AMITY INDIAN MILITARY COLLEGE, MANESAR

SECOND TERM ENGLISH PAPER, CLASS XII-2020-21

“It is far more honourable to fail than to cheat.”
Timing : 3hrs Max Marks : 80
General Instructions :
1. This paper is divided into two parts A and B.
2. All the questions are compulsory.
3. Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever
necessary. Read these instructions very carefully and follow them.
4. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.
Part -A (40 Marks)
1. Read the passage given below:( 10)
1. Many of us believe that ‘small’ means ‘insignificant’. We believe that
small actions and choices do not have much impact on our lives. We think
that it is only the big things, the big actions, and the big decisions that
really count. But when you look at the lives of all great people, you will
see that they built their character through small decisions, small choices,
and small actions that they performed every day. They transformed their
lives through step-by-step or day-by-day approach. Thy nurtured and
nourished their good habits and chipped away their bad habits, on by one.
It was their small day-to-day decisions that added up to make tremendous
difference in the long run. Indeed, in matters of personal growth and
character building, there is no such thing as an overnight success.
2. Growth always occurs through a sequential series of stages. There is an
organic process to growth. When we look at children growing up, we can
see this process at work: the child first learns to crawl, then to stand and
walk, and then finally to run. The same is true in the natural world. The
soil must first be tilled and then the seed must be sown. Next, it must be
nurtured with enough water and sunlight and only then will it grow into
trees laden with ripe fruits.
3. Gandhi understood this organic process and used this universal law of
nature to his benefit. Gandhi grew in small ways, in his day-to-day affairs.
He did not wake up one day and find himself to be the ‘Mahatma’. In fact,
there was nothing much in his early life that showed signs of greatness.
 But from his mid-twenties onwards, he deliberately and consistently
attempted to change himself, reform himself and grow in some small way
every day. Day by day, hour by hour, he risked failure, experimented and
learnt from mistakes. In small as well as large situations, he took up the
responsibility rather than avoiding it.
4. This is a common factor in the lives of all great people: they exercise their
freedoms and choices in small ways that make great impact on their lives
and their environment. Each of their small decisions and actions, add up to
have a profound impact in the long run. By understanding this principle,
we can move forward, with confidence, in the direction of our dreams.
Often when our ‘ideal goal’ looks too far from us, we become easily
discouraged, disheartened, and pessimistic. However, when we choose to
grow in small ways, by taking small steps one at a time, our achievement
becomes easy.
Based on your understanding of the above passage, answer any ten of the
questions given below by choosing the most appropriate options:
(1) The main idea in the first paragraph is that :
(i) Big things, big actions and big decisions make a person great.
(ii) Small actions and decisions are important in one’s life.
(iii) Overnight success is possible for all of us.
(iv) Personal changes are not important.
(2) Pick out the option that indicate the meaning of the writer in the phrase
‘chipped away at their bad habits’?
(i) Steadily gave up bad habits
(ii) Slowly produced bad habits
(iii) Gradually criticized bad habits
(iv) Did not like bad habits
(3) Which of the following statements is true in the context of the third
paragraph?
(i) Gandhi became great overnight.
(ii) Gandhi showed signs of greatness in childhood itself.
(iii) Every day Gandhi made efforts to change himself in some small way.
(iv) Gandhi never made mistakes.
(4)What is done by great people to transform their lives?
(i) They approach life on a day-to-day basis.
(ii) They build character in small ways.
(iii) They believe in performing every day.
(v) None of these.
(5)How can we grow in small ways?
(i) By getting disheartened
(ii) By dreaming little
(iii) By taking small steps one at a time.
(iv) None of these
(6)How did Gandhiji become ‘Mahatma’?
(i)By risking failure
(ii) By learning from mistakes
(iii)By taking up responsibilities
(iv)All of the above

(7) How do small actions help in our life?

(i) They help in building character.
(ii) They noursish good habits.
(iii)They chip away bad habits.
(All of these

(8) What according to the writer is the ‘universal law of nature’?

(i) Everything takes time to grow
(ii) Nothing can change in a day.
(iii) Both (i) and (ii)
(iv) Neither (i) nor (ii)
(9) From the given pictorial representation, choose the option that correctly
showcases the correct order in which a child starts learning?
Option 1

Crawl walk stand run

Option 2
 Crawl stand Walk Run

Option 3
Stand Crawl Walk Run

Option 4
Walk Stand Crawl Run

(10) Pick out the word or phrase from the passage which means
opposite to ‘not much important’ (used in Para 1)
(i) Insignificant
(ii) Impact
(iii) Small choices
(iv) Tremendous
(11) What meaning does the word ‘profound’(used in Para 4) convey
in the passage?
(i) Extreme
(ii) Heartfelt
(iii) Great
(iv) Superficial
2. Read the passage given below:
1. Whaling is the hunting of whales for food and oil. Whaling was once conducted
around the world by seafaring nations in pursuit of the giant animals that
seemed as limitless as the oceans in which they swam. However, since the mid-
20th century, when whale populations began to drop catastrophically, whaling
has been conducted on a very limited scale. It is now the subject of great
scrutiny, both by formal regulatory bodies and by non-governmental
organizations.
2. Whaling has been documented in many sources-from Neolithic cave art to
present-day annual reports of the International Whaling Commission.
Prehistoric inhabitants of far northern coastal regions, lacking adequate
agriculture, developed successful whaling techniques using Stone Age
Weapons. By the time the Inuit (Eskimo) of eastern and western North America
were first encountered by Europeans, they had already mastered whale
 hunting, and many Inuit methods were used as recently as 1900. For the Inuit, a
captured whale supplied food, fuel, and light; sinews provided cordage, and
bones were used for tools and construction. Not until the 20th century, when
floating factory ships came into use, did other civilizations succeed in the same
efficient use of the whole carcass. Elsewhere, from the first intensive hunting of
whales in the early 17th century to the early 20th century, little more than
blubber and baleen was used, and the remainder of the animal was discarded.
Each successive discovery of new whaling grounds resulted in the near
disappearance of a particular species. The efficiency of modern hunting
methods hastened this trend.
3. International whaling developed in stages that ere determined by changing
demand, diminishing stocks, and advancing technology. A lengthy primitive
stage eventually led to commercial whaling new markets and technical and
chemical advances then produced modern whaling, which led to virtual
extinction of the quarry and a return to a primitive stage. The commercial stages
were dominated overwhelmingly by northern Europeans and Americans-first
the Dutch, then the British and Americans, and finally the Norwegians and
British. Only at the very end, when Europeans no longer found the trade
profitable, did they surrender the remaining whales to the Russians and
Japanese.
4. The graph below shows number of two common types of whales in Antarctica
between 1985 and 2010.

Based on your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN o f the
questions given below by choosing the most appropriate option :
(1) What are whales hunted for?
i. Food
ii. Oil
iii. Both (i) or (ii)
 iv. Neither (i) nor (ii)
(2) Around when did the whale populations start dropping largely?
i. Beginning of 19th century
ii. Mid 20th century
iii. Early 21st century
iv. Just recently
(3) What is the earliest documented source of whaling?
i. Pala eolithic cave art
ii. Mesolithic cave art
iii. Neolithic cave art
iv. Monoliticc cave art
(4) Which is the highest body to frame laws related to whaling ?
i. United Nations Organisation
ii. World Wildlife Federation
iii. Antarctic Whaling Commission
iv. International Whaling Commission
(5) Who are Inuits?
i. The whale predominantly found in Antarctica
ii. The people predominantly found in Antarctica
iii. The people living in cold areas of eastern and western North America
iv. The people living in cold areas of Siberian dessert in Russia.
Sei Minke
Sei Minke
 (v) Why playing that game is out of his reach?
a. Poverty b. Ignorance c. Racism d. None of these
(b) No one can imagine how sad and monotonous life can appear to such a
vagabond, who plods along the road, left to his meditations. But one day this
man had fallen into a line of thought, which really seemed to him entertaining.
(i) Who is vagabond here?
a. Peddler
b. Blacksmith
c. Ironmaster
d. Ironmaster’s daughter
(ii) What kind of life he used to lead?
a. Happy and full of joy
b. Sad and monotonous
c. Nonchalant
d. Meditative
(iii) What thought did strike his mind one day?
a. One should fear the fear itself.
b. Indigo is a must for today’s world
c. The world is a rattrap
d. None of these
(v) Pick up the word which has the same meaning as ‘to walk with
difficulty.’
a. Vagabond
b. Plods
c. Entertaining
d. Monotonous
© It’s a slightly unusual request, Governor, but I don’t see why we shouldn’t
try to help. Just the one fellow, you say?”
(i) Who is ‘I’ here?
a. Evans b. Oxford Prison Superintendent c. Governor
secretary of the Examinations Board
(ii) Who made a slightly unusual request?
a. Evans
b. Governor
c. Station Head Officer
d. Commissioner of Police
(iii) Why Evans had started taking classes in O—level German?
a. To upgrade his academic qualification
b. To pass time in the prison
c. To become a translator
d. To reform himself
(iv) Why did Evans select German only for his O-level examination?
a. He knew the German teacher.
b. He loved the language
c. He was planning to shift to Germany
d. None of these

4.Read the extract given below and attempt ANY ONE of the two
given by answering the questions that follow (1*4=4)
(a) ……….I saw my mother,
Beside me,
Doze, open mouthed, her face
Ashen like that
Of a corpse and realized with
Pain……….
(i)Who is ‘I’?
a. Doctor
b. Army Officer
c. Poetess
d. Interior designer
(ii) What did I realize with pain?
a. Fear of losing mother
b. Fear of shifting to another city
c. Fear of getting injured
d. Fear of plane crash
(iii) Why was the realization painful?
 a. Not happy with her job
b. Hard fact to accept
c. Dreams not yet fulfilled
d. Will cause loss of blood
(iv) Which words in the passage represent simile?
a. I saw my mother
b. Beside me
c. Open mouthed
d. Ashen like that of a corpse
(b) The stunted, unlucky heir
Of twisted bones, reciting a father’s gnarled disease,
His lesson, from his desk. At back of the dim class
One unnoted, sweet and young. His eyes live in a dream,
Of squirrel’s game, in tree room, other than this.
(i) Who is the unlucky heir?
a. Boy with big hair
b. Boy with short hair
c. Boy with stunted growth
d. Boy with twisted lip
(ii) What had he inherited?
a. Twisted bones
b. Gnarled disease
c. Stunted growth
d. All of these
(iii) Who is sitting at the back of the dim class?
a. Dreamy boy
b. Muscle boy
c. Intelligent boy
d. Late comer boy
(iv) How is he different from the rest of the class?
a. Making drawings
b. Singing songs
c. Talking to other
d. Lost in his thoughts
5. Attempt ANY EIGHT questions from the ten given below: (1*8-8)
(i) For how many years had Hamel taught at the school?
(a)Ten years
(b) Twenty years
© Thirty years
(d) Forty years

(ii) Where did the misadventure with the young boy happen?
(a) At the California beach
(b) At the Dum Duma beach
(c) At the YMCA pool
(d) At the friend’s pool
(iii) Whom did Gandhiji meet at Lucknow?
(a) Raj Kumar Shukla, a peasant from Champaran, Bihar
(b) Rajendra Prasad, a lawyer from Champaran, Bihar
(c) Jawahar Lal Nehru, an aspiring nationalist
(d) Kasturba Gandhi, his wife
(iv) What is the future of the children in the elementary classroom?
(a) The future of the children is bright and glorious.
(b) The future of the children is uncertain and bleak.
(c) The future of the children is provided for.
(d) The future of the children is politically dominated.
(v) What symbol does the poet evoke in order to invoke that there can be
life even with stillness?
(a) The Earth
(b) The Sun
(c) The Moon
(d) The Stars
(vi) What makes for itself a cooling covert against the hot season?
(a) The clear shallows
(b) The clear ponds
(c) The clear rills
(d) The unclear water
(vii) Who all form the family of Aunt Jennifer?
(a) Aunt Jennifer and her husband
(b) Aunt Jennifer and her children
(c) Aunt Jennifer, her husband and their children
 (d) Aunt Jennifer and her mother
(viii)Where did Dr. Sadao live?
(a)America
(b) United Kingdoms
( C)Japan
(d)USSR
(ix) When did Jack tell story to Jo?
(a) In the morning
(b) In the afternoons and for Sunday naps
(c) In the bed time
(d) In the evenings and for Saturday naps
(x) What was Mr. Lamb not fond of?
(a) Window curtains
(b) Steel utensils
© Flowers and plants
(d)Little children
PART -B (40 Marks)
6. Attempt any ONE of the following
Evaluation, using appropriate format and fluency, appropriacy of style and tone

(a) Yesterday, during the lunch break you misplaced your notes on chemistry
lecture. You want to get them back. Write a notice in about 50 words for the
school notice board. You are Karuna/Karan, a student of class XII-A. 3
or
(b) You are the Principal of National Public School, Jaipur. You require a TGT
(Maths) for your school. Draft a suitable advertisement in not more than 50
words for the ‘Situation Vacant’ column of ‘The National Times’ stating
essential and desirable qualifications, experience etc. of the candidates. 3
7. Attempt any ONE of the following
Evaluation, using appropriate format and fluency, appropriacy of
style and tone

(a) You are the Director of Apex Orientations, a leading name in postal
coaching for competitive examinations including IIT-JEE and CBSE-
PMT. Write letters to the principals of some prestigious schools
inviting the names of two brilliant students from each institution, to
attend their Counselling, Session free of cost. 3
Or
(b) You are Akshya/Aakriti. You have been invited to participate in a
seminar on ‘Fundamental Rights of Children’, organized by the Lions
Club of your distinct. Respond to the invitation by writing a letter to the
secretary of the following.
8. Attempt any ONE of the following :
(a)You are Navid/Nafeesa of 10, Nehru Nagar, Ahmmedabad. The 60-foot-
wide main road in Nehru Nagar remains congested throughout the day
because of massive encroachments on both sides of the road causing a lot of
inconvenience to pedestrians, especially children and women. Write a letter
to the Editor of a national daily requesting him to highlight the problems faced
by the residents, giving concrete suggestions for improving the situation.

Or
 (b)Sunshine Public School, Pune requires to sports coaches (one male
and one female). Each should be a degree holder in physical education
as well as an SAI certified coach in athletics. You have seen their
advertisement and you know that you have qualifications. Write an
application in 120-150 words along with your resume. You are
Parveen/Parveena, M-114 Najafgarh, Delhi. 5

SITUATION VACANT

Sunshine Public School, Pune

Two sports coaches (M+F) needed, degree in P.Ed., SAI certified,

minimum experience of 5 years, pleasant and energetic personality,
dominating nature, attractive salary. Interested candidates apply to the
Principal with detailed resume.

9. Attempt any ONE of the following

(a) Taking selfies has become a rage and is a global phenomenon. It has cost us
several lives and also immortalized several moments. Write an article for a
national daily on the trend of taking selfies and its impact on people. You are
Aditi/ Aditya. (5)
You may use the given cues along with your own ideas.
*Problems associated with the selfie culture
*Do not enjoy the moment or nature
*Too occupied posting it on social media
*Take risks to click them
*Perform dangerous stunts
*Conclusion
*Need to create awareness about the drawbacks
*Responsible use of technology
*Positive use of this technology

OR
(b) Cultural Society, Sunshine Public School, Nellore organized an adult
literacy camp in its neighbourhood. Write a report in 150-200 words on the
camp for your school newsletter. You are PV Sunitha, Secretary. Use the
following clues :
HINTS -No. of volunteers-hours spent in teaching-location of the case-
chairs, blackboards-no. of people attending the camp-benefit.

10. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each. (Any five)(2*5=10)
(i) How did M.Hamel make his last lesson a special one? What did he
emphasize in it on?
(ii) Why did Douglas’mother recommend that he should learn swimming at
the YMCA swimming pool?
(iii) Why was the peddler amused at the idea of the world being a rattrap?
(iv) Why does one feel’ a sudden strangeness’ in counting to twelve and
keeping quiet?
(v) According to Keats, what moves away the pall and suffering from human
life?
(vi) Why has Aunt Jennifer made prancing, proud and unafraid tigers?

11. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each. (Any two)
(2*2=4)
(i) How did Charlie confirm the specific date of the era that he had
passed into?
(ii) What was Hana’s role in Dr. Sadao’s life when he brought home
an injured American soldier?
(iii) What peculiar things does Derry notice about the old man, Lamb?

12. Answer the following in 120-150 words.

What are the hazards of working in a glass bange industry? 5
 OR
How did Gandhiji succeed in getting justice for the indigo sharecroppers?
5

13. Answer the following in 120-150 words.

Compare and contrast the characters of Mr. Lamb and Derry. 5
OR
Write a character sketch of the Governor of Oxford Prison on the story,
‘Evans Tries an O-Level’. 5