ISC Class 12 English Language Board Exam Question Paper 2019 with Solutions

ISC Class 12 English Board Exam Question Paper with Solutions 2019

Question 1.
Write a composition (in approximately 450-500 words) on any one of the following subjects : [25 Marks]
(You are reminded that you will be rewarded for orderly and coherent presentation of material, use of appropriate style and general accuracy of spelling, punctuation and grammar.)
(a) You have gone on a trekking expedition with a group of friends. As night closed in, you realised that you were separated from the group. Describe your initial feelings and the place where you got lost. How did you spend the night alone before you were reunited with your group?
(b) It is easy to advice others not to worry, but difficult for oneself to follow the same. Narrate an experience which made you realise the truth of this statement.
(c) 'The best things in life come free'. Write for or against the statement.
(d) Photographs
(e) In order to be successful, one should rely on oneself and not expect others to help. Express your views on the given statement.
(f) Write an original short story beginning with the following words :
She was delighted to find the sealed envelope lying on her table. As she reached for it ........................

Answer:

(a) A Trekking Expedition
A trekking expedition is always interesting and thrilling. We, a group of friends, decided to go on trekking in Manali during the winter season. I was highly excited. I thought we would have fun all the way. So I took keen interest in making preparations. Some of my friends had already had trekking experiences. They sounded less enthused than others in the group, including myself. When they cautioned us about the difficulties on the way, I just pooh-poohed what they said.

We decided to walk all the day to reach Manhar, a small sleepy village where the uncle of one of our friends lived. He said that we would stay at his place for the night, and then resume our journey back to Manali the next day. Throughout the day long journey we all enjoyed a lot. Though after some hours of trekking in the valley on zig-zag, rough paths, we felt tired. We saw in the distance a black bear, but it disappeared in no time.

In my enthusiasm, I opted to take a short-route. No one accompanied me. I went on and on, all alone. After an hour, the sun suddenly disappeared, and black clouds came threateningly over me. There was no one visible. Only a mixture of animal sounds struck my ears. I realized that I had got lost. I tried to look for some hut to take shelter. In no time, the rain started. I was full of fear. It was becoming difficult to find the way. I slipped once or twice. A sudden roar of some animal - maybe a tiger - gave me shivers of fright. Thankfully, no animal came on my way.

Suddenly my eyes fell on a deserted hut on a mound. I rushed, almost running, to the place. I was surprised that there was no one in the hut. But to my good luck, a cot and a blanket were there. There were a few packets of eatables; I ate some and lay down on the cot after having secured the door.

When I woke up, I found myself surrounded by my friends who had come all the way in search of me when the day had dawned. I was happy to be reunited with them.

I would never forget this trekking expedition. It taught me not to be over-zealous at any time in life.

Teacher's Note:
a) This narrative essay effectively captures the sequence of events, emotional shift from excitement to fear, and a clear moral lesson at the end.
b) Students must ensure vivid descriptive language and maintain chronological order while keeping within the suggested word limit.

Question 2.
(a) You are Nitin/Nita from XYZ School. You wish to start applying to various colleges for admission after your ISC examination. In about 300 words, draft your personal profile using the guidelines given below : [20 Marks]
Your name, years spent in the school you are passing out from - academic interests and performance - cultural activities you participated in - sports - positions of leadership held during your stay in the school - your future plans and goals - two characteristics that you consider to be your strengths - two characteristics that set you apart from the others.

(b) As a member of the Student Council of your school, you wish to start an old clothes collection drive. These clothes are to be donated to an orphanage nearby. Write a proposal in not more than 150 words, stating the steps you would take to make it a success.

Answer:

(a) Personal Profile
1. Name : Nitin
2. Father's Name : Sh. A.N. Sharma
3. Address : 13, New Park, Gurugram
4. Education : Studied in St. Joseph's School, Gurugram; passed ISC exam securing 95% marks, 2018
5. Academic Interests : Reading journals on Computer Science; interest in Artificial Intelligence
6. Cultural Activities : Participated in debates at the Inter-School Level; won many First Prizes
7. Sports : Interest in playing cricket
8. Position of Leadership : Was Head Boy for 1 year at the school
9. Future Plans : Want to do MS in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence); desire to work in an MNC in the USA
10. Personality : Hard work and sincerity in whatever I do; innovative mind, applying theories to day-to-day life.

Teacher's Note:
a) The personal profile is structured clearly using point-wise headings as requested by the prompt.
b) Students must include all required parameters accurately without exceeding the specified word limits.

(b) Proposal for Old Clothes Collection Drive
Heading: Proposal to start an old clothes collection drive
Objectives:
- The orphanage near our school needs clothing badly.
- Woollen clothes and blankets to be provided urgently.
- A system to be developed to cater to all kinds of needs of the inmates of the orphanage.
- The old clothes collection drive to be focused on the students of our school.

List of Measures:
- Students of senior classes to be requested to donate clothes liberally.
- A parents' meeting to be arranged to apprise them of the drive and to make a request for help.
- The morning assembly to be used for exhorting the students to donate and collect as many clothes, sweaters, jackets, blankets, etc., as possible.
- The Principal and the staff to be involved in the drive actively.

Conclusion:
- The humanitarian task to be undertaken by the Student Council will have a sobering influence and provide a novel experience for the students.

- Rakesh
Member, Student Council
St. Joseph School, Gurugram

Teacher's Note:
a) The proposal follows the standard format comprising a heading, objectives, list of measures, and conclusion.
b) Ensure concise phrasing to strictly adhere to the word limit of 150 words.

Question 3.
Answer sections (a), (b) and (c).

(a) In each of the following items, sentence A is complete, while sentence B is not. Complete sentence B, making it as similar as possible to sentence A. Write sentence B in each case. [10 Marks]
Example:
(0) (A) : All nooks and corners were checked.
(B) : No ..............................

Answer:
(0) No nook or corner was left unchecked.
(1) He is too old to remember events of the past.
(2) No sooner does the bell ring than the children run out to play.
(3) Jupiter is the biggest planet.
(4) Besides being forgetful, he is careless with his work.
(5) In all probability, the ship will reach the shore.
(6) She said, "I will return the book to the library tomorrow."
(7) None but the trained graduates need to apply for the post.
(8) I have always been puzzled by his attitude towards his parents.
(9) Although he loved his little daughter, he was in mortal fear of her fierce temper.
(10) On hearing the news of her daughter's result, she was very happy.

Teacher's Note:
a) Transformation of sentences requires retaining the exact original meaning while modifying the grammatical structure as prompted.
b) Watch out for spelling and punctuation errors, especially when converting direct/indirect speech or negative structures.

(b) Fill in each blank with a suitable word. (Do not write the sentence.) [5 Marks]
(1) She turned .............................. the offer to work at the factory.
(2) To everyone's surprise, he turned .............................. at the party.
(3) He broke .............................. in the middle of his speech at the function.
(4) The burglars broke .............................. the house when the family was away.
(5) He agreed to carry .............................. the manager's orders.
(6) Sita's daughter carried .............................. the family business when Sita went abroad.
(7) He ran .............................. from home at the age of ten.
(8) I ran .............................. my old friend in the market place.
(9) Her aunt looks .............................. her aging grandparents.
(10) The Principal looks .............................. matters of complaint from teachers and students.

Answer:
(1) down
(2) up
(3) down
(4) into
(5) out
(6) on
(7) away
(8) across
(9) after
(10) into

Teacher's Note:
a) Phrasal verbs change their meanings entirely with different prepositions; students must memorize standard idiomatic combinations.
b) Pay close attention to context clues in the sentence to choose the correct preposition.

(c) Fill in the blanks in the passage given below with the appropriate form of the verb given in brackets. Do not write the passage, but write the verbs in the correct order. [5 Marks]
One day I .............................. (1) (be) in the lunch line, and there I saw a pile of apples. The teacher-in-charge .............................. (2) (stare) at me and said, '"Just .............................. (3) (take) one. God .............................. (4) (watch)". So, I .............................. (5) (take) an apple, and the line .............................. (6) (move) along. At the next table there .............................. (7) (be) a pile of chocolate chip cookies. I .............................. (8) (not know) what to do. "Psst," the kid behind me .............................. (9) (whisper). ".............................. (10) (take) all you want. God's watching the apple."

Answer:
(1) was
(2) stared
(3) take
(4) is watching
(5) took
(6) moved
(7) was
(8) did not know
(9) whispered
(10) Take

Teacher's Note:
a) Sequence of tenses must match the narrative past tense backdrop while accommodating direct quotations in present tense.
b) Ensure correct numbering corresponding strictly to the blanks provided in the passage.

Question 4.
Read the passage given below and answer the questions (a), (b) and (c) that follow :

(1) At the Literary Society's meeting, Isola read out the letters written to her Granny Pheen, when she was but a little girl. They were from a very kind man - a complete stranger. Isola told us how these letters came to be written.

(2) When Granny Pheen was nine years old, her cat died. Heartbroken, sitting in the middle of the road, she was sobbing her heart out.

(3) A carriage, driving far too fast, came within a whisker of running her down. A very big man in a dark coat with a fur collar, jumped out, leaned over Pheen and asked if he could help her. Granny Pheen said she was beyond help. Muffin, her cat, was dead.

(4) The man said, 'Of course, Muffin's not dead. You do know cats have nine lives, don't you?' When Pheen said yes, the man said, 'Well, I happen to know your Muffin was only on her third life, so she has six lives left.' Pheen asked how he knew. He said he always knew - cats would often appear in his mind and chat with him. Well, not in words, of course, but in pictures.

(5) He sat down on the road beside her and told her to keep still - very still. He would see if Muffin wanted to visit him. They sat in silence for several minutes, when suddenly the man grabbed Pheen's hand.

(6) 'Ah - yes! There she is ! She's being born this minute! In a mansion - in France. There's a little boy petting her, he's going to call her Solange. This Solange has great spirit, great verve - I can tell already ! She is going to have a long, venturesome life'.

(7) Granny Pheen was so rapt by Muffin's new fate that she stopped crying. The man said he would visit Solange every so often and find out how she was faring.

(8) He asked for Granny Pheen's name and the name of the farm where she lived, got back into the carriage, and left.

(9) Absurd as all this sounds, Granny Pheen did receive eight long letters, Isola then read them out. They were all about Muffin's life as the French cat - Solange. She was, apparently, something of a feline musketeer. She was no idle cat, lolling about on cushions, lapping up cream - she lived through one wild adventure after another - the only cat ever to be awarded the red rosette of the Legion of Honour.

(10) What a story this man had made up for Pheen - lively, witty, full of drama and suspense. We were enchanted, speechless at the reading. When it was over (and much applauded), I asked Isola if I could see the letters, and she handed them to me.

The writer had signed his letters with a grand flourish.

Very Truly Yours,
O.F.O'F. W.W.

It was highly possible that Isola had inherited eight letters written by Oscar Wilde, for who else could have had such a preposterous name as Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Willis Wilde.

Adapted from The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society -
By Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

(a) (i) Given below are four words and phrases. Find the words which have a similar meaning in the passage : [4 Marks]
(1) adventurous
(2) cat-like
(3) appreciated
(4) received something on someone's death

Answer:
(1) venturesome
(2) feline
(3) applauded
(4) inherited

Teacher's Note:
a) Vocabulary questions require scanning the text for precise synonyms matching the given definitions.
b) Verify spelling directly from the passage text.

(ii) For each of the words given below, write a sentence of at least ten words using the same word unchanged in form, but with a different meaning from that which it carries in the passage : [4 Marks]
(1) kind (line 2)
(2) mind (line 13)
(3) still (line 15)
(4) sounds (line 26)

Answer:
(1) I am not that kind of girl who can be easily flattered.
(2) Would you mind my smoking in your room for a while?
(3) I am sorry, but there is still more bad news for you.
(4) Try to be familiar with different sounds and smells of the forest.

Teacher's Note:
a) Students must create completely original sentences demonstrating a distinct contextual meaning from the original text.
b) Pay close attention to the mandatory minimum length requirement of at least ten words per sentence.

(b) Answer the following questions in your own words as briefly as possible :
(i) Where did Isola get the letters from to read at the Literary Society's meeting? [2 Marks]

Answer:
Isola got the letters from her Granny, which had been written to her by a stranger (in reality, Oscar Wilde) when she was just a small girl.

Teacher's Note:
a) Answers should be concise and framed in the student's own words based on the passage.
b) Ensure all key components of the question are addressed directly.

(ii) Who consoled Granny Pheen when she was heart-broken? What did he say about Muffin's lives? [2 Marks]

Answer:
A very big stranger who jumped out of a carriage consoled Granny Pheen. He said that Muffin was not really dead since cats have nine lives, and Muffin was only on her third life with six lives left.

Teacher's Note:
a) Read both parts of the question carefully to ensure complete coverage.
b) Keep explanations brief and factual according to the text.

(iii) What did the man say when Granny Pheen asked him how he knew about cats' lives? [2 Marks]

Answer:
The man told Granny Pheen that he always knew about cats' lives because cats would often appear in his mind and chat with him in pictures rather than words.

Teacher's Note:
a) Capture the specific detail regarding how communication took place in his mind.
b) Avoid copying long verbatim chunks; summarize succinctly in your own words.

(iv) According to the man, what was Muffin's new fate ? [3 Marks]

Answer:
According to the man, Muffin was being born that very minute in a mansion in France as a little cat named Solange, who would be petted by a little boy and destined to have a long, venturesome life with great spirit and verve.

Teacher's Note:
a) This carries 3 marks, so include all descriptive elements of the new fate (birth in France, name Solange, spirited life).
b) Maintain accuracy in recounting narrative details from paragraph 6.

(c) In not more than 100 words, summarise why the eight letters were a treasure to Granny Pheen. (Paragraphs 2 to 10). Failure to keep within the word limit will be penalised. You will be required to write the summary in the form of a connected passage in about 100 words. [8 Marks]

Answer:
When young Granny Pheen was heartbroken over her dead cat Muffin, a stranger consoled her by spinning an imaginative tale that Muffin was reborn as a spirited French cat named Solange. Later, Pheen received eight long, witty letters from him detailing Solange's wild adventures and ultimate honor, the Legion of Honour. These imaginative letters transformed her grief into delight, serving as an extraordinary and cherished treasure throughout her life.

Teacher's Note:
a) The summary must be written as a continuous connected paragraph without bullet points.
b) Strict adherence to the 100-word limit is mandatory to prevent negative marking.