CBSE Class 12 English Factual Passage Assignment Set 02

Passage 

1. A recent survey conducted by an independent research firm sought to measure levels of happiness among youth aged 16-24 years in seven countries. The findings revealed some intriguing insights into what makes today’s youth happiest, as well as which factors influence their overall well-being. In India, an overwhelming majority of the youth reported feeling satisfied with their lives, with 87% rating of their overall happiness a ‘high’ or ‘very high’. Financial security was identified as the primary source of happiness for 66% followed by family support (89%), having a purpose in life (50%), and work or studies (40%). Unfortunately, 65% reported feeling stress related to academic performance or workload, while 25% reported feeling lonely. These figures point to a need for increased mental health support among India’s youth.

2. These surveys also revealed that family support is an important source of contentment for young people across countries. In Europe, 59% of respondents said that their families were a major source of happiness. In France this figure was 67% and 63% in Germany. In North America, 64% rated family as an important factor for well-being in Canada, while 61% did so in the United States. Similarly, 89% of survey respondents in Indian named family support as a major contributor to their overall contentment level.

3. It is clear that stress has a significant impact on the happiness of today’s youth. The findings suggest that young people need better resources to manage their mental health and well-being. This may include access to counselling services, mindfulness activities and support groups to help them cope with challenging circumstances. It is also important to provide financial support so as to reduce some of the economic pressures.

4. In India, 65% of youth surveyed reported feeling anxious about their academic performance or workload, while 25% felt lonely. These figures are especially significant given how important family support is for young people’s overall contentment. 

Question. What are the two findings that the survey mentioned in Paragraph 1 reveals? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: The survey reveals that while 87% of Indian youth are satisfied with their lives, 65% suffer from stress related to academics and 25% feel lonely. It also identifies financial security (66%) and family support (89%) as primary sources of happiness.

Question. “It is also important to provide financial support so as to reduce some of the economic pressures.” Explain the statement in about 40 words.
Answer: This statement emphasizes that financial security is a top driver of happiness for 66% of youth. Providing economic support can alleviate the stress and anxiety caused by financial instability, thereby improving the overall mental well-being and contentment levels of the younger generation.

Question. Elaborate giving date, the statement “Stress has a significant impact on the happiness of today’s youth.”
Answer: According to the CBSE 2024 survey data, stress significantly impacts youth happiness as 65% of Indian youth reported feeling anxious about academic performance or workload. This high percentage of stress correlates with the need for increased mental health resources and support systems.

Question. Which of the following factors, with reference to the given passage does not play a substantial role in the well-being of Indian youth?
(a) Family support and strong ties
(b) Social connection and technology
(c) Books and literature
(d) Economic stability
Answer: (c) Books and literature

Question. State whether True or False, with reference to the given passage. It is not necessary to provide financial support to the youth as only academic performance plays an upper hand in deciding the stress level.
Answer: False

Question. What are the top choice which are of maximum value to today’s youth
I. Collectivism
II. Social media
III. Individualistic society
IV. Family ties
Options
(a) I and II
(b) II and III
(c) I and IV
(d) II and IV
Answer: (c) I and IV

Question. The mental health of today’s youth can be managed by resources like ............ and ............ .
Answer: counselling services; mindfulness activities

Question. Write the following sources that provide happiness to today’s youth in descending order.
(a) Purposefulness
(b) Financial status
(c) Family support
(d) Stress
Answer: (c) Family support (89%), (b) Financial status (66%), (a) Purposefulness (50%)

Passage 

1. How bird hits happen, why they are a concern?
New Delhi 20th June: At least two bird strike incidents happened on Sunday. Both aircrafts returned to their airports of origin and were grounded for maintenance. An ABC aircraft, which took off from Guwahati towards Delhi, suffered damage to its left engine following a bird hit at 1600 feet. The pilots returned to Guwahati. The other strike happened on another flight from Patna to Delhi. The pilots of the aircraft suspected a bird strike during the take-off roll but continued to climb. Following the takeoff rotation, they were informed by the cabin crew of sparks emanating from the left engine. Subsequently, the pilots were also informed by air traffic control of smoke coming out of one of the engines. The pilots declared an emergency and returned to Patna.

2. Why are bird strikes a concern?
Bird strikes are among the most common threats to aircraft safety and they typically occur during take-off or landing. Dozens of bird-strikes happen each day but some can be more dangerous than others. Typically, when birds collide with an aircraft’s airframe, it is unlikely to cause significant problems for the pilots flying. But there are instances when the aircraft engine ingests the birds. This can lead to a loss of thrust for the engine and cause maneuverability problems for the crew. In these cases, where a jet engine ingests a bird, procedures would generally call for pilots to land the plane at the closest airport. While most airframe bird strikes are not considered critical to air safety, if a collision cracks a window or a wind screen, pilots will look to land as early as possible.

3. How critical are bird strikes to air safety?
Smaller planes would generally be more susceptible to the dangers of bird strikes than larger ones. However, given that bird strikes mostly happen during take-off and landing, these incidents could distract the pilots during what are highly critical phases of flights that demand the complete attention of the crew.

4. What causes bird-strikes?
The presence of birds around an aircraft increases the chances of a bird strike. In the monsoon, as water puddles emerge on open grounds attracting insects to breed, the presence of birds increases. In some cases, bird hits also happen at higher altitudes when a plane is cruising. These are more dangerous than the low-altitude hits, given that they can cause rapid depressurisation of cabins. Other reasons for bird activity around the air field could be the presence of landfills or waste disposal sites that can attract a large number of birds.

Question. Complete the sentence appropriately with one/two words. In cases where the aircraft engine infests the bird, it leads to the loss of thrust and causes problems in ............ .
Answer: maneuverability

Question. Select the option that displays the most likely reason for bird hits.
(a) When the aircraft is overloaded
(b) At the time of landing or taking off
(c) When the crew becomes negligent
(d) When the passengers become panicky
Answer: (b) At the time of landing or taking off

Question. Which are the areas more prone to bird hits?
Answer: Areas near airports that have open grounds with water puddles (especially during monsoon) and locations near landfills or waste disposal sites are more prone to bird hits.

Question. The passage mentions causes and concerns. Classify the following statements as causes and concern.
Statement 1- Fear of air accidents.
Statement 2 - Migration for breeding.
Answer: Statement 1 - Concern. Statement 2 - Cause.

Question. Complete the sentence by selecting the most appropriate option. When the window or the windscreen of the air plane is cracked due to a bird hit, ............
(a) the crew must rush to the cockpit
(b) the pilot must land at the nearest airport
(c) the pilot must inform the maintenance engineer
(d) the pilot must get instructions from the aviation
Answer: (b) the pilot must land at the nearest airport

Question. In some cases, bird hits also happen at higher altitudes when a plane is cruising. These are more dangerous. How?
Answer: Bird hits at higher altitudes are more dangerous because they can cause rapid depressurisation of the aircraft's cabin, which is a critical threat to the safety of passengers and crew.

Question. Based on the reading of the text, state a point to challenge the given statement. The area around air fields should be clear of any waste disposal sites.
Answer: The text supports this statement rather than challenging it, as it notes that landfills or waste disposal sites attract large numbers of birds, which significantly increases the risk of bird strikes.

Question. Based on the reading of the text, state a point to further the statement. Dozens of bird hits take place every day ............
(a) but only a few are dangerous
(b) all of them are fatal
(c) but after every bird hit, it is imperative to land the aircraft
(d) the pilot should ignore them
Answer: (a) but only a few are dangerous

Passage 

1. A recent study cites around 37.15% of children experienced reduced levels of concentration due to smartphone use, and 23.80% of children use smartphones while they are in bed, before going to sleep. Increased usage of mobile phones among children during the Covid-19 pandemic is resulting in internet addiction. The use of smartphones before sleeping is not the only ill-effect of such devices having an adverse impact on children. Checking mobile phones while studying is another menace that is a prominent source of lapses in concentration and weakening of attention span, among children, the study said.

2. The study’s data showed that 42.9% of children confessed to having a social networking account. Among those children are those who have accounts on the major social networking apps/sites which they use. In the age-wise distribution of children having social media accounts, it was found that children of all ages operate social media accounts. A large proportion of 10-year-olds have such accounts. As per the data collected. 78.90% of children said that they spend between 0-2 hours on smartphones using the internet, playing games, listening to music, chatting, etc.

3. When asked about the features/facilities that children like to use or enjoy using on smartphones, internet devices, 52.9% answered as chatting. While the most common purpose is using internet-enabled device for online learning/classes, only 10.1% of children like to use smartphones for online learning and education. The data showed that the most prominent means to access smartphones and the internet for the children is through their parents’ phones (62.6% of all valid respondents used their parents’ phones). It is also interesting to note that 30.2% of the children of all age groups (8 to 18 years) already possess their own smartphones and use the same for all purposes.

4. “Experts working for early detection and prevention of internet addiction at AIIMS Behavioural Addiction clinic suggest that parent’s supervision of their child is of paramount importance. Parents must introduce other life skills to children to ensure a reduction in screen time. The parents can encourage social interaction of the child. More internet de-addiction centers need to be established in the country.
(Source: The federal/25 March/2022/350 word)

Question. Complete the following suitably. An appropriate title of the passage can be ............ .
Answer: Impact of Smartphone Use and Internet Addiction on Children

Question. Which does the increasing usage of phone ‘with age’ indicate?
(a) Internet addiction among children
(b) Internet requirement among children
(c) Concentration and focus among children
(d) Internet literacy among children
Answer: (a) Internet addiction among children

Question. “children of all ages operate social media accounts”. What concerns does this finding raise?
Answer: This finding raises concerns about the early exposure of young children (including 10-year-olds) to social networking sites, leading to internet addiction, reduced concentration levels, and potential lapses in academic focus.

Question. The given passage presents the inference drawn from a study as well as adverse effect it can have. On the basis of the passage, categorise the following statements as inference and effect.
Statement 1- Loss of sleep
Statement 2- 10 years old have social media accounts
Answer: Statement 1 - Effect. Statement 2 - Inference.

Question. Identify an internet addict child from the following statements.
(a) Sania - I turn off my notifications when studying or spending time with friends and family.
(b) Adil - Gosh! I can’t keep my hands off from checking my notifications.
(c) Kanti - My screen timer alerts me when it’s time to stop watching.
Answer: (b) Adil - Gosh! I can’t keep my hands off from checking my notifications.

Question. The survey mentions ill-effects of increased usage of mobile phones among children. What are they? Give any two.
Answer: 1. Reduced levels of concentration and weakening of attention span.
2. Loss of sleep due to smartphone use in bed before sleeping.

Question. How parents can play a pivotal role in curbing the rising menace of internet addiction among children?
Answer: Parents can supervise their children's device usage, introduce other life skills to reduce screen time, and encourage social interaction to prevent addiction.

Question. Complete the sentence appropriately. The real intended reason for promoting access to mobile phone: during COVID pandemic was to facilitate ............ among children.
(a) online chatting
(b) online music listening
(c) online learning
(d) online gaming
Answer: (c) online learning

Passage 

1. Nowadays companies demand an outstanding job performance by every single employee to be better than that of their competitors because there is competition among enterprises. The employers make efforts to motivate the employees and optimise performance.

2. There are numerous factors affecting job performance. These can be divided into external and internal factors. The internal factors are team spirit, competent boss, respect from colleagues and job satisfaction. The external factors are chance for personal development, job security, promotion prospects and monetary incentives. The decisive determinant is that the employees remain highly motivated. One possible method to increase motivation is the salary. Employees are willing to stay longer hours in the office and perform better, when they have the chance to get financial rewards, for instance, a higher salary or bonuses.

3. The bar graph (given below) shows the result of a survey conducted among workers in a company to analyse their work performance across ten different factors that contribute to make their work environment pleasant. The workers are grouped into two categories - those between the ages of 18-30 and those between the 45-60. Interestingly, in six out of the ten factors surveyed, the 18-30 age group is shown to be more affected than the 45-60 age group. Factors, besides the salary, which affect the work performance of the two different age groups are interesting. These factors are the chance for personal development, relaxed working environment, promotion prospects, job satisfaction and monetary incentives. Furthermore, two out of the remaining four factors namely, team spirit and work environment have been equally influential among the two groups. The 45-60 years workers are impacted a lot by ‘respect from colleagues’ whereas the prospect of a promotion is an important reason that drives younger employees to work better.

4. Job performance of happy employees is 31% more productive and they show three times more creativity than their unhappy counterparts. They are more resilient and more likely to stay in the same company for a longer period. Consequently they drive the company towards long-term goals by being more productive and efficient. 

Question. Does the following statement agree with the information given in Paragraph 1?
When the company has a lot of competitors, it tries to invent the most efficient technology to stay ahead.
Select from the following.
Answer: Not Given If there is no information on this

Question. Why do you think the companies demand an exemplary performance from their employees? Support your answer with reference to the passage.
Answer: Companies demand exemplary performance because there is intense competition among enterprises, and they need their employees to perform better than those of their competitors to maintain an edge.

Question. Select the option that displays the most likely reason for employees to perform better.
(a) Companies demand an outstanding performance
(b) If the company grows, their growth is assured
(c) When there are chances to get financial gratification
(d) To drive the company towards long-term goals
Answer: (c) When there are chances to get financial gratification

Question. Select two factors that display that work performance of both the categories of workers remains the same.
Answer: Team spirit and work environment.

Question. Based on the bar graph, complete the following statement. The 18-30 age group is shown to be more affected than the 45-60 age group in most factors. We can say this because ............ .
Answer: in six out of the ten factors surveyed, their scores/percentages for work environment pleasantness were higher.

Question. Complete the given sentence by selecting the most appropriate option. Loyalty as an attribute is there in employees who are
(a) senior
(b) healthy
(c) motivated
(d) happy
Answer: (d) happy

Question. The 45-60 age group workers are motivated by ............ .
Answer: respect from colleagues

Question. Based on the reading of the passage, state a point to challenge the given statement. Increase in salary is the only motivation for better job performance.
Answer: Job performance is also significantly affected by internal factors like team spirit, respect from colleagues, and job satisfaction, as well as external factors like personal development and a relaxed work environment.

Question. Complete the sentence. The internal factors affecting work performance are . . . . . . .
Answer: team spirit, competent boss, respect from colleagues and job satisfaction.

Question. Complete the given sentence by selecting the most appropriate option. The concluding sentence of the passage makes a clear case for ............ by listing it as a core component of steering the company towards long-term goals.
(a) collaboration
(b) flexibility
(c) happiness
(d) adaptability
Answer: (c) happiness

Passage 

1. Ratan, a global brand in Dairy products, works on a business model popularly known as, ‘The Ratan Model’. This model aims to provide value for money to the customers and protect the interests of farmers simultaneously.

2. The Ratan Model is a three-tiered structure that is implemented in its dairy production: Firstly, Ratan acts as a direct link between milk producers and consumers that removes the middlemen. Secondly, farmers (milk producers) control procurement, processing and marketing. Thirdly, it is a professionally managed organisation.

3. One can understand the Ratan Model better by taking cognizance of ‘Ratan’s Target Audience’, where it has targeted the mass market of India with no premium offerings and works on providing the best quality products at affordable prices.

4. So Ratan formulates its pricing policy on the low cost price strategy which has attracted a lot of customers in the past and it continues to do so.

5. Another stance used by Ratan’s Target Audience is based on customer-wise targeting and industry wise targeting. This strategy divides the target audience on the following two bases.
Segment wise break down to Customer-Based target Audience
Customers: Kids -> Ratan products: Chocolate, Ratan cool, Ratan milk
Customers: Youth -> Ratan products: Ratan Pizza cheese. Cheese spread
Customers: Health Conscious -> Ratan products: Ratan Shakti, Ratan Lite, Butter

The above table showcases how Ratan has a diversified customer base.

7. Industry Based Target Audience: Ratan has segmented milk for various industries such as ice-cream manufacturers, restaurants, coffee shops, and many similar- industries. Further, it has segmented butter, ghee and cheese for bakeries, snack retailers, confectioneries and many more.

8. The target audience study tells us that Ratan has a strong presence in both Business-to-Business and Business-to-Customers.

9. Ratan’s marketing campaigns and strategies are implemented in a very attractive way. For example, the story of the ‘Ratan Girl’ is a popular ‘ad’ icon. It is a hand drawn cartoon of a young girl.

Question. Does the following statement agree with the information given in the passage.
Ratan has created a new business model named the ‘Ratan Model’.
Select from the following.
Answer: True if the statement agrees with the information

Question. What does ‘The Ratan Model’ aim at?
Answer: The Ratan Model aims to provide value for money to the customers and protect the interests of farmers simultaneously.

Question. Select the option that states the purpose of the table given along with the passage.
(a) To show how Ratan diversified customer base
(b) To show the Ratan model’s focus
(c) To point out how Ratan’s model is customer oriented
(d) To show how Ratan dairy became popular
Answer: (a) To show how Ratan diversified customer base

Question. Complete the sentence appropriately. The Ratan Model is a ............ that is implemented in its dairy production.
Answer: three-tiered structure

Question. Which of the following products can be targeted for health conscious people.
(a) Coconut milk
(b) Cold coffee
(c) White butter
(d) Flavoured curd
Answer: (c) White butter (Note: Based on the table listing Butter under Health Conscious)

Question. Select the most appropriate title for the passage.
(a) Ratan’s business model
(b) Ratan’s three-tiered structure
(c) Ratan the dairy company
(d) Both (b) and (c)
Answer: (a) Ratan’s business model

Question. Which word in the passage means the same as awareness?
(a) Implemented
(b) Premium
(c) Procurement
(d) Cognisance
Answer: (d) Cognisance

Question. ‘Ratan acts as a direct link ............ ‘. Explain.
Answer: This means that Ratan connects milk producers directly to consumers, which eliminates middlemen and ensures that farmers get better value while consumers get affordable products.

Question. ‘Ratan Target Audience’ is described as a diversified market. Explain with reference to the given table.
Answer: The table shows that Ratan caters to different age groups and lifestyles, such as kids with chocolate and milk, youth with cheese products, and health-conscious individuals with Shakti and Lite variants.

Question. Name the two basis on which Ratan divides the target audience.
Answer: Customer-wise targeting and Industry-wise targeting.

Question. In which two spheres does Ratan have a strong presence?
(a) Business to Business
(b) Business to Customers
(c) Business to Government
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)

Question. Which is the most loved ad icon of Ratan?
Answer: The ‘Ratan Girl’, a hand-drawn cartoon of a young girl.

Passage 

1. Our history makes it evident that the Indian Plastics Industry made a vigorous beginning in 1957 but it took more than 30 years for it to pervade Indian lifestyles. In 1979, ‘the market for plastics’ was just being seeded by the state-owned Indian Petro-Chemicals and it was only in 1994 that plastic soft drink bottles became a visible source of annoyance.

2. In the same year, people in other cities were concerned about the state of public sanitation and also urged regulatory bodies to ban the production, distribution and use of plastic bags. However, the challenge was greater than it appeared at first.

3. The massive generation of plastic waste in India is due to rapid urbanisation, spread of retail chains, plastic packaging from grocery to food and vegetable products, to consumer items and cosmetics. The projected high growth rates of GDP and continuing rapid urbanisation suggest that India’s trajectory of plastic consumption and plastic waste is likely to increase.
Global plastics production 1950 to 2020
Annual global polymer resin and fiber production (plastic production), measured in metric tonnes per year.

4. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report of 2018, India stands among few other countries like France, Mongolia and several African countries that have initiated total or partial national level bans on plastics in their jurisdictions. On World Environment Day in 2018, India vowed to phase out single-use plastics by 2022, which gave a much needed impetus to bring this change.

5. In this context, thereafter ten states (Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Odisha, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu) are currently sending their collected waste to cement plants for co-processing, twelve other states/UTs are using plastic waste for polymer bitumen road construction and still four other states are using the plastic waste for waste-to-energy plants and oil production. A world of greater possibilities has now opened up to initiate appropriate and concrete actions to build up the necessary institutions and systems before oceans turn, irreversibly into a thin soup of plastic.

6. However, there is no one single masterstroke to counter the challenges witnessed by the staggering plastic waste management in the country. The time is now to formulate robust and inclusive National Action Plans and while doing so, the country will establish greater transparency to combat the plastic jeopardy in a more sustainable and holistic way.

Question. Does the following statement agree with the information given in the passage.
Pollution as a menace came into limelight in early 1990s.
Select from the following.
Answer: True if the statement agrees with the information

Question. What does the writer mean by the visible source of annoyance?
Answer: The writer refers to plastic soft drink bottles which became a prominent and obvious environmental problem and litter in 1994.

Question. Complete the sentence appropriately. The market for plastic was introduced by ............ .
Answer: the state-owned Indian Petro-Chemicals

Question. The fact that India’s trajectory of plastic consumption and plastic waste is likely to increase is suggested by . . . . . . .
(a) high growth rates of GDP
(b) rapid urbanisation
(c) Industrialisation
(d) Both (a) and (b)
Answer: (d) Both (a) and (b)

Question. Complete the sentence appropriately. The last Paragraph of the passage . . . . . . .
(a) states the need for effective garbage disposal
(b) states the need for effective plastic waste management
(c) states the need for urgent government action
(d) states the need for an effective implementation of strategies
Answer: (b) states the need for effective plastic waste management

Question. What stepas are being taken to combat the challenges of plastic waste management? What will be its impact?
Answer: States are sending waste to cement plants, using it for bitumen road construction, and for waste-to-energy plants. These actions aim to create sustainable systems to manage plastic and prevent irreversible ocean pollution.

Question. What does the upward trend of the graph indicate?
Answer: The upward trend indicates a massive, continuous increase in global plastic production from 1950 to 2020.

Question. What does the line, ‘oceans turning irreversibly into a thin soup of plastic’ suggest?
Answer: It suggests that without urgent action, ocean pollution will become permanent and total, with plastic debris fundamentally altering the marine environment into a toxic mixture.