AHSEC Class 12 English Solved Question Paper 2016 [AHSEC Class 12 Solved Question Papers]

English Solved Question Paper 2016

AHSEC Class 12 Solved Question Papers]

Full Marks: 100

Pass Marks: 30

Time: Three Hours.

The figures in the margin indicate full marks for the questions.

SECTION A

(Reading Skills: 10 Marks)

1. Read the following passage carefully:

At 4.30 P.M., Abha brought in the last mean he was ever to eat; it consisted of goat’s milk, cooked and raw vegetables, oranges and a concoction of ginger, sour lemons and strained butter with juice of aloe. Sitting on the floor of his room in the rear of Birla House in New Delhi, Gandhi ate and talked with Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel, Deputy Prime Minister of the new government of independent India. Maniben, Patel’s daughter and secretary, was also present. The conversation was important. There had been rumours of difference between Patel and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. This problem, like so many others, had been dropped into the Mahatma’s lap.

Abha, alone with Gandhi and the Patel’s, hesitated to interrupt. But she knew Gandhi’s attachment to punctuality. Finally, therefore, she picked up the Mahatma’s nickel-plated watch and showed it to him. ‘I must tear myself away’, Gandhi remarked, and so saying he rose, went to the adjoining bathroom and then started towards the prayer ground in the large park to the left of the house. Abha, the young wife of Kanu Gandhi, grandson of the Mahatma’s cousin, and Manu, the granddaughter of another cousin, accompanied him; he leaned his forearms on their shoulders. ‘My walking sticks’, he called them.

During the daily two-minute promenade through the long, red-sandstone colonnade that led to the prayer ground, Gandhi relaxed and joked. Now, he mentioned the carrot juice Abha had given him that morning.

‘So you are serving me cattle fare’, he said, and laughed.

‘Ba used to call it house fare’, Abha replied. Ba was Gandhi’s deceased wife.

‘Isn’t it grand of me’, Gandhi bantered, ‘to relish what no one else wants?

‘Bapu (father)’, said Abha, ‘your watch must be feeling very neglected. You would not look at it today.’

‘Why should I, since you are my timekeepers?’ Gandhi retorted.

‘But you don’t look at the timekeepers,’ Manu noted. Gandhi laughed again.

On the basis of your reading of passage answer the following questions: (See paper 2014, Q.NO 1)

a)       What did Gandhi eat in his last meal?              2

b)      Who were the persons present when Gandhi ate his last meal?                           2

c)       What was the problem that had been dropped into Gandhi’s lap?      2

d)      Why did Abha show Gandhi the nickel-plated watch?                              2

e)      Who were the timekeepers of Gandhi?                          1

f)        What is the cattle fare referred to?  1

SECTION B (Advanced Writing Skills:25 Marks)

2. Design an attractive poster for promoting cleanliness in your neighbourhood. (Maximum 50 words)                  5

Ans:

CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS Keep the surrounding of Awantika NEAT AND CLEAN Kick away diseases & make life all green Clean Environment – Healthy Living Keep your area clean by – 1)      Removing garbage 2)      Saying ‘NO’ to plastics 3)      Checking pollution 4)      Covering open drains 5)      Lanting more and more trees Issued  By – Residents walfare Associations, Awantika, New DelhIi.

Or

You are Arun Das / Arunima Das, a resident of 16, Gopinath Bordoloi Nagar, Tinsukia. You have lost a black handbag containing valuable documents while travelling from Digboi to Tinsukia by bus. Draft an advertisement in not more than 50 words, for publication in an English daily giving details of the bag, mentioning when you have lost it and giving your contact address requesting the finder to return it to you.

Ans:

LOST! LOST! A black hand bag containing valuable documents and certificates has been lost while travelling fromDigboi to Tinsukia by bus on 23 September, 12. There is a red nameplate on the front side of the bag with asymbol of eagle in it. There is also a leather sticker attached to the belt. Any one who has found the bag is requested to return it to the following address and is promised to provide him a handsome reward. ArunDas, 16, Gopinath Bordoloi Nagar, Tinsukia,Contact: XXXXXXX710

3. You are an eyewitness to a road accident in which a school-going boy was killed and many passengers were injured. As a press reporter of an English Daily write a report about the accident in 100-125 words. You are Nitu/Saura( See Question paper 2012)                      10

Or

You attended the Edufair, 2015, organized by Assam Tribune Pvt. Ltd. in Guwahati in which some top colleges and universities of India participated and gave information about their undergraduate and graduate programs. Write a detailed account of the fair in 100-125 words. You are Parveen/Pravin. (See Question paper 2012)       

             

Write a letter to Editor of The Assam Tribune, Guwahati – 781003 drawing the attention of the authorities concerned to the erratic power supply, particularly during study hours, in your locality. You are Rita/Augustine.         10

Ans:

To,

The Editor

The Assam Tribune

Guwahati – 781003

Sub: Erratic power in Dibrugarh.

Dear Sir,

Through the column of your esteemed daily, I would like to draw attention of the Assam Power    Distribution Company and the concerned department of the Assam Government to the erratic power supply in the entire Dibrugarh.

The residents of this area have been facing great trouble because of unscheduled load-shedding and cutting off of power supply particularly in the evening hours and night. During this summer season people are compelled to spend sleepless nights. The worst sufferers are the students. They are bound to study in candle light at night.   

The residents of this area have met high officials of the Assam Power Distribution Company and submitted a petition highlighting the problems and urging them to regularize the power supply. So far nothing has been done and unscheduled load-shedding and power-cuts continued as before in spite of their assurances. The residents have also brought the matter to the notice of concerned department of the Government.

Hope this will attract the attention of the concerned authority and make them take requisite steps to regularize power-supply in the areas.

Yours Truly,

Gautam

Dibrugarh

Or

You are Imran/Rongmili. You have seen an advertisement for the post of an English Teacher in Lakhimpur Public School, Lakhimpur. Write a formal letter to the President of the Managing Committee of the school in response to the advertisement applying for the post. Give your detailed bio-data.

Ans:

Examination Hall

Tinsukia college

Tinsukia (Assam)

23^rd Febuary, 2018

The Headmaster

Lakhimpur Public School,

Lakhimpur (Assam)

Subject: An application for the post of English Teacher

Sir,

This is in esponse to your advertisement in ‘The Assam Tribune’ dated 10/12/2017 regarding the post of a ‘English Teacher’. I wish to apply for the same post.

I am outgoing, deligent and open to learning and have good command over English speaking. I have all the requisite qualification and experience. I did my graduation from Sri Ram College, Delhi in Commerce stream. I worked as a English teacher in A New High School, Tinsukia for 1 year. I wish to bring difference in the lives of people through education.

As regard my qualification and experience , I am enclosing my bio- data for your kind consideration. I shall be available for an interview on any day of your convenience.

If selected I shall discharge my duties with utmost devotion and sincerity to your full satisfaction.

Yours sincerely

Arunabh

ENCLOSURE:

1.       Testimonials

2.       Bio- data

BIO-DATA

NAME                               :                Arunava

FATHER NAME                :                S.K Dutta

ADDESS                             :                Examination Hall, Tinsukia College, Tinsukia (Assam)

CONTACT                          :                9987XXXXXX

DATE OF BIRTH                :                xx/xx/1993

NATIONALITY                   :                Indian

RELIGION                          :                Hindu

MARITAL STATUS            :                Unmarried

GENDER                            :                Male

AGE                                   :                26 years

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION

YEAR	EXAMINATION	BOARD/UNIVERSITY	INSTITUTE	PERCENTAGE	DIVISON
2010	HSLC	SEBA	A NEW HIGH SCHOOL	79%	I
2012	H.S 2ND YEAR	AHSEC	TINSUKIA COLLEGE	86%	I
2015	B.COM	DELHI UNIVERSITY	SRI RAM COLLEGE	76%	I

WORK EXPERIENCE:

S.No	Organisation	Position held	From	To
1	A New High School, Tinsukia	English Teacher	1/11/2016	1/11/2017

SKILLS:

-          Excellent written and verbal communication skills

-          Working knowledge of Tally, Excel, MS-Word.

Achievements:

-          Games secretary of Tinsukia college student Union(2014-2015)

-          Winner of Inter –college Debate Competiton (2014-2015)

Hobby: Interacting with people, reading books, cricket etc.

Language Known: Hindi, English, Bengali, Assamese.

Declaration:

I solemnly declare that all the above information are correct to the best of my knowledge.

Date:    13/12/2017                                                                                                                        Arunabh

Place:   Tinsukia                                                                                                                              Signature

 

SECTION C

(Grammar           :               20 Marks)

5. Change the form of narration in the following sentences:       2x2=4

a)       “How long do you have to wait for your train?” the woman asked me. “About an hour,” I replied.

Ans:  The woman asked me how long she had to wait for your train. I replied that she had to wait about an hours.

b)      I asked Ranjan where Neena lived. Ranjan replied regretfully that he didn’t know.

Ans: I said to Ranjan,” where does Neena live?’’. Ranjan replied,’’ sorry! I don’t know’’.

6. Change the voice of any three of the following sentences:      3x1=3

a)       She handed me the letter.                          Ans: A letter was handed to me by her.

b)      They laughed at us.                                      Ans: we were laughed at by them

c)       The stranger made an attempt to break into the house. 

 Ans:  An attempt was made by the stranger to break into the house.

d)      The student was told to leave the room. 

Ans: The teacher told the student to leave the room.

e)      Have they done the work?                         

Ans: Has the work been done by them?

7. Rewrite any five of the following sentences using the verbs given in brackets in their correct tense forms:  5x1=5

a)       We ……………….. (do) our lessons when the lights went out.                                    Ans: were doing

b)      I usually ……………. (go) to bed at 11 o’clock.                                                              Ans: go

c)       All the answers to the questions ……………… (be) wrong.                                         Ans: are

d)      He ……………. (sit) in the library when I saw him.                                                        Ans: was sitting

e)      Your letter ……………… (reach) me yesterday.                                                             Ans: reached

f)        I ………………. (wait) for you since morning.

Ans: have been waiting

g)       Football ……………….. (play) everywhere in the world.                                               Ans: is played

8. Rewrite any four of the following sentences filling in the blanks with the appropriate prepositions:   4x1=4

a)       The train arrived ……………………. the platform a minute ago.                                  Ans: at

b)      The children were looking forward …………………. Their visit to Kaziranga.           Ans: to

c)       I have to finish this report ………………… tonight.

 Ans: by

d)      The girl standing ……………………. The two boys is their sister.                                 Ans: between

e)      Douglas jumped …………………. The swimming pool.                                                  Ans: into

f)        The office is closed ……………………. Second and fourth Saturdays.                         Ans: On

9. Rewrite any four of the sentences as directed:             4x1=4

a)       No other boxer is as great as Mary Kom. (Change into comparative degree)

Ans: mary kon is greater than any other boxer.

b)      None but Anita can do the sum. (Change into affirmative)

Ans: only Anita can do the sum

c)       Everybody must admit that Tendulkar is a great cricketer. (Change into negative)

Ans: Nobody can deny that Tendulkar is a great cricketer

d)      I know his name. (Change into a complex sentence)

Ans: I know what his name is.

e)      He hoped that he would win the prize. (Change into a simple sentence)

Ans: Hopefully he would win the prize.

f)        Is it not a foolish idea? (Transform into a statement)

Ans: It is a wise Idea.

SECTION- D

(Text books        :               45 Marks)

10. Read one of the following extracts and answer the questions that follow:

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.”

Questions:

                     i.            How long does the poet want to stay still?     1

Ans: The poet wants to stay still till he counts to twelve.

                   ii.            Why does he ask us to keep still and not use any language?  2

Ans: The poet ask us to keep still and not use any language because this will provide necessary respite from rush and hurry. People of this world indulge in unnecessary debates and disputes. The poet urges them to stop speaking in any language. They should speak through their hearts.

                 iii.            What does the poet mean by ‘not move our arms so much’? 1

Ans: By ‘not move our arms so much’ the asks us to stop fighting and quarreling among ourselves.

Or

b)      “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.”

Questions:

                     i.            Who is the poet of these lines and what is the title of the poem?                       2

Ans: John Keats is the poet of these lines and the title of the poem is ‘A Thing Of Beauty’

                   ii.            Why is a thing of beauty a joy forever?                          1

Ans: John Keats, a great Romantic poet, considers that a thing of beauty is a joy forever. It is a constant source of happiness and pleasure. Its loveliness increases every moment. A thing of beauty is never devalued. It never passes into nothingness.

                 iii.            What is a bower?     1

Ans: A bower is the shady place under a tree.

11. Answer any three of the following questions in 30-40 words:                              3x2=6

a)       Why has the poet brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?

Ans: Sprinting trees and merry children bursting out from the doors suggest fresh life and warm energy. The poet draws this image to strikes a scene of contrast with the pale, dull and withered face of the mother. Here the curtain is falling and the life coming to an end and there the curtain is rising and fresh life is beginning and bubbling with energy and vitality

b)      What is the exotic moment the poet Pablo Neruda wishes for?

Ans: According to the poet exotic moment will be the moment when mankind will be free from rush hurry, noise, harmful actions and all his sufferings. It will be moment of peace and tranquility. A bliss  of extraordinary calmness would prevail on the whole earth .

c)       Name the things of nature that are constant sources of beauty.

Ans: Every little or big thing of nature is a thing of beauty and a source of pleasure such as the sun, the moon, trees old and young, daffodil flowers, small streams with clear water, mass of ferns and blooming musk-roses.

d)      What is the message that John Keats wants to give through ‘A Thing of Beauty’?

Ans: The very first line of the poem conveys the message of the poet. John Keats was a worshipper of beauty. A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Beauty never fades. Nor is it devalued. It never passes into nothingness. A thing of beauty removes away the pall of sadness and sorrows and gives us joy and pleasure.

e)      ‘Of all the thousand selfish cars’ some stop there but not for buying something. Why do they stop there at all?

Ans: Generally the cars, passing through the highways does not stop at the roadside stand. If any car stop there, it is only to use the yard to back and to turn round the car. Sometime cars stop only to ask their way ahead or to ask for a gallon gas (petrol)

f)        Who will soothe the rural poor out of their wits and how?

Ans: The greedy people will be the good-doers. They will dominate the lives of the poor rural folk.They will cunningly try to exploit them. These people are crueler than the beasts of prey.They only want to earn huge profits for themselves by exploiting the poor and innocent people. They will sleep comfortably in their beds all day but ‘prevent the poor’ from sleeping peacefully.

12. Answer any five of the following questions:                5x1=5

a)       What did Franz think ‘for a moment’?

Ans: For a moment Franz thought of running away and spending the glorious day outdoors in a more pleasurable manner.

b)      What does Saheb look for in the garbage dumps?

Ans: Saheb is looking for gold in the garbage dumps. Sometimes he finds a rupee, even a ten rupee note. If luck favours, he can find a silver coin too.

c)       Where has Saheb come from?

Ans: Saheb has come from Dhaka in Bangladesh

d)      What position did John Rowntree hold before leaving Shillong a few days after independence?

Ans: Senior Conservator of forest of Assam.

e)      Who was Rajkumar Shukla?

Ans: Rajkumar Shukla was a poor sharecropper of champaran district.

f)        What was Gandhi’s politics intertwined with?

Ans:  Gandhi’s politics intertwined with the pratical day to day problem of the millions.

g)       For whom does Sophie ask Danny Casey an autograph?

Ans: Sophie asks Danny Casey an autograph for Derek.

h)      How was Geoff employed?

Ans: Geoff was employed as apprentice mechanic.

13. Answer any five of the following questions in 30-40 words:                 5x2=10

a)       Why did Franz want to spend his day out of doors?

Ans: Franz has not prepared his lesson on participals. He was familiar with his teache’s cranky nature. He  expected teacher’s anger. He did not want to get scold from M. Hamel so he thought of running away from the school and spending the day out of doors

b)      What are M. Hamel’s views about the French language?

Ans: M. Hamel loved his native language very much. He understood the beauty and importance of his language. That day he appreciated his language saying it is the most beautiful language in the world-the clearest, the most logical. He requested them to guard it so that they can be united and fight back for their freedom.

c)       What is the irony inherent in Saheb’s full name?

Ans: Saheb was a rag picker of Seemapuri. His full name was ‘Saheb-E-Alam’, which means lord of the universe. But the irony of it is that Saheb neither knows the meaning of it nor does he possess the characteristic of it. He scrounges for gold in the garbage dumps.

d)      Why do the your inhabitants of Firozabad end up losing their eye-sight?

Ans: : The young boys and girls of Firozabad work with their fathers and mothers. They have flickering oil lamb in front of them. They weld pieces of glass in bangles. Their eyes get more used to dark than to the light outside. Many of them lose their eyesight before they become adult.

e)      Give a brief description of Peacock Island.

Ans:  Peacock island was located in the middle of river Brahmaputra.When viewed from Rowntree’s bungalow on the other bank, it offered a splendid view with the dome of a Hindu Temple just visible through the trees. The author said jockingly that he never discovered peacocks but only monkeys on the island.

f)        Why was the Champaran episode so significant in Gandhi’s life?

Ans: The Champaran episode was really very significant in Gandhi’s life. It was an effort to remove the distress(कष्ट) of poor peasants. The success of Champaran justified Gandhi’s ways and means. It gave a message. The Britishers who were dreaded and unquestioned could now be challenged by the Indians. The success of Champaran was the success of peaceful Civil Disobedience in modern India.

g)       What was incongruous about the delicate bow which fastened the apron strings of Sophie’s mother?

Ans: Sophie’s mother was wearing an apron and its strings were fastened with a delicate bow(झुकना) which displayed the status of their family and the busy mother in managing the household. This also explains the character of Sophie, why she likes to lead a sophisticated life.

14. Answer any one of the following questions in 80-100 words:                               1x5=5

a)       Draw a character sketch of M. Hamel as it is shown in ‘The Last Lesson’.

Ans: M. Hamel was a French teacher. He had been serving in the school of Alsace for last forty years. He had great regard for his language. He became melancholic when the order had come from Berlin that in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine only German language will be taught because he felt that his students would be deprived of the right to learn their own mother tongue. On the last day of this school he wore his best dress which he wore only on inspection and prize days. Though he was strict and disciplinarian, still on the day of his last class he did not scold Franz for coming late and for failure to recite the rules of participles. He did not blame him rather he blamed himself and people of Alsace which showed his analytical outlook. M. Hamel was emotional too, his emotions were seen when he could not utter a single word as his voice choked. He just wrote on the black board” Vive la France” i.e. long live France and made gesture that the school was over. M. Hamel was a person who loved his motherland and his language. As per him French was the most logical and the most beautiful language in the world. He was a strong person. Though his heart was broken still he had the courage to hear every lesson to the very last. He was a man of discipline with love for his land and language.

Or

b)      Describe Rowntree’s experience of crossing a flooded river on horseback.

ANS: Once, the narrator crossed a flooded river on horseback. With difficulty, he persuaded his horse to plunge into the water, then slopped over his croup and hung on to his tail, which he was able to use as a rudder. When the narrator pushed the horse to the right, it veered to the left and when he pushed to the left, the horse veered to the right and in this way, eventually they made a safe landing on the other side of the river.

Or

c)       ‘The battle of Champaran is won,’ Gandhi exclaimed. Explain the context in which this was said.

ANS: The lawyers played a very vital role in the Champaran movement. The news of Gandhi’s advent spread among the lawyers of Muzaffarpur. They called on Gandhi to brief him. Gandhi chided the lawyers for collecting big fees from the poor sharecroppers. Law courts were useless for them.

The lawyers from Bihar were again in the news. Gandhi was going to be tried in the court. Rajendra Prasad, and several other prominent lawyers had arrived from Bihar to support him. Gandhi asked what they would do if he was sentenced to prison. A senior lawyer replied that if he went to jail, they would go home.

Gandhi was disappointed. He asked what would happen to the sharecroppers if he went to jail. Who would fight for them? The lawyers felt ashamed. They thought that going home would be ‘shameful desertion’. They told him that they were ready to follow him into jail. Gandhi was more than satisfied. He declared: “the battle of Champaran is won”.

15. Answer any one of the following questions in 125-150 words:            1x7=7

Describe Tishani’s journey to the end of the earth – The Antarctic region, and his experience during that journey.

Ans: The narrator boarded a Russian research ship the 'Akademik Shokalskiy'. He was heading towards the coldest, driest and windiest continent in the world — Antarctica. His journey began 13.09 degrees north of the Equator from Madras. He had to cross nine time-zones, six checkpoints, three bodies of water and at least three ecospheres. He travelled for over 100 hours. His first emotion was that of seeking relief. He wondered at its immensity and isolation.

The author spent two weeks in a place where 90 per cent of the earth's total ice volume is stored. There were no trees, no billboards or buildings. He lost all earthly sense of perspec­tive and time.

'Students on Ice' programme of Geoff Green was quite successful. The aim of the pro­gramme was to take high school students to the ends of the world. It provided them inspiring educational opportunities. They could develop a new understanding and respect for their planet. The most thrilling experience of the narrator was his walking on the ocean. Underneath their feet was a metre-thick ice pack and 180 metres of living, breathing, salt water.

Or

‘Though both Mr. Lamb and Derry suffers from a physical disability their attitudes to life are different’. Justify the relevance of this statement with reference to the story of “On the Face of it”?

Ans:  Derry’s main problem is his burnt face. One side of his face was eaten up by acid. He suffers from a tremendous sense of inferiority complex. He is always conscious that his face is “bad”, “terrible” and “the ugliest thing”. People are “afraid” of him. He tries to escape people. He allows himself to be alienated from the world. On the other hand, Mr. Lamb doesn’t allow his physical disability to come in his way. He accepts life as it comes. He has a positive attitude towards life, things and people. He doesn’t find solace in escapism. Children tease him by calling “Lamey-Lamb” but he doesn’t mind it. One of his legs was blown off in the war. But he is full of life and enjoys it at his best. He enjoys sitting in the sun, reading books and growing weeds and flowers.

Derry is withdrawn and defiant. He doesn’t trust people. He is touchy and hyper-sensitive. Mr. Lamb is open-minded and open-hearted. All are welcome. He loves everybody and everything. He teaches derry how to handle people and things.

16. Answer any four of the following questions in 30-40 words:                4x2=8

a)       What was Zitkala’s idea regarding short, shingled hair?

Ans: Zitkala Sa’s mother had taught her that shingled hair was worn by mourners, cowards, and unskilled warriors caught in war. She had a great deal of love for her traditions and her hair. For her the hair meant much closer to her culture. To save her identity, to uphold her civilization and pride so she fought against the attempts of the authorities to cut her hair.

b)      What did Annan say about his community to the narrator?

Ans: Annan told the narrator that they belonged to a 'low' caste. The people of his community were not respected, honoured or given any importance. The members of their community can attain honour and dignity if they study and prosper. If they become learned, people will come to them of their own accord.

c)       How has Antarctica remained relatively pristine?

Ans: Antratica has always remain pristine because it always has less bio- diversity. It remains fresh and clean as it never sustained a human population and therefore it remains relatively pristine in this respect.

d)      What explanation was given by the chief astrologer to the query of the little Tiger King?

Ans: The royal infant wants to know the real cause of his death. The astrologer tells him that he is born in the hour of the Bull. The Bull and the Tiger are enemies. Therefore, his death will “come from the Tiger”. He cautions him to beware of the hundredth tiger.

e)      Why aren’t there any curtains at the windows of Mr. Lamb’s house?

Ans: Mr. lamb loves outside world.  He does not believe in shutting things out. He wants to feel the beauty of this world. He likes to hear the sound of wind blowing outside and the birds chirping outside. So he does not have curtains at his window. He also likes light and darkness.

f)        Why and how did Derry enter Mr. Lamb’s garden?

Ans: Derry entered Mr. Lamb’s garden by walking slowly and cautiously through the long grass and round a screen of bushes and finally by climbing over the ground.

Derry entered Mr. Lamb’s garden with an intention to spend some time at an empty place. He thought it was an empty place.

***