WB Board 12 Previous Year 2022 Solutions

A. Answer any two of the following questions, each in about 100 words: (6*2=12)

(a) How was the wounded man revived and nursed? Why did he ask forgiveness of the Tsar? What did the Tsar do when he had gained the man for a friend? (2+2+2)
Ans: The Tsar and the hermit dressed the wounded man’s injuries, washing the wound and bandaging it to stop the bleeding. The Tsar stayed with him through the night, giving him water and rest until he recovered. The man later confessed that he had plotted to kill the Tsar, but instead the Tsar had saved his life. Overcome with gratitude, he asked forgiveness. The Tsar forgave him and promised to send back his property, thus winning him as a loyal friend.

(b) “I’m tried of people telling me I have a pretty face.” Who said this to whom and when? What did the person spoken to reply? (1+1+2+2)
Ans: These words were spoken by the girl to the narrator in the train in Ruskin Bond’s The Eyes Have It. She said this when the narrator remarked that she had an interesting face. The narrator, instead of praising her beauty, replied that beauty lies in being interesting. The girl was pleased with this answer because it was different from what others usually said about her. This short conversation made their meeting memorable.

(c) “… the girl got up and began to collect her things.” Who is the girl? When did she get up to collect her things? What had the speaker thought about the brief meeting he had with the girl? (1+1+1+3)
Ans: The girl is the fellow passenger of the narrator in the story The Eyes Have It. She got up to collect her things when the train stopped at her station. The narrator, though blind, felt delighted about their short meeting and conversation. He believed that it had been an interesting encounter which gave him joy, though it was brief. He cherished it as a pleasant memory during his otherwise lonely journey.

(d) “I normally ate with my mother.” Who ate with his mother? Name his mother. Where did he eat with his mother? What did he eat with his mother? (1+1+1+3)
Ans: APJ Abdul Kalam ate with his mother, Ashiamma. He usually ate with her while sitting on the floor of their modest home in Rameswaram. His mother served him meals of rice, aromatic sambar, homemade pickle, and coconut chutney. This simple meal reflected their humble lifestyle and the warmth of family love. The practice of eating together also strengthened his bond with his mother and created fond childhood memories for him.

(e) “All the answer being different, the Tsar agreed with none of them.” What were the questions to which the Tsar got different answer? Whom did the Tsar decide to consult when he was not satisfied? Where did the person live whom the Tsar decide to consuit? What was he famous for? (3+1+1+1)
Ans: The Tsar had three important questions: What is the right time to begin every action? Who are the most important people to listen to? What is the most important thing to do? As he was not satisfied with the answers from learned men, he decided to consult a hermit. The hermit lived in a small hut in the woods. He was famous for his wisdom and simple life, so the Tsar trusted his advice.

2. Answer any two of the following questions, each in about 100 words: (6*2=12)

(a) How does keats show that the “poetry of earth” is never died? (6)
Ans: In The Poetry of Earth, Keats shows that the music of nature never ceases in any season. In summer, the song of the grasshopper fills the air, and in winter, the cricket’s chirp continues the harmony. Even in frost and silence, the cricket’s sound seems like the grasshopper’s song. This proves that nature has everlasting voices that never die. Through this sonnet, Keats celebrates the continuity and immortality of earth’s poetry in changing seasons.

(b) “And every fair from fair sometime declines”
From which poem is the line quoted? Who is the poet? Briefly explain the meaning of the quoted line. How does the poet promise to make his friend’s beauty live forever? (1+1+2+2)
Ans: The line is from Sonnet No. 18 (Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?) by William Shakespeare. It means that every beautiful thing loses its charm with time due to age, nature, or accident. However, Shakespeare promises to preserve his friend’s beauty forever through his poetry. As long as people read his verses, the friend’s loveliness will live on, defying time and death. Thus, poetry gives immortality to the beloved’s beauty.

(c) “.…..His smile
Is like an infant’s….”
Whose ‘smile’ is being referred to here? Explain the comparison in the given lines. How does Nature take care of him? (1+3+2)
Ans: The smile belongs to the dead soldier described in Rimbaud’s poem Asleep in the Valley. His calm and innocent smile is compared to that of a child, showing his peace in death. Nature takes care of him tenderly: sunlight warms his body, and the valley of greenery and flowers becomes his bed. The poet presents nature as a kind mother, sheltering the young soldier even though war has cruelly ended his life.

(d) “In his side there are two red holes”
Who is the person referred to here? What do the ‘two red holes’ signify? What attitude of the poet to war is reflected here? (1+2+3)
Ans: The person referred to is the young soldier in Rimbaud’s poem Asleep in the Valley. The ‘two red holes’ signify the fatal bullet wounds in his body. Through this image, the poet expresses his horror at the violence and cruelty of war. He condemns war for destroying innocent youth and wasting young lives. His attitude is one of pity, grief, and protest against the inhumanity of war and its meaningless destruction.

(e) “So long as men can breath or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”
What does the poet mean by ‘this’? Who is ‘thee’ being referred to? How does the poet think that ‘this’ will give live to ‘thee’? (1+1+4)
Ans: In these lines from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, ‘this’ refers to the poem itself, and ‘thee’ is the poet’s beloved friend. Shakespeare believes that poetry will outlast time and preserve the beauty of his friend forever. As long as people live to read his sonnet, the poem will keep his friend’s charm alive. In this way, verse becomes a means of immortality, giving eternal life to the beloved’s loveliness.

3. Answer any one of the following questions in about 100 words: (6*1=6)

(a) “I’m the most unhappy of the men!”
Who said this? Why did he say so? How did the speaker get rid of his unhappiness? (1+3+2)
Ans: These words were said by Lomov in Anton Chekhov’s play The Proposal. He was a hypochondriac, always worried about his poor health, and believed himself to be the unhappiest man. His constant complaints about ailments increased his misery. However, he tried to overcome his unhappiness by seeking marriage with Natalya, his neighbour. He thought marriage would give him stability and comfort. Although his proposal involved quarrels, it finally succeeded, and his personal wish was fulfilled.

(b) Give a brief sketch of the character of Lomov in the play “The Proposal.” (6)
Ans: Lomov is a middle-aged landowner, nervous and quarrelsome. He suffers from poor health and imagines himself constantly ill. Despite being shy, he visits his neighbour to propose marriage to Natalya. However, instead of expressing his love, he quarrels over land and dogs. Lomov is comic, foolish, and anxious, yet determined. His character represents the farcical side of human nature. Though lacking romance, his marriage proposal shows his practical need for family life and stability.

(c) “Why are you so formal in your get up?” – Who is the speaker? WHo is being spoken so?What led the speaker to make this comment? (1+1+4)
Ans: The speaker is Chubukov in The Proposal. He says this to Lomov when Lomov comes dressed in a formal evening suit to propose to Natalya. Chubukov, noticing his unusual dress, is surprised and asks about the reason. Lomov’s nervous formality reveals his serious purpose of proposing marriage, though his behaviour soon turns comic due to quarrels and arguments. The comment shows Chubukov’s curiosity before Lomov expresses his intention clearly.

“We’ve had the land for nearly three hundred years…” Who is the speaker?Who is spoken to? What is referred to as ‘the land’? What do you know ‘the land’ from their conversation? (1+1+1+3)
Ans: The speaker is Natalya in Anton Chekhov’s play The Proposal. She is speaking to Lomov. By ‘the land’ she refers to the Oxen Meadows, a small piece of land near their property. From their conversation, we learn that both families claim ownership of it. The land itself is not very valuable, but both argue stubbornly out of pride. This quarrel reveals their petty nature and the comic spirit of the play, where a marriage proposal turns into a land dispute.

(a) Why does the queen decide on a death sentence for Charandas Chor? (6)
Ans: In Habib Tanvir’s play Charandas Chor, the queen gives Charandas a death sentence because he refuses to marry her. The queen, impressed by his honesty, proposes marriage to him. But Charandas had taken a vow never to marry a queen. Staying true to his word, he declines the offer. The queen feels humiliated and angry at being rejected in public. To punish his defiance and protect her honour, she orders the death penalty. This shows how power and pride control her decisions.

(b) “There’s been a theft in this village.”
Who said this and to whom? What was stolen? Why was the person spoken to interrogated? What deal did the person offer? (2+1+1+2)
Ans: These words were spoken by the chief of police to Charandas. A golden plate had been stolen. Charandas was interrogated because he was a well-known thief, and suspicion naturally fell on him. To escape punishment, Charandas offered a deal: he would confess only if he was allowed to tell the truth. This clever bargain highlighted his unique vow of always speaking the truth, even while being a thief.

(c) “You have stolen her heart”
Who is the speaker? Why does the speaker say so? Whose heart is ‘stolen’ and how? What does the person spoken to think?
Ans: The speaker is Guru in Charandas Chor. He says this to Charandas. The ‘heart’ refers to the queen’s heart, which has been won by Charandas’s honesty and courage. The queen is deeply impressed with him and wishes to marry him. The Guru, therefore, remarks that Charandas has stolen her heart, though he is a thief of another kind. Charandas, however, thinks only of keeping his vows. He feels bound by his promise not to marry a queen and does not change his decision.

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

(i) The most important thing in the world was science. (Change into positive degree)
Ans: Science is as important as any other thing in the world.

(ii) I don’t intend to give up what I have. (Use the underlined word as noun and rewrite)
Ans: I don’t intend to give up my intention.

(iii) The door was open. (Turn into a negative sentence)
Ans: The door was not closed.

(iv) The hermit was digging the ground. (Change the voice)
Ans: The ground was being dug by the hermit.

(v) My father could convey complex spiritual concepts. (Change the voice)
Ans: Complex spiritual concepts could be conveyed by my father.

(vi) As soon as she left the train, she would forget our brief encounter. (Turn into a negetive sentence)
Ans: She left the train, but she did not forget our brief encounter.
OR
The Tsar said, “I come to you, wise man, for an answer to my question. (Change into indirect speech)
Ans: The Tsar told the wise man that he had come to him for an answer to his question.

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

When my father came out ____ the mosque after the prayers, people of different religious would be sitting outside, waiting ___ him. Many of them offered bowls of water______ my father, who would dip his fingertips ______ them and say _____ prayers. This water was then carried home ______- invalids.

Ans: When my father came out of the mosque after the prayers, people of different religions would be sitting outside, waiting for him. Many of them offered bowls of water to my father, who would dip his fingertips in them and say a prayer. This water was then carried home by invalids.

Fill in the blanks with appropriate articles and/ or prepositions:

The Tsar turned round and saw ________ bearded man come running _____ ________ the wood. The man held his hands pressed _______ his stomach and blood was flowing ________ ______ them.

Ans: The Tsar turned round and saw a bearded man come running out of the wood. The man held his hands pressed to his stomach and blood was flowing out of them.

(d) Correct the error in the following sentence by replacing the underlined word with the right one from the options given below: (1*1=1)

His answers filled me with a strange energy and enthusiastic.
[Options: enthuse/enthusiastically/enthusiasm]

Ans: His answers filled me with a strange energy and enthusiasm.

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

Ans: Few girls can resist flattery.

5. Read the following passage and answer the question that follow:

Sometimes it is hard to believe that I’ve been up here in the hills all these years- fifty summers and monsoons and winters and Himalayan springs (there is no real spring In the plains) – because when I look back to the time of my first coming here, it seems like yesterday.

That probably sums it all up. Time passes, and yet it doesn’t pass; people come and go, the mountains remain. They are stubborn, they refuse to move. You can blast holes out of them for their mineral wealth; or strip them of their trees and foliage, or dam their streams and divert their currents; or make tunnels and roads and bridges; but no matter how hard they try, humans cannot actally get rid of the mountains. That’s what I like about them; they are here to stay. I like to think that I have become a part of this mountain, this particular range, and that by living here for so long, I am able to claim a relationship with the trees, wild flowers, even the rocks that are an integral part of it. Yesterday, at twilight when I passed beneath the oak leaves which formed a roof over me, I felt that I was a part of the forest. I put out my hand and touched the bark of an old tree, and as I turned away its leaves brushed against my face, as if to acknowledge me.

(a) State the whether 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)

(a) The oak leaves formed a roof over the author. (T)
(b) The author does not like the fact that mountains are permanent things. (F)
(c) The author means to say that he had lived through all the seasons in the mountains. (T)
(d) Humans cannot live without the mountains. (F)

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

(i) What can man do to mountains?
Ans: Man can blast holes in mountains, strip their trees, divert streams, and build tunnels, roads, and bridges.

(ii) What does the author claim a relationship with?
Ans: The author claims a relationship with mountains, trees, wildflowers, and even rocks.

(iii) Why is it hard to believe for the author that he has lived in the hills for fifty years?
Ans: It is hard to believe because fifty years have passed quickly, yet it feels like only yesterday when he first arrived.

6. (a) Write a report on a campaign on “Educate the Girl Child” organised by your school. Mention the rule of both students and teachers, purpose of this campaign, participation, response and so on. The report will be published in your school magazine. (Word limit: 150 words) (2+8=10)

Ans:

Campaign on Educate the Girl Child

Our school organised a campaign on “Educate the Girl Child” on 12th March, 2022. Both students and teachers participated actively. The purpose was to spread awareness about the importance of girls’ education in building a better society. Students prepared posters, slogans, and street plays. Teachers delivered inspiring speeches, highlighting examples of women achievers. Local parents and guardians attended and appreciated the programme. The campaign received wide response, creating awareness that educating girls means empowering the nation.
—By Student Reporter

(b) Write a letter to the editor of an English Daily about the unhealthy food items sold in and around your school affecting the health of the students. (Word limit: 150 words) (2+8=10)

Ans:

To,
The Editor,
The Telegraph, Kolkata.

Subject: Unhealthy food items near school

Sir,
Through your newspaper, I wish to draw attention to the sale of unhealthy food items in and around our school. Street vendors sell fried snacks and cold drinks prepared in unhygienic conditions. Many students buy them, which affects their health and causes stomach problems.

I request the authorities to take strict action and promote clean, healthy food stalls near schools. The health of students must not be compromised.

Yours faithfully,
XYZ
(Student, Class XII)

(c) Write a letter to the headmaster/headmistress of your school requesting him/her to make more variety of books available in the library. (Word limit: 150 words) (2+8=10)

Ans:

To,
The Headmaster,
XYZ School, Kolkata.

Subject: Request for more variety of books in library

Respected Sir,
On behalf of the students of Class XII, I request you to add more variety of books in our school library. At present, it mostly has textbooks and a few storybooks. For higher studies, we need more reference books in English, Physics, Chemistry, and History. Competitive exams also require wide reading.

We assure you that students will use the library regularly if more books are available. We hope for your kind consideration.

Yours obediently,
XYZ
Class XII

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

Charlie Chaplin once said, “In this age of scientific inventions, we think too much, we feel too little.” Science boosts up the modern craze for material prosperity. It has revolutionized our lives. It has made life more comfortable with various amenities. It is undoubtedly the driving force behind any human excellence. But it kills the soul of a man. Our skills and habits are changed by science. Excessive mechanization brings unhappiness because human faculties and slighted. A person starts believing that machines will do all for him, and this tendency becomes fatal in this high-tech world. But none can doubt that science has helped us to discover the hidden truth in nature. Can we ever imagine the modern age without computers, lasers, antibiotics, biotechnology electronic gadgets? That is why it is said that science gives knowledge and power but not wisdom.

Ans:

Science and Its Dual Impact

Science has transformed human life, offering comfort and driving progress. It has revealed hidden truths of nature and gifted us with inventions like computers, biotechnology, and antibiotics. Yet, excessive mechanisation weakens human faculties and kills the soul, bringing unhappiness. Science provides knowledge and power, but not wisdom.

WB Board 12 Previous Year 2022 Solutions

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