This paper contains 12 pages.

KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA RUBBER BOARD KOTTAYAM

SESSION ENDING EXAMINATION: 2020- 21
Class: XI ENGLISH CORE
TIME: 3HRS MAX. MARKS: 80
General Instructions:
1. This paper is divided into two parts: A and B. All questions are compulsory.
2. Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary.
3. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

PART A (40 MARKS)

1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 10M
I. No student of a foreign language needs to be told that grammar is complex. By changing word
sequences and by adding a range of auxiliary verbs and suffixes, we are able to communicate tiny
variations in meaning. We can turn a statement into a question, state whether an action has taken place
or is soon to take place, and perform many other word tricks to convey subtle differences in meaning.
Nor is this complexity inherent to the English language. All languages, even those of so-called
‘primitive’ tribes have clever grammatical components. The Cherokee pronoun system, for example,
can distinguish between ‘you and I’, ‘several other people and I’ and ‘you, another person and I’. In
English, all these meanings are summed up in the one, crude pronoun ‘We’. Grammar is universal and
plays a part in every language, no matter how widespread it is. So, the question which has baffled
many linguists is—who created grammar?
II. At first, it would appear that this question is impossible to answer. To find out how grammar is
created, someone needs to be present at the time of a language’s creation, documenting its emergence.
Many historical linguists are able to trace modern complex languages back to earlier languages, but in
order to answer the question of how complex languages are actually formed, the researcher needs to
observe how languages started from scratch. Amazingly, however, this is possible.
III. Some of the most recent languages evolved due to the Atlantic slave trade. At that time, slaves
from a number of different ethnicities were forced to work together under colonizer’s rule. Since, they
had no opportunity to learn each other’s languages, they developed a make-shift language called a
pidgin. Pidgins are strings of words copied from the language of the landowner. They have little in the
way of grammar, and in many cases, it is difficult for a listener to deduce when an event happened,
and who did what to whom. Speakers need to use circumlocution in order to make their meaning
understood. Interestingly, however, all it takes for a pidgin to become a complex language is for a group
of children to be exposed to it at the time when they learn their mother tongue. Slave children did not
simply copy the strings of words uttered by their elders, they adapted their words to create a new,
expressive language. Complex grammar systems which emerge from pidgins are termed creoles and
they are invented by children.
IV. Further evidence of this can be seen in studying sign languages for the deaf. Sign languages are
not simply a series of gestures; they utilise the same grammatical machinery that is found in spoken
languages. Moreover, there are many different languages used worldwide. The creation of one such
language was documented quite recently in Nicaragua. Previously, all deaf people were isolated from
each other, but in 1979 a new government introduced schools for the deaf. Although children were
taught speech and lip reading in the classroom, in the playgrounds they began to invent their own sign
system, using the gestures that they used at home. It was basically a pidgin. Each child used the signs
differently, and there was no consistent grammar. However, children who joined the school later,
when this inventive sign system was already around, developed a quite different sign language.
Although it was based on the signs of the older children, the younger children’s language was more
fluid and compact, and it utilised a large range of grammatical devices to clarify meaning. What is
more, all the children used the signs in the same way! A new creole was born.
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V. Some linguists believe that many of the world’s most established languages were creoles at first.
The English past tense –ed ending may have evolved from the verb ‘do’. ‘It ended’ may once have
been ‘It end-did’. Therefore, it would appear that even the most widespread languages were partly
created by children. Children appear to have innate grammatical machinery in their brains, which
springs to life when they are first trying to make sense of the world around them. Their minds can
serve to create logical, complex structures, even when there is no grammar present for them to copy.
1.1). On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer any ten of the following questions by
choosing the most appropriate option:- (10x1=10)

(a) Complexity in language is inherent to ________

(i) all the languages (ii) English
(iii) tribal languages (iv) primitive languages

(b) The Cherokee pronoun system can distinguish between ______________

(i) you and I (ii) several other people and I
(iii) you, another person and I (iv) all of these

(c) Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the option that lists the correct
sequence of the sentences associated with the formation/ creation of grammar.
1. In order to answer the question of how complex languages are actually formed, the
researcher needs to observe how languages started from scratch.
2. Slaves developed a make-shift language called a pidgin.
3. Some linguists believe that many of the world’s most established languages were creoles
at first.
4. To find out how grammar is created, someone needs to be present at the time of a
language’s creation.

(i) 1, 2, 3, 4 (ii) 3, 4, 1,2

(iii) 4, 1, 2, 3 (iv) 2, 1, 3, 4

(d) All the following sentences about Nicaraguan sign language are true except:
(i) the language has been created since 1979
(ii) the language is based on speech and lip reading
(iii) the language incorporated signs which children used at home
(iv) the language was perfected by younger children

(e) Which option represents who partly invented the complex grammar system even for the
most widespread languages?

(i) image 1 (ii) image 2 (iii) image 3 (iv) image 4

(f) Some of the most recent languages evolved due to the ________
(i) Atlantic slave trade (ii) complex grammar system
(iii) weak pronunciation (iv) none of these

(g) What is common to all languages?

(i) basic grammar (ii) the sign rules
(iii) grammar is common to all languages (iv) series of gestures
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 (h) According to the passage what can be attributed as a consequence of the Atlantic slave
trade?
(i) language’s creation and documenting its emergence
(ii) evolution of some of the most recent languages
(iii) many word tricks can be performed to convey subtle differences in meaning
(iv) a statement can be turned into a question

(i) What are creoles?

(i) sign languages of deaf
(ii) complex grammar systems which emerge from pidgins
(iii) strings of words copied from the language of the landowner
(iv) logical grammar invented by children

(j) Which word in the passage means opposite to ‘easy’? (para 1)

(i) sequences (ii) variation (iii) crude (iv) complex
(k) Pick the option that correctly tells how the younger children’s mind work in the absence
of grammatical knowledge.
1. They create logical structures.
2. They imitate others
3. They have innate grammatical machinery in their brains.
4. They learn other languages.

(i) 2 and 3 (ii) 1 and 3

(iii) 2 and 4 (iv) 3 and 4

2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: 8M
I. When plastic waste is burnt, a complex weave of toxic chemicals is released. Breaking down Poly
Vinyl Chloride (PVC) used for packaging, toys and coating electrical wires, it produces dioxin, an
organochlorine which belongs to the family of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). A recent Dioxin
Assessment Report brought out by the United States Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) says
the risk of getting cancer from dioxin is ten times higher than reported by the agency in 1994.
II. Yet the Delhi government is giving the green signal to a gasification project which will convert
garbage into energy without removing plastic waste. Former transport minister Shri. Rajendra Gupta,
the promoter of this project, says this is not necessary. He claims no air pollution will be caused and
that the ash produced can be used as manure. An earlier waste-to-energy project set-up in Timarpur
failed. The new one, built with Australian assistance, will cost 200 crore rupees. It will generate 25
megawatts of power and gobble 1,000 tonnes of garbage every day.
III. “Technologies like gasification are a form of incineration,” says Ms. Madhumita Dutta, central
coordinator with Toxics Link, New Delhi. Incineration merely transfers hazardous waste from a solid
form to air, water and ash, she points out. Toxins produced during incineration include acidic gases,
heavy metals as well as dioxins and furans. “The ‘manure’ will be hazardous and a problem to dispose,”
says Ms. Dutta.
IV. Municipal solid waste contains a mix of plastics. Breaking down this waste emits hydrochloric
acid which attacks the respiratory system, skin and eyes, resulting in coughing, vomiting and nausea.
Polyethylene generates volatile compounds like formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, both suspected
carcinogenic. Breathing styrene from polystyrene can cause leukaemia. Polyurethane is associated
with asthma. Dioxin released by PVC is a powerful hormone disrupter and causes birth defects and
reproductive problems. There is no threshold dose to prevent it and our bodies have no defence against it.

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 V. “Even the best run incinerators in the world have to deal with stringent norms, apart from
contaminated filters and ash, making them hugely expensive to operate,” says Ms. Dutta. In Germany,
air pollution devices accounted for two-thirds the cost of incineration. Despite such efforts, the
European Dioxin Inventory noted that the input of dioxin into the atmosphere was the highest from
incineration.
VI. How has the global plastic waste disposal method changed over time? In the chart, we see the share

of global plastic waste that is discarded, recycled or incinerated from 1980 to 2015. Prior to 1980,
recycling and incineration of plastic was negligible; 100 percent was therefore discarded. From 1980 for
incineration and 1990 for recycling, rates increased on average by about 0.7 percent per year. In 2015, an
estimated 55 percent of global plastic waste was discarded, 25 percent was incinerated and 20 percent
recycled.
VII. “India does not have the facility to test dioxin and the cost of setting one up is prohibitively
expensive,” says Ms. Dutta. Besides, Indian garbage has a low calorific content of about 800 cal/kg,
since it has high moisture and requires additional fuel to burn. Toxics link calculates that the electricity
generated from such technology will cost between 5-7 per unit, which is six times higher than
conventional energy. India has chosen a dioxin preventive route and burning of chlorinated plastics is
prohibited under Municipal Solid Waste and Biomedical Rules. Nearly 80 percent of Indian garbage is
recyclable or compostable. Resident associations, the informal sector and the municipal corporation can
make Delhi’s garbage disappear in a sustainable manner. “Instead, the government promotes end of
pipeline solutions,” says Ms. Dutta.
2.1). On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer any eight of the following
questions by choosing the most appropriate option:- (8x1=8)

(a) Dioxine causes ________________

(i) cancer (ii) heart attack
(iii) hypertension (iv) sickness

(b) Which statements are NOT TRUE according to the passage?

1. India has adopted a preventive measure under which burning of chlorinated plastics is
prohibited.
2. USEPA says that the risk of getting cancer from dioxin is hundred times higher than
reported by the agency in 1994.
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 3. Incineration merely transfers hazardous waste from a solid form to air, water and ash.
4. Hydrochloric acid attacks the digestive system, nose and eyes which results in diabetes and
nausea.

(i) 2 and 4 (ii) 1 and 3

(iii) 3 and 4 (iv) 1 and 2

(c) Garbage can be converted into energy by ………………..

(i) gasification (ii) gratification
(iii) a chemical process (iv) incinerators

(d) Based on the graphical chart in the passage, chose the option that correctly states the
ratio between discarded waste to recycled global plastic waste in 2015.

(i) option 1 (ii) option 2

(iii) option 3 (iv) option 4
(e) Before 1980, how much global plastic waste was discarded?
(i) 40% (ii) 60%
(iii) 80% (iv) 100%

(f) Former transport minister Shri. Rajendra Gupta claims that during gasification, ash
produced can be used as _________________
(i) Fuel (ii) manure
(iii) pesticide (iv) none of these

(g) Converting waste to energy project will consume how much energy?
(i) 20 megawatts (ii) 200 megawatts
(iii) 250 megawatts (iv) 25 megawatts

(h) By 2015, how much global plastic waste has been incinerated?
(i) 55% (ii) 25% (iii) 20% (iv) 0.7%

(i) Which word in the passage means the same as ‘waste material’? (para 2)
(i) gasification (ii) garbage
(iii) pollution (iv) manure

3. Do as directed:

(A). Fill in the blanks (any three) by choosing the correct form of the verb from the options given
below: (3x1=3M)

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i) Every morning she _______________ up early and gets ready for work.
(a) is waking (b) wakes (c) has woken (d) was waking

ii) If I ___________ one more question, I would have passed.

(a) had answered (b) would answer (c) has answered (d) will answer

iii) I ________________English for twenty years.

(a) am teaching (b) have been teaching (c) will being teaching (d) am being teaching

iv) By the time they reached the station, the train _______________
(a) has left (b) have left c) had left (d) have been leaving

(B). Choose the correct determiners and fill in the blanks. (4 x ½ =2M)

Game hunting was (i) ___________ favourite pastime of the officers of (ii) ____________ British Raj.
This resulted in a rapid decrease in (iii) ____________number of animals in the wild. Recent
environmental degradation and destruction of natural habitats of wild animals have pushed them
into (iv) _____________brink of extinction.

i) a) any b) most c) a d) some

ii) a) the b) a c) any d) all
iii) a) the b) both c) every d) any
iv) a) enough b) many c) these d) the
4. Choose the right sequence to form meaningful sentences. (any three) (3x1=3M)

i) S) all her Q) to her birthday party P) next week T) she is inviting R) friends

a) TPQSR b) TQRPS c) TSRQP d) TQPSR

(ii) T) than S) no sooner did R) the mist Q) disappeared P) the sun rise

a) SPTRQ b) TPQRS c)PQRST d) SPTQR

(iii) R) the forests Q) the oil S) depends P) industry T) on

a) STPQR b) RSQP c) TRPQS d) QPSTR

(iv) P) walk S) you should T) fall Q) carefully R) lest

a) QPTSR b) TPQRS c) PQRST d) TSRQP

5. Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow : (3x1=3M )
(A). And who art thou? said I to the soft falling shower,
Which, strange to tell, gave me an answer, as here translated:
I am the poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain,
Eternal I rise impalpable out of the land and the bottomless sea,

i) ‘I’ in the first line refers to _____

a) the poet
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 b) the rain
c) the earth
d) the sea

ii) The poetic devices used in line 3 of the extract are ____________
a) Alliteration and Simile
b) Metaphor and Personification
c) Irony and Personification
d) Personification and Synecdoche

iii) Trace out a word from the extract which is an antonym to the word ‘transient/momentary’
a) Eternal
b) Impalpable
c) Bottomless
d) Strange

OR

(B). Some twenty – thirty- years later

She’d laugh at the snapshot. “See Betty
And Dolly,” she’d say, “and look how they
Dressed us for the beach.” The sea holiday
Was her past, mine is her laughter.
Both wry with the laboured ease of loss

i) ‘Both’ here refers to

a) the poetess and her mother
b) the poetess’ cousins
c) the mother’s cousins – Betty and Dolly
d) the past of the poetess and that of her mother

ii) Who would laugh seeing the snapshot?

a) the uncle
b) the poetesss’ mother
c) the poetess and her mother
d) Betty and Dolly

iii) The poetic devices used in the last line are

a) Metaphor and Synecdoche
b) Personification and Contrast
c) Oxymoron and Alliteration
d) Repetition and Metaphor

6. Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow ( any two extracts) : (6x1 =6M)
(A). “Here are some funny people. Did they make you laugh? I laughed a lot as well.” Inside was a
message: “Oh, how I love you both. So this card is to say thank you and let’s hope for the best.”

i) The speaker here is

a) Jonathan
b) Suzanne
c) Mary
d) the narrator
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 ii) The message shows the speaker’s
a) love for family and optimism
b) playful nature and talent
c) sense of humour and chivalry
d) tendency to escape the situation

iii) The term ‘They’ here refers to

a) the whole family
b) the parents
c) the children
d) Herb and Larry

(B). It’s always beaten me why you should want to spend so much time at a place where they’re
always laughing at you behind your back and calling you names.

i) ‘You’ here is
a) Mr. Fitzgerald
b) Mrs. Pearson
c) Mr. Pearson
d) Cyril Pearson

ii) By what ‘name’ is he/she called?

a) Buck teeth
b) Half witted
c) Silly old hag
d) Pompy-Ompy Pearson

iii) What’s special at that ‘place’ that night?

a) Special Snooker Match
b) Meeting with Charlie Spence
c) A game of Rummy
d) Special supper

(C). No, sir, I’m still in the lower fifth. I can’t specialise until next term — that’s to say, if I’ve got
my remove all right.

i) Who spoke the above lines?

a) Crocker Harris
b) Albert Einstein
c) Taplow
d) Yuri

ii) The extract is from

a) The Browning Version
b) Albert Einstein at School
c) Mother’s Day
d) Silk Road

iii) Who has to give / allot the ‘remove’ ?

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 a) Albert’s Principal
b) Taplow’s Teacher - Crocker Harris
c) Albert’s Mathematics Teacher
d) Taplow’s Teacher - Frank

7. Answer any five of the following by choosing the most appropriate option: (5x1= 5 M)

i) What does the word 'Dao' mean?

a) perfection
b) both the path or the method, and the mysterious works of the Universe
c) prayers and realistic notions
d) conceptual space and illusionistic likeness

ii) “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse” is the story of two _________ boys.
a) Armenian
b) Arabian
c) Assyrian
d) African

iii) The narrator of Ranga’s marriage is

a) Ranga
b) Shyama
c) Rama Rao
d) Shastri

iv) What was the turning point in the friendship between grandmother and the author?
a) When he became an adult
b) When his parents called them both to the city
c) When he left her to live in the city with his parents
d) When they stopped talking

v) Why did Andrew get oblivious to all the works he had done in Blaenelly?
a) Because he became so hopeless
b) Because he was leaving Blaenelly forever
c) Because of his thoughts about dismal marriages
d) Because he did something extraordinary that night

vi) What happened to the leaves of the laburnum tree?

a) they turned yellow
b) they were green
c) they have fallen down
d) new leaves growing

PART B (40 MARKS)

8. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: 8M
Information is power. It is predictable, therefore, that those in authority will seek to manipulate others
through the control of data. However, all information in a democratic society should be freely available
unless there are specific, well-formulated reasons for withholding it in the interest of security.

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The Freedom of Information (FOI) functions at a number of different levels: in itself, for the fulfilment
of all other rights and as an underpinning of democracy. Information held by public bodies is not only
for the benefit of officials, politicians or other designated people associated with the organisation, but
also for the public as a whole. Unless there are good reasons for withholding such information, all
interested parties should be able to access it. More importantly, freedom of information is a key
component of transparent and accountable government. It plays a key role in enabling citizens to see
what is going on within government, and in exposing corruption and mismanagement. Transparent and
open government is also essential if voters are to be able to assess the performance of elected officials
and if individuals are to exercise their democratic rights effectively, for example, through timely
protests against new policies, or by using their vote against candidates who have indulged in
undemocratic activity.

Freedom of expression and access to information is a fundamental right and must be held as a
cornerstone of democracy. In its absence, government can, and often does, behave with impunity. It is
argued, however, that it is not an absolute right – the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights (ICCPR) for instance, specifies certain permissible constraints. One of these is the right of the
state to withhold information ‘for the protection of national security or of public order, or of public
health and morals’. This is irascibly vague and provides many loopholes for governments to use this
wording as a basis for restricting information that is inconsistent with their ambitions.

The public’s right to know is an intrinsic part of informed public debate, which has traditionally been
dependent on the freedom to receive and impart information without government interference.
However, it may also be argued that this does not mean a right to receive any type of information from
the government. It is of paramount importance that any restrictions on information or expression
regarding security matters must designate in law only the specific and narrow categories of information
absolutely necessary to protect a legitimate national security concern.

A threat to national security can be defined as ‘any expression or information that is intended to incite
imminent violence, or is likely to incite violence’. In addition, there must be a direct and immediate
connection between the expression and the likelihood or occurrence of such violence. The public
interest in having information at all times must remain a priority consideration in any FOI Bill, and that
any denial of this right should be subject to independent review. Along these lines, in a seminal
judgment in 1982, the Supreme Court held that, ‘The concept of an open Government is the direct
emanation from the right to know, which seems to be implicit in the right of free speech and
expression. disclosure of information in regard to the functioning of government must be the rule, and
secrecy an exception, justified only where the strictest requirement of public interest so demands’.

8.1 On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes using headings and sub-headings.
Use recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary (minimum 4). Give an appropriate title. (5m)
8.2. Make a summary of the above passage in not more than 80 words using the notes made and also
suggest a suitable title. (3m)

9. You are Surya, the Head Boy/ the Head Girl of Shantiniketan Public School, Pune. Draft a notice in
not more than 50 words urging the students to lend a helping hand to the less privileged during the
Covid -19 crisis. (3M)
OR
The Charity Club of your school is raising funds to help the children who are in need by providing
them gadgets required for online classes. As the Secretary of the club draft a notice in not more than 50
words to be sent to the class groups, requesting parents and well-wishers to donate for this noble cause.
(3M)

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10. Prepare a poster on behalf of the Municipal Authority of your city advising citizens on ways to
save water. Use catchy slogans. Your illustration should be in conformity with the theme provided to
you. Do not exceed 50 words. (3M)
OR
Prepare a poster on behalf of the local police advising the public to be wary of pickpockets in buses
and bag/chain snatchers on the roads. Suggest the precautions to be taken. Use meaningful slogans.
Your illustration should be in conformity with the theme provided to you. Do not exceed 50 words.
(3M)

11. You are Neeraj/Neeraja Sekhar, Principal, Vasant Public School, Pune. Your school has just started
a music department. Write a letter to the Manager of ‘Melody House’, Pune, wholesale suppliers of
musical instruments, placing an order for musical instruments for the school. Ask for a discount on the
catalogue prices. (Word limit : 120 – 150 words) (5M)
OR
You are awaiting your class XII results. Meanwhile you would like to do a short-term course in
Personality Development. Write a letter to the Director, Personal Care, Hyderabad, enquiring about the
details of the course. (Word limit : 120 – 150 words) (5M)

12. As Mukul/Mumtaz of Alps Public School, write a speech to be delivered in the school assembly
highlighting the importance of cleanliness suggesting that the state of cleanliness of a country reflects
the progressive thinking of its citizens. Draft a speech in 120-150 words with the help of the following
points and by adding your own ideas. (5M)
Hints:
 Cleanliness – next to Godliness
 Important civic sense
 Represents the character of its citizens
 Creating awareness among citizens
 Ways to keep the premises clean at all levels

OR

You are Thomas/Tina of Wisdom Public School, Kottayam. You are selected to represent your school
in an interschool debate competition on the topic “Online classes will replace the regular schooling
system in the future”. Draft your debate in 120-150 words, for /against the motion. Use the given hints
and add your own ideas to develop the debate. (5M)

Hints: For - merits of online classes- virtual experience, help of audio-visual aids at hand, self –
paced, self motivated, not dominated by teacher etc /

Against - Demerits of online classes - monitoring by teacher not completely possible, children
with no parental support in studies will suffer, emotionally deprived, peer learning hindered etc

13. Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words: (2x2=4M )

i) Explain the statement, “King Tut is one of the first mummies to be scanned - in death as in life”
OR
ii) Why was the author disappointed with/at Darchen?

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 iii) How did the grandmother spend her time at the city?
OR
iv) Why does the poet call the adults ‘hypocrites’?

14. Answer any one of the following questions in 40-50 words: (1x2= 2M)

i) Why did the narrator of the story ‘The Address’ decide to forget the address?
OR
ii) Attempt a character analysis of the narrator in ‘Ranga’s Marriage’.

15. Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words: (1x5=5M)

Which are the principal biological systems mentioned by Lester. R. Brown in his thoughtful book
‘The Global Economic Prospect’ ? Why are they called so? How are they being depleted?

OR

The narrator on his way to Mount Kailash came across a lot of topographic variation. Comment with
reference to the lesson Silk Road .

16. Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words: (1x5=5 M)

Insight formation is more important than information gathering. Comment on this with
reference to the lesson ‘Albert Einstein at School.’

OR

Dr Andrew grows out of mere textbook knowledge by bringing a baby back to life and feels that he
has really done something. Elucidate.

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