English II Cl-1211

༆སྤུ་ན་ཁ་སློབ་གྲྭ་ལྟེ་བ། སླེབ་སྐྱེལ་ཐང་། སྒུ་མ་རྒེད་འློག། སྤུ་ན་ཁ།
PUNAKHA CENTRAL SCHOOL

LEKEYTHANG, GUMA GEWOG, PUNAKHA
TRIAL EXAMINATION
CLASS: XII WRITING TIME: 3 Hours
SUBJECT: ENGLISH II FULL MARKS: 100
Date: 26th November, 2021
Student Code: ……………………………….…..…… Roll No.: ……… Class & Section: ………………
Invigilators Name: Mr./Ms. ___________________________ Invigilators Initial:
READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

1. Do not write for the first fifteen minutes. This time is to be spent reading the questions. After having read the
questions, you will be given three hours to answer all questions.
2. This paper has four Sections: A, B, C and D corresponding to Short Stories, Essay, Poetry and Drama
respectively.
3. Each Section has three types of Questions
4. All questions are compulsory UNLESS where specified.
5. The intended marks for each question is given in brackets.
6. Mention the section and question number before writing the responses.
7. No marks will be awarded for any extra questions attempted.
DO NOT forget to write your student code and class/section on the answer sheet
For Markers USE only

SECTION A SECTION B SECTION C SECTION D
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q3
Marks 5 10 10 5 10 10 5 10 10 5 10 10
Marks
awarded
Markers
Initial
Date:
Subject Teacher’s Name and Sign
TRIAL/ENGLISH II/12/2021
Copyright Reserved Punakha CS
Section A: Short Story
Direction: Answer the following questions with reference to the story Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dhal.
Question 1 (1 x 5 =5)
Direction: Each question below is followed by four responses. Choose the correct answer or response that best
fits the given question and circle the letter of your choice.
i. While Mary was waiting for her husband, she was
A sewing
B. reading a book.
C. drinking whisky.
D. humming a tune.
ii. “She loved to luxuriate in the presence of this man… almost as a sunbather feels the sun…”
What figure of speech is used in the second phrase?
A Metaphor
B. Oxymoron
C. Simile
D. Irony
iii. Mary’s first instinct was not to believe any of the things she heard Patrick say because
A she was shocked
B. she knew he was lying to her.
C. she already knew the truth.
D. she didn’t believe him.
iv. Patrick says, “ But there needn’t be any fuss.”
What does it mean ‘to make a fuss’ in context of the story?
A. Talk/worry about something as if it’s very significant.
B. Think of changing the topic when talking.
C. Planning not to do what one thinks is less important.
D. Not to be worried about things because it’s simple.

TRIAL/ENGLISH II/12/2021 Page 2 of 20
v. Mary goes to Sam’s grocery shop because
A. she had to buy potatoes and cheesecake.
B. she needed to create an alibi.
C. she needed to convince herself that she didn’t murder her husband.
D. she had to practise her acting skills.
Question 2 (5 x 2 = 10)
Direction: Answer both the questions.
i. Imagine that you are Mary in the story. Write a paragraph of about 50 words explaining to your 5 year old
daughter about what happened to her father.

ii. Explain in 5 lines how Mary is a character who breaks the stereotypical ideas that are there about women in
most societies.

Question 3 (1 x 10 = 10)
Direction: Answer any ONE.
i. While some readers condemn Mary as a coldblooded murderer, others feel that she was forced into that
villainy. What is your view? Justify your argument with logic and evidence from the text Lamb to the
Slaughter by Roald Dhal.
ii. How is the story, The Elephant by Slawomir Mrozek, a satirical allegory? Identify at least five characters or
things used in the story and explain the symbolic meaning of each.
iii. Explain how the Story, Mirror Image by Lena Coakley, explores the theme “Ethics of Medical science and
its impact on the lives of people.”

Section B: Essay
Direction: Read the essay given below and answer the questions that follow in reference to the essay.
Extract from Many Questions, Few Answers - Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
9 May, 2010
Rethinking language
I want to say a few words now about the most sacred cow of all – language. Quite frankly, there is a problem
in every discussion of Dzongkha being regarded as so highly “sensitive”. Surely the issue of the national
language is no clandestine project and should be squarely in the public domain.
Despite all the government encouragement and enforcement, most Bhutanese still don’t speak Dzongkha, and
most of those who do, speak it poorly with even poorer reading and writing skills. I hear it is many students’
least favourite subject and that there are not enough fluent Dzongkha speaking teachers to teach it well. And
even if you are a Dzongkha master, there is hardly any literature to read except newspapers that are easier to
understand in English.
I have even heard complaints that use of Dzongkha in Parliament disadvantages and disempowers MPs from
other areas, and that native Dzongkha-speaking MPs sometimes rely on their eloquence rather than on the
content of their arguments. And the many Bhutanese who still don’t understand Dzongkha, despite all the
government’s efforts, cannot even follow what is going on in the very forum that supposedly represents them.
Dzongkha doesn’t even preserve our precious wisdom heritage, culture, and buddhadharma, which has been
carried through Choekey, not Dzongkha. In fact Dzongkha doesn’t do much to preserve our history, prayers,
poetry, dance, songs, philosophy, and more, since there are so few Dzongkha books, and since our ancient
texts like the Kangyur and Tengyur aren’t in Dzongkha. The few Dzongkha books in existence are mostly very
recent, and generally do not represent our ancient heritage.
Even our monks often don’t understand what they are chanting, since all the prayers recited in Bhutan are in
Choekey, not in Dzongkha, and Chokey is not native to anyone in Bhutan. So the Buddhist liturgies are simply
parroted meaninglessly rather than understood.
In fact Bhutanese will soon have to learn English to study and practice the dharma, since there is already more
dharma translated into English than into Dzongkha. I know these are extremely touchy subjects. But in the
process of building a nation, tough questions have to be asked, and indeed, our new democracy requires us to
have the courage to debate these issues openly and without fear.
The biggest concern about promoting Dzongkha actually has to do with time management, since time is an
increasingly rare resource in the modern world. If you think of all our 178,000 Bhutanese students, then
millions of hours are spent each year studying Dzongkha. You cannot undertake any tertiary studies in science,
mathematics, philosophy, psychology or geography in Dzongkha, which doesn’t even have the vocabulary
really to discuss such disciplines properly. And by the time any university text is translated into Dzongkha, it
will likely be outdated, or the Dzongkha will need to be updated.
Building a new national language is extremely difficult, and we have to ask whether it is worth the huge effort
required, and whether it’s the best use of our very limited time and resources. I read that time and human
resources are the most precious resources we have in our modern economy. I would ask – if only to provoke
debate – that, if that is so, then aren’t we wasting a whole generation’s precious time in forcing them to spend
hours each week and year learning a language they will hardly use – time that could be spent in much more
productive ways to build our nation?
I fully appreciate our leaders’ wish to have a unifying language as a symbol of our sovereignty. But what is the
experience of other nations in our region in that regard? India is one of the most culturally rich countries in the
world, with hundreds of dialects and many major languages, each with its own ancient literature. Attempts to
promote Hindi as the national language have not been successful, except in the popularity it enjoys in
Bollywood, and English still serves as a unifying language. At the same time India celebrates its diversity by
recognizing 18 official languages in its Constitution, and giving citizens the right to communicate in the
language of their own state and choice. Similarly diversity could be a source of pride in Bhutan.
And if we do want to render our spoken languages into written form, then we might learn from the Malays and
Indonesians, who have adopted the Roman alphabet for their own languages. Do we Bhutanese really want to
expend so much precious time and resources learning a written Dzongkha with its own distinct script?
Of course, there is nothing wrong with teaching Dzongkha or Tshangla as language studies, and even
encouraging some translation to preserve certain cultural traditions. It’s the balance between Dzongkha’s
contribution to our national identity and the huge expenditure of time and resources on cultivating Dzongkha
as the first national language that I am questioning.
And I am asking whether – given our very limited time and resources – strong Dzongkha emphasis may
actually undermine and diminish, rather than enhance, our sovereignty and potential contribution to the world.
Could we achieve those goals more effectively, as India has done, by relying on English as our unifying
language without compromising (and indeed celebrating) our rich linguistic and cultural diversity?
Question 1 (1 x 5 = 5)
i. Dzongkha language is called the most sacred cow because
A there are many languages.
B expresses cultural diversity.
C can tolerate rapid change.
D it is very sensitive to talk about Dzongkha
ii. One of the impediments to growth of Dzongkha mentioned in the 2nd paragraph is
A very few reading materials in Dzongkha.
B less Dzongkha speaking population.
C incompetent Dzongkha teachers.
D Dzongkha is enforced.

iii. The essay questions the
A usefulness of Dzongkha as the first language.
B origin of Dzongkha as a language.
C purpose of national language.
D future scope of Dzongkha
iv. The first language is equivalent to
A national identity.
B common tongue.
C a symbol of conformity.
D a language that is accessible to all.
v. The essay can be best categorised as
A descriptive.
B argumentative.
C narrative.
D expository.
Question 2 (2 x 5 = 10)
Direction: Answer both the questions.
i. Explain what is a unifying language with 2 points in 2 paragraphs?

ii. Explain how the author is supporting language diversity? Justify your answer in about five lines.

Question 3. (1 x 10 = 10)
Direction: Answer any ONE question.
i. Explain using 3 of your own examples/reasons (not from the essay) why you think Dzongkha as a language
is not doing well when compared to English.
ii. Write a paragraph of about 10 lines as a continuation of the last paragraph. Your paragraph should have a
clear topic sentence.

Section C: Poetry
Direction: Read the poem given below and answer the questions that follow.
Still I Rise BY MAYA ANGELOU
You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,

With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?
Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don't you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.
You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history’s shame

I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
Question 1 (1 x 5 = 5)
i. “...write me down in history …” (1st stanza) means
A remember the speaker.
B books are written to record history.
C the past will be remembered as history.
D history books that the speaker will write.
ii. Who is being addressed in the poem?
A White people who oppressed blacks.
B White people who were jealous of the speaker.
C White people who hated the speaker.
D White people who were cruel.
iii. “I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,” is an example of
A onomatopoeia.
B metaphor.
C symbolism.
D satire.

iv. “Does my haughtiness offend you?” (5th stanza). The underlined word can be replaced by
A pride.
B anger.
C temper.
D vanity.
v. The speaker, in the poem appears to be
A remorseful.
B gloomy.
C defiant.
D happy.
Question 2 (5x2 = 10)
Direction: Answer both questions.
i. Explain how we can identify the speaker as a black person.

ii. Write a description of the people against whom the speaker is rising.
Question 3 (1 x 10 =10)
i. Explain how the title, ‘Still I Rise’, is appropriate to the poem.
ii. List two possible themes of the poem. Elaborate by quoting relevant lines or phrases from the poem.

Section D: Drama
Direction: Answer the questions in this section with reference to The Merchant of Venice by William
Shakespeare.
Question 1 (1 x 5 =5)
i. The friend who tells Antonio not to sit like an old man in Act I, Scene I, is
A Solanio.
B Salario.
C Gratianio.
D Lorenzo.
ii. In Act I, Scene III, Shylock says that Antonio is sufficient, by which he means
A he wants Antonio to sign the bond.
B Antonio has enough money to pay him back.
C has to keep an eye on Antonio.
D hates Antonio, and doesn’t want to eat with him.
iii. “…Young in limbs, in judgment old,” (Act II, Scene VII) means
A young but wise.
B energetic and decisive.
C young and fierce.
D not foolish but wise.
iv. GRATIANO: “…All things that are, Are with more spirit chased than enjoyed…” (Act II, Scene VI)
In the above dialogue, Gratiano uses
A irony.
B personification.
C metaphor.
D hyperbole.

v. In Act I scene I, Bassanio compares Portia to the Golden Fleece because according to him
A every man wants to marry Portia.
B Portia is very beautiful like the Golden Fleece.
C he thinks he will win like the Greek hero, Jason.
D he feels he deserves to win Portia.
Question 2 (5x2 = 10)
Direction: Answer both questions.
i. Between the Prince of Morocco and the Prince of Arragon, who do you think is a better match for
Portia? Justify your choice.

ii. Portia’s father had devised the caskets to ensure that the right man wins Portia. Do you think the right
man won Portia?
Question 3 (1 x 10 =10)
i. Who do you think is the most important character in the drama? Justify your argument with logic and
evidence from the text. .
ii. Explain how the play subtly challenges anti-Semitism in context of Shylock’s revenge monologue.

***** Best of Luck *****


English II Cl-1211

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༆སྤུ་ན་ཁ་སློབ་གྲྭ་ལྟེ་བ། སླེབ་སྐྱེལ་ཐང་། སྒུ་མ་རྒེད་འློག། སྤུ་ན་ཁ།

PUNAKHA CENTRAL SCHOOL

Invigilators Name: Mr./Ms. ___________________________ Invigilators Initial:

READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

For Markers USE only

i. While Mary was waiting for her husband, she was

What figure of speech is used in the second phrase?

A she was shocked

B. she knew he was lying to her.

C. she already knew the truth.

D. she didn’t believe him.

iv. Patrick says, “ But there needn’t be any fuss.”

What does it mean ‘to make a fuss’ in context of the story?

A. Talk/worry about something as if it’s very significant.

B. Think of changing the topic when talking.

C. Planning not to do what one thinks is less important.

D. Not to be worried about things because it’s simple.

A. she had to buy potatoes and cheesecake.

B. she needed to create an alibi.

D. she had to practise her acting skills.

Direction: Answer both the questions.

TRIAL/ENGLISH II/12/2021 Page 3 of 20

TRIAL/ENGLISH II/12/2021 Page 4 of 20

Direction: Answer any ONE.

TRIAL/ENGLISH II/12/2021 Page 5 of 20

Extract from Many Questions, Few Answers - Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

i. Dzongkha language is called the most sacred cow because

A there are many languages.

B expresses cultural diversity.

C can tolerate rapid change.

D it is very sensitive to talk about Dzongkha

A very few reading materials in Dzongkha.

B less Dzongkha speaking population.

C incompetent Dzongkha teachers.

TRIAL/ENGLISH II/12/2021 Page 8 of 20

A usefulness of Dzongkha as the first language.

B origin of Dzongkha as a language.

C purpose of national language.

D future scope of Dzongkha

iv. The first language is equivalent to

D a language that is accessible to all.

v. The essay can be best categorised as

Direction: Answer both the questions.

i. Explain what is a unifying language with 2 points in 2 paragraphs?

TRIAL/ENGLISH II/12/2021 Page 9 of 20

TRIAL/ENGLISH II/12/2021 Page 10 of 20

Direction: Answer any ONE question.

TRIAL/ENGLISH II/12/2021 Page 11 of 20

Still I Rise BY MAYA ANGELOU

You may write me down in history

Does my sassiness upset you?

Just like moons and like suns,

Did you want to see me broken?

Does my haughtiness offend you?

You may shoot me with your words,

Does my sexiness upset you?

Out of the huts of history’s shame

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

i. “...write me down in history …” (1st stanza) means

A remember the speaker.

B books are written to record history.

C the past will be remembered as history.

D history books that the speaker will write.

ii. Who is being addressed in the poem?