ICSE English Literature Previous Year Question Paper 2013 Solved for Class 10
Section A – Drama
Loyalties : John Galsworthy
Question 3:
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Inspector: Then we’ve got it fixed between 11:15 and 11:30. [Jots]
Now, sir, before we go further i’d like to see your butler and the footman that valets this gentleman.
Winsor: [With distance] Very well, Inspector, only my butler has been with us from a boy.
Inspector: Quite so. This is just clearing ground, sir.
Winsor: General, d’you mind touching that bell?
(i) Where has the Inspector come from? What has he got fixed between 11:15 and 11:30? How could he have been so accurate about the timing [3]
(ii) What conclusions did the Inspector arrive at regarding how the theft was committed? [3]
(iii) What information did the footman Robert supply, regarding his movements when questioned by the Inspector? [3]
(iv) What two things in particular had Robert noticed about Mr. De Levis’ clothes? [3]
(v) Why does De Levis strongly suspect Ronald Dancy of committing the theft? [4]
Answer:
(i) Inspector has came from New market police station. Inspector has fixed the time of theft between 11:15 and 11:30. He Was sure about the timing because of two reasons. Firstly, De Levis has gone to the bathroom after putting his watch under the pillow which is showing 11:15 at that time. Secondly, Winsor told the inspector that De Levis came to him informing about the theft at half-past eleven.
(ii) According to inspector the thief walked into the room through the creeper before the door was locked, probably while dinner was going on, and was under the bed and then he escaped by jumping from the balcony.
(iii) Robert told the inspector that he took De Levis’ clothes and boots at ten O’clock and didn’t came to room after that. He also told that at the time of theft he was in his room playing Bridge with his room-mates Thomas and Frederick.
(iv) Robert noticed that De Levis’ clothes were very good and out of pair of boots one was missing which he thought that De Levis have thrown it at a cat or something else.
(v) De Levis strongly suspect Ronald Dancy of committing the theft because the distance from the railing on his balcony to the railing of Dancy’s balcony is just seven feet which anybody can jump if he can jump to a narrow book case at just four feet high, while standing on the floor. Also, he founds a bit of broken creeper lying in the balcony and the stem & inner comer of the creeper was crushed.
Question 4:
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
Gilman: As I told you, sir, I’ve been following this case. It’s what you might call piquant. And I should be very glad if it came about i that this helped Captain Dancy. I take an interest, because, to tell you the truth, [Confidentially] I don’t like well, not to put too fine a point upon it Hebrews. They work harder; they’re more sober; they’re honest; and they’re everywhere. I’ve nothing against them, but the fact is they get on so.
Twisden: [Cocking an eye] A thorn in the flesh, Mr. Gilman.
Gilman: Well, I prefer my own countrymen, and that’s the truth of it.
(i) Who is Mr. Gilman and why does he want to see Mr. Twisden? [3]
(ii) Mr. Gilman had said earlier that he had come‘from a sense of duty’.
What account does he give in this regard? [3]
(iii) What account does Mr. Ricardos, who has come with Mr. Gilman, give of how he came to be in possession of the notes? [3]
(iv) What does Mr. Twisden decide to do after Mr. Ricardos leaves? What instructions does he leave with his partner Graviter? [3]
(v) Ronald Dancy’s wife Mabel believes completely in her husband’s innocence. How does the truth, when revealed, affect her? What are your feelings for her at the close of the play? Give reasons for your answer. [4]
Answer:
(i) Mr. Gilman is the head of Gilman’s department stores. He want to see Mr. Twisden so that he can tell the truth of the notes and save Dancy from the case.
(ii) Mr. Gilman told Twisden that he was following Dancy’s case. So he read in the ” newspaper about the numbers of the notes and he realises that those number notes were given by him to his customer Mr. Ricardos. So he decided to come along with Mr. Ricardos at the office of Twisden to tell the truth.
(iii) Mr. Ricardos told Twisden that he got those notes from captain Dancy. He also told that notes were given as a compensation to his daughter by Dancy, who was very intimate with her and wanted to keep this as a secret.
(iv) Mr. Twisden decided to meet Sir Fredrick so that he can reveal the true facts to him. But, Twisden came to know that Sir Fredrick has gone to Brighton for the might. So, he also decided to go to Brigthon to meet him.
While leaving to Brighton, Twisden asked Graviter to go at Ricardos address in Putney to check whether he has a daughter or not. Twisden also tells Graviter that if he found someone there than he should not say anything to her and invent some excuse.
(v) Mabel was noblest wife of her husband Dancy. When truth revealed about the theft of notes and she came to know that court has accused Dancy for this, she was shocked and saddened that if she would had gone to Africa three months ago then this would have not happened. Till the end of the play Mable has shown loyalty to her husband. She knows that her husband had married her without telling her about his earlier love affair. She knows that he has stolen money and has been deceiving her all along. She knows that he may be sent to prison. Even then her loyalty remains firm as a rock.
Section C – Prose
Animal Farm : George Orwell
Question 9:
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
your resolution must never falter. No argument,must lead you astray. Never listen when they tell you that Man and the animals have a common interest……we must not come to resemble him…..No animal must ever live in a house, or sleep in a bed, or wear clothes, or drink alcohol, or smoke tobacco, or touch money, or engage in trade.
(i) Who is the speaker of the above lines?
Where is the speaker at this moment and why? [3]
(ii) Name the animals who attended the meeting. [3]
(iii) How does the rebellion finally happen? [3]
(iv) According to the speaker, how are animals different from man? [3]
(v) What are the seven commandments of the Animal Farm? [4]
Question 10:
In the aftermath of the rebellion against Mr. Jones, Snowball and Napoleon emerge as the prominent characters, yet it is Napoleon who eventually consolidates and assumes power as an unquestioned leader. In the light of the above statement, discuss the character of Napoleon in the novel ‘Animal Farm’. [16]
To Sir, With Love : E.R. Braithwaite
Question 11:
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
I was staggered by this unexpected encounter and remained where I was for a moment, unsure Of what to do next. Then, deciding to take a closer look at what went on in that room; I knocked on the door, opened it and walked in. There was a general hubbub and for a little while no one seemed aware of my entry, and then, very gradually; one by one the occupants turned to stare at me.
(i) Who had an encounter with whom and where? [3]
(ii) Why was the narrator unsure of what to do next? What decision did the narrator take? Why? [3]
(iii) What did he observe then? [3]
(iv) Describe the man the narrator found when he entered the staff room. [3]
(v) Earlier he had met Alex Florian, the Headmaster. What did the Headmaster tell him? [4]
Question 12.
Give a vivid account of the Christmas party for the junior and senior students that brings the school year to a close. [16]