AHSEC Class 11: 2014 English Solved Question Paper [HS First Year English Solved Paper 2014]

If you are preparing for the HS First Year English exam, using the ASSEB/AHSEC Class 11 English Solved Question Paper 2014 can be very useful. Solved question papers help you understand how the exam is set and what kinds of questions might come. In this article, we will explain how the HS First Year English Solved Question Paper 2014 can help you and why it is important for Assam Board Class 11 English students.

AHSEC CLASS 11 ENGLISH QUESTION PAPER SOLUTION 2014 - COMPLETE

AHSEC CLASS 11 H.S. 1ST YEAR EXAMINATION
Question. Paper 2014
General English
Full Marks: 100
Figures in the margin indicate full marks for the Questions

SECTION – A

1.Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow it:

People travelling long distances frequently have to decide whether they would prefer to go by land, sea or air. Hardly any one can positively enjoy sitting in a train for more then a few hours. Train compartments soon get cramped and stuffy. It is almost impossible to take your mind off the journey. Reading is only a partial solution, for the monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the rails soon lulls you to sleep. During the day, sleep comes in snatches. At night, when you really wish to go to sleep, you rarely manage to do so. If you are lucky enough to get a couchette, you spend half the night staring at the small blue night in the ceiling or fumbling to find your passport when you cross a frontier. Inevitably you arrive at your destination almost exhausted.

Long car journey are even les pleasant, for it is quite impossible even to read. On motor ways, you can at least travel fairly safely at high speeds, but more often than not, the greater part of the journey is spent on narrow, bumpy roads which are crowded with traffic. By comparison, trips by sea offer a great variety of civilized comforts. You can stretch you legs on the spacious decks, play games, swim, meet interesting people and enjoy good food-always assuming, of course, that the sea is clam. If it is not, and you are likely to get sea-sick, no form of transport could be worse. Even if you travel in ideal weather, sea journeys take a long time. Relatively few people are prepared to sacrifice up to a third of their holidays for the pleasure of travelling on a ship.

Aeroplanes have the reputation of being dangerous and even hardened travelers are intimidated by them. They also have disadvantage of being the most expensive form of transport. But nothing can match them for speed and comfort. Travelling at a height of 30,000 feet, far above the clouds, and at over 500 miles an hour is an exhilarating experience. You do not have to devise ways of taking your mind off the journey, for an aeroplane gets you to your destination rapidly. For a few hours, you settle in a deep armchair to enjoy the flight. The real escapist can watch a free film show and sip a hot or cold drink on some services. But even when such refreshments are not available, there is plenty to keep you occupied. An aeroplane offers you an unusual breathtaking view of the world. You soar effortlessly over high mountains and deep valleys. You really see the shape of the land. If the landscape is hidden from view, you can enjoy the extraordinary sight of unbroken clouds, plains that stretch out for miles before, while the sum shines brilliantly in a clear sky. The journey is so smooth that there is nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping. However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain you will arrive at your destination fresh and un-crumpled. You will not have to spend the next few days recovering from a long and arduous journey.

A. Train compartments soon get

1. Comfortable and easy

2. Crowded and inconvenient

3. Troublesome

4. Dirty

Ans. ii Crowded and inconvenient

B. When you travel by train you reach your destination

1. Rather late

2. Quite comfortably

3. Quite tired

4. Quite fresh

Ans. iii Quite tired

C. Trips by sea can be

1. Quite pleasant when sea is not clam

2. Quite risky when the sea is not clam

3. Quite exciting when the sea is not clam

4. Even worse when the sea is not clam

Ans. ii Quite risky when the sea not clam

D. Nothing can match aeroplanes

1. For comfort

2. For being costly

3. For speed and comfort

4. For excitement

Ans. iii for speed and comfort

E. Air travel is

1. Most comfortable form of travelling

2. Most dangerous form of travelling

3. Most expensive form of travelling

4. Most intimidating form of travelling

Ans. ii Most dangerous form of travelling

2. Write a brief summary of the given passage. 10

Answer:- 

Comparing Modes of Travel: Comfort, Speed, and Challenges

The passage compares different modes of travel: train, car, sea, and air. Traveling by train is uncomfortable due to cramped compartments and lack of sleep. Long car journeys are unpleasant because of bumpy, traffic-filled roads. Sea travel offers comfort and leisure, but it can be ruined by rough weather and long travel times. Air travel, despite being expensive and perceived as dangerous, is the most appealing due to its speed, comfort, and breathtaking views from above. Airplanes provide a smooth, relaxing journey, allowing passengers to arrive at their destination feeling fresh and un-crumpled.

SECTION – B

3. (a) Write a report on a train accident giving imaginary details of the accident and the steps taken by the concerned authorities towards medical relief to the accident victims. (125 words) 10

Ans: Train Derails near Haridwar-Kills Twenty, Injures More Than Hundred 

7th September 2014, Haridwar: Date: [Date of the Accident] Location: [Location of the Accident] An unfortunate train accident occurred today when the brakes of a passenger train failed, causing it to collide with a stationary freight train near [Location]. The impact resulted in several casualties and injuries among passengers onboard.

Immediate medical relief efforts were initiated by concerned authorities, with emergency services rushing to the scene. Medical teams, including paramedics and doctors, provided first aid and attended to the injured. Ambulances transported the injured to nearby hospitals for further treatment.

Meanwhile, railway authorities launched an investigation into the cause of the accident to prevent similar incidents in the future. Efforts are underway to clear the tracks and restore normal train operations.

[Your Name]

[Your Position/Designation]Reported by Amit Thapa

(b) Spring Valley School, Jorhat organized a cultural show in aid of the flood-affected people of Majuli. As the organizer of the program, write a brief report in not more than 125 words for publication in your school magazine. Sign your name as Tridip/Trhisna Gogoi. 10

Answer:- 

CULTURAL SHOW

Jorhat, 12th July, 2014: A group of students from Spring Valley School, Jorhat ventured out to the remote, rural hamlets in the Majuli area on the South Bank river Brahamaputra, 24 km. away from the Jorhat town. Incessant monsoon rain has over flooded the mighty river and the people in the vicinity have been subjected to the ravages of the high flood. More than three hundred people of the area have been rendered homeless and they are in the relief camp set up by the district administration. The group of twenty five students of the college collected two truckloads of rice, dal and clothes for the sufferers which they collected from charity. Their team leader revealed to this writer that they approached the district administration for helping them for smooth distribution of the relief materials and they got one machine to reach their destination. The flood affected people of the locality praised the students for their humanitarian mission and wished them all success in life.

Reported by Tridip Gogoi.

SECTION – C

4. Correct the following sentences using proper tense forms: ½ x4=2

(a) I am knowing you.

Ans. I know you.

(b) Ram is seeing the bus coming.

Ans. Ram sees the bus coming.

(c) The sun is rising in the east.

Ans. The sun rises in the east.

(d) Two and two are making four.

Ans. Two and two makes four.

5. The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each line. Write the incorrect word and the correction. 5

The ancient Greeks revered honey so much as

Ans. As much as

That much playwrights conveyed the

Ans. Many playwrights

Luxurious lifestyle with the Athenians

Ans. of the Athenians

With its description of cheese cake

Ans. Their description

Eaten with honey. Honey be known not

Ans. is known not

Only for its sweet and also for

Ans. but also for

Its soothing qualities. Unless sugar

Ans. Until sugar

Became common place in a late 18th

Ans. the late 18th

Century, honey is also used in traditional remedies.

Ans. was also used

6. Look at the sentences given below in a disorderly form. Re-order them to form meaningful sentences. 1×3

(a) Playing football/for an hour/he/had been/i/when/his house/reached.

Ans. When I reached his house, he had been playing football for an hour.

(b) he/may/get/success/is industrious/since he.

Ans. Since he is industrious, he may get success.

(c) is expected/to do/every man/his duty.

Ans. Every man is expected to do his duty.

SECTION – D

7. Read the stanza given below and answer the questions that follow it: 2×5=10

Some twenty-thirty years later

She’d laugh at the snapshot. ‘See Betty And Dolly’,

She’d say, ‘and look how they

Dressed us for the beach’. The sea holiday

Was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry

With the labored ease of loss

(a) The word ‘she’ in the second line stands for

1. Poet’s mother

2. Poet’s aunt

3. Poet’s cousin

4. The poet

Ans. ii Poet’s mother

(b) ‘Betty’ and ‘Dolly’ are

1. Poet’s cousins

2. Poet’s sisters

3. Cousins of the poet’s mother

4. Neighbours

Ans. iii Cousins of the poet’s mother

(c) Betty and Dolly were standing with

1. The poet

2. Poet’s mother

3. Their uncle

4. Their friends

Ans. ii Poet’s mother

(d) The three girls were enjoying

1. A holiday at a hill station

2. A holiday at a river

3. A sea holiday

4. Swimming

Ans. iii a sea holiday

(e) Compared to the sea, poet’s mother and her cousins were

1. Very small

2. Very weak

3. Terribly insignificant

4. Terribly transient

Ans. iv Terribly transient

8. Answer the following questions in about 30 words each: 2×10=20

a) What does the rain do day and night?(N)

Ans. The rain proves a blessing for the earth. When the showers of rain fall down on earth, they wash away all the droughts, dust and other impurities of the earth. The seeds lying hidden in the earth suddenly sprout to life when it rains. So the rain gives a new lease of life to the earth.

b) What does the goldfinch do while singing? (Not in syllabus now)

Answer:- While singing, the goldfinch often engages in a behavior known as "fluttering" or "undulating flight." This involves flying in a series of up-and-down motions or a bouncing flight pattern, sometimes with brief pauses or slow glides. The goldfinch's singing can be accompanied by this aerial display, where the bird may hover briefly before resuming its song, particularly during courtship or territorial displays. The song itself is a series of clear, melodic notes that resemble "per-chik-o-ree" and often carries on for several minutes. The vibrant color of the goldfinch's feathers and its energetic flight add to the visual beauty of its performance.

9. Answer the following in not more than 30 words each: 2×5=10

a) Explain: ‘Old, so terribly old that she could not have grown older’.(N)

Ans. The writer finds it hard to believe that once his grandmother was once young and pretty because her face was full of crisscross wrinkles that had been the same there on for the last twenty years. There was no change in the wrinkles for the last twenty years.

b) How could the grandmother be ‘beautiful’ without being ‘pretty’?(N)

Ans: In the story The Potrait of a Lady, by Khushwant Singh, the grandmother was old and never appeared to be pretty. She was never an attractive woman. But she was gifted by a divine beauty in her. Her noble qualities gave her a spiritual beauty. She Used to feed dogs in village and sparrows in the city. This shows that she had a soft corner for animals. This makes her ‘beautiful’ without being ‘pretty’

c) What was the first indication of the impending disaster on January 2? (Not in syllabus now)

d) How did the narrator face the disaster in the form of the wave? (Not in syllabus now)

e) What do ‘mountain’ and ‘water’ represent in ‘Shanshui’?(N)

Ans. The Chinese word ‘Shanshui’ means ‘mountain-water’ (Yang yin). Together, these two words comprise the Daoist view of the universe ‘Yang’ is ‘mountain’ stable, warm and dry in the sun which reaches vertically towards Heaven. ‘Water is ‘yin’ – the receptive feminine aspect of universal energy. It rests on the earth horizontally and fluid, moist and cool.

10. What is the Daoist view of the universe?

Ans. The Chinese word ‘Shanshui’ means ‘mountain-water’ (Yang yin). Together, these two words comprise the Daoist view of the universe ‘Yang’ is ‘mountain’ stable, warm and dry in the sun which reaches vertically towards Heaven. ‘Water is ‘yin’ – the receptive feminine aspect of universal energy. It rests on the earth horizontally and fluid, moist and cool.

Or

How are the earth’s principal biological systems being depleted?(N)

Ans: There are four principal biological systems of the Earth – (1) fisheries (2) forests (3) grasslands (4) croplands, as pointed by Mr Lester R Brown. Ans. The line has been taken from the essay “The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement Role’ by Nami Palkhivala. He talks of the loss of fisheries in the world. The author talks about the extinction of fisheries, forests, other resources etc. He says that today’s world is hungry for protein as people are conscious of the needs of the generations. To meet this demands they eat fish every day and the over-fishing has led to the extinction of this resource. Thus, he rightly remarks that the demand for protein has made our fisheries depleted.

11. Answer any one of the following questions in not more than 100 words. 4

1. Justify the title, ‘Mother’s day’. Does the story end in the final victory for the mother? (Not in syllabus now)

2. How do you distinguish between the information gathering and insight formula? (N)

Ans. Information gathering is different from insight formation. Anybody who is interested in facts can go to a library and consult books. Nowadays most of the facts, relating to different subjects and fields, are available on the Internet. Those who get these facts and learn them by heart pass their examinations with a good score. In reality, they are merely literate, information gatherers.

On the other hand, insight formation is a difficult activity. Insight formation requires a cool and objective analysis of the given facts. It leads us to new conclusions, discoveries and inventions. No wonder, persons like Einstein disliked learning facts. They insisted on knowing why a particular event happened this or that way. Not things but ideas interest such persons.

12. Answer the following questions: 3+3=6

1. What was the view of Elsa about Albert?(N)

Ans. Elsa was Albert’s cousin. She tried to persuade him to learn the things and repeat them in the examination. She was sure he was capable of doing so but he was not trying. By doing so, he would get his school diploma.

2. Suggest a few instances in the poem, ‘The tale of Melon City’ which highlight humour and irony. (Not in syllabus now)

Answer:- In the poem "The Tale of Melon City" by Vikram Seth, humor and irony are prominent in several instances:

1. The King's Decision-Making: The King decides that the builder of the arch should be hanged for its poor construction, even though the builder is clearly not at fault. The irony lies in the fact that the King blindly orders punishment without understanding the real cause, adding humor to the situation.

2. The Role of the Architect: When the King orders the hanging of the builder, the architect, who might be more responsible, is not even questioned. This absurdity and misplaced justice are both humorous and ironic.

3. The Melon City: The ultimate decision of the King to have a melon as a ruler, after a series of ridiculous events, is both ironic and humorous. The city, which initially had a real king, ends up being ruled by a melon, highlighting the futility and randomness of the decisions made by authority figures.

These moments create a blend of satire and humor while pointing to the irrationality of political and judicial systems.

-00000- 

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