Science (English Medium) Class 12 - CBSE Important Questions for English Core

Read the passage given below :

1. To ensure its perpetuity, the ground is well held by the panther both in space and in time. It enjoys a much wider distribution over the globe than its bigger cousins and procreates sufficiently profusely to ensure its continuity for all time to come.

Read the passage given below:

People tend to amass possessions, sometimes without being aware of doing so. They can have a delightful surprise when they find something useful which they did not know they owned. Those who never have to change house become indiscriminate collectors of what can only be described as clutter. They leave unwanted objects in drawers, cupboards, and attics for years in the belief that they may one day need them. Old people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons, lack of physical and mental energy, and sentiment. Things owned for a long time are full of associations with the past, perhaps with the relatives who are dead, and so they gradually acquire a sentimental value.

Some things are collected deliberately in an attempt to avoid wastage. Among these are string and brown paper, kept by thrifty people when a parcel has been opened. Collecting small items can be mania. A lady cuts out from newspaper sketches of model clothes that she would like to buy if she had money. As she is not rich, the chances are that she will never be able to afford such purchases. It is a harmless habit, but it litters up her desk.

Collecting as a serious hobby is quite different and has many advantages. It provides relaxation for leisure hours, as just looking at one’s treasure is always a joy. One doesn’t have to go out for amusement as the collection is housed at home. Whatever it consists of - stamps, records, first editions of books, china – there is always something to do in connection with it, from finding the right place for the latest addition to verifying facts in reference books. This hobby educates one not only in the chosen subject but also in general matters which have some bearing on it.

There are other benefits also. One gets to meet like-minded collectors to get advice, compare notes, exchange articles, to show off one’s latest find. So one’s circle of friends grows. Soon the hobby leads to traveling, perhaps a meeting in another town, possibly a trip abroad in search of a rare specimen, for collectors are not confined to one country. Over the years one may well become an authority on one’s hobby and will probably be asked to give informal talks to little gatherings and then, if successful, to larger audiences.

(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary-minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also, supply an appropriate title to it.

(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.

You are Navtej/Navita, Secretary, Environment Club, Akash Public School, Agra. You, along with a group of students, went on a 3-day tour through Corbett National Park. You found how the tourists abuse the available facilities and thus endanger the environment. Write a letter in 120-150 words to the editor of a national daily highlighting the situation. Suggest ways through which the environment of the Park can be saved.

Answer the following question in about 40-50 words.

When do the residents of Alsace realise how precious their language is to them?

Answer the following question in about 40-50 words.

What were Franz's feelings as he set out for school and why?

Read the given extract and answer the questions.

1. Complete the sentence with reference to the extract: (1)
   Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside because ______.
2. Which of the following would NOT be true? (1)
   1. The hutments were shining and inviting.
   2. The children's lives were as bleak as their surroundings.
   3. There were no electricity connections.
   4. The boys and girls had got used to the dark.
3. The bangle workers lose their eyesight before they become adults because ______. (1)
   1. they already have poor eyesight
   2. they work in dim light
   3. they are married in childhood
   4. they are malnourished
4. Which of the following most nearly means 'adjusted' in the context of the extract? (1)
   1. conditioned
   2. favoured
   3. accepted
   4. reconciled
5. 'Flickering oil lamps' suggests ______. (1)
6. What is the antonym from the extract of the word 'rarely'? (1)

Answer the following in about 120-150 words.

'Lost Spring' and 'Indigo' bring out how the common man is a victim of exploitation. Explain.

Answer the following question in about 40-50 words.

What vicious circle are the bangle-makers trapped in?

Answer the following question in about 40-50 words.

What were Douglas's initial thoughts when he was pushed into the pool?

The iron master accuses the peddler of not being quite honest. What does the peddler say to justify the situation?

In Edla's dealing with the peddler, she was compassionate and generous. Discuss with reference to the story "The Rattrap".

Read the given extract and answer the questions.

1. Complete the following sentence with the most appropriate option: (1)
   Edla wished the Pedlar to have a peaceful day because ______.
   
   1. the Pedlar had worked for Edla
   2. the Pedlar had not been released from jail
   3. the Pedlar had been staying at the forge
   4. the Pedlar had always been looked with suspicion
2. Select a suitable word from the extract to complete the analogy. (1)
   single : multiple :: abroad : ______.
3. In the above extract, Edla comes across as ______. (1)
   1. conscientious
   2. pretentions
   3. compassionate
   4. selfless
4. Based on the above extract, choose the statement which is true. (1)
   1. Relationships are rattraps.
   2. Money is important in the world.
   3. Criminal is not born but made.
   4. Christmas is a time of charity.
5. In the context of the given extract, which day is referred to in the expression 'just one in the whole year'? (1)
6. What does the expression 'he is cross examined' suggest? (1)

Answer the following question in about 40-50 words.

Explain the metaphor of the rattrap.

Answer the following question in about 40-50 words.

Who was Edla Willmansson? Why did she visit the forge at night?

Gandhi not only alleviated the economic conditions of the Champaran people but also their social and cultural background. Justify.

Answer the following question in about 40-50 words.

Describe the role of Raj Kumar Shukla in Indigo.

Answer the following question in about 120-150 words.

"Civil disobedience had triumphed for the first time in modern India." When and how did it happen?

The author has used gentle humour to point out human foibles. Pick out instances of this to show how this serves to make the piece interesting. 

Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

1. How was there national integration long before A.I.R. and Doordarshan in the make-up department? (1)
   1. The staff consisted of a Bengali, a Maharashtrian, a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese and Tamils.
   2. They recited slogans of national integration.
   3. The staff studied make-up techniques of various states.
   4. Their clients were from various states.
2. Select a suitable word from the extract to complete the analogy: (1)
   front : rear :: ravishing : ______
3. Select the correct option to fill in the blanks: (1)
   The make-up artists could tum ______ looking people into ______ looking men and women.
   1. ordinary; pleasant
   2. ugly; good
   3. pleasant; ugly
   4. monstrous; beautiful
4. The word 'pancake' in the extract most nearly means ______. (1)
   1. brand name
   2. lemon cake
   3. savoury
   4. preservative
5. Based on the above extract, choose the statement that is true for the make-up department. (1)
   1. The make-up artists were welcomed by the actors.
   2. The make-up artists were poorly paid.
   3. The work done by the make-up artists was not appreciated.
   4. The department exhibited national integration.
6. Bring out the irony in the above given extract. (1)

Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

1. Umberto Eco was ______. (1)
   1. a professor of semiotics, an author
   2. an interviewer, a novelist
   3. a journalist, a professor
   4. a publisher, an author
2. Rationalise, to support the given statement: (1)
   Similarly, we have a lot of empty spaces in our lives.
3. Rewrite the sentence by replacing the underlined phrase with its inference: (1)
   I call them interstices.
4. On the basis of the extract, study the two statements, I and II given below: (1)
   I. Umberto Eco works even in the spare time between activities.
   II. Umberto Eco does not like to be interviewed.
   Choose the most appropriate option:
   1. I can be inferred from the extract, but II cannot.
   2. I cannot be inferred from the extract, but II can.
   3. I and II are true.
   4. II is the reason for I.
5. Replace the underlined word with its antonym from the extract. (1)
   Umberto Eco does not like to waste time. He writes an article while he is proceeding to the elevator.
6. Umberto Eco's views on his manner of work, are based on ______. (1)
   1. facts
   2. an interview
   3. his blog
   4. hypothesis