Solved Board Paper For CBSE Class 12 English Elective

(a) In the recent years, digital communication has done more changes than the printing press did in the past.

(b) The United States has teenagers who spend time with electronic devices more than 8 hours daily.

(c) The new skill they have adapted is to deal with incredible amount of information that became available to them with the advent of new technologies.

(d) Violence levels in the US are low at the moment in spite of teenagers accessing violent videos on the internet.

(e) By watching the same clips and laughing at the same jokes the teenagers become more global minded than their predecessors.

(f) When a person turns thirty, it becomes harder for him/her to adapt and cope with new technologies.

(g) (iii) teenagers

(h) (iv) social skills

(i) (ii) adjust

(j) (iii) condemn

(k) (iv) planning or thinking

(l) (ii) scientists were expecting more violence levels

a) The narrator of the story is a little black boy. He compares the complexion of his body (skin) with his soul saying, his body is so dark as if it is bereaved of light; but his soul is white. Here white represents the purity of his soul. On the contrary, the skin tone of an English child is as white as an angel.

b) By saying that their black bodies and sun-tanned faces are like a cloud or a shady grove the mother teaches him about God’s love. The dark skin tone is like a shade and it helps them to bear the big rays of God's love and assimilate it. When their souls learn to bear the heat of God’s love, the cloud will vanish, and they will hear God's voice calling them to him.

c) The mother teaches her son about God by showing him the rising sun. She tells him that as the sun provided light and heat to all the creatures of the world God gives the comfort and joy of his love to all the people - black and white, rich and poor alike.

d) The little black boy tells the little English boy that when they become free from black and white clouds (black skin and white skin) they will play around the tent of God merrily. He will shade the white boy from the heat till he can bear it. As he has grown through suffering, the black boy’s capacity to bear the heat is stronger.

a)

Nelson Mandela

My role model is Nelson Mandela, South African activist and former president. Being a Xhosa (a Bantu ethnic group from South Africa), Mandela was born to the Thembu royal family in Mvezo, British South Africa. He helped to bring apartheid to an end. He was a global advocate of human rights and leader of both peaceful protests and armed resistance against the white. He co-founded the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1961. Mandela was repeatedly arrested for seditious activities, served 27 years in prison, split between Robben Island, Pollsmoor Prison, and Victor Verster Prison. He became the face of the antiapartheid movement. Amid growing domestic and international pressure, and with fears of a racial civil war, President F. W. de Klerk released him in 1990. His party, ANC, won the 1994 multiracial general election and Mandela became the first black president of South Africa. He remained a devoted champion for peace and social justice until his death in 2013. Mandela remains my role model as he gives me courage to fight for justice, no matter how great the obstacles that I face.

b)

Importance of Value Education at Home

By Rajiv Sharma

Children are perhaps the most gullible of all creatures. They are so impressionable that they can be moulded whichever way their parents want. Infants emulate what they see and observe. Their behaviour reflects the culture that their parents give them.

The fruit does not fall far from the tree. This adage suggests that a child won’t be much different from his parents. For instance, if a child’s parents are optimistic, the child too will inadvertently have a positive approach towards life. If parents want, the susceptible nature of their children can work to their advantage.

A child’s mental conditioning happens by what he learns and experiences during his formative years. Therefore, it becomes important for parents to teach the right values to their children. Parents who inculcate values like discipline, hard work, dedication, etc. in their children see the latter do well academically. Similarly, parents can prevent their children from becoming couch potatoes by encouraging them to participate in some other activities like learning music or playing outdoor games. A child will always be hungry for knowledge if he develops the habit of reading at an early age.

Parents, therefore, must spend maximum time with their children if they wish to see them become good human beings.

c)

The Epidemic of Cellphone Addiction

By Surabhi Singh

The addiction to cellphones is spreading like an epidemic in the society. Most of us cannot imagine a moment without them. Cellphones definitely have bridged the gap between people and facilitated communication between people dwelling in distant cities. But, spending too much time on them is indeed nothing short of an addiction.

Our generation spends hours on mobiles and most of us don’t exercise caution while using phones while walking on roads and travelling in buses. In fact, many cases of phone confiscations have started happening in schools and colleges. Mobile phones have practically invaded each and every space. Some of us have begun to even neglect our studies and waste our time playing games or chit chatting with friends. Usage of mobile phones while driving is another menace. So many lives have been lost due to sheer negligence.

In the West there are deaddiction therapies to save young people from cellphone addition. It is high time to think about effective measures to curb the menace of cellphone addiction.

a)

Respected Principal, teachers and my dear friends,

A very warm good morning to everyone present here. I am Anu of Class XII, standing before you to deliver a speech on an enlightening topic, i.e., Stress Management.

Stress management implies identifying the sources of stress and then taking proper measures to deal with it. First and foremost, it is extremely important to realise what leaves us stressed. To begin with, it is often too much work that drains our energy out. Therefore, it is advisable not to bite off more than what one can chew, i.e., one should be mindful of one's limits and not take added responsibilities.

Suppressing one’s feelings can be really harmful. Instead, one should just open up to a friend or family member which can be very comforting. Successfully solving a problem gives immense satisfaction. Instead of fretting over a predicament, one should put up a brave front and take the problem head on. One should always think of the big picture and never be perturbed by trivial issues.

No matter how harrowing an experience is, it is always recommended to look for the upside. It is best to forgive and forget as feelings like anger, hatred, envy, etc. can really be damaging to one’s health and well-being. Lastly, one of the best ways to cope with stress is to make time for fun and relaxation and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Thank you.

b)

Subverting the Patriarchal Paradigm

By Malini

Unlike sex, that marks a biological distinction, gender is a socially constructed term. Behaviour of both the sexes is determined by the society through a binding covenant.

Breaking down gender stereotypes is extremely important and necessary and for this an active participation of men is very much needed.

While taking into account the plights of women all over the world, it would be too naive to assume that women alone are the victim of this inequality. "Gender paradox of suicidal behaviour" indicates that suicide is a gender issue that can no longer be ignored. Statistics show that men are three times more likely to take their lives than women. The need to adhere to the distorted stereotypical images of what constitutes male success also has enfeebled many.

Needless to say, it is not a lost battle. Many steps are being taken by people all over the world to ameliorate the conditions. The US government's decision to put a woman's face on the currency is a testimony to the rising awareness about creating an egalitarian society. Such a historically symbolic makeover of their currency suggests an unprecedented drive to mark the presence of women through time and history. Moreover men too need to shed these artificial images that stop them from expressing their true selves.

a) My brother who is working in New York is coming to visit us next week.

b) The Chairman himself escorted the partners of the firm to the meeting.

c) The patient cried that the wound was very painful.

d) We tried our best, but we could not trace the missing girl.

e) Riding a bike is very thrilling.

f) Hardly had the match finished when it began to rain.

g) All except James attended the meeting.

h) The neo-rich are too eager to become multi-millionaires.

(a) In the season of autumn, leaves change their colour from green to yellow, orange and red before falling off from the trees. This spectacular change in the colour of the leaves makes the trees look stunningly beautiful. The floor of the forest is carpeted with the brown, red and yellow leaves. The poet is describing the beauty of the trees in vibrant colours as he walks through the woods in Coole Park.

(b) Frank is a sailor with a home in Buenos Aires. Frank meets Eveline on a trip to Dublin. He is described as ‘kind, manly and open-hearted’. Frank presumably is of higher social status as he takes her to the theater and they sit in a section that Eveline is “unaccustomed” to. He is in love with Eveline as he waits for her at the ferry station.

(a) "A Lecture Upon the Shadow" is a poem about love. Donne compares the vision and delusion of lovers to a situation of light and shadow wherein sight is only unrestricted at noon, when the light of the sun produces no shadow. Lovers in the early stage of their relation present their best to each other. Only when lovers attain maturity, they see each other without any pretensions. The period of maturity is short lived. However, if lovers succeed in holding on to this period of maturity for long, their love will never fade.

(b) ‘Kubla Khan’ is a highly visionary poem of Coleridge replete with contradictory images.

These images include the noisy, active and a little sinister river Alph contrasted with the calm, quiet and peaceful garden in the poem. The ocean in the poem appears gloomy and mysterious in contrast to the sunny, warm forest. The pleasure dome is warm whereas the caves are cold and freezing. The caverns are gigantic, frightening and cold and contradict the warm, peaceful and cozy environment of the palace. The image of the “wailing woman” is contrasted with her lover, who is a “demon”.

(c) Raizel was the lover of Dr. Solomon Margolin. She was the daughter of Melekh the watchmaker. Her love with Solomon Margolin did not result in their marriage. She got married to someone else and was later shot dead by the Nazis. At the end of the story Dr. Solomon met her at the wedding of Sylvia in Brownsville. He proposed to marry her then and there. However, she appeared to him in a different form. Whether his meeting with Raizel was real or merely his hallucination, is not clear from the story.

(a) By the expression ‘tremulations on ether’, Lawrence wants to convey the idea that most of the books are like radio messages. These can be heard, and experienced. But, one can never identify with the news. Whereas the expression, ‘the novel as a tremulation’ expresses a multi-dimensional view of the characters in the novel. The characters in the novel show the reader how they should act while facing similar situations in real life. They are clear about what needs to be done and what should be avoided. It actually gives the reader an insight into the crucial moments of life without actually having to experience them. In that way, a person can mould his or her decisions and grow well in life.

(b) In his essay ‘Freedom’, Shaw despises is slavery of man to man. The master class makes a desperate effort to prevent people from realising their slavery. People are taught that their country is a free land. The freedom that they are enjoying today has been fought by our forefathers. When people grumble, they are told that their miseries are their own because they have the right to vote. However, this right is exercised under the guidance of those in power. People are reminded of the Factory Acts, Wage Boards and free education.

(c) The narrator notices a small, round mark on the white wall of their house, about six or seven inches above the mantelpiece. The mark stimulates a flurry of thoughts in her mind. She is tempted to get up and ascertain what the mark really is. At the end of the narrative it is revealed that the mark is nothing but a small snail.

The mark on the wall serves as a facilitator for the train of thoughts that passes through the mind of the narrator one after another. Though the subject matter of the narrative is not the mark itself but the thoughts triggered by the mark, the title is apt as the narration revolves round the mark.

(a) As the tiger was locked inside the headmaster's room the crowd discussed ways and means to tackle him. Someone suggested calling a shikari to shoot the tiger and others, the police. At the end they decided to call Alphonse as he was a good shikari. But some tthers objected saying he was a poacher and it would be better to call the D.F.O.

(b) Raja was determined to stop anyone trying to take him back to a life of slavery. When the Master entered the room Raja dashed forward to kill the intruder but hurt himself against the door. The Master assured him that he was his friend. Somehow Raja was able to understand his speech. The Master touched him gently, and Raja tried to hit him, but his paw had no strength. Soon Raja became submissive. The Master talked to him about transformation in life. He advised Raja that as an adult tiger, he should also control his anger.

(c) Socioeconomic status is the social standing of a person in the society. A person's status in the society is very much interlinked to his/her economic status. Margayya is convinced of the fact that the richer a person is, the higher his status in the society. His ancestors were corpse bearers who belonged to the poor strata of the society. He wants to change this ill reputation by accumulating wealth. As Margayya becomes rich his status in the society changes dramatically. His financial reputation overshadows everything else.

(d) Margayya met a police officer in the crowded train compartment while travelling to Madras to find the whereabouts of his son. The inspector was a kind and helpful person. He promised help to find the whereabouts of Margayya’s son. He arranged food and lodging for Margayya in Madras. He searched for Balu and found that the post card was written by a rich madman in Park Town who owned a theater. He found Balu at the Central Talkies where he was employed by the rich mad man. Later he sent the father-son duo back home.

(a) Freedom is the greatest virtue that all living beings long for. Freedom brings happiness in life. Though nobody can adequately explain what real freedom is, as far as an animal is concerned it is to live a natural life. A caged bird and a caged animal do not enjoy freedom.

As Raja walks through the streets and sleeps in the headmaster’s room, he thinks he is enjoying real freedom. Afterall, Captain with his formidable whip and chair is perished forever. Ironically, he lands again in bondage as the crowd locks him in the headmaster’s room. At the end the Master releases him from his confinement and grants him freedom.

He takes him to his natural habitat, the jungle. From this natural freedom the Master takes Raja to real freedom by teaching him about his own real nature, his place in the order of thing and his relationship with God. A person can experience real freedom only when he attains self-knowledge. In the company of his Master Raja experiences real freedom.

(b) The Master teaches Raja about his relationship with God. He describes God as the Creator, the Great Spirit pervading every creature, every rock and tree and the sky and the stars; a source of power and strength. Later when the Master asks him about God, Raja describes God as an enormous tiger, spanning the earth and the sky, with a tail capable of encircling the globe, having claws that could hook on the clouds, and teeth that could grind the mountain, and possessing immeasurable strength.

Master agrees with Raja because a man or even a tiger makes God in his own image. So, what we have is not the fullness of the notion of God but objectified conceptions of the divine that are conditioned by what and who we are. God is omnipresent and he lives in each one’s inner being. When one realises that truth he/she will attain salvation.

(c) Some people think that if they make money through dishonest means, that money will bring them honour in the society. So, people strive hard to acquire money through illegal and fraudulent ways. But, ill-gotten wealth is destined to perish sooner or later.

In the novel ‘The Financial Expert’, the protagonist Margayya is obsessed with making money. According to him ‘the only important thing in the world is money’.

He accumulates money in the beginning by selling an indecent book and later by drawing exorbitant interest from poor farmers. He attaches the properties and houses of those poor people. Later he associates with rich people who amassed wealth by hoarding, black-marketing and corruption. It is said that he brought home currency notes in sacks and stocked them in bundles.

All these riches are gone within a day. Dr. Pal spreads rumors about Margayya and the investors flock to his house to withdraw money. Within hours he becomes bankrupt. Thus, Narayan gives a moral lesson through this novel to all people who blindly pursue material prosperity through immoral means.

(d) Dr. Pal is the villain in the novel. He is the cause of the rise and fall of Margayya's financial empire. Dr. Pal is a complex personality. Outwardly he appears as a good man. In fact, he lives a life of debauchery. At first, he lures Margayya into his trap by giving him an obscene book that he had authored. Later he joins Margayya's business as his tout and procures numerous clients for him and helps Margayya to secure investments from all sorts of evil people who amassed wealth by hoarding, black-marketing and corruption. With his help Margayya becomes the richest man in the town.

Dr. Pal influences Balu when he shifts his house to New Extension after his marriage. He is responsible for spoiling Balu's character and turning him against his father. When Margayya confronts him for spoiling Balu he takes revenge by spreading rumors and thereby destroying Margayya's financial empire. Despite all the apparent goodness, Dr. Pal serves as the villain in the Novel.