CBSE ENGLISH CORE:2015 [All India] Set 3

1. (iv) All of the above
   
   b) (i) Christianity
   
   c) (ii) Entrance to the church is non-descript.
   
   d) (iv) Both (i) and (ii)
   
   e) According to the Greek belief, the stone of anointing is a place where Christ was removed from the cross.
   
   f) Emperor Constantine built Rotunda to safeguard the Holy Sepulcher and the remaining structure around it.
   
   g) Pilgrims have a very casual attitude and are completely unaware about the history and tradition. They are more into capturing pictures and appreciating the novelty of the church.
   
   h) According to the gospels, Jesus' Crucifixion occurred 'at a place outside the city walls with graves nearby...' and as the archaeologists have discovered tombs from the biblical era, the site is compatible.
   
   i) 'Room of the tomb' is a very small place, hence the pilgrims entered in a single file.
   
   j) The woman knelt down to pray looking at the large marble slab and wanted to hide her tears as she became very sentimental.
   
   k) i)  A tomb
   
   ii) Non-descript

a) (ii) By eating small amount of food

b) (iv) Both (i) and (ii)

c) Earlier pilgrimages were a penance to stay near nature and did not require luxury rooms and big cars to travel, now they have become more of a tourism opportunity where people go for a picnic.

d) When pilgrimages turn into picnics, the entire significance of pilgrimage as a sadhana is lost. It becomes more of a social gathering, a life of comfort and a boost to ego, where pilgrims brag about charity and their special darshan.

e) Pilgrimages are no more of travelling on foot and living in the ashrams with basic necessities, it has become a picnic with all the comfort, ac rooms, travelling by car with a large group to have all the fun and entertainment. Hence, we are complacent in our spiritual efforts.

f) We are ruining our bodies because of the extra comfort that we are adapting. We are not making any efforts to adjust in adverse conditions rather making our bodies all the more tender. Nature is just like everyone's Amma and would act destructive by affecting our health etc. sooner or later and force us to understand this truth.

g) In olden days pilgrimages were more of a sadhna to love people, stay close to the nature, understand it, stay healthy and eat healthy. It was also for seeking freedom from attachment. It was not to adhere to materialistic pleasure and live a luxurious life.

h) It conveys that pilgrimages have a religious connotation and are undertaken for ritualistic purposes. People go on pilgrimages to understand the realities of life and stay close to nature. However, it should not be considered as an opportunity to gather in groups and enjoy the luxuries of life. According to the passage, people should learn to sustain the hardships and live happily.

I)
i) Rendered
ii) Complacent

(a)

1. Listening vs. Hearing

1.1 Difference between the synonyms
1.2 Hearing but not listening

1.3 Paying attention
1.4 Hearing as a physical phenomenon
1.5 consciously using your mind
1.6 Mind full of needless chatter
1.7 Accommodating what is said

2. Judgment about the speaker

2.1 Prejudiced & preconceived notions
2.2 Dying to pronounce right or wrong
2.3 Neg. mindset
2.4 proving our ver. of things right

3. Ideal way of listening

3.1 Listen first
3.2 Listen with awareness
3.3 Think before you judge
3.4 Not to leave words unspoken
3.5 Speak your mind out

4. Listening to understand people

4.1 Imbibe what is not spoken
4.2 Times when we don't listen to people who matter
4.3 Triggers misunderstanding

 

Title – Listening Versus Hearing

(b) Sometimes, we hear people but do not listen to them attentively. The difference between the two is that one is a physical phenomenon while the other is a conscious use of mind.

We, as listeners, often have preconceived notions about the speaker. We come prepared with a negative mindset, tend to prove them wrong and pounce our own version of things. Ideally, we should listen to them, understand their perception and stop judging them in order to avoid misunderstandings.

OR

Akash Public School
Agra
 
7 March 2015

The Editor
The Hindustan Times
New Delhi
 
Sir

Subject: The harmful effects of tourism on Corbett National Park

Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authority to the extensive abuse of available facilities in the Corbett National Park by tourists and the  consequent threat  to the environment.

The tourists not only litter the place with non-biodegradable plastic packets and wrappers, but also use wood from the forests for cooking purposes. Excessive trampling of the soil has been reported to have a harmful effect on the natural ecosystem. The serenity of the habitat, which is so crucial to the resident fauna, is habitually disturbed by tourists playing loud music in their safari jeeps .

The Corbett National Park is the oldest in the country, established in 1936, to protect the endangered Bengal tiger. It contains 488 different species of flora and diverse variety of fauna. The increase in tourist activities, among other problems, continues to present a serious challenge to the park's ecological balance. The government should take necessary steps to protect the same. If required the public should be fined for the litter and damage caused to the park while their visit. It is my request that this issue be immediately taken up by your esteemed publication to generate further public awareness.

Yours sincerely
Navtej
Secretary
Environment Club

OR

112 Taj Road
Agra
 
7 March 2015

The Editor
The Hindustan Times
New Delhi
 
Sir

Subject: Exploitation of teachers in privately-owned suburban and small town schools

Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to draw the attention of the public to the plight and exploitation of teachers in privately owned and managed schools in small towns and metropolitan suburbs . This issue was time and again brought to light in the previous years in various newspapers and magazines. Necessary actions should to be taken against the schools that give only fractions of the authorized salaries and exploit the teachers.
 
Such a malpractice is seen to affect the performance of the teachers in the classroom, as most teachers take up other jobs to make both ends meet and do not put in the requisite hours of teaching in the schools. The school trusts pay these teachers much less than the amount they were promised, leading to frequent resignations and constant changes in the faculty. This has affected students' performances and led to an atmosphere of uncertainty in the schools, which is detrimental to the cause of education.
 
As a nation that prides itself on revering its teachers, it must be noted that we cannot build a future for our students if we do not give due credit to our teachers. Therefore, I request your esteemed publication to take up this matter in order to investigate the issue further and sensitize  the public to the plight of these teachers so that they shall press for a complete revamp in the education system of the country.
 
Yours sincerely
Navita

Respected judges, teachers, and dear friends, today, I, Navtej, stand before you to speak for the motion “The only way to minimize human suffering and pain is to control our needs.”  As we live in a world that promotes consumerism we slip into a cycle of wanting more things whether it is a new job, car, house, smart phone or any other material possession.  It is rightly said that luxuries of yesterday have become necessities of today. The pursuit for these things takes up our time, energy and money. We also constantly compare ourselves with other people wanting to be like them or in their position.  It will lead us into a state of constant dissatisfaction. This is just what the logic of consumerism wants, as it makes us more active consumers on a continuous basis.  So, consumerism not only affects our behaviour that we spend more time on consumerist activities but also our thinking, our aspirations and attitudes. Socrates says, “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.” What Socrates comments about the human greed is quite relevant in the current consumerist society too. There is only one simple solution for keeping ourselves happy and contented; control our greed and differentiate our needs from our greed.

Thank you.

Respected judges, teachers, and dear friends, today, I, Navita, stand before you to speak in favour of the motion  “Solution to the problem of  misery in the urban slums lies in creating jobs in the villages.”  Looking for better employment opportunities, education and other public facilities people migrate from villages and small towns to cities. However, this unchecked migration results in the spread of slums and unlawful resident settlements. Poverty, joblessness and under employment among the rural immigrants will lead to the social evils of beggary, thefts, burglary etc. It is the dearth of jobs and other facilities in the villages make people to migrate to cities.  The government should plan and implement programmes for the development of rural areas. The chief areas of development may include; rural infrastructure, poverty reduction, employment generation, availability of basic necessities and other public facilities. Rural Planning should be considered as an integral part of the development of the country's economy and the Ministry of Rural Development should take up a pivotal role in this regard.

Thank you.

Ragging an Evil
By Navita

Since the British times ragging has hounded meritorious and good introvert students. Aimed at acquainting the students with the hierarchy of the college and instilling in them, respect of social  order, ragging was supposed to be a useful tool for breaking the  ice between the new and old students. Unfortunately, in the last few decades this social ceremony has taken quite an ugly turn.

Seniors have been subjecting the juniors to ridiculous, frivolous and often inhuman acts in the name of getting acquainted when the new students join the college.

The story is the same whether it is a small organization or a large and famous college or institution. That which was supposed to acquaint the students with the tradition of the college or institution, has now become the tool to strike fear in the hearts of the new inmates. 

 The prestige of the best educational institutions in India is marred by  traumatic cases of merciless and beastly ragging, particularly at  engineering and medical colleges

A prefect or a student leader is a teacher substitute in matters of discipline. It is his/her duty to maintain discipline, help fellow students and find solutions for the sake of student welfare. But in Indian institutions, the term ‘prefect’ has gained notoriety and is now synonymous with bossiness and hooliganism This has shaken the confidence of parents all over India. They are now hesitant to send their wards to colleges and schools in other towns.

Now the question arises how can the situation be redeemed and remedied? With politics entering the college premises, the situation has taken an alarming turn. We often hear of deaths resulting from ragging and college indiscipline. The first thing to be done is to implement a very strict code of conduct and enforce rules with impunity. Value education at schools shall go a long way to remedy the situation. Religious and spiritual atmosphere at homes also shall prepares students to follow a humanitarian path and a more tolerant behavior. Thus we can have ideal citizens who are sensitive to the pains and pleasures of others.
 

OR

Tourism Potential of India
By Navtej

Despite being endowed with such a splendour of geographical, cultural and linguistic diversity India is still to make her mark as an international tourist destination. In the catalogue of global tourist attractions, not even one Indian city makes its mark. In spite of being blessed with such a rich and varied flora and fauna, India does not catch even one per cent of international tourist traffic. All the sylvan surrounding of the hill stations of India,  her  panoramic beaches  and wide fertile plains have so much to offer that one lifetime would not be enough for any one to explore such a wealth of heavenly beauty.Yet the country does not fare anywhere on the tourist map.

The country houses some of the best historical treasures of the world. Be it The remains of Mohenjo-Daro or the relics of the Vedic age or the historical monuments of the Moghuls, we have a treasure-trove of heritage. But we ourselves are not very interested in exploring this divine gift.

The answer lies in the poor infrastructure of India. Our roads or even the railway are not extensive enough. Many beautiful places remain beyond the reach of the common man. Building infrastructure ,therefore  is a major step to be taken.

The governmental apathy is another big reason why this is so. Our school curriculum and the educational pattern do not encourage exploration of our roots; hence we do not have even in-bound tourism. The government must take up a complete overhaul of the teaching of History in our schools and colleges. Maintaining our historical building and monuments, keeping them clean and restoring them should be the government’s top priority.

 Last but not the least, we must learn to be hospitable to the foreign tourists who come to us as our guests. As we have world class hospitals here with cheap medical  India must also be presented as a medical tourist destination which shall bring in the much required foreign exchange.

(a) If we look out of the window, sitting in a moving vehicle, we see that the objects outside moving in the opposite direction. The poetess felt as if the trees were running while she was travelling to the airport in a car with her mother. The young trees are personified in the poem. The movement of the trees is in stark contrast with the stillness associated with the mother. Life symbolized by the trees offers a contrast to the dying state of the mother.

(b) The poetess looked at her mother again because it was time for her to board the plane and therefore she wanted to reassure herself that her mother was there and imprint her face in her mind before departure.

(c) The poetess noticed that her mother’s face was pale and weak.

(d) Personification and simile are the poetic devices that are used in this extract.

OR

(a) The children mentioned here are the students sitting in an elementary school situated in a slum.

(b) The ‘slag heap' refers to the debris amid which these slum children spend their life.

(c) These slum children are very weak and malnourished. They look like skeletons as their bones peep through their thin skin.

(d) 'Mended glass' here means discarded spectacles thrown away by the rich, repaired and worn by these poor children as they do not have money to buy new glasses.

a) Mukesh’s family had accepted the poverty as their fate and resigned themselves to it. Bing a poor bangle maker his father could not send his sons to school but he could only teach them how to make bangles. The family thought that their destiny could not be changed and the God-given lineage could not be broken.

b) There was a long –term contract between the British landlords who owned large estates in Champaran district and the poor peasants worked for the landlords as tenants.  As per the contract, the poor peasants planted 15% of their land with indigo. The peasant being tenants would give the entire indigo harvest as rent . The landlords asked for compensation for freeing the peasants from cultivating indigo on 15% of their land, when Germany began to produce synthetic indigo.

c)  By 'keeping quiet’ the poet means that we should stop all our destructive activities that harm nature.  It is only during a few seconds of silence and inactivity; man will be able to take stock of his harmful activities and then try to practise harmony and brotherhood in the world. Thus keeping quiet will protect the environment.

d) According to the poet a beautiful thing is a source of everlasting happiness. The list of those beautiful things which add joy to our life includes the Sun, the Moon, a bower of trees and a clear stream of water.

e) As there were not many tigers available in his kingdom, the Tiger King was able to kill only seventy tigers. To prove the prophecy wrong he needed to kill thirty more tigers. Then he decided to marry a girl from a royal family of a state with a large tiger population so that he could kill thirty more tigers.

f) Sadao’s father dreamt of a bright future for his son.  Sadao understood that education was the most important thing to his father. At the age of twenty-two, he went to America to study surgery and medicine.  After finishing his course at the age of thirty, he retuned having realized his father’s dream.