2018
ALTERNATIVE ENGLISH
Full Marks: 100
Pass Marks: 30
Time: Three hours
The figures in the margin indicate full marks for the questions.
GROUP – A
(VIBGYOR)
(NEW SYLLABUS)
1. Give brief answers to any five of the following: 1×5=5
a) At what age did the verger begin working?
Ans. At the age of twelve.
b) What did the verger want to buy while walking on the street after losing his job?
Ans. A packed of Gold Flakes.
c) Name the author of ‘The Testament of a Walker’?
Ans: R.K Narayan
d) What is an automobile according to the author?
Ans. According to the author, an automobile is a means to an end that services his necessity for travel.
e) Where did Mriganko Babu’s driver go to fetch petrol?
Ans: Mriganko Babu’s driver went to Panagarh to fetch petrol.
f) Where did the scarecrow ask Mriganko Babu to look for his watch?
Ans: The Scarecrow Mriganko Babu to search under his wardrobe for his watch.
g) Who did Della go to get money for Jim’s present?
Ans: Madame Saffronie.
h) What was Jim’s gift for Della?
Ans: Jim’s gift for Della is a set of combs that she wants for her hair.
i) Who is the first philosopher mentioned by Lynd in his essay?
Ans: Epictetus is the first philosopher mentioned by Lynd in his essay.
j) What did the thief in Lynd’s essay buy for a high price?
Ans: the thief in Lynd’s essay bought a lamp for a high price.
2. Answer any five of the following: 2×5=10
a) What occupation did the verger take up after resigning from the church?
Ans. After resigning from the church, the verger set up in business as a tobacconist and news agent.
b) How did the verger treat his gowns?
Ans. The verger treated his gowns as the dignified symbol of his office and preserved even the old and worn out ones with care in the bottom drawer of his wardrobe.
c) Why do you think the author is indifferent to the mention of any petrol hike?
Ans. The author is indifferent at the mention of any petrol ‘hike’ or the uproar of the petrol price; because he believes that he doesn’t need to worry about such matters when he is having two legs given by the God. He believes that man’s ultimate destiny lays in walking.
d) Which part of the author’s car could not ordinarily be replaced?
Ans. The curvature of the author’s car could not ordinarily be replaced.
e) What did Sudheer not pay any attention to?
Ans. The petrol gauge of Mriganko Babu’s car was not functioning properly. It was unable to show proper amount of petrol in the tank. He had pointed out this problem to his driver. But Sudheer did not pay any attention to it.
f) Who was Abhiram?
Ans. Abhiram was a servant of Mriganko Babu. He served his family for long twenty years.
g) Why was Della worried that Jim would be displaced?
Ans: Della was worried that Jim would get angry with her about the way she looked now. And if not angry he would give her a second look and surely would say that she looked like a Coney Island chorus girl
h) What did Della do after reaching home?
Ans:- After reaching home, Della gave away a little to prudence and reason. She used the curling iron on her hair to repair the ravages of her hair. She took forty minutes trying to fix her hair. She looked like a truant school going boy.
i) Who was Socrates and what did he promote?
Ans. Socrates was a Greek philosopher. He influenced the thinking of the whole society for centuries. He promoted love and enquiry which would lead to knowledge and justice.
j) Why is Pliny the Elder famous?
Ans. Pliny the Elder famous wrote the book “Natural History”.
3. Give brief answer to any three of the following: 4×3=12
a) In your opinion, what kind of a person was the verger?
Ans. The verger was a man of distinguished features who did his job in a dignified way with great dedication. He worked very hard. He rendered his service to the best satisfaction of the fashionable parishioners of St. Peter’s. While satisfying the fashionable parishioners, he also served some other people from different capacities. Though he was incapable of reading and writing, yet it did not caused any trouble in the successful completion of his duties. Once he got an opportunity from the vicar to learn how to read and write. But he refused to the opportunity on the ground that he was too old a dog to learn new tricks. He was so hardworking that even though he was in any trouble, he always found a way. When he denied learning to read and write even when he was asked by the vicar himself; he had to lose his job. But he lost no time to set up in business which brought him unimaginable success. Though he was illiterate he could set up his own business and earn a lot of money. He could prove that one can move with time if one has that much ability to work hard, no matter what.
b) Describe the author’s ‘imported car’.
Ans. Though the author lacked automobile sensibility, he owned an ‘imported car’. For him, an automobile was just a means to an end. He was happy and satisfied if he got a seat and four wheels that can roll and take him to his destination. He was blind all other points of a car. But he owned a flashy and sophisticated car which caused ecstasy to every auto pundit who saw it. The car was having a lot of facilities. It had recessed handle, steering maneuverable with a flick of the finger, push-button glass raiser, floating seats, multicolored speedometer, concealed air-conditioner, tape-recorded, digital alarm with calculator etc. All these would examine the author’s dash-board panel admiringly. But sadly, out author never understood the purpose of most of these buttons, switches and gadgets. It found it safer to leave them alone. The air-conditioner, which was supposed to make one’s journey dust free and give comfort in heat and noise, was switched on. During the ten years of duration when he used the car, for a total period of thirty minutes, which worked out to less than three minutes a year.
c) Attempt a description of the western side of the road as seen by Mriganko Babu.
Ans. When Mriganko Babu was on his way back to his home from Durgapur, he got stuck in a road where there was nothing. He went out of the car and studied the whole area. There was no habitation. The western side of the road was covered with some plant and winter crops. There was a scarecrow in the middle of those crops. The shirt that the scarecrow was wearing was familiar with Mriganko Babu.
d) Describe what Della does from the moment she decides to earn money for Jim’s gift till the moment she earns it.
Ans:- Della is very upset when it is the day before Christmas and she has only $1.87 to get her beloved
Jim a Christmas gift. She decided the only way to get more money is to sell the most important thing to
her, her very long hair. She sells her hair to Madame Saffronie’s hair shop and is offered $20 for her hair. She sells her hair to Madame Saffronic and goes to get Jim a gold chain for his most important
possession his watch. He currently kept it on a leather strap, and she knew he would be ecstatic to open his gift. She starts to get very nervous and afraid that Jim will not think she is pretty with her new hair.
e) On what points does Lynd agree with Epictetus?
Ans. While Lynd was going through Epictetus, he was agreeing with nearly everything he said. He found a very close resemblance between the opinion of Epictetus and himself. He learnt to be indifferent to death, pain and poverty; which are eminently desirable. Also, one should not be troubled about anything over which one has no control, whether the oppression of tyrants, or peril of earthquake. They both hold almost similar kind of thinking except for Lynd felt death, paid and poverty are the real evils when he is in as arm-chair and reading a book by a philosopher.
4. Explain with reference to the context on any two of the following: 4×2=8
a) “Dell” said he, “let’s put our Christmas presents away and keep’ em a while. They’re too nice to use just at present.
Ans:- These lines have been quoted from O’ Henry’s short “ The Gift of the Magi”. In this story O’ Henry has shown the intent, sacrificed and generosity behind the giving. In the present context the author has dealt with how Jim and Della demonstrated their love by sacrificing their own greatest possession.
Jim and Della were a young couple of modest means. They had to sell off their most prized possessions to buy gifts for each other one Christmas. Della sacrified her long lustrous beautiful hair while Jim sacrificed precious gold watch, a family heirloom. Jim brought a set of tortoise shell combs for Della which she had ever longed for. But Della could not use it as she had sold her long hair to bring a platinum fob chain for Jim’s watch. So, Jim told Della that they should keep their gifts away as they were too nice to be used but they were not sad as they could realise their love for each other. They demonstrated their loved for each other by sacrificing their greatest possession.
b) On reaching home, Mriganko Babu went Straight to his room and searched under his wardrobe.
Ans:- These lines have been quoted from Satyajit Ray’s short story “The Scarecrow.”
In the present context Mriganko Babu is in search of his lost watch. Abhiram told Mriganko babu the truth of his stolen watch, that he was not there, he has been always loyal to them, and that the watch was still there in their house. On reaching home, Mriganko babu searched for his watch under the wardrobe as directed by the scarecrow and found the watch there. He then realised his mistake and decided never to believe the witch doctors ever again.
c) Among the things I value are privacy and anonymity, both are lost when I allow myself to be carried about in a gaudy car.
Ans: Ans:- The given lines have been extracted from the satirical prose piece ‘The Testament of a Walker’ written by R.K. Narayana.
Narayan valued his privacy and anonymity the most. Both of these were lost when he moved about in his gaudy car because his car’s sophisticated nature and unique looks piqued people’s interest whenever he went and thus it always resulted in him being noticed by people. Thus Narayan compared his car to a howdah atop an elephant and rued that neither could escape the curious glances and questioning looks of passers- by.
d) “I can tell you that sir”, said Mr. Foreman, a little smile on his still aristocratic features. “I’d be verger of St. Peter’s Neville Square”.
Ans:- These lines have been quoted from “The Verger” written by W. Somerset Maugham.
These are the concluding lines between the bank manager and the verger. The bank manager was surprised to know that Alfred Edward Foreman, the tobacconist had amassed a fortune of thirty thousand pounds without being literate. He could never imagine of an illiterate man earning so huge a sum of money. He was surprised at what Albert Foreman’s had accomplished without the ability to read and write. Upon being asked by the manager what Foreman would have been if was a literate man. Foreman smiled and replied that he would be the Verger of St. Peter’s Neville Square.
5. Give brief answers to any five of the following: 1×5=5
a) Where are the children in Toru Dutt’s poem?
Ans. The children are sitting in a dark room.
b) From where does the blue smoke rise in ‘Sita’?
Ans: Blue smoke was rising from the sacred altars near the dwelling of Valmiki.
c) What are many forelands set with in ‘The Brook’?
d) What is the purpose of the journey of the brook?
e) What is it that lies near the legs of stone in the desert?
f) What does one see beside the ruins?
g) In ‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’ who is it whose granary is full?
h) What did the beautiful lady sing for the knight at arms?
i) In the poem ‘Village Song’ who will murmur ‘Why doth she linger’?5450
j) Who is referred to as ‘Thou’ in ‘Village Song’?
6. Answer any four of the following: 2×4=8
a) In Toru Dutt’s poem, who are the people dwelling in the forest?
b) What is the refrain of the brook?
c) What is written on the pedestal of the statue of Ozymandias?
d) What did the beautiful lady give the knight at arms to eat?
e) Name the birds and animals mentioned in Sarojini Naidu’s poem.
7. Answer any three of the following: 4×3=12
a) Attempt a description of the forest in Toru Dutt’s poem.
b) Critically discuss the central idea of ‘The Brook’.
c) Describe in detail the scene seen by the traveler in the ‘antique land’.
d) What did the knight at arms do for the beautiful lady and what did she do for him?
e) Describe the feelings of the girl in the course of the poem ‘Village Song’.
8. Explain with reference to the context on any one of the following: 5×1=5
a) ……….. Tis hushed at last
And melts the picture from their sight away
Yet shall they dream of it until the day!
Ans: The above lines are extracted from the poem ‘Sita’, composed by Toru Dutt.
The poem centres around the agonies of Sita in her second exile. In the present context has shown the effect of the mother’s song on the children to a great extent.
The children engrossed in their mother’s narrative envisage Valmiki’s pastoral abode in all its natural beauty and splendor Sita’s plight makes the there children gloomy and their eyes well up. They bow their head in sorrow and immerse themselves in Sita’s grief until finally their mother finishes the poem and the picture of sorrowful Sita vanishes from their sight. The picture of Valmiki’s hermitage also vanished from their imagination. They felt asleep but it had an everlasting impact on their mind.
b) I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awake and found me here,
On the cold hill’s side
Ans:- These line are quoted from the poem “La Bella Dame Sons Merci” written by John Keats.
The knight continues to describe the pale warriors from his dream in the “gloam,’ or dusk, all he can make out are their “lips”. Their mouths are starved and hungry looking, and their mouths are all open as they cry out their warning to the knight. The word “gloam” just means durk or twilight, but its no accident that keats uses it after all, “gloam” sounds a lot like “gloom”. Finally the knight wakes up from his dream alone and cold on the side of a hill.
c) Why, Oh why was I tempted to tarry
Lured by the boatman’s song?
Ans:- These lies are taken from the poem “Village Song” written by Sarojini Naidu. This poem is a folk song which describes the daily customs followed by Indian village women of fetching home their daily pitcher of water from a long distance. The village girl in the poem has filed her pitchers with the water from the Yamuna River and is returning home amidst thickening darkness. She blames herself for tarrying to hear the boatman’s measurising long. She is tormented by feats of all kinds.
GROUP – B
(NEW AND OLD SYLLABUS)
9. Change any five of the sentences given below as per instruction given, without changing their meaning: 1×5=5
a) The waters of the Siang have turned turbid. (Change into interrogative)
b) The cow was given fodder by the farmer. (Change into active)
c) All children love ice cream. (Change into passive)
d) Aren’t dogs faithful animals? (Change into assertive)
e) A Leopard can never change its spots. (Change into interrogative)
f) Chennai is hotter than Mumbai. (Change into negative)
g) No one found the play uninteresting. (Change into affirmative)
h) Winters in Guwahati are getting colder each year. (Change into negative)
10. Add appropriate questions tags to any five of the following: 1×5=5
1) You are learning music. Aren’t you.
2) They have been to Mumbai. Haven’t you.
3) He can act very well. Can’t you.
4) She is an expert rollerblader. Isn’t she.
5) Judy has just recovered from a bout of chicken pox. Hasn’t she.
6) You could have done the work last week. Couldn’t you.
7) Jio is going overboard with its offers. Isn’t it.
8) Global warming is really affecting our winters. Isn’t it.
11. Fill any five of the following blanks with suitable prepositions: 1×5=5
a) His flight is _____ 10.30 a.m.
b) The cow jumped _____ the moon.
c) The cat licked the cream _____ the plate in minutes.
d) The boy stood _____ the burning deck.
e) The moon is walking slowly _____ the night sky.
f) He seems to have a finger _____ every pie.
g) I have kept your phone _____ the drawer.
h) You must never jump _____ a running bus.
12. Rewrite any five of the following sentences using the verbs given in brackets in their correct forms: 1×5=5
a) We have just _____ (finish) our English exams.
b) All of next month our teachers will be busy _____ (correct) our scripts.
c) I spent hours _____ (study) for the exams.
d) I _____ (hope) that I will secure good marks.
e) Sometimes things do not happen as _____ (wish) for.
f) I _____ (surprise) at how easy the questions were.
g) We _____ (write) for three hours each day last week.
h) I hope I shall fare as well as I _____ (hope) for.
13. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
“This is my 23rd visit to India”, says Ms, Vera, an Italian, “and this time Nameri National Park and Tiger Reserve is on my list.” Vera, along with her group of 15 compatriots, most of them in their 60’s, enjoying a world tour, loved visiting places that offered them a change from urban spaces. Vera says, “India is a perfect place to witness a blend of culture and religion”.
Most of the people in the groups are visiting India more than once and their loved for India is never-ending considering the frequency7 with which they visit the country. The group consisting of about 15 people first went to Kolkata before visiting Assam. “Kolkata is like a mine India”, says Vera. “You see all sections of the people everywhere”. They moved to Nameri to enjoy the wildlife and serenity of the place. The group then planned to go to Kaziranga. They did not hide the excitement of seeing of one horned rhino for real.
a) How many times has Vera visited India? 1
Ans:- Vera visited India twenty three times.
b) What are the places she intends to visit or has visited this time?2
Ans:- This time she intended to visit Nameri National Park and Tiger Reserve.
c) What , according to Vera is India perfect for? 2
Ans:- According to Vera India is a perfect place to witness a blend of culture and religion.
d) What displays the group’s love for India?3
Ans:- Most of the people in the group are visiting India more than once and their love for India is never ending considering the frequency with which they visit the country.
e) What are Vera’s views on Kolkata?3
Ans:- According to Vera Kolkata is like a mini India as we can see all sections of people every where.
f) Attempt a description of the group and its journey. 4
Ans:- Vera and her group visited India to winters the natural beauty. The group is on a world tour and love visiting India for its diverse culture and religion. This time they intended to visit Nameri National Park and Tiger Reserve. The group first went to Kolkata before visiting Assam. Then they moved to Nameri to enjoy the wildlife and serenity of the place. The group then planned to go to Kaziranga. They were excited to see the one horned rhino for real.
GROUP – C
(EFFUSIONS)
(OLD SYLLABUS)
14. Answer any five of the following: 1×5=5
a) What do Alexander, Atilla and Caesar represent for Ambedkar?
b) What is Carlyle the apostle of?
c) What is it in a car that Narayan is impervious to?
d) Where, according to Narayan, does man’s ultimate destiny lie?
e) Where, as a square peg, is Nehru afraid he is in?
f) Who or what, according to Nehru, is not directly responsible for this state of affairs of the Congress?
g) What, according to Forster, is a mental starch?
h) What does Forster consider as something comparatively solid in a world full of violence and cruelty?
i) Where do early records of writing survive much longer than they would in less parched soil?
j) What was it that filled Lao-Tze with horror because they were unnatural?
15. Answer any five of the following: 2×5=10
a) When did Lord Rosebery propose another test?
b) Why, according to Ambedkar, is a man great?
c) What, in a car, satisfies R. K. Narayan?
d) What will happen when man rediscovers the use of his feet?
e) What did the district magistrate tell Nehru upon his arrival at Allahabad?
f) What did Nehru hear about Gandhi that made him unhappy?
g) What must come to the front if the human race is not to collapse?
h) What, according to Forster, must one assume for the purpose of living?
i) When was the horse domesticated in Western Asia?
j) What did Law-Tze and Rousseau both believe in?
16. Answer any three of the following: 4×3=12
a) What are Ambedkar’s vies on sincerity?
b) Describe the reactions of the auto-pundits to Narayan’s imported car.
c) What does Nehru say about socialism in relation to the Congress?
d) Discuss Forster’s views on personal relationships.
e) What are Piaget’s views on reasoning and what is Russell’s reaction to it?
17. Explain with reference to the context any two of the following: 4×2=8
a) They appeal to and dazzle their contemporaries by their resounding victories.
b) The air-conditioner, which is supposed to make one’s journey free from dust, and heat, and noise was switched on, during the ten years I used the car, for a total period of thirty minutes …….
c) Human beings have an enormous capacity for adapting themselves and so I too adapted myself to some extent to the new conditions.
d) I hate the idea of causes, and if I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country.
18. Answer any five of the following: 1×5=5
a) What does the old horse do?
b) What is it that rises from the couch grass?
c) What lies to the north of the walls in Pound’s poem?
d) What do the houses do when the friends part?
e) Who is in the darkened room?
f) Who sings the old, old story?
g) What are the colours on the arms and legs of the rickshaw-wallah?
h) What does the rickshaw-wallah’s chest have?
19. Answer any four of the following: ` 2×4=8
a) What will go onwards the same though Dynasties pass?
b) Who is it who comes whispering by?
c) Where do the friends part?
d) What is sunset likened to by Pound?
e) What happens when the fair lady weeps?
f) Who dwells in the clearing of the forest?
g) What will remain when all else is gone?
h) What do the limbs of the rickshaw-wallah have?
20. Answer any three of the following: 4×3=12
a) Attempt an analysis of the central idea of Hardy’s poem.
b) How does Pound bring out the painful experience of the parting of friends?
c) Explain the significance of the last two lines of the poem ‘Sita’.
d) Bring out the central idea of the poem ‘Rickshaw-wallah’.
21. Explain with reference to the context any one of the following: 5×1=5
a) War’s annals will cloud into night.
Ere their story die.
b) Here we must make separation
And go through a thousand
Miles of dead grass.
c) A dense, dense forest where no
Sunbeam pries
And in its centre a cleared spot
***
