CBSE Previous Year Question Papers Class 12 English 2015 Delhi

CBSE Previous Year Question Papers Class 12 English 2015 Delhi

Time allowed : 3 hours
Maximum marks: 100

General instructions:

  • This paper is divided into three sections: A, B and C. All the sections are compulsory.
  • Separate instruction are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read these instructions
  • very carefully and follow them faithfully.
  • Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

** Answer is not given due to change in present syllabus

CBSE Previous Year Question Papers Class 12 English 2015 Delhi Set – I

Note: Except for the following questions, all the remaining questions have been asked in the previous sets.

Section – B
(ADVANCED WRITING SKILLS)

Question 4.
Every year in the central park of the city a flower show is held in the month of February. Your school has received a circular from the District Collector inviting your students to visit it. Write a notice in about 50 words informing the students about the show and advising them to go and enjoy it. You are Navtej/Navita, Head Boy/Head Girl, Sunrise Public School, Surat. [4]
OR
Sarvoday Education Society, a charitable organisation is coming to your school to distribute books among the needy students. As Head Boy/Head Girl, Sunrise Public School, Surat, write a notice in about 50 words asking such students to drop the lists of books they need in the box kept outside the Principal’s office. You are Navtej/Navita.
Answer:

SUNRISE PUBLIC SCHOOL, SURAT
NOTICE

10 February, 20XX

FLOWER SHOW

All the students of the school are invited by the District Collector to the Flower Show that is being organized in the Central Park on 20th February 20XX. The event will showcase different varieties of flowers and would be very informative and interesting. The students may take their passes from the undersigned before 18 February, 20XX. Navita/Navtej
Head Girl/Head Boy

OR

SUNRISE PUBLIC SCHOOL, SURAT
NOTICE

10 February, 20XX

BOOK DISTRIBUTION

This is to inform all those students who are in need of books that Sarvodaya Education
Society, a charitable organization, is coming to our school for the distribution of books. Interested students should drop the lists of books they need, in the dropbox kept outside the principal’s office by 12 February, 20XX.
Navita/Navtej
Head Girl/Head Boy

Question 5.
Recently you went to your native village to visit your grandparents. You saw that some of the children in the age group 5-14 (the age at which they should have been at school) remained at home, were working in the fields or simply loitering in the streets.
Write a letter in 120-150 words to the editor of a national daily analyzing the problem and offering solutions to it. You are Navtej/Navita, M-114 Mount Kailash, Kanpur. [6]
OR
When cricket teams go abroad the members are allowed to take their wives, even friends along with them. Does this fact distract them or help them to focus on their game in a better way? If it is good, why don’t we allow our athletes to enjoy the same privilege?
Write a letter to the editor of a national daily in 120-150 words giving your views on the issue. You are Navtej/Navita, M-114 Mount Kailash, Kanpur.
Answer:
M-114, Mount Kailash,
Kanpur

3 March, 20XX

The Editor,
The Times of India,
Kanpur

Subject: Pathetic condition of children
Dear Sir,
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw the attention of the government and NGOs towards the children of Hoshiarpur village who are not receiving formal education at school. They either remain at home, work in fields or loiter in the streets. Education, which is a necessity, is still a luxury here and rather they are made to work in the fields. Poor people hesitate to send their children to school. On a recent visit to this village, I could not help but notice the sheer amount of children who should have been in the school, but were not. Children in the age group of 5-14 are supposed to attend school to make a bright future. But in the villages, they are either seen loitering around or helping their parents in the fields, which is a very painful and a depressing situation.

It is high time that the government and the NGOs should take up the issue seriously and implement measures to solve it. Besides, literate villagers can also help by starting makeshift schools to educate the children till reformation are made by the government.
Yours sincerely,
Navita/Navtej
OR
M-114, Mount Kailash,
Kanpur

3 March, 20XX

The Editor,
The Times of India,
Kanpur

Subject: Difference in the status of Cricketers and Athletes.
Dear Sir,
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to express my views on the difference in the status of Cricketers and Athletes.

Cricket is a very popular game in India and Cricketers are idolised. The public as well as the officials are willing to give special privileges to them. The extent of their love is such that rules are easily bent for them. Cricketers are allowed to take their families with them when they go on tours, irrespective of the fact that this may distract them while playing. But when it comes to other games, Indian Government becomes rather stingy and the players do not get the same treatment. Why do we have two policies? I believe, this is because Cricket and Cricketers are worshipped, while the other games and their players are ignored. Even the finances that are allotted to these games are either too less or are utilised by the officers themselves

The perspective of India needs a revolution and all the games need equal treatment, after all they all bring glory to the country. Government needs to implement measures to keep all the games at par.
Yours sincerely,
Navtej/Navita

Question 6.
Mobile phone of today is no longer a mere means of communication. Music lovers are so glued to it that they don’t pay attention even to the traffic while crossing the roads. This leads to accidents sometimes even fatal ones.
Write a speech in 150-200 words to be delivered in the morning assembly advising the students to be careful in the use of this otherwise very useful gadget. Imagine you are this Principal of your school. [10]
OR
Power shortage has become a norm even in the metropolitan cities. One way to face this situation is by preventing the wastage of power.
Write a speech in 150-200 words on the importance of power in our daily life and how to save power at school and at home. Imagine that you are the Principal of your school.
Answer:
MOBILE AND ITS ILL-EFFECTS
“I fear the day when technology surpasses human interaction, we will have a generation of idiots”.
My dear students, a very good morning to one and all.
Mobile phone is a wonderful invention. It is multipurpose instrument from which you can note only make calls and text people but it is also installed with music facility, broadcasting facilities such as radio and television, a standard camera, internet browsing facility through which information from the whole world the lies at just one click. But to much attention has this gadget gained and it becomes a menace when people forget about their surroundings being engrossed in their phones. Just the other day, I read in a newspaper that a girl in New York fell off the harbour because she was too involved in her phone to notice where she was going.

Even while crossing roads, children don’t seem to notice the oncoming cars and music lovers always have earphones plugged in and they don’t seem to hear the blaring horns of the traffic. They should be used sparingly and judiciously without risking self or others. If they are lucky enough to survive, they have to live with a disability for the rest of their lives due to the accident.
Children, you should understand that you have a bright life ahead if you adhere to safety. Gadgets are for our help and convenience.
Thank You.
OR
SAVING POWER
Good morning to one and all!
A lot of power is being wasted majorly due the carelessness and indifference at home, school business premises etc. Power is the lieblood of regulating operations in our environment. Power is responsible for our life conveniences, comfort, running equipment, appliances and gadgets which are entirely dependent on power supply.

Though electricity can be generated, it is not easy to do so and this fact needs to be recognized and realized at the earliest. We dread power failure but do nothing to save power, so that we may not face such a situation. It is high time we should make judicious use of power. Saving electricity will save fossil fuel too. We should switch off the lights, fans, geysers, ACs, TV when not in use. Students should be taught about saving electricity at school and public recognition should be given to students who take initiative in this regard. Awareness should be spread in the neighbourhoods and everyone should cooperate.

Remember, power needs to be saved and used efficiently for future use. So, children please pay heed to my advice and save electricity. Set an example for others in doing so and lead the country towards a brighter future.
Thank you and wish you a ‘powerful’ day.

Question 7.
In the year to come (if you have not already done this year) you are going to celebrate your 18th birthday. Write an article in 150-200 words on the joys and responsibilities of being eighteen. You are Navtej/Navita. [10]
OR
Write an article in 150-200 words on how we can make India a carefree and enjoyable place for women when they can go wherever they like to without any fear of being stared at, molested or discriminated against. You are Navtej/Navita.
Answer:
RESPONSIBILITIES AND JOYS
OF BEING EIGHTEEN
By Navita/Navtej
Eighteen is a magic birthday, a milestone into adulthood of unlimited freedom accompanied by great privileges as well as serious legal implications. At 18, a teen can vote, buy a house or attain a driving licenses. He can also go to jail, get sued, gamble away his/her tuition via online poker, and make terrible stock market investments.

Some teens think it’s acceptable to get out of control just because they’re of the legal age. But they are wrong. Becoming 18 years old one should become more responsible one and mature instead of careless and stupid.

You can start working, get your own apartment or go off to college and live alone. The age of 18 is a transition from your young adult years to adulthood. You have to be conscientious; you’ll still make mistakes as you try to find your way, but don’t forget everything you were taught. The law is harsher on legal teens than minors, so you should keep that in mind. Being legal and grown up are two different things. Have fun while you’re young and live life to the fullest, but make wise decisions and choices because it will affect your future.

At the age of 18, you can do whatever you want. However, if you make the wrong move, you should also be adult enough to face the consequences. One thing to remember is that if you still live with your parents, you have to abide by their rules. So, if they say no, you might want to listen to them, so you don’t end up on the streets.
As long as you’re safe and smart about what you decide to do when you reach the legal age, then go ahead be adventurous! Discover yourself. You only live once.
OR
HOW SAFE ARE WOMEN?
By Navtej/Navita
One woman killed for dowry, a minor raped by an acquaintance, eve-teasing in broad day light, road rage leads to death of a woman driver – these are the headlines of everyday newspaper. On one hand, we talk of women liberation and on the other, we are so cruel to them. Is this humanity? The land where women are considered to be the manifestation of Goddess Durga and Shakti, there they are worshipped in so many forms, should they witness such ghastly crime? —folk is shocking.

What is surprising is that these incidents occur in big cities, where most of the people are educated and broad-minded as compared to rural India where honouring a women is not acceptable. It’s high time that awareness is created amongst people; organization of the Police Force is done on such humanitarian issues. We should stop treating women as an object but rather look at them as home makers, mothers, sisters, colleagues and friends. With increasing pressures on family life, with increasing education and awareness, it is evident that women need to work. We all require money and comfort, then isn’t it our duty to make their safety our prime concern? We must consider safety options for them, increase police patrolling in lonely places and sensitive areas like colleges, hostels and universities.

Women police and personnel should be mobilised and women should be given training in Self-Defence and Martial Arts. Self-defense techinques should be taught to girls and women in schools and colleges mandatorily. Police should adopt a sensitive approach in handling cases of atrocities against women, so that women can come out to lodge complaints more openly. Punishments should be given for heinous crimes like rape and dowry deaths. All these measures, if needed can go a long way in making life of women safer and better.

Section – C
(LITERATURE: TEXTBOOKS AND LONG READING TEXTS)

Question 8.
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: [4]
I saw my mother,
beside me,
doze, open mouthed, her face
ashen like that
of a corpse and realised with
pain
that she was as old as she
looked but soon
put that thought away, ………..
(a) What worried the poet when she looked at her mother ? [1]
(b) Why was there pain in her realization ? [1]
(c) Why did she put that thought away ? [1]
(d) Identify the figure of speech used in these lines. [1]
OR
Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces. Like rootless weeds, the hair tom round their pallor:
The tall girl with her weighed-down head.
(a) Who are these children ? [1]
(b) What does the poet mean by’gusty waves’? [1]
(c) What has possibly weighed-down the tall girl’s head ? [1]
(d) Identify the figure of speech used in these lines. [1]
Answer:
(a) The poet was worried about her mother’s advancing age.
(b) There was pain in the poet’s realization because her mother now looked as old as she was, her bodily infirmities that come with old age were visible on her face and she was fast approaching her death.
(c) The poet put that thought away because she would not be able to go through with her plan of travelling away from home if she continued to dwell on her mother’s old age. (as old as she looked)
(d) The figure of speech used is a ‘simile.’
OR
(a) The children referred to in the poem are the slum children who attend an elementary school in that slum.
(b) “Gusty waves” refer to the sea and its waves. It is uses to denote that the children were far away from the presence of nature and sinking further and further into a hopeless mire in spite of receiving education.
(c) The tall girl’s head is possibly weighed-down by the troubles and tribulations of living out her life in abject poverty and thinking of a future within the hopeless confines of a slum.
(d) The figure of speech is a ‘simile.’ (Like rootless weeds)

Question 9.
Answer any four of the following in 30-40 words each : [3 × 4 = 12]
(a) Who occupied the backbenches in the classroom on the day of the last lesson? Why?
(b) Why did Douglas’ mother recommend that he should leam swimming at the YMCA swimming pool?
(c) What will counting upto twelve and keeping still help us achieve?
(d) What does a thing of beauty do for us?
(e) Which do you think is a better ending of Roger Skunk’s story, Jo’s or her father’s? Why?
(f) What could the Governor have done to securely bring Evans back to the prison from the ‘Golden Lion’?
Answer:
(a) Old Hauser the former mayor, the former postmaster and several other villagers occupied the backbenches in the classroom because they had come to know about the new order that has come from Berlin. They sat down on the backbenches as it was their way of thanking their teacher who had devoted his life for the welfare of the society. They also felt sorry as they had ignored the school and the lessons.

(b) When Douglas was ten or eleven years old, he decided to learn swimming. He chose YMCA pool because it was safe and his mother had also warned him to learn swimming in. Yakima River was full of danger and she warned Douglas against it by reminding him of every drowning incident in this river.

(c) Counting up to twelve and keeping still helps us to introspect. We will be able to find our inner- self, think and redetermine our future for the betterment of ourselves as well as environment in which we live. It is necessary for creating a feeling of mutual understanding among men. This way people will be together in sudden strangeness and it would be an exotic moment.

(d) Beautiful things are good for mind as well as soul. They give us aesthetic pleasure and permanent joy. Its beauty increases forever. They divert our mind from all the ugly things of the world. They allow us to find a ray of hope even in despair, sorrow and sufferings.

(e) Jo wanted the story to have another end in which the wizard should hit the mommy by his magic wand because for her the smell of roses was awful. Jo thought that Roger was the hero of the story so he must not look ugly or stinky. Jo’s perspective of life was different from her father’s.
Whereas, her father thought in a different way. He wanted to convey that for a mother, her son can never smell bad. The adults’ world is full of hardships and they can had to face the reality of life. His ending may not be very pleasing but is realistic and he wanted to highlight the fact that for a mother, her child is always an object of love. His smell makes no difference.
Thus, the original ending is acceptable.

(f) The Governor was extra careful at every place except in the end. He took all the steps and precautions for not letting Evan escape anyway. He got success also to bring Evan back to the prison from Golden Lion but in the end acted foolishly. He could not judge Evan’s cleverness. He should understand that Evans could not go out of the cell in McCleery’s disguise. McCleery was found injured and covered with blood in the cell. No one took the pain to check the identity of the injured. It was Evans himself. Further, when Evans was arrested and handcuffed, he was made to sit in the police van. But the van and driver’s identification was not done and Evans was successful escaping.

Question 10.
Answer the following in 120-150 words : [6]
Giving a bribe is evil practice. How did Tiger King bribe the British officer to save his kingdom? How do you view this act of his?
OR
Dr. Sadao was a patriotic Japanese as well as a dedicated surgeon. How could he honour both the values?
Answer:
The Tiger King dispatched a telegram to a famous British Company of jewellers in Calcutta to send samples of expensive diamond rings of different designs. Some fifty rings arrived and the king sent the entire lot to the British officer’s wife. The king and his minister had expected that the Duraisani would choose one or two rings and send the rest back. However, it turned out that the Duraisani had kept the entire lot and replied with a thank you note for the gifts. In two days, a bill for three lakh rupees came from the British jewellers, which the Maharaja was happy to pay because he had managed to retain his kingdom. This act of the king sheds light on the deplorable practice of bribery that perpetuates the vicious cycle of corruption, especially considering the fact that the king had personal interests to protect rather than the welfare of his kingdom.
OR
Dr. Sadao Hoki was not only a trained surgeon but also a fervent patriot who dedicated himself to the cause of serving his country in wartime through Scientific Research. However, the dilemma that Sadao faced in lieu of the arrival of the wounded enemy soldier on his doorstep was a clash between his duties as a doctor and that of a citizen of a particular nation. Sadao remarked that if the man had been whole and uninjured, then he would not have faced any difficulty in turning him over to the police. However, the fact that he was wounded, complicated this issue because as a doctor, Sadao had taken the oath to put his professional duties first and serve mankind as a whole, without any discrimination on the basis of nationality. But, he was able to protect his patriotism by informing the General about the matter. In this way, he balanced both his values by tending the soldier and helping him escape at the end, while having informed the General about his presence. He did not let national prejudice override his duties as a doctor.

Question 11.
Answer the following in 120-150 words: [6]
Describe the difficulties the bangle makers of Firozabad have to face in their lives.
OR
The peddler declined the invitation of the ironmaster but accepted the one from Edla. Why?
Answer:
Every family in Firozabad was engaged in the task of making bangles. It was the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry, where families had spent generations working around glass furnaces, with high temperatures spend long hours in dingy rooms without air and light, welding glass and making bangles for apparently all the women in the country.

The circumstances that kept them in this trade were the vicious circle of middlemen who would interfere if the young men tried to form a cooperative. Moreover, these youngsters would be hauled up by the police, beaten and dragged to jail for doing something illegal, while it was the middlemen who performed such practices. There was no leader among them who could help them see things differently. Their fathers were as tired as they and continued to sink in the mire of an endless spiral of poverty, apathy, greed and injustice. The bangle seller’s families were caught in a web of poverty, burdened by the stigma of the caste into which they were born and simultaneously suffered under the oppressive regime of a vicious circle of sahukars, middlemen, policemen, bureaucrats and politicians. Together they imposed a baggage on the children born into such families, from which they could not free themselves.
OR
Edla proved to be much more persuasive than her father in dealing with the peddler. Her gentle and kind treatment managed to effect a monumental change in the latter. Although, Edla had misgivings, she convinced her father to let the peddler stay and reveled in the opportunity to actually help a poor, hungry, homeless man, who was always chased away by everyone. She wanted him to enjoy a day of peace and partake in the Christmas festivities. She was kind, sympathetic and friendly with the stranger, taking hold of his hand and leading him to the dinner table, thus, making him a part of her family, at least for a day. It was this act of kindness that helped the peddler to change himself. Besides, before leaving, he left a Christmas present for her and signed it as Captain Von Stahle.

Question 12.
Answer the following in 120-150 words:** [6]
Describe the ironical situation in which Silas Mamer had to leave Lantern Yard.
OR
Within a few days of his arrival in Iping, people became suspicious of Griffin. Why?

Question 13.
Answer the following in 120-150 words:** [6]
Describe Dolly Winthrop as the most lovable character in George Eliot’s ‘Silas Mamer’.
OR
Attempt a character sketch of Marvel.

CBSE Previous Year Question Papers