Class 12 Compulsory English History Notes

Working with Words

A. Match the words with their definitions/meanings

• a. Passion
  • Answer: Any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate.
• b. Surveillance
  • Answer: Continuous observation of a place, person, group, or ongoing activity in order to gather information.
• c. Integrity
  • Answer: The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished.
• d. Avuncular
  • Answer: Like an uncle.
• e. Livelihood
  • Answer: A means of supporting one’s existence.
• f. Fascination
  • Answer: Powerful attraction.
• g. Innovation
  • Answer: An idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new.
• h. Panorama
  • Answer: An unobstructed and wide view of an extensive area in all directions.
• i. Resilience
  • Answer: The power or ability of a material to return to its original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched.
• j. Evacuation
  • Answer: The removal of people or things from an endangered area.

B. Definitions of Engineering Professionals

• Architect: An engineer who designs buildings and advises in their construction.
• Civil Engineer: An engineer who designs and oversees the construction of public works.
• Mechanical Engineer: An engineer who designs, produces, and operates machines.
• Aerospace Engineer: An engineer who designs, tests, and manages the manufacturing of aircraft.
• Automobile Engineer: An engineer who designs, manufactures, and repairs vehicles.
• Electronic Engineer: An engineer who designs, develops, and manufactures electrical equipment.
• Electrical Engineer: An engineer who creates, designs, and manages electrical systems and equipment.
• Computer Engineer: An engineer who evaluates, designs, and maintains computer hardware and software systems.
• Food Engineer: An engineer who ensures the safety and efficiency of processing, packaging, and delivering food items.
• Chemical Engineer: An engineer who develops and designs chemical manufacturing processes.
• Biomedical Engineer: An engineer who develops new equipment for improving human health.

Comprehension

Answer the following questions:

a. Where were Frank and Nicole employed?

Answer: Frank and Nicole were employed as architects in the twin towers of the World Trade Center in the USA.

b. How does the author describe Frank’s attachment to the twin towers?

Answer: The author describes Frank’s attachment to the twin towers as both a vital source of livelihood and a deep personal passion.

c. How did the two families become intimate with each other?

Answer: The two families became intimate with each other primarily through the friendship of their children.

d. What, according to Nicole, did Frank think of the towers?

Answer: According to Nicole, Frank regarded the towers as an incredible human feat. He marveled at their immense scale, magnitude, innovative design, and efficient use of materials, often mentioning that they were built to withstand the impact of a light airplane.

e. Why did Frank want to help the people in the tower after the attack?

Answer: Frank wanted to help people after the attack because he was an architect who understood the structural design and safety features of the building better than most occupants.

f. Why did Frank not follow Nicole’s request even after knowing that the building was on fire?

Answer: Frank did not follow Nicole’s plea because he was confident in his ability to help guide injured people to safety without putting himself in severe danger.

g. Who did Frank call from the building after the attack?

Answer: Frank called his sister Nina, who lived on West 93rd Street in Manhattan, from inside the building after the attack.

h. How did Nicole feel after the collapse of the first tower?

Answer: After the collapse of the first tower, Nicole felt as though a nuclear war had begun. Everything went eerily quiet, and she found herself surrounded by a blindingly bright fog that resembled a snowstorm on a sunny day.

i. Were Frank’s children serious as soon as they heard the news of their missing father? Why?

Answer: No, Frank’s children were not immediately serious upon hearing the news because they did not fully comprehend the gravity of the situation and were occupied playing games.

Critical Thinking

a. Many innocent people lose their lives in ruthless attacks every year. What do you think governments should do to protect their people from such attacks and make the world a safer place to live?

Answer: Governments bear the fundamental responsibility of protecting their citizens from terrorist threats and violence. To create a safer world, governments should adopt the following strategies:

• Maintain Political & Social Stability: Strong, transparent governance reduces internal conflicts that lead to violence.
• Border & Intelligence Management: Strengthen border security and invest in intelligence networks to detect threats early.
• Strategic Defense Deployment: Position well-equipped security forces in vulnerable and high-risk urban areas.
• International Cooperation: Actively participate in global peace treaties and intelligence sharing to combat cross-border terrorism.
• Disaster Readiness: Develop rapid evacuation and disaster-response protocols to protect civilians during emergencies.

b. Revenge and violence are integral parts of history and civilization. They can’t be ignored, only managed. Do you agree or not with this statement? Present your logic.

Answer: Yes, I agree with the statement that revenge and violence have historically been integral parts of civilization that must be managed rather than ignored. Throughout history, unaddressed grievances have triggered destructive cycles of conflict. A prominent example is the Treaty of Versailles (1919) following World War I. The harsh conditions and humiliation imposed on Germany created deep resentment, which ultimately fueled German revenge and led directly to World War II in 1939. Because conflict is deeply rooted in human history, it cannot be erased entirely; instead, societies must establish legal frameworks, diplomatic channels, and peacekeeping mechanisms to manage violence and maintain world order.

Writing

A. Description of an Event Witnessed Recently

A Celestial Spectacle: Witnessing the Lunar Eclipse

Recently, I had the unique opportunity to witness a rare celestial event: a total lunar eclipse. Astronomers had announced that it would be one of the longest lunar eclipses of the century, taking place late at night. Staying awake past midnight was a challenge, but curiosity kept me going.

The eclipse began around 11:30 PM as the Earth’s shadow gradually started covering the moon’s surface. A few friends joined me on the rooftop, and together we watched the white lunar surface transform into a deep copper-red color, often referred to as a “blood moon.” By 1:00 AM, the eclipse reached its totality. Staring up at the night sky for nearly two hours in the cool night air was exhausting, but seeing the dramatic transformation of the moon was an unforgettable and rewarding experience.

B. Essay: An Unforgettable Event in My Life

An Unforgettable Event in My Life

Life is an unpredictable journey woven with moments of joy and unexpected tragedy. While we cherish happy memories, tragic events often leave indelible marks on our souls. One such incident occurred during my school years—an event that fundamentally changed how I view life and friendship.

It happened right after our tenth-grade board examinations. I was enjoying my winter vacation at home, and my closest friend and neighbor, Alisha, was staying with my family. Her parents had traveled to Kathmandu, where her grandfather was undergoing a major surgical procedure. My family did everything possible to make Alisha feel comfortable and happy during her stay, and our days were filled with laughter, board games, and study plans for high school.

One evening, Alisha received a phone call from her mother with great news: her grandfather’s operation was successful, and her parents were returning home the next morning on a morning flight. Alisha was overjoyed, counting down the hours until morning.

Early the next morning, my father drove us to the airport to welcome her parents. However, as we arrived near the terminal, an overwhelming sense of panic filled the air. Sirens wailed as fire trucks and ambulances rushed toward the runway. An incoming flight from Kathmandu had suffered a tragic landing accident. The shock was immediate—Alisha collapsed onto the pavement, unconscious. My father quickly hailed a taxi to send us home while he stayed behind to search for information.

Back home, time stood still as we waited anxiously for my father’s return. Alisha’s condition deteriorated, and a local doctor was called to attend to her. When my father finally returned, his expression was somber. He reported that rescue operations were ongoing, but there was no immediate word on her parents, though their names were confirmed on the passenger manifest. Overwhelmed by grief and panic, Alisha suddenly broke away from my mother and ran out into the street toward her house.

I ran after her, shouting for her to stop. As she darted across the road, an oncoming vehicle swerved, but it was too late. Alisha was struck by the speeding car. We rushed her to the emergency ward of the nearest hospital, where she was placed in intensive care.

Devastated, my parents and I returned home to gather supplies. Just as we stepped through the door, the telephone rang. It was the hospital informing us that Alisha had succumbed to her injuries. Tears streamed down my face; I couldn’t comprehend how a day that started with anticipation had turned into absolute tragedy. Minutes later, the phone rang a second time—it was Alisha’s parents calling from Kathmandu. They had missed their scheduled flight due to a vehicle breakdown on their way to the airport, rendering them completely safe.

The relief that her parents were alive was crushed by the tragic irony that Alisha was gone. When her parents arrived the next day, their grief was unimaginable. Even today, whenever I look back on that day, the tragedy flashes clearly before my eyes, reminding me of the fragile nature of human life and the friend I lost too soon.

Grammar

Prepositions

B. Complete these sentences with the correct prepositions:

• a. The relationship between the two boys has changed significantly over the past few years.
• b. In Nepal, many girls get married at an early age.
• c. I’m not in the mood for such silly games.
• d. There were no security personnel on duty at that time.
• e. The new smartphone is similar to the one I bought a few years ago.
• f. My dad insisted on taking the later train.
• g. People with ambition always try to achieve their goals, no matter what happens.
• h. Mr. Jenkins has been disabled all his life as a result of a childhood illness.
• i. We bought the TV because it was on sale.
• j. She has no understanding of how computers really work.
• k. I gave him my new T-shirt in exchange for a few cigarettes.
• l. The company is run by two people who hardly ever meet.
• m. All the celebrations and parties were called off because of the tragic accident.
• n. There was a great need of volunteers at the site of the crash.

C. Complete the text with correct prepositions:

What are we seeing here? One very real possibility is that these are the educational consequences of the differences in parenting styles that we talked about in the Chris Langan chapter. Think back to Alex Williams, the nine-year-old whom Annette Lareau studied. His parents believe in concerted cultivation. He gets taken to museums and gets enrolled in special programs and goes to summer camp, where he takes classes. When he’s bored at home, there are plenty of books to read, and his parents see it as their responsibility to keep him actively engaged in the world around him. It’s hard to see how Alex wouldn’t get better at reading and math in the summer.

Tenses (Future Forms)

B. Make sentences from the given clues as stated in brackets:

• a. Who/pass the exam? (future simple)
  • Answer: Who will pass the exam?
• b. How/you/get home? (future continuous)
  • Answer: How will you be getting home?
• c. I/come later. (future simple)
  • Answer: I’ll come later.
• d. She/catch the train by 3 pm. (future perfect)
  • Answer: She will have caught the train by 3 PM.
• e. It/rain tomorrow. (future simple)
  • Answer: It will rain tomorrow.
• f. John/sleep at 4 am. (future continuous)
  • Answer: John will be sleeping at 4 AM.
• g. How long/you/see your boyfriend when you get married? (future perfect continuous)
  • Answer: How long will you have been seeing your boyfriend when you get married?
• h. It/rain in Kathmandu next week. (future continuous)
  • Answer: It will be raining in Kathmandu next week.
• i. How long/you/work here when you retire? (future perfect continuous)
  • Answer: How long will you have been working here when you retire?
• j. He/not/finish the cleaning by the time she gets home. (future perfect)
  • Answer: He won’t have finished the cleaning by the time she gets home.

C. Complete the sentences with the correct future tense form:

• a. It will snow in Brighton tomorrow evening.
• b. On Friday at 8 o’clock, I am going to meet my friend.
• c. Wait! I will drive you to the station.
• d. When they get married in March, they will have been together for six years.
• e. You’re carrying too much. I will open the door for you.
• f. Do you think the teacher will have marked our homework by Monday morning?
• g. When I see you tomorrow, I will show you my new book.
• h. After you take a nap, you will feel a lot better.
• i. I will let you know the second the builders finish decorating.
• j. We will wait in the shelter until the bus comes.
• k. I’m very sorry, Dr. Jones won’t be back in the clinic until 2 PM.
• l. This summer, I will have been living in Birgunj for four years.
• m. I don’t think you will have any problems when you land in Pokhara.
• n. The baby should be due soon; next week she will have been pregnant for nine months.
• o. By the time we get home, they will have been playing football for 30 minutes.
• p. When you get off the train, I will be waiting for you by the ticket machine.
• q. This time next week, I will be skiing in Switzerland!
• r. Now, I am going to check my answers.