JAMMU SANSKRITI SCHOOL, JAMMU

LEARN FOR LIFE

REVISION SHEET OF ENGLISH –XI

SECTION A (READING SKILLS)

Q1. Read the passage carefully and answer the
following questions:

Hundreds of thousands of years ago giant mammoths still

roamed the earth and the surface of the earth was covered
by dense forests. Men took shelter in caves and covered
their bodies with animal skins. At that time, dogs became
man’s best friend. At first, they followed man on his
hunting trips and waited to get whatever scraps it could get,
from the kill its master made. Then the instinct for
companionship made it adopt man as its leader.

Soon, the man began to train dogs to help him during the
hunt, to carry his burdens, and to give him companionship
as he sat by the fireside in the evenings. These changes
took place much before recorded history came into
practice.

These findings can only be confirmed by the study of the

bones of primitive dogs that lay beside the bones of
primitive men in caves. As the history of the dog goes back
to a time when records were not maintained, it is
impossible to be sure of these happenings.

Some scientists believe that dogs are the result of a mating

between wolves and jackals. Other scientists say that some
species of dogs descended from wolves while others
descended from jackals. Some even go on to say that dogs
descended from coyotes and foxes. A widely held theory is
that the modern dogs that we keep as pets descended from
a remote common ancestor.

This last substantiates the differences in size and

appearance between various breeds of dogs. Other
evidence of the wild ancestry of dogs is the built of their
bodies, which is very distinctly adopted for speed and
strength. Together with their keen sense of smell, hearing
qualities, it becomes obvious that they have wild hunters in
their genes.

From the time when recorded history began, there have

been references to dogs in them. There are images of dogs
on Egyptian tombs that are 5000 years old. The Egyptians
considered their dog as the sacred and the whole family
would go into mourning if the dog in an Egyptian home
died. Today, the dog is an indispensable part of our lives.
For hundreds of young, healthy blind people, the dog is
their seeing eye.

A seeing - eye dog is usually a German shepherd dog. It

takes three months to train a guide dog. First, come to the
obedience exercise repeated daily as ‘setting up exercises’.

Then a U – shaped leather harness is buckled on and the

dog learns to walk at the left of the trainer. The dog is
taught to stop and wait at the curb, watch traffic, and let the
cars pass. Before the dog is passed on to a blind master, a
final check is made. Then the blind master and his dog train
together for four weeks before they go home to work
smoothly as a team.

1. Complete the sentence by choosing an appropriate

option.
Dogs became man’s best friend at an early age by
________.
a. hunting food for his master
b. being a constant companion
c. protecting man from mammoths
d. not letting the man feel alone in dark caves

2. Comment on any two theories about the origin of

dogs as given in paragraph four.

3. List the the ways in which historians come to know

that man and dog were historical companions.
( Clue: Think about the evidences and findings)

4. Select the option that conveys the opposite of

‘unfasten’, from words used in paragraph 8.
a. buckled
b. taught
c. curb
d. master

5. What makes us believe that dogs have a wild

ancestry?
a. Many varieties of dogs
b. Differences in the body built
c. Differences in strength and stamina
d. Sense of smell and hunting skills
a. Only A
b. Only Band C
c. Only B, Cand D
d. All of these
 6. Some records share that since recorded history
began, there have been references to dogs in them.
Based on your understanding of paragraph six, list the
importance of dogs in an Egyptian family.

7. How can a dog be a "seeing - eye" for a blind man?

8. Complete the given sentence with an appropriate

inference, with respect to the following:
________ are considered to be ancestors of dogs
(paragraph 4).

9. Which of the following conclusions, suggested in

paragraph five, can be inferred?
a. Wild ancestry of dogs
b. Similarity in their size and appearance
c. They are trained to be wild hunters
d. Only a few breed has keen sense of smell

10. Select the most suitable title for the above passage.
a. History of Human Society
b. Dogs - Their History and Ancestry
c. Evolution of Dogs - A Brief History
d. Ways to Handle Dogs

SECTION B (GRAMMAR & WRITING SKILLS)

Q2. Answer the following questions:

1. Fill in the blanks by choosing the most appropriate words/ phrases
from the given options :
IT sector is witnessing (a )................boom in contemporary times.
Success(b) ........... be difficult. If one fails (c) ............... keep himself
 updated with the technical innovation. Today IT training is crossing
beyond the confines of the media and entertainment industry.
a. (i) an (ii) a (iii) the (iv) some
b. (i) can (ii) will (iii) would (iv) could
c. (i) to (ii) at (iii) in (iv) for

2. Choose the correct options to fill in the blanks to complete the

narration.
Kokila: Maitryee! My new dress is very pretty.
Maitryee: Will you show it to me?
Kokila: I will show it to you tomorrow when you come to my house. My
father gave me as a birthday gift. Kokila told her friend Maitryee that
(i)__________ very pretty. Maitryee asked her if (ii)__________ She replied
that she would show it to her the next day when she came to her house.
Her father had given it to her as a birthday gift.

3. Look at the sentences given below in a disorderly form. Re - order

(Rearrange) them to form meaningful sentences:
a. pay/the/had to/poor farmers/high times/very
b. natural disaster/farmers/share of taxes even/pay/their/in times
of/the/had to
c. it / life / make / is / we / what

Q3. Your school, Akash Public School, Agra needs a Canteen Manager. On
behalf of the Principal, write an advertisement in about 50 words to be
published in the classified columns of a local daily. Mention the educational
and professional qualifications, other qualities required in the manager,
whom to apply to and the last date for the receipt of applications.
OR
National hospital requires experienced Nurses for their hospital. As manager
of the hospital draft an advertisement in not more than 50 words. Invent
necessary details.

Q4. Publicly we proclaim that dowry is an evil. Privately we want our sons
to fetch good dowries. Right from our school days we should be taught that
demanding and even giving dowry is not only illegal but immoral too. Draw
a poster in about 50 words highlighting dowry as a curse. You are Vikram
/Sonia.
OR
As the Manager of ‘Excellent Coaching Centre’ run by you, prepare a poster
calling the attention of students desirous of attending IIT, CPMT coaching to
join your coaching centre.

Q5. You are Ram/Rama G-135, Raj Nagar, Palam, New Delhi. Your locality
has witnessed a number of cases of theft in recent weeks. The local law and
order authorities were approached but you find no change in the situation.
Write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper drawing the attention of the
higher authorities to the problem.
OR
You are Latha/Lokesh, Captain of Ringing Bells Public School hockey team.
Write a letter in 100 - 120 words to the Captain, hockey team of D.A.V.
Public School, Fort Road, Chennai inviting their team to play a friendly
match at your school grounds. Describe all the facilities that your school
shall provide.

Q6. You are Abhinav/Abha. You have planned a 2-week course to be

arranged to help the children of your Group Housing Society at Kanpur
acquire the communication skills. Prepare a notice for the Society’s. Notice-
Board, stating the objectives of the course, giving necessary details of the
course and requesting the children of the society to join the course.
OR
You are Mohan, the Secretary of the Old Boys Association of your school.
The Association proposes to celebrate its Silver Jubilee year of the school.
Draft a notice to be published in the newspaper inviting suggestions about
now to celebrate it. (Word limit: 50)

SECTION C (LITERATURE)

Q7. Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow:
a) From "The Laburnum Top"
"The laburnum top is silent, quite still in the afternoon yellow
September sunlight, a few leaves yellowing, all its seeds fallen."

i) What season is being described in the extract?

ii) What does the silence of the laburnum top signify?
iii) How does the imagery in the poem reflect the mood?

OR

b) From "Mother’s Day"

"Mrs. Pearson: I’ll have my tea at the same time as you and eat
properly what I should like, and what’s more, I’ll bet you, you don’t get
tea if you come home at all hours and expect it served up."

i) What does this statement reveal about Mrs. Pearson's new attitude?
ii) How does Mrs. Pearson’s change affect her family?
iii) What lesson is the play trying to convey through this transformation?

Q8. Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow:

a) From "A Photograph"

"The sea holiday was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry with the
laboured ease of loss."

i) What is the poet referring to as 'her past'?

ii) What does the line ‘mine is her laughter’ signify?
iii) How does the poet connect the past and present in this extract?

OR

b) From "The Address"

"I stood before the door, hesitating for some moments whether I should
ring the bell or not."
i) Why is the narrator hesitant to ring the bell?
ii) What does this hesitation reflect about her emotional state?
iii) How does this extract set the tone for the story?

Q10. Short Answer Type Questions:

i) How does the poet describe the girl in "A Photograph"?
ii) What transformation occurs in "The Laburnum Top" after the arrival of
the bird?
iii) What challenges did the family face in "We're Not Afraid to Die... if We
Can All Be Together"?
iv) What message does the play "Mother’s Day" give about family roles?
v) What were the main discoveries made about Tutankhamun in
"Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues"?

Q11. Long Answer Type Questions:

i) How does the play "Mother’s Day" bring out the conflict between
traditional family roles and individuality?
OR
ii) Discuss the theme of trust and loyalty in "The Summer of the Beautiful
White Horse."

Q12. Long Answer Type Questions:

i) In "The Portrait of a Lady," how does Khushwant Singh portray the
relationship between the narrator and his grandmother?
OR
ii) What does "Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues" reveal about the
significance of historical and scientific exploration?