UP Board Class 12 English Question Paper 2026 (Set 316 BX) with Solutions

Read the following passage carefully and answer the question that follows:
Money plays an important role in fulfilling the basic needs of human life. It helps pave the way to various pleasures of life. But one of the most inexplicable mysteries that has puzzled the selfish rich is their failure to find happiness where they expected to find it. The bitterest disappointment that comes to people who had made fortunes is that their hard-earned wealth could not bring happiness which it promised. They find that love and affection do not feed on material things and the heart would starve in the midst of the greatest luxuries of the world. They find that money can buy all the worldly pleasures, power and pelf but has little power to satisfy the yearnings and hunger of the heart and mind. There are a number of women, living in palatial homes in this country who are starving for happiness and peace in their life. They would be ready to exchange all their luxuries for the love of a good man, without a dollar. One finds love, affection and peace in common, simple and greedless life.

(a) Where and how does money play an important role?

Read the following passage carefully and answer the question that follows:
Money plays an important role in fulfilling the basic needs of human life. It helps pave the way to various pleasures of life. But one of the most inexplicable mysteries that has puzzled the selfish rich is their failure to find happiness where they expected to find it. The bitterest disappointment that comes to people who had made fortunes is that their hard-earned wealth could not bring happiness which it promised. They find that love and affection do not feed on material things and the heart would starve in the midst of the greatest luxuries of the world. They find that money can buy all the worldly pleasures, power and pelf but has little power to satisfy the yearnings and hunger of the heart and mind. There are a number of women, living in palatial homes in this country who are starving for happiness and peace in their life. They would be ready to exchange all their luxuries for the love of a good man, without a dollar. One finds love, affection and peace in common, simple and greedless life.

(b) What has puzzled the selfish rich?

Read the following passage carefully and answer the question that follows:
Money plays an important role in fulfilling the basic needs of human life. It helps pave the way to various pleasures of life. But one of the most inexplicable mysteries that has puzzled the selfish rich is their failure to find happiness where they expected to find it. The bitterest disappointment that comes to people who had made fortunes is that their hard-earned wealth could not bring happiness which it promised. They find that love and affection do not feed on material things and the heart would starve in the midst of the greatest luxuries of the world. They find that money can buy all the worldly pleasures, power and pelf but has little power to satisfy the yearnings and hunger of the heart and mind. There are a number of women, living in palatial homes in this country who are starving for happiness and peace in their life. They would be ready to exchange all their luxuries for the love of a good man, without a dollar. One finds love, affection and peace in common, simple and greedless life.

(c) How does money fail to bring happiness in life?

Read the following passage carefully and answer the question that follows:
Money plays an important role in fulfilling the basic needs of human life. It helps pave the way to various pleasures of life. But one of the most inexplicable mysteries that has puzzled the selfish rich is their failure to find happiness where they expected to find it. The bitterest disappointment that comes to people who had made fortunes is that their hard-earned wealth could not bring happiness which it promised. They find that love and affection do not feed on material things and the heart would starve in the midst of the greatest luxuries of the world. They find that money can buy all the worldly pleasures, power and pelf but has little power to satisfy the yearnings and hunger of the heart and mind. There are a number of women, living in palatial homes in this country who are starving for happiness and peace in their life. They would be ready to exchange all their luxuries for the love of a good man, without a dollar. One finds love, affection and peace in common, simple and greedless life.

(d) Where does one find love, affection and peace?

Read the following passage carefully and answer the question that follows:
Money plays an important role in fulfilling the basic needs of human life. It helps pave the way to various pleasures of life. But one of the most inexplicable mysteries that has puzzled the selfish rich is their failure to find happiness where they expected to find it. The bitterest disappointment that comes to people who had made fortunes is that their hard-earned wealth could not bring happiness which it promised. They find that love and affection do not feed on material things and the heart would starve in the midst of the greatest luxuries of the world. They find that money can buy all the worldly pleasures, power and pelf but has little power to satisfy the yearnings and hunger of the heart and mind. There are a number of women, living in palatial homes in this country who are starving for happiness and peace in their life. They would be ready to exchange all their luxuries for the love of a good man, without a dollar. One finds love, affection and peace in common, simple and greedless life.

(e)(i) Which word in the passage is opposite to 'sell'?

Read the following passage carefully and answer the question that follows:
Money plays an important role in fulfilling the basic needs of human life. It helps pave the way to various pleasures of life. But one of the most inexplicable mysteries that has puzzled the selfish rich is their failure to find happiness where they expected to find it. The bitterest disappointment that comes to people who had made fortunes is that their hard-earned wealth could not bring happiness which it promised. They find that love and affection do not feed on material things and the heart would starve in the midst of the greatest luxuries of the world. They find that money can buy all the worldly pleasures, power and pelf but has little power to satisfy the yearnings and hunger of the heart and mind. There are a number of women, living in palatial homes in this country who are starving for happiness and peace in their life. They would be ready to exchange all their luxuries for the love of a good man, without a dollar. One finds love, affection and peace in common, simple and greedless life.

(e)(ii) Which word in the passage means 'without greed'?

Read the following passage carefully and answer the question that follows:
Money plays an important role in fulfilling the basic needs of human life. It helps pave the way to various pleasures of life. But one of the most inexplicable mysteries that has puzzled the selfish rich is their failure to find happiness where they expected to find it. The bitterest disappointment that comes to people who had made fortunes is that their hard-earned wealth could not bring happiness which it promised. They find that love and affection do not feed on material things and the heart would starve in the midst of the greatest luxuries of the world. They find that money can buy all the worldly pleasures, power and pelf but has little power to satisfy the yearnings and hunger of the heart and mind. There are a number of women, living in palatial homes in this country who are starving for happiness and peace in their life. They would be ready to exchange all their luxuries for the love of a good man, without a dollar. One finds love, affection and peace in common, simple and greedless life.

(e)(iii) Rewrite the underlined segment 'the yearnings and hunger of the heart' after replacing the word 'yearnings' with another similar meaning word.

Write an article in about 100–150 words on: Measures needed to ensure free and fair Competitive Examinations.

Write an article in about 100–150 words on: Widespread unemployment and its effective solutions.

Write an article in about 100–150 words on: Merits and demerits of Privatization of school education.

Suppose you have been living in a flood-hit area. After inundations are over, conditions are quite insanitary. Write a letter to the District Magistrate complaining against the insanitary conditions in your locality.

Write a letter to your Principal for providing proper games and sports facilities as it is inadequate.

Which of the following underlined words is a synonym of 'industrious'?

• (A) My friend is very diligent.
• (B) Sita is a lazy girl.
• (C) Ramu is courageous.
• (D) Shyam is an intelligent student.

Which of the following is a pair of antonyms?

• (A) Idle — Lazy
• (B) Just — Fair
• (C) Victory — Defeat
• (D) Obvious — Clear

"He did not carry out my order" means

• (A) He did not listen my order
• (B) He was not attentive to my order
• (C) He did not hear my order
• (D) He did not obey my order.

A girl who is unusually intelligent is

• (A) wise
• (B) genius
• (C) sluggish
• (D) foolish

Which of the following sentences is correct?

• (A) I will do this work yesterday.
• (B) She did not went there.
• (C) When did he arrived at home?
• (D) Why did you not go to school today?

Change into indirect speech: Ramu said, "Alas! I am undone."

Change into indirect speech: The teacher said, "God is everywhere."

Combine into a Complex sentence: Owing to illness, he could not go to market.

Combine into a Simple sentence: Krishna died in the village where she was born.

Transform into an Interrogative sentence: You can never forget me.

Transform into Comparative degree: Seema is the tallest of all the girls.

Correct the following sentence: Linguistics are my favourite subjects.

Correct the following sentence: No news are good news.

Use the pair of words 'Confident — Confidant' in your own sentences to make the difference in their meanings clear.

Use the pair of words 'Check — Cheque' in your own sentences to make the difference in their meanings clear.

Translate the following passage into English:
शिक्षा विद्यार्थियों की रुचि के अनुसार ही होना चाहिये। यदि उसमें साहित्यिक प्रतिभा है तो उसे विज्ञान या वाणिज्य पढ़ाना व्यर्थ है। हाई स्कूल तथा इण्टरमीडिएट स्तर की शिक्षा सबके लिये अनिवार्य होनी चाहिये। प्रतिभाशाली छात्र ही विश्वविद्यालय के लिये उपयुक्त हैं। माध्यमिक शिक्षा का स्तर ऐसा होना चाहिए कि विद्यार्थी एक योग्य नागरिक एवम् सामान्य कार्य के लिये सक्षम बन सके।

What did the inhabitants of Seemapuri do for their livelihood?

How did the rattrap seller make rattraps? What for did he make them?

What did Mr. Hamel teach the boys at school?

What did the garbage mean for the children of Seemapuri? What did they find in it?

How did Douglas overcome his fear of water? How did the instructor help to make him a fearless swimmer?

What did Gandhiji do to bring about changes in the plight of the peasants of Champaran?

Read the following extract and answer: "Perhaps the Earth can teach us / as when everything seems dead / and later proves to be alive. / Now I'll count up to twelve / and you keep quiet and I will go." — (a) What does the 'earth' teach us?

Read the following extract and answer: "Perhaps the Earth can teach us / as when everything seems dead / and later proves to be alive. / Now I'll count up to twelve / and you keep quiet and I will go." — (b) What remains alive when everything seems dead?

Read the following extract and answer: "Perhaps the Earth can teach us / as when everything seems dead / and later proves to be alive. / Now I'll count up to twelve / and you keep quiet and I will go." — (c) Name the poet and the poem from which this extract has been taken.

Write the central idea of the poem 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers'.

Write the central idea of the poem 'A Thing of Beauty'.

Write the central idea of the poem 'My Mother at Sixty-six'.

What will the Maharaja do to find the required number of tigers to kill?

Who was Dr. Sadao? Where was his house situated?

What prediction had the astrologer made about the tiger king's death?

What made Derry impressed by Lamb?

What does the third level refer to?

How did Bama react when she came to know about untouchability?