ENGLISH CORE CODE NO. : 301
Class – XII Sample Question Paper
Section A : Reading Max. Marks : 20
1. Read the passage given below and then answer the questions which follow : 12
1. Concern about the effects of television on children has centered exclusively upon the contents
of the programmes which children watch. Social scientists and researchers do complex and
ingenious experiments to find out whether watching violent programmes makes children behave
aggressively. But it is easy to overlook the simple fact that one is always just watching television
when sitting in front of the screen rather than having any other experience.
2. Parents who are deeply troubled about the effects of television upon their children have centred
their concern on the subject matter of the programmes. A group called Action For Children's
Television (ACT) was formed in the US not only to reduce the amount of violence in programmes
but also to protest against incessant commercial breaks which encouraged children to crave for
fashionable toys and unhealthy foods. One of its founders described its aims ".....parents have
the right to ask that programmes aimed at the young should meet the specific needs of children.....".
But is it the needs of children which are at stake when parents demand better programmes?
Surely the fact that young children watch so much television reflects the needs of parents to find
a convenient source of amusement for their offspring and a period of quiet for themselves. Their
anxieties about the possible ill effects of those hours of passive, quiet viewing are lessened if
the time spent at least seems to be educational.
3. The real needs of young children are quite different. They need to develop initiative and to find
out things for themselves; television provides answers too easily. Children need to acquire
fundamental skills of communication; television retards verbal development because the child
is silent while watching it. Television discourages the sort of games that enable the young to
discover their strengths and weaknesses, with the result that as adults they will be less fulfilled.
Their need for fantasy is gratified far better by their own make-believe activities than by the
adult-made fantasies offered on television. Intellectual stimulation is provided more completely
by manipulating, touching and doing than by passively watching and listening.
4. Oddly enough, the television industry, though often cynical and self-serving in its exploitation
of children, sometimes unknowingly serves their best interests. Because television offers cheap
junk programmes, conscientious parents do in fact limit their children's viewing when such
undesirable programmes are the only ones available. Unfortunately, if organization like ACT
succeed in improving the quality of programmes significantly, the, effects on young children
will be more harmful because their permitted viewing time will increase and no matter how
good their content, TV programmes are always a poor substitute for other activities.
5. There are a number of fallacies that have misled parents into thinking that the problem of
television will be solved by improving its quality. It is suggested, for example, that a youngster
unfamiliar with TV programmes will find making friends difficult and will be labelled as an
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outsider. On the contrary, other children will usually respect their independence and recognize
-even envy - the richness of their alternative activities. More subtle is the mistaken belief that
the experience that children gain from watching television is the same as when the adults watch
television, their own past and present experiences come into play, so that they can test the view
of the world presented on the small screen against their knowledge of real life. But young
children have very few real-life experiences to set against their viewing, so that for them TV is
primary source of experience; their formative years are spent largely in an unreal, unnatural,
second-hand world.
6. It is also universally assumed that TV is an important source of learning. Like an animated
picture book it presents in an easily digested and entertaining way a great deal of information
about the natural world, history, current affairs, other countries and so on. But the 'knowledge'
of today's television-educated children, spouting words and ideas they do not fully understand
and 'facts' whose accuracy they cannot judge from their limited experience, cannot compare
with the knowledge acquired by reading or activity. It is then that children use their minds and
their bodies, their imaginative and reasoning power, to enrich their lives.
7. Only when parents begin to question the nature of television itself and its effects on their children
and on themselves as parents will they begin to realize that it is not the programme but television
itself and especially the good programmes – which poses the greater treat to their children's
well-being. (Adapted from Plug-in Durg by Marie Winn)
a) On the basis of your reading the passage answer the questions given below: 9
(i) Why is the ACT against frequent commercial breaks on the small screen. 2
(ii) What are three reasons given by the author to justify the harmful effect 3
TV has on the children ?
(iii) How are adults able to relate to the programme on TV ? 1
(iv) What do you understand by the phrase second-hand world ? 1
(v) How does the author differentiate between the knowledge gained by 2
watching TV programmes and that gained by reading ?
b) Pick out the words from the passage which mean 3
(i) continuous (para 2) 1
(ii) tendency to have a low opinion of people's reasons for doing things (para 4) 1
(iii) pour out in a stream (para 6) 1
2. Read the passage given below : 8
In the democratic countries, intelligence is still free to ask whatever questions 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, the men and women of the next generation who will otherwise be
at the mercy of that skilful 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 dictators conceal their ideological
pills. An individual who relies on external stimulations thereby exposes himself to the full force of
whatever propaganda is being made in his neighborhood. For a majority of people in the West,
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purposeless reading, purposeless listening-in, purposeless listening to radios, purposeless looking at
films have become addictions, 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 a newspaper, radio, music or moving pictures. Like
the addict to a drug, they have to indulge their vice, not because the indulgence gives them any real
pleasure, but because, unless they indulge, they feel painfully 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 that fact that the majority of civilized men and
women are now incapable of living on their own spiritual resources, but have become abjectly dependent
on incessant stimulation from without.
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, by playing musical instruments, by purposeful study, by scientific
observation, by the practice of some art and so on. But such education of the hand and the intellect is
not enough. Psychology has its Gresham's Law, it is bad money that drives out the good. Most people
tend to perform the actions that require least efforts to think the thoughts that are easiest to feel. 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. Their critical analysis and constructive
criticism should reach out to the children and the youth with such a clarity that they learn to react to
forceful suggestions the right way at the right time.
(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it using 5 Marks
headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary
(b) Write a summary of the above passage in 80 words, using the notes made 3 Marks
and also suggest a suitable title.
Section B : Advanced Writing Skills Max. Marks : 35
3. On the occasion of World Heritage Day design a poster highlighting the need 5 Marks
to preserve the monuments of our country. You are Aman/Amina, the President of the
Social Science Club. (Word limit 50)
OR
You want to sell off your old computer as you have purchased a new one. Draft an
advertisement to be published in the Times of India under classified columns giving
its details & the expected price. You are Shan of C5 Saket, New Delhi (word limit 50)
4. You participated in a career counselling programme organized by 'Careers India' 10 Marks
You had the opportunity of listening to professionals from various fields like food
technology, fashion technology, media management etc. Write a report of the
programme for Career Times. You are Alok/Anita (100-125 words)
OR
4
You were shopping in a busy and crowded market when you saw two terrorists being
shot at by the police. Describe in about 100-125 words the panic created amongst
people by the gun shots and the scuffle that look place between the police and the
terrorists before they fell down.
5. Write a letter to the Editor of a national daily on the mushrooming of various coaching 10 Marks
centres and how extra tuitions have become a common feature in a student's life. You
are Vineet/Veena.
OR
During summer months after your exams are over, you want to utilize your time by
working for the summer in a leading chain of restaurants. You are Sanjay/Geeta.
Write an application for the post of a supervisor giving your complete bio-data to the
HR Manager Subways, GK Part II, New Delhi.
6. In today's world of instant communication the art of writing letter to friends, parents, 10 Marks
cousins is long forgotten. Write an article on the joyful experience of penning letters
packed with emotions and personal triumph. You are Arun/Amita (Word limit 150-200)
OR
You are Amit/Gouri. You strongly feel that education about life-skills should be made
a compulsory part of school curriculum. Write a speech of about 150-200 words to be
given in the school assembly explaining life skills education and its implication in a
student's life.
Section C : Literature Max. Marks : 45
7. (a) Choose any one of the following extracts and answer the question given 4 Marks
below it :
Then he arose and walked straightway across the court,
And entered where they wrangled of their deed of love
Before the priests.
A while he listened sadly; then
Had turned away
(i) Who is 'he' in the extract ? 1 Mark
(ii) Who are 'they' and what were they wrangling about ? 2 Marks
(iii) Why is he sad ? 1 Mark
OR
So I have learnt many things, son,
I have learned to wear many faces
like dresses-homeface,
officeface, streetface, hostface,
cocktailface with all their conforming smiles
like a fixed portrait smile.
(i) Mention two things that the poet had learnt. 2 Marks
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(ii) Explain : like a fixed portrait smile. 1 Mark
(iii) Is the poet happy about what he had learnt ? Give reasons for your answer. 1 Mark
(b) Answer three of the following questions in about 30-40 words each. 6 Marks
(i) Why does Ben Jonson want to be like a lily and not an oak tree ? 2 Marks
(ii) What do you learn about Hardy's views on war in the poem 2 Marks
'The Man He Killed ?'
(iii) What is "dwelling in a puppet's world" according to Tagore ? 2 Marks
(iv) Did the pilgrims empathise with the beggars ? Why did they give alms ? 2 Marks
8. Answer the following questions in about 30-40 words each. 10 Marks
(a) What plan did Maggie devise to cure her mother of her illness ? 2 Marks
(b) Where did Ernest live and why did he come to town ? 2 Marks
(c) Why does Max Mueller say that India is a good place to study the science 2 Marks
of languages ?
(d) When convicts were first taken to the Andaman Island, all of them died 2 Marks
without exception. Give two reasons for the same.
(e) It is assumed that the possession of material commodities make people happy. 2 Marks
Does Bertrand Russell agree ? Why / Why not ?
9. Answer any one of the following in about 125-150 words. 10 Marks
"The British could chain the prisoners but not their spirit". Illustrate the truth of the statement with
examples from 'The Andaman Islands'
OR
"Some of the most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in
India only" says Max Mueller. Elaborate the statement.
10. Answer any one of the following in about 125-150 words. 7 Marks
"Money has a corrupting influence on people". Discuss with reference to "The Hour of Truth"
OR
What are the dimensions with which our youth should equip themselves according to Dr. Karan Singh
in the lessons 'Youth and the Tasks Ahead' ?
11. Answer the following briefly (30-40 words) 8 Marks
(1) Where did the narrator find the man he was looking for ? (The Face on the Wall)
(2) What was Gandhiji's idea about a "True text book" ? (Gandhiji as a Schoolmaster)
(3) What was Mrs. Wang's idea of resolving the issues concerning wars and disputes ?
(The Old Demon)
(4) How can parents of handicapped children make them happy ? 2×4 = 8 MarksLabels: India Question Papers