Sub. Code: 0041 ‘1A’
NEB – GRADE XII 2081 ‘A’
2081(2024)
Compulsory English
New Course
(For regular and grade increment students whose first two digits of registration number start from 78, 79, and 80)
Candidates are required to give their answers in their own words as far as practicable. The figures in the margin indicate full marks.
Full Marks: 75
Time: 3 hrs.
Attempt all questions.
1. Read the following text and do the tasks that follow.
In this age of texts and tweets, it is easy to send messages. You just press a few buttons, and boom! Your message is sent. The person to whom you sent it will get it in just a few seconds. Distance is no longer an issue. But things weren’t always so easy.
In 1848, gold was found in California. Thousands of people rushed there to get some. Many people liked living there and decided to stay. But there wasn’t a whole lot between California and Missouri, where the nearest trains ran. The train line to California wasn’t finished until 1869. It took a long time to ride a horse to Missouri.
Imagine that it is the year 1860. You have moved to California to open a shop. Most of your family stayed back East. Your shop is doing well, and now you want your family to join you. How do you get news to them? There’s no phone, no train, and you can’t leave your shop for too long. What do you do? Well, you could use the Pony Express.
In 1860 and 1861, the Pony Express was the fastest way to get news to and from the West. The trail that they rode was around 2000 miles long. It took most people weeks or months to ride that far. The Pony Express could make the trip in just ten days. Those speeds were unheard of at the time. So, how did they do it? Well, they had a good system.
The Pony Express had 184 stations along the trail. The stations were around ten miles apart. This is about how far a horse could run at a gallop before tiring. The rider would switch to a new horse at each station. He would only take his mail pouch with him. Every 75-100 miles, the rider would get to a home station. At each home station, riders would rest. Before resting, he would give his mail pouch to a new rider. The mail never stopped moving, even while the horses and riders rested.
It was tough to ride for the Pony Express. Each rider had to weigh less than 125 pounds. Speed was the key. Most of the riders were teenage boys. They rode at a fast pace for up to 100 miles a day. If there were an emergency, one might have to ride 200 miles in a day. The ride could be rough and dangerous. Attacks by Native Americans were common. But in its time running, the Pony Express only lost one mail pouch.
The Pony Express filled an important role for a time, but it did not last. The Civil War started in April of 1861. This was bad news for the owners. The worst for them was yet to come. On October 24th, 1861, the first telegraph line to California was finished. This linked them to the rest of the country. People could send messages in an instant. Two days later, the Pony Express closed. But the lore of the brave riders lives on even today.
A. Complete the following sentences using the appropriate words highlighted in the text. Two of them are not necessary. [5×1=5]
a. While you are in Pokhara, take a ………….. to Dhampus.
b. Running away was less ………….. than participating in a revolution, but it was still a risk.
c. Don’t worry. You will find the hotel easily. It is well off the ……………
d. At the end of the class, the teacher ………….. out of the class.
e. You can see inside the box. There is a small ………….. containing five marbles.
B. Read the text again and write: [5×1=5]
TRUE if the statements agree with the information given in the text.
FALSE if the statements contradict the information given in the text.
NOT GIVEN if there is no information in the text.
a. There was a train line between California and Missouri in 1848.
b. The Pony express was the only fastest means of transportation in the USA in 1860.
c. The Pony express stations were exactly at a distance of ten miles.
d. Pony express carrying young boys could travel 200 miles in a day in an emergency.
e. The Civil War began in April 1861.
C. Answer the following questions. [5×1=5]
a. When was gold found in California?
b. How would people living between California and Missouri get newspapers to their family in 1860?
c. Who does the word ‘they’ in the second line of the sixth paragraph refer to?
d. Why does the author refer to Native Americans in the text?
e. What can you conclude from the last paragraph?
2. Write short answers to the following questions in about 75 words each. [5×2=10]
a) How did the visitors irritate the old man? (A Very Old Man with an Enormous Wings)
b) What were the children doing during the sunset? (A Day)
OR
Why did the old guards grow desperate? (I was My Own Route)
c) State the relationship between the father and the children. (Facing Death)
d) The essayist calls the readers around the world to puncture the hot-air balloons inflated by their own tribes. What do you think is the reason behind it? (Humility)
OR
Why is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights important to you? (Human Rights and the Age of Inequality)
e) In your opinion, what should the treasure hunters have done to succeed in their venture of treasure hunt? (Treasure in the Forest)
3. Write long answers to the following questions in about 150 words each. [2×5=10]
a) “Before she reached the house, Gouvernail had lighted a fresh cigar and ended his apostrophe to the night.” Does this expression indicate a possible conflict that went in Gouvernail’s mind? Explain your view. (A Respectable Woman)
OR
“The play depicts the social picture where the King’s pet gets extra care and the people are neglected.” Explain the social satire with reference to this example. (The Bull)
b) Evaluate the lesson Lu Xun learnt from his latest visit to his old home. (My Old Home)
4. The chart below gives information on the percentage of women going into higher education in five countries for the year 1980 and 2015. Summarize the information in about 150 words by selecting and reporting the main features and making comparisons where relevant. [7]
The percentage of women going into higher education in five countries
