Board Paper of Class 12-Humanities 2014 English (SET 1) - Solutions

Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:

1. Too many parents these days can't  say no. As a result, they find themselves raising 'children'  who respond greedily to the advertisements aimed right at them. Even getting what they want doesn't satisfy some kids; they only want more. Now, a growing number of psychologists, educators and parents think it's time to stop the madness and start teaching kids about what's really important: values like hard work, contentment, honesty and compassion. The struggle to set limits has never been tougher ‒ and the stakes have never been higher. One recent study of adults  who were overindulged as children, paints a discouraging picture of their future: when given too much too soon, they grow up to be adults who have difficulty coping with life's disappointments. They also have distorted sense of entitlement that gets in the way of success in the work place and in relationships.

2. Psychologists say that parents who overindulge their kids, set them up to be more vulnerable to future anxiety and depression. Today's parents themselves raised on values of thrift and self-sacrifice, grew up in a culture where no was a household word. Today's kids want much more, partly because there is so much more to want. The oldest members of this generation were born in the late 1980s, just as PCs and video games were making their assault on the family room. They think of MP3 players and flat screen TV as essential utilities, and they have developed strategies to get them. One survey of teenagers found that when they crave for something new, most expect to ask nine times before their parents give in. By every measure, parents are shelling out record amounts. In the heat of this buying blitz, even parents who desperately need to say no find themselves reaching for their credit cards.

3. Today's parents aren't equipped to deal with the problem. Many of them, raised in the 1960s and '70s, swore they'd act differently from their parents and have closer relationships with their own children. Many even wear the same designer clothes as their kids and listen to the same music. And they work more hours; at the end of a long week, it's  tempting to buy peace with 'yes' and not mar precious family time with conflict. Anxiety about future is another factor. How do well intentioned parents say no to all the sports gear and arts and language lessons they believe will help their kids thrive in an increasingly competitive world? Experts agree: too much love won't spoil a child. Too few limits will.

4. What parents need to find, is a balance between the advantages of an affluent society and the critical life lessons that come from waiting, saving and working hard to achieve goals. That search for balance has to start early. Children need limits on their behaviour because they feel better and more secure when they live within a secured structure. Older children learn self-control by watching how others, especially parents act. Learning how to overcome challenges is essential to becoming a successful adult. Few parents ask kids to do chores. They think  their  kids  are  already  overburdened  by  social  and  academic pressures. Every individual can be of service to others, and life has meaning beyond one's  own immediate happiness. That means parents eager to teach values have to take a long, hard look at their own.
 

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Read the passage carefully.

1. I remember my childhood as being generally happy and can recall experiencing some of the most carefree times of my life. But I can also remember, even more vividly, moments of being deeply frightened. As a child, I was truly terrified of the dark and getting lost. These fears were very real and caused me some extremely uncomfortable moments.

2. Maybe it was the strange way things looked and sounded in my familiar room at night that scared me so much. There was never total darkness, but a street light or passing car lights made clothes hung over a chair take on the shape of an unknown beast. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw curtains move when there was no breeze. A tiny creak in the floor would sound a hundred times louder than in the daylight and my imagination would take over, creating burglars and monsters. Darkness always made me feel helpless. My heart would pound and I would lie very still so that 'the enemy' wouldn't discover me.

3. Another childhood fear of mine was that I would get lost, especially on the way home from school. Every morning, I got on the school bus right near my home ‒ that was no problem. After school, though, when all the buses were lined up along the curve, I was terrified that I would get on the wrong one and be taken to some unfamiliar neighbourhood. I would scan the bus for the faces of my friends, make sure that the bus driver was the same one that had been there in the morning, and even then ask the others over and over again to be sure I was in the right bus. On school or family trips to an amusement park or a museum, I wouldn't  let the leaders out of my sight. And of course, I was never very adventurous when it came to taking walks or hikes because I would go only where I was sure I would never get lost.

4. Perhaps, one of the worst fears I had as a child was that of not being liked or accepted by others. First of all, I was quite shy. Secondly, I worried constantly about my looks, thinking people wouldn't like me because I was too fat or wore braces. I tried to wear 'the right clothes' and had intense arguments with my mother over the importance of wearing flats instead of saddled shoes to school. Being popular was very important to me then and the fear of not being liked was a powerful one.

5. One of the processes of evolving from a child to an adult is  being able to recognise and overcome our fears. I have learnt that darkness does not have to take on a life of its own, that others can help me when I am lost and that friendliness and sincerity will encourage people to like me. Understanding the things that scared us as children helps to cope with our lives as adults.

(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes using headings and subheadings. Use recognizable abbreviations wherever necessary.

(b) Make a summary of the passage in not more than 80 words using the notes made and also suggest a suitable title.

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You were very upset about the reports on communal riots in various parts of the country. As a concerned social worker, design a poster in not more than 50 words, highlighting the importance of communal harmony. You are Vinay/Vineeta.
The literary club of your school is putting up the play 'Waiting for Godot'. As secretary of the club, draft an invitation inviting the famous writer Sudeesh Gupta to be the guest of honour at the function. Write the invitation in not more than 50 words. You are Govind/Gauri. VIEW SOLUTION

Last week the newly built auditorium of your school was inaugurated. As Deepak/Deepti Saha, the head boy/girl of the school, write a factual description of the auditorium in 125‒150 words.
 
You had attended a workshop on personality development for students. Many eminent personalities had been present. Write a report in 125‒150 words on how the workshop proved to be beneficial. You are Rajesh/Rajshree. VIEW SOLUTION

You are Anand/Arti of 14, Model Town, Delhi. You have seen an advertisement in The Hindu for the post of Chief Chef in a 5-Star Hotel. Apply for the job with complete biodata. Write in 125-150 words.
You are Prem/Parul of 16, TT Nagar, Bhopal. You would like to apply for the post of Marketing Manager in a reputed firm in Mumbai. Write a letter to the Public Relations Officer, Chantac Enterprises, Mumbai, applying for the job. Write the letter in 125-150 words giving your biodata. VIEW SOLUTION

Last week, as you were coming back from school you happened to see a huge plastic bag full of leftovers of food being flung into the middle of the road from a speeding car. You wondered how people can be so devoid of civic sense. Write an article in 125‒150 words on why we lack civic sense and how civic sense can be inculcated in children at a very young age. You are Shiva/Shamini.

OR

You saw a stray dog beaten to death by a group of boys. Their act infuriated you and you scolded them for their cruel act. You decided to write an article on cruelty to animals. Write the article in 125‒150 words. You are Nikhil/Naina.

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Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkened ways
Made for our searching: yes in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits.

(a) Name the poem and the poet.
(b) Why are we 'despondent'?
(c) What removes 'the pall from our dark spirits'?

OR

........... And yet, for these
Children, these windows, not this map, their world.
Where all their future's painted with a fog,
A narrow street sealed in with a lead sky
Far far from rivers, capes, and stars of words.

(a) Who are the 'children' referred to here?
(b) Which is their world?
(c) How is their life different from that of other children?

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Answer any two of the following in about 30‒40 words each:
(a) What was the poet's childhood fear?
(b) What is the sadness the poet refers to in the poem 'Keeping Quiet'?
(c) How are Aunt Jennifer's tigers different from her? VIEW SOLUTION

Answer any six of the following in about 30‒40 words each:
(a) Why did Sophie long for her brother's affection?
(b) Why did Edla plead with her father not to send the vagabond away?
(c) What job did Saheb take up? Was he happy?
(d) Why were the elders of the village sitting in the classroom?
(e) Why did the Maharaja order the dewan to double the land tax?
(f) Why did Roger Skunk go to see the old owl?
(g) Why was Zitkala-Sa in tears on the first day in the land of apples? VIEW SOLUTION

Answer any one of the following in 100‒125 words:

Why is the Champaran episode considered to be the beginning of the Indian struggle for Independence?
 
What was the General's plan to get rid of the American prisoner? Was it executed? What traits of the General's character are highlighted in the lesson 'The Enemy'? VIEW SOLUTION

Both Derry and Lamb are physically impaired and lonely. It is the responsibility of society to understand and support people with infirmities so that they do not suffer from a sense of alienation. As a responsible citizen, write in about 100 words what you would do to bring about a change in the lives of such people. VIEW SOLUTION

Why did Dr. Mortimer need the services of the detective Sherlock Holmes? Answer in about 125 words. VIEW SOLUTION

Who is Laura Lyons? What confession did she make to Sherlock Holmes? Answer in about 125 words. VIEW SOLUTION