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

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

The old Turkish and the other races, who inhabited Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia before the advent of Islam, were largely Buddhists and earlier still, during the period of the Epics, Hindus. The frontier area was one of the principal centres of old Indian culture and it abounds still with ruins of monuments and monasteries and, specially, of the great University of Taxila, which was at the height of its fame two thousand years ago, attracting students from all over India as well as different parts of Asia. Changes of religion made a difference but could not change entirely the mental backgrounds which the people of those areas had developed.

(a) What religious groups inhabited Afghanistan before the advent of Islam?

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

The old Turkish and the other races, who inhabited Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia before the advent of Islam, were largely Buddhists and earlier still, during the period of the Epics, Hindus. The frontier area was one of the principal centres of old Indian culture and it abounds still with ruins of monuments and monasteries and, specially, of the great University of Taxila, which was at the height of its fame two thousand years ago, attracting students from all over India as well as different parts of Asia. Changes of religion made a difference but could not change entirely the mental backgrounds which the people of those areas had developed.

(b) What is meant by the phrase 'the period of the Epics'?

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

The old Turkish and the other races, who inhabited Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia before the advent of Islam, were largely Buddhists and earlier still, during the period of the Epics, Hindus. The frontier area was one of the principal centres of old Indian culture and it abounds still with ruins of monuments and monasteries and, specially, of the great University of Taxila, which was at the height of its fame two thousand years ago, attracting students from all over India as well as different parts of Asia. Changes of religion made a difference but could not change entirely the mental backgrounds which the people of those areas had developed.

(c) What was Taxila famous for?

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

The old Turkish and the other races, who inhabited Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia before the advent of Islam, were largely Buddhists and earlier still, during the period of the Epics, Hindus. The frontier area was one of the principal centres of old Indian culture and it abounds still with ruins of monuments and monasteries and, specially, of the great University of Taxila, which was at the height of its fame two thousand years ago, attracting students from all over India as well as different parts of Asia. Changes of religion made a difference but could not change entirely the mental backgrounds which the people of those areas had developed.

(d) What has been common to the people of Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia despite their different religions?

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

The old Turkish and the other races, who inhabited Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia before the advent of Islam, were largely Buddhists and earlier still, during the period of the Epics, Hindus. The frontier area was one of the principal centres of old Indian culture and it abounds still with ruins of monuments and monasteries and, specially, of the great University of Taxila, which was at the height of its fame two thousand years ago, attracting students from all over India as well as different parts of Asia. Changes of religion made a difference but could not change entirely the mental backgrounds which the people of those areas had developed.

(e)(i) Which word in the passage means 'arrival' or 'coming'?

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

The old Turkish and the other races, who inhabited Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia before the advent of Islam, were largely Buddhists and earlier still, during the period of the Epics, Hindus. The frontier area was one of the principal centres of old Indian culture and it abounds still with ruins of monuments and monasteries and, specially, of the great University of Taxila, which was at the height of its fame two thousand years ago, attracting students from all over India as well as different parts of Asia. Changes of religion made a difference but could not change entirely the mental backgrounds which the people of those areas had developed.

(e)(ii) Give the antonym of 'attracting'.

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

The old Turkish and the other races, who inhabited Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia before the advent of Islam, were largely Buddhists and earlier still, during the period of the Epics, Hindus. The frontier area was one of the principal centres of old Indian culture and it abounds still with ruins of monuments and monasteries and, specially, of the great University of Taxila, which was at the height of its fame two thousand years ago, attracting students from all over India as well as different parts of Asia. Changes of religion made a difference but could not change entirely the mental backgrounds which the people of those areas had developed.

(e)(iii) Rewrite the underlined segment ("it abounds still with ruins of monuments") after replacing the word 'abounds' with another similar meaning word.

Write an article on the following topic in about 100-150 words: Terrorism - a Threat to Mankind.

Write an article on the following topic in about 100-150 words: How can we solve the problem of the shortage of Electric Power in our Country?

Write an article on the following topic in about 100-150 words: Role of Women in the society these days.

Write a letter to the Editor of a national daily showing your concern over increasing 'Price Rise'.

Write a letter to the Principal of your college to complain against the shortage of books in your college library.

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

• (A) Ramu is a shameless person.
• (B) My cousin is not foolish.
• (C) You do not seem wide spoken.
• (D) He is candid when he speaks.

Which of the following is a pair of antonyms?

• (A) Good - Nice
• (B) Bad - Worst
• (C) Worse - Better
• (D) Best - Superior

'A bone of contention' means:

• (A) Quarrelsome
• (B) A disturbing person
• (C) Reason of quarrel
• (D) With a reason

One who takes the bright side of a thing is:

• (A) Brighten
• (B) Foreteller
• (C) Optimist
• (D) Pessimist

Which of the following sentences is correct?

• (A) There is a number of books in the library.
• (B) Many sheeps are grazing in the fields.
• (C) The news of his death is true.
• (D) Thousands of rupees was spent.

Change into indirect speech: He said to me, "What did you do yesterday?"

Change into indirect speech: She said to her friend, "Please, help me today."

Combine as directed: I am so tired. I cannot run. (Into a Complex Sentence)

Combine as directed: This question is very difficult. I cannot solve it. (Into a Simple Sentence)

Change as directed: He did not help the poor man. (Into Passive Voice)

Change as directed: Their glory can never fade. (Interrogative Sentence)

Correct the following sentence: Rich men should help the poors.

Correct the following sentence: I prefer a pen than a pencil.

Use the following pair of words in sentences to make the difference in their meanings clear: Umpire - empire

Use the following pair of words in sentences to make the difference in their meanings clear: Fair - fare

Translate the following passage into English: "मुंशी प्रेमचंद एक महान साहित्यकार हुए हैं। उनका जन्म एक छोटे गाँव के एक साधारण परिवार में हुआ था। फिर भी वे पूरे विश्व में प्रसिद्ध हुए। हिन्दी तथा उर्दू, दोनों भाषाओं पर उनका समान अधिकार था। कहानियाँ तथा उपन्यास लिखने में वे कुशल थे। उनकी कहानियों में भारतीय समाज का सजीव चित्रण मिलता है। उनकी रचनाओं का संसार की अधिकांश भाषाओं में अनुवाद हुआ है। उन्हें उपन्यास-सम्राट कहा जाता है। कम पढ़े लिखे लोग भी उनकी पुस्तकें रुचि के साथ पढ़ते हैं।"

Answer the following question in about 40 words: What was the importance of garbage for children in Seemapuri? (from 'Lost Spring' by Anees Jung)

Why did M. Hamel declare that the lesson he was going to teach on that fateful day was to be the last lesson? (from 'The Last Lesson' by Alphonse Daudet)

Answer the following question in about 40 words: Who was the rattrap seller? How did he make rattraps? (from 'The Rattrap' by Selma Lagerlof)

Why did Gandhiji chide the lawyers of Muzaffarpur? (from 'Indigo' by Louis Fischer)

Answer the following question in about 80 words: What did Douglas decide to overcome his fear of water? (from 'Deep Water' by William O. Douglas)

Describe the life of people working in the glass bangle industry. (from 'Lost Spring' by Anees Jung)

Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow (from 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' by Adrienne Rich):

Aunt Jennifer's tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.

(a) How do Jennifer's tigers behave?

Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow (from 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' by Adrienne Rich):

Aunt Jennifer's tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.

(b) Why do the tigers not fear the men beneath the tree?

Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow (from 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' by Adrienne Rich):

Aunt Jennifer's tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.

(c) How do the tigers pace?

Write the central idea of the following poem: A Thing of Beauty (by John Keats)

Write the central idea of the following poem: Keeping Quiet (by Pablo Neruda)

Write the central idea of the following poem: My Mother at Sixty-six (by Kamala Das)

Answer the following question in about 40 words: Who was Hana? How did she meet Dr. Sadao? (from 'The Enemy' by Pearl S. Buck)

Why was the programme 'Students on Ice' so successful? (from 'Journey to the End of the Earth' by Tishani Doshi)

What was the third level? Where was it situated? (from 'The Third Level' by Jack Finney)

Why did the Tiger King decide to marry? (from 'The Tiger King' by Kalki)

Answer the following question in about 80 words: Why did the king kill the hundredth tiger? (from 'The Tiger King' by Kalki)

Why is Antarctica the place to go if we want to study the earth's past, present and future? (from 'Journey to the End of the Earth' by Tishani Doshi)