GANGA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, KABLANA (2019-20)

English (Language & Literature) (184) Class: X

Time: 3 Hrs. SET-A MID-TERM EXAMS M. M.: 80

General Instructions:
The question paper has been divided into three sections:
Sections A: Reading 20 marks
Sections B: Writing & Grammar 30 marks
Section C: Literature/ Textbooks 30 marks
All questions are compulsory.
Marks are indicated against each question.

SECTION ‘A’: READING (20 MARKS)

[Link] the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 8
For millions of people in India, river Ganga is the most sacred river. It is considered asmother and goddess. It is also
a lifeline to millions of Indians who live along its course and depend on it for their daily needs. River Ganga is the
third largest river in the world by the amount of water that flows through it. It is the longest river in India. The river
water of Ganga is used for irrigation, transportation and fishing. The Gangetic plain formed by river Ganga is one of
the most fertile lands on earth. This is why almost 10% of the world population lives here and earns its livelihood.
The Ganga, in India is the most worshipped body of water. The irony here is that inspite of being the most
worshipped river, it is also the dirtiest one. It carries some metals thrown out by tanneries, waste produced by
industries and urban waste from different cities. All this has made river Ganga the fifth most polluted river in the
world. Another major reason that adds to the Ganga river pollution is the coal based power plants on its banks which
burn tons of coal every year and produce tons of fly ash. This ash mixed with domestic waste water is released in
the river. This bad situation calls for an urgent need to make efforts to reduce pollution and revive river Ganga. To
achieve these objectives, Government of India has started a programme named “Namami Gange Programme”. The
main pillars of this programme are sewage treatment, river surface cleaning, afforestation, river front development
and public awareness. The importance of the success of ‘Namami Gange Programme’ can be seen through the
following lines :
“If Ganga dies, India dies. If Ganga thrives, India thrives. No Ganga, No India.”
On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer any eight of the questions that follow : 1X8=
8
(a) For whom is river Ganga a lifeline?
(b) For what purposes is the Ganga river water used?
(c) Why does almost ten percent of the world population live in the Gangetic Plain?
(d) What are the pollutants that make river Ganga very dirty?
(e) How do the coal based power plants pollute river Ganga?
(f) Which two purposes will be served by the programme named “Namami Gange?”
(g) Write any two main pillars of the “Namami Gange Programme”.
(h) Most people in India consider the Ganga as _________.
(i) What is the irony of the Ganga being a most worshipped river?
Q2. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. 12
Great people are born to produce an influence on society. One such personality, who was so humble and lived his
complete life with determination and purpose to achieve certain aims was Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. He was a
great social reformer, writer, educator and worked endlessly to transform the society. He strongly protested against
polygamy and child marriage. He favoured widow remarriage and women’s education in India. The Widow
Remarriage Act was passed in 1856 making the marriage of widows legal because of his efforts to solve these
problems. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar refined the way Bengali language was written and taught. His book ‘Borno
Porichoy’ (Introduction to the Alphabet) is still used as the introductory text to teach Bengali alphabet. Thus, he
brought about a revolution in the Bengali Education System. Vidyasagar is credited with the role of completely
changing the old method of teaching which prevailed in Sanskrit College. As a professor in Sanskrit College, he
brought modern outlook into the method of teaching. He included English and Bengali as mediums of learning,
besides Sanskrit. He, also, introduced courses in European History, Philosophy and Science alongside Vedic
scriptures. He encouraged students to study these subjects and make the best of both the worlds. Ishwar Chandra
Vidyasagar was a strong advocate of women education. He rightly viewed education as the primary way for women
to achieve emancipation from the society’s oppression they had to face at that time. He exercised his power to open
schools for girls and even outlined suitable curriculum to educate them. He went from door to door, requesting
heads of families to allow their daughters to be enrolled in schools. Ishwar Chandra was a man who defined his own
path of action. He never listened to what others said about his work and made decisions based on his own
judgement. He was famous for all these qualities. He was also known for his great courage. Vidyasagar had a
very soft heart that sympathised with those in trouble. He was easily moved to tears when he saw someone in pain
and was always the first one to offer his help to colleagues and friends in distress. After his death, Rabindranath
Tagore said, “One wonders how God, in the process of producing forty million Bengalis, produced a man !”

Answer briefly the following questions : ( 2*4+1*4=12 marks)

(a) What kind of life did Ishwar Chandra lead?
(b) What changes did Vidyasagar bring about in the method of teaching at Sanskrit college?
(c) What was Vidyasagar’s contribution as a professor in the Sanskrit college?
(d) How did Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar promote women education?
Choose meanings of the words given below with the help of options that follow :
(e) Influence
(i) income (ii) inside(iii) impression (iv) attraction
(f) Transform
(i) improve (ii) encourage(iii) change (iv) insist
(g) Advocate
(i) caretaker (ii) promoter(iii) neighbour (iv) aggressor
(h) Emancipation
(i) oppression (ii) control(iii) freedom (iv) contribution
(SECTION ‘B’: Writing and Grammar) :30 marks
Q3. You are Shubham/Surabhi, a resident of ‘R’ Block, Shivaji Nagar, Mumbai. For the past few days you (8)
have been noticing that garbage is not being removed from your area. People cannot bear the stinking smell and
unhygienic condition caused by this garbage. Write a letter in 100-120 words to the editor of a newspaper to draw
the attention of the concerned authorities to take necessary action.
Q4. Write a story in 200-250 words beginning with the following lines : (10)
‘Yesterday morning, I was getting ready for my school. As soon as I picked up my school bag, someone knocked on
the door. I opened the door and saw _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
Q5. Complete the paragraph given below by filling in the blanks with the help of options that follow : (4)
(any four)
Yesterday, a rich woman from West Bengal (a) _________ to Delhi to buy jewellery. She was sitting outside (b)
_________ jewellery shop. Suddenly two young boys came there (c) _________ snatched the chain that she was
(d) _________. She called the police (e) _________ the snatchers had run away.
(a) (i) come (ii) comes (iii) came (iv) coming
(b) (i) a (ii) an (iii) the (iv) some
(c) (i) and (ii) or (iii) but (iv) how
(d) (i) wear (ii) wears (iii) wore (iv) wearing
(e) (i) so (ii) because (iii) but (iv) only

Q6. The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each line against which a blank has been
given. Write the incorrect word and the correction in your answer sheet against the correct blank number as given in
the example. Remember to underline the word that you have supplied. Do any four. (1*4=4
marks)
Incorrect word Correction
People of diverse cultures lives (a) _______ _______
together in India. There is many (b) _______ _______
people who exhibit unity on diversity. (c) _______ _______
They celebrated different festivals (d) _______ _______
together. I love being an citizen of India. (e) _______ _______

[Link] the jumbled words and phrases into meaningful sentences. Do any four. (1*4=4 marks)
(a) standing / at the / one day / I / beach / was
(b) number / come / of people / a large / had / there
(c) hawkers / there / eatables / so many / were / selling
(d) wave / suddenly / came / huge / a
(e) road / all the / rushed / towards / the / people
 SECTION 'C'(Literature /Textbooks: 30 Marks)
Q8. Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow. (1*4 =4 marks)
The house- the only one in the entire valley- sat on the crest of a low hill. From this height one could see
the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers that always promised a good harvest. The only
thing the Earth needed was a downpour or at least a shower. Throughout the morning Lencho who knew
his fields intimately had done nothing else but see the sky towards the North-East. “Now we’re really going
to get some water, woman.
” The woman who was preparing supper, replied, “Yes, God willing”.
(a) Where was Lencho’s house located?
(b) What was Lencho’s wife preparing?
(c) Find the word from the passage which means ‘very closely’.
(d) What does ‘Crest’ means? J

OR

If ever you should go by chance

To jungles in the east ;
And if there should to you advance
A large and tawny beast.
If he roars at you as you’re dyin’
You’ll know it is the Asian Lion…
Questions :
(a) Where should you go by chance?
(b) How does the described animal look?
(c) How will you know that it is an Asian lion?
d) Find the poetic device in the line, ‘A large and tawny beast’
Q9. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each. Do any four. (2*4=8 marks)
(a) What does the narrator say about the Coorg Regiment?
(b) How did Mrs. Pumphrey and her servants behave when Tricki was being sent to the surgery?
(c) In the poem ‘Dust of Snow’, how does the poet’s mood get changed?
(d) Why does the poet want to ‘turn and live’ with animals?
(e) How did the children respond to Wanda’s drawings?
10. Answer the following question in 100-120 word : (8 marks)
In the lesson ‘A Letter to God’, what moral values does the postmaster display in his behaviour ?
OR
How does Wanda feel about the dresses game? Why does she say that she has a hundred dresses?
11. How did the visible man become invisible? What did he do then? (10 marks)
OR
Write a character sketch of Mrs. van Daan.