SUMMATIVE
ASSESSMENT II
ENGLISH
Code No. 101 (COMMUNICATIVE)
Section A
Reading
Q1. VSA (1 mark each)
Read the following passage carefully
First introduced in
1927, The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories are a series of books about the adventures
of brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, teenaged detectives who solve one baffling
mystery after another. The Hardy Boys were so popular among young boys that in
1930 a similar series was created for girls featuring a sixteen-year-old
detective named Nancy Drew. The cover of each volume of The Hardy Boys states
that the author of the series is Franklin W. Dixon; the Nancy Drew Mystery
Stories are supposedly written by Carolyn Keene. Over the years, though, many
fans of both series have been surprised to find out that Franklin W. Dixon and
Carolyn Keene are not real people. If Franklin W. Dixon and Carolyn Keene never
existed, then who wrote The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries?
The Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew books
were written through a process called ghostwriting. A ghostwriter writes a book
according to a specific formula. While ghostwriters are paid for writing the
books, their authorship is not acknowledged, and their names do not appear on
the published books
.Ghostwriters can
write books for children or adults, the content of which is unspecific.
Sometimes they work on book series with a lot of individual titles, such as The
Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew series.
The initial
idea for both the Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew series was developed by a man named
Edward Stratemeyer, who owned a publishing company that specialized in
children’s books.
Stratemeyer noticed the increasing popularity of mysteries among
adults, and surmised that children would enjoy reading mysteries about younger
detectives with whom they could identify. Stratemeyer first developed each book
with an outline describing the plot and setting. Once he completed the outline,
Stratemeyer then hired a ghostwriter to convert it into a book of slightly over
200 pages. After the ghostwriter had written a draft of a book, he or she would
send it back to Stratemeyer, who would make a list of corrections and mail it
back to the ghostwriter. The ghostwriter would revise the book according to
Stratemeyer’s instructions and then return it to him. Once Stratemeyer approved
the book, it was ready for publication. Because each series ran for so many
years, Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys both had a number of different
ghostwriters producing books; however, the first ghostwriter for each series
proved to be the most influential. The initial ghostwriter for The Hardy Boys
was a Canadian journalist named Leslie McFarlane.
A few years
later, Mildred A. Wirt, a young writer from Iowa, began writing the Nancy Drew
books. Although they were using prepared outlines as guides, both McFarlane and
Wirt developed the characters themselves. The personalities of Frank and Joe
Hardy and Nancy Drew arose directly from
McFarlane’s and
Wirt’s imaginations. For example, Mildred Wirt had been a star college athlete
and gave Nancy similar athletic abilities. The ghostwriters were also
responsible for numerous plot and
setting details. Leslie McFarlane used
elements of his small Canadian town to create Bayport, the Hardy Boys fictional
hometown.
1.1 On the basis of your reading of the above passage, fill in the
blanks with appropriate words / phrases:
1) The
‘Hardy Boys’ mystery stories are a series of books that
contain__________________
2)
_________
was a similar series created like ‘The Hardy Boys’ created for the girls.
3)
The
process of writing the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew was called ______________
4) The
initial idea for both the Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew series was developed
by______________________________
5) The
Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books were created based on the idea that
children___________________________
6) Nancy
Drew and the Hardy Boys both had a number of different ghostwriters producing
books___________
7)
The
personalities of Frank and Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew arose directly from
__________and___________
imaginations.
8) The
ghostwriters were responsible for __________ plot and _________ details.
Q 2 VSA (1 mark each)
Read the following passage carefully:
Here’s why effective communication is important. In a large
organization, when a CEO addresses a live webcast — a must in today’s day and
age — even a single question from an employee, no matter how unimportant it
might be, will resonate across centres. It then becomes absolutely necessary for
the leader to respond in a precise and unambiguous manner and use the platform
to deliver his message across to the people. When the spotlight is on the
leader, onlookers will hold on to every word he or she utters. Rhetoric can
make many a hero.
Usage of words chosen to deliver a message is equally important.
“Communication is not about company information. It’s more like, if you want to
drink water, do I presume you want to drink Coke,” an HR head once remarked. If
strategy is important, what’s even more critical is communication of the
strategy. One can either be vague and leave it to the imagination of others or
be precise without any obscurity. Either way, depending on what the situation
demands, it’s a leader’s call and he or she can be sure, people are going to
judge.
The importance of effective communication is not restricted to
the leadership level alone. Companies are looking at innovative and effective
ways to communicate with employees and also enable employee-to-employee
communication, what one can term as E-2-E. So there are Facebook like tools
that are being created to encourage active discussion among employees,
irrespective of where they are based. It also ensures any gap in communication
is bridged and there are no excuses at that.
An engineering company I know uses SMS as a means to communicate
with employees. They started this practice even when others were just about
warming up to sending mailers to meet their communication needs. Others may
take a cue from this and start using platforms
like WhatsApp, who knows. The fact is companies are using
technology in a big way because they understand that the biggest challenge
today is communicating with the Gen-Yers and Gen-Xers. The logic is simple: if
the new generation is used to modes like ATM and online shopping, how can
archaic communication methods work?
Effective communication can work at multiple levels in an
organization like training, learning and development, education opportunities,
among others. Moreover, in a chaotic world, the only thing that will work is
sane communication. If communication fails, organizations run the risk of
falling into a trap where ideas emerge from all corners but don’t get executed.
So when it comes to people matters, silence is not always golden.
2.1
On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions
briefly:
a.
Why is effective communication absolutely necessary for
theleader?
b.
In what way should companies productively communicate to benefit
the employees?
c.Why
don’t‘archaic communication’ methods work today?
d. What happens
if communication fails in an organization?
VSA
(1 mark each)
2.2 Choose the most appropriate meaning of the given word from
the options provided:
a.
The word ‘chaotic’ means
i) peaceful ii) puzzled iii) disordered iv)
composed
b.
The word
‘innovative ‘means
i) original & new ii)
invention iii)
adventurous iv)
energetic
c.
The word
‘unambiguous means
i) not certain ii) clear
iii) doubtful iv) incorrect
d.
The word ‘strategy’
means
i) technology ii) a plan
of action iii)
process iv) result
Section B
Writing
& Grammar – 25 Marks
Q 3 LA – II (5 marks)
The tiger
is more than just our national animal; it is an indicator of the environmental
health of India. The whole country must unite to protect it.’ Based on the
given input, ideas from the MCB unit ‘Environment’ and your own ideas,write an
article on the need to protect the tiger in the national
OR
It has been rightly said “United we stand, divided we fall. “A nation
which is not united falls like a house of cards. Write an article in about
100-120 words, emphasising on the significance of national integration. You may
use ideas from the MCB unit ‘National Integration’ and same of your ideas.
Q 4 VLAQ ( 10 marks)
Write a short story in about (150-200 words) on the basis of the hints
provided:
Going for
long walks has always been a passion with me. As usual I was walking amongst
the thick green forest till I heard that voice…………
OR
As the ticket inspector asked for the ticket, I dug my hand into my
pocket only to discover that the purse along with the ticket had
disappeared………..
Q 5 VSA (1 mark each)
Read the
following passage. Fill in the blanks by choosing the most appropriate options
from the ones given below. Write the answer in your answer sheet against the
correct blanks. Do not copy the whole passage.
In a novel
approach, drug-eluting stents are now being used a)___________ cure chronic
sinusitis, which is not treatable with medicines. The technique b)______ also
advisable for diabetics and those suffering c) ________ hypertension.
e.g are
the, are, an, some
(a)
|
(i)are
|
(ii)were
|
(iii)is
|
(iv)to
|
|
(b)
|
(i)are
|
(ii)is
|
(iii)has
|
(iv)have
|
|
(c)
|
(i)from(ii)for
|
(iii)of
|
(iv)from
|
||
Q 6 VSA ( 1 mark each)
There is a word missing in each line.
Write the missing word along with the one that come before and the one that
comes after it.
Before Missing word After
e.g. I had been thinking naming my pet
thinking of naming
Corvus is the Latin name the crow family. a)
____________
I have started calling my pupil this
name. b)
____________
At first, he would turn stare at me.c) ____________
Now, he has begun respond verbally.
d) ____________
Corvus learning English now.
e) ____________
His training takes place between eight and
The rest of the time, he hangs about here; theg) ____________
evening, he still prefers to go back the mangoh) ____________
tree in my garden.
Q 7 VSA (1 mark each)
Re-arrange these words phrases to make meaningful sentences.
E.g. since times immemorial/have been respected/teachers. Techers have
been respected since times immemorial.
(a)a special / child’s life / in every / teachers hold / place
(b)for his or her / it is they / in the society / who prepare / life /
the child
(c) progressive society / teachers are / of a sound / one of the / and
/ main pillars
Section – C
Literature
– 25 Marks
Q 8 VSA (1 mark each)
Read the extract and answer the following questions briefly:-
"But suddenly that part of him that
was left behind convulsed in undignified haste. Writhed like lightning and was
gone into the black hole,
a) Why did the snake "convulsed in undignified haste"?
b) How was the snake's movement in contrast to its earlier movement?
c) Find the literary device in 'writhed like lightning'.
OR
O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,
That I am
meek and gentle with these butchers
Thou art
the ruins of the noblest man,
That ever
lived in the tides of times
a) Who is referred to as “bleeding piece of earth”?
b) When does the speaker say these lines?
c) Who are the butchers referred to here? Why does he call them
‘butchers’?
Q 9 SA ( 8 marks)
Answer any four of the following questions in 30-40 words each
1.What happened when Hallock sat down at his desk and waited for ideas
for his story?
2. Some of the psycho-drive games that Michael bought at the Computer
Fair were not new. Who had they belonged to and what was the insignificance?
3. What does the expression on the shattered visage' tell you about the
sculptors skill in the poem 'Ozymandias'?
4. What ‘hellish thing’ had the Mariner done?
5. PatolBabu doesn’t collect his payment after his role is over. Why?
Q 10 LAQ – 1 (4 marks)
A faint memory was stirred in PatolBabu’s mind. Some priceless words
of advice given in a deep mellow voice. The advice of our elders and teachers
always comes to our rescue as they have wisdom and experience of life Explain
in about 80 – 100 words.
The traveller from the antique land makes a diary entry about his
feelings about Ozymandias’ broken statue buried in the dust and what he has
learnt from it. As a traveller and write the diary entry in about 80-100 words
Q 11 (A) & B VLAQ (10
marks)
Attempt any one section (A/B)
What are the two sides of Anne’s character? Identify the values that
make her appealing and attractive to the reader.
Or
Anne’s diary was
not simply a record of everyday events. It has several themes. Select at least
four and using them to write an article on AnneFrank, highlighting the values
that helped her overcome her problems.
a. isolation and loneliness
b. growth of a person from childhood to adolescence
c. family relationships
d.
selfishness ( of
Mrs. Van Daan ) e. fear of being caught, uncertainty of future.
OR
Q 11 (B) Helen’s illness at the age of nineteen months made her a
prisoner in a totally dark and silent world. Yet, she overcame all the
problems and became a role model for many. Discuss Helen’s life in the light of
the statement.
OR
Describe the various pleasures that Helen enjoyed other than reading.
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