CBSE Class 12 English Value Based Questions – Practice Test – 1

Question 1:
Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow. (1 x 4 = 4)
The stunted, unlucky heir
Of twisted bones, reciting a father’s gnarled disease,
His lesson, from his desk. At the 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.

1. Who is the unlucky heir?
2. What has he inherited?
3. Who is sitting at the back of the dimly lighted class?
4. What is the comparison drawn with ‘squirrel’s game’?

Or

Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering through her wool Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer’s hand.

1. Why were Aunt Jennifer’s fingers fluttering?
2. What is suggested by the image “the massive weight of uncle’s wedding band?”
3. Why does she find it hard to pull the ivory needles?
4. How is Aunt Jennifer affected by the “weight of matrimony”?

Answer:

1. The unlucky heir refers to the boy with stunted growth and twisted bones. He is sitting in the slum
   school classroom.
2. He has inherited his father’s gnarled disease. His body is deformed and his bones are twisted.
3. A sweet, young, tender looking boy is sitting unnoticed at the back of the dimly lighted class.
4. Just as a squirrel frisks and frolics while playing a game, the eyes of the dreamer frisk and frolic
   with hopes for the future.

Or

1. Aunt Jennifer is a victim of gender oppression at the hands of her husband. She feels so nervous and terrified that her hands flutter when she sits down to knit.
2. It refers to the confines, constraints and the demands of Aunt Jennifer’s married state. She is burdened by the authority of her husband and the weight of her marital responsibilities.
3. Aunt Jennifer is suppressed by the weight of male domination. She feels so nervous and terrified that her fingers are fluttering. This makes it difficult for her to pull the ivory needles.
4. Aunt Jennifer suffers from implied slavery and feels trapped in gender oppression. She has lost her identity, and cannot assert her individuality and independence.

Question 2:
Answer any four of the following questions.    (3 x 4 = 12)

1. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
2. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle?
3. What advice did Annan offer Bama?
4. What makes human beings love life in spite of trials and tribulations?
5. How does Jo want the story to end and why?
6. Whom did M Hamel blame for not giving due attention to their language?

Answer:

1. The misadventure of having a near-drowning experience made Douglas fear water. The phobia of
   water hampered all his joys of enjoying different water sports like fishing, canoeing, boating and swimming. Douglas did not want to live with this handicap. So, he was determined to overcome it at any cost.
2. The peddler was touched by the kind treatment Edla gave him. The girl, in spite of knowing his real identity, treated him like a captain. It was now his turn to show Edla that the guest she had honoured was as honourable as the captain and not merely a petty thief. So, he signed himself as Captain von Stahle.
3. Annan advised his sister Bama to study with care and learn all she could and be ahead of her lessons in the class in order to win respect, dignity and acceptance by others. Education was the only key to their community’s honour, dignity and progress.
4. Humans suffer from hopelessness and sadness. The intermittent phases of joy and happiness which we get from the beauty of nature makes human beings love life. Thus we get eternal pleasure from our beautiful surroundings.
5. Jo wants the story to end with the Wizard hitting Mommy Skunk back on the head and let Roger keep his smell of roses. According to Jo, Roger was happy with his new smell of roses and should retain it.
6. M Hamel blamed the people of Alsace and himself for not giving due attention to their language. The parents wanted to have a little more money, so they preferred to put their children to work instead of sending them to school. M Hamel also blamed himself. He had often sent the students to water his plants, and whenever he wanted to go fishing, he just gave them a holiday.

Question 3:
Answer the following questions in about 120-150 words.    (6)
There is a saying, “Kindness pays, rudeness never.” In the story, The Rattrap’, Edla’s attitude towards men and matters is different from her father’s attitude. How are the values of concern and compassion brought out in the story, The Rattrap’?

Or

“Where they slog their daylight hours, often losing the brightness of their eyes.”
The above lines show the horrific conditions which many children are subjected to, just for selfish gains. Write an article expressing your concern and suggesting some ways to prevent it.
Answer:
‘The Rattrap’ brings home the idea that the latent spark of human goodness is inherent in each one of us, which’ can be awakened through love and understanding.
The acts of kindness and hospitality of the ironmaster’s daughter stirred the essential goodness in the peddler. He was treated like a captain by Edla despite the fact that he was a tramp and a thief. She passionately pleaded with her father to let the peddler stay. Her sympathy and understanding left a deep impression on him. It was her tenderness and noble action that helped him redeem himself. Before leaving, he returned the stolen thirty kronor, gave Edla a rattrap as a Christmas present and also wrote a letter thanking her profusely. Edla’s compassion and the peddler’s reformation show how the values of concern and compassion are brought out in the story.

Or

Stolen Childhood
By XYZ

Every time we walk out of our house, we can find a barefoot, half-clad or sometimes almost naked child, working hard just to earn a living. Small children are made to toil hard at a tender age. They are not paid well and have to struggle to keep their body and soul together.
They are compelled by their circumstances to sacrifice their hopes, dreams and aspirations. The account of their lives is really heart-rending.
Child labour is a crime in our country, especially the employment of children in hazardous working environment. Still the evil is rampant almost everywhere in the society. We need strict implementation of laws to fight this evil. Awareness can be a very positive fighting tool against the exploitation of the poor. Besides, the government must take effective measures to ensure that these children get their due in education as well as social and economic security.

Question 4:
Answer the following questions in about 120-150 words.    (6)
How did the Tiger King meet his end? What is ironical about his death?

Or

Describe the precautions taken by the prison officers to prevent Evans from escaping.
Answer:
The wooden toy tiger the king had got as a birthday present for his son had been carved by an unskilled carpenter. One of the wood slivers projecting from the toy tiger pierced the Maharaja’s right hand. The infection spread and the Maharaja had to be operated on. Despite the skill of the best surgeons, the Maharaja died. The king’s death is ironical, as the king thought that he had killed the hundredth tiger and thereby felt safe and happy. He did not know that the hundredth victim was not killed by him but by other hunters.
The king had spent all his life exterminating the entire tiger population in his as well in his father-in law’s kingdom, but ironically he lost his life to a lifeless object.

Or

Evans had already tried to escape from the prison thrice before, and, therefore, the Governor suspected that his request for taking an O-level German examination might just be a part of another of his escape plans. So, the prison authorities took numerous precautions to prevent Evans from escaping.
The Governor himself decided to personally oversee all the security measures. Evans was to take the exam in his own cell, where he would be alone. The cell was secured by two heavy doors. A parson was to invigilate the exam, leaving little chance for Evans to communicate with others. Evans’ cell was carefully examined and all potential weapons were removed. A transceiver was implanted in his cell, so that the Governor could listen to all the proceedings. A prison officer, Stephens, was appointed to keep a regular watch on Evans throughout the exam. The whole prison was on high alert.

Question 5:
Answer the following questions in about 120-150 words.    (6)
How is Dunstan’s absence regarded by the people in Raveloe?

Or

“Curiosity killed that cat.” How far is this statement correct in the case of Mr Cuss?
Answer:
Dunstan Cass’s absence was not discussed much. No one could make a connection between his disappearance and the robbery either, for whatever reason that the novel does not fully explain. However, it is clear that Godfrey too was unable to connect Dunstan to the robbery because Silas was merely a subject of joke between the brothers since they were children and, in all the time that he had been with Dunstan, Godfrey had never heard Dunstan mentioning Silas for any reason at all.

Or

Mr Cuss, the general practitioner in the village of Iping, was a curious cat. The bandages of the Invisible Man excited his professional interest. He was also jealous of him when he got to know that he possessed many bottles of different shapes and sizes filled with chemicals.
He devised a plan to arrange an interview with the stranger just to gain more information about him. However, he was scared out of his wits when Griffin showed him his empty sleeve. At first he behaved boldly but ran away when Griffin tweaked his nose with the invisible hand. Though scared, he reacted rationally after coming to his senses. He thought that he had probably gone mad or insane.

Question 6:
Answer the following questions in about 120-150 words.    (6)
It was Mr Teddy Henfrey who started spreading the rumours about Griffin. What does this reveal about the character?

Or

Compare Silas’ life in Lantern Yard with that in Raveloe.
Answer:
Teddy Henfrey is a clock repairman who is also a gossip monger. When he cannot find anything about
the stranger, he starts spreading rumours about him. He has a suspecting nature. He is the one who says that the stranger is perhaps wanted by the police and that is why he keeps himself covered. This reveals that he wants to denigrate other people when he cannot find out anything about them. It shows that his mind is shallow and he enjoys gossipping.

Or   

Silas was quite a happy man when he lived in Lantern Yard. He no doubt fell into fits, or long trances, during the prayer meetings, but things were on the whole going on pretty smoothly. His honesty, hard working nature and courtesy put him in good stead. He had a group of wonderful friends and was preparing to marry the girl he liked.
However, Silas’ life in Raveloe is completely changed. Here we find him a cold and bitter man, whose sole objective was saving or hoarding his money. He did not socialise with people and had no friends either. Though he helped people, he refused to come out of his shell or have any association with them. The people of Raveloe lived with religious ease as against the religious austerity that marked the life of the inhabitants of Lantern Yard.

NCERT English for Class 12 Solutions