Sir Padampat Singhania Education Centre
Kamla Nagar, Kanpur
July Test Revision Sheet (2025-26)
M.M.: 25 Class – XII
Time: 1 hour Name: _______________ Subject- English Core (301)
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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
1.This revision sheet contains three sections:
Section A: Reading Skills (8 Marks)
Section B: Creative Writing Skills (4 Marks)
Section C: Literature (13 Marks)
2. Attempt ALL THE QUESTIONS based on specific instructions for each part.
3. Write the correct question number and part thereof in your answer sheet.
4. Adhere to the prescribed word limit while answering the questions.
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SECTION – A (READING SKILLS) [8 Marks]
Q1. Read the following passage carefully:
1. Contaminated water sources constitute a more lethal threat to humanity than warfare and the
aggregate manifestation of violent conflicts. Concurrently, our potable water reserves remain
severely circumscribed: a mere fraction—less than one percent—of the planet's freshwater reserves
remains accessible for human consumption. In the absence of decisive intervention, these exigencies
will intensify precipitously by the year 2050, when global freshwater requisition is projected to
exceed contemporary demands by one-third. The paradox of our hydrological predicament lies in the
stark juxtaposition between the ubiquity of water-related mortality and the scarcity of viable
aqueous resources. This disparity presages an escalating crisis wherein humanity's fundamental
survival depends upon the judicious stewardship of an increasingly finite and vulnerable resource
base.
2. Water is uniquely vulnerable to pollution. Known as a "universal solvent", water is able to dissolve
more substances than any other liquid on Earth. Water pollution is the release of substances into
subsurface groundwater or into lakes, streams, rivers, estuaries, and oceans to the point where the
substances interfere with beneficial use of the water or with the natural functioning of ecosystems.
In addition to the release of substances, such as chemicals, trash, or microorganisms, water
pollution may also include the release of energy, in the form of radioactivity or heat, into bodies of
water. The key causatives of water pollution in India are urbanization, deforestation, industrial
effluents and agricultural run-offs with the use of insecticides and pesticides. The other causes are
social and religious offerings in water bodies and the use of detergents and fertilizers.
3. Water pollution can have disastrous consequences on the ecosystem. Furthermore, toxic
chemicals can travel through the food chain and get into our bodies, causing diseases and death.
4. There is no single or simple answer to stop the water pollution crisis. However, there are many
solutions to prevent water pollution, both in our daily lives and within industries. They are
wastewater treatment, reducing plastic waste and water conservation. In addition to this, we must
have water-efficient toilets, stormwater management and ozone wastewater treatment
Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below: (8 Marks)
(a) Complete the following sentence suitably: (1m)
Water is easily exposed to pollution.
(b) Supply a word/ phrase from Paragraph 2 to complete the following analogy: (1m)
vulnerable: resilient :: artificial: natural
(c) List a way in which religious rituals impact water bodies. (1m)
Flowers, incense and food items are often directly offered into the water. Immersion of idols also
leads to changes in the chemical composition of water.
(d) Less than 1% of the Earth’s freshwater is actually accessible to us. State the reason. (1m)
The available supplies of safe, drinkable water are extremely limited or restricted. Most of the
freshwater is locked in glaciers and polar ice caps.
(e) Describe any three major causes of water pollution. (2m)
Deforestation - Removal of forests disrupts natural water filtration systems and increases soil
erosion, leading to sedimentation in water bodies that reduces water quality and oxygen levels.
Urbanization - Rapid urban growth leads to multiple pollution sources including inadequate sewage
treatment systems that discharge raw or partially treated human waste into water bodies.
Industrial Effluents - Industries discharge untreated or inadequately treated wastewater containing
heavy metals, toxic chemicals, dyes, acids, and organic pollutants directly into rivers, lakes, and
groundwater.
(f) Immediate measures must be taken to stop the water pollution crisis.
Elucidate on a few measures. (2m)
Urgent action must be taken on both individual and industrial levels. Some ways to curb water
pollution are wastewater treatment, reducing plastic waste and water conservation. In addition to
this, we must have water-efficient toilets, stormwater management and ozone wastewater treatment.
SECTION – B (CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS) [4 Marks]
Q2. Draft an invitation in 50 words to be sent to your relatives to invite them to the
engagement ceremony of your sister, Nivedita Rajani. Do not forget to include the necessary
details and highlights of the special occasion. You are Ninad Rajani. (4 Marks)
SECTION – C (LITERATURE) [13 Marks]
Q3. Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow: (1m x 4 = 4m)
‘It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines,
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.’
(a) Why does the poet call this moment ‘exotic’?
The poet calls this moment ‘exotic’ because we will experience something extraordinary when all the
people will be together in silence. We will be away from the mechanical sounds and people rushing
about.
(b) Which figure of speech has been used in the last line of the stanza?
Alliteration
(c) State whether True or False:
The poet wants a boisterous moment.
False
(d) In context with modern life, what does ‘without engines’ suggest?
The phrase ‘without engines’ suggests a world free from noise pollution of moving vehicles,
mechanization, industrialization and technological development.
Q4. Answer the following questions in 40-50 words: (2m x 2 = 4m)
a. Describe Charley’s experience on his attempt to find the third level again?
Charley was quite determined to find the Third Level as he yearned to be in Galesburg. He even got
the currency exchanged so that he could live in 1894. However, despite his efforts and multiple
attempts, he could never find the way to the third-level corridor again. It felt as if the entrance had
vanished, altogether. He ultimately had to return to stamp collecting to cope up with the
disappointment.
b. What does the phrase ‘green wars’ suggest about humanity's relationship with nature?
Green wars suggest fights against forests, natural landscapes and conquer wilderness areas through
deforestation, mining, and development. It reflects how humanity exploits nature for power and profit,
turning even environmental issues into battles, rather than nurturing a harmonious and respectful
relationship with the Earth. Neruda highlights that humans are waging war against the very source of
life that sustains us.
Q5. Answer the following question in 120-150 words limit. (5m)
‘Charley grapples with suburban anxiety and insecurities.’
How is Charley’s description of the third level convincing?
Charley’s description of the third level is convincing because it vividly captures the contrast between
the chaotic modern world and a peaceful, nostalgic past. He describes the third level at Grand Central
Station with precise, historically accurate details that give his experience a realistic and immersive
touch. His experience to the third level was so real to him. The third level is dimly lit with open-flame
gaslights; a man pulled a gold watch from his vest pocket to check the time. There are brass spittoons
on the floor, people were dressed in 1890s attire—men in derby hats and old-fashioned suits, women
in long skirts with high-buttoned shoes, a small, coal-burning steam engine with a funnel-shaped
stack, and a wooden ticket booth manned by a clerk in a green eyeshade and sleeve protectors.
He also found the newspaper The World, which had not been published for many years. The main
headline provided information about President Cleveland and the date on it proved that he is in past.
The clerk at the ticket window looked at Charley strangely when he tried to pay with modern currency—
eight dollars in modern bills to buy two tickets, which the clerk did not recognise. This encounter
startled Charley and made him realise he needed old-style currency to actually board the train to
Galesburg, Illinois, 1894. He even notices a newspaper, The World, which stopped publishing in 1931.
These specific observations, along with Charley’s yearning to escape the stress, insecurity, and fast
pace of modern suburban life, make his account more believable. Although his psychiatrist calls it a
“waking-dream wish fulfilment,” Charley’s unwavering belief and the letter from his friend Sam add
weight to the third level’s possible existence. His emotional struggle and deep longing for a simpler,
peaceful time make his portrayal both relatable and persuasive.
