JCB SCHOOL

CLASS 11TH ENGLISH

PRE-BOARD (DECEMBER 2024)
MM : 80 TIME : 3 HRS
SECTION – A (READING) (26 MARKS)
Q.1 Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: (10)

1. We live in an age of wonders and miracles. It has been called the ‘Age of Science’ and different aspects of our life that changed
in the preceding centuries have been attributed to science. This is completely true, but it is only one side of the coin. The flip side
is that as we have advanced more in the field of technology, something fundamental to humanity has been left behind. Values
such as empathy and concern for our fellow human beings are gradually being eroded due to the onslaught of our ever-evolving
lifestyles, aided by the marvels of technological advancements

2. Take the example of the Internet. On the one hand, access to information and knowledge at the click of a button is a veritable
boon to everyone (especially students) and this has made our lives much simpler. On the other hand, it has severely limited actual
contact with teachers, friends and elders. Thus, the learning that a person gains is incomplete as he or she cannot easily take the
advice that another person can give on the basis of knowledge and practical experience that is at his or her disposal.

3. Today, a small child can access and navigate the Internet with an ease that still astounds those from the older generation. But
what is even more astounding is the neglect of the basic human traits of friendship, relationships and family values. Owing to all
the technological advancements and the gadgets available today, children often miss out on the most enriching childhood
experiences such as playing outdoor games with friends, which apart from being immensely enjoyable and physically exhilarating,
also develop traits such as teamwork and discipline at an early age.

4. But now when the concept of friends is gradually being limited to virtual friends on social networking sites, one shudders to think
of the implications for the personality development of a child because the time spent with computers or mobile phones for
entertainment can never really substitute for the holistic benefits of outdoor play. Such examples can be found in plenty.

5. Now if we compare the hustle and bustle of modern city life and the peace and calm of a rustic village life, we can see that in
cities, life is a race with a variety of factors. It is a race that everyone tries their level best to win, but nobody actually wins as it
never ends.

6. As for me, I think this age of rapid development has created at least as many problems as it has solved, if not more. The reason
is that the basic goal of life, which should be the pursuit of happiness, has now been replaced by the pursuit of money. Money and
happiness are considered analogous in our present society, but they actually are not so. In this mindless pursuit of money, nobody
has time now to appreciate the beauty of life, which consists not of multi- billion-dollar skyscrapers, but a simple act of kindness to
someone in a time of need.

7. So there is an urgent need to stop for a moment and think about where we are actually heading, is it development or
destruction? Do we have to wait until people have grown so much apart from each other that we cannot see the suffering of our
own species due to our mindless greed, or can we still mend our ways?

8. To answer this question, I will take the help of that most magnificent of human feelings-hope. I sincerely wish that we, as the
most intelligent species on earth, would take our fair share of responsibility and sincerely think about the path we should follow.
Though mankind will possibly last for a long time thanks to its determination and sheer ingenuity, we have to make sure we do not
lose our humanity somewhere along the way.

A. On the basis of your understanding of the passage answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate option.
(1×6 = 6)

Question 1.
According to the passage, it is like one side of the coin to say that life has changed owing to science as
(A) age of science has brought wonders and miracles. (B) different aspects of life have changed due to science.
(C) there is another side of the coin to look at. (D) this side of coin is true and sufficient to look at.

Question 2.
Which of the following is not true about the internet?
(A) It provides an easy access to information and knowledge. (B) It has made our lives simpler.
(C) It has limited actual contact with teachers and friends. (D) It can easily give advice based on personal experience.

Question 3.
Internet hampers the holistic growth of a child by ……………..
(A) encouraging human traits of friendship, society and family. (B) enriching childhood experiences of outdoor games.
(C) providing virtual friends and gadgets. (D) developing teamwork and discipline..
Question 4.
According to the passage, true happiness lies in ………
(A) simple acts of kindness (B) rapid development (C) multi-billion-dollar skyscrapers (D) pursuit of money

Question 5.
The word ‘veritable’ in para 2 means:
(A) Actual (B) Big (C) Latest (D) Perfect

Question 6.
Antonym of holistic is
(A) Agonistic (B) Individualistic (C) Optimistic (D) Pessimistic

B. Answer the following questions as briefly as possible. (Do any 4) (1×4 = 4)

1. It has severely limited actual contact with …………….

2. Money and …………… are considered analogous in our present society but they actually are not so.
3. We cannot see the suffering of our own species due to our …………….
4. I will take the help of that most magnificent of human feeling …………….
5. ……………. will probably last for a longer period of time.

Q.2 Read the passage carefully and then answer the following questions. (1×8 = 8)

My First-Ever Roller Coaster Ride

I have come to a theme park to meet roller coaster enthusiast Jay Murray, to find out what makes these rides so popular. Jay
estimates he has been on 700 rides in the past 10 years, and is surprised that I have never been on one. He says that one of the
attractions of these rides is that you feel out of control, but safe. Jay really wanted to emphasise the importance of safety. “All
rides are tested for 1,000 hours before they open to the public,” he said.

“They also do a test run on every ride each morning, and there’s a thorough annual inspection too.”
Roller coasters first appeared in 17th-century Russia. These were sloping structures up to 15 metres high, built of wood, with a
layer of ice on the surface which people would slide down. Roller coasters with wheeled sledges were developed soon afterwards.

Later, in Pennsylvania, in the USA, a train that had been used to deliver coal was converted to carry passengers on day trips. This
gave a man called LaMarcus Thompson the idea to open a park with pleasure rides at Coney Island, New York. A school teacher
by profession, he had the eye of a designer, and the mind of a businessman. In just three weeks, he raised enough money from
the rides to pay for the cost of building the park.

By 1888, Thompson had built nearly 50 roller coasters around the USA and Europe. He introduced new technologies such as
cables to pull trains uphill, but it was another man, John Miller, who came up with a design for an under friction wheel, which kept
trains firmly attached to the rails. This meant that they could go faster and on steeper tracks, without falling off. This invention
appeared in 1912.

Name of ride Country Height Total cost Maximum speed Tower of Terror Australia 115 metres A 16 million 161 kilometres per
hour Formula Rossa United Arab Emirates 52 metres £19.5 million 240 kilometres per hour Steel Dragon Japan 97 metres US
$52 million 153 kilometres per hour However, there are limits to the physical forces that a person can tolerate on a ride. People
can cope more easily with the positive vertical – the feeling of being pressed into their seat – than the negative vertical, which
pushes them out of it.’

Interestingly, Jay points out that the desire to make roller coaster rides higher and faster is slowly being replaced by a trend
towards more complex rides, which offer a more lasting experience. Jay explains: “A world-famous ride such as Kingda Ka (in the
USA) is over in less than ten seconds.

Although such a ride is thrilling, and gives you a rush of adrenaline, there is an alternative. You can try a ride like Helix (in
Sweden), which lasts for two minutes – it’s my number one at the moment.” All the same, Jay was eager for me to experience ‘air
time’ – the moment when you reach the top and hang, weightless, before plunging down the other side. And when I finally did, I
had to admit that it was fantastic!

Question 1.How do theme parks make sure each ride is safe every day?
(A) Daily inspection (B) Open ride (C) By test run (D) None of these
Question 2. What were the earliest roller coasters covered in?
(A) Layers of ice (B) Dust (C) Wood (D) Coal
Question 3. What did the railway in Pennsylvania originally transport?
(A) Wood (B) Coal (C) Both (A) and (B) (D) Roller coasters
Question 4. What was the occupation of the man who first designed the rides at Coney Island?
(A) Business (B) Engineer (C) Designer (D) Teacher
Question 5. What was the name of the device which was invented in 1912?
(A) Cable (B) Tower of Terror (C) Under-friction wheel (D) Steel Dragon
Question 6. According to the table, how tall is Tower of Terror?
(A) 115 metres (B) 110 metres (C) 75 metres (D) 100 metres
Question 7. Which term refers to the force that pushes you into your seat while on a ride?
(A) Physical force (B) Positive vertical (C) Negative vertical (D) None of these
Question 8. Which feature makes Jay Murray believe that roller coaster rides will change in the future?
(A) Thrilling (B) Weightless (C) More complex (D) Simple

Q.3 Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (8 Marks)

1. Reading Comprehension (RC) is the most peculiar section in almost all scholastic, entrance and employment tests. The skills in
RC make a lot of difference in one’s chances of good grades/selection.

2. Most students find it difficult to tackle topics that are diverse from the field they are in or from which they are comfortable with.
So one needs to develop a taste for even the most obscure and boring topic on this planet. For success in RC one should be able
to understand it. And even with an average speed, one can succeed if one implements the strategies.

3. Broadly speaking, RC passages can be classified in a few categories. Fact based RC is the simplest form of RC. These types
of passages have a lot of information in the form of names, numbers, etc. In these types of passages, one should read very fast.
Don’t try to memorise any facts. Just mark what the author is talking about in each paragraph.

4. Inference based RC is the toughest form of RC. Here, the passage is fairly tough to understand. This includes passages on
topics like religion, spirituality, philosophy etc. Most of the students will be comfortable attempting these passages. The way to
master them is to read them again and again.

5. Topic based RC includes passages on any particular topic like economics, astrology, medical sciences, etc. Generally what
makes these passages difficult is usage of technical terms. For success in these types of passages, we need to have a fair
understanding of the definition of the term if it is defined in the passage. Assume them to be non-existent and proceed. The key
principle in these passages is that don’t go to the next line until the previous line is clear.

6. Reading the question first and then passage is the usual strategy followed by a few students. They just look at the questions
and not options. The objective is that after seeing the questions when you read the passage then you read only that part carefully
where the answer is given. The flaw with this strategy is that you will not be able to remember all the questions. Besides this, the
strategy fails when there are questions that require understanding of the passage. Therefore, the best way to attempt an RC is to
understand the passage very well first and then to answer the questions.
(a) On the basis of your reading the passage, make notes using recognisable abbreviations wherever necessary. Use a format
you consider suitable, supply a suitable title. (5)
(b) Make a short summary of the passage in about 50 words. (3)

Section – B (23 marks)

(Grammar and Creative Writing Skills)
Grammar [7 Marks]

Q.4 Fill in blanks with the appropriate option given below. Do any four. (1×4=4)

Asaf Khan who (i) ……………. the expedition against the city, (ii) …………….. that the little country which (iii) …………. by a
woman would (iv) ………… very easily without (v) ………. even a blow.
(i) (a) had led (b) led (c) was leading (d) has led
(ii) (a) expected (b) has been expecting (c) had expected (d) was expected
(iii) (a) rule (b) was ruled (c) is ruled (d) was ruling
(iv) (a) was taken (b) be taken (c) will be taken (d) is taking
(v) (a) striking (b) is striking (c) has been striking (d) has struck

Q.5 Choose the correct option. (3×1=3)

A. he/my/letter/received/must have/by/now.
(a) He must have received my letter by now. (b) He must have now received by my letter.
(c) He must have received by now my letter. (d) He by now must have received my letter.

B. stories/ he/ wrote/ few/ that/ romantic/ very/ are/ the

(a) He wrote that the few stories are very romantic. (b) The few stories that he wrote are very romantic.
(c) The few stories he wrote that are very romantic. (d) He wrote the few stories that are very romantic.
C. you/would/when/meet/her/she/know did not.
(a) She did not know when you would meet her. (b) You did not know when would she meet her.
(c) You did not know when she would meet her. (d) She did not know when would you meet her.

Creative Writing Skills [16 Marks]

Q.6. You are the General Manager of a leading company. You need a Chartered Accountant for your office. Draft an
advertisement in not more than 50 words to be published in the Times of India, New Delhi, under the classified columns. (3)

OR

Gopal Sharma has one flat for sale. Draft an advertisement for him to be inserted in the classified columns of the local newspaper.
Invent necessary details. (3)

Q.7 The women’s health club needs a poster on yoga day to promote its importance. Draft a poster highlighting main points. (3)

OR
Prepare a poster on behalf of the Municipal Authority of your city informing the citizens about how to protect themselves against
mosquitoes.

Q.8 Outdoor exercise or morning and evening walks during winter months have become difficult in the polluted atmosphere of the
metropolitan cities. In such a situation, indoor (team) games have become very important. Write a speech in 120-150 words
persuading your students to make more use of facilities for basketball, badminton, etc. available in your school. You are the
Principal of the school. (5)

OR

Racism is bad . Anyone and everyone can be exposed to racism .Write a speech in 120-150 words on the topic ‘Racism’ to be
delivered in the morning assembly of your school.

Q.9 Career Counsellor (not you, yourself) is the best person to guide you in the choice of a career Write a debate in 120 – 150
words either for or against the motion. (5)

OR

“Online smart classes are the future of education style ”. Write a debate either for or against the motion (120-150 words).

Q.10. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: (1×3=3)
A. The cardboard shows me how it was
When the two girl cousins went paddling.

Question 1.
The cardboard in the poem refers to
(A) a scenery (B) a photograph (C) a box (D) a painting
Question 2.Who were two girl’s cousins?
(A) Poet’s cousins (B) Poet and her cousin (C) Poet’s mother’s cousins (D) Poet’s mother and her cousin
Question 3. Where did the girls go for paddling ?
OR
B. I do not understand this child.
Though we have lived together now
In the same home for years.
Question 1.Who is ‘I’ in the poem?
(A) Father (B) Mother (C) Teacher (D) Servant
Question 2.Who is the child?
(A) Poet’s cousin (B) Poet’s son (C) Poet’s grandson (D) Poet’s nephew
Question 3. Name the poet.

Q.11. Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow. (1 x 3 = 3)
(A) My grandfather’s portrait hung above the mantelpiece in the drawing room. He wore a big turban and loose-fitting clothes. His
long, white beard covered the best part of his chest and he looked at least a hundred years old. He did not look the sort of person
who would have a wife or children. He looked as if he could only have lots and lots of grandchildren.

Question 1. From which story have these lines been taken?

(A) My grandfather (B) The Portrait of a Lady (C) My grandmother (D) A Photograph
Question 2.
Which of these characteristics of the grandfather are shown by the photograph?
(A) Wore loose clothes
(B) Had a long beard
(C) Looked older than his age
(D) All of these
Question 3. This chapter is primarily about the author’s ………………………
(A) grandfather (B) grandmother (C) mother (D) children

OR
B. The first leg of our planned three-year, 1,05,000 kilometres journey passed pleasantly as we sailed down the west coast of
Africa to Cape Town. There, before heading east, we took on two crewmen – American Larry Vigil and Swiss Herb Seigler – to
help us tackle one of the world’s roughest seas, the southern Indian Ocean.

Question 1. From which lesson have these lines been taken?

(A) Round the World in 80 days (B) Replica of a Journey (C) We’re Not Afraid to Die… If We Can All Be Together
(D) Photograph of a Journey
Question 2. Whose journey are the narrators trying to replicate?
(A) Captain Thames Cook (B) Captain James Cook (C) Captain James Crawford (D) None of these
Question 3.The narrators are preparing for the journey across in these lines.
(A) Cape Town (B) Africa (C) America (D) Indian Ocean

Q.12 Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow. (1 x 4 = 4)
‘A. One day back there in the good old days when I was nine and the world was full of every imaginable kind of magnificence, and
life was still a delightful and mysterious dream, my cousin Mourad, who was considered crazy by everybody who knew him except
me, came to my house at four in the morning and woke me up tapping on the window of my room.

Question 1. What is the name of the narrator?

(A) Aram (B) Mourad (C) Zorab (D) Vazire
Question 2. What was Mourad doing?
(A) Sitting on a black horse (B) Sitting on a white horse (C) Sitting on a huge elephant (D) Sitting on a camel
Question 3.What was Mourad fond of?
(A) Nature (B) Tribal beliefs (C) Adventures (D) Education
Question 4.Which word in the passage is an antonym of ‘unimpressive’?
(A) Imaginable (B) Magnificence (C) Mysterious (D) Tapping
OR
B. Do you still know me?’ I asked.
The woman looked at me searchingly. She had opened the door a chink. I came closer and stood on the step. ‘No, I don’t know
you.’
‘Tm Mrs S’s daughter.’

Question 1. What is the name of ‘the woman’?

(A) Mrs. S (B) Mrs. Dorling (C) Mrs. Draker (D) Mrs. Sen.”
The narrator is the daughter of Mrs. S, and Mrs. Dorling is the woman who is opening the door.

Question 2. Around whose address the story evolves?

(A) The author (B) Mrs. Dorling (C) Mrs. Marconi (D) Mrs. Draker
Question 3. What was the address of that woman?
(A) 26, Marconi Street (B) 32, Dorling Street (C) 46, Marconi Street (D) 59, Dorling Street
Question 4. Who is the author of these lines?
(A) Marga Minco (B) A.J. Cronin (C) J. B. Priestley (D) Patrick Pringle

Question 13.
Answer the following questions in 40-50 words (Attemp any two). (3 x 2=6)
(a) What opinion did the grandmother form of the English school in the city?
(b)Give a brief description of the narrator’s boat. How had the narrator equipped and tested it?
(c) Why does the poet feel that Heaven and Hell are not real places?
(d)Why do you think, the poet says nothing about her mother’s death?

Q.14.Answer any one of the following questions in about 40-50 words: (3 x 1=3)
(a)“This was the part that wouldn’t permit me to believe what I saw,” What part does the narrator hint at in the story. The Summer
of the Beautiful White Horse?
OR
(b)Why did the narrator go to number 46, Marconi Street in the story “The Address” ?
Q.15.Answer any one of the fotlowing questions in about 120-150 words: (6 x1=6)
(a) What problems did Howard Carter face in regard to King Tut’s mummy? What did he do to solve them?
(b) How does the rain describe herself in the poem ‘The Voice of the Rain.

Q.16 Answer any one of the following questions in about 120-150 words: (6×1=6)
(a) Describe the narrator’s second visit to Mrs. Dorling’s house.
(b) Throw light on Mrs. Fitzgerald’s efforts to reform Mrs. Pearson’s family.