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ALTERNATIVE ENGLISH
2020
ALTERNATIVE ENGLISH OLD QUESTION PAPER SOLVED
1. Give brief answers to any five of the following:
(a) Where did the new vicar come from?
Ans: The new priest came from the East End.
(b) At what age did Albert Edward start working?
Ans: Albert Edward started working at the age of twelve.
(c) Who fell on Narayan’s car when it was parked in front of the hospital?
Ans: Two cyclists fell on Narayan’s car parked in front of the hospital. In this accident, the left parking light of the car broke.
(d) In Narayan’s opinion, what does he lack?
Ans: In Narayan’s opinion, he lacks automobile sensibility.
(e) What is the name of the driver of Mriganko Babu?
Ans: The name of Mriganko Babu’s driver was Sudhir.
(f) Who did invite Mriganko Babu to felicitate him?
Ans: A club in Durgapur invited Mriganka Babu to felicitate him.
(g) Who are the Magi?
Ans: The Magi were wise men who traveled from the east to Jerusalem, guided by a star to see the infant Jesus, the Son of God.
(h) How much money Della did earn selling her hair?
Ans: Della earns $20.00 by selling her hair.
(i) Why did Robert Lynd read Emerson and Marcus Aurelius?
Ans: Robert Lind read Emerson and Marcus Aurelius because he wanted to gain knowledge at the loss of a few shillings
(j) Who is Socrates?
Ans: Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher who is credited with being one of the founders of Western philosophy and the first moral philosopher of the Western ethical tradition of thought.
2. Answer any five of the following:
(a) How did the Verger treat his old gown?
Ans: The Verger was very fond of his gowns as he considered them the iconic symbol of his office. He never threw away his old gowns, but kept them in the lowest drawer of the wardrobe. Wrapped in brown paper. They had a collection of so many old gowns, a whole series.
(b) Why did Albert Edward decide to set up a tobacco shop after resigning from the church?
Ans: Albert was depressed after resigning from the church. He didn’t know what to do next. He took the wrong route out of his sadness. He wanted to smoke a cigarette. He searched a shop to buy cigarettes. He could not find any shop to buy cigarettes. He stopped and looked up and down contemplatively. Then he decided to open a tobacco shop.
(c) What did make R. K. Narayan fear that he would soon become bankrupt?
Ans: Narayan’s car was an imported car, too sophisticated to be handed over to regular mechanics. Therefore, Narayan had to drive a hundred miles to an accredited workshop every time his car was taken care of. But after a few back-to-back visits to the workshop, Narayan began to fear that he would go bankrupt if he had to shell out exorbitant amounts of money every other week for his car.
(d) Which part of the author’s car could not ordinarily be replaced?
Ans: Narayan’s car was damaged when two cyclists collided and fell on his car which was parked in front of the hospital. The left parking light of the car was broken as a result of this accident. Since the car is imported, this damaged part usually cannot be replaced in India.
(e) What is an almanac?
Ans: An almanac is an annual publication that lists a set of events expected to occur in the following year. It includes information such as weather forecasts, farmer’s planting dates, tide tables, and other tabular data, often arranged according to a calendar.
(f) Why did Mriganka Babu decide never to seek a witch doctor’s help?
Ans: Mriganka Babu doubts the innocence of Abhiram on the basis of the words of a tantrik. So, he decided that he would never seek the help of a tantrik if ever something was stolen from his house.
(g) What was Jim’s reaction when he returned home?
Ans: After returning home, Jim stared at Della fixedly with a strange expression on his face. There was an expression in his eyes that she could not read. Jim’s expression was neither anger nor surprise or disapproving horror. It also did not bear any sense that she was ready that he was stalking her.
(h) What did Della do to get a gift for Jim?
Ans: Della had long lustrous hair that almost fell down to her knees. On Christmas Eve, Della finds she only has one dollar and a measly seven cents with which to buy a present for Jim. She wants to buy a chain for her gold watch but they are all out of price range. So, Della cuts it up to sell it for $20.00 in order to get a gift for Jim.
(i) Who is Marcus Aurelius?
Ans: Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor and a radical philosopher born in AD 121. We find his philosophy in his book “Meditation”.
(j) What would be the reaction of Robert Lynd if an earthquake happens?
Ans: According to Robert Lind, if there is an earthquake, no one will remember the vision. Lind considered himself an armchair philosopher because he perceived death, pain and poverty as real evils when he was sitting in an armchair reading a philosopher’s book. Therefore, indifference to pain, death and poverty would be overcome as both spirit and flesh become weak during distress.
3. Give brief answer to any three of the following:
(a) Describe how did Albert Edward prosper in his business as a tobacconist and news agent.
Ans: Albert Foreman was in trouble after losing his job at the church for being illiterate. But he could find a way. When he ceased to be active, he lost no time in setting himself up in business as a tobacconist and a news agent. He started with a small shop and in a year he did well. Then he took another shop and put a manager in it. Finally, he was able to establish ten tobacco shops within ten years.
Albert Edward started his business as a tobacconist with a small shop. He did very well in business. Within a year, he took another shop and appointed a manager. He opens these shops in a long street where there was no tobacco seller. It was also a success. Then he thought that if he could run two, he could run half a dozen, so he began to walk the streets of London, and whenever he found a long street without a tobacconist and a shop to rent, he Got it. Within ten years they acquired at least ten stores, they acquired at least ten stores and they were making money hand over fist. In this way, on the strength of his practical thinking, hardworking ability and dedication, he expanded his business.
(b) Why did R. K. Narayan avoid all public engagements and invitations?
Ans: The author cares about his privacy and prefers to remain anonymous. These are lost when he travels in a flashy car. He compares it to sitting on top of an elephant in a howrah and hoping to go unnoticed. The author lives in the city of Mysore, where the whole touch is aware of each other’s movement. This would be a source of embarrassment for the author as he avoids public events and invitations on the pretext of being out of town.
(c) Describe Mriganka Babu’s reaction after meeting the Scarecrow.
Ans: Mriganko Babu was stranded somewhere in the middle, when his car ran out of petrol and he was waiting for his driver to return, he saw a scarecrow in the middle of the field on the western side in winter. He experienced the selfish nature of fellow human beings who never respond to a single human suffering. Unable to concentrate on anything, he walked past some faces in the middle of the road. It seemed that the road was deserted. But he felt someone else in the cloudy evening. It was the scarecrow. It was attached to bamboo sticks right in the middle of the field. He was wearing a torn, red and black printed shirt. An earthen pot painted black with large white eyes was placed upside down as a head. It was a strange figure. He felt as if this strange figure was scaring the birds not to harm the crop.
(d) Bring out the relation between Della and the queen of Sheba.
Ans: O. Henry brings out the beauty of Della’s beautiful brown hair in a picturesque way, which was as long as it was shiny and glossy. James Dillingham Young was proud of his wife’s hair. In a light-hearted comparison it was said that, if the Queen of Sheba, the rich and powerful queen of the Bible, lived in that flat in the airshaft, she would see Della with a lock of her hair filled with envy. Goes out the window.
Della’s wealth paled in comparison to Della’s riches in her gray hair.
(e) Examine Robert Lynd’s quest for instant wisdom.
Ans: Instantaneous knowledge is not attainable.
Robert Lind has a desire for instant knowledge, so he was looking for a book that would make him instantly intelligent. He believed that knowledge. Can be found somewhere in the book. He wanted to get it at the cost of a few shillings. He read books by Emerson and Marcus Aurelius and realized that browsing material as diverse as Emerson and Aurelius had not achieved the desired result of making him intelligent overnight. After he finished, he remained the same as he was before. Therefore, he turned to Epictetus for wisdom and found a similarity between their opinions. Like Epictetus, he perceived death, pain and poverty as real evils. Lind found himself agreeing with everything the philosophers said, but only in theory but in a real-life situation he could not entertain them for a moment. So, he finally realized that getting instant knowledge is only a dream, it can never be entertained in a real-life situation.
4. Examine with reference to the context on any two of the following:
(a) “I can’t be the only man as walks along this street and wants a fag,” he said.
(b) “For some unknown reason, Mriganka Babu continued to feel strangely drawn towards that figure.”
Ans: These lines come when Mriganka Babu felt that the scarecrow was making some movement. When Mriganka Babu saw the scarecrow, he felt that he had seen the shirt which the scarecrow was wearing in front of him. He tried to remember the person he had seen wearing that particular shirt, but he could not. Suddenly he felt as if the scarecrow was doing something. Then he thought it was his imagination. But then he saw that the scarecrow had actually come to life and was moving towards him.
The scarecrow comes to Mriganka Babu and introduces him as Abhiram, an old servant who served Mriganka Babu and his family for twenty years and lost his job due to some criminal activities which actually has nothing to do with Abhiram Was. Seeing the scarecrow alive, moving towards it and talking to it, Mriganka Babu’s heart skipped a beat.
(c) Within forty minutes her head was covered with tiny, close-lying curls that made her look wonderfully like a truant school boy.
(d) “I desire wisdom as eagerly as Solomon, but it must be wisdom that can be obtained with very little effort-wisdom, as it were, that is caught by infection.”
Ans: “I desire knowledge as eagerly as … philosophy”.
The above lines are quoted from the essay “On Not Being a philosopher”.
The author of the essay is Robert Lind.
In the present context the author has dealt with his desire to acquire knowledge without much effort.
Robert Lind eagerly wanted to gain knowledge as Solomon who was the wisest of the biblical kings. But Lind wanted to get it without much effort. He believed that knowledge could be found somewhere in a book and was easily accessible. Lind did not have much time and energy for the painstaking pursuit of philosophy. He sought knowledge but not at the cost of labor but at the cost of a few shillings. Instead of going deep into philosophy, he wanted to read books of great philosophers to gain knowledge.
5. Give brief answer to any five of the following:
(a) How many children were listening to the story of Sita?
Ans: Three children were listening to the story of Sita.
(b) Who is the poet of the poem ‘Sita’?
Ans: The poet of the poem ‘Sita’ is Toru Dutt.
(c) Whom does the brook want to join at the end of its journey?
Ans: At the end of its journey, Nala wants to join the mighty river.
(d) Name the birds that fly above the brook.
Ans: Water bird
(e) Which country is referred to as ‘an antique land’?
Ans: Egypt is called the ancient land.
(f) What was the expression on the face of the statue of Ozymandias?
Ans: Pride and anger.
(g) Which season is the poem “La Bella Dame Sans Merci” set in?
Ans: Late autumn is mentioned here in the poem.
(h) Where did the knight see a lily?
Ans: The knight states that he met a beautiful, fairy-like “lady” in the “meads” or fields. She had long hair, was beautiful, and had “wild” eyes. (We’re not sure what the “wild” eyes would look like, but clearly Knight thought it was cute.)
(i) Who will smite the village girl?
Ans: The evil spirits residing in that place kill the girl or cast evil spells on her.
(j) What did the village girl carry to fetch water?
Ans: Pitcher.
6. Answer any four of the following:
(a) Why are the children weeping in Toru Dutt’s poem “Sita”?
Ans: The children are being told a bedtime story by their mother. The story is about Sita, who is in exile after being abandoned by her husband. Sita is sad and crying. The children are moved by his grief and they too begin to cry.
(b) What does the brook represent?
Ans: The river represents nature and also reiterates that it is permanent while human life is impermanent.
(c) Whose greatness is actually glorified in the poem “Ozymandias of Egypt”?
Ans: The greatness of the sculptor who made the statue of King Ozymandias is indeed glorified in the poem. He was so perfect in his art that he could inscribe the idol with all its real features.
(d) What did the lady do in her cave?
Ans: In her cave, the woman cried out her sorrow and sang sweet songs, they made love and finally she put the knight to sleep.
(e) What are the things the village girl is afraid of?
Ans: The village girl has to trek along a secluded stretch of land amid thick darkness. He was being tormented by different kinds of fear. The rising darkness made him afraid of snakes, evil spirits that used to hang around the place, storm and lightning. Infected she was afraid of all the inherent dangers.
7. Answer any three of the following:
(a) Explain how does the poem ‘Sita’ reflect the poet’s deep love of nature.
Ans: The poet’s deep love for nature can be seen from the word pictures of the forest and the hermitage painted by him. The detail is captivating and grabs our attention. There is perfect harmony in nature as she depicts it in ‘Sita’. His use of the term ‘polt-anchorite’ also suggests that this beautiful place is one where a poet can retreat and seek peace and solitude.
(b) Describe the journey of the brook till it reaches Philip’s farm.
Ans: The journey of the brook begins in the highest hill ranges which are the abode of water birds like coots and herons. It descends the outlying hills to join the overflowing river in the valley below. In its infancy it erupts suddenly with much commotion and noise. The stream descends precipitously down thirty hills and slithers between peaks. It passes through twenty villages, small towns, fields and farms in the hot sun. At night it flows down in a zigzag motion, breaking, rumbling and bubbling. The stream flows in a zigzag way finding its way, sometimes shrinking and sometimes expanding. Its speed is not uniform. As it continues its journey among the flora and fauna of the country, it finds as its companion a flower that floats on the surface of the river. It also provides sanctuary to small fish like trent and gelling in their journey. It seems that Nala constantly talks in a friendly manner to things that obstruct her flow during the journey. And after chattering he prepares himself to join the river that fills the valley below.
(c) What else remained there besides the broken statue of Ozymandias? What does it signify?
Ans: Beyond the broken statue in the vast desert was the impression of the artistic hand of the sculptor who carved the statue of King Ozymandias and mocked the king’s arrogance and pride. It symbolizes the power of art in the face of the material world. Art is more permanent and everlasting than human life which is meaningless in the scheme of nature. The broken parts of the statue bore the imprint of the greatness of the artist. It shows that art is more superior than material prosperity as it can withstand the onslaught of time.
(d) Give the description of the lady the knight met.
Ans: The woman in the poem ‘La belle dame sans merci’ is a beautiful angel-like woman. Her graceful gait, her charming long hair and her lively presence are evident in her wild eyes. She is responsive to the Knight’s approach and his sweet moans. hints that she is falling in love with him. She collects and feeds the knight sweet roots and delectable food to express her true love for him. But his feelings suddenly changed when she took him to a grotto in a magical place. The feelings of a fragile fleeting nature woman suddenly burst out with her tears.
But then she lulls the knight to sleep and enslaves him, according to the night’s dream, there were many kings and princes and a whole series of warriors who were enslaved by the lady before the knight. Even her language was so strange, even the knight could not understand it. In fact, the woman is a rascal in human disguise. She entices the knight with her beauty and sensuality and then betrays him.
(e) Describe the evening scene of the village reflected in the poem “Village Song”.
Ans: In the poem, the village girl went to the river Jamuna to fetch water. Being swayed by the song of Kevat, he was late in returning home. It was getting dark and the way home was long and dreary. As it was getting dark, she got scared. The white stork was calling and the owls were crying. There was not even moonlight. She was afraid of what would happen if she was bitten by a snake, or bitten by some evil spirit.
8. Explain with reference to the context on any one of the following:
(a) But who is this fair lady? Not in vain
She weeps;– for lo! at every tear she sheds
Tears from three pairs of young eyes fall amain,
And bowed in sorrow are the three young heads.
Ans: The above quoted lines are extracted from the poem ‘Sita’ written by Toru Dutt.
The lines refer to Sita, the protagonist of Datta’s poem. She was a white woman whose story of misfortune and suffering was being narrated to the three children by their mother. Children could imagine Sita sitting in Valmiki’s hermitage, lost in her mother’s arms; as he silently mourned his plight. The children were so engrossed in the story that they could feel their emotions uniting with Sita’s. So as Sita wept and lamented her misfortune, the eyes of the audience welled up. The children shed tears along with Sita as they felt Sita’s pain in their hearts.
(b) I chatter, chatter, as I flow
To join the brimmer river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on forever.
Ans: In these lines Nala describes his journey through the paths which are full of obstacles like big and small stones. While passing through, the water of the springs hits the stones and makes a sharp sound (loud musical sound). The sound changes according to the speed of the water current. Sometimes a low rumbling sound is produced and sometimes it appears as a murmur. The poet calls it ‘chatter’ and tries to emphasize the idea that a natural object communicates with other objects of nature.
The nala moves in a winding manner, sometimes hitting the ground along its banks. It passes through both fertile and infertile land. Sometimes very beautiful fairy-land type places near the sea come in its way where trees like willow and plants like mallow grow.
Brooke then states that it produces a crackling sound when it moves. It also says that it flows forever and its life is permanent as it represents nature. Human beings come on this earth for a short period of time. His life is not permanent.
(c) I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful-a faery’s child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.
Ans: This verse changes the perspective.
Suddenly the knight answers the anonymous speaker’s questions. So now “I” is the knight instead of the original speaker.
The knight states that he met a beautiful, fairy-like “lady” in the “meads” or fields.
She had long hair, was beautiful, and had “wild” eyes. (We’re not sure what the “wild” eyes would look like, but clearly Knight thought it was cute.)
9. Change any five of the sentences given below as per instruction given, without changing their meaning:
(a) No one can escape destiny. (Change into affirmative)
Ans: Everyone is captured in destiny.
(b) People say that he is a spy. (Change into passive)
Ans: It is said that he is a spy.
(c) I come here for the last time. (Change into negative)
Ans: I don’t come here for the last time.
(d) Can I ever forget you? (Change into assertive)
Ans: I can never forget you.
(e) As soon as he saw me, he began to weep. (Change into negative)
Ans: No sooner did he see me than he began to weep.
(f) The house was blown down. (Change into active)
Ans: Blow down the house.
(g) The beauties of Nature are beyond description. (Change into interrogative)
Ans: Are the beauties of Nature beyond description?
(h) Nobody will deny that I am right. (Change into affirmative)
Ans: Everybody will accept that I am right.
10. Add appropriate questions tags to any five of the following:
(a) Her garden is very beautiful.
Ans: Her garden is very beautiful, isn’t it?
(b) Ridhi has just arrived from school.
Ans: Ridhi has just arrived from school, hasn’t she?
(c) We will go to Shillong tomorrow.
Ans: We will go to Shillong tomorrow, won’t we?
(d) No man is immortal.
Ans: No man is immortal, in’t it?
(e) He is stronger than his brother.
Ans: He is stronger than his brother, isn’t he?
(f) She acted according to instruction.
Ans: She acted according to instructions, didn’t she?
(g) I cannot do it without your help.
Ans: I cannot do it without your help, can I?
(h) He tried with all his might.
Ans: He tried with all his might, didn’t he?
11. Fill in any five of the following blanks with suitable prepositions:
(a) I credit him _______good sense.
Ans: I credit him for good sense.
(b) There cannot be any compromise ______this issue.
Ans: There cannot be any compromise on this issue.
(c) I am anxious ________the result.
Ans: I am anxious about the result.
(d) Be true ______your word.
Ans: Be true to your word.
(e) Richa prevented him ______going.
Ans: Richa prevented him from going.
(f) You may rely ______my word.
Ans: You may rely on my word.
(g) He is senior ______me in service.
Ans: He is senior to me in service.
(h) We wondered _______his ignorance.
Ans: He wondered on his ignorance.
12. Rewrite any five of the following sentences using the verbs given in brackets in their correct forms:
(a) Iron _______(melt) at a high temperature.
Ans: Iron melts at a high temperature.
(b) He ______(study) in this college for two years.
Ans: He has been studying in this college for two years.
(c) The boys _______(play) in the garden when the tree fell down.
Ans: The boys were playing in the garden when the tree fell down.
(d) He never wanted to know where she _______(come) from.
Ans: He never wanted to know where she came from.
(e) We ______(go) to Kolkata tomorrow to attend a seminar.
Ans: We will go to Kolkata tomorrow to attend a seminar.
(f) They came back home after the guests _____(leave).
Ans: They came back home after the guests left.
(g) Neer cannot go now as he _____(feel) unwell.
Ans: Neer cannot go now as he is feeling unwell.
(h) We _____(work) on a new project.
Ans: We are working on a new project.
13. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:
Depression arising out of environmental factors is called reactive depression whereas depression arising out of some biochemical changes in the brain is called endogenous depression. If depression is mild or moderate and if the individual is in touch with his surroundings, it is known as neurotic depression.
If the individual is severely disturbed and is not able to comprehend what is happening around, such a state is called psychotic depression.
Old age is one of the stages of human development, where a person attains wisdom, maturity, social and economic stability with social recognition and emotional fulfilment.
Generally, societies show a great respect and consideration for the aged. In ancient times old people were considered as the guiding stars in Indian familities, since they were symbols of tradition, respect, wisdom and experience. In primitive, ancient and medieval cultures, old persons had a recognized social role. They were of great value because they could impart knowledge and skill to youngsters. The old people were considered as repositories of wisdom and traditions and were not perceived as problems.
At present, social structures and values are undergoing transformation from traditional to modern. There is a rapid stride in urbanization and industrialization leading to the breaking up of joint families and property. This has ultimately weakened the traditional families, social position and status of the aged in the family.
(a) What are the different types of depression?
Ans: There are four types of depression. they are-
(i) reactive depression
(ii) Endogenous depression
(iii) Neurotic depression
(iv) Mental depression.
(b) What is psychotic depression?
Ans: If the person is severely disturbed and cannot understand what is happening around, then such a condition is called psychotic depression.
(c) What does a person supposed to attain in old age?
Ans: Old age is one of the stages of human development where one has to attain wisdom, maturity, social and economic stability along with social recognition and emotional fulfilment.
(d) What was the attitude of the society towards old age in ancient times?
Ans: In ancient times old people were considered as guiding stars in Indian families, as they were symbols of tradition, respect, wisdom and experience. In primitive, ancient and medieval cultures, older persons had a recognized social role. They were of great importance as they could impart knowledge and skills to the youth. Old people were regarded as storehouses of knowledge and traditions and were not seen as problems.
(e) How urbanization and industrialization have influenced the social structures and values in modern times?
Ans: Presently the social structure and values are undergoing a change from traditional to modern. Rapid progress in urbanization and industrialization is breaking up the joint family and property. This has eventually led to the weakening of traditional families, social status and the position of elders in the family. At the same time urbanization encouraged people to come together and take on multiple jobs to give families a steady income that they needed. Furthermore, industrialization led to increased leisure for the working class, making better things cheaper. Thus, urbanization and industrialization have both positive and negative effects on social structures and values in modern times.
(f) Give the adjective form of ‘wisdom’.
Ans: Wise.
(g) Give the antonym of ‘pessimistic’.
Ans: Optimistic.
