Model Specimen Paper 1 English - I

Model Specimen Paper 1 English - I Answer 1. (a) In my college days, I made many friends who came from different backgrounds, caste and creed. Three of us—all of different castes—became close friends at college. Even outside the college, we frequently visited each other’s houses without hesitation. However, I had another friend who was completely different from all other boys not only in our class but in the entire college. He stood out in a crowd due to his unique sense of dressing. He was a Buddhist monk from erstwhile Burma (now Myanmar). Although a monk, he had come to graduate in History from Delhi University and had further planned to do his Masters in Buddhist history from Calcutta University. His name was Anupam Lobo. There were other students from various countries e.g., South Africa, Romania, Canada etc., but this boy stood out amongst all. At first he would maintain his distance from everybody, confining himself to his room. He stayed in the college hostel but never invited any one to his room. During the first year, he was seldom seen at any social hang-outs. He liked to be secluded and seemed to be either eccentric or egotistic or simply an introvert. Little did we know about the reason behind his strange demeanour. He would be seen during classes taking notes and putting up questions occasionally, in all graveness. He never missed a class which showed his devotion towards his studies. The only other place that he seemed to frequent was the library where he could be seen studying about the Buddhist culture and history. Whatever the reason behind his self-imposed seclusion may have been, he was never too busy to help out a fellow student with their studies. Nobody understood the logic behind his seclusion but everyone respected him for his dignified way of handling himself and any situation he faced. Towards the end of the first year, as he was finally beginning to fit in with everyone else, we did catch hints every now and then, which led us to conclude that he suffered from chronic shyness. The second year saw many changes in my Buddhist friend. He gradually opened up, and started mixing with friends, taking part in debates and workshops, and would even accompany us to the sports field. Our college hockey team was well known in the university. He had picked up words and phrases from Hindi, Bengali and other Indian languages. By the beginning of third year, he was an entirely different person. Always dressed in his freshly laundered saffron attire and clean shaven head, he would always greet everybody with a big smile on his broad face. After graduating he moved back to Calcutta as planned and I chose a different field. We drifted apart from each other but his memory is still etched in my mind. His mannerism and outlook towards life is still an inspiration to me. (b) There were many memorable experiences during my stay in school. I shall narrate one such incident which is still fresh in my memory though a few decades have passed. Every year our school would organise Basant Panchami or Saraswati Puja in January/ February. In our school, the practice was such where the students of class X, both sections A and B, were responsible for organising the puja. When I was in class X, we were excited at the prospect of organising the puja that year. A committee was formed from amongst the students of class X. Luckily, I was elected the secretary and another boy who was good in Maths, became the treasurer. Two senior teachers were assigned to be teacher representatives and held overall control. The ground work commenced about a month before the puja, jobs like printing invitation cards, | 2 | ISC Model Specimen Papers, XII arranging for the idol, planning for prasad, cultural show, were in full swing. We were fortunate that our Art teacher was an expert in idol making so we did not have to run around to find an idol maker. So, without further a due, he got down to work and was helped by some good art students. Our Sanskrit teacher was the priest for the occasion. We had been seeing him performing the puja every year since our childhood days. The few students who showed no interest in working or contributing were not included in the committee, but they were allowed to participate in the proceedings. The day before the puja we were working late in the evening and were supposed to stay back in the school for the night, when my treasurer friend and I were summoned by our teachers in the Biology Lab. They simply told us that the two of us were not required to stay back. Only students who were looking after the idol making and decoration would stay back. We were curious why no reason was given and went back home disheartened. The library room was the preferred place to hold the puja. Early next morning, both of us entered the library room together only to find something missing but could not comprehend what? The puja went off peacefully without any apparent problem. A couple of days later, it was revealed that some costly books were stolen from the library. With March approaching, we were ready for the final examination. On the day the result was announced, it was announced that results of a few students were withheld. They were those trouble mongers who stole books from the library. They were summoned to the principal’s office and were given a warning. If the stolen books were not returned within three days, they were likely to face disciplinary action. I could not hold back my curiosity and both, my treasurer friend and I, confronted our English teacher about why did he suspect those boys of theft. He told us the whole story and about his suspicion and the reason he asked us to go back home the night. The boys had planned the theft and wanted to implicate us in their wrongdoings. Blessings of Goddess Saraswati and our teachers saved us from being framed for that theft. This incident shall always remain fresh in my memory because that day we were saved from a big controversy because of our teacher. (c) New Delhi is an intriguing city. It is full of people from all walks of life. Common people, affluent people, people who don’t care about anything else but themselves, people who care too much, people who are nosy and people who are nonchalant, in Delhi, you will find everything and every kind of person there is. As for the architecture, places, buildings, eateries – there is no better city to charm you with its diversity; one such intriguing sight is located near my house too. While passing by, I often come across a lone railway compartment with an engine tugged away in one corner. Since there were no railway tracks around, I wondered why was there a railway compartment in the middle of nowhere. One day I decided to stop and explore. It was early morning and I slowly approached the spot where the abandoned compartment stood. As I went closer, the area around it looked neat and clean. Then I noticed a sign above the compartment with “IMLI” written on it. Going closer to the door, to my surprise I noticed that it was a roadside restaurant. The engine was the kitchen and the compartment served as the dining space. It was a novel idea indeed. I decided to visit the place for lunch one day with my family. Climbing the compartment steps, we entered the air conditioned restaurant. We were welcomed by a smiling gentleman and were guided to a table. In a railway dining car, two rows of tables and chairs are placed by the windows. The walls were lined with wide screen television sets on both sides depicting various railway stations, running trains, tourist spots in and around the country, etc. Water and menu cards were placed before us. Good food with quick service were its forte. We were highly satisfied with the service provided by the restaurant. Good food, courteous behaviour, and affordable pricing made the roadside restaurant very popular with the customers. If in Delhi, you should try and visit as many intriguing places as you can. It would amount to something of an experience to blog, talk or think over later in life. For those who enjoy vegetarian cuisine, I highly recommend this restaurant. Not only do the locals come with their families but food lovers from faraway places also throng the place in hopes of dining English - I | 3 | in a place with an innovative concept. In summer, one needs to book seats in advance to save oneself from waiting outside in the sweltering heat. (d) Greed is not just a five-letter word. It has wide implication in life. Man is greedy by nature – greed for good things, greed for power, greed for love, greed for a lavish and luxurious life, greed for good clothes, good food and the best amenities in life is all pervading. Greed has no end. It goes on multiplying. Only man himself can control or put an end to his greed. If somebody has ` 100 in his pockets, he wants a thousand next, then a lakh, a crore and the greed goes on increasing. If one has a bicycle, he wants to have a scooter or bike, then a car, a better car and so on. You may be wearing a good wrist watch but always hankering for a more costly one, a bigger house in place of a small one.

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