1. education
2. school

CBSE SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER–2013
(with Value-based Question)
Time allowed: 3 hours
Max. Marks: 100
General Instructions:
1. All the questions are compulsory.
2. Your answer should be to the point, try to stick to the word limit given.
Section A: Reading
20 Marks
Q.1. Read the passage given below and then answer the questions which follow:
(12 marks)
1 In spite of all the honours that we heaped upon him, Pasteur, as has been said,
remained simple at heart. Perhaps the imagery of his boyhood days, when he drew the
familiar scenes of his birthplace, and the longing to be a great artist, never wholly left
him. In truth he did become a great artist, though after his sixteenth year he
abandoned the brush for ever. Like every artist of worth, he put his whole soul and
energy into his work, and it was this very energy that in the end wore him out. For him,
each sufferer was something more than just a case that was to be cured. He looked upon
the fight against hydrophobia as a battle, and he was absorbed in his determination to
win. The sight of injured children, particularly, moved him to an indescribable extent.
He suffered with his patients, and yet he would not deny himself a share in that
suffering. His greatest grief was when sheer physical exhaustion made him give up his
active work. He retired to the estate at Villeneuve Etang, where he had his kennels for
the study of rabies, and there he passed his last summer, as his great biographer,
Vallery Radot, has said, “practising the Gospel virtues.”
2 “He revered the faith of his father,” says the same writer, “and wished without
ostentation or mystery to receive its aid during his last period.”
3 The attitude of this man to the science he had done so much to perfect can be best
summed up in a sentence that he is reputed to have uttered once, concerning the
materialism of many of his contemporaries in similar branches of learning to his own:
“The more I contemplate the mysteries of Nature, the more my faith becomes like that
of a peasant.”
4 But even then in retirement he loved to see his former pupils, and it was then he would
reiterate his life principles: “Work,” he would say, “never cease to work.” So well had he
kept this precept that he began rapidly to sink from exhaustion.
5 Finally on September 27, 1895, when someone leant over his bed to offer him a cup of
milk, he said sadly: “I cannot,” and with a look of perfect resignation and peace, seemed
to fall asleep. He never again opened his eyes to the cares and sufferings of a world,
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which he had done so much to relieve and to conquer. He was within three months of his
seventy-third birthday.
6 Thus passed, as simply as a child, the man whom the French people were to vote at a
plebiscite as the greatest man that France had ever produced. Napoleon, who has
always been considered the idol of France, was placed fifth.
7 No greater tribute could have been paid to Louis Pasteur, the tanner’s son, the
scientist, the man of peace, the patient worker for humanity.
1.1
Answer the following questions:
(9 marks)
(a) Even accolades and honours did not change the simple man that Pasteur was.
Give reasons.
2
Ans:
(b) How did Pasteur view those who suffered from diseases?
1
(c) How did Pasteur engage himself in the estate?
2
(d) What advice did he always give to his pupils?
2
(e) How did France, the country of his birth, honour this great scientist?
2
(a) Pasteur did not change from the simple man that he was because he continued to
live in his childhood. He also remained a simple-hearted person always. Pasteur
used to paint and he always wished to be a painter.
(b) Pasteur believed that the sufferer was something more than just a case to be dealt
with and cured.
(c) Pasteur retired to the estate at Villeneune Estang and conducted a study on rabies.
He also practised the gospel virtues.
(d) Pasteur advised his pupils never to stop working. According to him, work was the
most important of life’s principles.
(e) The greatest tribute that was paid to Louis Pasteur was that the French people
voted him as the greatest man that France had ever produced.
1.2
Find the words from the passage which mean the same as:
(3 marks)
(a) To give up (para 1)
(b) People belonging to the same period (para 3)
(c) Vote by the people of the country to decide a matter of national importance
(para 6)
Ans:
(a) Abandoned
(b) Contemporaries
(c) Plebiscite
Q.2. Read the passage given below:
(8 marks)
Residents of the Bhirung Raut Ki Gali, where Ustad Bismillah Khan was born on
March 21, 1916, were in shock. His cousin, 94-year-old Mohd Idrish Khan had tears in
his eyes. Shubhan Khan, the caretaker of Bismillah’s land, recalled: “Whenever in
Dumaraon, he would give rupees two to the boys and rupees five to the girls of the locality.”
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He was very keen to play shehnai again in the local Bihariji’s Temple where he had
started playing shehnai with his father, Bachai Khan, at the age of six. His original
name was Quamaruddin and became Bismillah only after he became famous as a
shehnai player in Varanasi.
His father Bachai Khan was the official shehnai player of Keshav Prasad Singh, the
Maharaja of the erstwhile Dumaraon estate, Bismillah used to accompany him. For
Bismillah Khan, the connection to music began at a very early age. By his teens, he had
already become a master of the shehnai. On the day India gained freedom, Bismillah
Khan, then a sprightly 31-year-old, had the rare honour of playing from Red Fort. But
Bismillah Khan won’t just be remembered for elevating the shehnai from an
instrument heard only in weddings and naubatkhanas to one that was appreciated in
concert halls across the world. His life was a testimony to the plurality that is India. A
practising Muslim, he would take a daily dip in the Ganga in his younger days after a
bout of kusti in Benia Baga Akhada. Every morning, Bismillah Khan would do riyaaz at
the Balaji Temple on the banks of the river. Even during his final hours in a Varanasi
hospital, music didn’t desert Bismillah Khan. A few hours before he passed away early
on Monday, the shehnai wizard hummed a thumri to show that he was feeling better.
This was typical of a man for whom life revolved around music.
Throughout his life he abided by the principle that all religions are one. What marked
Bismillah Khan was his simplicity and disregard for the riches that come with
musical fame. Till the very end, he used a cycle-rickshaw to travel around Varanasi.
But the pressure of providing for some 60 family members took its toll during his later
years.
2.1
On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes using headings
and sub-headings. Use recognisable abbreviations where necessary. (5 marks)
Ans: Notes
1. Shock at the demise
1.1 Cousin – tears in eyes
Abbreviations Used
Rs.
–
Rupees
1.2.1 Giving two Rs. - boys
Org.
–
Original
1.2.2 Five Rs. to girls
Temp. –
Temple
Rec.
–
Recognised
Pld.
–
Played
2.2 Play shehnai at temp. – with father
Fml.
–
Family
2.3 Rec. as Bismillah at Varanasi
Mem. –
1.2 Caretaker recalled
2. His early life
2.1 Org. name Quamaruddin
3. Music as family heritage
3.1 Father court poet at Dumaraon
3.2 Pld. shehnai from age six
3.3 at 31, pld. shehnai – Red Fort – 1947
Members
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4. Daily routine in Varanasi
4.1 Take a dip in the Ganga
4.2 Riyaaz at Balaji temple
4.3 Before his last breath – hummed thumri
4.4 Used cycle-rickshaw to travel
4.5 Bread-earner for 60 fml. mem.
5. Bismillah beyond religion
5.1 Main principle – all religions one
5.2 Life testimony of plurality
5.3 Practising Muslim
2.2
Make a summary of the above passage in not more than 80 words using the
notes made and also suggest a suitable title.
(3 marks)
Ans: Ustad Bismillah Khan was born and brought up at Dumaraon and got the taste of
music at a very early stage of life. He started accompanying his father who was an
official musician at the Estate of Dumaraon. He got an honour to play shehnai at Red
Fort on the occasion of independence. He believed that all religions are one. He led a life
of simplicity. Music was his soul and even on his deathbed, he hummed thumri in the
hospital at Varanasi.
Title: Tribute to Bismillah Khan
Section B: Advanced Writing Skills
Q.3
35 Marks
A.K. International School is looking for a receptionist for the school. Write an
advertisement on behalf of the administrative officer in the classified
columns of the local newspaper giving necessary details. Draft the
advertisement in not more than 50 words.
(5 marks)
Or
Suman/Suresh has cleared the Pre-Medical Dental Entrance Examination. The
family is elated at the achievement and they decide to have a get-together for
all friends. Draft an informal invitation for the get-together.
Ans:
A.K. International School is looking for a young talented receptionist with a
pleasant personality. She should have a good command over spoken English.
An MBA graduate in the age group of 20-25 years should apply to the
administrative officer of the school before 10th March at 24, College Street,
New Delhi-88.
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Or
265, Harshdeep Society
Dwarka
New Delhi
12th August, 20XX
Dear Friends
You shall be pleased to know that Suman has cleared the Pre-Medical Dental Entrance
Examination. To celebrate this moment of happiness, we would like to invite all her
friends for a small get-together at her residence. This is a surprise party for her on the
20th of August at 6.00 p.m. So please make yourself available at our residence and join
in the congratulatory party and wish her good luck. Your presence shall be highly
solicited. Hoping to see you on time.
Yours sincerely
Kalpana
(Mother of Suman)
Q.4. You are Shekhar/Tripta a student of A.P. Public School. Principals of two
schools from Bhutan visited your school as part of a cultural exchange
programme. Students of the school put up a cultural show in their honour.
Write a report about it for your school magazine. (100-125 words) (10 marks)
Or
It was raining heavily. You were walking to your house after the school, when
suddenly you saw a huge neem tree coming down and falling on the pavement
and the road thereby hitting a car parked on the pavement. The traffic came
to a standstill. Describe the chaotic traffic scene in 100-125 words.
Ans:
Cultural Exchange Programme
(By Tripta, Cultural Society Member, Std. XII)
Our school was, very recently, honoured to have principals of two schools from Bhutan
visiting us. The visit was under the aegis of cultural exchange programme being
organized by the Government of India for a better harmonious relationship with
Bhutan. Students of the Dance Club, Music Club, Dramatics Club and the Poetry
Society got together to put up an excellent cultural show in their honour.
The programme began with the lighting of the lamp by our Principal Madam and the
few guests from Bhutan; along with the chanting of verses from the Bhagwad Gita. This
was followed by a patriotic group song and dance drama. Next was a poetry
presentation. There were a few more presentations like a welcome song, classical and
western dance mix presentation. The visiting principals were surprised to see the
varied and rich culture of our country India. They also invited the principal, teachers
and students of our school to Bhutan so that there can be an educational and cultural
exchange programme between students of India and Bhutan. Our principal conveyed
her acceptance to the invitation extended from Bhutan and gave her vote of thanks. All
in all, it was an enriching experience for everyone and all left with the hope that such
programmes shall be held more often.
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Xam idea English (Core)–XII
Or
Disaster on the Streets
The monsoon had arrived late. But when it did arrive, it rained with a lot of storm and
furore. Everybody was very excited to get wet in the rain. But the thunder and
lightning that followed after the rain was very frightening. But somehow I had reached
my school before it started raining heavily. We all got busy with our classes and rain
had also subsided.
But the worst was yet to come. It was only just before the last period was to end that it
started raining and storm. While returning home, I took to the street that had less
traffic. But suddenly a neem tree fell right in front of us, about two blocks away, thereby
hitting a car parked and the pavement. The glass panes of the car were smashed to
pieces. Although nobody was injured, but the traffic on that road came to a standstill.
The cars on both sides had to take to service lane or other roads. The MCD was given a
call to get the tree removed from the way. I hope such accidents do not take place and
people should be more careful during rain and thunder.
Q.5.
You are Nitin/Natasha a student of Class XII at K.P.N. Public School,
Faridabad. The student is required to cope with lot of pressure in today’s
competitive environment. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily
highlighting the increasing stress faced by students and suggest ways to
combat the same.
(10 marks)
Or
You are Suresh/Smita. You come across the following advertisement in a
national daily. You consider yourself suitable and eligible for the post. Write
an application in response to the advertisement.
Applications are invited for the post of a Nursery Teacher in a reputed school of Delhi.
The candidate must have at least 5 years’ experience of teaching tiny-tots. The
applicant must have a pleasant personality. He/She should be creative and
innovative. Attractive salary. Interested candidates should apply to The Principal,
AKS International, Indirapuram, New Delhi within 10 days with detailed resume.
Ans: K.P.N. Public School,
Faridabad.
14 August 20XX
The Editor,
The Times of India
New Delhi-01
Sir,
Subject: Unbearable pressure an adolescent faces and how to cope
Through the esteemed columns of your newspaper, I would like to put forth my views
regarding the unbearable pressure on adolescents and how to cope with it. This
pressure is because of the increasing competition among students to score high marks.
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The children feel the pressure even more because they have no time for recreation.
The manifestation of this unbearable stress is in the form of anger and violent
behaviour be it in the house, in the school, among friends, on the streets or in public
display.
The best way to get rid of this stress is to indulge in games or practise yoga. One can get
involved with any hobby, be it dancing or singing or playing any instrument or
painting. Listening to good soothing music is another way of combating stress.
Our youth should not be bowed down by challenges; but face them boldly. Many people
work best under pressure. Hence the pressure to prove and achieve the best should be
taken as a challenge and not a burden.
I hope this article draws the attention of the youth and makes them think twice.
Yours sincerely
Natasha
Class XII
Or
45, R.K. Puram
New Delhi
14th August, 20XX
The Principal
AKS International
Indirapuram
New Delhi
Sir,
Subject: Application for the post of Nursery Teacher
This is with reference to the advertisement published in the Times of India, Delhi
edition regarding the job for the post of NTT in your school. I was very pleased to see
this vacancy in the newspaper as I was on the lookout for such a job. Earlier, I had been
working in Ramjas School, R.K. Puram, New Delhi for the last two years. But now, as
I am about to get married, I will have to shift to my in-laws’ place. I am hereby enclosing
my biodata and testimonials.
Waiting for an early positive response.
Yours sincerely
Smita
Name
Father’s Name
Date of Birth
Correspondence Address
BIODATA
:
SMITA THAKKAR
:
Raj Thakkar
:
24th Feb. 1985
:
45, R.K. Puram
New Delhi
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Xam idea English (Core)–XII
Educational Qualification
:
X – Mount Carmel – 88%
XII – Mount Carmel – 85%
B.A. (Hons.) – Delhi University – 80%
Professional Qualification
:
NTT, Delhi University – 80%
Experience
:
I have been serving Ramjas School,
R.K. Puram, as Nursery Teacher for the
last two years.
I hereby declare that all details are true to the best of my knowledge.
Yours sincerely
Smita
Q.6.
Some colleges conduct entrance test for admission to undergraduate courses
like English (Hons.) and Journalism (Hons.). Do you think that the entrance
test is the right method of selecting students? Write an article in about 150-200
words. You are Shan/Shweta, a student of class XII at A.P. International School,
Agra.
(10 marks)
Or
Computer games and video games have become popular with children today.
As a result, outdoor games seem to have no place in their life anymore. You
are Mukesh/Meena. You decide to write a speech to be delivered in the school
assembly on your experiences about the joys of playing outdoor games in
about 150-200 words.
Ans:
Admission Tests for Undergraduate Courses
(Shweta, Class XII, A.P. International School)
A new trend has developed in the process of admission for some undergraduate courses
like English (Hon.) and Journalism (Hon.). Some feel that this is totally wrong because
other courses do not ask to appear for entrance tests. It would be unnecessarily being
too strict for students offering these courses.
For those believing that such tests should be taken, they give enough reasons.
Language acquisition till class XII does not test the true abilities of the students. The
subject of language is not taken seriously, by either the science, commerce or
humanities stream students. Board results, some believe, do not reveal the true
potential of the child. Instead, entrance tests try to bring out their true capabilities.
Only those students who are serious about the course will take the tests. So these
entrance tests for some courses like journalism and English are a must according to
some critics. On the contrary, children and teachers believe that the child is already
under a lot of stress after studying this subject for the whole year. It would be unfair to
put so much of pressure on some students for entrance.
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Or
Outdoor Games a Must for Growth
By Mukesh
Good Morning Principal Mam, teachers and my dear friends.
Today I would like to speak about importance of outdoor games for good physique and
mental growth. Computer and video games have become popular with children today.
As a result, outdoor games seem to have no place in the lives of people.
Outdoor games always make us physically active, agile and alert.
Playing and running around with friends makes a child happy. It is exciting when we
play, fight, agree or disagree. At least it helps us to interact with each other. There is a
lot of exchange of ideas and thoughts when you go to play outdoors. There is a definite
increase in the number of friends. Hence social circle is broadened. Moreover, it is more
joyful than sitting alone on a computer and playing games and chatting.
Hence, it is an earnest appeal to one and all to indulge in outdoor games as it helps you
have a proper physical development. Only a healthy mind rests in a healthy body.
Thanks
Section C: Textbooks
45 Marks
Q.7. Read the following extract from the poems and answer the questions that
follow:
(3 marks)
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.
(a) Are Aunt Jennifer’s tigers real ? Give reasons for your answer.
1
(b) Why do the tigers not fear the men beneath the tree?
1
(c) What do you understand by ‘chivalric certainty’?
1
Or
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever
Its loveliness increases, it will never
Pass into nothingness; but will keep
A bower quiet for us.
Ans:
(a) ‘A thing of beauty is joy for ever.’ Explain.
1
(b) Why does a beautiful thing ‘pass into nothingness’?
1
(c) What does poet mean by ‘a bower quiet for us’ ?
1
(a) No, Aunt Jennifer’s tigers are not real. They are on a screen and they can be seen
woven on a panel.
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Xam idea English (Core)–XII
(b) The tigers do not fear the men beneath the tree because they are powerful. These
tigers are a symbol of chivalry.
(c) These tigers are very confident, brave and sure of their power. They are very
aware of the strength they possess.
Or
(a) A thing of beauty has a long lasting impact on anyone and anything that comes in
contact with her. A thing of beauty never moves into emptiness. We even think of
a thing of beauty in our dreams.
(b) Any beautiful thing leaves a long standing impression. It is not subject to time.
(c) Nature creates a bower which is a beautiful thing. It’s a shady place for one to sit
and ponder.
Q.8. Answer any three of the following questions in about 30-40 words.
(2×3 = 6 marks)
(a) According to Pablo Neruda, what is it that human beings can learn from
Nature?
(b) Why does Spender call Shakespeare wicked and the map a bad example?
(c) What kind of ordeals is Aunt Jennifer surrounded by?
(d) What is the significance of the parting words of the poet and her smile, in
‘My Mother at Sixty-six’?
Ans:
(a) Human beings can learn to be quiet and still. They can learn to grow at one’s own
place and be contented with what we have.
(b) Spender calls Shakespeare wicked and the map a bad example because these
have no meaning for the children of the slum. Moreover, they will tempt them to
steal.
(c) Aunt Jennifer is surrounded by the constraints of married life. The dominance of
the women by their husbands is a painful ordeal of marriage. The compulsion of
their domestic life and the responsibility towards the family is another
ceremonial ordeal of marriage.
(d) The smile and the parting words of the poet for her mother signify hope. She
makes a promise of visiting her mother again and soon. She also leaves behind on
an optimistic note with her smile for her mother to remember the face even after.
Q.9. Answer any three of the following questions in about 30-40 words.
(2×3= 6 marks)
(a) For Franz, what was much more tempting than going to school and why?
(b) Mention any two hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
(c) How did Douglas overcome ‘the old terror’?
(d) The crofter can be called a ‘good host’. Why?
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Ans:
291
(a) For Franz, it was more tempting to go out to play in the bright warm sun. He loved
to see the birds chirping in the open field. He desired to watch the Prussian
soldiers practise their drill. These were more tempting to observe than learning
the rules for participles.
(b) There is a chance of losing one’s eyesight. There is a possibility of skin burn too.
Although, the hazards are many—physical, emotional and economical.
(c) Douglas overcame the old fear by confidently continuing to swim on. The next
morning he dived into the lake, swam across to the other shore and back.
This is how he conquered his fear of water.
(d) The crofter welcomed the tramp. He offered him hot supper and gave him tobacco
to smoke. He also played cards with him. Thus, we can say that crofter was a good
host.
Q.10. Answer the following in about 125-150 words.
(10 marks)
Franz’s attitude towards school as well as towards M. Hamel changes when he
comes to know about the takeover of his village by Prussians. Do you agree?
Discuss with reference to the ‘The Last Lesson’.
Or
How did the Champaran episode prove to be a turning point in Gandhiji’s life?
Explain with the reference to the text, ‘Indigo’.
Ans: Franz had always been a shirker. He disliked going to school and learning his lessons
was a burden for him. He wanted to freak out instead of having to memorise the rules of
participles. He did not seem to have friendly feelings towards his teacher M. Hamel,
who, he felt, was strict and cranky. His feelings for his teacher, however, changed when
he reached school on the fateful day of the last lesson. During the lesson, a grim
realisation dawned on him that he could barely write the language and how suddenly
he was being deprived of the opportunity of learning his language. He was guilt-ridden
for having neglected his lessons and escaping school. His books which have always been
a burden and a nuisance for him suddenly became his prized possessions. The thought
of losing his teacher M. Hamel forever pained him and made him forget his iron ruler
and his cranky nature.
Or
What began as an attempt to fight injustice against the hapless peasants and to
alleviate their sufferings later turned out to be Gandhiji’s loud and clear pronouncement
that Britishers couldn’t order him about in his own country. It initiated the meek and
mute masses into courage. The episode established the efficacy of non-cooperation as a
means of fighting injustice. Gandhiji was appalled at the condition of the sharecroppers
in Champaran. He got a doctor for the village to help sick people. The value of
self-reliance was taught by Gandhiji and the people understood it well. He got support
from the lawyer to fight the case of sharecroppers. In this way, he tried to alleviate the
distressed peasants. Thus he made the ordinary people contribute in national freedom.
This became the turning point of his career.
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Q.11. Read the following and answer the question that follows:
(5 marks)
Then he turned to the blackboard, took a piece of chalk and, bearing on with all his
might, he wrote as large as he could—
“Vive La France!”
Abraham Lincoln, a former President of America said,
“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives.
I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”
After reading the lesson and the above quote of Abraham Lincoln you begin to
reflect on the lost spirit of patriotism amongst the youth in India due to which
there is no respect for one’s countrymen and no determination amongst the
youth to lead the country to a better future.
Write an article in about 100 words for a national magazine on the need for
revival of patriotic spirit amongst the youth in India.
Ans: Even after 66 years of independence, one is forced to ponder on the usage of the
country’s youth. Devoid of the attachment to moral values and traditions of one’s
family, the country’s youth seem to be value-starved. They seem to face a total crisis as
they are being brought up in nuclear families, in metropolitans, away from the rich
cultural heritage of villages.
Violence in towns and cities, separation from roots, families, and also among parents,
the inter- and intra-group conflicts and political apathy is the reigning order of the
day.
We Indians, born in free India, have although reaped the harvest of a secure freedom,
but not utilised freedom in its true perspective. This is the right time for the young
people to wake up and create their own identity. The need of the hour is good leadership
and governance.
We need to inculcate the spirit of nationalism along with humanism in children right
from the beginning.
Q.12. Answer the following in about 125-150 words.
(7 marks)
‘The modern consumerist world is full of fear, insecurities, stress and wars.’
What are the ways in which we try to combat them? Answer with reference to
‘The Third Level’.
Or
How can we say that Antarctica is the best place to study and understand
about Earth’s present, past and future? Answer with reference to, ‘Journey to
the End of the Earth’.
Ans.: Insecurity of war, worry, fear and stress rob man of his peace of mind. Thus our
subconscious mind constantly forces the invasion of tension and anxiety. Stripped of all
thrill and excitement, modern man rather than living life in the real senses of the world
merely goes through the process of existing. In order to get out of this quagmire, he
turns to religion, world of fiction, fantasy, hobbies, sports, music and creativity. These
things divert man’s attention from harsh realities. Thus man experiences some sort of a
relief from his worries. The degree of involvement in these activities ascertains the
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293
level of calmness he attains. The tranquillity that he experiences saves him from the
psychiatric problems caused by stress, strain and apprehension.
Or
Six hundred and fifty million years ago the present-day Antarctica was surrounded by
a giant amalgamated southern supercontinent called Gondwana. Thus Antarctica
belongs to ancient geological era when human beings had not yet evolved, the climate
was warm in the continent and supported a huge variety of flora and fauna. The
dinosaurs had been wiped out and mammals were beginning to evolve. At this
juncture, the Gondwana got separated into countries and shaped the globe as we see it
today.
Today Antarctica, the mysterious white continent on the South Pole holds the key to
the past, present and future of the planet. It is in a way responsible for the formation of
Cordilleran folds and pre-Cambrian granite shields as well as the appearance of South
America, India and Himalayas on the face of the earth.
No human markers –billboards and buildings are to be seen here, yet this continent is
live and kicking with a variety of living species like the penguins, seal, midges and
mites existing there and countless marine species thriving in the salt water under its
sheet of ice.
Since the planet is unravaged by human population and civilization, it remains
relatively pristine. Its ice-cores hold more than half-million-year-old carbon records
which are so crucial for the study of the past, present and future of our planet. Thus, it
is a perfect place to study how little changes in the environment can have big
repercussions. Thus Tishani Doshi is very right when she says, “If we want to study and
examine the earth’s past, present and future, Antarctica is the place to go”.
Q.13. Answer the following briefly (30-40 words).
(2×4=8 marks)
(a) Even though the Maharaja lost `3 lakhs, he was still happy. Why?
(The Tiger King)
(b) In a short span of 12 thousand years man has managed to create a ruckus
on this earth. How?
(Journey to the End of the Earth)
(c) Why did Roger Skunk go in search of the wizard?
(Should Wizard Hit Mommy?)
(d) Mention any two reasons because of which it would take thirty minutes
to an hour for Bama to reach home.
(Memories of Childhood: We Too are Human Beings)
Ans:
(a) Maharaja had bought fifty diamond rings and sent to the wife of the British officer
to choose from. But she kept all of them and sent a thank you note. This is how he
managed to retain his kingdom and made her happy.
(b) Man has created villages, towns, cities and megacities by destroying nature. The
rapid increase of human population resulted in burning of fossil fuels and global
warming.
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Xam idea English (Core)–XII
(c) Everybody made fun of Roger Skunk as he gave out a foul smell. He was very
upset about it. Hence, he met the owl who advised him to go to the wizard who
would help him to give a pleasant smell.
(d) She would watch all the fun and games that were going on the road.
She would look at shops and bazaars, snake charmers, monkey performing etc.