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Unaware of what his… (Class 12 English SQP 2023-24, Q9B)

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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 9(B)

From the official CBSE sample question paper for 2023-24, section C, question 9(B), for 6 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q9(B) · 6 marks · Case-basedCompetency-basedLost Spring

Unaware of what his name represents, he roams the streets with his friends, an army of barefoot boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear at noon. Over the months, I have come to recognise each of them.
"Why aren't you wearing chappals?" I ask one.
"My mother did not bring them down from the shelf," he answers simply.
"Even if she did, he will throw them off," adds another who is wearing shoes that do not match. When I comment on it, he shuffles his feet and says nothing. "I want shoes," says a third boy who has never owned a pair all his life. Travelling across the country I have seen children walking barefoot, in cities, on village roads. It is not lack of money but a tradition to stay barefoot, is one explanation.
(Lost Spring)

  1. i

    What is the writer's purpose in allowing the boys to speak for themselves via dialogue, as opposed to only a writer's commentary ?

    1 mark
  2. ii

    The line, "It is not lack of money but a tradition to stay barefoot" can be best classified as:

    1. (A)A fact
    2. (B)An opinion
    3. (C)A theme
    4. (D)A plot point
    1 mark
  3. iii

    Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line, "an army of barefoot boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear at noon".

    1 mark
  4. iv

    Identify the line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that the writer's association with the boys is not a recent one.

    1 mark
  5. v

    Based on the context provided in the extract, select the most likely comment that the writer would have made, based on the boy's reaction to the mismatched shoes.

    1. (A)"Why are your shoes mismatched? That's not a good look."
    2. (B)"Don't worry about your shoes, you can wear a matching pair later."
    3. (C)"I like your shoes. What matters is that they protect your feet."
    4. (D)"Have you chosen to mismatch your shoes?
    1 mark
  6. vi

    Complete the sentence with ONE word.
    The phrase "he answers simply", suggests that the boy's response to the writer's question about why he wasn't wearing chappals was __________________.

    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

Think about what direct speech adds that commentary cannot.

Hint 2

Is the statement provable or an explanation someone offers?

Hint 3

Choose the comment that would not embarrass the boy.

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) Dialogue gives voice to the boys' own hopes and struggles, making the account authentic, immediate and relatable.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) Option B. It is a subjective explanation, so it is an opinion.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) Any one: 'army of barefoot boys' shows they are poor and united as a group; 'disappear at noon' suggests they must leave for work or other responsibilities; 'like morning birds' shows they are lively and free.

    1 mark

  4. (iv) 'Over the months, I have come to recognise each of them.'

    1 mark

  5. (v) Option C. After the boy's embarrassed silence, a kind remark stressing that shoes protect the feet is reassuring and not judgmental.

    1 mark

  6. (vi) straightforward (or simple/direct).

    1 mark

Answer: (i) authenticity and immediacy; (ii) B; (iii) the boys are poor, united, lively and leave by noon; (iv) 'Over the months, I have come to recognise each of them.'; (v) C; (vi) straightforward

Where the marks are

  • (i) Purpose of dialogue (1 mark)
  • (ii) Option B (1 mark)
  • (iii) One valid inference with reference (1 mark)
  • (iv) Correct line (1 mark)
  • (v) Option C (1 mark)
  • (vi) straightforward (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: Lost Spring (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)

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