केन्द्रीय विद्यालय संगठन, कोलकाता सम्भाग

KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA SANGATHAN, KOLKATA REGION

अभ्यास सेट-II / PRACTICE SET-II : 2024-25

MARKING SCHEME

कक्षा/Class-XII अविकतम अंक/Maximum marks-80

विषय/Subject- English Core समय/Time Allowed- ३ घंटे/3 hours

General Instructions: -
1. The Marking Scheme carries only suggested value points for the answers. These are in
the nature of Guidelines only and do not constitute the complete answer. The students
can have their own expression and if the expression is correct, then due marks should be
awarded accordingly.
2. If a student has attempted an extra question, answer of the question deserving more
marks should be retained and the other answer scored out with a note “Extra Question”.
3. If more than one option is mentioned in the answer of multiple-choice questions, then
no marks to be awarded.

SECTION A: READING SKILLS (22 marks)

1. Answer the following questions, based on the passage above. 12
(Descriptive Passage)
I Money allows people who don't know or trust each other to trade 1
II We know whom to trust 1
III Joshua is a person who is known and trusted. 2
IV d. He is describing the weaknesses of the credit and debt system. 1
V Most people did not know each other, did not trust each other 2
and people often died in battle
VI Computers and government identification 1
VII They do not know the person they are doing business with 1
VIII a. Money allows civilizations to grow very large. 1
IX b. Credit and debt systems became widespread again due to 1
technology.
X c. People can easily maintain good relationships with 1
thousands of other people.
2. Answer the following questions, based on given passage. 10
I i. 2 and 4 1
II i. Option 1 1

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III ii. 2 and 3 1
IV  hydrochloric acid which attacks the respiratory system, 2
skin and eyes, resulting in coughing, vomiting and nausea
 Breathing styrene from polystyrene can cause leukaemia.
 Polyurethane is associated with asthma
 Dioxin released by PVC is a powerful hormone disrupter
and causes birth defects and reproductive problems
[any two of the above-mentioned reasons]

V Hazardous waste (solid form) transfers to air, water and ash 1

VI Garbage 1
VII  Indian garbage has a low calorific content of about 800 1
cal/kg, since it has high moisture and requires additional
fuel to burn
 the electricity generated from such technology will cost
between ` 5-7 per unit, which is six times higher than
conventional energy
[any one of the above-mentioned points]

VIII 3,1,4,2 2
SECTION B- CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS (18 marks)

3. Format – 1 Content -2 Accuracy of spelling and grammar -1 4

4. A- (Card type formal / third person/ centre aligned) 4

B- (Letter type- formal, first/ third person)
Format – 1 Content -2 Accuracy of spelling and grammar -1

5. Format -1 Content -2 Organisation -1 Accuracy of spelling and 5

grammar -1

A Letter to the Editor (formal letter format)

 Benefits of adult literacy
 Helpful for higher qualification & credentials
 Development of new skills
 Better employment outcomes
 Adaptation to change
 Any other relevant points

B Job Application
 Application (first part)
 Bio-data (second part)

6. Format – 1 Content -2 Organisation -1 Accuracy of spelling and 5

grammar -1

A. Article

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  Heading/Title/Topic
 By line
[use of cues with any other relevant value points]
B. Report
 Heading/Title/Topic
 By line
 Place & Date of reporting
[use of cues with any other relevant value points]

SECTION C-LITERATURE (40 marks)

7. Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one 6
of the given two-A or B
A Extract- My Mother at Sixty-six
I Personification 1
II ‘Look out’- it means take notice of something that is happening in 1
the surroundings. The poet and the daughter try to search for the
purpose of living in the joyful scenes of the young trees sprinting”
and “merry children spilling out of their homes” as her heart is
heavy with the foreboding for future

III D. The clock was making a sprinting sound. 1

IV of denial of the inevitable [any other relevant answer if the 1
student is able to express the tone]
V A. a zeal for life 1
VI C. Assertion is true but Reason is false 1
B Extract- A Thing of Beauty
I A. The magnificence that we associate with our ancestors and 1
the beautiful things created by them.
II All the beautiful stories that have been read or heard by us are 1
also things of beauty as they leave a positive impact.
III the heaven’s brink 1
IV Imagery 1
V ‘Mighty dead’ refers to those martyrs who have sacrificed their 1
lives for the happiness of others.
VI An endless fountain 1
8. Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one 4
of the given two, (A) or (B)
A Extract- The Tiger king
I iii. My alarm clock yells at me every morning until I get 1
out of bed.
II Desperate, submissive, servile 1
III i. because of his resolve to hunt the hundred tigers 1
himself
IV iv. option 4 1

B Extract- Memories of Childhood

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 I D. She would look fashionable and feel comfortable, 1
confident and stylish

II A. Lament 1
III food that is eaten in a disciplined way 1

IV only unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled 1
by the enemy and short hair was worn by mourners, and shingled
hair by cowards.

9 Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one 6
of the given two, A or B
A Extract- The Last Lesson
I He feels sorry for M. Hamel as it was his last French lesson. 1
II c. M. Hamel often sent students to water his flowers and gave 1
them a holiday when he wanted to go fishing.

III d. (i) forgotten; (ii) transformed; (iii) hold on; (iv) identity 1

IV patient, dignified, emotional 1

V was overwhelmed with emotions. 1
VI b. Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the true explanation of 1
(A).

B Extract- Lost Spring- Stories of Stolen Childhood

I (d)Auspiciousness 1

II Made a house for his family 1

III Worked hard yet unhappy 1
IV Lost eyesight in the process of making bangles 1
V She is hardworking and experienced 1
VI Simile 1

10 Answer ANY FIVE of the following six questions in 40 50 words 10

each:
1 -Content 1- Expression ½ -1 deducted from overall, for Accuracy

I Saheb had accepted his reality. He is no longer the child with 2

dreams in his eyes. But Mukesh on the other hand wants to fight
against all odds to achieve his dream.
II The ‘tigers’ are symbols of bravery and courage and also of Aunt 2
Jennifer’s desire for freedom. The ‘fingers’ are symbolic of the
nervousness and fear experienced by Aunt Jennifer and the ‘ring’
symbolises a binding marriage that is full of oppression and
curtails one’s freedom.
III Sophie felt betrayed when Jansie told her that she had come to 2

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 know about the meeting from her brother who was Geoff’s friend
because the story was meant only for him and between herself
and her brother Geoff. She knew that Jansie interfered in every
matter and would spread the information to all.

IV The above expression was given by the playwright as well as the 2

novelist Saul Bellow while describing the sheer discomfort he felt
during an interview. He went on saying that he felt like choking
and gasping for air as if the interviewer had literally put him out
of countenance by his or her probing questions into his private
life.

V The returned rattrap and accompanying letter symbolize the 2

peddler's transformation and gratitude, offering a message of
hope and redemption in the face of adversity. It emphasizes that
even those seemingly ensnared can find a path to liberation.

VI J. B Kriplani and Professor Malkani were courageous enough to 2

shelter Gandhi. Kripalani was waiting at the station with a large
body of students. Gandhi stayed there for two days in the home
of Professor Malkani, a teacher in a government school.
‘‘It was an extraordinary thing ' ‘in those days,’’ Gandhi
commented, “for a government professor to harbour a man like
me”. In smaller localities, the Indians were afraid to show
sympathy for advocates of home-rule.

11 Answer ANY TWO of the following three questions in 40 50 words 4

each:
I It is physical disability in different forms, the empathetic feeling 2
that creates a bond, which unites the old man and Derry.
Although both face the same problem, there is a vast difference in
the attitude to and perception of the problem.
The old man has an upper hand in life and experience due to his
age, which gives him the zest to inspire the little boy.

II The Maharaja’s bullet missed the tiger though he had taken 2

careful aim at the beast. The shock of the sound of the bullet
made it faint. One hunter took aim from a distance of one foot
and shot the tiger dead. It is ridiculous that the Tiger King who
had killed ninety-nine tigers should miss his aim. It is funny that
the hunter takes aim from a hand-shaking distance. The whole
situation is ironic.

III The narrator’s friend, Sam Weiner, says it is a waking dream wish 2
fulfilment. He says that the narrator is unhappy and the modern
world is full of insecurity. Fear, war and worry. So, he wants to

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 escape and has created an imaginary third level. As per his
reaction we can infer that he did not believe in Charley but later
we find about Sam’s visit to Galesburg.
12 Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 120- 5
150 words
A Sender’s Address

Date

Receiver’s Address

Subject: Negligence on Premises of YMCA

Sir/Madam,

This is with reference to the incident of near fatal drowning of my

son, William on your premises. We were utterly shocked by the
chain of events which might have led to fatality. Bullying and
ragging must be condemned by your esteemed club. The life of
our children rests in the able hands of this Club and its
authorities. I was speechless when my son recounted the event
and realised that there were severe lapses in the management
itself. Although we have decided not to press charges on the boy
in question at the behest of his parents but we expect the
management to take stern steps to curb such practices in the
future.

Yours sincerely,
Signature:
Name:

B Robert frost sympathises with the roadside stand owner. He feels

miserable and sad looking at the condition of the stand owners.
Frost asks people to help the individuals who work day and night
but they do not get anything in return. He tells readers how it is
tormenting and distressing to see the deprived people.
A pathetic picture of the lives of the poor who beg for financial
assistance (by selling their produce) to sustain themselves. They
do not aspire to expand their business. They seek help that has
been promised to them by the political parties in their
manifestos. The city dwellers move in sophisticated vehicles
insensitive to the terrible plight of the poor who beg for
attention. These self-absorbed city dwellers have the money but
do not want to part with it. The city dwellers referred to as
‘greedy good-doers’, ‘beneficent beasts of prey’.

13 Answer any one of the following two questions, in about 120-150 5

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 words
A Selflessness Wins the World
Every human being has love and hatred in the heart. When we
think what harm has been caused by the enemy, our heart gets
full of hatred for the enemy. But when we find the same enemy
badly battered, our hatred diminishes. Then we tend to look at
him like a human being who needs our care and sympathy. War
and narrow nationalism can stifle human feelings of love and
compassion and turn friends and fellow human beings into
enemies.
Dr. Sadao was true to his profession as it was his primary duty as
a doctor to cure his patient without caring for his identity. He had
to struggle between loyalty to his country and his training as a
doctor to save someone’s life. He instinctively chose the latter.
Though rationality told him to hand over the prisoner to the
police, humanitarian feelings and professional ethics told him to
save his life. While operating on him, he had called him ‘my
friend’ and had for the moment forgotten that he was his enemy.
Thus, humanitarian considerations override man-made barriers of
rationality and culture. Love and compassion are the basis of our
consciousness; we thrive when we let them come to the
forefront.
B Good morning to one and all present here.

Antarctica has a simple ecosystem and lacks biodiversity. It is the

best place to study how little changes in the environment can
have big consequences. The author gives the example of
microscopic plants called phytoplankton which nourish and
sustain the entire southern ocean’s food chain. The
phytoplankton uses the energy to absorb carbon and also
synthesises various organic compounds through photosynthesis.

Scientists have forewarned that if the Ozone layer depletes any

further it will have a direct impact on the activities of the
phytoplankton. This will lead to a chain reaction adversely
affecting the lives of marine animals and birds of the region which
will further result in the disturbance of the global carbon cycle.

So, humans should pay special attention to tiny forms of animal

and plant life. The depletion of the ozone layer can be prevented
by reducing carbon dioxide emissions. If we take care of small
things, big things will automatically fall into place.

Thank you.

[any other relevant answer]

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