SAINIK SCHOOL NALANDA
SECOND PRE BOARD EXAMINATION
CLASS-XII
SUB- ENGLISH CORE
Time: 3 Hrs. Maximum Marks: 80
General Instructions:
1. This paper consists of three sections:
Section A:- Reading Comprehension 20 Marks
Section B:- Creative Writing Skills 20 Marks
Section C:- Literature 40 Marks
2. Attempt all questions.
3. Do not write anything in the question paper and exceed the prescribed words limit.
4. All the answers must be correctly numbered as in the question paper and written in the
answer sheet provided to you.
SECTION: A 20
(READING COMPREHENSIONS)
1. Read the passage given below:- 1×10=10
From the newspaper that you are holding in your hands, textbooks and notebooks that are a part of your
daily school routine to tiny scraps that you use to send a secret message to your friend while in a class, one
thing that is common in all these is paper. So ubiquitous, so common place, that most of us don't even stop
to think about how it came to be in the first place. And yet, there were times when people didn't have a piece
of paper to jot down their most fascinating ideas.
The need for it: Writing predated paper, as you might well know from the ancient stone carvings that you
read about in history. Stone definitely wasn't conducive to writing and even though papyrus, parchment and
silk were better alternatives, the search was on for a surface to write on. It was Cai Lun who provided a
tangible solution to this problem.
Having entered the service of the Imperial Palace in the year 75, Cai Lun worked as a Chinese court official.
Thirty years later, he came up with his idea of making sheets of paper. It is believed that Cai Lun presented
his paper to Han Ho Ti, the Emperor of the ruling Han Dynasty. The Emperor was mightily impressed and
commended Cai Lun for a job well done.
Paper-making process: Early form of paper. like the ones Cai Lun showed his Emperor, was primarily
produced from hemp waste. This fibrous plant waste was soaked in water before it was thoroughly beaten
down into a pulp. The pulp was then collected using a large sieve, probably made of some cloth and then
allowed to dry. Fibres of bamboos, mulberries, old rags, fishnets and an assortment of other materials were
then mixed with the dried pulp, which was then flattened out and made to dry again, giving us paper. Paper
wasn't used as a writing material right away. It was first employed as a wrapping material for bronze mirrors
and even as protective padding for medicines. But before long, people realized that this paper was much
easier to work with than parchments or papyrus, and far less expensive to produce than writing materials
made of silk. The Chinese widely started using paper as a material to write and document by the third
century, employing it both as a tool for administration and a medium to transfer knowledge.
Guarded as a secret: Even though the methodology of producing paper was closely guarded by the
Chinese, it slowly started spreading to other Asian countries such as India, Japan and Korea with the
passage of time. And when the Arabs defeated Chinese in the Battle of Talas in 751, they also took the
secret of making paper with them the Central Asia and Western Asia soon started seeing paper mills, but it
was nearly a millennium after Cai Lun produced a paper that paper mills sprouted in Europe.
Based on your reading of the passage. answer below: the following questions given
1
(A) According to the author, why do we not think about how was paper first invented?
As it is…………………………………….
(B) Choose an option that was NOT used for writing in the ancient times.
(1) Silk (2) Papyrus (3) Parchment (4) Stones (5) Paper (6) Envelope
(a) 1,4 and 6 (b) 2 and 5 (c) 3 and 4 (d) 5 and 6
(C) For what was the paper first used in the era of the Han Dynasty?
(D) Han Ho Ti, the ruling emperor, was impressed by Cai Lun. Select an option which states the reason
behind it.
(a) Cai Lun was a well orator in the kingdom. (b) Cai Lun made a brilliant discovery.
(c) Cai Lun was King's best man. (d) Cai Lun was the most literate of them all.
(E) Complete the given sentence with reference to the passage.
People realised that paper was the better alternative for writing because its was more ................and
less……………….
(F) How did the secret of paper making process transfer to the Arabs?
(a) They defeated China in the war of Talas and then grabbed the secret.
(b) They annexed China and terrorized the for the secret.
(c) They learned the process from the Chinese traders.
(d) China shared their secret with the Arabs for getting crude.
(G) Early form of paper was produced from………………
(a) Hemp waste (b) Mulberries (c) Bamboos (d) Fishnets
(H) Writing on paper today has become so 'ubiquitous'. What does it mean?
(I) Which word from the passage can SUBSTITUTE 'write down'?
(J) What does the word 'sprouted' mean as per the passage?
2. Read the passage given below:- 1×10=10
In the market for a new pet? May be something a bit exotic? For many consumers, reptiles and amphibians
are just the things: geckos, monitors, pythons, tree frogs, boas, turtles and many more species are available
in seemingly endless varieties, many brilliantly coloured, some exceedingly rare.
Exotic reptiles and amphibians began surging in popularity in the early 1990s, not only in the United States
but also in Europe and Japan. From 2004 to 2014, the European Union imported nearly 21 million of these
animals; an estimated 4.7 million households in the United States owned at least one reptile in 2016. But
popularity has spawned an enormous illegal trade, conservationists say. Many reptiles sold as pets are said
to have been bred in captivity and sales of those animals are legal. In fact, many were illegally captured in
the wild The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) identified 18 instances in
which reptiles and amphibians are exported as captive bred, but likely are not. The examples included Indian
star tortoises from Jordan, red-eyed tree frogs from Nicaragua and savanna monitors from Ghana and Togo.
Dozens of countries export reptiles and other exotic animals labeled captive bred, but Indonesia stands out.
At least 80 per cent of the 5,000 plus green pythons, for instance, annually exported from the country as
captive bred were caught illegally in the wild, depleting some island populations.
Plucking animals from the wild is cheaper and easier than setting up a breeding operation. This is especially
true for low-profit animals like Tokay geckos, which are traded at such high volumes that it would not make
economic sense to invest in breeding them. Generally, villagers capture animals in forests and fields and sell
them to middlemen who hand them off to legal reptile farms. The owners of the farms acquire government
paperwork certifying that the animals were captive bred. Once a wild-caught animal is exported with
paperwork certifying it as captive bred. officials in countries like the United States have little choice but to
allow it in.
2
Based on your reading of the passage, answer the following questions.
(A) Choose the option that lists the exotic animals that are in demand of the pet trade.
(1) Tree frogs (2) Tigers (3) Wild boars (4) Boa (5) Gecko (6) Turtles
(a) 1, 3, 4 and 6 (b) 3, 5 and 6 (c) 2 and 3 (d) 4 and 5
(B) Does the following statement agree with the information given in the passage? The exotic animals are
mostly bred in captivity for pet trade.
True-if the statement agrees with the information.
False-if the statement contradicts with the information.
Not Given-If there is no information on this.
(C) What makes officials of foreign countries helpless towards illegal pet trade?
(D) Select the correct reason why wild animals are being caught illegally in the wild and not bred for pet
trade.
(a) As it removes the cost of breeding operations (b) As it takes a lot of time
(c) As it is an unpopular method (d) As it is less wanted by the customers
(E) As per the given data in the passage, the number of households in United States which owned at least
one reptile are:
(a) 20 million (b) 2.0 million (c) 47 million (d) 4.7 million
(F) Which country tops the list of illegal export of reptiles and amphibians?
(G) Complete the given statement. The exotic animals pet trade became popular in the…………..
(H) The Convention on International Trade in DITOS Endangered Species identified as many as ...................
instances of illegal supply marked as 'captive-bred'.
(I) Choose the correct trade chain as given in the passage.
(a) Villager - middlemen reptile farm owner - customer -
(b) Reptile farm owner middlemen villager customer
(c) Villager customer - reptile farm -owner - middlemen
(d) Villager middlemen reptile farm - owner customer
(J) Complete the given sentence with reference to the data in the passage. Between 2000 and 2014, the EU
imported ....... millions of the exotic animals for pet trade.
SECTION: B 20
(CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS)
3. Attempt ANY ONE of the following: 5
You are Amit /Amita, class monitor of XII-A, St. Marks High School. Write a notice in not more than 50 words
for the school notice board informing the students about a debate competition to be held for the students of
class XII.
OR
You are the Managing Director of Tulip Inc. You have changed the current location of the office from LG-12,
Gandhi Nagar, Ahmedabad to 9/33, Link road, Ahmedabad. Draft a notice to be given in the newspaper
informing the public about the change in not more than 50 words.
4. Attempt ANY ONE of the following: 5
Your school, Holi Public School, is planning to organise the Annual Sports Day in the school premises. Draft
a formal invitation on behalf of the Principal in not more than 50 words giving all the essential details.
OR
3
You have been invited to a party by your close friend, Rahul/Ruchika, to celebrate his success in IIT. Write
an informal reply to the invitation in not more than 50 words. You are Navpreet / Nandini.
5. Attempt ANY ONE of the following: 5
Reports of violence against the elderly in your city are really disturbing. The recent murder of an old couple
has depressed you. It seems the police are not taking adequate steps to make the elderly feel safe and
secure. Write a letter in 120-150 words to the Editor, 'Agra Times' to draw the attention of the authorities to
the problem and take effective steps to deal it.
OR
You are are Avesh/Anvesha Kapoor, H-3, Lawyer's Colony, Indore. You have seen an advertisement in 'The
Hindu' for the post of Marketing Manager in TCS. Apply with a complete bio-data for the same to the HR
Manager, TCS Ltd., Indore.
6. You are Amit/Amita Singh, Bal Vidya Mandir, Bhopal. There was a Fancy Dress Show held in your school
on the occasion of Children's Day this year. Write a report in about 120- 150 words on 'The Fancy Dress
Show' for your school magazine. Use the following cues: 5
Creative themes for Senior and Junior Sections
Students dressed up brilliantly in different characters
Prize distribution ceremony at the end
Runner-ups given Consolation prizes
SECTION C 40
(LITERATURE)
7. Read the extracts given below and attempt ANY ONE of the two given by answering the questions
that follow. 1x6=6
A thing of beauty is a joy forever
Its loveliness increases, it will never
Pass into nothingness, but will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
(A) In the poem, why does John Keats say that 'A thing of beauty is a joy forever"?
(a) Because it has a long-lasting impression on the mind.(b) Because it keeps us feeling depressed
(c) Because it stays with us for a short period. (d) Because it creates meaningless memories.
(B) It will never, Pass into nothingness. What does the given phrase mean?
(a) become great (b) develop (c) fade away(d) get vivid
(C) ‘but will keep a bower quiet for us’. Identify the meaning of the term 'bower".
(D) The poet refers to the breaths to be 'quiet'. Choose a reason behind using the term 'quiet'.
(a) It brings a calm sleep. (b) It makes a person insomniac.
(c) It makes one very tired. (d) It makes the person inactive.
(E) List the poetic device used in the line 'A thing of beauty is a joy forever' .
(F) Pick the correct rhyme scheme of the extract.
(a) aabbc (b) abbbc (c) aabbb. (d) abbca
OR
Driving from my parent's
home to Cochin last Friday
morning, I saw my mother,
beside me,
doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that
of a corpse and realised with Pain
that she was as old as she looked but soon
4
(A) Which literary device is used in 'her face ashen like that of a corpse'?
(B) Why was the narrator sad after looking at her mother?
(a) Her mother was old and nearing death. (b) Her mother has become ugly with age.
(c) She will have to leave her mother alone. (d) She couldn't stay away from her mother.
(C) Identify the correct meaning of the term 'corpse'.
(a) Old woman (b) Dead body (c) fine lines (d) inactive body
(D) The narrator's mother looked like a corpse because:
(a) She had wrinkles on her face. (b) Her face was pale and lifeless due to the old age.
(c) She was sleeping well. (d) She had a dull complexion.
(E) Identify the tone of the poem towards the end.
(F) What do you understand by the phrase 'Ashen face'?
(a) Face is dull and tanned. (b) Face is full of dark spots.
(c) Face is full of wrinkles. (d) Face is pale and lifeless.
8. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. 1x4=4
To visit Antarctica now is to be a part of that history: to get a grasp of where we've come from and where we
could possibly be heading It's to understand the significance of Cordilleran folds and pre-Cambrian granite
shields, ozone and carbon; evolution and extinction When you think about all that can happen in a million
years, it can get pretty mind-boggling. Imagine: India pushing northwards, jamming against Asia to buckle its
crust and form the Himalayas South America drifting off to join North America. opening up the Drake
Passage to create a cold circumpolar current keeping Antarctica frigid. desolate, and at the bottom of the
world.
(A) Choose the option that states the correct meaning of the idiom, 'to get a grasp' as used in the extract.
(a) The art teacher asked students to lightly grasp their pencils.
(b) The doctors were trying to get a grasp of the situation.
(c) The neighbour asked security guard to properly grasp the sofa.
(d) The professor paused and asked, 'Did you grasp what I said?'
(B) List the pair of opposite ideas as used in this extract.
(C) Which of the following words means the same as 'mind-boggling"?
(a) amazing (b) ordinary (c) confusing (d) special
(D) Choose the word that DOES NOT mean 'Jamming' as given in the extract.
(a) ramming (b) elbowing (c) bulldozing (d) yielding
9. Read the extract given below and answer the questions: 1x6=6
Gemini Studios was the favourite haunt of poets like S.D.S.Yogiar, Sangu Subramanyam, Krishna Sastry
and Harindranath Chattopadhyaya. It had an excellent mess which supplied good coffee at all times of the
day and for most part of the night. Those were the days when Congress rule meant Prohibition and meeting
over a cup of coffee was rather satisfying entertainment. Barring the office boys and a couple of clerks,
everybody else at the Studios radiated leisure, a pre-requisite for poetry. Most of them wore khadi and
worshipped Gandhiji but beyond that they had not the faintest appreciation for political thought of any kind.
(A) Which of the following means the same as 'mess' as given in this extract?
(a) a messy room (b) disorder and confusion of mind
(c) a large public room for meals (d) a place to keep all the mess.
(B) Why did people go to Gemini Studios' mess?
(a) As they could get good coffee day and night. (b) As they could not get good coffee elsewhere.
(c) As they wanted to meet filmmakers. (d) As they could see the film stars.
(C) List a word that can SUBSTITUTE the term 'Prohibition' as given in this extract.
(D) The word 'pre-requisite' mean
5
(a) to understand the basic steps of a process (b) need as a prior condition for some- thing else
(c) not needed to make a thing/process complete (d) not needed in the process of making or after
(E) Explain the political thoughts of the people at Gemini Studios.
(a) very strong (b) critical (c) not much interested (d) highly interested
(F) Which of the following words means the same as 'faintest'?
(a) slightest (b) strongest (c) strangest (d) fastest
10. Attempt ANY FIVE out of the six questions given below, in 40-50 words each. 5×2=10
(A) In the chapter 'Lost Spring', what was the irony in Saheb's name?
(B) The office boy thought that Subbu had a big advantage and not real talent. Justify.
(C) How is total inactivity on Earth in winter months still has life?
(D) What is the main symbol as used in the poem 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers'?
(E) The ironmaster saw the stranger lying close to the furnace in a very strange way. Expound.
(F) What was the misery of the peasants of Champaran in the chapter 'Indigo'?
11. Attempt ANY TWO out of the three questions given below, in 40-50 words each. 2x2=4
(A) What was the story that Mr. Lamb told Derry regarding a man who hid himself in his room?
(B) Comment on the tone of Zitkala-Sa when she said "I felt like sinking to the floor".
(C) The 'journey to the end of the earth' by Tishani Doshi included many locations and time zones.
Comment.
12. Attempt ANY ONE of the following questions in 120-150 words. 5
Do you think that Gandhiji succeeded in his Champaran campaign in the chapter 'Indigo'? Justify the
statement with a rationale.
OR
The incident was 'nightmarish' for Douglas. Which incident has been referred to here from the chapter 'Deep
Water'. How did this 'incident' cling on his heart for a long time?
13. Attempt ANY ONE of the following questions in 120-150 words. 5
The Tiger King went all the way to hunt the hundred tigers. He used all his wits into achieving his aim of
killing all the tigers to save him from his end. Expound with reference to the story 'The Tiger King'.
OR
What incident changed Bama's perspective of life for the people of her creed forever? How did she fight
against the evil of 'untouchability' through education?
