English Set C 2016-2017 HSC Commerce (English Medium) 12th Standard Board Exam Question Paper Solution

Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:

There are some glimmers of hope. I met up young Navdeep. Ahuja who along with another colleague began the innocuously named Graduates Welfare Association, Fazilka. They are bringing about change with the mandate of citizens' participation in governance and are facilitating the creation of physical and social infrastructure across 22 cities in Punjab. They have put in place a network of cycle rickshaws called Eco-cabs which can be booked through a mobile phone. They are also developing car tree zones, food and culture streets in these cities. All this is being done very efficiently and at a low cost. We need many such organizations. However, my idea of a city in 2020 is not a utopian dream. It is achievable. It has streets where people walk on wide footpaths shaded by leafy trees. Streets are usually one-third of a city's area and its most democratic segment. Public space dedicated to pedestrians reduces inequality and should be accorded priority when developing cities. Adjoining the streets should be cycle lanes where bicycles and, rickshaws can sail past smoothly. It'll have a great public transport system with buses, metro and taxis. Parking will be difficult and expensive so people will use public transport rather than cars. There will be parks and gardens and the air will be clean, as pollution levels will have dropped dramatically. And then cities will become areas of graceful living and a charmed way of life.

(1) What is the extract about?

(2) What will happen when parking becomes difficult and expensive?

(3) How has Graduates Welfare Association brought about changes in some cities?

(4) What efforts will you take to make your city a livable place?

(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) We need many such organizations.
(Frame a ' Wh-question' to get the underlined part as an answer.)
(ii) It reduces inequality.
(Rewrite it using the Present Perfect Tense.)
(iii) The air will be clean, as pollution levels will. have dropped dramatically.
(Rewrite it using 'unless')

(6) Find out the words from the extract which mean:
(i) co-worker
(ii) small signs

Fill in the blank with appropriate article
J.R.D. Tata was an amazing personality. He always helped _______ poor in the country.

Do as directed :
They stood_______ silence as a mark honour to her._______
(Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions.)

Do as directed :
 ''Where are you going?'' he asked. ''Pune, Sir, my husband is starting a company called Infosys and I'm shifting to Pune.''
(Change it into Indirect speech.)

Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:
We commemorate so many special days such as Republic Day, Independence Day, Mother's Day and so on. Well, here is one day that deserves not only a commemoration but our total dedication - Earth Day, 22 April. At Sanctuary, we live our lives like every day is Earth Day, but we all believe that it would be, fantastic to remind our relatives, friends, neighbours, teachers, and elders on this day that protecting Mother Earth can end up making us both happy and safe.
Will you do something this Earth Day? Here's a handy list of things you can do-

(1) Cut Consumption: Consume as little as possible on Earth Day. This 'is a day·when you ca!l Refuse (to buy new things), Repair and Reuse (old stuff), Recycle (what you cannot reuse), Reject (stuff that is toxic or dangerous to the environment) and Renew (your purpose and resolve to protect the planet).

(2) Cut Energy: (a) Ditch the old incandescent bulbs and shift to CFLs or LEDs (Google both to find out more). (b) Walk or use public transport, try not to use private cars to save fuel. Carpool. Cut down on trips. Use Skype· instead of traveling for meetings. (c) Switch off unnecessary gadgets. (don't just use the remote .... walk to the mains!).

(3) Cut Waste: Start a waste segregation system in your building, school or neighbourhood. Compost organic waste, sell what you can to the raddi-wallah and give him a small token of.. appreciation also for he is protecting your world. Collect unused papers from old notebooks and make new ones from them.

(4) Cut out plastic: Speak to at least five shopkeepers in your area and tell them you and your friends will only use their shops if they move away from wasteful plastic packaging, particularly thin plastic bags.

(1) What do you understand from this extract?
(2) What steps can we take to keep our environment clean?
(3) Why should we commemorate Earth Day?
(4) What is your opinion regarding shifting to CFLs or LEDs?
(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) Earth Day deserves a commemoration and our total dedication.
(Use 'not only - but also'.)
(ii) Start a Waste Segregation System in your building.
(Rewrite it beginning with 'Let'.)
(iii) You can sell waste to the raddi-wallah and give him a
small token of appreciation.
(Replace the modal auxiliary by another showing 'obligation'.)
(6) What do the following words in the extract mean?
(i) resolve
(ii) toxic

Read the following extract and complete the note with the help of the clues provided : 
Vitamins are either fat-soluble (A, D, E, K) or water-soluble (B vitamins, including niacin, folic acid and riboflavin, and vitamin C). They consist mainly of the elements nitrogen, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in bod)' fat, while water-soluble vita1nins are used or quickly excreted in the urine.
Vitamin A is essential for the eyes, skin, hair, and bones; the B vitamins help enzymes to function; C is essential for the formation of collagen; D helps the body absorb calcium; E prevents cell damage, and K helps blood clotting. Most vitamins cannot be produced by the body and so must be obtained directly from food.

VITAMINS

(A) Read the following extract and answer the questions given below :
Oil is one of the world's major sources of energy. We depend on it as fuel for heating, transport, and generation of power.
For centuries, animal and vegetable oils have been used for cooking and as a source of artificial light. But it is mineral oil which meets most of the world's needs today.
Crude mineral oil comes out of the earth as a thick brown or black liquid with a strong smell. It is a complex mixture of many different substances, each with its own individual qualities. Most of them are combinations of hydrogen and carbon in varying proportions. Such hydrocarbons are also found in other forms such as bitumen, asphalt and natural gas. Mineral oil originates from the carcasses of tiny animals and from plants that live in the sea. Over millions of years, these dead creatures form large deposits under the sea bed and ocean currents cover them with a blanket of sand and silt. As this material hardens, it becomes sedimentary rock and effectively shuts out the oxygen so preventing the complete decomposition of the marine deposits underneath. The layers of sedimentary rock become thicker and heavier. Their pressure produces heat, which transforms the tiny carcasses into crude oil in a process that is still going on today.
The earth's crust is split into a few hu·ge continental plates which move continuously rather like rafts on a sluggish tide. Geologists call this rnoven1ent as 'continental drift'.

(1) What does the extract ·tell us about?

(2) In which form does crude mineral oil come out of the earth and from what does it originate?

(3) How is 'continental drift' formed?

(4) According to you, how can we stop the excessive use of energy?

(5) Rewrite the following sentences in the ways instructed :
(i) Oil is one of the world's major sources of energy.
(Rewrite it as a negative sentence without changing its meaning.)

(ii) As this material hardens, it becomes sedimentary rock.
(Make it a compound sentence.)

(iii) Geologists call this movement 'con·tinental drift'.
(Frame a 'Wh-question' to get the underlined part as an answer.)

(6) Give the antonyms from the extract for :
(i) artificial
(ii) lighter

(B) Write·a brief summary of the above extract with the help of the points given below and suggest a suitable title.
Oil as a source of energy - our dependence - types of oil -mineral oil origin of crude oil formation of crude oil-farming of sedimentary rocks - continental drift

Read the following extract and answer the questions given below: 
I ran into a stranger as he passed by
"Oh, excuse me please'' was my reply.
He said, ''Please excuse me too; wasn't even watching ·for you.''
We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said good-bye.
But at home, a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My daughter stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked her down.
''Move out of the way," I said with a frown.
She walked away, her little heartbroken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

(1) How does the poetess greet the stranger?

(2) Describe an incident when your mother was harsh at you.

(3) Write down the rhyme scheme of the first stanza.

(4) Pick out the line from the extract which shows the mother's anger.

Read the following extract and answer the questions given below:

If we continue to live in impracticality
No more vast, endless oceans-
Only littered swamps, the colour of a witch's potions.
No more soaring birds overhead-
Only planes, so loud they rock your bed.
No more woods 
No more natural goods
We have little time
To change our self-centered, one-track minds.
Before we are stuck with a great heap of a jumble.
Left only with an artificial concrete jungle.

(1) According to the poet, what would replace the oceans and birds?

(2) Do you feel we are really impractical towards nature? How?

(3) Which words are frequently used in the extract and what
figure of speech does it indicate?

(4) Which lines fro1n the extract suggests the overexploitation of natural resources?

Read the following extract and rewrite it from the point of view of Daisy :

[You may begin with: I was happy ...... ]

The little daisy was as happy as if the day had been a great holiday, but it was only Monday. All the children were at school, and while they were sitting on the forms and learning their lessons, it sat on its thin green stalk and learnt from the sun and from its surroundings how kind God is, and it rejoiced that the song of the little lark expressed so sweetly and distinctly its own feelings. With a sort of reverence the daisy looked up to the bird that could fly and sing, but it did not feel envious. 'I can see and hear." it thought; the sun shines upon me, and the forest kisses me. How rich I am!''

In the garden close by grew many large and magnificent flowers, and, strange to say, the less fragrance they had the haughtier and prouder they were. The peonies puffed themselves up in order to be larger than the roses, but size is not everything! The tulips had the finest colours, and they knew it well, too, for they were standing bolt upright like candles, that one might see them the better. In their pride, they did not see the little daisy, which looked over to them and thought, ''How rich and beautiful they are! I am sure the pretty bird will fly down and call upon them. Thank God, that I stand so near and can at least see all the splendour. ''

Read the following extract and convert it into a dialogue between Rosalind and Celia in about 120 words :

[You may begin with: Rosalind: There are many thieves ..... ]

        The two girls made their plans. There were many thieves on the roads in those days, and it was dangerous for rich and beautiful young women to travel alone. So they stained their faces with a brown juice to make them look sunburned, and wore simple country clothes. Rosalind, who was much taller than Celia, dressed as a young man and took the name of Ganymede. Celia decided to call herself Aliena. They took with them a kind old servant called Touchstone, who served as Court jester, or ''Fool'', to Duke Frederick. (A Jester's duty was to keep the court amused with merry jokes and songs, and to make his master laugh when he felt sad or dull.) 
        Touchstone had always been very fond of Celia, and he gladly agreed to accompany her and Rosalind into the Forest of Arden. He still wore his Jester's clothes of red and black, with little bells hanging from his cap; and he was a great comfort to the two lonely girls, making them laugh with his merry jokes, and cheering them when they were tired or frightened.
        As you can imagine, Duke Frederick was very angry when he was told that Celia had gone with Rosalind. He knew how much they had admired the young Orlando de Boys, and he suspected that the two girls had joined the young man and that they had all run away together. 'Send at once.to Oliver's house,' he said angrily. 'and if Orlando is not there, bring his brother to me. I'll make him find him. Everything must be done to bring back these foolish runaways'.

Read the following extract and extend it by adding an imaginary paragraph of your own in about 120 words:

The evening came, and nobody appeared to bring the poor bird a drop of water; it opened its beautiful wings, and fluttered about in its anguish; a faint and mournful ''Tweet, tweet,'' was all it could utter, then it bent its little head towards the flower, and its heart broke for want and longing. The flower could not, as on the previous evening, fold up its petals and sleep; it dropped sorrowfully. The boys only came the next morning; when they saw the dead bird, they began to cry bitterly, dug a nice grave for it, and adorned it with flowers. The bird's body was placed in a pretty red box; they wished to bury it with royal honours. While it was alive and sang they forgot it, and let it suffer want in the cage; now, they cried over it and covered it with flowers. The piece of turf, with the little daisy in it . was thrown out on the dusty highway.

Read the following advertisement and prepare a letter of application in response to it by using the information given in the C. V. (Resume) that follows :

Your locality is facing the problem of irregular water supply.
Write a letter to the concerned authority about it.

Read the following Intros of news items. Choose any ONE of them and write the headline, the dateline and a short continuing paragraph for it.
(i) A shortage of onions in Maharashtra has surged prices by 30 percent. It forced the authorities to import onions from abroad.
(ii) The birth anniversary of the late President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan was celebrated yesterday in Saraswati Kanya Pathshala as Teacher's Day.

Your college is going to arrange a rally to raise funds to help drought affected farmers. Prepare a short appeal for people to join the rally with the help of the following points:
(i) Use slogans.
(ii) Make a persuasive appeal for generous donation.
(iii) Time and place of the rally.
(iv) Famous personality to lead the rally.
(v) Add your own points.

Study carefully the following pie-chart about the Income Sources of a City Budget and write a short continuing paragraph based on it in about 120 words :

Prepare a paragraph with an appropriate title to be used for the Counter-View Section on the following topic in about 120 words:
''Can the use of Internet enhance students' learning?''
You can take the help of the following points from the View Section.

Answer the following questions as per instructions:

Imagine that you are a journalist and you have been assigned the task of interviewing a film actor/actress. Frame a set of 8 to 10 questions to interview him/her.

Prepare a speech on 'Father's Day' with the help of the following
points :
(1) Man of practical attitude.
(2) Thinker of the future.
(3) Pillar of family.
(4) Greatest family support.