DEHRADUN PUBLIC SCHOOL
II TERM ASSIGNMENT (2016-17)
SUBJECT –ENGLISH(301)
CLASS -XI
SECTION A: READING
A.1 Read the following passage carefully:The work of the heart can never be interrupted The heart’s job is to keep oxygen rich blood
flowing through the body. All the body’s cells need a constant supply of Oxygen, especially those in
the brain. The brain cells like only four to five minutes after their oxygen is cut off, and death comes
to the entire body.
The heart is a specialized muscle that serves as a pump. This pump is divided into four
chambers connected by tiny doors called valves. The chambers work to keep the blood flowing
round the body in a circle.
At the end of each circuit, veins carry the blood to the right atrium, the first of the four
chambers 2/5 oxygen by then is used up and it is on its way back to the lung to pick up a fresh
supply and to give up the carbon dioxide it has accumulated. From the right atrium the blood flow
through the tricuspid valve into the second chamber, the right ventricle. The right ventricle
contracts when it is filled, pushing the blood through the pulmonary artery, which leads to the
lungs – in the lungs the blood gives up its carbon dioxide and picks up fresh oxygen. Then it travels
to the third chamber the left atrium. When this chamber is filled it forces the blood through the
valve to the left ventricle. From here it is pushed into a big blood vessel called aorta and sent round
the body by way of arteries.
Heart disease can result from any damage to the heart muscle, the valves or the pacemaker. If
the muscle is damaged, the heart is unable to pump properly. If the valves are damaged blood
cannot flow normally and easily from one chamber to another, and if the pacemaker is defective,
the contractions of the chambers will become un-coordinated.
Until the twentieth century, few doctors dared to touch the heart. In 1953 all this changed
after twenty years of work, Dr. John Gibbon in the USA had developed a machine that could take
over temporarily from the heart and lungs. Blood could be routed through the machine bypassing
the heart so that surgeons could work inside it and see what they were doing. The era of open
heart surgery had begun.
In the operating theatre, it gives surgeons the chance to repair or replace a defective heart.
Many parties have had plastic valves inserted in their hearts when their own was faulty. Many
people are being kept alive with tiny battery operated pacemakers; none of these repairs could
have been made without the heart – lung machine. But valuable as it is to the surgeons, the heart
lung machine has certain limitations. It can be used only for a few hours at a time because its
pumping gradually damages the bloods cells.
On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it, using headings & Sub
headings. Use recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary (minimum 4). Make a
summary of the passage in about 80 words.
A.2
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
It is reported that the government is close to finalizing a system of dual pricing for the public
procurement of food grains. There would be two basic elements to this system: Affixed Minimum
Support Price (MSP) covering the cost of cultivation, as at present, recommended by the
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Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), and variable procurement prices, at the
discretion of the department of food , depending on market For example, according to a working
group of the Planning Commission, over the five year period ending 2001-02 when there was a
steep rise in procurement price resulting in accumulation of embarrassing large stock of food grains
of over 60 million tones with the government, consumption of food grains in the country was
reduced, on this account, by at least five million tons per annum. The new system by assigning a
greater role for private trade can improve the efficiency in the distribution offood grains and
substantially cut down subsidies, which can help to step up much needed public investment in
agriculture. The proposed dual pricing system is a better alternative than total marketization of food
grains trade by disbanding altogether public procurement at MSP.
Such a dismantling could lead to a crash in market prices of food grains in years of food harvest.
Even though this may take exports competitive and raise domestic consumption of food grains in
the short run, it may undermine food security by sapping producer incentives. The experience of
green revolution underlines the importance of assured MSP including the farmers to step up their
own investment and effort and derive full benefit from available infrastructure.
For the dual pricing system to yield desired results, it needs to be backed by several other policy
measures. Since the impetus for crop diversification would be greater in the infrastructuraldeveloped regions like the north-west , this can slow down the growth of food grains output in the
country and, in particular, the surpluses procured, unless immediate measures are taken to
strengthen public support for irrigation, technology, extension and credit in the rest of the company,
especially in the central and eastern regions where there is a large potential as the growth of food
grains output has barely kept pace with population growth since the mid-90s. This also calls for
more effective public procurement of food grains at MSP in these regions, as farmers have to often
sell their produce immediately after the harvest at prices that are lower than MSP. Therefore, dual
pricing system can be sustained only through non-price interventions such as infrastructural
support for regional dispersal of growth in food grains output.
The new system requires better market intelligence forecasts as well as concurrent analyses on
prices and sales in markets in India and abroad.
On the basis of your reading answer the following questions
Q .1 What are the two elements of dual pricing system for procuring food grains?
Q. 2 How will the above proposed system benefit the nation?
Q .3 Mention at least four nonfood grain item used by the consumer
Q. 4 What is the result of ecological degradation in the north-western region of India ?
Q. 5 In order to boost the dual system what urgent measures are needed to be taken?
Q. 6 How we can sustain the dual pricing system?
Q.7 Find a synonym of ‘acquisition’ in Paragraph 3 and an antonym of ‘similar’ in paragraph 3.
SECTION B (WRITING SECTION AND GRAMMAR SECTION)
B.1 The Principal, Sunrise Global School, Jaipur requires a receptionist for her school. Draft a
suitable advertisement in about 50 words to be published in the classified columns of a national
newspaper giving all the necessary details of qualifications and experience required in the
receptionist.
B.2 Indian Assurance Company, New Delhi has given an advertisement in ‘The Hindustan Times’ for
recruitment of management trainees to be groomed as managers of their company. Apply for the
same, giving your detailed bio-data (curriculum vitae).Invent all necessary details. You are Aman
/Aditi, 54-A, Gulab Road, Lucknow.
B.3 As the staff reporter of ‘The Hindu’ you witnessed a fire accident in theCentral Market,
Bangalore. Write a report in 150-200 words for publication in the newspaper.
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B.4 You are Anshu /Anita. You have secured 95% marks in English .Your English teacher has
persuaded you to share the secret of your success with your schoolmates. You decide to deliver a
speech ‘English is an extremely scoring subject’ in the morning assembly. Write the speech in about
150-200 words.
B.5 You are Akhil / Karishma of 119, Mall Road, Shimla. You are interested in doing a short-term
course in computer programming during yours summer vacation. Write a letter to the Director
Computer World, Sector22, Chandigarh, inquiring about the duration of such a course and the terms
and conditions for admission. Word limit: 200 words.
B.6 Write a letter to the Commissioner of Chennai Corporation, complaining about the poor sanitary
conditions and mosquito menace in your locality.
B.7 You are Ashwini/Meena of C-23, Chitra Park, Jaipur. Write a letter to M/s Saraswati House (Pvt)
Ltd, Daryaganj, New Delhi asking for a catalogue of books, terms and conditions of supply and mode
of payment etc.
B.8 As librarian, Model Secondary School ,Neyveli, Write a letter to M/s Sohanlal &amp ;Bros.
,Booksellers, Agra, placing an order for books (Mention atleast 4 titles of the books) to be supplied
immediately.
B.9 Rearrange the following words to make meaningful sentences.
(a) is/ the / best/ water/ in its/quencher /thirst / natural form
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________
(a) Increase/ the acid/ summer/ may / during/ level
(c) the/sparrow/from/city/it/disappeared/house/has/seems/common/the/ that
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________
(d) factors/and/pollution/herbs/native/importrant/the/responsible/are/loss/shrubs/of
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________
(e) age/ of/ at/five/a/years/child/not/much/does/ understand
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________
B.10 Read the text below, and fill in the gaps with suitable words.
Spiders are most fascinating of nature’s smaller creatures. Several hundred species of spiders are
(a)__________ in India. They are often shy and short eye sighted. They are quick to get away
(b)____________ we come too close. They don’t sting often, nor is(c) ____________ bite severe. Some ant’s
bite hurt (d) _______________than spider’s sting. A large number of spiders inhibit our environment
(e)___________________ the females of only two kinds are known to be dangerous.
B.11 In the given passage below underline the error and write the correction in the space
provided.
My father become chief secretary of Tamil Nadu
Incorrect
Correct
(a)
_______________
_____________
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on 1962. Soon after, he told my cousin and me,
(b)
_____________
_______________
Whenever we accompanied him to any functions,
(c)
_____________
_______________
we were to sit on the car on either side of him
(d)
_____________
_______________
and gave him a nudge if we saw a policeman
(e)
_____________
_______________
salute him which he was preoccupied studying
(f)
_____________
_______________
his notes. He said so that he was concerned
(g)
_____________
_______________
of the policemen standing in the hot sun.
(h)
_____________
_______________
he felt that he would return their greetings.
(i)
_____________
_______________
when they took the trouble of saluting them.
B.12 Read the following conversation between shop assistant and Rina and then complete
the blanks given in the reported speech.
Shop Assistant: Good after noon, can I help you?
Rina
: I need a few greeting cards.
Shop Assistant: The greeting cards section is over there, to your right.
Rina
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
: Thank you very much
Shop Assistant wished Rina and asked her__________________her.
Rina told him that_____________________ cards.
The shop Assistant told her that the greeting cards section________________right.
Rina______________very much
B.13.a Complete the dialogues by filling in the blanks with passive construction
Asha :
Who stitches your clothes?
Neha :
My clothes ____________in Kamla Nagar.
Asha :
They are beautiful. Who buys the material for your dresses.
Neha :
The material _______________________________
Asha :
And who designs your outfits?
Neha :
The outfit I am wearing today_______________________
Asha :
Your yellow dress has beautiful embroidery .who did it?
Neha :
Oh!, the yellow dress ______________________________
Asha :
Where did you learn to embroider?
Neha :
I ______________by my mother.
B13.b Ravi and Raj are planning to visit Jaipur. Complete the dialogue between them using
the following sentences as clauses.
1. How are we going?
2. What are we carrying?
3. When I was a child.
Ravi:
I am really excited about the trip.
Raj :
I have been to the place
________________
Ravi:
Tell me ________________by car or train?
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Raj :
We’ll be going by car. Have you decided_____________________
B.14 Correct errors in the following sentences and rewrite the correct sentences.
1. Anyone lives by selling something or the other.
2. Teachers live off selling knowledge.
3. It is extreme difficult to please him.
4. He is living in the city for 1995.
5. Bread and butter are a common breakfast.
SECTION C (LITERATURE)
HORNBILL
CHAPTER-5 THE AILING PLANET
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:
Q.1 What does the notice “The world’s most dangerous animals” at a cage in the zoo at Lusaka,
Zambia, signify?
Q.2 Who is ‘the world’s most dangerous animal’? What was he learnt?
Q.3 Explain the statement ‘forest precede mankind; deserts follow’.
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTION:
What are the earth’s principal biological systems? Why have they been depleted and how can they
be preserved?
VALUE BASED QUESTION:
“We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children”
Margaret Thatcher’s words highlight the theme of the lesson ‘The Ailing Planet: The Green
Movement’s Role’. You feel very concerned about this earth which is being destroyed by all sorts of
pollution, deforestation, depletion of resources etc. Write an article in about 100 words on ‘Save the
Planet Earth’.
CHAPTER-9 BROWNING VERSION
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:
Q.1 Why could Taplow not understand Crocker’s joke? Why did then he laugh at it?
Q.2 Why did Taplow not ‘cut’ from there when Frank told him to do so?
Q.3 Why doesn’t Taplow agree with Frank in calling Crocker a ‘sadist’?
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTION:
Mr. Crocker Haris is the subject of conversation between Taplow and Frank. What kind of picture
emerges of Mr. Haris as a teacher and as a person.
VALUE BASED QUESTION:
The play ‘The Browning Version’ makes you think about teachers in general as you read about
Andrew Crocker-Harris with all his eccentricities and qualities. Write an article in about 100 words
on ‘An Idealist Portrait of the Teacher’.
POEM-CHILDHOOD
EXTRACT:
Where did my childhood go?
It went to some forgotten place,
That’s hidden in an infant’s face,
That’s all I know.
(i) What does the first line of stanza indicate?
(ii) How does the speaker feel about the loss of his childhood?
(iii) Is the poet still a child or a grown up? Which line gives a clue to the answer?
(iv) What is the mental state of the poet here?
POEM-FATHER TO SON
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EXTRACT:
Father and son, we both must live
On the same globe and the same land,
He speaks: I cannot understand
Myself, why anger grows from grief.
We each put out an empty hand,
Longing for something to forgive.
(i) How do they live?
(ii) What emotions does the father feel?
(iii) Explain: ‘we each put out an empty hand’.
(iv) What do they earn for?
SNAPSHOTS
CHAPTER- 8 THE TALE OF MELON CITY
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:
Q.1 What is the significance of the phrase ‘just and placid’, used for the king?
Q.2 What was the wisest man verdict?
Q.3 How does the story reinforce the ‘principles of laiseez faire’ here?
LONG ANSWER QUESTION:
How can peace and liberty be actually maintained well in a state?
VALUE BASED QUESTION:
The poet is very critical about the attitude of the general public who are lethargic about their
participation in the decision making of choosing their ruler. The public is not interested in who the
ruler is as long as they live in peace and harmony. In India about 40% people, especially the rich and
educated people, don’t exercise their franchise. Based on your reading of the poem ‘The Tale of a
Melon City’, write a paragraph on the topic: ‘Universal franchise should be made mandatory’.
CHAPTER-7 BIRTH
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:
Q.1 What is meant by a ‘desperate sense of defeat, pressed on him’ in the lesson ‘birth’.
Q.2 What is meant by the statement ‘I’ve done something real at last’?
Q.3 What was the conflict in Andrew’s mind regarding marriage?
LONG ANSWER QUESTION:
There is great difference between the textbook teaching and the practical life. How can this
statement be supported by you while reading the story ‘Birth’?
VALUE BASED QUESTION:
“ A doctor must remain committed to saving life. Unfortunately, this commitment is rarely to be
seen nowadays”.
CHAPTER -3 RANGA’S MARRIAGE
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:
Q.1 “There is a little irony in Ranga’s statement in the beginning when he says that he did not
believe in arranged marriages”. Explain.
Q.2 How has English language been made a subject of fun by the author in ‘Ranga’s marriage’?
Q.3 How did author come to know that Ranga had fallen in love with Ratna?
LONG ANSWER QUESTION:
Who was Ranga? What was special about him? Ranga represents modern rural India where the
youth aspire to improve their life through education. Comment.
VALUE BASED QUESTION:
Indian society has moved a long way from the way the marriage is arranged in the story. Discuss.
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CHAPTER-5 MOTHER’S DAY
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS:
Q.1 “Sometimes it does people good to have their feeling hurt.” Do you agree with Mrs Pearson’s
observations?
Q.2 Why is George Pearson incensed at Mrs Fitzerald’s utterances?
Q.3 How does the Pearson family spend the evening finally?
LONG ANSWER QUESTION:
“The shock treatment makes the thoughtless and selfish persons realize the real position of the lady
of the house”. How far do you agree with the statement? Give reasons for your answer.
VALUE BASED QUESTION:
The play ‘Mother’s Day’ is a humorous and satirical depiction of the status of the woman in a family
.Bring out briefly the elements of humor and satire.
Novel
Q.1 Who was the Duke of Chesire? What role does he play in the novel “The Canterville ghost”
Q.2 Draw the character sketch of Mrs. Otis.
Q.3 Describe the Garden of Death.
Q.4 Describe the funeral of Sir Simon.
Q.5 Why did Mr. Otis request to Lord Canterville to accept the jewels? What was his reply?
Q.6 Give a character sketch of Virginia as the harbinger of love and peace.
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