XYZ College
Kupandole, Lalitpur
Pre-Board
Examination-2022
Grade:
XII Full Marks: 75
Subject: C. English Time: 3 hrs.
Candidates are required to give their answers in
their own words as far as practicable. The figures in the margin indicate full
marks.
1. Read the given text and do
the following exercises: (15)
There are moments when the heartbreaking tragedy of those much less fortunate than us should act as a wake-up call to make the world a better place. Yesterday afternoon was one of those. At least 27 men, women and children who, through no fault of their own, were seeking safety in the UK, perished in the cold, unforgiving seas of the Channel–the busiest shipping lane in the world. They had packed themselves into a flimsy unseaworthy dinghy on the French cost on the final leg of what they hoped would be a journey to a new life where they could do what we all take for granted–work, make friends, have fun and be safe from any harm. We don’t yet know their names, their ages, what relation they were to one another or where they were from. But we do know they will have paid vast sums of money to people smugglers who cruelly control a trade in human cargo that exploits the suffering of those who have fled persecution, oppression, and terror in other parts of the globe. It is difficult for any of us to imagine what the people arriving across the Channel have been through. I recently met two teenage brothers who had made their way overland from Afghanistan fleeing the Taliban, who at the time were advancing across the country. They too had arrived in a small boat on the beach in Dover. As I sat with them at the Kent Intake Unit, where Refugee Council staff look after them before they are taken into the care of local authorities, they looked vacant, totally disoriented, and fearful of what would happen to them next. In broken English, they told me they wanted England to be their new home. Clearly very traumatised, they said they were terrified they could be sent back to Afghanistan. Rather than showing compassion, humanity and understanding to people like the two teenage Afghans, the government has chosen to talk and act tough, adopting an uncompromising stance. Expensive kit has been bought to try to block the boats. Millions have been spent on increasing border controls–much of it handed to the French to deliver.
The government says those arriving in small boats are nearly all economic migrants–a claim repeated on Tuesday in the Commons by the home secretary. The reality is different. An analysis by the Refugee Council published last week shows that almost all arrivals in the 18 months to June this year were from 10 countries, including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea and Afghanistan, where persecution is not uncommon. More than six out of 10 people from these countries seeking asylum in the UK are granted refugee status or protection. For the top five countries it is higher, at seven out of 10. Anybody who comes here overland has been immediately labelled an “illegal immigrant”. The new nationality and border bill is designed to create an even more hostile environment, including provisions to offshore people while their asylum claims are processed, and a new status of temporary refugee protection. The plan is also to return people to another country if there is evidence they have passed through a so-called “safe country”. The rationale is that the more hostile and the tougher the policy, the less likely men, women and children are to risk their lives at the hands of people traffickers. It’s a far too simplistic assumption that relies primarily on deterrence, control and enforcement. It will fail because the problem is complex and nuanced. A more sophisticated, intelligent, and humane response is required.
A. Choose the best answer. 5
a.
The
word “persecution” means:
i.
Hostility
and ill-treatment
ii.
Appeasing
treatment
iii.
Friendly
treatment
b. The opposite word of blissfulness is:
i.
Complex
ii.
Rationale
iii.
Oppression
c.
The
single word for “a person who has
been forced to leave their country in order to
escape war, persecution, or natural disaster” is:
i.
Asylum
ii.
Refugee
iii.
Human trafficker
d.
The
single word/phrase for “used to express one's
view that such a name or term is inappropriate” is:
i.
So-called
ii.
Exploits
iii.
Traumatized
e.
The textual meaning of the word “bill”
is:
i.
Paper note
ii.
Receipt
iii.
Draft of law
B. Complete the following sentences with
appropriate words from the passage. 5
a. The plan is also to return the refugees to
another country if there is evidence, they have passed through a safe ……………….
b. …………………… out of 10 people from these
countries seeking asylum in the UK are granted refugee status.
c. At least 27 men, women and children who were
seeking safety in the UK, perished in the cold, ……………….. seas of the Channel.
d. The Afghan refugees spoke in ……………. English.
e. …………………….. has been bought to try to block
the boats.
C. Answer the following questions. 5
a. Who take the refugees to the country of
destination taking huge sum of money?
b. How have the refugees, who go to the UK
overland, been labelled?
c. How did the refugees look when they were
taken to the local authorities?
d. What is the repeated claim of the home
secretary?
e. The UK has a plan to return the refugees to
another country if they have passed through safe countries. What is the reason
behind it?
2. Write short answers to the following
questions. 5x2=10
a. Why was Gaston surprised with his wife’s
expression towards the end of the story? (A Respectable Woman)
b. Who are the poor creatures? Why does the
speaker call them so? (Every Morning I Wake)
c. How does the writer justify marriage as a
social capital? (Marriage as a Social Institution)
d. Shed light on the contrasting personalities
of Famous Actress and Earnest Young Woman. (A Matter of Husband)
e. How did the neighbours help the young couple
in the kitchen garden? (Neighbours)
3. Write long answers to the following
questions. 2x5=10
a. Critically analyse the changing consciousness
of Mr. Varma towards his son, Dr. Rakesh, and dynamics of father-son relation. (A
Devoted Son)
b. Explain
the following lines with reference to the context:
I wanted to be like men wanted me to be:
…
But I was made of nows,
And my feet level on the promissory earth
Would not accept walking backwards (I Was My Own Route)
4.
Write an email to your friend
narrating about your study who has now been dwelling in a country side. 7
5. Write
a letter to the Editor of The Times Newspaper, highlighting increasing
technological addiction among the youth. 8
6. Write
an essay on “Political Corruption.” 10
7.
Do as indicated in the brackets and
rewrite the sentences. (10X1=10)
a. I’m going to tell you something
very important, so please listen …(Complete the sentence with an appropriate
adverb.)
b. The old man died …………. a heart
attack. (Put the correct preposition in the blank.)
c. More than one person …………. going
to have to find a new job. (Put the correct verb in the blank.)
d. You'll …………. (has to/have
to/must/had to) tell the police that your house was broken into. (Choose the
correct option from the bracket to complete the sentence.)
e. He only realised he …………. his
keys when he reached his front door. (Complete the sentence using correct forms
of verbs: lose)
f. A lot of people are worried
about …………. (to lose/losing) their jobs. (Choose the correct option from the
bracket to complete the sentence.)
g. …………. the AC was on, the room
was not cool. (Put a correct conjunction in the blank to complete the
sentence.)
h. Between 2000 and 2005 she wrote
three novels, …………. (neither of which/none which/none of which) were published.
(Choose the correct option from the bracket to complete the sentence.)
i. I like people laughing at me.
(Change into passive.)
j. Could you please open the
window? (Report this with the reporting clause: She requested ………..)
8.
Choose and copy the correct answer.
(5X1=5)
a. Which of the following words has
a different initial sound?
i. check ii.
chess iii. chemical iv. chairman
b. The last sound in the word
'push' is transcribed as
i. /ʃ/ ii. /z/ iii. /s/ iv. /tʃ/
c. I can't ……….. the pain.
i. bare ii. bear iii. beer iv. bore
d. Which word would you find in a
dictionary that comes between the guide words: kiwi … knit?
i. king ii. kitty iii.
knob iv. knife
e. The babysitter ……….. the girl
while her parents were not at home.
i. looked after ii. looked at iii. looked over iv.
looked up