English: CBSE Sample Question Paper (2020-21) - 3 | 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. The Art of Living is learnt easily by those who are positive and optimistic. From humble and simple people to great leaders in history, science or literature, we can learn a lot about the art of living, by having a peep into their lives. The daily routines of these great men not only reveal their different, maybe unique life styles, but also help us learn certain habits and practices they followed. Here are some; read, enjoy and follow in their footsteps as it suits you.
2. A private workplace always helps. Jane Austen asked that a certain squeaky hinge should never be oiled so that she always had a warning whenever someone was approaching the room where she wrote. William Faulkner, lacking a lock on his study door, detached the doorknob and brought it into the room with him. Mark Twain’s family knew better than to breach his study door—they would blow a horn to draw him out. Graham Greene went even further, renting a secret office; only his wife knew the address and the telephone number. After all, everyone of us needs a workplace where we can work on our creation uninterruptedly. Equally we need our private space too!
3. A daily walk has always been a source of inspiration. For many artists, a regular stroll was essentially a creative inspiration. Charles Dickens famously took three hour walks every afternoon, and what he observed on them fed directly into his writing. Tchaikovsky could make do with a two-hour jaunt but wouldn’t return a moment early; convinced that doing so would make him ill. Ludwig van Beethoven took lengthy strolls after lunch, carrying a pencil and paper with him in case inspiration struck. Nineteenth century composer Erik Satie did the same on his long hikes from Paris to the working-class suburb where he lived, stopping under street lamps to jot down ideas that came on his journey; it’s rumored that when those lamps were turned off during the war years, his music declined too. Many great people had limited social life too. One of Simone de Beauvoir’s close friends puts it this way. ‘There were no receptions, parties. It was an uncluttered kind of life, a simplicity deliberately constructed so that she could do her work’. To Pablo the idea of Sunday was an ‘at home day’.
4. The routines of these thinkers are difficult. Perhaps it is because they are so unattainable. The very idea that you can organize your time as you like is out of reach for most of us, so I’ll close with a toast to all those who worked with difficulties. Like Francine Prose, who began writing when the school bus picked up her children and stopped when it brought them back; or T. S. Eliot, who found it much easier to write once he had a day job in a bank than he had as a starving poet and even F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose early books were written in his strict schedule as a young military officer. Those days were not as interesting as the nights in Paris that came later, but they were much more productive- and no doubt easier on his liver.
5. Being forced to follow someone else’s routine may irritate, but it makes it easier to stay on the path. Whenever we break that trail ourselves or take an easy path of least resistance, perhaps what’s most important is that we keep walking.
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 passage is about:
(i) how to practise walking
(ii) walking every day
(iii) the life of a genius
(iv) what we can learn from the routines of geniuses
Ans. (iv) what we can learn from the routine of the geniuses.

(2) The writers in the past:
(i) followed a perfect daily routine
(ii) enjoyed the difficulties of life
(iii) can teach us a lot
(iv) wrote a lot in books
Ans. (i) followed a perfect daily routine.

(3) In their daily routines:
(i) They had unique life styles.
(ii) They read books and enjoyed them.
(iii) They did not get any privacy.
(iv) They did not mind visitors.
Ans. (ii) they had unique lifestyles.

(4) Some artists resorted to walking as it was:
(i) an exercise
(ii) a creative inspiration
(iii) essential for improving their health
(iv) helpful in interaction with others
Ans. (ii) a creative inspiration.

(5) To Pablo, the idea of Sunday was an:
(i) at home day
(ii) off day
(iii) at a mall day
(iv) at friend’s place day
Ans. (i) at home day.

(6) Beethoven took along with him during his long walk:
(i) Pen and paper
(ii) Pencil and bag
(iii) Water bottle
(iv) Pencil and paper
Ans. (iv) Pencil and paper

(7) Composer Erik Satie used to:
(i) Compose music after his walk
(ii) Write his ideas under street lamp
(iii) Sleep immediately after his walk
(iv) Have lunch in late evening
Ans. (ii) Write his ideas under street lamp

(8) When did F. Scott Fitzgerald write his early books?
(i) During his regular stroll
(ii) In his secret office
(iii) During his strict schedule
(iv) In his study room
Ans. (iii) During his strict schedule

(9) Pick out the word or phrase from the passage which means the same as ‘noisy’ (Para 2).
(i) Squeaky
(ii) Detaching
(iii) Blowing
(iv) Breaching
Ans. (i) Squeaky

(10) What does the word ‘unattainable’ (Para 4) mean in the passage?
(i) Not available
(ii) Not achievable
(iii) Unreachable
(iv) Impossible
Ans. (ii) Not achievable

(11) The noun form of ‘organize’ is:
(i) Organizing
(ii) Organization
(iii) Organized
(iv) None of these
Ans. (ii) Organization

Q.2. Read the passage given below:
1. Andy Dehart is a shark expert and TV presenter who lives in the United States of America. He has had a lifelong interest in sharks and is always trying to look for ways to educate the public about them. Many people think that sharks have little or no intelligence, but Andy points out that recent studies have shown that many shark species possess powerful problem-solving abilities and social skills. “Sharks do not want to attack humans,” he asserts. “There is no shark species that eats humans as part of its regular diet. In most shark attack cases. The shark leaves after realising that it has mistakenly bitten a human and not its intended prey.”
2. In Andy ’s opinion, all shark fishing should be stopped until the shark populations have had time to grow again. We then need to do a better job of managing the fishing of sharks. However. Even if the direct fishing of sharks is stopped, many will still be killed when they are caught up in the nets of boats fishing for other species of fish.
3. When Andy was a boy, his father worked for a national oceanic organisation, and Andy travelled with him all over the Caribbean. He grew up by the coast and he has been connected with the sea for as long as he can remember. He also lived near one of the best aquariums in America. Andy then went on to build a career working with sharks in an aquarium environment. More recently, he has been involved with television and the making of programmes about the sharks.
4. Andy and his wife had their first child two years ago. They were amused and amazed to see what extent their work with animals has proved to be useful in bringing up their daughter. They know how to observe her behaviour and teach her how to do things by rewarding her.
5. Andy loves sharks and is very passionate about their survival and protection. He feels extremely lucky to have had opportunities working at the National Aquarium and the television station which presents the Nature Channel. He never wastes a moment in either place that could be spent educating people about sharks. He does admit that it is probably not possible for everyone to love sharks as he does. However, he does hope to persuade people personally or through the media to respect sharks and the critical role they play in our environment. His main objective is to keep spreading awareness that sharks are not dangerous man-eaters but essential creatures in our oceans, as they provide ecological balance and help to control other species.
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) How long has Andy been interested in sharks?
(i) Life long
(ii) Since he was a boy
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)
(iv) Neither (i) nor (ii)
Ans. (iii) Both (i) and (ii)

(2) What evidence is there that the sharks may be intelligent?
(i) Their problem solving and social skills
(ii) Their social skills
(iii) Eat humans
(iv) Their oceanic organisation
Ans. (i) Their problem solving and social skills

(3) Why does Andy believe that sharks only attack humans by mistake?
(i) They don’t eat humans as a part of their diet.
(ii) They leave after realising that it has mistakenly bit humans.
(iii) Human is not its intended prey.
(iv) All of these
Ans. (iv) All of these

(4) What does Andy expect to happen if all shark fishing is stopped for a while?
(i) Shark’s population will grow.
(ii) They will be in great demand.
(iii) People will go for fishing of other species.
(iv) Risk of their extinction will go away.
Ans. (i) Sharks’ population will grow again.

(5) As a child, what influenced Andy ’s later choice of career?
(i) His father ’s working for a national oceanic organisation.
(ii) His travelling with his father all over Caribbean.
(iii) He was connected with sea.
(iv) All of these
Ans. (iv) All of these

(6) How did Andy ’s work help him when bringing up his daughter?
(i) They know how to teach her things by rewarding her.
(ii) They taught her by reprimanding her.
(iii) They taught her to observe behaviour of others.
(iv) Connection of animals to the daughter ’s keenness.
Ans. (i) They know how to teach her things by rewarding her.

(7) According to the graph, how many sharks were caught in 1990?
(i) 650,000
(ii) 700,000
(iii) 700
(iv) 800
Ans. (ii) 700,000

(8) How does Andy hope to educate people about sharks?
(i) Through his work at the National Aquarium
(ii) Through the media
(iii) Through the Nature Challenge
(iv) All of these
Ans. (iv) All of these

(9) From the given pictorial representations, choose the option which represent the total percentage of students responding Telephone and Text Message?

Ans. Option 2

(10) In which decade were maximum sharks caught globally?
(i) 1960s
(ii) 1970s
(iii) 1980s
(iv) 1990s
Ans. (iv) 1990s

(11) Even after the ascending trend, in which year the number of number of sharks caught remained the same?
(i) 1970
(ii) 1975
(iii) 1980
(iv) 1985
Ans. (i) 1970

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) All at once the church–clock struck twelve. Then the Angelus. At the same moment the trumpets of the Prussians, returning from drill, sounded under our windows. M. Hamel stood up, very pale, in his chair. I never saw him look so tall.
(i) What is Angelus?
a. Prayers said in the morning
b. Prayers said in the middle of the day
c. Prayers said in the evenin
d. All of these
Ans. (i) d. All of these

(ii) Who are the Prussians?
a. Residents of Germany
b. Residents of Poland
c. Residents of some parts of Austria
d. All of these combined
Ans. (ii) d. All of these combined

(iii) Why was Mr. Hamel so pale?
a. He was tired by the end of the class.
b. He was replaced by the German teacher.
c. He was not well.
d. He was tired due of the mischief caused by the students.
Ans. (iii) b. He was replaced by the German teacher

(iv) ‘I never saw him look so tall’ means
a. Sad
b. Excited
c. Lively
d. Giant
Ans. (iv) a. Sad

(b) ‘I am Rajkumar Shukla. I am from Champaran, and I want you to come to my district’!’’
(i) Who was Rajkumar Shukla?
a. Advocate
b. Zamindar
c. Peasant
d. British official
Ans. (i) c. Peasant

(ii) Whom was he addressing to?
a. Mahatma Gandhi
b. Rabindranath Tagore
c. Kasturba Gandhi
d. Kriplani
Ans. (ii) a. Mahatma Gandhi

(iii) Why did he request the addressee to come to his district?
a. To sort the problems of the local advocates
b. To convince others to start growing Indigo
c. To sort the problem of sharecroppers
d. To start India’s struggle for independence
Ans. (iii) c. To share the problems of sharecroppers

(iv) Where does the district ‘Champaran’ lie?
a. Foothills of Himalayas
b. Gangetic Plains
c. Western Ghats
d. Thar Desert
Ans. (iv) a. Foothills of Himalayas

(c) Sadao stopped, Hana at his side, and turned the man’s head. They saw the face. ‘A white man!’ Hana whispered. Yes, it was a white man.
(i) What did Dr. Sadao see when he turned the face of the man?
a. Man with yellow hair
b. Man with yellow beard
c. Man showing signs of being tortured
d. All of these
Ans. (i) d. All of these

(ii) In what state was the white man lying?
a. Unconscious
b. Dead
c. Sleeping
d. Drunk
Ans. (ii) a. Unconscious

(iii) Which part of the body of young man had wound?
a. Left side of upper back
b. Head and chest
c. Both the legs
d. Right side of lower back
Ans. (iii) d. Right side of lower back

(iv) To which of these the white man belonged to?
a. US Army
b. US Navy
c. Japanese army
d. Japanese navy
Ans. (iv) b. US Navy

Q.4. Read the extract given below and attempt ANY ONE of the two given by answering the questions that follow.    (4)
(a) Perhaps the Earth can teach us as when everything seems dead and later proves to be alive.
Now I’ll count up to twelve and you keep quiet and I will go.
(i) Name the poet.
a. Kamla Das
b. Pablo Neruda
c. Adrienne Rich
d. John Keats
Ans. (i) b. Pablo Neruda

(ii) What does the Earth teach us?
a. Stillness does not mean inactivity
b. Stillness is the essence of life
c. Stillness is the most beautiful thing
d. Stillness is inevitable
Ans. (ii) a. Stillness does not mean inactivity

(iii) What does the poet want to achieve by counting up to twelve?
a. To recollect counting
b. To waste time
c. To control anger
d. To introspect
Ans. (iii) d. To introspect

(iv) Which of these is an example of what now seems to be dead but later on becomes alive?
a. Seed
b. Earth
c. Water
d. Counting
Ans. (iv) a. Seed

(b) 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.
(i) Why is it heavy?
a. Restrictions of son
b. Domination of husband
c. Gaining weight
d. All of these
Ans. (i) b. Domination of husband

(ii) What is Aunt Jennifer doing with her wool?
a. Embroidering tigers
b. Cleaning teeth
c. Injecting syrups
d. Stitching clothes
Ans. (ii) a. Embroidering tigers

(iii) Why does she find it difficult to pull her ivory needle?
a. She is terrorised
b. She has become old
c. She is unwell
d. She has forgotten the use of ivory needle
Ans. (iii) a. She is terrorised

(iv) What does ‘wedding band’ stand for?
a. wedding ring
b. Music played at the wedding
c. Responsibilities towards parents
d. Responsibilities of married life
Ans. (iv) d. Responsibilities of married life

Q.5. Attempt ANY EIGHT questions from the ten given below.    (1 x 8 = 8)
(i) Which language was made compulsory to be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine?
a. Portuguese
b. French
c. German
d. Spanish
Ans. (i) (c) German.

(ii) Who was the owner of the little grey cottage by the roadside?
a. An old man
b. An old woman
c. A young boy
d. A young girl
Ans. (a) An old man

(iii) Who is the author of the story ‘Indigo’?
a. Khushwant Singh
b. Kamala Das
c. Louis Fischer
d. John Keats
Ans. (c) Louis Fischer

(iv) What is the theme of the poem ‘My Mother at Sixty-Six’?
a. Separation from mother
b. Separation from family
c. Separation from native town
d. Separation from friends
Ans. (a) Separation from mother

(v) How is the last stanza of the poem ‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’ unlike the rest of the poem?
a. It is vague.
b. It is realistic
c. It is optimistic
d. It is pessimistic
Ans. (c) It is optimistic.

(vi) What are the things that are read or heard by us?
a. The fairy tales
b. The tales of stars
c. The tales of strugglers
d. The tales of martyrs
Ans. (d) The tales of martyrs

(vii) What is the attitude of the poet towards Aunt Jennifer?
a. Anger
b. Love
c. Sympathy
d. Mixed feelings
Ans. (c) Sympathy

(viii) Which American President used to collect stamps?
a. President Roosevelt
b. President Washington
c. President Clinton
d. President Bush
Ans. (a) President Roosevelt

(ix) Where did Sadao meet Tom?
a. Flung from the river
b. Flung from the ocean
c. At the clinic
d. In the bus
Ans. (b) Flung from the ocean

(x) What was the name of Jo’s brother?
a. Jack
b. Lobby
c. Bobby
d. Slack
Ans. (c) Bobby

Part-B (40 Marks)

Q.6. Attempt any ONE of the following    (3 Mark)
(a) Every year, in the central park of the city, a flower show is held in the month of February. Your school has received a circular from the District Collector inviting your students to visit it. Write a notice in about 50 words informing the students about the show and advising them to go and enjoy it. You are Navtej/Navita, Head Boy/ Head Girl, Sunrise Public School, Surat.
Ans.
OR
(b) You have cleared your IIT Entrance Exam and so want to sell off the reading material you have with you. Write an advertisement to be placed in the ‘For Sale’ columns of a local daily, giving all details of the material you have with you in not more than 50 words. You are Mohan/Mohini. Contact No. 9811111111.    (3 Mark)
Ans.

Q.7. Attempt any ONE of the following:
(a) On 30 November, your school is going to hold its Annual Sports Day. You want Mr. Dhanraj Pillai, a noted hockey player to give away the prizes to the budding sportspersons of the school. Write a formal invitation in about 50 words requesting him to grace the occasion. You are Karuna/ Karan, Sports Secretary, Sunrise Global School, Agra.    (3 Mark)
Ans.
Sunrise Global School
Agra
20 October, 20xx
Mr. Dhanraj Pillai
311, Shubham Enclave
Greater Kailash
Delhi
Sub : Invitation to be the Chief Guest Annual Sports Day
Dear Sir,
We are glad to inform you that our school is celebrating its 20th Annual Sports Day on 2 November, 20xx. It would be our honour if you could join us on the occasion as the Chief Guest of the day.
Waiting for your confirmation,
Yours truly
Karan
(Sports Secretary)
OR
(b) Sunrise Global School, Agra is going to organize a one-act play competition in their school auditorium. You have decided to invite the noted stage artiste, Nalini to grace the occasion. Draft a formal invitation for her in about 50 words. You are Karuna/Karan, Cultural Secretary.     (3 Mark)
Ans.
Sunrise Global School
Agra 5 March, 2016
Ms. Nalini
27, Kamla Nagar
Agra
Subject : Invitation
Dear Madam,
Our school is going to organize a One-act play competition in our school auditorium on 10 March, 20xx from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. We shall be highly obliged if you could spare some of your precious time to grace the occasion.
I hope that you will accept this humble request and will confirm your programme at the earliest.
Thanking you.
Yours sincerely
Karuna
(Cultural Secretary)

Q.8. Attempt any ONE of the following:
(a) When cricket teams go abroad the members are allowed to take their wives, even friends along with them. Does this fact distract them or help them to focus on their game in a better way? If it is good, why don’t we allow our athletes to enjoy the same privilege? Write a letter to the Editor of a national daily in 120–150 words giving your views on the issue. You are Navtej/ Navita, M–144 Mount Kailash, Kanpur.    (5 Mark)
Ans.
M –114 Mount Kailash
Kanpur
April 12, 20xx
The Editor,
The Times of India
New Delhi
Subject : Should sportsmen be accompanied by family and friends when they go abroad officially?
Dear Sir,
It has become a common practice for all the cricketers these days to take their family and friends along with them whenever they go abroad for their official trips. I wonder if this is fair.
I believe that this distracts them from their goal as they will be more occupied with family and friends rather than focusing on their practice sessions and game. I am afraid the trips will be more like fun filled holidays rather than official tours and this will definitely affect their performance. And let us not forget that on their performance depends the country’s pride and dignity.
On the other hand, if the officials feel that it actually helps them in focusing on their game, then may we ask why the same privilege is not given to our athletes. The rules should be the same for everyone and there should be no discrimination between sportsmen.
I hope that the sports bodies will take the issue under consideration and give it a serious thought.
Yours sincerely,
Navtej
OR
(b) You see a classified advertisement in the newspaper inviting applications for the post of a Sales Executive in a reputed bank. Write a letter with bio-data in about 120–150 words to the HR Manager, HABC Bank, Lajpat Nagar New, applying for the post advertised. You are Avani/Aviral of 120, Kirti Nagar, Delhi.    [Comptt. Delhi Set I, 2015]    (5 Mark)
Ans.
 

Q.9. Attempt any ONE of the following

(a) India is a land of diversity. One way in which it makes us feel proud of it is the number of festivals we enjoy. Write an article in 150-200 words on ‘Festivals of India’. You are Karuna/Karan.       (5 Mark)
You may use the given cues along with your own ideas.
- a land of diversity
- physical appearances, dresses, languages
- heritage
- no distinction
- overwhelmed with joy
- unify the palaces
- eradicating the differences
Ans.

Festivals of India
By Karuna
India is a land of diversity. Indians are diverse in their physical appearances, dresses, languages, and creed. Even then, it is really fascinating to witness how the Bengalis, the Marathas, the Gujaratis, the Tamils, the Andhras, the Oriyas, the Assamese, the Punjabis and the Kashmiris – have all retained their peculiar characteristics throughout the ages. The dwellers of any part of India still have more or less the same virtues. There is something living and dynamic about this heritage which manifests itself in the way of festivals. These festivals know no distinction either of age, community, faith or even nationality. Whether it is Holi or Diwali, Sankranti or Pongal, Id or Gurupurv, people of all ages and areas enjoy them alike. The rich and poor all celebrate these festivals in their own way but the fact, that is to be noted is that these festivals cause everyone to be overwhelmed with joy. People forget all differences of caste, creed and faith and become one in their joy while celebrating these festivals. These festivals really unify the palaces and huts, the bare-bodied beggars and the crowned kings. They not only eat up our routine boredom, and tedium but also in return give us a freshness, chewing up all our worries, pumping in zeal and enthusiasm. Eradicating the differences of religions and regions, rich and poor, these festivals bring joy and spiritual serenity for all Indians in particular and the world in general.
OR
(b) You are Karan / Kirti of L.M. Memorial Public School, Dwarka. Your school has adopted a village as a social responsibility. Students are being taken to teach the children of that village on a regular basis. Write a report, for your school magazine, on the various other programmes organized there in 150-200 words.    (5 Mark)
Ans.
Various Activities In The Adopted Village
By Karan/Kriti
On the occasion of World Literacy Day, the students of L.M. Memorial Public School, Dwarka were taken to a nearby village named Rajpur.
The school has taken the responsibility of educating the people residing in the village. Selected students from each standard are taken there every weekend, during school hours to impart knowledge. The first 6 months motive is to make each and every person capable of reading and writing. Free books and stationery is being provided for quality education. Children are given time to teach the residents in small groups, play games and interact. Apart from the educational needs, special care is devoted to hygiene and sanitation. Girls are being given awareness on the importance of menstrual hygiene as well. Various talent hunts were organised which left everyone overawed. The immense enthusiasm and zeal in the people to learn is the main driving factor.
A family kind of environment is created. The school treats the people of the village as its own students and is unbiased. By adopting a village, the school is making its students sensitive towards the need of the welfare of unprivileged and duty towards the society at a young age.

Q.10. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each.    (Any Five) (2×5=10)
(i) Which two incidents in the life of William Douglas before he was ten years old created an aversion in his mind to water?
(ii) How was the peddler received in the cottage?
(iii) Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of mere 25 percent?
(iv) How is the atmosphere inside an elementary slum classroom different from the one outside it?
(v) How would keeping quiet affect life in and around the sea?
(vi) What picture of male chauvinism (tyranny) do we find in the poem, ‘Aunt Jennifer ’s Tigers’?
Ans. (i) Value Points:
– when he was three or four years old–went to the beach in California with his father–huge wave knocked him down/swept over him/ he was buried under water/frightened at the overpowering force of the wave.
– at Y.M.C.A pool, a big boy tossed him into the deep end. [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2019]
Detailed Answer:
William Douglas’ fear and aversion to water started when he was three or four years old and his father took him to the beach in California. They stood together in the surf. He hung onto his father, yet the waves knocked him down and swept over him. He was buried in water. His breath was gone and he was frightened. His father laughed, but there was terror in his heart at the overpowering force of the waves. Another misadventure took place when he went to the Y.M.C.A pool to learn swimming. A big bully of a boy threw him into the deepest end of the pool. He had a near–death experience which left a deep scar on his mind and he grew an aversion to water.
(ii) Value Points: to ask for shelter for the night; the crofter treated him kindly; offered him shelter in his cottage; gave him food; also played cards with him and smoked tobacco.    [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2014]
Detailed Answer: The peddler knocked at the cottage to ask for shelter for the night. The crofter treated him kindly; offered him shelter in his cottage and gave him food. He also played cards with him and smoked tobacco.
(iii) Value Points:
– a mount less important than the fact that landlords had to surrender money and part off with prestige.
– breaking deadlock was more important than amount of money.    [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2016]
Detailed Answer: Gandhiji agreed to a settlement of mere 25 percent compensation from the British because he wanted them to part not only from money but also from their prestige. For him, breaking deadlock was more important than amount of money.
(iv) The children sitting inside the elementary classroom are sick and under-nourished. The atmosphere and surroundings are pale and morose. The world outside the classroom filled with beauty and luxuries.
(v) Value Points:
– whales/sea life wouldn’t be harmed
– helpful in maintaining ecological balance
– person gathering salt would look at his hurt hands
– gives everyone time for introspection    (Any two) [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2017]
Detailed Answer: Keeping quiet would affect life in and around the sea in two ways. By keeping quiet, the fisherman will not kill whales for some time. Also, salt gatherers will get some time to heal their hurt hands. Thus it will give time to everyone for introspection.
(vi) Value Points:
– Shows constraints of a married life a woman experiences
– Uncle’s wedding band, sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand, symbolises oppressive band of patriarchal society.
–Male–dominated society seems to show no concern for Aunt’s suffering or even for her death, society seems in no way affected by it.
– Aunt Jennifer forced to live in accordance with the rules laid down by her husband.
– Shows lack of freedom.    (Any two) [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2016]
Detailed Answer:
Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers portrays the suppression of women in a male–dominated society. Aunt Jennifer is burdened by the ‘massive weight of the uncle’s wedding band’ and she is also scared of him. The poem shows lack of freedom as Aunt Jennifer was forced to live in accordance with the rules laid down by her husband, though she was not happy.

Q.11. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each.    (Any Two) (2×2=4)
(i) Where had Dr. Sadao first met his wife? What had been his initial reaction?
(ii) What is mother Skunk’s role in the story?
(iii) Why did Derry insist that he would go back to Mr. Lamb?
Ans. (i) Value Points:
— American professor and wife were kind–hearted
— anxious to do something for foreign students
— Professor Harley invited students to his place
— Sadao found rooms too small and food bad
— met Hana, felt he would love her if it were all possible
Detailed Answer: Sadao had met Hana at an American professor’s house. The professor and his wife had been kind people. They wanted to do something for their few foreign students. Sadao had almost not gone to Professor Harley’s house that night. But when he went there, he had found Hana, a new student, for whom he developed a liking but he had waited to fall in love with her until he was sure she was a Japanese.
(ii) Value Points: make Roger Skunk realise importance of originality/individuality /identity
— Roger Skunk should not be ashamed of his natural attributes
— role of a decisive and protective parent (hits the wizard on the head)
Detailed Answer : Mother Skunk’s role in the story is to convince the reader about the narrator’s belief that we should never disobey our parents as they know what is best for us. Mother Skunk told Roger never to forget his distinct identity.
(iii) Derry is a young boy who suffers from a sense of inferiority complex because of his burnt face. He comes to Mr. Lamb’s garden in search of loneliness, where he met Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb is very social. He keeps the gate open for everybody. Mr. Lamb has a tin leg, children tease him by calling “Lamey-Lamb”. But he does not mind it. Derry is surprised to see a man who has a problem and suffers from no complex. Mr. Lamb motivates Derry to move forward in life.

Q.12. Answer the following in 120-150 words.
Fear is something that we must learn to overcome if we want to succeed in life. How did Douglas get over his fear of water?   (5 Mark)
Ans.
Suggested Value Points:
— Appointed a swimming instructor, went to the pool, practised five days a week, an hour each day, in six months, learnt to swim, in July tested his newly learnt skills in different lakes and water bodies.    [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2018]
OR
Describe the difficulties that the bangle makers of Firozabad face in their lives.    (5 Mark)
Ans. In the lesson ‘Lost Spring’, Anees Jung provides us an insight into how the lives of these bangle makers are caught in the vicious circle of poverty and how they have fallen victims to society. Bangle makers are born in poverty, live in poverty, and die in poverty. For generations, people have been in this trade, but they have not been able to improve their living conditions. They have to work under inhuman conditions. They have to work under flickering oil lamps. Their eyes get used to darkness and they lose their eyesight even before they are adults. They work hard all day before furnaces with high temperature. In spite of the hard work, they get a meagre profit. Their houses have crumbling walls, wobbly doors, and no windows. They are over–crowded with humans and animals.
They find themselves in the clutches of middlemen and moneylenders. The police and the administration do not help them. Instead, they prey upon them and exploit them. The police, the bureaucrats, and the politicians conspire with the middlemen and moneylenders to keep the bangle makers in poverty. Because of these reasons, they cannot form themselves into a co–operative. Their condition has not changed over the generations because they are illiterate and fatalists.

Q.13. Answer the following in 120-150 words.
Philately helps in keeping the past alive. Discuss other ways in which this is done. What do you think of human tendency to constantly move between the past, the present and the future?    (5 Mark)
Ans. Man has always been interested in the past. He looks back and is eager to know how life was like in old times. Not only the past of mankind, but even the distant past of the earth is alluring. Scientists spend fortunes and precious years of their lives to look for fossils to reconstruct the conditions under which those extinct animals lived. Pyramids are ransacked to learn about pharaohs and their times. We preserve ancient monuments to keep the past alive. Our history books tell us about lost civilisations. Coins, pottery, artifacts, statues, temples and other things tell us about the past. These are preserved and displayed in museums. Man is seldom satisfied with the present. So, he looks ‘before and after’.
OR
How did the mistakes committed by the prison authorities help Evans in escaping from the prison?    (5 Mark)
Ans. Value Points:
— letting Evans see the name of the invigilator on the form
— not taking more precautions in verifying the invigilator’s identity despite knowing that Evans knew his name
— letting Evans wear the hat for good luck
— allowing McLeery to take the rubber tube inside
Stephens’s Mistakes:
— not going to the cell despite seeing that Evans was just sitting there not writing at all
— not verifying the Governor’s call
— not checking him despite seeing that McLeery looked slimmer while going out
Governor’s Mistakes:
— appointed Stephens, a new guard to guard Evans
— allowing Stephens to move out of the cell when Evans protested
— letting Evans know that the cell was bugged
— letting the examination phone call go through without verifying its call authenticity
— letting Evans wear a blanket
— assuming he had left the correction paper behind by mistake and believing the information in it
— calling for the police not the ambulance
— at the end, letting Evans escape a second time in a van without verifying the guards despite knowing how cunning Evans was
Detailed Answer:
In spite of all the precautions taken by the Governor and his staff, they failed to foil Evans’ bid to escape because of certain lapses on their part. First of all, they called a teacher from the technical college to act as Evans’ German tutor, but never cared to check on him. Then, they engaged Reverend S. McLeery to invigilate, but never cared to check on him when he came to discharge his duties. When Stephens raised an alarm, they blindly went by his assumption that Evans impersonating as McLeery had walked out of the prison after injuring McLeery. They did not even bother to check the identity of the injured McLeery. Then, McLeery gave them the slip and disappeared. Belatedly they discovered that it was Evans impersonating McLeery who had stayed in. Finally, following the clues, the Governor nabs Evans at the Golden Lion Hotel. Here again, he acted foolishly. He rang up the local police station and asked them to send a police van which successfully took Evans away right from under his nose as no security check of the van was done.