SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER - 2

English Core (301)

Class XII (2024-25)

Time Allowed: 3 hours Maximum Marks: 80

General Instructions:
Read the following instructions very carefully and strictly follow them:
1. This question paper has 13 questions. All questions are compulsory.
2. This question paper contains three sections - Section A : Reading Skills, Section B
: Creative Writing Skills and Section C : Literature.
3. Attempt all questions based on specific instructions for each part. Write the correct
question number and part thereof in your answer sheet.
4. Separate instructions are given with each question/part, wherever necessary.
5. Adhere to the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.
SECTION A – READING SKILLS
1. Read the following passage carefully: [12]
1. Five enterprises received approval and grants for prototype development of
sustainable educational toys.
2. The government authorities, educational institutions and EdTech start-ups are
planning to introduce state-of-the-art, made-in-India educational toys that not
only throw light on Indian values and civilisations, but also help in developing
children's critical thinking, and decision-making skills.
3. "One such enterprise is working on different types of projects that can teach
children how electromagnets and magnetic fields work. These projects can
resolve a lot of issues in many schools in tier two and three cities that don't
have proper infrastructure. Another is working on an excavation site to teach
children about ancient Indian civilizations. It has implanted a few artifacts at
the site, which the children will have to find so that they are able to learn how
to preserve and label artifacts. Another start up has proposed to create
miniaturized labs for schools in tier 2 and 3 cities where children can learn
concepts of Physics. "We will ensure that these prototypes are developed within
a year and then the production can be scaled up," says the senior manager of the
project talking about the importance of indigenously-built educational toys.
4. Playtime is vital for the cognitive development of children and toys are an
essential component that helps enhance specific cognitive abilities and skill
sets. "Well-designed toys ignite students' curiosity, increase focus and can be
very beneficial in helping them master a skill and enhance understanding.
These can be in the form of visuals, auditory aids, kinesthetic, or a mixture of
all three." says HOD, Early Childhood Education.
5. Toys offer an engaging avenue to teach mathematical, verbal, problem-solving
skills. "Toys that engage students in experiential learning enhance their special
awareness and fine motor skills. Those designed for two or more players help
students develop better social skills as they learn to negotiate, settle differences,
etc, with their peers."
6. Experiential gadgets and toys enable students to learn faster and retain lessons
longer. "A child's interest is piqued when he is taught in a contextual framework
as opposed to rote learning. The Indian education system has been witnessing
several innovations with the development of toys and gadgets that can be used
and felt in person or through VR platforms across subjects, be it Science,
Technology, Math or Engineering.
Answer the following questions, based on the passage given above:
i. By tier 2 and tier 3 cities, the author refers to (1)
A. Metro cities
B. Cities with huge population
C. Underdeveloped cities
D. Cities with less population
ii. Complete the sentence with evidence from the text. (1)
The made-in-India educational toys serves dual purpose of ________.
iii. The author's point of view that can be inferred from the above passage is that
_______. (1)
A. educational toys are the booming business.
B. educational toys are meant to entertain children.
C. educational toys will replace teachers.
D. educational toys will make education more pragmatic.
iv. Complete the following sentence appropriately: (1)
Educational toys enhance the personality of children by ________.
v. Read the five headlines (a) - (e), given below: (1)
 a. Sustainable Educational Toys are Developmentally Appropriate.
b. Sustainable Educational Toys Promote Free play.
c. Sustainable Educational Toys - Free and Widespread.
d. Sustainable Educational Toys - Experiential Learning.
e. Sustainable Educational Toys - Hinder Interaction with people.
Identify the option that displays the headline that DOES/DO NOT correspond
with what the passage highlights.
A. only (e)
B. (a) and (b)
C. (c) and (e)
D. only (d)
vi. What evidences do you gather from the passage to state that educational system
is revolutionized by educational toys? Answer in about 40 words. (2)
vii. Explain, how education at grassroot level is benefitted by these projects. (1)
viii. As opposed to learning by heart, experiential toys (1)
A. ignite interest
B. challenge the teachers
C. replace textbooks
D. confuse learners
ix. Playing is usually considered a distraction. Is it justified on the part of the
narrator to assert that playing is an important aspect of education? Write your
answer in about 40 words. (2)
x. How do experiential gadgets and toys benefit students in the learning process?
(1)

2. Read the following passage carefully : [10]

Australia’s 2019-2020 Bushfire Season was not Normal
1. Data from satellite sources assembled by the United Nations Environment
Programme’s (UNEP) World Environment Situation Room confirms that the
wildfires in Australia in the last two months of 2019 and the first six weeks of
2020 were far from normal. 2019 was the second hottest year on record since
1880, and Australia recorded its warmest temperatures ever in December 2019.
2. “Rising temperatures continue to melt records. The past decade was the hottest
on record. Scientists tell us that ocean temperatures are now rising at the
 equivalent of five Hiroshima bombs a second. One million species are in near-
term danger of extinction. Our planet is burning,” says United Nations
Secretary-General António Guterres.

3. “The trend is very clear: 37 of the last 40 years were the warmest recorded
since 1880, and the six warmest years recorded were the last six years,” says
Pascal Peduzzi, Director of UNEP’s Global Resource Information Database in
Geneva. “For those who think Australia is always burning, graphs clearly show
that these fires were exceptional.”

4. “This service, accessible via the UNEP’s World Environment Situation Room,
is provided for all countries at national and provincial levels. It identifies trends
in wildfire activity since 2003, when the data first became available and
monitoring began. We have sliced and diced the satellite-based data on
wildfires worldwide from 2009 to the present day. We analyse the wildfires’
data by month, type of land cover, protected area, province and nation to
produce information products,” Peduzzi adds. (Source: UN Environment)
Answer the following questions, based on the above passage :
i. Does the following statement agree with the information given in the extract?
(1)
When temperatures rise and ice melts, more water flows to the seas from
glaciers and ice caps, and ocean water warms and expands in volume.
Select from the following:
True - if the statement agrees with the information
 False - if the statement contradicts the information
Not Given - if there is no information on this
ii. Do you think that ocean temperatures are currently rising at a rate of five
Hiroshima bombs every second? Support your answer with reference to the
text. (2)
iii. Select the option that lists the CORRECT statement. (1)
A. Pascal Peduzzi is the Director of UNEP’s Global Renaissance Information
Database
B. Pascal Peduzzi is the Director of UNO’s Global Resource Information
Database
C. Pascal Peduzzi is the Manager of UNEP’s Global Resource Information
Database
D. Pascal Peduzzi is the Director of UNEP’s Global Resource Information
Database
iv. Complete the sentence based on the following statement. (1)
In December 2019, Australia experienced its warmest temperatures ever. We
can claim that the warmest temperature is because of
_____________________.
v. The graph compiled with data from four different sources shows that the global
surface temperatures have been _. (1)
A. steady
B. falling
C. rising
D. not changed
vi. The passage talks about how Australia’s 2019-2020 Bushfire Season was not
Normal. Concerning the given statement, describe what is highlighted in the
first graph. (2)
vii. Complete the given sentence by selecting the most appropriate option. (1)
For those who believe that Australia is constantly on fire, the graph makes it
abundantly clear that these _________.
A. fires were normal
B. fires were usual
C. fires were exceptional
D. fires were steady
 viii. Complete the sentence appropriately with one word. (1)
Since 1880, 37 of the last 40 years have been the ___________ on record, and
the last six years have been the warmest on record.

SECTION B – CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS

3. The Traffic Police of your district has agreed to hold a one-day programme on road [4]
safety in your school. Draft a notice in about 50 words to be put up on the school
notice-board, informing students of classes 8 - 12 to assemble at the appointed
place. You are Shaili/Suneet, Sports Incharge. Mention day, date, time and venue.

OR
As the Principal, National Public School, Ramnagar, write a notice in about 50 words
informing the students that with effect from 20th of January the school shall start at 9
AM instead of 8 AM. Give reasons for the change.

4. Write a letter to your friend inviting him on the house-warming-ceremony of your [4]
newly constructed house.

OR
You have received an invitation to attend the prize giving ceremony for the Inter-School
Science Exhibit Competition. Write a formal letter in 50 words to the Principal of Rose
Public School, Simla informing him/her about your inability to attend the ceremony.
You are Dr. Suri. Mention day, date, time and venue.

5. Day by day lavish weddings are becoming more and more fashionable. Hotels, [5]
farm houses and banquet halls are booked months in advance. Even lower middle
class families are entertaining thousand plus guests. Write a letter to the editor of a
national daily advocating simple weddings. You are Rani/Raj, 121 Bank street,
Kanpur.

OR
You are Sudha / Sudhir resident of A-7, Shanti Park. You read the following
advertisements in a newspaper.
 SITUATION VACANT
I wanted a young and experienced graduate with fluency in English and Hindi to work
as a receptionist at Customer Care booths of NCR Groups of Hotels, Delhi. Contact
Manager along with your complete C.V. within 7 days of this advertisement.
Draft an application in response to the advertisement giving your detailed resume.

6. You are Nishi/Nishant, a social worker, you feel that progress and advancement of a [5]
India can be enhanced by educating the girl child. He/She writers an article of 120 -
150 words for the local newspaper expressing his/her views. You may use the cues
given below.
Advantages of Educating the Girl child
financial independence
lead productive lives
can participate in decisions that affect them
build better future for themselves & their families

OR
You are a staff reporter of ‘The Hindu’, New Delhi. You have witnessed a road accident
involving a lorry and a Maruti car at Mathura Road. Write a report in 100-125 words.
You are Ashok/Aruna.

SECTION C - LITERATURE
7. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: [6]
And
looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes, but after the airport’s
security check, standing a few yards
away, I looked again at her, wan, pale
as a late winter’s moon and felt that old
familiar ache ...
i. What is the most likely reason the poet capitalised Young Trees?
a. convey a clearer meaning.
b. highlight the adj.-noun combination.
c. enhance the contrast.
 d. draw a connection with the title.
ii. On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to the two
statements given below.
(1) The poet knows her mother has aged.
(2) She is struck with the pain of separation.
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.
iii. Choose the option that completes the sentence given below.
Just as the brightness of the winter’s moon is veiled behind the haze and mist,
similarly, ________.
a. the pain of separation has shaded mother’s expression.
b. age has fogged mother’s youthful appearance.
c. growing up has developed a seasoned maturity in the poet.
d. memories warm the heart like the pale moon in winter.
iv. Choose the correct option out of the ones given below.
a. Simile- then merry children spilling
Metaphor- old familiar ache
b. Metaphor- pale as a late winter's moon
Imagery- Young Trees sprinting
c. Imagery- all I did was smile
Personification- the merry children spilling
d. Personification- Young Trees sprinting
Simile- Pale as a late winter's moon
a. Option (a)
b. Option (b)
c. Option (c)
d. Option (d)
v. What do young sprinting trees signify?
a. Active
b. Cheerful
c. Bright
 d. All of these
vi. Familiar ache refers the poet's ________ fear.

OR
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:
“It is in the news that all these pitiful kin
Are to be bought out and mercifully gathered in
To live in villages, next to the theatre and the store,
Where they won’t have to think for themselves anymore,
While greedy good-doers, beneficent beasts of prey,
Swarm over their lives enforcing benefits
That are calculated to soothe them out of their wits,”
And by teaching them how to sleep they sleep all day,
Destroy their sleeping at night the ancient way.
i. Fill the blank with an appropriate word, with reference to the extract.
'... And by teaching them how to sleep' here 'they' are the ________
ii. Complete the following analogy correctly.
greedy good doers: alliteration :: beneficent beasts of prey :________
iii. The phrase in the extract greedy good-doers implies
a. the people who work for bettement of poor
b. politicians who are well aware of their duties
c. selfish people who also raise false hopes
d. Both (a) and (b)
i. option (a)
ii. option (b)
iii. option (c)
iv. option (d)
iv. On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to (1) and (2)
given below.
(1) The city dwellers make promises for the betterment of the villagers.
(2) The city dwellers have ulterior motives.
a. (1) is true but (2) is false.
b. (2) is true but (1) is false.
c. (2) is the reason for (1).
 d. Both (1) and (2) cannot be inferred from the extract.
v. Fill in the blank with an appropriate word:
Identify the phrase which refers to the deprived villages ________.
vi. Choose the one which is not the part of the news:
a. Resettlement of poor
b. They will enjoy the facilities of theatre and store
c. They will be given extra land
d. They will enjoy all the comforts

8. Read the following text carefully and answer the questions that follow: [4]
I cried aloud, shaking my head all the while until I felt the cold blades of the
scissors against my neck, and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I
lost my spirit. Since the day I was taken from my mother I had suffered extreme
indignities. People had stared at me. I had been tossed about in the air like a
wooden puppet. And now my long hair was shingled like a coward's! In my anguish
I moaned for my mother, but no one came to comfort me. Not a soul reasoned
quietly with me, as my own mother used to do; for now I was only one of many
little animals driven by a herder.
i. Then I lost my spirit. Choose the option that DOES NOT refer to spirit. (1)
1. resolve
2. energy
3. determination
4. indifference
5. enthusiasm
6. will power
a. 1, 2 and 5
b. 2, 4 and 6
c. 1, 3 and 6
d. 3, 4 and 6
ii. Choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below. (1)
Statement 1 The author had been subjected to humiliation when she was
separated from her mother.
Statement 2 Nobody was able to ease her distress and empathise with her.
a. Statement 1 is true but Statement 2 is false.
 b. Statement 1 is false but Statement 2 is true.
c. Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred from the passage.
d. Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 can be inferred from the passage.
iii. What is the tone of the given extract?
iv. Complete the sentence appropriately, with reference to the extract. (1)
In her community, ________ hair was worn by mourners and cowards wore
________. (1)

OR
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:
Sadao slept badly that night. Time and time again he woke, thinking he heard the
rustling of footsteps, the sound of a twig broken or a stone displaced in the garden — a
noise such as men might make who carried a burden.
i. What burden had the men to carry?
a. Dr. Sadao himself
b. Dead body of Tom
c. The General
d. The things they have stolen from Sadao's house.
ii. What quality of Sadao has been depicted here?
iii. Why did Sadao awake again and again?
iv. Who are the men referred to?
a. General and his subordinate
b. Servants
c. Assassins
d. Messengers from General

9. Read the following text carefully and answer the questions that follow: [6]
I heard M. Hamel say to me, "I won't scold you, little Franz: you must feel bad
enough, see how it is ! Everyday we have said to ourselves. Bah! I've plenty of time
I'll learn it tomorrow. And now you see where we've come out. Ah, that's the great
trouble with Alsace; she puts off learning till tomorrow. Now those fellows out
there will have the right to say to you. 'How is it; you pretend to be Frenchmen, and
yet you can neither speak nor write your own language ?' But, you are not the
worst, poor little Franz. We've all a great deal to reproach ourselves with".
(The Last Lesson)
 i. 'And now you see where we've come out.' (1)
The tone of M. Hamel in the above line is that of:
A. kindness
B. happiness
C. regret
D. enthusiasm
ii. 'We've all a great deal to reproach ourselves with.' (1)
Select the option, which conveys the meaning of reproach as reflected in the
above line.
A. The player received a reprimand for breach of rules.
B. The students approached the management with a demand for new canteen.
C. The clerk received a letter of appreciation for his innovative ideas.
D. She could not find a way to broach the subject with her boss.
iii. State whether the following statement is true or false with reference to the
extract. (1)
M. Hamel endorses the belief that there is plenty of time to learn their language.
iv. Complete the sentence appropriately. (1)
'You must feel bad enough.' Through these words M. Hamel urges the people
________.
v. Identify the line from the text that reinforces the theme of patriotism in the story.
(1)
vi. She puts off learning till tomorrow. The phrase 'puts off' suggests ________. (1)

OR
Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:
“I sometimes find a rupee, even a ten rupee note”, Saheb says, his eyes lighting up
when you can find a silver coin in a heap of garbage, you don’t stop scrounging, for
there is hope of finding more. It seems that for children, garbage has a meaning
different from what it means to their parents. For the children it is wrapped in wonder,
for the elders it is a means of survival.
One winter morning I see Saheb standing by the fenced gate of the neighbourhood club,
watching two young men dressed in white, playing tennis. “I like the game”, he hums,
content to watch it standing behind the fence. “I go inside when no one is around” he
admits. “The gate keeper lets me use the swing.”
i. Saheb found a rupee
 a. on the street
b. in the garbage dump
c. in Firozabad
d. on the tennis court
ii. Which emotion of Saheb is revealed in the phrase his eyes lighting up?
a. anxiety
b. envy
c. happiness
d. greed
iii. For the elders garbage is ________ and for children it is ________.
iv. On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to I and II given
below:
I. Saheb watches the game from outside.
II. Saheb had lost the previous match.
a. I is true but II is not
b. II is true but I is not
c. Both I and II are true
d. Both I and II are untrue
v. Scrounging in the passage most nearly means.
a. digging
b. searching
c. flinging
d. burying
vi. There is hope for finding more. Explain with reference to the above extract.

10. Answer any five of the following questions in 40-50 words each: [10]

(i) Why did Douglas fail to come to the surface of the pool as he hoped to? [2]

(ii) How can suspension of activities help in making life better? (Keeping Quiet) [2]

(iii) The tigers in the panel that she made [2]

Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.
What is the tone of the poet reflected in the above lines?
(Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers)
 (iv) How is Jansie wiser than Sophie? [2]

(v) Who was the English visitor to the studio in the lesson Poets and Pancakes? [2]

(vi) What evidence from the text reveals that Rudyard Kipling did not walk the [2]
talk? (The Interview)

11. Answer any two of the following questions in 40-50 words each: [4]

(i) What was the objective of the Students on Ice Programme? (Journey to the [2]
End of the Earth)

(ii) How was the hundredth tiger made available to the king? [2]

(iii) Tishani Doshi considered the program I Do you agree with her? Why/Why not? [2]
(Journey to the End of the Earth)

12. The tramp had a dream while asleep in deep slumber. [5]
In his dream, Robert Frost (poet of A Roadside Stand’) seconds his philosophy of
the world being a rattrap citing the miserable condition of the poor people of the
countryside.
But Pablo Neruda (poet of Keeping Quiet) disagrees with him and emphasizes the
significance of mindfulness, introspection, and retrospection which leads to unity
and brotherhood.
While Gandhi (Indigo) dissuades him from making wrong choices and explains to
him the value of self-reliance even during tough times.
Write a personal account in the form of a diary entry as the peddler and explain the
value that he derives from this dream.
You may begin this way:
In a strange dream, I encounter several individuals who enlighten me on…

OR
Keats presents the idea of beauty as eternal that has a timeless lifelong attraction.
According to him,
"...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."
In the same vein, Neruda manifests the beauty of quietness to obtaining inner clarity.
"Now I’ll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go."
 Pen down your thoughts in the form of a descriptive essay by exploring a common
connection that runs into the phrases like “pass into nothingness”, “quiet breathing” and
“you keep quiet and I will go”.

13. Imagine yourself as one of the children of the locality, who had been mocking Mr. [5]
Lamb and called him Lamey Lamb. Create a diary entry as a grown-up mentioning
the loneliness and disappointment of Mr. Lamb which you didn't notice at that time
but now you can understand the excruciating pain he had to go through then and
how he struggled to overcome these feelings.
You may begin like this:
Lamey Lamb, yes that's what we called that man who lived alone in a big house...

OR
In the story, 'The Enemy', Hana plays an important role in saving the life of the injured
person.
In an attempt to regard his wife's contribution to his life, Dr. Sadao expresses his
gratitude towards his wife in a diary entry.
As Sadao, Hana's husband, write this diary entry. Support your response with reference
to the story.
You may begin this way:
Most often I wonder whom I would have married if I had not met Hana. She has been
such a great support to me...