ENGLISH LANGUAGE – I
Class Std. XII
Core Course
Time: 3 hours Maximum Marks: 100
Instructions:
i). The question paper is divided into four sections – A, B, C and D. All the sections are compulsory.
ii) Write each section on a fresh page.
iii) Write the numbers of the questions and sub-questions clearly.
iv) Marks are indicated to the right.
v) Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.
SECTION – A
(Reading Skills)
1. Read the following passage carefully:
As religious people believing in God, we are all aware of the influence of prayer in our individual lives. It is true our temples, gurudwaras, churches and mosques reverberate with the prayers of the devout on festive occasions and even in the course of daily life. When individuals face dire situations, often they are led into prayer; their faith thus opens for them a source of comfort and encouragement in their hour of need.
But how does this nation, as a collective entity, exercise its faith in prayer? It may be recalled that during the freedom struggle and subsequently after Independence, the Father of the Nation, used to lead the people in prayer on matters affecting its destiny. The men of different faiths used to take part in such meetings, which gave them a sense of purpose and also a sense of solidarity as people sharing one destiny.
Since the Mahatma fell to the bullets of an assassin, no one else probably came forward to provide leadership to an exercise of prayer at the national level. No doubt, people of all faiths had organised prayers at their places of worship in the aftermath of national tragedies like the Gujarat earthquake or the Orissa cyclone. The high jacking of an Indian plane with its passengers to Kandahar in the recent past had moved this nation to pray. The whole nation, again, had taken to prayer en masse on two other earlier occasions – when Amitabh Bachchan fell seriously ill and also when Mother Teresa was on bed.
Contd..2/-
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“Man’s need for prayer is as great as his need for bread. As food is necessary for the body, prayer is necessary for the soul. I have not a shadow of doubt that the strife and quarrels with which our atmosphere is so full today are due to the absence of the spirit of true prayer. True prayer never goes unanswered,” wrote Gandhiji. Accordingly to Vasudevan, secretary of the Rajghat Samadhi Samiti, all religion prayer meetings are held every Friday at Rajghat from 4 pm to 5.15 pm.
It is said that the act of prayer changes people and situations. There is a general impression that prayer is an act of seeking favours from God for selfish ends. It is as if all praying people are only interested in taking their shopping lists to their maker! Far from it. The very act of praying teaches one to empathise with those who suffer. It broadens one’s vision and outlook. It builds up one’s character by imparting a sense of responsibility towards other people and situations.
The latest example of a praying nation comes from the United States, which is often labelled as too materialistic. Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast at Washington in the second week of February, President George Bush praised Americans of all faiths for turning to prayer in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. He said he had spent much time “on bended knee” since terrorists attacked the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, killing more than 3000 people.
Regardless of the religious affiliations, people in the affected area showed an exemplary sense of togetherness in the hour of tragedy. All differences of religion, ethnicity, race and language were forgotten as volunteers got busy assuaging the pain and sorrow felt by the victims. The American example has several lessons for India which is also a pluralistic society. It has demonstrated that differences of religion and ethnicity need not stand in the way of the nation unitedly facing all its challenges. If it is true that all religious faiths teach tolerance, humility and the value of helping neighbours, then the religious leaders of this nation could also engender unity and oneness of purpose by coming together periodically to pray for the nation. And when they focus on the fact that all people, regardless of their differences, share one common destiny, there could be greater communal harmony. Such a consciousness ought to pave the way for peace in society.
(M.P.K. Kutty)
Contd..3/–
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1.(A) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the following questions
briefly: (6 marks)
a. How does praying help a person faced with a dire situation? (1 mark)
b. What is the importance of the nation praying as a collective entity? (1 mark)
c. Give two examples from the recent times when the nation was led to pray for
a cause. (1 mark)
d. What lesson does the American example demonstrate to India? (1 mark)
e. Collective prayer encourages a sense of unity. Suggest some other ways by
means of which people can be brought closer. (any four) (2 marks)
1.(B)i. Give the meanings of the following words in the context of the passage. (2 marks)
a. empathise.
b. assuaging.
1. (B)ii. Find words in the above passage which mean the following: (2 marks)
a. to be more concerned with comfort, pleasure and wealth.
b. serving as a model or example; worth imitating.
2. Read the following article carefully:
So often these days we hear and speak of the ‘conquest of Nature’, ‘the taming of a river’, ‘the war against insects’ and so on. Often these phrases are used without consciously attaching any values to them, but they have underlying them an attitude of hostility towards Nature and Nature’s creatures, a view point which seems to assume Nature as an enemy that needs to be vanquished.
This growing lack of sensitivity and respect for our fellow creatures can only be countered by environmental education. Yet sadly, in most cases this is not done. What is done, is talk about the food web and the energy cycles and ecological balance and how removal of any element disturbs the whole system, and how this can affect human beings too? Moreover this approach fails to emphasize on the interaction between Nature and Man and instead encourages environmental activities that are exploitative in nature. A classic example of this is making of a herbarium or even worse, an insect collection. A child is often encouraged to pluck leaves and flowers and run after butterflies with a net. Such a child is not likely to develop any strong feeling of respect for Nature, or for the individual ‘specimens’ pressed in the plant file or trapped in a jar.
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For environmental education to be really effective the thrust should be embodied in the vital question: ‘Am I doing something which disrespects or violates some other creature’s right to live freely? If I am, what can I do to minimize the damage I am causing’? Thus, in other words the Indian tradition of ahimsa comes out as infinitely more relevant, than much of what we learn in modern education.
2. (A) On the basis of your reading of the above article, give it a suitable title and write the para-wise topics and the sub-topics using the format given below. Use only meaningful phrases. (8 marks)
Title: ______
I : ______
A : ______
II : ______
A : ______
B : ______
III : ______
A : ______
2. (B) Write a summary of the above passage in about 90 words using the topic
sentences of the paragraphs. (4 marks)
SECTION – B
(Writing Skills)
3. Attempt any one of the following: (5 marks)
Your school is organising an educational tour to Mysore during the summer vacation for students of Class XI and XII. Write a notice for the school notice board giving all the necessary information about the tour to the students and inviting their names for joining it. You are Namrata / Naveen, Secretary of the Student’s Council of St. Columbia’s Higher Secondary School, Panjim, Goa. (about 50 words)
Contd.5/-
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OR
You have lost your bag while travelling by bus from Margao to Panjim. The bag contains some valuable documents including your Std X and XII mark sheets and certificates. Write a suitable advertisement to be published in the classified columns of a local newspaper. You are Rashi / Rohit, R-5, Government Quarters, Comba, Margao, Goa. (about 50 words)
4. Attempt any one of the following: (7 marks)
Recently the N.S.S. Unit of your school conducted a ten day camp for the students. Write a report of the activities undertaken at this camp for your school magazine. You are Shalini / Suresh, an N.S.S. Volunteer of St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School, Ponda, Goa. (about 80-100 words)
OR
You are Nandita / Neeraj working as a special reporter for a local newspaper. Recently you attended a Career Fair organized by ‘Disha’, a Non-Governmental organization. Write a report of the fair for publication in the newspaper. (about 80-100 words)
5. Attempt any one of the following: (8 marks)
Write a letter to the Editor of a local newspaper expressing your concern about the increase in the number of road accidents, rash driving and over- crowded buses. Suggest measures that can be taken to handle these problems. You are Rekha / Ramesh. Your address is – B-102, Vikas Colony, Dona Paula, Panjim, Goa. (Use the full block format.)
OR
Your city has almost no facilities for sports and games. Write a letter to the Director of Sports of your State, complaining about the lack of facilities and suggest what could be done to encourage young people interested in sports. You are Sunita / Sunil. Your address is – A-3, Paradise Apartments, Vaddem, Vasco, Goa. (Use the full block format.)
Contd..6/-
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6. Write an essay of about 200 – 250 words on any one of the following:
(10 marks)
a. Describe a place of natural beauty to which you intend to take your friend as you wish to provide him / her with an interesting and memorable experience.
b. ‘Nuclear weapons should be banned’. Express your views either for or against this statement.
c. Life is made up of many experiences. Narrate an experience that changed you as a person completely.
d. If I were the Education Minister, what changes would I like to bring about in the present day education system.
e. The importance of good health.
SECTION – C
(Grammar)
7.(A) Rewrite each of the following sentences according to the instructions given in the brackets: (6 marks)
a. You have to speak very slowly or he won’t be able to understand you. (Rewrite using ‘unless’).
b. They ______do their lessons everyday. (Insert a suitable modal auxiliary.)
c. That church is the oldest building in the town. (change to the Comparative degree.)
d. She hoped to win the first prize. (change to a Complex sentence.)
e. I was fascinated by her charming appearance. (change the Voice.)
f. She said to me, “Please give me your book”. (change to Indirect speech.)
Contd..7/-
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7.(B). Fill in the blanks with appropriate forms of the verbs given in the brackets:
(2 marks)
a. I ______English for the last two years, and now I ______French, too. (learn, learn).
b. The woman ______when the robbers ______into her house. (sleep, break).
SECTION – D
(TEXTUAL)
8.(A) Read the following stanzas carefully and answer the questions that follow in
about 10-15 words each. (4 marks)
i) I looked again at her, wan, pale
as a late winter’s moon and felt that old
familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,
but all I said was, see you soon, Amma,
All I did was smile and smile and smile …………
a) What do the parting words and the smile of the poet signify?
b) Name and explain the figure of speech in the first two lines of the given
stanza.
ii) 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,
Just one to inquire what a farmer’s prices are.
a) What does the poet mean by ‘so much childish longing in vain’?
b) Name and explain the figure of speech in the phrase ‘the thousand selfish
cars’.
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8.(B) Answer the following questions in about 25-30 words each: (6 marks)
a) Why do you think Aunt Jennifer is finding the ivory needle so hard to
pull?
b) According to Keats, what is the effect of beautiful things on human beings?
c) What kind of a life does Spender want for the children of the slums?
9.(A) Answer the following questions in about 25 to 30 words each: (10 marks)
a) Subbu is described as a many – sided genius. What were his special
abilities?
b) What did Gandhi do to remove the cultural and social backwardness in
the Champaran villages?
c) How did Umberto Eco find the time to write so much?
d) Why was Franz tempted to miss school that day?
e) What made the peddlar sign himself as “Captain von Stahle”?.
9.(B) Answer any one of the following questions in about 50-60 words: (5 marks)
a) What important lessons can we draw from Douglas’ account of his
conquest over the fear of water in the lesson ‘ Deep Water’?
b) Compare and contrast the characters of Sophie and Jansie with
reference to the story, ‘ Going Places’.
c) Bring out the significance of the title ‘Lost Spring’.