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CLASS XII

ENGLISH ELECTIVE

Sample Question Paper 2018-19

Time allowed: 3 hrs Max Marks: 100

General Instructions:

(i) All questions are compulsory.

(ii) You may attempt any section at a time.

(iii) All questions of that particular section must be attempted in the correct

order.

SECTION – A (READING)

1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

The stark observation made in the Economic Survey of 15-16 that “Indian agriculture, is in a way, a victim of its own past success - especially the

green revolution”, shows the dark reality of the agriculture sector at present and the havoc that has been wreaked by the green revolution. The green revolution, which is often characterized by the introduction of high-yielding variety of seeds and fertilizers, undoubtedly increased the productivity of land considerably. But the growth in the productivity has been stagnant in recent years, resulting in a significant decline in the income of farmers. There have also been negative environmental effects in the form of depleting water table, emission of greenhouse gases, and the contamination of surface and ground water. Needless to say, the agriculture sector is in a state of distress, which is severely affecting peasants and marginal farmers, and urgent policy interventions are required to protect their interests. The government has responded to the problem by constituting a panel, which will recommend ways to double the income of farmers by 2022. While this may be an overtly ambitious target, if we want to boost stagnated agricultural growth a shift has to be made, from food security of the nation to income security of the farmers. However, there are many hurdles that have to be crossed if we want to achieve this objective. The first major barrier to overcome is declining productivity.

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Data from 2013 reveals that India’s average yield of cereal per hectare is far less than that of many countries (including several low income countries), but the difference is huge when compared to China. For instance, our average yield per hectare is 39% below than that of China and for rice this figure is 46%. Even Bangladesh, Vietnam and Indonesia fare better than India in case of rice yield. Further, there is a huge inter-regional variation; the wheat and rice yield from Haryana and Punjab is much higher than from the other states. In order to cross the declining productivity barrier there is a need to herald a rainbow revolution by

making a shift from wheat-rice cycle to other cereals and pulses. Since wheat and rice coupled with other crops are backed by minimum support prices (MSP) and input subsidy (whether water, fertilizer or power) regime, there is a huge incentive for the farmers in the irrigated region of Northwest India to grow these crops

https://thewire.in/52228/what-is-the-future-of-agriculture-in-india/

1.1. On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer

the following questions very briefly: (1 × 6 = 6)

a. What was revealed by the observations made in Economic Survey

15-16?

b. What does Green revolution mean?

c. Mention the ill effects of Green Revolution on our environment.

d. How can the stagnant agricultural growth be boosted?

e. Name the major problem that needs to be solved.

f. What would be the advantage of Rainbow Revolution?

1.2 Choose the meanings of the words given below from the given options: (1 × 4 = 4)

a) Wreaked

(i) Cause damage (ii) Solved

(iii) Neglected (iv) Failed

b) Stagnant

(i) Slow (ii) Steady

(iii) Motionless (iv) Fast

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c) Distress

(i) Contentment (ii) Extreme sorrow

(iii) Satisfaction (iv) Joy

d) Herald

(i) Signal of something to happen (ii) Investigate

(iii) Halt (iv) Hint

2. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

Winning is a habit of real-life achievers, and so is positive thinking. You cannot be a winner in the true sense, be both successful and happy, lead a purposeful life, realize your goal and contribute to your society unless you are a positive thinker. And you cannot be a positive thinker unless you are a positive person who believes in basic goodness, are sensitive to your own needs and desires as well as the needs of other people around you. Positive thinking leads you to a healthy attitude to life that makes you independent, courageous and cooperative. These qualities are essential for a purposeful, meaningful and rewarding existence. Positive

thinking is very often thought to be the ability to focus on what is right and ignoring what is wrong or unpleasant, to be able to turn a blind eye to what is disagreeable and disturbing. But this is not Positive Thinking is all about. It does not tell us to close our eyes to reality and stay where we are, resign to fate and not strive for more or better, not to make an effort at the risk of failure. It does not tell us to run away from anything, however unpleasant or difficult it may be. The edifice of positive thinking rests on the power of your inner self, your motivation and preparedness to change, your determination and hard work, your ability to learn and improve. It will depend on your ability to step out of your inertia and

move ahead, your ability to handle failure and setbacks, your ability to learn from your mistakes and move ahead.

Positive thinking can make reaching your goal easier and more enjoyable. It gives you the strength to face adversities and failure with courage and bounce back a stronger and more confident person. It is your best gift and the most powerful tool. It helps you to live your life to the fullest. However simple Positive thinking may sound and however easy it may appear to be, statistics show that only about five percent of people are able to think positive and become super achievers.

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These are the people who work harder and better than others and earn and control fifty percent of the world’s resources. So, to learn to look at everything in a positive way you have to break free from your negative conditioning and move ahead. You can change the way you perceive, interpret and think. You know that you can change when you want to change, and you will want to change only when you acknowledge that there is a mistake and you need to set it right. Change can be brought about, not without your active participation and your will. (455 words) (Excerpt from ‘Be Positive think Positive’ by Mridula Agarwal)

a. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it, using headings and subheadings. Also use recognizable abbreviations, wherever necessary. Supply an appropriate title to it. (6)

b. Write a summary of the above passage in about eighty words. (4)

SECTION – B (WRITING AND GRAMMAR)

3. Imagine yourself to be Sujal/ Sujata who had visited Andaman and Nicobar Islands with family during summer break. You jotted down a few

facts about the place since it was required to be written as a description for one of your holiday’s homework.

CAPITAL Port Blair

LOCATION North of Aceh in Indonesia, separated from Thailand and Myanmar by the Andaman Sea

CLIMATE humid tropical with warm weather

PEAK TRAVEL PERIOD December – April

SITES TO VISIT Ross Island, Rajeev Gandhi Water Sports

Complex, Elephant Beach, Radha Nagar Beach

CONNECTIVITY Airways/ Waterways

Using the above noted information, write a factual description in 80-100 words. (4)

OR

You are Sujal/Sujata, residing at 24- D, Malviya Nagar, Alwar, Rajasthan. You own a Hero Honda motor cycle which you want to sell as you wish to buy a car. Draft an advertisement for the VEHICLE column of your local newspaper. Invent all necessary details. (50 words)

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4. You are Mr. Rajneesh Mishra, Senior Department Head of Blooms Public School, Jaipur. The water coolers of your school are now very old and exhausted. There is an urgent need for replacement. You have finalized on the quotations sent by M.G. Coolers Pvt. Ltd., Jawahar Industrial Area, Jaipur. Draft a letter placing an order for five water coolers of five hundred liters capacity each. Invent all other details like reference no., quotation, detail of order, date of delivery, mode of payment etc.

(6)

OR

RED RADIO CHILLIES

Requires a young, energetic Radio Jockey, between the age group of 20-30; male / female; graduate in Mass Media Studies preferred; with minimum 2 year experience of the post offered. Salary in six figures (negotiable as per the qualification of the candidate). Eligible candidates may send their complete Bio-Data to the below mentioned address or e-mail it on the below given mailing address, latest by 29 October 20_ _. The Radio Station Manager, Red Radio Chillies, 25 Chitra Gupta Road,

Jhansi. Email: redradiochilli@gmail.com

You are Simar/ Smriti of 10 A, Krishna Nagar, Lucknow. Having recently completed your graduation in Mass Media Studies, you are looking for a job as a Radio Jockey in a reputed Radio Station. Surfing through the newspaper, you have come across the above mentioned advertisement in a national daily. Apply in response to this advertisement giving your detailed Bio-Data.

5. Your school, Amar Vikas Public School, Delhi, organized a Seminar on “Animation” for the students of Classes IX – XII. The objective was to

enlighten them about this very lucrative vocational field of graphics. As Reema/ Raman, Head Girl / Boy of the school, write a report in 150-200 words on the programme for your school magazine. (10)

OR

Exercising is the only healthy way to a consistent and happy life. As Manuj/Manjula of Class XII, write a speech to be delivered in the school’s morning Assembly on “Impact of Healthy Life style on a Student’s Life-through Yoga”. The speech in the assembly is a part of “International Yoga Day” celebration.

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6. Today, all markets are flooded with attractive, expensive consumer goods which tempt the young generation to get them, by hook or crook. Write an article for the local newspaper on‟ Youth Getting Astray by Modern Materialistic Approach”. You are Manuj / Manjula studying in Class XII of SNB Public School, Vidisha, UP. (150-200 words) (10)

OR

You are Arpit / Arpita of Zenith Public School, Mumbai. You went to Gate Way of India with your friends for an outing where you observed the local

guides following and pestering the foreign tourists. You could see the irritation and disgust in the eyes of the tourists. It made you so disturbed that you decided to write an article for a local newspaper sharing your views and concern over the image of your city and country that is tarnished by such acts. (150-200 words)

7. (A) Rearrange the following words and phrases into meaningful sentences: (1 × 3 = 3)

(i) following discipline / the pinnacles / by / a person/ of glory / reach /

can

(ii) and at the / self-confidence / it acts as / builds / same time / a restraint

(iii) balances the personality / and inculcates / of a person / good work ethics / moreover it

7. (B) You, Hitesh Verma, are working as an anchor in Doordarshan, Delhi. Your channel is planning to celebrate Indian English Literary Week. You have been given the responsibility to prepare for and take an interview of

the famous contemporary Indian writer Mr. Vikram Seth. Using the guidelines given below and your own ideas, write a set of three or more exchanges between Mr. Vikram Seth and you. (1 × 3 = 3)

● secret behind a successful writer

● challenges in taking up writing as a profession

● about his published or unpublished works

● message for future young writers

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7. (C) The following paragraph has not been edited. There is an error in each line. Write the error and the correction in your answer book against the correct blank number. (1 × 4 = 4)

Along with air or water pollution, (a) or and

our cities are often under an (b) __ __

attack with noise pollution. (c) _____

Marriage procession, loud music from (d) _____

neighbourhood are all not good on the ailing and students. (e) ____

SECTION – C (LITERATURE)

8. (A) Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

(1 × 5 = 5)

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?

Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find

Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,

Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;

Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,

Drows’d with the fume of poppies, while thy hook

Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:

i. Name the poet and the poem from where the above extract has been taken.

ii. Whom has the poet compared Autumn within the above lines?

iii. Identify the phrase which reveals the comparison.

iv. Name two places where Autumn can be found according to the stanza.

v. Identify and name the poetic device used in the fourth line of the above extract.

8. (B) Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

(1 × 5 = 5)

Yes; there are in the backward past

Soft hours to which we turn –

Hours which, at distance, mildly shine,

Shine on, but never burn.

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(i) Name the poet and the poem from where the above extract has been taken.

(ii) What does the poet mean by “Soft hours”?

(iii) Explain briefly the impact of such moments.

(iv) What is the learning poet gets from his experience of his walk in the moonlit night?

(v) Identify and name the poetic device used in the above lines.

9. Answer any one of the following questions in 50-60 words: (4)

(i) How does Lord Weston equip himself to fight against the danger that he sees a threat to his life?

(ii) Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction. The Monkey's Paw is a tale of warning. The short story is a warning to us all about what is really important in life. Elucidate from the play.

(iii) What apprehensions might Sergeant Morris have had in handing over the paw to anyone else? What was the basis of his apprehension?

10. (A) Answer any two of the following in 80-100 words each: (2 × 5 = 10)

(i) How does the rhythm of waves, birds and insects become the million fold chorus of life?

(ii) Explain: “If you don’t expect too much too quickly, you’ll find your freedom, a room of your own.”

(iii) Rakesh was deeply aware of the sacrifices made by his parents to give him an education. How did he show his gratitude and devotion to

them? Give examples from the text to justify your answer.

(iv) “Therefore, the school and the teacher must guard against employing the easy method of creating individual ambition in order to induce the pupils to diligent work.” Elaborate this view of Einstein on Education with reference to the text.

10. (B) Answer any one of the following questions in 120-150 words: (6)

(i) How did Quinquart outwit Robichon and qualify to win the hand of the captivating, Suzanne? Describe.

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(ii) “Action is the end of thought,” says Romain Rolland. Why do people avoid action? What choice do all of us have of living? Give a reasoned answer.

(iii) Nature had made the two girls, Marian and Freda, totally different from each other and yet both of them were “lonely” in their own ways. Elucidate.

11. Answer any one of the following questions in 150-200 words: (10)

(i) Explore how Eliot contrasts the progress of Godfrey and Silas in the novel. Remember to support your ideas with close reference to the novel.

(ii) There is the theme of the individual and the society underlying in the novel “Silas Marner”. Elucidate it with the support of evidences from the text.

(iii) The people of Iping village were no match for the Invisible Man when he unveiled himself. Describe the episode of Invisible Man’s escape from Iping.

(iv) Was Dr. Kemp a hero or a traitor? Give your take on it supporting it

with evidences from the novel.

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SOLUTION

1. 1.1

a. The observations made in the Economic Survey 15-16 state that Indian agriculture has been a victim of its own past success especially the green revolution. It shows that the havoc in the agricultural sector is a result of the green revolution.

b. Green revolution means the introduction of a high-yielding variety of

seeds and fertilisers. It increases the productivity of the land.

c. There have been many ill effects of Green Revolution on our environments such as depletion of the water table, emission f greenhouse gases and contamination of surface and surface water.

d. The stagnant agricultural growth can be boosted by making a shift from the food security of the nation to the income security of the farmers.

e. The declining productivity is a major problem that needs to be solved.

f. The rainbow revolution has a huge incentive for the farmers in the irrigated region of Northwest India to grow these crops.

1.2 a) (i) cause damage

b) (iii) motionless

c) (ii) extreme sorrow

d) (i) signal of something to happen

2. a. Positive Thinking

1. What it makes you?

1.1. independent

1.2. courage’s

1.3. cooperat’v

2. does not tell

2.1. to close eyes to reality

2.2. not to move ahead

2.3. resign to fate

2.4. not strive

2.5. run away from difficulties

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3. Qualities required for positive thinking

3.1. power of inner self

3.2. motivation

3.3. prepared’ss to change

3.4. determtn.

3.5. hard work

3.6. ability to lrn and improve

Abbreviations: courag’s – courageous

Prepard’ss – preparedness

Cooperat’v – cooperative

Determintn. – determination

b. Summary

Positive thinking makes you independent, courageous and cooperative. Positive thinking is very often thought to be the ability to focus on what is right and ignoring what is wrong or unpleasant, to be able to turn a blind eye to what is disagreeable and disturbing. It does not tell you to close your eyes to reality or not move ahead, resign to your fate, not strive for

better and run away from difficulties. It will depend on your ability to step out of your inertia and move ahead, your ability to handle failure and setbacks, your ability to learn from your mistakes and move ahead. To learn to think positive one has to develop the power of the inner self. You can change the way you perceive, interpret and think. The edifice of positive thinking rests on the power of your motivation and be prepared to change, your determination and hard work and the ability to learn and improve.

3. Visit to Andaman and Nicobar Island

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India. The capital of this territory is the Andamanese town of Port Blair. It is made of two islands group – the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands – separating the Andaman Sea to the east, from the Indian Ocean. The territory is about 150km north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated from Thailand and Myanmar by the Andaman Sea. The climate of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is warm and humid. It gets rain almost throughout the year. Rubber, coconut, tobacco and coffee are grown in abundance. Fruits like lemon, orange, banana and pineapple are also grown here.

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The peak travel period for visiting this place is December to April. Port Blair is connected with Chennai and Calcutta by air and sea routes. Some of the popular sites to visit include Ross Island, Rajeev Gandhi Water Sports Complex, Elephant Beach and Radha Nagar Beach. A visit to Andaman and Nicobar Islands is indeed an exciting one.

OR

Vehicle

Motorcycle for sale:

A 4-year old blue colour Hero Honda R15 Bike is available for sale @ Rs. 45000. The bike is in good condition with servicing done recently and insurance paid. The only reason for the sale of the motorcycle is that I wish to buy a car.

For details contact Sujal - 9898989898

4. Blooms Public School

Jaipur

5th February 2019

Our reference no. CIF/02/16

The Sales Manager

M.G. Cooloers Pvt. Ltd.

Jawahar Industrial Area

Jaipur

Subject: Order for water coolers

Sir/Madam,

Thank you for the catalogue of your latest collection of water coolers of five hundred litres capacity each. The quoted price list matches our budget.

We wish to place an order for the supply of five water coolers of five hundred litres capacity each of the brand Kinley. We hope that you will make arrangements for delivering the items latest by 15th February 2019. Your payment will be made in cash. After adjusting the 15% trade discount as specified by you.

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Further, it must be understood that we reserve the rights to reject any item either found defective or not as per the samples.

Yours faithfully

Rajneesh Mishra

(Senior Department Head)

OR

10A, Krishna Nagar

Lucknow

5th February 2019

The Advertiser

Post Box No. 436

Hindustan Times

Kasturba Gandhi Marg

Lucknow

Sir/Madam,

Sub: Application for the post of Radio Jockey

This is with reference to your advertisement dated 2nd January 2019 in the Hindustan Times for the post of a radio jockey. I wish to apply for the same.

My dedicated biodata is enclosed herewith for your kind perusal and consideration. In view of my qualification, I consider myself suitable for the job. If selected, I shall prove to be a valuable asset to the company and endeavour to satisfactorily meet the requirements of the job.

Yours truly,

Simar Sharma

ENCL: Biodata

Photocopy of degrees and testimonials

BIODATA

Name: Simar Sharma

Father’s name: Shri Hari Sharma

Date of Birth: 4th May 1992

Age: 25

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Gender: Female

Marital status: Single

Nationality: Indian

Permanent address: H3 GT Carnal Road

Delhi- 110011

Contact no.: 9874635828

Educational qualification: Delhi University, Graduate in Mass Media Studies

Experience: 1 year at 97.8 as assistant radio jockey

Hobbies: Reading, travelling, playing football and tennis, won championships in both school as well as college levels.

References: 1. Professor Ravi Ranjan

34, Narayan College, Sonapat

2. Dr. Harry Peter

45C, Rajendra Place, Delhi- 110003

5. Seminar on Animation

Animation is a series of still pictures that are shown in rapid succession

creates the illusion of movement because of the persistence of vision. The objective of the seminar organised in our school was to enlighten them about this very lucrative vocational field of graphics.

Animation has developed a lot since the 1900s; the first animated feature film was made by Cohl and George Melies that was made in 1918. Some of the earliest animation, which started to appear before 1910 consisted of simple drawing that, was, photographed one at a time. Having animation involved in education can aid children or/and adults learn procedures and lessons that are being taught to them. There is proof that

animation has helped people learn in and out of the classroom. Using animation is favourable for the education world. We had a special guest lecturer Professor R. Narayan who enlightened us with the pros and cons of animation in our day to day lives. The animation industry is hugely important to the entertainment industry as a whole - everything from the animated feature films that fill the box-office, from the motion graphics artists for local news stations. Economically, the animation industry employs hundreds of thousands of artists, animators, producers and technicians to produce the huge demand for diverse content in the world. Some information on real-life learning will be lost in the animation program.

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Computer animation programs may function well from a technical point of view, but they are difficult to fit into a curriculum. Since animation is an artist's re-creation, it does not depict actual events or reality as, and the video does.

The main goal of computer animation is to reduce learners’ time and useless effort of learning and to make it more practical and task-oriented. Nevertheless, it also has some limitations that created some disadvantages.

OR

Impact of Healthy lifestyle on a Student’s Life through Yoga

Good morning respected sir, madam and my dear friends. My name is Manuj Duggar, and I study in class 12. Today, I will recite a speech on the impact of healthy lifestyle on a student’s life through yoga. I have specially selected this topic because of its importance in our daily lives. Yoga basically means the union of body, mind and soul.

When you start doing yoga your body, mind and energies will be aligned in such a way that your health will flourish; the mind will be peaceful. Health will flourish means your body will not have any disease. You will

start to grow spiritually. So basically yoga will deal with the entire levels physical, mental and at the level of your energies. I can explain yoga, in brief, being a consistent follower of yoga in recent years. There are generally uncountable benefits from yoga, and I can list only the best I think can benefit you. Yoga is excellent for flexibility. Some styles make it their main focus, but even the more athletic styles will usually spend plenty of time stretching as you get ready for the tougher moves of the day, and as you cool down from them. Yoga basically helps increase muscle strength and also improves your body posture. Yoga, with its

unique synergy of body and breath work, is perfect when your reserves are running low.

Daily yoga practice will awaken the main energy centres in our body. To put it simply, just 15 minutes of yoga a day can start changing your brain chemistry and improving your mood. As you tune in to the balance between strength and flexibility in your practice, you learn how to listen to your body.

Thank you

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6. Youth Getting Astray by Modern Materialistic Approach

Today, all markets are flooded with attractive, expensive consumer goods which tempt the young generation to get them, by hook or crook. Well before you start saying a ‘No’ to it lets just think about it, can you leave your Smartphone for even a day? I guess it a big no. Well, then there you go you are a ‘materialist’.

The definition of being materialistic is pretty simple when you start yourself connecting too deeply with the materials and when it becomes an inseparable part of your life, you become a materialist, for whom the

‘things’ matter more than anything. Materials actually have got imbibed very deeply in our life, and it is indeed hard to live without them even for a day, but is it natural to lead such life? We rarely get to have quality time with ourselves; we keep ourselves so busy with these materials around us to run away from our crowd of thoughts in our heads, not for one second now you can sit down and do nothing at all. While the materialistic generation is growing the human contact is decreasing day by day, friends get together now and soon start checking their Smartphone and soon everybody just quietly sitting remains engulfed in their phones. It is not that those things are not important; the point is to

choose correctly between priorities and to be able to decide what is more important at that moment.

Materials only serve some particular purposes, and they should not become as important as life itself. The youth is getting astray by the modern materialistic approach. Try to move towards your heart rather than mind, try to feel the wind for once; it’s been long since you have done since you have started taking everything for granted. Start living again through the heart and find the peace within.

OR

Care and Respect

India is a land of cultural diversity. Tourism in India is important for the country's economy and is growing rapidly. Recently, I went to Gate Way of India with my friends for an outing where I observed the local guides following and pestering the foreign tourists. I could clearly see the irritation and disgust in the eyes of the tourists. It made me so disturbed that I decided to share my views and concern over the image of our city and country that is being tarnished by such acts.

The ministry of tourism is reportedly in talks with the home ministry on

ways to deal with touts who harass tourists.

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Tourists often weigh the dread alongside the grandeur of India before deciding to visit it. The effects of our tarnished reputation are beginning to tell. The Narendra Modi government recognises tourism’s potential for job creation and revenue. The Centre is keen on developing 50 tourist circuits, increasing trained manpower, and developing websites and apps. There are several other things governments can do to improve the tourist experience. The focus on touts at monuments is overdue. Women travelling solo experience a lot of staring by men which is offensive and inappropriate. Crowd management is improving in parts but is also a

work in progress. In order to show our real potential all throughout the world, we have to maintain respect for travellers from all across the world.

The Indian tourism experience is marked by a lack of civility for many. A public campaign by the Prime Minister could help in this regard. The real fix is in skilling and job creation, which will wean people away from desperate, unsavoury tactics as they make a living on the margins of the tourism sector.

7. (A) (i) A person can reach the pinnacles of glory by the following discipline.

The sentence starts with ‘A person’ which emphasises on the subject of the sentence that is a person. The next fragment would be ‘reach the pinnacles’ as it gives a hint of what we are talking about, followed by ‘of glory’ then ‘by’ used to indicate discipline. It talks about how a person can reach heights and get the glory. Thus it forms a logical and coherent sentence.

(ii) It acts as a restraint and at the same time builds self-confidence.

The starting fragment would be ‘it acts as’ as it forms the subject of the

sentence. It is followed by ‘a restraint’ as it adds to the subject. Then it further talked about how it builds self-confidence thereby forming a logical and coherent sentence.

(iii) Moreover, it balances the personality of a person and inculcates good work ethics.

The sentence starts with ‘moreover it’ making it a suggestion for us followed by ‘balances the personality’ and ‘of a person’ showing the value of the subject i.e. discipline. This is followed by ‘and inculcates good work ethics’ making the sentence logical and coherent emphasising that discipline develops one's personality and inculcates good work ethics.

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7. (B) Interview with Novelist, Mr. Vikram Seth

Hitesh: A very good morning sir. I am proud to be interviewing one of the contemporary Indian writers, Mr. Vikram Seth. As you already know our channel is planning to celebrate Indian English Literary Week we have organised this interview so as to broaden our knowledge base regarding English literature. Going forward, I would like to ask you the secret behind a successful writer.

Mr. Vikram Seth: Just follow these 5 steps, and writing success is in the palm of your hands: Write, Read, Finish, Publish and Learn. You need not necessarily be famous at your first publication, but you learn a lot every

time to write something new. And also one should start publishing on a blog post to self-publishing to writing e-books and handing them around to friends. Publish, as in, get your work in front of people’s eyes so they can give you feedback.

Hitesh: Well, that’s a really nice answer. In today’s world, there are many people who aspire to become writers but sit back thinking about the challenges. So now tell me about the challenges in taking up writing as a profession.

Mr. Vikram Seth: There are no challenges as such in taking up writing as

a profession. All you need to have is patience and believe in yourself and in what you are writing. Being unconfident is where the actual problem lies. I often hear that inexperience writers complain that they do not feel they are knowledgeable enough to write something. If you think the same way, you can give it up if you want, but I am certain that everyone can write; the only thing needed is to get it started. Do not be afraid to take a chance.

Hitesh: I hope this would serve as an immense inspiration for aspiring writers. I would like to know something about your published or unpublished works.

Mr. Vikram Seth: I had published eight books of poetry and four novels. In 1980, I wrote Mappings, my first book of poetry. The publication of A Suitable Boy, a 1,349-page novel, propelled me into the public limelight. Apart from these, I have written a few children’s novels, many poetries and novels.

Hitesh: It was really good to know about you in much greater depth. I would now like you to give a message for future young writers.

Mr. Vikram Seth: Never quit honing your craft. Write about anything and everything and be willing to accept criticism.

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Be a deeper person and never restrict your horizon because the world will always need writers.

7. (C) ERROR CORRECTION

Along with air or water pollution, (a) or and

our cities are often under an (b) often always

attack with noise pollution. (c) with of

Marriage procession, loud music from (d) procession processions

neighbourhood are all not good on the ailing and students. (e) on for

8. (A) i. This extract is taken from the poem ‘Ode: To Autumn’ written by John Keats.

ii. The poet describes the figure of Autumn as a female goddess, often seen sitting on the granary floor, her hair “soft-lifted” by the wind, and often seen sleeping in the fields or watching a cider-press squeezing the juice from apples. This comparison is made not only because seasons were traditionally personified as female in European art, but also because this season has ‘oh-so-soft’ hair.

iii. The phrase which reveals comparison is: ‘Among the store of grain, sitting carelessly on a granary floor’.

iv. According to the given stanza, Autumn can be found at two places that is the granary floor and the half-reaped furrow.

v. Alliteration is the poetic device used in the words ‘winnowing wind’. Alliteration is the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

8. (B) i. This extract is taken from the poem ‘A Walk by Moonlight’ written by Henry Louis Vivian Derozio.

ii. By “soft hours” the poet means pleasant moments of the past. A walk by moonlight is poetry to awaken our conscience. In this poem Derozio not only recounts an experience but also vividly describes the effect of such an experience on his mind and heart.

iii. The hours spent in nature are calm, peaceful and inspirational. Through this poem Derozio illustrates how a casual walk and the observations thus made, compel him to question life and introspect.

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iv. The walk in the moonlit night makes him realize that to understand the universe we must first understand ourselves. He discovers immense joy as his senses are awakened and he establishes oneness and interconnectedness with nature. Derozio concludes by realizing that he cannot crush the grass beneath his feet as it is pulsating with life. It is a moment of great spiritual insight and heightened sensitivity.

v. Metaphor is the poetic device used in the words ‘soft hours’. Metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

9. (i) A prominent judge, Lord Weston discovers a piece of paper with a message written on it – “Remember Caesar!” Being too pompous and self-important, Weston takes this message for a warning for him, by someone who was planning to assassinate/murder him. Lord Weston believes that he will be assassinated like Caeser because it was 15th of March, the day Julius Caesar was assassinated. As a measure to fight against the danger that he sees a threat to his lif, he orders to get all the doors and windows barred, locked and chained. He equips himself by

keeping a revolver ready. He also sees ilex tree as the source of shooting and insulates himself. He puts the parcel into the water. All these actions make him look ridiculous at the end.

(ii) Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction. The Monkey's Paw is a tale of warning. The short story is a warning to us all about what is really important in life. This play makes us question our moral values. The warning of the paw is that you need to be really careful what you wish for. The Whites are warned that the outcome of the wishes is not what they think it is. They have a home and food and all of their basic needs, but they wanted to have what is unattainable to them. They want for nothing, as Mr. White mentions when he thinks of what to make as his first wish. He wishes out of greed, not out of necessity. They face the consequences of upsetting an equilibrium and asking for too much. It is especially telling that Herbert, the one who wants wealth and fame the most, is the one taken by death. Even the second wish is selfish and not rational – it is purely driven by emotion and what Mrs. White wants. This greed leads to disappointment and the downfall of the Whites; greed and lust for something one does not need can lead to tragic consequences.

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(iii) Morris is tall and well built. He visits the Whites and regales them with exotic tales from his adventures abroad, particularly in India. He mentions the monkey's paw to them but is reluctant to let them have it; his demeanour and words suggest he is frightened of the talisman's power. Morris somewhat reluctantly shows the Whites, the paw and declares that an old Indian fakir placed a spell on it. The paw granted three wishes to three people, and the last wish of the first owner was of his own death. Knowing that the paw had already made enough mischief, he wanted to sell it and had an unpleasant experience with the paw.

10. (A) (i) The rhythm of waves, birds and insects become the million-fold chorus. It has the capacity of giving us pleasure. It feels to have become a part of universal music; they also take us back to our childhood. The hum of insects can delight us owing to the surroundings they are heard and with the past events associated with the sounds. Besides, when we hear these sounds, something in our blood and breath responds to the rhythm of these sounds. As the hum of insects and noises of birds are associated with nature and seasons, so are they connected to our life, right from our childhood. When we grow up, these sounds occasionally

pull us back to our childhood. In a way, our happiness, other than that achieved from people, has its origin in nature, in spring and summer, in the hum and noises of insects and birds.

(ii) If you don’t expect too much too quickly, you’ll find your freedom, a room of your own. They move single-mindedly towards their dream by working constantly. But greed and over ambition often spoils the game. Every dream takes its time. Ruskin Bond goes philosophical with dreams. We belong to a world that teaches “human wants are unlimited” and “desire is the root cause of all evils.” The end of desire is the ultimate disaster. In the rat-race after achievements, men seldom care for his doom. The more we win, the more do we lose; the maximum we conquer, the least we keep. The best choice is, dream, but work for it; win but not more than you need. A beggar asks a wandering boy, a dreamer, about his dream. The boy tells him he dreamt of owning a room of his own. The beggar warns him – after owning the room, you will dream for a house of your own, then a territory of your own. It is all possible, but in most cases, this ends up in tragedy – you lose all your achievements one day and become a beggar. If you own less, your loss will be bearable but the more you own, the more you lose.

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(iii) Rakesh was deeply aware of the sacrifices made by his parents to give him an education. “The Devoted Son” centres around Dr. Rakesh. He comes from a poor Indian village. His father, Varma, works as a vegetable vendor and spent many years dreaming of having an educated son. Rakesh is the first in the family to get an education. Sadly, it’s not long before Rakesh has his son that his mother passes away. Varma takes it especially hard. Rakesh is pleased he at least made her proud before she died, but he worries for his father and how he’ll cope. Now that Rakesh has a family of his own, he doesn’t have as much time to

dedicate to Varma, but he does what he can as his father’s health declines. He doesn’t want to lose any time he has left with him, and he puts his medical skills to good use. Rakesh imposes a ban on sweets for Varma, to look after his stomach. However, Varma tries to get them through Rakesh’s son, which enrages Rakesh. He worries that his father will make his grandson less honourable than Rakesh. Tensions rise between father and son, and Rakesh starts resenting how much time he spends looking after him—although he keeps doing it. However, Rakesh doesn’t give up on his father—instead, he becomes more devoted to him.

He wants his son to have a good relationship with Varma, just as he did as a boy. As relationships deteriorate, Rakesh must choose whether to stay devoted to his father or leave him to die on his own. Rakesh chooses to help his father. Although Rakesh can’t make his father better, and he’s struggling to keep his own life under control, he doesn’t abandon him. He shows Varma the same faith once shown to him when he wanted to become a doctor. When Rakesh must finally let Varma go, right at the end, he knows he did all he could for him.

(iv) Einstein begins his speech on education by saying that knowledge of truth alone is not enough for active men. He believes that our knowledge must be renewed by continuous effort to stop it from loss. Sometimes schools simply function like instruments for transferring a certain maximum quantity of knowledge to the growing generation. This kills learning and the school. A school should develop in the young individuals those qualities and capabilities which are of value for the welfare of the society. If a school adopts to teach all the students the subjects and follow the same aims, it means that the individuality of the child is destroyed and the individual becomes a mere tool of the community.

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A society of standardized individuals without personal originality and personal aims would be a poor community without possibilities for development. Instead of shaping similar individuals, the aim of the school must be the training of independently thinking and acting individuals who see in the service of the community their highest life problem. Einstein advises such schools to place independent thinking in the lead, not just the acquisition of special knowledge. Therefore the school and the teacher must guard against employing the easy method of creating individual ambition in order to induce the pupils to diligent work.

10. (B) Quinquart turned the tables on Robichon and qualified to win the hand of the captivating, Suzanne. Both Robichon and Quinquart loved Miss Suzanne Brouette as she loved them, flirted with them and had a passion for them. But when she was asked to choose one of them as her husband, she could not take a decision. She solved this crisis by asking them to prove their skills on the stage and be judged by the Paris audience. Robichon enacted Jacques’ role in front of the Paris audience, and everyone was spellbound. Suzanne was almost Robichon’s. At this,

Quinquart counteracts. He disguises as Marquis de Thevenin, a judge, and invites Robichon to dine with him. During the meeting, the Marquis informs Robichon that he was going to die of the poisoned wine he had taken as a punishment for wrongly sentencing his son. Robichon believes this and is outwitted. Paris chooses Quinquart as the better actor, and the judgment goes in favour of Quinquart.

(ii) “Action is the end of thought,” says Romain Rolland. Nehru once quoted Romain Rolland and said this. Being selfish, ignoring the problems of other people is not at all desirable. One can’t just afford to live in dreams, nature and avoid neighbours. The sufferings of others must be felt; we can’t escape from our duty towards others. “All thought which does not look towards action is treachery.” Thoughts must lead to action as the action is the end of thought. If we are the servants of thought, we must be the servants of action. People fear the consequences of action and fear of risk. Overcoming dangers give us the real joys of life. Danger seems terrible from a distance; it is not too bad if you have a close look at it.

(iii) Nature had made the two girls, Marian and Freda, totally different from each other and yet both of them were “lonely” in their own ways.

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Marian was a girl different from what her mother had dreamt of. She drew the picture of a golden girl child. But her child was deaf and dumb by birth. She was shy, hesitant, reserved and withdrawn. Though Marian was dear and intelligent, the narrator had expected a golden coloured, golden-voiced child before Marian was born. She had expected a confident child. She didn’t understand their games and slangy conversations. It was by this time that a child from the neighbouring house came to play with Marian. Freda was her name and she was a golden child. She said she too knew how to play school. She was perhaps

a year or two older than Marian. Anne didn’t quite like this child for more than just a single reason. Freda was slim and fair-skinned. Her hair was like ripe corn in sunlight. Her eyes a sparkling, vivid blue and as if this were not enough, she had a voice as clear and careless as a mountain stream. Freda said she had come to play with Marian and said she had no one to play with. Anne tried to discourage her. She said Marian liked to play alone. In spite of her, the girl was not ready to leave Marian’s company. This showed determination and strength. She liked being addressed by name and not as a ‘child’. However, they were both lonely

as Freda had no siblings and friends whereas Marian didn’t like to involve with other children. Freda came to Marian’s house, and they both played ‘school’.

11. (i) The novel is titled ‘Silas Marner’, but it also tells the story of Godfrey. The events are intervowen to highlight the comparison between the two. Godfrey and Silas were both self-imposed loners. Godfrey had to keep his first wife a secret from everybody, especially Nancy Lammeter. This meant that he had to keep more than a polite distance away from her. His brother, the thief and all around scoundrel blackmailed poor Godfrey

to keep his secrets hidden. Silas was betrayed by his whole previous life. The church had let him down, and his closest friend had robbed him. This supposed friend even set him up for an accusation of murder. To top it all off, Silas' wife was taken by this friend of his. This type of betrayal makes a person hate humanity, especially in such a close-knit community. Silas moved himself to the fringes of civilization. He cared for no one and wanted no one to care for him. Both of their attitudes changed when Eppie arrived. Godfrey was Eppie’s natural father, but he neglects his duty, leaving Eppie with a mother who takes drugs and eventually dies.

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This also showed how shallow he was. Godfrey thought that with money he could win back his daughter, but that was not the case. His failure, to tell the truth, is rewarded by a childless marriage. Yet at the final moments of this confrontation, Eppie's arrival unleashed a side of Silas not seen for fifteen years. Silas embraces the idea of fatherhood and with Dolly’s guidance makes a success of it. He became a caring human being again. Silas took great steps to ensure Eppie's happiness even going to church again and associating with the other villagers.

(ii) There is a theme of the individual and the society underlying in the novel “Silas Marner”. There are two societies are at the heart of Silas Marner and drastically opposed to each other. While Lantern Yard experienced the transformative force of the Industrial Revolution, Raveloe was rural and intimate and changed very little from generation to generation. Marner’s exclusion from Lantern Yard’s society and his initial wilful distance from Raveloe’s society and his eventual inclusion in this society caused his losing and regaining of faith. By caring for Eppie, Marner adjusts to Raveloe society, acquiring the customs and beliefs of his new home. The traditions define Raveloe’s unique identity and society

over generations. At the end of the novel, Marner and Eppie travel to Lantern Yard. The village seemed to transform into a great manufacturing town. The men on the streets of Lantern Yard were too busy to stop and assist Marner and Eppie. Eppie and Marner are both happy at the end of the novel because of the connections they had formed with each other and with Raveloe society. Initially, at Raveloe, it took him months to understand what they were saying and then months more to be able to hold a conversation with them. Yet through the growth of Eppie, something took over Silas. He made more friends and worked less on his loom. The loom was the symbol of his old life, the time when he could understand nor trust anyone. Breaking away from the loom demonstrated that he was human again and could be a part of society too.

(iii) The people of Iping village were no match for the Invisible Man when he unveiled himself. The unveiling of the stranger was an unplanned and sudden for himself as for the people of Iping. The Halls hear rumours about the burglary the night before. Everyone at the bar was interested in the strange behaviour of the man who isn’t already liked by the villagers. Mrs. Hall and the stranger start arguing about money because he hasn’t paid his bills recently.

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But then he says he found some more money and would be happy to pay. This makes everyone think that he was behind the burglary at the vicar’s house. Finally, the stranger gets so fed up that he reveals himself to the people at the bar. Everyone in the village was surprised. The villagers who weren’t in the Coach and Horses came running to see what was the screaming all about. Constable Jaffers comes to arrest the stranger. But when he goes to the inn, they find a headless figure eating some bread and cheese. He reveals himself to be the invisible man. The stranger fights with the crowd and seems to be losing and says that he will

surrender but instead takes off all his clothes and became invisible. The Invisible Man starts to beat down on the crowd and they all panic.

(iv) Dr. Kemp was smart and quick to action. After Griffin escapes from Kemp’s trap, he quickly explains to Adye how they can capture him. They would take the help of dogs, locked houses and powdered glass on the roads. At the same time he was foolish to send out a note to the police, without thinking that the Invisible Man might intercept it. He was not brave enough to confront Griffin as he runs away when the police fight the Invisible Man. Kemp is a plot-mover as he gives Griffin a reason to

tell his back story. Griffin tells us about his background that he was a scientist and wanted to be a part of the Royal Society, the famous scientific organization. Dr. Kemp is seen as a traitor by Griffin as he is decent and sensible enough to cheat and get him caught by the police. Griffin’s downfall was due to a combination of over confidence, impulsiveness and selfishness. Griffin was a genius whose diligent work had led him to invent a formula for becoming invisible. But after becoming invisible, Griffin went wild and let loose a reign of terror. Seclusion blunted his intellect, and he became selfish and a sadist as well. Dr. Kemp tried to persuade Griffin to mend his ways, but his efforts

were in vain. He pursues research in a responsible manner, believes in sharing research with the world and wants to use it to serve humanity. Griffin destroyed himself and eventually, Griffin met with a tragic end.

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