SAMPLE PAPER - 2008
Class - IX | SUBJECT - ENGLISH

 

 

SECTION A ( READING )

A1. Read the following passage carefully. (12 marks)

If we would see our dream of Panchayat Raj, i.e., true democracy realized, we would regard the humblest and lowest Indian as being the ruler of India with the tallest in the land. This presupposes that all are pure, or will become pure if they are not. And purity must go hand-in-hand with wisdom. No one would then harbour any distinction between community and community, caste and out-caste. Everybody would regard all as equal with oneself and hold them together in the silken net of love. No one would regard another as untouchable. We would hold as equal the toiling labourer and the rich capitalist. Everybody would know how to earn an honest living by the sweat of one's brow, and make no distinction between intellectual and physical labour. To hasten this consummation, we would voluntarily turn ourselves into scavengers. No one who has wisdom will ever touch opium, liquor or any intoxicants. Everybody would observe Swadeshi as the rule of life and regard every woman, not being his wife, as his mother, sister or daughter according to her age, never lust after her in his heart. He would be ready to lay down his life when occasion demands it, never want to take another's life. If he is a Sikh in terms of the commandment of the Gurus, he would have the heroic courage to stand single-handed and alone-without yielding an inch of ground-against the "one lakh and a quarter" enjoined by them. Needless to say, such a son of India will not want to be told what his duty in the present hour is.

A1.1 On the basis of your reading of the above passage, complete the following sentences. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. (1 x 3 = 3 marks)

(a) Panchayat Raj is true democracy because .............. .

(b) When purity goes hand-in-hand with wisdom there will not be any .....................

(c) A man of wisdom will never use ........................in democracy.

 

A1.2 On the basis of your reading of the passage write two advantages of true democracy. (l x 2= 2 marks)

 

A1.3 On the basis of your reading of the passage answer the following questions: (2 x 2½ = 5 marks)

(a) The Panchayat Raj will eradicate untouchability. How?

(b) How will Swadeshi promote patriotism and a sense of national pride?

 

A1.4 Find words / phrases from the passage which mean the same as the following from the paragraphs indicated. (1 X 2 = 2 marks)

(a) The act of making something complete or perfect.

(b) Without being forced.

A2. Read the following poem carefully. (8 marks)

ODE ON SOLITUDE

Happy the man, whose wish and care

A few paternal acres bound,

Content to breathe his native air,

In his own ground.

Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread,

Whose flocks supply him with attire,

Whose trees in summer yield him shade,

In winter fire.

Blest, who can unconcern'dly find

Hours, days, and years slide soft away,

In health of body, peace of mind,

Quiet by day.

Sound sleep by night; study and ease;

Together mixt ; sweet recreation:

And innocence, which most does please

With meditation.

Thus let me live, unseen, unknown,

Thus unlamented let me die,

Steal from the world, and not a stone

Tell where I lie.

 

A2.1 Below is the summary of the poem. Complete it by writing the missing word I phrase against the correct blank number in your answer sheet. (½ x 10 = 5 marks)

The poet's (a) ....is to live in his (b) ............... place cultivating his (c) .......and tending his (d) .... He hopes to spend his days (e) .....and quietly mixing (f) ......with relaxation. After death he doesn't want to be (g) ....He hopes to leave the (h) ...stealthily with not even a (i) ................. marking the place of his (j) ......

 

A2.2 The poet uses certain expressions in the poem to suggest something to the reader. There are some suggestions given below. Choose one suggestion that best fits each of the expressions in the table, and write the answer against the correct blank number in your answer sheet . (½ x 6= 3 marks)

Expressions form teh poem       What they mean

1. Wish and care

2. Paternal acres

3. Slide soft away

4. Steal from the world

5. Not a stone

6. Unlamented (a) ......

(b) .......

(c) ........

(d) .........

(e) ........

(f) .......

 

die

memorial

land inherited

pass by

hope     without being mourned

steal from someone

carry a stone

not mourned over death

 

SECTION B (WRITING)

 

B1. You are Rekha / Ravi . You are to attend a swimming coaching camp at Chennai from 16th to 22nd of April. Write a telegram to your friend Rakesh / Rajani in Chennai asking him/her to meet you at the station and take you to the club where accommodation is arranged, as the place is not familiar to you. Copy the format of the telegram from the question paper in your a sheet. (5 marks)

Ans.

Receiver's Name

Receiver's Address:                          

Sender's Name : RAVI

(Not to be Telegraphed)

Sender's Address : ABC BLOCK, XYZ CITY

 

B2. Read the information on communal weavers and complete the paragraph below. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. (1 x 5 = 5 marks)

communal weavers - build large nests - like a city apartment block - each apartment - upto 100 nest holes - rainy season - nests wet and soggy - collapse under weight.

 The largest nests built by birds are those (a) ......Unlike, most other birds, they (b) ......Each block may (c) .......In the rainy season (d) ....and they are in danger (e) ..... .

B3. "I am hiding because I don't want to go to work today. But they will come and drag me. Look, here they come!". This is 9-year-old Pyaari, a child labourer who wants to play, not work.

This documentary film titled "Childhood Now" touched you. Write a letter to the editor of the newspaper 'The Chronicle' on how children are forced to work under inhuman conditions. Suggest some methods to eradicate this social evil. Your letter should not be more than 150 words . (10 marks)

 

B4. See B4, 2003 (I Delhi ).

For Blind Candidates Only

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Write a speech on the relevance of this saying in the present day educational system in not more than 200 words. (10 marks)

 

SECTION C (GRAMMAR)

 

C1. The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each of the lines. Write the incorrect word and the correction in your answer sheet as given below against the correct blank number. Remember to underline the word that you have supplied. (½ x 8=4 marks)

The pump, one of the most new e.g. most ....many pain management techniques now     e.g. most ....many

available, implies pain-killing drugs        (a)

in the body. Studied but practised as     (b)

a superspecialised branch in medicine    (c)

pain management offers relief for           (d)

patients assailed in severe pain.             (e)

The perception of pain different from     (f)

person to person. Keep in mind the       (g)

differences, pain clinics use detail           (h)

 

C2. Read the following passage and fill in the blanks with one word only. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. (½ x 8=4 marks)

If the modem man wants tips (a) ....good child care, he could (b) ....at a couple of frogs in Papua New Guinea . (c) ......remarkable behaviour of two species, (d) ....which males (e) ...only bear sole responsibility for looking (f) .......their offspring but (g) ....take the entire family for piggy-back rides (h) ......the forest, came to light recently.

 

C3. Look at the words and phrases below. Rearrange them to form meaningful sentences. The first one has been done as an example.

Write the correct sentences in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. (½ x 4 = 8 marks)

depicted / architecture of / has been / the veena / about 500 A.D. / in temple The veena has been depicted in temple architecture of about 500 A.D.

(a) no takers / sadly / instruments / but / of all / this mother / has / Today

(b) to whom / there are / student / turn to / few / can / exponents / the rare

(c) subject in / it is / a subsidiary / not even / university curricula

(d) it is / so! the instrument / we have / even before / buried / born

(e) hill-station! / / with / to the beautiful / am going / my parents / of Manali.

(f) aren't you / you disheartened / going anywhere / are / why /

(g) Directoral Meetings / has / Som / at the office / important.

(h) autumn break / promised to / my father / out of station / during the / take us / has.

 

C4. Look at the newspaper items below. Then use the information in the headlines to complete the paragraphs. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. Do not copy the whole sentence. (½ x 6 = 3 marks)

1. RAIN DISEASES KILL OVER TWO DOZEN

            Kathmandu       : About (a) ....... in the remote villages of north-western Kalikot district (b) ....

2. LARGEST DISCOVERY OF DINOSAUR EGGS

            Lerida  : More than 100 eggs (c) ....in north-eastern Spain , reportedly the (d) ..... in Europe .

3. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL REFORMS SEEN DOOMED

            Islamabad         : A half-hearted attempt by Pakistan 's military ruler to (e) ......, despite

warnings that they are breeding grounds for Islamic militancy, (f) ......

                         

                         

C5. Read the following conversation and complete the paragraph by writing suitable words and phrases in each space. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers (5 marks)

Captain            : Do you know how to play cricket?

Nitesh  : Never had a chance to learn it.

Captain            : In this school every student has to learn it.

Nitesh  : Give me a chance and I shall learn it.

Captain            : I am sure you will, Nitesh

The captain asked Nitesh (a) .....Nitesh replied (b) ....The captain then told Nitesh (c) ....................... Nitesh requested the captain (d) ......The captain said (e) .......

 

SECTION D (LITERATURE)

 

D1. Read the extract given below and answer the following questions. Write the answers in your answer sheet in one or two lines only. Remember to number the answers correctly. (4 marks)

And, by the incantation of this verse,

Scatter, as from an unextinguished hearth

Ashes and sparks, my words among mankind!

(a) How will the 'incantation of this verse' help the poet? (2)

(b) What will the 'unextinguished hearth' scatter? (1)

(c) How can you say that the poet is optimistic? (1)

 

D2. Read the extract given below and answer the following questions. Write the answers in your answer sheet in one or two lines only. Remember to number the answers correctly. (4 marks)

"Without proper training such as I

- And few others - can supply,

You'll remain a mere beginner

But with me you'll be a winner."

(a) Who is the speaker? What trait of the speaker is brought about in these lines? (2)

(b) What was the reaction of the listener? How did it affect her fate? (2)

 

D3. What impression do you form of the poet's father from the poem 'Night of the Scorpion'. Your answer should not exceed 100 words. (5 marks)

 

D4. Read the extract given below and answer the following questions. Write the answers in your answer sheet. Remember to number the answers correctly. (5 marks)

"Let me see some tenderness connected with death."

(a) Who is the speaker? Why did he make this comment? (1)

(b) How did the ghost oblige him? (2)

(c) What realization dawned on 'him' after the visit of the third ghost? (2)

 

D5. Give two incidents from the lesson 'The Tribute' to show that Babuli regretted being ungrateful to his brother. Your answer should not exceed 75 words. (4 marks)

 

D6. You are one of the refugees who crossed the Kruger Park . You appreciate the efforts taken by the grandmother to take care of her family. Write a letter to your friend describing the traits of the grandmother in about 150-175 words. (8 marks)