CBSE Class 12 English HOTs The Lost Spring Set 02

Think as you Read 

Question. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from? Or What does Saheb look for in the garbage dumps?
Answer: In the garbage dumps, Saheb looks for useful items which can be sold for cash. As these items can be traded for money, they are just like ‘gold’ for him. Saheb and his family live in Seemapuri, a slum on the periphery of Delhi. His family had migrated from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Question. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear? Or What explanation did the children offer the writer for not wearing footwear? Did she agree to it?
Answer: The author offers various explanations given to her by the children for not wearing shoes. These include simply not caring to take the trouble of taking their slippers down from the shelf to wear them, not wearing footwear is a tradition, and so on. However, she feels that it is simply an excuse to hide a perpetual state of poverty, as many families cannot afford to buy footwear for their children.

Question. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain. Or What job did Saheb take up? Was he happy?
Answer: Saheb took up the job of performing odd jobs at a tea stall. However, he was unhappy because he was tied down by the work he had to do. Thus, he had lost his independence which he earlier had as a ragpicker.

Think as you Read

Question. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
Answer: Firozabad is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry where families have spent generations working around furnaces to make bangles. Hence, Firozabad is famous for its bangles.

Question. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Answer: There are many hazards of working in the glass bangle industry. The most common of them is the loss of eye sight over a period of time. Bangles are manufactured in glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light. Consequently, the children, who spend their day in a closed room near to these hot furnaces often lose the brightness of their eyes. Other hazards are developing lung and brain related diseases.

Question. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family? Or “It is his karam, his destiny.” What is Mukesh’s family’s attitude towards their situation? Or ‘When I sense a flash of it in Mukesh. I am cheered.’ How is Mukesh’s attitude of life different from that of his family and friends? 
Answer: Mukesh’s attitude to his situation is different from that of his family because he is determined to become a car mechanic. His father, a bangle-maker, could not do anything for his family except teach them the art of making bangles. His grandmother accepted her husband’s going blind from polishing bangles as ‘his karam, his destiny’. She believes that they cannot break their ‘God-given lineage’. However, Mukesh does not want to pursue trade.

Understanding the Text 

Question. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
Answer: People migrate from villages to cities primarily in search of a better livelihood. Most of them leave behind their unproductive fields to find some or the other ways of earning money. Further, people believe that cities offer many opportunities to alleviate poverty while providing facilities that they wouldn’t get in the villages.

Question. Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept? Why do you think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text?
Answer: I fully agree that the promises made to the poor children are rarely kept. Promises are made both at the national and international levels to provide healthy lives, quality education, protection against abuse, exploitation and violence, etc. Yet, it is estimated that 246 million children are still engaged in child labour, most of them working in hazardous conditions. In the text, the author asks Saheb half-jokingly if he will enrol in a school that she starts. In reality, the author was not at all serious about starting the school but Saheb thought that she had promised to start one. She did not keep her promise because it was not seriously made.

Question. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty? Or Why does the author say that the bangle-makers are caught in a vicious web?
Answer: The forces that conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty are the people who are in power. These people include the sahukars, the bureaucrats and the policemen who do not allow the people to form cooperative to change their living. Such people use their power and get those who rebel against them arrested. Hence, no one dares to rebel and people continue to live in the perpetuating state of poverty.

Talking about the Text 

Question. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
Answer: Mukesh belongs to a family of bangle-makers, but his attitude to his situation is different from that of other family members. He dreams of becoming a motor -mechanic and learning to drive a car. His determination regarding his dreams seems to be very strong. With his determination, sincere efforts, hard work and the guidance of a garage owner, Mukesh can attain the skills of a mechanic and gradually that of car driving. In this way, he can surely realise his dream.

Question. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Answer: Child labour should be eliminated to bring back the ‘spring’ in the lives of poor children like Saheb and Mukesh. We can do this by inculcating the values to
(i) have a strong will to ensure that all children get basic education. This may be done by helping them join the ‘open school’ system if they are not able to attend a regular school,
(ii) have a sense of commitment of wanting to help these children. An example can be to find better employment for the adults in their families,
(iii) say ‘No’ to child labour in any work related to us.
(iv) feel the need to do something for such children, exemplifying the saying, ‘where there is a will, there is a way’,
(v) create awareness in society about the plight of the underprivileged so that people in power can help them.

Thinking about Language 

Question. Carefully read the following phrases and sentences taken from the text. Can you identify the literary device in each example?
(i) Saheb-e-Alam, which means the Lord of the Universe, is directly in contrast to what Saheb is in reality.
(ii) Drowned in an air of desolation.
(iii) Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi, yet miles away from it, metaphorically.
(iv) For the children it is wrapped in wonder; for the elders it is a means of survival.
(v) As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine, I wonder if she knows the sanctity of the bangles she helps make.
(vi) She still has bangles on her wrist, but not light in her eyes.
(vii) Few airplanes fly over Firozabad.
(viii) Web of poverty.
(ix) Scrounging for gold.
(x) And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has acquired the proportions of a fine art.
(xi) The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so lightly over his shoulders.
Answer:
(i) Irony
(ii) Hyperbole
(iii) Contrast
(iv) Contrast
(v) Simile
(vi) Contrast
(vii) Alliteration
(viii) Metaphor
(ix) Hyperbole
(x) Hyperbole
(xi) Hyperbole

Exam Pattern Questions

Extract Based Questions

Part 1 : Sometimes I Find a Rupee in the Garbage

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

“Why do you do this?” I ask Saheb whom I encounter every morning scrounging for gold in the garbage dumps of my neighbourhood. Saheb left his home long ago. Set amidst the green fields of Dhaka, his home is not even a distant memory. There were many storms that swept away their fields and homes, his mother tells him. That’s why they left, looking for gold in the big city where he now lives.
“I have nothing else to do,” he mutters, looking away.
“Go to school,” I say glibly, realising immediately how hollow the advice must sound.
“There is no school in my neighbourhood. When they build one, I will go.” 

Question. Explain one inference that can be drawn from the line “........ realising immediately how hollow the advice must sound”.
Answer: It can be inferred from the above line that the narrators advice was impractical and insensitive as Saheb’s circumstances would not allow him the luxury of going to school.

Question. Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank.
The expression ‘when they build one, I will go’ indicates Saheb’s _________ (longing/stubbornness) to go to school.
Answer: longing

Question. Complete the sentence with an appropriate word.
Saheb’s conversation with the narrator draws _________ of readers towards Saheb.
Answer: attention or sympathy

Question. State whether the following statement is True or False.
‘.......... his home is not even a distant memory’ states that Saheb sees his home often in his dream.
Answer: False. '...his home is not even a distant memory' states that Saheb remembers his as they had migrated recently.

Question. What does the expression ‘scrounging for gold’ refer to?
(a) Searching for gold items
(b) Looking for something that can fetch money
(c) Rummaging the garbage
(d) Digging to find food to eat
Answer: (b) Looking for something that can fetch money

Question. The influence of nature in Saheb’s life was that it
(a) brought prosperity
(b) yielded food for them
(c) gave them home
(d) brought disaster
Answer: (d) brought disaster

’It takes longer to build a school,’ I say, embarrassed at having made a promise that was not meant. But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world. After months of knowing him. I ask him his name, ‘Saheb-e-Alam’ he announces. He does not know what it means. If he knew its meaning-Lord of the Universe-he would have a hard time believing it. Unaware of what his name represents, he roams the streets with his friends, an army of barefoot boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear at noon. Over the months, I have come to recognise each of them. 

Question. What view does the author express on the fact that ‘Saheb-e-Alam’ means lord of the universe?
Answer: The author finds the situation to be ironical upon learning that Saheb’s name is ‘Saheb-e-Alam’ which means lord of the universe.

Question. Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank.
The literary device used in the expression ‘an army of barefoot boys who appear like morning birds’ is ___________ (Simile/Metaphor)
Answer: Simile

Question. Complete the sentence appropriately.
The word ___________ matches the meaning of ‘embarrassed’, in meaning with its usage in the extract.
Answer: uncomfortable

Question. Why do you think the author says that Saheb would have a hard time believing the meaning of his name?
Answer: The author says that Saheb would have a hard time in believing the meaning of his name because his name stands in stark contrast to his reality. His name means ‘the lord of the universe’ but his reality does not correspond with it.

Question. Select the option that explains the appropriate reason for the narrator’s embarrassment.
(a) She was not able to build the school in time.
(b) She does not know the name of the boys.
(c) She is guilty of giving a false hope to the boy.
(d) She is not aware of his bleak world.
Answer: (c) She is guilty of giving a false hope to the boy.

Question. What does the author mean by ‘his bleak world’?
(a) The world of children
(b) His aspirations for future
(c) Life with no hope for the future
(d) His dark world
Answer: (c) Life with no hope for the future

And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has acquired the proportions of a fine art. Garbage to them is gold. It is their daily bread, a roof over their heads, even if it is a leaking roof. But for a child it is even more “I sometimes find a rupee, even a ten-rupee note,” Saheb says, his eyes lighting up. When you can find a silver coin in a heap of garbage, you don’t stop scrounging, for there is hope of finding more. It seems that for children, garbage has a meaning different from what it means to their parents. For the children it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a means of survival. (Lost Spring : Stories of Stolen Childhood) 

Question. What does Saheb’s statement about finding money in the garbage reveal about his daily life and aspirations?
Answer: Saheb’s statement about finding money in the garbage highlights his sad economic situation and his dependence on chance finds for small joys and possibly essential income. This reflects the dire poverty and limited opportunities available to him.

Question. Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank.
Describing garbage as ‘gold’ metaphorically elevates its value to the children, helping the reader understand the ________ (dynamic/desperate) conditions under which these children live, where even garbage can represent crucial economic resources.
Answer: desperate

Question. Complete the following with a suitable reason.
Children continue to scrounge in the garbage because _________ .
Answer: finding valuable items like coins gives them hope of finding more

Question. How does the perception of garbage differ between children and adults in Seemapuri?
Answer: The perception of garbage differs between children and adults in Seemapuri. For children, garbage represents a source of wonder and potential treasure, whereas for adults, it is primarily a means of survival.

Question. What is implied by the description of rag-picking as having ‘acquired the proportions of a fine art’ in the excerpt?
(a) Rag-picking is an undesirable and simple task that anyone can do without effort.
(b) Rag-picking has evolved into a complex skill that is valued within the community.
(c) Rag-picking is a temporary activity that does not significantly impact the community.
(d) Rag-picking has the status of an artistic hobby that children pursue for enjoyment.
Answer: (b) Rag-picking has evolved into a complex skill that is valued within the community.

Question. What is the reason for Saheb’s eyes ‘lighting up’?
(a) The immediate experience of finding something valuable
(b) Discussing his findings with others
(c) Reminiscing about past findings in the garbage
(d) Planning future scavenging expeditions
Answer: (c) Reminiscing about past findings in the garbage

“Children grow up in them, becoming partners in survival. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. Through the years, it has acquired the proportions of a fine art. Garbage to them is gold. It is their daily bread, a roof over their heads, even if it is a leaking roof. But for a child it is even more.” 

Question. Why does the author say ‘survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking’?
Answer: The author says the given phrase because the people residing in Seemapuri rely on rag-picking to afford food, clothing and shelter.

Question. Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank.
The children and their parents have left ___________ (Dhaka/Nepal) for better livelihood.
Answer: Dhaka

Question. Complete the sentence appropriately.
Children become partners in survival suggests that _________ .
Answer: the kids are trying to survive in the same situation, they come to help one another, and face all the difficulties and hardships together.

Question. What does the phrase “for a child it is even more” reveal about the children’s dreams?
Answer: The phrase is an indication that the children’s dreams are not only to survive, which shows their lost childhood in the face of poverty.

Question. Rag-picking has acquired the proportion of a fine art means _________ .
(a) artistic bend of mind is required
(b) it has proportionately displaced art
(c) it has become a highly skilful activity
(d) it has discovered pieces of art
Answer: (c) it has become a highly skilful activity

Question. Which of the following headlines suggests the central idea of the extract?
(a) Seemapuri, A Pot of Gold
(b) Rag-picking - Different Perspectives
(c) Art in Delhi and in Seemapuri
(d) Saheb-e-Alam in Seemapuri
Answer: (b) Rag-picking - Different Perspectives

“I sometimes find a rupee, even a ten rupee note”, Saheb says, his eyes lighting up when you can find a silver coin in a heap of garbage, you don’t stop scrounging, for there is the hope of finding more. It seems that for children, garbage has a meaning different from what it means to their parents. For the children it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders, it is a means of survival.
One winter morning I see Saheb standing by the fenced gate of the neighbourhood club, watching two young men dressed in white, playing tennis. “I like the game”, he hums, content to watch it standing behind the fence. “I go inside when no one is around” he admits. “The gatekeeper lets me use the swing.” 

Question. Which emotion of Saheb is revealed in the phrase ‘his eyes lighting up’?
Answer: The given expression reveals saheb’s happiness.

Question. Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank.
‘Scrounging’ in the passage most nearly means ________ (digging/searching)
Answer: searching

Question. Complete the sentence suitably.
For the elders garbage is ________ and for children it is a _________ .
Answer: means of survival, treasure hunt

Question. “There is hope for finding more”. Explain with reference to the above extract.
Answer: The given lines indicates that children like Saheb and other ragpickers keep on searching the garbage dumps to look for something that could earn them money or livelihood.

Question. Saheb found a rupee
(a) on the street
(b) in the garbage dump
(c) in Firozabad
(d) on the tennis court
Answer: (b) in the garbage dump

Question. On the basis of the extract, choose the correct option with reference to I and II given below.
I. Saheb watches the game from outside.
II. Saheb had lost the previous match.
(a) I is true and II is not
(b) II is true but I is not
(c) Both I and II are true
(d) Both I and II are false
Answer: (a) I is true and II is not