RBSE Class 12th 2017 -SS-20-2017 Previous Year Papers
-SS-20-2017 from the 2017 exam year is part of the Class 12th previous year papers archive on RBSE Solution. Many learners start here after finishing the textbook to see how questions were actually framed on the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) paper.
Treat this question paper as a mock under gentle timing first, then as a marking exercise the second time. The introduction on this page is written only for this subject-and-year pair, not copied from other pages.
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Paper details
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| Board | RBSE |
|---|---|
| Class | Class 12th |
| Exam year | 2017 |
| Subject | -SS-20-2017 |
| Resource type | Previous Year Papers |
| Category | RBSE Previous Year Question Papers |
| Website | RBSE Solution |
The table summarises this Previous Year Papers resource. Confirm RBSE, Class 12th, year 2017, and subject -SS-20-2017 before studying.
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How to practise with this question paper
Stage one: read the -SS-20-2017 question paper from 2017 without a timer and highlight command words — explain, prove, calculate, discuss. Stage two: attempt selected questions closed-book. Stage three: compare with solutions or teacher feedback.
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RBSE Class 12th 2017 -SS-20-2017
Scroll through the Previous Year Papers pages for -SS-20-2017 (2017).
Rajasthan Board Class 12th -SS-20-2017 2017 solved Previous Year Question Papers
SI.No. :
No. of Questions — 2 S S-20-Eng. Lit. (Supp.)
No. of Printed Pages — 07
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE EXAMINEES :
- SS—20-Eng. Lit. 17 [ Turn Over
नामांक Roll No.
Tear Here
SENIOR SECONDARY SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMINATION, 2017
ENGLISH LITERATURE
Time : 3¼ Hours
Maximum Marks : 80
TEAR HERE TO OPEN THE QUESTION PAPER
- Candidate must write first his/her Roll No. on the question paper compulsorily.
- All the questions are compulsory.
- Write answers of all questions in your answer-book only.
- For questions having more than one part the answers to those parts are to be written together in continuity.
- Write down the correct serial number of each question before attempting it.
SECTION - A (READING)
Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions that follow:
Amazing cars, huge houses, lots of servants and expensive furniture show that we love extravagance. But we all would like to see a green and clean world, where breathing is a healthy and pleasing thing to do, rather than a necessity you would avoid if you could. So how do we achieve that elusive balance between extravagance and environmental-friendly living? By being aware, of course.
You want to buy that incredibly expensive car, buy it. But also include walking in your routine. Walk to your grocery store. In fact, why don't you chart a mental map? Walk to all those places that are 0-5 minute walk from your house. When you go shopping, try parking your car five minutes away from the mall and walk – saves that much petrol, and stops that much pollution.
Can't be bothered to turn off all lights and fans when not in use? By doing that, you save that much energy.
Oh yes, go ahead and spend all the money you have on all the luxuries you can buy. Just make sure that you save wherever you can. That is all you need to do. So stop feeling guilty about all the harm you are causing society, and get involved in some planet saving activity. The smallest gesture makes a difference. And the word is 'awareness'.
-
Which line in the passage exposes our love for extravagance? [2]
Answer: The line "Amazing cars, huge houses, lots of servants and expensive furniture show that we love extravagance" exposes our love for extravagance.
-
Why is clean and green environment important? [2]
Answer: A clean and green environment is important because it makes breathing a healthy and pleasing activity, rather than a necessity one would avoid if possible.
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How can we save both petrol and pollution? [2]
Answer: We can save both petrol and pollution by parking our car five minutes away from the mall and walking the remaining distance. This reduces petrol consumption and stops that much pollution.
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Give one ideal way to save energy: [1]
Answer: Turning off all lights and fans when not in use is an ideal way to save energy.
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"The smallest gesture makes a difference". The gesture here refers to: [1]
Answer: The gesture refers to any small act of awareness or planet-saving activity, such as walking instead of driving or turning off unused appliances.
SS—20-Eng. Lit. 7
Read the poem and answer the following questions:
See how a seed, which Autumn flung down,
And through the winter neglected lay,Uncoils two little green leaves and two brown,
With tiny root taking hold on the clayAs, lifting and strengthening day by day,
It pushes red branchless, sprouts new leaves,
And cell after cell the power in it weavesOut of the storehouse of soil and clime,
To fashion a Tree in due course of time,
Tree with rough bark and boughs' expansion,
Where the crow can build his mansion,Or a man, in some new May,
Lie under whispering leaves and say,
‘Are the ills of one's life so very bad
When a Green Tree makes me deliciously, glad?
As I do now. But where shall I be.When this little seed is a tall green tree?
-
How and when does the seed come to be on the ground?
The seed is flung down by Autumn (the season) and lies neglected on the ground through the winter.
-
Where does the seed get its power to grow from?
The seed gets its power to grow from the storehouse of soil and climate (sun, rain, etc.).
-
How does the poet feel while lying under a green tree?
The poet feels deliciously glad and forgets the ills of life.
-
What does the poet forget while under a green tree?
The poet forgets the ills (troubles) of one's life.
-
What question does the poet ask when he observes the seed?
The poet asks: "But where shall I be, when this little seed is a tall green tree?"
SECTION – B (WRITING)
3) Write an essay in about 150–200 words on the following:
If I were the Prime Minister of My Country. [8]
OR
Health is Wealth.
4) A 10-year-old boy was drowned after falling into a water tank outside your school. Write a Newspaper report on the drowning accident in about 150–200 words.
[7]
OR
Imagine you are Smriti, write an article in about 150–200 words on ‘Good Manners’.
SECTION – C (GRAMMAR)
5) In the following passage each line has an error. Edit the passage by identifying the wrong word/an inappropriate expression, strike it off; then write the correct word in your answer-book, as shown in the example:
[5]
Example:
The minister make a plan to get food make → made
a) From the royal kitchen off the Human king. off → of
b) The clever minister have seen that the cook have → had
c) always take the food through the courtyard. take → took
d) His plan is to make the cook drop the is → was
e) food, to accomplished his mission, accomplished → accomplish
f) he took eight crows along by him. along by → with
g) When he see the cook carrying a plate of see → saw
h) rice and fish, they instructed four crows they → he
i) to carry the rice plate on their beaks their → its
j) and the another four to pick up fish the another → the other
SS-20-Eng. Lit. 7
6) Read the conversation given below and fill in the blanks in indirect speech:
Conversation:
UNCLE : Hello! How are you?
BHASKAR : How good to see you! What brings you here?
UNCLE : I've come to grace Sarita's wedding with my presence.
BHASKAR : But, Uncle, the wedding is not till next month!
Indirect speech:
Uncle greeted Bhaskar and asked him how he was. Bhaskar replied that he was happy to see him and also asked what brought him there. Uncle informed him that he had come to grace Sarita's wedding with his presence. At this, Bhaskar replied that the wedding was not till the next month.
Explanation: The blanks are filled with appropriate reporting verbs and conjunctions for indirect speech. "How" and "what" are used for questions, "he" for the subject, "replied" for the response, and "the next" to change "next month" to past tense.
7) Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:
Extract: Bessie Caryil heard all these things. In front of their cottage grew an undersized ash; and on summer afternoons she would bring out a chair on the grass-plot and sit down with her sewing. Captain Hagberd, in his canvas suit, leaned on a spade. He dug every day in his front plot.
- a) What would Bessie Caryil do on summer afternoons?
- b) Write the word from the extract which means 'a tool'.
- c) ‘He dug every day' – whom does the word 'He' refer to?
She would bring out a chair on the grass-plot and sit down with her sewing.
Spade
Captain Hagberd
OR
Extract: When Tao Ying rides on the bus alone, quite often she does not bother to buy a ticket. When the bus conductor looked like the responsible type, she would buy a ticket as soon as she got on board. But if he appeared to be casual and careless, she would not dream of paying, considering it a small punishment for him and a little saving for herself.
- a) Who does not bother to buy a ticket when alone?
- b) In what condition she bought the ticket?
- c) ‘But if he appeared ----' – who does the word 'he' here refer to?
Tao Ying
When the bus conductor looked like the responsible type, she would buy a ticket as soon as she got on board.
The bus conductor
6
8) Read the extract and answer the questions that follow:-
If our loves faint
and westwardly decline:
To me thou, falsely thine;
And I to thee mine actions shall disguise.
The morning shadows were away.
But these grow longer all the day,
But oh, loves day is short, if love decay.
-
Which love faints? [I]
Answer: The love that faints is the love that grows weak or declines, as described in the first line "If our loves faint".
-
What does 'morning shadows' refer to? [I]
Answer: 'Morning shadows' refer to the early stage of love or life when shadows (worries or doubts) are absent, as indicated by "The morning shadows were away".
-
Why does love decay? [I]
Answer: Love decays because of the passage of time and the fading of affection, as expressed in "loves day is short, if love decay".
OR
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure dome with caves of ice!
A damsel with a dulcimer.
In a vision once I saw:
It was an Abyssinian maid,
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
-
What does 'sunny pleasure dome' refer to? [I]
Answer: 'Sunny pleasure dome' refers to a magnificent and beautiful palace or structure that is bright and joyful, as described in the poem "Kubla Khan".
-
Write the lines that refer to magical element. [I]
Answer: The lines that refer to a magical element are: "It was a miracle of rare device, / A sunny pleasure dome with caves of ice!"
-
What is the Abyssinian maid singing about? [I]
Answer: The Abyssinian maid is singing about Mount Abora, as mentioned in the line "Singing of Mount Abora".
9) Answer the questions in about 100 words each: (any two) [2×6=12]
-
How and when did the author come to see the mark on the wall? (The Mark on the Wall)
Answer: The author, Virginia Woolf, came to see the mark on the wall while sitting in her chair after lighting a cigarette. It was a winter day, and she was looking at the fire. Her eyes wandered to the wall, where she noticed a small, dark mark. She began to wonder what it could be—perhaps a nail, a rose leaf, or a crack. This simple observation led her into a deep, philosophical meditation about life, reality, and perception. The mark on the wall became a symbol for the randomness of thought and the way the mind wanders from one idea to another.
-
Write a short summary of the poem 'A Lecture Upon the Shadow'. (A Lecture Upon the Shadow)
Answer: 'A Lecture Upon the Shadow' by John Donne is a metaphysical poem that uses the metaphor of shadows to discuss love and truth. The poem begins by describing how in the morning, shadows are short and clear, symbolizing the early, honest stage of love. As the day progresses, shadows grow longer, representing the growth of doubts and deceptions in love. The poet warns that if love decays, its "day" becomes short. The poem emphasizes that true love should be transparent and without pretense, and that lovers should not disguise their feelings. It is a reflection on the fragility and honesty required in relationships.
-
Describe the unforgettable woman whom the Author had known about three decades earlier. (I Sell My Dreams)
Answer: In "I Sell My Dreams" by Gabriel García Márquez, the unforgettable woman is a mysterious and enigmatic figure who had the ability to sell her dreams. The author met her about thirty years earlier. She was a woman of great charm and intelligence, who claimed that she could interpret and sell dreams to others. She was deeply connected to the world of dreams and believed that dreams held the key to understanding reality. Her presence was haunting and memorable, leaving a lasting impression on the author. She represented the blurred line between reality and fantasy, a common theme in Márquez's magical realism.
SS—20-Eng. Lit. 7
SECTION – D
Answer the questions in about 50 words each: (any four) [4×3=12]
-
(a) Write a short note on Mr. Carvil. (Tomorrow)
Mr. Carvil is a blind, elderly man who lives with his daughter, Joan. He is a retired music teacher who finds joy in listening to the radio and the sounds of nature. Despite his blindness, he is cheerful and independent, often relying on his daughter for reading and company. His character highlights themes of resilience and the simple pleasures of life.
-
(b) How is God our father? (‘The Divine Image’ Poem by Blake)
In William Blake’s poem, God is portrayed as a father because He embodies the divine virtues of Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love. These qualities are reflected in human beings, who are created in God’s image. Just as a father cares for his children, God shows compassion and love for all humanity, making Him a universal father figure.
-
(c) What is the parallel drawn between myths and legends of the past and science fiction? (On Science Fiction)
Both myths/legends and science fiction explore humanity’s deepest fears, hopes, and questions about existence. Myths used supernatural beings and gods to explain natural phenomena, while science fiction uses advanced technology and futuristic settings. Both genres create imaginative worlds to comment on human nature, morality, and the consequences of our actions, serving as modern-day myths.
-
(d) Why is the Girl named Prakriti in the play? (Chandalika)
In Tagore’s play, the girl is named Prakriti, which means “nature” in Sanskrit. The name symbolizes her raw, untamed, and natural state as a member of the untouchable Chandal community. It also represents her connection to the earth and her inherent purity, which is later awakened by the Buddhist monk Ananda, highlighting the theme of spiritual transformation.
-
(e) How does Krishna try to convince Arjuna to fight? (The Argumentative Indian)
Krishna convinces Arjuna to fight by explaining the concepts of dharma (duty), karma (action without attachment), and the immortality of the soul. He argues that Arjuna’s hesitation arises from ignorance and that as a warrior, it is his sacred duty to fight for righteousness. Krishna emphasizes that the soul is eternal and cannot be killed, so Arjuna should perform his duty without fear or grief.
SECTION – E (FICTION)
Answer the following question in about 60 words: [4]
-
Describe the Tiger’s journey from cave to the circus.
The tiger lived in a cave in the forest, where it was free and powerful. Hunters captured it using a trap and sold it to a circus. In the circus, the tiger was caged, trained to perform tricks, and subjected to harsh treatment. It lost its natural habitat and freedom, becoming a spectacle for human entertainment, symbolizing the cruelty of captivity.
OR
How did the creatures of the forest tease the tiger?
The creatures of the forest teased the tiger by mimicking its roar, throwing stones at it, and making fun of its stripes. They would gather around and mock the tiger, knowing it was trapped or helpless. This teasing highlighted the tiger’s loss of dignity and power, as even smaller animals dared to insult the once-feared predator.
Answer the following question in about 100 words: [6]
-
What was done by the villagers when they saw the tiger in the enclosure?
When the villagers saw the tiger in the enclosure, they were initially terrified and panicked. They gathered in large numbers, shouting and throwing stones at the tiger to keep it confined. Some villagers informed the authorities, while others stood guard to prevent the tiger from escaping. The enclosure became a spectacle, with people coming from nearby areas to see the trapped animal. The villagers eventually decided to keep the tiger captive, either to sell it to a zoo or circus, or to kill it for its skin and body parts. Their actions reflected both fear and greed, showing how humans exploit wild animals for profit and entertainment.
OR
What did Jayaraj declare about the ascetic’s life of history?
Jayaraj declared that the ascetic’s life was a matter of history, meaning it belonged to the past and was no longer relevant or possible in the modern world. He argued that the ascetic’s renunciation and spiritual pursuits were outdated, and that people should focus on practical, worldly matters. Jayaraj’s statement reflected a skeptical, materialistic view that dismissed the value of spiritual life. He believed that the ascetic’s story was just a legend, not something to be emulated in contemporary times. This declaration highlighted the conflict between traditional spiritual values and modern rationalism, questioning whether asceticism has any place in today’s society.