Comprehensive CBSE Objective Type Question Bank English Core (Term -1)

English Core Features  Strictly Based on the Latest CBSE Term-wise Syllabus  A Wide Variety of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) Reading Comprehension Literature



Comprehensive CBSE Objective Type Question Bank English Core Term–I (FOR CLASS XII) (According to the Latest CBSE Examination Pattern) by R.K. GUPTA   LAXMI PUBLICATIONS (P) LTD (An ISO 9001:2015 Company) BENGALURU • CHENNAI • GUWAHATI • HYDERABAD • JALANDHAR KOCHI • KOLKATA • LUCKNOW • MUMBAI • RANCHI NEW DELHI

Comprehensive CBSE OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTION BANK ENGLISH CORE–XII Copyright © by Laxmi Publications Pvt., Ltd. All rights reserved including those of translation into other languages. In accordance with the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, translated into any other language or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise. Any such act or scanning, uploading, and or electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitutes unlawful piracy and theft of the copyright holder’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained from the publishers. Printed and bound in India New Edition ISBN : 978-93-5274-571-5 Limits of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties. The advice, strategies, and activities contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. In performing activities adult supervision must be sought. Likewise, common sense and care are essential to the conduct of any and all activities, whether described in this book or otherwise. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable or assumes any responsibility for any injuries or damages arising here from. The fact that an organization or Website if referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers must be aware that the Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. All trademarks, logos or any other mark such as Vibgyor, USP, Amanda, Golden Bells, Firewall Media, Mercury, Trinity, Laxmi appearing in this work are trademarks and intellectual property owned by or licensed to Laxmi Publications, its subsidiaries or affiliates. Notwithstanding this disclaimer, all other names and marks mentioned in this work are the trade names, trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. & Bengaluru 080-26 75 69 30 & Chennai 044-24 34 47 26 Branches & Guwahati 0361-254 36 69 & Hyderabad 040-27 55 53 83 & Jalandhar 0181-222 12 72 & Kochi 0484-405 13 03 & Kolkata 033-40 04 77 79 & Lucknow 0522-430 36 13 Published in India by & Ranchi 0651-224 24 64 Laxmi Publications (P) Ltd. C—00000/021/08 Printed at : Ajit Printing Press, Delhi. (An ISO 9001:2015 Company) 113, GOLDEN HOUSE, GURUDWARA ROAD, DARYAGANJ, NEW DELHI - 110002, INDIA Telephone : 91-11-4353 2500, 4353 2501 www.laxmipublications.com [email protected]

Contents Pages 3 30 Reading Comprehension (1-59) 63 72 1. Unseen Passage 1 80 2. Unseen Passage 2 (Case Based Factual Passages) 93 Literature 99 (61-146) 113 Flamingo (Prose) 127 (61-89) 135 147 1. The Last Lesson 2. Lost Spring 3. Deep Water Flamingo (Poetry) (91-124) 1. My Mother at Sixty-six 2. An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum 3. Keeping Quiet Vistas (Supplementary Reader) (125-146) 1. The Third Level 2. The Enemy Answers (iii)



Syllabus ENGLISH CORE CLASS XII TERM–I MARKING SCHEME SECTION TERM 1 WEIGHTAGE (IN MARKS) A Reading Comprehension: (Two Passages) 14 • Unseen passage (factual, descriptive or literary/ (8 + 6 Marks) discursive or persuasive) • Case Based Unseen (Factual) Passage B Creative Writing Skills: 3 + 5 marks • Short Writing Tasks Total = 08 —Notice Writing —Classified Advertisements • Long Writing Tasks (One) —Letter to an Editor  (giving suggestions or opinion on issues of public  interest) —Article Writing C Literature: Literary-prose/poetry extracts (seen- texts) to assess comprehension and appreciation, analysis, inference, extrapolation Questions Based on Texts to assess comprehension and appreciation, analysis, inference, extrapolation Book–Flamingo (Prose) 11 Marks: • The Last Lesson • Lost Spring for Flamingo + 7 Marks • Deep Water Book–Flamingo (Poetry) for Vistas = 18 Marks • My Mother at Sixty-Six • An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum • Keeping Quiet Book–Vistas (Supplementary Reader) • The Third Level • The Enemy TOTAL 40 ASL 10 GRAND TOTAL 40 + 10 = 50 Prescribed Books 1. Flamingo: English Reader published by National Council of Education Research and Training, New Delhi 2. Vistas: Supplementary Reader published by National Council of Education Research and Training, New Delhi (v)



Reading Comprehension



1CHAPTER Unseen Passage 1 1. Read the following passage carefully: “Who doesn’t know how to cook rice? Cooking rice hardly takes time.” said my father. So, I challenged myself. I switched from news to YouTube and typed, “How to cook rice?” I took one and a half cups of rice. Since I didn’t have access to a rice cooker, I put the rice in a big pot. Firstly, the rice has to be washed to get rid of dust and starch. I thought I won’t be able to drain the rice and that it will fall out of the pot. I observed the chef as I swirled the rice around and used my dexterous hands to drain it, not once, not twice, but three times. I looked down at the sink and saw less than 50 grains that made their way out of the pot. Suffice to say, I was up to the mark. The video stated that the key to perfect rice is equal amounts of rice and water. I have heard that professionals don’t need to measure everything; they just know what the right amount is. But as this was my first time in the kitchen, I decided to experiment by not measuring the water needed for boiling the rice. I wanted the rice to be firm when bitten, just like pasta. I don’t enjoy the texture of mushy rice. It has to have that chutzpah; it has to resist my biting power just for a bit before disintegrating. After what seemed like 10 minutes, all the water disappeared. I went in to give it a good stir. To my surprise, some of the rice got stuck to the pot. I tried to scrape it off but to no avail. At the same time, there was a burning smell coming from it. I quickly turned the stove off. “What have you done to the kitchen?” shouted Mother, while coming towards the kitchen. I managed to ward her off. Finally, when the time came to taste my creation, I was surprised! It wasn’t bad at all. The rice had the desired consistency. Sure, a little more salt would’ve been better, but I just added that while eating. The experience was fairly rewarding and memorable. It taught me a new sense of respect for those who cook food on a regular basis at home or engage in gourmet creations professionally. (Sample Question Paper 2020-2021) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the ELEVEN that follow: (a) Father’s question to the narrator, about knowing how to cook rice, was intended to 3

4 English XII (i) criticise the narrator’s lack of abilities. (ii) make the process sound simple. (iii) encourage the narrator to take up cooking. (iv) showcase his own expertise in cooking rice. (b) ‘I switched from news to YouTube …’ Pick the option in which the meaning of ‘switch(ed)’ is NOT the same as it is in the passage. (i) ‘He switched on the radio to listen to the news while having dinner.’ (ii) ‘Forget these diet supplements and switch to yoga, if you want a true sense of well-being.’ (iii) ‘Mom switched to reading fiction recently because she was bored with cook-books.’ (iv) ‘The company will switch the trucks to other routes to bring down city pollution.’ (c) Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the option that lists the correct sequence of the process. 1. Use water to wash the rice. 2. Repeat the process three times. 3. Drain the water off. 4. Put rice in a utensil. 5. Swirl the water in and around the rice. (i) 4., 2., 1., 3., 5. (ii) 1., 3., 2., 5., 4. (iii) 4., 1., 5., 3., 2. (iv) 5., 1., 2., 4., 3. (d) ‘The narrator says that he has dexterous hands. He would have had a problem had it been the opposite.’ NOT BEING dexterous means, being (i) uncomfortable. (ii) clumsy. (iii) unclear. (iv) clueless. (e) Which option represents the correct ratio of water to rice for cooking ‘perfect rice’? 1 2 3 4 (i) Image 1 (ii) Image 2 (iii) Image 3 (iv) Image 4 (f) How did mother react to the burning smell? (i) She commented on it. (ii) She brushed it aside. (iii) She enquired about it. (iv) She handled it.

Unseen Passage 1 5 (g) According to the passage, the fact that the narrator risked experimentation, on his maiden attempt in the kitchen, shows that he was (i) conscientious. (ii) nervous. (iii) presumptuous. (iv) courteous. (h) Pick the option showing the CORRECT use of the word ‘chutzpah’. (i) It is the court’s duty to dispense chutzpah to everyone irrespective of caste or creed. (ii) The speaker may not have much of a stage presence, but you’ve got to admit she’s got chutzpah. (iii) I could crack the code easily which proved me to be a chutzpah and I was the only one who could do so. (iv) After his father’s demise, the daughter took over the family’s chutzpah to save it from disaster. (i) Pick the option that correctly states what DID NOT happen after the writer checked on the rice. (i) turning the stove off (ii) being taken aback at the condition of rice (iii) forgetting to scrape the stuck rice (iv) smelling the delicious aroma of cooked rice (j) The narrator’s creation was (i) almost perfect to taste. (ii) way off from what he wanted. (iii) overly seasoned. (iv) quite distasteful. (k) Pick the option that correctly lists the final feelings of the writer with reference to the cooking experience. 1. frustrating 2. amusing 3. satisfying 4. disillusioning 5. exacting 6. enlightening (i) 1. and 4. (ii) 2. and 5. (iii) 3. and 6. (iv) 1. and 3. 2. Read the following passage carefully: Once an organ donor’s family gives its consent and the organs are matched to a recipient, medical professionals are faced with the onerous challenge of transporting organs while ensuring that the harvested organ reaches its destination in the shortest possible time. This is done in order to preserve the harvested organs and involves the police and especially the traffic police department.

6 English XII The traditional method of transporting organs by road is referred to as a “green corridor”. This process entails police escorting an ambulance, so as to move around traffic - usually a specific traffic lane is chosen and all signals on the route stay green to ensure it to reach its destination in the shortest possible time. A ‘green corridor’ is a route cleared and cordoned off by the traffic police to ensure the smooth and steady transportation of harvested organs, on most occasions, to those awaiting a life-saving transplant. Organs tend to have a very short preservation time, such as the heart which has to be harvested and transplanted within four hours or the lungs which can be preserved for only six hours once they are harvested. The first green corridor in India was created by Chennai Traffic Police in September 2008 when they accomplished their task of enabling an ambulance to reach its destination within 11 minutes during peak hour traffic. That organ saved a nine-year-old girl whose life depended on the transplant. Similarly, such green corridors have been created by traffic police of various cities such as Pune, Mumbai, Delhi NCR etc. Personnel are stationed at selected points to divert, control and clear the traffic giving way to the ambulance. Apart from this, a motorcade of police vehicles accompanies the ambulance ensuring that it does not face any problems. Delhi Traffic Police provided a green corridor from IGI Airport to Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in Vasant Kunj for transportation of a liver. The distance of 14 kms was covered in 11 minutes. Experts point out the lack of a robust system to transport organs to super- speciality hospitals in least possible time. National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), the country’s apex organ donation agency, is now framing a proposal to airlift cadaver organs and will send a report to the Union Health Ministry. “Cadaver organs have a short life and so transplant should be done within a few golden hours.” Director (NOTTO) expressed, “Therefore, we are preparing a proposal for airlifting organs at any given moment.” Most states do not have enough well-trained experts to retrieve or perform transplant procedures. Also, there is an acute shortage of advanced healthcare facilities to carry out a transplant. So, it is referred to other big centres in metropolitan cities. Organs retrieved from Aurangabad, Indore, Surat, Pune are sent to the Mumbai as these cities do not have super-speciality healthcare centres, informed officials. In India, about fifty thousand to one lakh patients are suffering from acute heart failure and need heart transplant at any point of time. In a private set-up, a heart transplant costs Rs 15-20 lakhs, which is followed up by postoperative medication of about Rs 30,000 per month lifelong. (CBSE 2020)

Unseen Passage 1 7 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the ELEVEN that follow: (a) The first green corridor in India was created in (i) New Delhi. (ii) Chennai. (iii) Mumbai. (iv) Pune. (b) The organisation which is framing a proposal to airlift cadaver organs is: (i) Union Health Ministry. (ii) Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation. (iii) National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation. (iv) State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation. (c) The onerous task the author is talking about in para 1 is : (i) finding organ donors. (ii) finding doctors capable of performing transplants. (iii) to carry the harvested organ in the shortest possible time. (iv) to arrange the requisite facilities for the transplant. (d) Most of the people DO NOT go for the heart transplant as: (i) it is very risky. (ii) it is very painful. (iii) it may cause death of the recipient. (iv) the cost is prohibitive. (e) Most states refer organ transplant cases to big hospitals because (i) they don’t have well-trained experts. (ii) the patients don’t trust local doctors. (iii) the state hospitals are very crowded. (iv) they don’t have a pool of harvested organs. (f) Heart retrieved from a body is alive only for ______ hours. (i) two (ii) three (iii) four (iv) five (g) What is a ‘green corridor’? (i) ‘Green corridor’ is a traditional method of transporting organs by road. (ii) ‘Green corridor’ is a modern method of transporting organs by road. (iii) ‘Green corridor’ is a method of transporting organs by road. (iv) ‘Green corridor’ transports organs by air. (h) Why is smooth transportation of the retrieved organ necessary? (i) Because they tend to have a long preservation time. (ii) Because they tend to have a convenient preservation time.

8 English XII (iii) Because they tend to have a very short preservation time. (iv) Because they tend to have an enough preservation time. (i) What opinion do you form of Chennai Police with regard to the transportation of a harvested heart? (i) Chennai Police proved to be inefficient as regards the transport of harvested organs which reflects their efficiency. (ii) Chennai Police proved to be efficient as regards the transport of harvested organs which reflects their efficiency. (iii) Chennai Police took the initiative of creating a Green Corridor to enable steady transport of harvested organs which reflects their efficiency. (iv) Chennai Police never took the initiative of creating a Green Corridor to enable steady transport of harvested organs which reflects their efficiency. (j) What does the author mean by ‘a few golden hours’? (i) By ‘a few golden hours’ the author means the time available for transplant of the organ after harvesting it. (ii) By ‘a few golden hours’ the author means the crucial time unavailable for transplant of the organ after harvesting it. (iii) By ‘a few golden hours’ the author means the pretty time available for transplant of the organ after harvesting it. (iv) By ‘a few golden hours’ the author means the crucial time available for transplant of the organ after harvesting it. (k) How much does a heart transplant cost a patient in a private hospital? (i) 1-2 lakh (ii) 15-20 lakhs (iii) 5-10 lakhs (iv) 12-15 lakhs 3. Read the following passage carefully: Academics has always been an essential part of human development. It prepares us to survive in the outside world and establish an identity of our own. But, is an individual’s development restricted to merely academics? In India, from an early age, we have been taught that education is limited to the boundaries of academics only; the idea of getting out into the field, for gaining practical experience, is always considered a hoax. This has hindered students’ development. But, the truth is that education represents a considerably broader field than we know of it. Our teaching, from the basics, has been focused on getting good grades and job offers, rather than being creative and unique. In the 21st century, the pure academic type of education is slowly paving way for a whole new type. The paradigm shift in the whole education system is evident. People have now come to understand that education is a 360 degree activity that should focus on student’s overall development, rather than restricting him/her to the classroom.

Unseen Passage 1 9 Co-curricular activities that take place outside the classroom but reinforce or supplement classroom curriculum, in some way, have become a point of focus today. These activities help in the growth of the child, in more than one way. Participating in such activities helps youngsters grow mentally, socially and individually. Intellectual development of a student is developed in the classroom, but for the aesthetic development such as team-building, character- building, and physical growth, students must step out into the outside world. For instance, if a student is a part of school football team, he/she will learn team-work and coordination, in a practical manner, which cannot be taught in the class. Similarly, in colleges and institutions, there is a need for practical exposure so that the students can experience the actual working of an industry. For example, taking a student to a manufacturing firm will give him/her the real insight and better learning of the industry. Catering to this change, most professional colleges including B-schools, have started providing practical exposure to students through regular guest lectures, industrial visits, conferences, seminars, cultural festivals, and so on. With industry visits, students are able to better identify their prospective areas of work in the overall organisational function. Moreover, they help enhance interpersonal skills and communication techniques. In addition, guest lectures are equally important for all-round development of students. It is a great way for students to gain maximum exposure, as guest speakers talk about their real-life experiences and not what is there in the textbooks. Through such events, students are made to participate and coordinate different events wherein, they get to know how exactly things are managed. Classroom teaching provides the foundation, and co-curricular or extra-curricular activities provide practical exposure and opportunities to implement what students learn in the classroom. This helps in developing the overall personality of the students, inculcating various soft skills in them, which otherwise are difficult to teach. Clearly, life beyond academics creates creative and empowered professionals. (Sample Question Paper 2019-20) On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the ELEVEN that follow: (a) Students’ development is hindered by (i) limiting education to academic boundaries. (ii) getting out to the field. (iii) being creative and unique. (iv) gaining practical knowledge.

10 English XII (b) The shift in the education system means (i) to restrict to classroom activities. (ii) to focus on academic development. (iii) to ignore 360 degree activity. (iv) to focus on overall development. (c) Co-Curricular activities that take place outside the classroom DO NOT help in (i) team-work and co-ordination. (ii) mental and social growth. (iii) intellectual development. (iv) character-building. (d) Guest speakers talk about (i) all-round development. (ii) their real life experiences. (iii) what is in textbooks. (iv) gaining exposure. (e) Classroom teaching provides (i) practical exposure. (ii) opportunities to implement what is learnt in classroom. (iii) chance to learn soft skills. (iv) the foundation. (f) Life beyond academics facilitates (i) organisational functions. (ii) creativity. (iii) professional fields. (iv) industrial visits. (g) From earlier times what HAS NOT been the focus of education? (i) the idea of gaining practical experience in field work (ii) the idea of gaining bookish knowledge in field work (iii) the idea of rote learning (iv) the idea of online training (h) Where should students go for aesthetic development? (i) They should confine to the boundaries of their homes. (ii) They should get admission in various schools. (iii) They should go into the outside world. (iv) They should go abroad. (i) What kind of co-curricular activities have become points of focus today? (i) Co-curricular activities that take place inside the classroom have become a point of focus today. (ii) Co-curricular activities that take place outside the classroom have become a point of focus today.

Unseen Passage 1 11 (iii) Co-curricular activities that take place outside the school have become a point of focus today. (iv) Co-curricular activities that take place inside the school have become a point of focus today. (j) Why are soft skills difficult to teach in the classroom? (i) Soft skills are difficult to teach in the classroom as they require skilled students. (ii) Soft skills are difficult to teach in the classroom as they require practical exposure outside. (iii) Soft skills are difficult to teach in the classroom as they themselves are very difficult. (iv) Soft skills are difficult to teach in the classroom as they require external atmosphere. (k) ‘Hoax’ (para 1) DOES NOT correspond to (i) ‘honesty’. (ii) ‘deception’. (iii) ‘fraud’. (iv) ‘cheating’. 4. Read the following passage carefully: Archaeology is the scientific study of the remains of past human culture. Archaeologists investigate the lives of early people by studying the objects those people have left behind. Such objects include buildings, artwork, tools, bones and pottery. Archaeologists may make exciting discoveries, such as a tomb filled with gold or the ruins of a magnificent temple in the midst of a jungle. However, the discovery of a few stone tools or grains of hardened corn may reveal even more about early people. Archaeological research is the chief means to learn about societies that existed before the invention of writing about 5,000 years ago. It also provides an important supplement to our knowledge of ancient societies that left written records. In America, archaeology is considered a branch of anthropology, the scientific study of humanity and human culture. European archaeologists, however, think of their work as closely related to the field of history. Archaeology differs from history in that historians mainly study the lives of people as recorded in written documents. Archaeologists look for information about how, where, and when cultures developed. Like other social scientists, they search for reasons why major changes have occurred in certain cultures. Some archaeologists try to understand why ancient people stopped hunting and started farming. Others develop theories about what caused people to build cities and to set up trade routes. In addition, some archaeologists look for reasons behind the fall of such early civilisations as the Mayas in Central America and the Romans in Europe.

12 English XII Archaeologists examine any evidence that can help them explain how people lived in past times. Such evidence ranges from the ruins of a large city to a few stone flakes left by someone making a stone tool long ago. The three basic kinds of archaeological evidence are artefacts, features and ecofacts. Artefacts are objects that were made by people and can be moved without altering their appearance. Artefacts include objects like arrowheads, pots and beads. Artefacts from a society with a written history may also include clay tablets and other written records. Features consist mainly of houses, tombs, irrigation canals and other large structures built by ancient peoples. Unlike artefacts, features cannot be separated from their surroundings without changing their form. Ecofacts reveal how ancient people responded to their surroundings. Examples of ecofacts include seeds and animal bones. Any place where archaeological evidence is found is called an archaeological site. To understand the behaviour of the people who occupied a site, archaeologists must study the relationship among the artefacts, features and ecofacts found there. For example, the discovery of stone spearheads near bones of an extinct kind of buffalo at a site in New Mexico showed that early human beings had hunted buffalo in that area. If objects are buried deep in the ground, their position in the earth also concerns archaeologists. The scientists study the layers of soil and rock in which objects are found to understand the conditions that existed when the objects were placed there. In some places, archaeologists find many levels of deposits called strata. The archaeological study of strata, called stratigraphy, developed from the study of rock layers in geology. Archaeologists use special techniques and equipments to gather archaeological evidence precisely and accurately. They also keep detailed records of their findings because much archaeological research destroys the remains being studied. Locating sites is the first job of the archaeologist. Sites may be above ground, underground or underwater. Some large sites are located easily because they are clearly visible or can be traced from descriptions in ancient stories or other historical records. Such sites include the pyramids of Egypt and the ancient city of Athens in Greece. (CBSE 2019) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the ELEVEN that follow: (a) The best sources of finding out archaeological facts are (i) artwork, buildings, bones and pottery. (ii) tombs filled with gold. (iii) grains of hardened corn. (iv) ruins of a magnificent temple.

Unseen Passage 1 13 (b) The basic kinds of archaeological evidence are (i) artefacts, features and ecofacts. (ii) Mayas and Roman civilisations. (iii) cultural developments in written documents. (iv) cities and trade routes. (c) An archaeological site is one where (i) tombs and buildings exist. (ii) archaeological evidence is found. (iii) extinct animal bones are located. (iv) ancient civilisations perished. (d) In America, archaeology is taken as (i) lives of people as recorded in written documents. (ii) study of humanity and human culture. (iii) closely related to the field of history. (iv) written records of ancient people. (e) Archaeologists DO NOT study (i) ancient hunting and farming. (ii) ancient cities and trade routes. (iii) fall of some civilisations. (iv) weather and climate. (f) Some sites like pyramids of Egypt and the ancient city of Athens in Greece (i) can be easily traced. (ii) can’t be easily traced. (iii) can’t be traced at all. (iv) all the above (g) What do archaeologists do? (i) Archaeologists study the remains of present human culture. (ii) Archaeologists study the remains of current human culture. (iii) Archaeologists study the remains of past human culture. (iv) Archaeologists study the remains of future human culture. (h) What is an archaeological research? (i) Archaeological research is the chief means to study societies that existed before the invention of writing. (ii) Archaeological research is the secondary means to study societies that existed before the invention of writing. (iii) Archaeological research is the chief means to study societies that are going to exist after the invention of writing. (iv) Archaeological research is the chief means to study societies that are expected to exist during the invention of writing.

14 English XII (i) What do European archaeologists think of their subject? (i) European archaeologists think that archaeology is distantly related to the field of history. (ii) European archaeologists think that archaeology is not related at all to the field of history. (iii) European archaeologists think that archaeology is related to the field of history only to some extent. (iv) European archaeologists think that archaeology is closely related to the field of history. (j) What is stratigraphy? (i) The scientific study of the layers of soil and rock of the sites is called stratigraphy. (ii) The scientific study of the soil and rock of the sites is called stratigraphy. (iii) The physical study of the layers of soil and rock of the sites is called stratigraphy. (iv) The fictional study of the layers of soil and rock of the sites is called stratigraphy. (k) ‘magnificent’ (para 1) corresponds to (i) ‘splendid’. (ii) ‘unimportant’. (iii) ‘mean’. (iv) ‘unimpressive’. 5. Read the following passage carefully: So great is our passion for doing things for ourselves, that we are becoming increasingly less dependent on specialised labour. No one can plead ignorance of a subject any longer, for there are countless ‘do-it-yourself’ publications. Armed with the right tools and materials, newly-weds gaily embark on the task of decorating their own homes. Men of all ages spend hours of their leisure installing their own fire-places, laying out their own gardens, building garages and making furniture. Some really keen enthusiasts go so far as to make their own record players and radio transmitters. Shops cater for the ‘do-it-yourself’ craze not only by running special advisory services for novices but also by offering consumers bits and pieces which they can assemble at home. Such things provide an excellent outlet for pent up energies, but unfortunately, not all of us are born handymen. Last spring my wife suggested that I call in a man to look at our lawn mower. It had broken down the previous summer, and though I promised to repair it, I had never got round to it. I wouldn’t hear of the suggestion and said that I would fix it myself. One Saturday afternoon I hauled the machine into the garden and had a close look at it. I was not at all iffy about my skills and observed it as a professional technician would eye it. I moved all around the machine to analyse its every upgroove and bolt. After an hour’s scrutiny, I decided to work hands-on

Unseen Passage 1 15 on the machine. To me, overall the machine only needed a minor adjustment; a turn of screw here, a little tightening up there, a drop of oil and it would be as good as new. I did not waste more time in re-evaluating my decision-making skills and sat down to mend it out. Inevitably, the repair job was not quite so simple. The mower firmly refused to mow, so I decided to dismantle it. The garden was soon littered with chunks of metal which had once made up a lawn mower. But I was extremely pleased with myself. I had traced the cause of the trouble. One of the links in the chain that drives the wheels had broken. But the mess all around me filled me with fear. For one moment my own decision of getting it repaired myself troubled me a lot. But the other moment, I despised it and moved ahead all full of confidence. I decided to go to the market to buy a new chain. But oops! Whom and where to go to? I wasn’t very much aware of the market too. I quietly called up my servant. Quietly because I did not want to be laughed at, and in no way by my wife, I gathered the required information from him and got all set to go to the nearby market. I went into the hardware shop to get a new chain. After buying a new chain I was faced with the difficult task of putting the parts together again. I was not surprised to find that the machine still refused to work even after I had reassembled it, for the simple reason that there were still bits of metal around which did not fit anywhere. I gave up in despair. The weeks passed and my wife got angry with me when grass grew and our house became surrounded by a jungle. (CBSE 2019C) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the ELEVEN that follow: (a) The work of decorating their homes themselves is generally taken up by _________. (i) middle-aged people (ii) senior citizens (iii) professionals (iv) newly-weds (b) The author planned to fix the _________ himself. (i) electric motor (ii) lawn mower (iii) fan (iv) air fryer (c) Shops that cater to the ‘do-it-yourself’ craze provide _________. (i) advisory services and record players (ii) bits and pieces to assemble and build garages (iii) advisory services and bits and pieces to assemble (iv) outlet for people’s pent up energy (d) First the writer thought that the unserviceable mower needed _________. (i) to be laid out in the garden (ii) a replacement of the old link in the chain

16 English XII (iii) a tightening of some screws (iv) dismantling of its parts (e) The writer COULD NOT buy a new chain for the lawn mower because __________. (i) he did not know from where and how to buy it (ii) he needed his servant to buy it (iii) he needed to gather more information (iv) there was no hardware shop in the vicinity (f) After even buying a new chain, the author _________. (i) fixed the lawn mower (ii) improved the lawn mower (iii) couldn’t do anything with the lawn mower (iv) was happy and satisfied (g) What did the author’s wife suggest him and what did he do? (i) The author’s wife suggested him to call in a man to look at their broken lawn mower. (ii) The author’s wife suggested him to fix it himself. (iii) The author’s wife suggested him to fix it himself with the help of the servant. (iv) The author’s wife suggested him to call in a man to look at their broken lawn mower but the owner decided to fix it himself. (h) Why did the author’s wife get angry with him? (i) The author’s wife got angry with him as to why he did not take the help of a mechanic. (ii) The author’s wife got angry with him as the machine got in a worse condition. (iii) The author’s wife got angry with him as the grass grew and the house became surrounded by a jungle. (iv) The author’s wife got angry with him as the author had wasted his precious time in fixing the machine but in vain. (i) What characteristics is the author expected to possess? A. reckless B. imaginative C. unpractical D. impulsive E. intelligent F. far-sighted (i) A. and B. (ii) C. and D. (iii) E. and F. (iv) A. to D. (j) Why was the author filled with fear? (i) The machine was needed the following day but he could not fix it. (ii) He was afraid of his wife.

Unseen Passage 1 17 (iii) The mess that he created all around him, filled him with fear. (iv) He had worsened the machine. (k) The author wants to ______ us through this write-up that we _____ the things which we have no knowledge about. (i) inform, should do (ii) suggest, should not do (iii) update, should take an interest in doing the (iv) challenge, cannot do 6. Read the following passage carefully: Every morning Ravi gives his brain an extra boost. We’re not talking about drinking strong cups of coffee or playing one of those mind-training video games advertised all over Facebook. “I jump onto my stationary bike and cycle for 45 minutes to work,” says Ravi. “When I get to my desk, my brain is at peak activity for a few hours.” After his mental focus comes to a halt later in the day, he starts it with another short spell of cycling to be able to run errands. Ride, work, ride, repeat. It’s a scientifically proven system that describes some unexpected benefits of cycling. In a recent study in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, scientists found that people scored higher on tests of memory, reasoning, and planning after 30 minutes of spinning on a stationary bike than they did before they rode the bike. They also completed the tests faster after pedalling. Exercise is like fertiliser for your brain. All those hours spent on exercising your muscles, create rich capillary beds not only in leg and hip muscles, but also in your brain. More blood vessels in your brain and muscles mean more oxygen and nutrients to help them work. When you pedal, you also force more nerve cells to fire. The result: you double or triple the production of these cells — literally building your brain. You also release neurotransmitters (the messengers between your brain cells) so all those cells, new and old, can communicate with each other for better, faster functioning. That’s a pretty profound benefit to cyclists. This kind of growth is especially important with each passing birthday, because as we age, our brains shrink and those connections weaken. Exercise restores and protects the brain cells. Neuroscientists say, ‘Adults who exercise display sharper memory skills, higher concentration levels, more fluid thinking, and greater problem-solving ability than those who are sedentary.’ Cycling also elevates your mood, relieves anxiety, increases stress resistance, and even banishes the blues. ‘Exercise works in the same way as psychotherapy and antidepressants in the treatment of depression, maybe better,’ says Dr Manjari. A recent study analysing 26 years to research finds that even some

18 English XII exercise — as little as 20 to 30 minutes a day — can prevent depression over the long term. Remember: although it’s healthy, exercise itself is a stress, especially when you’re just getting started or getting back into riding. When you first begin to exert yourself, your body releases a particular hormone to raise your heart rate, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels, says Meher Ahluwalia, PhD, a professor of integrative physiology. As you get fitter, it takes a longer, harder ride to trigger that same response. On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the ELEVEN that follow: (a) Ravi gets his brain to work at peak level by (i) drinking three cups of coffee. (ii) playing games that need brain activity. (iii) cycling on a stationary bike. (iv) taking tablets to pump up his brain. (b) When nerve cells work during exercise then (i) the body experiences stress. (ii) the bran is strengthened by multiplying them. (iii) you start to lose your temper. (iv) your stationary cycle starts to beep. (c) Every morning Ravi give his brain (i) an extra rest. (ii) an extra boost. (iii) an extra stress. (iv) an extra exercise play. (d) When he gets to his desk, his brain (i) becomes dull. (ii) is stressed. (iii) becomes fatigued. (iv) is at peak activity. (e) Exercise is like (i) fertiliser to your brain. (ii) a comforter to your brain. (iii) a soothing process. (iv) a stimuliser to your brain. (f) Select the correct option with reference to Assertion A and Reason B. Assertion A: Exercise keeps you fit and fine. Reason B: Lack of exercise is the chief reason of fatal illnesses. (i) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. (ii) A is true but R is not the correct explanation of A. (iii) A is true but R is false. (iv) A is false but R is true.

Unseen Passage 1 19 (g) ‘Exercise is like fertiliser for your brain.’ Which literary device does the narrator use here? (i) simile (ii) metaphor (iii) alliteration (iv) personification (h) Select the option that shows the correct use of ‘elevate’ as used in the line ‘Cycling also elevates your mood…’ (i) He has elevated bad taste into an art form. (ii) I t is important that the injured leg should be elevated. (iii) Smoking often elevates blood pressure. (iv) T he song never failed to elevate his spirits. (i) What is the work of neurotransmitters? A. While pedalling, neurotransmitters are released. B. So all those cells, new and old, can communicate with each other for better, faster functioning. C. While pedalling, neurotransmitters are shrunk. D. While pedalling, neurotransmitters are grown. (i) A. and B. (ii) C. and D. (iii) C. and B. (iv) D. and B. (j) What benefits other than greater brain activity does one get from cycling? (i) Besides benefiting a greater brain activity, one also makes one delighted. (ii) Besides benefiting a greater brain activity, one also elevates one’s mood and relieves anxiety from cycling. (iii) Besides benefiting a greater brain activity, one also spoils one’s mood. (iv) Besides benefiting a greater brain activity, one also depresses oneself. (k) How is exercise itself a stress? (i) Exercise itself is a stress as it helps in destroying a particular hormone that raises heart rate, blood pressure and blood glucose levels. (ii) Exercise itself is a stress as it helps in releasing a particular hormone that raises heart rate, blood pressure and blood glucose levels. (iii) Exercise itself is a stress as it helps in controlling a particular hormone that raises heart rate, blood pressure and blood glucose levels. (iv) Exercise itself is a stress as it helps in shrinking a particular hormone that raises heart rate, blood pressure and blood glucose levels. 7. Read the following passage carefully: No student of a foreign language needs to be told that grammar is complex. By changing word sequences and by adding a range of auxiliary verbs and suffixes, we are able to communicate tiny variations in meaning. We can turn a statement into a question, state whether an action has taken place or is soon to take place, and perform many other word tricks to convey subtle differences in meaning. Nor

20 English XII is this complexity inherent to the English language. All languages, even those of so-called ‘primitive’ tribes have clever grammatical components. The Cherokee pronoun system, for example, can distinguish between ‘you and I’, ‘several other people and I’ and ‘you, another person and I’. In English, all these meanings are summed up in the one, crude pronoun ‘we’. Grammar is universal and plays a part in every language, no matter how widespread it is. So the question, which has baffled many linguists, is—who created grammar? At first, it would appear that this question is impossible to answer. To find out how grammar is created, someone needs to be present at the time of a language’s creation, documenting its emergence. Many historical linguists are able to trace modern complex languages back to earlier languages, but in order to answer the question of how complex languages are actually formed, the researcher needs to observe how languages are started from scratch. Amazingly, however, this is possible. Some of the most recent languages evolved due to the Atlantic slave trade. At that time, slaves from a number of different ethnicities were forced to work together under coloniser’s rule. Since they had no opportunity to learn each other’s languages, they developed a make-shift language called a pidgin. Pidgins are strings of words copied from the language of the landowner. They have little in the way of grammar, and in many cases it is difficult for a listener to deduce when an event happened, and who did what to whom. Speakers need to use circumlocution in order to make their meaning understood. Interestingly, however, all it takes for a pidgin to become a complex language is for a group of children to be exposed to it at the time when they learn their mother tongue. Slave children did not simply copy the strings of words uttered by their elders, they adapted their words to create a new, expressive language. Complex grammar systems which emerge from pidgins are termed Creoles, and they are invented by children. Further evidence of this can be seen in studying sign languages for the deaf. Sign languages are not simply a series of gestures; they utilise the same grammatical machinery that is found in spoken languages. Moreover, there are many different languages used worldwide. The creation of one such language was documented quite recently in Nicaragua. Some linguists believe that many of the world’s most established languages were Creoles at first. The English past tense -ed ending may have evolved from the verb ‘do’. ‘It ended’ may once have been ‘It end-did’. Therefore, it would appear that even the most widespread languages were partly created by children. Children appear to have innate grammatical machinery in their brains, which springs to life when they are first trying to make sense of the world around them.

Unseen Passage 1 21 Their minds can serve to create logical, complex structures, even when there is no grammar present for them to copy. On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the ELEVEN that follow: (a) Students of a foreign language NEED NOT to be told that grammar is ______. (i) simple (ii) complex (iii) difficult (iv) easy (b )Grammar is ______. (i) universal (ii) regional (iii) provincial (iv) national (c) Some of the most recent languages evolved due to the ______. (i) American slave trade (ii) Atlantic slave trade (iii) European slave trade (iv) Asian slave trade (d) It is believed that many of the world’s languages were ______. (i) languages of signs at first (ii) simple at first (iii) Creoles at first (iv) difficult at first (e) Children seem to have ______. (i) a lot of energy (ii) a lot of will power (iii) a lot of hidden talents (iv) innate grammatical machinery in their brains (f) Sign languages ARE NOT only ______. (i) a series of gestures (ii) a development of languages (iii) a step in the progress (iv) a positive progress (g) What a student of a foreign language NEED NOT be told? (i) A student of a foreign language need not be told that grammar is complex. (ii) A student of a foreign language need not be told that grammar is simple. (iii) A student of a foreign language need not be told that grammar is neither simple nor complex. (iv) A student of a foreign language needs nothing to be told about grammar. (h) Do primitive languages contain some clever grammatical components? (i) No, the primitive languages contain many clever grammatical components. (ii) No, the primitive languages do not contain some clever grammatical components. (iii) Yes, even the primitive languages do contain some clever grammatical components. (iv) Yes, even the primitive languages do not contain some clever grammatical components.

22 English XII (i) What question has baffled many linguists? (i) “Who created grammar?” is the question that has baffled many linguists. (ii) “Who developed grammar?” is the question that has baffled many linguists. (iii) “Who improved grammar?” is the question that has baffled many linguists. (iv) “Who took grammar to everyone?” is the question that has baffled many linguists. (j) How have some of the most recent languages evolved? (i) Some of the most recent languages have evolved due to the American slave trade. (ii) Some of the most recent languages have evolved due to the African slave trade. (iii) Some of the most recent languages have evolved due to the Atlantic slave trade. (iv) Some of the most recent languages have evolved due to the South African slave trade. (k) What are complex grammar systems that emerged from pidgins called? (i) Creoles (ii) Ceroles (iii) Creoels (iv) Croeles 8. Read the following passage carefully: Close at hand is a bridge over the River Thames, an admirable vantage ground forus to make a survey. We are here to consider facts; now we must fix our eyes upon the procession—the procession of the sons of educated men. There they go, our brothers who have been educated at public schools and universities, mounting those steps, passing in and out of those doors, ascending those pulpits, preaching, teaching, administering justice, practising medicine, transacting business, making money. It is a solemn sight always—a procession, like a caravan crossing a desert....But now, for the past twenty years or so, it is no longer a sight merely, a photograph, or fresco scrawled upon the walls of time, at which we can look with merely an aesthetic appreciation. For there, traipsing along at the tail end of the procession, we go ourselves. And that makes a difference. We who have looked so long at the pageant in books, or from a curtained window watched educated men leaving the house at about nine-thirty to go to an office, returning to the house at about six-thirty from an office, need look passively no longer. We too can leave the house, can mount those steps, pass in and out of those doors,...make money, administer justice. Nobody will dare contradict us then; we shall be the mouthpieces of the divine spirit—a solemn thought, is it not? We are here, on the bridge, to ask ourselves certain questions. And they are very important questions; and we have very little time in which to answer them. The questions that we have to ask and to answer

Unseen Passage 1 23 about that procession during this moment of transition are so important that they may well change the lives of all men and women for ever. For we have to ask ourselves, here and now, do we wish to join that procession, or don’t we? On what terms shall we join that procession? Above all, where is it leading us, the procession of educated men? As you know from your own experience, and there are facts that prove it, the daughters of educated men have always done their thinking from hand to mouth; not under green lamps at study tables in the cloisters of secluded colleges. They have thought while they stirred the pot, while they rocked the cradle. It was thus that they won us the right to our brand-new sixpence. It falls to us now to go on thinking; how are we to spend that sixpence? Think we must. Let us think in offices; in omnibuses; while we are standing in the crowd watching Coronations and Lord Mayor’s Shows; let us think...in the gallery of the House of Commons; in the Law Courts; let us think at baptisms and marriages and funerals. (CBSE 2017) (adapted from ‘Three Guineas’, Virginia Woolf) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the ELEVEN that follow: (a) The bridge over the Thames is ______. (i) quite far (ii) near (iii) not very far (iv) close at hand (b) We are watching the procession of ______. (i) educated men (ii) educated women (iii) educated old men (iv) common men (c) The procession looks like a caravan ______. (i) camping in a desert (ii) crossing a desert (iii) settled in a desert (iv) living in a desert (d) We are traipsing along ______. (i) at the front (ii) in the middle (iii) at the tail end (iv) nowhere (e) The daughters of educated men have always done their thinking ______. (i) from their brains (ii) from hand to month (iii) from looks (iv) from their hearts (f) The daughters have thought while ______. (i) they are sleeping (ii) they are dreaming and playing (iii) they stirred the pot and rocked the cradle (iv) they are working

24 English XII (g) Write a word from para 1 which means ‘a point from which we can watch easily’ (i) vantage (ii) pulpit (iii) caravan (iv) solemn (h) Write a word from para 2 which means ‘walking slowly tired’. (i) pageant (ii) traipsing (iii) curtained (iv) administer (i) What is Woolf’s idea regarding women in the passage? (i) Woolf’s idea is that now that women have no right to work in various professions, they need to consider whether they should take advantage of this right and in what capacity. (ii) Woolf’s idea is that now women have been deprived of the right to work in various professions. (iii) Woolf’s idea is that now that women have the right to work in various professions, they need to consider whether they should take advantage of this right and in what capacity. (iv) Woolf’s idea is that now women have the right to work in various professions. (j) ‘In lines 1-3, Woolf says that the bridge is “an admirable vantage ground for us to make a survey”.’ What does Woolf indicate? (i) The bridge is not good for looking at something (the procession). (ii) The bridge is good for looking at something (the procession). (iii) The bridge is too high to look at something (the procession). (iv) The bridge is too low to look at something (the procession). (k) When Woolf refers to the procession, what is she referring to? (i) She is referring to the educated men. (ii) She is referring to the daily commute to and from work. (iii) She is referring to the educated daughters. (iv) She is referring to the rich society. 9. Read the following passage carefully: We sit in the last row, bumped about but free of stares. The bus rolls out of the dull crossroads of the city, and we are soon in open countryside, with fields of sunflowers as far as the eye can see, their heads all facing us. Where there is no water, the land reverts to desert. While still on level ground, we see in the distance the tall range of the Mount Bogda, abrupt like a shining prism laid horizontally on the desert surface. It is over 5,000 metres high, and the peaks are under permanent snow, in powerful contrast to the flat desert all around. Heaven Lake lies part of the way up this range, about 2,000 metres above sea-level, at the foot of one of the higher snow-peaks.

Unseen Passage 1 25 As the bus climbs, the sky, brilliant before, grows overcast. I have brought nothing warm to wear: it is all down at the hotel in Urumqi. Rain begins to fall. The man behind me is eating overpoweringly smelly goats’ cheese. The bus window leaks inhospitably but reveals a beautiful view. We have passed quickly from desert through arable land to pasture, and the ground is now green with grass, the slopes dark with pine. A few cattle drink at a clear stream flowing past moss-covered stones; it is a Constable landscape. The stream changes into a white torrent, and as we climb higher I wish more and more that I had brought with me something warmer than the pair of shorts that have served me so well in the desert. The stream (which, we are told, rises in Heaven Lake) disappears, and we continue our slow ascent. About noon, we arrive at Heaven Lake, and look for a place to stay at the foot, which is the resort area. We get a room in a small cottage, and I am happy to note that there are thick quilts on the beds. Standing outside the cottage we survey our surroundings. Heaven Lake is long, sardine-shaped and fed by snow melt from a stream at its head. The lake is an intense blue, surrounded on all sides by green mountain walls, dotted with distant sheep. At the head of the lake, beyond the delta of the inflowing stream, is a massive snow-capped peak which dominates the vista; it is part of a series of peaks that culminate, a little out of view, in Mount Bogda itself. For those who live in the resort, there is a small mess-hall by the shore. We eat here sometimes, and sometimes buy food from the vendors outside, who sell kabab and naan until the last buses leave. The kababs, cooked on skewers over charcoal braziers, are particularly good; highly spiced and well-done. Horse’s milk is available too from the local Kazakh herdsmen, but I decline this. I am so affected by the cold that Mr Cao, the relaxed young man who runs the mess—lends me a spare pair of trousers, several sizes too large but more than comfortable. Once I am warm again,I feel a pre-dinner spurt of energy. (CBSE 2017) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the ELEVEN that follow: (a) The bus rolled out of the city and was soon in ______. (i) open countryside (ii) narrow countryside (iii) the valley (iv) the mountainous region (b) As far as the eyes could see there were the fields of ______. (i) green shrubs (ii) sunflowers (iii) rose flowers (iv) paddy (c) The Mount Bogda was looking like a shining prism laid ______. (i) horizontally on the mountain (ii) straight on the fields (iii) horizontally on the desert (iv) horizontally on the landscape

26 English XII (d) ‘We’ arrived at Heaven Lake ______. (i) in the morning (ii) in the afternoon (iii) about at noon (iv) exactly at noon (e) Heaven Lake is fed ______. (i) by a stream at its neighbourhood (ii) by a stream at Mount Bogda’s head (iii) by a stream near it (iv) by a stream at its head (f) There is a small mess-hall ______. (i) by the road (ii) by the store (iii) near the market (iv) near the temple (g) Where could ‘we’ see the Mount Bogda? (i) ‘We’ could see the Mount Bogda in the picture. (ii) ‘We’ could see the Mount Bogda in the distance. (iii) ‘We’ could see the Mount Bogda nearby. (iv) ‘We’ could see the Mount Bogda very far from us. (h) What is the height of Heaven Lake? (i) The height of Heaven Lake is about 1000 metres. (ii) The height of Heaven Lake is about 3000 metres. (iii) The height of Heaven Lake is about 2 km. (iv) The height of Heaven Lake is about 4000 metres. (i) How did the landscape change from the desert? (i) The landscape changed from the barren desert to the arable land and pastures. (ii) The landscape changed from the fertile desert to the dry pastures. (iii) The landscape changed from the barren desert to the yellow pastures. (iv) The landscape changed from the barren desert to the barren pastures. (j) Why was the narrator happy when he entered his room? (i) The narrator was happy to find thick quilts on the beds in his room. (ii) The narrator was happy to find blankets on the beds in his room. (iii) The narrator was happy to find bed sheets on the beds in his room. (iv) The narrator was happy to find woollen clothes on the beds in his room. (k) The author ______ the nature in this write-up. (iv) (ii) and (iii) (i) criticises (ii) appreciates (iii) enjoys

Unseen Passage 1 27 10. Read the following passage carefully: That large animals require luxuriant vegetation has been a general assumption which has passed from one work to another; but I do not hesitate to say that it is completely false, and that it has vitiated the reasoning of geologists on some points of great interest in the ancient history of the world. The prejudice has probably been derived from India, and the Indian islands, where troops of elephants, noble forests, and impenetrable jungles, are associated together in every one’s mind. If, however, we refer to any work of travels through the southern parts of Africa, we shall find allusions in almost every page either to the desert character of the country, or to the numbers of large animals inhabiting it. The same thing is rendered evident by the many engravings which have been published of various parts of the interior. Dr Andrew Smith, who has lately succeeded in passing the Tropic of Capricorn, informs me that, taking into consideration the whole of the southern part of Africa, there can be no doubt of its being a sterile country. On the southern coasts there are some fine forests, but with these exceptions, the traveller may pass for days together through open plains, covered by poor and scanty vegetation. Now, if we look to the animals inhabiting these wide plains, we shall find their numbers extraordinarily great, and their bulk immense. At the distance of a little more than one hour’s march from their place of encampment on the previous night, his party actually killed at one spot eight hippopotamuses, and saw many more. In this same river there were likewise crocodiles. Of course it was a case quite extraordinary, to see so many great animals crowded together, but it evidently proves that they must exist in great numbers. Dr Smith describes the country passed through that day, as ‘being thinly covered with grass, and bushes about four feet high, and still more thinly with mimosa-trees.’ Besides these large animals, anyone the least acquainted with the natural history of the Cape has read of the herds of antelopes, which can be compared only with the flocks of migratory birds. The numbers indeed of the lion, panther, and hyena, and the multitude of birds of prey, plainly speak of the abundance of the smaller quadrupeds: one evening seven lions were counted at the same time prowling round Dr Smith’s encampment. As this able naturalist remarked to me, the carnage each day in Southern Africa must indeed be terrific! I confess it is truly surprising how such a number of animals can find support in a country producing so little food.

28 English XII After the above facts, we are compelled to conclude, against anterior probability that among the mammalia there exists no close relation between the bulk of the species, and the quantity of the vegetation, in the countries which they inhabit. (adapted from ‘Voyage of the Beagle’, Charles Darwin (1890); abridged) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the ELEVEN that follow: (a) What is the author primarily concerned with? (i) discussing the relationship between the size of mammals and the nature of vegetation in their habitats (ii) contrasting ecological conditions in India and Africa (iii) proving that large animals do not require much food (iv) describing the size of animals in various parts of the world (b) According to the author, what has the ‘prejudice’ (para 1) led to? (i) errors in the reasoning of biologists (ii) false ideas about animals in Africa (iii) incorrect assumptions on the part of geologists (iv) doubt in the mind of the author (c) What for are the flocks of migratory birds (para 4) mentioned? (i) to describe an aspect of the fauna of South Africa (ii) to illustrate a possible source of food for large carnivores (iii) to contrast with the habits of the antelope (iv) to suggest the size of antelope herds (d) What prejudice has vitiated the reasoning of geologists? (i) animals require no luxuriant vegetation (ii) large animals require luxuriant vegetation (ii) less animals require luxuriant vegetation (iii) large animals require vegetation (e) Why does Dr Smith refer to Africa as a sterile country? (i) The traveller may pass for days together through open plains, covered by a poor and scanty vegetation. (ii) The traveller may pass for days together through open plains, covered by green vegetation. (iii) The traveller may pass for days together through open plains, covered by barren fields. (iv) The traveller may pass for days together through open plains, covered by fertile fields.

Unseen Passage 1 29 (f) What is the ‘carnage’ referred to by Dr Smith? (i) number of prey animals killed by predators (ii) number of wild animals killed by predators (iii) number of domestic animals killed by predators (iv) number of animals killed by predators (g) What does Darwin’s remark ‘if there were sufficient data’ indicate? (i) Comparison of the weights of herbivores is less speculative. (ii) Comparison of the weights of herbivores is not speculative. (iii) Comparison of the weights of herbivores is perhaps speculative. (iv) Comparison of the weights of herbivores is largely speculative. (h) To account for the ‘surprising’ number of animals in a ‘country producing so little food’, what partial explanation does Darwin suggest? (i) food requirements have been overestimated (ii) large area for animals to forage in rapid regrowth of plant material (iii) food which is a concentrated source of nutrients (iv) any of the above (i) Pick out the word/phrase from the passage which is similar in meaning to ‘dense’ (para 1). (i) impenetrable (ii) luxuriant (iii) ancient (iv) evident (j) Pick out the word/phrase from the passage which is similar in meaning to ‘barren’ (para 2). (i) fine (ii) scanty (iii) poor (iv) sterile (k) ‘Compelled’ as used in the passage, DOES NOT correspond to (i) ‘bound’. (ii) ‘free’. (iii) ‘constrained’. (iv) ‘required’.



Literature Flamingo (Prose)



1CHAPTER The Last Lesson Extract Based Multiple Choice Questions Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow, selecting the most appropriate option from the given ones. 1. I started for school very late that morning and was in great dread of a scolding, especially because M. Hamel had said that he would question us on participles, and I did not know the first word about them. For a moment I thought of running away and spending the day out of doors. It was so warm, so bright! The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods; and in the open field back of the sawmill the Prussian soldiers were drilling. It was all much more tempting than the rule for participles, but I had the strength to resist, and hurried off to school. (pg 2) (a) Why was Franz in great dread of scolding? (i) He had got late. (ii) He hadn’t prepared his lesson on ‘participles’. (iii) He always dreaded going to school. (iv) He had other plans to settle in life. (b) Why did Franz think of running away? (i) He always dreaded school. (ii) He was terribly afraid of M. Hamel’s asking about ‘participles’. (iii) He wanted to enjoy the scenes of nature. (iv) none of the above (c) What does Franz’s description of nature reveal of him? (i) Franz is a great lover of nature. (ii) Franz likes being in nature. (iii) The entire scene of nature is more captivating. (iv) all of the above (d) Why did Franz decide to go to school despite temptations? (i) He was a disciplined student. (ii) He had the curiosity to know more about everything. (iii) He was a boy of principles. (iv) all of the above 63

64 English XII 2. When I passed the town hall there was a crowd in front of the bulletin-board. For the last two years all our bad news had come from there — the lost battles, the draft, the orders of the commanding officer — and I thought to myself, without stopping, “What can be the matter now?” (pg 2) (a) The bulletin-board is central to the people to Alsace because (i) it displays the village news. (ii) it records all the important events of the surroundings. (iii) all go to and read it. (iv) none of the above (b) Do you think does Franz read the bulletin board from time to time? (i) no (ii) yes (iii) not sure (iv) occassionally (c) What amazes Franz when he passes the town hall? (i) a big crowd before the bulletin-board (ii) beautiful scene of nature (iii) armymen parading (iv) none of the above (d) Name some of the bad news around the place. (i) the lost battles (ii) orders of the commanding officer (iii) (i) and (ii) (iv) none of the above 3. I jumped over the bench and sat down at my desk. Not till then, when I had got a little over my fright, did I see that our teacher had on his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and the little black silk cap, all embroidered, that he never wore except on inspection and prize days. Besides, the whole school seemed so strange and solemn. But the thing that surprised me most was to see, on the back benches that were always empty, the village people sitting quietly like ourselves; old Hauser, with his three cornered hat, the former mayor, the former postmaster, and several others besides. (pgs 3-4) (a) What had frightened Franz the most? (i) his dread of going to school (ii) his fear of M. Hamel (iii) his not getting to know the participles (iv) none of the above (b) What did the teacher’s dress indicate? (i) a signal of bad times (ii) a signal of celebrations (iii) things were not normal (iv) (ii) and (iii)

The Last Lesson 65 (c) What amazed Franz the most? (i) school’s strangeness and solemnity (ii) villagers sitting together (iii) villagers’ presence in the classroom (iv) all of the above (d) The villagers of Alsace were invited to the classroom (i) to receive the instructions of the authorities. (ii) to inform them of Germans. (iii) to reinforce the knowledge and importance of patriotism. (iv) none of the above 4. My last French lesson! Why, I hardly knew how to write! I should never learn any more! I must stop there, then! Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons, for seeking birds’ eggs, or going sliding on the Saar! My books, that had seemed such a nuisance a while ago, so heavy to carry, my grammar, and my history of the saints, were old friends now that I couldn’t give up. And M. Hamel, too; the idea that he was going away, that I should never see him again, made me forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was. (pg 4) (a) What two qualities of M. Hamel do you find in what he says? (i) a good teacher with a golden heart (ii) balanced and capable of regretting (iii) simple-hearted but cruel (iv) (i) and (ii) (b) Why does Franz say that his books were old friends? (i) because he won’t read them (ii) because his books are like a friend who is being forgotten (iii) because he will be missing them (iv) all of the above (c) What made Franz forget about M. Hamel’s ruler and his cranky behaviour? (i) He won’t meet M. Hamel anymore. (ii) M. Hamel had delivered his last lesson. (iii) Franz would be busy with his farm. (iv) none of the above (d) Would Franz be able to learn anymore? (i) no (ii) not sure (iii) yes (iv) none of the above 5. Poor man! It was in honour of this last lesson that he had put on his fine Sunday clothes, and now I understood why the old men of the village were sitting there in the back of the room. It was because they were sorry, too, that they had not gone to school more. It was their way of thanking our master for his forty years

66 English XII of faithful service and of showing their respect for the country that was theirs no more. (pgs 4-5) (NCERT Question Bank) (a) Why does the narrator refer to M. Hamel as ‘Poor man!’? (i) He empathises with M. Hamel as he had to leave the village. (ii) He believes that M. Hamel’s ‘fine Sunday clothes’ clearly reflected that he was not rich. (iii) He feels sorry for M. Hamel as it was his last French lesson. (iv) He thinks that M. Hamel’s patriotism and sense of duty resulted in his poverty. (b) Which of the following idioms might describe the villagers’ act of attending the last lesson most accurately? (i) ‘Too good to miss’ (ii) ‘Too little, too late’ (iii) ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’ (iv) ‘Too cool for school’ (c) Choose the option that might raise a question about M. Hamel’s ‘faithful service’. (i) When Franz came late, M. Hamel told him that he was about to begin class without him. (ii) Franz mentioned how cranky M. Hamel was and his ‘great ruler rapping on the table’. (iii) M. Hamel often sent students to water his flowers, and gave a holiday when he wanted to go fishing. (iv) M. Hamel permitted villagers to put their children ‘to work on a farm or at the mills’ for some extra money. (d) Choose the option that most appropriately fills in the blanks, for the following description of the given extract. The villagers and their children sat in class, forging with their old master a 1. _________ togetherness. In that moment, the class room stood 2. _________. It was France itself, and the last French lesson a desperate hope to 3. _________ to the remnants of what they had known and taken for granted. Their own 4. _________. (i) 1. graceful; 2. still; 3. hang on; 4. country (ii) 1. bygone; 2. up; 3. keep on; 4. education (iii) 1. beautiful; 2. mesmerised; 3. carry on; 4. unity (iv) 1. forgotten; 2. transformed; 3. hold on; 4. identity

The Last Lesson 67 6. M. Hamel went on to talk of the French language, saying that it was the most beautiful language in the world — the clearest, the most logical; that we must guard it among us and never forget it, because when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison. Then he opened a grammar book and read us our lesson. I was amazed to see how well I understood it. All he said seemed so easy, so easy! (pgs 5-6) (NCERT Question Bank) (a) Which of the following can be attributed to M. Hamel’s declaration about the French language? (i) subject expertise (ii) nostalgic pride (iii) factual accuracy (iv) patriotic magnification (b) Read the quotes given below. Choose the option that might best describe M. Hamel’s viewpoint. 1. Those who know nothing 2. Language is the road map of a of foreign languages know culture. It tells you where its people nothing of their own. come from and where they are going. – Rita Mae Brown – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 3. A poor man is like a for- 4. The greatest propaganda in the eigner in his own country. world is our mother tongue, that – Ali Ibn Abi Talib is what we learn as children, and which we learn unconsciously. That shapes our perceptions for life. – Marshal McLuhan (i) Option 1. (ii) Option 2. (iii) Option 3. (iv) Option 4. (c) ‘I was amazed to see how well I understood it.’ Select the option that DOES NOT explain why Franz found the grammar lesson ‘easy’. (i) Franz was paying careful attention in class this time. (ii) M. Hamel was being extremely patient and calm in his teaching. (iii) Franz was inspired and had found a new meaning and purpose to learning. (iv) Franz had realised that French was the clearest and most logical language. (d) Franz was able to understand the grammar lesson easily because he was (i) receptive. (ii) appreciative. (iii) introspective. (iv) competitive.

68 English XII Stand-alone Multiple Choice Questions Based on your understanding of the current chapter, answer the following questions: 1. ‘Franz saw a huge crowd assembled in front of the bulletin board, but did not stop.’ How would you evaluate his reaction? (a) Franz was too little to care about the news of lost battles. (b) Nobody in Franz’s family was in the army, so it did not matter. (c) Bad news had become very normal, so he went about his task. (d) It was too crowded for Franz to find out what news was up on the board. 2. ‘There was usually great bustle and noise when school began, but it was all very quiet.’ Which of the following describes Franz’ emotions most accurately? (a) shock and awe (b) disappointment and anxiety (c) confusion and distress (d) curiosity and uncertainty 3. ‘I never saw him look so tall.’ Which of the following best captures M. Hamel on the last day of school? (a) cranky, miserable, dedicated, resigned (b) patient, dignified, emotional, courageous (c) calm, nostalgic, disappointed, patriotic (d) proud, reproachful, persistent, heroic 4. Look at the table below. Column A provides instances from the story ‘The Last Lesson’. Column B provides titles of some famous English language poems. Choose the option that correctly match items of Column A with Column B. Column A Column B A. ‘Remorse is memory awake’ 1. M. Hamel distributed new copies that looked like little French (Emily Dickinson) flags, and ended the class with an emphatic ‘Viva La France!’ B. ‘A House called Tomorrow’ (Alberto Rios) 2. Hauser sat at the end of the class, thumbing his primer, C. ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ (John desperately trying to learn with Donne) the children, even as he cried. 3. M. Hamel shared how Alsace always put off learning, and how its people always thought they had plenty of time.

The Last Lesson 69 4. Class ended when the church- D. ‘Do Not Go gentle into That Good clock struck twelve. And then Night’ (Dylan Thomas) the Angelus. Simultaneously, Prussian trumpets sounded under the school windows. (a) 1. – A.; 2. – B.; 3. – C.; 4. – D. (b) 1. – B.; 2. – C.; 3. – D.; 4. – A. (c) 1. – C.; 2. – D.; 3. – A.; 4. – B. (d) 1. – D.; 2. – A.; 3. – B.; 4. – C. 5. The Last Lesson’ is set in the days of the (a) Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871). (b) Franco-Prussian War (1871–1872). (c) Franco-Prussian War (1873–1874). (d) Franco-Prussian War (1875–1876). 6. How did M. Hamel give the shocking news to the students and the villagers and with what effect? (a) M. Hamel spoke in a gentle and grave tone and the news shocked and stunned the village elders. (b) M. Hamel spoke in a grave tone but the village elders were ecstatic to receive the news. (c) M. Hamel conveyed the news happily and the villagers too received the news happily. (d) M. Hamel spoke in a gentle and grave tone but the news made no difference to the villagers. 7. ‘The Last Lesson’ is about (a) values of culture, traditions and patriotism. (b) the start of teaching German. (c) M. Hamel’s last day at school. (d) Franz’s test on participles. 8. What is focused on in ‘The Last Lesson’? (a) importance of own language, culture and nationalism (b) pride in French culture (c) political hegemony of the Prussians (d) how French language is replaced by German language 9. ‘But, now it was all so still.’ What is ‘it’ here? (a) school activities of routine nature (b) teaching (c) student activities (d) hustle-bustle in the school

70 English XII 10. M. Hamel’s waking up and down shows (a) his changed exterior. (b) something unexpected going to happen. (c) his nervousness. (d) his agitated mind. 11. ‘Everybody looked sad’ means (a) all were expecting a bad news. (b) something unusual was taking place. (c) M. Hamel was retiring. (d) M. Hamel was not to be in the school. 12. ‘The order from Berlin had a stupefying effect on the villagers.’ It came to him like (a) a bolt from blue. (b) a thunder clap. (c) a nightmare. (d) (a) and (b) 13. Franz forgot all about M. Hamel’s ruler and his crankiness when (a) M. Hamel started his last lesson. (b) he felt that M. Hamel was going away. (c) he felt that he won’t see M. Hamel anymore. (d) (b) and (c) 14. How does M. Hamel describe the French language? (a) It is the easiest. (b) It is the most wonderful language in the world. (c) It is the clearest and most logical. (d) It is the simplest language in the world. 15. “M. Hamel looked ‘pale’ when the Prussians trumpeted near the window.” What does it signify? (a) M. Hamel is greatly distressed to leave teaching his own language. (b) M. Hamel will lose his freedom. (c) He wouldn’t keep his culture and heritage. (d) He would leave the country next day. 16. When do the residents of Alsace and Lorraine realise the value of their language? (a) When it is the last lesson for them by M. Hamel. (b) When they sit together. (c) When M. Hamel tells them. (d) When they have to give up their culture.

The Last Lesson 71 17. Concluding his last lesson by writing ‘Viva La France!’ on the blackboard shows that M. Hamel (a) was overwhelmed with emotions. (b) wanted to distract all attending class that day. (c) was keen on not leaving the country. (d) wanted to teach French participles through it. 18. The last lesson by Alphonse Daudet is mainly about the longing to learn _________ and love for it. (a) the mother tongue (b) German (c) French (d) the foreign language 19. ‘The Last Lesson’ raises the question of (a) expansion of linguistic and cultural hegemony of the colonial and imperial powers. (b) the domination of the powerful over the weak. (c) importance of national feelings and value of language. (d) pride of one’s language. 20. Tick the correct statement with reference to the two statements given below. Assertion A: One must be patriotic. Reason B: Patriotism builds your global image. (a) Statement 1. Both A and B are correct, and B is the correct explanation of A. (b) Statement 2. Both A and B are correct, but B is not the correct explanation of A. (c) Statement 3. A and B are incorrect. (d) Statement 4. A is correct but B. is incorrect.

3CHAPTER Deep Water Extract Based Multiple Choice Questions Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow, selecting the most appropriate option from the given ones. 1. My breath was gone. I was frightened. Father laughed, but there was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves. My introduction to the Y.M.CA. swimming pool revived unpleasant memories and stirred childish fears. But in a little while I gathered confidence. I paddled with my new water wings, watching the other boys and trying to learn by aping them. I did this two or three times on different days and was just beginning to feel at ease in the water when the misadventure happened. (pg 25) (NCERT Question Bank) (a) Choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below. Statement 1: The author’s father laughed to mock his son’s inability to swim. Statement 2: The author wanted to swim just to prove to his father that he can swim. (i) Statement 1 is true but Statement 2 is false. (ii) Statement 1 is false but Statement 2 is true. (iii) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred. (iv) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 can be inferred. (b) ‘My introduction to the Y.M.CA. swimming pool revived unpleasant memories and stirred childish fears.’ It can be inferred that this was a clear case of (i) suppression. (ii) oppression. (iii) depression. (iv) repression. (c) The misadventure that took place right after the author felt comfortable was that (i) the author slipped and fell into the swimming pool. (ii) a bully tossed him into the pool for the sake of fun. (iii) his coach forgot to teach him how to handle deep water. (iv) his father couldn’t help him from drowning into the water. 80