CBSE Class 12 English An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum VBQs

Question. Pick the quote that highlights the contrasting image portrayed in the poem.
a) ‘The worst form of inequality is to try and make unequal things equal.’
b) ‘An imbalance between the rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.’
c) ‘We must work together to ensure equitable distribution of wealth, opportunity and power in our society.’
d) ‘No amount of artificial reinforcement can offset the natural inequalities of human individual.’
Answer. B

Question. Pick phrases that portray ‘poverty and hopelessness’ in the poem.
1. slag heap
2. spectacles of steel
3. gusty waves
4. run azure on gold sands
5. mended glass
6. squirrel’s game
7. language is the sun
a) 2, 4 and 7
b) 1, 3 and 5
c) 3, 4 and 6
d) 1, 2 and 5
Answer. D

Question. Based on the poem, choose the correct option with reference to the two statements given below.
Statement 1: The poet is in anguish at the plight of the children in slums and is sympathetic towards them.
Statement 2: The poet presents an exaggerated version of the struggles of the slum children, to garner sympathy.
a) Statement 1 is true but Statement 2 is false.
b) Statement 1 is false but Statement 2 is true.
c) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are true.
d) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred.
Answer. A

Question. A child in the slum experiencing the dreary life would have the least access to
a) shelter.
b) information.
c) water.
d) education.
Answer. B

Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:

Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces. Like rootless weeds, the hair torn around their pallor: The tall girl with her weighed-down head. The paperseeming boy, with rat’s eyes. The stunted, unlucky heir of twisted bones, reciting a father’s gnarled disease, his lesson, from the desk. At back of the dim class one unnoted, sweet and young.

Question. Pick the option that enumerates the tone of the poet in this extract.
1. apprehensive
2. compassionate
3. resentful
4. thoughtful
5. disillusioned
6. woeful
a) 2, 4 and 6
b) 1, 4 and 5
c) 3, 5 and 6
d) 1, 3 and 6
Answer. A

Question. The ‘gusty waves’, most likely, indicate
a) survival and struggle.
b) verve and brightness.
c) drudgery and dullness.
d) animation and alertness.
Answer. B

Question. The phrase ‘weighed-down head’ DOES NOT refer to being
a) burdened by poverty.
b) ashamed at her plight.
c) distressed due to difficulties.
d) dizzy with a headache.
Answer. D

Question. Pick the option that matches the words / phrases with the literary device.
Word/ phrase                       Literary device
1. like rootless weeds             A. metaphor
2. paper-seeming boy             B. pun
3. reciting                                C. synecdoche
                                                 D. simile
a) 1-A, 2-D, 3-C
b) 1-D, 2-B, 3-A
c) 1-D, 2-A, 3-B
d) 1-B, 2-A, 3-C
Answer. C

Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:

This map becomes their windows and these windows That shut upon their lives like catacombs, Break O break open till they break the town And show the children to green fields, and make their world Run azure on gold sands, and let their tongues Run naked into books the white and green leaves open History theirs whose language is the sun.

Question. Pick the options that matches best with the phrase ‘break o break open’.
1. break free
2. break silence
3. break out
4. break even
5. break through
6. break ground
a) 1, 3 and 5
b) 2, 3 and 6
c) 1, 4 and 6
d) 2, 3 and 5
Answer. B

Question. Look at the given book covers. Pick the option that reflects the meaning of ‘catacomb’ in the extract.

a) Option 1
b) Option 2
c) Option 3
d) Option 4
Answer. C

Question. Pick the option that is NOT TRUE according to this extract.
a) The children should be allowed to read books and form their opinions.
b) Education without breaking the shackles of poverty, is meaningless.
c) The policy makers show the reality of the real world to the children.
d) The children see the world of poverty and misery through the windows.
Answer. C

Question. On the basis of the extract, pick the opinion that is closest to that of the poet.

a) Option 1
b) Option 2
c) Option 3
d) Option 4
Answer. B

Stanzas for comprehension

Stanza 1
Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces.
Like rootless weeds, the hair torn round their pallor:
The tall girl with her weighed-down head. The paperseeming
boy, with rat’s eyes. The stunted, unlucky heir
Of twisted bones, reciting a fathers gnarled disease,
His lesson, from his desk. At back of the dim class
One unnoted, sweet and young. His eyes live in a dream,
Of squirrels game, in tree room, other than this.

Question. From which poem have these lines been taken?
a) Keeping Quiet
b) My Mother at Sixty-Six
c) A Thing of Beauty
d) An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum
Answer. D

Question. Who is the poet of this poem?
a) Kamala Das
b) Stephen Spender
c) John Keats
d) Pablo Neruda
Answer. B

Question. Why does the poet call the boy the paper- seeming boy?
a) he is very thin
b) he is very strong
c) he is very much healthy
d) all of the above
Answer. A

Question. How are the faces of the children in the class?
a) lively
b) robust
c) pale and lifeless
d) rosy
Answer. C

Question. How is the boy sitting at the end of the class?
a) sweet and young
b) rough and dry
c) sick and wrinkled
d) none of the above
Answer. A

Question. How does the poet describe the children’s hair?
a) rootless weeds
b) scattered on their pale face
c) neat and clean
d) both ‘a’ & ‘b’
Answer. D

Question. Whose faces are far from the gusty waves?
a) poet’s
b) faces of children sitting in the classroom
c) faces of children playing
d) faces of children enjoying
Answer. C

Question. Find the word from the stanza which means 'stormy'
a) gnarled
b) gusty
c) weeds
d) reciting
Answer. B

Question. Find the word from the stanza which means 'useless plants'
a) gusty
b) pallor
c) weeds
d) heir
Answer. C

Question. Find the word from the stanza which means 'twisted'
a) gnarled
b) unlucky
c) waves
d) pallor
Answer. A

Question. Find the word from the stanza which means ‘ uttering'
a) twisted
b) stunted
c) unnoted
d) reciting
Answer. D

Question. Why do you think the class was dim?
a) it was night time
b) it was not provided with any electric lights
c) both ‘a’ & ‘b’
d) the weather was cloudy
Answer. B

Question. Who was sitting at the back of the class?
a) paper seeming boy
b) tall girl
c) sweet young boy
d) all of the above
Answer. C

Question. What was the little one dreaming of?
a) squirrel’s game
b) lion’s game
c) tiger’s game
d) none of the above
Answer. A

Question. Which poetic device is used in ‘paper-seeming boy’?
a) simile
b) metaphor
c) alliteration
d) oxymoron
Answer. B

Question. Which poetic device is used in ‘like rootless weeds’?
a) simile
b) metaphor
c) alliteration
d) oxymoron
Answer. A

Question. Which word in the stanza means 'successor'?
a) stunted
b) gnarled
c) heir
d) twisted
Answer. C

Stanza 2
On sour cream walls, donations. Shakespeare’s head,
Cloudless at dawn, civilized dome riding all cities.
Belled, flowery, Tyrolese valley. Open-handed map
Awarding the world its world. And yet, for these
Children, these windows, not this map, their world,
Where all their future’s painted with a fog,
A narrow street sealed in with a lead sky
Far far from rivers, capes, and stars of words.

Question. What walls have been referred to in these lines?
a) walls of a house
b) walls of a primary school
c) walls of an elementary school
d) walls of a high school
Answer. C

Question. Why has the map been said to be ‘open- handed ‘?
a) it shows all the world
b) it gives knowledge about all the seas
c) it gives knowledge about all the lands of the world
d) all of the above
Answer. D

Question. How is the future of the children painted?
a) with a bright colour
b) with fog
c) with black colour
d) all of the above
Answer. B

Question. What has been said to be the world for these children?
a) a narrow street
b) under the dull sky
c) both ‘a’ & ‘b’
d) a bright world
Answer. C

Question. What does the poet mean by 'stars of words'?
a) false promises made by teacher
b) false promises made by principal
c) false promises made by politicians
d) all of the above
Answer. C

Question. How are the classroom’s walls painted?
a) green
b) pink
c) yellow
d) sour cream
Answer. D

Question. What is painted on the wall?
a) the list of donators
b) picture of Shakespeare
c) picture of civilized dome
d) all of the above
Answer. D

Question. How is the future of these children?
a) bright
b) dim
c) both ‘a’ & ‘b’
d) none of the above
Answer. B

Question. What does ‘sour cream walls’ refer to?
a) the walls are painted regularly with cream colour
b) the walls have not been painted for a long time
c) the walls were brilliant new
d) all of the above
Answer. B

Question. Which poetic device is used in “lead sky’?
a) alliteration
b) metaphor
c) simile
d) personification
Answer. B

Question. Who was Shakespeare?
a) A famous playwright
b) A famous novelist
c) an American writer
d) an African writer
Answer. A

Question. Which word in the stanza means 'morning'?
a) fog
b) dawn
c) valley
d) belled
Answer. B

Question. Which word in the stanza means 'mist'?
a) fog
b) valley
c) narrow
d) lead
Answer. A

Question. Which word in the stanza means 'distant'?
a) dawn
b) sealed
c) far
d) capes
Answer. C

Stanza 3
Unless, governor, inspector, visitor,
This map becomes their window and these windows
That shut upon their lives like catacombs,
Break O break open till they break the town
And show the children to green fields, and make their world
Run azure on gold sands, and let their tongues
Run naked into books the white and green leaves open
History theirs whose language is the sun.

Question. Towards whom do all the responsible citizens have a duty?
a) the leaders
b) the film heroes
c) the slum children
d) the doctor
Answer. C

Question. Who have a duty towards these poor slum children?
a) governor
b) inspector
c) visitor
d) all of the above
Answer. D

Question. Which people create history, according to the poet?
a) who are rich
b) who are poor
c) who are famous
d) whose growth is healthy
Answer. D

Question. Which people are possessor of history?
a) whose language is strong
b) slum children
c) poor people
d) all of the above
Answer. A

Question. What is poet’s appeal to the upper - class people?
a) to help the poor slum children
b) to possess history
c) to make themselves strong
d) all of the above
Answer. A

Question. Where does the poet want to take the poor slum children?
a) to open fields
b) on golden sands
c) to a different world
d) both ‘a’ & ‘b’
Answer. D

Question. Which word in the stanza means 'blue'?
a) azure
b) catacombs
c) tongues
d) language
Answer. A

Question. Which word in the stanza means 'graves'?
a) fields
b) catacombs
c) naked
d) shut
Answer. B

Question. What is meant by ‘white and green leaves'?
a) books, leaves of trees
b) sky, leaves of trees
c) classroom, leaves of trees
d) children’s face, leaves of trees
Answer. A

Question. Which poetic device is used in ‘lives like catacombs’?
a) metaphor
b) simile
c) oxymoron
d) alliteration
Answer. B