Class 12th English Paper 2024-Higher Secondary Examination-2024
Practice Paper Set-A
Higher Secondary Examination-2024
Class-XII
Subject-English
Instructions:
Read all the questions carefully.
Read the instructions given with the questions before attempting them.
Marks of each question are indicated against them.
Section-A (Reading)
Q.1. Read the passages and answer the questions that follow. 1×10=10
As we usher in the New Year, the tradition of making
resolutions rekindles. However, the ardour with which we embark on this journey
often dissipates swiftly, leaving us perplexed because of our inability to
sustain the winning spirit. The crux of this dilemma lies in understanding
behavioural dynamics between the planning and execution phase, to enable a
proactive and pragmatic approach while deciding upon positive affirmations to
experience the 'Eureka' moment.
At the core of numerous obstacles, lack of 'willpower'
emerges as the most critical factor that can either propel us to success or
leave us floundering in defeat. The Chhandogya Upanishad emphasises the concept
of willpower during Sanat Kumar's dialogue with Narad. In the Bhagwad Gita,
Krishna in 'Vishwaroop Darshan Yog' urges Arjun to harness willpower to conquer
his foes.
From a neuroscientific lens, willpower is a skill honed
through conscious effort. Practices such as positive self-talk, meditation,
mindfulness and prayers can sculpt the neural mechanisms crucial for robust
willpower. So, let us ensure that the demonic forces within do not subjugate
our willpower; instead, let the divine forces govern our lives, as expounded in
the Bhagwad Gita chapter on the Yog of the Division of Divine and Demonic
Nature. May the New Year herald a soulful beginning where the resonance of
willpower echoes in our every endeavour as 'Spirit ignites the spark, will
power fans the flame'.
Questions-
i. What is the central challenge discussed in the passage
regarding New Year resolutions?
a) lack of planning
b) inability to sustain the winning spirit
c) perplexity in decision-making
d) ignoring positive affirmations
ii. According to the Chhandogya Upanishad, what concept
is emphasized during Sanat Kumar's dialogue with Narad?
a) mindfulness
b) positive affirmations
c) willpower
d) planning
iii. According to the neuroscientific perspective, how is
willpower described in the passage?
a) inborn trait
b) genetic predisposition
c) skill honed through conscious effort
d) automatic response
iv. Which of the following practices is mentioned as a
means to sculpt the neural mechanisms crucial for robust willpower?
a) negative self-talk
b) daydreaming
c) mindfulness
d) procrastination
v. What does the Bhagwad Gita chapter on the Yog of the
Division of Divine and Demonic Nature emphasize regarding willpower?
a) ignoring willpower
b) letting demonic forces govern
c) letting divine forces govern
d) minimizing the role of willpower
vi. What is the suggested approach to positive
affirmations in the passage?
a) avoiding them altogether
b) undertaking them without planning
c) proactive and pragmatic decision-making
d) depending solely on willpower
vii. Which Upanishad is mentioned in connection with the
concept of willpower in the passage?
a) vedanta upanishad
b) chandogya upanishad
c) bhagwad upanishad
d) upanishad gita
viii. What does the passage suggest is crucial for
developing robust willpower from a neuroscientific perspective?
a) genetic predisposition
b) unconscious effort
c) conscious effort
d) natural talent
ix. which of the following is NOT the synonym of the word
'obstacle'?
a) barrier
b) hindrance
c) boost
d) obstruction
x. Which of the following is NOT a 'Noun?
a) inability
b) numerous
c) resonance
d) tradition
Q.2. Read the
following passage carefully and make notes on it also give a suitable title to
it. 4
The habit of reading is one of the greatest resources of
mankind; and we enjoy reading books that belong to us much more than if they
are borrowed. A borrowed book is like a guest in the house; it must be treated
with punctiliousness, with certain, considerate formality. You must see that it
sustains no damage; it must not suffer while under your roof. You cannot leave
it carelessly, you cannot mark it, you cannot turn down the pages, you cannot
use it familiarly. But your own books belong to you; you treat them with that
affectionate intimacy that annihilates formality. Books are for use, not for
show, a good reason for marking favourite pages in books is that this practice
enables you to remember more easily the significant sayings, to refer to them
quickly. Everyone should begin collecting a private library in youth; one
should have one's own book-shelves, which should not have doors, glass windows,
or keys; they should be free and accessible to the hand as well as to the eye.
Books are of the people, by the people and for the people. Literature is an
immortal part of history; it is the best and most enduring part of personality.
Section-B (Writing)
Q.3. You are the secretary of "Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals". Preparean attractive poster appealing the people to be kind to animals. 4
Or
You are Shantanu Kaushik, Head Boy of your school. Your
school is going to organize 'Bal Mela'. Draft a notice informing all the Class
Monitors about the meeting for the preparation of the event.
Q.4. Write a
letter to the collector of your district about the lack of facilities and
malfunctioning of the government hospital of your area. 4
Write a letter to your friend inviting him and his family
attend your sister's marriage.
Q.5. Last Monday you went to the hospital to see your friend who was admitted there. Using the following input produce a small write up on 'A Visit to a Hospital' (in about 120 words) 4
a. registration counter
c. surgical ward
e. medical ward-patients lying on their beds
f. friend and his health
or
b. people in front of doctors' room
d. nurses attending patients
Write a short paragraph on any one of the following
topics in about 120 words.
A-Importance of Protecting Trees
B-Power of Press in Democracy
C-Women Empowerment
D- Value of Games and Sports
E-Social Media and Its Role in Students' Lives
F-Online Education: Boon or Bane
Section-C (Grammar)
Q.6. Fill in the blanks (any five) 1×5=5
i. Work hard, lest you.......... fail. (should, will,
can)
ii. He is fond classical music. (with. from, of)
iii. Can I have coffee? (any, some, many)
anything since morning. (haven't eaten, didn't eat, don't
eat)
v. His brother is RJ. (a, an, the)
vi. Though he worked hard. ......, he failed. (and, but,
yet)
Q.7. Do as directed (any five) 1x5=5
i. She knows me. (Change into Passive Voice)
ii. The boy is my cousin. You saw the boy in the market.
(Combine the pair of sentences into a Relative Clause)
iii. No sooner did the teacher enter the class than all
the students stood up. (Rewrite the sentence using 'as soon as')
iv. I know that he is an engineer. (Identify the
underlined clause.)
v. He said to me "Where does Anuj live?"
(Change into Indirect Narration)
vi. If you don't work hard, you can't pass this test.
(Rewrite the sentence using 'unless')
Section-D (Text Books)
Q.8. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow. 1x5=5
It seemed a long way down. Those nine feet were more like
ninety, and before I touched bottom my lungs were ready to burst. But when my
feet hit bottom I summoned all my strength and made what I thought was a great
spring upwards. I imagined I would bob to the surface like a cork. Instead, I
came up slowly. I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water water that had a
dirty yellow tinge to it. I grew panicky. I reached up as if to grab a rope and
my hands clutched only at water. I was suffocating. I tried to yell but no
sound came out. Then my eyes and nose came out of the water but not my mouth.
I flailed at the surface of the water, swallowed and
choked. I tried to bring my legs up, but they hung as dead weights, paralysed
and rigid. A great force was pulling me under. I
screamed, but only the water heard me. I had started on the long journey back to the bottom of the pool.
Questions.
1. What is the narrator's initial expectation when reaching
the bottom of the pool?
a. To bob to the surface like a cork
b. To find a rope to hold onto
c. To remain at the bottom
d. To see clear blue water
2. How does the water appear to the narrator when he opens
his eyes underwater?
a. Crystal clear
b. Dirty yellow tinge
c. Dark and murky
d. Shimmering blue
3. What happens when the narrator tries to yell underwater?
a. A loud scream echoes through the pool
b. No sound comes out
c. They hear their own voice clearly
d. The water muffles their voice
4. What does the narrator attempt when he reaches up in the
water?
a. He successfully grab a rope
b. His hands clutches only at water
c. He feels the weight of a rope slipping away
d. He encounters a solid surface
5. How does the narrator describe the sensation of his legs
underwater?
a. Light and buoyant
b. Paralyzed and rigid
c. Swiftly propelling them upwards
d. Tangled in seaweed
Q.9. Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow. (A)
Fishermen in the cold sea would not harm whales and the
man gathering salt would look at his hurt hands. Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire, victory with no survivors, would put on clean
clothes and walk about with their brothers in the shade, doing nothing.
Questions:
i. Who is the poet of the above lines?
a. Kamala Das
b. Stephen Spender
c. Pablo Neruda
d. John Keats
ii. What is the outcome desired by those who engage in
wars with gas and fire?
a. Peaceful resolution
b. Victory with survivors
c. Victory with no survivors
d. Mutual agreement
iii. What would the fishermen in the cold sea refrain
from doing?
a. harassing whales
b. gathering salt
c. preparing green wars
d. putting clean clothes
(B).
But at this moment the door opened and she looked out, a
dark-blue woollen haori1 over her kimono. She came to
him affectionately and put her arm through his as he stood, smiled and said
nothing. He had met Hana in America, but he had waited to fall in love with her
until he was sure she was Japanese. His father would never have received her
unless she had been pure in her race. He wondered often whom he would have
married if he had not met Hana, and by what luck he had found her in the most
casual way, by chance literally, at an American professor's house. The
professor and his wife had been kind people anxious to do something for their
few foreign students, and the students, though bored, had accepted this
kindness. Sadao had often told Hana how nearly he had not gone to Professor
Harley's house that night the rooms were so small, the food so bad, the
professor's wife so voluble. But he had gone and there he had found Hana, a new
student, and had felt he would love her if it were at all possible.
Questions: 1×4=4
i. Where did Sadao meet Hana for the first time?
a. Japan
b. America
c. China
d. Europe
ii. What does the text reveal about the professor and his
wife?
a. They were strict and unwelcoming
b. They were indifferent to foreign students
c. They were kind and wanted to help foreign students
d. They were solely focused on their American students
iii. Why did Sadao almost not go to Professor Harley's
house that night?
a. because the professor was unfriendly
b. because the rooms were too small
c. because the food was excellent
d. because the professor's wife was voluble, and the
rooms were small
iv. What is Hana wearing when she opens the door to
Sadao?
a. Red kimono
b. Dark-blue woollen haori
c. Green yukata
d. White silk robe
Q.10 Answer the
following questions in about 30 words. (any
five)
i. Why did Franz not want to go to school that day?
ii. In the lesson 'The lost Spring', who is Mukesh? What
is his dream?
iii. What is the "misadventure" that William
Douglas speaks about?
iv. Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with
the peddler?
v. What work did the 'office boy' do in the Gemini
Studios?
vi. What were the options that Sophie was dreaming of?
Q.11. Answer the
following questions in about 30 words. (any
three)
i. What is the kind of pain and ache that the poet feels?
(My Mother at Sixty-Six)
ii. What pleasure does a beautiful thing give us? (A
Thing of Beauty)
iii. Why does the poet call the car selfish? (A Road Side
Stand)
iv. What are the different types of wars mentioned in the
poem Keeping Quiet?
Q.12. Answer the following questions in about 30 words. (any two) 2x2=4
i How did Charley reach the third level of the Grand
Central Station?
ii. How did the Tiger King acquire his name?
iii. How does Derry get his face burnt?
Q.13. Answer the following questions in about 75 words. (any two) 3x2=6
i. How did the order from Berlin change the atmosphere in
the school?
ii. How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
iii. In the lesson 'why is Rajkumar Shukla described as
being resolute?
Q.14. Answer the following question in about 75 words. 3x1=3
Write the central idea of the poem 'My Mother at Sixty-Six'.
or
Explain the central idea of the poem 'A Thing of Beauty'
Q.15. Answer the following question in about 75 words. 3x1=3
The third level was a medium of escape for Charley". Explain the statement inthe light of the story 'The Third Level'.
or
Write a character sketch of Dr. Sadao.