CLASS 10 ENGLISH TEST - 4 [40 MARKS]

ENGLISH TEST – 4

FULL MARKS : 40

 

1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

The other day I received an unusual and very gratifying gift : I was given a tree or rather, I was given half-a-dozen trees which would be planted on my behalf. I had been invited to give a talk to an organization. After such events the speaker is usually given a token gift. Sometimes the gift is that of a pen, or something useful. Often, the gift is in the form of a plaque or a similar token. However well-meant, such gifts are destined to gather dust in forgotten corners. Which is why I was agreeably surprised to be given a scroll which attested that, on a designated plantation established for the purpose, trees would be added in my name as part of the ‘green’ movement sponsored by the organization.

In an increasingly environment conscious world, the gift of a living tree or plant makes for a perfect present. The tradition of giving and receiving gifts has increasingly become a highly evolved marketing exercise. Apart from festivals like Diwali, Holi, Christmas, Eid and others, a whole new calendar of celebration events has been created to promote the giving of gifts: Mother’s Day, Father’s day, Teacher’s day, Valentine’s Day and so on.

What do you give to people — friends, relatives, spouses, children, parents, employees, clients, well wishers who more or less have everything or at least everything that you could afford to give them as a gift?

Another box of chocolates? Another bottle of scent or after-shave? Another shirt or a kurta? Another another?

Thinking of unusual and pleasing presents which are also affordable is a full-time job. Like wedding planners and planners of theme parties, present planners—professionals who select and make up gift packages for you to give on occasions like marriages and corporate events—and doing increasingly good business.

However the best planned gifts of mine and thine go often awry. How often particularly during the so called ‘festive seasons’ when gift giving and gift receiving reach epidemic proportions—have you had the embarrassing experience of getting back as a present a gift you yourself had given to someone who, having no use for it and not realizing that it was you who had gifted it to begin with had unwittingly returned your gift to you? Like musical chairs, musical gifts only too often go round and round.

This is true not only at the individual but also at the level of the state. Diplomatic protocol also demands exchange of gifts according to culture and tradition. Such tokens like the numbers of crudely made miniature Taj Mahals that sarkari India has presented into the reluctant hands of foreign guests must fill entire godowns across the globe.

How much more preferable a living tree than a crude model of the Taj possibly made of marble from an unauthorized quarry? If the giving of tree sapling were to be institutionalized, it could lead to another green revolution in the lucrative and growing field of gift giving, with a new, ecofriendly industry taking root in plantations and nurseries specially created for the purpose. People could feel good looking at the certificate that trees had been planted in their names. Next birthday, give someone you love a tree one day the two of you might sit under the shade of the same tree.

1.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions in about 30-40 words each. (2 × 4 = 8)

(a) What was the gift? Why was it unusual and gratifying?

(b) Why is selecting a gift described as a ‘full-time job’?

(c) What does the writer mean by “However the best planned gifts of mine and thine go often awry”?

(d) What is the demand made by diplomatic protocol?

1.2 On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the following. (1 × 4 = 4)

(a) The synonym of ‘satisfying’ as given in para 1 is_____

(i) gratifying (ii) contenting (iii) relieving (iv) modification

(b) The synonym of ‘uncomfortable’ as given in para 6 is _____

(c) The antonym of ‘consciously’ as given in para 6 is_____

(i) aury (ii) particularly (iii) embarrassing (iv) unwittingly

(d) The antonym of ‘willing’ as given in para 7 is_____

 

2. Write a letter to the Editor of a local newspaper complaining about employing minor children both boys and girls as full domestic help is a common feature, also advocating the need to stop such practice which deprives the children of their basic rights. You are Mahesh Kumar/Rajshsree A-30, Defence Colony, New Delhi. (8 Marks)

OR

You are Mahesh Kumar/Rajshree, a customer of Airtel Broadband. Write a letter to the Customer Care Department, Airtel regarding the poor service of Internet connection. You are a resident of A-30, Defence Colony, New Delhi.

 

3. Fill in the gaps by choosing the most appropriate words from the options given below. (1 × 3 = 3)

Today we (a) _____ all familiar with the use of fingerprinting. It is a very important and is fighting crime. (b) _____ many people do not know that it was in India (c) _____ fingerprints were first used for catching criminals. Fingerprints can be found on practically any solid surface including the human body.

(a) (i) are (ii) is (iii) were (iv) was

(b) (i) Since (ii) But (iii) And (iv) Though

(c) (i) which (ii) who (iii) that (iv) where

 

4. The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Write the incorrect word and the correction against each line of the passage. (1 × 4 = 4)

		Incorrect	Correct
Essex Farms is the famous resort.	e.g.	The	A
It is located in Aurobindo Marg.	(a)
It has the bowling alley and lots	(b)
with games for children to play.	(c)
The multi cuisine restaurant add for the charm.	(d)
This resort gives you a choice of air conditioned rooms.

 

5. Rearrange the following groups of words and phrases to form meaningful sentences: (1 × 3 = 3)

(a) love/Indians/celebrate/to/festivals

(b) enjoy/time/they/with/spending/families/their

(c) exchanged/are/and/sweets/are/gifts/distributed

 

6. answer the following questions. [2*5 = 10]

(a) Why did Hari Singh lie that he knew how to cook? Why did Anil have to throw the food cooked by Hari to the stray dogs?

(b) How did Hari Singh steal the money that Anil got from selling his book to a publisher?

(c) How did Hari Singh forget about his education in the excitement of his theft? What did he think about it in the end?

(d) How and when did Hari Singh put the stolen money back at the same place from where he had stolen? Did Anil know it?

(e) Why didn’t Anil hand Hari Singh over to the police even when he knew all about the theft?