Pre-Board Examination -2023
Grade: XI Full Marks: 75
Subject:
C. English (0031) Time:
3hrs.
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1.
Read the passage
given below and answer the questions that follow.
As
I crunched my way through a bowl of funchi fries with hot pepper sauce at a
cafe on the Dutch Caribbean Island of Curacao, an exclamation from a
neighboring table caught my attention: "Dushi!" The word emanated
from a stylish young Curacaoan woman who was having lunch with a group of
friends. I couldn't make out the subject of the conversation, but with a soft
"d" at the beginning of the word followed by a long cooing vowel and
a melodious pitch rise at the end, I felt that dushi must mean something
wonderful. After I left the cafe and began exploring the capital Willemstad, I
realised the word "dushi" seemed to be on everyone's lips. Dushi
is to me the most beautiful side of things, like the part in the movie that
everyone is waiting for, or the part in the book where it all makes
sense," said Curacaoan artist Francis Sling, whose vibrant portraits and
murals depict life on the island. "Before I opened my gallery, I studied
and lived in Holland, and one of the reasons I came back is because of the dushi
feeling here in Curacao. We have our own particular way of doing things. Maybe
it's because of the sun; we're not in a hurry, we don't have too many rules,
and I like it like that – the dushi life."
"We
use this word to express a lot of feelings, and it plays a big role in our
daily vocabulary," explained Mark Nooren, general manager of Curacao
Marriott Beach Resort, noting that dushi is part of the Curacaoan
cultural identity. "For example, we wish our guests a dushi
experience with us. You can say 'E kuminda ta dushi', which means
the food is delicious. However, you can also say, 'Tin un dushi dia',
which is when you wish someone a good day. Or you can call someone 'dushi',
which is basically the same as calling them 'honey.'" He added: "I
was amazed that just one word can be used to express different feelings."
Nooren said that he sees this philosophy play out in everyday life, with its
positive and kind outlook spreading happiness around Curacao. When I first
heard the word, it struck me that it didn't sound Dutch even though Curacao has
been linked with the Netherlands for almost 400 years. It turns out the word dushi
is Papiamentu, the Creole language spoken by more than 80% of Curacaoans at
home and one of the three official languages here, along with Dutch and
English.
Although
Curacao today is a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands,
the island was originally settled by the Arawak Amerindians from the South
American mainland 6,000 years ago. It was colonised by the Spanish in 1499, who
deported the entire local population of Curacao in 1515, enslaving them in
mines in Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles. This left no indigenous people in
Curacao and was one of the darkest periods in the island's history. Curacao was
later seized by the Dutch West Indies Company in 1634. According to Curacaoan
linguist Marta Dijkhoff, Papiamentu evolved from an Afro-Portuguese pidgin
language used between enslaved people and the Dutch and Spanish colonisers of
Curacao. (Although Curacao was never colonised by the Portuguese, Portugal
launched the Atlantic slave trade, so Portuguese pidgin was one of the earliest
forms of pidgin.) "Papiamentu became the language used between the Jews
and the European community to communicate, and as such, it gained a higher
status," Dijkhoff explained. "And eventually, for the Jews, the
Europeans, the blacks, the free and the non-free, Papiamentu became the main
language of communication, rather than Dutch." With a population created
by the mechanisms of slavery, colonialism and immigration, today, Curacao's
heritage is the result of more than 50 nationalities. While building a unified
sense of national identity can be complex, one thing all Curacaoans can agree
on is the significance of dushi in their cultural identity. The thought of enslaved and persecuted people
creating the word, claiming its power to enhance their happiness and making it
part of their national character was fascinating to me. I reflected on my meeting
with Dijkhoff where I'd learned about the roots of dushi. As we said
goodbye, she'd mentioned that some members of the younger generation in The
Netherlands has recently started using the word dushi as a slang term of
endearment, and I couldn't help but wonder if the world would be a kinder,
happier place if we all adopted this sweet philosophy. Source:
www.bbcnews.com
A. From the
passage, find the words as indicated in the brackets and write them down next
to the words given. (1X5=5)
i.
Privileged(antonym)
ii.
Emerged
(synonym)
iii.
Strong
fondness (synonym)
iv.
Vigorous
(synonym)
v.
Admitted
(antonym)
B. State whether the following sentences are True, False or Not Given. (1X5=5)
i.
The
writer found out that everyone was using the word ‘dushi’ in the capital
Willemstad.
ii.
For
Sling, dushi reflects the indigenous identity of Curacaoans.
iii.
The
Dutch were the first people to colonize the island of Curacao.
iv.
Papiamentu
became the language of communication between colonisers and the colonised replacing
the Dutch.
v. The writer shows his worries for the word ‘dushi’ being used as a slang term.
C. Answer the following questions briefly. (1X5=5)
i.
What
do you think the word ‘dushi’ means?
ii.
How
has the word been able to reflect the cultural identity of Curacaoans?
iii.
What
does the Creole language mean?
iv.
Who
were the colonisers in the island of Curacao according to the writer?
v.
Give
the preceding passage a suitable title.
2.
Write short
answers to the following questions. (2X5=10)
a.
The
figure Luc is depicted in the story Two Little Soldiers as a friend betrayer.
Do you believe he is truly turning on his friend?
b.
Offer
your own interpretation of the poem Who Are You, Little i?
c.
Why
do you think the gangsters in the story Civil Peace speak with a heavier
African accent than Jonathan does?
d.
How
does the author define poverty in the essay What Is Poverty? Give an
illustration.
e.
Do
you believe the one-act play's name, A Sunny Morning, is appropriate?
3. Write long answers to the following questions. (5X2=10)
a.
Our
education system is blamed to be less creative and has less practical
relevance. Discuss in relation with the play Refund.
b.
Do you think
Shakespeare has rightly compared and categorized the human life with a drama
and its stages in the poem? Elaborate your answer in reference to the poem All
the World’s a Stage.
4. Suppose a developmental work is
inaugurated in your local area by the Ward Chairperson. Prepare a news story
regarding the inauguration and its future impact in the area. (7)
5. The proportion of male and female students studying art-related disciplines in a university is depicted in the following bar chart. Summarize the data by choosing and highlighting the key aspects, and where appropriate, make comparisons. (8)
6. Write a review
of a book or film you have recently read or watched. (10)
7. Do as
indicated in brackets and rewrite the sentences. (10X1=10)
a. Go downstairs
and open the door. (Underline the adverb in the given sentence)
b. He was
annoyed. He didn’t say anything. (Join the sentences using ‘in spite of’.)
c. The job is
well paid. The woman applied for the job. (Combine the sentences with a
relative pronoun.)
d. I ……… (play)
the guitar ever since I was a teenager. (Use the correct tense)
e. I’m sure
Harry visited Pokhara alone. (Rewrite the sentence using may/might, must or
can’t.)
f. He/play
football every weekend? (Rewrite it with ‘used to’)
g. Paint work on
the corner of the stairway is nicked and scratched. (Paraphrase the sentence
with the verb ‘tend’)
h. There are …….
(censor/sensor) water taps in the office building. (Choose the suitable homophone
in the space)
i. Nicolas said,
“What a beautiful rainbow it is”. (Change the sentence into indirect speech)
j. Never disobey
your teachers. (Turn the sentence into passive voice.)
8. Choose the
appropriate options in response to the question. (5X1=5)
a. The pronunciation
of the suffix ‘es’ in the word ‘classes’ is…….
i. /s/ ii. /z/ iii.
/Iz/ iv.
/ʃ/
b. The word loose
is pronounced as .......
i. /looz/ ii. /luz/ iii./lu:s/ iv.
/luʃ/
c. The idiom
let the cat out of the bag means
i. To do something badly or cheaply ii. An event that happens infrequently
iii.
To accidently reveal a secret iv.
Agreeing with someone
d. The word anxious
has…..syllable/s.
i. one ii.
two iii. three iv.
four
e. ……. Spanish
are known for their warm hospitality.
i. a ii.
an iii. the iv. x
**********
Answers
1.
A.
a) persecuted
b)
emanated
c)
endearment
d)
vibrant
e)
deported
B.
a. True
b. False
c. False
d. Not Given
e. False
7. a. downstairs
b. In spite of
his annoyance, he didn’t say anything.
c. The job
which/ that she applied for is well paid.
d. I’ve played
the guitar ever since I was a teenager.
e. Harry must
have visited Pokhara alone.
f. Did he use to
play football every weekend?
g. Paintwork on
the corner of the stairway tends to get nicked and scratched.
h. Sensor
i. Nicolas
exclaimed with wonder that the scenery was very beautiful.
j. You are asked
not to disobey your teachers.
8. a. i. /Iz/
b. iii. /lu:s/
c. iii. To accidentally reveal a
secret
d. ii. two
e. iii. the