Students must start practicing the questions from CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 English with Solutions Set 10 are designed as per the revised syllabus.
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 English Set 10 with Solutions
Time : 3 Hours
Maximum Marks : 80
General Instructions:
- The Question Paper contains THREE section-READING, WRITING and LITERATURE.
- Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
Section – A
Reading Skills [22 Marks]
Reading Comprehension Through Unseen Passages.
Question 1.
Read the following text. (12 Marks)
1. My father, the late Dr Gustav Bucky, was the physician to Einstein’s two stepdaughters and this relationship had prompted the professor to invite us to dinner once. My father and he became friends and from then onwards I spent my summer vacations at his home for the next eight years.
2. To a boy, Einstein was a God. Even his appearance had a God-like distinctiveness – the massive head with its unruly mane of hair; the ragged moustache; the deep, gentle eyes that could twinkle with amusement; the droopy upper lids; and the soft, expressive wrinkles that creased his face.
3. One time, after I had known him for several years, I impulsively remarked that it might be time for him to abandon a frayed stretched sweater that was part of his daily uniform. His sudden, cool silence told me that I had stepped across the line.
4. Yet he had a good sense of humour. His only reading for fun was Emily Post’s book on etiquette. He read the book in his bedroom and study in the evening and his sharp laugh rattled through the house.
5. Einstein’s friends never expected him to behave in the conventional manner. Yet his regard for others often prompted him to do the conventional thing. When I was ill with tuberculosis at a veteran’s hospital in the Bronx, Einstein created a sensation there by visiting me. I was tremendously moved. I knew how much he disliked to leave his work, how much he was bored by the two-and-a-half hour automobile trip and how pained he felt under public scrutiny.
6. Since we knew how Einstein was torture’5 by formal occasions, didn’t invite him to my wedding in 1953 at the Plaza in New York. He showed up without being invited. He was dressed in a dark suit, with white shirt and tie – the perfect attire for the proceedings, according to his standards.
7. The problem of keeping an important secret may produce a sweaty conflict in most people, but not in Einstein. I was hardly a hundred feet from him during one of the most important meetings of this century and I never knew about it. During the summer of 1939, I was staying at Einstein’s vacation house near Southold on the tip of Long Island. On 1st August, the housekeeper told me that a group of scientists were coming to visit the professor. When the visitors left, Einstein made no reference to the meeting. I only remember his expressing a vague fear in late 1944 that Germany might be making progress towards a new and terrible weapon.
8. After the United States exploded the first atomic bomb, the bits and pieces of the story behind its development began to sift out. Only then did I realise what had happened during the meeting on that August day. Fermi, Szilard and a few other physicists had persuaded Einstein to write to Roosevelt, the famous letter, now in the Library of Congress, that prompted the President to launch the Manhattan
Project for the production of the atomic bomb.
9. He won the Nobel Prize for his Photoelectric Theory – a series of equations that he considered relatively minor in importance – but he didn’t have any curiosity in observing how his theory made television possible.
10. One puzzle that Einstein could never understand was his own fame. He had developed theories that were quite esoteric and capable of exciting comparatively few scientists. Yet his name was a household word across the civilised world. He was baffled by the phenomenon of himself. ‘I’ve had good ideas and so have other men,” he once said. “But it’s been my good fortune that my ideas have been accepted.” He was bewildered by the deluge of public attention; people wanted to meet him, strangers stopped on the street to stare and smile at him, scientists, statesmen, students and housewives wrote him letters. He could never understand why he received this attention, why he was singled out as something special.
Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.
(i) Pick the option that correctly lists the feelings of the writer with reference to his experience with Einstein. (1)
1. Hatred
2. Sympathy
3. Awe
4. Appreciation
5. Love
6. Care
Codes
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 3 and 6
(c) 4 and 5
(d) 3 and 4
Answer:
(d) 3 and 4
(ii) Who are the famous scientists mentioned in the passage? (1)
(a) Fermi and Dr. Bucky
(b) Dr. Bucky and Roosevelt
(c) Fermi and Szilard
(d) All of these
Answer:
(c) Fermi and Szilard
(iii) What important ‘secret’ was kept by Einstein in the summer of 1939? (1)
Answer:
The ‘secret’ that Einstein kept in the summer of 1939 was that he had written a letter to President Roosevelt urging him to develop an atomic bomb.
(iv) Complete the given sentence.
‘Bits and pieces’ in the first line of Paragraph 8 means ……………. .
Answer:
details
(v) Select the option that conveys the opposite of ‘familiar’, from words used in Paragraph 10.
(a) civilised
(b) baffled
(c) deluge
(d) esoteric
Answer:
(d) esoteric
(vi) List two things that the professor disliked in about 40 words. (2)
Answer:
The two things that the professor disliked were
(a) to leave his work.
(b) getting a lot of public attention.
(vii) What was a part of Einstein’s dress? What promoted the author to comment on it? Answer in about 40 words. (2)
Answer:
A stretched sweater was a part of Einstein’s dress.
The author was prompted to ask Einstein to replace it as it was frayed.
(viii) List some of the characteristics of Einstein in about 40 words. (2)
Answer:
Einstein, according to the author, was a studious man with a good sense of humour. He never behaved in an unconventional manner, was very peculiar about his look, was antisocial and never understood his fame.
(ix) Why was the author well-known to the professor? (1)
(a) He was his friend
(b) He was his classmate
(c) He was his teacher
(d) His father was the physician to his two stepdaughters
Answer:
(d) His father was the physician to his two step daughters
Question 2.
Read the following text. (10 Marks)
1. India is a major producer of several agricultural/food items in the world but only less than 10 percent of that is processed. Demand for processed food items is set to increase in India in the coming years providing opportunities for greater value addition, lower wastages and alternative employment opportunities. Analysis of corporate data shows that food processing firms have been profitable, but the value addition component needs to increase significantly.
2. India has made vast progress overtime improviding food security for its people and has become largely self-reliant in agriculture. Accordingly, the policy focus has shifted from attaining self-sufficiency to generating higher and stable income for the farming population. Food Processing Industry (FPI) is one area which has the potential to add value to farm output, create alternate employment opportunities, improve exports and strengthen the domestic supply chain.
3. India, with about 11.2 percent of total arable land in the world, is ranked first in the production of milk, pulses and jute, second in fruits and vegetables and third in cereals (Government of India, 2019). It is also the sixth largest food and grocery market in the world (Law, et al., 2019). Recognising the immense potential of FPI in promoting inclusive growth, it has been identified as one of the key thrust areas under the ‘Make in India’ programme.
4. Food processing is defined as transforming agricultural products into food that are in consumable form or transforming one food item into another by adding value to it (Government of India, 2019). Based on physical properties of the final product, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries categorises food processing under two sub-categories, viz. (i) manufactured processes, whereby the original physical properties of the product undergo a change through a process involving employees, power, machines or money and the transformed product is edible and has a commercial value and (ii) other value-added processes where the product does not undergo any manufacturing process, but gains significant value addition like increased shelf life, shelled and ready for consumption, etc.
5. Depending on the type and extent of value addition, it is categorised as primary and secondary processing. Primary processing relates to conversion of raw commodity to one that is fit for consumption. It involves steps such as drying, threshing, cleaning, grading, sorting, packing, etc. Secondary processing involves creation of value added products like bread, wine, sausages, etc.
6. The importance of processed food items in the consumer basket has increased globally over time. With higher income, urbanisation, demographic shifts, improved transportation and changed consumer perceptions regarding quality and safety, food consumption patterns have changed over the years. Further, advertising through mass media/social media is also found to have resulted in a higher demand-led Food Processing Industry (FPI) growth in India.
7. The share of processed food in world especially Indian exports in value terms has remained stable over the years. In 2018, it accounted for 6.5 percent of total world processed exports and 5.7 percent of total world exports.
8. With the increasing importance of processed food in consumers’ food basket, quality standards have also emerged as an important factor with new regulations. The food system is being regulated through a mix of private-public standards which provide the basis of competitive strategies while also proving to be entry barriers. The implementation of quality standards has been an issue of contention between developed and developing countries.
Answer the following questions, based on given passage.
(i) List two advantages of processed food as mentioned in the passage. Answer in about 40 words. (2)
Answer:
The advantages that processed foods provide are
(a) greater value addition
(b) reduced food wastage
(ii) Which of the following leads to a change in the food consumption pattern? (1)
(a) Urbanisation
(b) Demographic shifts
(c) Improved transportation
(d) All of these
Answer:
(d) All of these
(iii) What are drying threshing and grading a part of? (1)
Answer:
Drying, threshing and grading are a part of primary food processing.
(iv) According to the passage, why India has become self-reliant? (1)
(a) Agriculture
(b) Stable income
(c) Employment opportunities
(d) Import business
Answer:
(a) agriculture
(v) Based on the reading of the text, state a point to challenge the given statement. Answer in abour 40 words. (2)
Quality standards do not play an important role in FPI.
Answer:
As per the information given in the last paragraph of the passage, quality standards have emerged as an important factor with the increasing Importance of processed food. Hence, the given statement is incorrect.
(vi) Complete the given sentence by selecting the most appropriate option. (1)
What does the given passage highlight?
(a) The system of imports and exports
(b) The growing demand of processed food
(c) The food capacity of India
(d) The share of Indian exports in food market
Answer:
(b) The growing demand of processed food
(vii) State True or False. (1)
In the future, the demand for processed food items in Northern India is going to increase.
Answer:
False
(viii) Complete the sentence appropriately with One Word. (1)
Arable’ land mentioned in Paragraph 3 means …………… .
Answer:
cultivable
Section – B
Creative Writing Skills [18 Marks]
Note: All details presented in the questions are imaginary and created for assessment purpose.
Questin 3.
Attempt ANY ONE of two, in about 50 words. (4)
A. You are Arun/Anita, a member of the Residents Welfare Association of Saraswati Vihar, New Delhi. You wish to help the children of your society with their verbal communication skills. You have planned a one month course for this purpose. Draft a notice to be displayed at your Society Bulletin Board giving all the necessary details.
OR
B. You are the Health Secretary of the Students’ Council of your school. Draft a notice for the school notice board informing the students of Class XII to enrol for a week-long cleanliness drive organised by your school that is scheduled to start from 2nd October.
Answer:
Residents Welfare Association, Saraswati Vihar, Delhi 4th July, 20XX Enhance Your Child’s Communication Skills All the residents are hereby informed that a one month course to enhance the verbal communication skills of children is being organised in our housing society. The course would start from 15th July and the timings would be from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily at the Community Centre, Saraswati Vihar. The fee for the course is ₹ 500 per child. |
OR
B.
Citizen’s Public School, Ram Bagh, Varanasi 30th September, 20XX Cleanliness Drive In School – Volunteers Required All the students are hereby informed that as part of the ‘SWACHH PATHSHALA’ campaign, our school is holding a week-long cleanliness drive around the school premises starting on Monday, 2nd October, 20XX. Volunteers are required from Class XII for guiding the students and staff during this drive. Interested students should contact the undersigned by tomorrow evening for detailed instructions. For further details, contact the undersigned. |
Question 4.
Attempt ANY ONE of two, in about 50 words (4)
A. You are the Secretary of Haryana Civil Medical Doctors’ Association, 2345 Sector 15, Panchkula. You have organised a seminar on AIDS for the members of the association and invited a specialist guest speaker. Draft an invitation for publication in the newspapers.
OR
B. Your parents have completed 25 years of their happy married life. Invite your aunt, living in Hyderabad, to join you in the Silver Jubilee Celebration of their marriage at your residence.
Answer:
A.
Note: The programme will be followed by lunch. |
OR
245, Rose Gardens Hyderabad 25th May, 20XX Respected Aunt You will be glad to know that Mum and Dad will be completing 25 years of their happy, prosperous and eventful married life next month. We are going to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of their married life on 23rd June, 20XX. It will be a simple ceremony. Only family members and close friends are invited. Do join us on this auspicious day. Yours sincerely Srishti |
Question 5.
Attempt ANY ONE of two, in about 120 – 150 words. (5)
A. Write a letter to the Editor of a national daily suggesting possible ways to eliminate the ‘Menace of Dowry’ which has led to many deaths and suffering of women. You are Kamal/Komal. You can use the following clues.
Clues
• Atrocities committed on women • Multi-dimensional strategy required • Mechanism of effective reporting • In case of offence, strict action to be taken |
OR
B. You saw the following advertisement in a National Daily. You think you are eligible to apply for the post mentioned. Write an application in response to the advertisement.
Applications are invited by Sundaram Business Services, a division of Sundaram Finance Limited, for the post of Head HR, a middle management position, reporting to the Head of the Division in Chennai. The applicant should be around 37 years of age with a postgraduate qualification in HR from a reputed institution. He/She should have a minimum of five years of experience in HR functions, should be conversant with the best HR practices in the industry and should have implemented a robust performance monitoring/appraisal system and productivity linked incentive schemes. Apply with full particulars within a week to chief HR Manager, Sundaram Business Services, No. 05, Shanti Colony, Anna Nagar, Chennai-04. |
Answer:
A.
83/7, Shastri Square, Karol Bagh
New Delhi – 110005
6th October, 20XX
The Editor
The Times of India
KG Marg , New Delhi
Subject : Fight Against the Social Evil Dowry
Sir/Ma’am
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to suggest some possible ways to eliminate the menace of dowry in our society.
Every day we come across stories of atrocities committed against women in the name of tradition. One such atrocity is dowry, a social evil prevalent in both urban as well as rural areas of our country. To stop it, a multi-dimensional strategy has to be adopted by the government and people alike. The government should make dowry laws more stringent and should hold the police and district level officials accountable for the implementation. Also, a mechanism of effective reporting without affecting the image of the girl’s family should be devised.
The public should, be educated and empathised towards the cause. They must take a pledge against demanding or giving dowry. Moreover, if they see anyone asking for it, the matter should be immediately brought to the notice of the relevant authorities. Only when we take strict and holistic action, will this menace be rooted out completely. The defaulter should be punished and no bail
should be allowed. The offence can be reduced only by good education and strict penalty or punishment.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely
Komal
OR
B.
32/4, XYZ colony
Chennai
11th June, 20XX
The Chief HR Manager
Sundaram Business Services
No. 05, Shanti Colony,
Anna Nagar,
Chennai-04
Subject : Application for the Post of Head HR
Sir/Ma’am
This is in response to your advertisement in The Hindu’ dated 9th June 20XX for the post of Head HR position. I wish to apply for the same.
I possess requisite qualifications and experience. Having my Management Degree from FMS. Delhi University, I have 15 years of experience in all HR functions. I possess complete knowledge of best HR practices in the industry and have also implemented an appraisal system for the company.
I am enclosing my detailed resume for your perusal. You may call me for an interview on any date as per your convenience. I shall be able to join my duties at one month’s notice if appointed. I hope of a positive reply.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely
Abhishek Kumar
Enclosure: Resume
Resume
Name : Abhishek Kumar
Father’s Name : Mr. Rajneesh Kumar
Date of Birth : 29th July, 1983
Age : 37 Years
Address : 32/4, XYZ colony, Chennai
E-mail : [email protected]
Nationality : Indian
Educational Qualification
Name of the Exam | Name of the Institute | Year | Percentage/GPA |
MBA | FMS, Delhi University | 2006 | 65% |
B.Com | Delhi University | 2004 | 73% |
Hobbies : Music, Net Surfing, Photography, Sports.
Languages Known : Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu
Experience : • Currently working as an HR in ABC enterprises for the past 10 years • Worked as an HR attendant for 5 years in PQR industries
References : • Mr. Ashok Kumar, Director, PQR Industries • Mr. Rajesh Veraapalli, Chief HR, ABC Enterprises
Question 6.
Attempt ANY ONE of two, in about 120 – 150 words. (5)
A. The sports field is said to be a minifield of life. Whatever we experience or learn here serves as an invaluable experience to us for life. Write an article on ‘More Lessons are Learnt on the Sports Field than in the Classroom’. You are Sarika/Sandeep. You can use the following clues.
Clues • Cooperation, teamwork, itidership • Tolerance and understanding • No caste and religious prejudice • Healthy life |
OR
B. A glittering musical concert was held in your city during the Diwali season. Many noted and budding musicians were present to grace the occasion. Write a report covering the event in 120-150 words. You are Yash Khullar, Staff Correspondent for ‘The Indian Express’. You can use the following clues.
Clues • Idea behind organising the concert • Describe the venue and artists performing in the concert • Celebrities attending and performing in the concert • Teaches how Diwali can be celebrated without bursting crackers. |
Answer:
More Lessons are Learnt on the Sports
Field than in the Classroom
by Sarika
‘All work, no play makes Jack a dull boy’. This age old saying holds true in the present world wherein extracurricular activities are becoming central to an individual’s personality development. One such co-curricular activity taking a prominent position is sports. Sports is not just a field of learning techniques of playing a sport. It is also about learning cooperation, teamwork, tolerance, understanding, time management and leadership.
While playing a sport, an individual grows and learns teamwork. Irrespective of any difference between them, students fight for a common goal. The caste and religious prejudices are forgotten as students learn compassion and understand each other. It not only boosts cognitive mental learning, but also teaches one to live a healthy life.
One of the most essential things that sports teaches is the ‘never give up attitude’. It teaches that even though one may lose at a time, one can also win at many instances. So, never lose hope. Hence, it is true that more lessons of life can be learnt on the sports field than in the classroom.
OR
B. A Glittering Musical Concert
by Yash Khullar, Staff Correspondent, The Indian Express
Bengaluru, 20th November, 20XX : A unique musical concert was held on Sunday which was organised by Sri Vidya Kala Kendra at the Padmnabha Auditorium on MG Road. The Deepotsava concert took off by lighting .lamps all over the auditorium. The ambience transported the audience back to the older days, before the advent of electricity. The radiant ambience set the perfect mood for the musicians to perform. The concert was organised with an intention to impart education among the young artists and art lovers. The rendition of the concert was vibrant and left the audience craving for more.
The concert saw the performance of singer RK Padmanabha who was accompanied by Mysore Manjunath on Violin, Arjun Kumar on the Mridangam, Guru Prasanna on the Khanjira and Giridhar Udupa on the Ghatam. Bollywood celebrities R’ekha, Lata Mangeshkar, Nasiruddin Shah, Javed Akhtar and many others were present to grace the occasion. But what brought the house down was a superlative performance by the comedian Johnny Lever, which was added as a diversion from the main musical programme to keep the younger generation of the audience happy.
Music enthusiasts savoured the music in silence and applauded the performances of the Bollywood stars as a sign of appreciation. Besides imparting knowledge about music, the idea about organising the concert was’to illustrate how to celebrate Diwali without bursting crackers.
Section – C
Literature Textbook and Supplementary Reading Text [40 Marks]
Question 7.
Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given. (6)
A.
“When Aunt is dead,
her terrified hands will lie.
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.” (Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers)
(i) What makes the tigers proud and unafraid? (1)
(a) They embody the grandeur and supremacy of animals in the wild.
(b) They symbolise authority and are ‘topaz denizens of green’.
(c) They represent Aunt’s repressed desires for freedom and power.
(d) They are a product of Aunt’s imagination and colonial experience.
Answer:
(c) They represent Aunt’s repressed desires for freedom and power.
(ii) Identify the phrase from the extract, that suggests the following. Aunt Jennifer was entrapped in her marriage. (1)
Answer:
The phrase ‘ringed with ordeals’ suggests the given statement.
(iii) Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from the given extract? (1)
(a) Aunt Jennifer’s tigers will keep her alive in everyone’s memory.
(b) Aunt Jennifer feels oppressed and constricted in her marriage.
(c) Even in death, Aunt Jennifer cannot escape patriarchal subjugation.
(d) Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance as a lasting symbol of her desires.
Answer:
(a) Aunt Jennifer’s tigers will keep her alive in everyone’s memory.
(iv) Complete the sentence appropriately. (1)
The theme associated with the extract is ………………… .
Answer:
‘with art lives the artist’
(v) State whether True or False. (1)
Aunt Jennifer ‘s tigers are an art from which will survive.
Answer:
True
(vi) Will Aunt Jennifer ever be able to escape the oppressive society? (1)
Answer:
No, Aunt Jennifer will never be able to escape the oppressive society in which she lived. Even after her death, the society will suppress women and talk about the subservient Aunt Jennifer.
OR
B.
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 (My Mother at Sixty Six)
(i) Choose the option that displays the same poetic device as used in the extract. (1)
(a) I’m as happy as I can be.
(b) Life is a roller coaster ride.
(c) Nature is God’s gift to us.
(d) The dazzling divas enchanted all.
Answer:
(a) I’m as happy as I can be.
(ii) What does ‘ashen face’ signify? (1)
Answer:
(c) The phrase ‘ashen face’ signifies pale and lifeless face of poet’s mother.
(iii) What is the tone of the poem towards the end? (1)
Answer:
Towards the end, the poem’s tone becomes sad.
(iv) Answer in One Word. (1)
For the poet, the pain is the pain of ……………….. .
Answer:
separation
(v) State True or False. (1)
The poet does not want to go away from her mother.
Answer:
True
(vi) Which of the following is an apt title for the extract? (1)
(a) The Pain of Loss
(b) The Never Ending Fear
(c) I Don’t Want to Go
(d) My Aging Mother
Answer:
(d) My Aging Mother
Question 8.
Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two given. (4)
A. The Maharaja and the dewan held deliberations over this issue. As a result, a telegram was despatched forthwith to a famous British company of jewellers in Calcutta. “Send samples of expensive diamond rings of different designs.”
The Tiger King
(i) Complete the following sentence appropriately, with reference to the extract. The rings were gifted to …………………. . (1)
Answer:
the wife of the British Officer
(ii) Why were the deliberations held? (1)
(a) To find out a way to procure tigers
(b) To please the British officer
(c) To save the kingdom from usurpation
(d) To gain favours from the British
Answer:
(c) To save the kingdom from usurpation
(iii) How many rings were received from the company? (1)
Answer:
Fifty rings were received from the company.
(iv) What was the condition of the Maharaja and the dewan? (1)
Answer:
The Maharaja and the dewan were tensed.
OR
B. I cried aloud, shaking my head all the while until I felt the cold blades of the scissors against my neck and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my spirit. Since the day I was taken from my mother I had suffered extreme indignities. People had stared at me. I had been tossed about in the air like a wooden puppet. And now my long hair was shingled like a coward’s! In my anguish I moaned for my mother, but no one came to comfort me. Not a soul reasoned quietly with me, as my own mother used to do; for now I was only one of many little animals driven by a herder. (Memories of Childhood)
(i) Complete the sentence appropriately. (1)
The shingling of hair was important because in the narrator’s community, …………….. .
Answer:
shingled hair was worn by cowards or prisoners of war.
(ii) What did Zitkala Sa feel when her long hair was cut? (1)
(a) Oppressed
(b) Victimised
(c) Delighted
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer:
(d) Both (a) and (b)
(iii) ‘Among our people, short hair was worn by mourners, and shingled hair by cowards!” This statement is an example of ……………….. .(1)
Answer:
a belief
(iv) How would you describe the author’s tone when she says, “I was only one of many little animals driven by a herder”? (1)
Answer:
The author is dismal when she says the given lines because she knows that there are many people like her who had been taken away from their homes to learn the way of the land of apples.
Question 9.
Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two given. (6)
A. Barring the office boys and a couple of clerks, everybody else at the Studios radiated leisure, a pre-requisite for poetry. Most of them wore khadi and worshipped Gandhiji but beyond that they had not the faintest appreciation for political thought of any kind. Naturally, they were all averse to the term ‘Communism’. A communist was a godless man-he had no filial or conjugal love; he had no compunction about killing his own parents or his children; he was always out to cause and spread unrest and violence among innocent and ignorant people. Such notions, which prevailed everywhere else in South India at that time also, naturally, floated about vaguely among the khadi-clad poets of Gemini Studios. Evidence of it was soon forthcoming. (Poets and the Pancakes)
(i) Pick the option that uses the same figure of speech as A communist is a godless man.’ (1)
(a) She is as determined as Gandhi when it is a fight against injustice.
(b) She is a Gandhi when she raises her voice against ‘Hinsa’ or violence.
(c) She, like Gandhi, feels that the Earth is crying for deliverance.
(d) She lives a life of opulence and calls herself a follower of Gandhi.
Answer:
(b) She is a Gandhi when she raises her voice against ‘Hinsa’ or violence.
(ii) Give any one inference that can be made from the above extract. (1)
Answer:
It can be inferred from the given passage that at Gemini studios, the poets had a profound knowledge about communists.
(iii) Replace the underlined word with its antonym from the extract. (1)
The quotation covers all the expenses, missing including boarding and lodging.
Answer:
‘barring’
(iv) Why do you think leisure is a pre-requisite for poetry? (1)
Answer:
Leisure is a pre-requisite for poetry because, in order to write poetry, one needs free time.
(v) The people at the Gemini Studios have not the faintest appreciation for political thought. The narrator says to because ……………. . (1)
Answer:
he knows that the people at the Gemini Studios only believed what has been popular at that time. They did not have their own political thought.
(vi) What evidence is being talked about in the extract? (1)
Answer:
The evidence being talked about in the extract refers to the coming of Frank Buchman Moral Rearmament army, a kind of counter argument to the Gemini Studios.
OR
B. “She thinks money grows on trees, don’t she, Dad?’ said little Derek, hanging on the back of his father’s chair. Their mother sighed. Sophie watched her back stooped over the sink and wondered at the incongruity of the delicate bow whiqjj. fastened her apron strings. The dehcate-seeming bow and the crooked back. The evening had already blacked in the windows and the small room was steamy from the stove and cluttered with the heavy-breathing man in his vest at the table and the dirty washing piled up in the corner. Sophie felt a tightening in her throat. She went to look for her brother Geoff. (Going Places)
(i) “Sophie felt a tightening in her throat.” Pjk:k the option that lists Sophie’s feelings in this context. (1)
(a) Anxious and uneasy
(b) Anxious and scared
(c) Uneasy and furious
(d) Uneasy and scared
Answer:
(a) Anxious and uneasy
(ii) Rewrite the sentence by replacing the underlined phrase with its inference,
The evening had already blacked missing in the windows.
Answer:
The darkness of the evening could be seen in the windows.
(iii) Complete the sentence appropriately. (l)
Sophie’s mother was …………………. while her father was ……………….. .
Answer:
subdued, detached
(iv) What can we make out about the financial condition of the family from the extract? (1)
Answer:
From the given extract, we can make out that the family lived in a impoverished condition. They belonged to the lower middle class and had very little money.
(v) Why did Sophie’s mother sigh? (1)
Answer:
Sophie’s mother sighed because of the dreamy tendencies of her daughter.
(vi) Choose the option that supports the contention coming through Derek’s dialogue, “She thinks money grows on trees, don’t she, Dad?”. (1)
(a) Derek thought his sister to be unreasonable at times.
(b) Derek had no faith in Sophie’s abilities to open a boutique.
(c) Derek thought of his sister as someone who was not realistic.
(d) Derek was not at all happy about Sophie’s habit of day dreaming.
Answer:
(c) Derek thought of his sister as someone who was not realistic.
Question 10.
Answer ANY FIVE of the following six questions, in about 40 – 50 words. (5 × 2 = 10)
(i) “Damn that Geoff, this was a Geoff thing not a Jansie thing”. Why did Sophie say so? (Going Places) (1 + 1)
Answer:
Sophie knew that her friend Jansie was a bit nosey. She was also a rumour-monger. Sophie feared
that Jansie would spread the story about this meeting with Danny and then people would come to her house asking about it. That was why she was annoyed with ner brother Geoff for telling others the information she had shared with him.
(ii) How is the mother tongue important to a person? What does M. Hamel, the teacher say about it? (The Last Lesson) (1 + 1)
Answer:
The mother tongue is the representative of a nation’s true identify and character. It acts as a binding force, creating unity among the countrymen.
M. Flamel said that when people are slaved, as long as they, hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.
(iii) Describe the two significant roles of money in the lives of the poor people, (The Roadside Stand) (2)
Answer:
Money is the measuring scale of growth for the village people. They estimate their economic growth
by means of the small amount of money at hand. Similarly, money is necessary for a villager to feel confident. He feels a ‘lift of Spirit’ with money in reach.
(iv) What do we learn about the crofter’s nature from the story The Rattrap? (2)
Answer:
The crofter was a lonely person without wife or child. Hence, he was always happy to get someone to talk to in his loneliness. He was also a generous and trusting person because he hosted the peddler for a night and even showed him where he had kept his money.
(v) The poet does not directly mention about the fear of her mother’s death and yet she is successfully able to convey the same through different poetic techniques. Discuss. (My Mother at Sixty-Six) (2)
Answer:
The poet is successfully able to convey to fear of her mother’s death indirectly by using different poetic techniques like simile, metaphors, repetitions and contrasts. The comparison made with the corpse and the late winter’s Moon are central to highlight the cause of her fear.
(vi) Do we experience things of beauty only for a short moment or do they make a lasting experience on us? (A Thing of Beauty) (2)
Answer:
Things of beauty make a lasting impression on us because they are an endless source of pleasure and motivation. The happiness that they give us never fades away but keep on increasing. Thus, all beautiful things are a source of permanent joy to us.
Question 11.
Attempt ANY TWO of the following three questions, in about 40 – 50 words. (2 × 2 = 4)
(i) The Maharaja justified his actions based on the maxim “You may kill even a cow in self-defence, so there would be no objection to killing tigers in self-defence.”
Do you think it is right to justify our actions in this way? (1 + 1)
Answer:
It is true that the Maharaja justified his actions based on the given maxim. However, in the case of the Maharaja, self-defence is a fight against fate. According to his fate, the Maharaja was to die at the hands of a tiger. So, the Maharaja decides to fight it, not knowing that he cannot escape it however hard he may try. In his attempt, to defy his fate he kills many innocent tigers which is not justifiable.
(ii) How did Zitkala-Sa try to prevent the shingling of her hair? {Memories from Childhood) (2)
Answer:
When Judewin informed Zitkala-Sa that their hair would be cut short, the latter decided to struggle first. When no one was noticing, she crept up the stairs and found a large dark room to hide in. She hid under the bed farthest from the door.
(iii) Sadao and Hana have a moral compass which wages them to save the prisoner’s life. Do we all need this moral compass? Why? (1 + 1)
Answer:
Yes, like Sadao and Hana in The Enemy’, we all need a most compass. The moral compass would help us in judging what is right and wrong and would direct us owards the ethical direction. This is all the more important in the modern world wherein humans have become selfish and self-centered. With moral compass, we would retain all those ethics and values that made us good.
Question 12.
Answer ANY TWO of the following two questions, in about 120 – 150 words. (1 × 5 = 5)
A. Humour enlivens the drudgery of life. Variety is the spice of life and the varied account of events and personalities in the Gemini Studios serves to make the reading interesting and also add to the humour quotient in one’s life. Taking the cue from the lesson Poets and Pancakes, discuss how calmness of the mind can be achieved through light-hearted banter / humour. (5)
OR
B. Read the given quote.
Every poem breaks a silence that had to be overcome. —Adrienne Rich In your opinion, what silence does the poem Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers break?
Answer:
A. ‘Laughter is the best medicine’ is a well-known saying. Thus, humour in a conversation endears a person to others so that the person is able to strike up a conversation. Laughing at oneself also helps in controlling stress and relieving tension. It promotes friendship and makes us less impulsive, thus, achieving calmness of the mind.
This is illustrated in the lesson ‘Poets and Pancakes’ at various places by the narrator. For instance, applying make-up on the actors is described as “Slapping make-up to make the actors look ugly so that they look presentable on screen”, which is satire at its best, as the word ‘ugly’ is used in a humorous manner to mean ‘good’.
Characters of the office boy, Subbu and the legal adviser have many subtle touches of humour. The baffled reaction of the staff of Gemini Studios to Stephen Spender’s visit and his incomprehensible speech arouses humour. Similar light-hearted banter is used throughout the text to give calmness of the mind to the reader.
OR
B. The poem Aunt Jennifer’s tigers break the silence of women suppression and oppression in the male dominated society. It talks about how women, her talents and her ideas are silenced by the patriarchal institutions of the society.
Throughout the poem, the central character of Aunt Jennifer is silent. She is embroidering what she aspires to become simply because she cannot explicitly speak about them out loud. She cannot speak about the discrimination faced by her by the hands of her husband and her family. She has to accept all the burdens and responsibilit;es as a subdued, suppressed married women, She is so suppressed into silence, tiat she cannot even work in peace. She cannot complain or cry about her state, we only see her communicating through her art. Her artistic creation functions to break her silence. It loudly speaks what she wants.
Question 13.
Answer ANY TWO of the following two questions, in about 120 – 150 words. (1 × 5 = 5)
A. Discuss the relevance of the title On the Face of It.
OR
B. The Tiger King is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story?
Answer:
A. The title of the play ‘On the Face of It’, seems somewhat odd and awkward at first. However, it is
related to the central thematic concern that sometimes people may be quite different from what they appear to be at first.
Mr. Lamb appears to be a secretive, mysterious, lonely, lame old man who lives all alone. But in the story, he appears to be a gentle, kind, generous and considerate person who helps Derry in overcoming his fears, obstacles, complexes and inhibitions.
In a similar way, Derry seems to be a complex ridden boy who hates people because of his own ugly face. He is withdrawn and defiant. However, as the story move on, one finds out the Derry is not completely pessimistic and his pessimism results from the way the world has treated him.
Both Mr. Lamb and Derry undergo a transformation Mr. Lamb gets a companion in Derry and Derry find a mentor and guide in Mr. Lamb. On the face, it may seem that their age might hinder their companionship. However, their circumstances bring them closer.
OR
B. Dramatic irony is a literary device whereby the words and actions of the characters of a work of literature have an opposite meaning for the reader than they do for the characters. The author effectively uses the tool of dramatic irony in the story. For instance, after killing the first tiger, the Tiger King displays it ostentatiously in front of the astrologer. But the astrologer warns him to be ‘very careful with the hundredth tiger’.
Having shot at the hundredth tiger, the king believes that it is dead. But the tiger has only fainted . from the shock of the bullet flying past it. The irony comes into play when the king buys a wooden toy tiger for his son and gets injured from the slivers of wood. He dies due to an infection from the wooden sliver, as he has been doomed to death.