CBSE Class 12 Question Paper 2023 English Elective (Solved)

Qu e st i o n

P a p e r
2023

Series FH1EG SET~4
Q.P. Code 28
Roll No.
Candidates must write the Q.P. Code
on the title page of the answer-book.

Please check that this question paper contains 15 printed pages.
*
Q.P. Code given on the right hand side of the question paper should be written
on the title page of the answer-book by the candidate.
Please check that this question paper contains 13 questions.
Please write down the serial number of the question in the answer-book
before attempting it.
15 minute time has been allotted to read this question paper. The question
paper will be distributed at 10.15 a.m. From 10.15 a.m. to 10.30 a.m., the
students will read the question paper only and will not write any answer on the
answer-book during this period.

ENGLISH (Elective)
Time allowed : 3 hours Maximum Marks : 80

General Instructions :
Read the following instructions very carefully and strictly follow them :
(i) This question paper contains 13 questions. All questions are compulsory.
(ii) This question paper has three sections Section A, B and C.
Section A : Reading, Section B : Grammar and Writing,
Section C : Literature
(iii) Separate instructions are given with each part and question, wherever necessary.
(iv) Do no exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.

28 H1H P.T.O.

SECTION A
Reading 20 Marks

1. Read the passage given below : 12

1 Coral reefs begin to form when free-swimming coral larvae attach to
submerged rocks or other hard surfaces along the edges of islands or
continents. As the corals grow and expand, reefs take on one of three
major characteristic structures fringing, barrier or atoll. Fringing
reefs, which are the most common, project seaward directly from the
shore, forming borders along the shoreline and surrounding islands.
Barrier reefs also border shorelines, but at a greater distance. They are
separated from their adjacent land mass by a lagoon of open, often
deep water. If a fringing reef forms around a volcanic island that sinks
completely below sea level while the coral continues to grow upward,
an atoll forms. Atolls are usually circular or oval, with a central
lagoon. Parts of the reef platform may emerge as one or more islands,
and gaps in the reef provide access to the central lagoon.

2 In addition to being some of the most beautiful and biologically diverse
habitats in the ocean, barrier reefs and atolls also are some of the
oldest. With growth rates of 0·3 to 2 centimeters per year for massive
corals, and up to 10 centimeters per year for branching corals, it can
take up to 10,000 years for a coral reef to form from a group of larvae.
Depending on their size, barrier reefs and atolls can take from 100,000
to 30,000,000 years to fully form.

3 All three reef types fringing, barrier and atoll share similarities
in their biogeographic profiles. Bottom topography, depth, wave and
current strength, light, temperature, and suspended sediments all act
to create characteristic horizontal and vertical zones of corals, algae
and other species. These zones vary according to the location and type
of reef. The major divisions common to most reefs, as they move
seaward from the shore, are the reef flat, reef crest or algal ridge,
buttress zone, and seaward slope.

28 H2H

4 Human-caused, or anthropogenic activities, are major threats to coral
reefs. Pollution, overfishing, destructive fishing practices using
dynamite or cyanide, collecting live corals for the aquarium market,
mining coral for building materials, and warming climate are some of
the many ways that people damage reefs all around the world every
day.
5 One of the most significant threats to reefs is pollution. Land-based
runoff and pollutant discharges can result from dredging, coastal
development, agricultural and deforestation activities, and sewage
treatment plant operations. This runoff may contain sediments,
nutrients, chemicals, insecticides, oil, and debris.

6 When some pollutants enter the water, nutrient levels can increase,
promoting the rapid growth of algae and other organisms that can
smother corals.
7 Coral reefs also are affected by leaking fuels, anti-fouling paints and
coatings, and other chemicals that enter the water. Petroleum spills do
not always appear to affect corals directly because the oil usually stays
near the surface of the water, and much of it evaporates into the
atmosphere within days. However, if an oil spill occurs while corals are
spawning, the eggs and sperm can be damaged as they float near the
surface before they fertilize and settle. So, in addition to compromising
water quality, oil pollution can disrupt the reproductive success of
corals, making them vulnerable to other types of disturbances.
8 In many areas, coral reefs are destroyed when coral heads and
brightly-colored reef fishes are collected for the aquarium and jewellery
trade. Careless or untrained divers can trample fragile corals, and
many fishing techniques can be destructive. In blast fishing, dynamite
or other heavy explosives are detonated to startle fish out of hiding
places. This practice indiscriminately kills other species and can crack
and stress corals so much that they expel their zooxanthellae. As a
result, large sections of reefs can be destroyed. Cyanide fishing, which
involves spraying or dumping cyanide onto reefs to stun and capture
live fish, also kills coral polyps and degrades the reef habitat. More
than 40 countries are affected by blast fishing, and more than 15
countries have reported cyanide fishing activities.

28 H3H P.T.O.

9 Other damaging fishing techniques include deep-water trawling, which
involves dragging a fishing net along the sea bottom, and muro-ami
netting, in which reefs are pounded with weighted bags to startle fish
out of crevices. Often, fishing nets left as debris can be problematic in
areas of wave disturbance. In shallow water, live corals become
entangled in these nets and are torn away from their bases. In addition
anchors dropped from fishing vessels onto reefs can break and destroy
coral colonies.
10 Coral reefs also face numerous threats from natural causes.
Weather-related damage to reefs occurs frequently. Large and
powerful waves from hurricanes and cyclones can break apart or
flatten large coral heads, scattering their fragments. A single storm
seldom kills off an entire colony, but slow-growing corals may be
overgrown by algae before they can recover.

11 Reefs also are threatened by tidal emersions. Long periods of
exceptionally low tides leave shallow water coral heads exposed,
damaging reefs. The amount of damage depends on the time of day and
the weather conditions. Corals exposed during daylight hours are
subjected to the most ultraviolet radiation, which can overheat and dry

that they begin to expel their symbiotic zooxanthellae, which leads to
bleaching, and in many cases, death.

12 Increased sea surface temperatures, decreased sea level and increased
salinity from altered rainfall can all result from weather patterns such
as El Niño. Together these conditions can have devastating effects on a

13 In addition to weather, corals are vulnerable to predation. Fish,
marine worms, barnacles, crabs, snails and sea stars all prey on the
soft inner tissues of coral polyps. In extreme cases, entire reefs can be
devastated if predator populations become too high.
14 Coral reefs may recover from periodic traumas caused by weather or
other natural occurrences. If, however, corals are subjected to
numerous and sustained stresses including those imposed by people,
the strain may be too much for them to endure, and they will perish.

28 H4H

Based on your reading of the passage, answer twelve out of the fifteen
questions that follow : 12 1=12
(i) How are coral reefs formed ?
(ii) How are barrier reefs separated from their adjacent land mass ?
(iii) What are the different types of reefs ?
(a) Fringing, algal and crest
(b) Fringing, barrier and buttress
(c) Fringing, barrier and toll
(d) Fringing, barrier and atoll
(iv) When some pollutants enter the water, _________ can increase
promoting the growth of algae.
(a) nutrient levels (b) water
(c) toxic levels (d) pollutant levels
(v) Which anthropogenic activities are a threat to coral reefs ? List any
two.
(vi) Which statement is true about land-based runoffs ?
(a) Pollution impacts land-based runoffs.
(b) Runoff are a result of flooding due to heavy rain.
(c) Coastal development does not impact land-based runoffs.
(d) Spawning increases with an increase in land-based runoffs.
(vii) How does oil pollution disrupt the reproductive success of corals ?
(viii) Blast fishing, crack and stress corals so much that they expel their
_________.
(a) cyanide (b) zooxanthellae
(c) algae (d) debris
(ix) Choose the word from para 6 which is an apt synonym of the word
suffocate .
(x) Reefs are pounded with weighted bags to
(a) break the reef into small pieces.
(b) drive the large fish away.
(c) bring out the fish hiding in the crevices.
(d) warn submarines that there are reefs there.
(xi) fishing nets left as debris
(a) fishing nets are collected for reuse.
(b) fishing nets are discarded in the ocean.
(c) the fishing net debris prevents wave disturbance.
(d) fishing nets protect the coral reef debris.
28 H5H P.T.O.

(xii) Name two natural causes that destroy coral reefs.
(xiii) Based on the reading of the passage, which statements are correct
regarding the effect of weather patterns on the ?
1. Corals are subjected to ultraviolet rays.
2. Humans do not affect corals.
3. Salinity from altered rainfall has devastating effects.
4. Fishing during monsoons impacts corals negatively.
5. Increase in sea surface temperature damages coral.
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 4 and 5 (d) 1, 2 and 5
(xiv) What do snails, marine worms and crabs prey on ?
(xv) If corals are subjected to periodic traumas, they will
(a) change form. (b) get altered.
(c) adapt to change. (d) be wiped out.

2. Based on the careful reading of the extract given below, answer any
four out of the five questions that follow : 4 1=4

Once upon a time, son,
they used to laugh with their hearts and laugh with their eyes;
but now they only laugh with their teeth,
while their ice-block-cold eyes search behind my shadow.

There was a time indeed they used to shake hands with their hearts;
. Now they shake hands without hearts;
while their left hands search my empty pockets.
! :
they say, and when I come again and feel at home once, twice,
there will be no thrice
for then I find doors shut on me.

(i) What is the difference between how people laughed once upon a time
and now ?

(ii)

28 H6H

(iii) What is the mood in this poem ?
(a) nostalgic (b) pessimistic
(c) celebratory (d) disdain
(iv) Pick out a phrase from the second stanza which me

(v) What message does the poem convey ?

3. Based on the careful reading of the passage, given below, answer any
four out of the five questions that follow : 4 1=4

Why did so many trees fall in Delhi after the thunderstorm ?
(Case Study)

1 pavements

trunks that had snapped, and full grown trees that were uprooted
entirely.

2 A total of 77 trees had fallen just in the area under the New Delhi
Municipal Council (NDMC), according to its Horticulture Wing, and 58
broken branches were counted. On Ashoka Road, which is lined with
jamun trees, branches had impaled two separate cars, while the thick
branches of another jamun tree on the median on Tolstoy Marg had
snapped. An uprooted, sprawling neem tree blocked an entire side of
Jantar Mantar Road, its roots in the air.
3 Poor root growth due to concretisation could be a factor that caused
trees to keel over, said ecologist C.R. Babu.
growth that anchors trees to soil, they w
in the upper layers of the soil. These roots
take nutrients and moisture, and have symbiotic fungi in and around
them. But these roots cannot survive under concrete, since they need
oxygen. If the space around trees is covered with concrete, there will be
no life beneath the concrete, .
also not managed properly. If the top is heavy and the root is poorly
developed, how can the tree sustain the wind ? Different species have
different tensile strength, he added.

28 H7H P.T.O.

(i) According to the passage, a ________ storm can cause major damage
to the trees.
(a) moderate (b) mild
(c) severe (d) cyclonic

(ii) A tree gets nutrition and moisture through
(a) its leaves. (b) feeder roots.
(c) the sprawling branches. (d) the canopies.

(iii) The tree roots covered by concrete stop the supply of
(a) nutrients (b) moisture
(c) oxygen (d) fertiliser

(iv) Proper growth of roots
(a) is a threat to nearby buildings.

(b) anchors a tree in the soil.
(c) takes place in fields.

(d) gives more shade.

(v) Which one of the following helps in sustaining a tree against strong
wind ?
(a) top heavy and strong roots

(b) light top and strong roots
(c) trees planted close to each other

(d) trees grown in concretized areas

28 H8H

SECTION B
Grammar and Writing 28 Marks

4. Rewrite the sentences according to the instructions given after each one.
Attempt any eight out of the ten questions that follow : 8 1=8

(a) I have not been able to reform him. I have made many efforts.
(Begin with : In spite of . . .)

(b) I shall not go _________ I am invited.
(Fill in the blank with appropriate conjunction)

(c) My friends believe with me in his honesty.
(Use : Not only . . . but also)

(d) He had not enough courage to speak out.
(Use the adjective form of courage)

(e) Take another step at the peril of your life.
(Begin with : Do not take . . . else . . .)

(f) My uncle promised me a gift.
(Change into Passive Voice)

(g) I cannot afford to buy many books therefore I usually study in the
library. (Begin with : Since . . .)

(h) He is poor, he is honest.
(Begin with : Although . . .)

(i) Father said I should not think ill of anybody.
. . .)

(j) She topped the class. She heard the news. She fainted.
(Begin with : On hearing . . .)

28 H9H P.T.O.

5. Attempt any three of the following four questions in 120 150 words
each : 3 5=15

(a) Failures are a stepping stone to success. Describe in 120 150 words,
how this saying inspired you to work hard having failed in your life
once. This article is to be published in your school magazine.
You are Bela / Bharat.

(b) There are many messaging sites today that facilitate instant
communication. Do you subscribe to this view ? Write an article to
be published in an e-journal. You are Rita/Rishi.

(c) City life is quite hectic and boring in comparison to village life.
Comment on this in 120 150 words. What makes village life more
fascinating to people living in the big cities ? You are Rani/Rahul.

(d) . Write an article expressing
your views to be published in the local daily in 120 150 words,
dwelling on the reasons that make knowledge a source of power.
You are Sita / Satish.

6. Attempt any one of the following questions in 120 150 words each : 5

(a) In the recent weeks, there have been reports in the newspapers of
accidents due to rash and underage driving. As the President of your
School Road Safety Club, write a speech in 120 150 words to be
delivered on the occasion of World Road Safety Day discussing the
importance of following traffic rules. You are Usha/Uttam.

(b) As a reporter of a national daily, you visited an area affected by
floods and landslides. You witnessed the horror of devastation. The
homes were destroyed, food was scarce and people were still buried
under the debris. Rescue teams and doctors providing medical aid
were working round the clock. Prepare a report on your visit in
120 150 words to be published in a daily newspaper. You are
Meeta / Mohit.
28 H 10 H

SECTION C
Literature 32 Marks

7. (I) Attempt any one of the two extracts (A) and (B) given below :

(A) Read the following extract and answer the questions that
follow : 6 1=6

any Neruda to his sacred
siesta, which he took in our house after solemn preparations
that in some way recalled the Japanese tea ceremony. Some
windows had to be opened and others closed to achieve the
perfect degree of warmth, and there had to be a certain kind
of light from a certain direction, and absolute silence. Neruda
fell asleep right away, and woke ten minutes later, as children
do, when we least expected it. He appeared in the living room
refreshed, and with the monogram of the pillowcase imprinted
on his cheek.
(i) Why is siesta called sacred ?
(ii) Why were the windows kept open ?
(iii)
(a) subsequently (b) by and by
(c) immediately (d) consequently

(iv) What does the writer mean by case
imprinted on his cheek ?

(v) Why was the writer reminded of the Japanese tea ceremony ?

(vi) Which word in the passage is an apt an

OR
28 H 11 H P.T.O.

(B) Read the following extract and answer the questions that
follow : 6 1=6
A man grabbed Margolin and for a while he danced in the
frantic whirl. Then, tearing himself loose, he stood apart. Who
was that woman ? He found his eye caught by her familiar
form. He knew her ! She beckoned to him. He stood baffled.
She looked neither young nor old. Where had he known her
that narrow face, those dark eyes, that girlish smile ? Her
hair was arranged in the old manner, with long braids wound
like a wreath around her head. The grace of Sencimin
adorned her something he, Margolin, had long since
forgotten. And those eyes, he was in love with those eyes and
had been all his life.
(i) Why do you think Dr. Margolin danced in a frantic whirl ?
(ii) Why did he stop dancing ?
(iii) What was his reaction when he saw the woman ?
(iv)
the
(v)
(vi)
(II) Attempt any one of the two extracts (A) and (B) given below :
(A) Read the following extract and answer the questions that
follow : 6 1=6
Or listen to the clocktowers
of any old well-managed city
beating their gongs round the clock, each slightly
off the others time, deeper or lighter
in its bronze, beating out a different
sequence each half-hour, out of the accidents

in Switzerland, or the mutual distances
commemorating a whim,
the perennial feuds and seasonal alliance
of Hindu, Christian, and Muslim
cut off sometimes by a change of wind,
28 H 12 H

(i) time ?
(ii)
(iii) What is the significance of Switzerland ?
(iv) What are perennial feuds ?
(v)
(vi)
(a) mood (b) friendship
(c) spontaneity (d) tantrum
OR

(B) Read the following extract and answer the questions that
follow : 6 1=6

Could I revive within me
Her symphony and song,
To such a deep delight, twould win me,
That with music loud and long,
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome ! those caves of ice !
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware ! Beware !
His flashing eyes, his floating hair !
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honeydew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.

(i) Whose symphony and song is referred to here ?

(ii)

(iii) What is loud and long music ?

28 H 13 H P.T.O.

(iv) What is

(v) What is milk of Paradise ?

(vi)
(a) contaminated
(b) slushy
(c) muddy
(d) profane

8. Answer any one of the following questions in 30 40 words. 2

(a) Do you agree with -to-man is
hateful to the body and to the spirit ?

(b) In Dickinson use pronouns
referring to the Sun in capitals ?

9. Answer any one of the following questions in 50 60 words. 3

(a) Did the author believe in the prophetic ability of Frau Frieda ?

(b) Why does Eveline choose to sacrifice happiness against her filial
duties ?

10. Answer any one of the following questions in 120 150 words : 5

(a) How does Virginia Woolf describe her reflections on a variety of
The M
storytelling is used by her ?

(b) In what condition is
Ananda made to come ?

28 H 14 H

Fiction

11. Answer any one of the following questions in 30 40 words : 2

(a) Why were Balu and his wife given a separate house to live ?

(b) How did the Police Inspector help Margayya trace his son Balu ?

(c) What type of life was Swamiji living before becoming a Sanyasi ?

(d) What confusion was created after Tiger escaped from the shooting
site ?

12. Answer any one of the following questions in 50 60 words : 3

(a)

(b) What suspicions did Margayya have about the temple priest ?

(c) Summarise the arguments exchanged between Alphonse and the

(d) How did the Captain train Tiger for his circus show ?

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

(a) Do you agree with the view that Margayya was only a comic
character and by no means a villain ? Elaborate.

(b) What made Margayya discontinue his business of helping the poor
peasants to take loans from the cooperative bank ?

(c) Do you think the Tiger enjoyed a carefree and happy life in the
forest before being captured ?

(d)
Discuss.

28 H 15 H P.T.O.