SEBA HSLC English Question Paper 2025 MCQ

{ "questions": [ { "question": "In this sentence from “A Letter to God”, which literary device is used by the author to describe the field? “The field was white as if covered with salt.”", "options": [ "Metaphor", "Simile", "Irony", "Pun" ], "answer": 1 }, { "question": "According to the author of “Coorg”, the people of Coorg are possibly descendents of the ______ or the ______. Choose the correct option to fill in the blanks.", "options": [ "Arabs and Greeks", "Arabs and Afghans", "Africans and Greeks", "Africans and Afghans" ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "“A plague of locusts would have left more than this.” Lencho made this remark as his crops were destroyed by –", "options": [ "a landslide", "a hailstorm", "a drought", "a flood" ], "answer": 1 }, { "question": "In the story “A Letter to God”, what was the most likely response that the postmaster expected in Lencho’s second letter to God?", "options": [ "sorrow", "happiness", "gratitude", "indignation" ], "answer": 2 }, { "question": "The ceremonies taking place in the sandstone amphitheatre of Pretoria refer to the celebration of South Africa’s first ______ and ______ Government.", "options": [ "autocratic and non-racial", "democratic and racial", "democratic and non-racial", "autocratic and racial" ], "answer": 2 }, { "question": "With reference to the chapter “Tea from Assam”, what do you think is the speaker’s tone in the quoted sentence – “You seem to have done your homework before coming”.", "options": [ "casual", "appreciative", "sarcastic", "humorous" ], "answer": 1 }, { "question": "Read the two statements given below with reference to “Madam Rides the Bus” and choose the correct option that follows:\n\n Statement I – Valli had many playmates of her age in her neighbourhood.\n Statement II – Valli gained many new unusual experiences by watching the street.", "options": [ "Statement I is True and Statement II is False.", "Statement I is False and Statement II is True.", "Both Statement I and Statement II are True.", "Both Statement I and Statement II are False." ], "answer": 1 }, { "question": "“I have been reading as much as I could about tea,” Rajvir said… Rajvir suggests that the traditional stories regarding the origin of tea are not ______ till today.", "options": [ "documented", "contradicted", "authenticated", "disregarded" ], "answer": 2 }, { "question": "The structure they created formed the basis of one of the harshest, more inhumane societies… What does ‘structure’ refer to in this sentence from “Long Walk to Freedom” ?", "options": [ "the amphitheatre", "apartheid", "the city roads", "government and offices" ], "answer": 1 }, { "question": "“Coorgi homes have a tradition of hospitality and they are more than willing to recount numerous tales of valour….” Which of the following options is closest to the meaning of the underlined part…?", "options": [ "to count", "to narrate", "to renounce", "to prevent" ], "answer": 1 }, { "question": "“Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.” In this line from “Long Walk to Freedom”, provide a word that has same meaning with the underlined word.", "options": [ "put out", "suppose", "ignite", "start out" ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "On receiving the letter from the postmaster, Lencho did not seem surprised because –", "options": [ "he knew everything before hand.", "he was confident of receiving a reply from God.", "he had dreamt about God’s reply.", "he knew the postmaster was a good man." ], "answer": 1 }, { "question": "Why does even the most laidback individual becomes adventurous in Coorg?", "options": [ "Because Coorgi people do not welcome laidback persons.", "Because Coorgi culture is adventure friendly.", "Because the environment offers opportunities for adventure sports and activities.", "Because laidback people find it difficult to while away time at Coorg." ], "answer": 2 }, { "question": "“Hey! a tea garden!” Rajvir cried excitedly. But Pranjol didn’t share Rajvir’s excitement. Why was it so ?", "options": [ "Because Pranjol did not like tea gardens.", "Because Pranjol loved the hills.", "Because Pranjol was familiar with the landscape dotted with tea gardens.", "Because Pranjol was annoyed with Rajvir." ], "answer": 2 }, { "question": "“Thirty-one minutes,” Ausable said moodily… What report was referred to by Ausable ? [Hint : The Midnight Visitor]", "options": [ "Report concerning some new missiles", "Report concerning espionage", "Report on Nazi occupation", "Report concerning World Wars" ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "Horace Danby never got a chance to work on a new plan after the Shotover Grange episode. Why ?", "options": [ "He was put behind the bars.", "He was exhausted of all plans.", "He went away to a different place.", "He was upset with his accomplice." ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "Fowler felt let down. Why ? [Hint : The Midnight Visitor]", "options": [ "Fowler did not get good food to eat.", "Fowler realised that the secret agent was not coming to the hotel.", "The secret agent led him to a hotel room which was rather gloomy.", "Fowler could not understand what the secret agent said." ], "answer": 2 }, { "question": "How did the junior assistant of the law firm feel when he was sent to serve summons. [Hint : The Hack Driver]", "options": [ "He felt sad.", "He found the work unpleasant.", "He felt joyful.", "He used to be anxious." ], "answer": 2 }, { "question": "“Brilliant scientist though he was, Griffin was rather a lawless person.” Which of the following alternatives expresses the writer’s attitude to Griffin?", "options": [ "accusation", "disappointment", "disapproval", "appreciation" ], "answer": 2 }, { "question": "“Shivering with cold he hurried to Drury Lane…” Which of the following alternatives explain the reason behind the subject’s visit to Drury Lane ?", "options": [ "He wanted to watch a theatre.", "He wanted to spend some time at a shop.", "He wanted to get some food and clothing.", "He wanted to become invisible" ], "answer": 2 }, { "question": "With reference to “The Ball Poem”, choose the statement that correctly identifies the underlined words. I would not intrude on him.", "options": [ "The poet would not intrude on the boy.", "The passerby would not intrude on the boy.", "The boy would not intrude on the poet.", "The speaker would not intrude on the poet." ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "What does the boy feel when he loses the ball as mentioned in “The Ball Poem”?", "options": [ "anxious", "sad", "stressed", "timid" ], "answer": 1 }, { "question": "In the poem “Animals”, the poet claims that he can live with –", "options": [ "machines", "plants", "friends", "animals" ], "answer": 3 }, { "question": "The small boy in “ The Ball Poem” is experiencing –", "options": [ "realisation", "joy", "elation", "gladness" ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "“There is a languid, emerald sea, where the sole inhabitant is me -…..” Choose the correct synonym for the underlined word –", "options": [ "dynamic", "animated", "relaxed", "spirited" ], "answer": 2 }, { "question": "In the poem ‘Amanda’, what is Amanda’s primary desire ?", "options": [ "to become a mermaid", "to be alone and free", "to become an artist", "to travel around the world" ], "answer": 1 }, { "question": "According to the poet Leslie Norris, where should the tiger ideally be ?", "options": [ "quietly walking in a cage in the zoo.", "sleeping in a concrete cell in the zoo.", "snarling around the houses at the jungle’s edge.", "resting under the sun outside the cage." ], "answer": 2 }, { "question": "Read the following statements with reference to “A Tiger in the Zoo” and choose the correct option –\n* Statement 1 – Ferocious animals like tigers are a threat to the natural and human world.\n* Statement 2 – Zoo animals become quite placid inside their cage.", "options": [ "Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are true.", "Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are false.", "Statement 1 is true and Statement 2 is false.", "Statement 1 is false and Statement 2 is true." ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "In “The Tale of Custard, the Dragon,” how is Custard portrayed before the arrival of the pirates ?", "options": [ "as a cowardly and timid dragon.", "as a fierce and intimidating dragon.", "as a clumsy and lazy dragon.", "as an intelligent and cunning dragon." ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "Identify the literary device used in this line from “Animals” – ” I think I could turn and live with animals….”", "options": [ "alliteration", "simile", "assonance", "metaphor" ], "answer": 2 }, { "question": "Identify the correct question tag to fill in the blank – He is a teacher, ______?", "options": [ "ain’t he?", "wasn’t he?", "is he?", "isn’t he?" ], "answer": 3 }, { "question": "Select the correct combination of sentence for the given sentences. He has no strength. He has no intelligence.", "options": [ "He has neither strength and no either intelligence.", "He has no strength and either no intelligence.", "He has neither strength nor intelligence.", "He has neither strength and intelligence." ], "answer": 2 }, { "question": "Choose the correct option to fill in the blank – All tickets for the cultural night have been ______.", "options": [ "sold out", "sold away", "sold up", "sold off" ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "Did you ______ the references from Shakespeare’s drama ? Fill in the blank.", "options": [ "site", "cite", "sited", "cited" ], "answer": 1 }, { "question": "Choose the correct option to complete the sentence. She gave ______ money she had to the beggar.", "options": [ "the little", "the few", "much", "many" ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "Choose the option that correctly changes the voice of the given sentence : I cooked all the dessert items served yesterday.", "options": [ "All the dessert items served yesterday were cooked by me.", "All the dessert items served yesterday were my cooking.", "All the dessert items are cooked by me which were served yesterday.", "All the dessert items cooked by me was served yesterday." ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "Choose the indirect form of the following sentence – My friend said to me, “ Have you had your lunch ?”", "options": [ "My friend asked me if I had had my lunch.", "My friend told me if I had my lunch.", "My friend said to me if I have had my lunch.", "My friend asked me if I had my lunch." ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "Choose the correct tense form and fill in the blank. The train ______ before we reached the station.", "options": [ "will have left", "was left", "had left", "has left" ], "answer": 2 }, { "question": "Fill in the blank in the following sentence : Lina is ______ careful than her sister.", "options": [ "more", "little", "least", "most" ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "Choose the correct option to fill in the blank : ______ the long run, it is important to listen ______ our instincts before taking a major decision.", "options": [ "in, to", "during, for", "in, through", "for, to" ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "What did Lencho do throughout the morning?", "options": [ "Watched the river", "Watched the sky", "Watched the field", "Watched the valley" ], "answer": 1 }, { "question": "Choose the correct antonym for the word ‘crest’ given in the passage.", "options": [ "summit", "ridge", "top", "bottom" ], "answer": 3 }, { "question": "Who was Rabindranath Tagore’s contemporary writer in Bengal?", "options": [ "Bankimchandra Chatterjee", "Debendranath Tagore", "Mahatma Gandhi", "William Butler Yeats" ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "Arrange the following events from Rabindranath Tagore’s life chronologically.\n(i) He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.\n(ii) He was born as the fourteenth child of Debendranath Tagore.\n(iii) He came to England.\n(iv) He first visited Europe in 1878.", "options": [ "(ii), (iv), (iii), (i)", "(iv), (iii), (ii), (i)", "(i), (iii), (ii), (iv)", "(ii), (iii), (iv), (i)" ], "answer": 0 }, { "question": "Why did Rabindranath Tagore withdraw from the Swadeshi movement ?", "options": [ "Because it had turned violent.", "Because it hampered his writing activities.", "Because he was not a military man.", "Because he wanted to set up a university." ], "answer": 0 } ] }