Students can access the CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 English with Solutions and marking scheme Term 2 Set 1 will help students in understanding the difficulty level of the exam.
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 English Term 2 Set 1 with Solutions
General Instructions :
- The Question Paper contains THREE sections. Reading, Writing and Literature.
- Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
Maximum Marks: 40
Time: 2 Hrs
Section A Reading
Question 1.
Read the passage given below.
I saw ‘Jaws’, the popular shark movie, the summer it came out, in 1975 and became paranoid about sharks. Though I kept swimming after Jaws, it was always with the vague fear that a shark’s teeth could tug on my leg at any moment. Never mind that there’d been only two shark bites since 1900 on the Connecticut coast, where I 5 lived.
So, when I got this assignment for the National Geographic magazine, I decided to accept and do what I’d never wanted to do: swim with the sharks. I had to go to a place in the Bahamas known as Tiger Beach and dive with tiger sharks, the species responsible for more recorded attacks on humans than any shark except the great 10 white. It was to be my first dive after getting certified-which meant it would be my first dive anywhere other than a swimming pool or a quarry-and without a diver’s cage. Most people who got wind of this plan thought I was either very brave or very stupid.
But I just wanted to puncture an illusion. The people who know sharks intimately 15 tend to be the least afraid of them, and no one gets closer to sharks than divers. The divers who run operations at Tiger Beach speak lovingly of the tiger sharks the way people talk about their children or their pets. In their eyes, these sharks aren’t man-eaters any more than dogs are.
The business of puncturing illusions is never just black and white. My fellow divers 20 had hundreds of dives under their belt and on the two-hour boat ride to the site in the morning of our first dive, they kept saying things like, “Seriously, I really can’t believe this is your first dive.” All this was okay with me until I reached the bottom and immediately had to fend off the first tiger shark, I had ever laid eyes on.
However, when I watched the other divers feeding them fish and steering them 25 gently, it became easy to see the sharks in a very benign light.
I think it would be unfair not to mention that though tiger sharks are apex predators. They act as a crucial balancing force in ocean ecosystems, constraining the numbers of animals like sea turtles and limit their behavior by preventing them from overgrazing the seagrass beds. Furthermore, tiger sharks love warm 30 water, they eat almost anything, have a huge litter and are the hardiest shark species. If the planet and its oceans continue to warm, some species will be winners and others will be losers, and tiger sharks are likely to be winners.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any eight questions from the nine given below (1 x 8)
(i) Cite a point in evidence, from the text, to suggest that the writer’s post-jaws fear was not justified. (1)
(ii) State any one trait of the writer that is evident from lines 5-10 and provide a reason for your choice. (1)
(iii) People thought the writer was ‘either brave or very stupid’. Why did some people think that he was ‘very stupid’? (1)
(iv) Why does the writer say that people who know sharks intimately tend to be least afraid of them? (1)
(v) Rewrite the given sentence by replacing the underlined phrase with another one, from lines 10 – 20. (1)
Some academicians think that reward, as a form of discipline, is a simple right or wrong issue.
(vi) What does the use of the phrase ‘benign light’ suggest in the context of the writer’s viewpoint about the tiger sharks? (1)
(vii) Select a suitable phrase from lines 15-25 to complete the following sentence appropriately. (1)
I agree the team will find this experience tough, but competing will be easier next time after they get this tournament
(viii) Apex predators serve to keep prey numbers in check. How can we say that tiger sharks are apex predators? (1)
(ix) Analyse why having a large litter is one of the features that empowers tiger sharks to emerge winners if global warming persists. (1)
Answer:
(i) The writer’s fear of sharks, after watching the movie Jaws was a bit irrational and somewhat not justified as it is stated in the text that there were only 2 shark attacks reported between 1900 and 1975. So, it was highly unlikely that he had to fear Sharks.
(ii) From line 5-10, we can gather that the author was an adventurous, bold and an experimental person. We can say so because, we know that the author was fearful of sharks still he accepted an assignment that required him to face them.
(iii) Some people thought that the author was very stupid because he side-lined the popular notion that tiger sharks are dangerous and was risking his life. He was walking into obvious danger without the required expertise and could be bitten by the sharks.
(iv) The writer says that the people who know sharks intimately tend to be least afraid of them because they find the sharks to be harmless. They found that the sharks feed on the food they offer and seem to be as docile as pets.
(v) Some academicians think that reward, as a form of discipline, is a simple black and white issue.
(vi) In the context of the writer’s viewpoint about the tiger sharks, the phrase ‘benign light’ suggests that the tiger sharks are benevolent, gentle and friendly creatures. They are not as dangerous or harmful as other shark species.
(vii) I agree the team will find this experience tough, but competing will be easier next time after they get this tournament under their belt.
(viii) Tiger sharks can be called apex predators because tiger sharks restrict the number of sea turtles by feeding on them, and act as a balancing force in the ecosystem. If the numbers weren’t constrained, it would result in the depletion of sea-grass which supports other marine life forms.
(ix) Having a large litter is a feature that empowers tiger sharks to emerge, winners, if global warming persists as it reduces the possibility of extinction or destruction due to harsh conditions, as large numbers would ensure that some definitely survive.
Question 2.
Read the passage given below.
Changing food preferences have brought about rapid changes in the structure of the Indian diet. The rapid proliferation of multinational fast-food companies and the influence of Western culture have replaced traditional home-cooked meals with ready-to-eat, processed foods thus increasing the risk of chronic diseases in urban 5 Indians. Therefore, nurturing healthy eating habits among Indians from an early age would help to reduce health risks.
To date, little is known about the quality and quantity of foods and beverages consumed by urban Indian adolescents. This lack of evidence is a significant barrier to the development of effective nutrition promotion and disease prevention measures.
10 Therefore, a self-administered, semi-quantitative, 59-item meal-based food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was developed to assess the dietary intake of adolescents. A total of 1026 students (aged 14-16 years) attending private, English-speaking schools in Kolkata completed the survey.
A sample percentage of the food consumption pattern is displayed (Fig. 1)
The sample percentage of the food consumption pattern is 1026 students aged 14-16 years
The survey results report poor food consumption patterns and highlight the need 15 to design healthy eating initiatives. Interestingly, while there were no gender differences in the consumption of legumes and fried snacks, the survey found more females consumed cereals, vegetables, and fruits than their male counterparts.
In conclusion, the report suggested that schools ought to incorporate food literacy concepts into their curriculum as they have the potential of increasing the fruit and 20 vegetable intake in teenagers.
Additionally, healthy school canteen policies with improved availability, accessibility, variety and affordability of healthy food choices would support the consumption of nutritious food in students.
Source: Adapted from: https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/sl2937-017-0272-3
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any six out of the seven questions by choosing the correct option. (1 x 6)
(i) What does the researcher mean by ‘changing food preferences? (1)
(ii) Why was this survey on the food consumption of adolescents undertaken? (1)
(iii) With reference to fig.1, write one conclusion about students’ consumption of energy-dense drinks. (1)
(iv) What can be concluded by the ‘no intake’ data of fruit consumption versus energy-dense snacks, with reference to fig.1? (1)
(v) There were no gender differences observed in the consumption of healthy foods, according to the survey. Substantiate. (1)
(vi) Why is ‘affordability’ recommended as a significant feature of a school canteen policy? (1)
(vii) Identify a word from lines 9-18 indicating that the questionnaire was specifically designed to be completed by a respondent without the intervention of the researcher collecting the data. (1)
Answer:
(i) By ‘changing food preferences’ the researchers mean to say that the urban population is transitioning from healthy home-cooked meals to ready-to-eat-processed food.
(ii) The survey on the food consumption of adolescents was undertaken to understand the food consumption pattern of urban adolescents and to make recommendations based on the data.
(iii) From the given figure, one can conclude that close to 47% drink three or more servings of energy-dense beverages while a mere 5% said ‘no’ to more than one serving of the beverage.
(iv) With reference to the given figure the ‘no intake’ data of fruit consumption versus energy-dense snacks means that nearly half the respondents (45%) did not consume any servings of fruit in contrast to 95% that had some form of an energy-dense snack.
(v) According to the survey, there were gender differences observed in the consumption of healthy foods. Females had a more nutritious dietary intake as they consumed more cereals, vegetables, and fruits compared to their male counterparts.
(vi) ‘Affordability’ is recommended as a significant feature of a school canteen policy because the consumers are school children and therefore food should be affordable.
(vii) Self-administered.
Section B Writing
Question 3.
You are Natasha, residing in Pune. Your cousin, from the same city is hosting your grandmother’s eightieth birth anniversary’ and has extended an invite to you. He has also requested your assistance for the arrangements needed. Draft a reply of acceptance, in not more than 50 words. (3)
Answer:
XYZ Apartments
Pune
17th January, 20XX
Dear Cousin,
I am delighted to hear about the celebrations held in the honor of grandmother7s eightieth birth anniversary. Thank you so much for extending the invitation to me and my family. I would love to be a part of the celebration and nothing could stop me from attending our grandma’s birthday on 27th January at our old residential home in Mumbai.
It goes without saying that I would be glad to help you out in the arrangement. Just let me know when we can discuss the details for the celebrations and I would be there for help.
Yours lovingly
Natasha
Question 4.
Attempt any one from A and B given below.
A. You are Shantanu, residing at Ghar B-94, Balimela Road, Malkangiri. You come across the following classified advertisement in a local daily. Write a letter, in about 120-150 words, applying for the position of a volunteer for the Each One Teach One campaign. (5)
Situation Vacant
Wanted committed volunteers, aged 18 years and above, to teach I underprivileged children, for one hour a week, in the district of Malkangiri. Ability to speak, read and write Odiya fluently, important. Experience not necessary. All volunteers to receive training. Contact Nethra N, Coordinator (Each One Teach One), 4Literacy, Ambaguda, Malkangiri, Odisha -764045
Or
B. The efforts of 400 volunteers working with the NGO, 4Literacy, in the district of Malkangiri, Odisha, was lauded by the District Collector, Shri V. Singh (IAS). As a staff reporter of ‘The Odisha Bhaskar’, write a report about this in 120-150 words covering all the details of the event, such as training, teaching and infrastructure involved in the ‘Each One Teach One Campaign’, initiated by the district administration in association with the NGO. (5)
Answer:
A. Ghar B-94, Balimela Road,
Malkangiri
Odisha
11th June, 20XX
The Coordinator (Each One Teach One)
4Literacy
Ambaguda, Malkangiri
Odisha -764045
Subject Application for the Post of Volunteer
Sir/Ma’am
This is in response to your advertisement in ‘The Deccan Herald’ dated 9th June, 20XX for volunteers required in Each One Teach One campaign. I wish to apply for the same.
I possess requisite qualifications and experience. Having my B.Ed degree from Delhi University, I have two years of experience in teaching. I am also working with an NGO in the field of education. I have the complete knowledge and ability to speak, read and write Odiya fluently.
I am enclosing my detailed resume for your perusal. You may call me for an interview on any date as per your convenience. I shall be able to join my duties at one month’s notice if appointed. I hope of a positive reply.
Yours sincerely
Shantanu
Enclosure Detailed Resume
Resume
Name : Shantanu
Father’s Name : Mr. Rajneesh
Date of Birth : 29th July, 1996
Age : 26 Years
Address : Ghar B-94, Balimela Road, Malkangiri
Email id : [email protected]
Nationality : Indian
Educational Qualification :
| Name of the Exam | Name of the Institute | Year | Percentage/GPA |
| B.Ed | Delhi University | 2019 | 65% |
| B.com | Delhi University | 2017 | 73% |
Hobbies : Music, Net Surfing, Photography, Sports.
Language Known : Hindi, English, Odhiya, Bengali
Experience : Currently working as a Primary instructor at PQR School Volunteering for Smile Foundation
References :
- Mr. Ashok Kumar Director, PQR School
- Mr. Rajesh Veraapalli Chief HR, Smile Foundation
Or
B. Working Towards Education: Each One Teach One Campaign By-XYZ, Staff Reporter, The Odisha Bhaskar
16th August 20XX, Malkangiri, Odisha.
Moving towards the goals of 100% literacy in the country, the efforts of 400 volunteers in the ‘Each One Teach One Campaign’ organised by 4 Literacy, in the district of Malkangiri, Odisha was lauded by the District Collector, Shri V. Singh (IAS). The event focused on teaching the under-privileged children of the district and motivate them to go to school was undertaken by volunteers from all over the country. Started from 1st August, the two weeklong event was handled by volunteers. The volunteers of the project has been taken to task since the middle of July wherein they were provided with training to be able to effectively communicate and motivate people.
The sports grounds of the district of Malkangiri that was brought under construction last year and the 2 storeyed building that was erected was used as the teaching center. The equipment required were bought with the help of the Indian Government which had kindly allowed us some funds to fulfill the aim of the project.
With the funds, different rooms were equipped with blackboards, notebooks, pens and all other things required to make the environment comfortable for learning. The event ended on a successful note as most children and parents had promised to further their education.
Section C Literature
Question 5.
Attempt any five of the six questions given below, within 40 words each. (2 x 5)
(i) A mistaken identity led to a discovery of a new one for the rattrap peddler. How did this impact him? (2)
(ii) As the host of a talk show, introduce Rajkumar Shukla to the audience by stating any two of his defining qualities. (2)
You may begin your answer like this:
Meet Rajkumar Shukla, the man who played a pivotal role in the Champaran Movement.
He ……………
(iii) Adrienne Rich chose to express her silent revolt through her poem, Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers, just as Aunt Jennifer did with her embroidery. Explain. (2)
(iv) Rationalise why Keats uses the metaphor ‘an endless fountain of immortal drink’ in his poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’.
(v) How do you think Derry’s mother contributes to his sense of alienation and isolation? (On the Face of It) (2)
(vi) Validate John Updike’s open-ended title ‘Should Wizard hit Mommy?’
Answer:
(i) It is true that the mistaken identity led to a discovery of a new one for the rattrap peddler. The mistaken identity of the Captain and the resultant goodness received by the peddler gave him the power to clear his conscience. It brought out the latent goodness that was hidden due to the cruel treatment he had received from the world. The kindness and compassion he saw lent him the conviction to become a better human and allowed him the opportunity to behave in a dignified manner befitting a Captain.
(ii) Meet Rajkumar Shukla, the man who played a pivotal role in the Champaran Movement. He is that resolute man who did not leave Gandhiji’s side knowing fully well that he was the only one who could help the situation with the farmers. He is a determined, dedicated and preserving man who was always present wherever he was required.
(iii)t is true that Adrienne Rich chose to express her silent revolt through her poem Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers, just as Aunt Jennifer did with her embroidery. Adrienne Rich, through her poem, criticises the traditional institution of marriage suggesting that it oppresses women. Aunt Jennifer as her subject is a victim of an unhappy marriage, under a domineering husband. She, just like Adrienne Riche, is also an artist who chooses embroidery to vent her angst. Art becomes their creative outlet as a form of protest against societal expectations.
(iv) Keats uses the metaphor ‘an endless fountain of immortal drink’ in his poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’, to state how all things of beauty are just like the immortal drink of the gods that flow continuously and never die. Further, just as the endless fountain of immortality is an elixir of life, similarly things of beauty are constant in providing everlasting joy, motivation and bliss in our lives.
(v)t is truly said that Derry’s mother contributes to his sense of alienation and isolation. By stating this, we cannot ignore that she as a mother is aware of how the world treats her son. She also feels over protective for him. However, she comes at fault when she fails to understand her son’s longing for companionship. Unknowingly, she treats him with a sense of pity and robs him of his dignity by perpetually treating him like a helpless victim. This pushes Derry further into alienation and isolation.
(vi)ohn’s Updike Story title ‘Should Wizard hit Mommy?’ is an open-ended question that becomes clearly understandable after one has read the story. It suggests a dilemma that we as readers face in agreeing with Jo, who believes in justice for the skunk, or the father, who believes that mothers cannot err. As readers, we are aware that both perspectives are right. Hence, by keeping the title open-ended, Updike allows flexibility and creative insight to the reader to pick a side.
Question 6.
Answer any two of the following in about 120-150 words each. (4 x 2)
(i) How does Keats’ poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’ appeal richly to the senses, stimulating the reader’s inner sight as well as the sense of touch and smell? Write your answer in about 120-150 words. (4)
(ii) Colin Dexter, the author of Evans Tries an O-level employs the red herring technique of intentionally misleading readers by placing false clues to keep the plot enigmatic. Substantiate with reference to text, in about 120-150 words. (4)
(iii) Biographies include features of non-fiction texts-factual information and different text structures such as description, sequence, comparison, cause and effect, or problem and solution. Examine Indigo in the light of this statement, in about 120-150 words. (4)
Answer:
(i) It is truly said that Keats’ poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’ appeal richly to the senses, stimulating the reader’s inner sight as well as the sense of touch and smell. His descriptions allow for a deeper perception of the imaginary. Everything he says in his poems can be converted into a life-like experience allowing the reader to experience exactly what he wants to convey.
In the poem, Keats establishes his idea of beauty in everything around us with powerful imagery and word play. The cooling comfort of the bower, the dancing daffodils in its green environment, the babbling stream and the mid-forest brake with the musk rose blooms evoke our imagination.
As readers, we can imagine ourselves in such a setup with sense of hearing, touch and smell. We, can hear the sounds of the scene, smell the flowers and even feel like we are in the middle of nature. Even the stories of mighty ancestors and the doom that befalls them appeals to our intellect as we can relate to the innumerable stories we have read or heard.
The endless fountain may be an allusion of the fountain of youth. One can imagine the fountain as rain that falls on our planet. Thus, Keats poetic descriptions presents beauty that appeals to our senses and gives delight.
(ii) Colin Dexter, the author of ‘Evans Tries an O-level’ employs the red herring technique wherein the author intentionally misleads the readers by placing false clues to keep the plot enigmatic. In the story, the stage is a maximum-security prison and a kleptomaniac with a record of breaking out of prison. The protagonist is Evans- a man with grubby appearance. He with his jovial! manner and friendly banter distract the police officers at duty with sharp intelligence and extraordinary talent.
From the very starting, we are unaware of the fact that everything that Evans does is a part of his escape plan. His silly but filthy-looking bobble hat gives him the appearance of a comical character which distracts everyone from his real motive. As readers, we forget that he is a criminal.
During the exam, we cannot think of the real Reverend Stuart McLeery being gagged in his home.
We only come across him as exiting his bachelor flat in Broad Street. Even the mention of the nail file and then to his meticulously manicured fingers is enough to mislead the readers to believe that the man was sophisticated and nowhere related to a criminal.
Later, after Evans has runaway, we feel that the Governor found the clues in the question paper and thus would catch him. However, it is not the case. The clues is also used as a part and parcel of the technique to mislead everyone till the end.
Thus, Colin Dexter’s ‘Evan’s Tries an O-level’ is a creative and highly complicated prison break interspersed with twists in the plot.
(iii) Biographies include features of non-fiction texts – factual information and different text structures such as description, sequence, comparison, cause and effect, or problem and solution.
Indigo by Louis Fischer is in fact an excerpt from a biography. However, it has features of fiction as well as non-fiction texts.
It includes factual information. We know about the interview carried out by the author in order to write on him. Louis Fischer visited Gandhiji in 1942 at his ashram- Sevagram where he was told about the Indigo Movement started by Gandhiji. We also know about the December 1916 annual convention of the Indian National Congress Party in Lucknow. Apart from this, there are many structural evidences in the text that point to its non-fictional nature.
Almost each and everything is explained without any scope of loopholes. We know clearly what the Sharecropping agreement in Champaran was. We also get a brief background of almost all he important people in the event starting from Rajkumar Shukla to J.B. Kripalani. Even when the author displays wonderment at Kripalani’s act of housing Gandhiji, we know exactly why such an emotion is expected. Further, the entire episode is present in a chronological order. We know when Gandhiji went to Champaran and why. We are told what his next steps were and with what insight were they taken. In the correct order, we know how Gandhiji’s act garnered support from the farmers and how it resulted in the enquiry and resolution.
Thus, we can state that Indigo includes the features of a fiction as well as a non-fiction text.