Oswal 61 Sample Question Papers ICSE Class 10 English-II Solutions
Section-A
Answer 1.
(i) (a) Lorenzo and Jessica
(ii) (b) Whets his knife
(iii) (c) the lead casket
(iv) (a) Giving away Portia’s ring.
(v) (c) “Your wife would give you little thanks for that”
(vi) (d) a letter from Padua written by Bellario
(vii) (b) she wanted to check if her little clay cups were still in the cave where she had left them.
(viii) (b) her tone was full of anger and astonishment
(ix) (b) 2, 4, 1, 3
(x) (b) 1 is an interpretation of 2
(xi) (d) solicitude
(xii) (a) 3 and 4
(xiii) (a) public adulation and glory are short lived.
(xiv) (b) Love for the humankind is love for God.
(xv) (c) Both (a) and (b)
(xvi) (c) His presence shined bright like a diamond.
Section-B
Answer 2.
(i) The two people in conversation are Portia, disguised as the lawyer, and Shylock, the Jewish moneylender. As per the bond, Shylock can take only a pound of flesh. The bond does not permit him to take a single drop of blood. So, the speaker, Portia, lays down a condition that Shylock must weigh a pound of flesh accurately, without shedding even a ‘jot’ of blood.
(ii) Gratiano, a friend of Bassanio and Antonio who are also present in the court, is very happy when Portia comes out with this condition. When Portia allows Shylock to cut a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body, nearest to his heart, Shylock calls Portia a great judge, Daniel. But now seeing that the tables have turned against Shylock, he applauds and makes fun of Shylock and ridicules him.
(iii) If Shylock sheds a single drop of blood while taking his pound of flesh, as per the bond, then all his property would be confiscated, and he would have to face a death sentence. His life would be at the mercy of the Duke. Finally, the duke spares Shylock’s life and half his property goes to the state of Venice and the other half, which was to go to Antonio, is given to Lorenzo and Jessica, on Antonio’s request. Shylock is made to sign a deed in which half his property is bequeathed to his daughter and son-in-law. Also, Shylock has to turn into a Christian. Therefore, he is left completely defeated and drained.
(iv) Portia’s wit and intelligence turn the tables against Shylock. Antonio had lost all hope and was sure that the Jew would take his revenge and Antonio would have to pay the penalty of breaking the bond with his life. Shylock was all ready to take his pound of flesh when he was stopped by Portia stating that he could only have a pound of flesh without shedding a single drop of blood. Shylock then had no choice but to let go of his enemy. In fact, he not only had to forget about getting his principal amount but also lost all his property and has to face the humiliation of turning into a Christian. All this happened because of Portia.
(v) Portia is a witty woman whose ingenious plan saves the day by not only reversing Antonio’s death sentence, but also bestowing fortune on Lorenzo and Jessica, which was rightfully theirs.
She is also confident and well-versed in politics and is thorough with the rule of her land which comes to her advantage in pushing Shylock in his own spun web of deceit.
Answer 3.
(i) The speaker of the above lines is Portia. She is blaming Gratiano, Nerissa’s husband, for parting with the ring that his wife had given him. He had promised Nerissa that he would never part with the ring under any circumstances.
(ii) The speaker, Portia, is boasting about the love and commitment that her husband Bassanio has for her. She says that she can swear by anything that if it were her husband, he would have never parted with his ring under similar conditions. Portia is shocked to hear from Gratiano that Bassanio also had ended up giving his ring to the lawyer who had saved Antonio’s life.
(iii) Portia is shocked to hear that Bassanio too had given away his ring and she can’t believe that Bassanio can part with such a precious gift. Portia threatens her husband, Bassanio that she will not come to his bed till she sees the ring. She shows her anger and displeasure and tells Bassanio that she is sure that he has given the ring to a woman and not a man. She also threatens her husband that if that lawyer ever came near her she would become as liberal as Bassanio and give him everything she has.
(iv) ‘My love’ here refers to Bassanio, Portia’s husband. Bassanio has given his ring to the lawyer who saved Antonio’s life. The ring had been given to Bassanio by Portia saying that he would never part with the ring, under any circumstances. Bassanio justifies himself by saying that had Portia known why, for whom, and how unwillingly he had given away the ring, she would never have been so displeased.
(v) Portia is simply pulling Bassiano’s and Gratiano’s leg by making a demand of seeing the rings that she had herself taken from them in disguise of the judge and Nerissa as her clerk. She obviously knows that they don’t have their rings with them, which is why she boasts so much about the love and oath that were sealed in those rings, only to scare their husbands. She later reveals the rings and further extends the joke by telling their husbands that they are having an affair with the judge and the clerk who gave them their rings. However, she reveals at the end that it was she herself disguised to save Antonio’s life.
Section-C
Answer 4.
(i) After having his dinner, Mr. Thompson went to the little chamber where Maggie was lying. He found a pair of large bright eyes looking at him from the snowy bed. The looks were tender, grateful and pleading. This gave him extreme joy. Joe Thompson sat down and for me first time, examined the child carefully under the lamplight. The tender face was attractive and full of childish sweetness on which suffering had not been able to leave its marks. This strengthened Mr. Thompson’s sympathy for Maggie.
(ii) On the first day, after returning from his work, Joe Thompson encountered the girl’s childish face for the first time. He sat down beside her and taking her soft little hand confirmed her name. She affirmed in a trembling voice that her name was Maggie. Mr. Thompson asked about her sickness, then her treatment, and about the pain. The girl replied that she had some pain but now as she was in the soft bed, it felt good and comfortable. She was satisfied and grateful to Mr. Thompson.
(iii) At first Mrs. Thompson was against taking care of Maggie and insisted her husband to send her back to the poorhouse immediately. Thompson reminded her of the Bible and explained to her that it was a small thing for them to keep that poor motherless child for a single night. The voice was very strong but simultaneously there was moisture in his eyes. Mrs. Thompson did not answer but a soft feeling crept into her heart. She then spent the whole day with Maggie and at night she made an effort to be indifferent to Maggie in front of her husband. She kept silent on that theme and gave the child a toasted slice of bread which was softened with milk and butter added with a cup of tea. This showed that the chords of her heart were struck with sympathy for the child.
(iv) Earlier Mrs. Thompson was adamant on sending the poor child back to the poorhouse. But with the passage of time, the harshness of her behaviour converted into softness and her heart began to melt towards little Maggie. The tenderness innocence, patience, gratitude, nature and purity of the child moved her a lot and she asked her husband to keep her for one or two days more on the pretext of her weakness and helplessness before sending her back. Finally, she gave up her decision of sending Maggie to the poorhouse and accepted her wholeheartedly.
(v) The sick and helpless child brought light and happiness to Thompson’s house. She was a blessing for them. For a long period of time, it had been dark, cold and miserable because Mrs. Thompson had no one to take care or love. That is why she became a sore, irritable and ill-tempered woman. Now the sweetness of that sick child who was also thirsty for getting someone’s love became honey to her soul as she carried her in her heart as well as arms. As for Joe, there was not a single man in the whole neighbourhood who drank as precious wine of life as him. Maggie came as an angel in disguise in their house and filled its dreary chambers with love.
Answer 5.
(i) Sibia had visited the bazaar of the little town at the railhead. She had walked through milling people, the dogs and the monkeys full of fleas, and heard the bell of sacred bull. She was amazed at the display of green and magenta sweetmeats, ‘the brilliant honey confections’. Then there was the cloth stall, satins and silks, tin trays and mirror work sari, a chest with gems and a box that had a chicken jumping out. All these filled her with wonder.
(ii) Gujars were the nomadic graziers who changed their habitats hen there was no grass to feed the cattle and they were not able to sell their white butter and milk. The Gujars were ‘junglis’ born and bred in forests. They get their living from animals, grass and trees. There was a hard life, fetching water from faraway places, cutting grass with sickles, gathering firewood, and putting dung to dry. Their wealth was determined according to the number of cattle they possessed or the large silver rings that they wore, made from melted coins.
(iii) The crocodile attacked when the Gujar woman was filling water. Its jaws closed on her leg and she slipped on the bone breaking stone. She was hanging on to a log, when Sibia saw her. She sprang. She came ‘’leaping like a rock goat’’, from boulder to boulder. In a moment, she was beside the shrieking woman. The crocodile slapped its tail and the water rose high. But this did not deter the brave girl. She aimed her hayfork into the eyes of the crocodile. One prong went right in. The huge animal rocked in convulsions, crashed back exploding the water and disappeared in ‘bloody foam’. She got her arms around the fainting woman and dragged her from the water. She stopped her wounds with sand and bound them with a rag. Thus, she helped her to reach the encampment and some men carried her for treatment.
(iv) For Sibia, the highlight was accidentally procuring the blue bead with which she could make a necklace. The bead was beautiful ‘with sunlight shuffling in it like gold dust’. It was even pierced ready for use. Her joy knew no bounds.
(v) Sibia comes across as a brave girl who had the courage to fight a violent crocodile single-handedly.
Danger was natural to a forest girl like her and she did not think twice about the brave deed she had done. In fact, she did not even think about how she endangered her life to save the Gujar woman.
She charged like a rock goat and leapt over the slippery boulders to reach the victim in time. Focus, determination, sterling courage were the hallmarks of her personality. Completely matter of fact, she did everything to save the woman’s life. She displayed immense common sense and equanimity of mind. Her courage was heroic. However, she at heart was an innocent little girl, no different than any other girl of her age. Despite all her bravery, she was only thrilled about the bead she got. ‘’I found a blue bead for my necklace, look!’’
Section-D
Answer 6.
(i) The athletes came ‘from so many countries’ to the venue of the Special Olympics. The athletes had come to win gold, silver and bronze medals for their performance.
(ii) The words ‘gold’, ‘silver’ and ‘bronze’ stand for gold medal, silver medal and bronze medal, respectively. These are the top three honours of any high-level sports competition. The contestants were certainly prepared well for the event. As the poet says, they had undergone months of rigorous training to complete in the Olympics.
(iii) The event referred to here by the poet is a 100 metre-race in Special Olympics. This was the most important of all events. A large number of people came to watch that event.
The athletes described in the poem were differently abled participants who had been selected for the 100 metre-race.
Their aim was to win the gold, silver and bronze medals in the Special Olympics. These medals are tokens of top honours that are conferred on best performing athletes.
(iv) All the athletes had prepared rigorously for the special event. They had been trained by their coaches for several months. This training had boosted the level of their self-confidence so much that each of them wanted to achieve the best and reach the zenith of glory by winning the top honour of the game.
(v) The quest for human values of compassion, caring and sharing took David Roth to give a twist to the real event where all the eight athletes stop for the fallen contestant, pick him up and walk to the finishing line holding hands. The poet unshackles the expectations of victory or defeat and brings in the soft human values that make the world a better place to live in. This soft touch of humanism made the event to be remembered forever for the lovely presentation of compassion, kindness, empathy and love for each other despite the dry emotions of winning a personal glory. This way, in the poem, David Roth spreads the message of universal brotherhood. The spectators clapped for the athletes walking to the finishing line together. There were tears of happiness in the onlookers in the stands.
A touching scene at the end of the event conveys the message that the world needs compassion more than competition.
Answer 7.
(i) The poet employs the poignant term “wandered” to poetically illustrate his profound sense of abandonment and solitude in an unfamiliar land. Perhaps devoid of any friends or guidance, he aimlessly traverses the unknown terrain. However, in a moment of sheer serendipity, his eyes chance upon a breathtaking sight: a cluster of daffodils, buoyantly floating atop the rippling waves of a nearby lake, shimmering brilliantly under the warm, golden rays of the sun. The beauty and majesty of these magnificent flowers instantaneously transform his sullen mood, filling his heart with unbridled joy and delight.
(ii) Wordsworth is utterly enchanted by the resplendent sight of the golden daffodils, their delicate petals joyously swaying and dancing in unison with the gentle breeze. This exquisite display of nature’s beauty serves to momentarily expel his deep-seated feelings of loneliness, as he basks in the company of these magnificent flowers. The daffodils are strewn out in a seemingly infinite line, their radiant glory surpassing even the breadth of the flowing water in the lake, a true testament to their breathtaking beauty. Wordsworth, taken aback by the sheer multitude of these majestic blooms, gazes in awe at the fullness of the lake, where they shimmer and dance beneath the verdant boughs of the trees.
(iii) Wordsworth, compares the sight of the daffodils to the stars in the Milky Way. The comparison is appropriate because it captures the overwhelming and infinite nature of the beauty that the poet witnesses. Just as the stars in the Milky Way seem to go on endlessly, the sight of the daffodils stretches out before the poet in an unbroken line, filling his vision and imagination with their brilliance. The comparison also highlights the sense of awe and wonder that the poet feels as he is struck by the sheer magnitude of the natural beauty before him. The comparison between the daffodils and the stars also emphasizes the timelessness and enduring quality of the natural world, which has inspired poets and thinkers for generations. Overall, the comparison serves to elevate the beauty and significance of the daffodils, highlighting their enduring power to inspire and uplift the human spirit.
(iv) The line “ten thousand saw I at a glance” is a figurative expression of the overwhelming abundance of flowers that the poet witnesses, emphasizing the sense of grandeur and magnitude that the sight inspires. By using this phrase, the poet suggests that the huge number of daffodils seem to stretch out before him in an unbroken line, creating a dazzling display of natural beauty that is beyond compare.
The phrase also serves to convey the poet’s sense of awe and wonder at the sight before him, as he is left speechless and entranced by the sheer magnitude of the blooms.
The words “crowds” and “host” that the poet employs serve to emphasize the sense of vastness and multitude that this vision inspires.
(v) The impact of the daffodils on the poet’s psyche was profound. The mere thought of these flowers was enough to brighten his mood and fill his heart with joy. The beauty of the daffodils left a lasting impression on the poet, transforming his experience of the world around him and opening him up to new depths of wonder and appreciation for the natural world.
Wordsworth reveals his deep love and reverence for nature in the poem. Throughout the poem, he uses vivid sensory language to describe the beauty of the natural world, particularly the sight of the daffodils in bloom. He sees the natural world as a source of beauty and inspiration and values it as a spiritual and emotional resource that can provide solace and comfort in times of need. The poem also emphasizes Wordsworth’s belief in the restorative power of nature, as the sight of the daffodils is able to lift him out of a state of despair and bring him joy and inspiration.
ICSE 61 Sample Question Papers
All Subjects Combined for Class 10 Exam 2024
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