ICSE Paper 2016
ENGLISH-I
Answers to this Paper must be written on the paper provided separately,
You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes.
This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.
The time given at the head of this Paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.
Attempt all four questions.
The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ].
You are advised to spend not more than 35 minutes in answering Question 1 and 20 minutes in answering Question 2.
Question 1: [25]
(Do not spend more than 35 minutes on this question.)
Write a composition (350 – 400 words) on any one of the following:
(a) Write an original short story that begins with the words: “The day started off well enough, whoever thought it would ……….”
(b) Narrate an incident from your own experience when you expected to do very well, but for some reason were unable to do so. Explain what happened and why it happened. What lesson did you learn from it?
(c) “The use of Mobile Phones must be allowed in schools.” Express your views either for or against the statement.
(d) You walk home from school one afternoon to find the door unlocked and on entering you are shocked to see the house in total disarray. You call out but get no answer. Describe in detail what you saw, the reason behind your house being in total disarray and how you found your family. Mention also how the experience ended and what impact it had on your life.
(e) Study the picture given below. Write a story or a description or an account of what it suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may take suggestions from it; however, there must be clear connection between the picture and your composition.
Answer:
(a) The story must be original and must begin with the given sentence. The story may take any form but should convey the sequence of events where the day which started off well turned out to be either better or worse. There must be a clear difference between the beginning of the day and its close.
(b) This is a first person account and the candidate must write from his/her own view point. The composition should express aspiration, hope followed by disappointment and failure. The composition should also explain the cause of the failure and what was the lesson learnt from it.
(c) Views for or against the motion are to be accepted. The child should take a clear stand and give valid reasons for whatever stand he/she takes.
(d) A clear description is essential with the sequence of events in proper order. The child should use his/her imagination to narrate the fear/confusion on finding the house in a mess. It is essential for the narrative to have a proper conclusion as to how the child survived the experience and its impact on the child.
(e) Accept a broad interpretation but keep in mind that there must be a clear connection between the picture and the composition.
Question 2: Select any one of the following:
(a) Your class wants to visit a well-known historical monument in a nearby town. Write a letter to your Principal seeking permission and say why you would benefit from the visit.
(b) Your school recently held a jubilee celebration. Write a letter to your friend who was unable to attend, giving details of the function and your role in it.
Answer:
Formal Letter:
From Address
Date
To Address
Salutation [Sir/ Madam/]
Subscription. Yours faithfully
Name + surname/initial
Informal letter:
Address (Home/school)
Date
Salutation- Dear/My dear [-name]/female relative
Subscription- Yours lovingly, /Yours affectionately, /Your loving, /affectionate…
First name
Ensure that the format is correct and that the following points of each letter are clearly brought out:
(a) Formal Letter (format, content, expression)
Name of historical building
Name of town
The benefit for visiting that monument
There must be a correlation between the essay grade and the letter expression.
(b) Informal Letter (format, content, expression)
Name of the jubilee celebration
Any two details e.g. function, date, time, chief guest, cultural event, competition, exhibition etc.
The candidate’s role in the celebration any two e.g. announcing, decorating, taking part in the
dance, play etc.
Expression
There must be a correlation between the essay grade and the letter expression.
Question 3: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
For some time, Mother had greatly envied us our swimming, both in the daytime and at night, but as she pointed out when we suggested she join us, she was far too old for that sort of thing. Eventually, however, under constant pressure from us, Mother paid a visit into town and returned to the villa coyly bearing a mysterious parcel. Opening this she astonished us all by holding up an extraordinary shapeless garment of black cloth, covered from top to bottom with hundreds of frills and pleats and tucks.
‘Well, what do you think of it?’ Mother asked.
We stared at the odd garment and wondered what it was for.
‘What is it?’ asked Larry at length.
‘It’s a bathing-costume, of course,’ said Mother. ‘What on earth did you think it was?’
‘It looks to me like a badly-skinned whale,’ said Larry, peering at it closely.
‘You can’t possibly wear that, Mother,’ said Margo, horrified, ‘why, it looks asthough it was made in nineteen-twenty.’
‘What are all those frills and things for?’ asked Larry with interest.
‘Decoration, of course,’ said Mother indignantly.
‘What a jolly idea! Don’t forget to shake the fish out of them when you come out of the water.’
‘Well, I like it, anyway,’ Mother said firmly, wrapping the monstrosity up again, ‘and I’m going to wear it.’
‘You’ll have to be careful you don’t get waterlogged, with all that cloth around you,’ said Leslie seriously.
‘Mother, it’s awful; you can’t wear it,’ said Margo. ‘Why on earth didn’t you get something more up to date?’
‘When you get to my age, dear, you can’t go around in a two-piece bathing suit… you don’t have the figure for it.’
‘I’d love to know what sort of figure that was designed for,’ remarked Larry.
‘You really are hopeless, Mother,’ said Margo despairingly.
‘But I like it… and I’m not asking you to wear it,’ Mother pointed out angrily.
‘That’s right, you do what you want to do,’ agreed Larry; ‘don’t be put off. It’ll
probably suit you very well if you can grow another three or four legs to go with it.’
Mother snorted indignantly and swept upstairs to try on her costume. Presently she called to us to come and see the effect, and we all trooped up to the bedroom. Roger the dog, was the first to enter, and on being greeted by this strange apparition clad in its voluminous black costume rippling with frills, he retreated hurriedly through the door, backwards, barking ferociously. It was some time before we could persuade him that it really was Mother, and even then he kept giving her vaguely uncertain looks from the corner of his eye. However, in spite of all opposition, Mother stuck to her tentlike bathing-suit, and in the end we gave up.
In order to celebrate her first entry into the sea we decided to have a moonlight
picnic down at the bay, and sent an invitation to Theodore, who was the only stranger that Mother would tolerate on such a great occasion. The day for the great immersion arrived, food and wine were prepared, the boat was cleaned out and filled with cushions and everything was ready when Theodore turned up.
(a) Give the meaning of the following words as used in the passage:
One word answers or short phrases will be accepted.
(i) peering (line 13)
(ii) ferociously (line 41)
(iii) immersion (line 49)
(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.
(i) Why did mother not join the swimming in the beginning?
(ii) Briefly describe her swimming costume.
(iii) What did Larry think it was?
(iv) Which sentence tells you that Margo thought it was old fashioned?
(v) What was Leslie’s concern?
(vi) Why did mother think it was suitable?
(c) (i) In not more than 60 words describe what happened after mother went upstairs to try on her costume.
(ii) Give a title to your summary in 3 (c) (i). Give a reason to justify your choice.
Answer:
(a) (i) Peering: looking closely, staring, looking with concentration, scrutinizing, examining closely.
(ii) Ferociously: angrily, wildly, fiercely, viciously, violently
(iii) Immersion: dip in water, soaking
(b) (i) Mother pointed out that she was far too old / for that sort of thing.
(ii) An extraordinary shapeless garment / black cloth / covered from top to bottom / hundreds, frills, pleats and tucks.
(iii) It looked to him / badly skinned whale.
(iv) Candidate must quote exactly ‘You can’t possibly wear that, Mother,’ said Margo, horrified, ‘why, it looks as though it was made in nineteen-twenty.’
(v) Leslie was concerned that fish / would get trapped in it.
(vi) Mother thought it was suitable because it went with her age / figure.
(c) (i) Points to look for:
- Mother called us to come and see the effect.
- We all trooped into the bedroom.
- Roger the dog retreated hurriedly.
- Went backwards barking ferociously.
- Despite reassurance, kept giving her vague uncertain looks.
- We gave up. (Expression)
(ii) Any suitable title dealing only with the precis. (Reasonable justification)
Question 4:
(a) 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 correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate
to the blank space.
Example:
(0) He had been (0) ______ (sit) on the bank of a small irrigation canal.
Answer: sitting
He was (1) ______ (gaze) at a couple of heron (2) ______ (fish) in the muddy water, when he (3) ______ (feel) something bump his elbow. (4)______(look) around, he (5) ______ (find) at his side a little goat, jet black and soft as velvet with lovely grey eyes. Neither her owner nor her mother (6) ______ (be) around.
She continued to (7) ______ (nudge) Mukesh, so he (8) ______ (look) in his pocket for nourishment.
(b) Fill in each blank with an appropriate word:
(i) There was a steep rise ______ onion prices.
(ii) Air pollution is responsible for the spread ______bronchitis.
(iii) He was ______ pressure to complete the work.
(iv) Joan jumped ______ the river to rescue the child.
(v) His teacher is very pleased ______ him.
(vi) Ali took ______ his cap and wiped his face.
(vii) The old woman could not get ______ the shock.
(viii) He should not get ______ with such rudeness.
(c) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so:
(i) My grandfather is very old. He is very active.
(ii) Mala is not in the classroom. Mala is not in the library.
(iii) She was so excited about her performance. She could not sleep at night.
(iv) Mumbai is densely populated. It is one of the major cities in the country.
(d) Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence.
(i) The book was so interesting that I could not put in down.
(Begin: The book was too ……..…………………………)
(ii) The Principal said, “All the prizes will be distributed tomorrow.”
(Begin: The Principal said that …………………………….)
(iii) Last night’s dinner was cooked for us by father.
(Begin: Father …………………………….)
(iv) If Mary catches the first bus, she will be on time for school.
(Begin: Unless ……………………………)
(v) Inspite of having high fever the girl came to school.
(Begin: Despite ……………………….)
(vi) I prefer going out with friends to staying alone at home.
(Begin: I would rather …………………………….)
(vii) Hardly had the teacher left the room, when all the children started making a noise.
(Begin: No sooner …………………………….)
(viii) This is the funniest movie I have ever seen.
(Begin: Never ……………………………)
Answer:
(a)
- gazing
- fishing
- felt
- Looking
- found
- was
- nudge
- looked
(b)
(i) in
(ii) of
(iii) under
(iv) into
(v) with
(vi) off
(vii) over
(viii) away
(c) (i) Although my grandfather is very old, he is very active.
(ii) Mala is neither in the classroom nor in the library.
(iii) She was so excited about her performance that she could not sleep at night.
(iv) Mumbai, which is densely populated, is one of the major cities in India.
(d) (i) The book was too interesting for me to put down.
(ii) The Principal said that all the prizes would be distributed the next day / the following day.
(iii) Father cooked last night’s dinner for us.
(iv) Unless Mary catches the first bus she will not be on time for school / she will be late for school.
(v) Despite having high fever, the girl came to school.
(vi) I would rather go out with friends than stay alone at home.
(vii) No sooner had the teacher left the room than all the children started making a noise.
(viii) Never have I seen the funnier movie than this / Never have I seen a movie funnier than this.
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