English · Sample Paper 1

General instructions

Section A · Reading skills

1. Question 110 marks

   Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

   1. For most of human history, walking was simply how people got from one place to another. Today, many of us walk less than ever. We drive to the shop at the end of the road, take the lift to the first floor, and spend long hours sitting at desks and screens. Doctors now warn that this lack of movement is quietly harming our health.

   2. The good news is that walking is one of the easiest ways to stay fit. It needs no equipment, no membership fee and no special skill. Studies have found that a brisk walk of about thirty minutes on most days lowers the risk of heart disease, helps control weight and blood sugar, and strengthens bones and muscles.

   3. The benefits are not only physical. People who walk regularly often report that they sleep better and feel calmer. A walk in a park or along a tree-lined street seems to lift the mood, and many writers and thinkers have said that their best ideas came to them while walking.

   4. Yet walking in our cities is not always easy or safe. Footpaths are broken or occupied by parked vehicles and stalls, and crossing a busy road can feel like a gamble. If we want people to walk more, towns must be planned for pedestrians, with wide, shaded footpaths and safe crossings.

   5. Walking, in the end, asks for very little and gives a great deal. Perhaps the first step towards a healthier life is, quite literally, a step.

   Answer the following (1 mark each):

   (i) Give two examples from the passage of how people today avoid walking.

   (ii) Why is walking described as one of the easiest ways to stay fit?

   (iii) List any two physical benefits of a brisk daily walk.

   (iv) How does walking affect people's minds, according to paragraph 3?

   (v) The tone of the passage is: (a) alarming (b) encouraging (c) humorous (d) sarcastic

   (vi) Name two problems that make walking in cities difficult.

   (vii) What does the writer suggest towns should do to encourage walking?

   (viii) What does the writer mean by 'crossing a busy road can feel like a gamble'?

   (ix) Find a word in paragraph 2 that means 'quick and energetic'.

   (x) Explain the play on words in the last line of the passage.

2. Question 210 marks

   Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

   A residents' welfare association in a city surveyed 400 households about how they use water each day. The average household used about 540 litres a day. The survey found the following break-up:

   | Use | Share of daily water use | |---|---| | Bathing | 30% | | Flushing toilets | 25% | | Washing clothes | 20% | | Cooking and drinking | 10% | | Cleaning the house and utensils | 10% | | Gardening and washing vehicles | 5% |

   Nearly 60% of households said they left the tap running while brushing their teeth, and one in four had a leaking tap or pipe that had not been repaired for more than a month. Only 12% of households reused any water — for example, using water from washing vegetables to water plants.

   After the survey, the association held awareness camps, fixed leaking pipes in common areas and installed a rainwater harvesting system on the community hall. Six months later, the average daily use per household had fallen to about 470 litres.

   Answer the following (1 mark each):

   (i) How many households were surveyed?

   (ii) Which activity used the largest share of water?

   (iii) What percentage of water was used for cooking and drinking?

   (iv) About how many litres a day did an average household use for flushing toilets?

   (v) What habit did nearly 60% of households admit to?

   (vi) What fraction of households had a leaking tap or pipe that had not been repaired?

   (vii) Give the example of reusing water mentioned in the passage.

   (viii) Choose the correct option: After six months, daily use per household fell by about (a) 50 litres (b) 70 litres (c) 100 litres (d) 470 litres

   (ix) Name any two steps the association took after the survey.

   (x) Based on the data, suggest one simple way a household could save water.

Section B · Grammar and writing

1. Question 31 mark

   Choose the correct option:

   The train ______ before we reached the station.

   1. A.left
   2. B.has left
   3. C.had left
   4. D.was leaving
2. Question 41 mark

   Choose the correct option:

   If I ______ you, I would apologise to her.

   1. A.am
   2. B.was
   3. C.were
   4. D.be
3. Question 51 mark

   Choose the correct reported form:

   The teacher said, "Honesty is the best policy."

   1. A.The teacher said that honesty was the best policy.
   2. B.The teacher said that honesty is the best policy.
   3. C.The teacher told that honesty had been the best policy.
   4. D.The teacher said honesty will be the best policy.
4. Question 61 mark

   Choose the correct passive form:

   Someone has stolen my bicycle.

   1. A.My bicycle was stolen.
   2. B.My bicycle has been stolen.
   3. C.My bicycle had been stolen by someone.
   4. D.My bicycle is stolen.
5. Question 71 mark

   Choose the correct modal:

   ______ I come in, sir?

   1. A.May
   2. B.Must
   3. C.Should
   4. D.Would
6. Question 81 mark

   Choose the correct option:

   The number of students in the class ______ increasing every year.

   1. A.are
   2. B.is
   3. C.were
   4. D.have been
7. Question 91 mark

   Identify the error and choose the correction:

   She is one of the best student in the school.

   1. A.is → was
   2. B.best → better
   3. C.student → students
   4. D.the school → a school
8. Question 101 mark

   Choose the word that fills the gap:

   He went to ______ market to buy vegetables.

   1. A.a
   2. B.an
   3. C.the
   4. D.no article
9. Question 111 mark

   Choose the correct determiner:

   She gave me ______ useful advice before the exam.

   1. A.a
   2. B.an
   3. C.some
   4. D.many
10. Question 121 mark

    Choose the correct connector:

    ______ it was raining heavily, the match continued.

    1. A.Because
    2. B.Although
    3. C.Unless
    4. D.So
11. Question 135 marks

    You are Kavya/Karan, a resident of Green Park, Jaipur. Write a letter in about 120 words to the editor of a national daily about the problem of stray animals on the roads in your area, and suggest solutions.

12. OR

    Question 135 marks

    You are Kavya/Karan, the sports captain of Delhi Public School, Pune. Write a letter in about 120 words to the Principal requesting better sports facilities in the school.

13. Question 145 marks

    The table shows how students of a school travelled to school in 2015 and 2025. Write an analytical paragraph in about 120 words on the data.

    | Mode of transport | 2015 | 2025 | |---|---|---| | School bus | 40% | 35% | | Bicycle | 25% | 15% | | Car | 20% | 30% | | Walking | 15% | 20% |

14. OR

    Question 145 marks

    The table shows the average number of hours a day that teenagers in a city spent on different activities in 2025. Write an analytical paragraph in about 120 words on the data.

    | Activity | Hours per day | |---|---| | School and homework | 8 | | Sleep | 7 | | Screens (outside study) | 3.5 | | Outdoor play and sport | 1 | | Reading for pleasure | 0.5 |

Section C · Literature

1. Question 155 marks

   Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

   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) What do 'fire' and 'ice' stand for in the poem? (1 mark)

   (ii) Which view does the poet favour first, and why? (1 mark)

   (iii) What does 'perish twice' mean here? (1 mark)

   (iv) Find a word in the extract that means 'be enough'. (1 mark)

   (v) What is the central message of the poem? (1 mark)

2. OR

   Question 155 marks

   Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

   The fog comes on little cat feet.

   It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on.

   (i) To which animal is the fog compared? (1 mark)

   (ii) Which words show that the fog arrives silently? (1 mark)

   (iii) What does the fog 'look over'? (1 mark)

   (iv) What does 'haunches' mean? (1 mark)

   (v) Name the poetic device used in the extract and explain it briefly. (1 mark)

3. Question 162 marks

   Why did Lencho write a letter to God? Answer in 30–40 words.

4. Question 172 marks

   What 'twin obligations' does Nelson Mandela mention? Answer in 30–40 words.

5. Question 182 marks

   How did the young seagull finally learn to fly? Answer in 30–40 words.

6. Question 192 marks

   Why did Anil not hand Hari Singh over to the police? Answer in 30–40 words.

7. Question 203 marks

   How did Maxwell take Mijbil to England? Answer in 40–50 words.

8. OR

   Question 203 marks

   Why did Valli not want to look out of the window on her way back from the town? Answer in 40–50 words.

9. Question 213 marks

   What lesson did Kisa Gotami learn from the Buddha? Answer in 40–50 words.

10. Question 223 marks

    What were the two issues over which Lomov and Natalya quarrelled in 'The Proposal'? Answer in 40–50 words.

11. Question 233 marks

    What was wrong with Tricki, and how did the narrator cure him? Answer in 40–50 words.

12. Question 243 marks

    How did Ausable get rid of Max in 'The Midnight Visitor'? Answer in 40–50 words.

13. Question 256 marks

    How did Anne Frank prove Mr Keesing wrong? Answer in 100–120 words.

14. OR

    Question 256 marks

    Describe the importance of the baker in Goan village life, as described in 'A Baker from Goa'. Answer in 100–120 words.

15. Question 266 marks

    How did Matilda's desire to appear rich ruin her life in 'The Necklace'? Answer in 100–120 words.

16. OR

    Question 266 marks

    What qualities helped Richard Ebright become a scientist? Answer in 100–120 words.