(Download) CBSE Class-12 Sample Paper (English  Elective) 2014-15

Max. 100

Time 3 hrs.

The Question paper is divided into three sections:

General Instructions

1. All questions are compulsory.
2. You may attempt any section at a time.
3. All questions of that particular section must be attempted in the correct order.

Section A
Reading

20 Marks

Q1 Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. Mankind's fascination with gold is as old as civilization itself. The ancient Egyptians esteemed gold, which had religious significance to them, and King Tutankhamen was buried in a solid – gold coffin 3300 years ago. The wandering Israelites worshipped a golden calf, and the legendary King Midas asked that everything he touched be turned into gold.

2. Not only is gold beautiful, but it is virtually indestructible. It will not rust or corrode. Gold coins and products fabricated from the metal have survived undamaged for centuries. Gold is extremely easy to work with. One ounce, which is about the size of a cube of sugar, can be beaten into a sheet nearly 100 square feet in size, and becomes so thin that light passes through it. An ounce of gold can also be stretched into a wire 50 miles long. Gold conducts electricity better than any other substance except copper and sliver, and it is particularly important in the modern electronics industry.

3. People have always longed to possess gold. Unfortunately, this longing has also brought out the worst in the human character. The Spanish conquerors robbed palaces, temples and graves and killed thousands of Indians in their ruthless search for gold. Often the only rule in young California during the days of the gold rush was exercised by the mob with a rope. Even today, the economic running of South Africa‟s gold mines depends largely on the employment of black labourers who are paid about 40 pounds a month, plus room and board, and who must work in conditions that can only be described as cruel. About 400 miners are killed in mine accidents in South Africa each year, or one for every two tons of gold produced.

4. Much of gold's value lies in its scarcity. Only about 80,000 tons have been mined in the history of the world. All of it could be stored in a vault 60 feet square, or a supertanker.

5. Great Britain was the first country to adopt the gold standard, when the Master of the Mint, Sir Isaac Newton, established a fixed price for gold in 1717. But until the big discoveries of gold in the last half of the nineteenth century – starting in California in 1848 and later in Australia and South Africa – there simply wasn't enough gold around for all the trading nations to link their currencies to the precious metal.

6. An out – of – work prospector named George Harrison launched South Africa into the gold age in 1886 when he discovered the metal on a farm near what is now Johannesburg. Harrison was given a 12 Pounds reward by the farmer. He then disappeared and reportedly was eaten by a lion.

7. One of the big gold – mining areas in the Soviet Union is the Kolyma River region, once infamous for its prison camp. The camp has gone, but in a way nothing has changed. Many ex – prisoners have stayed on to work in the mines and are supervised by ex – guards.

8. Despite the current rush to buy gold, 75 per cent of the metal goes into jewellery. Italy is the biggest user of gold for this purpose, and many Italian jewelers even tear up their wooden floors and burn them to recover the tiny flecks of gold.

9. Historically, the desire to hoard gold at home has been primarily an occupation of the working and peasant classes, who have no faith in paper money. George Bernard Shaw defended their instincts loquently: “You have to choose between trusting the natural stability of the honesty and intelligence of the members of the government,' he said „and with due respect to these gentlemen, I advise you …. to vote for gold.'

(From an article in Newsweek) 6

1.1. On the basis of your reading of the passage make notes on it using recognizable abbreviations, wherever necessary. Use a format you considersuitable. Supply a suitable title.

1.2Write a short summary of the passage in 80 words.4

Q 2 Read the passage given below carefully and answer the questions that follow:

1.Learning from experience, can be complicated. It can be much more difficult to learn from success than from failure. If we fail, we think carefully about the precise cause. Success can indiscriminately reinforce all our prior actions.

2. A second theme concerns the power of chance events. As I think across a wide variety of settings in my life, I am struck by the incredible role played by the interplay of chance events with intentional choices. While the turning points themselves are indeed often fortuitous, how we respond to them is anything but so. It is this very quality of how we respond systematically to chance events that is crucial.

3.Of course, the mindset one works with is also quite critical. It matters greatly whether one believes that ability is inherent or that it can be developed. The former view, a fixed mindset, creates a tendency to avoid challenges, to ignore useful negative feedback and leads people to plateau early and not achieve their full potential. The latter view, a growth mindset, leads to a tendency to embrace challenges, to learn from criticism and  enables people to reach higher levels of achievement.

4.The fourth theme is cornerstone of the Indian spiritual tradition: selfknowledge. Indeed, the highest form of knowledge, it is said, is selfknowledge. I believe this greater awareness and knowledge of oneself is what ultimately helps develop a more grounded belief in oneself, courage, determination and, above all, humility – all qualities which enables one to wear one's success with dignity and grace.

5.I would like to end with some words of advice. Do you believe that your future is preordained, and is already set? Or, do you believe that your future is yet to be written and that it will depend upon sometimes fortuitous events? Do you believe that these events can provide turning points to which you will respond with energy and enthusiasm? Do you believe that you will learn from these events and that you will reflect on your setbacks? Do you believe that you will examine your successes with even greater care? I hope you believe that the future will be shaped by several turning points with great learning opportunities. In fact, this is the path I have walked to much advantage.

6. A final word: When, one day, you have made your mark on the world, remember that, in the ultimate analysis, we are all mere temporary custodians of the wealth we generate, whether it be financial, intellectual or emotional. The best use of all your wealth is to share it with those less fortunate.

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