ARMY PUBLIC SCHOOL SHILLONG

ANNUAL EXAMINATION 2022-23

CLASS XI
ENGLISH CORE

Time -3 hours Max Marks-80

General instructions:
* Attempt all questions section wise.
*Please check that this question paper contains 09 printed pages.
*Please check that this question paper contains 17 questions.
*Please write down the serial number of the question before attempting it.
*Separate instructions have been given for each section. Follow these instructions
carefully.

SECTION A – READING

Q1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 10

1 Have you ever caught yourself scratching your head, twitching your ear, tapping your foot
or playing with your keys or pen? If you have, you are a sure fidgeter. And it is very likely
that the habit has carried over from childhood, when your wriggling probably exasperated-
and sometimes amused-your parents and teachers. It is not a pleasant sight to see a grown-up
person fidgeting; in fact, it is a distraction.

2 Recently, some doctors in Britain have discovered that not only is fidgeting quite normal, it
even does you good.

3 Almost everybody fidgets when hot, cold, hungry, thirsty or tired. Being kept waiting also
brings us to fidgets. Most of this is normal but then with some this translates into exaggerated
mannerisms, that is where we have a problem. When the British doctors wired up volunteers
to an electric 'fidgetmeter’, followed by a gruelling interview, some stayed almost completely
still. Others made up to 57 movements in half a minute. Since the rate went up when
disturbing topics were raised, it seemed that those who fidgeted more were the anxious types,
needing to release nervous energy.

4 This is what led to the conclusion that fidgeting has its uses too-since it helps get rid of
stress that could sometimes lead to headaches, muscle pain or even ulcers. Fidgeting is also
believed to fight the flab. Add up all those little movements made by fidgeters during their
waking hours and they burn up as much energy as a jog, the report said.

5 While British doctors may feel that fidgeting is an expression of anxious behaviour, doctors
here do not necessarily agree.

6 Meanwhile a former assistant professor in Los Angeles opines that fidgeting is a sign of
"some underlying tension which is causing anxiety". While one cannot make generalized
statements, some experts feel that pencil-suckers yearn for babyhood, teeth-grinders and fist
clenchers seem to be holding back their aggression, foot tappers wish to be on the move and
people who scratch may wish to injure themselves.
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7 A leading psychiatrist gives a positive side to the anxiety angle. According to him, "a bit of
anxiety is not harmful since it induces one to do better. It often brings out the best in people-
while meeting deadlines, submitting reports or at interviews and examinations."
He gives the example of tennis players who play with "manageable anxiety, but warns that
when the fidgets turn to restlessness, it might affect performance. Often, he says, a person
suffering from a neurological illnessends up fidgeting deliberately, "mainly to distract his
companion from his actual problem. It could be something as harmless as the shaking of the
hand or the twitching of the eye.”

8 Refuting this, another psychiatrist insists that fidgeting in no way should be considered
good. "It may be innocuous unless it is harming the fidgeter or annoying others, b12ut, what
fidgeting really reveals is a lack of confidence and even social phobia, besides, of course,
anxiety, It, in fact, sends non-verbal messagesto people who then treat the person
accordingly-as nervous or anxious individuals," he adds.

9 Unfortunately, fidgeters often find it hard to kick the habit, even when it's socially
unacceptable.

10 While those fidgeting are themselves perturbed by the habit, efforts in controlling it could
cause other problems, because, "the person could get hypertense or worried about being
unable to tackle it and get more fidgety in the process.” Experts, in the meantime, keep
suggesting remedies or tricks to get out of fidgeting habits, like playing with a coin in your
pocket or glove, or wearing a ring which you can rub without others noticing.In Greece,
many taxi-drivers carry worry-beads which they click while waiting to combat fidgeting,
while some stores in London's West End once sold pieces of polished stone designed for
gently stroking with the thumb.

11 Dr James Buyers a neurologist of London, hopes for a more lasting and practical solution.
"Anything that will stop the speed of modern life for even half a minute will definitely be
beneficial," he says.

Answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate options: 1X5=5

(a) Choose the most appropriate option to complete the sentence given below.

The habit of fidgeting in a grown-up person is ___________________________

(i) a childish habit in a grown up

(ii) a sign of exasperation and amusement
(iii) not a pleasant sight and a distraction
(iv) is normal and does good

(b) According to the author, the findings of British doctors using a fidgetmeter was________

(i) many people stayed completely still while some made 57 movements in a minute
(ii) some people stayed completely still while others made 52 movements in just half a
minute
(iii) some people stayed completely still while others made 57 movements in just half a
minute
(iv) some people stayed completely still while others made 52 movements in a minute
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(c) Given below are some ways by which people who fidget can rid themselves of the habit
with a lasting solution. Select the practical solution given by Dr Buyers.

(i)The person who visualizes

(ii) Playing with a coin in one's pocket
(iii) Stopping the speed of life for even half a minute
(iv)Clicking on worry beads like Greek taxi drivers

(d) The person who visualizes a newer way of controlling fidgeting is ________________

(i) the Greek driver

(ii) Dr James Buyers, a London neurologist
(iii) expert on fidgeting and knows how to control it
(iv) An Assistant Professor in Los Angeles

(e) Select the most suitable title for the passage.

(i) The Curative Remedies for Fidgeting

(ii) Tennis Players and Their Manageable Anxiety II. Read the
(ii) The Jury is Still Out on Fidgeting
(iv) The Many Aspects of Fidgeting

Answer the following questions in brief on the basis of your understanding of the
passage given above: 1X5=5

(f) State two ways by which people were assessed through the fidgetmeter.
(g) Select the antonym for the word 'gruelling', in para 3 of the text.
(h) Based on your understanding of the text, how does fidgeting help individuals?
(i)What are some commonalities noticed among various kinds of fidgeters?
(j) What are the positive speculations that the author makes about anxiety?

Q2. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 8

1. When plastic waste is burnt, a complex weave of toxic chemicals is released. Breaking
down Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) used for packaging, toys and coating electrical wires. It
produces dioxin, an organochlorine which belongs to the family of Persistent Organic
Pollutants (POPs). A recent Dioxin Assessment Report brought out by the United States
Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) says the risk of getting cancer from dioxin is ten
times higher than reported by the agency in 1994.

2. Yet the Delhi government is giving the green signal to a gasification project which will
convert garbage into energy without removing plastic waste. Former transport minister
Rajendra Gupta, the promoter of this project, says this is not necessary.

3. He claims no air pollution will be caused and that the ash produced can be used as manure.
An earlier waste-to-energy project set-up in Timarpur failed. The new one, built with

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Australian assistance, will cost 200 crore. It will generate 25 megawatts of power and gobble
1,000 tonnes of garbage every day.

4. “Technologies like gasification are a form of incineration,” says Madhumita Dutta, central
coordinator with Toxics Link, New Delhi. Incineration merely transfers hazardous waste
from a solid form to air, water and ash, she points out. Toxins produced during incineration
include acidic gases, heavy metals as well as dioxins and furans. “The ‘manure’ will be
hazardous and a problem to dispose,” says Dutta.

5. Municipal solid waste contains a mix of plastics. Breaking down this waste emits
hydrochloric acid which attacks the respiratory system, skin and eyes, resulting in coughing,
vomiting and nausea. Polyethylene generates volatile compounds like formaldehyde and
acetaldehyde, both suspected carcinogenic. Breathing styrene from polystyrene can cause
leukemia. Polyurethane is associated with asthma. Dioxin released by PVC is a powerful
hormone disrupter and causes birth defects and reproductive problems. There is no threshold
dose to prevent it and our bodies have no defence against it.

6. “Even the best run incinerators in the world have to deal with stringent norms, apart from
contaminated filters and ash, making them hugely expensive to operate,” says Dutta. In
Germany, air pollution devices accounted for two-thirds the cost of incineration. Despite such
efforts, the European Dioxin Inventory noted that the input of dioxin into the atmosphere was
the highest from incineration.

7.How has global plastic waste disposal method changed over time? In the chart, we see the
share of global plastic waste that is discarded, recycled or incinerated from 1980 through to
2015. Prior to 1980, recycling and incineration of plastic was negligible; 100 percent was
therefore discarded. From 1980 for incineration and 1990 for recycling, rates increased on
average by about 0.7 percent per year. In 2015, an estimated 55 percent of global plastic
waste was discarded, 25 percent was incinerated and 20 percent recycled.

8.“India does not have the facility to test dioxin and the cost of setting one up is prohibitively
expensive,” says Dutta. Besides, Indian garbage has a low calorific content of about 800
cal/kg, since it has high moisture and requires additional fuel to burn. Toxics link calculates
that the electricity generated from such technology will cost between 5-7 per unit, which is
six times higher than conventional energy. India has chosen a dioxin preventive route and
burning of chlorinated plastics is prohibited under Municipal Solid Waste and Biomedical
Rules.
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9.Nearly 80 percent of Indian garbage is recyclable or compostable. Resident associations,
the informal sector and the municipal corporation can make Delhi’s garbage disappear in a
sustainable manner. “Instead, the government promotes end of pipeline solutions,” says
Dutta.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions by
choosing the most appropriate options: 4+4=8
(a)Dioxine causes ……………
(i) cancer (ii) heart attack
(iii) hypertension (iv) sickness

(b)Which statements are NOT TRUE according to the passage?

(i) India has adopted a preventive measure under which burning of chlorinated plastics is
prohibited.
(ii) USEPA says that the risk of getting cancer from dioxin is hundred times higher than
reported by the agency in 1994.
(ii) Incineration merely transfers hazardous waste from a solid form to air, water and ash.
(iv) Hydrochloric acid attacks the digestive system, nose and eyes which results in diabetes
and nausea.

(i) 2 and 4 (ii) 1 and 3

(iii) 3 and 4 (iv) 1 and 2

(c) Based on the graphical chart in the passage, choose the option that correctly states the
ratio between discarded waste to recycled global plastic waste in 2015.

(i) option 1 (ii) option 2

(iii) option 3 (iv) option 4

(d) Based on the given graphical representation of data in the passage, choose the option that
lists the statements that are TRUE.
(i)In the year 2015, the incinerated plastic waste disposal was 80%.
(ii) In the year 1980, share of discarded plastic waste was 100%.
(iii) Discarded plastic waste was 60% in the year 2010.
(iv) Recycled plastic waste in the year 2000 was less than 70%.
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(a) 1 and 3 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 4 (d) 3 and 4

Answer the following questions in brief on the basis of your understanding of the
passage given above: 1X4=4

(e)How much energy will be consumed for converting waste to energy project?
(f)How has global plastic waste disposal method changed over time?
(g) How cangarbage be converted into energy?
(h)Which word in the passage means the same as ‘waste material’? (para 2)

Q3. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 8

The English word "dinner" (from Old French disner) also referred originally to breaking
a fast; until its meaning shifted in the mid-13th century. It was the name given to the first
meal of the day. The tradition of eating a morning meal has existed since ancient times,
though it was not until the 15th century that "breakfast" came into use in written English as
a calque of dinner to describe a morning meal: literally a breaking of the fasting period of the
night that just ended.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s the perfect thing to wake-up to after a
long, hard night of sleep. It is important because it tastes absolutely delicious; it’s an
important source of energy for the day.
Breakfast is by far the tastiest meal. Why? Because people can eat anything for breakfast.
From a simple bowl of cereal to a filet mignon, it can all be done. Unlike dinner, breakfast
can be sweet or salty. Of course, breakfast can be eaten for dinner, but it just isn’t the same.

After some six-ten hours of not eating, something needs to be consumed in order to not turn
into a sloth. The last thing students need is to have to go to school on an empty stomach – it
just makes school that much harder. Even just a few cheerios can make the difference.

Skipping breakfast, especially among school children, affects mental performance in the
classroom, thus lending weight to the old adage that a healthy breakfast gets you off to a good
start for the day. New research shows that eating breakfast benefits the memory. It provides
essential nutrients and energy that contribute to the overall diet quality and adequacy.
Children who skip breakfast do not make up for nutrients and energy deficits later in the day
and they tend to perform poorly in tests of cognition than those who eat their breakfast. A
study undertaken by doctors at the University of Wales in the U.K. found that a higher blood
glucose level after eating breakfast is one of the key reasons for the improvement in mental
performance. It particularly affects the speed of recalling new information, but does not
influence other aspects such as intelligence test results or mental tasks related to conditioning
or developed skills. Eating breakfast was found to improve performance on retention of new
information like recall of stories and word lists. ‘This aspect of memory is called ‘declarative
memory’ in which information can be consciously recalled and declared verbally’, says the
study whose finding has been presented in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, make notes on it using
headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary -
minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also supply an appropriate title to
it. 5
(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words. 3

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 SECTION B - GRAMMAR and WRITING SKILLS

Q4. Fill in the blanks with the right tense of the verbs given in brackets: 4

As I entered the room, the first thing that ____ (strike) me as odd, was the candle still ____
(burn) on the table. The curtains had been ____ (draw) back and the room was bright. No one
in their right minds ____ (keep) a candle ____ (burn) in broad daylight. The large French
windows overlooked the lawn ____ (bath) in sunlight. Marie had probably ____ (catch) my
odd stare at the table and so moved over and _________ (blow) the candle out.

5. Rearrange the following words in each set given below to form meaningful sentences:
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i. /under/ is/present/a/ blow /of /at /tsunami/ the/reeling/Japan/

ii./Second/catastrophe/ is/ as/World/great/it/as /the/ a/ War/

iii./bush/and/in/a /Japanese/ that/Japonica/is/yards/is/grown/gardens/

6. You are Abha/Akshay, living at M-15 Vasant Kunj, Delhi. You want to sell off your
mobile phone. Draft an advertisement for the classified columns of a local newspaper giving
necessary details. Draft the advertisement in about 50 words. 3

7. Child Labour is a serious offence, affecting millions of children in our country. On behalf
of the Child Welfare Ministry, design a poster urging people to help prevent injustice to
minors. 3

8. You are Ram/Rajani, President of Humour Club in Chennai. Prepare a speech in 150-200
words on ‘Laughter, the best medicine’ to address students in a school forum. Include the
importance of laughing and smiling, the need to bring in harmless humour in life and the
important role it plays in relieving stress, using interesting anecdotes. 5

9. Social networking technology is a very interactive platform. However, users have also
become more open in conveying their thoughts and sharing information. Write a debate for
or against the motion, “Social networking sites are just a sophisticated way of stalking
people.” You are Rohan/Rohini. (120-150 words) 5

SECTION C - LITERATURE
10.Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: 1X3=3
When did my childhood go?
Was it the day I ceased to be eleven.
Was it the time I realized that Hell and Heaven,
Could not be found in Geography,
And therefore, could not be,
Was that the day!
(i)When does the poet realize that his childhood has gone?
(ii) Why is the age of eleven so important for the poet?
(iii) How did the poet conclude that ‘hell” and ‘heaven’ are imaginary concepts?
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11. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: 1X3=3

“It’s out there in front of us,” they chorused, “as big as a battleship.”

‘I rushed on deck and gazed with relief at the stark outline of Ile Amsterdam. It was
onlya bleak piece of volcanic rock, with little vegetation — the most beautiful island in
the world!’

(i) Identify the figure of speech in the first sentence.

(ii) Explain - ‘gazed with relief at the stark outline of Ile Amsterdam’.
(iii)Why did the captain call Ile Amsterdam, ‘the most beautiful island in the world?

12. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: 1X4=4

“My cousin Mourad was considered the natural descendant of this man, although
Mourad’s father was Zorab, who was practical and nothing else. That’s how it was in
our tribe.”

(i) Who was Mourad’s cousin?

(ii) Who does ‘this man’, refer to?
(iii) What was the name of the tribe to which Mourad belonged?
(iv) What is meant by ‘Zorab was practical and nothing else?’

13. Answerany of the following questions in about 30 - 40 words: 3X1=3

(a)How is the father’s helplessness brought out in the poem, ‘Father to Son’?
(b)How does the Laburnum tree ensure security for the nestlings?

14. Answer any of the following questions in about 30 -40 words: 3X1=3

(a) Who was Professor Gaitonde? Why was he surprised to see the name of East India
Company on an imposing building in Bombay? (The Adventure)
(b) What was the treasure found in King Tut’s coffin? Why had those been kept there?

15. Answer any of the following questions in about 30 -40 words: 3X1=3

(a)What final advice does Mrs Fitzgerald give to Mrs Pearson after the changing back of their
personalities and why?
(b) What did John Byro perceive about the horse after it was returned? Why was it so?

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16.Answer any of the following questions in about 120-150 words: 6X1=6

(a) Gradually the author and the grandmother saw less of each other and their friendship was
broken. Was the distancing in the relationship deliberate or due to demand of the situation?
(The Portrait of a Lady)

(b) “He’s an adventurer, but at heart more a meticulous academic than a daredevil”. Explain
the truth of the statement about the author, Nick Middleton, based on your reading of the
travelogue ‘Silk Road.’ (120-150 words)

17. Answer any of the following questions in about 120-150 words: 6X1=6

(a)The greatest lesson, we can learn from Dr. Andrew Manson’s life is, ‘Never give up’. Do
you agree? Give reasons in support of your answer. (Birth)
(b) The poem, “The Tale of Melon City.” is full of humour and irony. Cite examples.

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