Navodaya vidyalaya samiti pre board examination 021 english – Language and Literature class-x (Rationalized syllabus) Time allowed: Hrs

(B) 

   

 

Some say the world will end in fire, 

                   Some say in ice. 

From what I’ve tasted of desire 

I hold with those who favor fire. 

 

But if it had to perish twice, 

I think I know enough of hate 

To say that for destruction ice 

Is also great 

And would suffice. 

i. Who is the poet of the given poem? 

    a. Robert Frost 

    b. Leslie Norris 

    c. Robin Klein 

    d. Adrienne Rich 

ii. What does the poet compare fire with? 

    a. hatred 

    b. desire 

    c. Heat 

    d. End of the world 

iii.  The rhyme scheme of the first stanza is……… 

  a. ab aa 

  b. ab ab 

  c. ab bb 

  d. ab cd  

iv. What does the word ‘ice’ symbolize? 

 a. Love 

---

 b. Lust 

 c. Desire 

 d. Hatred  

v. Which word in the poem means “die”? 

 a. Desire 

 b. Perish 

 c. Favour 

 d. Suffice 

GRAMMAR  

 

 

 

 

 

(10 Marks) 

5. Fill in the gaps by choosing the most appropriate words from the 

options given below.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 (3x1)

 

Pongal is  also  referred  ……(i)…..Thai  Pongal is  a  multi-day  Harvest  festival  of 

South India, particularly in the 

Tamil 

community. It …….(ii)…… at the start of  

the  month Tai according  to  Tamil  solar  calendar, and  this  is  typically  about 

January14.  It  is  dedicated  to  the  Hindu  sun  God, the 

Surya

  and 

……(iii)……..to 

Makar  Sankranthi,

  the  harvest  festival  under  many  regional 

names celebrated throughout India.. 

i.  a. to as 

    b. by as 

    c. for as 

    d. such as 

ii. a. was observed 

    b. is observed 

    c. has observed 

    d. have observed  

iii. a Corresponding 

     b. Corresponds 

     c. Corresponded 

     d. Correspond 

6. Choose the correct options to fill in the blanks to complete Preeti’s 

narration.            

 

 

 

 

 

 

              (3x1) 

Preeti : Where did you spend your holidays? 

Naman : I went to many hills stations. ‘ 

Preeti : Which one did you like the most? 

Naman : Honestly speaking. I liked all as I am very fond of hills. 

 

Preeti asked Naman ……(i)…….. his holidays. Naman replied, ………(ii)……….. 

to many hill stations. Preeti then asked him ………(iii)…………. Naman said 

that honestly speaking he had liked all as he was very fond of hills. 

  

i. a. Where he spend his holidays. 

 b. 

where he had spent his holidays. 

 c. where has he spent his holidays. 

 d. where did he spend his holidays. 

ii. a. that he had gone to many hill stations. 

    b. that he had been gone to many hill stations. 

    c. that he has gone to many hill stations. 

---

    d. that he gone to many hill stations. 

iii. a. which one he liked 

     b. which one he has liked 

     c. which one he had liked 

     d. which one he had been liked. 

 

 

7. 

Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct options for ANY FOUR of the 

six sentences given below.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4x1) 

i. I …………….the Taj Mahal last month. 

 a. had visited 

 b. was visited 

 c. visited 

 d. have visited 

ii. Everyone ………… so worried about the results. 

 a. has 

 b. are 

 c. was 

 d. were 

iii. 

I always enjoy …….. cream and sugar in my coffee. 

 a. little 

 b. a little 

 c. less 

 d. few

 

iv. Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is ……. masonry dam across …… Krishna River. 

 a. an, an 

 b. the , a 

 c. a, a 

 d. a, the 

v. I …………… the songs before the program started.

 

 a. will practice  

 b. had practiced 

 c. have practiced 

 d. practices 

vi. I have been living in New York ……….. my childhood. 

 a. for 

 b. till 

 c. since 

 d. by 

Section B 

           WRITING   

 

 

(2x5= 10 marks) 

8. Attempt ANY ONE of the following in 100-120 words.    

(5 marks) 

A. Write a letter to the editor of a leading daily advocating the need for people 

to obey traffic rules for safety, to be law-abiding citizens, to wear helmets and 

to put on seat belts when driving on road.

 

You are Manu/Meera, C-65, MG 

Street, Mumbai. 

 

 

 

OR 

B. You are Sameer/Sneha of H.No. 68, Navodaya Nagar, Banglore. Two months 

ago you bought a new Air Conditioner from Great Home Coolers, Banglore. Now 

---

you discover that it is not working properly. Write a letter to The Manager 

(Customer Care) complaining about the malfunctioning of the unit and asking 

them to repair or if needed to replace it against the warranty that goes with it. 

 

9. Attempt ANY ONE of the following in 100-120 words.   

 (5 marks) 

 

A) Here is a line graph showing the number of persons of different age groups 

killed in accidents. Write a paragraph analyzing the given data.  

 

 

 

OR 

 

B) Read the following excerpt from an article that appeared in the magazine 

section of a local daily: 

 

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken the bold step of 

banning sale of junk foods to students. All foods that are high in saturated fats 

or trans-fats or with added sugar or sodium will be off the menu. 

 

Write a paragraph to analyze the given argument. 

You could think about what alternative explanations might weaken the given 

conclusion and include rationale / evidence that would strengthen / counter 

the given argument. 

LITERATURE (30 marks) 

10. Answer ANY TWO questions in 20-30 words each, from (A) and (B) 

respectively. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2x4=8) 

Marks) 

(A) (Any two)  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2x2=4) 

i.   Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like new coins? 

ii. How does the tiger make his presence felt in the village?   

iii. How did the young seagull and his family celebrate his first flight? 

(B) (Any two) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2x2=4) 

i. How did the thief realise that Anil knew that he was robbed? 

ii. Why was Matilda’s friend astonished to see her at the end of the story? 

---

iii. Why did the young lawyer call his work unpleasant? 

11. 

Answer ANY TWO questions in 40-50 words each, from (A) and (B) 

respectively. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3x4=12 Marks)   

(A) (Any two)  

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

        (3x2=6) 

i. What are the two legends about the discovery of tea? 

ii. Why did the poet not offer the boy money to buy another ball? 

iii. What did Mandela think for the oppressor and the oppressed? 

 

(B) (Any two)  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3x2=6) 

i. Why was Dr. Herriot tempted to keep Tricki on as a permanent guest? 

ii. Why did Richard Ebright give up tagging butterflies? 

iii. Where did the narrator have his lunch at New Mullion? What was special 

about the lunch? 

12. Answer ANY ONE the following in 100-120 words.  

 

(5x1) 

(A)   Throughout the play “Proposal”, the characters tried to overpower each 

other by insulting and abusing. They were angered very easily. Do you think it 

is very necessary to learn how to manage our anger? What are the harms of 

being too ill-tempered? Suggest some ways to keep yourself calm in even the 

worst of the situations. 

 OR 

(B) The Buddha said, ‘The world is afflicted with death and decay, therefore the 

wise do not grieve, knowing the terms of the world.’ Do you think the statement 

is appropriate even for today’s life? Write your views in the context of the above 

statement. 

 

13.

 Answer ANY ONE of the following in 100-120 words.   

       (5x1) 

 (A) Read the following words of the famous American writer Steve Maraboli. 

 

 “The empowered woman is powerful beyond measure and beautiful beyond 

description”.  

Examine the above statement with reference to the character of Bholi and her 

teacher. 

  OR 

(B)

 

One must be a law abiding citizen of the country. Griffin lacked this 

attribute in his character. How did it make him an undesirable person? How 

lawlessness did overshadow his greatness as a scientist? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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