English Class-XII

2018-19

Question Bank

English

Class - XII

AIS — Where Modernity Blends with Tradition



English

Question Bank

2018 - 19

Class - XII

Amity International School

Foreword

“I often quote the word BHAAG to my students. It stands for B-Behaviour,
H-Hard Work, A-Ambition, A-Attitude and G-God. Dream big and accomplish
it; be achievers in whatever you do, no matter what obstacles befall your way.  I
hope that with the formal education and good values imbibed at Amity, students
will achieve great heights”.
The above message of the Founder President, Dr. Ashok K. Chauhan is a guiding
light for Amity. We ensure that learning is joyful, interesting and meaningful
and we provide quality education using recent educational technology.
This Question Bank is a collection of questions based on knowledge,
understanding and application. It is prepared by a team of subject experts of
Amity. It is a meaningful tool in the hands of students, guiding them in various
academic disciplines and, thereby, giving them confidence to score high marks.
I hope this book will be useful both to the teachers and the students alike. I thank
Shri B.N. Bajpai, Advisor (R&D), the Principals of AIS and all those teachers
who have contributed in the compilation of this book.
Feedback and suggestions from the teachers for further improvement of this
book will be highly appreciated.

Dr. Amita Chauhan
Chairperson

Section A
Reading

4 Question Bank – English - XII

Tips For Reading Comprehension

Points to remember:

• Look for the main idea rather than concentrating on the words. Comprehend the overall
organisation of the passage in terms of development of thought.

• It is advisable to write the answers in your own language. If there is no way out, lines from the
passage could be borrowed.

• Answers must be written in complete sentences.
• Answers should be brief, to the point and clear.
• For testing the vocabulary, word meaning, antonyms or synonyms and one word substitution can

be asked for. For this read the preceding or the succeeding sentence to decipher the correct answer.

Common Errors:

• Not providing relevant points in the answer.
• Reading the questions before scanning the passage.
• Answering the questions without reading the passage thoroughly and comprehending the main

idea.
• Writing the answers in phrases rather than in complete sentences.

Question Bank – English - XII 5

Passage - 1

Q1. Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow:
1. One of the greatest sailing adventures of the past 25 years was the conquest of the Northwest Passage,

powered by sail, human muscle, and determined. In 100 days, over three summers (1986-88), Canadians
Jeff Maclnnis and Mike Beedell accomplished the first wind-powered crossing of the Northwest assage.
2. In Jeff Maclnni’s words….. Our third season. We weave our way through the labyrinth of ice, and its
rhymic breaths fill us with awe. Finally we see it relaxed on the surface, its blowhole quivering like a volcanic
cone, but it senses our presence and sounds. We are very disappointed. We had only good intentions – to
revel in its beautiful immensity and so feel its power. Mike thinks how foolish it would be for this mighty
beast to put any faith in us. After all, we are members of the species that had almost sent the bowhead into
extinction with our greed for whale oil and bone. It is estimated that as many as 38,000 bowheads were
killed off eastern Baffin Island in the 1800s; today there are about 200 left.
3. The fascinating and sometimes terrifying wildlife keeps us entertained during our explorations. Bearded
harp and ring seals greet us daily. The profusion of bird life is awesome; at times we see and smell hundreds
of thousands of thick-billed murres clinging to their cliffside nests. Our charts show we are on the edge
of a huge shoal where the frigid ocean currents upswell and mix nutrients that provide a feast for the food
chain. At times these animals scare the living daylights out of us. They haver a knack of sneaking up behind
us and then shooting out the water and belly flopping for maximum noise and splash. A horrendous splash
coming from behind has a heart-stopping effect in polar bear country.
4. We have many encounters with the “Lords of the Arctic,” but we are always cautious, observant, and ever
so respectful that we are in their domain. In some regions the land is totally devoid of life, while in others
the pulse of life takes our breath away. Such is the paradox of the Artic; It’s wastelands flows into oasis’ that
are found nowhere else on the face of the earth. Many times we find ancient signs of Inuit people who lived
here, superbly attuned to the land. We feel great respect for them; this landscape is a challenge at every
moment.
5. We face a 35 mile open water passage across Prince Regent Inlet on Baffin Island that will take us to our
ultimate goal-Pond Inlet on Baffin Bay. The breakers look huge from the water’s edge. Leaning into the
hulls, like bobsledders at the starting gate, we push as hard as we can down the gravel beach to the sea.
We catch the water and keep pushing until we have plunged waist deep, then drag ourselves abroad.
Immediately, we begin paddling with every ounce of effort. Inch by agonizing inch, Perception moves
offshore. Sweat pours off our bodies. Ahead of us, looming gray-white through the fog, we see a massive
iceberg riding the current like the ghost of a battleship. There is no wind to fill our sails and steady the boat,
and the chaotic motion soon brings seasickness. Slowly the wind begins to build. Prince Regent Inlet now
looks ominous with wind and waves. The frigid ocean hits us square in the face and chills us to the bone.
6. We were on the fine edge. Everything the Arctic had taught us over the last 90 days was now being tested.
We funneled all that knowledge, skill, teamwork, and spirit into this momentous crossing..if we went
over in these seas we could not get boat back up. Suddenly the wind speed plummeted to zero as quickly
as it had begun… Now we were being pushed by the convulsing waves toward sheer 2,000 foot cliffs. Two
paddles were our only power. Sailing past glacier capped mountains, we approached the end of our journey.
At 05:08 on the morning of our hundredth day, speeding into Baffin Bay, the spray from our twin hulls
makes rainbows in the sun as we complete the first sail powered voyage through Northwest Passage.

6 Question Bank – English - XII

7. We had journeyed through these waters on their terms, moved by the wind, waves and current. The
environment has always been in control of our destiny; we have only tried to respond in the best possible
way. We’ve been awake for nearly 23 hours, but we cannot sleep. The joy and excitement are too great. Our
Hobie Cat rests on the rocky beach, the wind whistling in her rigging, her bright yellow hulls radiant in
the morning sunlight. She embodies the watchword for survival in the Arctic- adaptability.

I On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions by choosing the
most appropriate option. (1x4)

1. The passage is about the
A. Authors ‘s sailing adventure through the Northwest Passage
B. Flora and fauna of the Arctic
C. Survival skills needed while sailing
D. Saving the Arctic

2. “Lords of the Arctic, “(Para 4) refers to
A. Wind breakers
B. Icebergs
C. Polar Bears
D. Innuits

3. The author’s sailing vessel is named
A. The Prince Regent
B. Hobie Cat
C. Perception
D. Arctic

4. ‘We were on the fine edge’ refers to
A. The Pribce Regent Inlet
B. The ominous sail
C. Thr frigid ocean
D. Their expendition

1.2 Answer the following questions briefly: (1x6)
1. Why does the author feel disappointed to see the bowhead whale disappear into the ocean?
2. How does his sailing partner rationalize it?
3. What reason does the author give for a thriving wildlife in the Arctic?
4. What is the paradox of the Arctic?
5. What skills helped the author and his partner survive the adventure?
6. What is the author’s sailing vessel an embodiment of?

1.3 Pick out the words/phrases from the passage which are similar in meaning to the following: (1x2)
a) Abundance (Para 3)
b) Threatening (Para 5)

Question Bank – English - XII 7

Passage - 2

Q2 . Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow: 10

1. By the time a child is six or seven she has all the essential avoidances well enough by heart to be trusted with
the care of a younger child. And she also develops a number of simple techniques. She learns to weave firm
square balls from palm leaves, to make pinwheels of palm leaves or frangipani blossoms, to climb a coconut
tree by walking up the trunk on flexible little feet, to break open a coconut with one firm well-directed
blow of a knife as long as she is tall, to play a number of group games and sing the songs which go with
them, to tidy the house by picking up the litter on the stony floor, to bring water from the sea, to spread
out the copra to dry and to help gather it in when rain threatens, to go to a neighboring house and bring a
lighted faggot for the chief ’s pipe or the cook-house fire.

2. But in case of the little girls all these tasks are merely supplementary to the main business of baby-tending.
Very small boys also have some care of the younger children, but at eight or nine years of age they are usually
relieved of it. Whatever rough edges have not been smoothed off by this responsibility for younger children
are worn off by thei contact with older boys. For little boys are admitted to increasing and important
activities only so long as their behavior is circumspect and helpful.

3. Where small girls are brusquely pushed aside, small boys will be patiently tolerated and they become adept
a making useful. The four or five little boys who all wish to assist at the important business of helping a
grown youth lasso reef eels, organize themselves into a highly efficient working team; one boy holds the
bait, another holds an extra lasso, others poke eagerly about in holes in the reef looking for prey, while still
another tucks the captured eels into his lavalava. The small girls, burdened with heavy babies or the care of
little staggerers who are too small to adventures on the reef, discouraged by the hostility of the small boys
and the scorn of the older ones, have little opportunity for learning the more adventurous forms of work
and play.

4. So while the little boys undergo the chastening effects of baby-tending and then have many opportunities
to learn effective cooperation under the supervision of older boys, the girls’ education is less comprehensive.
They have a high standard of individual responsibility, but the community provides them with no lesson
in cooperation with one another. This is particularly apparent in the activities of young people: the boys
organize quickly; the girls waste hours in bickering, innocent of any technique for quick and efficient
cooperation.(473 words)

Adapted from: Coming of Age in Samoa, Margaret Mead (1928)

2.1 On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions by choosing the most
appropriate option (1x2)

a) The primary purpose of the passage with reference to the society under discussion is to

i. explain some differences in the upbringing of girls and boys

ii. criticize the deficiencies in the education of girls

iii. give a comprehensive account of a day in the life of an average young girl

iv. delineate the role of young girls

8 Question Bank – English - XII

b) The list of technique in paragraph one could best be described as

i. household duties

ii. rudimentary physical skills

iii. important responsibilities

iv. useful social skills

2.2 Answer the following as briefly as possible: (1x6)

a) What is the prime responsibility of a girl child by the time she is six or seven?

b) What simple techniques does she learn at this stage?

c) What household chores is she responsible for?

d) In what way is a boy’s life different?

e) What qualities ensure that the boys move on to a higher responsibility?

f ) Why do small girls have little opportunity for learning the more adventurous forms of work and play?

g) In what way is the girls’ education less comprehensive?

h) How is this apparent?

2.3 Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following: (1x2)

i) brusquely (para3)

ii) scorn (para 3)

Answers

Q1. 1.1 Passage 1 (1x4)

1D

2C

3B

4B

1.2 (1x6)

1. senses their presence and quickly sounds/author disappointed because they only had good intensions/sad
to know the whale doen’t trust humans.

2. Mike thinks how foolish it would be for this mighty beast to put any faith in them. After all, they are
members of the species that had almost sent the bowhead into extinction with greed for whale oil and bone.

3. on the edge of a huge shoal where the frigid ocean currents upswell and mix nutrients that provide a feast
for the food chain

Question Bank – English - XII 9

4. In some regions the land is totally devoid of life, while in others the pulse of life takes our breath away/It’s
wasteland flow into oasis’ that are found nowhere else on the face of the earth

5. knowledge, skill, teamwork, and spirit 1x2

6. adaptability 1x2

1.3

1. profusion

2. ominous

Passage 2
2.1

a) i

b) iv

2.2 1x6

a. baby tending

b. walking up the trunk on flexible little feet/to break open a coconut with one firm well-directed blow of a
knife as long she is tall/to play a number of group games and sing the songs which go with them (any 2)

c. to tidy the house by picking up the litter on the stony floor/to bring water from the sea/to spread out the
copra to dry and to help gather it in when rain threatens/to go to a neighbouring house and bring back a
lighted faggot for the chief ’s pipe or the cook-house fire.

d. at eight or nine years of age they are usually relieved of baby tending and are given more interesting and
important activities.

e. their behaviour is circumspect and helpful.

f. burdened with heavy babies or the care of little staggerers who are too small to adventure on the reef/
discourage by the hostility of the small boys and the scorn of the older ones.

g. They have a high standard of individual responsibility , but the community provides them with no lessons
in cooperation with one another.

h. The boys organize quickly; the girls waste hours in bickering, innocent of any technique for quick and
efficient cooperation. (1x2)

2.3 1x2

a. abruptly

b. ridicule

10 Question Bank – English - XII

Passage - 3

1. Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow:
1. Burning with a desire for vengeance and vindication I applied myself to gaining entry to the Culinary

Institute of America (CIA) in Hye Park, New York. My friends – those who remained on speaking terms
with me after two years of truly disgusting behavior on my part – thought I was out of my mind, but then
they thought that anyway. I’d love to tell you it was tough getting into CIA. There was a long waiting list.
But I reached out to a friend who’d donated some money to the school and owned a well known restaurant
in New York City and about two weeks after filling out my application I was in. I was an enrolled student at
an institution where everyone wore identical white uniforms, funny paper hats and actually had to attend
class. But I was ready.
2. CIA is located in the building and grounds of a former Jesuit monastery or a Hudson River Cliff top, a
short cab ride from Poughkeepsie. In my buttoned up chef ’s coat, check pants, neckerchief and standard-
issue leatherette knife roll-up, I arrive determined but full of attitude. The first few months at CIA were
spent on stuff like “This is the chef ’s knife this is the handle. This is the handle. This is the blade, “ as well
as rote business on sanitation. My food sanitation instructor an embittered ex-health inspector (judging
from the scars on his face, the last honest man in that trade), regaled us with stories of pesticide – munching
superb rats, the life cycle of bacteria and the ever-present dangers of unseen filth.
3. I took classes in food-handling, egg cookery, salads, stocks, soups, basic knife work. But after spending way
too many hours peeling potatoes, making gallon of dressing, chopping vegetables and so on, I knew this
stuff in my bones. That is the reason my food in class always tasted far better than my classmates.
4. The chef/instructor were largely, it seemed, burns-out from the industry bleary-eyed Swiss, Austrian and
French ex-cronies with some motivated veteran of major hotel chains, for whom food was all about cost
per unit. But it was fun. Pulled sugar, making decorations using sugar, ice craving, you don’t see a lot of
that in the real world, and there were some really talented, very experienced old-school people at CIA who
passed on to their adoring student the last of a dying style. They’d let us practice our knife work on whole
leg of beef, my novice butcher classmates and I absolutely destroying thousand of pounds of meat; we were
the culinary version of the Manson Family. Fortunately, the mutilated remains of our effort were – as was
all food at CIA-simply passed along to another class, where it was braised, stewed or made into soup or
grinding meat…. Before ending up on our tables for dinner. They had figured out this equation really well.
All students were either cooking for other students, serving other students or being fed by other students- a
perfect food cycle, as we devoured our mistakes and our successes alike.
5. Barring a few incidents, one fine day, sometime later, I did get my diploma. I was now a graduate of the
best cooking school in the country - a valuable commodity on the open market – I had field experience, a
vocabulary and an experimental mind.
6. On the strength of my diploma - and my willingness to work for peanuts – I landed a job almost right
away at the venerable New York institution, the Rainbow Room, high at the top of the Rockfeller Center.
It was my first experience of the real Big Time, one of the biggest, busiest and well known restaurants in the
country. I was willing to do anything to prove myself, and when I got in that elevator to the sixty-fourth
floor kitchen for the first time, I felt as if I was blasting off to the moon.
7. The Rainbow room at that time sat a little over 200 people. The rainbow Grill sat about another 150.
Added to that were two longes where food was available, and an entire floor of banquet rooms all of it

Question Bank – English - XII 11

serviced simultaneously by a single, central kitchen. So you had some major league volume as well as some
manor league cooks to go along with it.

8. A long hot line of glowing flat-tops ran along one wall, flames actually roaring back into a fire wall behind
them. A few feet across, separated by a narrow, trench-like workspace, ran an equally long stainless-steel
counter. Much of this counter was taken up by vast, open steam boilers which were kept at a constant,
rolling boil. What the cooks had to contend with was a long, uninterrupted slot, with no air circulation,
with nearly unbearable, dry, radiant heat on one side and clouds of wet steam heat on the other. When I
say unbearable, I mean they couldn’t bear it; cooks would regularly paas out and have to be dragged off to
recuperate.

9. There was so much coming off these ranges- especially when the centre rings were lit for direct fire- that
the filter in the overhead hoods would often burst into flames, inspiring a somewhat comical scene as the
overweight Italian Chef would hurl himself down the narrow line with a fire extinguisher, bowling over
the cooks and tripping as he hurried to put out the flames before the central system went off and filled the
entire kitchen with fire – suppressant foam.

10. As I’ve said , it was hot. Ten minutes into the shift, the cheap polyster whites we all wore would be soaked
through with sweat, clinging to chest and back. All the cook’s necks and wrist were pink and inflamed with
awful heat rashes. It was a mad house.

(Source: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain)

1.1 On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following question with the help of the given
options:

a) Why were most of Anthony’s friends not on speaking terms with him? (1x4=4)

i) Because he was more talented.

ii) Because of his disgusting behavior.

iii) Because he was more successful.

iv) All of the above.

b) Why did Anthony’s food taste better?

i) Because of his thorough knowledge.

ii) Because of his aptitude for cooking.

iii) Because of the extra classes from the teachers.

iv) Both (i) and (iii)

c) What happened to the remains of ‘destroyed thousands of pounds of meat’?

i) It ended up as his dinner.

ii) It ended up as food for the diners.

iii) It was sold at a cheap rate.

iv) It was served to the poor.

12 Question Bank – English - XII (1x6=6)
(1x2=2)
d) Why would the cooks regularly pass out in the Rainbow Room kitchen?
i) Because of too much work
ii) Because of getting less food.
iii) Because of the high heat.
iv) Both (i) and (ii)
1.2 Answer the following questions briefly:
(a) How did Anthony get admission into CIA?
(b) Who were the chef/instructors at CIA?
(c) How did Anthony land a job in the Rainbow Room?
(d) What does the narrator mean by ‘I felt as if I aws blasting off to the moon’?
(e) In what way was the employees’ workspace trench like?
(f ) What was ‘comical’ about the scene of the chef and his fire extinguisher?
1.3 Find the words from the passage which mean the same as:
(a) entertained (para 2)
(b) respected (para 6)

Question Bank – English - XII 13

Passage - 4

2. Read the following poem carefully and answer the questions given below:
A Passerby
Whither, O splendid ship, thy white sails crowding,
Leaning across the bosom of the urgent West,
That fearest nor sea rising, nor sky clouding,
Whither away, fair rover, and what thy quest?

Ah! Soon, when winter has all our vales opprest,
When skies are cloud and misty, and hail is hurling,
Wilt thou glide on the blue Pacific, or rest.
In the summer haven asleep, thy white sails furling?

I there before thee, in the country that well thou knowest,
Already arrived am inhaling the odorous air:
I watch thee enter uneeringly where thou goest,
And anchor queen of the strange shipping there,

Thy sails for awnings spread, thy masts bare;
Nor is aught from foaming reef to the snow-capped, grandest
Peak, that is over the feathery palms more fair
Than thou, so upright, so stately, and still thou standest.

And yet, O splendid ship, unhailed and nameless,
I know not if, aiming a fancy, I rightly divine
That thou has a purpose joyful, a courage blameless,
Thy port assured in a happier land than mine.

14 Question Bank – English - XII

But for all I have given thee, beauty enough is thine,

From the proud nostril curve of a prow’s line

In the offing scattered foam, thy white sails crowding.

Robert Bridges

2.1 Choose the most appropriate option: (2 markes)
(6 marks)
a) The ship is fearless because …………………………….. (2 marks)

i) She does not fear the storms or cloudy sky

ii) She travels to unknown destination

iii) Her sails keep fluttering even during winter

iv) She looks beautiful and majestic even when hails hit her

b) Who has oppressed the vallies?

i) summer iii) winter

ii) storm iv) rain

2.2 Answer the following questions briefly:

a) What is the mood of the poet in the poem?

b) Why does the poet consider the ship better than himself?

c) What does the poet think about the prow of the ship?

d) How does the poet describe the ship? Why ?

e) What questions are being posed by the poet to the ship?

f ) What does the poet admire about the ship?

2.3 Find words from the poem which mean the same as the following:

a) not greeted or summoned (line 12-17)

b) excellent (line 1-5)

Question Bank – English - XII 15

Passage - 5 (10 marks)

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

The stranger came early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow, the last snowfall
of the year, over the down, walking from Bramble Hurst railway station, and carrying a little black portmanteau
in his thickly gloved hand. He was wrapped up from head to foot, and the brim of his soft felt hat hid every inch
of his face but the shiny tip of his nose; the snow had piled itself against his shoulders and chest, and added a
white crest to the burden he carried. He staggered into the “Coach and Horses” more dead than alive, and flung
his portmanteau down. “A fire,” he cried, “in the name of human charity! A room and a fire!” He stamped and
shook the snow off himself in the bar, and followed Mrs. Hall into her guest parlour to strike his bargain. And
with that much introduction, that and a couple of sovereigns flung upon the table, he took up his quarters in
the inn.
Mrs. Hall lit the fire and left him there while she went to prepare him a meal with her own hands. A guest to
stop at Iping in the wintertime was an unheard-of piece of luck, let alone a guest who was no “haggler,” and she
was resolved to show herself worthy of her good fortune. As soon as the bacon was well under way, and Millie,
her lymphatic maid, had been brisked up a bit by a few deftly chosen expressions of contempt, she carried the
cloth, plates, and glasses into the parlour and began to lay them with the utmost eclat. Although the fire was
burning up briskly, she was surprised to see that her visitor still wore his hat and coat, standing with his back to
her and staring out of the window at the falling snow in the yard. His gloved hands were clasped behind him,
and he seemed to be lost in thought. She noticed that the melting snow that still sprinkled his shoulders dripped
upon her carpet. “Can I take your hat and coat, sir?” she said, “and give them a good dry in the kitchen?”
“No,” he said without turning.
She was not sure she had heard him, and was about to repeat her question. He turned his head and looked at
her over his shoulder. “I prefer to keep them on,” he said with emphasis, and she noticed that he wore big blue
spectacles with sidelights, and had a bush side-whisker over his coat collar that completely hid his cheeks and
face. “Very well, sir,” she said. “As you like. In a bit the room will be warmer.”
He made no answer, and had turned his face away from her again, and Mrs. Hall, feeling that her conversational
advances were ill-timed, laid the rest of the table things in a quick staccato and whisked out of the room. When
she returned he was still standing there, like a man of stone, his back hunched, his collar turned up, his dripping
hat-brim turned down, hiding his face and ears completely. She put down the eggs and bacon with considerable
emphasis, and called rather than said to him, “Your lunch is served, sir.”
“Thank you,” he said at the same time, and did not stir until she was closing the door. Then he swung round
and approached the table with a certain eager quickness. As she went behind the bar to the kitchen she heard
a sound repeated at regular intervals. Chirk, chirk, chirk, it went, the sound of a spoon being rapidly whisked
round a basin. “That girl!” she said. “There! I can’t forgot it. It’s her being so long!” And while she herself finished
mixing the mustard, she gave Millie a few verbal stabs for her excessive slowness. She had cooked the ham
and eggs, laid the table, and done everything, while Millie (help indeed!) had only succeeded in delaying the
mustard. And him a new guest and wanting to stay! Then she filled the mustard pot, and, putting it with certain
stateliness upon a gold and black tea-tray, carried it into the parlour.

16 Question Bank – English - XII (1×4=4 marks)

1. Choose the appropriate option to answer the following questions. (1×4=4 marks)
A. The visitor looked weird as he was (2)
(i) shouting loudly.
(ii) walking in the snow.
(iii) covered from head to toe with only his nose visible.
(iv) covered with snow.
B. He struck a bargain with the lady
(i) by requesting her to allow him to stay at the inn.
(ii) by giving her a few sovereigns.
(iii) by scaring the wits out of the lady.
(iv) by helping her run the inn.
C. Mrs. Hall was delighted to see the stranger as
(i) he was a rich man.
(ii) he was tall and handsome.
(iii) he wanted to stay at the inn.
(iv) he had come in the snow.
D. Mrs. Hall was annoyed with Millie because
(i) she did not prepare the mustard on time.
(ii) she was a disobedient girl.
(iii) she was always sleeping.
(iv) she was extremely talkative.

2. Answer the following questions briefly.
2.1 What time of the year did the stranger arrive?
2.2 Describe the physical appearance of the stranger.
2.3 How did the stranger react to Mrs. Hall’s efforts at having a conversation with him?
2.4 Who was Millie? What had she been instructed to do?

3. Choose the right option.
a. The word ‘haggler’ means
(i) one who fights over money
(ii) one who shouts on everyone

Question Bank – English - XII 17

(iii) one who is completely wrapped up
(iv) one who has high moral values
b. A word opposite in meaning to ‘stateliness’
(i) big
(ii) shabbiness
(iii) poverty
(iv) truthfulness

18 Question Bank – English - XII

Passage - 6

Read the following poem carefully and answer the questions that follow. (10 marks)

THE LEADER

Patient and steady with all he must bear,
ready to meet every challenge.
Easy in manner, yet solid as steel.
Strong in his faith, refreshingly real,
isn’t afraid to propose what is bold,
Doesn’t conform to usual mould
Eyes that have foresight, for hindsight won’t do,
never backs down when he sees what is true,
tells it all straight, and means it all too.
Going forward and knowing he is right,
even when doubted for why he would fight,
over and over he makes his case clear,
reaching to touch the ones who won’t hear.
Growing in strength, he won’t be unnerved,
ever assuring he’ll stand by his word,
wanting the world to join his firm stand,
bracing for war, but praying for peace.
Using his power so evil will cease,
so much a leader and worthy of trust,
Here stands a man who will do what he must.

1. Answer the following questions by selecting the most appropriate option from the ones given below:
(1 × 4 = 4 marks)

1.1 This poem is about............

(i) the qualities a leader should possess.
(ii) a person who has been a good leader.
(iii) what leaders used to be like.

(iv) a present day leader.

Question Bank – English - XII 19

1.2 ‘Doesn’t conform to the usual mould’ suggests the person being described..... (4×1=4 marks)
(i) doesn’t look like others. (2 marks)
(ii) has qualities that are different.
(iii) doesn’t mix up with people.
(iv) breaks rules laid down by society.
1.3 In the line ‘reaching to touch the ones who won’t hear illetrate refers to.
(i) the poor and illiterate people.
(ii) the corrupt politicians.
(iii) the affluent people.
(iv) the people in opposition.
1.4 Using his power so evil will cease:Here ‘cease’ means
(i) Begin
(ii) Become strong
(iii) Come to an end
(iv) Rule over everyone

2. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words.
2.1 Why would the leader fight the war bravely?
2.2 Who is a true leader?
2.3 What would the leader ask the world to do?
2.4 Name the poetic device used in the third line of the poem.

3. Select the most appropriate option from the ones given below.
3.1 The word propose means
(i) Predict
(ii) Suggest
(iii) Propound
(iv) Object
3.2 The word opposite in meaning to ‘unnerved’ is—
(i) Composed
(ii) Immovable
(iii) With no nerves
(iv) Nervous

20 Question Bank – English - XII (10 marks)

Passage - 7

Read the poem given below and answer the questions that follow:

The sun descending in the west
The evening star does shine;
The birds are silent in their nest,
And I must seek for mine.
The moon, like a flower,
In heaven’s high bower,
With silent delight
Sits and smiles on the night.
Farewell, green fields and happy groves,
Where flocks have took delight.
Where lambs have nibbled, silent moves
The feet of angels bright;
Unseen they pour blessing,
And joy without ceasing,
On each bud and blossom,
And each sleeping bosom.
They look in every thoughtless nest,
Where birds are covered warm;
They visit caves of every beast,
To keep them all from harm.
If they see any weeping
That should have been sleeping,
They pour sleep on their head,
And sit down by their bed.
When wolves and tigers howl for prey,
They pitying stand and weep;
Seeking to drive their thirst away,

Question Bank – English - XII 21

And keep them from the sheep. (1x4=4 marks)
But if they rush dreadful, (1×4= 4 marks)
The angels, most heedful, Receive each mild spirit,
New worlds to inherit.

1. Choose the most appropriate option to answer the following questions.
1.1 The evening star rises when
(i) it is midnight.
(ii) it is dawn.
(iii) the birds leave their nests.
(iv) the Sun descends in the west.
1.2 Here, ‘bower’ represents
(i) a potted plant.
(ii) a framework that supports climbing plants.
(iii) a flower vase.
(iv) a field.
1.3 The poet compares the moon to—
(i) a flower
(ii) a bird in the nest
(iii) an evening star
(iv) an angel
1.4 The angels come down to earth to
(i) spread moonlight.
(ii) give blessing and joy.
(iii) make people dance and have fun.
(iv) take blessings and joy.

2. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words

2.1 Why are the birds silent in their nests ?
2.2 Why does the poet describe the bird’s nest as ‘thoughtless’ ?

22 Question Bank – English - XII (2 Marks)

2.3 Who visits the caves of each animal?
2.4 How do the angels provide comfort to those who are in distress?

3. Choose the right option.
3.1 One word for ‘a small group of trees’.
(i) Grove
(ii) Pasture
(iii) Bush
3.2 In line 4 ‘seek’ means the same as-
(i) a person’s chest
(ii) search
(iii) pursue

Question Bank – English - XII 23

Passage - 8

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow. (12 marks)

1. Early automobiles were sometimes only ‘horseless carriages’ powered by gasoline or steam engines. Some of
them were so noisy that cities often made laws forbidding their use because they frightened horses.

2. Many countries helped to develop the automobile. The internal-combustion engine was invented in Austria
and France was an early leader in automibile manufacturing. But it was in the United States after 1900 that
the automobile was improved most rapidly. As a large and growing country, the United States needed cares
and trucks to provide transportation in places not served by trains.

3. Two brilliant ideas made possible the mass production of automobiles. An American inventor named
Eli Whitney thought one of them, which is known as ‘standardisation of parts’. In an effort to speed up
production in his gun factory Whitney decided that each part of a gun could be made by machines so that
it would be exactly like all the others of its kind.

4. Another American, Henry Ford, developed the idea of the assembly line. Before Ford introduced the
assembly line, each car was build by hand. Such a process was, of course, very slow. As a result, automobiles
were so expensive that only rich people could afford them. Ford proposed a system in which each worker
would have only a portion of the wheels. Another would place the wheels on the car. And still another
would insert the bolts that held the wheels to the car. Each worker needed to learn only one or two routine
tasks.

5. But the really important part of Ford’s idea was to bring the work to the worker. An automobile frame,
which looks like a steel skeleton, was put on a moving platform.When the car reached the end of the line,
it was completely assembled. Oil, gasoline and water were added and the car was ready to be drive away.
With the increased production made possible by the assembly line, automobiles became much cheaper and
more and more people were able to afford them.

6. Today, it can be said that wheels run America. The four fubber tyres of the automobile move America
through work and play.

7. Even though the majority of Americans would find it hard to imagine what life could be without a car,
some have begun to realise that the automobile is a mixed blessing. Traffic accidents are increasing steadily
and large cities are plagued by traffic congestion. Worst of all, perhaps, is the air pollution cause by the
internal combustion engine. Every car engine burns hundreds of gallons of fuel each year and pumps
hundreds pounds of carbon monoxide and other gases into the air. These gases are one source of the smog
that hangs over large cities. Some of these gases are poisonous and dangerous to health, especially for
someone with a weak heart or a respiratory disease.

8. One answer to the problem of air pollution is to build a car that does not pollute. That’s what several
major automobile manufacturers are trying to do. But huildig a clean car is easier said than done. So far
progress has been slow. Another solution is to eliminate car umes altogether by getting rid of the internal-
combustion engine. Inventors are now working on turbine-powered cars, as well as on cars powered by
steam and electricity. But most of us won’t be driving cars run on batteries or boiling water for a while yet.
Many auto-makers believe that it will take years to develop practical models that are powered by electricity
of steam.

24 Question Bank – English - XII

9. To rid the world of pollution—pollution caused not just by cars, but bu all of modern industrial life—many
people believe we must make some funcamental changes in the way many of us live. Americans may, for
example, have to cut down on the number of privately owned cars and depend more on public mass transit
systems. Certainy the extensive use of new transit systems could cut down on traffic congestion and air
pollution. But these changes sometimes clash head on with other urgent problems. For example, if a factory
closes down because it cannot meet government pollution standards, a large number of workers suddenly
find themselves without jobs. Questioning the quality of the air they breathe becomes less important than
worrying about thenext pay check. Drastic action must be taken if we are to reduce traffic accidents, traffic
congestion and air pollution. While wheels have brought better and more convenient transportation, they
have also brought new nand unforeseen problems. Progress, it turns out, has more than one face.

Questions:

A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1×4 = 4 marks)

(a) Early automobiles were probihited as they ..............................

(i) were very noisy (ii) scared horses

(iii) both (i) and (ii) (iii) none of the above

(b) Cars emit obnoxious forms which are detrimental to ..............................

(i) a person with a weak heart

(ii) an individual whose respiratory system is weak

(iii) both (i) and (ii) (iv) none of the above

(c) The basis of America’s success and faxt life is ..............................

(i) automobile industry (ii) export policies

(iii) import policies (iv) finance policies

(d) Drastic action needs to be taken to reduce

(i) air pollution (ii) traffice accidents

(iii) traffic congestion (iv) all of the above

B. Answer the following questions briefly: (1×6 = 6 marks)

(a) How does standardisation of parts help make mass production possible?

(b) How does the assembly line help make mass production possible?

(c) Why doe some Americans call the automobile a mixed blessing? (Two points)

(d) What suggestions are offired in the piece for getting rid of pollution?

(e) What another idea was developed by Henry Ford?

(f ) What was made possible by the assembly line with increased production?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: (1×2 = 2 marks)

(a) mixture os smoke and fog (para 7) (b) remove (para 8)

Question Bank – English - XII 25

Passage - 9

Read the following passages carefully: (10 marks)

1. Years ago, when I was a young Assistant Professor at th Harvard Business School, I thought the role of
business schools was to develop future managers who knew all about the various functions of business, to
teach them how to define problems succinctly, analyse these problems and identify alternatives in a clear,
logical fashion and finally, to teach them to make an intelligent decision.

2. My thinking gradually became tempered by living and working outside the United States and by serving
seven years as a college president. During my presidency of Babson College, I added several additional taits
or skills that I felt a good manger must possess.

3. One must have the ability to express oneself in a clear articulate fashion. Good oral and written
communication skills are absolutely essential, if one is to be an effective manager. One must possess that
intangible set of qualities called leadership skills. To be a good leader, one must understand and be sensitive
to people and be able to inspire them towards the achievement of common goal. Effective managers must
be broad-minded human beings who not only understand the world of business but also have a sense of
the cultural, social, political, historical and (particularly today) the international aspects of life and society.
This suggests that exposure to the liberal arts and humanities should be part of every manager’s education.

4. A good manager in today’s world must have courage and a strong sense of integrity. He or she must know
where to draw the line between the right and the wrong.

5. That can be agonisingly difficult Drawing a line ain a corporate setting sometimes involves having to
make a choice between what appears to be conflicting ‘rights’. For example, if one is faced with a decision
whether or not to close an ailing factory, whose intersests should prevail? Those of stock-holders? Of
employees? Of customers? Or those of the community in which the factory is located? It is a tough choice.
And the typical manager faces many others.

6. Sometimes these choices involve simple questions of honesty or truthfulness. More often they are more
subtle and involve such issues as having to decide whether to ‘cut corners’ and economise to meet profit
objectives that may be beneficial in the short run but that are not in the best long-term intersests of the
various groups being served by one’s company. Making the right choice in situations such as these clearly
demands integrity and the courage to follow where one’s integrity leads.

7. But now I have left behind the cap and gown of a college president and put on the hat of Chief Executive
Officer (CEO). As a result of my experience as a corporate CEO, my list of desirable managerial traits has
become still longer.

8. It now seems to me that what matters most in the majority of organisations is to have reasonably intelligent,
hard working managers who have a sense of pride and loyalty towards theiry organisation; who can get
to the root of a problem and are inclined towards action; who are decent human beings with a natural
empathy and concern for people; who possess humour, humility and common-sense; and who are able to
couple drive with resilience and patience in the accomplishment of a goal.

9. It is the ability to make positive things happen that most distinguishes the suddessful manager from the
mediocre or unsuccessful one. It is far better to have dependable managers who can make the right things
happen in a timely fashion than to have brilliant, sophisticated; highly educated executives who are excellent

26 Question Bank – English - XII

at planning and analysing, but who are not so good at implementing. The most cherished manager is the
one who says “I can do it” and then does.

10. Many business schools continue to focus almost exclusively on the development of analytical skills. As a
result, these schools are continuing to graduate large numbers of MBAs and business majors who know
a great deal about analysing strategies, dissecting balance sheets and using computer—but who still don’t
know how to manage.

11. As a practical matter, or course, schools can go only so far in teaching their students to manage. Only hard
knocks and actual work experience will fully develop the kind of managerial traits, skills and virtues that I
have discussed here.

12. Put another way: the best way to learn to manage is to manage companies such as mine that hire aspiring
young managers, that can help the process along by providing good role models and mentors, by setting
clear standards and high expectations that emphasise the kind of broad leadership traits that are important
to the organisation and by rewarding the young managers accordingly.

Questions: (1 × 2 = 2)

A. Choose the most appriate option:

(a) The best way to learn to manage is .............................

(i) to set explicit goals (ii) to possess lofty aspirations

(iii) to have high expectations (iv) all of the above

(b) Most of the business schools emphasise on .............................

(i) analytical skills (ii) creativity

(iii) enthusiasm (iv) current issues

B. Answer the following questions briefly: (1 × 6 = 6)

(a) What did the author think about the business schools in the beginning?

(b) What qualities should an efficient manager have?

(c) What does the author say about business schools?

(d) What was the author by profession?

(e) How can the companies help their mangers to be effective?

(f ) What do you understand by the term ‘integrity’?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: (1 × 2 = 2)

(a) briefly and clearly (para 1)

(b) painfully (para 5)

Question Bank – English - XII 27

Passage - 10

Read the following passage carefully. (10 marks)

1. Other animals go about the world as nature made them. Why then, did man start to adorn himself by
hanging things round his neck, arms, waist and legs or putting things on his head? We can imagine many
reasons. If an exceptionally strong or brave man succeeded in killing an exceptionally large bear, might he
not get the idea of boring a hole through one of its teeth with a sharp flint and tying the tooth round his
neck in order to remind himself of his great achievement and to show his friends what a great man he was?
Gradually it might become the custom in that tribe for all strong and brave hunters to wear a bear’s tooth,
and it might be regarded as a disgrace not to wear one and a sign that one was weak or very young.

2. Another man might make an ornament of a coloured shell or stone simply because he liked it or because its
shape reminded him of something. Then if he happened to escape from some danger when he was wearing
it he might think the ornament had something to do with it—that it had magic qualities. And his friends
and relatives would not be ssatisfied until they had an ornament of the same kind.

3. People who wore ornaments would soon learn to arrange them in different ways according to their size and
colour in order to make them more decorative and impressive. a neclace found in Italy with the skeleton
of a young man of the Stone Age was quite elaborate. It consisted of stag’s teeth arranged at intervals with,
between them, two upper rows made up of the vertebrae of a fish and one row of shells.

4. Another reason why men might tie feathers, horns, skins and all kinds of other things to themselves would
be in order to make themselves look fierece and more terrifying to animals or to the men of other tribies.

5. Objects that came from a distance and were therefore scare—such as sea shells to people living far inland—
would come in time to have a pecial value, and might be worn only by chiefs and their families in order to
show that they were particularly important people. Primitive tribes living today often associate themselves
with some particular animal or bird, such as an angle or lion, or with a particular place, such as a mountain
or river. Man may have started doing this kind of thing very early in his history. Then, every member of
a group of family may have worn something such as feathers, claws or even a stone or wooden object of
a certain shape or colour, to represent the animal or mountain or whatever it might be that they believed
themselves to be connected with.

6. So, as we have seen, clothing may have started as ornament or to distinguish one tribe from another or to
show rank or because certain things were believed to have magic qualities. But in some places a time came
when men and women began to wear clothes for other reasons. During the Ice Ages, when the polar ice
spread over far more of the world than it does today, some of the districts in which human beings were
living became very cold and bleak indeed. Man must have learnt that he would be more comfortable and
more likely to survive, if he covered his body with the skins of animals. At first perhaps, he would simply
tie a skin round his waist or over his shoulders but as time passed he learn how to treat skins in order to
make them softer and more supple and how to join them together in order to make better garments.

7. Flint tools have been found buried deep under the earth floors of caves in which prehistoric men sheltered
when the weather became colder. Some of the the tools were probably used to scrape the inner sides of skins
to make them soft. Stone Age people may also have softened skins in the same way that Eskimo women
do today, by chewing them. The teeth of Eskimo women are often worn down to stumps by the constant
chewing of seal skins.

28 Question Bank – English - XII

8. Among the wonderful flint and bone tools and implements that later cave men made have been found
some beautiful bone needles, some not much bigger than those we use today. Although the people who
made them had only flint tools to work with, some of the needles are finer and more beautifully shaped
than those of Roman times.

Questions:

A. Choose the most appropriate option: (1 × 4 = 4)

(a) The habit of wearing a bear’s tooth symbolises ..............................

(i) man’s greed (ii) hypocrisy

(iii) arrogance (iv) honesty

(b) The flint tools were found ..............................

(i) buried in the caves (ii) on the floor of the caves

(iii) at cool places (iv) in the forests

(c) The passage justifies that man is ..............................

(i) creative (ii) innovative

(iii) productive (iv) all of the above

(d) Some of the flint tools were probably used to escape the inner sides of skins to make them

(i) soft (ii) rough

(iii) hard (iv) bright

B. Answer the following questions briefly: (1 × 6 = 6)

(a) Why did man start to adorn himself?

(b) What was special abut the necklace found in Italy?

(c) Why did men tie feathers, horns and skins to themselves?

(d) Why did man begin to clothe himself? Give two reasons?

(e) What tools did they make use of? Also describe the needles they used?

(f ) What does the passage justify about man?

C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning as: (1 × 2 = 2)

(a) decorative (para 2)

(b) in detail (para 3)

Question Bank – English - XII 29

Passage - 11

Read the passage carefully: (10 marks)

1. In today’s fiercely competitive business environment, companies need to communicate information
pertaining to a whole range of issues in a lucid and precise manner to their customers.

2. This is particularly so in the case of companies which do business in ageas such as manufacturing,
information technology (IT), engineering products and services—companies whose products and services
may not be understood by a customer not familiar with its technical aspects.

3. These communication materials are prepared in a company these days by ‘technical writers’—people who
can effectively communicate to an intended audience.

4. The skills of a technical writer are being increasingly sought for preparing marketing documents such
as brochures, case studies, website content and media kits and for the preparation of a whole range of
manuals. Though technical writers in a company do a good portion of such work, the trend now is to
outsource technical writing to freelancers.

5. Technical writing and writing text-books are poles aprt. The former is aimed at those who do not have an
in-depth knowledge about a product and hence should be direct and lucid. An overdose of technical terms
and jargon would only add to the confusion of the customer.

6. The basic requirement for being a technical writer is near-total mastery over English language. A technical
writer should be natural in creative writing and needs to be an expert in using Business English.

7. This simply means that those with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature alongwith a diploma/degree in
Journalism and having a Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Applications (PGDCA) are ideal candidates
for being employed as technical writers.

8. According to Joe Winston, Chief Executive Officer of ‘I-manger’, speaking ability is not imperative for
a technical writer. All that one needs is the talent to write in a simple and effective manner. Many have
inhibitions in speaking English but their writing skills would be very sharp.

9. Technical writing would be a good option for such people. If a candidate is to be assigned the task of
preparing high-end technical manuals, he/she is required to have higher qualifications such as an
M.A./M.Phil. in English Literature and a degree such as M.C.A. Companies look for such qualifications
because technical writers first need to understand the technical information themselves, before trying to
communicate it in de-jargonised language to the potential customers.

10. However, it is also true that many companies provide rigorous on-the-job training to fresh technical writers
before allowing them to graduate to high-end products.

11. Though the demand for good technical writers has risen sharply over the years, the emphasis is never on
numbers but on skills.

12. The point out that even graduates of English literature are often found wanting when it comes to creative
and effective writing.

13. Merely having the right mix of writing and comprehension skills is not sufficient. A technical writer
should keep his ‘writing blades’ constantly sharpened. It means untold hours of reading up the latest in

30 Question Bank – English - XII

the technological trends and ceaseless honing of one’s Business English and writing skills. The nature of
technical writing is such that a writer has to be at the peak of his expressive powers in each piece of writing
he produces.

14. A career in technical writing is seen as a good choice for women mainly because it is widely held that
women are more adept at creative writing than men and the job does not entail ‘graveyard shifts’ or
‘arduous travelling’.

15. A beginner can expect to be paid anywhere between `8,000 to `15,000 a month. Technical writers
usually join as executive technical writers and then go on to become senior technical writers, team leader,
documentation heads and some even manage to make it to a management job within a decade. As in most
private sector jobs, merit is the main criterion for rise in job and not necessarily the number of years one
has put in.

Questions: (1 × 2 = 2)

A. Choose the most appropriate option:

(a) The basic educational qualifications to become a technical writer are ..................................

(i) MA in Eng. (ii) M Phil in Eng.

(iii) MCA (iv) none of the above

(b) Technical writing makes the content ..................................

(i) intelligible (ii) ambiguous

(iii) rough (iv) interesting

B. Answer the following questions briefly: (1 × 6 = 6)

(a) What is the need of technical writing in today’s world?

(b) What is the nature of the job of a technical writer?

(c) Whom does the technical writing aim at?

(d) According to Joe Winston, who could be a technical writer?

(e) What should be the academic qualification of a technical writer?

(f ) Is technical writing a good career for women? Give two reasons.

C. Find words in the passage smimilar in meaning as:

(a) clear (para 1)

(ii) continuous/without stopping (para 14)

Question Bank – English - XII 31

Note - Making

5 Marks

Abb - 1

Title – 1
Content – 3

Points to Remember

• Step I – Read the passage carefully – get its gist

• Step II – Read carefully – underline or mentally shortlist the main ideas.

• Step III – rough note- making

• Step IV – Add sub – points to supplement the main – points.

• Step V – Use the acceptable format, put abbreviations and contraction which are recognizable.

Step VI – Underline the abbreviations used.

• Add a key to the abbreviation.

Numbering and Indenting:

1. 3.
1.1 3.1
1.2 3.2
1.3 3.3
2. 4.
2.1 4.1
2.2 4.2
2.3 4.3

Summary

80 Words - 3 Marks

Points to Remember

• Condense the points of your notes.
• Construct a paragraph of 80 words.
• Delete all unnecessary details.

32 Question Bank – English - XII

Passage - 1 (Solved)

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (8 Marks)

1. Effective speaking depends on effective listening. It takes energy to concentrate on hearing and concentrate
on understanding what has been heard.

2. Incompetent listeners fail in a number of ways. First, they may drift. Their attention drifts from what the
speaker is saying, Second, they find counter arguments to whatever a speaker may be saying. Third, they
compete. Then, they filter. They exclude from their understanding those parts of the message which do not
readily fit with their own frame of reference. Finally, they react. They let personal feelings about speaker or
subject override the significance of the message which is being sent.

3. What can a listener do to be more effective? The first key to effective listening is the art of concentration.
If a listener positively wishes to concentrate on receiving a message his chances of success are high. It may
need determination. Some speakers who talk about success are difficult to follow. Either because of voice
problems, or because of the form in which they send a message. There is then particular need for the
determination of a listener to concentrate on what is being said.

4. Concentration is helped by alertness. Mental alertness is helped by physical alertness. It is not simply
physical fitness, but also positioning of the body, the limbs and the head. Some people also find it helpful to
their concentration if they hold the head slightly to one side. One useful way for achieving this is intensive
note – taking, by trying to capture the critical headings and subheadings the speaker is referring to.

5. Note –taking has been recommended as an aid to the listener. It also helps the speaker. It gives him
confidence when he sees that listeners are sufficiently interested to take notes; the patterns of eye – contact
when the note – taker looks up can be very positive; and the speaker’s timing is aided – he can see when a
note- taker is writing hard and can then make effective use of pauses.

6. Posture too is important. Consider the impact made by a less competent listener who pushes his chair
backwards and slouches. An upright posture helps a listener’s concentration. At the same time it is seen by
the speaker to be a positive feature amongst his listeners. Effective listening skills have an impact on both
the listener and the speaker.

(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it, using headings and sub- headings.
Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary – minimum four) and a format you consider
suitable. [5]
(b) Write a summary of the above passage in not more than 80 words using the notes made and also
suggest a suitable title. [3]

Question Bank – English - XII 33

2. (a) Note- Making
Notes:
1. Effective speaking depends on

1.1 Effective listening
1.2 Energy to concentrate on hr’ng,
1.3 Understanding what is heard
2. Incompetent listeners
2.1 Fail in no. of ways
2.2 Attention drifts
2.3 Find counter argu’nts
2.4 Compete
2.5 Filter message to suit own frame of reference
2.6 React
3. Key to effective listening
3.1 are of love

3.1.1 Helped by alertness
3.1.2 Mental alertness helped by physical fitness, positioning of body
3.2 Intensive note- taking
3.2.1 Aid to listen’r
3.2.2 Helps sp’ker
3.3.3 Spkr’s timing is aided
3.3 Posture a positive feature

Abbreviations Used

Hr’ng - hearing
listen’r - listening
Arg’nts. - arguments
No. - number
Sp’kr. - speaker

Summary

TITLE: Effective Listening skills/Effective Communications/Speaking and Listening
Effective speaking depends on effective listening. It requires energy to concentrate on hearing and understanding
what has been heard. The incompetent listeners fail in a number of ways. Their attention drifts, they find
counter arguments to what a speaker may say. They compete. They filter message which does not fit with their
own frame of reference and they react. Developing the art of concentration, taking down intensive notes and
maintaining the right posture help in effective listening.

34 Question Bank – English - XII

Passage - 2

Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow: (8 Marks)

Despite all the research, everyone catches cold and most of us catch it frequently. Our failure to control one
of the commonest of all ailments sometimes seems ridiculous. Medical science regularly practices transplant
surgery and has rid many countries of such deadly diseases as typhus and plague. But the problem of common
cold is unusually difficult and much is yet to be done to solve it.

It is known that cold is caused by one of the many of viral infections that affect the lining of the nose and other
passages leading to the lungs but the confusing variety of viruses makes study and remedy very difficult. It was
shown in 1960 that typical cold in adults was caused by one or the other member of a family of viruses known
as rhinoviruses, yet there are many types of cold for which no virus has as been isolated.

There is also the difficulty that because they are so much smaller than the bacteria which cause many other
infections, viruses cannot be seen with ordinary microscopes. Nor can they be cultivated easily in the
bacteriologist’s laboratory, since they only grow within the living cells of animals or plants. An important and
recent step forward, however, is the development of the viruses independently of the body. This has greatly aided
virus research and has led to the discovery of a large number of viruses. Their existence had previously been not
only unknown but even unsuspected.

The fact that we can catch cold repeatedly creates another difficulty. Usually a virus strikes only once and leaves
the victim immune to further attacks. Still we do not gain immunity from colds. Why? It is possible because
viruses get into the bloodstream, where the antibodies can oppose them – the viruses causing cold attack cells
only on the surface. Or it may be that immunity from one of the many different viruses do not guarantee
protection from all others. It seems, therefore, that we are likely to suffer from cold for some time.

(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it in points only, using abbreviations
wherever necessary. Also suggest a suitable title. 5

(b) Write a summary of the passage in not more than 80 words using the notes made. 3

Question Bank – English - XII 35

Passage - 3

Read the following passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow: (8 Marks)

Real praise, the sincere compliment is probably the most useful social tool of all. It’s the gold coin of our
conversation. Yet, today, it is in danger of losing its brightness. For it is greatly misused and not properly
exchanged.

What is a true compliment? It’s one that benefits both the giver and the receiver. Once a painter and his young
assistant were painting our house. The older man was wearing shiny new shoes. As the man started skillfully
painting, my father in – law, said to the boy, “Son, when you can show up on the job to paint a house, wearing
new shoes, you will be the master of your trade. The painter smiled and did the best job.

We all like to have our sense of personal worth built up or pointed out. And when one expression adds to
another’s sense of dignity and speaks favourably of his skill, he is offering a compliment of the highest and rarest
kind.

A compliment differs from flattery, in that it is objective and given without thought of gain. Flattery is often
mere lip service or excessive praise given for motives other than expressed.

The greatest efforts of the human race have always resulted from the love of praise. This should be inspired in
childhood. A wise parent makes it a point to compliment a child who deserves it. A woman I know has a 12
year old son who considered washing a large dish, it slipped and crashed on the floor. Then his mother said,
“You know, Robert, of all the times you have washed the dishes for me, this is the first time you dropped one.”
Anxiety left the boy’s face and he smiled. As one psychologist advises, “Praise virtue and you will find vices to
criticize.

There is an art in this giving of compliments. Thus a good compliment is always to the point and timing is
important. Don’t wait too long to tell a person, what a good talk he gave or how well he cut your grass. But don’t
do it immediately when he is expecting it. Wait. Then when he thinks you may have forgotten, pass the praise.

Confidence, it has been said, is the greatest gift that one human can give to another. But that does not mean
we should be wasteful about compliments. Rather we should count them carefully remembering that a good
compliment has greater purchasing power than money, that no one is too busy or successful to receive a word
of praise.

(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, makes notes on it in points only, using headings,
sub–headings and abbreviations (minimum 4), wherever necessary. Supply a suitable title to it. [5]

(b) Write a summary of the notes in about 80 words. [3]

36 Question Bank – English - XII

Passage - 4

Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow: (8 Marks)

Till date happiness has defied definition. Most people tend to equate happiness with fun, good living, plenty
of money. If happiness was synonymous with all this, rich people with all their luxuries and countless parties
would be perpetually happy. But in actual fact, they are, frequently, acutely unhappy, despite their riches and
ability to indulge in fun activities at will. Fun is what we experience during an act; happiness is that intangible
something we experience after an act. We may have fun watching a movie, going shopping, meeting friends –
these are all fun activities that afford us fleeting moments of relaxation and enjoyment. Happiness, on the other
hand, is a much stronger, deeper and more abiding emotion.

If we perceive happiness as the ultimate goal, we must also devise a way to reach that goal. The way to happiness
is not a smooth, broad highway along which we can cruise at a comfortable speed. It is a path through rocky and
rugged terrain and the going can become very tough at times. At these times we have to roll up our sleeves and
with pitchfork and shovel make our way onwards. This pursuit of happiness lasts a lifetime. Great happiness is
earned only by great efforts and efforts not in spurts but diligent, constant effort.

In this connection we are confronted with another fallacy, that fun and pleasure mean happiness and thus pain,
its corollary, must be synonymous with happiness. But in fact the truth is quite different. Things that bring us
happiness, more often than not, involve some amount of pain. It is because of misconception that people avoid
the very endeavours – such as raising the children, establishing deeper relationships with loved ones, trying to
do something worthwhile in life, hold the promise of a world of happiness.

Happiness is not a permanent vacation. Another prevalent belief is that if one were rich enough not to have
to work one would be blissfully happy. But a job is more than just a pay cheque. Almost all religions teach us
that work is worship. Work holds the key to happiness as doing something which increases confidence and self
– worth. It brings on a feeling of satisfaction, of doing something, of contributing. Job satisfaction comes less
from how much one earns than from the challenge of the job. Of course the pay cheques count. It would be
unrealistic to suggest that one could be happy without a basic shelter, roaming the streets on an empty stomach.

A secret ingredient of happiness is contentment. Contentment here does not mean apathy or lack of ambition,
just as commitment does not mean curtailment of freedom. Commitment teaches us to give so that we may
receive and contentment helps us to cherish the gifts we have received. These things are worth a try even if they
don’t promise access to the pinnacle of success. Success, after all, has been described as getting what one wants,
Whereas happiness is liking what one gets.

(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it, using headings and sub-headings. Also
use recognizable abbreviations, wherever necessary (Minimum 4) use a format you consider suitable. Give
it a suitable title. [5]

(b) Write a summary of the above passage in about 80 words. [3]

Question Bank – English - XII 37

Passage - 5

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: (8 Marks)

Why has gold been indispensable for hundreds of years. To find answers one need not look far. Apart from its
ornamental value, the metal has been used as a hedge against inflationary pressures.
Central Banks the world over, held on to their gold reserves because they provide for their stability. But the
decline of gold has shaken them. Also there has been a stagnation in its prices, in recent times, that has fallen
beyond the imagination of common man.
Indian, gold has sentimental value. When a girl leaves her father’s house after marriage, the average parents gift
of jewellery is a guarantee against hardship. Cash is too liquid—and slippery, whereas assets like a house involves
complicated selling procedures to procure liquidity. Gold is placed midway’.
Relatively immune to inflationary pressures, it also ensures hassle-free liquidity should the need arise. Moreover,
till date, there is no other mechanism to hedge the rupee. Gold has been the only commodity available for the
Indians that is encashable anywhere
Today however this tradition is under threat. That is chiefly because the commodity is being dumped
internationally and we happen to be its largest buyers.
Why has the worth of gold suddenly changed? Central banks of various countries and even the International
Monetory Fund are giving clear indications that they perceive money invested in gold as dead investment.
Developed countries have understood this fact clearly. So they are mobilizing resources away from gold while
someone else is ready to pay for it.
The simple solution available to countries like India who want a hedge against foreign currency fluctuations
is by the way of a derivative instrument which can yield returns as well as keep the investment safe. More
importantly, it has to be the one which gives instant liquidity.
One solution is allowing individuals to invest in open-ended foreign exchange mutual funds or a commodities
mutual fund. The former is possible in foreign countries. But in case of Indian investors, one has to be more
careful. The mutual fund companies will need technical teams approved by SEBI and other regulatory bodies
who will ensure that the returns made on the investments are safe and yield higher returns. Positive returns will
solve the problems for the investors.
But one does also need serious decision making from the policy makers to allow such funds. Suitable norms
will have to be made to take the fear away from the mindset of an individual that his investment is in danger.
Such a move will invariably help India to maintain higher foreign exchange reserves and give stability to the
currency as well.
Last but not the least, foreign exchange and commodity mutual funds will also set the stage for capital account
convertibility at an appropriate time. Also, our policy makers need to view gold differently because our import
bill is coming under pressure. That, at the end of the day is weakening our currency and leading to a host of
unwanted problems

38 Question Bank – English - XII

(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use
recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary. Give a suitable title. (5)

(b) Write a summary of the above passage in 80 words. (3)

Question Bank – English - XII 39

Passage - 6

Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow:

A 37 years old woman in Korea, paralyzed 20 years ago, is now walking. The miracle recovery was made possible
after stem cells harvested from umbilical cord blood were introduced into her injured spine, initiating a nerve
cell regeneration and healing, this was wonderful news especially for immobile spinal injury victims who’ve lost
hope of ever regaining their motor abilities. Further, scientists say cord blood-generated multipotent stem cells
can be safely used in treatment of other debilitating diseases like Parkinsons, Alzheimer’s and even diabetes.
Unlike stem cells taken from donor adult bone marrow, cord blood cells have a lower risk of rejection on
grounds of genotype mismatch, as they are more flexible. In fact, there is no ethical dilemma in using cord blood
stem cells as the blood is drawn from the discarded umbilical cord and placenta, after childbirth. Scientists claim
that extracting stem cells in this manner poses absolutely no danger either to the life or the well being of the
infant and the mother.

Cord blood stem cells, then could be the answer to resolving the pesky ethical questions worrying the patients
and medical, legal and governing communities worldwide with regard to researching and/or availing of the
cutting-edge stem cell technology. The other sources of stem cells—blastocysts or pre-embryos and embryos
(adult marrow)—would entail destroying the embryos after extracting the stem cells. Hence the ongoing debate
among the pro choice and pro life camps over the use of this technology So far,over a hundred cord blood banks
have already been established worldwide and stem cells from these banks have reportedly yielded encouraging
results. India’s first cord blood bank –a joint venture with a US firm –is all set to open to the public in Chennai
this month; anyone can get their baby’s cord blood cryo-frozen for 21 years for a payment of Rs 59000.
This way,an individual who needs treatment can access his own cord blood for stem cells, and be assured
of compatible perfect match. With Indian biotech companies like Reliance Life Sciences already investing
heavily in stem cell lines and cord blood banking, there is no doubt that this will be the next sunrise biotech
area. In fact, with medical termination of pregnancies legal and fertility centres holding stocks of unutilized
blastocysts /embryos that will ultimately be destroyed, India could become the world’s largest supplier of life-
saving therapeutic stem cells.

(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use
recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary. Give a suitable title. (5)

(b) Write a summary of the above passage in 80 words. (3)

40 Question Bank – English - XII

Passage - 7

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

1. English is firmly entrenched nearly everywhere as the international language of business, finance, and
technology. But in Europe, its spreading far beyond the elite. Indeed, English is becoming the binding
agent of a continent, linking Finns to French and Portuguese as they move toward political and economic
unification. A common language is crucial, says Tito Boeri, a business professor at Bocconi University in
Milan, ‘ to take advantage of Europe’s integrated labour market.’

2. The implications for business are enormous. Its no longer just top executives who need to speak English.
Everyone in the corporate food chain is feeling the pressure to learn a common tongue as companies
globalize and democratize. These days in national companies such as Renault and BMW, managers,
engineers, even leading blue collar workers are constantly calling and e-mailing colleagues and customers
in Europe, the US, and Japan. The language usually is English, an industrial tool now as basic as the
screwdriver.

3. But there’s one fly in the ointment. While English is fast becoming a prerequisite for landing a good job in
Europe, only 41% of the people on the continent speak it – and only 29% speak it well enough to carry on
a conversation, according to a European Commission report. The result is an English gap, one that divides
Europe’s haves from its have-nots. More and more, even the rank and file must know English – or risk
missing out on the vital job opportunities.

4. Across all sectors and ranks, non- English- speakers face a harder hunt for fewer and poorer jobs. Many of
the leading employers in Europe, including Vivendi Universal and CAP Gemini rarely even consider job
applicants without English. Secretaries who lack English can expect to make 30% less – if they’re lucky
enough to find a job, says temporary-work agency Manpower Inc. And for headhunters such as Sarah
Mulhern of Spencer Stuart in Paris, English is not an option any more: ‘It’s a requirement.’ She recalls
working with one French technical whiz who didn’t know English. She landed him a job at Excite – but
only after he had completed an intensive language course.

5. Europe’s English divide closely mirrors its economy. The wealthy parts – Sweden, The Netherlands, Western
Germany and cosmopolitan cities such as Paris and Milan – are also rich in English, and getting richer.
English-poor regions, from the Mediterranean to Eastern Europe, lose out on foreign investment and jobs.
Only 5% to 10% of the workforce at Italian banks speaks good English, estimates Michele Appendino,
co-founder of European venture fund Net Partners. If those banks merge with German or French banks,
as expected, the common language will be likely to be English. Those who don’t speak it risk becoming
foreigners in their own banks – if they’re lucky enough to hold on to their jobs.
(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it in points only, using headings and
sub-headings. Also use recognizable abbreviations, wherever necessary (minimum 4). Supply a suitable
title to the passage.
(b) Write a summary of the above passage in about 80 words.

Question Bank – English - XII 41

Passage - 8

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

Terrorism intentionally creates insecurity and fear. It deliberately ruins the social fabric of a society by ignoring
the common laws of humanity—then many of those with education or financial means flee, and those who
remain try to live amid the violence and downward economic spiral. Families are destroyed and children are
robbed of their innocence. The losses they experience are material, social, and emotional.
Having grown up amid violence, the young boys I came to know in the camp were more familiar with guns
than they were with their alphabet. They spoke about the fear they felt—at night when they could not sleep
because of bomb blasts and gunfire, about being injured when outside their home in the daytime, and about
being forcibly recruited into or confronted by a local militia.
When a generation grows up under this kind of violence and fear, it is deprived of an education and knowledge
of its true culture. Young children are forced to fend for themselves on the streets—often sent out to scavenge
for food or to work at dangerous jobs for money. They are treated as adults and not as children. This is one of
the successes of the perpetrators of random violence: They create an environment, where children cannot behave
as children and, are not forced to take on adult responsibilities.
Most of the young boys I spoke with had never spent much time with their fathers or older brothers because
they, the adult males, had either been killed or were away from home for a long time. These young boys were
essentially, then, the “men” of the house, handed the responsibility of providing for and protecting the women
of the family. They had to learn how to use a gun at the age of six or seven and, by the time they were 14 or 15,
were ready to go off to fight themselves.
This is how terrorists ensure having a steady supply of recruits—creating an unworkable society, then offering
an alternative one—one which they, of course, control with violence, intimidation, and manipulation. They
make use of disasters, both natural ones and those they created, by offering aid to those in need, but with very
tangled strings attached.
(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes, give headings and sub-headings. Also use

recognizable abbreviations, wherever necessary (minimum 4). Supply a suitable title to the passage.
(b) Write a summary of the above passage in about 80 words.

42 Question Bank – English - XII

Passage - 9

Read the following passage carefully: (8 Marks)

1. It seems that there is never enough time in the day. But, since we all get the same 24 hours, why is it that
some people achieve so much more with their time than others? The answer lies in good time management.
“Time management refers to the way that you organize and plan how long you spend on specific activities.
Good time management requires an important shift in focus from activities to results: being busy isn’t the
same as being effective. (ironically, the opposite is often closer to the truth). Spending your day in a frenzy
of activity often achieves less, because you’re dividing your attention between so many different tasks. Good
times management lets you work smarter – not harder – so you get more done in less time.

2. It may seem counter – intuitive to dedicate precious time to learning about time management, instead of
using it to get on with your work, but the benefits are enormous. It improves productivity and efficiency. It
improves productivity and efficiency. Your reputation as a professional grows. The stress levels dip and the
world of opportunities opens up for you. Your career advances and important goals are reached.

3. Failing to manage your time effectively can have some very undesirable consequences. Deadlines are missed
and the work flow is not only inefficient but of poor quality. It dents your reputation as a professional and
your career is in danger of being stalled. As a result your stress level shoots up.

4. Everyday interruptions at work can be a key barrier to managing your time effectively and, ultimately, can
be a barrier to your success. Think back to your workday, and consider for a minute the many interruptions
that occurred. There may have been phone calls, emails, hall way conversations, colleagues stopping by
your office, or anything else that unexpectedly demanded your attention and, in doing so, distracted you
from the task at-hand. Because your day only has so many hours in it, a handful of small interruptions can
rob you of the time you need to achieve your goal and be successful in your work and life. More than this,
they can break your focus, meaning that you have to spend time re-engaging with the thought processes
needed to successfully complete complex work. The key to controlling interruptions is to know what are
and whether they are necessary, and to plan for them in your daily schedule.

a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage make notes on it using headings and sub-headings. Use
recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary. 5

b) Write a summary of the above passage in about 80 words using the notes. 3

Question Bank – English - XII 43

Passage - 10

Read the following passages carefully: (8 Marks)

1. Why did the world’s most famous, and priciest, makers of writing instruments launch a lakhpati pen in
the name of a man famous for wearing nothing more than a handspun loincloth? They did not honour
Mahatma Gandhi because research turned up fascinating data suggesting that the world’s millionaires had
overnight converted into apostles of non-violence and abandoned their T-bone steaks for goat’s milk. The
reason was that its marketing department identified India as their best growing market.

2. Modest ink pens used to be a staple of Indian stores, with stained-finger schoolchildren as customers.
The triumph of the ball pen has reduced that to a quaint memory. Having lost its base, the pen showed
astonishing powers of reinvention; it became upwardly mobile without doing much more than it did in
its populist avatar. Within the last decade, high-end pen shops have moved from an occasional presence
in Delhi’s five-star boutiques to high-rent markets where the elite come to spend a thousand rupees
for a hundred grams of cheese. If the price of these pens makes you stagger, just remember that cheesy
millionaires do not stagger easily.

3. Why have branded pens become such a hit with the Indian rich? Is it because the rich have shifted their
primary loyalty from the goddess Lakshmi to the goddess Saraswati? Have they become so literary that,
after a day rewriting balance sheets, they spend their evenings stringing pearls of wisdom in variable verse?
Alas, not true. The wheeler has not turned into a dealer in poetic phrases.

4. The demand for pricey pens has multiplied because it has risen from the tarmac of legitimate need, lifted
towards pocket-showoffs, and now rocketed into the stratosphere of ruling class affectation. It has become
a most desirable gift for those in power because it comes attached with respectability. This is not considered
a bribe, mind you. The most expensive pen in history would be inadequte as substitute for cash for a
minister on closure of a deal. The pen, particularly one with contorted shapes on its head, is just right as
a gesture towards the new royalty in return for an audience, even if the new royals use it only to scribble
theiry initials. It is the kind of male jewellery that helps to keep a file moving. The movement may or may
not be in the right direction, but why risk immobility in mid-journey?

5. As happens so often, the pen-marketing chaps got the facts right and conclusions wrong. Identifying
India as the market was totally correct; making Gandhi the icon was silly. The Indian who buys boutique
pens dismisses Gandhi as a sermonising bore with crackpot theories, the sort of hero safer dead than
around, useful for street names but not for the boardroom or indeed the Cabinet. A pencil might be more
appropriately named after Gandhi, preferably one sold in stub sizes.

Questions: (5 + 3 = 8)

1. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes using headings and sub-headings. Use
recognizable abbreviations, wherever necessary. Supply a suitable title.

2. Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.

44 Question Bank – English - XII

Passage - 11

Read the following passage carefully: (8 Marks)

1. While you were glued to your flat screen, with your eyeballs popping out every time the ball was hit for a
six, in a dark corner of India—in a Haryana village very close to the national capital—a dog was barking.
Since it was a Dalit dog (in India, even dogs have caste), the upper caste Jats were getting all riled up. So,
they decided to teach the dog a lesson. Abunch of them surrounded a Dalit house and set it one fire. Inside
the house were trapped an 18-year-old girl and her old father. Since the girl was physically challenged and
could not move out of the burning house, she and her father were engulfed and consumed by the fire. This
is how people teach a lesson to dogs in New India: by making the poor, lower castes die like dogs.

2. New India is nothing but a banana republic, Here the reality looks like a mythical drama and a fake drama
called IPL looks like real. So, when a Dalit girl is burnt to death by a gang of upper caste loonies, nothing
happens, not a soul is strirred, no one comes out on streets to protest. But when Dhoni lifts a ball into the
stands, thousands of people go berserk as if this is the only reality that matters, as if this is the only reality
that will make India stand on its feet. No one knows, how many bets are won or lost on each IPL six, how
much money rides on every wide ball.

3. Free market is not a free licence to loot, Barack Obama reminded the Wall Street honchos this week. Every
dollar carries hopes and aspirations of millions of people, the US President said, Obama will look like a silly
fool in India, where free market has become a synonym for crony capitalism of the worst kind. In fact, it is
turning into predatory capitalism where the rich and powerful hunt the poor and weak without any fear,
with the full backing of the state.

4. The dalit girl’s death is only of the millions of stories of injustice and cruelty unfolding in front of us. We
can’t see them because we are busy watching IPL. Or, maybe, we are watching IPL because the reality is too
much to bear.

5. At 800 million, India is the world’s poorest nation. It’s the poorest nation ever in human history. The
number of people trapped in poverty and bondage in this country is double the population of Aftric. It’s
more than the combined population of North and South Americas. But who cares, New India needs its
daily fix of IPL.

Questions:

1. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes using headings and sub-headings. Use
recognizable abbreviations, wherever necessary. Supply a suitable title.

2. Write a summary of the passage in about 80 words.

Question Bank – English - XII 45

Section B
Writing



Question Bank – English - XII 47

Notice – Writing (4 Marks)

Points to Remember

• Adhere to the given word limit
• Put the notice in a box
• Stick to the specified format
• Be brief
• Use formal language

Common Errors

• Not drafted within a box
• Notice not written in caps inside the box
• Heading inappropriate to content
• Proper format of date line missing, example - 4 December 20XX
• Content points incomplete like venue, activity, target group, date, time
• Incomplete instructions in the event of a competition
• Exceeding word limit of 50 words

Format

• Name of the issuing agency
• Word-Notice
• Date of issue
• Subject (heading)
• Signature of the authorized person
• Designation

Content

What – event/activity
When – date & time
Where - venue
Who - participants, organizers
People involved – chief guest, if any

48 Question Bank – English - XII

Solved Example

Amity International School, Saket

Notice

15th September 2018

Attention Music Lovers

The school is hosting the 6th Inter-School Musical Carnival for classes VI-IX on 10th
October, 2014 at Shah Auditorium, Rajpur Road at 9.00 a.m. All the talented students with
gifted voices may appear for the audition to be conducted in the presence of Mrs.Manpreet
Kaur, the well known classical singer on 22nd September, 2014 at 9 a.m. in the school
auditorium. For details contact the undersigned.

Signature
Sudhir Saran (Name)
Secretary, Music Club

Questions

1. Your school is organizing a fete to collect funds for charity. Only school students are eligible to put up stalls.
As the Head boy/Head Girl of Meera International School, draft a notice in not more than 50 words giving
all necessary details.

2. Your school will be visited by a group of English language experts from the UK to interact with the students
of Senior Secondary classes. Write a notice in about 50 words.

3. You are Kumar, Sports Secretary of St. Pauls School, Chennai. Write a notice, informing the students that
your school team is playing a match against M.A.K. Senior Secondary School in the T.N.C.A. Cricket
finals. Invite them to come & watch the match and also cheer the team.

4. You lost your wrist watch in the school premises. Put up a notice about the same giving all necessary details
in not more than 50 words.

5. The adventure club of your school is planning a 10 day Desert Excursion to Jaisalmer. Write a notice
informing the students of senior classes about the same. You are the Secretary of the Adventure Club.
(50 words)

6. Your school is organising a SPICMACAY programme on the occasion of the World Dance Day where in
the renowned Bharatnatyam dancer, Geeta Chandran would be giving a lecture cum demostration. As the
President, Cultural Society of your school, draft a notice in 50 words, informing the students about the
same. You are Rakshita/Rohit of MVN Public School, New Delhi.