ICSE Board

Class X English Language

Board Paper I – 2016
(Two hours)
Total Marks: 80

General Instructions:
1. Answers to this paper must be written on the paper provided separately.
2. You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes.
This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.
3. The time given at the head of the paper is the time allotted for writing the answers.

Attempt all four questions

The intended marks of questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ].
You are advised to spend not more than 35 minutes in answering Question1
and 20 minutes in answering Question 2.

Question 1
(Do not spend more than 35 minutes on this question.) [25]

Write a composition (350–400 words) on any one of the following:

(a) Write an original story that begins with the words: "The day started of well enough,
whoever thought it would............. "
(b) Narrate an incident from your own experience when you expected to do very well, but
for some reason were unable to do so. Explain what happened and why it happened.
What lesson did you learn from it?
(c) "The use of Mobile Phones must be allowed in schools." Express your views either for or
against the statement.
(d) You walk home from school one afternoon to find the door unlocked and on entering
you are shocked to see the house in total disarray. You call out but get no answer.
Describe in detail what you saw, the reason behind your house being in total disarray
and how found your family. Mention also how the experience ended and what impact
it had on your life.
(e) Study the picture given below. Write a story or a description or an account of what it
suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may
take suggestions from it; however there must be clear connection between the picture
and your composition.
Question 2
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.)

Select any one of the following: [10]

(a) Your class wants to visit a well-known historical monument in a nearby town.
Write a letter to your Principal seeking permission and say why you would benefit
from the visit.
(b) Your school recently held a jubilee celebration. Write a letter to your friend who was
unable to attend, giving details of the function and your role in it.

Question 3
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

For some time Mother had greatly envied us our swimming, both in the daytime and
at night, but as she pointed out when we suggested she join us, she was far too old for that
sort of thing. Eventually, however, under constant pressure from us, Mother paid a visit
into town and returned to the villa coyly bearing a mysterious parcel. Opening this she
astonished us all by holding up an extraordinary shapeless garment of black cloth, covered
from top to bottom with hundreds of frills and pleats and tucks.
 ‘Well, what do you think of it?’ Mother asked.
We stared at the odd garment and wondered what it was for.
‘What is it?’ asked Larry at length.
It’s a bating-costume, of course,’ said Mother. ‘what on earth did you think it was?’
‘It looks to me like a badly-skinned whale,’ said Larry, peering at it closely.
‘You can’t possibly wear that, mother,’ said Margo, horrified, ‘why, it looks as though
it was made in nineteen-twenty.’
‘What are all those frills and things for?’ asked Larry with interest.
‘Decoration, of course,’ said Mother indignantly.
‘What a jolly idea ! Don’t forget to shake the fish out of them when you come out of
the water.’
‘Well, I like it, anyway,’ Mother said firmly, wrapping the monstrosity up again, ‘and
I’m going to wear it.’
‘You’ll have to be careful you don’t get waterlogged, with all that cloth around you,’
said Leslie seriously.
‘Mother, it’s awful; you can’t wear it,’ said Margo. ‘Why on earth didn’t you get
something more up to date?’
When you get to my age, dear you can’t go around in a two-piece bathing suit…. You
don’t have the figure for it.’
‘I’d love to know what sort of figure that was designed for,’ remarked Larry.
‘You really are hopeless, Mother,’ said Margo despairingly.
‘But I like it…. And I’m not asking you to wear it,’ Mother pointed out angrily.
‘That’s right, you do what you want to do,’ agreed Larry; don’t be put off. It’ll probably
suit you very well if you can grow another three or four legs to go with it.’
Mother snorted indignantly and swept upstairs to try on her costume.
Presently she called to us to come and see the effect, and we all trooped up to the
bedroom. Roger the dog, was the first to enter, and on being greeted by this strange
apparition clad in its voluminous black costume rippling with frills, he retreated
hurriedly through the door, backwards, backwards, barking ferociously.

It was some time before we could persuade him that it really was Mother, and even
then he kept giving her vaguely uncertain looks from the corner of his eye. However,
 in spite of all opposition, Mother stuck to her tent-like bathing-suit, and in the end we
gave up.
In order to celebrate her first entry into the sea we decided to have a
moonlight picnic down at the bay, and sent an invitation to Theodore, who was the
only stranger that Mother would tolerate on such a great occasion. The day for the
great immersion arrived, food and wine were prepared, the boat was cleaned out and
filled with cushions and everything was ready when Theodore turned up.

(a) Give the meaning of each of the following words as used in the passage. One word
answers or short phrase will be accepted.
(i) Peering (line 13)
(ii) ferociously (line 41)
(iii) immersion (line 49) [3]

(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words:

(i) Why did mother not join the swimming in the beginning? [2]
(ii) Briefly describe her swimming costume. [2]
(iii) What did Larry think it was? [2]
(iv) Which sentence tells you that Margo thought it was old fashioned? [2]
(v) What was Leslie’s concern? [2]
(vi) Why did mother think it was suitable? [2]

(c)
(i) In not more than 60 words describe what happened after mother went upstairs to
try on her costume. [8]
(ii) Give a title to your summary in 3(c)(i). Give a reason to justify your choice. [2]
Question 4
(a) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct from 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.
Example:
(0) He had been (0) ________ (sit) on the bank of a small irrigation canal.
Answer: sitting

He was (1)_______ (gaze) at a couple of heron (2)_______ (fish) in the muddy water,
when he (3) ________ (feel) something bumps his elbow (4) ___________(look) around, he
(5) _______ (find) at his side a little goat, jet black and soft as velvet with lovely grey
eyes. Neither her owner nor her mother (6) ________ (be) around.

She continued to (7) ________ (nudge) Mukesh, so he (8) _______ (look) in his pocket for
nourishment. [4]

(b) Fill in the blanks with an appropriate word:

(i) There was a steep rise ________ onion prices.
(ii) Air pollution is responsible for the spread _________ bronchitis.
(iii) He was ________ pressure to complete the work.
(iv) Joan jumped _________ the river to rescue the child.
(v) His teacher is very pleased _________ him.
(vi) Ali took _________ his cap and wiped his face.
(vii) The old woman could not get _________ the shock.
(viii) He should not get __________ with such rudeness. [4]

(c) Join the following sentence to make one complete sentence without using and, but
or so :
(i) My grandfather is very old. He is very active.
(ii) Mala is not in the classroom. Mala is not in the library.
(iii) She was so excited about her performance. She could not sleep at night.
(iv) Mumbai is densely populated. It is one of the major cities in the country. [4]

(d) Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make
other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence.
(i) The book was so interesting that I could not put in down.
(Begin: The book was too ……………………)
(ii) The Principal said "All the prizes will be distributed tomorrow."
(Begin: The Principal said that…………………………….)

(iii) Last night’s dinner was cooked for us by father.

(Begin: Father ……………………………)
(iv) If Mary catches the first bus, she will be on time for school.
 (Begin: Unless …………………………….)
(v) Inspite of having high fever the girl came to school.
(Begin: Despite …………………………….))
(vi) I prefer going out with friends to staying alone at home.
(Begin: I would rather ………………………...)
(vii) Hardly had the teacher left the room, when all the children started making a
noise.
(Begin: No sooner ………………………………………)
(viii) This is the funniest movie I have ever seen.
(Begin: Never ………………………………………) [8]