Sample Paper : English Communicative Class-IX (READING COMPREHENSION)
Q1. Read the following poem carefully.
INDIAN WEAVERS
Weavers, weaving at break of day,
Why do you weave a garment so gay?
Blue as the wing of a bluebird wild,
We weave the robes of a new-born child.
Weavers, weaving at fall of night,
Why do you weave a garment so bright?
Like the plumes of a peacock, purple and green,
We weave the marriage-veils of a queen.
Weavers, weaving solemn and still,
What do you weave in the moonlight chill?
White as a feather and white as a cloud,
We weave a dead man's funeral shroud.
--
Sarojini Naidu
Read the questions given below and
write the option you consider the most appropriate in your answer sheet.
(a) What do the weavers weave in the early morning?
(i) a bright blue cloth (ii) a dull grey cloth
(iii) a soft white cloth (iv) a red coloured veil
(b) The __________ is purple and green coloured.
(i) dress of the weavers (ii) dress of a newborn child
(iii) the queen's marriage veil (iv) the robe of a king
(c) Whom does the poet address in the poem?
(i) weavers (ii) children
(iii) queens (iv) all the above
(d) What do the weavers weave in the chilly moonlight?
(i) a garment light as a feather (ii) a garment meant to cover a dead man
(iii) a garment to keep away the chill (iv) a garment to wrap a newborn child in
(e) The three stages of life mentioned in the poem are
_____________________
(i) infancy, childhood and senility (ii) infancy, youth and death
(iii) infancy, adolescence, middle age (iv) childhood, adulthood and senility
Q2. Read the following passage
carefully.
SO, YOU WANT TO BE A CARTOONIST?
What writers struggle to express through numerous newspaper columns, the
cartoon manages in a pointed one-liner. Little wonder then, that the first thing
most of us like to see when we pickup a newspaper is the cartoon. Simple though
it may seem, making a cartoon is an art that requires a combination of hard
work, training and a good sense of humour. Cartoonists say that the cartoons
that make us laugh the most are in fact the cartoons that are hardest to make.
Even celebrated cartoonists like R.K.Laxman admit that making a cartoon is not a
piece of cake. Laxman says he has to wait for over six hours, which includes
spending a lot of time scanning newspapers and television channels before any
idea strikes him.
So how does one become a cartoonist? Which of us has the
talent to make it? How can we master the rib-tickling strokes and the witty
one-liners? How can we make people smile or laugh? There are few colleges or
schools for cartoonists. Most cartoonists come from art colleges, while some
learn the craft on their own. Most established cartoonists are of the view that
no institute can teach you to make a cartoon. "You can pick up the craft, you
may learn to sketch and draw in institutes, but no one can teach anyone how to
make a good cartoon," says Uday Shanker, a cartoonist with Navbharat Times.
While basics, like drawing and sketching can be learnt in an art college, and
are important skills, these alone, do not make a good cartoonist. Because it's a
question of one's creativity and sense of humour; two qualities one simply may
not have. The advice established cartoonists give is that just because you can
sketch, don't take it for granted that you will become a cartoonist. Read the
questions given below and write the option you consider the most appropriate in
your answer sheet.
(a) What, according to Laxman, is the challenge in
creating a good cartoon?
(i) waiting for the right thought (ii) browsing newspapers to emerge. and
television.
(iii) getting the right kind of (iv) good drawing and sketching training.
skills.
(b) Which of these words BEST describes this passage?
(i) humorous (ii) technical
(iii) challenging (iv) informative
(c) Of the many qualities that cartoonists should have,
which of the following is not referred to directly but can be inferred from the
passage?
(i) knowledge of current (ii) knowledge of educational technologies.
institutions.
(iii) knowledge of news and (iv) knowledge of different current affairs.
languages.
(d) According to the passage, which group of people is of
the opinion that one cannot learn to make a cartoon in institutions?
(i) many struggling writers. (ii) highly creative artists.
(iii) well-respected cartoonist. (iv) all newspaper editors.
(e) "Don't take it for granted that you will become a
cartoonist." Choose the option that is closest in meaning to the sentence.
(i) Don't assume that you will (ii) Don't hope that you will become a
cartoonist. become a cartoonist.
(iii) Don't believe that you will (iv) Don't imagine that you will become a
cartoonist. become a cartoonist.
Q3. Read the following passage
carefully.
WELL RESCUED
Ulhas Mandlik, 35, a power-loom owner from Ichalkaranji, Maharashtra, and
his mother were homeward-bound one evening when heavy rain forced them to take
shelter beneath a bridge. Not far away, a small group of labourers huddled
together under a part of the cement housing above a 16 metre deep well used to
pump water for irrigation.
Suddenly, Mandlik and his mother heard the labourers scream.
When the two got to the well, they were told that a five year old boy named
Hariya had fallen in through a side opening in the structure. Ignoring his
mother's fears, Mandlik quickly knotted together lengths of flimsy rope
belonging to the labourers and asked them to lower him into the dark well. "I
hope the rope holds," he thought. As he descended, Mandlik noticed the metal
rungs on the wall of the well. He grabbed hold of one and started climbing down,
when he saw the boy clinging to a pipe running up the well's centre. Grabbing
the child, Mandlik started to climb praying that the old rungs wouldn't give
away and plunge them both into the churning water below. Their luck held and
within a few minutes, Mandlik clambered to ground level and handed over Hariya
to his sobbing father.
The man fell at Mandlik's feet and offered him some money as
a reward. Refusing the cash, Mandlik took Hariya and his family to a nearby
eatery and offered them steaming tea to warm them up. Several organisations have
honoured Mandlik for his bravery and presence of mind on that wet day three
years ago. "I am happy I was at the right place at the right time," he says,"
and was able to return a little boy to his family."
Read the questions given below and
write the option you consider the most appropriate in your answer sheet.
(a) What first drew Ulhas and his mother to the well?
(i) shelter from the heavy rain. (ii) the return journey home.
(iii) news of a small boy's fall. (iv) the labourer's screams.
(b) What were Ulhas' mother's fears really associated
with?
(i) the rusted rungs inside the wall. (ii) the risk to the life of the
rescuer.
(iii) the churning water inside (iv) doubts about the safety the well. of the
boy.
(c) Which of the following could be a learning from the
report?
(i) it is best not to involve oneself (ii) one should not take shelter even
in situations involving others. beneath a bridge in the rain.
(iii) one cannot predict when an (iv) metal rungs alongside the wall of accident
may befall any person. a well may not always be useful.
(d) Which of these expressions best describes Ulhas in
view of this incident?
(i) disregard for an elder's (ii) disbelief in one's own abilities.
warnings.
(iii) faith only in prayers for (iv) concern for others with no success.
expectations.
(e) Which of these did Hariya's father express on
receiving his son?
(i) gratitude. (ii) relief.
(iii) anxiety. (iv) peace.
Q4. Read the following passage
carefully.
ATITHI DEVO BHAVAH
New Delhi: Atithi Devo Bhavah. To make visitors to the city feel welcome
during the Commonwealth Games, India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) is
set to train taxi and auto drivers, CISF personnel posted at monuments, dhaba
owners, hotel staff etc. Participants will be taught English as well as courtesy
and ways to communicate with tourists. At present, there is a shortage of
trained guides in the city and with Commonwealth Games drawing close, the issue
has to be addressed promptly.
With hundreds of historical sites to visit and each monument
boasting its own unique history, foreign nationals are often left to fend for
themselves and depend on tourist books and brochures for information. Language
is another problem. Quite a contrast to facilities offered in tourist sites in
western countries, where trained guides-proficient in several languages-are
easily available to aid visitors apart from group-guided trips at regular
intervals. Although the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) plans to introduce
audio guide services in five languages at some world heritage sites our experts
point that not a single monument or tourist place in the city has an
interpretation centre where tourists can come and get all information pertaining
to a particular site. ASI is also in the process of bringing out more brochures
and guides for foreign visitors in the city. Experts say such facilities are
crucial if the government wants to promote Delhi as a 'heritage city'. Various
agencies like INTACH are also involved in the plans.
Under ITDC's plans, etiquette training for the Games will
also be provided to residents who offer rooms to foreigners under Delhi
government's bed and breakfast scheme. "House-owners will be given hospitality
