English Question Paper 2025 [AHSEC Class 11 English Question Papers]

English Question Paper 2025
[AHSEC Class 11 English Question Papers]

Full Marks: 90

Pass Marks: 27

Time: 3 hours

The figures in the margin indicate full marks for the questions.

ALLOTMENT OF MARKS

Q. Nos. 1 and 2: [Section—A (Reading)] → 20 Marks

Q. Nos. 3–5: [Section—B (Writing)] → 20 Marks

Q. Nos. 6–8: [Section—C (Grammar)] → 10 Marks

Q. Nos. 9–14: [Section—D (Textual Questions)] → 40 Marks

Total = 90 Marks

SECTION–A (Reading)

1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

1. The New Year is a time for resolutions. Mentally, at least, most of us could compile formidable lists of do's and don'ts. The same old favourites recur year in and year out with monotonous regularity. We resolve to get up earlier each morning, eat less, find more time to play with the children, do a thousand and one jobs about the house, be nice to people we don't like, drive carefully and take the dog for a walk every day. Past experience has taught us that certain accomplishments are beyond attainment,—If we remain deep-rooted liars, it is only because we have so often experienced the frustration that results from failure.

2. Most of us fail in our efforts at self-improvement because our schemes are too ambitious and we never have time to carry them out. We also make the fundamental error of announcing our resolutions to everybody so that we look even more foolish when we slip back into our bad old ways. Aware of these pitfalls, this year I attempted to keep my resolutions to myself. I limited myself to two modest ambitions: to do physical exercise every morning and to read more every evening. An all-night party on New Year's Eve provided me with a good excuse for not carrying out either of these new resolutions on the first day of the year, but on the second, I applied myself assiduously to the task.

3. The daily exercise lasted only eleven minutes and I proposed to do them early in the morning before anyone had got up. The self-discipline required to drag myself out of bed eleven minutes earlier than usual was considerable. Nevertheless, I managed to creep down into the living-room for two days before anyone found me out. After jumping about on the carpet and twisting the human frame into uncomfortable positions, I sat down at the breakfast table in an exhausted condition. It was this that betrayed me. The next morning the whole family trooped in to watch the performance. That was really upsetting but I fended off the taunts and jibes of the family good humorously and soon everybody got used to the idea. However, my enthusiasm waned, the time I spent at exercise gradually diminished. Little by little the eleven minutes fell to zero. By 10th January, I was back to where I had started from. I argued that if I spent less time exhausting myself at exercise in the morning, I would keep my mind fresh for reading when I got home from work. Resisting the hypnotizing effect of television, I sat in my room for a few evenings with my eyes glued to a book. One night, however, feeling cold and lonely, I went downstairs and sat in front of the television pretending to read. That proved to be my undoing, for I soon got back to the old habit of dozing off in front of the screen. I still haven't given up my resolution to do more reading. In fact, I have just bought a book entitled "How to Read a Thousand Words a Minute." Perhaps it will solve my problem, but I just haven't had time to read it.

Questions:

(a) What is a time for resolution? – 1

(b) What, according to the writer, past experiences of resolution have taught us? – 1

(d) Why do most of us fail in our efforts at self-improvement? – 2

(e) How long did the writer's exercise last? – 1

(f) What are the two modest ambitions that the writer limited himself with? – 2

(g) What argument does the writer give for spending less time in exercising? – 1

(h) Pick out the words from the passage that mean the following: (1×2 = 2)

(i) Achievements (ii) Humble

2. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

1. Social media is a medium for communication and content creation, allowing users to share information, opinions, ideas, and much more. Social media is the communal interaction among people in which they create, share or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities. It is the basic need and quality of human beings to be social. The current generation is fortunate enough to witness some of the most amazing technological developments ever in history. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more are giving people a chance to connect with each other across distances. In other words, the whole world is at our fingertips, all thanks to social media. The youth is especially one of the most dominant users of social media.

2. Social media has transformed how we connect. Due to busy lives and geographical distances, people now rely on technology to maintain relationships. Social networking sites and apps have revolutionized communication by allowing users to share information and ideas globally through interactive platforms. These sites, accessible from desktops, laptops, and mobile phones, are popular due to their features and ease of use. Social media is an excellent educational tool. All the information one requires is just a click away. Students can educate themselves on various topics using social media. Moreover, live lectures are now possible because of social media. One can attend a lecture happening in America while sitting in India. One is always updated on the latest happenings of the world through it. It has the potential to increase public awareness of a range of societal issues. Distance is not a barrier anymore because of social media. Most importantly, it also provides a great platform for young budding artists to showcase their talent for free. One can get great opportunities for employment through social media too. As a result of the quick rise and extension of digital marketing, social media has played an essential part in this expansion. People may learn a great deal and stay up-to-date with the newest news worldwide by utilizing this.

3. But there is always a drawback to every good that comes with it, no matter how beneficial it is. Social media has caused addiction to users. If the use of social media is not monitored, it can lead to grave consequences. It is harmful because it invades one's privacy like never before. Users of social media are becoming victims of fraudulent and online scams that seem to be genuine. It also leads to cyberbullying which affects any person significantly. Students, too, are exceedingly active on social media sites these days, limiting them from academic as well as outdoor activities, which hampers with their academic performance. Social media also creates communal rifts. Fake news is spread with the use of it, which poisons the mind of peace-loving citizens.

4. Social media, thus, has both advantages and disadvantages. But it all depends on the user at the end. The youth must particularly create a balance between their academic performances, physical activities, and social media. Excess use of anything is harmful and the same thing applies to social media too. Therefore, by managing the social media habits and focusing on real-life interactions, one can enjoy the benefits of social media without letting it overwhelm their lives.

Questions:

(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make note on it and add a suitable title. – 6

(b) Make a summary of the above passage in about 80 words. – 4

SECTION – B (Writing)
[Total Marks: 20]

3. You are arranging an Educational Tour to Tezpur in the last week of April. Describe your preparations to your classmates in about 100 words.

Your school/college observed the ‘World Environment Day’ on 5th June. The students took part in a plantation programme and took out a rally to create awareness among the people. Prepare a report, in about 100 words, on the event to be published in your school/college magazine. [Marks: 6]

4. Your school is organizing an Inter-School/Inter-College Sports Meet. Write a speech to be delivered as the inaugural speech on the topic: “The Importance of Sports for Holistic Growth”.

Write an article for your school/college magazine on the topic: “The Importance of Cleanliness in the School/College Campus”. [Marks: 6]

5. You are Rishav/Riju. You have seen an advertisement in a local daily for the post of an Assistant Teacher in a Primary School in Goalpara. Write an application, with complete biodata, to the Headmaster of the school submitting your candidature for the post.

Write a letter to the Editor of The Assam Tribune, drawing attention of the authorities concerned to the erratic power supply in your locality. You are Neelav/Namrata. [Marks: 8]

SECTION – C (Grammar)
[Total Marks: 10]

6. (a) Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners (any two):

(i) The ______ Brahmaputra flows by the side of Guwahati.

(ii) I saw ______ one-rupee coin on the road.

(iii) ______ milk on the bottle is spilled. [½ × 2 = 1]

(b) Rewrite any two of the following sentences with the correct forms of the verbs given in the brackets:

(i) When we went out, it still ______. (rain)

(ii) My friend ______ here tomorrow. (come)

(iii) The match ______ before we reached the stadium. (start) [½ × 2 = 1]

(i) When I was young, I ______ run faster. (ability)

(ii) All candidates ______ bring their admit cards on the day of the examination. (compulsion) [½ × 2 = 1]

(d) Correct the following:

(i) He knows to swim.

(ii) Each of the boys were given a pen by the teachers. [1 × 2 = 2]

7. (a) Complete the following piece of conversation by choosing the correct alternatives from the brackets: Ruhi said to Rohan, “______ (What/Why) are you doing now? ______ (Don’t/Haven’t) you finished reading the book?” Rohan replied, “I ______ (have/may) finished reading the book. Now, I am writing an essay as part of my ______ (preparing/preparation) for the examination.” [2 marks]

(b) Rewrite the following sentences as directed:

(i) He wants me to go. (Turn it into a complex sentence)

(ii) Only those boys who are industrious can shine in life. (Rewrite it as a simple sentence) [1 × 2 = 2]

8. Rearrange the words in the following to form meaningful sentences:

(a) on / my bicycle / to / go / I / used to / my / school

(b) the / an / truth / honest / speaks / man / always [1 × 2 = 2]

SECTION – D (Textual Questions)
[Total Marks: 40]

9. Read any one of the stanzas given below and answer the questions that follow:

(a) The cardboard shows me how it was

When two girl cousins went paddling,

Each one holding one of my mother’s hands,

And she the big girl—some twelve years or so.

All three stood still to smile through their hair

At the uncle with the camera.

Questions:

(i) What does the ‘cardboard’ refer to? – 1

(ii) Who was the big girl? – 1

(iii) Who were holding the hands of the poet’s mother? – 1

(iv) Who clicked the photograph? – 1

(v) Write briefly what the girls did on the sea beach. – 4

(b) And who art thou? said I to the soft-falling shower,

Which, strange to tell, gave me an answer, as here translated:

I am the Poem of Earth, said the voice of the rain,

Eternal I rise impalpable out of the land and

The bottomless sea, upward to heaven, whence, vaguely formed,

altogether changed, and yet the same.

Questions:

(i) Where do these lines occur? 1

(ii) To whom does the speaker address? 1

(iii) Who says, “I am the Poem of Earth”? 1

(iv) Why is the sea called ‘bottomless’? 1

(v) What is the meaning of ‘Eternal I rise impalpable’? 4

10. Answer any three of the following questions:

(a) Why would the poet’s mother laugh at the snapshot? 2

(b) Whom do you hold responsible for the atmosphere of mutual distrust that prevails between the father and the son? 2

(d) What are the poet’s feelings towards childhood? 2
(e) How is the cyclic movement of rain presented in the poem, The Voice of the Rain? 2
(f) Why does the poet say that his childhood went to some forgotten land? 2
(g) How is the father’s helplessness brought out in the poem, Father to Son? 2
(h) When was the photo taken? What did it show? 2 [Marks: 2 × 3 = 6]

11. Answer any five of the following questions:

(a) How do you know that the author’s grandmother was a deeply religious person? 2

(b) How did the grandmother celebrate the homecoming of the author? 2

(c) Contrast the Chinese view of the art with the European view. 2
(d) What do you understand by ‘sustainable development’? 2
(e) What are Yin and Yang? 2
(f) What does Verrier Elwin say about the hospitality of Assamese people? 2
(g) Why is the growing population worldwide detrimental to the earth’s health? 2
(h) What are the things that Verrier Elwin loves about Assam? 2 [Marks: 2 × 5 = 10]

12. “Man is the biggest enemy of mankind. Deforestation has become his habit.” Elaborate. 6

Write, in your own words, about the author’s life with his grandmother at their village home. 6

13. Answer any one of the following questions:

(a) What factors made Einstein’s life in Munich miserable? What did he realize after six months? 6
(b) Narrate the events leading to Ranga’s marriage. 6

14. Answer any two of the following questions:

(a) Why was Ranga’s homecoming a great event? 2

(b) Describe the quality of mangoes of Hosahalli village. 2

(d) What was Mr. Koch’s opinion about Albert? 2 [Marks: 2 × 2 = 4]

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English Question Paper 2025 [AHSEC Class 11 English Question Papers]