Indraprastha INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Sector 10, Dwarka, New Delhi 110075

SESSION: 2016 2017

MAY TEST
ENGLISH
SET B

Class: XII Maximum Marks: 100

Date: 28.5.2016 Time allowed: 3 hours
General Instructions:
This question paper contains 13 questions and 8 printed pages.
All the questions are compulsory.
Read the instructions carefully.
Marks for each question are indicated against it.
Do not exceed the prescribed word-limit. Marks will be deducted if the word-
limit is exceeded.
Write down the serial number of the question before attempting it.
Complete all the questions from one section before beginning the next.

Section A (Reading) 30

1. Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow. 12

1. The year 2005 was celebrated the world over as the centenary of the discovery of the
special theory of relativity by Albert Einstein. Although, Einstein published three
major results during 1905, he became famous only 14 years later, or after 6
November 1919. The story of Einstein is an absorbing account of how a scientific
achievement caught the popular imagination and made international headlines.

2. It all began with Isaac Newton, who while propounding his universal law of
gravitation, wondered whether like all material objects in the universe, light is subject
to gravitational attraction. Would a ray of light skirting a massive body bend its path?
This was the question Newton had posed, but did not answer. He may have felt that
this effect, if any, would be too small to measure with the techniques available to him.

3. In 1801, Johann Georg von Soldner carried out a calculation by assuming that light
was made of tiny particles (Newton had called them corpuscles) which would be
attracted by a massive body. It would, therefore, bend the ray slightly. How slightly?
A ray of light from a distant star passing by the sun would be bent by an angle less
than four thousandth part of a degree. This conclusion was of academic interest since
astronomers of the day were not capable of measuring the effect.

4. After proposing special relativity, Einstein undertook the more ambitious task of
producing a general theory of relativity that incorporated in it the phenomenon of
gravity. His early attempts led him to the conclusion no different from Soldners as
far as the bending of light was concerned. By 1911, he felt confident of this new
theory and urged astronomers to verify it.

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5. The astronomers, too, were by this time confident of being able to make the required
measurement. This meant checking if the direction of a star changed slightly when it
was passing behind the Sun. But how does one see a star so close to the Sun? The
answer to that is when the Sun is totally eclipsed.

6. Total solar eclipses are rare events visible from very limited zones on the earth. In
1912, Argentinean astronomers went to Brazil to make the measurements, only to be
thwarted by a cloudy sky. A second attempt by the German astronomers in 1914 to
observe the eclipse in Crimea was prevented by the onset of the First World War.
Nevertheless, these aborted attempts turned out to be fortunate from Einsteins
point of view.

7. By 1915, Einstein realised that he had made a mistake in calculations, and the revised
theory, now called the general theory of relativity, gave a different answer that is,
the bending angle was twice that given by Soldner based on Newtons theory.

8. General relativity was a highly mathematical theory, beyond the grasp of most
astronomers. Very few scientists at that time fully appreciated its notions of curved
space and time. Fortunately for Einstein, there was one astronomer who did: Arthur
Stanley Eddington at Cambridge, England. Eddington pressed for an expedition to
measure this effect during the eclipse due in 1919. For better chances of success two
spots were proposed for the observation: one in Sobral in Brazil, and the other in the
island of Principe in Spanish Guinea in Africa. Eddington, faced the hurdle of
possible detention, but his colleagues made sure that it did not happen.

9. The war ended in 1918, leaving very little time for completing the preparations. The
team going to Sobral led by the Greenwich astronomer, Crommelin, had taken large
10-inch lenses for accurate observations. However, the two makeshift telescopes
made by them developed technical problems and in the end, Crommelin had to fall
back on a four-inch telescope. Eddington had opted for the Island of the Principe as it
had a better weather record, but it turned rainy and cloudy on that day. Fortunately,
the cloud cover cleared at the right time for Eddington to take necessary photographs
of the star-field after the experiment for comparison, but he couldnt because of a
local strike of steamship operators which forced him to return home early.

10. Despite all these problems, the data was analysed and presented on 6 November,
1919, at the Royal Society in London, to a crowded hall of scientists against the
backdrop of a portrait of Isaac Newton. Would the results show him (and Soldner) to
be right or would the new (and weird) theory of Einstein be favoured? The suspense
was broken by Astronomer Royal Sir Frank Dyson whose account, followed by
reports from Eddington and Crommelin, upheld Einsteins prediction. The audience
felt the thrill of history being made.

11. Despite the euphoria, several scientists were skeptical and would have liked more
data. They were right. The observational errors were much larger than they realised
at the time and did not warrant a clear-cut judgment on that day. Only in the 1970s did
astronomers using radio and microwave observations obtain a clear decision in
favour of Einstein.

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12. Hindsight informs us that luck intervened on several occasions during the episode.
Einsteins earlier wrong prediction escaped detection. Be that as it may, the 1919
meeting consecrated Einstein as the greatest scientist of the last century.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following

questions by choosing the most appropriate option: 1x4=4

a. Johann von Soldners discovery only gathered academic interest because

__________.
i. the common man was unaffected
ii. it was difficult for him to prove his discovery
iii. it was not possible to measure the outcome
iv. all the above options

b. Lady Luck was shining brightly on Einstein because ________.

i. the weather had favoured his wrong calculation
ii. there were observation errors that went undetected
iii. he was acclaimed as the greatest scientist of the last century
iv. all the above options

c. German astronomers attempted to observe the eclipse in Crimea in _______.

i. 1912 ii. 1913 iii. 1914 iv. 1915

d. By 1915 ___________.
i. Eddington pressed for an expedition to measure the effect during the
eclipse
ii. Einstein realized that he had made a mistake in calculations
iii. the data was analysed and presented at the Royal Society in London
iv. the war had ended

Answer the following questions as briefly as possible: 1x6=6

a. List the achievement which Einstein has to his credit.

b. What was the commonality between Soldners and Einsteins views?
c. Why was the inability of the astronomers to make their measurement a
blessing in disguise for Einstein?
d. Why couldnt the majority of people respect the idea of curved space and
time?
e. Where are the rare events such as the Total Solar Eclipses visible from?
f. The war ended in 1918, leaving very little time for completing the
preparations. Which preparations were under way?

Pick out words from the passage which are opposite in meaning to the following.
1x2=2
i. uninteresting (para 1) ii. normal/usual (para 6)

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2. Read the passage given below: 10

1. The Nobel Peace Prize 2014 was awarded jointly to Kailash Satyarthi and Malala
Yousafzai for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and
for the right of all children to education. Satyarthi, 60, is recognized for a 35-year
battle to free thousands of children from virtual slave labour while 17-year-old Malala
became a global icon after she was shot and nearly killed by the Taliban for insisting
that girls had a right to education.

2. Malala has already been honoured with a host of awards, standing ovations and
plaudits everywhere from the United Nations to the Buckingham Place. But on the
eve of the ceremony, she said she would not rest on her laurels, saying she would like
one day to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. If I can serve my country best
through politics and through becoming a Primer Minister, then I would definitely
choose that, she told the BBC. I want to serve my country and my dream is that my
country becomes a developed country and I see every child get an education. At a
press conference on Tuesday in Oslo, Malala said that in many parts of the world,
childrens requirements are infinitely more modest than an iPad or computer. What
they are asking for is just a book, just a pen, so why cant we give that?

3. Malala was 15 when a Taliban gunman shot her in the head as she travelled on a
school bus in response to her campaign for girls education. Although she almost
died, she recovered after being flown for extensive surgery in Birmingham, England.
She has been based in the city with her family ever since, continuing both her
education and activism.

4. Asked why she thinks some Islamic extremist groups are so opposed to education for
girls, Malala, dressed in a multi-coloured head scarf, replied. Unfortunately those
people who stand against education, they sometimes themselves are uneducated or
theyve been indoctrinated.

5. The pairing of Malala and Satyarthi had the extra symbolism of linking neighbouring
countries that have been in a conflict for decades. After she was named as the winner,
Malala said that she wanted both states Primer Ministers to attend the prize-giving
ceremony in Oslo.

6. If the Prime Ministers had come here, I would have been very happy, she said. I
would have thought of it as a big opportunity to ask them to make education their top
priority and work on it together because we see the number of children who are out of
school and suffering from child labour are mostly in India and Pakistan.

7. While Malala will be the star of the annual Nobel extravaganza also featuring the
literature prize winner, Frenchman Patrick Modiano, and his compatriot Jean Tirole
with the Economics award her peace prize co-winner Satyarthi is less high-profile.
He welcomed the increased attention the Nobel brought to the cause of children in
bonded labour. There are children who are bought and sold like animals, the jovial
60-year old, clad in traditional Indian dress, told reporters at the Nobel Institute.

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8. This is very important for millions and millions of children who are denied their
childhood, who are denied their freedom, who are denied their education and health,
he said, adding that the peace prize had shone a spotlight on their plight. Satyarthis
organization Bachpan Bachao Andolan Movement to Save Childhood prides itself on
liberating more than 80,000 children from bonded labour in factories and workshops
across India and has networks of activities in more than 100 countries. According to
the International Labour Organisation (ILO) there are about 168 million child
labourers globally.

On the basis of your reading of the poem, answer the following questions by
choosing the most appropriate option. 1x2=2

a. What does Malala wish to do in future?

i. She wants to continue her education and activism.
ii. She wants to serve as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
iii. She wants to join politics.
iv. She wants both statess Prime Minister to come together.

b. Satyarthi has helped children by _______________

i. freeing them from bonded labour. ii. stopping their buying and selling.
iii. stopping child labour. iv. having networks of activists.

On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions as
briefly as possibly. 6

a. Why was Malala shot at the age of 15?

b. What is the achievement of Satyarthis organisation?
c. What was the extra symbolism in the pairing of Malala and Satyarthi for the Nobel award?
d. Who were the other recipients of the Noble prize?
e. What did Malala say about the people who oppose girls education?
f. According to Satyarthi, what are children deprived of?
g. Pick out the words from the passage which convey the meaning similar to the
following: 2
(i) brainwashed (para 4) (ii) misfortune (para 8)

3. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: 8

The Indian hand-knotted carpet industry, a traditionally rural based cottage industry,
is highly labour-intensive and almost entirely export-oriented. The present tradition of
pile carpet weaving goes back to the 16th century when the skilled craftsmen from
Persia and Afghanistan migrated to India and were provided patronage by the Mughal
rulers. This enabled the craft to flourish in India. The carpet industry adopted classical
designs, mostly of the Persian origin. However, there were some patterns based on
Indian or Chinese origin. While the Persian weavers commonly depict animals such
as lions and tigers, Indian weavers more often represent birds. There is also a
difference in the way Persian and Indian craftsmen depict flowers.

The Indian essence is symbolised through its crafts and culture, which make the
Indian appeal unique. Indian carpet designers and weavers have made distinct

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 contributions to the oriental tradition of carpet weaving down the ages. The most
technically accomplished carpets of all times were woven in India. Moreover, the
Indian carpet weavers were essentially painters; they used dyed yarn as painters used
pigments. This resulted in a range of colours and sophistication, otherwise unknown.
Yarns of different colours were directly mixed or used in combination to yield new
hues or variations of the existing ones. Initially, when the weavers worked under court
patronage, the patterns of Indian carpets were heavily dependent on the Persian
models, but later on, there were innovations that were more Indian in look.

The carpet industry expanded rapidly after independence, particularly since 1970.
This led to a spurt in employment and income of the relatively backward and often
remote areas of the country. The industry continues to be predominantly a cottage and
small scale industry that is labour intensive and particularly exports-oriented. Hand-
knotted Indian carpets are really valued in countries which import them.

The hand knotted can be flat or pile carpets that are woven on a loom. Both vertical
and horizontal looms have been used in the production of European and oriental
carpets. The warp threads are set up on the frame of the loom before weaving begins.
A number of weavers may work together on the same carpet. A row of knots is
completed and cut. The knots are secured with (usually one to four) rows of weft. The
warp in woven carpet is usually cotton and the weft is jute.

There are several styles of knotting, but the two main types of knot are the
symmetrical, also called Turkish and asymmetrical also known as Persian.
Contemporary centres of carpet manufacturing are Kashmir, Peshawar, Afghanistan,
Turkey, Iran and Spain. There are other countries besides these that are also into this
industry. Carpet industry often unlawfully employs child labour, in Asia. To
safeguard the children there is the Good Weave labelling scheme. Carpet
manufacturers pay for the label and the revenue collected is used to monitor centres of
production and educate previously exploited children.

a. On the basis of reading the passage make notes on the passage using headings
and sub-headings using recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary. Give
a suitable title to the passage. 5

b. Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words using the notes. 3

Section B (Writing) 30

4. As the secretary of the RWA, Daffodils Apartment, draft in notice, in not more than
50 words, informing the residents that the water and power supply will be disrupted
for two days from 2 pm to 5 pm, due to some urgent repairs and maintenance work.
4
OR

The NDMC is organising a poster making competition for the school students on the
theme, Clean Delhi! Green Delhi! Design and draft a poster for the competition.

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5. You are Aditi/Aditya Kapur, a resident of 121, Link Road, Dehradun. You are
interested in joining the Yoga and Meditation Institute. Write a letter to the director of
the institute, requesting for details about admission. 6
OR
You are Harleen Mathoo, a resident of 212, Linking Street Bhubaneshwar. You read
about a vacancy in a local daily, for the post of a receptionist in a reputed school of
your city. Apply for the post, mentioning all necessary details.

6. The Swachch Bharat Abhiyan by our Prime Minister is a call to maintain cleanliness
which will pave the way for democratic ideals. Write an article in about 150 200
words for the school magazine. You are Sushma Vaid of class XII. 10
OR
Write an article in 150-200 words on the topic, Illiteracy is the root cause of all the
problems that confront us today, to be published in the magazine section of a national
daily. You are Amit/Amita Narang, a student of class XII of Simpson Senior
Secondary Public School, Patiala.

7. You have come across many notices to join expensive gymnasiums and fitness centres
to maintain your health. Prepare a speech for the morning assembly in about 150
200 words that sound health can be maintained without joining gymnasiums and these
centres. 10

OR
Delhi metro enjoys a top ranking among the metros of the world. The ride is easy
comfortable, fast and convenient. Some young boys have been seen to violate the
rules by jumping the queue, entering the ladies compartment, playing loud music,
etc. Write a speech in 150-200 words to be delivered in the morning assembly on the
need to observe metro manners. You are Albert / Christine.

Section C (Literature and Long Reading Text) 40

8. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. 4

I looked at again her at her wan, pale face

as a late winters moon and felt that old
familiar ache, my childhood fear,
but all I said was, see you soon Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and smile

a. What do you think was the childhood fear that resurfaced?

b. Why did it resurface?
c. Explain the poetic device used in this excerpt.
d. Why did the poet smile and smile?

OR
Surely, Shakespeare is wicked, the map a bad example,
With ships and sun and love tempting them to steal
For lives that slyly turn in their cramped holes
From fog to endless night?

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 a. Why is Shakespeare described as wicked?
b. What effect does he have on the children?
c. Explain, from fog to endless night.
d. Describe the world of the children as shown in this stanza.

9. Answer any four of the following questions in about 30-40 words. 3x4=12

a. M. Hamel wrote Vive La France on the board towards the end of his last lesson.
With what objective did he write that?
b. How did the hundredth tiger take his final revenge upon the Tiger King?
c. What is the central theme of the poem An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum
by Stephen Spender?
d. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
e. How does Mukeshs grandmother view the family occupation of bangle - making and
its poverty?
f. Why has the mother been compared to the late winter's moon in the poem My
Mother at Sixty-six?

10. Answer the following in about 120-150 words. 6

Saheb is not happy as he is no longer his own master. Mukesh has a dream and insists
on being his own master. Discuss with reference to Lost Spring.
OR
How did the astrologers prediction impact the life and activities of the King of
Pratibandapuram?

11. Answer the following in about 120-150 words. 6

Lost Spring by Anees Jung brings out the condition of children in India. Even after
sixty five years of independence we have children who do not go to school, work in
inhuman conditions and live in slums. As a nation we have somewhere failed in our
duty. What values do we need to inculcate among the people of this nation in order
to bring back the spring in the lives of these children.
OR
M. Hamel went to talk of the French language saying it was the most beautiful
language in the world the clearest, the most logical; that we must guard it among us
and never forget it.

Do you think modern Indian youth in their craze to ape the western culture are
ignoring Indian languages/culture? How can we protect our regional languages from
being forgotten?

Answer the following in about 120-150 words.

12. What made Mrs. Hall change her opinion about the stranger and what change do you
notice in her attitude towards the stranger? 6

13. Outline the character sketch of Dr. Cuss. 6

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