ICSE-X-EnglishLanguage
Previous Year Paper year:2015
- #3Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Lying in bed, Swami realized with a shudder that it was Monday morning. It looked as
though only a moment ago it had been the last period on Friday; already Monday was here.
He hope that an earthquake would reduce the school building to dust, but that good
building Albert Mission School had withstood similar prayers for over a hundred years
now. At nine o.clock Swaminathan wailed, .I have a 5 headache.. His mother said, .Why
don.t you go to school in a bullock cart?.
.So that I may be completely dead at the other end? Have you any idea whit it means to be
jolted in a cart?
.Have you nay important lessons today?.
.Important! Bah! That geography teacher has been teaching the same lesson for over a year
now. And we have arithmetic, which means for a whole period we are going to be beaten by
the teacher Important lessons!.
And Mother generously suggested that Swami mighty stay at home.
At 9:30, when he ought to have been lining up in the school prayer hall, Swami was lying on
the bench in Mother.s room. Father asked him, .Have you on school today?.
.Headache,. Swami replied.
.Nonsense! Dress up and go..
.Headache..
.Loaf about less on Sunday and you will be without a headache on Monday..
Swami knew how stubborn his father could be and changed his tactics. .I can.t go so late to
class..
.I agree, but you .ll have to; it is your own fault. You should have asked me before deciding
to stay away..
.What will the teacher think if I go so late?.
.Tell him you had a headache and so are late..
.He will beat me if I say so..
.Will he? Let us see. What is his name?
.Mr. Samuel..
.Does he beat the boys?.
.He is very violent, especially with boys who come late. Some days ago a boy was made to
stay on his knees for a whole period in a corner of the class because he came late, and that
after getting six cuts from the cane and having his ears twisted. I wouldn.t like to go late to
Mr. Samuel.s class.
.If he is so violent why not tell your headmaster about it?.
.They say that event the headmaster is afraid of him. He is such a violent man..
And then Swami gave a lurid account of Samuel.s violence; how when he started caning he
would not stop till he saw blood on the boy.s hand, which he made the boy press to his
forehead like a vermillion marking. Swami hoped that his father would be made to see that
he couldn.t go to his class tale. But Father.s behavior took an unexpected turn. He became
excited. .What do these people mean by beating our children? They must be driven out of
service. I will see..
The result was he proposed to send Swami late to his class as a kind of challenge. He was
also going to send a letter with Swami to the headmaster. No amount of protest from
Swami was of any avail: Swami had to go to school.
By the time he was ready Father had composed a long letter to the headmaster, put in an
envelope and sealed it.
.What have you written, Father?. Swaminathan asked apprehensively.
.Nothing for you. Give it to your headmaster and go to your headmaster and go to your
class..
Swami.s father did not know the truth, that actually Mr. Samuel was a very kind and gentle
man. (a) Give the meaning of each of the following words as used in the passage. One word
answers or short phrase will be accepted. (a) jolted (line 21) (a) stubborn (line 21) (a) avail (line 45) (b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words: (b) What did Swami wish for on a Monday morning? Why was his wish unlikely to be
answered? (b) Which sentence tells us that Swami.s father was completely unsympathetic to his
son.s headache? (b) In what way was Swami.s response different from his father.s? (b) Why did Swami give a colourful account of Mr. Samuel to his father? (b) In what way did Father.s behavior take an unexpected turn? (b) What was Swami finally ordered to do by his father? (c) (i) In not more than 60 words describe how Swami tries to prove that Mr. Samuel is a
violent man. (c) Give a title to your summary in 3(c). Give a reason to justify your choice. (a) Give the meaning of each of the following words as used in the passage. One word
answers or short phrase will be accepted. (a) jolted (line 21) (a) stubborn (line 21) (a) avail (line 45) (b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words: (b) What did Swami wish for on a Monday morning? Why was his wish unlikely to be
answered? (b) Which sentence tells us that Swami.s father was completely unsympathetic to his
son.s headache? (b) In what way was Swami.s response different from his father.s? (b) Why did Swami give a colourful account of Mr. Samuel to his father? (b) In what way did Father.s behavior take an unexpected turn? (b) What was Swami finally ordered to do by his father? (c) (i) In not more than 60 words describe how Swami tries to prove that Mr. Samuel is a
violent man. (c) Give a title to your summary in 3(c). Give a reason to justify your choice.Ans : (a) (a) jolted-be shaken roughly (a) stubborn-obstinate (a) avail-use (b) (b) Swami wished that an earthquake would reduce the school building to dust. His wish was unlikely to be answered because that good building-Albert Mission School- had withstood similar prayers for over a hundred years now. (b) "Loaf about less on Sundays and you will be without a headache on Monday."
"Nonsense dress up and go."
Tells us that Swami's father was completely unsympathetic to his son's headache. (b) Swami's mother first suggested him to go to school in a bullock cart and later allowed him to stay at home and not go to school. (b) Swami gave a colourful account of Mr. Samuel to his father in hope that his father would be made to see that he couldn't go to his class late. Mr. Samuel was a violent man and didn't stop caning till he saw blood on the boy's hand and then made the boy press his blood stained hand to his forehead like a Vermillion marking. (b) Father became excited. He was angry that why were this children beaten in such a manner, such teachers should be removed from service. He decided to send Swami late to his class as a kind of challenge and also was going to send a letter with Swami to the headmaster. (b) Father ordered Swami that he had to go to school, no amount of protest from Swami was given a ear to. He also gave a long letter for the headmaster and told Swami to go to his class. (c)
(i)
(c) Title: 'Mr. Samuel - a Violent Man'. Swami paints a very violent picture of Mr. Samuel as a teacher, how he ill-treats his students for various reasons. (a) (a) jolted-be shaken roughly (a) stubborn-obstinate (a) avail-use (b) (b) Swami wished that an earthquake would reduce the school building to dust. His wish was unlikely to be answered because that good building-Albert Mission School- had withstood similar prayers for over a hundred years now. (b) "Loaf about less on Sundays and you will be without a headache on Monday."
"Nonsense dress up and go."
Tells us that Swami's father was completely unsympathetic to his son's headache. (b) Swami's mother first suggested him to go to school in a bullock cart and later allowed him to stay at home and not go to school. (b) Swami gave a colourful account of Mr. Samuel to his father in hope that his father would be made to see that he couldn't go to his class late. Mr. Samuel was a violent man and didn't stop caning till he saw blood on the boy's hand and then made the boy press his blood stained hand to his forehead like a Vermillion marking. (b) Father became excited. He was angry that why were this children beaten in such a manner, such teachers should be removed from service. He decided to send Swami late to his class as a kind of challenge and also was going to send a letter with Swami to the headmaster. (b) Father ordered Swami that he had to go to school, no amount of protest from Swami was given a ear to. He also gave a long letter for the headmaster and told Swami to go to his class. (c)
(i)
(c) Title: 'Mr. Samuel - a Violent Man'. Swami paints a very violent picture of Mr. Samuel as a teacher, how he ill-treats his students for various reasons.
- #3-a [3]Give the meaning of each of the following words as used in the passage. One word
answers or short phrase will be accepted.
- #3-a-ijolted (line 21)Ans : jolted-be shaken roughly
- #3-a-iistubborn (line 21)Ans : stubborn-obstinate
- #3-a-iiiavail (line 45)Ans : avail-use
- #3-bAnswer the following questions briefly in your own words:
- #3-b-i [2]What did Swami wish for on a Monday morning? Why was his wish unlikely to be
answered?Ans : Swami wished that an earthquake would reduce the school building to dust. His wish was unlikely to be answered because that good building-Albert Mission School- had withstood similar prayers for over a hundred years now.
- #3-b-ii [2]Which sentence tells us that Swami.s father was completely unsympathetic to his
son.s headache?Ans : "Loaf about less on Sundays and you will be without a headache on Monday."
"Nonsense dress up and go."
Tells us that Swami's father was completely unsympathetic to his son's headache.
- #3-b-iii [2]In what way was Swami.s response different from his father.s?Ans : Swami's mother first suggested him to go to school in a bullock cart and later allowed him to stay at home and not go to school.
- #3-b-iv [2]Why did Swami give a colourful account of Mr. Samuel to his father?Ans : Swami gave a colourful account of Mr. Samuel to his father in hope that his father would be made to see that he couldn't go to his class late. Mr. Samuel was a violent man and didn't stop caning till he saw blood on the boy's hand and then made the boy press his blood stained hand to his forehead like a Vermillion marking.
- #3-b-v [2]In what way did Father.s behavior take an unexpected turn?Ans : Father became excited. He was angry that why were this children beaten in such a manner, such teachers should be removed from service. He decided to send Swami late to his class as a kind of challenge and also was going to send a letter with Swami to the headmaster.
- #3-b-vi [2]What was Swami finally ordered to do by his father?Ans : Father ordered Swami that he had to go to school, no amount of protest from Swami was given a ear to. He also gave a long letter for the headmaster and told Swami to go to his class.
- #3-c [8](i) In not more than 60 words describe how Swami tries to prove that Mr. Samuel is a
violent man.Ans :
(i)

- #3-c-ii [2]Give a title to your summary in 3(c). Give a reason to justify your choice.Ans : Title: 'Mr. Samuel - a Violent Man'. Swami paints a very violent picture of Mr. Samuel as a teacher, how he ill-treats his students for various reasons.