HBSE Class 12 Question Paper 2025 English Core

CLASS : 12th (Sr. Secondary) Code No. 2201
Series : SS/Annual Exam.-2025
Roll No. SET : A

ENGLISH (Core)
[ For all Groups I, II, III ]
ACADEMIC/OPEN
(Only for Fresh/Re-appear/Improvement/Additional Candidates)
Time allowed : 3 hours ] [ Maximum Marks : 80
• Please make sure that the printed pages in this question paper are 16 in number
and it contains 13 questions.
• The Code No. and Set on the right side of the question paper should be written
by the candidate on the front page of the answer-book.
• Before beginning to answer a question, its Serial Number must be written.

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strike the written answer.
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write anything on question paper and don't make any mark on answers of objective
type questions.
• Before answering the questions, ensure that you have been supplied the correct and
complete question paper, no claim in this regard, will be entertained after
examination.
General Instructions :
(i) This question paper is divided into four Sections : A, B, C and D.
(ii) All the sections are compulsory.
(iii) Attempt all the parts of a question together.
(iv) Stick to the word-limit wherever prescribed.

2201/(Set : A) P. T. O.

(2) 2201/(Set : A)
SECTION – A

(Reading Skills) [ M. M. : 15

1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :

1. Kumbh Melas are held on the banks of sacred rivers including the Ganga
in Haridwar, the Godavari in Nashik and the Triveni Sangam, the
confluence of three rivers in Prayagraj. These are the places where,
according to a Puranic lore, the divine ambrosia spilt from the celestial
Kumbh (pitcher) obtained during the churning of the ocean in a fight
between gods and demons, is believed to have fallen.

2. Metaphorically, the Kumbh typifies the human body that contains the
nectar of wisdom. So it must be purified since it is the means to fulfill
one's dharma. Hindus do not regard rivers as just sources of water but

as embodying the primeval element of nature that purifies everything.
Water is regarded as a cleanser for body and mind.

3. A holy dip undertaken with faith during an auspicious planetary
occurrence is said to brush off negative energy, exonerate sins, fulfill
wishes and render salvation. Shuchita, purity of body, mind and soul, is
essential for spiritual growth. While the body is cleansed by water, the
mind by true knowledge and the soul is uplifted by selfless service and
meditation.

4. Mahakumbh exemplifies the Vedic ideal of 'Unity in Diversity' by bringing
together all the proponents of different Sanatan traditions. It is called the
'Parliament of Sanatan Dharma' that offers multiple perspectives on
religion, culture and spirituality.

2201/(Set : A)

(3) 2201/(Set : A)
Questions : 10 × 1 = 10

(i) At what places are the drops of nectar believed to have fallen ?

(a) Haridwar (b) Prayagraj

(c) Nashik (d) All of these

(ii) What was obtained during the churning of the ocean as per the Puranic
lore ?

(a) magical deer (b) giant tree

(c) nectar (d) All of these

(iii) What does the word 'Kumbh' symbolize ?

(a) Human greed (b) A fish

(c) Human vanity (d) Human body

(iv) What is regarded as a cleanser for body and mind ?

(a) hymns (b) water

(c) milk (d) None of these
(v) What results does a person enjoy through a holy dip undertaken with faith ?

(a) His wishes are fulfilled

(b) His negative energy is brushed off
(c) His sins are washed away

(d) All of these

(vi) What does the term 'Shuchita' mean ?
(vii) How does the soul get uplifted ?

(viii) Which ideal is exemplified through 'Mahakumbh' ?

2201/(Set : A) P. T. O.

(4) 2201/(Set : A)
(ix) How can you call 'Mahakumbh' as a 'Parliament of Sanatan Dharma' ?

(x) Which word in paragraph means the same as 'legend' ?

OR

1. A healthy diet and regular exercise are the basis of well-being but highly
affect people going through cancer. Lifestyle choices build the immune
system, boost energy levels and maintain mental health. Cancer is a
disease with multiple causes, including genetic, environmental and lifestyle
factors.

2. According to a study by the National Library of Medicine, food and lifestyle
changes alone can prevent 30-40% of all malignancies. Excess cancer risk
is influenced by a number of factors, including red meat consumption, low
fiber intake, consumption of sweets and refined wheat products that impair
glucose metabolism.

3. If not treating cancer, proper nutrition would lessen the severity of
treatment's side effects, including fatigue and nausea; physical activity
would enhance strength and contribute to a quality of life. Healthy living
can also prevent recurrences in some cancer survivors by promoting ideal
body weight and lowering inflammation.

4. Although intake of high fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins,
accompanied by regular physical activity, may prevent or reduce the risk of
developing certain cancers, it does not reverse cancers once developed. That
is why, medical procedures, such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation
therapy or immuno therapy is essential to achieve effective cancer
treatment.

2201/(Set : A)

(5) 2201/(Set : A)
Questions : 10 × 1 = 10

(i) Which factors influence excess cancer risk ?

(ii) How can proper nutrition help cancer patients ?

(iii) Can proper diet and exercise revert the cancers once developed ?

(iv) What are the medical procedures for cancer treatment ?

(v) Find one word from paragraph which means the same as 'Hereditary'.

(vi) Cancer is a disease with multiple causes including …………… .

(a) genetic

(b) environmental

(c) lifestyle factors

(d) All of these

(vii) How do our lifestyle choices help us ?
(a) They build our immune system.
(b) They help us maintain our mental health.
(c) They enhance our energy level.
(d) All of these
(viii) To what extent, can all malignancies be prevented with a change in
our food and lifestyle ?
(a) 30-50% (b) 20-40%
(c) 30-40% (d) 30-60%

(ix) Which thing can not reduce the risk of developing certain cancers ?
(a) fruits (b) red meat
(c) vegetables (d) whole grains

2201/(Set : A) P. T. O.

(6) 2201/(Set : A)
(x) Which of the following words means the same as 'repetition' or
'reappearance' ?

(a) metabolism (b) inflammation

(c) recurrence (d) consumption

2. Read the following passage given below and based on the understanding of the
passage, make notes using headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable
abbreviations and give a suitable title to the passage : 4+1=5
1. Do you think hibiscus is just a vibrant garden flower ? Perhaps it is the
time to think again. Hibiscus sabdariffa, a tropical floral shrub, might also
have some health advantages. The seeds, petals, leaves and stems of
hibiscus have been utilized for generations in traditional medicine and food
preparation. It has a sweet tart fruity flavour that is ideal for tea.
2. Hibiscus tea can support a healthy way of living. According to one study, it
can reduce blood pressure in both high and non-high blood pressure

subjects. Its ability to lower blood pressure is almost identical to that of
blood pressure lowering drugs which helps in strengthening our heart and
preventing cardiovascular diseases.

3. These days high cholesterol is one of the major health concerns amongst
the old and the young generations. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol that
causes high cholesterol was also discovered to be considerably decreased
by drinking hibiscus tea in a study. When compared to other teas, hibiscus
tea's antioxidant concentration rocketed to the top, even knocking the well-
known green tea off the top charts.

4. Research indicates that hibiscus tea can considerably lower people's high
sugar levels. That is why, it is a great beverage for people with diabetes. It
may help people lose weight and avoid becoming obese. However, more
investigations and studies are required to know the results concisely.

2201/(Set : A)

(7) 2201/(Set : A)
SECTION – B
(Grammar) [ M. M. : 10

3. Attempt any two from each sub-part :
(a) Fill in the blanks with correct form of the verbs given in the brackets : 2
(i) Let's wait till he ………… (finish) his work.
(ii) I ………… never ……….. (know) him to be angry.
Choose the correct option :
(iii) If it ………… (rain) we shall get wet.
(a) rained (b) rains

(c) is raining (d) had rained
(b) Fill in the blanks with correct modal : 2

(i) You ………….. not light a match; the room is full of gas.

(ii) Be vigilant lest you ………… be robbed.
Choose the correct option :
(iii) He said that he ………… be twenty-six next birthday.
(a) would (b) will
(c) could (d) can
(c) Fill in the blanks with correct article : 2
(i) …………… Wisdom is the gift of God.
(ii) He can play …………. flute.
Choose the correct option :
(iii) Rabindranath Tagore is ………… Shakespeare of India.
(a) an (b) a
(c) No article (d) the

2201/(Set : A) P. T. O.

(8) 2201/(Set : A)
(d) Change the voice of the following sentences : 2
(i) Did he lend you any money ?
(ii) Your love fills my heart.
Choose the correct option :
(iii) Why are you beating the boy ?
(a) Why was the boy being beaten by you ?

(b) Why the boy is being beaten by you ?

(c) Why is the boy being beaten by you ?
(d) Why the boy was being beaten by you ?
(e) Change the following sentences into indirect speech : 2
(i) The captain said to his soldiers, "Get ready to open fire at the enemy."
(ii) He said to me, "Your friend has been teaching me English since
morning."

Choose the correct option :
(iii) He said to me, "Are you singing a song ?"
(a) He told me that I am singing a song.
(b) He asked me if I am singing a song.
(c) He asked me if I was singing a song.
(d) He told me that I was singing a song.

SECTION – C
(Creative Writing Skills) [ M. M. : 15

4. Attempt any one from (a), (b) and (c) given below : 5
(a) You are Raman/Rekha, Secretary of the Career Counselling Cell of your
school. Write a notice in about 50 words, informing the students of class
9th-12th about an upcoming session on 'How to Succeed in Life' by Anand
Mishra, a renowned You Tube Influencer.

2201/(Set : A)

(9) 2201/(Set : A)
OR

(b) You are Aruna/Aman, Project Coordinator at Sewa Sadan NGO for children
with special needs. You are looking for educators, proficient in sign
language, to teach students with hearing impairment. Draft an
advertisement in about 50 words to be published in the local newspaper
inviting applications for the same.

OR

Compentency Based Question :
(c) Draft an attractive and effective poster on the topic : 'Equality for All'.

5. Attempt any one from (a) and (b) given below : 5
(a) You are Karuna Das/Tarun Mehta, an aspiring novelist. You recently saw
the following advertisement from a publishing house, and are interested in
applying. Write an application to the manager expressing your interest in
the internship, and stating your suitability for the position.

SITUATION VACANT
VOICES, a leading fiction publishing house in India, is looking for interns.
Candidate must have editing, research and report writing skill. Bachelor
Degree required, age or gender no bar, paid position for 2 months. Apply
within ten days to manager or contact : XXXXXXXXXX

OR
(b) Write a letter to the editor of a National Daily Expressing your views on
'Impact of Social Media on Modern Youth'. You are Rani/Raj, 415, Main
Street, Kanpur.

6. Attempt any one from (a) and (b) given below : 5
(a) ABC School, Bhiwani, recently organized a drawing and painting
competition on the topic 'Road Safety'. You are Rohit/Ruhi, Editor of the
school magazine. Write a report in about 100 words for your school
magazine.
2201/(Set : A) P. T. O.

( 10 ) 2201/(Set : A)
OR

(b) Write a paragraph in about 100 words on the topic 'Power of Positive
Thinking'.

SECTION – D
(Literature) [ M. M. : 40

7. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow :
(A) The wagon had hardly stopped at the front steps when the ironmaster
asked the valet whether the stranger was still there. He added that he had
heard at Church that the man was a thief. The valet answered that the
fellow had gone and that he had not taken anything with him at all. On the
contrary, he had left behind a little package which Miss Willmansson was
to be kind enough to accept as a Christmas present.
Questions : 5×1=5
(i) Who does the 'stranger' refer to here ?

(a) the ironmaster (b) the peddler
(c) Edla (d) the valet
(ii) What did the ironmaster hear about the stranger at Church ?
(a) that he was a policeman.
(b) that he was suffering from cancer.
(c) that he was a thief.
(d) that he was a true patriot.
(iii) What did the valet reply to the ironmaster ?
(a) that the man was sleeping inside the room.
(b) that the man had taken some jewels with him.
(c) that the man was very angry.
(d) that the man had taken nothing with him.

2201/(Set : A)

( 11 ) 2201/(Set : A)
(iv) For whom had the stranger left behind the Christmas present ?
(a) Edla (b) the ironmaster

(c) the crofter (d) the valet
(v) Name the chapter from which the passage has been taken :

(a) The Interview (b) The Rattrap

(c) The Last Lesson (d) Going Places

OR

(B) "Why do I refuse to be interviewed ? Because it is immoral ! It is a crime,

just as much of a crime as an offence against my person, as an assault,

and just as much merits punishment. It is cowardly and vile. No
respectable man would ask it, much less give it."

Questions : 5×1=5
(i) Name the writer of the chapter from which this passage has been
taken :
(a) Rudyard Kipling
(b) Lewis Caroll
(c) Christopher Silvester
(d) Mukund Padmanabhan
(ii) Who is the speaker here ?
(a) Mark Twain (b) Rudyard Kipling
(c) H. G. Wells (d) Saul Bellow
(iii) What demerits of the interview are discussed in the passage ?
(a) that it is a crime.
(b) that it is an immoral act.
(c) that it is an assault on a person.
(d) All of the above

2201/(Set : A) P. T. O.

( 12 ) 2201/(Set : A)
(iv) Which attitude of the speaker towards interview is not reflected
here ?
(a) dismissive (b) scornful
(c) appreciative (d) gloomy
(v) Which word in the passage means opposite to 'admirable' or
'pleasant' ?
(a) assault (b) punishment
(c) immoral (d) vile

8. Answer any four of the following questions in about 30-40 words each : 4 × 2 = 8
(i) What words did M. Hamel write on the blackboard before dismissing the
last class ? What did they mean ? (The Last Lesson)
(ii) Which incident in Doughlas' early life made him scared of water ?
(Deep Water)

(iii) How was Gandhiji treated at the house of Rajendra Prasad ? (Indigo)
(iv) How was the makeup room in the Gemini Studios a fine example of
national integration ? (Poets and Pancakes)
(v) What do you know about Jansie ? (Going Places)

9. Answer any one of the following questions in about 100-120 words : 5

(A) "The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children."
Discuss the above statement in context of the chapter 'Lost Spring :
Stories of Stolen Childhood'.

(B) Write a brief character-sketch of the peddler. (The Rattrap)
(C) Discuss the character of Subbu, focusing on his diverse intellectual and
creative abilities.

2201/(Set : A)

( 13 ) 2201/(Set : A)
10. Read the stanza given below and answer the questions that follow :
(A) Those who prepare green wars,
Wars with gas, wars with fire,
Victory with no survivors,
Would put on clean clothes
And walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.
Questions : 5×1=5
(i) Name the poem from which the stanza has been extracted :
(a) A Roadside Stand
(b) Keeping Quiet
(c) A Thing of Beauty
(d) My Mother at Sixty-Six

(ii) What types of wars are discussed here ?

(a) green wars
(b) wars with gas

(c) wars with fire

(d) all of these

(iii) 'Victory with no survivors' implies that …………… .

(a) nobody will be requested to celebrate victory.
(b) nobody will be left to celebrate victory.

(c) nobody will be allowed to celebrate victory.

(d) None of these

2201/(Set : A) P. T. O.

( 14 ) 2201/(Set : A)
(iv) What does the phrase 'put on clean clothes' mean here ?
(a) to be dressed in a fashionable way
(b) to attend a seminar with zeal
(c) to make peace with fellow human beings
(d) All of these
(v) Which poetic device is used in the expression 'Clean Clothes' ?
(a) alliteration (b) simile
(c) metaphor (d) hyperbole

OR

(B) When aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.

Questions : 5×1=5
(i) Name the poem and its poet :
(a) Aunt Jennifer's Tigers by Adrienne Rich
(b) A Thing of Beauty by John Keats
(c) Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda
(d) A Roadside Stand by Robert Frost
(ii) What does aunt feel in her married life ?
(a) Gratification
(b) Oppression
(c) Terror
(d) Both (b) and (c)

2201/(Set : A)

( 15 ) 2201/(Set : A)
(iii) What do the tigers symbolize ?

(a) Patriarchal subjugation

(b) Aunt's desire for power and freedom

(c) Both (a) and (b)

(d) Neither (a) nor (b)

(iv) What is the rhyme-scheme of the stanza ?

(a) aabb (b) abab

(c) aaab (d) abbb

(v) What will be the tiger's attitude after her death ?

(a) They will feel very sad

(b) They will remain proud and unafraid

(c) They will appreciate her

(d) None of these

11. Answer any two of the following questions in about 30-40 words each :

2×3=6

(a) What is the central idea of the poem 'My Mother at Sixty-Six' ?

(b) Justify the following statement :

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever." (A Thing of Beauty)

(c) How do the 'greedy good-doers' deceive the poor people ?
(A Roadside Stand)

2201/(Set : A) P. T. O.

( 16 ) 2201/(Set : A)
12. Answer any one question of the following in about 100-120 words : 5

(A) Justify the title of the chapter 'The Tiger King'.

OR

(B) Evaluate the character of Dr. Sadao as a doctor as well as a patriot.
(The Enemy)

13. Answer any three of the following questions in about 30-40 words each :
3×2=6

(i) How did Charley come to know that Sam had found the third level ?
(The Third Level)

(ii) Why do you think the writer considered her program 'Students on Ice' a
success ? (Journey to the End of the Earth)

(iii) Why does Derry say the following statement :

"…………. I'm afraid of me." (On the Face of It)

(iv) What was the advice that Annan gave to Bama ? Did she follow it ?
(Memories of Childhood)

S
2201/(Set : A)