1. Test Specification Chart
Compulsory English Grades 9 -10
External Assessment (Written Examination)
Reading and writing skills will be assessed through a written test. Grammar is included in the writing section. The test will be based on the specification chart given below.
Reading [40]
The assessment of reading skills follows the following structure:
1. Reading 1: One short reading text from the textbook with one type of comprehension question (5 marks) Text length: about 100 words
2. Reading 2: One short reading text from the textbook with two types of comprehension questions (10 marks) Text length: about 200 words
3. Reading 3: One short reading text not given in the textbook with two types of
comprehension questions (10 marks) Text Length: about 200 words
4. Reading 4: One short reading text not given in the textbook with three types of comprehension questions (15 marks)
Text length: about 300 words
Notes:
∙ Text type for reading 3: story, notice, advertisement, product guide, letters, news story, brochure, instruction/ manual, diary entry, interview, letter, recipe
∙ Text types for Reading 4: biography, autobiography, essay, newspaper/magazine article, science article, book/film review, travelogue, editorial, report, BlogSpot
∙ Total number of test items = 40
∙ Question types: True/False, Fill in the Gaps, Multiple Choice, Matching, Ordering, and Short Answer Questions
∙ Except for short answer questions, the same types of questions should not be repeated in the two seen passages. This applies to the two unseen passages as well.
∙ Only Reading 4 should contain a test type for testing vocabulary.
∙ The comprehension questions (except questions for vocabulary) should cover Literal Comprehension (LC), Reorganization (R), Inference (I), and Evaluation (E).
∙ The distribution of comprehension questions should be based on the following table:
Type of comprehension Number of questions
Literal comprehension 16
Reorganization 8
Inference 8
Evaluation and Reflection 3
The time for the written test is 3 hours
Writing [35]
The assessment of writing skills follows the following structure:
1. Guided writing I: paragraph, description of tables/charts/diagrams, a set of instructions, recipes, advertisements, notices, and a set of rules and regulations. (5 marks) Number of words: about 100 words
2. Guided writing II: news story, skeleton story, the message of condolence, message of congratulations, invitation letter, thank you letter, biography. (5 marks) Number of words: about 100 words
3. Free writing I: paragraph (presenting views, opinion, experience, feeling), leave application, job application, dialogue (6 marks) Number of words: about 150 words
4. Free writing II: personal/official letter, letter to the editor, email, short essay (narrative, argumentative, descriptive), diary, newspaper article, book review/film review (8 marks) Number of words: about 200 words
Notes: ∙ Organisation, coherence and cohesion, subject matter, appropriateness, and correctness of language, range of vocabulary, and layout will be assessed in the writing section.
∙ The type of writing task should not be similar to any of the reading text given in the test paper. 5. Grammar (11 marks)
The grammar section should contain the following areas.
1. Articles
2. Prepositions
3. Tense
4. Connectives
5. Question tags
6. Reported speech
7. Voice
8. Conditional sentences
9. Subject-verb agreement
10. Interrogation and negation
11. Causatives
12. Modals
13. Relative pronouns
14. Adjectives and adverbs
Types of questions:
1. Reproduction/Transformation: This should cover tense, question tag, reported speech, voice, interrogation (‘wh’ question), and negation (6X1=6 marks)
2. Multiple choice (in a contextual passage): This can contain the following areas of grammar: articles, prepositions, tense, question tag, voice, reported speech, connectives, conditional sentence, subject-verb agreement, causative verbs, modals, adjectives and adverbs, and relative pronouns(10X0.5=5)
Note: Multiple-choice items should contain four alternative choices
Grade 10 English Model Question [NEW CURRICULUM]
(Written Test)
Grade: 10 Full Marks: 75 Time: 3 hours
Candidates are required to give answers according to the given instructions.
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Read the text given below and do the tasks.
The Voice of the Rain
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 form’d, altogether changed, and
yet the same,
I descend to lave the droughts, atomizes, dust layers of the globe,
And all that in them without me were seeds only, latent, unborn;
And forever, by day and night, I give back life to my own origin,
and make pure and beautify it;
(For song, issuing from its birth-place, after fulfilment, wandering,
Reck’dorunreck’d, duly with love returns.)
– Walt Whitman
A. Choose the correct answer. (5×1 =5)
a. The poem is a conversation between …………
i. the speaker and the rain.
ii. the rain and nature.
iii. the speaker and the Earth.
iv. the Earth and the road.
b. Mother Earth is given happiness by…………
i. the sea.
ii. the rain.
iii. the music.
iv. atomies.
c. The speaker says that like nature, the rain is……….
i. difficult to understand.
ii. easy to understand.
iii. always the same.
iv. not changing its shape.
d. The raindrops pour down to wash away……………
i. the land.
ii. the globe.
iii. the dust layer.
iv. the seeds.
e. The rain and a song are similar because…………..
i. both produce a melodious sound.
ii. both give happiness to the Earth.
iii. the rain can change its form and so does a song.
iv. the rain has the power to heal the Earth; and a song can heal human heart.
2. Read the text given below and do the tasks.
Thanksgiving around the World
Festivals are not just a means of entertainment or rejoicing. They also reflect our heritage, culture, and traditions. Thanksgiving is celebrated around the world to extend thanks for the harvest, enjoy bountiful food, and spend time with family and friends. Even though Thanksgiving seems to be uniquely American, the tradition is followed in different countries in various forms.
Thanksgiving, USA
Celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving in the USA is a national holiday that commemorates the feast the Pilgrims held after the first harvest in 1621. The first celebration was attended by 90 Native Americans and 53 pilgrims. Thanksgiving has been celebrated intermittently ever since.
Thanksgiving dinner with family plays a central role in the celebrations, with Americans eating more food on Thanksgiving Day than any other day, including Christmas. Roast turkey is essential – approximately 45 million of them are consumed every year – as well as mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet corn, and assorted fall vegetables, all food that is native to the Americans.
Parades are a big part of the celebrations too. They range from small-town affairs featuring the local marching band to Macy‘s Thanksgiving parade through the streets of New York. Billed as the world‘s largest parade, it features parade floats and huge balloons, usually based on cartoon characters, current Broadway shows, and other topical themes.
A. Match the information that begins in Column A with its correct ending in Column B. There is one extra ending that you may not use. (5×1 =5)
Column A Column B
a. Extending thanks for the harvest i. is about 45 million in number.
b. Thanksgiving ii. is one of the largest parades in the world.
c. Consumption of roast turkey iii. is a main reason of celebrating Thanksgiving.
d. Food items like sweet potatoes iv. is celebrated in different ways.
e. Macy’s Thanksgiving parade v. will be performed by 53 pilgrims.
- vi. are truly American origin.
B. Answer the following questions. (5×1= 5)
a. What do festivals show about people?
When is Thanksgiving celebrated in the USA?
What is the main part of the celebration?
Mention the two variations in the parades,
Why do you think Americans celebrate this festival with rejoice even today?
3. Read the text given below and do the tasks.
Dodhara Chandani dry port gets environmental approval
Kathmandu, May 23
The proposed Dodhara Chandani dry port and check post in far western Nepal has moved a step
forward with the government‘s approving the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report.
The Rs15 billion construction project is located in Dodhara Chandani Municipality, Kanchanpur district, and is listed as a national priority project by the government. The construction site is spread over 250 bighas (189 hectares). On April 30, the cabinet cleared the use of 63 hectares inside the Gaurishankar community forest, a buffer zone of Suklaphanta National Park, for the dry port.
According to the EIA, 15,057 trees need to be felled, and; as per the Forest Clearance Guidelines, 10 compensatory trees must be planted for every tree cut for development projects. Project officials say that 150,525 compensatory trees need to be planted.―The dry port will be built under an Indian grant. A memorandum of understanding will be signed soon between the two neighbors,‖ said Anish KC, a civil engineer at the Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board. ―Discussions are at an advanced stage,‖ he said.
Dodhara Chandani dry port will be the first business gateway to India from Nepal’s far west. The site is 245 km from India‘s capital New Delhi and 1,200 km from Gujarat state. The dry port will facilitate trade with other Indian states like Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Haryana. The project is expected to lower transportation costs and the time taken to import goods from India.
The World Bank conducted a feasibility study for a dry port at Kanjabhoj in Dodhara Chandani Municipality a decade ago, and the Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board prepared another report in 2016.
A. Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the text above. (5×1= 5)
a. Dodhara Chadani dry port will occupy ……….. of the area in Kanchanpur.
b. The Forest Clearance Guidelines directs the government to plant ………….trees to replace a felled tree.
c. The project will go ahead with ………… funding.
d. New Delhi is ………… far from Dodhara Chadani dry port site.
e. From the text above, it is seen that Nepal ………… necessary things and materials from India.
B. Answer the following questions. (5×1= 5)
a. What is the estimated construction cost of Dodhara Chadani dry port?
b. When was it approved to utilize 63 hectares of area of the Gaurishankar community forest?
c. What does the two neighbours in paragraph 3 refer to?
d. Do you think this project will affect positively in nation‘s economic growth? Why?
e. Is this the first attempt of Nepal Government to set up a dry port in far-western Nepal?
4. Read the book review given below and do the tasks.
Seto Dharti
Amar Neupane’s Seto Dharti is a fantastic piece of artwork. Tara, Pabitra, and other child widows are central characters in this book.
The main plot revolves around Tara’s life. She married when she was seven years old. She had no idea what love was then. Her own parents lied to her and forced her to remain in the Jaggya (wedding pavilion) claiming that they were worshipping God at home. She was taken to her home and told that she needed to go to the temple. She didn’t find out until the day after her wedding that she was marrying to someone she had never met before. She was sound asleep when it came time to execute the marriage rites. It was as if she were in a dream. She cried a lot as she thought of her mother. Her mother advised her on the dos and don’ts of becoming a daughter-in-law. She had to stay in her husband’s house for a year. It was very painful for her to stay there.
After a year, she moved into her maternal home. She lost her husband when she was nine years old. She was invited to her home without being informed of her husband’s demise. She learned that her husband had died as soon as she arrived home. Despite the fact that he was a stranger in her life, she had to observe all the funeral rites. That was the first time she’d seen her husband’s face on his deathbed. Then she was taken to the ghatthat was on fire. Her jewelry as well as her clothingwas taken away. Her head was shaved and she had to remain in mourning for thirteen days.
Towards the end of her life, she arrived in Devghat where she dedicated her life to God. She saw Govind’s image in the Swamiji there. Gobind was one of her childhood friends. He had taught her how to read and write.
Once a lady called Gangeswari visited DevghatAshram. She became popular as a result of her experience and the wealth she took with her. Gangeswari visited Tara’s hut one night and unveiled her identity. She was Pabitra, Tara’s childhood friend. Pabitra told her how she went through various stages of life before becoming Gangeswari.
The novel depicts the difficulties Tara faced in her life. The novel tells her life from the time she was born till she turned 87. My throat choked several times while reading this book. It portrays an image of social evil and its negative effects on the lives of many Taras and Pabitras in Nepali society.
A. Match the words from the text in Column A with their meanings in Column B. (5×1= 5)
Column A Column B
a. execute – i. a person’s death
b. demise – ii. reveal or uncover something
c. rites – iii. put completely into effect
d. mourning – iv. the feeling or expression of reverence for a deity
e. unveil -v. social customs or conventional acts
– the expression of sorrow for someone’s death
B. Write ‘True’ for the true statements and ‘False’ for the false ones. (5×1= 5)
a. Tara is the main character in the novel Seto Dharti.
b. Tara had learned that she was married when Tara went to her husband‘s home.
c. Tara first saw her husband a year after her marriage.
d. Tara started teaching people the meaning of life in Debghat.
e. Gangeswori was the false name of Pabitra.
C. Answer the following questions. (5×1= 5)
a. Write the names of characters in Seto Dharti as mentioned in the review.
b. How long did Tara have to stay in her husband‘s house?
c. What rituals did Tara have to follow after her husband‘s death?
d. Why do you think Tara saw the image of Gobind in Swamiji?
e. Why did the writer feel choked while reading the novel?
5. Write a set of rules and regulations for the visitors of a park. Write it in about 100 words using the clues given below. (5)
| Opening time : 9am-5pm— no glass containers —littering prohibited— no alcohol— pet animals not allowed |
6. Write a formal message of congratulations to your friend who has won the title of ‘Best Player’ in an inter-school volleyball tournament organized by your municipality/rural municipality. Write the message in about 100 words using the clues given below. (5)
| and proud—congratulations— best wishes for future endeavourNTSanskriti Chaudhary —- the best volleyball player— hardworking and disciplined — happy |
7. Nowadays many young people are found increasingly involved in various video games on their mobile phones. Write a paragraph in around 150 words expressing your views about the mental and social impacts of excessively playing such games. (6)
8. Write an essay describing one of your favorite food items. Write it in about 200 words mentioning its look, smell, taste, feel, etc. (8)
9. Reproduce the following sentences as instructed in the brackets. (6×1=6)
a. The accident cost Krishna a lot, ……………? (Add a question tag.)
b. Does Garima study in this school? (Change into an affirmative sentence.)
c. Yamuna danced beautifully in the party. (Change into ‘how’ question)
d. Raima …………. (finish) all her homework before her teacher asked her to do it. (Use the correct tense of the verb ‘finish’)
e. Everybody should follow the rules sincerely. (Change into passive voice.)
f. Bhim inquired, “How will you make the payment?” (Change into indirect speech)
10. Choose and copy the best answer for the numbered blanks below. Rewriting is not compulsory. (10×0.5=5)
A man came into (a)………..(a, an, the, no article) wood one day with an axe in his hand. He (b)……… (begs, begged, was begging, had begged) a tree, (c) ……….(please give me, to give him, that give him, whether give him) a small branch. He wanted the branch (d)…….. (because, so that, although, since) he could make a walking stick from it. The tree was (e)…… (with, of, by, on) kind nature. He thought the man (f) …… (will, may, might, must) make good use of the branch. Hence, he gave the man one of his branches, (g)…… …… (did he, didn’t he, hadn’t he, wouldn’t he)? The woodcutter had the branch (h) …..(fix, to fix, fixed, fixing) into his axe head. Soon the woodcutter was set to work. He cut down branch after branch. The tree had never been (i) ………. (foolish, as foolish as, more foolish, the most foolish) this in giving his enemy the means of destroying himself. Had the tree not permitted the man to cut a branch, he (j)….…….(doesn’t probably fell, won’t probably fell, wouldn’t probably fell, wouldn’t have probably felled) so many branches.
