Class – XII

Subject – English   

Time allowed: 3 hours                                                                         Maximum Marks: 100

A.1 Read the passage carefully and answers the questions that follow:

Science and technology have annihilated distances, brought the various parts of the world much nearer each other, enormously increased international trade and integrated the economy of all nations. It is consciousness of the need for regulating the operations of world economy to make it more orderly and stable that has led to the formation of international bodies to ensure order and stability in matters like tariffs, currency and labour. Foreign aid is being given to developing nations individually because it is now recognized that economic stability and full employment in the world cannot be achieved unless two-thirds of humanity now living at the subsistence level is helped to attain economic maturity as expeditiously as possible. Yet it cannot be said that the material and manpower resources of the world are being utilized on a scientific and planned basis. This country for example, could have raised the standards of living of its people to a much greater extent than at present if it had not been thwarted in its endeavors by shortage of foreign exchange and inadequacy of world statesmanship that, while astronomical amounts are being spent on manufacturing weapons of mass annihilation and space exploration, the affluent nations are not prepared to help developing nations on a scale which would make a significant impact on their lives. Only a world government looking at progress. Many civilizations in the past perished because the people recklessly exploited natural resources, exhausted the soil and turned the land into a desert. Impelled by the profit-motive, nations are still recklessly exploiting world resource without giving any serous thought to what would happen a few hundred years hence. When we know that man has to live on this planet for millions of years, this policy of exploiting, nation’s resources and not judiciously conserving them is, to put it mildly, extremely short-sighted. The same short-sightedness is being displayed over population growth. Science has rendered great service to humanity by finding a cure for most diseases, by preventing the outbreak of epidemics which formerly used to kill million of persons and by curtailing the death rate in other ways. But unless men learn to curtail the birth rate as well, we will, before long, be faces with a population explosion. Science has not proved that Malthus was wrong. It has only proved that for some time natural restraints on population in the form of wars, pestilences and famines can be held back. This planet can be made a decent place to live in only if man is wise. Science given Knowledge and power but not necessarily wisdom.

(a)     Make notes on the above passage using suitable format and recognizable abbreviations (minimum-4). Apply a suitable title also.                                                                       (5)

(b)    Write a summary using note in about 80 words.                                                                        (3)

A.2 Read the passage carefully and answers the questions that follow:

1. Most capital cities have fallen victim to the car. Here is a report frome Lagos ,the capital of

    Nigeria (Africa)

2. Try not to schedule business appointment in Lagos on a Wednesday-particularly if you have    

     to cross one of the many bridges into the commercial centre, called ‘the Island’. It is not that     

    Wednesday are work-free days in Lagos. Just the opposite: mid week is now the day Lagos

     roads are busiest. (In Lagos they have a five-day week-Monday to Friday.)

3.      In 1989, when the city’s population was about five million, no fewer than two million

people hit Lagos roads at the same time, generally to the same place- the Island . Two million people filled the city’s roads in every conceivable kind of vehicle: buses, mini-buses, taxis, mini-taxis and of course, cars, cars and more care.

4.      Car ownership shot up in the oil boom of the mid-1980s.Before anybody realized what was happening, nearly all middle- income workers in business and in the civil service even teachers and clerks, had joined the rich in the car owners’ club. Every day more that 150,000 cars contributed to the traffic headache.

5.      The State Government decided to take action. It enacted an ingenious traffic control law which divided the cars on Lagos streets into two groups- based on whether they had registration numbers starting with odd or even numbers, On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, only the odd-numbered cars could use the roads. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, cars with registration numbers beginning with 2, 4, 6 or 8 were permitted.

6.      The first problem is that there will always be more cars on the roads on the ‘odd-number’ days, because there are more odd than even digits- no registration numbers in Nigeria start with zero.

7.      But on Monday things are not too bad. The week is still young and business activities are still fairly quiet. Then on Friday, Juma prayers by Moslems mean that the day virtually ends at noon. So Friday is quiet as well. Wednesday is therefore the choice day when as many people as possible- and as many odd- number vehicles as possible- are on the move. Traffic is a nightmare.

8.      This law had many interesting effects. Some former car owners, for example, became hitch-hikers. And neighbours with odd-and even- number cars suddenly became more friendly, giving each other rides to work on the alternate days when their car shad no right to the road.

9.      But soon the richer Lagosians found another solution. They began to buy second cars, so. They had a car each for odd and even number days could therefore drive into the city when they liked.

10. By 1993, second cars had become so common that the traffic control law become virtually useless. Since then the traffic chaos has gone from bad to worse. Today 300,000 cars compete daily for the 50,000 available parking spaces on the Island. The population of Logos- a tiny stretch of coastal land 35 kilometers wide and ten kilometers long- has balloomed to eight million.

(a)  Wednesday is the third day of the week, but in the given passage it been called mid-week. Why?                                                                                                  (1)

(b)  How was the traffic in Lagos affected by the oil boom in the mid-1980s?    (1)

(c)  The State Government to of Lagos divided the cars into two groups- odd and even. Why was there more cars in the group?                                                         (2)

(d)  On two working days – Monday and Friday – the traffic conditions were not so bad. Why?                                                                                                                        (2)

2.      Find single words in the passage which mean the opposite of each of the following:

(a)  Same (para3)                                                                                                      (3×1= 3)

(b)  depression (para4)

(c)  order (para10)

(d)  What do the words given below mean?                                                         (3×1= 3)

3.       (a) Conceivable in para3.

 (b) Contributed in para4.

 (c) Virtually in para7.

SECTION – B (ADVANCE WRITING SKILLS)

B.1 You have purchased a new washing machine from Naresh electronics, 123,           (10)

       Pratap Nagar. Three month ago under the fully replacement guarantee but

      after three month it started to give some technical problems, As its dryer is

      not moving and giving current etc. Write a complaint letter to sales

 manager. Write yourself Naresh Dogra, p-123, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi-

110092.

Or

You are Ranjan staying at D-85 Preet Vihar Delhi -92. You saw an advertisement for the various Posts in BPL Pvt. Ltd. But you found your self eligible for the “Technical Incharge. Draft an App. for liable post to Director, BPL Comp D-92.

       B.2 You are Rakesh\Rekha, the secretary of Park view apartment’s welfare association, (5)

           Swarka, New Delhi. Write a notice for the society’s notice board requesting the

           residents to attend a meeting to discuss the problem of parking of vehicles.

Or

      You are general manager of Tele Atlas, a computer company in Noida and you

      need a software engineer for it. Write an advertisement to be published in “The

      Times of India” in not more than 50 words.

  B.3 Write any one article from given following: (Words limit 200)                          (10)

       1. Trees are our friend.

       2. Child labour is an offence.

       3. Value of education.

       4. Declining of sports level in India.

       5. How is Delhi changing its shape?

  B.4 You are reporter of a local newspaper. You are asked to cover the report on “           (10)

          robbery held in day light” in saket in a businessmen’s house. (Words limit 100-125)

Or

         You are Harsh Gupta, you have attended a seminar on “How the burden of school bag” is

         increasing on school going children. You decided to write an article.   

SECTION – C (LITARATURE)

C.    1         (a) Read the lines given below and answer the question that follow:

         And realized with pain that she thought away, and looked but soon.         (4)

    Put that thought away and looked out at young trees sprinting, the merry   

    children spilling out of their homes,   

a.      Name the poem and the poet of there lines.

b.      Who is ‘she’ in these lines?

c.      Where is the narrator’s mother in reality?

d.      Find the same meaning of ‘jovial’ in above lines.

 Or

If we were not so single-minded

about keeping our lives moving

           and for once could do nothing,

           perhaps a huge silence

           might interrupt this sadness

           of never understanding ourselves

           and of threatening ourselves with death.

a.      Find the similar meaning of “intervene?

b.      What will the single minded do?

c.      What would we do for once if we were not single minded?

d.      What would be there for once on the earth?

Or

    And such too is the grandeur of the dooms

    We have imagined for the mighty dead.

    All lovely tales that we have heard or read,

    An endless fountain of immortal drink,

    Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink.

a.      Who is the “mighty dead” in these lines?

b.      What has been imagined for the mighty dead?

c.      How do we come to know about the lovely stories?

d.      What are the lovely tales compared to in the poem?

(b) Answer any three of the following questions in about 30-40 words:                (2×3 = 6)

                                                                                                                                  i.            What kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?

                                                                                                                               ii.            What is it that blocks the path of the progress of these children of slum?

                                                                                                                             iii.            Why does the poet aim at in his poem ‘Keeping Quiet’?

                                                                                                                             iv.            What do the things of nature do for the living beings?

                                                                                                                                v.            How does a thing of beauty of the past, become a joy for us?

                                                                                                                             vi.            What is the main aim of the polished traffic passing through the country side?

                                                                                                                           vii.            Why does the poet critcise the people who prepare green wars?

                                                                                                                        viii.            Explain ‘Slag heap?( Elementary School)

C.2      Answer any five of the following questions in about 30-40 words each :- (2 × 5 = 10)

                                                                                                                                  i.            Why was M. Hamel going from that school?

                                                                                                                               ii.            What are the suggestions given to students by M. Hamel on “The Last Lesson”?

                                                                                                                             iii.            Why does Sahib feel that canister is heavier than his rag picking bag?

                                                                                                                             iv.            Where lid the rattrap peddler escape after steeling the old crofter’s Money? Could he really escape?

                                                                                                                                v.            Why was Gandhi not allowed to draw water from the well?

                                                                                                                             vi.            When did Gandhi exclaim,” the battle of champaran is won?

                                                                                                                           vii.            Write Sophie’s description of her first meeting with Danny Casey?

                                                                                                                        viii.            What was the weekly Pilgrimage in the story “Going place’s?

C.3 Answer any one of following in about 150 words: -                                             (10)

        i.            What is the place of the narrator little Franz in the story ‘The Last Lesson’.

     ii.            When did the ironmaster realize his mistake?

   iii.            Why was Gandhi Summoned to appear in court the next day? How did the trial proceed? What was the Penalty imposed as a result of it?

   iv.            According to Sophie, What was the Perfect Place for a meeting of this kind describes the place and the meeting.

C.4 Answer the following in about 125 words: -                                                                      (7)

Why did Jo want the wizard to hit the mummy?

Or

Write the character sketch of Evans.

                                                                          Or

Write the Character sketch of the king Pratibandapuram?

Or

How were the conditions at the third level different from those at other two levels?

C.5 Answer any four of the following questions in about 30-40 words each :-     ( 2×4 = 8)

        i.            What is global warming and how is this caused?

     ii.            What made Jo unhappy about skunk’s story?

   iii.            How did McLerry want to help the police?

   iv.            How did Evans’ manage to get blood in his cell?

      v.            How will the Maharaja prepare himself for the hundredth tiger which was supposed to his fate?

   vi.            What did children call Mr. Lamb? Did it hurt him?

7. What did Annan tell Bama’ to do, to get the people attached to her?