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The make-up room had… (Class 12 English SQP 2026-27, Q9B)

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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 9(B)

From the official CBSE sample question paper for 2026-27, 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-basedPoets and Pancakes

The make-up room had the look of a hair-cutting salon with lights at all angles around half a dozen large mirrors. They were all incandescent lights, so you can imagine the fiery misery of those subjected to make-up. The make-up department was first headed by a Bengali who became too big for a studio and left. He was succeeded by a Maharashtrian who was assisted by a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese and the usual local Tamils. All this shows that there was a great deal of national integration long before A.I.R. and Doordarshan began broadcasting programmes on national integration. (Poets and Pancakes)

  1. I

    Which of the following details about the make-up room are explicitly mentioned in the extract?
    1. The room was fitted with many large mirrors and bright lights.
    2. The lighting caused discomfort to those subjected to make-up.
    3. The make-up work required technical expertise in lighting.
    4. The department included people from different regions of India.
    5. The writer expresses personal emotional involvement with the room.
    Select the most suitable option.

    1. (A)1, 2 and 4
    2. (B)2, 3 and 5
    3. (C)1, 3 and 4
    4. (D)3, 4 and 5
    1 mark
  2. II

    Complete the following sentence appropriately.
    The phrase ‘fiery misery’ suggests that the intense lighting _______.

    1 mark
  3. III

    What can be inferred about studio life from the writer’s ironic tone in the extract?

    1 mark
  4. IV

    How does the detailed listing of people from different regions function in the extract?

    1. (A)To highlight efficiency within the studio system
    2. (B)To mock rigid systems of official classification
    3. (C)To emphasise diversity within shared workspace
    4. (D)To criticise imbalance among regional groups
    1 mark
  5. V

    What is the most likely reason the author compares studio integration with A.I.R. and Doordarshan?

    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

Check each statement against the text. Which ones are actually written?

Hint 2

'Fiery' suggests heat. What would that do to the actors?

Hint 3

The list of regions shows many kinds of people working in one place.

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 A (1, 2 and 4). The extract states the mirrors and lights, the discomfort, and the staff from different regions.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) 'Fiery misery' suggests the intense lighting made make-up physically uncomfortable and almost unbearable for the actors.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) The ironic tone suggests that studio life looked glamorous but involved discomfort and impractical working conditions behind the scenes.

    1 mark

  4. (iv) Option C. The list emphasises diversity within a shared workspace.

    1 mark

  5. (v) The comparison shows that real national integration was practised informally in the studio long before state-run media began to promote it.

    1 mark

  6. (vi) The irony is that a room meant to enhance appearance and glamour actually caused misery through its harsh lights.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) A; (ii) the lights made make-up almost unbearable; (iii) glamour hid discomfort; (iv) C; (v) integration existed in practice before it was officially promoted; (vi) glamour room caused misery

Where the marks are

  • Option A (1 mark)
  • Fiery misery explained (1 mark)
  • Irony reveals behind-the-scenes discomfort (1 mark)
  • Option C (1 mark)
  • Informal integration before AIR/Doordarshan (1 mark)
  • Irony of glamour causing misery (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

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

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