WB Board 12 Previous Year 2024 Solutions

(Multiple Choice Type Questions)

Complete each of the following sentences, choosing the correct option from the alternatives provided: (1*12=12)

PROSE

1. The girl who boarded the train from Rohana was wearing
(a) High heels
(b) Slippers
(c) Boots
(d) Sports shoes

Ans: (b) Slippers

2. Before Roger left Mrs. Jones gave him
(a) A pair of suede shoes
(b) A ten cent cake
(c) Ten dollars
(d) A set of new clothes

Ans: (c) Ten dollars

3. Kalam’s ancestral house was made of
(a) Limestone and brick
(b) Cement and brick
(c) Mud and brick
(d) Bamboo and tin shed

Ans: (a) Limestone and brick

4. When the Tsar saw the hermit for the first time, the letter was
(a) Meditating under the tree
(b) Sleeping on the porch
(c) Digging the soil in front of his hut
(d) Talking to the villagers

Ans: (c) Digging the soil in front of his hut

POETRY

5. The cricket’s shrill song is heard on a
(a) Rainy afternoon
(b) Sunny morning
(c) Scorching noon
(d) Winter evening

Ans: (d) Winter evening

6. According to the poet, what has ‘all too short a date’’?
(a) Eye of heaven
(b) Darling buds of May
(c) Summer’s lease
(d) The poet’s friend’s beauty

Ans: (c) Summer’s lease

7. When the roots of the tree are pulled out, they are
(a) Dry and dead
(b) White and wet
(c) Hard and twisted
(d) Green and moist

Ans: (b) White and wet

8. The soldier appears
(a) Cold
(b) Warm
(c) Pale
(d) Bright

Ans: (c) Pale

DRAMA

9. The setting of the play ‘The Proposal’ is
(a) Chubukov’s garden
(b) Lomov’s drawing room
(c) Chubukov’s drawing room
(d) Lomov’s garden

Ans: (c) Chubukov’s drawing room

10. Natalaya lived
(a) Alone
(b) With her parents
(c) With her mother
(d) With her father

Ans: (b) With her parents

11. Lomov was ________ years old.
(a) Twenty five
(b) Thirty
(c) Thirty five
(d) Forty

Ans: (c) Thirty five

12. The piece of land that Lomov and Natalya quarrelled over was
(a) Oxen Meadows
(b) Lomov’s farm
(c) Birch woods
(d) Burnt march

Ans: (a) Oxen Meadows

(Short Answer Type Questions)

Answer any four questions from PROSE and four questions from POETRY, of the following questions, each in a complete sentence: (1*8=8)

PROSE

1. What were the name of Kalam’s parents?
Ans: Kalam’s father was Jainulabdeen and his mother was Ashiamma.

2. Who was supposed to receive the girl at Saharanpur station?
Ans: The girl’s aunt was supposed to receive her at Saharanpur station.

3. What did Kalam’s father avoid in his daily life?
Ans: Kalam’s father avoided all inessential comforts and luxuries in his daily life.

4. At what time was Mrs. Jones returning home from work?
Ans: Mrs. Jones was returning home at about eleven o’clock at night.

5. What was the third question that came to the Tsar’s mind?
Ans: The third question was about the most important occupation for a man.

6. Why did the bearded want to take revenge?
Ans: The bearded man wanted revenge because the Tsar had killed his brother and taken away his property.

7. What did the narrator know about the animals in the forests near Dehra?
Ans: The narrator knew that panthers, wild boars, and leopards roamed the forests near Dehra.

8. What did Mrs.Jones plan to prepare from the canned milk?
Ans: Mrs. Jones planned to prepare cocoa from the canned milk.

POETRY

1. Who has written the poem ‘On Killing A Tree’?
Ans: The poem On Killing a Tree is written by Gieve Patel.

2. Who according to the poet is more lovely than a Summer’s day?
Ans: According to the poet, his beloved friend is more lovely than a Summer’s day.

3. When the grasshopper gets tired, where does he rest?
Ans: The grasshopper rests beneath some pleasant weeds when he is tired.

4. What will happen if miniature boughs are unchecked?
Ans: The soldier’s rest is not expected to be disturbed by the sun, insects, or any noise.

5. What kind of a poem is “Shall I Compare Thee to A Summer’s Day”?
Ans: It is a sonnet written by William Shakespeare.

6. What was the soldier’s pillow made of?
Ans: The soldier’s pillow was made of fern.

7. Who is not expected to disturb the soldier’s rest?
Ans: Miniature boughs will grow again if they are not checked, and the tree will renew itself.

8. Why is the poetry of the earth never dead?
Ans: The poetry of earth never dies because the sounds of nature continue in every season without end.

(Subjective/Descriptive Type Questions)

Answer any two questions from PROSE, two questions from POETRY and one question from DRAMA of the following questions. Each question, inclusive of subparts, should not exceed 100 words: (6*5=30)

PROSE

1. “Then I made a mistake.”
(a) Who is the speaker?
(b) What mistake did he make?
(c) Why did he call it a mistake?
(d) How did his co-passanger react to it? (1+1+2+2)
Ans:
(a) The narrator in The Eyes Have It is the speaker.
(b) He asked the girl what it was like outside the window.
(c) He called it a mistake because she was blind, and he should not have asked her.
(d) The co-passenger did not react immediately, but later revealed to the narrator that the girl was blind.

2. “There was a very old mosque in our locality where my father would take me for evening prayers.”
(a) Who waited for Kalam’s father outside the mosque?
(b) Why did they wait there?
(c) Why did some of them thank Kalam’s father?
(d) What would Kalam’s father then say to them? (1+2+2+1)
Ans:
(a) People of different religions waited for Kalam’s father.
(b) They waited to seek spiritual and personal advice from him.
(c) They thanked him for the good health of their near ones after he prayed for them.
(d) He would say that prayers made with a pure heart never go unanswered.

3. “May be, you ain’t been to your support either, late as it be, Have you?”
(a) Who is the speaker and who is being spoken to?
(b) Which meal of the day is ‘Supper’?
(c) What did the person spoken to reply?
(d) What were the things offered by the speaker? (2+1+1+2)
Ans:
(a) Mrs. Jones is the speaker, and she is speaking to Roger.
(b) Supper means the evening meal or dinner.
(c) Roger replied that there was nobody at his home to cook for him.
(d) Mrs. Jones offered Roger food like lima beans, ham, cocoa, and cake.

4. ‘Here comes someone running.’
(a) Who is the speaker?
(b) Who came running?
(c) What was the condition of the person who came running?
(d) How was the person taken care of? (1+1+2+2)
Ans:
(a) The hermit is the speaker.
(b) The wounded bearded man came running.
(c) He was bleeding heavily and was almost fainting.
(d) The Tsar washed and bandaged his wound and laid him to rest.

POETRY

1. ‘Not a simple jab of the knife
Will do it’
(a) What is meant by ‘it’?
(b) Why will the Jab of the knife not do ‘it’?
(c) How can ‘it’ be done? (1+2+3)
Ans:
(a) ‘It’ refers to killing a tree.
(b) Because a tree cannot be killed by a single cut; it will grow again.
(c) The tree must be uprooted, its roots exposed, dried, and destroyed.

2. ‘A small green valley where a slow stream flows’……
(a) Who lies in the valley?
(b) How does he lie?
(c) Describe his bed and pillow.
(d) How does the poet describe the smile on his face? (1+2+2+1)
Ans:
(a) A young soldier lies in the valley.
(b) He lies stretched out peacefully, as if asleep.
(c) His bed is of flowers and his pillow is made of fern.
(d) The poet says he has an innocent smile, like that of a child.

3. ‘And every fair from fair sometimes declines.’
(a) From which poem is the line quoted?
(b) Who is the poet?
(c) Briefly explain the meaning of the quoted line.
(d) How does the poet promise to immortalise his friend’s beauty? (1+1+2+2)
Ans:
(a) From Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day.
(b) William Shakespeare is the poet.
(c) It means that every beautiful thing loses its beauty with time.
(d) He promises that his verse will preserve his friend’s beauty forever.

4. In about 100 words justify the title of the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth.’ (6)
Ans: The title The Poetry of Earth is justified as the poem shows that nature’s music never ends. In summer, the grasshopper continues the song of earth when birds grow tired. In winter, the cricket sings warmly from the hearth. The sounds of nature, whether through birds, grasshoppers, or crickets, never cease. This constant harmony is like everlasting poetry. Thus, the poem beautifully proves that the poetry of earth is eternal and can never die.

DRAMA

1. Why has Lomov come ti visit Chubukov? How was Lomov dressed? How does Chubukov react to Lomov’s proposal? How far was Natalya aware of the reason of Lomov’s arrival? (1+2+2+1)
Ans: Lomov came to propose marriage to Natalya. He was dressed formally in evening clothes, including a jacket and gloves. Chubukov warmly welcomed him, though at first he thought Lomov had come to borrow money. Natalya was unaware of the proposal and thought Lomov had come to discuss land.

2. What are the names of hunting dogs of Lomov and Chubukov? From whom has Lomov purchased his dog and at what price? According to Lomov, what defect does Chubukov’s dog have? (2+2+2)
Ans: Lomov’s dog was Guess and Chubukov’s dog was Squeezer. Lomov purchased Guess from Mironov for 125 roubles. According to Lomov, Chubukov’s dog Squeezer was overshot and good for nothing.

3. “Oh what a burden, Lord, to be the father of grown up daughter !” Who is the speaker? In not more than 80 words, sketch the character of the speaker in light of the above comment? (1+5)
Ans: The speaker is Chubukov. He is shown as a loving but short-tempered father. He is anxious to marry off his daughter. He often loses his temper during quarrels but cares deeply for Natalya’s future. His words reflect the worries and responsibilities of a father in a humorous way.

(a) Do as directed: (1*6=6)

(i) “Why don’t you say this to the people who come to you for help and advice”? I asked my father. (Change the mode of narration)
Ans: I asked my father why he did not say that to the people who came to him for help and advice.

(ii) Then I made a mistake. (Change the voice)
Ans: Then a mistake was made by me.

(iii) You have an interesting face. (Change into a complex sentence)
Ans: I think that you have an interesting face.

(iv) We lived in our ancestral house which was built in the middle of the 19^th century. (Split into simple sentences)
Ans: We lived in our ancestral house. It was built in the middle of the 19th century.

(v) He is the best dog in the district. (Change into positive degree)
Ans: No other dog in the district is as good as he is.

(vi) The poetry of earth is never dead. (Turn into an affirmative sentence)
Ans: The poetry of earth is always alive.

Fill in the blanks with appropriate articles and/or prepositions: (1\2*6=3)

I have endeavoured ______ understand _____ fandamental truths revealed ________ me ________ my father, and feel convinced that there exists _______ divine power that can life one up from confusion, misery, melancholy and failure and guide one ______ one’s true place.

Ans: I have endeavoured to understand the fundamental truths revealed to me by my father, and feel convinced that there exists a divine power that can lift one up from confusion, misery, melancholy and failure and guide one to one’s true place.

Correct the error in the following sentence by replacing the underlined word with the right one from the options given below:

Few girls can resist flattering.
[options: flatter/flattery/flatterer]

Ans: Few girls can resist flattery.

Read the following passage and answers the questions that follow:

Today it is the tanga that is nearing extinction with the emergence of the prosperous middle class in many of our cities. The machine has been given preference as a form of conveyance. Scooters, motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses ply on routes that were once the monopoly of of tonga, ponies and tram cars. Our roads, never built for such heavy traffic are frequently cracking up.

Tongas are still to be seen in our towns but they are confined to roads where taxis and buses do not penetrate; most tonga drivers refuse to change with the times and still ply their tongas despite a diminishing income. Their ponies seem to have more traffic sense than some of our taxi drivers; they deal very well with traffic jams, seldom panic, and are involved in very few accidents.

Tonga drivers vary according to the towns belong to. In Lucknow they are still courteous, self styled descendants of Nawabs. In Delhi – where you can see them only in the old city – they are aggressive and shrewd, matching the temper of the city. Many of them have sold their ponics and bought auto rickshaws. Everywhere they are fading away.

Tongas like tram cars are becoming part of our nostalgia for the past. Good for the animal, perhaps, though I have never met a tonga driver who starved his pony. And the greater the distance we put between our world and the world of animals, the less humane we become.

State whether the following statements are True or False. Write T for True and F for False. (You need not write the sentences, write the numbers only) (1*4=4)

1. Our roads are built for scooters, motor cycles, cars, trucks and buses. (F)
2. The income of tonga drivers is decreasing. (T)
3. Taxi drivers lack the traffic sense which we observe in tonga ponies. (T)
4. The narrator has often seen starved tonga ponies. (F)

Answer each of the following questions in about 30 words: (2*3=6)

1. Where are the tongas confined to in our towns?
Ans: Tongas are confined to roads where taxis and buses do not go. They still operate in narrow lanes and old parts of towns, though their number and use are declining.

2. How do the tonga drivers vary according to the towns they belong to?
Ans: In Lucknow, tonga drivers are polite and claim noble ancestry, while in Delhi they are aggressive and shrewd. Many in Delhi have shifted to driving auto-rickshaws.

3. What do the middle class people of the cities prefer as a means of conveyance?
Ans: Middle-class people prefer modern vehicles like scooters, motorcycles, cars, trucks, and buses instead of tongas, as machines are faster, more comfortable, and suitable for busy city life.

(a) Write a report on the ‘ANNUAL PRIZE GIVING CEREMONY’ organised by your school. The report is to be published in your school magazine. (Word limit: 150 words) (2+8=10)

Or
(b) You had ordered a book from an online bookstore but the book arrived in a damaged condition. Write a letter to the manager of the customer service department of the bookstore complaining and requesting a replacement. (Word limit: 150 words) (2+8=10)

Or
(c) Write a precis of the following passage. Add a suitable title: (2+8=10)

No one can deny the importance of history in our civilisation. No study of present is complete without a reference to the past. If we go to history for a mere catalogue of facts and a record of annals and dates, we will be mistaken. We will only know the surface reality. The proper study of history lies in the relation of the past with the present: how the present relates to the past and what happened in the past has a profound connection with the present. It is from history that we come to learn how misfortunes could have been avoided and how people could take lessons from good things. Such knowledge would surely help in the progress of civilisation. The real understanding of history lies in this.

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