| Read the passage given below carefully: |
| 1. For four days, I walked through the narrow lanes of the old city, enjoying the romance of being in a city where history still live-in its cobblestone streets and in its people riding asses, carrying vine leaves and palm as they once did during the time of Christ. |
| 2. This is Jerusalem, home to the sacred sites of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. This is the place that houses the church of the Holy Sepulcher, the place where Jesus was finally laid to rest. This is also the site of Christ's crucifixion, burial and resurrection. |
| 3. Built by the Roman Emperor Constantine at the site of an earlier temple to Aphrodite, it is the most venerated Christian shrine in the world. And justifiably so. Here, within the church, are the last five stations of the cross, the 10th station where Jesus was stripped of his clothes, the 11th where he was nailed to the cross, the 12th where he died on the cross, the 13th where the body was removed from the cross, and the 14th his tomb. |
| 4. For all this weighty tradition, the approach and entrance to the church is non-descript. You have to ask for direction. Even to the devout Christian pilgrims walking along the Via Dolorosa - The Way of Sorrow - first nine stations look clueless. Then a courtyard appears, hemmed in by other buildings and a doorway to one side. This leads to a vast area of huge stone architecture. |
| 5. Immediately inside the entrance is your first stop. It's the stone of anointing: this is the place, according to Greek tradition, where Christ was removed from the cross. The Roman Catholics, however, believe it to be the spot where Jesus' body was prepared for burial by Joseph. |
| 6. What happened next' Jesus was buried. He was taken to a place outside the city of Jerusalem where other graves existed and there, he was buried in a cave. However, all that is long gone, destroyed by continued attacks and rebuilding; what remains is the massive - and impressive Rotunda (a round building with a dome) that Emperor Constantine built. Under this, and right in the centre of the Rotunda, is the structure that contains the Holy Sepulchre. |
| 7. 'How do you know that this is Jesus' tomb'? I asked one of the pilgrims standing next to me. He was clueless, more interested, like the rest of them, in the novelty of it all and in photographing it, than in its history or tradition. |
| 8. At the start of the first century, the place was a disused quarry outside the city walls. According to the gospels, Jesus' crucifixion occurred 'at a place outside the city walls with graves nearby......?. Archaeologists have discovered tombs from that era, so the site is compatible with the biblical period. |
| 9. The structure at the sire is a marble tomb built over the original burial chamber. It has two rooms, and you enter four at a time into the first of these, the Chapel of the Angel. Here A the angle is supposed to have sat on a stone to recount Christ's resurrection. A low door made of white marble, partly worn away by pilgrims' hands, leads to a smaller chamber inside. This is the 'room of the tomb', the place where Jesus was buried. |
| 10. We entered in single file. On my right was a large marble slab that covered the original rock bench on which the body of Jesus was laid. A woman knelt and prayed. Her eyes were wet with tears. She pressed her face against the slab to hide them, but it only made it worse. |
| I. On the basis of your understanding of this passage answer the following questions with the help of given options: |
| (a) How does Jerusalem still retain the charm of ancient era? |
| (i) There are narrow lanes. |
| (ii) Roads are paved with cobblestones. |
| (iii) People can be seen riding assess. |
| (iv) All of the above. |
| (b) Holy Sepulchre is sacred to _________. |
| (i) Christianity. |
| (ii) Islam. |
| (iii) Judaism. |
| (iv) Both (i) and (iii). |
| (c) Why does one have to constantly ask for directions to the church? |
| (i) Its lanes are narrow. |
| (ii) Entrance to the church is nondescript. |
| (iii) People are not tourist-friendly. |
| (iv) Everyone is lost in enjoying the romance of the place. |
| (d) Where was Jesus buried? |
| (i) In a cave. |
| (ii) At a place outside the city. |
| (iii) In the Holy Sepulchre |
| (iv) Both (i) and (ii) |
| II. Answer the following questions briefly: |
| (e) What is the Greek belief about the 'stone of anointing'? |
| (f) Why did Emperor Constantine build the Rotunda? |
| (g) What is the general attitude of the pilgrims? |
| (h) How is the site compatible with the biblical period? |
| (i) Why did the pilgrims enter the 'room of the tomb' in a single file? |
| (j) Why did 'a woman' try to hide her tears? |
| (k) Find words from the passage which mean the same as; |
| (i) A large grave (para 3) |
| (ii) Having no interesting features/dull (para4) |
| Read the passage given below; |
| 1. We often make all things around us the way we want them. Even during our pilgrimages we have begun to look for whatever makes our heart happy, gives comfort to our body and peace to the mind. It is as if external solutions will fulfil our needs, and we do not want to make any special efforts even in our spiritual search. Our mind is resourceful - it works to find shortcuts in simple and easy ways. |
| 2. Even pilgrimages have been converted into tourism opportunities. Instead, we must awaken our conscience and souls and understand the truth. Let us not tamper with our own nature of that of the Supreme. |
| 3. All our cleverness is rendered ineffective when nature does a dance of destruction. Its fury can and will wash away all imperfections. Indian culture, based on Vedic treatises, assists in human evolution, but we are using our entire energy in distorting these traditions according to our convenience instead of making efforts to make ourselves worthy of them. |
| 4. The irony is that humans are not even aware of the complacent attitude they have allowed themselves to sink to. Nature is everyone's Amma and her fierce blows will sooner or later corner us and force us to understand this truth. Earlier, pilgrimages to places of spiritual significance were rituals that were undertaken when people became free from their worldly duties. Even now some seekers take up this pious religious journey as a path to peace and knowledge. Anyone travelling with this attitude feels and travels with only a few essential items that his body can carry. Pilgrims traditionally travelled light, on foot, eating light, dried chickpeas and fruits, or whatever was available. Pilgrims of olden days did not feel the need to stay in special AC bedrooms, or travel by luxury cars or indulge themselves with delicious food and savouries. |
| 5. Pilgrims traditionally moved ahead, creating a feeling of belonging towards all, conveying a message of brotherhood among all they came across whether in small caves, ashrams or local settlements. They received the blessings and congregations of yogis and mahatmas in return while conducting the dharma of their pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is like penance of sadhana to stay near nature and to experience a feeling of oneness with it, to keep the body healthy and fulfilled with the amount of food, while seeking freedom from attachments and yet remaining happy while staying away from relatives and associates. |
| 6. This is how a pilgrimage should be, rather than making it like a picnic by taking a large group along and living in comfort, packing in entertainment, and tampering with environment. What is worse is giving a boost to the ego of having had a special darshan. Now alms are distributed, charity done while they brag about their spiritual experiences! |
| 7. We must embark on our spiritual journey by first understanding the grace and significance of a pilgrimage and following it up with the prescribed rules and rituals- this is what translates into the ultimate and beautiful medium of spiritual evolution. There is no justification for tampering with nature. |
| 8. A pilgrimage is symbolic of contemplation and meditation and acceptance, and is a metaphor for the constant growth or movement and love for nature that we should hold in our hearts. |
| 9. This is the truth! |
| I. On the basis of your understanding of the above passage answer the questions that follow with the help of given options: |
| (a) How can a pilgrim keep his body healthy? |
| (i) By travelling light |
| (ii) By eating small amount of food |
| (iii) By keeping free from attachments |
| (iv) Both (i) and (ii) |
| (b) How do we satisfy our ego? |
| (i) By having a special darshan |
| (ii) By distributing alms |
| (iii) By treating it like a picnic |
| (iv) Both (i) and (ii) |
| II. Answer the following as briefly as possible: |
| (c) What change has taken place in our attitude towards pilgrimages? |
| (d) What happens when pilgrimages are turned into picnics? |
| (e) Why are we complacent in our spiritual efforts? |
| (f) How does nature respond when we try to be clever with it? |
| (g) In olden days with what attitude did people go on a pilgrimage? |
| (h) What message does the passage convey to the prilgrims? |
| (i) Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following: |
| (i) made/turned (para 3) |
| (ii) very satisfied (para 4). |
| Read the passage given below: |
| It is surprising that sometimes we don't listen to what people say to us. We hear them, but we don't listen to them. I was curious to know how hearing is different from listening. I had thought both were synonyms, but gradually, I realised there is a big difference between the two words. |
| Hearing is a physical phenomenon. Whenever somebody speaks, the sound waves generated reach you, and you definitely hear whatever is said to you. However, even if you hear something, it doesn't always mean that you actually understand whatever is being said. Paying attention to whatever you hear means you are really listening. Consciously using your mind to understand whatever is being said is listening. |
| Diving deeper, I found that listening is not only hearing with attention, but is much more than that. Listening is hearing with full attention, and applying our mind. Most of the time, we listen to someone, but our minds are full of needless chatter and there doesn't seem to be enough space to accommodate what is being spoken. |
| We come with a lot of prejudices and preconceived notions about the speaker or the subject on which he is talking. We pretend to listen to the speaker, but deep inside, we sit in judgement and are dying to pronounce right or wrong, true or false, yes or no. Sometimes, we even come prepared with a negative mindset of proving the speaker wrong. Even if the speaker says nothing harmful, we are ready to pounce on him with our own version of things. |
| What we should ideally do is listen first with full awareness. Once we have that, we can decide whether we want to make a judgement or not. Once we do that, communication will be perfect and our interpersonal relationship will become so much better. Listening well doesn't mean one has to say the right thing at the right moment. In fact, sometimes if words are left unspoken, there is a feeling of tension and negativity. Therefore, it is better to speak out your mind, but do so with awareness after listening to the speaker with full concentration. |
| Let's look at this in another way. When you really listen you imbibe not only what is being spoken, but you also understand what is not spoken as well. Most of the time we don't really listen even to people who really matter to us. That's how misunderstandings grow among families, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters. |
| On the basis of your reading of the above passage make not on it, using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary - minimum four) and format you consider suitable. Also supply an appropriate tide to it. |
| (B) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words. |
| Every year in the central park of the city a flower show is held in the month of February. Your school has received a circular from the District Collector inviting your students to visit it. Write a notice in about 50 words informing the students about the show and advising them to go and enjoy it. You are Navtej/Navita, Head Boy/Head Girl, Sunrise Public School, Surat. |
| Or |
| Sarvoday Education Society, a charitable organization is coming to your school to distribute books among the needy students. As Head Boy/Head Girl, Sunrise Public School, Surat, write a notice in about 50 words asking such students to drop the lists of books they need in the box kept outside the Principal?s office. You are Navtej/ Navita. |
| Recently you went to your native village to visit your grandparents. You saw that some of the children in the age group 5-14 (the age at which they should have been at school) remained at home, were working in the field or simply loitering in the streets. |
| Write a letter in 120-150 words to the editor of a national daily analyzing the problem and offering solutions to it. You are Navtej/Navita, M-114 Mount Kailash, Kanpur. |
| Or |
| When cricket teams go abroad the members are allowed to take their wives, even friends along with them. Does this fact distract them or help them to focus on their game in a better way? If it is good, why don't we allow our athletes to enjoy the same privilege? Write a letter to editor of a national daily in 120-150 words giving your views on the issue. You are Navtej/Navita, M-114 Mount Kailash, Kanpur. |
| Mobile phone of today is no longer a mere means of communication. Music lovers are so glued to it that they don't pay attention even to the traffic while crossing the roads. This leads to accidents sometimes even fatal ones. |
| Write a speech in 150-200 words to be delivered in the morning assembly advising the students to be careful in the use of this otherwise very useful gadget. Imagine you are this Principal of your school. |
| Or |
| Power shortage has become a norm even in the metropolitan cities. One way to face this situation is by preventing the wastage of power. |
| Write a speech in 150-200 words on the importance of power in our daily life and how to save power at school and at home. Imagine that you are the Principal of your school. |
| In the year to come (if you have not already done this year) you are going to celebrate your 18th birthday. Write an article in 150-200 words on the joys and responsibilities of being eighteen. You are Navtej/Navita. |
| Or |
| Write an article in 150-200 words on how we can make India a carefree and enjoyable place for women when they can go wherever they like to without any fear of being stared at, molested or discriminated against. You are Navtej /Navita. |
| Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: I saw my mother, beside me, doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that of a corpse and realised with pain that she was as old as she looked but soon put that thought away, ... .. |
| (a) What worried the poet when she looked at her mother? |
| (b) Why was there pain in her realization? |
| (c) Why did she put that thought away? |
| (d) Identify the figure of speech used in these lines. |
| Or |
| Far far from gusty waves these children's faces. Like rootless weeds, the hair torn round their pallor: The tall girl with her weighed-down head. |
| (a) Who are these children? |
| (b) What does the poet mean by 'gusty waves'? |
| (c) What has possibly weighed-down the tall girl's head? |
| (d) Identify the figure of speech used in these lines. |
| Answer any four of the following in 30-40 words each: |
| (a) Who occupied the back benches in the class room in the day of the last lesson? Why? |
| (b) Why did Douglas' mother recommend that he should learn swimming at the YMCA swimming pool? |
| (c) What will counting up to twelve and keeping still help us achieve? |
| (d) What does a thing of beauty do for us? |
| (e) Which do you think is a better ending of Roger Skunks story, Jo's or her father's? Why? |
| (f) What could the Governor have done to securely bring Evans back to the prison from the 'Golden Lion'? |
| Answer the following in 120-150 words: |
| Giving a bribe is evil practice. How did the Tiger Kind bribe the British officer to save his kingdom? How do you view this act of his? |
| Or |
| Dr. Sadao was a patriotic Japanese as well as a dedicated surgeon. How could he honour both the values? |
| Answer the following in 120-150 words: |
| Describe the difficulties the bangle makers of Firozabad have to face in their lives. |
| Or |
| The peddler declined the invitation of the ironmaster but accepted the one from Edia. Why? |
| Answer the following in 120-150 words; |
| Describe the ironical situation in which Silas Marner had to leave Lantern Yard. |
| Or |
| Within a few days of his arrival in Iping, people became suspicious of Griffin. Why? |
| Answer the following in 120-150 words: |
| Describe Dolly Winthrop as the most lovable character in George Eliot's 'Silas Marner'. |
| Or |
| Attempt a character sketch of Marvel. |
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