WB Board 12 Previous Year 2023 Solutions

(Multiple choice type questions)

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

PROSE

(i) The co-passanger, who boarded the train at Saharanpur noticed the girl’s
(a) Hair
(b) Beautiful eyes
(c) Sweet face
(d) Bright dress

Ans: (b) Beautiful eyes

(ii) After reading the namaz before dawn, Abdul Kalam’s father used to
(a) Meet people of different religions
(b) Go to the mosque
(c) Meet Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry
(d) Go to coconut  grove

Ans: (d) Go to coconut grove

(iii) The bearded man wanted to
(a) Meet the Tsar
(b) Meet the hermit
(c) Take revenge on the Tsar
(d) Hunt in the wood

Ans: (c) Take revenge on the Tsar

(iv) The lady picked the boy up holding his
(a) Shirt
(b) Trousers
(c) Belt
(d) Arm

Ans: (b) Trousers

POETRY

(v) The stream flows through the valley
(a) In a zigzag course
(b) At a slow pace
(c) Swiftly
(d) In a halting manner

Ans: (c) Swiftly

(vi) Green twigs that rise from close to the ground are
(a) Curled
(b) Crooked
(c) Straight
(d) Broken

Ans: (c) Straight

(vii) The ‘eye of heaven’ refers to the
(a) Sun
(b) Clouds
(c) Poet
(d) Young man

Ans: (a) Sun

(viii) The grasshopper presents live
(a) Music of spring
(b) Music of winter
(c) Music of summer
(d) Music of sutumn

Ans: (c) Music of summer

DRAMA

(Either 4 from THE PROPOSAL or 4 from CHARANDAS CHOR)

(ix) Lomov bought his dog, Guess, from
(a) Chiranova
(b) Mironov
(c) Chubukov
(d) Natalya

Ans: (b) Mironov

(x) Natalya claimed that Guess was like a
(a) Stallion
(b) Buffalo
(c) Mule
(d) Cab horse

Ans: (d) Cab horse

(xi) Chubukov tells Natalya that someone has come in their drawing room who is
(a) A farmer
(b) A land owner
(c) A merchant
(d) A hawker

Ans: (b) A land owner

(xii) “What a weight of my shoulders.” – The weight refers to
(a) Lomov
(b) Guess
(c) Squeezer
(d) Natalya

Ans: (a) Lomov

OR

(xiii) As his gurudakshina, the guru takes from the smoker
(a) Rupee
(b) Gamchha
(c) Chhilum
(d) Bottle of wine

Ans: (c) Chhilum

(xiv) Charandas is alleged of being too rude by the
(a) Priest
(b) Minister
(c) Queen
(d) Munim

Ans: (c) Queen

(xv) Charandas wore everything that the minister wore except
(a) A kurta
(b) Shoe
(c) Cap
(d) Dhoti

Ans: (a) A kurta

(xvi) The last thing that Charandas steals from the temple is
(a) A gold idol
(b) Gold ornaments
(c) A gold plate
(d) Gold coin

Ans: (c) A gold plate

(Short Answer Type Questions)

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

PROSE

(i) Who wounded the bearded man?
Ans: The Tsar’s bodyguards wounded the bearded man.

(ii) How did the narrator come to know that the girl wore slippers?
Ans: The narrator heard the slippers slapping against her heels as she walked.

(iii) What is the full name of Mr. Jones?
Ans: The full name of Mr. Jones is Mr. James Jones.

(iv) What were the ncessary things Kalam’s father provided to his family?
Ans: Kalam’s father provided food, medicine, and clothing to his family.

(v) What could the narrator see in his mind’s eye?
Ans: The narrator could see the telegraph posts flashing by in his mind’s eye.

(vi) In which language were the prayers chanted in the mosque?
Ans: The prayers were chanted in Arabic in the mosque.

(vii) Where did Mrs.Jones work?
Ans: Mrs. Jones worked in a hotel beauty-shop.

(viii) Where did the hermit live?
Ans: The hermit lived in a wood.

POETRY

(ix) What does Keats celebrate in the poem ‘The Poetry of Earth’?
Ans: Keats celebrates the continuous music of nature through all seasons.

(x) What causes the bark of the tree to bleed?
Ans: The bark of the tree bleeds when it is hacked and chopped.

(xi) What do the rough winds do?
Ans: The rough winds shake the darling buds of May.

(xii) What do the birds do when they are faint with the hot sun?
Ans: The birds hide in the cooling shade of trees when faint with the hot sun.

(xiii) Which insects song can be heard on a lone winter evening?
Ans: The cricket’s song can be heard on a lone winter evening.

(xiv) What does the poet compare his friend to?
Ans; The poet compares his friend to a summer’s day.

(xv) Where does the strength of the tree lie?
Ans: The strength of the tree lies in its deep roots.

(xvi) What is seen on the side of the soldier?
Ans: A pillow made of fern is seen on the side of the soldier.

(Subjective/Descriptive type questions)

3. Answer any two questions from PROSE, two questions from POETRY and one question from DRAMA of the following questions, each in about 100 words: (6*5=30)

PROSE

(i) “One of the most vivid memories of my early childhood is of the two men ….”
(a) Whose childhood memories are preferred to?
(b) Who were the two men?
(c) What was their topic of discussion?
(d) What answer did the narrator get regarding his answer on prayers? (1+2+1+2)
Ans:
(a) These are the childhood memories of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
(b) The two men were his father, Jainulabdeen, and Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry, the high priest of Rameswaram temple.
(c) Their topic of discussion was spiritual and religious matters.
(d) Kalam’s father explained that prayers bring peace of mind and help solve human problems.

(ii) “Can you tell me – did she keep her hair long or short?”
(a) Who is the speaker? To whom is he speaking?
(b) Who is being referred to? Where did the girl get down?
(c) What was the answer the speaker received in context to his question? (2+2+2)
Ans:
(a) The speaker is the narrator of The Eyes Have It; he is speaking to his co-passenger.
(b) He refers to the blind girl who travelled with him, and she got down at Saharanpur.
(c) The co-passenger replied that he could not say, as he had not noticed her hair.

(iii) What were the three questions the Tsar wanted to get answer of? Why did he need the answers of the learned men? Whom did the Tsar finally deceide to consult? (3+1+1+1)
Ans: The Tsar wanted to know the right time to act, the most important people to deal with, and the most important work to do. He needed these answers to succeed in everything. Finally, he decided to consult a wise hermit.

(iv) “Eat some more, son,”
Who is the speaker? Who is been spoken to? What food was offered by the speaker? What feature of the speaker’s character is revealed here? (1+1+2+2)
Ans: The line is spoken by Mrs. Jones to Roger in Thank You, Ma’am. She offered him a full meal of lima beans, ham, cocoa, and cake. Her words show her caring and generous nature. She treated the boy with warmth and motherly affection despite his misdeed.

POETRY

(v) “It takes much time to kill a tree.” Why does it take much time to kill a tree? How is a tree finally killed? (3+3)
Ans: A tree takes much time to die because it slowly grows, draws nourishment, and heals when cut. It is finally killed by pulling out its roots, exposing them to the sun, air, and fire, which leads to withering and death.

(vi) “A soilder, very young, lies open-mouthed.” Describe the place where the soilder lies. Why does he lie ‘open-mouthed’? Who takes care of him and how? (2+1+3)
Ans: The young soldier lies on the green valley, with flowers blooming around. He lies open-mouthed as he is dead. No one takes care of him; only nature gives him a pillow of fern and a bed of flowers.

(vii) What type of a poem is ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’ Who is the poet? Whom does the poet speak of? What does the poet say about the person referred to? (1+1+1+3)
Ans: It is a sonnet written by William Shakespeare. The poet speaks of his dear friend. He says his friend is more lovely and more temperate than a summer’s day, and his beauty will live forever through the poem.

(viii) “He rests at case beneath some pleasant weed….” From which poem is the line quoted? Who is the poet? Who ‘rests at ease’ and when? Describe his activities. (1+1+2+2)
Ans: The line is from The Soldier by Rupert Brooke. The soldier rests at ease after death in a foreign land. His sacrifice turns the land into forever England. His resting symbolizes peace after serving his country.

DRAMA

(ix) (a) “I’ve come to you, honoured Stepan Stepanovitch, to trouble you with a request.” Who has come to Chubukov with a request? What does Chubukov assume about the purpose of the visit? What was the request? How does Chubukov react to that request? (1+2+1+2)
Ans: Lomov came to Chubukov with a request. Chubukov assumed he wanted to borrow money. But Lomov’s request was to marry Natalya. Chubukov was delighted and warmly agreed to the proposal.

OR

(b) What were the promises Charandas made to his Guru? (6)
Ans: The promises Charandas made to his Guru were: never to eat from a golden plate, never to ride on an elephant, never to marry a queen, never to accept kingship, and never to tell a lie.

(x) (a) “Oxen Meadows, it’s true, were once the subject of dispute, but now everybody knows that they are mine.” Who is the speaker? Who is spoken to? What information did the speaket give to establish the ownership of Oxen Meadows? What did the person spoken to say in response to the speaker’s argument? (1+1+2+2)
Ans: The speaker is Lomov. He speaks to Natalya. He explains that the Oxen Meadows belonged to his family for forty years and were given to her father only for temporary use. Natalya angrily denies it, claiming the land is theirs.

OR

(b) “Am I under obligation to save everyone’s sons and daughters?” Who is the speaker? What prompted him to make such a remark? What is you impression of the man who made this remark? (1+2+3)
Ans: The speaker is the King in Charandas Chor. He was angry because people expected him to save everyone’s sons and daughters. This remark shows him as selfish, proud, and irresponsible.

(xi) (a) Sketch the character of Natalya Stepanovna. (6)
Ans: Natalya is a young Russian woman of twenty-five, strong-minded and argumentative. She quarrels fiercely with Lomov over land and dogs, yet she longs for marriage. She is practical, emotional, and a typical comic character of Chekhov’s play.

OR

(b) “Sadhu maharaj I Did you see a thief run past?” Who made this query? What answer did he get from the person spoken to? What did the person notice when he was about to quit the place? (1+3+2)
Ans: The query was made by a policeman. Sadhu Maharaj replied that he had not seen any thief. But as he was leaving, the policeman noticed Charandas hiding in the place.

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

(i) ‘Was I bothering You when I turned that corner?’ asked the woman. (Change into indirect speech)
Ans: The woman asked if she was bothering her when she turned that corner.

(ii) The hills are covered with wild dahlias. (Change the voice)
Ans: Wild dahlias cover the hills.

(iii) The poetry of earth is never dead. (Turn into an affirmative sentence)
Ans: The poetry of earth is ever-living.

(iv) It’s not true, I will prove it. (Join into a single sentence using noun clause)
Ans: It is not true that I will prove it.

(v) Having taken leave of the wounded man, the Tsar went out into the porch and looked around for the hermit. (Spilt into simple sentences)
Ans: The Tsar took leave of the wounded man. He went out into the porch. He looked around for the hermit.

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

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

They called their goodbyes and _______ train pulled out ______ the station. As I was totally blind _________ the time, my eyes sensitive only ___________ light and darkness. I was unable ______ tell what ______– girl looked like.

Ans: They called their goodbyes and the train pulled out of the station. As I was totally blind at the time, my eyes sensitive only to light and darkness. I was unable to tell what the girl looked like.

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

In fact, I would say mine was a very securely childhood, materially and emotionally.
[Options: secured,secure,security]

Ans: In fact, I would say mine was a very secure childhood, materially and emotionally.

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

The Suderbans can, no doubt, boast about its tigers. It is home to the largest number of tigers in India, and perhaps in the world.

Behaviourally, the Sunderban tigers differ from the tigers of other Indian forests. Daily tides and ebbs have made the topography of the Suderbans hostile.

During high tides, a large portion of the Suderbans get aubmerged and during ebbs a thick alluvium is left behind. This makes the terrain slushy. It becomes very difficult for tigers to hunt. Therefore sometimes, tigers of the SUnderbans have to depend on fish and crabs for food. Due to the hostile eco-system, tigers here are expert swimmers, and are often seeing crossing even broad rivers. The other characteristic of the tigers of the Sunderbans is that due to their estuarine habitat, they drink saline water.

The project tiger is headed by the Field director who is a conservator. His team includes a Deputy Field director who is of the rank of a Divisional Forest Officer, an assistant field director who is of the rank of Additional Divisional Forest Officer and twelve Range Officers.

(a) 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)

(i) The behaviour of SUnderban Tiger is different from the tigers of other Indian Forests. (T)
(ii) Daily tides and ebbs help Sunderbans to have a friendly topography. (F)
(iii) The slushy land of Sunderbans helps tigers to hunt. (F)
(iv) Tigers of Sunderbans drink saline water. (T)

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

(i) When does it become very difficult for tigers to hunt?
Ans: It becomes very difficult for tigers to hunt during high tide when much of the land is submerged and the terrain is slushy.

(ii) What had made the tigers expert swimmers.
Ans: The hostile eco-system with rivers made the tigers expert swimmers.

(iii) Who are the members of Project Tiger?
Ans: Members of Project Tiger are the Field Director (Conservator), Deputy Field Director (DFO), Assistant Field Director (ADFO), and twelve Range Officers.

6. (a) Write a report on how 75^th year on Independence Day was celebrated in your school. The report is to be published in your school magazine. (Word limit 150 words) (2+8=10)

Or

(b) Write a letter to the Editor of an English Daily, sharing your concern on the overwhelming effect of social media on young minds. (Word limit 150 words) (2+8=10)

OR

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

All learners, from babies to grandmothers learn better with stories. Stories are energizers. When someone says, “Let me tell you a story,” Listeners perk up their ears and smile. Even hard truth can be taught easily through stories. Stories told and read at home and school, both educate and entertain. Using stories in the classroom is fun, but the activity should not be considered trivial or frivolous. Indeed, there is strong support for story telling in the method of teaching. Stories-whether they are fairly tales, folk tales, fables or others, based on real life incidents, experienced by students themselves – can help learners appreciate and respect the culture and values of various groups of people. Stories can also lead to harmony and understanding. Stories from around the world are excellent to use in the classroom, but teachers also need to use stories from the students’ own culture and heritage. Using local or national stories ensure that the students know the background, culture, or may even know the story already. This familiarity helps the students reduce stress and anxiety in the classroom.

Related Links

• Writing Skills for Class 12 WBCHSE – Important Exercises, Examples & Solutions
• Class 12 WBCHSE Reading Comprehension (UNSEEN)
• Class 12 WBCHSE Non-Textual Grammar Exercise
• West Bengal Board Class 12 English B Syllabus
• The Parrot’s Tale Solutions
• At School Solutions
• Hawk Roosting Explanation, Summary, Questions and Answers
• Tara Act – 1 Explanations, Summary, Questions and Answers
• WB board class 12 english book pdf
• WB 12 Previous Year 2018 Solutions