Class 12 Sample Paper 2024 English (Mid Term)

MID TERM
SAMPLE PAPER
Practice Question Paper | Model Paper |
Sample Question Paper

2024-2025

PRACTICE PAPER
CLASS XII
ENGLISH CORE (CODE NO-301)

Time allowed: 3 hours (MID TERM EXAM) MAX MARKS 80
General Instructions:
1) The paper is divided into three sections Section-A: Reading Section-B: Writing and Section-C:
Literature. All the sections are compulsory.
2) Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.
3) Please write down the serial number of the question in the answer script correctly before attempting it.
4) Separate instructions are given with each question, wherever necessary

20
SECTION A — (Reading)
Q1 Read the passage given below: 10X1=10
Deserts are the driest places on earth. But even the desert animals cannot survive without water,
or for long periods in the scorching sun, so they have had to find different ways of coping with
the harsh conditions The animals living in deserts have to develop their capacity to adapt to the
harsh climate. For instance, gerbils spend the hottest part of the day in their cool underground
burrows. Similarly darkling beetles catch drops of moisture on their legs. Then they lift the legs
in the air until the drops of water trickle down into their mouths. The Rocky deserts of America
have ‘Rattle Snake’ which kill their prey with venom. The snakes swallow the animal whole and
hardly eat more than once a week. Larger pythons can survive for a year without eating.

Some snakes also live in desert. In the rocky deserts of America is found the frightening rattler
which makes a frightening rattle and can strike with a lightning speed. It avoids people if it
possibly can but when threatened it coils ready to bite. Rattlers feed on a variety of prey including
mice. Snakes do not eat more than once a week but some snakes such as pythons cansurvive for
a year or more without eating.
The other animal found in deserts are mongooses that like to hunt together. They have to be
careful of dangerous predators. Their food is beetles and other small creatures. They warn each
other with a special alarm call of they see anything suspicious. All the female mongooses have
their kittens at about the same time. They are raised by the whole group in a den. Mongooses are
famous snake-killers. Their reactions are so fast that they can dodge each time the snake strikes.
In the end the snake gets tired. Then, the mongoose quickly dives in for a kill.

Another animal that lives in the desert is the camel. They were tamed by man thousands of years
ago, Camels get the water they need from desert plants. They can survive without drinking water
up to ten months. A thirsty camel can drink as much as thirty gallons of water in just ten minutes.
Camels are of two kinds Dromedary and Bactrian. The Dromedary camel has one hump while
the Bactrian camel has two humps. These humps are full of fat which helps them to survive for
many days without food and water. Their mouths are so tough that even thorns cannot pierce
them.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, Answer ten out of the eleven
questions that follow:
a What does the passage tell about deserts and desert animals?

b Why do Mongooses like to hunt together?

c Identify the reason for the mongooses being famous snake killers.

d Cite a point of evidence from the passage to suggest that the fear induced by rattle snake is
justified.
e Why do all the female mongooses have their kitten at about the same time?
1 When the females are out looking for food, males stay behind to stand guard.
2 They are raised by the whole group in a den
3 Mongooses like to hunt together, but they always keep a lookout for dangerous predators
4They are afraid of being killed by the snakes.

f What makes camel well adapted to live in desert?
1 Camels were first domesticated by man many thousands of years ago.
2 They can survive without drinking water up to ten months.
3 If they have nothing to eat for several days, their humps shrink.
4 Their mouths are so tough that the sharp thorn can pierce through.
g What common features can you find in all desert animals?
1 They can all adapt to cool climate.
2 They can all live without food for a long time.
3 They are all carnivorous animals.
4 They do not need food or water to survive.
h Camels are of two kinds. How do you differentiate between them?
1 The Dromedary camel has one hump and the Bactrian camel also has one hump.
2 The Dromedary camel has one hump while the Bactrian camel has two humps.
3 The Dromedary camel has two humps while the Bactrian camel has one hump.
4 There is no difference between the two kinds.

i Find word from the passage which mean the opposite of the word ‘attacker’

j Find word from the passage which mean the same as the word ‘cautious’

Q2 Read the passage given below: 10X1=10
1. The death of a language marks the loss of yet another piece of cultural uniqueness from the
mosaic of our wonderful planet and is a great tragedy for the human race. Language death

should be treated like species’ extinction and the same methods of conservation and preservation

X8 should be applied here.
2. A recent survey conducted in the state of Maharashtra, found only 2000-2500 speakers who
speak Nihali, the language of the Nihal tribe. Sonbardi is home to 70 families and only half of
them speak this language. Linguistic professors have been researching Nihali for five years.
They visit Nihal villages at least twice a year, collecting words and understanding their customs
and beliefs. Scholars have in the past tried to do work on Nihali but communication is a problem
so interpreting grammar is difficult.
3. Nihali is one of India’s 42 critically endangered languages, according to the UNESCO Atlas
of the World’s Languages in Danger. India has 197 languages in various stages of
endangerment, more than any other country in the world. There are 7,100 living languages in
the world and nearly 2,600 are endangered. Figure 1 showcases the vitality of existing
languages in India.

Critically endangered languages are those whose youngest speakers are grandparents or older
and they speak the language partially and infrequently. The Nihals travel to other parts of
Maharashtra on work. As that starts happening, the strong familial ties fostering the language
may come under pressure.
4. Preserving their language may not be a top priority for a community like the Nihals for two
reasons: there is the larger everyday question of eking out a living and the assumption that the
future generations will of course speak the language. Economic and social factors could hinder
the perpetuation of the language, especially when it has no script. A variety of language
resuscitation and protection measures of endangered languages have been implemented over
the years. We need to come to the aid of these languages and give them a shot at posterity not
just as artifacts but as thriving cultural identities.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, Answer the ten questions that follow:

a Which of the following stands as the best definition of ‘critically endangered languages’?

1 Languages spoken majorly by the senior citizens

2 Languages that are spoken partially and frequently
3 Languages that are spoken in rural parts of India

4 Languages that do not have a script.

b What is the relationship between (i) and (ii)?
i. 4% of languages around the world are totally extinct.
ii. lack of conservation and preservation have resulted in the extinction of languages.

1 (ii) is the cause for (i).
2 (i) repeats the situation described in (ii).
3 (ii) elaborates the problem described in (i).
4 (i) sets the stage for (ii).
c Which of the following factors makes the work of the language researchers cumbersome?
1 communication
2 social factors
3 research
4 economic factors

d Which of the following is the solution to the problem posed in the passage?

1 It is said that life and death are under the power of language.
2 Language conservation and preservation are the need of the hour.
3 The use of language is all we have against death.
4 When we speak, we exercise the power of language to transform reality.
e What parallel has the writer drawn to explain that some languages stand threatened?

f What does the writer mean by ‘strong familial ties fostering the language’?

g What makes Nihali a critically endangered language?

h Complete the core analysis of the pie chart (Fig.1).
Nearly 60% of the languages are
FOR BLIND CANDIDATES IN PLACE OF h
Why is preservation of their language not a top priority for the nihals?

i Find a synonym for the word ‘pattern’ from para 1

j What measures have been implemented for endangered languages?

SECTION B — (Writing)

Q 3 Frequent cases of theft, burglary, eve teasing and electricity break down in the society are being
reported to the Resident Welfare Association of Ashok Nagar. As the President of the society, 5
write a notice in not more than 50 words inviting all members for a general body meeting to

discuss the issue and to find a solution. Agenda of the meeting must be mentioned. You are
Surya/Suryanshi.
OR
The Cultural Club of Vaid Public School Noida is organising a 'Talent Hunt' evening. An
eminent musician will be the Guest of Honour. As Mridul / Mridula, the Secretary of the
Cultural Club, draft a notice to inform the students and invite their participation with details
in not more than 50 words.

Q 4 You are Shaan/Shruti of C-29, Pragati Vihar. You have lost your leather wallet, containing
your examination entry ticket for Class XIl, while travelling by a bus from Rithala to Model
Town. Write a notice in not more than 50 words, to be published in the Times of India.

OR 5
You are Varun/Veena of 23, Ramesh Nagar Delhi. You found a watch during recess near the
canteen. Draft a notice for the school notice board asking the owner to claim it from you upon
identification in not more than 50 words.

Q 5 You are Kavita / Kailash staying at B-101, Yamuna Vihar, Delhi. You wish to apply for the post
of sports teacher in NK Jindal Public School, Delhi advertised in The Hindustan Times. Write a
letter with bio data to the school Principal in approximately 120-150 words
OR
You see a classified advertisement in the newspaper inviting applications for the post of
Marketing Representative in a reputed company. Write a letter with biodata in approximately 5
120-150 words to the HR Manager, Neo Technologies, New Delhi, applying for the post
advertised. You are Priyanka/Priyank of 121 Green Park, New Delhi, a fresh graduate in Sales
and Marketing from the University of Delhi.

Q 6 You are Vipin / Vineeta. You have just visited a glass factory which employs children. You
have witnessed the awful condition of the children there and their place of work. You also
recount the child labourers engaged in carpet and cracker industry, brick-kilns, road side
restaurants and as domestic helps. Inspite of strict laws you find it appalling that many people
in educated society want the practice of child labourers to continue to fulfill their selfish
motives. Write an article in about 120-150 words advocating a total ban on child labour.
OR 5
You are Anand/Anandita, Prefect, Divine Public School, Delhi. Rising cases of juvenile
crime is a cause of concern in the country. An act of aggression destroys their life and spoils
their life as well as career. Write an article about your views and suggestions on curbing
juvenile crime for your school magazine in 120-150 words.

SECTION C - (Literature)

Q 7 Read the extract and answer the questions that follow: 6X1=6

Extract 1
For once on the face of the Earth
let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
a Why does the poet request all to ‘let’s not speak in any language’?

b What does the poet consider as ‘an exotic moment’?

c The word ‘arms’ in the extract stands for

a) a man’s hands
b) weapons used by the army
c) hands of the clock
d) man’s weapons
d What could be the reason behind the poet’s using the word ‘strangeness’?

a) To highlight the importance of everyone being together suddenly for once.
b) To emphasize the frenetic activity and chaos that usually envelops human life.
c) To indicate the unfamiliarity of a sudden moment without rush or without engine.
d) To direct us towards keeping quiet and how we would all be together in that silence.
e The word ‘stop’ in ‘let’s stop for one second’ suggests

a) death
b) slowness
c) passivity
d) apathy
f The result of “we would all be together” in silence would be

a) a new experience in which humanity will feel a sense of bonding
b) an experience where the whole world will be together and feel united in silence
c) a new experience of thinking and action
d) an experience of survival and fighting back together
OR

Extract 2
Driving from my parent’s home to Cochin last Friday
morning, I saw my mother, beside me,

doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that
of a corpse and realised with pain
that she was as old as she looked but soon
put that thought away…

a Name the poet and the poem.

b Who is ‘she’ in the above lines?

c The poetic device in the line ‘ashen like a corpse’ is:
a) hyperbole
b) irony
c) simile
d) metaphor
d Which of the following options best applies to the given extract?
a) a conversation
b) a suggestion
c) a recollection
d) an argument
e The poet realizes with pain that her mother is:
a) dead
b) ill
c) young
d) aging
f The phrase ‘ashen like a corpse’ means:
a) there were ashes of smoke on her face
b) her face was full of dirt and dust
c) her face was lifeless and dull like that of a dead person
d) the wrinkles on her face made her looked ashen
Q 8 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
4X1=4
Extract 1
From that day onwards it was a celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandhpuram.
The state banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja. A proclamation was issued to the
effect that if anyone dared to fling so much as a stone at a tiger, all his wealth and property would
be confiscated. The Maharaja vowed he would attend to all other matters only after killing the
hundred tigers.
a The tone of the author when he says, 'It was celebration time for all tigers' Is

(a) solemn.
(b) sarcastic.
(c) sympathetic.
(d) mocking.

b On the basis of this passage, pick the option that enumerates the characteristics of the
king

1. gullible
2. arrogant
3. willful3
4. aggressive
(a) 1, 2
(b) 3, 4
(c) 2, 3
(d) 1, 3

c Why did the Maharaja want to kill tigers?

d Find a word from the passage which means : official announcement

OR

Extract 2

It’s a wonderful town still, with big old frame houses, huge lawns, and tremendous trees whose
branches meet overhead and roof the streets. And in 1894, summer evenings were twice as long,
and people sat out on their lawns, the men smoking cigars and talking quietly, the women waving
palm-leaf fans, with the fire-flies all around, in a peaceful world. To be back there with the First
World War still twenty years off, and World War II over forty years in the future... I wanted two
tickets for that.

a Who does ‘I’ refer to?
a) Charley's psychiatrist, Sam Weiner
b) Charley's wife, Louisa
c) The reader
d) Charley

b Choose the option that best describes the society to which the author wanted to go in
the above extract:
a) peace-loving
b) sentimental
c) orthodox
d) ancient

c For which city did the author want two tickets?
a) Alsace
b) Lorraine
c) Galesburg

d) Hampton

d Why did the author want “To be back there with the First World War still twenty years off, and
World War II over forty years in the future”?
Q 9 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
6X1=6

Extract 1
My breath was gone. I was frightened. Father laughed, but there was terror in my heart at the
overpowering force of the waves. My introduction to the Y.M.CA. swimming pool revived
unpleasant memories and stirred childish fears. But in a little while I gathered confidence. I
paddled with my new water wings, watching the other boys and trying to learn by aping them. I
did this two or three times on different days and was just beginning to feel at ease in the waterwhen
the misadventure happened.
a The memory of author’s childhood visit to beach with his father was

a) unpleasant and fearful

b) funny and cheerful

c) inspiring and induced confidence

d) overpowering and forced

b What was the reason behind author’s visit to YMCA pool?
a) his father wanted him to learn swimming
b) his mother warned him of the dangers of YMCA pool
c) YMCA pool was safe and not treacherous
d) the author wanted to prove that he knew swimming

c How did the author “gather confidence” at the pool
a) by practicing with the trainer
b) watching the other boys and aping them
c) paddling with water wings daily
d) asking the big boys to teach him swimming

d What was the misadventure that took place right after the author felt comfortable?

e Choose the statement that is NOT TRUE with reference to Douglas.
a) Douglas’s fear kept him away from leisurely activities in water.
b) The fall in the pool at YMCA taught Douglas a life lesson.
c) The fear of drowning was the source of Douglas’s anxiety and terror.
d) Douglas decided to practice relentlessly to overcome his fear.
f
Identify the literary device used in “stirred childish fears”?

OR

B Extract 2
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.

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

a) He empathizes with M. Hamel as he had to leave the village.
b) He believes that M. Hamel was not rich.
c) He feels sorry for M. Hamel as it was his last French lesson.
He thinks that M. Hamel’s patriotism and sense of duty resulted in his poverty.

b Choose the option that shows M. Hamel’s “faithful service”

a) When Franz came late, M. Hamel gently told him that he was about to begin class
without him and taught the entire lesson with patience.
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 a holiday when he wanted
togo fishing.
d) M. Hamel permitted villagers put their children “to work on a farm or at the mills” for some
extra money.
e)
c Identify the villagers’ emotions from the extract.
a) happiness
b) desperation
c) regret
d) depression

d What feelings were expressed by the villagers when they came to attend the last
lesson?
a) regret for not learning French
b) thanking their master for his forty years of faithful service
c) showing their respect for the country that was theirs no more.
d) All of the above

e Why did the country belong to them no more?
a) Because they were leaving the country.

b) Because Germans had taken over their country.
c) Because it was destroyed in the war.
d) Because their country was merging with Prussia.

f
Give one reason why the villagers were present in the class in the last lesson.
Q 10 2X5=10
Answer any five of the six questions given below in 40-50 words:

a
What was the emotional impact of the misadventure at the California beach on Douglas?

b “Now I’ll count up to twelve and you keep quiet and I will go.” Why does the poet wish to go at
the end of the poem?
c
What does the title “lost spring” convey?
d
What strange idea about the world struck the peddler?
e
How could Shukla convince Gandhiji to come to Champaran?
f
How does the poet describe the conditions of the slum children?
Q 11 2X3=6
Answer any two of the three questions given in 40-50 words:
a
Why does the Grand Central Station seem to grow like a tree to Charley?
b
How did the dewan save himself when the Maharaja’s anxiety reached a fever pitch?
c
What was the aim of the “Students on ice” programme?
Q 12
Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words:
Though tempted by the bright day, Franz stated that he had “the strength to resist, and hurried
off to school.” As the story progresses, the reader realizes that Franz, M. Hamel and the
villagers had “the strength to resist” much larger forces. Explain citing inferences from “The
Last Lesson”
OR
If we surrender to our fears, they over power us; If we face them, they fade away. How did the
writer experience the truth of Roosevelt’s statement-“All we have to fear is fear itself”

Q 13 5
Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words:
Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing.’ In light of this quote,
explain how knowing the future paved way for the king’s end in “The Tiger King”
OR
The story reveals refuge from reality to illusion. Describe Charley’s experiences atthe third level
of the Grand Central Station.

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