This Descriptive Essay was asked in ICSE 2013 board exam. You can find Previous Year Descriptive Essay Topics asked in ICSE board exams.
Descriptive Essay ICSE 2013
You were on a school trip and were on your way back to the hotel late one night when your school bus, full of children, broke down in a lonely area. Describe what you saw and experienced as you looked around. How was the problem solved? (ICSE 2013)
Introduction:
On a school picnic the bus axle broke in the middle of a jungle
- A sudden fear crept into my heart on peering out of the window
- Warning of class teacher not to go out of the bus for fear of wild animals
- On taking my head out of the bus window, pulled back by teacher
- Saw a herd of ‘Neel gais’ darting fearfully across the road; Danger seemed to be lurking nearby
- A strange feeling of being a bait, made me fearful
Conclusion:
Fortunately nothing happened, back in the hotel, I said a brief prayer, before dosing off to sleep.
‘Clank, clank,’ followed by the sudden screech of the tyres jolted me out of my slumber. Rubbing my eyes, I peered out of the bus window to see pitch darkness all around. “What happened?” I asked my friend Sunil sitting beside me. As if in answer to my query the lights came on and the driver’s cabin door opened. Our conductor and guide, a short stout man, with a receding hairline emerged gesticulating with his hand and uttering, “Axle toot gaya.” We groaned in disgust and slumped back on our seats.
Peering at my wristwatch, I realised that we had barely travelled an hour from Dudhwa National Park and were about another hour’s journey to our hotel in Lakhimpur. Thus probably we were in the middle of the jungle. A sudden fear crept into my heart. I anxiously peered out of the window, straining my eyes to survey the surroundings. In the dim moonlight I could see nothing but tall sal and sesam trees, their leaves rustling in the mild breeze. This too seemed quite loud, in the sudden silence that had enveloped us.
“Well boys,” the voice of our class teacher Mr Johnson broke the stillness. “The bus’s axle has broken and they are trying to call for another bus, that will ferry us back to the hotel. However, this shall take two to three hours. Please stay inside the bus, for we are in a dense forest area. Do not, I repeat do not venture out, under any circumstance.” The stem warning made some students who had scampered out of their seat, to straighten their legs outside, slump back. My worst fears being confirmed, I stretched my legs, trying to make myself as comfortable as possible.
After some time, unable to bear the stuffiness inside the bus, I slid the window pane open and stuck my neck out to catch some fresh air. An earthy fragrance of an unusual variety wafted in the air, which seemed quite refreshing. The occasional hooting of an owl and chirping of birds livened the otherwise grave atmosphere. The unusual calm was suddenly broken by a loud alarm call of a languor, which echoed throughout the jungle. Just then I felt two strong hands on my shoulders pushing me back to my seat, simultaneously slamming the window shut. Mr Johnson stood glowering at me, “Stupid, we are in a jungle, the alarm call you just heard, could in all probability herald the presence of a tiger in the vicinity.”
This heightened my anxiety. I started peering through the closed window panes of the bus, trying to get a glimpse of the elusive animal, who had not put in an appearance on our forest trek throughout the day. Minutes ticked by but nothing happened. Suddenly the calm was broken by what seemed to be a herd, trampling the dry leaves. In the head light of the bus I saw a herd of ‘Neel gais’ darting across the road. Seeing the fear stricken animals from so close quarters made me a bit nervous. Danger indeed seemed to be lurking nearby.
A strange feeling crept through me. I had read stories of Jim Corbett and how he killed man-eaters using a goat as a bait. I could now imagine how the goat may have felt, waiting for the tiger to pounce on it. Unfortunately here we were the bait and tiger the hunter.
Fortunately nothing happened. After an hour or so a new bus arrived and under the watchful eyes of the teacher and conductor, we were herded into it. By midnight we were back in our hotel. I however did not forget to say a brief prayer, before I dosed off to sleep.
Assignment
You had gone shopping to a mall and suddenly fire breaks out in the building. Describe what happened.
Teaching someone else how to do something can be a rewarding experience. Think of a skill that you have helped someone to develop. Perhaps you taught someone how to swim or to bake a cake, or helped someone learn how to study more effectively. Narrate the events that made up the process of teaching the skill, and say what made the experience important and memorable for you. (ICSE 2013)
Introduction:
The board exams had just got over; Rahul’s mother requested me to help him in studies
- Rahul was obedient but careless, because of severe emotional problems.
- Instead of scolding and reprimanding him, I motivated him with chocolates.
Conclusion:
He later topped the ISCE board examination. Basically he needed someone to believe in him.
The board exams had just got over. I heaved a sigh of relief, as I walked out of the examination hall, thinking of the thing I had missed, while preparing for the examination. Just then, I saw Rahul, my neighbour’s son coming out from the Principal’s office, clutching his mother’s hand. He looked quite distraught and avoided looking at me. I found this quite unusual, for normally he would greet me very cheerfully saying ‘Hi Amit Bhaiya’.
His mother looked quite perplexed and worried. Acknowledging my greeting, she thrust Rahul’s report card in my hand. The red circles in Maths and English required him to appear in the supplementary examination, to get promoted to class V.
“Amit can you help him in his studies,” she entreated. Taken aback by her sudden request, I fumbled, “me”.“Yes Amit, he likes you and moreover your exams are now over, surely you can spare an hour for him daily.” Rahul looked entreating at me and I simply did not have the courage to say no.
Returning home I cursed myself for having ruined my summer vacation, which I had so fondly looked forward to. Little did I know that I was going to experience an altogether different feeling, which would last a lifetime.
I found Rahul to be obedient, but very careless. Initially I would scold him and even twist his ears. Gradually I discovered that he had severe emotional problems, because his parents were separated. His working mother hardly had time for him. The long hours in the crephe after school, bore adversely on him.
I decided to change track. Instead of scolding and reprimanding him, I made him redo the exercise, gently pointing out the mistakes he had made. To further motivate him, I would announce a reward of a chocolate, for each exercise he did without making a mistake. Gradually I found that the lessons he previously found boring, became enjoyable to him. Every time I explained a new concept, his eyes would light up and I could feel a strange sense of accomplishment.
A month later his mother came to me with tears in her eyes, thanking me for helping Rahul. He had done extremely well in the supplementary examination and had also started behaving well at home. A couple of years later I saw his photo in the newspaper, he had topped in the ISCE board examination. The small part that I had played in his growth was indeed very rewarding. He basically needed someone to believe in him.
Assignment
- It is said that childhood is the happiest period of one’s life. Show how true is this statement citing evidence from your own childhood days. The events and incidents you describe may be real or imaginary.