English I Qualifier: 19 July 2026 (May 2026 term)

Read the passage and answer the given subquestions.
Binya had seen umbrellas before, and her mother had a big black umbrella which nobody used anymore because the field-rats had eaten holes in it, but this was the first time Binya had seen such a small, dainty, colourful umbrella, and she fell in love with it. The umbrella was like a flower, a great blue flower that had sprung up on the dry brown hillside. She moved forward a few paces so that she could see the umbrella better. As she came out of the shadows into the sunlight, the picnickers saw her. “Hello, look who's here!” exclaimed the older of the two women. “A little village girl!” “Isn't she pretty?” remarked the other. “But how torn and dirty her clothes are!” It did not seem to bother them that Binya could hear and understand everything they said about her. Hesitantly, nervously, Binya approached the group. Normally, she would have turned and fled, but the attraction was the pretty blue umbrella. It had cast a spell over her, drawing her forward almost against her will. “What's that on her neck?” asked the younger woman. “A necklace of sorts.” “It's a pendant — see, there's a claw hanging from it!” “It's a tiger's claw,” said the man beside her. (He had never seen a tiger's claw.) “A lucky charm. These people wear them to keep away evil spirits.” He looked to Binya for confirmation, but Binya said nothing. “Oh, I want one too!” said the woman, who was obviously his wife. “You can't get them in shops.” “Buy hers, then. Give her two or three rupees, she's sure to need the money.” The man, looking slightly embarrassed but anxious to please his young wife, produced a two-rupee note and offered it to Binya, indicating that he wanted the pendant in exchange. Binya put her hand to the necklace, half afraid that the excited woman would snatch it away from her. Solemnly, she shook her head. The man then showed her a five-rupee note, but again Binya shook her head. “How silly she is!” exclaimed the young woman. “It may not be hers to sell,” said the man. “But I'll try again. How much do you want — what can we give you?” And he waved his hand towards the picnic things scattered about on the grass. Without any hesitation, Binya pointed to the umbrella. “My umbrella!” exclaimed the young woman. “She wants my umbrella! What cheek!”
Source: The Blue Umbrella – Ruskin Bond

The figure of speech used in “The umbrella was like a great blue flower”:

Read the passage and answer the given subquestions.
Binya had seen umbrellas before, and her mother had a big black umbrella which nobody used anymore because the field-rats had eaten holes in it, but this was the first time Binya had seen such a small, dainty, colourful umbrella, and she fell in love with it. The umbrella was like a flower, a great blue flower that had sprung up on the dry brown hillside. She moved forward a few paces so that she could see the umbrella better. As she came out of the shadows into the sunlight, the picnickers saw her. “Hello, look who's here!” exclaimed the older of the two women. “A little village girl!” “Isn't she pretty?” remarked the other. “But how torn and dirty her clothes are!” It did not seem to bother them that Binya could hear and understand everything they said about her. Hesitantly, nervously, Binya approached the group. Normally, she would have turned and fled, but the attraction was the pretty blue umbrella. It had cast a spell over her, drawing her forward almost against her will. “What's that on her neck?” asked the younger woman. “A necklace of sorts.” “It's a pendant — see, there's a claw hanging from it!” “It's a tiger's claw,” said the man beside her. (He had never seen a tiger's claw.) “A lucky charm. These people wear them to keep away evil spirits.” He looked to Binya for confirmation, but Binya said nothing. “Oh, I want one too!” said the woman, who was obviously his wife. “You can't get them in shops.” “Buy hers, then. Give her two or three rupees, she's sure to need the money.” The man, looking slightly embarrassed but anxious to please his young wife, produced a two-rupee note and offered it to Binya, indicating that he wanted the pendant in exchange. Binya put her hand to the necklace, half afraid that the excited woman would snatch it away from her. Solemnly, she shook her head. The man then showed her a five-rupee note, but again Binya shook her head. “How silly she is!” exclaimed the young woman. “It may not be hers to sell,” said the man. “But I'll try again. How much do you want — what can we give you?” And he waved his hand towards the picnic things scattered about on the grass. Without any hesitation, Binya pointed to the umbrella. “My umbrella!” exclaimed the young woman. “She wants my umbrella! What cheek!”
Source: The Blue Umbrella – Ruskin Bond

Choose a synonym for the word “dainty”:

Read the passage and answer the given subquestions.
Binya had seen umbrellas before, and her mother had a big black umbrella which nobody used anymore because the field-rats had eaten holes in it, but this was the first time Binya had seen such a small, dainty, colourful umbrella, and she fell in love with it. The umbrella was like a flower, a great blue flower that had sprung up on the dry brown hillside. She moved forward a few paces so that she could see the umbrella better. As she came out of the shadows into the sunlight, the picnickers saw her. “Hello, look who's here!” exclaimed the older of the two women. “A little village girl!” “Isn't she pretty?” remarked the other. “But how torn and dirty her clothes are!” It did not seem to bother them that Binya could hear and understand everything they said about her. Hesitantly, nervously, Binya approached the group. Normally, she would have turned and fled, but the attraction was the pretty blue umbrella. It had cast a spell over her, drawing her forward almost against her will. “What's that on her neck?” asked the younger woman. “A necklace of sorts.” “It's a pendant — see, there's a claw hanging from it!” “It's a tiger's claw,” said the man beside her. (He had never seen a tiger's claw.) “A lucky charm. These people wear them to keep away evil spirits.” He looked to Binya for confirmation, but Binya said nothing. “Oh, I want one too!” said the woman, who was obviously his wife. “You can't get them in shops.” “Buy hers, then. Give her two or three rupees, she's sure to need the money.” The man, looking slightly embarrassed but anxious to please his young wife, produced a two-rupee note and offered it to Binya, indicating that he wanted the pendant in exchange. Binya put her hand to the necklace, half afraid that the excited woman would snatch it away from her. Solemnly, she shook her head. The man then showed her a five-rupee note, but again Binya shook her head. “How silly she is!” exclaimed the young woman. “It may not be hers to sell,” said the man. “But I'll try again. How much do you want — what can we give you?” And he waved his hand towards the picnic things scattered about on the grass. Without any hesitation, Binya pointed to the umbrella. “My umbrella!” exclaimed the young woman. “She wants my umbrella! What cheek!”
Source: The Blue Umbrella – Ruskin Bond

What does “It had cast a spell over her” mean?