ICSE Class 10, 9 English Language Practice Papers – 6 With Answers
Write a composition (350-400 words) on any one of the following:
EnglishMathsPhysicsChemistryBiology
ICSE SolutionsSelina ICSE SolutionsML Aggarwal Solutions
Question 1(a).
The advantages and disadvantages of co-education in schools. Discuss.
Answer:
Co-education implies a system of teaching of both boys and girls in the same school and under the same roof without any discrimination. The great Greek philosopher, Plato had propagated the system of co-education in the ancient times. He believed that co-education would create a feeling of comradeship between boys and girls and would also develop their personalities to the maximum.
There are a numerous advantages in the co-educational system of education. Firstly, if boys and girls are taught together in the same school under the same roof, there will be no need to open separate schools for girls. A poor country like India cannot afford the luxury of opening separate schools for boys and girls. Co-education is thus economical.
Secondly, it will help overcome the problem of shortage of trained teachers in India. If the same staff teaches boys and girls together, we can manage with the existing staff of teachers.
Besides co-education helps boys and girls to inter-mingle and understand each other well. It leads to harmonious relationship between boys and girls. I t will create a sense of healthy competition among them and they will work hard and pay serious attention to their studies. A feeling of comradeship will also develop between the boys and girls. Thus they will have a balanced development of their personality. When boys and girls study together boys their curiosity is satisfied and they do not consider girls as strange creatures. They learn to respect them.
However, certain critics of this system cite many disadvantages also. According to them, this system is against our tradition. They also fear that co-education will develop immoral relationships between boys and girls. They believe that in this system both the boys and girls will be spoilt. But these arguments do not hold much water.
Thus, we can say that the advantages of the system of co-education outweigh the disadvantages. We should move with the times and open more and more coeducational institutions in India. The hackneyed morality of the medieval ages should not be allowed to stand in the way of the progress of our youth who are the future citizens of India.
Question 1(b).
Suppose you were granted a wish, what would you wish for and why?
Answer:
I want so many things in life. Like most humans, I acknowledge the fact that my desires are insatiable every time I gain something, I end up wanting more. I demand to get something better than what I already have. Indeed, men always aspire for the things that they don’t have. Therefore the one wish that I would ask for would be to ask for contentment and courage to accept whatever life gives us. Life is beautiful but not always easy, it has problems, too, and the challenge lies in facing them with courage, letting the beauty of life act like a balm, which makes the pain bearable, during trying times, by providing hope. Happiness, sorrow, victory, defeat, day-night are the two sides of the coin. Similarly life is full of moments of joy, pleasure, success and comfort punctuated by misery, defeat, failures and problems. There is no human being on Earth, strong, powerful, wise or rich, who has not experienced, struggle, suffering or failure. A person who has not encountered difficulties in life can never achieve success.
Difficulties test the courage, patience, perseverance and true character of a human being. Adversity and hardships make a person strong and ready to face the challenges of life with equanimity. There is no doubt that there can be no gain without pain. It is only when one toils and sweats it out that success is nourished and sustained.
Thus, life is and should not be just a bed of roses; thorns are also a part of it and should be accepted by us just as we accept the beautiful side of life.
When we feel that life should be a bed of roses we are disillusioned soon and become victims of depression and frustration. One who faces difficulties with courage and accepts success without letting it go to its head is the one who experience real happiness, contentment and peace in life.
Hus I feel that if I get my wish of having contentment and courage to face and accept the vagaries of life, I will be able to live happily and in peace, welcoming its joys and sorrows with equanimity.
Question 1(c).
Many poor people beg on the streets. Do you think people should give a little whenever they can, or is it better to make a donation to a social organization that focuses on the problem?
Answer:
There was a time when I would occasionally give a little money to a beggar thinking that a homeless,hungry man would be in need of some money to buy food or a cup of tea. Those rupees, I have thought, would mean much more to him than they did to me, and giving was a nice thing to do. Upon reflection, however, I have come to change my mind, and now I don’t give money to beggars because every rupee that we give to a beggar, the more lucrative we make begging and, comparatively, the less lucrative we make working. And we definitely don’t want people to beg. Working is productive; begging is often a burden and a nuisance. Secondly, there is no guarantee that the beggar who receives the money will spend it in ways that increase the quality of his life. He might well spend the money on alcohol or drugs, and end up financing organized crime.
Thirdly it is almost certain that you will end up giving your money to the wrong people. The reason why is that, presumably, you live in the developed world—and so do the beggars that you walk past on the street. The vast majority of beggars living in the developed world, moreover, have a quality of life that millions in the developing world can only dream of. You are likely to give your money to the beggars who already get the most from other givers who like you take into account their location, looks and physical condition. Chances are that one ends up giving to the Mother Theresa look-a likes (and their equivalents),and not to the poor men and women whose appearances have less power to elicit sympathy and guilt in passers- by and who occupy less favourable spots in the city. If our aim is to benefit others, then giving money to beggars is also sub optimal. Either way, giving money to beggars is wasteful. Besides if we seek to help others, we should not merely give to those who are geographically close to us and whose appearances elicit our sympathy. Rather, we should give to those who are. the worst off, who can be helped the most with each that we give, and who are the least responsible for the situation that they’re in. To achieve his, we should consciously decide how much of our money we are willing to spend on helping others, and keep aside the ratio that we decide upon. Then we should find a suitable charitable organisation to donate the money we have set aside. But we must ensure that it is a genuine organisation working for the betterment of the destitute across the world. This way we can help the needy and also remove the menace of encouraging the profession of begging.
Question 1(d).
You have just returned from a flood affected area. Describe what you saw and what needs to be done for the rehabilitation of the people.
Answer:
Nature can sometimes unleash her fury in the guise of floods leaving a scene of devastation for mankind to totter under. This is what happened in the recent floods that happened in Jammu and Kashmir when the Jhelum waters overran the banks and submerged farms, houses and even areas of the townships. The flood waters left behind a trail of death and destruction.
The death toll in the floods, the worst to have hit the state in the last 60 years, reached 215, while 82,000 people were rescued. Thousands of families were stranded and awaited help in their homes across the valley. The districts in South Kashmir districts were the worst hit by the catastrophe, with many areas cut off. Over 30% of the capital city Srinagar was under flood waters. More than 10 lakh people were affected in Jammu division. Residents were stranded for days by the floodwaters before relief reached them. A week into the disaster, large parts of the capital Srinagar are still under water with many people still trapped atop their homes, and others crowded in relief camps.
The Indian army pressed 103 columns into service to help in rescue and relief operations. A total of 11,000 civilians were rescued within a week. Of these, 2,000 civilians were been provided food and temporary shelters.
Even the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the severity of the floods had knocked out his admmistration in the first few hours itself. But it had since recovered and was trying to do its best to deliver aid. He said part of the problem was that people did not heed flood warnings broadcast from government vehicles and mosques.
Nature no doubt is unpredictable and merciless in wreaking havoc but such disasters can be avoided if proper warnings are broadcast in time and the administration ensures that people evacuated to safe places well in time. There should be a disaster management division in all states which should automatically swing into action at the slightest of any sign of impending disasters.,Medical teams should be standby to deal with emergencies .Organisations like the UNO etc. should also rush aid in the form of food, medicines and clothing etc. to affected areas so that local governments are not crippled under the burden. Moreover, the administration too must issue timely warnings and create infrastructure to bring into use at the time of such emergencies.
Question 1(e).
Study the picture given below. Write a story or an account of what the picture suggests to you. Your composition maybe about the subject of the picture or you may take suggestions from it;but there must be a clear connection between the picture and the composition.
Answer:
Lions are a species which is rapidly facing depletion in numbers and Infact extinction is looming large on the horizon. The lions face habitat loss, poaching and conflict with humans.Prey animals are on the decline in some areas causing lions to kill livestock.
The major issue really is to try and get enough people and resources to actually do something about the preservation of these royal animals- to get the governments to have enough political will to invest in conservation and also engaging in the general public as well. So it cuts across all levels of society.
Another aspect is that lions inhabit countries like Africa, India etc. which lack the funds to invest in protecting this endangered species. There is no money for conservation, and in supposed sanctuaries, there is little or no money for management, security patrols or , enforcement of regulations. In most cases the conservation areas are nothing more than“paper-parks, ” in other words, existing only on a piece of paper.
Even more disheartening is the fact that there are about only 400 lions left in the wild, a mere 250 of which are mature adults. More disturbing is the fact that the decline in the lion population is not unexpected.. Between 1970 and 2005, the populations of other large animals -had also declined at least 85 per cent., this being mostly due to the huge demand for bush meat, the lion’s natural prey.
Thus, plagued by under funding, little governmental support, poaching and indiscriminate killing by cattle herders, many of the countries in Western Africa have little control or I incentive to save the few remaining western African lions left in the wild. The situation is no less alarming in India although the government is now making serious efforts to save their depleting numbers.
The situation is alarming but not uncontrollable provided the people and governments unite to save these wild but beautiful creatures.
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.)
Select one of the following:
Question 2(a).
There is no bus stop in your area due to which the residents are put to great inconvenience. Write a letter to the City Traffic Controller requesting him to set up a bus stop in your locality.
Answer:
Deepak Saliney
2/5 Curzon Road
Kurukshetra.
12th Sep 2015
To
The City Traffic Controller
Kurukshetra.
Subject: Request to set up a bus stop in the locality.
Sir,
This is a humble request to you to sanction a bus stop in our locality as at present the nears one is at a distance of 20 kilometers and this is causing great inconvenience to the residents of Sablok Colony. Most of the residents are retired government employees and find it very tiring to either walk to the bus stop or hire rickshaws to reach there. Moreover the colony is on the route to the local grain market and there is a rush of big trucks on this road and it is dangerous for the commuters and old people to walk on this road.
There is also a great problem for the children and old people during the rainy season as there is no shelter which can protect them from rain. Most of the people find it difficult to reach the far off bus stop and hence miss the scheduled bus. So it is my humble request that you should set up a bus stop in our locality so that we could get rid of these problems.
Hope to get a positive response from your side.
Yours sincerely
Deepak Sahney
Question 2(b).
Write a letter to a friend congratulating her on her success in a competition.
Answer:
Dehradun U.P.
03 November, 2015
Dear Susan
It gives me immense pleasure to know that you won the first prize in the essay writing competition organized at the University College. Please accept my heartiest congratulations! I read all the details of the competition in the newspaper yesterday and I must say, yours is a splendid achievement. Winning a first prize among the hundred odd entries is no child’s play. I am proud of you. I am proud to have such a friend who has with her hard-work and perseverance set out towards achieving her dream of becoming a writer. This is a great step forward in that direction.
Susan, 1 have seen your growth as a writer. You love writing; I know and I have seen the efforts you have taken to groom yourself as a writer. You read a lot. You try to remember a lot and I think these are some of your qualities which helped you win the competitions. 1 am sure, you will bloom as a prolific writer in the coming future. I wish you all luck for your future achievements. Congratulations once again!
Your loving friend
Arti
Question 2(c).
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Answer:
Dr. James entered the room, and bowed slightly to a young lady standing by the side of a bed. There lay a man as still as the dead. Dr. James examined him and turned to the lady with questioning eyes.
“I am Mrs. Chandler,” She responded. “My husband was taken suddenly ill about ten minutes before you came. He has had attacks of heart trouble before-some of them were very bad.” Saying this, the lady fell, white and swooning, into the arms of an old woman. She was carried to her room, and laid on the bed. She passed from the swoon, into a profound slumber.
‘ The physician returned to the man on the bed; his eyes were open. His lips seemed to form words. Dr. James bent his head to listen. “The money! the money! the twenty thousand dollars.” And the man closed his eyes again.
There arose in Dr. James’s brain and heart the instincts of his other profession. He decided to learn the were about of this money. Going to the door of the inner room, he softly called the old woman, gave her the prescription, and bade her take it to some drug store and fetch the medicine.
“Where-should the money be?” mused the physician, looking about the room. Suddenly, he perceived a small iron safe, half-concealed by the trailing end of a window curtain. He stepped there swiftly with his medicine case which actually contained an elegant set of the latest conceived tools used by an ingenious safe burglar. Underneath the tools was a mass of crumpled banknotes amounting to eight hundred and thirty dollars, a sum the physician had obtained after breaking an old-style safe a few hours ago.
Dr. James examined the safe. With his clamps he drew the knob, punched the tumblers and opened the door in two minutes. The interior of the safe was bare-not even a scrap of paper rested within the hollow iron cube.
Dr. James walked back to the bed. There was a mocking, grim smile on the lis of the dying man. He had been watching the physician at work. “Medicine and burglary wedded! I never saw it before,” he said, painfully. Suddenly, a deep blush suffused the man’s face- the respiration ceased, and, with scarcely a tremor, he expired. Dr. James told her of the end.
“Dear now! It’s in the Lord’s hands. The Madam paid out the last bit of money for this bottle of medicine, and it never came to any use.”
“Do I understand,” asked Dr. James, “that Mrs. Chandler has no money?”
“Money, sir? Why, the Madam had twenty thousand dollars. Mr. Chandler played it at the races and lost every cent of it. There’s nothing to eat in this house but some crumbly crackers in three days.”
Some ten minutes later, Mrs. Chandler entered. Dr. James pointed to the safe with its still wide-open door and spoke kindly and briefly, “Your husband, Mrs. Chandler, toward the end, felt that he could not live; and directed me to open that safe, giving me the number upon which the combination is set. In that safe he said he had placed a sum of money-not large. The money is there on the table-as he described it—eight hundred and thirty dollars.”
Question 3(a).
Give the meanings of the following words as used in the passage. One word answers or short phrases will be accepted.
(1) Swooning
Ans. swooning—faint, especially from extreme emotion:
(2) Profound
Ans. profound—(of a state, quality, or emotion) very great or intense, very deep.
(3) Instincts
Ans. instincts —an innate, typically fixed pattern of behaviour in animals in response to certain stimuli.
Question 3(b).
Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.
Question 1.
What made Mrs Chandler swoon?
Answer:
Mrs Chandler swooned due to the strain she felt from seeing her husband suffering from a possible heart attack. She could not bear to see him in a deathlike situation.
Question 2.
What was Dr James’ other profession? Give evidence to show how Dr James had come prepared for his other profession.
Answer:
Dr James’ other profession seems to be that of a burglar or thief. This is evident because in his medicine case he was carrying a set of elegant, latest conceived tools that could be used by a safe burglar.
Question 3.
What precaution did Janies take to ensure that nobody saw what he was going to do?
Answer:
James sent the old woman to get the medicines he had written in the prescription and he knew Mrs Chandler was resting in the other room so he was sure that nobody could see what he was going to do.
Question 4.
Give the evidence to show that Dr James had done some of his other business recently.
Answer:
Dr James had a mass of crumpled banknotes amounting to eight hundred and thirty dollars hidden beneath the tools in his medicine case which proved that he had done his other business of breaking open safe and stealing money from it, recently.
Question 5.
Why didn’t Mrs Chandler have any money?
Answer:
Mrs Chandler didn’t have any money because the twenty thousand dollars that she had, her husband had lost at the races.
Question 6.
What kindness did Dr James show to Mrs Chandler ? What explanation did he give for his kindness?
Answer:
Dr James realised that Mrs Chandler had no money so he very kindly gave her the money he had stolen earlier from a safe he had burgled. He explained that it was the money her husband had directed him to take from the safe before he died and to give it to her.
Question 7.
In not more than 60 words ,show that Dr James was a medical doctor as well as a cautious burglar.
Answer:
Dr James wrote a medical prescription for the dying Mr Chandler and ensured by sending away the old woman to get the medicines that no one saw him breaking open the safe in the house.
Question 8.
Give a title to the passage and give a reason to’justify your choice.
Answer:
A suitable title would be “The Benevolent Thief’ as he is a burglar but has a kind and generous heart.
Question 4(a).
In the following passage, fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in brackets. Do not copy the passage, but write in the correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the blank space.
The innkeeper was unable____ 1__ (make) both ends meet even though he tried his best to draw customers by___ 2__ (make) The Silver Star Inn comfortable. So he consulted a sage in order to solve his problem. The sage advised him to change the name of his inn to The Five Bells Inn; and have a row of six bells hanging at the entrance. The innkeeper did what he _______ 3__ (tell).And this is what he ____ 4 (see). Every traveller, who passed by the inn walked in to point out the mistake .Once inside they___ 5__ (impress )by the cordiality of the service and decided 6 (check) in into the inn .This provided the innkeeper with the fortune that he 7 (seek) in vain for so long. There___ 8__ (be) hardly a few things a person delights in more than finding fault with other people’s work.
Answer:
- to make
- making
- was told
- saw
- were impressed
- to check.
- had been seeking
- are
Question 4(b).
Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
- The opposition criticised the government for doing nothing.
- We invested our money in new industries.
- I exchanged rupees for dollars.
- The man was charged with robbery.
- You can insure your gold theft.
- He was relieved of his duties as office attendant.
- There is no difference in price of the two computers.
- I have got over the civil services Examination.
Question 4(c).
Combine each set of the following sentences without using and, but or so.
(1) She received a letter from her friend. She was very excited.
Ans: She was very excited to receive a letter from her friend.
(2) The school was closed .It was a public holiday.
Ans: It being a public holiday, the school was closed. .
(3) They consulted Mr Dhar. He is an eminent lawyer
Ans: They consulted Mr Dhar, who is an eminent lawyer.
(4) He missed the train .He had to go by bus.
Ans: He had to go by bus as he missed the train.
Question 4(d).
Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence.
(1) Although Joe is tali he is not strong. (Begin: Tali as …………….. )
Ans: Tall as Joe is yet he is not strong.
(2) If I had a chance, I could have succeeded. ( Begin: Had I ……………… )
Ans: Had I had a chance, I could have succeeded.
(3) Eva thought that the examination would be held later. (Begin: Eva was …………….. )
Ans: Eva was certain that the examination would be held later.
(4) I asked the policeman the way to the hospital. (Begin: “Could ……………… )
Ans: “Could you tell me the way C the hospital?” I asked the policeman.
(5) The Judge said that he was innocent. (Use: innocence)
Ans: The judge was convinced of his innocence.
(6) His parents did not let him play with other children. (Begin: He …………… )
Ans: He was not allowed to play with other children by his parents.
(7) Put your papers in the file, you may forget them on the table. (Use: lest)
Ans: Put your papers in the file lest you forget them on the table.
(8) Although she was young, they appointed her. (Use: In spite of)
Ans: They appointed her in spite of her being young.
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