Unseen Passage class 12th English term 2 2023 | cbse term 2 unseen passage
cbse term 2 unseen passage class 12-
Passage-2
Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. When areas in and around Leh began to experience water shortages, life didn’t grind to a halt. Why? Because Chewang Norphel, a retired civil engineer in the Jammu and Kashmir government came up with the idea of artificial glaciers. Ladakh, a cold desert at an altitude of 3,000-3,500 metres above sea level, has a low average annual rainfall rate of 50 mm. Glaciers have always been the only source of water. Agriculture is completely dependent on glacier melt unlike the rest of river/monsoon fed India. But over the years with increasing effects of climate change, rainfall and snowfall patterns have been changing, resulting in severe shortage and drought situations. Given the severe winter conditions, the window for farming is usually limited to one harvest season.
(i) What kind of landform is Ladakh?
a) Hot desert
b) Cold desert
c) Dry desert
d) Hot and Dry desert
Ans – B
(ii) Who was Chewang Norphel?
a) a retired principal
b) a retired activist
c) a retired social worker
d) a retired civil engineer
Ans – D
(iii) Ladakh is at an altitude of metres above sea level.
a)2000-2500
b)1500-2000
c)3000-3500
d)2500-3000
Ans – C
(iv)Find the word in the paragraph which means the same as ‘a body of dense ice’.
a) river
b) desert
c) glacier
d) all the above
Ans – C
(v) Severe shortage of water is the result of
a) climate changes
b) changes in rainfall
c) changes in snowfall patter
Ans – A
Unseen Passage class 12th English term 2 2023 PDF
Passages-3
We are living in the Age of Science. Everyday new inventions are being made for the good of humanity. The scientific inventions began after the Industrial Revolution of 1789. Within these 200 years, science has made a wonderful progress. The aeroplane is one of the most important inventions of science during the Modern Age. It is the fastest means of transport known so far. An aeroplane resembles a flying bird in shape. Inside there are seats for the passengers and a cabin for the pilot. This cabin is called a cockpit. It has an engine that is worked by petrol. It is all made up of metal and can fly at a very high speed. Before taking off it runs the runway for some distance to gather speed. Then it suddenly hops up the earth and takes off.
(i) The scientific invention began after the Industrial Revolution of
a) 1889
b) 1879
c) 1789
d) 1779
Ans – C
(ii) The cabin for the pilot is called a
a) cube
b) cockpit
c) cubicle
d) chamber
Ans – B
(III) An aeroplane has an engine that is worked by__
a) petrol
b) steam
c) diesel
d) gas
Ans – A
(iv) Which of the following is the fastest means of transport?
(a) motor vehicle
(b) ship
(c) train
(d) aeroplane
Ans – A
(v) We are living in the
a)Age of Industrialisation
b) Modern
c) Age of Inventions
d) Age of Science
Ans – D
Passage-4
Marie Curie was one of the most accomplished scientists in history. Together with her husband, Pierre, she discovered radium, an element widely used for treating cancer, and studied uranium and other radioactive substances. Pierre and Marie’s had an amicable collaboration. Marie was born in 1867 in Warsaw, Poland, where her father was a Professor of Physics. At an early age, she displayed a brilliant mind and a casual personality. Her great exuberance for learning prompted her to continue with her studies after high school. She became disgruntled, however, when she learned that the university in Warsaw was closed to women. Determined to receive a higher education, she defiantly left Poland in 1891 entered the Sorbonne, a French University, where she earned her master’s degree and Doctorate in Physics.
(i) Where did Marie earn her master’s degree from??
(a) a university in Warsaw
(b) a university in Sorbonne
(c) a university in Poland
(d) none of these
Ans – B
(ii) What was Marie’s father?
a) a doctor
b) an engineer
c) a professor
d) a scientist
Ans – C
(iii) Marie left Poland and travelled to France to enter the Sorbonne.
a) showed intelligence
b) behaved
c) boldly
d) was distressed
Ans – C
(iv) Marie Curie’s doctorate was in which academic discipline?
a) Cancer Studies
b) Radiation Chemistry
c) Medicine
d) Physics
Ans – D
(v) Write the noun form of the word ‘discover’.
Ans –
Passage-5
There seems to be a general opinion in this country that Sardar Patel was slightly of harsh and rough temperament. Men called him the ‘Iron man of India. He was no doubt, an iron man in the sense. that one could rely on him for strict and efficient administration. But as a man, to those who had the good fortune of coming into close contact with him, he was kind and considerate. At time, he even became emotional where his personal friends and followers were concerned. However, it goes without saying that the Sardar Patel had the great skill for organizing affairs. He knew the way of picking people and putting them in their proper place. Once he judged a man and found him correct, he trusted him fully and got him to do anything he wanted.
