Set -B

TAGORE PUBLIC SCHOOL

SHASTRI NAGAR JAIPUR
TERM - I EXAMINATION 2022-2023
Class :XII
Subject :ENGLISH CORE
Code - 301
Date : 12.10.2022 Time: 3 HRS.
MM: 80
General Instructions:
 15 minutes prior reading time allotted for Q-Paper reading.
 The question paper contains Three sections-READING, WRITING AND LITERATURE.
 Attempt question based on specific instructions on each part. Write the correct question number in your answer
sheet to indicate the option/s being attempted.

SECTION A : READING SKILLS (20 MARKS)

Q.1 Read the passage given below :-
Have you ever failed at something so miserably that the thought of attempting to
do it again was the last thing on your mind ?
If your answer is yes, then you should understand that you are not a robot. Unlike
robots, we human beings have feelings, emotions and dreams. We are all meant to
grow despite our circumstances and limitations. Flourishing and trying to make
our dreams come true feel, great when life goes our way. But what happens
when it does not ? What happens when you fail despite all your hard work ? Do
you stay down and accept defeat or do you get up again ? If you have the
tendency to persevere and keep going, then you have what experts call “Grit”.
Falling down or failing is one of the most agonizing, embarrassing and scary
human experiences. But it is also one of the most educational, empowering and
essential part of living a successful and fulfilling life. Did you know that
perseverance (grit) is one of the seven qualities that have been described as the
key to personal success and betterment in society? The other six are curiosity,
gratitude, optimism, self-control, social intelligence and zest. Thomas Edison is
an example of grit for trying more than 1000 times to invent the light bulb . If you
are reading this with the lights on in your room, you will realize the importance of
his success. When asked, why he kept going despite hundreds of failures, he
merely stated that they had not been failures ; they were hundreds of attempts
towards creating the light bulb. The statement not only revealed his grit but also
his optimism for looking at the bright side.
Grit can be learnt to help you become more successful. One of the techniques that
helps is mindfulness. Mindfulness is a practice that makes an individual stay in
the moment by bringing awareness of his or her experience without judgement.
This practice has been used to quieten the noise of fears and doubts. Through this
simple practice of mindfulness, individuals have the ability to stop the self-
sabotaging downward spiral of hopelessness, despair and frustration.
What did you do to overcome the negative and self-sabotaging feelings of failure?
Reflect on what you did and try to use those same powerful resources to help you
today.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following by (1x10=10
choosing the most appropriate option: MARKS)
i) The reason why you are not a robot is :
(a) you fail miserable at task. (b) failure as well as success can affect your emotions.
(c) you work hard (d) you have limitations.
ii) Choose the option that best captures the central idea of the passage from the given
quotes :
(a)“What is the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable ?”
– John Green
(b)“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.” – James Joyce
(c)”Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaking. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a
temporary tour not a dead end.” – Denis Waitley
(d) “A person who never made a mistake, never tried anything new.”- Albert Einstein

iii) What is the tone of the following context ?

“falling down or failing is one of the most educational, empowering and essential
part of living a successful and fulfilling life.”
(a) Humorous. (b) Optimistic
(c) Horrifying (d) Solemn
iv) Which of the following is relevant for the title of the passage ?
(a) Dreams always come true. (b) Failure and grit go hand in hand.
(c) Falling down and getting up (d) Human vs robots
v) __________ was created after many attempts.
(a) Electricity (b) Light bulb
(c) Current (d) Tube light
vi) Which of the following sentences makes the correct use of grit as used in the
passage ?
(a) Get rid of that grit in your shoes. (b) She had a bit of grit in her eyes.
(c) The road had been covered with grit. (d) Her grit never made her give up.
vii) To develop perseverance you must :-
(a) become more aware of your weaknesses. (b) work very hard through out your life.
(c) be in the moment and be aware without (d) seek regular guidance from people
judgment. around you.
viii) What do you understand from this line “falling down or failing is one of the most
agonising, embarrassing and scary human experiences.”
(a) Falling down makes us extremely (b) Failure can deeply affect our emotions.
angry.
(c) Staying positive and being (d) Self control is immensely empowering.
optimistic is always helpful.
ix) The meaning of social intelligence as implied in the passage is ______
(a) Knowing others. (b) Knowing others and ourselves.
(c) Knowing oneself. (d) Knowing one’s surroundings.

x) The importance of perseverance and optimism for a successful and fulfilling life
is explained using the example of _______________
(a) Thomas Edison (b) Robots
(c) Grit (d) Limitations
Q.2 Read the passage given below : 10
1 Thackeray reached Kitur along with a small British army force and a few of his officers.
He thought that the very presence of the British on the outskirts of Kittur would terrorise
the milers and people of Kittur, and then they would lay down their arms. He was quite
confident that he would be able to crush the revolt in no time. He ordered tents be erected
 on the eastern side for the fighting forces, and a little away on the western slopes tents be
put up for the family members of the officers who had accompanied them. During the
afternoon and evening of 20, October, the British soldiers were busy making
arrangements for these camps.
2 On the 21stmorning. Thackeray sent his political assistants to Kittur fort to obtain a
written assurance from all the important officers of Kittur rendering them answerable for
the security of the treasury of Kittur They, accordingly, met SardarGurusiddappa and
other officers of Kittur and asked them to comply with the orders of Thackeray. They did
not know that the people were in a defiant mood. The commanders of Kittur dismissed
the agent's orders as no documents could be signed without sanction from Rani
Chennamma.
3 Thackeray was enraged and sent for the commander of: the Horse Artillery, which was
about 100 strong, and ordered him to rush his artillery into the fort and capture the
commanders of Desai's army. When the Horse Artillery stormed into the fort,
SardarGurusiddappa, who had kept his men on full alert, promptly commanded his men
to repel and chase them away. The Kittur forces made a bold front and overpowered the
British soldiers.
4 In the meanwhile, Desai's guards had shut the gates of the fort and the British Horse
Artillery men, being completely overrun and routed, had to get out through the escape
window. Rani's soldiers chased them out of the fort, killing a few of them, until they
retreated to their camps on the outskirts.
5 A few of the British had found refuge in some private residences, while some were
hiding in their tents. The Kittur soldiers captured about forty persons and brought them to
the palace. These included twelve children and a few women from the British officers'
camp. When they were brought in the presence of the Rani, she ordered the soldiers to be
imprisoned. For the women and children she had only gentleness, and admonished her
soldiers for taking them into custody. At her orders, these women and children were
taken inside the palace and given food and shelter. Rani came down from her throne,
patted the children lovingly and told them that no harm would, come to them.
6. She, then, sent word through a messenger to Thackeray that the British women and
children were safe and could be taken back any time. Seeing this noble gesture of the
Rani, he was moved. He wanted to meet this gracious lady and talk to her. He even
thought of trying to persuade her to enter into an agreement with the British to stop all
hostilities in lieu of an ‘inam’ (prize) of eleven villages. His offer was dismissed with a
gesture of contempt. She had no wish to meet Thackeray. That night she called
SardarGurusiddappa and other leading Sardars and, after discussing all the issues, came
to the conclusion that there was no point in meeting Thackeray who had come with an
army to threaten Kittur into submission to British sovereignty.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following by (1x10=10
choosing the most appropriate option: MARKS)
(i) Thackeray's political assistants met:
(a) Rani Chennamma (b) the British army
(c) the villagers (d) Sardar Gurusiddappa
(ii) The Kittur soldiers captured…………………… persons and brought them to……..
(a) twelve........ the palace (b) hundred………Kittur fort
(c) eleven …………. British officers' camp (d) ) forty.......... the palace
(iii) Thackeray sent his political assistants of Kittur on:
(a) 20 October (b) 21 November
(c) 21 October (d) 22 October.

(iv) British women and children came to Kittur to:

(a) visit Kittur (b) enjoy the battle
(c) meet the Rani (d) give company to the army officers
(v) No documents could be signed without sanction from:
(a) the king (b) Rani Chennamma
(c) SardarGurusiddappa (d) the treasury
(vi) Choose the synonym of 'terrorise’.
(a) Familiarise (b) Soothe
(c) Frighten (d) Strengthen
(vii) Choose the antonym of 'admonish’.
(a) Condemn (b) Reprimand
(c) Scold (d) Praise
(viii) Choose the meaning closest to the word ‘admonished’ in the passage.
(a) to reprimand someone firmly. (b) to advise someone
(c) to warn (someone) of something to be avoided. (d) to urge someone
(ix) Choose the word which means closest to ‘in lieu of’ from the passage.
(a) instead of (b) because of
(c) the reason behind (d) as a result of
(x) Choose the most suitable title for the passage.
(a) Rani Chinnamma (b) The Britisher’s defeat
(c) Indian Culture (d) Military skills of Kittur soldiers
Section - B : CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS (20 marks) Marks
Q.3 I. Attempt any one from A and B given below :- (5 Marks)
A The Principal, Sunshine Public School, Dindigul, has invited the Inspector of
Police (Traffic) to deliver a lecture on ‘Road Safety’ in her school. Draft a
notice in about 50 words informing the students to assemble in the school
auditorium.
OR
B As the Principal of Carmel Girls School, Amritsar, draft a notice in not more than
50 words informing students about the school’s upcoming Annual Function.
Invent the necessary details.
II Attempt any one from A and B given below :- (5 Marks)
A You are Akshya/Aakriti. You have been invited to participate in a seminar on
“Fundamental Rights of Children,’ organised by the Lions Club of your district.
Respond to the invitation by writing a letter to the Secretary of the club.
OR
B Draft an invitation on behalf of Mr.& Mrs. Raj Karan of 38, Kamal Kunj,
Varanasi, which they may use to invite their friends and relatives on the 5th birth
anniversary of their son Nikhil at their residence on 28 December 20XX.in not
more than 50 words.
III Attempt any one from A and B given below :- (5 Marks)
A Write a letter to the Editor of ‘The Hindu’ on the fear that is spreading among
people due to their anxiety over the widespread terrorism in the world. Give
suggestions to curb such anti-social activities. You are Vikram/Varsha.
OR
B Ankush Goyal, a resident of 315, Goal Chouraha, Mumbai reads an advertisement
in the newspaper for the requirement of young girls and boys to market the
products of a multinational company located in Mumbai. He decides to apply for
the same. Write Ankush’s application with bio data to the Personnel Manager,
Larsen and Turbo Ltd. 365, Badlapur, Mumbai.
IV Attempt any one from A and B given below :- (5 marks)
A Advertisements are designed to attract the audience and make a successful sale.
But in pursuit of gaining attention, often they end up misleading young minds.
Thus, it is important to regulate the content of advertisement. You are
Manit/Shalini of J.K.Memorial Institute. Write an article of 150-200 words.
OR
B School life remains one of the most crucial part of everyone’s life. As a student in
his final year, submit an article on ‘School Life’ for your school magazine. You
are Daksh/Aanya of Sanskriti Global School, New Delhi.
Section C- Literature (40 Marks)
Q.4 Read the given extracts to attempt the questions with reference to context. (1X6=6
Marks)
1 Attempt any one of two extracts given
“ Driving from my parent’
home to Cochin last Friday
Morning, I saw my mother,
beside me,
Doze, open mouthed, her
face
ashen like that
of a corpse and realized with
pain
that she was an old as she
looked
i) Name the poem
(a) My Mother at Sixty Six (b)An Elementary School Classroom School in a
Slum
(c) Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda (d) A Thing A Beauty
ii) Where was the poetess going ?
(a)Punjab (b)Chennai
(c) Cochin (d) Delhi
iii) What did the poet notice about her mother ?
(a)Mother face was pale (b)She was not in good health
(c) Mother’s face dark like a corpse (d) Both (b) and (c)
iv) Kamala Das realized that her mother had grown
(a) lifeless (b)old
(c) full of energy (d) very sick
v) Which figure of speech is used in these words, “her face ashen like that of a corpse?
(a)Metaphor (b)Simile
(c) Personification (d) Hyperbole
vi) Who is the poet of this poem ?
(a)Kamala Das (b)Stephen Spender
(c) Pablo Neruda (d) John Keats
OR
B 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…
...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.

i) The ‘endless fountain’ gets its immortal drink from

(a)the river banks (b)the tap
(c) the waterfall (d) heaven’s brink
ii) What are the things that are read or heard by us ?
(a)plays and classical music (b)novels and songs
(c) lovely tales (d) John Keats
iii) What is the thing of beauty mentioned in these lines ?
(a) Beauty in death (b)Stories of ancestors
(c) Lovely tales (d) All of the above
iv) What image does the poet use in these lines ?
(a)Endless fountain (b)Immortal drink
(c) Heaven’s brink (d) Both (a) and (c)
v) What is the effect of the ‘immortal drink’ on us ?
(a) It gets away our hopelessness (b) It brings everlasting joy
(c) Brings courage (d)It shows us the path to heaven
vi) What are the ‘mighty dead’ referred to here ?
(a) Heroes (b) The dead people
(c) Great ancestors (d) Strong and powerful
2 Attempt any one of the two extracts given:- (1x4= 4
Marks)
A Read the extract and answer the following questions:-
Unaware of what his name represents, he roams the streets with his friends, an army of
barefoot boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear at noon. Over the months,
I have come to recognise each of them. "Why aren't you wearing chappals?" I ask one.
"My mother did not bring them down from the shelf," he answers simply. "Even if she
did he will throw them off," adds another who is wearing shoes that do not match. When
I comment on it, he shuffles his feet and says nothing. "I want shoes," says a third boy
who has never owned a pair all his life. Travelling across the country I have seen children
walking barefoot, in cities, on village roads. It is not lack of money but a tradition to stay
barefoot, is one explanation. I wonder if this is only an excuse to explain away a
perpetual state of poverty.
i) What is the factual reason for not wearing chappals?
(a) Their poverty (b)Their fashion
(c) Their inability to get chappals down from the shelf (d) Their excuses
ii) What does the word 'Barefoot' mean?
(a) Without footwear (b)With footwear
(c) Neither (a) nor (b) (d) Both (a) and (b)
iii) Which literary device has been used in 'Who appear like the morning birds'?
(a) Synecdoche. (b)Metonymy
(c) Zeugma (d)Simile
iv) Replace the phrase 'Lack of from the following.
(a) Deficiency of (b) Scarcity of
(c) Shortage of (d)All of these
OR
B Read the extract and answer the following questions:
Despite long years of hard labour, first as a tailor, then a bangle maker, he has failed to
renovate a house, send his two sons to school. All he has managed to do is teach them
what he knows the art of making bangles. "It is his karam, his destiny," says Mukesh's
grandmother, who has watched her own husband go blind with the dust from polishing
the glass of bangles. "Can a god-given lineage ever be broken?" she implies. Born in the
caste of bangle makers, they have seen nothing but bangles- in the house, in the yard, in
every other house, every other yard, every street in Firozabad.
i) Who is 'He' in the above lines?
(a) Mukesh (b)Mukesh’s elder brother
(c) Mukesh Father (d)None of these
ii) What of the following trait suits the personality of Mukesh's grandmother?
(a) Superfluous (b) Superstitious
(c) Super Woman (d)All of these
iii) What is the common business of the all the people in Firozabad?
(a) To pick rags (b)To make bangles
(c) To make cooperatives (d)All of these
iv) How do bangle makers get blind?
(a) Due to the dust of glass (b) Due to the dust
(c) Due to rags (d)Due to being barefoot
3 Attempt any one of the two extracts given :-
A Read the extract and answer the following questions:- (1X6=6
Marks)
Everyone stood transfixed in stupefaction. They looked wildly at each other and blinked.
"O wise prophets! It was I who spoke." This time there were no grounds for doubt. It was
the infant born just ten days ago who had enunciated the words so clearly. The chief
astrologer took off his spectacles and gazed intently at the baby. "All those who are born
will one day have to die. We don't need your predictions to know that. There would be
some sense in it if you could tell us the manner of that death," the royal infant uttered
these words in his little squeaky voice.
i) Who is l in the above lines.
(a) The Tiger King (b) Kalki
(c) Astrologer (d)The Tiger King’s Wife
ii) Who spoke at the age of 10?
(a) The Tiger King (b) Dr. Sadao
(c) Jack (d)Evans
iii) What did the royal infant want to know?
(a) The exact manner of his marriage (b) The exact manner of his death
(c) The exact manner of his sitting on his throne (d) The exact manner of his life
iv) Find out the synonym of 'Utter' from the following.
(a) To speak (b) To express
(c) To let out (d) All of these
v) Who is the Author of the Lesson?
(a) Anees Jung (b) William Douglas
(c) Kalki (d) Jack Finney
vi) Who was the ‘’Royal Infant”?
(a) The Tiger King (b) Kalki
(c) Astrologer (d)The Tiger King’s Wife
OR
B Read the extract and answer the following questions:
He said I was unhappy. That made my wife kind of mad, but he explained that he meant
the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of it, and that I just
want to escape. Well, who doesn't? Everybody I know wants to escape, but they don't
wander down into any third level at Grand Central Station. But that's the reason, he said,
and my friends all agreed. Everything points to it, they claimed. My stamp collecting, for
example; that's a temporary refuge from reality.' Well, maybe, but my grandfather didn't
need any refuge from reality; things were pretty nice and peaceful in his days, from all I
hear, and he started my collection.
i) Who is 'He’ in the above extract?
(a) President of America (b) Louisa
(c) Charley (d) Sam
ii) What does the word 'Refuge' mean?
(a) Safe place (b)Risky place
(c) Neither safe nor risky place (d) Both (a) and (b)
iii) What did Charley's friends think of him?
(a) That he was true (b)That he wanted to go to a safe place
(c) That Charley was right in his discovery (d) That there existed the third level
seriously
iv) Who was Charley's wife?
(a) Louisa (b)Clare
(c) Hana (d) None of these
v) What was the third level?
vi) Why did Charley want to have a refuge from the modern world.
Q.5 Answer any five of the following in about 40-50 words each. (5x2=10 Marks)

A Mention any two things which, according to Keats, give us pain and suffering.
B How would keeping quiet affect the life in and around the sea?
C Douglas’ mother thought that Y.M.C.A. pool was safe for learning to swim. What are
your views?
D How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
E Why has the mother been compared to the ‘late winter’s moon’ ?
F What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?
Q.6 Answer any two of the following in about 40-50 words each. (2x2=4 Marks)

A Why did the General not send Dr.Sadao to the war front where he was most needed?
B Why did the narrator turn towards the ticket windows? Why did he run back from there?
C How did Dewan arrange for the remaining tigers for the Tiger King?
Q.7 Answer any one of the following in about 120-150 words . (1x5= 5
Marks)
A The bangle-makers of Firozabad make beautiful bangles and make everyone happy but
they live and die in squalor. Elaborate
OR
B How does Keats’ poem, A Thing of Beauty appeal richly to the senses, stimulating the
reader’s inner sight as well as the sense of touch and smell? Write your answer in about
120-150 words.
Q.8 Answer any one of the following in about 120-150 words . (1x5= 5
Marks)
A Do you think the Doctor’s final solution to the problem was the best possible one in the
circumstances?
OR
B Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?

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