Literature Worksheet II:Class XII |CBQs Board PYQs | English Core
Updated: May 17
Practice Previous Years' Questions ( PYQs) and ace your score in CBSE Board Exams.
Read the given extracts to attempt the questions with reference to context:
(a)
but after 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,
my childhood's fear
but all I said was,
see you soon,
smile and smile and smile
(i) Choose the correct option:
In the above extract the narrator feels
(a) satisfied
(b) fearful
(c) nostalgic
(d) regretful
(ii) Identify the word in the extract that means 'colourless.
(iii) Complete the following analogy correctly:
She sang like a bird: Simile
All I did was smile and smile and smile: ______
(iv) Read the following statement and choose the correct option:
(1) The poet had gone through the security check.
(2) She did not want to look at her mother.
(a) (1) is true, but (2) is false.
(b) (1) is false, but (2) is true.
(c) Both (1) and (2) are true.
(d) Both (1) and (2) are false.
(v) What childhood fear is the poet referring to?
(vi) Fill the blank with appropriate words with reference to the extract:
Pale as a winter's moon suggests _____
(b) Sometimes I feel myself I can hardly bear
The thought of so much childish longing in vain,
The sadness that lurks near the open window there,
That waits all day in almost open prayer.
For the squeal of brakes, the sound of a stopping car,
Of all the thousand selfish cars that pass,
Just one to inquire what a farmer's prices are,
(1) What is the sentiment expressed in the above extract?
(1) remorse
(ii) regret
(iii) empathy
(iv) disappointment
(v) guilt
Choose the correct appropriate option.
(a) (iii) and (iv)
(b) (ii) and (iii)
(c) (iv) and (v)
(d) (i) and (v)
(ii) Identify the phrase in the extract that suggests 'innocent desires'.
(iii) The roadside stand owners pray for
(a) a relief from the heat
(b) free housing
(c) cars stopping
(d) benefits from pollution
(iv) Complete the following analogy correctly
He fought like a lion: Simile :: selfish cars : _____
(v) On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to (1) and (2) given below:
(1) The people who have put up the roadside stand keep waiting for customers.
(2) They become sad when someone turns up.
(a) (1) is true, but (2) is false.
(b) (1) is false, but (2) is true.
(c) Both (1) and (2) are true.
(d) Both (1) and (2) are false.
(vi) Fill the blank appropriately with reference to the extract. 'Squeal of brakes' implies __
(a) The clerk figured the fare he glanced at my fancy hat band, but he figured the fare and I had enough for two coach tickets, one way. But when I counted out the money and looked up, the clerk was staring at me. He nodded at the bills. "That ain't money, mister," he said, "and if you're trying to skin me, you won't get very far," and he glanced at the cash drawer, beside him. Of course the money was old-style bills half again as big as the money we use nowadays and different looking.
(i) Why did Charley ask for two tickets?
(ii) Complete the sentence by choosing the correct option:
When Charley offered money to the booking clerk, the latter stared at Charley because the booking clerk
(a) thought it wasn't money.
(b) did not trust Charley.
(c) thought Charley was trying to tease him.
(d) thought that Charley had given him less money.
(iii) Select the option that best describes Charley in this extract.
He is _____
(a) a cheat
(b) gullible
(c) an opportunist
(d) an escapist
(iv) ‘If you’re trying to skin me’ suggests ________.
Mr. Lamb: Well that needn't stop you, you needn't mind.
Derry : It'd stop them. They'd mind me. When they saw me here. They look at my face and run.
Mr. Lamb: They might. They might not. You'd have to take the risk. So would they.
Derry : No, you would, you might have me and lose all your other friends, because nobody wants to stay near me if they can help it.
Mr. Lamb: I've not moved.
Derry : No
Mr. Lamb: When I go down the street, the kids shout 'Lamey- Lamb'. But they still come into the Garden, into my house; it's a game. They're not afraid of me. Why should they be? Because I'm not afraid of them, that's why not.'
(i) The kids tease Mr. Lamb but still come into his garden. Why?
(ii) Choose the best option that describes Mr. Lamb.
(a) headstrong
(b) pessimist
(c) negligent
(d) positive
(iii) Choose the correct option with reference to the extract: What makes Derry tell Mr. Lamb that if he comes, others would stop coming?
(a) Mr. Lamb would not let others come.
(b) They would be repulsed by Derry.
(c) Mr. Lamb will have to choose between him and others.
(d) Derry would flare up.
(iv) What does Mr. Lamb mean by They might, they might not'?
And in dark hutments, next to lines of flames of flickering oil lamps, sit boys and girls with their fathers and mothers, welding pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside. That is why they often end up
losing their eyesight before they become adults.
(i) Complete the sentence with reference to the extract:
Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside because __
(ii) Which of the following would NOT be true?
(a) The hutments were shining and inviting.
(b) The children's lives were as bleak as their surrounding.
(c) There were no electricity connections.
(d) The boys and girls had got used to the dark.
(iii) The bangle workers lose their eyesight before they became adults because
(a) they already have poor eyesight.
(b) they work in dim light.
(c) they are married in childhood.
(d) they are malnourished.
(iv) Which of the following most nearly means 'adjusted' in the context of the extract?
(a) conditioned
(b) favoured
(c) accepted
(d) reconciled
(v) 'Flickering oil lamps' suggests
(vi) What is the antonym from the extract of the word 'rarely'?
"I am thinking of this stranger here," said Edla "He walks and walks the whole year long, and there is probably not a single place in the whole country where he is welcome and can feel at home. Wherever he turns he is chased away. Always he is afraid of being arrested and cross-examined. I should like to have him enjoy a day of peace with us here-just one in the whole year."
(i) Complete the following sentence with the most appropriate option:
Edla wished the Pedlar to have a peaceful day because
(a) the Pedlar had worked for Edla.
(b) the Pedlar had not been released from jail.
(c) the Pedlar had been staying at the forge.
(d) the Pedlar had always been looked with suspicion.
(ii) Select the suitable word from the extract to complete analogy.
single: multiple : : abroad : ____
(iii) In the above extract, Edla comes across as
(a) conscientious
(b) pretentions
(c) compassionate
(d) selfless
(iv) Based on the above extract, choose the statement which is true
(a) relationships are rattraps.
(b) money is important in the world.
(c) criminal is not born but made.
(d) christmas is a time of charity
(v) In the context of the given extract, which day is referred to in the expression ‘just one in the whole year’ ?
(vi) What does the expression ‘he is cross examined’ suggest ?
(a) When do the residents of Alsace realise how precious their language is to them?
(b) What are the feelings of the poet about her aged mother with reference to the poem 'My Mother at Sixty Six'?
(c) Describe the role of Raj Kumar Shukla in Indigo.
(d) "There can be life under apparent stillness. Explain. (Keeping Quiet)
(e) Explain the metaphor of the rattrap.
(f) Do we experience things of beauty only for short moments or do they make a lasting impression? Explain. (A Thing of Beauty)
(a) Describe Gondwana.
(b) Do you agree with the Tiger King's statement? You may kill even a cow in self defence.
(c) What extraordinary experience did Charley have when he went to the Grand station?
(a) Last Spring' and 'Indigo' bring out how the common man is a victim of exploitation. Explain.
OR
(b) Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' and 'A Thing of Beauty', can be read together to show the permanence and everlasting impact of art and of things of beauty. Comment.
(a) After seeing off the enemy soldier, Dr. Sadao must have felt relieved. He was able to uphold the oath that he had taken as a doctor. Dr. Sadao made an entry into his daily diary explaining the dilemma faced by him and how he resolved it. Imagine yourselt to be Dr. Sadao and express his thoughts. You may begin like this
I was able to uphold the oath that I had taken as a doctor.....)
OR
(b) Both lama and Zitkala-Sa were from marginalised communities. They challenged the system to bring dignity into their lives, Justify.
Answer Key
(i) (b) fearful
(ii) wan / pale
(iii) repetition
(iv) (a) (1) is true, but (2) is false.
(v) Suggested value points ( any one)
- fear of separation from mother
- losing her mother
(vi) Suggested Value Points ( any one)
Loss of - youthfulness / charm/ sheen/ brightness
- approaching - dullness/ weakness and old age
(i) (a) (iii) and (iv)
(ii) ‘childish longing’
(iii) (c) cars stopping
(iv) Transferred epithet / personification
(v) (a) (1) is true, but (2) is false.
(vi) applying of brakes / stopping of cars
(i) wanted to take his wife (Louisa) with him
(ii) (a) thought it wasn’t money.
(iii) (d) an escapist
(iv) to cheat / dupe / fleece / make fool of / (any other relevant point)
(i) Suggested Value Points ( Any One )
they are not afraid of him
- it is a game
- to steal the crab apples
- to play in the garden
(ii) (d) positive
(iii) (b) They would be repulsed by Derry
(iv) Suggested Value Points ( any one)
- Mr. Lamb is not sure of kids’ reaction to Derry’s presence in the garden
- Kids may or may not run away
(i) Suggested Value Points
- most of the time is spent in dark hutments
- of the flickering oil lamps - of dim light
(ii) (a) The hutments were shining and inviting.
(iii) (b) they work in dim light.
(iv) (a) conditioned
(v) dim / blinking / fluctuating / varying
(vi) often
(i) (d) the peddler had always been looked with suspicion.
(ii) home
(iii) (c) compassionate
(iv) (d) Christmas is a time of charity
(v) Christmas
(vi) questioned / interrogated / (any other suitable answer)
(a) The residents of Alsace realize how precious their language is to them under two significant circumstances:
1. When orders came from Berlin to teach only German: The imposition of this directive represents a forcible suppression of their cultural identity. It prompts the residents to recognize the intrinsic value of their French language as an essential part of their heritage and identity.
2. When M. Hamel announced that it was the last French lesson: This announcement serves as a poignant reminder of the imminent loss of their language and cultural heritage. It prompts them to reflect on the significance of their French lessons and the importance of preserving their language in the face of external pressures.
(b) In the poem "My Mother at Sixty Six," the poet expresses a range of emotions towards her aged mother. She experiences fear of separation, as indicated by her mention of a "familiar ache" and her childhood fear of losing her mother. The poet also conveys feelings of worry, helplessness, and concern for her mother's well-being. Additionally, there is an underlying sadness permeating the poem, stemming from the realization of her mother's aging and mortality.
(c) Raj Kumar Shukla played a pivotal role in Indigo by persuading Gandhi to visit Champaran, exposing sharecropper exploitation, spotlighting landlord injustices, and indirectly fueling the civil disobedience movement through his activism.
(d) Life thrives beneath apparent stillness as it's an ongoing process, with vitality pulsating beneath calm exteriors. This concept emphasizes the preservation and continuity of life, akin to the dynamic tranquility of the earth's surface.
(e) The rattrap serves as a metaphor for the world, where material temptations are the baits. Humans, like rats, are enticed by these offerings, ultimately getting ensnared in the traps of desire and illusion.
(f) Beauty often leaves a lasting impression, offering "joy forever" as Keats suggests. Its loveliness grows over time, never fading into oblivion but rather becoming an endless source of solace and inspiration, akin to an "endless fountain of immortal drink."
(a) Gondwana was a massive southern supercontinent, centered around present-day Antarctica. It boasted a warm climate and supported diverse flora and fauna. Thriving for over 500 years, it was a crucial chapter in Earth's geological history.
(b) No, I don't agree with the Tiger King's statement. Killing animals, including cows, cannot be justified as an act of self-defense unless there's an imminent threat to human life. The prophecy shouldn't justify indiscriminate killing; enhancing security measures would have been a more ethical approach.
(c) Charley had an extraordinary experience when he went to the Grand station as he reached the third level, where he encountered settings and people reminiscent of the late 19th century, such as the detailed description of Victorian attire or antiquated transportation methods.
(a) Both "Lost Spring" and "Indigo" portray the common man as a victim of exploitation due to various factors such as lack of awareness, education, empowerment, and financial resources.
In "Lost Spring," skilled and unskilled workers suffer from neglected basic needs, endure miserable living and working conditions, and are trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty. They are exploited by those in power, such as employers who pay low wages and landlords who take advantage of their vulnerable situation.
Similarly, in "Indigo," sharecroppers are oppressed by British landlords who force them into exploitative contracts. They are coerced to pay compensation to be released from these contracts, leading to financial strain. Moreover, the exorbitant fees charged by lawyers further exacerbate their exploitation, highlighting the systemic injustices faced by the common man.
Or
(b) "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" and "A Thing of Beauty" complement each other in showcasing the permanence and enduring impact of art and beauty. In "Aunt Jennifer's Tigers," the tigers depicted on the tapestry symbolize freedom and resilience, continuing to inspire despite Aunt Jennifer's personal struggles. Similarly, Keats' poem "A Thing of Beauty" emphasizes how both natural and man-made beauty have an everlasting impact, uplifting and inspiring generations. Both poems, as creative expressions of art, will indeed leave an indelible mark on those who encounter them, highlighting the timeless power of artistic creation.
(a) I was able to uphold the oath that I had taken as a doctor, despite the difficult experience I faced. It was a dilemma whether to treat the enemy soldier or hand him over, but my training compelled me to prioritize his medical needs. Although it went against everyone's wishes, I decided to operate, believing it was the right thing to do. I felt relieved when the General took over the responsibility, but I still waited anxiously for three days. Eventually, I resolved the situation by planning an escape route for the prisoner of war, finally feeling relieved of the burden weighing on me.
or
(b) Bama and Zitkala-Sa, hailing from marginalized communities, faced exploitation and discrimination that scarred their childhoods. Bama experienced caste-based discrimination, while Zitkala-Sa faced racial prejudice. Despite their traumatic experiences, they rebelled against the system and fought for dignity. Bama's determination led her to become an acclaimed writer, challenging caste-based oppression through her work. Similarly, Zitkala-Sa's resilience propelled her to become an accomplished writer, using her platform to challenge racial injustice. Both women worked hard to overcome societal barriers, showcasing their unwavering determination to bring dignity into their lives and communities.
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