CBSE Class 12 English Lost Spring Worksheet Set G

Extract Based Questions:

1."Why do you do this?" I ask Saheb whom I encounter every morning scrounging for gold in the garbage dumps of my neighborhood. 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, realizing immediately how hollow the advice must sound.―There is no school in my neighborhood. When they build one, I will go. "If I start a school, will you come?" I ask, half-joking.

Question. Where has Saheb‘s family come from and why?
Answer: Saheb‘s family came from Dhaka many years ago as they lost their homes and fields in a storm.
They were forced to migrate due to famine followed by the calamity.

Question. What is the author‘s advice to Saheb?
Answer: She advises Saheb to go to school.

Question. Did the author mean what she said? Identify the word that suggests her casual attitude?
Answer: No, she was casual when she advised Saheb to go to school. The word glibly suggests the author‘s casual attitude.

Question. Why is the author calling garbage as 'gold' in the story?
Answer: Garbage is called gold because of its encashment value.

Question. Who is 'I‘ in the above lines?
Answer: Anees Jung, the author is I in the above lines.

Question. What does she find Saheb doing?
Answer: Saheb is found scrounging for gold in the garbage dumps.

2."If I start a school, will you come?" I ask, half-joking.―Yes," he says, smiling broadly. A few days later I see him running up to me. "Is your school ready? "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 recognize each of them.

Question. Explain the statement ―an army of barefoot boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear at noon.
Answer: The author uses the simile 'like birds‘ to describe the manner in which these rag pickers converge on and desert the garbage dumps like the scavenger birds haunting these dumps. Just like the birds, the boys are free spirited and enjoy and revel in their freedom.

Question. Which literary device is there in Saheb‘s name?
Answer: Irony

Question. Why do the children roam the streets?
Answer: The children in Seemapuri are partners in survival. They are engaged in rag picking and so roam the streets to scrounge in the garbage.

Question. "an army of barefoot boys who appear like the morning birds and disappear at noon.
Answer: Identify the literary devices in this line An army - metaphor, who appear like the morning birds - Simile

Question. Why does the narrator feel embarrassed?
Answer: The narrator feels embarrassed for making a fake promise.

Question. What does the name of 'Saheb-e-Alam mean? Why is it difficult for him to believe the meaning of his name?
Answer: Saheb means- ' Lord of the Universe' It is difficult for him to believe the meaning of his name because he is a person who doesn‘t even have a roof over his head.

3. This morning, Saheb is on his way to the milk booth. In his hand is a steel canister. 'I now work in a tea stall down the road," he says, pointing in the distance. 'I am paid 800 rupees and all my meals." Does he like the job? I ask. His face, I see, has lost the carefree look. The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so lightly over his shoulder. The bag was his. The canister belongs to the man who owns the tea shop.
Saheb is no longer his own master.

Question. Explain "The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag" .
Answer: The bag was his own and there was none to dictate him, whereas the steel canister belonged to his master. He has lost his free will and is burdened by the job at the tea
stall.

Question. Identify the literary device in the line "The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag"
Answer: Irony

Question. Where is Saheb working and how much is he paid?
Answer: Saheb is working in a tea stall and he is paid 800 rupees and all his meals.

Question. Was he happy working in the tea stall? Why?
Answer: No, Saheb was not happy working in the tea stall. He is burdened by responsibilities and has lost his freedom.

4. "I will learn to drive a car,‖ he answers, looking straight into my eyes. His dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad, famous for its bangles.
Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India‘s glass-blowing industry where families have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for all the women in the land it seems. Mukesh‘s family is among them. None of them know that it is illegal for children like him to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures, in dingy cells without air and light; that the law, if enforced, could get him and all those 20,000 children out of the hot furnaces where they
slog their daylight hours, often losing the brightness of their eyes. Mukesh‘s eyes beam as he volunteers to take me home, which he proudly says is being rebuilt.

Question. Pick out a word which means the same as 'work hard‘
Answer: Slog

Question. Describe the working conditions of the people in Firozabad
Answer: The people in Firozabad work in dingy cells without any light or air and sit beside bright furnaces with high temperatures.

Question. Do you think Mukesh was happy to take the author home? Why?
Answer: Yes, he was happy to take the author home because he was proud that his house was being renovated.

Question. What is the change that will happen if law is enforced in Firozabad?
Answer: If law is enforced in Firozabad around twenty thousand children will be freed from the burden of working in the glass bangles industry.

Question. What do you mean by ―His dream looms like a mirage"?
Answer: It means that Mukesh‘s dream of driving a car is unrealistic and indistinct.

Question. What is Firozabad famous for?
Answer: Firozabad is famous for glass bangles.

5. To do anything else would mean to dare. And daring is not part of his growing up. When I sense a flash of it in Mukesh I am cheered. "I want to be a motor mechanic‖, he repeats:
He will go to a garage and learn. But the garage is a long way from his home. ―I will walk", he insists, ―Do you also dream of flying a plane?" He is suddenly silent. ―No," he says, staring at the ground. In his small murmur there is an embarrassment that has not yet turned into regret. He is content to dream of cars that he seems hurtling down the streets of his town. Few airplanes fly over Firozabad.

Question. Why is daring not part of their upbringing for the children of Firozabad?
Answer: The years of mind-numbing toil and exploitation have killed the desire to make new initiatives or ability to dream. In Firozabad, doing anything new needs strong will and determination as they have to fight a deep-rooted system of corruption and superstition.

Question. What is Mukesh‘s ambition?
Answer: Mukesh wishes to become a motor mechanic.

Question. Explain ―Few airplanes fly over Firozabad."
Answer: He never dreamt of flying a plane as to the slum dwellers in Firozabad, planes were a far-fetched reality. Because of the limited exposure in the slums of Firozabad, Mukesh
dreamt within his means.

Question. Why is the author cheered?
Answer: The author finds a flash of optimism and courage in Mukesh. He had the courage to think differently and dream of a better life. This makes her happy.

Short Answer Type Questions:

Question." Listening to them, I see two distinct worlds .... " In the context of Mukesh, the bangle maker's son , which two worlds is Anees Jung referring to ?
Answer: Anees Jung refers to the two contrasting worlds. She speaks of poor and ignorant bangle makers and the world of the sahukars, middlemen, policemen and politicians. They exploit the poor bangle makers. The two worlds are of the exploits and the exploited.Mukesh, the bangle maker's son, is caught between these two contrasting worlds.

Question. Which forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry at Firozabad in poverty?
Answer: The workers in the bangle industry in Firozabad have fallen into the vicious circle of middlemen. They don't allow them to organize themselves into a cooperative. The police always side with the middlemen to haul up the workers. They are beaten and dragged to jail. Poverty, apathy, greed and injustice conspire to make them miserable.

Question. Describe the irony in Saheb's name.
Answer: After months of knowing, the narrator asks Saheb's name. He tells her that he is called " Saheb- e- Alam ―. It means' lord of the universe ' . It is quite ironic that the Lord of the Universe ' is a young barefoot ragpicker who scrounges for gold in the garbage dumps of Delhi.

Question. Through the years ragpicking has acquired the ' proportions of a fine art ' in Seemapuri. Justify the statement.
Answer: In Seemapuri everyone is a partner in survival and hence, a ragpicker. All have to work for survival. Actually, they have become professionals and so ragpicking is no more a dull and monotonous job.

Question. Why does the author make the statement ‗The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag?‘
Answer: Saheb doesn‘t seem to be happy working at the tea stall. His face doesn‘t show the carefree look of the old days though he is paid. He feels bound and burdened. For these reasons the author says that 'The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag.‘

Question. " It is his karam , his destiny . " What is Mukesh's family's attitude towards their situations?
Answer: " It is his karam , his destiny , " says Mukesh's grandmother . She wants to say that they are a family of bangle makers. No one in the family can ever break the God - given lineage. They know only one job and it is the art of making bangles. She has watched her own husband going blind with the dust from the polishing of bangles. Even then, she can't afford to have anything else in mind except the making of bangles. She can't think like Mukesh who dreams of becoming a motor mechanic.

Question. Why has nothing been changed in Firozabad?
Answer: Though laws have been made against child labour, children still continue to work in the bangle industry in Firozabad. The children working in this industry are exploited by money lenders, the middlemen and the bureaucrats. In fact, little has moved with the time in the city of bangle makers. They are as poor and miserable as they were before.

Question. What do you mean by ―Seemapuri, (is) a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically."
Answer: Geographically, Seemapuri is a place on the outskirts of Delhi. It housed migrants from Bangladesh, who earned their living as rag pickers. A run-down place that lacked amenities of sewage, drainage, or running water, it was unlike the life of glitter and glamour in Delhi. People in Delhi lived a luxurious life in contrast to the poverty prevailing in Seemapuri.

Question. What do you mean by the statement 'Survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking.‘
Answer: Rag pickers who live in Seemapuri on the outskirts of Delhi are very poor. They do not have a proper source of income. Since their migration from Bangladesh in 1971 they have been engaged in rag picking. It is the only means of survival for them. So survival in Seemapuri means rag picking.

Question. How is the line 'few airplanes fly over Firozabad‘ symbolically significant?
Answer: When asked if Mukesh ever dreams of flying a plane he replies in the negative. Mukesh is satisfied with the more tangible and attainable dream related to the fast-moving cars that he sees on the streets each day. Airplanes symbolize something distant, just like a far-fetched dream and people of Firozabad were not exposed to grand dreams like that.

Long Answer Type Questions:

Question. 'Lost Spring‘ explains the grinding poverty and traditions that condemn thousands of people to a life of abject poverty. Do you agree? Why / Why not?
Answer: Yes – duly supported by examples from text, – both caught in the vicious cycle of poverty, apathy, affected by the greed of others, injustice, – lost childhood or spring of life Mukesh‘s story – bangle making industry, – caught in the web of middlemen, politicians, policemen, the keepers of law, bureaucrats, – lose all spirit and ability to dream Saheb-e-Alam‘s story, – rag picker, scrounging for gold, walking barefoot, got job, not happy because of no freedom, lost childhood, – any other relevant point.
Mukesh and other bangle makers are unable to break out of the vicious circle of poverty due to the collision of government agencies, Sahukars, middlemen and the police. What are the
values that are lacking in these people? Write an article discussing these values.

Question. Give a brief account of the life and activities of the people like Saheb-e-Alam settled in Seemapuri.
Answer: poor rag pickers / unschooled / barefoot / sometimes taking up odd jobs like working at tea stalls - – garbage to them is gold, it is their daily bread, – migrants (squatters) from Bangladesh, came to Delhi in 1971 - – their fields and homes swept away in storms - – live in structures of mud with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, - drainage or running water - – have lived for more than 30 years without identity, without permits but with ration cards - – no intention of going back to their own country– wherever they find food, they pitch their tents.

Question. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Answer: Caught in two distinct worlds – one is of the bangle makers who continue to live in poverty and destitution Lead a life of poverty and misery – lack of enough money to do anything except carry on the business of making bangles – families have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for all the women in the land – young men who learn the art of making bangles from their elders follow in their footsteps – years of mind numbing toil have killed all initiative and ability to dream – carry on the job of making bangles Do not have a leader to organize them into a cooperative and improve their economic conditions – vicious circle of the sahukars, the middlemen, the keepers of the law, the bureaucrats and the politicians – both these worlds have imposed the baggage on the child that he cannot put down. Before he is aware, he accepts it as did his father. To do anything else would mean to dare. So this forces the workers to continue working in the bangle industry – thus lead a life of misery and poverty.

Question. The life of bangle makers of Firozabad was full of obstacles which forced them to lead a life of poverty and deprivation. Discuss with reference to Lost Spring.
Answer: Bangle makers born in poverty live in poverty, die in poverty - For generations people have been engaged in this trade - Work in inhuman conditions - Although they work hard but the profit is meagre - Their hovels have crumbling walls, wobbly doors and no windows - They are overcrowded with humans and animals - Social customs, traditions, stigma of caste and people in authority combine so that they remain poor and uneducated - Money lenders, middlemen, politicians and policemen are all against them - Unable to organize themselves into a co- operative due to lack of a leader - They have lost the ability to dream - They can only talk but not act to improve their lot.

               Very Short Answer

Q.1)        What is the sanctity of glass bangles for an Indian woman? When, according to the author, will Savita know about it?

Q.2)        What could the bangle-makers not organize themselves into a cooperative?

Q.3)        How did Mukesh’s grandmother express the belief of bangle-makers in destiny?

Q.4)        How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family members?

Q.5)        Why did Mukesh not dream of flying aeroplanes?

               Short Answer

Q.6)        What impression do you form about Mukesh’s family on having a glimpse of their ‘house’?

Q.7)        ‘Together that has imposed the baggage on the child that he cannot put down.’ Who do ‘they’ refer to? What is the baggage and why can the child not get rid of it?

Q.8)        Why do the bangle-makers not organize themselves into a cooperative?

Q.9)        Answer the following questions:

(1)          Where does the author find Saheb one winter morning? What explanation does Saheb offer?

(2)          What job did Saheb take up? Was he happy?

Q.10)        Which two distinct worlds does the author notice among the bangle-making industry?

               Long Answer

Q.11)      ‘For the children, it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders, it is a means of survival,” What kind of life do the rag-pickers of Seemapuri lead?

Q.12)      The bangle-makers of Firozabad are trapped in a blind alley. Discuss with reference to the text.

Q.13)      Most of us do not raise our voice against injustice in our society. Anees Jung in her story, ‘Lost Spring’ vividly highlights the miserable life of street children and bangle makers of Firozabad. What values do we need to inculcate among the people to bring back the spring in the lives of these children.

Q.14)      Discuss how the rag pickers live in Seemapuri according to the author?

Q.15)      “None of them knows that it is illegal for children like him to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures”. What can be done to improve a lot of poor children in India?

Please click on below link to download CBSE Class 12 English Lost Spring Worksheet Set G