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

Time allowed: 3hours

Maximum marks:100

SECTION A – READING (30 Marks )

Read the following passage carefully. (12 Marks)

1. Many of us believe that “small” means “insignificant”. We believe that small actions and choices do not have much impact on our lives. We think that it is only the big things, the big actions and the big decisions that really count. But when you look at the lives of all great people, you will see that they built their character through small decisions, small choices and small actions that they performed every day. They transformed their lives through a step-by-step or dayby-day approach. They nurtured and nourished their good habits and chipped away at their bad habits, one step at a time. It was their small day-to-day decisions that added up to make tremendous difference in the long run. Indeed, in matters of personal growth and character building, there is no such thing as an overnight success.

2. Growth always occurs through a sequential series of stages. There is an organic process to growth. When we look at children growing up, we can see this process at work: the child first learns to crawl, then to stand and walk, and finally to run. The same is true in the natural world. The soil must first be tilled, and then the seed must be sowed. Next, it must be nurtured with enough water and sunlight, and only then will it grow, bear fruit and finally ripen and be ready to eat.

3. Gandhi understood this organic process and used this universal law of nature to his benefit. Gandhi grew in small ways, in his day-to-day affairs. He did not wake up one day and find himself to be the “Mahatma”. In fact, there was nothing much in his early life that showed signs of greatness. But from his midtwenties onwards, he deliberately and consistently attempted to change himself, reform himself and grow in some small way every day. Day by day, hour by  hour, he risked failure, experimented and learnt from mistakes. In small and large situations alike, he took up rather than avoid responsibility.

4. People have always marvelled at the effortless way in which Gandhi could accomplish the most difficult tasks. He displayed great deal of self-mastery and discipline that was amazing. These things did not come easily to him. Years of practice and disciplined training went into making his successes possible. Very few saw his struggles, fears, doubts and anxieties, or his inner efforts to overcome them. They saw the victory, but not the struggle.

5. This is a common factor in the lives of all great people: they exercised their freedoms and choices in small ways that made great impact on their lives and their environment. Each of their small decisions and actions, added up to have a profound impact in the long run. By understanding this principle, we can move forward, with confidence, in the direction of our dreams. Often when our “ideal goal” looks too far from us, we become easily discouraged, disheartened and pessimistic. However, when we choose to grow in small ways, taking small steps one at a time, performing it becomes easy.

(I) On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate option. (1×4 = 4 Marks)

1. The main idea in the first paragraph is that

a. Big things, big actions and big decisions make a person great
b. Small actions and decisions are important in one’s life
c. Overnight success is possible for all of us
d. Personal changes are not important

2. What does the writer mean by saying ‘chipped away at their bad habits’?

a. Steadily gave up bad habits
b. Slowly produced bad habits
c. Gradually criticized bad habits
d. Did not like bad habits

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