10 English Periodic Test I (2018-19)

10 English Periodic Test I (2018-19)

School Name: Venkateshwar Global School, Sector 13, Rohini, Delhi 110085 India
Class: 10
Subject: English
Time: 90 Minutes
Maximum Marks: 40
Date: 25/07/2018

General Instructions:

1. Write down the serial number of the question before attempting it.
2. All questions are compulsory.
3. Do not exceed the word limit.

Section A: Reading

Question I. Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions in brief. (12 marks)

“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
Pablo Picasso

1. There are a lot of misconceptions floating around about art. Some think you have to be creating paintings or sculptures to be considered a real artist. Other believe that you are either born with talent or not. Many are afraid that since they aren’t very good at something, there is no point and they won’t get any benefit from doing it. Another myth is that you have to work with an art therapist to get any therapeutic benefit from doing art. But we are all born with an innate desire to express ourselves and are encompasses a wider range of activities than you may have ever imagined. Here are some of the best ways creative expression can benefit your brain and mental health to make you a happier, healthier person.
2. Creating art relieves stress. Activities like painting, sculpting drawing, and photography are relaxing and rewarding hobbies that can lower your stress levels and leave you feeling mentally clear and calm. Creating art provides a distraction, giving your brain a break from your usual thoughts. The average person has 60,000 thoughts per day and 95% of them are exactly the same day in, day out! When you get totally immersed in a creative endeavor, you may find yourself in what’s known as “the zone” or in a state of “flow.” This meditative-like state focuses your mind and temporarily pushes aside all your worries. Leonardo da Vinci said, “Paining embraces all the ten functions of the eye; that is to say, darkness, light, body and colour, shape and location, distance and closeness, motion and rest.” Creating art trains you to concentrate on details and pay more attention to your environment. In this way, it acts like meditation. A popular art trend for stress relief is adult coloring books.
3. Children who receive art lessons are better students for life. Educators and parents alike have long suspected that music and arts programs make better students. Now, with neuro-imaging, science can finally back this up. Children with musical training perform better in math, language and reading. Early music lessons enhance brain plasticity and increase blood flow to the brain. There’s evidence that the brain-enhancing benefits of music lessons received during childhood can follow through adulthood and last a lifetime.

(a). Answer the following questions briefly: (4 × 2 = 8 marks)

1. State two misconceptions about art.
2. How can creating art be a from of meditation?
3. What has research revealed about the relation between children and art?
4. Mention four functions of the eye.

(b). Answer the following questions briefly: (1 × 4 = 8 marks)

1. Which innate desire are all human beings born with?
2. What is an emerging trend among adults to relieve stress?
3. Pick a word from the passage that is a synonym of ‘well being’. (Para 1)
4. Pick a word from the passage that is a synonym of ‘perpetual’. (Para 2)

Section B: Writing and Grammar

Question II. Use the cues given below to write a short story in 200 – 250 words.

The tall trees the beaming sun seemed to catch my fancy. Had I not been in this chaos, I would have enjoyed living in this enchanted forest. But what could I do in a dwarf’s body… (8 marks)

OR

After my first visit went in vain, I decided to travel to the island again. I was determined to figure out what went wrong with…

Question III. The following passage has not been edited. Each line has a missing word. Identify it and write the word before, the missing word and the word after under the respective headings. (0.5× 8 = 4 marks)

a more formal level of training that usually requires an advanced degree and often license.

Question IV. Rearrange the following to form meaningful sentences: (0.5× 8 = 4 marks)

1. Little heaven / with / those / can / fingers / green / create / anywhere
2. multi-storey / can be / on / it / or atop / a / building / ground
3. suspended between / the / the / and / land / sky / are / some / the / of / gardens / best

Section C: Literature

Question (V). Read the following extract and answer the questions accordingly. (1× 3 = 3 marks)

“Next night when the Nightingale
Shook her head and twitched her tail,
Closed an eye and fluffed a wing
And had cleared her throat to sing
She was startled by a croak”

1. Who startled the nightingale?
2. What was the nightingale preparing for?
3. Where is the nightingale performing?

Question (VI). Answer the following questions in 30-40 words. (2 × 3 = 6 marks)

1. How did Miss Mebbin manage to get her weekend cottage?
2. What impression does the narrator form of Nicola and Jacopo?
3. What put Mrs Packletide off from going on further hunts?

Question (VII). Answer the following questions in 80-100 words. (4 × 2 = 8 marks)

As the narrator, write a latter to you friend sharing you brief encounter with Nicola and Jacopo. Describe how the two boys, despite their young age, have motivated you and left a mark on your memory.