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…I looked again at… (Class 12 English SQP 2023-24, Q7B)

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EnglishCBSE Class 12 · Sample paper, session 2023-24 · 6 marks · Case-based

CBSE Class 12 English sample paper 2023-24: question 7(B)

From the official CBSE sample question paper for 2023-24, section C, question 7(B), for 6 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q7(B) · 6 marks · Case-basedCompetency-basedMy Mother at Sixty-six

…I looked again at her, wan,
pale
as a late winter's moon and felt that
old
familiar ache, my childhood's fear,
but all I said was, see you soon,
Amma,
all I did was smile and smile and
smile......
(My mother at Sixty-six)

  1. i

    What is the speaker's emotional state when looking at her mother?

    1. (A)Confused and disoriented
    2. (B)Nostalgic and longing
    3. (C)Empathetic and understanding
    4. (D)Fearful and apprehensive
    1 mark
  2. ii

    What does the use of the word "but" at the beginning of the line, ' but all I said..', suggest ?

    1 mark
  3. iii

    Select the word that WILL NOT complete the sentence appropriately.
    The description of the mother as "wan, pale / as a late winter's moon" creates a vivid image of ________ .

    1. (A)vulnerability
    2. (B)sensitivity
    3. (C)frailty
    4. (D)mortality
    1 mark
  4. iv

    State whether the given statement is TRUE or FALSE.
    The poetic device used in the line, 'pale as a winter's moon' is the same as the one used in the line, 'the winter wind wistfully wailed at night'.

    1 mark
  5. v

    What message do these lines highlight, in the context of familial relationships, and the speaker's sense of anxiety and fear at the prospect of losing her mother?

    1 mark
  6. vi

    Complete the sentence appropriately.
    The repetition of the word, 'smile' suggests that _______________.

    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

Look at 'ache' and 'fear' for the mood in (i).

Hint 2

For (iii), three words describe weakness; one does not.

Hint 3

For (iv), name the device in each line: comparison with 'as' versus repeated sounds.

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 D. The 'old familiar ache' and 'childhood's fear' show she is fearful and apprehensive about losing her mother.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) 'But' marks a contrast between her inner emotion (fear and pain) and her outward behaviour (a calm goodbye).

    1 mark

  3. (iii) Option B, 'sensitivity'. The image of a pale, wan mother suggests vulnerability, frailty and mortality, not sensitivity.

    1 mark

  4. (iv) FALSE. 'Pale as a winter's moon' is a simile, while 'the winter wind wistfully wailed' is alliteration (repeated w sound).

    1 mark

  5. (v) We should cherish and appreciate our loved ones while we still have them, because life is transient.

    1 mark

  6. (vi) ...the speaker is trying to hide her fear and stay composed, holding back her emotions despite the pain of parting.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) D; (ii) contrast between inner feeling and outward behaviour; (iii) B; (iv) False; (v) cherish loved ones while we can; (vi) she masks her pain

Where the marks are

  • (i) Option D (1 mark)
  • (ii) Contrast of inner and outer (1 mark)
  • (iii) Option B (1 mark)
  • (iv) FALSE, simile vs alliteration (1 mark)
  • (v) Cherish loved ones, life is transient (1 mark)
  • (vi) Hiding emotions (1 mark)

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