KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA SANGATHAN

ERNAKULAM REGION
HALF YEARLY EXAMINATION (2019-20)
CLASS: XII SUB: ENGLISH MAX.MARKS: 80
ANSWER KEY
SECTION-A (READING COMPREHENSION) 20 MARKS

1.Passage for comprehension: 12 marks (1 mark each)

A.Multiple choice: choose the most appropriate (1x5=5 marks)

1.c)funny bone and sense of humour

2.c)the study of laughter and its effects on us from both physiological and
psychological perspectives

3.b)Paul McGhee

4.a)we lose perspective

5.d)perspective

B.Short answer questions. (1x7=7 marks)

i) one, when it is told, two, when it is explained, and three, when you finally
understand it.

ii) It puts people at ease, breaks down barriers, and encourages acceptance.

iii) Making ethnic, racist and gender-biased jokes which may be funny, but aren’t
in good taste, will cause you to lose good will.

iv)Blood levels of key inflammatory compounds in patients with rheumatoid

arthritis dropped considerably after they watched a humorous film.

v)They are able to take what others say, and turn it back on them.

vi)uproariously vii)perspective

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2.Passage for Note Making and Summary. 8 marks

A)NOTE MAKING.

Distribution of Marks. Title:1 Content:2 Abrreviations:1 (4 marks)

Suggested Notes:

Title: Interview: An Over View (any other suitable title)

1.Types of Interviews

1.1.Formal & Informal

1.2.Inf.-selection any kind

1.3.celeb.int.-tv chats

1.4.Formal-formal set up

1.5.decisive in nature

2.Preparation

2.1. physical & psychological

2.2.pre-int.-self-analysis-skills,achievements & interests

2.3.int.file-certificates & documents

2.4.personal appearance-hygiene, grooming

2.5.puncutality

3.Performance

3.1.two aspects-verbal&non-verbal comm.

3.2.verbal-resume,speaking skills,simple & uncomplicated

3.3.non-verbal-appearance, body language, gestures, expression

3.4.process-opening,discussion,conclusion

3.5.impt.-consistency,self-confidence & maturity

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Key to Abbreviations

1.inf.-informal

2.celeb.-celebrity

3.int.-interview

4.comm.-communication

5.impt.-important

B) Summary

The summary should include all the important points given in the notes. (word
limit: 100 words)

Content: 2 marks Expression: 2 marks

SECTION-B (WRITING SKILLS) 30 MARKS

Note: The objective of this section is to test a candidate’s writing ability. Hence
expression assumes as much importance as the content of the answer.

3.Classified Advertisement. Total Marks: 4

Format: Title & Contact Address

Content: 2 Marks (the type of advertisement,important information etc.)

Expression: 1 (grammatical accuracy & spelling, coherence & style)

Value points: Situation Vacant (title), Name and contact address of the travel
agency.

Looking for: web designer, qualification, eligibility, age limit, gender, experience,
skills etc.

Offer: attractive salary, perks, other facilities.

Other important points: Last date, how to contact etc.

OR

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Notice: 4 marks

Format: 1 mark (Name of the institution,Notice,Heading,Date,Writer’s name and

Designation, Issuing Authority) The candidate should not be penalized if he/she
has used capital letters for writing a notice within or without a box.

Content: 2 marks

Expression: 1 mark

Suggested value points: club members,subject of the meeting,time of the

meeting,venue etc.

4. Letter to the Editor: 6 marks

Format:1 mark (Sender’s address, date, receiver’s address, subject, salutation,

closing)

Content: 3 marks

Expression: 2 marks (Grammatical accuracy, appropriate words and spellings-1,

coherence & relevance of ideas and style-1)

Letter to the Editor: plastic debris and pollution of beaches in Goa.

Introduction: the complaint/the issue.

Suggested value points: a study by CMFRI (Central Marine Fisheries Research

Institute) Kochi, revealed startling facts:highest concentration of plastic
debris,every metre of beach sand has an average of 25.47 g. of plastic. Other
litters: nylon fishing nets, glass, bottles, e-waste, Styrofoam and thermocol, 205.75
g/m2, the highest in the country. Sea turtles and other marine organisms in danger.

Suggested Solutions: put an end to ‘throwaway culture’, develop eco-friendly

attitude, need for awareness, examples of natural disasters etc. authorities should
take strict action.

OR

Letter of Complaint: 6 marks (format:1, content:3, expression:2)

Complaint against poor service, bad food and rude behavior at a restaturant.
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Suggested value points:

Prior booking-had to wait for long-table allocation not made-quality of food very
poor—service disappointing—cleanliness and hygiene not at all satisfactory etc.
Urge for urgent action and corrective measures/reimbursement.

5.Report: 10 marks

Format: 1 mark (Headline, reporter’s name)

Content: 4 marks

Expression: 5 marks (grammatical accuracy, appropriate words/spellings-2 ½

Coherence and relevance of ideas and style- 2 ½ )

Topic: Residential camp organized by Rotary Club of your city.

Suggested value points: Residential camp for two days. Make the report of Day 1
and Day2. Day1-registration-inauguration-chief guest-sessions-ice break-other
participants-evening programmes-stay and food etc. Day2. Sessions-activities-
valedictory function-experience/impressions.

OR

Debate: 10 marks

Format (opening address and conclusion) 1 mark

Content: 4 marks

Expression: 5 marks (grammatical accuracy, appropriate words and spellings-2 ½ ,

Coherence and relevance of ideas and style-2 ½ )

Topic: Celebrities are good role models for students

Suggested value points:

FOR: Education-Environment-Career-Lifestyle-Willpower and Motivation-

Humanity and Social Service-celebrities can surely inspire in these. Examples-rags
to riches story of many celebrities-hard work and determination-values etc.

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AGAINST: Unhealthy habits—risky standards/promoting products that can be
harmful—stunts for mere attention seeking-courting controversy-privileged-
parents and teachers can set a true example of real role models.

6.SPEECH: 10 marks

Format: 1 mark (opening address and conclusion)

Content: 4 marks

Expression: 5 marks (grammatical accuracy,appropriate words and spellings-2 ½ ,

coherence and relevance of ideas and style-2 ½ )

Topic: Know your country, love your country

Suggested value points:

A good and catchy introduction and conclusion.

History, culture, heritage, languages, cuisine, festivals etc. the need to know the
country beyond one’s state and language, unity in diversity, travelling can be a
great learning, respecting each other’s culture, education and awareness against
divisive forces, hard work, responsibility, vigilance against corruption to build a
better country etc.

OR

ARTICLE: 10 marks

Format: 1 mark (Heading and Writer’s name)

Content: 4 marks

Expression: 5 marks (grammatical accuracy, appropriate word and spellings-2 ½ ,

coherence and relevance of ideas and style-2 ½ )

Topic: The need to impart value education in schools

Suggested value points: chaos in the present society-lack of values-

crime,corruption,disrespect,lack of sensitivity towards issues-living in virtual
world-lack of social awareness. Change should start from home-parents-school-
teachers-curriculum-scope for creativity, innovation, integrating lessons with real
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life-co-curricular activities-games and sports-activities for developing life skills
etc.

SECTION-C(LITERATURE TEXTBOOKS) 30 MARKS

7. Extract from poem and prose. Two questions. (4x2=8 marks) 1 mark each.

This question has been designed to test the students’ understanding of the text and
their ability to interpret, evaluate and respond to the questions based on the given
stanza/extract. In other words, it attempts to test their reading comprehension.

1.Extract from poem.

a)Keeping Quiet, poet: Pablo Neruda

b)to keep quiet and introspect. To stop moving our arms, not to speak in any
language, keep quiet and count till twelve.

c)Life gets a meaning from what it is used for.

d)He doesn’t want to talk about death because it is a natural phenomenon which
can’t be changed or evaded. But we can certainly make difference to the kind of
life we lead.

2. Extract from Prose lesson.

Lesson: Indigo

a)When the prosecutor requested the judge to postpone the trial as they were
baffled by seeing the public support of Gandhi.

b)conflict of duties: on the one hand, not to set bad example as a law breaker. On
the other hand, to render humanitarian and national service for which he had come
to Champaran.

c)He said he would listen to the higher law of our being, the voice of conscience.
He asked the penalty due.

d)Following the request of a poor peasant, Rajkumar Shukla, to investigate the

injustice done to the Indigo sharecroppers by the British landlords.

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8.Short answer questions. Answer any FIVE.(5x2=10 marks)

i) dozing, open-mouthed, her face ashen like that of a corpse.

ii)Everyone in Alsace including himself. They always postpone their learning.

Parents wanted to send them to work. He gave them holiday when he went fishing.
He made them water the plants instead of teaching them lessons.

iii)The Maharaja may kill ninety-nine tigers in the same manner, but he must be
very careful with the hundredth tiger. If he kills that also, the astrologer will cut off
his tuft, crop his hair and become an insurance agent.

iv)According to Sam, Charley was unhappy and he was seeking a temporary refuge
from reality. It was a waking-dream wish fulfillment. The modern world is full of
insecurity, fear, war and worry and everyone wants to escape.

v)Jo has started asking questions and raising doubts on whatever Jack or his wife
told her. Examples: when he told her spiders eat bugs, she turned to her mother and
asked, “do they?”. When Clare told her God was in the sky and all around them,
she turned to her father and asked, “Is He really?”. She is becoming more and more
realistic and rational.

vi)Whenever he got into water, whether the Tieton or the Bumping River or Warm
Lake, the terror that had seized him in the YMCA pool would return. It would take
possession of him completely, legs would become paralyzed, icy horror would
grab his heart. It ruined his fishing trips, deprived him of the joy of canoeing,
boating and swimming.

vii)Spender calls the act of keeping Shakespeare’s picture in the poor classroom
wicked because it doesn’t serve any purpose. These slum children are deprived of
basic needs/facilities. Their world is the slum, they haven’t seen anything beyond
it, therefore, the map is of no use to them.

9 & 10. Long answer questions. (one from Flamingo and the other from Vistas
with internal choice) Each carries 6 marks. Total: 12 marks.

(These questions have been set to test the students’ understanding of the text and
their ability to interpret, evaluate and respond to the issues therein. Hence, no
particular answer can be accepted as the only correct answer. All presentations

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may be accepted as equally correct provided they have been duly supported by the
facts drawn from the text. The important thing is that the student should be able to
justify his or her viewpoint.)

Distribution of Marks:

Content: 3 marks

Expression: 3 marks (grammatical accuracy,appropriate words and spellings-1 ½ ,

coherence and relevance of ideas and style- 1 ½ )

9. ‘The Rat Trap’ is both entertaining and philosophical.

Suggested value points:

Entertaining: Twists in the story-mistaken identity-humour-characterization.

Philosophical: The world is a big rat trap-essential goodness in a human being can
be awakened through understanding and love. Instances from the story: forest
scene, climax when the peddler escapes from the trap. Edla awakens the goodness
in him with compassion, love and respect.

OR

Saheb and Mukesh are from similar marginalized backgrounds but their
responses to their plight are different.
Suggested value points:
Saheb-rag picker-deprived of basic rights-does not want to go to school because
there is no school near-surrenders to his fate-doesn’t exercise his will power.
Mukesh-poor bangle maker-wants to go and learn automobile mechanism and
driving even if there is no garage near-takes initiative to alter his fate-dreams
different-dares to make it a reality.

10. “If we want to study and examine the Earth’s past, present and future,
Antarctica is the best place to go”. Justify this statement with reference to the
lesson by Tishani Doshi.
Suggested value points:
Anarctica: The world’s geological (Earth) history is trapped (buried) in Antarctica.
Geoff Green’s ‘Students on Ice’ programme aims at taking high school students to

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the ends of the world. Doshi thinks that Antarctica is the go to, to understand
earth’s present, past, future.

Six hundred and fifty (650) million years ago, a giant southern continent super
continent Gondwana did exist. It centered roughly around present-day Antarctica.
Human beings hadn’t arrived on the global scene. The climate was much warmer.
It had a huge variety of flora and fauna (vegetation and animals). After 500 million
years, the landmass was forced to separate in to countries as they exist today.

When you visit Antarctica now, you feel a part of that history. You lose track of
time and perspective, but it also makes you think of our future.

Antarctica has a simple ecosystem and lacks bio-diversity. It is the perfect place to
study how little changes in the environment can have big repercussions (results).
Take the microscopic phytoplankton. How they use photo synthesis to sustain the
food chain of the southern ocean. It is the small things that make a large impact.
Scientists warn that a further depletion of the ozone layer will affect the lives of the
sea-animals and birds of the region and it may bring disastrous climatic and
environmental changes in the world. It will also affect the global carbon cycle. The
visit to Antarctica is, therefore, nothing short of a revelation.

OR

Dr.Sadao and Hana are different from other Japanese. What makes them rise
above narrow prejudices in times of war?
Dr.Sadao and Hana-unlike other Japanese-education in the US-broadminded-
follow professional ethics-save a person from death-humanitarian concern-Hana
supports her husband and looks after Tom-servants leave-Sadao and Hana do not
surrender their self esteem-they are a blend of professionalism and patriotism-if
you can take care of an enemy like a friend, there is no enemy and no war.

___________

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