Periodic Test 2 (2021-22)

Subject: English Core (301)

Class :XII
MM:30
Section A: Reading
Attempt all the questions carefully.
Q 1. Read the passage given below : (8 Marks)
1. Environmental pollution refers to the introduction of harmful pollutants into
the environment. The major types of environmental pollution are air pollution,
water pollution, noise pollution. thermal pollution, soil pollution and light
pollution.
2. Deforestation and hazardous gaseous emission also lead to
environmental pollution. During the last 10 years, the world has witnessed
severe rise in environmental pollution. We all live on planet earth, which is the
only planet known to have an environment, where air and water are two basic
things that sustain life.
3. Without air and water the earth would be like the other planets — no man,
no animals. no plants. The biosphere in which living beings have their
sustenance has oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon and water vapor. All
these are well balanced to ensure and help a healthy growth of life in the
animal world. This balance does not only help the life-cycles of animals and
plants. but it also creates the perennial sources of minerals and energies
without which the human civilization of to-day could not be built.
4. The sources and causes of environmental pollution include the following:
Industrial activities: The industries all over the world that brought prosperity
and affluence, made inroads in the biosphere and disturbed the ecological
balances. The pall of smoke, the swirling gases, industrial effluents and the
fall-out of scientific experiments became constant health hazards, polluting
and contaminating both air and water. The improper disposal of industrial
wastes are the sources of soil and water pollution.
5. The smoke emitted by vehicles using petrol and diesel and the cooking
coal also pollutes the environment. The multiplication of vehicles. emitting
black smoke that, being free and unfettered, spreads out and mixes with the
air eve breathe. The harmful smoke of these vehicles causes air pollution.
Further, the sounds produced by these vehicles produces causes noise pollution.
Rapid urbanization and industrialization: The urbanization and the
rapid growth of industrialization are causing through environmental pollution
the greatest harm to the plant life, which in turn causing harm to the animal
kingdom and the human lives. Population overgrowth: Due to the increase in
population, particularly in developing countries, there has been surge in
demand for basic food, occupation and shelter. The world has witnessed
massive deforestation to expand absorb the growing population and their
demands.
6. There surely cannot be any radical solution, for the existing factories
cannot be bodily lifted to a place far from the populated zone. However. the
following attempts can be made to solve the problem of environmental
pollution. The Government can at least see that future factories are set up at
a distant place, an industrial complex far away from the township.
Researchers may find out how to avoid harmful smoke from running vehicles.
Deforestation should be stopped and forestry should be devolved. Discharge
of factory wastes in rivers should be banned so as to make the river-water
free from pollution. We can very well notice the abnormal behaviour of the
seasons - the cycle developing clogs in its wheels; and the worried experts
fear that the disturbed balance in the biosphere has assumed such serious
proportion that very soon our world would be uninhabitable like Hiroshima of
1945. But it is heartening to find the entire world is aware of the menace.
Some of the advanced countries have already taken some measures to meet
it. If we fail to restore the ecological balance right now, it would be too late
tomorrow.
On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the
following questions by choosing the most appropriate option.
1.(a) The industries have become successful by -
i) poor ecological balance
ii) encroaching the environment
iii) disposing wastes
iv) doing scientific experiments

(b) The atmosphere of the earth which has Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon
dioxide, argon and water vapors is called —
i) photosphere
ii) biosphere
iii) ozone
iv) space

(c) The population overgrowth results an increase in —

i) demand for basic food, occupation and shelter
ii) demand for basic food only
iii) demand for shelter only
iv) demand for new industries
(d) Deforestation can be controlled —
i) by launching new industries
ii) by cutting more and more trees
iii) by purchasing new vehicles
iv) by planting new plants and by not cutting trees

(e) Deforestation leads to-

i)healthy and safe environment
ii) emission of healthy gases
iii) more rains and improved water cycle
iv) environment pollution and ecological imbalance
(f) Pick out word from the passage which is similar in meaning to
the following:
release of gases (paragraph 2)
i) severe
ii) sustain
iii) emission
iv) hazardous
(g) The word ‘civilization’ in the paragraph 3 means………
i) entire literate population
ii) entire illiterate population
iii) advanced state of human society
iv) a village
(h) Find the most appropriate antonym for the word ‘small or tiny’ (paragraph 5)
i) Rapid
ii) expand
iii) massive
iv) surge
Section B (Writing Skills)
Q.2 You are Jia/Jayant the Head Girl/Boy of New Era Public School. Your school
is celebrating Annual Sports Day. Draft a formal invitation to be sent to parents
and students, giving details of the event. 3 Marks

Or

Mrs. and Mr. Sharma wishes to celebrate the 25th wedding anniversary. As Mr.
Sharma write an informal invitation inviting their best friends Mrs. and Mr. Vohra.
Provide necessary details.

Q.3 You are Mrs Kavya Arora of C-29, Pragati Apartment, Rohini Delhi. You
have received an invitation to attend the inauguration ceremony of your Mrs
Kapoor’s newly opened Departmental Store. Write a formal reply accepting the
invitation. 3 Marks

Section C (Literature)
Q.4 Pick the right option for the given questions. 7 Marks

i) The peddler often thought about people who

(a) had caught rats (b) who had been tempted to touch/catch the bait
(c) were thieves (d) were priests

ii) The rattrap peddler left a note with the package. The note was signed as
(a) the peddler (b) the thief
(c) the tramp (d) captain Von Stahle

iii) Why was Gandhi not permitted to draw water from Rajendra Prasad’s well?
(a) the servant thought Gandhi was another peasant
(b) as Rajendra Prasad was not at home
(c) Gandhi looked like a vagabond
(d) Gandhi was a Harijan

iv) What was Gandhiji’s demand from the British landlords?

(a) 30% refund as repayment
(b) 40% refund as repayment
(c) 50% refund as repayment
(d) 10% refund as repayment
v) Why did Jo think that Roger Skunk was better with the new smell?
a) because she was able to bear him now
b) she was able to be with him now
c) because of pleasant smell now animals were able to be friends with him
d) none of these

vi) Why did Jo have a different opinion from her father?

a) because she was a small child
b) because she was unable to see beyond facial expressions
c) because she wanted a happy ending
d) All of these

vii) What part of the story did Jack himself enjoy the most?
(a) when mother hits the wizard
(b) when Roger finds pennies from the magic well
(c) when at the wizard’s house, Jack imitates wizard’s voice
(d) the climax of the story

Q.5 answer the following questions. (Any three) 2X3=6

a. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the rattrap peddler?
b. What made the peddler think that he had indeed fallen into a rattrap?
c. . How did the development of synthetic indigo affect the English estate owners
and the Indian tenants?
d. How do we know that ordinary people too contributed to the freedom
movement?

Q.6 Why is the adult’s perspective on life different from that of a child?
3 Marks