Bombap Scottish chool, Mabim

PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
: 10 80
Grade Max. Marks
: 09.01.2024 No. of Questions : 05
Date
sides: 08
Duration : 2 hours No. of Printed
provided)
[Answers to this paper must be written on the answer booklet
The first 15 minutes is allotted for reading the question paper.brackets.
intended questions are given in
The marks for questions or parts of
Question 1
Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question.)
[20]
following:
Write a compOsition (300-350 words) on any one of the

flickering glow of the

(i) Write an original story with a beginning "In the
streetlights I saw a strange man hovering .

suddenly given a huge responsibility at home /school and yOu had

(ii) You were .Narrate one such instance highlighting how you
no clue how to go about it learned
with the situation and mnanaged /mismanaged it and what you
dealt
from this experience.
detrimental impact on mental health.
(i) Social media has a against this statement.
Express your views either for or
lessons; it's a miniature society, a stage where talents
about
(iv) School isn't solely amidst the daily challenges
bloom, and resilience is cultivated
school highlighting its unique features and the various events
Describe your
all round personality.
that have helped you develop an
picturegiven below. Write a story or a description or an account of
(v) Study the be about the subject of the
to you. Your composition may
what it suggests there must be a clear
from it; however,
picture or you may take suggestions
composition.
connection between the picture and your
 Question 2
(Do not spend more than 20
minutes on this question. [10]
Select any one of the following:
You recently adopted a rescued dog. Write a letter to your friend
sharing with
him /her your experience of adopting a rescued dog.Tell your friend all
aboutyour new pet's antics , habits and how you have grown very
attached
to it . Encourage your friend also to adopt and not shop for a
pet.

(ü) There is no proper playground for the children of your locality. However there
is a vacant plot belonging to the municipality, lying vacant and misused by
miscreants. Write a letter to the Municipal Commissioner requesting
him/her to convert it into a playground with amenities for children to play
and make it the pride of the locality. Mention all the facilities you would ike
to have in the playground.

Question 3 [10]
(a) Your school is hosting a science exhibition .Draft a notice for the school
notice board inviting senior students to take part in the exhibition.

(b) Write an email tothe principal of a neighbouring school requesting her/him

to send students from Grades 9 and 10 to visit the exhibition.

2
Question4

Readthe following passnge cArefully and answcr the questions that

tollow:
Mother had five other children to look a•ter besides the "difficult one,".
They were my brothers, Jim, Tony, and Paddy, and my two sisters, Lily
and Mona, all of them very or so between each of them,
on they were almost exactly young, just a year
like steps of stairs
Four years rolled by and Iwas now five. and still as helpless as a new
born baby. For my mother it was hard, heartbreaking work, tor Often a I
she gotfrom me in return was a smile and perhaps afaint gurgle.
could not speak or even mumble, vague
nor could Isit up without support on my
oWn, let alone take Steps. But I wasn't inert, My fingers twisted and
often shoot
twitched continually, my arms twined backwards and would sidewayS.
out suddenly this way and that, and mv head lolled and sagged
Iwas a queer, crooked little fellow.
hours in an
Mother tells me how one day she hadbeen sitting with me for
upstairs bedroom, showing me pictures out of a great big storybook and
thatwere in them,
telling me the names of different animals and flowers
This had gone on for
trying without success to get me to repeat them. of it she
hours while she talked and laughed with me. Then at the end
like it, Chris? Did
leaned Over me and said gently into my ear: "Did you your
lovely flowers? Nod
you hke the bears and the monkeys and all the
head for yes, like a good boy."
But Icould make no sign that I had understood her..
the room, cryng.
Then she turned away from my curious stare and left looked as though
It
The door closed behind her. It all seemed hopeless. that I was an
relatives' contention
there was some justification for my
idiot and beyond help.
They now spoke of an institution.
suggested to her.
"Never!" said my mother almost fiercely, when this was
is shattered, not his
body that
"I know my boy is not an idiot; it is his
mind. I'm sure of that."
some proof of her faith.
Sure? Yet inwardly, she prayed God would give her thing to prove.
She knew it was one thing to believe but quite another
Iwas now seven, and stillIshowedno real sign of intelligence. Iwas lonely,
communicate with others, cut
imprisoned in a world of my own, unable to
stood between my
off, separated from them as though a glass wall with the rest, but I
existence and theirs. I longed to run about and play
was unable to break loose from my bondage.
3
 Then suddenly, it happened! It happened so quickly, so sinply after all
tne yeaTS of waiting and uncertainty, that I can see and feel the whole
SCenc as if it had happencd last week. It was the afternoon of a cold, gray
December day. Inside, allthe family weregathered round the big kitchen
fire that it up the little room with a warm glow and made giant shadowS
dance on the walls and ceiling.
In acomer Mona and Paddy were sitting, huddled together, writing
dowm little sums onto an old chipped slate, using a bright piece of yeloW
Chalk. Twas close to them, propped up by a few pillows against the wal,
Watch1ng. It was the chalk that attracted me so much. It was a long,
slender stick of vivid yellow.
Suddenly, Idesperately wanted to do what my sister was dong. Tnen
without thinking or knowing exactly what Iwas doing, Ireached out and
took the stick of chalk out of mv sister's hand-with my left foot. I o not
know why Iused my left foot to do this.. Thev could have been as uselesS
to me as were mny hands. That day, however, my left
its own volition, reached out and very foot, apparently by
my sister's hand. impolitely took the chalk out of
Iheld it tightly between my toes, and,
sort of scribble with it on the slate. Nextacting on anI impulse, made a wld
moment stopped, a bit dazed,
surprised, looking down at the stick of yellow chalk stuck between my
toes, not knowing what to do with it next,
hardly
there. Then Ilooked up and became aware that knowing how it got
everyone had stopped
talking and was staring at me silently. Nobody stirred.
hearth, his face litby flames, sat my father, leaning
Across the open
Outspread on his knees, his shoulders tense. I felt theforward,
sweat
hands
break out on
my forehead.
My mother came in from the pantry with a steaming pot in
her hand. She
stopped midway between the table and the fire, feeling the tension
through the room. She followed their stare and saw me in the flowing
eyes looked from my face down tomy foot, with the chalk corner. Her
my toes. She put down the pot. Then she gripped between
down beside me, as she had done so many timescrossed over to me and knelt
before.
"Il show you what to do with it, Chris,"
queer, choked way, her face flushed as ifshe said, very slowly and in a
with some inner excitement.
Taking another piece of chalk from Mona, she
hesitated, then very
deliberately drew, on the floor in front of me, the single
"Copy that," she said, looking steadily at me. letter "A."
I couldn't. "Copy it, Christy."
Ilooked about me, looked
were at that moment frozen,around at the faces , tense, excited faces that
immobile, eager, waiting for a miracle in their
midst. The stillness was profound..
4
I tried again. I put out foot and jerking stab with the chalk
my made a wild more. Mother
held the
which produceda very crooked line and nothing
slate steady for me.
"ry again, Chris," she whispered in my ear. "Again.
time.
ened my body and put my left foot out again, for the third
stick Ol
I arew one side of the letter. Ldrew half the
other side. Then the
away and give
chalk broke, and I was left with a stump. I wanted to fling itonce more. ut
my shoulder. I tried
p nen Ttelt my mother's hand on every muscle. My narnus
went my foot. I shook, I sweated and strainedinto the flesh. Iset mny teetn
Were so tightly clenched that my
fingernails bit
lip., Everything in the room swam
So hard that I nearly pierced my lowernatches of white. But-I drew it-the
untl the faces around me were mere awkward,
"A\There it was on the floor before me. Shaky, with "A." I
letter
center line. But it was the letter Then
WODbly sides and a very unevyen her cheeks.
saw my mother's face for a moment,tears on
1ooRCu up. 1 his shoulder.
onto
my father stooped and hoisted me thing
so significant? Ihad done it! It had started-the
Why is this moment chance of expressing itself. True, I couldn't
mind its
that was to give my
now I would speak through something more
But
speak with my lips.words--written words, my road to a new world, my key
lasting than spoken
to mental freedom.
Brown 's autobiography My Left Foot
An extract from Christy
used in the
(as
below choose the correct meaning 3]
(i) For each word given
provided:
passage) from the options
1.inert
a. insane
b. insecure
C. inattentive
d. inactive

contention
a. opposition
b. satisfaction
C. insistence
d. intention
the opposite of the word compulsion?
Which word in the passage means
(ü) a. profound
b. volition
c. impolitely
d. tension
5
 ownwords.
following qucstions briefly in your Who was the difficult one?
(ii) Answer the Brown have? [3]
children did Mrs,
a. How many difficult?
Why was the child
considered little fellow ? (2]
author call himself weird crooked [2)
b Why does the work for the mother?
heart-breaking strong
C. Whatwas talks of his mother's
d. sentence from the passage that [2]
Cve one
belief regarding him. managed to
50 words narrate how the author finally
(iv) Im not more than [8]
write with his left foot with the help of his mother.

Question 5
given
with the correct form of the word
(i) Fui in each of the numbered blanks correct serial order the
but write in
norackets. Do not copy the passage [4]
word or phrase appropriate to the blank space.
Example: 0- was
much furniture
The Curies rented a three room flat. There -0-to be ) not
because Marie hated dusting. Their reaí life was in the laboratory. Marie
I(decide)to work for the advanced degree of Doctor of Science arnd by
1897 she -2-look)for anew subject to research. Very recently, a scientist
called Henry Bequerel -3 (discover) that Uranium salts spontaneously
gave out rays of an unknown nature. The mystery of the rays -4
(fascinate)Marie. What caused them? What could they do? With Pierre's
encouragement she -5- (choose) the uranium rays for her research
subject. Shesoon ---6-(discover) that the rays given out by uranium were
very unusual. She --7--examine)them in conditions of heat, light,
wetness and darkness and nothing seemed to affect them. She compared
other elements with uranium, and found that only one, Thorium, --8
(give) out similar rays and was thus-to use the term-radioactive. When
Marie mentioned this theory to other physicists, they refused to believe her.
Scornfully, they told her that all the scientific elements were already krnown.

(i) Filin the blanks with appropriate words. [4]

(a) The snakeslowly crawled its hole.
(b) The ship was bound London
(c) The five brothers quarreled themselves.
(d) Jack took exception my remarks.
e Silk-worms feed mulberry leaves
Anna agreed my pYoposal
(g) Unfortunately he is deficient Common sense
(h) The goat subsists the coarsest of food.

6
(ii) Join thc following Scntences to make one Complcte sentence without
using and, but or so Cho0sc thecorrect 14|
option
1 I warned the boys not to go to the cliff. The boys went last night
to the clit.
cliff, they went
(a) In spite of warning the boys not to go to the
there last night. they went
(b) Inspite of warning the boys not to go tothe cliff,
there last night. they went to the
(c) Despite warning the boys about the cliff,
cliff last night. went to the cliff
(d) No SOoner did I warn the boys than they
last night. car
the delivery of the
2. You must make your payment.You will get
after that. make the
get the delivery of your car, you must
(a) Ater you
ot
payment.
youwill not get delivery
payment
(b) Unless you make the
the car. to you.
car willbe delivered
() Make payment and the
payment if you want the
car.
You must make your
(d)
con her.
clever., He was not able to her.
3. She was very clever for him to con
(a) She was too clever that she conned him.
Shewas too get conned.
(b)
was not only clever but also able to con her.
(C She he was not able
to
that
(d) She was so clever
enemies. He returned to Rome.
4. Caesar conquered his then he returned
his enemies
No sooner did Caesar conguer
(a)
to Rome.
his enemies when he returned
(b) Hardly had Caesar conquered
to Rome.
conguer his enemies but also returned
(c) Not only did Caesar
to Rome.
his enemies than he returned
(d) Hardly had Caesar conquered
to Rome.
after
following sentences according to the instructions given the
Rewrite the change
(iv) may be necessary, but do not
each. Make other changes that the correct options. [8]
meaning of each sentence. Choose
wall. Begin with: The wall...)
1. The mason is building the mason.
a. The wallis built by the mason.
the
b. The wall was built by
the mason.
C. The wall is being built by
bult by the mason.
d. The wall was being
7
 to his words.
He urged them to be quict nmd liaten
(Begin with: He said) words.
listen to his
A. lle said tlhat they must be quict and words.
listen to rmy
b, He said, "I
urgc you to be quict and and listen to my words,
C. He said, "I had quiet
d. urgcd you to be
He said, "Be quict and listcn to my words. "

"Bravol You bave done well (Rewrite inwell.

Indirect Speech)
3.
a.
said,
He
applauded him, saying that he has done
he applauding said that he has done well.
Said to him that he was brave andhas done well.
d. He said to him that be wes brave to have done wel
4.
Her luck is too gOod to be true. (Rewrite using
a. Her luck is so SO...i)
b. Her luck is gOod that it is true.
so good that has to be true.
C. Her luck is so good
d. So true is her thatit cannot be true.
5.
luck that it is good.
Only a
a. None of millionaire
can afford such extravagance.( Begin: None... )
the men can afford such
D. None of the extravagance.
C. None but a millionaires can afford such extravagance.
millionaire
d. None out of the can afford such extravagance.
6.
millionaires can afford such extravagance.
What is the use of
(Begin: It is...) offering bread to a man who is dying of thirst?
a It is useless to offer
D. It bread to a man who is
to a man who is dying of thirst.
is useless
C. It is useless offering bread
to have offered dying of
d. It is bread to a man who is thirst.
useless be offering bread to a man
to dying of thirst.
7.
Heeducated his who is
dying of thirst.
using besides) daughter and set up a business for her.
a. He
educated his daughter beside that set up a (Rewrite
b. Besides
her. education his daughter, he also set up business
a
for her.
C
Besides education she
business for
d. Besides also got business from
her. educating his daughter, he also set uphera father. for
8
Very few students in the business
a. Arpita is class are as
b. Arpita is more diligent than very diligent as Arpita.
more diligent than mnost students in the (Use
few more)
class.
C.
Arpita is not more diligent
d. Arpita students in the class,
is more than most
diligent than most otherother students in the class.
students in the class.
8