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HOLIDAY ASSIGNMENT
SUBJECT-ENGLISH CORE
CLASS 12
Q1.Read the passage and on the basis of your understanding of the passage answer the questions given
below: (12Marks)
1. "Once, Lakshman Singh Potai, Santosh Kumar Usendi and Butia Ram Kurram may have hunted in the
forests of Chattisgarh in their free time. Now they have social media accounts, know some English, and
Potai at least is the proud owner of a selfie-stick. The first kids from Abujmarh–Gondi for "unknown
highlands" — to take admission in Delhi University, will graduate from Hindu College this year with
honours degrees in physics.
2. Their move to Delhi in the summer of 2013 was momentous. The Chattisgarh chief minister had
organised a farewell; the governor had written a letter of introduction saying, "They are remarkable in
the sense that they come from Abujmarh area of Bastar, which remained impenetrable to the
administration till recently and is Naxal affected." In 2014, a fourth teen, Nihal Nag from Matenar in
Dantewada, joined DU. Three of them hope to be civil servants; Kurram wants to appear for CAT.
3. They owe much of their English skills to their friends. "Our Manipuri friends don't speak Hindi at all,"
explains Potai. He knows ChandniChowk thanks to a group project in first year; they've watched movies
in Connaught Place theatres; sampled the fare at different college canteens and had Manipuri fish at a
friend's place near North Campus. When he goes home, Potai and Santosh buy sweets from a shop in
Dwarka's sector 11 and clothes from Karol Bagh. But the long commute between hostel and college—
they stay at Utkarsh, Chhattisgarh government's Tribal Youth Hostel in Dwarka—leaves little time for
other things they're good at, football and music. "They're also doing well in class. They're the youngest
here but have set an example for the others who are preparing for civil service exams," says Dinesh Jha,
assistant commissioner with his office at Utkarsh. Potai has an average score of 80% over five
semesters; Usendi has 56% and Kurram—currently at home recovering from fever—has about 70%.
"This experience has given us confidence," says Potai. He'd encouraged Nag to pick DU physics over
engineering in Hyderabad.
4. Nag is a second-year physics student at DeenDayalUpadhyaya College. His mother, Kamala Vinay Nag,
the district panchayat president, is a bit of a phenomenon back home. "She was abandoned by her
father in Tikanpal. Villagers raised her and funded her education. She's studied till Class XII," says
Nag. His father passed away in 2013 and a younger brother has cancer. Their treatment so debilitated
the family's resources that when Nag came to DU they "didn't have enough to eat." On his 2014 winter
break, he'd encouraged his mother to contest elections and walked with her to the collector's office to
file nominations. On his next visit, in winter 2015, he scuttled a child marriage.
5. Their homes are changing too. Buses now reach more villages—Usendi's is 75 kilometres from
Narayanpur, the district headquarters, but now has a road going to it—there are more CRPF personnel
but electricity is still a problem. Nag says Dantewada is very different from its image. "It's developing
and we have everything. I posted photos of Chitrakoot and Tirathgarh waterfalls on Facebook and got
many likes. Our friends want to visit," adds Potai.
6. Abujmarh was inaccessible even to government surveyors for a long time. Till 2009, the Maoist
stronghold was a no-go zone for "outsiders" and the government itself relied on NGOs to deliver basic
services. Naturally, there's still much ground to be covered. "People either don't know about government
schemes or how to sign up," says Potai
7. Jha is convinced the boys will speed things up. Potai is already preparing to write the state public
service exams and has an inch-thick folder of notes to show for it. "I want to be in a position to do
something for my people."
1.1 Answer each of the questions given below by choosing the most appropriate option: (1x5=5)
(a) Potai, Usendi and Kurram hail from………………………….
(i) Manipur (ii) Forests
(iii) Ajubmarh-Gondi (iv) Outskirts of Delhi
(b) When they moved to Delhi …………………………..
(i) the Chief Minister organized a reception (ii)the village headman organized a reception
(iii) their families were reluctant (iv) their friends came with them
(c) When Potai goes home he takes ……………………………
(i) his Manipuri friend with him (ii) the manager of the hostel
(iii) sweets from a shop in Dwarka (iv) sweets from a shop in Connaught Place
(d) Usendi's home is ……………………………………
(i) inDwarka (ii) 75 km from Narayanpur
(iii) inDantewada (iv) in Maoist stronghold
(e)Kamala VinayNag was …………………………….. by her father
(i) nurtured (ii) nominated (iii) abandoned (iv) murdered
1.2 Answer the following questions briefly. (1x5=5)
(a) Where do the boys stay in Delhi?
(b) What do they have in common to be proud of themselves?
(c)What are the wishes of the three youths?
(d)Why does Nag say Dantewada has a different image?
(e) What opinion do others have of them at the hostel?
1.4. Pick out the words/phrases from the passage which are similar in meaning to the
following: (1x2=2)
(a) difficult to reach (para 6)
(b) completely sure (para 7)
Q2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow: (8)
Whether work should be placed among the causes of happiness or among the causes of unhappiness may
perhaps be regarded as a doubtful question. There is certainly much work is always very painful. However,
work is not, to most people, more painful than idleness. There are, in work, all grades; from more relief of
tedium up to the profoundest delights, according to the nature of the work and the abilities of the worker.
Most of the work that most people have to do is not interesting in itself, but even that work has certain great
advantages. To begin with, it fills a good many hours of the day without the need of deciding what one shall
do. Most people, when they are left free to fill their own time according to their choice, are at a loss to think of
anything sufficiently pleasant to be worth doing. And whatever they decide on, they are troubled by the feeling
that something else would have been more pleasant here. To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last
product of civilization and at present very few people have reached this level. Moreover the exercise of choice
is tiresome in itself. Expect, to people with unusual initiative, it is positively agreeable to be told what to do at
each hour of the day ,provided the orders are not too unpleasant. Most of the idle rich suffer unspeakable
boredom. At times they may find relief by hunting big game in Africa or by flying around the world, but the
number of such sensations is limited, especially after youth is past. Accordingly, the more intelligent rich men
work nearly as hard as if they were poor.
Work. Therefore is desirable, first and foremost as a preventive of boredom, although uninteresting work is as
boring as having nothing to do. With this advantage of work, another associated advantage is that it makes
holidays much more delicious when they come. Provided that a man does not have to work so hard as to
impair his vigour, he is likely to find far more zest than an idle man would possibly find.
The second advantage of most paid work and some of unpaid work is that it gives chances of success and
opportunities for ambition. In most work, success is measured by income and while our capitalistic society
continues, this is inevitable. However dull work too, becomes bearable, if it is a means of building up a
reputation. Continuity of purpose is one of the most essential ingredients of happiness and that comes chiefly
through work.
2.1 . 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 four) . Also supply an appropriate
title to it. (1x4=4)
2.2. Write a summary of the passage in about 100 words. (1x4=4)
Q3. You are planning a four-week course for the children of Bhumika Housing Society complex for developing
their soft skills as part of school project. Prepare a notice to be put up on the society's noticeboard stating the
purpose of the course and giving all necessary details asking the children to join the course. Do not forget to
mention the eligibility, timing, venue and structure of the course. You are Yashika/Yasu, studying in Class
XII in a reputable public school. (Wordlimit:50)
Q4.Your town has been badly hit by floods due to enormous rains. Write a letter to the editor of a national
daily a detailed account of the loss of life and property. Also make an appeal to the people and the
government to help and succor to the afflicted. You are Roshan/Roshni, Tilak Nagar, Nagpur. (Word Limit:
100-125)
Q5.You bought a flat from ABC Builders, Sector55, Noida. Within a period of two months you have started
facing a lot of problems like seepage in the walls and ceilings, wall paint peeling off etc. Write a letter of
complaint to the Work Manager. You are Nikhil/Neelima, A9 Apoorva Apts., Noida.(Word Limit:100-125)
Q6. As Manu/Meenu of Silver Public School, write a speech to be delivered in the school assembly on the
topic ‘ Social media is making us Un-social’.(word limit150-200)
Q7.Children between 13 and 19 years of age are neither too young nor too mature. Today these children feel
that the pressures of the competitive world they live in have made their lives less exciting. Write an article
expressing your views on the same, for a local daily. (Word Limit:150-200)