Maharashtra SSC English (First Language) Board Paper March 2024

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

(1) Pick out the infinitive from the following sentence : Every child is free to grow.

(2) Write the collocations for the following : ticket ...................................    ................................ drizzle.

(3) Punctuate the following sentence : dr kalam sat contemplating deeply

(4) Write any two present participles in which the last letter is doubled.

(5) Find out any two hidden words of minimum four letters from the given word : reverberated.

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

(1) Identify the verb in the given sentence and state whether it’s finite or non-finite : He gave the reward to none.

(2) Make two meaningful sentences to bring out the difference between the given two homophones : ware, wear

(3) Rewrite the sentence using ‘as soon as’ : No sooner is the bill passed than it will become an act.

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

(1) Use the given two words into one meaningful sentence : Rest; routine

(2) Change the following sentence into a compound sentence : I awoke late next morning to find that Anil had already made the tea.

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

A1. Name the following with reference to the passage : (2) [Table with two columns — Activity and Name. (i) The company started by the narrator and Woz. (ii) The second company started by the narrator. (iii) An amazing woman the narrator fell in love with. (iv) World’s most successful animation studio.]

My second story is about love and loss. I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz (Steve Wozniak) and I started Apple when I was 20. In 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company. And then I got fired. It was devastating.

But something slowly began to dawn on me – I still loved what I did. And so I decided to start over.

The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company Next, another company named Pixar, and I fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife.

Pixar is now the world’s most successful animation studio, Apple bought Next. I returned to Apple and the technology we developed at Next is at the heart of Apple’s current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.

A2. Complete the following web diagram : (2) [Web diagram: two central boxes — the upper one reads “Advice given by Steve Jobs” with one blank box joined on each side, and the lower one reads “The theme of Jobs’ second story” with one blank box joined on each side.]

A3. Fill in the blanks choosing the correct phrases in their proper form from the bracket : (2) (to get fired, devastating, begin to dawn on) (i) On committing persistent mistakes the employee ........................ from his post. (ii) When the teacher explained the solution of the problems in Maths, it ....................... the students that the problems were easy.

A4. Do as directed : (2) (i) Identify the tense of the underlined verb : If you haven’t found yet, keep looking. (ii) I found what I loved to do early in life. (Identify the main and subordinate clause.)

A5. ‘Failure is the key to success.’ Explain in your own words. (2)

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

B1. State whether the given statements are true or false : (2) (i) The age of the girl was six. (ii) The boy on the bed was fast asleep. (iii) Pandit Ravi Shankar was a tabla maestro. (iv) She had seen how the doctors had shaken their heads gravely.

One morning in a small apartment in Bombay a girl of about sixteen looked up from the newspaper and said excitedly, ‘Pandit Ravi Shankar’s playing tomorrow at Shanmukhananda auditorium’.

‘Sh-sh,’ said her mother pointing to the figure sleeping on the bed. ‘You’ll wake him up. You know he needs all the sleep and rest he can get.’

But the boy on the bed was not asleep. ‘Pandit Ravi Shankar!’ he said. ‘Pandit Ravi Shankar, the sitar maestro ? He raised himself up on his elbows for one second and then fell back. But his eyes were shining. ‘We mustn’t miss the chance,’ he said. ‘I’ve – ‘I’ve – always wanted to hear him and see him ....’

‘Lie down son, lie down.’ His mother sprang to his side. ‘He actually raised himself without help,’ she murmured with a catch in her throat and her eyes turned to the idols on a corner shelf. The prayer, which she uttered endlessly, came unbidden to her lips.

‘I must hear him and see him,’ the boy repeated. ‘It’s a chance of a lifetime.’ Then he began to cough and gasp for breath and had to be given oxygen from the cylinder that stood under the bed. But his large eyes were fixed on his sister.

Smita bit her lip in self-reproach. She had been so excited at seeing the announcement that she had not remembered that her brother was very ill. She had seen how the doctors had shaken their heads gravely and spoken words that neither she nor even her parents could understand. But somewhere deep inside Smita had known the frightening truth – that Anant was going to die. The word cancer had hung in the air – her brother was dying of cancer even though she pretended that all would be well and they would return together, a small family of four, to their home in Gaganpur. And he was only fifteen and the best table-tennis player in the school and the fastest runner. He was learning to play sitar; they were both taking sitar lessons, but Anant was better than her as in many things. He was already able to compose his own tunes to the astonishment of their Guru.

B2. Complete the following statements giving reasons : (2) (i) Anant was better than his sister in playing sitar because ................. (ii) The girl was excited because ..............................

B3. (2) (i) Find any two adverbs from the passage ending with ‘ly’. (ii) Find any two compound words from the passage.

B4. Do as directed : (2) (i) ‘‘I’ve always wanted to hear him and see him,’’ he said. (Change into indirect speech). (ii) His mother sprang to his side. (Add a question tag).

B5. Describe your experience of any musical concert that you have attended. (2)

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

A1. Identify the stages in man’s life from the given description and complete the table : (2) [Table with two columns — Actions and Stage. (i) Full of strange oaths (ii) Creeping like a snail (iii) Sighing like furnace (iv) Having fair round belly.]

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like a pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

A2. Write down the similarities between the first and the 7th (last) stage of man’s life : (2)

A3. Choose the correct alternative to identify the figure of speech used in the following line : (1) All the world’s a stage. (a) Simile (b) Metaphor (c) Personification (d) Alliteration.

Q.3 (B) Read the following poem and write an appreciation of it with the help of the given points in a paragraph : (5 marks)

The Height of the Ridiculous

I wrote some lines once on a time
In wondrous merry mood,
And thought, as usual, men would say
They were exceeding good.

They were so queer, so very queer,
I laughed as I would die;
Albeit, in the general way,
A sober man am I.

I called my servant, and he came;
How kind it was of him
To mind a slender man like me,
He of the might limb.

‘‘These to the printer,’’ I exclaimed,
And, in my humorous way,
I added (as a trifling jest,)
‘‘There’ll be the devil to pay.

He took the paper, and I watched,
And saw him peep within
At the first line he read, his face
Was all upon the grin

He read the next; the grin grew broad
And shot from ear to ear;
He read the third; a chuckling noise
I now began to hear.

The fourth; he broke into a roar;
The fifth; his waistband split;
The sixth; he burst his five buttons
And tumbled in a fit.

Ten days and nights, with sleepless eye,
I watched that wretched man,
and since, I never dare to write
As funny as I can.
— Oliver Wendell Holmes

Points : The title and the poet of the poem. (1) Rhyme scheme (1) Figures of speech (1) Central Idea/Theme. (2)

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

A1. Complete the following web chart : (2) [Web chart: the centre oval reads “Advantages of tourist destination in Kerala”; four blank ovals are joined to it, one above, one below and one on each side.]

Kerala is the land of magic, ayurvedic massages and Kathakali. Most visitors generally begin their sojourn in this lovely state with Kochi. This city reflects the eclectism of Kerala. Here, you can see the oldest European built church in India, a small 16th Century synagogue that serves a proportionate community of Jews, a palace built by the Portuguese, given to the Raja of Cochin and renovated by the Dutch and some world-class performances of the Kathakali dance drama. Make sure you take a boat trip on the Malabar Coast. It will take you out to the Dutch town and fort, an area that also has some surprisingly good book shops.

Alternatively, you could start with Thiruvananthapuram, which also has a laid back charm of its own. Here, you can visit the Padmanabhaswamy temple, the Napier museum, the Puttan Mallika Palace and the neighbouring beaches. These include Kovalam, now a pleasant spot to spend an evening.

The backwaters are also famous as a holiday option. For that, you have to move on to Alleppey or Allappuzha a district made unique by an intricate network of canals. Or you could head to Munnar, sheer beauty in the hills. Rolling oceans of tubby green tea bushes, crisp mountain air, craggy hills, wildlife and a throwback to colonial times makes Munnar a lovely getaway.

Or you could visit Thekkady, which is also a charming town and has an added advantage of being close to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. At Thekkady you can wander through plantations of cardamom, tea and coffee.

Of the three options, you can surely choose a place of your dreams where you can chill out !

You can take a meandering cruise down the backwaters, spend a lazy day by the sea, take a trek up the winding hills or enjoy ayurvedic health holidays. These are some of the advantages no other destination offers.

Welcome to this unique land of spellbinding adventures. It’s the most refreshing holiday you could ever have.

A2. Complete the following table : (2) [Table with two columns — City and Speciality. (i) Kochi (ii) Thekkady (iii) Thiruvananthapuram (iv) Alleppey.]

A3. Match the words in Column ‘A’ with their meanings in Column ‘B’ : (2) Column ‘A’ — (i) Charm (ii) Craggy (iii) Reflect (iv) Spellbinding. Column ‘B’ — (a) throw back light or heat (b) enthralling (c) magical spell (d) steep.

A4. Do as directed : (2) (i) You can choose a place of your dreams. (Use the modal auxiliary showing compulsion and rewrite the sentence) (ii) Kerala is the land of magic and ayurvedic massages. (Rewrite the sentence using ‘not only .......... but also’).

A5. Why is tourism industry important for the Indian Economy to flourish ? (2)

Q.4 (B) Summary Writing : (5 marks) Read the passage given in Q.4. (A) and write its summary in a paragraph. Suggest a suitable title.

Kerala is the land of magic, ayurvedic massages and Kathakali. Most visitors generally begin their sojourn in this lovely state with Kochi. This city reflects the eclectism of Kerala. Here, you can see the oldest European built church in India, a small 16th Century synagogue that serves a proportionate community of Jews, a palace built by the Portuguese, given to the Raja of Cochin and renovated by the Dutch and some world-class performances of the Kathakali dance drama. Make sure you take a boat trip on the Malabar Coast. It will take you out to the Dutch town and fort, an area that also has some surprisingly good book shops.

Alternatively, you could start with Thiruvananthapuram, which also has a laid back charm of its own. Here, you can visit the Padmanabhaswamy temple, the Napier museum, the Puttan Mallika Palace and the neighbouring beaches. These include Kovalam, now a pleasant spot to spend an evening.

The backwaters are also famous as a holiday option. For that, you have to move on to Alleppey or Allappuzha a district made unique by an intricate network of canals. Or you could head to Munnar, sheer beauty in the hills. Rolling oceans of tubby green tea bushes, crisp mountain air, craggy hills, wildlife and a throwback to colonial times makes Munnar a lovely getaway.

Or you could visit Thekkady, which is also a charming town and has an added advantage of being close to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. At Thekkady you can wander through plantations of cardamom, tea and coffee.

Of the three options, you can surely choose a place of your dreams where you can chill out !

You can take a meandering cruise down the backwaters, spend a lazy day by the sea, take a trek up the winding hills or enjoy ayurvedic health holidays. These are some of the advantages no other destination offers.

Welcome to this unique land of spellbinding adventures. It’s the most refreshing holiday you could ever have.

Q.5 (A) Letter writing : (5 marks) Imagine you are Soham/Sohini Dargan residing at 208, Swarnadham, Hira Colony, Mumbai-400052. Read the following snippet and write a letter based on it : Sports and games are activities which make a person more capable with high level efficiency. It removes the mental exhaustion and makes us capable to do any hard work. It improves blood circulation all through the body, thus improves the physical and mental well being of the person.

A1. Formal Letter : Write a letter to the Editor of a newspaper to create awareness about the role of sports in a student’s life. (alternative to A2)

Q.5 (A) Letter writing : (5 marks) Imagine you are Soham/Sohini Dargan residing at 208, Swarnadham, Hira Colony, Mumbai-400052. Read the following snippet and write a letter based on it : Sports and games are activities which make a person more capable with high level efficiency. It removes the mental exhaustion and makes us capable to do any hard work. It improves blood circulation all through the body, thus improves the physical and mental well being of the person.

A2. Informal Letter : Write a letter to your friend Neha/Nishant describing the advantages of sports and games. (alternative to A1)

Q.6 (A) Information Transfer. (5 marks)

A1. Verbal to Non-Verbal : Read the following information and complete the flow-chart for the same; and give a suitable title. (alternative to A2)

Sugar beet grows through the summer and is harvested in autumn and winter. When it arrives on site, the sugar beet is washed. The sugar beet is sliced into thin strips called cossettes. These thin strips are mixed with hot water to extract the sugar and a lime solution is added to the raw juice to remove any impurities. The syrup is filtered, heated and seeded with tiny sugar crystals, which grow into the required size. The sugar crystals are then washed, dried and cooled. Sugar is delivered to our customers in a variety of formats for both industrial and retail markets.

Q.6 (A) Information Transfer. (5 marks)

A2. Non-Verbal to Verbal : Transfer the given information into a paragraph. Suggest a suitable title : (alternative to A1)

[Table with three columns — Caused by Man, Caused by Nature and Solutions. (i) Too many people / Droughts / Stricter laws to control population. (ii) More agricultural land required to meet the needs of the evergrowing population / Floods / Stricter laws and proper execution of laws. (iii) Cutting of forests for wood etc. / Forest fires / Use alternative products. (iv) Poaching by hunters. / — / Reduce demand for illegal wildlife parts and products by not purchasing products made from these items.]

Q.6 (B) B1. Drafting a speech : (5 marks) Prepare a speech to be delivered in your school assembly. The topic given to you is : ‘Nothing is more important than self-study.’ You may use the following points : Learn more efficiently • Learn at your own pace • Encourages curiosity • Boosts student’s self-esteem. (alternative to B2)

Q.6 (B) B2. View/counter-view : (5 marks) Write your counter-view in a paragraph on the following views. ‘Social networking sites are not a necessity.’ Views : There are other ways of connecting and staying in touch. • People may resort to dishonesty. • Cyber crimes are on the rise. • Vital personal information may be misused. (alternative to B1)

Q.7 (A) Attempt any one of the following : (5 marks)

A1. Expand the theme : Expand the following idea into 100 words : Trees : Nature’s Gift to Man. (alternative to A2)

Q.7 (A) Attempt any one of the following : (5 marks)

A2. News Report : Prepare a news report based on the following : ‘Child labourers rescued from stone quarries’. (alternative to A1)

Q.7 (B) Developing a story/Narrating an experience : (5 marks)

B1. Develop a story in about 80-100 words with the following beginning. Give a suitable title. Anita was in a cake shop to buy a cake for her birthday. She saw a small beggar boy outside the shop ................ (alternative to B2)

Q.7 (B) Developing a story/Narrating an experience : (5 marks)

B2. Narrate an experience in about 80-100 words with the following ending. Give a suitable title. .................................................................................................. After the sumptuous meal in a luxurious hotel, I discovered that I had forgotten my wallet at home. (alternative to B1)