HBSE Class 12 Question Paper 2023 English Core

CLASS : 12th (Sr. Secondary) Code No. 201
Series : SS/Annual-2023
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 14 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.

• Don’t leave blank page/pages in your answer-book.

• Except answer-book, no extra sheet will be given. Write to the point and do not
strike the written answer.

• Candidates must write their Roll No. on the question paper. Except Roll No. do not
write anything on question paper and don't make any mark on answers of objective
type questions.

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• 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.

SECTION – A

(Reading Skills) [ M. M. : 09

1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow :

It is well said that change is the law of Nature. In our country this change

applies well on nature itself. There is hardly any country where nature takes

so many turns. For a layman, broadly speaking there are only two seasons

Sardi (winter) and garmi (summer). But according to Indian meteorological

department, there are four seasons namely summer, winter, monsoon and

autumn. Further, if we go deep into the matter, we find that these seasons

have been divided into six categories namely : Vasant Ritu i.e. Spring, Grishm

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Ritu i.e. Summer, Varsa Ritu i.e. Monsoon, Sharad Ritu i.e. Autumn, Hemant

Ritu i.e. pre-winter and Shishir Ritu i.e. winter. All these six seasons have

been given two months each from the English calendar. Starting from spring

say March, April; they end with winter say January, February respectively.

Actually, this change in seasons is a sign of progress. It teaches us to adapt

and survive in every type of condition and face every change.

Questions : 1×4=4

(i) In our country, where does the change apply according to passage ?

(a) on human nature

(b) on a layman

(c) on seasons

(d) All of the above

(ii) According to the different views how many seasons are there in our

country ?

(a) 2

(b) 4

(c) 6

(d) All of the above

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(iii) According to IMD, how many seasons are there in our country ?

(a) 2

(b) 4

(c) 6

(d) All of the above

(iv) 'The changes in seasons' is an indication of :

(a) Happiness

(b) Sadness

(c) Regression

(d) Progress

OR

Human beings are the only creatures who can speak or produce different
sounds. Speech is their basic quality. Other creatures cannot speak like human
beings and get their requirements fulfilled. They produce sounds or symbols
when they need to convey some message to each other. Some people speak only
when it is most required. Some people keep on bragging for the whole day. They
cannot control themselves. Some of them even don't know what to speak, when
to speak and how to speak. They rarely know that words spoken once can never
come back. Sometimes, we listen to the people of saying 'I take my words back',
funny it is ! How can words be taken back ? Such a person cannot realize the
impact these words have left upon the victim who has been hurt badly. There

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seems to be no compensation for such a shooting of words. They will always
keep on resounding in the memory of the listener. That is why it is suggested to
think before we speak. Our words may be a source of happiness or sorrow for
others. We must use this art of speaking carefully.

Questions : 1×4=4

(i) Which quality is unique for human beings ?

(a) Speech

(b) Happiness

(c) Sorrow

(d) Fighting

(ii) How do other creatures speak ?

(a) They also speak like human beings

(b) They produce sounds

(c) They produce symbols

(d) They produce sounds and symbols

(iii) What do some people not know ?

(a) what to speak

(b) when to speak

(c) how to speak

(d) All of the above

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(iv) What keeps on resounding in the memory of listeners ?

(a) sound

(b) words

(c) music

(d) symbols

2. Read the following passage carefully and make notes on it using headings and

sub-headings. Supply an appropriate title also : 4+1=5

In the winter season as well as in the summer season a variety of fruit and

vegetables come in the market. If we ask the young guys "where do they come

from ?" The answer is 'from the market, from the vegetable market or from the

fields'. They must know that plants give us all vegetables. Some trees give us

fruits for years and years. Once they are mature, they start giving us some

edible part in the form of stem, leaves, flowers or fruits and in many cases roots

also. We, the human beings start eating them from the very start a seed sprouts.

Some grains are eaten in sprouted form such as grams, pulses and beans. Some

roots are eaten as a part of food such as carrot, radish, beatroot, turnip, sweet

potato etc. Stems of some plants are eaten as food such as onion, potato, ginger,

garlic, turmeric (all underground modified ones). Some leaves of plants are eaten

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as leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, mustard etc. Some flowers are

used for food products such as sunflower, jasmine, etc. Fruits such as apple,

orange, mango, banana etc. are obtained from trees. Even some of the seeds are

eaten such as almonds, walnuts, cashew nuts, etc. So there is no part which we

leave and do not eat it.

SECTION – B

(Grammar/Writing Skills) [ M. M. : 26

3. Attempt any two from each sub-part :

(a) Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of verbs given in brackets :1 × 2 = 2

(i) In hilly areas many tourists ………… every year. (go)

(ii) The police ………… the thief before he jumped from the roof. (catch)

(iii) People ………… from corona for more than two years. (suffer)

(b) Change the narration of the following sentences : 1×2=2

(i) The teacher said, "Quinine tastes better".

(ii) She said to her mother, "Ganga is a holy river".

(iii) "Don't touch the live wire", said the electrician.

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(c) Supply suitable articles wherever necessary : 1×2=2

(i) Shimla is ………… hill station where we go every year.

(ii) ………… empty mind is a devil's workshop.

(iii) Please give me …………. piece of chalk.

(d) Change the voice of the following sentences : 1×2=2

(i) It is time to take risk now.

(ii) Are they not declaring holidays ?

(iii) Teachers have honoured the principal.

(e) Fill in the blanks with suitable modal auxiliary given in the brackets :
1×2=2

(i) We all ………… respect our soldiers. (shall, can, must)

(ii) Duty ………… be done. (will, can, must)

(iii) I am sure, I ………… get full marks. (shall, will, may)

4. Attempt any two of the following : 3×2=6

(a) Mentioning the date, time and venue, write a notice for your school notice
board for annual sports meet. Encourage students for maximum
participation.

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(b) You have lost your important file containing original certificates. Draft a

suitable advertisement for classified column of a local daily.

(c) To create awareness among people design a poster for public regarding

'Booster Dose'.

5. Attempt any one of the following : 5

(a) Write a report on 'An eye-witnessed chain snatching' incident held in the

last week.

(b) Write a paragraph in about 100 words on 'Cheating in Examination'.

6. You are Harsh/Harshita, living at Amar Nagar, Rajpura. The insanitary

condition of your street has made life worse than a hell. Write a letter to the

Sanitary Inspector of Municipal Committee requesting him to take necessary

steps so that the people may lead a healthy life. 5

SECTION – C

(A) : Main Reader [Prose] [ M. M. : 20

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

It was not more than half an hour before they heard the sound of carriage

wheels outside the forge, and a new guest came in, but this time it was not the

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iron master. He had sent his daughter, apparently hoping that she would have

better powers of persuation than he himself. She entered, followed by a valet,

carrying on his arm a big fur coat. She was not at all pretty, but seemed modest

and quite shy.

Questions : 1×5=5

(i) Who came as 'a new guest' ?

(ii) Who are 'they' who heard the sound of carriage ?

(iii) Name the chapter from which these lines have been taken.

(iv) Who is the writer of these lines ?

(v) Write the complete name of the lady who 'was not at all pretty'.

OR

Yes, because I consider myself a university professor who writes novels on

Sundays. It's not a joke. I participate in academic conferences and not meetings

of Pen Clubs and writers. I identify myself with the academic community. But

okay, if they (most people) have read only the novels …………… (laughs and

shrugs) I know that by writing novels, I reach a larger audience. I cannot expect

to have one million readers with stuff on semiotics.

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Questions : 1×5=5

(i) What is the name of the chapter from which these lines have been taken ?

(ii) Who is the 'I' in the above passage ?

(iii) What does the narrator consider himself ?

(iv) What do you mean by the word 'audience' here ?

(v) Who laughs and shrugs ?

8. Answer the following in about 80-100 words : 5

What changes did the order from Berlin cause that day ?

OR

How did William Douglas overcome his fear of water ?

9. Answer any five of the following in a sentence or two : 2 × 5 = 10

(i) What is the complete name of Saheb ? What is the contrast in his name

and what he is in reality ?

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(ii) Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of 25 percent refund to the farmers ?

(iii) How and why do the people in Firozabad lose the brightness of their

eyes/eyesight ?

(iv) What is the example of national integration that the author refers to in

'Poets and Pancakes' ?

(v) Did Sophie really meet Danny Casey ? Explain a little in two to three lines.

(vi) What do you understand by the expression 'thumbprints on his windpipe' ?

(vii) What idea came to peddler's mind when he was thinking of his own

rattraps ?

SECTION – C

(B) Main Reader [Poetry] [ M. M. : 11

10. Read the stanza given below and answer the questions that follow :

Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling

out of their homes, but after the airport's

security check, standing a few yards

away, I looked again at her, wan, pale

as a late winter's moon and felt that old

familiar ache.

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Questions : 1×5=5

(i) What did the poet look out ?

(ii) Who is the poet of these lines ?

(iii) Who looked at whom ?

(iv) What was the old familiar ache ?

(v) At what distance was the poet standing ?

OR

Therefore on every morrow, are we wreathing

A flowery band to bind us to the earth.

Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth

of noble natures, of the gloomy days.

Questions : 1×5=5

(i) Name the poem and the poet.

(ii) What does the word 'morrow' means in the poem – 'morning' or 'tomorrow' ?

(iii) What type of days does the poet talk about ?

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(iv) What binds us to the earth ?

(v) What 'dearth' is the poet talking about ?

11. Answer any two of the following briefly : 3×2=6

(i) Why do you think that the poet has used the expression 'sour cream' to

describe the classroom walls ?

(ii) Do you think the poet advocates total inactivity and death in the poem

'Keeping Quiet' ?

(iii) What is the central idea of 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' ?

SECTION – D

(Supplementary Reader) [ M. M. : 14

12. Answer any one of the following in about 80-100 words : 5

How did Derry get attracted towards Mr. Lamb ? Explain.

OR

What did the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram do to find the required number of

tigers to kill ?

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13. Answer any three of the following briefly : 2×3=6

(i) What was the aim of 'Students on Ice' programme ?

(ii) How does Charley define 'a first-day cover' ?

(iii) What did Dr. Sadao and his wife do with the enemy ?

(iv) Why was Evans called 'Evans the Break' ?

14. Write the correct answers of the following questions in your answer-sheet : 3

(i) Zitkala-Sa was a victim of :

(a) racial prejudice

(b) hate prejudice

(c) serious crime

(d) rich people

(ii) Bama's elder brother was studying at a :

(a) school

(b) college

(c) university

(d) city

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(iii) The name of Jack's wife is :

(a) Plare

(b) Clare

(c) Slare

(d) Mlare

S

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