Class 9 English Elective (184) Sample Paper
Annual Examination (2020-21)
Class-IX
Sub- English
Time: 3:00 hour/M.M -80
All questions are compulsory.
SECTION-A (READING)
1- Read the passage given below and answer the questions/complete the statements that follow: (10)
Chocolate diamonds are actually brown diamonds and compared to the well- known white diamond they aren’t much worth. Diamonds are produced in mines. The best known diamond mines are in Australia, South Africa and Russia. The largest diamond mine was discovered in 1976 in the desert of Australia near a little creek named Lake Argyle. Diamonds are created under very extreme conditions of pressure and high temperature. It is a general misunderstanding that there exist only white colorless diamonds. Actually, diamonds exist in many different colors.
Of all the diamond mines in the world, almost 80% of all diamonds produced are brownish in colour. Because they were found in such large quantities compared to the other coloured diamonds, they were considered as low-valued diamonds, only good for the industrial sector. But, a famous man called Le Vian came with a marketing campaign to increase the popularity of the chocolate diamond. Instead of calling it a brown diamond, he gave it popular names like caramel, chocolate, cinnamon and cognac. Since his marketing campaign, chocolate diamonds are becoming very popular.
The value of a diamond is based on its shape, brightness and colour. Because white diamonds are rare, their value is based on the fact that there are not many white diamonds around. But if you look at the shape and brightness, then the brightest diamond in this world known to men is a brown diamond. Before the development of the Argyle Diamond Mine in Australia in 1986, most brown diamonds were considered, worthless for jewellery; they were not even assessed on the diamond colour scale, and were predominantly used for industrial purposes.
However, marketing strategies changed in the 1980s and brown diamonds have become popular gems. The change was mostly due to the supply: the Argyle mine, with its 35 million carats (7,000 kg) of diamonds per year, makes about one third of global production of natural diamonds; 80% of Argyle diamonds are brown. The percentage of brown diamonds is lower in other mines, but it is almost always a significant part of the total production. Consequently, scientific research on causes of brown colour in diamond and ways to alter it has intensified.
a) The wrong notion about diamonds is that _______.
b) Brown diamonds were considered low in value because _______ .
c) Brown diamonds became popular owing to _______ .
d) The value of a diamond is based on its _______ .
e) Why are the white diamonds rare?
f) Name the popular names given to brown diamonds by Le Vian.
g) Based on shape and brightness, which is the brightest diamond known to the mankind?
h) Find the word from the passage that means ’a planned set of actions aimed at achieving a particular result’.
i) When have brown diamonds become popular gems?
j) 80% of Argyle diamonds are…………….
2- Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (10)
Su means number and Doku means single. The game of Sudoku has many similarities with the game of life. Sudoku is a puzzle game designed for a single player, much like a crossword puzzle. The puzzle itself is nothing more than a grid of little boxes called “cells”. They are stacked nine high and nine wide, making 81 cells total.
The roots of the Sudoku puzzle are in the Switzerland. Leonhard Euler created “carre latin” in the 18th century which is similar to a Sudoku puzzle. The first real Sudoku was published in 1979 and was invented by Howard Gams, an American architect. The real world wide popularity started in Japan in 1986 after it was published and given the name Sudoku by Nikoli.
In life, too, you start with a given set of notions and then work from there on. In Sudoku, you need to follow a set of rules to build up the grid, filling each row, column and box with numbers ranging from one to nine, so much like in life where you have to go on your way without hurting anyone else. Respect every number (person), and things would be fine.
While playing, you never think of the end (the result); you just keep working on the numbers and the final result (fruits of action) comes on its own. Extremely difficult puzzles may take hours. Similarly, to achieve desired results in life may take years. The game of Sudoku and the game of life are best played in calm but in a focused state.
Everything has to go together in a Sudoku grid: the rows, columns and squares. Exactly as in life. Your duties towards your family, teachers, society and country all go on simultaneously. In Sudoku, the arrangement of the given numbers is symmetrical. This is instructive in life, on how to maintain steadfast faith, poise and equanimity despite situations when everything turns topsy- turvy.
There is a subtle difference between the two as well. Make a mistake and you can erase it and begin all over again in Sudoku. Not so in life. You can learn a lesson through it, and avoid making the same mistake in future.
a) What is Sudoku?
b) How has the writer compared the numbers in Sudoku to life?
c) What is the similarity between Sudoku and Life?
d) How do we achieve the desired result?
e) Who created “Carre Latin” in the 18th century which is similar to a Sudoku puzzle?
f) What lesson can we learn through the game of Sudoko?
g) Find the word opposite in meaning to ’obvious ’.
h) Find the word opposite in meaning to ’ruffled ’.
i) Everything has to go together in a Sudoku grid: the rows, columns and………………
j) While playing sudoku you just keep working on the numbers and………
3- Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: (5)
I used to collect the seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque Street.
i) Who is “I” in this extract?
ii) Which seeds did he collect?
iii) Why were the seeds collected?
iv) What was done to the collected seeds?
v) Write the antonym of the word buy from the extract.
4- Read the extract given bellow and answer the following questions- (5)
Along the sand,
He lay until observed
And chased away, and now
He vanishes in the ripples
Among the green slim reeds
i) Who does he refer to in this stanza?
ii) Where was he lying?
iii) Who chased him?
iv) Where does he vanish?
v) Name the poet of the given stanza?
SECTION-B (WRITING AND GRAMMAR)
5- You love your father very much, for he is an ideal father. Describe him in your own words in 100-150 words. 5
Or
Last summer vacation you went to your friend’s village. His grandmother looked after you as if you were her grandchild. Describe her in 100-150 words.
6- Develop a story in about 120-150 words with the following beginning. Also give a suitable title. (5)
An old couple was living in Shobit’s adjacent flat. One day, he saw some commotion in their house. He went there and found.
7- Complete the following sentences with use of suitable verb form- (4)
i) What…………..your name?
ii) Where…………..you live?
iii) How old………………..they?
iv) Where……………..she go?
8- Identify the tense in the following sentences- (4)
i) I shall see you tomorrow.
ii) My Mother washed my cloths yesterday.
iii) She has completed her work
iv) I have been playing cricket for 2 hours.
9- Fill in the blanks with suitable determiner: (2)
i) Only …………………….salt will add taste to the soup. (a little/the little)
ii) She ate…………………the apples. (all/whole)
SECTION-C (LITERATURE TEXTBOOK AND EXTENDED READING TEXT)
10- Answer any Two questions from (a) to (c) and Any Two questions from (d) to (f) in 20-30 words each: 8
i) What price did Bismillah Khan earn at the Bihariji temple?
ii) Mention the characteristic that Abdul inherit from their parents.
iii) What is generally considered as a “curse” in Indian society?
iv) Why did the Guru want to leave this kingdom quickly?
v) Describe the appearance of Toto?
vi) What did the happy Price do with the sapphire?
11- Answer any Two questions from (i) to (iii) and Any Two questions from (iv) to (vi) in 40-50 words each: (12)
i) Describe Evelyn Glennie’s fascination toward music.
ii) Wind is a friend and a foe at the same time. With whom is the wind a friend and with whom it is a foe?
iii) How did the father help Maria in realizing her dream?
iv) What did Toto do in the writer’s room?
v) How did the thief die? What did the king think?
vi) Why was the swallow not ready to leave the happy prince?
12- Answer the following questions in about 100-120 words. (10)
i) Even though the prince was called the Happy Prince, he was actually very sad. Write in detail the reasons for his sadness.
ii) How, according to the poet, a tree cannot be destroyed even if a few blows of an axe are dealt with?