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TIME: 𝟏𝟖𝟎𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒔 _____________________________________________________________

Instructions.
1. The question paper contains three section-READING,WRITING and LITERATURE
2. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.

SECTION-A [22marks]
Reading skills
1. Read the following passage carefully. (12 Marks)
1. Many of us believe that “small” means “insignificant”. We believe that small actions and choices do not have much
impact on our lives. We think that it is only the big things, the big actions and the big decisions that really count. But when
you look at the lives of all great people, you will see that they built their character through small decisions, small choices
and small actions that they performed every day. They transformed their lives through a step-by- step or day by-day
approach. They nurtured and nourished their good habits and chipped
away at their bad habits, one step at a time. It was their small day-to-day decisions that added up to make tremendous
difference in the long run. Indeed, in matters of personal growth and character building, there is no such thing as an
overnight success.
2. Growth always occurs through a sequential series of stages. There is an organic process to growth. When we look at
children growing up, we can see this process at work: the child first learns to crawl, then to stand and walk, and finally to
run. The same is true in the natural world. The soil must first be tilled, and then the seed must be sowed. Next, it must be
nurtured with enough water and sunlight, and only then will it grow, bear fruit and finally ripen and be ready to eat.
3. Gandhi understood this organic process and used this universal law of nature to his benefit. Gandhi grew in small ways,
in his day-to-day affairs. He did not wake up one day and find himself to be the “Mahatma”. In fact, there was nothing
much in his early life that showed signs of greatness. But from his mid twenties onwards, he deliberately and consistently
attempted to change himself, reform himself and grow in some small way every
day. Day by day, hour by hour, he risked failure, experimented and learnt from mistakes. In small and large situations alike,
he took up rather than avoid responsibility.
4. People have always marveled at the effortless way in which Gandhi could accomplish the most difficult tasks. He
displayed great deal of self-mastery and discipline that was amazing. These things did not come easily to him. Years of
practice and disciplined training went into making his successes possible. Very few saw his struggles, fears, doubts and
anxieties, or his inner efforts to overcome them. They saw the victory, but not the struggle.
5. This is a common factor in the lives of all great people: they exercised their freedoms and choices in small ways that
made great impact on their lives and their environment. Each of their small decisions and actions, added up to have a
profound impact in the long run. By understanding this principle, we can move forward, with confidence, in the direction of
our dreams. Often when our “ideal goal” looks too far from us, we become easily discouraged,
disheartened and pessimistic. However, when we choose to grow in small ways, taking small steps one at a time,
performing it becomes easy.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
I. Complete the following sentence by choosing the correct option. (1)
The main idea in the first paragraph is that……………..
(a) big things, big actions and big decisions make a person great.
(b) small actions and decisions are important in one's life.
(c) overnight success is possible for all of us.
(d) personal changes are not important.
II. How does the writer look at Gandhiji's life? (1)
(a) Idolization (c) Wonder (b) Objectively (d) Both (a) and (c)
III. Cite how distance from goals impacts us. (2)
IV. Complete the given sentence appropriately. (1)
 Gandhiji become a successful leader by…………………… .
V. The line "Chipped away at their bad habits" given in the passage means (1)
(a) steadily gave up bad habits. (b) slowly produced bad habits.
(c) gradually criticized bad habits. (d) did not like bad habits.
VI. How great people transform their lives? (1)
VII. What did Gandhi try to do after he was about 25 years old? (2)
VIII. what is the 'Universal Law of Nature' mentioned in the passage? (2)
IX. Select the most suitable title for the passage. (1)
(a) Be the change (b) Looking at Leaders (c) Small is significant (d) Changing with time
2. Read the passage given bellow. (10)
Politics and now Pollution keep Delhi forever in the news, but a third P (Population Growth) has gone missing from the
discourse on the capital: population growth, which has soared during the last two decades and its disastrous fallout.
Already, India’s capital city is the world’s second most populous urban agglomeration. The future is even more frightening: a
United Nations report released in mid-2018 says Delhi could be the world’s most populous city by 2028 with 37.2 million
people. That is eight million more in just 10 years.
According to the report called World Urbanization Prospects 2018 by the Population Division of the UN Department of
Economic and Social Affairs, the population of Delhi and its immediate neighborhood is now estimated to be 29 million,
second only to Tokyo with 37 million people. But Delhi will zoom past Tokyo, whose population is projected to decline to
36.8 million by 2028.
Will Delhi be worth living in? Can the city state of Delhi escape the pressures put on it by an ever-expanding National Capital
Region (NCR), which touches as far as Alwar now? Are we prepared at ail for this population explosion?

In a small office in Delhi’s India Habitat Centre, a group of urban planners – all belonging to the National Institute of Urban
Affairs (NIUA) – have just started collecting baseline data on land, housing, transport, environment, heritage, water, among
others, for Master Plan for Delhi (MPD) 2041. “Our deadline for preparing the Master Plan is 2021. But unlike its earlier
editions, it won’t be a flat 20-year plan. This one will be divided into various achievable, say, for every five years,” says Nilesh
Rajadhyaksha, lead coordinator of MPD and urban specialist in NIUA.

The NIUA – an autonomous research and advisory body hat comes under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs – has
been roped in by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to undertake this colossal strategy plan for Delhi 2041. The current
master plan, MPD-2021, which was notified in 2007 and was prepared by an in-house team of the DDA, would expire in
2021.
The concern is that a sense of urgency to fix Delhi is missing. Many crucial elements of MPD-2021 still remain on paper, with
just two years left for the plan to expire. AK Jain, former commissioner-planning in DDA and key architect of MPD-2021, gives
a long list of what have not been implemented. The master plan talks about brownfield redevelopment of rehabilitation
colonies such as Lajpat Nagar, Old Rajendra Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar, which were originally mean for Partition refugees.
Nothing has been done on that front so far. Nor for the redevelopment of 45 resettlement colonies such as Ambedkar Nagar
and Trilokpuri, which were developed during Emergency to rehabilitate slum, dwellers. the rejuvenation of the Yamuna is
also on the plan, but the river remains severely polluted in the Delhi stretch.
Will Delhi be liveable? Jain is not very hopeful He says Delhi won’t be a highly liveable city even if the master plan is
implemented in its entirety. “Delhi is part of the National Capital Region (NCR). So, Delhi’s Development can’t happen in
isolation,” he explains.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
I. Why does the passage say that the future is frightening for the Indian capital city? What is the crucial issue regarding
Master plans created for Delhi? (2)
 II. The urban planners are collecting data based on…………………. . (1)
(a) heritage (b) land (c) transport (d) All of these
III. What does the author mean by 'it won't be a flat 20-year plan' in the passage? (1)
IV. "The concern is that a sense of urgency to fix Delhi is missing". With reference to this statement, select the correct
inference from the following. (1)
(a) Delhi needs to be evacuated sooner or later
(b) The need to control population in Delhi is crucial
(c) The resources in Delhi needs to be readjusted according to its rising population
(d) Delhi's resources will extinguish soon
V. The Delhi Developmental Authority has hired………………… to look into the development of Delhi. (1)
(a) The Urban Planner (b) Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (c) NIUA (d) All of these
VI. Why does Jain says that Delhi will not be liveable? (2)
VII. Complete the sentence appropriately. If the Master plan is implemented in its entirety then………….. . (1)
VIII. State true or false The given passage want to drive attention on the problem of population in Delhi. (1)

SECTION-B [18 marks]

All the names and addresses used in the questions are fictitious. Resemblance, if any, is purely coincidental.
3. Attempt Any One from A and B given below.
A. Every year in the central park of the city a flower show is held in the month of February. Your school has received a
circular from the District Collector inviting your students to visit it. Write a notice in about 50 words informing the students
about the show and advising them to go and enjoy it. You are Navtej/Navita, Head Boy/Head Girl, Sunrise Public School,
Surat. (4)
Or
B. You are Divya, Secretary of the History Club of Saraswati Vidya Mandir School. Draft a notice in not more than 50 words
informing the students about a proposed visit to some important historical Sites 1 your city. (50 words)
4. Attempt Any One from A and B given below.
A. Your school is organizing its Annual Day Function next month in one of the prestigious auditoriums of Your city. Draft an
invitation giving all the essential details. Do not forget to include necessary instructions against mobile phones and cameras.
(50 words) (4)
Or
B. You are Manoj /Manvi. You have been invited to attend a birthday party of your closest friend. Draft a reply accepting the
invite in not more than 50 words.
Or
5. Attempt Any One from A and B given below.
A. You are Satish/Sarita of Class-XII, Write a letter to the Editor of a leading National Daily highlighting the unfriendly
attitude of the staff of the 'Grameen Seva' transport buses. You can use the following clues. (120-150 words) (5)
Clues
• Hundreds of people travel
• Never on time
•Causes immense chaos
• Problems while boarding
• Stops at random location
Or
B. You are Parth/Prerna of M-114, Najafgarh, Delhi-110044. You would like to apply for the post of Marketing Manager in a
reputed firm in Mumbai after reading an advertisement. Write a letter in 120-150 words applying for the job. Also give
your biodata. (120-150)
WANTED
Red Chilli Enterprises invited applicants for the post of the Marketing Manager Mumbai. The
applicant must have the required education from a reputed institute along with work experience.
Fresher's can also apply. All interested candidates can send their application to the Public
Relations Officer, Red Chilli Enterprises, Mumbai
6. Attempt Any One of two, in about 120-150 words. (5)
A. You are Shruti of Class XII-D. You are a member of the Environment Society of your school. Write an article on 'Reduce
Environmental Pollution Through Education and Legislation'. You can take help from the following clues. (120-150 words)
Clues
• Environment getting destroyed due to pollutants and exploitation of natural resources
• Contamination of environment causes many diseases
• People need to be educated about using environment friendly items
Or
B. Aggressive driving has been a problem on our roads for a while and it seems to be only getting worse. Incidents of
screaming, rude gestures and sometimes even violence are reported frequently on our roads, resulting into road rage. As
Lalit/Lalita, a Staff Correspondent for The Times of India', write a report on one such incident of road rage witnessed by you
with the help of the following clues. (120-150 words)
Clues
• A man fired a truck driver
• The criminal was arrested
• Shot missed saving the person
• Case of attempted murder
SECTION-C [40 marks]
Literature Textbook and Supplementary Reading Text

7. Read the extracts given below and answer the following questions. (Do any one.) (1x6 =6)
A. It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
(Keeping Quiet)
I. In the given passage, the poet promotes
(a) Peace (b) Self-introspection (c) Fraternity (d) All of these
II. State whether the given statement is True or False, with reference to the extract. The poet wants peace and calmness.
III. Complete the sentence appropriately.
The use of the word 'sudden' indicates…………… .
IV. The phrase 'without rush, without engines' means that
V. Complete the following analogy correctly.
Rhyme scheme: Free verse::………………….. : Alliteration
VI. Why will the moment be Exotic?
(a) as it will be a moment of self-introspection (b) because it will be solemn
(c) because there will be no noise around. (d) because there would be no wars.
Or
B. The little old house was out with a little new shed
In front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped,
A roadside stand that too pathetically pled,
It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread,
But for some of the money. the cash, whose flow supports
The flower of cities from sinking and withering, faint.
(A Roadside Stand)
I. Who are referred to as 'the flower of cities'?
(a) The kind hearted people (b) Politicians (c) City dwellers (d) Journalists
II. Where was the new shed put up? What was its purpose?
III. The poet says "It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread'". This indicates that
(a) They wanted food (b) They were not begging
(c) They did not expect any help (d) They wanted money
IV. State whether the given statement is True or False with reference to the extract. The give lines use a metaphor for
luxuries.
V. Explain: 'too pathetically pled'.
 VI. Complete the sentence appropriately. The poet uses the word 'pathetic' to _________ .
8. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for any one of the two given. (1X4 = 4)
A. MR. LAMB: Real one got blown off, years back. Lamey-Lamb, some kids say.
Haven't you heard them? You will. Lamey-Lamb. It fits. Doesn't trouble me.
DERRY: But you can put on trousers and cover it up and no one sees, they don't have to notice and stare.
MR. LAMB: Some do. Some don't. They get tired of it, in the end. There's plenty of other things to stare at. DERRY: Like
my face.
I. What other things do Mr. Lamb refer to?
(a) Weeds (b) Crab apples (c) A Spider (d) All of these
II. 'Real one' in the extract refers to
(a) real hand (b) real leg (c) real thumb (d) real home
III. Why did children call Mr. Lamb Lamey Lamb?
IV. Why would people stare at Derry 's face?
Or
B. Everyone stood transfixed in stupefaction. They looked wildly at each other and blinked. "O wise prophets! It was I who
spoke. This time there were no grounds for doubt. It was the infant born just ten days ago who had enunciated the words
so clearly. The chief astrologer took off his spectacles and gazed intently at the baby. All those who are born will one day
have to die; we don't need your predictions to know that. There would be some sense in it if you could tell us the manner
of that death," the royal infant uttered these words in his little squeaky voice.
I. Why was everyone stupefied?
II. On the basis of the given extract, do you think that the story of the tiger king is a work of fantasy?
III. Which of the following states the manner of death?
(a) By a wooden tiger (b) By the hundredth tiger
(c) In a fight against the bull (d) By any tiger or bull
IV. Which of the following words in the passage indicates the great power possessed by the astrologer?
(a) Prophets (b) Squeaky (c) Transfixed (d) Enunciated
9. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given, (1×6=6)
A. I heard M. Hamel say to me, "I won't scold you, little Franz; you must feel bad enough, See how it is! Every day we have
said to ourselves, Bahl I’ve plenty of time, I ‘Il learn it tomorrow.' And now you see where we've come out. Ah, that's the
great trouble with Alsace: she puts off learning till tomorrow.
I. Why would Franz be feeling bad?
II. The given lines indicate how M. Hamel is feeling. Pick the option that correctly states these feelings.
1. Angry 2. Regretful 3. Sad 4. Hatred 5. Joyous 6. Sympathetic
(a) 1 and 4 (b) 2 and 3 (c) 5 and 6 (d) 1 and 3
III. Complete the given sentence appropriately.
'Where we've come out' indicates_________
IV. "She puts off learning till tomorrow. " What does this line indicate about the people of Alsace?
V. Complete the sentence appropriately.
The phrase 'puts off' suggests that_________
VI. The story 'The Last Lesson' highlights which human tendency?
(a) Chauvinism (b) Procrastination (c) Courage (d) Cowardice
Or
B. My American publisher said while she loved my book, she didn’t expect to sell more than 3,000 copies in a country where
nobody has seen a cathedral or studies Latin. So, I was given an advance for 3,000 copies, but in the end it sold two or
three million in the U.S.
A lot of books have been written about the medieval past for before mine. I think the success of the book is a mystery.
Nobody can predict it. I think if I had written "The Name of the Rose' ten year earlier or ten years later, it wouldn't have
been the same. [Link] worked at that time is a mystery.
I. What does the American publisher say to Umberto Eco?
II. Which is the correct description of The Name of the Rose'?
(a) Detective Medieval mystery (b) Romantic Medieval drama
(c) Medieval religious novella (d) Detective thriller
III. Explain the reason for the Eco's publisher 's belief regarding the sale of his book.
IV. Identify the line from the extract which indicates that 'The Name of the Rose' was a huge Success.
 V. Which quality can be associated with Umberto Eco?
(a) Wise (b) Down to earth (c) Egoist (d) Both (a) and (b)
VI. Complete the sentence with one word.
The line 'Why it worked at that time is a mystery' indicates Eco's________ .
10. Answer any five of the following questions in 40-50 words. (2 x 5= 10)
I. Why don 't the people in Firozabad organize themselves into a cooperative? (Lost Spring)
II. ‘The God That Failed' was the composition of six eminent men of letters. Describe.
III. What are we single minded about? (Keeping Quiet) .
IV. Write about the poet's fear as a child. Why does it surface when she is going to the airport? (My Mother at Sixty-Six)
V. What makes human beings love life in spite of all the troubles they face?
VI. How did the instructor 'build a swimmer' out of Douglas? (Deepwater)
11. Answer any two of the following questions in 40-50 words. (2x2 = 4)
I. What did the Psychiatrist think about Charley 's stamp collection? Why did Charley not agree with him? (The Third level)
II. What are Geoff Green's reasons for including high school students in the 'Students on Ice' Expedition?
III. What were the two significant things that happened on the seventh day in ‘The Enemy'?
12. Answer any one of the following questions in about 120-150 words. [5]
A. Why is the Champaran episode considered to be the beginning of the Indian struggle for independence? (Indigo)
Or
B. How does the poet represent the pathetic state of mind of the people who run the roadside stand?
13. Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words. (5)
A. As long as men are free to ask what they must; free to say what they think; free to think what they will and free to
follow their religious beliefs - only then there exists democracy. What reforms can be advocated in order to avert the
cruelties experienced by Zitkala-Sa and observed by Bama?
Or
B. Derry says "It's not what you look like; it's what you are inside." What are the qualities this sentence encourages people
to have? (On the Face of it)

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