them. Justify by giving
suitable examples from the text.
Q.12. Answer any two of the following questions in about 50 words each:
2x3=6
a. What made Phatik ask his uncle Bishamber When can I go home?
b. What message has been given by Mahatma Gandhi in The Dream and the Message?
c. In The Eyes Have It, what did the narrator think about the girls hair and why?
Q.13. Answer any one of the following questions in about 100-120 words:
6
a. Imagine yourself to be a war refugee in The Old Man at the Bridge. You overheard the
conversation between the narrator and the old man. Write a page in your diary highlighting
the effect of war on the common people, the plight of the old man and the sense of
hopelessness you observed during their conversation.
OR
b. You are Adela Pingsford. Write a letter to your sister describing how your neighbour
Eshley disappointed you when, a stray ox entered your garden.