Students must start practicing the questions from CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 English with Solutions Set 2 are designed as per the revised syllabus.
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 English Set 2 with Solutions
Time: 2 Hrs.
Max. Marks: 40
General Instructions :
1. 15-minute prior reading time allotted for Q-paper reading.
2. The Question Paper contains THREE sections-READING, WRITING, and LITERATURE.
3. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part. Write the correct question number in your answer sheet to indicate the option/s being attempted.
Section-A
Reading Skills (20 marks)
I. Read the passage given below.
1. A bookshop is not something you find in every street or area these days. Books, which were once a permanent accompaniment for youngsters in their formative years, are fading out of their list of engagements.
2. Ask any youngster which is the latest book he has read and he will be baffled. Apart from a few consistent readers, others just befool themselves with a bookseller’s name or lament the curriculum load for justifying themselves, like this seventeen-year-old school-goer who says, ‘I just read my Physics book.’
3′. Television has been blamed for this calamitous situation, which is producing square-faced people and a bookless society. Furthermore, today’s children are under pressure to be smart and to succeed on a social level. Parties, dancing and hanging out at different places begin early. Moreover, computers, video games, the internet, swimming lessons, cricket and a youngster’s passion for an hour-long tete- a-tete on the telephone with friends eat up all their leisure time.
4. A child who is constantly under pressure to live up to his parent’s expectations, which are at times unreasonable, does not like to throw himself into another set of books after the laborious school work, unless he comes from a family of readers where the engrossing works of Shakespeare and Dickens are just a matter of pulling them out from the shelves.
5. Many parents also believe that today’s children have become more aware and demand logical reasoning for everything. They can no longer be fooled by fairy tales or animal stories, as they have not seen any fairies or animals except for those old and tired ones in the city zoo. This has made them more interested in movies or TV serials than a turtle talking to a rabbit or a frog changing into a prince.
6. But a visit to the capital’s leading bookstores presents a contrasting picture of youngsters’ reading habits. These bookshops claim they are doing healthy business and have many regular buyers from this age group.
7. Though the works of Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and Mark Twain no longer interest teenagers, bestsellers from Daniel Steele, Sidney Sheldon and Jeffery Archer are on the list of all reading teens. Self-help books, such as those on personality development or relationship management, are also picked up by many of them.
8. Mystery books like Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys are popular with kids, and Mills, Boons and other romance novels with their fairly predictable formula with teenage girls. For parents of children below ten, volumes of Panchatantra Stories, Amar Chitra Katha and other bedtime stories are worthy purchases as these teach the child what is wrong in their own special way.
What seems to be the case is that parents have surrendered to others what was their most precious right, that of making their children what they should become. With the old techniques of child rearing losing ground, modem parents must consciously spend time with their children. Taste and enthusiasm for literature can be communicated artfully to children by reading bedtime stories to them, encouraging them to play historical characters and giving books as birthday gifts.
9. The family reading which was once popular in the West could well be adopted here. Reading aloud the works of great men by parents to their children not only forms a warm bond between them but also attracts young minds to the world of books which gives them a chance to explore the sea of life.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
i. Complete the sentence by choosing an appropriate option.
Reading aloud the works of great men helps.
A. young minds by giving them a chance to explore the sea of life
B. to boost their confidence
C. by giving them a way to escape from reality
D. in isolating young children from the social life
Answer:
A. young minds by giving them a chance to explore the sea of life
ii. Comment on the writer’s reference to his lament on the present mindset of the children?
Answer:
The writer laments on the fading out of the interest of youngsters in reading books. (According to the writer, reading books does not figure in their list of engagements).
iii. List two ways how the writer emphasizes his viewpoint given in paragraph number 1.
(Clue: Think about how in general a youngster will react when he/she is asked about the latest book that he/she might have read)
Answer:
(i) Mostly, on being asked about a latest book that he/she has read, the person will be baffled.
(ii) They will just befool themselves with a bookseller’s name or lament the curriculum load for justifying themselves.
iv. What should parents do to inculcate a love for books in their children?
A. by reading bedtime stories to them
B. encouraging them to play historical characters
C. giving books as birthday gifts.
D. all of the above
Answer:
D. all of the above
v. Which option represents INCORRECT data related to children’s reaction towards reading?
A. Youngsters would rather read than watch television, play video games or hang out with friends.
B. Young teenage girls prefer Mills and Boons and other romance novels.
C. Bestsellers from Daniel Steele, Sidney Sheldon and Jeffery Archer are on the list of all reading teenagers.
D. Children below the age of ten read Amar Chitra Katha and other bedtime stories.
Answer:
A. Youngsters would rather read than watch television, play video games or hang out with friends.
vi. Why is it justified to say that freedom of choice for logical reasoning and fables like Panchatantra have to go hand-in-hand for holistic development of a child?
Answer:
With tech revolution making awareness a more progressive one, children demand logical reasoning rather than being fooled by fairy tales or animal stories. Yet for children below ten, volumes of Panchatantra Stories, each with a moral lesson and Amar Chitra Katha along with other bedtime stories can teach the child what is wrong in their own special way. Both contrasting demands and a soft imposition will help every child to grow up with a healthy mindset.
vii. Some fact-checks have been presented to give some tech-driven disadvantage that has produced a bookless society in para 3. Based on your understanding of paragraph three, list some of the major disadvantages that has led to such a situation.
Answer:
Computers, video games, the internet, swimming lessons, cricket and a youngster’s passion. Passion for an hour-long tete-a-tete on the telephone kills their leisure time.
viii. Complete the given sentence with an appropriate inference, with respect to the following:
The child will not like to throw himself into another set of books after laborious school work unless (Paragraph 4)
Answer:
he comes from a family of readers where engrossing works of Shakespeare and Dickens are just a matter of pulling them out from the shelves.
ix. How can books be our best friends? Give your opinion.
A. they broaden our view.
B. they make us smarter
C. they are the best teachers
D. all of these
Answer:
D. all of these
x. Select the most suitable title for the above passage.
A. Book-reading: a dying hobby
B. E-books and their effect
C. Google’s presence in our world
D. The dying innocence of modem children.
Answer:
A. Book- reading: a dying hobby.
II. Read the passage given below.
1. The passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) was once found in huge numbers in North America. Records tell of passing flocks that darkened the skies for several days at a time. The species may have peaked at five billion individuals. A more conservative estimate is three billion.
2. Within a short time, the species disappeared completely. “Given the huge size of the population, it’s simply amazing that the species disappeared so quickly,” says Tom Gilbert. Gilbert is a professor at the University of Copenhagen’s Centre for Geo Genetics, but he also has a part-time position as an adjunct professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
3. The history of the passenger pigeon is interesting, partly because it can tell us something about how and why species become extinct. Native Americans also relied on passenger pigeons for food. But at least in parts of the passenger pigeons’ range, people had learned to harvest the species at a sustainable level that didn’t threaten to eradicate it. It was common in some parts of North America to only eat young pigeons that were hunted at night since this did not seem to scare away the adult birds or prevent them from re-nesting.
4. But starting around 1500, a more aggressive variant of humans came to the continent with the arrival of Europeans. The hunt for passenger pigeons grew and culminated in a massive hunt for the species throughout the 1800s before the species finally collapsed and disappeared.
In 2014, a study published in the scientific journal PNAS strongly suggested that humans were simply the final straw in destroying a species that was already vulnerable and headed to oblivion. The cladogram follows the 2012 DNA study showing the position of the passenger pigeon among its closest relatives:
5. The researchers asserted that despite their enormous numbers, the passenger pigeons were already in trouble. The population of the species varied greatly, similar to lemmings, but over a longer period of time. When the Europeans arrived, the species was already in a strong decline. The population was plummeting long before Europeans arrived, and perhaps Europeans even contributed to a short-term increase in numbers.
6. Studies of the genetic variation of the species using an investigative method called PSMC formed the background for these assertions. And now we have to concentrate a bit. The PSMC method can use the information in the genes of a single individual of a species to map the history of the species.
7. You should therefore be able to see how the species developed over many generations, and estimate how many individuals there were at any given time, all based on a single genome. Using this method, researchers found that the number of passenger pigeons was in free fall even before the arrival of the Europeans.
Although the species might not have become extinct, it would have shrunk significantly in any case, maybe to only a few hundred thousand individuals.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.
i. Does the following statement agree with the information given in paragraph 1?
The pigeon species of North America peaked at four billion individuals.
Select from the following:
True-if the statement agrees with the information
False-if the statement contradicts the information
Not given-if there is no information on this
Answer:
Not given
ii. Do you think the content of the text aims to create an awareness in the readers to preserve the endangered species that are being lost by human activities? Support your answer with reference to the text.
Answer:
Yes. In 2014, a study published in the scientific journal PNAS strongly suggested that humans were simply the final straw in destroying a species that was already vulnerable and headed to oblivion.
iii. Based on the given graphical representation of data in the passage, choose the option that lists the statements that are TRUE.
A. Ectopisters and Patagioenas are of the same family sub-stream.
B. Old-world pigeons are scientifically known as “Columba”.
C. Cuckoo-doves are scientifically known as “Reinwardtoena”.
D. Both (A) and (B)
Answer:
D. Both (A) and (B)
iv. Complete the following sentence based on the following statement.
Researchers have found that the number of passenger pigeons was in free fall even before the arrival of the Europeans.
We can say this because ………………….
Answer:
the PSMC method can use the information in the genes of a single individual of a species to map the history of the species.
v. Arrange the given statements according to the sequence in which they occur in the passage.
1. People in some parts of North America would only eat young pigeons that were hunted at night.
2. The passenger pigeon disappears completely in a short time.
3. PSMC uses gene information to map the history of a species.
4. The arrival of the Europeans contributed to the short-term increase in numbers.
A. 1,4, 3, 2
B. 2,1,4,3
C. 3,4,2,1
D. 1, 2, 3, 4
Answer:
B. 2,1,4,3
vi. Why does the PSMC method use the information in the genes of a single individual of a species?
A. to map the number of species
B. to count the number of offspring
C. to map the history of the species
D. to know the number of hatchlings
Answer:
C. to map the history of the species
vii. The lessons for ‘vanishing species’ of many animals have a large implication.
Give one reason why this needs urgent attention.
Answer:
A species once lost, cannot be replicated in a laboratory, also the role of a certain species in a food chain has barely been understood. It can lead to disastrous effects for humans too.
viii. Complete the following sentence by selecting the most appropriate option.
The concluding sentence of the text makes a clear case for by providing a probable chance of retrieving the loss from making it an irretrievable one.
A. precaution
B. benefits
C. neutralizer
D. defense
Answer:
A. precaution
ix. Complete the sentence appropriately with one /two words.
In the context of ‘The cladogram’ in the figure, the text refers to the position of …………………….
Answer:
passenger pigeons.
x. Based on the reading of the text, state a point to challenge the given statement.
By 1500, a new variant of more aggressive humans, the Europeans totally wiped out species of the passenger pigeons. Answer:
The population was plummeting long before Europeans arrived, and perhaps Europeans even contributed to a short-term increase in numbers. (Last line- para-5)
Section-B
Creative Writing Skills
1. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below.
A. Draft a notice in not more than 50 words for your school notice board informing the students about the student exchange program where students from Edmunds School, Spain will be visiting to your school. You are Anshul Gupta, coordinator, Senior Secondary Section of Tagore Public School, Shimla.
Answer:
Tagore Public School, Shimla
NOTICE
13th February, 20XX
Student Exchange Programme
The school has planned a student exchange program wherein students of Edmunds School, Spain, would be attending classes in our school. The program will be conducted from 10th to 17th March, 20XX. The visitors will stay with our students at their homes. Interested students may contact undersigned.
Anshul Gupta
Coordinator
Senior Secondary Section
OR
B. Yesterday, during lunch break you misplaced your notes on chemistry lectures. You want to get them back, write a notice in about 50 words for the school notice board. You are Karuna/Karan, a student of class XIIA.
SUNRISE GLOBAL SCHOOL, AGRA
NOTICE
12th February, 20XX
Missing! Missing! Missing!
Yesterday during the lunch break, I lost my notes on chemistry lectures somewhere in the school around 11.30 a.m. They are very important as the exams are approaching and I don’t have much time to write them again. Anyone who finds it, kindly return to the undersigned or to my class teacher, Mr. Rajat Sharma. I shall be obliged.
Karuna
Student XIIA
2. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below.
A. You are the Principal of Holihox Senior Secondary School, Mussorie. Your school has completed 25 years of its meritorious services to the society. The Silver Jubilee Celebrations are to be held on Sunday, the 5th January, 20XX. Mrs. M. Saxena, the founder Principal will preside. Draft a suitable invitation in not more than 50 words to be sent to important dignitaries of the city and the parents of students.
Answer:
The Principal,
Staff and the Students of
HOLIHOX SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, MUSSORIE
Invite you on the
SILVER JUBLEE CELEBRATION
of their school
on
Sunday, 5th January, 20XX
at
10 a.m.
on
THE SCHOOL AUDITORIUM
Mrs. M. Saxena
Founder Principal of the School
has consented to preside over the function.
R.S.V.P
Principal
Ph: XXXXXXXXXX
OR
B. You are Sakshi Vohra. The wedding of your elder sister Smita Vohra is going to be held on the 15th February, 20xx at Hotel Rambagh Palace, Jaipur. Write an informal invitation in about 50 words to your friend Amita requesting her to attend the function.
Answer:
B-435, Mahaveer Nagar Jaipur
1st February, 20XX
Dear Amita,
You will be pleased to know that the wedding of my elder sister Smita Vohra is going to be held on 15th February, 20XX at Hotel Rambagh Palace, Jaipur. We have booked the hotel for two days and the whole family will move there in the morning. I invite you to join us at lunch in the hotel on the 15th. The wedding ceremony will take place at 7:30 p.m.
Yours sincerely,
Sakshi Vohra
3. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below.
A. You are Mohak/Mahika Verma of 223, Savita Vihar, Chandigarh. Write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper in 120-150 words on the necessity of a public park in your locality. Give suitable suggestions.
Answer:
223, Savita Vihar,
Chandigarh
4th September, 20XX The Editor,
The Chandigarh Times,
Chandigarh
Subject: Necessity of a public park
Sir,
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities towards the need of a public park in my locality, Savita Vihar. The whole city is becoming a concrete jungle and the houses are spreading like web. Only high rise buildings could be seen everywhere and there is no visibility of the nature. Even the sun is not seen until it comes overhead. There is no proper air circulation between the buildings. In such a situation, the need of public park is indispensable. At least they provide some open spaces to the residents and offer playgrounds for children. They serve as lungs to the suffocated areas of our locality. Often builders promise the provision of public parks in their maps but practically they are not seen anywhere when the buildings are constructed. The government should take action against these builders and look for the free land to establish the public parks so that the residents, children and the elderly people take some respite from the suffocating environment.
Hope my letter would raise the issue.
Thanking you,
Yours truly,
Mohak/Mahika
OR
B. You are Ketan Verma, a commerce graduate from Jodhpur University. You are seeking a suitable job. You came across an advertisement in The Times of India, inviting young and dynamic fresh graduates as sales assistants in a reputed company. Apply for the same in about 120-150 words to P.O. Box No. 3245, C/O, The Times of India, Jodhpur, giving your resume.
ABC Global Telecom
Needed Sales Assistant
Needed young and dynamic fresh marketing graduates for the
Sales Team at ABC Global Telecom. Candidates should possess an
outgoing personality and good communication skills. Apply within
five days of the advertisement to the HR Manager.
Answer:
4/515, Malviya Nagar,
Jodhpur
16th July, 20XX
The P.O. Box No. 3245,
C/o The Times of India,
Jodhpur
Subject: Application for the post of sales assistant
Sir,
In response to your advertisement in (The Times of India), dated 14th July, 20XX requiring young and fresh graduates as sales assistants, I offer my candidature for the same. I possess all the qualities required for the above-mentioned post. I hope these factors make me a suitable candidate for the job. If selected, I shall certainly prove myself worthy of the post.
BIO-DATA
Name: Ketan Verma
Father’s Name: B. S. Verma
Date of Birth: 31st July, 1998
Communication Address: 4/515, Malviya Nagar, Jodhpur Phone- 98XXXXXXXX
E-Mail Address: ketl23@gmail.com
Nationality: Indian
Academic Qualifications: (i) B.Com. (Hons) from Jai Narayan Vyas University with 79% marks.
Strengths: Convincing power and fine communication skills.
Languages: Good command over spoken and written Hindi & English.
Hobbies: Reading and Travelling
References: 1. Mihir Gupta, Manager, Venus Pvt.LTd.Udaipur, Ph-XXXXXXXXXX
2. Hiren Patel, Asmilnd Ltd., Jaipur. Ph- XXXXXXXXXX
Hoping for a favorable response. Yours sincerely,
Ketan Verma
4. Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below.
A. Seeing the past performances in sports area on the international level, it is observed that time has come to revise our attitude towards sports. More attention should be given on outdoor games and athletic performances need to be improved at a large level. Sports should be made a compulsory subject at the school level. Write an article in 120-150 words on the ‘Importance of Outdoor Games’. You are Soumy/ Soumya. You may use the cues given below along with your own ideas.
- Lack of exercise makes one lethargic
- One needs to be fit to focus on academics
- Inculcates spirit of teamwork and perseverance
- The necessity of sports in today’s day and age
- India’s performance in the international sports arena
- Compulsory participation in sports activities
- Sports in the school curriculum
Answer:
Importance of Outdoor Games
By Soumya/Soumy
“A healthy mind resides in a healthy body” is a well-known adage. Similarly, ” All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is a popular saying. Without games and sports, our youngsters would develop into lethargic and imbecile bodies. Sports also occupy a prominent position in the life of a nation.
It not only helps keep one healthy and fit but also plays a vital role as a recreational event. Unfortunately, in our country, the trend is to focus only on the academic front. But it is seen that games and sports, athletics and outdoor exercises inculcate discipline, teamwork, patience, courage, endurance, cooperation and perseverance.
It is a pity that Indian players and sportspersons didn’t do well in the international sports and games events and return home without many medals whereas the countries like Japan, China, Russia, etc., have a good tally of gold, silver and bronze medals. It is a matter of shame and shows our weakness.
This is because there is no proper arrangement and stimulation for games and sports. Therefore, it becomes all the more important to change the attitude of schools towards sports. It should be made a compulsory activity and a mandatory part of the curriculum.
OR
B. PS School, Jabalpur, recently organised a science symposium on the topic: ‘Effect of pollution on quality of life’. You are Sanjay/Sanjana, editor of the school magazine. Write a report in 120-150 words on the event for your school magazine. You may use the cues given below along with your own ideas.
- Campaign to raise awareness on the effect of pollution on life.
- Participants included science students along with the teachers from both junior and senior section.
- Felicitation of chief guest.
- Participants made aware of the objectives and goals of the workshop.
- Reduce pollution-3R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle).
- Segregation of waste.
- Vote of thanks.
Answer:
Science Symposium Held at SPS School
A report by Sanjay/Sanjana
A Science symposium was organized in SPS School, Jabalpur on the topic “Effects of Pollution on Quality of Life”. All the science students along with the subject teachers, both junior and senior, attended the elucidative program. The event commenced with the felicitation of the chief guest.
Thereafter, the participants were made acquainted with the objectives and goals of the workshop and in this regard, Mr. Samil Sharma supported them. The resource person, Dr. Shiv Prakash, reflected his profound knowledge on the topic and highlighted the importance of keeping the environment pollution free.
A wonderful demonstration of effects of pollution on our lives provoked the indulged participants. After the lunch break, Dr. Arush Jhamb, another resource person, exhibited the possible steps that can be taken to reduce pollution and laid stress on 3 Rs, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
It was followed by another session on the recycled and non-recycled waste. The children were encouraged to use the green and blue colour bins everywhere and the same to be told to the maids at their home. They promised to bring a change in the current situation. The informative workshop concluded with a vote of thanks by the head of the science department.
Section-C
Literature
IV. Read the given extracts to attempt the questions with reference to context.
1. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given.
A. “It is in the news that all these pitiful kin Are to he bought out and mercifully gathered in To live in villages, next to the theatre and the store, Where they won’t have to think for themselves anymore, While greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey, Swarm over their lives enforcing benefits That are calculated to soothe them out of their wits, And by teaching them how to sleep they sleep all day, Destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way.” (A Roadside Stand)
1. What is the tone of the poet in these lines?
(1) Complaining (iv) Disillusioned
(ii) Perplexed (v) Violent
(ii) Hurt
(vi) Timid
A. (1), (ii) and (v)
B. (iii), and (iv)
C. (v) and (vi)
D. (i) and (iv)
Answer:
D. (i) and (iv)
ii. Identify the phrase from the extract, that suggests the following:
The new people and politicians make fake promises and confuse the poor people. They take advantage of their gullibility.
Answer:
While greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey, Swarm over their lives enforcing benefits That are calculated to soothe them out of their wits.
iii. What idea about the city folks can be inferred through these lines?
A. Careless
B. Apathetic
C. Lazy
D. Ambitious
Answer:
B. Apathetic
iv. Complete the following analogy:
beneficent beasts of prey: oxymoron:: And by teaching them how to sleep they sleep all day, Destroy their sleeping at night: ……………..
Answer:
paradox
v. On the basis of extract, choose the corred option with reference to (1) and (2)
(1) The villagers lose their sleep at night due to their poverty
(2) The politicians make fake promises of shifting them to cities
A. (1) is true but (2) is false.
B. (2) is true but (1) is false.
C. Both are false.
D. (2) is the reason of (1).
Answer:
D. (2) is the reason of (1).
vi. Fill in the blank with an appropriate word, with reference to context.
The fact that the “pitiful kin /Are to be bought out and mercifully gathered..” shows that they are in a condition.
Answer:
vulnerable
OR
B. “Driving from my parent’s home to Cochin last Friday morning, l 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, and looked out at Young Trees sprinting….”(My mother at sixty-six)
i. What is the tone of the poet in the above lines?
(1) Disturbed
(2) Resigned (5) Hapless
(3) Sentimental
(4) Helpless
A. (1), (2) and (3)
B. (2) and (5)
C. (3) and (4)
D. only (3)
Answer:
D. only (3)
ii. What does the phrase ‘ashan like that a corpse’ means?
A. pale like a dead body.
B. grey-coloured corpse.
C. a tired face like a corpse.
D. a peaceful face like a dead body.
Answer:
A. pale like a dead body.
iii. What idea does this extract talk about?
A. Life is only about life and death.
B. Death is unavoidable.
C. Old people look like dead bodies.
D. Life is series of new birth and ageing.
Answer:
D. Life is series of new birth and ageing.
iv. Compare the analogy correctly.
she was as old as she looked: simile:: her face ashen like that of a corpse:
Answer:
simile
v. On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to the two statements below:
(1) The author’s mother looked as old as a corpse.
(2) The author looked at the young trees outside.
A. (1) is true but (2) is false.
B. (2) is true and is the reason for (1).
C. (2) is true and unrelated to (1).
D. both are true and unrelated.
Answer:
C. (2) is true and unrelated to (1).
vi. Give an apt title for the extract.
A. Fond Remembrance of My Mother
B. A Daughter’s Yearning
C. The Years Gone By
D. Reminiscences
Answer:
A. Fond Remembrance of My Mother
2. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given.
A. He was very light, like a fowl that had been half-starved for a long time until it is only feathers arid skeleton. So, his arms hanging, they carried him up the steps and into the side door of the house. This door opened into a passage, and down the passage they carried the man towards an empty bedroom. It had been the bedroom of Sadao’s father, and since his death it had not been used. They laid the man on the deeply matted floor. Everything here had been Japanese to please the old man, who would never in his own home sit on a chair or sleep in a foreign bed. Hana went to the wall cupboards and slid back a door and took out a soft quilt. She hesitated. The quilt was covered with flowered silk and the lining was pure white silk. (The Enemy)
i. Complete the statement:
List the playwright’s purpose of using fowl in this extract.
Answer:
The playwright intended to give a picture of the helpless state that the American sailor was in. A man hunted down and left half dead for want of food.
ii. Find and select a word from the extract that has meanings similar to:
A. frame
B. knotted
Answer:
A. skeleton B. matted
iii. Which of the following is the correct alternative for the given statement:
The extract tells us that a traditional Japanese man
A. prefers an American bed and Russian chairs.
B. never prefers to sit on chairs or sleep on foreign beds.
C. always sits on chairs but prefers Japanese beds.
D. none of the above
Answer:
B. never prefers to sit on chairs or sleep on foreign beds.
iv. The author writes, “they laid the man on “ What is the contrast that the author deliberately presents to it in the extract?
Answer:
They had laid the man on a deeply matted floor of Sadao’s father’s room. His father never sat on a chair or slept on a foreign bed. Yet an arch-enemy war laid on the floor of the man who hated anything that was foreign.
OR
B. To make sure, I walked over to a newsboy and glanced at the stack of papers at his feet. It was The World; and The World hasn’t been published for years. The lead story said something about President. Cleveland. I’ve found that front page since, in the Public Library files, and it was printed June 11, 1894.1 turned toward the ticket windows knowing that here – on the third level at Grand Central – I could buy tickets that would take Louisa and me anywhere in the United States we wanted to go. In the year 1894. And I wanted two tickets to Galesburg, Illinois. (The Third Level)
i. Complete the following sentence appropriately with reference to the extract:
The writer saw a stack of The World while The World.
Answer:
hadn’t been published for years.
ii. The writer at this stage is in a state of disbelief. How did he make sure of himself on seeing Objects of disbelief?
A. He glanced at brass spittoons on the floor of the platform.
B. He glanced at men with fancy mustaches, beards and sideburns.
C. He took a glimpse of a small Currier & Ives locomotive with a funnel-shaped stack.
D. He glanced at the stack of newspapers and saw an edition of’ The World’ dated June, 1894.
Answer:
D. He glanced at the stack of newspapers and saw an edition of’ The World’ dated June, 1894.
iii. Select the most suitable title for the given extract.
A. Time-travel
B. Escape from reality
C. A travel to a past world
D. An escape in dreams
Answer:
A. Time-travel
iv. What are the contradictory situations written by the writer that baffles the logic of going to the world of 1894?
Answer:
While the wife of the writer, Louisa dissuaded him not to look for the third level anymore, they were baffled by the fact that Sam Weiner, their psychiatrist had disappeared! He was their psychiatrist who had diagnosed his third-level experience as waking-dream wish fulfillment. Apart from this, they received a letter in the first-day cover where Sam invited them to find the third level, as he was in Galesburg, in 1894. So both of them were looking for the third level again.
3. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given.
A. They thought he would demand repayment in full of the money which they had illegally and deceitfully extorted from the sharecroppers. He asked only 50 percent. “There he seemed adamant” writes Reverend J.Z.Hodge, a British missionary in Champaran who observed the entire episode at close range. (Indigo)
i. Select the option that completes the given question appropriately.
In the extract, ‘they’ are …………..
A. the landowners
B. the British officials
C. the people of Champaran
D. the Governing authority
Answer:
B. the British officials
ii. Select the suitable word from the extract to complete the following analogy:
supply: demand:: flexible: …………
Answer:
adamant
iii. Select the correct option to fill in the blank.
The amount of money that Gandhi ji asked for repayment is .
A. full amount
B. half amount
C. ₹10,000
D. ₹20,000
Answer:
B. half amount
iv. What does it tell about the planters when the author says, “they had illegally and deceitfully extorted from the sharecroppers”?
A. They were deceitful in their business with the peasants.
B. They were worried about shelling out money.
C. They were scared of Gandhiji.
D. They were terrified of being called out for their wrongs.
Answer:
A. They were deceitful in their business with the peasants.
v. Identify the textual clue that allows the reader to conclude that Gandhiji was more interested in proving that the planters were not above law and peasants found that they had rights and defenders. (Clue: a simple sentence.)
Answer:
Officials thought that Gandhiji would demand full payment of money. But he asked only 50 percent.
vi. Complete the sentence with an appropriate explanation, as per the extract.
The writer uses the word ‘adamant’ to refer to the stand taken by Gandhiji and yet he showed his flexibility to agree when Reverend J.Z. Hodge wrote that ………….
Answer:
when the planters offered to refund to the extent of 25 percent, Gandhiji agreed, thus breaking the deadlock.
OR
B. My acquaintance with the barefoot ragpickers leads me to Seemapuri, a place on periphery of Dethi yet miles away from it, metaphorically. Those who live here are squatters who came from Bangladesh back in 1971. Saheb’s family is among them. Seemapuri was then a wilderness, It still is, but it is no longer empty. In structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water, live 10,000 ragpickers. (Lost Spring)
i. How did the author reach Seemapuri?
A. obliged by his duty
B. by official orders
C. by his contact with rag pickers
D. because of his friend’s work
Answer:
C. by his contact with rag pickers
ii. What does the phrase “devoid of sewage, drainage or running water” help us understand about the condition of the ragpickers?
Answer:
They live in places unfit for human living
iii. On the basis of the given extract, choose the correct option with reference to the question given below.
Which people came to reside in Seemapuri?
A. refugees from Bangladesh
B. refugees from Punjab
C. refugees from Pakistan
D. refugees from Kashmir
Answer:
A. refugees from Bangladesh
iv. How was Seemapuri earlier?
Answer:
Earlier, Seemapuri was uninhabited. Seemapuri was an isolated place in the periphery of Delhi.
v. Replace the underlined word with its antonym from the extract.
It was a stranger from motley crowd of rag pickers who led me to Seemapuri.
Answer:
an acquaintance.
vi. The author’s story, from the extract, can be described as statements based on.
A. factual tete-a-tete with the ragpickers
B. Hypothesis based on facts
C. Beliefs on the life of squatters in Delhi
D. None of these
Answer:
A. factual tete-a-tete with the rag pickers.
V. Answer ANY FIVE of the following in about 40-50 words each.
I. How.did Franz react to the declaration that it was their last French lesson? (The Last Lesson)
Answer:
Franz was shocked to hear that there would be no French teaching from now onwards and felt extremely sorry for neglecting his lessons, and regretted for not having the chance to learn grammar mies and participles. His French teacher M. Hamel would also be seen no more.
ii. How does Kamala Das try to put away the thoughts of her ageing mother? (My Mother at sixty-Six)
Answer:
Kamala Das is troubled by the thoughts of her ageing mother and tries to console herself by looking outside the car. The sight is full of youthful whim and vigour. She watches the trees ‘sprinting’ past her speeding car and the children, full of life and activity, running out of their houses to play.
iii. Explain ‘Garbage to them is gold’ with reference to children and elders. (Lost spring)
Answer:
For rag-pickers, garbage was like gold. It was their daily breadwinner, a roof over their heads, regardless of it being a leaking roof. For children, garbage had a meaning different from what it meant to their parents. Exploring the garbage for a coin or a rupee note was the utmost excitement for them.
Their enthusiasm trembled when they found something interesting. For elders, it was only a means of survival and nothing beyond that.
iv. What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent stillness?
(Keeping Quiet)
Answer:
In this poem, the poet uses the symbol of the earth to say that there can be life under apparent stillness. He says that the earth appears to be dead in the winter season. Everything comes to a stop during winter. But when the spring season comes it becomes alive with all its new plants. It seems that Nature never takes rest then.
v. Why did the peddler decline the invitation? (The Rattrap)
Answer:
The peddler was alarmed at the idea and request of the ironmaster of spending the night at his manor of the Ramsjo Ironworks, who also happened to be an ex-army man. He did not make any attempt to correct the ironmaster when he was mistaken for an old acquaintance.
Moreover, he was more worried about the fact that, he had the stolen thirty kronor bills with him, and accepting the invitation would be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den. Therefore, the peddler thought it better to decline the invitation.
vi. What does the line, ‘Therefore on every morrow, are we wreathing/A flowery band to bind us to earth’, suggest to you? (Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers)
Answer:
Man has always shared a special bond with nature. Though the world is a beautiful place to live in, there is a lot of pain and suffering too. That could be enjoyed by treasuring the happiness and joy that beautiful things give us. Keats believed that man and nature were woven into an unbroken bond. He believed that beauty around us is like beautiful flowers and we should wreathe them into a flowery band that keeps us connected to the earth.
VI. Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 40-50 words each.
i. Interpret Judewin’s personality on the basis of her comment ‘We have to submit because they are strong (Memories of Childhood: The Cutting of My Long Hair)
Answer:
Judewin was submissive. She didn’t resist and oppose the wrong being done in the hostel. She didn’t even try a bit to resist injustice and discrimination. She acted as a meek and coward girl who was scared of the ‘strong’ people.
ii. What explains the attitude of the General in the matter of the enemy soldier? Was it human consideration,
lack of national loyalty, dereliction of duty, or simply self-absorption? (The Enemy)
Answer:
The General was totally governed by self-absorption. He was a patient of Dr. Sadao and did not trust anyone except him when it came to his health. He could not risk executing the doctor for treachery at the expense of his health.
He conspired to kill the soldier by private assassins to ensure his own interest . and safety. His soft attitude towards Dr. Sadao was absolutely a gesture of selfish interest that overcame human consideration and lacked national loyalty.
iii. “I’m not fond of curtains shutting things out” says Mr. Lamb. What does this reveal about his personality?
(On the Face of It)
Answer:
Mr. Lamb did not allow his physical disability to crush his openness and large-heartedness. He kept his house and heart open for people, he kept the gate of his garden open and anybody could enter it. He did not believe in shutting things out or disconnecting himself from the people. He was an optimistic wise man.
VII. Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 120-150 words.
i. There are two prose selections, Lost Spring and Going Places where aspirations of the middle class and the outright poverty-stricken, downtrodden people, have their little aspirations either crushed or aspirations lived in a world of fantasy. The dream of emancipation from the daily life of drudgery brings them little hope or promise.
As a career counsellor, you have been assigned the task of forewarning the students about failed dreams in the face of stiff competition. You have to give them tips to overcome the frustration and hopelessness to carry on with their tryst with destiny that awaits in their professional lives. How will you address the issue?
Answer:
My dear students,
Welcome to this session. With an aim to usher in strong grit to overcome failures, I am trying to bring in the relevance of two chapters, Lost Spring and Going Places. Knowing stories and drawing lessons of life would be the real test of gaining wisdom.
Without any doubt it also entails a growth of maturity that enables us to move on in life. Dear children, you are lucky to get a decent life due to your doting and hard-working parents. Yet if you have gone through the stories of stolen childhood, you will find yourself by providence.
The chapter Lost Spring provides us a lot for deep introspection. The piteous state of expressions for statements like “food is more important than an identity, or “Can a god-given lineage ever be broken?” reveals it all. No respite from hunger, no escape from monotonous drudgery, no hope of emancipation.
It is too difficult for them to escape from the vortex of poverty, greed and injustice. The lower middle class also aspire to achieve a lot in material gains but the limitations of their circumstances circumvent that remote possibility. For instance the character called Sophie, she has pinned her hopes a trifle too high which is incongruous. Her friend Jansie is more level-headed.
She wants to own a boutique, which clearly is out of reach for her. She does not have the affordability, yet she aspires for it. When she is confronted with Jansie’s disapproval, she gives her the other options to make it big in life. Her innocent energy aims for the impossible.
She even lies to her brother Geoff about meeting soccer star Danny Casey. She further lies about how Danny is infatuated with her and wants to meet her again to give her an autograph. She lives in a world of fantasy to find a route to get rich at all costs. The funny part is how she lands herself in embarrassment. Ludicrous, yet such are the situations in which many middle-class children land themselves.
This was to apprise you about the pitfalls that you may fall into, an embarrassment from where you may lose your capability to confront situations with realistic goals. Take care dear children, human frailties abound in most of us, too very often leading us to failures. Always stay grounded to reality. Thank you for hearing me out. Wishing you all best of luck in all your endeavors.
Have a nice day.
OR
ii. Robert Frost has so succinctly placed a stanza to present uncertainties against expectations of a poor farmer in his poem, A Roadside Stand:
Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bear The thought of so much childish longing in vain, The sadness that lurks near the open window there, That waits all day in almost open prayer For the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car, Of all the thousand selfish cars that pass, The prose selection going Places’ includes this biting tantrum of Sophie’s father indirectly, ” once knew a man who had known Tom Finney, “his father said reverently to the television. “But that was a long time ago.” “You told us,” Geoff said. “Casey might be that good someday.” Imagine a conversation between Robert Frost and Sophie’s father. Create this exchange with reference to the two extracts given above.
Answer:
Sophie’s father spots the celebrated poet on a platform at London Euston who is ambling across the platform. He recognizes him, and goes to meet him. Sophie’s father: Hello, if I’m correct, aren’t you Robert Frost, the famed poet?
Robert Frost: Yeaih, how are you?
Sophie’s father: My luck to find such a famous man at the station. By the way I have read your poem, A Roadside
Stand in a book of my stupid daughter, Sophie.
Robert Frost: (interrupting) Excuse me why are you calling your daughter ‘stupid”? What it got to do with my poem?
Sophie’s father: Sorry sir, didn’t mean to hurt you. I mean it was so full of wisdom for me. The uncertainties
of life is so beautifully brought out by (he recites the above lines, “Sometimes I feel ” Robert Frost: (visibly impressed, interrupts) I’m impressed, but then what has it got to do with your daughter?
Sophie’s father: Why can’t she draw lessons from your wonderful poem? In her youthful brazenness, she fails to understand how life can be so uncertain, so struggling.
Robert frost (interrupting again): My dear friend, I don’t know who you are, but I’m quite touched by your care for your daughter. A sound piece of advice, if you choose to listen.
Sophie’s father: Sure, sure, please carry on.
Robert Frost: Ok… look don’t get carried away by my success. I had an interest in writing poems, but do you think success came overnight? I lost my father in 1885.1 saw my mother struggle to eke out an existence for me and my sister. It was at the age of 40 that lady luck smiled on me, that too in England, not in my country, America… ho boy! Here comes the train. Please don’t discourage your daughter. As a father, try to encourage your daughter, who knows what is in store for her in future. Bye, mister, I: have to catch my train.’ Sophie’s father: OK, I have understood your point, bye.
VIII. Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 120-150 words.
i. While boarding a Korean ship from the island, Tom was pensive. Why on Earth did a Japanese doctor, a sworn enemy of America took the pains to save him? He is completely transformed despite the obnoxious and hated Pearl Harbour attack on America in 1941. He is suffering a mixed bag of sufferings, not sure whether to hate of appreciate the Japanese. Imagine yourself to be Tom, and express these thoughts.
Answer:
Thank you, God. Bless these Koreans for saving me. What a dreaded experience for me. An escape from-their clutches unscathed. What kind of race is this? It’s too difficult to come to terms with the doctor’s kindness. I hated them for killing so many of my countrymen at Pearl harbor, and now this fellow saves me during wartime. Why? Jesus, I can’t really find a logic between the two.
Being grateful to this doctor would make me a traitor in the eyes of my countrymen, nurturing a hatred against the Japanese would be just as inhuman. To whom can I reveal my experience, and why should I? Jesus! help me out of this predicament. Oh lord, make this war come to an end. I am so confused. There are good people across nationalities. How am I going to come to terms with this cruel fact? God, please help me!!
OR
ii. The story The Third Level mentions the mode of psychological escape employed by Charley which is midway between fantasy and reality. The story about the Japanese doctor in The Enemy is about the psychological pressure and moral obligation that the doctor faces. Compare and contrast to describe in , 120-150 words how both the characters face moral dilemma and psychological stress due the situations they find themselves in.
Answer:
Charley from The Third Level finds a third level at the Grand Central station which doesn’t exist in actuality. The ambience and atmosphere of the third level is nostalgic and decades behind the actual levels at the station. Charley’s embark on an adventure which seems to be mostly the trick of his own mind is actually an escape that his mind suggested to him for the attainment of calm and peace.
This attempt is due to the psychological pressure of his actual situation. Similarly, the story of Dr. Hoki in The Enemy is about the moral dilemma faced by the Japanese doctor who is also struggling with psychological stress due to the testing situation he has found himself in. In both cases, the individual suffers intense psychological pressure due to their extraordinary circumstances, though the situation and pattern of dealing are very different from each other.
Charley’s thoughts are ridden by nostalgia and magic realism whereas Dr. Hoki’s mental stretches between duty and human kindness.