LA MARTINIERE FOR GIRLS REHEARSAL EXAMINATION—2023-24 ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLASS X ‘Time : 2 Hours + 15 mins. reading time Full Marks~80 This paper consists of eight printed pages. Answers to this paper must be written on the paper provided separately. ‘You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes. The 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 are advised to spend not more than 30 minutes in answering Question 1 and 20 minutes in answering Question 2. 1. (Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question) Write a composition (300-350 words) on any one of the following: (20) (1) Describe a special weekend you spent with your family. Write what the occasion was, the preparations you made for it and what made it memorable. (2) During the puja holidays, you had a minor surgery and as a result you were admitted to the hospital for a week. Narrate your experience in the hospital and how your friends and family members eased your pain and comforted you during this time. (3) Write an original short story that begins with: If I'd never learned to time travel, none: of this would have happened ... (4) ‘The commercialisation of festivals has eroded their real significance.’ Express your views either for or against this statement, [Tum Over } % ENG LANA (LMG)(5) Study the picture given below. Write a story or a description or an ACCOUR | it suggests to you, Your composition may be about the subject of thg » you may take suggestions from it; however, there must be a clear between the picture and your composition. “4, 2. (Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question) Select one of the following : friend telling her about the event and your role in it. Also share your views ont it was an enriching experience for you. a (2) As a member of The Interact Club of your school, you are supposed to do son social work. Write a letter to your Principal requesting her to allow the ot members to visit a nearby orphanage. Do tell her of your plan, what you all inte to do there and how it will benefit the club members. 3. (1) Your school is hosting an inter- house One Act Play competition. Write a notit informing your school about the event. f (2) Write an e-mail to the Principal of a neighbouring school informing him/her of t# event and requesting him/her to send one of their teachers to judge the competi f 4, Read carefully the passage given below and answer the questions that folloit Shortly before we left our hilltop hut at Babeke and travelled down to our last cat? at Kumba, we had with us a most unusual guest in the shape of Cholmondeley, know" to his friends as Chumley. Having visualized a small, young chimpanzee, | was shaken to discover that he w# X ENG LAN-2 (LMG)“full-grown- a veteran of eight or nine years, with huge arms and a massive, hairy chest ‘that measured at least twice the size of mine. His head was nearly bald, and bad tooth growth gave his face a weird look. But even though Chumley was not handsome he certainly had personality. It hit you as soon as you set eyes on him. He rode into our camp in a small van, seated sedately in a huge crate and, when its doors were opened, stepped out with all the self-confidence of a film star. Surveying the surroundings, he | tured to me and held out a soft, pink-palmed hand with that bored expression 10 one often sees on the faces of professional hand shakers. Round his neck was a chain — whose length, some fifteen feet, extended back into the crate. This would have been a sign of subjugation with an animal of less aplomb. However, Chumley wore it with a Superb air of a Lord Mayor. After shaking my hand, he gathered the chain carefully into loops, and walked into our hut as if he owned it. Chumley seated himself in a chair and looked hopefully at me. It was obvious that he expected some sort of refreshment after his tiring journey. | asked the cook to make tea, for which | had been told Chumley had a great liking. When the tea was ready, | filled a huge tin mug and added three tablespoons of sugar. "Oooooh, umph" 20 Chumley said approvingly, and carefully accepted the mug from me with both hands. Then, with lower lip extended, he tested the tea to see if it was too hot. It was, so he blew on it until it was right and then drank it down. Discovering a residue of syrupy sugar at the bottom, he balanced the mug on his nose until the last of the sugar had trickled into his mouth. Then he held out'his mug for a refill. Chumley's crate was placed where he could have a good view of everything that went on round the hut and he often shouted comments to me as.we worked. That first day, | chained him to a stump near his crate. | had scarcely returned to the hut when a frightful upheaval took place among our monkeys which were tethered nearby. | dashed out just in time to see a stone, the size of a cabbage, land in their midst-missing them, fortunately. Chumley, it seemed, was engaging in bowling practice. 30 Seizing a stick, | raced down upon him, shouting and at the same time wondering what would happen if | dealt out punishment to an animal with twice my strength. To my surprise, Chumley lay on the ground, covered his face and head with his long arms and screamed at the top of his voice. | flicked him twice with the flimsy stick saying sternly, "You are a very wicked animal!" "Whoooo0000," he replied, glancing up at me shyly. { Turn Over ] X ENG LAN-3 (LMG)That night when | carried Chumley's food to him, he greeted me with loud "hoo hoos" of delight and jogged up and down beating his knuckles on the ground. Before he touched his dinner, however, he seized one of my hands in his and carried it to his mouth. With some trepidation | waited as he carefully put one of my fingers between his great teeth and very gently bit it. Then | understood: in the chimpanzee world, 40 to place a finger between another ape's teeth is both a greeting and a sign of trust. —The Life and Death of Cholmondeley by Gerald Durrell (i) For each word given below choose the correct meaning (as used in the passage) from the options provided. [2] (1) unusual (line 2) a) uncommon b) outlandish c) bizarre d) remarkable (2) scarcely (line 28) (a) rarely (b) infrequently (c) hardly (d) seldomly (3) Which word in the passage means opposite to the word agitatedly? [1] (a) carefully , (b) certainly (¢) approvingly (d) sedately (ii) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words. (a) Why did the author feel that Chumley certainly had personality? [2] (b) What was the reason for the ‘frightful upheaval' among the monkeys? [2] (c) Why was the author surprised when he went to reprimand Chumley with a stick? [2] (d) Would you agree that a bond of friendship was formed between Chumley and the author? Why? [2] X ENG LAN-4 (LMG)(©) Chumley did not allow the chain around his neck to break his spirit. How can you say this? tt] (ii) Chimpanzees are considered to be highly intelligent creatures. In not more than 50 words show how Chumley displayed his intelligence when he was given a cup of tea? (8 5, (i) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with 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. (4) Answer: (0) called We (0). (call) ourselves the ‘Four Feathers’, the feathers signifying that we were companions in adventure, comrades-in-arms, and knights of the round table. Bimal (1) (adopt) a peacock's feather as his emblem- he was always a bit showy. Riaz (2) (choose) a falcon's feather- although we couldn't find one. Bran and | were at first (3) (offer) crow's or murghi feathers, but we (4) (protest) vigorously and (5) (threaten) a walkout. Finally, | (6) (settle) for a parrot's feather and Bran (7) (find) a woodpecker's, which (8) (suit) him, as he was always knocking things about. (i) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words: 4 (a) A new railroad is ______ construction. (b) I felt out place in that party. (c) It was so dark that | had to turn__ the light. (d) The decorations in the house are in keeping her personality. (e) He has not come this far to let opportunity slip his fingers. (f) As they alighted the car, Winston came to meet them. (9) She was alarmed the prospect of travelling alone. (h) The very idea of cheating people is distasteful him. [Turn Over } X ENG LAN-5 (LMG)(iii) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence withou; usi and, but or so. Choose the correct options. “3 4) 1. The food was cooked, The guests were invited to dine. SS (a) As soon as the food was cooked, the guests were invited to ding. (b) The quests were invited to dine because the food was cooked. (c) The guests were dining while the food was being cooked. (d) The food which was cooked was served to the guests to dine. 2. Sara pushed as hard as she could. The door would not open. (a) Sara failed to open the closed door. (6) Sara pushed as hard as she could but could not open the door. (c) Despite pushing the door as hard as she could, Sara failed to open it. (d) Despite pushing the hard door, Sara could not open it. Ka 3. The trekkers got lost due to the heavy fog. They had misplaced their map. (a) The trekkers had lost their map in the heavy fog and then their way. r (b) The trekkers got lost due to the heavy fog and also misplaced their map. (c) The trekkers not only got lost due to the heavy fog but also misplaced their map. | (d) The trekkers got lost due to the heavy fog as well as misplaced their map. 4. They could hardly hear each other. It was very noisy. (a) Because of the noise, they hardly he rd each other. (b) They could hardly hear each other as it was very noisy. (c) Too much noise prevented them from communicating with each other. (d) There was too much noise so they could not hear each other. (iv) Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given aft each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change tt — meaning of each sentence. Choose the correct option. | (1) The Taj Mahal is the grandest monument in the world. (Begin: No other...) (a) No other monument in the world is grander than the Taj Mahal. (b) No other monument in the world is as grand as the Taj Mahal. X ENG LAN-6 (LMG)- noe | —_— () No other monument in the world is like the Taj Mahal. (@) No other monument in the world is as close to the Taj Mahal in its grandeur. (2) Someone stole the bicycle from the garden shed. (Begin: The ...) (a) The bicycle was stolen by someone and kept in the garden shed. (b) The bicycle which was in the garden shed is missing. (c) The bicycle was stolen from the garden shed by someone. (a) The bicycle thief is someone who stole it from the garden shed. (3) The hot weather did not deter a huge crowd from turning up. (Begin: In spite ...) (a) In spite the hot weather, a huge crowd turned up. (b) In spite of the hot weather, a huge crowd turned up. (c) In spite the hot weather, the huge crowd was not deterred from turning up. (d) In spite of the weather being hot, the crowd which was huge still turned up. (4) As soon as we finished our work, we went to the mall. (Begin: No sooner...) (a) No sooner did we finished our work than we went to the mall. (b) No sooner did we finish our work than we went to the mall. (c) No sooner we finished our work when we went to the mall. (d) No sooner had we finished our work when we went to the mall. 5) Rajat is more courageous than his brother Rohit. (Begin: Rajat's brother...) (a) Rajat's brother Rohit is less courageous than him. (b) Rajat's brother Rohit is as courageous as him. () Rajat's brother Rohit is more courageous than him. (d) Rajat's brother is not courageous at all. ) The doctor said that he must not lift weights. (Begin: The doctor...) (a) The doctor felt he must not lift weights. (b) The doctor was against the idea of weightlifting. _() The doctor said no to him when he wanted to lift weights. (i) The doctor forbade him from lifting weights. [Tur Over } X ENG LAN-7 (LMG)(7) When the cat is away, the mice will play. (Begin: In the ...) () In the cat's absence, the mice will get a chance to play. (6) In the game, the cat will be absent while the mice will play. (c) In the presence of the cat, the mice will not play. (d) In the absence of the cat, the mice will play. (8) Only the brave can face such a daunting challenge. (Begin: None ...) (a) None but the brave can face such a daunting challenge. (b) None except for the brave will face daunting challenges. () None else can face the daunting challenge other than the brave ones. (d) None can face the daunting challenge, however, only the brave ones will. X ENG LAN (LQ)