English Core Question Paper Class 12 CBSE Board 

SECTION A: Reading Skills (22 marks) 

1. Read the following passage carefully : (12 marks) 
(1) The term Artificial Intelligence spells a future in which this emerging technology will impact every aspect of human existence. In fact, little do we know, it has already crept into our lives, slowly, but surely. Look around you — education, health care, industry, innovation, robots, robotic surgeries, transportation, home service — it's already there. It will change the lifestyle of everyone from the technology industry to normal people. 
(2) The past fifteen years have seen considerable AI advances in education. You enter school and AI takes your attendance using face recognition. Various applications are in wide use by educators and learners today. AI technologies assist teachers in the classroom. Learning at home is likely to expand significantly, along with learning based on virtual reality applications. Though quality education will always require active engagement by human teachers, AI promises to enhance education at all levels, especially by providing personalization at scale. 
(3) The evolution of new technologies, mobile, and the Internet are changing lifestyles. Artificial intelligence is playing an important role in every sector such as banking, driving, education, e-commerce, electronics, robotics. Systems of artificial intelligence are aiming to stimulate execution and decision-making that is human-like. In targeted applications, substantial increases in the future uses of AI technologies, including more driverless cars, healthcare diagnostics and targeted treatments, and physical assistance for elder care can be expected. AI and robotics will also be applied across the globe in industries struggling such as agriculture, food processing and factories. They will facilitate delivery of online purchases through flying drones, self-driving trucks or robots. 
(4) AI-based applications could improve health outcomes and quality of life for millions of people in the coming years — prime applications include clinical decision support, patient monitoring and coaching, automated devices to assist in surgery or patient care, and management of healthcare systems. Recent successes, such as mining social media to infer possible health risks, machine learning to predict patients at risk, and robotics to support surgery have expanded a sense of possibility for AI in healthcare. 
(5) People's future relationships with machines will become ever more personalized as AI systems learn to adapt to individual personalities, ambitions and goals. These AI applications will help monitor people's well-being, alert them to the impending risks, and deliver services when needed or wanted. 
Answer the following questions, based on the above passage: 
(i) Select the word that most appropriately defines Artificial Intelligence today. (1) 
(A) rewarding 
(B) universal 
(C) luxurious 
(D) temporary 
(ii) What is the connection between 'face recognition' in school education and AI? (1) 
(iii) Which one of the following do you infer from para 2? (1) 
(A) School education will become a virtual engagement. 
(B) The teacher will be replaced by AI. 
(C) Human teachers will play a passive role in the classroom. 
(D) Human teachers are irreplaceable. 
(iv) Share evidence from the text, in about 40 words, about how AI can support the field of education. (2) 
(v) The phrase 'stimulate execution' in para 3 nearly means: (1) 
(A) imitate creations 
(B) strategise destructions 
(C) shake inventions 
(D) motivate implementation 
(vi) With evidence from the text, explain in about 40 words, two ways in which AI will help in the healthcare sector. (2) 
(vii) According to the passage, why does the author conclude that people's relationships with machines will become more personalised ? (2) 
(viii) Complete the following statement: (1) 
AI will make the commercial supply chain smoother by _______________ 
(ix) Read the five headlines given below (I-V): (1) 
I. AI WILL IMPACT EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES 
II. AI WILL BE A BOON TO THE MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS 
III. SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS WILL BE CONTROLLED BY AI 
IV. AI IS A MAJOR REASON FOR RISING UNEMPLOYMENT TODAY 
V. FACTORY OWNERS WILL NOT USE AI FOR FEAR OF ITS UNPREDICTABILITY 
Identify the option that displays the headline/s that does/do not correspond with occurrences in the passage. 
(A) only V 
(B) II and III 
(C) IV and V 
(D) III, IV and V 
2. Read the following passage carefully : (10 marks) 
(1) A recent survey conducted by an independent research firm sought to measure levels of happiness among youth aged 16-24 years in seven countries. The findings revealed some intriguing insights into what makes today's youth happiest, as well as which factors influence their overall well-being. In India, an overwhelming majority of the youth reported feeling satisfied with their lives, with 87% rating of their overall happiness as 'high' or 'very high.' Financial security was identified as the primary source of happiness for 66%, followed by family support (89%), having a purpose in life (50%), and work or studies (40%). Unfortunately, 65% reported feeling stress related to academic performance or workload, while 25% reported feeling lonely. These figures point to a need for increased mental health support among India's youth. 
(2) These surveys also revealed that family support is an important source of contentment for young people across countries. In Europe, 59% of respondents said that their families were a major source of happiness; in France this figure was 67%, and 63% in Germany. In North America, 64% rated family as an important factor for well-being in Canada, while 61% did so in the United States. Similarly, 89% of survey respondents in India named family support as a major contributor to their overall contentment level. 
(3) It is clear that stress has a significant impact on the happiness of today's youth. The findings suggest that young people need better resources to manage their mental health and well-being. This may include access to counselling services, mindfulness activities and support groups to help them cope with challenging circumstances. It is also important to provide financial support so as to reduce some of the economic pressures. 
(4) In India, 65% of youth surveyed reported feeling anxious about their academic performance or workload, while 25% felt lonely. These figures are especially significant given how important family support is for young people's overall contentment. 
Answer the following questions, based on the above passage: 
(i) What are the two findings that the survey mentioned in paragraph 1 reveals? Answer in about 40 words. (2) 
(ii) Explain in about 40 words the statement "It is also important to provide financial support so as to reduce some of the economic pressures." (2) 
(iii) Elaborate giving data, the statement "Stress has a significant impact on the happiness of today's youth." (1) 
(iv) Which of the following factors, with reference to the given passage, does not play a substantial role in the well-being of Indian youth? (1) 
(A) Family support and strong ties 
(B) Social connection and technology 
(C) Books and literature 
(D) Economic stability 
(v) State whether True or False, with reference to the given passage : (1) 
It is not necessary to provide financial support to the youth as only academic performance plays an upper hand in deciding the stress level. 
(vi) What are the top choices which are of maximum value to today's youth? (1) 
I. Collectivism 
II. Social media 
III. Individualistic society 
IV. Family ties 
Options: 
(A) I and II 
(B) II and III 
(C) I and IV 
(D) II and IV 
(vii) The mental health of today's youth can be managed by resources like _____________ and _____________. (1) 
(viii) Write the following sources that provide happiness to today's youth in descending order : (1) 
(a) purposefulness 
(b) financial status 
(c) family support 
(d) stress 
SECTION B: Creative Writing Skills (18 marks)
3. Attempt any one of the two, (a) or (b), in about 50 words. (4 marks) 
(a) To encourage students to participate in outdoor activities, your school has planned a 7-day trek to Rohtang Pass for students of classes VIII - X during the summer vacation. Write a notice for the school notice board giving all the necessary information. You are Raghav/Ragini, Secretary Trekking Club, Amar Bahadur School. 
OR 
(b) The problem of the residents' parking of vehicles, often leading to minor scuffles, has become a source of growing concern. As Secretary of Goodwill Flats Welfare Association, Shripur, write a notice informing the residents about a meeting to discuss the problem and find an acceptable solution. Invent necessary details. 
4. Attempt any one of the two, (a) or (b), in about 50 words. (4 marks) 
(a) You are the Student Head, Cultural Affairs Club at Newton Public School. The school is holding its annual function on Saturday, April 20th, 2024 at 11 am. The Honourable Education Minister, Dr. Shah has consented to be the Chief Guest. Design an invitation card to be sent to the parents and other invitees. Mention necessary details. 
OR
(b) You are a renowned doctor and have been invited by your school alumni as Chief Guest to the Annual Graduation Ceremony of Green School on Sunday, March 24th, 2024. Write a letter to the President of the Alumni Association expressing your inability to attend due to a prior commitment. Also convey your congratulations to the graduating students. 
5. Attempt any one of the two, (a) or (b), in 120-150 words. (5 marks) 
(a) You are Amar/Anita, a fresh MBA graduate from Singla Institute of Management, Khushbagh. You saw the given advertisement in a newspaper and wish to apply for the position advertised. Write a letter to India Helptel Company along with your bio-data, expressing your interest in the advertised post. 
MANAGEMENT TRAINEES REQUIRED
by 
INDIA HELPTEL COMPANY
for its 
INDIA-WIDE LOGISTICS Department
Whom Do We Need 
• Fresh MBA Graduates 
• Specialization in Marketing 
• Skills - Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal 
• Languages - English and State language 
OR 
(b) An increase in the number of vehicles on the road has increased instances of traffic snarls, road rage and accidents. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily showing your concern and examining the reasons for such behaviour. Provide suggestions on how to manage the situation. Use the given cues along with your own ideas to compose the letter. You are Brinda/Bharat. 
REASONS 
• Increase in vehicles 
• More cars per family 
• Budgeted cab services 
• People not adhering to traffic rules 
SUGGESTIONS 
• Improve traffic management during peak hours 
• Stricter implementation of laws 
• Role of media in creating awareness 
6. Attempt any one of the two, (a) or (b), in 120-150 words. (5 marks) 
(a) India is emerging as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Write an article on "India as a popular choice of Foreign Visitors". You are Leela/Laksh. Use the given cues along with your own ideas to compose the article. 
Importance
• The new influx generates jobs for local people 
• Local culture, food and handicrafts promoted 
• Medical, religious and ecotourism bring India on the world map 
What needs to be done 
• Strengthening the efforts of the authorities 
• Media's role in creating awareness 
• Information centres to be created for all tourists 
OR 
(b) The senior residents of your colony have initiated a Reading Club for the children of a neighbourhood slum. As Ramesh/Ranjita, the local correspondent of the neighbourhood newsletter, write a report covering the project. Support your ideas with the cues given below. 
• Senior citizens' initiative 
• 2 hour voluntary service on Sunday morning 
• Support reading of school texts 
• Comprehension quizzing 
• Read newspaper - share information - encourage discussion 
SECTION C: Literature (40 marks) 
7. Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two, (a) or (b): (6 marks) 
(a) 
A thing of beauty is a joy forever 
Its loveliness increases, it will never
Pass into nothingness; but will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
(A Thing of Beauty)
(i) Which of the following themes is best represented in the given extract? (1) 
(A) Beauty provides security and peace. 
(B) Beauty lies in possession of expensive things. 
(C) Beauty is synonymous with power and riches. 
(D) Beauty lies in our rich heritage and palaces and temples. 
(ii) Complete the following sentence appropriately. (1) 
A thing of beauty never passes into nothingness because it is _______________ 
(iii) 'Quiet bower' means a pleasant, shady, quiet place under trees or in the woods. This creates a sense of _______________. (1) 
(iv) State whether the given statement is True or False with reference to the extract. (1) 
The quality of a thing ensures that its beauty lasts forever. 
(v) Based on the rhyme scheme in lines 3 and 4 of the given extract, which word will rhyme with them? (1) 
(A) please 
(B) sweep 
(C) help 
(D) self 
(vi) The use of the word 'health' in the extract suggests that beautiful things will give us a happier and more wholesome life. It creates a powerful image of (1) 
(A) rejuvenation 
(B) attachment 
(C) long life 
(D) eternity 
OR 
(b) 
Aunt Jennifer's tigers prance across a screen, 
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green. 
They do not fear the men beneath the tree; 
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty. 
(Aunt Jennifer's Tigers) 
(i) Which of the following are symbolised by the 'tigers' in the extract above? (1) 
I. masculine world 
II. feminine world 
III. world of bold, fearless creatures 
IV. world of beautiful handicrafts 
(A) I, II and III 
(B) II, III and IV 
(C) III and IV 
(D) I, III and IV 
(ii) State whether the given statement is True or False. (1) 
The creator of the tigers was fearless and assertive like the tigers. 
(iii) Complete the following sentence. (1) 
The use of the word 'topaz' suggests that the image of the tiger on the screen is _______________. 
(iv) 'Tigers do not fear the men beneath the tree' because they are (1) 
(A) tamed 
(B) in a cage 
(C) fearless 
(D) kings of the jungle 
(v) Based on the poem's rhyme scheme evident in lines 1 and 2, which of the following will rhyme ? (1) 
mean, akin, cream 
(vi) Chivalric certainty refers to which poetic device ? (1) 
(A) Alliteration 
(B) Metaphor 
(C) Simile 
(D) Repetition 
8. Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two, (a) or (b): (4 marks) 
(a) 
Derry: I....there....I thought this was an empty place. I didn't know there was anybody here.... 
Mr. Lamb: That's all right. I'm here. What are you afraid of, boy? That's all right. 
Derry: I thought it was empty....an empty house. 
Mr. Lamb: So it is. Since I'm out here in the garden. It is empty. Until I go back inside. In the meantime, I'm out here and likely to stop. A day like this. Beautiful day. Not a day to be indoors. 
Derry: [Panic] I've got to go. 
(On The Face Of It) 
(i) Derry was stammering because of: (1) 
(A) a speech defect. 
(B) excitement. 
(C) anger. 
(D) fear. 
(ii) Complete the sentence appropriately. (1) 
Derry insisted on going back because _______________. 
(iii) Mr. Lamb was trying to tell Derry that: (1) 
(A) it was a matter of perception. 
(B) Derry could stay with him. 
(C) he spent all his days in the garden. 
(D) he was fond of company. 
(iv) From the extract, one can infer that Mr. Lamb was a/an: (1) 
(A) compassionate man. 
(B) mysterious character. 
(C) new neighbour. 
(D) unreasonable man. 
OR 
(b) 
Anyway, here's what happened at Grand Central. One night last summer I worked late at the office. I was in a hurry to get uptown to my apartment so I decided to take the subway from Grand Central because it's faster than the bus. 
Now, I don't know why this should have happened to me. I'm just an ordinary guy named Charley, thirty-one years old, and I was wearing a tan gabardine suit and a straw hat with a fancy band; I passed a dozen men who looked just like me. 
(The Third Level) 
(i) List any two details about how Charley was dressed up. (1) 
(ii) Charley decided to use the subway because it was : (1) 
(A) quicker. 
(B) cheaper. 
(C) more fashionable. 
(D) safer. 
(iii) Complete the following sentence appropriately. (1) 
Landing at the third level was due to Charley's flight of _______________. 
(iv) Which time frame is represented through the kind of outfit mentioned in the extract? (1) 
(A) pre world war era 
(B) the present times 
(C) the eighteenth century 
(D) in the future 
9. Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two, (a) or (b): (6 marks) 
(a) 
They have lived here for more than thirty years without an identity, without permits but with ration cards that get their names on voters' lists and enable them to buy grain. Food is more important for survival than identity. "If at the end of the day we can feed our families and go to bed without an aching stomach, we would rather live here than in the fields that gave us no grain," say a group of women in tattered saris when I asked them why they left their beautiful land of green fields and rivers. Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents. 
(Lost Spring)
(i) The ragpickers have been living there for _________ decades. (1) 
(A) three 
(B) four 
(C) two 
(D) five 
(ii) Why do these people have ration cards ? (1) 
(iii) What do you infer about their lifestyle from the phrase 'pitch their tents'? (1) 
(iv) In spite of the hardships, they are not willing to go back to their homeland because _______________. (1) 
(v) The women had a/an _________ approach towards life. (1) 
(A) idealistic 
(B) passive 
(C) indifferent 
(D) practical 
(vi) What does the term 'go to bed without an aching stomach' indicate? (1) 
OR
(b)
Their spontaneous demonstration, in thousands, around the courthouse was the beginning of their liberation from fear of the British.
The officials felt powerless without Gandhi's cooperation. He helped them regulate the crowd. He was polite and friendly. He was giving them concrete proof that their might, hitherto dreaded and unquestioned, could be challenged by Indians.
The government was baffled. The prosecutor requested the judge to postpone the trial. Apparently, the authorities wished to consult their superiors. 
(Indigo) 
(i) The result of the demonstration was that _______________. (1) 
(ii) The participants of the spontaneous demonstration were : (1) 
(A) Gandhi's lawyers. 
(B) people of Champaran. 
(C) Indigo landowners. 
(D) Indian soldiers. 
(iii) Gandhi cooperated with the British by : (1) 
(A) not going to the court. 
(B) remaining quiet when he was accused. 
(C) helping to manage the mob of people. 
(D) leaving Champaran for Delhi. 
(iv) The statement 'Apparently, the authorities wished to consult their superiors' was indicative of the Britisher's _______________. (1) 
(v) With reference to the extract, the word 'baffled' most nearly means: (1) 
(A) strengthened. 
(B) disgusted. 
(C) frightened. 
(D) confused. 
(vi) Whose 'might' did this demonstration question? (1) 
10. Answer any five of the following six questions in 40-50 words each : (5 × 2 = 10 marks)
(i) What inference can you draw about Sophie's relationship with her father from the story 'Going Places'? 
(ii) We miss a thing when we are in fear of losing it. Substantiate this statement with two examples from 'The Last Lesson', how the people in the story suddenly realised how precious their language was to them. 
(iii) What did the peddler say in his defence when it was clear that he was not the person the ironmaster thought him to be? (The Rattrap) 
(iv) What does 'The God That Failed' refer to? (Poets and Pancakes) 
(v) What according to Umberto Eco is the belief that most journalists and publishers have? (The Interview) 
(vi) It is said that the 'Face is a mirror of one's emotions.' Why did the poet 'smile and smile'? (My Mother at Sixty-six) 
11. Answer any two of the following three questions in 40-50 words each: (2 × 2 = 4 marks)
(i) What confusion does the Dewan have when the Tiger King broaches the topic of his marriage? (The Tiger King) 
(ii) "My Antarctic experience was full of such epiphanies," says Tishani Doshi. Which experience does she consider the best and why? (Journey to the End of the Earth) 
(iii) Zitkala-Sa says, "Eating by formula wasn't the hardest trial in that first day." What does she mean by 'Eating by formula'? (Memories of Childhood) 
12. Answer any one of the following two questions in 120-150 words: (5 marks)
(a) Imagine you are John Keats, the poet of 'A Thing of Beauty'. What advice might you offer to Robert Frost, the poet of 'A Roadside Stand' in the context of his 'The sadness that lurks near the open window'? Pen down your advice in a letter to Frost on how to deal with sadness. You may begin this way: 
Dear Robert,
I have recently read your poem 'A Roadside Stand' and ... ...
You may end this way:
Despite the fact that our lives are full of sorrow and suffering, the beautiful things around us give us the strength to endure the sadness of life.
Warmly
John Keats
OR
(b) Create a comprehensive comparison of the themes present in 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' and 'My Mother at Sixty-six'. Specifically discuss the different ways each poem addresses the concept of struggle and resilience. 
13. Answer any one of the following two questions in 120-150 words : (5 marks)
(a) Dr. Sadao is disturbed and in a dilemma since he has decided to help the enemy soldier. Describe his conflict and the challenges faced in the form of a diary entry. 
OR
(b) In the story 'The Third Level', reality and fantasy are interwoven. Justify. 

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