English Literature Specimen Paper 2024-2025 ISC (Commerce) Class 12 Question Paper Solution

How does Lady Macbeth attempt to divert the attention of the guests from Macbeth’s strange behaviour at the banquet?

She uses her social grace and charm to distract the guests

She engages the guests in conversation and entertainment.

She pretends that Macbeth has an illness that is momentary.

She speaks of Macbeth’s courage in troubled times.

What is Macbeth's reaction when he sees Banquo’s ghost at the banquet?

He pretends to remain calm and collected.

He is terrified and loses control over himself.

He blames Ross and Lennox for playing tricks on him.

He is proud and boastful.

What does Banquo’s soliloquy in Act III Scene i of the play Macbeth, reveal about him?

He is afraid of Macbeth.

He is puzzled and confused.

He is jealous of Macbeth and wishes to seize the throne.

He is suspicious of Macbeth’s actions.

In Act V of the play Macbeth, which one of the following do you think reflects the tragic arc of the play?

(P) Macbeth’s soliloquy; “Out, out brief candle, Life’s but a walking shadow.”

(Q) Lady Macbeth’s breakdown: “What’s done cannot be undone.”

(R) Macduff’s greeting: “Hail, King of Scotland.”

(S) Malcolm’s final words: “So, thanks to all at once and to each one, whom we invite to see us crowned at Scone.”

(P) and (R)

(P) and (Q)

(R) and (S)

(P) and (S)

Read the two statements from the short story, The Cookie Lady and choose the correct option from the ones given below.

Statement I: “Why don’t you read to me from your books? You know I don’t see too well anymore and it’s comfort to me to be read to.”

Statement II: “You don’t mind if I touch your arm, do you?”

Statement I and II are similar.

Statement I and II are not related to each other.

Statement II is the reason for Statement I.

Statement I is the reason for Statement II.

Which of the following BEST captures the central idea of the short story, The Medicine Bag?

Embracing one’s cultural roots.

Disrespect for the older generation.

The fruits of modernisation.

Peer pressure in adolescents..

Which natural element plays a crucial role in the end of the story There Will Come Soft Rains?

Hail

Wind

Heat

Rain

In the poem Telephone Conversation, the potent metaphor “stench of rancid breath” is used to ______.

evoke a strong sense of repulsion and disgust.

describe bad odour in the telephone booth.

create a toxic atmosphere.

create a mental image of the lady with bad breath.

Why does Shane Koyczan begin the poem, Beethoven, with the word “Listen”?

To highlight the fact that Beethoven was abused.

To make the poem appealing and lend rhythm.

To add novelty to the beginning.

To align it with the theme of music.

How is Death personified in the opening lines of the poem, Death be Not Proud?

As a desperate man.

As a gentle agent of Fate.

As a mighty conqueror.

As a reaper of souls.

Complete the following sentences by providing a reason.

Macbeth returns to the witches in Act IV Scene i because ______.

Complete the following sentence by providing a reason.

In Act V Scene viii of the play Macbeth, Macbeth initially refuses to fight Macduff because ______.

Complete the following sentence by providing a reason.

In Act III Scene iv of the play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth dismissed the guests at the banquet without standing on any ceremony because ______.

Complete the following sentence by providing a reason.

The escape of Fleance in Act III Scene iii of the play, Macbeth, is significant because ______.

Complete the following sentence by providing a reason.

In the short story, Atithi, Motilal Babu and Annapurna choose Tarapada as a prospective groom for their daughter because ______.

Complete the following sentence by providing a reason.

In the short story, The Cookie Lady, Mrs. Drew wanted Bubber to keep visiting her because ______.

Complete the following sentence by providing a reason.

In the short story, Indigo, Aniruddha asked Sukhanram if there were ghosts in the bungalow because ______.

Complete the following sentence by providing a reason.

In the poem, Telephone Conversation, the speaker resented the landlady asking him about the colour of his skin because ______.

Complete the following sentence by providing a reason.

In the poem, Small Towns and the River, the dead are placed pointing west because ______.

Complete the following sentence by providing a reason.

Beethoven amputated the legs of his piano because ______.

How does Malcolm’s character grow and change over the course of the play? Incorporate the following details and write your answer in a short paragraph of about 100-150 words.

1. Malcolm’s testing of Macduff in Act IV
2. His generalship and the restoration of order through Macduff

In what ways does power corrupt in the play Macbeth? Discuss any one character who is corrupted by power in the play. Incorporate the following details and answer in 100-150 words.

1. The character’s traits before coming to power
2. The character’s degeneration after coming into power

Do you agree with the view that Macbeth is fighting a lost battle against forces beyond his control? Justify your point of view in about 200- 250 words by referring to the Acts studied.

When do you have flashes of sympathy and admiration for Lady Macbeth in the course of the play? Explain by citing examples from the Acts studied. Write your answer in about 200-250 words.

The Medicine Bag traces the narrator’s attitude to his Sioux Grandfather, from mild embarrassment to appreciation. Summarise the reasons for this embarrassment and the change. Write your answer in 100-150 words incorporating the following details.

1. Reasons for embarrassment
2. Specific reasons for the change in attitude

Referring closely to the short story, The Cookie Lady, explore Mrs. Drew’s fascination with Bubber. Answer in 100-150 words incorporating the following details.

1. Mrs. Drew’s repeated interactions with Bubber
2. Role of the cookies in the short story

Tarapada, the central character in the short story, Atithi, is a free soul who cannot be restrained by the bonds of society. Examine this statement in 200-250 words.

Discuss the absence of human characters in the story, There Will Come Soft Rains. How does this absence contribute to the overall tone and message of the narrative? Answer in 200-250 words.

In what ways does the speaker’s cultural background clash with the landlady’s expectations in the poem Telephone Conversation? Write your answer in 100-150 words incorporating the following details.

1. The speaker’s conversation with the landlady
2. The undertones of racial and colour bias in the conversation

Referring to the poem Tithonus, show how his immortality becomes a curse. Answer in 100-150 words incorporating the following details.

1. Circumstances leading to Tithonus receiving a boon
2. Reasons for the boon becoming a curse

Analyse the comparison between death and sleep in the poem, Death Be Not Proud. How does this metaphor contribute to the overall message of the sonnet? Write your answer in about 200-250 words.

The poem Beethoven explores the role of pain and suffering in the process of artistic creativity and excellence. Justify this statement in 200-250 words.