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The little old house… (Class 12 English SQP 2026-27, Q7B)

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EnglishCBSE Class 12 · Sample paper, session 2026-27 · 6 marks · Case-based

CBSE Class 12 English sample paper 2026-27: question 7(B)

From the official CBSE sample question paper for 2026-27, 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-basedA Roadside Stand

The little old house was out with a little new shed
In front at the edge of the road where the traffic sped,
A roadside stand that too pathetically pled,
It would not be fair to say for a dole of bread,
But for some of the money, the cash, whose flow supports
The flower of cities from sinking and withering faint. (A Roadside Stand)

  1. I

    Complete the following appropriately by choosing the correct option from those given in brackets.
    The repeated use of the word ‘little’ suggests the __________ of the roadside stand and the house (economic fragility / decorative simplicity / rural independence).

    1 mark
  2. II

    Complete the following appropriately:
    The phrase ‘traffic sped’ highlights the contrast between the fast-moving urban world and ________.

    1 mark
  3. III

    Why does the poet clarify that the stand is not asking for ‘a dole of bread’?

    1 mark
  4. IV

    The phrase ‘whose flow supports / The flower of cities’ suggests that urban prosperity depends on ________.

    1. (A)natural agricultural abundance
    2. (B)independent urban development
    3. (C)aesthetic appeal of city life
    4. (D)continuous circulation of wealth
    1 mark
  5. V

    How does the poet’s choice of diction in the phrase ‘pathetically pled’ contribute to the tone of the extract?

    1 mark

Source: official sample paper from cbseacademic.nic.in (PDF). See it in the full Sample paper 2026-27.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Think about what 'little' repeated says about the family's means.

Hint 2

'Not a dole of bread' means they do not ask for alms. What do they want instead?

Hint 3

'Pled' is a word of begging. Which tone does it set?

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) economic fragility: the repeated 'little' stresses poverty and limited resources.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) 'traffic sped' contrasts the fast urban world with the slow, struggling life of the rural roadside sellers.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) The poet clarifies this to show that the villagers are not begging for charity. They want fair economic participation and the dignity of earning.

    1 mark

  4. (iv) Option D, continuous circulation of wealth. City prosperity depends on money flowing in from the countryside and the people who sell there.

    1 mark

  5. (v) 'Pathetically pled' creates a tone of quiet desperation and helpless appeal. It evokes sympathy for the ignored plea of the villagers for economic justice.

    1 mark

  6. (vi) B, rural–urban economic imbalance. The extract shows rural labour sustaining urban wealth without fair return.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) economic fragility; (ii) the slow, struggling rural life; (iii) they seek fair earning, not charity; (iv) D; (v) tone of helpless appeal and desperation; (vi) B, rural–urban economic imbalance

Where the marks are

  • Economic fragility (1 mark)
  • Contrast with slow rural life (1 mark)
  • Not charity but dignified earning (1 mark)
  • Option D (1 mark)
  • Tone of desperation and sympathy (1 mark)
  • Rural–urban imbalance (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: A Roadside Stand (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)

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