12th Class PSEB GENERAL ENGLISH Pre-Board Final Sample Paper 2022-23

Model Test Paper for General Students
2022-23
CLASS XII
General English
Time Allowed: 3 hours Theory: 80 marks
Section A (Reading Comprehension) 16 marks
I.A.Read the given passage and answer the questions given below:
Cataract is the major cause of blindness, which is caused by a damage to the cornea. It occurs more often in old age. As one starts growing old, the lens of the eye hardens, loses its transparency and becomes opaque. It obstructs the light rays from entering the eye. The onset of cataract blurs the vision. Sometimes, the cataract patient sees multiple images instead of a single object image. Because of the gradual development of cataract, the afflicted person loses his/her vision and the world becomes dark to him/her. The development of cataract is a complex process. However, the following factors can be attributed to its formation. Cataract generally develops in old age but sometimes, children are born with cataract because of hereditary defect. Eye injuries too, can cause cataract.People exposed to sun rays for longer periods develop cataract earlier than others.
Researchers opine that the smoke inhaled while smoking carries substances internally damaging the eyes.Ultraviolet radiation, invisible to the human eye, is linked to skin cancer. The victim loses vision and the world becomes dark to him.
Choose the correct option: (i to vi )
(I) What is the major cause of blindness?
a old age
b.cataract    
c. exposure to sun rays       
d. All the options
Ans.b.cataract  
(www.thepunjabiclass.com)

(ii) Cataract affects the____________
a. eyes
b. skin 
c. both ‘a’ and ‘b’    
d. none
Ans.a. eyes

(iii) Find the antonym of the word ‘obstruct’ from the passage.
a. clear
b. choke      
c. block       
d. clog
Ans.a. clear

(iv) Which factors are responsible for the formation of cataract?
a. hereditary defect, eye injuries, old age
b. viral infection, eye injuries, old age
c. hereditary defect, eye injuries, bacterial infection
d. hereditary defect, fungal infection, old age
Ans.a. hereditary defect, eye injuries, old age

(v) Which type of cancer is caused by ultraviolet radiation ?
a. lung cancer 
b. mouth cancer      
c. skin cancer
d. liver cancer
Ans.c. skin cancer

(vi) Find the word from the passage that means ‘that through which light cannot enter’.
a. transparency       
b. vision      
c. obstructs 
d. opaque
Ans.c. obstructs 
(vii) Why does the lens of the eye become opaque in old age ?
Ans.As one starts growing old, the lens of the eye hardens, loses its transparency and becomes opaque
(viii) How does cataract affect its victim ultimately ?
Ans.The gradual development of cataract, the afflicted person loses his/her vision and the world becomes dark to him/her.
(ix) Which part of the eye is damaged due to cataract ?
Cataract is the major cause of blindness, which is caused by a damage to the cornea.
(x) How is smoking responsible for the development of cataract ?
Ans.Researchers opine that the smoke inhaled while smoking carries substances internally damaging the eyes.
(www.thepunjabiclass.com)

(B) Read the following passage and answer the questions given below.   6×1=6
In a reversal of the norm elsewhere, in India, policymakers and economists have become optimists while bosses do the worrying. The country’s Central Bank has predicted that India’s economy is likely to grow at a double digit rate during the next 20-30 years. India has the capability with its vast labour and lauded entrepreneurial spirit.(www.thepunjabiclass.com) But the private sector, which is supposed to do the heavy lifting that turns India from the tenth largest economy to the third largest by 2030, has become fed up.Business people often crib about India’s problems but their irritation this time has a nervous edge. In the first quarter of 2011, the GDP grew at an annual rate of 7.8 percent; in 2015-17 it managed at 6-7 percent. The economy may be slowing naturally as the low interest rates and public spending that got India through the global crisis have been belatedly withdrawn. At the same time, the surge in inflation caused by exorbitant food prices has spread more widely, casting doubt over whether India can grow at 8-10 percent in the medium term without overheating.
i.What rate of growth does the Central Bank predict for the Indian economy for the next 20-30 years?
(a) eight percent     
(b) seven percent
(c) double digit      
(d) five percent
Ans.(c) double digit

ii.Who is supposed to do the heavy lifting to turn India into the third largest economy?
(a) government agencies    
(b) private sector
(c) public sector      
(d) property owners
Ans.(b) private sector
(www.thepunjabiclass.com)

iii.What is India’s capability to grow based on?
Ans.India has the capability with its vast labour and lauded entrepreneurial spirit.
iv.What is casting doubts over India’s growth rate?
Ans.The casting doubt over whether India can grow at 8-10 percent in the medium term without overheating.
v. Fill in the blank with a suitable word from the passage.
He suffered from a_________________ breakdown.
vi.Match the words in column ‘A’ with their meanings in ’13’.
crisis large optimist      
difficult phase one who looks forward to a positive outcome
(www.thepunjabiclass.com)

SECTION B (Writing skills, Grammar and Translation)    26 marks
2.Write a Precis of the following paragraph in your own words.
If today I have a quarrel with another man, I do not get beaten merely because I am physically weaker and he can knock me down. I go to law, and the law will decide as fairly as it can between the two of us. Thus in disputes between man and man right has taken the place of might. Moreover, the law protects me from robbery and violence. Nobody may come and break into my house, steal my goods, or run off with my children. Of course, there are burglars, but they are very rare and the law punishes them whenever it catches them.(www.thepunjabiclass.com)
It is difficult for us to realize how much this safety means. Without safety those higher activities of mankind which make up civilization could not go on. The inventor could not invent, the scientist find out or the artist make beautiful things. Hence order and safety, although they are not themselves civilization, are things without which civilization would be impossible. They are as necessary to our civilization as the air we breathe is to us ; and we have grown so used to them that we do not notice them any more than we notice the air. (200 Words)
Hints: Might – brute force. Burglars – thieves.
PRECIS:
Order and safety are the greatest blessings of modern civilization. Law today protects the weak from being beaten by the strong. Right has taken the place of might. Law protects the peaceful citizens. Law and order have made it possible for man to develop civilization. Though law, order and safety are not themselves civilization, yet it would be impossible without them. They are as essential as the air.
Words of the Original Passage = 200
Words of the Precis = 67
Heading : Importance of Law and Order

3.Attempt any one of the following.
Write a letter to the Editor of a newspaper about the need of parks and gardens in different localities of your city.
10, Partap Singh Nagar,
Jalanhdar.
April 20, 20…….

To
The Editor,
The Tribune,
Chandigarh.
Sir,
I shall feel highly obliged if you publish the following few lines in your esteemed daily.
It is well-known to authorities that Ludhiana has become a very crowded and congested city. Population of the town is increasing very rapidly. Bihari labourers are living in wretched conditions. Open fields and beautiful gardens have been replaced by residential houses and shanties. Most streets of the city have grown into slums. Some congested houses do not get sunlight. Parks are needed for providing fresh air to the people. It is rightly remarked that parks and gardens are the lungs of a city.(www.thepunjabiclass.com)
They give us pure and fresh air and thus keep our body healthy. The young and the old, women and children can take exercise and relax in these parks and gardens. The city dwellers will really have a sense of relief as they will be relieved from their prison-houses for some time. It is, therefore, requested that the authorities should seriously consider this aspect, and provide public parks in those parts of the city which are very badly congested.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
Harminder Singh
or

Placing Order for Sports Goods..
“SPORTS KING”
17, Lodhi Market,
New Delhi-21.
Jan 6, 20 ……
Ref. No. Rt/426.
Messrs Sharma & Co.,
Sports Goods Manufacturers,
Industrial Estate,
Jalandhar City.
Dear Sirs,
I am in receipt of your quotation dated Jan 6, 20 …… and thank you for the same. Please supply us immediately the following items:
10 dozen Cricket white balls @ Rs 120/- per dozen.
20 Cricket Bats (Spartan) @ Rs 75/- per bat.
50 pairs of Batting Gloves @ Rs 10/- per pair,
8 dozen Hockey balls (AJ) @ Rs 100/- per dozen.
5 dozen Hockey Sticks (Winner) @ Rs 400/- per dozen.
Sales and any other tax, if leviable, will be paid extra.
As desired by you. I am enclosing herewith my cheque No. PB/CS 58745 dated Jan 6, 20… for Rs 2,500/- only as advance and balance will be paid against delivery.(www.thepunjabiclass.com)
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
J.L. Mehta
Manager
Enel. : One cheque.
No. : PB/CS 58745
Date : July 6, 20…
Amount : Rs 2,500/- only.
Bank : Punjab National Bank, New Delhi-1.

4.Attempt any one of the following.  3
Explain the following Newspaper Headline in 15-20 words.
MAN HELD FOR WIFE’S DEATH, ENS.
Ans. ACCORDING TO A REPORT OF THE EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE, A 25- YEAR OLD WOMAN DIED UNDER MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES IN SULTANWIND, AMRITSAR. HER HUSBAND WAS ARRESTED BASED ON HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW’S ALLEGATION OF DOWRY.
or

Send an E-mail message to your friend who is staying abroad. Ask him when he plans to come to India. Tell him to be here before Dewali.

5.(A)Translate the following sentences into Punjabi/Hindi.(any two)       2 x I =2
i.She forgot her purse at home.
ਉਹ ਆਪਣਾ ਪਰਸ ਘਰ ਹੀ ਭੁੱਲ ਗਈ ਸੀ।
ii. Don’t kill animals.
ਜਾਨਵਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਨਾ ਮਾਰੋ.
iii.It was pitch dark outside.
ਬਾਹਰ ਘੁੱਪ ਹਨੇਰਾ ਸੀ।
(B)Translate the following sentences into English.(any two) x 1 =
i. ਉਹ ਮੇਰਾ ਦੋਸਤ ਹੈ
he is my friend
ii.ਉਸਨੂੰ ਕਦੇ ਵੀ ਇਕੱਲਾ ਨਾ ਛੱਡੋ
never leave him alone
iii. ਸਬਰ ਰੱਖੋ
be patient

6. Do as directed.(A)            
Fill in the blanks with suitable Determiners.
i_______________Mother is a teacher.
Ans. My
ii.The cat drank all_____________milk I had.
Ans.the
iii. How_____________________ students are present today?
Ans.Many
(www.thepunjabiclass.com)
(B) Fill in the blanks as directed: Use the words given in the brackets.)  2 x 1=2
i.(Hunt)________ deer is not allowed in this area. (Fill up the blank with a gerund)
Ans:Hunting deer is not allowed in this area.
ii.There is no one ………… this claim, (challenge)  (Fill in the blank with an Infinitive.)
Ans.to challenge
(www.thepunjabiclass.com)

(C) Rewrite the given sentences as directed.    2×1=2
i. Rewrite the given sentence after removing ‘too’.
He is too young to travel alone.
Ans.He is very young to travel alone.
ii.Change the form of Narration.
Tom said, “I don’t want to stay home from school.”.
Ans.Tom said that he did not want to stay home from school.
(www.thepunjabiclass.com)
(D) Change the given sentences into Passive Voice.
i.We should not laugh at the poor.
Ans.The poor should not be laughed at by us
ii. May God bless you with a son !.
Ans.May you be blessed with a son by God !
(E) Change the given sentence into Indirect Speech.        1 x 1 =1
Ram said, “I have gone home.”
Ans.Ram said that he had gone home.

SECTION C (Literature Textbook) 38 marks
7.Objective type questions: 10×1 =10
i) How did the parent-teacher meeting end?       (Hassan’s Attendance Problem)
Ans.The meeting ended fruitlessly because they could not decide how to correct Hassan.
ii)Name the writer of the chapter, ‘In Celebration of Being Alive’.
Ans.Dr. Christiaan Barnard.
iii) Ghadar Party was formed in 1913. True/False (GhadariBabas in Kalapani Jail)
(www.thepunjabiclass.com)
iv) The Washington Post was a __________________     (The March King)
a) magazine
b) newspaper
c) journal    
d) None
Ans.b) newspaper

v)How old was Helen Keller when her autobiography was published? (The Story of My Life)
Ans.Helen Keller wrote her autobiography at the age of 22
vi) What does the girl, with the bandaged eyes, tell the author about the head girl ?(A Chameleon)
Ans:She says that she is very decent.
vii)What did the village elders threaten Chandu ? ‘The Barber’s Trade Union’
Ans.They threatened to have him sent to prison for his offences and ordered his mother to force him to obey them.
viii)Karam Singh’s village was three miles from TaranTaran. True/False (The Bull Beneath the Earth)
Ans.False
ix) Who was the owner of ‘The Modern Frame Works’ ?(The Gold Frame)
Ans.Datta was the owner of The Modern Frame Works (www.thepunjabiclass.com)
x)What, according to the girl with the bandaged eyes, is almost a fun ?   (The School for Sympathy)
Ans:According to her, hopping about with a crutch is almost a fun.

8.(A) Read the following tines and answer the questions that follow: (any one) 4×1=4
TIM the little ones, weary,
No more can be merry;
The sun does descend
And our sports have an end.
Round the laps of their mothers,
Many sisters and brothers,
Like birds in their nest,
Are ready for rest,
And sports no more seen
On the darkening Green.
(www.thepunjabiclass.com)
i. Name the poem and the poet.
Ans.The poet is William Blake and the poem is “The Echoing Green’.
ii.Write the rhyme scheme of the first four lines of the given stanza.
Ans.In these lines the poet says that children are tired and can no longer enjoy the play. The sun is going to set, so the sports of children come to an end. As birds gather round their nests to take rest, children gather near their mothers to fall asleep. And on the Echoing Green, no more sport is seen.(www.thepunjabiclass.com)
iii.Why has the echoing green become the darkening green?
Ans.The sun sets, night falls and the echoing green becomes the darkening green.

iv.Name the figure of speech used in the lines —
Many sisters and brothers
Like birds in their nest,
Are ready for rest.
Ans.Like birds—-simile.
or
But Patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, ‘God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts. Who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best.
i) Name the poem and the poet.
Ans. The poet is “John Milton.” and porm is “On His Blindness”
ii) Identify the figure of speech in the line…………….But Patience, to prevent that murmur, soon replies,……..
Ans.The figure of speech is personification.(www.thepunjabiclass.com)
iii) What does Patience say about God?
Ans.Patience says that God does not need man’s work nor any compensation for the gifts that God has given to man.
iv)Which line in the poem says, The one who accepts God’s control over his own existence is the best servant of God’ ?
Ans. Who best bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best.

B) Give the central idea of one of the poems:        1 x 3 = 3
I) The Road Not Taken       ii) Prayer of the Woods
I)Ans.The Road Not Taken Central Idea
This poem is based on the idea of choice-making in life. Choice of one’s aim is very difficult. It has a great influence. It influences the whole course of a man’s life. Another idea in the poem is that one cannot achieve extraordinary things by taking an ordinary course. Only ordinary people follow the beaten path. Great souls always prefer to take new paths. By doing so they break fresh ground.(www.thepunjabiclass.com)
II)Ans.Prayer of the Woods Central Idea.
This poem is based on the idea that trees serve man in various ways. The wood from trees is used in winter for warmth. Trees provide shade in summer and juicy fruits to travellers to satisfy thirst. Buildings, boats, and furniture use wood. Wood is used by mạn from birth to death. Trees also teach us the value of kindness and beauty. Trees appeal very humbly to men not to harm them.(www.thepunjabiclass.com)

9, Answer the following questions in about 20 to 30 words. (any three)
i.Why was Hassan not noticed by the teacher in the class? During which days would Hassan show up in the class?   ( Hassan’s Attendance Problem)
Ans.The teacher did not notice Hassan because he was rarely present and Hassan would show up during class test days or during examinations.
ii. What was the millionaire’s trick in borrowing the money?(Thinking out of the Box: Lateral Thinking)
Ans.He got the best safety for his very expensive Ferrari car at a very small amount of interest in the bank’s underground garage.
iii.What were the good qualities of the conductor? (On Saying Please)
Ans.He was cheerful and polite, helpful to passengers, and well-mannered(www.thepunjabiclass.com)
iv. What was the mode of torturing the brave fighters by the Britishers?(Gadhari Babas in Kalapani Jail)
Ans.They were tortured through living in dirty cells, working hard to produce 30 pounds of coconut oil from the ‘Kohlu’ and coir thread and lashing in public.
v.Where did the narrator drive the two boys? What made the narrator follow the boys?     (Two Gentlemen of Verona)
Ans.He drove them to a village beyond Poleta to enable them to see their sister in the hospital.The narrator followed the boys Nicola and Jacopo to see whom they were visiting.

10.  Answer any two of the following questions in 20 to 30 words:    (2 x z = 4)
i)What does the author tell about Miss Beam? (The School for Sympaihlt)
Ans.He tells us that Miss Beam was a middle-aged, kindly, understanding and impressive lady.
ii) Why did Bholi refuse to marry Bishamber?   (Bholi)
Ans.She did not want to marry a mean, greedy and hateful coward as Bishamber.(www.thepunjabiclass.com)
iii) Who were Mann Singh and Karam Singh? Where did Mann Singh go when he got a few days’ leave? (The Bull Beneath the Earth)
Ans.Mann Singh and Karam Singh were soldiers in the same Regimental Centre and were serving together in a battalion on the Burma Front.He went to his friend Karam Singh’s village, Thathi Khara.

11.Answer any one of the following questions in 60 to 70 words:    3
What is the theme of the lesson, The Story of My Life’?
Ans.This lesson is based on the theme that even the blind and the deaf can lead a fuller and more adventurous life. A gifted person, even if he is handicapped, can make a worthwhile contribution to society and to the world. Helen Keller was such a person. Despite being blind and deaf she had a remarkable gift for communication. (www.thepunjabiclass.com)A teacher named Anne Sullivan came to teach her and to reveal to her the mystery of language.Her teacher began to teach her to communicate by spelling words into her hand. She wrote her autobiography ‘The Story of My Life’. Before her education she was like a ship shut in thick fog. Her teacher’s efforts and her own willingness to learn revealed to her the mystery of language. Her life proves the strength of the proverb that the wind and the weather are always on the side of the ablest navigator.
or

Draw a brief character sketch of John Philip Sousa.(The March King)
Ans.John Philip Sousa was a young boy. His father worked in the brass section of the United States Marine Band. The capital city of Washington (D.C.) was full of bands. Philip loved them. He wanted to become a musician. At the age of seven, he joined a school of music. He liked his studies very much. He learned to play violin. He began to play very well.He loved to play baseball also. . He was chosen to play violin solo for the annual evening concert of his school. He borrowed a large size shirt from the wife of his music teacher. The wife of the music teacher fitted it on Philip with the help of pin.(www.thepunjabiclass.com)The big shirt was pulled loose when the performance. was going on. He ran away from the stage. He was sent to a bakery for three days. He did not like this work. Then again he went to his music teacher. He developed his skill in playing on the violin. Once a circus band leader wanted to take him with him. He offered him a good job in a circus.His father got him recruited as a trainee in the Marine Band. He rose to be the leader of the band. He composed many marches. He became the March King. He became very famous by composing The Washington Post March

12. Answer any one of the following questions in 60 to 70 words:    3
Justify the title of the story, ‘A Chameleon’.
Ans.The title of a story should be appropriate. It should throw light on the main events of the story and capture its theme. Chameleon is the title of the story. The Superintendent of Police represents the title. He changes his opinion from time to time.He is walking across the market square. A goldsmith is bitten by a dog. He makes a complaint to the Superintendent of Police. He listens to him attentively. The Superintendent of Police threatens to teach a lesson to those who allow their dogs to run all over the place. He even says that stray dogs must be throttled. He seems to be serious in redressing the complaint of Hryukin.He wants to know the name of the owner of the dog. Soon he comes to know that General Zhigalov is the owner of the dog. (www.thepunjabiclass.com)This makes him nervous. He starts snubbing Hryukin. He questions him how a tall and heavy man like him was bitten by a small and weak looking dog.It is decided to send the dog to the General. Then the General’s cook comes on the spot. He says that the dog belongs to the General’s brother. He takes away the dog. Obviously the complaint of Hryukin is forgotten by the chameleon of a Superintendent of Police. The title is quite apt.
or

Give a brief character sketch of Chandu.   (The Barber’s Trade Union)
Ans.Chandu is the barber boy of the narrator’s village. He is the main character of the story. He is a close friend of the narrator. The narrator calls him one of the makers of modern India. He organises barbers into a union.He stops going to people’s homes to give them a haircut or shave beards. He refuses to dance to the tune of upper-caste people. Chandu is the narrator’s senior. He takes lead in all matters. He is very fond of his boyish mischiefs.He likes catching wasps. Then he takes out the poison from their tails. He makes them fly by tying their legs with a thread. The narrator considers him the embodiment of perfection. (www.thepunjabiclass.com)He is an expert at making kites of various designs. Despite his skill in other matters, he is a duffer in learning. He is a member of a low caste. Upper caste people often abused him and insulted him. They did not like the narrator to mix with him.Chandu is self-respecting. He did not like to be insulted by the upper-caste people. He decided to teach them a lesson. He bought a cycle and started shaving people in the town. He set up a barber’s shop. He organised some barbers in villages into a union.They stopped going to people’s homes for haircutting and shaving. They forced the people to come to their shops. We cannot help admiring Chandu for his skill of enterprise
13. Good Handwriting                                     5