REVISION-1 EXAMINATION (2024 – 25)

SUBJECT: ENGLISH CLASS: XII

TIME: 3 Hours MARKS: 80 DATE: 27.09.2024

SECTION A – READING SKILLS

I Read the text carefully and answer the questions: (10)

1. Summer is upon us and the mango has made its appearance. Even as pickles, papads,
preserves, pulp, and powder get prepared for the mango less days ahead, we only need to sink
our teeth into the raw mango or the ripe sweet one for a taste of heaven on earth. So grab a
fruit and let us unravel the marvellous mango mystery.
2. Legend has said it that the mango was not only the king of fruits but a fruit of kings. Once
upon a time, personal orchards were heavily guarded symbols of status with exclusive
varieties of their fruit cultivated especially for royalty and nobles though favored folks were
gifted baskets of the much - sought - after mangoes.
3. Mangoes trace their origin to India and Burma where they have been grown for over 5000
years. Buddhist monks transplanted it to Malaysia and other parts of South - east Asia, the
Portuguese took it to Brazil and the West Indies, the Persians to the Gulf and Africa. It was
only in the 1830s that mangoes first appeared in the United States.
4. The word mango originated from out Tamil ‘make - kay’ or ‘man - gay’ which the
Portuguese pronounced as ‘mange’ till Anglicisation made it ‘mango.’
5. Legends and fables bring glory to the fruit. Rama took the fruit and gave divinity to
Shabari and mango leaves are hung on our doorways on auspicious days. Today, over 1200
varieties of mango trees are grown over the world in the warm and wet climate of the tropics
and subtropics.
6. Among the many Indian varieties, the Alphanso or Hapus raised in a small stretch across
the Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra is valued most for its lush sweetness, lack of fibres in the
pulp, and long shelf - life. Mango trees are evergreen and grow about 60 feet tall taking up to
4 – 6 years to start producing fruit. World annual production totals 20 million metric tonnes.
Of this, India tops the list of growers (we do export a small fraction to the Gulf region) while
Mexico (the second largest producer) is the largest exporter.

1. Complete the sentence by choosing an appropriate option.

The word "mango"has its roots in the ________.
a. Tamil word "make - kay"
b. Portuguese word "mange"

HISK/CBSE/REVISION-1/2024-25/X/SUBJECT ENGLISH
Page 1
c. Anglicisation of "mange"
d. Carnatic word "man - gay"
2. Comment on the writer’s reference to the origin of Mangoes.
3. List any two legendary fables that renders the fruit an auspicious status. (2)
( Clue : Think about the stories woven around the fruit)
4. Select the option that conveys the opposite of ‘non - fiction’, from words
used in paragraph two.
a. Legend b. orchard
c. exclusive d. folk
5. In which season does one get to savor mango fruit?
a. Winter b. Autumn
c. Summer d. Spring
6. Mango make appearance during the Summers. Besides this, based on
your knowledge, list few other physical traits/features of mango trees.
7. How do we prepare ourselves for the mango - less days?
8. Complete the given sentence with an appropriate inference, with respect
to the following:
Mango was not only a king of fruits but a fruit of kings because
________.
9. In the earlier days, who besides the noble had access to the mystical
fruit?
a. General Public
b. Soldiers
c. Courtiers and Ministers
d. Favored Folks of the king

II. Read the text carefully and answer the questions: (10)
1. It is generally accepted that leadership development should be a part of the education
system’s responsibility for preparing individuals to participate in a democratic and
progressive society. Many schools, colleges and universities, across nations, provide their
students with leadership courses, curricular programs and co - curricular programs that are
designed to develop students’ formal knowledge about leadership as well as opportunities and
experiences to develop students as leaders and actually practise leadership. Yet, only a
handful of studies have sought to understand leader development from the students’ point of
view, with students describing their own experiences and what they
learned from them in their own words.
2. A 2014 descriptive study sought to understand student leadership with research through
key events via the following research questions:
Research Question 1: What key events do student leaders in college, report as significantly
impacting their development as a leader?
Research Question 2: What lessons do student leaders in college, report learning as a result of
the key events they have experienced?
Research Question 3: Are certain key events more likely to be linked to particular lessons?
Approximately 130 students were contacted and the 72 interested, were interviewed. Two
members of the research team were present for each 15-45-minute interview. One member
served as the primary interviewer while the second ran the audio equipment. The results for
lessons learned (Table 1), were varied, but there were a few that were frequently quoted.

HISK/CBSE/REVISION-1/2024-25/X/SUBJECT ENGLISH
Page 2
3. This study described the rich array of leadership lessons that students are learning through
their experiences. It revealed that student leaders are learning foundational leadership skills
and competencies that have positively impacted how to accomplish work, how to work with
others and how to be both supported by and support others.

1. Does the following statement agree with the information given in paragraph 1?
The researcher believes that educational institutions have ideal resources to study impact of
leadership skills on young adults.
Select from the following:
True - if the statement agrees with the information
False - if the statement contradicts the information
Not Given - if there is no information on this
2. Do you think the researchers of the study aimed to change the students’ outlook towards
the development of leadership skills, directly or indirectly? Support your answer with
reference to the text. (2)
3. Select the option that displays the most likely reason for including Research Question 3 in
the 2014 study. In order to find out if...
a. learning opportunities shape students’ overall personality.
b. leadership lessons are the result of the designed learning opportunities.

HISK/CBSE/REVISION-1/2024-25/X/SUBJECT ENGLISH
Page 3
c. all learning opportunities cater to a specific lesson.
d. certain lessons are common in more than one learning opportunity.

4. Complete the sentence based on the following statement.

More than 50% of the identified student respondents were keen to participate in the 2014
study. We can say this because _____ _.
5. Select the option that displays the key event designed with “Balancing
Roles” (Table 1) as the objective.
a. Students will be able to debate the issue at hand, with different teams.
b. Students will be able to manage the responsibilities of a mentor, planner researcher and
presenter.
c. Students will be able to surmount minor problems and focus on the final goal.
d. Students will be able to explain concepts and clarify them for
peers.
6. Complete the given sentence by selecting the most appropriate option.
The 2014 study attempts to understand student leadership by focussing on _ _.
a. experiences that shaped students’ overall personality.
b. lessons gained by students as they grew up.
c. relationship of key events with particular lessons.
d. students in leadership roles.
7. The lessons for ‘Individual competencies’ had a range of responses. Give one reason why
having the least number of responses for Decision Making, is a matter that needs attention.
(2)
8. Complete the given sentence by selecting the most appropriate option.
The concluding sentence of the text makes a clear case for _ _ by
listing it as a core competency for student leadership.
a. collaboration b. flexibility
c. hard work d. observation

SECTION B –CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS

III. You are Smitha / Sunil, Secretary AVM Housing Society. You are organising a Blood
Donation Camp. Write a notice in not more than 50 words urging the
members of your Society to come in large numbers for this noble cause. Invent
all the necessary details.

OR

You are Saheb/Saheba, the President of the RWA of Subhash Nagar, Indore. The association
in collaboration with Sara Hospital is organizing a free health check- up camp. Write a notice
in about 50 words informing the residents about the camp in which sugar, BP and general
check - ups will be done. Mention the day, date, time and venue. [4]

IV. Send a formal letter of invitation in 50 words to Dr. Mehra, noted novelist and
educationist, to speak on ‘The Importance of Books’. You are Lena/Sanjay,
Secretary Literary Club, S.S. Public School. Mention day, date, time and venue.

OR
You are Rajneesh/Rajee Mehta, an eminent educationist. You have been invited
to Nav Nirmaan School, Sucheta Vihar, Kolkata to attend and speak at a
HISK/CBSE/REVISION-1/2024-25/X/SUBJECT ENGLISH
Page 4
workshop on the topic The Importance of Time Management on June 5, 2022
at 10:00 a.m. Draft a letter of acceptance to the Cultural In - Charge, Piyush, in
about 50 words. [4]

V. Children tend to become tense and nervous before the board exams. This affects their
health and performance in the examination. Good counselling is, therefore, needed to help
them overcome exam fear. Write an article in 125 - 150 words on ‘Need for counselling
before board exams.’ You are Gobind/ Gobindi.
OR
Your school, Kanpur Secondary School, Kanpur celebrated ‘No Tobacco Day’ on 4th
September. Write a report in 100 - 125 words on the activities performed
for your school newsletter. You are Shobita/Sameer, Cultural Secretary of your
school. Invent the necessary details. [5]

VI. You are Praveen/Praveena, M - 114, Najafgarh, Delhi. A student of a reputed

Engineering College. You are worried to see the increasing use of single-use plastic carry
bags in your city. Write a letter to the editor of a local daily sharing your concern and provide
alternative solutions to the growing menace.
OR
Day by day lavish weddings are becoming more and more fashionable. Hotels,
farm houses and banquet halls are booked months in advance. Even lower
middle class families are entertaining thousand plus guests. Write a letter to the
editor of a national daily advocating simple weddings. You are Rani/Raj, 121
Bank street, Kanpur. [5]

SECTION C - LITERATURE

VII. Read the text carefully and answer the questions:

We have imagined for the
mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read;
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from heaven’s brink.
1. The phrase immortal drink refers to: [6]
a. blessings of our ancestors.
b. the teachings of nature.
c. a life - giving force.
d. the beauty of heaven.
2. All lovely tales evoke the feeling of:
a. sadness and nostalgia.
b. only nostalgia.
c. inspiration and pride.
d. only pride.
3. On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to
the two statements given below.
(1) Beautiful things are gifts from God for all of us.
(2) Beautiful objects of nature are forever like a never - ending portion
of a drink.
a. (1) can be inferred from the extract but (2) cannot.
b. (2) can be inferred from the extract but (1) cannot.
HISK/CBSE/REVISION-1/2024-25/X/SUBJECT ENGLISH
Page 5
c. Both (1) and (2) can be inferred from the extract.
d. (2) is the reason for (1) and can be inferred from the extract.
4. The literary device used by the poet in the following lines is ________. An endless
fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from heaven’s brink.
a. personification
b. allegory
c. imagery
d. synecdoche

5. Answer in one word:

The word (from the extract) which means verge or threshold is ________.

6. The benefits of a thing of beauty for humans include.

i. healthy body
ii. calm mind
iii. struggle - free life
d. better relationships
e. hope to carry on
Choose the most appropriate option.
a. Only (v)
b. (i), (ii) and (v)
c. (i), (iii) and (iv)
d. (ii) and (iv)
OR
Read the text carefully and answer the questions:
I saw my mother beside me
doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that
of a corpse and realised with pain
that she was as old as she looked but soon
put that thought away, and looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes.
1. Choose the option that displays the same poetic device as used in the
expression ashen like that of a corpse . a. He was a lion in the battle.
b. The flood swallowed more than a dozen villages.
c. He walked as slowly as a snail.
d. The tree blocks the free flow of water.
2. Choose the correct option that best explains the reason for the poet to
put that thought away.
a. The mother’s face was pale and ugly.
b. It was unbearable for her to see her mother sleeping.
c. She was troubled by the thought of her mother’s perpetual state
of exhaustion.
d. She was deeply pained by the thought of the mother’s imminent
death.
3. What do the expressions doze open mouthed describe about the poet’s
mother?
a. She is sleeping and relaxing.
b. She is aged and exhausted.
HISK/CBSE/REVISION-1/2024-25/X/SUBJECT ENGLISH
Page 6
c. She is tired of travelling.
d. She is not in a mood to talk to her daughter.
4. Answer in ONE word.
The poet uses the image of sprinting trees to emphasize the ________ to
the ageing mother.
5. On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to
the two statements given below.
(1) The poet portrays typical mother - daughter love and affection.
(2) The poet is horrified by the thought of losing her.
a. (1) can be inferred from the extract but (2) cannot.
b. (2) can be inferred from the extract but (1) cannot.
c. Both (1) and (2) can be inferred from the extract.
d. (2) is the reason for (1) and can be inferred from the extract.
6. What mood does the expression merry children spilling bring in?
a. Happiness and enthusiasm
b. Innocence and playfulness
c. Laziness
d. Joy

VIII. Read the text carefully and answer the questions:

You lose all earthly sense of perspective and time here. The visual scale ranges
from the microscopic to the mighty: midges and mites to blue whales and
icebergs as big as countries (the largest recorded was the size of Belgium).
Days go on and on and on in surreal 24 - hour austral summer light, and a
ubiquitous silence, interrupted only by the occasional avalanche or calving ice
sheet, consecrates the place. It’s an immersion that will force you to place
yourself in the context of the earth’s geological history. And for humans, the
prognosis isn’t good. (4)
1. Select the option that correctly fits the category of microscopic to the
mighty out of the ones given below.
a. Trace of a skin cell: trace of a bird’s egg
b. A grain of rice: field of wheat
c. A scoop of ice cream: an ice - cream cone
d. A drop of water: Pacific Ocean
a. 1, 2
b. 3, 4
c. 1, 3
d. 2, 4
2. Choose the option listing the elements that influences one to think of
earth’s physicality.
a. Breakage of an iceberg from a glacier
b. Midges and mites
c. A regular seen avalanche
d. Summer light in the Southern hemisphere
a. 1, 2
b. 3, 4
c. 1, 4
d. 2, 3
3. Complete the sentence appropriately, with reference to the extract.
Choose the phrase that refers to the range of things one can see ________.
HISK/CBSE/REVISION-1/2024-25/X/SUBJECT ENGLISH
Page 7
4. How did Antarctica amaze the writer when he first saw it?
OR
Read the text carefully and answer the questions: The dewan went home
convinced that if the Maharaja didn’t find the tiger soon, the results could be
catastrophic. He felt life returning to him only when he saw the tiger which had
been brought from the People’s Park in Madras and kept hidden in his house.
1. The phrase Life returning to him here means
a. change things in a better way.
b. resurrect things that are inactive.
c. change things as per the situation.
d. none of these
2. What was the dewan convinced of, as per the extract?
3. Complete the sentence appropriately, with reference to the extract.
The sight of ________ relieved dewan of all his worries.
4. Select the most suitable title for the given extract.
a. Dewan’s Quick Fix
b. The Mystery Unfolds
c. The Conclusion
d. The Last Resort

IX. Read the text carefully and answer the questions:

It takes longer to build a school,’I say, embarrassed at having made a promise
that was not meant. But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak
world.
After months of knowing him. I ask him his name, ‘Saheb - e - Alam, ’he
announces. He does not know what it means. If he knew its meaning - lord of
the universe - he would have a hard time believing it. Unaware of what his
name represents, he roams the streets with his friends, an army of barefoot
boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear at noon. Over the
months, I have come to recognise each of them.
1. What is the most likely reason for the narrator’s embarrassment? [6]
It could be because –
a. She was not able to build the school in time.
b. She does not know the name of the boys.
c. She is guilty of giving a false hope to the boy.
d. She is not aware of his bleak world.
2. Rewrite the sentence by replacing the underlined phrase with its
inference.
He was oblivious to the literal meaning of his name.
3. On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to
the two statements given below.
(1) The boy’s name was ironical.
(2) The boy had a hard time believing it.
a. (1) Can be inferred from the extract but (2) cannot.
b. (1) cannot be inferred from the extract but (2) can.
c. (1) is true but (2) is false.
d. (2) is the reason for (1).
4. Select the option that describes the literary device used in the
expression’ an army of barefoot boys who appear like morning
birds’. a. Metaphor
HISK/CBSE/REVISION-1/2024-25/X/SUBJECT ENGLISH
Page 8
b. Simile
c. Hyperbole
d. Alliteration
5. Rationalise, to support the given opinion:
The boy had many hollow promises in his bleak world.
6. Replace the underlined word with its antonym from the extract.
The narrator forgot each of their faces.
OR

Read the text carefully and answer the questions:

Poor man! It was in honour of this last lesson that he had put on his fine Sunday clothes, and
now I understood why the old men of the village were sitting there in the back of the room. It
was because they were sorry, too, that they had not gone to school more. It was their way of
thanking our master for his forty years of faithful service and of showing their respect for the
country that was theirs no more.
1. Select the suitable word from the extract to complete the following
analogy:
Honour: Respect: ________: Regretful
2. Based on the above extract, choose the statement that is FALSE for the
villagers.
a. They had gathered to bid farewell to [Link].
b. They expressed their gratitude towards [Link].
c. They regret not learning their mother tongue seriously.
d. They were more willing to welcome a replacement for [Link].
3. Why does the narrator refer to M. Hamel as Poor man! ?
a. He empathizes with M. Hamel as he had to leave the village
b. He believes that M. Hamel’s “fine Sunday clothes” clearly reflected
that he was not rich.
c. He feels sorry for M. Hamel as it was his last French lesson.
d. He thinks that M. Hamel’s patriotism and sense of duty resulted in
his poverty.
4. Which of the following idioms might describe the villagers’ act of
attending the last lesson most accurately?
a. ’Too good to miss’ b. ‘Too little, too late’
c. ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’ d. ‘Too cool for school’
5. Rationalise, to support the given opinion.
Besides M. Hamel, there was one thing more that brought the old men of
the village there.
6. Complete the sentence with an appropriate explanation, as per the
extract.
M Hamel was wearing his best dress in ________.

X. Answer any five of the following questions in 40 - 50 words each: [10]

A) ‘All we have to fear is fear itself’. When did Douglas learn this lesson?
B) Why did the poet ask us to count up to twelve in the poem Keeping
Quiet?
C) How does a thing of beauty provide shelter and comfort? (A Thing of
Beauty)
D) How was the Maharaja able to save his kingdom?
E)Which is the exotic moment that the poet refers to in ‘Keeping Quiet’.
HISK/CBSE/REVISION-1/2024-25/X/SUBJECT ENGLISH
Page 9
F) How did William Douglas’s fear of water start?

XI. Answer any two of the following questions in 40 - 50 words each [2x2=4]

A) When did India and other countries form the part of Antarctica?
B) Were the minions of Maharaja loyal to him, why or why not?
C) How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of
humankind? (Journey to the End of the Earth)

XII. Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words each: [5]
A) Deep water teaches a life lesson on Self confidence and living life to the full. Imagine
yourself William Douglas and prepare a lecture to be delivered to a group of
unintiated youth of your neighbourhood.
OR
B) A Roadside Stand is a social satire depleting the two contradictory words existing in
society. Justify the statement.

XIII. Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words each: [5]
A) What efforts were made by [Link] and Hana to save the life of injured man?
OR
B) How can a visit to Antarctica be an enlightening experience? Elaborate.

HISK/CBSE/REVISION-1/2024-25/X/SUBJECT ENGLISH
Page 10