SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 2020-21

CLASS – XII

( ENGLISH CORE -301)

Time allowed : 3 Hrs Maximum Marks:80 Marks

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

The paper is divided into two parts : A and B. All questions are compulsory.

Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read

these instructions very carefully and follow them.

Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

PART- A (40 MARKS)

READING

1.Read the passage given below carefully: (1x10=10)

1. Pollution has been defined as the addition of any substance or form of energy to the

environment at a rate faster than the environment can accommodate its dispersion,

breakdown, recycling or storage in some harmless form. In simpler terms, pollution

means the poisoning of the environment by man.

2. Pollution has accompanied mankind every since groups of people settled down in one

place for a long time. It was not a serious problem during primitive times when there was

more than ample space available for each individual or group. As the human population

boomed, pollution became a major problem and has remained as one every since. Cities

of ancient times were often unhealthy places, fouled by human wastes and debris. Such

unsanitary conditions favored the outbreak of diseases that killed or maimed many people

living in those times.

3. The rapid advancement of technology and industrialization today is something that man

can be proud of. However, it has brought along with it many undesirable results, one of

which is the pollution of our environment. Humanity today is threatened by the dangers

of air, water, land and noise pollution.

4. The air that we breathe is heavily polluted with toxic gases, chemicals and dust. These

consist of the discharge from industrial factories and motor vehicles. The emission of

tetraethyl lead and carbon monoxide from exhaust fumes is a major cause for concern

too. Outdoor burning of trash and forest fires have also contributed to air pollution. They

cause the smarting of the eyes, bouts and coughing and respiratory problems. Owing to

the burning of fossil fuels, the level of carbon monoxide in the air is more than desirable.

Too high a level of carbon dioxide will cause the Earth's temperature to rise. The heat

will melt the polar caps, thus raising the sea level and causing massive floods around the

world. the burning of fuels also produces gases which form acid rain. Acid rain has a

damaging effect on water, forest and soil, and is harmful to our health.

5. Man has reached the moon and invented supersonic crafts that can travel faster than the

speed of sound. However, these inventions emit pollutants which contribute to the

depletion of the ozone layer. This depletion of ozone, which absorbs the harmful rays of

the sun and prevents them from reaching the Earth, will have drastic effects on all living

things. It will lead to a rise in the number of people suffering from skin cancer.

6. Water pollution has become widespread too. Toxic waste has found its way into our

lakes, streams, rivers and oceans. This waste is released by factories and sea-going

vessels. Spillage of oil by tankers and during the recent Gulf War has caused irreparable

damage to marine life. Thousands of sea animals have died or were poisoned by the

pollutants in their natural habitat. As such, it is dangerous for humans to consume sea

food caught in polluted waters.

7. Dumping of used cars, cans, bottles, plastic items and all other kinds of waste material is

an eyesore. Much of the refuse is not biodegradable and this interferes with the natural

breakdown process of converting substances from a harmful form to a non harmful one.

As such, it becomes a hazard to one's health.

8. We are often faced with noises from construction sites, jet planes and traffic jam. we may

be unaware of it but noise pollution has been attributed to causing a loss of hearing,

mental disturbances and poor performance at work

9. To control environmental pollution, substances which are hazardous and can destroy life

must not be allowed to escape into the environment. This calls for united decision-

making among world leaders and a public awareness of the dangers of pollution.

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN questions from

the eleven given below. (1x10 = 10)

(a) Pollution was not a serious problem in ancient times because:

1. people were unsettled.

2. lot of space was available.

3. population was less.

4. all of the above.

(b) Acid rain does not cause:

1. smarting of eyes.

2. water pollution.

3. soil pollution.

4. damage to forest.

(c) The number of people suffering from skin cancer will rise because :

1. man has invented supersonic aircrafts

2. ozone layer is depleting.

3. no efforts are being made to repair the ozone layer.

4. inventions emit pollutants that deplete the ozone layer which absorbs cancer- causing

rays.

(d) If the refuse is not biodegradable it:

1. becomes an eyesore.

2. interferes with natural breakdown.

3. remains a health hazard.

4. both b and c

e) Find a word in the passage which convey similar meaning

house / lodge

i)dispersion

ii)accommodate

iii)breakdown

f) what are the hazards of exposure to excessive noise?

i) cause loss-of hearing,

ii)mental disturbances

iii)poor performance at work

iv) all of these

g) pollution can be controlled--------------

i)converting substances from a harmful form to non harmful

ii) substances which are hazardous must not be allowed to escape into the environment

iii)dumping of used cars,cans etc can be controlled

h)Find antonym for the word absorption.

i)massive

ii)irreparable

iii)depletion

iv)emission

i)How is marine life under threat?

i) Toxic waste has found its way into our lakes

ii) Spillage of oil by tankers

iii) due to gulf war

iv) all of these

j) The depletion of Ozone will lead to--------

i) lung cancer iii)respiratory problems

ii)skin cancer iv)none of these

k)Find the meaning of the word ‘ supersonic’.

i)faster than the speed of sound

ii)ponderous

iii)dilatory

iv)tardy

2.Read the passage given below.

Newspaper is a store house of knowledge. Newspaper is most necessary part of education. Reading

newspaper is useful for all time support to develop ready behaviour, acquiring knowledge, updating

current news and awareness of social activities. Newspaper reading habits not only creates a habit of

reading but also open the doors of self improvements. The practice of reading, a newspaper has been

associated with improvement in students’ attitudes toward reading overall.

The specific purpose of the paper is to study thoroughly the reading habits of the 21st century among

fisheries professionals in the college, UG and PG students with the aim to identify their reading

attitudes, purposes, preferences and tastes. The data was collected using the questionnaire method. A

total of 200 questionnaires were distributed among the professionals and 143 filled in questionnaires

were obtained from the respondents.

The collected information was tabulated by using statistical method, table and percentage. The data

Analyses are given below:

Table 1 and 2 clearly show the gender wise and degree wise distribution of questionnaire. Among the

total of 143 respondents, male are 63 (44.06%) and female are 80 (55.94%).

TABLE 1

SL.NO GENDER NO:OF QUESTIONNAIRE

DISTRIBUTED

NO:OF

QUESTIONNAIRE

RECEIVED

%

1 MALE 80 63 44.06

2 FEMALE 120 80 55.94

3 TOTAL 200 143 100

A total of 200 questionnaires were distributed among the professionals and 143 filled in questionnaires

were obtained from the respondents.

The collected information is tabulated by using statistical method, table and percentage. The data

Analyses are given below:

TABLE 2

No of users No of questionnaire

distributed

No of questionnaire

received

%

UG 130 80 55.94

PG 50 45 31.47

PhD 20 18 12.59

Total 200 143 100

Most of the professionals 52.45% are preferred the admission/ notifications, 48.95% is preferred sports

Games, 34.97% of the respondents are mentioned their choice for reading news. While as 27.97%

preferred to know the advertisement. Lastly 0.93% readers want to know about employment.

As far as the source of newspaper is concerned 41.96% has mentioned they are reading Library

subscriptions newspapers, 27.97% Professionals are pointed they are reading individual subscribed

newspapers. While, 18.88% respondents mentioned their preference for the source of newspaper

studying by online mode, while 7.69% mentioned the college hostel is the source of news papers.

This study reveals that most of the students are in the habit of reading newspapers but still they are not

aware of the advantage of online newspapers and news portals which can spontaneously update their

knowledge by providing latest and nascent information. Therefore, the library professionals must create

more awareness of such news sources and libraries must ensure that the students have access to wide

variety of newspapers, so as to enable the students to read their preferred newspapers and enhance

their knowledge base which can help them to be more productive in their academics and lead a

responsible life in the society.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the questions (1x10=10)

1.Which is the mostly read topic in the newspaper by undergraduates?

a. Sports and games

b. Business

c. Politics

d. Admission

2.Which two topics PhDs do not read at all?

a. advertisement and admission

b. business and sports

c. sports and employment

d. business and politics

3. Which professionals showed most interest in responding to the questionnaire?

a. UG

b. PhDs

c.PG

d. both b and c

4. Is there a gender bias in the sample under study?

a. too much

b.to some extent

c. not at all

d. cannot be said

5.As per the passage , what maybe the reason for most of the students to read newspaper in

hardcopy?

a. lack of awareness

b.library subscribtions being the major source of newspaper

c. both a and b

d. none of the above

6. According to the passage,the practice of reading, a newspaper has been associated with

a.improvement in students’ attitudes

b. overall development

c.knowledge

d.none of these

7.How many respondents preferred studying newspaper in online mode

a.88.2%

b.18.88%

c.36.23%

d.15.5%

8. No:of questionnaires received from females

a.120

b.45

c.88

d.100

9. The specific purpose of the paper is to

a. classify

b.study thoroughly the reading habits

c.to analyse

d. none of these

10.How many respondents preferred library subscribtion newspapers?

a.41.96%

b.65.23%

c .18.88%

d.27.19%

3. Read the extracts given below and attempt ANY TWO of the three given

by answering the questions that follow. (4+4=8)

I. Gandhi chided the lawyers for collecting big fee from the sharecroppers. He said, ‘‘I have

come to the conclusion that we should stop going to the law courts. Taking such cases to the

courts does little good. Where the peasants are so crushed and fear-stricken, law courts are

useless. The real relief for them is to be free from fear.’’

Most of the arable land in the Champaran district was divided into large estates owned by

Englishmen and worked by Indian tenants. The chief commercial crop was indigo. The landlords

compelled all tenants to plant three twentieths or 15 percent of their holdings with indigo and

surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent. This was done by long-term contract.

a) What did the British landlords want from the peasants after synthetic indigo was developed?

i) Indigo as rent iii)15% of produce

ii) Money as compensation iv) a new settlement

b) What did the peasants pay the British landlords as rent?

i) 25% of the crop iii)indigo

iii) 50% of their produce iv) 10%of their indigo produce

c) Shukla led Gandhi to the house of a lawyer . He was----------

i) J.B.Kripalni iii) Rajendra Prasad

ii) Zakir Hussain iv) Mahadev Desai

d) What was the full name of the peasant from Champaran?

i) J.B.Shukla iii) Ram kumar Shukla

ii) Rajkumar Shukla iv) Roop kumar Shukla

II. “If I start a school, will you come?” I ask, half-joking. “Yes,” he says, smiling broadly. A few

days later I see him running up to me. “Is your school ready?”

“It takes longer to build a school,” I say, embarrassed at having made a promise that was not

meant. But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.

a)From which country had Saheb come to India?

i) Nepal iii) Bangladesh

iii) Bhutan iv) China

b)How did he lose his fields and home in Dhaka?

i) Because of flood iii) because of drought

ii) Because of storm iv) none of these

c)Which word in extract mean several?

i) Bleak iii)amidst

ii) Abound iv)embrassed

d) Who is referred as ‘you’ in the above extract?

i) Mukesh iii) Ganesh

ii) Saheb iv) Anees Jung

III. Look!’ For a moment Evans’s eyes smouldered dangerously, but Jackson was ready for him.

“Orders of the Governor, Evans.” He leaned forward and leered, his voice dropping to a harsh,

contemptuous whisper. “You want to complain?”

Evans shrugged his shoulders lightly. The crisis was over.

“You’ve got half an hour to smarten yourself up, Evans — and take that bloody hat off!”

“Me ’at? Huh!” Evans put his right hand lovingly on top of the filthy woollen, and smiled sadly.

D’you know, Mr Jackson, it’s the only thing that’s ever brought me any sort o’ luck in life. Kind

o’ lucky charm, if you know what I mean. And today I thought — well, with me exam and all

that...”

a) Who is the speaker of the above extract?

i) Stephens iii) Evans

ii) Jackson iv) McLeery

b) What is being referred as ‘ lucky charm’?

i) Coat iii) book

ii) Hat iv) dress

c) Apart from Jackson, who else was listener of the above extract ?

i) Evans iii) Governor

ii) Stephens iv) McLeery

d) Which word in the extract is synonym of ‘ Fortune’?

i) Luck iii) smouldered

ii) Contemptuous iv) harsh

4. Read the extracts given below and attempt ANY ONE of the two given by

answering the questions that follow. (4x1=4)

1. Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces.

Like rootless weeds, the hair torn round their pallor:

The tall girl with her weighed-down head. The paper seeming

Boy, with rat’s eyes. The stunted, unlucky heir

Of twisted bones, reciting a father’s gnarled disease,

a) The tall girl with her head weighed down means. The girl

i) is ill and exhausted iii) has her head bent with shame

ii) untidy hair iv) none of these

b) The paper seeming boy with rat’s eyes means

i) Sly and secretive iii) thin, hungry and weak

ii) Unpleasant looking

c) The stunted , unlucky heir of twisted bones means. The boy

i) Has an inherited disability ii) was short and bony

d) The children’s faces are compared to rootless weeds. This means they

i) are insecure iii) are ill-fed

ii) are wasters

2. We have imagined for the mighty dead;

All lovely tales that we have heard or read;

An endless fountain of immortal drink,

Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink.

a).The rhyme scheme of the above extract is

i) aabb

ii). abab

iii)aaab

iv)abbb

b) what poetic device is used in the 3rd

line here?

i) alliteration

ii) hyperbole

iii)antithesis

iv)simile

c) ‘All lovely tales’ evoke the feeling of

a. sadness and nostalgia.

b. only nostalgia

c. inspiration and pride.

d. only pride.

d) The phrase immortal drink refers to

a. blessings of our ancestors

b. the teachings of nature.

c. a life-giving force.

d. the beauty of heaven.

5. Attempt ANY EIGHT questions from the ten given below. (1x 8 = 8)

i) What did the ironmaster’s daughter say when the peddler was about to leave?

(a) she asked him to stay for that day only

(b) she said she wanted to go with him

(c) she told him not to mind what her father had said

(d) she asked him to leave after 2 days

ii) If Derry didn’t go back, he was scared ___

(a) Mr Lamb would not let him in (b) Mr Lamb would make other friends

(c) he wouldn’t be able to pick crabapples (d) he’d never go anywhere in the world again

iii) The American landlady had once helped Sadao when

(a) she nursed him through influenza

(b) she gave him food for a month

(c) she had mended his clothes

(d) had not taken rent for a month

iv) Should Wizard hit mommy?’ is a ___ within a story.

(a) story

(b) digression

(c) metaphor

(d) moral

v) Douglas went down towards the bottom

(a) only once

(b) twice

(c) thrice

(d) five times

vi) The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band is a subtle reference to

(a) male oppression

(b) suppression at the hands of her husband

(c) the heavy gold ring

(d) the huge gold wedding band makes her uncomfortable

vii) Who sat on the back bench on the last lesson?

(a) Franz

(b) Prussians

(c) the village people

(d) The new teacher

viii) His mother warned him against swimming in the Yakima River because it had

(a) strong currents

(b) it was meant only for boating

(c) many people had drowned there

(d) it had no lifeguards around

ix) Why was Gandhi not permitted to draw water from Rajendra Prasad’s well?

(a) the servant thought Gandhi was another peasant

(b) as Rajendra Prasad was not at home

(c) Gandhi looked like a vagabond

(d) Gandhi was a Harijan

x) Saheb’s full name was

(a) Mughal-e-Azam

(b) Saheb-e-Alam

(c) Shahenshah-e-Alam

(d) Shah Jahan

PART-B ( 40 marks)

WRITING SECTION- (16 Marks)

Q1. a) You are the director of IIFL, a prestigious institute offering classes in German, French

and Spanish for students of senior classes. Draft an advertisement inviting applications

for your new batch to be starting soon. Give relevant details too. (word limit:50 words)

Or

b) You are Sahil Sagar the president of Nehru Yuva Club, Delhi.You have planned to take

a trekking trip for 15 days to Rohtang Pass next month. Write a notice giving all

necessary information to invite participants for trekking programme. (word limit: 50)

(3marks)

Q2. a) As secretary of the Literary club of St. Anne’s school, Ahmedabad, draft a

formal invitation in not more than 50 words for the inauguration of the club in your school.

Or

b) You have received an invitation to be the judge for a literary competition in St. Anne’s

school. Send a reply in not more than 50 words. You are Mohan / Mohini.

(3 marks)

Q3. a) Read the advertisement given below and write a letter applying for the job. Also give

your detailed resume to be sent along with the letter. You are Praveen Kumar of

95 HAL Colony, Bengaluru.

Situations Vacant

Wanted Post Graduate Teacher in English to teach Senior Secondary Classes in a reputed school

in Bengaluru. Candidates should have a minimum of three years of teaching experience.

Apply to Box No. 178, C/o ‘The Deccan Herald’, Bengaluru 500 015

Or

b) Write a letter to the Editor, ‘The Hindu’ about the mosquito menace due to

stagnant water in your locality. Give suggestions to improve the situation.

You are Raman/Renu, living in Rajaji Nagar, Tirunelveli.

(5 marks)

Q4. a) As compared to the older generation the youth of today are greatly inclined to

pursue adventurous activities either for money or for fun. There is a latest craze for

joining reality shows, rafting, rock climbing, mountaineering etc. Write an article in

150-200 words on which life you would prefer—safe or adventurous.

Or

b) Your state government has banned the use of plastic bags. Your are Amarjeet, a reporter

of The National Herald. Write a report in 100-125 words on how the ban is being

ignored and what damage the indiscriminate use of plastic bags in causing to

the environment.

(5 marks)

LITERATURE (24 MARKS)

Q5. Answer any five of the following questions in 30-40 words. (5x2=10marks)

a) What kind of treatment was received by peddler from crofter?

b) Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their

homes’?

c) What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?

d) What were the terms of the indigo contract between the British landlords and the Indian

peasants?

e) Explain, ‘massive weight of uncle’s wedding band’?

f) How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer?

Q6. Answer any two of the following questions in 30-40 words. (2x2=4 marks)

a) Why did the prison officers call Evans, ‘ Evans the Break’?

b) Who is Mr. Lamb? How does Derry get into his garden?

c) What efforts did Dr. Sadao and Hana make to save the American soldier?

Q7. Answer any one of the following questions in 120 -150 words. (1x5=5)

a) Our native language is part of our culture and we are proud of it. Describe how

regretful M. Hamel and the village elders are for having neglected their native

language, French.

Or

b) The story ‘ The Rattrap’ focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with

others. Explain.

Q8. Answer any one of the following questions in 120 -150 words. (1x5=5)

a)Why does Jo want that the wizard should hit the mommy? Does her stand reflect

a child’s perspective on life? What is your choice?

Or

b)How did Dr. Sadao overcome the difficulty that came in his way to save the

wounded soldier? How did Hana help her husband?