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English Language & Literature| Class 10th

CBSE Board Paper 2018

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CBSE Board Paper 2018 Set - 1

General Instructions:

1. The question paper is divided into three sections:

Section A : Reading 20 Marks

Section B : Writing and Grammar 30 Marks

Section C : Literature 30 Marks 2. All questions are compulsory. 3. You may attempt any section at a time. 4. All questions of that particular section must be attempted in the

correct order.

Time allowed: 3 Hours Max Marks: 80

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1. Read the passage given below:

1) Tourists to Jammu and Kashmir have another attraction – a floating post office on the Dal Lake in Srinagar, the first in the country. ‘Floating Post Office, Dal Lake’ – claimed to be the only one such post office in the world – is built on an intricately carved maroon houseboat, fastened on the western edge of the Dal Lake.

(2) This post office lets you avail of all the regular postal services available in the country while being afloat. The seal used on everything posted from Floating Post Office is unique – along with the date and address, it bears the design of a boatman rowing a shikara on the Dal Lake. The special feature of this post office is that letters posted from here carry a special design which has the picturesque scenery of Dal Lake and Srinagar city. These pictures reach wherever these letters are posted to and hence promote Kashmir as a tourist destination across the world.

(3) This is actually a heritage post office that has existed since British times. It was called Nehru Park Post Office before 2011. But then the chief postmaster John Samuel renamed it as ‘Floating Post Office’.

(4) The post office’s houseboat has two small rooms – one serves as the office and the other a small museum that traces the philatelic history of the state postal department. It has a shop that sells postage stamps and other products.

Section A (Reading – 20 Marks)

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4

1×8=8

(5) But for the locals, Floating Post office is more than an object of fascination. Rs 1-2 crore is deposited per month in Floating Post Office by communities living in and around the Dal Lake. The lake has several islets that are home to more than 50,000 people.

(6) The greatest fear is the recurrence of 2014 like floods in which the houseboat had gone for a toss uncontrollably pushed by the flood. Rescue teams had to anchor it using special mechanism in a nearby highland. Then it was brought back on the Dal after the water receded. The biggest boon is that at no time of the year do you need a fan in this post-office!

1.1 Attempt any eight of the following questions on the basis of the passage you have read :

(i) What is the location of the Floating Post Office in Srinagar ?

(ii) What is special about the seal used in the post office?

(iii) How is the post office helpful in promoting tourism ?

(iv) Who renamed the post office as ‘Floating Post Office’?

(v) What are the two rooms of the post office used for ?

(vi) How is the post office beneficial to the locals ?

(vii) What is the greatest fear that the post office has ?

(viii) How is the post office a big boon to the people ?

(ix) Find the word from the passage which means the same as ‘attraction’. (para 5)

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2. Read the passage given below.

(1) It is an indisputable fact that the world has gone too far with the innovation of new technologies such as mobile phones, the internet and so on, due to which people are able to tour the cosmos virtually sitting at one place using their smart devices or other technological gadgets. Though mobile internet access is oftentimes hurried and short, it can still provide common internet features like alerts, weather data, emails, search engines, instant messages, and game and music downloading.

(2) Due to the easy access of smart phones, communication has been very effective and instant. People are able to convey their message all around the globe to their loved ones without spending hefty sums of money. Adults are always fond of such gadgets and they always welcome and adopt such new technology readily. Further, young people have been able to broaden their minds and improve their skills by doing research on the Internet. For instance, they use smart phones to look up any new word they come across. As we know that most of the universities have online teaching provision and smart phones assist the students to complete their assignments on time.

(3) The mobile phone has been a lifesaver for a lot of people in case of an emergency. Likewise, use of smart phones can be of vital importance in preventing crimes in the society by providing information to the security forces in time.

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(4) Nonetheless, for the young the use of mobile phone can be like an addiction and they can misuse it. Young people are also prone to getting involved in undesirable activities on the Internet. This might have adverse effect on their academic performance. Therefore, young people should always be monitored and made aware of its bad outcomes.

(5) Also a major contributor to its popularity is the availability of prepaid or pay as you go services from a phone shop or an online store. This allows subscribers to load text or airtime credits to their handsets by the use of their credit cards, debit cards or by buying a prepaid card from the network they subscribe to. This plan also doesn’t commit a particular customer to a contract. If prepaid card is not that appealing to you, then you can opt to subscribe using the pay by month plan.

2.1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer any four of the following questions in 30-40 words each:

(i) How are smart phones helpful in communication?

(ii) What are the benefits of mobile phones for the young generation?

(iii) How can mobile phones be considered ‘lifesavers’?

(iv) Mention any two demerits of mobile phones.

(v) How is a prepaid card useful to mobile phone users?

2×4=8

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2.2 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer any four of the following :

(i) In para 1, synonym of ‘innovation’ is ________.

(i) production (ii) sincerity

(iii) invention (iv) prevention

(ii) Mobile internet can provide access to:

(i) telegram (ii) emails

(iii) schools (iv) university

(iii) Grown-ups should _________ the use of new technology by the young people.

(i) reject (ii) criticize

(iii) monitor (iv) accept

(iv) Meaning of the word ‘adverse’ in para 4 is:

(i) positive (ii) negative

(iii) admirable (iv) unguided

(v) According to the passage, one can opt for __________ plan if prepaid plan doesn’t suit.

(i) yearly (ii) weekly

(iii) monthly (iv) daily

1×4=4

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Section B (Writing and Grammar – 30 Marks)

3. You are Prabhu Kumar/Parvati of I7E, Ravi Dass Road, Kochi. Write a letter in 100-120 words to the editor of a newspaper about the nuisance caused by loudspeakers in the city during examination days drawing attention of the concerned authorities to the problem.

You are Pratibha/Rahul of Class X. Write an article in 100-120 words on ‘Ill effects on

students of too much of television’. You can use the following clues:

– Increasing addiction

– A great variety of programmes

– Easy availability

– Neglect of studies

– Drop in academic performance

– Result – poor physical and mental health

4. Write a story in 150-200 words with the help of the following outline:

Tortoise and hare – good friends – tortoise – known for his slow speed – hare has fast speed – makes fun of tortoise – challenges him – referee selected – race starts – hare overconfident – takes a nap – tortoise wins.

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OR

8

9

OR

Complete the story in 150-200 words which begins as the following:

There was a joint family of six members including grandparents. It was the 75th birthday of the grandmother and the family planned to celebrate ... ... ...

5. Fill in any four of the blanks in the paragraph given below with the help of options that follow:

The modern student ___(a)___ the importance ___(b)___ physical exercise. He spends one to two hours in open air ___(c)___ he takes part in different sports. However, care should ___(d)___ not to overstrain ___(e)___ body.

(a) (i) understood (ii) understand

(iii) have understand (iv) understands

(b) (i) of (ii) by

(iii) from (iv) with

(c) (i) how (ii) which

(iii) where (iv) why

(d) (i) be taken (ii) took

(iii) takes (iv) has taken

(e) (i) a (ii) an

(iii) the (iv) some

1×4=4

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6. The following paragraph has not been edited. There is an error in each line. Write the error as well as the correction as shown in the example. Do any four.

1×4=4

7. Rearrange the following words/phrases to form meaningful sentences. Do any four.

(i) work and play / things / different / parents see / as two

(ii) is a / of time / they / waste / think / that playing

(iii) important / games / studies / are as / as

(iv) a student / to both / proper / should / attention / pay

(v) can / life / only / succeed / he / in / then

1×4=4

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Section C (Literature: Text Book and Long Reading Texts – 30 Marks)

8. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

“But, please, Stephen Stepanovitch, how can they be yours? Do be a reasonable man! My aunt’s grandmother gave the Meadows for the temporary and free use of your grandfather’s peasants. The peasants used the land for forty years and got accustomed to it as if it was their own, when it happened that ........

(a) Who is the speaker of the above lines?

(b) Why did his aunt’s grandmother give the meadows?

(c) Why did the peasants treat the land as their own?

(d) What light do these lines throw on the speaker’s character?

(a) What was ‘they’?

(b) Where could the author get ‘one’?

(c) Find the exact word from the extract which means ‘domesticated.’

(d) What did the author find at the Consulate-General?

1×4=4z

OR

Belinda tickled him, she ticked him unmerciful,

Ink, Blink and Mustard, they rudely called him Percival,

They all sat laughing in the little red wagon

At the realio, trulio, cowardly dragon.

(a) Who was tickled by Belinda?

(b) Why did she tickle ‘him’?

(c) Who are Ink, Blink and Mustard?

(d) Why did they all laugh at ‘him’?

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2×4=8 9. Answer any four of the following questions in 30-40 words

each:

(a) What excited Rajvir? Why did Pranjol not share his excitement?

(b) ‘He senses first responsibility’ – What responsibility is referred to here? (The Ball Poem)

(c) What was Horace Danby’s hobby? How did he manage to fulfill it?

(d) Why did Matilda (Mme Loisel) leave the ball in a hurry? What does it show about her character?

(e) In which queer way did Anil make a living? (The Thief’s Story)

10. Answer the following question in 100-120 words:

In life, people who easily trust others are sometimes made to look foolish. One should not be too trusting. Describe how Oliver Lutkins made a fool of the young lawyer.

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OR

What lesson on death and suffering did the Buddha teach Gotami in the chapter, ‘The Sermon at Benaras’?

11. Answer the following question in 200-250 words:

Describe the importance of diary in Anne Frank’s life.

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13

OR

Helen Keller’s determination to study and compete with the normal children helps her to enter Radcliffe College. What does this show about her personality?

OR

Describe how Miss Sullivan succeeds in helping Helen Keller achieve her aim in life.

What problems do Margot and Anne face with regard to the way their parents treat them?

OR

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1. (i) The Floating Post Office is built on an intricately carved maroon houseboat which is fastened on the western edge of the Dal Lake in Srinagar.

(ii)The seal used on everything posted from Floating Post Office is very unique along with the date and address as it bears the design of a boatman rowing a shikara on the Dal Lake.

(iii) The letters posted from here carry a special design which has the picturesque scenery of Dal Lake and Srinagar city. These pictures reach wherever these letters are posted to which therefore promote Kashmir as a tourist destination across the world.

(iv) The chief postmaster John Samuel renamed the post office as ‘Floating Post Office’.

(v) The post office’s houseboat has two small rooms – one serves as the office and the other a small museum that traces the philatelic history of the state postal department.

(vi) For the locals, the lake has several islets that are home to more than 50,000 people.

(vii) The greatest fear is the recurrence of 2014 like floods in which the houseboat had gone for a toss uncontrollably pushed by the flood.

Solutions (Set-1)

Section A (Solutions)

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(viii) The biggest boon to the people is that at no time of the year there is a need of fan in this post-office.

(ix)Attraction- Fascination.

2. 2.1

(i) Due to the easy access of smart phones, communication has been very effective and instant. People are able to convey their message all around the globe to their loved ones without spending hefty sums of money.

(ii) Through mobile phones young people have been able to broaden their minds and improve their skills by doing research on the Internet. They use smart phones to look up any new word they come across. As most of the universities have online teaching provision, therefore smart phones assist the students to complete their assignments on time.

(iii) Mobile phones have been a lifesaver for a lot of people in case of an emergency. Also use of smart phones can be of vital importance in preventing crimes in the society by providing information to the security forces in time.

(iv) Demerits of mobile phones are-

1. Young people use phones like an addiction and they can misuse it also.

2. Young people are also prone to getting involved in undesirable activities on the Internet that might have adverse effect on their academic performance.

(v) Prepaid card is useful to mobile phone users as it allows subscribers to load text or airtime credits to their handsets by the use of their credit cards, debit cards or by buying a prepaid card from the network they subscribe to and the plan also doesn’t commit a particular customer to a contract.

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2.2 i) ‘Innovation’ means to create something new or invent, ‘Sincerity’ means showing genuine feelings, ‘Prevention’ means to restrict from doing something and ‘Production’ means to recreate something that already exists. Since invention means the same as innovation, it is the correct answer. Hence, the correct option is (iii).

ii) One can access emails through the internet; you cannot access a telegram, a school or a university. Hence, the correct option is (ii).

iii) As given in paragraph 4 of the passage, grown-ups should monitor the use of new technology, i.e. mobile phones by young ones. Hence, the correct option is (iii).

iv) As given in paragraph 5, one can subscribe to a pay-by-month plan or a monthly plan. Hence, the correct option is (iii).

v) monthly

3. 17E,

Ravi Das Road Kochi

5 April 2018

Section B

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The Editor

The Times of India

New Delhi

Sub: Nuisance caused by loudspeakers in the city

Dear Sir/Ma’am,

I want to draw your kind attention towards the nuisances caused by the loudspeakers in our locality. The noise pollution has been affecting every single resident here and it is a kind request to publish our views in your newspaper for resolving this issue.

Most of the residents are students are who are preparing for their final examinations day and night. During the day the loud noise from the speakers disturb the students and in late night also they are not able to concentrate properly and the noise is seriously unbearable. As a result, students are facing anxiety and stress issues all day which is indeed not good for their health.

On behalf of all our students of the society I plead you to publish our concern in your section and appeal to the concerned authorities to take some necessary actions for the welfare of these students.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Parvati

Ill effects on students of too much of television

Television has become a great source of entertainment as well as knowledge for both children and adults. Students prefer more on indoor watching and playing rather than reading

OR

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books and playing outdoor activities. Continuous watching of television has lead many students to become dull and lethargic and due to the availability of a great number of programs including variety in cartoons and music entertainment the addiction of watching these programmes on a daily basis has been increased among students now a days.

Easy availability of all channels and programmes has attracted the students to watch daily which results in a huge loss of interest in their studies. Children prefer watching their programmes first as soon as they reach home after school rather than concentrating on their homework. The continuous watch of such electronic medium has an adverse effect on the eyesight of many children and being an indoor for such a long time has also resulted in their poor mental and physical heath. Children have become a captive who also has a downfall in their academic performance which is definitely a serious issue to work and think upon as soon as possible.

4. The hare and the tortoise

Once upon a time there was a tortoise and a hare that were good friends and lived together in a forest. The tortoise was known for his slow speed as he always used to walk very slowly and steadily where as on the other hand the hare had a capability to run faster so he was known for his amazing fast speed. The hare always was very proud of him and made fun of the tortoise on his slow speed.

On day the hare challenged the tortoise to compete in a race. The tortoise agreed and both of them started the race with the selection of an unbiased referee. The hare ran very fast from the start but the tortoise as usual started to walk very slowly. In the middle way the overconfident hare decided to take some rest and decided to lie down under a tree and soon slept

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off. Meanwhile, the tortoise continued to walk slowly and steadily and soon crossed the finish line and eventually won the race. Thus the moral of the story is Pride goes before a fall.

There was a joint family of six members including grandparents. It was the 75th birthday of the grandmother and the family planned to celebrate her birthday with lots of surprises and fun. The family consisted of two grand children one elder boy Ross and one younger girl Rosy. The children were excited to throw the surprise party for their grandparents since a month. They saved penny from their pocket money to prepare presents for her birthday. Ross prepared a beautiful bouquet with lilies for his grandmother as she was fond of scents of lilies very much and Rosy has bought a pretty little cat as a pet to give to her grandmother as she was very close to animals and wanted a sweet little pet since a very long time. The father and mother arranged a great get together and invited all the old friends and relatives to celebrate the function with all love and affection. On the day of party, the grandfather escorted his wife to the table where a huge cake was placed on which the picture of her childhood was pasted. The grandmother was so happy and touched with all the efforts and presents that she received from her family and blessed everyone with lots of love and blessings. The night went amazing and everyone celebrated with a great joy and nostalgia.

5. a) As we refer to a generic idea and the subject is also general, the present plural form of the verb ‘understand’ will be used. Hence, the correct option is (ii).

OR

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b) We understand the importance of something, so ‘of’ will be used. Hence, the correct option is (i).

c) In the context given, we refer to a place and define the action he does. So ‘where’ will be used. Hence, the correct option is (iii).

d) ‘Should’ always takes the passive verb and so ‘be taken’ will be used. Hence, the correct answer is (i).

e) Some missing information in the question.

6. Error - Correction

a) A - the (referring to the same prisoner, so a definite article is used)

b) him - his (possessive pronoun used for the prisoner)

c) by - of (hair belonging to the prisoner)

d) are - were (we are talking of a past event)

e) any - the

7. i) Parents see work and play as two different things.

ii) They think that playing is a waste of time.

iii) Games are as important as studies.

iv) A student should pay proper attention to both.

v) Then only he can succeed in life.

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8. (a)The speaker of the above lines is Ivan Vassiliyitch Lomov.

(b) His aunt’s grandmother gave the free use of Oxen meadows to the Natalya’s father’s grandfather in order to make bricks for her by the farmers in future.

(c) The peasants began to treat the land as their own as they had started to make bricks there.

(d) The lines show the speaker’s poor personality and a bad sense of talking that seems irrelevant with place and person.

(a) The dragon Custard was tickled by Belinda.

(b) She tickled him in order to make him laugh a little as the cage looked very scary and it was making the dragon cry and scared.

(c) Ink is a little kitten, Blink is a grey mouse and Mustard is a yellow dog.

(d) They all laughed at the dragon because he was looking like a coward.

9. (a) Rajvir was excited about the trip to his friend’s house which had a tea garden and he had never seen a tea garden before, so he wanted to enjoy the beauty of it. On the other hand, Pranjol was not as excited as him because he had already seen his tea garden for many times.

(b) The responsibility of letting go off some things in this world is referred here. The poet depicts the state of a boy who is in

Section C (Solutions)

OR

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grief of losing his ball and now learning to cope with the loss. He says that in this world there are so many things that cannot be brought back if once lost so we should learn to deal with such situations and should not be unhappy about it.

(c) Horace Danby’s hobby was to collect rare and expensive books. He managed to fulfill his hobby by stealing such books once in every year. Each year he robbed secretly and safely to collect and read them.

(d) Matilda left the ball in a hurry because she didn’t want to show her actual poor condition to the rich people present in the party. Her husband didn’t own an expensive vehicle by which they could return home and could show off it to the other people. Also, she didn’t want the rich people to notice her modest and cheap clothes that she wore after the party in order to protect from the cold outside the ball. It shows the hypocrite character of Matilda that she was dissatisfied with her ordinary life and wanted to live an affluent life by showing off her status to others.

(e) The only queer way of Anil to make a living was by writing magazines. He always used to make his living by irregular sources and startups. He kept worrying about his next payment and as soon as he got the money he would go out and wasted it to live a carefree and an easy going life

10. Oliver Lutkins was indeed good at making up convincing stories and using his presence of mind to deceive others in believing every lie that he told them. As soon as Lutkins came to know that a Lawyer has arrived in town and had been making enquiries about him, he met the Lawyer himself while portraying himself as a hack Driver. He also told the Lawyer that Lutkins owed him some money over a game of Poker and therefore managed to display a harmless and genuine image.

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To the lawyer, the hack driver seemed to be a simple country man ready to help. He took him to many places like Beincke’s, Gustaff’s barber shop, Grey’s barber shop, poolroom and his mother’s farmyard, in search of Lutkins. At every place they went, people told the lawyer that he just missed Lutkins by merely five minutes. Thus Lutkins, very cleverly, fooled the lawyer.

Kisa Ghotami was very worried about her deceased son as she was wandering door to door in search for help but however couldn’t find any. She was directed by someone to Sakyamuni, the Buddha, who asked her to bring a handful of mustard seeds which provided Ghotami that her son could be saved. However, The Buddha kept a strange condition that the mustard seeds must be from a house whose family must not have lost anyone to death. After her futile search for such house, she sat weary and sad along a wayside outside the city and saw the flickering city-lights. Sitting there she realized the nature of death and how is it impossible to escape from the cycle of life. She also realized that how her attempts to intervene the processes of nature are just indications of her selfishness and how she can only be happy if she just accepts the sad demise of her son.

11. Anne Frank spent most of her teenage life secretly hiding in a claustrophobic space with her family during the time of the war. As a young girl growing up during the time of the most destructive war in history, she faced some common issues of her age like lack of understanding from her parents and sisters, friends and various dilemmas which she used to face in her life. She was not able to confide any of her ideas and feelings to

OR

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any of her friends or family, hence she started writing journal entries in her diary which she wrote as writing letters to her friend which named ‘Kitty’ as she addressed every entry with ‘Dear Kitty’. All those journal entries proved to be way for Anne to express herself during the time of War. Her diary not only captures her personal journey but also gives the readers a commentary on the social and cultural atmosphere and especially, the experience of the war from the perspective of a teenager. Her writing showed us how sometimes even some tough times can also yield miracles of creativity and imagination which might help us in weaving a stance that a life can be actually simple to live upon.

Margot and Anne though loved their parents very much but still some of their actions made them quite sick. Both of these girls were living with their parents in a confined place at the prime of their youth which caused certain problems considering the free nature of their spirit and their independent ideas. Both of the girls began disliking the idea that their parents still treated them as children, kissing their foreheads every hour, giving them certain nicknames rather than considering them as grownups. They wanted to make their own decisions instead of being told by their parents at every point of life. Their parents were not so strict and let them read everything they like, but Margot and Anne got tired of having to listen to their comments all day long. All they wanted was to get a break from their mundane life and live freely for some time. Margot and Anne never told their parents about their concern as they thought that their parents would fail to understand. Both of them only wished and hoped that their parents acknowledge their maturity and independence of

OR

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spirit and start looking at them as full grown adults rather than their little immature children.

Helen Killer was determined from the very young age to study, learn and achieve what she has aimed in her life. She worked very hard to enter in Radcliffe College and decided to study with the normal children. But in the college she was to compete with the other students who were not disabled like her and thus would definitely at a risk of losing her self worth and confidence as some of her friends or other students discouraged her for being different from them which could break her from inside but it was her will power and determination with the guidance of her mentor that made her dream come true and became the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her personality showcases and has set an example that if a person overcomes all the obstacles in his path with determination and accepts the flaws within him by actually making it their strength but not weakness, that person will surely leads him towards the path of success and happiness. She was a strong personality and really has worked hard through her life that has proved a great inspiration for other people who are differently able in their life just like her.

Miss Anne Sullivan was Helen’s instructor as well as a guide who sent to teach Helen and provide her all necessary education. Helen’s life was completed changed after the arrival of Miss Sullivan in her life. The kind of affection and teachings that she taught to Helen was not less than a blessing to her. She was more like a mother to her than an instructor or guide. They both adapted each other very soon and

OR

OR

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comfortably. Miss Sullivan began to adjust her lifestyle according to Helen and accompanied her wherever she went off. Miss Sullivan taught her all subjects starting with spellings of her words on her hand with fingers with a great patience followed by teaching every other subject like history, geography, botany etc. and also helped her in communicating with others. Helen had never any problem with the way that Miss Sullivan used to teach her as it was very clear and exact. She also helped her in investigating the issue in which Helen wasn’t involved intentionally and thus proved her innocent. Miss Sullivan had become a source of inspiration for Helen and surely had a great impression of the beautiful moments that they both spent together on her life for her lifetime.

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