2015
ALTERNATIVE ENGLISH
Full Marks: 100
Time: 3 hours
The figures in the margin indicate full marks for the questions
1. (a) “If you here …… if you learn who I am you’ll be appalled. I …. I am a runaway convict.”
i) Who is the speaker? (1)
ii) Why does he say these words? (2)
iii) What is the listener’s immediate reaction? (4)
(b) “Be a friend and certify me insane”.
i) Who is this being said to? (1)
ii) What question does the listener ask? (2)
iii) What does the listener finally say? (4)
(c) “As I wrestled with the clauses and sections his voice rose like a gale.”
i) Who says this? (1)
ii) Where was the speaker and what was he trying to do? (2)
iii) What were the topics being discussed? (4)
d) “He’s gone at last! Really, I was all in a tremble for fear”.
i) Who says these words? (1)
ii) Why is the speaker afraid? (2)
iii) Are the speaker’s fears groundless or justified? Give a reasoned answer. (4)
(e) The authors of ‘The Many and the none’ claim that vegetables are being doctored.
i) Name the authors. (1)
ii) What is meant by ‘doctored’? (2)
2. Give short answers to the following: (1×6=6)
a) Where were the daffodils growing?
b) Where does the memory of the daffodils flash?
c) Who shook out the hearts of the trees?
d) Where did the bird fly out from when the traveler knocked on the door?
e) Does anyone answer his knock?
f) From whom does the speaker want to unlearn all these muting things?
3. Give brief answers to the following: (2×6=12)
a) What ‘wealth’ does the poet gain from the daffodils?
b) What comparison does the poet draw between the waves and the daffodils?
c) What happened to the birds when autumn came?
d) What message does the traveler leave behind for ‘them’ in ‘the Listeners’?
e) Briefly explain the following lines:
“I have learnt to wear many faces like dresses ___”
f) What difference do we see in their laugh between then and now?
4. Answer the following: (6×2=12)
a) Attempt a critical appreciation of “when Autumn Came’?
b) Bring out the central idea of the poem ‘Once Upon a Time’.
5. Frame sentences with any five of the words given below to bring out their meaning: (2×5=10)
Gazed, pensive, perplexed, ebony, resurrection, conforming, phantom, succumb, appalled, alias.
6. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions: (1×5=5)
1. The lion was resting _______ the shade of the tree.
2. The aeroplane flew right _______ the black cloud.
3. The ship rolled _______ the huge breakers.
4. The chicks’ _______ the nest were sleeping.
5. The fruits _______ the tree were ripe and sweet.
7. Add tag questions to the following: (1×5=5)
i) He travels a lot.
ii) She will come for dinner.
iii) He has come from Bangalore.
iv) They enjoyed themselves.
v) It is quite late.
8. You are Rohit/Radhika from Kaziranga. Your friend, Arvind from New Delhi, is planning a visit to the sanctuary and you are in his Delhi home discussing the proposed trip. Write down your discussion in the form of dialogues. (10)
9. Write a brief paragraph on the American President’s recent visit to India. (5)
