CLASS 12 - ENGLISH CORE

Pre Board
Time Allowed: 3 hours Maximum Marks: 80

General Instructions:

1. This paper is divided into two parts: A and B. All questions are compulsory.
2. Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read
these instructions very carefully and follow them.
3. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

Section A
1. Land-use Changes in India
[10]
Land-use in a region, to a large extent, is influenced by the nature of economic activities
carried out in that region. However, while economic activities change over time, land, like
many other natural resources, is fixed in terms of its area. At this stage, one needs to
appreciate three types of changes that an economy undergoes, which affect land-use.
i. The size of the economy (measured in terms of value for all the goods and services
produced in the economy) grows over time as a result of increasing population, change
in income levels, available technology and associated factors. As a result, the pressure
on land will increase with time and marginal lands would come underuse.
ii. Secondly, the composition of the economy would undergo a change over time. In
other words, the secondary and the tertiary sectors usually grow much faster than the
primary sector, specifically the agricultural sector. This type of change is common in
developing countries, like India. This process would result in a gradual shift of land
from agricultural uses to non-agricultural uses. You would observe that such changes
are sharp around large urban areas. The agricultural land is being used for building
purposes.
iii. Thirdly, though the contribution of the agricultural activities reduces over time, the
pressure on land for agricultural activities does not decline. The reasons for
continued pressure on agricultural land are:
a. In developing countries, the share of population dependent on agriculture usually
declines much more slowly compared to the decline in the sector’s share in GDP.
b. The number of people that the agricultural sector has to feed is increasing day by day.

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India has undergone major changes within the economy over the past four or five
decades, and this has influenced the land-use changes in the country. There are two
points that you need to remember before you derive some meaning from this figure.
Firstly, the percentages shown in the figure have been derived with respect to the
reporting area. Secondly, since even the reporting area has been relatively constant over
the years, a decline in one category usually leads to an increase in some other category.
Four categories have undergone increases, while four have registered declines. Share of
the area under forest, the area under non-agricultural uses, current fallow lands and net
area is sown have shown an increase.
The following observations can be made about these increases:
i. The rate of increase is the highest in the case of areas under non-agricultural use.
This is due to the changing structure of the Indian economy, which is increasingly
dependent on the contribution from industrial and services sectors and the expansion
of related infrastructural facilities. Also, an expansion of area under both urban and
rural settlements has added to the increase. Thus, the area under non-agricultural
uses is increasing at the expense of wastelands and agricultural land.
ii. The increase in the share under forest, as explained before, can be accounted for by the
increase in the demarcated area under forest rather than an actual increase in the forest
cover in the country.
iii. The increase in the current fallow cannot be explained from information pertaining to
only two points. The trend of current fallow fluctuates a great deal over years,
depending on the variability of rainfall and cropping cycles.
iv. The increase in net area sown is a recent phenomenon due to the use of culturable
wasteland for agricultural purposes. Before which it was registering a slow
decrease. There are indications that most of the decline had occurred due to the
increases in area under nonagricultural use.
On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN questions
from the eleven given below:
i. What happens to the size of the economy over a period of time usually?
a. It increases
b. It decreases
c. It remains constant
d. It vanishes
 ii. What factors lead to an increase in the size of the economy?
a. Increasing population
b. Option-2
c. Change in income levels
d. All of these
iii. How does the composition of the economy in developing nations undergo a change?
a. The secondary and tertiary sectors usually grow much faster than the primary sector
b. The secondary and tertiary sectors grow slower than the primary sector
c. The secondary, tertiary, and primary sectors grow at a similar pace
d. All of these
iv. On what factor does the land-use in a region depend upon to a large extent?
a. Nature of economic activities carried out in that region
b. Nature of the working population in that region
c. On the size of the population of that region
d. On the topography of that region
v. Land in terms of its area over a period of time.
a. is fixed
b. increases
c. diminishes
d. becomes invisible
vi. On what factor does the land use depend upon?
a. The size of the economy
b. The composition of the economy
c. The pressure on land for agricultural activities
d. All of these
vii. What is the economic status of India?
a. Developed
b. Underdeveloped
c. Developing
d. Superpower
viii. What is the proportion of land occupied by forests in the year 1950-51 and 2014-15?

a. Option-B
b. Option-A
c. Option-D
d. Option-C
ix. Since the past how many years, India has undergone major changes within the economy?
 a. Past 100 years
b. Past 40-50 years
c. Past 75 years
d. Past 10-20 years
x. What happens to the number of people when the agricultural sector has to feed on
economic views?
a. It increases day by day
b. It decreases day by day
c. It remains constant
d. None of these
xi. What is the proportion of land occupied by the area under non-agricultural use in the
year 1950-51 and 2014-15?

a. Option-C
b. Option-A
c. Option-B
d. Option-D
2. Read the following passage and answer the question followed: [10]
When plastic waste is burnt, a complex weave of toxic chemicals is released. Breaking
down polyvinyl chloride (PVC) - used for packaging, toys, and coating electrical wires -
produces dioxin, an organochlorine that belongs to the family of Persistent Organic
Pollutants (POPs). A recent Dioxin Assessment Report brought out by the United States
Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) says the risk of getting cancer from dioxin is ten
times higher than reported by the agency in 1994.
Yet the Delhi government is giving the green signal to a gasification project which will
convert the garbage into energy without removing plastic waste. Former transport minister
Rajendra Gupta, the promoter of this project, says this is not necessary.
He claims no air pollution will be caused and that the ash produced can be used as manure.
An earlier waste-to-energy project set up in Timarpur failed. The new one, built with
Australian assistance, will cost ₹ 200 crores. It will generate 25 megawatts of power and
gobble 1,000 tonnes of garbage every day.
"Technologies like gasification are a form of incineration", ' says Madhumita Dutta, a
central coordinator with Toxics Link, New Delhi. Incineration merely transfers hazardous
waste from a solid form to air, water, and ash, she points out.
Toxins produced during incineration include acidic gases, heavy metals as well as
dioxins and furans. The manure' will be hazardous and a problem to dispose of says,
Dutta.
Municipal solid waste contains a mix of plastics. Breaking down this waste emits
hydrochloric acid which attacks the respiratory system, skin, and eyes, resulting in
coughing, vomiting, and nausea.
Polyethene generates volatile compounds like formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, both
suspected carcinogenic. 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. There is no threshold dose to
prevent it and our bodies have no defence against it. "Even the best run incinerators in the
world have to deal with stringent norms, apart from contaminated filters and ash, making
them hugely expensive to operate," says Dutta. In Germany, air pollution devices accounted
for two-thirds of the cost of incineration. Despite such efforts, the European Dioxin
Inventory noted that the input of dioxin into the atmosphere was the highest from
incineration.
"India does not have the facility to test dioxin and the cost of setting one up is prohibitively
expensive," says Dutta.
Besides, Indian garbage has a low calorific content of about 800 cal/kg, since it has high
moisture and requires additional fuel to burn. Toxics link calculates that the electricity
generated from such technology will cost between ₹ 5-7 per unit, which is six times higher
than conventional energy. India has chosen a dioxin preventive route and the burning of
chlorinated plastics is prohibited under Municipal Solid Waste and Biomedical Rules.
Nearly 80 percent of Indian garbage is recyclable or compostable. Resident associations, the
informal sector, and the municipal corporation can make Delhi's garbage disappear in a
sustainable manner. "Instead, the government promotes the end of pipeline solutions," says
Dutta.

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN questions
from the eleven given below.
i. Dioxine causes
a. cancer
b. heart attack
c. sickness
d. hypertension
ii. The gasification process transforms
a. energy into the garbage
b. garbage into energy
c. water into energy
d. none of the above
iii. Garbage can be converted into energy by
a. gasification
b. gratification
c. a chemical process
d. incinerators
iv. Indian garbage contains
a. low moisture
b. high moisture
c. no moisture
d. none of these
 v. The toxic chemical released on burning plastic waste is as harmful as:
a. It is an organochlorine
b. It belongs to the family of POP’s
c. It can cause cancer
d. It is assessed by USEPA
vi. What happens during incineration?
a. Gasification is a form of incineration
b. Changes risky waste from solid form to air, water, and ash
c. Acidic Gases, Dioxins, and Furans are released
d. Manure will be hazardous and a problem to dispose
vii. How will burning plastic adversely impact the health of citizens?
A. Polyurethane is linked with asthma
B. Breathing styrene can cause leukaemia
C. Dioxin disrupts hormones
D. Hydrochloric Acid attacks the respiratory system
a. Only A
b. Only A and B
c. Only A, C and D
d. All A, B, C, and D
viii. What argument is advanced against the use of incinerators?
a. Exorbitantly expensive to operate
b. Release of Dioxin is lowest from incinerators
c. Both of these
d. None of these
ix. Why would gasification of waste prove a wasteful luxury in India?
a. Nearly 80% of garbage is recyclable or compostable
b. Burning of chlorinated plastics is costly
c. Such technology will cost higher than conventional energy
d. Electricity generated will cost Rs 5-7 per unit
x. What fact is revealed in the passage pertaining to Indian garbage?
a. Indian Garbage has high calorific content
b. It has low moisture
c. It requires additional fuel to burn
d. None of these
xi. Find a synonym of "rules" in the passage:
a. norms
b. link
c. calorific
d. promoter
3. Read the extracts given below and attempt ANY TWO of the three given by answering [8]
the questions that follow. (4+4=8)
 a) Read the extract and answer the following questions:
Trying to scare me, eh? Well, here's to you! Look! And off I'd go for another length of
the pool.
i. Who is the speaker of these words?
a. William O. Douglas
b. William's mother
c. William's swimming instructor
d. Franklin D. Roosevelt
ii. Whom is he talking to?
a. His mother
b. His best friend
c. His swimming instructor
d. His old terror of water
iii. What was the speaker scared of?
a. Water
b. Fire
c. Heights
d. Lightening
iv. What does going for another length of the pool reflect about the speaker?
a. He was determined
b. He was adventurous
c. He was courageous
d. All of these
b) Read the extracts given below and attempt the questions that follow:
They had merely heard that a Mahatma who wanted to help them was in trouble with the
authorities. Their spontaneous demonstration, in thousands, around the courthouse was
the beginning of their liberation from fear of the British. The officials felt powerless
without Gandhi’s cooperation. He helped them regulate the crowd. He was polite and
friendly. He was giving them concrete proof that their might, hitherto dreaded and
unquestioned, could be challenged by Indians. The government was baffled. The
prosecutor requested the judge to postpone the trial. Apparently, the authorities wished
to consult their superiors.
i. The officials felt powerless because
a. of Gandhi’s refusal to cooperate with them.
b. of Gandhi’s polite and friendly behaviour.
c. the crowd was listening only to Gandhi.
d. the crowd was getting violent.
ii. The demonstration proved that the
a. policies of the British had failed.
b. dread instilled in the hearts of Indians had begun to lessen.
 c. dealings with the Indian citizens had been unsuccessful.
d. might of the British had not been understood by Indians.
iii. Which style, from those given below, is being used by the author, when he
says, “Apparently, the authorities wished to consult their superiors.”?
a. humourous
b. dramatic
c. sarcastic
d. persuasive
iv. Gandhiji’s behaviour towards the British prior to the proposal of postponement of the
trial was that of
a. indifference.
b. calm acceptance.
c. ignorance of consequences.
d. polite helpfulness.
c) Read the passage given below and answer the questions follow:
Hana, working hard on unaccustomed labour, saw a messenger come to the door in
official uniform. Her hands went weak and she could not draw her breath. The servants
must have told already.
i. Why is Hana working hard on unaccustomed labour?
a. She is tired of serving the patient.
b. She is not a hard-working woman.
c. all the servants had left the job.
d. She wants to be habitual of working alone.
ii. Why the 'messenger ' had come?
a. To arrest Dr. Sadao.
b. To check whether there is enemy or not.
c. To take Dr. Sadao, as General was in pain.
d. To help Hana at work.
iii. Who is the author of the above-mentioned lines?
a. Jack Finney
b. Pearl S. Buck
c. Susan Hill
d. Colin Dexter
iv. What servants must have told?
a. Dr. Sadao is not a good doctor.
b. Dr. Sadao was doing something wrong
c. Dr. Sadao had decided not to operate the General
d. Dr. Sadao had given shelter to an American soldier
4. Read the extracts given below and attempt ANY ONE of the two given by answering
[4]
the questions that follow. (1 x 4 =4)
a) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions:
 "Aunt Jennifer's tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
The pace in sleek chivalric certainty."
i. How were Aunt Jennifer's tigers described?
a. They were bold
b. They were strong
c. They were confident
d. All of these
ii. Why are they described as denizens of a world of green?
a. For they live in dense green forests
b. For they live in a greenhouse
c. For they admire the green colour
d. For they live in a cave that was painted green
iii. Why were they not afraid of men?
a. For they were courageous
b. For they were bold
c. For they were fearless beasts
d. All of these
iv. Give the meaning of prance.
a. To jump over in a joyful manner
b. To befool someone
c. To praise someone
d. To laugh out loudly
b) Read the extract given below and answer the following questions:
All lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink.
Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink.
i. Name the poet of the given stanza.
a. John Keats
b. Pablo Neruda
c. Stephen Spender
d. Robert Frost
ii. What is the thing of beauty mentioned in these lines?
a. Trees
b. Tales
c. Sun
d. Daffodils
iii. What does the immortal drink provide us with?
a. Never-ending joy
b. Everlasting pleasure
 c. Beauty that lasts forever
d. All of these
iv. What does the word 'immortal' mean?
a. Living forever
b. Important
c. Improved
d. Living briefly
5. Attempt ANY EIGHT questions from the ten given below. (1x 8 = 8) [8]
a) Why did M. Hamel say that it was his last lesson at school that day?

a) Because orders had come b) Because orders had come

from Berlin to teach only from Britain to teach only
German in the schools of English in the schools of
Alsace and Lorraine Alsace and Lorraine
c) Because he had been transferred d) Because he had no intension to
to another school to teach teach the children at the school
anymore
b) "All we have to fear is fear itself." Who made this statement?

a) Louis Fischer b) A.R.Barton

c) Roosevelt d) William Douglas

c) According to the prose Indigo, which lawyer later became President of the Congress Party
?

a) Subhash Chandra Bose b) Brij Kishor Babu

c) Rajendra Prasad d) Maulana Mazharul Huq

d) Why was the poet continuously smiling? (My Mother at Sixty-Six)

a) Her mother had cracked a joke b) She was happy to depart her
mother

c) To hide her emotions d) She was excited to reach her

destination
e) What does the phrase, truck with death refer to in the poem, Keeping quiet?

a) Association with death b) Death due to truck accident

c) Have a truck d) To ride a truck

f) The poem Aunt Jennifer's Tigers has been written from which perspective?

a) Misogynist perspective b) Anti-feminist perspective

c) Feminist perspective d) Misandrist perspective

g) In the prose The Third Level, what was the narrator's metaphorical concept of the
Grand Central Station?

a) A tunnel with many exits b) An office building with many

floors

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 c) A hotel lobby with many doors d) A tree with staircase and
corridor roots
h) "The Face of It" has ending.

a) emotional b) dramatic

c) a pathetic and dramatic d) humorous

i) Who was Carter?

a) A policeman b) Detective Superintendent

c) None of these d) Watchman

j) How was Jo affected by Jack's storytelling?

a) She started obeying her parents b) She got depressed

c) She developed a sense d) She started imitating the

of inquisitiveness characters
Section B
6. You would like to let out a portion of your independent house for office use. Write an
[3]
advertisement for the classified columns of the local newspaper giving all the
necessary details. Write the advertisement in not more than 50 words.
OR
You are Rani/Raj, Secretary Health Club, National Public School, Ramnagar. You find that after
the lunch break the school playground and verandahs are littered with wrappers, paper/polythene
bags, etc. Write a notice in about 50 words advising students to refrain from doing so.
7. Sunrise Global School, Agra is going to organise a one-act play competition in the school [3]
auditorium. You have decided to invite noted stage artist, Nalini, to grace the occasion. Draft
a formal invitation for her in about 50 words. You are Karuna/Karan, Cultural Secretary.
OR
The Literary Club of your school is putting up the play ‘Waiting for Godot’. As Secretary of the
club, draft an invitation inviting the famous writer Sudeesh Gupta to be the guest of honour at the
function. Write the invitation in not more than 50 words. You are Govind/Gauri.
8. Write a letter to the Editor, ‘Deccan Times’, Bengaluru about the inadequate parking [5]
facilities in the Commercial Street, MG Road, which is causing a lot of inconvenience to the
people. Offer your suggestions. You are Anoop/Ritu, 24 Hennus Road, Bengaluru.
OR
You are Ashish/Nimmi Dhar, B-94 Fort Road, Jammu. You have read an advertisement in the
Times of India for the position of accounts officer in ICI company. You are qualified for the job.
Write an application in 120-150 words along with a resume.
9. It is due to cable television that programmes are brought to our homes day and night for all [5]
the seven days in a week. It has brought a lot of change in the lifestyle of the people. Write
an article in 150-200 words on ‘Cable TV - A Boon or A Bane’.
OR
You are Anurag/Anjali, a reporter with a national daily. You have heard that a multistorey
building near the main railway station has collapsed causing panic in the area. You rush to the
site of the
 accident with your team. Write a report in 125-150 words mentioning the time and the place of
the accident, number of casualties, the cause of the accident and the rescue operation conducted
by the authorities.
10. Attempt ANY FIVE out of the six questions given below, in 30-40 words each. (2x5=10) [10]
a) Which symbol from nature does the poet invoke that there can be life under apparent
stillness?
b) What makes human beings love life in spite of troubles and sufferings? (A Thing
of Beauty)
c) What did garbage mean to the children of Seemapuri and to their parents?
d) Is Saheb happy working at the tea stall? Explain.
e) Why did the peddler keep to the woods after leaving the crofter’s cottage? How did
he feel?
f) What made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji?
11. Attempt ANY TWO out of the three questions given below in 30-40 words each. (2 x2=4 ) [4]
a) Hana told Yumi to wash the soldier. How did Yumi react?
b) What does the third level symbolize?
c) Do you think that the father in the story was more or less, an alter ego of the author,
as far as the child was concerned? Why?
12. Attempt ANY ONE of the following questions in 120-150 words (1x5=5) [5]
a) The story "The last lesson" is all about 'Linguistic Chauvinism'. Comment?
b) To be grateful is a great virtue of a gentleman. How did the peddler show his gratitude
to Edla?
13. Attempt ANY ONE of the following questions in 120-150 words (1x5=5) [5]
a) Derry sneaked into Mr Lamb’s garden and it became a turning point in his life. Comment.
b) Give a character sketch of the Governor of Oxford Prison based on your understanding
of the story, ‘Evans Tries an O-level’