TEST-2

Section A: Reading                                                           20 marks

1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.
1 In the year 2000, the Sattriya dances of Assam received recognition as
one of the eight classical dance forms of India. Some of the other
traditions have been revived in the recent past, however, Sattriya has
remained a living tradition since its creation by the founder of
Vaishnavism in Assam, the great saint Srimanta Sankardeva, in the 15th
century.

2 The core of Sattriya Nritya has usually been mythological stories. This
was an artistic way of presenting mythological teachings to the people in
in an accessible, immediate, and enjoyable manner. Traditionally Satrriya
was performed only by bhokots (male monks) in monasteries as part of
their daily rituals or to mark special festivals. Today, in addition to this
practice, Sattriya is also performed on stage by men and women who are
not members of the sattras, on themes not merely mythological.

3 Sattriya Nritya is accompanied by musical compositions called borgeets
(composed by Shree Shree Madhavdeva, among others) which are
based on classical ragas. The instruments that accompany a traditional
performance are dhols (drums), taals (cymbals) and the flute. Other
instruments like the violin and the harmonium have been recent

additions.
4 The costumes are usually made of pat - a silk produced in Assam which
is derived from the mulberry plant and woven with intricate local motifs.
There are two types of costumes: the male costume comprising the
dhoti and chadar and the female costume comprising the ghuri and
chadar. The waist cloth which is known as the kanchi or kingkini is worn
by both the male and female dancers. The ornaments, too, are based on
traditional Assamese design.
5 However, despite its delayed inclusion within the canon of Indian
Classical Dance, and the accompanying lack of organisational support
from the Centre, Sattriya Nritya continued through the centuries to
maintain within its forms the classical exactitude and intricate detail that
mark ancient art forms.
6 One positive outcome of Sattriya Nritya’s strict adherence to the
principles of the sattras has been its ability to maintain its pure forms
and distinct style. Now that it has made its journey from the sanctified
interiors of Assam’s sattras to the public spaces of the word's stages, it is
time for an appraisal of Sattriya Nritya's artistic and aesthetic qualities.

1.1 Attempt any 8 of the following questions on the basis of the passage that
you have read.                                                                                           1×8=8                                                                           

i. When and by whom was the Sattriya dance form created?
ii. Why did mythology become the core of Sattrita Nritya?
iii. How is the ancient dance different from contemporary Sattriya dance?
iv. Which musical instruments are used in this dance?
v. What does the male dancer wear? What are the costumes made of?
vi. What is Kanchi?
vii. What is the positive outcome of Sattriya Nritya’s strict adherence to the
principal of sattras?
viii. When did the Sattriya Nritya become one of the eight classical dance
forms of India?
ix. Which word in paragraph 5 means the same as ‘precision and accuracy’?

2. Read the passage given below.

1 How you can best improve your English depends on where you live and
particularly on whether or not you live in an English-speaking community.
If you hear English spoken every day and mix freely with English-speaking
people, that is, on the whole, an advantage. On the other hand, it is often
baffling to have the whole language poured over you at once. Ideally, a
step-by-step course should accompany or lead up to this experience. It
will also help a great deal if you can easily get the sort of English books in
which you are interested.

2 To read a lot is essential. It is foolish not to venture outside the
examination 'set books' or the textbooks you have chosen for intensive
study. Read as many books in English as you can, not as a duty but for
pleasure. Do not choose the most difficult books you find, with the idea
of listing and learning as many new words as possible: choose what is
likely to interest you and be sure in advance that it is not too difficult.
You should not have to be constantly looking up new words in the
dictionary, for that deadens interests and checks real learning. Look up a
word here and there, but as a general policy try to push ahead, guessing
what the words mean from the context.

3 It is extensive and not intensive reading that normally helps you to get
interested in extra-reading and thereby improves your English. You
should enjoy the feeling which extensive reading gives of having some
command of the language. As you read you will become more and more
familiar with words and sentence patterns you already know,
understanding them better and better as you meet them in more
contexts, some of which may differ only slightly from others.

4 Some people say that we cannot learn to speak a language better with
the help of a book. To believe this is to believe that the spoken language
and the written language are quite different things. This is not so. There
is a very great deal in common between the two. In learning the patterns
and vocabulary of the written form we are learning, to a considerable
extent, those of the spoken form too. We are, in fact, learning the
language and not merely one form of the language.

2.1 On the basis of your reading the passage, answer any four of the
following questions in about 30 – 40 words each:                                       2×4=8

i. What can be an advantage in improving your English?
ii. What kind of books should one choose to read in order to improve
English?
iii. What is the disadvantage of constantly looking up words in the
dictionary?
iv. What according to the writer is common between the written and spoken
form of the language?
v. What kind of reading helps you get interested in extra reading and
improve your English?

2.2 On the basis of your reading the passage, fill in any two of the following
blanks with appropriate words and phrases.                                               1×2=2

i. Read as many books in English as you can,____________________________ .
ii. It is foolish not to venture outside the examination 'set books' or_______ .
iii. Some people say that we cannot learn to speak a language _____________ .

2.3 Attempt any two of the following. Find out the words that mean the same
as under.                                                                                                          1×2=2

i confusing (paragraph 1 )
ii move (paragraph 2)
iii. reduces (paragraph 2)

Section B : Writing and Grammar                                  30 marks

3. (a) You are Samir/Samira Patel, Canteen Manager of ABC Limited. Write a
letter in about 100-120 words to the Sales Manager of ‘House Essentials’
inquiring about the kitchenware (cutlery and crockery) at wholesale rates.
Mention the quantity required.                                                                                                8×1=8



                                                                           OR


(b) Write a letter to the editor of ‘The Times of India’ in about 100-120 words
about the increasing traffic jams in your area during peak hours. Suggest
ways to minimize traffic congestion. You are Amit/Amita Sen of H-10,
Gandhi Nagar, Indore.

4. Write a short story in about 200-250 words with any one set of the
given cues.                                                                                                   10×1=10

(a) Someone felling trees around the village --- villagers worried --- village
head appoints watchmen --- offenders caught --- punished --- each told
to plant twenty saplings.

                                                                          OR

(b) Nothing was going well that day. I lost the match and my racquet. I
returned home dejected and entered the lift. Someone entered after me.
At first I did not notice the person but when the lift stopped suddenly.....

5. Fill in any four of the following blanks choosing the most
appropriate option from the ones given below. Write the answers in
your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers.                             1×4=4                       

Scientists all over the world (a)_____ to invent newer ways for (b)______
energy without causing (c)_____ to the environment. The pastime of flying
kites gave the senior scientists of Delhi University a brilliant idea. By flying
a few kites tethered to a generator, the team realized that they (d)______
produce 10 KW of power (e)______ would be sufficient to power ten
residential homes.
(a) (i) was trying (ii) is trying (iii) are trying (iv) trying
(b) (i)generating (ii)generate (iii)generation (iv)generates
(c) (i) harmless (ii)harm (iii) harmful (iv) harmed
(d) (i) couldn’t (ii)mustn’t (iii) could (iv) should
(e) (i)whose (ii)when (iii)who (iv)which

6. In the following passage one word has been omitted in each line.
Write the missing word in any four sentences of the given paragraph, along with the word that comes before and the word that comes after it in the space provided.                                                                                                1×4=4

                                                                                               Before           Missing word          After

Research indicates dengue fever may soon be a         e.g     indicates               that                    dengue
thing of the past. A mosquito can’t bite if can’t fly.   (a)
This theory gives impetus to the fight against            (b)
dengue. Actions need be taken on a war footing.       (c)
The increasing number dengue cases should be an    (d)
eye opener the authorities to make it a priority.         (e)

7. Rearrange any four of the following words and phrases into
meaningful sentences. One has been done for you.                                     1×4=4

e.g banana shake/ in order /a/ take / a / ripe banana/to make

In order to make a banana shake, take a ripe banana

(a) banana / and / cut / into / slices/ peel/ the/ small

(b) mixer jar/ put/ the /in /a /with / some sugar / and churn/ banana slices

(c) add / a / to / the mixture / and / churn again/ glass of milk

(d) put/ ice cubes/ and/ pour the /over it /a few / in a glass / liquid mixture

(e) to serve/ the/ is /banana shake/ now ready

Section C: Literature 30 marks

8. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Write the answer in your answer sheet in one or two lines only.                1×4=4

(a) “You are to exert your influence. Get all your friends and acquaintances
to stop using the Ouija board, and then we’ll start helping you to write.”
i. Who speaks the above lines and to whom?
ii. Why did he need help in writing?
iii. Why did she want to stop the usage of Ouija boards?
iv. Give the synonym of ‘influence’.
                                                                OR
(b) Still treads the shadow of his foe,
And forward bends his head,
The ship drove fast, loud roared the blast,
And southward aye we fled.
i. How does the mariner describe the storm?
ii. What was the physical condition of the ship?
iii. Where did the ship and the crew find themselves after the storm?
iv. Find the antonym of ‘friend’.

9. Answer any four of the following questions in 30-40 words each.         2×4=8

(a) According to the poet, in the poem ‘Not marble nor the Gilded
Monuments’ how will the living record of the poet’s art be more
powerful?
(b) Why did Ali come to the post office after many days? What did he give
the clerk and why?
(c) What arrangements were made by the villagers for Mrs. Packletide’s
tiger hunt?
(d) Why does the narrator refer to the young boys, Nicola and Jacopo as
‘gentlemen’?
(e) Why did Patol Babu leave the film set without his payment?

10. Answer any one the following question in about 100 - 120 words.           8×1=8

(a) Why does Abel Merryweather decide to live away from his daughters?
                                                                      OR
(b) How is the frog responsible for the death of the nightingale?

11. Answer any one of the following question in about 200-250 words.     10×1=10

(a) Describe in your own words Helen’s first Christmas after Miss Sullivan
came to Tucumbia.
                                                                       OR
(b) Helen’s contact with Dr. Bell raised her perception and understanding of
the world. Comment.