Compulsory English (ENG. 004)
Grade XII
Full Marks: 75 Time: 3 hours
1. Read the text and complete the tasks that follow. 15
How to stay fit, happy and healthy
If you’ve been listening to the news
you already know about our national obesity levels rising by the day. It has
never been more important to watch what you are eating and to get an adequate
amount of exercise and sleep to keep yourself fit and healthy. Though it may
feel like really hard work at first, once you adopt an exercise routine and
start to adapt to a new situation, you’ll forget you ever did things
differently. Here are the top four top adjustments you could make make:
Sleep is huge and almost a third of
the US population doesn’t get near enough to help them stay physically and
mentally healthy. If you are sleep deprived, try changing your habits in
order to get a full eight hours every night.
Look at what you’re eating now and
make changes where you see fit. If you are susceptible to snacking, keep
a piece of fruit or a few nuts at hand. The key is to eat small meals
throughout the day. Reduce portion sizes, remove white bread and replace with
whole grains and make sure each meal contains at least one portion of fruit and
– or vegetables. Healthy food doesn’t have to be expensive in the least bit,
and you can get an abundance of low priced fruit and veggies, like
apples, bananas, potatoes and peas.
Take a look at your current lifestyle
and make a small list of everything you do that is not good for your health.
This could be anything, from eating too much junk food or drinking too much
caffeine, to smoking or drinking. Start the process of breaking these habits
one by one. Some will be easy, while others may take months or maybe years to
get rid of and eradicate completely from your life, but the sooner you
start fighting, the better.
Some addictions (like smoking, drugs
or alcohol) are incredibly bad not only to your health, but also to your
pocketbook. If you smoke and/or drink, start by cutting back on how many drinks
you have, or cigarettes you smoke, in a day, and if necessary, seek medical
advice and assistance to make further steps towards stopping completely.
We all should be doing at least 30
minutes of exercise, 3 to 4 or more times a week, to maintain good health and
keep fit. This can be pretty much anything that is physical, like walking,
cycling, running, swimming to weightlifting, etc. This too does not have to be
expensive, and you can get a great work out without joining any costly gyms.
Most of these exercises are inexpensive, and just doing a cardiovascular
exercise, like walking, jogging, or walking on a treadmill a few times a week
will do your body (and heart) good.
A. Look at the highlighted words in
the text. Complete these sentences using them. Two of them are not
necessary. (5×1=5)
a. Disadvantaged people are deprived of social justice.
b. Nepal is a naturally rich country. In fact,
it has an abundance of natural
resources.
c. Older
people with medical complications are susceptible
to Covid-19.
d. I have
made a few adjustments to the
design to give the shirt a new look.
e. It took me seven hours to complete the
task. It was incredibly
difficult.
B. Choose the appropriate headings
for paragraphs 2-6 from the list below and write the paragraph numbers next to
them. (5×1=5)
a. Strive
for a better diet Paragraph 3
b. Exercise,
exercise, exercise Paragraph 6
c.
Overcoming addictions Paragraph 5
d. Get more
sleep Paragraph 2
e. Stop all
those bad habits Paragraph 4
C. Answer
the following questions. (5×1=5)
a. What
percentage of the US population get enough sleep to stay healthy?
Ans: Two third i.e. about sixty
six percentage of the US population get enough sleep to stay healthy.
b. Why is
healthy food not always expensive?
Ans: Healthy food means to contain
at least one portion of fruit and – or vegetables in each meal. We can get an
abundance of low priced fruit and veggies, like apples, bananas, potatoes and
peas. So, healthy food is not always
expensive.
c. What is
the best way to get rid of bad habits?
Ans: The best way to get rid
of bad habits is to look at the current lifestyle and make a small list of
everything that is not good for health and start the process of breaking such
habits one by one.
d. Why do
you think an addiction like smoking is worse than snacking on junk food?
Ans: I think addiction like
smoking is worse than snacking on junk food because one can out exercise a diet
of fast food, but nothing will allow one to escape the harmful effects of the
addictive nature of cigarettes. Further, smoking is not only bad for our health
but also to our pocketbook.
e. What type
of exercise is good for your heart?
Ans: Cardiovascular exercise like walking, jogging or walking on a
treadmill a few times a week is good for our heart.
2. Write
short answers to the following questions.
(5×2=10)
a. Why were
the people in the neighbourhood surprised at the role of the young man and his
wife within their family? (Neighbours)
Ans: The people in the
neighbourhood were surprised at the role of the young man and his wife in the
family because of the late hour at which the newcomers got up in the
mornings. Their neighbours were also shocked by the young man's decision to
stay at home and write his thesis while his wife worked outside.
b. How does
the author make fun using the words 'America' and 'the USA? (A Devoted Son)
Ans: The author makes fun of the way people think about
America and The USA. The USA Seems like a more weighty and prestigious word to
Verma. That's why, he suggested to the family member as well, to call it
"The USA" rather than 'America'. According to him, America is just a
common nation like Nepal, India. But the USA is such a dream nation of students
where students develop their career. Verma feels, calling it 'The USA' feels
more sophisticated, disciplined, academic and career building nation rather
than America.
c. Explain the following lines with reference to the context:
(The Awakening Age)
Along the line may our lives rhyme
To make a loving harvest of space and time.
Ans: According to the given
lines, there will be peace, harmony, and fraternity in any country if everyone
is joined by a shared sense of nationalism. In terms of race, culture,
religion, politics, and economics, there must be no prejudice or division among
people. We can lead our country to prosperity by giving up such things. Nigeria
is unified, and its people are conscious of their previous sorrows, so they may
now enjoy the benefits of love. People's lives in the new world will be so
pleasant and full of rhymes.
d. What is
the central idea of the essay Knowledge and Wisdom by Bertrand Russell?
And: The central idea of the
essay Knowledge and Wisdom by Bertrand Russell is that knowledge the
acquisition of data and information, while wisdom is defined as the practical
application and use of the knowledge to create value. Wisdom is gained through
learning and practical experience, not just memorization.
e. How can
you say that history has been a major contested issue in this present world?
(Humility)
Ans: I think history has
been a major contested issue in the present world due to egoism. Most
individuals believe they are the centre of the universe and that their culture
is superior to all others. They believe their history is the oldest and that
everything is descended or originated from their culture. Because of egoism,
history has become a major source of contention in the modern world. The author
wishes to remove humanity's sense of superiority and domination.
3. Write
long answers to the following questions.
(2X5=10)
a. Sketch
the character of Famous Actress. How is she different from Earnest Young Woman?
(A Matter of Husbands)
Ans: The Famous Actress of this play is young and
beautiful. She is quite a good actress who works in theatre. She is quite good
at acting. She seems so innocent in her outer appearance. But she is quite
deceptive and wicked inwardly. Here in this play, she has been suspected and
blamed by the Earnest Young Woman. She has a good quality of speech. She
defends herself quite tactfully. She convinces Earnest Young Woman with her
reasonings. The way she tells stories to prevent a woman from believing that
her husband is having an affair with her is cunning and deceitful. She also
leads an immoral life which is seen at the end of the story where it is
revealed that Alfred, the husband of an Earnest Young Woman, was actually in
her house.
The earnest young woman
is portrayed as a simple-minded and timid person who was easily deceived by the
false story told by the actress. She had come to the actress in tears
completely sure that her husband was having an affair with the actress.
However, the actress told a story to her of how her husband was trying to
regain the love he had for her by doing things to get her jealous. Without
asking questions, the earnest young woman believed her and bought into the
story. In the end, it was revealed that her husband was actually in the
actress’s room. This shows that the actress was cunning while the earnest young
woman was timid.
b. Write a
short summary of the poem A Day by Emily Dickinson.
Ans: In this poem Emily
describes the sunset and sunrise, as a village, and the things in that village.
But the poem also describes the difficulties of recognising the world around
us. The poem can be divided into two halves: an eight-line section describing
the sunrise, and an eight-line section, describing the speaker's lack of
knowledge of the sunset. The sunrise is described in terms of a small village,
with church steeples, town news, and ladies' bonnets. The sunset, on the other
hand, is characterised as the gathering home of a flock. In this poem she
probes nature's mysteries through the lens of the rising and setting Sun. Emily
begins by emphasising that she is going to tell her audience 'How the Sun
rose.' She symbolically compares the Sun's rays to ribbons that are let loose
one at a time. The colourful rays slowly untangle over the ocean where the
church steeples seem to 'swim in Amethyst.' As the bright fire of the Sun
appears, the darkened blackness first turns blue, before taking on its
brightness in the full glow of the Sun. Then suddenly the Sun's appearance
spreads quickly. Emily then tells us how the entire nature is waking up and
colour can be seen as far away as the hills, while the birds have started to
sing. Emily then emphasises in her surprised musing, 'That must have been the
Sun!' It seems as if she was seeing it for the first time and wondering at the
effect the mere rising of the Sun has had on all that she sees. Though when she
says that 'But how he set, I know not' leads the readers to some drama and
ambiguity about her thoughts. It seemed to her that as the sunset, she saw 'a
purple stile' where little Yellow boy and girls were climbing.' She sees
children climbing over a barrier, possibly going home after a day of tending
sheep or perhaps simply on their way home from school. After climbing the
stile, the children finally reach the other side, which signs the lowest point
of the Sun before it disappears to rise again in the other world. And what
causes the Sun to finally disappear is that a or perhaps even a householder
shepherd closes a gate and leads away the flock of children or perhaps sheep.
At this point, the speaker would be in darkness and have no idea what happens
next.
4. What
is the most useful thing that you have ever learnt? Write two or three of
paragraphs about it. 7
Ans: The most important
thing I have learned in my life is that life is too short to be sad all the
time. Neither can you face life’s journey on your own. Of course I wouldn’t be
saying that if it was a year ago.
My life started to slow
down when I got to my 9th grade year. I thought that every day I was just
living for no reason. I was always sad and never had any friends. My mom would
always ask me why I never smiled. I couldn’t really give her an answer. I was
scared to tell her that I didn’t have a reason to be happy, so I told her that
she was wrong, and I did smile. I knew I was lying to myself, but I said it so
many times it became real to me.
I felt like the worst
kid a parent could have. I never tried out for any sports and I wasn’t involved
with any clubs. I loved to sleep and listen to music in my room for hours. I
was isolating myself from the world. I started to feel like no one cared about
me. After all, I never had a conversation lasting for more than a few minutes,
without it ending in an argument.
All my relationships
started to fail. My parents seemed to get angrier at me. I felt like everyone
hated me because I was sad. I wished I could be happier, but I really didn’t
have a reason to. I started to feel comfortable being sad and I really didn’t
want to go back to being my old self.
Things just went more
down hill from there. People would come into my life and break me down. They
would promise me the world, and then crush me so bad I could never pick up the
pieces. I started to hate the world. I definitely didn’t want to have anybody
in my life.
Then one day came when
I finally realized what was going on. I knew if I kept living my life this way
something bad was going to happen. I definitely didn’t want that. So, I thought
of ways to get out of it. A lot of bad things came up that I tried and didn’t
work.
Then I started
searching for the solution if the problem. I started gaining self confidence. I
started searching in social media about it. Later, I realized that I needed
meditation. I started meditating which made me feel lighter. It took away all
my pressures and anxiety. I started realizing the meaning of life. Because of
it, I am here now and sharing my experience. Thus, the most important thing I
learnt in my life is self confidence and love toward life.
5. You have received this email from your friend Nitesh.
From: Nitesh
Subject: Holiday
Some
school friends of mine are visiting your village soon for a week's touring
holiday. They would like to travel around about your local area and understand
its history. Can you tell me about some of the places they could visit please?
What's the best way to travel around – bus, car, bike or on foot?
Thanks,
Nitesh
Write a reply email to Nitesh. 8
Ans:
From: Anupam
To:
Nitesh
Subject:
Re: Holiday
Hi Nitesh!
Lovely to hear from you and how exciting that some of your
school friends are coming!
Your friends have picked
a great area for a week’s touring holiday. Our village Pokhara is full of
touristy places.
There are many natural and cultural things to see in Pokhara.
Talking about lakes and waterfalls, the first lake they can visit is Phewa
Lake. Phewa lake is surrounded by the forests and white peaks. The clear
reflections on the water is something they must see. Away from all the city
hustle lies another beautiful lake. Begnas Lake is quite and very peaceful. The
walk along this lake is quite rejuvenating. David Fall is another attractive
place to visit.
Pokhara has different caves to visit like Mahendra Cave, Bat
Cave and Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave. Besides Pokhara is rich in terms of religious temples like Barahi and Bhadrakali.
Your friends can do adventures like hiking, trekking, boating
and paragliding in Pokhara.
As for food, there's quite a variety here. I'd recommend trying Green
Momo and Thakali khana– they're both really typical foods. They can
also eat well and cheaply at street markets. They should definitely
check them out.
As for travelling, I’d recommend travelling on foot in order to
get full experience of Pokhara. However,
it is not bad to travel by car or bike.
Can't wait to see them all!
Anupam
6. Many students
in Nepal tend
to choose to
study abroad. To
what extent does this trend benefit
the students and
the country? What
are the drawbacks?
Write an essay
to explain your thoughts in
about 300 words. 10
Ans:
Advantages and
Disadvantages of Studying Abroad
Studying abroad, for
many students in Nepal, sounds like a dream come true. The opportunity to
travel and experience a new way of life can be a great opportunity. While
studying abroad brings many benefits to students and the country, it also has a
number of disadvantages.
It helps in turning
education into an adventure. Change is always good though it is change for
further study it will add more adventure in your life while adjusting with the
new circumstances. Studying abroad helps add a special plus point in your
resume. Most of the MNC gives opportunities to those who have abroad study
experiences. After this students will have better employment prospects.
Choosing study abroad
helps students to meet several nationalities and you can learn some inspiration
from their life. As the students will be in new circumstances, the mix of
new cultures, traditions, languages helps you to learn a lot about the
new culture and traditions. Abroad study helps in developing independence
level. As much as they stay alone far from your home country, it makes
you more independent and responsible.
Definitely as compared
to Nepal other countries have advanced teaching and learning systems. You can
learn new techniques if you seek education abroad. As focused on career, study
abroad opens a lot of opportunities in a good pay ratio. Not only in the
international market but also in their own hometown they will get good
recognition. Also it opens ways to run own business. During the course of study
students can get opportunities of interacting with top successful people in the
field of study. Top universities hire them to motivate them for the successful
future ahead. Whenever they choose abroad for further study, they choose the
option of meeting international friends. This increases a lot of networks among
the cross cultural friends.
Only education is not
enough for making your career successful you must have personal traits too to
accomplish your goal. And more than study you will get a chance to develop your
personal skills. Along with the study you will get a chance to work there
also. Working In the international market helps in exploring the foreign
countries working style and helps in adopting the foreign experience. This
this sense, Nepal gets skilled manpower.
However, there are some
drawbacks of studying abroad.
The cost of education
in abroad is comparatively higher than that of studying in home country. While
applying also students need to arrange a lot of money for getting admission as
well as a visa. As they need to invest a lot for further study, their hopes and
expectations also rise as per their investment. After completion of their study
they will think or expect something more than getting graduation from their own
country.
The next demerit is
language barriers. As in abroad they give first priority to their own language
then after English. So if they IELTS or can communicate in English then also theg
may feel a barrier of language in the early phase of study.
As they need to face
different cultures, sometimes while learning or adopting new culture they may
adopt some unethical things in their home country. So somewhat students should
be very conscious of what is right and wrong for him. As they will be
abroad will be far from the friends, family and relatives and makes them feel
lonely and homesickness may affect them. In a new place you may face racism and
harassment. In such a situation they need to be strong enough and try to avoid
the things.
Most of the students
don’t return Nepal after going abroad for foreign study. They settle themselves
in foreign country which is a matter to think.
Although, studying
abroad has infinite advantages for both students and country, it has few
disadvantages too. It depends on how students take it.
7. Do as indicated in
the brackets and rewrite
the sentences. (10×1=10)
a.
I’m going to tell
you something very important, so
please listen carefully (Complete the sentence
with an appropriate adverb.)
b.
The old man died of a
heart attack. (Put the correct preposition in the blank.)
c.
More than one person is going to have
to find a new job. (Put the correct verb in the blank.)
d.
You'll have to (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 had lost
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 losing
(to lose/losing) their jobs. (Choose the
correct option from the bracket to complete
the sentence.)
g.
Although 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,
none of which (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.)
Ans: I like being laughed
at.
j. Could you please
open the window? (Report
this with the reporting
clause: She requested ………..)
Ans: She requested me to
open the window.
8.
Choose and copy the
correct answer. (5×1=5)
a.
Which of the following words has a different initial sound?
i. check
ii. chess iii. chemical iv. chairman
Ans: iii. chemical
b.
The last sound in the word
'push' is transcribed as
i. /ʃ/
ii. /z/ iii.
/s/ iv. /tʃ/
Ans: i. /ʃ/
c.
I can't ……….. the pain.
i. bare
ii. bear iii. beer iv. bore
Ans: ii. bear
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
Ans: 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
Ans: looked after
***
ENGLISH
MODEL QUESTION SOLUTION
