English (Language and Literature) – 2008 Comptt.

SECTION D—Textbooks(45)

Q.10. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: 5

‘He knows that I am lost’, I thought. ‘He’s trying to help me.’ He turned his aeroplane slowly to the north, in front of my Dakota, so that it would be easier for me to follow him. I was very happy to go behind the strange aeroplane like an obedient child.
After half an hour the strange black aeroplane was still there in front of me in the clouds. Now there was only enough fuel in the old Dakota’s last tank to fl y for fi ve or ten minutes more. I was starting to feel frightened again. But then he started to go down and I followed through the storm.

(a) Who does ‘he’ refer to in the passage? 1
(b) Who is ‘he’ trying to help and why? 1
(c) How did he help the pilot of the Dakota? 2
(d) Find out a word from the passage which means the opposite of : ‘insuffi cient’. 1
(e) The word ‘slaughter’ means ‘the killing of animals for their meat’.

Q.11. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow. 5
Mark! while relatives are looking on and lamenting deeply, one by one mortals are carried off, like an ox that is led to the slaughter. So the world is affl icted with death and decay, therefore the wise do not grieve, knowing the terms of the world.
Not from weeping nor from grieving will anyone obtain peace of mind; on the contrary, his pain will be greater and his body will suffer. He will make himself sick and pale, yet the dead are not saved by his lamentation. He who seeks peace should draw out the arrow of lamentation, and complaint, and grief.
(a) Why did the Buddha give this sermon to ‘Kisa Gotami’? 1
(b) What is the fate of mortals in the world? 1
(c) Why do the wise men not grieve? 1
(d) Who can obtain peace of mind in the world? 1
(e) Find out a word from the passage which means the same as ‘the killing of animals for their meat’. 1

Ans. (a) Buddha gave this sermon to Kisa Gotami because she was lamenting and grieving the death of her son.
(b) Mortals are carried off from the world in the midst of lamenting relatives.
(c) Knowing the terms of the world and its affl iction with death and decay wise men do not grieve.
(d) He who remains composed and does not resort to grieving and lamentation will obtain peace of mind in this world.
(e) The word ‘slaughter’ means ‘the killing of animals for their meat’.

Q.12. Answer the following question in about 80 words: 6

Write a character sketch of Lencho in your own words.

Or

Describe Peggy’s and Maddie’s thoughts as they went to Boggins Heights to say sorry to Wanda.

Ans. See Q.12, 2004 (I Outside Delhi).

Or

Peggy and Maddie went to Boggins Heights to say sorry to Wanda. At that time Peggy convinced herself that she had never called Wanda a foreigner or made fun of her name. Maddie could only hope that they would fi nd Wanda. She wanted to tell her they were sorry they had picked on her, and how wonderful the whole school thought she was. She also wanted to request her not to go away and ensure her that everybody would be nice to her. She also wanted to convince her that she and Peggy would fi ght anybody who was not nice to her.

English Language and Literature 2008 Question Papers Class X