CBSE English Communicative Past Year Paper SA-2: Set 1 (2014) - Class 10 PDF Download

 Page 1


Class X 
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT II 
ENGLISH 
Code No. 101 
(COMMUNICATIVE) 
 
  
Section A 
Reading 
Q1. VSA (1 mark each) 
Read the following passage carefully 
First introduced in 1927, The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories are a series of books about the adventures 
of brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, teenaged detectives who solve one baffling mystery after another. 
The Hardy Boys were so popular among young boys that in 1930 a similar series was created for girls 
featuring a sixteen-year-old detective named Nancy Drew. The cover of each volume of The Hardy 
Boys states that the author of the series is Franklin W. Dixon; the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories are 
supposedly written by Carolyn Keene. Over the years, though, many fans of both series have been 
surprised to find out that Franklin W. Dixon and Carolyn Keene are not real people. If Franklin W. 
Dixon and Carolyn Keene never existed, then who wrote The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries? 
 The Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew books were written through a process called ghostwriting. A 
ghostwriter writes a book according to a specific formula. While ghostwriters are paid for writing the 
books, their authorship is not acknowledged, and their names do not appear on the published books 
.Ghostwriters can write books for children or adults, the content of which is unspecific. Sometimes 
they work on book series with a lot of individual titles, such as The Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew 
series. 
 The initial idea for both the Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew series was developed by a man named 
Edward Stratemeyer, who owned a publishing company that specialized in children’s books. 
Stratemeyer noticed the increasing popularity of mysteries among adults, and surmised that children 
would enjoy reading mysteries about younger detectives with whom they could identify. 
Stratemeyer first developed each book with an outline describing the plot and setting. Once he 
completed the outline, Stratemeyer then hired a ghostwriter to convert it into a book of slightly over 
200 pages. After the ghostwriter had written a draft of a book, he or she would send it back to 
Stratemeyer, who would make a list of corrections and mail it back to the ghostwriter. The 
ghostwriter would revise the book according to Stratemeyer’s instructions and then return it to him. 
Once Stratemeyer approved the book, it was ready for publication.  Because each series ran for so 
many years, Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys both had a number of different ghostwriters producing 
books; however, the first ghostwriter for each series proved to be the most influential. The initial 
ghostwriter for The Hardy Boys was a Canadian journalist named Leslie McFarlane. 
 A few years later, Mildred A. Wirt, a young writer from Iowa, began writing the Nancy Drew books. 
Although they were using prepared outlines as guides, both McFarlane and Wirt developed the 
characters themselves. The personalities of Frank and Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew arose directly from 
McFarlane’s and Wirt’s imaginations. For example, Mildred Wirt had been a star college athlete and 
gave Nancy similar athletic abilities. The ghostwriters were also responsible for numerous plot and 
Page 2


Class X 
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT II 
ENGLISH 
Code No. 101 
(COMMUNICATIVE) 
 
  
Section A 
Reading 
Q1. VSA (1 mark each) 
Read the following passage carefully 
First introduced in 1927, The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories are a series of books about the adventures 
of brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, teenaged detectives who solve one baffling mystery after another. 
The Hardy Boys were so popular among young boys that in 1930 a similar series was created for girls 
featuring a sixteen-year-old detective named Nancy Drew. The cover of each volume of The Hardy 
Boys states that the author of the series is Franklin W. Dixon; the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories are 
supposedly written by Carolyn Keene. Over the years, though, many fans of both series have been 
surprised to find out that Franklin W. Dixon and Carolyn Keene are not real people. If Franklin W. 
Dixon and Carolyn Keene never existed, then who wrote The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries? 
 The Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew books were written through a process called ghostwriting. A 
ghostwriter writes a book according to a specific formula. While ghostwriters are paid for writing the 
books, their authorship is not acknowledged, and their names do not appear on the published books 
.Ghostwriters can write books for children or adults, the content of which is unspecific. Sometimes 
they work on book series with a lot of individual titles, such as The Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew 
series. 
 The initial idea for both the Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew series was developed by a man named 
Edward Stratemeyer, who owned a publishing company that specialized in children’s books. 
Stratemeyer noticed the increasing popularity of mysteries among adults, and surmised that children 
would enjoy reading mysteries about younger detectives with whom they could identify. 
Stratemeyer first developed each book with an outline describing the plot and setting. Once he 
completed the outline, Stratemeyer then hired a ghostwriter to convert it into a book of slightly over 
200 pages. After the ghostwriter had written a draft of a book, he or she would send it back to 
Stratemeyer, who would make a list of corrections and mail it back to the ghostwriter. The 
ghostwriter would revise the book according to Stratemeyer’s instructions and then return it to him. 
Once Stratemeyer approved the book, it was ready for publication.  Because each series ran for so 
many years, Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys both had a number of different ghostwriters producing 
books; however, the first ghostwriter for each series proved to be the most influential. The initial 
ghostwriter for The Hardy Boys was a Canadian journalist named Leslie McFarlane. 
 A few years later, Mildred A. Wirt, a young writer from Iowa, began writing the Nancy Drew books. 
Although they were using prepared outlines as guides, both McFarlane and Wirt developed the 
characters themselves. The personalities of Frank and Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew arose directly from 
McFarlane’s and Wirt’s imaginations. For example, Mildred Wirt had been a star college athlete and 
gave Nancy similar athletic abilities. The ghostwriters were also responsible for numerous plot and 
setting details. Leslie McFarlane used elements of his small Canadian town to create Bayport, the 
Hardy Boys fictional hometown.  
1.1 On the basis of   your reading of the above passage, fill in the   blanks with appropriate words / 
phrases: 
1) The ‘Hardy Boys’ mystery stories are a series of books that 
contain__________________ 
2) _________ was a similar series created like ‘The Hardy Boys’ created for the girls. 
3) The process of writing the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew was called ______________ 
4) The initial idea for both the Hardy Boys and  the Nancy Drew  series was developed 
by______________________________ 
 
5) The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books were created based on the idea that 
children___________________________ 
 
6) Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys both had a number of different ghostwriters 
producing books___________ 
7) The personalities of Frank and Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew arose directly from 
__________and___________ imaginations. 
8) The ghostwriters were responsible for __________ plot and _________ details. 
Q 2 VSA (1 mark each) 
Read the following passage carefully: 
Here’s why effective communication is important. In a large organization, when a CEO 
addresses a live webcast — a must in today’s day and age — even a single question from an 
employee, no matter how unimportant it might be, will resonate across centres. It then 
becomes absolutely necessary for the leader to respond in a precise and unambiguous manner 
and use the platform to deliver his message across to the people. When the spotlight is on the 
leader, onlookers will hold on to every word he or she utters. Rhetoric can make many a hero. 
Usage of words chosen to deliver a message is equally important.  “Communication is not 
about company information. It’s more like, if you want to drink water, do I presume you want 
to drink Coke,” an HR head once remarked. If strategy is important, what’s even more critical 
is communication of the strategy. One can either be vague and leave it to the imagination of 
others or be precise without any obscurity. Either way, depending on what the situation 
demands, it’s a leader’s call and he or she can be sure, people are going to judge. 
The importance of effective communication is not restricted to the leadership level alone. 
Companies are looking at innovative and effective ways to communicate with employees and 
also enable employee-to-employee communication, what one can term as E-2-E. So there are 
Facebook like tools that are being created to encourage active discussion among employees, 
irrespective of where they are based. It also ensures any gap in communication is bridged and 
there are no excuses at that. 
An engineering company I know uses SMS as a means to communicate with employees. 
They started this practice even when others were just about warming up to sending mailers to 
meet their communication needs. Others may take a cue from this and start using platforms 
Page 3


Class X 
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT II 
ENGLISH 
Code No. 101 
(COMMUNICATIVE) 
 
  
Section A 
Reading 
Q1. VSA (1 mark each) 
Read the following passage carefully 
First introduced in 1927, The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories are a series of books about the adventures 
of brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, teenaged detectives who solve one baffling mystery after another. 
The Hardy Boys were so popular among young boys that in 1930 a similar series was created for girls 
featuring a sixteen-year-old detective named Nancy Drew. The cover of each volume of The Hardy 
Boys states that the author of the series is Franklin W. Dixon; the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories are 
supposedly written by Carolyn Keene. Over the years, though, many fans of both series have been 
surprised to find out that Franklin W. Dixon and Carolyn Keene are not real people. If Franklin W. 
Dixon and Carolyn Keene never existed, then who wrote The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries? 
 The Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew books were written through a process called ghostwriting. A 
ghostwriter writes a book according to a specific formula. While ghostwriters are paid for writing the 
books, their authorship is not acknowledged, and their names do not appear on the published books 
.Ghostwriters can write books for children or adults, the content of which is unspecific. Sometimes 
they work on book series with a lot of individual titles, such as The Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew 
series. 
 The initial idea for both the Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew series was developed by a man named 
Edward Stratemeyer, who owned a publishing company that specialized in children’s books. 
Stratemeyer noticed the increasing popularity of mysteries among adults, and surmised that children 
would enjoy reading mysteries about younger detectives with whom they could identify. 
Stratemeyer first developed each book with an outline describing the plot and setting. Once he 
completed the outline, Stratemeyer then hired a ghostwriter to convert it into a book of slightly over 
200 pages. After the ghostwriter had written a draft of a book, he or she would send it back to 
Stratemeyer, who would make a list of corrections and mail it back to the ghostwriter. The 
ghostwriter would revise the book according to Stratemeyer’s instructions and then return it to him. 
Once Stratemeyer approved the book, it was ready for publication.  Because each series ran for so 
many years, Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys both had a number of different ghostwriters producing 
books; however, the first ghostwriter for each series proved to be the most influential. The initial 
ghostwriter for The Hardy Boys was a Canadian journalist named Leslie McFarlane. 
 A few years later, Mildred A. Wirt, a young writer from Iowa, began writing the Nancy Drew books. 
Although they were using prepared outlines as guides, both McFarlane and Wirt developed the 
characters themselves. The personalities of Frank and Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew arose directly from 
McFarlane’s and Wirt’s imaginations. For example, Mildred Wirt had been a star college athlete and 
gave Nancy similar athletic abilities. The ghostwriters were also responsible for numerous plot and 
setting details. Leslie McFarlane used elements of his small Canadian town to create Bayport, the 
Hardy Boys fictional hometown.  
1.1 On the basis of   your reading of the above passage, fill in the   blanks with appropriate words / 
phrases: 
1) The ‘Hardy Boys’ mystery stories are a series of books that 
contain__________________ 
2) _________ was a similar series created like ‘The Hardy Boys’ created for the girls. 
3) The process of writing the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew was called ______________ 
4) The initial idea for both the Hardy Boys and  the Nancy Drew  series was developed 
by______________________________ 
 
5) The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books were created based on the idea that 
children___________________________ 
 
6) Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys both had a number of different ghostwriters 
producing books___________ 
7) The personalities of Frank and Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew arose directly from 
__________and___________ imaginations. 
8) The ghostwriters were responsible for __________ plot and _________ details. 
Q 2 VSA (1 mark each) 
Read the following passage carefully: 
Here’s why effective communication is important. In a large organization, when a CEO 
addresses a live webcast — a must in today’s day and age — even a single question from an 
employee, no matter how unimportant it might be, will resonate across centres. It then 
becomes absolutely necessary for the leader to respond in a precise and unambiguous manner 
and use the platform to deliver his message across to the people. When the spotlight is on the 
leader, onlookers will hold on to every word he or she utters. Rhetoric can make many a hero. 
Usage of words chosen to deliver a message is equally important.  “Communication is not 
about company information. It’s more like, if you want to drink water, do I presume you want 
to drink Coke,” an HR head once remarked. If strategy is important, what’s even more critical 
is communication of the strategy. One can either be vague and leave it to the imagination of 
others or be precise without any obscurity. Either way, depending on what the situation 
demands, it’s a leader’s call and he or she can be sure, people are going to judge. 
The importance of effective communication is not restricted to the leadership level alone. 
Companies are looking at innovative and effective ways to communicate with employees and 
also enable employee-to-employee communication, what one can term as E-2-E. So there are 
Facebook like tools that are being created to encourage active discussion among employees, 
irrespective of where they are based. It also ensures any gap in communication is bridged and 
there are no excuses at that. 
An engineering company I know uses SMS as a means to communicate with employees. 
They started this practice even when others were just about warming up to sending mailers to 
meet their communication needs. Others may take a cue from this and start using platforms 
like WhatsApp, who knows. The fact is companies are using technology in a big way because 
they understand that the biggest challenge today is communicating with the Gen-Yers and 
Gen-Xers. The logic is simple: if the new generation is used to modes like ATM and online 
shopping, how can archaic communication methods work? 
Effective communication can work at multiple levels in an organization like training, learning 
and development, education opportunities, among others. Moreover, in a chaotic world, the 
only thing that will work is sane communication. If communication fails, organizations run 
the risk of falling into a trap where ideas emerge from all corners but don’t get executed. So 
when it comes to people matters, silence is not always golden. 
2.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions briefly: 
a. Why is effective communication absolutely necessary for theleader? 
b. In what way should companies productively communicate to benefit the employees?   
c.Why don’t‘archaic communication’ methods work today?  
d.       What happens if communication fails in an organization?  
VSA (1 mark each) 
2.2 Choose the most appropriate meaning of the given word from the options provided: 
a. The word ‘chaotic’ means  
i) peaceful     ii) puzzled  iii) disordered     iv) composed 
b. The word ‘innovative ‘means 
i) original & new ii) invention  iii) adventurous  iv) energetic 
c. The word ‘unambiguous means 
i) not certain  ii) clear iii) doubtful  iv) incorrect 
d. The word ‘strategy’ means 
i) technology  ii) a plan of action iii) process  iv) result 
Section B 
Writing & Grammar – 25 Marks 
Q 3 LA – II (5 marks) 
 
The tiger is more than just our national animal; it is an indicator of the environmental health of India. 
The whole country must unite to protect it.’ Based on the given input, ideas from the MCB unit 
‘Environment’ and your own ideas,write an article on the need to protect the tiger in the national 
Page 4


Class X 
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT II 
ENGLISH 
Code No. 101 
(COMMUNICATIVE) 
 
  
Section A 
Reading 
Q1. VSA (1 mark each) 
Read the following passage carefully 
First introduced in 1927, The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories are a series of books about the adventures 
of brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, teenaged detectives who solve one baffling mystery after another. 
The Hardy Boys were so popular among young boys that in 1930 a similar series was created for girls 
featuring a sixteen-year-old detective named Nancy Drew. The cover of each volume of The Hardy 
Boys states that the author of the series is Franklin W. Dixon; the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories are 
supposedly written by Carolyn Keene. Over the years, though, many fans of both series have been 
surprised to find out that Franklin W. Dixon and Carolyn Keene are not real people. If Franklin W. 
Dixon and Carolyn Keene never existed, then who wrote The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries? 
 The Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew books were written through a process called ghostwriting. A 
ghostwriter writes a book according to a specific formula. While ghostwriters are paid for writing the 
books, their authorship is not acknowledged, and their names do not appear on the published books 
.Ghostwriters can write books for children or adults, the content of which is unspecific. Sometimes 
they work on book series with a lot of individual titles, such as The Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew 
series. 
 The initial idea for both the Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew series was developed by a man named 
Edward Stratemeyer, who owned a publishing company that specialized in children’s books. 
Stratemeyer noticed the increasing popularity of mysteries among adults, and surmised that children 
would enjoy reading mysteries about younger detectives with whom they could identify. 
Stratemeyer first developed each book with an outline describing the plot and setting. Once he 
completed the outline, Stratemeyer then hired a ghostwriter to convert it into a book of slightly over 
200 pages. After the ghostwriter had written a draft of a book, he or she would send it back to 
Stratemeyer, who would make a list of corrections and mail it back to the ghostwriter. The 
ghostwriter would revise the book according to Stratemeyer’s instructions and then return it to him. 
Once Stratemeyer approved the book, it was ready for publication.  Because each series ran for so 
many years, Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys both had a number of different ghostwriters producing 
books; however, the first ghostwriter for each series proved to be the most influential. The initial 
ghostwriter for The Hardy Boys was a Canadian journalist named Leslie McFarlane. 
 A few years later, Mildred A. Wirt, a young writer from Iowa, began writing the Nancy Drew books. 
Although they were using prepared outlines as guides, both McFarlane and Wirt developed the 
characters themselves. The personalities of Frank and Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew arose directly from 
McFarlane’s and Wirt’s imaginations. For example, Mildred Wirt had been a star college athlete and 
gave Nancy similar athletic abilities. The ghostwriters were also responsible for numerous plot and 
setting details. Leslie McFarlane used elements of his small Canadian town to create Bayport, the 
Hardy Boys fictional hometown.  
1.1 On the basis of   your reading of the above passage, fill in the   blanks with appropriate words / 
phrases: 
1) The ‘Hardy Boys’ mystery stories are a series of books that 
contain__________________ 
2) _________ was a similar series created like ‘The Hardy Boys’ created for the girls. 
3) The process of writing the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew was called ______________ 
4) The initial idea for both the Hardy Boys and  the Nancy Drew  series was developed 
by______________________________ 
 
5) The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books were created based on the idea that 
children___________________________ 
 
6) Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys both had a number of different ghostwriters 
producing books___________ 
7) The personalities of Frank and Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew arose directly from 
__________and___________ imaginations. 
8) The ghostwriters were responsible for __________ plot and _________ details. 
Q 2 VSA (1 mark each) 
Read the following passage carefully: 
Here’s why effective communication is important. In a large organization, when a CEO 
addresses a live webcast — a must in today’s day and age — even a single question from an 
employee, no matter how unimportant it might be, will resonate across centres. It then 
becomes absolutely necessary for the leader to respond in a precise and unambiguous manner 
and use the platform to deliver his message across to the people. When the spotlight is on the 
leader, onlookers will hold on to every word he or she utters. Rhetoric can make many a hero. 
Usage of words chosen to deliver a message is equally important.  “Communication is not 
about company information. It’s more like, if you want to drink water, do I presume you want 
to drink Coke,” an HR head once remarked. If strategy is important, what’s even more critical 
is communication of the strategy. One can either be vague and leave it to the imagination of 
others or be precise without any obscurity. Either way, depending on what the situation 
demands, it’s a leader’s call and he or she can be sure, people are going to judge. 
The importance of effective communication is not restricted to the leadership level alone. 
Companies are looking at innovative and effective ways to communicate with employees and 
also enable employee-to-employee communication, what one can term as E-2-E. So there are 
Facebook like tools that are being created to encourage active discussion among employees, 
irrespective of where they are based. It also ensures any gap in communication is bridged and 
there are no excuses at that. 
An engineering company I know uses SMS as a means to communicate with employees. 
They started this practice even when others were just about warming up to sending mailers to 
meet their communication needs. Others may take a cue from this and start using platforms 
like WhatsApp, who knows. The fact is companies are using technology in a big way because 
they understand that the biggest challenge today is communicating with the Gen-Yers and 
Gen-Xers. The logic is simple: if the new generation is used to modes like ATM and online 
shopping, how can archaic communication methods work? 
Effective communication can work at multiple levels in an organization like training, learning 
and development, education opportunities, among others. Moreover, in a chaotic world, the 
only thing that will work is sane communication. If communication fails, organizations run 
the risk of falling into a trap where ideas emerge from all corners but don’t get executed. So 
when it comes to people matters, silence is not always golden. 
2.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions briefly: 
a. Why is effective communication absolutely necessary for theleader? 
b. In what way should companies productively communicate to benefit the employees?   
c.Why don’t‘archaic communication’ methods work today?  
d.       What happens if communication fails in an organization?  
VSA (1 mark each) 
2.2 Choose the most appropriate meaning of the given word from the options provided: 
a. The word ‘chaotic’ means  
i) peaceful     ii) puzzled  iii) disordered     iv) composed 
b. The word ‘innovative ‘means 
i) original & new ii) invention  iii) adventurous  iv) energetic 
c. The word ‘unambiguous means 
i) not certain  ii) clear iii) doubtful  iv) incorrect 
d. The word ‘strategy’ means 
i) technology  ii) a plan of action iii) process  iv) result 
Section B 
Writing & Grammar – 25 Marks 
Q 3 LA – II (5 marks) 
 
The tiger is more than just our national animal; it is an indicator of the environmental health of India. 
The whole country must unite to protect it.’ Based on the given input, ideas from the MCB unit 
‘Environment’ and your own ideas,write an article on the need to protect the tiger in the national 
and environmental interest in about 100-120 words  
 OR 
It has been rightly said “United we stand, divided we fall. “A nation which is not united falls like a 
house of cards. Write an article in about 100-120 words, emphasising on the significance of national 
integration. You may use ideas from the MCB unit ‘National Integration’ and same of your ideas. 
Q 4 VLAQ ( 10 marks) 
Write a short story in about (150-200 words) on the basis of the hints provided: 
Going for long walks has always been a passion with me.  As usual I was walking amongst the thick 
green forest till I heard that voice………… 
OR 
As the ticket inspector asked for the ticket, I dug my hand into my pocket only to discover that the 
purse along with the ticket had disappeared……….. 
Q 5 VSA (1 mark each) 
Read the following passage.  Fill in the blanks by choosing the most appropriate options from the 
ones given below.  Write the answer in your answer sheet against the correct blanks.  Do not copy 
the whole passage. 
In a novel approach, drug-eluting stents are now being used a)___________ cure chronic sinusitis, 
which is not treatable with medicines.  The technique b)______ also advisable for diabetics and 
those suffering c) ________ hypertension. 
e.g    are  
the,  are,  an,  some 
(a)  (i)are (ii)were (iii)is   (iv)to 
(b)  (i)are (ii)is             (iii)has  (iv)have 
(c) (i)from(ii)for             (iii)of       (iv)from 
 
Q 6 VSA ( 1 mark each) 
There is a word missing in each line.  Write the missing word along with the one that come before 
and the one that comes after it.  
  Before    Missing  word  After 
e.g. I had been thinking naming my pet    thinking   of naming      
Corvus is the Latin name the crow family.   a) ____________ 
I have started calling my pupil this name. b) ____________ 
At first, he would turn stare at me.c) ____________ 
Now, he has begun respond verbally. d) ____________ 
Corvus learning English now.   e) ____________ 
His training takes place between eight and  
Page 5


Class X 
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT II 
ENGLISH 
Code No. 101 
(COMMUNICATIVE) 
 
  
Section A 
Reading 
Q1. VSA (1 mark each) 
Read the following passage carefully 
First introduced in 1927, The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories are a series of books about the adventures 
of brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, teenaged detectives who solve one baffling mystery after another. 
The Hardy Boys were so popular among young boys that in 1930 a similar series was created for girls 
featuring a sixteen-year-old detective named Nancy Drew. The cover of each volume of The Hardy 
Boys states that the author of the series is Franklin W. Dixon; the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories are 
supposedly written by Carolyn Keene. Over the years, though, many fans of both series have been 
surprised to find out that Franklin W. Dixon and Carolyn Keene are not real people. If Franklin W. 
Dixon and Carolyn Keene never existed, then who wrote The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries? 
 The Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew books were written through a process called ghostwriting. A 
ghostwriter writes a book according to a specific formula. While ghostwriters are paid for writing the 
books, their authorship is not acknowledged, and their names do not appear on the published books 
.Ghostwriters can write books for children or adults, the content of which is unspecific. Sometimes 
they work on book series with a lot of individual titles, such as The Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew 
series. 
 The initial idea for both the Hardy Boys and the Nancy Drew series was developed by a man named 
Edward Stratemeyer, who owned a publishing company that specialized in children’s books. 
Stratemeyer noticed the increasing popularity of mysteries among adults, and surmised that children 
would enjoy reading mysteries about younger detectives with whom they could identify. 
Stratemeyer first developed each book with an outline describing the plot and setting. Once he 
completed the outline, Stratemeyer then hired a ghostwriter to convert it into a book of slightly over 
200 pages. After the ghostwriter had written a draft of a book, he or she would send it back to 
Stratemeyer, who would make a list of corrections and mail it back to the ghostwriter. The 
ghostwriter would revise the book according to Stratemeyer’s instructions and then return it to him. 
Once Stratemeyer approved the book, it was ready for publication.  Because each series ran for so 
many years, Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys both had a number of different ghostwriters producing 
books; however, the first ghostwriter for each series proved to be the most influential. The initial 
ghostwriter for The Hardy Boys was a Canadian journalist named Leslie McFarlane. 
 A few years later, Mildred A. Wirt, a young writer from Iowa, began writing the Nancy Drew books. 
Although they were using prepared outlines as guides, both McFarlane and Wirt developed the 
characters themselves. The personalities of Frank and Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew arose directly from 
McFarlane’s and Wirt’s imaginations. For example, Mildred Wirt had been a star college athlete and 
gave Nancy similar athletic abilities. The ghostwriters were also responsible for numerous plot and 
setting details. Leslie McFarlane used elements of his small Canadian town to create Bayport, the 
Hardy Boys fictional hometown.  
1.1 On the basis of   your reading of the above passage, fill in the   blanks with appropriate words / 
phrases: 
1) The ‘Hardy Boys’ mystery stories are a series of books that 
contain__________________ 
2) _________ was a similar series created like ‘The Hardy Boys’ created for the girls. 
3) The process of writing the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew was called ______________ 
4) The initial idea for both the Hardy Boys and  the Nancy Drew  series was developed 
by______________________________ 
 
5) The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books were created based on the idea that 
children___________________________ 
 
6) Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys both had a number of different ghostwriters 
producing books___________ 
7) The personalities of Frank and Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew arose directly from 
__________and___________ imaginations. 
8) The ghostwriters were responsible for __________ plot and _________ details. 
Q 2 VSA (1 mark each) 
Read the following passage carefully: 
Here’s why effective communication is important. In a large organization, when a CEO 
addresses a live webcast — a must in today’s day and age — even a single question from an 
employee, no matter how unimportant it might be, will resonate across centres. It then 
becomes absolutely necessary for the leader to respond in a precise and unambiguous manner 
and use the platform to deliver his message across to the people. When the spotlight is on the 
leader, onlookers will hold on to every word he or she utters. Rhetoric can make many a hero. 
Usage of words chosen to deliver a message is equally important.  “Communication is not 
about company information. It’s more like, if you want to drink water, do I presume you want 
to drink Coke,” an HR head once remarked. If strategy is important, what’s even more critical 
is communication of the strategy. One can either be vague and leave it to the imagination of 
others or be precise without any obscurity. Either way, depending on what the situation 
demands, it’s a leader’s call and he or she can be sure, people are going to judge. 
The importance of effective communication is not restricted to the leadership level alone. 
Companies are looking at innovative and effective ways to communicate with employees and 
also enable employee-to-employee communication, what one can term as E-2-E. So there are 
Facebook like tools that are being created to encourage active discussion among employees, 
irrespective of where they are based. It also ensures any gap in communication is bridged and 
there are no excuses at that. 
An engineering company I know uses SMS as a means to communicate with employees. 
They started this practice even when others were just about warming up to sending mailers to 
meet their communication needs. Others may take a cue from this and start using platforms 
like WhatsApp, who knows. The fact is companies are using technology in a big way because 
they understand that the biggest challenge today is communicating with the Gen-Yers and 
Gen-Xers. The logic is simple: if the new generation is used to modes like ATM and online 
shopping, how can archaic communication methods work? 
Effective communication can work at multiple levels in an organization like training, learning 
and development, education opportunities, among others. Moreover, in a chaotic world, the 
only thing that will work is sane communication. If communication fails, organizations run 
the risk of falling into a trap where ideas emerge from all corners but don’t get executed. So 
when it comes to people matters, silence is not always golden. 
2.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions briefly: 
a. Why is effective communication absolutely necessary for theleader? 
b. In what way should companies productively communicate to benefit the employees?   
c.Why don’t‘archaic communication’ methods work today?  
d.       What happens if communication fails in an organization?  
VSA (1 mark each) 
2.2 Choose the most appropriate meaning of the given word from the options provided: 
a. The word ‘chaotic’ means  
i) peaceful     ii) puzzled  iii) disordered     iv) composed 
b. The word ‘innovative ‘means 
i) original & new ii) invention  iii) adventurous  iv) energetic 
c. The word ‘unambiguous means 
i) not certain  ii) clear iii) doubtful  iv) incorrect 
d. The word ‘strategy’ means 
i) technology  ii) a plan of action iii) process  iv) result 
Section B 
Writing & Grammar – 25 Marks 
Q 3 LA – II (5 marks) 
 
The tiger is more than just our national animal; it is an indicator of the environmental health of India. 
The whole country must unite to protect it.’ Based on the given input, ideas from the MCB unit 
‘Environment’ and your own ideas,write an article on the need to protect the tiger in the national 
and environmental interest in about 100-120 words  
 OR 
It has been rightly said “United we stand, divided we fall. “A nation which is not united falls like a 
house of cards. Write an article in about 100-120 words, emphasising on the significance of national 
integration. You may use ideas from the MCB unit ‘National Integration’ and same of your ideas. 
Q 4 VLAQ ( 10 marks) 
Write a short story in about (150-200 words) on the basis of the hints provided: 
Going for long walks has always been a passion with me.  As usual I was walking amongst the thick 
green forest till I heard that voice………… 
OR 
As the ticket inspector asked for the ticket, I dug my hand into my pocket only to discover that the 
purse along with the ticket had disappeared……….. 
Q 5 VSA (1 mark each) 
Read the following passage.  Fill in the blanks by choosing the most appropriate options from the 
ones given below.  Write the answer in your answer sheet against the correct blanks.  Do not copy 
the whole passage. 
In a novel approach, drug-eluting stents are now being used a)___________ cure chronic sinusitis, 
which is not treatable with medicines.  The technique b)______ also advisable for diabetics and 
those suffering c) ________ hypertension. 
e.g    are  
the,  are,  an,  some 
(a)  (i)are (ii)were (iii)is   (iv)to 
(b)  (i)are (ii)is             (iii)has  (iv)have 
(c) (i)from(ii)for             (iii)of       (iv)from 
 
Q 6 VSA ( 1 mark each) 
There is a word missing in each line.  Write the missing word along with the one that come before 
and the one that comes after it.  
  Before    Missing  word  After 
e.g. I had been thinking naming my pet    thinking   of naming      
Corvus is the Latin name the crow family.   a) ____________ 
I have started calling my pupil this name. b) ____________ 
At first, he would turn stare at me.c) ____________ 
Now, he has begun respond verbally. d) ____________ 
Corvus learning English now.   e) ____________ 
His training takes place between eight and  
nine in morningf) ____________ 
The rest of the time, he hangs about here; theg) ____________ 
evening, he still prefers to go back the mangoh) ____________ 
tree in my garden.  
Q 7 VSA (1 mark each) 
Re-arrange these words phrases to make meaningful sentences.   
E.g. since times immemorial/have been respected/teachers. 
Techers have been respected since times immemorial. 
(a)a special  / child’s life / in every / teachers hold / place 
(b)for his or her / it is they / in the society / who prepare / life / the child 
(c) progressive society / teachers are / of a sound / one of the / and / main pillars  
Section – C 
Literature – 25 Marks 
Q 8 VSA (1 mark each) 
Read the extract and answer the following questions briefly:- 
"But suddenly that part of him that was left behind convulsed in undignified haste. Writhed like 
lightning and was gone into the black hole,  
a) Why did the snake "convulsed in undignified haste"? 
b) How was the snake's movement in contrast to its earlier movement? 
c)  Find the literary device in 'writhed like lightning'. 
OR 
O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, 
  That I am meek and gentle with these butchers 
  Thou art the ruins of the noblest man, 
  That ever lived in the tides of times  
      a) Who is referred to as “bleeding piece of earth”? 
b) When does the speaker say these lines? 
c)  Who are the butchers referred to here? Why does he call them ‘butchers’? 
Q 9 SA ( 8 marks) 
Answer any four of the following questions in 30-40 words each  
1.What happened when Hallock sat down at his desk and waited for ideas for his story? 
2. Some of the psycho-drive games that Michael bought at the Computer Fair were not new. Who 
had they belonged to and what was the insignificance? 
3. What does the expression on the shattered visage' tell you about the sculptors skill in the poem 
'Ozymandias'? 
4. What ‘hellish thing’ had the Mariner done? 
5. PatolBabu doesn’t collect his payment after his role is over. Why? 
Q 10 LAQ – 1 (4 marks) 
A faint memory was stirred in PatolBabu’s mind.  Some priceless words of advice given in a deep 
mellow voice.  The advice of our elders and teachers always comes to our rescue as they have 
wisdom and experience of life    Explain in about 80 – 100 words.