NIOS| ENGLISH (302)| QUESTION PAPER – (JAN-FEB)

NIOS| ENGLISH (302)| QUESTION PAPER – (JAN-FEB) - 2021| SENIOR SECONDARY

ENGLISH
(302)
Time: 3 hours
Maximum Marks: 100

Note: (i) This Question Paper consists of two sections, viz, ‘A’ and ‘B’

(ii) All the questions from Section ‘A’ are compulsory.

(iii) Section ‘B’ has two options Candidates are required to attempt questions from one option only.

(iv) Marks are indicated against each question.

SECTION – A

1. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

(a) Whenever I went to my uncle’s house my favourite pastime used to be to take out his pullovers and caress them with a sense of longing. I was so attracted by the India test pullovers that once I even dared to ask him if I could take one, since he had so many. My uncle told me that one has to sweat and earn the India ‘colours’ and I too should work hard to earn the distinction. That is a lesson I have never forgotten.

(i) In the extract given above the speaker talks about his favourite pastime. What was it? 1

(ii) What did the speaker ask his uncle for? Why? 1

(iii) What was the lesson that the speaker has never forgotten? 1

(iv) Pick out the words from the extract which are similar in meaning to the following expressions: ½ + ½ =1

(a) To touch something in a gentle and loving way.

(b) Quality of being excellent.

One night when my mother was administering these eye drops, and I was protesting with loud cries, my father unexpectedly returned. He asked and I told him why I was crying. He was very angry.

He forbade her to make any more visits to the hakims, and strictly prohibited the purchase of any more surmas.

(i) What made the speaker protest? 1

(ii) What was his father’s rection? 1

(iii) What action did the father take? 1

(iv) Pick out the words from the extract which are similar in meaning to the following expressions: ½ + ½ =1

Action that shows that one does not like something.

To say that something is not allowed.

(b) It was a long ride to the Sorley farm and the sight of a man walking alone along the country road, as seen just ahead by the lights of the car, was a welcome relief to the doctor. He slowed down and looked at the man walking along with difficulty against the wind, a little package under his arm.

Coming alongside, Doctor stopped and invited the man to ride. The man got in.

(i) Who was going to the Sorley farm? What kind of a ride was it? 1

(ii) What was a welcome relief to this person? 1

(iii) What did this person do? 1

(iv) Pick out the words from the extract which are similar in meaning to the following expressions: ½ + ½ =1

(a) The feeling that one has when something unpleasant becomes less strong.

(b) To ask somebody to do something.

Tembu, who was twelve, did not always sleep with his father at the station, for he had also to help in the home, where his mother and small sister were usually alone. They lived in a small tribal village on the outskirts of the forest, about three miles from the station. Their small rice fields did not provide them with more than a bare living and Baldeo considered himself lucky to have got the job of Khalasi at this small wayside signal stop.

(i) Why didn’t Tembu accompany his father to the station daily? 1

(ii) Where did Tembu and his family live? 1

(iii) Why did Baldeo consider himself to be lucky? 1

(iv) Pick out the words from the extract which are similar in meaning to the following expressions: ½ + ½ =1

(a) The parts of a town or a city that are furthest from the centre.

(b) To supply something.

2. Answer in about 30 to 40 words any three of the following questions: 3x2=6

(a) Why was the intruder a hunted cat? (If Were You)

(b) Why were Aradhana’s family members proud of her? (I Must Know the Truth)

(d) Why did Bholi talk very little? Give two reasons. (Bholi)

3. Answer the following question in about 60 words. 6

What does the writer think is wrong with the present system of education? What kind of education does he recommend? Do you agree? Give reasons. (Father Dear Father)

Name the first Indian state that used wind energy. Can it be used elsewhere? If so, where? (Fuel of the Future)

4. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

Where the clear stream of reason

has not lost its way into the

dreary desert sand of dead habit;

Where the mind is led forward

by thee into ever widening

thought and action-

into that heaven of freedom,

my father,

let my country awake.

(a) Why is reason compared with ‘clear stream’? 2

(b) Where has reason lost its way? 1

How often I think of going

There, to peer through blind eyes of windows or

Just listen to the frozen air,

Or in wild despair, pick an armful of

Darkness to bring it here to lie

Behind my bedroom door like a brooding

Dog…

(a) Pick out the expressions which suggest that the above extract is about a house. 2

(b) What do the expressions ‘frozen air’ and ‘an armful of darkness’ convey? 1

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

The 20^th century was perhaps the deadliest in human history, devastated by innumerable conflicts, untold suffering, and unimaginable crimes. Time after time, a group or a nation inflicted extreme violence on another, often driven by irrational hatred and suspicion, or unbounded arrogance and thirst for power and resources. In response to these disasters, the leaders of the world came together at mid-century to unite the nations as never before.

A forum was created – the United Nations – where all nations could join forces to affirm the dignity and worth of every person, and to secure peace and development for all peoples.

(a) Why was the twentieth century the deadliest in human history? 2

(b) What made the nations inflict extreme violence against one another? 2

(d) What is the role of the United Nations Organisation? 2

6. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

‘My own grandmother saved me from being crushed to death by a falling tree. We were returning after visiting one of my uncles. There had been a heavy downpour the previous night and the earth had become loose and the roots had lost their grip and a tree began to fall just as we came under it. I was on this side and she was on that side, nearer the tree. She realized what was about to happen, and at once held out her hands and gripped the tree trunk and prevented its fall. She was eighty years old, mind you, and the tree was not a sapling either. It was an ancient mango tree about a hundred feet tall. She held it so firmly that passers-by who came to the rescue found it difficult to separate her from the tree and let it fall over to the other side of the road.’

(a) What was the impact of a heavy downpour? 2

(b) What did the speaker’s grandmother realise? What action did she take? 2

(c) Pick out the details from the extract which indicate that the speaker’s grandmother was a strong and a courageous lady. 2

(d) Pick out the words from the passage which are similar in meaning to the following expressions: 1+1=2

(a) a heavy, sudden fall of rain.

(b) held tightly.

7. Read the passage given below and complete the statements that follow:

My father was finding it difficult, walking in the dark; he kept slipping on the colds of earth. I longed to give him my arm but, among the vines, we could only advance in single file. At last, we arrived at the foot of a hill. A stream flowed in front of us and the rain had begun to fall again. It protected us, for it made visibility very poor. The frontier guards could see no better than we did.

(a) My father was ______(i); walking in the dark; he kept ________(ii) of earth. 1

(b) I longed ________(i) but, among the vines, we ______(ii) in a single file. 1

(d) It ________(i), for it made _____(ii) poor. 1

8. Read the passage given below and make a summary in about 100 words. 5

Chess is an ancient game. Its invention has been ascribed at various times to the Greeks, Egyptians, Arabs, Persians and Indians. Today it is generally agreed that the original home was India, where it was a popular game known by the name chaturanga. Sir William Jones, the great Indologist gathered evidence which showed that the game was exported from India to Persia and not the other way about as claimed by some historians. The Arabs learnt the game from the Persians and called it Shatranj. The next stage in the history of chess was its spread to the west. The Muslim conquerors brought it to Spain, and the Byzantines to Italy. From these countries it spread to France and then to Scandinavia and England. Soon all Europe was playing the game. It was a recreation of the nobility who not only played the game but also patronised good players.

9. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the appropriate passive forms of the verbs given in the brackets. 3

Atul’s birthday (a) __________(celebrate) by his grandmother, yesterday. Many friends and relatives (b) _______(invite). A programme of entertainment (c) ______(organise) by his aunt.

10. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the appropriate forms of the verb given in the brackets. 4

It rained without stopping, day and night. The trees and the fields (a) ________(grow) green. They were very happy. They (b) ________(laugh) and danced, but soon, the rivers (c) _______(begin) to flood their banks. The people (d) ______(start) complaining.

11. Combine the following pairs of sentences using the connectors given against each pair. 4x1=4

(a) (i) He felt tired.

(ii) He laid his work aside. (because)

(b) (i) He must confess his fault.

(ii) He may thus escape punishment. (If)

(ii) The court listened silently. (When)

(d) (i) The dog bit the man.

(ii) He was a notorious burglar. (Who)

12. Report the following conversation in indirect speech. 4

Seema: Hello Kanika, where are you going?

Kanika: I am going to the market to get sportswear. Could you suggest a standard shop?

Seema: You can go to ‘AB-FOOTWEAR’ shop in ‘Z’ block market.

Kanika: Thank you Seema.

13. Write a paragraph of about 100 words on any one of the following topics. 5

(a) World Peace – the need of the hour.

(b) Let us weed out corruption from our society.

14. Write a letter to your friend congratulating him on his brilliant performance in his tenth-class examinations. 5

15. The following passage has seven mistakes of spellings and other grammatical inaccuracies. Spot the errors and provide correct forms as shown below. One is done for you to serve as an example. 6

Oil of many kinds play a very important part in our life’s. If your skin is sunburnt, you rub some oil into it. Is yours hairs too dry? Oil it. You oil parts of your bicycle to make it go smoothly. Unless you maintain a sufficient quantity of oil in your motor car engine, you will spoil it.

S.NO.	ERROR	CORRECT FORM
1	play	plays
2	……..	……..
3	……..	……..
4	……..	……..
5	……..	……..
6	……..	……..
7	……..	……..

16. Read the passage given below carefully. Make notes in points only, using appropriate headings and subheadings. Also use recognizable abbreviations. 4

The guide stopped abruptly and, with a motion of his hand, gave us the order to squat down. Panting, we sat down in the wet grass. How good it was to sit down for a little. It was eleven on the luminous dial of my watch.

Was it possible we had already been walking for an hour and a half? The sweat began to chill again on my back. I was thirsty. The guide came up to us without raising himself upright.

‘I don’t know if they’ve already gone past, ‘he whispered. Then he added: ‘I’m frightened.’

SECTION – B

Note: (i) Attempt any one of the two options.

(ii) Attempt all the questions from the same option.

OPTION – I

(E.S.P. FOR RECEPTIONISTS)

17. A receptionist works in an office called the ‘Front Office’. What are her/his duties at the Front Office? Mention only four. 4

18. Complete the following statements: 1+1=2

(a) The two prime requirements of a receptionist are ________.

(b) On receiving a telephone call the first thing that the receptionist has to do is to ________.

19. Write notes on the following: 4

(a) Register of Callers.

(b) Message Forms.

20. What are the two major problems that a receptionist has to deal with while handling the telephone calls? 2

(a) I am sorry Sir, all the rooms on the ground floor are booked.

(b) Well Sir, the tariff of a deluxe room is rupees seven thousand per day.

(d) The check out time is 12 noon.

OPTION – II

(E.S.P. FOR OFFICE USE)

17. Match the responses to the greetings in the table below: 3

Greetings

Responses

(i) How are you feeling now?

(ii) Hello Madhu! Great to see you here.

(iii) Hi! How’s life?

(a) Wonderful!

(b) I am fine.

18. Write an e-mail to Raj Hotel, Agra, asking them to cancel your reservation for 18^th and 19^th December and book your accommodation for 21^st and 22^nd December instead. 2

19. Say whether the following statements are true or false. 4

(a) To prepare for an interview, we must buy new clothes.

(b) You should aim to get a job that gives you high pay.

(d) Knowing about the organisation is a mark of a serious candidate.

20. What is a memo? For what purpose is it generally used? 2

21. Write a letter to the manager of Royal Bank, Delhi, requesting him to stop payment of a cheque issued by you. 4

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3. GK

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NIOS| ENGLISH (302)| QUESTION PAPER – (JAN-FEB) - 2021| SENIOR SECONDARY