PRE-BOARD EXAMINATION

ENGLISH CORE (301)

SET A
TIME 3 Hrs CLASS XII MM: 80 MARKS

General Instructions:

Read the following instructions very carefully and strictly follow them:

i. This question paper has 13 questions. All questions are compulsory.

ii. This question paper contains three sections - Section A : Reading Skills, Section B : Creative
Writing Skills and Section C : Literature.

iii. Attempt all questions based on specific instructions for each part. Write the correct question
number and part thereof in your answer sheet.

iv. Separate instructions are given with each question/part, wherever necessary.

v. Adhere to the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

SECTION A – READING SKILLS

1. Read the passage given below: (12)
1. As a form of expression, graffiti is famously characterized by outlaw
values; the creation and display of graffiti countered societal rules and was
considered by some as vandalism. Not only was it symbolic of rebel values
but was also linked to destruction of property. These links between graffiti
culture and rebellion were age-old and some say, were popularized by hip-
hop culture.
2. Imagine waking up one morning, to see your walls smeared with black
paint names, symbols, messages. The most interesting bit is that these wall
artists were never caught red-handed. It was all done stealthily. It was
almost as though people were marking their territory using painted
symbols and slogans. The change was creeping in. Mobile numbers and
captivating phrases gradually became marketing tools for free advertising.
Catchy phrases tickled the curiosity and calls were made to those numbers.
3. Over a period of time, there was a shift in perception. Blank walls
beckoned invitingly and artists saw whitewashed walls as an opportunity
to display their work in free and open settings. The city became one large
canvas; the illegal 'gang activity' became an art form on display in walking
galleries. Graffiti was gradually being replaced and the stigma of illegality
was being dropped. There was a move to embrace rather than condemn.
 4. The colours, shapes, and subjects became cultural themes. What was once
rebellious expression is artistic talent at its vibrant best, rich in images of
plants, animals and unspoiled landscapes. The painted walls encouraged
by residents and governments have created their own ecosystem a
reconciliation of nature with man-made forces.
5. The monotony and uniformity of urban life is today infused with human
vitality and beauty. Cities speak proudly about the painted walls and
clamour to be the first to preserve culture and history through these.
Graphic displays of social awareness issues effectively and economically
reach out to the common man. Silent art speaks volumes. Be it hygiene,
conservation, education, or rights and duties the message is conveyed in an
animated, colourful manner without being an imposition.
Answer the following questions, based on the above passage :
i. Complete the sentence by choosing an appropriate option. (1)
Graffiti in the earlier years was
a. considered a valuable legacy.
b. done by prominent artists.
c. an expression of rebellion.
d. supported by society.
ii. Comment on the writer's statement, It was all done stealthily.
(1)
iii. List two reasons why graffiti was not popular among people.
(2)
iv. Select the word from para 2 of the passage that conveys the opposite
of boring. (1)
v. The writer would agree with all of the following EXCEPT:
(1)
a. Graffiti art was a paid activity.
b. Wall art was an age-old tradition.
c. Graffiti became popular as a marketing tool.
d. People were curious by what was scribbled on walls.
vi. List two ways in which wall art is beneficial to society.
(2)
vii. Why does the writer say that the stigma of illegality was dropped? (2)
viii. Complete the following sentence with reference to the passage: (1)
The city became one large canvas because ________.
 ix. The passage states a shift in attitude. Identify the best option that indicates this
shift. (1)
a. rejection to dismissal
b. confusion to clarity
c. imposition to acceptance
d. dislike or acceptance

2.Read the following passage carefully: (10)

1. News - If you can't remember the last time, you saw a teenager reading a
book, newspaper or magazine, you're not alone. In recent years, less than
20 percent of teens report reading a book, magazine or newspaper daily for
pleasure. More than 80 percent say they use social media every day,
according to research published by the World Psychological Association.
2. "Compared with previous generations, teens in the 2010s spent more time
online and less time with traditional media, such as books, magazines and
television," said lead author of the book yGen and professor of psychology
at ABC University. "Time on digital media has displaced time once spent
enjoying a book or watching TV."
3. Swaner and her colleagues analysed data concluded from an ongoing study
of a nationally representative sample of approximately 50,000 eighth, tenth
and twelfth grade students annually. They looked at survey results from
1976 to 2016, representing more than 1 million teenagers. While the study
started with only twelfth-graders in the 1970s, eighth- and tenth-graders
were added in 1991.
4. Use of digital media increased substantially from 2006 to 2016. Among
twelfth-graders, internet use during leisure time doubled from one to two
hours per day during that period. It also increased 75 percent for tenth-
graders and 68 percent for eighth-graders.
5. "In the mid-2010s, the average twelfth-grader reported spending
approximately two hours a day texting, just over two hours a day on the
internet - which included gaming - and just under two hours a day on
social media," said Swaner. That's a total of about six hours per day on just
three digital media activities during their leisure time."
6. In comparison, tenth-graders reported a total of five hours per day and
eighth-graders reported four hours per day on those three digital activities.
Consequently the spent time in the digital world is seriously degrading the
time they spend on more traditional media such as print book and
newspapers.
 7. The decline in reading print media was especially steep. In the early 1990s,
33 percent of tenth-graders said they read a newspaper almost every day.
By 2016, that number was only 2 percent. In the late 1970s, 60 percent of
twelfth-graders said they read a book or a magazine almost every day; by
2016, only 16 percent did. Twelfth-graders also reported reading fewer
books each year in 2016 compared to how much they read in 1976, and
approximately onethird did not read a book (including e-books) for
pleasure in the year prior to the 2016 survey.
8. There's no lack of intelligence among young people. However due to over
dependence on digital media they find it difficult to focus for long periods
of time and to read long-form text. Subsequently they find it challenging to
understand complex issues and develop critical thinking skills.

Answer the following questions, based on the above passage :

i. Does the following statement agree with the information given in paragraph
1? (1)
The writer believes that very few teens indulge in reading as a pleasurable
activity.
Select from the following:
True : if the statement agrees with the information.
False : if the statement contradicts the information.
Not given : if there is no information on this.
ii. Select the option that displays the most likely reason for this research.
(1)
In order to find out ________.
a. reading choices of teenagers.
b. digital competency of teenagers.
c. speed of reading text.
d. the decline of time spent on traditional media.
iii. Complete the statement based on the following statement: (1)
Traditional media has been replaced by digital media, we can say this because
________.
 iv. Do you think that the researchers of study added tenth and eighth graders to
the survey deliberately? Support your answer with reference to the text.
(2)
v. Complete the given sentence by selecting the most appropriate option:
(1)
The concluding sentence of the text makes a clear case for ________ by listing
it as a core competency for analysis and application.
a. following social media
b. reading long texts
c. building focus and concentration
d. developing constructive habits
vi. Complete the sentence appropriately with one/two words: (1)
Teens today hardly read print media for ________.
vii. Based on the reading of the text, state points to challenge the given statement:
(2)
“Time on digital media has displaced time once spent enjoying a book or
watching T.V.”
viii. What does the author mean by degrading the time in para 6? (1)
a. spending less time
b. waste of time
c. consuming more time
d. saving time
SECTION B – CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS
3.You are Rakesh/Renu, School Captain of A.J. International School, Mysore. Your school is
planning to start martial arts classes for students of standard 6th - 8th. Draft a notice in about
50 words informing the students about the details of the classes. (4)
OR
You are Vineeta / Vikram, School Students' Leader of Rani Laxmibai Senior Secondary
School, Gwalior. Draft a notice for your school notice board in not more than 50 words
inviting the names of students, who want to participate in a cultural programme organised
to aid of the victims of the recent Assam floods.
4.You are the Secretary of the Old Students' Association, Mayo School, Ajmer. The 20th
Alumni Meet will be held on Sunday, 7 April 2019 at 8.00 p.m at the Palace Hotel. Write
invitation letters to ail the old students of the school to attend the meet. (4)
OR
 As Dr. Sinha, Secretary of Army Wives Welfare Association, draft a formal letter of invitation
in 50 words for the members to attend a lecture on Yoga and its Benefits to be delivered by
an eminent Yoga guru. Mention day, date, time and venue.
5.The newspapers today have full page advertisements promoting luxury items. With increase
in consumerism, people find it difficult to resist and soon find themselves trapped in a world
of social one-upmanship. Write a letter to the editor expressing your views on the
consequences of this consumerism giving suggestions on how to control this habit. You are
Renu/Rajan. Use the given cues along with your own ideas to compose this letter. (5)
Consequences
• trapped in a competitive world
• social acceptability
• living beyond budgets
• mental trauma
Solutions
• responsible role of media
• make informal decisions
OR
You are Varun/Vani, a resident of M-204, Block-C, Dilshad Garden and an MBA from Amity
University. You come across an advertisement in The Times of India published by a
Multinational Company based in Lahore seeking Business Development Managers for
its New Delhi office. Write an application for the post of Business Development Manager
followed by your complete bio-data.

6.Draft an article in 120-150 words to be published in a prominent journal on the problem of

theft in your colony. Give suggestions to overcome this menace. You are Prerna/Prashant.
Use the given cues along with your ideas to compose the article: (5)

OR
The members of your school Drama Club, recently put up a street play at the Central Park of
your city. The theme of the play was ‘Education–– An equal opportunity. As President of
Drama Club, write a report on the event to be published in your school newsletter. Use the
following cues along with your own ideas to compose the report.

• Date and Venue

• Number of participants
• Performance followed by interactive session with
spectators and star actors
• Response
• People’s feedback/ response

SECTION C – LITERATURE
7. Read the following extract and answer the questions: (6)
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 she looked but soon
put that thought away, and looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes.
i. Choose the option that displays the same poetic device as used in the
expression ashen like that of a corpse.
a. He was a lion in the battle.
b. The flood swallowed more than a dozen villages.
c. He walked as slowly as a snail.
d. The tree blocks the free flow of water.
ii. Choose the correct option that best explains the reason for the poet to put that
thought away.
a. The mother's face was pale and ugly.
b. It was unbearable for her to see her mother sleeping.
c. She was troubled by the thought of her mother's perpetual state of
exhaustion.
d. She was deeply pained by the thought of the mother's imminent death.
iii. What do the expressions doze open mouthed describe about the poet's
mother?
 a. She is sleeping and relaxing.
b. She is aged and exhausted.
c. She is tired of travelling.
d. She is not in a mood to talk to her daughter.
iv. Answer in ONE word.
The poet uses the image of sprinting trees to emphasize the ________ to the
ageing mother.
v. On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to the two
statements given below.
(1) The poet portrays typical mother-daughter love and affection.
(2) The poet is horrified by the thought of losing her.
a. (1) can be inferred from the extract but (2) cannot.
b. (2) can be inferred from the extract but (1) cannot.
c. Both (1) and (2) can be inferred from the extract.
d. (2) is the reason for (1) and can be inferred from the extract.
vi. What mood does the expression merry children spilling bring in?
a. Happiness and enthusiasm
b. Innocence and playfulness
c. Laziness
d. Joy
OR
Read the following extract and answer the questions:
“Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bear The thought of so much childish longing in vain,
The sadness that lurks near the open window there,
That waits all day in almost open prayer
For the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car,”
i. What can't the poet tolerate?
a. The farmers dashed hopes
b. The travellers not stopping at the stand
c. The poor condition of village
d. Attitude of the rich people
ii. Complete the following analogy correctly.
lurk: creep :: ________: futile
 iii. Answer in ONE word.
When the poet says that ‘squeal of brakes', he means the car to ________.
iv. What is the prayer of the villager sitting at open window?
a. A generous traveller to stop at the stand
b. To sell something
c. A good amount to dwindle their distress
d. All of these
v. On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to (1) and
(2) given below.
(1) The villagers pray for the vehicles to hear a car stop by.
(2) These shed owners want to sell their products.
a. (1) is true but (2) is false.
b. (2) is true but (1) is false.
c. (2) is the reason for (1).
d. Both (1) and (2) cannot be inferred from the extract.
vi. Identify the phrase from the extract, that suggests the following:
The rural folk dreamt of a better life with help from the city dwellers which
was like a kiddish desire.
8.Read the following text carefully and answer the questions that follow: (4)
I cried aloud, shaking my head all the while until I felt the cold blades of the scissors
against my neck, and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my
spirit. Since the day I was taken from my mother I had suffered extreme indignities.
People had stared at me. I had been tossed about in the air like a wooden puppet.
i. Identify the literary device used in "I had been tossed about in the air like a
wooden puppet."
a. Simile
b. Metaphor
c. Allusion
d. Imagery
ii. What kind of trials did the narrator face on the first day of her school?
a. Wearing immodest dress
b. Eating by formula
c. Shingling her hair
d. All of these
 iii. Why the speaker was crying?
iv. Complete the sentence appropriately, with reference to the extract.
She compares herself to a ________.
OR
Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Hana, working hard on unaccustomed labour, saw a messenger come to the door in official
uniform. Her hands went weak and she could not draw her breath. The servants must have
told already.
i. Why is Hana working hard on unaccustomed labour?
ii. Why the messenger had come?
a. To arrest Dr. Sadao.
b. To check whether there is enemy or not.
c. To take Dr. Sadao, as General was in pain.
d. To help Hana at work.
iii. Who is the author of the above-mentioned lines?
a. Anees Jung
b. Alphonse Daudet
c. Pearl S. Buck
d. John Updike
iv. What turned Hana's hands weak and short of breath?
9.Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow:
For a moment I thought of running away and spending the day out of doors. It was so warm,
so bright! The birds were chirping at the edge of the woods; and in the open field back of the
sawmill the Prussian soldiers were drilling. It was all much more tempting than the rule for
participles, but I had the strength to resist, and hurried off to school. (6)
i. Complete the sentence with an appropriate explanation, as per the extract.
The ________ seemed boring to the narrator.
ii. What were the Prussian soldiers doing?
a. Drilling in the open field back of the sawmill
b. Chirping at the edge of the woods
c. Drilling in the open field back of the sand-mill
d. Both (i) and (ii)
iii. On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to the two
statements given below.
 (1) The narrator gave in to the distractions that day.
(2) The day offered all possible temptations to the narrator.
a. (1) Can be inferred from the extract but (2) cannot.
b. (1) cannot be inferred from the extract but (2) can.
c. (1) is true but (2) is false.
d. (2) is the reason for (1).
iv. Select the suitable word from the extract to complete the following analogy:
Courage: Strength:: Endure: ________
v. For a moment I thought of running away and spending the day out of
doors. Why did he think so?
a. Because he was late for school
b. Because he did not prepare anything for the test
c. Because he was afraid of M. Hamel's scolding
d. All of these
vi. Replace the underlined word with its synonym from the extract.
The distractions were alluring to the narrator.
OR
Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Together they have imposed the baggage on the child that he cannot put down. Before he is
aware, he accepts it as naturally as his father. To do anything else would mean to dare.
i. Together they have imposed the baggage on the child that he cannot put
down. Who do they refer to?
a. Sahukars
b. Policeman
c. Middleman
d. All of these
ii. On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to the two
statements given below.
(1) A child accepts bangle-making as his fate.
(2) They do so in order to carry on their family business.
a. (1) Can be inferred from the extract but (2) cannot.
b. (1) cannot be inferred from the extract but (2) can.
c. (1) is true but (2) is false.
d. (2) is the reason for (1).
 iii. Complete the sentence with an appropriate explanation, as per the extract.
The baggage referred to here is of ________.
iv. Select the suitable word from the extract to complete the following analogy:
burden: baggage:: conscious: ________
v. What hazard is associated with working for the bangle industry?
a. Losing eyesight
b. Becoming deaf
c. Having twisted hands
d. Scaling and numbness of skin
vi. Complete the sentence with an appropriate explanation, as per the extract.
________ is not part of the growing up of a child in Firozabad.
10. Answer any five of the following questions in 40-50 words each: 2X5= (10)
i. What plans did Douglas make to come to the surface?
ii. Why does the poet want us to 'keep quiet'? (Keeping Quiet)
iii. What are the ordeals that Aunt Jennifer faced in her life? (Aunt
Jennifers Tigers)
iv. How did Sophie’s father react when Geoff told him about her meeting
with Danny Casey?
v. How did the people of Madras and those at Gemini Studios respond to
the plays staged by the Moral Re-Armament Army? (Poets and
Pancakes)
vi. Why did Umberto Eco’s American publisher doubt a larger sale of The
Name of the Rose? What happened actually?
11. Answer any two of the following questions in 40-50 words each: 2X2= (4)
a. How can you say, ‘Students on Ice Programme’ was a step towards the future?
b. What steps were initiated by the Maharaja in order to ban the tiger killing in
his state?
c. Louisa behaves as a perfect wife. Give evidence from ‘The third level’ in
support of the above statement.
12. Answer one of the following: - (5)
The author of the story The Lost Spring realizes later that she has made a hollow promise
to Saheb.
“Is your school ready?”
“It takes longer to build a school,” I say, embarrassed at having made a promise that was
not meant. But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.
While Edla in The Rattrap fulfills her promise to let the peddler leave freely.
She looked at him compassionately, with her heavy eyes, and then she noticed that the
man was afraid. ‘‘Either he has stolen something or else he has escaped from, jail’’, she
thought, and added quickly, “You may be sure, Captain, that you will be allowed to leave
 us just as freely as you came. Only please stay with us over Christmas Eve.’
Create a conversation between the author and Edla with reference to the above extracts.
You may begin the conversation like this:
Author: That day I had asked Saheb jokingly that if I opened a school would he attend it.
I was unaware of the fact that I was unknowingly making a hollow promise to the boy.
Has something like this happened to you Edla?
OR
‘A Roadside Stand and Lost Spring depict two contrasting worlds existing in society. Justify
this statement with reference to the poem, ‘A Roadside Stand’ and the lesson, ‘The Lost
Spring’. You may begin:
Social satire in the two texts portrays two contrasting worlds that exist in the society….
13.Answer one of the following: - (5)
Mr. Lamb lives alone and keeps the doors of his garden open for all. Today a teenage boy
called Derry entered his garden accidentally. He wanted to leave but Mr. Lamb coaxes
him to stay and eventually, they enter into a conversation where he comes to know how
Derry is not liked by anyone.
As Mr. Lamb, express the bond that united you with this boy in a diary entry. Also,
account for the ways in which he consoled the boy and tried to inspire him to overcome
the feeling of loneliness.
You may begin like this:
Today I found a reflection of myself in that lad who had landed in my garden...
OR
In the two stories of Bama and Zitkala Sa in the Lesson “Memories of Childhood”, there are
certain similarities of strength on the face of social challenges. Write a diary entry sharing
your observation.