24-2025

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

(ENGLISH PAPER - 1)

Grade: X Max. Marks: 80

Date : 05/12/2024 Time Allowed: 2 hour

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Answers to this paper must be written on the paper provided separately.

• You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes.

• This time is to be spent reading the question paper.

• The time given at the head of this Paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.

• The intended marks for the questions or parts of questions are given alongside the

questions.

• Attempt all five questions.

• This Paper consists of 7 pages.

Question 1 (Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question.)

Write a composition (300-350 words) on any one of the following:

[20]

a Write an original short story entitled ‘The Unseen Guardian’.

b Narrate a moment in your life when you had to overcome a significant

challenge. Explain the situation, your response, and the outcome.

c Discuss the impact of technological advancements on traditional crafts and

skills. Provide examples and suggest ways to preserve these traditions.

d Express your views either for or against the statement: 'Competitive sports

are essential for a well-rounded personality.'

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 a 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:

a Your cousin is planning to study abroad. Write a letter to him/her giving

advice on how to adapt to a new culture and environment.

b As the head of the School Council, write a letter to the Principal proposing

the introduction of a new extracurricular activity. Include details of the

activity, its benefits, and how it can be implemented.

Question 3

a Your school is organizing a Cultural Fest. Write a notice to be put up on your

school notice board informing the students about the event. Include relevant

details.

[5]

b Write an email to a well-known author inviting him/her to be the chief guest

at the Cultural Fest.

[5]

Question 4 Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: [20]

In the heart of the ancient city of Byzantium, there existed a renowned library,

a repository of knowledge that attracted scholars from distant lands. Among

these scholars was a young woman named Aeliana, whose thirst for

knowledge was insatiable. Aeliana spent her days poring over manuscripts,

deciphering ancient texts, and engaging in spirited debates with other

scholars.

One day, while exploring the library’s hidden alcoves, Aeliana discovered a

dusty scroll that spoke of a lost city of wisdom, a place where the greatest

minds had once congregated to share their insights and discoveries.

Intrigued, she began to research this elusive city, piercing together

fragments of information from various sources.

Her quest led her to the realization that the lost city was not just a physical

location, but a symbol of enlightenment and intellectual pursuit. It

represented the collective wisdom of generations, a beacon for those who

sought to transcend the limitations of their time.

Byzantium. Inspired by her dedication, they embarked on their own journeys

of intellectual exploration, delving into fields as diverse as astronomy,

philosophy, and medicine. The library, once a silent sanctuary, now buzzed

with the excitement of discovery and the exchange of ideas.

As Aeliana delved deeper into her studies, she began to uncover

connections between the lost city and various ancient civilizations. The

scrolls she examined hinted at a network of knowledge that spanned

continents, suggesting that the lost city was a hub where scholars from

different cultures converged to share their wisdom. These findings were

revolutionary, challenging the long-held belief that knowledge was isolated

within specific regions. Aeliana proposed that the lost city served as a

melting pot of ideas, where innovations in science, philosophy, and the arts

were exchanged and refined. Her theory sparked both excitement and

skepticism among her peers. Some scholars were inspired to explore new

interdisciplinary studies, blending insights from different fields to generate

fresh perspectives. Others, however, clung to traditional views, wary of

embracing Aeliana’s bold assertions.

Undeterred by the controversy, Aeliana continued her quest, seeking out

forgotten texts and neglected manuscripts in the farthest corners of the

library. Her relentless pursuit of knowledge and her willingness to challenge

established norms began to draw a following. Younger scholars, in

particular, admired her courage and intellect, seeing in her the embodiment

of the very ideals the lost city represented. As the library buzzed with

renewed energy, it became clear that Aeliana’s discovery was not just about

uncovering the past—it was about igniting a renaissance of learning, a

resurgence of curiosity that would push the boundaries of human

understanding. In this way, Aeliana's work laid the groundwork for a new era

of intellectual enlightenment in Byzantium.

(i) For each word given below choose the correct meaning (as used in the
passage) from the options provided:

[3]

1.

insatiable (line 4)

(a) satisfied

(b) voracious

(c) indifferent

(d) moderate

[1]

2. elusive (line 10)

(a) obvious

(b) conspicuous

(c) evasive

(d) transparent

[1]

(ii) Which word in the passage means the opposite of 'stagnation'?

(a) progression

(b) excitement

(c) enlightenment

(d) exploration

[1]

(iii) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words: [9]

(a) Why was Aeliana attracted to the library at Byzantium? [2]

(b) What did Aeliana discover in the library's hidden alcoves? [2]

(c) What did the lost city symbolize according to Aeliana? [1]

(d) How did Aeliana’s discovery change the atmosphere of the Library in

Byzantium?

[2]

(e) What can we infer about Aeliana’s character from the passage? [2]

(iv) In not more than 50 words, summarize Aeliana's discovery and its impact on

the scholars of Byzantium from the passage.

Question 5

(i) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the 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]

Example: (0) looked

Reese (0) ____________ (look) out of the window. She

(1)____________(catch) sight of the board (2) ____________ (bear) the

station’s name. She was so (3) ____________ (amaze) that she almost (4)

____________ (fall) out of her compartment. She was back to her home

town after (5) ___________ (travel) for sixty or seventy kilometers, here she

(6) ____________ (is) home again. She (7)____________ (climb) out of the

compartment slowly (8)____________(check) if somebody had come to

receive her.

(ii) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words: [4]

(a) Aurangzeb was one among the descendants_______Shajahan.

(b) The flood victims have resigned themselves ______their fate.

(c) We should avail _______every opportunity to succeed.

(d) Music therapy is a treatment __________ many problems.

(e) The robbers ran __________ the exit staircase and out into the garden.

(f) You should not get carried __________ by such rumours.

(g) The kids were told to return to their room __________ it became dark.

(h) Mr. Rustom jumped into his van and drove _________ as fast as he could.

(iii) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using

‘and’, ‘but’ or ‘so’. Choose the correct option.

[4]

1. She is pretty. She is intelligent.

(a) She is pretty as well as intelligent.

(b) She is pretty or intelligent.

(d) She is pretty much intelligent.

[1]

2. Jane is quite friendly. Her brother is rather reserved.

(a) Jane is quite friendly and her brother is rather reserved.

(b) Jane is quite friendly whereas her brother is rather reserved.

(c) Jane is quite friendly and also her brother is rather reserved.

(d) Jane is quite friendly but her brother is rather reserved.

[1]

3. They gave her the best treatment. They could not save her.

(a) Although they gave her the best treatment, they could not save her.

(b) If they gave her the best treatment, they could not save her.

(c) Because they gave her the best treatment, they could not save her.

(d) They gave her the best treatment, they could not save her.

[1]

4. Winston Churchill was a great statesman. He was a great writer.

(a) Winston Churchill was a great statesman but also a great writer.

(b) Besides being a great statesman Winston Churchill was a great writer.

(c) Winston Churchill was not only a great statesman a great writer.

(d) Winston Churchill was not a great statesman but also a great writer.

[1]

(iv) Choose the correct option to rewrite the following according to the

instructions given after each sentence.

[8]

1. Sanjana analysed the case carefully.

(Use: analysis)

(a) Sanjana conducted a careful analysis of the case.

(b) An analysis of the case was conducted by Sanjana.

(c) Sanjana cracked the case with careful analysis.

(d) The analysis of the case made Sanjana careful.

2. That bridge is so low that the trucks cannot go under.

(Use: too)

(a) That bridge is too low that the trucks cannot go under.

(b) That bridge is too low for the trucks to go under.

(c) That bridge is too low for trucks to go under it.

(d) That is too low a bridge for trucks to go under it.

[1]

3. They rang the bells as soon as the moon appeared.

(Begin: No sooner)

(a) No sooner did they ring the bells than the moon appeared.

(b) No sooner did the moon appear than they rang the bells.

(c) No sooner had the bells been rung than the moon appeared.

(d) No sooner the moon appeared than the bells were rung by them.

[1]

4. Last week during the exam my friend gave me a pen.

(end: …friend.)

(a) Last week a pen was given by me to my friend.

(b) During last week’s exam, a pen was given to me by my friend.

(c) Last week during the exam, a pen was given to me by my friend.

[1]

(d) Last week during the exam, a pen was being given to me by my friend.

5. In spite of repeated warnings Anshul paid no heed.

(Use: Despite)

(a) Despite paying repeated warnings Anshul does not heed.

(b) Despite repeated warnings, Anshul paid no heed.

(c) Despite paying no heed Anshul has been repeatedly warned.

(d) Despite of repeated warning Anshul paid no heed.

[1]

6. He said to us, “Are you going to Chennai today?”

(a) He inquired if we were going to Chennai today.

(b) He inquired of us whether we were going to Chennai that day.

(c) He inquired us if we were going to Chennai that day.

(d) He inquired whether we were going to Chennai that day.

[1]

7. Shakespeare is the most famous of all English writers.

(Use: famous)

(a) Shakespeare is famous than all English writers.

(b) No other English writer is as famous as Shakespeare.

(c) None of the other English writers are as famous as Shakespeare.

(d) All English writers are not as famous as Shakespeare.

[1]

8. Amazing innovations were made by scientists in the 19th century.

(Begin: Scientists...)

(a) Scientists made amazing innovations in the 19th century.

(b) Scientists had made amazing innovations in the 19th century.

(c) Scientists have made amazing innovations in the 19th century.

(d) Scientists have been making amazing innovations in the 19th century.

[1]

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