G D GOENKA PUBLIC SCHOOL, SECTOR 22, ROHINI
CLASS-XII
ENGLISH CORE (Code No. 301)
REVISION SHEET 3: SAMPLE PAPER FOR TERM 1
Time allowed: 3 Hrs. Maximum Marks: 80
General Instructions:
1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections-READING, WRITING and LITERATURE.
2. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
SECTION A: READING SKILLS (22 MARKS)
1. Read the following text. 12 marks
a. In this jet age, everyone is interested in having an easy life. Thanks to the advancement in science
and technology, these days life has become more easy and comfortable than earlier with a lot of
domestic gadgets as well as instantaneous food recipes available in the market. This has resulted
in making people develop a mindset of having everything immediately without waiting for even
at the traffic signals!
b. A piano teacher described an interesting encounter she had with a young lady who came to inquire
about music lessons. The young lady asked her, “How long will this course take? My father tells
me that it is in fashion now to be able to play musical instruments and that I should learn one
quickly. I want something that will be quick, fast and easy, like ” When the amused teacher
explained that it would take a lifetime of meticulous practice to learn music, her face fell and,
needless to say, she never came back.
c. The single most important factor that distinguishes those of us who succeed in any venture from
those of us who don’t is this ‘instant-coffee’ attitude. Most of us want results quickly. We want to
reach the top immediately and get worked up when things go wrong. Perseverance and patience
are forgotten words. We get upset, frustrated and angry when a skill or activity requires us to put
in a lot of effort and time. We get dejected and want to give it up.
d. Success, real success and happiness come to those who have a ‘bread-making’ attitude. Those who
are willing to knead the dough, wait for hours for it to rise only to punch it down and knead some
more, wait for another couple of hours for it to rise again, then bake it before it is ready to be eaten.
Nothing is instantaneous. For every endeavour — whether in the area of career, academics, music,
sports, relationships, physical fitness or even in spirituality — it is a long arduous journey.
e. The major problem with these ‘instant-coffee’ solutions is that they are invariably short-lived. If
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we stubbornly refuse to give up this search for quick solutions, all we do is end up on the wrong
track. We never gain anything lasting from them. However, if we just pause to analyse what we
are doing, we will realize how much time we are wasting searching for such magical solutions
which simply do not exist. We actually save time when we stop this futile search and accept the
proven methods of treading the straight and narrow path however difficult it may seem initially.
(437 words)
Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.
i. Complete the sentence by choosing an appropriate option. 1
According to the author, modern life can be compared to the jet age due to .
A. everything being fast, easy and comfortable.
B. availability of domestic gadgets.
C. advancement in science and technology.
D. instantaneous food recipes.
ii. Comment on the writer’s reference to the traffic signals in paragraph one, as a social problem for
Indian society. 1
iii. The author gives a reference to an anecdote between a piano teacher and a young lady who wished
to learn music. List two reasons why the deal fell through. 2
1. .
2. .
iv. The writer would not agree with the given statements based on paragraph three, EXCEPT
. 1
A. Getting worked up will help you succeed in any venture.
B. Perseverance and patience are nevertheless prized by some.
C. Excessive effort and time make us unruffled.
D. We give up a little too soon on ventures.
v. For every endeavour—whether in the area of career, academics, music, sports, relationships, physical
fitness or even in spirituality—it is a long arduous journey. 2
Based on your understanding of paragraph four, list one major reason in about 40 words why the
author labels the journey of every endeavour in life ‘arduous.’
vi. Why is it fair to say that adopting a ‘bread-making’ attitude in life is a sure-shot recipe for real success
and happiness and both go hand-in-hand? 2
vii. Complete the given sentence with an appropriate inference, with respect to the following: The writer
quotes the example of the ‘instant-coffee’ attitude (Paragraph 3), in order to . 1
viii. Read the following options from (i) to (vi). 1
(i) Popular (ii) practical (iii) unfeasible
(iv) naïve (v) viable (vi) empirical
Identify the option/options that describes/describe solutions as given in paragraph 5.
A. (ii), (v), (vi) B. (iv), (v), (vi) C. (ii), (iii), (iv) D. only (ii)
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ix. Select the most suitable title for the above passage. 1
A. The ‘Instant- coffee’Attitude B. The ‘Bread- making’Attitude
C. The Magic of Quick Solutions D. The Mirage of Instant Results
2. Read the following text. 10 marks
1. Social media marketing is now the modern and innovative way of doing business specifically in service
marketing, as marketers move from one strategy to another, looking for the right innovative strategy
to improve their brand health. Social media capabilities are the birth of platforms such as YouTube,
Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Pinterest. This has become the new and attractive way as the world
has become a global entity and there is wide coverage of information dissemination shared through
social media.
2. The modern-day consumers, especially millennials are increasingly using online tools, for example,
blogs, ‘Facebook’, and YouTube to share their opinions about products and services they consume.
The rise in internet accessibility and availability of smartphones has led to the new form of what is
known as Electronic World of Mouth (EWOM). Social media has become the new growth strategy of
any company that wishes to realise growth and have a mark in this new and uptight market.
3. The start of the century introduced new technology innovation, and social media platforms, which to
name a few Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest, provide users with a variety of communication
tools at their disposal. This innovation has embodied most of what we have come to define as social
media since 2000, and it is not showing any signs of slowing down. (220 words)
Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.
i. Write about the author’s intention of saying, ‘marketers move from one strategy to another’.
(within 40 words) 2
ii. Choose from the below the right answer to state the result of social media capabilities. 1
A. Invention of a new and attractive way in which the world has become a single entity.
B. Creation of a new and attractive way in which the world has become a global entity.
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C. It has created a world of virtual and real identities
D. All of the above
iii. Which of the following statements is true in the context of the passage? 1
A. The modern-day consumers especially millennials are increasingly using online tool.
B. The modern-day consumers especially millennials are decreasingly using online tool.
C. The modern-day consumers especially millennials are increasingly using offline tool.
D. The modern-day consumers especially millennials are decreasingly using offline tool.
iv. Analyse how the rise in Internet accessibility and availability of smartphones has made
communication better. (within 40 words) 2
v. In the given figure, the US population using Pinterest continuously throughout the day is
. (fill the blank with the correct percentage) 1
vi. Choose the most appropriate option showing the correct platform born out of social media
capabilities? 1
i. YouTube ii. Facebook iii. Twitter iv. EWOM
A. i, iii & iv B. Only iii C. ii, iii & iv D. i, ii & iii
vii. Explain the given acronym –EWOM and the reason leading to it. 1
viii. From the given figure, compare the data for users accessing the platforms “continuously
throughout the day” and name the two social media platforms showing the least difference in
percentage between them. 1
SECTION B – CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS (18 MARKS)
3. Attempt ANYONE of two, in about 50 words. 4
A. Your school is going to organize a week-long tree plantation programme in and around the school
beginning from 2nd February, 2024. Draft a notice for the students of Std VIII-XII to participate as
volunteers by registering their names. Give all the necessary details. You are Swagat/Sukanya, the
captain of your school.
OR
B. You are Jairam Reddy, the Head of the English Club. On the occasion of the International Day of
English Language, your school has decided to organize English Week. You are required to call a
meeting of the office bearers of the English Language Club to plan arrangements for the event. Draft a
notice for the same.
4. Attempt ANYONE of two, in about 50 words. 4
A. You are Natasha/Nitesh, the president of Rotary Club, BBSR, which is organizing a workshop on
“Women Empowerment” on 30 January 2024. Draft a formal invitation to invite Prof. P. Satapathy,
a famous Litterateur from Utkal University as the Chief Speaker for the workshop.
OR
B. Write a formal reply to Mr. and Mrs. Jain accepting the invitation to attend the birthday of their son
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Raj. You are Ashok/Anwesha of N/1-170, Nayapalli, BBSR.
5. Attempt ANY ONE of two, in about 120-150 words. 5
A. You are Anjali, residing at B-94, Township Road, Sunabeda. You come across the following
classified advertisement in a local daily. Write a letter applying for the position of a volunteer for the
Each One Teach One Campaign.
SITUATION VACANT
Wanted committed volunteers, 18 years and above, to teach underprivileged children, for one hour
a week, in the district of Koraput. ability to speak, read and write Odia fluently. Experience not
necessary. All volunteers to receive training. Contact: N. Nayantara, Coordinator, Each One Teach
One, Koraput, Odisha -764045
OR
B. You are Shivam Acharya, a student of a reputed Engineering College residing at M-44, Rajiv Nagar,
Indore. You are worried to see the increasing use of single-use plastic carry bags in your city. Write a
letter to the editor of a local daily sharing your concern and provide alternative solutions to the growing
menace.
6. Attempt the following in about 120-150 words. 5
You are Abhishek / Anubha studying in Plato Public School, New Delhi. While commuting for your
school every day, you find many of your school boys and girls taking free lift from the passing cars,
which you don’t like. Write an article on ‘The Evils of Hitch-hiking’ for publication in your school
magazine. You may take the help of the following hints.
- the habit of taking free lifts from the passing cars is fraught with dangerous consequences.
- do not know who the persons offering them lift are.
- so many cases of kidnapping, molestation, murder etc.
- The habit should be discouraged
- Many are duped and ill-treated by anti-social elements
SECTION C:
LITERATURE TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLEMENTARY READING TEXT (40 marks)
7. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two. 6
A. For once on the face of the Earth
let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
It would be an exotic moment without rush,
without engines
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness. (Keeping Quiet)
i. The tone of the poet in the above extract is…. 1
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A. Urging B. Commanding C. Preaching D. Imposing
ii. The poetic device in the phrase ‘sudden strangeness’ is oxymoron. State whether the statement is
TRUE/FALSE. 1
iii. List any two benefits of practicing keeping quiet for humans. 1
iv. When the poet says that ‘let’s not speak in any language ‘he means ............. (Complete in ONE
word only) 1
v. On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given
below. 1
1. The poet talks about the need of silence and quiet introspection
2. Practicing this, would create a feeling of mutual understanding among human beings.
A. (1) can be inferred from the extract but (2) cannot.
B. (2) can be inferred from the extract but (1) cannot.
C. Both (1) and (2) can be inferred from the extract.
D. (2) is the reason for (1) and can be inferred from the extract.
vi. The poet refers to the moment as ‘exotic’ because . (Complete the sentence with a
valid explanation) 1
OR
B. When Aunt is dead, her terrified
hands will lie Still ringed with ordeals
she was mastered by. The tigers in the
panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid
i. The tigers in the poem symbolise
1. Splendour
2. Strength
3. Threat
4. Ferociousness
5. Chaos
6. Weakness
(a) 4 and 5
(b) 3 and 4
(c) 1 and 2
(d) 2 and 6
ii. Comment on the word ‘ringed’
iii. The adjective ‘terrified’ for Aunt Jennifer’s hands represents .
iv. The significance of art as shown in this extract is -
(a) it shows the skills of the poet.
(b) it has become a medium for her to escape from the reality
(c) it shows how much leisure she has
(d) it shows her love for animals.
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v. Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from the given
extract?
(a) Aunt Jennifer’s tigers will keep her alive in everyone’s
memory.
(b) Aunt Jennifer feels oppressed and constricted in her marriage.
(c) Even in death, Aunt Jennifer cannot escape patriarchal subjugation.
(d) Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance as a lasting symbol of her desires.
vi. What makes the tigers “proud and unafraid”?
8. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two. 4
A. Sometimes I think Grand Central is growing like a tree, pushing out new corridors and staircases like
roots. There’s probably along tunnel that nobody knows about feeling its way under the city right
now, on its way to Times Square, and maybe another to Central Park. And maybe - because for so
many people through the years Grand Central has been an exit, a way of escape - maybe that’s how
the tunnel I got into…But I never told my psychiatrist friend about that idea. (The Third Level)
i. The tone of the author is……….. 1
A) solemn and surprising B) sarcastic and mocking
C) sympathetic and sorrowful. D) alarming and assertive
ii. Grand Central is growing like a tree, pushing out new corridors and staircases like roots
means . 1
iii. ‘Grand Central is growing like a tree.’ The figure of speech used in the expression is .................. 1
iv. The airplane is in the air now and heading towards the city. Replace the underlined part with a
suitable phrase from the given extract. 1
OR
B.
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9. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two. 6
My last French lesson! Why. I hardly knew how to write! I should never learn any more! I must
stop there, then! Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons, for seeking birds’ eggs, or
going sliding on the Saar! My books, that had seemed such a nuisance a while ago, so heavy to
carry, my grammar, and my history of the saints, were old friends now that I couldn’t give up.
And M Hamel, too; the idea that he was going away, that I should never see him again, made me
forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was. (The Last Lesson)
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vi. The Thirsty Crow The story in the extract matches with the cherishable fable _____.
(a) The Thirsty Crow
(b) The Hare and The Tortoise
(c) The Fox and The Crow
(d) The Greedy Fox
OR
B. “But of course it is you, Nils Olof!” he said. “How you do look!”
The man with the rattraps had never before seen the ironmaster at Ramsjo and did not even know what
his name was. But it occurred to him that if the fine gentleman thought he was an old acquaintance, he
might perhaps throw him a couple of kronor. Therefore he did not want to undeceive him all at once.
“Yes, God knows things have gone downhill with me,” he said.
“You should not have resigned from the regiment,” said the ironmaster.
i. What does the expression ‘things are going downhill’ mean? 1
ii. Why does the protagonist not reveal his true identity? 1
(a) He just casually went with the situation.
(b) He hoped for some monetary help from the ironmaster.
(c) He was afraid of not getting food and shelter.
(d) He was hoping to escape getting arrested.
iii. Complete the sentence appropriately. 1
The extract suggests that the peddler was an incorrigible fellow because apparently he _____.
iv. Pick evidence from the extract that helps one infer important information about Nils Olof. 1
v. Which personality traits of the ironmaster can be distinguished from the extract? Mention any two.
1
vi. Which of the following idiomatic expressions best suggests the doings of the peddler? 1
(a) Slip of the tongue (b) To err is human, to forgive divine
(c) Pull wool over someone’s eyes (d) The sleep of the just
10. Answer ANY FIVE of the following six questions in about 40-50 words 5 x 2=10
i. How does the poet bring out the images of disharmony between man and nature in ‘Keeping
Quiet’ and how can it be resolved?
ii. What did the French teacher tell his students in his last French lesson? What impact did it
have on them? Why?
iii. The events in the story, The Rattrap are centered around Christmas. Discuss the
significance of the same.
iv. Imagine Aunt Jennifer’s day to day life and tell how women can be given their due regards at
home. (Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers)
v. The peddler and Edla have taught the society that our approach and mentality determines our action
and accordingly we are trapped or out of trap. Discuss (The Rattrap)
vi. What impression do you get of Douglas from the chapter ‘Deep Water’?
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11. Answer ANY TWO of the following questions in about 40-50 words. 2x2=4
i. “At times, people from various political parties would arrive put up a stage and harangue us
through their mikes.” What could be the significance of this reference in the context of Bama’s
experience? Why would the people feel ‘harangued’?
ii. What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?
iii. What does Zitkala Sa remember about her first day in land of apples?
12. Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 120-150 words. 5
A. After reading Keats’s ‘A Thing of Beauty’, Sneha deduced that the things that take away the sorrow
which surrounds us from time to time can be a thing of beauty. Today, the teacher said: “…that even
a seemingly insignificant thing, like a tiny fruit shop, can have profound significance which can be
related to beauty.” She is confused as to how can a shabby roadside stand be considered a thing of
beauty. Sneha discusses this with her father over phone but he was unable to convince her. Imagining
yourself Sneha’s father, compose a letter explaining your thoughts on the concept of beauty and
consequently validating what the teacher taught. Support your response with reference to the poem.
You may begin this way:
Dear Sneha
I appreciate your inquisitiveness about…
You may end this way:
Although I wish to explain this in person, I have no better option than to explain you through this letter.
I hope this explanation would be helpful to you. Please let me know if you still have doubts. Warmly,
Dad.
OR
B. Deep water teaches a life lesson on self-confidence and living life to the full. Imagine yourself as
William Douglas and prepare a lecture to be delivered to a group of uninitiated youth of your
neighbourhood.
You may begin like this….
Life cannot be imagined without challenges. It’s all in our attitude. We need to face adversities head-
on……
13. Answer ANY ONE of the following in about 120-150 words. 5
A. Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why? What do you infer from
Sam’s letter to Charley?
OR
B. Imagine your school is organising a panel discussion on ‘Oppression and Its Evils.’ You are one of the
speakers. As part of your address, you are required to reflect on the lessons and ideas you learnt from the
story, ‘Memories of Childhood’.
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Draft the address.
You may begin like this:
Good morning ladies and gentlemen! It is a pleasure to be given an opportunity to speak today. I would
like to begin by quoting James Baldwin, ‘Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can
be changed until it is faced.’ Tolerating oppression in any form is…
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