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Karnataka SSLC English SL (KSEAB) study materials
Karnataka SSLC English SL (KSEAB) study resources

Karnataka SSLC English SL (KSEAB) practice questions

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Question 1Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the Karnataka SSLC English course, the poem 'The School Boy' is written by which poet?

  1. William Wordsworth
  2. William Blake Correct answer.
  3. John Keats
  4. Robert Frost

Explanation

'The School Boy' appears in the SSLC poetry section and was written by the English Romantic poet William Blake, who included it in his collection Songs of Experience. The poem's speaker is a child who prefers summer freedom to confinement in school.

Question 2Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the SSLC poem 'The School Boy', what does the boy say he loves to do on a summer morning?

  1. To walk to school with his friends
  2. To read his lessons aloud in the garden
  3. To stay in bed until the school bell rings
  4. To rise early and hear the birds sing Correct answer.

Explanation

The opening stanza presents the boy's delight in a summer morning: he loves to rise in the freshness of the day and hear the skylark and the huntsman's horn. The poem contrasts this natural joy with the dullness he feels when forced to sit in the schoolroom.

Question 3Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the poem 'The School Boy', the boy compares being kept in school to which situation?

  1. A plant watered carefully in a garden
  2. A river flowing quietly to the sea
  3. A bird born for joy that is caged and cannot sing Correct answer.
  4. A child learning to read under a tree

Explanation

The boy says he is like a bird born for joy, and if it is born in a cage it cannot sing. The image argues that confining a child in a joyless schoolroom destroys the natural gladness that learning should nurture.

Question 4Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The School Boy', the boy complains that under a cruel teacher he spends the day in what way?

  1. Singing and dancing
  2. Laughing with friends
  3. Sleeping in the shade
  4. Sighing and dismay Correct answer.

Explanation

The boy describes being under a cruel eye, sighing his dismay while the hours pass. The repeated sighing reinforces the poem's protest against joyless discipline that crushes a child's natural cheerfulness.

Question 5Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the poem 'The School Boy', the parents are asked how they can reap joy from a field if they do what?

  1. Blow the blossoms away and strip the buds Correct answer.
  2. Sing to the growing plants
  3. Water the plants every morning
  4. Leave the field untended in winter

Explanation

The final stanzas use the metaphor of a plant: if buds are nipped and blossoms blown away, no fruit can be gathered. The boy warns that crushing a child's natural joy in youth leaves nothing good to harvest in later life.

Question 6Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the story 'The Gentleman of the Jungle' from the SSLC prose section, the man builds his hut at the edge of which place?

  1. A forest Correct answer.
  2. A river
  3. A desert
  4. A mountain

Explanation

The man builds his hut at the edge of a forest, and the elephant later claims part of the hut by force. The setting matters because the animals then use the jungle's own rules of argument against the man.

Question 7Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Gentleman of the Jungle', what does the elephant first ask the man to allow?

  1. To share the man's food every evening
  2. To take the man's land as his own
  3. To teach the animals to build huts
  4. To put his trunk inside the hut for shelter Correct answer.

Explanation

The elephant politely asks to keep only his trunk inside the hut because of the rain, then gradually pushes the man out. This step-by-step encroachment illustrates how a small concession can be used to justify a total takeover.

Question 8Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Gentleman of the Jungle', what is the outcome of the animals' council and the man's case?

  1. The animals agree to share the hut equally
  2. The man is made king of the jungle
  3. The elephant keeps the hut and the man must build elsewhere Correct answer.
  4. The man keeps the hut and the elephant is punished

Explanation

The council, led by the lion and argued by the elephant's friends, decides in the elephant's favour, and the man loses his hut. The ending satirises how legal-sounding procedures can dress up plain injustice.

Question 9Prose and Poetry Comprehension

The title 'The Gentleman of the Jungle' is ironic mainly because the elephant behaves in what way?

  1. He gives the man gifts before leaving
  2. He uses polite manners to justify taking another's home Correct answer.
  3. He apologises and returns the hut
  4. He refuses to speak at the council of animals

Explanation

The elephant speaks courteously and appeals to the council, yet his aim is to seize the man's hut. The word 'gentleman' is therefore ironic: courtesy is used as a cover for greed and injustice.

Question 10Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the SSLC prose piece about the old man and the sea from the textbook, the central conflict is between the fisherman and what?

  1. A giant fish he struggles to land Correct answer.
  2. A tax collector who demands money
  3. A storm that destroys his boat
  4. A rival fisherman in his village

Explanation

The excerpt centres on the old fisherman's long, exhausting struggle with a huge fish he has hooked far out at sea. His endurance and dignity in the face of defeat form the passage's main theme.

Question 11Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Old Man and the Sea' excerpt, what does the old fisherman say about a man being destroyed?

  1. A man can never be destroyed at all
  2. A man is destroyed by the sea alone
  3. A man is defeated when he loses his boat
  4. A man can be destroyed but not defeated Correct answer.

Explanation

The old man insists that although a man may be destroyed, he need not be defeated in spirit. This line captures the theme of endurance and personal dignity even when the outward struggle is lost.

Question 12Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the poem 'The Solitary Reaper', the speaker hears a young woman doing what?

  1. Fetching water from a well
  2. Weaving cloth beside a river
  3. Reaping grain and singing in a field Correct answer.
  4. Herding cattle on a hillside

Explanation

The speaker comes upon a Highland girl alone in a field, cutting and binding grain while singing. Her song fills the valley and holds the poet's attention long after he passes.

Question 13Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Solitary Reaper', the speaker compares the reaper's voice to which two birds?

  1. The cuckoo and the dove
  2. The skylark and the thrush
  3. The nightingale and the cuckoo Correct answer.
  4. The nightingale and the lark

Explanation

The poet says her voice is more welcome than that of the nightingale to weary travellers and more thrilling than the cuckoo's song in spring. These comparisons stress the extraordinary beauty and reach of her singing.

Question 14Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Solitary Reaper', the speaker cannot understand the words of the song and guesses that it may be about what?

  1. Her love for a sailor at sea
  2. Old, unhappy things and battles long ago Correct answer.
  3. The harvest festival of the village
  4. The beauty of the Highland hills

Explanation

Since the song is in an unfamiliar Gaelic strain, the speaker imagines it may tell of old sorrows, distant battles, or ordinary loss. This uncertainty deepens the mystery and lasting effect of the music on him.

Question 15Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the poem 'The Solitary Reaper', what remains with the speaker after he leaves the valley?

  1. A promise to return next spring
  2. A written copy of the words
  3. The music of the song in his memory Correct answer.
  4. A flower the reaper gave him

Explanation

The speaker says the music lingered in his heart long after he rode away, even though he could not understand it. The poem thus celebrates the emotional power of song that outlasts the moment of hearing.

Question 16Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the SSLC poem 'The Blind Boy', what does the blind boy say he is grateful for?

  1. That he never knew the loss of sight Correct answer.
  2. That his friends describe the world to him
  3. That he can read books by touch
  4. That he will one day see again

Explanation

The blind boy reasons that because he was born blind, he has never felt the pain of losing sight, and so he can be content. The poem turns on this argument about gratitude and the way we measure loss.

Question 17Prose and Poetry Comprehension

What central argument does the blind boy make in the poem 'The Blind Boy'?

  1. Sight is less valuable than the other senses
  2. Those who lose a blessing suffer more than those who never had it Correct answer.
  3. Only children can bear misfortune cheerfully
  4. Blindness is a punishment for wrongdoing

Explanation

The boy argues that his sorrow would be greater if he had once seen and then lost his sight. The poem uses this logic to explore how people measure grief by what they have lost rather than by what they lack.

Question 18Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the poem 'The Blind Boy', the boy says that though he cannot see, he can still do what?

  1. Draw pictures of the sky
  2. Run through the fields alone
  3. Hear, and feel the warmth of the sun Correct answer.
  4. Recognise faces by their voices

Explanation

The boy notes that he can still hear sounds and enjoy the warmth of the sun, so his world is not empty. The poem balances the loss of sight against the pleasures that remain available to him.

Question 19Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the prose lesson on the value of books and reading, the writer argues that reading mainly helps a person to do what?

  1. Avoid conversation with other people
  2. Think independently and understand others Correct answer.
  3. Collect facts for competitions
  4. Earn higher marks in examinations

Explanation

The lesson presents reading as a means of developing independent thought and sympathy for other lives. It treats books as companions that widen experience rather than as tools for scoring marks.

Question 20Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the SSLC lesson on the environment, what does the writer say is the chief cause of the damage described?

  1. The migration of birds and animals
  2. Natural disasters such as earthquakes
  3. The growth of forests in cities
  4. Human greed and careless use of resources Correct answer.

Explanation

The lesson blames human greed and thoughtless exploitation of natural resources for environmental harm. It urges readers to adopt responsible habits rather than blaming natural events.

Question 21Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the poem 'The Road Not Taken', the speaker says the two roads that morning were covered with what?

  1. Mud from heavy rain the day before
  2. Stones laid by travellers
  3. Fresh snow from an overnight storm
  4. Leaves that no step had trodden black Correct answer.

Explanation

The speaker describes the roads as lying in leaves that no step had trodden black, so both looked equally untravelled. This detail supports the poem's point that the choice is difficult because the alternatives seem alike.

Question 22Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Road Not Taken', the speaker says that choosing the less travelled road has made what difference?

  1. All the difference in his life Correct answer.
  2. A difference only to his friends
  3. No difference at all
  4. Only a small, temporary change

Explanation

The poem ends by saying the choice of the less travelled road made all the difference. The line is often read ironically, since the speaker admits the roads were really much the same.

Question 23Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Road Not Taken', why is the speaker's later account of his choice considered unreliable?

  1. He followed a friend's advice
  2. He forgot which road he chose
  3. He admits the two roads were worn about equally Correct answer.
  4. He never actually walked on either road

Explanation

The speaker confesses that the passing there had worn both roads really about the same. Because the roads were nearly identical, his future story of choosing the 'less travelled' one is a romanticised version of a chance decision.

Question 24Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the SSLC poem 'The Village Schoolmaster', the villagers are described as being able to do what when the schoolmaster frowns?

  1. Predict the coming of rain
  2. Hear thunder in the sky
  3. Close the school for the day
  4. Read his mood in his face Correct answer.

Explanation

The villagers are said to be able to read the schoolmaster's mood from his face, whether he frowns or smiles. This humorous detail shows how closely the community watches and judges its teacher.

Question 25Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Village Schoolmaster', what does the poet suggest about the schoolmaster's learning and his skill at argument?

  1. He taught only music and poetry
  2. He left the village after a quarrel
  3. He was strict but could argue skilfully and was respected Correct answer.
  4. He knew nothing and was mocked by the village

Explanation

Goldsmith portrays the schoolmaster as severe yet learned, able to argue with the parson and command respect. The portrait mixes gentle humour with genuine admiration for the village teacher.

Question 26Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the SSLC prose lesson 'The Gift of the Magi', what does Della decide to sell in order to buy Jim a Christmas present?

  1. Her gold watch
  2. Her embroidered shawl
  3. Her long hair Correct answer.
  4. Her mother's brooch

Explanation

Della has only $1.87 and cannot bear to give Jim a poor gift, so she goes to Madame Sofronie and sells her long, beautiful hair. The sale gives her the money to buy the platinum fob chain for Jim's watch.

Question 27Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Gift of the Magi', what does Jim reveal when he comes home and sees Della's short hair?

  1. That he has lost his job
  2. That he has bought her a set of combs Correct answer.
  3. That he has sold his coat
  4. That he has invited guests for dinner

Explanation

Jim is stunned because he has sold his watch to buy the tortoise-shell combs Della had admired. The combs are now useless to her, just as the fob chain is useless to him, creating the story's central irony.

Question 28Prose and Poetry Comprehension

What point does the narrator make about the Magi at the close of 'The Gift of the Magi'?

  1. That the young couple were wise because they gave sacrificially Correct answer.
  2. That gifts should always be useful to the receiver
  3. That the Magi invented the custom of Christmas trees
  4. That they were foolish to bring gifts to a child

Explanation

The narrator calls Della and Jim the wisest of all gift-givers because they gave out of love and sacrifice, like the Magi. Their gifts were useless in practical terms yet supremely valuable in meaning.

Question 29Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the SSLC prose extract from 'A Tiger in the House', what is the name of the tiger cub that Grandfather finds and raises?

  1. Sher Singh
  2. Moti
  3. Raja
  4. Timothy Correct answer.

Explanation

Grandfather names the cub Timothy and keeps him as a household pet, feeding him milk and letting him play with the children. The name recurs throughout the extract as the cub grows.

Question 30Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'A Tiger in the House', why does Grandfather decide that Timothy must be sent to a zoo?

  1. Because Timothy refused to eat the food given at home
  2. Because the cub had grown too large and dangerous for the house Correct answer.
  3. Because the zoo offered to buy him at a high price
  4. Because the neighbours complained about the noise

Explanation

As Timothy grows, his wild nature becomes harder to manage, and Grandfather recognises that a full-grown tiger cannot safely live in a home. The transfer to a zoo is presented as a necessary, if painful, decision.

Question 31Prose and Poetry Comprehension

What happens when Grandfather later visits the zoo in 'A Tiger in the House'?

  1. A tiger attacks him and he is rescued
  2. Timothy recognises him and licks his hand
  3. He learns that the tiger he raised has died and been replaced Correct answer.
  4. He is refused entry because he has no ticket

Explanation

Grandfather is told that the original Timothy died of illness and that another tiger now occupies the cage. The animal he greets is therefore not the cub he raised, which gives the scene its pathos.

Question 32Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the poem 'The Listeners', what does the Traveller do after knocking on the moonlit door?

  1. He rides away without waiting
  2. He stands still and listens for an answer Correct answer.
  3. He enters the house and searches every room
  4. He calls out the name of the owner

Explanation

The Traveller knocks repeatedly and then waits, listening, but only a silent host of phantom listeners answers. His stillness and repeated knocking create the poem's eerie atmosphere.

Question 33Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Listeners', what does the poet say the phantom listeners do as the Traveller stands on the stairs?

  1. They sing a song to welcome him
  2. They open the door and greet him
  3. They light a lamp in the window
  4. They stand listening to his voice in the silence Correct answer.

Explanation

The poem describes a 'host of phantom listeners' that stand in the dark, hearing the Traveller's voice but never answering. Their silent attention is what gives the poem its ghostly tension.

Question 34Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Listeners', what is the effect of the line 'And the silence surged softly backward'?

  1. It suggests that the silence itself becomes a living, moving presence Correct answer.
  2. It proves that the listeners are ordinary villagers
  3. It shows that the Traveller has finally heard an answer
  4. It indicates that the house is being repaired

Explanation

The personification of silence as something that 'surges' gives the emptiness a palpable, almost physical quality. It reinforces the sense that the unseen listeners absorb the Traveller's voice and return only stillness.

Question 35Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the poem 'The Village Schoolmaster', what does Goldsmith say the villagers did when they saw the schoolmaster angry?

  1. They stopped sending their children to school
  2. They laughed at him openly
  3. They wondered how his small head could carry so much knowledge Correct answer.
  4. They reported him to the landlord

Explanation

The villagers marvelled that such a small head could hold so much learning, even when his temper showed. Their awe mixes amusement with respect for his scholarship.

Question 36Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Village Schoolmaster', how does Goldsmith describe the schoolmaster's skill in argument?

  1. He argued only in Latin
  2. He could argue so well that he could prove almost anything Correct answer.
  3. He always lost arguments to the villagers
  4. He avoided arguments entirely

Explanation

The poet says the schoolmaster could 'argue well' and could 'prove' his point even when the villagers were sure he was wrong. The hyperbole gently satirises his love of debate while acknowledging his cleverness.

Question 37Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Village Schoolmaster', what remains after the schoolmaster's death, according to the poet?

  1. A large monument in the churchyard
  2. A book of his poems
  3. The memory of his learning and his sayings Correct answer.
  4. A school building named after him

Explanation

Goldsmith notes that the schoolmaster's learning and his memorable sayings linger in the villagers' memory even after he is gone. The poem closes on the endurance of his reputation rather than any physical memorial.

Question 38Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the SSLC prose lesson on the value of books and reading, which quality does the writer most associate with a good reader?

  1. The ability to read quickly and finish many books
  2. The preference for reading only one kind of book
  3. The habit of reading thoughtfully and reflecting on what is read Correct answer.
  4. The wish to memorise passages for examinations

Explanation

The lesson stresses that reading is valuable when it is thoughtful and reflective, not merely fast or wide. A good reader engages with ideas and lets them shape understanding.

Question 39Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the SSLC lesson on the environment, what does the writer suggest individuals should do about environmental damage?

  1. Take small, practical steps in daily life Correct answer.
  2. Move to cities to avoid polluted areas
  3. Wait for governments to act before changing anything
  4. Ignore the problem because it is too large

Explanation

The lesson argues that environmental protection begins with individual responsibility and small daily actions. Collective change grows from personal habits rather than from waiting for others.

Question 40Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the poem 'The Solitary Reaper', what does the speaker say about the reaper's song in relation to time?

  1. It was sung only at sunset
  2. It lasted only a few moments
  3. It seemed to go on endlessly as she worked Correct answer.
  4. It stopped whenever he approached

Explanation

The speaker says the song seemed to have no ending as the reaper bent over her work, filling the valley. Its seeming endlessness is part of what makes it haunting to him.

Question 41Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Solitary Reaper', what does the speaker finally do at the end of the poem?

  1. He asks the reaper to sing again
  2. He carries the music in his heart as he moves on Correct answer.
  3. He writes down the words of the song
  4. He climbs the hill to listen more closely

Explanation

The speaker leaves the valley but says the music stays with him long after he is out of sight and sound. The memory of the song, not the song itself, becomes the poem's lasting gift.

Question 42Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the SSLC prose piece 'The Eyes Have It', what misunderstanding does the narrator reveal about his fellow passenger?

  1. He assumes she can see, though she is blind Correct answer.
  2. He believes she is a man
  3. He believes she is travelling to the same town
  4. He thinks she is a teacher

Explanation

The narrator, himself blind, assumes his companion can see and describes the scenery to her. The twist reveals that she too is blind, making his descriptions both ironic and poignant.

Question 43Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Eyes Have It', why does the narrator describe the scenery in such detail to his companion?

  1. Because he wants to impress her with his knowledge
  2. Because he wants to test whether she is blind
  3. Because the guard has asked him to do so
  4. Because he is pretending to be able to see Correct answer.

Explanation

The narrator conceals his own blindness and invents descriptions of the landscape to keep up the pretence of sight. The irony is that his companion is also blind and may be doing the same thing.

Question 44Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the poem 'The Blind Boy', what does the boy say about the sun?

  1. That it is colder than the moon
  2. That he can feel its warmth though he cannot see it Correct answer.
  3. That it is always hidden from him
  4. That it rises only at night

Explanation

The blind boy says he feels the sun's warmth and knows its presence even without sight. This shows his contentment and his ability to find joy through other senses.

Question 45Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Blind Boy', what attitude does the boy express about his blindness?

  1. Indifference to everything around him
  2. Cheerful acceptance and gratitude for what he has Correct answer.
  3. Constant fear of the dark
  4. Bitter resentment towards those who can see

Explanation

The boy's tone is calm and contented; he says he is grateful for what he can feel and hear. The poem presents his cheerfulness as a lesson in acceptance.

Question 46Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the poem 'The Road Not Taken', what reason does the speaker give for choosing one road over the other?

  1. Someone had told him it led to a better place
  2. It seemed slightly less worn and more inviting Correct answer.
  3. It was clearly more beautiful than the other
  4. It was shorter and easier to walk

Explanation

The speaker says the second road was grassy and wanted wear, though he admits the passing there had worn them about the same. His choice rests on a slight, perhaps imagined, difference.

Question 47Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In 'The Road Not Taken', what does the speaker say about the road he did not take?

  1. He knows he will never return to it Correct answer.
  2. He plans to take it on another day
  3. He regrets not taking it every day
  4. He forgot about it completely

Explanation

The speaker reflects that knowing how way leads on to way, he doubts he will ever come back. This acknowledgement of life's irreversible choices underlies the poem's theme.

Question 48Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the poem 'The Solitary Reaper', the speaker says the reaper's voice is more welcome than that of which creature?

  1. The thrush
  2. The lark
  3. The nightingale Correct answer.
  4. The cuckoo

Explanation

The speaker says no nightingale ever welcomed weary travellers with a song more welcome than hers. The nightingale is the conventional bird of beautiful song, so the comparison elevates the reaper.

Question 49Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the prose lesson 'The Gentleman of the Jungle', how does the man's appeal to the animals' council reflect the lesson's view of justice?

  1. Justice is shown to favour whoever speaks most loudly
  2. Justice is shown to be fair to all parties equally
  3. Justice is shown to depend on written laws alone
  4. Justice is shown to be twisted by power and self-interest Correct answer.

Explanation

The man's case is argued reasonably, yet the council of animals rules in favour of the powerful elephant. The lesson uses this to suggest that justice can be manipulated by those who hold power.

Question 50Prose and Poetry Comprehension

In the SSLC poem 'The Blind Boy', the speaker says he is happy though blind. Which statement best explains the reason he gives for this contentment?

  1. He values the kindness of other people more than the gift of eyesight.
  2. He believes his blindness will be cured if he prays sincerely enough.
  3. He thinks that sighted people are troubled by more sorrows than he is.
  4. He has never known sight, so he cannot miss what he has never possessed. Correct answer.

Explanation

The poem's argument is that the boy's cheerfulness rests on ignorance of what sight would be like: since he was born blind, he has no memory of light to grieve over. He asks others not to pity him, because a loss he has never experienced cannot be felt as a loss. This makes his contentment a matter of never having known sight, not of prayer, gratitude to others, or comparison with the sorrows of the sighted.