The Queen's Language

 Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow: The trees are in their autumn beauty, The woodland paths are dry, Under the October twilight the water Mirrors a still sky; Upon the brimming water among the stones Are nine-and-fifty swans. The nineteenth autumn has come upon me Since I first made my count; I saw, before I had well finished, All suddenly mount And scatter wheeling in great broken rings Upon their clamorous wings. i. In which season is the poem set? ii. What is the significance of the number "59" in the context of the poem? iii. What does the phrase "the trees" in the second stanza represent symbolically? iv. What is the state of the sky in the poem? v. For how many years has the poet been counting swans? vi. Which word serves as an antonym of clamorous’?  A. vociferous B. raucous  C. boisterous D. tranquil

 Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow. “Vienna was still an old imperial city, whose geographical position between the two irreconcilable worlds left behind by the second World War had turned it into a paradise of black marketeering and international espionage. I could not have imagined a more suitable spot for my fugitive compatriot, who still ate in the students’ tavern on the corner only out of loyalty to her origins, since she had more than enough money to buy meals for all her table companions. She never told her real name.” i. Who does ‘her’ refer to here? ii. How did the narrator know ‘her’ as? iii. What new status had Vienna acquired after Second World War? iv. Was ‘her’ a native of Vienna? Pick the word/phrase which shows that. v. Why did ‘her’ still eat at students’ tavern? vi. Which word is a good synonym for ‘espionage’?  A. spying B. esoteric  C. eclectic D. espoused

 Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two- A  Those who prepare green wars, wars with gas, wars with fire, victory with no survivors, would put on clean clothes and walk about with their brothers in the shade, doing nothing. (poem - Keeping Quiet) I. What is a common outcome of all the wars described? II What does the imagery of ‘walking about with their brothers in the shade’ primarily represent? A. The readiness for further conflicts. B. A return to normal activities post-conflict. C. A moment of unity and peaceful reflection. D. The physical environment of a typical war zone. III. Complete the following suitably. The putting on of ‘clean clothes’ by the warmongers, symbolises_________. IV. Select the correct option from those given in brackets, to fill in the blank. The excerpt tells us that the speaker ________ (condemns / glorifies) the destructive nature of modern warfare. V. Read the assertion and the reason below, with reference...

 Draft an invitation in not more than 50 words from Vani Gopalan, Chief Project Officer of an NGO, for the launch of the 'Each One Teach One' programme, addressed to school Principals and Coordinators. Mention a compelling highlight of the programme along with other necessary details OR . An invitation had been issued by Mr. Cherian, the HR Head of your company inviting you for the company picnic. As Joseph Vijayan, Asst. Manager, Operations, draft a reply in not more than 50 words, consenting to attend.

 APPLIED GRAMMAR 4 Transform the following sentences as per the given instructions. (ANY EIGHT) I. The delegates arrived. The meeting started immediately. (Start the sentence with No sooner….) II. We lost our ticket. We lost our luggage. (Combine using as well as) III. The sign said, “Do not enter the room.” (Begin: The sign stated …….) IV. Unless the car arrives on time, we shall miss the concert. (Begin: If……) V. Dance and drama were all we cared about. (Begin: All .........................) VI. They were asked to combine all their ideas into one document. (Re-write using: ‘combination’) VII. It was so hot that the rally could not be held. (Begin: It was too .............................) VIII. I have never seen Sumirna lose her temper. (Begin: Never……) IX. “Will you lend me the book tomorrow?” Priya asked her classmate. (Begin: Priya asked her classmate if..............................) X. Their dog is too friendly to be an effective guard dog. (Begin: Their dog is so..............

 Read the poem ‘A Noiseless Patient Spider’ by Walt Whitman given below: A noiseless patient spider, I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated, Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding, It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself, Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them. And you O my soul where you stand, Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space, Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them, Till the bridge you will need be form’d, till the ductile anchor hold, Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul. Based on your understanding of the poem, answer FOUR of five given questions. The poem uses spider as a metaphor for: A. Human beings’ tireless efforts for survival. B. Human soul’s search for meaning and purpose in life. C. Human beings’ striving for power. D. Human soul’s search for anarchy. How has the poet described the existence of both the spider and the soul? A....

 SECTION B CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS (18 marks) 3. Attempt any one of the two, (A) or (B), in about 50 words 1x4=4 A. Your school is planning to conduct an inter-class seminar on the topicThe Importance of Mental Healthto create awareness in adolescents. As the head of the organising committee, write a notice to inform all students about the seminar and invite registrations from classes XI-XII. Include other necessary details. Put your notice in a box. OR B. Your school is organising an inter-House webinar on enhancing coding skills, As the President of the Computer Club, write a notice to inform all House members from IX-XII about the webinar and specify the number of registrations invited per House. Include other necessary details. Put your notice in a box.

SECTION B: WRITING SKILLS & GRAMMAR (20 marks) GRAMMAR 10 3. Complete any ten of twelve of the following tasks, as directed. I Fill in the blank with the correct option to complete the opening line of a formal letter: Dear Mr. Patel, We are pleased to inform you that your proposal for the upcoming project by the board of directors_____________. A. had endorsed B. will have been endorsed C. has been endorsed D. have endorsed I I Read the given sentence from a marketing report. Identify the error and supply the correction in the given format.  The company continues to strives tirelessly to meet customer demands.  ERROR                                                     CORRECTION III Rhea asked the following question to her colleague, Deepak. Have you finalised the magazine content to be submitted tomorrow? Report Rhea’s question correctly I...