English: CBSE Sample Question Paper (2020-21) - 2 | English Class 12 PDF Download

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS :

1. This paper is divided into two parts A and B.
2. All the questions are compulsory.
3. Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read these instructions very carefully and follow them.
4. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

Part-A (40 Marks)

Q.1. Read the passage given below:
1. If one early June morning, you are suddenly stopped in your walk by a ringing ‘pip-piu-pee-pee piu-piu’ call coming from the trees in your park or garden, you will feel your heart suddenly lifted.
Look around and you may see two large, handsome, black-and-white birds with long coattails chasing each other among the trees. They are pied cuckoos, that have come from Africa, and are said to announce the arrival of the greatest show on earth-the Indian monsoon. Be assured, the curtains will rise in a month or so.
2. To get a proper view of the onset of the monsoons, you really need to be stationed on the coastline of India or up in the hills. The grand show of grey clouds approaches like an airborne army, preceded by cool breezes, filling the air with electric charge so that you feel very happy. Spear of lighting flickers in the sky and the sound of thunder makes you feel excited. And then, it pours. The cracked earth without any green cover sucks down the flood of water, and then Mother Nature goes mad. Seeds scattered or buried like grains of sand of pebbles in the ground suddenly come to life. Shoots of plants rocket skywards, roots plunge into the soft, spongy earth sucking up water and nutrients. It’s a hint the grasshoppers have been waiting for. And bugs, beetles, caterpillars, centipedes, etc. emerge in their billions, feasting on the fresh green plants in the fields (to the annoyance of many a farmers) as also on each other.
3. There are miracles and there is music too: singing golden frogs appearing in large numbers in rain filled ditch, taking part in a group song that bollywood would have envied. They vanish the very next day. They’d been waiting patiently all through the blistering summer, deep underground, conserving whatever moisture they had soaked up. Fireflies wink through the trees in the hills, sending their greenish signals to one another in codes as precise as any we may use for our most secret messages.
4. All this is what the birds have been waiting for. Most birds have spent the spring and summer courting and now it’s time to settle down. Baby birds need a lot of high protein at frequent intervals, which the rich supply of insect life so happily provides: caterpillars are eaten up in millions, as are furry moths, earthworms slurped down like noodles, spiky dragonflies beaten to bits to soften them up into baby food. The long-legged storks and herons get busy with fishing. As for the big guys like lions and tigers in the jungles: they too had it relatively easy during the summer when their thirsty prey came to the waterholes. Now, with water easily available, in streams and ponds all over, they need to work harder for their meals. But yes, this is, perhaps, compensated by the arrival of baby deer, and fawns are sweet and soft, not very experienced in the merciless ways of the lions and tigers, even if they may seem more like a snack than a main course meal. The animals get a rest from us, parks and sanctuaries too close down, not so much out of kindness as because the roads become impassable.
5. And then, just as you are beginning to get tired of the green mould on your shoes, belts and bags, and of all the sniffles and snuffles that the rains also bring (bacteria and viruses also love this season), the clouds begin to disperse and float away in large armies. But before this happens, at least once, do go out in the midst of a downpour, raise your face to the heavens and dance and sing and celebrate this, the greatest show on earth.
Based on your understanding of the above passage, answer any ten of the questions given below by choosing the most appropriate option:    (1×10=10)
(1) The winged messengers from Africa:
(i) bring rain from Africa
(ii) bring the message that the rains are coming soon
(iii) create a lot of horrible noise
(iv) are not welcome
Ans. (ii) bring the message that rains are coming soon

(2) Baby birds benefit from the rains because:
(i) The mummy bird cannot fly in the rain.
(ii) They need a lot of noodles.
(iii) The rain brings a lot of insects which they eat.
(iv) They like wet nests.
Ans. (iii) The rain brings a lot of insects which they eat.

(3) Humans don’t visit the animals in sanctuaries during the rainy season because:
(i) Humans don’t like to get wet.
(ii) The paths to the sanctuaries become waterlogged.
(iii) Baby animals are born in the sanctuaries.
(iv) Humans get bitten during the rainy season.
Ans. (ii) The paths to the sanctuaries become waterlogged.

(4) The green mould that grows on leather comes:
(i) from the creepy insects that come with the rain
(ii) because grass becomes very green during the rainy season
(iii) because of the moisture in the air during the rainy season
(iv) from fluffy clouds in the sky
Ans. (iii) because of the moisture in the air during the rainy season

(5) Lions and tigers have easy life during summer because:
(i) There is easy availability of water everywhere.
(ii) They are not able to catch fawns.
(iii) Humans visit the sanctuaries a lot during summer.
(iv) Thirsty animals come to the waterholes as easy preys.
Ans. (iv) Thirsty animals come to the waterholes as easy preys.

(6) With the rain, we find:
(i) that most of the birds court
(ii) that the clouds begin to disperse
(iii) parks and sanctuaries close down
(iv) clean shoes, belts and bags
Ans. (iii) Parks and sanctuaries close down.

(7) During summers, where do the frogs live?
(i) deep underground
(ii) in the ponds
(iii) in gardens
(iv) none of these
Ans. (i) deep underground

(8) What is the most awaited time for birds?
(i) summer
(ii) winter
(iii) spring
(iv) rainy season
Ans. (iv) rainy season

(9) Pick out the word or phrase from the passage which means the same as ‘declare’ (used in Para 1).
(i) ringing
(ii) announce
(iii) arrival
(iv) call
Ans. (ii) announce

(10) Pick out the word/phrase from the passage opposite in meaning to ‘vanishing’ (used in Para 2).
(i) appearing
(ii) disappearing
(iii) waiting
(iv) conserving
Ans. (i) appearing

(11) What does the word ‘mould’ (used in Para 4) mean in the passage?
(i) furry growth of fungi
(ii) loose friable soil
(iii) pattern
(iv) fashion
Ans. (i) furry growth of fungi

Q.2. Read the passage given below:
1. Human life changes constantly over time. Mobile phones were previously seen only among few high-class people and were considered as something lavish. Then slowly, even the average or the common men on the street, like a cobbler or vegetable vendor, could be seen having a cell-phone. In the world today, even young kids and school going children are found busily chatting away on their mobile phones. Now kids as young as seven and eight too have started owning a mobile phone. Welcome to the new age world!
2. Studies recommend that mobile phones should only be given to children above sixteen years of age. Children below the age of sixteen should not be given mobile phones since their brain is too sensitive to withstand the effects of mobile radiation. Since the tissues in the brain and body are still developing, these radiations can cause cell damage. Due to the absorption of radiation, children can have severe health issues. Although, adults also get affected by these radiations it will be more severe in children because of increased absorption of these radiation levels. Experts also believe there is a link between childhood cancer and mobile phone usage among children.
3. A survey was conducted to get the views of the parents and teachers as to whether the children below sixteen years of age should be given mobiles or not was conducted. The responses received were formulated into a pie diagram as under:
Whether students should be given mobiles or not

Based on your understanding of the above passage, answer any ten of the questions given below by choosing the most appropriate option:    (1 × 10 = 10)
(1) What was previously seen among only high-class individuals?
(i) Air conditioners
(ii) Cars
(iii) Mobile phones
(iv) Laptops
Ans. (iii) Mobile phones

(2) Now-a-days, who are found busily chatting on their mobiles phones?
(i) Vegetable vendors
(ii) Cobblers
(iii) Executives
(iv) Kids
Ans. (iv) Kids

(3) What is the minimum age prescribed by the studies to give mobile phones to children?
(i) Ten
(ii) Twelve
(iii) Fourteen
(iv) Sixteen
Ans. (iv) Sixteen

(4) Which of these effects the tissues of the brains?
(i) Mobile battery
(ii) Mobile screen
(iii) Mobile radiation
(iv) All of these
Ans. (iii) Mobile radiation

(5) Which of these diseases is linked to mobile phone usage?
(i) Childhood obesity
(ii) Childhood retardation
(iii) Childhood cancer
(iv) All of these
Ans. (iii) Childhood cancer

(6) Whose views were taken during the survey
(i) Teachers
(ii) Parents
(iii) Kids
(iv) Both (i) and (ii)
Ans. (iv) Both (i) and (ii)

(7) What percentage of parents and teachers are against giving mobile phones to students in any situation?
(i) 7%
(ii) 20%
(iii) 30%
(iv) 43%
Ans. (iv) 43%

(8) Which of these categories is represented by this pictorial representation?

(i) Yes, no restrictions
(ii) Yes, but not during class hours
(iii) Yes, but only in emergency
(iv) No, never
Ans. (iii) Yes, but only in emergency

(9) Pick out the word or phrase from the passage which means the same as ‘extravagant’ (used in Para 1).
(i) High-class
(ii) Lavish
(iii) Vendor
(iv) Busily
Ans. (ii) Lavish

(10) Pick out the word or phrase from the passage which means opposite to ‘contracting’ (Para 2).
(i) Recommending
(ii) Developing
(iii) Absorbing
(iv) Linking
Ans. (ii) Developing

(11) The word ‘conducted’ used in Para 3 here means:
(i) Steered
(ii) Sold
(iii) Planned
(iv) Finalised
Ans. (i) Steered

Q.3. Read the extract given below and attempt ANY TWO of the three given by answering the questions that follow.    (4 + 4 = 8)
(a) ‘If at the end of the day we can feed our families and go to bed without an aching stomach, we would rather live here than in the fields that gave us no grain,’ say a group of women in tattered saris when I ask them why they left their beautiful land of green fields and rivers.
(i) Who are ‘we’ in the above lines?
a. Refugees living in Seemapuri.
b. Refugees living in Firozabad.
c. Refugees living in India.
d. Refugees of South India.
Ans. (i) a. Refugees living in Seemapuri

(ii) From where have they come?
a. Lahore
b. Dhaka
c. Colombo
d. Kathmandu
Ans. (ii) b. Dhaka

(iii) Why are they not willing to go back to their homeland?
a. They have no relatives there.
b. They have no means of living there.
c. They have no supply of raw material there.
d. They love India.
Ans. (iii) b. They have no means of living there.

(iv) Which word in the passage means ‘old and torn’?
a. Feed
b. Aching
c. Rather
d. Tattered
Ans. (iv) d. Tattered

(b) It had happened when I was ten or eleven years old. I had decided to learn to swim. There was a pool at the Y.M.C.A. in Yakima that offered exactly the opportunity. The Yakima River was treacherous. Mother continually warned against it, and kept fresh in my mind the details of each drowning in the river. But the Y.M.C.A. pool was safe.
(i) Who is ‘I’ in the above lines?
a. The narrator
b. The coach
c. The Young Boy
d. Father of the young boy
Ans. (i) a. The narrator

(ii) Why did mother not allow ‘I’ to learn swimming in a river?
a. Religion did not allow this
b. Social barriers to learn swimming
c. Afraid about safety of her child
d. All of these
Ans. (ii) c. Afraid about safety of her child

(iii) What was reported to ‘I’?
a. Coldness of water in Yakima river
b. Coldness of water in swimming pool
c. Drowning cases in Yakima river
d. Drowning cases in swimming pool
Ans. (iii) c. Drowning cases in Yakima river

(iv) How was Y.M.C.A. a safe pool?
a. It had warm water.
b. It was open only during day time.
c. It had no water animals in it.
d. It was two to three feet deep at the shallow end.
Ans. (iv) d. It was two to three feet deep at the shallow end.

(c) “And which one of you two morons was it who took Evans for a nice little walk to the main gates and waved him bye-bye?”
(i) Who speaks these words?
a. Governor
b. Stephens
c. Jackson
d. McLeery
Ans. (i) a. Governor

(ii) To whom are these words spoken to?
a. McLeery and James Roderick
b. Stephens and Jackson
c. Stephens and James Roderick
d. McLeery and Jackson
Ans. (ii) b. Stephens and Jackson

(iii) Who was the one who had escorted Evans to the main gates?
a. McLeery
b. Jackson
c. Stephens
d. James Roderick
Ans. (iii) c. Stephens

(iv) Why is the speaker angry?
a. Evans had cut his hair
b. Evans had cleared the exam
c. Evans had escaped from the prison
d. Evans had learnt German
Ans. (iv) c. Evans had escaped from the prison.

Q.4. Read the extract given below and attempt ANY ONE of the two given by answering the questions that follow.    (4 Mark)
(a) At back of the dim class
One unnoted, sweet and young. His eyes live in a dream,
Of squirrel’s game, in tree room, other than this.
(i) Why was the class dim?
a. Lack of electricity
b. Lack of windows
c. Lack of tube lights
d. All of these
Ans. (i) a. Lack of electricity

(ii) What was he doing?
a. Sleeping
b. Eating
c. Dreaming
d. Singing
Ans. (ii)  c. Dreaming

(iii) How is the young child different from others?
a. He had books in his hands.
b. He had food in his lunch box.
c. He had rings in his fingers.
d. He had hopes in his eyes.
Ans. (iii) d. He had hopes in his eyes

(iv) What is a tree room?
a. Brick room built on tree branch
b. Temporary room built on tree branch
c. Hollow space inside the tree
d. Space between leaves on a branch
Ans. (iv) c. Hollow space inside the tree

(b) Perhaps the Earth can teach us as when everything seems dead and later proves to be alive.
(i) What can the earth teach us?
a. Silence is not death.
b. Death is not silent.
c. Silence and death are synonyms.
d. None of these
Ans. (i) a. Silence is not death

(ii) How can we achieve the state of ‘seems dead’?
a. Taking out time to introspect
b. Taking out time to synchronise
c. Taking out time to cry
d. Taking out time to laugh
Ans. (ii) a. Taking out time to introspect

(iii) What is the antonym of ‘nothing’ in the stanza?
a. Teach
b. Everything
c. Dead
d. Later
Ans. (iii) b. Everything

(iv) Which word in the stanza means ‘not alive’?
a. Teach
b. Dead
c. Alive
d. Seems
Ans. (iv) b. Dead

Q.5. Attempt ANY EIGHT questions from the ten given below.
(i) What did Mr. Hamel teach?
a. French
b. German
c. English
d. Spanish
Ans. (i) (a) French

(ii) What is the full name of Saheb?
a. Saheb Singh
b. Sahebzade
c. Saheb-e-Alam
d. Saheb-e-Baksh
Ans. (ii) (c) Saheb-e-Alam.

(iii) What was the name of Mahatma Gandhi’s youngest son?
a. Ba
b. Devdas
c. Yamada
d. Ramdev
Ans. (iii) (b) Devdas.

(iv) Which poetic device is expressed in the phrase ‘trees sprinting’ in the poem ‘My Mother at sixty- Six’?
a. Personification
b. Simile
c. Adjuminate
d. Lifile
Ans. (iv) (a) Personification.

(v) What does ‘The tall girl with her head weighed down’ mean?
a. Ill and exhausted
b. Healthy and charming
c. Poor and ill-fed
d. None of these
Ans. (v) (a) Ill and exhausted.

(vi) What moves the ‘pall from our lives’?
a. Some shape of speed
b. Some shape of kindness
c. Some shape of health
d. Some shape of beauty
Ans. (vi) (d) Some shape of beauty.

(vii) What do her ‘fluttering fingers’ find hard?
a. To do embroidery
b. To read books
c. To pull the ivory needle
d. To push the tigers
Ans. (vii) (c) To pull the ivory needle.

(viii) The Third Level of which station has been discussed in the story?
a. Grand Northern Station
b. Grand Southern Station
c. Grand Central Station
d. Grand London Station
Ans. (viii) (c) Grand Central Station.

(ix) How did Jo want the story to end?
a. Jo wanted wizard to hit Mother Skunk
b. Jo wanted wizard to return Roger Skunk’s awful smell
c. Jo wanted the story never to end
d. Jo wanted owl to call the wizard again
Ans. (ix) (a) Jo wanted wizard to hit Mother Skunk.

(x) Who is the author of the story ‘Evans tries an O-Level’?
a. Colin Dexter
b. Khushwant Singh
c. Kamala Das
d. Louis Fischer
Ans. (x) (a) Colin Dexter.

Part-B (40 Marks)

Q.6. Attempt any  any ONE of the following:    (3 Mark)
(a) An interclass drama competition is to be held in St. Stephen’s School, Vishakapatanam. As Akash, Head Boy of the school, draft a notice to be put up on the notice board inviting entries. Provide all necessary information in about 50 words.
Ans.

OR
(b) You need to buy a flat. Draft a suitable advertisement in about 50 words to be published in the classified columns of a local newspaper giving all the necessary details of your requirement. You are Karan/Karuna, M-114, Mall Road, Delhi.    (3 Mark)
Ans.

Q.7. Attempt any ONE of the following
(a) You are Faiz/Falak Mazumdar living at 39, Udampur Colony, Shimla. You decide to hold a dinner party to congratulate your grandparents on their golden wedding anniversary. Draft a formal invitation in not more than 50 words to all family members to attend a grand dinner at home.    (3 Mark)
Ans.

OR
(b) Suman Gupta/Suresh Gupta has cleared the Pre-medical and Pre-dental entrance examination. The family is elated at the achievement and they decide to have a get-together of all friends. Draft an informal invitation for the occasion.    (3 Mark)
Ans.

Q.8. Attempt any ONE of the following:
(a) Recently you went to your native village to visit your grandparents. You saw that some of the children in the age group 5–14 (the age at which they should have been at school) remained at home, were working in the fields or simply loitering in the streets. Write a letter in 120–150 words to the editor of a national daily analysing the problem and offering solutions to it. You are Navtej/Navita, M–114 Mount Kailash, Kanpur.    (5 Mark)

Ans.
M –114 Mount Kailash
Kanpur
April 12, 20xx
The Editor,
The Times of India
New Delhi
Sub : Children missing the school
Dear Sir,
It is disheartening to see that many of the children in our country still do not go to school and rather spend their childhood working.
A few days ago, I visited Singhpur village, my grandfather’s native place. I was very disappointed to see that children in the age group of 5–14 were working in the fields or simply loitering on the streets. The parents, instead of sending them to the school, prefer to make them work. They do not realise how important education is for the future of their children and the country.
It is very essential that the people in rural areas are made aware of the importance of education and towards the efforts made by the government. The programmes of ‘Compulsory Education for All’ or ‘mid–day meals’ should be made known to them. Apart from that, there should also be efforts to educate the adults of that area. Only when they are educated and aware, they will realise the value of education and send their children to school.
I hope all the children in our country will go to school and the dream of hundred percent literacy in India will become a reality.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Navtej
OR
(b) You are Shobha/Sushil from 56. A Block, Saket, Agra. Write an application along with a personal resume in 120–125 words in response to the following advertisement: Wanted an experienced hockey coach having B.P. Ed. Degree for our school. Apply to the Principal, Agarsen Public School, Agra with detailed resume by 15 March, 2019.    (5 Mark)
Ans.
56, A– Block,
Saket
Agra
10 March, 2019
The Principal
Agarsen Public School
Agra
Subject : Application for the post of Hockey Coach
Sir,
In response to the advertisement published in The Times of India dated 10 March, 20xx for the post of a Hockey Coach in your institution, I offer my candidature for the same.
I am a young and energetic person having four years of experience in the same field. I assure that I will work with dedication and sincerity.
Kindly find enclosed herewith my certificates, testimonials and resume which enlists my educational and professional qualifications along with other details.
If my application is considered worth pursuing, I would be available for Interview according to your convenience.
Yours truly,
Sushil Kant

Q.9. Attempt any ONE of the following:
(a) The tendency to use violence at the slightest provocation and thus to solve personal and general problems is growing among people in our society. This is not a civilized way of dealing with the problems. Violence solves no problem; it must be shunned. Write an article in 150 – 200 words on the topic, ‘Don’t take law into your own hands.’ You are Shan/Shobha.    (5 Mark)
Yay use the given cues along with your own ideas.
Problems 

-- increase in number of cases of violence in all spheres
-- no respect for law or each other
-- no fear of consequences
Reasons 
-- stressful life style
-- hype given by media
-- growing intolerance
-- mob mentality
Solutions
-- responsible role of schools/parents/media in spreading awareness
-- effective policing
-- stricter laws, stricter implementation
-- encourage de-stressing alternatives
Ans.
Don’t take law into your own hands
Shobha
Instances are not wanting of criminals being caught red-handed by the public who thrash them before the police arrive on the scene. Similarly, if criminals are apprehended by the police, the public expect the latter to thrash them publicly to send a strong message to other criminals.
The tendency to use violence at the slightest provocation and thus to solve personal and general problems is growing among people in our society. This is not a civilized way of dealing with the problems. Violence solves no problem; it must be shunned. Nowadays, people think that they have the solution to every problem and that is through violence. Violence, the act of causing physical harm to another person willingly, has often been categorized as being an uncivilized, unjustified act. It is mostly known that attacking or inflicting harm upon another person is “wrong”. We need a society where justice prevails, not one where every individual seeks it with a knife in their hand. There is a constitution in place and laws are strictly defined. We can’t just do what we feel is right. Because if everyone decides to pull out a gun, the society will go for a toss and everyone will have their own justifications for what they do. We do need a society where justice prevails and law and order is maintained.
If all solutions were as easy as violence, then why would there be so many laws and courts to give justice to the aggrieved? Taking a mutual decision in personal matters is alright but interrupting in matters that are court matters is not correct. If all decisions could be taken by public opinion, then there would be no need of courts. Lawyers hold their position only because of their knowledge of the law and the capability to differentiate between lawful and unlawful practices. These days even the public who catch a criminal red-handed do not wait for the police to arrive, but start beating him on spot, which sometimes even lead to the death of the person. In these cases, the police miss out on the criminals’ statement and cannot punish him as per the law.
As civilisation progresses, such acts of the law enforcers and public approval of such acts only lead one to believe that judiciary does not exist. Instant rustic justice is not the answer to crime, but quick judicial disposal is. However, with such heavy pendency of cases in courts all over the country, getting timely justice is a far cry. But can we still approve such acts of justice by the public or police?

OR

(b) You recently attended a workshop on creative writing that was conducted by Scholastic India Ltd. Write a report in about 150-200 words for your school magazine giving details. You are Akshay/ Akshita of Graham Public School, Indore.
You may use the given cues along with your own ideas.    (5 Mark)
- Creative Writing Workshop
- web of words
- enriching session
- techniques of storytelling
- five sessions
- Principal of the school thanked
Ans.
CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP
By Akshay
A Creative Writing Workshop was organised for Grahma Public School, Indore for the students of class V to Class XII on October 28, 2015 by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd. The resource person was Ms. Deepa Aggarwal, a renowned writer, poet and educator. We were taught how to create a web of words around simple ideas by letting our imaginations go wild. It was an enriching session for the children where they learned different skills to improve their creative writing.
The workshop helped the students use classic techniques of storytelling to write fiction and nonfiction. It was divided in five sessions. Session 1 was dealt with story structures in fiction and nonfiction writings; Session 2 was on the plot; Session 3 included narrative design and voice; Session 4 was based on character and dialogue; Session 5 focused on setting and Session 6 on establishing the writer’s routine. studTehnets  had a wonderful time attending the workshop. They wrote their own stories and also some non-fiction pieces. They were also told that the articles and short stories they had written during the workshop would be published by Scholastic India. The Principal of the school, Mr. Verma, thanked Scholastic India and Ms. Aggarwal for the wonderful learning experience that the students had.

Q.10. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each.    (Any Five) (2×5=10)
(i) Why did the village elders occupy the back benches in the classroom to attend the last lesson delivered by M. Hamel?        (Any Five) (2 × 5 = 10)
(ii) What is Mukesh’s dream? Do you think he will be able to fulfil his dream? Why or Why not?
(iii) Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him?
(iv) What change does the poet hope for in the lives of the slum children?
(v) What symbol from nature does the poet use to prove that ‘Keeping Quiet’ is not a total inactivity?
(vi) What are the difficulties that Aunt Jennifer faced in her life?
Ans.
(i) Value Points :
– felt sorry as they had not gone to school for a longer period
– wanted to pay respect to the mother tongue which they would not be learning anymore – wanted to thank M. Hamel for his unflinching service to the village for forty years
– show respect to their mother tongue   (any two) (CBSE Marking Scheme, 2019)
Detailed Answer: The elders of the village were sitting in the classroom as they had come to know about the orders from Berlin that they would not be taught French any more. They were sitting there to thank the teacher Mr. Hamel for his forty years of service and to show their respect for their language and the country.
(ii) Value Points:
To become motor mechanic; yes, he has a strong determination; wants to improve his living condition.  [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2014]
Detailed Answer : Mukesh is a young boy, whose family is engaged in making bangles. Mukesh’s dream is to become a motor mechanic. Yes, he will be able to fulfil his dream as he has a strong determination and wants to improve his living condition.
(iii) Value Points:
- basically kind
- trusting and compassionate
- wanted peddler to enjoy
- be at peace
- did not want to turn away a guest on the Christmas eve
- kind gesture to reform the peddler.    [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2014-15]
Detailed Answer:
Edla was basically trusting and compassionate. She wanted the peddler to enjoy and be at peace. She did not want to turn away the guest on a Christmas Eve. It was her kind gesture to reform the peddler.
(iv) Value Points:
— To bring about active attention of the concerned higher authorities
— To impart useful and relevant education
— To help them lead a better life
— To expose them to the beautiful world of blue skies/golden sand/green fields/literature
— To remove social injustice and class inequalities
Detailed Answer:
The poet hopes that there is a need to bring the active attention of the higher authorities concerned. Useful and relevant education needs to be imparted to these slum children so that their lives can be changed and they can lead a better life, and social injustice and class inequalities can be removed.
(v) Value Points:
‘Earth’ seeming to be still is very much alive underneath/nurturing life under the apparent stillness, e.g., ‘when everything seems dead and later proves to be alive’. In winter, seeds buried are dormant but sprout in the spring.   [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2014]
Detailed Answer:
Poet uses two symbols to prove his statement:
(a) ‘Earth’ seeming still is very much alive underneath/has a murmuring life under the apparent stillness, e.g., ‘when everything seems dead it later proves to be alive.’ 2
(b) In winter, seeds buried are dormant but sprout in the spring.
(vi) Value Points:
Difficult marriage/constraints of a bad marriage/dominating, authoritarian and domineering husband/ordeals/oppression/ physical infirmities/mental agony.    (Any two) [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2014]
Detailed Answer:
Aunt Jennifer led a miserable life. She was probably dominated by her husband. Being timid, she could never stand up boldly against him and bore her sufferings like a caged bird. She seemed to be constantly in fear of her husband and was all the time nervous and scared.

Q.11. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each.    (Any Two) (2×2=4)
(i) Why did Dr. Sadao’s servants leave his service?
(ii) Give an example to show that Jo was a sensitive child.
(iii) Why did Mr. Lamb help Derry?
Ans. (i) Value Points: servants unhappy at Sadao’s decision to treat the wounded soldier, felt it was unpatriotic    [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2015]
Detailed Answer:
The servants felt that they could not stay if Sadao kept that white man any more in the house. People would think that they liked Americans. The servants grew more watchful daily. On the seventh day, the servants left all together.
(ii) Value Points:
– she was upset that Roger Skunk had no friends
– mother had hit wizard.    [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2017]
Detailed Answer: Jo was a very sensitive child because she was upset that Roger Skunk had no friends. She also expressed her unhappiness when Skunk’s mother hit wizard for giving him the smell of roses.
(iii) Value Points:
— out of empathy and concern–both were handicapped; understood each other ’s plight
— to save the boy from self–pitying habit   [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2014]
Detailed Answer: Mr. Lamb and Derry both were handicapped. So, out of empathy Mr. Lamb understood Derry ’s plight and helped him to come out of his self-pitying habit.

Q.12. Answer the following in 120-150 words.
What made the peddler finally change his ways?    (5 Mark)
Ans.
Value Points :
— he was lonely, ill-treated by others, a thief, a beggar
— Edla’s compassion, trust and good treatment changed him into a better person
— returned the stolen money, letter of thankfulness
Detailed Answer: The world had never been kind to the peddler. It made the peddler a petty thief. However, the Ironmaster’s daughter proved to be an angel in his life. When her father came to know that the peddler was not one of his regimental acquaintances, he ordered him to leave his house immediately. Now, his daughter came to his rescue. She said that it was none of the peddler’s mistake. As a result, her father gave in. She treated the peddler as if he were a real captain. Her kindness and sympathy completely transformed the peddler. While leaving the Ironmaster’s house he left a small packet having a small rattrap, three wrinkled ten-krona notes and a letter. In his letter he wrote, “Since you have been nice to me all day long, I want to be nice to you, in return. You can give the money to the old man on the roadside. The rattrap is a Christmas present from a rat who would have been caught in the world’s rattrap if he had not been raised to a captain.”
OR
How did a visit to Champaran become a turning point in Gandhi’s life? How does this show Gandhi’s love and concern for the common people of India?   (5 Mark)
Ans. In Champaran, the peasants were greatly in fear of the British government. The cause of the problem was indigo and the greed of the landlords. They had forced the tenants to plant 15% of their holdings with indigo and surrender the entire produce to the landlords. When synthetic indigo came, the landlords were ready to release the above condition. They demanded compensation, the repercussions of which the peasants did not know and agreed to it. Later, when the peasants came to know about synthetic indigo, they asked for their money back. The British hired thugs to oppose them. Gandhiji realized that there was no need for lawyers. He realized that it was necessary to release them of their fear which was difficult to achieve, as they were uneducated. However, with his determination, he championed their cause. Soon, he led a movement of non-violence and Satyagraha. Many farmers demonstrated around the courtroom where Gandhiji was summoned. This made the British feel challenged. Share-croppers from Champaran came barefooted to see Gandhiji. Muzzafarpur lawyers too called on him. He explained what he had done was an ordinary thing. He had simply told the Britishers that they could not order him in his own country. Gandhiji tried to mould new free Indians who could stand on their own feet. This new realization gave him a direction to lead the freedom struggle and thus, proved to be a turning point in his life. This was the first time Gandhiji realised that India was capable of mass movements and it was after this episode that he started the national struggle for freedom across the country.

Q.13. Answer the following in 120-150 words.
At the end of the storytelling session, why does Jack consider himself ‘caught in an ugly middle position’?   (5 Mark)
Ans.
Jack was ‘caught in an ugly middle position’ because he was caught between two difficult situations. He was unable to escape the harsh realities of life rather he tried to habituate himself to the prevailing situation. He had to manage his family with two children, his daughter Jo and his son Bobby. And hence, Jack was entangled between two worlds. The first world belonged to Roger Fish, Roger Squirrel or Roger Chipmunk where he is telling the story of a wise owl and the Wizard with a magic wand. The world upstairs consists of his children. Jo had raised a question about whether the Wizard should hit the mommy Skunk or not. Jack was unable to satisfy her as he was very cautious about the downside world where his wife Clare was painting. The house was not well kept and the household items were scattered. They were expecting a baby and he was supposed to go and help her as she was working hard to make both the ends meet. In this way, Jack was caught in an ugly middle position between the romantic world and the real world.
OR
How was the ‘injured’ McLeery able to befool the prison officers?    (5 Mark)
Ans. Value Points:
— Injured McLeery was Evans himself
— Evans impersonated McLeery with all make-up didn’t take an ambulance to avoid being taken to hospital
— found a German question paper to convince the Governor of Evans’ plans
— managed to leave the premises with the Detective Superintendent, Carter    (Any three) [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2012]
Detailed Answer:
All precautions had been taken for the smooth conduct of the O-level German examination. No one wanted to take chances with ‘Evans the Breaker’. He had already escaped from prison three times. The Governor had to make an unusual request to the Board to conduct the examination in the cell itself. One of the persons from St. Mary Mag was to invigilate. The senior prison officer Jackson and prison officer Stephens left no stone unturned to make all the necessary arrangements. Evans’ razor and nail scissors were taken away as they could be used for cutting his throat or injuring McLeery. Jackson took two hours to search his cell and reported that nothing was hidden there. But Evans disturbed all his plans. He managed to procure a false beard, a pair of spectacles, a dog collar and some sort of weapon in his cell through the false McLeery. Actually, he had managed to keep the real McLeery securely bound and gagged in his study at Board Street. He had been there since 8:15 a.m. This meant that McLeery never went to prison. Secondly, it was Evans who impersonated McLeery and stayed in the cell. Stephens made a hasty conclusion that the injured man in the chair was McLeery. The last act of folly on the part of the Governor was enough to let Evans slip out of his net. Thus, this was how the ‘injured’ McLeery was able to befool the prison officers and Evans was able to escape.