Rajasthan Board Class 12 Question Paper 2020 English Literature

 Roll No.

No. of Questions – 27
No. of Printed Pages – 7 SS-20-Eng. Lit.
ENGLISH LITERATURE
SENIOR SECONDARY EXAMINATION, 2020
Time : 3¼ Hours
Maximum Marks : 80

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE EXAMINEES :

(1) Candidates must write first their Roll No. on the question paper.

(2) All the questions are compulsory.

(3) Write the answer to each question in your answer-book only.

(4) For questions having more than one part, the answers to those parts are to be written

together in continuity.

(5) Write the correct serial number of each question before attempting it.

SS-20-Eng. Lit. [ Turn over

2
SECTION – A
(READING)

(1 – 5) : Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow :

Swami Rama Tirtha was one of the most remarkable personalities that heralded the

birth of New India. He was born in the village of Muraliwala, in the Punjab, in 1873; and

died near Tehri Garhwal (Himalayas) in 1906, accidentally, while he was bathing in the

Ganga. He was then only thirty-three years of age !

“Then work, work; work with all your heart, with all your might, remembering that

work is worship, and remembering also that work is life. Genuine work will be found to

be its own reward. Work is the normal state of man.”

These words were uttered by Tirtha Rama Gosain, M.A. (the future Swami Rama

Tirtha), in course of a lecture on “How to Excel in Mathematics” in 1898, when he was

Professor of Mathematics at Forman Christian College, Lahore. Only two years later, he

retired into the Himalayas, became a sanyasi, went to Japan and America, returned to

India in 1904, and got accidentally drowned in 1906 as stated above.

‘One crowded hour of glory is worth an age without a name !’ Mahatma Gandhi

declared : “Swami Rama’s teachings have got to be propagated. He was one of the

greatest souls not only of India but of the whole world. I adore his ideals.”

We get glimpses of Swami Rama’s greatness, genius and ideals even from a brief

perusal of his life-sketch and writings or speeches. A few moments spent in the sunlight

will suffice to acquaint us with the source of its effulgence.

3
Tirtha Rama Gosain’s career, from his infancy to his blossoming forth into a

Prophet of New India, is very inspiring.

At school he surprised his Persian teacher by his recitations from the Gulistan and

Bostan. Later he gained mastery of Sanskrit, Mathematics and English Literature.

The Mathematics Paper at the B.A. examination was found very difficult by most

candidates, and there were complaints about it in the public press. Nine out of thirteen

questions were expected to be attempted. But Tirtha Rama solved all the thirteen and

requested the examiner to assess any nine out of those he had answered ! He secured 98

percent marks. It is little wonder, therefore, that he became Professor of Mathematics in

his own college immediately after graduating M.A. He was born in an obscure village,

his mother died soon after his birth, and his father was a poor priest. With all these

handicaps, he won scholarship after scholarship, at school and college, and spent most of

the money in buying books. He also helped poor students from his savings. His dress and

food were of the simplest. Often he would go without meal to purchase oil for his lamp.

1. When and where was Swami Rama Tirtha born ? 2

2. What does Swami Rama Tirtha ask us to remember about work ? 2

3. How did he surprise his Persian teacher ? 1

4. “I adore his ideals.” Who does ‘I’ here refer to ? 1

5. Find the words from the passage which mean the same as 2

(i) spread more widely

(ii) high fame and honour

SS-20-Eng. Lit. [ Turn over

4
(6 – 10) : Read the following Poem and answer the questions that follow :

He that loves a rosy cheek

Or a coral lip admires

Or from star-like eyes doth seek

Fuel to maintain his fires :

As old time makes these decay,

So his flames must waste away.

But a smooth and steadfast mind,

Gentle thoughts and calm desires

Hearts with equal love combined

Kindle never-dying fires

Where these are not, I despise

Lovely cheeks or lips or eyes.

6. ‘As old Time makes these decay, ....’ What does ‘these’ here refer to ? 2

7. What qualities does the poet associate with true love ? 1

8. ‘..... star-like eyes .....’ Which figure of speech is used in this line ? 1

9. What extinguishes the flame of a lover’s passion ? 1

10. Find the words from the poem which mean the same as

(i) to arouse

(ii) firm and constant 2

5
SECTION – B

(WRITING)

11. Write an essay in about 150-200 words on any one of the following topics : 8

India – a land of fairs and festivals.

OR

Truth and Non-Violence – Need of the Hour.

12. Write a report in about 150-200 words on the Career Day Celebration in your school. 7

OR

Write a speech in about 150-200 words to be delivered in your school prayer assembly on
‘The Importance of Books’.

SECTION – C

(GRAMMAR)

(13 – 17) : The following sentences have not been edited. There is an error in each sentence.
Identify the error and write it correctly in your answer book :

Example : Incorrect Correct

A apple a day keeps the doctor away. (eg.) A An

13. He is far to young to drive a car. 1

14. I went for a walk everyday. 1

15. Poonam is more beautiful then Puja 1

16. The man which is honest always succeeds. 1

17. Slow and steady win the race. 1

SS-20-Eng. Lit. [ Turn over

6
(18 – 22) : Transform the following sentences into indirect speech :

18. The teacher said, “Work hard Raman”. 1

19. Puneet said to me, “Do you play cricket” ? 1

20. The hermit said, “Man is Mortal”. 1

21. Reena said to Alka, “I went to the market yesterday”. 1

22. I said to Kamal, “Please give me your book”. 1

SECTION – D

(LITERARY TERMS)

23. Write notes on any two of the following literary terms in about 50 words each. 23=6

(i) Metaphysical Poetry

(ii) Anglo-Indian Literature

(iii) Interior Monologue

(iv) Impressionism

SECTION – E

(TEXT)

24. Answer any two of the following questions in about 100 words each : 2  6 = 12

(i) ‘Captain Hagberd was an eccentric person.’ Elaborate. (To-morrow)

(ii) Write the central idea of the poem ‘On Time’. (On Time)

(iii) The essay ‘Why the Novel Matters’ establishes the superiority of the novel.
Discuss.

7
25. Answer any four of the following questions in about 50 words each. 4  3 = 12

(i) ‘Rosemary is different from others.’ How ? (A Cup of Tea)

(ii) Why does the poet say that triumph and disaster are two imposters ? (If)

(iii) What does William Hazlitt say about the learned men ? (On the Ignorance of
the Learned)

(iv) Describe the happiest days of Manjula in the play ‘Broken Images’. (Broken
Images)

(v) Why does Aurora wish that she had been christened by any other name but Aurora ?
(How he lied to her husband)

SECTION – F

(FICTION)

26. Answer any one of the following questions in about 60 words : 4

Write a note on Pari. How does she come to Jeevan-Niwas ? (Inside the Haveli)

OR

Describe the personality and manners of Kanwarani Sa. (Inside the Haveli)

27. Answer the following question in about 100 words. 6

The novel ‘Inside the Haveli’ revolves around Geeta. Comment on the three phases of
Geeta’s life – as a daughter, as a daughter-in-law and as a mother.

___________

SS-20-Eng. Lit. [ Turn over

8