CBSE Question Paper 2017 class 12 English Core

CBSE Question Paper 2017 class 12 English Core conducted by Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi in the month of March 2017. CBSE previous year question papers with solution are available in myCBSEguide mobile app and cbse guide website. The Best CBSE App for students and teachers is myCBSEguide which provides complete study material and practice papers to cbse schools in India and abroad.

CBSE Question Paper 2017 class 12 English Core

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Class 12 English Core list of chapters

FLAMINGO SUMMARY

1. The Last Lesson
2. Lost Spring
3. Deep Water
4. The Rattrap
5. Indigo
6. Going Places
7. My Mother at Sixty-Six
8. An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum
9. Keeping Quiet
10. A Thing of Beauty
11. Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers

VISTAS SUMMARY

1. Memories of Childhood
2. Evans Tries an O-Level
3. On the Face of it
4. Should Wizard Hit Mommy?
5. The Enemy
6. The Tiger King

NOVEL

1. The Invisible Man

CBSE Question Paper 2017 class 12 English Core

General Instructions:

1. This paper is divided into three sections: A, B, and C. All the sections are compulsory.
2. Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read these instructions very carefully and follow them faithfully.
3. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

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SECTION – A
(READING)

Q1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (12)

1. We sit in the last row, bumped about but free of stares. The bus rolls out of the dull crossroads of the city, and we are soon in open countryside, with fields of sunflowers as far as the eye can see, their heads all facing us. Where there is no water, the land reverts to desert. While still on level ground we see in the distance the tall range of the Mount Bogda, abrupt like a shining prism laid horizontally on the desert surface. It is over 5,000 metres high, and the peaks are under permanent snow, in powerful contrast to the flat desert all around. Heaven Lake lies part of the way up this range, about 2,000 metres above sea-level, at the foot of one of the higher snow-peaks.

2. As the bus climbs, the sky, brilliant before, grows overcast. I have brought nothing warm to wear: it is all down at the hotel in Urumqi. Rain begins to fall. The man behind me is eating overpoweringly smelly goat’s cheese. The bus window leaks inhospitably but reveals a beautiful view. We have passed quickly from desert through arable land to pasture, and the ground is now green with grass, the slopes dark with pine. A few cattle drink at a clear stream flowing past moss-covered stones; it is a Constable landscape.

The stream changes into a white torrent, and as we climb higher I wish more and more that I had brought with me something warmer than the pair of shorts that have served me so well in the desert. The stream (which, we are told rises in Heaven Lake) disappears, and we continue our slow ascent. About noon, we arrive at Heaven Lake, and look for a place to stay at the foot, which is the resort area. We get a room in a small cottage, and I am happy to note that there are thick quilts on the beds.

3. Standing outside the cottage we survey our surroundings. Heaven Lake is long, sardine-shaped and fed by snowmelt from a stream at its head. The lake is an intense blue, surrounded on all sides by green mountain walls, dotted with distant sheep. At the head of the lake, beyond the delta of the inflowing stream, is a massive snow-capped peak which dominates the vista; it is part of a series of peaks that culminate, a little out of view, in Mount Bogda itself.

4. For those who live in the resort there is a small mess-hall by the shore. We eat here sometimes, and sometimes buy food from the vendors outside, who sell kabab and naan until the last buses leave. The kababs, cooked on skewers over charcoal braziers, are particularly good; highly spiced and well-done. Horse’s milk is available too from the local Kazakh herdsmen, but I decline this. I am so affected by the cold that Mr. Cao, the relaxed young man who runs the mess, lends me a spare pair of trousers, several sizes too large but more than comfortable. Once I am warm again, I feel a pre-dinner spurt of energy – dinner will be long in coming – and I ask him whether the lake is good for swimming in.

5. “Swimming?” Mr. Cao says. “You aren’t thinking of swimming, are you?”

6. “I thought I might,” I confess. “What’s the water like?”

7. He doesn’t answer me immediately, turning instead to examine some receipts with exaggerated interest. Mr. Cao, with great off-handedness, addresses the air. “People are often drowned here,” he says. After a pause, he continues. “When was the last one?” This question is directed at the cook, who is preparing a tray of mantou (squat white steamed bread rolls), and who now appears, wiping his doughy hand across his forehead. “Was it the Beijing athlete?” asks Mr. Cao.

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, complete the statements given below with the help of options that follow:

(a) One benefit of sitting in the last row of the bus was that:
(i) the narrator enjoyed the bumps.
(ii) no one stared at him.
(iii) he could see the sunflowers.
(iv) he avoided the dullness of the city.

(b) The narrator was travelling to:
(i) Mount Bogda
(ii) Heaven Lake
(iii) a 2000-metre-high snow peak
(iv) Urumqi

(c) On reaching the destination the narrator felt relieved because:
(i) he had got away from the desert.
(ii) a difficult journey had come to an end.
(iii) he could watch the snow peak.
(iv) there were thick quilts on the bed.

(d) Mount Bogda is compared to:
(i) a horizontal desert surface
(ii) a shining prism
(iii) a Constable landscape
(iv) the overcast sky

Answer the following questions briefly:

(e) Which two things in the bus made the narrator feel uncomfortable?
(f) What made the scene look like a Constable landscape?
(g) What did he regret as the bus climbed higher?
(h) Why did the narrator like to buy food from outside?
(i) What is ironic about the pair of trousers lent by Mr. Cao?
(j) Why did Mr. Cao not like the narrator to swim in the lake?
(k) Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following:
(i) sellers (para 4)
(ii) increased (para 7)

Ans. (a) (ii) no one stared at him.

(b) (ii) Heaven Lake

(c) (iv) there were thick quilts on the bed.

(d) (ii) a shining prism

(e) The two things that made the narrator uncomfortable are the overpowering smell of the goat’s cheese being eaten by the man sitting behind and the leaking of the bus windows.

(f) A few cattle drink at a clear stream flowing past moss-covered stones made the scene look like a Constable Landscape.

(g) As the bus climbed higher, the narrator regretted of not bringing anything warm to wear.

(h) The narrator liked to buy food from outside as kababs, cooked on skewers over charcoal braziers were good, highly-spiced and well-done.

(i) The pair of trousers lent by Mr. Cao are several sizes too large but more than comfortable.

(j) Mr. Cao did not like the narrator to swim in the lake because many people drowned there.

(k) (i) vendors
(ii) exaggerated

Q2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (10)

1. Thackeray reached Kittur along with a small British army force and a few of his officers. He thought that the very presence of the British on the outskirts of Kittur would terrorise the rulers and people of Kittur and that they would lay down their arms. He was quite confident that he would be able to crush the revolt in no time. He ordered that tents be erected on the eastern side for the fighting forces and a little away on the western slopes tents be put up for the family members of the officers who had accompanied them. During the afternoon and evening of 20^th October, the British soldiers were busy making arrangements for these camps.

2. On the 21^st morning, Thackeray sent his political assistants to Kittur fort to obtain a written assurance from all the important officers of Kittur rendering them answerable for the security of the treasury of Kittur. They, accordingly, met Sardar Gurusiddappa and other officers of Kittur and asked them to comply with the orders of Thackeray. They did not know that the people were in a defiant mood. The commanders of Kittur dismissed the agent’s orders as no documents could be signed without sanction from Rani Chennamma.

3. Thackeray was enraged and sent for his commander of the Horse Artillery, which was about 100 strong, ordered him to rush his artillery into the fort and capture the commanders of the Desai’s army. When the Horse Artillery stormed into the fort, Sardar Gurusiddappa, who had kept his men on full alert, promptly commanded his men to repel and chase them away. The Kittur forces made a bold front and overpowered the British soldiers.

4. In the meanwhile, the Desai’s guards had shut the gates of the fort and the British Horse Artillery men, being completely overrun and routed, had to get out through the escape window. Rani’s soldiers chased them out of the fort, killing a few of them until they retreated to their camps on the outskirts.

5. A few of the British had found refuge in some private residences, while some were hiding in their tents. The Kittur soldiers captured about forty persons and brought them to the palace. These included twelve children and a few women from the British officers’ camp. When they were brought in the presence of the Rani, she ordered the soldiers to be imprisoned. For the women and children, she had only gentleness, and admonished her soldiers for taking them into custody. At her orders, these women and children were taken inside the palace and given food and shelter. Rani came down from her throne, patted the children lovingly and told them that no harm would come to them.

6. She, then, sent word through a messenger to Thackeray that the British women and children were safe and could be taken back any time. Seeing this noble gesture of the Rani, he was moved. He wanted to meet this gracious lady and talk to her. He even thought of trying to persuade her to enter into an agreement with the British to stop all hostilities in lieu of an inam (prize) of eleven villages. His offer was dismissed with a gesture of contempt. She had no wish to meet Thackeray. That night she called Sardar Gurusiddappa and other leading Sardars and after discussing all the issues came to the conclusion that there was no point in meeting Thackeray who had come with an army to threaten Kittur into submission to British sovereignty.

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage complete the statements given below with the help of options that follow:

(a) Thackeray was a/an:
(i) British tourist
(ii) army officer
(iii) adviser to Rani of Kittur
(iv) treasury officer

(b) British women and children came to Kittur to:
(i) visit Kittur
(ii) enjoy life in tents
(iii) stay in the palace
(iv) give company to officers

Answer the following questions briefly:

(c) Why did Thackeray come to Kittur?
(d) Why did the Kittur officials refuse to give the desired assurance to Thackeray?
(e) What happened to the Horse Artillery?
(f) How do we know that the Rani was a noble queen?
(g) How in your opinion would the British women have felt after meeting the Rani?
(h) Why did the Rani refuse to meet Thackeray?
(i) Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following:
i. entered forcibly (para 3)
ii. aggressive/refusing to obey (para 2)

Ans. (a) (ii) treasury officer

(b) (iv) give company to officers

(c) Thackeray came to Kittur to terrorise the rulers and people of Kittur so that they would lay down their arms.

(d) Kittur officials refused to give the desired assurance to Thackeray as no documents could be signed without sanction from Rani Chennamma.

(e) When the Horse Artillery stormed into the fort, Sardar Gurusiddappa, who had kept his men on full alert, commanded his men to chase them away. The British Horse Artillery men, being completely overrun and routed, had to get out through the escape window.

(f) The Kittur soldiers had captured forty persons, including twelve children and a few women. For the women and children, Rani had only gentleness. She took them inside the palace and gave them food and shelter.

(g) The British women were touched by this gentle and noble gesture of the Rani. They would have felt safe and secured.

(h) The Rani refused to meet Thackeray because he had come with an army to threaten Kittur into submission to British sovereignty.

(i) (i) stormed
(ii) defiant

Q3. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (8)

The most alarming of man’s assaults upon the environment is the contamination of air, earth, rivers, and sea with lethal materials. This pollution is for the most part irrevocable; the chain of evil it initiates is for the most part irreversible. In this contamination of the environment, chemicals are the sinister partners of radiation in changing the very nature of the world; radiation released through nuclear explosions into the air, comes to the earth in rain, lodges into the soil,

enters the grass or corn, or wheat grown there and reaches the bones of a human being, there to remain until his death. Similarly, chemicals sprayed on crops lie long in soil, entering living organisms, passing from one to another in a chain of poisoning and death. Or they pass by underground streams until they emerge and combine into new forms that kill vegetation, sicken cattle, and harm those who drink from once pure wells.

It took hundreds of millions of years to produce the life that now inhabits the earth and reached a stage of adjustment and balance with its surroundings. The environment contained elements that were hostile as well as supporting. Even within the light of the sun, there were short wave radiations with power to injure. Given time, life has adjusted and a balance reached. For time is the essential ingredient, but in the modern world is no time.

The rapidity of change and the speed with which new situations are created follow the heedless pace of man rather than the deliberate pace of nature. Radiation is no longer the bombardment of cosmic rays; it is now the unnatural creation of man’s tampering with the atom. The chemicals to which life is asked to make adjustments are no longer merely calcium and silica and copper and all the rest of the minerals washed out of the rocks and carried in the rivers to the sea; they are the synthetic creations of man’s inventive mind, brewed in his laboratories, and having no counterparts in nature.

(a) On the basis of your understanding of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary-minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Also supply a title to it.

(b) Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.

Ans. (a) PATH TO ANNIHILATION
1. Humans Exploiting Nature
1. A. contamination of environment
1. A.I. Rd, ch
1. B. irrevocable damage

2. Self-Destruction
2. A. ch causing poisoning
2. B. rd causing deaths

3. What are humans Missing Out?
3. A. bal with nature
3. B. humans progressing swiftly
3. C. nature unable to cope

4. Worsening Situation
4. A. mutilation
4. B. atomic bomb destruction
4. C.synthetic malts

(b) Our Environment is slowly being destroyed by human, and the main culprit being the chemicals along with the harmful nuclear radiations. We are exposed to them through a ‘poison and death chain’. The chemicals enter the soil through rain or repeated sprinkling on crops and enter our body. The environment has been exposed to these difficulties always. Everyone has fought and evolved to adjust with nature, as these atrocities came from nature itself. But the man-made challenges are difficult to deal with.

Q4. RJ Public School is located in a Central Government employee’s residential colony. Cultural Society of the school has decided to organise a fancy-dress show on 25^th of January in which each participant will wear the dress particular to his/her region. The aim is to show the cultural diversity of India. As Secretary write a notice in about 50 words inviting the names of those who want to participate. (4)

OR

An NGO has approached your school to offer book grants to the needy students. As Head girl of Sunshine Public School, Aram Bagh, write a notice in about 50 words asking students who are in need to put their requests into the box kept outside the Principal’s office.
Ans.

RJ Public School, Central Govt. Employees Residential Colony NOTICE15th January, 2017FANCY DRESS SHOWThis is to inform all the students that a fancy dress show is going to be organised by the Cultural Society of the school. The theme for the show is ‘Regional Outfits’. The show aims at displaying the cultural diversity of India. The details of the event are as follows:Date: 25th January, 2017 Time: 11:00:am onwards Venue: School AuditoriumStudents who are willing to participate should contact the undersigned latest by 22nd January, 2017.Ragini Joshi (Secretary)

OR

Sunshine Public School, Aram Bagh NOTICE15th January, 2017BOOK GRANTS FOR STUDENTSThis is to inform all the students that an NGO has approached the school authorities to offer Book Grants to the students who are unable to afford certain books. Students who wish to apply for the grant can send their names as per the details mentioned below:Date: 25th January, 2017 and 5th February, 2017 Time: 11:00:am to 1:00:pm Venue: Drop-box, outside Principal’s OfficeFor any further details, kindly contact the undersigned.Ragini Joshi (Head Girl)

Q5. You are Principal, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Ramnagar. The number of students in the computer class is increasing. Next year starting in April 2017, you will need 25 more computers in your lab. Write a letter in 120-150 words to the Commissioner, K.V. Sangathan for funds. (6)

OR

You are Ashish/Nimmi Dhar B-94 Fort Road, Jammu. You have read the advertisement given below. You are qualified for the job. Write an application in 120-150 words along with a resume.

India Chemical Industries, Delhi requires Accounts Officers Qualification: B.Com. Experience: Minimum 4 years Job requirement: Maintaining books of accounts, preparation
of Balance Sheet etc. Salary: Best in the industry Apply to : Managing Director ICI, B-12 Barakhamba Road, New Delhi

Ans.

Kendriya Vidyalaya
Ramnagar – 110033

25th January, 2017

The Commissioner
Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan
Ramnagar – 110022

Respected Sir,

Subject: Request for funds to buy twenty-five new computers

I Ragini Joshi, the Principal of Kendriye Vidyalaya, Ramnagar, would like to bring it to your notice that the number of students in the computer class is set to increase in the upcoming academic year beginning April 2017.

In order to cater to the rising demand of students, we will have to install twenty-five new computers in the computer lab. It is my humble request to you to kindly grant us a sum of 7 lakh INR, as soon as possible so that the students can be tutored in the subject properly.

Thanking you in anticipation

Yours truly,
Ragini Joshi
(Principal, K.V., Ramnagar)

OR

B-94, Ford Road
Jammu

20th January 2017

The Managing Director, ICI
B-12, Barakhamba Road
New Delhi

Dear Sir/ Madam

Subject: Job Application for the position of accounts officer

I am Nimmi Dhar, a post-graduate in Commerce from Jammu University. I wish to apply for the position of ‘accounts officer’ in your reputed company. I came to know about the vacancy through the newspaper “The Times of India” dated January 19, 2017.

Please find my resume attached for the purpose. I would like to add that I am a very hardworking girl with a keen interest in accounting and finance. My academic qualification, age and other eligibility conditions agree to those specified by the company for the job.

I thank you in anticipation for an early response.

Yours truly,
Nimmi Dhar

Curriculum Vitae

Name: Nimmi Dhar

Address: B-94 Fort Road, Jammu

Telephone number: 11223344

E-mail ID: nimmidhar@abc.com

Date of birth: 5th April 1988

Academic Qualification:

Examination	Board/ University	Course	Year	Division
S.S.C	CBSE	Commerce	2008	First
Graduation	Jammu University	B.Comm	2011	First
Post-Graduation	Jammu University	M.Comm	2013	First

Experience: ABC Finances (August 2013 – Present)

• Preparing balance sheets
• Salary computation
• Fund management and cost projection
• Maintaining account books

Skills: Working on M.S. Office

Languages known: English, Hindi, Punjabi

Hobbies and Interests: Writing, reading, traveling

Achievements: Awarded with the ‘Employee of The Year ‘for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016)

References: Mr. Rohan Joshi, (Deputy Manager, ABC Finances)

Q6. Our performance in Rio Olympics has told us that we do not pay enough attention to athletics and outdoor games. It is time we revised our attitude. Sports should be an important part of school’s daily routine. Write an article in 150-200 words in ‘Importance of Outdoor Games’. You are Sreeja/Thomas. (10)

OR

Cultural Society Sunshine Public School, Nellore organised an adult literacy camp in its neighbourhood. Write a report in 150-200 words on the camp for your school newsletter. You are P.V. Sunitha, Secretary. Use the following clues: no. of volunteers – hours spent in teaching – location of the class – chairs, blackboards – no. of people attending the camp – benefit.

Ans.

Importance of Outdoor Games

By Sreeja

Games like cricket, hockey, tennis, football and badminton are outdoor games that are played in the open. They are games that involve physical activity and also a spirit of healthy competition. Outdoor games are important to relax ourselves and to charge our batteries, as the proverb goes ‘All work and no play maks Jack a dull boy’.

In this age, where children are suffering from obesity, outdoor activities form an important part of their curriculum. Outdoor games also have long term benefits on health. They help the kids stay fit and healthy, and as they feel tired at the end of the day, they will sleep on time as well.

Outdoor games develop a competitive spirit and also boosts up their confidence level and self-esteem. They learn to interact, and also to build strategies to win. In this tech savvy age, it is very important for the children to leave their televisions, laptops and videos games. They should go out and learn the importance of outdoor activities in their daily routine.

OR

Adult Literacy Camp

P.V. Sunitha
Secretary, Cultural Society
Sunshine Public School, 9 March 2017

An adult literacy camp was organized on 8 March 2017 in our neighbourhood. The activities of the camp were carried out by the cultural society of the school and there was a total of 20 volunteers. The chief guest for this occassion was Mrs. Kavita Naik, a renowned social worker. There were 500 people who were a part of the camp. They were divided into different groups and free classes were given to them. A cleanliness drive was also organized to teach them the importance of cleanliness. There was also a small talk on ethics, moral values, discipline and punctuality. Free books and stationary were distributed to them. Later, the chief guest presented the volunteers with appreciation certificates. She congratulated everyone for organizing this noble event.

Q7. Your PGT English Ms. Geetha is a short story writer also. ‘Sky is not Far’ is a collection of her latest short stories. This book has won a national award. Write a speech in 150-200 words you will deliver in her honour in the morning assembly. (10)

OR

‘Private cars should be banned in the congested commercial areas of the cities.’ Write a debate in 150-200 words either for or against the motion.

Ans.

Honouring the Gem amongst us – Ms. Geetha

I feel honoured and privileged to have been given the opportunity to stand before you all and say a few words of appreciation for our very own and beloved Ms. Geetha (PGT, English). What a person she is! She has not only inspired us to evolve as students and better human beings but has also, given us the courage to believe in our dreams and try to fulfill them.

Good morning to one and all present here. I Ragini Joshi, on behalf of the students of Bachelor’s in English is going to present a speech in the honour of the author of the national award winning book ‘Sky Is Not Far’. The book is a collection of short stories penned by her. As the title itself suggests, the book is a set of stories which are not just tales but are an account of inspirational journeys, undertook by common people and achieving not so common goals in life.

Ms. Geetha, through her stories, not just the ones she has written in the book, but the ones she told us in class, has inspired each one of us and made us believe that sky is the limit and of course, ‘it is not so far’. I am proud to say that I have been one of the students in her class, who has looked up to her and is a huge fan of her master pieces.

Thank you, ma’am, for mentoring us and making us believe that though life may not be a bed of roses, there is nothing which is impossible to achieve.

Thank You

OR

Respected judges and teachers.

Today, I stand before you to present my views for the motion on the topic ‘private cars should be banned in the congested commercial areas of the cities’.

There is no end to the number of vehicles being driven around the city each day. Traffic jam has become a rather common problem and it has only increased in the last ten years. In my opinion, allowing private cars to congested commercial areas only adds to the problem. Long traffic jams do not only mean consumption of extra fuel but also means that more number of people would suffer from respiratory diseases due to pollution. If people take the public transport to work or hire a cab which runs on CNG and comes with an option of pooling, the problem of constantly rising pollution and heavy traffic jams can be reduced by many-folds.

The earth belongs to all of us and it is our duty to safeguard it and keep it clean for our future generations. Thus, the first step towards protecting our environment would be to stop abusing the available amount of petroleum and avoid creating pollution.

Thank you for listening to my views patiently.

Q8. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow: 1 × 4 = (4)

Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces.
Like rootless weeds, the hair torn round their pallor;
The tall girl with her weighed-down head.
(a) Who are these children?
(b) Which figure of speech has been used in the first two lines?
(c) Why is the tall girl’s head weighed down?
(d) What does the word, ‘pallor’ mean?

OR

Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.
(a) Why are the tigers called Aunt Jennifer’s tigers?
(b) How are they described here?
(c) How are they different from Aunt Jennifer?
(d) What does the word, ‘chivalric’ mean?

Ans.  (a) The poet is talking about the children who go to the elementary school in a slum.

(b) The two figures of speech used in the two lines are:

Alliteration – ‘Far from gusty waves’

Simile – ‘Like rootless weeds’

(c) The head of the tall girl is weighed down because she is ill and exhausted.

(d) The word ‘pallor’ describes the pale and unhealthy appearance of the slum children.

OR

(a) The tigers are called Aunt Jennifer’s tiger as they are knitted by her. With their chivalrous, ferocious, bright and carefree attitude, she creates an alternate world for herself.

(b) Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are described as ferocious, fearless, always harmful, sleek and chivalric.

(c) The tigers are depicted as brave, strong, confident and happy. They are fearless beings and the presence of men does not scare them a bit. Contrarily, Aunt Jennifer is burdened by a life which, most probably, others chose for her.

(d) The word ‘chivalric’ refers to the confidence of the tigers about their power and brevity in their actions.

Q9. Answer any four of the following questions in 30-40 words each:

(a) What did Franz wonder about when he entered the class that day?
(b) What shocking experience did Douglas have at YMCA pool?
(c) Why does Kamala Das compare her mother to ‘a pale winter’s moon’?
(d) What rich bountry has the heaven given us? (A Thing of Beauty)
(e) Why did the Maharaja have to pay a bill of three lakh rupees to the British jewellers?
(f) What problem did Roger Skunk face when he went to play with his friends. How did he solve it?

Ans. (a) That day when Franz entered class, he wondered something was not correct about the day. He feared some bad news was waiting for him. He had all these thoughts because there was no usual hustle-bustle of the classroom which could be heard out in the street (the opening and closing of the desks, repetition of lessons in unison very loud ,the teachers great ruler rapping on the table). The teacher was wearing his beautiful green coat, his frilled shirt and his little black silk cap all embroidered, and on the back benches of the classroom, the villagers were sitting like students.

b) Douglas refers to the incident at the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool where he almost drowned as a “misadventure.” The author was about ten or eleven years old at the time and had barely begun to learn swimming, primarily by aping others. As he was thrown suddenly into the water by someone and he couldn’t swim, he started drowning. The struggle to come to surface and to avoid getting drowned left him with a deep fear of water which deprived him from enjoying water-related activities for many years.

c) With the growing age, the poet’s mother has started losing all her vitality and radiance. The poet uses the simile of ‘late winter’s moon’ for her mother to indicate her approaching death. Winter, being the last season of the year, is synonymous with lifelessness and dormancy. Also, a winter’s moon is pale-white in colour bearing close resemblance with her mother who, having lost all her strength and beauty, looks ’wan’ and ‘pale’ to the poet. Her mother, too, is in the last phase of her life.

d) The above line is taken from the poem “A Thing Of Beauty” written by John Keats. Through the poem Keats reveals to the readers the immortality of the nature. Beauty of nature is boundless and know no limits. Heaven which is known to be the most beautiful paradise, is the bounty of the earth. The bounty of the earth is like an endless fountain that pours the beauty of nature over the mankind. This beauty is called the heaven’s immortal drink that constantly pours into our hearts and moves away the “pall” from our “dark spirits”. The peace we derive from this immortal drink is also eternal as it washes away the malice from the soul and refreshes it with love and kindness.

e) The Maharaja had not allowed the British officer to hunt tigers in kingdom and so there was fear of losing his own kingdom to the British. So, the King thought of a plan to lure the officer and his wife by extending some really expensive gift. So he oredered few rings worth three lakh of rupees from a jeweller and sent them to duraisani. The bill raised was the price of those rings.

f) Roger Skunk had a problem, he smelled foul. It was because of his stink, nobody mingled with him. Even his friend avoided him. They did not play with him. For this reason Roger used to remain disturbed. He cried for this.
To find a solution to his problem he went to the wise owl, who suggested him to meet the wizard. He went to meet the wizard. The wizard helped him to get rid of the foul smell by some spell. After the magic charm he was smelling like roses. The wizard asked for seven pennies for his work. However, Roger had only four pennies.

Q10. Answer the following question in 120-150 words: (6)
Garbage to them is gold. How do ragpickers of Seemapuri survive?

OR

The peddler thinks that the whole world is a rattrap. This view of life is true only of himself and of no one else in the story. Comment.

Ans. Seemapuri is a place on the outskirts of New Delhi. Those who live there are unlawful residents who came from Bangladesh in 1971. It is a place where about 10,000 ragpickers live. They live without identity and have no basic amenities, yet they are happy here because they could get food which is more important than identity. It is a slum where they could find many things and rag picking was their only means of survival.
Rag picking is the means of survival for the ragpickers. According to the author, it is their “daily bread, a roof over their heads, even if it is a leaking roof”. Thus, it is equivalent to gold for them. Besides, for the children it is “wrapped in wonder” for they, at times, chance upon “a rupee, even a ten-rupee note”

OR

The life of the peddler is bound with loneliness. This idea of being completely alone made the peddler a cynic. After stealing the money, the peddler tried to escape through the forest but soon got lost. Left in despair, he recollected his own thoughts on the world being a giant rattrap. A sudden realisation came to him that he had finally got himself caught in the rattrap because he allowed himself to be tempted by the bait, the thirty kronor bills. Even the kindness of the ironmaster and especially his daughter failed to make the peddler optimistic about the world.

The rattrap seller expressed himself strongly realising that the worldly bait had, once more, tempted and trapped him. Unlike the other characters in the story, peddler is the only one who got succumbed to loneliness and is far away from the human bonds of love and sympathy that made him the cynic and consider the world as a rattrap.

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