ICSE Class 10

General instructions: Answer all questions. Marks are shown in brackets [ ].

Objective

1. 1.
   How does the poem describe moonlight emerging from "some dark gate of cloud"?

   1. A. Like a floating bridge of light
   2. B. As a scorching flash
   3. C. As a colorless haze
   4. D. As thunder and lightning
   [1]
2. 2.
   Statement (1): The speaker calls houses "haunted" after people have lived and died in them. Statement (2): He believes only newly built houses can have ghosts.

   1. A. (1) is true and (2) is false
   2. B. (2) is true and (1) is false
   3. C. (1) is the cause for (2)
   4. D. (1) and (2) are independent of each other
   [1]
3. 3.
   Statement (1): The speaker calls ghosts "harmless phantoms." Statement (2): They glide through the house loudly, scaring the inhabitants.

   1. A. (1) is true and (2) is false
   2. B. (2) is true and (1) is false
   3. C. (1) is the cause for (2)
   4. D. (1) and (2) are independent
   [1]
4. 4.
   The poem *Haunted Houses* suggests that these ghosts are _______.

   1. A. mischievous and disruptive
   2. B. visible only at noon
   3. C. harmless and nearly silent
   4. D. material in form, with solid footsteps
   [1]
5. 5.
   How do these ghosts typically enter and move about the home?

   1. A. Through open doors, silently
   2. B. They break windows
   3. C. They crash in, creating chaos
   4. D. They tunnel beneath the floors
   [1]
6. 6.
   According to the poem, what do the “harmless phantoms” do as they enter the house?

   1. A. They knock loudly
   2. B. They glide softly without noise
   3. C. They dance in circles
   4. D. They slam doors
   [1]
7. 7.
   How does the poet hint he might be a ghost himself?

   1. A. He states, "I died last autumn"
   2. B. He sees forms the stranger doesn't
   3. C. He cracks the floorboards with his footsteps
   4. D. He flees each time daylight arrives
   [1]
8. 8.
   What is said about the "unsteady floor" of that spirit-bridge?

   1. A. It never shakes at all
   2. B. It sways and bends as thoughts wander
   3. C. It disintegrates at daybreak
   4. D. It's safe and unchanging
   [1]
9. 9.
   When speaking of "trembling planks" across which "our fancies crowd," the poet suggests ________.

   1. A. men have no real imagination
   2. B. thoughts venture onto uncertain, dreamlike paths
   3. C. confusion arises from bright sunshine
   4. D. the planks lead to utter realism
   [1]
10. 10.
    What do our "fancies" do upon seeing this moonlit bridge at sea?

    1. A. They sink, vanishing instantly
    2. B. They crowd across its trembling planks
    3. C. They remain unmoved or unaffected
    4. D. They fade into sleep
    [1]
11. 11.
    Select the correct relationship between statements (1) and (2): Statement (1): The poem references an "unseen star" that influences earthly ambitions. Statement (2): Such influence creates a "perpetual jar" of desires and higher aims.

    1. A. (1) is true and (2) is false
    2. B. (2) is true and (1) is false
    3. C. (1) is unrelated to (2)
    4. D. (1) is the cause for (2)
    [1]
12. 12.
    Our "little lives" remain in balance due to:

    1. A. Divine intervention
    2. B. Unchanging routines
    3. C. Opposing forces-pleasure and aspiration
    4. D. The ghostly caretaker of each house
    [1]
13. 13.
    What sense does the poet say we get when ghosts pass us on the stair or door?

    1. A. Fearful chills
    2. B. An intangible feeling of movement
    3. C. A loud whisper calling our name
    4. D. A bright glow surrounding them
    [1]
14. 14.
    Statement (1): The spirit-world "floats like an atmosphere" around us. Statement (2): It remains separate, never mingling with earthly life.

    1. A. (1) is true and (2) is false
    2. B. (2) is true and (1) is false
    3. C. (1) is the cause for (2)
    4. D. (1) and (2) are independent
    [1]
15. 15.
    What do the "dusty hands" reaching from forgotten graves symbolize?

    1. A. New blossoming flowers
    2. B. Past owners still longing to own property
    3. C. Modern families giving up farmland
    4. D. Courtiers begging for a king's favor
    [1]
16. 16.
    What sense does the poet say we get when ghosts pass us on the stair or door?

    1. A. Fearful chills
    2. B. An intangible feeling of movement
    3. C. A loud whisper calling our name
    4. D. A bright glow surrounding them
    [1]
17. 17.
    Choose the option that orders these statements correctly: 1. The poet notes that houses where people lived and died become haunted. 2. Ghosts glide silently on errands through open doors. 3. They make no sound with their feet upon the floors. 4. He calls these spirits "harmless phantoms."

    1. A. 2, 4, 1, 3
    2. B. 4, 1, 3, 2
    3. C. 1, 2, 3, 4
    4. D. 1, 3, 4, 2
    [1]
18. 18.
    Identify the correct listing of statements that aligns with the poem's ideas: 1. The spirit-world surrounds our tangible world like an atmosphere. 2. It wafts through earthly mists and vapors. 3. It is a vital breath of ethereal air. 4. The living realm is entangled with the ghosts' domain.

    1. A. 1, 3, 4, 2
    2. B. 4, 1, 2, 3
    3. C. 1, 2, 3, 4
    4. D. 2, 4, 3, 1
    [1]
19. 19.
    Identify the proper arrangement here: 1. A stranger at the fireside fails to see or hear the ghosts. 2. The poet sees everything from past to present. 3. The stranger only perceives current reality ("what is"). 4. The poem hints the speaker has a broader vision.

    1. A. 2, 1, 3, 4
    2. B. 1, 3, 2, 4
    3. C. 1, 2, 4, 3
    4. D. 2, 4, 1, 3
    [1]
20. 20.
    Select the correct chronological flow: 1. We have no actual title-deeds to property. 2. Graves yield dusty hands still grasping their old estates. 3. Early owners, now forgotten, remain attached to those lands. 4. The poet suggests these ancestors never fully let go.

    1. A. 3, 1, 4, 2
    2. B. 2, 4, 3, 1
    3. C. 1, 3, 2, 4
    4. D. 4, 2, 1, 3
    [1]