G.D.

GOENKA PUBLIC SCHOOL, GREATER NOIDA

PERIODIC II EXAMINATION (2021-2022)
SUBJECT: ENGLISH CORE (CODE: 301)
CLASS: XII
Time: 1 hour                      Max. Marks: 30

General Instructions:
1. All questions are compulsory.
2. Write in neat and legible handwriting.
3.Read the instructions very carefully and follow them.
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1. Read the passage and answer the questions that follow: (1X10=10 Marks)
Hundreds of thousands of years ago giant mammoths still roamed the earth and the surface of the earth was
covered by dense forests. Men took shelter in caves and covered their bodies with animal skins. At that time,
dogs became man's best friend. At first, they followed man on his hunting trips and waited to get whatever
scraps it could get, from the kill its master made. Then the instinct for companionship made it adopt man as
its leader. Soon, the man began to train dogs to help him during the hunt, to carry his burdens, and to give
him companionship as he sat by the fireside in the evenings. These changes took place much before recorded
history came into practice. These findings can only be confirmed by the study of the bones of primitive dogs
that lay beside the bones of primitive men in caves. As the history of the dog goes back to a time when
records were not maintained, it is impossible to be sure of these happenings. Some scientists believe that
dogs are the result of a mating between wolves and jackals. Other scientists say that some species of dogs
descended from wolves while others descended from jackals. Some even go on to say that dogs descended
from coyotes and foxes. A widely held theory is that the modern dogs that we keep as pets descended from a
remote common ancestor. This last substantiates the differences in size and appearance between various
breeds of dogs. Other evidence of the wild ancestry of dogs is the built of their bodies, which is very
distinctly adopted for speed and strength. Together with their keen sense of smell, hearing qualities, it
becomes obvious that they have wild hunters in their genes. From the time when recorded history began,
there have been references to dogs in them. There are images of dogs on Egyptian tombs that are 5000 years
old. The Egyptians considered their dog as the sacred and the whole family would go into mourning if the
dog in an Egyptian home died. Today, the dog is an indispensable part of our lives. For hundreds of young,
healthy blind people, the dog is their seeing eye. A seeing-eye dog is usually a German shepherd dog. It
takes three months to train a guide dog. First, come to the obedience exercise repeated daily as 'setting up
exercises'. Then a U-shaped leather harness is buckled on and the dog learns to walk at the left of the trainer.
The dog is taught to stop and wait at the curb, watch traffic, and let the cars pass. Before the dog is passed on

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to a blind master, a final check is made. Then the blind master and his dog train together for four weeks
before they go home to work smoothly as a team.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the eleven that
follow.
i How did dogs become man's best friend at an early age?
a. By hunting food for his master
b. By being a constant companion
c. By protecting man from mammoths
d. By not letting the man feel alone in dark caves
ii. How did men train dogs?
A. Dogs shall help the man in the hunt
B. Dogs shall carry heavy loads for man
C. Dogs shall burn the evening bonfires
D. Dogs shall hunt for food to survive
a. Only A and B
b. Only B and C
c. Only C and D
d. Only A, B and C
iii. How did historians know that man and dog were historical companions?
a. By studying archaeological records
b. By studying the caves they used to live in
c. By the study of bones of man and dogs
d. By general assumptions
iv. Who are considered as dog's ancestors?
a. Jackals
b. Wolves
c. Foxes
d. All of these
v. What makes us believe that dogs have a wild ancestry?
A. Many varieties of dogs
B. Differences in the body built
C. Differences in strength and stamina
D. Sense of smell and hunting skills

a. Only A
b. Only B and C
c. Only B, C and D
d. All of these

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 vi What happens when a dog dies in an Egyptian family?
a. The whole family mourns of his death
b. There is state-mourning
c. Dog's burial becomes sacred
d. His image is put on a wall
vii. Who is a "seeing-eye" dog?
a. A dog that has perfect vision
b. A dog trained for night vision
c. A dog trained to be a blind man's support
d. A dog trained to be man's support
viii. What is the total time taken by a "seeing-eye" dog to reach his master's home and be a team?
a. 3 months
b. 4 weeks
c. 1 month
d. 4 months
ix find a word in the passage that means "thick" (paragraph 1}.
a. giant
b. surface
c. dense
d. scrap
x. Find a word in the passage that means "eager" (paragraph 5).
a. ancestry
b. breed
c. substantiate
d. keen
xi. Find a word opposite in meaning to "unfasten" {paragraph 8).
a. buckled
b. taught
c. curb
d. master

Q2. Read the extract and answer the questions that follow : (3 Marks)
My breadth was gone. I was frightened. Father laughed, but there was
terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves. My introduction
to the Y.M.C.A swimming pool revived unpleasant memories and stirred
childish fears. But in a little while I gathered confidence. I paddled with my
new water wings, watching the other boys and tried to learn by aping them.
I did this two or three times on different days and was just beginning to feel
at ease in the water when just the misadventure happened.

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 a) Choose the correct option with reference to the statements
below:
Statement 1: The author’s father laughed to mock his son’s inability to
swim
Statement 2: The author wanted to swim just to prove to his father that
he can swim
(i) Statement 1 is true but the statement 2 is false
(ii) Statement 1 is false but statement 2 is true
(iii) Both statement1 and statement2 cannot be inferred
(iv) Both statement 1and statement 2 can be inferred
b) “My introduction to Y.M.C.A. swimming pool revived
unpleasant memories and stirred childish fears.” It can be
inferred that it was a clear case of
(i) Suppression
(ii) Oppression
(iii) Depression
(iv) Repression

c) The misadventure that took place right after the author felt
comfortable was that
(i) The author slipped and fell into the swimming pool
(ii) A bully tossed him into the pool for the sake of fun
(iii) His coach forgot to teach him how to handle deep water
(iv) His father couldn’t help him from drowning into the water

Q3. Read the extract and answer the questions that follow: (3 Marks)

Far far from gusty waves these children faces.

Like rootless weeds, the hair torn around their pallor:
The tall girl with her weighed-down head. The paper-
Seemimg boy, with rat’s eyes. The stunted, unlucky heir
Of twisted bones, reciting a father’s gnarled disease,
His lesson from his desk. At back of the dim class
One unnoted, sweet and young.

a) The phrase ‘weigh down head’ DOES NOT refer to being

(i) Burdened by poverty
(ii) Ashamed at her plight
(iii) Distressed due to difficulty
(iv) Dizzy with a headache

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 b) Pick the option that enumerates the tone of the poet in the extract
(a) Apprehensive
(b) Compassionate
(c) Resentful
(d) Thoughtful
(e) Disillusioned
(f) Woeful
(i) 2, 4 and 6
(ii) 1, 4 and 5
(iii) 3, 5 and 6
(iv) 1, 3 and 6
c) The ‘gusty waves’ most likely indicate
(i) Survival and struggle
(ii) Verve and brightness
(iii) Drudgery and dullness
(iv) Animation and alertness

Q4. Read the extract and answer the questions that follow: (3 Marks)

If we were not so single-minded

about keeping our lives moving
and for once could do nothing
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with
death.

a) What do you think is the mood of the poet in the above extract
(i) gloomy, cynical
(ii) reflective, inspired
(iii) introspective , aware
(iv) critical, demotivated
b) Pick the option that DOES NOT complete the given sentence suitably, as
per the extract.
Threatening ourselves with death____________
(i) feeds on the fear of death
(ii) challenges finiteness of life
(iii) keeps us rushing through life
(iv) makes us restless and impatient
c) What might the ‘huge silence’ signifies?
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 (i) melancholy
(ii) understanding
(iii) discomfort
(iv) flexibility

Q5. Read the extract and answer the questions that follow: ( 3 Marks)

“I wondered, Your Excellency,” Sadao murmured.

“It was certainly very careless of me,” the General said. “But you understand it was not lack
of patriotism or dereliction of duty.” He looked anxiously at his doctor, “If the matter should
come out you would understand that, wouldn’t you?”
“Certainly, Your Excellency,” sadao said. He suddenly comprehended that the General was in
the palm of his hand and that as a consequence he himself was perfectly safe. “I can swear to
you your loyalty, Excellency,” he said to the old General,” and to your zeal against the
enemy,”

a) Pick the option that best describe the word ‘dereliction’ as used in the passage.
1. evasion
2. deterioration
3. negligence
4. carelessness
5. dilapidation
6. management
(i) 2, 3 and 6
(ii) 1, 4 and 5
(iii) 2, 4 and 6
(iv) 1, 3 and 4
b) At the end of the conversation with the General, Sadao felt
(i) rejuvenated and guiltfree
(ii) conceited and egoistic
(iii) refreshed and self-conscious
(iv) relieved and guilt free
c) Read the analysis of the General based on the given extract. Choose the options that
fills in the given blanks most appropriately

The General (1) __________power but is (2) ___________of the obligations of his job.
He is so (3) __________with his health that he forgets to send the assassins to kill the prisoner.
Due to his (4) _________interests, he doesn’t want to expose Sadao and agrees to keep the
prisoner’s escape a secret.

(i) 1. fantasizes; 2. lonely; 3. consumed; 4. vested

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 (ii) 1. relishes; 2. weary 3. self-absorbed, 4. selfish
(iii) 1. fancies; 2. apathetic 3. negligent; 4. worthless
(iv) 1. desires; 2. concerned; 3. indisposed 4. narrow

WRITING SKILL – 8 MARKS

(Answer any 8 Questions)
Q6. Which of the following is not required in a notice?
a) Name
b) Date
c) Topic
d) Hobby
Q7. A notice can only be about
a) Event
b) Meeting
c) Excursion
d) All of these
Q8. Illustration is mandatory in a classified advertisement.
a) True
b) Not true
c) Sometimes
d) Both (a) And (b)
Q9. An Article is a
a) Highly structured piece of writing
b) Fairly unstructured piece of writing
c) Casual writing
d) All of the above
Q10. The ‘Title/Heading’ of an article should be
a) Ambiguous
b) Casual
c) Thought provoking, catchy and must highlight the theme
d) None of the above
Q11. In the ‘by liner’ of the article
a) The name of the writer appears
b) The name of the reader appears
c) The name of the publisher appears
d) All of the above

Q12. In a letter to the Editor, ‘Date’ appears

a) At the beginning
b) At the end
c) Just before the subject
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 d) Just after the sender’s address
Q13. In a letter to the Editor, ‘Salutation’ is
a) Customary greetings for the recipient
b) Informal greetings
c) Both(a) and (b)
d) None of the above
Q14. Letter to the Editor expresses
a) The opinion of the people
b) Greed of the people
c) Both (a) and (b)
d) None of the above

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