BSEB Class 12 English Summary

This essay is written by Mahatma Gandhi. He says that Indian civilisation is very old. It has lived for thousands of years. Many other civilisations came and went. But India stayed strong. Why? Because Indian people believe in simple living and high thinking.

Western civilisation is different. It runs after money and machines. It wants more and more things. Gandhi ji says this is dangerous. It makes people greedy. It makes them unhappy.

Indian culture teaches people to control their wishes. It teaches non-violence and truth. Indian farmers live simple lives. They are happy with what they have. This is the real strength of India.

Gandhi ji says we should not copy the West. We should keep our own values. Our civilisation is not weak. It is the best in the world. We must protect it. The essay ends with a hope. India will always stay true to its roots. Simple life is the best life.

This is a speech by Dr. Zakir Hussain. He gave it after becoming the President of India in 1967. He says that Bharat is his home. All the people of India are his family. He loves them all.

He says India is a young country. But it has a very old culture. This culture has been built over thousands of years. It teaches peace, love, and service.

He promises to work for the good of all people. He wants to make India strong and proud. He says that the strength of India is its unity in diversity. People of many religions and languages live together in peace.

He asks every Indian to work hard for the country. He says we should not fight in the name of religion or language. We should all live together as brothers and sisters. The speech ends with a hope. India will always be a land of peace and progress.

The story starts with the narrator’s mother telling him that his uncle Nanukaka is coming to Delhi. Nanukaka wants to meet a Minister. He wants the Minister’s help for some work.

Nanukaka is a clever and funny man. He talks a lot. He tries to show that he is a big man. He wears a big turban and speaks in a loud voice.

The narrator takes Nanukaka to meet Lala Sohanlal. Lala is a rich man. Nanukaka wants to borrow a car from him. He tells many stories to impress Lala. Lala gives him the car.

Then Nanukaka goes to meet the Minister. But the Minister is not free. Nanukaka waits and waits. Finally, he meets the Minister. But the Minister does not help him.

Nanukaka comes back. He is not sad. He says he will try again. The story shows how common people run after ministers and big officers. It is a funny but sad picture of Indian society.

This is a famous speech by Martin Luther King Jr. He gave it in 1963. He talks about equal rights for Black people in America.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a Black leader in America. In 1963, he gave a famous speech in Washington DC. Thousands of people came to listen to him.

He said that Black people were treated badly in America. They were not given good jobs. Their children went to poor schools. They were not allowed to vote. This was very unfair.

He said that all people are equal. God made everyone the same. Skin colour does not make one person better than another. He had a dream. He dreamed that one day Black and White children would play together. They would go to the same schools. They would sit together in the same restaurants. They would be brothers and sisters.

He told people to fight with love, not with hate. He said we should not use violence. We should use peaceful methods. The speech ends with the famous words: “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

Bertrand Russell was a great thinker. In this essay, he talks about the ideas that helped humans become better.

He says that early humans lived in forests. They did not know how to grow food. They did not know how to make fire. Life was very hard. Then some good ideas came. People learned to grow crops. They learned to make tools. They learned to tame animals. These ideas helped humans live better.

Russell says that language was a very big idea. With language, people could talk to each other. They could share knowledge. They could teach their children.

He also says that the idea of kindness is very important. When people help each other, society becomes better. When people are cruel, society becomes bad. He says that science and technology have helped humans a lot. But we must use them for good purposes. We should not use them to hurt others.

The essay ends with a hope. Humans will use their ideas for peace and happiness.

Seibei is a young boy in Japan. He lives with his parents. He goes to school.

Seibei has a special hobby. He loves to collect gourds. A gourd is a kind of fruit. People use it to make bottles and bowls. Seibei buys gourds from old men. He cleans them. He makes them beautiful. He loves his gourds more than anything.

One day, Seibei finds a very special gourd. It is old and has a nice shape. He cleans it and makes it look very beautiful. But Seibei’s teacher does not like his hobby. The teacher thinks Seibei is wasting his time. The teacher tells Seibei’s father.

The father gets angry. He breaks all of Seibei’s gourds. He tells Seibei to study hard and forget about gourds. Seibei is very sad. But he cannot forget his love for gourds. He keeps collecting them secretly.

Later, a rich man sees one of Seibei’s gourds. He is very impressed. He buys it for a lot of money. He says Seibei is a great artist. The story shows how adults often do not understand children’s talents. They force children to follow the old ways.

Germaine Greer is a famous writer. In this essay, she talks about how a child is born.

She says that in traditional societies, childbirth is a family event. Many women help the mother. The grandmother, aunts, and neighbours all come together. They give support and love.

But in modern societies, childbirth happens in hospitals. Doctors and nurses help the mother. The family is not always there. The mother is alone.

The author says that traditional ways are better in some ways. The mother gets love and support from her family. She is not alone. She also says that having a child is a very important event. It is not just a medical process. It is a social and emotional event.

The essay ends by saying that we should respect both traditional and modern ways. But we should not forget the human side of childbirth.

Dorothy L. Sayers was a famous writer. In this essay, she talks about the freedom of newspapers and media.

She says that a free press is very important. Without a free press, people cannot know the truth. A free press is the base of a good democracy.

But she also says that freedom comes with responsibility. Newspapers should not print lies. They should not hurt people without reason. They should check their facts before printing.

She says that sometimes the press misuses its freedom. It prints false news. It spoils people’s reputation. This is very bad.

The author says that the government should not control the press. But the press should control itself. It should follow good values. The essay ends by saying that a free and responsible press is very important for a good society.

Johnson and his wife are old farmers. They live on a small farm. They have a son named Benjy.

Benjy is not very smart. But he is strong and works hard on the farm. Johnson and his wife love their land. They have worked on it for many years. It is their whole life.

One day, Benjy tells his parents that he wants to take over the farm. He says he will take care of them. But he lies. After some time, Benjy changes. He becomes selfish. He tells his parents to leave the farm. He says he does not need them anymore.

The old parents are very sad. They have no place to go. They leave their home and their land. The story shows how children can be ungrateful. Parents give everything to their children. But children sometimes forget their duty.

In the end, the parents are alone and sad. The land that they loved so much is now in the hands of their selfish son.

Pearl S. Buck was born in America. But she lived in China for many years. She knew India from books and stories. But she had never seen India with her own eyes.

When she finally came to India, she was amazed. She saw the beauty of the country. She saw the kindness of the people. She traveled to many villages. She met poor farmers. She saw how hard they work. But they were still happy and peaceful.

She says that India is a land of many religions. People of different faiths live together. They respect each other. She also talks about Mahatma Gandhi. She says Gandhi was a great leader. He loved the poor people. He worked for their good.

She says that India has many problems. There is poverty and hunger. But the people are strong. They have hope. The essay ends with her love for India. She says India is a special country. Its people are its real beauty.

Lomov is a rich farmer. He comes to the house of his neighbour Choobookov. He wants to propose marriage to Choobookov’s daughter, Natalia.

Lomov is very nervous. He talks about many things. He cannot come to the point. Natalia comes in. They start talking. But soon they start fighting. They fight about a piece of land called Oxen Meadows. Both say the land is theirs.

They shout at each other. Lomov gets very angry. His heart starts beating fast. He feels sick and falls down. Choobookov and Natalia get scared. They think Lomov is dead. But he is not dead. He is just very angry and nervous.

After some time, Lomov feels better. They start talking again. But again they start fighting. This time they fight about two dogs. Finally, Choobookov gets tired. He joins their hands and says they are married.

Lomov and Natalia stop fighting. They become quiet. The play is a comedy. It shows how people fight over small things. It also shows that marriage is not always about love. It is also about property and money.