2020-21/E/A

PRE-BOARD EXAMINATION 2020-21

ENGLISH CORE (301)
CLASS-XII
Time allowed: 3 Hrs MaximumMarks: 80

General Instructions:
1. This paper is divided into two parts: A and B. 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: 40 Marks
READING (20 marks)

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

1. Sitting in the front seats of the buses in my route was always a problem. We were
always obliged to give our seats for old and the weak. And the ‘weak’ sure included
pregnant women. For some reason, on my route there would be a lot of pregnant
women, always. It was almost like they were everywhere. A hundred times I had
given my seat to pregnant women, and seemed like it would never end. Every other
day that happened. ‘This madness has to end’ I thought.

2. Anyway I couldn’t go into the houses of those pregnant women and shoot the men
who often made them pregnant. That left me to act in the bus selfishly. That one
technique I brought up soon became a hit in my own brains. Any signs of a woman
with a bit larger belly walked into the bus, I just pretended to be asleep. All was done.
So that continued for a lot of days.

3. One particular day, I was sitting (not asleep since nobody wanting a seat was around)
and an acquaintance, Lipin, boarded the bus. Lipin was physically challenged at his
legs. He was only as good as a person with one leg. He sat to my side. I was sitting on
the window side. We exchanged greetings and he happily talked about the world
where both of us lived. In front of his enthusiasm, I felt like I had got nothing waist
down and he was someone with so many legs.

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4. It was at that time out of nowhere a pregnant lady appeared. The bus didn’t even stop
anywhere, I felt like she just materialised from the air. I went into my fake sleep in no
time. Lipin kept talking for a while. Suddenly I heard him offering his seat to that
lady. There were sympathetic arguments over who is weaker between a pregnant
woman and a one legged person. I wondered why any of the other people were not
offering a seat to them; maybe they would be sleeping too. At last Lipin established
that a pregnant woman deserved the seat since she was carrying two souls.

5. In my fake sleep, I could see everything happening in the bus. Lipin was standing
there on his one good leg and his selfless smile. I sat there beside the woman like a
man totally blind at eyes and heart.

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

i. ‘A hundred times I had given my seat to pregnant women’. Here ‘a hundred times’
is likely to be
a. Literal
b. Exaggeration
c. Lying
d. Guessing

ii. In which of the following sentences the word ‘materialised’ has a different meaning
from the way it is used in the above passage?

a. In order to materialise your dreams, you have to work hard.

b. He believes in ghosts that suddenly materialise in front of him.
c. Rabbits appear on the stage as if they materialise from nowhere.
d. His friends materialise suddenly when something nice is cooked at his home.

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

1. Lipin boarded the bus

2. Out of nowhere a pregnant lady appeared
3. We exchanged greetings
4. I was sitting
5. He sat to my side

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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. ‘This madness has to end’, here the meaning of the word ‘madness’ is

a. Psychological disorder
b. Out of mind
c. Crazy
d. Unlikely event

v. Why was the narrator not “sleeping” that particular day?

a. Didn’t feel sleepy that day

b. Bus was travelling fast
c. There was nobody needing a seat in the bus
d. None of the above.

vi. What was the regular response of the narrator if a pregnant lady happened to board
the bus?

a. He will give seat to that lady immediately

b. He will pretend to be asleep
c. He will ask his fellow passenger to give seat to her
d. He will give her Lipin’s seat.

vii. From the passage, you understand that the narrator is not ____________ kind of
person.

a. An altruistic
b. A selfish
c. a truthful
d. An honest

viii. ‘In front of his enthusiasm, I felt like I had got nothing waist down’. Here the
term ‘in front of’ is used

a. To show a position
b. For comparison
c. To show a direction
d. For imagining something

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 ix. Pick the option that correctly states what DID NOT happen in the bus.

a. Narrator pretended to be asleep

b. Lipin offered seat to the lady
c. Narrator gave seat to the lady
d. Nobody else in the bus gave seat to the lady

x. How did Lipin establish that a pregnant woman deserve the seat

a. By showing his physical strength

b. By saying that she has two souls in her
c. By mentioning that he has experience standing in bus
d. By saying that she is pregnant and is weak

xi. Pick the option that correctly lists the final feelings of the narrator about himself.

1. Satisfied
2. Pity
3. Happy
4. Proud
5. Excited
6. Angry

a. 1 and 4
b. 2 and 5
c. 2 and 6
d. 1 and 3

2. A Read the passage given below.

1. Food on the table is a very warm sight, but only few take preparation of the same as
an art. That’s why the last room in the darkest corner of the house has always been
reserved for the kitchen. Most of the time, compared to other rooms, kitchens would
be smaller in size and least furnished. Kitchens used to be women’s space, especially
in traditional households where the joint family system was the order of the family
structure, the women in the houses are supposed to cook and bring the food to the
dining area where men and guests usually eat. In some of the cases, women are
implicitly expected to have their food in the kitchen itself.

2. At least 86% of the newly built houses even in urban areas have smaller kitchens than
master bedrooms. The percentage of people preferring a well ventilated kitchen over a

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 well ventilated bedroom is less than 25%. In rural areas at least 50% of the old
generation houses and not less than 30% of the newly built houses have no kitchens
inside the walled areas or the preliminary construction. Statistics also show that not
even 10% of the people invest in furnishing their kitchens the way they do with their
drawing rooms.

3. As changes happened in all walks of life and gender roles changed elsewhere, in the
kitchen as well men’s participation increased. In the present world, our greatest chefs
are men; this has a whole socio-cultural explication but quite interesting is how
architecture and our sense of space management got meddled in, especially in
households.

Image 1

4. In earlier days, when the joint family system used to be the order, there used to be a
lot of people in the house that at the same time when somebody is cooking, there will
be enough people to engage the guests as well. And not accidently, the people in the
front used to be men and people in the kitchens used to be women.

Image 2

5. Now in the modern nuclear family days, there aren’t enough people to allocate to
kitchen works and guest entertaining duties separately in individual houses, so the

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only option is for the same people to do both. For this, either one has to take the guest
to the kitchen or bring the kitchen to the guest. The second option gets its material
form when in modern day architecture, the kitchen is integrated to dining space. The
traditional gender roles also got transgressed at some point. When in earlier days
cooking remained a women’s job and entertaining the guest was the men’s job, these
days participation is equal from the side of men and women for these activities.

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

i. What is the most appropriate premise on which the above passage could be
constructed?

a. Kitchens are always a priority when it comes to house construction.

b. Women are demanding for more equality in housekeeping, the way they do this is
by restructuring the kitchen.
c. There is a connection between architecture, food culture and gender.
d. Even if the kitchen is placed in the middle of the house, traditional gender roles are
never going to change.

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

1. More people prefer larger kitchens than bedrooms in their houses.

2. A lot of people take preparation of food as an art.
3. Over the course of time, men’s participation in the kitchen has increased.
4. Kitchen is integrated into the dining space in modern day architecture.

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

iii. Which word has the same meaning as ‘intervene’, in paragraph 3?

a. Change
b. Participate
c. Explicate
d. Meddle

iv. Based on the cartoon (Image 1) with the quote “Oh! I can tell from that look, you
are never going to let this go”, which of the following statements is correct?

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a. The cartoon is trying to establish that women are unforgiving.
b. The cartoon is trying to establish that men are generally bad at cooking.
c. The cartoon is trying to establish that cooking is dangerous and it must be done
carefully.
d. The cartoon is trying to establish that we shouldn’t trust untrained people with
cooking whether it’s a man or a woman.

v. “... in modern day architecture, the kitchen is integrated to dining space.” What is
the root reason for this?

a. In individual nuclear families there aren’t enough members to separately manage

guests and kitchen works.
b. The traditional gender roles also got transgressed at some point, so women started
revolting for kitchen centered architecture.
c. Participation in household works became naturally equal as time passed.
d. It happened as a result of architectural innovations which happened in the modern
era.

vi. Image 2 shows the search result of “richest celebrity chefs in the world”. Which
paragraph makes a statement that corresponds to this search result?

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

vii. Based on the data given in para 2, which combination given below is right?

1. Only 14 % of the newly built houses in urban areas have bigger kitchens than
master bedrooms.
2. More than 30% of the newly built houses in rural and urban areas have no kitchens
inside the walled areas
3. 90% of the people invest in furnishing their kitchens the way they do with their
drawing rooms.
4. The percentage of people preferring a well ventilated kitchen over a well ventilated
bedroom is less than 25%

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

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viii. “In the present world, our greatest chefs are men.” What assumption is NOT
FALSE based on this statement?

a) When it comes to professionalism, men are superior to women, even in doing

women's jobs.
b) This has nothing to do with gender. It must have happened due to preferences of
individuals and other favourable situations.
c) When it comes to doing things at larger levels, women fail to excel.
d) This is clearly because the world favours men over women, even though any
woman can cook food better than any man.

ix. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE based on the passage?

a. There is a change in perspective as time progresses regarding the position of the

kitchen in a household.
b. In the modern times there is no place for assuming that cooking at professional
level is a game for women.
c. Changes in family structure from joint family system to nuclear family didn’t much
influence the kitchen architectural innovations.
d. Even today in rural areas, kitchens are not given that importance while constructing
a new house.

x. Which of the pie charts given below is correct in reference to the presence of
kitchens inside walled areas for newly constructed houses in rural areas?

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

xi. According to the passage, arrange the given statements in descending order of
importance when they are taken as reasons for changing the modern day
architecture of households.

1. Men and women started participating in kitchen work equally.

2. Transition of family structure from joint family system to nuclear family.
3. Transgression of the traditional gender roles in society.
4. Easy to entertain guests with even minimum members in the household.

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

FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED CANDIDATES IN LIEU OF Q2A

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

1. Some of the movies and fictions in which old people play a major role set high
expectations and performance standards about old people. Hard work, determination,
reliability and sacrificing mentality are the few over expressed qualities in a few
novels that have undergone scrutiny. While positive representation calls for
appreciation, it should also be taken into consideration that these good-at-old age
characters are not setting unattainable idealistic models for old people to live.

2. The Old Man and the Sea is a classic read worldwide. While the portrayal of
exceptional determination not to give up shown by the protagonist must be
appreciated, it should not go up to the level of rising expectations about old people in
real life. Not everyone can be Santiago. If the protagonist of this novel happens to
become an icon, then old age people will be expected to live that way and accept their
destiny.

3. Riders to the Sea is a minor example in the sense that neither the protagonist is too old
nor her situation is too much glorified. But even within the lesser space allocated for
her, Maurya sets a mark for the old age behaviour. She becomes an ideal older
generation representative who should accept the destiny. When all her sons are dead,

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 she simply accepts fate. She is more of an ideal than a tragic hero. Our old people are
also expected to follow her as an example. Anyone who laments at minor losses
would be considered a deviant from the perfect ‘Mauryan’ behaviour.

4. In an old regional movie, Avittom Thirunal Arogya Sreeman (1995), the protagonist
who is a grandfather is shown as an embodiment of sacrifice. It goes to the extent that
he sells his kidney to fund his grand daughter’s wedding.

i. Author’s findings are based on the scrutiny of

a. A few works of fiction.
b. Observation from an old age home.
c. Overall critical scrutiny of movies as well as fiction.
d. Analysis of data collected from internet research.

ii. Pick the option that lists statements that are NOT TRUE according to the passage.
1. ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ is a regional novel with very limited readers so far.
2. Maurya doesn’t set a mark for the old age behaviour
3. Older people who lament at minor losses are considered deviants.
4. The good-at-old age characters are setting only attainable goals for old people.

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

iii. The word ‘embodiment’, as used in paragraph 4, means the same as

a. Opposite
b. Manifestation
c. Appropriate
d. Friendly

iv. Which of the following statements is true in reference to the 3rd para about Riders
to the Sea?
a. The protagonist is too old and her situation is too much glorified
b. They are both 40% or above, but zero computer use is less common at work.
c. Maurya, the tragic hero never accepts fate.
d. As the writer makes her an ideal, others are expected to follow her as an
example.

v. In ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ what should be appreciated?

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 a. Him raising the expectations about older people in general.
b. Exceptional determination of the hero
c. Him urging people across the world to accept destiny.
d. The fact that the protagonist eventually becomes an icon.

vi. Which combination given below is true in reference to the overexpressed qualities
of older people in some representations?
1. Hard work and sacrificing mentality are two among the qualities seen in
representations of older people.
2. Reliability and appreciation are two among the qualities seen in representations of
older people.
3. Reliability and sacrificing mentality are two among the qualities seen in
representations of older people.
4. Determination and idealism are two among the qualities seen in representations of
older people.

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

vii. On what premise has the entire passage built its arguments?
a. Movies, especially regional ones, generally picture older people in a bad light.
b. International novels in which older people appear are best sellers.
c. Some of the artistic representations about older people are superfluous
d. Whenever an old person is represented in a movie, some sort of super power
is bestowed to him/her.

viii. Find out the vocabulary item with meaning similar to ‘quixotic’ from para 1.
a. Idealistic
b. Representation
c. Reliability
d. Unattainable

ix. Which of the following statements cannot be derived from para 4?

a. The writer claims that the protagonist is not glorified too much in the novel.
b. The protagonist is a working class woman with huge responsibilities.
c. Accepting fate seems to be a worthy quality in the perspective of the writer.
d. There is an unorthodox adjective in the passage.

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x. Which statement about the protagonist of the movie is NOT FALSE?
a. He is an old father who sells his kidney to get his daughter married.
b. Even after selling his eyes, he couldn’t marry off his granddaughter.
c. He is an old grandfather who sells his kidney to help his grandson.
d. He becomes an unachievable ideal for real life old people.

xi. Which combination given below is correct in reference to the works of art and
characters mentioned in the passage?
1. All the characters mentioned in the passage are young
2. Different genres of works are mentioned in the passage.
3. Writer makes an adjective using Santiago’s name.
4. The characters mentioned do not belong to the same gender.

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

LITERATURE (20 Marks)

3. Read the extracts given below and attempt ANY TWO of the three given by
answering the questions that follow. (4+4=8)

(A) Mukesh’s family is among them. None of them know that it is illegal for children
like him to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells
without air and light; that the law, if enforced, could get him and all those 20,000
children out of the hot furnaces where they slog their daylight hours, often losing
the brightness of their eyes. Mukesh’s eyes beam as he volunteers to take me
home, which he proudly says is being rebuilt. We walk down stinking lanes
choked with garbage, past homes that remain hovels with crumbling walls,
wobbly doors, no windows, crowded with families of humans and animals
coexisting in a primeval state. He stops at the door of one such house, bangs a
wobbly iron door with his foot, and pushes it open. We enter a half-built shack. In
one part of it, thatched with dead grass, is a firewood stove over which sits a large
vessel of sizzling spinach leaves. On the ground, in large aluminium platters, are
more chopped vegetables. A frail young woman is cooking the evening meal for
the whole family. Through eyes filled with smoke she smiles.

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i. What is the meaning of the word ‘choked’ in the passage?
a. Strangled
b. Filled
c. Difficulty in breathing
d. Cough

ii. The word ‘sizzling’ is used as _______________ in the passage.

a. A noun
b. A verb
c. An adjective
d. An adverb

iii. In which of the sentences below the word ‘primeval’ is not used to bring the same
meaning as in the passage?
a. The museum exhibits some of the primeval collections from the Megalithic age.
b. In the last race, he got the primeval position
c. Being hungry and tired, on seeing the food, his primeval feelings just came out.
d. Though he lives in 21st century, his appearance is more or less primeval

iv. How is the health condition of the young woman who was cooking the evening
meal?
a. Blind due to glass dust
b. In good health
c. Feverish
d. Weak and delicate.

(B) Gandhi decided to go first to Muzzafarpur, which was en route to Champaran, to

obtain more complete information about conditions than Shukla was capable of
imparting. He accordingly sent a telegram to Professor J.B. Kripalani, of the Arts
College in Muzzafarpur, whom he had seen at Tagore’s Shantiniketan school. The
train arrived at midnight, 15 April 1917. Kripalani was waiting at the station with a
large body of students. Gandhi stayed there for two days in the home of Professor
Malkani, a teacher in a government school. ‘‘It was an extraordinary thing in those
days,’’ Gandhi commented, “for a government professor to harbour a man like me”. In
smaller localities, the Indians were afraid to show sympathy for advocates of home-
rule.

i. Why did Gandhi decide to obtain more complete information?

a. The details told by Shukla seemed incomplete
b. British didn't allow him to go to Champaran
c. To write about the problems of people
d. Gandhi was fascinated to know the troubles of people

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ii. Where Gandhi had seen Professor J.B. Kripalani before according to the passage?
a. Arts College in Muzzafarpur
b. Railway station
c. Shantiniketan
d. Muzzafarpur

iii. In the passage, ‘a large body’ has the same meaning as

a. A lot of
b. A person with big muscles
c. A fat person
d. A strong person

iv. Who in the passage is an advocate of home rule?

a. Shukla
b. J.B. Kripalani
c. Professor Malkani
d. Gandhiji

(C) “He smelled so bad that none of the other little woodland creatures would play
with him.” Jo looked at him solemnly; she hadn’t foreseen this. “Whenever he
would go out to play,” Jack continued with zest, remembering certain
humiliations of his own childhood, “all of the other tiny animals would cry, “Uh-
oh, here comes Roger Stinky Skunk,” and they would run away, and Roger Skunk
would stand there all alone, and two little round tears would fall from his eyes.”
The corners of Jo’s mouth drooped down and her lower lip bent forward as he
traced with a forefinger along the side of her nose the course of one of Roger
Skunk’s tears. “Won’t he see the owl?” she asked in a high and faintly roughened
voice. Sitting on the bed beside her, Jack felt the covers tug as her legs switched
tensely

i. What is the meaning of the word ‘solemnly’ as used in the passage?

a. Silent and sleepy
b. Angry and irritated
c. Formal and dignified
d. Silent and excited

ii. Jack is mirroring the troubles of Roger Skunk from ________

a. Jo’s school life
b. His own childhood
c. Jo’s life at home
d. Imagination

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iii. “Won’t he see the owl?” From the passage given above, what does this question
show us?
a. The listener is familiar with the plot structure
b. The narrator is reading from a book
c. The listener experienced the story
d. Someone else had already told the story to the listener

iv. In the above passage, the word ‘tensely’ is used as __________

a. A noun
b. A verb
c. An adjective
d. An adverb

4. Read the extracts given below and attempt ANY ONE of the two given by
answering the questions that follow. (1 x 4 =4)

(A) 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,
His lesson, from his desk. At back of the dim class
One unnoted, sweet and young. His eyes live in a dream,
Of squirrel’s game, in tree room, other than this.

i. What is the literary device used in ‘Like rootless weeds’?

a. Assonance
b. Personification
c. Simile
d. Metaphor

ii. What is the meaning of ‘heir’ in the above stanza?

a. Inheritor
b. Patient
c. Poor
d. Hungry

iii. The stanza gives an idea about the lighting and visibility situation in the classroom.
What is it?
a. Clear and bright
b. Sunlight coming through windows
c. Feebly lit and dull
d. Completely dark

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iv. Which of the combinations is right in reference to the children in the classroom?
1. Weak
2. Hungry
3. Smart
4. Dreamy
5. Unhealthy
6. Eager

(a) 1, 2 and 6
(b) 4, 3 and 1
(c) 2, 3 and 6
(d) 1, 4 and 5

OR

(B) Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing

A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.

i. The poet’s observation about everyday life is that

a. It’s very easy and pleasant
b. There is lots of happiness to share
c. It’s generally difficult and hard
d. There are a lot of loving people

ii. Pick the antonym of ‘abundance’ from the above stanza

a. Despondence
b. Wreathing
c. Inhuman
d. Dearth

iii. What comes as a solace to our sad life according to the poet?
a. Beautiful things
b. Noble natures
c. Flowery band
d. Gloomy days

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iv. What is the meaning of pall in the above stanza
a. Sadness
b. Covering
c. Problems
d. Depth

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

i. What aspects of the story add depth to the sinister and pessimistic attitude of the
peddler in The Rattrap
a. Christmas and celebrations
b. Cold and windy ambiance
c. Presence of 30 kroner and food
d. Iron industry and church

ii. Choose the statement that is NOT FALSE with reference to the bullying experience
faced by Douglas
a. A big bruiser boy threw him into the YMCA pool
b. It didn’t leave a permanent trauma in his life
c. He was able to save himself without other people's help
d. He didn't miss any fun in life after that

iii. “This map becomes their window and these windows

That shut upon their lives like catacombs”, unless what is not done the above situation
would happen according to the poet?
a. Unless we forcibly chase the children out of the classrooms
b. Unless good nutritious food is given to the children of the slum school
c. Unless the images of Shakespeare and Tyrolese valley are taken away from the
classroom.
d. Unless responsible authorities visit the place and take action.

iv. Which statement below could summarise the theme of A Thing of Beauty most
appropriately?
a. Life is difficult but sometimes it is easy.
b. Life is easy but as we are focussed on bad things around us, we are unhappy.
c. Life is easy but other people make it difficult for us.
d. Life is difficult but sometimes most mundane things around us can make us happy.

v. “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?” By this thought, what
did Franz mean?
a. Pigeons are not human beings, they can’t talk anyways.

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b. The pigeons lived in France for a long time, they won’t understand German.
c. However hard the Germans try, they can’t make the people of France forget their
mother tongue.
d. Germans are like pigeons, going everywhere.

vi. The secretary of the British landlord’s association in Champaran told Gandhi that
they could give no information to an outsider. What is the irony in this?
a. Gandhi is not from Champarn so he is an outsider but the secretary is from
Champaran so he is not.
b. Gandhi is an Indian so he is not an outsider but the secretary being a British is an
outsider.
c. Both Gandhi and the secretary are outsiders.
d. Since the secretary lives in India and Gandhi is also from India they are both not
outsiders.

vii. A subsidiary and less important theme in Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers is

a. Tiger conservation
b. Eternity of art and mortality of human beings
c. Importance of having hobbies
d. Mastering housekeeping and related chores

viii. Which statement below about the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ is NOT FALSE
a. The poet is confused whether to be silent or to be active, that's why he says I want
no truck with death.
b. The poet wants the world to be silent all the time and active then and now.
c. The poet wants us to look around and inspect other people's lives.
d. The poet has conviction that though he demands silence from the world he doesn't
mean total inactivity.

ix. “... Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it,
metaphorically.” With the inclusion of the word metaphorically, what meaning is
added in the sentence?
a. Seemapuri is near to Delhi but the lives of people living in these places are so
different.
b. There is a lot of physical distance between Seemapuri and Delhi.
c. Seemapuri is actually closer to Delhi than we think.
d. Seemapuri is a small place inside Delhi.

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x. In the poem, My Mother at Sixty-six, what could possibly be the childhood fear of
the poet?
a. Whether she would be able to see her mother again.
b. Whether the mother would grow older soon.
c. Whether the poet would grow up faster than she had expected.
d. Whether her mother would wait at the airport to bid farewell.

PART B (40 marks)

WRITING (16 marks)

6. Attempt ANY ONE of the following. (1x 3)

analysis, using appropriate format and fluency, appropriacy of style and tone

(A)You are Arjun/Anjana, CEO of a technology startup. You are planning to develop
an Android application to find the nearest petrol pumps. You are looking for good
JAVA programmers who are B.Tech holders. Draft a suitable advertisement for the
same, in about 50 words to be published in the classified columns of a local
newspaper.

OR
(B) You are Rakesh/ Ruchika, Secretary of the Clean Campus Initiative of your
school. You decided to organise a workshop, to raise awareness on the importance of
segregating organic waste from plastic waste before disposal. The Principal of the
school and the Health Inspector from the locality will take classes. Write a notice in
about 50 words, informing the students of the school about the workshop.

7. Attempt ANY ONE of the following. (1x 3)

analysis, using appropriate format and fluency, appropriacy of style and tone

(A) You are Manoharlal/Manju, the president of District Panchayat of Sikar. You have
been invited by the members of a local Cricket Club to inaugurate their tournament
series. Write a formal reply, in about 50 words declining the invitation.

OR

(B)You are Harshvardhan/ Harsha of B6, Patel Road, Jaipur. You got 3rd rank in
NEET 2020. You are arranging a party for your family and friends. Prepare an
invitation card in 50 words to be sent to people to inform them about the event.

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8. Attempt ANY ONE of the following. (1x 5)
analysis, using appropriate format and fluency, appropriacy of style and tone

(A)You are Kathik/Keerthana, residing in 67H, Sayoojya Apartments, Jaipur. The

shopkeepers to the side of the main road in front of your apartments are extending
their business to the footpath illegally in a way that people don't have space to walk.
This is leading to huge traffic problems in the area. You complained to the city
authorities but the problem still persists. Write a letter to the editor of The Jaipur
Voice, Jaipur in about 120- 150 words, explaining your concern and requesting him to
publish an article on the issue.
OR
(B) You are Sanjay/ Sanjana of 83B, Good View Lanes, Jaipur. You are a B.Tech
holder with particular interest in Android programming. From a local newspaper you
found that a techno startup by name Findz Near in Jaipur is looking for JAVA
programmers to develop a new application from scratch. Write an application letter in
100-120 words in response to the advertisement, with a detailed bio-data.

9. Attempt ANY ONE of the following. (1x 5)

evaluation, using appropriate format and fluency, appropriacy of style and tone

(A) You are Basith/ Basila, a journalist with a particular interest in automobiles. You
are requested by a prominent automotive magazine Fasttrack to write an article on
environmental friendly usage of vehicles. Write an article in 120-150 words for the
magazine stressing the importance of considering the environment while purchasing,
using and disposing an automobile. You may use the cues given below along with
your own ideas.

• Mileage/Fuel Efficiency
• Considering electric vehicles over fossil fuel based
• Fuel economy on the road
• Maintenance using environmental friendly materials
• Using for long time/ disposing ethically after the period of use
OR

(B) Following the protocols to stop spreading Covid, the city of Bikaner celebrated
Dipawali in a grand fashion. You are Yash/ Yashaswini, a reporter from Jaipur Times
deputed to cover the celebration happening over two days. Prepare a detailed report of
the event in 120-150 words. Use the given cues along with your own ideas to write the
report.

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• Keeping Covid protocols - Distance, masks and sanitisers
• Lights and lamps
• Dance and music
• Important personalities
• Business rejuanated

LITERATURE (24 marks)

10. Attempt ANY FIVE out of the six questions given below, in 30-40 words each.
(2x5=10)
i. Does the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ justify the premise that the world requires some
silence and introspection? What adverse conditions of the world and its people are
mentioned in the poem?
ii. In the lesson Rattrap, the iron master and his daughter Edla behave well with the
peddler. Other than sentiments on a mistaken identity on the part of the ironmaster and
innate goodness on the part of Edla, is there some other reason for this hospitality?
Explain.
iii. ‘Nature is a poet’s best facilitator to drive his/her ideas’. How does Kamala Das
technically use the elements of nature in her poem My Mother at Sixty-Six to confess
her feelings?
iv. The people of Alsace and Lorraine are sad not just because of the departure of M.
Hamel but also for ‘what’? What does that signify at large for them? What is that?
Explain.
v. ‘Do you also dream of flying a plane?’ What answer did Mukesh give to the author
for this question? Why?
vi. What is the reason for the tigers in Aunt Jennifer's panel being brave, colourful and
proud?

11. Attempt ANY TWO out of the three questions given below in 30-40 words
each.
(2 x2=4 )
i. The story ‘The Third Level’ is confusing at several levels, what is your explanation
for the letter received by Charlie which is apparently sent by Sam, his psychiatrist?
ii. The title ‘Evans Tries an O-Level’ is significant at two levels. Which are they?
iii. Do you justify the behaviour of the servants in the household of Dr.Sadao after the
wounded American was given treatment at the house? Why/Why not?

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12. Attempt ANY ONE of the following questions in 120-150 words (1x5=5)
(A) Childhood bullying can lead to severe traumatic issues. With reference to the
particular incident and its aftermath as shown in Deep Water, justify the initial
statement.

OR

(B) Lack of access to basic amenities including food and shelter as well as lack of
proper socialization can lead a person to become an antisocial element. Explain this
statement to the context of The Rattrap.

13. Attempt ANY ONE out of the following questions in 120-150 words (1x5=5)
(A) Derek’s mother was opposed to the idea of him returning to Mr. Lamb. Is there a
justification for her apprehensiveness? What did Derek do? How do you justify his
action considering that blind obedience to parents is expected in our society?

OR

(B) Parents try to impose their will on children assuming it would lead to their benefit
in future. With respect to the events in the story, ‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy’,
critically analyse the statement.

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