HOLIDAY HOME WORK - CLASS XII

ENGLISH

I.Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow: 12 marks

1) The modern classroom has taken several steps forward in its evolution of the learning
environment in the past 25 years. Many of the benefits that we have seen in this setting are due
to the introduction of new technology options for students. Instead of having a single computer
for a class to use or a laboratory environment for the entire school placed in one room, we can
now help students learn at their table or desk with items issued to them directly. Thus, there are
quite a lot of advantages of having technology in their classrooms.

2) Technology helps children to stay motivated during the learning process. Most students don't
like to go to school if they feel like they are wasting time. When there is technology allowed in
the classroom, then teachers have an opportunity to let children work at a pace which suits
them the best without disturbing others. They can look up additional information about a subject
they are learning about that day, play educational games that reinforce the lesson, or work on
advanced material using a program.

3) Because many of today's technology options allow students to see how well they are doing
compared to the average of all users, it gives them a chance to push harder for themselves and
their education. Many of the programs that encourage learning also issue rewards or award
certificates, which helps to make the lessons fun as well.

4) Technology encourages more communication between teachers and parents. When there is
technology in the classroom, then there are more opportunities for parents and teachers to
connect to each other. Using a blog for the classroom can help parents get to see what their
children are learning each day. Apps and software options allow teachers to instantly report on
a child's behavior to let parents know in real-time what is happening throughout the day. There
are options for chat boxes, instant messaging, and other forms of communication as well.

5) Let's not forget about email here either. Since the 1990s when this technology option came
into the classroom, it created more reliability in messaging between teachers and parents
should there be a need to talk.

6) Technology also creates new ways to learn for today's students. There are three critical
forms of intelligence that we see in children today: emotional, creative, and instructional. The
traditional classroom environment, which typically encourages lecture based lessons, focuses
more on the latter option. Standardized tests and similar ranking tools do the same.

When children have access to technology today, then those who excel outside of the

standard learning setup can still achieve their full potential.

7) Technology allows children to embrace their curiosity in multiple ways. They can try new
things without embarrassment because their tech access gives them a level of anonymity.

This process allows children to work, through trial and error if they wish, to see if a different
strategy helps them to learn more effectively.

8) It even encourages students to stay engaged with their learning environment. Some children
will transform into mentors or leaders in this situation to help their fellow students, but there are
many more who disengage because they lack stimulation. By introducing technology to the
classroom, there are fewer places where repetitive learning must take place. Teachers can
introduce new subjects, try new techniques, or use different projects to encourage ongoing
learning, which creates more overall engagement.

Q.1). Technology allows children to embrace their......... in multiple ways (1mark)

i) intelligence iii) curiosity
ii) hard work iv) passion

Q.2. Which of the following is not a method through which technology encourages more
communication between teachers and parents? (1mark)
i) Apps and software options that allow teachers to instantly report on a child's behavior.
ii) Usage of a blog for the classroom to help parents get to see what their children are
learning each day.
iii) Communication options such as chat boxes, instant messaging, and other forms of
communication.
iv) Software programs that allow parents to access the child's tech and keep a check on
their usage.

Q.3. Which of the following is not something that technology helps a student with in education?
(1mark)
i) Technology creates new ways to learn for today's student.
ii) Technology encourages more communication between parents and students.
iii) Technology helps children to stay motivated during the learning process.
iv) Technology encourages students to stay engaged with their learning environment.

Q.4. Which of the following is not a way through which technology helps children to stay
motivated during the learning process? (1mark)
i) play educational games that enforce a lesson
ii) work on advanced material using a program
iii) look up additional information about a subject they are learning about
iv) allow them to work on a lesson beyond their curriculum

Q.5. Learning to support others regardless of your current situation to finish their tasks,
complete a project and support them can help you cultivate great relationship with your
classmates. This is a display of intelligence.
(1mark)
i) social iii) creative
ii) instructional iv) emotional

Q.6. Who is a mentor? (1mark)

i) someone who gives someone help and advice related to something
ii) someone who leads someone to become a better person
iii) someone who help someone in their time of need
iv) someone who provides a better learning standard

Q.7. What is the advantage of having a technology that allows students to see how well they are
doing compared to the average of other students? (1mark)
i)it gives them an opportunity to learn from other students
ii) it tells how much more hard work is needed to achieve a goal
iii) it motivates them to seek help where needed to reach the level of others
iv) it gives them a chance to push harder for themselves and their education

Q.8. Choose an option that makes the correct use of 'stimulation' as used in the passage, to fill
in the space. (2marks)
i) Babies who sleep with their parents receive much more _______ than babies who
sleep in a cot.
ii) It was known that_______ made the heart increase its oxygen consumption.
iii) Near the boundary, the electrical _______ movements. spreading enough to evoke
both
iv) She has a low threshold of boredom and needs the constant ________ of physical
activity.

Q. 9. Fill in the blank using the appropriate option:- (1mark)

The teacher devotes one session to Cooperative Learning because it is one of the most widely
researched ___________ processes and there is considerable evidence that it contributes to
gains in student learning. (1mark)
a) Creative c) Instructional
b) Emotional d) Social

Q.10. Choose an option that is clearly a synonym of the word 'engaged". (1mark)
i) immerse iii) release
ii) surrender iv) disrupt
II. Read the passage and answer the questions that follow 10 marks

(1) The Royal Bengal Tiger is the largest, fiercest, and most powerful member of the Big Cat
family in India. Royal Bengal Tigers, also known as Indian Tiger and Bengal Tiger, constitute a
large population of the tiger family in the world. It is the National Animal of India and is found
mostly in India, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Burma.

(2) The biological name of this Big Cat is Panthera Tigris, which comes under the Felidae family
under the Mammalia category.

(3) No two Bengal tigers look alike! Every Bengal Tiger has a unique stripe pattern. Their colour
ranges from yellow to light orange, with stripes from dark brown to black. Some of the Bengal
Tigers are white in colour. The tail is orange in colour with black rings. Unlike the other white
tigers that have blue eyes, Bengal tigers have yellow irises. They live for 10 to 15 years.

(4) Being fierce in nature, Royal Bengal Tigers are not very friendly in nature and live a solitary
life, except in the winters when they can be seen in a group of 3 or 4. Bengal tigers are fast
runners and good swimmers. Tigers attack their prey in a stealth mode. They are usually
spotted in swamps, mangroves, and grasslands.

(5) Royal Bengal Tigers have very sharp memories; they never forget the faces. Their memory
is sharper than that of humans and other animals.

(6) We can find the largest population of Royal Bengal Tigers in India. As per the latest tiger
census report for 2017, there are 3,786 Royal Bengal tigers in India. India has more than 75%
of the total tiger population in the world. Along with India, neighbouring countries to India hold a
somewhat decent population of the Royal Bengal Tiger in the world. The latest census of the
tigers in India and neighbouring countries is shown in the table.
Sl no. Name of the country Minimum Maximum
1 Bangladesh 300 460
2 Bhutan 80 460
3 China 30 35
4 India 2500 3800
5 Nepal 150 250

(7) To know about the latest tiger population is always the government's concern, as they want
to save this majestic animal from getting extinct. India has lost 97% of its Royal Bengal Tiger
population in the last century. The main reasons are hunting, poaching, urbanization, habitat
loss and illegal wildlife trade. Poaching means to illegally trade the tiger made products like tiger
skins, tiger made jewellery, etc. These skin and jewellery are sold for millions in the international
market. Poaching has reduced the number of tigers to just 3,800 from 1,00,000 in the starting of
the 20th century. (Bigcatsindia.com)

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions.

i. The Royal Bengal Tigers called the largest, fiercest, and powerful members of the Big Cat
family, because (1mark)
a) they have the largest population among all big cats
b) they have unique stripe patterns
c) of their size, strength, and aggressive nature
d) they are the national animal of India

ii. What distinguishes Bengal Tigers' appearance from other tigers? (1mark)
a) their white colour with blue eyes
b) yellow irises and a unique stripe pattern
c) The black tail with orange rings
d) the smaller body size compared to other tigers

iii. From the given pictorial representation, choose the option that correctly states the
approximate percentage of total tigers in the world which are found in India. (1mark)

iv. What are the reasons for reduction in the population of the Tigers? (2marks)

v. In which habitats are Royal Bengal Tigers typically found? (1mark)

vi. Which pair of countries has approximately same number of maximum tigers? (1mark)
(A) Nepal and Bangladesh (C) China and Nepal
(B) Bhutan and Bangladesh (D) Bangladesh and India

vii. What is the significance of tiger conservation efforts in India? (2marks)

viii. State TRUE or FALSE: (1mark)

The Royal Bengal Tiger population in India has increased significantly over the last century.

SECTION B- CREATIVE WRITING -18marks

III. You are Simar / Smriti of Lotus International School, Jodhpur. Your school has decided to
contribute in controlling traffic near your school and requires the names of volunteers from IX to
XII. Write a notice to be displayed on the notice board. (50 words) 4marks

IV. You are Dr Stanzin, a certified Art Therapist from Leh. You have been invited by G.D. Public
School, Jammu, to conduct a seminar for students on 'Art Therapy the Way Forward'. This
seminar is to introduce students to the usefulness of art in dealing with personal and social
problems. Write a reply, in about 50 words, accepting the invitation. 4 marks

V. You are Bharat/Bharti of Safdarjung Development Area, New Delhi. You are disturbed to see
the youth wasting their precious time in operating mobile phones. Write a letter to the Editor of
The Times Newspaper, highlighting increasing technological addiction among the youth.
OR
Bal Vidya Public School, Bhilai, urgently requires a post-graduate teacher to teach political
science for which they have placed an advertisement in The Bhilai Express. You are
Sanjay/Sanjana Sharma from 21, Vasant Marg, Bhilai. Draft a letter including a CV, applying for
the advertised post. 5 marks

VI. Last week as you were coming back from school you happened to see a huge plastic bag
full of leftovers of food being flung into the middle of the road from a speeding car. You
wondered how people can be so devoid of civic sense. Write an article in 125-150 words on why
we lack civic sense and how civic sense can be inculcated in children at a very young age. You
are Shiva/Shamini.
OR
You are Ashima/Akshit. The Women Empowerment Organisation (WEO) in collaboration with
Child and Women Care Society (CWCS), celebrated The Women Empowerment Day recently in
Community centre, Pocket B, Rohini. As the city correspondent, write a report in 120-150 words
for the city magazine, The Today. 5 marks

SECTION-C- LITERTURE- 40 MARKS

VII. Read the following extacts given below and answer ANY ONE of the following.
6marks

1. "Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing

A flowery band to bind us to the Earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkened ways
Made for our searching.

(i) Which of the following themes is best represented in the given extract?
(a) The beautiful things in nature
(b) Things that cause unhappiness
(c) The immortality of human beings
(d) The early morning fragrance of flowers

(ii) State whether the given statement is True or False, with reference to the extract.
The paths we follow are often not worthy of our noble nature.

(iii) Complete the following sentence appropriately. We wreathe for ourselves a flowery band
every morrow because....

(iv) The use of the word 'dearth' creates a powerful image of.......
(v) Based on the rhyme scheme in line 4 and 5, which of the following words will rhyme with
'days' and 'ways'?
(a) Craze (b) Pays
(c) Haste (d) Waste

(vi) The lack of punctuation at the end of line 3 in the extract is to

(a) create a sense of continuity and flow that connects it with the fourth line.
(b) encourage the reader to understand grammar.
(c) forewarn the reader of gloomy days ahead.
(d) keep us connected to this earth.

2. "What I want should not be confused

with total inactivity
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death"

(i) About which confusion the poet is referring to here?

(ii) What is life about according to the poet?

(a) Living it gainfully
(b) Living a hectic life with no time for anything else
(c) Multiple activities to earn as much money as possible
(d) Gainfully occupied with time to analyse and introspect

(iii) What should not be confused with 'total unproductivity'?

(iv) Explain: 'No truck with death'.

(a) Inactivity mean death
(b) No association with death as life is to be lived fully
 (c) Stillness and inactivity for few minutes in different from death
(d) Both (b) and (c)

(v) Complete the sentence appropriately.

The poet makes the clarification between inactivity and death because

(vi) State whether the given statement is true or false.

The poet wants people to become inactive.

VIII. Read the following extacts given below and answer ANY ONE of the following
4marks
.
1. Students on Ice, the programme I was working with on the Shokalskiy, aims to do exactly this
by taking high school students to the ends of the world and providing them with inspiring
educational opportunities which will help them foster a new understanding and respect for our
planet. It's been in operation for six years now, headed by Canadian Geoff Green, who got tired
of carting celebrities and retired, rich, curiosity-seekers who could only 'give' back in a limited
way. With Students on Ice, he offers the future generation of policy-makers a life-changing
experience at an age when they're ready to absorb, learn, and most importantly, act.

(i) Students on Ice is ..............headed by Geoff Green. Select the option to fill in the blank
correctly.
(a) an expedition (c) a vacation
(b) a picnic (d) a research trip

(ii) Choose the option that marks the ODD ONE OUT based on your reading of the above
extract.
(a) Sumit donates 10% of his monthly income to the environment-friendly NGOs.
(b) Manmeet and her twin plant a new plant on their birthday every year.
(c) Vivek invests in eco-friendly cosmetics that are packaged in plastic containers.
(d) Afsana plans to device a machine that recycles the biodegradable wastes from home.

(iii) What do you understand about the character of the celebrities based on your understanding
of the extract.

(iv) Why did Greene start his students on Ice programme?

2.To make sure. I walked over to the newsboy and glanced at the stack of papers at his feet. It
was The World and The World hasn't been published for years. The lead story said something
about President Cleveland. I've found that front page since, in the Public library files, and it was
printed on 11th June, 1894.

I turned toward the ticket windows knowing that here on the third level at Grand Central - I could
buy tickets that would take Louisa and me anywhere in the United States we wanted to go. In
the year 1894. And I wanted two tickets to Galesburg.

(i) The newspaper that covered the lead story about President Cleveland was
(a) The Pioneer (c) The World
(b) The New York Times (d) The Times

(ii) The narrator wanted to buy tickets to

(iii) Which of the following in the extract most nearly means the opposite of 'stare'?
(a) glance (c) ignore
(b) peek (d) examine

(iv) Complete the sentence appropriately.

Charley wanted two tickets because he wanted to go with..........

IX. Read the following extacts given below and answer ANY ONE of the following
6marks

2.They thought he would demand repayment in full of the money which they had illegally and
deceitfully extoreted from the sharecroppers. He asked only 50 percent. "There he seemed
adamant", writes Reverend J.Z. Hodge, a British missionary in Champaran, who observed the
entire episode at close range. "Thinking probably that he would not give way, the
representatives of the planters offered to refund to the extent of 25 percent, and to his
amazement Mr. Gandhi took him at his words thus breaking the deadlock."

(i) Choose the correct option.

'Then he seemed adamant,' reflects Gandhi's trait of being
(a) arrogant (c) argumentative
(b) uncompromising (d) courageous

(ii) ..........deceitfully extorted from the sharecroppers.

The status of sharecroppers as inferred from the above line is
(a) law abiding citizens (c) victims of exploitation
(b) followers of Gandhi (d) contract labourers

(iii) Complete the following sentence. Gandhi surprised them by......

(iv) The inference that can be drawn from the line "Mr. Gandhi took him at his word" is.......

(v) 'Deadlock' in the last line means.......

(vi) What do we infer about the attitude of planters towards sharecroppers?

X. Answer ANY FIVE questions in 40-50 words 5x2=10marks
(i) What does the poet’s smile in the poem My Mother at Sixty-six show?
(ii) Explain the inference that can be drawn from the line: ‘Will they make them sing in German,
even the pigeons?’
(iii) How is Mukesh different from the other bangle makers of Firozabad?
(iv) Which two incidents in Douglas’ early life made him scared of water?
(v) Why was the crofter happy when the pedlar knocked at his door and how did he make him
feel welcome?

XI. Answer ANY TWO questions in 40-50 words 2x2=4marks

(i) What prompted Charley to compromisde on less value of money?
(ii) Who actually killed the hundredth tiger? Why?
(iii) Wy did Tishani Doshi feel a sense of relief when she reached Antartica?

XII. Answer ANY ONE question in 120-150 words 5marks

Gandhiji proved himself to be a good leader in the Champaran Satyagraha. Explain the
qualities of a good leader with reference to the Satyagraha.
OR
Write a brief character sketch of Edla Willmanson

XIII. Answer ANY ONE question in 120-150 words 5marks

Make a diary entry by Tishani Doshi while on her way back from Antartica. Mention how her
experience effected her and also her views about the Students on Ice programme.
OR
Charley starts looking for the third level again? Do you think the third level exists? Support your
argument with valid points.