KARNATAKA ICSE SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION

ICSE STD. X Preparatory Examination 2024

Subject: ENGLISH LANGUAGE ANSWER KEY
(ENGLISH PAPER – 1)

Maximum Marks: 80 Time Allowed: Two hours Date: 17/01/2024

Question- 1
Composition (300 – 350 words) [20]

Question- 2
Select any one of the following: - [10]
(i) An open space in your locality used by the children as a playground is being turned into a
rubbish dump. Write a letter to the Mayor of your city pointing out the nuisance, danger and
health hazards of this. Request that action be taken to stop this immediately.
Format: 3
Content: the nuisance + danger + health hazard + immediate action
(0.5) + (0.5) + (0.5) + (0.5)
Language and Expression – 5 marks.

(ii) You are a boarder in a different city. Write a letter to your mother describing a school
concert you are a part of. Describe your feelings, your learnings and changes before and
after the concert.
Format: 2.5 +2.5 + 5
Content: Feeling (One in number) + Learning (One in number) + Changes before (Two in
number) + (Changes after (One in number).
(0.5) +(0.5) + [ (0.5) + (0.5)] +(0.5)
Language and Expression – 5 marks.

Question – 3 [5]
Notice
(i) Caption: 1
Event: 1
Date: 0.5
Time: 0.5
Venue: 0.5 +0.5
Target audience: 0.5 +0.5

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 KARNATAKA ICSE SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION
ICSE STD. X Preparatory Examination 2024
Subject: ENGLISH LANGUAGE ANSWER KEY
(ENGLISH PAPER – 1)

Maximum Marks: 80 Time Allowed: Two hours Date: 17/01/2024

E- Mail [5]
ii) To address: 0.5
Subject: 0.5
Salutation: 0.5
Opening Sentence: 0.5
Body: 2
Closing Sentence: 0.5
Subscription and signature : 0.5

Question – 4
(i) For each word given below choose the correct meaning (as used in the passage) from the
options provided: [2]
1. (1) muster - (a) gather
2. barely - (b) hardly

(ii) Which word in the passage can be substituted by one among the following: [1]
(b) irritated
(iii) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words: -
(a) Where was the glass jelly jar and what did it contain? Where did Tess go straight?
Ans: - in the closet. / - coins / - made her way 6 blocks to Rexall’s Drug Store with
the big Red Indian Chief sign above the door. [(0.5 + 0.5 +(0.5+0.5)]
(b) What were the efforts made by Tess to attract the attention of the pharmacist?
Ans: Tess shifted her feet to make a scuffing noise. / She cleared her throat with the
most disgusting sound she could muster. / Finally, she took a quarter from her jar /
clanged it on the glass counter. (0.5 +0.5 +0.5 +0.5)
(c) Who was the man from Chicago?
Ans: The well – dressed man / was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, / a surgeon, / specializing
in neuro-surgery. (0.5 +0.5 +0.5 +0.5)

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 KARNATAKA ICSE SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION
ICSE STD. X Preparatory Examination 2024
Subject: ENGLISH LANGUAGE ANSWER KEY
(ENGLISH PAPER – 1)

Maximum Marks: 80 Time Allowed: Two hours Date: 17/01/2024

(d) What miracle did the man from Chicago perform? What happened as a result?
Ans: He met the brother and the parents of Tess / - performed the surgery completely
free of cost / - soon Andrew was home / and was doing well.
(0.5 +0.5 +0.5 +0.5)
(e) What was the cost of the miracle?
Ans: - one dollar and eleven cents …… plus the faith of a little child. (0.5 +0.5)

(iv) The precis to have the following points:-

1) A little girl decided to save her brother from death.
2) He had a big tumor growing in his head.
3) The girl went to a pharmaceutical with her savings to buy a miracle.
4) The famous neuro – surgeon overheard her asking the chemist for a miracle.
5) He visited the parents and the brother of the girl.
6) He performed the surgery free of cost and made the boy completely ok.

Question – 5
(i) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in brackets. Do
not copy the passage but write in the correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to
the blank space: [4]
1) disapproved
2) taught
3) was appointed
4) learning
5) to play
6) was amazed
7) took
8) performance

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 KARNATAKA ICSE SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION
ICSE STD. X Preparatory Examination 2024
Subject: ENGLISH LANGUAGE ANSWER KEY
(ENGLISH PAPER – 1)

Maximum Marks: 80 Time Allowed: Two hours Date: 17/01/2024

(ii) Fill in the blank with appropriate words: - [4]

(a) to
(b) on / upon
(c) under
(d) down
(e) out
(f) down
(g) into
(h) from

(iii) Join the following pairs of sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but
or so. Choose the correct option. [4]
1. Lata is innocent. This is my belief.
(d) My belief is that Lata is innocent.
2. This is the garden. The finest roses grow here.
(b) This is the garden where the finest roses grow.
3. Karmu was fined. He was jailed for one year.
(d) Besides being fined, Karmu was jailed for one year.
4. He cannot die in peace. He is a sinner.
(b) He, being a sinner, cannot die in peace.

(iv) Choose the correct option to rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions
given after each sentence. [8]
(1) The teacher said to Tom, “Why did you act in this manner yesterday?”
(Begin with: The teacher asked …………….)
(c) The teacher asked Tom why he had acted in that manner the day before.

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 KARNATAKA ICSE SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION
ICSE STD. X Preparatory Examination 2024
Subject: ENGLISH LANGUAGE ANSWER KEY
(ENGLISH PAPER – 1)

Maximum Marks: 80 Time Allowed: Two hours Date: 17/01/2024

(2) The lady is very honourable. She will not break her promise.
(End with: ……………to break her promise.)
(c) The lady is too honourable to break her promise.

(3) No sooner did she hear the shocking news than she fainted.
(Begin with: Hardly ……………)
(a) Hardly had she heard the shocking news when she fainted.

(4) Anil is one of the swiftest runners in the school.

(Begin with: Very few runners ……………)
(a) Very few runners in the school are as swift as Anil.

(5) Cut the cake.

(Use Let and rewrite.)
(b) Let the cake be cut.

(6) He is successful in business but he is not helpful.

(Begin with: Despite ……………)
(d) Despite being successful in business, he is not helpful.

(7) We parked our car and went in.

(Begin with: Having ……………)
(a) Having parked our car, we went in.

(8) One should be kind to the poor.

(Use the noun form of kind.).
(b) One should show kindness to the poor.

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