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. Not long ago, many people believed that the public library would quietly disappear. With encyclopaedias on our phones and e-books a tap away, who would walk to a building just to borrow a book? Yet in towns across the country, libraries are busier than they have been in years.

   2. The reason is that libraries have changed what they offer. A modern library is no longer a silent hall of dusty shelves. It runs coding clubs for children, language classes for adults, and quiet study rooms for students who have no peaceful corner at home. Many lend laptops and offer free internet, which matters greatly to families who cannot afford a connection.

   3. Libraries also do something that screens rarely do: they bring people together. A retired teacher reads stories to toddlers on Saturday mornings; teenagers who meet at a debate club discover friends who share their interests. In an age when many people feel lonely despite being 'connected', such spaces are precious.

   4. Of course, libraries face real problems. Funds are limited, and some buildings are old and poorly lit. Librarians must keep learning new skills to help visitors find reliable information online. But where communities have invested in their libraries, the results are encouraging: more children read for pleasure, and more adults return to learning.

   5. The library, it turns out, was never just about books. It is about free access to knowledge, and a place where everyone, rich or poor, is welcome.

   Answer the following (1 mark each):

   (i) Why did many people believe that the public library would disappear?

   (ii) Name any two services that modern libraries offer apart from lending books.

   (iii) Why is free internet at the library important for some families?

   (iv) The writer's attitude towards libraries is: (a) critical (b) indifferent (c) appreciative (d) mocking

   (v) Give one example from the passage of how libraries bring people together.

   (vi) What does the writer mean by people feeling 'lonely despite being connected'?

   (vii) State one problem that libraries face.

   (viii) True or False: According to the passage, investing in libraries has led more children to read for pleasure.

   (ix) Find a word in paragraph 4 that means 'trustworthy'.

   (x) Find a word in paragraph 3 that means 'very valuable'.

2. Question 210 marks

   Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

   A school surveyed 500 students of Classes 8 to 10 about the time they spend on screens each day, outside online classes and homework.

   • 42% said they spend more than 3 hours a day on screens.
   • 28% spend 2 to 3 hours, 20% spend 1 to 2 hours and 10% spend less than an hour.
   • Gaming and short videos together took up nearly two-thirds of this time; messaging friends took up most of the rest.
   • Students who spent more than 3 hours slept, on average, about one hour less on school nights than those who spent under an hour.
   • Among these heavy users, 6 out of 10 said they often felt sleepy in the first two periods, and nearly half found it hard to concentrate while reading a long chapter.

   After the survey, the school introduced a 'screens-off hour' from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. and asked parents to keep phones out of bedrooms at night. A follow-up survey three months later found that the share of heavy users had fallen to 31%.

   Answer the following (1 mark each):

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

   (ii) What percentage of students spend 1 to 2 hours a day on screens?

   (iii) Which two activities took up most of the students' screen time?

   (iv) How much less sleep did the heavy users get on school nights?

   (v) What fraction of the heavy users often felt sleepy in the first two periods?

   (vi) The 'screens-off hour' was from: (a) 8 to 9 p.m. (b) 9 to 10 p.m. (c) 10 to 11 p.m. (d) 9 to 10 a.m.

   (vii) By how many percentage points did the share of heavy users fall after three months?

   (viii) What did the school ask parents to do?

   (ix) About how many students were heavy users (more than 3 hours) at the time of the first survey?

   (x) Give one reason, based on the survey, why the school decided to take action.

Section B · Grammar and writing

1. Question 31 mark

   Choose the correct option to fill in the blank:

   She ______ in this school since 2020.

   1. A.studies
   2. B.is studying
   3. C.has been studying
   4. D.studied
2. Question 41 mark

   Choose the correct modal:

   You ______ wear a helmet while riding a two-wheeler; it is the law.

   1. A.may
   2. B.might
   3. C.must
   4. D.could
3. Question 51 mark

   Choose the correct option:

   Neither the teacher nor the students ______ present in the hall.

   1. A.was
   2. B.were
   3. C.is
   4. D.has been
4. Question 61 mark

   Choose the correct determiner:

   There is ______ milk left in the jug, so we need to buy some.

   1. A.few
   2. B.a few
   3. C.little
   4. D.many
5. Question 71 mark

   Choose the correct reported form:

   He said, "I am tired."

   1. A.He said that I am tired.
   2. B.He said that he was tired.
   3. C.He said that he is tired.
   4. D.He told that he was tired.
6. Question 81 mark

   Identify the error and choose the correct option:

   Each of the boys have finished the work.

   1. A.have → has
   2. B.boys → boy
   3. C.finished → finish
   4. D.the work → a work
7. Question 91 mark

   Choose the correct passive form:

   The chef cooked the meal.

   1. A.The meal is cooked by the chef.
   2. B.The meal was cooked by the chef.
   3. C.The meal has been cooked by the chef.
   4. D.The meal cooked by the chef.
8. Question 101 mark

   Choose the correct preposition:

   He has been ill ______ Monday.

   1. A.for
   2. B.since
   3. C.from
   4. D.by
9. Question 111 mark

   Choose the correct reported form:

   She asked me, "Where do you live?"

   1. A.She asked me where do I live.
   2. B.She asked me where I lived.
   3. C.She asked me where did I live.
   4. D.She asked me that where I lived.
10. Question 121 mark

    Choose the correct article:

    ______ honest man is respected by all.

    1. A.A
    2. B.An
    3. C.The
    4. D.No article
11. Question 135 marks

    Write a descriptive paragraph in about 120 words describing your favourite teacher — how he or she looks, teaches and treats students, and why you admire him or her.

12. OR

    Question 135 marks

    Write a descriptive paragraph in about 120 words describing a busy railway station — its sights, sounds and the people you see there.

13. Question 145 marks

    Complete the story in about 120 words, giving it a suitable title:

    It was the last day of the school trip. As the bus wound its way down the hill, Ananya realised that her bag — with her phone and the class camera — was missing...

14. OR

    Question 145 marks

    Write a diary entry in about 120 words about the day you helped someone in need and how it made you feel.

Section C · Literature

1. Question 155 marks

   Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

   Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth;

   (i) What dilemma does the poet face? (1 mark)

   (ii) What does the 'yellow wood' suggest about the season? (1 mark)

   (iii) Why was the poet 'sorry'? (1 mark)

   (iv) Find a word in the extract that means 'thick growth of shrubs and plants'. (1 mark)

   (v) What do the two roads stand for? (1 mark)

2. OR

   Question 155 marks

   Read the extract and answer the questions that follow.

   I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made; Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee, And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

   (i) Where does the poet wish to go? (1 mark)

   (ii) What will he build there, and with what? (1 mark)

   (iii) How many bean-rows will he grow? (1 mark)

   (iv) What is meant by the 'bee-loud glade'? (1 mark)

   (v) What kind of life does the poet long for? (1 mark)

3. Question 162 marks

   Why did Margie hate school? Answer in 30–40 words.

4. Question 172 marks

   How does Evelyn Glennie 'hear' music even though she is profoundly deaf? Answer in 30–40 words.

5. Question 182 marks

   Why did Einstein write a letter to President Roosevelt in 1939? Answer in 30–40 words.

6. Question 192 marks

   Name any four things the child wanted at the fair in 'The Lost Child'.

7. Question 203 marks

   What thoughts passed through the doctor's mind as he looked at himself in the mirror, before the snake fell on him? Answer in 40–50 words.

8. OR

   Question 203 marks

   How did Kalam's science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, try to break social barriers? Answer in 40–50 words.

9. Question 213 marks

   Mention three qualities of Santosh Yadav that helped her reach the top. Answer in 40–50 words.

10. Question 223 marks

    What does the poet say about weak and strong things in the poem 'Wind'? Answer in 40–50 words.

11. Question 233 marks

    Why was the prince called the 'Happy Prince'? Why did he weep after his death? Answer in 40–50 words.

12. Question 243 marks

    How did Gerrard outwit the intruder in 'If I Were You'? Answer in 40–50 words.

13. Question 256 marks

    How did Kezia's attitude towards her father change in 'The Little Girl'? Answer in 100–120 words.

14. OR

    Question 256 marks

    How did Behrman save Johnsy's life in 'The Last Leaf'? Answer in 100–120 words.

15. Question 266 marks

    Why was Toto not a suitable pet for the family in 'The Adventures of Toto'? Answer in 100–120 words.

16. OR

    Question 266 marks

    How did Olga help to change Lushkoff's life in 'The Beggar'? Answer in 100–120 words.