Class 12 TERM-I SET-3 Series NBSE/XII/2021 Code No. 301/12/3 Roll No. Candidates must write the Code No. on the title page of the OMR sheet. l Please check that this question paper contains 16 printed pages. l Code number given on the right hand side of the question paper should be written on the title page of the OMR sheet l Please check that this question paper contains 60 questions. l 15 minutes time has been allotted to read this question paper. ENGLISH CORE Maximum Marks : 40 Time Allowed : 90 Minutes General Instructions: 1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections. 2. Section A—READING has 18 questions. Attempt a total of 14 questions, as per specific instructions for each question. 3. Section B—WRITING SKILLS has 12 questions. Attempt a total of 10 questions, as per specific instructions for each question. 4. Section C—LITERATURE has 30 questions. Attempt 26 questions, as per specific instructions for each question. 5. All questions carry equal marks. 6. There is no negative marking. NBSE 2021 1 [P.T.O.
READING I.R ead the passage given below. I. It is rather astounding to know that a non-literate Goan might actually be multilingual as compared to city graduates in many of the states, including Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan or Bihar. This, however, doesn’t mean that those who are literate aren’t multilingual. The percentage of multilingual people keeps skyrocketing with higher levels of education both nationally and regionally. Geography plays a significant role in determining the multilingualism of a person. II. State-wise data from Census 2011 on multilingualism and levels of education shows that some states consistently have higher proportions of multilingual persons at all levels of education. Goa has the highest number of bilinguals and trilinguals. Therefore, more than half the non- literate population is found to be bilingual in Goa. III. On the other hand, states like Gujarat, Assam, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Maharashtra have a high proportion of multilinguals in their population, irrespective of the level of education whereas Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have a low proportion of multilinguals at any level of education, comparatively. Education does make a difference to multilingualism in varying degrees. IV. South India sees the least multilingual as well as the most multilingual states–Kerala and Karnataka respectively–irrespective of the level of education. However, with incremented levels of education, there has been a constant increase in Kerala resulting in over half the population of graduates or above becoming not just bilingual, but trilingual. How many languages you speak correlates with your education. Level Iollfiteerdautecatio1n5%PofroBpiloinrgtiounals Literate but below primary 20% Primary school 26.4% THIS IS TRUE BOTH NATIONALLY Middle school 32.2% AND FOR EACH Matric/secondary level 48.5% STATE. ALSO, URBAN Graduate and above 68.8% POPULATIONS ARE MORE MULTILINGUAL THAN RURAL ONES But geographical location Difference in rural and urban matters even more. multilingualism varies by state. Level of education and state Level of education and location Goan villagers below 78.6% Illiterate 21.5% primary level Odisha villagers Chhattisgarh town dwellers 45.8% Urban Odisha 93.3% graduate and above graduate J&K villagers 55.8% Illiterate Bihar 14.4% below primary villager Rajasthan urban 46.6% Urban graduate 47.7% graduate and above from Bihar NBSE 2021 2
V. We need to be aware, however, that the absence of education in the mother tongue, the impact of large global languages and language fatigue are some of the causes that can lead to language extinction too. Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any eight out of the ten questions by choosing the correct option. Q1. Select the option that DOES NOT list the feeling/s the writer expresses about the fact that the Goan non-literates know more languages than the town-dwelling graduates. 1. hope 2. astonishment 3. concern 4. surprise 5. apprehension (a) Only 2 (b) 2 & 5 (c) 1, 3 & 5 (d) Only 3 Q2. With reference to the text, select the CORRECT option, as per the vital role of location for determining multilingualism. (a) The fewer the number of citizens in a cultural space, the more intense the interaction. (b) The more the people of different cultures reside in an area, the more the interaction. (c) The more the people visit a certain area, the more the attempt to learn their native tongue. (d) The less the distance of a region from popular tourist attractions, the less the effort to learn its language. Q3. Select the option that stands correct with respect to the two statements given below. Statement 1: There is a lack of learning of the native languages. Statement 2: Loss of languages can happen, over time. (a) Both statements 1 and 2 have no reference in the text. (b) Statement 1 is the cause and 2 is its effect. (c) Both statements 1 and 2 are independent of each other. (d) Statement 1 is conclusive and statement 2 is introductory in nature. Q4. Select the option that enlists the people who are likely to fall under the category of urban multilinguals. 1. Olivia Das has lived in a fishing district in Odisha since she was an infant. 2. Lakhan is a backpacker who officially stays in the metropolitan city, Mumbai. 3. Cho-Hee is currently residing in one of the municipal areas of Rajasthan. 4. Satpal Singh has resided in the Punjab countryside ever since he was in upper primary. (a) 1, 2 (b) 2, 3 (c) 1, 3 (d) 2, 4 NBSE 2021 3 [P.T.O.
Q5. Select the option that fills in the blanks for the online definition of language fatigue as used in the text. Language fatigue occurs when, trying to use a second language (i) ...................., you become physically and psychologically (ii) .................... by speaking, listening and finding meaning in a (iii) .................... used “new” language. (a) (i) minimally (ii) inspired (iii) popularly (b) (i) frequently (ii) inspired (iii) little (c) (i) aptly (ii) drained (iii) popularly (d) (i) constantly (ii) drained (iii) little Q6. Select the option that lists a comment posted online in response to this article. (a) French and English – a good combination. (b) Learn English to earn money and learn the mother-tongue to keep in touch with your roots. Anything else is redundant. (c) Thank you for inviting me to speak on how knowing English helps us. (d) Once upon a time, there was a villager who travelled to the city to earn his livelihood. When he reached the city, he noticed that all the signboards were beyond his understanding. Q7. Select the option that includes the correct match of the following images with Multilingual (M), Bilingual (B) and Trilingual (T) people. 1. 2. 3. 4. (a) M-2; B-3; T-1 (b) M-1; B-4; T-2 (c) M-4; B-2; T-3 (d) M-3; B-1; T-4 NBSE 2021 4
Q8. Select the option that lists the statement/s that is/are TRUE for the level of education and its corresponding state. 1. The percentage of Goan villagers who are beneath the primary level of education is the lowest. 2. Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan have a minimal difference in the number of graduates from well-developed areas. 3. Less than fifty percent of villagers from Jammu and Kashmir are below the mark of primary education. 4. The number of Rajasthan urban graduates is fifty percent more than that of J&K villagers with less than primary education. (a) 1 & 4 (b) 2 & 3 (c) Only 2 (d) Only 4 Q9. Select the option that indicates the fact that the percentage of multilinguals keeps skyrocketing with higher levels of education. (a) True for our country (b) False for regions (c) True for our country but false for others (d) True for our country as well as regions Q10. Select the statement which gives correct data according to the passage. (a) Gujarat, Assam have low proportion of multilinguals. (b) Madhya Pradesh has high proportion of multilinguals. (c) Maharashtra has high whereas West Bengal has low proportion of multilinguals. (d) Uttar Pradesh has high proportion of multilinguals. II. Read the passage given below: I. Soft skills have always been important and they’re increasingly vital today. The rise of automation and artificial intelligence means that hard skills alone are no longer enough to be successful. And while the half-life of many hard skills is shrinking, soft skills stay relevant: a particular programming language may go out of fashion but creativity, adaptability and collaboration skills will always be valuable. Many companies still struggle to accurately assess soft skills, despite their growing value. If companies want a hiring strategy for the future, they need to change how they identify and hire for soft skills. II. Companies struggle to assess soft skills without a formal process. Only 41% have a formal process to assess soft skills. 57% struggle to assess soft skills accurately. NBSE 2021 5 [P.T.O.
III. In a typical job interview, you mostly ask the candidates about their hard skills and experience to see if they’re a fit. Soft skills are often approached less directly. In fact 68% of talent professionals say the main way they assess soft skills is by picking up on social cues in interviews. He seemed upbeat, so he’s probably a good collaborator; seemed nervous so he’s probably not a good leader. The problem is that these perceptions aren’t predictive, and worse, they’re often unconsciously biased. Unfortunately, this unstructured approach is extremely common–which is probably why so many struggle to assess soft skills accurately and consistently. IV. Despite the importance of soft skills, the most common ways to measure them haven’t changed over the past few decades. Companies overwhelmingly rely on asking interview questions and observing candidates’ body language. While behavioural and situational questions can be effective if applied consistently, they’re susceptible to bias and often elicit well-rehearsed answers. Other methods that go beyond the interview aren't as popular yet, but could lead to less biased assessments. Projects let you see candidates’ soft skills in action; tech based assessments like Koru and Pymetrics use Al to measure candidates’ soft skills more systematically. Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any six out of the eight questions by choosing the correct option. Q11. According to the passage, the reason for relevance of soft skills is: (a) exponential rise in field of Al. (b) slow rise of hard skills. (c) hard skills going out of fashion. (d) hard skills not relevant. Q12. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE? (a) It is quite difficult to assess soft skills. (b) The number of companies with formal process to assess soft skills is quite high. (c) More than half of the companies struggle to assess soft skills. (d) Companies need hiring strategies for future. NBSE 2021 6
Q 13. What is the body language of the candidate appearing for the interview in the given picture? (a) Confident and arrogant (b) Pleasant and disinterested (c) Confident and attentive (d) Disinterested and aggressive Q14. According to the data provided by talent professionals, which is the most common method of assessing soft skills? (a) Behavioural questions followed by situational questions (b) Behavioural questions followed by reading body language (c) Reading body language followed by projects (d) Behavioural questions and projects Q15. What is the tone of the reply in the given context? Jack Rees During a job interview yesterday I poured some water into a cup and it overflowed slightly. ‘‘Nervous?’’ asked the interviewer. I replied simply, “No, I always give 110%.” (a) Sarcastic (b) Honest [P.T.O. (c) Witty (d) Cynical NBSE 2021 7
Q16. In the HR round, a candidate was posed the below mentioned question: ‘Why should you be selected for this job?’ Which candidate exhibits the best soft skills in his/ her reply? (a) I have excellent academic qualifications. (b) I am simply the best at everything. (c) I have the ability to find my niche and take my team along. (d) I am ready to accept any remuneration offered by you. Q17. Which of the following methods would be more fair in the assessment of soft skills? (a) Behavioural and situational questions (b) Behavioural questions and reading body language (c) Situational questions and projects (d) Projects and tech-based assessment Q18. What inference do you draw on the basis of your reading of the above passage? (a) The relationship between employers and employees is changing. (b) Hiring and HR practices are in sync with the changing trends. (c) Hiring and HR practices are struggling to assess soft skills and need intervention of technology. (d) People expect more from their employers these days. WRITING III. Answer any four out of the five questions given, with reference to the context below. Sayon found a briefcase while travelling by the Andhra Pradesh Express. He drafts an advertisement to be published in a national daily, so that the real owner may get it back. Q19. Select the appropriate title for the advertisement. (a) LOST (b) FOR SALE (c) FOUND (d) A BEAUTIFUL BRIEFCASE Q20. Select the option that lists the most accurate opening for this advertisement. (a) I regret to inform one and all that... (b) Most humbly I beg to state... (c) Fortunately a briefcase was found... (d) Found last Sunday a black VIPbriefcase while... Q21. Select the option with the information points to be included in the body of the advertisement. 1. Description of the briefcase 2. When and where it was lost 3. Details of documents contained 4. Willingness to find the needed owner 5. Identification and proof contents NBSE 2021 8
(a) 1, 3, 4 and 5 (b) 1, 4 and 5 (c) 2, 4 and 5 (d) All of the above Q22. Would this notice reflect the name and address of the writer? (a) Yes, because he is the finder. (b) No, because he needs to hide his address. (c) Yes, because he is looking for the real owner. (d) No, because he will hand over the briefcase to the police. Q23. Select the appropriate conclusion for this advertisement. (a) Name of the contact person (b) Name of the real owner (c) The real owner may collect the lost briefcase with particular identification and valid card (d) All of the above. IV. Answer any six of the seven questions given, with reference to the context below. Aditi is studying in Bharat School, Lucknow, Rajaji Road. The road that leads to her school, is congested and full of potholes. Students and parents are often caught in a traffic jam. In spite of several representations, the government has not done anything to improve the condition of the road. She has to write a letter to the editor of The Times of India voicing her opinion on this issue. Q24. Which of the following will be included in the FORMAT of Aditi’s letter? 1. Sender’s address & date 2. Name of the newspaper and address of the office 3. Topical sentence & salutation 4. Subject and subscription (a) 1, 3 and 4 (b) 2, 3 and 4 (c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 4 Q25. Which of the following is the most appropriate SUBJECT for her letter? (a) Appalling condition of the road leading up to Bharat School (b) Traffic jam and inconvenience to students (c) Traffic congestion on Rajaji Road (d) The improvement in the condition of the road NBSE 2021 9 [P.T.O.
Q26. What will be the introductory sentence of her letter? (a) I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities... (b) Through the columns of your magazine... (c) I would like to draw the attention of the authorities concerned... (d) Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper... Q27. Which of the following options will be the correct sequence of points to be covered? (a) The road leading to => filled with potholes => extremely congested => stray animals => a menace (b) The road leading to => extremely congested => frequented by stray animals => filled with potholes (c) The road leading to => extremely congested => filled with potholes => traffic jams => source of inconvenience (d) Stray animals are a menace => the extreme congestion => the road leading to => filled with potholes Q28. Which of the following is redundant for the content of this letter? (a) The entire stretch is narrow and covered with numerous potholes. (b) The road is congested and frequented by animals. (c) Traffic jam and inconvenience is caused to students and staff of the school. (d) The situation is better in the rainy season. Q29. Select the best option to fill in the blanks in the given sentences from the content of the letter. The (i).................... get filled with water during the rainy season causing them to become the (ii).................... for mosquitoes. Sometimes, people get caught in a (iii).................... during the (iv).................... . (a) (i) potholes (ii) breeding ground (iii) road block (iv) morning hours (b) (i) gutters (ii) breeding ground (iii) traffic jam (iv) evening hours (c) (i) gutters (ii) thriving place (iii) road block (iv) peak hours (d) (i) potholes (ii) breeding ground (iii) traffic jam (iv) peak hours Q30. What will be the last sentence of the letter? (a) The improvement in the condition of the road will ease traffic congestion and ensure the safety of the citizens. (b) The school has filed several complaints to the local authorities but they seem to have fallen on deaf ears. (c) I request the authorities to take immediate action to rectify this condition. (d) It is imperative to rectify the situation which poses a threat to pedestrians. NBSE 2021 10
LITERATURE This section has sub-sections: V, VI, VII, VIII, IX. There are a total of 30 questions in the section. Attempt any 26 questions from the sub-sections V to IX. V. Read the given extract to attempt questions that follow: Thus piece by piece, he built a swimmer. And when he had perfected each piece, he put them together into an integrated whole. In April he said, “Now you can swim. Dive off and swim the length of the pool, crawl stroke.’’ I did. The instructor was finished. But I was not finished. I still wondered if I would be terror- stricken when I was alone in the pool. I tried it. I swam the length up and down. Q31. The expression ‘piece by piece’ implies (a) smartly (b) casually (c) gradually (d) hopefully Q32. The instructor DID NOT DO the following to help Douglas overcome his fear of water: (a) Tied a belt around him and held him with rope as he swam. (b) Taught him to exhale by putting his head under water and inhale by taking it out. (c) Showed him how to kick his legs in water and keep his head out. (d) Encouraged him to swim in bigger water bodies to conquer his fear. Q33. When the narrator says 'the instructor was finished', he means to say (a) The instructor had given up on the narrator. (b) The instructor suddenly passed away. (c) The instructor’s contract with the narrator was over. (d) There was nothing more left for the instructor to do. Q34. Why was the narrator not finished? (a) Because his swimming lessons were incomplete. (b) Because he was still terror-stricken at the sight of water. (c) Because he was still not confident about swimming alone. (d) Because he was still unable to swim. Q35. What happened when the narrator swam the length of the pool up and down all alone? (a) The old childish fear gripped him again. (b) He experienced small traces of the old terror now and then. (c) He became so tired that his instructor had to help him get out of water. (d) He became so frightened that he decided to stay away from water for ever. NBSE 2021 11 [P.T.O.
VI. Read the given extract to attempt questions that follow: Food is more important for survival than an identity. “If at the end of the day we can feed our families and go to bed without an aching stomach, we would rather live here than in the fields that gave us no grain,” say a group of women in tattered saris when I ask them why they left their beautiful land of green fields and rivers. Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents that become transit homes. Children grow up in them, becoming partners in survival. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has acquired the proportions of a fine art. Garbage to them is gold. It is their daily bread, a roof over their heads, even if it is a leaking roof. But for a child it is even more. Q36. The phrase ‘transit homes’ refers to the dwellings that are: (a) unhygienic (b) inadequate (c) fragile (d) temporary Q37. Identify the figure of speech used in the sentence “Garbage to them is gold”. (a) Hyperbole (b) Simile (c) Synecdoche (d) Personification Q38. Choose the term which best matches the statement ‘Food is more important for survival than an identity.” (a) Immorality (b) Necessity (c) Obligation (d) Ambition Q39. What does ‘acquired the proportions of a fine art’ mean? (a) Rag-picking has regained its lost status. (b) A segment of ragpickers are skilled in fine arts. (c) Rag-picking has attained the position of a skill. (d) Only a few people are experts in rag-picking. Q40. ‘The garbage is even more for a child’ means: (a) sometimes gold is found in the garbage. (b) children often play on the heap of garbage. (c) children find many things in the garbage. (d) the garbage is light to carry for children. VII. Read the given extract to attempt questions that follow: For once on the face of the Earth let’s not speak in any language, let’s stop for one second, and not move our arms so much. NBSE 2021 12
It would be an exotic moment without rush, without engines, we would all be together in a sudden strangeness Q41. The poet uses the word “let’s” to .................... . (a) initiate a conversation between the poet and the readers (b) invite readers as part of the poem’s larger call to humanity (c) welcome readers into the world of the poem and its subject (d) address readers as fellow members of the human race Q42. Margaret Atwood said, “Language divides us into fragments, I wanted to be whole.” Choose the option that correctly comments on the relationship between Margaret Atwood’s words and the line from the above extract—“let’s not speak in any language”. (a) Atwood endorses Neruda’s call to not speak in any language. (b) Atwood justifies Neruda’s request to not engage in any speaking. (c) Atwood undermines Neruda’s intent to stop and not speak in any language. (d) Atwood surrenders to Neruda’s desire for silence and not speak in any language. Q43. Why do you think the poet employs words like “exotic” and “strangeness”? (a) To highlight the importance of everyone being together suddenly for once. (b) To emphasise the frenetic activity and chaos that usually envelops human life. (c) To indicate the unfamiliarity of a sudden moment without rush or without engine. (d) To direct us towards keeping quiet and how we would all be together in that silence. Q44. Choose the option that correctly matches the idioms given in Column A with their meanings in Column B. Column A Column B 1. On the face of the earth (i) In existence 2. What on earth (ii) To do all possible to accomplish something 3. Move heaven and earth (iii) To express surprise or shock 4. The salt of the earth (iv) To be good and worthy (a) 1 – (i), 2 – (iv), 3 – (iii), 4 – (ii) (b) 1 – (i), 2 – (iii), 3 – (ii), 4 – (iv) (c) 1 – (ii), 2 – (i), 3 – (iv), 4 – (iii) (d) 1 – (iv), 2 – (ii), 3 – (iii), 4 – (i) Q45. Name the poetic device used in “without rush without engines”. (a) Repetition (b) Antithesis (c) Alliteration (d) Simile NBSE 2021 13 [P.T.O.
VIII. Read the given extract to attempt questions that follow: It was at this moment that both of them saw something black come out of the mists. It was a man. He was flung up out of the ocean – flung, it seemed, to his feet by a breaker. He staggered a few steps, his body outlined against the mist, his arms above his head. Then the curled mists hid him again. ‘‘Who is that?’’ Hana cried. She dropped Sadao’s arm and they both leaned over the railing of the veranda. Now they saw him again. The man was on his hands and knees crawling. Then they saw him fall on his face and lie there. Q46. Hana cried, “Who’s that?” This reveals her .................... . (a) concern (b) anger (c) anxiety (d) hope Q47. How would they have felt when they saw “something black come out of the mists”? (a) Terrified (b) Shocked (c) Happy (d) Ignorant Q48. The phrase, “...his body outlined against the mist,” means .................... . (a) his body was covered with mist (b) his body seemed flowing in the mist (c) his body was going against the direction of the mist (d) his body was slightly visible in the mist Q49. What does the expression “flung up out of the ocean” suggest? (a) Pulled out of the ocean. (b) Thrown out of the ocean. (c) Crawling out of the ocean. (d) Walked out of the ocean. Q50. The black thing that Sadao and his wife found one evening was a .................... . (a) fisherman (b) large fish (c) wounded white man (d) dead body IX. Attempt the following. Q51. A child in the slum experiencing the dreary life would have the least access to (a) shelter (b) information (c) water (d) education Q52. What might the huge silence signify? (a) melancholy (b) understanding (c) discomfort (d) flexibility NBSE 2021 14
Q53. Pick out the caption which best expresses the message of ‘The Last Lesson’: 1. 2. 3. 4. (a) Option 1 (b) Option 2 (c) Option 3 (d) Option 4 Q54. Choose the option that best expresses M. Hamel’s character. 1. honest and dedicated 2. evasive and judgemental 3. patriotic 4. dubious and equivocal (a) 1 and 2 (b) 3 and 4 (c) 2 and 3 (d) 1 and 3 Q55. Pick the option which shows issues that ‘The Last Lesson’ does not take up. (a) The importance of learning multiple languages (b) The issue of linguistic chauvinism (c) Cultural imperialism and imposition of a language on a people (d) Language being the key to one’s identity Q56. How would you describe Charley’s vision of his grandfather’s life and times? (a) Wistful escapism (b) Idealized sentimentality (c) Nostalgic simplicity (d) Dreamy perfection Q57. How would you describe Charley? (a) Confused, happy-go-lucky (b) Escapist, adventurous (c) Imaginative, nostalgic (d) Friendly, responsible NBSE 2021 15 [P.T.O.
Q58. “Those scars”, she murmured, lifting her eyes to Sadao. The scars DO NOT indicate (a) torture perpetrated on prisoners of wars. (b) superiority of Japan over America. (c) the quest for supremacy in war. (d) the rumours of torture often heard. Q59. ‘She did not wish to be left alone with the white man.’ Why did Hana feel so despite having studied in America? This was so because ... (a) being Japanese, it was not appropriate to stay on with a stranger. (b) America and Japan were not allies in the on-going world war. (c) he was someone she had recognized from her past in America. (d) her husband had cautioned her against the American. Q60. What is the theme of the lesson ‘The Third Level’? (a) Time travelling (b) Theory of escapism (c) A dialogue between a patient and a psychiatrist (d) Human tendency of escapism because of the harsh realities of the present NBSE 2021 16
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