2023 English question paper with answers for class eleventh students of West Bengal Council Higher Secondary Education. Question and Answers are given below.
উচ্চমাধ্যমিক শিক্ষা সংসদের একাদশ শ্রেণির ছাত্র ছাত্রীদের জন্য ২০২৩ সালের উত্তরসহ ইংরেজী বিষয়ের প্রশ্ন পত্র।
ENGLISH- Group – B
(2023)
Time: 3 Hours 15 Minutes
Full Marks: 80
✪ Instructions to the Candidates :
1. Special credit will be given for answers which are brief and to the point.
2. Marks will be deducted for spelling mistakes, untidiness and bad handwriting.
3. Figures in the margin indicate full marks for the questions.
(Multiple Choice Type Questions)
1.Complete the sentences which follow, choosing the correct answers from the alternatives given : 1×15=15
(i) Leela keenly examined the ball for traces of
(a) dust (b) cloud (c) moon (d) star.
Ans. (c) moon
(ii) The arrival of the train did not disturb Sir Mohan Lal’s
(a) peace (c) sleep (b) conversation
(d) sangfroid.
Ans. (d) sangfroid.
(iii) Jimmy decided to buy his wedding suit from
(a) Little Rock (b) Richmond Abbey
(c) Springfield (d) Elmore.
Ans. (a) Little Rock
(iv) According to Mother Teresa, the first messenger of peace was
(a) Jesus
(b) the Prince of England
(c) the little unborn child of Elizabeth
(d) Adam.
Ans. (a) Jesus
(v) The vitality of a work of art lies in
(a) the money value
(b) sense of beauty and order
(c) the hard work of the artisan
(d) the price of the materials.
Ans. (b) sense of beauty and order
(vi) Who “glideth at his own sweet will” ?
(a) the air
(b) the city of Londofieoid Learn
(c) the towers
(d) the river Thames.
Ans. (d) the river Thames
(vii) “I too am written.” The poet is written by
(a) himself (b) anyone (c) God
(d) parents.
Ans. (c) God
(viii) The sea wind first talks to the
(a) sailors (b) mariners (c) mists
(d) forests.
Ans. (c) mists
(ix) “Of crimson joy” – Here ‘crimson joy’ has an indication of
(a) melancholy
(b) sensual pleasure
(c) delight
(d) love for beauty.
Ans. (b) sensual pleasure
(x) ” with pushing prow.” A ‘prow’ is
(a) the entire boat
(b) the front part of a boat
(c) the middle part of a boat
(d) the sails.
Ans. (b) the front part of a boat
Attempt any five of the following questions [Nos. (xi) to (xx)]
(xi) Macbeth met the witches first
(a) in a battlefield
(b) in his palace
(c) Duncan’s bedroom
(d) on his way home from the battlefield.
Ans. (d) on his way home from the battlefield.
(xii) Othello was summoned to the council of the senate for
(a) an urgent meeting
(b) capital punishment for his crime
(c) Venice needed his immediate services
(d) to be made a senator.
Ans. (a) an urgent meeting
(xiii) Luciana was
(a) Adriana’s sister
(b) the Duke’s wife
(c) the Duke’s daughter
(d) Aegeon’s daughter.
Ans. (a) Adriana’s sister
(xiv) Viola was employed at the Duke’s court as a/an
(a) page of the Duke (b) officer
(c) maidservant (d) musician.
Ans. (a) page of the Duke
(xv) Being treated unkindly by Olivia, Orsino forsook
(a) sending a messenger to Olivia
(b) the help of Cesario
(c) all manly exercises
(d) his dukedom.
Ans. (a) sending a messenger to Olivia
(xvi) When Orlando won the wrestling match, Rosalind gifted him her
(a) ring (b) chain (c) bracelet
(d) gloves.
Ans. (b) chain
(xvii) Orlando found a snake twisted around the neck of
(a) Phoebe (b) Charles (c) Rosalind
(d) Oliver.
Ans. (d) Oliver
(xviii) By the rule of inheritance Macbeth was the Thane of
(a) Cawdor (b) Glamis (c) Scotland
(d) Norway
Ans. (a) Cawdor
(xix) lago played mischief by giving Cassio
(a) wine (b) a handkerchief
(c) poison (d) a strip of medicines.
Ans. (a) wine
(xx) Olivia showed her love for her dead brother by
(a) abjuring the sight and company of any man for seven years
(b) crying all the time
(c) becoming a nun
(d) wearing a white veil.
Ans. (a) abjuring the sight and company of any man for seven years
(Short Answer Type Questions)
2. Answer any five questions from (i) to (viii) and any five questions from (ix) to (xvi) of the following questions in a single sentence each : 1×10=10
(i) How much was Sidda given for a month ?
Ans. Sidda was given two meals a day and four rupees a month for his work in MrSivasanker’s house.
(ii) Where did Jimmy work during his imprisonment ?
Ans. Jimmy Valentine worked in a prison shoe shop during his ten months of imprisonment.
OR
Why was the clerk of the Planter’s Hotel much impressed by Jimmy ?
Ans. The clerk was impressed by Jimmy’s closes and manner because the clerk was a lover of latest fashion.
(iii) What are the two aspects of art education ?
Ans. The two aspects of art education are fine art and functional art.
OR
What has ‘lack of art education’ done to us ?
Ans. our sense of creativity has decreased, making the new generation depend on other online resources for new ideas.
(iv) What did Mother Teresa intend to do with the Nobel Peace Prize ?
Ans. Teresa intended to make a home for many homeless people with the money received as the Nobel Award.
(v) How many betel leaves did Lachmi thrust into her mouth at a time ?
Ans. Lachmi made two betel leaves thrust into her mouth at a time.
(vi) “Don’t go near him” Who said this ?
Ans. The inspector commanded Leela to not to go near him.
(vii) Why should seasonal festivals be held ?
Ans. Seasonal festivals are held to celebrate harvests and other natural phenomena.
(viii) What prayer did Mother Teresa refer to ?
Ans. A prayer about unconditional love.
(ix) How does Browning describe the moon ?
Ans. In the poem, Browning describes the yellow half-moon as large and low.
OR
How do the little waves leap from their sleep ?
Ans. The waves startle because of the approaching boat which, according to the poet, wakes them up from their sleep.
(x) How is the night in Brotherhood’ ?
Ans. The night in “Brotherhood” is depicted as eerie, uncomfortable, and unsettling.
(xi) What do the stars write ?
Ans. The stars in the sky writes the destiny of a man.
(xii) Why does the city of London appear silent in the morning ?
Ans. The city of London is silent in the early morning because the daily activities of the city has not yet started.
(xiii) What does the rose stand for ?
Ans. The rose symbolizes romance, love, beauty, and courage.
(xiv) What is meant by ‘leafy banners’ in the poem ‘Daybreak’ ?
Ans. The phrase ‘leafy banner’ means branches full of leaves.
OR
Why did the wind cross the churchyard with a sigh ?
Ans. The wind sighs for those in the churchyard because they are dead.
(xv) How many fields does the lover cross to reach the beloved’s house ?
Ans. He crosses three fields until he reaches his destination which is a farmhouse where his lady love is waiting for him.
(xvi) What kind of love of the worm does Blake mention ?
Ans. The “dark secret love” of this worm is destroying the rose’s life.
(Subjective / Descriptive Type Questions)
3. (a) Answer any two of the following questions in not more than 100 words each: 5×2=10
(i) “Does the moon know you ?” Who is the speaker ? Who is the person spoken to ? How does that person prove that the moon knows him ?
(ii) Briefly discuss the character of Sir Mohan Lal as you find in ‘Karma’.
(iii) “I never was in Springfield in my life!” Who is the speaker ? Who is he speaking to ? How was Springfield associated to his life ? What was the context of this remark ? 1 +1 +1 +2
(iv) How can art education be gained ? What is the importance of training in drawing ? 3+2
(v) In what way does Mother Teresa appeal to the emotions of her audience ?
(b) Answer any two of the following questions in not more than 100 words each: 5 x 2 = 10
(i) “O Rose thou art sick,”- Why does the poet consider the rose to be sick ? What does he say about the sickness of the rose ? 2+3
(ii) How does Browning use images and symbols in the poem “Meeting at Night” ?
(iii) Narrate the wind’s activities as presented in the poem “Daybreak”.
(iv) “Unknowing I understand.” What does the understand? State the significance of this line. 3+2
(v) “Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep !”
(vi) What made the poet feel ‘a calm so deep’ ? How does he describe the scene ? 2+3
(c) Answer any one of the following questions in about 100 words: 5×1=5
(i) What did Othello discover ? Why was it like ‘thunder’ to him ? 2+3
(ii) Why did Macbeth want to murder Banquo and his sons? How was Banquo murdered ? 2+3
(iii) Who were the two participants in the wrestling match? Whom did Celia and Rosalind try to dissuade ? What was the result ? 2+1+2
(iv) Who was Olivia ? Describe the second visit of Cesario with Olivia ?
1+4
(v) What was the law that prevailed in Ephesus? What did the Duke say to Aegeon when he became a victim of the law ? 2+3
4. (a) Rewrite the following sentences as directed, without changing their meaning: 1×7 = 7
(i) The clerk was impressed by the clothes and manner of Jimmy. (Change the voice)
Ans. The clothes and manner impressed the clerk.
(ii) He died on the cross to show that greater love, and he died for you and for me. (Split into simple sentences)
Ans. He died on the cross to show that greater love. He died for you and for me.
(iii) “Why should not Sidda sit on our chair, mother ?” asked Leela. (Change the mode of narration)
Ans. Leela asked mother why Sidda should not sit on chair.
(iv) The mirror was obviously made in India. (Rewrite the sentence using the adjective form of ‘obviously’)
Ans. It is obvious that the mirror was made in India.
(v) As soon as he had gone, she hailed a passing railway coolie. (Change into a negative sentence)
Ans. She did not hail a passing railway coolie as soon as he had gone.
(vi) He covered the ball tightly with his fingers. Then he allowed her to peep though a little gap. (Join into a complex sentence)
Ans. When he covered the ball tightly with his fingers then he allowed her to peep through a little gap.
(vii) The earth has not anything to show more fair. (Change into an interrogative sentence)
Ans. Does Earth have anything to show fairer ?
(b) Fill in the blanks with appropriate articles and prepositions : 1/2 × 6 = 3
There are some .…(1)….. us who think that art is .…(2)….. domain ……(3)…. the rich and the pleasure-loving and want ……(4)….. banish it ……(5)…….. contempt ……(6)….. their daily times.
Ans. amongst, the, for, to, with, from
5. Write a paragraph in about 150-200 words on ‘Education for all’.
[Hints: the concept of education — global movement — irrespective gender, class, creed — free, compulsory education — increase adult literacy — better employment opportunity — better economy for the country]
OR
Develop the following outlines into a short story in about 150 – 200 words. Provide the story a suitable title : 8+2=10
[ Hints: birthday of a little boy — received money from his uncle as a gift — went to buy toys for himself — saw a beggar — the beggar was pale and hungry — the boy’s heart softened — gave all his money to the beggar — found a new joy]
6. Draft an advertisement, in not more than 50 words, for the classified of an English daily, for a computer centre offering special courses after H.S. Examination. 5
OR
Draft an advertisement, in not more than 50 words, for the classified of an English daily, for a student of Class XII who is looking for PG accommodation in Salt Lake. 5
7. A branded cloth store in Kolkata is offering huge stock clearance discount upto 80% till stocks last. Design a commercial leaflet for this. 5
OR
A new food catering and home delivery service is opening very shortly in your locality. Design a commercial leaflet in not more than 50 words, providing all necessary information. 5