Doon Public School

Annual exam of English

Class-IX MM-80
Q-1) Read the passage and answer the following questions
8 marks
The Galapagos Islands are in the Pacific Ocean,off the western
coast of south America.The Islands are formed for their vast
number of endemic species and were studied by Charles
Darwin during the voyage of the beagle.His observations and
collections contributed to the inception of Darwin’s theory of
evolution by natural selection.They are a rocky,lonely spot,but
they are also one of the most unusual places in the world.One
reason is that they are the home of some of the last giant
tortoises left on earth.Weighing hundreds of pounds,these
tortoises,or land hurtles,wander slowly around the rocks and
sand of the Islands.Strangely each of these islands has its own
particular kind of tortoise.There are seven different kinds of
tortoises on the eight islands, each kind being slightly different
from other.Hundreds of years ago ,thousands of tortoises
wandered around these islands.However,all this changed when
people started landing there.When people first arrived in
1535,their ships had no refrigerators.This meant that fresh food
was always a problem for the sailors on board.The giant
tortoises provided the solution to this problem.Ships would
anchor off the islands,and crew would row ashore and seize as
many tortoises as they could.Once the animals were abroad the
ships the sailors would roll the tortoises onto their backs.The
tortoises were completely helpless once on their backs,so they
could only lie there until used for soups and stews. Almost
100000 tortoises one carried off in this way.
1.1 Question
1) Why does the author call Galapagos Islands an unusual
place?
2) Where are the Galapagos Islands located?
Q3 How is the Charles Darwin related to the Galapagos
Islands?
4) How did the giant tortoises help the sailors without
refrigerators?
5)When did the people arrive at the Islands?
6) How did the number of tortoises in the island get
reduced?
7)’The giant tortoises provided a solution to the sailors
problem’. How?
8) How did the sailors keep the tortoises on the ship?
Ques 2) Read the following passage carefully (12 marks)
My grandmother like everybody’s grandmother was an old
woman. She had been old and wrinkled for the 20 years that I
had known her.People said that she had once been young and
pretty had even had a husband but that was hard to believe.
My grandfather portrait hung above the mental piece in the
drawing room.He wore a big turban loose fitting clothes.His
long white beard covered the best part of his chest and he
looked at least a hundred years old. He didn’t look the sort of
person who would have a wife or children. He looked as if he
could only have lots and lots of grand children. As for my
grandmother being young and pretty,the thought was almost
revolting. She often told us of the games she used to play as a
child at seemed quite absurd and undignified on her part and
be treated it like the fables of the prophets she used to tell us.
She had always been short and fat and slightly bent. Her face
was a criss-cross of wrinkles running from everywhere to
everywhere.
2.1 ) on the basis of the reading of the passage answer the
following questions in brief. (2*4=8)
a) What was the appearance of the grandmother?
b) What does the narrator say about his grandmother?
c) What thought itself was revolting?
d) What does the narrator say about the grandmother’s
face?
2.2) Answer the following questions as briefly as possible(4 M)
a) Find the word from the passage that means ‘appeared’?
b) Find the word from the passage that means ‘’an old
story that teaches a moral lesson’’.
c)Find the word from the passage that is the antonym of
‘’pleasant’’.
d) Give the noun form of ‘absurd’.

Section B (writing and grammar)

3) you are Mohan/Rita of Doon public school ladwa you are
motivated by the clean India campaign of the prime minister
and participated in it your own way in your colony. Taking
help from the input write a diary entry on the subject. (5)
4) you are Ram of 1 Bajwa farms , Delhi write a letter to the
editor of Times of India Delhi the problem related to
disquality of water. (7)
5) A) fill in the blanks with the correct forms of verb (3)
i)The police _______four thieves last night(catch)
ii)The patient ________before the doctor came(die)
iii)It _______ since 9’0’clock(rain)
B) fill in the blanks with appropriate modals (3)
i) you____ obey your parents.
 ii) Ramesh said that they _______report for duty on
monday.
iii) You __________not take her help.
C) Change the voice from active to passive (3)
i) Who taught you English?
ii) Boys are flying kites.
iii) Obey your parents.
D) Change the following sentences into indirect speech (3)
i) The captain said ”Hurray! We have won”.
ii) I said to the teacher “I am working hard”.
iii) She said to me “ open the window”.

Section C (Literature and Extended reading)

6) Read the extract and answer the question that follows (4)
Alone she cuts, and binds the grain
And sings a melancholy strain;
All listen; for the vale profound
Is overflying with the sound
a) what is the name of poem and name of poet?
b) What is girl doing in the field?
c) What is the nature of her song?
d) What is the result of the song?
7) Answer any four of the following questions in 30-40 words
each (8)
1) What made Triveni a popular writer?
2) Who was the passenger of chair number 9? What did
he suddenly do?
3) Who was jerry fisher? What did he say to try and
convince will to change his mind?
4) What is a nick name ? can you suggest another one
for private quelch?
5) Duke was an extra ordinary dog? What special
qualities did he exhibit to justify this discuss?
8) Answer any four questions of poetry (8)
1) Why is the rain divine?
2) Why did the poet go to the dentist? how could she
have avoided it?
3) Give two characterstics of boatman who ferries the
couple across the sea?
4) Why does the word ‘ Chatter’ been repeated in the
poem ?
5) How many parts does a man play in his lifetime?
9) Answer any two questions of drama (8)
1) Do you think the bishop was right in selling the salt -
celler ? Why? Why not?
 2) Why is Gastone not interested in buying the villa in
the beginning?
3) Who was the Jeanette? What was the cause of her
health?