CBSE Question Paper 2009 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.

SECTION – A
(READING)

1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. The role friends play in our lives has become significantly greater than at any other time in our history. Today many of us live and work at great distances from where we were born or we grew up and are separated from our original families. The pain we feel when we are away from our families can be significant.

2. The happiness of the individual relies on friendships which form a necessary human connection. It is perfectly normal to need and want friends and depression is more prevalent among those who lack friends. They lack the intimacy and richness friends can bring into our lives. Frequently friends reflect similar values to us. Yet these values are often different from the ones we grew up with; they are the values we created for ourselves in our adult lives.

3. Communication skills are fundamental in all friendships. The more friends and acquaintances one has, the greater are one’s communication skills. Some call these, people skills.

4. Like watering a plant, we grow our friendships (and all our relationships) by nurturing them. Friendships need the same attention as other relationships if they are to continue. These relationships can be delightfully non-judgmental, supportive, understanding and fun.

5. Sometimes a friendship can bring out the positive side that you never show in any other relationship. This may be because the pressure of playing a ‘role’ (daughter, partner or child) is removed. With a friend, you can be yourself and are free to change. Of course, you are free to do this in all other relationships as well, but in friendships, you get to have lots of rehearsals and discussion about changes as you experience them. It is an unconditional experience where you receive as much as you give. You can explain yourself to a friend openly without the fear of hurting a family member.

How do friendships grow? The answer is simple. By revealing yourself; being attentive; remembering what is most important to your friend and asking them about it; putting yourself in their position; showing empathy; seeing the world through the eyes of your friend, you will understand the value of friendship. All this means learning to accept a person from a completely different family to your own or perhaps someone from a completely different cultural background. This is the way we learn tolerance. In turn we gain tolerance and acceptance for our own differences.

6. Friendships are made by being considerate which means all the communication, skills come into play: active listening skills, questioning skills, negotiation skills, reflecting content skills, reflecting emotion skills, and editing yourself.

7. Friendships offer a great opportunity to learn about yourself because a friend can reflect back to you ‘how you come across in the world’. They also allow you to practice skills in dealing with ‘personal boundaries’ by looking after yourself as well as your friend. They help you develop resilience in relation to the wider social world beyond your family.

(a) (i) Why do friends play a more significant role today than ever before?

(ii) Why is friendship considered an essential human need?

(iii) How is friendship different from other relationships?

(iv) Mention two essential human values that help friendship to grow.

(v) Which communication skills help in building friendship?

(b) Pick out words from the passage which mean the same as each of the following:

(i) Basic essential (para 3)

(ii) Mutual discussion to reach an agreement (para 6)

(iii) Chance (para 7)

2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

Effective speaking depends on effective listening. It takes energy to concentrate on hearing and to concentrate on understanding what has been heard. Incompetent listeners fail in a number of ways. First, they may drift. Their attention drifts from what the speaker is saying. Second, they may counter. They find counter-arguments to whatever a speaker may be saying. Third, they compete. Then, they filter. They exclude from their understanding those parts of the message which do not readily fit with their own frame of reference. Finally, they react. They let personal feelings about speaker or subject override the significance of the message which is being sent.

What can a listener do to be more effective? The first key to effective listening is the art of concentration. If a listener positively wishes to concentrate on receiving a message his chances of success are high.

It may need determination. Some speakers are difficult to follow, either because of voice problems or because of the form in which they send a message. There is then a particular need for the determination of a listener to concentrate on what is being said.

Concentration is helped by alertness. Mental alertness is helped by physical alertness. It is not simply physical fitness but also positioning of the body, the limbs, and the head. Some people also find it helpful to their concentration if they hold the head slightly to one side. One useful way for achieving this is intensive note-taking, by trying to capture the critical headings and sub-headings the speaker is referring to.

Note-taking has been recommended as an aid to the listener. It also helps the speaker. It gives him confidence when he sees that listeners are sufficiently interested to take notes; the patterns of eye contact when the note-taker looks up can be very positive, and the speaker’s timing is aided – he can see when a note-taker is writing hard and can then make effective use of pauses.

Posture too is important. Consider the impact made by a less competent listener who pushes his chair backward and slouches. An upright posture helps a listener’s concentration. At the same time, it is seen by the speaker to be a positive feature amongst his listeners.  Effective listening skills have an impact on both the listener and the speaker.

(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations, wherever necessary.

(b) Write a summary of the passage in not more than 80 words using the notes made and also suggest a suitable title.

SECTION B
(ADVANCED WRITING SKILLS)

3. You want to sell your newly built flat. Draft a suitable advertisement not more than 50 words to be inserted in the classified columns of ‘The Hindu’ giving all necessary details. You are Niranjan, 247, J.P. Nagar, Bangalore. ORAs Secretary of the ‘Eco Club’ of St. Anne’s School, Ahmedabad, draft a notice in not more than 50 words informing the club members about the screening of Al Gore’s film, ‘Inconvenient Truth’ in the school’s audio visual room.

4. Alpha School recently organized a course in First Aid for students of senior classes. Vivek of Class XII writes a report on the programme giving necessary details for the school magazine. Write a report in 100 – 125 words.

OR

Write a factual description of the multistoried shopping mall in your locality in 100 — 125 words. Include details of layout, special facilities like ATM, restaurants, escalators etc.

5. You are Indu, a student of Class XII living at 131, Hans Apartments, Agra. You are interested in pursuing a course in Journalism. Write a letter in response to an advertisement issued by the Asian Institute of Journalism, Delhi in a national daily, seeking information about suitable courses, eligibility, fee structure, and placement opportunities.

OR

Write a letter to the Manager, Book World, Chennai, complaining about the delay in the supply of Class VII text books for the current academic year giving necessary details. Highlight the inconvenience caused due to it and seek an immediate supply of books. You are Rajini / Rajan, Manager, Book Store, Good Shepherd High School, Trichy.

6. Children living in cities are rarely seen playing outdoors in the neighborhood. Being busy with other attractions like the television and computer games, they miss the joy of outdoor play. Write an article in 150 – 200 words for the magazine, ‘Kids Talk’ highlighting the need and value of outdoor games. You are Vidya/Vinod.

OR

Today the 24-hour television news channels give us instant news from every nook and corner of the world. But the fact remains that the importance of the newspaper remains intact. Write an article in 150 – 200 words expressing your views on ‘The Relevance of Newspapers’. You are Sunil/ Sunita.

Last Year Question Paper Class 12 English Core 2009