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CLASS: XII FREEDOM INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PRE BOARD EXAMINATION I ENGLISH MAX. MARKS: 80 TIME: 3 HOURS GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: 1. The question paper contains 14 pages. 2. The question paper is divided into two parts: Objective (A) and Subjective (B) 3. All questions are compulsory. 4. Separate instructions are given with each section and question, wherever necessary. Read these instructions very carefully and follow them. 5. Do not exceed the prescribed word limit while answering the questions. SECTION A OBJECTIVE READING (20 marks) 1. Read the passage given below. 1 Contempt of court, as a concept that seeks to protect judicial institutions from motivated attacks and unwarranted criticism, and as a legal mechanism to punish those who lower its authority, is back in the news in India. 2 Remarks, speeches, illustrations and social media comments made by individuals have on several occasions resulted in accusations of being in contempt of court . These, however, do not always hold and are dismissed by the Attorney General of India, whose prior consent is required for the Supreme Court to initiate criminal contempt action. So what really does the law say about contempt of court? When is one guilty of it? 3 According to the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, contempt of court can either be civil contempt or criminal contempt. Civil contempt means willful disobedience to any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or other process of a court or willful breach of an undertaking given to a court. On the other hand, criminal contempt means the publication whether by words, spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representations, or otherwise of any matter or the doing of any other act whatsoever which: (i) scandalises or tends to scandalise, or lowers or tends to lower the authority of, any court; or (ii) prejudices, or interferes or tends to interfere with, the due course of any judicial proceeding; or (iii) interferes or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends to obstruct, the administration of justice in any other manner. 1 of 14 4 A contempt of court may be punished with simple imprisonment for a term, which may extend to six months, or with fine, which may extend to two thousand rupees, or with both, provided that the accused may be discharged or the punishment awarded may be remitted on apology being made to the satisfaction of the court. 5 However, fair and accurate reporting of judicial proceedings will not amount to contempt of court. Nor is any fair criticism on the merits of a judicial injunction after a case is heard and disposed of. 6 For many years, truth was seldom considered a defence against a charge of contempt. There was an impression that the judiciary tended to hide any misconduct among its individual members in the name of protecting the image of the institution. The Act was amended in 2006 to introduce truth as a valid defence, if it was in public interest and was invoked in a legal manner. 7 The concept of contempt of court is several centuries old. In England, it is a common law principle that seeks to protect the judicial power of the monarch, initially exercised by them, and later by a panel of judges who acted in their name. Violation of the judges orders was considered an affront to the monarch. Over time, any kind of disobedience to judges, or obstruction of the implementation of their directives, or comments and actions that showed disrespect towards them came to be punishable. On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the eleven that follow. (1x10 = 10) i. According to the passage, contempt of court is ____________. a. an attack on the Freedom of Speech b. a means of safeguarding the judiciary c. a legal way of criticising the courts d. a mechanism that punishes criminals ii. In the author s opinion, why is the topic of contempt of court pertinent? a. Because social media is proliferating without check. b. Because the courts in India are under threat. c. Because the judiciary has no authority. d. Because it has been in news recently. iii. What role does the Attorney General of India play in relation to contempt of court? a. The Attorney General is the final authority approving the judgments of the Supreme Court. b. The Attorney General is the one to whom the defendant must offer an apology. c. The Attorney General initiates proceedings of criminal contempt against the accused. d. The Attorney General needs to approve or dismiss the request to initiate a case of contempt. 2 of 14 iv. As per the Contempt of Courts Act of 1971, what constitutes civil contempt? a. Unduly influencing court proceedings. b. A deliberate disobedience of court orders. c. A verbal criticism of court orders. d. All of the above. v. According to the parameters provided in the passage, which of the following scenarios will be deemed a criminal contempt of court? a. Use of invective against a judge presiding over an active court case. b. A television show depicting fictionalized legal proceedings. c. A news debate critically analysing the verdict of a recent court case. d. A newspaper caricature of a Union minister. vi. Choose the most accurate statement/s with reference to the ways a contempt of court is penalised in India: A. A public apology offered through all media forums. B. A six-month jail term and/or an apology to the court. C. A six-month jail term and a retraction of the contemptuous content. D. A fine of up to two thousand rupees. a. b. c. d. Only B Only C A and C B and D vii. What is NOT a supposed reason behind truth not being considered a defence against a charge of contempt? a. There was no proper provision in law for it. b. The truth was not in public interest. c. The truth could undermine the image of the judiciary. d. The courts wanted to protect their image. viii. Why was the Contempt of Courts Act amended in 2006? a. To reprimand judicial misconduct. b. To protect the image of the courts. c. To admit truth as a valid defence. d. To appease the public. ix. In paragraph 7, with reference to the judiciary and the monarch, the author wishes to imply that: a. The judiciary was an extension of the monarch. b. That a panel of judges could hold the monarch in contempt c. That the judiciary and the monarch were separate. d. That the monarch could hold the judiciary in contempt. 3 of 14 x. Select the option that makes the correct use of the word unwarranted (Para 1), as used in the passage: a. The government s use of CCTVs is an unwarranted invasion of privacy. b. The unwarranted CCTVs help is protecting the citizens of a nation. c. CCTVs are a type of unwarranted surveillance system. d. In the present day, there is an unwarranted need for CCTVs surveillance. xi. Which of the following words used in the passage is NOT a synonym for the word order (Para 3)? a. decree b. injunction c. directive d. principle 2. Read the passage given below. 1 Picture this. You re running low on shower gel and shampoo so on your next visit to the supermarket you head to the toiletries aisle and quickly scan what s available. Instead of row upon row of colourful plastic bottles, this is what you see. A few plastic bottles, but not in the colours you re used to they re mostly grey, with a few hints of colour here and there. Mostly, there are no bottles, though. Shower gels and shampoos in solid bar form are neatly packaged in cardboard boxes or available loose. There is also a stack of reusable containers sitting next to large dispensers of liquid soap and shampoo. 2 In a world increasingly wary of its plastic use, this is what shopping for personal care products could look like. As the plastic waste crisis reaches new heights of urgency, elimination and reuse options for packaging will increasingly become part of the mix of strategies that companies are taking to become part of a circular plastics economy. More than 8 million tonnes of the stuff finds its way into oceans every year, so building a system that moves away from our current, linear take, make, waste economy is crucial. 4 of 14 3 While samples for body care products sold in solid bar format, or refill solutions are ongoing, designing for recycling is equally a priority to help prevent further leakage of plastic waste into the oceans. 4 Looking at a typical bottle of shower gel helps to understand the complexity of the challenge. In the absence of that product being sold in a solid state or as part of a refill system for the time being, let s assume it still comes in a familiar squeezy bottle, with a flip-top cap. The cap might be made from a different type of plastic to the bottle, and the label could be yet another type. Although that bottle, when sent for recycling in a European country, can usually be recycled; because of the mix of plastics, the resulting reprocessed material is of lower quality than if only one type of plastic was used. To create a robust market for recycled plastics is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel-based virgin plastics. Unfortunately, the recycler wants a very pure, uncontaminated material so he can sell it at a good price in the market, explains Marilu Valente, an industrial designer based in Germany. 5 The other factor that means recycled plastic is less desirable is that it is usually grey or opaque the result of all our brightly coloured plastic bottles being reprocessed together. From a marketing point of view, incorporating this grey, recycled plastic back into typically colourful product packaging can be a challenge. 6 One solution is to design products that are made from a single plastic, in a single colour. Indeed, with the packaging industry s target to reduce the amount of virgin plastics from fossil sources in consumer products by 50% which will be achieved by increasing the proportion of recycled plastic to more than 30% and for all packaging to be 100% recyclable by 2025, the beauty industry could start to look a lot more monochromatic. In the grand scheme of things, however, this seems a small price to pay for vibrant and clean oceans. On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer ANY TEN questions from the eleven that follow. (1x10 = 10) i. What is the central idea of the passage? a. Plastic consumption is destroying the environment. b. Plastic packaging needs reinvention to save the environment. c. Plastic packaging in the future will be unattractive. d. Plastic recycling is a futile exercise. ii. The first paragraph portrays a __________. 1. dystopian future 2. hypothetical situation 3. plausible reality 4. certain future 5 of 14 a. b. c. d. All of the above Only 2 2 and 3 1 and 4 iii. What does circular plastics economy mean? a. An economy depends on the use of the same plastic packaging. b. An economy that creates circular plastic packaging. c. A system based on making bio-degradable plastic. d. A system based on recycling plastic. iv. Choose the option that is NOT supported by the passage: The linear take, make, waste economy ___________. a. is not amenable to recycling plastic packaging b. is contributing 8 million tonnes of plastic waste to the oceans c. is the primary cause of climate change d. needs to be reformed in order to reduce water pollution v. Refer to the bar graph given in the passage. The contribution of packaging to the global plastic waste figures outweighs the contribution of textiles by: a. almost a 100 million tonnes b. 1 million tonnes c. almost 100 tonnes d. almost 42 million tonnes vi. An example of reworking packaging to be more environment friendly is: a. Shower gels and shampoos in solid bar forms. b. Opaque shampoo bottles. c. Products that work both as shower gels and shampoos. d. A squeezy bottle with a flip top. vii. How can a robust market for recycled plastic products be created? a. By using more virgin plastic. b. By reducing reliance on fossil fuel-based plastic. c. By using the same plastic to create packaging. d. By sending plastics to Europe for recycling. viii. Why does the recycler in Europe insist on pure, uncontaminated plastic? a. Because it is more colourful. b. Because it fetches him better price. c. Because it does not use fossil fuels. d. Because it does not contaminate the oceans. 6 of 14 ix. What is the flip side of having brightly coloured plastic bottles for beauty products? a. They are non-recyclable. b. They end up contaminating the oceans. c. They use more fossil-fuel than monochromatic packaging. d. They produce a grey plastic when recycled together. x. As per the packaging industry s goals, what is the approximate desirable ratio of recycled plastic to virgin plastic in a product? a. 1:2 b. 3:7 c. 7:3 d. 2:1 xi. What price must we pay for vibrant and clean oceans? a. Accepting unattractive, monochromatic packaging. b. Eliminating the use of plastics in packaging. c. Reducing the use of personal beauty products. d. Creating a circular plastics economy. LITERATURE (20 marks) 3. Read the extracts given below and attempt ANY TWO of the three (A, B or C) given by answering the questions that follow. (1x4)+(1x4) = 8 (A) All thought left him. He felt only the purest pleasure. He probed with his fingers, delicately, familiar with every atom of this human body. His old American professor of anatomy had seen to that knowledge. Ignorance of the human body is the surgeon s cardinal sin, sirs! he had thundered at his classes year after year. To operate without as complete knowledge of the body as if you had made it anything less than that is murder. i. The fact that Sadao felt the purest pleasure implies that: a. He enjoyed being a doctor. b. He did not care about his country. c. He was willing to risk his life for the American. d. He prioritised his pleasure above other concerns like race and nationalism. ii. Sadao remembering his old American professor suggests that: a. He is unsure of his surgical skills. b. He is repaying the favour by treating another American. c. He is summoning all his knowledge to treat the patient. d. He is remembering his younger days with fondness. 7 of 14 iii. What was a cardinal sin for a surgeon? a. To treat a patient belonging to the enemy camp. b. To murder a patient through malpractice. c. To treat someone without complete knowledge. d. To be ignorant of who your patient was. iv. In the context of the given lines, what doe the phrase cardinal sin mean? a. A mathematical error b. An act of great importance c. An unholy act d. An error in judgement OR (B) i. My last French lesson! Why, I hardly knew how to write! I should never learn any more! I must stop there, then! Oh, how sorry I was for not learning my lessons, for seeking birds eggs, or going sliding on the Saar! My books, that had seemed such a nuisance a while ago, so heavy to carry, my grammar, and my history of the saints, were old friends now that I couldn t give up. And M. Hamel, too; the idea that he was going away, that I should never see him again, made me forget all about his ruler and how cranky he was. What emotions does Franz display in the given lines? a. Disbelief and incredulity b. Nostalgia and regret c. Sadness and hopelessness d. Patriotism and zeal ii. Why was Franz sorry for going sliding on the Saar? a. Because he had wasted precious time that could have been used to learn French. b. Because he had not learnt his lesson and was unable to answer questions now. c. Because he could have been earning money for his parents instead. d. Because he had not invited M. Hamel to come with him. iii. Who does Franz refer to as old friends ? a. M. Hamel b. His fellow countrymen c. The saints d. His books iv. Fill the blank with the appropriate word: Franz s attitude towards M. Hamel is _________ because this is to be his last French lesson. a. condescending b. charitable c. empathetic d. unforgiving OR 8 of 14 (C) i. Now I am going to tell you, Mr Ironmaster, how things are, he said. This whole world is nothing but a big rattrap. All the good things that are offered to you are nothing but cheese rinds and bits of pork, set out to drag a poor fellow into trouble. And if the sheriff comes now and locks me up for this, then you, Mr Ironmaster, must remember that a day may come when you yourself may want to get a big piece of pork, and then you will get caught in the trap. The ironmaster began to laugh. What caused the tramp to get agitated in this manner? a. The iron master s threat of throwing him out. b. The iron master s threat of calling the sheriff. c. The iron master s discovery of his theft. d. The iron master s discovery that he was not Nils Olof. ii. Why does the tramp choose to compare the world to a rattrap? a. Because he made and sold rattraps. b. Because he had a flair for figurative speech. c. Because he was poor and lonely. d. Because he had stolen thirty kronor. iii. According to the tramp, all good things in life_________. a. come to those who deserve them b. come to those who wait c. are merely baits to trap the greedy d. are merely incentives to make you work harder iv. The ironmaster laughed at the tramp s outburst because ___________. a. he felt threatened by him b. he was amused at the depth of his thought c. he found the comparison foolish d. he had a change of heart 4. Read the extracts given below and attempt ANY ONE of the two (A or B) given by answering the questions that follow. (1x4 = 4) (A) Far far from gusty waves these children s faces. Like rootless weeds, the hair torn round their pallor: The tall girl with her weighed-down head. The paper- seeming boy, with rat s eyes. The stunted, unlucky heir Of twisted bones, reciting a father s gnarled disease, His lesson, from his desk. At back of the dim class One unnoted, sweet and young. His eyes live in a dream, Of squirrel s game, in tree room, other than this. 9 of 14 i. Which one of the following phrases implies that the children are unhealthy? a. hair torn round their pall b. weighed-down head c. a paper seeming boy d. far from gusty waves ii. Why are children compared to rootless weeds ? a. They have no home. b. They are unwanted like weeds. c. They are thrown into schools. d. They are sturdy like weeds. iii. The given lines paint a picture of the children being ____________. a. underfed and sickly b. poor but happy c. underfed but energetic d. happy and playful iv. The stunted unlucky heir of twisted bones means the boy is ________. a. short and bony b. poor and unlucky c. sad and unwell d. disabled OR (B) i. ii. Life is what it is about; I want no truck with death. If we were not so single-minded about keeping our lives moving, and for once could do nothing, perhaps a huge silence might interrupt this sadness of never understanding ourselves and of threatening ourselves with death. To want no truck with death means: a. to have no noises from trucks. b. to want no dealing with silence. c. to have no dealing with death. d. to not stop working. What causes sadness? a. The inability to keep quiet. b. The threat of imminent death. c. The moments of introspection. d. The inability to understand one s life. 10 of 14 iii. How do people constantly threaten themselves with death? a. By working unceasingly. b. By talking endlessly. c. By causing pollution. d. By remaining silent. iv. What is the solution proffered by the poet, to the this sadness and threat of death? a. Introspection b. Becoming mute c. Complete inactivity d. Throwing oneself into work 5. Attempt ANY EIGHT questions from the ten given below. (1x8 = 8) i. Which one of the following lines from My Mother at Sixty Six makes use of personification? a. her face ashen like that of a corpse b. and looked out at Young Trees sprinting c. and felt that old familiar ache d. I looked at her, wan, pale ii. What does Keats imply by unhealthy and o er-darkened ways ? a. Unhealthy eating habits b. Immoral practices c. Global warming d. Unlit paths iii. Why does Pablo Neruda say he will leave, in the end? a. He is tired of humanity. b. He wants people to take responsibility for their actions. c. He too is going to keep quiet with the people. d. He needs to distance himself from his readers. iv. Which of the following statements concerning Aunt Jennifer is untrue? a. She enjoys embroidering. b. She is trapped in a joyless relationship. c. She wishes to go hunting like the tigers in the panel. d. She will never be liberated from her domestic shackles. v. The companionship between the peddler and the crofter was founded on __________. a. similar experiences of poverty b. shared sense of loneliness c. mutual admiration d. common feeling of being wronged by the world 11 of 14 vi. The moment Mahatma Gandhi reached Champaran he realized that _________. a. Rajkumar Shukla was a determined man b. the British landlords had exploited the sharecroppers c. this was the perfect opportunity to launch the Indian freedom struggle d. the farmers needed to challenge the British as a united force vii. Sadao and Hana decided against throwing the escaped American prisoner back into the sea. What aspect of their characters is exhibited through this decision? a. Their compassion for humans irrespective of nationality. b. Sadao s passion for treating desperate medical cases. c. Their pride in being educated and open minded liberal Japanese. d. Their love for America, where they studied. viii. How was Jackson instrumental in helping Evans escape? a. He asked Stephens to step out so that Evans could disguise himself. b. He supplied Evans with the coded message in the form of the correction. c. He unwittingly escorted Evans to the main gate, assuming it was McLeery. d. He allowed Evans to keep his bobble hat on, letting his cut hair go undetected. ix. According to William Douglas what strengthened his will to live? a. His desire to play water sports. b. The fact that he had learnt to swim. c. The fact that he had had a brush with death. d. The inspiring words of Roosevelt. x. How would you characterize the tone of the poet in the line, Break O break open till they break the town a. Persuasive b. Satirical c. Contemptuous d. Playful SECTION B SUBJECTIVE (40 MARKS) WRITING (16 marks) 6. Attempt ANY ONE of the following in 50 words. (3) (A) In the post-lockdown scenario, the government of India has permitted schools to conduct offline teaching for classes X and XII, in the month of January. Draft a notice informing parents and students of the same, while reassuring them that the school shall be observing all necessary safety measures. You are Ms Geeta Upadhyay, Principal of Excel High School. OR (B) In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for sanitizing products has skyrocketed. Draft an advertisement for an organic hand-sanitiser. Give the product a suitable name and highlight its unique selling points. 12 of 14 7. Attempt ANY ONE) of the following in 50 words. (3) (A) You are Zara/Zubin of Vidyasagar College. As the Secretary of the Students Cultural Council, draft an invitation to be sent to the members of Parents Board inviting them to the college s 25th Annual Day. OR (B) You are organising a Christmas Eve party for your friends and family, on an online platform. Draft an invitation in to your close friend Lakshmi/Lakshya to join you. 8. Attempt ANY ONE of the following in 120-150 words. (5) (A) The year 2020 has been one of the most active cyclone years on record for India. There have been a record-breaking eight cyclones (Nisarga, Amphan, Fani, Bulbul, BOB3, Hikka, Vayu, Maha) that have devastated civilian life along both coasts. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily, stressing the need for a national disaster management program that trains citizens for emergency response during crises. OR (B) Refer to the advertisement below and draft a letter including a resume, applying for ANY ONE of the posts advertised. You are Alok/Alka of #345, El Dorado Apartments, Aundh, Pune. 9. Attempt ANY ONE of the following in 120-150 words. (5) (A) With the final year of school winding down, you have been asked to write an article for your school magazine s annual edition on the topic Lessons from School Life . You are Nima of class XII - C. OR 13 of 14 (B) Children s Day is celebrated across India to increase awareness of the rights, care and education of children. It is celebrated on 14th November every year as a tribute to India s First Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Write a report for your school news journal, detailing how this event was celebrated in your school this year. LITERATURE (24 marks) 10. Attempt ANY FIVE out of the six questions given below, in 30-40 words each. (2x5=10) i. Against whom do humans wage war? What is the ultimate outcome of these wars? ii. What are the boundaries of the world of the children in the slum? What should they be replaced with? iii. Why is the poet so moved by her mother s ageing? Is this a new realization? iv. Did the presence of the villagers in the classroom have any significance? What had prompted them to come to school? v. Even though the Indigo sharecroppers received only 25 per cent of the compensation, how could the Champaran struggle be termed a huge success? vi. Is staying barefoot truly a tradition among the garbage-pickers? If not then why do they say it is? 11. Attempt ANY TWO out of the three questions given below in 30-40 words each. (2x2= 4) i. Which article in McLeery s suitcase played the most significant role in Evans s escape? How? ii. Why were the servants in Sadao s house against the decision to shelter the American soldier? Why did Hana and Sadao find it difficult to agree with them? iii. What is ugly middle position that Jack feels he and his wife are trapped in? 12. Attempt ANY ONE of the two questions given below in 120-150 words. (5x1=5) i. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget how to live. Discuss the quote by J.K. Rowling with reference to Charley s discovery of the third level and his escapist tendencies. OR ii. While they are both plagued with a disability, there is more that binds Derry and Mr. Lamb together. Do you agree? Give reasons to support your point of view. 13. Attempt ANY ONE of the two questions given below in 120-150 words. (5x1=5) i. The loss of national sovereignty or a loss of personal liberty due to social ills: Which is worse? Argue based on your reading of any one lesson in Flamingos . OR ii. It is his karam, his destiny. Is poverty a matter of destiny? Are there other contributing factors involved? Answer based on your reading of Lost Spring . 14 of 14
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