SRI VENKATESWARA VIDHYALAYA SR.SEC.

SCHOOL
CHENNAI 77
INTERNAL ASSESSMENT

SAMPLE PAPER 2023-2024

ENGLISH CORE (301)

CLASS XII
TIME ALLOWED:2 HRS
TOTAL MARKS=50
SECTION A (READING SKILL 10 MARKS)

1. READ THE FOLLOWING TEXT:

Arthur lay in his cabin, still trying to piece together the events of the last few hours.
He had watched his home planet of Earth be demolished to make way for a
hyperspace bypass, been saved by his friend Ford, and then whisked away on a ship
that was powered by an "infinite improbability drive." It was all too much for him.
Just then, Ford stuck his head around the door. "Hey, Earthman," he said, "come and
have a look at this." 10 15 Arthur stumbled after him down a corridor and into the
ship's control room. He gazed in amazement at the banks of controls and flashing
lights. In the center of the room was a large console covered in buttons and switches,
and in the middle of the console was a small, white mouse. "What's that?" asked
Arthur. "That's the ship's computer," said Ford. Arthur stared at the mouse. "That's a
computer?" he said. "Yup," said Ford. "Five-dimensional, biologically-based, super
intelligent, and in the form of a white lab mouse. Pretty neat, huh?" "I don't know,"
said Arthur. "I don't think I really understand anything anymore. Why is a mouse the
ship's computer?" 20 25 "It's a long story," said Ford. "But the short version is that
the mice built the Earth as a giant computer to figure out the Ultimate Question of
Life, the Universe, and Everything. Then they ran out of money and had to destroy it
to make way for a hyperspace bypass. So now they're using the Heart of Gold to
finish the calculation." Arthur was about to say something, but at that moment the
ship's intercom crackled to life. "Good evening, Heart of Gold," said a smooth,
computerized voice. "This is Eddie, your shipboard computer. I'm feeling a bit
depressed today. Would you like me to sing you a song?" "Oh, not again," groaned
Ford. "Eddie, would you mind shutting up?" said Arthur. 30 Arthur sighed and leaned
back against the console, trying to make sense of everything. But as he closed his
eyes, he heard a voice inside his head. "Hello?" it said. Arthur jumped, startled.
"Who's there?" he said. "It's me," said the voice. "Marvin”.
 "Marvin?" said Arthur. "Who's Marvin?" "The Paranoid Android," said the voice. 35
Arthur looked around, but he didn't see anyone. "Where are you?" he said. "I'm
down here," said the voice. Arthur looked down and saw a small, metal figure
shuffling across the floor. It was about three feet tall, with a round head and a body
that looked like it had been cobbled together from spare parts. Its eyes were a dull
red, and its voice was a monotone. "I've been waiting for someone to talk to me for
over two million years," said Marvin.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS,BASED ON THE PASSAGE ABOVE:

i Select the option that classifies Arthur's confusion about drastic events such as the
destruction of his home planet and the introduction of new technologies, correctly.
A. Routine and boredom B. Adventure and excitement C. Loss and change D. Calm and
relaxation

Ii What is the significance of the white lab mouse in the control room of the Heart of Gold
spaceship?
A. It is the captain of the ship B. It serves as the ship's computer C. It is a pet of the crew
D. It is used for scientific experiments

iii Share evidence from the text, in about 40 words to support the view that the writer’s
writing style is descriptive and humourous(2)

iv Complete the sentence appropriately with a characteristic or its description. Based on the
information given in the excerpt, one can infer that the mice who built the Earth are
_________

V Select the option that is similar in meaning to Ford’s expression , “Pretty neat, huh?".

A. Easy , isn’t it? B. Could be worse, no? C. Impressive, yes? D. Too difficult for you?

Vi Explain, in about 40 words, why the name "The Paranoid Android" is considered ironic.

Vii In the line, “…a body that looked like it had been cobbled together from spare parts…”,
what comparison does the word “cobbled” refer to?
Viii How does the following, impact the reader, even though they know Marvin is just an
android? "I've been waiting for someone to talk to me for over two million years," said
Marvin. Answer in about 40 words

Ix Read the five headlines (a) -(e), given below:

(a) HUMANITY'S JOURNEY WITNESSED BY A DEPRESSED ROBOT
(b) HITCHHIKING THROUGH SPACE: A COMICAL TAKE ON THE END OF THE WORLD

(c) NEW STUDY FINDS ALIENS LIVING AMONG US

(d) GROUNDBREAKING TECHNOLOGY WILL SOON ENABLE TIME TRAVEL
(e) INTERGALACTIC TRAVEL VIA NEW INFINITE IMPROBABILITY DRIVE
Identify the option that displays the headline/s that DOES/ DO NOT correspond with
occurrences in the passage.
A. Only (a) B. (b) (c) and (d) C. Only (e) D. (a) and (e)

SECTION B – CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS (10 MARKS)

2. ATTEMPT THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 50 WORDS:- (10 MARKS)
A. Bali High Public School has recently created CureGreen, a dedicated area for local
medicinal herbs and shrubs, adjacent to the flower garden, on campus. As Rachel
Tiwari, Captain of the Eco-Club , draft a notice for the school notice board, informing
students of classes XI-XII, about a guided walk through CureGreen , post assembly, on
Friday, 10 July. Invite care-giver applications, for CureGreen.

B. You are the Secretary of the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme , Jastinapur, Sector D-3
Society. Draft a notice for the Society notice board, informing residents about the
change of personnel, Head Security, Gate 2 and share necessary details. Also, include
the news of installation of the much awaited security camera, on the Eastern
periphery of the Society.

SECTION C – LITERATURE(20 MARKS)

4.READ THE GIVEN EXTRACT AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:- (10 MARKS)
A. And such too is the grandeur of the dooms We have imagined for the mighty dead;
 All lovely tales that we have heard or read:
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink

1. Which of the following themes is best represented in the given extract?

A. The beauty of nature
B. The power of imagination
C. The immortality of art and literature

D. The inevitability of death

2. State whether the given statement is TRUE or FALSE, with reference to the extract. By
referring to the dead as "mighty", the poet emphasizes their importance and the power they
exerted on the people

3. Complete the sentence appropriately. The "endless fountain of immortal drink" is an apt
analogy for the tales of the mighty dead because ____________________________
4. The use of the word "brink" in the extract suggests that the immortality that is being
poured onto us is on the verge of overflowing. This creates a powerful image of
___________.

5. Based on the poem rhyme scheme, evident in lines 2-5, of the given extract, which word
would rhyme with line 1?
SAID, THINK, TOMBS

B. …I looked again at her, wan,

Pale
as a 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 speaker's emotional state when looking at her mother?
A. Confused and disoriented
 B. Nostalgic and longing
C. Empathetic and understanding
D. Fearful and apprehensive

2. What does the use of the word "but" at the beginning of the line, ‘ but all I said..’, suggest
?
ANS: It suggests a contrast between the speaker's internal emotional response and her
outward behaviour.

3. Select the word that WILL NOT complete the sentence appropriately. The description of
the mother as "wan, pale / as a late winter's moon" creates a vivid image of ________
A. vulnerability
B. sensitivity

C. frailty
D. mortality
4. State whether the given statement is TRUE or FALSE. The poetic device used in the line,
‘pale as a winter’s moon’ is the same as the one used in the line, ‘the winter wind wistfully
wailed at night’

5. What message do these lines highlight, in the context of familial relationships, and the
speaker’s sense of anxiety and fear at the prospect of losing her mother?

5. ANSWER ANY 5 FROM THE FOLLOWIG IN 40 TO 50 WORDS: (10 MARKS)

1. How is the bangle industry of Firozabad a curse for the bangle makers?
2. What did the gift of the rattrap signify?

3. What tempted Franz to stay away from school?

4. The poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’is replete with symbols. Interpret any two symbols used
in the poem.
5. Why did Gandhiji feel that taking the Champaran case to the court was useless?
6. What different images does the poet use to convey the idea of her mother’s old age?

6. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN 120 TO 150 WORDS: (10 MARKS)

1. In the story, ‘The Third Level’ by Jack Finney, Charley is obsessed with finding the third
level. In an attempt to thrash out whether this obsession is a good quality or a harmful one,
Charley’s wife expresses her thoughts in a diary entry. As Louisa, Charley’s wife, write this
diary entry. Support your response with reference to the story.

2. A grown up Zitkala-Sa, reflects on the incident about cutting of her long hair and is
conflicted that she did not do enough to resist and surrendered easily. She also wonders if
she could have tried something else to prevent the incident. As the grown-up Zitkala-Sa,
create a diary entry , expressing these thoughts and conclude by absolving yourself of any
blame.