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Read the following… (Class 12 English SQP 2023-24, Q1)

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EnglishCBSE Class 12 · Sample paper, session 2023-24 · 12 marks · Reading comprehension

CBSE Class 12 English sample paper 2023-24: question 1

From the official CBSE sample question paper for 2023-24, section A, question 1, for 12 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q1 · 12 marks · Reading comprehensionCompetency-basedReading (unseen passages)

Read the following text.

Arthur lay in his cabin, still trying to piece together the events of the last few hours. He had watched his home planet of Earth be demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass, been saved by his friend Ford, and then whisked away on a ship that was powered by an "infinite improbability drive." It was all too much for him.
Just then, Ford stuck his head around the door.
"Hey, Earthman," he said, "come and have a look at this."
Arthur stumbled after him down a corridor and into the ship's control room. He gazed in amazement at the banks of controls and flashing lights. In the center of the room was a large console covered in buttons and switches, and in the middle of the console was a small, white mouse.
"What's that?" asked Arthur.
"That's the ship's computer," said Ford.
Arthur stared at the mouse. "That's a computer?" he said.
"Yup," said Ford. "Five-dimensional, biologically-based, super intelligent, and in the form of a white lab mouse. Pretty neat, huh?"
"I don't know," said Arthur. "I don't think I really understand anything anymore. Why is a mouse the ship's computer?"
"It's a long story," said Ford. "But the short version is that the mice built the Earth as a giant computer to figure out the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. Then they ran out of money and had to destroy it to make way for a hyperspace bypass. So now they're using the Heart of Gold to finish the calculation."
Arthur was about to say something, but at that moment the ship's intercom crackled to life.
"Good evening, Heart of Gold," said a smooth, computerized voice. "This is Eddie, your shipboard computer. I'm feeling a bit depressed today. Would you like me to sing you a song?"
"Oh, not again," groaned Ford.
"Eddie, would you mind shutting up?" said Arthur.
Arthur sighed and leaned back against the console, trying to make sense of everything. But as he closed his eyes, he heard a voice inside his head.
"Hello?" it said.
Arthur jumped, startled. "Who's there?" he said.
"It's me," said the voice. "Marvin."
"Marvin?" said Arthur. "Who's Marvin?"
"The Paranoid Android," said the voice.
Arthur looked around, but he didn't see anyone. "Where are you?" he said.
"I'm down here," said the voice.
Arthur looked down and saw a small, metal figure shuffling across the floor. It was about three feet tall, with a round head and a body that looked like it had been cobbled together from spare parts. Its eyes were a dull red, and its voice was a monotone.
"I've been waiting for someone to talk to me for over two million years," said Marvin.

(Adapted - An excerpt from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams / 444 words)

Answer the following questions, based on the passage above.

  1. i

    Select the option that classifies Arthur's confusion about drastic events such as the destruction of his home planet and the introduction of new technologies, correctly.

    1. (A)Routine and boredom
    2. (B)Adventure and excitement
    3. (C)Loss and change
    4. (D)Calm and relaxation
    1 mark
  2. ii

    What is the significance of the white lab mouse in the control room of the Heart of Gold spaceship?

    1. (A)It is the captain of the ship
    2. (B)It serves as the ship's computer
    3. (C)It is a pet of the crew
    4. (D)It is used for scientific experiments
    1 mark
  3. iii

    Share evidence from the text, in about 40 words to support the view that the writer's writing style is descriptive and humourous.

    2 marks
  4. iv

    Complete the sentence appropriately with a characteristic or its description.
    Based on the information given in the excerpt, one can infer that the mice who built the Earth are ____________.

    1 mark
  5. v

    Select the option that is similar in meaning to Ford's expression , "Pretty neat, huh?".

    1. (A)Easy , isn't it?
    2. (B)Could be worse, no?
    3. (C)Impressive, yes?
    4. (D)Too difficult for you?
    1 mark
  6. vi

    Explain, in about 40 words, why the name "The Paranoid Android" is considered ironic.

    2 marks
  7. vii

    In the line, "…a body that looked like it had been cobbled together from spare parts…", what comparison does the word "cobbled" refer to?

    1 mark
  8. viii

    How does the following, impact the reader, even though they know Marvin is just an android?
    "I've been waiting for someone to talk to me for over two million years," said Marvin.
    Answer in about 40 words.

    2 marks
  9. ix

    Read the five headlines (a) -(e), given below:
    (a) HUMANITY'S JOURNEY WITNESSED BY A DEPRESSED ROBOT
    (b) HITCHHIKING THROUGH SPACE: A COMICAL TAKE ON THE END OF THE WORLD
    (c) NEW STUDY FINDS ALIENS LIVING AMONG US
    (d) GROUNDBREAKING TECHNOLOGY WILL SOON ENABLE TIME TRAVEL
    (e) INTERGALACTIC TRAVEL VIA NEW INFINITE IMPROBABILITY DRIVE
    Identify the option that displays the headline/s that DOES/ DO NOT correspond with occurrences in the passage.

    1. (A)Only (a)
    2. (B)(b) (c) and (d)
    3. (C)Only (e)
    4. (D)(a) and (e)
    1 mark

Source: official sample paper from cbseacademic.nic.in (PDF). See it in the full Sample paper 2023-24.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

Go back to the passage and find the exact lines that support each answer.

Hint 2

For (vi), think about what we normally expect robots to feel and what 'paranoid' means.

Hint 3

For (ix), check each headline against the passage and pick those that have no basis in it.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

Verified: two independent solves agree and the official marking scheme matchesChecked 2026-11-01

  1. (i) Option C, Loss and change: the destruction of Earth is a loss and the new technology (improbability drive, mouse computer) is change.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) Option B: Ford says the white mouse is the ship's computer.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) Descriptive: 'In the center of the room was a large console covered in buttons and switches, and in the middle... a small, white mouse' paints a clear picture of the unusual setting. Humorous: 'Oh, not again,' groaned Ford, because a computer offering to sing when depressed is absurd and Ford is tired of it.

    2 marks

  4. (iv) highly intelligent / technologically advanced (they built Earth as a giant computer); OR indifferent to the suffering of others (they destroyed Earth for a bypass).

    1 mark

  5. (v) Option C, 'Impressive, yes?', since 'pretty neat' expresses admiration.

    1 mark

  6. (vi) A robot is expected to be logical and unemotional, but 'paranoid' denotes irrational fear and anxiety, a human emotion. The name thus defies the reader's expectations of machines, which makes it ironic.

    2 marks

  7. (vii) The comparison is with a cobbler, who stitches scraps of leather into a shoe; Marvin's body was similarly put together roughly from spare parts.

    1 mark

  8. (viii) Marvin's lonely wait of two million years evokes sympathy, making the android seem human. It stresses isolation and the lack of communication in the vastness of space, and raises questions about the value of existence, organic or synthetic.

    2 marks

  9. (ix) Option B: (b) is wrong because the passage deals with serious matters like Earth's destruction, (c) has no aliens living among us, (d) has no time travel. (a) and (e) are true to the passage.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) C; (ii) B; (iii) descriptive and humorous evidence; (iv) highly intelligent; (v) C; (vi) irony explained; (vii) cobbler; (viii) sympathy and isolation; (ix) B

Where the marks are

  • (i) C (1 mark)
  • (ii) B (1 mark)
  • (iii) One descriptive and one humorous example from the text (2 marks)
  • (iv) Valid characteristic, e.g. highly intelligent (1 mark)
  • (v) C (1 mark)
  • (vi) Robot expected to be unemotional vs paranoid (2 marks)
  • (vii) Cobbler stitching scraps (1 mark)
  • (viii) Sympathy, loneliness and alienation (2 marks)
  • (ix) B (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: Reading (unseen passages)

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