Shirdi Sai Public School

Half Yearly Sample Paper

Subject – English

Class - IX Marks - 80

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

(i) This this paper is divided into three sections : A, B and C. All the sections are
compulsory.

(ii) Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever
necessary.

(iii) Read these instructions very carefully and follow them faithfully.

(iv) Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

Section - A (Reading)

Q1. Read the following passage: 10 M

Do you know that some people don't do their reading assignments? It’s shocking, but
it's true. Some students don't even read short texts that are assigned to them in class.
There are many reasons for this. They may be distracted or bored. They may be
unwilling to focus. They may be unconfident readers. Whatever the reason, it needs to
be stopped. Here’s why.

Reading stimulates your mind. It is like a workout for your brain. When people get old,
their muscles begin to deteriorate. They become weaker and their vitality starts ebbing.
Physical exercise can prevent this loss. The same thing happens to people’s brains
when they get older. Brain power and speed decline with age. Reading strengthens your
brain and prevents the decline.

Reading has many other benefits too. Reading provides knowledge and knowledge is
power. Therefore, reading can make you a more powerful person. There are many new
things you can learn to do by reading. Do you want to make video games? Do you want
to design clothes? Reading can teach you all this and much more. You have to develop
the habit of reading and the only way to get good at something is to practice. Read
everything that you can at a school, regardless of whether you find it interesting.
Reading expands your vocabulary. Even a boring text can teach you new words. Having
a good vocabulary will help you express yourself better. You will be able to speak, write
and think more intelligently. What's boring about that?
Reading has a calming effect on your mind. It can lower your stress levels and help you
relax. You can escape from your troubles for a moment when you read, and it’s a
positive escape. So do yourself a favour: the next time you get a reading assignment,
read it and enjoy it thoroughly. Squeezed it for every drop of knowledge that it contains.
Then move on to the next one.

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN the
following questions by choosing the most appropriate option:

a. What is shocking but true?

i. Some people do their reading assignments. ii. Some people don't do their reading
assignments.

iii. Some people don't do their assignments. iv. All of the above

b. Why don't some students even read short assigned text?

i. They may be unwilling to focus ii. They may be unconfident readers

iii. They may be distracted or bored iv. All of the above

c. How does reading help a person?

i. It stimulates his mind ii. It is a workout for his brain

iii. Both of the above iv. None of the above

d. What happens when people get old?

i. Their muscles begin to deteriorate ii. They become weaker

iii. Their vitality begins to ebb iv. All of the above

e. How does reading make a man powerful?

i. By providing him knowledge. ii. By providing him strength

iii. By providing him arguments iv. None of the above

f. What can reading teach us?

i. How to design clothes? ii. How to make video games?

iii. Both i and ii iv. None of the above

g. How can we get good at something?

iii. By practicing iv. None of these

h. What is a positive escape?

i. Running ii. Reading

iii. Escaping iv. None of these

i. The synonym of ‘distracted’ is

i. Bored ii. Unfocused

iii. Unwilling iv. Unconfident

j. What is the synonym of ‘comforting’?

i. Irritating ii. calming

iii. worrying iv. aggravating

k. The antonym of ‘expand’ is:

i. Escape ii. move

iii. squeeze iv. feel

l. What is the antonym of ‘decline’?

i. Increase ii. reduce

iii. hide iv. wane

Q2. Read the following passage: 10M

Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. When areas in and around Leh began to
experience water shortages, life did not grind to a halt. Why? Because Chewang Norphel,
a retired civil engineer in the Jammu and Kashmir government came up with the idea of
artificial glaciers.

Ladakh, a cold desert at an altitude of 3,000-3,3500 meters above sea level, has a low
average annual rainfall rate of 50 mm. Glaciers have always been the only source of
water. Agriculture is completely dependent on glacier melt unlike the rest of river/
monsoon fed India. But over the years with increasing effects of climate change, rainfall
and snowfall patterns have been changing, resulting in severe shortage and drought
situations. Given the severe winter conditions, the window for farming is usually limited
to one harvest season.
It is located between the natural glacier above and the village below. The one closer to
the village and lowest in altitude melts first, providing water during April/ May, the
crucial sowing season. Further layers of ice above melt with increasing temperature
thus ensuring continuous supply to the fields. Thus, farmers have been able to manage
two crops instead of one. It costs about Rs 1,50,000 and above to create one.

Fondly called the ‘glacier man’, Mr. Norphel has designed over 15 artificial glaciers in
and around Leh since 1987. In recognition of his pioneering effort, he was conferred the
Padma Shri by President Pranab Mukherjee, in 2015.

There are a few basic steps followed in creating the artificial glacier.

River or stream water at higher altitude is diverted to a shaded area of the hill, facing
north, where the winter sun is blocked by a ridge or a mountain range. At the start of
winter/November, the diverted water is made to flow onto sloping hill face through
distribution channels. Stone embankments are built at regular intervals which impede
the flow of water, making shallow pools and freeze, forming a cascade of ice along the
slope. Ice formation continues for 3-4 months resulting in a large accumulation of ice
which is referred to as an ‘artificial glacier’.

Month/ April May June July August Sept.

2010 3410 16518 22889 22415 5575 3041

2011 3001 26310 33908 46843 37756 20833

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN of the
following questions by choosing the most appropriate option :

a. What was the problem of Leh?

i. Heavy snowfall ii. water shortage

iii. landslide iv. dense population

(b) What did Mr. Norphel do to solve the problem?

i. Evacuated people ii. designed over 15 artificial glaciers

iii. wrote an article iv. none of the above

(c) When did maximum tourists visit Leh (according to the given data)?
i. July 2010 ii. May 2011

iii. July 2011 iv. June 2011

(d) When did the lowest number of tourists visit Leh?

i. April 2010 ii. September 2010

iii. May 2010 iv. April 2011

(e) Give a synonym of ‘limited’.

i. Restricted ii. abundant

iii. exceeding iv. overflowing

(f) Chewang Norphel was:

i. a retired scientist ii. retired doctor

iii. a retired social worker iv. a retired civil engineer

(g) Ladakh is at an altitude of ______ metres above sea level.

i. 2000-2500 ii. 1500-2000

iii. 3000-3500 iv. 2500-3000

(h) Mr. Norphel was awarded:

i. Padma Bhushan in 2007 ii. Padma Shri in 2015

iii. Padma Bhushan in 2009 iv. Padma Shri in 2005

(i) _____ visitors visited Leh in May 2010.

i. 16815 ii. 16518

iii. 15618 iv. 16158

(j) Ladakh is a:

i. hot desert ii. cold desert

iii. green desert iv. hot iceland

(k) Pioneering means:

i. initiating ii. concluding

(l) The number of visitors to Leh in July 2010 was ____ than those who visited in July
2011.

i. one third ii. Double

iii. less than half iv. half

Section – B (Writing and Grammar)

Q3. Complete ANY TEN of twelve of the following tasks, as directed

(i) Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete.

Social media played a huge part in adding fuel to the communal fire that _____ in

Leicester city igniting communal riots between two religious communities.

(a) kept flaring

(b) flared up

(c) had flared up

(d) would flare up

(ii) Read the conversation between a doctor and his patient. Complete the sentence
by reporting the dialogue.

Inspector : What are the arrangements made by the school for feeding these children?

Principal : Each one of the students is given a nutritious mid-day meal every day.

To the query of the inspector about the arrangements made by the school to feed the

children, the Principal replied that _____.

(iii) Select the correct option to fill in the blank for the given line, from an article from a
health magazine. She _____ put her mind on her work for she had a very sick feeling in
the bottom of her stomach.

(a) could not

(b) might not

(c) need not

(iv) Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the
following line, from a news report :

According to a health survey, carbonated drinks are harmful to health and children are
so addicted to fizzy drinks as adults to nicotine.

a) a. the

(b)to. for

(c)so. as

(d)addicted. addictive

(v) Complete the given narrative, by filling in the blank with the correct option :

Priest : Trust and compassion can reform a person more than punishment.

Ira : Don’t you think the reverse of this approach is more effective?

When a priest told Ira that trust and compassion can reform a person more than
punishment, she asked him if _____.

(a) didn’t he think that the reverse of that approach was more effective.

(b) did he not think that the reverse of that approach could be more effective.

(c) he didn’t think that the reverse of that approach is more effective.

(d) he didn’t think that the reverse of that approach was more effective.

(vi) Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the word in the bracket, for the given

portion of a letter. Subject: Complaint regarding defective TV

I regret to inform you that the TV has started giving me trouble only after three days

and _____(develop) some technical snags.

Change the voice in the statement:They were laughing at the new student.

viii Identify the error in the given sentence, from a school magazine report and supply
the correction.

The heavy dose of chemicals that we ingest with every bite of fast food and
carbonated drinks are a lethal combination for our health.

(ix) An author and his friend were talking. The writer said to his friend, “My first novel
would be out in a day. Report the question of the friend.

x Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction.I need not talk to
her when she is in bad mood.

(xi) Select the correct options to complete the blanks in the dialogue between two
people.

A : _____ of these arguments is valid.

B : Why don’t you tell me _____ correct perspective, then?

(a) either, the

(b) neither, the

(c) neither, a

(d) either, a

(xii) Identify the error on a shop’s hoarding and supply the correction, for the following
sales offer :

Illegally parked vehicles will be fine.

Q4. Write a descriptive paragraph on our beloved Prime Minister in about 100-120
words. 5M

Or

Today when you were on your way to school, a man walking just in front of you
dropped his wallet. He did not realize he had dropped it. What did you do? Write a diary
entry about the incident. Describe it in 100-120 words.
Q5. Write an article on ‘Books- Our best companions’ (100-120 words)
5M

Or

Write an article on ‘The role of media in our daily lives’

Q6. Fill in the blanks choosing the most appropriate words from the given options:
3M

Last evening, I (a) ____ to a chemist shop to buy medicines. There (b) ____ a lot of rush. I
(c) ____ in a corner when an old man (d) ____ me. He (e) ____ me for some time. Looking
at him closely, I could recollect that he (f) ____ me Science in school, years ago.

(a) i. going ii. went iii. gone iv. will be going

(b) i. is ii. Were iii. was iv. are

(c i. was waiting ii. is waiting iii. are waiting iv. were waiting

(d) i. approaching ii. approached iii. has approached iv. has been approached

(e) i. watches ii. watched iii. has been watching iv. had been watching

(f) i. teaches ii. was teaching iii.had taught iv. your teaching

Q7. Rearrange the given words/phrases to make meaningful sentences. 3M

(a) spider/a large/fierce/tarantula/and hairy/is

(b) dangerous/to be/they/considered/are not/spiders

(c) ill effects/some venom/and a bite/they do/possess/may cause

Section - C (Literature)

Q6. Reference to the Context 5M

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry, I could not travel both

And be one traveller, long

I stood And looked down one as far I could;

To where it bent in the undergrowth,”

(i)What did the narrator see in the wood?

(iii)The poet here is using “roads” as symbols of ____________.

(iii)Identify one Poetic Device from the above extract.

Q7. Reference to the Context: 5M

The previous year, Albert’s parents had moved to Milan, and left their son with
relatives. After prolonged discussion, Einstein got his wish to continue his education
in German speaking Switzerland in a city which was more liberal than Munich.

Einstein was highly gifted in mathematics and interested in physics, and after finishing
school, he decided to study at a University in Zurich. But science wasn't the only thing
that appealed to the dashing young man with the walrus moustache

(a) Einstein had a prolonged discussion with his family, relatives and finally, his parents
agreed to put him in a school in____

(b) Einstein was good at studies and he was exceptionally good in:

i. Mathematics ii. Physics iii. Mathematics and Physics iv. German

(c) ‘But science wasn't the only thing’ here means:

i. Science was his favourite subject ii. he wasn't good at science

iii. other than science, he had interest in something else also

iv. he liked science more than other subjects.

(d) ‘Dashing young man’ here refers to _____who was a very handsome young man.

(e) Which of the following is similar in meaning to ‘liberal’?

i. conservative ii. lenient iii. limited iv. Intolerant

Or

His brother ran to the king and complained “Your Highness, when my brother was
pursuing his ancient trade, a wall fell on him and killed him.

(a) Who is referred to as ‘my brother’ in the above extract?

i. a thief ii. a courtier ii. a jeweller iv. a mason

(b) What is the ‘ancient trade’ referred to in the extract?

iii. the profession of robbing people's houses iv. the profession of tilling land

(c) How did the brother of the complainant die?

(d) What does pursuing mean here?

i. charging ii. doing iii. walking iv. strolling

(e) Find a word from the extract which is an antonym of ‘modern’.

i. pursuing ii. highness iii. trade iv. ancient

Q8. Answer any four of the following questions in about 30-40 words: 12M

(a) What kind of teachers did Margie and Tommy have?

(b) How did percussionist Ron Forbes help Evelyn in her career?

(c) When does the poet remember his mother in the poem ‘Rain on the Roof’? What
does this show?

(d) Why did Kezia decided that there were different sorts of fathers?

(e) How will the poet have peace at Innisfree?

Q9. Answer any two of the following questions in about 30-40 words: 6M

(a) How did the child react when he saw a flower seller?

(b) How did Toto take a bath? Where had he learnt to do this?

(c) What did Iswaran tell Mahendra about the factory area which they were occupying

Q10. Answer any one of the following questions in about 100-120 words: 6M

Why does the world remember Einstein as a ‘world citizen’?

Or

Why was Banaras so important to Bismillah Khan?

Q11. Answer any one of the following questions in about 100-120 words: 6M

Describe Iswaran’s skills as a cook and a story teller.

Or
How was life different in the kingdom of fools?