ENGLISH ELECTIVE QUETION PAPER CLASS 12 CBSE BOARD

SECTION A: Reading (20 Marks) 
 
1.    Read the passage given below: (12 Marks) 
 
1 Coral reefs begin to form when free-swimming coral larvae attach to submerged rocks or other hard surfaces along the edges of islands or continents. As the corals grow and expand, reefs take on one of three major characteristic structures: fringing, barrier or atoll. Fringing reefs, which are the most common, project seaward directly from the shore, forming borders along the shoreline and surrounding islands. Barrier reefs also border shorelines, but at a greater distance. They are separated from their adjacent land mass by a lagoon of open, often deep water. If a fringing reef forms around a volcanic island that sinks completely below sea level while the coral continues to grow upward, an atoll forms. Atolls are usually circular or oval, with a central lagoon. Parts of the reef platform may emerge as one or more islands, and gaps in the reef provide access to the central lagoon. 
 
2 In addition to being some of the most beautiful and biologically diverse habitats in the ocean, barrier reefs and atolls also are some of the oldest. With growth rates of 0.3 to 2 centimeters per year for massive corals, and up to 10 centimeters per year for branching corals, it can take up to 10,000 years for a coral reef to form from a group of larvae. Depending on their size, barrier reefs and atolls can take from 100,000 to 30,000,000 years to fully form. 
 
3 All three reef types fringing, barrier and atoll share similarities in their biogeographic profiles. Bottom topography, depth, wave and current strength, light, temperature, and suspended sediments all act to create characteristic horizontal and vertical zones of corals, algae and other species. These zones vary according to the location and type of reef. The major divisions common to most reefs, as they move seaward from the shore, are the reef flat, reef crest or algal ridge, buttress zone, and seaward slope. 
 
4 Human-caused, or anthropogenic activities, are major threats to coral reefs. Pollution, overfishing, destructive fishing practices using dynamite or cyanide, collecting live corals for the aquarium market, mining coral for building materials, and warming climate are some of the many ways that people damage reefs all around the world every day. 
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5 One of the most significant threats to reefs is pollution. Land-based runoff and pollutant discharges can result from dredging, coastal development, agricultural and deforestation activities, and sewage treatment plant operations. This runoff may contain sediments, nutrients, chemicals, insecticides, oil, and debris. 
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6 When some pollutants enter the water, nutrient levels can increase, promoting the rapid growth of algae and other organisms that can smother corals. 
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7 Coral reefs also are affected by leaking fuels, anti-fouling paints and coatings, and other chemicals that enter the water. Petroleum spills do not always appear to affect corals directly because the oil usually stays near the surface of the water, and much of it evaporates into the atmosphere within days. However, if an oil spill occurs while corals are spawning, the eggs and sperm can be damaged as they float near the surface before they fertilize and settle. So, in addition to compromising water quality, oil pollution can disrupt the reproductive success of corals, making them vulnerable to other types of disturbances. 
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8 In many areas, coral reefs are destroyed when coral heads and brightly-colored reef fishes are collected for the aquarium and jewellery trade. Careless or untrained divers can trample fragile corals, and many fishing techniques can be destructive. In blast fishing, dynamite or other heavy explosives are detonated to startle fish out of hiding places. This practice indiscriminately kills other species and can crack and stress corals so much that they expel their zooxanthellae. As a result, large sections of reefs can be destroyed. Cyanide fishing, which involves spraying or dumping cyanide onto reefs to stun and capture live fish, also kills coral polyps and degrades the reef habitat. More than 40 countries are affected by blast fishing, and more than 15 countries have reported cyanide fishing activities. 
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9 Other damaging fishing techniques include deep-water trawling, which involves dragging a fishing net along the sea bottom, and muro-ami netting, in which reefs are pounded with weighted bags to startle fish out of crevices. Often, fishing nets left as debris can be problematic in areas of wave disturbance. In shallow water, live corals become entangled in these nets and are torn away from their bases. In addition anchors dropped from fishing vessels onto reefs can break and destroy coral colonies. 
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10 Coral reefs also face numerous threats from natural causes. Weather-related damage to reefs occurs frequently. Large and powerful waves from hurricanes and cyclones can break apart or flatten large coral heads, scattering their fragments. A single storm seldom kills off an entire colony, but slow-growing corals may be overgrown by algae before they can recover. 
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11 Reefs also are threatened by tidal emersions. Long periods of exceptionally low tides leave shallow water coral heads exposed, damaging reefs. The amount of damage depends on the time of day and the weather conditions. Corals exposed during daylight hours are subjected to the most ultraviolet radiation, which can overheat and dry out the coral's tissues. Corals may become so physiologically stressed that they begin to expel their symbiotic zooxanthellae, which leads to bleaching, and in many cases, death. 
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12 Increased sea surface temperatures, decreased sea level and increased salinity from altered rainfall can all result from weather patterns such as El Niño. Together these conditions can have devastating effects on a coral's physiology. 
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13 In addition to weather, corals are vulnerable to predation. Fish, marine worms, barnacles, crabs, snails and sea stars all prey on the soft inner tissues of coral polyps. In extreme cases, entire reefs can be devastated if predator populations become too high. 
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14 Coral reefs may recover from periodic traumas caused by weather or other natural occurrences. If, however, corals are subjected to numerous and sustained stresses including those imposed by people, the strain may be too much for them to endure, and they will perish. 
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Based on your reading of the passage, answer twelve out of the fifteen questions that follow : (12 x 1 = 12) 
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(i) How are coral reefs formed? (ii) How are barrier reefs separated from their adjacent land mass ? (iii) What are the different types of reefs ? (a) Fringing, algal and crest (b) Fringing, barrier and buttress (c) Fringing, barrier and toll (d) Fringing, barrier and atoll 
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(iv) When some pollutants enter the water, _________ can increase promoting the growth of algae. (a) nutrient levels (b) water (c) toxic levels (d) pollutant levels 
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(v) Which anthropogenic activities are a threat to coral reefs ? List any two. (vi) Which statement is true about land-based runoffs ? (a) Pollution impacts land-based runoffs. (b) Runoff are a result of flooding due to heavy rain. (c) Coastal development does not impact land-based runoffs. (d) Spawning increases with an increase in land-based runoffs. 
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(vii) How does oil pollution disrupt the reproductive success of corals ? (viii) Blast fishing, crack and stress corals so much that they expel their _________. (a) cyanide (b) zooxanthellae (c) algae (d) debris 
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(ix) Choose the word from para 6 which is an apt synonym of the word 'suffocate'. (x) Reefs are pounded with weighted bags to (a) break the reef into small pieces. (b) drive the large fish away. (c) bring out the fish hiding in the crevices. (d) warn submarines that there are reefs there. 
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(xi) By stating 'fishing nets left as debris' the author means (a) fishing nets are collected for reuse. (b) fishing nets are discarded in the ocean. (c) the fishing net debris prevents wave disturbance. (d) fishing nets protect the coral reef debris. 
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(xii) Name two natural causes that destroy coral reefs. (xiii) Based on the reading of the passage, which statements are correct regarding the effect of weather patterns on the coral's physiology? 
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1.    Corals are subjected to ultraviolet rays. 
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2.    Humans do not affect corals. 
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3.    Salinity from altered rainfall has devastating effects. 
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4.    Fishing during monsoons impacts corals negatively. 
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5.    Increase in sea surface temperature damages coral. (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4 (c) 1, 4 and 5 (d) 1, 2 and 5 
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(xiv) What do snails, marine worms and crabs prey on? (xv) If corals are subjected to periodic traumas, they will (a) change form. (b) get altered. (c) adapt to change. (d) be wiped out. 
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2.    Based on the careful reading of the extract given below, answer any four out of the five questions that follow: (4 x 1 = 4) 
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Once upon a time, son, they used to laugh with their hearts and laugh with their eyes; but now they only laugh with their teeth, while their ice-block-cold eyes search behind my shadow. There was a time indeed they used to shake hands with their hearts; but that's gone, son. Now they shake hands without hearts; while their left hands search my empty pockets. 'Feel at home'! 'Come again': they say, and when I come again and feel at home once, twice, there will be no thrice for then I find doors shut on me. 
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(i) What is the difference between how people laughed once upon a time and now ? (ii) What does the poet mean by 'I find doors shut on me'? (iii) What is the mood in this poem ? (a) nostalgic (b) pessimistic (c) celebratory (d) disdain (iv) Pick out a phrase from the second stanza which means 'once upon a time'. (v) What message does the poem convey? 
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3.    Based on the careful reading of the passage, given below, answer any four out of the five questions that follow: (4 x 1 = 4) 
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Why did so many trees fall in Delhi after the thunderstorm? (Case Study) 
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1 A day after a 'Severe' category thunderstorm hit the city, pavements and roads of Lutyens' Delhi were still strewn with tree branches and trunks that had snapped, and full grown trees that were uprooted entirely. 
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2 A total of 77 trees had fallen just in the area under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), according to its Horticulture Wing, and 58 broken branches were counted. On Ashoka Road, which is lined with jamun trees, branches had impaled two separate cars, while the thick branches of another jamun tree on the median on Tolstoy Marg had snapped. An uprooted, sprawling neem tree blocked an entire side of Jantar Mantar Road, its roots in the air. 
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3 Poor root growth due to concretisation could be a factor that caused trees to keel over, said ecologist C.R. Babu. "If there is proper root growth that anchors trees to soil, they won't fall over easily. Most trees have 'feeder roots' that are in the upper layers of the soil. These roots take nutrients and moisture, and have symbiotic fungi in and around them. But these roots cannot survive under concrete, since they need oxygen. If the space around trees is covered with concrete, there will be no life beneath the concrete," he said. "The canopies of the trees are also not managed properly. If the top is heavy and the root is poorly developed, how can the tree sustain the wind? Different species have different tensile strength," he added. 
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(i) According to the passage, a _________ storm can cause major damage to the trees. (a) moderate (b) mild (c) severe (d) cyclonic 
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(ii) A tree gets nutrition and moisture through (a) its leaves. (b) feeder roots. (c) the sprawling branches. (d) the canopies. 
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(iii) The tree roots covered by concrete stop the supply of (a) nutrients (b) moisture (c) oxygen (d) fertiliser 
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(iv) Proper growth of roots (a) is a threat to nearby buildings. (b) anchors a tree in the soil. (c) takes place in fields. (d) gives more shade. 
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(v) Which one of the following helps in sustaining a tree against strong wind? (a) top heavy and strong roots (b) light top and strong roots (c) trees planted close to each other (d) trees grown in concretized areas 
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SECTION B: Grammar and Writing (28 Marks) 
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4.    Rewrite the sentences according to the instructions given after each one. Attempt any eight out of the ten questions that follow : (8 x 1 = 8) 
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(a) I have not been able to reform him. I have made many efforts. (Begin with: In spite of...) 
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(b) I shall not go _________ I am invited. (Fill in the blank with appropriate conjunction) 
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(c) My friends believe with me in his honesty. (Use: Not only... but also) 
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(d) He had not enough courage to speak out. (Use the adjective form of courage) 
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(e) Take another step at the peril of your life. (Begin with: Do not take... else...) 
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(f) My uncle promised me a gift. (Change into Passive Voice) 
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(g) I cannot afford to buy many books therefore I usually study in the library. (Begin with: Since...) 
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(h) He is poor, he is honest. (Begin with: Although...) 
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(i) Father said I should not think ill of anybody. (Begin the sentence with 'Not to think ill of...) 
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(j) She topped the class. She heard the news. She fainted. (Begin with: On hearing...) 
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5.    Attempt any three of the following four questions in 120-150 words each: (3 x 5 = 15) 
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(a) Failures are a stepping stone to success. Describe in 120-150 words, how this saying inspired you to work hard having failed in your life once. This article is to be published in your school magazine. You are Bela / Bharat. 
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(b) There are many messaging sites today that facilitate instant communication. Do you subscribe to this view? Write an article to be published in an e-journal. You are Rita / Rishi. 
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(c) City life is quite hectic and boring in comparison to village life. Comment on this in 120-150 words. What makes village life more fascinating to people living in the big cities? You are Rani / Rahul. 
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(d) 'Knowledge is Power' goes the saying. Write an article expressing your views to be published in the local daily in 120-150 words, dwelling on the reasons that make knowledge a source of power. You are Sita / Satish. 
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6.    Attempt any one of the following questions in 120-150 words each : (5 Marks) 
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(a) In the recent weeks, there have been reports in the newspapers of accidents due to rash and underage driving. As the President of your School Road Safety Club, write a speech in 120-150 words to be delivered on the occasion of World Road Safety Day discussing the importance of following traffic rules. You are Usha / Uttam. 
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(b) As a reporter of a national daily, you visited an area affected by floods and landslides. You witnessed the horror of devastation. The homes were destroyed, food was scarce and people were still buried under the debris. Rescue teams and doctors providing medical aid were working round the clock. Prepare a report on your visit in 120-150 words to be published in a daily newspaper. You are Meeta / Mohit. 
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SECTION C: Literature (32 Marks) 
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7.    (I) Attempt any one of the two extracts (A) and (B) given below : (6 x 1 = 6) 
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(A) Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: 
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At three o'clock we left her to accompany Neruda to his sacred siesta, which he took in our house after solemn preparations that in some way recalled the Japanese tea ceremony. Some windows had to be opened and others closed to achieve the perfect degree of warmth, and there had to be a certain kind of light from a certain direction, and absolute silence. Neruda fell asleep right away, and woke ten minutes later, as children do, when we least expected it. He appeared in the living room refreshed, and with the monogram of the pillowcase imprinted on his cheek. 
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(i) Why is siesta called sacred? (ii) Why were the windows kept open? (iii) What is meant by 'right away'? (a) subsequently (b) by and by (c) immediately (d) consequently (iv) What does the writer mean by 'monogram of the pillowcase imprinted on his cheek'? (v) Why was the writer reminded of the 'Japanese tea ceremony'? (vi) Which word in the passage is an apt antonym of 'drained' ? 
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OR 
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(B) Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: 
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A man grabbed Margolin and for a while he danced in the frantic whirl. Then, tearing himself loose, he stood apart. Who was that woman? He found his eye caught by her familiar form. He knew her! She beckoned to him. He stood baffled. She looked neither young nor old. Where had he known her that narrow face, those dark eyes, that girlish smile? Her hair was arranged in the old manner, with long braids wound like a wreath around her head. The grace of Sencimin adorned her something he, Margolin, had long since forgotten. And those eyes, he was in love with those eyes and had been all his life. 
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(i) Why do you think Dr. Margolin danced in a frantic whirl? (ii) Why did he stop dancing? (iii) What was his reaction when he saw the woman? (iv) What is meant by the expression 'Her hair was arranged in the old manner'? (v) What is meant by 'had been all his life'? (vi) Which word in the passage is an apt synonym of 'puzzled'? 
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(II) Attempt any one of the two extracts (A) and (B) given below : (6 x 1 = 6) 
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(A) Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: 
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Or listen to the clocktowers of any old well-managed city beating their gongs round the clock, each slightly off the others' time, deeper or lighter in its bronze, beating out a different sequence each half-hour, out of the accidents of alloy, a maker's shaking hand in Switzerland, or the mutual distances commemorating a donor's whim, the perennial feuds and seasonal alliance of Hindu, Christian, and Muslim cut off sometimes by a change of wind, 
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(i) Why does the poet say 'each slightly off the others' time'? (ii) Who is the 'donor'? (iii) What is the significance of Switzerland ? (iv) What are perennial feuds? (v) What is meant by 'seasonal alliance'? (vi) What is the synonym of 'whim'? (a) mood (b) friendship (c) spontaneity (d) tantrum 
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OR 
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(B) Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: 
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Could I revive within me Her symphony and song, To such a deep delight, 'twould win me, That with music loud and long, I would build that dome in air, That sunny dome! those caves of ice! And all who heard should see them there, And all should cry, Beware! Beware! His flashing eyes, his floating hair! Weave a circle round him thrice, And close your eyes with holy dread, For he on honeydew hath fed, And drunk the milk of Paradise. 
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(i) Whose symphony and song is referred to here? (ii) Which 'dome' is mentioned here? (iii) What is 'loud and long music'? (iv) What is 'holy dread'? (v) What is 'milk of Paradise'? (vi) What is the antonym of 'holy'? (a) contaminated (b) slushy (c) muddy (d) profane 
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8.    Answer any one of the following questions in 30 - 40 words: (2 Marks) (a) Do you agree with Shaw's arguments that slavery of man-to-man is hateful to the body and to the spirit ? (b) In her poem 'Trees', why does Emily Dickinson use pronouns referring to the Sun in capitals? 
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9.    Answer any one of the following questions in 50-60 words: (3 Marks) (a) Did the author believe in the prophetic ability of Frau Frieda ? (b) Why does Eveline choose to sacrifice happiness against her filial duties? 
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10.    Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words: (5 Marks) (a) How does Virginia Woolf describe her reflections on a variety of subjects in her essay, "The Mark on the Wall"? Which technique of storytelling is used by her ? (b) How does the spell of Prakriti's mother work? In what condition is Ananda made to come? 
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Fiction 
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11.    Answer any one of the following questions in 30-40 words: (2 Marks) (a) Why were Balu and his wife given a separate house to live? (b) How did the Police Inspector help Margayya trace his son Balu ? (c) What type of life was Swamiji living before becoming a Sanyasi? (d) What confusion was created after Tiger escaped from the shooting site? 
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12.    Answer any one of the following questions in 50-60 words: (3 Marks) (a) What is the significance of the name 'Margayya'? (b) What suspicions did Margayya have about the temple priest ? (c) Summarise the arguments exchanged between Alphonse and the Chairman of 'Save Tiger Committee'? (d) How did the Captain train Tiger for his circus show? 
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13.    Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words: (5 Marks) (a) Do you agree with the view that Margayya was only a comic character and by no means a villain? Elaborate. (b) What made Margayya discontinue his business of helping the poor peasants to take loans from the cooperative bank? (c) Do you think the Tiger enjoyed a carefree and happy life in the forest before being captured? (d) "R.K. Narayan succeeds in giving human qualities to the Tiger." Discuss. 
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