Pre -Board Practice Paper – Demo

PRE-BOARD PRACTICE PAPER – II

Time : Reading Time – 15 minutes Max Marks : 80

Writing Time – 3 hours

Instructions

1. This question paper is divided into two parts.

Part – A 40 Marks

Part – B 40 Marks

2. All questions are compulsory.

3. Separate instructions are given with each section and question,

wherever necessary. Read these instructions very carefully and follow them.

Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

__________________________________________________________________________

Part – A : Multiple Choice Questions (40 Marks)

Reading Comprehension (30 Marks)

1. Read the passage given below : 10

1. This is the largest Malay house on the peninsula. It is built of wood painted green and white, with bold floral designs on a white background around some of the circular windows, and a very large porch for followers to wait in, up a ladder of course.

2. Really the upper class of Malay houses shows some very good work. The thatch of the steep roof is beautifully put on, and between the sides of finely woven checked matting interspersed with lattice work and bamboo work, the shady inner rooms with their carved doorways and portieres of red silk, the pillows and cushions of gold embroidery laid over the exquisitely fine matting on the floors, the light from the half-shaded windows glancing here and there as the breeze sways the screens, there is an indescribable appropriateness to the region.

3. I waited for the elephant in a rambling empty house, and Malays brought pierced coconuts, buffalo milk, and a great bouquet of lotus blossoms and seed-vessels, out of which they took the seeds, and presented them on the grand lotus leaf itself. Each seed is in appearance and taste like a hazel-nut, but in the centre, in anoval slit, the future lotus plant is folded up, the one vivid green seed leaf being folded over a school, and this is intensely bitter.

4. The elephant at last came up and was brought below the porch of the house. They are truly ugly beasts, with their grey wrinkled, hairless hides, the huge ragged ‘flappers’ which cover their ears, and with which they fan themselves ceaselessly, the small mean eyes, the hideous trunk which coils itself snakishly round everything, the formless legs, the piggish back, with the steep slope down to the mean, bare tail, features so unlike any other familiar and friendly beast.

5. Before I came out from England, I dreamt of howdahs and clothof-gold trappings, but my elephant had neither. In fact there was nothing grand about him but his ugliness. I dropped into one of the two baskets on either side of his back from the porch, a young Malay lad dropped into the other, and my bag was tied on behind with more ropes.

6. My ride was not comfortable. One sits facing forward with the feet dangling over the edge of the basket. This edge soon produces a sharp ache or cramp, and, when one tries to get relief by leaning back on anything, the awkward rolling position is so painful that one reverts to the former position till it again becomes intolerable.

7. After we had travelled for two hours, the baskets slipped down very dangerously and needed adjustment. We were forced to dismount while the pack was adjusted. Then, while the elephant was still sitting, the driver jumped on the elephant’s back and giving me his hands hauled me up over the head, after which the creature rose gently from the ground and we went on our journey.

8. Soon the driver abandoned the elephant for a gossip and a smoke, leaving the animal to go its own way for a mile or more. The elephant turned into the jungle, where he began to rend and tear the trees, and, going to a mud-hole, he drew what water there was out of it, and squirted it with a loud noise over himself and his riders, soaking my clothes with it. When he turned back to the road again, he several times stopped and seemed to stand on his head by stiffening his trunk and leaning upon it, and when I hit him with my umbrella he uttered the loudest roar I ever heard. My Malay fellow-rider jumped off and ran back for the driver, at which the baskets both came down on my side of the elephant.

9. On the driver’s return I had to dismount again, and this time the elephant was allowed to go and take a proper bath in a river. He threw large quantities of clear water over himself, and took up plenty more with which to cool his sides as he went along. Thick as the wrinkled hide of an elephant is, a very small insect can still draw blood from it, and so, like the water buffalo, he wisely plastered himself with mud from the river’s edge for protection. Mounting again, I rode for another two hours, but he crawled along about a mile an hour, and seemed determined to lie down. He roared whenever he was asked to go faster, sometimes with a roar of rage, sometimes in loud distress. In despair, the driver got off and walked behind him, but at that point the elephant stopped altogether. The driver tried to pull him along by putting a hooked stick in his huge ‘flapper’ but this produced no other effect than a series of howls.

10. So, he climbed back on to his head, after which the brute made a succession of exaggerated stumbles. The driver with a look of disgust got off again. I let myself down his unshapely shoulder by a rope till I could use the driver’s shoulders as steps. I walked the remaining miles to Kwala Kangsa, and the driver carried my suitcase! Such was the comical end of my first elephant ride.

On the basis of the understanding of the passage, answer any ten of the questions given below with the help of the options that follow. 1×10=10

i) How are the upper class of Malay houses appropriate for the region?

a) Pillows and cushions laid on the floor are embroidered with gold.

b) The inner rooms have carved doorways with red silk curtains on them.

c) The thatch of the steep roof looks beautiful.

d) All of the above

ii) The author had previously regarded riding on an elephant as

a luxurious means of travel because

a) before coming out from England he did not know what an elephant was.

b) he thought it would be very costly to ride on an elephant.

c) he dreamt of howdahs and cloth of gold trappings on the elephant.

d) All of the above

iii) Why did the light in the inner room keep changing?

a) Because of the wind that was swaying the screen.

b) Because of the changing direction of the Sun.

c) Because of movement inside the room.

d) Because the screens were being repaired.

iv) What was the first incident in which the elephant showed that it was not co-operative?

a) It refused to move when the author sat on it.

b) Whenever the elephant was asked to go faster, it roared as if in distress.

c) It trumpeted its protest when it was not given water to drink.

d) None of the above.

v) Which option correctly represents how the author had imagined elephants to be?

a) Option 1 b) Option 2 c) Option 3 d) Option 4

vi) When the elephant was asked to go faster, he protested by…………………

a) stopping in his tracks b) turning and going back

c) roaring in rage d) None of these

vii)Why does the author call the elephant’s act of putting mud on itself wise?

a) Because it would save it from taking a ride.b) Because it would mean that the elephant had more time to relax.

c) Because the mud would save it from insect bites.

d) Because then it would have to be set free.

viii) How does the author describe the elephant?

1. As a truly ugly beast.

2. Having small huge flapper.

3. Having small mean eyes.

4. Having well-formed legs.

a) 1 and 4

b) 1 and 3

c) 3 and 4

d) 2 and 4

ix) ‘‘the light from the half-shaded windows glancing here and there’’. Pick the option in which the meaning of ‘light’ is not the same as it is in the passage.

a) I opened the curtain to let some light come inside.

b) White light is light such as sunlight.

c) I had a light breakfast today.

d) I was dazzled by the light coming from the sun.

x) Pick the option showing the correct use of the word ‘hauled’.

a) He was hauled as a famous scientist by the media.

b) There was a haul in the wall.

c) I hauled myself out of the traffic.

d) A crane had to be used to haul the car.

xi) Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the option that lists the correct sequence of the events described in the passage.

1. The baskets slipped down after the author had travelled for two hours.

2. The driver abandoned the elephant for a gossip and a smoke.

3. The author thought that the elephant would be wearing decorated trappings.

4. The elephant was allowed to go and take a proper bath in the river.

a) 3, 1, 2, 4

b) 1, 2, 3, 4

c) 4, 5, 2, 1

d) 1, 4, 3, 22.

2. Read the passage given below. 10

A large majority of the elderly in India does not get long-term and palliative care, revealed a study conducted for the United Nations. The survey of more than 10,000 respondents across Northern, Southern, Western, Eastern, and Central India during May-June 2018, showed that 62.1% of the elderly did not get such care. More than half of these people, 52.4%, said they primarily need traditional family support, says a study by Agewell Research and Advocacy Centre.

Older people in India often face problems such as disability, restricted mobility, loneliness, poverty and lack of awareness on accessing oldterm care. With a fast growing population of older people, the everincreasing gap between generations and the fast and demanding lifestyle of young people, for a majority of older people, life is still a struggle for independence.

‘‘According to 64% of elderly respondents, loneliness, marginalisation, and isolation are the most critical issues faced by bedridden, elderly patients as they cannot visit, meet or interact with their relatives, friends and neighbours,’’ said Himanshu Rath, founder of Agewell Foundation.

The elderly have to compromise and make adjustments in their lifestyle according to the wishes of the younger members of their families to ensure they are cared for, the study revealed. It highlighted that 67.6% of the elderly being taken care of their family members have to look after the children of the families. They have to perform tasks such as babysitting in return for proper care and support.

‘‘Around 73.7% said they have to take care of the house and other properties of their younger family members to ensure long-term and palliative care in old age,’’ the study report said. ‘‘Over 75% of respondents have to limit their personal social interactions as their family members direct them to do so, otherwise their family members can avoid providing their basic needs of food and medicines. ‘‘Most elderly respondents (68.5%) said breaking up of the joint family system is one of the biggest factors for the challenges they face in getting long-term, palliative care.

Healthcare equipment such as wheelchairs, relief material such as adult diapers and care-giving service should be provided on a regular basis to destitute older people, who are bedridden and suffering from acute mobility issues, the report said.

‘‘Though providing long-term and palliative care to older persons comes in the purview of family responsibilities in India, it is observed that older persons, who are financially independent, have a high net worth or hold property entitlements, are treated comparatively well by their family members’’ said Rath.

‘‘Managing home care for the elderly is a massive challenge as multiple service providers–nursing agencies, physiotherapists and medical suppliers–are small scale and unorganised and, therefore, provide incomplete care,’’ he said. ‘‘In India, health insurance coverage is essentially limited to hospitalisation. The concept of geriatric care has remained a neglected area of medicine so far in the country.’’

On the basis of the understanding of the passage, answer any ten of the questions given below with the help of the options that follow. 1×10=10

i) According to the passage what is the primary need of all elders in India?

a) Long term care

b) Traditional family support

c) Independence

d) Proper healthcare

ii) Pick the option that lists the statements that are NOT TRUE according to the passage.

1. Older people in India often face problems.

2. The elderly have to compromise and make adjustments in their lifestyle.

3. Healthcare equipment such as wheelchairs, adult diapers, etc should not be provided on a regular basis.

4. Managing home care for the elderly is a small challenge.

a) 1 and 2

b) 2 and 3

c) 1 and 3

d) 3 and 4

iii) The word ‘acute’ as used in para 6, means the same as

a) deserving

b) poor

c) serious

d) intermittent

iv) How does an elder get the proper care and support?

a) By babysitting.

b) By transferring their properties to the family members.

c) By shifting into a old age home.

d) By taking care of the household.

v) Based on the data given in the picture passage, choose the option that correctly states the outcomes of the survey during May-June 2018.

vi) Based on the data given in the passage, choose the option that lists the statements that are TRUE.

1. The survey was conducted in the Northern and Eastern states In India.

2. More than 10,000 people were surveyed.

3. Around 72.7% of the elderly have to take care of the property of their younger family members to ensure their long-term care.

4. 64% of the respondents cited that loneliness, marginalisation and isolation are the most critical issues faced by the bedridden elderly patients.

a) 1 and 2 b) 2 and 3 c) 1 and 4 d) 2 and 4vii) The passage specifically focuses on…………….

a) all old people in old age homes b) elderly with mental disorder

c) bedridden old people d) all old people

viii) In India, the responsibility of the elders lies on…………..

a) family systems b) old age centres

c) government d) hospitals

ix) According to the report, what is an essential requirement for older people suffering from mobility issues?

a) Care giving services b) Wheelchairs

c) Adult diapers d) All of these

x) Which of the following shows the correct details of respondents having to limit their personal social interactions?

xi) Arrange the given data from the survey from the least accepted to the most observed problem faced by the elderly, from the following

1. Lack of traditional family support.

2. Limited personal social interactions.

3. Loneliness, marginalisation, and isolation.

4. Compromise for proper care and support.

a) 3, 4, 2, 1

b) 4, 3, 1, 2

c) 2, 4, 3, 1

d) 1, 4, 2, 3

Literature (20 Marks)

3. Read the extracts given below and answer the following questions. (Do any two.) 1×8=8

A. ‘‘Uh-oh, here comes Roger Stinky Skunk,’’ and they would run away, and Roger Skunk would stand there all alone, and two little round tears would fall from his eyes.’’ The corners of Jo’s mouth drooped down and her lower lip bent forward as he traced with a forefinger along the side of her nose the course of one of Roger Skunk’s tears. ‘‘Won’t he see the owl?’’ She asked in a highand faintly roughened voice. Sitting on the bed beside her, Jack felt the covers tug as her legs switched tensely.

i) ‘Uh-oh’ in the extract is used to show

a) that something bad had happened.

b) that something great had happened.

c) that something strange had happened.

d) that something clever had happened.

ii) Why was Roger called ‘Roger Stinky Skunk’?

a) Because he was unhygienic.

b) Because he smelt very bad.

c) Because he was dirty.

d) Because he showed bad behaviour.

iii) For what reason was Roger Skunk crying?

a) Because he was teased.

b) Because he was hurt.

c) Because no one wanted to play with him.

d) Because everyone hated him.

iv) Why does Jo want Roger to go to the owl?

a) To get an advice.

b) To share his problems with him.

c) Because only the owl was his friend.

d) Because the owl was wise.

B. ‘‘Look! For a moment Evans’s eyes smoldered dangerously, but Jackson was ready for him.

‘‘Orders of the Governor, Evans.’’ He leaned forward and leered, his voice dropping to a harsh, contemptuous whisper. ‘‘You want to complain?’’ Evans shrugged his shoulders lightly. The crisis was over. ‘‘You’ve got half an hour to smarten yourself up, Evans–and take that bloody hat off!’’ ‘‘Me at? Huh!’’ Evans put his right hand lovingly on top of the filthy woolen, and smiled sadly.

i) Why was Evans looking at Jackson dangerously?

a) Because Jackson has insulted him.

b) Because Jackson was rude to him.

c) Because Jackson had his nail clipper and nail file removed.

d) Because Jackson wanted Evans to take off his bobble hat.

ii) For what reason did the Governor order to remove the things from Evans room?

a) To make sure Evans does not hurt anyone.

b) To make the room an ideal space for the Exam.

c) To make sure that the invigilator was safe.

d) To make sure that Evans does not have any chance to escape.

iii) Evans got sad when asked to remove his hat because.

a) he believed that it gave him a smart look.

b) it was his lucky charm.

c) he knew he would be cold without it.

d) he loved to wear it.

iv) The given lines indicate that, Jackson

a) disliked Evans.

b) loved to tease Evans.

c) was always suspicious of Evans.

d) shared a friendly relation with Evans.

C. They did not try to hide what they said from the ears of Hana as she stood arranging the day’s flowers in the veranda nearby, and she knew they spoke on purpose that she might hear. That they were right she knew too in most of her being.

i) ‘They’ refers to

a) Sadao’s parents

b) Sadao’s servants

c) Sadao’s children

d) Sadao’s patients

ii) Why were they not trying to hide anything from Hana?

a) To make her feel guilty.

b) To punish her.

c) To express their dislike for her and her husband’s actions.

d) To appreciate her husband.

iii) What were they right about?

a) Their pride in their master.

b) Their disgust for the prisoner.

c) Their reaction to their masters act.

d) Their concern for their children.

iv) ‘on purpose’ in the extract means

a) casually b) intermittently

c) accidentally d) intentionally

4. Read the extracts given below and answer the following questions. (Do any one.) 1×4=4

A. 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. The paper –

seeming boy, with rat’s eyes. The stunted, unlucky heir

Of twisted bones, reciting a father’s gnarled disease,

i) The children described in the given lines, are sitting in………

a) a slum school

b) an NGO

c) a private school

d) a makeshift school

ii) The tall girl with her head weighed down means the girl

a) is ill and exhausted.

b) has her head bent with shame.

c) has untidy hair.

d) has beautiful and thick hair.

iii) The paper seeming boy with rat’s eyes means the boy is

a) sly and secretive.

b) thin, hungry and weak.

c) unpleasant looking.

d) suffering from a disease.

iv) Which word in the extract means the same as ‘twisted’?

a) Weeds

b) Pallor

c) Gnarled

d) Reciting

B. What I want should not be confused

with total inactivity.

Life is what it is about ;

I want no truck with death.

i) What should not be compared with inactivity?

a) Rest

b) Peace

c) Silence

d) Meditation

ii) ‘‘no truck with death’’ means.

a) No activity

b) No association with death

c) No wars and bloodshed

d) No environmental degradation

iii) The rhyme scheme of the given extract is

a) Abcb

b) Abca

c) Abba

d) No rhyme scheme

iv) The poet has used conversational styles because

a) he wants to be personal with mankind.

b) he is reading a poem.

c) he wants to establish a connection.

d) he wants to tell something important to mankind.

5. Attempt any eight questions from the ten given below. 1×8=8

i) Why does Derry enter Mr. Lamb’s garden?

a) Because he was curious.

b) Because he did not see anyone there.

c) Because he wanted to steal crab apples.

d) Both (a) and (b).

ii) Choose the statement that is NOT TRUE with reference to the Peddler.

a) He was a thief.

b) He hated the world for his miseries.

c) He faked his transformation into an honest being.

d) He broke the confidence posed into home.

iii) What kind of people did Charley ‘see’ at the third level?

a) Men and women wearing 18th century dresses.

b) Men and women wearing latest dresses.

c) Men and women wearing 19th century dresses.

d) Men and women beating each other.

iv) Neruda points out that humans are ‘single-minded’. With reference to the given statement, which of the following is NOT TRUE?

a) We are single-minded in our actions which harm the environment.

b) Wars resulting from our hostility cause great destruction.

c) Because of the single-minded nature of humans, earth will come to an end.

d) We need to leave behind our single-mindedness and inculcate human values.

v) What harm do the fishermen do?

a) They do not do any harm.

b) They kill squids and fish.

c) They kill whales.

d) They kill sharks.

vi) Why does the poet compare her mother’s face to that of a corpse?

a) Because she was very stressed.

b) Because she wanted to kill her mother.

c) Because she wanted to highlight her old age.

d) Because she had been to a crematorium.

vii) It is clear that Aunt Jennifer wants to be

a) happy

b) courageous

c) independent

d) All of these

viii) What is the meaning of Saheb’s full name?

a) Servant of the universe

b) Lord of the country

c) Servant of the country

d) Lord of the universe

ix) What was the bruising experience that Douglas had at the YMCA?

a) A boy of sixteen years tossing him into the pool.

b) A boy of eighteen years kicking him.

c) A boy of eighteen years beating him.

d) A boy of eighteen years tossing him into the pool.

x) What had been put up on the notice board?

a) The order for teaching only French in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.

b) The order for teaching only German and French in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.

c) The order for teaching only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.

d) The order for teaching English in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.

Part – B : Subjective Questions (40 Marks)

Writing Skills (16 Marks)

6. Write a notice informing all about a session by an eminent Psychologist on ‘Study Skills.’ You are Anil/Amira, Cultural Incharge of St Mark’s School, Janakpuri. (50 words) 3

Hotel Scenic Palace, Dalhousie, needs young & smart lady receptionists. Write an advertisement in 50 words to be published in the ‘Situation Wanted’ column of a local newspaper. 3

7. You are Ashish/Ritika. You have received a letter from your close friend inviting you to attend the marriage of his sister. But unfortunately you cannot attend it due to your previous commitments. Write a reply to the invitation regretting your inability to attend the marriage ceremony. (50 words)

You are Saurab/Samaira Chaturvedi living at C-404, Adharsila Apartments, New Delhi. You decide to hold a dinner party to congratulate your grandfather on his 100th birthday. Draft a formal invitation in not more than 50 words to all family members to attend a grand dinner at home. 3

8. A student’s anxieties never end. After clearing the Class XII Board Examination, there is the uncertainty of getting admission in a college and a course of one’s choice. The cut-off percentage in good colleges rises every year. There are hardly any openings for average students. Write a letter to the Editor of a National Daily stating the problems and giving suggestions to create job-oriented vocational courses for students after passing Class XII. You are Arijit/Aparna. (120-150 words) 5

You are Krishna from F-9, Mayur Vihar, Delhi. You have come across an advertisement in a National Daily for recruitment of Radio Jockey by Radio One, Noida. Apply in response to this advertisement giving your detailed bio-data with the help of following verbal clues. (120-150 words) 5

Clues

Qualifications and experience
Hosted many shows
Taken interviews
Enclosed resume

9. ‘Media is misleading today’s youth’. You read about this in a reputed magazine. Write an article for your school magazine expressing your views about the same. You are Binod Trivedi of Class XII-A. You can use the following clues. (120-150 words) 5

Clues

Mode of spreading information
Misleading youth
Attraction towards Western culture
Anti-social activities
Check on the shows
Strict punishment

Many job seekers are so desperate to leave their own country and start a new life in another country that they grasp any opportunity which they believe will enable them to do this. Sadly, many of them take risks with their lives and still do not fulfil their dream. As Aayushi/Aayush Mehra, write a report on the topic ‘Desperate Emigrants’ to be published in ‘Spectrum.’ You can use the following clues. (120-150 words) 5

Clues

Increasing number of emigrants
Fall prey to unscrupulous ‘agents’
Desperate in seeking new jobs
Illegal means of transportation
Live under the threat of discovery and being deported

Literature (24 Marks)

10. Answer any five of the following questions in 30-40 words. 2×5=10

i) Identify and interpret the symbols found in the poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers.’

ii) How is a thing of beauty a joy forever?

iii) Why was Gandhiji impressed with Rajkumar Shukla’s tenacity and determination?

iv) Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after knowing the truth about him?

v) ‘Little has moved with time, it seems, in Firozabad.’ State any one reason why the writer says this.

vi) Elaborate the significance of the number ‘twelve’ in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet.’

11. Answer any two of the following questions in 30-40 words. 2×2=4

i) What did the Psychiatrist think about Charley’s stamp collection? Why did Charley not agree with him?

ii) Why do you think Dr. Sadao’s father was a very traditional and conventional man?

iii) What new phase was Jo going through in the custom of storytelling?

12. Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words. 5

Comment on the appropriateness of the title ‘The Last Lesson.’

How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament.

13. Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words. 5

Discuss the role of Mr. Lamb in the transformation of Derry.

The same situation can be viewed through two different perspectives. How does ‘‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy?’’ establish this point through the views of Jack and Jo.