KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA SANGATHAN, REGIONAL OFFICE, RAIPUR

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2st Pre Board Examination

Session l= :- 2014-2015
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Class d{kk :- XII th

SUBJECT: ENGLISH (CORE)

TIME ALLOWED: 3:00 HRS

M.M. 100

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Attempt all questions.
2. This paper is divided into FOUR sections, A, B and C:Section: A [Reading]
30 Marks
Section: B [Advanced Writing Skills]
30 Marks
Section: C [Text Books & Long text reading] 40 Marks
3. All sections are compulsory.
4. Separate instructions have been given for each section and each question.
Follow the instructions carefully.
5. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit.
SECTION: A [READING]

30 MARKS

1. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:1. In the democratic countries, intelligence is still free to ask whatever
question it chooses. This freedom, it is almost certain, will not survive
another war. Educationists should, therefore, do all they can while there is
yet time to build up in the minds of their charges, a habit of resistance to
suggestion. If such resistance is not built up, the men and women of the next
generation will be at the mercy of that skillful propagandist who contrives to
seize the instruments of information and persuasion. Resistance to suggestion
can be built up in two ways. First, children can be taught to rely on their own
internal resources and not to depend on incessant stimulation from without.
This is doubly important. Reliance on external stimulation is bad for the
character. Moreover, such stimulation is the stuff with which propagandists
bait their books, the jam in which the dictators counsel their ideological pills.
An individual who relies on external stimulation thereby exposes himself to
the full force of whatever propaganda is being made in his neighbourhood.
For a majority of people in the west, purposeless reading, purposeless
listening to radios, purposeless looking at films have become addiction,
psychological equivalents of alcoholism and morphinism. Things have come
to such a pitch that there are many millions of men and women who suffer
real distress if they are cut-off for a few days or even a few hours from newspapers, radio and music or movie pictures. Like an addict to a drug, they
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have to indulge their vice not because their indulgence gives them any real
pleasure but because, unless they indulge they feel painful subnormal and
incomplete. Even by intelligent people, it is now taken for granted that such
psychological addictions are inevitable and even desirable, that there is
nothing to be alarmed at in the fact that the majority of civilized men and
women are now incapable of living on their own spiritual resources, but have
become exactly dependent on incessant stimulation from without.

(I)

2. How can children be taught to rely upon their own spiritual resources and
resist the temptation to become reading addicts, hearing addicts, seeing
addicts? First of all, they can be taught how to entertain themselves, by
making things themselves, playing musical instruments, by purposeful study,
by scientific observation and by the practice of some art and so on. But such
education of the hand and the intellect is not enough. Psychology has its
Greshams law, it is: that bad money that drives out the good. Most people
tend to perform the actions that require least efforts, to think the thought that
are easiest to fill, the emotions that are most vulgarly commonplace, to give
rein to the desires that are most nearly animal. And they will tend to do this
even if they possess the knowledge and skill to do otherwise. Along with the
necessary knowledge and skill must be given the will to use them even under
the pressure of incessant temptation to take the line of least resistance and
become an addict to psychological drugs. Most people will not wish to resist
these temptations unless they have a coherent philosophy of life, which
makes it reasonable and right for them to do so. The other method of
heightening resistance to suggestion is purely intellectual and consists in
training young people to subject the diverse devices of the propagandists to
critical analysis. The first thing that educators must do is to analyze the
words currently used in newspapers, on platforms by preachers and
broadcasters. The critical analysis and constructive criticism should reach out
to the children and the youth, with such clarity that they learn to react to
forceful suggestions the right way at the right time.
3. What, for example, does the word nation mean? To what extent are
speakers and writers justified in talking of a nation as a person? In what
sense can a nation be described as having a will or national interest? Are
these interests and will, the interests and will of the entire population? Is it
not only advisable but also essential to think in terms of all the above details
so that meaningful progress is promoted, thus making democracy thrive
better?
Read the passage carefully and choose the most appropriate option from
those which are given below:3x1=3
1. Children should be taught to rely on their:
(a) Own internal resources (b) intelligence

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(c ) communication skills (d) teachers and parents

2. In the West, purposeless reading, purposeless listening to radios and
watching films have become:(a) very common
(b) their second habit
(c ) a psychological addiction (d) a part of their lives
3. Majority of civilized men and women have become exactly dependent
on :(a) newspapers, radios and films (b) external sources of entertainment
( c ) constant stimulation from without (d) their own spiritual
resources
(II) Answer the following questions briefly:-

4x1=4

1. How can children be helped from becoming reading, hearing and

seeing addicts ?
2. How can critical analysis help us?
3. In democratic countries, intelligent people are free to
ask_____________________________________.
4. Along with necessary knowledge and skill, children must be given
the will _________________________________.
(III) Fill in the blanks with one word only:-

2x1=2

It is now taken for (a)---------------that such psychological addictions

are inevitable and even desirable and there is nothing to be
(b)--------------- at in the fact that we are now incapable of living on
our own spiritual resources
(IV) Find from the passage words which mean the following:2x1=2
(a) Continuing without interruption ( para 1)
(b) Logical and consistent (para 2)

3. Read the following poem:I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER

I remember, I remember
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The house where I was born,

The little window where the sun
Came peeping in at morn ;
He never came a wink too soon
Nor brought too long a day ;
But now, I often wish the night
Had borne my breath away.
I remember, I remember
The roses, red and white,
The violets and the lily-cupsThose flowers made of light
The lilacs where the robin built,
And where my brother set
The laburnum on his birthday,The tree is living yet !
I remember, I remember
Where I used to swing,
And thought the air must rush as fresh
To swallows on the wing ;
My spirit flew in feathers then
That is so heavy now,
And summer pools could hardly cool
The fever on my brow.
I remember, I remember
The fir trees dark and high;
I used to think their slender tops
Were close against the sky:
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It was a childish ignorance

But now it is little joy
To know Im farther off from Heaven
Than when I was a boy.
(I)

Read the poem carefully and write the most appropriate option from
the given below :3x1=3
(1) The poet remembers :(a) his village (b) his house (c) his town (d) his neighbourhood
(2) The sun came peeping in through :(a) the little window (b) the big window (c ) the open door (d) the hole
(3) The fir trees were:(a) bright and high (b) dark and high (c) dull and low (d) bright and big
(II) Answer the following questions very briefly:6x1=6
(1) Name three flowers that are mentioned in the poem.
(2) Which trees had their slender tops?
(3) Which tree is still alive?
(4) Was the sun seen too soon?
(5) Was the day too long?
(6) What was a childish ignorance for the poet?
(III) Find from the poem words which mean the same as:2x1=2
(a) Slim (b) very short time
3. Read the following passage:
1. Over the last fifty years, millions of rupees have undoubtedly been spent on
child care in this country. Yet it is not sub-Saharan Africa that is the home of the
mal-nourished child but India where, according to UNICEF statistics 53% of all
children are mal-nourished. The reasons for mal-nutrition among certain children
are not far to seek. It is a multi-sectional, multilevel problem that involves not just
the availabilities but also adequate in other and child care in terms of easy access to
health facilities, safe drinking water, environment, sanitation and of course, literacy.
2. Neither the setting-up of the National Nutritional Council in 1994, under the
chairmanship of the Prime Minister, nor the Integrated Child Development Scheme
launched in 1975, to promote the holistic development of the child under six years
of age, have made any visible or vocal differences or improvement in the sordid
situation. Unfortunately, the purpose of strengthening the capacities of the
community and of those who care has failed to deliver the goods because the
schemes envisaged have had only marginal impact in the area of nutrition where it
is most wanting and woeful. On paper we have plenty of policies and programmes,
but as far as performance is concerned we have earned enough notoriety. The need
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of the hour is to translate them into action and results what we have tried to sell in
the form of promises and populist pronouncements.
3. The most urgent areas of attention and immediate actions are nutrition, health
and education of children, whose well-being reflects the health of the society and
caring outlook of the policy. Since the causes of mal-nutrition of children are many
like exploding population, bias against the female child, weak and suffering
mothers, the remedy calls for care of the mother and care by the mother, besides an
effective control over population explosion. Ignorance on what foods should be
taken is another contributory factor that results in mal-nutrition among women and
children. The implementation of various schemes to fight the menace of malnutrition and undernourishment of children requires planning, coordination and
monitoring by high powered bodies right down to the village level.
(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it using
headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations, wherever
necessary. Give the passage a suitable title.
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(b) Give a summary of the passage in your own words in about 80 words. 3
SECTION: B [ADVANCED WRITING SKILLS]

30 MARKS

4. You are Suraj/Surekha, CCA Co-ordinator of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Raipur

(C.G). Draft a notice in not more than 50 words for the school notice board
asking the students to give their names for Inter-class swimming
competition.
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OR
Draft a matrimonial advertisement on behalf of the family of a girl belonging
to the Agrawal community to be published under classified columns of a
local daily . The family has its own business in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Do not
exceed 50 words.
(5). You have read many articles and have watched many programmes on the
TV which give alarming information about the rapid spread of AIDS in
India. You feel that awareness is the only weapon to fight the menace. Write
a letter to the Editor of a national newspaper, expressing your views on the
problem and offering suggestions to control it. You are Sudhir Kumar/Sudha
Rani, residing at 24, Kamta Vihar, Raipur (C.G.) (word limit -150 words)
OR
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You are Stella/ Sanjay, residing at 3312,B Block, Hasdeo Colony, Raigarh
(C.G). You have seen an advertisement in The Times of India for the post
of PGT Commerce on contractual basis in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Bilaspur
C.G. Write an application to the Principal applying for the same. Give your
detailed Bio-data also.
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(6). The government has banned smoking in public places. Write an article
on Hazards of Smoking in about 150-200 words for your school magazine.
You are Mukesh/Mamta.
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OR
In most Indian families, particularly in rural areas, there is great
discrimination against the girl child. Daughters are considered a burden and
are treated inferior to sons in the matter of food, education, health care and
freedom. Write an article in about 150-200 words, to be published in your
school magazine showing how such an attitude is unjust as well as harmful.
(7). You are Rosie/Raju, Head Boy/Head Girl of your school. You wish to
improve discipline among the students. You have to address the school
assembly. You wish to point out the importance of discipline for a student at
school and at home. Write your speech in 150-200 words showing how
virtues like punctuality, regularity, obedience, cleanliness, politeness come
automatically if students observe basic discipline.
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OR
In recent times there has been a sudden proliferation of tuition and coaching
centres. Are they relevant and useful? Are they a boon or bane for our
education system? What is you stand? Write in the form of debate using 150200 words.

SECTION: C [TEXT BOOKS AND LONG READING TEXT] 40 Marks

(8) Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:
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.
(a) Name the poem and the poet.
(b) In which wars are there no survivors?
(c) Who would put on clean clothes?
(d) What does put on clean clothes signify?
OR
Driving from my parents
home to Coaching last Friday
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1
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morning, I saw my mother,beside me,

Doze, open mouthed, her face
ashen like that of a corpse and realised with
pain that she was as old as looked but soon
put that thought away.
(a) Name the poem and the poet.
(b) Whose face is compared to a corpse?

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(c) What did the poet realize and why?

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(d) Why is the poet perturbed?
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9. Answer any FOUR of the following questions in 30-40 words each: 4x3 = 12
a) For Franz, what was much more tempting than going to school and
why?
b) Why did Gandhiji chide the lawyers of Muzzafarpur ?
c) What were the options that Sophie was dreaming of? Why does Jansie
discourage her from having such dreams?
d) How did the Maharaja manage to retain his kingdom?
e) What advice did Annan offer Bama?
f) Why did the servants leave Sadaos house?
10. Answer the following question in 120-150 words:
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The essential goodness in a human being can be awakened through
understanding and love. Justify this statement giving reference to the story
The Rattrap
OR
How did Mr. Lambs meeting with Derry become a turning point in Derrys
life?
11. Answer the following question in 120-150 words:
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God helps those who help themselves. A man who does nothing never gets
any opportunity to succeed. Discuss the dictum in the light of the following
expressions:
I used every way I knew to overcome this fear, but it held me firmly in its
grip. Finally, one October, I decided to get an instructor and learn to swim.
Q.12. Answer the following question in about 120-150 words:Discuss the major theme of the novel The Invisible Man
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Q.13. Answer the following question in about 120-150 words:Write the Character sketch of Griffin.

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