You are Ramesh/Rashmi of 151 Chandan Nagar, Delhi. Write a letter in about 120-150 words to the Manager, Elvys Crockery Store, Delhi, placing an order of crockery and cutlery for your newly opened restaurant.

OR

You are Karuna/Kailash staying at B-101, Yamuna Vihar, Delhi. You find it inspiring that hill stations in India, like Ooty implement a strict ban on polythene bags which helps in preserving the natural beauty of the place. Write a letter in about 120-150 words to the Editor of a national daily expressing your views on how people in the city can learn from this and be more active in prevention of environmental degradation. Also suggest ways to mobilise city dwellers for being eco-friendly.

Read the passage given below:

Across the Kashmir Valley and over the famous Zoji La pass lies Ladakh – the Land of High Passes. It is a magical land, completely different from the green landscape of many other parts of the Himalayas. It is nature at an extreme. A land of freezing winds and burning hot sunlight, Ladakh is a cold desert lying in the rain shadow of the Great Himalayas and other smaller ranges. Little rain and snow reaches this dry area, where natural forces have created a fantastic landscape.

This region once formed part of the erstwhile Kingdom of Ladakh, believed to have been inhabited by the early colonizers of Ladakh - the Indo-Aryan Mons from across the Himalayan range, the Darads from the extreme western Himalayas, and the itinerant nomads from the Tibetan highlands. Also, its valleys, by virtue of their contiguity with Kashmir, Kishtwar and Kulu, served as the initial receptacles of successive ethnic and cultural waves emanating from across the Great Himalayan range. Thus, while the Mons are believed to have carried north-Indian Buddhism to these highland valleys, the Darads and Baltis of the lower Indus Valley are credited with the introduction of farming and the Tibetans with the tradition of herding.

The aridity of Ladakh is due to its location in the rain shadow area of the Great Himalayas, as well as because of its elevation and the radiation of heat from the bare soil. The most striking physical feature of Ladakh, however, is the parallelism of its mountain ranges. In Ladakh, large rivers and their tributaries have carved deep gorges far below their steep banks. However, their water is not of much use, as the terraced fields lie high above the gorges. The region is extremely dry, with rainfall as low as 10 cm each year.

These valleys sustain an exclusively agrarian population of about 80,000 people who cultivate the land available along the course of the drainage system, wherever sources for artificial irrigation are available. The majority of the population is Muslim. Descendants of missionaries of Kashmir who introduced Islam, locally called Aghas, still hold sway over the population, perpetuating the faith even as ancient folk traditions with Buddhist and animistic undertones are palpably present. Many folk traditions, particularly those connected with the agricultural cycle, are still followed with subdued reverence.

During the last decade a gradual change in the tourist's perception of Ladakh has come about, thanks to the growing mystique of the Himalayas and a burgeoning interest in adventure tourism worldwide. As a result of this change in perception there has been a steady increase in the number of tourists to the Western flank of Ladakh, which comprises several river valleys. Chief among these are the spectacular valleys of Suru and Zanskar, nestling along the foothills of the main range of the Greater Himalayas; the smaller lateral valleys of Dras and Wakha-Mulbek, as also of Chiktan (still in the restricted zone) constitute important subsidiaries. Drained and formed by the southeastern tributaries of the high Indus, these valleys constitute the district of Kargil.

The itinerary of the average tourist to Ladakh begins with a tour of Leh, the ancient capital and principal township of Ladakh. It invariably includes visits to a selection of monasteries located along a stretch of the Central Indus Valley, between the spectacular monastery of Lamayuru in the west and the prestigious establishment of Hemis in the east. Some take to trekking along the lateral valleys, especially in Markha, but few venture out of the confines of the central Indus valley, which represents Ladakh's heartland.

On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions:

(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary-minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also supply an appropriate title to it.

(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words

The Drama Club of KMN International School is staging an adaptation of the popular Shakespearean tragedy, Julius Caesar, the proceeds of which will be used for a charitable cause. Design a visually appealing poster for this in about 50-60 words. Include all relevant details.

OR

You are Komal/Karan, the Sports Captain of Rose Public School, Chandigarh. Your school has decided to allow students to use the swimming pool during the summer vacations. There will also be specialized coaching for beginners. Draft a notice in about 50-60 words informing students about this. Include all relevant details.

You are Neerja/Nitin, a reporter with ABVP News India, posted at Ghaziabad. You are one of the first group of reporters who reached the accident site near the Gajraula toll booth where a luxury bus with 54 foreign passengers on board from Delhi met with a head on collision with a water tanker. Write a report in about 150-200 words for the newspaper giving details of loss of life and damage caused.

OR

You are Satish/Saba, associated with an NGO which works to uplift the socioeconomic conditions of child Labourers by counselling their parents and helping them to go to school. Write an article in about 150–200 words on the role of literacy in eradicating the evil practice of child labour from society.

On the occasion of World Health Day prepare a speech in about 150-200 words for the morning assembly on healthy eating habits in the face of a fast paced stressful lifestyle.

OR

Your school has invited you to address your former school mates during a special assembly after you have successfully cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination with top honors. Prepare your speech in 150-200 words, motivating and giving them tips on how to achieve success in the examination