Students can access the CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 English with Solutions and marking scheme Term 2 Set 10 will help students in understanding the difficulty level of the exam.
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 English Term 2 Set 10 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.
1. It is a myth that creative people are born with their talents: gifts from God or nature. Creative genius is, in fact, latent within many of us, without our realising. But how far do we need to travel to find the path to creativity? For many people, a long way. In our everyday lives, we have to perform many acts out of habit to survive, like opening the door, getting dressed, walking to work and so on. If this were not the case, we would, become mentally unhinged.
So strongly ingrained are our habits that sometimes when a conscious effort is made to be creative, automatic response takes over. We may try, for example, to walk to work following a different route, but end up on our usual path. The same applies to all other areas of our lives.
2. So, for many people, their actions and behaviour are set in immovable blocks, their minds clogged with habitual actions, preventing them from operating freely, and thereby stifling creation.
3. The groundwork for keeping creative ability in check begins at school. School, later university and then work, teach us to regulate our lives, imposing a continuous process of restrictions which is increasing exponentially with the advancement of technology. Is it surprising then that creative ability appears to be so rare?
It is trapped in the prison that we have erected. Yet, even here in this hostile environment, the foundations for creativity are being laid; because setting off on the creative path is also partly about using rules and regulations. Such limitations are needed so that once they are learnt, they can be broken.
4. The truly creative mind is often seen as totally free and unfettered. But a better image is of a mind, which can be free when it wants, and one that recognises that rules and regulations are barriers, to be raised and dropped at will. People’s minds are just like tense muscles that need to be freed up and the potential unlocked.
One strategy is to erect artificial barriers or hurdles in solving a problem. As a form of stimulation, the participants in the task can be forbidden to use particular solutions to solve a problem. In this way, they are obliged to explore unfamiliar territory, which may lead to some startling discoveries.
Unfortunately, the difficulty in this exercise, and with creation itself, is convincing people that creation is possible, shrouded as it is in so much myth and legend. But, open Pandora’s box and a whole new world unfold before your very eyes.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any eight questions from the nine given below. (1 x 8)
(i) But how far do we need to travel to find the path to creativity? For many people, a long way. Why does the author say this? (1)
(ii) What does the author feel about creativity? (1)
(iii) How is creativity blocked, as per the passage? (1)
(iv) The groundwork for keeping creative ability in check begins at school. Why does the author say so? (1)
(v) Rewrite the given sentence by replacing the underlined phrase/word with another phrase/ word from the passage. (1)
We didn’t sleep at all. The fact that he cannot remember to take his books to school worked on really to cause a negative effect.
(vi) Setting off on the creative path is also partly about using rules and regulations. Validate. (1)
(vii) Select the suitable phrase/word from the passage to complete the following sentence appropriately. (1)
The monster in the corner of her mind was a man, in darkness.
(viii) How will artificial barriers impact creativity? (1)
(ix) But, open Pandora’s box and a whole new world unfold before your very eyes. Substantiate. (1)
Answer:
(i) The author states that it is difficult to find the path to creativity as our habits are so strongly ingrained in us. that sometimes even when a conscious effort is made to be creative, automatic response takes over and creativity is lost.
(ii) The author feels that the belief that creative people are bom with their talents as: gifts from God or nature is a myth. Creative genius or creativity is latent within many of us, without our realising it.
(iii) As per the passage, or creativity is blocked by our actions and behavior. Our minds are clogged with habitual actions, preventing them from operating freely and thereby blocking creativity.
(iv) The author says so because schools, university and then work, teach us to regulate our lives. They impose a continuous process of restrictions which is increasing exponentially with the advancement of technology.
(v) We didn’t sleep at all. The fact that he cannot remember to take his books to school worked on really setting me off.
(vi) The author of the given passage, states that setting off on the creative path is also about using mles and regulations because once the rules and regulations are leamt, there is also a knowledge that they can be broken. When one that recognises that rules and regulations are barriers, to be raised and dropped at will.
(vii) The monster in the comer of her mind was a man, shrouded in darkness.
(viii) Artificial barriers can increase the creative genius possessed by man. As a form of stimulation, the participants in the task can be forbidden to use particular solutions to solve a problem. In this way, they are obliged to explore unfamiliar territory, which may lead to some startling discoveries.
(ix) Creativity for the author of the passage, is like a Pandora’s box which has been covered in myths and legends. This myth stops people from using their creative genius. However, once people realise their creativity, a new world can be envisioned.
Question 2.
Read the passage given below.
1. Duolingo was created in 2011 with a mission to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. They have always felt that economic inequality is one of the biggest problems facing humanity and education is the best way to help most people around the world improve their lives. Their vision is to create a world where more money can’t buy you a better education.
2. In the last nine years Duolingo has become the most popular way to learn a language globally and the most downloaded education app in the world. Their approach has allowed them to achieve enormous scale with over 500 million total users and around 40 million monthly active users, representing every country in the world.
They are a very data-driven company: they test and measure everything they do, and use this data to constantly improve how they teach. As a result, they have more insight into global language learning trends than any other entity in human history.
3. They care about global language learning trends because they feel that the languages that countries and regions study around the world reflect our past history and our present culture, and may hold clues to where our global society is heading. The trends in our data represent the effects of colonisation, immigration, economics and culture.
4. The Duolingo Language Report revealed that the pandemic has also affected language learning. As lockdown measures went into effect, language learning activity increased around the world. Over 30 million new people started learning a language on Duolingo in the weeks following the outbreak of the pandemic. But the motivations for learning, and the languages people choose to learn, are changing.
5. Duolingo is free to use and is available as a mobile app and a website so learners from all backgrounds and profiles use our platform, and they offer 98 language courses that teach 39 different languages. The 2020 Duolingo Language Report includes trends, patterns and analyses about language learning around the world.
Their data reflects the state of language learning for the most inclusive sample ever amassed: over 500 million learners in all 194 countries. This report investigates which countries study which languages, how interest in learning different languages has changed over time, and how learner behavior varies around the world.
New learners joining Duolingo since 2018
6. In the weeks right after the World Health Organisation announced that COVID-19 had become a global pandemic, 30 million new learners began studying a language on Duolingo, which is 67% more new learners than during the same period in 2019.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any six out of the seven questions given below (1 x 6)
(i) How does Duolingo fulfill its vision? (1)
(ii) Duolingo is a data-driven company. Validate. (1)
(iii) With reference to the figure, write any one conclusion regarding language learning. (1)
(iv) Why did Duolingo choose language education? (1)
(v) Briefly describe the Duolingo application? (1)
(vi) What is the 2020 Duolingo Language Report? (1)
(vii) Identify the word which indicates a study of large amount of data. (1)
Answer:
(i) Duolingo fulfills its vision of creating a world where more money can’t buy you a better education by providing free language education to people all across the globe.
(ii) Duolingo is a data driven company as they test and measure everything they do, and use this data to constantly improve how they teach.
(iii) The given figure shows that while language learning on Duolingo was rise and fall in 2019, it increased exponentially during 2020 especially during the month of March.
(iv) Duolingo chose language education as they feel that the languages that countries and regions study around the world reflect our past history and our present culture, and may hold clues to where our global society is heading.
(v) Duolingo is a free to use mobile app and a website that allows learners from all backgrounds and profiles use their platform to learn languages. They offer 98 language courses that teach 39 different languages.
(vi) The 2020 Duolingo Language Report is a study conducted by the application Duolingo which includes trends, patterns and analyses about language learning around the world. This report investigates which countries study which languages, how interest in learning different languages has changed over time, and how learner behaviour varies around the world.
(vii) Amassed
Section B Writing
Question 3.
You are Sanjana/ Sanjay of C-29, Vishwas Nagar. You have been invited to the post-selection party of your friend Anuj in B. Tech in DTU. Write a reply of the invitation confirming your arrival. (3)
Answer:
C- 29, Vishwas Nagar
Delhi
12th June, 20XX
Dear Friend Anuj,
I whole heartedly congratulate you for your selection in B.Tech in DTU, and welcome your invitation of your post selection party on 20th June, 20XX, at 6:00 p.m. at your home. I shall be highly delighted to attend the same and will enjoy the party with great fun.
Yours truly
Sanjana
Question 4.
Attempt any one from A and B given below.
A. You see a classified advertisement in the newspaper inviting applications for the post of a Sales Executive in a reputed bank. Write a letter with bio-data to the HR Manager, HSBC Bank, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi, applying for the post advertised. (5)
Or
B. The Odisha Government is about to launch an eye-testing drive for school children in Bhubaneswar. Nilanjana Dalmia interviewed Aditi Mitra, the chief coordinator of the programme, and took down some notes. On the basis of the notes, write Nilanjana’s report in 100-125 words.
A daylight robbery took place in Bhubaneswar in Khurda Tank police station limits when the Branch Staff of SBI were on their way back after collecting ₹60 lakh from the regional office of the Reserve Bank. As a staff correspondent for ‘The Indian Express’, write a report in 150-200 words. (5)
Answer:
A. B-5 Sangam Apartments
Delhi
21st February, 20XX
The HR Manager
HSBC Bank
Lajpat Nagar,
New Delhi
Subject Application for the post of Sales Executive
Sir/Ma’am
In response to your advertisement in the national daily ‘The Indian Times’ dated 19th February, 20XX for the post of a sales executive, I want to offer my candidature.
I am a smart, confident and hardworking lady of 31 years with pleasing personality. I am also computer literate and possess excellent command over English. I assure you of my best services if given an opportunity for the same.
I am enclosing my detailed Bio-Data 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
Avni
Enclosed Bio-data
Bio Data
Name : Avni
Father’s Name : Mr. RP Sharma
Date of Birth : 23rd May, 1990
Nationality : Indian
Permanent Address : B-5, Sangam Apartments, Delhi
Educational Qualification :
| Name of the exam | Name of the Institute | Year | Percentage/ GPA |
| MBA | IIFT | 2013 | 67% |
| B. com | Delhi University | 2011 | 73% |
| Senior Secondary | CBSE | 2008 | 84% |
| Secondary | CBSE | 2006 | 87% |
Computer Qualifications : 6 months Diploma in Computer Basic from APTECH, 1-year advance Diploma in Computer Software Technology from ET and T.
Interests and Hobbies : Reading, singing, pottery making
Job Experience : Worked for 6 months as a Salesperson in Luxurious Products Pvt. Ltd.
References : Mr Ravi Sharan Singh Manager, Luxurious Products Pvt. Ltd.
Or
B.
60 Lakh Looted in Armed Robbery
by Staff Correspondent Himanshu Sareen, The Indian Express
Bhuvaneswar, 4th February, 20XX. In a daring robbery, armed miscreants shot at employees of the State Bank of India (SBI) and looted about rupees 60 lakh from them. A security guard of the bank, who has sustained a bullet injury in the incident, has identified one of the dacoits as being an employee of the bank. He is recovering in the city hospital as of now.
The incident took place at about 1:40 p.m. when the Branch Staff of SBI were on their way back to the branch carrying the cash withdrawn from the regional office of the Reserve Bank in a metal trunk. Their vehicle was intercepted by a Bolero and at least five miscreants got down and fired in the air. They then smashed one side glass window of the bank’s vehicle, dragged the driver out and thrashed him.
Other security personnel and the cashier were also roughed up and shot at. Terrorising the SBI staff, the dacoits fled after snatching their mobile phones and the metal trunk containing the cash. Khurda SP said that a hunt is on for the dacoits who had prior knowledge about the cash movement.
Section C Literature
Question 5.
Attempt any five of the six questions given below, within 40 words each. (2 x 5)
(i) How was the Skunk’s story different from the other stories narrated by Jack? (2)
(ii) How do symbols in the poem, ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ help us understand her plight? (2)
(iii) Mention any two things which, according to Keats, give us pain and suffering. (2)
(iv) What peculiar things does Derry notice about the old man, Mr. Lamb? (2)
(v) Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler? (2)
(vi) How did Gandhiji show that he cared for the cultural and social backwardness of Champaran villages? (2)
Answer:
(i) The other stories narrated by Jack would end with the animal named Roger taking the help of the Wizard to solve his problem. However in the Skunk’s story, Roger’s mother back to the Wizard and got his smell changed by hitting the Wizard on his head.
(ii) Tiger and ring are the two symbols as used in the poem to highlight the plight of Aunt Jennifer. The ‘tiger’ is a symbol of power, confidence and masculine world. ‘Ring’ though represented as ‘wedding ring’ refers to the band or chain that binds a person to enslave him. The ‘tiger’ represents the longing of Aunt Jennifer, whereas ‘ring’ refers to her present position of oppressed and subjugated by the male-dominating world.
(iii) According to Keats, man suffers from pain and suffering due to the in human dearth of noble natures on earth and due to the inhuman and hostile attitude that makes our days sad and darkens our ways with distress and wretchedness.
(iv) Through his conversation with Mr. Lamb, Derry gets to know quite a few peculiar things about the old man. He comes to know that when it is a bit cool, Mr. Lamb likes to keep himself busy by breaking crab apples and making jelly from them. He enjoys the humming of bees in his garden, he sits in the sun reading books and has no friends at all.
(v) Edla was happy to see the gift as it indicated that her kindness and compassion had brought about a change in a vagabond peddler. The gift indicated that her actions for which she was being reprimanded were not wrong.
(vi) The peasants of Champaran’s villages were culturally and socially backward, besides being crushed and fear-stricken by the British due to the sharecropper agreement. Gandhiji freed them from exploitation by teaching them that they had rights and also supporters of their cause. The backwardness was tackled by opening primary schools, improving the healthcare facilities and teaching the villagers personal cleanliness and community sanitation.
Question 6.
Answer any two of the following in about 120-150 words each. (4 x 2)
(i) The story ‘The Rattrap’ is both entertaining and philosophical. Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer. (4)
(ii) ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ by Adrienne Rich shows how the power of the patriarchy controls women’s forms but not their minds. Justify. (4)
(iii) What precautions were taken by the prison authorities to ensure that the German exam was conducted smoothly under strict security? (4)
Answer:
(i) The story, ‘The Rattrap’ is indeed, both entertaining and philosophical. The fast-paced narrative in the third person, generous use of dialogue by the author and different characters belonging to different mindsets make the story interesting and entertaining. Besides, the author has managed to keep up the suspense till the end.
The incident in the forge, with the ironmaster coming at midnight, hold our attention. The • peddler’s continuous refusals to the ironmaster to accompany him, but his accepting Edla’s invitation in one go, the ironmaster’s realisation of his mistake, and Edla’s sympathy and generosity, all make the story quite gripping.
While all the above events make the story interesting, there is also an element of philosophy in the story. Somewhere, the peddler’s theory of the world being a rattrap is true. One feels caught up like a rat in the entrappings of the world. Some people fall into this trap never to come out of it again. The story teaches us that, as human beings, we are not above temptations.
(ii) The central idea of the poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ by Adrienne Rich is how the power of the patriarchy controls women’s forms but not their minds. The poem makes this point by presenting the wild, interesting, powerful tigers embroidered by Aunt Jennifer and contrasting them with Aunt Jennifer herself. The poem characterises the tigers as topaz residents of a world of green, who do not fear men and pace in certainity around their perfect world.
Aunt Jennifer is an old lady who is stitching this vivid picture on a screen. She does not seem powerful at all. Her fingers are fluttering through the wool, and she can hardly pull the tiny needle because the massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band sits heavily on her.
This image suggests something like a prisoner’s ball and chain, and very clearly symbolises the dominating power of patriarchal institutions, such as marriage. There is no hope for Aunt Jennifer. Her bondage lasts until her death, when her frightened hands lie in a coffin, still dominated by men. Her tigers, however, continue unafraid on the screen she made.
Although her body has died, still mastered by her ordeals, the tigers, the denizens of her imagination, persevere, royal and powerful. This is a feminist twist on the classic signature tune of art’s ability to live longer than human life.
(iii) During Evans’ O-Level German test, special precautions were taken by the prison staff to prevent him from escaping. The test was scheduled to be taken in his own cell which was evidently bugged by the Governor. A parson from St. Mary Mags was called to invigilate and to keep the prisoner incommunicado during the exam. Evans was placed in the heavily guarded Recreational Block.
There were two locked doors between his cell and the yard, which boasted of a high wall. Moreover, all the prison officers were on high alert. The Governor got a microphone installed in Evans’ cell, while Stephens kept peeping into the cell every few minutes. Two prison officers, Mr. Jackson and Mr. Stephens, thoroughly checked his cell for any sign of possible escape. His razor, nail filer and nail scissors were also taken away.
Even during the exam, two police officers were stationed near the cell to keep a constant eye on the prisoner. At the same time, the Governor was constantly making sure that everything was going fine in the exam.