Kendriya vidyalaya sangathan gurgaon region

Shri Avinash Dikshit

Commissioner Patron

Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan Shri C Mani

Deputy Commissioner

Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

Shri B.L.Morodia

Assistant Commissioner

Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

Gurgaon Region
Advisors

Shri C S Azad Shri A K Sharma

Assistant Commissioner Assistant Commissioner

Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

Gurgaon Region Gurgaon Region


Study Material Produced under the supervision of

Mrs. Dolly Gulati Agnihotri

Principal

KV No 1 Faridabad

Team Members

Mrs Amita Kohli ,PGT English, KV No 1 Faridabad(Support Material Co Ordinator and Moderator)

Mrs Seema Sharma,PGT English, KV No 3 Faridabad

Mrs Nisha Garg, ,PGT English, KV No 2 Faridabad

Mrs Anita Kohli,PGT English, KV Sector 12 Dwarka

Mrs Neetu Saraswat PGT English, KV AFS Gurgaon

Mrs Manisha,PGT English, KV Sector 8,II shift ,Rohini

Mr Ramesh Chander , PGT English ,PGT English, KV Sector 5 Dwarka

Mr Narendra,PGT English, KV Palwal

Mrs Suprabha Vaid,PGT English, KV Sector 3 Dwarka

This is a purely educational publication with no commercial interests.

It gives me immense pleasure to place the Class XII English study material 2014-15 in your hands. A lot of hard work with great dedication & perseverance has been put into preparing this material so that the users are able to get it in good time & are able to make optimum use of it.

I would like the students & teachers to go through this material word by word & practice it thoroughly to score well in the board exams. I would advise the teachers & the students to go through the latest exam specifications 2014-15 very carefully as there is a change in the question paper pattern, weightage to units/ sections etc.

This material has been prepared by a team of Principal & experienced teachers of English from KVs of Gurgaon Region & I hope the students will make best use of it. Four Sample Papers and one with marking scheme and blueprint has been included in the material. Also every section includes some solved questions for the guidance of the students

Any suggestions are most welcome.

C Mani

Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan

Gurgaon Region


Table of Contents

1. 
   Examination Specifications
   
2. 
   Tips to score better
   
3. 
   Section A-Reading Unseen passages and Note making
   
4. 
   Section B-Advanced Writing Skills
   
5. 
   Section C- Literature Textbooks and Long Reading Text
   

6. 
   Question Bank on Section C
   
7. 
   Four Sample Papers(One with marking Scheme and Blue print)
   
8. 
   CBSE 2013-14 Question Paper (All India)
   
9. 
   CBSE 2013-14 Question Paper (Delhi)
   

Two unseen passages with a variety of very short answer or MCQ questions to test comprehension, interpretation and inference. Vocabulary such as word formation and inference of meaning will also be tested.

The total length of the two passages will be between 1100 - 1200 words. The passage will include two of the following:

a. Factual passages, e.g., instructions, descriptions, reports.

b. Descriptive passages involving opinion, e.g., argumentative, persuasive or interpretative text.

c. Literary passages, e.g., extract from fiction, drama, poetry, essay or biography. A poem could be of 28-35 lines.

• The passages can be literary, factual or discursive to test comprehensions. The length of one passage should

be between 600-700 words.

• A third passage of 400-500 words for note-making and abstraction.

SECTION B

Writing Skills 30 Marks

• Short Answer Questions, e.g., advertisement and notices, designing or drafting posters, writing formal

and informal invitations and replies.

• Long Answer Questions: Letters based on verbal / visual input.

• Business or official letters (for making enquiries, registering complaints, asking for and giving information,

placing orders and sending replies)

• Letters to the editor (giving suggestions on an issue or opinion on issue on public interest

• Application for a job

Very Long Answer Questions: Two compositions based on visual and/or verbal Output may be

descriptive or argumentative in nature such as an article, a debate or a speech.

• Very Short Answer Questions - Based on an extract from poetry to test comprehension and

appreciation.

• Short Answer Questions - Based on prose and poetry from both the texts.

• Long Answer Question - Based on texts to test global comprehension and extrapolation beyond

the texts to bring out the key messages and values.

• Long Answer Question - Based on texts to test global comprehension along with analysis and extrapolation.

• Long Answer Question - Based on theme, plot and incidents from the prescribed novels.

• Long Answer Question - Based on understanding appreciation, analysis and interpretation of the

character sketch.

1. Flamingo: English Reader published by National Council of Education Research and Training, New

Delhi

2. Vistas: Supplementary Reader published by National Council of Education Research and Training,

Flamingo 1. Poets and Pancakes

2. The Interview

3. A Road Ride Stand (Poetry)

Vistas 4. The Third Level

5. Journey to the End of the Earth

Or

Tips to score well

A1- Reading Comprehension

• 
  To develop reading skills ,start on short and easy passages
  
• 
  Read the passage thoroughly
  
• 
  Read the Questions; find the answer in the passages
  
• 
  Guess the words nearest to the meaning while attempting vocabulary in the context of the passages. If in doubt, leave one line space, go on the next question and come back to the question after attempting all the question.
  
• 
  Remember that you can score well in the reading question if you do a lot of extra- unseen reading
  

• 
  This seems to be difficult but is not
  
• 
  A scoring question
  
• 
  Read the passage carefully
  
• 
  Note down the keywords and phrases paragraph wire in rough
  
• 
  Do not uses complete sentences; use points only.
  
• 
  Each idea must have one main point and required sub-point
  
• 
  Do not give examples and quotations
  
• 
  Give key / glossary of the abbreviations used (6-10)
  
• 
  Clue to the title can be taken from the beginning of the passage
  
• 
  Title should be short – not more than 6 words
  
• 
  Summary must not exceed 80 words and must be based on the notes made.
  
• 
  The notes should be numbered and indented.
  
• 
  Remember note mating has 4 value points (title notes, glossary, summary)
  

1. 
   Classified advertisements
   

• 
  Clearly state the category at the top- e.g. - for sale , to let etc
  
• 
  Give all necessary details in point using commas
  
• 
  Give contact address, name, and telephone number.
  
• 
  Put the matter in a box
  

2. 
   Display advertisement
   

• 
  Give a catchy caption
  
• 
  Present the matter attractively using slogans, metaphors and catchy phrases.
  
• 
  Give name and address of the advertiser
  
• 
  Put the mattes in a box
  

3. 
   Notice
   

• 
  Use the word NOTICE followed by name of organization /institute
  
• 
  Give a suitable caption
  
• 
  Give the required information briefly
  
• 
  Context- what (event), when (date, time), where (venue)
  
• 
  End with signature and designation.
  

4. 
   Posters
   

• 
  Use a catchy presentation
  
• 
  Write relevant slogans and catchy phrases (min. 4)
  
• 
  Give appropriate visual appeal
  
• 
  Give important information (e.g. venue, date, time, occasion, purpose)
  
• 
  Use different sizes of letters and different placing
  
• 
  Draw simple sketches if you can
  
• 
  Mention issuing authority at the end with address, telephone number, website etc.
  
• 
  Present the matter in the box.
  

5. 
   Invitation
   

• 
  Start with name, designation and address of the host
  
• 
  Give details about the function (date, time, venue and chief guest )
  
• 
  Write RSVP on the left hand corner bottom
  
• 
  Use a single sentence , third person pronoun, formal language
  
• 
  Informal invitation – begin with –“you are cordially invited to …….. (date, time, place etc) …. The language to be warm and personal
  
• 
  Replies may also follow the same pattern
  

• 
  Could be description of a building (location, appearance, interiors, surroundings etc.)
  
• 
  Use interesting and descriptive words.
  
• 
  Could be on description of objects (appearance, parts, function etc)
  
• 
  Could be eye – witness accounts
  
• 
  Could be describing a process or an experiment
  

Types of letters

• 
  Make a rough draft
  
• 
  Use crisp and to the point language
  
• 
  Include necessary details
  
• 
  Always end letter on a positive note
  
• 
  Curriculum vitae should include name, father’s name ,date of birth, qualifications, sex, marital status, nationality, contact address and telephone number , e-mail id , and most importantly two references
  

• 
  C = collect ideas
  
• 
  O = organize them sequentially and logically
  
• 
  D = develop into a rough draft
  
• 
  E = edit for errors in expression
  
• 
  R = rewrite neatly
  
• 
  Give a title for the article followed by the writers name
  
• 
  Adders the audience in speech and debate sub satiating your opinion clearly
  
• 
  Arrange in paragraphs
  

• 
  Be thorough with the texts.
  
• 
  Use key words and phrases from the text.
  
• 
  For this section each lesson of both books been dealt with at great length in study material.
  
• 
  Students should not miss working out the short answer and long answer question which are given for practice.
  
• 
  Repeated reading of chapters will help in fixing all in details students memory.
  
• 
  Write value points for the long answer question so that not much time is wasted in bringing to mind the main points.
  
• 
  Stick to the word limit.
  

Comprehension means understanding or perception. Reading is a skill that can be acquired. Anyone can learn to read better and faster and thereby comprehend in lesser time.

Rather than concentrating on words on the page, look for the main ideas. Follow the main thread of the ideas consciously at a fast pace. Try to comprehend the development of thought. Minor details can be avoided.

The following points are to be carefully noted. While attempting questions on comprehension

1) Read the questions first and try to catch the theme of the passage.

2) In FIRST READING go through the passage carefully and mark the difficult words

3) Word attack strategy:-

(i) remove prefix or suffix and try to reach to the core word

(ii) Read one or two lines ahead or preceding the words to guess the meaning contractually

4) Read questions again

5) In SECOND READING-mark the areas where you can locate the answer of the questions

6) In THIRD READING-mould your answers using simple language

7) Answer should reveal your understanding of the passage

8) Answer should be brief and to the point. Avoid irrelevant material.

There are many possible sources of reading texts.books aimed specifically at a teenage audience are particularly suitable and you may find useful ones in your school library. Here are some suggestions for other places to look.

Factual texts –reference books tourist brochures, newspapers

Discursive texts---magazines as Newsweek

Literary texts---novels and magazines

1. 
   The titanic, in its watery grave, is a great museum of human history and is at risk of being lost forever because of curious voyagers and treasure hunters, fears Bob Ballard, who first discovered the remains of the iconic ship in 1985. Famous for discovering the great ship, Ballard is a former US Navy Officer and a professor of oceanography.
   
2. 
   “Titanic is a museum of human history without door and guard. I am deeply concerned about not only the Titanic but all the ancient history that is now at risk. If we cannot save this iconic ship, then there is very little hope we can save ancient ships. The world should realize that you don’t have to go down and take everything and you do not have to do a treasure hunt. This is a common heritage of all of us and if we really want to take steps to preserve human history in the ocean, we need to start with Titanic,” Ballard said in a telephonic interview from London.
   
3. 
   Ballard, as part of a tie-up, is presenting a documentary called “Save the Titanic” on the 100^th anniversary of the sinking of the great ship – April 15, 1912. The ship and her fate continue to fascinate, largely because of the horror that took place that night, with 1,522 passengers and crew losing their lives.
   
4. 
   Ballard says that despite being on the ocean floor for 100 years, the ship is full of human footprints. “You will find pairs of shoes everywhere. The sea and the life below has claimed everything but they do not know what to do with shoes so you will find a pair of mother’s shoes next to her little daughter and that’s their gravestone. At her wreckage, we almost felt that we were surrounded by the lifeboats of all the people that were in the water at that spot”.
   
5. 
   Ballard says that the fate of Titanic continues to fascinate so many years after it sank because it is “irony personified in history”. “The story has all the ingredients to make it timelessly fascinating. You have this revolutionary ship that’s unsinkable, and carrying a cross section of people in society. And then, it goes and hits an iceberg and sinks on its maiden journey. It’s an irony personified in history”.
   
6. 
   Talking about his discovery, which came after great research and 75 years later, Ballard, says it was a somber moment went they first spotted the boiler o the Titanic. “In the 90s, advanced technology gave us double diving capabilities in the Atlantic Ocean. I knew that the Titanic was sitting at almost 12,000 feet. What led me to her discovery was a simple technique that I followed. We decided to look for the debris trail instead of the ship”.
   
7. 
   Ballard says the ship, if preserved well and not subjected to constant submarine journeys, will last for a long time on the Atlantic floor. “The deep sea, because of its darkness, its cold temperatures and its great pressure, creates a high state of preservation. With a little caution, we can protect the Titanic for future generations to visit.”
   
8. 
   Ballard has also connected to the people of Belfast, who refused to talk about the tragedy “The ship’s construction took place at Belfast. After the tragedy, families of the workers refused to talk about it because of the shame and sadness in the loss of life involved”.
   

(a) The Titanic sank on------------------

(i) its 100^th anniversary

(ii) 15^th April 1912

(iii) an iconic voyage in 1985

(iv) leaving the port of Belfast

(b) the Titanic continues to attract attention because----------

i) it is irony personified in history

(ii) its advanced technology gave double diving technologies

(iii) it is a treasure hunt

(iv) it is a common need

© Ballard’s documentary on the Titanic is titled--------------------

(i) a museum of human history

(ii)the titanic

(iii) save the Titanic

(iv) 75 years later

1.2 Answer the following question briefly:-

(a) what happened on April 15,1927?

(b) who is bob Ballard and what did he discover?

© why does Bob Ballard call it a museum of human history?

(d) why did the people of Blfast refuse to talk about Titanic?

(e) what did Bellard do as part of the 100^th anniversary of the

sinking of the Titanic?

(f) Explain “it is irony personified”

1.3 Find the words from the passage which mean the same as:-

(a) first of its kind

(b) very solemn or serious(para6)

9. 
   
   
10. 
    ANSWERS
    

b. i) It is irony personified n history

c./ iii) save the Titanic

2. a. On April 15,1912 the Titanic ship, on its maiden journey, hit an iceberg and sank in the Atlantic Ocean As many as 1522 passengers and crew lost their lives on that fateful night.

b. Bob Ballard is a former US Navy officer and a professor of oceanography. He first discovered the remains of the Titanic in 1985.

c. Bob Ballard calls it’s museum of human history because it is full of human footprints. At her wreckage one feels surrounded by the life boats of all the people that were in the water at that spot.

d. The Titanic ship was constructed at Belfast. After the sinking of the ship, the people of Belfast refused to talk about the tragedy because of the shame and sadness in the loss of life involved.

e. Ballard presented a documentary called ‘Save the Titanic’ as part of the 100^th anniversary of the Titanic.

f. It means that Titanic which could have proved safest ironically turned out to be disastrous. It killed 1522 passengers. History has witnessed and recorded it.

3. i) maiden ii) somber

Everyone knows about super-achieving students. They get high marks, all right, but only by becoming dull grinds, their noses always stuck in a book. They’re no good at sports and failures when it comes to the opposite sex.

How then, do we account for Domenica Roman or Paul Melendres ?

Roman is on the Tennis team at her school. She also sings in the school choir, serves on the student council and is a member of the Mathematics Society. For two years she has got top marks in every subject.

Melendres, now a first-year college student, was Student Body President at his high school. He played soccer and basketball for his school, had his project exhibited at the school’s science fair, was honoured or academic excellence, character and service, and was the best student in his class.

How do super – achievers like Roman and Melendez do it? Brains aren’t the only answer. “Top grades don’t always go to the brightest students,” declares a professor of education. “Knowing how to make the most of your innate abilities counts for more. Infinitely more.”

Hard work isn’t the whole story, either. “It’s not how long you sit there with the books open,” said one of the many top students were interviewed. “It’s what you do while you’re sitting”.

The kids at the top of the class get there by mastering a few basic techniques that others can readily learn. Here, according to education experts and students themselves are the secrets of high achieving students.

1. 
   Set priorities :- Top students brook no intrusions on study time. Once the books are open, phone calls go unanswered, TV shows unwatched, snacks ignored. Study is business; business comes before recreation.
   
2. 
   Study anywhere or everywhere : Claude Olney, a university business professor assigned to tutor failing college athletes, recalls a cross country runner who worked out everyday. Olney persuaded him to use the time to memorize Biology terms. Another student pasted a vocabulary list on the medicine cabinet. He learnt a new word everyday while brushing his teeth.
   

3. 
   Get organized : In school, Macray took part in athletics, played rugby and was in the bank and orchestra. “I was so busy, I couldn’t waste time looking for a pencil or missing paper. I kept everything right where I could put my hands on it,” he says.
   

4. 
   Learn how to read : “The best class I ever took,” says Christopher Campbell,” was speed-reading. I not only increased my words per minute but also learnt to look at a book’s table of contents, graphs and pictures fast. Then, when I began to read, I had a sense of the material, and I retained a lot more.”
   

5. 
   Schedule your time : When a teacher assigns a lot of work, Domenica Roman draws up a time table, dividing the project into small pieces so it isn’t too overwhelming. “It’s like eating something,” she says. “You chew it one bit at a time.”
   

6. 
   Take good notes and use them : “Reading the textbooks is important, but the teacher is going to test you on what he or she emphasized. That’s what you find in your notes.”
   

Just before the bell rings, most students close their books, put away papers, whisper to friends and get read to rush out. Anderson uses that few minutes to write a two or three sentence summary of the lesson’s principal points, which she scans before the next day’s class.

7. 
   Clean up your act : Neat papers are likely to get higher grades than sloppy ones. “The student who turns in a neat paper,” says professor Olney, “is already on the way to a top grade.”
   
8. 
   Speak up : “If I don’t understand the principle my teacher is explaining in economics, I ask him to repeat it, “says Christopher Campbell. Class participation goes beyond merely asking questions, though. It’s a matter of showing intellectual curiosity.
   
9. 
   Study together : The value of hitting the books together can show results. On an average Asian Americans scored higher than students from similar academic backgrounds. Treisman found that the Asian-Americans discussed homework problems together, tried different approaches and explained their solutions to one another.
   

10. 
    Test yourself : As part of her note-making, Domenica Roman highlights points she thinks may be covered during exams. Later she frames tentative test questions based on those points and gives herself a written examination before test day. “If I can’t answer the question satisfactorily, I go back and review,” she says.
    
11. 
    Do more than you’re asked : If her maths teacher assigns five problems, Christi Anderson does ten. If the world – history teacher assigns eight pages of reading, she reads twelve. “Part of learning is practicing,” says Anderson. “And the more you practice, the more you learn.”
    

Question-Answers

1) What Claude olney used to memorize for biology terms?

2) What is the expert advice on ‘how to read’?

3) What are the benefits we get when we are organized?

4) How do the best students meet deadlines?

5) How does the note-taking at the time of classroom teaching help the top students?

6) How does class participation help Christopher compel?

1) Who is an active reader?

(i)read para 4-5 times

(ii)read slowly

(iii)understanding text while reading

(iv)reading continually and ask question

2)What is the secret of high achieving students?

(i) playing outside

(ii) sit for a long time with book open

(iii) Take good notes and use them

(iv) to avoid group study

3)’test yourself’ shall help the students

(i)in preparing notes

(ii) give written in examination

(iii)revise the notes

(iv)add to his worries

Give antonyms of the following:

1)Innate 2) Intrusion

Upon this barren land

Once stood a great tree

In the once brown rich sand

For mortal eyes to relish and see.

Its leaves were emeralds,

Its fruits were rubies, bright and fair.

Squirrels leaped about as heralds

For the spring that was in the air.

Spring passed and autumn came to dwell.

The tree’s leaves blushed and fell,

Fluttering in the wind like a ship’s sail.

But the tree bowed not to the gale.

Winter came and did its worst,

Coated the tree with a shower of snow.

But the tree did not freeze and burst,

It stood to offer perch to the homeless sparrow.

The tree survived nature’s ravages,

To bloom again in summer.

But came along man the savage;

Hacked it down and called it lumber.

Is it so that man, a creation

Turn upon the Creator and other?

We cut down trees, calling it deforestation

And take trees from Nature – their mother and ours

Question-Answers

1)What was the condition of land before becoming barren?

2) How did squirrel react to the spring season?

3) Did the tree bow to the strong wind?

4) ‘flattering in the wind like a ships sail’? Explain

5) What happened to the trees in the winter season?

6) What harm does the man cause to the mother earth?

1)In poem ,“man the savage would reflect the image of the human as

(i) polite

(ii) cruel

(iii) angry

(iv) cumber

2) “barren land”,reflects which stage of mortal people

(i) lifeless

(ii) stage of death

(iii) full of hope of life

(iv) craving for wealth

3) Who proved to be dangerous for the tree

(i) the winter season

(ii) the summer season

(iii) snow

(iv) the man

c)Pick up the words from the paragraphs which meanings are same as the given below :-

1)Bright green colour

2) Resting of a bird on a branch