PRE BOARD : 2022-23

SUBJECT : ENGLISH

CLASS : XII

ROLL NO.
CODE :

TIME : 3 hours
MAX.MARKS: 80

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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

All questions are compulsory.

Read all questions carefully before attempting and write the answers neatly.

Roll No. should be written in the space provided separately on the question paper.

No scribbling is allowed on the question paper.

This Question Paper has 3 Sections A, B and C

SECTION-A READING SKILLS ( 20 marks)

I.Read the passage carefully:
1. According to the BBC website, the name 'Viking' comes from Old Norse language and
means "a pirate raid." People who went off raiding in ships were said to be "going Viking."
2. The Vikings lived and ruled from about AD700 to 1100. During this period, they left their
homelands in Scandinavia and travelled by longboats to other countries like Britain and
Ireland.
3. When the friendly British noticed the Viking longboats arrive, they came to the shore to
welcome them. They thought the Vikings were Danes, even though they came from
Denmark, Norway and Sweden. That makes them Scandinavians. Alas, the Vikings fought the
local people, stole from churches and burnt buildings to the ground. They fought with long
swords and axes.
4. The first Viking raid recorded was in AD787. Attacking Christian monasteries in Britain was
the easiest thing to do. The monks had no weapons; they were not warriors. And their
buildings were filled with gold, jewels and books. There were stocks of food, drink, cattle,
clothes and tools too – everything the Viking raiders wanted. In AD793, a monastery at
Lindisfarne in Northumbria, north-east England was attacked. A fierce struggle started
between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings.
5. In AD865 an army of Vikings came across the North Sea, to conquer areas, not just raid
them. The army battled through northern England, taking control of the Anglo-Saxon
kingdoms of Northumbria, East Anglia and most of Mercia. By AD874, almost all the
kingdoms had fallen under their control. The one they could not conquer was Wessex, which
was ruled by Alfred the Great. King Alfred defeated the Viking army, but was not able to
drive the Vikings out of Britain, the BBC's website says.
6. The Vikings were great explorers and travellers. Viking ships reached Britain, France,
Spain, Italy and North Africa. A few daring explorers sailed to Iceland and beyond. They
travelled across the Atlantic Ocean to North America.
7. The Vikings sailed close to the coast whenever possible. They memorised landmarks and
followed them. In the open sea, they followed sunlight: west (towards the sunset) meant
they were headed for England; east (towards the sunrise) meant home to Denmark or
Norway
8. The Vikings had invented a basic sun-compass to help find their way. At night they
watched the skies. They understood the position of the stars and were able to determine in
which direction they were heading. They could study winds and sea currents. By spotting
birds or even a change in the colour of the water, an experienced sailor could tell when land
was close.
9. Not all Vikings came to fight, but others came peacefully, to settle. They did not have large
farmlands in their country. So some of the farmers came to Britain to raise animals and grow
crops, says the BBC's website.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below. (1 × 10 =
10 Marks)
I.I Complete the sentence by choosing an appropriate option.
The Vikings have been named so because they
(a) were victorious kings (b) often went raiding other lands in ships (c) belonged to the
Scandinavia (d) travelled by V-shaped longboats
(ii) The Vikings could not be called 'Danes' because they
(a) originally came from Denmark (b) came from Norway and Sweden, besides Denmark (c)
attacked and occupied the Scandinavian countries (d) were raiding tribes of Denmark
(iii) State whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE.
The British got a rude shock when the Vikings attacked them, stole from churches and
burnt buildings down.
(iv) Give two reasons why English churches and monasteries were the prime targets of
the Vikings?
(v) The writer would agree with the given statements based on paragraph 5 EXCEPT
(a) The Viking army attacked the North Sea in the year 865 AD.
(b) This army annexed Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria, East Anglia and most of
Mercia.
(c) The Viking army defeated Alfred, the King of Wessex.
(d) The Vikings would attack other kingdoms often to conquer them.

(a) I-B, II-D, III-E, IV-C

(b) I-C, II-B, III-D, IV-A
(c) I-B, II-E, III-D, IV-A
(d) I-C, II-E, III-D, IV-A
(vii) Complete the given sentence with an appropriate inference with respect to the
following: The Vikings sailed close to the coast whenever possible so that .....................
(viii) According to paragraph 8, the Vikings took help for navigation from the following
EXCEPT
(a) sun-compass and position of stars (b) wind direction and sea currents
(c) birds and the colour of water ( d) maps and telescope
(ix) According to the information given in the passage, the Vikings were anything but
(a) invaders and plunderers (b) pioneers and explorers (c) adventurers and voyagers (d)
preachers and peacemakers
(x) "All Vikings were war mongers." Validate the truth or otherwise of this statement with
evidence from the text.
II.Read the passage carefully:
1. At least a third of the huge ice fields in Asia's towering mountain chain are doomed to
melt due to climate change, according to a landmark report, with serious consequences for
almost 2 billion people. Even if carbon emissions are dramatically and rapidly cut and
succeed in limiting global warming to l.5°C, 36% of the glaciers along in the Hindu Kush and
Himalaya range will have gone by 2100. If emissions are not cut, the loss soars to two-thirds,
the report found.
2. The glaciers are a critical water store for the 250 million people who live in the Hindu
Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, and 1.65 billion people rely on the great rivers that flow from
the peaks into India, Pakistan, China and other nations. "This is the climate crisis you haven't
heard of," said Philippus Wester of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain
Development (Icimod), who led the report. "In the best of possible worlds, if we get really
ambitious [in tackling climate change], even then we will lose one-third of the glaciers and
be in trouble. That for us was the shocking finding."
3. Wester said that, despite being far more populous, the HKH region had received less
attention than other places, such as low-lying island states and the Arctic, that are also
highly vulnerable to global warming. Prof. Jemma Wadham, at the University of Bristol, said:
"This is a landmark piece of work focused on a region that is a hotspot for climate change
impacts."

4. The new report, requested by the eight nations the mountains span, is intended to change
that. More than 200 scientists worked on the report over five years, with another 125
experts peer reviewing their work. Until recently the impact of climate change on the ice in
the HKH region was uncertain, said Wester. "But we really do know enough now to take
action, and action is urgently needed," he added. The HKH region runs from Afghanistan to
Myanmar and is the planet's "third pole", harbouring more ice than anywhere outside Arctic
and Antarctica. Limiting the global temperature rise to l.5°C above pre-industrial levels
requires cutting emissions to zero by 2050. This is felt to be extremely optimistic by many
but still sees a third of the ice lost, according to the report. If the global rise is 2°C, half of the
glaciers will be projected to melt away by 2100.
5. Since the 1970s, about 15% of the ice in the HKH region has disappeared as temperatures
have risen. But the HKH range is 3,500 km long and the impact of warming is variable. Some
glaciers in Afghanistan and Pakistan are stable and a few are even gaining ice, most probably
due to increased cloud cover that shields the sun and changed winds that bring more snow.
But even these will start melting with future warming, Wester said.
6. The melting glaciers will increase river flows through to 2050 to 2060, he said, pushing up
the risk of high-altitude lakes bursting their banks and engulfing communities. But from the
2060s, river flows will go into decline. The Indus and central Asian rivers will be most
affected. "Those areas will be hard hit," said Wester. Lower flows will cut the power from the
hydrodams that generate much of the region's electricity. But the most serious impact will
be on farmers in the foothills and downstream. They rely on predictable water supplies to
grow the crops that feed the nations in the mountains' shadows. But the changes to spring
melting already appear to be causing the pre-monsoon river flow to fall just when farmers
are planting their crops. Worse, said Wester, the monsoon is also becoming more erratic and
prone to extreme downpours. "One in-100 year floods are starting to happen every 50
years," he said.
2.1. On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer any ten of the following
questions by choosing the most appropriate option:
(a) By how much percentage will the glaciers have gone in the Hindu Kush and Himalaya
range by 2100?
(i) 32% (iii) 36% (ii) 34% (iv) 38%
(b) Pick the option that lists statements that are NOT TRUE according to the passage.
1. 36% of the glaciers in the Hindu Kush and Himalaya range will have gone by 2100.
2. 1.65 million people rely on the rivers that flow from the peaks into India, Pakistan and
China.
3. The Hindu Kush-Himalaya region runs from Afghanistan to Nepal.
4. River flows will decline from 2060s.
(i) 2 and 3 (ii) 1 and 4 (iii) 3 and 4 (iv) 2 and 4
(c) If carbon emissions are lowered quickly then the temperature in mountains of HKH
range will rise up to ........................ .
(i) 1.2°c (iii) l.5°C (ii) 2.0°C (iv) 2.1 °C
(d) Based on the information given in the passage, choose the option that lists the
CORRECT depiction of loss of ice if carbon emissions are slashed.
(e) According to the 2019 assessment of Hindu Kush Himalaya range, which option lists the
CORRECT percentage of ice that has disappeared since 1970s.

(f) Based on the given graphical representation of data in the passage, choose the option
that lists the statement that is TRUE with respect to the slashing of emissions.
(i) If global warming is limited to l.5°C then only a third of ice will be lost by 2100
(ii) If global warming is limited to 2.0°C then only two thirds of ice will be lost by 2100
(iii) If global warming is limited to 5.5 °C then only two thirds of ice will be lost by 2100
(iv) If global warming is limited to 4.5°C then only half of ice will be lost by 2100
(g) If the carbon emission is not cut at all then how much ice will be lost by 2100?
(i) one-third (ii) one-fourth (iii) two-third (iv) three-fourth
(h) The HKH region runs from .......................... and is the planet's "third pole".
(i) Afghanistan to Myanmar (ii) India to Pakistan (iii) Pakistan to China (iv) Myanmar to
Afghanistan
(i) For how many people who live in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) region, the glaciers
are a critical water store?
(i) 1.65 billion (ii) 1.65 million (iii) 250 million (iv) 250 billion
(j) Arrange the given statements according to the sequence in which they occur in the
passage.
1. Rise in temperatures since 1970 has led to the disappearance of about 15% of ice in HKH
region.
2. More than 200 scientists worked on the HKH Assessment report for over five years.
3. The Indus and central Asian rivers will be most affected by the rise in temperature.
4. If carbon emissions are left uncut then by 2100 loss of glaciers soars by two-thirds.
(i) 1, 2, 3, 4 (ii) 4, 2, 1, 3 (iii) 3, 2, 1, 4 (iv) 1, 4, 2, 3

SECTION B- CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS ( 20 Marks)

Q3. Attempt any one of the following:

Attempt ANY ONE from A and B. ( 5 marks)

1. A. You are Vinaya the Secretary of the History Club of your school. Draft a notice in not

more than 50 words informing the students of class IX and X about a proposed excursion to

historical places of your city.

OR

B.New Adarsh School, Jaipur is organising a Career Counselling session for the students of

class XI and XII of your school. Write a notice giving details of it to be displayed on your

school notice board.

Attempt ANY ONE from A and B. ( 5 marks)

2. A. You are a student of Laxmi Public School, Model Town, Delhi. The

School is holding its Annual Function at 5.30 p.m.on 24th August. 2022. The

Education Minister has consented to be the Chief Guest. Design an invitation card to

be sent to the parents and other invitees. (Word Limit 50).

OR

B.As Secretary of the Literary Society of your school, write a letter of invitation to an

eminent journalist inviting him to address the students on a talk show to be held in

your school .

Attempt ANY ONE from A and B. ( 5 marks)

3. A Write a letter to the Editor, The Times of India, Mumbai expressing your views on

how the standard of performance in sports can be improved in India.

OR

B.You are Kriti from F-9, Mayur Vihar, Delhi. You have come across an

advertisement in a national daily for recruitment of Radio Jockey by Radio One,

Noida. Apply in response to this advertisement giving your detailed bio-data.

Attempt ANY ONE from A and B. (5 marks)

4.A. Incessant rains have caused irrecoverable damage in your area. A flood relief programme was
organised

where various flood relief measures were carried out. As a newspaper reporter, write a report in
about

125–150 words about the programme.

OR

B. Write an article in 150-200 words on the education of the girl child in the

Country.

Section C –Literature (40 marks)

Q4. Read the following poem extract and answer the questions that follow:
(6x1=6)

(I) Read the extract given and answer the questions that follow:

Attempt ANY ONE from A and B.

I.A. Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool

Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.

The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band

Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.

( Aunt Jennifer's Tigers)

i.How would you describe Aunt Jennifer based on the above extract?

ii. Uncle’s wedding band sits heavily on Aunt Jennifer’s hand because _____.

iii. Pick the option that displays the image which correctly corresponds to the type of task Aunt is
engaged in.
 (a) Option (i) (b) Option (ii) (c) Option (iii) (d) Option (iv)

iv. Which of the following is an example of an alliteration?

(a) Finger fluttering through the wool (b) Upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand

(c) Ivory needle hard to pull (d) Massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band

v. What is the meaning of the word, ‘fluttering’?

(a) The falling of raindrops (b) The palpitations of one’s heart

(c) Moving unsteadily and irregularly with trembling (d) The swift movements of one’s hand

vi. What is the rhyming scheme of the extract?

OR

I.B. For once on the face of the Earth

let’s not speak in any language,

let’s stop for one second,

and not move our arms so much.

It would be an exotic moment

without rush, without engines,

we would all be together

in a sudden strangeness.

( Keeping Quiet)

i The poet uses the word “let’s” to ___

a) initiate a conversation between the poet and the readers.

b) invite readers as part of the poem’s larger call to humanity.

c) welcome readers into the world of the poem and its subject.

d) address readers as fellow members of the human race.

ii Margaret Atwood said, “Language divides us into fragments, I wanted to be

whole.”

Choose the option that correctly comments on the relationship between

Margaret Atwood’s words and the line from the above extract – “let’s not

speak in any language”

a) Atwood endorses poet’s call to not speak in any language.

b) Atwood justifies poet’s request to not engage in any speaking.

c) Atwood undermines poet’s intent to stop and not speak in any

language.

d) Atwood surrenders to poet’s desire for silence and not speak in any

language.

iii Why do you think the poet employs words like “exotic” and “strangeness”?

a) To highlight the importance of everyone being together suddenly for once.

b) To emphasize the frenetic activity and chaos that usually envelops human

life.

c) To indicate the unfamiliarity of a sudden moment without rush or without

engine.

d) To direct us towards keeping quiet and how we would all be together in

that silence.

iv Choose the option that correctly matches the idioms given in Column A with

their meanings in Column B.

[a) 1 – (i); 2 – (iv); 3 – (iii); 4 – (ii)

b) 1 – (i); 2 – (iii); 3 – (ii); 4 – (iv)

c) 1 – (ii); 2 – (i); 3 – (iv); 4 – (iii)

d) 1 – (iv); 2 – (ii); 3 – (iii); 4 – (i)

v) Write the name of the author.

vi) Write two poetic devices used in the above stanza.

Attempt ANY ONE from A and B.

2.A . DERRY: You’re... peculiar. You say peculiar things. You ask questions I don’t

understand.

MR LAMB: I like to talk. Have company. You don’t have to answer questions. You don’t

have to stop here at all. The gate’s open.

DERRY: Yes, but...

MR LAMB: I’ve a hive of bees behind those trees over there. Some hear bees and they

say, bees buzz. But when you listen to bees for a long while, they humm....and hum

means ‘sing’. I hear them singing, my bees.

DERRY: But....I like it here. I came in because I liked it .....when I looked over the wall.

MR LAMB: If you’d seen me, you’d not have come in.

DERRY: No.

(On the Face of It)

i. List the playwright’s purpose of using ellipses (…) in this extract. 1

ii. Select the option that best describes Derry and Mr. Lamb in the extract.

A. Derry: introvert; Mr. Lamb: friendly

B. Derry: fearful; Mr. Lamb: domineering

C. Derry: friendly; Mr. Lamb: weird

D. Derry: open minded; Mr. Lamb: charm

iii. Which of the following best summarises Mr. Lamb’s attitude towards the bees?

A. Beauty is being true to yourself.

B. There is a kind of beauty in imperfection.

C. Beauty is the promise of happiness.

D. The beauty of the world lies in the details.

iv. Derry says, “I came in here because I liked it ….” What was the one significant thing

Derry might have liked about the place, as per the extract

OR

2.B. Students on Ice, the programme I was working with on the Shokalskiy, aims to do

exactly this by taking high school students to the ends of the world and providing them
with inspiring educational opportunities which will help them foster a new

understanding and respect for our planet. It’s been in operation for six years now,

headed by Canadian Geoff Green, who got tired of carting celebrities and retired, rich,

curiosity-seekers who could only ‘give’ back in a limited way. With Students on Ice, he

offers the future generation of policy-makers a life-changing experience at an age

when they’re ready to absorb, learn, and most importantly, act.

(Journey to the End of the Earth)

i Students on Ice is …………. headed by Geoff Green.

Select the option to fill in the blank correctly.

a) a travelogue

b) an expedition

c) a globetrotting

d) a tour

ii Choose the option that marks the ODD ONE OUT based on your reading of the above extract.

a) Sumit donates 10% of his monthly income to the environment-friendly

NGOs.

b) Manmeet and her twin plant a new plant on their birthday every year.

c) Vivek invests in eco-friendly cosmetics that are packaged in plastic

containers.

d) Afsana plans to device a machine that recycles the biodegradable

wastes from home.

iii Choose the option that lists the reasons for Green’s programme.

1. making youngsters realize the gory reality of the planet.

2. provoking the youth to think about the future earnestly.

3. giving a chance of exploring the north pole to the young generation

4. providing travel opportunities to students that were unfortunate.

a) 1, 2

b) 3, 4

c) 1, 3

d) 2, 4

iv. Complete the sentence appropriately, with reference to the extract.

The writer refers to the educational opportunities as ‘inspiring’ because ___________

A. They will encourage them to learn about Earth B. Will provide fun C. Opportunity to meet
people D. none of the above.

3. Attempt ANY ONE of two extracts given. 1*6=6

3.A “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 which fastened her apron strings. The delicate-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.

i )Choose the correct option about Sophie’s parents based on the extract

given above.

a) Sophie’s parents’ marriage was an example of harmony and

affection.

b) Sophie’s relationship with her parents was warm and friendly.

c) Sophie’s mother was subdued while her father was detached.

d) Sophie and her brother didn’t like to stay with their parents.

ii )Choose the option that supports the contention coming through Derek’s

dialogue, “She thinks money grows on trees, don’t she, Dad?”.

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.

iii) It could be inferred that Sophie’s mother was fatigued and burdened.

Choose the option listing the elements that form the basis of this inference.

a) her sigh
b) her delicate bow

c) her apron’s strings

d) her crooked back

a) 1, 2

b) 3, 4

c) 2, 3

d) 1, 4

iv )Why did she go to look for her brother?

v) “Sophie felt a tightening in her throat.” Pick the option that lists Sophie’s

feelings in this context.

1) anxious

2) annoyed

3) uneasy

4) terrified

a) Options 1 & 3

b) Options 2 & 3

c) Options 1 & 4

d) Options 2 & 4

vi) What kind of a person is Sophie?

OR

3. B “Since you have been so nice to me all day long, as if I was a captain, I want

to be nice to you, in return, as if I was a real captain — for I do not want you

to be embarrassed at this Christmas season by a thief; but you can give back

the money to the old man on the roadside, who has the money pouch

hanging on the window frame as a bait for poor wanderers.

The rattrap is a Christmas present from a rat who would have been caught in
this world’s rattrap if he had not been raised to captain, because in that way

he got power to clear himself.

“Written with friendship

and high regard,

Captain von Stahle.”

( The Rattrap)

i )Which of the following CANNOT be attributed to the peddler, according to the

above extract?

a) indebtedness

b) reform

c) self-pity

d) self-awareness

ii) Why did the peddler gift a rattrap as a Christmas present?

a) It was all the peddler had that he could give away, and represented his

turn to honesty.

b) It symbolized his successful escape from entrapment as he returned the

stolen money.

c) It served as a reminder for Edla to be wary of the dangerous temptations

of the world.
d) It was a practical and convenient present that the lady of the house could

effectively use.

iii )The word ‘frame’ has been used to indicate a rigid structure that surrounds

something such as a picture, door, or windowpane. There are other

meanings of ‘frame’ too.

Choose the option that DOES NOT list the meaning of ‘frame’.

a) Option (1)

b) Option (2)

c) Option (3)

d) Option (4)

iv )This communication includes

1) a promise

2) regret

3) an apology

4) shame

a) only 4

b) only 1

c) 1 & 3

d) 2 & 4
V)What nice gestures were shown towards the peddler?

vi) Do you agree kindness and generosity can reform offenders? Why / Why not?

(IV). Attempt any Five out of six questions in about 40-50 words each: [5x2=10]

A. What is unrealistic about Sophie 's dreams of her future life?

B. What was distinctive about Eco's academic writing style?

C. How did the lawyer unwittingly bring an end to a brief and brilliant career of a young actress?

D. How did Douglas get rid of all the residual fear of water that he had?

E.Why does M.Hamel reproach himself for his students' unsatisfactory progress in studies?

F. Which objects of nature does Keats mention as sources of joy in his poem 'A Thing of Beauty'?

V.Attempt any TWO out of three questions (2x2=4)

A.Why was the Maharaja once in danger of losing his kingdom?

B . What was the dilemma faced by Dr. Sadao and Hana after encountering the injured American
soldier?

C. What strange things did the narrator see when he reached the third level of Grand Central?

VI Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 120-150 words (5x1=5)

Self reliance, Indian independence and help to sharecroppers were all bound together. Elucidate with
reference to the lesson 'Indigo'.

OR

Desire, determination and diligence lead to success. Explain the value of these qualities in the light of
Douglas ' experience in Deep Water.

VII. Attempt ANY ONE out of the following questions in about 120 words: (5x1=5)

How do Mr. Lamb and Derry differ in their thoughts, traits and attitude to life?

OR

Dr. Sadao was a patriotic Japanese as well as a dedicated surgeon. How could he honour both the
values?

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