Q1. [5]
Let me put this more clearly, since no one will believe that a thirteen-year old girl is completely alone in this world. And I'm not. I have loving parents and a sixteen years old sister, and there are almost thirty people I can call friends. I have a family, loving aunts and a good house. No, on the surface I seem to have everything, except my one true friend. All I think about when I am with friends is having a good time. I can't bring myself to talk about anything, but ordinary everyday things.
Attempt any one of the given extracts:
- (i) On the surface, it appears that Anne the thirteen year old girl _____. [1]
- (ii) How can we infer that the speaker felt alone in the world? [1]
- (a) She had a family of many people.
- (b) She had loving parents.
- (c) She had thirty friends.
- (d) She craves for a true friend.
- (iii) Anne and her friends talked about _____. [1]
- (a) their problematic parents
- (b) their financial problems
- (c) common everyday things
- (d) the commuting problems
- (iv) Complete the analogy by selecting the suitable word from the text:
alone : friends : : nothing : _____ [1]
- (v) Select the option that correctly captures the usage of the idiom 'bring myself' from the extract: [1]
- (a) to do something willingly
- (b) to do something unwillingly
- (c) a charitable act
- (d) an involuntary act
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2023 2/1/1 Q6(a)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:18 · grounding stimulus+chapter
Model Answer
(i) On the surface, it appears that Anne the thirteen-year-old girl has everything — loving parents, a sixteen-year-old sister, nearly thirty friends, loving aunts, and a good house.
(ii) (d) She craves for a true friend.
(iii) (c) common everyday things
(iv) alone : friends :: nothing : everything
(She says "I seem to have everything" — the antonym of 'nothing' found in the text.)
(v) (b) to do something unwillingly
(Anne cannot force herself to talk about anything beyond ordinary everyday things, showing an unwillingness or inability to open up.)
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Explanation
- (i) is a fill-in-the-blank; quote directly from the passage — "seems to have everything" is the key phrase.
- (ii) The clue is the phrase "one true friend" — Anne lacks a true friend despite outward abundance, so (d) is correct.
- (iii) The passage explicitly says "ordinary everyday things," matching option (c).
- (iv) Look for an antonym pair in the text: "alone" contrasts with "friends"; similarly "nothing" contrasts with "everything" (from "I seem to have everything").
- (v) "Can't bring myself to" means being unable to make yourself do something — implying reluctance/unwillingness, so (b) is correct.
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