KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA SANGATHAN, KOLKATA REGION

अभ्यास सेट-II / PRACTICE SET-II : 2024-25

Class-XII Maximum marks-80

Subject- English Core Time Allowed- 3 hours

General Instructions
Read the following instructions very carefully and strictly follow them:
i. This question paper has 13 questions. All questions are compulsory.
ii. This question paper contains three sections:
Section A: Reading Skills,
Section B: Creative Writing Skills
Section C: Literature.
iii. Attempt all questions based on specific instructions for each part. Write the
correct question number and part thereof in your answer sheet.
iv. Separate instructions are given with each question/part, wherever necessary.
v. Adhere to the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

SECTION A
READING SKILLS (22 marks)
1. Read the following passage carefully: 12
Money is one of the most important inventions in human history. It helps people who do
not know or trust each other to trade. If you have enough money, you can go into a store
and walk out with a candy bar. The store owner does not need to know or trust you. They
only need to count your money. This is a pretty big deal if you think about it.
Before money, most exchange was based on credit and debt. Imagine that you were part
of an ancient tribe and had an extra pair of shoes. If your tribe mate Joshua needed shoes,
you might give him your extra ones. Joshua would then be in debt to you. He would owe
you one. Later, your family might be starving in the depths of winter. You might have no
success hunting, and Joshua might share some of his food with you.
The credit and debt system served humans well for much of time. Our minds are good at
remembering favours and who owes whom. The problem with this system is that it
requires trust. I need to know the reputation of the person to whom I am lending. I need
to trust that he or she will repay me. Otherwise, we cannot trade. It's easy to trust our
tribe mate Joshua. We know him. We are familiar with his reputation. But what about
those from the tribe across the sea? Do we trust them? Probably not. At least not enough
to give them our shoes on credit. After all, we don't even know them.

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A society that does not have money cannot grow very large. It's hard to maintain
relationships with more than 150 or 200 people. Reputational systems of exchange fail as
groups grow larger. The need for money develops.
Imagine that you were a soldier living in a Roman army camp in the 1st century.
Thousands of men and women live alongside you. Many are soldiers. Some are nurses or
physicians. Others are merchants, farmers, or cooks. Let's say that you needed a
blacksmith to repair your armour. The blacksmith doesn't know you. Even if he or she did,
you might die in the next battle. The blacksmith cannot trust you to repay your debts. But
the blacksmith does not need to trust you. You are paid in gold and silver coins. You can
trade coins with strangers for whatever goods or services you desire.
Today, the monetary system once again relies on credits and debts. But now, banks and
lenders can keep track of everyone's reputation. They use computers and government
issued identities. They know our credit histories. They know our spending habits. They use
algorithms to rank our credit worthiness. They know us well enough to issue credit to us,
even though they don't actually know us. What a world!
I. Which main point about money is the author trying to make in this text? 1

II. Our minds are good at remembering favours and who owes whom. Why would the
author say this?
1
III. Why would the author lend to Joshua but not the tribe across the sea? 2
IV. What is the author's main purpose in writing the THIRD paragraph? 1
a) He is trying to convince us to forgo modern life and to live in tribes.
b) He is informing readers of the history of credit and debt systems.
c) He is explaining why tribal life is unproductive and wasteful.
d) He is describing the weaknesses of the credit and debt system.

V. Why did Roman army camps need to use money to facilitate trade? 2
VI. The technologies that enable modern societies to use credit systems are
____________________ 1

VII. According to the text what similarities do you find between the blacksmith and the
banks? 1

VIII. With which statement would the author most likely AGREE? 1

a) Money allows civilizations to grow very large.

b) Credit and debt systems are primitive and only were only used in ancient times.
c) Money ruins civilizations by making everyone greedy.
d) Credit and debt systems cannot function in the modern world.

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IX. Which event happened LAST in history? 1
a) Thousands of people lived in Roman Army camps.
b) Credit and debt systems became widespread again due to technology.
c) Money was invented.
d) Ancient tribes used mainly credit and debt systems for exchange.

X. With which statement would the author most likely DISAGREE? 1

a) If someone has a good reputation, it is easier to trust him or her.
b) Reputations are important for lenders and borrowers.
c) Money makes trading easier for people who do not know each other.
d) People can easily maintain good relationships with thousands of other people.

2. Read the following carefully. 10

1. When plastic waste is burnt, a complex weave of toxic chemicals is released. Breaking
down Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) used for packaging, toys and coating electrical wires. It
produces dioxin, an organochlorine which belongs to the family of Persistent Organic
Pollutants (POPs). A recent Dioxin Assessment Report brought out by the United States
Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) says the risk of getting cancer from dioxin is ten
times higher than reported by the agency in 1994.
2. Yet the Delhi government is giving the green signal to a gasification project which will
convert garbage into energy without removing plastic waste. Former transport minister
Rajendra Gupta, the promoter of this project, says this is not necessary. He claims no air
pollution will be caused and that the ash produced can be used as manure. An earlier
waste-to-energy project set-up in Timarpur failed. The new one, built with Australian
assistance, will cost ` 200 crore. It will generate 25 megawatts of power and gobble 1,000
tonnes of garbage every day.
3. “Technologies like gasification are a form of incineration,” says Madhumita Dutta,
central coordinator with Toxics Link, New Delhi. Incineration merely transfers hazardous
waste from a solid form to air, water and ash, she points out. Toxins produced during
incineration include acidic gases, heavy metals as well as dioxins and furans. “The
‘manure’ will be hazardous and a problem to dispose,” says Dutta.
4. Municipal solid waste contains a mix of plastics. Breaking down this waste emits
hydrochloric acid which attacks the respiratory system, skin and eyes, resulting in
coughing, vomiting and nausea. Polyethylene generates volatile compounds like
formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, both suspected carcinogenic. Breathing styrene from
polystyrene can cause leukaemia. Polyurethane is associated with asthma. Dioxin released
by PVC is a powerful hormone disrupter and causes birth defects and reproductive
problems. There is no threshold dose to prevent it and our bodies have no defence against
it.

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5. “Even the best run incinerators in the world have to deal with stringent norms, apart
from contaminated filters and ash, making them hugely expensive to operate,” says Dutta.
In Germany, air pollution devices accounted for two-thirds the cost of incineration. Despite
such efforts, the European Dioxin Inventory noted that the input of dioxin into the
atmosphere was the highest from incineration.

6.How has global plastic waste disposal method changed over time? In the chart, we see
the share of global plastic waste that is discarded, recycled or incinerated from 1980
through to 2015. Prior to 1980, recycling and incineration of plastic was negligible; 100
percent was therefore discarded. From 1980 for incineration and 1990 for recycling, rates
increased on average by about 0.7 percent per year. In 2015, an estimated 55 percent of
global plastic waste was discarded, 25 percent was incinerated and 20 percent recycled.
7. “India does not have the facility to test dioxin and the cost of setting one up is
prohibitively expensive,” says Dutta. Besides, Indian garbage has a low calorific content of
about 800 cal/kg, since it has high moisture and requires additional fuel to burn. Toxics
link calculates that the electricity generated from such technology will cost between ` 5-7
per unit, which is six times higher than conventional energy. India has chosen a dioxin
preventive route and burning of chlorinated plastics is prohibited under Municipal Solid
Waste and Biomedical Rules.
Nearly 80 percent of Indian garbage is recyclable or compostable. Resident associations,
the informal sector and the municipal corporation can make Delhi’s garbage disappear in a
sustainable manner. “Instead, the government promotes end of pipeline solutions,” says
Dutta.
Answer the following questions, based on given passage.:

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I. Which statements are NOT TRUE according to the passage? 1
1. India has adopted a preventive measure under which burning of chlorinated plastics is
prohibited.
2. USEPA says that the risk of getting cancer from dioxin is hundred times higher than
reported by the agency in 1994.
3. Incineration merely transfers hazardous waste from a solid form to air, water and ash.
4. Hydrochloric acid attacks the digestive system, nose and eyes which results in diabetes
and nausea.
(i) 2 and 4 (ii) 1 and 3 (iii) 3 and 4 (iv) 1 and 2
II. Based on the graphical chart in the passage, chose the option that correctly states the
ratio between discarded waste to recycled global plastic waste in 2015. 1

(i) option 1 (ii) option 2 (iii) option 3 (iv) option 4

III. Based on the given graphical representation of data in the passage, choose the option
that lists the statements that are TRUE. 1

1. In the year 2015, the incinerated plastic waste disposal was 80%.
2. In the year 1980, share of discarded plastic waste was 100%.
3. Discarded plastic waste was 60% in the year 2010.
4. Recycled plastic waste in the year 2000 was less than 70%.

(i) 1 and 3 (ii) 2 and 3 (iii) 1 and 4 (iv) 3 and 4

IV. Give any two reasons why gasification is more likely to be a curse rather than a boon
for human health. 2
V. “Technologies like gasification are a form of incineration,” says Madhumita Dutta,
central coordinator with Toxics Link, New Delhi.
1
On the basis of the process described complete the given flowchart:

transfers
hazardous waste (solid form)
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VI. Find a word in the passage which means the same as ‘waste material’? (para 2) 1
VII. India has chosen a dioxin preventive route and burning of chlorinated plastics is
prohibited under Municipal Solid Waste and Biomedical Rules. 1
Give any one reason to justify the prohibition. (Paragraph 7)
VIII. Arrange the sentences in the order in which they occurred year wise. 2
1. From 1980, rates increased on average by about 0.7 percent per year for incineration.
2. 20 percent waste was recycled in 2015.
3. Prior to 1980, recycling and incineration of plastic was negligible.
4. In 2015, an estimated 55 percent of global plastic waste was discarded.

SECTION B
CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS (18 marks)
3. Attempt any one of the two, (A) or (B), in about 50 words 1x4=4
A. Your school is planning to conduct the Britannia Quiz Contest on General Knowledge. As
the Secretary of the Quiz Club of your school, write a notice for the school notice board
requesting for entries from students of IX to XII for the contest to be held in your school,
Nav Jeevan Vidya Niketan, Ajmer. Include other necessary details. Put the notice in a box.
OR
B. The Residents’ Welfare Association, Green Park is organizing a play “Christmas Miracles”
by famous theatre group, Sapphire Theatre in the locality. As the president of the
association, draft a notice in not more than 50 words informing the residents about the
same. Give other essential details. Put the notice in a box.
4. Attempt any one of the two, (A) or (B), in about 50 words. 1x4=4
A. On 20th December your school is going to hold its Annual Sports Day. Ms. Hima Das, a
noted athlete, has consented to give away the prizes to the budding sportspersons of your
school. Write a formal invitation in about 50 words inviting parents to attend the program.
You are Ravi/Reena, Sports Secretary, Jeevan Sports Academy, Jalpaiguri.

Or
B. You are Mamta/ Mohan. You have been invited by the Pegasus Club, New Delhi to be
one of the judges for an Elocution Competition for school children. But due to a previous
engagement, you cannot accept this invitation. Write a formal reply to the President of the
Club regretting your inability to accept the invitation.

5. Attempt any one of the two, (A) or (B), in 120 150 words 1x5=5

A. Adult literacy is important for many reasons including personal growth, social mobility,
career advancement, etc. It gives mature learners the chance to increase their knowledge,

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develop new skills and gain helpful qualifications and credentials. Write a letter to the
editor of a local daily discussing the benefits of providing adult literacy education to
adults. Also, suggest effective ways to raise awareness about the importance of this
education among adults. You may use some of the given cues along with your own ideas
to draft the letter. You are the Project Manager, Ramanuj Rao/ Savitri Ranganathan of
‘Second Chance’ an NGO from Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.
 What are the long-term benefits of adult literacy?
 What better employability and employment outcomes could be created?
 Why is adaptation to change essential at this age?

OR

B. You are Milind/Brinda of 6/A, Kidwai Road, Ahmedabad, currently working as a

manager in a leading corporate firm. You have come across the advertisement in a
national daily and wish to apply for the post of administrator. Draft a Job application along
with your resume to the CEO of Doshi Accountants (S) Pvt. Ltd.

6. Attempt any one of the two, (A) or (B), in 120 150 words 1x5=5
A. The present-day youth are greatly stressed due to cut-throat competition and
consumerist culture. Write an article in 150-200 words on the causes of the stress
on the modem generation suggesting suitable solutions.

 under pressure of efficiency and productivity

 environment is highly competitive
 no time for relaxing
 no practical and suitable solution for this stress
 high time each one of us sat back in quiet introspection
 stop living like robots
 behave like human beings and not like machines

OR,

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 B. Cultural Society Daisy Public School, Vellore organised a two-days Yoga Camp in its
neighbourhood. Write a report in 120-150 words on the camp for your school
magazine. You are Rakesh Nair, Secretary. You may use the cues given below along
with your own ideas.

• Date of the camp

• Location of the camp
• Number of volunteers
• Atmosphere of the camp
• Amenities provided to the participants

SECTION C
LITERATURE (40 marks)
7. Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two-A or
B 1x6=6
A. … and looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes…” (My Mother at Sixty-six)
I. “The sun lazily climbed the sky” takes the same literary device as “Young trees
sprinting”. Which poetic device is mentioned here?

II. Comment on the use of the phrasal verb “look out”.

III. Identify the sentence that does not use the word ‘sprinting’ in its proper
context:
A. Nelly was sprinting towards the finishing line.
B. The woman started sprinting in an alarmed manner.
C. Siddharth was seen sprinting off to his class so as to avoid being late before
he met with an accident.
D. The clock was making a sprinting sound.

IV. The tone of the poet in the above extract is that of __________________

V. The word “spilling” here connotes:

A. a zeal for life
B. carefree days of childhood
C. boiling of milk
D. none of the above

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 VI. Assertion: The expression on the mother’s face was of lack of energy and
vigour.
Reason: She thought her daughter was selfish as the latter is going away.
A. Both Assertion and Reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of
assertion.
B. Both Assertion and Reason are true and reason is not the correct
explanation of assertion.
C. Assertion is true but Reason is false
D. Assertion is false but Reason is true
OR
B. And the such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven’s brink (A Thing of Beauty)
I. What do you mean by ‘the grandeur of the doom’ as per the poem.?
A. The magnificence that we associate with our ancestors and the beautiful
things created
B. The magnificence that we associate with our Gods and goddess
C. The magnificence we associate with the beauty of nature
D. The magnificence we associate with the present leaders of the world

II. What is implied by ‘all lovely tales that we have heard or read’?

III. Select the correct option from those in brackets, to fill in the blank.
The source of the ‘endless fountain of immortal drink’ is from
__________________ (the lovely tales/ the heaven’s brink)

IV. Which figure of speech is used in the last two lines?

A. Simile B. Personification C. Imagery D. Irony

V. Who does ‘mighty dead’ refer to?

VI. What has ‘a thing of beauty’ been compared to?

8. Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two, (A)
or (B) 4x1=4

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 A. At midnight when the town slept in peace, the dewan and his aged wife dragged
the tiger into the car and shoved it into seat. The dewan himself drove the car
straight to the forest where the maharaja was hunting. When they reached the
forest, the tiger launched its satyagraha and refused to get out of the car. The
dewan was thoroughly exhausted in his efforts to haul the beast out of the beast
out of the car and push it dome to the ground. On the following day, the same old
tiger wandered into the maharaja’s presence and stood as if in humble
supplication, “Master, what do you command of me?” It was with boundless joy
that the Maharaja took careful aim at the beast. The tiger fell in a crumpled heap.
(The Tiger King)

I. Choose the option that uses the same figure of speech as ‘town slept in peace’
i)his actions really flared up my temper, so I walked out.
ii) She is going through a rollercoaster of emotions
iii) My alarm clock yells at me every morning until I get out of bed.
iv) The children were screaming and shouting in the fields

II. Pick the option/s that best describes the dewan’s attitude (multiple choice)
i) desperate ii) submissive iii) servile iv) dishonourable v) disobedient

III. Why did the king refuse permission to the British officer?
i) because of his resolve to hunt the hundred tigers himself
ii) because he wouldn’t be fulfilling his resolve to kill a hundred tigers if he permitted
iii)because he won’t be able to test the chief astrologer’s prediction
iv) options (i) and (iii)

IV. Pick out the option that lists the display of “crumpled heap”

1) 2) 3) 4)

i) option 1
ii) option 2
iii) option 3
iv) option 4
OR
B. But this eating by formula was not the hardest trial in that first day. Late in the
morning, my friend Judewin gave me a terrible warning. Judewin knew a few
words of English; and she had overheard the paleface woman talk about cutting
our long, heavy hair. Our mothers had taught us that only unskilled warriors who
were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. Among our people, short hair
was worn by mourners, and shingled hair by cowards!
(Memories of Childhood: The Cutting of My Long Hair)

I. What view of the narrator’s mother about shingled hair is NOT TRUE in the
sentences below?

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 A. She would lose her identity and her culture.
B. She would be considered as mourners, cowards, and unskilled warriors
C. She would feel anguished, indignant, spiritless and helpless
D. She would look fashionable and feel comfortable, confident and stylish

II. What does the narrator mean by mourn?

A. Lament B. comforter C. exuberate D. rejoice

III. Select the correct option from those in brackets, to fill in the blank.
The narrator called it as ‘eating by formula’ was not the hardest trial in that
first day. The phrase ‘eating by formula’ in the passage could mean
__________________ (food that is good for health/ food that is eaten in a
disciplined way)

IV. What information do we gather about red Indians from the extract?

9. Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two, A or
B. 1x6=6

A. “Poor man! It was in honour of this last lesson that he had put on his fine Sunday
clothes, and now I understood why the old men of the village were sitting there in
the back of the room. It was because they were sorry, too, that they had not gone
to school more. It was their way of thanking our master for his forty years of
faithful service and of showing their respect for the country that was theirs no
more.”
(The Last Lesson)

I. Why does the narrator refer to M. Hamel as ‘Poor man’?

II. Choose the option that might raise a question about M. Hamel’s “faithful service”.
a. When Franz came late, M. Hamel told him that he was about to begin class without
him.
b. Franz mentioned how cranky M. Hamel was and his “great ruler rapping on the table”.
c. M. Hamel often sent students to water his flowers and gave them a holiday when he
wanted to go fishing.
d. M. Hamel permitted villagers put their children “to work on a farm or at the mills” for
some extra money.

III. Choose the option that most appropriately fills in the blanks, for the following
description of the given extract.
The villagers and their children sat in class, forging with their old master a (i) _____
togetherness. At that moment, the classroom stood (ii) _____. It was France itself, and the
last French lesson a desperate hope to (iii) ______ to the remnants of what they had
known and taken for granted. Their own (iv) _______.
a. (i) graceful; (ii) still; (iii) hang on; (iv)country
b. (i) bygone; (ii) up; (iii) keep on; (iv) education
c. (i) beautiful; (ii) mesmerized; (iii) carry on; (iv) unity

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d. (i) forgotten; (ii) transformed; (iii) hold on; (iv) identity

IV. “It was in honour of this last lesson that he had put on his fine Sunday clothes.”
How did the above line best captures M. Hamel on the last day of school?

V. Concluding his last lesson by writing ‘Vive la France!’ on the blackboard shows that M.
Hamel_______________________________

VI. Assertion (A): The old men of the village were sitting there in the back of the room.
Reason (B): This was because they were sorry,too, that they had not gone to school
more.

a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
b) Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the true explanation of (A).
c) (A) is true and (R) is false
d) (A) is false and (R) is true.

OR
B. Savita, a young girl in a drab pink dress, sits alongside an elderly woman, soldering
pieces of glass. As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine, I
wonder if she knows the sanctity of the bangles she helps make. It symbolises an
Indian woman's suhaag, auspiciousness in marriage. It will dawn on her suddenly
one day when her head is draped with a red veil, her hands dyed red with henna,
and red bangles rolled onto her wrists. She will then become a bride. Like the old
woman beside her who became one many years ago. She still has bangles on her
wrist, but no light in her eyes. “Ek waqt ser bhar khana bhi nahin khaya,” she says,
in a voice drained of joy. She has not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire
lifetime — that's what she has reaped! Her husband, an old man with a flowing
beard, says, “I know nothing except bangles. All I have done is make a house for
the family to live in.” (Lost Spring – Stories of Stolen
Childhood)

I. Choose the word from the extract that best matches the meaning ‘the
favourable quality of strongly indicating a successful result’.
(a) Soldering (b) Symbolised (c) Reaped (d) Auspiciousness

II. Cite evidence from the extract to prove that the old man has achieved
something important in his lifetime.

III. Complete the sentence by choosing from the phrases from the bracket. The
phrase “drained of joy” suggests that____________________ (worked hard yet
unhappy/ worked hard and joyful)

IV. ‘She still has bangles on her wrist, but no light in her eyes’, what does it talk
about the bangle makers of Firozabad.

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 V. Which trait of Savita can be inferred by ‘her hands move mechanically like the
tongs of a machine’?

VI. Which literary device is used in this line from the extract: ‘her hands move
mechanically like the tongs of a machine’?
(a) Analogy (b) Simile (c) Metaphor (d) Irony
10. Answer any five of the following six questions in 40 50 words each: 5x2=10
I. Saheb is no longer his own master whereas Mukesh insists on being his own master.
Bring out the character of the two boys in light of this statement.
II. What do the symbols, ‘tigers’, ‘fingers’ and ‘ring’ stand for in the poem, ‘Aunt Jennifer’s
Tigers’?

III. “Damn that Geoff, this was a Geoff thing not a Jansie thing,”-why was Sophie upset
after Jansie told her that she knew about the meeting?

IV. What do you understand by the expression ‘thumbprints on his windpipe’?

V. Analyse the symbolism of the returned rattrap and the letter left by the peddler.
VI. It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the
new…’ On the basis of this quote, which act of courage do J.B. Kriplani and Professor
Malkani display?

11. Answer any two of the following three questions in 40 50 words each: 2x2=4
I. What is the bond that unites the two—Mr. Lamb, the old and Derry, the small boy? How
does the old man inspire the little boy?
II. “The bullet had missed it.” “This time he killed it without missing his mark.” Whose
bullet had missed the tiger? How was the beast killed ultimately? Bring out the irony of
the situation.

III. How does the narrator’s psychiatrist friend react to the narrator’s statement that the
third level exists? What does you infer about him on the basis of his reaction?

12. Answer any one of the following two questions, in about 120-150 words. 1x5=5

A. Douglas’ mother writes to the YMCA authorities holding them accountable for the
mishap as well as demanding that the authorities employ a team of guards near the pool
for supervision of the children. As the mother, write a letter to the authorities with
reference to the case of your son.
You may begin like this:

This is with reference to the incident of near fatal drowning of my son, William on your
premises. We were…

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 OR
B. Through the poem ‘A Roadside Stand’ Frost underlines his sympathy for the rural
people in opposition to the uncaring capitalistic elite. Justify.

13. Answer any one of the following two questions, in about 120-150 words 1x5=5
A. You recently watched an interview of one of the doctors who serves for the
organisation named ‘Doctors without Borders’. This organisation serves people in remote
corners of the world which are affected by civil strife, poverty and lack of medical
facilities. You were impressed with the dedication, compassion and professional ethics of
this doctor.
Write an article for an e-magazine expressing the need for more such people in the world
to serve selflessly with reference to the lesson ‘The Enemy’
OR

B. ‘Take care of small things and big things will take care of themselves.’ After reading the
lesson ‘Journey to the end of the Earth’ you were touched by the deeper meaning of the
phrase and decided to deliver a speech during the morning assembly to create awareness
among your fellow students. You are Prakriti/Prakrit.

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