Students can access the CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 English with Solutions and marking scheme Term 2 Set 3 will help students in understanding the difficulty level of the exam.
CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 English Term 2 Set 3 with Solutions
General Instructions :
- The Question Paper contains THREE sections-READING, WRITING and LITERATURE.
- Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.
Time : 2 Hours
Max. Marks : 40
Section-A
Reading
Question 1.
Read the passage given below.
1. Apollo, the Greek God, apart from being a God having the power to give the boon of knowing the future, is also vulnerable to the physical attraction towards beauty. According to Herodotus’ History, there is a mention of a lady, a princess named Cassandra who was a daughter of Priam the king and the queen Hecuba of Troy. She was the smartest and the most beautiful of the daughters of King Priam.
2. Apollo was constantly on prowl for attractive humans. He falls in love with Cassandra. Strangely, this never happens in Greek myths, Cassandra resists his advances. So, he tries to bribe her. But she was already a princess. What could he give her? She was rich and beautiful. She was happy. Still Apollo had something to offer. He promised her the gift of prophecy. This was irresistible. She agreed. Quid pro quo. Apollo did whatever Gods can do to create seers, oracles and prophets out of mere mortals.
3. Scandalously, after receiving the boon, Cassandra reneged. She refused the overtures of a god. Apollo was incensed. As it is, Gods keep their promises, so he could not withdraw the gift of prophecy. Instead, he cursed her to a cruel and ingenious fate that no one would believe her prophecies.
4. This story is taken largely from Aeschylus’s play Agamemnon. Cassandra also appears in texts written by Homer, Virgil, Aeschylus and Euripides. Each author depicts her prophetic powers differently. In Homer’s work too, Cassandra has mentioned a total of four times as ‘a virgin daughter of Priam’, as bewailing Hector’s death, as chosen by Agamemnon to be his slave mistress after the sack of Troy, and as killed by Clytemnestra over Agamemnon’s corpse after Clytemnestra murders him on his return home.
5. Cassandra prophesies to her own people the fall of Troy. Nobody pays attention. She predicts the death of the leading Greek invader, Agamemnon. Nobody pays attention. She even foresees her own early death, and still, no one pays attention. They didn’t want to hear. She was made fun of. Both Greeks and Trojans called her “the lady of many sorrows”. There is a nice moment when she cannot understand why these prophecies of impending catastrophe — some of which if believed, could be prevented – were being ignored.
6. Later, after the fall of Troy, even with the Greeks, also, her forebodings did not have any effect. She told the Greeks, “How is it that you don’t understand me? Your tongue I know only too well”. But her pronunciation wasn’t the problem. This was the answer she got. “You see, it’s like this. Even the Delphic Oracle sometimes makes mistakes. Sometimes its own prophecies are ambiguous. We can’t be sure. And if we can’t be sure of Delphi, we can’t be sure of you!”
7. The story was same with the Trojans. Cassandra says “I prophesied to my countrymen,” telling further, “all their disasters.” Tragically, her clairvoyance was ignored and the Trojans were destroyed. Soon she was also killed.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY EIGHT questions from the nine given below.
i. Who was Cassandra?
Answer:
Cassandra was a princess and the daughter of Priam the king and the queen Hecuba of Troy. She was the smartest and the most beautiful of the daughters of King Priam.
ii. Cite a point in evidence, from the text, to suggest that the mistrust of the Greeks over Cassandra’s prophecies was justified.
Answer:
The Greeks told Cassandra after the fall of Troy that even the Delphic Oracle sometimes makes mistakes.
Sometimes its own prophecies are ambiguous. And if they couldn’t be sure of them, they certainly couldn’t be sure of her as well.
iii. State any one trait of Cassandra that is evident from paragraphs 2-3 and provide a reason for your choice.
Answer:
Cassandra was a strong-willed and an unbending woman who did not accept Apollo’s perverse advancements so easily. She couldn’t resist the gift of prophecy but eventually refuses to be with Apollo.
iv. Cassandra strangely refuses Apollo’s advances and ‘this never happens in Greek myths.’ Why did the writer think that this was ‘strange’?
Answer:
Usually, when Gods in Greek myths convey their love to the mortals, they happily comply. But Cassandra straight up refused Apollo, the Greek God having the power to give the boon of knowing the future, and this comes off as strange.
v. Rewrite the given sentence by replacing the underlined phrase with another one, from paragraph 2.
His freedom was a barter for the valuable insider information he revealed about the cartel.
Answer:
His freedom was a quid pro quo for the valuable insider information he revealed about the cartel.
vi. What does the use of the phrase ‘the lady of many sorrows’ suggest in the context of Trojans mocking Cassandra?
Answer:
Cassandra prophesies to her own people the fall of Troy, the death of the leading Greek invader Agamemnon. She even foresees her own early death, and still, no one pays attention. She’s made fun of by both Greeks and Trojans alike for always foretelling doom and destruction.
vii. Select a suitable phrase from paragraph 2 to complete the following sentence appropriately.
I was more than willing to interact with my colleagues but they did not seem interested and ______________________.
Answer:
I was more than willing to interact with my colleagues but they did not seem interested and refused the overtures.
viii. The story of Cassandra is narrated by many Greek authors. Which authors narrate the story?
Answer:
Cassandra appears in texts written by Homer, Virgil, Aeschylus and Euripides. Each author depicts her prophetic powers differently.
ix. Analyse why Cassandra’s boon was nothing more than a curse for her?
Answer:
Cassandra’s gift of prophecy was wasted by the curse of people not believing in them. She spent her whole life in misery remaining unheard and overlooked. She was eventually taken by Agamemnon to be his slave mistress after the sack of Troy, and was later killed.
Question 2.
Read the passage given below.
1. The widespread disappearance of snakes will be one impact of climate change that some people may find it hard to regret. But as vital predators in sensitive habitats such as rice fields, their decline will have wider ecological consequences, say, scientists.
2. Species assessed as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), or Vulnerable (VU) are referred to as “threatened” species. Reporting the proportion of threatened species on The IUCN Red List is complicated because not all species groups have been fully evaluated, and some species have so little information available that they can only be assessed as Data Deficient (DD).
3. Scientists in five countries across three continents report they found “alarming” declines in snake numbers after monitoring 17 populations in a variety of habitats – something they believe could be part of a global phenomenon.
The Number of Endangered Species is Rising
Number of animal species of the IUCN Red List, by class
other invertebrates (spineless) animals, such as crustaceans, corals and arachnids (spiders, scorpions)
Source: IUCN Red List
4. “All the declines occurred during the same relatively short period of time and over a wide geographical area that included temperate, Mediterranean and tropical climates,” write the authors. “We suggest that, for these reasons alone, there is likely to be a common cause at the root of the declines and that this indicates a more widespread phenomenon.”
5. “The main importance of these findings is that snakes are top predators within the habitats they are found in and as such play a potentially important role in the functioning of many ecosystems,” said Chris Reading of the UK’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, who led the research. “For example, they play an important role in pest control – small rodents [like] rats and mice – in areas such as paddies and sugar cane plantations.”
6. The IUCN said it had not done an analysis of snakes, but based on assessments of nearly one in five reptile species it estimates that 28% are threatened. This figure could reduce in future as vulnerable species are often assessed as a priority.
7. Researchers tracked the snake populations between 1987 and 2009 by carrying out regular surveys, a method not designed to measure absolute population sizes but relative abundance. The surveys varied in method between sites – from daily reports over several months of the year to monitoring roadkill – but were always the same in each location.
8. The authors note that six of the eight species which “crashed” had small home ranges, sedentary habits and relied on ambushing prey rather than actively seeking it out. “These patterns fit the prediction that ‘sit-and-wait foragers may be vulnerable because they rely on sites with specific types of ground cover, and anthropogenic activities disrupt these habitat features, and ambush foraging is associated with a suite of life-history traits that involve low rates of feeding, growth and reproduction’,” they add.
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer ANY SIX questions from the seven given below.
i. What do the authors mean by ‘sit-and-wait foragers’?
Answer:
‘Sit-and-wait foragers’ refers to snakes that naturally ambush hunters. They have small home ranges, sedentary habits and rely on ambushing prey rather than actively seeking it out.
ii. Why was this survey on the declining snake population undertaken?
Answer:
Snakes are the top chain predators of their ecosystem, meaning that they keep the population of the pests like rats and mice under control. Their decline is going to push the food chain into an imbalance which makes it important to save the snake species. Therefore, a survey on the declining snake population was undertaken.
iii. Based on the information that can be gathered from the figure given in the passage, can we say that birds are more vulnerable than reptiles?
Answer:
The number of endangered bird species listed by IUCN has remain almost constant so far over the years but there is a visible increase in the number of endangered reptile species. Hence, it would be better to say that the rate with which reptiles are becoming endangered is more alarming.
iv. What can be concluded by the data of IUCN red list, with reference to the figure given in the passage?
Answer:
The number of vulnerable and endangered species have been increasingly on the rise and the direct culprit for this can be labelled as climate change and human interference,
v. What are threatened species?
Answer:
Species assessed as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), or Vulnerable (VU) are referred to as “threatened” species.
vi. Why is it complicated to report threatened species to IUCN?
Answer:
Reporting the proportion of threatened species on The IUCN Red List is complicated because not all species groups have been fully evaluated, and some species have so little information available that they can only be assessed as Data Deficient (DD).
vii. Identify a phrase from paragraph 8 suggesting that the sharp decline in snake population is a direct manifestation of human interference.
Answer:
Anthropogenic activities suggests that the sharp decline in snake population is a direct manifestation of human interference.
Section-B
Writing
Question 3.
Draft a formal invitation on behalf of Mrs. and Mr. Bhardwato be sent to all the relatives and friends on the occasion of their daughter’s marriage. Prepare the invitation giving necessary details in not more than 50 words.
Answer:
|
Mrs and Mr BHARDWAJ R.S.V.P |
Question 4.
Attempt ANY ONE from A and B given below.
(A) You are Nitin/Nitima living in Mysore. You have just completed Hotel Management Course and looking for a job. While browsing through The Times of India, you came across an advertisement for the requirement of an executive chef in Hotel Marriott. Write an application in about 120-150 words for the same giving your resume.
| Hotel Marriott Vacancy for the post of Executive Chef Hotel Marriott, Bangalore, is looking for an executive chef for immediate placement. She/he should have in-depth knowledge of F&B Kitchen Management and controls, good communication skills, and specialise in culinary art. Apply within seven working days of publication of this advertisement to the HR Manager – Hotel Marriott, Bangalore. |
OR
(B) You are Vijay/Vijaya, Assembly Secretary of Army Police Public School, Vasant Kunj. Write a report in 120-150 words on the felicitation ceremony held in your school. You may use the cues given below along with your own ideas.
- Felicitation ceremony for academic and co-curricular achievers
- Chief Guest of the programme
- Introductory dance
- Address by principal and chief guest
- Cash tokens to the toppers and all-round topper
Answer:
A. 8/12, Sri Nagar,
Mysore-XXXXXX
10th June, 20XX
The Manager
Marriott Hotel
Delhi
Subject: Application for the post of executive chef
Sir,
This is with reference to your job advertisement in ‘The Times of India’ regarding the post of an executive chef in your hotel. I would like to apply for the same. I am an efficient chef who excels in creating the menu and can very well oversee the kitchen staff competently. I am capable enough to prepare unique dishes that will make your business stand out from others. For further details, I am enclosing my bio-data herewith.
Enel.: Bio-data
Bio – Data
| Name | Nitin/Nitima |
| Father’s Name | B.N. Kumar |
| Date of Birth | 21st August, 1994 |
| Address | 8/12, Sri Nagar, Mysore XXX XXX Phone : 98XXXXXXXX |
| E-Mail Address | [email protected] |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Educational Qualifications | (i) Bachelor in Hotel Management, XYZ Institute, Pune (ii) Certified Executive Chef (CEC) (iii) Associate degree in culinary art |
| Experience | 2 years experience as a cook in a Three Star Hotel |
| Strengths | Ability to communicate in fast-moving environment, organization skill, time management skill |
| Languages | Good command over spoken and written English. |
| Hobbies | Reading and Sketching |
| References | 1. Rohin Khurana, Manager, Blue Lagoon Hotel, Pune Ph. XXXXXXXXXX 2. Anil Sharma, Manager, Hyatt, Delhi. Ph : XXXXXXXXXX |
Hoping for a favorable response.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
Nitin/ Nitima
OR
B.
Felicitation Event at Army Police Public School
By Vijaya/Vijay
Army Police Public School, Vasant Kunj organised a ceremony to felicitate achievers in academics and co-curricular fields. The occasion was graced by Mr. Rohit Mallik, special CP, Deepa Mallik, Mahesh Vaidya, joint CP, Western range and Visit Verma, additional DCP, South West district. A Bihu dance performed by the students was a feast for the eyes.
In her address, Principal Shiny Datta stressed on recognising excellence not only in academics but also in co-curricular activities. She also focused on the need to develop basic life skills in children. The CBSE class 10th toppers bagging the first, second and third positions were awarded a cash prize of ₹3,000; ₹2,000 and ₹1,000 respectively.
The stream toppers of class 12th received cash price of ₹5,000 each. Meritorious students from classes 6 to 9 and 11 were awarded. Student of the year, Gaurav Khandelwal was felicitated with a cash price of ₹1O,000. The principal and the guests felicitated young achievers and other students were motivated to follow the footsteps of the merit holders.
Section-C
Literature
Question 5.
Attempt ANY FIVE of the six questions given below, within 40 words each.
i. How do ‘denizens’ and ‘chivalric’ add to our understanding of the tiger’s attitudes?
Answer:
The word ‘denizens’ here means that the tigers are proud of their home, they feel safe and fearless there and have a feeling of belonging attached to it. The word ‘chivalric’ shows that they have a majestic and worthy position like knights. They are the masters of their area.
ii. ‘The next day both men got up in good, season.’ Who are the men who are mentioned in the line and what did they both do when they got up?
Answer:
The two men who are mentioned in the line are the old crofter and the peddler. After getting up, the crofter was in a hurry to milk his cow. Peddler also did not want to stay in bed when the host had gotten up. They left the cottage at the same time. The crofter locked the door and put the key in his pocket. The peddler thanked him, bade him goodbye and then both went their own way.
iii. Why did Gandhiji agree to the settlement of 25% refund to the peasants?
Answer:
Gandhiji had demanded 50 percent refund from the landlords. The landlords offered only 25 percent. Gandhiji agreed to the settlement of 25 percent because according to Gandhiji, money was not important. He had made the Britishers bow down before the Indian peasants, which was the primary aim of this struggle.
iv. According to the poet John Keats, what are the things that cause pain?
Answer:
According to Keats, the things that cause pain and suffering are despondency, dearth of noble nature, gloomy days and unhealthy and darkened ways of human beings.
v. What did you feel about Evan’s having the last laugh?
Answer:
The phrase ‘Evans having the last laugh’ refers to the clever plan devised by Evans to escape from the prison by fooling everyone till the end. He left some clues so that the officials would be misled in chasing him. Evans adopted the wrong way. He forged the van used by the governor of the prison. He finally managed to escape which is referred to here as Evans having the last laugh.
vi. What was the basic plot of each story told by Jack?
Answer:
The basic plot of each story told by Jack was about a small creature, usually named Roger who had some problem and went with it to the wise old owl. The owl would tell him to go to the wizard and the wizard performed a magic spell that solved the problem and then demanded payment in pennies.
Question 6.
Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 120-150 words each.
i. ‘The blacksmiths glanced only casually and indifferently at the intruder’ but ‘The ironmaster did not follow the example of the blacksmiths who had hardly deigned to look at the stranger’. How was the attitude of both the persons different?
Answer:
The attitude of both, the blacksmiths and the ironmaster was completely different. On one side where blacksmiths exhibited the typical attitude of physical labors for whom, work was the first priority and didn’t bother about the onlookers, the ironmaster was a conscious man. The master blacksmith signaled an arrogant permission without honoring the intruder with a single word. It was clear from his gesture that the peddler didn’t matter for him.
His presence was insignificant for him. But the ironmaster, who was on one of his nightly rounds of inspection, saw the tall ragamuffin who had quietly made his way to the furnace for warmth. He walked closely up to him and looked him over carefully. Then he removed his slouch hat to get a better view of his face.
In the uncertain light of the furnace, he mistook the stranger for his old regimental comrade and requested him to go home with him. When the stranger declined the invitation, the ironmaster sent his daughter to persuade him to spend Christmas Eve with them. This highlights the different shades of human nature. It shows that even the person with best judgment may commit an error of judgment.
ii. How do things of beauty enrich us?
Answer:
Our desire to live on this earth is to a great extent due to the presence of beautiful things that are a constant source of joy for us. Without beauty, the earth is full of gloom and sadness. There is cruelty, selfishness and mean behaviour all around with lack of good-natured people. It is this beauty, a creation of God, which removes the sadness and darkness from our minds and souls.
As we get wrapped up in the beautiful flowery band or this strong connection with nature, we get a reason to live further. The sun, the moon, trees old and young are all sources of happiness for us. The trees sprout and spread their branches to provide shelter within their shade for the simple sheep.
The Daffodils bloom within the green surroundings in which they grow. The clear and small streams of water make a cooling shelter for themselves against the hot season. The thick mass of ferns looks grand with their beautiful musk roses. All these things enrich our lives to an extent that it is not possible to live without them and in this way beauty enriches us.
iii. What is the moral issue that the story ‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy’ raises?
Answer:
The moral issue that the story raises is whether parents have the absolute right of judging what is good or bad for their child. There is a sharp contrast in the story about the child’s viewpoint and an adult’s perspective of life.
In the story, Jo felt that the happiness of being able to make friends is more than anything else and so she wanted the story to end with Roger Skunk smelling like roses. On the other hand, her father Jack ended the story by saying that his mother was right in getting Roger’s smell back to its original form, implying to his daughter that parents knew what is best for their children.
He also advocates that children should respect their parent’s opinions and obey them unquestioningly. Jack also narrated that all the other animals finally accepted Roger, as he was emphasising the importance of a person’s originality and individuality.