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TN State Board 12th English Model Question Paper 5
Time: 2 1/2 Hours
Maximum Marks: 90
General Instructions:
- The question paper comprises of four parts.
- You are to attempt all the sections in each part. An internal choice of questions is provided wherever applicable.
- All questions of Part I, II, III, and IV are to be attempted separately.
- Question numbers 1 to 20 in Part I are Multiple Choice Questions of one mark each. These are to be answered by writing the correct answer along with the corresponding option code.
- Part II has got two sections. The questions are of two marks each. Question numbers 21 to 26 in Section I and Question numbers 27 to 30 in Section II are to be answered in about one or two sentences each.
- Question numbers 31 to 40 in Part III are of three marks each and have been divided in three sections. These are to be answered as directed.
- Question numbers 41 and 47 in Part IV are of five marks each. These are to be answered as directed.
Part -1
I. Answer all the questions. [20 x 1= 20]
Choose the correct synonyms for the underlined words from the options given:
Question 1.
The policeman is not a symbol of tyranny.
(a) autocracy (b) plutocracy (c) aristocracy (d) democracy
Answer:
(d) democracy
Question 2.
I dragged our oxygen sets into the tent.
(a) pushed (b) pulled (c) lauded (d) loaded
Answer:
(b) pulled
Question 3.
His shoulder and arm were amputated.
(a) frustrated (b) attached (c) transplanted (d) removed
Answer:
(d) removed
Choose the correct antonyms for the underlined words from the options given:
Question 4.
She was eager to do so.
(a) anxious (b) apathetic (c) impatient (d) repulsive
Answer:
(b) apathetic
Question 5.
Not the flat, shallow type…
(a) wide (b) wide (c) direct (d) deep
Answer:
(d) deep
Question 6.
Why people should suffer.
(a) undergo pain (b) enjoy (c) heal (d) struggle
Answer:
(b) enjoy
Question 7.
Choose the correct combination for the compound word ‘milk white’.
(a) Noun+ Gerund (b) Noun + Adjective (c) Gerund + Noun (d) Preposition + Noun
Answer:
(b) Noun + Adjective
Question 8.
Choose the correct expansion of TPS.
(a) Thermal Power Supply (b) Thermal Private Sector (c) Thermal Power Station (d). Thermal Power Sector
Answer:
(c) Thermal Power Station
Question 9.
Choose the meaning of the foreign word in the sentence:
I planned to go downtown to meet with Betty, but I ran into a glitch.
(a) big problem (b) small problem (c) gutter (d) accident
Answer:
(b) small problem
Question 10.
Choose the correct combination for the blended word Globish.
(a) Globe+ Fish (b) Globe + frisk (c) Globe + ish (d) Global + English
Answer:
(d) Global + English
Question 11.
Choose the clipped form for graduate.
(a) gradud (b) gad (c) grad (d) duate
Answer:
(c) grad
Question 12.
A desire to read and enjoy eulogy is known as ……………………. .
(a) eulogomania (b) misogamist (c) oleograph (d) monogram
Answer:
(a) eulogomania
Question 13.
Form a derivative by adding the right prefix to the word ‘closed’.
(a) in- (b) re- (c) un- (d) en-
Answer:
(d) en-
Question 14.
Fill in the blanks with a suitable relative pronoun. This is the house ………………… my father built.
(a) where (b) by (c) that (d) who
Answer:
(c) that
Question 15.
Fill in the blanks with a suitable preposition. You should explain this ……………… them.
(a) for (b) with (c) from (d) to
Answer:
(d) to
Question 16.
Choose the correct question tag for the following statement.
Heera can read many languages ……………………….?
(a) won’t she (b) can’t she (c) isn’t she (d) wasn’t she
Answer:
(b) can’t she
Question 17.
Choose the suitable meaning or idiom found in the following sentence.
When the management wanted to cut down on the man power, they offered a golden hand shake to many of their newly recruited employees.
(a) extension of job
(b) renewal of contract
(c) large amount of money given to a person when they leave
(d) give part-time work
Answer:
(c) large amount of money given to a person when they leave
Question 18.
Substitute the underlined word with the appropriate polite alternative.
I think the garbage man didn’t come on his usual rounds.
(a) cleaner (b) sanitizer (c) garbage disposer (d) sanitation engineer
Answer:
(d) sanitation engineer
Question 19.
Choose the correct sentence pattern for the following sentence.
There was a grand finale of scattered plates and silverware.
(a) SVIODO (b) SVAA (c) SVCA (d) AVSC
Answer:
(c) SVCA
Question 20.
Fill in the blank with a suitable phrasal verb.
I ………………………… to the fountain to have my shoes shined.
(a) went across (b) went over (c) went into (d) put aside
Answer:
(b) went over
Part II
Section – 1
Read the following sets of poetic lines and answer any four from it. [4 x 2 = 8]
Question 21.
“And the enemy half a mile away They seemed no threat to us at all”
(a) What were the soldiers expecting?
(b) Where were the enemies?
Answer:
(a) The soldiers were expecting a war.
(b) The enemies were half a mile away.
Question 22.
“And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin’d,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances
(a) Whom does justice refer to?
(b) Describe his appearance.
Answer:
(a) Justice refers to a man in his fifth stage when he becomes critical of everyone else’s opinion in life.
(b) He has a pot belly and is fond of eating delicacies.
Question 23.
“A creeper climbs, in whose embraces bound No other tree could live.”
(a) How does the tree survive the tight hold of the creeper?
(b) Why does Toru Dutt use the expression ‘a creeper climbs’?
Answer:
(a) The tree takes the tight hold of the creeper like the embraces of a lady love. So, it doesn’t hurt the tree. It grows stronger bearing the bite marks of love.
(b) A creeper cannot grow without the support of another tree or a pole. While climbing, it tries to sap the energy from the living tree. It twines its body around the tree and keeps climbing.
Question 24.
“That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed”
(a) What do ‘thunder’ and ‘sunshine’ refer to?
(b) What do we infer about the attitude of the sailors?
Answer:
(a) Thunder and sunshine refers to misfortunes and happy days. Ulysses and his comrades had undergone both kinds of experiences.
(b) The sailors shared the undying quest for exploration, adventure and for seeking newer knowledge in the untravelled world. They even welcomed dangers in fighting with Gods. They enjoyed the thrill of action and never worried about the outcome of battles or quests. They have equal temper of heroic hearts.
Question 25.
“Just as perhaps he mused, ‘My plans That soar, to earth may fall,”
(а) Who does ‘he’ refer to?
(b) What may hamper the soaring plans of Napoleon?
Answer:
(a) ‘He’ refers to Napoleon Bonaparte.
(b) The negative outcome of battle at Ratisbon may hamper his soaring plans.
Question 26.
“Tell him to be a fool ever so often and to have no shame over having been a fool yet learning something out of every folly hoping to repeat none of the cheap follies”
(a) Is it a shame to be a fool at times?
(b) What does one learn from every folly?
Answer:
(a) No, everyone does commit funny mistakes in life. One might just laugh at them.
(b) Every folly teaches a person his limitations and vulnerabilities. By making conscious efforts to avoid them in future, one will become stronger and wiser.
Section – 2
Answer any three of the following questions. [3 x 2 = 6]
Question 27.
Report the following dialogue:
Answer:
James : Can you come to my apartment tomorrow?
Simon : Thank you, I will come tomorrow after lunch.
James asked Simon if he could come to his apartment the next day. Simon thanked him and said that he would come to his apartment the following day after lunch.
Question 28.
Sundar wants to pass the test. He has to work hard, (combine using ‘if’)
Answer:
If Sundar wants to pass the test, he has to work hard.
Question 29.
Rewrite the sentence making an inversion in the conditional clause.
If we were to have children, we would certainly need to move to a bigger house.
Answer:
Were we to have children, we would certainly need to move to a bigger house.
Question 30.
The house was destroyed in the fire, but the whole family was saved. (Change the following into a complex sentence)
Though the house was destroyed in the fire, the whole family was saved.
Part-III
Section -1
Explain any two of the following with reference to the context. [2 x 3 = 6]
Question 31.
I will maintain until my death
Answer:
Reference: This line is from Edwin Muir’s poem “The Castle”.
Context: The poet says this while recounting the shameful act of betrayal by the aged warder of the wicket gate.
Explanation: The narrator was overconfident of the invincibility of their castle, their stock piled arms and well-stocked granary. They had a brave captain and loyal soldiers. In an open war, they need not fear defeat as their friendly neighbours were also willing to join them during a war against any invader. But their enemy was within their fortified castle. They were sold for a bag of gold. Without a groan the citadel was captured. It was a shameful way to lose one’s side. So, the narrator prefers not to recount this shameful secret to anyone so long as he is alive.
Question 32.
Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Answer:
Reference: These lines are from the poem ‘All the world’s a stage’ written by William Shakespeare.
Context: The poet says these words while describing the preparedness of the old man in the last stage of life to exit from this lonely planet.
Explanation: The poet beautifully says the “eventful history” (i.e.) life which was spiced up with many interesting things is now coming to a dramatic close. The eternal jewel of life, ‘the soul’, is going to depart the body which had kept it imprisoned for long. The soul celebrates the joy of freedom in death.
Question 33.
He will be lonely enough to have time for the work
Answer:
Reference: These lines are from the poem ‘A Father to his Son’ written by Carl August Sandburg.
Context: The poet says these words to explain how creative thinkers and those who strive to bring about changes are left alone to fend for themselves.
Explanation: The poet asks his son to take advantage of the loneliness. He must enjoy the advantages of solitude. Solitude would help him to be creative. He would invariably learn that final decisions are always taken in silent rooms. In solitude he can pursue his creative imagination and succeed like Shakespeare, Wright brothers, Pasteur, Pavlov and Faraday.
Section – 2
Answer any two of the following questions in about 30 words. [2 x 3 = 6]
Question 34.
How was Dr. Barnard’s attitude to suffering different from that of his father’s?
Answer:
Dr. Barnard’s father accepted suffering as God’s will. He also believed that suffering ennobles humans. But Dr. Barnard found no meaning in the agony and suffering of patients and especially of the young children.
Question 35.
What was thrilling to watch 8000 feet below them?
Answer:
In a number of places, the overhanging ice cornices were very large. In order to escape them, Hillary cut a line of steps down to where the snow met the rocks on the west. It was a great thrill to look straight down that enormous rock face to see 8000 ft below them the tiny tents of Camp 4 in the Western Cwm.
Question 36.
‘Curtailment of private liberty is done to establish social order’ – Do you agree?
Answer:
Yes, curtailment of private liberty is done to establish social order. Liberty is not a personal affair only, it is a social contract. There are a lot of people in the world who need to accommodate their liberty to the liberties of others. A reasonable consideration of the rights or feelings of others in the foundation of social conduct. When one has submitted to the curtailment of private liberty, one may enjoy a social order which makes his liberty, a reality.
Section – 3
Answer any three of the following questions in about 30 words. [3 x 3 = 9]
Question 37.
Study the pie-chart given below and answer the questions that follow:
(a) How much percentage in this group have AB blood group?
(b) What is the percentage of people in this group who do not have the donor group?
(c) According to the given percentage, how many people have either A or B blood groups?
Answer:
(a) 19% of the people have AB Blood group.
(b) 60% of the people do not have the donor group that is Type O.
(c) Approximately Question Question 41.1 % of people do not have either A or B blood groups.
Question 38.
Write a dialogue of minimum 3 exchanges between a Mr. Karnan and a Policeman.
Answer:
Mr. Karnan : Thank you sir for responding to us at this time. There has been a theft in my house.
Policeman : It’s our duty, sir. I hope you haven’t touched anything inside the house.
Mr. Karnan : No sir, I made a call from my mobile as soon as we returned from the night show and found the front door open.
Policeman : Did you enter the house?
Mr. Karnan : Yes sir, just now. The burglars have stolen many of my household articles including money and jewellery.
Policeman: Don’t worry. We will find the culprits at the earliest.
Question 39.
Describe the process of making an omelette.
Answer:
Take an egg and beat the egg well with a fork or egg beater.
Finely chop a small onion, one green chilly, one pod of garlic, coriander leaves Mix the chopped ingredients to the beaten egg.
Add salt to taste and beat.
Heat a tava and add a spoon of oil.
Pour the mixture into the hot tava like a dosa.
Flip sides till it gets cooked on both sides.
Question 40.
Complete the proverbs using the word given below.
(а) Familiarity breeds (friendship, contempt, malice)
(b) Fools rush in where angels fear to (tread, exit, enter)
(c) Give the devil his (share, profit, due)
Answer:
(a) contempt (b) tread (c) due
Part – IV
Answer the following questions: [7 x 5 = 35]
Answer in a paragraph in about 150 words.
Question 41.
How did a casual incident in a hospital help Dr. Barnard perceive a new dimension of life?
Answer:
Initially Dr. Barnard was grumbling. He wondered why on earth he and his wife should have been subjected to agony and inconvenience. He couldn’t take his dad’s view that suffering ennobles human beings. But the little boys taught him a profound lesson of life. One should get on with the business of living irrespective of whatever misfortune strikes one.
You don’t become a better person because you suffered, your suffering does not ennoble you. But you become a better person because you have experienced suffering. It is not what you have lost is important. What is important is what you have left. We can appreciate light better once we have experienced darkness. Similarly, we can appreciate warmth only after experiencing cold.
[OR]
The ridge had Hillary and Tenzing two and half hours, but it seemed like lifetime. Why?
Answer:
Both Hillary and Tenzing reached a wide ledge. Hillary deeply felt the fierce determination that nothing could stop them from scaling the Himalayas. He took a stronghold on the ledge and signalled Tenzing to come up. With great difficulty Tenzing reached the way up the crack and collapsed like a giant fish hauled up from the ocean. There were giant cornices on the right and steep rock sloped on the left. The ridge curved away to the right. They had no idea where the peak was.
As Hillary cut around the back of one hump, another would swing anew to his view. Time seemed never-ending. Their original zest started diminishing. The climb was becoming a grim struggle. To their surprise, the ridge ahead now dropped sharply away. A few more whacks of the ice-axe in the firm snow, they stood on top. It was Question 11.30, the ridge had taken two and a half hours. But it seemed like a lifetime as they had to negotiate numerous ridges on the way.
Question 42.
Give the summary of the poem, “Our Casuarina Tree’.
Answer:
The poet Torn Dutt describes the perpetually young Casuarina tree in this poem. The tree is tall and mighty. A creeper winds around its huge and wide trunk like a python. Birds chirp happily. The poet is ecstatic seeing the tree from her casement / window. In fact, she greets the tree everyday soon after getting up from bed. She finds a baboon sitting like a statue on top of the tree. The cows are grazing in the lush green meadows around the tree. Water lilies add to the charm of the pond. She recalls that the tree is dear not because of its majestic looks but because of the nostalgic memories attached to it.
She remembers the happy times she had spent with her siblings, who are now no more, under the tree. They died of consumption. Their absence makes the tree much more endearing to the poet. Mysteriously she hears the grief- filled lament of the tree when she is on the shores of France and Italy. She consecrates the tree’s memory to her dear departed siblings. Taking inspiration from William Wordsworth’s poem ‘Yew-trees’, she also wishes to immortalize the Cauarina tree. So she sings about it in her poem.
[OR]
What is the role of the young soldier in the victory of the French at Ratisbon?
Answer:
The young soldier was one of the soldiers in the infantry division leading the battle. On storming Ratisbon, unmindful of the cannon fire, he climbed the flag post with French flag and hoisted it. He received the bullets in turn for his service to the emperor and French army. He did not succumb to the bullets immediately, he galloped on horse back to convey the news to emperor Napoleon Bonaparte himself.
He held on to life till he reached Napoleon and conveyed the happy news. He waited with abated breath to know the reaction of his great leader. When he expressed his sadness, his pride was hurt. He denied the emperor’s sympathy and said emphatically that he was killed. He fell down beside emperor Napoleon with a smiling face and died.
Question 43.
Write a paragraph of about 150 words by developing the following hints:
Ivan – tongue-tied – knife – moral shock – innocent victim – faith in justice – wife’s suspicion – loses hopes – belief in God – divine justice. Tsar’s judgement- mills of justice grind slow – Semyonich confesses – cruel joke
Answer:
Ivan is tongue-tied when the police finds knife in his bag. The moral shock he undergoes as an innocent victim of circumstances allows him to have faith injustice. But the moment his wife expresses her suspicion over his involvement in the murder, he loses all hopes. It is then that he starts believing in God and divine justice.
Tsar can’t give him freedom. His judgement is based on evidences given by crooked people. God need not be given any evidences of innocence. He knows the truth but his mills of justice grind very slow. Ivan loses interest in escaping or leaving the prison. He had no one to go back to. At this juncture, Semyonich confesses his guilt of murdering the merchant. When the pardon arrives as a cruel joke, Ivan is dead. So, ‘God knows the truth but waits’ is the most appropriate title for this story.
[OR]
Sermon on diligence – Roger demands half-day leave – value of hard work – an impartial judge – switches off attention – take notes – self-indulgent absent-mindedness – escapes – rewinds memory – hoodwinks the judge – interview the award committee – judge was quite impressed – Mr. Clay’s office – orderly mind – excel in any learned profession
Answer:
In the beginning of the play Roger demands half-day leave and that was enough for the judge to start his sermon on the value of hard work and his standing in the society as an impartial judge. Roger conveniently switches off his attention and pretends to take notes of the instructions of the judge. The judge almost catches in his self-indulgent absent-mindedness. Roger escapes by the skin of his teeth by just rewinding from his memory the oft-repeated story of his success.
He hoodwinks the judge as to the purpose of his demand for half-a-day leave by saying that he wanted to personally interview the award committee as to why they had not forwarded the documents. The judge was quite impressed. The judge asked him to walk to Mr. Clay’s office in the afternoon. He reiterated that diligence, courage and attention to details are required to cultivate an orderly mind. Without an orderly mind no man can hope to excel in any learned profession.
Question 44.
Write a summary or Make notes of the following passage.
Answer:
Teaching is the noblest of vocations. A teacher has a sacred duty to perform. It is he on whom rests the responsibility of shaping the character of young children. Apart from developing their intellect, he can inculcate in them qualities of good citizenship, remaining neat and clean, talking decently and sitting properly. These virtues are not easy to be absorbed.
Only he who himself leads a life of simplicity, purity and rigid discipline can successfully cultivate these habits in his pupils. Besides a teacher always remains young. He may grow old in age, but not in spite. Perpetual contact with budding youth keeps him happy and cheerful. There are moments when domestic worries weigh heavily on his mind but the delightful company of innocent children makes him overcome his temporary moods of despair.
Summary
No. of words given in the original passage: 133
No. of words to be written in the summary: 133/3 = 41 ± 5
Rough Draft
Teaching is the noblest vocation. A teacher has a sacred duty to perform the responsibility of shaping the character of young children. Apart from developing their intellect, he can inculcate good citizenship. Besides a teacher always remains young perpetual contact with the youth keeps him overcome his temporary moods of despair.
Fair draft Noble Profession
Teaching is the noblest vocation. A teacher himself leading a simple, pure and disciplined life can shape the character of the young children and make them neat and good mannered citizens. Besides he remains every young forgetting his own domestic worries in the constant company of the young.
No. of words in the summary: 48
Or
Notes
Title: Noble Profession
Teachg – Noble Profession
sacred duty – mouldg charac
qlts A good citizenship
neat, clean,
Teachr – Forever Young
grow old in age but not in spite.
contact c budg youth .
domestic worries weigh heavily-delightful co. A innocent children overcomes
Abbreviations used: Mouldg – moulding; charac – character; A – of; qlts – qualities; Teachg – teaching; Teachr – teacher; c – with; budg-budding; co. – company
Question 45.
You are Roshini of 27-Railway Quarters, ICF, Chennai. Last week you bought a bluetooth speaker from ‘Universal Mobile’, 20L, Luz Corner, Chennai. The bluetooth speaker developed a problem within a few days of its purchase. Write a complaint letter to the dealer giving details of the nature of the problem and asking him/her to rectify the defect or replace the phone.
Answer:
26th March, 2019
From
Roshini
27-Railway Quarters
ICF
Chennai
To
M/s Universal Mobile
20L, Luz Corner
Chennai
Dear Sirs,
Sub: Defective Mobile Phone
I am a resident of ICF, Chennai. I purchased a JBL Clip 3 bluetooth speaker from Universal Mobile on 19th March, 20Question 20.1 am sorry to say that the speaker developed a problem within a few days of its purchase. The sound is quite unclear and irritating. I feel cheated to have such a defective mobile phone after spending more than twelve thousand mpees.
It is quite unfortunate that even after sending two reminders, you have shown no urgency to rectify the defects or replace the defective mobile set at the earliest. I hope you will do the needful within a week. I am sure you will not compel me to knock the doors of the Consumer Court for this unpleasant lapse of time on your part.
Yours sincerely
Roshini
Address on the envelope:
To
Universal Mobile, Luz Comer
Chennai
[OR]
Write a paragraph of 150 words on “My ambition in life.”.
Answer:
My ambition in life
Taking a photo or posing for a photo is something that I have always enjoyed even as a small little kid. There’s one thing that gets me to do and excites me. It is photography and that really stands out from all the rest. I always think of going all over the world and take shots of everything worth-seeing. I want to stick to photography all the time. I think I will never get tired of it. Even as a kindergartener, I used to admire pictures taken and collect pictures.
I always asked my parents to get me a camera. For my 14th birthday, I was gifted an SLR because of my passion for photography. I know there’s so much I have to leam about photography and I am trying to leam more and more about it. I joined a photography class after my tenth exams. I always used to take part in competitions and win prizes. I think there are many people in my community who are really good at photography and present outstanding photographs regarding nature’s beauty and others.
Many of them held photography contests to motivate and encourage new photographers. I now have a craze to do Candid Photography. I know for sure that I can pursue this as a hobby as well as my profession. If you love your job, you will never feel the pressure of working and hence I have decided to become a photographer for my life.
Question 46.
Spot the errors and rewrite the sentences correctly
(a) If I had known you were ill, I would visit you.
(b) He spoke the English perfectly.
(c) I am writing the essay when the bell rang.
(d) I and Sheela have booked tickets for the latest Harry Potter movie.
(e) It is an great honour.
Answer:
(a) If I had known you were ill, I would have visited you.
(b) He spoke English perfectly.
(c) I was writing the essay when the bell rang.
(d) Sheela and I have booked tickets for the latest Harry Potter movie.
(e) It is a great honour.
[OR]
Fill in the blanks correctly.
(а) My daughter who is just four …………………… (ears/years) old loves to play in the (sun/son)
(b) If it were not cold outside, I …………………… be much happier! (Use a modal in the given blank.)
(c) You …………………… finish reading this book by this weekend, (use a semi-modal)
(d) They …………………… (buy) sponges this week, (use a proper tense)
Answer:
(a) years/sun (b) would (c) need to (d) will be buying
Question 47.
Identify each of the following sentences with the fields given below:
(a) At the Sarangkheda horse fair in Maharashtra, local breeds attract buyers from as far as Saudi Arabia.
(b) My brother was awestruck at the western classical concert.
(c) Dhoni was declared the Man of the Series.
(d) French actress Catherine’s clothing was designed by her friend Yas for her next project.
(e) The investigations included megascopic and microscopic studies of rocks.
[Geology; Tourism; Music; Sports; Costume]
Answer:
(a) Tourism (b) Music (c) Sports (d) Costume (e) Geology
[OR]
Read the following passage and answer the questions in your own words.
Answer:
Black holes are one of the most mysterious and powerful forces in the universe. But what exactly are they? Are they simply holes that are black? Well, there’s more to it than that. A black hole is not a regular object with a surface area, like a planet. Instead, it’s an area in space where matter has literally collapsed onto itself. Black holes are formed when giant stars run out of energy. They end their life cycle and explode. This massive explosion is called a supernova. If the star has enough mass, it will collapse onto itself into a super small size.
Imagine an enormous mass squeezed into a tiny space. That space would become compact and dense. This causes the gravitational pull to be extremely strong. It will gobble up and absorb anything in its way, even gigantic stars. Nothing can move fast enough to escape its gravity. Not even light, the fastest thing in the universe! Black holes will gobble up anything and everything in their path, including light.
What happens to an object that gets sucked into a black hole? It will be literally stretched to its breaking point. Luckily, we don’t have to worry about black holes swallowing up our solar system. That’s because the nearest black hole is about 27,000 light-years away! Here’s a strange fact: black holes cannot actually be seen. That’s because they don’t deflect light. So how can we be certain they exist? Scientists discovered them by observing light and objects around them.
They noticed that black holes affected their surroundings like nearby dust, stars, and galaxies. Two different scientists from the 18th century named John Michell and Pierre-Simon Laplace first observed them. Then in 1967, a physicist named John Archibald Wheeler came up with the term “black hole”.
Black holes come in different sizes. Some are about the mass of one star. These are called “stellar” black holes. Others can grow and become huge. They may continue to absorb light, mass, and even stars around them. These are called “super-massive black holes.” They can be one million times more massive than our sun. Many scientists believe these super-massive black holes often exist right at the center of galaxies. In fact, we have one right in the middle of our very own Milky Way.
Questions:
a. Based on the information in the article, what is a black hole?
b. Who first discovered the existence of black holes?
c. Why are black holes dangerous?
d. Are all black holes the same size? Explain.
e. Why can’t black holes be seen?
Answers:
(a) A black hole is one of the most mysterious and powerful forces in the universe, an area in space where matter has collapsed in on itself.
(b) Two different scientists from the 18th century named John Michell and Pierre-Simon Laplace first discovered the existence of black holes.
(c) Black holes pull in anything that gets too close and stretch things to their breaking point and hence they are dangerous.
(d) No. Some black holes are the size of a single star. These are called stellar black holes. Others are the size of a million stars the size of our sun, or larger. These are called super- massive black holes.
(e) Black holes cannot actually be seen because they don’t deflect light. They can only be discovered by observing light and objects around them.