Class 12 English Question Paper Solved (2024) - 16 | English Class 12 PDF Download

 Page 1


  
28-1 Page 1 P.T.O. 
Candidates must write the Q.P. Code 
on the title page of the answer-book. 
 Series &RQPS 
  
 
 
Q.P. Code 
Roll No. 
 
 
 
 Please check that this question paper contains 19 printed pages. 
 Please check that this question paper contains 13 questions. 
 Q.P. Code given on the right hand side of the question paper should be written 
on the title page of the answer-book by the candidate. 
 Please write down the serial number of the question in the answer-book 
before attempting it. 
 15 minute time has been allotted to read this question paper. The question 
paper will be distributed at 10.15 a.m. From 10.15 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., the 
students will read the question paper only and will not write any answer on the 
answer-book during this period. 
ENGLISH (Elective) 
Time allowed : 3 hours Maximum Marks : 80 
 
General Instructions :  
Read the following instructions very carefully and strictly follow them : 
(i) This question paper contains 13 questions. All questions are compulsory. 
(ii) This question paper has three sections  Section A, B and C. Section A : 
Reading, Section B : Grammar and Writing, Section C : Literature and 
Fiction. 
(iii) Separate instructions are given with each part and question, wherever necessary.  
(iv) Do no exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.  
2 8
 
SET-4 
Page 2


  
28-1 Page 1 P.T.O. 
Candidates must write the Q.P. Code 
on the title page of the answer-book. 
 Series &RQPS 
  
 
 
Q.P. Code 
Roll No. 
 
 
 
 Please check that this question paper contains 19 printed pages. 
 Please check that this question paper contains 13 questions. 
 Q.P. Code given on the right hand side of the question paper should be written 
on the title page of the answer-book by the candidate. 
 Please write down the serial number of the question in the answer-book 
before attempting it. 
 15 minute time has been allotted to read this question paper. The question 
paper will be distributed at 10.15 a.m. From 10.15 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., the 
students will read the question paper only and will not write any answer on the 
answer-book during this period. 
ENGLISH (Elective) 
Time allowed : 3 hours Maximum Marks : 80 
 
General Instructions :  
Read the following instructions very carefully and strictly follow them : 
(i) This question paper contains 13 questions. All questions are compulsory. 
(ii) This question paper has three sections  Section A, B and C. Section A : 
Reading, Section B : Grammar and Writing, Section C : Literature and 
Fiction. 
(iii) Separate instructions are given with each part and question, wherever necessary.  
(iv) Do no exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.  
2 8
 
SET-4 
  
28-1 Page 2  
                           SECTION A 
                            (Reading) 20 Marks 
1. Read the passage given below : 12 
(1) The United States and China are currently involved in an 
extraordinary standoff over allegations of espionage through  
high-altitude balloons. Last week, the US downed three unidentified 
o over its airspace and that of Canada. The downed 
o recovered, so it is not clear whether these 
were balloons. 
(2) But the first incident involved a Chinese balloon that Beijing claimed 
was meant for research purposes and was accidentally blown off 
course by wind. The US has also claimed that Chinese balloons 
entered its airspace on at least four earlier occasions, remaining 
undetected at that time. China, in turn, has accused the US of 
sending surveillance balloons over its airspace at least 10 times since 
last year. 
(3) Balloons have been in frequent use for several decades now, though 
the first use goes back by at least 200 years. They are used mainly for 
scientific purposes, but increasingly for tourism and joy rides, 
surveillance, disaster relief and rescue. 
(4) The bigger balloons can be as large as a football stadium, go up to  
40  50 km from the ground, and carry a few thousand kilograms of  
payloads. Most of these are built of thin sheets of polyethylene, like 
the common plastic bags, and are filled mostly with helium gas. 
Balloons can stay in flight from anywhere between a few hours to a 
couple of months. Those that are meant to remain in air for long, and 
go higher up in the atmosphere, are made of more advanced 
materials for increased sturdiness. 
Page 3


  
28-1 Page 1 P.T.O. 
Candidates must write the Q.P. Code 
on the title page of the answer-book. 
 Series &RQPS 
  
 
 
Q.P. Code 
Roll No. 
 
 
 
 Please check that this question paper contains 19 printed pages. 
 Please check that this question paper contains 13 questions. 
 Q.P. Code given on the right hand side of the question paper should be written 
on the title page of the answer-book by the candidate. 
 Please write down the serial number of the question in the answer-book 
before attempting it. 
 15 minute time has been allotted to read this question paper. The question 
paper will be distributed at 10.15 a.m. From 10.15 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., the 
students will read the question paper only and will not write any answer on the 
answer-book during this period. 
ENGLISH (Elective) 
Time allowed : 3 hours Maximum Marks : 80 
 
General Instructions :  
Read the following instructions very carefully and strictly follow them : 
(i) This question paper contains 13 questions. All questions are compulsory. 
(ii) This question paper has three sections  Section A, B and C. Section A : 
Reading, Section B : Grammar and Writing, Section C : Literature and 
Fiction. 
(iii) Separate instructions are given with each part and question, wherever necessary.  
(iv) Do no exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.  
2 8
 
SET-4 
  
28-1 Page 2  
                           SECTION A 
                            (Reading) 20 Marks 
1. Read the passage given below : 12 
(1) The United States and China are currently involved in an 
extraordinary standoff over allegations of espionage through  
high-altitude balloons. Last week, the US downed three unidentified 
o over its airspace and that of Canada. The downed 
o recovered, so it is not clear whether these 
were balloons. 
(2) But the first incident involved a Chinese balloon that Beijing claimed 
was meant for research purposes and was accidentally blown off 
course by wind. The US has also claimed that Chinese balloons 
entered its airspace on at least four earlier occasions, remaining 
undetected at that time. China, in turn, has accused the US of 
sending surveillance balloons over its airspace at least 10 times since 
last year. 
(3) Balloons have been in frequent use for several decades now, though 
the first use goes back by at least 200 years. They are used mainly for 
scientific purposes, but increasingly for tourism and joy rides, 
surveillance, disaster relief and rescue. 
(4) The bigger balloons can be as large as a football stadium, go up to  
40  50 km from the ground, and carry a few thousand kilograms of  
payloads. Most of these are built of thin sheets of polyethylene, like 
the common plastic bags, and are filled mostly with helium gas. 
Balloons can stay in flight from anywhere between a few hours to a 
couple of months. Those that are meant to remain in air for long, and 
go higher up in the atmosphere, are made of more advanced 
materials for increased sturdiness. 
  
28-1 Page 3 P.T.O. 
(5) Balloons typically have a basket attached to them, called gondolas, 
that carry instruments or human beings. In unmanned flights, the 
gondolas are also attached to a parachute. Once the job of the balloon 
is done, a device in the gondola is triggered to snap its ties with the 
balloon as well as create a rupture in the fabric of the balloon. With 
the help of the parachute, the gondola then glides down to the earth, 
followed by the ruptured balloon. The possible landing zone is 
calculated ahead of the flight based on weather conditions. 
(6) The most common use of balloons is in scientific research. In a way, 
balloons equipped with instruments were able to perform the 
functions of a satellite before the space age dawned. Even in the 
times of advanced satellites, there are situations in which balloons 
are considered more suitable. Weather agencies routinely use 
balloons to make measurements of air temperature, pressure, wind 
speed, direction and aerosol concentrations.   
(7) Because of the high altitudes that to balloons can attain, 
they are considered useful for astrophysicists and even space 
agencies. These are relatively clear spaces, much above the heights at 
which airplanes fly and far below the nearest orbits, about 200 km 
from earth, where satellites are placed. Very often, they offer better 
opportunities to observe specific parts of the earth, and are also 
thousands of times cheaper than satellites. 
(8) Moreover, because the balloons are brought down after their job is 
done, the instruments used are recoverable and resaleable. 
(9) NASA has a full-fledged balloon programme that does four-five 
launches every year. Several universities and research institutions 
also use balloons for research work. 
(10) Balloon-based experiments have resulted in at least two Nobel prizes 
for Physics in 1936 and 2006. 
Page 4


  
28-1 Page 1 P.T.O. 
Candidates must write the Q.P. Code 
on the title page of the answer-book. 
 Series &RQPS 
  
 
 
Q.P. Code 
Roll No. 
 
 
 
 Please check that this question paper contains 19 printed pages. 
 Please check that this question paper contains 13 questions. 
 Q.P. Code given on the right hand side of the question paper should be written 
on the title page of the answer-book by the candidate. 
 Please write down the serial number of the question in the answer-book 
before attempting it. 
 15 minute time has been allotted to read this question paper. The question 
paper will be distributed at 10.15 a.m. From 10.15 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., the 
students will read the question paper only and will not write any answer on the 
answer-book during this period. 
ENGLISH (Elective) 
Time allowed : 3 hours Maximum Marks : 80 
 
General Instructions :  
Read the following instructions very carefully and strictly follow them : 
(i) This question paper contains 13 questions. All questions are compulsory. 
(ii) This question paper has three sections  Section A, B and C. Section A : 
Reading, Section B : Grammar and Writing, Section C : Literature and 
Fiction. 
(iii) Separate instructions are given with each part and question, wherever necessary.  
(iv) Do no exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.  
2 8
 
SET-4 
  
28-1 Page 2  
                           SECTION A 
                            (Reading) 20 Marks 
1. Read the passage given below : 12 
(1) The United States and China are currently involved in an 
extraordinary standoff over allegations of espionage through  
high-altitude balloons. Last week, the US downed three unidentified 
o over its airspace and that of Canada. The downed 
o recovered, so it is not clear whether these 
were balloons. 
(2) But the first incident involved a Chinese balloon that Beijing claimed 
was meant for research purposes and was accidentally blown off 
course by wind. The US has also claimed that Chinese balloons 
entered its airspace on at least four earlier occasions, remaining 
undetected at that time. China, in turn, has accused the US of 
sending surveillance balloons over its airspace at least 10 times since 
last year. 
(3) Balloons have been in frequent use for several decades now, though 
the first use goes back by at least 200 years. They are used mainly for 
scientific purposes, but increasingly for tourism and joy rides, 
surveillance, disaster relief and rescue. 
(4) The bigger balloons can be as large as a football stadium, go up to  
40  50 km from the ground, and carry a few thousand kilograms of  
payloads. Most of these are built of thin sheets of polyethylene, like 
the common plastic bags, and are filled mostly with helium gas. 
Balloons can stay in flight from anywhere between a few hours to a 
couple of months. Those that are meant to remain in air for long, and 
go higher up in the atmosphere, are made of more advanced 
materials for increased sturdiness. 
  
28-1 Page 3 P.T.O. 
(5) Balloons typically have a basket attached to them, called gondolas, 
that carry instruments or human beings. In unmanned flights, the 
gondolas are also attached to a parachute. Once the job of the balloon 
is done, a device in the gondola is triggered to snap its ties with the 
balloon as well as create a rupture in the fabric of the balloon. With 
the help of the parachute, the gondola then glides down to the earth, 
followed by the ruptured balloon. The possible landing zone is 
calculated ahead of the flight based on weather conditions. 
(6) The most common use of balloons is in scientific research. In a way, 
balloons equipped with instruments were able to perform the 
functions of a satellite before the space age dawned. Even in the 
times of advanced satellites, there are situations in which balloons 
are considered more suitable. Weather agencies routinely use 
balloons to make measurements of air temperature, pressure, wind 
speed, direction and aerosol concentrations.   
(7) Because of the high altitudes that to balloons can attain, 
they are considered useful for astrophysicists and even space 
agencies. These are relatively clear spaces, much above the heights at 
which airplanes fly and far below the nearest orbits, about 200 km 
from earth, where satellites are placed. Very often, they offer better 
opportunities to observe specific parts of the earth, and are also 
thousands of times cheaper than satellites. 
(8) Moreover, because the balloons are brought down after their job is 
done, the instruments used are recoverable and resaleable. 
(9) NASA has a full-fledged balloon programme that does four-five 
launches every year. Several universities and research institutions 
also use balloons for research work. 
(10) Balloon-based experiments have resulted in at least two Nobel prizes 
for Physics in 1936 and 2006. 
  
28-1 Page 4  
(11) High altitude balloons are tempting vehicles for espionage operations 
though their use is not known to be very common. Drones and 
satellites are used more frequently, and spy planes have been in use 
since World War I. But here again, balloons have certain advantages. 
They can hover over an area for a prolonged time. Big balloons can 
carry a few thousand kilograms of payloads, which means they can be 
packed with spying instruments. 
(12) The biggest advantage is the greater prospect of their remaining  
undetected. Because  of their relatively slow movement, balloons are 
mostly flagged as birds by defence radars, thus escaping attention. In 
fact, the US has now said it will recalibrate its radar systems to 
detect slow-moving objects. 
(13) Balloons lack the sophisticated navigation systems  of an aircraft, 
drone or satellite, being largely at the mercy of wind speed and 
direction. But the balloon that was downed on February 4 seemed to 
have a solar panel attached to it, which has given rise to the 
possibility of it powering an onboard propulsion device. 
(14) Scientific balloons have been used in India for more than 70 years; 
the first one having been sent in 1948 by Homi Bhabha for cosmic  
ray research. The Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Fundamental 
Research started balloon fabrication work in the 1950s and several 
balloon flights were launched from Mumbai and Hyderabad. It is 
regularly used by the space institutions under ISRO and weather 
institutions like the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune. 
Institutions like the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of 
Astro
private educational institutions, also have balloon programmes. In 
1969, the TIFR opened a full-fledged balloon plant in Hyderabad, 
 such facility today. 
Page 5


  
28-1 Page 1 P.T.O. 
Candidates must write the Q.P. Code 
on the title page of the answer-book. 
 Series &RQPS 
  
 
 
Q.P. Code 
Roll No. 
 
 
 
 Please check that this question paper contains 19 printed pages. 
 Please check that this question paper contains 13 questions. 
 Q.P. Code given on the right hand side of the question paper should be written 
on the title page of the answer-book by the candidate. 
 Please write down the serial number of the question in the answer-book 
before attempting it. 
 15 minute time has been allotted to read this question paper. The question 
paper will be distributed at 10.15 a.m. From 10.15 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., the 
students will read the question paper only and will not write any answer on the 
answer-book during this period. 
ENGLISH (Elective) 
Time allowed : 3 hours Maximum Marks : 80 
 
General Instructions :  
Read the following instructions very carefully and strictly follow them : 
(i) This question paper contains 13 questions. All questions are compulsory. 
(ii) This question paper has three sections  Section A, B and C. Section A : 
Reading, Section B : Grammar and Writing, Section C : Literature and 
Fiction. 
(iii) Separate instructions are given with each part and question, wherever necessary.  
(iv) Do no exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.  
2 8
 
SET-4 
  
28-1 Page 2  
                           SECTION A 
                            (Reading) 20 Marks 
1. Read the passage given below : 12 
(1) The United States and China are currently involved in an 
extraordinary standoff over allegations of espionage through  
high-altitude balloons. Last week, the US downed three unidentified 
o over its airspace and that of Canada. The downed 
o recovered, so it is not clear whether these 
were balloons. 
(2) But the first incident involved a Chinese balloon that Beijing claimed 
was meant for research purposes and was accidentally blown off 
course by wind. The US has also claimed that Chinese balloons 
entered its airspace on at least four earlier occasions, remaining 
undetected at that time. China, in turn, has accused the US of 
sending surveillance balloons over its airspace at least 10 times since 
last year. 
(3) Balloons have been in frequent use for several decades now, though 
the first use goes back by at least 200 years. They are used mainly for 
scientific purposes, but increasingly for tourism and joy rides, 
surveillance, disaster relief and rescue. 
(4) The bigger balloons can be as large as a football stadium, go up to  
40  50 km from the ground, and carry a few thousand kilograms of  
payloads. Most of these are built of thin sheets of polyethylene, like 
the common plastic bags, and are filled mostly with helium gas. 
Balloons can stay in flight from anywhere between a few hours to a 
couple of months. Those that are meant to remain in air for long, and 
go higher up in the atmosphere, are made of more advanced 
materials for increased sturdiness. 
  
28-1 Page 3 P.T.O. 
(5) Balloons typically have a basket attached to them, called gondolas, 
that carry instruments or human beings. In unmanned flights, the 
gondolas are also attached to a parachute. Once the job of the balloon 
is done, a device in the gondola is triggered to snap its ties with the 
balloon as well as create a rupture in the fabric of the balloon. With 
the help of the parachute, the gondola then glides down to the earth, 
followed by the ruptured balloon. The possible landing zone is 
calculated ahead of the flight based on weather conditions. 
(6) The most common use of balloons is in scientific research. In a way, 
balloons equipped with instruments were able to perform the 
functions of a satellite before the space age dawned. Even in the 
times of advanced satellites, there are situations in which balloons 
are considered more suitable. Weather agencies routinely use 
balloons to make measurements of air temperature, pressure, wind 
speed, direction and aerosol concentrations.   
(7) Because of the high altitudes that to balloons can attain, 
they are considered useful for astrophysicists and even space 
agencies. These are relatively clear spaces, much above the heights at 
which airplanes fly and far below the nearest orbits, about 200 km 
from earth, where satellites are placed. Very often, they offer better 
opportunities to observe specific parts of the earth, and are also 
thousands of times cheaper than satellites. 
(8) Moreover, because the balloons are brought down after their job is 
done, the instruments used are recoverable and resaleable. 
(9) NASA has a full-fledged balloon programme that does four-five 
launches every year. Several universities and research institutions 
also use balloons for research work. 
(10) Balloon-based experiments have resulted in at least two Nobel prizes 
for Physics in 1936 and 2006. 
  
28-1 Page 4  
(11) High altitude balloons are tempting vehicles for espionage operations 
though their use is not known to be very common. Drones and 
satellites are used more frequently, and spy planes have been in use 
since World War I. But here again, balloons have certain advantages. 
They can hover over an area for a prolonged time. Big balloons can 
carry a few thousand kilograms of payloads, which means they can be 
packed with spying instruments. 
(12) The biggest advantage is the greater prospect of their remaining  
undetected. Because  of their relatively slow movement, balloons are 
mostly flagged as birds by defence radars, thus escaping attention. In 
fact, the US has now said it will recalibrate its radar systems to 
detect slow-moving objects. 
(13) Balloons lack the sophisticated navigation systems  of an aircraft, 
drone or satellite, being largely at the mercy of wind speed and 
direction. But the balloon that was downed on February 4 seemed to 
have a solar panel attached to it, which has given rise to the 
possibility of it powering an onboard propulsion device. 
(14) Scientific balloons have been used in India for more than 70 years; 
the first one having been sent in 1948 by Homi Bhabha for cosmic  
ray research. The Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Fundamental 
Research started balloon fabrication work in the 1950s and several 
balloon flights were launched from Mumbai and Hyderabad. It is 
regularly used by the space institutions under ISRO and weather 
institutions like the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune. 
Institutions like the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of 
Astro
private educational institutions, also have balloon programmes. In 
1969, the TIFR opened a full-fledged balloon plant in Hyderabad, 
 such facility today. 
  
28-1 Page 5 P.T.O. 
 Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any twelve out of 
the fifteen questions given below : 12 1=12 
(i) Balloons have been used primarily for : 
(A) scientific purposes. 
(B) tourism and joy rides. 
(C) providing disaster relief. 
(D) keeping an eye on the enemy installations. 
(ii) The advantage of the balloons is that they : 
(A) can take off from anywhere. 
(B) can carry heavy payloads. 
(C) stay in flight for as long as we wish. 
(D) are much cheaper in comparison to satellites. 
(iii) The basket- :  
(A) can carry payloads and human beings.  
(B) have to be manually ruptured after the job is completed. 
(C) need to be refuelled. 
(D) have a device which is fixed in the gondola to trigger to snap 
its ties with the balloon. 
(iv) Even after the dawn of the modern space-age, the importance of the 
balloons has not _____________ . 
(A) been curtailed 
(B) enhanced 
(C) become popular 
(D) become redundant 
(v) As compared to satellites, the balloons are more useful to 
astrophysicists and space agencies because  
(A) balloons can reach greater heights. 
(B) they provide better opportunities to observe specific parts of 
the earth. 
(C) they . 
(D) balloons are invisible.