CENTRAL KERALA SAHODAYA

FIRST MODEL EXAMINATION 2020-21

ENGLISH – CORE (301)
CLASS – XII
Time allowed 3 Hrs Maximum Marks : 80

General Instructions:

1. This paper is divided in to two parts: A and B. All questions are compulsory
2. Separate instructions are given with each section and question wherever necessary.
Read these instructions very carefully and follow them.

PART A (40 Marks)

READING (20 Marks)

1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. (1*10=10)

1. The windless night filled our ears with unaccustomed silence and the foul dryness of
our mouths aggravated the discomfort of our sleepless bodies as we tried to ease the agony
of our thirst. Then breathlessly, we watched the gathering clouds obscure the stars and it
began to rain with a steady downpour. Slowly the water in the pipe from the canopy ran
clear and we filled our empty cans and spare plastic bags, our bellies and our mouths until
we could not force down another drop. Suddenly, everything had changed from the shadow
of the spectre of death to the joyful prospect of life and all by a shower of rain. We had
water!

2. Douglas, lazily watching the dispersing clouds, suddenly sat up with a start, pointing
excitedly. "A ship! A ship! It's a ship!" We all crowded to the door of the raft, staring in the
direction of his pointing finger; a cargo vessel of about 6000 tonnes was approaching us on a
course that would bring her within 3 miles of us. "Get out the flares", I said hoarsely, "and
pass them to me in the dinghy. They all see us better from there."

3. Three miles was a fair distance, but on a dull day such as this, against a background
of rain, they should see us easily. I clambered into the dinghy and Douglas passed me the
rockets and hand flares; my hands trembled as I ripped open a parachute rocket flare and,
with a mute appeal to the thing to fire, struck the igniter on the fuse.

It sputtered and hissed, then roared off on a trajectory high above the raft, its pinkish
magnesium flare slowly spiralling downwards leaving a trail of smoke in the sky. They
couldn't fail to see it. I waited a moment or two, watching for the ship to alter course, then
struck a hand flare, holding it high above my head. The blinding red light was hot to hold
and I pointed it away from the wind to ease my hand, the red embers of the flare dropping

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into the dinghy; as it went out, I struck another, smoke from the first now a rising plume in
.the sky; surely they must see that! I waited a little, my hands trembling.

4. However, the ship sailed on, slowly disappearing behind a rain shower and, when
she reappeared, her hull was half obscured by the horizon. My shoulders drooped. "We
daren't use another", I said. "They won't see it now and we have to keep something for the
next one."

5. I surveyed the empty flare cartons bitterly, and the one smoke flare which was damp
and wouldn't work; then something happened to me in that instant that, for me, changed
the whole aspect of our predicament. If these poor bloody seamen couldn't rescue us, then
we would have to make it on our own. The word from now on was, `survival', not 'rescue',
or 'help' or dependence of any kind, just survival. We would live for three months or six
months from the sea, but "We would get these boys to land" as Lyn had said, and we would
do it ourselves if there was no other way.

6. Towards late afternoon, we felt an unusually hard bump on the raft floor and we
found ourselves gazing at the large scaly head of a turtle. The day before I would have said,
"Leave it, we can't manage that", but now things were different. "We'll have this one", I
said. "Let's get it aboard the dinghy." The turtle's flippers had become entangled in the sea
anchor line, so, first passing a rope from the dinghy under the raft, we made it fast to one of
the back flippers, then carefully avoiding the searching beak, freed the turtle from the sea
anchor rope and towed it around the raft to the Ednamair. With a bump and a thrashing of
claws, the reptile lay on its back in the bottom of the dinghy.

7. I plunged the knife into the leathery skin of the neck. Deep red blood spurted into
the bottom of the dinghy and gradually, the beak and flippers ceased thrashing as the beast
died. Twenty-four hours previously, I would not have had the stomach for such a bloody
business, but the laws of survival applied and the first principle, "The fittest survive, the
weakest go to the wall", had now become our way of life. We would struggle and endure
and, if our reflexes were not as swift as the animals and fish around us, we had to be
cunning and improve with practice.

On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer any ten of the following questions by
choosing the most appropriate option. l x 10 =10

(i) The author killed the turtle as

(a) he liked to hunt (b) he was feeling angry
(c) he was hungry and had nothing to eat (d) he wanted to prove that he was brave

(ii) The containers were filled with the rainwater as they

(a) wanted to play with water
(b) did not have any work and wanted to pass their time
(c) had to give the water to the men in the cargo vessel

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 (d) were thirsty and also wanted to save water for the future

(iii) The flares were used by the author to

(a) get light as it was getting dark
(b) cook the food
(c) heat- the water
(d) get the attention of the other ship so that they could be rescued

(iv) The author's shoulders drooped when the cargo ship reappeared as
(a) he felt tired
(b) he realised that there was no chance of the cargo ship spotting them as it was very
far off
(c) he was ill
(d) Douglas was not obeying his orders
(v) The turtle bumped into the author's boat as
(a) it did not see the boat
(b) its flippers got entangled in the sea anchor line
(c) the boat was going too fast while the turtle was swimming slowly
(d) the turtle was asleep and the boat hit it

(vi) The authors discomfort due to sleeplessness worsened because of

(a) The rain (b) The windless night
(c) His dry mouth (d) Loud sound of the ship

(vii) The author pointed the flare away from the wind for
(a) So that the ship could easily see them (b) So that the flare lights up properly
(c) So that itsmoke does not harm them (d) So that his hand doesn't burn

(viii) The author was bitter because

(a) His chance of being saved was lost (b) There were no flares left
(c) He felt tired (d) He was feeling ill

(ix) The author's motto was

(a) Dependence (b) Survival (c) Rescue (d) Adapt

(x) The word ................. means the same as "something unpleasant or dangerous that
might happen in future (para 1)"
(a) Unaccustomed (b) Aggravated
(c) Agony (d) Spectre

(xi) The author killed the turtle by

(a) Crushing it with a stone (b) Stabbing it is the neck
(c) Choking it with the anchor rope (d) By shooting it

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2. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. (1x10=10)

1. Even before you are aware of it, retirement is around the corner and with it comes a
sense of apprehension, trepidation and maybe a sense of anticipation. The first few days
when you acquire the status of a Senior Citizen are full and the consequences of
retirement have yet to sink in. A month passes and time hangs heavily, and in a sense you
feel lost, but a change in attitude can alter all that. The Indian government has given
many concessions to Senior Citizens and it would do you good if you focused on the
advantages rather than the disadvantages. Even at a personal level, you can think of it as
a new beginning rather than an end of a phase. Look around you, wake up to the things
around you, have a new perspective and find time for all those things that you earlier
wanted to do but could never get done.

2. Books and reading are all time favourite hobbies to indulge in. In India, subjects such
as astrology, tarot reading and palm reading have attracted many. So serious do these
Senior Citizens become that you would never guess they were novices. Heated
discussions, as well as debates on politics and religion have also engrossed quite a few.
Then there is this small segment which focuses on economy and finance.

Many Indians who have never taken investment seriously start reading business
magazines, and catch up on bullish and bearish trends in the market. Surprisingly, many
of them become prudent about investment and offer a lot of advice to the so-called
tyros. Listening to music, attending music festivals, and participating in musical activities,
help to turn the focus from retirement to aesthetics. Many philanthropic Indians have
been known to devote their attention to social causes and have been known to form
clubs, which volunteer to help people.

The sense of deep satisfaction that one gets from this is absolutely incomparable.
Developing a passion for sports and evoking an interest in everything around you keeps
you mentally healthy and emotionally fit.

3. There is a decline in mental abilities as one ages and this is mostly an offshoot of
certain pathological changes in the human brain. While senior citizens become more
mature in judgment, the ability to recall things declines. Doing crossword puzzles, solving
things mentally and a conscious effort to relate and recall can greatly alleviate this
decline. Aging is only in the mind: you are as old as you want to be. Reading spiritual
books and committing the Saint Kabir's shlokas to memory is a wonderful exercise for the
human brain, for it emphasises the fact that nothing, no matter however difficult, is
unconquerable. A positive attitude and a desire to learn as many new things as possible is
the key to a full and happy life. Many computer institutes in India conduct computer

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courses for Senior Citizens and they are able to use the Internet, send e-mails all over the
world, store information relating to investments and handle their bank accounts.

There are limited job openings for Senior Citizens but, ideally, they should take a job only
if they have to.

4. Exercise, yoga and meditation keep Senior Citizens in good physical condition, as
then they are less prone to ailments, which tend to dog their footsteps once they have
crossed 60. Physical conditioning augurs emotional and mental well-being. Exercise tones
muscles, improves circulation of blood, reduces stress and wards off depression. Joints
remain flexible, the risk of arteriosclerosis is reduced, and muscle and bone loss is
drastically reduced. In India, many old people have taken to doing pranayama on a
regular basis.

5. For Senior Citizens, this is a period of growth and the proper time to attain the riches
that life has to offer. This is the time in their lives when they can live their lives the way
they actually want to. The concessions they are entitled to make it actually worth being a
Senior Citizen. Airlines offer discounted fares and the Indian railways offer a discount on
all tickets. There are separate queues for Senior Citizens at the post office, railway
counters and some buses even have seats reserved for them. It all boils down to one
thing - it can actually be quite appealing to be a Senior Citizen once you look at yourself
with esteem and have confidence in your abilities. Eat healthily, exercise, sleep well and
extract every ounce of the elixir that life has to offer.

On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer any ten of the following questions by
choosing the most appropriate option. 1 x 10=10
(i) Within the first few days of retirement, the retired person acquires
(a) the status of being a Senior Citizen
(b) the status of being lonely
(c) another post in the same department
(d) a feeling of enjoyment

(ii) The all time favourite hobby which Senior Citizens indulge in is
(a) swimming (b) books and reading
(c) sleeping (d) playing indoor games

(iii) The person who devotes his attention to social causes and works as a volunteer to
help people is called a
(a) misanthropist (b) philanthropist
(c) recluse (d) philanderer

(iv) The reason for the decline in mental abilities of Senior Citizens is
(a) aging (b) retirement
(c) pathological changes in the brain (d) loss of physical stamina

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 (v) The concessions offered to Senior Citizens make being one
(a) interesting (b) very tempting
(c) highly attractive (d) quite appealing

(vi) Retirement is accompanied by

(a) a time of relaxation
(c) a sense of doubt and uncertainty
(b) feeling of sadness
(d) a change of attitude

(vii) Senior Citizens can prepare themselves for life after retirement
(a) by joining old age clubs (b) by indulging in hobbies
(c) by spending time with family (d) by debating with friends

(viii) can make life more appealing to Senior Citizens.

(a) The understanding that they can live their lives the way they want
(b) (b' The knowledge of the advantages that they will get
(c) The realization that they can now relax and enjoy their life without any fears
(d) Having friends

(ix) Senior Citizens can keep themselves in good physical condition by

(a) yoga (b) exercise
(c) meditation (d) All of these

(x) Ageing people can retain their mental abilities by

(a) Debating (b) Positive attitude
(c) Exercise (d) Being happy

(xi) The word ............ means "anxiety".

(a) Trepidation (b) Anticipation
(c) Apprehension (d) concessions

LITERATURE (20 Marks)

3. Read the extracts given below and attempt ANY TWO of the three given by answering
the questions that follow (4+4=8)

(A)
My acquaintance with the barefoot ragpickers leads me to Seemapuri, a place on the
periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically. Those who live here are
squatters who came from Bangladesh back in 1971. Saheb’s family is among them.
Seemapuri was then a wilderness. It still is, but it is no longer empty. In structure of

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 mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water, live
10000 ragpickers.

i. The colony of ragpickers is situated in ......................

(a) South of Delhi
(b) Mangolpuri
(c) Jahangirpuri
(d) Seemapuri

ii. The squatters who came from Bangladesh live under what conditions?
(a) They live in structures of silt
(b) Roofs were made of tin and tarpaulin
(c) They were devoid of sewage facility
(d) All of the above

iii. Identify the literary device in” Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet
miles away from it, metaphorically”.
(a) Metaphor
(b) Antithesis
(c) Simile
(d) Irony

iv ....................... in the extract, means same as ‘border’

(a) Periphery
(b) Squatters
(c) Devoid
(d) Barefoot

(B)
Gandhi had four protracted interviews with the Lieutenant-Governor who as a result,
appointed an official commission of inquiry in to the indigo sharecroppers’ situation. The
commission consisted of landlords, government officials and Gandhi as the sole
representative of the peasants. Gandhi remained in Champaran for an initial uninterrupted
period of seven months and then again for several short visits. The visit, undertaken casually
on the entreaty of an unlettered peasant in the expectation that it would last a few days,
occupied almost a year of Gandhi’s life.

i. Who appointed an official commission of inquiry?

(a) Lawyer
(b) Lieutenant-Governor
(c) Gandhi

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 (d) Landlords

ii. Who were the part of the commission?

(a) Gandhi and Landlords
(b) Rajendra Prasad
(c) Government officials
(d) Only (a) and (c)

iii. For how long did Gandhi stay at Champaran?

(a) An year
(b) Four months
(c) Seven months
(d) Two years

iv. Which word in the extract means the same as consecutive?

(a) Consist
(b) Unlettered
(c) Protracted
(d) Uninterrupted
(C)
For the first quarter of an hour Stephens had dutifully peered through the peep hole at
intervals of one minute or so; and after that, every two minutes. At 10.45 am everything
was still all right he looked through the peep hole once more. It took four or five no more.
What was the point? It was always more or less the same.

i. Who was Stephens and what was he doing?

(a) Another prisoner observing Evans
(b) An examiner taking Evans exam
(c) A police officer keeping an eye on Evans
(d) A teacher making sure that Evans was performing well

ii. Why was everything the same for Stephens?

(a) Because Evans was continuously writing the answers
(b) Because Evans was again asking help from the invigilator
(c) Because Evans was only sitting and looking at the invigilator
(d) Because Evans was reading “The Church Times”

iii. At what intervals did Stephens look at Evans?

(a) Every one minute then two minutes
(b) Every two minutes

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 (c) Every one minute
(d) Every ten minutes

iv. The word ...................from the extract means looking dutifully.

(a) Peered
(b) Still
(c) Looked
(d) Quarter

4. Read the extracts given below and attempt ANY ONE of the two given by answering the
questions that follow (1+4=4)
(A)
“And yet for these
Children, these windows, not this map, their world,
Where all their future’s painted with a fog,
A narrow street sealed in with a lead sky
Far far from rivers, capes, and stars of words”
i. Why is the future of these children ‘ pointed with a fog’?
(a) Because their future is dark and uncertain
(b) Because they are not sure about their career
(c) Because they don’t know what they want to become
(d) None of the above

ii. What does the expression ‘a narrow street’ signify?

(a) Children live many far from civilisation
(b) They live in slums which are situated in a congested area
(c) Children are poor and unhealthy
(d) Children are deprived of natural surroundings

iii. What is the pun in the word ‘windows’ as used in the extract?
(a) Squirrels playing on the trees
(b) Lack of opportunities
(c) Damaged windows of class rooms
(d) None of the above

iv. Identify the poetic device used in ‘Far far from rivers, capes, and stars of words’
(a) Personification
(b) Simile
(c) Alliteration
(d) Metaphor

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(B)
“Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble nature, of the gloomy days
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits”
i. What are the causes of human suffering?
(a) Lack of noble qualities
(b) Inhuman nature
(c) Unhealthy and wicked ways
(d) All of the above

ii. What moves away the pall from over lives?

(a) A good friend
(b) A trip to mountains
(c) Nature’s beauty
(d) Gloomy days

iii. Identify the poetic device used in ‘noble natures’

(a) Alliteration
(b) Metaphor
(c) Personification
(d) Simile

iv .......................... in the extract means ‘depressed’

(a) O’er-darkened ways
(b) Inhuman
(c) Noble
(d) Gloomy

5. Attempt ANY EIGHT questions from the ten given below (1*8=8)

i. What is the significance of the state of total inactivity that the poet urges in
‘Keeping Quiet’?
ii. What does the ring on Aunt Jennifer’s fingers signify?
iii. What made the peddler think that he had really fallen in to a rattrap?
iv. Why does a beautiful thing not ‘pass into nothingness’?

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 v. Why did M. Hamel wrote ‘Vive La France’! on the blackboard?
vi. Why did Douglas fail to come to the surface of the pool as he hoped to?
vii. Whom does Anees Jung blame for the sorry plight of the bangle makers?
viii. How does Stephen Spender describe the classroom walls of the elementary school
classroom in the slum?
ix. Why did the servants of Rajendra Prasad think Gandhiji to be another peasant?
x. What does the poetess compare her mother’s face with in the poem “My Mother
at Sixty-Six”

PART B (40 Marks)

WRITING (16 Marks)

6. Attempt ANY ONE of the following (1*3=3)

A. Your School, Akash Public School, Agra needs a canteen Manager. On behalf of the
principal, write an advertisement in about 50 words to be published in the classified
columns of a local daily. Mention the educational and professional qualifications,
other qualities required in the manager, whom to apply to and the last date for the
receipt of applications.

OR
B. Water supply will be suspended for eight hours (10am to 6pm) on 6th march for
cleaning of the water tank. Write a notice in about 50 words advising the residents
to store water for a day. You are Kumar/Karuna, Secretary, ANL Housing Society,
Palam Vihar, Kurnool.

7. Attempt ANY ONE of the following (1*3=3)

A. You are Dr. Mahedh Tripathi and you have received an invitation from the Director
Health Service, New Delhi to attend a workshop on ‘Child Care’ on 15May. Respond
to the invitation
OR
B. The literary club of your school is putting up the play ‘Waiting for Godot’. As
secretary of the club, Draft an invitation inviting the famous writer Neeraj Gupta to
be the guest of honour at the function. You are Govind/Gouri.

8. Attempt ANY ONE of the following (1*5=5)

A. You are Navid/Nafeesa of 10, Ahmedabad. The 60 foot wide main road in Nehru
Nagar Market remains congested throughout the day because of massive

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 encroachments on both sides of the road causing a lot of inconvenience to
pedestrians, especially children and woman. Write a letter to the editor of the
national daily requesting him to highlight the problems faced by the people , giving
concrete suggestions for improving the situation.
OR
B. You are Suragi from G-7 Anand Vihar, Haryana. You have come across an
advertisement in a national daily for the post of PGT (English). You are post
graduate in English from a recognized university with 5years experience ina
reputable school. Apply for the same giving your detailed resume.

9. Attempt ANY ONE of the following

(1*5=5)
A. Home lessons relayed on TV Channels are no substitute for actual classrooms. Write
an article in 150-200 words on “Can DTH classrooms ever replace schools or
colleges”?
OR
B. Cultural Society, Sunshine Public School, Nellore organised an adult literacy camp in
its neighbourhood. Write a report in 150-200 words on the camp for your school
newsletter. You are Savitha, Secretary. Use the following clues.

Number of volunteers - hours spent in teaching - location of the class - chairs,

blackboards – number of people attending the camp - benefit.

LITERATURE (24 Marks)

10. Attempt ANY FIVE out of the six questions given below, in 30-40 words each. (2*5=10)

i. Describe the events of the last lesson that M. Hamel conducted with his class?
ii. How is keeping still both physically and mentally beneficial for us?
iii. The ironmaster’s daughter noticed things about the peddler that the iron master in
his excitement had overlooked. What were the things that Edla had observed?
iv. What is the significance of the parting words of the poet and her smile ‘My Mother
at Sixty Six’?
v. How are Aunt Jennifer and the tigers created by her different from each other in
their attitudes?
vi. ‘It is a tradition to stay barefoot............. ’ What is the attitude of ragpickers of
Seemapuri towards wearing shoes?

11. Answer ANY TWO of the following questions in 30-40 words (2*2=4)

i. Which article in Mc Leery’s suitcase played perhaps the most significant role in
Evan’s escape and how?
ii. What proof did Charley have that the third level really existed?

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 iii. Hana told Yumi to wash the soldier. How did Yumi react?

12. Attempt ANY ONE of the following questions in 120-150 words. (1*5=5)

A. Douglas fully realised the truth of Roosevelt’s statement, “All we have to fear if fear
itself”. How did this realisation help him brush aside his fear and become an expert
swimmer?
OR
B. ‘The rattrap’ highlights the impact of compassion and understanding on the hidden
goodness in human beings. Substantiate with evidence from the story

13. Attempt ANY ONE of the following questions in 120-150 words (1*5=5)

A. A child’s standpoint invariably is different from that of an adult. Justify the

statement with reference to the story, ‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy’.
OR
B. Both Derry and Mr. Lamb suffer from handicaps, yet their outlook towards life is
totally different. Discuss.

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