First Semester Examination - March 2021

Subject : English Language - II

31 E II
Class : 10 (National) ...........
Duration : 2 hours Date : ........................................
Candidate's name : ..................................................... Admission no : ..........................

1. Select a word from the box which has a similar meaning to the phrases given within
brackets and write it in the space given. One is done for you.

encourage calm difficult sorrow care relaxed

A friend is a person you know and like, and one who is in turn likes you. Being with a friend
makes us feel happy and (i) ---------------- (be at ease). Friendship is the special relationship
among people who are friends. Friendship is truly a ship carrying people with (ii) -------------
(caution to avoid damage) and safety. The ship will carry us through waters both (iii) calm
(not windy) and stormy. Similarly, friends care for each other through both happiness and
(iv) ---------------- (feeling sadness). To be a good friend, we must be ready to help our
friends with any (v) ----------------(not easy) situation they face. A true friend will guide us
on the right path and not (vi) ----------------(give support) us to do wrong.
[Total=1/2 x 5 = 2.5 marks]
2. Fill in the blanks with the words given in brackets.

The mining of precious stones in Sri Lanka is as old as country itself. One of the many
names for Sri Lanka was Rathnadeepaya (i) ----------------- island of gems. A (ii) ----------------
- ruby given to the (iii) -------------------- of Sheba by King Soloman (iv) -------------------- said
to have (v) ------------------------- from Sri Lanka. The (vi) ------------------------- of the British
monarch(vii) -------------------------- a 400 carat blue (viii) ---------------------------- know as
‘Blue Belly’ (ix) ------------------------- was mined in Sri Lanka.
(x) ---------------------- plains and abandoned paddy (xi) ------------------------- in the area
are (xii) ---------------------- with awning huts. The (xiii) --------------------- gravel known as
Illam (xiv) ----------------- is washed in shallow reed baskets that allow the mud and water to
fall away, leaving the heavier gravel.
( great, an, it, come, was, sapphire, the, queen, gem - bearing, covered, contains, fields,
crown, that )
[Total = ½ × 14 = 7 marks]

Grade 10 (National) English - II March 2021 Page 1

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3. Read the following dialogue and fill in the blanks in the given text below.

Sales girl: Good morning madam. What can I do for you?

Customer: I want to buy a maxi dress.
Sales girl: Do you have any preferred colour?
Customer: I like a pink colour one if available.
Sales girl: We have different shades of pink. They are displayed here. Come madam.
Customer: I like this pink one. How much is it?
Sales girl: It was for Rs. 3500 but now the discount price is Rs. 3000.
Customer: I will buy this one.
Sales girl: Do you want anything else,madam?
Customer: No, thanks.

Ms. Sally went to a textile shop and the sales girl asked (i) ---------------------------------
for her. Ms. Sally said (ii) ---------------------------- a maxi dress. Then the sales girl asked
(iii) ---------------------------- any preferred colours. She said (iv) -----------------------------
a pink colour one if available. Sales girl said (v) --------------------------- different shades
of pink displayed there and asked Ms. Sally (vi) ---------------------------------------. She
chose one and asked (vii) -----------------------------------------. The sales girl said(viii) ----
----------------------------- for Rs. 3500 but the discount price was Rs.3000. Ms. Sally
said(ix) ------------------------- one. Sales girl inquired (x) --------------------------------------
anything else. Since she was happy with the dress she bought it.
[Total= ½ x 10= 5 marks]

4. The following is an extract from a story. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of
the verbs given in brackets.
‘I (i) ------------------- (wish) he (ii) ------------------- (have) let me know,’ the young man
said. ‘I (iii) ------------------- (write) him a letter saying that I (iv) ------------------- (come).
Well, since he (v) ------------------- (be) not here, there (vi) ------------------- (be) no point
in waiting.’
He (vii) ---------------------- (thank) Mrs Crump and (viii) --------------------- (go) out Mrs.
Crump (ix) --------------------- (go) to the window and(x) ---------------------- (watch) him
drive off. When his car (xi) -------------------- (be) out of sight, she (xii) -------------------
(call) out.

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‘You can come out now, Mr. White. He (xiii) -------------------------- (go).’ Mr. White
(xiv) ------------------- (come) out where he(xv) ------------------- (wait).
‘Many thanks , Mrs Crump,’ he said, laughing. ‘You (xvi) ------------------- (do) it very
well. These nephews of mine never (xvii) ------------------- (give) me any peace. That
young man is the worst of all. When he (xviii) ----------------------- (need) money , he
(xix) -------------------- (visit) me. Well, perhaps next time he (xx) -----------------------
(not/warn) me by writing a letter.’
[Total = ½ × 20= 10 marks]

5. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

The party began shortly after nine. Mr Wood, who lived in the flat below, sighed to himself as
he heard the first signs: the steady tramp of feet on the stairs; the sound of excited voices as
the guests greeted one another; and the noise of the gramophone, which was turned full on.
Luckily Mr Wood had brought some work home from the office, with which he occupied
5 himself for a couple of hours, thus managing to ignore with some success the party which was
going on over his head. But by eleven o'clock he felt tired and was ready to go to bed, though
from his experience of previous parties he knew that it was useless trying to get to sleep. He
undressed and lay for a while on the bed, trying to read, but the noise from the room directly
above his head did not allow him to concentrate on what he was reading. He found himself
10 reacting the same page over and over again. He then switched off the light and buried his
head in the pillow, in a desperate effort to go to sleep. But even so he could not shut out the
noise. Finally, after what seemed hours, he switched on the light and looked at his watch: it
was just after midnight.
By now his patience was quite exhausted. He leapt out of bed and, putting a dressing-gown
15 over his pyjamas, marched resolutely up the stairs to his neighbour's flat. He rang the bell
several times, but the door remained closed in his face. This did not improve his temper. Just
then one of the guests came out and went off down the stairs, leaving the door open. Mr Wood
went in. In spite of his odd dress, no one took any notice of him. Then he caught sight of the
owner of the flat and managed to attract his attention. The man, whose name was Black, came
20 across the room, smiling cheerfully, and before Mr. Wood could open his mouth to complain,
said: "My dear fellow, come in and join us. I know our parties must bother you. I meant to
send you an invitation." Mr Wood’s ill-humour vanished at once. "I'd better go and get
properly dressed,” he said : “As soon as I set eyes on him, I knew he’d come to make trouble.
That's why I asked him to join us. Did you see how pleased he was ? He went off at once to
25 get changed. What a pity the party's nearly over!"

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(i) Say whether these sentences are ‘true’ or ‘false’.

(a) The gramophone was less noisy. --------------------
(b) This was not the first time that there had been a party of this kind in the flat
above. --------------------
(c) Mr. Wood did not even try to get to sleep. --------------------
(d) Mr. Wood was angry when he went upstairs to complain. --------------------
(e) Mr. Wood was pleased to be invited to the party.--------------------
(1/2 × 5 = 2.5 marks)
(ii) How did Mr. Wood manage to ignore the noise of the party until he went to bed?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1 mark)
(iii) Write two ways that created noise.
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(1 mark)
(iv) How long had the party been going on when Mr. Wood went to complain?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1 mark)
(v) Why did Mr. Wood’s ill-humour suddenly vanish?
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( 1 mark)
[Total = 6.5 marks]

(6) Change the following sentences to passive voice.

(i) Mr. Black invites the friends for a party once a month.

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(ii) He hasn’t invited Mr. Wood.

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(iii) Mr. Wood had brought some documents from the office.

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(iv) He was reading them with a great difficulty.

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(v) Mr. Black’s party bothered him.

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[Total = 5 marks]
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(7) Complete the conditional sentences with the correct forms of the verbs.
(i) I shouldn’t have taken your umbrella if I ----------------- (know) that it was
the only one you had.
(ii) If he were in, he----------------- ( answer) the phone.
(iii) I’ll probably get lost unless he----------------- (come) with me.
(iv) You ----------------- (not be) any use to me if you don’t learn to type.
(v) You wouldn’t have many accidents if you ----------------- (drive ) carefully.
(vi) If the story hadn’t been true, the newspaper----------------- (not print) it.
[Total = 6 marks]

(8) The following chart shows the different courses which grade 11 students like to follow
after their O/L examination. Study it and write a description of it using about 100 words.

45 -
Number
40 -
of
students 35 -
30 -
25 -
20 -
15 -
10 -

5 -

0 -

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[Total = 8 marks]

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(9) Environmental Society of your school wishes to visit the Seethawaka Botanical Garden. As
the secretary of the society you write a letter to the director asking for permission to visit the
place. Use about 100 to 125 words
 The date and the time of the visit
 Number of students and teachers participating
 How long you are going to stay there
 Request the service of a guide
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[Total = 10 marks]
END
Ref: AP

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Grade 10 (National) English – II March 2021