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Read the following extract… (Class 12 English 2026, Q8a)

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EnglishCBSE Class 12 · Board exam 2026, set 301/5/1 · 4 marks · Case-based

CBSE Class 12 English 2026: question 8(a)

Set in the CBSE Class 12 board exam of 2026, paper 301/5/1, section C, question 8(a), for 4 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q8(a) · 4 marks · Case-basedCompetency-basedThe Third Level

Read the following extract and answer the questions:

The corridor I was in began angling left and slanting downward and I thought that was wrong, but I kept on walking. All I could hear was the empty sound of my own footsteps and I didn't pass a soul. Then I heard that sort of hollow roar ahead that means open space and people talking. The tunnel turned sharp left; I went down a short flight of stairs and came out on the third level at Grand Central Station. For just a moment I thought I was back on the second level, but I saw the room was smaller, there were fewer ticket windows and train gates, and the information booth in the centre was wood and old-looking. And the man in the booth wore a green eyeshade and long black sleeve protectors.
(The Third Level)

  1. (i)

    What initially made the narrator uncertain about the corridor he was walking through?

    1. (A)The corridor changed direction unexpectedly.
    2. (B)Dim lights and strange signs.
    3. (C)The walls echoed with unfamiliar voices.
    4. (D)The floor felt uneven and unstable underfoot.
    1 mark
  2. (ii)

    The 'hollow roar' that the narrator heard signifies __________.

    1 mark
  3. (iii)

    Complete the sentence:
    The narrator's realization that he was not on the second level was triggered by _________.

    1 mark
  4. (iv)

    Read the assertion and the reason below, with reference to the given extract.
    Assertion : The narrator got confused about his location in the Grand Central Station.
    Reason : The third level of the Grand Central Station was smaller than the second level.
    Choose the correct option :

    1. (A)Both the assertion and the reason are true and the reason is the correct explanation of the assertion.
    2. (B)Both the assertion and the reason are true, but the reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
    3. (C)The assertion is true, but the reason is false.
    4. (D)The assertion is false, but the reason is true.
    1 mark

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2026 board paper, set 301/5/1.

Hints

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

Hint 1

Recall how the corridor behaved at the start of the passage.

Hint 2

What differences did he notice in the room and the booth?

Hint 3

For (iv), does the reason explain his confusion?

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) (A) The corridor began angling left and slanting downward unexpectedly, which seemed wrong to him.

    1 mark

  2. (ii) The hollow roar signifies open space and people talking ahead.

    1 mark

  3. (iii) The smaller room, fewer ticket windows and train gates, the old-looking wooden information booth and the clerk's old-style dress (green eyeshade, sleeve protectors).

    1 mark

  4. (iv) (A) He was confused about his location because the third level was smaller and different from the second level, which made him think for a moment that he was back on it.

    1 mark

Answer: (i) A; (ii) open space and people talking; (iii) the smaller room, old-looking booth and the man's dress; (iv) A

Where the marks are

  • (i) A (1 mark)
  • (ii) open space/people talking (1 mark)
  • (iii) smaller room, booth or dress details (1 mark)
  • (iv) A (1 mark)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: The Third Level (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)

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