CBSE Guess > Papers > Question Papers > Class XII > 2004 > English > Delhi Set-I
ENGLISH (Set I— Delhi)
SECTION - A
(READING SKILLS)
A1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
- "We become brave by doing brave acts, "observed Aristotle in the Nicomachean Ethics. Dispositions of character, virtues and vices, are progressively fixed in us through practice. Thus "by being habituated to despise things that are terrible and to stand our ground against them we become br and it is when we have become so that we shall be most able to stand our ground against them."
- Standing ground against threatening things is not to be confused with fearlessness, however. Being afraid is a perfectly appropriate emotion when confronted with fearful things. The great American novelist Herman Melville makes the Aristotelian point beautifully in a telling passage in Moby-Dick, where Starbuck, the chief mate of the Pequod, first addresses the rew 'twill have no man in my boat,' said Starbuck, 'who is not afraid of a whale.' By this he seemed to mean not only that the most reliable and useful courage was that which arises from the fair estimation of the encountered peril, but that an utterly fearless man is a far more dangerous comrade than a coward.
- The brave person is not one who is never afraid. That is rather the description of a rash or reckless person, someone who may he more harm than help in an emergency. It is hard to "educate" such a person on the spot. The coward, on the other hand, the one who characteristically tacks confidence and is disposed to be overly fearful, may yet be susceptible to the encouragement of example.
- The infectious nature of strikingly courageous behaviour on the part of one person can inspire - and also in part can shame - a whole group. That was one key to the kind of courage inspired by Horatius at the budge in ancient Rome and by Henry V. at Agincourt . It was one key to the kind of courage displayed by those who silently suffered abuse when they joined ranks with Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., in acts of non-violent protest directed at rousing the public conscience against injustice.
- Another key to their success, of course, was reason: practical reason delivered with the kind of eloquence that is informed by a real command of one's cultural heritage and that steels the will to take intelligent action. The mere inclination to do the right thing is not in itself enough. We have to know what the right thing to do is. We need wisdom - often the wisdom of a wise leader - to give our courage determinate form, to give It Intelligent direction. And we used the will, the motivating power that inspiring leaden can sometime help us discover within ourselves, even when we are unable to find it readily on oar own.
- If Aristotle is right - and I think that he is - then courage is a settled disposition to feel appropriate degrees of fear and confidence in challenging situations (what is appropriate" varying a good deal with the particular circumstances). It is also a settled disposition to stand one's ground, to advance or to retreat -as wisdom dictates. Before such dispositions become settle, however, they need to b established in the first place. And that means practice, which in turn means facing fears and taking stands in advance of any settled disposition to do so: acting bravely when we don't really feel brave.
- Fear of the dark is almost universal among young children, and it provides relatively safe opportunities for first lessons in courage. In families, older siblings are greatly assisted in cultivating their own dispositions in this respect by putting up a brave front before their younger brothers or sisters. "You see? There's really nothing to be afraid of". This is excellent paractice, and a fine p;ace to begin to begin. Occasions for being brave on behalf of other for standing by them in challenging circumstances are occasions for becoming brave ourselves; that is for learning how to handie our own confidence and fear, fro figuring out the right thing to do, and for mustering the will to do it.
(a) Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions:
(i) Explain : we becomes brave by doing brave acts".
(ii) When is 'being afraid' an appropriate emotion?
(iii) How is a brave person different form
(a) a rckless person?
(b) a coward
(iv) What was specia about the courage that Gandhiji or Horatius had?
(v) What was inclination to do the right is not enough.' what else is requid for success?
A2. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
Tourism has emerged as the world's largest industry. Growing rapidly in the last two decades, today it accounts for 6% of world output and employs some 100 million people around the globe. Since the sad of the Second World War, it has developed immense revenue and development potential and stands today as a unique natural renewable resource industry.
Tourism the travel-based recreation - provides people with a change of place and a break from the monotony of daily life. It brings peoples of different nations together, allowing them to come into close contact with each other's customs and other aspects of life. It reveals the scenic beauty and past heritage of a country to people belonging to other nations. The knowledge and experience gained in the process can lead to greater understanding and tolerance, and' can even foster world peace.
The contribution of tourism can be nowhere seen more clearly than on the economic front. A study conducted by the United Nations has shown that developing countries, in particular, can reap ban benefits out of tourism which greatly boosts national income.
Tourism generates employment, and adds to the entrepreneurial wealth of a nation. While tourism's advantages are many its undesirable side-effects have raised fresh problems.
Tourism can cause social, cultural or environmental disruption. Of the greatest concern is its damage to the environment. In order to attract more tourists, sprawling resorts are built which take neither the local architectural styles nor the ecology into consideration. Natural systems come to be destroyed as a result of indiscriminate construction to provide water and waste disposal facilities and recreational arrangements to tourists. Overuse of environmental wealth disturbs the ecological balance.
Damage is most in wildlife parks which remain the foremost sites of tourist attraction. Tourist vans and the visitors' feet destroy the ground vegetation, thus affecting the feeding habits of the animals and the landscape as well. Overcrowding brings about congestion, leading to environmental and health hazards.
The Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the World, has suffered a lot of wear and tear from trampling feet of tourists.
Some socio-cultural effects of tourism have been damaging. Tourism often ushers in new life styles; arrangements as desired by tourists are provided in order to make them feel at home. The emergence of this 'other' culture in various places has caused dissatisfaction among the local people. The concern is that the local people tend to imitate the foreign values, breaking away from their own traditions.
To promote safe tourism while ensuring that it remains a profitable industry it is Imperative to understand the factors that hamper the growth of tourism and check them effectively.
General instability of the nation is damaging to tourism prospects. Political disturbances, in particular, pose a serious problem. The growing violence In the International scene and increasing threat of terrorism affects the flow of tourists. Countries like Sri Lanka have been a victim to terrorist threats for long and have therefore suffered setbacks in tourism.
Whatever the problems, India must work hard to reap the benefits from this Industry, for the country has everything to attract visitors from far and near. (497 words)
(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it in points only using headings and sub-headings. Also use recognisable abbreviations wherever necessary (minimum 4). Supply a suitable title to it. 5
(b) Write a summary of the above passage in about 80 words. 3
SECTION - B (ADVANCED WRITING SKILLS)
B1. You are working for an advertising agency. Draft an attractive advertisement a company, which is launching a new toothpaste (Word limit -50 words) 5
Or
You are Mohan/Molly. You have been invited by the Lions Club to act as one of the judges for a fancy dress competition for children. But due to a previous engagement you cannot accept this invitation. Write a formal reply to the President of the Club regretting your inability to accept the invitation. (Word input -50 words) B2. Yen are Beena/Biju. As a special correspondent of a leading local daily, you are sent to cover a two day culture fiesta organized by the Rotary Clubs of Chennai for the city school students, in commemoration of the centenary year of the Rotary. Write a report in about 125 words for publication in a local daily. 10
Or
You are Beena/Biju. As a representative of your resident welfare association, you have attended a workshop on Promoting Health and Hygiene'. Write a report in about 125 words for publication in your association's newsletter. 10 B3. You are Kamala/Rajan, President of the Youth Club, Kanpur . You are organizing a Chess Tournament for the youth of the age group 15- 18 in Kanpur . Write a letter to the Minister for Youth and Sports requesting him or her to be the Chief Guest and inaugurate the tournament. Do not forget the mention the activities of your club. 10
Or
You are Kamala/Rajan. You have seen an advertisement for the post of an English Teacher in Rani Public School , Kolkata. Write a letter in response to the advertisement applying for the post. Give your detailed bio-data also. 10 B4. You are Malik/Manju. You are much concerned about the poor quality of the unhygienic food supplied at some of the fast food centres in your locality, which is highly detrimental to health. Write an article on this issue highlighting the health hazard that may be caused. (Word limit - 200 words) 10
Or
You are MaIik/Manju. You have interviewed many students studying in Classes VI to VIII and their parents, on academic achievement. For a large number of students and parents, going for tuition classes for extra coaching has become a regular practice. The mushrooming coaching centres are an example for It. Write an article on the latest craze for tuition classes. (Word limit - 200 words) 10 SECTION - C (TEXT BOOKS)
C1. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
On all three days during the voyage we were given beaten rice, parched gram and some sugar-like thing to eat. We had one consolation - we were all together. We passed days and nights in talking and singing. It was in those moments that one fully realized the essential social nature of man - if he has society, he forgets every sort of misery and suffering. Even at such times the company of friends gives him great relief. In fact, the greatest punishment in jail is solitary confinement - keeping a man in utter isolation from his fellows.
(a) Who does the "we" refer to in the passage? 1
(b) What w their consolation? 2
(c) How did the author and his friends pass time during the voyage? 1
(d) During the voyage the author has realised a truth. What was it? 2
(e) According to the author, what is the greatest punishment in jail? 2
C2. Answer the following: 2x6=12
(a) Mention two major issues of impeachment against Warren Hastings.
(b) The poet in 'Once upon a time' wants to-learn how to laugh. Why?
(c) How do machines deprive us of the important ingredients of happiness?
(d) How did the peasant become the owner of the plate of gold?
(e) Why was Mrs. Bouncer afraid of Box and Cox meeting each other?
C3. The story 'The Price of Flowers' probes into the finer emotions of compassion and love for others even in a strange land. Highlight this aspect by quoting relevant instances from the story. (Word limit - 150 words) 10
Or
Describe-briefly the awakening of women and the changes that women have brought about in the modern Indian Society. (Word limit - 150 words) 10 C4. What are the tasks that lie ahead of youth to safeguard the ideals of Secularism and Democracy? (Word limit - 150 words) 10
Or
The author in the lesson 'The Future is Now: A Zest for Living' emphasises on the right attitude of the society for humane treatment of its disabled members. Elaborate. 7 C5. Answer the following in about 30-40 words each: 2x4=8
(a) What did Gandhiji mean by the 'true textbook'?
(b) How does a pleasing countenance have an impact on the listeners in a conversation?
(c) What did the banker plan, to escape from bankruptcy?
CBSE 2004 Question Papers Class XII
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