Class 11th English Core Final Examination Question Paper 2025 – 26: St. Margaret School, Rohini, New Delhi

 

11th English Core Final Examination Question Paper 2025 – 26: St. Margaret Sr. Sec. School, Prashant Vihar, Sector 14, Rohini, Delhi 110085 India

School Name:	St. Margaret Sr. Sec. School, Prashant Vihar, Rohini, New Delhi 110085 India
Class:	XI (CBSE)
Subject:	English Core (301)
Time Duration:	03 Hours
Maximum Marks:	80

General Instructions:

1. The question paper contains THREE sections—Reading, Writing & Grammar, and Literature.
2. Attempt questions based on the specific instructions for each section.
3. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit.

Section – A: Reading (26 Marks)

Q.1 Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow. (10 Marks)

Student Council Unveils School’s First Student-Made Drone Programme

By Tanu, Secretary, Student Council

Bengaluru, Nov. 10 – The Student Council at ABC School has initiated a ground-breaking
project involving the construction and operation of drones made by students. The programme
was introduced at the school’s monthly public presentation on November 7, attracting
significant interest from students, faculty, and parents alike. Mr. J. Rao, the school’s vice-principal,
and the head of the Student Council, Priya Desai, kicked off the event by explaining
the motivation behind the project. They noted that the programme aims to provide students
with hands-on experience in technology and engineering while promoting teamwork and
creativity.

The Student Council collaborated with local engineers and technology experts to ensure
safety and compliance with regulations. During the event, the council members demonstrated
a live drone flight, showcasing the capabilities of the drones built by the students.
They performed a variety of manoeuvres, including aerial photography and obstacle course
navigation.

The Student Council has planned several future activities to keep the momentum going.
These include a drone-building workshop, a photography contest using the drones, and an
inter-school drone race in the spring. The programme is designed to engage students in
innovative ways and foster a deeper interest in technology and engineering.

Answer the following questions, based on the report above.

I. Complete with a suitable reason. (1)
The most likely reason why the student council secretary was chosen to draft the report was because ______.

II. Fill in the blank with an appropriate word/phrase. (1)
The term ‘ground-breaking’ project suggests that the project is ______ and reflects a level of creativity.

III. What was the primary goal of the Student Council’s drone programme at National Public School? (1)

1. To encourage teamwork and creativity among students
2. To demonstrate the latest drone technology to the public
3. To generate interest in aerial photography
4. To promote engineering skills and provide hands-on experience

IV. Who did the Student Council turn to, to ensure safety and regulatory compliance? (1)

1. Faculty and parents
2. Vice-Principal
3. Local Engineers
4. Head of Student Council
5. Technology experts

Select the correct option:

• A. Only 1
• B. Only 5
• C. 2 and 4
• D. 3 and 5

V. What was the most likely purpose of showcasing the capabilities of the drones during the event? (1)

VI. What in the passage suggests that the live drone demonstration aimed to engage and excite the audience? (1)

VII. What skills are the students expected to develop through the photography contest using drones? (2)

VIII. Explain how the Student Council’s drone programme at National Public School aligns with the school’s goals of promoting holistic education. (2)

Q.2 Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow. (8 Marks)

I. Research from the Publishers Association has shown that films based on books take 44% more at the box office revenue in the UK and 53% more worldwide than original screenplays. The report explores what impact a book has when adapted for film and TV.

II. The report reads: “Published material is the basis of 52% of top UK films in the last 10 years, and accounts for an even higher share of revenue from these leading performers, at 61% of UK box office gross and 65% of worldwide gross.” The Hollywood adaptation of “My Cousin Rachel” was shown to have a significant impact on the sales of the Daphne Du Maurier thriller. The sales of the book in 2017 alone accounted for 23% of all sales since 1992.

III. The research suggests that adapted films tend to perform better, because films can “leverage the popularity” of well-known books through an existing audience. Films adapted from books also tend to have a richer, more fully-developed story to draw on. In terms of TV adaptation, it was revealed that a quarter of dramas were based on literary sources and attracted a 56% larger share of the audience than those based on original scripts. Fourteen of the 35 high-end series produced in the UK in the period between January and September 2017 were based on books, compared to seven based on true stories or historical events and five based on pre-existing films or TV stories.

IV. In the case of the 2016 BBC broadcast of “The Night Manager”, research revealed that while the novel was in circulation for over 25 years, 82% of the copies it sold were in 2016 and 2017. Sales of the paperback edition remained strong in 2017 even after the series went off the air.

V. In conclusion, the report states that “there is a strong two-way relationship between publishing and the wider creative economy, wherein a successful adaptation often has spill-over effects and gives a substantial boost to the sales of the original book.”

2.1 Choose the correct option. (1×4)

1. The purpose of the research by Publishers Association was to study the ______.

• A. variety in films and TV shows
• B. impact of films on books
• C. choice of books for film-making.
• D. connect between books and films.

 

2. Select the option that is true for the two statements given below.

(1) The revenues generated at the box office have increased.
(2) Majority of the top films in the UK are based on published material.

• A. (1) is the result of (2).
• B. (1) is the reason for (2).
• C. (1) is independent of (2).
• D. (1) contradicts (2).

3. Select the option that gives the correct meaning of the following statement:
“The sales of the book in 2017 alone accounted for 23% of all sales since 1992.”

• A. There were 23% higher sales in 2017 than previous years.
• B. A major chunk of sales happened in 2017.
• C. The sales were limited to 23% in 2017.
• D. There were very few books sold in the previous years.

4. Select the option listing what the given sentence refers to:
“Films adapted from books also tend to have a richer, more fully-developed story to draw on.”

(1) The plot and the storyline of such films are better.
(2) The characters are likely to be more vivid.
(3) The production of such films is meant for the rich and famous.
(4) The settings and costumes are adapted from the book.
(5) The making of such films require the author to write a sequel.

• A. (1), (3) and (4)
• B. (2), (3) and (5)
• C. (1), (2) and (5)
• D. (1), (2) and (4)

2.2 Answer in short. (1×4)

1. According to the research, the films based on books have greater success because ______.
2. Maximum TV serials in UK in the year 2017 based on ______.
3. This passage lists an example proving that TV dramas based on literary works have increased the immediate sales of the book. State True or False.
4. Find the word from the passage which means the same as ‘the power to influence a person or situation’.

Q.3 Read the given passage carefully. (8 Marks)

The Renaissance is a European period of history and cultural movement, very roughly defined as covering the 14th through 17th centuries, though sometimes more narrowly defined for instance as only covering the 15th through 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by the European rediscovery and revival of the literary, philosophical, and artistic achievements of classical antiquity.

Associated with great social change in most fields and disciplines, including art, architecture, politics, literature, exploration and science, the Renaissance was first centered in the Republic of Florence, then spread to the rest of Italy and later throughout Europe. The term rinascita (“rebirth”) first appeared in Lives of the Artists (c. 1550) by Giorgio Vasari.

While the corresponding French word renaissance was adopted into English as the term for this period during the 1830s.
The Renaissance’s intellectual basis was founded in its version of humanism, derived from the concept of Roman humanitas and the rediscovery of classical Greek philosophy, such as that of Protagoras, who said that “man is the measure of all things”.

As a cultural movement, the Renaissance encompassed innovative flowering of literary Latin and an explosion of vernacular literatures, beginning with the 14th-century resurgence of learning based on classical sources, which contemporaries credited to Petrarch; the development of linear perspective and other techniques of rendering a more natural reality in painting; and gradual but widespread educational reform.

It saw myriad artistic developments and contributions from such polymaths as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who inspired the term “Renaissance man”. In politics, the Renaissance contributed to the development of the customs and conventions of diplomacy, and in science to an increased reliance on observation and inductive reasoning.

(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it using heading and subheadings. Use recognizable abbreviations and a format you consider suitable. Also supply a title to it. (5)

(b) Write a summary of the passage in not more than 80 words based on the notes prepared by you. (3)

SECTION B: GRAMMAR & WRITING SKILLS (23 MARKS)

Q.4 Do the following as directed:

(I) The following passage has not been edited. There is a missing word in each line. Write the missing word as per the given format. (0.5 × 8 = 4)

a) Oliver Twist or The Parish Boy’s Progress, the second
b) novel English author Charles Dickens. It was originally
c) published as serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a
d) three-volume book 1838. The story follows orphan
e) Oliver Twist, who, after being raised a workhouse,
f) escapes to London, where he meets a gang juvenile
g) pickpockets led the elderly criminal Fagin, discovers the
h) secrets of parentage, and reconnects with his remaining family.

(II) Rearrange the following words to make meaningful sentences. (3)

(a) opportunity / every / should / we / learning / embrace / for
(b) rapidly / world / technologies / changing / shaping / new / the / are
(c) success / hard work / nothing / can / replace / for / consistent

Q.5

Design an attractive poster in 50 words for a public campaign on ‘Right to Education’ issued by your school. (3)

OR

Your school will be organizing an adventure camp for the students inside the school premises. Design a poster for the same.

Q.6

You want to sell your old electronic items. Draft an advertisement in not more than 50 words. (3)

OR

Your school needs a qualified yoga teacher. Draft a Situation Vacant advertisement.

 

Q.7

“Advertisements Mislead Consumers More Than Informing Them”. Draft a debate for or against the motion. (120–150 words) (5)

OR

AI Will Replace Human Jobs in the Future. Write a debate presenting your side clearly.

Q.8

Deliver a speech on ‘Healthy Food is Important: Say No to Junk Food’. You are Amit/Amita. (120–150 words) (5)

OR

Look at the given picture. Taking cues from the same, write a speech on ‘How Students Can Help in Saving Environment.’

SECTION C: ENGLISH CORE (31 MARKS)

Q.9 Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow. (4)

(A)

In the city of which I sing
There was a just and placid King.
The King proclaimed an arch should be
Constructed, that triumphally would span the major thoroughfare
To edify spectators there.
The workmen went and built the thing.
They did so since he was the King. The King rode down the thoroughfare
To edify spectators there.

1. Why does the poet describe the King as ‘just and placid’?
   • (a) To emphasize the King’s fair and calm nature
   • (b) To contrast with the King’s later actions
   • (c) To show that the King was lazy and indifferent
   • (d) To indicate that the King was wealthy and powerful
2. Bring out the satire used in the above stanza.
3. What does the word ‘edify’ mean?
4. State a reason for the following:
   The poet uses the word “triumphally” to describe how the arch would span the thoroughfare.

OR

(B)

An hour later he went upstairs again, noted the progress made, came down once more, sat by the kitchen fire.
It was still, except for the rustle of a cinder in the grate and the slow tick-tock of the wall clock.
No, there was another sound—the beat—of approaching footsteps. The doctor stood up, listening intently.
Someone was coming up the stairs. The footsteps halted outside the door.
He opened it. A woman stood there, pale and anxious.

1. What was the doctor doing before he heard the footsteps?
2. Why did the doctor stand up and listen carefully?
3. Describe the atmosphere created in the passage.
4. What can be inferred about the woman from her appearance?

Q.10 Read the given extract and answer the questions that follow. (4)

(A)

We speak like strangers, there’s no sign of understanding in the air.
This child is built to my design yet what he loves I cannot share.

1. Identify the figure of speech used in the first line.
2. What does the phrase “built to my design” suggest?
3. What issue is highlighted in the relationship between the father and the child?
4. What tone is conveyed in these lines?

OR

(B)

I descend to lave the droughts, atomies, dust-layers of the globe,
And all that in them without me were seeds only, latent, unborn;

1. Name the poem and the poet.
2. What does the word “latent” mean?
3. What role does rain play according to the poet?
4. Explain the imagery used in the lines.

Q.11 Answer any two of the following questions. (2 × 3 = 6)

1. What does the poet mean by “Hell and Heaven could not be found in Geography”?
2. What is the significance of the phrase “a machine starts up”?
3. Explain the role of quantum theory in understanding alternate realities.

Q.12 Answer any two of the following questions. (2 × 3 = 6)

1. What does the poet mean by the line:
   “Was it the time I realized that Hell and Heaven could not be found in Geography”?
2. What is the significance of the phrase
   “a machine starts up” in the lesson?
3. What role does quantum theory play in Rajendra’s explanation of Gangadharpant’s experience?

Q.13 Answer any one of the following questions. (1 × 3 = 3)

1. Why did the narrator decide to forget the address?
2. How does the story reflect the values of the Gargiolian family?

Q.14 Answer any one of the following questions. (1 × 6 = 6)

1. What does the use of advanced technology, like CT scans, reveal about the evolution of archaeology?
2. How does the story demonstrate the value of optimism during challenging times
   (We’re Not Afraid to Die… if We Can All Be Together)?

Q.15 Answer any one of the following questions. (1 × 6 = 6)

1. Bring out the satire in “The Tale of Melon City”.
2. Imagine Dr. Andrew Manson writes a diary entry the night after the successful delivery
   at the Morgan household. Write a detailed diary entry highlighting his experiences,
   feelings, and realizations.

Date	Day	Time
Dear Diary