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KSEAB SSLC English NCERT (15E) study materials
KSEAB SSLC English NCERT (15E) study resources

KSEAB SSLC English NCERT (15E) practice questions

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Question 1Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "The old bridge had stood for a hundred years, and though the villagers complained about its narrowness, none of them ever seriously suggested replacing it." What does the passage mainly suggest about the villagers' attitude towards the bridge?

  1. They were proud of its width.
  2. They accepted it despite its inconvenience. Correct answer.
  3. They rarely used it at all.
  4. They wanted it rebuilt immediately.

Explanation

The passage sets complaint against inaction: villagers grumble about narrowness yet never seriously propose replacing the bridge. The contrast shows reluctant acceptance rather than a demand for change, so the main idea is tolerance of an imperfect but familiar structure.

Question 2Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

A prose passage opens: "Nobody in the office could remember when the filing cabinet had last been opened. Dust lay thick on its handles, and the drawer marked 'Urgent' had rusted shut." Which inference about the office is best supported?

  1. The office handles urgent work daily.
  2. Filing has been neglected for a long time. Correct answer.
  3. The staff recently reorganised the files.
  4. The cabinet was bought the previous week.

Explanation

The details of thick dust, forgotten history and a rusted 'Urgent' drawer all point in one direction: nobody has used the cabinet for a long period. Inference questions require a conclusion drawn strictly from the stated details, not from outside assumptions.

Question 3Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Which word in the sentence "Her reply was so terse that the interviewer wondered whether she had understood the question" carries the meaning 'brief to the point of being rude'?

  1. terse Correct answer.
  2. reply
  3. wondered
  4. understood

Explanation

Vocabulary-in-context questions ask which word carries the stated meaning within the sentence. 'Terse' describes a reply that is curt and unexpansive, which is why the interviewer is left doubting whether she grasped the question.

Question 4Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this poem extract: "The kite strains upward on its string, / impatient for the open sky, / while in my hand the thin line sings / of all the things I cannot fly." What does the image of the straining kite mainly convey?

  1. A memory of a childhood accident.
  2. A celebration of the string's strength.
  3. A longing for freedom that the speaker cannot satisfy. Correct answer.
  4. A fear of storms approaching the field.

Explanation

The kite pulls toward 'the open sky' while the speaker holds the line and reflects on 'things I cannot fly'. The contrast between the kite's upward urge and the speaker's restriction creates the central image of unfulfilled longing for freedom.

Question 5Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

In the sentence "The scientist, who had spent a decade on the project, finally published her findings", what is the function of the clause "who had spent a decade on the project"?

  1. It names the object of the verb 'published'.
  2. It states the main action of the sentence.
  3. It introduces a condition for publishing.
  4. It adds non-essential information about the scientist. Correct answer.

Explanation

The clause is set off by commas and can be removed without destroying the sentence's core meaning, so it is a non-defining (non-restrictive) relative clause adding extra detail about the scientist. The main action remains 'finally published her findings'.

Question 6Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

A passage states: "The river, once the town's busiest highway for goods, now carries only pleasure boats, and the old warehouses have been converted into cafes." Which sentence best summarises the change described?

  1. The warehouses were demolished to widen the river.
  2. The river's role has shifted from commerce to leisure. Correct answer.
  3. The town has abandoned the river completely.
  4. The river has become too shallow for any boats.

Explanation

The passage contrasts past commercial use ('busiest highway for goods') with present leisure use ('pleasure boats', warehouses turned into cafes). A summary must capture that shift of function rather than add details not given.

Question 7Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read the poem lines: "Do not ask the seed to hurry; / it keeps its own slow counsel in the dark." Which figure of speech is used in "it keeps its own slow counsel in the dark"?

  1. Onomatopoeia
  2. Personification Correct answer.
  3. Hyperbole
  4. Simile

Explanation

The seed is credited with a human ability, keeping counsel, which is personification. No comparison using 'like' or 'as' appears, no deliberate exaggeration is present, and no word imitates a sound.

Question 8Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

In a passage, the writer says of a character: "He spoke of his travels with a shrug, as though crossing three continents were no more remarkable than catching a bus." What is the effect of this comparison?

  1. It shows that the character dislikes public transport.
  2. It stresses how casually the character treats extraordinary experience. Correct answer.
  3. It proves the character has never travelled abroad.
  4. It suggests the character is exaggerating his journeys.

Explanation

The comparison between crossing continents and catching a bus is deliberately disproportionate, and the phrase 'as though ... no more remarkable' signals understatement. The effect is to emphasise the character's offhand manner towards remarkable experience.

Question 9Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "The village fair was smaller than in previous years. Only two stalls stood on the green, and the man selling sweets said he had brought half his usual stock. Even so, children ran between the stalls until dusk." What can be inferred about the fair?

  1. It was moved to a larger ground.
  2. It attracted more visitors than ever before.
  3. It was cancelled because of poor sales.
  4. It continued despite a decline in scale. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage gives evidence of reduced scale (two stalls, half the usual stock) yet also shows children playing until dusk, so the fair went ahead. The inference combines both facts: diminished but still functioning.

Question 10Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

In the sentence "Although the report was lengthy, its conclusions were disappointingly thin", what is the relationship between the two parts?

  1. Cause and effect between length and substance
  2. Addition of similar ideas
  3. Sequence of events in time
  4. Contrast between length and substance Correct answer.

Explanation

The subordinating conjunction 'although' signals concession and sets up a contrast: the report is long, yet its conclusions lack substance. The two halves pull in opposite directions rather than showing cause, sequence or simple addition.

Question 11Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read the poem extract: "My father's hands were maps of where he'd been: / a scar for every season, line for line." What is the effect of describing the hands as maps?

  1. It suggests the hands record a lifetime of experience. Correct answer.
  2. It implies the father worked as a cartographer.
  3. It indicates the father's hands are unusually small.
  4. It shows the father has forgotten his past.

Explanation

A map records places, and the metaphor is extended by 'a scar for every season, line for line', so the hands become a record of lived experience. The comparison is figurative, not a statement about the father's occupation.

Question 12Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Which option correctly identifies the tone of this passage? "Wonderful, I thought, as the third bus in a row sailed past without stopping. I settled onto the bench and prepared to spend the afternoon there."

  1. Formal solemnity
  2. Open anger
  3. Sarcastic resignation Correct answer.
  4. Genuine delight

Explanation

The word 'Wonderful' sits ironically beside a frustrating event, and the speaker's calm decision to wait signals resignation rather than rage. Tone is judged from the gap between the literal word and the situation it describes.

Question 13Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "The library announced new opening hours. Readers who had relied on evening visits were dismayed; students preparing for examinations were especially vocal in their complaints." Which group is described as most affected?

  1. Students preparing for examinations Correct answer.
  2. Readers who never used the evening service
  3. The library's own staff
  4. Readers who visited only at weekends

Explanation

The passage names two affected groups, readers who relied on evening visits and students preparing for examinations, and marks the students as 'especially vocal'. The word 'especially' signals the strongest reaction, which answers the question.

Question 14Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

In the sentence "The path, treacherous after the rain, wound steeply towards the ridge", what does 'treacherous' most nearly mean?

  1. Pleasantly shaded
  2. Recently repaired
  3. Easily followed
  4. Dangerous to walk on Correct answer.

Explanation

Context clues matter: the path is treacherous 'after the rain' and 'wound steeply', conditions that make footing unsafe. 'Treacherous' therefore means hazardous or dangerous to walk on.

Question 15Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

A poem ends: "And when the lamp goes out, / I shall not stumble in the dark; / I have learned the shape of this room / by heart." What is the speaker mainly expressing?

  1. Regret over wasted time
  2. Fear of losing electricity
  3. Confidence gained through familiarity Correct answer.
  4. A wish to leave the room

Explanation

The speaker claims not to stumble when the lamp goes out because the room's shape has been learned 'by heart'. The closing image turns darkness into evidence of familiarity and quiet confidence rather than anxiety.

Question 16Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "The proposal was praised by everyone at the meeting. Not one objection was raised. Yet when the vote was taken, the motion failed by a wide margin." Which explanation best resolves the apparent contradiction?

  1. The meeting was cancelled before the vote.
  2. The motion was withdrawn before voting began.
  3. Praise in discussion does not guarantee support in a vote. Correct answer.
  4. Everyone at the meeting changed their minds twice.

Explanation

The passage sets spoken approval against the voting result, and the resolution lies in distinguishing talk from action. The word 'Yet' flags the contrast, and the most economical explanation is that verbal praise did not translate into votes.

Question 17Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Which sentence uses the colon correctly in a reading-comprehension answer?

  1. The poet uses: one dominant device, repetition.
  2. The poet uses one dominant device: repetition. Correct answer.
  3. The poet: uses one dominant device, repetition.
  4. The poet uses one dominant device, repetition:.

Explanation

A colon introduces an explanation, list or expansion after a complete clause. In the correct option the clause 'The poet uses one dominant device' is grammatically complete, and 'repetition' follows as the specification.

Question 18Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read the poem lines: "The city wears its noise like a coat, / buttoned tight against the cold of silence." Which interpretation of the metaphor is best supported?

  1. Noise protects the city from emptiness. Correct answer.
  2. Coats are the city's main industry.
  3. The city is unusually quiet in winter.
  4. Silence is welcomed by city dwellers.

Explanation

The simile 'like a coat' is extended by 'buttoned tight against the cold of silence', so noise functions as protection against silence. The metaphor makes silence the threat and noise the defence.

Question 19Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "She kept every letter he sent, though she answered none of them. The bundle grew thicker each year, tied with the same blue ribbon." What does the detail of the unanswered letters most strongly suggest?

  1. She intended to publish the letters.
  2. She never received the letters at all.
  3. She valued the letters while choosing not to respond. Correct answer.
  4. She had lost the ability to write.

Explanation

Keeping every letter and tying them with the same ribbon shows attachment, while answering none shows a deliberate silence. The contrast between preservation and non-reply is the key inference the passage invites.

Question 20Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

In the sentence "Had the warning been heeded, the damage would have been far less", what does the structure tell us about the warning?

  1. It was never issued.
  2. It was heeded promptly.
  3. It was not heeded. Correct answer.
  4. It will be issued soon.

Explanation

This is a third conditional with inversion ('Had the warning been heeded') replacing 'If the warning had been heeded'. It describes an unreal past condition, implying the opposite of the clause: the warning was not heeded.

Question 21Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

A passage describes a craftsman: "He rejected three pieces before lunch, each one flawless to any eye but his. 'The rim is a hair too thick,' he would say, and begin again." Which quality is chiefly conveyed?

  1. Fear of competition
  2. Exacting standards Correct answer.
  3. Indifference to quality
  4. Reluctance to work

Explanation

Rejecting work that appears flawless to others, over a detail as fine as a rim's thickness, reveals standards far stricter than ordinary. The repeated starting over reinforces painstaking exactness rather than any other motive.

Question 22Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "The museum's most popular exhibit is a battered wooden desk. Visitors queue to see it, though it holds no treasure and bears no famous name. Its power lies in what it witnessed." What is the passage's central claim about the desk?

  1. Its significance comes from its history rather than its appearance. Correct answer.
  2. It is popular mainly because it is newly restored.
  3. It is valuable because of the wood it is made from.
  4. It attracts visitors because of a famous owner's name.

Explanation

The passage explicitly denies treasure and a famous name, then states that the desk's power lies in what it witnessed. That sentence is the central claim: historical association, not physical or nominal value, draws visitors.

Question 23Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read the poem lines: "I asked the mountain for a word. / It gave me stone. I asked again; / it gave me snow. I asked once more / and it gave me the long way down." What does the mountain's final response most likely represent?

  1. A refusal to communicate at all
  2. A promise of easy success
  3. A hard-won lesson learned through effort Correct answer.
  4. A warning against climbing alone

Explanation

Each request yields something austere, and the final gift, 'the long way down', implies a slow, effortful journey rather than a direct answer. The pattern suggests that wisdom is gained through difficulty, not handed over freely.

Question 24Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

A passage states: "Critics called the novel 'difficult', by which they meant that it refused to explain itself. Readers, by contrast, simply called it long." What does the passage imply about the two groups' judgements?

  1. The readers admired the novel more than the critics.
  2. They emphasise different aspects of the same book. Correct answer.
  3. They agree completely about the novel's faults.
  4. The critics had not read the novel.

Explanation

The passage contrasts two descriptions of one novel: critics focus on interpretive difficulty, readers on length. The implication is that each group notices a different feature, so their judgements run on parallel rather than identical lines.

Question 25Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

In the sentence "What the committee finally agreed upon, after months of wrangling, was a compromise that satisfied nobody", what is the grammatical subject of the verb 'was'?

  1. The clause 'What the committee finally agreed upon' Correct answer.
  2. The noun 'compromise'
  3. The noun 'committee'
  4. The noun 'months'

Explanation

The sentence follows a subject-complement pattern: a nominal clause introduced by 'What' acts as subject, and 'a compromise that satisfied nobody' is the complement after 'was'. Longer analysis requires locating the main verb first, then asking what performs it.

Question 26Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "The old teacher kept a jar of chalk stubs on her desk. Each September she emptied it and began again, though she never once threw the stubs away." What does the jar most likely represent in the passage?

  1. A lesson about the importance of saving money in schools
  2. The accumulated experience she carries into every new year Correct answer.
  3. The school's failure to supply new chalk to its staff
  4. The teacher's habit of hoarding useless classroom objects

Explanation

The jar is a symbolic object: the stubs are kept, not discarded, and each September she begins again while still preserving them. This pattern of renewal built on what has already been used points to accumulated experience carried forward. The detail that she never throws them away signals value, not waste.

Question 27Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "The road climbed for hours, and the bus complained at every bend. When we finally reached the pass, the valley below looked like a crumpled green blanket someone had forgotten to fold." Which technique is mainly used in the final image?

  1. A metaphor calling the bus a complaining animal
  2. An allusion to a well-known mountain legend
  3. Personification of the road as a tired traveller
  4. A simile comparing the valley to a folded blanket Correct answer.

Explanation

The words 'looked like' introduce an explicit comparison, which is a simile, and the thing compared is the valley seen as a crumpled blanket. The comparison creates a homely, slightly humorous image of a vast landscape. Recognising the signal word 'like' is the key to identifying simile.

Question 28Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "The committee met for the third time. The chairs were arranged, the minutes read, the tea poured. When the clock struck five, the chairperson rose, thanked everyone for a productive session, and left. The main item on the agenda had not been reached." What is the tone of the final sentence?

  1. Warmly approving of the committee's efficiency
  2. Quietly ironic about the meeting's claimed productivity Correct answer.
  3. Openly angry at the chairperson's behaviour
  4. Anxious about the outcome of the next meeting

Explanation

The passage lists ceremonial details, then reports that the chairperson praised a 'productive session' although the main item was never reached. The flat, factual closing sentence lets the contradiction speak for itself, which is the mark of irony rather than direct anger. The writer never raises his voice, which is why the irony is described as quiet.

Question 29Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "The bakery opens at four. By six the shelves are bare, and the baker is already kneading tomorrow's dough. Customers who arrive at seven find only the smell." What does the phrase 'find only the smell' chiefly emphasise?

  1. That the baker's goods are in such demand they vanish early Correct answer.
  2. That the bakery sells nothing except bread
  3. That customers prefer to smell rather than to buy
  4. That the shop is dirty and poorly maintained

Explanation

The phrase caps a sequence showing shelves emptied by six and dough already being prepared for the next day. To 'find only the smell' is to arrive after everything has been sold, which stresses exceptional demand rather than any fault in the shop. The image works by absence: what remains is only the trace of the bread.

Question 30Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read the poem lines: "The kite climbs on a thread so fine / you'd think the wind had learned to hold / a small, bright thought above the field." Which reading best captures the image of the kite?

  1. The kite is compared to a bird that has lost its way
  2. The kite is a fragile, joyful idea held aloft by something invisible Correct answer.
  3. The kite is a symbol of the speaker's fear of heights
  4. The kite is a fragile object that the wind will soon destroy

Explanation

The thread is 'so fine' that the holding seems to be done by the wind itself, and the kite becomes 'a small, bright thought'. The combination of fragility and brightness gives an image of something delicate and joyful sustained by an unseen force. The poem offers no hint of destruction, fear, or a lost bird.

Question 31Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "The new bridge was finished a year late and cost twice the estimate. It is, however, the only crossing for thirty miles, and on the morning it opened the queue of farmers stretched back to the next village." Which statement best reflects the writer's overall attitude?

  1. The bridge is a failure because of its cost and delay
  2. The delay has made the bridge unsafe for traffic
  3. The farmers are foolish to use such an expensive bridge
  4. The bridge's practical value outweighs its faults Correct answer.

Explanation

The writer concedes the delay and the doubled cost, then pivots with 'however' to the bridge's necessity and the crowd of waiting farmers. That structure of concession followed by justification signals a balanced but ultimately approving attitude. The practical benefit is placed last, which is where the writer's emphasis falls.

Question 32Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "She learned the piano as a child learns a language, by hearing it spoken around her, and so she never thought of the notes as marks on a page but as words she already knew." What does the comparison chiefly suggest about her playing?

  1. She reads music more accurately than other performers
  2. She plays by natural absorption rather than by conscious decoding Correct answer.
  3. She has forgotten most of the formal training she received
  4. She prefers speaking to playing the piano

Explanation

The passage compares learning piano to acquiring a first language through hearing it spoken, so that notes feel like words already known. The emphasis is on absorption rather than deliberate decoding of symbols on a page. This does not claim greater accuracy, only a different and more instinctive route to understanding.

Question 33Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "The council planted two hundred saplings along the main road. Within a month, forty had been broken by passing lorries and sixty had withered in the dry spell. The remaining hundred are now protected by wooden frames." Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?

  1. The planting scheme has failed completely and should be abandoned
  2. The council should have planted a different species of tree
  3. Lorries caused more damage than the weather did
  4. Half the saplings survived and are now being safeguarded Correct answer.

Explanation

Forty broken plus sixty withered leaves one hundred of the two hundred, which is exactly half, and these survivors are now protected by frames. The passage supports a conclusion about partial survival and active care. It does not support abandoning the scheme, since the surviving half is being looked after.

Question 34Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "The letter was short. It said that the house had been sold, that the furniture had gone to a cousin, and that the garden would be dug up in spring. It ended: 'You will understand that this was not easy.'" What is the effect of the final sentence?

  1. It shows the writer has forgotten what the letter is about
  2. It reveals the writer's regret beneath the bare list of facts Correct answer.
  3. It suggests the house was sold against the writer's will
  4. It proves the writer is asking for money from the reader

Explanation

The body of the letter is a flat list of transactions, with no feeling attached to any of them. The closing line breaks that flatness by admitting difficulty, revealing emotion that the facts were carefully holding back. The contrast between list and confession is what gives the sentence its force.

Question 35Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read the poem lines: "They built the tower of promises, / floor on floor of if and when, / and called the empty rooms their own." What is the poet chiefly criticising?

  1. The habit of substituting intentions for action Correct answer.
  2. The loneliness of living in a large house
  3. The refusal of people to make any promises
  4. The poor quality of modern architecture

Explanation

The tower is made of 'promises' and of 'if and when', and its rooms are 'empty', so the structure is built from intentions that never become deeds. The poet is mocking the substitution of plans for action. The architectural image is a vehicle for this moral point, not a comment on buildings themselves.

Question 36Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "The inspector praised the kitchen's cleanliness, the accuracy of its records and the cheerfulness of its staff. He noted one fault: the fire exit was blocked by crates. He devoted the rest of his report to that single fault." What does the passage reveal about the inspector's priorities?

  1. He treats a safety risk as more serious than minor merits Correct answer.
  2. He dislikes the staff and wishes to criticise them
  3. He is unable to remember what he has already written
  4. He values good record-keeping above all other matters

Explanation

The inspector acknowledges three merits briefly but spends most of the report on the blocked fire exit, showing that safety outweighs the other strengths. The imbalance in the report is the clue to his priorities. A blocked exit is a serious hazard, which justifies the attention given to it.

Question 37Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "The village had no clock until 1910. People judged the hour by the position of the sun over the mill, and the miller's whistle told them when to start work. When the clock arrived, some complained that they had lost the freedom to be a little late." Which idea is best illustrated here?

  1. Clocks are unreliable in villages far from towns
  2. Precise timekeeping can reduce personal flexibility Correct answer.
  3. Farm work requires no sense of time at all
  4. The miller was the most powerful person in the village

Explanation

Before the clock, hours were approximate and set by sun and whistle; afterwards, some villagers felt they had lost the freedom to be slightly late. The anecdote illustrates how exact timekeeping can tighten control over daily life. The complaint is about flexibility, not about the clock's accuracy.

Question 38Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read the poem lines: "The sea has no memory of the names / we gave its waves; it keeps the salt / and gives the salt back, and nothing more." Which statement best interprets the poet's view of nature?

  1. Nature is a comforting presence that shares our feelings
  2. Nature remembers every name but chooses to stay silent
  3. Nature is indifferent to the human meanings we attach to it Correct answer.
  4. Nature deliberately punishes those who name its features

Explanation

The sea is said to have no memory of the names humans give its waves; it simply keeps and returns salt. This presents nature as indifferent to human labels and meanings, continuing its own processes regardless. The poem offers no suggestion of punishment, hidden memory, or shared feeling.

Question 39Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "The restaurant's menu runs to nine pages. Every dish is described in loving detail, and every dish arrives at the table lukewarm. The kitchen, it seems, has spent its energy on the writing." What is the writer's implied criticism?

  1. The restaurant cares more about description than about cooking Correct answer.
  2. The menu is too short to offer real choice
  3. The waiters are slow to bring the dishes
  4. The presentation of the food is careless

Explanation

The writer contrasts the elaborate, lovingly written menu with food that arrives lukewarm, then states that the kitchen's energy went into the writing. The implied criticism is a misplaced priority: words are lavished on the menu while the cooking suffers. The final sentence makes the judgement explicit.

Question 40Reading Comprehension (unseen prose and poetry passages)

Read this passage: "My grandmother kept her recipes in her head. When we begged her to write them down, she laughed and said a recipe written on paper is a recipe that has stopped growing. Today the family cooks her dishes, but each version tastes a little different." What does the grandmother's remark most likely mean?

  1. Paper is an unsuitable material for storing food instructions
  2. A recipe fixed in writing cannot be adapted and improved Correct answer.
  3. Written recipes are too difficult for her to read
  4. Her dishes were never meant to be cooked by others

Explanation

The grandmother's image of a recipe that has 'stopped growing' suggests that once set down on paper it can no longer change with each cooking. The final sentence confirms this: her dishes survive but each version varies, which is exactly the growth she valued. Her remark defends living, adaptable practice against fixed record.

Question 41Prose - prescribed NCERT/KSEAB textbook lessons

In the KSEAB/NCERT prose lesson 'A Letter to God', why does Lencho write a second letter, and to whom is it addressed?

  1. To God, asking that the money missing from the first delivery be sent Correct answer.
  2. To the postmaster, thanking him for the money that arrived
  3. To the village priest, requesting a loan to buy seed
  4. To his sons, instructing them to work in the field

Explanation

Lencho counts the money and finds only seventy pesos instead of the hundred he asked for, so he concludes God's messengers must have taken the rest. He therefore writes again to God, asking for the missing amount and warning that the thieves should not be allowed to repeat the act.

Question 42Prose - prescribed NCERT/KSEAB textbook lessons

What quality of Lencho's character is most clearly revealed by his reaction to seeing the rain and then the hailstorm in 'A Letter to God'?

  1. Indifference to the fate of his family
  2. Distrust of the natural world and of farming
  3. Cunning calculation of how to profit from bad weather
  4. Deep faith that survives even when his crop is destroyed Correct answer.

Explanation

Lencho first greets the rain as a blessing and compares the raindrops to new coins, then loses everything to hail. His response is not despair but an unbroken confidence that God will help, which is the faith the story turns on.

Question 43Prose - prescribed NCERT/KSEAB textbook lessons

In 'Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom', what does Mandela mean when he says the oppressor is also a prisoner?

  1. Both jailer and jailed share the same cell block in Pretoria
  2. The oppressor must serve a fixed sentence under the law
  3. The oppressor's freedom is taken away by the hatred and prejudice he lives by Correct answer.
  4. Prisoners and warders receive identical food and clothing

Explanation

Mandela argues that a man who takes away another's freedom is himself robbed, because prejudice and narrow-mindedness imprison him. The image is moral and psychological, not a description of prison accommodation.

Question 44Prose - prescribed NCERT/KSEAB textbook lessons

In 'Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom', the inauguration ceremony is significant because it is held at which site, and what does that site represent?

  1. Robben Island, the place where he was imprisoned
  2. The Union Buildings in Pretoria, where oppressors once ruled and now stood to honour those they had jailed Correct answer.
  3. A village church where he was baptised
  4. The Johannesburg courtroom where he was sentenced

Explanation

Mandela notes that the generals and officers who had once jailed him now saluted him at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the seat of white rule. The setting makes visible the reversal from oppression to democratic government.

Question 45Prose - prescribed NCERT/KSEAB textbook lessons

In 'Dust of Snow' by Robert Frost, what change does the falling dust of snow produce in the speaker?

  1. It makes him angry at the crow for disturbing him
  2. It reminds him of a promise he must keep
  3. It changes his mood and saves part of a day he had rued Correct answer.
  4. It makes him decide to leave the woods at once

Explanation

The crow shakes down snow from a hemlock tree, and this small natural event shifts the speaker's mood. The poem's point is that a trivial incident can redeem a day the speaker had regretted.

Question 46Prose - prescribed NCERT/KSEAB textbook lessons

In 'Fire and Ice' by Robert Frost, what do fire and ice stand for in the poem's argument?

  1. Wealth and poverty among nations
  2. Love and friendship between people
  3. Desire and hatred as forces that could destroy the world Correct answer.
  4. Summer and winter as seasons of the year

Explanation

Frost links fire with desire and ice with hate, and says either could end the world. The poem uses the two elements as symbols of destructive human passions rather than as weather.

Question 47Prose - prescribed NCERT/KSEAB textbook lessons

In 'A Tiger in the Zoo' by Leslie Norris, how is the tiger in the cage contrasted with the tiger in the wild?

  1. The caged tiger is shown sleeping peacefully all day
  2. The wild tiger moves freely and hunts, while the caged one paces a few steps in quiet rage Correct answer.
  3. The caged tiger is fed better and grows stronger
  4. The wild tiger is described as afraid of humans

Explanation

The poem sets the free tiger, sliding through long grass and stalking deer, against the caged tiger that stalks only a few steps in a narrow cell. The contrast exposes the loss of freedom rather than a difference in food.

Question 48Prose - prescribed NCERT/KSEAB textbook lessons

In 'The Ball Poem' by John Berryman, what lesson about loss does the boy learn when his ball bounces into the water?

  1. That friends will always return what they borrow
  2. That money can buy a replacement for anything lost
  3. That water is dangerous and should be avoided
  4. That in a world of possessions, loss must be accepted and one must learn to stand up and go on Correct answer.

Explanation

The poet refuses to offer money or consolation, insisting that the boy must learn the nature of loss in a world of possessions. The experience is described as a lesson in standing up and facing life without the ball.

Question 49Prose - prescribed NCERT/KSEAB textbook lessons

In 'Amanda!' by Robin Klein, what does Amanda wish she were, according to the refrain of the poem?

  1. A teacher instructing noisy children
  2. A famous dancer performing on a stage
  3. A bird that could fly to the city
  4. A mermaid drifting in a quiet sea and an orphan roaming freely Correct answer.

Explanation

Amanda's refrains imagine being a mermaid in a peaceful green sea and an orphan who roams barefoot and free. These wishes express her longing to escape constant nagging and instruction.

Question 50Prose - prescribed NCERT/KSEAB textbook lessons

In 'Animals' by Walt Whitman, why does the poet prefer to live with animals rather than with people?

  1. Animals worship God more regularly than humans do
  2. Animals can speak and explain their thoughts clearly
  3. Animals are better at earning money for their masters
  4. Animals are placid and self-contained, and do not complain about their condition or weep for their sins Correct answer.

Explanation

Whitman lists the qualities he admires: animals are calm, self-contained, and show no dissatisfaction with their lot. He contrasts this with human restlessness, guilt, and endless discussion of duty to God.