Class XI – Class Test 1 – 12/5/2023

Total Marks; 20
Section: A - Reading Skills (14m)
I Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

1. The year 2005 was celebrated the world over as the centenary of the discovery of the
Theory of Relativity by Albert Einstein. Although Einstein published three major results
during 1905, he became famous only 14 years later, or after 6 November 1919. The story of
Einstein is an absorbing account of how a scientific achievement caught the popular
imagination and made international headlines.
2. It all began with Isaac Newton, who while propounding his universal law of gravitation,
wondered whether, like all material objects in the universe, light is subject to gravitational
attraction. Would a ray of light skirting a massive body bend its path? This was the question
Newton had posed but did not answer. He may have felt that the effect, if any, would be too
small to measure with the resources available to him.
3. In 1801, Johann Georg von Soldner carried out a calculation by assuming that light was
made of tiny particles (Newton had called them corpuscles) which would be attracted by a
massive body. It would, therefore, bend the ray slightly. How slightly? A ray of light from a
distant star passing by the sun would be bent by an angle less than four thousandth part of a
degree. This conclusion was of academic interest since astronomers of the day were not
capable of measuring the effect.
4. After proposing special relativity, Einstein undertook the more ambitious task of producing
a general theory of relativity that incorporated in it the phenomenon of gravity. His early
attempts led him to the conclusion no different from Soldner’s as far as the bending of light
was concerned. By 1911, he felt confident of this new theory and urged astronomers to
verify it.
5. The astronomers, too, were by this time confident of being able to make the required
measurements. This meant checking if the direction of a star changed slightly when it was
passing behind the sun. But how does one see a star so close to the sun? The answer to
that is when the sun is totally eclipsed.
6. Total solar eclipses are rare events visible from very limited zones on the earth. In 1912,
Argentinian astronomers went to Brazil to make the measurements, only to be thwarted by a
cloudy sky. A second attempt by German astronomers in 1914 to observe the eclipse in
Crimea was prevented by the onset of the First World War. Nevertheless, these aborted
attempts turned out to be fortunate from Einstein’s point of view.
7. By 1915, Einstein realised that he had made a mistake in calculations and the revised
theory, now called the General Theory of Relativity, gave a different answer – that is, the
bending angle was twice that given by Soldner based on Newton’s theory.
8. General relativity was a highly mathematical theory, beyond the grasp of most
astronomers. Very few scientists at that time fully appreciated its notions of curved space
and time. Fortunately for Einstein, though, there was one astronomer who did: Arthur
Stanley Eddington at Cambridge, England. Eddington pressed for an expedition to measure
this effect during the eclipse due in 1919. For better chances of success, two spots were
proposed for observation: one in Sobral in Brazil, and the other in the Island of Principe in
Spanish Guinea in Africa. Eddington, a quaker, faced the hurdle of possible conscription and
detention, but his colleagues made sure that it did not happen.

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9. The war ended in 1918, leaving very little time for completing the preparations. The team
going to Sobral led by the Greenwich astronomer, Crommelin, had taken large 10 – inch
lenses for accurate observations. However, the two makeshift telescopes made from them
developed technical problems and in the end, Crommelin had to fall back on a four-inch
telescope. Eddington had opted for the Island of Principe as it had a better weather record,
but it turned rainy and cloudy on that day. Fortunately, the cloud cover cleared at the right
time for Eddington to take necessary photographs of the starfield after the experiment for
comparison, but he couldn’t because of a local strike of steamship operators which forced
him to return home early.
10. Despite all these problems, the data was analysed and presented on 6 November 1919,
at the Royal Society in London, to a crowded hall of scientists against the backdrop of a
portrait of Isaac Newton. Would the results show him (and Soldner) to be right or would the
new (and weird) theory of Einstein be favoured? The suspense was broken by Astronomer
Royal Sir Frank Dyson whose account, followed by reports from Eddington and Crommelin,
upheld Einstein’s prediction. The audience felt the thrill of history being made.
11. Despite the euphoria, several scientists were skeptical and would have liked more data.
They were right. The observational errors were much larger than they realised at the time
and did not warrant a clear-cut judgment on that day. Only in the 1970s did astronomers
using radio and microwave observations to obtain a clear decision in favour of Einstein.
12. Hindsight informs us that luck intervened on several occasions during the episode.
Einstein’s earlier wrong prediction escaped detection. Be that as it may, the 1919 meeting
consecrated Einstein as the greatest scientist of the last century.

On the basis of your reading of the passage, complete the statements given below: (3m)

1. The inability of the astronomers to make their measurement was a blessing in disguise for
Einstein because ………………………….

2. Johann von Soldner’s discovery only gathered academic interest because …..
a. the common man was unaffected.
b. it was difficult for him to prove his discovery.
c. it was not possible to measure the outcome.
d. all the above options

3. Lady Luck was shining brightly on Einstein because …..

4. By 1915, ………
a. Eddington pressed for an expedition to measure the effect during the eclipse.
b. Einstein realized that he had made a mistake in calculations the war ended.
d. the data was analysed and presented at the Royal Society in London.
5. The word “euphoria” means
a. to get pleasure from something.
b. to praise somebody/something very highly
c. an extremely strong feeling of happiness and excitement.
d. an indirect word or phrase that people often use to refer to something embarrassing or
unpleasant, sometimes to make it seem more acceptable than it really is.

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6. The 1919 meeting consecrated
a. Einstein as the greatest scientist of the last century.
b. Soldner as the greatest scientist of the last century.
c. Crommelin as the greatest scientist of the last century.
d. Sir Frank Dyson as the greatest scientist of the last century.

B. Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.

1. Each day is a chance to invest in life; a chance to renew yourself, to shed yesterday’s
skin, to unburden yourself to get rid of yesterday’s hurt. Be glad of life each day as it gives
you a chance to work, love and play, and to look at the sun. And then when the sun sets,
don’t cry-the tears will make you miss the beauty of the stars.
2. Life moves, on and if you don’t stop and look at the wonders already present in your life,
you will miss life altogether.
3. Think of big thoughts but relish the small joys life offers you each day. Maybe it’s as
simple as smiling at someone. For, that could be the last day of life-for you or for the other
person.
4. A small genuine act from you will cost you nothing but it could mean everything to
somebody that day. Life is a succession of moments. Live each moment. Life has no
romance without risk. All actions carry some amount of risk, may be less or more, but the
element of risk is always present.
5. If there is no wind, row. Make things happen rather than let things happen. One can give
nothing whatsoever without giving oneself, risking oneself. The most important thing in life is
not what you get but what you give.
6. Once a preacher called at the home of a very poor family. When he came out, he found
one son admiring his new car, so the preacher explained that he had received it as a gift
from his brother.
7 Most lads would say, “I wish I had a brother like that,” But this one said, “Mister, I wish I
could be a brother like that.”
8 If you are not enjoying this journey, for sure you won’t enjoy the destination. It will become
a moment to dread, not a moment you can actually look forward to. It’s not what happens
that determines our future, but what you do about what happens that counts.
9 Conquer the mind and you conquer the world. Looking back strains your neck muscles.
Similarly, living in the past strains your life. Don’t dwell on the past. Have faith in yourself and
you will have faith in others. Fulfil your destiny. Remember, no one can make you unhappy
without your consent.
10 The way you cope with life, is what makes the difference. Even peace of mind is not the
absence of conflict but the ability to cope with it. You have to reach out to other people. That
will teach you to forgive people and also forgive yourself.
11 Forgiveness means letting go of the past. Compassion is about stepping outside yourself.
A kind compassionate act is often its own reward. Live your life without complaining, just like
the tree.

On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions by choosing the
best of the given choices. (4m)

7. Why should we be glad of each day?

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(i) Because we are more mature each new day.
(ii) Because we have more energy.
(iii) Because we are free of yesterday.
(iv) Because we can live life, work and enjoy each new day.
8. What is meant by make things happen?
(i) Take initiative, take risks, start things.
(ii) If you are in a boat, you must row.
(iii) Give whatever you wish to give.
(iv) Do not try to get things.
9. A small genuine act (para 5) could mean
(i) an act of kindness and love
(ii) a heroic act
(iii) a good piece of acting
(iv) a short scene in a play
10. We should not dwell on the past because ……….
(i) we should learn from our mistakes in the past
(ii) the past does not allow us to progress
(iii) our mistakes and failures in the past can depress us
(iv) the past will never come back
11. Succession in para 5 means
(i) achievement
(ii) inheritance
(iii) happiness
(iv) series
12. When the sun sets, do not shed tears because you will miss the … …. of the stars.

13. Even the peace of mind is not the absence of ………… but the ability to cope with it.

14. Find a word which means the same as fate (para 9).

Section: B (9m)
II. Creative Writing Skills (6m)
15. (a) You are the Creative Director of National Agriculture Organisation, Jaipur. You have
to make the people all over the sate of Rajasthan aware of the Necessity of Conserving
water and also how to do it. Design a suitable poster in not more than 50 words to be
published in the newspapers as well as to be put up at prominent places in the towns of
Rajathan. (3m)

16. You want to sell your old car as you are planning to buy a new one. Draft a suitable
advertisement to be published in a local daily under the classified columns.

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 Section C Literature (14m)
III. Read the given extracts carefully and answer the following questions. (1½ m)
(A) “The cardboard shows me how it was
When the two girl cousins went paddling,
Each one holding one of my mother’s hands,
And she the big girl- some twelve years or so.”
21. What does ‘it’ refer to
(a) the poet’s childhood (b) the poet’s mother’s childhood
(c) the beach holiday (d) the relationship between the poet and her mother
22. The rhyming scheme of the given lines is
(a) abaab (b) abca (c) abba (d) no rhyme

23. Who is the poet referring to as the ‘big girl’ in the extract?

(B) Read the given extracts carefully and answer the following questions. (1½ m)
This was a wonderful part. In the second place, we were poor. This was the part that
wouldn’t permit me to believe what I saw.
We were poor. We had no money. Our whole tribe was poverty stricken. Every branch of the
Garoghlanian family was living in the most amazing and comical poverty in the world.
Nobody could understand where we ever got money enough to keep us with food in our
bellies, not even the old men of the family.
24. “Nobody could understand where we ever got money enough to keep us with food in our
bellies, not even the old men of the family.”

In the above line, what is indicated about the profession of the members of the tribe?
(a) They were honest professionals (b) Their work /profession is a mystery
(b) They owned land (d) None of the above

25. When the narrator of the given lines says, that “Garoghlanian family was living in the
most amazing and comical poverty in the world”, his tone is
(a) Sarcastic (b) Suspicious (c) Humorous (d) Serious
26. Who is the speaker of the above lines?
IV. Answer Any Three of the following in 40-50 words. (2x3=6m)

27. How did the grandmother celebrate the homecoming of her grandson?
28. “I was in a room I knew and did not know,” says the narrator in the story ‘The Address’.
What prompted her to make this observation?
29. What traits of the Garoghlanian family are highlighted in the story - ‘The Summer of the
Beautiful White Horse’?
30. Why did call Ile Amsterdam the most beautiful island in the world?

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31. What is the meaning of the line “Both wry with laboured ease of loss” from the poem- ‘A
Photograph’.

Answer Any One of the following in 90-100 words. (5x1=5m)