RBSE Class 12th 2023 English-SS-02-2023 Previous Year Papers

SENIOR SECONDARY EXAMINATION, 2023

ENGLISH (COMPULSORY)

Time: 3 Hours 5 Minutes  |  Maximum Marks: 80

No. of Questions: 17  |  No. of Printed Pages: 07

Code: SS-02-English (C)

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE EXAMINEES:

1. Candidates must write their Roll No. first on the question paper compulsorily.
2. All the questions are compulsory.
3. Write the answer to each question in the given answer-book only.
4. For questions having more than one part the answers to those parts are to be written together in continuity.
5. Write down the serial number of each question before attempting it.

[3002]  |  Turn Over

SECTION-A

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: [9]

There was another Indian with the Professor and his troupe who took no part in the strongman acts but spent the entire time digging a shallow trench about ten feet long and two or three feet wide. By the time Professor had finished his act, this trench had been filled with red-hot coals from the cook-house. There was no funny business about this fire-trench either — we gathered around it and the heat from it was intense. This Indian, rather an elderly gentleman, then stood at one end of the trench, splashed water from a nearby bucket over his bare feet, and then proceeded to walk over the red-hot coals along the whole length of the trench. It was an incredible spectacle — we could see the low flames from the red-hot coals licking around his bare feet as he slowly walked to the end of the trench. When he reached it, as if not satisfied, he turned around and walked back the same way. He then squatted down on the ground, gestured to his feet, and invited us all to inspect them. We did, and there was not so much as a blister anywhere to be seen. I had pushed forward through the crowd to get a closer look at this amazing character's feet, and as I knelt down beside him I felt something thrust into my hand. It was a handkerchief, and it was then that I recognised him.

He had looked at me once, briefly, as he passed the handkerchief to me, but when I went to speak to him he looked away again so I kept my mouth shut. If he wanted to pretend that he didn't understand English then, that was all right by me. Obviously it amused him to listen to the comments of the admiring crowd gathered around him. The Professor by now had recovered from his encounter with the five-ton truck and he came over to say in halting English that the fire-walker would take a volunteer with him across the fire-trench. This, of course, produced a big laugh, but I didn't join in. I knew then that I was going across the fire-trench, although the very thought of it made me go ice cold with fear.

Questions:

1. What size was the trench?

   The trench was about ten feet long and two or three feet wide.

2. What did the elderly person do before walking over the red-hot coals?

   He stood at one end of the trench, splashed water from a nearby bucket over his bare feet, and then proceeded to walk over the red-hot coals.

3. What harm was caused to the elderly gentleman by this action?

   No harm was caused to him; there was not so much as a blister anywhere on his feet.

4. When did the narrator recognise the man?

   The narrator recognised the man when he felt something thrust into his hand — a handkerchief — as he knelt down beside him to inspect his feet.

5. What did the crowd do to amuse the man?

   The crowd made admiring comments, which amused the man as he listened to them.

6. Who was heading the troupe?

   The Professor was heading the troupe.

SS—02-English (C) 3002

Passage

For three days Inspector Robinson had been completely in the dark. A man had been found unconscious in the car park of the Swan Hotel. He had been robbed and his car had been stolen. The police had no idea of his identity until at last the man was able to tell them who he was and what had happened. He was also able to give them a description of the man, which the police sent to all the newspapers.

The next day Inspector Robinson got a message to say that the man had been seen in a small sea-side town. Inspector Robinson immediately went there. When he reached the police-station, the inspector in charge had a second message for him. The owner of a small restaurant on the seafront had just telephoned. According to him, a person like the wanted man was having dinner in his restaurant.

The police at once rushed round to the restaurant. Two policemen stayed outside the front entrance, while Inspector Robinson and another man entered through the kitchen. Very excited, the owner of the restaurant showed Inspector Robinson the man he had been watching. He was sitting at a corner table, reading a newspaper. Without doubt it was the right man.

Inspector Robinson did not want to disturb the other people in the restaurant. He let the man finish his meal. Then, as he left the restaurant, Inspector Robinson followed him into the street and arrested him.

Questions

1. Inspector Robinson had been completely in the dark. The underlined phrase means

   • (A) happy
   • (B) curious
   • (C) confusion
   • (D) unhappy

   Explanation: The phrase "in the dark" means being unaware or confused about something. In the passage, Inspector Robinson had no information about the man's identity, so he was in a state of confusion.

2. The robbed man was found unconscious in

   • (A) hotel
   • (B) the room
   • (C) car park
   • (D) the middle of the road

   Explanation: The passage states: "A man had been found unconscious in the car park of the Swan Hotel."

3. The police gave the description to the

   • (A) manager
   • (B) newspapers
   • (C) man
   • (D) inspector in charge

   Explanation: The passage says: "He was also able to give them a description of the man, which the police sent to all the newspapers."

Vocabulary

Find out the word from the passage which means:

• not very deep: shallow (implied from context; the passage does not contain this word directly, but it is a common vocabulary item)
• scene: place (the passage uses "car park", "restaurant", "street" as scenes)
• opposite of fluent: hesitant or broken (not directly in passage; likely a separate vocabulary exercise)

Section – A

4. The restaurant owner found ‘the wanted man’ at

   1. the sea-side
   2. the village
   3. the car park
   4. the dining table of his restaurant

   Explanation: The story mentions that the restaurant owner found the wanted man sitting at a dining table in his restaurant.

5. Inspector Robinson entered the restaurant through

   1. the kitchen
   2. the front side
   3. the corridor
   4. the backyard

   Explanation: Inspector Robinson entered the restaurant through the backyard to avoid being noticed.

6. Inspector arrested ‘the wanted man’

   1. at the corner table
   2. at the kitchen gate
   3. into the street
   4. in the car park

   Explanation: The arrest took place in the car park after the wanted man tried to escape.

Section – B

3.

OR

4.

OR

5. Write a business letter to Messers Prashant and Company, New Delhi stating that the sports items supplied by their company were not of good quality, so the payments will be made only after replacement. Sign yourself as head clerk of Global School. [6]

SECTION - C

6. Join the following sentences using the connectives given in brackets: (2×1=2)

1. Vipin sold the painting. He painted it overnight. (Which)
2. She put off the lights. The children had slept. (When)

7. Combine each set of sentences into one sentence as directed: (2×1=2)

1. Sushil was punished. Sushil was fined. (Compound sentence)
2. The earth is round. Everyone knows it. (Complex sentence)

8. Fill in the blanks by choosing words given in brackets: [4×1=4]

1. Richtributes are paid ___ the great men. (for/to/beyond)
2. The feminine world has created a huge revolution ___ the fashion arena. (up/in/on)
3. Priyanka opted for mathematics group. She ___ with her decision. (gets out/gets on/gets along)
4. I must ___ my visit till next week. (put out/put off)

SS—02—English (Cc) 3002 [ Turn Over

SECTION - D

Questions:

1. What was the narrator's fear?

   The narrator's fear was of water and drowning. He was terrified of going under water, which caused panic and made his legs freeze.

2. What decision did the narrator take?

   The narrator decided to get an instructor and learn to swim. He went to a pool and practiced five days a week, an hour each day.

3. What tip was given to the narrator?

   The instructor taught the narrator to put his face under water and exhale, then raise his nose and inhale. This breathing technique helped him overcome his panic.

4. How long did the narrator take to slack his fear?

   It took the narrator three months before the tension began to slack and he started to overcome his fear.

5. What is the opposite of 'exhale'?

   The opposite of 'exhale' is inhale.

6. One word for "sudden uncontrollable fear" is ________.

   The word is panic.

40. Answer the following questions in about 80 words: (1×4=4)

OR

41. Answer the following questions in 20-25 words: (2×2=4)

1. Write down some qualities of Subbu. (Poets and Pancakes)

   Subbu was a talented, loyal, and versatile person. He was a poet, actor, and writer who was always cheerful and helpful to everyone in the studio.

2. Who was Rajkumar Shukla? Why was he described as 'resolute'?

   Rajkumar Shukla was a poor peasant from Champaran. He was described as 'resolute' because he persistently followed Gandhiji until he agreed to visit Champaran and help the indigo farmers.

42. Explain any one of the following stanzas with reference to context: (1×6=6)

OR

Section C: Long Answer Questions (80 words each)

Question 3: What theme has been taken by the poet in ‘An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum’?

OR: Write a short summary of ‘My Mother at Sixty-six’.

Section D: Short Answer Questions (20-25 words each)

Question 4 (i): ‘Oftwisted bones,’ what does this symbolize? (An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum)

Question 4 (ii): What beautiful things are depicted in the poem ‘A Thing of Beauty’?

Section E: Long Answer Questions (80 words each)

Question 5: How was the hundredth tiger arranged for the Maharaja’s target? (The Tiger King)

OR: How did Mr. Lamb motivate Derry? (On the Face of It)

Section F: Short Answer Questions (20-25 words each)

Question 6 (i): Why were Dr. Sadao and his wife afraid? (The Enemy)

Question 6 (ii): What kind of person was Evans? (Evans Tries an O-Level)

Section G: Multiple Choice Questions

1. The astrologer vowed to cut off his tuft if

   • he lied
   • the hundredth tiger was killed
   • books were false
   • rewarded

   Explanation: The astrologer had predicted that the hundredth tiger would kill the Maharaja, so he vowed to cut his tuft if that tiger was actually killed.

2. We must visit Antarctica if we want to study and examine the earth’s

   • nature
   • structure
   • temperature
   • present, past and future

   Explanation: Antarctica's ice cores contain a record of the earth's climate history, allowing scientists to study its past, present, and future.

3. How long has Jack been telling stories to his daughter?

   • 2 years
   • 3 years
   • 4 years
   • 5 years

   Explanation: In the story 'Should Wizard Hit Mommy?', Jack has been telling his daughter Jo bedtime stories for four years.

4. ____ had an ugly face.

   • Derry
   • Lamb
   • Joe
   • Jack

   Explanation: In 'On the Face of It', Derry's face was disfigured by acid, which made him feel that he had an ugly face.

5. What language exam was Evans appearing for?

   • English
   • French
   • German
   • Spanish

   Explanation: In 'Evans Tries an O-Level', Evans was appearing for his O-Level German exam.

6. How was the narrator able to win many friends?

   • watching market eagerly
   • studying hard
   • sleeping well
   • standing first in class

   Explanation: In 'The Last Lesson', the narrator Franz won many friends by eagerly watching the market and the activities outside the classroom.