omtexclasses.com: HSC English Question paper with solutions. Maharashtra state board.

HSC English Question paper with solutions. Maharashtra state board.

AS PER BOARD'S NEW PAPER PATTERN

Q1. (A) Read the following passage and answer the following questions. (11 marks)

Michael Dell's Two-Billion-Dollar Dream

One afternoon in 1977, as his parents and two brothers fished in the Gulf of Mexico, 12-year-old Michael Dell sat on the beach, painstakingly putting together a trotline, a maze of ropes to which several fish hooks could be attached. "You're wasting your time," the rest of the family called to Michael, as they pulled in fish. "Grab a pole and join in the fun.”

Michael kept working. It was dinnertime when he finished, and everyone else was ready to call it a day. Still, the youngster cast the trotline far into the water, anchoring it to a stick that he plunged deep in the sand.

Over dinner his family teased young Michael about coming away empty-handed. But afterward Michael reeled in his trotline, and on the hooks were more fish than the others had caught all together!

Michael Dell has always been fond of saying, "If you think you have a good idea, try it!" And today, at 29, he has discovered the power of another good idea that has helped him rise in just a few years from teen to tycoon. He has become the fourth-largest manufacturer of personal computers in America and the youngest man ever to head a Fortune 500 corporation.

Growing up in Houston, Michael and his two brothers were imbued by their parents with the desire to learn and the drive to work hard. Even so, stories about the middle boy began to be told early.

Like the time a saleswoman came asking to speak to "Mr. Michael Dell" about his getting a high-school equivalency diploma. Moments later, eight-year-old Michael was explaining that he thought it might be a good idea to get high school out of the way.

A few years later Michael had another good idea, to trade stamps by advertising in stamp magazines. With the $ 2000 profit he made, he bought his first personal computer. Then he took it apart to figure out how it worked.

In high school Michael had a job selling subscriptions to the Houston Post. Newlyweds, so he figured, were the best prospects, so he hired friends to copy the names and addresses of recent recipients of marriage licenses. These he entered into his computer, then sent a personalized letter offering each couple a free two-week subscription.

This time Dell made $18 000 and bought a BMW. The car salesman was flabbergasted when the 17-year-old paid cash.

Questions

1. Why was the car salesman flabbergasted? (1)

Answer: When Dell was 17 years old, he made $ 18,000 and bought an expensive BMW car by watching this the car salesman was flabbergasted.

2. State whether the following statements are true or false. (2)

i. In high school, Michael had a job of selling newspaper subscriptions. (True)

ii. At 29, Dell bought an expensive BMW car. (False)

3. How did Michael succeed in catching more fish? (2)

Answer: Michael Del had painstakingly put a trotline. He worked upto dinner time. He cast the trotline far into the water, anchoring it to a stick that he plunged deep in the sand. When he reeled in his trotline, and on the hooks were more fish than the others had caught all together.

4. What does Dell fondly say about any good idea? (2)

Answer: Dell has always been fond of saying, "If you think you have a good idea, try it!" about any good idea.

5. Do as directed: (3)

1. What do these words stand for?

OPEC, NASA, WHO

Answer: OPEC = Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

WHO = World Health Organization.

2. What are the above abbreviated forms called?

Answer: They are called acronyms.

3. Everyone else was ready to call it a day.

That has helped him rise in just a few years from teen to tycoon.

(What do the underlined expressions mean?

Ans. Call it a day = stop doing something

from teen to tycoon = from a teenager to a wealthy businessman.

6. Write word from the passage which related to the phrase 'with great care of trouble'

Ans. Painstakingly

B. Grammar:

Do as directed: (4 marks)

1. Multani mitti takes its name from a place in Pakistan. (Rewrite using the Present perfect tense.)

Multani mitti has taken its name from a place in Pakistan.

2. He was unable to see their act. (Rewrite using ‘could’)

He could not see their act.

3. I’d see you and run to get in your path. (Rewrite using ‘used to’)

I used to see you and run to get in your path.

4. He’d need a massive home library. (Add a question tag.)

He’d need a massive home library, wouldn’t he?

Q2 (A) : Read the following passage and answer the questions: (11)

To me, a world without poverty means that every person would have the ability to take care of his or her own basic life needs. In such a world, nobody would die of hunger or suffer from malnutrition. This is a goal world leaders have been calling for decades, but have never any way of achieving it.

Today 40,000 children die each day around the world from hunger – related diseases. In a poverty – free world, no children would die of such causes.

Everybody in every part of the globe would have access to education and health – care services because he or she would be able to afford them. Unlike today, the state would not be required to provide free or subsidized health – care or schooling.

All state organizations created to provide free or subsidized services for the poor would no longer be required and could be done away with.
Thus, no need to welfare, or local welfare agencies, or the national welfare department. No need for hand – outs, no sup – kitchens, no food stamps, no free schools, no free hospital care, no begging in the streets.

State – run safety – net programme would have no rationale for existence because no one would live on charity any more. State – run social security programmes, income – support programmes would be unnecessary.

Social structures in a poverty – free world would, of course, be quite different from those that exist in a poverty – ridden world. But nobody would be at the mercy of anyone else, and that is what would make all the difference between a world without poverty and one riddled with it.

Finally, a poverty – free world would be economically much stronger and far more stable than the world today.

Questions:

1. State whether the following sentences are true or false. (1)

(i) Today 25,000 children die daily around the world from hunger related diseases. (False)

(ii) Finally, a poverty – free world would he economically less stronger and far more stable than the world today. (False)

2. What, according to the writer, would the 'world without poverty' be like? (2)

Answer: According to the writer, the ' world without poverty' be economically much stronger and far more stable than the world today.

3. What would happen to the charitable trust and state organizations helping to poor, if there were no poverty? (2)

Answer: All state organizations created to provide free or subsidized services for the poor would no longer be required. Thus, no need for welfare, or local welfare agencies, or the national welfare department.

4. How does the social structure in poverty – free world look like? (2)

Answer: Social structures in a poverty – free world would, be quite different from those that exist in a poverty – ridden world. But in that world nobody would have mercy on anyone and it would make all the difference between a world without poverty and on riddled with it.

5. Do as directed: (3)

(i) It became too dark to read easily.(remove too)

Ans. It became so dark that one could not read easily.

(ii) I do not remember. (Make it affirmative)

Ans. I fail to remember.

(iii) They always come in time. (add a question tag)

Ans. They always come in time, don’t they?

6. . Give noun forms of the following adding suffixes. (1)

a. Enjoy b. prefer

Answer:

a. Enjoyment b. preference

B. Note – making (4 marks)

Draw Tree Diagram with the help of following points. A Tissue may be defined as a group of cells having some shape, size, origin, function and the same type of development. Tissues are basically classified into two groups namely, meristematic tissues, and permanent tissues. Meristematic tissues are divided into two, these are position based and origin based. Permanent tissues are further divided into two groups. They are simple tissues and complex tissues. On their basis of their position in the plant body meristematic tissues are classified as aplicle – intercalary, and lateral. On the basis of origin, meristematic tissues are divided into 3 groups; they are Pro – meristem, Primary – meristem and secondary – meristem. Simple tissues are classified into 3 groups, namely parenchyma, collechyma, sclerenchyma, The two complex tissues are found in vascular plant. They are xylem and phloem.

Answers:

Q3. (A) Read the following passage and answer the following questions. (11)

THE ANIMAL SCHOOL: A FABLE by George Reavis

Once upon a time the animals decided they must do something heroic to meet the problems of a “new world” so they organized a school. They had adopted an activity curriculum consisting of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to

administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects.

The duck was excellent in swimming. In fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had

to stay after school and also drop swimming in order to practice running. This was kept up until his webbed feet were badly worn and he was only average in swimming.

But average was acceptable in school so nobody worried about that, except the duck.

The rabbit started at the top of the class in running but had a nervous breakdown because of so much makeup work in swimming. The squirrel was excellent in climbing until he developed frustration in the flying

class where his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of the treetop down. He also developed a “charlie horse” from overexertion and then got a C in

climbing and D in running.

The eagle was a problem child and was disciplined severely. In the climbing class, he beat all the others to the top of the tree but insisted on using his own way to get there.

At the end of the year, an abnormal eel that could swim exceeding well and also run, climb and fly a little had the highest average and was valedictorian.

The prairie dogs stayed out of school and fought the tax levy because the administration would not add digging and burrowing to the curriculum. They

apprenticed their children to a badger and later joined the groundhogs and gophers to start a successful private school.

Does this fable have a moral?

Questions:

1. Why did the animals want to start a school? (1)

Answer: In order to meet the problems of the "new world" by doing something heroic.

2. Read the text carefully and say whether the following statements are true or false. Correct the false statements. (2)

i. In the animal school, all the animals opted for their favourite subjects. (False)

ii. The duck was better than his instructor in swimming. (True)

iii. The rabbit started at the top of the class in swimming. (False)

iv. The school administration would not add running and climbing. (False)

3. Why were the duck's webbed feet so worn out? (2)

Answer: By doing practice in running, the duck's webbed feet worn out.

4. Why did the rabbit face problems? (2)

The rabbit had faced the problems of nervous breakdown because of so much makeup in swimming.

5. Do as directed: (3)

1. Since he was tired he could not go to office. (Make it simple)

Answer. On account of his tiredness, he could not go to office

2. As I hearkened to the silence of the night, I heard the heavenly world talking. (use no sooner and rewrite the sentence)

Ans. No sooner did I hearken to the silence of the night than I heard the heavenly world talking.

3. The sky poured turbulent waters on Mumbai to transform lanes and streets into rivers. (Rewrite using gerund form of the underlined word)

Ans. The sky poured turbulent waters on Mumbai, transforming lanes and streets into rivers.

6. Why was the squirrel frustrated?

Ans. The squirrel frustrated because, in the flying class his teacher made him start from the ground to up instead of the tree top to down.

(B) Summary (4 marks)

Write a summary of the main findings of the survey. Give it a suitable title.

Answer: Summary

Real World

When animal started their school to meet the criteria requirement of new changing world, they face some problems. When all animals are taught with same curriculum, the duck was excellent in swimming, but felt very difficult to get pass mark in running. In case of rabbit he topped in running but he lost in swimming.

The squirrel was excellent in climbing until he developed frustration in the flying class. The eagle was a problem child and was disciplined severely. At the end of the year, an abnormal eel that could swim exceedingly well and also run, climb and fly a little had the highest average and was valedictorian.

This fable have a moral of "CUT YOUR COAT ACCORDING TO YOUR CLOTH"