Class 12 Sample Paper English (Half Yearly)

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PAPER
Half Yearly Examination

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HALF YEARLY EXAMINATION
SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER
Class - XII Subject – English
Time – 3 Hours Maximum Marks-80

General Instructions:
• Read all the questions carefully.
• All questions are compulsory to be attempted.
• The question paper is divided into three sections: A, B and C.
• 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.

l. Read the passage given below:
1. Each day is a chance to invest in life; a chance to renew yourself, to shed yesterday's skin, to
unburden yourself to get rid of yesterday's hurt. Be glad of life each day as it gives you a chance to
work, love and play, and to look at the sun. And then when the sun sets, don't cry-the tears will make
you miss the beauty of the stars.
2. Life moves on and if you don't stop and look at the wonders already present in your life, you will
miss life altogether.
3. Think of big thoughts but relish the small joys life offers you each day. Maybe it's as simple as
smiling at someone. For, that could be the last day of life-for you or for the other person.
4. A small genuine act from you will cost you nothing but it could mean everything to somebody that
day. Life is a succession of moments. Live each moment. Life has no romance without risk. All
actions carry some amount of risk, may be less or more, but the element of risk is always present.
5. If there is no wind, row. Make things happen rather than let things happen. One can give nothing
whatsoever without giving oneself, risking oneself. The most important thing in life is not what you
get but what you give.
6. Once a preacher called at the home of a very poor family. When he came out, he found one
son admiring his new car, so the preacher explained that he had received it as a gift from his brother.
7. Most lads would say, "I wish I had a brother like that." But this one said, "Mister, I wish I could be a
brother like that."
8. If you are not enjoying this journey, for sure you won't enjoy the destination. It will become a
moment to dread, not a moment you can actually look forward to. It's not what happens that
determines our future, but what you do determines it.
9. Conquer the mind and you conquer the world. Looking back strains your neck muscles. Similarly,
living in the past strains your life. Don't dwell in the past. Have faith in yourself and you will have
faith in others. Fulfil your destiny. Remember, no one can make you unhappy without your consent.
10. The way you cope with life, is what makes the difference. Even peace of mind is not the absence of
conflict but the ability to cope with it. You have to reach out to other people. That will teach you to

forgive people and also forgive yourself.
11. Forgiveness means letting go of the past. Compassion is about stepping outside yourself. A kind
compassionate act is often its own reward. Live your life without complaining, just like the tree.

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1 .1 On the basis of your reading of the passage, answer the following questions by choosing the
best of the given choices. (1x10=10)
(a) Why should we be glad of each day?
(i) Because we are more mature each new day.
(ii) Because we have more energy.
(iii) Because we are free of yesterday.
(iv) Because we can live life, work and enjoy each new day.

(b)What is meant by make things happen?
(i) Take initiative, take risks, start things.
(ii) If you are in a boat, you must row.
(iii) Give whatever you wish to give.
(iv) Do not try to get things.

(c) A small genuine act (para 4) could mean..........
(i) an act of kindness and love
(ii) a heroic act
(iii) a good piece of acting
(iv) a short scene in a play

(d)Succession in para 4 means........
(i) achievement
(iii) happiness
(ii) inheritance
(iv) series

1.2 Answer the following questions briefly:
(a)Why we should not dwell in the past?
(b)When the sun sets, do not shed tears because you will miss the ………. of the stars.
(c)Explain :Life has no romance without risk.
(d) You should live your life always complaining, just like the tree. [True/False]

1.3(a) Find a word which means the same as fate (para 9).
(b) Find a word which means the same as to push a boat using oars (para 5).

2. Read the passage and choose the correct answer in the questions given below:

1. While the Centre plans to offer JEE (Mains) in regional languages too, results of NEET-
UG 2020 reveal that of the nearly 7.7 lakh candidates who qualified, over 1.3 lakh took
the test in 10 Indian languages, with 25,701 such students among the top 1 lakh.

2. The healthy percentage of successful students in various languages shows that domain
knowledge is not limited to those fluent in English. However, such students often face a
major language hurdle as technical lessons are imparted in English. They should be given
free English tuitions to enable them to keep pace with the course. Efforts can also be made
to publish technical books in other Indian languages.

3. Apart from English, NEET-UG is offered in 10 Indian languages- Hindi, Assamese,
Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Odia, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Experts say if these
exams had not been conducted in regional languages, many candidates would have
struggled to qualify as they may have not been comfortable in English.
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4. Welcoming the plans to offer JEE(Main) in regional languages, experts said this would help
candidates who study in vernacular languages at the senior secondary level. Educationist and
CBSE ex-chief Ashok Ganguly said since admission to engineering colleges is based on one
exam, students in vernacular medium shouldn’t be deprived of a level-playing field.

5. “But these students will definitely find it difficult to appear in JEE(Advanced). It would be
better to fix some state quota for colleges like NITs and their exam be held separately with
option to appear in regional languages but for national quota, the medium should only be
English. In any case, a student from vernacular medium will find it difficult to continue in IIT.
So JEE(Advanced) must be continued in English medium.”

2.1 On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer t h e
f o l l o w i n g questions by choosing the most appropriate option. (1x10=10 marks)

(a) Among regional languages, the highest number of qualifying candidates are from………….
(i) Hindi language
(ii) Bengali language
(iii) Gujarati language
(iv) Tamil language
(b) Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the statement which is not correct.
(i) NEET-UG 2020 exam was conducted in ten regional languages including Marathi,
Tamil, Telugu and Urdu
(ii) NEET-UG 2020 exam was conducted in ten regional languages including Marathi,
Odia, English and Assamese
(iii) NEET-UG 2020 exam was conducted in ten regional languages including Kannada,
Marathi, Odia and Tamil.
(iv) NEET-UG 2020 exam was conducted in ten regional languages including Hindi,
Assamese, Bengali and Gujarati.
(c) The word ‘deprive’ used in para 4 means the same as………………

(i)thrive (ii)strive (iii)deny (iv)drive
(d) Based on the graphical chart given in the passage, choose the option that correctly states
the number of appeared candidates in Tamil and Gujarati language

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(i) Option1
(ii) Option 2
(iii) Option 3
(iv) Option 4

(e) The maximum number of candidates qualified till 50,000 rank in any two languages
belongs to………………….
(i) English and Hindi
(ii) English and Gujarati
(iii) Hindi and Bengali
(iv) English and Bengali
(f) Pick the option that lists TRUE statements according to the given percentage of
qualified candidates.
(1)After English and Hindi, Gujarati is the most preferred language.
(2)After Marathi and Tamil, Urdu is the most preferred language.
(3)After Gujarati and Bengali, Tamil is the most preferred languages.
(4)After Marathi, Odia and Telegu are the least preferred languages.
(i) 1and 3
(ii) and 4
(iii) 1 and 2
(iv) 1 and 4
(g) To encourage students’ participation in NEET-UG through regional languages, it is
suggested that………………………
(1)English should be abolished in NEET as a medium
(2) Efforts should be made to publish technical books in regional languages.
(3) The regional candidates should be trained separately for entrance exam
(4) The regional candidates should be given free English tuitions
(i) 1 and 3
(ii) and 4
(iii) 1 and 2
(iv) 1and4
(h) Most of the regional candidates struggle to qualify NEET as they are not comfortable in
English. Pick out the word/phrase that means the opposite of ‘not
comfortable’…………………

(i) At ease
(ii) inefficient
(iii) melodious
(iv) dexterous
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2.2 (i) Find a word from the passage which means
(a) ‘divulge’.(para1)
(b) communicated (para2)

Section - B
(Creative Writing Skill: 20Marks)
3. Attempt any one of the following.
(A) You are Rachael/ Rueben, President of the Wellness Cell of your school. You
decide to organise a workshop to raise awareness of the importance of mental
health. This workshop would be conducted by the school counsellor. Write a
notice in about 50 words, informing the students of class XI-XII about the
workshop. (5marks)
OR
(B) You are Raghav/ Reema, Secretary of the cultural society of your school. Your
society is organising a dance drama “Gandhi-a Sage”. Write a notice in about 50
words for the school notice board, informing the students about it with all
necessary details.
4. (A) You are Radhika Sharma, D/o Dinesh Sharma of Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi. Your
father wants you to draft a formal invitation to be sent on the occasion of your
brother, Akshat Sharma’s marriage. Prepare the invitation with all necessary
details in not more than 50 words. (5Marks)
OR
(B) Draft an invitation to be sent to all the parents on the eve of your School’s Annual
Day to be held in the month of December 2022. Give necessary details in not more
than 50 words.

5. (A) A 72 year old Municipal Councillor of your area expired last Friday and as she had
desired, her body was donated to Army Medical College. It would be a second life for
some person's receiving some vital organs retrieved from her body. Write a letter to the
Editor of "The Indian Times", New Delhi, highlighting the importance of donation of
eyes and other organs to persons in need. You are Namit/Namita, 125, Soha Road
(120-150 words). (5 Marks)
OR
(B) You are Gaurav/ Gunjan residing at 323, Kale Sarai, Delhi. You are keen to join a
highly reputable pharma company as a chartered accountant. You have come
across the following advertisement in a leading newspaper and decide to apply
for it. Write a letter in 120-150 words with a biodata, responding to the given
advertisement.

Required a qualified CA with 3 year experience, 25-28 year, well-versed in
financial matter, fluency in English necessary, pleasant personality, good salary.
Send resume within a week to Manager, CIPLA, Connaught Place, New Delhi.

5

6. (A) You are Abhishek/ Anubha studying in Plato Public School, New Delhi. While
commuting for your school everyday you find many of your school boys and girls
taking free lift from the passing cars, which you think is dangerous. Write an article
in about 120-150 words on ‘The Evils of Hitch-hiking’ for publication in your school
magazine. (5marks)
OR
(B) You saw a stout man riding a cycle- rickshaw in the market. When the rickshaw puller
took a sharp turn, it overturned and both of them fell down. The man started beating the
poor rickshaw puller. You along with some of the shopkeepers intervened and sorted
the matter out. Write a report in 120-150 words on the incident. You are Rohan/Rohini.

SECTION-C
Literature (40 Marks)
Read the extracts given below and attempt any one of the two given by answering the
questions that follow. (1x6=6 marks)
7. (A) Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms;
And 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) Pick the quote that matches best with-
“And such too is the grandeur of the dooms we have imagined for the mighty dead”
(i) In the night of death ,hope sees a star,and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing.
(ii) When a great man dies,for years the light he leaves behind him ,lies on the paths of men.
(iii) Endings are not always bad,most of the times they are just beginnings in disguise.
(iv) Cowards die many times before their death; the valiant never taste of death but once.
(b)Pick out the option that uses the same poetic device as the ‘mighty dead’.
(i) Sleepless nights
(ii) Deafening silence
(iii) Glaring lights
(iv) Time is a thief

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(c)”Grandeur of the dooms “ does not mean the same as :
(i) the glory and magnificence that the dead are entitled to on the Dooms Day following their
death
(ii) glorified stories celebrating the life of our powerful ancestors on Dooms Day
(iii) the magnificence that we imagine for our mighty dead forefathers on the Dooms Day
(iv) an account of the fact that the great people died for giving unhappiness to the rest of the
world.
(d) Pick the option that refers to what an “endless fountain immortal drink suggests”
(1) Inspirational deeds of great men
(2)A ceaseless series of dreams
(3)An infinite source of strength
(4) An elixir of life for upliftment of the soul
(5) A source of delight
(6) A boundless gift of love
(i) (1), (4) and(5)
(ii) (2), (3) and (5)
(iii) (1),(2) and (6)
(iv) (2), (4) and (6)
(e) The deeds of great men are like an endless ____________________ of immortal
drink.
(f) We imagine ourselves in the place of dead people ( True/False)

OR
(B) What I want should not be
Confused with total inactivity
Life is what it is all about;
I want no truck with death
If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence

might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves with Death

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(a) The poet’s intention in the first line is to
(i) give warning to the readers
(ii) give right direction to the readers
(iii) give choice to the readers
(iv) give a clarification to the readers
(b) Select the option that best explains the stand of the poet in the expression: “ I want
no truck with death.”
(i) He advises people to escape death
(ii) He asserts that death is inevitable
(iii) He assures that he does not advocate death
(iv) He expresses his desire not to die
(c) Select the option that aptly describes the tone of the poet in the expression:
“If we were not so single minded”.
(i) Regretful
(ii) critical
(iii) encouraging
(iv) friendly
(d) According to the poet, who is to blame for the condition of threatening ourselves
with death?
(i) Stressful life
(ii) Keeping Quiet
(iii) Lack of Understanding
(iv) State of confusion
(e) The tone of the poet in the expression
“perhaps a huge silence
Might interrupt this sadness” is
(i) unsure yet optimistic
(ii) sure and confident
(iii) poetic and melodramatic

(iv) hopeful but not confident

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(f) Death is inevitable and the poet wants no alliance with it. Who is the poet advising
to have no truck with death?
(i) Pablo Miguel
(ii) Pablo Paolo
(iii) Pablo Juan
(iv) Pablo Neruda

8. Read the extracts given below and attempt any one by answering the questions that
follow. (1x4=4marks)
(A) They saw when they came toward him that indeed it was so. The sand on one side of
him had already a stain of red soaking through. “He is wounded,” Sadao exclaimed. He
made haste to the man, who lay motionless, his face in the sand. An old cap stuck to his
head soaked with sea water. He was in wet rags of garments. Sadao stopped, Hana at his
side, and turned the man’s head. They saw the faces head. They saw the face. “ A white
man!” Hana whispered.
(a)Pick out the correct option to describe Hana’s reaction when she saw the man.
(i) queer and fearful
(ii) shocked and afraid
(iii) free and happy
(iv) casual and comfortable
(b) The man’s condition was alarming because………………..
(i) he was in wet rags
(ii) he was bleeding profusely
(iii) he was critical but safe
(iv) he was very tired
(c) Pick out the correct option that shows the relationship between Hana and Sadao. They
are…………………..
(i) cousins
(ii) relatives
(iii) wife and husband
(iv) friends and companions for lifetime
(d) The word that means the same as ‘motionless’ is……………

(i) alive
(ii) dead
(iii) faint
(iv) still
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OR
(B) To make sure, I walked over to a newsboy and glanced at the stack of papers at his feet.
It was The World; and The World hasn’t been published for years. The lead story said
something about President Cleveland. I’ve found that front page since, in the Public
Library files, and it was printed June 11, 1894.
I turned towards the ticket windows knowing that here- on the level at Grand Central- I
could buy tickets that would take Louisa and me anywhere in the United States we
wanted to go.
(a) What struck the narrator that he wanted to make sure?
(i) That he was a changed man.
(ii) That he had travelled back in time.
(iii) That his family was now safe.
(iv) That he could take decisions by himself.
(b) ‘The World’ was a ………….
(i) journal
(ii) magazine
(iii) novel
(iv) newspaper
(c) Do you think the narrator had been successfully able to find the ………….. level?
(i) first
(ii) third
(iii) lower
(iv) second
(d) How did the narrator confirm that he had travelled back to the year 1894?
(i) Everything was of old style
(ii) ‘The World’ newspaper was dated June11, 1894
(iii) The locomotive belonged to an old company
(iv) all of the above
9. Read the extracts given below and attempt any one by answering the questions that
follow. (6x1=6marks)

(A) Thus, piece by piece, he built a swimmer. And when he had perfected each piece, he
put them together into an integrated whole. In April he said, “Now you can swim. Dive off
and swim the length of the pool, crawl stroke.” I did. The instructor was finished. But I was
not finished. I still wondered if I would be terror-stricken when I was alone in the pool. I
tried it.
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(a) ‘ The instructor was finished’ means he………………
(i) had nothing new to teach him
(ii) couldn’t complete the training
(iii) wasn’t satisfied with the author’s progress
(iv) was satisfied with the swimming skills of the author
(b) ‘But I was not finished’ means he………..
(i) wanted to learn more from the instructor
(ii) still felt a touch of terror at times while swimming
(iii) wasn’t satisfied with the training
(iv) disliked the instructor
(c) What was his next plan to get rid of his fear completely?
(i) He hired another instructor.
(ii) He hired him again after a gap of two months.
(iii) He practised swimming extensively in big lakes and even went up the Tieton
to Conrod Meadows, etc.
(iv) He decided to write down a story about his experiences.
(d) Pick out the word that means the same as ‘piece by piece’.
(i) gradually
(ii) nicely
(iii) adversely
(iv) vehemently
(e) Who is the author of this extract?
(f) In the line given below:
“and when he had perfected each piece he put them together, “- ‘he’ has been used
for…………….
OR
(B) He wired a full report to the Viceroy. Morning found the town of Motihari black with
peasants. They did not know Gandhi’s record in South Africa. They had merely heard a
Mahatma who wanted to help them was in trouble with the authorities. Their
spontaneous demonstration, in thousands, around the courthouse was the beginning of
their liberation from fear of the British. The officials felt powerless without Gandhi’s

cooperation. He helped them regulate the crowd. He was polite and friendly.

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(a) The authorities had asked Gandhi…………….
(i) to submit a written explanation
(ii) not to help the peasants
(iii) to maintain law and order
(iv) to leave Motihari immediately
(b) The large gathering of the peasants was a proof that………..
(i) their fear of the British rule began to recede
(ii) they had a large population in the area
(iii) they were angry and violent
(iv) they wanted to solve the issue on their own
(c) Due to gathering of such a heavy crowd, the authorities…………..
(i) imposed section 144 in the town
(ii) were shocked and powerless
(iii) arrested a large number of people
(iv) sent back Gandhi
(d) Find out a word from the extract that means ‘freedom’.
(i) record
(ii) merely
(iii) liberation
(iv) authorities
(e) The antonym of ‘spontaneous’ is deliberate…………………( True/ False)
(f) Gandhi was in trouble with the authorities because he opposed the………….
10. Attempt any five out of six questions given below in 40-50 words each. (2x5=10marks)
(a) "What a thunderclap these words were to me!" Which were the words that shocked and
surprised the narrator?
(b) How did Saheb get a pair of shoes? Was he happy with them?
(c)What is the central idea of the poem ‘My Mother At Sixty Six’?
(d) Why did Gandhi tell the court that he was involved in a ‘conflict of duties’?
(e) "This handicap stayed with me as the years rolled by." How did it affect his pursuits for his
pleasure? (Deep Water )

(f)What were the peddler’s feelings as night fell in the woods?

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11. Attempt any two of the three questions given below in 40-50 words each. (2x2=4marks)
(a)What happened to the narrator’s psychiatrist friend Sam Weiner? What do you deduce
from it?
(b) What was the objective of the 'Students on Ice' program?
(c) On the seventh day, after the American soldier was found by Dr Sadao, two things
happened. Why did Hana feel scared of the second?

12. Attempt any one of the following questions in 120-150 words. (5x1=5marks)
(A) Throw light on the character of M. Hamel as presented in the story, ‘The Last Lesson’.
OR
(B) Proximity to beautiful things can lead man to everlasting happiness. Discuss with
reference to the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’.
13. Attempt any one of the following questions in 120-150 words. (5x1=5marks)
(A) You recently heard a doctor mentioning about an organisation named 'Doctors without
Borders ' in an interview. The organization serves people in remote corners of the
world. The words of the doctor impressed you and you feel that doctors should exhibit
the qualities of dedication, compassion, and professional ethics. Justify and express
your opinion in context of the character of Dr. Sadao.
OR
(B) How does the Tiger King symbolize some of the present day leaders who exhibit the
base quality of self- absorption and overweening desire for personal glory?

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