General Instructions:
- The Question Paper contains THREE sections:
- SECTION A: Reading Skills (20 Marks)
- SECTION B: Grammar and Creative Writing Skills (20 Marks)
- SECTION C: Literature Textbook and Supplementary Reading Text (40 Marks)
- Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
- Adhere strictly to the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.
(1) In an interconnected global landscape, the protection of dark night skies has emerged as an urgent ecological and cultural necessity. Light pollution—the excessive, misdirected, or obtrusive artificial light produced by expanding urban settlements—has altered nighttime environments across the planet. For over four billion years, terrestrial biology evolved under regular cycles of natural light and darkness. The widespread illumination of the nocturnal world now disrupts fundamental chronobiological mechanisms across diverse taxa.
(2) Ecological research highlights widespread consequences. Billions of migratory birds, navigating by natural celestial cues and faint starlight, become disoriented by illuminated high-rise glass towers, leading to fatal collisions. Nocturnal pollinators such as moths, beetles, and bats face population collapses as artificial fixtures distract them from foraging and floral pollination. In human beings, nighttime exposure to blue-wavelength artificial light suppresses pineal melatonin secretion, disrupting circadian rhythms and elevating long-term risks of metabolic disorders.
(3) Beyond biological degradation, light pollution severs humanity’s ancient cultural and intellectual relationship with the cosmos. Historically, the unpolluted night sky inspired early navigation, calendar development, scientific discovery, and mythic storytelling across all civilizations. Today, nearly 80% of the world’s population lives under light-polluted skies, with an entire generation growing up unable to witness the arch of the Milky Way from their home neighborhoods.
(4) Restoring the integrity of the night sky does not require plunging cities into complete darkness; it requires intelligent lighting engineering. Adopting fully shielded outdoor luminaires that direct light exclusively downward, using warmer amber wavelengths, establishing municipal dark-sky reserves, and deploying automated motion-sensor streetlights can reduce urban skyglow by over 60%. Reclaiming the night sky is an actionable measure that conserves electrical energy while safeguarding planetary health.
(i) What foundational biological rhythm has been disrupted by artificial light pollution, according to paragraph 1? [1]
(ii) Complete the sentence appropriately: [1]
Migratory birds suffer heavy mortality near urban skylines because ______________________.
(iii) Explain how artificial lighting at night adversely affects human hormonal and metabolic health based on paragraph 2. (Answer in about 40 words) [2]
(iv) Select the option that conveys the closest meaning of the word ‘nocturnal’ as used in paragraph 1: [1]
(v) What cultural loss has occurred due to widespread urban skyglow, as detailed in paragraph 3? [1]
(vi) State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE: [1]
Restoring dark skies requires shutting down all electrical illumination in metropolitan areas permanently.
(vii) List two engineering interventions mentioned in paragraph 4 that help reduce outdoor light pollution. [2]
(viii) Choose the most suitable title for the passage: [1]
(1) A 2026 international educational benchmark investigated the learning impact of gamified micro-learning platforms on foundational literacy and numeracy across 80 rural and semi-urban learning centers. The study followed 12,000 middle-school students over an academic session to evaluate whether interactive, short-duration digital modules could bridge conceptual learning gaps in resource-constrained environments.
(2) The findings revealed that students spending 20 minutes daily on adaptive educational games showed a 34% greater improvement in mathematical fluency and logical reasoning compared to control groups taught solely through traditional rote textbooks. Furthermore, student daily attendance increased by 46% in centers utilizing gamified modules, driven by immediate reward feedback and self-paced milestone challenges.
(3) However, the study cautioned that digital interventions require structured teacher mediation. In learning centers where instructors actively integrated gamified insights to plan differentiated classroom explanations, concept retention reached 81%, compared to only 39% in unmonitored digital labs where students used screens without pedagogical guidance. Educational researchers concluded that digital tools serve as effective instructional amplifiers only when grounded in purposeful educator facilitation.
(i) What percentage improvement in mathematical fluency was recorded among students using daily gamified micro-learning? [1]
(ii) Identify the daily time duration allocated to interactive learning modules in the study. [1]
(iii) Why did student daily attendance increase by 46% in centers utilizing digital game modules? (Answer in 20–30 words) [2]
(iv) Contrast concept retention rates in teacher-mediated classrooms versus unmonitored digital labs based on paragraph 3. [2]
(v) Complete the sentence by choosing the correct option: [1]
The central conclusion of the research highlights that digital learning software is most effective when ________.
(a) used to replace classroom teachers entirely
(b) combined with active teacher mediation and customized pedagogy
(c) restricted to high-cost private urban institutions
(d) focused solely on memorizing textbook definitions
(vi) Name the two foundational academic domains evaluated in the study mentioned in paragraph 1. [1]
(vii) State one major risk of allowing unmonitored screen usage in school computer labs without pedagogical oversight. [1]
(viii) Select the word from paragraph 3 that means ‘relating to the method and practice of teaching’: [1]
(i) Fill in the blank with the correct verb form from the options:
The delegation of international scientists ________ (has arrived / have arrived / are arriving) at the climate summit venue this morning.
(ii) Read the dialogue between an art instructor and a student. Report the student’s reply correctly:
Instructor: Which medium did you use to achieve these subtle landscape textures?
Student: I combined natural charcoal powder with diluted watercolour washes.
The instructor enquired which medium the student had used to achieve those subtle landscape textures. The student replied that ______________________.
(iii) Select the correct modal verb to complete the laboratory safety protocol:
Researchers ________ (must / may / might) decontaminate all biosafety cabinets before concluding their daily procedures.
(iv) Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the line from a municipal circular:
“A extensive network of rainwater recharge wells have been built across the township.”
| Option No. | Error | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| (a) | A | An |
| (b) | have | has |
| (c) | across | through |
| (d) | built | build |
(v) Fill in the blank with the correct form of the word in brackets:
By the time the search party reached the summit cabin, the stranded hikers ________ (already light) a rescue campfire.
(vi) Fill in the blank with the appropriate determiner:
There was ________ (little / few / many / several) doubt left regarding the efficacy of the vaccine after the final clinical trials.
(vii) Report the conversation between a sports referee and a team captain:
Referee: Will your team take the field immediately after the rain stops?
Captain: Yes sir, our squad is fully warmed up and ready.
The referee enquired if the team would take the field immediately after the rain stopped. The captain affirmed and replied that ______________________.
(viii) Identify the error in the sentence from a wildlife bulletin and supply the correction:
“The conservation of mangrove ecosystems protect coastal communities from tidal surges.”
Use the format: Error | Correction
(ix) Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb:
The governing board of directors ________ (has unanimously elected / have unanimously elected / are unanimously electing) the new chairperson.
(x) Fill in the blank with the correct modal verb:
Commuters ________ (need not / must not / cannot) purchase physical tokens if they utilize the contactless smart mobility card.
(xi) Complete the environmental slogan using the correct verb form:
Plant indigenous trees today, and the future ________ (blooms / bloomed / blooming) with clean oxygen.
(xii) Identify the error and supply the correction for this public museum guideline:
“Every visitors are requested to deposit large backpacks at the secure cloakroom counter.”
Use the format: Error | Correction
(A) You are Udit/Upasana, a resident of 56, Civil Lines, Prayagraj. You have observed that the open storm drains along the primary market road are overflowing with non-biodegradable commercial plastics, creating severe foul odors, health hazards, and waterlogging during brief downpours. Write a formal letter in 100–120 words to the Municipal Commissioner, urging immediate desilting, the installation of safety grates over open drains, and stricter fines on shops disposing of plastic waste into drains.
(B) You are Chirag/Chhavi, the President of the Fine Arts and Pottery Guild at St. Augustine’s School, Shimla. Write a letter of inquiry in 100–120 words to the Sales Director of M/s ClayCraft Studio & Supplies, New Delhi, inquiring about the wholesale rates, technical specifications, warranty terms, and shipping timelines for ten motorized ceramic potter’s wheels, terracotta sculpting tools, and an electric ceramic kiln for your school art studio.
(A) The pie chart below presents data on municipal solid waste generation sources in a developing industrial city (Single-use Packaging Plastics: 35%, Organic Wet Waste: 30%, Construction & Demolition Debris: 18%, Paper & Cardboard Packaging: 12%, Electronic & Toxic Waste: 5%). Write an analytical paragraph in 100–120 words evaluating the data, analyzing the environmental hazards of dominant packaging waste, and proposing practical circular recycling solutions.
(B) A survey of 450 higher secondary school students evaluated their preferred career aspirations in the modern workforce (Artificial Intelligence & Software Engineering: 36%, Renewable Energy & Environmental Sciences: 28%, Healthcare & Bio-Technology: 22%, Creative Media & Digital Humanities: 14%). Write an analytical paragraph in 100–120 words interpreting the distribution, comparing modern technological interests with green sector growth, and drawing a reasoned conclusion.
(A) “Tea was first drunk in China as far back as 2700 B.C.! In fact words such as tea, ‘chai’ and ‘chini’ are from Chinese. Tea came to Europe only in the sixteenth century and was drunk more as a medicine than as a beverage. The train clattered into Mariani junction. The boys collected their luggage and pushed their way to the crowded platform. Pranjol’s parents were there to receive them. Soon they were driving towards Dhekiabari, the tea-garden managed by Pranjol’s father.” (Glimpses of India: Tea from Assam)
(i) What historical origin of tea does Rajvir share with Pranjol during their train journey? [1]
(ii) How was tea viewed and consumed when it was first introduced to Europe in the sixteenth century? [2]
(iii) Complete the sentence: The destination where Pranjol and Rajvir were headed was the tea garden named ________. [1]
(iv) Select the character trait that Rajvir displays through his detailed knowledge about tea lore: [1]
(B) “CHUBUKOV: What’s that? What did you say?
NATALYA: Papa, send the mowers out to the Meadows at once!
CHUBUKOV: What did you say, sir?
NATALYA: Oxen Meadows are ours, and I shan’t give them up, shan’t give them up, shan’t give them up!
LOMOV: We’ll see! I’ll have the matter taken to court, and then I’ll show you!
CHUBUKOV: To court? You can take it to court, and all that! You can! I know you; you’re just looking for a chance to go to court, and all that… You pettifogger!” (The Proposal)
(i) What immediate order does Natalya urge her father to give regarding Oxen Meadows? [1]
(ii) What threat does Lomov make when challenged by Chubukov and Natalya, and how does Chubukov react? [2]
(iii) Complete the sentence: Chubukov’s insult calling Lomov a ‘pettifogger’ suggests that he views Lomov as a person who indulges in petty, quarrelsome ________. [1]
(iv) What underlying satire does Anton Chekhov expose through the escalating arguments between wealthy Russian landowners? [1]
(A)
“I heard an old religious man
But yesternight declare
That he had found a text to prove
That only God, my dear,
Could love you for yourself alone
And not your yellow hair.” (For Anne Gregory)
(i) What philosophical truth did the old religious man discover in a text according to the speaker? [2]
(ii) What does the phrase ‘yellow hair’ symbolize in the context of the poem? [1]
(iii) Identify the central thematic conflict explored in W.B. Yeats’s poem For Anne Gregory. [1]
(iv) Complete the sentence: According to the poet, human love is almost invariably swayed by external physical ________. [1]
(B)
“Suddenly, suddenly they heard a nasty sound,
And Mustard growled, and they all looked around.
Meowch! cried Ink, and ooh! cried Belinda,
For there was a pirate, climbing in the winda.
Pistol in his left hand, pistol in his right,
And he held in his teeth a cutlass bright,
His beard was black, one leg was wood;
It was clear that the pirate meant no good.” (The Tale of Custard the Dragon)
(i) Describe the appearance and weaponry of the pirate as depicted in the extract. [2]
(ii) How did Belinda and her pets react immediately upon hearing the nasty sound and spotting the pirate? [1]
(iii) Identify the poetic device used in the intentional spelling of ‘winda’ to rhyme with ‘Belinda’. [1]
(iv) Fill in the blank: The arrival of the pirate shatters the illusion of bravery maintained by Belinda’s boastful ________. [1]
(i) Why did Lencho refer to the post office employees as a ‘bunch of crooks’ despite their generous assistance? (A Letter to God)
(ii) How does Nelson Mandela explain the transformation of a frightened young student into a bold political freedom fighter? (Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)
(iii) What peculiar characteristics did the otter Mijbil display while inventing games with ping-pong balls and broken suitcases? (Mijbil the Otter)
(iv) How does Leslie Norris depict the tiger’s silent anguish as he hears the patrolling cars and stares at the stars? (A Tiger in the Zoo)
(v) What was the profound realization that dawned upon Kisa Gotami as she sat by the roadside watching the city lights flicker and extinguish? (The Sermon at Benares)
(i) How did Anil’s occupation as a freelance writer influence his irregular financial earnings and spending habits? (The Thief’s Story)
(ii) How did Ausable fabricate the convincing story of an imaginary balcony beneath his French hotel window to deceive Max? (The Midnight Visitor)
(iii) What tragic irony was revealed to Madame Loisel ten years after repaying the enormous debt incurred for the lost necklace? (The Necklace)
(A) Human curiosity, careful observation, and independent spirit drive memorable life journeys. Analyze how young Valli in Madam Rides the Bus and Rajvir in Tea from Assam exhibit sharp observation skills and an eagerness to absorb the world beyond their everyday horizons.
(B) Loss is an inevitable threshold through which every human being must pass to attain emotional maturity. Compare the young boy’s inner awakening in The Ball Poem with Kisa Gotami’s spiritual lesson under the Buddha in The Sermon at Benares regarding the universal law of mortality.
(A) True security and self-worth stem from genuine education, integrity, and self-respect rather than material deceit. Evaluate this statement by comparing the moral reformation of Hari Singh in The Thief’s Story with the transformation of Sulekha into an assertive young woman in Bholi.
(B) Overweening ambition, vanity, and a refusal to accept one’s social reality can lead to devastating consequences. Contrast Madame Loisel’s downfall in The Necklace with Horace Danby’s undoing in A Question of Trust, illustrating how each protagonist fell victim to their own illusions.