CBSE Class 12 English Discursive Passage MCQs Set A

Discursive Passage

1. Social media sites serve as a platform to connect with our friends and relatives. We share our happiness as well as sad moments on social media platforms to let those on our friend list know how we are feeling and what we are doing in life. People ‘like’ our status, updates and photographs and ‘comment’ on them to tell us how they feel about it all. This is a great way to socialise in this busy world. It makes us feel that everyone we love and want to be in touch with, is just a click away. However, social media becomes a problem when we get addicted to it.
2. Many people living in different parts of the world are suffering from social media addiction and are bearing their consequences too. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter may help us connect with our distant relatives and long-lost friends but social media addiction is distancing us from our immediate family and close friends. People addicted to social media are hooked to these platforms for hours. They do not care if their loved ones are sitting with them or trying to make a conversation. All they care about is who updated what on social media and how many people liked or commented on their posts.
3. Social media addicts frequently check updates and notifications on social media platforms. This can be as frequent as twenty-thirty times in an hour. Viewing a new notification, especially one involving their posts gives them a high. Lack of it, on the other hand, can make them feel sad and depressed.
4. All that the social media addicts care about is to maintain an attractive social media profile. They are mostly seen clicking pictures during social events, family gatherings and even during getaways with friends. They hardly enjoy the moment or talk to the people around them. They are only focused on collecting pictures that can be uploaded on their social media accounts or busy checking and commenting on the status updates of those on their friend list.
5. They post updates stating they are enjoying with their family or having fun with their friends while in reality, they do not even interact properly with anyone around. This is the grave reality of social media addicts. Social media addiction is becoming a big problem. It is ironic how a platform created to help people socialise is actually cutting them off from society.

Question. What is the negative effect of social media?
(a) connecting with friends
(b) ignoring family
(c) ignoring friends
(d) making friends
Answer: (b)

Question. Choose the option that best captures the central idea of the passage from the given quotes.
1. “Don’t use social media to impress people; use it to impact people.” —Dave Willis
2. “It takes discipline to not let social media steal your time.” —Alexis Ohanian
3. “Social media is addictive precisely because it gives us something which the real world lacks; it gives us immediacy, direction, and value as an individual.” —David Amerland
4. “It’s not who you know in social media. It’s how well you maintain and strengthen your relationships.” —Stuart Davidson
(a) option 1
(b) option 2
(c) option 3
(d) option 4
Answer: (c)

Question. According to the context of the passage, what does a social media addict care about?
(a) family
(b) children
(c) parents
(d) update about friends
Answer: (d)

Question. Social media is distancing us from our immediate __________.
(a) family
(b) house
(c) car
(d) garden
Answer: (a)

Question. Social media addicts just want to maintain an attractive __________.
(a) bank balance
(b) results
(c) profile
(d) life
Answer: (c)

Question. Social media addicts do not like to __________ with people.
(a) interact
(b) fight
(c) argue
(d) exist
Answer: (a)

Question. The biggest issue with social media is that it is becoming _______.
(a) popular
(b) an addiction
(c) intense
(d) expensive
Answer: (b)

Question. Pick up a word from the passage which means the same as ‘serious’.
(a) casual
(b) light
(c) funny
(d) grave
Answer: (d)

Question. The synonym of ‘bliss’ as given in paragraph 1 is:
(a) sadness
(b) happiness
(c) misery
(d) ill-being
Answer: (b)

Question. Choose the option that CORRECTLY states the two aspects of ‘social media’, as used in the passage.
1. connects with friends
2. appreciates friends
3. share happiness and sad moments
4. share address
5. share property
(a) 1 and 3
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 4 and 5
Answer: (a)

Question. The antonym of ‘repellent’ as given in paragraph 4 is:
(a) alluring
(b) charming
(c) glamorous
(d) attractive
Answer: (d)

Question. The antonym of ‘depressed’ as given in paragraph 3 is:
(a) height
(b) low
(c) high
(d) flap
Answer: (c)

The Life of a Flea

1. Fleas are perfectly designed by nature to feast on anything containing blood. Fleas are ideally equipped to do what they do, making them very difficult to defeat. The bodies of these tiny parasites are well suited for their job.
2. A flea has a very hard exoskeleton, which means the body is covered by a tough, tile-like plate called a sclerite. Because of these plates, fleas are almost impossible to squish. The exoskeletons of fleas are also waterproof and shock-resistant and therefore, they are highly resistant to the sprays and chemicals used to kill them.
3. Little spines are attached to the sclerite. The spines lie flat against the flea’s thin, narrow body as it scurries through an animal’s fur in search of food. If anything tries to pull a flea off the hair coat, these spines extend and stick to the fur-like velcro.
4. Fleas are some of the best jumpers in the natural world. A flea can jump seven inches, or 150 times its own length, either vertically or horizontally. An equivalent jump for a person would be 555 feet. Fleas can jump 30,000 times in a row without stopping and they are able to accelerate through the air at an incredibly high rate.
5. Fleas have very long rear legs with huge thigh muscles and multiple joints. Several of their joints contain a protein called resilin, which helps catapult fleas into the air as they jump. Outward-facing claws on the bottom of their legs grip anything they touch when they land.
6. The adult female flea mates after her first blood meal and begins producing eggs in just 1 to 2 days. One flea can lay up to 50 eggs in one day and over 2,000 in her lifetime. Flea eggs can be seen with the naked eye, but they are about the size of a grain of salt. Shortly after being laid, the eggs begin to transform into cocoons.
7. In the cocoon state, fleas are fully developed adults and hatch immediately if conditions are favourable. If not, it can remain dormant in the cocoon state for extended periods. Under ideal conditions, the entire life cycle may only take 3 weeks. Because of these characteristics, fleas are intimidating opponents. The best way to control fleas, therefore, is to take steps to prevent an infestation from ever occurring.

Question. The primary purpose of the passage is to .………….
(a) explain why a flea can live a long life
(b) explain why a flea is strong
(c) explain why a flea infestation is hard to get rid of
(d) explain why a flea infestation is become an adult quickly
Answer: (c)

Question. The author’s tone in the passage is best described as.………….
(a) Argumentative
(b) Informative
(c) Persuasive
(d) Pedantic
Answer: (b)

Question. According to the passage, the fleas are resistant to sprays and chemicals because .………….
(a) they have waterproof sclerites
(b) they have oily sclerites
(c) they have serrated sclerites
(d) they have bony sclerites
Answer: (a)

Question. The entire life cycle of a flea only takes .………….
(a) 7 weeks
(b) 8 weeks
(c) 2 weeks
(d) 3 weeks
Answer: (d)

Question. The exoskeletons of fleas are .………….
(a) weatherproof and shock resistant
(b) waterproof and shock resistant
(c) waterproof and spray resistant
(d) none of these
Answer: (b)

Question. Fleas can jump .………… times in a row, both .………… and .………….
(a) 30,000, horizontal and vertical
(b) many, vertical and horizontal
(c) 3,000, vertical and horizontal
(d) none of these
Answer: (a)

Question. The fleas become .………… in cocoons.
(a) young
(b) worms
(c) adults
(d) larvae
Answer: (c)

Question. Fleas are one of the best jumpers in the natural world because of a protein called .……… and huge .………….
(a) resilin, multiple joints
(b) resilin, thigh muscles
(c) resilience, thigh muscles
(d) resilin, joint muscles
Answer: (b)

Question. The best way to control fleas is to take steps to prevent .………….
(a) an infestation from ever occurring
(b) an infestation from occurring the second time
(c) an infestation in large quantities
(d) none of the above
Answer: (a)

Question. Which word in the passage means “to move quickly with short steps”?
(a) resistant
(b) scurries
(c) catapult
(d) infestation
Answer: (b)

Question. Which word in the passage is opposite in meaning to ‘decelerate’?
(a) infestation
(b) catapult
(c) accelerate
(d) scurries
Answer: (c)

Question. Fleas are some of the .………… in the natural world.
(a) best swimmers
(b) best hoppers
(c) best jumpers
(d) best kickers
Answer: (c)

Climate Change

1. Climate change is one of the biggest global problems and almost every country is affected by it. The main cause of climate change is the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. The concentration of carbon dioxide has increased mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels like oil and coal. The average temperature of the earth has risen by more than 1° Celsius as compared to the pre-industrial era, 2016 being the warmest year recorded. This has caused the shrinkage of snow cover in mountains like the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska and Africa. NASA’s experiments have shown a massive loss of ice cover in Greenland and Antarctica. Particularly Greenland has lost approximately 286 billion tons of ice per year since 1993. In the last century, the seawater level has raised by almost 20 centimetres. As oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, its pH level decreases. This phenomenon is called ocean acidification. It is affecting the coral reef ecosystem. Climate change has caused erratic precipitation patterns all over the world.
2. Reducing the emission of greenhouse gases can limit climate change. This can be achieved by reducing consumption of fossil fuels and incorporating renewable resources such as solar energy, hydropower, wind energy, etc., for power generation. Climate change will require modification of key services and infrastructure. Climate action can derive economic benefits to the tune of 26 trillion and generate more than 18 million jobs in the sustainable energy sector alone by 2030.
3. The Government of India launched the National Action Plan on Climate Change on 30th June 2008; focusing on solar power, sustainable agriculture, energy efficiency, water, etc. The Government has set a target of producing 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022. This will abate nearly 190 million tons of CO2 over its life cycle. More such steps, such as the development of public transportation are needed to be taken up by the government.

Question. What is the message conveyed in the second paragraph?
(a) climate change cannot be limited
(b) limiting climate change will have no impact on the economy
(c) limiting climate change can help create jobs in sustainable energy sector by 2030
(d) reduction of fossil fuels will have an undesirable impact on limiting climate change
Answer: (c)

Question. Choose the option that best captures the central idea of the passage from the given quotes.
1. “Stopping climate change will make us richer than doing nothing.” —James Shaw
2. “Although the magnitude of climate change may make individuals feel helpless, individual action is critical for meaningful change.” —Mia Armstrong
3. “Climate change will test our intelligence, our compassion and our will. But we are equal to that challenge.” —Justin Trudeau
4. All of these
(a) option 1
(b) option 2
(c) option 3
(d) option 4
Answer: (d)

Question. Emission of greenhouse gases causes which of the following phenomenon?
(a) rise in temperature
(b) shrinkage of snow cover
(c) rise in sea level
(d) all of these
Answer: (d)

Question. As oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, their pH level decreases. This process is called ______________.
(a) ocean acidification
(b) ocean salination
(c) ocean current
(d) none of these
Answer: (a)

Question. When did the Government of India launch the National Action Plan on Climate Change?
(a) 30th June 2008
(b) 30th June 2010
(c) 30th April 2008
(d) 30th December 2018
Answer: (a)

Question. What is the target that the Government has set for producing solar capacity by 2022?
(a) 10 GW
(b) 20 GW
(c) 200 GW
(d) 100 GW
Answer: (d)

Question. In the last century, the seawater level has risen by almost ____________.
(a) 21 centimetres
(b) 18 centimetres
(c) 20 centimetres
(d) 28 centimetres
Answer: (c)

Question. Which of the following will be the most appropriate title for the passage?
(a) world moves on
(b) weather is turning
(c) climate change crisis
(d) climate change; a hoax
Answer: (c)

Question. The rising temperatures have caused ____________ of snow cover in the mountains.
(a) abundance
(b) shrinkage
(c) increase
(d) thickening
Answer: (b)

Question. Choose the option that correctly specifies the two aspects of ‘fossil fuels’ as used in the passage.
(1) burning (2) consumption (3) reduction (4) conservation (5) production
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 4 and 5
Answer: (a)

Question. Which of the following can be used to bring an effective climate control?
(a) solar power
(b) electricity
(c) water resources
(d) fertile soil
Answer: (a)

Question. Which of the following word is a synonym to sustainable?
(a) perishable
(b) stale
(c) old
(d) imperishable
Answer: (d)

Agrobiodiversity initiatives open women’s horizons in Kerala

1. Kaliamma Nanjan, 70, sings as she cuts through her farm in Kerala’s Western Ghats. She deftly navigates the slopes of Attappady in Palakkad district with the gravity-defying dexterity of a mountain goat. Her silver-grey hair and bright saree vanish as she enters her mosaic-like 3.5-acre farm — her own agrobio diversity haven.
2. There is one acre each of paddy, little millet and finger millet, and the remaining area is divided between vegetables for daily use, hyacinth beans, corn, and pulses.
3. Kaliamma is part of a unique project as a “Master Farmer” with the Kudumbashree Mission to promote and mainstream agrobiodiversity by reviving traditional and sustainable farming practices called panchakrishi.
4. Agrobiodiversity is the sustained management of various biological resources including multi-cropping, trees, herbs, spices, livestock, fish species and non domesticated resources within fields and forests.
5. By breaking away from the silo of limiting agrobiodiversity to conservation, the Kudumbashree project integrates increasing farm productivity, boosting nutritional security, and providing market access to tribal communities in remote areas.
6. The Western Ghats is an agrobiodiversity hotspot, and in Attappady indigenous methods like panchakrishi protect it.
7. Over 10,000 tribals live in Attappady, with a majority displaced from the farm sector over the years. Land conflict, intensive farming, marginalisation have resulted in worsening socio-economic indicators including malnutrition, child deaths and food crisis linked to land alienation and the loss of their traditional agriculture in tribal communities, the government has noted. Kudumbashree entered Attappady with a host of projects after malnutrition claimed 58 lives in 2012-2014.
8. Kudumbashree, Kerala’s programme and network for women’s empowerment and poverty eradication with over 4.3 million members, has its hands in many pies. It has floated special projects for tribal women living in the 745 square km Attappady block in Palakkad in 2017.
9. “For this project, Kudumbashree has mobilised its community-based networks and aligned with the Mahila Kisan Sashakthikarana Pariyojana (MKSP), under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission,” Sai Dalvi, District Mission Coordinator in Palakkad, said.
10. There are 192 hamlets and over 840 ha under panchakrishi farming, producing pulses, tubers, paddy, millets, and vegetables.
11. “Government and farmers organisations need to be the base, but the farmers should have the autonomy,” explained Ramanatha Rao, a geneticist formerly with policy and think-tank Bioversity International.
12. “We need to pay attention to what farmers want,” said Rao.
13. “Production-oriented agriculture has sacrificed agro biodiversity and farmer well-being while compro mising on environmental protection and nature conservation. For long, we have looked at these aspects disparately, without an integrated approach.”
14. Mainstreaming involves integrating specific compo nents of biodiversity into other sectors for the generation of mutual benefits, as noted in Main streaming Agrobiodiversity in Sustainable Food Systems published in 2016. However, this isn’t a one size-fits-all approach. Governments, farmer organisa tions and consumer associations can influence programmes and policies that can combine agrobio diversity with tourism, conservation, increasing productivity, resilience, climate change mitigation or adaptation, nutritional security, food sovereignty or poverty alleviation.

Question. Kaliamma Nanjan, 70, sings as she cuts through her farm in Kerala’s Western Ghats. What could be the reason for her singing while working on her farm?
(a) she likes to sing
(b) singing makes the work easier
(c) she is happy with her farm work being supported by Kudumbashree project
(d) none of the above
Answer: (c)

Question. Why is Kaliamma’s 3.5-acre farm called mosaic-like?
(a) she has many plants in her farm which makes it colourful
(b) it has many tiles
(c) she grows many flowers
(d) none of the above
Answer: (a)

Question. Of the 3.5 acre farm that Kaliamma has, how much is devoted to vegetables for daily use, hyacinth beans, corn, and pulses.
(a) 1 acre
(b) 0.5 acres
(c) none
(d) 2.5 acres
Answer: (b)

Question. What is agrobiodiversity?
(a) animal husbandry
(b) managing different crops
(c) growing trees and crops together
(d) managing various biological resources like multi cropping, trees, livestock, and fish species among others.
Answer: (d)

Question. The traditional and sustainable farming practices are called ..................... .
(a) Panchakrishi
(b) Kudumbashree
(c) Agrobiodiversity
(d) Master Farmer
Answer: (a)

Question. What are the three aspects of the Kudumbashree project?
(a) increasing farm productivity, boosting nutritional security, banning market access to tribal communities in remote areas
(b) reducing farm productivity, boosting nutritional security, providing market access to tribal communities in remote areas
(c) increasing farm productivity, boosting nutritional security, providing market access to tribal communities in remote areas
(d) none of the above
Answer: (c)

Question. Over ..................... live in Attappady and a majority have been displaced from the farm sector over the years.
(a) 10,000 weavers
(b) 10,000 artisans
(c) 10,000 tribals
(d) 10,000 farmers
Answer: (c)

Question. What else besides land conflict, and intensive farming has resulted in deteriorating socio-economic indicators among the tribal communities?
(a) being marginalised
(b) being incorporated
(c) being rehabilitated
(d) none of these
Answer: (a)

Question. Which three social indicators have been mentioned in the article?
(a) malnutrition, child deaths and maternal mortality rate
(b) malnutrition, child deaths and food crisis
(c) school drop outs, child deaths and food crisis
(d) none of the above
Answer: (b)

Question. What has “sacrificed agrobiodiversity and farmer well-being while compromising on environmental protection and nature conservation”?
(a) use of pesticides
(b) use of chemicals
(c) using high yield variety seeds
(d) all farming practices that increase yields per cycle
Answer: (d)

Question. Which word in the passage means “skilfully”?
(a) deftly
(b) dexterity
(c) sustainable
(d) autonomy
Answer: (a)

Question. Which word in the passage is opposite in meaning to “clumsiness”?
(a) deftly
(b) dexterity
(c) sustainable
(d) autonomy
Answer: (b)

Go, Get Yourself a Hobby

1. Do you have a hobby ? Is there anything that you are passionate about ? Something creative that you really like doing, or are deeply involved with ? Something that grips you, makes you forget all else — even makes you forget to eat or sleep ? No, I am not talking about your job or your daily chores.
2. By developing a parallel line, other than that of your job, and following it like crazy, you energise your life. It will keep you going even when all other activities have stopped.
3. It did not make much sense to me until I ran into a retired officer turned passionate writer. Let’s call him Mr. X.
4. What was amazing was his appearance. He looked 10 years younger than his self-proclaimed 75 — dark grey hair, tall and robust. Well-preserved, as some would say. ‘‘I don’t want to take much of your time, but just wanted to show you my work,’’ he said. In his bag, he was carrying dozens of books that he had written after retirement. Short stories and novels in his mother tongue and in English, for children and adults.
5. Mr. X retired after putting in 30 years of service. But he did not retire from life. No way. ‘‘In fact, I lead a much busier life now — writing.’’ ‘‘So writing is your hobby ?’’ I asked him. ‘‘No, it is my only interest. While I was working, I did not have enough time to write. But now I work 10 – 12 hours a day writing, writing, writing.’’
6. ‘‘Why ? Is that the way you support yourself ?’’ ‘‘No, my writings don’t pay me financially, but they fulfil me otherwise,’’ he said. Mr. X lives on his savings, but he relies on his passion to take care of his mental and physical wellbeing. In fact, such is the energy and sense of satisfaction and contentment that he draws from his writing that he has managed to survive many upheavals in life. Thanks to his passion, retirement never became a sad phase of life for him; instead, it gave him a new lease of life, an opportunity to do that which he missed out on or had no time for earlier.
7. And his level of commitment was impressive. He does not want publicity nor is he interested in advertising himself. ‘‘It will take me away from my writing and pull me into the world of Internet. I would rather follow my passion,’’ he says. Gathering his books, he was soon ready to leave — eager to go back to his passion. He left me with the motivation to seek one, too. Thank you Mr. X.

Question. According to the passage, what is a hobby ?
Answer: A hobby, according to the passage, is something creative one really likes to do or something one is passionate about or deeply involved with.

Question. According to the writer, what made Mr. X look 10 years younger ?
Answer: Mr. X’s dedication to his passion for writing kept him energetic and mentally healthy, providing him with a sense of satisfaction that manifested in his robust and well-preserved appearance.

Question. Was writing his livelihood ? Why/Why not ?
Answer: Writing was not his livelihood. Mr. X sought to use writing as a means to fulfill himself rather than use it as financial support. He relies on writing to take care of his mental and physical well being and is content with living solely on his savings.

Question. How did the retirement phase become a happy phase of his life ?
Answer: His pursuit of his passion gave him fulfillment and helped him to survive many upheavals in life. It gave him a new lease of life, an opportunity to do that which he missed but on or had no time for earlier. And so, retirement became a happy phase of his life.

Question. Why was Mr. X not interested in seeking publicity?
Answer: Mr. X believed that publicity would take him away from his writing and pull him into the world of the internet. He did not wish for this to happen and preferred to follow his passion instead. Thus, he was not interested in seeking publicity.

Innovation of New Technologies

1. It is an indisputable fact that the world has gone too far with the innovation of new technologies such as mobile phones, the internet and so on, due to which people are able to tour the cosmos virtually sitting at one place using their smart devices of other technological gadgets. Though mobile internet access is oftentimes hurried and short, it can still provide common internet features like alerts, weather data, e mails, search engines, instant messages and game and music downloading.
2. Due to the easy access of smart phones, communication has been very effective and instant. People are able to convey their message all around the globe to their loved ones without spending hefty sums of money. Adults are always fond of such gadgets and they always welcome and adopt such new technology readily. Further, young people have been able to broaden their minds and improve their skills by doing research on the internet. For instance, they use smart phones to look up any new word they come across. As we know that most of the universities have online teaching provision and smart phones assist the students to complete their assignments on time.
3. The mobile phone has been a lifesaver for a lot of people in case of an emergency. Likewise, use of smart phones can be of vital importance in preventing crimes in the society by providing information to the security forces in time.
4. Nonetheless, for the young the use of mobile phone can be like and addiction and they can misuse it. Young people are also prone to getting involved in undesirable activities on the internet. This might have adverse effect on their academic performance. Therefore, young people should always be monitored and made aware of its bad outcomes.
5. Also a major contributor to its popularity is the availability of prepaid or pay as you go services from a phone shop or an online store. This allows subscribers to load text or airtime credits to their handsets by the use of their credit cards, debit cards or buying a prepaid card from the network they subscribe to. This plan also doesn’t commit a particular customer to a contract. If prepaid card is not that appealing to you, then you can opt to subscribe using the pay by month plan.

Question. How are smart phones helpful in communication?
Answer: Smart phones have made communication effective and instant. One can convey their message all around the globe to their dear ones in a press of a button without spending huge amounts of money on it.

Question. What are the benefits of mobile phones for the young generation?
Answer: Smart phones have helped in broadening the minds of the youngsters and in improving their skills by doing research. They have also helped in enhancing the vocabulary of the young by letting them to look up the meaning of the new words that they come across. It also provides online teaching provision which helps them in completing their assignments on time.

Question. How can mobile phones be considered ‘lifesavers’?
Answer: Mobile phones can be considered as lifesavers in cases of emergencies. They can be of vital importance in preventing crimes in the society by providing information to the security forces in time.

Question. Mention any two demerits of mobile phones.
Answer: For the young, use of mobile phones can be like an addiction and they can misuse it. They are also prone to getting involved in undesirable activities on the internet, affecting their academic performance.

Question. How is a prepaid card useful to mobile phone users?
Answer: Prepaid cards allow users to load airtime credits without a contract, giving flexibility to those who don't want a long-term commitment.

Question. In para 1, synonym of ‘innovation’ is ……….
(a) production
(b) sincerity
(c) invention
(d) prevention
Answer: (c)

Question. Mobile internet can provide access to :
(a) telegram
(b) e-mails
(c) schools
(d) university
Answer: (b)

Question. Grown-ups should ……… the use of new technology by the young people.
(a) reject
(b) criticize
(c) monitor
(d) accept
Answer: (c)

Question. Meaning of the word ‘adverse’ in para 4 is :
(a) positive
(b) negative
(c) admirable
(d) unguided
Answer: (b)

Question. According to the passage, one can opt for ……… plan if prepaid plan doesn’t suit.
(a) yearly
(b) weekly
(c) monthly
(d) daily
Answer: (c)