Please refer to Sample Paper Class 12 English Term 1 Set B with solutions provided below. We have provided CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 English as per the latest paper pattern and examination guidelines for Standard 12 English issued by CBSE for the current academic year. The below provided Sample Guess paper will help you to practice and understand what type of questions can be expected in the Class 12 English exam.

CBSE Sample Paper Class 12 English for Term 1 Set B

Reading

I. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

(1) Thackeray reached Kittur along with a small British army force and a few of his officers and their family members. He thought that the very presence of the British on the outskirts of Kittur would terrorise the rulers and people of Kittur, and that they would lay down their arms. He was quite confident that he would be able to crush the revolt in no time. During the afternoon and evening of 20th October, the British soldiers were busy making arrangements for these camps. (2) On the 21st morning, Thackeray sent his political assistant to Kittur fort to obtain a written assurance from all the important officers of Kittur rendering them answerable for the security of the treasury of Kittur. They, accordingly, met Sardar Gurusiddappa and other officers of Kittur and asked them to comply with the orders of Thackeray. They did not know that the people were in a defiant mood. The commanders of Kittur dismissed the agent’s orders as no documents could be signed without sanction from Rani Chennamma.
(3) Thackeray was enraged and sent for the commander of the Horse Artillery to capture the commanders of the Desai’s army. When the Horse Artillery stormed into the fort, Sardar Gurusiddappa, who had kept his men on full alert, promptly commanded his men to repel and chase them away. The Kittur forces made a bold front and overpowered the British soldiers. Rani’s soldiers chased them out of the fort, killing a few of them until they retreated to their camps on the outskirts.
(4) The Kittur soldiers captured about forty persons and brought them to the palace. These included twelve children and a few women from the British officer’s camp. When they were brought in the presence of the Rani, she ordered the soldiers to be imprisoned. For the women and children, she had only gentleness and admonished her soldiers for taking them into custody. At her orders, these women and children were taken inside the palace safely and given food and shelter. Rani came down from her throne, patted the children lovingly and told them that no harm would come to them.
(5) Seeing the noble gesture of the Rani, Thackeray was moved. He thought of trying to persuade
her to enter into an agreement with the British to stop all hostilities in lieu of an inam (prize) of eleven
villages. His offer was dismissed with a gesture of contempt. She had no wish to meet Thackeray. That night she called Sardar Gurusiddappa and other leading Sardars, and after discussing all the issues came to the conclusion that there was no point in meeting Thackeray who had come with an army to threaten Kittur into submission to British sovereignty.

On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, answer any eight out of ten questions given below with the help of the options that follow:

Question 1. British women and children came to Kittur to:
(A) visit Kittur
(B) enjoy life in tents
(C) stay in the palace
(D) give company to the army officers

Question 2. Why did Thackeray NOT come to Kittur?
(A) To crush the revolt
(B) To terrorise the rulers
(C) To extend helping hand to the people of Kittur.
(D) To make people and rulers lay down their arms.

Question 3. Based on your understanding of the passage, choose the correct option as to why Kittur officials refused to give the desired assurance to Thackeray?
(1) No documents could be signed without sanction from Rani Chennamma
(2) People were in dilemma
(3) Kittur focus could make a bold front
(4) People were in a defiant mood
(A) 1 and 2
(B) 2 and 4
(C) 2 and 3
(D) 1 and 4

Question 4. What happened to the Horse Artillery?
(A) It couldn’t storm into Sardar Gurusiddappa
(B) Kittur forces restrained from bold attack
(C) When the Horse Artillery stormed into the fort, men were commanded to chase them away.
(D) All of these

Question 5. Select the reason/reasons to show that Rani was a noble queen.
(A) She provided food and shelter to women and children.
(B) She was very gentle towards them.
(C) She sent them a word of their safety.
(D) All of these

Question 6. How would the British women have felt after meeting the Rani?
(A) Inspired
(B) Full of gratitude
(C) Relieved and pleased
(D) All of these

Question 7. Choose the option that lists the correct sequence of the process.
1. Refusal by Rani to meet Thackeray.
2. Considered pointless to meet him
3. Thackeray had come with an army
4. He came with an intention to threaten Kittur into submission
(A) 3, 4, 2, 1
(B) 1, 3, 4, 2
(C) 3, 1, 4, 2
(D) 4, 3, 1, 2

Question 8. Which of these words covey the meaning of ‘captured’? (para 3)
(A) To let off
(B) To apprehend
(C) To free
(D) To throw

Question 9. Which of the following sentences convey the meaning of ‘issue’ in the same manner as it is used in the above passage (para 6)?
(A) She is expecting an issue.
(B) Last night, she issued a statement, denying the allegations.
(C) Staff will be issued new uniforms.
(D) All are free to express their views on political issues.

Question 10. Thackeray was a/an:
(A) British tourist
(B) Army officer
(C) Advisor to the Rani of Kittur
(D) Treasury officer

II. Read the passage given below:

(1) Whaling is the hunting of whales for food and oil. Whaling was once conducted around the world by seafaring nations in pursuit of the giant animals that seemed as limitless as the oceans in which they swam. However, since the mid-20th century, when whale populations began to drop catastrophically, whaling has been conducted on a very limited scale. It is now the subject of great scrutiny, both by formal regulatory bodies and by non-governmental organizations. (2) Whaling has been documented in many sources—from Neolithic cave art to present-day annual reports of the International Whaling Commission. Prehistoric inhabitants of far northern coastal regions, lacking adequate agriculture, developed successful whaling techniques using Stone Age weapons. By the time the Inuit (Eskimo) of eastern and western North America were first encountered by Europeans, they had already mastered whale hunting, and many Inuit methods were used as recently as 1900. For the Inuit, a captured whale supplied food, fuel and light; sinews provided cordage and bones were used for tools and construction. Not until the 20th century, when floating factory ships came into use, did other civilizations succeed in the same efficient use of the whole carcass. Elsewhere, from the first intensive hunting of whales in the early 17th century to the early 20th century, little more than blubber and baleen was used, and the remainder of the animal was discarded. Each successive discovery of new whaling grounds resulted in the near disappearance of a particular species. The efficiency of modern hunting methods hastened this trend.
(3) International whaling developed in stages that were determined by changing demand, diminishing stocks and advancing technology. A lengthy primitive stage eventually led to commercial whaling; new markets and technical and chemical advances then produced modern whaling, which led to virtual extinction of the quarry and a return to a primitive stage. The commercial stages were dominated overwhelmingly by northern Europeans and Americans—first the Dutch, then the British and Americans, and finally the Norwegians and British. Only at the very end, when Europeans no longer found the trade profitable, did they surrender the remaining whales to the Russians and Japanese.
(4) The graph below shows number of two common types of whales in Antarctica between 1985 and 2010.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer any six out of the eight questions by choosing the correct option.

Question 11. When did the whale populations start dropping largely?
(A) Beginning of 19th century
(B) Mid 20th century
(C) Early 21st century
(D) Just recently

Question 12. What is the earliest documented source of whaling?
(A) Paleolithic cave art
(B) Mesolithic cave art
(C) Neolithic cave art
(D) Monolithic cave art

Question 13. Who are Inuits?
(A) The whales predominantly found in Antarctica
(B) The people predominantly found in Antarctica
(C) The people living in cold areas of eastern and western North America
(D) The people living in cold areas of Siberian desert in Russia

Question 14. Who started the commercial whaling?
(A) Dutch
(B) British
(C) Russians
(D) Japanese

Question 15 Which of these pictorials represent the correct relationship between hunting of Minke whales and Sei whales in 1990?

Question 16. Which of these pictorials represent the correct relationship between hunting of Minke whales and Sei whales in 1995?

Question 17. In the year 1985, the difference between the number of Minke Whales hunted and Sei Whales hunted was _________________.
(A) 1000
(B) 15000
(C) 16000
(D) 14000

Question 18. What are whales hunted for?
(A) Food
(B) Oil
(C) Both (A) and (B)
(D) Neither (A) nor (B)

Writing

III. Answer any four out of the five questions given below.
Fill the Format of the Notice correctly.
FORMAT

Question 19. (A) Name of the issuing authority
(B) Purpose of the Notice
(C) Name of the Organisation
(D) Name of the target group

Question 20. (A) Name of the issuing authority
(B) Signature of the issuing authority
(C) Date
(D) Name of the target group

Question 21. (A) Name of the issuing authority
(B) Signature of the issuing authority
(C) Date
(D) Name of the target group

Question 22. Which of the following is the most suitable way to start a Notice?
(A) Through the column of…
(B) This is to inform you…
(C) Through the medium of your newspaper…
(D) May I have your attention please..

Question .23. While writing the subject/ heading which of the following shouldn’t be capitalised?
(A) Preposition
(B) Conjunction
(C) Articles (
D) All of these

IV. Answer any six of the seven questions given.

Question 24. Which of the following is a characteristic of the block format of a Formal Letter?
(A) There is no indentation.
(B) Use of punctuation marks is dispensed within the block format.
(C) Each block begins with the margin on left hand side.
(D) All of these

Question 25. Which of the following is a part of Formal Letter but not Informal Letter?
(A) Date
(B) Salutation
(C) Subject
(D) Subscription

A book fair was organized in your city, Bhopal. Thousands of people including a large number of students visited the fair. It aroused a great interest in reading and buying books. You want that such book fairs are held in other cities of the state also to promote the habit of reading. Write a letter in 120-150 words to the editor of a local newspaper giving your views. You are Navtej/ Navita, F-112 Malviya Nagar, Bhopal.
(26) ______________
(27) ______________
(28) ______________
Subject : Book fairs are a bliss for mankind
(29) ______________
Recently, a book fair has been conducted in the city. Your newspaper had given a wide and a quality coverage to the book fair. It was a great pleasure to understand that the book fair was attended by thousands of persons which included a huge number of students also. The publishers are also happy that they have got such a good response from the public.
In the world, where internet has conquered everyone, it is very surprising to find people still interested in books. Going to a book fair and showing enthusiasm is remarkable indeed. I also visited the book fair. When I first went there, I did not expect there crowd at the book fair as nowadays very few people read books and that too at the release of e-books. However, as I entered, I could still see the excitement in the people After seeing this, I felt people should know that the essence of reading from a book in your hand has still not gone. The different smell of each book is one of its kind which is not available in an e-book.
Through the column of your esteemed newspaper, I want to bring it to the attention of the organisers to organise such book fairs in other cities of the state also. (30) ______________

Question 26. (A) From F-112 Malviya Nagar Bhopal
(B) To, F-112 Malviya Nagar Bhopal 
(C) The Editor The Real Times Bhopal
(D) F-112 Malviya Nagar Bhopal

Question 27. (A) March 23 20XX
(B) March 20XX, 23
(C) 23 March 20XX
(D) 23.3.2021

Question 28. (A) From F-112 Malviya Nagar Bhopal
(B) The Editor, The Real Times Bhopal
(C) 23.3.20XX
(D) 23 March 20XX

Question 29. (A) Dear Sir
(B) Dearest Sir
(C) Sir
(D) My Dear Sir

Question 30. (A) Your Truly
(B) Yours truly
(C) yours truly
(D) your truely

Literature

This section has sub-sections: V, VI, VII, VIII, IX. There are a total of 30 questions in the section.
Attempt any 26 questions from the sub-sections V to IX.

V. Read the given extract to attempt questions that follow:

My introduction to the Y.M.C.A. swimming pool revived unpleasant memories and stirred childish fears. But in a little while I gathered confidence. I paddled with my new water wings, watching the other boys and trying to learn by aping them. I did this two or three times on different days and was just beginning to feel at ease in the water when the misadventure happened.

Question 31. From which story have these lines been taken?
(A) The Portrait of a Lady
(B) Should Wizard Hit Mommy?
(C) Deep Water
(D) The Enemy

Question 32. How did the author try to learn swimming?
(A) Self-learning at Yakima river
(B) Joined Y.M.C.A. pool
(C) Learned from friends
(D) Learned from a website

Question 33. What change did the author feel after sometime?
(A) Gained confidence
(B) Felt fear
(C) Started hating water
(D) None of these

Question 34. What misadventure the author is referring to?
(A) Tossed by a boy in pool.
(B) Lost balance and fell into Yakima river.
(C) Saw a friend drowning in water.
(D) Chased by a crocodile when under water.

Question 35. Which word in the extract means, ‘copying’?
(A) Paddled
(B) Aping
(C) Ease
(D) Watching

VI. Read the given extract to attempt questions that follow:

To make sure, I walked over to a newsboy and glanced at the stack of papers at his feet. It was ‘The
World;’ and ‘The World’ hasn’t been published for years.

Question 36. What is ‘The World’ in the above lines?
(A) Journal (B) Newspaper
(C) Fashion magazine
(D) Doctor’s manual

Question 37. Where did he see ‘The World’?
(A) The Third Level
(B) In the hands of the enemy
(C) Inside the grandfather’s cupboard
(D) None of these

Question 38. What other things did ‘I’ see there?
(A) Outdated locomotive
(B) Old-fashioned clothes
(C) Fewer ticket windows
(D) All of these

Question 39. How did Charley confirm the specific date of the era that he had gone into?
(A) Public Library files
(B) Consulting a museum
(C) Reading a journal
(D) Consulting an astrologer

Question 40. Why did the narrator’s mind create ‘The Third Level’?
(A) As he wished to visit Galesburg.
(B) As his friends had gone there and he wanted to meet them.
(C) As he was an architect.
(D) As he was under stress and was experiencing anxiety.

VII. Read the given extract to attempt questions that follow:

On sour cream walls, donations, Shakespeare’s head,
Cloudless at dawn, civilized dome riding all cities.
Belled, flowery, Tyrolese valley. Open–handed map
Awarding the world its world. And yet, for these
Children, these windows, not this map, their world,
Where all their future’s painted with a fog,

Question 41. What does the expression ‘sour cream walls’ suggest?
(A) Display of donated artefacts on the walls
(B) Badly maintained walls
(C) Wall-to-wall furniture
(D) A poor choice of paint for walls

Question 42. The map of the world in the classroom symbolizes :
(A) hopes and aspirations of the children.
(B) travel plans of the school authorities.
(C) a world that is unconnected to the children.
(D) interconnectivity within the world.

Question 43. The expression, ‘Shakespeare’s head’ is an example of:
(A) Pun
(B) Satire
(C) Parody
(D) Irony

Question 44. In the extract, ‘future’s painted with a fog’ suggests that the :
(A) classroom is as foggy as the paint on the walls.
(B) beautiful valleys are not a part of the children’s future.
(C) life ahead for the slum children is as unclear and hazy as fog.
(D) fog often finds itself in the classrooms through broken windows.

Question 45. Which of the following figure of speech dominate in this stanza?
(A) Transferred Epithet
(B) Simile
(C) Imagery
(D) Personification

VIII. Read the given extract to attempt questions that follow:

I’ve been in and out of Grand Central hundreds of times, but I’m always bumping into new doorways
and stairs and corridors. Once, I got into a tunnel about a mile long and came out in the lobby of the
Roosevelt Hotel. Another time, I came up in an office building on Forty–sixth Street, three blocks away.

Question 46. From which story have these lines been taken?
(A) Should Wizard Hit Mommy?
(B) The Enemy
(C) The Third Level
(D) On the Face of It

Question 47. Why does Charley say it is easy to get lost at the Grand Central Station?
(A) Due to complex network of passages
(B) Due to too much crowd
(C) Due to wrong directions on the platform
(D) Due to lack of staff

Question 48. How did Charley land up at the third level of the Grand Central Station?
(A) Took a shortcut to the third level
(B) Misguided by the station master
(C) Lost his way inside the tunnel
(D) None of these

Question 49. What does Charley compare Grand Central Station to?
(A) Mountain
(B) Tree
(C) River
(D) Ocean

Question 50. “The fast growing Grand Central station at times seems to be a maze to Charley.”
This line points to which incident in the story?
(A) Charley loses his way at Grand Central.
(B) Charley’s plan for a journey not realised.
(C) Charley reached the Third Level.
(D) Charley came back after travelling in time.

IX. Attempt the following.

Question 51. How did the author overcome his fear of water?
(A) He got professional help along with peer pressure.
(B) He opted for professional help along with self-determination.
(C) Due to peer pressure but intense family support too.
(D) Due to collective forced efforts of family and friends.

Question 52. What was freedom for Saheb?
(A) Rag picking
(B) Playing tennis
(C) Earning 800 bucks at the tea stall
(D) Possessing torn tennis shoes

Question 53. The practice of _____________ is highlighted in the story, ‘The Last Lesson’.
(A) Male chauvinism
(B) Linguistic chauvinism
(C) Power of speech
(D) Power of education

Question 54. Choose the statement that is NOT TRUE about rag pickers in the outskirts of Delhi.
(A) Children equally contribute to rag picking as their parents.
(B) Rag picking has perfected itself as a proficiency and form of a skill.
(C) Ragpickers live in rickety shanties of Seemapuri.
(D) The ragpickers settle down in a place permanently.

Question 55. What did M. Hamel do to keep everyone absorbed in the last lesson?
(A) He brought new copies for everyone.
(B) He dressed exceptionally well.
(C) He kept his ruler under his arm.
(D) All of the above.

Question 56. Which of the following quotes stand true for Douglas?

(A) Image 1
(B) Image 2
(C) Image 3
(D) Image 4

Question 57. Which of the following pictures depict the real meaning of ‘Keeping Quiet’?

(A) Picture i, iv
(B) Picture ii, iv
(C) Picture iii, iv
(D) All of these

Question 58. ‘My Mother at Sixty-Six’ is a ___________________ poem.
(A) political
(B) confessional
(C) traditional
(D) cultural

Question 59. What instructions did Dr. Sadao give to the American soldier before leaving?
(A) To give signal when food was over.
(B) He must eat raw fish.
(C) He shouldn’t kindle the fire at any cost.
(D) All of these.

Question 60. “Those scars,” she murmured, lifting her eyes to Sadao.
The ‘scars’ DO NOT indicate:
(A) Torture executed on prisoners of war.
(B) Dominance of Japan over America.
(C) The pursuit for authority in war.
(D) The gossips of cruelty often heard.