ICSE X | English Language

Board Paper 2016 Solution

ICSE Board
Class X English Language
Board Paper 2016 Solution
Question 1
(a)
The day started off well enough, whoever thought it would be one of those days that you
will never be able to forget in life?
It was vacation time and I was waiting for my friend Meghna so that we could go to
Jimsons Reading Paradise. Uncle Jim had converted his two-storey mansion into a library.
The mansion was enticing and dangerous at the same time, like the palaces in Arabian
Nights. It had been a year since the library was opened to public, and we were among the
first members. As I thought about all these things, the mansion, the books, the virtual
libraries, Meghna finally came and we got the bus to the location of the library.
Lets begin from here, Meghna said as she pointed towards a shelf in green in the library.
No. Those are environment related books, boring! Lets go there, to the rainbow section. I
can see fantasy tales collection there. I dragged Meghna to a section in the extreme corner
of the room. We stood below a huge section painted in the colours of the rainbow and read
many titles such as The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter. I had only seen their movie
adaptations. There was also a huge book named Arabian Nights. I remembered how my
grandmother used to tell me stories from the Arabian Nights during bedtime. As we
climbed the ladders to get the books, Meghna slipped and came down bringing the entire
shelf on top of her. Seeing her fall, I too slipped with the four books I had in my hand. We
were very scared and thought that Uncle Jim would kick us out of the library for ruining his
new section. As Meghna and I struggled out of the pile of books, we heard a voice. When we
looked up from the pile of books, we saw a woman wearing a hat and holding a parrot
umbrella stood looking at us sternly.
Come along, children. Spit spot! she exclaimed while holding out her hand to help us get
up.
In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and - SNAP the job's a game! Saying this she snapped her fingers once and all the books were back in
their place.
We both stared at each other with our mouths wide open. Is she whom we think she is? But
how is that possible?

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Close your mouth, please. We are not a codfish, She said to us, and we were now sure that
it was Mary Poppins indeed! As Mary helped us to get up, a tall, black-haired woman came
and stood in front of us. She was a rather severe-looking woman but her face exuded
magnanimity despite the sternness in her eyes.
It was Professor Minerva McGonagall from Harry Potter. Have a biscuit, she said to me.
How can you be here in the library? I asked the two women. Suddenly a cat sneaked out
of nowhere and said, Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality. Everything
is possible, it said. It was the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland.
I and Meghna had begun to enjoy this magical adventure, because we had always imagined
how it would be if we met characters from books for real and Uncle Jims Paradise made it
possible for us. As we turned around to know more about Mary and Professor, there was no
sight of them there. We were wondering where they had disappeared, when we saw two
golden eyes peering from behind the book shelf. Then there was a very familiar voice It is
time for them to live in their own world. We could guess it was Aslan, the magnificent lion
who saved Narnia.
Theyll be coming and going," another voice said. "One day you'll see them and another
you won't, At this moment a beaver popped its head out from behind the shelf and equally
quickly drew it back in. Then the eyes were gone, and the sounds too.
Sometimes we all long to live a life that is full of fantasy and fun. I dont know if what we
experienced in the library was real or just our imagination. However, we enjoyed every bit
of it and wouldnt mind going on such adventures again!
(b)
It was a beautiful sunny morning and I was waiting for the teachers to announce the start
of our annual sports day. I had taken part in a 200 meter running race and in 400 meters
relay. The night before, my older annoying brother had called from his hostel to wish me
luck for the race. However, like always, he tried to pull down my confidence by teasing me
for being fat, and as usual, I hung up the call and stormed up to my room and sat sulking.
Mother came to my room shortly afterwards and asked me to ignore whatever he had said.
She asked me to remember just one thing, that I am unstoppable once I step on the field.
As the teachers called the participants of the 200 meter race to come and take their
positions on the track, my heart suddenly started racing like a sports car that had lost
control. I started perspiring and could hear my brothers mocking comments in my mind. I
could actually see him standing at the finishing line and laughing at me. As I took my
position, I closed my eyes and tried to forget about him. The gun was fired, and the race
began. But somehow, I just couldnt speed up as I usually did. I lost the race. I was
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distraught because despite being fat I was a good runner. I was good at this. I didnt
understand where the months I spent in training and practicing went.
The second half of the day was for the longer races. I along with my three teammates took
our positions for the 400 meter relay. I was the anchor of the race. My team had put all
their faith in me. However, after the miserable performance at the race in the morning, I
wasnt even sure why I was standing on the track again. The race began. Rohit began well,
and reached the first leg well in time. Dheeraj was a good runner too, and he reached
Tanmay just as we did during our practice sessions. As I saw Tanmay begin his lap, I again
heard my brothers annoying voice hovering around me. I knew I was going to bring shame
to my team. Tanmay was fast approaching me for the final changeover. I felt numbness in
my knees and my hands were trembling badly.
Then something unbelievable happened. Tanmay handed over the baton to me and said,
Go Kartik! You are unstoppable! Yes, that is true! I thought, because Mother too says that
to me. I grabbed the baton and set out like a wildfire. I could hear the whole ground
cheering for me. As I neared the finishing line, I once again saw my brother doing his mockdance. But I kept looking only at the finishing line. That was where my goal was. My goal
was to finish the race and not be defeated by my fears.
We won the relay race in record timing. Mother was very happy. And as for my brother, I
am sure he is now thinking about some other way to bully me. But as my mother says, I am
going to ignore him because I know that I indeed am unstoppable!
(c)
For the motion
Some of my friends feel that the use of mobile phones must be allowed in schools. I agree
with them because in this age of technology, allowing mobile phone at schools opens up
many avenues.
A cell phone should be allowed in school for educational purposes. This allows students to
incorporate latest technology into the learning process. With easy internet access, a
multitude of education-friendly applications can be installed, which can make learning and
interesting experience.
Allowing students to use mobile phones in a classroom teaches them to become
responsible for their actions. A cell phone has features that allow students to set reminders
and plan their schedules. In this way, they learn to organise their assignments and other
classroom activities. In addition, since the students are aware that the cell phone is with
them all the time, there is no urge to misuse it for recreational purposes.
In most of the schools, teachers are allowed to use cell phones even during an ongoing
class. In such a case, it is unfair to prohibit students from using cell phones as this would
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mean practicing double standards. If there is a rule about restricted cell phone usage, it
should be enforced without any discrimination.
In case of emergency, a cell phone becomes the easiest way of contacting families. Students
should be allowed to use cell phones in school so that they can be in touch with their
parents and keep them informed at all times.
In conclusion, cell phones should be allowed in schools because they facilitate education
and teach students to become responsible. Additionally, cell phones come handy during
emergency situations. Finally, teachers are allowed to use cell phones in schools and
students should too be allowed to use their phones to avoid discrimination.
Against the motion
Some of my friends strongly feel that cell phones should not be allowed in schools. I am also
against the idea of allowing cell phones in schools.
One of the main reasons why cell phones are used today is easy internet access. Allowing
the use of cell phones in classrooms gives students an excuse to use social networking sites
and to constantly text each other even during class. It tempts students to waste time by
updating pages, etc rather than paying attention to what is being taught. There is also a
high possibility that they post pictures of an ongoing class without anyones permission
which is ethically inappropriate.
The use of cell phones in classrooms increases the chances of cheating. Students could copy
test questions and share it with their friends or directly post it on social networking sites
for mass access. They can also save their notes and answers on their phones and use it to
cheat or search the net for answers during exams.
Although a cell phone can be used for educational purposes in schools, there is a high
possibility that students use their cell phones for other purposes like playing games and
watching videos. This distracts students from learning.
Allowing teachers to use cell phones in class has a different reason to it. Teachers use cell
phones to research on how to increase productivity in classrooms. They use technology to
find innovative ways of evaluating performances of students. Teachers too are not allowed
to use cell phones for personal work.
In case of emergency, schools are best equipped to inform families as all personal details of
ever student is available with school authorities. Therefore, there is no point in arguing that
students can call their parents sooner when emergency strikes, as teachers are the best
judges of instances which need family intervention in school.

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In conclusion, cell phones should not be allowed in schools because they impede the
process of learning and make students irresponsible.
(d)
It was a pleasant afternoon in early March when returning home from school was not an
uphill task as the temperatures had not hit the roof yet. I scampered my way home
stopping at my regular stops; the tree where I sat and fed squirrels and the tea stall whose
owner gave me a free cookie every day.
When I reached the gate of my home, I saw that it was open, quite unusual as Mothers
explicit rule stated that the gate should always be closed. I began calling out for her from
outside the gate itself but didnt receive a response. As I stepped into the house, a chill ran
down my spine. The door was wide open. The TV and the music system lay broken on the
floor. Somebody had hurled a flower vase at the TV causing it to smash into pieces. Several
wires were yanked out of their sockets and the telephone receiver was dangling down from
the table. I had no clue what had happened, and neither had the courage to go further into
the house. But there was no one within a kilometre of where we lived, and so it was up to
me to step inside and take stock of things.
As I went into the kitchen I noticed that lunch had been eaten and the tap was dripping,
quite unusual of Mother to do so. I ran to Grandmothers room but found no one in there
too. Then I remembered that she left for her pilgrimage this morning. That left me with a
very scary question, where is Mother? I started calling out frantically for her and was
almost in tears when I got no response. Horrible thoughts ran through my mind and prayer
after prayer flew up like birds from my frightened spirit.
I looked into my parents room to check if we had been robbed. The cupboard was
untouched. No belongings were missing from the room either. Then what? I racked my
brains continuously. Just then, I heard a loud thud on the terrace upstairs. I had totally
forgotten about the terrace seeing all the mess down here. I raced upstairs and found my
room in a mess too. The mattress was torn and my clothes lay scattered on the floor. My
toys were also broken, and on one of my cars I saw marks of blood. I froze thinking that
someone has done something to my Mother. I again heard a thud, but this time it was faint,
rather exhausted. I ran in the direction of the noise and pushed open the terrace door. In
the corner of the terrace, I saw my mother, she lay trembling on the floor, with blood
flowing from her forehead and cheeks.
I ran up to her and shook her violently. She was in a delirious state, mumbling something I
could barely hear. I took her forehead and rested it on my lap. Then I softly called out to
her, waiting for her to open her eyes. As she opened her eyes, there were signs of pain on
her face. She twitched her face and tried touching her bleeding forehead. Then she looked
around and looked at me. Finally, she squeezed my hand and said I am sorry.
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My mother had got a panic attack again. Although it was almost after a year, it had shown a
remarkable potential of disrupting her routine and ransacking our house. I took her
downstairs and called up my father. I told him that the symptoms of her illness were back
and that we might need to send her to the asylum again.
(e)
It had been close to two hours but the traffic had barely moved 500 meters. Every year
rains in Mumbai cause traffic disruption and force life to come to a standstill. It was past 2
pm and the roads were already crowded with cars, buses and two wheelers. The
meteorological department had announced the possibility of torrential rain similar to 26
July, and people were rushing homewards to avoid the struggle they faced last time.
I was standing at the bus stop facing a major junction. It was flooded with water and traffic
police were diverting the traffic to another way. I could see drivers swearing as their cars
splashed water on each other in an attempt to overtake each other. Most of the car
windows were down and the ACs were off as a safety measure. I could see bike riders
looking longingly at the cars, wishing they had a four wheeler and not the two wheelers
that they were on. It would at least keep them dry during the downpour. A few meters
away I saw passengers in an auto rickshaw arguing about how it would have been better if
they had taken a bus as the rising water levels was making their auto ride unbearable. A
little further away, I saw bicycle riders wading through the flooded underpass. I am sure
they were thinking how good it would be if they had a bike or a scooter.
In all this chaos, I saw something that changed my perspective about life. I could see two
little children, not more than 8 years old, swinging their umbrellas in the rain water and
laughing hysterically as water splashed on them. The strong wind was making it difficult
for them to hold on to their umbrellas, but they didnt seem to have any qualms about it.
One of the fellows rested his umbrella in the knee-deep water where he stood. Then he
started twirling the umbrella with his hand while it was still in water, creating a fountain.
The children laughed, pushed each other in the water, stood up and then again fell into the
puddles. I could see nothing but pure joy on their faces.
While the rest of the educated and sophisticated world struggled against the rain, these two
children were celebrating little joys in life. I then remembered W H Daviess famous lines,
what is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare. This is the bane of our
modern life. People lose out on experiencing the little joys of life while they wait for the
bigger happiness that they dream of. People have everything bigger homes, dream jobs,
better cars, and a secured future. But we do not have the time to spare a moment and
acknowledge little pleasures in life. We rush through our life without really enjoying it. The
joys that once made our life fun have become bothersome today. We need to celebrate life
as and when we can. In an attempt to build a better tomorrow, we sacrifice our today. Let
us unlearn to rush through life and relearn to participate in every moment we are living
since a better tomorrow is nothing but a well-lived present moment.
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Question 2
(a)
Rohit Swami
Class IX A
13th March 2016
To
The Principal
Holy Spirit School
Mumbai 400 001
Subject: Permission for an educational trip
Dear Sir,
I am writing on behalf of my class to seek your permission for a trip to the Shaniwar
Wada Palace, Pune.
The palace, as you know, was build in the 18th-century and was the seat of the
Peshwa rulers of the Maratha Empire. Although the fort was destroyed in 1828 by fire, the
surviving structures are still maintained as a tourist site.
With your kind permission, we would like to visit the fort complex for a memorable
experience. I look forward to your reply.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Rohit Swami

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(b)
Pulkit Sahani
A/508, Shravani Dham
Tilak Road, Pratap Nagar
Vasai, Mumbai 400 020
5th November 2015
Dearest Amar,
My school entered its golden jubilee year, and we had a grand celebration yesterday.
The school had invited all the students and their families for a party and a felicitation
programme. Not only this, the oldest students of the school were personally called by our
principal. The event began with a welcome address by the principal followed by speeches
from the oldest students and teachers (both working and retired) of the school. We fondly
remembered the members who are no more among us. I was assigned the responsibility of
looking after the guests, especially the retired teachers.
It was a memorable experience and I am glad I was able to be an active part of the
celebrations. At the end of the function, my school also announced that as an initiative to
promoting education, it is going to donate a significant amount to Rashtriya Saksharta
Mission and also fund the education of five poor students in our school each academic year.
I am indeed proud to be a student of such a brilliant institution.
Yours truly,
Pulkit

Question 3
(a)
i) looking carefully
ii) aggressively
iii) the act of putting something or someone under the surface of a liquid
(b)
i) Mother did not join the swimming in the beginning as she thought that she was too
old to do that sort of a thing.
ii) Her swimming costume was an extraordinary shapeless costume of black cloth
covered with hundreds of frills, pleats and tucks from top to bottom.
iii) Larry thought that the bathing costume looked like a badly skinned whale.
iv) Margo said that the swimming suit looked as though it was made in the nineteenthtwenty.
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v) Leslie was concerned that if mother was not careful, she could get waterlogged with
so much cloth around her.
vi) Mother thought that the suit she had bought was good enough for her as she didnt
have the figure or the age suitable enough to wear a two-piece bathing suit.
(c)
(i) The mother tried out her new bathing suit and called her children to have a look. Roger,
the dog was the first one to enter. He retreated as hurriedly as he had gone in barking
ferociously after seeing her clad in the black voluminous costume. The others had to
persuade him that it was really Mother and even then he kept looking at her with suspicion.
In spite of everything, Mother stuck to her tent like bathing suit and in the end everyone
gave up.

(ii) The Frilly Monster, because the summary describes Rogers reaction to Mothers
bathing suit.
Question 4
(a)
(1) Gazing
(2) Fishing
(3) Felt
(4) Looking
(5) Found
(6) Was
(7) Nudge
(8) Looked
(b)
(i) In
(ii) Of
(iii) Under
(iv) Into
(v) With
(vi) Off
(vii) Over
(viii) Away
(c)
(i) Although my grandfather is old, he is very active.
(ii) Mala is neither in the classroom nor in the library.
(iii) She was too excited about her performance to sleep at night.

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(iv) Mumbai is not only densely populated but also one of the major cities in the
country.
(d)
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)

The book was too interesting for me to put it down.

The Principal said that all the prizes would be distributed the next day.
Father cooked last nights dinner for us.
Unless Mary catches the early bus, she will be late to school.
Despite having high fever the girl came to school.
I would rather go out with friends than stay alone at home.
No sooner did the teacher leave the room than all the children started making
noise.
(viii) Never have I seen a movie funnier than this one.

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