Sarojben Memorial International School

Practice Test 1
Date: 28/01/2020 Name: Time: 3 hrs.
Subject: English Standard: 10 2020 - 2021 Total Marks – 80

Instructions:

1. This question paper is divided into two parts:

 Part A – 40 marks
 Part B – 40 marks
2. All questions are compulsory.
3. Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read these
instructions very carefully and follow them.
4. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

PART A: (40 MARKS)

READING (20 marks)
1. Read the passage carefully. (10)
(1) Even international students whose first language is English can find themselves struggling to
understand alien academic culture. The problems are very familiar. Students’ first problem is
often with listening skills. They may feel nervous about this and it is certainly a steep learning
curve. They need structured listening experience, for instance how to pick out the main ideas.
They also need help with academic reading – how to approach an article or book, how to skim,
read and make notes.
(2) However, while a student’s confidence in listening skills grows, it is in the area of academic
writing where more serious cultural differences become apparent. Much of British education is
based on essay writing, but this may be a demanding task for students from other cultures.
Suddenly, they are faced with the need to express their own ideas, develop their opinions and
evaluate different issues, all in polished English. For some, the concept of originating this kind of
written discourse can prove problematic, and they may find themselves scoring low marks
because of plagiarism, or reproducing someone else’s ideas. In Britain, plagiarism is regarded as
academic theft, though this is not always the case in other countries. Students are expected to
do research in a library before tackling an assignment, and simply regurgitating lecture notes is
also not acceptable.
(3) The best way to overcome these hurdles is to be prepared. The first step is to take a test to
assess the English language skills needed to cope with the issues of academic culture.
(4) If an accredited test indicates that a student’s language skills are not sufficient to embark on a
university degree, the next step is to consider pre-sessional courses, generally at the university
where the student will take a degree. These can last from three weeks to an academic year, so
it is wise for students to be realistic about their needs. It is generally accepted that
approximately 200 hours of study are needed to improve on one bad score on some tests. Some
 of the ‘new’ universities that formed from polytechniques in 1992 are experimenting with new
styles of pre-sessional and foundation courses. Elspeth Jones, Director of the Centre for
Language Study at Leeds Metropolitan University explains, “Our courses are monthly, and so
students from parts of the world with a different academic year can enroll at any time.”
(5) She feels that language training in new universities is generally more flexible than in older
institutions. “Universities like ours can take students with lower language test grades and can
put them through a programme that will bring them up to the required standard, though we
cannot guarantee how long it will take.”

On the basis of your reading, answer any ten of the following questions: (1 x 10 = 10)
(i) Which problem do the international students face?
(a) Listening skills (b) Struggle of understanding English
(c) Writing in English (d) Speaking in English

(ii) Academic writing includes

(a) How to approach an article (b) How to read a work
(c) How to make notes (d) all of these

(iii) Which of the following lists the ways in which a student can overcome the hurdles faced by
international students?
1. preparations 2. Test 3. Realistic 4. writing practice
5. pre-sessional courses 6. listening practice

(a) 2, 4 and 6 (b) 1, 2 and 6 (c) 1, 3 and 5 (d) 3, 4 and 5

(iv) Why is essay writing a demanding task?

(a) One needs to develop ideas and evaluate issues in polished English
(b) One needs to research in library
(c) One cannot rewrite lecture notes
(d) All of the above

(v) Which of the following will be the most appropriate title for the passage?
(a) Overcoming language hurdles (b) Language Training
(c) British English – Ways to cope (d) Emergence of New Kind of Courses

(vi) Which is the first step to overcome the hurdles associated with language?
(a) To learn the language (b) To assess the language skills needed
(c) To take pre-sessional courses (d) To revise the basics of language
 (vii) Select the option that makes the correct use of ‘flexible’ as used in the passage, to fill in the
space.
(a) Paul Jones said that it was a ____ law of nature that those who will not risk, cannot win.
(b) Tony Robbins once said that you should stay ____ to your decisions.
(c) Being a goalie in hockey requires a great deal of speed and _____.
(d) Trees which are more ____ can withstand stronger winds than those trees that are very
rigid.

(viii) How are pre-sessional courses of new universities better?

(a) Students can enroll anytime (b) It takes students of all levels
(c) It teaches in minimum time (d) It is very versatile

(ix) British education is based on

(a) Essay writing (b) listening and speaking skills
(c) the knowledge of grammar (d) writing projects

(x) What is plagiarism?

(a) Incorrect use of grammar (b) Using formal language in essay writing
(c) Reproducing someone else’s ideas (d) Academic theft

(xi) What is the period of pre-sessional course?

(a) 1 year (b) 3 months to a year (c) One month (d) 6 months

(xii) Choose the option that incorrectly states the meaning of ‘accredited’, as used in the
passage.
1. To credit 2. To thank 3. Officially recognized or authorized
4. To give license 5. Of quality 6. To give an appointment
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 3 and 4 (c) 5 and 6 (d) 3 and 6

2. Read the passage given below. (10)

1. Right from literacy, accessibility to schools and household expenditure on education, the rural-
urban gap remains significant. There is a digital divide, too, with just 4% of the rural households
having access to computers as compared to 23% in urban areas. These and other trends on
rural-urban gap in education are revealed in the details of a survey conducted by National
Statistical Office (NSO).
2. The report on “Household Social Consumption: Education” surveyed 1.13 lakh households
spread across over 8,000 villages and 6,000 urban blocks between July 2017 and June 2018.
The study involved 1.52 lakh students across different levels of study.
3. On accessibility, while 92.7% of the rural households have a primary school within 1 km as
compared to 87.2% in urban areas, the situation gets skewed as only 38% of the rural
households have access to secondary school as compared to 70% in the urban areas on similar
parameters.
4. While accessibility to a neighbourhood school at primary level is not an issue in rural areas, the
gross attendance ratio is also satisfactory with nearly 100% of boys and girls in rural as well as
urban areas attending classes. However, in sync with reduced accessibility, there is a gap at
secondary level between rural and urban settings. The all India literacy rate among persons
aged 7 years and above is 77.7%. However, for the same age group, the rural literacy is 73.5%
and for urban areas it is 87.7%.
5. The digital divide between rural and urban households is stark with just 4% of the rural
population having access to computers. The report highlighted that while only 15% surveyed
population in the rural cluster has internet access, 42% of the students in the urban areas have
access to the internet.
6. At school level while the majority of the urban households had shown a preference for private
schools, it’s the opposite for rural households. The report highlights that 76.1% of the rural
children are attending primary and middle school run by the government, while only 38% of
the urban children are attending government schools. However, for graduate and above
studies, 49.7% rural students are attending classes in government institutions as compared to
41% of the urban counterparts in government institutions.

On the basis of your reading answer any ten of the following questions:
(1x10 = 10)
(i) What shows that the rural-urban gap is significant?
(a) Right from literacy (c) Household expenditure on education
(b) Accessibility to schools (d) all of these

(ii) Which fact proves that there is a digital divide in the country?
(a) Rural areas have no access to internet services.
(b) Only 4% of rural areas have computers while in urban it is 23%.
(c) Rural areas cannot afford digital or online education.
(d) Only 15% of rural areas have access to the internet.

(iii) In the line “___ digital divide”, the word divide DOES NOT refer to
(a) Gap (b) split (c) sects (d) organize

(iv) The survey conducted by the NSO covered

(a) Over 6000 households in total.
(b) Over 8000 households in total.
(c) Over 8000 rural and 6000 urban households.
 (d) Over 1.52 lakh rural and 1.13 urban households.

(v) Choose the option that lists the correct answers for the following.
1. Rajan is a 14 year old boy who has been going to one of the best schools near his locality
which uses digital means to impart education.
2. Raman is a 12 year old boy who goes to the government school nearest to his home, but he
is unable to get full study material because of lack of a digital device.
(a) The given cases show how literacy has become central agenda of the government.
(b) The given cases show a huge gap in urban literacy rate.
(c) The given cases show the reduction in the digital divide.
(d) The given cases present gap in skill based resources in the rural-urban set-up.

(vi) What data shows that the rural-urban gap is visible at the secondary level of education?
(a) Only 38% households of rural areas have access to secondary schools.
(b) More than 70% households in urban areas have access to secondary schools.
(c) The literacy rate or rural areas is 73.5% and for urban it is 87.7%.
(d) Both (a) and (b)

(vii) Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the option that lists the factors that
indicate the rural-urban gap.
1. Right to literacy 2. Accessibility to Schools 3. Household expenditure
4. Digital divide 5. Employment opportunities 6. Infrastructural development

(a) 1 and 2 (b) 3 and 4 (c) 5 and 6 (d) all of these

(viii) In which level of education is the condition of the rural households better?
(a) Secondary level (c) Senior Secondary level
(b) Primary level (d) University level

(ix) What does the Household Social Consumption: Education focus on?
(a) Rural-urban gap in education
(b) Backtracking of the online education
(c) How digital divide is more evident in education
(d) Need for making technology more affordable

(x) In which aspect is the condition of education in the urban and rural households equal?
(a) On accessibility of primary schools
(b) On accessibility of secondary schools
(c) On gross attendance ratio of both girls and boys
(d) On digital access of computers and internet

(xi) Majority of urban households show preference to

(a) Home schooling (c) private schools
 (b) Government schools (d) Both (a) and (c)

(xii) The “Household Social Consumption: Education” survey found that

(a) The country is still majorly composed of illiterate masses.
(b) There is a stark divide in the secondary education received by children vis-à-vis rural-urban
divide.
(c) The country has to implement major changes to reduce the digital divide.
(d) The country has transformed into a digital economy while majority of its population does
not have digital access.

LITERATURE (10 marks)

3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: (1x5 = 5)
At twelve, he was sent away for schooling in the Hindu sacred scriptures and four years later he
returned home to marry a princess. They had a son and lived for ten years as befitted royalty. At
about the age of twenty-five, the Prince heretofore shielded from the sufferings of the world,
while going out on hunting, chanced upon a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral
procession, and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights so moved him that he at once went
out into the world to seek enlightenment concerning the sorrows he had witnessed.
(i) Who does ‘he’ refer to here?
(a) Buddha (b) Sick man (c) Monk (d) An aged man

(ii) What did the prince see while he was out on hunting?
(a) He saw a sick and aged man (c) He saw a monk begging for alms
(b) He saw a funeral procession (d) All of these

(iii) Choose the option that lists the set of statements that are NOT TRUE according to the
given extract.
1. He was Lord Buddha
2. He was kept away from sorrows of life.
3. He was just ten years old when he left the kingdom.
4. He became a beggar because he was dethroned.
5. He gained enlightenment.
6. His son was ten years old when he left the kingdom.

(a) 3 and 4 (b) 1 and 4 (c) 2 and 5 (d) 2 and 6

(iv) Pick the option that correctly classifies fact/s (F) and opinion/s (O) given below.
1. Student 1: He was born a prince and was kept away from sorrows.
2. Student 2: He should not have taken such a rash decision.
3. His wife and son must have hated him.
4. He was the enlightened one.
(a) F-1,3 and O-2,4 (c) F-1,4 and O-2,3
 (b) F-2,3 and O-2,3 (d) F-1 and O-2,3,4

(v) He decided to seek ____.

(a) Self-consciousness (c) cure for people from pain
(b) Enlightenment (d) helpless people from sorrow
OR
There was a fifty rupee note between his fingers. My heart sank. I thought I had been discovered. “I
made some money yesterday,” he explained. “Now you’ll be paid regularly.” My spirits rose. But when I
took the note, I saw it was still wet from the night’s rain. “Today we’ll start writing sentences,” he said.
He knew. But neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything.
(i) Why did the narrator’s heart sink?
(a) He thought that Anil might know that he had stolen the money.
(b) He thought that Anil might be sad from his behavior.
(c) He thought that Anil wouldn’t trust him anymore.
(d) All of the above.

(ii) What did Anil say to Hari Singh on knowing about his guilt?
(a) He said that Hari Singh will be paid regularly.
(b) He said that Hari Singh will be punished for his offence.
(c) He said that he will educate Hari.
(d) He didn’t say anything.

(iii) Which personality trait of Anil transformed Hari Singh?

(a) Honesty (b) Kindness (c) Empathy (d) Humbleness

(iv) Choose the answer that lists the correct option regarding Hari’s expression.

(a) Option 1 (b) Option 2 (c) Option 3 (d) Option 4

(v) Hari Singh felt guilty because _____.

(a) he stole the money from Anil. (c) he was not kind like Anil.
(b) he broke the trust of Anil. (d) both (a) and (b)
 4. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: (1x5 = 5)
Pistol in his left hand, pistol in his right,
And he held in his teeth a cutlass bright,
His beard was black, one leg was wood;
It was clear that the pirate meant no good.

(i) Who has entered Belinda’s house?

(a) A tiger (b) A pirate (c) The police (d) A dog

(ii) The pirate held the cutlass in

(a) his right hand (b) his left hand (c) his teeth (d) his belt

(iii) How did the pirate look

(a) Dangerous (b) Ghostly (c) Heroic (d) Friendly

(iv) The phrase ‘meant no good’ means ______.

(a) He was there to steal things. (c) he was there to kidnap Belinda.
(b) He could harm Belinda and her pets. (d) he wanted to hide in the tower.

(v) The rhyme scheme of the given lines is _____.

(a) abab (b) aabb (c) abca (d) aaab
OR
So they show their relations to me and accept them,
They bring me tokens of myself,
They evince them plainly in their possession
I wonder where they get those tokens,
Did I pass that way huge times ago and negligently drop them?
(i) Whom does ‘they’ refer to here?
(a) Animals (b) Human beings (c) Plants (d) None of these

(ii) Explain the line, “They bring me tokens of myself”

(a) Animals remind him of true values of the human nature like innocence and kindness.
(b) Animals remind him of the true values of life.
(c) Animals do not have the desire to own anything.
(d) None of the above.

(iii) Which of the following is not a token that they show?

(a) Selfishness (b) Respect (c) Satisfaction (d) Equality
(iv) The word ‘evince’ DOES NOT have a meaning similar to
(a) show (b) reveal (c) possession (d) display

(v) Which relations do the animals display to the poet?

(a) Relationship of similarity (c) Relationship of opposition
(b) Relationship of dissimilarity (d) None of these

GRAMMAR (10 MARKS)

5. Fill in the blanks given below with the help of options that follow: (1x3 = 3)
Lack of skills is the main reason that (i)_____ jobless people from (ii)____ a job. Instead of (iii)____
free internet to the people, the government should organize training programme for the jobless.
(i) (a) prevent (b) prevented (c) prevents (d) will prevent
(ii) (a) finding (b) founding (c) finds (d) found
(iii) (a) offers (b) offering (c) will offer (d) are offered

6. Choose the correct options to fill in the blanks to complete the narration: (1x3 = 3)

Rita is chilling out with her neighbour and best friend, Charlie. She is (i)_____ about the kid in school
who said a lot of mean things about him. While doing so, she asks him about why he never hit him.
Charlie replied that he had observed that when a person (ii)_____ somebody, there is a tendency that
the other person will try to hit back. Rita is speechless. She (iii)____ a shrewd judge of human nature.

(i) (a) asking him (b) telling him (c) informing him (d) talking to him

(ii) (a) tries to hit (b) hits (c) tried a hit (d) try to hit

(iii) (a) told him that he was (b) tells him that he is
(c) call him that (d) says to him
7. Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct options for any four of the six sentences given below:
(1x4 = 4)
(i) She held the bag ___, even though her arm hurt _____.
(a) tight; badly (b) tightly; bad (c) tight; bad (d) tightly; badly

(ii) David ____ across a field one sunny morning, when he noticed a bird stumbling awkwardly.
(a) was strolling (b) is strolling (c) strolled (d) has strolled

(iii) To err is ____; to forgive is divine.

(a) humanity (b) mankind (c) human (d) inhumanity

(iv) It ____ Buddy and Jack chasing after some cat. They must have knocked over the trash barrel.
(a) can’t have been (b) should have been (c) must have been (d) ought to have been

(v) If only he ___informed us beforehand, none of this confusion would have happened.
(a) has been (b) had been (c) hadn’t had (d) had

(vi) Aristotle is known to have announced his belief many times to the effect that, ___ man is a
political animal is pretty obvious.
(a) this (b) that (c) the (d) a

PART B (40 MARKS)

WRITING (10 MARKS)
8. You ordered an item from an online store and it has arrived damaged. Write a letter to the
retailer explaining the situation how you received the damaged product. (100-120 words) (5)
OR
Your internet connection has been slow and intermittent since the past few days. You have tried
calling the customer care. They always assure that the problem will be resolved but no action had
been taken and you have been receiving resolved messages. Write a letter to your internet service
provider explaining the situation and requesting an earliest redressal. (100-120 words)

9. Read the following outline and write an analytical paragraph in 100-120 words. (5)
The following pie-chart shows how internet users aged 16+ prefer to access the internet at home
and at other places. Write an analytical paragraph on the given data in about 100-120 words.
OR
The chart given below shows how frequently people in USA ate fast food in the restaurants between
2003 and 2013. Using the given data, write an analytical paragraph in 100-120 words.

LITERATURE TEXTBOOKS (30 MARKS)

10. (a) Answer any two of the following questions in 20-30 words each. (2x2 = 4)
(i) How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?
(ii) Do you think Amanda’s mother is a nagging woman? How do you know?
(iii) The class-mates of Anne Frank were shaking with fear and nervousness. Why?

(b) Answer any two of the following questions in 20-30 words each. (2x2 = 4)
(i) What results were expected if Ebright’s theory of cell revolution is proved correct?
(ii) Why did Griffin decide to slip into a big London store?
(iii) The narrator was happy though he had not found Lutkins. Why?

11. (a) Answer any two of the following questions in 40-50 words each. (3x2 = 6)
(i) What side of nature do the ‘crow’ and the ‘hemlock’ present?
(ii) How can you say that the conductor was a good natured jolly fellow? Support your answer with
examples. (Madam Rides the Bus)
(iii) How did the hailstorm shatter Lencho’s hope and dreams?

(b) Answer any two of the following questions in 40-50 words each. (3x2 = 6)
(i) Griffin was not a true scientist as he misused his scientific discovery. Illustrate this point by
giving two incidents from the story.
(ii) What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin? How could she have avoided that?
(iii) In the end of the lesson Mrs Pumphrey says “This is a triumph of surgery.” Why?

12. Answer the following question in 100-120 words. (5)

“Freedom is an essential virtue that is valued equally by both humans and animals”. Justify the
statement with reference to the poem ‘A Tiger in a Zoo’.
 OR
“All parental acts are for the betterment of the children”. It is true. However, one has to make
efforts through trials and errors shedding of one’s early hesitations and fears to succeed in any
enterprise.
Justify this statement by taking points from the lesson ‘His First Flight’.
13. Answer the following question in 100-120 words. (5)
Bholi took a stand and succeeded in overcoming the social barriers. Discuss how did this
change came in Bholi?
OR
In life, people who easily trust others are sometimes made to look foolish. One should not be
too trusting. Describe how Oliver Lutkins made a fool of the young lawyer.