When working with unseen extracts, one should read the extract carefully. Students should explore different levels of comprehension. They should confirm what the extract is about.
Different activities require different tactics of finding answer. Factual questions focus on retrieving explicit information, while inference challenges readers to deduce meaning based on context. Global understanding requires grasping the overall theme or message, and complex factual tasks delve into more intricate details. Personal response activities invite learners to connect the text with their own experiences or opinions. Vocabulary and grammar exercises need careful reading, thinking and responding.
Here you will find two unseen extracts which are the part of Std 12 English format of question paper.
Unseen Extract Practice
Read the extract and answer the following questions given below.
Activity Sheet
Having finished his work, Ray stood up and was on his way to the back room when a cold rush of air from the front door hit the back of his neck.
He turned to meet a last-minute shopper, but his old, wise eyes told him that this was not a shopper. He saw two men, one in his twenties, the other closer to fifty. The younger man remained at the door. The older man approached the counter with no sign of friendliness in his eyes. Ray was able to hide his growing fear as he slowly pushed a notepad and a pencil across the counter.
He smiled at the unfriendly face, then pointed to his ears and shook his head from side to side. A quick look of surprise changed the man’s face as he studied the notepad, then turned and said something to his friend.
Ray used the chance to look closely at the man, paying attention to the shape of a gun and a restless hand in the man’s right coat-pocket. Anger boiled within him, but it was kept down by an inner voice that said, “Be still.” He wrote on the notepad, “May I help you?” For the first time the older man looked directly at Ray and smiled. A cruel, mocking smile. They both understood why he was there, why his friend remained at the door. They looked like men who were down on their luck, and were now ready to try something they would later be sorry about.
The clocks ticked on. Ray calmly wrote another message. “Have you come to pick up a clock or watch?” Then he pointed to the ‘loan’ board filled with hanging clocks and pocket watches. He was not a pawnbroker, but at the same time couldn’t say ‘No’ to the needy people who placed their old watches or clocks before him for anything they could get. He loaned more than he should. They would be there when the owners wanted them back at the same price he had paid, with no interest.
Then the older man seemed to feel a little easier, took out his hand from his pocket and quickly looked at the watch on his wrist. “How much will you give me for this?” the man wrote.
Ray noticed a little shame in the grey eyes looking at him.
The watch was nothing special and yet had great powers. It was something to exchange, a way out of a bad situation. Knowing that great need had brought the man to his shop in the first place, Ray asked, “How much do you need for it?” The reply came back on the notepad: “Whatever it’s worth.”
Ray reached into his cash-box, pulled out a fifty-dollar note and passed it into the man’s hand.
Activity 1: True/False (4 Statements, 2 Marks)
State whether the following statements are True or False:
1. Ray was a kind-hearted person who often helped people in need.
2. The two men who entered Ray’s shop were close friends.
3. Ray used a notepad to communicate because he was unable to speak.
4. The older man handed Ray a gold watch in exchange for money.
Activity 2: Arrange the Jumbled Statements (2 Marks)
Arrange the following sentences in the correct order as they occur in the story:
a) The older man smiled cruelly at Ray, but Ray stayed calm.
b) Ray offered the older man money for his watch without asking too many questions.
c) Ray noticed the younger man standing near the door, ready to act.
d) The two men entered Ray’s shop on Christmas Eve, looking restless.
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Activity 3: Give Reasons (2 Marks)
Ray didn’t feel afraid despite the men’s suspicious behavior. Give reason.
Activity 4. Personal Response (2 marks)
If you were in Ray’s position, would you have helped the men in the same way? Justify your answer.
Activity 5: Do as Directed (Grammar-based) (2 Marks)
1. Having finished his work, Ray stood up. (Rewrite as compound sentence.)
2. Rewrite the sentence in passive voice:
“Ray handed the man a fifty-dollar note .”
6. Vocabulary (2 marks)
Find antonyms for the following words from the text:
a) kind b) new c) outer d) lazily
B. Give a summary of the given extract with a suitable title.
Answer Key
Activity 1: True/False
1. Ray was a kind-hearted person who often helped people in need. True
2. The two men who entered Ray’s shop were not close friends; they were accomplices. False
3. Ray used a notepad to communicate because he was unable to speak. True
4. The older man handed Ray a simple watch, not a gold one, in exchange for money. False
Activity 2: Arrange the Jumbled Statements
Correct Order:
d) The two men entered Ray’s shop on Christmas Eve, looking restless.
c) Ray noticed the younger man standing near the door, ready to act.
a) The older man smiled cruelly at Ray, but Ray stayed calm.
b) Ray offered the older man money for his watch without asking too many questions.
3: Give Reasons
Ray had a calm and wise personality. He chose to handle the situation with kindness and composure, using his notepad to defuse any tension.
4. Answer:
If I were in Ray’s position, I would have helped the men in the same way. Ray’s calm and empathetic approach turned a potentially dangerous situation into an act of kindness. By choosing to trust and assist the men, he not only avoided conflict but also gave them a sense of dignity and hope during a difficult time. Helping others in need, especially during a festive occasion like Christmas, reflects the spirit of goodwill and humanity.
5: Do as Directed
1. Ray finished his work and stood up.
2. A fifty-dollar note was handed to the man by Ray.
6. a) kind b) old c) outer d) quickly
Summary
The Old Clock Shop
Ray, a kind and deaf clock repairman, is about to close for the day when two suspicious-looking men enter. One is younger, and the other is older and appears to be troubled. Ray senses their intentions might be harmful but stays calm. Using a notepad and pencil to communicate, he writes a message, asking if they need help.
The older man offers a watch in exchange for money, revealing their desperation rather than malice. Ray, understanding their need, gives them a fair amount without asking questions. His act of kindness eases the tension, and the men leave peacefully
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Que.2 A) Read the unseen extract and complete the activities given below: (12)
We often hear this statement that many of our young spend more time before their T.V. sets, than they do in, their classrooms or with their textbooks,” A bit exaggerated though it may sound, it is nearly true and our teenagers are being considerably influenced by electronic media, particularly the T.V. The television has become the single most powerful influence in the lives of many of our youngsters today. Too often this happens to us much before we realise it ourselves. I am in no way trying to deny the many advantages of T.V. or minimise its manifold contributions to our world. On the other hand, I consider T.V. as one of the greatest scientific achievements of our times, bringing people closer than never before. Television’s use of the modern satellite technology brings today even the remotest regions of the world to us in seconds, making the world a small (global) village. As we know, television also provide us with a fuller and more impressive coverage of current events than any other media. The T.V. does serve, in addition, as a medium of education as well as entertainment. Besides helping us to learn subjects taught in schools, college in upper depth, it enables us (National Geography, Discovery channels etc.) to see and appreciate from close quarters (without having to go there, which is very expensive or even impossible for most of us) the wonders of God’s creations in any part of the world.
A1 Global Understanding
State whether the statements are true or false correct the wrong statement: 2
1) Our many young spend more time in front of T.V. sets.
2) Today even the remotest region of the word can be brought to us in hours.
3) T.V. brings more impressive coverage of current events than any other media.
4) T.V. serves as an additional medium of education.
A2 Write any two advantages & two disadvantages of televisions. 2
A3 Guess the intention of writing this extract. 2
A4 Write your opinion about spending lot of time in front of T.V. is beneficial for students or not. 2
A5 Vocabulary 2
write down the correct words by reading given meaning of them.
1) recognise the full worth of
2) a thing done successfully with effort.
A6 Grammar 2
1) The T.V does serve as a medium of education as well as an entertainment.
(Rewrite it using Not only—- but also)
2) I consider T.V as one of the greatest scientific achievements of our time.
(Rewrite the sentence using the noun form of underline word.)
B) Summary Writing: (3)
Key
A1
1) Our many young spend more time in front of T.V. sets.True
2) Today even the remotest region of the word can be brought to us in hours.False (it should be “seconds” instead of “hours”)
3) T.V. brings more impressive coverage of current events than any other media.True
4) T.V. serves as an additional medium of education.True
A2
Advantages:
Brings people closer and connects the world
Provides impressive coverage of current events
Disadvantages:
Can negatively influence young people
Can be addictive and lead to a sedentary lifestyle
A3
The intention of writing this extract is to present a balanced view of television, acknowledging its benefits while also highlighting its potential negative impact on young people.
A4
Spending a lot of time in front of T.V. is not beneficial for students as it can negatively impact their academic performance, physical health, and social development.
A5
Appreciate
Achievement
A6
Not only does the T.V serve as a medium of education, but also as entertainment.
Television is one of the greatest scientific achievements of our times.
B) Advantages and Disadvantages
Television is a powerful influence on young people’s lives. While it has many advantages, such as connecting people and providing impressive coverage of current events, it can also negatively impact young people’s academic performance, physical health, and social development
Unseen Extract Std 12
Q.2A) Read the following extract and complete the activities given below:
(12)
The printed book is back. Recent studies have shown that students retain more
information when they read a hard-copy book compared to reading on a digital
device. E-books may come with a ‘suite of navigational tools’, but it turns out that the
best navigational devices are your forefinger and thumb. You can use them to flip the pages forward and backward. To think, all this time, those devices have just been just sitting there, dangling at the ends of your arms. Fans of the e-book point out that digital text is easy to annotate. EvenTraditional-book users have a system called a ‘pencil’, favoured passages can be underlined and, if it’s a history book, pretentious comments can be written in the margin, such as “Not so, according to The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”.
Admittedly, e-books are lighter than paper volumes, but one must question whether this is really an advantage. In secondary school my physique was transformed by the daily need to carry science textbooks. For me and my fellow students, placing these weighty tomes in our backpacks would draw our
shoulders back and our chests forward in a way that turned the school into the equivalent of a military parade ground. A large, well-stocked bookshelf is more
meaningful. It’s a map of your life as a reader. There are books that introduced you to other books, like friends at a party, and books that nursed you through difficult times.
Also, the smell of old books in a second-hand bookshop is instantly evocative.
Yes, it’s a mix of mould and old paper, but to me it represents possibility. Spend an hour browsing, and you’ll be sure to stumble across an out-of-print book you thought you’d never find.
(THE TRIUMPH OF THE BOOK – Richard Glover, Readers Digest Nov 23)
A1. Global Understanding
A1. State whether the following statements are True/False and rewrite them 2
1. Printed books are replacing e-books.
2. Fingers can be effectively used to navigate through book pages.
3. E- books are lighter but heavily priced.
4. Books can be one’s friends and guides even.
A2. Complex Factual
Rewrite the following statements as per their occurrence in the given passage. 2
1. Traditionally pencil is used to annotate in printed books.
2. A large bookshelf can act as a map to the reader.
3. A visit to even a second-hand book shop can be very positive.
4. Carrying printed books in school bags served as an exercise for the author.
A3. Inference/Interpretative/Analysis
E- Books and Printed books have their own advantages and advantages. Complete
the given table by writing one advantage and one dis-advantage for each. 2
(a) E- books i) Advantage:
………………………………………………
ii) Dis-advantage:
……………………………………………….
(b)Printed Books i) Advantage:
………………………………………………
ii) Dis-advantage:
……………………………………………….
A4. Personal Response
What would you prefer for your studies? E-book or Printed Book? Justify. 2
A5. Language Study
Do as directed. 2
i) Fans of the e-book point out that digital text is easy to annotate. (Choose
and rewrite the correct alternative to change the sentence into negative)
1. Fans of the e-book point out that digital text is not easy to annotate.
2. Fans of the e-book point out that digital text is not hard to annotate.
3. Fans of the e-book point out that digital text is not but easy to annotate.
4. Fans of the e-book point out that digital text is but easy to annotate.
ii) You can use them to flip the pages forward and backward.
(Using Not only … but also will give us: Choose the correct alternative and
rewrite)
1. You can use them to flip the pages not only forward but backward
also.
2. Not only you can use them to flip the pages forward but also
backward.
3. You can use them to flip not only the pages but also forward and
backward.
4. You can use them not only to flip but also the pages forward and
backward.
A6. Vocabulary 2
Find out the words for the followings from the passage.
a. To add notes or comments to a text or a book
b. To find a way to get to a place or a word
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