SECTION – A (READING)
Q.1 Read the passage and on the basis of your understanding of the passage answer the questions given below:
1. In this jet age, everyone is interested in making easy money. Thanks to the advancement in science and technology, these days life has become more easy and comfortable than earlier with a lot of domestic gadgets as well as instantaneous food recipes available in the market.This has resulted in making people develop a mind-set to have anything immediately without waiting for - even at the traffic signals.
2. A piano teacher described an interesting encounter she had with a young lady who came to inquire about music lessons. The young lady asked her, “How long will this course take? My father tells me that it is in fashion now to be able to play musical instruments and that I should learn one quickly. I want something that will be quick, fast and easy like, like…” When the amused teacher explained that it would take a life time of meticulous practice to learn music, her face fell and, needless to say, she never came back.
3. The single most important factor that distinguishes those of us who succeed in any venture from those of us who don‟t is this “instant coffee” attitude. Most of us want results quickly. We want to reach the top immediately and get worked up when things go wrong.
Perseverance and patience are forgotten words. We get upset, frustrated and angry when a skill or activity requires us to put in a lot of effort and time. We get dejected and want to give it up. Things should be easy. Why should things take long? It is unfair.
4. Life is too short and there is not enough time to do all the things we want to. We tend to compare with others and get upset when they seem to be doing well – dismissing their achievements as pure luck -- or think that they have support, help, approach … that God is being too kind to them and not to us. And so we give up.
5. But such thinking serves no purpose. For it doesn‟t solve the problem. Life is tough for those with the „instant coffee‟ attitude.
6. Success, real success and happiness come to those who have a „bread making‟ attitude.Those who are willing to knead the dough, wait for hours for it to rise only to punch it down and knead some more, wait for another couple of hours for it to rise again, then bake it before it is ready to be eaten. Nothing is instantaneous. For every endeavour - whether in the area of career, academics, music, sports, relationships, physical fitness or even in spirituality- it is a long arduous journey.
7. Only if we are willing to spend time, put in painstaking effort and have faith, can we get results. If we don‟t accept this difficult but true fact of life, our lives will be far from happy and fulfilling. For we may not make that extra effort which can change the course of life dramatically, for our benefit.
8. I often come across clients who have changed their doctors and do that even after they have spoken to me – because they are on the lookout for a doctor who will instantly give them relief from their problems. One who will ensure that by the time they reach home from the clinic they will have wonderfully fulfilling relationships with their families. No wonder, most of us get bitter and disillusioned with life and ourselves and look for escape routes which seem to promise quick results.
9. The major problem with these “instant coffee” solutions is that they are invariably shortlived. If we stubbornly refuse to give up this search for quick solutions, all we do is end up on the wrong track. We never gain anything lasting from them. However, if we just pause to analyze what we are doing, we will realize how much time we are wasting searching for such magical solutions which simply do not exist. We actually save time when we stop this futile search and accept the proven methods of treading the straight and narrow path however difficult it may seem initially.
1.1 Answer each of the questions given below by choosing the most appropriate option:
(i) In this jet age everyone is always:
a) in a hurry b) outreaching his rivals
c) trying to be powerful d) interested in making easy money.
(ii) We don‟t have enough time to do all the things we want to as:
a) we can‟t do all things b) we are not prepared to do all such things
c) life is very short d) life is quite uncertain.
(iii) The two forgotten words of the present generation are:
a) sorry and thank you b) sorry and please
c) please and thank you d) Perseverance and patience
(iv) Life is tough for people with:
a) fashion consciousness b) „instant coffee‟ attitude.
c) „bread making‟ attitude d) patience
(v) The antonym of „instantaneous‟ (para 6) is
a) immediate b) instant
c) delayed d) rapid
1.2 Answer the following questions briefly:
(i) What things have made life more comfortable now?
(ii) What did the young lady‟s father tell her about playing musical instruments?
(iii) What, according to the piano teacher, is required for learning music?
(iv) What is the main problem of “instant coffee” solutions?
(v) What does “bread making attitude‟ result in?
(vi) What is the true fact of life that the writer wants us to accept?
1.3 Answer any three of the following questions in 25-30 words:
(i) How has easy and comfortable life affected people‟s mindset?
(ii) What is an “instant coffee” attitude?
(iii) What example does the writer use in order to illustrate „bread making‟ attitude?
(iv) How do we dismiss the achievements of successful people?
1.4 Pick up words from the passage which are similar to the following:
(i) careful (para 2)
(ii) sudden (para 7)
(iii) always (para 9)
Q.2 Read the passage and answer the questions that follow:
1. On a serious level, when was the last time you remember keeping your emotions solely to yourself, when a disaster struck? Or was averted? Agreed, humans are social beings who need feedback based on their social interactions. But, in today‟s times, where people - men and women alike - thrive on social approval, it feels like your happiness is on a leash depends on social media, or society at large. A person could possibly go to any extent to seek attention. Lying, cheating, manipulating, constantly blabbing or being intentionally silent, are all a part of the process to be the centre of attention. Everyone wants to be liked and be popular. Attention gives a pleasurable high and does wonderful things to one‟s ego and self - worth. It is when seeking attention exceeds normalcy that the trouble begins. Both too much of attention and the lack of it are obvious signs of trouble.
2. Also known as Histrionic Personality Disorder, attention-seeking is an attempt to desperately attract the attention of other people, typically by disruptive or excessively extrovert behavior. To find an attention - seeker around you, look for someone who says, “I want to kill myself,” after a mere bad day at work, or simply throws a tantrum for not being given enough time. Taking on the role of a victim or a damsel-in-distress is a typical trait of an attention-seeker. Simply put, attention-seekers are the drama queens we come across frequently in our life.
3. According to clinical psychiatrist, Dr Harish Shetty, from Hiranandani Hospital, Mumbai,“Attention - seeking is not exactly a disorder. We all want approval in some way or the other from the people we are around with. It massages our ego and therefore, has a feel-good factor to it. Seeking approval enhances our identity.” He explains how attention seeking, if casual, can be encouraging, “but once out of control, if the persons‟ obsession sets in, the trouble that follows ruins a person‟s relationships and eventually their peace of mind.”
4. Attention-seeking generally happens in a large magnitude to people who blame others. The blaming is a type of coping mechanism the attention-mongers feel is essential to justify the mistakes they refuse to own up to. Dr. Shetty elaborates, “People who are narcissistic will seek attention in a larger than life manner like dramatizing even the smallest of things that happens to them. Also, adults who have been spoilt as children will have a lesser sense of responsibility towards others as well as themselves, so are more likely to be narcissistic.” This behaviour can be seen in adults who have had an unpleasant past, i.e. they have been ignored, neglected bullied, or abused in any way before. They gradually start becoming addicted to it. They think making up for all the years of unfairness they have faced as a child is best done by seeking attention. The pre-teen years are extremely significant as they mould the child he or she is to become when they fully grow up. Frustration, anger, and disturbing relationships ensue if there is an excess of this behavior. The person can also grow to be extremely anxious and develop nervous anxiety.
5. Dr. Shetty adds, “Mostly seen in kids, this behavior generally tends to die out with age. But as adults, people suffering from a terminal illness, ones who have faced a huge loss in business, break-ups or divorces, also portray such behavior. If not handled with maturity, it worsens. But, when someone faces a challenge, they think they are incapable of handling, it can amplify uneasiness in them and they resort to playing the victim all the time. A lot of other causes, however are varied and highly subjective.” On the basis of your understanding of the above passage, make notes on it, using
headings and sub-headings. Use recognizable abbreviations (wherever necessary – minimum 4). Also supply an appropriate title to it. Write a summary of the passage in about 100 words.
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