Half-Yearly Assessment (HYA 2026)
Class XI English
Part I & II (Reading & Objective Questions)
Section A: Reading Passage
Politics is an art of negotiation and regulation. Each and every step in politics requires intense thinking. Before taking any action, one must think strategically. The position, ambience, and policies of opponents should be kept in mind. Every game has its own norms, principles, and morality, and every player of that game follows those principles. Politics is also a game of gaining power. However, unlike other games, it has no absolute rules, defined ethical codes, or fixed tracks.
The bare fact of life is that a man cannot get everything he wants. Therefore, he has to sacrifice or surrender something or the other in his life to achieve his goal, whether it is his own principles, personality, or anything else. He has to constantly observe the situation and assess the behaviour of the public before expressing his views.
To become a successful politician, one must be a good mind reader and be willing to sacrifice personal interests. There are many politicians who are very good at their work and have influenced the masses, enabling them to change and guide people for the betterment of society and the nation. Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Subhas Chandra Bose, and Indira Gandhi have left a permanent impression on the field of politics.
Questions & Answers
PART I: MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
(i) What is needed at each and every step in politics?
Answer: (c) intense thinking
(ii) What does every game have?
Answer: (d) all of the above (its own norms, principles, and morality)
(iii) What does politics lack, unlike other games?
Answer: (d) All of the above (Absolute rules, Ethical codes, Fixed tracks)
PART II: OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS
(iv) What should a successful politician keep in mind?
Answer: A successful politician must be a good mind reader and be willing to sacrifice personal interests for public service.
(v) Give a suitable title to the passage.
Answer: The Art of Politics OR The Successful Politician
2: Note-Making & Suitable Title (5 Marks)
Question 2: Read the following passage carefully and make notes on it and also supply a suitable title.
How you can best improve your English depends on where you live and, particularly, on whether or not you live in an English-speaking community. If you hear English spoken every day and mix freely with English-speaking people, that is, on the whole, an advantage. On the other hand, it can often be confusing to have the whole language poured over you at once. Ideally, a step-by-step course should accompany or lead up to this experience. It will also help a great deal if you can easily get the sort of English books in which you are interested.
To read a lot is essential. Read as many books in English as you can, not as a duty but for pleasure. It is extensive rather than intensive reading that normally helps you become interested in further reading and thereby improves your English.
Some people say that they cannot learn to speak a language better with the help of a book. To believe this is to believe that spoken language and written language are quite different things. This is not so. There is a great deal in common between the two. In learning the patterns and vocabulary of the written form, we are learning, to a considerable extent, those of the spoken form too.
Title: Improving English Language Skills
Notes:
- Factors Influencing English Improvement
- 1.1 Environment & community (living in English-speaking area)
- 1.2 Advantage of hearing spoken English daily
- 1.3 Step-by-step course structure to avoid confusion
- Role of Reading
- 2.1 Read for pleasure, not duty
- 2.2 Importance of extensive reading over intensive reading
- 2.3 Builds interest & furthers comprehension
- Link Between Spoken & Written English
- 3.1 Common misconception: books don't help spoken language
- 3.2 Spoken and written language share common patterns
- 3.3 Learning written vocabulary improves spoken English
Section B — Writing Skills
Question 3 (5 x 1 = 5 Marks)
Option 1: Notice (Lost and Found)
NOTICE
LOST AND FOUND OFFICE
Date: 6 October 2026
FOUND OFFICE FILE IN METRO
This is to inform the general public that an official office file was found in the Jaipur Metro train (Blue Line) on 5th October 2026 around 4:00 PM. The file contains important official documents inside a blue cover.
The rightful owner can claim it from the undersigned after providing proper proof of identity and describing the specific contents of the file.
Rupesh / Rupa
79, Modern Colony, Jaipur
Contact: [Phone Number]Option 2: Application to Librarian
To
The Librarian
GGMSS School,
Jind
Date: 6 October 2026
Subject: Re fine for late return of library books
Respected Sir/Madam,
I am Aarush / Arshita, a student of Class 11th (Roll No. 14) at your school. I had borrowed two books from the school library two weeks ago. Unfortunately, I could not return them on the due date due to sudden severe illness.
I am returning the books today. Owing to my family's financial situation and genuine medical reason, I kindly request you to remit the late fine. I assure you that I will be punctual in returning books in the future.
Thanking you.
Yours obediently,
Aarush / Arshita
Class 11th
Option 3: Paragraph on 'Education of the Girl Child in the Country'
Education of the Girl Child in the Country
Educating a girl child is one of the most critical drivers of national progress and social stability. When a female child is educated, an entire family and community prosper. In modern India, empowering women through education enhances economic productivity, reduces child mortality, and breaks the cycle of poverty. Government schemes like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao have significantly boosted female literacy rates and school enrolment. However, challenges like gender discrimination, early marriage, and infrastructural gaps still persist in rural areas. Equal access to quality education for every girl child ensures a more inclusive, progressive, and prosperous society.
Section C — Grammar
Question 4: Attempt any six of the following (6x 1 = 6 Marks)
(i) Many people came to see the fair.
(ii) She has been living in Delhi since 2020. (since)
(iii) He returned after an hour.
(iv) I had finished my work before he came.
(v) India will make great progress in the coming years.
(vi) Neither the teacher nor the students were present in the classroom.
Change the Voice:
(vii) Do not insult your elders.
Answer: (c) Your elders should not be insulted by you.
(viii) Who will win the election?
Answer: (a) By whom will the election be won?
Section D — Literature
Question 5: Read the passage given below and answer the questions (1x 5 = 5 Marks)
Passage A: We're Not Afraid to Die...
The first indication of impending disaster came at about 6 p.m. with an ominous silence. The wind dropped, and the sky immediately grew dark. Then came a growing roar, and an enormous cloud towered aft of the ship. With horror, I realised that it was not a cloud but a wave like no other I had ever seen. It appeared perfectly vertical and almost twice the height of the other waves, with a frightful breaking crest.
(i) When did they first notice the disaster?
Answer: (b) At 6 p.m.
(ii) What changes did they notice before the disaster occurred?
Answer: (d) All of the above (Ominous silence, wind dropped, sky grew dark)
(iii) What was the enormous cloud in reality?
Answer: (b) It was a huge wave
(iv) How was the wave described
Answer: (d) All of the above (Almost perfectly vertical, twice the height of other waves, frightful breaking crest)
(v) Find the synonym of "ominous".
Answer: (c) Frightening (or threatening)
Passage B: A Photograph
(i) Name the poem from which these lines have been taken.
Answer: (a) A Photograph
(ii) Name the poet of this poem.
Answer: (d) Shirley Toulson
(iii) What were the names of the two girl cousins?
Answer: (a) Dolly and Betty
(iv) What did the girls do at the seashore?
Answer: (c) They went paddling
(v) Who was the "big girl"?
Answer: (d) The poet's mother
Question 6: Answer in about 100 words (5 Marks)
Option (i): "We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children."
Answer: This famous quote highlighted in The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement's Role shifts our perspective on environmental stewardship. It emphasizes that current generations are not absolute owners of Earth's natural resources but temporary trustees. The planet's resources—forests, fisheries, grasslands, and croplands—are finite and deteriorating rapidly due to human exploitation. Rather than treating nature as an inheritance to consume recklessly, humanity must preserve it intact for future generations. The sustainable development model mandates meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
Option (ii): Character sketch of Uncle Khosrove (The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse)
Answer: Uncle Khosrove is a central comic and eccentric character in William Saroyan's story. He is portrayed as a huge man with a powerful head of black hair and a fiery temper. He is notoriously impatient, loud, and easily annoyed. His defining trait is his signature response to any crisis, emergency, or tragedy: "It is no harm; pay no attention to it." Whether his house was on fire or a neighbor lamented over a stolen horse, Khosrove shouted everyone down with the exact same line. Despite his rough exterior and crazy demeanor, he possesses a soft heart and deep nostalgia for his homeland.
Question 7: Short Answer Questions (2x 3 = 6 Marks)
(a) How does Mrs. Fitzgerald plan to deal with the Pearson family? (Mother's Day)
Answer: Mrs. Fitzgerald uses fortune-telling magic to temporarily swap personalities/bodies with Mrs. Pearson so she can assertively discipline Doris, Cyril, and George and make them appreciate Mrs. Pearson's efforts.
(b) What was the name of the woman whom the narrator visited? What was her address? (The Address)
Answer: The woman was Mrs. Dorling. Her address was Number 46, Marconi Street.
(c) What evidence proves that Tut's burial took place in March or April? (Discovering Tut)
Answer: Tut's innermost coffin contained a shroud adorned with garlands of willow, olive leaves, wild celery, lotus petals, and cornflowers, which bloom specifically during March or April in Egypt.
(d) Why did the grandmother go to school with the narrator? (The Portrait of a Lady)
Answer: The grandmother accompanied the narrator to school because the village school was attached to a temple, allowing her to sit inside and read scriptures while he studied.