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Madhyamik English Question Paper 2023

2023

ENGLISH

Second Language

Time – 3 Hour 15 Minutes

Full Marks – 90

SECTION – A

READING COMPREHENSION (SEEN)

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

Some days after the funeral, a special train took Gandhiji’s ashes to Allahabad. The compartment was decked with flowers. People on the train sang “bhajans”. People did not weep anymore for they could feel Gandhiji’s presence amid the flowers and the songs. At every station sorrowful crowds filled the platform. Amid song and prayer the train reached Allahabad. The ashes were immersed in the Ganges where a huge crowd had gathered at the bank. Afterwards we all went back to Delhi.

Back in Delhi, I felt at sea. I had not directly walked with Gandhiji, gone to prison at his call or made any sacrifice for my country. My sisters and I, and other young people like me, had been merely onlookers. But still I felt at sea. I felt I had grown up within a magic circle. With Bapu’s passing away, I felt the magic circle had vanished, leaving me unprotected.

With an effort I roused myself, I asked myself- had Bapu lived and died for nothing? How could I so easily lose courage when he was no longer there? My values were not so weak. Millions of people would have been ordinary folk but for Bapu. He brought them out of indifference and awakened them to one another’s suffering. What if now Bapu is gone? We were still there, young, strong and proud to bear his banner before us.

Madhyamik All Subjects Suggestion 2024 (Click Here)

Write the correct alternative in the given space to complete the following sentences: (1×5=5)

(a) After the funeral Gandhiji’s ashes were taken to

(i) Delhi.

(ii) Allahabad.

(iii) Kolkata.

(iv) Patna.

(b) People who were on the train with the ashes did not weep but

(i) offered prayer.

(ii) sang songs.

(iii) expressed sorrow.

(iv) sang “bhajans”.

(c) Back in Delhi, I felt at sea- in this sentence ‘felt at sea means……

(i) felt at a loss.

(ii) visited the sea.

(iii) felt very sad.

(iv) felt very generous.

(d) Like many other young Indians, the narrator and her sister had been

(i) Gandhi’s companions in prison.

(ii) co-workers of Gandhiji.

(iii) mere observers of Gandhiji’s work.

(iv) making sacrifices for Gandhiji.

(e) After Gandhiji’s death, the narrator wanted to…..

(i) lose motivation.

(ii) remain courageous.

(iii) turn indifferent.

(iv) weaken values.

Madhyamik English Suggestion 2024 (Click Here)

Complete the following sentences with information from the text: (1×3=3)

(i) At the time of immersion of Gandhiji’s ashes ___________________________________.

Ans:- a huge crowd had gathered at the bank.

(ii) When Gandhiji passed away, the magic ___________________________________.

Ans:- circle had vanished, leaving the narrator unprotected.

(iii) Even if Bapu was gone ___________________________________.

Ans:- the narrator and others were still there, young, strong and proud to bear his banner before them.

Fill in the chart with information from the text:(2×2=4

Statement	Reason
(i) People stopped weeping for Gandhiji
(ii)	Gandhiji brought ordinary folk out of indifference

Ans:- (i) they could feel Gandhiji’s presence amid the flowers and the songs.
(ii) he awakened them to one another’s suffering.

Read the poem and answer the questions that follow:

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gull’s crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife,

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

Tick the right answer: (1×4=4)

(a) The colour associated with the mist and dawn in the poem is

(i) white.

(ii) blue.

(ii) grey.

(iv) black.

(b) The call that the poet cannot deny, is the call of the

(i) white clouds.

(ii) running tides.

(iii) lonely sea.

(iv) grey mist.

(c) “The vagrant gypsy life” in the third stanza of the poem actually refers to the wandering life of a

(i) vagabond.

(ii) warrior.

(iii) gypsy.

(iv) sailor.

(d) The intensity of the poet’s desire to go on a voyage is expressed by

(i) repeating the same phrase “I must go down….”

(ii) describing the sea voyage in details

(iii) comparing the voyager’s life with gypsies

(iv) referring to the running tide and flying clouds

Answer the following questions: (2×2=4)

(i) Which word in the poem tells you that this is not going to be the first voyage of the poet? Why does the poet ask for a star?

Ans:- The word ‘again’ says that this is not going to be the first voyage of the poet. The poet asks for a star to steer his ship on his sea voyage.

(ii) What does the poet ask for at the end of his journey?

Ans:- The poet asks for a quiet sleep and sweet dream at the end of his journey.

READING COMPREHENSION (UNSEEN)

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

More than 3,500 hectares of mangrove plantation have been done in the Sunderbans by the forest department in order to protect the delta from soil erosion as well as storms and cyclones. Large swathes of mangroves had got damaged in the Sunderbans when cyclone Amphan struck. Other factors like cutting down forests to make way for pisciculture ponds and farming fields have also played a part in this.

According to a senior officer of the forest department, many tens of thousands of migrant labourers had returned to the mangrove delta during the Covid-induced lockdown. Many of them took to an alternate livelihood. Some started farming and fishing in local ponds on a small scale and to make way for these large swathes of mangroves had been cut down leaving the area exposed to the vagaries of storms as well as soil erosion. The department had roped in the help of joint forest management committees and local women to plant mangrove saplings. According to an estimate, by the end of 2022 around 17.5 lakh saplings will be planted.

Milan Mondal, the divisional forest officer of South 24-Parganas, said their efforts were paying off as the villagers themselves have realised the importance of the mangrove cover after the Sunderbans was lashed with back to back cyclones, including Amphan and Yaas. In areas like Lothian Island, G Plot and Frasergunj, mangrove saplings have been planted on as many as 230 acres. The forest department has also managed to generate employment for more than 12,500 villagers.

[Adapted from an article published in The Telegraph dated 25th July 2022]

Tick the right answer: (1×6=6)

(i) An initiative for mangrove plantation has taken place in the Sundarbans by the

(a) irrigation department.

(b) forest department.

(d) pisciculture department.

(ii) Mangrove plantation initiative aimed at protecting Sundarbans form storms and

(a) human greed.

(b) Amphan.

(d) soil erosion.

(iii) The area covered with mangrove under this initiative measures less than

(a) 4000 hectares.

(b) 3000 hectares.

(d) 2500 hectares.

(iv) The number of cyclones named in this passage is

(a) three.

(b) one.

(d) many.

(v) The collaborators helping forest department in this initiative are

(a) local farmers and local women.

(b) forest management committees and local women.

(d) all the villagers and tourest management committees.

(vi) An appropriate title for the passage would be

(a) An endeavour to protect mangroves.

(b) A bid to protect mangroves in Sunderbans.

(d) Plantation of mangroves for protection of life.

Each of the Following statements is either “True’ or False’, Write T for ‘True’ and F or ‘False’ in the boxes on the right-hand side. Also pick out suitable lines or phrase(s) from the passage in support of your answers: (2×3=6)

(i) Cyclone Amphan damaged large areas of mangroves in the Sunderbans.

Supporting Sentence: ________________.

Ans:- True.

Supporting Sentence: Large swathes of mangroves had got damaged in the Sunderbans when cyclone Amphan struck.

(ii) Cyclones are the only cause of the damage of the mangroves in the Sunderbans.

Supporting Sentence: ________________.

Ans:- False.

Supporting Sentence: Other factors like cutting down forests to make way for pisciculture ponds and farming fields have also played a part in this.

(iii) Planting mangrove saplings has generated employment for many villagers.

Supporting Sentence: ________________.

Ans:- True

Supporting sentence: The forest department has also managed to generate employment for more than 12,500 villagers.

Answer the following questions: (2×4=8)

(i) How many migrant labourers returned to the Sunderbans during Covid-induced lockdown and what alternative livelihood did they take in?

Ans:- Many tens of thousands of migrant labourers returned to the Sunderbans during the Covid-induced lockdown. Many of them took to an alternate livelihood like farming and fishing in local ponds.

(ii)What were the impacts of migrant labourers’ alternative livelihood on Sunderban’s nature?

Ans:- Due to the alternative livelihood of migrant labourers, the area was exposed to the vagaries of storms as well as soil erosion.

(iii) Name two areas of Sunderbans where mangrove saplings have been planted.

Ans:- In Lothian Island and G Plot / Frasergunj areas, mangrove saplings have been planted.

(iv) Who is Milan Mondal? What did he say about the effect of their effort on the villagers of the area?

Ans:- Milan Mondal is the divisional forest officer of South 24-Parganas. He said their efforts were paying off as the villagers themselves have realised the importance of the mangrove cover after the Sunderbans was lashed with back to back cyclones, including Amphan and Yaas.

SECTION – B

GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY

Write the correct alternative to fill in the blanks: (1×3=3)

The Tortoise set out to collect all the wisdom in the world, and as he _____ (has been gathering/gathered/had gathered) each piece he put it into a large gourd. This took a long time, and when Tortoise thought he _____ (had collected/collected/collect) all there was, he _______ (decides/had decided/decided) to hide the gourd on top of a tree.

Ans:- gathered, had collected, decided.

Do as directed:
Fill in the blanks with appropriate articles and prepositions: (1×3=3)

Life had not been smooth sailing _______Sudha. In 1981, ______car she was travelling met with an accident and her right leg had to be amputated below the knee. She walked around ______ crutches.

Ans:- for, The, with.

People on the train sang Bhajans” (Change the voice) (1×3=3)

Ans:- Bhajans were sung by the people on the train.

(ii) Samuel said, “Swaminathan, where is your homework?” (Change into indirect speech)

Ans:- Samuel asked Swaminathan where his homework was.

(iii) He put it in an envelope and sealed it. (Turn into a simple sentence)

Ans:- Putting it in an envelope, he sealed it. / Having put it in an envelope, he sealed it.

Choose the correct phrasal verbs from the list given below to replace the words underlined. Write the correct phrasal verbs in the boxes on the right-hand side changing the form where necessary. There is one extra phrasal verb in the list: (1×3=3)

(i) Sahana visited you last night to invite you to her birthday party.

Ans:- called up.

(ii) Solving the puzzle was so difficult that I stopped trying.

Ans:- gave up.

(iii) The man created a story to avoid punishment.

Ans:- made up.

[call up, make up, call on, give up]

Given below are the meanings of four words which you will find in the passage in Question No. 3. Find out the words and write them in the appropriate boxes on the right-hand side: (2×4=8)

(i) loss: ________

Ans:- damage/damaged.

(ii) unprotected: ________

Ans:- exposed.

(iii) a person who moves from one place to another: ________

Ans:- migrant.

(iv) work: ________

Ans:- employment.

SECTION – C

WRITING SKILLS

Write a short biography (in about 100 words) of Sukumar Ray, the great Bengali writer and poet, on the basis of the points given below: 10

Birth: 30 October, 1887

Parents: Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury and Bidhumukhi Devi

Education: Attended City College School- – Graduated with double honours in Physics and Chemistry from Presidency College. trained in photography and printing technology from England.

Profession: Writer, illustrator, photographer, publisher of ‘Sandesh’, the famous children’s magazine.

Notable works: Notable for writing “nonsense” rhymes in Bengali e.g. Abol Tabol, Pagla Dashu, HaJaBaRaLa etc.

Death: September 10, 1923

Write a letter (within 100 words) to the editor of an English daily expressing concern about the frequent accidents due to rash driving in your area: 10
Write a paragraph (within 100 words) about how you celebrate Independence Day in your school. You may use the following points: 10

[Time of attendance – participants programmes – significance of celebrating the day.]

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