Maharashtra SSC English (First Language) Board Paper March 2025

Q.1 (A) A1. Do as directed (any four) : (4 marks)

(1) Pick out the infinitive from the following sentence : He was asking to go for the concert.

(2) Identify the type of the sentence : Get out and wait in the yard.

(3) Arrange the following words in alphabetical order : inventions, inequality, indisputable, interactions.

(4) Complete the word chain of nouns : Podium, m ........, ........, ........, ........

(5) Punctuate the following sentence : can you cook

Q.1 (A) A2. Do as directed (any two) : (4 marks)

(1) Rewrite the following sentence in Past Perfect Continuous Tense : I am doing my bit.

(2) Make a word register of four words related to : ‘Bank’

(3) The king executed the bearded man’s brother. (Begin the sentence with ‘The bearded man’s brother ........’)

Q.1 (B) Do as directed (any one) : (2 marks)

(1) A diamond is one of the most precious stones. (Complete the following sentences with the help of the above sentence)
(a) Very few stones ........ (b) A diamond is more ........

(2) Make two sentences by using the given word as a noun and as a verb without changing its form : “approach”

Q.2 (A) Read the following passage and do the given activities : (10 marks)

As of 2009, there are 890 World Heritage Sites that are located in 148 countries (map). 689 of these sites are cultural and include places like the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Historic Center of Vienna in Austria. 176 are natural and feature such locations as the U.S.’s Yellowstone and Grand Canyon National Parks. 25 of the World Heritage Sites are considered mixed i.e. natural and cultural Peru’s Machu Picchu is one of these. Italy has the highest number of World Heritage Sites with 44. India has 36 (28 cultural, 7 natural and 1 mixed) World Heritage Sites. The World Heritage Committee has divided the world’s countries into five geographic zones which include (1) Africa, (2) Arab States, (3) Asia Pacific (including Australia and Oceania), (4) Europe and North America and (5) Latin America and the Caribbean.

WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN DANGER

Like many natural, historic and cultural sites around the world, many World Heritage Sites are in danger of being destroyed or lost due to war, poaching, natural disasters like earthquakes, uncontrolled urbanization, heavy tourist traffic and environmental factors like air pollution and acid rain.

A1. Match the World Heritage Sites given in Column ‘A’ with the names of the countries given in Column ‘B’ : (2)
Column ‘A’ (World Heritage Sites): (i) Machu Picchu (ii) Sydney Opera House (iii) Yellowstone National Park (iv) Historic Centre of Vienna
Column ‘B’ (Countries): (a) Australia (b) Austria (c) The U.S. (d) Peru

A2. Complete the following web : Dangers to the World Heritage Sites (four boxes) (2)

A3. Classify the following words in the given table (Adjectives / Verbs) : (natural, allocate, protect, heavy) (2)

A4. Do as directed : (2)
(i) Pick out the subordinate clause and name it : There are 890 World Heritage Sites that are located in 148 countries. (1)
(ii) World Heritage Sites are in danger. (Frame a Verbal Question) (1)

A5. How can we preserve our Historical monuments ? (2)

Q.2 (B) Read the following passage and do the given activities : (10 marks)

I give the biggest credit of this honour to my movement’s Kaalu Kumar, Dhoom Das and Adarsh Kishore from India and Iqbal Masih from Pakistan who made the supreme sacrifice for protecting the freedom and dignity of children. I humbly accept this award on behalf of all such martyrs, my fellow activists across the world and my countrymen.

My journey from the great land of Lord Buddha, Guru Nanak and Mahatma Gandhi; India to Norway is a connect between the two centres of global peace and brotherhood, ancient and modern.

Friends, the Nobel Committee has generously invited me to present a “lecture.” Respectfully, I am unable to do that. Because, I am representing here — the sound of silence. The cry of innocence. And, the face of invisibility. I represent millions of those children who are left behind and that’s why I have kept an empty chair here as a reminder.

I have come here only to share the voices and dreams of our children – because they are all our children – (gesture to everyone in the audience). I have looked into their frightened and exhausted eyes. I have held their injured bodies and felt their broken spirits.

B1. Complete the activity : Names of the people given credit by the speaker – (i) ........ (ii) ........ (iii) ........ (iv) ........ (2)

B2. Fill up the boxes : (i) Two centres of global peace : [ ] [ ] (1) (ii) The speaker represents : [ ] [ ] (1)

B3. (i) Write the antonyms of the following words by adding prefixes : (a) honour × ........ (b) broken × ........ (1)
(ii) Give one word for the following from the passage : (a) a person who works for social change. (b) a person who sacrifices his/her life for the country. (1)

B4. Do as directed : (2)
(i) I humbly accept this award on behalf of all such martyrs. (Pick out two determiners)
(ii) I have held their injured bodies and felt their broken spirits. (Rewrite the sentence by using ‘not only–but also’)

B5. Would you like to be a social worker when you grow up ? Why ? (2)

Q.3 (A) Read the following extract and do the given activities : (5 marks)

More candles, more lanterns, more neighbours,
more insects, and the endless rain.
My mother twisted through and through,
groaning on a mat.
My father, sceptic, rationalist,
trying every curse and blessing,
powder, mixture, herb and hybrid.
He even poured a little paraffin
upon the bitten toe and put a match to it.
I watched the flame feeding on my mother.
I watched the holy man perform his rites to tame the
poison with an incantation.
After twenty hours
it lost its sting.
My mother only said
Thank God the scorpion picked on me
And spared my children.

A1. State whether the following statements are true or false : (2)
(i) The narrator’s father was a rationalist –
(ii) It was summer when the incident took place –
(iii) Mother found relief after twenty hours –
(iv) Mother thanked the neighbours for sparing her children –

A2. What were the efforts taken by the father and the holy man to reduce the pain of the mother ? (2)

A3. Find out an example of ‘Antithesis’ from the extract : (1)

Q.3 (B) Appreciation of the poem : (5 marks)

Read the following poem and write an appreciation of it with the help of the given points in a paragraph format :

Where the Mind is Without Fear......

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by Thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
— Rabindranath Tagore

Points : Title (½) • The poet (½) • Rhyme scheme (1) • Figures of speech (1) • Central Idea/Theme (2)

Q.4 (A) Read the following passage and do the activities : (10 marks)

The term RANGOLI is derived from ‘Rang’ (colour) + ‘aavalli’ (row of colours). Rangoli is an age old traditional folk art done across India. The term rangoli refers to designs made with coloured powders on the ground in front of the house. In some parts of the country, the designs are done on walls and even on ceilings. The designs vary in different parts of India but the basic methodology remains the same in all the areas. The designs are mostly geometric and symmetrical, while some natural elements like flowers, birds etc. may be included.

The rural and urban women of India have kept this art alive by passing the expertise down through the generations. These are decorative designs made on floors at the time of Hindu festivals.

Traditionally, such floor decorations were done only on auspicious occasions or festivals. But today they are done on any occasions like; wedding, birthday parties, opening ceremonies etc. Different Indian states have different ways of Rangoli-painting and also have different names in their regional or local languages. For example :
Maharashtra — Rangoli
Tamil Nadu — Kolam
Uttar Pradesh — Chowkpurna
Andhra Pradesh — Mugullu

The traditional material used for rangoli is rice flour so as to offer food to the ants, the birds and the squirrels. Even coloured rice can be used for the purpose. It is pretty simple to get rice coloured with food colours readily available in the market.

Nowadays white stone powder is used for making Rangoli.

Saw dust can also be used to make Rangoli patterns; its advantage is that it floats on water; which can be utilized to create Floating Rangoli patterns.

A1. Complete the following sentences with the help of the passage : (2)
(i) Rangoli is an ........ .
(ii) ........ remains the same in all the areas.
(iii) The traditional material used for rangoli is ........ .
(iv) Nowadays ........ is used for making Rangoli.

A2. Pick out the sentences that prove the following : (2)
(i) Art of rangoli has been kept alive by women.
(ii) It is easy to get coloured rice for rangoli.

A3. Choose the correct options from the bracket and fill the blanks : (occasion, derived, tradition, purpose) (2)
(i) The English word ‘Grass’ has been ........ from the Sanskrit word ‘Ghas’.
(ii) The main ........ of Dr. Patel’s life is to educate poor and needy children.
(iii) It is a ........ to apply mehendi to the bride before the wedding day.
(iv) The school had organized a parade on the ........ of Independence Day.

A4. Do as directed : (2)
(i) The designs vary in different parts of India but the basic methodology remains the same in all. (Rewrite the sentence beginning with ‘Though’) (1)
(ii) These are decorative designs made on floors at the time of Hindu Festival. (Pick out prepositions) (1)

A5. Should we follow such traditions in our life ? Why ? Why not ? (2)

Q.4 (B) Summary Writing : (5 marks)

Write a short summary of the passage given in Q. No. 4(A) and suggest a suitable title.

The term RANGOLI is derived from ‘Rang’ (colour) + ‘aavalli’ (row of colours). Rangoli is an age old traditional folk art done across India. The term rangoli refers to designs made with coloured powders on the ground in front of the house. In some parts of the country, the designs are done on walls and even on ceilings. The designs vary in different parts of India but the basic methodology remains the same in all the areas. The designs are mostly geometric and symmetrical, while some natural elements like flowers, birds etc. may be included.

The rural and urban women of India have kept this art alive by passing the expertise down through the generations. These are decorative designs made on floors at the time of Hindu festivals.

Traditionally, such floor decorations were done only on auspicious occasions or festivals. But today they are done on any occasions like; wedding, birthday parties, opening ceremonies etc. Different Indian states have different ways of Rangoli-painting and also have different names in their regional or local languages. For example :
Maharashtra — Rangoli
Tamil Nadu — Kolam
Uttar Pradesh — Chowkpurna
Andhra Pradesh — Mugullu

The traditional material used for rangoli is rice flour so as to offer food to the ants, the birds and the squirrels. Even coloured rice can be used for the purpose. It is pretty simple to get rice coloured with food colours readily available in the market.

Nowadays white stone powder is used for making Rangoli.

Saw dust can also be used to make Rangoli patterns; its advantage is that it floats on water; which can be utilized to create Floating Rangoli patterns.

Q.5 (A) Letter writing : (5 marks) Imagine that you are Pawan/Pooja Aurade, residing at 102, Prestige Chambers, Shivpuri Road, Solapur–420003. Attempt any one letter based on the given situation.

Situation: Schools celebrate A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s Birth Anniversary as ‘Reading Inspiration Day’ on 15th October.

A1. Formal Letter : Write a letter to an educationist, Mr. Anil Tripathi from your city, inviting him to address the students on the above mentioned occasion.

Q.5 (A) A2. Informal Letter : (5 marks) (alternative to A1) Imagine that you are Pawan/Pooja Aurade, residing at 102, Prestige Chambers, Shivpuri Road, Solapur–420003.

Situation: Schools celebrate A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s Birth Anniversary as ‘Reading Inspiration Day’ on 15th October.

Write a letter to your cousin, Nitu/Nilesh, making her/him aware of the importance of reading.

Q.6 (A) Information Transfer. A1. Verbal to Non-Verbal : (5 marks)

Read the following information given in the paragraph and complete the tree diagram.

Soil erosion, a major environmental hazard today is caused by both natural and man-made factors. Soil erosion is caused by unobstructed over flow and the flow of running water which carry away the topmost layer of the soil. Forest fires which destroy the roots of the plants which bind the soil together and lead to erosion. The effects of soil erosion are flood, drought etc. As the vital nutrients of soil get wasted away, the soil turns barren. Soil erosion can be prevented by construction of dams, bunds etc. Afforestation helps to prevent soil erosion as tree holds the soil together with their roots. Improved method of agriculture such as contour ploughing also help checking soil erosion.

Tree diagram: Soil Erosion → Causes, Effects, Prevention.
Causes → [ ] and [ ]; first of these → [ ], Water, [ ]; second → Deforestation, [ ].
Effects → [ ], [ ], [ ].
Prevention → [ ], Afforestation, [ ].

Q.6 (A) A2. Non-Verbal to Verbal : (5 marks) (alternative to A1)

Observe the following web-chart and transfer the information into two paragraphs. Suggest a suitable title :

Web-chart: centre – Success of students; surrounding points – Time management; Hard work; Good Physical and Emotional health; Desire to excel; Will power and determination; Learning from mistakes; Strong desire to learn; Discipline in life.

Q.6 (B) B1. Speech writing : (5 marks)

Prepare a speech to be delivered on ‘World Energy Day’ on the topic ‘Go Solar’.

Use the following points : No energy crisis • Economical • Saves on electricity bills • Celebrated on 22nd October • Conserves natural resources.

Q.6 (B) B2. View-counterview : (5 marks) (alternative to B1)

Write your counterviews on ‘Benefits of a joint family’.

Views : Equal distribution of work • Moral values are preserved • Good bondage between siblings • Respect for elders.

Q.7 (A) A1. Expand the theme/idea : (5 marks) (do any one of A1/A2)

‘Nothing will work unless you do’.

Q.7 (A) A2. News Report : (5 marks) (alternative to A1)

Prepare a news report based on the following headline : ‘Dengue fever claims 10 lives in Dhule’.

Q.7 (B) B1. Develop a story : (5 marks) (do any one of B1/B2)

Develop a story and suggest a suitable title. The conclusion/end is given.

................ they learnt a lesson to live with the thought “Be Punctual”.

Q.7 (B) B2. Narrate an experience of given beginning. (5 marks) (alternative to B1)

It was raining heavily and I was going to ........................