English · Sample Paper 2

General instructions

Section A · Reading

1. Question 112 marks

   Read the passage and answer the questions.

   1. In many Indian cities, the night sky has quietly disappeared. A child growing up in a large town today may never see the Milky Way. Street lights, illuminated hoardings and floodlit buildings throw so much light upwards that the sky glows orange, drowning out all but the brightest stars. Scientists call this light pollution.

   2. The loss is more than a matter of beauty. Many animals depend on darkness. Sea turtle hatchlings find the ocean by moving towards the brighter horizon over the water; near brightly lit beaches, they crawl inland instead and die. Migrating birds, which navigate by the stars, become confused around tall illuminated buildings, and millions die every year in collisions.

   3. Humans are affected too. Our bodies run on a daily rhythm that depends on light and darkness. Bright light at night, especially the blue-white light of LEDs and screens, reduces the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps us sleep. Doctors link long-term disturbance of this rhythm to poor sleep, stress and other health problems.

   4. Fortunately, light pollution is one of the easiest kinds of pollution to reduce. Unlike smoke in the air or plastic in the sea, it disappears the moment a light is switched off. Fitting shields so that street lights point downwards, using warmer-coloured bulbs and switching off decorative lighting late at night can make a large difference while saving electricity.

   5. Some places have gone further. Hanle, in Ladakh, has been declared a dark sky reserve, where lighting is carefully controlled so that astronomers and visitors can see the sky as our ancestors did. Its success shows that we need not choose between development and the stars.

   (i) What is light pollution? (1 mark)

   (ii) Why does the sky over cities appear orange? (1 mark)

   (iii) How does light pollution affect sea turtle hatchlings? (1 mark)

   (iv) Why do migrating birds die near tall illuminated buildings? (1 mark)

   (v) Which hormone is affected by bright light at night, and what is its role? (1 mark)

   (vi) Name two health problems linked to disturbance of the body's daily rhythm. (1 mark)

   (vii) Why does the writer call light pollution 'one of the easiest kinds of pollution to reduce'? (1 mark)

   (viii) Suggest two measures to reduce light pollution mentioned in the passage. (1 mark)

   (ix) What is special about Hanle? (1 mark)

   (x) Find a word in paragraph 1 that means 'overpowering, so that something cannot be seen'. (1 mark)

   (xi) Choose the best title: (a) Bright Cities (b) Bringing Back the Night (c) Turtles and Birds (d) Saving Electricity (1 mark)

   (xii) Explain 'we need not choose between development and the stars'. (1 mark)

2. Question 210 marks

   Read the passage and answer the questions.

   A survey of 1,000 college students asked how they prepare for exams. 38% said they study mainly in the last two weeks, 27% study regularly through the term, 20% depend on coaching notes, and 15% study in groups. Students who studied regularly reported the lowest exam stress: only 18% of them called their stress 'high', compared with 61% of last-minute learners.

   Asked what helped them most, 45% named practice tests, 30% named summarising notes in their own words, and 25% named rereading the textbook. Researchers pointed out that rereading feels productive but is the least effective of the three, while practice tests force the brain to recall information, strengthening memory.

   (i) How many students took part in the survey? (1 mark)

   (ii) What percentage of students study mainly in the last two weeks? (1 mark)

   (iii) How many students study in groups? (1 mark)

   (iv) Which group reported the lowest exam stress? (1 mark)

   (v) What percentage of last-minute learners described their stress as 'high'? (1 mark)

   (vi) Which study method did the most students find helpful? (1 mark)

   (vii) Why do researchers consider rereading less effective? (1 mark)

   (viii) How do practice tests strengthen memory? (1 mark)

   (ix) What fraction of students depend on coaching notes? (1 mark)

   (x) Based on the survey, suggest one habit a student should adopt. (1 mark)

Section B · Writing

1. Question 34 marks

   You are the secretary of the Eco Club of Delhi Public School, Noida. Write a notice in about 50 words informing students about a tree plantation drive.

2. OR

   Question 34 marks

   Write a notice in about 50 words for your school notice board announcing the auditions for the annual day play.

3. Question 44 marks

   Write a reply in about 50 words accepting an invitation from your friend's parents to their daughter's graduation ceremony.

4. Question 55 marks

   You are Aarav/Anaya of 12 Park Street, Chennai. Write a letter in 120–150 words to the editor of a national daily about the increasing number of road accidents caused by rash driving among teenagers.

5. OR

   Question 55 marks

   You are Kabir/Kavya of 9 Rose Garden, Jaipur. Write a letter in 120–150 words applying for the post of a trainee graphic designer at an advertising agency. Attach your bio-data.

6. Question 65 marks

   Write a report in 120–150 words for your school magazine on the inter-school science exhibition held in your school.

Section C · Literature

1. Question 76 marks

   Read the extract (John Keats, A Thing of Beauty) and answer the questions.

   Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing A flowery band to bind us to the earth, Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,

   (i) What do we do 'on every morrow'? (1 mark)

   (ii) What does the 'flowery band' stand for? (1 mark)

   (iii) What does 'despondence' mean? (1 mark)

   (iv) What is meant by 'the inhuman dearth of noble natures'? (1 mark)

   (v) What keeps us bound to the earth in spite of sorrow? (1 mark)

   (vi) Identify the poetic device in 'flowery band'. (1 mark)

2. OR

   Question 76 marks

   Read the extract (John Keats, A Thing of Beauty) and answer the questions.

   and clear rills That for themselves a cooling covert make 'Gainst the hot season; the mid forest brake, Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms:

   (i) What are 'rills'? (1 mark)

   (ii) What do the rills make for themselves? (1 mark)

   (iii) What is a 'brake' in the extract? (1 mark)

   (iv) What makes the forest brake beautiful? (1 mark)

   (v) Why are these objects mentioned in the poem? (1 mark)

   (vi) Find a word in the extract that means 'shelter'. (1 mark)

3. Question 82 marks

   What was the Gemini Studios make-up department like, according to Asokamitran?

4. Question 92 marks

   Why does Umberto Eco say he has time to write so much?

5. Question 102 marks

   What do the people who run the roadside stand want from the passing traffic?

6. Question 112 marks

   What does the poet compare her mother's face to, and why?

7. OR

   Question 112 marks

   Why does the poet of 'Keeping Quiet' say 'it would be an exotic moment'?

8. Question 122 marks

   Why is Antarctica the place to go to understand the earth's past and future?

9. Question 134 marks

   How does Sophie's world of dreams contrast with her reality in 'Going Places'? Answer in 80–100 words.

10. Question 144 marks

    Describe the life of the ragpickers of Seemapuri. Answer in 80–100 words.

11. OR

    Question 144 marks

    How did M. Hamel's last lesson change Franz's attitude to learning French? Answer in 80–100 words.

12. Question 154 marks

    How is 'The Tiger King' a satire on the vanity of those in power? Answer in 80–100 words.

13. Question 166 marks

    How did Gandhi's approach at Champaran show his belief in self-reliance and non-violence? Answer in 120–150 words.

14. Question 176 marks

    What does Charley's experience in 'The Third Level' tell us about the pressures of modern life? Answer in 120–150 words.

15. OR

    Question 176 marks

    How did Hana show courage and compassion in 'The Enemy'? Answer in 120–150 words.