Creating an Authority site with the default Twenty Twelve Theme

I know an Authority site is mostly to do with content and lots of it, so I am using the term loosely here.

Here's how I visualize my site:

-It should have 3-4 categories (probably in the horizontal bar near the header) with all the articles labeled under these categories.

-Some of the articles will have content, some will be information in the form of slideshows or multimedia.

-A small opt-in form in a few places (sidebar, footer etc.) in most pages.

-A few widgets like quizzes, online polls, calculators etc.

-Monetization by affiliate and CPA offers.

-The site should make it easy for visitors to spread the word using social media.

Is it something I can achieve with the Twenty Twelve theme?

I do have a subscription for Elegant Themes (WordPress Themes Loved By Over 160k Customers) which is up for renewal, so if the default Wordpress theme can do all the above, I'd much rather go with it.

On the flip side, I don't know how to code so using the default theme may be a bit challenging for me if it requires some customization and coding to achieve the above specs.

Thanks!