English Core Question Bank (Part – 4)

Class – XII (Session :- 2024-2025)

Lesson-1 :- The Last Lesson:

Multiple Choice Questions:

Q. M. Hamel went on to talk of the French language, saying that it was the most beautiful
language in the world — the clearest, the most logical; that we must guard it among us and
never forget it, because when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their
language it is as if they had the key to their prison. Then he opened a grammar book and
read us our lesson. I was amazed to see how well I understood it. All he said seemed so easy,
so easy!

I) Which of the following can be attributed to M. Hamel’s declaration about the French
language?

a) subject expertise b) nostalgic pride

c) factual accuracy d) patriotic magnification

II) Read the quotes given below.

Choose the option that might best describe M. Hamel’s viewpoint.

a) Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own. – Johann
Wolfgang

b) Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where
they are going. – Rita Mae Brown

c) A poor man is like a foreigner in his own country. – Ali Ibn Abi Talib

d) The greatest propaganda in the world is our mother tongue, that is what we learn as
children, and which we learn unconsciously. That shapes our perceptions for life. – Marshal
McLuhan

A. Option (i) B. Option (ii)

III.“I was amazed to see how well I understood it.”

Select the option that does NOT explain why Franz found the grammar lesson “easy”.

a). Franz was paying careful attention in class this time.

b). M. Hamel was being extremely patient and calm in his teaching.

c). Franz was inspired and had found a new meaning and purpose to learning.

d) Franz had realized that French was the clearest and most logical language.

IV. Franz was able to understand the grammar lesson easily because he was

A. receptive B. appreciative

C. introspective D. Competitive

Short Answer Questions:-

Q1.What did Franz notice that was unusual about the school that day?

Q.2. What do you infer about the schooling in those days from your reading of the last
lesson?

Q.3. If this had been M Hamel`s first lesson, how do you think the school experience of the
students might have been impacted?

Q.4. What a thunderclap these words were to me. What was Franz referring to? Describe in
your own words the emotions felt by Franz when he said so.

Q.5. Why were the old men of the village present in the classroom? Do you think that their
lethargic attitude affected the students attitude towards learning?

Q.6. How was M. Hamel’s behaviour contrary to how he would usually behave?

Q.7.What changes came over little Franz after M. Hamel’s announcement?

Long Answer Questions

Q.1. Justify the title ‘The Last Lesson’.

Q.2. What message does the story ‘The Last Lesson’ carry? How relevant is it today?

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Lesson-2 :- Lost Spring:

Multiple Choice Questions:

Q. Unaware of what his name represents, he roams the streets with his friends, an army of
barefoot boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear at noon. Over the months, I
have come to recognize each of them.

1. What is the tone of the passage?

a. Melancholic b. Joyful

c. Sarcastic d. Angry

2. How does the narrator's knowledge of Saheb-e-Alam's name affect their interactions?

a. It deepens their bond b. It creates distance

c. It causes conflict d. It leads to confusion

3. Which literary device is most noticeable in the description of Saheb-e-Alam and his
friends?

a. Simile b. Metaphor

c. Personification d. Hyperbole

4. How does the setting contribute to the overall mood of the passage?

a. It creates suspense

b. It evokes nostalgia

c. It enhances realism

d. It conveys despair

Short Answer Questions:

Q.1.What does the writer mean by saying that garbage holds different meaning for adults
and children?

Q.2. Why do you think Mukesh is content to dream of cars and doesn’t dream of flying a
plane?

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Q.3. Why does the narrator say that rag pickers live in a place at the periphery of Delhi yet
miles away from it .

Q.4. Do you believe that ‘God-given lineage can be broken’? Support your position with a
rationale.

Q.5. Why is Saheb unhappy working in the tea stall?

Q. 6. How do you think the author’s life might have been impacted after her interactions
with the children and their families mentioned in ‘Lost Spring’?

Q.7. Contrast Mukesh`s and Saheb`s attitude to their respective dreams.

Long Answer Questions:

Q.1. How does the story, ‘Lost Spring’ highlight the apathy of society and those in power to
end the vicious cycle of poverty? Support your answer with textual evidence.

Q.2. Certain traditions and lineage condemn thousands of children to a life of abject poverty
and choke their aspirations. Do you agree? Explain .how can we change this? Suggest some
ways to tackle this issue.

Lesson -3 - Deep Water :

Multiple Choice Questions:

Q. My breath was gone. I was frightened. Father laughed, but there was terror in my heart
at the overpowering force of the waves. My introduction to the Y.M.CA. swimming pool
revived unpleasant memories and stirred childish fears. But in a little while I gathered
confidence. I paddled with my new water wings, watching the other boys and trying to learn
by aping them. I did this two or three times on different days and was just beginning to feel
at ease in the water when the misadventure happened.

I. Choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below.

Statement 1: The author’s father laughed to mock his son’s inability to swim.

Statement 2: The author wanted to swim just to prove to his father that he can swim.

a) Statement 1 is true but Statement 2 is false.

b) Statement 1 is false but Statement 2 is true.

c) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred.

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d) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 can be inferred

II. “My introduction to the Y.M.C.A swimming pool revived unpleasant memories and
stirred childish fears.” It can be inferred that this was a clear case of

a) suppression b) oppression

c) depression d) repression

III. The misadventure that took place right after the author felt comfortable was that

a) the author slipped and fell into the swimming pool.

b) a bully tossed him into the pool for the sake of fun.

c) his coach forgot to teach him how to handle deep water.

d) his father couldn’t help him from drowning into the water.

IV) The passage suggests that the narrator's fear of water is:

a) Completely irrational

b) Based on a specific past event

c) Unrelated to his current experience

d) Caused solely by his father's reaction

Short Answer Questions:

Q 1.How did the near drowning experience at the pool affect him?

Q.2. Why did Douglas determine to get over his fear of water when he grew older?

Q.3. Seemingly small everyday wins are actually the greatest learnings of life. Comment on
the statement with reference to the chapter “Deep Water”.

Q.4. If you could give the chapter a new title, what would it be? Support your answer with
reference to the chapter “Deep Water”.

Q.5. Why was the writer’s second attempt to come out of the pool unsuccessful?

Q.6. Why did William Douglas avoid water whenever he could? What did the writer miss
out on because of his fear of water?

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Q.7. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror?

Long Answer Questions

Q1. “There is terror only in the fear of death”. Comment with reference to Deep Water.

Q.2. Imagine that the bully who threw Douglas into the pool, reads this chapter and realizes
his mistake.

Lesson -4- The Rattrap:

Multiple Choice Questions

Q. To go along up to the manor house and be received by the owner like an old regimental
comrade — that, however, did not please the tramp. ‘‘No, I couldn’t think of it!’’ he said,
looking quite alarmed. He thought of the thirty kronor. To go up to the manor house would
be like throwing himself voluntarily into the lion’s den. He only wanted a chance to sleep
here in the forge and then sneak away as inconspicuously as possible. The ironmaster
assumed that he felt embarrassed because of his miserable clothing. ‘‘Please don’t think that
I have such a fine home that you cannot show yourself there’’, He said... ‘‘Elizabeth is dead,
as you may already have heard. My boys are abroad, and there is no one at home except my
oldest daughter and myself. We were just saying that it was too bad we didn’t have any
company for Christmas.

i) “ No, I couldn’t think of it!” he said, looking quite alarmed.”

What do these words reflect about the peddler?

a) Casual b) Anxious

c) Terrified d) Dejected

ii) Why was the peddler not pleased with the idea of going to the manor house?

iii) Which among the following words doesn’t mean inconspicuous?

a) Unnoticeable b) Ostentatious

c) Undistinguished d) Modest

iv) Select the suitable word from the extract to complete the following analogy:

Embarrassment: uneasy :: pathetic:…………………

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v) What did the peddler want to do in the forge?

vi) How did the Ironmaster try to convince the peddler to accept his invitation to come
home?

Short- Answer Questions

1. Why did he compare the world to a rattrap?

2. Why did the peddler leave the highway?

3. What made the ironmaster send his daughter to persuade the peddler?

4. Why does the iron master agree to not chase the peddler away?

5. Why does Edla stop the peddler from going away though she knew that he was not the
captain?

6. What trait of the daughter is brought out when her father talks about her being worse
than the parson?

7. Why does he sign as ‘Captain’?

Long Answer Questions

Q.1. ‘Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.’
( Jackie Chan). Imagine you are Edla Willmanson (Rattrap). Pen down your thoughts in the
form of a Diary Entry, reflecting on the events leading to the change in the rattrap
seller.( 120 words)

Q.2. Justify the title of the lesson ‘The Rattrap’.

Lesson -5- Indigo

Multiple Choice Questions:

Q. He had gone to the December 1916 annual convention of the Indian National Congress
party in Lucknow. There were 2, 301 delegates and many visitors. During the proceedings,
Gandhi recounted, “a peasant came up to me looking like any other peasant in India, poor
and emaciated, and said, “I am Rajkumar Shukla. I am from Champaran, and I want you to
come to my district!” Gandhi had never heard of the place. It was on the foothills of the
towering Himalayas near the kingdom of Nepal.

(i) Who does ‘he’ refer to in the above extract?

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a) Rajkumar Shukla b) Mahatma Gandhi

c) Rajendra Prasad d) None of the above

(ii) What was ‘he’ doing in Lucknow?

(iii) In this part of the story, Gandhi recounts…………………………

(iv) Complete the given analogy:

Confident: Diffident Emaciated:………..

(v) Rajkumar Shukla’s met Gandhi in Lucknow because

a) He was a great admirer of Mahatma Gandhi and wished to join India’s freedom struggle.

b) He wanted Gandhi to visit Champaran to look into the problems faced by the poor
peasants.

c) He had come to attend the annual convention of the Indian National Congress Party.

d) Both b and c.

(vi) “Gandhi had never heard of the place.”

What do you infer from the above statement?

Short Answer Questions

Q1. ‘Rajkumar Shukla was an unlettered peasant from Champaran but he was resolute to
take up the cause of poor sharecroppers at the Congress convention.’ Justify this statement
on the basis of your reading the chapter.

Q2. There are many events in the text that illustrate Gandhi's method of working. Can you
identify some instances of this method and link them to his ideas of Satyagraha and non-
violence.

Q3. Gandhi surprised everyone by agreeing to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers.’
What made Gandhi accept the offer given by the British landlords? Do you agree with his
decision? Why / why not?

Q4. How did the Champaran episode change the plight of the poor peasants?

Q5. How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers? Give instances.

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Q6. How did Gandhi's meeting with Rajkumar Shukla in 1917 ultimately lead to his
involvement in helping sharecroppers in Champaran?

Long Answer Questions

Q.1.‘Champaran Movement was a turning point in Gandhi’s political career and made him
a national hero.’ Justify this statement with reference to the story.

Q.2. “Freedom from fear is more important than legal justice for the poor.” Do you think
that the poor of India are free from fear after Independence?

Lesson -6- Poets And Pancakes

Multiple Choice Questions

QI. Gemini Studios was the favourite haunt of poets like S.D.S. Yogiar, Sangu
Subramanyam, Krishna Sastry and Harindranath Chattopadhyaya. It had an excellent mess
which supplied good coffee at all times of the day and for most part of the night. Those were
the days when Congress rule meant Prohibition and meeting over a cup of coffee was rather
a satisfying entertainment. Barring the office boys and a couple of clerks, everybody else at
the Studios radiated leisure, a pre-requisite for poetry. Most of them wore khadi and
worshipped Gandhi but beyond that they had not the faintest appreciation for political
thought of any kind.

i. Why did all the four poets mentioned above gathered at the Gemini Studios?

ii. The mess at Gemini Studios………………………………..

iii. The ‘Congress rule’ those days meant………………………….

iv. Why was leisure, a pre-requisite for poetry?

v. Which of the following statements is not TRUE in the context of the above extract?

a) Gemini Studios had an excellent mess which supplied good coffee.

b) Most of the people at Gemini Studios wore khadi and worshipped Gandhi.

c) Prohibition meant meeting over a cup of coffee with entertainment.

d) They had not the faintest appreciation for any kind of political thoughts.

vi. Find a word from the extract which means same as ‘Meeting place’.

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Short Answer Questions

Q.1. What makes the author say that the actors were subjected to ‘the fiery misery’ in the
make-up department’?

Q.2. ‘The makeup department of the Gemini Studios was a good example of national
integration. ‘Substantiate the statement with reference to the story.

Q.3. “The ‘office boy’ was not exactly a boy but a man in his early forties.” What do you
infer from the above statement?

Q.4. The office boy always remained frustrated due to his professional career. Who did he
show his anger on?

Q.5. Subbu is described as a many-sided genius. List four of his special abilities. /Why was
Kothamangalam Subbu considered No. 2 in Gemini Studios? /‘Subbu was the real trouble
shooter at the Gemini Studios.’

Q.6. Gemini Studios was influenced by the plays staged by MRA. Explain.

Long Answer Questions

Q.1. Kothamangalam Subbu was a ‘many-sided genius.’ Elaborate this statement with
reference to the story.

Q2. How does humour and satire enliven the account of the events and personalities at
Gemini Studios as portrayed by Asokamitran in ‘Poets and Pancakes’?

Flamingo (Poetry) :

Poem – 1- My Mother At Sixty-six

Q. “ I looked again at her, wan, Pale

As late winter’s moon and felt that

Old Familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,

But all I said was, see you soon,Amma,

All I did was smile and smile and smile…”

1. What is the poet’s mother compared to in the above lines and why?
2. Define her childhood’s fear.

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 3. Identify the sentence which has the same figure of speech as in the line (underlined)
above:
• The plants were begging for water.
• Life is a game of chess.
• The raindrops fell from the sky like teardrops.
• Sally sells seashells by the sea shore.
4. Pick up the line which is an example for repetition in the above lines.

Short Answer Questions

I) Why does the poet look outside the window of the car?

II) What has the poet’s mother been compared to?

III) The poet’s reaction in the end is contrary to what she felt. Why?

IV) What fear did she experience once again now?

Long Answer Questions

Q.1. Compose a diary entry depicting Kamala Das's mother's reflections after bidding
farewell to her daughter at the airport.

2) What fear does the poet confess in this poem? Does it throw light on human nature?

Poem – 2 - Keeping Quiet

Multiple Choice Questions:

Q.1. “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,

and for once could do nothing, perhaps a huge silence

might interrupt this sadness of never understanding ourselves

and of threatening ourselves with death.”

a). What I want should not be confused with--------? What is the confusion that the poet is
referring to?

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b). What does single-minded mean?

c). What is the sadness that the poet talks about?

d). If we were no so single- minded-----.

Choose the word/phrase which does NOT mean single minded

i) determined ii) concentrating on only one aim

iii) single celled iv) focussed

Short answer Questions

Q1.What is Pablo Neruda’s complaint against fishermen? (Keeping Quiet)

Q2.What is the sadness that the poet refers to in the poem?

Q3. What will counting up to twelve help us achieve?

Q4. In a world that is constantly running after “more”, chasing the next new things, would it
be fair to think of Neruda’s call as merely fanciful idea?

Q5. How will keeping quiet protect environment?

Q6. What is the significance of twelve?

Q7. “Life is what it is all about…” How is keeping quiet, related to life?

Q8.Mention the symbol from nature which the poet invokes to say that there can be life
under apparent stillness?

Long Answer Questions

Q.1...... but will keep A bower quiet for us. (A Thing of Beauty) . Perhaps the Earth can
teach us as when everything seems dead and later proves to be alive. (Keeping Quiet) . Based
on ideas from 'Keeping Quiet' and 'A Thing of Beauty', as President of Eco Club of your
school. Draft a speech on the importance of preserving nature for posterity. You may begin
like this. Good morning to one and all! After reading both the poems, I strongly believe ........

Q2. Imagine you are Pablo Neruda of ‘Keeping Quiet. He advises Robert Frost ( Road side
Stand ) in the context of his conflict and pain at the plight of the road side stand owners. Pen
down your advice in a letter to Robert Frost. You may begin : Dear Frost,You seem very
pained at the plight of the roadside stand owners, and I would like to advise you..

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Poem – 3 - A Thing Of A Beauty

Multiple Choice Questions

Q. Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow:

“ A thing of beauty is a joy forever

Its loveliness increases, it will never

Pass into nothingness, but will keep

A bower quiet for us, and a sleep

Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

a) Why does the poet state that a thing of beauty is joy forever?

i) Because it gives us eternal and everlasting happiness

ii) Because it leaves an impact on our mind

iii) Because we are able to relive the wonderful feeling, we get from it whenever we think
about it

iv) All the above

b) Explain: “Nothingness”

i) Beauty never goes off with the passing time

ii) Beauty fades away with time

iii) Refers to a freedom of the soul

iv) None of the above

c) “A bower quiet for us”, What does it mean?

i) The stillness of the night sky

ii) Nature’s beauty performs like the shade of a tree,soothing and relaxing

iii) The quiet afternoon breeze that helps the creatures sleep

iv) The quietness of nature

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SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. Mention any six things of beauty that brings joy to our life.

2. Can “mighty dead” be a thing of beauty. How?

3. Explain: “Therefore are we wreathing a flowery band to bind us to earth”.

4. What spreads the pall of despondence over our dark spirits? How can it be removed?

5. Why does Keats refer to the ‘immortal drink’? What does ‘immortal drink’ mean?

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. Rationalize why Keats uses the metaphor, “an endless fountain of immortal drink” in
his poem “A thing of beauty”?

Q. 2. You are a travel blogger who enjoys documenting your experiences. You just visited a
beautiful location and were captivated by its beauty. Write a blog entry that vividly
describes the natural beauty of this location. Add Keats' views about beauty to your writing.

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