Subject: English Core (301)

Class: XII 2024-25

Time allowed: 3 Hrs Max Marks: 80
General Instructions
1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections-READING, WRITING and
LITERATURE.
2. Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part.

Section A: READING SKILLS (22 marks)

Reading Comprehension Through Unseen Passages

1. Read the following text. 12 m

Apollo, the Greek god of music and healing, always maintained that he was the greatest
musician in the world, until Marsyas, who was part animal and part human, played the
(1) flute. Apollo's jealousy and insecurity drove him to eventually slay Marsyas so that his
status as the greatest musician remained unchallenged. One’s usual imagination of a god
is a being who is all-knowing and pure in every intention. What makes the Greek gods
interesting is that they are shown as flawed beings who do not always act like ‘Gods’.

In appearance, the gods resemble mortals, whom, however, they far surpass in beauty,
grandeur, and strength; they are also more commanding in stature, height being
considered by the Greeks an attractive feature in men or women. They resemble human
(2) beings in their feelings and habits, marrying and having children with them. They require
daily nourishment to maintain their strength, and sleep to restore their energy. Their
blood, a bright magical fluid called Ichor, never causes disease, and, when shed,
produces new life.

The Greeks believed that the mental qualifications of their gods were much higher than
those of men, but, nevertheless, displayed human passions like revenge, deceit, and
jealousy. In mythological tales, the gods always punish the evil-doer and administer dire
(3) punishments to any mortal who dares to neglect their worship. They often visit mankind
and partake of their hospitality, and in many tales, both gods and goddesses become
attached to mortals. Although there were so many points of resemblance between gods
and men, there remained the one great characteristic distinction: immortality. Still, the
gods were not invulnerable, and were often wounded and suffered so much that they’d
pray for death. The gods could transport themselves to incredible distances with the
speed of thought.

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 They could be invisible at will, and could take the forms of men or animals as it
suited their convenience. They could also transform human beings into trees,
stones, or
animals. Their robes were like those worn by mortals, but were perfect in form and much
finer in texture. Their weapons also resembled those used by mankind. They often used
(4)
spears, shields, helmets, bows and arrows. Most of these divinities lived on the summit
of Mount Olympus, each having his or her own palace. Magnificent temples were
erected to their honour, rich gifts were presented to them, and living creatures were
sacrificed on their altars.

In Greek mythology, the gods take every opportunity to reveal and establish their
divinity but also fall prey to human impulses. Perhaps the Greeks did so to help
(5) generations of readers reflect on important life lessons to avoid tragic downfalls.

- E. M. Berens

Source (edited): 'Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome' -

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/22381/pg22381-images.html#page7
(448 words)
Answer the following questions based on the passage above.
i '... they are shown as flawed beings who do not always act like 'Gods'.
(paragraph 1)

Which of these are examples of the above statement?

I. Gods getting attached and falling in love

II. Gods punishing mortals for their wrongdoing
III. Gods showing kindness and compassion to all
IV. Gods deceiving everyone for their personal gain
V. Gods killing a mortal out of jealousy and

insecurity Select the correct option.

A. Only I and III

B. Only II and V
C. Only I, IV, and V
D. Only II, IV, and V
ii Which of these would Apollo most likely say about Marsyas' musical ability? 1
A. 'Why does everyone think he plays music well? It is obvious that he
doesn't have talent.'
B. 'Why is he challenging me like that? I wonder what is troubling him
that I can heal.'

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 C. 'How can an animal play the flute? Such creatures must know their
place.'
D. 'How dare he play better than me? I am supposed to be the best in the
world.'
iii Why does the author begin the passage with a description of Apollo? 1
A. to show that the Greek Gods have immense power and influence
over the mortals
B. to emphasise the point that the Greek Gods are based in
interesting stories
C. to highlight the point that the Greek Gods are more human- like in
nature
D. to state that the Greek Gods are also allowed to make mistakes
iv What is ironic about Apollo being the one who slays Marsyas? Answer in 2
about 40 words.
v Based on your reading of paragraph 3, explain what 'invulnerable' means. 1
Answer in one sentence.
vi In 40 words, state any two ways that the Greek gods are superior to human 2
beings.
vii Complete the given sentence with ONE word. 1

From the fact that the Greek gods punish any mortal who neglects their
worship, we can infer that they are .
viii Imagine that someone was born from Ichor. In which of these situations would 1
the Ichor be most useful?

A. a natural disaster that causes the earth to split apart

B. a pandemic that has been caused by a contagious virus
C. a war that requires transforming into another form quickly
D. a competitive entrance exam that is very tough to qualify for
ix What does the author mean by 'tragic downfalls' in paragraph 5? Give an 2
example of a tragic downfall in current times in about 40 words.
2. Read the following text. 10 m
ChatGPT has been gaining attention for how closely it mimics human-like responses.
Created by OpenAI in 2022, it is a chatbot that has been trained to have knowledge of
worldly events and phenomena up till September 2021 and to interpret the context of
(1) texts to produce meaningful responses. The tool can provide answers on many topics,
and often states disclaimers if it cannot answer a prompt accurately. Unlike a search
engine, it cannot browse the internet for information. It also does not collect any
personal information of users.

A survey was administered to understand the uses of ChatGPT in the fields of education,
healthcare and research. There were 420 participants in the study of which 59
respondents were from the medical field, 118 respondents were students and faculty
from

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 the research field, 70 respondents identified as administrative staff, and 173 people
(2) marked 'other' as their occupation. Of the 420 respondents, only 40% had used ChatGPT
before. More medical trainees and students as well as research students had used
ChatGPT as compared to medical staff and research faculty.

The survey asked about the viability of ChatGPT for its use within the fields of
education, research, and healthcare. The following table summarises the responses.
(3)
Number of
Question Statement
respondents
Should No, it should be banned. 11
ChatGPT be I don't know; it is too early to make a
226
used in statement.
Education? Yes, it should be actively incorporated. 183
No, it should not be used at all. 6
I don't know; it is too early to make a
75
Should statement.
ChatGPT be Yes, but it should only be used to
used in brainstorm. 68
Research?
Yes, as long as its use is transparently
disclosed. 259
Yes, disclosure is NOT needed. 10
No, it should not be used at all. 15
I don't know; it is too early to make a
Should statement. 177
ChatGPT be Yes, it can be used for administrat
ive 176
used in purposes.
Healthcare? Yes, it can be used for any purpose. 51

Based on the responses, there was a greater uncertainty around its use in healthcare and
education, compared to using it in research. Regarding the use of ChatGPT in healthcare,
a significant portion of respondents (42%) approved of using it for administra tive
purposes (for example, preparing patient profiles or reports) and a smaller population of
respondents (12.2%) felt it could be used for any purpose.
(4)
The current application of ChatGPT and its future potential needs to be examined. It can
help students understand texts and write more effectively, simplify medical information
for patients and automate administrative tasks, and prepare a summary of information
which otherwise would require hours of reading through various resources. However, its
negative impact must also be considered before institutions approve its use.

(5) - Multiple Authors

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 Source (edited): 'An exploratory survey about using ChatGPT in education,
healthcare, and research' -
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.03.31.23287979v1.full
(330 words)
Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.
i Complete the given sentence in ONE word. 1

Based on the summary table, the number of respondents think

that ChatGPT should not be used.
ii The following was a prompt posted by a user in ChatGPT as their first 1
question:

'What's my name?'

Based on information from the passage, which of these is most likely to be

ChatGPT's response?

A. 'Error 404: page not found.'

B. 'Your name is user 1000004.'
C. 'Sorry, can you repeat the question?'
D. 'Sorry, I don't have access to your data.'
iii Imagine that you have to write a news report on a major landslide that 2
occurred in Manipur on 30 June, 2022. Would using only ChatGPT be useful
for your project? State why or why not in 40 words.
iv The following are the profiles of some respondents from the survey. Based on 1
the passage, which of these profiles is MOST LIKELY to be a part of the 40%
who have used ChatGPT before?

A. a manager in a hospital who has done 5 years of administrative work

B. a professor of Psychology who has 30 years of teaching experience
C. a college graduate who is studying in a 2-year Master's course
D. a 25-year-old teacher who is working in a public school
v Which of these is true about the respondents of the survey? 1

A. It had 118 respondents who were employed in the field of education.

B. It had 70 respondents who had administrative roles in educational
institutions.
C. It had 173 respondents who were working in the field of research
including students.
D. It had 59 respondents who were from the medical field including
those who study medicine.
vi Why do you think some respondents feel that ChatGPT should be banned in 2
education? State a reason in 40 words.

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vii Locate a detail from the passage that shows that we still do not know enough 1
about ChatGPT. Answer in one sentence.
viii State TRUE or FALSE. 1
More than half of the respondents think it is ok to use ChatGPT in research if
one clearly states its contribution.

SECTION B : CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS (18

marks)
Note : All details presented in the questions are imaginary and created for assessment
purposes
3 Attempt ANY ONE of two in about 50 words. 4
A Maruti Public School will be conducting an online course on news reading
during the summer vacations for students of Class XI and XII. In this course,
students will learn to understand news reports, build the habit of reading the
news regularly, and will have a chance to interact with well-known journalists.
As Rutwik Sen, Editor of the school magazine, draft a notice in about 50
words for the school notice board, urging students to sign up. Mention any
other relevant details required for the notice.
OR
B The Teen Well-Being Association of your society, EcoTech World, Sector
13, Chandigarh, will be holding free yoga classes on Sunday mornings, in the
common hall. As a member of the association, draft a notice in about 50
words informing the young residents. Mention any other relevant details
required for the notice.
4 Attempt ANY ONE of two in about 50 words. 4
A You are a member of the Cultural Society at L.J. High School. Your school is
organising a cultural programme aimed at spreading awareness about
environmental conservation. The programme will have dance and song
performances, poetry recitation, and art exhibitions by the students throughout
the day, in the school auditorium. In about 50 words, create an invitation for
parents and school teachers to attend. Mention the relevant details required for
an invitation.
OR
B You and your parents have received an invitation for your elder cousin's
wedding to be held in Jaipur on 6th and 7th July. All of you would be
delighted to attend. Draft a reply to your cousin accepting the invite and
sharing your excitement while congratulating him.
5 Attempt ANY ONE of two in about 120 – 150 words. 5
A You are Sheena Singh, a recent graduate of High Horizon School. You came across the
following advertisement about an internship in editing that you would like to apply for.
Write a letter to Books Galore, expressing your interest in the position along with your

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 resumé.

OR
B Lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and heart diseases have
increased in India. 53% of deaths in India are due to lifestyle diseases. Write a letter to
the editor of a national daily about the issue and your understanding of the reasons
behind the same. Offer suggestions on how one can reduce their risk of having such
diseases and on ways to cope with them. You may use the following cues to compose
the letter. You are Shriya Rawat, a concerned citizen.

Consequences:
- leads to a poor quality of life mentally and physically
- increases the cost of health care
- can reduce life expectancy and cause early deaths

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 Solutions:
- follow a balanced diet
- incorporate some form of exercise that is sustainable
- get regular blood tests to check our health status
6 Attempt ANY ONE of two in about 120-150 words. 5
A You are Sneha Hassan of Class XII. Write an article for your school magazine on the
Importance of Active Listening. Expand on how good listening skills help one to gain
multiple perspectives, be an effective team player, and contribute to an overall
atmosphere of empathy and care. Use the given cues along with your own ideas to
compose this article.

Listening skills: listening and comprehending, paraphrasing, active body language

like nodding, changing facial expressions, and sitting straight.
Effect on others: we feel heard and acknowledged, builds trust, others more likely to
hear us, leads to more ideas being shared
OR
B Your school recently organised a workshop on Active Listening for students of
Classes XI and XII on 21 January, 2024. As Simran Kaur, a member of the
organising committee, draft a report covering the event for your school's
newspaper. Support your ideas with the outline cues given below to craft your
report.

→ purpose of the workshop

→ who attended the workshop
→ activities that took place
→ key messages or takeaways from the workshop
→ post-workshop resources and information given to attendees
→ what impact the workshop would have on the students and their
environment

SECTION C : LITERATURE TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLEMENTARY READING

TEXT (40 marks)
7 Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two 6
given
What I want should not
be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is
about;
I want no truck with death.
If we were not so single- minded
about keeping our lives
moving,
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 and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.

(Keeping Quiet)
i Which of these does the speaker imply through the following lines: 1

Life is what it is about;

I want no truck with death.

A. Life is meant to be lived and death should not be the focus here.
B. Life is meant to teach us lessons and near-death experiences are not
always bad.
C. Life is full of adventures and the fear of death should not stop us
from exploring them all.
D. Life is full of many choices and thoughts about death should not
be a point of consideration.
ii Complete the given sentence appropriately. 1

Based on the extract, silence would help humanity to .

iii What does the speaker mean when he describes people as 'single-minded'? 1
A. People who only work towards understanding themselves.
B. People who are driven by only one passion in their life.
C. People who only focus on rushing through their life.
D. People who can focus on only one task at a time.
iv Justify the following statement as FALSE. 1

In the given extract, the speaker is ordering readers to do certain actions.

v Based on the extract, how do you think the speaker feels about humanity? 1
Answer in one sentence.
vi Observe how the lines in the poem break off at certain words. Give one reason 1
why the poet has structured the lines in this manner.
OR

... I saw my
mother, beside me,
doze, open mouthed, her face
ashen like that

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 of a corpse and realised
with pain
that she was as old as she
looked but soon
put that thought away,
and looked out at Young
Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling
out of their homes, ...

(My Mother at Sixty-Six)

i Why does the poet compare her mother's face to a corpse? Answer in one 1
sentence.
ii What effect does the phrase 'open mouthed' have on the poem? 1
A. It builds a mood of surprise and shock in the poem.
B. It reveals the speaker's fear of her own death and mortality.
C. It adds to the imagery of the speaker's mother appearing dead.
D. It highlights the speaker's attempt at hiding her emotions from her mother.

iii Complete the given sentence appropriately. 1

The contrast present in the given extract is between .

iv State a reason for the following. 1

The speaker looks out of the window while travelling with her mother.
v Which of these phrases uses the same poetic device as the following line from 1
the extract?

looked out at Young Trees sprinting...

A. that restaurant is as nice as the Big Fish

B. the pen became my highway to success
C. that fluffy cloud crying with sadness
D. the tall trees with many branches
vi Why do you think the poet has placed the word 'pain' on a separate line? Give 1
a reason.
8. Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two, 4
given.
A. The man ceased his mutterings, and then a third bell was tapped. Every one picked up his
knife and fork and began eating. I began crying instead, for by this time I was afraid to

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 venture anything more.
But this eating by formula was not the hardest trial in that first day. Late in the
morning, my friend Judewin gave me a terrible warning. Judewin knew a few words of
English; and she had overheard the paleface woman talk about cutting our long, heavy
hair. Our mothers had taught us that only unskilled warriors who were captured had
their hair shingled by the enemy. Among our people, short hair was worn by mourners,
and shingled hair by cowards!

(Memories of Childhood: The Cutting of my Long Hair)

i Which of these can be inferred from the extract? 1
A. The speaker did not understand or speak English.
B. The speaker did not think highly of her own culture.
C. The speaker did not have any living family members.
D. The speaker did not know what a knife or fork were used for.

ii How was the speaker feeling by the time the third bell rang? Why did she feel 1
this way?
iii Complete the given sentence appropriately. 1

The speaker compares her experience of eating to that of a trial because

.
iv Based on the extract, what would it mean to the speaker if her long hair was 1
cut?
OR
B. The presidents of the New York Central and the New York, New Haven and Hartford
railroads will swear on a stack of timetables that there are only two. But I say there are
three, because I've been on the third level of the Grand Central Station. Yes, I've taken
the obvious step: I talked to a psychiatrist friend of mine, among others. I told him about
the third level at Grand Central Station, and he said it was a waking-dream wish
fulfillment. He said I was unhappy. That made my wife kind of mad, but he explained
that he meant the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of
it, and that I just want to escape. Well, who doesn't? Everybody I know wants to escape,
but they don't wander down into any third level at Grand Central Station.

(The Third Level)

i Complete the given sentence appropriately. 1

Unlike the two levels that have 'a stack of timetables' to prove their existence,
the third level has .

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ii Yes, I've taken the obvious step. 1

What is the narrator assuming that the reader is thinking when he says the
above line?
iii Which of these is an example of 'a waking-dream wish fulfillment' as 1
described in the extract?

A. Meenal loses her book and swears that it is her enemy who stole it.
B. Milind claims that he was petting his beloved dog whom he lost a
few years ago.
C. Malini tells everyone that she saw a Cheetah though she herself
knows it is a lie.
D. Mrinal thinks that he saw a spaceship in the sky which later
turned out to be a normal aircraft.

iv Based on the extract, what does the narrator think about the psychiatrist's 1
opinion?
9 Read the given extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the two 6
given.
A. The old man was just as generous with his confidences as with his porridge and
tobacco. The guest was informed at once that in his days of prosperity his host had been
a crofter at Ramsjo Ironworks and had worked on the land. Now that he was no longer able
to do day labour, it was his cow which supported him. Yes, that bossy was extraordinary.
She could give milk for the creamery every day, and last month he had received all of thirty
kronor in payment.
The stranger must have seemed incredulous, for the old man got up and went to the
window, took down a leather pouch which hung on a nail in the very window frame, and
picked out three wrinkled ten-kronor bills.

(The Rattrap)
i Based on the extract, which of these can we infer about the old man? 1

A. He made more money at the creamery than as a crofter.

B. His occupation changed due to the limitations of old age.
C. His generosity increased as he became more prosperous in old age.
D. He preferred to earn by being his own boss rather than
working under someone.

ii What is the author implying when she compares the old man's confidences 1
with his porridge and tobacco?

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iii Complete the given sentence appropriately. 1

Based on the extract, we can infer that being a crofter paid the old man
.
iv Which of these sentences uses 'supported' in the same way as the extract does? 1

A. The pillars supported the thick ceiling that was made completely
of stone.
B. Raman supported his friend's decision to find a job that pays
her more money.
C. Lalitha supported her mother by sending some money home on
a regular basis.
D. Few people supported the policy while the majority of the voters
were against it.
v Why would the peddler have seemed 'incredulous'? State a reason. 1
vi Justify any one trait of the old man that the extract reveals. 1
OR
B. So it is hardly surprising that opinions of the interview --- of its functions, methods and
merits --- vary considerably. Some might make quite extravagant claims for it as being,
in its highest form, a source of truth, and, in its practice, an art. Others, usually
celebrities who see themselves as its victims, might despise the interview as an
unwarranted intrusion into their lives, or feel that it somehow diminishes them, just as in
some primitive cultures it is believed that if one takes a photographic portrait of
somebody then one is stealing that person's soul. V. S. Naipaul feels that, 'Some people
are wounded by interviews and lose a part of themselves.' Lewis Carroll, the creator of
Alice in Wonderland, was said to have had 'a just horror of the interviewer' and he never
consented to be interviewed.

(The Interview: Part I)

i Identify any one contrast in the extract and explain it in one sentence in your 1
own words.
ii Based on V. S. Naipaul's quote, we can say that interviews . 1
A. are forced upon people
B. are physically violent in nature
C. can build hostility and hatred
D. can be a traumatic experience
iii What is common between how celebrities feel about interviews and how 1
primitive cultures viewed photographic portraits?

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iv Which of these uses 'just' in the same way as the following expression in the 1
extract?

'a just horror of the interviewer'

A. The just decision in the case against the criminal will empower us.
B. I just need to buy one pencil so we can go shopping tomorrow.
C. We will get back to you on this query in just a moment.
D. The little girl looks just like her mother.

v What makes an interview 'a source of truth'? State any one feature. 1
vi Complete the given sentence appropriately.

The author of the extract has a/an tone while describing the
interview.
10 Answer ANY FIVE of the following six questions in about 40-50 words 5x2=10
i The author of 'Poets and Pancakes' is extremely observant of people and their behaviour.
Support this statement with an example of a description he gives us about any one of the
characters.
ii Why does Sophie's father look at Sophie with disdain in the following scene from 'Going
Places'?

"Sophie's met Danny Casey", Geoff said.

iii In the poem 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers', why does the poet describe the tigers as 'bright
topaz denizens of a world of green'?
iv What were some strategies that helped the narrator to overcome his fear of water that one
can apply in their own life for facing any major fear? Explain any two.
(Deep Water)

v A crisis brings out our true capacity for compassion and kindness.

Support the above statement using M. Hamel from 'The Last Lesson' as an example.
State any one detail from the text.
vi Imagine that John Keats meets someone who is feeling sad. What advice would he give
to such a person? State any one feature of beauty from 'A Thing of Beauty' and relate the
advice to it.
11 Answer ANY TWO of the following three question, in about 40-50 words. 2x2=4

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 i In the story, 'On the Face of It', what brings Derry and Mr Lamb together as friends?
What can you conclude about friendships from this?
ii How would a student’s learning experience be enhanced in the 'Students on Ice'
programme as compared to studying only in a classroom? Analyse any one point.
(Journey to the End of the Earth)

iii With reference to 'The Enemy', describe any two ways in which Sadao's father
influenced Sadao's life.
12 Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions in about 120-150 words. 5
A Imagine that Mahatma Gandhi from the text 'Indigo' visits Mukesh's town Firozabad as
described in 'Lost Spring'. Gandhi sees how the poor bangle-makers are caught up in
'a vicious circle of the sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law,
the bureaucrats and the politicians.' True to his nature of being an activist and a social
reformist, he decides to do something about it over a month.

As Mukesh, write a diary entry on the last day of Gandhi's one-month stay, elaborating
on any two things that he did that transformed the people's lives in Firozabad.

You may begin this way:

Dear Diary,

Today marks a month of Mahatma Gandhi being in our town...

OR
B Observe the following lines from two different poems.

(Aunt Jennifer's Tigers)

When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will
lie Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered
by.

(The Roadside Stand)

I can’t help owning the great relief it would be
To put these people at one stroke out of their pain.

There are many commonalities between the two poems. Imagine that you
are interviewing Adrienne Rich and Robert Frost together. Ask them any
two questions that would highlight two points of similarity between their
poems, and create their responses to each.
You may begin this way:

Interviewer:

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 Rich:
Frost:
13 Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 120 – 150 words. 5
A Recall the story 'We too are Human Beings' from the text 'Memories of Childhood'.
Imagine that Bama stops the elderly man who was carrying the packet of vadais, and
strikes up a conversation with him. She asks him a couple of questions. As the man,
respond to Bama's questions. You may follow the given format and include the two
questions in your conversation.

Bama: Hi sir, I noticed that you were carrying that packet in a funny manner. Why were
you doing so?

Elderly man: ...

Bama: But that's terrible. How does that make you feel?

OR
B The king in the story 'The Tiger King' was driven by the single purpose of
staying alive based on the prophecy that the hundredth tiger would kill him.
He hunted tigers out of fear.
Imagine that you are living in the King's times, and he has killed seventy tigers
at this point. As someone who cares about animal welfare, write a letter to the
king convincing him to stop hunting tigers.

You may begin this way:

My sincerest greetings to his majesty,

I am Rajan, a subject of your kingdom, and I am writing to you today

because...

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