Subject: Compulsory English (New Course) | Code: 0041’G’ | Year: 2080 B.S. (2023 A.D.) | Full Marks: 75 | Time: 3 Hours

Introduction

The NEB Grade XII Compulsory English 2080 B.S. (2023 A.D.) Set G paper, bearing subject code 0041’G’, is a special examination set designed exclusively for grade increment students whose registration number is 78. This is one of the supplementary sets NEB issues for students repeating or upgrading their grade — and it follows the same New Course structure and standard as the main examination sets.

What distinguishes this paper is its rich and varied question content. The reading passage deals with a globally pressing public health issue — childhood obesity in America — and covers sedentary lifestyles, type 2 diabetes, fast food advertising, and parental responsibility. This is a topic with immediate relevance for students worldwide, as screen time addiction and junk food culture are not uniquely American problems. The passage uses clear, factual language accessible to Grade XII students while introducing precise vocabulary like sedentary, obesity, effective, recommend, and additional.

On the literary side, this paper is particularly notable for spanning a wider-than-usual selection of texts. It draws from both the NEB Grade XII New Course Compulsory English textbook and an extended reading list: Neighbours, My Old Home (Lu Xun), A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings (García Márquez), Every Morning I Wake, Marriage as a Social Institution, Human Rights and the Age of Inequality, A Matter of Husbands, The Awakening Age, The Treasure in the Forest, and Facing Death (August Strindberg). This breadth is characteristic of grade increment papers, which sometimes draw from texts across both years of the +2 curriculum.

This article breaks down every question, provides full answers with explanations, discusses the literary texts, and offers preparation strategies that will benefit not just 2080 grade increment students but any NEB Grade XII English student preparing for their board examination.

Exam Overview

View Full Question Paper

Question Pattern Analysis

Key observation: The 2080 Set G paper is the only paper among the three sets covered on this site to include a press release as a writing task (Q6, 10 marks). This is the highest-weighted single writing task and also the most format-specific. Students who have not studied press release format face a serious disadvantage. Additionally, Task C in Q1 asks for answers in one sentence each, which is stricter than other sets — partial or multi-sentence answers risk losing marks.

Topics Covered

A. Reading Comprehension

• Passage Topic: Childhood obesity in America — sedentary lifestyles, fast food advertising, type 2 diabetes, parental role
• Skills tested: vocabulary-in-context (Task A), TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN (Task B), one-sentence comprehension and opinion (Task C)

B. Literature — Prose (Short Answer)

• Neighbours (short story)
• My Old Home — Lu Xun (OR: A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings — García Márquez)

C. Literature — Poetry / Essay (Short Answer)

• Every Morning I Wake (poem)
• Marriage as a Social Institution (OR: Human Rights and the Age of Inequality)

D. Literature — Drama (Short Answer)

• A Matter of Husbands

E. Literature — Long Answer

• The Awakening Age (poem — stanza explanation)
• The Treasure in the Forest (OR — mystery story analysis)
• Facing Death (drama — modern tragedy analysis)

F. Writing Tasks

• Short story from narrative clues (Himesh on the terrace)
• Formal email (CEO to CEOs, seminar invitation)
• Press release (DDC, price increase of dairy products)

G. Grammar

• Indirect speech
• Modal for deduction (must)
• Passive to active voice
• Subject-verb agreement (compound subject)
• Relative pronouns (where)
• Connectives (although/in spite of/despite/however)
• Prepositions (out of)
• Comparative adjectives (hard/harder)
• Error correction (tense)
• Quantifiers (none of)

H. Language Elements (MCQs)

• Vowel sounds (different sound identification)
• Parts of speech in context (noun)
• Vocabulary — word meaning (undergo)
• Dictionary guide words (medicine)
• Idiom / phrase meaning (brought to the book)

Chapter-wise Discussion and Weightage

1. Reading Comprehension — 15 Marks (20%)

The passage on childhood obesity is a well-structured informational text. The bold/highlighted words — sedentary, effective, obesity, scary, recommend, additional, temptation — form the vocabulary pool for Task A. Note that the paper says “two of those words are not necessary,” meaning only five of the seven highlighted words are needed.

Task A — Vocabulary in Context:

The Task A sentences are NOT from the passage; they use the highlighted words in entirely new contexts, testing genuine vocabulary knowledge:

• a. “The horror film was really scary.” (scary = frightening)
• b. “You may ask your doctor to recommend a suitable therapist.” (recommend = advise/suggest)
• c. “Their health problems are caused by their sedentary lifestyles.” (sedentary = physically inactive)
• d. “The car has additional features.” (additional = extra/added)
• e. “The new rules will become effective in the next few days.” (effective = operative/in force)

Unused words: obesity and temptation — both highlighted in the passage but not needed for Task A.

Task B — TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN:

• a. “Childhood obesity is gradually going up in America.” → TRUE — The text explicitly states childhood obesity has risen from 5% in 1964 to about 13% in 1994 and is now about 20% and rising.
• b. “According to the text, fast food is very good for health.” → FALSE — The text says fast food is high in fat and sugar and contributes to obesity; it is clearly presented as unhealthy.
• c. “Doctors do not advise people to take fast food.” → NOT GIVEN — The text mentions pediatricians recommend limiting screen time, and the passage advises against fast food in general, but no direct statement says “doctors do not advise people to take fast food.” The specific claim about doctors advising against fast food is not explicitly made.
• d. “Kids would lose their weight if they participated in sports.” → TRUE — The text states children who are “outside running, jumping, or participating in team sports would keep their weight down.”
• e. “It is not very easy to change eating habits.” → TRUE — The text directly states “Changing eating habits and lifestyles is not easy.”

Task C — One Sentence Answers:

• a. An inactive lifestyle example: Watching TV, using the computer, or playing video games for five to six hours a day is an example of an inactive/sedentary lifestyle.
• b. Another name for type 2 diabetes: Type 2 diabetes is also called adult onset diabetes.
• c. What type 2 diabetes can lead to: Type 2 diabetes can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, stroke, limb amputations, and blindness.
• d. How parents can help: Parents can help kids reduce their weight by setting limits on screen time and encouraging physical activity and healthy eating habits.
• e. Personal opinion on fast food: This is a personal response — a “no” answer is stronger: No, I would not advise people to take fast food regularly because it is high in fat and sugar and contributes to obesity and type 2 diabetes.

2. Literary Short Answers — 10 Marks (13.3%)

a) What made the young couple feel like sojourners in a foreign land? — Neighbours

When the young couple (the narrator and his wife, implied) move into their new house, they find their neighbours are from entirely different cultural and linguistic backgrounds — a Macedonian family and a Turkish family. The unfamiliar languages, customs, food smells, and social behaviours make the couple feel displaced, as if they have settled in a foreign country rather than their own neighbourhood. The cultural gulf between them and their neighbours is so wide that their familiar world feels distant.

b) Lu Xun’s feelings on arriving at his old home — My Old Home

Lu Xun arrives at his old home after twenty years with a mixture of nostalgia, sadness, and disillusionment. He had carried a beautiful, idealized image of his childhood home in his memory. But on arrival, he finds it cold, desolate, and stripped of its former warmth — the people have aged, the landscape has yellowed, and nothing matches his remembered picture. He feels a deep melancholy — the sadness of someone who realizes that the past cannot be recovered, only mourned.

OR — Describe the old man as Pelayo and his wife first encounter him — A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings

When Pelayo and his wife Elisenda first discover the old man in their courtyard, they find a pitiful, bewildering figure. He is extremely old, dressed in rags, and lying face-down in the mud unable to rise. His enormous wings are bedraggled, dirty, and half-plucked — more like those of a sick farmyard bird than a celestial being. He speaks an incomprehensible language that Pelayo cannot understand. Despite the wings, there is nothing majestic about him. He smells, he is infested with parasites, and he appears entirely helpless.

c) Opinion about God’s magnificence — Every Morning I Wake

The poet Dylan Thomas addresses God directly, acknowledging His power and magnificence over all of creation. Thomas portrays God as the ultimate, all-powerful presence — the maker of the world, master of the sea and sky, and sovereign over human destiny. Students may agree or disagree with the poet’s impression. A student who agrees might argue that the natural world — its complexity and beauty — does suggest an intelligent creator. A student who disagrees might argue that human suffering contradicts the image of an all-powerful, benevolent God.

d) Is marriage a social institution? — Marriage as a Social Institution

Yes, marriage is widely understood as a social institution because it is a formally recognized relationship governed by social norms, legal frameworks, cultural traditions, and religious practices. It is not merely a private arrangement between two individuals — society shapes who can marry, how marriage ceremonies are conducted, what rights marriage confers, and how marriages are dissolved. The essay argues that marriage has historically served functions of social organization, property transfer, and reproduction that go beyond personal companionship.

OR — Importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — Human Rights and the Age of Inequality

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the United Nations in 1948, is important because it establishes for the first time a universal, internationally recognized standard of rights belonging to all human beings regardless of nationality, race, gender, religion, or economic status. It provides a moral and legal framework against which governments can be held accountable. In an age of growing inequality, it remains a crucial document for advocating the dignity and protection of marginalized and vulnerable populations.

e) Character of the Famous Actress — A Matter of Husbands

The Famous Actress in Srinivas Rayaprol’s play is witty, confident, worldly, and strategically intelligent. She is accustomed to managing the gap between her professional persona and her private life. When confronted by the Earnest Young Woman about a love letter, she handles the situation with calm, clever reasoning rather than defensiveness or panic. She is experienced enough to understand that public life creates misunderstandings, and skilled enough to dissolve them gracefully. She represents the poise and psychological sophistication that comes with public exposure.

3. Literary Long Answers — 10 Marks (13.3%)

a) Explanation of stanza from The Awakening Age (Beni Madhab Barua):

When perceptions are changed there’s much to gain, A flowering of truth instead of pain, There’s more to a people than their poverty, There’s their work, wisdom and creativity.

Context: Beni Madhab Barua’s poem The Awakening Age is a poem of hope for postcolonial Asian societies, urging people to see beyond their present suffering and embrace a new era of self-determination and dignity.

Explanation: The first line argues that changing how we see the world is itself transformative — a shift in perception opens doors to growth and progress. The second line suggests that when false, painful narratives are replaced by honest understanding, something beautiful (“a flowering of truth”) can emerge in place of suffering. The third and fourth lines are the emotional core of the stanza: the poet insists that a people’s identity is not defined by their poverty. Colonialism and underdevelopment had reduced many Asian nations to the label of “poor countries,” but Barua challenges this reductive view. People are not merely their economic condition — they carry centuries of accumulated work, wisdom, and creative achievement. The stanza is a call to dignity: see us fully, not only through the lens of what we lack.

OR — The Treasure in the Forest as a mystery story:

H.G. Wells’s The Treasure in the Forest is structured around the classic elements of mystery: hidden knowledge, an ominous atmosphere, and a deadly secret. Two men — Hooker and Evans — follow a hand-drawn map to a remote island in search of buried treasure. The story builds suspense through their anxious conversations, the eerie jungle landscape, and the discovery of a dead Chinese man near the treasure site. The mystery deepens as they find gold bars buried beneath carved wooden gods. The resolution is chilling — the treasure is booby-trapped with poisoned spines hidden in the soil; Evans dies and Hooker is left alone to face the same fate. The mystery of how and why only fully resolves in the final moments. Wells uses the genre conventions of buried treasure and a cryptic map to deliver not adventure but a moral warning: greed leads to self-destruction.

b) Is Facing Death a modern tragedy? — August Strindberg

Yes, Facing Death by August Strindberg can be considered a modern tragedy, though it departs significantly from classical tragic conventions. In classical tragedy (Aristotle’s model), the tragic hero is a noble figure who falls due to a fatal flaw (hamartia), and his fall inspires awe and catharsis. In Facing Death, the central character — Monsieur Durand — is an ordinary, impoverished man, not a king or nobleman. His tragedy is rooted in economic desperation, the ingratitude of his daughters, and the crushing weight of an unjust social order.

This is precisely what makes it modern: the tragedy belongs not to the powerful but to the powerless. Strindberg strips away the grandeur of classical tragedy and replaces it with domestic misery and quiet heroism. Durand’s self-sacrifice — he burns down his own house to leave his daughters the insurance money — is tragic precisely because it goes unrecognized and unrewarded in any conventional sense. The play explores themes of family betrayal, poverty, and the invisibility of paternal sacrifice — deeply modern concerns. The ending offers no catharsis in the classical sense but instead a quiet, devastating finality. For these reasons, Facing Death is best understood as a modern tragedy of ordinary life.

4. Short Story from Clues — 7 Marks (9.3%)

The clues describe Himesh on a terrace watching the sunset, a shout from the street, running downstairs, and finding a man lying in a pool of blood. This is a suspense/mystery story opening. Students must develop this into a complete story of ~150 words with a title and a coherent narrative arc.

Key elements for a strong story:

• Title (e.g., The Last Rays, A Stranger on the Street, Blood on the Pavement)
• Open with the scene-setting detail (terrace, sunset — atmosphere)
• The shout creates tension; running downstairs builds pace
• Who is the man? A robbery victim? An accident? A neighbour?
• Resolution — does Himesh call for help? Does the man survive?
• A closing line that provides emotional or moral weight

Common mistakes: Students often write only the clues without developing them into narrative prose. The clues are starting points, not the story itself. Every clue must be expanded with setting, dialogue, internal reaction, and consequence.

5. Formal Email — 8 Marks (10.7%)

Scenario: You are the CEO of Rastriya Banijya Bank, writing to CEOs of private banks about a seminar on 23 May 2023.

Format:

• To: [CEOs of Private Banks]
• From: [Your name], CEO, Rastriya Banijya Bank
• Subject: Invitation to Banking Seminar — 23 May 2023
• Salutation: Dear Esteemed CEOs,
• Body: Purpose of the seminar, date/time/venue, agenda highlights, RSVP request
• Closing: Yours sincerely, [Name], CEO, Rastriya Banijya Bank

Tone: Professional, formal, cordial. This is a B2B (business-to-business) communication — not a personal email. Students who write too casually (using contractions, informal phrases) lose marks.

Content to include: Introduce the seminar topic (banking sector cooperation, digital banking, regulatory updates, or similar), state the date (23 May 2023), venue (Rastriya Banijya Bank head office or a named location), request confirmation of attendance, and offer to share agenda/logistics.

6. Press Release — 10 Marks (13.3%)

Scenario: You are the General Manager of Dairy Development Corporation (DDC). Write a press release explaining the reason for increasing dairy product prices.

A press release is an official written communication issued by an organization to the media and public. It has a specific format:

Press Release Format:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[HEADLINE IN CAPITALS]

[City, Date] — [Opening paragraph: most important information — who, what, when, where, why]

[Body paragraphs: supporting details, background, data]

[Quote from a company official — in this case, the General Manager]

[Closing paragraph: company background / boilerplate]

For further information, contact:
[Name, Title, Phone, Email]

###  [indicates end of press release]

Content for DDC press release:

• Headline: DDC ANNOUNCES PRICE REVISION FOR DAIRY PRODUCTS
• Reasons for price increase: rising cost of cattle feed, increased transportation costs, higher veterinary expenses, general inflation, government fuel price adjustments
• Reassurance: Quality will be maintained; price revision is reluctant but necessary
• Quote from General Manager expressing regret at the increase and commitment to quality
• Boilerplate: DDC’s role as Nepal’s primary dairy processor and supplier

This is the most marks-dense writing task and the one most students are least prepared for. Studying press release format before the exam can guarantee 7–9 marks here.

7. Grammar — 10 Marks (13.3%)

Complete answers with explanations:

• (a) “Students said to the principal, ‘Can you manage extra classes through virtual process?'” → Indirect speech: The students asked the principal if/whether he could manage extra classes through virtual process.
• (b) “Look! The man is laughing out loudly jumping on the floor. He must be mad.” → must is correct — it expresses logical deduction/certainty based on observable evidence.
• (c) “All the books were published in time.” → Active voice: The publisher/They published all the books in time. (Since no agent is named in the passive, “they” or a logical agent is used.)
• (d) “He and I have been well until now.” → have is correct — “He and I” is a compound subject (plural); “until now” suggests present perfect, so “have” is the right auxiliary.
• (e) “The garden is beautiful. We spend a lot of time in the garden everyday.” → Joined: The garden, where we spend a lot of time every day, is beautiful. (relative pronoun: where — refers to a place)
• (f) “We go on outing every year. We always have financial problems.” → Despite going on an outing every year, we always have financial problems. OR: We go on outing every year; however, we always have financial problems. (Despite/In spite of + noun/gerund; however between two independent clauses)
• (g) “The culprit came out of office, walked across the road and got on a bus.” → out of is correct (came out of the office = exited the office)
• (h) “I can’t work as hard as I used to five years ago.” → hard is correct — this is an “as…as” equality comparison, which requires the base adjective, not the comparative.
• (i) “After the lesson had finished, we run out of college.” → Error: “run” should be past tense. Corrected: After the lesson had finished, we ran out of college.
• (j) “We all get wet in the rain because none of us had raincoat.” → none of is correct — “none of us” = not one of us (refers to a specific group already identified as “us”).

8. MCQ Language Elements — 5 Marks (6.7%)

• (a) Different vowel sound:
  • shoot → /uː/
  • to → /uː/
  • should → /ʊ/ ← the ODD ONE OUT
  • food → /uː/ → Answer: (iii) should — “should” has the short /ʊ/ sound (as in “foot”), while shoot, to, and food all have the long /uː/ sound.
• (b) “Now, you can have a go without any delay.” → “have a go” = try/attempt; here “go” is used as a thing you can have → Answer: (i) noun
• (c) “undergo extreme poverty” → undergo = to experience something (usually difficult) → Answer: (iv) to experience
• (d) Guide words for headword ‘medicine’: Alphabetically: medicaid → median → mediate → medicinal → medicine → mediocre → medium → megaphone → meeting “medicine” falls between “median/medicinal” (it comes after medicinal alphabetically: medicinal → medicine) — actually medicine comes after medicinal. And before mediocre. So: (ii) median/medicinal would need medicine to come between them — median (medi-a-n) → medicinal (medi-c-i-n-a-l) → medicine (medi-c-i-n-e). Yes, medicine falls after medicinal alphabetically (medicinal ends in …al, medicine ends in …e — ‘e’ comes after ‘al’ when comparing letter by letter at the point of difference). However the most natural pair that brackets ‘medicine’ is (iv) medicaid/meeting since medicaid (medica-) comes before medicine (medici-) and meeting (meet-) comes after medicine (medici-). Answer: (iv) medicaid/meeting
• (e) “brought to the book” by the high court = held accountable/punished by a legal authority → Answer: (iii) penalized

Difficulty Analysis

Student Preparation Tips

1. The Press Release Is Where Most Marks Are Lost

Q6 carries 10 marks — the same as the opinion essay in 2081 — but is far less familiar to students. A press release has a fixed format: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE at the top, a headline in capitals, a dateline, inverted pyramid structure, a direct quote from an official, and “###” at the end. Practise writing at least two or three press releases on different topics (product recall, price revision, new service launch) before your examination.

2. Know the Difference Between Formal Email and Press Release

Both Q5 and Q6 in this paper are formal institutional writing, but they serve entirely different purposes. An email is direct communication between specific parties; a press release is a public statement issued to the media on behalf of an organization. The voice, structure, and vocabulary differ significantly.

3. Expand the Story Clues — Don’t Just Repeat Them

The Himesh story (Q4) gives a suspenseful opening. Students who write only what the clues say will score 3–4 out of 7. Those who develop atmosphere, character psychology, dialogue, and a satisfying resolution will score 6–7. Spend 3 minutes planning the arc before writing.

4. Literary Coverage Is Unusually Wide in This Paper

The 2080 Set G paper covers texts from across the Grade XII New Course syllabus including less commonly tested works: The Treasure in the Forest (H.G. Wells), Facing Death (August Strindberg), Human Rights and the Age of Inequality, and Every Morning I Wake. For grade increment students retaking the exam, this is a reminder that NEB can pull from any text in the syllabus.

5. Grammar: The Compound Subject Rule

Q7(d) tests “He and I have/has/is/are been well.” Many students write “has” treating “He” as the closest noun to the verb. But “He and I” is a compound subject = plural → have. Always check whether a compound subject (X and Y) is being used.

6. MCQ: Vowel Sounds Require Practice

Q8(a) tests the vowel sound in “should” (/ʊ/ as in “foot”) versus the /uː/ sound in “shoot/to/food.” These subtle distinctions require ear training, not just reading. Listen to native English pronunciation of common words and group them by vowel sound as part of your phonetics preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Who sat for NEB Grade XII English 2080 Set G? This set was exclusively for grade increment students whose registration number begins with 78. It was conducted in 2080 B.S. (2023 A.D.) under the New Course curriculum.

Q2. What was the reading passage about in 2080 Set G? The passage was about childhood obesity in America, discussing how sedentary lifestyles, fast food advertising, and lack of exercise have caused a rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes among American children.

Q3. What are the Task A vocabulary answers for the 2080 Set G paper? a. scary | b. recommend | c. sedentary | d. additional | e. effective. Unused words: obesity, temptation.

Q4. What are the Task B TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN answers? a. TRUE | b. FALSE | c. NOT GIVEN | d. TRUE | e. TRUE

Q5. What is unusual about Q6 in the 2080 Set G paper? Q6 asks students to write a press release as the General Manager of DDC explaining a dairy price increase. This is an unusual format for NEB English papers — most sets ask for an essay, memoir, or letter. The press release carries 10 marks and has a specific format that must be followed.

Q6. What is the grammar answer for Q7(b) — must/can/will/would? The answer is must. “Look! The man is laughing out loudly jumping on the floor” — the observable evidence (abnormal laughing and jumping) leads to a logical deduction. “Must” expresses certainty based on evidence. “Can” = ability; “will” = future; “would” = conditional — none fit this deductive context.

Q7. What is the answer to Q7(i) — error correction? The error is “run” — it should be “ran” (past tense). Corrected: “After the lesson had finished, we ran out of college.”

Q8. What is the answer to Q8(a) about vowel sounds? The answer is (iii) should. Shoot, to, and food all have the long /uː/ vowel sound. “Should” has the short /ʊ/ sound (as in “foot” or “put”), making it the odd one out.

Q9. What does “brought to the book” mean in Q8(e)? “Brought to the book” is an idiom meaning to be punished or held accountable — usually by a court or authority. The answer is (iii) penalized.

Q10. What literary texts from the 2080 Set G paper are most likely to appear in future NEB exams? My Old Home, A Matter of Husbands, Every Morning I Wake, The Awakening Age, and Neighbours are high-frequency texts across multiple NEB sets and years. Facing Death and The Treasure in the Forest appear less frequently but should not be ignored.

Important Questions for Future NEB English Exams

Reading Comprehension

• Health and social issue passages (obesity, mental health, pollution, climate change)
• Vocabulary-in-context using highlighted words in new sentences — always read passages for bold/highlighted terms
• TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN — master “NOT GIVEN” (text is silent, not just vague)
• One-sentence comprehension answers — practice being concise

Literature — Short Answer (High Probability)

• Character sketches (Neighbours, My Old Home, A Matter of Husbands)
• Opinion questions on poems (Every Morning I Wake, I Was My Own Route)
• Social institution analysis (Marriage as a Social Institution, Human Rights and the Age of Inequality)
• García Márquez’s old man — physical description and symbolic meaning

Literature — Long Answer (High Probability)

• Stanza explanation from The Awakening Age
• Facing Death as modern tragedy — definition and application
• Magical realism in An Old Man with Enormous Wings
• Mystery elements in The Treasure in the Forest

Grammar (Perennial NEB Topics)

• Indirect speech (especially requests and questions)
• Modal deduction: must = certainty; may/might = possibility; can’t = impossibility
• Passive ↔ Active transformation
• Relative clauses (who, which, where, whom)
• Connectives (despite + noun/gerund; however between clauses; although + clause)
• Error correction (tense consistency)
• Quantifiers (none of, some of, any — know when each is used)

Writing (All Formats Required)

• Press release (DDC, government body, hospital, school — any institutional announcement)
• Formal email (CEO, principal, government official — professional register)
• Short story from clues (title + narrative development required)
• Letter to editor / opinion essay (social topics)

Complete Question Paper

NEB — Grade XII | 2080 (2023)

Compulsory English — New Course | Sub. Code: 0041’G’ (For grade increment students whose registration number is 78 only)

Candidates are required to give their answers in their own words as far as practicable. The figures in the margin indicate full marks.

Time: 3 hrs. | Full Marks: 75 Attempt all questions

Group ‘A’

Question 1. Read the following text and complete the tasks that follow. [15]

It’s not cool to be fat, but that hasn’t stopped an obesity epidemic from occurring among young Americans. Childhood obesity increased from 5% in 1964 to about 13% in 1994. Today it is about 20%, and rising. Children, on average, spend five to six hours a day involved in sedentary activities like watching TV, using the computer, and playing video games, which is partly to blame for this rising rate. Maybe it would not matter if they were active enough at other times, but most of them are not.

To make matters worse, children are bombarded with television advertisements for fast food chains and other providers of high-fat, high-sugar meals and snacks. These highly effective advertising campaigns, combined with a physically inactive lifestyle, have produced a generation of children who are at high risk for medical conditions associated with obesity.

The main health threat is the early development of type 2 diabetes (adult onset), particularly in children with a family history of the disease. Doctors report an increase in the number of young adolescents developing type 2 diabetes, which can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, stroke, limb amputations, and blindness. People who develop diabetes in adolescence face a decreased quality of life and a shorter life expectancy, particularly if the disease progresses without treatment. It is a scary prospect for our children, but in many cases, obesity and diabetes are preventable.

When kids spend most of their free time sitting in front of TVs and computers, they are not outside running, jumping, or participating in team sports that would keep their weight down. Parents should set limits on the time their children spend in passive activities. Pediatricians recommend restricting children to one or two hours a day in front of the TV and computer combined, although older children may need additional time for learning activities.

Parent involvement remains the most important key to healthy diets for our children. Programs to educate parents about nutrition are essential. Fast foods should be eaten only in moderation. Caregivers, who are often busy and in a hurry, must avoid the temptation to take their children to fast food restaurants or buy fast food for dinner at home. Changing eating habits and lifestyles is not easy, but the benefit to our children’s health is a wonderful reward for parents willing to take on the task.

A. Complete the following sentences using the words highlighted in the text. Two of those words are not necessary. [5×1=5]

a. The horror film was really ………………….. b. You may ask your doctor to …………………. a suitable therapist. c. Their health problems are caused by their ………………. lifestyles. d. The car has ………………. features. e. The new rules will become ………….. in the next few days.

B. Read the text again and write: [5×1=5]

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information given in the text. FALSE if the statement contradicts the information given in the text. NOT GIVEN if there is no information in the text.

a. Childhood obesity is gradually going up in America. b. According to the text, fast food is very good for health. c. Doctors do not advise people to take fast food. d. Kids would lose their weight if they participated in sports. e. It is not very easy to change eating habits.

C. Read the text again and answer the following questions in ONE SENTENCE each. [5×1=5]

a. Give an example of an inactive lifestyle. b. What is another name for type 2 diabetes? c. What can type 2 diabetes lead to? d. How do you think parents can help kids reduce their weight? e. Would you advise people to take fast food? Why, why not? Give a reason.

Question 2. Write short answers to the following questions in about 75 words each. [5×2=10]

a) What made the young couple feel like sojourners in a foreign land when they first moved in their new house? (Neighbours)

b) How does Lu Xun describe his feeling at the arrival of his old home? (My Old Home) OR Describe the old man as Pelayo and his wife first encounter within their courtyard. (A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings)

c) Do you agree or disagree with the poet’s impression about the magnificence of the God? Write your opinion about the existence of God. (Every Morning I Wake)

d) Do you think marriage is a social institution? Why, why not? Explain briefly. (Marriage as a Social Institution) OR In what way is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights important? Give reasons. (Human Rights and the Age of Inequality)

e) Sketch the character of Famous Actress. (A Matter of Husbands)

Question 3. Write long answers to the following questions in about 150 words each. [2×5=10]

a) Explain the following lines from the poem ‘The Awakening Age’ with reference to the context.

When perceptions are changed there’s much to gain, A flowering of truth instead of pain, There’s more to a people than their poverty, There’s their work, wisdom and creativity.

OR Interpret the story ‘The Treasure in the Forest’ as a mystery story.

b) Do you think ‘Facing Death’ is a modern tragedy? Why, why not? Give reasons to support your answer.

Question 4. Write a short story in approximately 150 words using the following clues. Provide the story with a suitable title. [7]

Himesh was on the terrace …….. watching the last rays of the Sun. Suddenly, he heard a shout coming from the street ……… He ran down the stairs to see what had happened. Out of his horror he saw a man lying on the street. The floor was full of blood ………..

Question 5. [8]

Imagining yourself as a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rastriya Banijya Bank, write an email in approximately 180 words to the CEOs of private Banks about the seminar you are organising in your esteemed office on 23 May, 2023.

Question 6. [10]

Suppose you are the General Manager of Dairy Development Corporation (DDC). Write a press Release explaining with the clear reason for increasing the price of dairy products.

Question 7. Do as instructed within the brackets and rewrite the sentences. [10×1=10]

a) Students said to the principal, “Can you manage extra classes through virtual process?” (Change it into indirect speech.)

b) Look! The man is laughing out loudly jumping on the floor. He ….. (can/must/will/would) be mad. (Choose the correct option to fill in the blanks.)

c) All the books were published in time. (Rewrite the sentence in active voice.)

d) He and I ……….. (is/are/has/have) well until now. (Choose appropriate verb and rewrite it filling in the blanks.)

e) The garden is beautiful. We spend a lot of time in the garden everyday. (Join the sentences using one of the relative pronouns — who/whom/where/which.)

f) We go on outing every year. We always have financial problems. (Use although/in spite/despite/however — whichever is appropriate to join them.)

g) The culprit came ……. office, walked across the road and got on a bus. (Use appropriate preposition — out of/toward/along/into to fill in the blank.)

h) I can’t work as ……… as I used to five years ago. (Rewrite it using hard/harder/hardest/more hard, whichever is appropriate.)

i) After the lesson had finished, we run out of college. (Rewrite the sentence correcting the mistakes.)

j) We all get wet in the rain because ……….. us had raincoat. (Fill in the blanks using any/some of/none of/none whichever is correct.)

Question 8. Choose and copy the correct alternatives. [5×1=5]

a) Which of the following words has a different vowel sound from the rest? (i) shoot (ii) to (iii) should (iv) food

b) Now, you can have a go without any delay. In this sentence the word ‘go’ is a … (i) noun (ii) verb (iii) adjective (iv) adverb

c) The children who undergo extreme poverty generally stand firm even in hardships. The word ‘undergo’ in this sentence has a meaning similar to ….. (i) to go under (ii) to escape (iii) to deviate (iv) to experience

d) Which of the following can be the guide words for the word ‘medicine’? (i) mediocre/medium (ii) median/medicinal (iii) mediate/megaphone (iv) medicaid/meeting

e) The burglar was finally brought to the book by the high court. In this sentence, the phrase ‘brought to the book’ means … (i) defended (ii) released (iii) penalized (iv) forgave

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Quick Answer Key

Task 1A

a. scary | b. recommend | c. sedentary | d. additional | e. effective (Unused: obesity, temptation)

Task 1B

a. TRUE | b. FALSE | c. NOT GIVEN | d. TRUE | e. TRUE

Grammar (Q7)

a. The students asked the principal if/whether he could manage extra classes through virtual process. | b. must | c. They/The publisher published all the books in time. | d. have | e. The garden, where we spend a lot of time every day, is beautiful. | f. Despite going on an outing every year, we always have financial problems. / We go on outing every year; however, we always have financial problems. | g. out of | h. hard | i. After the lesson had finished, we ran out of college. | j. none of

MCQ (Q8)

a. (iii) should | b. (i) noun | c. (iv) to experience | d. (iv) medicaid/meeting | e. (iii) penalized

Conclusion

The NEB Grade XII Compulsory English 2080 Set G paper stands out among recent NEB papers for two distinctive features: its reading passage on the very contemporary issue of childhood obesity, and its writing section that demands knowledge of the press release format — arguably the most professionally oriented writing task NEB has set in recent years.

For grade increment students, this paper presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is the breadth of literary texts covered and the inclusion of less-familiar writing formats. The opportunity is that the grammar section and MCQs reward students who have done systematic, pattern-based preparation — the same grammar points (modal verbs, indirect speech, relative pronouns, connectives) appear year after year.

The most important lesson from this paper: NEB English is not a subject where memorizing answers to last year’s questions is sufficient. The reading passage, the writing topic, and the specific grammar constructions all change. What remains constant is the skill set required — reading carefully, writing purposefully, and applying grammar rules accurately. Build those skills, and every NEB English paper becomes manageable.

Article prepared for educational purposes by NN Education (nneducation.com). All question paper content belongs to the National Examinations Board (NEB), Nepal.