Sample Question Paper for Class 12th English (Annual Examination)

Sample Question Paper for Class 12th  

English (Annual Examination)

 Board Examination (2020-21)

Class- XII

Subject: English

Time allowed: 3 Hrs.                                                                                      Maximum Marks: 80

General Instructions:

1. This paper is divided into three parts: A/B/C. All questions are compulsory.

2. Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read these instructions very carefully and follow them.

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

                                            Part A: Reading Skills                      (20 Marks)

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

1. The present generation is well updated in the use of internet and computers. The rapid development in computer technology and increase in accessibility of the internet for academic purposes has changed the face of education for everyone associated with it. Let’s look at the data arising out of a recent survey that was done to ascertain the time spent on utilisation of the computer and internet: 

 

2. At present, many schools and universities have been implementing internet-based learning, as it supplements the conventional teaching methods. The internet provides a wide variety of references and information to academics as well as scientific researchers. Students often turn to it to do their academic assignments and projects 

3. However, research on the Net is very different from traditional library research, and the 

Differences can cause problems. The Net is a tremendous resource, but it must be used carefully and critically. 

4. According to a 2018 Academic Student e-book Experience Survey, conducted by LJ’s research department and sponsored by EBSCO, when reading for pleasure, almost 74% of respondents said they preferred print books for leisure whereas, 45 % of respondents chose e-books rather than the printed versions, for research or assignments. 

5. When asked what e-book features make them a favourite for research, the respondents were clear. Having page numbers to use in citations, topped the list (75%); followed by the ability to resize text to fit a device’s screen (67%); the ability to bookmark pages, highlight text, or take notes for later reference (60%); downloading the entire e-book (57%); and allowing content to be transferred between devices (43%) were the varied responses. 

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the eleven that follow. (1x10 = 10)

i. According to the passage, one of the reasons for the recent transformation of education is the:

a. techno-efficiency of the present generation.

b. expanse of courses on technology.

c. simplification of the teaching and learning- method.

d. easy availability of the internet.

ii. Pick the option that lists statements that are NOT TRUE according to the passage.

1. Internet-based education can only complement familiar methods of education.

2. Net-based learning will replace face-to-face education.

3. The resources that the net provides are a danger to the education system.

4. The current times has seen a rise in the convenience of using the internet for academic purposes.

a. 1 & 2              b. 3 & 4                  c. 2 & 3                 d. 1 & 4

iii. The word ‘tremendous’, as used in paragraph 3, means the same as

a. ‘expensive’      b. ‘renowned’    c. ‘innovative’      d. ‘incredible’

iv. Based on the graphical chart in the passage, choose the option that correctly states the depiction of internet usage for work and for leisure, for once a month.

a. Option (1)    b. Option (2)    c. Option (3)    d. Option (4)

v. “… but it must be used carefully and critically.” The idea of being careful and critical while using the internet, is mainly a reference to

a. hardware malfunction.  b. plagiarism.   c. troubleshooting.   d. virus threats.

vi. Based on the given graphical representation of data in the passage, choose the option that lists the statements that are TRUE with respect to the usage of email.

1. The everyday usage of email is more than the everyday usage of computer for personal use.

2. About 18% people use email once a week.

3. There are a smaller number of email users using it 2-3 times a week than the ones using it once a month.

4. Less than 5% of people never use the email.

a. 1 and 3        b. 2 and 4          c. 1 and 2         d. 3 and 4                                                 

vii. Based on the given graphical chart, pick the option that lists the area of zero response from respondents.

a. Never using the internet for work and leisure

b. Daily use of the computer for academic activities

c. Writing and receiving emails once a week

d. Using the internet for personal tasks once a month

viii. In the cartoon, the student’s reaction reveals that he is ______________.

a) indignant    b) apologetic    c) obedient    d) inquisitive

ix. Which of the following statements is NOT substantiated by information in paragraph 4?

a. About three-quarters of the respondents preferred print books for recreational reading.

b. A little less than a 50% of the respondents voted for e-books for research or assignments.

c. More than 50% respondents stated enjoying both versions of books for leisure reading.

d. The survey was intended for understanding the e-book experience among students.

x. According to the 2018 survey, which is the option that correctly displays the features of –?

(A) Page numbers for use in citation and 

(B) Content transfer between devices respectively

 

a. Option (1)    b. Option (2)    c. Option (3)    d. Option (4)  

xi. Arrange the given e-book features preferred for research from the least favourite to the most favourite, from the following –

1. Downloading the entire e-book        2. choosing page numbers in citations

3. Highlighting text                              4. resizing text to fit screen

a. 1, 3, 4, 2              b. 3, 2, 1, 4                c. 2, 4, 3, 1                d. 4, 1, 2, 3

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

1. “Who doesn't know how to cook rice? Cooking rice hardly takes time.” said my father. So, I challenged myself. I switched from news to YouTube and typed, “How to cook rice?” I took one and a half cups of rice. Since I didn't have access to a rice cooker, I put the rice in a big pot. Firstly, the rice has to be washed to get rid of dust and starch. I thought I won't be able to drain the rice and that it will fall out of the pot. I observed the chef as I swirled the rice around and used my dexterous hands to drain it, not once, not twice, but three times. I looked down at the sink and saw less than 50 grains that made their way out of the pot. Suffice to say, I was up to the mark.

2. The video stated that the key to perfect rice is equal amounts of rice and water. I have heard that professionals don't need to measure everything; they just know what the right amount is. But as this was my first time in the kitchen, I decided to experiment by not measuring the water needed for boiling the rice. I wanted the rice to be firm when bitten, just like pasta. I don’t enjoy the texture of mushy rice. It has to have that chutzpah; it has to resist my biting power just for a bit before disintegrating.

3. After what seemed like 10 minutes, all the water disappeared. I went in to give it a good stir. To my surprise, some of the rice got stuck to the pot. I tried to scrape it off but to no avail. At the same time, there was a burning smell coming from it. I quickly turned the stove off. “What have you done to the kitchen?” shouted Mother, while coming towards the kitchen. I managed to ward her off.

4. Finally, when the time came to taste my creation, I was surprised! It wasn’t bad at all. The rice had the desired consistency. Sure, a little more salt would've been better, but I just added that while eating. The experience was fairly rewarding and memorable. It taught me a new sense of respect for those who cook food on a regular basis at home or engage in gourmet creations professionally.

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the eleven given below. (1x10 = 10)

i. Father’s question to the narrator, about knowing how to cook rice, was intended to

a. criticize the narrator’s lack of abilities

  b. make the process sound simple.

c. encourage the narrator to take up cooking.

d. showcase his own expertise in cooking rice.

ii. “I switched from news to YouTube …” Pick the option in which the meaning of ‘switch(ed)’ is NOT the same as it is in the passage.

a. He switched on the radio to listen to the news while having dinner.

b. “Forget these diet supplements and switch to yoga, if you want a true sense 

      Of well-being.”

c. Mom switched to reading fiction recently because she was bored with cook-    

    Books.

d. The company will switch the trucks to other routes to bring down city 

     Pollution.

iii. Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the option that lists the correct  sequence of the process

1. Use water to wash the rice.

2. Repeat the process three times.

3. Drain the water off.

4. Put rice in a utensil.

5. Swirl the water in and around the rice.

 a. 4,2,1,3,5              b. 1,3,2,5,4                 c. 4,1,5,3,2                d. 5,1,2,4,3

 

iv. The narrator says that he has dexterous hands. He would have had a problem had it been the opposite. NOT BEING dexterous means, being 

a. uncomfortable.                b. clumsy                c. unclear.                       d. clueless. 

v. Which option represents the correct ratio of water to rice for cooking ‘perfect rice’?

 

a. Image 1                 b. Image 2               c. Image 3                  d. Image 4

vi. How did mother react to the burning smell?

a. She commented on it                              b. She brushed it aside          

c. She enquired about it                            d. She handled it 

vii. According to the passage, the fact that the narrator risked experimentation, on his  maiden attempt in the kitchen, shows that he was

a. conscientious            b. Nervous               

c. Presumptuous          d. courteous

viii. Pick the option showing the CORRECT use of the word ‘chutzpah’.

a. It is the court’s duty to dispense chutzpah to everyone irrespective of caste or creed.

b. The speaker may not have much of a stage presence, but you've got to admit she's got chutzpah.

c. I could crack the code easily which proved me to be a chutzpah and I was the only one who could do so.

d. After his father’s demise, the daughter took over the family’s chutzpah to save it from disaster.

ix. Pick the option that correctly states what DID NOT happen after the writer checked on the rice.

      a. Turning the stove off.                   

b. Being taken aback at the condition of rice.     

      c. Forgetting to scrape the stuck rice.  

d. Smelling the delicious aroma of cooked rice.

x. The narrator’s creation was -

a. almost perfect to taste.                           b. way off from what he wanted.

c. overly seasoned.                                    d. quite distasteful.

xi. Pick the option that correctly lists the final feelings of the writer with reference to the cooking experience.

1. frustrating  2. Amusing  3. Satisfying  4. Disillusioning  5. Exacting  6. enlightening

a. 1 and 4                                                 b. 2 and 5

c. 3 and 6                                                 d. 1 and 3

PART B: WRITING (30 marks)

3. Answer the following. 

 

(A) You are Sameera/Sameer the owner of Pink Power, a café run only by women. You are looking for an interior designer to design the interiors of the café. Draft a suitable advertisement for the same, in about 50 words to be published in the classified columns of the National Daily, the local newspaper. (6)

(B) You are Rani/Raghav. Many organisations have come forward with idea of ‘Education For All’ in spite of the best efforts it is still a dream. Write an article in about 200 words for publication in a local daily giving suggestions to make it a reality as education is the only way to progress.                                                                                                    (10)

Or

While reading about new places and searching for them online has its merits, the advantages of actually travelling to various destinations far exceed them. Write an article in 200 words for the magazine Travel Times, evaluating both these options. You may use the cues given below along with your own ideas. You are Amrit/ Amrita.

• Builds confidence 

• Make friends and memories 

• Experience new cultures 

• Expands knowledge 

(C) You are Rachael/Rueben, President of the Wellness Cell of your school. You decide to organise a workshop, to raise awareness of the importance of mental health. This workshop would be conducted by the school counsellor. Write a notice in about 50 words, informing the students of class XI-XII about the workshop. (6)

(D) Ranikhet district, Uttarakhand, on the occasion of Basant Panchami celebrations had organized a three-day cultural festival. You are Bhupinder/ Priyanka Bhisht. Your newspaper had deputed you to cover the inaugural event of this festival. As a newspaper reporter, use the given cues along with your own ideas to write a report about the same in 130-150 words.

                                                                                                                (8) 

• Big crowds -main grounds of the marketplace 

• Colourful decorations 

• Inauguration-local panchayat member to inaugurate. 

• Folk dance and songs 

• Speeches 

Part C:   LITERATURE (30 marks)

4. Read the extracts given below and attempt the questions that follow.               

(5x1=5)

On sour cream walls, donations. Shakespeare’s head, Cloudless at dawn, civilized dome riding all cities. Belled, flowery, Tyrolese valley. Open-handed map. Awarding the world its world.

i. What is the condition of the classroom wall?

ii. What are the two things that show a civilized race?

iii. What is the speciality of the Tyrolese valley?

iv. Explain: ‘Awarding the world its world.’

v. Identify the figure of speech used in the sentence “Garbage to them is gold”.

a. hyperbole    b. Simile    c. Synecdoche     d. Personification

5.  Attempt the following multiple choice questions given below. (5x1=5) 

i. In the poem, My Mother at Sixty-six, all that the poet did was smile and smile and smile…, Her smile is -

a. sudden, in response to her mother’s.            b. meaningful and loaded with love. 

c. accompanied with tears of farewell.              d. put on to cheer her mother. 

ii. Spender’s use of imagery in “His eyes live in a dream, of squirrel game, in tree room, other than this”, brings out-

a. the similarity between the frail bodies of a squirrel and the children in the

classroom.               

 b. the contrast between studying in the dreary classroom and playing outside freely.             

 c. the comparison of the dingy home of the squirrel and the dreary classroom. 

 d. the difference between the games of the squirrel and those of the children. 

iii. Rajkumar Shukla’s efforts resulted in Gandhiji’s fight for the farmer’s cause. This showcases that he was 

a. meticulous and kind.                                                     b. sincere and curious. 

c. enterprising and persistent.                                       d. respectful and congenial. 

iv. It is clear that the speaker in Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers has an attitude of ……………… towards her. 

a. empathy      b. wonder      c. sympathy      d. gratitude 

v. ‘Keeping Quiet’ uses fishermen to symbolize man’s 

a. persistent pollution of the natural environment.       

b. rapid degradation of human values. 

c. limitless exploitation of natural resources.               

d. constant participation in acts of terror

6.  Attempt ANY SEVEN out of the six questions given below, in 30-40 words each.  

(7X2=14)                                                                                            

i. What does Neruda mean by ‘an exotic moment without rush’ in his poem, ‘Keeping Quiet’? 

ii. Explain the metaphor of the rattrap in context of the story by Selma Lagerlöf. 

iii. Kamala Das speaks of ‘an old familiar ache…’ What do you think is the reason for this feeling? 

iv. Comment on the significance of the villagers sitting at the back in M. Hamel’s classroom. 

v. ‘Little has moved with time, it seems, in Firozabad.’ State any one reason why the writer says this. 

vi. How does the poet use the image of ‘fingers fluttering through the wool’ to highlight Aunt Jennifer’s victimisation? 

vii. It was important that the recaptured Evans keep up the façade till the very last moment of his interaction with the Governor. Support this statement with a rationale. 

viii. Sadao’s acceptance of the General’s plan to assassinate Tom was counterproductive to having put him on the path of recovery. Substantiate with reason/s. 

7.  Attempt ANY ONE of the following questions in 120-150 words           (6x1=6) 

(A) The story Deep Water talks about Douglas’ attempts to overcome his fear of water. 

The story can also be viewed as a figurative manifestation of life’s many challenges. 

Elaborate with reference to the text. 

                                                             Or                    

(B) The story of ‘Rattrap’ also focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others. Explain

                                                            Or

(C) Mr. Lamb calls Derek his friend while Derek while Derek does not accept so in the beginning. Would you consider their relationship with each other as friendship? Support your answer with reference to the instance(s) from the t