Maximum Marks: 70 SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT I (2015-16) ENGLISH COMMUNICATIVE Class - IX Time: hours Instructions : The question paper is divided into Three sections. Section A : Reading 20 marks Section B : Writing & Grammar 25 marks Section C : Literature & Long Reading Text 25 marks SECTION A (READING :20 marks) 1 Read the passage given below and answer the questions/complete the sentences that follow : (1x8) Many years ago, when the art of stunting plants was quite unheard of except in remote areas of India, Buddhist monks in isolated monasteries in Tibet stunted trees like the oak, orange tree, peepal tree, watching with excitement, the tree still flowering and bearing fruit regardless of this deformity. Since the trees looked so artistically beautiful, the art was learnt by some Chinese monks who taught Bonsai making, an art that became most sought after in China. Every garden, among plant lovers, had at least half a dozen bonsais.china and India claimed rights of the art, till Japan followed, fascinated by its beauty. Today Japan leads in Bonsai making of plants and has devised new methods to make the plants look aesthetic and artistic. The most beautiful is the cherry blossom that is breathtakingly attractive. The Bonsai remains full grown for even more than ten years, although it needs constant pruning, watering, shaping and correct environment. The trees can be planted in colourful containers of your choice. Innumerable schools have mushroomed where the art is taught and cultivated. Best known among them is the Indian Bonsai Association. India has great demand for Bonsai in hotels, homes, garden houses, farm houses, Restaurants, guest houses, invariably decorate lobbies, dining halls, drawing rooms with these exotic plants. It is aptly said, that a thing of beauty is a joy forever. Indeed the Bonsai lasts in one s imagination long after the plant has lived its life span. Bonsai gardeners use methods including wiring branches, extreme pruning of roots and branches, root binding, grafting, and custom soil and cinder mixtures. But perhaps the most important element of all is patience. Instructions for achieving the "roots over rock" effect give insight into the work of a bonsai artist: trim the roots, place the rock, bind roots, then re-pot and wait two years. Often a bonsai is created by many hands over the years---a highly prized tree is one where the hand and ego of the artist become invisible, as in the Zen concept of "artless art." (a) Who first began to stunt trees and plants? (b) Which Bonsai is breathtakingly attractive? (c) Who leads in the art of stunting today? (d) How can we take care of plants? (e) What is the life span of a bonsai? (f) Where is great demand for bonsai in India? (g) Why does the writer say a thing of beauty is a joy forever? (h) The word charmed means ------------------. 8 2 Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow : (2x)+(1x)=12 With at least a month-and-a-half break in the school schedule for the summer, entertaining children can be a tough challenge. While students look forward to vacations to let off steam, looking after them or taking them on a holiday is a tough task. As more and more couples are taking to work and opting out of the joint family fold, children s recreation options during vacations are limited to just television or comics. Sending a kid to a summer camp during vacations, something unheard of till a decade ago has become an unavoidable circumstance today. 12
These summer camps are conducted over a short period of four to five weeks involving interesting and fun- filled activities. A whole new world is opened up for the child, who can have a taste of adventure or sports or he can be part of a personality development camp. Camps offer interesting and fun-filled activities and artistic pursuits like painting, music; classes like craft, cookery, courses in spoken English to lessons in yoga, cricket or even trekking, rafting and rock-climbing. Camps develop the child s confidence, as he is encouraged to do things on his own. Very active and aggressive children are benefited by these camps as their energies are fruitfully used. They are an ideal place for a child to learn about social skills and also have fun in the process. The camp experience is specially designed to provide all of these developmental needs for children. Consider camp as the perfect partner to family, school, and community youth activities in helping your child learn independence, decision-making, social and emotional skills, character building and values-all in an atmosphere of creativity and enrichment under the supervision of positive adult role models. In today's pressure-oriented society, the camp provides a non-threatening environment for the youth to be active, to develop competence in life skills, to learn about and enhance their own abilities and to benefit from meaningful participation in a community designed just for them. (a) What is a summer camp? (b) What helps reduce the stress from the pressure oriented society, for the youth? (c) How are camps beneficial for very active and aggressive children? (d) Why are camps considered a perfect partner for children? (e) What is meant by schedule? (Para 1) (f) What is meant by recreation? (Para 1) (g) Find the word opposite in meaning to slavery. (Para ) (h) Find the word opposite in meaning to meaningless. (Para ) SECTION B (WRITING & GRAMMAR: 25 Marks) Ramesh, a student of class IX stood first in the Poem Recitation Competition and was awarded the prize in the school assembly. Since it was his first achievement, he was elated. He decided to write a diary entry. Write the diary entry for him in about 0-120 words. 5 Develop a story in about 150-200 words using the following hints. Also give a suitable title. Hints : Ram - a very intelligent boy - father, a rickshaw puller - mother, a domestic servant - parents met with an accident - unable to afford educational expenses - gave tuitions - did odd jobs - continued his studies - excelled 5 Complete the following passage by choosing the most appropriate options from the ones given below. Write your answers in the answer sheets against the correct blank number. Do not copy the entire passage. And the boys. The boys. They laughed (a) her openly. It was the boys, in fact, (b) coined the nickname Fats. They spread malicious stories about her which were mean (c) untrue. (a) (i) in (ii) over (iii) which (iv) at (b) (i) who (ii) that (iii) had been referring (iv) refers
(c) (i) but (ii) and (iii) or (iv) yet 6 There is an error in each line. Write the error and the correction in the answer sheet as given below : Error Correction The effects or the use of crystals or gemstones (a) is mentioned in the astrology of the East and (b) the West. Experts world under are trying to (c) understand the relationship among humans (d) and stones through scientific methods. 7 Rearrange the given words and phrases to form meaningful sentences. Write the correct sentences in your answer sheet. e.g. : salty fluid / tear / is / a / filled with / water / mucus and oil/protein Tear is a salty fluid, filled with protein, water, mucus and oil (a) (b) (c) humans / usually / excessive / tears / produce / emotional contexts / in not all / of course / tears /are /of / the emotional / variety three types / of / tears / with / exist / different / purposes SECTION C (LITERATURE & LONG READING TEXT: 25 Marks) Read one of the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow. 8 Go run around the house Duke. But Duke wouldn t. He d lie down with a reproachful eye on Hooper. (a) What do these lines tell us about Duke? (b) (c) Duke was unhappy with Hooper because. Reproachful means. "While you were upstairs, I had been thinking a lot about your papa and mamma" (i) Who spoke these words and to whom? (ii) How does the statement differ from the statement made by him earlier? (iii) What impression do you form about the speaker? Answer the following questions in about 0-0 words:
9(i) Why was Hooper taken to the hospital? What was the diagnosis? 2 9(ii) The final stanza in the poem, The Road Not Taken starts with a sigh. Why? 2 9(iii) Do you agree that Mrs. Al Smith is the representative of American outlook? Give reasons. 2 9(iv) How is the road a metaphor? Use examples from the poem, The Road Not Taken to support your answer. 2 Answer one of the following questions in about 80-0 words 'It is very difficult to cope with the present world and its challenges without the tool of education". Justify with reference to 'How I Taught My Grand Mother to Read'. 'Obstacles and hurdles are part and parcel of life'. The Brook teaches us never to give up under any circumstances. Express your views in about 80-0 words on the given statement. Answer one of the following questions in about 150-200 words. 11 What were the conditions imposed on Gulliver by the king of Lilliput for setting him free? Describe in about 150-200 words. Comment on the character of James Bates in about 150-200 words. How did the friends reach Kingston to begin their holiday trip? Why is Uncle Podger a lovable character despite his being clumsy and sloppy? Give a reasoned answer.
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