CBSE CLASS 12 PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION PAPER
English Core 2026
SECTION A
Reading Skills (22 marks)
Read the following passage carefully: (12 marks)
(1) Science fiction, often abbreviated as sci-fi, is a genre of literature and film that explores imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced technology, space exploration, time travel, and extra-terrestrial life. While sci-fi has long captivated audiences in western countries, its growth in India has been comparatively slower. However, the genre is gradually gaining popularity among Indian readers and writers.
(2) One of the major advantages of science fiction is its ability to stimulate imagination and curiosity. It encourages readers to think beyond the present and explore possibilities that lie in the future. For students and young readers, sci-fi can act as a bridge between literature and science, making learning more engaging. Books like Isaac Asimov's Foundation or Indian writer Samit Basu's Turbulence have introduced scientific ideas in exciting narratives.
(3) Science fiction also reflects social and ethical concerns. In a rapidly changing world, sci-fi allows authors to speculate on how technology might shape society, for better or worse. In India, where issues like climate change, overpopulation, and digital surveillance are becoming more relevant, science fiction provides a creative lens through which these problems can be examined.
(4) Despite its potential, science fiction remains a niche genre in India. One of the key disadvantages is the lack of access to quality sci-fi literature in Indian languages. Most of the well-known works are written in English, which limits their reach. Moreover, there is a lack of mainstream platforms that promote Indian sci-fi writers. Many readers are unaware of homegrown authors contributing meaningfully to the genre.
(5) To enhance the science fiction reading experience in India, several steps can be taken. Schools and colleges can include sci-fi stories in their curriculum to expose students to the genre early on. Indian authors should be encouraged to write in regional languages to broaden the audience base. Libraries and online platforms can host reading clubs and discussions to make science fiction more interactive and engaging.
(6) In conclusion, science fiction has immense potential to grow in India. With the right support and exposure, it can become a powerful tool to inspire imagination, promote scientific thinking, and spark conversations about the future.
Answer the following questions, based on the above passage:
(i) According to paragraph 1, how did the western countries react to science fiction? (1)
(ii) Complete the following suitably: (1)
In paragraph 1, the author uses the word 'comparatively' to highlight _______
(iii) Identify one advantage of science fiction with reference to paragraph 2. (1)
(iv) Why does the writer refer to science fiction as a 'bridge'? (Paragraph 2) (1)
Because:
(A) it connects youth to adults.
(B) it makes learning more interactive.
(C) it supports introduction to reading among early readers.
(D) it helps build better engineers and doctors.
(v) '...science fiction provides a creative lens through which these problems can be examined.' (Paragraph 3) (2)
In the given line, what does the phrase 'creative lens' refer to?
(vi) Complete the analogy with one word from paragraph 4: (1)
possibility : potential :: unique : _______
(A) mainstream
(B) access
(C) homegrown
(D) niche
(vii) Why is science fiction still not very popular in India? (Paragraph 4) (1)
(viii) Provide one textual evidence with reference to paragraph 4 to prove that there is a lack of mainstream platforms. (1)
(ix) In what context does the author use the phrase 'broaden the audience base' in paragraph 5? (1)
(x) Assess the feasibility of steps suggested to promote science fiction in India. (Paragraph 5) (2)
Read the following passage carefully: (10 marks)
(1) Introduction: Nutrition plays a critical role in human development, especially during periods of growth, aging, and recovery. This case study explores the changing nutritional requirements across age groups from children to the elderly highlighting how dietary habits must adapt to support health and wellbeing.
(2) Methodology: A team of dietitians conducted a three-month observational study across five schools, two universities, three workplaces, and two retirement communities. Nutritional intake was recorded using food diaries, and health parameters were monitored through BMI, energy levels, and blood reports.
(3) Survey Examination: Participants were grouped into four age categories: children (6-12 years), adolescents (13-19 years), adults (20-59 years), and elderly (60+ years). Surveys assessed daily intake of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), alongside hydration habits and meal frequency.
(4) Results: Children had higher energy and protein needs per kilogram of body weight, essential for growth and cognitive development. Adolescents showed increased calorie and calcium requirements due to rapid bone growth and hormonal changes. Adults required balanced intake to maintain weight and prevent chronic diseases, while the elderly needed more fibre, calcium and vitamin D to support bone health and digestion. Interestingly, adolescents consumed the most processed foods, while elderly participants had the most balanced diets due to regular meal routines. Adults often skipped meals due to work stress. Dehydration was common in both children and the elderly.
(5) Implications and Interventions: The findings highlight the need for age-specific dietary education. In schools, awareness programmes on healthy snacks and hydration were introduced. For working adults, meal planning workshops and healthy vending machines were recommended. Retirement homes integrated vitamin D supplements and fibre-rich meals into weekly menus. Across all groups, hydration reminders were implemented using digital tools and scheduled water breaks.
(6) Conclusion: Nutritional needs vary significantly with age, influenced by physical, cognitive, and lifestyle factors. Regular assessments and tailored interventions are essential for promoting long-term health across populations.
Answer the following questions, based on the given passage:
(i) Complete the following suitably: (1)
In the introduction, the researcher links changing dietary requirements to highlight _______
(ii) What would the following be classified as? (1)
Nutritional intake was recorded using food diaries.
Select the appropriate response:
(A) Primary purpose
(B) Secondary objective
(C) Method of analysis
(D) Research outcome
(iii) Give two points to support how the case study explored various age groups. (Paragraphs 2, 3) (2)
(iv) Paragraph 4 includes the words 'development' and 'prevent'. Classify the following sentences as 'development' and 'prevent': (1)
Sentence A: Children had higher energy and protein needs per kilogram of body weight, essential for growth.
Sentence B: Adolescents need increased calcium so that their bone growth is not impacted.
(v) Although all age groups require balanced intake, why do the elderly need more fibre? (Paragraph 4) (1)
(vi) Complete the sentence suitably: (1)
Digital tools were used to give hydration reminders to _______
(A) ensure people did not get dehydrated
(B) avoid starvation
(C) ensure gradual weight loss
(D) balance consumption of processed food
(vii) Why is age-specific nutrition important? Give textual evidence to support your answer. (Paragraph 5) (2)
(viii) What is the key takeaway of the study? (1)
SECTION B
Creative Writing Skills (18 marks)
Attempt any one of the two, (a) or (b), in about 50 words: (4 marks)
(a) Your school is planning to conduct an inter-house handball tournament. Write a notice for the school notice board informing the students about the details of the tournament. Also include participation criteria, registration process, and contact information. You are Shivani/Shivam, President, Sports Club of ABC International School, Newtown. Put your notice in a box.
OR
(b) You are Mr. Sunil Joshi, General Secretary of Resident Welfare Association, Laxman Society, Rivernagar. Write a notice calling for a meeting of the residents to discuss the proposal of installing solar panels in your locality to meet the electricity demands of the society. Include other necessary details. Put your notice in a box.
Attempt any one of the two, (a) or (b), in about 50 words: (4 marks)
(a) You are the President of Student Council of XYZ Public School, Hawapur. Your school is organising an Arts and Crafts Exhibition as part of its Annual Day celebrations. On behalf of the Principal, draft a formal invitation card to be sent to parents and guests. Mention a compelling highlight of the programme along with other necessary details.
OR
(b) You are Meena/Manoj Tiwari, an experienced student counsellor. You have been invited by the Principal of MN Public School, Jawanshahr to take a workshop on the importance of emotional well-being of teenagers. Draft a reply in not more than 50 words, accepting the invitation.
Attempt any one of the two, (a) or (b), in 120 - 150 words: (5 marks)
(a) Waste management in your colony is becoming an issue of grave concern. Write a letter to the editor of a local daily, discussing the reasons for poor waste management. Also suggest ways to resolve the problem. You may use some of the given cues along with your own ideas to draft the letter. You are Shireen/Sahil of Prestige Colony, Rahagarh.
Cues:
lack of awareness about waste segregation
inefficient waste collection systems - leading to overflowing bins and environmental pollution
poor infrastructure
Government should support civic authorities to upgrade
spread awareness about civic responsibility
OR
(b) You are Arati/Ashok from New Colony, Bamapur. You read the given advertisement and wish to apply for the post advertised. Write a job application with your bio-data.
Advertisement:
Join Our Creative Team
Raleigh Planners Needs Event Manager
Qualifications: A degree in hospitality business, or public relations.
Skills:
Organisational and project management
Strong communication skills
Proficient in use of event software
Ability to adapt and willingness to travel
Experience: 3-5 years
Attempt any one of the two, (a) or (b), in 120-150 words: (5 marks)
(a) You are Rajni/Raghav and are very upset about the increase in cyber bullying among school students today. Write an article exploring the reasons and suggest solutions to help students live in a safe space in the world of digital technology. You may use some of the cues given along with your own ideas.
Reasons:
peer pressure, lack of self-esteem
lack of empathy
access to digital freedom
Solutions:
educate students on safe online behaviour
collaborate with parents
establish clear policies and reporting channels
OR
(b) Write a comprehensive report of the Inter-House Cuisine Competition on the theme 'Healthy Eating' held in your school. Include details of the event, participation details, students' feedback and its overall impact on the student community. You are Sunidhi/Sudhakar, Student Editor.
You may use the following cues along with your own ideas to draft the report:
Who - What - When - Where - Why - How
SECTION C
Literature (40 marks)
Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two, (a) or (b): (6 marks)
(a)
Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the Earth
let's not speak in any language,
let's stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
(Keeping Quiet)
(i) The expression 'we will all keep still' reflects: (1)
(A) the poet's willingness to keep quiet.
(B) the significance of stillness.
(C) the poet's appeal for collective engagement.
(D) the purpose of counting up to twelve.
(ii) What does the poet want us to stop? (1)
(iii) Read the assertion and the reason below, with reference to the given extract: (1)
Assertion: The poet advocates the importance of keeping quiet.
Reason: He believes that silence can bring out profound changes in our perspective and lifestyle.
Choose the correct option:
(A) Both the assertion and the reason are true, but the reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
(B) Both the assertion and the reason are true and the reason is the correct explanation of the assertion.
(C) The assertion is true, but the reason is false.
(D) The assertion is false, but the reason is true.
(iv) Complete the following statement correctly: (1)
The poet urges the people to count to twelve so that _______
(v) 'Counting to twelve' is suggested as a _______ (synchronized/disorganized) effort for everybody to keep quiet. (1)
(vi) How can the message in the excerpt, about silence and stillness be applied to promote peace in today's world? (1)
OR
(b)
The little old house was out with a little new shed
In front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped,
A roadside stand that too pathetically pled,
It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread,
But for some money, the cash, whose flow supports
The flower of cities from sinking and withering faint.
(A Roadside Stand)
(i) The first two lines of the extract refer to the: (1)
(A) description of the flourishing city.
(B) flowing of traffic.
(C) description of the roadside stand.
(D) expectation of the rural people.
(ii) Complete the following sentence with a suitable reason: (1)
The cash flow is important for urban life because _______
(iii) Complete the following sentence suitably: (1)
Rural people put up their roadside stands in the hope of _______
(iv) Choose the correct option: (1)
The expression 'flower of cities' reflects the _______ (prosperity/poverty) of city life.
(v) Why is the roadside stand described as pathetic? (1)
(vi) Read the assertion and the reason below, with reference to the given extract: (1)
Assertion: Rural people put up their stand at the edge of the road.
Reason: The flow of traffic will help them promote their business.
Choose the correct option:
(A) Both the assertion and the reason are true, but the reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
(B) Both the assertion and the reason are true and the reason is the correct explanation of the assertion.
(C) The assertion is true, but the reason is false.
(D) The assertion is false, but the reason is true.
Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two, (a) or (b): (4 marks)
(a)
"You are to come to the palace," the man said. "The old General is in pain again."
"Oh," Hana breathed, "is that all?"
"All?" the messenger exclaimed.
"Is it not enough?"
"Indeed it is," she replied. "I am very sorry."
When Sadao came to say goodbye, she was in the kitchen, but doing nothing. The children were asleep and she sat merely resting for a moment, more exhausted from her fright than from work.
"I thought they had come to arrest you," she said.
(The Enemy)
(i) "Oh," Hana breathed. "Is that all?"
What is the reason for Hana's tone of relief in the above expression? (1)
(ii) Complete the following analogy by choosing one word from the extract: (1)
pain : pleasure :: courage : _______
(iii) According to the above extract, Hana was drained and weakened due to: (1)
(A) sadness
(B) frustration
(C) anger
(D) fear
(iv) Complete the following sentence suitably: (1)
Dr. Sadao was asked to come to the palace to _______
OR
(b)
And he added, "Because we are born into this community, we are never given any honour or dignity or respect; we are stripped of all that. But if we study and make progress, we can throw away these indignities. So study with care, learn all you can. ..."
(Memories of Childhood)
(i) The expression 'these indignities' in the above extract refers to _______ (1)
(ii) List one personality trait that is exhibited by the speaker in the above extract. (1)
(iii) What, according to the speaker, is the way out of the situation? (1)
(A) education
(B) aggression
(C) compliance
(D) legislation
(iv) The message conveyed in the given extract is _______ (1)
Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the given two, (a) or (b): (6 marks)
(a)
And in dark hutments, next to lines of flames of flickering oil lamps, sit boys and girls with their fathers and mothers, welding pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside. That is why they often end up losing their eyesight before they become adults.
(Lost Spring)
(i) What do 'flickering oil lamps' suggest? (1)
(ii) Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank: (1)
The description of the hutments highlights the _______ situation of the workers. (pathetic/comfortable)
(iii) Bring out the irony in the statement, "Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside." (1)
(iv) Complete the following suitably: (1)
The boys and girls sitting with their fathers and mothers in the dark hutments indicates _______
(v) What does the following line from the extract showcase? (1)
That is why, they often end up losing their eyesight before they become adults.
(A) expectation
(B) conclusion
(C) confusion
(D) concession
(vi) Select the textual option that is closest to acceptance of their plight: (1)
(A) next to lines of flames of flickering oil lamps
(B) they often end up losing their eyesight
(C) welding pieces of coloured glass
(D) sit boys and girls with their fathers and mothers
OR
(b)
But Champaran did not begin as an act of defiance. It grew out of an attempt to alleviate the distress of large numbers of poor peasants. This was the typical Gandhi pattern - his politics were intertwined with the practical, day-to-day problems of the millions. His was not a loyalty to abstractions; it was a loyalty to living, human beings.
In everything Gandhi did, moreover, he tried to mould a new free Indian who could stand on his own feet and thus make India free.
(Indigo)
(i) Choose the option that stands as an example of 'act of defiance': (1)
(A) She immediately yielded to the request of her brother.
(B) Sunil was frightened by the noise of the explosion.
(C) Despite his father's strict warning, Arun ventured out in the night.
(D) The manager humiliated the peon in front of the entire staff.
(ii) What was the primary purpose of the Champaran episode as suggested in the extract? (1)
(iii) The expression 'to mould' in the above extract suggests: (1)
(A) to release
(B) to shape
(C) to advise
(D) to help
(iv) The above extract suggests that Gandhi was more concerned about _______ (politics/people). (1)
(v) What does the writer mean by the expression 'typical Gandhi pattern'? (1)
(vi) Complete the following analogy by choosing one word from the above extract: (1)
disagree : oppose :: mitigate : _______
Answer any five of the following six questions in 40-50 words each: (5 x 2 = 10 marks)
(i) "I won't scold you, little Franz; you must feel bad enough." What was it that Franz must be feeling bad about? (The Last Lesson)
(ii) What does Umberto Eco refer to as 'interstices' in 'The Interview'?
(iii) Why does Kamala Das compare her mother's face to 'late winter's moon'? (My Mother at Sixty-six)
(iv) What does Keats refer to in the expression 'dark spirits'? (A Thing of Beauty)
(v) In what manner was the make-up department ahead of AIR and Doordarshan, according to Asokamitran? (Poets and Pancakes)
(vi) The servants of Rajendra Prasad thought Gandhi was another peasant. How did they treat Gandhi? (Indigo)
Answer any two of the following three questions in 40 - 50 words each: (2 x 2 = 4 marks)
(i) Why was Charley in 'The Third Level' keen to buy old currency?
(ii) The Maharaja, on the third birthday of the crown prince, gave him a special gift. What was special about the gift? (The Tiger King)
(iii) What efforts did Zitkala-Sa make to save her hair from being cut? (Memories of Childhood)
Answer any one of the following two questions in 120 - 150 words: (5 marks)
(a) The peddler's temptation for money and Sophie's unrealistic dreams were the root cause for the sufferings of both the characters. Analyse the lessons 'The Rattrap' and 'Going Places' in the light of the above statement.
OR
(b) Analyse the portrayal of fear and freedom in 'Deep Water' and 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers'.
Answer any one of the following two questions in 120-150 words: (5 marks)
(a) People with physical impairments deserve acceptance, not sympathy. How does the play 'On The Face Of It' advocate the above philosophy through the characters of Mr. Lamb and Derry.
OR
(b) 'Journey to the end of the Earth' gives an awakening call to man to act with responsibility to save the environment. Substantiate the above statement with textual evidence.
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