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English Elective | Class 12th

CBSE Board Paper 2019

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CBSE Board Paper 2019 Set - 1

General Instructions:

1. Question Nos. 1 – 4 are compulsory. 2. Attempt either question no. 8 or 9. 3. Your answers should be to the point. Stick to the given word

limit.

Time allowed: 3 Hours Max Marks: 100

Section A (Reading)

1. (A) Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

1 Mano Majra is a tiny place. It has only three brick buildings, one of which is the home of the money-lender, Lala Ram Lal. The other two are the Sikh temple and the mosque. The three brick buildings enclose a triangular area with a large peepul tree in the middle. The rest of the village is a group of flat-roofed mud huts and low-walled courtyards, which open into narrow lanes that spread out from the centre. Soon the lanes turn into footpaths and get lost in the surrounding fields. At the western end of the village there is a pond ringed round by keekar trees. There are only about seventy families in Mano Majra, and Lala Ram Lal’s is the only Hindu family.

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The others are Sikhs or Muslims, about equal in number. The Sikhs own all the land around the village; the Muslims are tenants and share the tilling with the owners. There are a few families of sweepers whose religion is uncertain. But there is one object that all Mano Majrans — even Lal Ram Lal — worship. This is a three-foot slab of sandstone that stands upright under a keekar tree beside the pond. It is the local deity, the ‘deo’ which all the villagers — Hindu, Sikh, Muslim or pseudo-Christian — visit secretly, whenever they are in special need of blessing.

2 Although Mano Majra is said to be on the banks of the Sutlej River, it is actually half a mile away from it. In India villages cannot afford to be too close to the banks of rivers. Rivers change their moods with seasons and later their course without warning. The Sutlej is the largest river in the Punjab. After the monsoon its waters rise and spread across its vast sandy bed, touching high up the mud embankments on either side. It becomes an expanse of muddy turbulence more than a mile in breadth. When the flood subsides, the river breaks up into a thousand shallow streams that wind sluggishly between little marshy islands. About a mile north of Mano Majra the Sutlej is spanned by a railroad bridge. On the eastern end the embankment extends all the way to the village railroad station.

3 Mano Majra has always been known for its railway station. Since the bridge has only one track, the station has several sidings where less important trains can wait, to make way for the more important ones.

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4 A small colony of shopkeepers and hawkers has grown up around the station to supply travellers with food, betel leaves, cigarettes, tea, biscuits and sweetmeats. This gives the station an appearance of constant activity and its staff a somewhat exaggerated sense of importance. Actually the station-master himself sells tickets through the pigeon-hole in his office, collects them at the exit besides the door, and sends and receives messages over the telegraph ticker on his table. When there are people to notice him, he comes out on the platform and waves a green flag for trains which do not stop.

His only assistant manipulates the levers in the glass cabin on the platform, which control the signals on either side and helps shunting engines by changing hand points on the tracks to get them on to the sidings. In the evenings, he lights the long line of lamps, on the platform. He takes heavy aluminium lamps to the signals and sticks them in the clamps behind the red and green glass. In the mornings, he brings them back and puts out the lights on the platform.

5 Not many trains stops at Mano Majra. Express trains do not stop at all. Of the many slow passenger trains, only two, one from Delhi to Lahore in the mornings and the other from Lahore to Delhi in the evenings, are scheduled to stop for a few minutes. The others stop only when they are held up. The only regular customers are goods trains. Although Mano Majra seldom has any goods to send or receive, its station sidings are usually occupied by long rows of wagons. Each passing goods train spends hours shedding wagons and collecting others.

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After dark, when the countryside is steeped in silence, the whistling and puffing of engines, the banging of buffers, and the clanking of iron couplings can be heard all through the night.

(slightly adapted)

(a) Name any two brick buildings in Mano Majra.

(b) Where are the keekar trees growing?

(c) What type of trains stop at Mano Majra?

(d) Which common object of worship is visited by all the villagers?

(e) Why did people not build their houses on the banks of the rivers?

(f) What do the shopkeepers around the railways station sell to the travellers?

(g) What additional job did the station master perform in addition to selling tickets and sending and receiving messages over the telegraph ticker?

(h) What breaks the silence of the village at night?

(i) Find the word from the passage, which means the opposite of ‘broad’ (para 1).

(j) Find the word from the passage, which means the same as ‘lazily’ (para 2).

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(B) Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

(From ‘‘The Passing of Arthur’’; Alfred Lord Tennyson)

And slowly answer’d Arthur from the barge:

‘The old order changeth, yielding place to new,

And God fulfils Himself in many ways,

Lest one good custom should corrupt the world.

5 Comfort thyself: what comfort is in me ?

I have lived my life, and that which I have done

May He within himself make pure !but thou,

If thou shouldst never see my face again,

Pray for my soul, More things are wrought by prayer

10. Than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let thy voice

Rise like a fountain for me night and day.

For what are men better than sheep or goats

That nourish a blind life within the brain,

If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer

15. Both for themselves and those who call them friend?

For so the whole round earth is every way

Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.

18. But now farewell.

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(a) What does the expression ‘The old order changeth, yielding place to new’ signify?

(b) What does the speaker ask the listener to do if he fails to return?

(c) Identify and name the figure of speech in lines 10 – 13.

(d) What makes human beings different from animals?

(e) (i) Which word in the extract means the same as ‘giving’?

(ii) Which word in the extract means the opposite of ‘foe’?

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Creative Writing

2. (a) It is said that ‘well begun is half done’. Applying this to ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ we can safely assume that praiseworthy success has been achieved under this Mission. But much more remains to be done yet. Write a speech in 80 – 100 words on the need to intensify this drive. You are Raunaq/Asmeeta, Secretary, Environment Conservation Club in your school.

3. You are Amrit/Amrita. You are participating in a debate. Write either for or against the topic ‘In today’s world only wealthy people can afford to be healthy.’ (150 – 200 words)

OR

One of the biggest problems of our society is frequent cases of missing small children. Write an article on the topic, ‘The Rising Crime of Child Lifting’ for a newspaper. You are Ankul/Avantika. (150 – 200 words)

Section B (Creative Writing and Applied Grammar)

(b) Trees are the biggest source of oxygen. They help us control pollution. We should not only not cut the trees but we should also plant more and more trees in our neighborhoods. Write an article in 80 – 100 words on the topic, ‘Plant more Trees’ for your school magazine. You are Promila/Primal.

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Applied Grammar

4. (a) Read the following sentences carefully and then rewrite them as per instructions given in the brackets :

(i) The teacher said, ‘‘The Earth rotates round the Sun.’’

(Change the narration)

(ii) Who broke the table? (Change the voice)

(iii) As soon as I entered the room the alarm went off.

(No sooner ... than)

(iv) What a sweet voice! (Assertive sentence)

(v) If you do not work hard, you will not clear the exam.

(Use lest ...)

(b) Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph that follows:

Ram : Hello, Shyam, where are you going ?

Shyam : To meet my uncle.

Ram : Where does your uncle live ?

Shyam : At Elgin Road.

Ram : You seem to be very excited.

Shyam : Yes, my uncle returned from the U.S., and he has brought a few gifts for me.

Ram greeted Shyam and asked him (i) _____ going. Shyam replied that he was going to meet his uncle. At this Ram wanted to know (ii) _____. Shyam’s answer was that he lived at Elgin Road. Ram observed that Shyam (iii) _____ excited. Shyam agreed and said that (iv) _____ the U.S. and that (v) _____ for him.

1×5=5

1×5=5

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5. Choose any two of the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow in 50 – 60 words each :

(a) ... Tao Ying takes out her own tape measure and insists on measuring him again.

‘I don’t want to! Everybody says I am tall enough except you. It’s because you don’t want to buy me a ticket, don’t think I don’t know. If you measure me I am bound to get shorter again. I don’t trust you! I don’t trust you!’

The yellow tape in Tao Ying’s hands has turned into a poisonous viper.

(i) What prompts Tao Ying to measure the height of her son?

(ii) What makes the son feel that the yellow tape in Tao Ying’s hand has turned into a poisonous viper?

Section C (Literature Textbook : Kaleidoscope)

4×2=8

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(c) Pity would be no more

If we did not make somebody Poor;

And Mercy no more could be

If all were as happy as we.

(i) What is the relationship between Pity and Poverty?

(ii) What kind of society does the poet visualize in these lines?

6. Answer any two of the following questions in 80 – 100 words each :

(a) Who was Raizel, and how was she connected to Dr. Margolin? Where did she meet Dr. Margolin and in what form?

(b) What are the ways in which individual freedom gets restricted?

(c) What aspects of Indian society and history get highlighted in the poem ‘‘Blood’’ by Kamala Das?

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5×2=10

(b) Her name meant nothing to me when I read it in the newspaper, but I was intrigued by the snake ring and its emerald eyes. I could not find out, however, on which finger she wore it.

(i) Who is the woman being talked about? Where and how had the writer met her?

(ii) What is special about the ring she wore?

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Note: Attempt either question no. 8 or 9.

7. Answer any two of the following questions in 120 – 150 words each:

(a) Does Amartya Sen see argumentation as a positive or a negative value? Give a reasoned answer.

(b) What is the role of Mother in Prakriti’s self-realisation?

(c) Describe the conflict of emotions felt by Eveline on the day she had decided to elope with Frank.

8. (a) Answer any two of the following questions in 80 – 100 words each :

(i) Why did the villagers begin to guard their cattle? Which official did they approach for help?

(ii) How did Captain learn how to run a circus?

(iii) How did the Swamiji (Master) convince the crowd about his plan to bring down the Headmaster from the loft?

6×2=12

Section D (Fiction)

5×2=10

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9. (a) Answer any two of the following questions in 80 – 100 words each :

(i) Under what circumstances did Margayya meet Dr. Pal?

(ii) What takes Margayya to the Madman’s House at Madras? Describe his interview with him.

(iii) What is Margayya’s dream about his son? What steps did he take to realize it?

(b) Answer any one of the following questions in 150 – 200 words:

(i) Margayya is certainly guilty of employing unfair means to become rich. Comment.

(ii) Who was responsible for Margayya’s ruin — Margayya himself or/and Dr. Pal?

(iii) Write a note on the character and the role of Margayya’s wife, Meenakshi in the novel, ‘‘The Financial Expert’’.

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5×2=10

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(b) Answer any one of the following questions in 150 – 200 words:

(i) How did Raja’s life change after he was captured?

(ii) What was the reaction of the crowd when the Master emerged from the school gate with the Tiger?

(iii) What do you know about the previous life of the Master (Swamiji) before he became a sanyasi?

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1. A. (a) Mano Majra is a small place that has only 3 brick establishments which include:

•The home of Lala Ram Lal, the moneylender.

•Sikh temple

•Mosque

These buildings enclose a large peepul tree in the middle of a triangular area. The other buildings in the village are flat-roofed mud huts with low-walled courtyards.

(b) The keekar trees grow around a pond at the western end of the village. There is a three-foot slab of sandstone under this tree which is worshipped by the local villagers secretly irrespective of their religion.

(c) Mano Majra is known for its railway stations. There is only one main track which is left empty for important trains to pass whereas the sidings are used by the less important trains to wait. The only type of trains that stop there are the goods train. Not many goods are sent or received by Mano Majra, but the sidings at the station are occupied by goods train that spends hours shedding wagons and collecting others.

(d) Under the keekar trees ringed all around the pond, there is a three-foot slab of sandstone which is addressed as the ‘deo’ or the local deity. This is a common object of worship because all the villagers, whether Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, or pseudo-Christian, visit this place secretly when in need of blessings.

Solutions (Set-1)

Section A (Solutions)

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(e) Mano Majra is situated on the banks of the Sutlej River, but the houses are built half a mile away from the banks of the river. It is so because in India river’s change their moods with seasons and also their course without any warning. Being the largest river in Punjab, after monsoon its water rises and spreads across as mud embankments on either side.

(f) The railway station of Mano Majra is surrounded by a small colony of shopkeepers and hawkers. They provide travellers with food, betel leaves, cigarettes, tea, biscuits and sweetmeats. These shopkeepers give the station an appearance of activity constantly.

(g) Apart from selling tickets and sending and receiving messages over the telegraph ticker, the station master additionally provides railway signals by coming out on the platform and waving a green flag for trains which do not stop.

(h) At night the silence of the village is broken by the whistling and puffing of engines, the thumping of buffers and the clattering of iron couplings of the trains that pass the Mano Majra railway station.

(i) The word from the passage which means the opposite of ‘broad’ is ‘narrow’. ‘Narrow’ refers to something that has a small width, whereas ‘broad’ means something that is spread widely.

(j) The word from the passage which means the same as ‘lazily’ is ‘sluggishly’. The word ‘lazily’ means doing something slowly and unwillingly, which is the same as the word ‘sluggishly’.

B. (a) The given expression signifies the importance of change. Change is unavoidable and persistent in this fast moving world. The old is supposed to gradually be replaced by new things.

(b) The speaker King Arthur asks the listener to pray for him to rest in peace and to remember him for his good behaviour and kind deeds who seems to be lost without his advice. The

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speaker was sure that he wouldn’t return and so he imparted whatever he felt was right in his life.

(c) The figure of speech used in lines 10 – 13 is simile. ‘Simile’ is used to compare one thing with another, where both have different meanings. This is used to make a description more realistic.

(d) Human beings are different from animals because they have the power of wisdom and the ability to think, unlike animals. They can lift their hands before God and pray to seek for what they wish to acquire.

(e) (i)The word that means the same as ‘giving’ is ‘yielding’. The word ‘giving’ means to ‘provide’ which is the same as ‘yielding’.

(ii)The word that means the opposite of ‘foe’ is ‘friend’. The word ‘foe’ means an enemy which is opposite to ‘friend’ which means a companion.

2. (a) Swachh Bharat Mission – the need for its intensification

A very good morning to one and all present here. Today I, Raunaq Sharma the secretary of the Environment

Section B (Solutions)

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Conservation Club will recite a speech on the need to intensify the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’.

The ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ was introduced by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 2nd October 2014 to mark the 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. It was a mission that gained a lot of popularity even on national and international level. It is also known as ‘Clean India Mission’ or ‘Clean India Drive’. It was quite successful in spreading awareness about the need and importance of cleanliness. It is said that ‘well begun is half done’. This mission is not limited to cleaning but also concerned with construction and promotion of proper sanitation and advancement of infrastructure. This can be applied to the Swachh Bharat Mission and the success that it has got is praiseworthy. Many prominent personalities, actors, sportsperson and social activists have contributed to this mission by picking up the broom and cleaning their surroundings. This mission is aimed at covering 4041 cities and towns in India.

This year it being the 150th birth anniversary this mission aims to fulfill its dream of clean India. To this my personal view is that this rate of success can continue to grow if each person takes up the responsibility of not littering their place they are contributing towards cleanliness already. In this way we will be able to intensify this mission and move a step closer to the fulfillment of this mission. Thanks for being such an attentive audience.

(b). Plant more Trees

Trees are the biggest source of oxygen. We should not only stop cutting the trees but we should also start planting more and more trees in our neighborhoods.

On our level we may just see a few advantages of planting trees but if you see deeper you will know that its importance

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is concerned with our existence. Primarily, trees help us control pollution by taking in the carbon dioxide and giving us fresh air and oxygen. Apart from this, trees like apple, aloe vera, basil etc. are a source of many medicinal herbs and help in preventing/treating various diseases. Additionally, trees are capable of reducing soil erosion. Nature in all its form is a source of joy for many. Trees provide shadow during scorching heat and give a soothing relief from the warmth. Similarly, during rains these trees become our shades. People prefer walking in parks early in the morning because of the natural healing that plants and trees offer. It provides a scenic view to the city and makes the environment a better place to live in.

There are many NGO’s that support planting trees and sensitize people towards the need of a greener environment. It is never too late to start something good so we should start planting trees around us. Even if each one of us plants one tree we will soon be able to make the environment full of greenery.

Contributed by,

Primal Joshi

3. In today’s world only wealthy people can afford to be healthy

(For the motion)

Is it that in today’s world only wealthy people can afford to be healthy? The answer to this is a big ‘yes’. Today I speak in favor of the motion as I believe that only wealthy people can avail timely medical facilities.

If you open the newspaper on any morning you will find a small column talking about the death of a person due to untimely treatment. But if you read it more carefully you will notice that it was a person with a poor economic background and lack of access to medical facilities. On the other hand if a rich person

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suffers from an untimely treatment it would become a major case and the entire medical fraternity would be held responsible for such a death. Why does this happen? The basic reason behind this is that the poor people are the ones who live without nutritious food or proper sanitation facilities. On the other hand rich people find it much easier to get access to medical facilities. They have the access to healthy and nutritious food and live in a clean and hygienic environment. This difference points towards the fact that money makes it quite easier to access any facility. If the wealthy people face any serious illness they can simply move to a foreign country and get the best treatment under the latest technology whereas the poor ones have no option but to rely completely on the local doctor.

Thus in today’s world the rich people have always had an upper hand over the poor ones be it in terms of medical care or any other facilities.

In today’s world only wealthy people can afford to be healthy

(Against the motion)

Is it that in today’s world only wealthy people can afford to be healthy? The answer to this is a ‘no’. Today I speak against the motion as I believe that everyone in the society has the access to medical facilities.

We cannot simply blame the rich people for being rich. They are only using what is already available to them and why would a person not make use of resources that they have. Also a lot is being done for the betterment of the poor people. This improvement is being made on medical, educational and sanitation facilities with a view to provide a cleaner and healthier environment to everyone. We cannot deny the efforts of the Government in making available free medical care to poor people and implementation of welfare schemes

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like health insurance. We need to accept that a change takes time and what has been done wrong for years will take more time to be good again. There has been a lot of development in the rural areas where a major section of poor people are situated and there has been a drop in the mortality rate with the increase in health consciousness of the people.

If we want to bring about a revolutionary change then even we need to give our contribution to it. Simply putting all the blame on the rich section doesn’t give us a solution.

The Rising Crime of Child Lifting

By Avantika

One of the biggest problems of our society is frequent cases of missing small children but this issue has not gained much attention especially on the media front.

With the fast growing development, the rate of crime has also been growing. There are legislations that already exist or have been newly passed but for its effective implementation the culprit needs to be caught. Child lifting has recently become a major crime in the recent times. Children are easy targets as they can be easily convinced and they tend to believe in people very soon. There are gangs of people who are engaged in such crimes because it is a source of easy money for them. They kidnap children and blackmail their parents for ransom against the safety of their children. They also warm them not to inform the police or they would harm their child. Out of fear and concern most of the parents find it easier to give away ransom and get back their child. This is just one form of crime. Some people lift children especially girls for crimes like human

OR

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trafficking. Some of them even indulge in sale of organs of these small children. These people usually belong to the unemployed class who has been a subject to poor economic conditions which force them to take the wrong path for money. They take advantage of the communication gap between parents and children and usually target such families which leave their children go out all alone. Many of these people become a servant or maid in the family which help them gain their trust and make their work easier.

It is the responsibility of parents to keep in touch with their children and until they are capable of taking care of themselves they shouldn’t be left alone all the time even on the trust of a worker. Even social media plays a role in providing information about the daily schedule of a child because teenagers these days are prone to uploading pictures of their life every now and then.

4. A. (i) The teachers said that the earth rotates around the sun.

The sentence is given in first person speech, and we change the narration to the third person.

(ii) By whom was the table broken?

OR

By whom has the table been broken?

The sentence is given in active voice and to change the voice we convert the sentence to passive voice. In the first sentence the focus is on the action. To make this change we use the word ‘by’ in the sentence.

(iii) No sooner did I enter the room than the alarm went off.

The sentence starts with ‘as soon as’ so we rewrite it by starting with ‘no sooner’ followed by the action then the word

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‘than’ followed by the subject leading to the action i.e. the alarm.

(iv) This voice is very sweet.

OR

It is a very sweet voice.

A sentence stating a fact is known as an assertive sentence. To change this sentence to an assertive one we use the word ‘very’ before the adjective ‘sweet’ to emphasize on its importance.

(v) You will not clear the exam lest you work hard.

The word ‘lest’ means to avoid something so we use it in the middle of the sentence to retain the meaning that states to clear the exam one must work hard.

B. The dialogues given are in present tense while the paragraph is in past tense so we fill the blanks with the phrases in past tense. For example, in present tense the sentence is ‘where are you going?’ so in the past tense, it becomes ‘where he was going’. Similarly, ‘where your uncle lives’ becomes ‘where his uncle lived’ and ‘you seem to be very excited’ becomes ‘Shyam seemed to be very excited. Also, ‘my uncle returned from the U.S.’ is written as ‘his uncle had returned from the U.S.’. ‘He has brought a few gifts for me’ becomes ‘he had brought a few gifts for him’.

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5. A. (i) Tao Ying’s son was refused entry at the temple because she didn’t show his ticket. She didn’t buy a ticket because she assumed that her child was exempted from it. Tao Ying started panicking when she saw her child wanted to go back to her. She argued that it was written behind the ticket that a child below 110 centimetres would be exempted from a ticket and so she didn’t buy one. They asked her to measure his son’s height, which was one centimetre above the limit. She insisted on re-measuring his height with her yellow tape because she wanted to show that he was shorter than the required height for a ticket.

(ii) Tao Ying re-measured her son’s height to make him look shorter than 110 centimetres so that she would be exempted from a ticket. But his son disapproved of this because he didn’t trust her mother’s measurement and argued that everybody said he was tall except her because she didn’t want to buy a ticket for him. His mother was holding a yellow tape in her hand, which became a poisonous viper in the eyes of her son. Tao Ying hit her son accidentally while trying to smooth down his hair. As a result, he ran away, which made Tao Ying believe that she was losing him.

B. (i) The woman being talked about is Frau Frieda. She had met the writer about 35 years ago in Vienna. The ring bothered the narrator because he had seen the same snake ring and observed her wearing it always. It added to her personality and provided mystery and power to her. To be assured that it was the same woman he wanted to check the finger on which she wore the ring as he has seen Frau Frieda wear it on the right-hand forefinger.

Section C (Solutions)

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(ii)The snake ring intrigued the writer because it was a gold ring shaped like a serpent with emerald eyes. It was special because Frau Frieda to whom the ring belonged used to make her living by selling dreams to people and interpreting them. It was their family custom of telling dreams before breakfast. She believed herself to be a dream teller and the one who could see the future. She would never take this ring off her right forefinger.

C. (i) This poem describes the four virtues, namely mercy, pity, peace, and love. The poet states the pity and poverty go hand in hand. Pity would not exist without poverty and human sufferings. Also, mercy would not be required if everyone was happy. The poet advises everyone to sprinkle kindness wherever they see poverty.

(ii) In these lines, the poet visualizes a society free from poverty or any unhappiness. The poet denies accepting these as ideal virtues because an ideal world would be the one where there is no need for any pity or mercy because everyone would be happy and spread peace and love in the world.

6. (a) Raizel was the daughter of the watchmaker, Melekh. Dr. Margolin loved her and wanted to marry her, but he couldn’t fulfill this dream because of war and were drifted apart. Raizel was married to someone else and later shot by the Nazis. Dr, Margolin was informed that Raizel died in the course of the war, but details of her death weren’t confirmed. Dr. Margolin went to attend Mekheles’ daughter’s wedding and imagined Raizel’s presence there. He also thought of a long conversation with her in his imagination. His longing for Raizel had made him hallucinate as a result of which he imagined her presence. Dr. Margolin was a part of illusionary carousing at the wedding.

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(b) Individual freedom is the ability to be able to do anything without being enslaved. Freedom means the power of liberty, but it always gets restricted. Self-centred approach hampers freedom. Not expecting too much is the ultimate way to individual freedom. But human wants and desires are unlimited, and they cannot be fully satisfied. In an attempt to fulfil desires, one finds himself caught in the rat-race which often curbs freedom. These include doing jobs for others, working overtime, leaving no time for your own etc., i.e. undertaken in pursuit of money. Also, there are restrictions by the Government that restrict freedom. Laws of the land need to be followed wherever you are. There are certain fines and punishments on violation of laws which, in a way, restrict freedom for many. Freedom has its own meaning for each person, and often it refers to something which he/she is not capable of doing at that point. For instance, freedom for a child would be not going to school and playing with friends in a park, but he has to obey his parents, who feel that it is important to go to school.

(c) The poem “Blood” by Kamala Das is an illustration of a woman in a different aspect. It pictures aristocracy in Malabar during that period. In this poem, Kamala Das expresses how a girl child is mould to be a butterfly by the world. The poem describes Kamala as a child who observes nature and creates her fantasies on the sand while playing with her brother. This poem highlights the aspect of unity among joint families in Indian society during those days. As the poet grows up, she sees how the bond between families have been weakening, and gradually, traditions were being ignored. She writes that this was the possible reason for the decline of royal families. She witnesses the agony of her aged grandmother, who was suffering from physical ailments. She was married to a prince whose death had made her lonely. Her 300-year-old house was

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on the verge of destruction, but Kamala Das had promised to herself that she would save it.

7. (a) Yes, Amartya Sen sees argumentation as a positive value. Amartya Sen has been known for his contribution to economics. Argumentation is the process of systematic reasoning in favour of ideas or actions. Amartya Sen believes in the concept of argumentation and reasons it to exist in India for a long time. He states that arguments and questioning have been a part of Sanskrit epics too. He presents an example of argumentation known to all, which is the holy Gita. Not only in ancient writings but even today, argumentation is equally important as every sensible discussion needs one to argue with the other, question their logic and present own views. Healthy argumentation contributes to the enhancement of knowledge.

(b) Prakriti, an untouchable, encounters with the Bhikshu who asks for water. Ananda was a famous disciple of Buddha. He approached Prakriti to ask for water one day when he was thirsty while returning from a visit. Prakriti fell in love with the beautiful monk. She was unable to restrain herself and finally made her mother cast a spell on him although her mother warns her of dire consequences. Moved by her daughter’s insistence, she casts a spell on the Bhikshu. The spell proved stronger than Ananda’s will, and the spell-bound monk came to their house at night. But as he saw the girl spread the couch on him, he was overcome with shame and remorse and prayed inwardly to his master to save him. The mother revokes the spell and willingly pays the price of such revocation, which is death. Ananda went away, as pure as he came. Her ultimate act is out of love for her daughter.

(c) Eveline decides not to go away with Frank after all. Though the author doesn't really specify the reason for this decision, it

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is clear that the conflict of emotions that she had been through made her decide on this. Eveline had always been inclined towards her family. Since her mother's death, she had assumed the role of a surrogate mother for her siblings. All of her salaries went in taking care of the house and her family, as she hardly gets any support from her father. She was a young woman who had her own dreams and wanted to live her own life. She sees Frank as her means of escape. Either because she wanted to be confined within her small world or because this was the life she had always known, as the time for her departure comes closer she is paralyzed with fear and decides not to leave with Frank. It is very clear throughout the story that she wants to escape from her miserable life, but she does not elope with Frank to Buenos Aires when he tries to take her with him at the end. This story gives no explanation for its ending, and it is left upon the readers to understand that she sacrificed her love for her family.

8. A. (i) The villagers were worried about their reducing number of animals every day. They were worried about the safety of their cattle, so they decided to guard them. They also approached the authorities to seek help. They approached the

Section D (Solutions)

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collector through their spokesman so that defensive measures could be adopted to protect cattle. They were advised to file a written petition only then they would be able to take some official action. All this was causing a delay, which led to the vanishing of more animals. The cattle were disappearing because of the tiger who had entered their village.

(ii) Captain had started his career in the circus quite early when he was only twenty. He started by working in Dadaji’s circus. There he was mentored by Dadaji who gave him knowledge about training animals. He was also told what skills were required to become a good animal trainer. Dadaji used to teach him business methods also and looking at his fast learning and capabilities Dadaji relied more on Captain. Soon Captain became Dadaji’s partner in the circus business. Captain became responsible for running shows and kept working on them for years. This is how he learned to run a circus.

(iii) Everyone was struck by panic when they came to know about the tiger’s presence in the school building. A crowd gathered in front of the school, and everyone was shouting out of fear. The headmaster was inside the school, and he hid in the loft when he saw the tiger in his room. A hunter showed up to kill the tiger but found it too risky and therefore backed out. Just then, the Master came to know about this happening and suggested a plan. He asked the doors to be kept open and said that he would bring the tiger out of the school. In this way, the tiger would leave the school building, and the headmaster would be able to come out without being harmed. He convinced everyone for this plan, and as promised he took away the tiger. The headmaster safely got down the loft and rushed out of the school.

B. (i) Raja lost his freedom of roaming about anywhere he wanted. He was subjected to extreme conditions in the name

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of animal training. He was captured and put in a cage which restricted his movement. Captain used harsh training and tortured Raja to make him act in his way. He was starved and whipped to be taught obedience and follow his master’s command. Raja felt miserable and waited for the right moment to escape. One day when Raja was tickled by Captain, he became impulsive and killed Captain after which he ran away from the circus. Though he was even captured by Master he was much friendly with him, so Raja went with him willingly.

(ii) The tiger broke into the office of a headmaster in a school building. Though a hunter came to rescue the headmaster who hid in the loft, he drank so much of rum to get courage that he fell asleep. Then the Master walked in and convinced the people that he would save the headmaster. He went inside the room and talked to the tiger. Surprisingly he seemed to understand everything that the Master said. The Master told the tiger that there was no need for violence at that time, and Raja followed his instructions and sat down. The headmaster came out of the room. The Master and Raja walked out of the room like two companions, and everyone outside was startled at this sight. Both of them travelled widely and surprised everyone who saw them on the way. They were visited by people who wished to see the man who befriended a tiger.

(iii) The Master (Swamiji) had spent his life in Malgudi. His original name was Govind, Gopal or Gund. He lived in Ellaman street and went to a college. He actively took part in the freedom movement and also went to prison many times. He was married to a woman with whom he had children, but he abandoned his family and disappeared. He was no longer interested in worldly possessions and his family. His journey as sanyasi began when he started wandering through forests, mountains, and valleys. He was careless about himself and never thought about his future. When he befriended Raja and

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went to make their new home in a cave, his wife went to meet him and reminded him that he was the mother of his children whom he had left behind. He accepts that he was his husband once, but just as he brought a change in the tiger who no longer hunted or created any violence, he had also changed and become a sanyasi.

9. A. (i) Dr. Pal was a man of thirty with a youthful face. Margayya meets him while going to the pond beyond Sarayu. Dr. Pal was busy in search of news and he was devoted to writing books on sociology. He was a journalist with Ph.D in sociology. Living in poverty he was immensely interested in his job as a writer. He showed Margayya the script of his book entitled ‘Bed Life or the science of marital Happiness’ quite unhesitantly. The book was based on sexology which according to Dr. Pal was a branch of sociology. His main purpose was to create happiness in the world and to prevent tragedies relating to ill-matched couples.

(ii) Balu had been the cause of Margayya’s ruin not once but twice. Balu was not good in academics and was unable to clear his examination. When he was persuaded to give the exam again he tore the School Leaving Certificate Book into pieces and threw it in the same gutter where he had previously thrown Margayya’s red account book. He then ran away from home. Margayya was later informed through a letter that his son was dead. He went to the Madman’s House at Madras in search of his lost son Balu. He was directed to his place by a policeman whom he met on his way. The Madman used to write letters to people. Margayya interviewed him to ask about his son. He was informed that his son was alive and worked in a theatre.

(iii) Margayya had always wanted his son Balu to be an educated person. In this pursuit he sent him to a good school

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and fulfilled all his wishes which made him a spoilt child. Margayya’s wealth had helped him in becoming the Secretary of the School Managing Committee and he wanted the best for his child too. Balu had a careless attitude and was not good in academics. Margayya had appointed a private tutor so that his child could be properly instructed and gave him the liberty to thrash him if necessary. Yet Balu could not clear his examination and ran away from home in anger when his parents tried to persuade him to appear for re-examination. Few days later, Margayya received a letter which stated that Balu had died. On hearing this he immediately left for Madras in search of his son where he found that he was alive. From that day his only dream was to keep his son happy.

B. (i) In ‘The Financial Expert’, Margayya is a symbol of greed. His own greed became the cause of his ruin. However he is certainly guilty of employing unfair means to become rich. By this the writer points towards the Hindu belief according to which the past is said to determine the present and the present is said to determine the future and all things are believed to be decided by the Gods. Margayya would lend money to illiterate people who were in need and in return charged an amount of interest. In some way or the other he would exploit the needy people. Within a few days, he understood that Dr. Pal was the cause for the ruin of his beloved son Balu. He badly beat up Dr. Pal who recorded an immediate complaint with the police. Dr. Pal turned an enemy and he pushed Margayya back to the position of a pauper from where he had started his business.

(ii) In the story “The Financial Expert” no one alone can be held responsible for the ruin of Margayya. Margayya entered into an agreement with Dr. Pal for publishing his book on domestic harmony. It brought him a lot of money. Margayya used to lend money to needy people against a high rate of interest and

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exploited them in other ways too. Dr. Pal helped him climb the ladder of success to a great extent. At the same time he was the reason for his son’s ruin. When Margayya came to know about this he lost his temper and went to beat Dr. Pal who recorded a complaint with the police. Dr. Pal had decided that he would take revenge from him. He had a wide circle which he used against Margayya, He spread false news stating that Margayya’s business was gradually declining. This made the investors panic and thinking of the risk they started demanding for their money. Margayya became helpless and soon found himself ruined and pushed back to where he had started from. He was overconfident and too ambitious about his wealth. His greed brought his downfall. His weaknesses were known to Dr. Pal who used it against him.

(iii) Margayya’s wife, Meenakshi is an example of the middle-class housewives at that point of time. She was a submissive and hardworking wife who endured everything with patience. She never felt the need to interfere with her husband’s business. All she wanted was her husband’s welfare. She was worried about his thin appearance when he worked selflessly on bank accounts. But she was not happy with his husband’s attitude towards life. She also didn’t approve of the way he treated their son because she believed that it would make him a spoilt child. Her fury bursts out when she hears of Balu’s death as she holds Margayya responsible for it.

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