Unseen Passage For Class 12 English With Answers

Unseen Passages 12

Unseen Discursive Passage Class 12 English

Agrobiodiversity initiatives open women’s horizons in Kerala

1. Kaliamma Nanjan, 70, sings as she cuts through her farm in Kerala’s Western Ghats. She deftly navigates the slopes of Attappady in Palakkad district with the gravity-defying dexterity of a mountain goat. Her silver-grey hair and bright saree vanish as she enters her mosaic-like 3.5-acre farm — her own agrobiodiversity haven.

2. There is one acre each of paddy, little millet and finger millet, and the remaining area is divided between vegetables for daily use, hyacinth beans, corn, and pulses. 3. Kaliamma is part of a unique project as a “Master Farmer” with the Kudumbashree Mission to promote and mainstream agrobiodiversity by reviving traditional and sustainable farming practices called panchakrishi.

4. Agrobiodiversity is the sustained management of various biological resources including multi-cropping, trees, herbs, spices, livestock, fish species and nondomesticated resources within fields and forests.

5. By breaking away from the silo of limiting agrobiodiversity to conservation, the Kudumbashree project integrates increasing farm productivity, boosting nutritional security, and providing market access to tribal communities in remote areas.

6. The Western Ghats is an agrobiodiversity hotspot, and in Attappady indigenous methods like panchakrishi protect it.

7. Over 10,000 tribals live in Attappady, with a majority displaced from the farm sector over the years. Land conflict, intensive farming, marginalisation have resulted in worsening socio-economic indicators including malnutrition, child deaths and food crisis linked to land alienation and the loss of their traditional agriculture in tribal communities, the government has noted. Kudumbashree entered Attappady with a host of projects after malnutrition claimed 58 lives in 2012-2014.

8. Kudumbashree, Kerala’s programme and network for women’s empowerment and poverty eradication with over 4.3 million members, has its hands in many pies. It has floated special projects for tribal women living in the 745 square km Attappady block in Palakkad in 2017.

9. “For this project, Kudumbashree has mobilised its community-based networks and aligned with the Mahila Kisan Sashakthikarana Pariyojana (MKSP), under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission,” Sai Dalvi, District Mission Coordinator in Palakkad, said.

10. There are 192 hamlets and over 840 ha under panchakrishi farming, producing pulses, tubers, paddy, millets, and vegetables.

11. “Government and farmers organisations need to be the base, but the farmers should have the autonomy,” explained Ramanatha Rao, a geneticist formerly with policy and think-tank Bioversity International.

12. “We need to pay attention to what farmers want,” said Rao.

13. “Production-oriented agriculture has sacrificed agrobiodiversity and farmer well-being while compromising on environmental protection and nature conservation. For long, we have looked at these aspects disparately, without an integrated approach.”

14. Mainstreaming involves integrating specific components of biodiversity into other sectors for the generation of mutual benefits, as noted in Mainstreaming Agrobiodiversity in Sustainable Food Systems published in 2016. However, this isn’t a onesize- fits-all approach. Governments, farmer organisations and consumer associations can influence programmes and policies that can combine agrobiodiversity with tourism, conservation, increasing productivity, resilience, climate change mitigation or adaptation, nutritional security, food sovereignty or poverty alleviation.

Choose the correct option to answer any ten of the following questions : 

Question. Kaliamma Nanjan, 70, sings as she cuts through her farm in Kerala’s Western Ghats. What could be the reason for her singing while working on her farm?
(a) she likes to sing
(b) singing makes the work easier
(c) she is happy with her farm work being supported by Kudumbashree project
(d) none of the above

Answer

C

Question. Why is Kaliamma’s 3.5-acre farm called mosaic-like?
(a) she has many plants in her farm which makes it colourful
(b) it has many tiles
(c) she grows many flowers
(d) none of the above

Answer

A

Question. Of the 3.5 acre farm that Kaliamma has, how much is devoted to vegetables for daily use, hyacinth beans, corn, and pulses.
(a) 1 acre
(b) 0.5 acres
(c) none
(d) 2.5 acres

Answer

B

Question. What is agrobiodiversity?
(a) animal husbandry
(b) managing different crops
(c) growing trees and crops together
(d) managing various biological resources like multicropping, trees, livestock, and fish species among others.

Answer

D

Question. The traditional and sustainable farming practices are called ………………… .
(a) Panchakrishi
(b) Kudumbashree
(c) Agrobiodiversity
(d) Master Farmer

Answer

A

Question. What are the three aspects of the Kudumbashree project?
(a) increasing farm productivity, boosting nutritional security, banning market access to tribal communities in remote areas
(b) reducing farm productivity, boosting nutritional security, providing market access to tribal communities in remote areas
(c) increasing farm productivity, boosting nutritional security, providing market access to tribal communities in remote areas
(d) none of the above

Answer

C

Question. Over ………………… live in Attappady and a majority have been displaced from the farm sector over the years.
(a) 10,000 weavers
(b) 10,000 artisans
(c) 10,000 tribals
(d) 10,000 farmers

Answer

C

Question. What else besides land conflict, and intensive farming has resulted in deteriorating socio-economic indicators among the tribal communities?
(a) being marginalised
(b) being incorporated
(c) being rehabilitated
(d) none of these

Answer

A

Question. Which three social indicators have been mentioned in the article?
(a) malnutrition, child deaths and maternal mortality rate
(b) malnutrition, child deaths and food crisis
(c) school drop outs, child deaths and food crisis
(d) none of the above

Answer

B

Question. What has “sacrificed agrobiodiversity and farmer wellbeing while compromising on environmental protection and nature conservation”?
(a) use of pesticides
(b) use of chemicals
(c) using high yield variety seeds
(d) all farming practices that increase yields per cycle

Answer

D

Question. Which word in the passage means “skilfully”?
(a) deftly
(b) dexterity
(c) sustainable
(d) autonomy

Answer

A

Question. Which word in the passage is opposite in meaning to “clumsiness”?
(a) deftly
(b) dexterity
(c) sustainable
(d) autonomy

Answer

B

Unseen Cloze Passage Class 12 English

Choose the correct options to fill in the blanks to complete the note about Raman Shah. 
Raman Shah was sprinting his car to meet a business partner, when suddenly he ___ (a) ___ feeling a sharp pain in his chest. He felt as if someone ___ (b) ___ his chest. He began having trouble with his breathing and ___ (c) ___ seem to be in a proper frame of health.

Question. (i) could not
(ii) does not
(iii) did not
(iv) has not

Answer

C

Question. (i) start
(ii) starting
(iii) started
(iv) starts

Answer

C

Question. (i) squeezing
(ii) squeezed
(iii) squeeze
(iv) was squeezing

Answer

D

Unseen Passage for Class 12

Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow : 

The term dietary fibres refers collectively to indigestible carbohydrates present in plant foods. The importance of these dietary fibres came into the picture when it was observed that the people having diet rich in these fibres, had low incidence of coronary heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, dental caries and gall stones.

The foodstuffs rich in these dietary fibres are cereals and grains, legumes, fruits with seeds, citrus fruits, carrots, cabbage, green leafy vegetables, apples, melons, peaches, pears, etc.

These dietary fibres are not digested by the enzymes of the stomach and the small intestine whereas, most of the other carbohydrates like starch and sugar are digested and absorbed. The dietary fibres have the property of holding water and because of it, these get swollen and behave like a sponge as these pass through the gastrointestinal tract. The fibres add bulk to the diet and increase transit time in the gut. Some of these fibres may undergo fermentation in the colon.

In recent years, it has been considered essential to have some amount of fibres in the diet. Their beneficial effects help in preventing coronary heart disease, and decreasing cholesterol levels. The fibres like gums and pectin are reported to decrease postprandial (after meals) glucose level in blood. These types of dietary fibres are recommended for the management of certain types of diabetes. Recent studies have shown that the fenugreek (Methi) seeds, which contain 40 percent gum, are effective in decreasing blood glucose and cholesterol levels as compared to other gum containing vegetables.

Some dietary fibres increase transit time and decrease the time of release of ingested food in colon. The diet having less fibres is associated with colon cancer and the dietary fibres may play a role in decreasing the risk of it. The dietary fibres hold water so that stools are soft, bulky and readily eliminated. Therefore, high fibre intake prevents or relieves constipation.

The fibres increase motility of the small intestine and the colon and by decreasing the transit time there is less time for exposure of the mucosa to harmful toxic substances. Therefore, there is less desire to eat and the energy intake can be maintained within the range of requirement. This phenomenon helps in keeping a check on obesity. Another reason in helping to decrease obesity is that the high-fibre diets have somewhat lower coefficients of digestibility.

The dietary fibres may have some adverse effects on nutrition by binding some trace metals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and others and ‘therefore’ preventing their proper absorption. This may pose a possibility of nutritional deficiency especially when diets contain marginal levels of mineral elements. This may become an important constraint on increasing dietary fibres. It is suggested that an intake of 40 grams dietary fibres per day is desirable.

(a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes in points only, using abbreviations wherever necessary. Supply a suitable title.
Answer :
Title : Dietary Fibres
1. Notes

(i) Importance : lowers
(a) hrt disease
(b) irrtble bowel syndrome
(c) dental caries
(d) gall stones

(ii) Rich dietary fibers
(a) cereals, grains, legumes
(b) fruits
(c) vegetables

(iii) Adverse effects
(a) bind metals like ca, mg, ph, zn
(b) prevents their absoptn
(c) nutnl defcncy

Abbreviation Used
Hrt : heart
Irrtble : irritable
Ca : calcium
Mg : magnesium
Ph : phosphorous
Zn : zinc
Absoptn : absorption
Nutnl : nutritional
Defcncy : deficiency

(b) Write a summary of the above in about 80 words.
Summary: Dietary fibers are indigestible carbohydrates present in plant foods. People having diet rich in fibers have low heart diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, dental caries and gall stones. 
Sources of dietary fibers are legumes, cereals, fruits, vegetables and grains. The fibers like gums present in fenugreek and pectin decrease glucose level. The diet which is less in fibers results in colon cancer. The dietary fibers hold water and functions like sponge, hence they prevent constipation.
But there are adverse effects also. They bind some trace metals resulting in nutritional deficiency.

Unseen Passage for Class 12 with answers pdf

English 2012 (Outside Delhi) SECTION A : READING

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. While there is no denying that the world loves a winner, it is important that you recognise the signs of stress in your behaviour and be healthy enough to enjoy your success. Stress can strike anytime, in a fashion that may leave you unaware of its presence in your life. While a certain amount of pressure is necessary for performance, it is important to be able to recognise your individual limit. For instance, there are some individuals who accept competition in a healthy fashion. There are others who collapse into weeping wrecks before an exam or on comparing marksheets and finding that their friend has scored better.

2. Stress is a body reaction to any demands or changes in its internal and external environment. Whenever there is a change in the external environment such as temperature, pollutants, humidity and working conditions, it leads to stress. In these days of competition when a person makes up his mind to surpass what has been achieved by others, leading to an imbalance between demands and resources, it causes psycho-social stress. It is a part and parcel of everyday life.

3. Stress has a different meaning, depending on the stage of life you are in. The loss of a toy or a reprimand from the parents might create a stress shock in a child. An adolescent who fails in examination may feel as if everything has been lost and life has no further meaning. In an adult the loss of his or her companion, job or professional failure may appear as if there is nothing more to be achieved.

4. Such signs appear in the attitude and behaviour of the individual, as muscle tension in various parts of the body, palpitation and high blood pressure, indigestion and hyper-acidity. Ultimately the result is self-destructive behaviour such as eating and drinking too much, smoking excessively, relying on tranquilisers. There are other signs of stress such as trembling, shaking, nervous blinking, dryness of throat and mouth and difficulty in swallowing.

5. The professional under stress behaves as if he is a perfectionist. It leads to depression, lethargy and weakness. Periodic mood shifts also indicate the stress status of the students, executives and professionals.

6. In a study sponsored by World Health Organisation and carried out by Harvard School of Public Health, the global burden of diseases and injury indicated that stress diseases and accidents are going to be the major killers in 2020.

7. The heart disease and depression – both stress diseasesare going to rank first and second in 2020. Road traffic accidents are going to be the third largest killers. These accidents are also an indicator of psycho-social stress in a fast-moving society. Other stress diseases like ulcers, hypertension and sleeplessness have assumed epidemic proportions in modern societies.

8. A person under stress reacts in different ways and the common ones are flight, fight and flee depending upon the nature of the stress and capabilities of the person. The three responses can be elegantly chosen to cope with the stress so that stress does not damage the system and become distress.

9. When a stress crosses the limit, peculiar to an individual, it lowers his performance capacity. Frequent crossings of the limit may result in chronic fatigue in which a person feels lethargic, disinterested and is not easily motivated to achieve anything. This may make the person mentally undecided, confused and accident prone as well. Sudden exposure to un-nerving stress may also result in a loss of memory. Diet, massage, food supplements, herbal medicines, hobbies, relaxation techniques and dance movements are excellent stress busters.

(a)
Question. What is stress ? What factors lead to stress ? 
Answer : Stress is a body reaction to any demands or changes in its internal and external environment.
Whenever there is a change in the external environment such as temperature, pollutants, humidity and working conditions,it leads to stress and when there is an imbalance between
demands and resources, it causes psycho-social stress.

Question. What are the signs by which a person can know that he is under stress ? 
Answer : A muscle tension in various parts of body, palpitation,high blood pressure, indigestion and hyperacidity are the signs that appear in the attitude and behavior of a person
under stress. There are other signs also such as trembling, shaking, nervous blinking, dryness of throat and mouth and difficulty in swallowing.

Question. What are the different diseases a person gets due to stress ? 
Answer : The different diseases caused due to stress are heart disease, depression, accidents, ulcers, hypertension and sleeplessness.

Question. Give any two examples of stress busters. 
Answer : Relaxation techniques and dance movements are the two examples of stress busters.

Question. How does a person react under stress ? 
Answer : A person under stress reacts in different ways and the common ones are flight, fight and flee depending upon the nature of stress and capabilities of the person.

(b) Which words in the above passage mean the same as the following ? 

(i) fall down (para 1)
Answer : Collapse

(ii) Rebuke (para 3)
Answer : Reprimand

(iii) Inactive (para 9)
Answer : Lethargic

Short Unseen Passage Class 12 with questions and answers

Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. While there is no denying that the world loves a winner, it is important that you recognise the signs of stress in your behaviour and be healthy enough to enjoy your success. Stress can strike anytime, in a fashion that may leave you unaware of its presence in your life. While a certain amount of pressure is necessary for performance, it is important to be able to recognise your individual limit. For instance, there are some individuals who accept competition in a healthy fashion. There are others who collapse into weeping wrecks before an exam or on comparing marksheets and finding that their friend has scored better.

2. Stress is a body reaction to any demands or changes in its internal and external environment. Whenever there is a change in the external environment such as temperature, pollutants, humidity and working conditions, it leads to stress. In these days of competition when a person makes up his mind to surpass what has been achieved by others, leading to an imbalance between demands and resources, it causes psycho-social stress. It is a part and parcel of everyday life.

3. Stress has a different meaning, depending on the stage of life you are in. The loss of a toy or a reprimand from the parents might create a stress shock in a child. An adolescent who fails in examination may feel as if everything has been lost and life has no further meaning. In an adult the loss of his or her companion, job or professional failure may appear as if there is nothing more to be achieved.

4. Such signs appear in the attitude and behaviour of the individual, as muscle tension in various parts of the body, palpitation and high blood pressure, indigestion and hyper-acidity. Ultimately the result is self-destructive behaviour such as eating and drinking too much, smoking excessively, relying on tranquilisers. There are other signs of stress such as trembling, shaking, nervous blinking, dryness of throat and mouth and difficulty in swallowing.

5. The professional under stress behaves as if he is a perfectionist. It leads to depression, lethargy and weakness. Periodic mood shifts also indicate the stress status of the students, executives and professionals.

6. In a study sponsored by World Health Organisation and carried out by Harvard School of Public Health, the global burden of diseases and injury indicated that stress diseases and accidents are going to be the major killers in 2020.

7. The heart disease and depression – both stress diseasesare going to rank first and second in 2020. Road traffic accidents are going to be the third largest killers. These accidents are also an indicator of psycho-social stress in a fast-moving society. Other stress diseases like ulcers, hypertension and sleeplessness have assumed epidemic proportions in modern societies.

8. A person under stress reacts in different ways and the common ones are flight, fight and flee depending upon the nature of the stress and capabilities of the person. The three responses can be elegantly chosen to cope with the stress so that stress does not damage the system and become distress.

9. When a stress crosses the limit, peculiar to an individual, it lowers his performance capacity. Frequent crossings of the limit may result in chronic fatigue in which a person feels lethargic, disinterested and is not easily motivated to achieve anything. This may make the person mentally undecided, confused and accident prone as well. Sudden exposure to un-nerving stress may also result in a loss of memory. Diet, massage, food supplements, herbal medicines, hobbies, relaxation techniques and dance movements are excellent stress busters.

(a)
Question. What is stress ? What factors lead to stress ? 
Answer : Stress is a body reaction to any demands or changes in its internal and external environment.
Whenever there is a change in the external environment such as temperature, pollutants, humidity and working conditions,it leads to stress and when there is an imbalance between
demands and resources, it causes psycho-social stress.

Question. What are the signs by which a person can know that he is under stress ? 
Answer : A muscle tension in various parts of body, palpitation,high blood pressure, indigestion and hyperacidity are the signs that appear in the attitude and behavior of a person
under stress. There are other signs also such as trembling, shaking, nervous blinking, dryness of throat and mouth and difficulty in swallowing.

Question What are the different diseases a person gets due to stress ? 
Answer : The different diseases caused due to stress are heart disease, depression, accidents, ulcers, hypertension and sleeplessness.

Question. Give any two examples of stress busters. 
Answer : Relaxation techniques and dance movements are the two examples of stress busters.

Question. How does a person react under stress ? 
Answer : A person under stress reacts in different ways and the common ones are flight, fight and flee depending upon the nature of stress and capabilities of the person.

(b) Which words in the above passage mean the same as the following ?

(i) fall down (para 1)
Answer : Collapse

(ii) Rebuke (para 3)
Answer : Reprimand

(iii) Inactive (para 9)
Answer : Lethargic

Unseen Discursive Passage Class 12 English

For many years now the Governments have been promising the eradication of child labour in hazardous industries in India. But the truth is that despite all the rhetoric no Government so far has succeeded in eradicating this evil, nor has any been able to ensure compulsory primary education for every Indian child. Between 60 and 100 million children are still at work instead of going to school, and around 10 million are working in hazardous industries. India has the biggest child population of 380 million in the world; plus the largest number of children who are forced to earn a living.
We have many laws that ban child labour in hazardous industries. According to the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986, the employment of children below the age of 14 in hazardous occupations has been strictly banned. But each state has different rules regarding the minimum age of employment. This makes the implementation of these laws difficult.
Also, there is no ban on child labour in nonhazardous occupations. The act applies to the organised or factory sector and not the unorganized or informal sector where most children find employment as cleaners, servants, porters, waiters, among other forms of unskilled work. Thus, child labour continues because the implementation of the existing law is lax.
There are industries, which have a special demand for child labour because of their nimble fingers, high level of concentration and capacity to work hard at abysmally low wages. The carpet industry in U.P. and Kashmir employs children to make hand-knotted carpets. There are 80,000 child workers in Jammu & Kashmir alone. In Kashmir because of the political unrest, children are forced to work while many schools are shut. Industries like gem cutting and polishing, pottery and glass want to remain competitive by employing children.
The truth is that it is poverty which is pushing children into the brutish labour market. We have 260 million people below the poverty line in India, a large number of them are women. Poor and especially womanheaded families have no option but to push their little ones in this hard life in hostile conditions, with no human or labour rights.
There is a lobby which argues that there is nothing wrong with children working as long as the environment for work is conducive to learning new skills but studies have shown that the children are made to do boring, repetitive and tedious jobs and are not taught new skills as they grow older. In these hellholes like the sweet shops of the old, there is no hope.
Children working in hazardous industries are prone to debilitating diseases which can cripple them for life. By sitting in cramped, damp and unhygienic spaces, their limbs become deformed for life. Inside matchstick, fireworks and glass industries they are victims of bronchial diseases and T.B. Their mental and physical development is permanently impaired by long hours of work. Once trapped, they can’t get out of this vicious circle of poverty. They remain uneducated and powerless. Finally, in later years, they too are compelled to send their own children to work. Child labour perpetuates its own nightmare.
If at all the Government was serious about granting children their rights, an intensive effort ought to have been made to implement the Supreme Court’s Directive of 1997 which laid down punitive action against employers of child labour. Only compulsory primary education can eliminate child labour.

Answer the following questions:
Question. What are the two counts that has the Government not succeeded so far in respect of children?
a) in eradication of child labour in hazardous industries
b) ensuring compulsory primary education
c) Both a & b
d) None of the above

Answer

C

Question. What makes the implementation of child labour law difficult in the country?
a) each state has different rules regarding the minimum age of employment
b) no ban on child labour in the nonhazardous occupations
c) There is no such campaign
d) Both a & b

Answer

D

Question. Why do industries prefer child labour?
a) have a capacity to work hard
b) a high level of concentration
c) can be employed at low wages
d) All of the above

Answer

D

Question. What are the adverse effects of hazardous industries on children?
a) prone to debilitating diseases
b) Their limbs became deformed due to long sitting
c) They may become victims of bronchial diseases.
d) All of the above

Answer

D

Question. What does the Supreme Court’s Directive of 1997 provide?
a) an imprisonment of 7 years
b) Punitive action employers of child labour
c) Both a and b
d) None of the above

Answer

B

Question. Give the meaning of the words given below:
A) hazardous
a) Risky
b) Easy
c) hard
d) ordinary

Answer

A

B) hostile
a) Friendly
b) Unfriendly
c) believable
d) Unbelievable

Answer

B

C) punitive
a) Meant for praise
b) Deserve punishment
c) enjoyable
d) not known

Answer

B

Case based factual Passage for Class 12

Passage: While there is no denying that the world loves a winner, it is important that you recognize the signs, of stress in your behaviour and be healthy enough to enjoy your success. Stress can strike anytime, in a fashion that may leave you unaware of its presence in your life. While a certain amount of pressure is necessary for performance, it is important to be able to recognize your individual limit. For instance, there are some individuals who accept competition in a healthy fashion. There are others who collapse into weeping wrecks before an exam or on comparing marks sheets and finding that their friend has scored better.
Stress is a body reaction to any demands or changes in its internal and external environment. Whenever there is a change in the external environment such as temperature, pollutants, humidity and working conditions, it leads to stress. In these days of competition when a person makes up his mind to surpass what has been achieved by others, leading to an imbalance between demands and resources, it causes psychosocial stres s. It is a part and parcel of everyday life.
Stress has a different meaning, depending on the stage of life you are in. The loss of a toy or a reprimand from the parents might create a stress shock in a child. An adolescent who fails an examination may fe el as if everything has been lost and life has no further meaning. In an adult the loss of his or her companion, job or professional failure may appear as if there is nothing more to be achieved.
Such signs appear in the attitude and behaviour of the individual, as muscle tension in various parts of the body, palpitation and high blood pressure, indigestion and hyperacidity. Ultimately the result is self – destructive behaviour such as eating and drinking too much, smoking excessively, relying on tranquilisers. There are other signs of stress such as trembling, shaking, nervous blinking, dryness of throat and mouth and difficulty in swallowing.
The professional under stress behaves as if he is a perfectionist. It leads to depression, lethargy and weakness. Periodic mood shifts also indicate the stress status of the students, executives and professionals. In a study sponsored by World Health Organization and carried out by Harvard School of Public Health, the global burden of diseases and injury indicated that stress diseases and accidents are going to be the major killers in 2020.
The heart disease and depression both stress diseases are going to rank first and second in 2020. Road traffic accidents are going to be the third-largest killers. These accidents are also an indicator of psychosocial stress in a fast-moving society. Other stress diseases like ulcers, hypertension and sleeplessness have assumed epidemic proportions in modern societies.
A person under stress reacts in different ways and the common ones are flight, fight and flee depending upon the nature of the stress and capabilities of the person. The three responses can be elegantly chosen to cope with the stress so that stress does not damage the system and become distressed.
When stress crosses the limit, peculiar to an individual, it lowers his performance capacity. Frequent crossings of the limit may result in chronic fatigue in which a person feels lethargic, disinterested and is not easily motivated to achieve anything. This may make the person mentally undecided, confused and accident-prone as well. Sudden exposure of unnerving stress may also result in a loss of memory. Diet, massage, food supplements, herbal medicines, hobbies, relaxation techniques and dance movements are excellent stress busters.

Answer the following questions:

Question. What is stress? What factors lead to stress?
a) a body reaction to any demands or changes in its external and internal environment
b) A disease
c) A behavioural change
d) None of the above

Answer

A

Question. What are the signs by which a person can know that he is under stress?
a) eating more
b) Sleeping more
c) Attitude and behavioural changes
d) Both a & b

Answer

C

Question. Name the diseases that a person may get due to stress?
a) Heart disease
b) depression
c) Hypertension
d) All of the above

Answer

D

Question. Name the stress busters.
a) Herbal medicines
b) Relaxation techniques
c) Both a & b
d) None of above

Answer

C

Question. How does a person react under stress?
a) It depends on the nature of stress
b) Fight
c) Fight and flight
d) All of the above

Answer

D

Question. Give the meaning of the words given below:

A) collapse
a) Fall down
b) Stand with
c) strengthen
d) Disturbed

Answer

A

B) reprimand
a) Praise
b) Rebuke / Chide
c) Remove
d) Danger

Answer

B

C) lethargic
a) Active
b) tired
c) Enjoying
d) inactive

Answer

D

Unseen Passage for Class 12 with answers

Passage:

We often make all things around us the way we want them. Even during our pilgrimages we have begun to look for whatever makes our heart happy, gives comfort to our body and peace to the mind. It is as if external solutions will fulfill our needs, and we do not want to make any special efforts even in our spiritual search. Our mind resourceful works to find shortcuts in simple and easy ways. Even pilgrimages have been converted into tourism opportunities. Instead, we must, awaken our conscience and souls and understand the truth. Let us not tamper with either our own nature or that of the Supreme.
All our cleverness is rendered ineffective when nature does a dance of destruction. Its fury can and will wash away all imperfections. Indian culture, based on Vedic treatises; assists in human evolution, but we are now using our entire energy in distorting these traditions according to our convenience instead of making efforts to make ourselves worthy of them.
The irony is that humans are not even aware of the complacent attitude they have allowed themselves to sink to. Nature is everyone’s ‘Amma’ and her fierce blows will sooner or later come and force us to understand this truth. Earlier, pilgrimages to places of spiritual significance were rituals that were undertaken when people became free from their worldly duties. Even now some seekers take up this pious religious journey as a path to peace and knowledge. Anyone travelling with this attitude feels and travels with only a few essential items that his body can carry. Pilgrims traditionally travelled light, on foot, eating light, dried chickpeas and fruits, or whatever was available. Pilgrims of olden days did not feel the need to stay in special AC bedrooms, or travel by luxury cars or indulge themselves with delicious food and savouries.
Pilgrims traditionally moved ahead, creating a feeling of belonging towards all, conveying a message of brotherhood among all they came across whether in small caves, ashrams or local settlements. They received the blessings and congregations of yogis and mahatmas in return while conducting the dharma of their pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is like penance or ‘Sadhana’ to stay near nature and to experience a feeling of oneness with it, to keep the body healthy and fulfilled with the amount of food, while seeking freedom from attachments and yet remaining happy while staying away from relatives and associates.
This is how a pilgrimage should be rather than making it like a picnic by taking a large group along and living in comfort, packing in entertainment, and tampering with environment. What is worse is giving a boost to the ego of having had a special ‘darshan’. Now alms are distributed, charity done while they brag about their spiritual experiences!
We must embark on our spiritual journey by first understanding the grace and significance of a pilgrimage and following it up with the prescribed rules and rituals this is what translates into the ultimate and beautiful medium of spiritual evolution. There is no justification for tampering with nature. A pilgrimage is symbolic of contemplation and meditation and acceptance and is a metaphor for the constant growth or movement and love for nature that we should hold in our hearts.

Answer the following questions:
Question. How can a pilgrim keep his body healthy?

a) By travelling light
b) By eating a small amount of food
c) By keeping free from attachments
d) Both a & b

Answer

D

Question. How do we satisfy our ego?
a) By having a special darshan
b) By distributing alms
c) By treating it like a picnic
d) Both (i) and (ii)

Answer

A

Question. What change has taken place in our attitude towards pilgrimages?
a) begun to look for whatever makes our heart happy
b) gives comfort to our body
c) peace to the mind.
d) All of the above

Answer

D

Question. What happens when pilgrimages are turned into picnics?
a) we travel with a large group
b) we live in comfort
c) both a & b
d) None of the above

Answer

C

Question. Why are we complacent in our spiritual efforts?
a) We feel external solutions will fulfill our needs
b) We start enjoying the pilgrim as a picnic
c) We begun to look that makes us happy
d) None of the above

Answer

A

Question. How does nature respond when we try to be clever with it?
a) It tries to give warnings
b) it does a dance of destruction
c) it will show its red eyes
d) Heavy rain will start

Answer

B

Question. In olden days with what attitude did people go on a pilgrimage?
a) they created a feeling of belonging towards all
b) by conveying a message of brotherhood among all we come across.
c) Both a & b
d) None of the above

Answer

C

Question. What message does the passage convey to the pilgrims?
a) We must embark on our spiritual journey by first understanding the grace
b) the significance of a pilgrimage
c) by following it up with prescribed rules and rituals.
d) All of the above

Answer

D

Unseen Passage for Class 12 with questions and answers pdf

Read the passage and answer the questions that follow:

1 Millions of men and women, thousands of leaders, a succession of social, religious and political movements — it is impossible to draw up a full list of the makers of India even on a limited 1000-year basis. All that can be attempted here is to present a few representative names, some of them inspirational still. All of them remind us of the course we have traversed1, and how we have come to where we are. Let us make a start with the best-ever Indian.

2 Implied2 in Toynbee’s3 assessment was the deduction4 that Gandhi was not just an Indian phenomenon5. No doubt, India derived a magical benefit from his leadership. By fitting the freedom struggle into the framework of a philosophy of justice and fairness, he achieved for India a stature6 that was denied to other countries, including China that won independence around the same time. That the stature was quickly lost by the governments that came to power on the labours of Gandhi is a different matter. The decline of India did not amount to any repudiation7 of Gandhi. Indeed, it was seen as a consequence of the betrayal of Gandhi by his supposed followers.

3 The true measure of his impact on history is that it is not dependent on the successful completion of his mission in India. The others who soldiered on with him in the epic8 war of Independence — Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel included — will be remembered for what they did in India and for India; they were essentially Indian personalities. So, for that matter, was Jinnah whose life’s work boiled down to the creation of a state on what rapidly proved to be a dubious9 premise10.

4 Gandhi soared11 above them all because he dealt essentially with ideas and theories relevant to all mankind. Like Buddhism, Gandhism lost ground in the land out of which it evolved12. But, like Buddhism, it has been embraced by distant peoples who see in its tenets13 the promise of a meaningful life. It was as though Gandhi’s involvement with India was merely incidental to his larger involvement with what he persistenly called Truth. Raja Rao put it pithily14 when he wrote : “For Gandhi, India was only the symbol of a universal principle. All countries were, for Gandhi, India.” When we look at him in this perspective15, we realise that it was his universality, the transcendent16 quality of his life and thought, that made Gandhi.

5 He will be greater than not just Stalin and Hitler — two characters who are rather too one-dimensional17 to be contrasted with the vastness that was Gandhi. Gandhi personifies the greatness of the time-honoured proposition18 that Love is superior to Hatred, that Good is better than Evil. Great personages of history who based their ‘greatness’ on Hatred and Evil, on Conquests and Oppression, have all gone under19. The Byzantines and the Ottomans, the Mongols and the Mughals, the British and the Spanish once strode20 the Earth as if they owned it. Today only Britain and Spain survive, and that too as second-class entities confined to Europe. Alexander, the first king in history to be called ‘The Great’, died a lonely death as a disillusioned21 and defeated man at the incredible age of 33. Nothing of his greatness remains today even in his native Macedonia which is now but an appendage22 to the horrible tragedy of Yugoslavia23.

6 Greatness built on murder and acquisition24 passes. Greatness rising out of compassion and service abides25. The Buddha abides. Christ abides. The great unknown thinkers of the Upanishads abide. Gandhi carried that tradition through to our times. He might have been let down by the ‘Gandhians’ who, armed with political power, have turned India into a mess26. That too is parallel to the way quarrelling Buddhists, exploitative27 Christians and, lately, intolerant Hindus have been letting down their preceptors28. But their smallness does not detract29 from the true greatness of the sages who opened the path of enlightenment for them and for the world. They abide because they gave without taking. They were not men of arms. They were men of ideas, Parithranaya sadhunam30, they appear from age to age. They appear to teach us that the world can be conquered, not with force but with ideas. It was the lesson of this millennium too — taught by the Man of the Millennium31.

Answer each of the questions given below by choosing the most appropriate option :

Question. The decline of India in present times has been due to ………..
(a) poverty, corruption and overpopulation.
(b) the betrayal of Gandhi by his supposed followers.
(c) the different social, religious and political movements.
(d) the quarrelling Buddhists, the exploitative Christians and the intolerant Hindus

Answer

B

Question. Toynbee called Gandhi ………..
(a) an Indian phenomenon.
(b) the best-ever phenomenon.
(c) a one-dimensional personality.
(d) not just an Indian phenomenon.

Answer

D

Question. Those men of history who based their ‘greatness’ on hatred and evil ………..
(a) were men of great ideas.
(b) have all been forgotten.
(c) were all confined to Europe.
(d) were all Men of the Millennium.

Answer

B

Question. Gandhi personifies the proposition that ……….
(a) love is superior to hatred.
(b) good is better than evil.
(c) both (a) and (b).
(d) neither (a) nor (b) above.

Answer

C

Question. Greatness built on ………. does not last long.
(a) murder
(b) acquisition
(c) both (a) and (b)
(d) compasssion.

Answer

C

Answer the following questions briefly :

Question. What did Gandhi achieve through his philosophy of justice and fairness ?
Answer : He achieved for India a stature that was denied to any other country.

Question. How will Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel be remembered ?
Answer : They will be remembered for what they did in India and what they did for India.

Question. Why can Hitler and Stalin not be as great as Gandhiji ?
Answer : It is because they were one-dimensional people whereas Gandhiji was a multidimentional personality.

Question. What do the great sages teach us ?
Answer : They teach us that we can conquer the world not with force, but with high ideals.

Question. Who has turned India into a mess ?
Answer : Pseudo Gandhians armed with political power have turned India into a mess.

Question. What was the lesson of this millennium ?
Answer : The lesson of this millennium was that the world can be conquered not with force, but with ideas.

Question. Pick out the words/phrases from the passage which are similar in meaning to the following :
(a) continuous decrease / fall (Para 2)
(b) rose quickly (Para 4)
Answer : (a) decline.
(b) soared.

Unseen Passage For Class 12 English With Answers