CBSE Sample Question Paper English (Core) - 2017 - 18 | English Class 12 PDF Download

General Instructions:

1. This paper is divided into three sections: A, B and C. All the sections 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.

SECTION-A

(READING

1. Read the passage given below :   

1. A fisherman, enfeebled with age, could no longer go out to sea so he began fishing in the river. Every morning he would go down to the river and sit there fishing the whole day long. In the evening he would sell whatever he had caught, buy food for himself and go home. It was a hard life for an old man. One hot afternoon while he was trying to keep awake and bemoaning his fate, a large bird with silvery feathers alighted on a rock near him. It was Kaha, the heavenly bird. “Have you no one to care for you, grandpa ?” asked the bird. “Not a soul.” “You should not be doing such work at your age, ” said the bird. “From now on I will bring you a big fish every evening. You can sell it and live in comfort.” True to her word, the bird began to drop a large fish at his doorstep every evening. All that the fisherman had to do was take it to the market and sell it. As big fish were in great demand, he was soon rolling in money. He bought a cottage near the sea, with a garden around it and engaged a servant to cook for him. His wife had died some years earlier. He had decided to marry again and began to look for a suitable woman.

2. One day he heard the royal courtier make an announcement. Our king has news of a great bird called Kaha,” said the courtier. “Whoever can give information about this bird and help catch it, will be rewarded with half the gold in the royal treasury and half the kingdom !” The fisherman was sorely tempted by the reward. Half the kingdom would make him a prince !

3. “Why does the king want the bird ?” he asked. “He has lost his sight,” explained the courtier. “A wise man has advised him to bathe his eyes with the blood of Kaha. Do you know where she can be found ?” “No…I mean …no, no…” Torn between greed and his sense of gratitude to the bird, the fisherman could not give a coherent reply. The courtier, sensing that he knew something about the bird, informed the king. The king had him brought to the palace.

4. “If you have information about the bird, tell me,” urged the king. “I will reward you handsomely and if you help catch her, I will personally crown you king of half my domain.” “I will get the bird for you,” cried the fisherman, suddenly making up his mind. “But Kaha is strong. I will need help.” The king sent a dozen soldiers with him. That evening when the bird came with the fish, the fisherman called out to her to wait. “You drop the fish and go and I never get a chance to thank you for all that you’ve done for me," he said. “Today I have laid out a feast for you inside. Please alight and come in.” Kaha was reluctant to accept the invitation but the fisherman pleaded so earnestly that she finally gave in, and alighted. The moment she was on the ground, the fisherman grabbed one of her legs and shouted to the soldiers hiding in his house to come out. They rushed to his aid but their combined effort could not keep Kaha down.

5. She rose into the air with the fisherman still clinging onto her leg. By the time he realised he was being carried away, the fisherman was too high in the air to let go. He hung on grimly, and neither he nor Kaha were ever seen again.

1.1 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer each of the questions given below by choosing the most appropriate option:     (1x4=4)

(a) Why was the king desperately looking for Kaha the bird ?

i. The king wanted a pet bird.
ii. A wise man advised the king to capture the bird for good luck.
iii. Kaha was the only heavenly bird with silvery feathers.
iv. The king was blind and required Kaha’s blood for his eyes.

(b) Why did the bird volunteer to bring fish for the old man ?
i. The old man was inexperienced at fishing.
ii. The bird took pity on the old man and wanted to help him.
iii. The bird had caught more fish than required.
iv. The bird wanted to make the old man rich.

(c) What led the courtier to sense that the fisherman might know something about Kaha ?

i. The courtier had observed Kaha alight at the fisherman’s house every evening.
ii. The courtier had seen the fisherman talk to Kaha.
iii. The fisherman fumbled when asked about Kaha.
iv. Word went around that the fisherman was in contact with Kaha.

(d) Which of the following is not true about Kaha ?

i. Kaha was a very considerate bird.
ii. The blood of Kaha was precious.
iii. Kaha was a strong bird.
iv. Kaha saved the fisherman from the King’s wrath.

1.2 Answer the following questions briefly:

a. Why did the fisherman stammer when asked if he knew about the bird ?
b. How did the fisherman get Kaha to come down ?
c. What does the phrase ‘rolling in money’ in the passage refer to ?
d. Why was the fisherman doubtful about revealing information about Kaha to the courtier ?
e. Mention two traits  of farmer's character revealed through the story.
f. How did the bird manage to escape?

1.3 Pick out the words/phrases from the passage which are opposite in meaning to the following:                 (1x2 =2) 

i. Take off  (Para 1)
ii. Released (Para 4)

2. Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow:

1. The youth is a dynamo, an ocean, an inexhaustible reservoir of energy. But this energy cannot be kept in prison. Its basic nature is to flow , to express itself. The youth energy on the basis of the nature of its expression can be divided into four categories.

2. The vast majority of the youth today are with the establishment, whose formula of life is learn, earn, burn, and enjoy. It means learn to operate the modern devices and employ them to earn the maximum amount of wealth to the point of burning the natural resources of the earth , as well as yourself out, and then enjoy your own funeral. This category of youth is intelligent, skilful and hardworking but it lacks insight and foresight. They are self-indulgent and any sense of moral code of conduct is alien to their nature. Neither are they able to see in depth, to find out whether there is a deeper meaning and purpose to their human life, nor have they the capacity to look beyond the tips of their nose to find out the consequences of their way and approach, where it is leading them to. They are the ends unto themselves and enjoyment is the motto of their life.

3. The second category of youth in nature and approach is the same but as it is less privileged and less qualified and skilled; it has lesser opportunities for earning and enjoying. Such youth may be incited to be against the establishment. This opposition takes various forms. When it is well organised and systemic it may take the form of political opposition and even go to the extent of expressing itself in unjust ways. When the opposition is not so intense  and organised , it remains content with giving verbal expression to its resentment periodically. The youth of the above two categories need to be shown the correct path to positively channelize their energy.

4. The third section of youth is a sober and thoughtful class of people, which objectively observes and studies the phenomenon of development of the world. These youth find that man in his insatiable thirst for consumption has become blind and lost the sense of distinction between milk and blood .Today man in his mad rush for exploitation is sucking the blood of Mother Earth; leading to their destruction and is thereby digging his own grave . This responsible category of young people is looking for an alternative mode of development based on co-operation between man and man. This development based on mutual love, friendship and harmony is not only sustainable but leading to endless prosperity mutually. To bring about his natural revolution from death-movement to life-movement is the aim of this group.

5. The fourth and most vital group of youth which is going to usher  humanity into the third millennium and act as the pioneer for the future development of planetary life is engaged in evolving a new way of life and releasing a new principle of global consciousness through a fundamental research in the science of life. The science of life is a new branch of  knowledge which takes the whole man into account without dividing him into subjective and objective halves of spirituality and physicality and does not treat him either as a refined (thinking) animal or an ethereal entity, having its base in some other non- physical world. It , rather, recognises man as a basic unit of conscious life which has got immense, practically inexhaustible, possibilities and potentialities for evolution, development and growth. As per the Vedic formula, man is the micro-cosmos and his fullest flowering and enfoldment  lies in his identification with the cosmos.

2.1 On the basis of your understanding of the passage, complete the statements given below by choosing the most appropriate option:    (1x2=2)

(a) Which trait is lacking in the youth that is dexterous with the modern devices?

i. intelligence
ii. perseverance
iii. foresight
iv. skilfulness

(b) Which category of youth supports the view that man’s growth lies in his identification with cosmos

i. the youth that will take us to the third millennium
ii. that which supports sustainable development
iii. youth that opposes the establishment
iv. youth that is self-indulgent and unscrupulous

2.2 Answer the following briefly:             (1x6=6)

a. What is the most prominent quality associated with youth?
b. Explain the formula of majority of youth.
c. Give the merits and demerits of the pro- establishment youth.
d. How does the dissatisfied youth express itself?
e. Explain the attitude of modern man towards the Mother Earth.
f. How is humanity likely to be ushered  in a new millennium?

2.3 Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following:     (1x2 =2)

i. Provided with facilities (para3)
ii. the universe seen as a well-ordered whole (para5)

3. Read the passage given below:

1. Colour Therapy is a complementary therapy for which there is evidence dating back thousands of years to the ancient cultures of Egypt, China and India. If we define it in simple terms, Colour is a light of varying wavelengths, thus each colour has its own particular wavelength and energy.

2. Colours contribute energy. This energy may be motivational and encouraging. Each of the seven colours of the spectrum are associated with energy.The energy relating to each of the seven spectrum colours of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, resonates with the energy of each of the seven main chakras/energy centres of the body. Colour therapy can help to re-balance and/or stimulate these energies by applying the appropriate colour to the body .

3. Red relates to the base chakra, orange the sacral chakra, yellow the solar plexus chakra, green the heart chakra, blue the throat chakra, indigo the brow chakra (sometimes referred to as the third eye) and violet relates to the crown chakra.

4. Colour is absorbed by the eyes, skin, skull our ‘magnetic energy field’ or aura and the energy of colour affects us on all levels, that is to say, physical, spiritual and emotional. Every cell in the body needs light energy - thus colour energy has widespread effects on the whole body. There are many different ways of giving colour, including; Solarised Water, Light boxes/lamps with colour filters, colour silks and hands on healing using colour.

5. Colour therapy can be shown to help on a physical level, which is perhaps easier to quantify, however there are deeper issues around the colours on the psychological and spiritual levels. Our wellbeing is not, of course, purely a physical issue. Fortunately, many more practitioners, both orthodox and complementary are now treating patients in an holistic manner.

6. Colour Therapy is a totally holistic and non-invasive therapy and, really, colour should be a part of our everyday life, not just something we experience for an hour or two with a therapist. Colour is all around us everywhere. This wonderful planet does not contain all the beautiful colours of the rainbow for no reason. Nothing on this earth is here just by chance; everything in nature is here for a purpose. Colour is no exception. All we need to do is to heighten our awareness of the energy of colour, absorb it and see how it can transform our lives. 

(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary-minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also supply an appropriate title to it.     (5)

(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.           (3)

SECTION : B

(WRITING SKILLS )

4. You are Arnit/Arnika .You want to sell your car as you are planning to buy a new one . Draft a suitable advertisement to be published in the Vehicles column of a newspaper.     (4)

OR

You are Dr. Amit Gupta, an eminent educationist. You have been invited to preside over an Inter Zonal Declamation competition by Nalini, the President of English Literary Club of Government Model Sr. Sec. School, Sector-20, Chandigarh. Write a reply accepting the invitation.

5. You are Nitin/ Natasha, staying at 20, S.F.S. Flats, Worli, Mumbai. You bought a mobile phone from “Mobile Villa”, Mahim, Mumbai. The phone developed a problem within a few days of the purchase. Write a letter to the Sales Manager of the showroom complaining about the defect and seeking immediate replacement.           (6)

OR

You are Mallika/Mayank, student of class XII, Modern School, Shimla. You are eager to enter the National Film Academy, Shimla, after your board results. Write a letter to the Director of the film academy seeking information regarding admission procedure, eligibility criteria, fee structure, placement opportunities, etc.

6. On the threshold of being a world super power, India does have a large young workforce but unfortunately not many in this force are employable for want of necessary skills. Write in about 150-200 words, an article for a newspaper on the topic' Skill Development is the need of the hour'. You are Anita/Arnav.       (10)

OR

With a view to create awareness regarding health St. Anne's school organised 'Health Mela' in the school premises. Various charts, models, fitness equipments were displayed. Lectures, debates, discussions, plays were organised. A workshop on low calorie  cooking was also organised. Write a report in 150-200 words on the 'Health  Mela' for the school magazine. You are Neha/Nikhil, Secretary of the Health Club of school.

7. Yoga unites the body, mind and soul. When you are in harmony, the journey through life is calmer, happier and more fulfilling.. Write a speech in 150-200 words to be delivered in the morning assembly on the topic ' Yoga- a way of life'. You are Karan/ Kajal, Head Boy /Head Girl of D.A.V. Public School, Delhi.

OR

'Homes for the aged is a necessity in India '. Write a debate in 150-200 words either for or against the motion. You are Shivam/Shivani.

SECTION: C 

(LITERATURE: TEXT BOOKS and LONG READING TEXT)

8. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:              (4)

Those who prepare green wars, wars with gas, wars with fire,

Victory with no survivors, would put on clean clothes

And walk about with their brothers in the shade, doing nothing.

1. Who are ' those ' in line 1 ?
2. What are 'green wars'?
3. Explain : ' victory with no survivors'.
4. Which figure of speech is used in the above stanza?

OR

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.

1. Why is it so hard for Aunt Jennifer to pull the ivory needle?
2. Which poetic device has been used in line 1?
3. What is 'uncle’s wedding band’?
4. Why does the poet use ‘ massive weight’ and ‘sits heavily’ for uncle's ring? 

9. Answer any four of the following questions in about 30 -40 words each:                (3x4=12)

a. Why did Hauser  and the other villagers come to attend the last lesson?
b. How did the near drowning experience at the pool affect Douglas?
c. Why does the poetess look at ‘young trees ‘and ‘merry  children’?
d. What does Stephen Spender want for the children of the slums?
e. ‘I shall cut my tuft ,crop my hair short and become an insurance agent'.  Explain the context.
f. Why does Mr. lamb say,” So you are not lost , are you ? Not altogether ?"

10. Answer any one of the following questions in about 120-150 words:     (6)

Edla's empathetic  and compassionate behaviour changed the life of the rat trap seller .Do you think that an act of kindness can change a person's  view  of the world?

OR

Maintaining a balance between one’s fantasies and the real world is the key to the survival . Give your opinion on Sophie’s character in the light of the above statement.

11. Answer any one of the following questions in about 120-150 words: Dr. Sadao planned and helped the  enemy soldier to escape. Comment.          (6)

OR

Give an account of the blunders committed by the prison authorities which helped Evans in escaping from the prison.

12. Answer the following question in about 120-150 words:            (6)

Compare and contrast the character of Dr. Kemp with that of Griffin.

OR

Attempt a character sketch of Silas Marner.

13. Answer the following question in about 120-150 words:                (6)

Why did the invisible man choose Mr. Marvel as his helper?

OR

How does Molly Farren affect the course of action that takes place in the story?