CBSE Class 11 English Core SESSION ENDING EXAMINATION – (2014-2015)

Time: 3 Hrs. M.M: 80

General Instructions:

1. This paper is divided into four sections: A, B, C, D. All sections are compulsory Strictly adhere to the word limit, while answering the questions.
2. Complete any one section altogether before moving onto the next section.
3. Read the instructions, given separately with each question or section, very carefully

SECTION-A

READING 20 MARKS

1. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 12

1. Hundreds of thousands of our qualified youngsters take off from different international

airports every year for higher studies or highly lucrative jobs in the Us, the UK, Germany, France and Australia. And most of these Indians prefer to settle abroad, attracted by the facilities and the higher quality of life provided by these countries. We have been crying hoarse about brain drain from India over the last five decades or more, without going in for a well-set blueprint to check the counter-productive phenomenon. Some of the public schools in our metros and our IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) and IIMs(Indian Institutes of Management) are providing world-class education. One might wonder that having spent a lot on infrastructure, training and other facilities and the best teaching staff, can the Government and the people of India look away as the talent, assiduously nurtured in India, is utilized by other countries for their development and excellence in different fields.

1. During the decades long debate on brain drain, it was said that our youngsters leave India

just because excellence is neither recognized nor rewarded – In India. This could have been partly true at the beginning of this debate. But today, things have changed beyond recognition and talented people can reach the highest position if only they are prepared to work hard. Youngsters from India – Whatever be the field they are working in – are today suitably recognized and rewarded. 1/9

1. Take the field of sports where many of the celebrities are household name – Sania Mirza,

Narain Karthikeyan, Sachin Tendulkar, Anju Bobby George, P.T. Usha and Several others. Innovation and managerial skill get recognition when Indians can vie others in excellence from any part of the world.

1. If there is one individual who has catapulted India to the number one position in milk

production in the world, it's none other than Dr. Verghese Kurien, the father of the White Revolution. A top engineer who completed the konkan Railway in Record time, Mr E. Sreedharan has built up the world class Delhi Matro. Mr. Amitabh Bachchan is no longer a mega star of the Indian screen only. His presentation of Kaun Benega Crorepati and other ventures have made him a living legend of global proportions. Take the story of Ambani brothers, the Tatas, the Mittals and others who are having their footprints in different continents. We have had so many Indians who rose to the summit as Miss Universe and Miss World, but none has earned so much acclaim globally in Bollywood, Hollywood or the Cannes Film festival as Ms. Aishwarya Rai. In the wake of globalization, India has produced a galaxy of eminent entrepreneurs in IT, biotechnology, civil aviation, steel production and the like, just mention a field and we are already in the vanguard or moving ahead at a frenetic pace. A time may come when India would be capable of reversing the so called brain drain to India's supreme advantage.

1. And happily enough, this is already happening now. A report released by a high-tech

lobbying group on the Silicon Valley in 2005 revealed that the highly – skilled Indian born talent that once flocked to the US was returning home, "turning America's brain drain into India's brain gain." Titled "Losing the Competitive Edge; The challenge for "Science and Technology in the US"., the report said that countries like India and Chine, through the restructuring of their economies, were dramatically increasing the skill sets of their work force, thereby posing a challenge 'to the US leadership in the technology" domain. "Public- private partnerships" (in India) have invested in technical universities and communications infrastructure to create cutting edge technology parks in places like Bangalore in Karnataka. This will make India more competitive, and alluring to investors and multinational companies." The report further said; "They are dramatically increasing the skill sets of their workforce, investing in research and development, and adopting advanced technologies, all the create wealth and spur economic growth."

On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions. 2/9