English CBQ Extract Class XII:Board PYQs | Important for 2024-25
Updated: Nov 5
Literature Extract ( ERCs) Questions of Previous Years 2024-2022
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Q. Read the given extracts to attempt the questions with reference to the context.
My Mother At sixty Six
(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, Amma,
All I did was 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 _______.
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) Loss of - youthfulness / charm/ sheen/ brightness - approaching - dullness/ weakness and old age ( any one)
My Mother At Sixty Six
Q. Driving from my parent's home
to Cochin last Friday morning,
I saw my mother, beside me, doze, open mouthed,
her face ashen like that of a corpse,
and realized with pain
that she was as old as she
looked but soon
put that thought away,
and looked out at Young Trees sprinting,
the merry children spilling out of their homes
(i) The poet's mother looks
I. exhausted
II. healthy
III. rejuvenated
IV. pale
V. relaxed
Choose the most appropriate option:
(a) Only V
(b) I, III and V
(c) I, II and IV
(d) I and IV
(ii) The poet looks out of the car because _______
(iii) Choose the option that displays the same poetic device as 'her face ashen like that of a corpse'.
(a) stars winked in the midnight sky
(b) a bitter sweet experience
(c) as cold as ice
(d) grey geese in the green field
(iv) The phrase 'she realized with pain' indicates the poet's
(a) anxiety of missing the flight.
(b) fear of losing her mother.
(c) fear of illness.
(d) anxiety of taking her mother on the flight.
(v) On the basis of the extract, study the two statements, I and II given below :
I. The poet was in a hurry to reach the airport.
II. The poet did not want to think about her mother growing old and infirm.
Choose the most appropriate option :
(a) I is correct, but II is incorrect
(b) Both I and II are correct
(c) Both I and II are incorrect
(d) II is correct, but I is incorrect
(vi) What does the phrase 'sprinting tree'?
(a) youthfulness and forgetfulness
(b) vitality and youthfulness
(c) energy and casualness
(d) pallor and exuberance
Answer Key
(i) d) I and IV
(ii) she wants to put that thought away / to put away the thought of her mother’s imminent death / to divert or distract or deviate her mind
(iii) (c) as cold as ice
(iv) (b) fear of losing her mother.
(v) (d) II is correct, but I is incorrect
(vi) (b) vitality and youthfulness
Question Paper set 1/4/1
I saw my mother, beside me,
doze, open mouthed,
her face ashen like that of a corpse
and realised with pain that
she was as old as she looked
but soon put that thought away,
and looked out at Young Trees sprinting,
the merry children spilling out of their homes,
(i) Identify the phrase that indicates youthful energy.
(ii) Which thought is the poet trying to put away ?
(a) missing the flight
(b) fear of losing her mother
(c) leaving her mother behind
(d) reaching Cochin
(iii) The Poet's mother is described as 'open mouthed' because ______
(a) she is curious
(b) she is surprised
(c) she was dead
(d) she was dozing
(iv) Complete the following analogy :
children spilling : metaphor : : ___________ : personification
(v) The sight of the trees and the children helped the poet _______ .
(vi) In the given extract the phrase 'realised with pain' indicates the poet's
(a) anxiety
(b) desperation
(c) troubled past
(d) ill-health
Answer Key
(i) young trees sprinting / merry children spilling
(ii) (b) fear of losing her mother
(iii) (d) she was dozing
(iv) trees sprinting
(v) distract or divert herself / cope with the thought of separation or sadness / put that thought away / put the thought of separation away
(vi) (a) anxiety
Keeping Quiet
Now we will count to twelve and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the Earth
let's not speak in any language,
let's stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
(Keeping Quiet)
(i) Significance of counting up to twelve is
(a) it is time to start the race.
(b) it is symbolic of life.
(c) it is a measure of time.
(d) that time does not wait for anyone.
(ii) The word __________ in the extract means unusual and exciting.
(iii) Excessive activity would create an atmosphere of
(a) productivity (b) mechanisation (c) confusion (d) competition.
(iv) The poet would want to create all of the following EXCEPT
(a) a peaceful environment.
(b) a harmonious world.
(c) an atmosphere for introspection.
(d) a world full of hustle and bustle.
(v) Complete the following analogy correctly:
face of the Earth: ________ : : sudden strangeness: alliteration
(vi) On the basis of the extract, study the two statements, I and II given below
I. People must keep silent at twelve everyday.
II. Introspection will lead to peaceful coexistence.
Choose the most appropriate option :
(a) I is false, but II is true
(b) Both I and II are false
(c) Both I and II are true
(d) I is true, but II is false
Answer Key
(i) (c) it is a measure of time.
(ii) exotic
(iii) (b) mechanisation
(iv) (d) a world full of hustle and bustle
(v) personification
(vi) a) I is false, but II is true
A Roadside Stand
(ii) 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.
(i) What is the sentiment expressed in the above extract ?
(i) 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 ________
Answer Key
(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
Set Question No. 1/4/1
(ii) In front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped,
A roadside stand too pathetically pled,
It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread,
But for some of the money, the cash, whose flow supports
The flower of cities from sinking and withering faint.
The polished traffic passed with a mind ahead,
Or if ever aside a moment, then out of sorts
At having the landscape marred with the artless paint
Of signs that with N turned wrong and S turned wrong
(i) What is the tone of the poet in the extract ? Choose the correct option :
(a) optimistic (b) resigned (c) sympathetic (d) indifferent
(ii) With reference to the given extract, what harm has been caused by the 'artless paint?'
(iii) The city is compared to ____________ .
(a) a landscape
(b) signs of N and S
c) a flower
(d) a dole of bread
(iv) Choose the correct option :
The roadside stand is
(a) at the edge of the road.
(b) marred with artless paint.
(c) like the flower of cities.
(d) well maintained.
(v) What type of expectations do the stand owners have from the city dwellers who come there ?
(vi) Complete the analogy with a word from the given extract.
donate : contribute : : dying : ___________
Answer Key
(i) c) sympathetic
(ii) spoilt the view / marred the scenic beauty / damaged the landscape
(iii) (c) a flower
(iv) (a) at the edge of the road
(v) buy their produce and give some cash in return / stop and promote their business.
(vi) withering
Question Code 1/5/1
A Thing of Beauty
A thing of beauty is a joy forever
Its loveliness increases, it will never
pass into nothingness: but will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health and quiet and breathing.
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,
Of all the unhealthy and o’er darkened ways
Made for our searching.
(i) Keats defines beauty as
(a) transient (b) eternal (c) illusionary (d) short lived
(ii) ‘will keep a bower quiet for us’ means all of the following EXCEPT
(a) create a peaceful, shady place
(b) provide a shelter (
(c) will decrease noise pollution
(d) nature’s canopy
(iii) On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below :
1. Beautiful things uplift the soul.
2. Beauty is everchanging.
(a) 1 can be inferred from the extract but 2 cannot.
(b) 2 can be inferred from the extract but 1 cannot.
(c) both 1 and 2 can be inferred from the extract.
(d) both 1 and 2 cannot be inferred from the extract.
(iv) The things that cause unhappiness are
(1) lack of noble nature
(2) old tunes
(3) dull days
(4) calm mind
(5) a flowery band
(6) strong relationships
Choose the most appropriate option :
(a) (1) and (2) (b) (1) and (3) (c) (4) and (5) (d) (3) and (6)
(v) Complete the analogy. Do not repeat from used example :
flowery band : metaphor :: : _________ : alliteration
(vi) According to the poet ‘every morrow’ we are _______.
Answer Key
(i) (b) eternal
(ii) (c ) will decrease noise pollution
(iii) (a ) 1 can be inferred from the extract but 2 cannot.
(iv) (b) (1) and (3)
(v) noble natures, band to bind
(vi) wreathing a flowery band / getting close to nature
CBSE Sample Paper 2023-24
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read:
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink.
(i) Which of the following themes is best represented in the given extract?
A. The beauty of nature
B. The power of imagination
C. The immortality of art and literature
D. The inevitability of death
(ii) State whether the given statement is TRUE or FALSE, with reference to the extract. By referring to the dead as "mighty", the poet emphasizes their importance and the power they exerted on the people.
(iii) Complete the sentence appropriately. The "endless fountain of immortal drink" is an apt analogy for the tales of the mighty dead because ____________________________.
(iv) The use of the word "brink" in the extract suggests that the immortality that is being poured onto us is on the verge of overflowing. This creates a powerful image of ___________.
(v) Select the option that is NOT true about the lack of punctuation at the end of line 1 in the extract.
A. Creates a sense of continuity and flow that connects the line with the second line.
B. Encourages the reader to continue reading seamlessly without any pause.
C. Creates a sense of anticipation and expectation for the reader.
D. Encourages a revisit to the ideas in the preceding lines.
Board All India 2024 | Code 1/1/1
A thing of beauty is a joy forever
Its loveliness increases,
it will never Pass into nothingness;
but will keep A bower quiet for us,
and a sleep Full of sweet dreams,
and health, and quiet breathing. (A Thing of Beauty)
(i) Which of the following themes is best represented in the given extract ? 1
(A) Beauty provides security and peace.
(B) Beauty lies in possession of expensive things.
(C) Beauty is synonymous with power and riches.
(D) Beauty lies in our rich heritage and palaces and temples.
(ii) Complete the following sentence appropriately.
A thing of beauty never passes into nothingness because it is ___________.
(iii) Quiet bower' means a pleasant shady, quiet place under trees or in the woods. This creates a sense of __________.
(iv) State whether the given statement is True or False with reference to the extract.
The quality of a thing ensures that its beauty lasts forever.
(v) Based on the rhyme scheme in lines 3 and 4 of the given extract, which word will rhyme with them ? 1
(A) please
(B) sweep
(C) help
(D) self
(vi) The use of the word health in the extract suggests that beautiful things will give us a happier and more wholesome life. It creates a powerful image of _____________. 1
(A) rejuvenation
(B) attachment
(C) long life
(D) eternity
Answer Key
(i) (A) Beauty provides security and peace.
(ii) eternal/ joy forever/ everlasting
(iii) peace and harmony / good health / sweet dreams / quiet breathing
(iv) True
(v) (B) sweep
(vi) (A) rejuvenation
Board All India 2024 | Code 1/2/1
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,
Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkened ways
Made for our searching :
(i) Which of the following themes is best represented in the given extract ?
(A) The beautiful things in nature
(B) Things that cause unhappiness
(C) The immortality of human beings
(D) The early morning fragrance of flowers
(ii) State whether the given statement is True or False, with reference to the extract.
The paths we follow are often not worthy of our noble nature.
(iii) Complete the following sentence appropriately :
We wreathe for ourselves a flowery band every morrow because __________.
(iv) The use of the word ‘dearth’ creates a powerful image of __________.
(v) Based on the rhyme scheme in lines 4 and 5, which of the following word will rhyme with ‘days’ and ‘ways’ ?
(A) craze
(B) pays
(C) haste
(D) waste
(vi) The lack of punctuation at the end of line 3 in the extract is to :
(A) create a sense of continuity and flow that connects it with the fourth line.
(B) encourage the reader to understand grammar.
(C) forewarn the reader of gloomy days ahead.
(D) keep us connected to this earth.
Answer Key
(i) (B) Things that cause unhappiness
(ii) True
(iii) pleasant memories connect us to the earth
(iv) lack of nobility / lack of virtues / scarcity of good natured people
(v) (B) pays
(vi) (A) create a sense of continuity and flow that connects it with the fourth line.
Question Code 1/5/1
Aunt Jennifer's Tigers
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green,
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.
Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of uncle’s wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.
(i) Denizens of the world of green refer to ______.
(a) huntsmen (b) Aunt Jennifer (c) uncle (d) tigers
(ii) Choose the option that displays the same poetic device as used in the second line of the extract.
(a) heart of stone
(b) trees sprouting
(c) silver spoon
(d) white murder
(iii) The men setting beneath the tree are _______.
(iv) What quality of uncle can be inferred through these lines ?
(a) compassionate nature
(b) courageous
(c) confident
(d) dominating
(v) The tigers in the extract are symbolic of
(a) creativity and courage
(b) confidence and gentleness
(c) cruelty and fear
(d) aggression and starving
(vi) Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across
(1) the screen (2) the fields
(3) the embroidered tunic (4) the cage
Which of the following is the most appropriate choice ?
(a) (1) and (2)
(b) (2) and (4)
(c) (1), (2) and (3)
(d) (1) and (3)
Answer Key
(i) (d) tigers
(ii) (a) heart of stone
(iii) the hunters / symbolic of patriarchal society / any other relevant answer
(iv) (d) dominating
(v) (b) confidence and gentleness
(vi) (d) (1) and (3)
All India 2024 | Code 1/1/1/
Aunt Jennifer’s tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.
(i) Which of the following are symbolized by the ‘tigers’ in the extract above ?
I. masculine world
II. feminine world
III. world of bold, fearless creatures
IV. world of beautiful handicrafts
(A) I, II and III
(B) II, III and IV
(C) III and IV
(D) I, III and IV
(ii) State whether the given statement is True or False.
The creator of the tigers was fearless and assertive like the tigers.
(iii) Complete the following sentence.
The use of the word ‘topaz’ suggest that the image of the tiger on the screen is ________
(iv) ‘Tigers do not fear the men beneath the tree’ because they are (A) tamed (B) in a cage (C) fearless (D) kings of the jungle.
(v) Based on the poem’s rhyme scheme evident in lines 1 and 2, which of the following will rhyme? mean, akin, cream
(vi) Chivalric certainty refers to which poetic device ?
(A) Alliteration
(B) Metaphor
(C) Simile
(D) Repetition
Answer Key
(i) (D) I, III and IV
(ii) False
(iii) bright yellow colour / real / perfect creation
(iv) (C) fearless
(v) mean
(vi) (A) Alliteration / (B) Metaphor ( any One )
Aunt Jennifer s fingers fluttering through her wool
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer's hand.
(i) Which of the following themes is best represented in the given extract ?
(A) The maturity of adulthood
(B) The glory of feminity
(C) Victim of male domination
(D) The superficial beauty
(ii) State whether the following statement is True or False, with reference to the extract. Aunt Jennifer is nervous and traumatized because of the constraints of her marriage.
(iii) Complete the following sentence appropriately : The fingers fluttering through her wool symbolize __________.
(iv) The use of the word “massive weight” creates a powerful image of _________
(v) Based on the rhyme scheme in lines 3 and 4, which word would rhyme with ‘band’ and ‘hand’?
(A) stand
(B) wind
(C) bent
(D) tent
(vi) The heavy wedding ring is a source of :
(A) joy.
(B) freedom.
(C) dignity.
(D) burden.
Answer Key
(i) (C) Victim of male domination
(ii) True
(iii) her nervousness / anxiety / trauma due to patriarchy / dominance of her husband
(iv) suppression / constraints of married life / male domination
(v) (A) stand
(vi) (D) burden.
The Third Level
(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 ________
Answer Key
(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
Question Code : 1/4/1
941 Willard Street Galesburg, Illinois
July 18, 1894
Charley
I got to wishing that you were right. Then I got to believing you were right. And, Charley, it's true; I found the third level! I've been here two weeks, and right now, down the street at the Daly's, someone is playing a piano, and they're all out on the front porch singing 'Seeing Nelly Home'. And I'm invited over for lemonade. Come on back, Charley and Louisa. Keep looking till you find the third level! It's worth it, believe me!
The note is signed Sam.
(i) What was the feeling of Sam as conveyed in the letter ?
Choose the appropropriate option in the context of the extract.
(a) surprise (b) doubt (c) excitement (d) anger
(ii) What was Sam Weiner reaction when Charley told him about the third level ?
(a) dismissal (b) acceptance (c) wonderstruck (d) puzzled
(iii) The phrase' Charlie, it's true' in the context of the extract implies which of the given options.
I. Sam is relaxed
II. Charley had migrated with Louisa
III. The existence of the third level
iv. Sam had met Charley's grandfather.
Choose the most appropriate option:
(a) I and II (b) II and IV (c) I and III (d) IV only
(iv) Sam wrote the letter to Charley in order to __________ .
Answer Key
(i) (c) excitement
(ii) (b) acceptance
(iii) (c) I and III
(iv) motivate him to keep looking for the third level till he found it / confirm the existence of the third level / invite him to Galesburg
Question Code 1/5/1
To make sure, I walked over the newsboy and glanced at the stack of papers at his feet. It was The World and The World hasn’t been published for years. The lead story said something about President Cleveland. I’ve found that front page since, in the Public library files, and it was printed June 11, 1894. I turned toward the ticket windows knowing that here – on the third level at Grand Central – I could buy tickets that would take Louisa and me anywhere in the United States we wanted to go. In the year 1894. And I wanted two tickets to Galesburg, Illinois.
(i) The newspaper that covered the lead story about President Cleveland was
(a) The Pioneer (b) The New York Times (c) The World (d) The Times
(ii) The narrator wanted to buy tickets to _______.
(iii) Which of the following in the extract most nearly means the opposite of ‘stare’ ?
(a) glance (b) peek (c) ignore (d) examine
(iv) Charley wanted two tickets because he wanted to go with
(a) Sam (b) Cleveland (c) Louisa (d) the Psychiatrist
Answer Key
(i) (c) The World
(ii) Galesburg
(iii) (a) glance
(iv) (c) Louisa
All India Board | Code 1/1/1
Anyway, here’s what happened at Grand Central. One night last summer I worked late at the office. I was in a hurry to get uptown to my apartment so I decided to take the subway from Grand Central because it’s faster that the bus.
Now I don’t know why this should have happened to me. I’m just an ordinary guy named Charley, thirty-one years old, and I was wearing a tan gabardine suit and a straw hat with a fancy band; I passed a dozen men who looked just like me. (The Third Level)
(i) List any two details about how Charley was dressed up.
(ii) Charley decided to use the subway because it was _______
(iii) Complete the following sentence appropriately.
Landing at the third level was due to Charley’s flight of _________.
(iv) Which time frame is represented through the kind of outfit mentioned in the extract ?
(A) pre world war era
(B) the present times
(C) the eighteenth century
(D) in the future
Answer Key
(i)
tan gabardine suit
a straw hat with a fancy band
(ii) (A) quicker.
(iii) imagination / fantasy / stairs
(iv) (B) the present times
Lost Spring
(a) 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’ ?
Answer Key
(i) Suggested value points ( any one)
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 (any one)
(vi) often
Question Code 1/5/1
Extract No. 2
“I sometimes find a rupee, even a ten rupee note”, Saheb says, his eyes lighting up when you can find a silver coin in a heap of garbage, you don’t stop scrounging, for there is hope of finding more. It seems that for children, garbage has a meaning different from what it means to their parents. For the children it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a means of survival. One winter morning I see Saheb standing by the fenced gate of the neighbourhood club, watching two young men dressed in white, playing tennis. “I like the game”, he hums, content to watch it standing behind the fence. “I go inside when no one is around” he admits. “The gate keeper lets me use the swing.”
(i) Saheb found a rupee
(a) on the street (b) in the garbage dump
(c) in Firozabad (d) on the tennis court
(ii) Which emotion of Saheb is revealed in the phrase ‘his eyes lighting up’ ?
(a) anxiety (b) envy (c) happiness (d) greed
(iii) For the elders garbage is _______ and for children it is _______.
(iv) On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to I and II given below :
I. Saheb watches the game from outside.
II. Saheb had lost the previous match.
(a) I is true but II is not
(b) II is true but I is not
(c) Both I and II are true
(d) Both I and II are untrue
(v) ‘Scrounging’ in the passage most nearly means.
(a) digging (b) searching (c) flinging (d) burying
(vi) ‘There is hope for finding more’. Explain with reference to the above extract.
Answer Key
(i) (b) in the garbage dump
(ii) (c) happiness
(iii) survival, wrapped in wonder.
(iv) ( a) I is true but II is not
(v) (b) searching
(vi) more money / more silver coins / something precious / something valuable (any one)
All India CBSE Board 2024 | Set 1/1/1
They have lived here for more than thirty years without an identity, without permits but with ration cards that get their names on voters’ lists and enable them to buy grain. Food is more important for survival than identity. “If at the end of the day we can feed our families and go to bed without an aching stomach, we would rather live here than in the fields that gave us no grain”, say a group of women in tattered saris when I asked them why they left their beautiful land of green fields and rivers. Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents. (Lost Spring)
(i) The ragpickers have been living there for ____________ decades.
(A) three
(B) four
(C) two
(D) five
(ii) Why do these people have ration cards ?
(iii) What do you infer about their lifestyle from the phrase ‘ pitch their tents’?
(iv) In spite of the hardships, they are not willing to go back to their homeland because __________.
(v) The women had a/an __________ approach towards life.
A) idealistic
(B) passive
(C) indifferent
(D) practical
(vi) What does the term ‘go to bed without an aching stomach’ indicate?
Answer Key
(i) (A) three
(ii) get their names on voters’ lists / enable them to buy grain.
(iii) wherever they find food / refugees from Dhaka / poverty stricken / nomads (any other relevant point)
(iv) food is more important for survival than identity / no food there
(v) (D) practical
(vi) not to go hungry / have food and go to sleep
All India 2024 | 1/2/1
“Children grow up in them, becoming partners in survival. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has acquired the proportions of a fine art. Garbage to them is gold. It is their daily bread, a roof over their heads, even if it is a leaking roof. But for a child it is even more.”
(i) Complete the sentence appropriately. Children become partners in survival suggests that ________.
(ii) Rag-picking has acquired the proportion of a fine art means :
(A) artistic bend of mind is required.
(B) it has proportionately displaced art.
(C) it has become a highly skilful activity.
(D) it has discovered pieces of art.
(iii) State whether the given statement is True or False with reference to the extract.
The children and their parents have left Dhaka to live in Seemapuri.
(iv) Why does the author say ‘survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking’?
(v) What does the phrase “for a child it is even more” reveal about the children’s dreams?
(vi) Which of the following headlines suggests the central idea of the extract ?
(A) Seemapuri, A Pot of Gold
(B) Rag-picking - Different Perspectives
(C) Art in Delhi and in Seemapuri
(D) Saheb-e-Alam in Seemapuri
Answer Key
(i) they help their parents in earning a livelihood / money
(ii) (C) it has become a highly skilful activity.
(iii) True
(iv) essential means of living / it is their daily bread / only option to live / roof over their heads / means of survival
(v) aspiring to get something precious / full of mystery
(vi) (B) Rag-picking - Different Perspectives
The Rattrap
(b) “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 ?
Answer Key
(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)
Question Code: 1/3/1 ( 2023)
The Enemy
"You are to come to the palace," the man said. "The old General is in pain again."
"Oh," Hana breathed, "Is that all?"
"All?" the messenger exclaimed. "Is it not enough?"
"Indeed it is," she replied, "I am very sorry."
When Sadao came to say goodbye, she was in the kitchen, but doing nothing. The children were asleep and she sat merely resting for a moment, more exhausted from her fright than from work.
(i) Seeing the messenger, Hana was apprehensive of ________
(ii) The summons for Dr. Sadao were because
(a) the servants had reported.
(b) there was a medical emergency.
(c) the General wanted to express his admiration.
(d) the prisoner of war had escaped.
(iii) Which of the following summarizes Hana's reason for resting momentarily?
(a) Her physical exhaustion
(b) Her fear
(c) Her infirmity
(d) Her sadness
(iv) Complete the analogy correctly with a word from the extract.
asleep awake :: rejuvenated: ________
Answer Key
(i) Dr. Sadao’s arrest / the authorities coming to know about the presence of POW in their house / of the servants having informed about the presence of the POW
(ii) (b) there was a medical emergency.
(iii) (b) her fear
(iv) exhausted
All India 2024 | Set 1/2/1
“If I am able, are you? Sadao asked. “No”, Hana said, “But if you can do it alone…” Sadao hesitated again, “The strange thing is,” he said, “that if the man were whole I could turn him over to the police without difficulty. I care nothing for him. He is my enemy. All Americans are my enemy. And he is only a common fellow. You see how foolish his face is. But since he is wounded…” (The Enemy)
(i) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The dilemma faced by the couple was _________.
(ii) What does Hana ask Dr. Sadao to do alone ?
(A) Treat the wounded soldier
(B) Give him shelter in the outhouse
(C) Throw him back into the sea
(D) Hand him over to the authorities
(iii) Explain the expression : “if the man were whole”.
(iv) Dr. Sadao says, “All Americans are my enemy.” What character trait of Dr. Sadao does it reflect?
Answer Key
(i) whether to save the wounded prisoner / enemy or not
(ii) (A) Treat the wounded soldier
(iii) not wounded / not injured / strong enough to fight
(iv) patriotism / true Japanese / love for his country / loyalty towards the country
On the Face of It
Mr. Lamb: Look, boy, look... what do you see?
Derry: Just... grass and stuff. Weeds
Mr. Lamb: Some call them weeds. If you like, then a weed garden, that. There's fruit and there are flowers, and trees and herbs. All sorts. But over there weeds. I grow weeds there. Why is one green, growing plant called a weed and another 'flower'? Where's the difference? It's all life... growing. Same as you and me.
Derry: We're not the same.
(i) In the above extract, what best summarizes Mr. Lamb's attitude towards growing weeds?
(a) a celebration of life
(b) an acceptance of his poverty
(c) a manifestation of his loneliness
(d) an example of his gardening skills
(ii) Which of the following best describes Derry's tone when he says "We're not the same"?
(a) bitter
(b) confused
(c) defiant
(d) snobbish
(iii) Mr. Lamb brings out the contrast between flowers and weeds in order to
(a) explain weeds are important in a garden.
(b) demonstrate that weeds have medicinal values.
(c) emphasize the specific purpose of each.
(d) illustrate that there should be no distinction.
(iv) What word from the above extract most nearly means the opposite of 'difference'?
Answer Key
(i) a) a celebration of life
(ii) (a) bitter
(iii) (d) illustrate that there should be no distinction
(iv) same
Question Code: 1/2/1
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’ ?
Answer Key
(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
Mr. Lamb is not sure of kids’ reaction to Derry’s presence in the garden -
Kids may or may not run away.
Question Code 1/4/1
Derry: What do you do all day?
Mr. Lamb: Sit in the sun. Read books, Ah, you thought it was an empty house, but inside, it's full. Books and other things. Full.
Derry: But there aren't any curtains at the windows.
Mr. Lamb: I'm not fond of curtains, shutting things out, shutting things in. I like the light and the darkness, and the windows open, to hear the wind.
(i) The description of the house indicates that Mr. Lamb __________
(ii) The expression does not like shutting things out, shutting things in suggests Mr. Lamb's
(a) welcoming nature.
(b) poverty-stricken existence.
(c) lack of resources.
(d) confused state of mind.
(iii) Mr. Lamb spends his time ___________ .
I. reading books
II. cooking meals
II. shutting things out
IV. enjoying beauties of nature
Which of the following options are appropriate ?
(a) I and IV
(b) II, III and IV
(c) I and II
(d) I and III
(iv) On the basis of the extract, study the two statements, I and II given below :
I. Mr. Lamb liked meeting people.
II. Mr. Lamb accepted life as it came.
Choose the most appropriate option :
(a) I can be inferred from the extract, but II cannot.
(b) II can be inferred from the extract, but I cannot.
(c) Both I and II can be inferred from the extract.
(d) Neither I nor II can be inferred from the extract.
Answer Key
(i) is fond of reading / is welcoming / doesn’t like to shut things / is open minded / is large hearted / is positive / enjoys nature / is alone / accepts life as it comes
(ii) (a) welcoming nature
(ii) (a) I and IV
(iv) (c) Both I and II can be inferred from the extract.
All India Board 2024 | Code 1/1/1
Derry : I … there …. I thought this was an empty place. I didn’t know there was anybody here….
Mr. Lamb : That’s all right. I’m here. What are you afraid of, boy? That’s all right.
Derry : I thought it was empty …. An empty house
Mr. Lamb : So it is. Since I’m out here in the garden. It is empty. Until I go back inside. In the meantime, I’m out here and likely to stop. Not a day to be indoors.
Derry : [Panic] I,ve got to go.
(i) Derry was stammering because of :
(A) a speech defect.
(B) excitement.
(C) anger.
(D) fear.
(ii) Complete the sentence appropriately.
Derry insisted on going back because __________.
(iii) Mr. Lamb was trying to tell Derry that :
(A) it was a matter of perception.
(B) Derry could stay with him.
(C) he spent all his days in the garden.
(D) he was fond of company.
(iv) From the extract, one can infer that Mr. Lamb was a/an :
(A) compassionate man.
(B) mysterious character.
(C) new neighbour.
(D) unreasonable man.
Answer Key
(i) (D) fear.
(ii) was taken by surprise when he saw Mr. Lamb / panicked after seeing Mr. Lamb / thought it was an empty house ( any one )
(iii) (A) it was a matter of perception.
(iv) (A) compassionate man.
All India 2024 | Set 1/2/1
Derry : I’d not come to steal anything.
Mr. Lamb : No, no. The young lads steal …. scrump the apples. You’re not so young.
Derry : I just…. wanted to come in. Into the garden.
Mr. Lamb : So you did. Here we are, then.
Derry : You don’t know who I am.
Mr. Lamb : A boy. Thirteen or so.
Derry : Fourteen. [Pause] But I have got to go now. Good-bye.
Mr. Lamb : Nothing to be afraid of. Just a garden. Just me.
Derry : But I’m not.... I’m not afraid. [Pause] People are afraid of me. (On the Face Of It)
(i) Why does Mr. Lamb feel that Derry has not come to steal ?
(ii) Cite instances from the extract which show that Mr. Lamb is trying to put Derry at ease.
(iii) Choose the correct statement :
(A) Derry entered the garden as he was fascinated by the bees.
(B) Derry came to meet Mr. Lamb.
C) They were well acquainted with each other.
(D) Derry entered as he wanted to see the garden.
(iv) People are afraid of Derry because _________.
Answer Key
(i) he felt only young lads steal / he was not so young
(ii) Nothing to be afraid of. Just a garden. Just me. / So you did. Here we are, then.
(iii) (D) Derry entered as he wanted to see the garden.
(iv) his face is burnt
The Interview
(A) Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow : (6x1=6 )
Rudyard Kipling expressed an even more condemnatory attitude towards the interviewer. His wife, Caroline, writes in her diary for 14 October, 1892 that their day was 'wrecked by two reporters from Boston'. She reports her husband as saying to the reporters, "Why do I refuse to be interviewed ? Because it is immoral! It is a crime, just as much of a crime as an offence against my person, as an assault, and just as much merits punishment. It is cowardly and vile. No respectable man would ask it, much less give it." Yet Kipling had himself perpetrated such an 'assault' on Mark Twain only a few years before. H.G. Wells in an interview in 1894 referred to the 'interviewing ordeal', but was a fairly frequent interviewee and forty years later found himself interviewing Joseph Stalin.
(i) Kipling viewed interviews with
(a) compassion.
(b) condemnation.
(c) reconciliation.
(d) gratitude.
(ii) Kipling assaulted with an interview.
(a) H.G. Wells
(b) Joseph Stalin
(c) T.S. Eliot
(d) Mark Twain
(iii) Complete the analogy with a word from the extract:
attack: assault:: committed: _______
(iv) The word 'wrecked' in the extract most nearly means
(a) ravaged.
(b) annihilated.
(c) killed.
(d) ruined.
(v) Rudyard Kipling uses the phrase 'it is a crime' because he feels it is
(a) illegal.
(b) an offence against his person.
(c) an act of espionage.
(d) a waste of time.
(vi) Kipling violated his own observation on interviewing by ______
Answer Key
(i) (b) condemnation
(ii) d) Mark Twain
(iii) perpetrated
(iv) (d) ruined
(v) b) an offence against his person
(vi) committing the same assault on Mark Twain / taking an interview of Mark Twain
CBSE Practice Questions | Set I
Extract 2
So it is hardly surprising that opinions of the interview --- of its functions, methods and merits --- vary considerably. Some might make quite extravagant claims for it as being, in its highest form, a source of truth, and, in its practice, an art. Others, usually celebrities who see themselves as its victims, might despise the interview as an unwarranted intrusion into their lives, or feel that it somehow diminishes them, just as in some primitive cultures it is believed that if one takes a photographic portrait of somebody then one is stealing that person's soul. V. S. Naipaul feels that, 'Some people are wounded by interviews and lose a part of themselves.' Lewis Carroll, the creator of Alice in Wonderland, was said to have had 'a just horror of the interviewer' and he never consented to be interviewed. (The Interview: Part I)
(i) Identify any one contrast in the extract and explain it in one sentence in your own words.
(ii) Based on V. S. Naipaul's quote, we can say that interviews __________.
A. are forced upon people
B. are physically violent in nature
C. can build hostility and hatred
D. can be a traumatic experience
(iii) What is common between how celebrities feel about interviews and how primitive cultures viewed photographic portraits?
(iv) Which of these uses 'just' in the same way as the following expression in the extract? '
'a just horror of the interviewer'
A. The just decision in the case against the criminal will empower us.
B. I just need to buy one pencil so we can go shopping tomorrow.
C. We will get back to you on this query in just a moment.
D. The little girl looks just like her mother.
(v) What makes an interview 'a source of truth'? State any one feature?
(vi) Complete the given sentence appropriately.
The author of the extract has a/an __________ tone while describing the interview.
Answer Key
(i) ♦ The positive and negative opinions about the interview are being contrasted.
♦ The views of people who read interviews and those who get interviewed are being contrasted. Accept any relevant response.
(ii) D. can be a traumatic experience [The quote focuses on the negative experience of an interview, which is that it can wound people to the point of them losing a part of themselves. This option correctly paraphrases this as a conclusion.
(iii) Any One
♦ Both find it intrusive.
♦ Both think it somehow diminishes who they are.
♦ Both are not in favour of these ways of capturing someone's essence.
(iv) A. The just decision in the case against the criminal will empower us.
(v) Any One
♦ A feature of an interview is that we get information about the person from the person themself.
♦ An interview is usually done on-the-spot, which does not give us practiced responses.
♦ The interviewer asks the interviewee specific questions which the interviewee may not have disclosed otherwise.
(vi) Any one
♦ neutral/balanced
♦ factual/objective
♦ matter-of-fact/unemotional
CBSE Practice Set 2
Saul Bellow, who has consented to be interviewed on several occasions, nevertheless once described interviews as being like thumbprints on his windpipe. Yet despite the drawbacks of the interview, it is a supremely serviceable medium of communication. “These days, more than at any other time, our most vivid impressions of our contemporaries are through interviews,” Denis Brian has written. “Almost everything of moment reaches us through one man asking questions of another. Because of this, the interviewer holds a position of unprecedented power and influence.” (The Interview I)
Completely the following appropriately.
(i) Saul Bellow's comparison of interviews to "thumbprints on his windpipe”, implies .
(ii) What is complex and multifaceted about the dual nature of the interview process?
(iii) Select the option that DOES NOT correspond with the view that an interview is “a supremely serviceable medium of communication”.
A. highly effective
B. a tool for training
C. versatile
D. impactful
(iv) How do interviews play a vital role in helping shape public perceptions?
(v) Complete the following appropriately. The phrase 'everything of moment’ refers to .
(vi) List ONE possible reason for the ‘unprecedented' power of interviewer.
Answer Key
(i) discomfort / sense of intrusion
(ii) interviews remain a crucial and indispensable means of communication, allowing for the transmission of meaningful information and insights.
(iii) B. a tool for training
(iv) By offering a direct and unfiltered connection between the interviewee and the audience
(v) (Any one)
events, ideas, or information that hold significance or importance.
crucial and noteworthy aspects of life, society, or culture
substantial and impactful content
(vi) Suggested Value Points ( any One )
Role as facilitators - Interviewers guide conversations, extracting valuable insights and information from interviewees.
Knowledge brokers - Interviewers bridge gaps in understanding, acting as conduits for knowledge transfer between experts and the audience.
Narrative shapers - Through questions and dialogue, interviewers shape the narrative, influencing how information is presented and perceived
Audience representatives - Interviewers represent the audience, asking questions that resonate with public inquisitiveness and concerns
Cultural Interpreters - They interpret and contextualise information, making it accessible and relatable to a broader audience.
Gatekeepers of information - Interviewers control the flow of information, deciding which aspects to highlight, amplifying their role in shaping perceptions.
For More Extract Questions from The Interview, Click the following link.
Poets & Pancakes
Then the poet spoke. He couldn't have addressed a more dazed and silent audience- no one knew what he was talking about and his accent defeated any attempt to understand what he was saying. The whole thing lasted about an hour; then the poet left and we all dispersed in utter bafflement - what are we doing? What is an English poet doing in a film studio which makes Tamil films for the simplest sort of people? People whose lives least afforded them the possibility of cultivating a taste for English poetry? The poet looked pretty baffled too, for he too must have felt the sheer incongruity of his talk about the thrills and travails of an English poet. His visit remained an unexplained mystery.
(i) Choose the appropriate option with reference to the extract.
'The audience were dazed' because
(a) they were not accustomed to listening to poetry.
(b) they had never before seen an Englishman.
(c) they failed to comprehend what the poet was speaking.
(d) they were already bored.
(ii) Complete the sentence with reference to the extract:
The English poet was_______ when he was addressing the dazed audience.
(iii)Where did the talk take place?
(a) The Main Mall
(b) Story Writing Department
(c) Film studio
(d) Subbu’s office
(iv) The English poet's visit is an 'unexplained mystery' because _________.
(v) Complete the analogy with a word from the extract :
noisy : silent : : assembled : _______
(vi) Explain the following phrase with reference to the extract :
The poet felt 'the sheer incongruity of his talk'.
Answer Key
(i) (c) they failed to comprehend what the poet was speaking
(ii) Ans: . baffled/confused/was feeling the sheer incongruity of his talk
(iii) (c) Film studio
(iv) they could not understand what an English poet was doing in a film studio making Tamil films / could not understand the purpose of his visit
(v) dispersed
(vi) the audience did not understand the language the poet was speaking / were feeling out of place / the poet’s inability to connect with the audience.
For More Extract Questions from Poets and Pancakes, Click the following link
Question Code 1/5/1
We Too are Human Beings
When I was studying in the third class, I hadn’t yet heard people speak openly of untouchability. But I had already seen, felt, experienced and been humiliated by what it is. I was walking home from school one day, an old bag hanging from my shoulder. It was actually possible to walk the distance in ten minutes. But usually it would take me from half an hour to an hour to dawdle along watching all the fun and games that were going on, all the entertaining novelties and oddities in the streets, the shops and the bazaar.
(i) The narrator was humiliated because _____.
(ii) The narrator ‘dawdled along’ as she _____.
(a) enjoyed looking at the various sights
(b) was getting late for school
(c) she didn’t like going home
(d) she enjoyed haggling and shopping
(iii) On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below :
(I) The distance from school to home was very short.
(II) She was feeling upset and so dawdling her way home.
(a) (I) can be inferred from the extract but (II) cannot
(b) (II) can be inferred from the extract but (I) cannot
(c) Both (I) and (II) cannot be inferred from the extract
(d) Both (I) and (II) can be inferred from the extract
(iv) The word ‘novelties’ in the passage most nearly means
(a) colourful trinkets (b) wooden toys
(c) unique and interesting items (d) expensive souvenirs
Answer Key
(i) she was born in a community that was treated as untouchable / victim of caste discrimination (any other relevant point)
(ii) (a) enjoyed looking at the various sights
(iii) (a) (I) can be inferred from the extract but (II) cannot
(iv) (c ) unique and interesting items
CBSE Additional Practice Questions (Set I )
The man ceased his mutterings, and then a third bell was tapped. Every one picked up his knife and fork and began eating. I began crying instead, for by this time I was afraid to venture anything more. But this eating by formula was not the hardest trial in that first day. Late in the morning, my friend Judewin gave me a terrible warning. Judewin knew a few words of English; and she had overheard the paleface woman talk about cutting our long, heavy hair. Our mothers had taught us that only unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. Among our people, short hair was worn by mourners, and shingled hair by cowards!
(Memories of Childhood: The Cutting of my Long Hair)
(i) Which of these can be inferred from the extract?
A. The speaker did not understand or speak English.
B. The speaker did not think highly of her own culture.
C. The speaker did not have any living family members.
D. The speaker did not know what a knife or fork were used for.
(ii) How was the speaker feeling by the time the third bell rang? Why did she feel this way?
(iii) Complete the given sentence appropriately. The speaker compares her experience of eating to that of a trial because __________.
(iv) Based on the extract, what would it mean to the speaker if her long hair was cut?
Answer Key
(i) A. The speaker did not understand or speak English.
(ii) Suggested Points ( Any one)
♦ The speaker started crying because she felt confused and out-of place.
♦ She couldn't understand the rituals and was probably feeling embarrassed.
♦ She was too scared to act because she was not able to do anything correctly.
(iii) Suggested Value Points ( Any One )
♦ she was being watched and judged throughout
♦ it felt like a test of her survival
♦ it was as gruelling as a trial in court might have been
(iv) Suggested Value Points ( Any One )
♦ It would mean a loss of her culture/cultural identity
♦ It would bring her shame
♦ It would cut her roots to her culture and traditions
Set Question No. 1/5/1
Going Places
“Or an actress. Now there’s real money in that. Yes, and I could may be have the boutique on the side. Actresses don’t work full time, do they ? Anyway, that or a fashion designer. You know –something a bit sophisticated”. And she turned in through the open street door leaving Jansie standing in the rain. “If I ever come into money I’ll buy a boutique”. “Huh, if you ever come into money … if you ever come into money you’ll buy us a blessed decent house to live in, thank you very much.” Sophie’s father was scooping shepherd’s pie into his mouth as hard as he could go, his plump face still grimy and sweat – marked from the day. “She thinks money grows on trees, don’t she Dad ? Said little Derek, hanging on the back of his father’s chair. Their mother sighed.
(i) Sophie wants to become an actress to
(a) become famous
(b) to earn money
(c) to support her father
(d) to compete with Jansie
(ii) Jansie wanted Sophie to spend her money on
(a) her marriage
(b) her career
(c) to open a boutique
(d) buying a house
(iii) Sophie is daydreaming about _______.
(iv) The phrase ‘money grows on trees’ indicates that Sophie _____.
(v) Sophie’s mother’s sigh is one of
(a) regret
(b) delight
(c) relief
(d) helplessness
(vi) From the extract Jansie comes across as a _____ person.
(a) practical
(b) dominating
(c) immature
(d) starstruck
Answer Key
(i) b) to earn money
(ii) Note: If the child has attempted the question, marks should be awarded
(iii) Suggested value points: ( Any one)
becoming an actress
opening a boutique
becoming a manager in boutique
becoming a fashion designer
(iv) Suggested value points: (Any One)
is daydreaming
fantasizing
is impractica
does not know the value of money
(v) (d) helplessness
(vi) (a) practical
Indigo
All India 2024 | Set 1/1/1
Their spontaneous demonstration, in thousands, around the courthouse was the beginning of their liberation from fear of the British. The official felt powerless without Gandhi’s cooperation. He helped them regulate the crowd. He was polite and friendly. He was giving them concrete proof that their might, hitherto dreaded and unquestioned, could be challenged by Indians. The government was baffled. The prosecutor requested the judge to postpone the trial. Apparently, the authorities wished to consult their superiors. (Indigo)
(i) The result of the demonstration was that _________.
(ii) The participants of the spontaneous demonstration were :
(A) Gandhi’s lawyers.
(B) people of Champaran.
(C) Indigo landowners.
(D) Indian soldiers.
(iii) Gandhi cooperated with the British by :
(A) not going to the court.
(B) remaining quiet when he was accused.
(C) helping to manage the mob of people.
(D) leaving Champaran for Delhi.
(iv) The statement ‘Apparently, the authorities wished to consult their superiors’ was indicative of the Britisher’s____________
(v) With reference to the extract, the word ‘baffled’ most nearly means :
(A) strengthened.
(B) disgusted.
(C) frightened.
(D) confused.
(vi) Whose ‘might’ did this demonstration question?
Answer Key
(i) government was baffled / official felt powerless / concrete proof of Indian might
(ii) (B) people of Champaran.
(iii) (C) helping to manage the mob of people.
(iv) bafflement / might, hitherto dreaded and unquestioned could be challenged by Indians / official felt powerless without Gandhi’s cooperation
(v) (D) confused.
(vi) might of the British / government / officials
All India 2024 | Set 1/2/1
This settlement was adopted unanimously by the commission. Gandhi explained that the amount of the refund was less important than the fact that the landlords had been obliged to surrender part of the money and, with it, part of their prestige. Therefore, as far as the peasants were concerned, the planters had behaved as lords above the law. Now the peasant saw that he had rights and defenders. He learned courage.
(i) What was Gandhi’s purpose in agreeing to the settlement, even at a lesser amount?
(ii) Complete the sentence with one word : The commission agreed by common consent, or in other words, they agreed to the settlement ___________.
(iii) Explain the impact on the landlords as a result of the settlement.
(iv) Based on the content provided in the extract, select the most likely option about the behaviour of the landlords.
(A) The landlords were sorry for their behaviour.
(B)The landlords were obstinate and refused Gandhi’s suggestion.
(C) The landlords had to refund the money.
(D) The landlords and the planters became partners in the Indigo plantation.
(v) What did the peasants realize from the Champaran incident ?
(vi) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The phrase ‘lords above the law’ suggests that ___________.
Answer Key
(i) money not important, surrendering part of their prestige was more important
(ii) unanimously
(iii) loss of money / loss of prestige / realized they were not above the law
(iv) (C) The landlords had to refund the money.
(v) they too had rights and defenders / they learnt courage
(vi) they were not under any law / not bound by laws
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