NAVODAYA VIDAYALYA SAMITI

ENGLISH CORE (301)

Term II (2022-2023)
CLASS: XI
Time allowed: 3 hours Maximum Marks: 80

General Instructions:
1. 15-minute prior reading time allotted for Q-paper reading.
2. The Question Paper contains FOUR sections-READING, GRAMMAR, WRITING and
LITERATURE.
3. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
4. Write the correct question number in your answer sheet to indicate the option/s being
attempted.

SECTION : A READING SKILLS (26 Marks) Marks

I Read the passage given below. (10)
1. The Happiness Effect
Happiness may be the primary goal of human existence. Philosophers have wrestled with the
concept of happiness. Legislators create laws to support citizens’ rights to pursue happiness.
Television, radio, and print advertisers assure consumers that various products will guarantee
happiness. Most people assume that they will be happier a decade from now than they are today.
What makes happiness so important to human existence?
2. Why Be Happy?
Happiness plays a significant role in enhancing good health, strengthening the immune system,
promoting longevity, improving productivity and performance, and increasing resilience. Happy
people work hard, play hard, have an active social life (and a social conscience), experience good
health, and live longer. A happy person lives an average of nine years longer than a miserable one.
3. The Opposite of Happiness
When studying happiness, it makes sense that its opposite condition would also be a topic of
examination. Scientists have observed that there are two unfortunate life events that induce
profound unhappiness, perhaps over the course of many years: the loss of a spouse and the loss
of a job.
4. What Causes Happiness?
However, good news abounds in the study of happiness. Fortunately, humans experience
happiness from a wide range of stimuli, from travelling to an exotic destination to redecorating
one’s home or from winning a game of soccer to eating a delicious meal. Simply watching a
favourite television show or laughing at a funny joke can boost a depressed mood. While the
happiness produced by such experiences tends to be short lived, certain conditions do promote a
more long-lasting and durable state of happiness as a lifestyle: a wide social network, believing in

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 a meaningful reason for one’s existence, and establishing goals and working to achieve them.
5. With a Little Help from My Friends
Surprisingly, income is not a primary factor in determining a person’s level of happiness once the
basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter have been met. More important is one’s social network.
Being socially active may be more effective in increasing one’s immunity to illness than a vaccine.
Misery may love company, but so does happiness, and having close friends and family is vital to
one’s overall level of happiness. Even sharing one’s home with an animal companion can make a
person happier.
6. The Habit of Happiness
Happiness is not an innate characteristic but may actually be developed as a habit. Scientists
suggest that incorporating new habits and practices can go a long way in increasing one’s state of
happiness. While people generally do not transform their basic temperaments, people can learn
to become happier by participating in a variety of activities, including socializing, watching funny
movies or reading funny books, keeping a gratitude journal (writing a daily list of three to five
things for which one is grateful), involving oneself in pleasurable activities, such as sports,
hobbies, or the arts, focusing on positive outcomes, and performing acts of kindness for others.
Apparently, doing something to make someone else happy will make you happy, too.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
1. In the section Why Be Happy?, why does the author include parentheses around “and
a social conscience”?
A. to point out that social conscience leads to good health
B. to emphasize the importance of playing and working hard
C. to point out that having a social conscience can promote longevity
D. D. to emphasize the importance of social conscience as a part of an active social
life
2. What change occurs as a result of adding the prefix un- to fortunate in paragraph 4?
A. the word becomes more intense
B. the word becomes less intense
C. the word takes on the opposite meaning
D. D. the word takes on a different part of speech
3. Which statement summarizes the heading What Causes Happiness?
A. A wide social network is the key to happiness.
B. Laughing at funny jokes helps to lift a gloomy mood.
C. Scientists conclude that good news leads to long-lasting happiness.
D. Both short- and long-term happiness are caused by a variety of experiences.
4. In the section With a Little Help from My Friends, why does the author use the phrase
“misery may love company”?
A. to convince people that pets are better company than a loving partner
B. to encourage people to find mates for their friends who are unhappy
C. to point out that people will be happier with positive relationships
D. D. to recommend that people try to influence negative people in a positive way

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5. What is one assumption the author makes about attaining happiness?
A. Some people find comfort in mundane routines.
B. A person needs a social network to attain happiness.
C. Reading and writing about your problems will produce happiness.
D. D. Convincing negative people to become positive is a life goal.
6. In the section The Habit of Happiness, what does the word innate mean?
A. natural and existing
B. incomplete and building
C. absent and unfamiliar
D. D. learned and habitual
7. Which statement is an opinion?
A. Happiness is not a physical characteristic.
B. Legislators create laws to support happiness.
C. Happiness may be the primary goal of human existence.
D. D. Advertisers use happiness to promote their products.
8. The passage says “Happiness is not an innate characteristic but may actually be
developed as a habit”. How can people learn to become happier? Your answer should
be in reference to the last paragraph in the passage.
9. Define a gratitude journal in a single sentence.
10. Provided the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter have been met, --------------------
is not a primary factor in determining a person’s level of happiness.
II. Read the following case based passage and answer the questions based on it. (8)
1. The present generation is well updated in the use of internet and computers. The rapid
development in computer technology and increase in accessibility of the internet for academic
purposes has changed the face of education for everyone associated with it. Let’s look at the data
arising out of a recent survey that was done to ascertain the time spent on utilisation of the
computer and internet:

2. At present, many schools and universities have been implementing internet-based learning, as it
supplements the conventional teaching methods. The internet provides a wide variety of
references and information to academics as well as scientific researchers. Students often turn to
it to do their academic assignments and projects.

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3. However, research on the Net is very different from traditional library research, and the
differences can cause problems. The Net is a tremendous resource, but it must be used carefully
and critically.
4. According to a 2018 Academic Student e-book Experience Survey, conducted by LJ’s research
department and sponsored by EBSCO, when reading for pleasure, almost 74% of respondents said
they preferred print books for leisure whereas, 45 % of respondents chose e-books rather than
the printed versions, for research or assignments.
5. When asked what e-book features make them a favourite for research, the respondents were
clear. Having page numbers to use in citations, topped the list (75%); followed by the ability to
resize text to fit a device’s screen (67%); the ability to bookmark pages, highlight text, or take
notes for later reference (60%); downloading the entire e-book (57%); and allowing content to be
transferred between devices (43%) were the varied responses.
According to the passage, one of the reasons for the recent transformation of
i. education is the:
A. Techno-efficiency of the present generation.
B. Expanse of courses on technology.
C. Simplification of the teaching and learning- method.
D. Easy availability of the internet.
ii. Pick the option that lists statements that are NOT TRUE according to the passage.
1. Internet-based education can only complement familiar methods of education.
2. Net-based learning will replace face-to-face education.
3. The resources that the net provides are a danger to the education system.
4. The current times has seen a rise in the convenience of using the internet for
academic purposes.
a. 1 & 2 b. 3 & 4 c. 2 & 3 d. 1 & 4
iii. The word ‘tremendous’, as used in paragraph 3, means the same as
a. ‘expensive’. ` b. ‘renowned’. c. ‘innovative’. d. ‘incredible’.
iv. iv. Based on the graphical chart in the passage, choose the option that correctly states
the depiction of internet usage for work and for leisure, for once a month.

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 a. Option (1) b. Option (2) c. Option (3) d. Option (4)
v. “… but it must be used carefully and critically.” The idea of being careful and critical
while using the internet, is mainly a reference to _______
a. hardware malfunction. b. plagiarism. c. troubleshooting. d. virus threats.
vi. Based on the given graphical representation of data in the passage, choose the option
that lists the statements that are TRUE with respect to the usage of email.
1. The everyday usage of email is more than the everyday usage of computer for
personal use.
2. About 18% people use email once a week.
3. There are a smaller number of email users using it 2-3 times a week than the
ones using it once a month.
4. Less than 5% of people never use the email.
a. 1 and 3 b. 2 and 4 c. 1 and 2 d. 3 and 4
vii. In the cartoon, the student’s reaction reveals that he is ______________.
a) indignant b) apologetic c) obedient d) inquisitive
viii. Arrange the given e-book features preferred for research from the least favourite to the
most favourite, from the following –
1. Downloading the entire e-book.
2. Choosing page numbers in citations.
3. Highlighting text.
4. Resizing text to fit screen.
a. 1, 3, 4, 2 b. 3, 2, 1, 4 c. 2, 4, 3, 1 d. 4, 1, 2, 3
III Read the Passage given below: (8)
1. Almost all of us have suffered from a headache at some time or the other. For some a headache is
a constant companion and life is a painful hell of wasted time.
2. The most important step to cope with headaches is to identify the type of headache one is
suffering from. In tension headaches (two hand headache), a feeling of a tight band around the
head exits along with the pain in the neck and shoulders. It usually follows activities such as
long stretches driving, typing or sitting on the desks. They are usually short lived but can also last
for days or weeks.
3. A headache is usually caused due to the spinal misalignment of the head, due to
the posture. Sleeping on the stomach with the head turn to one side and bending over positions
for a long time make it worse.
4. In migraine headaches, the pains usually on one side of the head may be accompanied by nausea,

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 vomiting irritability and bright spots of flashes of light. This headache is meant worse by activities
especially bending. The throbbing pain in the head worsens by noise and light. Certain triggers for
migraines may be chocolate, caffeine, smoking or MSU in certain food items. The pain may last
eight to twenty four hours and there may be a hangover for two or three days. Migraines are
often produced by an ‘aura’------changes in sight and sensation. There is usually a family migraine.
5. In a headache, pain originates not from the brain but from the irritated nerves of muscles, blood
vessels and bones. These head pain signals to the brain which judges the degree of distress and
relays it at appropriate sites. The pain sometimes may be referred to sites other than the problem
areas. This is known as referred pain and occurs due to sensation overload. Thus, though, most
headaches start at the base of the skull referred pain is felt typically behind the eyes.
6. If the headache troubles you often, visit the doctor, who will take a full health history relating to
diet, life stresses, the type of headache, trigging factors and relief measures. You may be asked
to keep a ‘headache diary’ which tells you to list – the time headache started and when it ended,
emotional environmental and food and drinking factors which may contribute to it. The type and
severity of pain and the medications used which provide much relief are also to be listed.
This helps the doctor in determining the exact cause and type of headache and the remedy
thereof.
i. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it using headings
and sub-headings. Use recognisable abbreviations, wherever necessary. Give a
suitable title to the passage(5)
ii. Write a summary of the above passage. (3)
IV SECTION B: GRAMMAR (7 Marks)
i. Choose the correct options to fill in the blanks to complete the note about the (4x1=4)
Wangala Festival of Meghalaya.
The Wangala (i) --------- festival for the Garo in Meghalaya, Assam and Nagaland. It is a
post-harvest festival (ii) ---------- the end of the agricultural year. It is popularly (iii) -------
--- as ‘The Hundred Drums’ festival. During the signature dance, the leading warrior (iv)
-------- with synchronised dance steps and specific hand-head movements.
i. a) is important b) are an important
c) was the important d) is an important
ii. a) being celebrated for marking b) celebrated to mark
c) celebrated to marking d) being celebrated for mark
iii. a) knew b) known c) know d) knowing
iv. a) leads the youngsters b) is lead the youngsters
c) was leading the youngsters d) had leads the youngsters
ii. Rearrange the following words to form meaningful sentences: (3x1=3)
a) tree/ hole/ the / woodpecker/trunks/in/makes.
b) advocated / release/ birds / he / caged / for / the / of
c) exorbitant / farmers / taxes / poor / pay / were / to / forced / the
V CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS( 16 Marks )

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1. A. Shah Machines Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, requires Mechanical Engineer specialized in (3)
drawing for their production department. Draft an advertisement in not more than 50
words to be published in the ‘classified’ column of the Times of India, New Delhi.
OR
B. Your aunt, emigrating to Canada wants to put up a classified advertisement to sell off
her residential flat before she leaves. Draft a suitable advertisement putting her flat on
sale.
2. A. Tourism Department , Government of Mehgalaya has launched an ambitious plan to (3)
develop adventure sports and eco –tourism activities in the state. Prepare a suitable
poster for display at important public places.
OR
B. Design a poster in not more than 50 words for your school library on the
value of books and good reading habits. You may use slogans.
3. You are Ankit/ Ankita. You have to deliver a speech during the school morning assembly (5)
on the topic “Education Gives One Power”. Write your speech in 150-200 words. You
may use the following hints.
Education trains mind—sharpens skill and abilities—Education: a source of power—
improve self—be independent—earn money—ignorance to knowledge—removes
superstition—develops a free spirit—important for women: gives them freedom from
social ills—independent—responsible.
4. A. On the National Debate Forum, the topic given to the students is ‘Should college (5)
students or even Class XII students be given unlimited freedom?’ Write a speech for or
against the topic in about 150–200 words.
OR
B. You are Ashutosh /Anamika Malik. You have to speak in a debate against the motion,
‘We do not need Mathematics’. Prepare a speech of about 150–200 words.
VI. SECTION C : LITERATURE (31 MARKS)
1. Read the following extracts and answer the questions based on them (ANY ONE) (3)
A When did my childhood go?
Was it when I found my mind was really mine,
To use whichever way I chose,
Producing thoughts that were not those of other people
But my own and mine alone!
i. The poet wants to know ----
a. When will his mind be his own?
b. When will he become an adult?
c. When did he lose his childhood?
d. When will life become loving.
ii. The clause ‘‘to use whichever way I choose’’, mean ---------------
a. The poet has become aware of his rights to take decisions.

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 b. The poet wants to use his right to choose unconditionally.
c. The poet feels thrilled to use his own mind.
d. The poet chose to use his mind from his childhood.
iii. Which of the following themes best suits to the idea of the extract given?
a. Hypocrisy
b. Individuality
c. Rationalism
d. Innocence
OR
B. The whole tree trembles and thrills.
It is the engine for her family.
She stokes it full ,then flirts out to a branch-end
Showing her barred face identity mask
Then with the eerie delicate whistle-chirrup whisperings
She launches away, towards the infinite
And the laburnum subsides to empty.
i. The figure of speech in the first line is ------------
a. personification
b. simile
c. metaphor
d. irony
ii. The goldfinch has perhaps brought food to feed its young ones which has filled her
family with excitement and energy. Which phrase of the stanza supports this view?
a. tree trembles and thrills
b. she launches away
c. engine of her family
d. she stokes it full
iii. What does the poet mean by “she launches away”
a. She flies down the tree
b. She flies towards the sky
c. She launches her younger ones towards the sky
d. None of these
2. Read the following extracts and answer the questions based on them (ANY ONE) (3)
A. “A flawless half-moon floated in a perfect blue sky on the morning we said our goodbyes.
Extended banks of cloud like long French loaves glowed pink as the sun emerged to splash the
distant mountain tops with a rose-tinted blush. Now that we were leaving Ravu, Lhamo said she
wanted to give me a farewell present. One evening I’d told her through Daniel that I was heading
towards Mount Kailash to complete the Kora, and she’d said that I ought to get some warmer
clothes.”
i. Figure of speech has been used in the phrase “banks of cloud like long French
loaves”?

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 (a) Metaphor (b) Oxymoron (c) simile (d) irony
ii. The theme of the above given extract is --------------------------
a. author’s adventurous experiences
b. author’s description of exotic places
c. description of life style of hill-folk
d. Panoramic view of Mt. Kailash
iii. Based on the above extract classify the following as facts or opinions :
1. Author was going to Mount Kailash to complete kora.
2. Lhamo might have thought that author did not have sufficient warm clothes.
3. Moon and sun both were visible in the sky.
4. Daniel was the translator for the author.
5. Mountain ahead must have been capped with snow.
(a) Facts : 1,5,4 and Opinions : 2, 3
(b) Facts : 1,3,4 and Opinions : 2,5
(c ) Facts : 2,3,5 and Opinions : 1, 4
OR
B. “The first indication of impending disaster came at about 6 p.m, with an ominous silence. The
wind dropped, and the sky immediately grew dark. Then came a growing roar, and an enormous
cloud towered aft of the ship. With horror, I realised that it was not a cloud, but a wave like no
other I had ever seen. It appeared perfectly vertical and almost twice the height of the other
waves, with a frightful breaking crest”.
i. What was the first indication of impending disaster?
a. dropping of winds and sky getting darker
b. next morning when the ship started creaking
c. when there was a frightful breaking crest
d. when the huge wave appeared.
ii. What was the ‘enormous cloud’ that the narrator speaks of?
(a) a huge cloud (b) a huge wave (c) growing roar (d) wave walker
iii. ‘Ominous silence’ means -------------
(a) unpleasant silence (b) Pleasant silence (c) holy silence (d) productive silence
3. Read the following extracts and answer the questions based on them (ANY ONE) (4)
A. “You think it does’em good when you run after them all the time, take their orders as if you were
the servant in the house, stay at home every night while they go out and enjoying themselves?
Never in all your life. It is the ruin of them as well as you”.
i. Who is the speaker in the above line?
(a) Mrs. Pearson (b) George (c) Cyril (d) Mrs. Fitzgerald
ii. What message is the speaker trying to convey here? Choose the correct statement.
a. A mother should take full responsibility of every household chore without
thinking about herself because she is the epitome of sacrifice.
b. A mother should stay at home and take orders from the family members because
being a housewife she is inferior to others.

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 c. A mother should get the same rights and privileges as other family members
because she is supporting the family by working selflessly for them.
d. Family members need not to be thoughtful about the feelings, desires and needs
of the mother as she is a mature adult, grown up enough to look after herself.
iii. What kind of a person is the speaker?
a. bold and confident
b. docile and submissive
c. both (a) and (b)
d. extract doesn’t reveal speaker’s characteristic trait
iv. Through the given extract the author tries to portray -----------------
a. Status of women in the society
b. Good neighbourly relation of housewives
c. Status of the mother in the family
d. A great piece of advice
OR
B. “She held her hand on the door as though she wanted to prevent it from opening any further. Her
face gave absolutely no sign of recognition. She kept staring at me in silence. Perhaps I was
mistaken, I thought, perhaps it isn’t her. I had seen her only once, fleetingly, and that was years
ago. It was most probable that I had rung the wrong bell. The woman let go of the door and
stepped to the side. She was wearing my mother’s green knitted cardigan. The wooden buttons
were rather pale from washing. She saw that I was looking at the cardigan and half hid again
behind the door. But I knew now that I was right. ‘Well, you knew my mother?’ I asked.
‘Have you come back?’, said the woman. ‘I thought that no one had come back.’
i. How did Mrs. Dorling treat the narrator when she visited her?
(a) warm and welcoming (b) cold and inhospitable
(c ) sympathetically as a victim of war (d) affectionately as her friend’s daughter.
ii. Marga Minco’s story ‘The Address’ is divided into hardships of pre-war and post-war
times. The above given extract specifically refers to which of these themes?
(a) Post-war (b) Pre- war
(c) Both (d) doesn’t refer to any of the two.
iii. ‘But I knew now that I was right’. Identify the reason for this confidence of the
narrator from the following list based on the extract.
a. the fleeting meeting happened years ago
b. Mrs. Dorling’s hiding behind the door
c. The cardigan
d. The question ‘have you come back?’
iv. ‘I thought that no one had come back.’ Why does Mrs. Dorling say this?
a. because she was happy to see the protagonist.
b. because she had been waiting for the protagonist for a long time.
c. because she thought everyone in the protagonist’s family was dead.

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 d. Both (a) and (b)
VII. Answer ANY TWO out of the four questions in 40-50 words. (3x2=6)
i. Why do you think Professor Gaitonde decided never to preside over meetings again ?
ii. “I give back life to my own origin” What are referred as ‘I’ and ‘origin’ here? Comment
on the line. (The Voice of the Rain).
iii. List the deeds that led Ray Johnson to describe Akhenaton as “wacky”
iv. In the lesson “The Portrait of a Lady” Kushwant Singh writes about the three ways in
which his grandmother spent her days after he grew up. Which are they
VIII. Answer ANY ONE out of the two questions in 40-50 words. (3x1=3)
i. Aram and Mourad returned the horse to its owner. Why do you think they did so? They
were conscious-stricken or because they were afraid?
OR
ii. After the execution of the king of the Melon City, how did the Ministers chose the next
king? Do you think the ministers were practical? Why?
IX Answer ANY ONE out of the two questions in 120-150 words. (6x1=6)
i. Gradually, the author and the grandmother saw less of each other and their friendship
was broken. Was the distance in the relationship deliberate or due to the demands of
the situation? Elaborate.
OR
ii. Does the poem “Father to Son” talk of an exclusively personal experience or is it fairly
universal? Justify your answer co-relating experiences in the poem with real life
situations.
X Answer ANY ONE out of the two questions in 120-150 words. (6x1=6)
i. “He had no premonition that this night call would prove unusual, still less that it would
influence his whole future in Blaenelly”. Which is the night call referred here? Whether
it proved to be unusual at the end for Dr. Andrew? Give reason for your opinion. (Birth)
OR
ii. “The Address” is a story of human predicament that follows war. Comment.

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