Section - A: Reading Comprehension (Seen)
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: (Swami went to school feeling that he was the worst boy on earth...)
1. (A) Write the correct alternative in the given space to complete the following sentences: (1×5=5)
(a) Swami felt himself to be
(i) The best boy
(ii) A good boy
(iii) A miserable boy
(iv) the worst boy
Ans: (iv) the worst boy
(b) Swami was not sure about-
(i) his destination
(ii) his description of Samuel
(iii) himself
(iv) his father
Ans: (ii) his description of Samuel
(c) Swami felt Samuel had a special regard for
(i) all his students
(ii) Swami's father
(iii) backbenchers
(iv) Swami
Ans: (iv) Swami
(d) Samuel had a yellow
(i) tooth
(ii) face
(iii) coat
(iv) cheek
Ans: (iii) coat
(e) The thought of Samuel filled Swami with-
(i) pleasure
(ii) satisfaction
(iii) indifference
(iv) grief
Ans: (iv) grief
(B) Complete the following sentences with information from the text: (1×3=3)
(i) Swami could not decide if Samuel...
(ii) Swami felt he had...
(iii) Swami was indecisive if...
(i) ...really deserved the allegations made against him in the letter.
(ii) ...mixed up the real and the imagined.
(iii) ...his description of Samuel had been accurate.
(C) Write 'T' for 'True' and 'F' for 'False' Statement. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answer. (2×2=4)
(i) Swami thought that Samuel really deserved the allegations.
(ii) To recall Samuel's dark face Swami felt delighted.
(i) False (F)
Support: "He could not decide if Samuel really deserved the allegations made against him in the letter."
(ii) False (F)
Support: "To recall Samuel's dark face... filled Swaminathan with sorrow."
2. Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow:
(I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide...)
(A) Write the correct alternative to complete the following sentences: (1×4=4)
(a) The call of the running tide
(i) can be easily denied
(ii) cannot be denied
(iii) is not at all alternative
(iv) is most discouraging
Ans: (ii) cannot be denied
(b) The poet would like to hear the cry of the
(i) Nightingale
(ii) Skylark
(iii) Cuckoo
(iv) Seagull
Ans: (iv) Seagull
(c) The poet likes to lead a gypsy life because it is
(i) A carefree life full of adventure
(ii) Full of responsibilities
(iii) Full of luxury
(iv) Dull and uninteresting
Ans: (i) A carefree life full of adventure
(d) The wind on the sea is like a whetted
(i) Sword
(ii) Arrow
(iii) Spear
(iv) Knife
Ans: (iv) Knife
(B) Write 'T' for 'True' and 'F' for 'False' statements. Provide sentences/phrases/words in support of your answer: (2×2=4)
(i) The poet is not going out to the sea for the first time.
(ii) The poet does not want to sleep when the journey is over.
(i) True (T)
Support: "I must go down to the seas again"
(ii) False (F)
Support: "And quiet sleep and sweet dream when the long trick's over."
3. Reading Comprehension (Unseen)
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow: (Mother nature has been very generous to us...)
(A) Tick the right answer: (1×6=6)
(i) The demand for water is increasing but the supply of water is
(a) adequate
(b) surplus
(c) inadequate
(d) plentiful
Ans: (c) inadequate
(ii) People have been resorting to pumping of ground water due to
(a) Lack of water in the rivers
(b) scanty rainfall
(c) drying up of wells
(d) melting glaciers
Ans: (a) Lack of water in the rivers
(iii) The ground water table has-
(a) Risen
(b) dropped
(c) increased
(d) remained stable
Ans: (b) dropped
(iv) Ground water is contaminated by
(a) Irrigation
(b) construction of roads
(c) harmful fertilizers
(d) pumping out of water
Ans: (c) harmful fertilizers
(v) It is high time we realize that water resources are
(a) Permanent
(b) potable
(c) Impermanent
(d) abundant
Ans: (c) Impermanent
(vi) Each one of us must avoid the use of-
(a) copper
(b) paper
(c) jute
(d) plastic
Ans: (d) plastic
(B) Write 'T' for 'True' and 'F' for 'False' statement. Provide suitable sentence/phrase/word in support of your answer. (2×3=6)
(i) People have been resorting to pumping ground water for construction work.
(ii) Water is valuable because it is a source of life.
(iii) Soon it will be easy for us to get clean potable water.
(i) False (F)
Support: "People have been resorting to pumping out ground water for personal consumption and for farming."
(ii) True (T)
Support: "Every drop of water is a source of life."
(iii) False (F)
Support: "Soon, we as a family... will be struggling to get a drop of clean potable water."
(C) Answer the following questions: (2×4=8)
(i) How has mother nature been generous to us?
(ii) What should be our immediate focus regarding water?
(iii) What should every town and every village have to keep the surroundings clean?
(iv) What kind of programmes should every school and college initiate?
(i) Mother nature has been generous to us by giving us so many resources of water like rain water, rivers, lakes, melting glaciers and ground water.
(ii) Our immediate focus regarding water should be on water conservation and stopping the pollution of our water resources.
(iii) Every town and every village should have an eco-friendly garbage sorting and disposal system to keep the surroundings clean.
(iv) Every school and college should initiate programmes educating youngsters about the importance of our natural resources, especially water and air.
Section - B: Grammar and Vocabulary
4. Fill in the blanks with appropriate articles and prepositions: (1×4=4)
All __ girls __ this village have promised to fight __ the curse __ child marriage.
Ans: All the girls in (or of) this village have promised to fight against the curse of child marriage.
5. A. Do as directed: (1×4=4)
(i) She said to me, "Are you well?" (Rewrite using indirect speech)
(ii) He is too short to reach the fruit of the tree. (Rewrite the sentence by removing 'too' and 'to')
(iii) I know the man. (Change the voice)
(iv) He is the tallest boy in the class. (Change the degree of comparison).
(i) She asked me if I was well.
(ii) He is so short that he cannot reach the fruit of the tree.
(iii) The man is known to me.
(iv) No other boy in the class is as tall as him (or he).
5. B. Choose the correct phrasal verbs from the list given below to replace the underlined words. (1×4=4)
[List: keep on, bear with, take after, pass away, put away]
(i) How could you tolerate such rude words?
(ii) The girl continued practising the song.
(iii) The boy resembles his father.
(iv) The great leader died last week.
(i) bear with
(ii) kept on
(iii) takes after
(iv) passed away
6. Find out the words from Question No. 3 which mean the following: (2×4=8)
(i) kind
(ii) disturbing
(iii) polluted
(iv) process of getting rid of something
(i) generous
(ii) alarming
(iii) contaminated
(iv) disposal
Section - C: Writing
7. Write a story (within 100 words) using the given hints. Give a title to the story. (10 marks)
Hints: three children collecting green mangoes near railway track -- one sees a crack on rails -- hears a train coming -- senses danger -- tears his red shirt into three pieces -- waves like flags -- driver stops -- accident avoided -- children rewarded.
Title: The Brave Little Saviours
One sunny morning, three young friends—Raju, Bimal, and Apu—went near the railway tracks to collect green mangoes. While searching for mangoes, Raju suddenly noticed a large crack on the railway line. Just then, they heard the distant whistle of an approaching train. The boys sensed imminent danger. Without wasting a moment, Raju, who was wearing a red shirt, tore it into three pieces. They stood on the track and waved the red pieces of cloth frantically like flags. The train driver saw the signal and applied the emergency brakes, stopping the train just in time. A terrible accident was averted, and hundreds of lives were saved. The brave children were later rewarded for their quick thinking and courage.
8. Write a newspaper report (within hundred words) on the outbreak of fire in your local market. (10 marks)
(Date and time - place - cause of fire - damages - action taken)
DEVASTATING FIRE GUTTED LOCAL MARKET
By a Staff Reporter
Kolkata, January 10: A devastating fire broke out at the Barasat Local Market yesterday around 11:30 PM, reducing more than 50 shops to ashes. According to local sources, the fire started from a short circuit in a garment shop and spread rapidly due to the presence of inflammable materials. Panic spread in the area as thick black smoke covered the sky. Five fire tenders rushed to the spot and fought for four hours to bring the blaze under control. Though property worth lakhs was destroyed, fortunately, no casualties were reported. The local administration has promised compensation to the affected shopkeepers. Police have started an investigation into the incident.
9. Write a letter (within 100 words) to the editor of an English daily about the disturbances caused by the thoughtless use of loudspeakers. (10 marks)
To,
The Editor,
The Statesman,
4, Chowringhee Square,
Kolkata - 700001.
Subject: Disturbances caused by thoughtless use of loudspeakers.
Sir,
Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to express my deep concern regarding the indiscriminate use of loudspeakers in our locality. Nowadays, the use of microphones and loudspeakers has become a regular nuisance during festivals, political meetings, and even private ceremonies. They are played at a high volume from early morning till late at night, violating all norms. This causes great disturbance to students preparing for exams, heart patients, and the elderly. Despite the existing laws regarding noise pollution, there is hardly any enforcement. I, therefore, request the concerned authorities to take strict legal steps to stop this thoughtless practice immediately to restore peace in the locality.
Yours faithfully,
Sumit Sen
Barasat, Kolkata
Date: 10/01/2026