ISC English Language Previous Year Question Paper 2016 Solved for Class 12
(Candidates are allowed additional 15 minutes for only reading the paper They must NOT start writing during this time.)
Attempt all four questions.
The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [].
(You are advised to spend not more than 50 minutes on Question 1, 40 minutes on Question 2, 30 minutes on Question 3 and 1 hour on Question 4.)
(You should begin each answer on a fresh page.)
Question 1.
Write a composition (in approximately 450-500 words) on any one of the following subjects : (You are reminded that you will be rewarded for orderly and coherent presentation of material, use of appropriate style and general accuracy of spelling, punctuation and grammar.) [30]
(а) Describe any three important lessons that you have learnt through the course of your life. How did you learn these lessons and why do you think they are so important.
(b) Relate how the reading of literature has enriched and refined you.
(c) ‘Every cloud has a silver lining.
Express your views on the above statement.
(d) Deception.
(e) Argue for or against the statement: ‘We live in deeds and not in years.’
(f) Write an original short story’ beginning with the following words :
‘The voice was familiar but I could not recognise the face ………………………… ’
Answers:
(a) Hints
- an important lesson I have learnt is : ‘honesty pays in the long run’
- refused to copy in the exam, got less marks but inner satisfaction
- have learnt to be helpful to others
- observed some social workers saving the lives of people stranded in floods
- have learnt to respect time
- once failed because wasted a lot of time
(b) Hints
- good literature a great source of learning and refinement
- has provided deep understanding of human nature
- has made me observ ant and introspective
- has learnt to be polite and respectful
- has enabled me to cope with all kinds of disharmony in life
(c) Hints
- means that there is always a ray of hope
- problems and hurdles bound to come
- no need of thinking that circumstances will not change
- men of strong will and determination remain hopeful
- an optimistic attitude – a must to tide over all storms in life
(d) Hints
- means to make somebody believe that is not true
- has become a way of life with modern-day man
- politicians and businessmen depend upon deceit to achieve material success
- a human weakness in all times
- success by deceit not permanent
- does not give inner peace of mind
(e) Hints
For:
- our achievements and noble deeds perpetuate us
- longevity of little or no significance
- many great persons died young
- actions done in the service of humanity – the best
- a lily of a day remembered because it spreads fragrance all around, and not an oak tree that gives nothing, though lives for hundred years
(f) Hints
- remained speechless and thoughtful for some time
- the man helped me he was my friend Ram Kumar
- now a totally changed person, with beard, moustache, robust physique
- remembered school days
- Mohit said he was a captain in the army, wanted some money
- the moment he left, a group of policemen knocked at my door
- stunned – Mohit was a robber, a proclaimed olfender
Question 2. [20]
Imagine that you are the Head Boy/Head Girl of ABC Public School. You have to deliver a speech at the Farewell Party organized by your juniors. Prepare a suitable speech for the occasion using the notes given below :
Years spent – early memories – association with juniors – skills acquired – values learnt – memorable moment – gratitude to teachers – message for juniors – future plans – thanks giving.
Answer:
Respected Principal, worthy teachers and dear friends ! Good afternoon.
I am overwhelmed. I don’t know where to begin. It is difficult to imagine that I will not be coming to the school as usual after a few days. Looking back, I find the time spent here with you all was a golden period of my life, ft is here that I learnt hard lessons of life. It is here that I learnt how not to go after short-lived success. It is here that I learnt the value of time. The images of coming to school with satchel in the school bus. eating lunch in the company of friends sitting on the steps of the playground, rehearsing for the cultural show, playing badminton in the ‘ evening, gossiping with friends in the canteen – all these are before the eyes of my mind.
Friends ! My great moment in the school was my being elected as the Head Girl of my school. The party hosted by my friends is still fresh in my mind. As a Head Girl, I had to work with my peers and juniors alike. I am thankful to all of them for extending whole-hearted cooperation to me. The love and respect given to me by my juniors was really overwhelming.
I am grateful to my teachers for everything I have achiev ed in my life. They were all nice to us. They were fully involved in our progress and growth, ft was from them that we imbibed great virtues and values of life. Two things I would mention here ! I learnt from my teachers that one must be honest and hardworking, and that one must respect time for success and happiness in life.
At this point I would exhort my juniors present here to learn to be respectful to your teachers, parents and all elderly persons, and be helpful and cooperative with one another God bless you all.
I am quite hopeful of becoming a good doctor and a good citizen in life. I’ll continue to seek your blessings, love and affection from all of you.
Thank you very much.
Question3. [10]
Answer sections (a), (b) and (c).
(a) In each of the following items, sentence A is complete, while sentence B is not. Complete sentence B, making it as similar as possible to sentence A. Write sentence B in each case.
Example:
(0)
(A) : No sooner had the match finished than it began to rain.
(B) : Hardly ………………………………..
Answer:
(0) Hardly had the match finished when it began to rain.
(1)
(A) : If he does not run fast, he will lose the race.
(B) : Unless ………………………………..
(2)
(A) : Nobody knew much about his plans for the future.
(B) : Little ………………………………..
(3)
(A) : On seeing the rat, she shrieked.
(B) : As soon as ………………………………..
(4)
(A) : You must never tell a lie.
(B) : Under no circumstances ………………………………..
(5)
(A) : The boss said, ”What an extraordinary success!”
(B) : The boss exclaimed ………………………………..
(6)
(A) : It is too cold for me to step out without a shawl.
(B) : It is so ………………………………..
(7)
(A) : I play both tennis and squash.
(B) : Not only ………………………………..
(8)
(A) : The school team lost the cricket match although the captain scored a century.
(B) : Despite the fact ………………………………..
(9)
(A) : Charles Dickens is the most interesting writer.
(B) : No other ………………………………..
(10)
(A) : They had to shut down the computers before leaving the office.
(B) : The computers ………………………………..
(b) Fill in each blank with a suitable word. (Do not write the sentence.) [5]
(1) After the argument, his friends turned ___________ him.
(2) Ramesh turned ___________ his father for help.
(3) The Headmaster will look ___________ the cheating case.
(4) I look ___________ to my grandfather for what he has achieved.
(5) She takes ___________ her mother; she has her lovely green eyes.
(6) Ramesh has taken ___________ computers like a duck to water.
(7) Will you entrust him ___________ that message’?
(8) He is dishonest; you must not entrust any important job ___________ him.
(9) Do not put ___________ till tomorrow what you can do today.
(10) I put ___________ at my friend’s house for the night.
(c) Fill in the blanks in the passage given below with the appropriate form of the verb given in brackets. Do not write the passage, but write the verbs in the correct order. [5]
I ___________ (1) (realise) that I ___________ (2) (know ) one of the two men by sight, and I ___________ (3) (spend) a few seconds thinking why he ___________ (4) (seek) me out on a Sunday afternoon. During this pause, three small boys ___________ (5) (walk) up the passage from the house behind me, ___________ (6) (thread) away around me and the two men outside, and silently ___________ ___________ (7) (climb) like catsup into a tree in the middle of the lawn outside. There, the three figures ___________ (8) (rest), ___________ (9) (become) immobile, ___________ (10) (lie) on their stomachs, deep in a secret game.
Answers:
(a) (1) Unless he runs fast, he will lose the race.
(2) Little did anybody know about his plans for the future.
(3) As soon as she saw the rat, she shrieked.
(4) Under no circumstances must you tell a lie.
(5) The boss exclaimed that it was an extraordinary success.
(6) It is so cold that I cannot step out without a shawl.
(7) Not only do I play tennis but squash also.
(8) Despite the fact that the captain scored a century, the school team lost the cricket match.
(9) No other writer is as interesting as Charles Dickens.
(10) The computers had to be shut down by them before tearing the office.
(b)
(1) against (2) to (3) into (4) up (5) after (6) to (7) with (8) to (9) off (10) up
(c)
(1) realised (2) knew (3) spent (4) sought (5) walked (6) threading (7) climbed (8) rested (9) became (10) lying
Question 4.
Read the passage given below and answer the questions (a), (b) and (c) that follow:
(1) Inside the cockpit of the World War II Mosquito plane, I could make out. against the light of the moon, the muffled head of its pilot and the twin circles of his goggles as he looked out of the side window towards me. Carefully he raised his right hand till I could see it in the window, fingers straight, palm downwards. He jabbed the fingers forward and down, meaning that we were going to descend and that I should follow 5 him
(2) I nodded and quickly brought up my own left hand so he could see it, first pointing forwards to my own control panel with one forefinger, and then holding up my five spread fingers. Finally I drew my hand across my throat. By common agreement this sign meant that I had only five minutes fuel left, and then my engine would cut out. I io saw the muffled, goggled, oxygen-masked head nod in understanding, and then we were heading downwards towards the sheet of fog.
(3) My plane stopped trembling and plunged ahead of the Mosquito. I pulled back on the throttle, hearing the engine die to a low whistle, and the other pilot was back beside me. We were diving straight towards the shrouded land. I glanced at my altimeter : two 15 thousand feet, still diving.
(4) He pulled out at three hundred feet. The fog was still below us. Probably the fog bank was only from the ground to two hundred feet up, but that was more than enough to prevent a plane from landing without guidance. I could imagine the stream of instructions coming from the radar hut into the earphones of the man flying beside me, eighty feet away. I kept my eyes on him, following as closely as possible, afraid of losing sight for an instant, watching for his every hand-signal. Two minutes later he held up his clenched left fist in the window, then opened the fist to splay all five fingers against the glass, indicating that I should lower the undercarriage. I moved the lever downwards and felt the dull thunk as all three wheels went down, happily powered by hydraulic pressure 25 and not dependent on the failed electrical system.
(5) The pilot of the shepherd aircraft pointed down again, for another descent. I managed to flick a glance at my fuel gauge: it was on zero, flickering feebly. For God’s sake, hurry up, I prayed, for if my fuel failed me now there would be no time to climb to the minimum five hundred feet needed for bailing out. A jet fighter at one hundred feet 30 without an engine is a death-trap with no chances forsurvival.
(6) For two or three minutes he seemed content to hold his position, while the sweat broke out behind my neck and began to run in streams down my back, sticking the light nylon flying suit to my skin.
(7) Quite suddenly he straightened out, so fast I almost lost him. I caught him a second later and saw his left hand flash the dive signal to me. Then he dipped towards the fog bank, I followed, and we were in it, a shallow, flat descent, but a descent nevertheless, and from a mere hundred feet, towards nothing.
Adapted from The Shepherd by Fredrick Forsyth
(a) (i) Given below are four words and phrases. Find the words which have a similar meaning in the passage: [4]
(1) go down
(2) covered
(3) instrument
(4) satisfied
(ii) For each of the words given below, write a sentence of at least ten words using the same word unchanged in form, but with a different meaning from that which it carries in the passage :
(1) palm (line 4)
(2) land (line 15)
(3) stream (line 19)
(4) bank (line 37)
(b) Answer the following questions in your own words as briefly as possible :
(i) What was the first instruction of the pilot of the Mosquito plane? [2]
(ii) What was the narrator’s reply? [3]
(iii) How did the other pilot let the narrator know that the wheels had to be lowered? [2]
(iv) Why did the narrator begin to pray towards the end? [3]
(c) Describe how the pilot of the Mosquito aircraft guided the narrator to land, in not more than 100 words (Paragraphs 3 to 7). Failure to keep within the word limit will be penalised. You will be required to :
(i) List your ideas clearly in point form. [6]
(ii) In about 100 words, write your points in the form of a connected passage.
(a)
(i)
(1) descend
(2) shrouded
(3) altimeter
(4) content
(ii)
(1) palm : You have to grease the palni of the concerned official to get your work done.
(2) land : The aeroplane had to force land as the fuel was running out.
(3) stream : The stream flowed in a zigzag way cutting its own banks at many places.
(4) bank : We can bank upon a person who is honest, industrious and God fearing.
(b) (i) The pilot of the Mosquito plane asked the narrator to follow him as they were going to descend.
(ii) The narrator nodded in agreement. With his finger gestures he indicated that he had only five minutes fuel left.
(in) The other pilot held up his clenched left fist in the window, then opened the fist to spread out all five fingers against the glass, indicating that the narrator should lower the wheels.
(iv) The narrator began to pray to God as the fuel had almost run out and he feared that there would be no time to climb to the minimum five hundred feet for bailing out in the absence of the fuel.
(c) (i) Main Points :
- the two planes diving straight towards the shrouded land
- the other pilot pulled at three hundred feet
- his instruction to lower the undercarriage
- hydraulic pressure applied by the narrator
- fuel gauge indicating zero
- the other pilot suddenly straightened out
- the narrator first lost to himself, but followed the dive signal to the fog bank.
(ii) The pilot of the Mosquito aircraft guided the narrator to land with his gestures. He first pulled at three hundred feet and instructed the narrator to lower the undercarriage, which he did by using hydraulic pressure. The fuel gauge indicating zero caused nervousness to the narrator. The other pilot was satisfied with his action. When he suddenly straighted, the narrator first got lost but followed the dive signal at once to the fog bank. It was a flat descent from a mere hundred feet to the fog bank.