WBBHSC Class 12 English B Higher Secondary Examination 2017

WBBHSC Class 12 English B Higher Secondary Examination 2017

Time: 3 Hours 15 Minutes

(First 15 Minutes for reading the question paper only, 3 Hours for writing) 

PART – B [Marks: 20]

1. Complete each of the following sentences, choosing the correct option from the alternatives provided: [1×4 = 4]

(i) The hermit was—

1. tall and weak
2. short and weak
3. frail and strong
4. frail and weak

(ii) Abdul Kalam’s ancestral house was built in—

1. mid 19th century
2. late 19th century
3. early 20th century
4. early 19th century

(iii) The blind girl said that she loved the—

1. tree
2. animals
3. hills
4. forests

(iv) The boy wanted to buy —

1. blue suit shoes
2. black suede shoes
3. blue suede shoes
4. black suit shoes.

2. Answer any four of the following questions, each in a complete sentence: [1×4=4]

1. According to Mrs Jones, how old was the boy?
2. Which part of the body of the bearded man was injured in the story ‘Three Questions’?
3. Who has bestowed the title of ‘Bahadur’ in Strong Rootsl
4. How did the narrator in ‘The Eyes Have it’ describe the voice of the blind girl?
5. Who was the priest of the Shiva temple in ‘Strong Roots’?
6. What was the full name of Mrs Jones?
7. Where did the hermit in ‘Three Questions’ live?
8. What were the eyes of the narrator in ‘The Eyes Have It’ sensitive to?

3. Complete each of the following sentences, choosing the correct option from the alternatives provided : [1×4=4]

(i) The soldier’s pillow is made of—

1. flowers
2. fern
3. grass
4. leaves

(ii) The birds hide in—

1. shade of trees
2. shadow of trees
3. cold trees
4. cooling trees

(iii) The ‘darling buds’ are shaken by rough winds in—

1. March
2. April
3. May
4. June

(iv) The root needs to be pulled out of the—

1. firm soil
2. anchoring earth
3. underground
4. firm earth

4. Answer any four of the following questions, each in a complete sentence: [1×4=4]

1. From where would the curled green twigs rise?
2. Where does the stream leave ‘long strands of silver?
3. “So long lives this,”—What is referred to by the word ‘this’?
4. What might one hear on alone, cold and silent winter evening?
5. What is described as ‘gentle, without guile’?
6. Where was the Grasshopper seen in summer?
7. What does ‘the eye of heaven’ refer to?
8. How does a tree grow?

5. Complete each of the following sentences, choosing the correct option from the alternatives provided: [1×4=4]

(i) Chubukov ordered Leinov to shut up or he would shoot him like a—

1. partridge
2. fox
3. dog
4. wolf

(ii) Natalya was shelling for drying,

1. beans
2. peas
3. barley
4. meadows

(iii) Chubukov addresses Lemov as—

1. a devil
2. a peasant
3. an angel
4. an angle

(iv) According to Natalya, they had lent Lemov their—

1. hunting dog
2. lands
3. peasants
4. threshing-machine.

Or

(i) The traditional devotional song sung at the temple was based on the—

1. Ramayana
2. Mahabharata
3. Puranas
4. Gita,

(ii) In the bundle of the peasant, Charandas found—

1. gold bangles
2. money
3. sattu
4. gold coin

(iii) The minister was covered with so many garlands that he could not—

1. see
2. talk
3. walk
4. breathe

(iv) The name of the jeweller was—

1. Harilal
2. Ramlal
3. Ratanlal
4. Pyarelal

PART – A [Marks: 60]

1. Answer any two of the following questions each in about 100 words: [6 × 2 = 12]

1. “Then I made a mistake.’’—What ‘mistake’ did the speaker make? Why was it a ‘mistake’? What removed the speaker’s doubts? What did the speaker do then? 1 + 2 + 1 + 2
2. “Our locality was predominantly Muslim” Who is the speaker? How does the speaker describe the locality? What picture of communal harmony do you find in this description? 1 + 3 + 2
3. Why did the bearded man become an enemy of the Tsar? What did the man swear and resolve to do? Why did he ask forgiveness of the Tsar and what did he promise him? 1 + 2 + 3
4. “You ought to be my son. I would teach you right from wrong.” Who speaks to whom? Did the speaker manage to teach what he/she claimed to teach? Give reasons for your answer. 2 + 4

2. Answer any two of the following questions each in about 100 words: [6 × 2 = 12]

1. How does a tree offer resistance to its destruction? How does its resistance fail? 3 + 3
2. “In his side, there are two red holes.”—Who is the person referred to here? What do the ‘two red holes’ signify? What attitude of the poet to war is reflected here? 1+2 + 3
3. “But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;”—Whose ‘eternal summer’ mean? What conclusion does the poet draw at the end of the poem? 1+2 + 3
4. What does Keats mean by ‘the poetry of earth”? Why does he say that this poetry never ceases? 2 + 4

3. Answer any one of the following in about 100 words : [6×1=6]

1. “If you like. I’ll make you a present of them.” Who is the speaker? Who is the person spoken to? What would the speaker make a present of? Why did the speaker say so? 1 + 1 + 1 + 3
2. “She’s like a ‘love-sick cat’,’’ Who said this and about whom? Analyse the character of the person, referred to here, under the light of the comment above. 1+1+4
3. Sketch the character of Natalya. 6

Or,

1. “You’re everyone’s guru! Show me a way of winning at cards.” Who is the speaker? What did the guru tell the speaker to do in order to fulfil his purpose? How could the speaker become the guru’s disciple? In this context, what did the guru say about making the drunkard his disciple? 1 + 1 + 1 + 3
2. Give a brief account of the conversation between the priest and Charandas. 、 6
3. “The queen won’t like this one bit, Charandas. Come along. Please.” Who is the speaker? What won’t the queen like? What was the queen’s command? 1 + 2 + 3

4. (a) Do as directed : [6×1=6]

1. “We’ll soon be at your station,” I said to the girl. (Turn into Indirect speech)
2. My parents were widely regarded as an ideal couple. (Change the voice)
3. I was the most important man. (Rewrite the sentence using the positive degree of ‘important’)
4. I do not recall the exact number of people she fed everyday. (Turn into an affirmative sentence)
5. Mine was a very secure childhood. (Rewrite as a negative sentence)
6. The water dripping from his face, the boy looked at her. (Split into two separate sentences)

(b) Fill in the blanks with appropriate articles and/or prepositions :[ ½ ×6=3]

We lived ___(i)___ our ancestral house, which was built ___(ii)___ the middle ___(iii)___ the 19^th century. It was a fairly large pucca house, made ___(iv)___ limestone and brick, ___(v)___ the Mosque Street ___(vi)___ Rameswaram.

(c) Correct the error in the following sentence by replacing the underlined word with the right one from the options given below [1×1 = 1]

Few girls can resist flattering.

5. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow :

In those days Chumley and Tulu. our pair of chimpanzees were very much with us. When you went to visit him, Chumley, after his hysterical morning greeting, which consisted of bared teeth, loud crazy screams and swinging to and fro around the cage would sit down and dissect an orange with the deep concentration and delicacy of a specialist surgeon operating on a Prime Minister. Lulu, well aware of her husband’s perfect manners when it came to the weaker sex, took no chances. While her husband was busy with his display she stuffed her mouth with grapes, gathered together as much fruit as she could and sat on it in the hope that it would escape the attention of her spouse. Chumley, having completed his surgery on the orange, ate the content and threw the skin at Lulu, hitting her on the back of the head softly. Chumley was an underarm bowler, but his skill and accuracy were remarkable. Having thus informed Lulu of his devotion, he leapt on her, when she least expected it, cuffed her over the back of the head and dragged her. screaming, off the pile of fruit she was hiding.

(a) State whether the following statements are True or False. Write ‘T’ for True and ‘F’ for False. (You need not write the sentences, write only the numbers) [1×4 = 4]

1. Chumley would carefully eat an orange.
2. Lulu was Chumley’s sister.
3. Chumley’s action was like that of a fast bowler.
4. Lulu stuffed her mouth with raisins.

(b) Answer each of the following questions in about 30 words : [2 × 3 = 6]

1. Briefly describe Chumley’s morning greeting.
2. What did Chumley do next after his surgery of the orange?
3. What did Lulu do while Chumley ate his orange?

6. (a) Write a report on the measures taken in your district to look after the health of the people and suggest what further improvements could be made. (Word limit: 150 words) 2 + 8 = 10

Or; (b) Write a letter to the Post Master complaining about the delay in the delivery of a very urgent letter addressed to you, due to the negligence of the postman. (Word limit: 150 words) 2 + 8 = 10

Or; (c) Write a precis of the following passage. Add a suitable title. 2 + 8 = 10

The saving of certain wild animals from extinction has for many years been a problem for zoologists and other specialists, but more recently the problem has become so acute and has received so much publicity, that most people are now concerned about it. This may at first seem strange because one of the most satisfying developments of the last few years has been the passing of strict laws to protect wild animals and the consequent decline in the hunting of big game for sport. Why is it, then that some rare wild animals are still threatened with extinction and even some of the less rare ones are rapidly declining in number?

One reason is the ‘march of civilization’. When an area is wholly cleared of vegetation to make room for new towns, factory sites or hydroelectric plants, the natural home of special species is destroyed. The displaced animals must either migrate to another area or perish. Even the clearing of land for a road or an airfield may involve ‘pushing back’ the jungle and the smaller the area in which wild animals compete for a living, the smaller the number that can hope to survive.

Civilization brings too, swift and easy transport and so assists those who are determined to break the various protective laws. Thieves can elude the forest wardens, shoot an elephant for its tusks, a rhinoceros for its horn, or a dove for its meat, and be miles away from the site of crime before the dead or dying victim is even discovered.

It is sad to reflect that civilization which can bring so many benefits to people who have previously known only hunger and misery, brings also facilities for the heartless criminals who, for material gain, will slaughter some harmless animals and threaten the disappearance of its kind from the earth forever.