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MID TERM EXAMINATION (2023 – 24)

ENGLISH CORE (301)
Class – XII SAMPLE PAPER
Name– Maximum Marks - 80
Date-August , 20223 Time Allotted - 3 hrs.
General Instructions:
i. This paper consists of three sections – A (Reading), B (Advanced Writing Skills), C (Literature).
ii. Read the questions carefully and follow all the instructions.
iii. Attempt all the questions in each section before going to the next section.
iv. All the answers must be correctly numbered as in the question paper and written in the answer sheets
provided.
v. Do not write anything on the question paper.
vi. Strictly adhere to the word limit given with each question. Marks will be deducted for exceeding the
word limit.

Section - A (Reading)
1. Read the given passage carefully.
South India is known for its music and for its arts and rich literature. Madras or Chennai can be called the
cultural capital and the soul of Mother India. The city is built low in pleasant contrast to the ghoulish tall
structures of Mumbai and Kolkata. It has vast open spaces and ample greenery. The majestic spacious Mount
Road looks like a river, wide and deep. A stroll on the Marina beach in the evening with the sea glistening in
your face is refreshing. The breeze soothes the body. It refreshes the mind, sharpens the tongue and brightens
the intellect.
One can never feel dull in Chennai. The intellectual and cultural life of the city is something of a marvel. Every
street corner of Chennai has a literary forum, a debating society and music, dance and dramatic club. The
intelligent arguments, the sparkling wit and dashing irony enliven both the political and the literary meetings.
There is a young men’s association which attracts brilliant speakers and equally brilliant listeners to its
meetings. It is a treat to watch the speakers use their oratorical weapons. Chennai speakers are by and large
sweet and urbane, though the cantankerous, fire-eating variety is quite often witnessed in political campaigning.
The urbane speakers weave their arguments slowly like the unfolding of a leisurely Carnatic raga.

Music concerts and dance performances draw packed houses. There is hardly any cultural family in Chennai
that does not learn and patronise music and dance in its pristine purity. Rukmani Devi Arundale’s ‘Kalakshetra’
is a renowned international centre. It has turned out hundreds of celebrated maestros and dancers who have
brought name and glory to our country. Carnatic music has a peculiar charm of its own. It has the moon’s soft
beauty and moon’s soft pace. Thousands of people flock to the temple ‘maidans’ to get drunk with the
mellifluous melodies of their favourite singers. They sit out all night in the gruelling heat, swaying to the
rhythm of ‘nadaswaram’ and rollicking with the measured beats of ‘mridangam’. M.S. Subbulakshmi is
considered to be the nightingale of the South.
The Gods might descend from heaven to see a South Indian damsel dancing. There are several varieties of
South Indian dance – Bharatnatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, etc. Age cannot wither nor custom
stale its beautiful variety. Bharatnatyam is the most graceful and enchanting dance form, whereas Kathakali is
most masculine and virile. South Indian dances combine voluptuousness with purity. Here, every muscle and
fibre of the body vibrates into life, and as the tempo increases, a divine flame-like passion bodies forth as if
making an assault on heaven.
South Indian dress, particularly of the males, is puritanically simple. There you cannot distinguish a judge from
an ‘ardali’ by their dress. South Indian ladies too look charming and graceful in their colourful Kanjeevaram
and Mysore silk sarees.
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South Indian cuisine, especially ‘dosa’, ‘idli’ and ‘vada’ are so delicious that now we can enjoy them almost
everywhere in India as well as in some foreign countries. The Madras ‘idli’, which was a favourite of Gandhiji,
is served with ‘sambhar’ and ‘coconut chutney’.
1.1) On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions by choosing the
most appropriate option. (1x5=5)
(i) For what is South India mainly known?
(a) For tasty food (b) For its traditional music, art, literature
(c) For scenic beauty (d) For its delicate and precise ways
(ii) Why is it a treat to watch the speakers?
(a) Because they use oratorical weapons (b) Because they are witnessed in campaigning
(c) Because they weave their arguments fastly (d) Because they argue and complain a lot.
(iii) What is M.S. Subbulakshmi considered to be?
(a) Graceful and enchanting (b) Masculine and virile
(c) Nightingale of the South (d) Moon’s soft beauty
(iv) Which is the South Indian dance form?
(a) Bharatnatyam (b) Kuchipudi (c) Kathakali (d) All of these
(v) Why are South Indian dances special?
(a) Because Gods come from heaven to see them (b) Because there aren’t many varieties of dance
(c) Because they are pure as well as sensuous (d) Because they make an assault on heaven
1.2) Answer the following questions briefly (any seven). (1x7=7)
(i) How does the breeze on Marina Beach affect the author?
(ii) How do we know that music is very important for the people of South India?
(iii) What is the common connection between language, music and dance of South India?
(iv) What makes Carnatic music charming?
(v) What is Kalakshetra renowned for?
(vi) Find a word from para-2 which means ‘pompous and rhetorical’.
(vii) Find a word from para-3 which means ‘smooth and honeyed’.
(viii) Write the antonym of ‘enchanting’.

2. Read the given passage carefully.

“Who doesn’t know how to cook rice? Cooking rice hardly takes time,” said my father. So, I challenged myself.
I switched from news to YouTube and typed, “How to cook rice?” I took one and a half cups of rice. Since I
didn’t have access to a rice cooker, I put the rice in a big pot. Firstly, the rice has to be washed to get rid of dust
and starch. I thought I won’t be able to drain the rice and that it will fall out of the pot. I observed the chef as I
swirled the rice around and used my dexterous hands to drain it, not once, not twice, but three times. I looked
down at the sink and saw less than 50 grains that made their way out of the pot. Suffice to say, I was up to the
mark.

The video stated that the key to perfect rice is equal amounts of rice and water. I have heard that professionals
don’t need to measure everything; they just know what the right amount is. But as this was my first time in the
kitchen, I decided to experiment by not measuring the water needed for boiling the rice. I wanted the rice to be
firm when bitten, just like pasta. I don’t enjoy the texture of mushy rice. It has to have that chutzpah; it has to
resist my biting power just for a bit before disintegrating.
After what seemed like 10 minutes, all the water disappeared. I went in to give it a good stir. To my surprise,
some of the rice got stuck to the pot. I tried to scrape it off but to no avail. At the same time, there was a burning
smell coming from it. I quickly turned the stove off. “What have you done to the kitchen?” My mother shouted
while coming towards the kitchen. I managed to ward her off.

Finally, when the time came to taste my creation, I was surprised! It wasn’t bad at all. The rice had the desired
consistency. Sure, a little more salt would’ve been better, but I just added that while eating. The experience was
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fairly rewarding and memorable. It taught me a new sense of respect for those who cook food on a regular basis
at home or are engaged in gourmet creations professionally.
2.1) On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions by choosing the best of
the given choices, wherever given (any ten). (1x10=10)
(i) Father’s question to the narrator, about knowing how to cook rice, was intended to__________________.
(ii) “I switched from news to YouTube …” Pick the option in which the meaning of ‘switch(ed)’ is NOT the
same as it is in the passage.
(a) He switched on the radio to listen to the news while having dinner.
(b) “Forget these diet supplements and switch to yoga, if you want a true sense of well-being.”
(c) Mom switched to reading fiction recently because she was bored with cook-books.
(d) The company will switch the trucks to other routes to bring down city pollution.
(iii) How did mother react to the burning smell?
(iv) Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the option that lists the correct sequence of the process.
1. Use water to wash the rice. 2. Repeat the process three times. 3. Drain the water off.
4. Put rice in a utensil. 5. Swirl the water in and around the rice.
(a) 4,2,1,3,5 (b) 1,3,2,5,4 (c) 4,1,5,3,2 (d) 5,1,2,4,3
(v) The narrator says that he has dexterous hands. He would have had a problem had it been the opposite. NOT
BEING dexterous means, being
(a) uncomfortable (b) clumsy (c) unclear (d) clueless
(vi) Which option represents the correct ratio of water to rice for cooking ‘perfect rice’?

(a) Image 1 (b) Image 2 (c) Image 3 (d) Image 4

(vii) According to the passage, the fact that the narrator risked experimentation, on his maiden attempt in the
kitchen, shows that he was_______________________________.
(viii) Pick the option that correctly states what DID NOT happen after the writer checked on the rice.
(a) Turning the stove off (b) Being taken aback at the condition of rice
(c) Forgetting to scrape the stuck rice (d) Smelling the delicious aroma of cooked rice
(ix)Describe final feelings of the writer with reference to the cooking experience.
(x) The narrator’s creation was ______________.
(xi) Pick the option showing the CORRECT use of the word ‘chutzpah’.
(a) It is the court’s duty to dispense chutzpah to everyone irrespective of caste or creed.
(b) The speaker may not have much of a stage presence, but you've got to admit she's got chutzpah.
(c) I could crack the code easily which proved me to be a chutzpah and I was the only one who could do so.
(d) After his father’s demise, the daughter took over the family’s chutzpah to save it from disaster.

Section – B (Advanced Writing Skills)

All the names and addresses used in the questions are fictitious.
Note: Word limit for Q3 & Q4 is 50 words (4 marks each); for Q5 & Q6 is 120-150 (5 marks each).
3. You are Dr. Stanzin, a certified art therapist from Leh. You have been invited by G. D Public School, Jammu,
to conduct a seminar for students on ‘Art Therapy - the Way Forward”. This seminar is to introduce students
to the usefulness of art in dealing with personal and social problems. Write your reply accepting the invitation.
Or
th
Your school is celebrating its 7 Annual Day on November 5, 2023. Design a formal invitation for inviting the
parents and guests, using not more than 50 words. You are Meher/Mohit, Cultural Captain of the school.
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4. Inter-House Volleyball Competition for senior group will be organized in your school next week. Write a
notice for this, informing the students about the same. Sign as Sports captain of your school.

Or
You are Rachael/Rueben, President of the Wellness Cell of your school. You decide to organise a workshop,
to raise awareness of the importance of mental health. This workshop would be conducted by the school
counsellor. Write a notice informing the students of classes XI-XII about the workshop.

5. You are Sumita/Sumit, 21 Vashundhara Enclave, Kanpur. You came across an advertisement for the
requirement of a Junior Engineer at Jindal Steel Plant, Jamshedpur, in the National Daily. You consider
yourself suitable and eligible for the post. Draft an application and a resume as response to this advertisement.
Or
In many parts of our country, girls are still discouraged from going to school. Consequently, a sizable section
of the population is deprived of education. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily highlighting the issue,
causes and schemes by the government to promote the cause.

6. Studies has suggested that an hour a day spent with smart phones plays a significant part in the rise of
depression and anxiety among children. You are Manisha/ Manish of class XII. Write an article for the school
magazine on the topic “Children and Smart phones” to highlight the concern.
Or
Your school had organised an exhibition-cum-sale of the items prepared under Work Experience
Certificate by your school students. There was an overwhelming response from the public. Prepare a report.
You are the Coordinator, S.U.P.W. activities, SAM School, Gurgaon.

Section – C (Literature)
7. Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow. (6x1=6)
A) We have imagined for the mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink.
a) Name the poem and the poet.
b) What does the phrase ‘immortal drink’ refer to?
c) ‘All lovely tales’ evoke the feeling of ____________.
d) ‘Mighty dead’ refers to___________________.
e) The rhyme scheme of the above extract is
(i) aabb (ii) abab (iii) aaab (iv) abbb
f) The literary device used by the poet in the following lines is ______________.
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink.
(i) personification (ii) allegory (iii) imagery (iv)metaphor
Or
Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories 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) Describe ‘victories with no survivors’.
c) What are the different kinds of wars mentioned here?
d) What is the poet’s advice to the warmongers?
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e) What does the poem speak about?

(i) the necessity to be happy
(ii) the necessity to introspect, understand and have feelings of brotherhood
(iii) the necessity to work quietly
(iv) none
f) Which images in the poem show that the poet condemns or hates violence?
(i) fishermen not harming whales (ii) wars leaving behind no survivors to celebrate
(iii)poet’s refusal to deal with death (iv)All of these

8. Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow. (4x1=4)
He said I was unhappy. That made my wife kind of mad, but he explained that he meant the modern world is
full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of it, and that I just want to escape. Well, who doesn’t?
Everybody I know wants to escape, but they don’t wander down into any third level at Grand Central Station.
But that’s the reason, he said, and my friends all agreed. Everything points to it, they claimed. My stamp
collecting, for example; that’s a ‘temporary refuge from reality.’ Well, maybe, but my grandfather didn’t need
any refuge from reality.
a) Who is ‘He’ in the above extract?
b) What does the word ‘Refuge’ mean?
c) What did Charlie’s friend think of him?
d) Who was Charlie’s wife?
(i) Louisa (ii) Clare (iii)Hana (iv) Jane
Or
The Maharaja and the dewan held deliberations over this issue. As a result, a telegram was dispatched forthwith
to a famous British company of jewellers in Calcutta. ‘Send samples of expensive diamond rings of different
designs.’ Some fifty rings arrived. The Maharaja sent the whole lot to the British officer’s good lady. The king
and the minister expected the duraisani to choose one or two rings and send the rest back. Within no time at all
the duraisani sent her reply: ‘Thank you very much for your gifts.’ In two days, a bill for three lakhs of rupees
came from the British jewellers. The Maharaja was happy that though he had lost three lakhs of rupees, he had
managed to retain his kingdom.
a) Who has been referred to ‘good lady’?
b) How much did the Maharaja have to pay for fifty rings?
c) How has the writer proved the futility of king’s desire?
d) The Tiger King rejected the British Officer’s request
(i) for fifty diamond rings (ii) of getting photographed with a tiger
(iii) visiting his kingdom (iv) for killing a tiger

9. Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow. (6x1=6)
I jumped over the bench and sat down at my desk. Not till then, when I had got a little over my fright, did I see
that our teacher had on his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt, and the little black silk cap, all embroidered,
that he never wore except on inspection and prize days. Besides, the whole school seemed so strange and
solemn.
a) Name the lesson and the author.
b) Whom does ‘I’ refer to in the extract?
c) What was unusual about M. Hamel’s dress?
d) Why did the whole school seem so strange and solemn?
e) Why was M. Hamel dressed so unusually?
(i) he was retiring (ii) it was his last lesson
(iii) he was leaving the school (iv) he was going to be imprisoned
f) Which word in the extract would also mean “formal and dignified”?
(i) inspection (ii) strange (iii) solemn (iv) fright
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Or
Food is more important for survival than an identity. “If at the end of the day we can feed our families and go to
bed without an aching stomach, we would rather live here than in the fields that gave us no grain,” say a group
of women in tattered saris when I ask them why they left their beautiful land of green fields and rivers.
Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents that become transit homes. Children grow up in them, becoming
partners in survival. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has acquired the
proportions of a fine art. Garbage to them is gold. It is their daily bread, a roof over their heads, even if it is a
leaking roof. But for a child it is even more.
a) What is the plight of the people living in Seemapuri?
b) Where is Seemapuri?
c) What does ‘acquired the proportions of a fine art’ mean?
d) Identify the figure of speech used in the sentence “Garbage to them is gold”.
e) Choose the term which best matches the statement ‘Food is more important for survival than an
identity.’
(i) immorality (ii) necessity (iii) obligation (iv) ambition
f) The phrase ‘transit homes’ refer to the dwellings that are
(i) unhygienic (ii) inadequate (iii) fragile (iv) temporary

10. Answer the following questions in 40-50 words each. (any five, one from (a) & (b)) (5x2=10)
a) How does the earth teach us that there is activity even in apparent stillness? (Keeping Quiet)
b) What is the message of the poem, ‘A Thing of Beauty’?
c) How is Mukesh’s attitude different from that of Saheb? Are both two sides of the same coin?
d) What words did M Hamel write on the blackboard before dismissing the last class? What did they
mean?
e) Why did the peddler knock on the cottage by the roadside? How was he treated by the owner of the
cottage?
f) Why did Gandhi agree to the planters’ offer of a 25% refund to the farmers?

11. Answer the following questions in 40-50 words each. (any two) (2x2=4)
a) Why did Charley run away from the third level?
b) What considerations influenced the Tiger King to get married?
c) How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of humankind?

Answer the following in 120-150 words each. (2x5=10)

12. How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer?
OR
Why is the Champaran episode considered to be the beginning of the Indian struggle for Independence?

13. Describe the journey to the Antarctica by the Vessel ‘Akademik Shokalskiy’.
OR
What was Charley’s strange experience at the Grand Central Station?