Haryana Board (HBSE) Class 11 English Half Yearly Question Paper 2026 Answer Key
SECTION – A (Reading Skills)
1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow by choosing correct options given. (5 Marks)
Wild tigers could become extinct in the next 20 years if countries fail to take quick action to protect their habitats and step up the fight against poaching, global wildlife experts told a “Tiger Summit” in November 2010, where governments, communities and conservation groups had come together, to secure a future for tigers. If the proper protective measures aren’t taken, tigers may disappear within the next decade, at least in the wild. The summit approved a wide-ranging programme with the goal of doubling the world’s tiger population in the wild from about 3200 to more than 7000 by the next Tiger lunar year, 2022. It was backed by governments of 13 countries that still have tiger populations Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indi Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam and Russia. The Global Tiger Recovery Programme estimates the countries will need about $350 million outside funding in the first five years of the 12-year plan. The summit will be seeking don commitments to help governments finance conservation measures. The summit is driven by the Global Tiger Initiative (GTI) which was launched in 2008 by World Bank President Robert Zoellick. About 30 per cent of the programme’s cost would go towards suppressing the poaching of tige and of the animals they prey on.
Questions :
(i) ……………… can ensure help in saving tigers from extinction.
(A) Quick action
(B) Protected habitats
(C) Wild-life experts
(D) Tiger Summits
Answer – (A) Quick action
(ii) A fear expressed in the paragraph is?
(A) Wildlife experts will issue a warning
(B) Poaching may not be checked
(C) Tigers could become extinct in the next 20 years
(D) Quick action may not be taken
Answer – (C) Tigers could become extinct in the next 20 years
(iii) The goal of the programme approved by the “Tiger Summit” is?
(A) to seek donations from NGO’s
(B) to back tiger conservation programmes of 13 countries
(C) to raise $350 million for tiger conservation
(D) to increase tiger population to more than two
Answer – (D) to increase tiger population to more than two
(iv) In which year was the Global Tiger Initiative launched?
Answer – 2008
(v) Name any three countries that were part of the Tiger Lunar Year 2022 initiative?
Answer – India, Bangladesh, China
2. Read the following passage carefully and make notes on it and also supply a suitable title. (5 Marks)
Most trees grow a layer of wood each year. When the tree is cut down, the layers can be seen as rings in the trunk. And counting the number of rings tells you how old the tree is! Tree rings also speak of the weather changes that have occurred during the life of a particular tree. In a season of good rainfall, (the rings will be thick and during drought, the growth is slowed down and the rings will be thinner. Trees like the bristlecone pines, sequoias and redwoods of California are living records of variations in climate for the last 9000 years! Studying the changes in tree ring patterns is a science called ‘dendrochronology’. Dendrochronology is the dating of climate changes in the past through study of tree rings to understand life in ancient times.
Answer –
Title: Tree Rings and Climate Study
Notes:
1. Tree rings
1.1 Most trees grow a layer of wood every year
1.2 Layers appear as rings in the trunk
1.3 The number of rings indicates the age of a tree.
2. Tree rings & weather
2.1 Thick rings → good rainfall
2.2 Thin rings → drought/slow growth
2.3 Rings record changes in climate
3. Ancient climate records
3.1 Bristlecone pines, sequoias & redwoods of California
3.2 Records of climate variations for about 9000 years
4. Dendrochronology
4.1 Science of studying tree-ring patterns
4.2 Helps date past climate changes
4.3 Helps understand life in ancient times
Key:
→ means “leads to/results in”
SECTION – B (Writing Skills)
3. Attempt any one of the following. (5 Marks)
You are resident of Gurugram. The continuous leaking of drain pipes in your colony is causing diseases and health complications for the residents. Write a complaint letter to the Municipal Commissioner to take necessary actions regarding the same.
Answer –
Gurugram
2 October 20XX
The Municipal Commissioner
Municipal Corporation
Gurugram
Subject : Complaint regarding leakage of drain pipes in our colony
Sir / Madam,
I am a resident of Gurugram and wish to draw your attention to the continuous leakage of drain pipes in our colony. The leaked wastewater has accumulated in several places and has created an unhygienic environment.
The stagnant and dirty water is causing a foul smell and may lead to various diseases and health complications among the residents. The problem is particularly serious for children and elderly people.
I, therefore, request you to kindly arrange an immediate inspection and repair of the damaged drain pipes. Regular cleaning and proper maintenance should also be ensured.
I hope that necessary action will be taken at the earliest.
Yours faithfully,
ABC
A Resident of Gurugram
OR
Draft a suitable advertisement for the sale of your laptop in good working condition to be published in the classified columns of a local newspaper.
Answer –
LAPTOP FOR SALE
FOR SALE
A well-maintained laptop in good working condition. Suitable for students and office work. Good performance, battery and display. Charger included. Reasonable price. Interested buyers may contact 98765432xx.
SECTION – C (Grammar)
4. Attempt any five of the following. (1 × 5 = 5 Marks)
(i) More men than one ………….. absent today. (Choose the correct option)
(A) is
(B) are
(C) was
(D) were
Answer – (B) are
(ii) My mother loves me. (Choose the correct option for underlined word)
(A) Noun
(B) Verb
(C) Adjective
(D) Adverb
Answer – (B) Verb
(iii) Dr. Sinha is ……………. active member of Doctor’s Association. (Choose the correct option)
(A) a
(B) an
(C) the
(D) x
Answer – (B) an
(iv) I was listening to music. (Voice)
Answer – Music was being listened to by me.
(v) The pot ………….. (not contain) any water. (Verb)
Answer – does not contain
(vi) Radha lives on ………… second floor of …………… building. (Determiners)
Answer – the, the
(vii) Your painting is ………….. than mine. (beautiful) (Adjective)
Answer – more beautiful
SECTION – D (Literature)
5. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow. (Attempt any one) (1 × 3 = 3 Marks)
She said nothing but her silence meant disapproval. She rarely talked to me after that. When I went up to University, I was given a room of my own. The common link of friendship was snapped. My grandmother accepted her seclusion with resignation. She rarely left her spinning-wheel to talk to anyone. From sunrise to sunset, she sat by her wheel spinning and reciting prayers. Only in the afternoon she relaxed for a while to feed the sparrows. While she sat in the verandah breaking the bread into little bits. Hundreds of little birds collected round her creating a veritable bedlam of chirrupings. Some came and perched on her legs.
(i) What did the narrator interpret from the grandmother’s silence?
(A) She was tired
(B) She was thinking deeply
(C) She disapproved
(D) She was feeling unwell
Answer – (C) She disapproved
(ii) How did the grandmother spend most of her day after the narrator went to university?
(A) Sleeping in her room
(B) Talking to neighbors
(C) Spinning the wheel and reciting prayers
(D) Reading books
Answer – (C) Spinning the wheel and reciting prayers
(iii) How did the sparrows reach when the grandmother fed them?
(A) They chirped quietly
(B) They sat silently
(C) They flew away quickly
(D) They created a bedlam of chirrupings
Answer – (D) They created a bedlam of chirrupings
OR
And Dolly,” she’d say, “and look how they
Dressed us for the beach.” The sea holiday
Was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry
With the laboured ease of loss.
Now she’s been dead nearly as many years
As that girl lived. And of this circumstance
There is nothing to say at all. Its silence silences.
Questions :
(i) Who is “Dolly” likely in the poem?
(A) A pet
(B) A childhood friend
(C) A relative, likely the speaker’s mother
(D) A famous celebrity
Answer – (C) A relative, likely the speaker’s mother
(ii) What does “laboured ease of loss” convey?
(A) Loss is difficult yet familiar to the poet
(B) The poet is completely over the loss
(C) The loss was insignificant
(D) The poet never accepted the loss
Answer – (A) Loss is difficult yet familiar to the poet
(iii) What does the poet mean by “Now She’s been dead nearly as many years / As that girl lived”?
(A) The girl is still alive
(B) Dolly lived a short life
(C) The duration of death and life are now nearly equal
(D) Time stopped for the poet
Answer – (C) The duration of death and life are now nearly equal
6. Why did the narrator and their family embark on a sea journey? (We are not afraid to Die) (5 Marks)
Answer – The narrator and his family embarked on a sea journey to duplicate the round-the-world voyage made by Captain James Cook 200 years earlier. The narrator and his wife, Mary, had dreamt of sailing in Cook’s wake and had spent 16 years honing their seafaring skills. They set out on their boat Wavewalker to fulfil their long-cherished dream and test their sailing skills. The voyage was also an opportunity for the family to experience adventure together and face the challenges of the sea with courage, determination and unity.
OR
How does the poet, Ted Hughes, portray the arrival of the goldfinch on the end of branch of laburnum tree? (The Labumum Top)
Answer – Ted Hughes beautifully portrays the arrival of the goldfinch as a source of life, energy and movement for the laburnum tree. The tree is silent and still until the goldfinch arrives and perches on the end of a branch. Her sudden arrival creates activity in the tree as she enters the dense branches to feed her young ones. The movement and chirping of the bird make the whole tree appear alive and vibrant. The poet compares her swift movement to a “machine”. When she flies away, the laburnum tree becomes silent and still again.
7. Why did King Tut’s mummy have to undergo CT scan? (Discovering Tut) (2 Marks)
Answer – King Tut’s mummy was CT scanned to investigate the possible cause of his mysterious death and to obtain detailed information about his physical condition and remains without physically disturbing or damaging the mummy.
8. What does the phrase ‘Strange to Tell’ mean? (The Voice of the Rain) (3 Marks)
Answer – The phrase “Strange to tell” expresses the poet’s surprise and wonder at the rain’s reply. It seems strange that an element of nature like rain can speak and describe its own life cycle in human-like language. It highlights the mystery and beauty of nature.
OR
What is described by the word ‘Sleek’ in the poem? (The Laburnum Top)
Answer – The word “sleek” describes the smooth, slender and graceful appearance of the goldfinch. It suggests that the bird looks smart and elegant as she arrives at the laburnum tree. Her lively presence brings energy and movement to the otherwise silent tree.
9. Describe the location where the author and his family lived? (Summer of the ……) (5 Marks)
Answer – The narrator and his family, who were Armenians, lived on Walnut Avenue at the edge of the town. Behind their house were the countryside, vineyards, orchards, irrigation ditches and country roads. The open surroundings provided plenty of space for the boys to ride horses and enjoy the countryside. The location was peaceful and suitable for their simple way of life.
OR
How does the mother come to know about Mrs. Dorling and her address? (The Address)
Answer – The narrator’s mother came to know about Mrs. Dorling and her address through Mrs. Dorling’s visits during the war. Mrs. Dorling was an old acquaintance who came to take the family’s valuable household belongings, promising to keep them safe during the difficult times. She lived at 46, Marconi Street, and her address was recorded in the narrator’s mother’s address book. After the war, the narrator found this address and went there to reclaim the belongings.
10. What was Mrs. Fitzgerald’s opinion about Mrs. Pearson’s attitude? (Mother’s Day) (2 Marks)
Answer – Mrs. Fitzgerald felt that Mrs. Pearson was too soft, submissive and self-sacrificing towards her family. She believed that Mrs. Pearson should be firm and assertive and make her husband and children respect and value her.