CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 English Set 8 with Solutions

Students must start practicing the questions from CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 English with Solutions Set 8 are designed as per the revised syllabus.

CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 English Set 8 with Solutions

Time : 3 Hours
Maximum Marks : 80

General Instructions:
1. The Question Paper contains THREE section-READING, WRITING and LITERATURE.
2. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.

Section – A
Reading Skills [22 Marks]

Reading Comprehension Through unseen Passages
Question 1.
Read the following text. (12 Marks)
1. Many of us believe that ‘small’ means ‘insignificant’. We believe that small actions and choices do not have much impact on our lives. We think that it is only the big things, the big actions and the big decisions that really count. But when you look at the lives of all great people, you will see that they built their character through small decisions, small choices and small actions that they performed every day. They transformed their lives through a step-by-step or day-by-day approach. They nurtured and nourished their good habits and chipped away at their bad habits, one step at a time. It was their small day-to-day decisions that added up to make a tremendous difference in the long run.
Indeed, in matters of personal growth and character building, there is no such thing as an overnight success.

2. Growth always occurs through a sequential series of stages. There is an organic process to growth. When we look at children growing up, we can see this process at work: the child first learns to crawl, then to stand and walk and finally to run. The same is true in the natural world. The soil must first be tilled and then the seed must be sowed. Next, it must be nurtured with enough water and sunlight and only then will it grow, bear fruit and finally ripen and be ready to eat.

3. Gandhi understood this organic process and used this universal law of nature to his benefit. Gandhi grew in small ways, in his day-to-day affairs. He did not wake up one day and find himself to be the ‘Mahatma’. In fact, there was nothing much in his early life that showed signs of greatness. But from his mid-twenties onwards, he deliberately and consistently attempted to change himself, reform himself and grow in some small way every day. Day-by-day, hour-by-hour, he risked failure, experimented and learnt from mistakes. In small and large situations alike, he took up rather than avoiding responsibility.

4. People have always marvelled at the effortless way in which Gandhi could accomplish the most difficult tasks. He displayed a great deal of self-mastery and discipline that was amazing. These things did not come easily to him. Years of practice and disciplined training went into making his successes possible. Very few saw his struggles, fears, doubts and anxieties or his inner efforts to overcome them. They saw the victory, but not the struggle.

5. This is a common factor in the lives of all great people: they exercised their freedoms and choices in small ways that made great impact on their lives and their environment. Each of their small decisions and actions, added up to have a profound impact in the long run. By understanding this principle, we can move forward with confidence in the direction of our dreams. Often when our ‘ideal goal’ looks too far from us, we become easily discouraged, disheartened and pessimistic. However, when we choose to grow in small ways, taking small steps one at a time, performing it becomes easy.

Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.
(i) Pick the option that correctly lists the tone of the writer with reference to the passage. (1)
1. Sympathetic
2. Encouraging
3. Wonder
4. Regret
5. Matter of fact
6. Tender

Codes
(a) Only 3
(b) Only 4
(c) Only 2
(d) 1 and 5
Answer:
(c) Only 2

(ii) The main idea in the first paragraph is that (1)
(a) big things, big actions and big decisions make a person great
(b) small actions and decisions are important in one’s life
(c) overnight success is possible for all of us
(d) personal changes are not important
Answer:
(b) small actions and decisions are important in one’s life

(iii) What is the one common thing that Gandhiji did in small and large situations?
Answer in about 40 words. (2)
Answer:
The one common thing that Gandhiji did in small and large things is that he took up responsibility rather than avoiding it.

(iv) Complete the following sentence with reference to the extract. (1)
The phrase ………………. in the first paragraph means ‘to steadily give up bad habits’.
Answer:
‘chipped away at their bad habits’

(v) Select the option that conveys the opposite of ‘unintentionally’ from words used in paragraph 3. (1)
(a) Risked
(b) Consistently
(c) Organic
(d) Deliberately
Answer:
(d) Deliberately

(vi) Comment on the writer’s reference to the way in which great people transform their lives. Answer in about 40 words. (2)
Answer:
Great people do the following things in order to transform their lives
(a) They approach life on a day-to-day basis.
(b) They build their character in small ways.
(c) They believe in performing every day.

(vii) Gandhiji followed a process of growth. Which of the following is the third step in this process? ^ (i)
(a) Attempt to change
(b) Learning from mistakes
(c) Risking failure
(d) Experimentation
Answer:
(d) Experimentation

(viii) What did Gandhiji try to do after he was 25 years old? (1)
Answer:
Gandhiji tried to change and reform himself, after he was twenty five years-old.

(ix) Describe the ‘universal law of nature’ mentioned in the passage. Answer in about 40 words. (2)
Answer:
The universal law of nature mentioned in the passage refers to the organic process of growth.

Question 2.
Read the following text. (10 Marks)
Politics and now Pollution keep Delhi forever in the news, but a third P (Population Growth) has gone missing from the discourse on the capital: population growth, which has soared during the last two decades and its disastrous fallout.

Already, India’s capital city is the world’s second most populous urban agglomeration. The future is even more frightening: a United Nations report released in mid-2018 says Delhi could be the world’s most populous city by 2028 with 37.2 million people. That is eight million more in just 10 years.

According to the report called World Urbanisation Prospects 2018 by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the population of Delhi and its immediate neighbourhood is now estimated to be 29 million, second only to Tokyo with 37 million people. But Delhi will zoom past Tokyo, whose population is projected to decline to 36.8 million by 2028.

Will Delhi be worth living in? Can the citj? state of Delhi escape the pressures put on it by an ever expanding National Capital Region (NCR), which touches as far as Alwar now? Are we prepared at ail for this population explosion?

In a small office in Delhi’s India Habitat Centre, a group of urban planners – all belonging to the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) – have just started collecting baseline data on land, housing, transport, environment, heritage, water, among others, for Master Plan for Delhi (MPD) 2041. “Our deadline for preparing the Master Plan is 2021. But unlike its earlier editions, it won’t be a flat 20 year plan. This one will be divided into various achievables, say, for every five years,” says Nilesh Rajadhyaksha, lead coordinator of MPD and urban specialist in NIUA.

The NIUA – an autonomous research and advisory body hat comes under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs – has been roped in by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to undertake this colossal strategy plan for Delhi 2041. The current master plan, MPD-2021, which was notified in 2007 and was prepared by an in-house team of the DDA, would expire in 2021.

The concern is that a sense of urgency to fix Delhi is missing. Many crucial elements of MPD-2021 still remain on paper, with just two years left for the plan to expire. AK Jain, former commissioner-planning in DDA and key architect of MPD-2021, gives a long list of what have not been implemented. The master plan talks about brownfield redevelopment of rehabilitation colonies such as BabujiNagar, Old Rajendra Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar, which were originally mean for Partition refugees.

Nothing has been done on that front so far. Nor for the redevelopment of 45 resettlement colonies such as Ambedkar Nagar and Taliokpuri, which were developed during Emergency to rehabilitate slum, dwellers. the rejuvenation of the Yamuna is also on the plan, but the river remains severely polluted in the Delhi stretch.

Will Delhi be liveable? Jain is not very hopeful He says Delhi won’t be a highly liveable city even if the master plan is implemented in its entirety. “Delhi is part of the National Capital Region (NCR). So, Delhi’s Development can’t happen in isolation,” he explains.

Answer the following questions, based, on given passage.
(i) State True or False. (1)
Currently, Delhi is the third most pollutants city in the world.
Answer:
False

(ii) Complete the following sentence based on the information given in the passage. (1)
The given passage wants to drive attention to ……………. .
Answer:
the problem of rising population in Delhi

(iii) The urban planners are collecting data based on ………………. . (1)
(a) heritage
(b) land
(c) transport
(d) All of these
Answer:
(d) All of these

(iv) What problem will prevail even if the Master Plan is implemented in its entirety? (1)
Answer:
Even if the Master plan is implemented in its entirety, Delhi won’t be a liveable city.

(v) Based on the given graph, choose the option that lists the statements that are true. (1)
(a) The population of New York had grown exponentially.
(b) The population of Tokyo is expected to remain the same over 10 years.
(c) Beijing and Delhi will s00 a decline in population growth.
(d) Mexico is expected to see a very inconsistent growth.
Answer:
(b) The population of Tokyo is expected to remain the same over 10 years.

(vi) Complete the sentence appropriately by choosing the correct option.
Whom had the Delhi Development Authority hired to look into the development of Delhi? (i)
(a) The Urban Planner
(b) Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs
(c) NIUA
(d) All of these
Answer:
(c) NIUA

(vii) Describe the crucial issue related to Master plans created for Delhi, Answer in about 40 words. (2)
Answer:
The crucial issue related to Master plans created for Delhi is that they are not yet implemented.

(viii) Based on reading of the text, state a point to challenge the statement. Answer in about 40 words. (2)
Many important respects of MPD-2021 have been implemented.
Answer:
The given statement is false. As per the information given in the passage, many aspects of MPD-2021 have not been implemented.

Section – B
Creative Writing Skills [18 Marks]

Note: All details presented in the questions are imaginary and created for assessment purpose.
Question 3.
Attempt ANY ONE of two, in about 50 words. (4)
A. You are Divya, the Secretary of the History Club of Saraswati Vidya Mandir School. Draft a notice for the school notice board informing the students about a proposed visit to some important historical sites in your city.
OR
B. You are Dhruv/Nidhi, Student Editor of your school e-magazine. White a notice, to be put up on your school notice board inviting short stones, articles, poems, etc. from students of all classes for the school e-magazine. Invent the necessary details.
Answer:
A.

OR

Question 4.
Attempt ANY ONE of two, in about 50 words. (4)
A. Your school is organising its Annual Day Function next month in one of the most prestigious auditoriums of your city. Draft an invitation giving all the essential details. Do not forget to include necessary instructions against usage of mobile phones and cameras.
OR
B. You are Manoj /Manvi. You have been invited to attend a birthday party of your closest friend. Draft a reply accepting the invite.
Answer:
A.

OR
B.

Question 5.
Attempt ANY ONE of two, in about 120 – 150 words. (5)
A. You are Satish/Sarita of Class-XII. Write a letter to the Editor of a leading national daily highlighting the unfriendly attitude of the staff of the ‘Grameen Seva’ transport buses. You can use the following clues.

OR
B. You are Anand/ Arti of 14, Model Town, Delhi. You have seen an advertisement in ‘The Hindu’ for the post of Chief Chef in a 5-Star Hotel. Apply for the job with complete bio-data. Write a job application for the respected job.
Answer:
A. 237/9 Venkat Colony, Vasant Nagar
Delhi- 110078
1st January, 20XX

The Editor
The Times of India
New Delhi
Subject : Non-Cooperation of the Staff of the ‘Grameen Seva’ Transport Buses

Sir/Ma’am
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to highlight the issues faced by daily commuters due to the non-cooperation of the staff of the ‘Grameen Seva’ transport buses.

We all know that hundreds of commuters travel daily in these buses. They face issues while boarding, alighting and purchasing tickets, all because of total inefficiency of the operating staff of these buses.

The buses never run on time and if queried about the reason, a rude answer is given. Buses stop at random points, rather than at designated stops, which causes immense chaos and confusion amongst the people waiting as they have to run in either direction for boarding.

I have earlier complained to senior officials in the State Transport Authority (STA) highlighting the plight of commuters but no response has been received from them so far. I hope the publication of this letter will act as a wake-up call for the STA officials to take suitable action and redress the commuter problems.

Thank you

Yours sincerely
Satish

B.
14, Model Town
Delhi-110009
12th August, 20XX

The HR Manager
Hotel Meridien
Windsor Place
New Delhi-110001

Subject : Application for the Post of Chief Chef

Sir/Ma’am
In response to your advertisement in The Hindu’ dated 10th August, 20XX, I wish to apply for the post of Chief Chef. I have a 3-year Diploma in Hotel Management from the Pusa Institute. In addition, I have a total of 10 years of experience in various 5-Star Hotels. Currently, I am working as Deputy Chief Chef in a 5-Star Hotel.

I am enclosing my bio-data, one testimonial and attested copies of my certificates. Eagerly waiting for your response.

Yours faithfully
Anand Singh
Sidhu

Enclosed : Bio-data, testimonial, attested copies of certificates
Bio-data
Name : Anand Singh Sidhu
Father’s Name : Sandeep Sidhu
Address : 14, Model Town, Delhi-110009
Date of Birth : 2nd October, 1981
E-mail : anandsi [email protected]
Maritial Status : Unmarried

Languages Known : English, Hindi, Punjabi
Strengths : Highly developed sense of smell, crisis management
References : Mr. Sandeep Khurana, Chief Chef, Hotel Maurya, Delhi
Mobile no. : 88024XXXXX

Question 6.
Attempt ANY ONE of two, in about 120 – 150 words. (5)
A. You are Shruti of Class XII-D. You are a member of the Environment Society of your school. Write an article on ‘Reduce Environmental Pollution Through Education and Legislation’. You can take help from the following clues.

OR
B. Aggressive driving has been a problem on our roads for a while and it seems to be only getting worse. Incidents of screaming, rude gestures and sometimes even violence are reported frequently on our roads, resulting into road rage. As Lalit/Lalita, a Staff Correspondent for ‘The Times of India’, write a report on one such incident of road rage witnessed by you with the help of the following clues.

Answer:
A. Reduce Environmental Pollution Through Education and Legislation
by Shruti, Class XII-D

Our environment, whether it is the atmosphere, the waterbodies or the land areas, is getting more and more polluted every day. To stop this trend, environmental protection has become a necessity today. The multiple factors destroying our environment include various types of solid, liquid and gaseous pollutants as well as unhindered exploitation of natural resources.

All this is happening to support the ever growing population of the world and its growing needs. The contamination of the environment is also being linked to some of the diseases that are prevalent today. Yet, most people do not know about this problem. So, an awareness must be created urgently so that people can modify their activities suitably.

In this regard, people can be educated regarding usage and disposal of certain items, legislations can be tailored for particular areas of the country, usage of environment friendly items can be promoted and so on. However, if the current methods of handling the world’s environmental problems continue, catastrophic consequences can follow for future generations. So let’s all take a pledge to contribute to this global cause and leave nature as a legacy for future generations.
OR
B. Road Rage: Denied Right of Way While Driving, Man Opens Fire
by Lalita, Staff Correspondent, The Times of India, Delhi
29th December, 20XX
In yet another incident of road rage, a man fired at a truck driver when he refused to let him overtake near ESI Hospital, Ring Road, on Tuesday night. Mahavir Singh Yadav (43), a resident of Delhi Cantonment, was arrested soon after the incident. In a written complaint to the police, the truck driver, Ishwar, stated that he was returning home when a Maruti Swift car started honking at his truck from behind. The driver alleged that Yadav initially signalled him to stop.

When Ishwar showed no signs of doing so, Yadav accelerated ahead of the truck and halted the car in front of it. Yadav then got off the car and allegedly fired at the truck driver. He missed the shot and lslpwar somehow managed to escape. Upon crossing the Raja Garden flyover, he saw some traffic personnel and reported the matter to them. Soon, the Maruti Swift also reached the spot and Yadav alighted from the vehicle with the pistol still in his hand. He was immediately nabbed by the Traffic Police personnel. Identifying Yadav’s firearm as a licensed pistol, police said a case of attempted murder has been registered against him.

Section – C
Literature Textbook and Supplementary Reading Text [40 Marks]

Question 7.
Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given. (6)
A.
“The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaint
So much as the trusting sorrow of what is unsaid:
Here far from the city we make our roadside stand
And ask for some city money to feel in hand
To try if it will not make our being expand,
And give us the life of the moving-pictures’ promise
That the party in power is said to be keeping from us.” (A Roadside Stand)

(i) Fill in the blank with reference to the context. (1)
The roadside stand was made by the ……………… and it was ………….. .
(a) city people, near their houses
(b) villagers, at their courtyards
(c) poor people, far from the city
(d) local people, on the mountains
Answer:
(c) poor people, far from the city

(ii) Identify the phrase from the extract that suggests the following.
The poet does not want to accuse the rustics of spoiling the beauty of the landscape. (1)
Answer:
The hurt to the scenery wouldn’t be my complaint’ is the phrase from the extract that suggests that the poet does not want to accuse the rustics of spoiling the spoiling the beauty.

(iii) State whether the given statement is True or False. (1)
The city people wanted to feel the money in their hands.
Answer:
False

(iv) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The promise made by the government was that …………….. .
Answer:
to give a comfortable life to the poor people

(v) What wouldn’t be the poet’s complaint? (1)
(a) The beauty of nature
(b) The beauty of people
(c) The hurt to the scenery
(d) The hurt to the buildings
Answer:
(c) the hurt to the scenery

(vi) Do you think that the promise made by the government was fulfilled? (1)
Answer:
No, I don’t think that the promise made by the government was fulfilled.

OR
B. Perhaps the Earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.
Now I’ll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go. (Keeping Quiet)

(i) Identify the tone of the poem in the first line of the extract. (1)
Answer:
The tone of the poem in the first line of the extract is uncertain, yet hopeful about the possibility.

(ii) State whether the given statement is True or False, with reference to the extracts. (1)
The Earth can teach us that there is no life under apparent stillness.
Answer:
False

(iii) Identify the phrase from the extract that suggests the following. (1)
The poet thinks that he has said what he intended to say.
Answer:
‘You keep quiet’ and ‘I will go’ are the phrases from the extract that suggest that the poet thinks that he has said what he intended to say.

(iv) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The poet wants to convey the message that ………………. . (1)
Answer:
there is life even in the moment of total inactivity. This moment of total inactivity leads one to grow and become a better version of oneself

(v) The poet uses a conversational style and personal pronouns ‘you’, ‘we’ and T because …………….. . (1)
(a) he wants to establish contacts easily
(b) he tries to reach out to the reader
(c) he wants us to be friendly with the whole mankind
(d) third person talking is ineffective
Answer:
(c) he want us to be friendly with the whole mankind.

(vi) Which poetic device has been used in the second line of the extract? (1)
(a) Alliteration
(b) Transferred epithet
(c) Metaphor
(d) Paradox
Answer:
(b) Transferred epithet

Question 8.
Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given. (4)
A. I was walking home from school one day, an old bag hanging from my shoulder.
It was actually possible to walk the distance in ten minutes. But usually it would take me thirty minutes at the very least to reach home. It would take me from half an hour to an hour to dawdle along, watching all the fun and games that were going on, all the entertaining novelties and oddities is the streets, the shops and the bazaar.

(i) ‘The entertaining novelties’ as stated in the passage include …………….. . (1)
(a) A performing money
(b) Stunt performances
(c) Puppet shows
(d) All of these
Answer:
(d) All of these

(ii) The word ‘dwadle’ as used in the extract means ………………. . (1)
Answer:
to walk slowly

(iii) Why did Bama take so much time to reach her home? (1)
Answer:
Bama took so much time to reach her home as she seemed to stop at all stalls between her school and home.

(iv) What can be gathered about the speaker from the given lines? (1)
Answer:
From the given extract, it can be gathered that the speaker can get easily distracted from things.

OR
B. Yes, I’ve taken the obvious step: I talked to a psychiatrist friend of mine, among others. I told him about the third level at Grand Central Station, and he said it was a waking dream wish fulfillment. He said I was unhappy. That made my wife kind of mad, but he explained that he meant the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of it and that I just want to escape.
(The Third Level)

(i) Why did the narrator go to a Psychiatrist? (1)
(a) Because he went through an experience no one else did.
(b) Because he unhappy and wanted to know why.
(c) Because he was depressed.
(d) Because he wanted to meet him.
Answer:
(a) Because he went through an experience no one else did.

(ii) What is waking dream wish fulfillment according to the psychiatrist in the lesson? (1)
Answer:
Charley’s finding of a Third level at Grand Central Station is a waking dream wish fulfilment according to the psychiatrist in the lesson.

(iii) What was the Third Level? (1)
Answer:
The Third Level referred to the third storey on the Grand Central Station.

(iv) The Psychiatrist explains to Charley that ……………. . (1)
it was the result of stress and anxiety of his mind

Question 9.
Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, given. (6)
A. 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?”

Then, as I hurried by as fast as I could go, the blacksmith, Wachter, who was there, with his apprentice, reading the bulletin, called after me, “Don’t go so fast, bub: you’ll get to your school in plenty of time!”

I thought he was making fun of me, and reached M. Hamel’s little garden all out of breath. (The Last Lesson)

(i) From where had all the bad news come for the last two years? (1)
(a) School
(b) Bulletin-board
(c) Prussia
(d) Alsace
Answer:
(b) Bulletin-board

(ii) What did the blacksmith say to Franz? (1)
(a) To read the bulletin-board
(b) To get his homework completed
(c) To hurry to the school
(d) To not go so fast
Answer:
(d) To not go so fast

(iii) Complete the sentence appropriately. (1)
In the above extract, M. Hamel’s little garden has been referred to as ……………… .
Answer:
his school

(iv) How do you understand Watcher the blacksmith’s advice to Franz? (1)
Answer:
Watcher the blacksmith’s advice to Franz seems genuine for he knows that by going so fast, Franz could fall and hurt himself. Further, as he had read the bulletin board, he was aware that Franz’s attempt will be futile as it was his last French lesson.

(v) Why do you think Franz was late for his lesson? (1)
Answer:
Franz was late for his French lesson because he was distracted by his surroundings and wanted to enjoy the day outside instead of going to his lesson.

(vi) Do you think Franz had even thought of bad news to be the last French Lesson? (1)
Answer:
No, I don’t think that Franz had any idea of the bad news on the bulletin board to be of his last French lesson.

OR
B. This settlement was adopted unanimously by the commission. Gandhi explained that the amount of the refund was less important than the fact that the landlords had been obliged to surrender part of the money and, with it, part of their prestige. Therefore, as far as the peasants were concerned, the planters had behaved as lords above the law. Now the peasant saw that he had rights and defenders. He learned courage. (Indigo)

(i) Why is it that the big planters agreed to pay the refund to small farmers? (1)
This could be because
Answer:
The big planters agreed to pay the refund to small farmers this could because their illegal extortion was revealed.

(ii) Replace the underlined word with its antonym from the extract. (1)
The party has now abandoned its policy of free trade.
(a) Adopted
(b) Obliged
(c) Defenders
(d) Concerned
Answer:
(a) ‘Adopted’

(iii) What did the peasants learn from this incident? (1)
Answer:
The peasants learnt to be courageous from this incident.

(iv) As per the settlement, how much was to be refunded. (1)
(a) 50%
(b) 75%
(c) 25%
(d) 20%
Answer:
(c) 25%

(v) Why does Gandhiji accept only that per cent of settlement? (1)
Answer:
Gandhiji accepts only that per cent of sett’ement because to him the dispelling of fear was more important.

(vi) The phrase ‘lords above the law’ in the extract means ……………… . (1)
Answer:
someone who does not have to obey the law

Question 10.
Answer ANY FIVE of the following six questions, in about 40 – 50 words. (5 x 2 = 10)
(i) How do you think the author’s life might have been impacted after her interactions with the children and their families mentioned in Lost spring? (2)
Answer:
The author’s life may have been severely impacted after her interactions with the children and their
families mentioned in ’Lost Spring’. She must have realised the depth to which poverty had impacted the Indian society She may also have developed an urge to do something for the betterment of the poor and wileged people.

(ii) Explain the possible reasons for Gandhi’s quick popularity among the peasants of Champaran. (Indigo) (2)
Answer:
Gandhi very quickly became popular among the peasants because he had come to help them fight for justice without demanding anything from them unlike the other lawyers. Further, he had gone against the British authority to help the people of Champaran.

(iii) Would you say that the poem Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers ends on a note of hope Justify your opinion. (2)
Answer:
No, I would not say that the poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ ends on a note of hope. The end of the poem talks about her death and that even then she will be still subdued by patriarchal forces. This indicates that even death does not prov!de any relief to the Aunt.

(iv) Life is what it is all about How is keeping quiet related to life? (Keeping Quiet) (2)
Answer:
Keeping quiet does not mean complete inactivity but stillness and quietness to introspect on what we are doing. This means stopping day-to-day activities for some time to reflect on our actions.
Thus, it is related to life although it may not be visible outwardly.

(v) In the last line of the poem My Mother at Sixty-Six, why does the poet use the word smile’ repeatedly? (2)
Answer:
In the last line of the poem, the poet has repeatedly used the word ‘smile’ to mask her painful feeling of parting from her mother. She also wanted to reassure her mother of hope and happiness by smiling in front of her.

(vi) What is the advantage of writing novels as mentioned by Umberto Eco? (The Interview) (2)
Answer:
As mentioned by Umberto Eco, the advantage of writing novels is that he is able to reach a larger audience which would not be possible with his scholarly writings.

Question 11.
Attempt ANY TWO of the following three questions, in about 40 – 50 words (2 × 2 = 4)
(i) ‘It is not merely age but experience that counts.’ With reference to any one example from the text, comment on how Derry found Mr. Lamb different from other adults he had encountered? (On the Face of it) (2)
Answer:
Derry found Mr. Lamb to be different from other adults he had encountered because unlike other
people, he did not make him feel inferior and ugly. He taught Derry the importance of positive thinking and urged him to believe in himself. He also told him that he should not hate others as hatred is worse than acid as it burns the inside.

(ii) What did the psychiatrist think about Charley’s stamp collection? Why did Charley not agree with him? (The Third Level) (2)
Answer:
The psychiatrist thought that Charley’s stamp collection was a temporary refuge from reality. Charley did not agree with him because his grandfather for whom life was nice and peaceful and who did not need refuge from reality also collected stamps.

(iii) What sort of hunt did the Maharaja offer to organise for the high-ranking British officer? What trait of the officer does it reveal? (The Tiger King) (2)
Answer:
When the British official came with a request for a tiger hunt, the Maharaja offered to organise a boar hunt, a mouse hunt, even a mosquito hunt for him but not a tiger hunt. The Maharaja was then informed that the official would ever be happy to simply pose with the tiger’s carcass for a photograph while the Maharaja could do the actual killing. This shows the vanity and shallowness of the officer.

Question 12.
Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 120 – 150 words. (5)
A. According to Keats, nature has a positive sublimating effect on the minds of humans. Discuss. (A Thing of Beauty)
OR
B. Mukund Padmanabhan was gifted the ‘Penguin Book of Interviews – An Anthology from 1859 to the Present Day’ edited by Christopher Silvester after interviewing Eco. He shared his thoughts on his personal blog exploring his own concerns about interviewing a distinguished writer like Eco, followed by an evaluation of the interview in light of his reading. As Mukund Padmanabhan, write the blog post. (The Interview)
Answer:

A. In the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’, Keats describes nature in two ways : First, he describes the beauty
in nature and second, he tells us about the joy and relief nature can bring to us. According to him, all beautiful things found in nature, which surround us, have a sublimating effect on our minds. He refers to beautiful common objects of nature such as the Sun, the Moon, the daffodils and trees, stating that their beauty gives a meaning and significance to life. These beautiful things fill our hearts with joy and delight and also help in removing the stress and disappointments we face in every day life. For him, beautiful things are a gift from heaven as they provide never ending joy to human beings and energise our body and mind.

All our sufferings and troubles vanish when we pass time in the natural surroundings. We feel as if we are nearer to God and all our problem will vanish on their own. Such is the great or sublimating effect of nature on the minds of human beings. Nature gives us heavenly and spiritual joy.
OR
B. Exploring Interviews
It was a fantastic week for me for I got to read a book that had been on my list for a long time. ‘Penguin Book of Interviews – An Anthology from 1859 to the.Present Day’ edited by Christopher Silvester was something that had blown my mind away given the fact that I successfully interviewed Umberto Eco. I did not for once feel that a distinguished writer like Eco was irritated at the question I vfas asking. In fact, the interview went smoothly.

One reason for this was my approach. I think approach is very essential to any interview. If an individual interferes in any person’s life or asks questions that are not at all interesting to the interviewee, the person is bound to have a bad experience. I believe that the people who hated interviews had gone through some bad experiences with interviewers. Thus, we have to remember that we need to follow certain rules for conducting a smooth; successful and good interview.

Question 13.
Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 120 – 150 words. (5)
A. Apparent illogicality sometimes turns out to be a futuristic projection. Discuss with reference to The Third Level.
OR
B. The actual pain or inconvenience caused by a physical impairment is often much less than the sense of alienation felt by the person with disabilities. What is the kind of behaviour that the person expects from others? Answer with reference to the lesson On the Face of it.
Answer:
A. Some things in life do not have a valid explanation or scientific reason. The sudden discovery of the third level by the narrator and his earnest desire to live a peaceful and contented life at Galesburg is not open to justification. The disappearance of his psychiatrist friend, Sam, is equally perplexing.

Both of these individual wishes to escape from the insecurities and intricacies of life which can turn out to be futuristic projections. They want to lead an easy going life, way back in 1894 when no one had heard about world wars. This indicates that people’s unhappiness in their present life can lead to frustration and eventually a virtual breakdown of emotions, relationships, organisations and systems in the future.

The other way of explaining this statement is that all inventions, sometimes or the other, have been termed illogical. The cell phones we use today were an improbability some years before but today they have become a necessity. Who knows the idea of going back in time, travelling back and forth in time (as depicted in the story) would become possible one day!
OR
B. The actual pain or inconvenience due to a physical impairment is often much less than the sense of alienation felt by the person with disabilities because it creates a feeling of loneliness in the physically disabled person. People in society make him realise that he is not like them and maintain a distance from him. A person with a physical disability like a tin leg or a burnt face can live a life of respect and honour if he is not ridiculed or pitied, if everyone else looks at such persons in a negative way, they can never break out of their seclusion from the world.

They expect other people to respect them for what they are, instead of continuely reminding them of how they are different. Here, Mr. Lamb understands his situation and copes with it successfully, whereas Derry, who is only 14 years old, is not mature enough to cope with his predicament.

That is why he liked Mr. Lamb after meeting him for the first time. A person with a physical impairment expects a normal behaviour from others. He wants others to respect him instead of pitying him.