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Read the following extracts… (Class 12 English 2026, Q9A)

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EnglishCBSE Class 12 · Board exam 2026, set 301/1/1 · 6 marks · Case-based

CBSE Class 12 English 2026: question 9(A)

Set in the CBSE Class 12 board exam of 2026, paper 301/1/1, section C, question 9(A), for 6 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q9(A) · 6 marks · Case-basedCompetency-basedPoets and Pancakes

Read the following extracts and answer the questions for ANY ONE of the given two (A) or (B):

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 the 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. This gang of nationally integrated make-up men could turn any decent-looking person into a hideous crimson hued monster with the help of truckloads of pancake and a number of other locally made potions and lotions. Those were the days of mainly indoor shooting, and only five percent of the film was shot outdoors. I suppose the sets and studio lights needed girls and boys to be made to look ugly in order to look presentable in the movie. A strict hierarchy was maintained in the make-up department.
(Poets and Pancakes)

  1. (i)

    Why did the make-up room have a look of a hair-cutting salon ?

    1 mark
  2. (ii)

    What does 'fiery misery of those subjected to make-up' suggest ?

    1. (A)emotional stress faced by the actors.
    2. (B)physical discomfort due to heat and lighting.
    3. (C)anger of the make-up artists due to irritation.
    4. (D)the discomfort caused by the cramped room.
    1 mark
  3. (iii)

    Complete the following suitably:
    The tone of the author in the phrase 'hideous crimson hued monster' is _________

    1 mark
  4. (iv)

    Why was excessive make-up considered a cinematic necessity at Gemini Studios during that era ?

    1. (A)minimised the cost of set design and costumes.
    2. (B)was a mandated practice by the studio's creative heads and lead actors.
    3. (C)aligned with the theatrical traditions the studio admired.
    4. (D)compensated for the lack of advanced lighting and camera technology.
    1 mark
  5. (v)

    What does 'became too big for a studio and left' imply about the Bengali make-up artist ?

    1 mark
  6. (vi)

    Complete the sentence with a suitable reason:
    The author refers to the presence of people from different regions in the make-up department to _________.

    1 mark

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2026 board paper, set 301/1/1.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Picture the lights and mirrors described.

Hint 2

Incandescent lights produce heat.

Hint 3

Think about the author's light, mocking way of writing.

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 agreeChecked 2026-11-01

  1. (i) It had many large mirrors with lights all around, like the mirrors and lights in a salon.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) Option B: physical discomfort due to heat and lighting.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) The tone is humorous and mocking, or satirical.

    1 mark

  4. (iv) Option D: it compensated for the lack of advanced lighting and camera technology.

    1 mark

  5. (v) It implies that he became proud and arrogant, thinking himself bigger than the studio.

    1 mark

  6. (vi) The author refers to them to humorously show the 'national integration' in the department, with people of many regions working together.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) mirrors and lights like a salon; (ii) B; (iii) humorous/satirical; (iv) D; (v) he grew arrogant; (vi) humorously show national integration

Where the marks are

  • (i) Mirrors and lights like a salon (1 mark)
  • (ii) B (1 mark)
  • (iii) Humorous tone (1 mark)
  • (iv) D (1 mark)
  • (v) Arrogance (1 mark)
  • (vi) Show national integration humorously (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

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

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