ISC Class 12 English Language Specimen Paper 2024 Released

Question 1

Write a composition (in approximately 400 – 450 words) on any one of the following subjects.

(You are reminded that you will be rewarded for the orderly and coherent presentation of the matter, use of appropriate style and general accuracy of spelling, punctuation and grammar.)

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(i) Describe your experience at an Art and Craft fair that you visited over the weekend. Give a detailed account of the items on display from various parts of the country, your interactions with the artists, your emotions, and overall impression of the fair.

(ii) You had gone on a day trip with your friends to a place located on the outskirts of the city. A few hours before your return, the roads were closed because of torrential rain. Narrate your experience of being stranded in a remote place and how you and your friends overcame the challenging circumstance.

(iii) Mobile phones are our enemies and not friends. Express your views either FOR or AGAINST the given statement.

(iv) Patience

(v) Life’s most unpleasant situations teach us valuable lessons. Present your reflections on this statement.

(vi) Write an original short story that begins with the following words:

‘From the window, she could see the rain pelting down.’

Question 2

(i) Your city was recently affected by devastating floods which left a trail of destruction in its path. Write a newspaper report in about 300 words on the floods, using the points given below. You may include other relevant details.

Date and time when the city started flooding – cause of the floods–areas affected – loss of life and property – rescue and relief measures taken – help from the government.

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(ii) As a member of the Drama Club of The XYZ School, you have been given the responsibility of organising an Inter School Play competition. Write a proposal in not more than 150 words, outlining the steps you would take to make this event a success.

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Question 3

Answer sections (i), (ii) and (iii).

(i) In each of the following items, sentence I is complete, while sentence II is not. Complete sentence II, making it as similar as possible to sentence I. Write sentence II in each case.

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Example:

(z) (I) The heavy showers of rain revived the plants.

(II) The plants ……..………………………………

Answer: (z) The plants were revived by the heavy showers of rain.

(a) (I) She did not get the job, even though she had all the necessary qualifications.

(II) In spite of ……………………………………….

(b) (I) She did not know that the course of her life was about to change.

(II) Little ……………………………………

(c) (I) Dina started cooking immediately upon the arrival of the guests.

(II) As soon as …………………………………

(d) (I) R K Narayan is the most influential Indian novelist who writes in English.

(II) No other ………………………………………..

(e) (I) Until my mother comes home, I cannot go out to play football.

(II) I can go………………………………..

(ii) Fill in each blank with a suitable word. (Do not write the sentence.)

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(a) The volume of the television needs to be turned __________ as it is too loud.

(b) A golden opportunity turned __________ just when he needed it the most.

(c) Since I have a terrible toothache, I cannot put __________ going to the dentist any longer.

(d) Please put_______ your coat before going outside as it is cold.

(e) She dropped the plate and it broke __________ tiny pieces.

(f) She broke ________ on receiving the news of her grandfather’s death.

(g) She was wearing a beautiful necklace made __________ silver.

(h) This dish is made __________ chickpeas, tomatoes and herbs.

(i) The issue was brought __________ my notice very late.

(j) The children were brought __________ to treat people with kindness and empathy.

(iii) 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.

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As I walked down the street, I __________ (1) (notice) that the sun __________ (2) (shine) brightly in the sky. Birds __________ (3) (chirp) and the trees were swaying gently in the breeze. I decided to stop at a café and __________ (4) (order) a cup of coffee. The waiter ______ (5) (greet) me warmly and took my order. While __________ (6) (wait) for my coffee, I pulled out my notebook and started writing. I __________ (7) (jot) down ideas for a new story, __________ (8) (scribble) furiously as the words poured out of me. As I reached for the cup, I found that it __________ (9) (disappear). Suddenly, everything disappeared and I __________ (10) (wake) up to my noisy alarm.

Question 4

Read the passage given below and answer the questions (i), (ii) and (iii) that follow:

(1) The transatlantic steamship ‘La Provence’ was a swift and comfortable vessel. The passengers constituted a select and delightful society. The charm of new acquaintances helped the time pass agreeably. We enjoyed the pleasant sensation of being separated from the world, living upon an unknown island.

(2) On the second day, at a distance of 500 miles from the French coast, in the midst of a violent storm, we received the following message by wireless telegraph.      5

(3) “Arsène Lupin is on your vessel, first cabin, blonde hair, a wound on right fore-arm, travelling alone under name of R…”

(4) At that moment, a terrible flash of lightning rent the stormy skies. The electric waves were interrupted. The remainder of the message never reached us. Of the name under which Arsène Lupin was concealing himself, we knew only the initial.        10

(5) If the news had been of some other character, the secret would have been carefully guarded by the telegraphic operator and the officers. But it was one of those events calculated to escape from the most rigorous discretion. Now every passenger was aware that Arsène Lupin was hiding in our midst!        15

(6) He was the infamous burglar whose exploits had been narrated in all the newspapers during the past few months. He was the mysterious individual with whom Ganimard, our best detective, had been engaged in a never-ending conflict amidst interesting and picturesque surroundings. One night, the eccentric burglar entered          20       the residence of Baron Schormann but emerged empty-handed, leaving, however, his card on which he had scribbled these words: “Arsène Lupin, gentleman-burglar, will return when the furniture is genuine.” Arsène Lupin was a man of a thousand disguises: in turn a chauffeur, detective, bookmaker, Russian physician, Spanish bull-fighter, commercial traveller, robust youth, or old man.       25

(7) “It is unbearable! I hope he will be arrested!” exclaimed Miss Nelly, next morning. Then, addressing me, she added: “Monsieur d’Andrézy, you know the captain; surely you heard something?”

(8) I should have been delighted if I possessed any information that would interest Miss Nelly. Just then, her friend, Lady Jerland, came running towards us in a state of great excitement, exclaiming: “My jewels, my pearls! Someone has stolen them all!”        30

(9) No, they were not all gone, as we soon found out. The thief had taken only a part of them, a very curious thing. Of the diamonds, jewelled pendants, bracelets and necklaces, the thief had taken not the largest but the finest and most valuable stones. The mountings were lying upon the table. I saw them there, despoiled of their    35        jewels, like flowers from which the beautiful coloured petals had been ruthlessly plucked. This theft must have been committed at the time Lady Jerland was taking her tea in the restaurant. Moreover, the thief had forced opened the door of the room, searched for the jewel-case, which was hidden at the bottom of a hat-box, opened it, and removed it from the mountings.         40

(10) Of course, all the passengers instantly reached the same conclusion: it was the work of Arsène Lupin.

Adapted from: The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin,
Gentleman-Burglar
By Maurice Leblanc

(i) (a) Given below are three words and phrases. Find the words which have a similar meaning in the passage:

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(1) people you know but who are not your close friends

(2) unconventional or slightly strange

(3) violently removed valuable possessions

(b) For each of the words given below, choose the correct sentence that uses the same word unchanged in spelling, but with a different meaning from that which it carries in the passage:

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(1) vessel (line 1)

(A) The sailors were instructed to vessel the cargo carefully to prevent any damage.

(B) He carefully vesseled the hot soup into the bowl, being careful not to spill.

(C) The navy deployed several vessels to patrol the waters near the disputed border.

(D) The luxury vessel was equipped with state-of-the-art amenities and could accommodate hundreds of passengers.

(2) initial (line 12)

(A) Please write your full name and initials at the bottom of the page.

(B) My initial reaction to the news was one of shock and disbelief.

(C) The monogram on the handkerchief was embroidered with the bride’s first initial.

(D) The personalised license plate featured the driver’s initial and birth year.

(3) engaged (line 19)

(A) The project is currently engaging in its final phase of development.

(B) The couple had been engaged for over a year before deciding to get married.

(C) The soldiers were engaged in a fierce battle against enemy forces.

(D) She engaged in a conversation with her boss about the upcoming project.

(ii) Answer the following questions in your own words as briefly as possible:

(a) ‘Now every passenger was aware that Arsène Lupin was hiding in our midst!’ How do you think the passengers felt after they received the message?

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(b) How does the narrator describe Arsène Lupin in the passage?

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(c) State any two details from the story that made the theft of the jewels on the ship particularly unique.

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(iii) Summarise facts about Arsène Lupin as mentioned in paragraphs 5, 6 and 7. You are required to write the summary in the form of a connected passage in about 100 words. Failure to keep within the word limit will be penalised.

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