CBSE Grade 12 English Literature Revision Questions and Answers from Vistas

Section C Literature Vistas Revision  Questions                                                 Total 30 Marks

 

Read the given extracts and answer questions for ALL THREE.                      12 Marks

1. I told him about the third level at Grand Central Station, and he said it was a waking-dream wish fulfillment. He said I was unhappy. That made my wife kind of mad, but he explained that he meant the modern world is full of insecurity,fear,war,worry and all the rest of it, and that I just wanted to escape.Well, who doesn’t?                                                                                          1X4=4 Marks

 i) Who is ‘I’ and whom is he talking to?

 ii) The phrase, ‘waking dream wish fulfillment’ is best represented in which of the following options?

a)       a dream come true

b)      a nightmare

c)       a fantasy

d)      a dream seen on waking up

 iii) What is the best explanation for why his wife became ‘kind of mad’?

a)       She believed ‘he’ accused her of being the cause of the narrator’s unhappiness.

b)      She believed she was being blamed for the narrator’s unhappy marriage.

c)       Both a) and b) are correct

d)      None of the above statements is correct.

 iv) According to ‘He’, the speaker was trying to escape from the world because it is full of ________

          (any two words).

 2. The Chief Astrologer took off his spectacles and gazed intently at the baby. “All those who are born will one day have to die. We don’t need your predictions to know that. There would be some sense in it if you could tell us the manner of that death.”                                                                      1X4=4 Marks

i)                    The speaker in these lines is ____________________

ii)                   ‘You’ in these lines is __________________

iii)                 The speaker of these lines, stunned everyone by _________________

a)       his looks

b)      raising his finger

c)       asking intelligent questions

d)      speaking about the manner of his death

iv)                 Which of the following words does not define the word ‘prediction’?

a)       forecast

b)      prophecy

c)       foretell

d)      doubtful

3. Days go on and on and on in surreal 24-hour austral summer light, and a ubiquitous silence, interrupted only by the occasional avalanche or calving ice sheets consecrates the place. It is an immersion that will force you to place yourself in the context of the earth’s geological history. And for humans, the prognosis isn’t good.

                    i)What is it that makes the place ‘surreal’?

a)       The place looks like a ping pong ball.

b)      The place is full of trees and billboards.

c)       The place is surrounded by rivers and lakes.

d)      The place is bathed in sunlight 24 hours.

ii)      Fill in the blank with the correct answer.  

       The place mentioned in the extract is__________________

           iii)    What is the tone in the above extract?

a)       Humorous

b)      Ironical

c)       Grave

d)      Pensive

           iv)   Explain in your own words why for ‘humans the prognosis isn’t good.’

                  Attempt ANY 4 of the following in 40 to 50 words each.                   2X4=8 Marks

 

i)                    Why did Charley’s Psychiatrist friend buy eight hundred dollars’ worth of old-style bills?

ii)                   Do you think the third level was a medium of escape for Sam? Why?

iii)                 How does Charley’s stamp collection provide a temporary refuge for him?

iv)                 Was Charley able to buy tickets for Galesburg? Support your answer with evidence from 

                the text.

v)                   Who was the Tiger King? How does he get that name?

vi)                 Why did the Tiger King send fifty diamond rings to the wife of the British Officer?

vii)               How did the Maharaja of Pratibandapuram’s arm get infected with suppurating sores?

viii)              What is the purpose behind the Students on Ice program?

ix)                 Describe ‘the parable of the phytoplankton’?

x)                   Why is Antarctica the perfect place to study how little changes in the environment can  

              have big repercussions?

 

       Answer ANY TWO of the following in about 120-150 words each.      2X5=10 Marks

1.      How does Kalki employ the literary device of dramatic Irony in the story Tiger King to expose the conceit of those in power?

2.      Draft a diary entry describing how the tiger king’s bullet missed its mark and you had to shoot the tiger at point-blank range. You are the hunter who shot dead the last live tiger the maharaja would see before his death.

3.      On behalf of Sam, write an analysis of why you believe Charley was dreaming about the third level.

4.      You are Charley. Write a letter to your friend, Kevin who lives in England describing the third level of the Grand Central railway station.

5.      How is Antarctica an important repository of the geological history of our planet?

6.      You are Tishani Doshi. Write an article about How  ‘Human Civilization managed to create a ruckus imposing its dominance over Nature.’                                                                                                                                                                   

 

                                                                                                                                                       

 

 

 

 

Some of my best Wildlife Photography Moments

A Sarus Crane Dances for his Mate

Some of my best wildlife photography moments have mostly taken place unexpectedly. They happened when I was packing up my gear to return home or looking elsewhere and was least prepared! A sudden movement in the bushes to spot a monitor lizard scuttling off, perhaps a warning honk by a male Sarus Crane meant to warn his mate and offspring that I was around. Perhaps even more uncommon would be to spot a Francolin scuttling into the bushes and still be able to photograph it!

A furtive Francolin scurries for cover

The best wildlife photography moments happen on the spur of the moment and you can capture them for you to revisit later on. Wildlife photography requires a lot of persistence, hard work and the ability to accept the possibility of not being able to take a single good photograph worth sharing. I have been photographing Sarus Cranes at the Sultanpur National Park for quite a few years now and I have only been able to photograph them dancing thrice!

Sarus Cranes dancing with each other

One step at a time

The legwork leads to the denouement.

Spotting a Shikra sitting on the boundary wall of my old house at 7:20 a.m. one cold January morning, and being able to get not one but quite a few photographs of it was a moment to relive. What could it have wanted so early in the morning? What if I had not had my camera handy? I guess, some of the best things in life happen for a good reason, and some of them happen by chance! The best of it all is that you were able to witness a moment of magic and you were part of it!

A Shikra Visited me one winter morning!

Who was more surprised, the Shikra, or me?

Spotting Cattle Egrets is not a big deal, but when you spot them all looking in one direction, then you do wonder if the crowd mentality might not just be limited to us human beings! Egrets are gregarious in nature and they do display the herd mentality, rather, the 'flock mentality'. The adage 'safety lies in numbers' or perhaps, 'birds of the same feather flock together' could be edited to read, 'birds of the same feather look in one direction!

These cattle egrets look confused!

The 'One Direction' birds

Of course, spotting Asian Golden Jackals can be a rare one, however, spotting them in close proximity to Asian Antelopes, themselves, herbivorous animals, almost as one unit can be absolutely amazing! I have been noticing a large number of these Jackals at the Sultanpur National Park Post the COVID-19 pandemic.

Asian Golden Jackals and Asian Antelopes in close proximity

Jackals and Antelopes feel comfortable with each other!

A lone Jackal looks at me.

But then it is not just Jackals and Antelopes that are comfortable with each other, in fact, Sarus Cranes are comfortable in the company of Painted Storks, and Cormorants are comfortable in the company of Pond Herons, this is what made some of my best wildlife moments!

A Sarus Crane and a few juvenile Painted Storks tolerate each other.

A colourful combination, indeed!

And finally, of course, a little more about me. I don't usually post my photographs on the blog, however, this time I am sharing a selfie of myself that I took while visiting the now-almost vanished Basai Wetland. In the background, you can see a flock of Bar-headed Geese that head to the wetland in the region during the winter months. The birds are not very clear because I was using a mobile phone for the same.

That is me wrapped up for a cold winter morning!

What is it that ails premium educational institutions of the country

It is an unfortunate fact that a huge gap exists in the kind of education that is provided by schools in India today. Some of the so-called exclusive schools in Delhi NCR do not promote CBSE results as a mark of competence in the CBSE exams because they are more interested in sending their students to study in Universities abroad. Such 'exclusive' schools are merely rooting for admissions in foreign universities, many of which are in effect driven by the paying capacity of the students' families! If success as a school is determined by the number of students they send on paid seats abroad, then school rankings are merely meant to create commercial opportunities for such schools.

Unfortunately, what makes a school successful is not the number of students that they send to study abroad! What makes schools competent is their ability to get their students to join good colleges and institutions in the country itself, like IITs. IIMs and other premier institutions in the country. A majority of the so-called 'premium schools' of the country merely push for students to join universities abroad based on admissions that are driven by the parent's ability to shell out vast sums of money for paid seats. It is unfortunate that the so-called rankings of schools in India don't take into consideration data related to presenting a correct picture of how many of their students are able to get admission into the premium institutions of the country.

The success of a school is driven not by data that speaks of how many of its students have gained admission into foreign institutions (thanks to their paying capacity) but rather a data that speaks about how successful their students have been in gaining admissions into the premier of their country, thanks to their ability to ace the entrance exams.

It is unfortunate that most of the so-called premier institutions of the country are driven by their ability to send their students to study abroad, something that is driven not by their students' ability to ace competitions but rather by the paying capacity of their parents to fund the fee structure of universities abroad. The success of a school cannot and should not be determined by the number of admissions that their students are able to achieve in universities abroad, thanks to the financial capabilities of the parents but by the ability of the students to achieve high scores in their entrance exams to premium colleges and universities in the country itself!

I remember, many years ago, when I was working at the Dhanpatmal Virmani Senior Secondary School in room Nagar, Delhi, the then Manager of the school, Mr Anil Virmani would always ask the principal of the school how many student had got admitted to IITs, IIMs, colleges of medicine, how many had qualified as Chartered accountants because for him success meant getting as many students into premier institutions in the country.

While many might argue that the nature of ‘success’ might differ from school to school, most will agree that success in board exams, success in entrance exams and admissions in good colleges are what count for success. However, in today’s times, there is much more to success than just the points mentioned above. To be more specific, successful schools prepare students who are future ready, students who are equipped with 21st century skills, students who are aware about the meaning of digital citizenship, students who are able to use technology to enhance their abilities and skills.

Successful schools nurture students to be honest, and yet smart, inclusive but not gullible, they create students who can fend for themselves in difficult circumstances. Good schools teach students to fend for themselves, they empower students to be problem solvers, creative thinkers, divergent thinkers and deductive thinkers. Unfortunately the very effect of spoon-feeding students with tons of PPTs, copy-pasted materials, handholding them and mollycoddling them has the opposite impact. Most of the so called ‘premium’ institutions end up spoiling their students so much that it takes them months to adjust to the rigours of a college or a university. 

Indian Grey Hornbills Spotted at S.N.Park

A Pair of Harnbills shares a candid moment.

There is a National Park close to where I live that turns out surprises every time I visit it. Whether it is about spotting a new pack of jackals merging into the background of straw-coloured grass or even an elusive Grey Francolin spotted from the corner of the eyes. The best of my spotting is of the Indian Grey Hornbill birds that seem to be living fossils some kind of prehistoric birds, cousins of the Pterodactyls. The male has a large casque on a dark bill while the female has a smaller casque. The female has a more yellowish bill. Spotting a single Hornbill might be rare enough but spotting a pair, if not two pairs, is rarer still!

A Grey Francolin scurries into the bushes.

Spotting a pack of Jackals is a rare occurrence since they are timid but curious animals that do not like to show themselves. I have noticed how these Jackals often maintain a distance from human beings and yet will stand and look at us probably expecting to be fed.

A pack of Jackal relaxes in the sun.

However, this blog is not about the various animals and birds spotted in situ but rather about the  Hornbills that I was able to photograph! 

A Pair of Grey Hornbill Birds

These Hornbill Birds have large beaks-must be difficult to carry!

Hornbill birds are Arborial in nature.

Scouting for the person with the camera?

Say Cheese!

It was, indeed a moment worth recording. Hornbills are rarely spotted for the very reason that the colour of their plumage makes it difficult to spot them in the branches of trees. Their behaviour, the way that they regarded each other was something that had to be recorded, apologies to the birds for poking into their existence.

A Painted Stork comes in to land

Painted Storks are less subtle as compared to Hornbills. They are noisy, and quarrelsome and can be found in large numbers, perched on treetops, wading through mud or even ambling around looking for a quick bite. Cormorants are graceful birds that can be found sunning themselves when not feeding or flying around.

Painted Storks are noisy birds but fly gracefully!

Graceful flight

#grey_francolin

#grey_indian_hornbill

#painted_stork