Plus One English Improvement Question Paper Say 2018

Kerala Plus One English Improvement Question Paper Say 2018 with Answers

Time Allowed: 2^1/2 hours
Cool off time: 15 Minutes
Maximum Marks: 80

General Instructions to Candidates:

• There is a ‘Cool off time’ of 15 minutes in addition to the writing time of 2^1/2 hrs.
• You are neither allowed to write your answers nor to discuss anything with others during the ‘cool off time’.
• Read the questions carefully before answering.
• All questions are compulsory and the only internal choice is allowed.
• When you select a question, all the sub-questions must be answered from the same question itself.
• Electronic devices except nonprogrammable calculators are not allowed in the Examination Hall.

(Questions 1 – 3): Read the following interview given by Dr. K. Sivan, the new Chairman of ISRO to the reporter of a daily:

1. As a chairman of ISRO, what are your priorities?
Answer:
ISRO’s aim is to utilize the benefits of space technology to improve the life of the common man. The organization focuses on developing technology that would provide quality services at affordable cost to all citizens.

2. Chandrayaan-1 has raised the repute of the ISRO. What will be the features of Chandrayaan-2?
Answer:
The main mission of Chandrayaan-1 was to study the atmosphere of the Moon. Impact study also was done, by crash-landing the satellite on the surface of the Moon. In the Chandrayaan-2 mission, the exploration vehicle Lander will touch down on the Moon’s surface by using precision controls. Aided by robotic technology, the Rover will detach itself from the Lander, travel on the Moon’s surface for 14 days, and conduct various experiments. All preparations for this have been completed. Even the spot where the Lander will land has been identified. Only the time of the launch remains to be decided.

3. You were born into an agricultural family, and you grew up the hard way. Now you have become the chief of ISRO. What is the secret of your success?
Answer:
Be it learning or work, I do it with total sincerity. I am immensely grateful to my parents who helped me to get higher education despite financial constraints; to my teachers at the government school in Nagercoil to those at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; to senior scientists at the ISRO; and to all of my colleagues. Above all, to God.

Answer the questions in a word or in a sentence:

Question 1.
ISRO always takes care of the common man. Do you agree with this statement? Pick out the idea from the interview that justifies your argument. (2)
Answer:
I quite agree with the statement that ISRO always takes care of the common man. ISRO’s aim is to utilize the benefits of space technology to improve the life of the common man. ISRO focuses on developing technology that would provide quality services at affordable cost to all citizens.

Question 2.
Find the word which means ‘to, separate’. (1)
Answer:
detach

Question 3.
What, according to Dr. Sivan, is the secret of his success? (1)
Answer:
According to Dr. Sivan the secret to success is sincerity in all that one does, be it learning or work. Respect for parents, teachers, benefactors and above all God is also necessary.

(Questions 4 – 11): Answer any 6 questions from the following. Each carries 3 scores. (6 × 3 = 18)

Question 4.
Astronauts from many countries have already landed on the Moon and made several studies there. Why should India proceed with such a mission? Isn’t it a waste of money? Write three arguments agreeing or disagreeing with these comments.
Answer:
1) As far as India is concerned proceeding with the mission of sending people to the moon is a waste of money. Developed countries have a lot of money to spend on such projects. But India is still a poor country with a lot of poverty.

2) People here die of hunger and disease. Many people sleep on streets as they have no shelter of their own. Many students can’t continue with their education as they have no money. There are millions of unemployed people here.

3) We can use the information about space technology that is already available. Is India going to find out anything new there? Sending people to the moon is a game the rich countries can play. India should look at the suffering people here and do something for them with the money it is spending on projects like sending people to the moon.

Question 5.
Rewrite the sentences given in italics in the interview below into reported speech.
ISRO’s aim is to utilize the benefits of space technology to improve the life of the common man. The organization focuses on developing technology that would provide quality services at affordable cost to all citizens.
Answer:
Dr. Sivan said that ISRO’s aim was to utilize the benefits of space technology to improve the life of the common man. He said that the organization focused on developing technology that would provide quality services at affordable cost to all citizens.

Question 6.
In ‘Gooseberries’ we come across two brothers, Nicholai Ivanich and Ivan Ivanich. Who, according to you, became a success in life? Substantiate your answer.
Answer:
In the story we have two brothers, Ivan Ivanich and Nicholai Ivanich. Nicholai was2yearsyoungerthan Ivan. Ivan became a veterinary surgeon. Nicholai was at the Exchequer Court when he was 19. When they were boys they spent their days and nights in the fields and the wood. They minded the horses, took the bark of the lime trees and fished.

Once a man has fished or watched the thrushes hovering in flocks over the village in the bright cool autumn days, he can never be a townsman. Nicholai was not happy at the Exchequer. For years he was sitting in the same place, writing the same documents. His ambition was to get back to the country and buy a small farm near the bank of a river or lake.

To fulfill his dream, Nicholai married a rich old widow. She died soon. Nicholai then bought a 300-acre farmhouse, a cottage and a park. He also planted gooseberry bushes. Later he was able to give his brother gooseberries plucked from his own garden. Gooseberries are hard and sour but when he eats them, Nicholai becomes very happy because he got what he wanted. His dream was fulfilled.

I would certainly say that Nicholai was the success in life because he got what he wanted. Success is getting what we want, isn’t it?

Question 7.
Read the following sentences from the story, ‘The Serang of Ranaganji’ and sketch out the character of Hasan as revealed through these tines:
“Believe me, he is the finest man I have”
“I am not afraid, Doctor Sahib”
‘It was a situation to test the strongest nerves. But the Serang, calm and unperturbed, gave me fresh heart’.
Answer:
Hasan was the Serang of the ship Ranaganji and he is a gem of a man. Theshipwassailingfrom Liverpool to Calcutta. Its passengers numbered nearly 1500. They were mostly pleasure seekers and tourists. Many of them were with their wives and families. Hasan was squat, and looked very ugly.

He was with short legs and a large disproportionate head. He found out that two of his lascars or deck hands were sick. A. J. Cronin was the doctor in the ship. On examining them, Cronin found that the lascars had small pox. Small pox is a highly contagious disease and it is not easy to get a cure from it. If the passengers came to know that two of the people in the ship had small pox, they would be worried. Here comes the intelligence and generosity of Hasan.

He agreed to make a small tent for the sick people and nurse them. Nursing them was risky as he also could get small pox. There were more patients later but he took care of them without being afraid. Two of them died. Although Hasan was a Muslim, he read a short passage from the Ramayana before their bodies were thrown overboard at midnight. He was a really great man who was willing even to die for others. To him religion was tolerance and love and not hatred. We need more Hasans now.

Question 8.
Adversities in life cannot defeat a person of creativity and perseverance. Comment on this statement in the light of your reading of the profile of Stephen Hawking.
Answer:
Stephen Hawking was born on 8 January 1942 in Oxford, England. By the time he was 8, he was seriously thinking of becoming a scientist. He was just an ordinary student at school. He was slow in learning to read and his handwriting was horrible. At 14, he wanted to study Maths and Physics.

At the age of 17, he went to Oxford to study natural science and to specialize in Physics. He was well- accepted by his peers. He liked classical music and science fiction. He took part in sports. He went to Cambridge to do his Ph.D. In the 3rd year he fell down once ortwice for no apparent reason. Soon he had trouble tying his shoes and sometimes he had difficulty in talking.

Shortly after his 21st birthday, he was afflicted with a rare disease called Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, for which there was no known cure. It caused a gradual disintegration of the nerve cells in the spinal cord and the brain. He went into a deep depression. He did not know what to do and what his future would be. He was much helped by Jane, his later wife, who had much faith in him. In July 1965 he Hawking married her. They had 3 children.

He wrote a book about the universe. He asked some very interesting questions. Where did the universe come from? Is it infinite? Does it have any boundaries? Will it come to an end? If so, how? Is there a complete theory of the universe and everything in it? Is there a beginning of time? Could time run back? He begins the book by recounting the great theories of the cosmos from Newton to Einstein. His purpose in writing the book was to make science understandable to non-scientists.

Many people consider Hawking to be an equal to Newton and Einstein. Sitting in a wheelchair Hawking could achieve so much showing that handicaps are no bar to achieve success in life.

Question 9.
It is often said that cyberspace carries the younger generation away from the real world they live in. What do you think? Write three sentences agreeing/disagreeing with this statement.
Answer:
I quite agree with the statement that cyberspace carries the younger generation away from the real world they live in. They spend a lot of time in the cyberspace forgetting their studies and work. They even think that the fantasies they see in the cyberspace are real. They tend to forget that success comes only through hard work and perseverance. Supermen and Spidermen are not real!

Question 10.
Read the following lines and comment on the poetic devices used in the stanza:
Out of Southampton she swung with the stream
A poem of iron and steel, a sea dream.
And thousands on shore, watched her steaming away;
The largest and the grandest of all ships of that day.
Answer:
The stanza describes Titanic starting its voyage. She was a poem of iron and steel. She was a sea dream. Thousands of people standing on the shore watched her steaming away. She was the largest and grandest of all the ships made until then.

The main poetic device used in the poem is personification. The Titanic is considered to be a queen embarking on a long voyage. She – the Titanic – is a poem of iron and steel and is a sea-dream. The poet has also used metaphor by calling it a poem and sea dream. There is superb imagery and we can visualize the ship sailing away on her maiden trip and people standing on the shore watching her removing away. The stanza is in rhyme and the rhyme scheme is aabb.

Question 11.
How does the father in the story, ‘Conceptual Fruit stand out as different from the other members of the family?
Answer:
The father of Greta stands out in the story because he is loving and compassionate unlike the other members of the family who look at her with some kind of scorn. Greta is a differently-abled girl. She goes to a special school. She is 16, but is at a much lower class than her younger brother.

She has some desires. She wants to have a big house. She loves peaches. She also loves cats. Her loving father makes his daughter happy by making her a house on the cyberspace. He wants to make it with all the amenities that Greta wants in it. Her mother and brother are not so understanding and compassionate like her father.

As the father and the girl make their plans for the house, the mother and the brother make eyes to mean that the father is wasting his time. Greta is happy with her imaginary house. The father hopes and prays that Greta will be in a house of her dreams. He is a really good father.

Question 12.
Edit the following passage: (1 × 4 = 4)
Beerbohm present himself as a diehard opponent of walk from childhood itself. There are delicate touch of humour – from the point when he compares being take out for a walk to the plight of a perambulator, to the walk ending up in reading inscriptions.
Answer:
present – presents
are – is
when – where
being take – being taken

(Questions 13 – 19): Answer any 5 questions from the following in a page. Each carries 6 scores. (5 × 6 = 30)

Question 13.
In addition to the data, you get from the given interview with Dr. Sivan, you need some additional information about him to prepare a short profile. Prepare the questions to be asked to get the following information from him:
a) About parents.
b) Educational facilities in his village.
c) Inspiration to study aeronautical science.
d) Persons who influenced him in his childhood.
Answer:
a) Sir, can you please tell us something about your parents?
b) What facilities did you have in your village?
c) What/Who was your inspiration to study aeronautical science?
d) Who are the people that influenced you in your childhood?

Question 14.
Elaborate the idea of the following lines:
The garlands wither on your brow;
Then boast no more your mighty deeds!
Upon Death’s purple altar now
See where the victor-victim bleeds;
Answer:
The lines tell us that we all will die one day. The garlands will wither. Death is a leveller and before death there is no difference between the victor and the vanquished. Those who won the battle and those who failed in it are equal before death.

So there is no need to boast about the mighty deeds you have done while living. Death does not care whether you are high or low, mighty of weak, a man of action or a man of inaction. Death treats everyone equally.

Question 15.
Nature always works as a magical medicine on the troubled mind of man. Have you had any personal experience of nature’s blessings? Prepare a short write-up on such an experience.
Answer:
Nature always works as a magical medicine on the troubled mind of man. I too experienced the healing touch of nature, when I met with an accident and had to spend a month to get healed because of the fractures I had. Both my hands were broken and they were in plaster. I could not go to school and I had to spend the days at home.

Fortunately, I live near a river and I could easily spend time sitting under a tree and observing nature. I have been a lover of Romantic poets like William Wordsworth, John Keats, and Percy Bysshe Shelley. For Wordsworth, Nature was a mother and a guru and a great healer. By sitting under the tree for long hours I could watch the fish moving in the river. Birds used to sing in the branches above.

The breeze kept me cool and happy. There were flowers all around and l could see bees and butterflies hovering about all the time. I never felt bored sitting and watching Nature. It was then I realized that art was nothing but an imitation of Nature. Nature really helped in the healing process and my love for Nature has only increased.

Question 16.
Prepare a brief description that is to be given to a group of British tourists to Kerala, on one or two important tourist spots in our state, mentioning their cultural and historical importance.
Answer:
Kerala is popularly called God’s Own Country. It is named as one of the ten paradises of the world by National Geographic Traveller. It has so many tourist attractions and people love it. I would especially mention two places – Munnar and Kumarakom.

Munnar is very popular hill station. It was once the summer capital for the British. The gradient and alignment of hills were particularly designed for tea farming. With about 80,000 miles of tea plantation, an equal measure of aromatic vegetation, misty valleys, and low-flying clouds, Munnar is a hill station that has become the best tourist place in Kerala. Here you have cute bungalows, moderate home-stays and lavish hotels and resorts.

The old world colonial feel has its own charms and it certainly makes for a good selfie drive. People can enjoy in the extraordinary blend of luxury and beauty. There you can visit the TATA Tea Museum, Meesapulimala, Blossom Park, Pothamedu View Point, Life of Pi Church, Attukal Waterfalls, Cheeyappara Waterfalls, Top Station, Marayoor Dolmens, Indo Swiss Dairy Farm, Kundala Lake, Lockhart Gap, Mattupetty Dam, Anamudi, and Eravikulam National Park.

The second place I would suggest is Kumarakom. Situated near Vembanad Lake, Kumarakom is a quiet little hamlet with alluring sceneries, ever pleasant weather and exotic flora and fauna making it one of the loveliest tourist places in Kerala. You get a mix of everything here – backwaters, authentic Kerala food, uber fresh air, the warmth of Keralites, and deliciously fresh coconuts. There is a lot to do; you can choose from boating, cruising, houseboat stay, and fishing.

Kumarakom holds a special spot in the list of best of Kerala’s sightseeing places. The tempting waterways, decorated lakes, aromatic coconut grooves, fresh paddy fields, thick mangrove forests, delightful authentic food, and unpolluted freshness of the air add to the list. Don’t forget to visit Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Kumarakom Backwaters, Aruvikkuzhi waterfall, Juma Masjid, Thirunakkara Mahadeva Temple, Vembanad Lake, Bay Island Driftwood Museum, Valiyapally, Cheriyapally, Kumarakom Beach, and Pathiramal Island.

Question 17.
The poem, ‘The Wreck of the Titanic’ describes the maiden voyage of the ship. Imagine that you are Captain Smith addressing the passengers on board. Prepare an introductory speech welcoming the passengers and describing the features of the ship.
Answer:
Ladies and Gentlemen, you are welcome aboard.
As you know this is the maiden voyage of Titanic. From Southampton we are heading for New York City. The ship is 269.1m long. It has excellent safety precautions. There are enough lifeboats, life vests and buoyancy rings. We have state-of-the-art wireless communication systems. Safety should not be your worry at all as this is the safest ship ever built. There are doctors on board and they will look after you in case you need any medical help.

The food served in the ship is superfine. You have different restaurants serving various cuisines to suit your palate. There are restaurants serving Continental cuisine, American cuisine, Chinese, Japanese and Indian cuisine. Eat your favourite food to your satisfaction. We also offer various kinds of drinks to those who need them.

In the ship we have swimming pools, Turkish Baths, Squash courts and a gym. There are tennis and badminton courts. There are theatres, dance halls and concert halls and programme schedules will be supplied to you. There is also a well-stocked library and so you can also read if you like.

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, relax and make the most of your trip on the Titanic.

Question 18.
The boy who raised doubts regarding his future at the inauguration of Sasthrayaan feels happy that he got an opportunity to ask a question to A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. He sends an e-mail to his friend expressing his excitement and happiness over this achievement. Write the likely e-mail.
Answer:
[email protected]
Hi Jayan! Got your mail. How was your tour to Wayanad?

I am writing this letter to tell you something very special. I am so happy and excited. I talked to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. He came to our village to inaugurate a programme called “Sashtrayaan”. At the end of his speech, 12 students were chosen to ask questions from Dr. Kalam. I was one of them!

I said I was very timid and I did not have the courage to ask questions even from my teachers or class mates. I told Dr. Kalam that my ambition was to become a marine engineer. I wanted to be the captain of the ship. I wanted to build the engine of the ship.

I wanted to know if all this would be possible for me. In reply, Dr. Kalam recited a small poem which meant: “I am born with potential, goodness, trust, ideas, dreams, greatness and confidence. I am bom with wings; so, I am not meant for crawling. I have wings and so I will fly.”

Dr. Kalam further told me that each one of us is unique. You are YOU. The world tries to make you somebody else. Your teachers and parents will point out some people and say “Be like him”. But you should be YOU because YOU are unique.

Jayan, I have decided to be unique. God has given me certain talents and I want to develop them in the best possible manner. I don’t want to be like A, B or C. I want to be Mohammed Yunus.

With Love,
Mohammed Yunus

Question 19.
The story, ‘The Price of Flowers’depicts Mrs. Clifford and her daughter in a British background. How does the story show that difficulties in life are the same everywhere? Prepare a write-up on family relationships as portrayed in the story.
Answer:
In the story “The Price of Flowers” by Prabhat Kumar Mukopadhyaya we read about the poor circumstances of Mrs. Clifford and her daughter Alice. Alice met Gupta, the protagonist of the story, in a restaurant. She is a poor girl and lives with her widowed mother. Their house is a very small one in a crowded area. It has hardly any furniture. The carpet is torn. Her mother makes cakes for a living. Alice works as a typist in the Civil Service stores. She is happy to know that Gupta is an Indian.

Her brother Francis, who was in the British army, had died in India. She wants Gupta to place some flowers on the grave of her brother. It is impossible for herto go to India as she has no money. So poverty is a universal problem. England is of course a developed country but that does not mean everybody there is rich.

While talking with Gupta, Alice said she wanted to grow up. Then she would get better pay. Now she can’t even afford to eat her lunch every day in a restaurant. She has to walk home as she has no money to pay the fare. She did not like her present work as it was very mechanical.

She wanted some work that needed the use of her brain. She wanted to be a secretary. Like any other young persons, she too has her hopes and aspirations to live a better life. Life is a struggle for many people even in the so-called developed nations.

(Questions 20 – 28): Answer any 8 of the following questions in two pages. Each carries 8 scores. (3 × 8 = 24)

Question 20.
A.J. Cronin gets a grand welcome in his hometown after his voyage in the Ranaganji. He is requested to speak on his memorable experiences during the trip. Draft the speech for him.
Answer:
My Dear Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am very happy to see you assembled here to honour me for the services I rendered on the ship Ranaganji. In fact ourlasttripto Calcutta in Ranaganji was quite eventful. It had nearly 1500 passengers, mostly tourists and pleasure seekers. The voyage to Calcutta began favourably in calm, clear weather and we passed Aden without any incident. Now we were in the Arabian Sea.

To our dismay and horror we discovered that two of our lascars, deck hands, had small pox. When I reported the matter to the Captain, Mr. Hamble, he fold me to keep the matter a secret as the news would spread panic among the passengers. I was quite worried and did not know what to do and how to cope with the situation. It was then I realized what a good man Hasan, our serang, was. He told me not to worry.

He made a shelter in the stern of the ship into which the infected patients were moved. He volunteered to nurse them without worrying about his own safety. Later more workers were diagnosed with small pox. In all we had 14 cases and Hasan took care of all of them without murmur and complaint. Later two sick men died. Hasan, a Muslim, sewed their shrouds and read loud a short passage from the Ramayana because the dead persons were Hindus. After that he cast the bodies overboard at midnight.

When we reached Colombo, the sick people were taken to the hospital. Hasan was in the forefront to help them. It is really difficult to find such unselfish people like Hasan. I think I should share the honours with him because without him I would have been in deep trouble as I was quite inexperienced. I have learnt a lesson from him – to be unselfish and helpful even risking one’s life.

I thank you for organizing this function. I will do my best to serve you.

Question 21.
Disasters cannot be prevented, but their impact can be reduced through proper disaster management. How does science and technology help us to manage disasters? Is India really prepared to manage disasters properly? what should we bear in mind for the effective management of disasters? Prepare a write-up on disaster management in India.
Answer:

DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN INDIA

Disasters cannot be prevented, bUt their impact can be reduced through proper disaster management. Science and technology can help us to manage disasters to a large extent. But the question is “Is India really prepared to manage disasters properly?”
My answer to this question is “no”.

Disasters have become a big challenge for all humanity, There has been an increase in the frequency and intensity of disasters. Some of the disasters are floods, droughts and earthquakes. Floods are more common in India.

India is highly prone to disasters. There are many reasons for this. Geological formation, geographical location, the long coastline, snow-clad peaks, high mountain ranges, perennial rivers, etc. are some of them. Over population and inadequacy of resources add to the problem. Some of the major disasters India had in this century are the Gujarat Earthquake (2001), the Mumbai-Gujarat Floods (2005), the Tsunami (2004), and the August 2018 Flood that ravaged Kerala.

There are direct and indirect impacts of disasters. There is damage, destruction and death. The lifeline support systems are damaged. Healthcare and hospitals come under stress. Commercial and economic activities get adversely affected. The poorer sections of the society are the worst affected.

In India we don’t have a proper disaster management system. There is no coordination between the Centre and the States. When a disaster strikes, the Centre will blame the State and the State will blame the Centre. We saw that happening during the August 2018 Floods in Kerala. The State and Centre should have Crisis management Committees with enough support for air dropping, rescuing, searching, transport of relief goods, health personnel and medical supplies.

The rehabilitation of victims is also an integral part of disaster management. India is far behind in these things compared to other developed nations like the USA or Japan.

Question 22.
Read the poem given below and write critical appreciation of it:

Life

Life, the wonderful dream
Never meets with reality
Till its final moment
Called death
Every day we dream of
Conquering new continents
And kingdoms
Without realizing
All are illusions
And without realizing
The final reality
Will one day envelop us.

C.N. Premkumar

Answer:
“Life” is 12-line poem by C.N. Premkumar. It speaks about the unfulfilled dreams we have. Life is a wonderful dream and it rarely becomes a reality. We strive hard each day to get our dreams fulfilled. But we hardly make it.

We dream big. We want to conquer new continents and kingdoms without realizing they are mere illusions. We struggle and struggle till death takes us away, our dreams remaining mere dreams.

The poem has a fine message. It teaches us that it is futile to make big plans in life. Very often those plans don’t materialize. It is better to have small dreams so that you will have the satisfaction of fulfilling them.

The poem in simple language. It has a fine metaphor where life is considered to be a dream. There is hyperbole in the poem when the poet says we dream of conquering new continents and kingdoms. There is also repetition as the poet says without realizing within a span of 3 short lines.

Question 23.
Sports and games help in creating a healthy generation. With the help of the poster given below, prepare an essay on the topic, ‘Importance of Physical Activity in Developing a Healthy Mind’.

Answer:

IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN DEVELOPING A HEALTHY MIND

There is a proverb in English: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. A similar saying in Latin is “Mens sana in corpore sano” which means “A sound mind in a sound body”. A sickly body will not have a healthy mind. Physical activity helps in the formation of a healthy and active life style.

Physical activity usually takes place in groups. It helps in the development of leadership qualities. By doing physical activity, one develops confidence, cooperation and team spirit. Any big event is the result of teamwork. Games are lost or won because of the absence or presence of team spirit.

Physical activity brings a positive attitude to life and it is essential for success. An optimistic attitude keeps one cheerful and prepared to work hard. Perseverance is necessary for any important work. Physical activity helps one to build a positive attitude. When we keep our bodies in shape, our mind also gets a proper shape to have the right attitudes. Physical activity brings confidence and self-esteem. Only if we believe in ourselves, others will believe in us.

Physical activity helps us to learn better. A fit body keeps the find fit and alert. An alert mind grasps things fast and physical activity helps the brain to retain things for a long time. Physical activity instills civic virtues in us. We become more compassionate and loving and ready to help others. In schools all over the world physical activities are made compulsory because educators have realised the importance physical activity in the life of people.

Plus One English Previous Year Question Papers and Answers