SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER

CLASS XI
SESSION 2023- 24
SUBJECT : ENGLISH CORE
TIME ALLOTTED : 3 HOURS MAXIMUM MARKS : 80

General Instructions:
1. The Question Paper contains FOUR sections- READING, GRAMMAR, WRITING SKILLS
and LITERATURE
2. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part. Write the correct
question number in your answer sheet to indicate the option(s) being attempted.
SECTION A 15 marks
Reading Skills
1. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions: 10 marks
Attempt any one from (A) and (B) given below.
(A) High–altitude climbing is still a very dangerous task despite the availability of oxygen
masks and other protective equipment which modern climbers take with them. These, of
course, are indispensable accessories of climbing, but more important than these is the
stamina of the climber which ultimately determines the success of his attempt.
Throughout his journey, death is his constant companion which he can keep at a distance
only with his superb presence of mind. He has to tread every inch of the ground with the
utmost care, for a false step may not only strike him a fatal blow but also bring disaster to
the whole expedition. That is why all expeditions invariably take with them local guides
who are experienced climbers and who have a thorough knowledge of the nature of the
terrain. Moreover, a huge amount of capital is needed for financing these expeditions, and
this is generally provided by governments or rich private organizations.
The primary objective of the mountaineering expedition is to get to the top of a high
mountain, which, in the past has withstood all attempts to conquer it. But it should not be
presumed that the expedition is a complete failure if it does not reach its destination.

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Sometimes operations are temporarily suspended because of bad weather, loss of some
valuable equipment, or the sudden death of a very important member of the party.
Every big expedition takes with it men who are interested in botany, geology & various
other branches of science, and these men carry with them equipment for recording their
observations concerning the weather, the terrain & different forms of life in higher
altitudes. Other scientists, explorers & expeditionists utilize the fruits of their
observations. Thus, every unsuccessful expedition contributes to the success of later
expeditions. The British Expedition led by colonel Hunt would have found their way to
Everest much more difficult had not earlier expeditions armed them with useful
knowledge about the death-dealing weather which they had to encounter in the Vicinity of
the summit.

(i) Stamina is the most important thing for a climber as it …………

(a) Protects him from bad weather
(b) Provides the oxygen needed
(c) Decides the success of his endeavor
(d) Gives him huge amount of capital

(ii) What can bring disaster to the whole expedition?

(a) A false step
(b) Experienced climber
(c) A local guide
(d) Government

(iii) ______________ is a branch of biology that deals with the study of plants.
(a) Geology

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(b) Botany
(c) Both
(d) None

(iv ) Which of these statements is not true about the mountaineering expedition.
(a) High altitude climbing is very risky
(b) Expeditions are suspended because of bad weather
(c) Colonel Hunt led the British expedition
(d) Sudden death of a very important member of the party does not affect the
expedition.

(v ) During the mountaineering expedition a climber always remains in the grip of death.
How does he save himself?
(a) By taking right decision at right time
(b) By worshipping
(c) By taking a deep breath
(d) All of the above

(vi) The first and foremost aim of a mountaineering expedition is ____________________

(vii ) Find the synonym of ‘ climb/ overcome’ from the passage.

(viii) Why do the mountaineers hire a local guide?

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(ix ) A lot of money is needed in a mountaineering expedition. Who finances these
expeditions?

(x ) Replace the underlined word with its synonym from the passage.
He had to face the bad weather in Leh.

OR
(B)
1. Reading Comprehension (RC, as it is normally called) is the most peculiar section in
almost all scholastic, entrance and employment tests. The skills in RC make a lot of
difference to one’s chances of good grades/selection.
2. Most students find it difficult to tackle topics that are diverse from the field they are
in or they are comfortable with. So one needs to develop a taste for even the most
obscure and boring topic on this planet. For success in RC one should be able to
understand. And even with an average speed one can succeed if one implements
the strategies.

3. Broadly speaking, RC passages can be classified in a few categories. Fact based RC is

the simplest form of RC. These types of passages have lot of information in the form
of names, numbers etc. In this type of passages one should read very fast.

4. Don’t try to memorize any facts, numbers or names etc. In fact there is no need to
even remember them. Just make yourself familiar with the structure of the passage.
Just see in which paragraph author is talking about what. Mark it. Then when you go
to the questions, identify in which paragraph information regarding that question is
mentioned. Go to that paragraph, read the numbers, names etc. and mark the
answer.

5. Inference based RC is the toughest form of RC. Here the passage is fairly tough to
understand. This includes passages on topics like Religion, Spirituality, Philosophy,
etc. Most of the students will be comfortable attempting these passages at least in
RC. The reading speed is fairly slow in this type of passages. The way to master this
type of passages is to read them again and again while practising.

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 6. Topic based RC includes passages on any particular topic like economics, astrology,
medical science, etc. Generally what makes -these passages tough is usage of
technical terms. If a topic is new to us then presence of technical term scares us
even if they are defined in the passage. For success in this type of passages we need
to have a fan-understanding of the definition of the term if it is defined in the
passage. Read that definition twice if you need to. But don’t worry about technical
terms if they are not defined in the passage. Assume them to be non-existent and
proceed. Key principle in these passages is that don’t go to the next line unless the
previous line is clear.

7. Reading passage first and then questions is the most popular strategy for RC. While
answering the question you may come back to the passage to find answer as you
have just read the passage initially and not crammed it. But you should not come
back for each and every question. If you come back for majority of questions then
you haven’t read the passage properly. The key to success for this strategy is that
you should understand the passage very well. We will suggest students to follow this
technique from the beginning and work upon this.

8. Reading questions first and then passage is the strategy followed by a few students.
They just look at the questions and not options. The objective is that after seeing
the questions when you read the passage then you read only that part carefully
where the answer is given. The flaw with this is that you will not be able to
remember all the questions. Besides this, this strategy fails when there are
questions that require understanding of the passage.

Questions:
(i) Most students find Reading Comprehension difficult because……………………….
(a) the language is tough
(b) the vocabulary is difficult
(c) the style is too involved
(d) the topics are unrelated to their interest
(ii) Fact based RC is the easiest because……………………….
(a) it is written in simple language
(b) there are no allusions

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 (c) it contains information
(d) it can be memorised easily
(iii) For answering a question on RC, one should……………………….
(a) memorise the facts, figures, etc.
(b) mark what the author is talking about in the para
(c) mark the essential details of the passage
(d) remember the names, numbers, etc.
(iv) Topic based RC is tough as……………………….
(a) it contains technical terms
(b) it is based on different topics
(c) it demands instant understanding
(d) one can’t read them fast enough
(v) Careful reading of the passage is essential for……………………….
(a) answering difficult questions
(b) saving time and effort
(c) proper understanding and answering correctly
(d) selective identification of relevant parts
(vi) What should one do for finding the right answers?
(vii) Why is topic based R C tough?
(viii) Which step is considered more essential for finding right answers? Why?
(ix) What is the most popular strategy for solving Reading Comprehension(RC)?
(x) Find the words similar in the meaning ‘different’ from the para 2 of passage.
2 Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: 5
Why don’t I have a telephone? Not because I pretend to be wise or pose as unusual.
There are two chief reasons: because I don’t really like the telephone, and because I find I
can still work and play, eat, breathe, and sleep without it. Why don’t I like the telephone?
Because I think it is a pest and a time waster. It may create unnecessary suspense and
anxiety, as you wait for an unexpected call that doesn’t come; or irritating delay, as when
you keep ringing a number that is always engaged. As for speaking in a public telephone
box, you are half asphyxiated by stale, unventilated air, flavored with cheap powered and
chain smoking; and by the time you have begun conversation your back is chilled by the
cold looks of somebody who is fidgeting to take your place. If you have a telephone in your
house, you will admit that it tends to ring when you least want it- when you are asleep, or
in the middle of a meal or a conversation, or when you are just going out, or when you are
in your bath. You think that there may be some important news or message for you. But

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you find that it was just a wrong number. If like me , one is without a telephone,
somebody is sure to say “ then you must have a typewriter”. My answer is ‘No’. “ What,
no telephone and no typewriter! Do please explain why”.
I am a man of letters. I don’t enjoy typing. I enjoy forming letters or words with a pen, and
I could never enjoy tapping the keys of a typewriter. And the fact is , I am not mechanically
minded, and the typewriter is a machine. I have never been drawn to machines. I do not
like oiling, cleaning, or mending them. I do not enjoy making them work. And machines do
not like me. When I touch them, they break down, get jammed, catch fire, or blow up.

Based on the understanding of the passage, make notes using headings and sub
headings or in points. Use recognizable abbreviations ( wherever necessary, minimum
four). Also supply an appropriate title to it.

SECTION B [10
GRAMMAR
3 Do any ten. Do as directed:

(I ) He ___________ (live) here since 1990. (correct form of verb)

(ii) When I reached there he ________ ( chop) the vegetables. (correct form of verb)

(iii ) This jug contains water. ( Change the voice)

(iv) We chose him the monitor of the class.( Change the voice)
(v ) The accident was so lethal that there is _____________ chance of his survival.
( little/ a little)
(vi) There was ________ milk left in the glass. ( Many/Much)

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(vii ) When he was young, he ____________ lift 80 kg. ( ability of the past)
(viii) This medicine __________ be kept away from the reach of the children.
( must/can/ought to)

(ix) Combine the following sentences

He is poor. He is honest.
(x) Identify the underlined clause.
I don’t know what she said.
(xi) Fill in the blank with suitable article;
The more, ______ merrier.
(xii)Fill in the blank with suitable article;
He met ______ American yesterday.

SECTION C 15 marks
WRITING SKILLS

4 Attempt any one from (A) , (B) and (C ) given below: 5

(A) You are Rohit/ Muskan, the secretary of Kayampura Society, Mahendergarh.
There will be no water supply in your society for two days due to the
maintenance work of water supply line. Draft a notice in not more than 50 words
to be put up on the Society’s notice board informing the residents about the
same.

OR

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(B ) You want a suitable match for your son. Draft an advertisement to be published under
matrimonial columns in an esteemed newspaper. (Word Limit : 50)
OR
(c ) Design a poster urging the people not to use polybags as they are hazardous for
all living beings.

5Attempt any one from (A) and (B) given below: 5

(A ) The electric fan in your classroom is out of order/has broken down. As it is summer
season, it is hard to sit in the classroom and pay attention to your studies. As the monitor
of your class , write an application in 100- 120 words to the Principal of your school
requesting him/her to get a new electric fan installed in your classroom.

OR
(B ) You bought a Mobile phone from M/s SonuEletronics and Computers, Satnali Square,
Shop No. 23, M/Garh. For few months the mobile worked properly. But now it has started
giving trouble. Pointing out the defect/s , write a letter of complaint in 100-120 words to
the dealer requesting him/her to repair or replace the set. You are Parveen/Sarla.

6 Attempt any one from (A) and (B) given below: 5

( A) A Blood Donation Camp was organized by Asian Club of your society in aid of the
earthquake affected people of Turkey. As the correspondent of a local daily, write a report
in 100-120 words .
OR
(B ) Write an article in 100 to 120 words on “ The Importance of Yoga in daily life.

SECTION D LITERATURE

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7 Attempt any one of the two extracts (A) and (B) given below:
5 marks
(A) Read the extract given below:
Then sleek as lizard, and alert and abrupt,
She enters the thickness, and a machine starts up
Chitterlings , and a tremor of wings, trillings
The whole tree trembles and thrills
Is the engine of her family.

(I ) Who is ‘ she’ in this extract?

(a) The poet (b) goldfinch (c ) peacock (d) the poet’s wife
(ii ) The poetic device used in ‘ sleek as lizard’ is
(a ) simile (b) personification (iii) metaphor (d) alliteration
(iii ) On the basis of the extract, study the two statements, I and II given below:
I ) The bird’s movement has been compared to that of a lizard’s
II ) The bird is the engine of her family.
Choose the correct option;
(a) I can be inferred but II can’t
(b) II can be inferred but I can’t
(c) Both I and II can be inferred
(d) Both I and II cannot be inferred
(iv ) Choose the correct option.
(a) The Laburnum Top ----- Ted Hughes
(b) The Laburnum Top ____ William Wordsworth
(c) The Laburnum Top ____ Shirley Toulson
(d) The Laburnum Top ____ Elizabeth Jennings
(v ) Complete the following analogy by choosing the correct option:
Alert : Vigilant :: abrupt : _________

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Choose the correct option;
(a) Sudden (b) gradual (c) tremble (d) polite

OR

(B ) Read the extract given below:

Where 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 ) The poet thinks that Hell and Heaven ______

(a ) do not exist
(b ) can be found in Geography
(c ) are located in a remote area
(d ) none of the above
(ii ) At this age the poet has become……..
(a ) irrational (b) rational (c ) astrologer (d) Scholar in Geography

(iii ) Find the incorrect statement

(a) The poet realizes that his childhood has gone
(b) He is eleven years old

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 (c) The poet can differentiate between fact and fiction
(d) He is credulous
(iv ) Who is ‘I’ in this extract?
(a) Markus Natten
(b) Shirley Toulson
(c) Coates Kinney
(d) Elizabeth Jennings
(v ) On the basis of the extract, study the two statements, I and II given below:
I) The poet is looking for his childhood days.
II) The poet has become rational.
Choose the correct option;
(a) I can be inferred but II can’t
(b) II can be inferred but I can’t
(c) Both I and II can be inferred
(d) Both I and II cannot be inferred

8 Attempt any one of the two extracts (A) and (B) given below:
5 marks
(A ) Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
The next phase: scanning the mummies with a portable CT machine donated by the
National Geographic Society and Siemens its manufacturer. King Tut is one of the first
mummies to be scanned—in death as in life, moving regally ahead of his countrymen. A
CT machine scanned the mummy head to toe, creating 1,700 digital X- ray images in
cross section. Tut’s head scanned in 0.62 millimetre slices to register its intricate
strictures, takes on eerie details in the resulting image.

(i) In C T Machine, C T stands for

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 (a) Computer Technology
(b) Computed Tomography
(c) Compromising Technology
(d) Circumvented Technology
(ii) ) On the basis of the extract, study the two statements, I and II given below:
I ) Siemens is the Manufacturer of Portable CT machine
II ) King Tut’s mummy was the last mummy scanned in a CT machine
(a) I can be inferred but II can’t
(b) II can be inferred but I can’t
(c) Both I and II can be inferred
(d) Both I and II cannot be inferred

(iii ) Who is the author of this extract?

(a) Khushwant Singh
(b) Gordon Cook and Alan East
(c) A.R. Williams
(d) Jayant Narlikar
(iv) Change the underlined word with its synonym by choosing correct option.
Old age is the final stage of life.
Choose the correct option
(a) regally (b) ahead (c) Phase (d) eerie
(v) What role did the National Geograply Society and Siemens play in the project?
(a) They charged money for the C.T. machine
(b) They donated C.T. machine for the project
(c) They made palanquin to carry Tut’s body from his tomb
(d) All of the above

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 OR
(B ) Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Tsetan took me to Darchen medical collage the following morning. The medical college
at Darchen was new and looked like a monastery from the outside with a very solid
door that led into a large courtyard. We found the consulting room which was dark and
cold occupied by a Tibetan doctor who wore none of the paraphernalia that I’d been
expecting. No white coat , he looked like other Tibetan with a thick pullover and a
wooly hat. When I explained my sleepless symptoms and my sudden aversion to lying
down, he shot me a few questions while feeling the veins in my wrist.

(i ) Find the correct statement

(a) Tsetan took the author to a monastery
(b) Tsetantook the author to a medical college
(c) The doctor was in the dress which the author had expected
(d) The consulting room was quite warm
(ii) Choose the antonym of ‘ liking’ from the options given below
(a) Aversion (b) symptoms (c) occupied (d) paraphernalia
(iii ) Why was the writer taken to the hospital?
(a) Because he wanted to visit the hospital
(b) Because he was ill
(c) Because Tsetan had some important work at the hospital
(d) Both ‘a’ and ‘b’
(iv ) How did the hospital look?
(a) It looked like a monastery
(b) It looked like a Church
(c) It looked like a mosque
(d) It looked like a hospital

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(v ) Identify the author of the above extract:
(a) Khushwant Singh
(b) Nick Middleton
(c) A.R. Williams
(d) None of the above

9 Attempt any four question in 30-40 words 2x4 = 8

(I ) How did the sparrows express their sorrow when the author’s grandmother died?
(ii) Suppose you run a pet shop. You have to sell the Tibetan mastiff to a customer.
State any two qualities of the dog taking cues from the lesson ‘Silk Road’.
(iii ) King Tut was buried with gilded treasureand with the things of everyday use. What
was the belief of the people of ancient Egypt behind this?
(iv ) Describe Wave Walker.
(v) Name any three parts of a ship/boat. For example deck, wheel …….

10 Attempt any two questions in 30 – 40 words. 3 x2 =6

(I ) Explain” Both wry with the labored ease of loss”. ( A Photograph)
(ii) How does the rain describe itself? (voice of the Rain)
(iii)Why is the image of engine evoked by the poet?

11 Attempt any three questions in 30 – 40 words 2x3 = 6

(I ) How did Aram react when he saw the horse? Why could he not believe his eyes?
(ii ) Was the king of Melon city just and placid or foolish? Support your answer with
evidence from the lesson. ( Tale of Melon City)
(iii) Give a brief account of Mrs. Dorling. (The Address)

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(iv ) From where did Mrs. Fitzgerald learn the magic?

12 Attempt any one of the following A and B given below in 100-120

words 5x1 =5
(A ) Draw the pen portrait of the author’s grandmother. (The Portrait of a Lady)
OR
(B ) What difference did you notice between the reaction of the adults and the children
when faced with danger? ( We Are Not Afraid To Die… If We Can All be Together)

13Attempt any one of the following A and B given below in 100-120 words 5x1 =5
(A ) Compare and contrast the characters of Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. Fitzgerald.
( Mother’s Day)
OR
(B ) What efforts were made by Dr. Andrews to revive the still born baby? (Birth)

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