ISC English Literature Specimen Paper 2024 for Class 12: Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has made available its specimen question paper of ISC Class 12 Paper 2 English Literature. The paper is for a total of 80 marks, to be attempted in 3 hours. The candidate will also have extra 15 minutes wherein they can check the complete question paper and analyse it to plan their strategy. There are two sections in the paper, section A for 20 marks and section B for 60 marks.
ISC Class 12 English Literature Specimen Paper 2024
ENGLISH PAPER 2
(LITERATURE IN ENGLISH)
(Prescribed Textbooks)
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Maximum Marks: 80
Time Allowed: Three Hours
(Candidates are allowed additional 15 minutes for only reading the paper. They must NOT start writing during this time.)
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- Answer all questions in Section A and Section B.
- The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ].
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SECTION A – 20 MARKS
Question 1
Choose the correct options for the following questions. [10]
(i) Miranda: Oh, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in’t!
What leads Miranda to exclaim “O brave new world” in Act V Scene i of the play, The Tempest?
(a) The realisation that her father is the powerful Duke of Milan.
(b) The sight of Ariel and other spirits.
(c) The sight of Alonso and his courtiers.
(d) The realisation that she would be the Queen of Naples.
(ii) Why do Juno and Iris describe Ceres as “bounteous” during the masque in The Tempest?
(a) She is the queen of the gods.
(b) She is the goddess of harmony.
(c) She is the nymph of the woods.
(d) She is the goddess of agriculture.
(iii) Prospero: Though with their high wrongs I am struck to th’ quick?
Yet with my nobler reason 'gainst my fury
Do I take part:
Which quality of Prospero is reflected in the decision that he takes eventually in Act V Scene i of the play, The Tempest?
(a) Honesty
(b) Understanding
(c) Rationality
(d) Forgiveness
(iv) How does Ariel’s music influence Stephano and Trinculo in Act III Scene ii of the play, The Tempest?
(a) It calms them.
(b) It amazes and frightens them.
(c) It helps them express their emotions.
(d) It helps them resolve conflicts with each other.
(v) Which one of the following qualities describes the narrator’s character in the short story Fritz?
(a) He is arrogant.
(b) He is rational.
(c) He is indifferent.
(d) He is ambitious.
(vi) What is the central idea emphasised in the short story B. Wordsworth?
(a) Beauty of the nature
(b) Alienation of the artist
(c) Importance of money
(d) Importance of success
(vii) In the short story The Singing Lesson, what made Miss Meadows change from conducting a mournful song to a happy one?
(a) Basil’s confession that he is fond of her.
(b) Basil’s telegram telling her to ignore the letter sent by him.
(c) The students’ rendition of the song.
(d) The Headmistress’ confirmation of Miss Meadows doing a good job.
(viii) “With the same pains you use to fill a cup
Up to the brim, and even above the brim.”
The above lines taken from the poem Birches describe how the boy climbs the tree. Which quality of the boy is being highlighted here?
(a) Curiosity
(b) Courage
(c) Optimism
(d) Mindfulness
(ix) “The sea is calm tonight.”
Which one of the following explains why the poem Dover Beach starts with the above line?
(I) To help readers visualise the setting of the poem.
(II) To convey that religious faith is diminishing in the world.
(III) To urge readers to show more compassion and peace in the world.
(IV) To express that the apparent calm is deceptive.
(a) Only (I)
(b) Only (I) and (IV)
(c) Only (III) and (IV)
(d) Only (I), (III) and (IV)
(x) In the poem The Darkling Thrush, which poetic device has the poet used while describing the wind as the ‘death-lament’?
(a) Simile
(b) Onomatopoeia
(c) Visual imagery
(d) Metaphor
Question 2
Complete the following sentences by providing a reason for each in brief. Do not write the question.
[10]
(i) In Act III Scene i of The Tempest, Miranda says that she does not remember the face of any woman because ____________________________.
(ii) In Act III Scene iii of The Tempest, Alonso becomes very upset after Ariel visits them as a harpy because ____________________________.
(iii) In Act IV Scene i of The Tempest, Prospero feels that the efforts he has taken to civilise Caliban are in vain because____________________________.
(iv) In Act V Scene i of The Tempest, Prospero decides to present himself as the Duke of Milan to Alonso, Sebastian and Antonio because__________________.
(v) In the short story Fritz, the narrator suggested digging the ground where Fritz was buried because ____________________________________.
(vi) In the short story The Singing Lesson, Miss Meadows assumed that Basil had committed suicide because_______________________________.
(vii) In the short story Quality, Gessler’s competitor was more successful than he was because_________________________________.
(viii) In the poem Birches, the poet compares life to a ‘pathless wood’ because________________________________.
(ix) In the poem The Dolphins, the poet says that the dolphins are in their ‘element’ and yet not free because ______________________________.
(x) In the poem John Brown, John Brown’s mother boasted about her son going to war because _________________________________.
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To see the complete ISC English Literature Specimen Paper 2024 Class 12 for 2023-24, click on the link below: