Lost Spring- Anees Jung

MCQ
Question 1.
Mukesh wants to learn to become a motor mechanic by
(a) finding a tutor
(b) going to a garage to learn
(c) by reading books
(d) by joining a school

Question 2.
What bothers the author most about the bangle makers?
(a) the stigma of poverty and caste
(b) the affluence of the landlords
(c) the behaviour of the factory owners
(d) the labour laws

Question 3.
“One wonders if he has achieved what many have failed to achieve in their lifetime. He has a roof over his head”;
these lines were said in reference to the condition of
(a) the elderly woman’s old husband
(b) Mukesh’s father
(c) the bangle factory owner
(d) Mukesh’s elder brother

Question 4.
Which of the objects below best serves as a symbol of an Indian woman’s `suhag’?
(a) bindi
(b) sindoor
(c) bangles
(d) henna-dyed hand

Question 5.
Sunny-gold, paddy green, royal blue, pink, purple, every colour born out of the seven colours of the rainbow. What
is this a reference to?
(a) clothes
(b) birds
(c) bangles
(d) bindis

Question 6.
What was the profession of Mukesh’s father before he became a bangle-maker?
(a) tailor
(b) carpenter
(c) plumber
(d) Mason

Question 7.
The frail woman in Mukesh’s house is his
(a) mother
(b) elder brother’s wife
(c) wife
(d) niece

Answer

Question 8.
If laws were to be enforced, it would bring about change and relief in the lives of about
(a) ten thousand children
(b) twenty thousand children
(c) hundred children
(d) a thousand children

Answer

Question 9.
Bangle industry flourishes in the town of
(a) Ferozepur
(b) Firozabad
(c) Ferozgarh
(d) Farukhabad

Answer

Question 10.
Mukesh belonged to a family of
(a) farmers
(b) rag-pickers
(c) bangle makers
(d) motor mechanics

Answer

Question 11.
One day, Saheb was seen by the author, watching some young men playing
(a) cricket
(b) tennis
(c) hockey
(d) soccer

Answer

Question 12.
According to the author, rag picking has become, over the years, a
(a) profession
(b) fine art
(c) tradition
(d) culture

Answer

Question 13.
The rag pickers have no identity, but they have
(a) permits
(b) passports
(c) ration cards
(d) licenses

Answer

Question 14.
The colony of ragpickers is situated in
(a) the south of Delhi
(b) Mongolpuri
(c) Jehangirpuri
(d) Seemapuri

Answer

Question 15.
What did the man from Udipi pray for, when he was young?
(a) a pair of trousers
(b) a pair of shoes
(c) a few friends
(d) an opportunity to study in a school

Answer

Question 16.
One explanation which the author gets about children choosing to remain barefoot is
(a) they have no money
(b) tradition
(c) no matching pairs
(d) like to wear only chappals

Answer

Question 17.
‘Is your school ready? Who asked this question?
(a) Saheb’s mother
(b) Saheb’s friends
(c) the author
(d) Saheb

Answer

Question 18.
What were Saheb and his family looking for in Delhi?
(a) dollars
(b) rupees
(c) pounds
(d) gold

Answer

Question 19.
Saheb’s home, before Delhi, was in
(a) Bengal
(b) Orissa
(c) Dhaka
(d) Bihar

Answer

Question 20.
’Why do you do this?’ This question was asked by the author to
(a) the bangle sellers
(b) Mahesh
(c) Saheb
(d) Saheb’s mother

Answer

Question 21.
What is Mukesh’s dream?
(a) To be a doctor
(b) To be a merchant
(c) To be a rogue
(d) To be a motor- mechanic

Answer

Question 22.
What is the means of survival in Seemapuri?
(a) Work
(b) Merchandising
(c) Education
(d) Ragpicking

Answer

Question 23.
Firozabad is the centre of which industry?
(a) Cotton industry
(b) Furniture industry
(c) Textile industry
(d) Glassblowing industry

Answer

Question 24.
What compels the workers in bangle industry of Firozabad to poverty?
(a) Cast and ancestral profession
(b) Karam theory and society
(c) Bureaucrats and politicians
(d) All of these

Answer
 Question 25.
Who is Mukesh?
(a) Student
(b) Worker
(c) Bangle maker
(d) Ragpicker

Answer

Question 26.
What makes the working conditions of the children worst in the glass industry?
(a) Dark dingy cells without light and air
(b) Dazzling and sparking of welding light
(c) High temperature
(d) All of these

Answer

Question 27.
Who employs the local families of Firozabad?
(a) Bureaucrats
(b) Merchants
(c) Politicians
(d) The glass blowing industry

Answer

Question 28.
What efforts can help Mukesh materialise his dream of becoming a car driver?
(a) Hard work
(b) Going to garage
(c) Guidance of his owner
(d) All these

Answer

Question 29.
Why did Saheb leave Dhaka?
(a) Because of lack of resources
(b) Because of lack of enough food
(c) Because of friends
(d) Because of parents

Answer

Question 30.
What forced Saheb to be a ragpicker?
(a) Hard work
(b) Destiny
(c) People around him
(d) Acute poverty

Answer
 Question 31.
Why did Saheb go through garbage dumps?
(a) To find a silver coin
(b) A rupee
(c) A ten rupee note
(d) All of these

Answer

Question 32.
What does the title ‘Lost Spring’ symbolise?
(a) Lost blooming childhood
(b) Autumn season
(c) Lost money
(d) Lost age

Answer

Question 33.
What do the boys appear like to the author in the story?
(a) Morning crows
(b) Evening crows
(c) Morning birds
(d) Evening Birds

Answer

Question 34.
Where was Saheb employed?
(a) At a tea stall in Seemapuri
(b) At a saree shop
(c) At a jewellery shop
(d) At a sweet shop

Answer

Question 35.
Why did Saheb -e- Alam not go to school?
(a) Not interested
(b) Had no money to pay fees
(c) Wanted to go for movie
(d) Wanted to earn money

Answer

Question 36.
What was Saheb looking for?
(a) Eggs
(b) Gold
(c) Coins
(d) Toys
 Answer

Question 37.
According to the author what was garbage for the children ?
(a) Means of entertainment
(b) Means of timepass
(c) Means of playing
(d) A wonder

Answer

Question 38.
What forces the children to live a life of exploitation?
(a) Greed
(b) Extreme Poverty
(c) Peers
(d) Parents

Answer

Question 39.
What does the author analyze in the story?
(a)Rich people
(b) Garbage
(c) Poor children and their exploitation
(d) Her works

Answer

Question 40.
Who is the author of Lost Spring?
(a) James Bond
(b) Arundhati Roy
(c) Sudha Murthy
(d) Anees Jung

Answer

Question 41.
What change did Anees Jung see in Saheb when she saw him standing by the gate of the neighbourhood club?
(a) As if lost his freedom
(b) Lost ownership
(c) Lost joy
(d) All of these

Answer

Question 42.
What is the metaphorical symbol of Seemapuri in the lesson?
(a) Poverty
(b) Exploitation
(c) Enjoyment
(d) A little hell
 Answer

Question 43.
How is Mukesh’s attitude different from that of his family?
(a) Being daring, firm and clear
(b) Being a fighter
(c) Being a coward
(d) Not clear

Answer

Question 44.
The city of Firozabad is famous for what?
(a) For casteism
(b) For ragpickers
(c) For poverty
(d) For bangles

Answer

Question 45.
What are the reasons for the migration of people from villages to city in the lesson?
(a) Sweeping of houses and fields by storms
(b) No money
(c) Education and unemployment
(d) Safety

EXTRACTS

Read the extracts and answer the questions given below.

1. 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.
(a) What does Saheb do for a living?
He is a ragpicker.
(b) Where does the writer see him each day?
Looking through the garbage dumps in the writer’s neighbourhood.
(c) What circumstances forced him into this life?
Storms had swept away their fields and homes in Dhaka and so they moved to the
big city.

2. 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 wouldhave a hard time believing it ...
(a) Who is the ‘I? How did she know ‘him’?
‘I’ is the writer. She has seen him looking through the garbage dumps.
(b) Who is ‘Saheb-e-Alam’? What does the name mean?
The child, who is a ragpicker. The name means lord of the universe.
(c) Why would he find it difficult to believe the meaning of his name?
His name means lord of the universe but he leads a poverty stricken life.
(d) What was Saheb’s aspiration?
He wanted to go to school.
3. Travelling across the country I have seen children walking barefoot, in cities, on
Village roads. It is not lack of money but a tradition to stay barefoot, is one
explanation. Iwonder if this is only an excuse to explain away a perpetual state of
poverty ...
(a) What are the writer’s observations about the children’s footwear?
The writer observes that the children walk barefoot everywhere in the country.
(b) What is the explanation given to her ?
The writer is told that it is not lack of money but a tradition to stay barefoot.
(c) What is the truth that she realizes?
She realizes that it is the constant poverty that forces them to stay barefoot.

4. The goddess had granted his prayer. Young boys like the son of the priest now
Wore shoes. But many others like the ragpickers in my neighbourhood remain
shoeless ...
(a) Who was the young boy?
He was a young boy from Udipi. He was the son of a priest.
(b) What was the prayer that the goddess had granted?
His prayer for a pair of shoes that he would never lose, had been granted and
many young boys like the son of the priest now wore shoes.
(c) What was the writer’s lament?
She laments that many others like the ragpickers in her neighbourhood remain shoeless.

5. 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.
(a) Why had his face lost the carefree look?
He was no longer the master of his will, as he was working for someone.
(b) Why was the steel canister heavier than his bag?
It was the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He was now no longer his
own master.
(c) What has been the effect of the changed situation on Saheb?
He looks burdened as he cannot do what he wants.
(d) What did Saheb do for a living before this job?
He was a ragpicker.

6. 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.Itis 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.
(a) Who is the ‘his’ mentioned in the passage? What does he do?
He is Mukesh. He is engaged in the glass-blowing industry.
(b) What is his dream?
He dreams of becoming a motor mechanic.
(c) What is the socio-economic status of the families working in glass furnaces ?
Their plight is pathetic. They suffer from abject poverty and ill health.

7. Despite long years of hard labour, first as a tailor, then a bangle maker, he has
failed to renovate a house, send his two sons to school. All he has managed to
do is teach them what he knows - the art of making bangles.
(a) Who is the man who has been labouring?
Mukesh’s father.
(b) Which part of the country is being alluded to in this extract?
Firozabad.
 (c) What does the writer say about the appalling reality of child labour?
About 20,000 children work at the hot furnaces in the bangle making industry due
to which they often lose their eyesight before they become adults.

8. It is his karam, his destiny”, says Mukesh’s grandmother, who has watched her
Own husband go blind with the dust from polishing the glass of bangles. “Can
a god-given lineage ever be broken?’ she implies.
(a) What is Mukesh’s grandmother implying when she mentions ‘his karam’?
They are born in to the caste of bangle makers, hence, they are destined to suffer
the hazards associated with the profession.
(b) What are the hardships that the bangle makers suffer?
They live in dark hutments, they work in the light of flickering oil lamps. They
often end uplosing their eyesight even before they become adults.
(c) How are Mukesh’s plans different ?
He wants to break away from the family profession and become a car mechanic.

9. It symbolises an Indian woman’s suhaag, auspiciousness in marriage. It will dawn

on her suddenly one day when her head is draped with a red veil, her hands
dyed red with henna, and red bangles rolled onto her wrists. She will then
become a bride. Like the oldwoman beside her who became one many years
ago. She still has bangles on her wrist ,but no light in her eyes....’
(a) What ‘symbolizes an Indian woman’s suhaag, auspiciousness in marriage’?
The sanctity of bangles.
(b) Who is the girl being talked about?
The girl is Savita, a bangle maker.
(c) What is the situation that spells their poverty ?
She had not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire lifetime.

10. The young men echo the lament of their elders. Little has moved with time, it
seems, in Firozabad. Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and
the ability to dream.
(a) What is their ‘lament’?
The cry that rings in every home is of not having money to do anything except
carry on thebusiness of making bangles. There is not even enough money to eat
two full meals.
(b) What is the business that they carry on ?
The business is that of making bangles.
(c) What has destroyed their enterprise and hopes ?
Years of mind-numbing labour has destroyed all their enterprise and hopes
.
11. 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 sees hurtling
down the streets of his town.Few airplanes fly over Firozabad .
(a) Who is in conversation with the writer?
Mukesh, a young boy who labours at the furnace.
(b) What is his ambition ?
His ambition is to be a car mechanic.
(c) Why does he not dream of flying a plane ?
The idea is too far-fetched for him to even dream about
I. ―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!

1. ―His face, I see, has lost the carefree look.‖ This means as per the assumption of the author, in
his looks, Saheb is ……..
a) not burdened with responsibility
b) burdened with responsibility
c) Burdened but without any responsibility
d) Not burdened but feels responsible

Choose the appropriate statements for ― Saheb is no longer his own master!
(i) Saheb carries his bag for rag picking.
(ii) Saheb works in a tea stall.
(iii) Saheb is paid 800 rupees. (iv)Saheb carries canister.

a) (i)(ii)&(iii)
b) (i)(ii)&(iv)
c) (i)(iii)&(iv)
d) (ii)(iii)&(iv)

2. Read the statements given below.

Choose the correct statement to analyse the mental condition of Saheb-e- Alam.
a) He seems to be dignified working at the tea-stall.
b) He seems to be proud collecting milk from the milk booth.
c) He seems to be responsible carrying the steel canister.
d) He seems to be enjoying his freewheel at the tea-stall.

3. Select the option/options that does NOT explain Saheb‘s nature of thinking in his new job at the
tea stall.
(i) He thinks collecting milk is a part of his new job.
(ii) Canister is heavy, but he thinks he should carry it for survival.
(iii) He is earning 800 rupees and all meals, so he should justify the job.
(iv) He is a servant now, he can have a carefree life.

a) Only option (iii)

b) Both options (ii)&(iv)
c) Both options (i)&(iv)
d) Only option (iv)

4. Choose the option that most appropriately fills in the blanks, for the following description of the
given extract.

People migrate from villages to cities in search of a better life. They want to earn money so that they can lead
a good life and (i) their children in a better way.
As cities have more (ii) for work, this makes them
migrate from the villages to these big cities. (iii) all miseries and challenges of
life at young age, Saheb even finds a job in a tea stall, shifting from rag picking to (iv) his struggle for survival.

a) (i)give; (ii) scope; (iii) controlling; (iv) continue

b) (i) rare; (ii) opportunities; (iii) Accepting; (iv) prove
 c) (i) provide; (ii) jobs; (iii) Denying; (iv) stop
d) (i) leave; (ii) chances; (iii) Chasing; (iv) deal

II. Savita, a young girl in a drab pink dress, sits alongside an elderly woman, soldering pieces of glass.
As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine, I wonder if she knows the sanctity of the bangles she
helps make. It symbolises an Indian woman‘s suhaag, auspiciousness in marriage. It will dawn on her suddenly one
day when her head is draped with a red veil, her hands dyed red with henna, and red bangles rolled onto her wrists.
She will then become a bride. Like the old woman beside her who became one many years ago. She still has bangles
on her wrist, but no light in her eyes. ―Ek waqt ser bhar khana bhi nahin khaya,‖ she says, in a voice drained of joy.
She has not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire lifetime — that‘s what she has reaped! Her husband, an old man
with a flowing beard, says, ―I know nothing except bangles. All I have done is make a house for the family to live
in.‖ Hearing him, one wonders if he has achieved what many have failed in their lifetime. He has a roof over his
head!
1. ―I know nothing except bangles. Which one of the following best speaks about the character of
the old man.
a) (i) Cunning; (ii) wise; (iii) soft; (iv) obedient
b) (i) Intelligent; (ii) irresponsible; (iii)caring; (iv) simple
c) (i) Innocent; (ii)foresight (iii)responsible; iv)caring
d) (i) Impeccable; (ii) honest; (iii) rude; (iv) simple

2. Which option best indicates that the old woman too has sacrificed something in her life for the
sake of her family.
(i) The old woman has bangles on her wrist, but she can‘t see them.
(ii) She has not even enjoyed one full meal in her life time. (iii)She never supported her
husband in bangle making in her life. (iv)She knows nothing expect making bangles which symbolise an
Indian woman‘s suhaag.
a) (i)&(iv)
b) (ii)&((iii)
c) (iii)&(iv)
d) (i)&(ii)

3. ―Ek waqt ser bhar khana bhi nahin khaya,‖ the grand mother says. Her voice indicates that she is
……….
a) Undergoing an emotion of great happiness.
b) Going through an emotion which lacks happiness.
c) Undergoing an emotion of anger and frustration.
d) Experiencing an emotion which reflects her fear and anxiety.
 4. Which of these statements is TRUE about the husband of the elderly woman?
a) He says he knows nothing about making bangles in Firozabad.
b) He did not enjoy even one full meal in his entire life for the sake of his family.
c) He says he knows only bangle making and nothing else in his life.
d) All he has done in his life for the sake of his wife is making bangles for her.

5. ―I wonder if she knows the sanctity of the bangles she helps make.‖ In this statement, ―I
wonder‖ reflects the author‘s ……..
a) Curiosity
b) Anxiety
c) Embarrassment
d) Restlessness

III. STAND ALONE MCQs:

1. The narrator asks Saheb to go to school. What is the intension of the narrator here?
a) Narrator wants Saheb to enjoy in the school.
b) Narrator wants Saheb to go for rag picking and school as well.
c) Narrator wants Saheb to go to school instead of rag picking.
d) Narrator seriously encourages him to go to school.

2. ―It takes longer to build a school‖ says the narrator to Saheb. What does the narrator really mean
here?
a) There is a possibility to build a school.
b) It takes very long time to build a school.
c) There is a way to build a school.
d) There is no intention to build a school.

3. ―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 — Saheb would have a hard time believing it‖
because ……. …………
a) He was too poor to bear such a big name.
b) He was not suitable to bear such a big name.
c) His name was opposite to his life.
d) His life was quite suitable to his name.
 4. ―I like the game‖, he hums, ―content to watch it standing behind the fence‖. The above sentence
refers that Saheb ……
a) Is not satisfied with watching the game standing by the fence of club.
b) Is satisfied with watching the game standing by the fence of the club.
c) Wants to watch the game standing inside the fence of the club.
d) Is not allowed to watch the game even from the fence of the club.

5. ―His dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad, famous for
its bangles‖. For Anees Jung, the dream of Mukesh appears as it is far away from reality. As per the circumstances,
she thinks Mukesh would …………..
a) Gradually be adjusted with the demands of his family.
b) Gradually be satisfied with his family profession.
c) Gradually be influenced by the societal pressures.
d) All the above.

6. ―It is his karam, his destiny,‖ says Mukesh‘s grandmother, who has watched her own husband go
blind with the dust from polishing the glass of bangles. Which one of the following statements appropriately suits to
the mind-set or lookout of Mukesh‘s grandmother.
a) She doesn‘t like her family members in the business of bangle making.
b) She wants her grandson, Mukesh to find his own destiny.
c) She thinks that her husband has gone blind due to his fate.
d) She doesn‘t believe in karam and destiny which play a major role in the lives of bangle
makers.

7. ―I want to be a motor mechanic,‖ Mukesh repeats. Which one of the following best speaks about
his repetition.
a) He is thinking to become a motor mechanic if everything is comfortable for him.
b) He wants to be a motor mechanic if his parents permit him.
c) He is strong in his decision of becoming a motor mechanic.
d) He wants to become a motor mechanic to impress the author.

8. The author asks, ―Do you know anything about car driving?‖ Mukesh answers, ―‖ I will learn to
drive a car.‖ Choose the best efforts from the following which can help Mukesh materialise his dream of becoming
a car driver.
a) His dedication and readiness to learn about car driving from the garage.
b) His mental state of uncertainty and lack of conviction to dream of cars.
 c) His determination to walk to the garage which is a long way from his home.
d) All the above except (b)

IV. ASSERTION AND REASONING/STATEMENT TYPE QUESTIONS:

1. Assertion: The children of Seemapuri are living a life of exploitation. Reason : Extreme poverty
forces them to lead such a life.
a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
b) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
e) Both A and R are false.

2. Assertion: Most of the ragpickers appear walking bare foot in cities and on village roads.
Reason : They were caught in the web of a vicious circle of middlemen.
a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
b) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
e) Both A and R are false.

3. Assertion: Garbage is wrapped in wonder for the elders in Seemapuri. Reason : For the
elders, it is a means of survival.
a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
b) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
e) Both A and R are false.

4. Assertion: Saheb was not allowed to play tennis in the neighbourhood club.
Reason : He had proper shoes but no racquet to play tennis.
a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
b) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
e) Both A and R are false.
 5. Assertion: Saheb is no longer his own master.
Reason : The tea canister which he carries is his own property.
a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
b) Both A and R are true and R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.
e) Both A and R are false.

6. Statement 1 : Mukesh insists on being his own master.

Statement 2 : He has no fascination for continuing his family profession.
a) If Statement 1 is the cause, Statement 2 is the effect.
b) If Statement 1 is the effect, Statement 2 is the cause.
c) Both the statements are the effects of a common cause.
d) Both the statements are the effects of independent causes.

7. Statement 1: The children‘s eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside.
Statement 2 : The boys and girls end up losing their eye sight before they become adults.
a) If Statement 1 is the cause, Statement 2 is the effect.
b) If Statement 1 is the effect, Statement 2 is the cause.
c) Both the statements are the effects of a common cause.
d) Both the statements are the effects of independent causes.

8. Statement: 1 The young bangle makers could not organise themselves into a cooperative.
Statement: 2 : They were caught in a web of vicious circle.
a) If Statement 1 is the cause, Statement 2 is the effect.
b) If Statement 1 is the effect, Statement 2 is the cause.
c) Both the statements are the effects of a common cause.
d) Both the statements are the effects of independent causes.

9. Statement: 1: Exemplary punishment should be given by law to those who employ the children to
work in hazardous industries.
Statement: 2 : Child Labour is banned by the law.
a) If Statement 1 is the cause, Statement 2 is the effect.
b) If Statement 1 is the effect, Statement 2 is the cause.
c) Both the statements are the effects of a common cause.
d) Both the statements are the effects of independent causes.

10. Statement 1 : Saheb‘s family left Bangladesh and came to India. Statement 2 : Saheb is no
longer his own master.
a) If Statement 1 is the cause, Statement 2 is the effect.
b) If Statement 1 is the effect, Statement 2 is the cause.
c) Both the statements are the effects of a common cause.
d) Both the statements are the effects of independent causes.

I. ANSWERS:
1 B
2 D
3 C
4 D
5 B

II. ANSWERS:
1 C
2 D
3 B
4 C
5 A

III. ANSWERS:
1 C
2 D
3 C
4 B
5 D
6 C
7 C
8 D

IV. ANSWERS:
1 A
2 C
3 D
4 E
5 C
6 B
7 C
8 B
9 B
10 D

I. Content Based Very Short Answer Questions (Extract based)(1 mark each)
 A. 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.
1. Saheb asks the question with a touch of
i. eagerness
ii. satire
iii. contempt
iv. indifference
2. The narrator’s embarrassment is because of her
i. hatred towards the rag-pickers.
ii. unwillingness to help the rag-pickers.
iii. realisation that she had made a swallow promise.
iv. apathy towards such children.
3. The narrator says that
i. she has made several such promises.
ii. everyone is like her.
iii. children like Saheb hardly care for the promises made to them.
iv. many of the promises made to such people are not kept.
4. The world is bleak for them because
i. few promises are made to them.
ii. they live a life of poverty and suffering.
iii. there is no school in their neighbourhood.
iv. both the statements ‘a’ & ‘b’ are correct.

B. 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.
1. Seeing Saheb on his way to the milk booth fills the narrator with
i. happiness
ii. surprise
iii. joy
iv. hatred
2. By agreeing to work in the tea stall, Saheb has
i. lost his freedom
ii. won the narrator’s dislike
iii. become an example for others
iv. has become unhappy.
3. The ‘plastic bag’ here symbolically refers to the
i. scrounging the garbage for plastics
ii. the heaps of garbage seen all around
iii. work of rag-picking
iv. the happiness Saheb enjoyed
4. ‘Loss of carefree look’ suggests
 i. the loss of profession
ii. the loss of job
iii. the loss of cheerfulness
iv. the feelings of disappointment
C. Together they have imposed the baggage on the child that he cannot put down. Before he is aware, he
accepts it as naturally as his father. To do anything else would mean to dare. And daring is not part of his
growing up.
1. By the word ‘they’ the narrator refers to
i. the elders who accept the profession naturally
ii. the parents who believe that a god-given lineage cannot be broken.
iii. all those who are in this profession
iv. all those who have made the vicious circle
2. The ‘baggage’ here refers to
i. the load of bangles
ii. the dark hutments
iii. the cart-loads of bangles
iv. the burden of responsibility for survival
3. Here, the narrator’s tone is one of
i. certifying
ii. applaud
iii. approval
iv. condemning
4. ‘And daring is not part of his growing up.’ In this sentence, ‘his’ refers to
i. Mukesh whom the narrator met
ii. a child labourer in the bangle making industry
iii. Savita who was sitting alongside an elderly woman
iv. Saheb who works as a ragpicker

II. Content Based Reasoning Type Questions (MCQs) (1 mark each)

1. The narrator’s prompt suggestion ‘Go to school.’ was out of
i. humour
ii. seriousness
iii. casualness
iv. hatred
2. For children walking barefoot, one explanation is that it is a tradition. The narrator’s approach
to this explanation is
i. critical
ii. approving
iii. mocking
iv. serious
3. ‘Seemapuri is still a wilderness, but it is no longer empty.’ It is said so because
i. there are mud houses with roofs of tin and tarpaulin
ii. it is on the periphery of Delhi
iii. it is inhabited by rag pickers
 iv. it is devoid of sewage, drainage or running water
4. Saheb’s tennis shoes look strange because
i. he has discoloured shirt and shorts.
ii. previously he was moving barefoot.
iii. he cannot play the game though he has got the shoes.
iv. All the above are correct.
5. ‘Little has moved with time, it seems, in Firozabad.’ This refers to the fact that
i. few aeroplanes fly there.
ii. the business of making bangles has been rejected.
iii. people there have organized themselves into a cooperative.
iv. years of mind-numbing toil and suffering continues there.

III. Assertive type Questions (30-40 words) (2 marks each)

Q.1. State the reason why Saheb and his family left their homeland.
Q.2. What made the narrator, Anees Jung feel embarrassed?
Q.3. Why does the say that Saheb is no longer his own master?
Q.4. Describe Mukesh’s father?
Q.5. What is being referred to as a vicious circle? Why?
IV. Problem Solving Type Questions (120-150 words) (5 marks each)
Q.1. Elaborate on the statement ‘Seemapuri is a place on the periphery of Delhi, yet miles away from it’.
Q.2. The narrator says that garbage picking has acquired the proportions of a fine art. Justify the given
statement with reference to the lesson ‘Lost Spring’.
Q.3.“Why not organise yourselves into a cooperative?” I ask a group of young men who have fallen
into the vicious circle of middlemen who trapped their fathers and forefathers.”In the light of the given
extract, evaluate the character of the narrator.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
MS

A. Content Based Very Short Answer Questions (Extract based) 1 mark

[Competencies: Comprehension, Appreciation, Inference]
A.
i. ans. a. eagerness
ii. ans. c. realisation that she had made a swallow promise.
iii. ans. d. many of the promises made to such people are not kept.
iv. ans. b. they live a life of poverty and suffering.

B.
i. ans. b. surprise
ii. ans. a. lost his freedom
iii. ans. c. work of rag-picking
iv. ans. c. the loss of cheerfulness

C.
i. ans. d. all those who have made the vicious circle
ii. ans. d. the burden of responsibility for survival
 iii. ans. d. condemning
iv. ans. b. a child labourer in the bangle making industry

B. Content Based Reasoning Type Questions (MCQ) – 1 mark

[Competencies: Comprehension, Analysis, Inference]
1. ans. c. casualness
2. ans. a. Critical
3. ans. c. it is inhabited by ragpickers
4. ans. d. All the above are correct.
5. ans. d. years of mind-numbing toil and suffering continues there.

C. Assertive Type Questions (30-40 words) - 2 marks

[Competencies: Comprehension, Analysis, Inference, Critical Thinking]
1.
[Ans. Homeland- Dhaka, fields and homes swept away by storms, fields gave no grain, difficult to
arrange food for the stomach]

2.
[Ans. Saheb’s interest to go to school, the narrator had promised to build one, but not meant, felt
embarrassed when Saheb asked if her school was ready]
3.
[Ans. When a ragpicker, Saheb was his own master, enjoyed his freedom, but working for the tea stall
owner gave him no freedom, had lost the carefree look]

4.
[Ans. An impoverished bangle maker, first was a tailor, now long years of hard labour of making
bangles, failed to renovate a house, send his two sons to school, taught them the art of making bangles]

5.
[Ans. The nexus between the sahukars, the middlemen, the policemen-the keeper of law, the
bureaucrats, the politicians, exploiters, deprived the people of their rights, just facilitate the spread of poverty]

D. Problem Solving Type (120-150 words) - 5 marks

[Competencies: Global Comprehension, Extrapolation]
1.
[Ans. Delhi- the capital city, a metro, bright and appealing, skyscrapers, progress and advancement at its
best, but Seemapuri- on the periphery of Delhi, miles away from it, metaphorically, a slum, home to squatters
who came from Bangladesh back in 1971, a wilderness though inhabited by ten thousand ragpickers, houses –
structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage, or running water, without
identity, without permits, work hard to earn food for the stomach]

2.
 [Ans. Garbage picking, a means of survival for some, a curse on the civilised human society, encourages
child labour, inhibits the growth of human resource, thousands of children involved in this, deprived of the
pleasures of childhood, hunted like a mine of gold, precious time of life spent doing this, ways to curb it –
counselling to parents and children, incentives in various forms like free food, dress, books, rewards, etc,
motivating videos / plays, strict actions against those employing child labourers (any other valid points)]

3.
[Ans. The narrator - concerned, careful, worried, feels for others. realizes that childlabour is a curse, a
planned obstacle on the path of progress and development, is aware of the causes of poverty and effects of
people being greedy, insincere, effects of inefficient administration, feels revolting, displays democratic
thought, has an independent mind, advises the deprived and the destitute to form organisations / cooperatives,
feels that strict enforcement of the existing law is required, counsels the poor and the destitute, is optimistic and
appreciates a spark of dream / wish]
CH -2 LOST SPRING
Q3 Multiple Choice Questions based on an extract.
A “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, wielding 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.

i The simile ‘dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust of streets’ indicates that his dream was

a) a reality, yet seemed distant.

b) lost in the sea of dust.
c) illusory and indistinct.
d) hanging in the dusty air.
ii ‘I will learn to drive a car,’ he answers, looking straight into my eyes. This sentence highlights Mukesh
was

1. determined
2. fearless
3. hopeful
4. valiant
5. ambitious
6. stern

a) 1&5
b) 2&4
c) 2&5
d) 3&6
 iii Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE with reference to the extract?

a) Children work in badly lit and poorly ventilated furnaces.

b) The children are unaware that it is forbidden by law to work in the furnaces.
c) Children toil in the furnaces for hours which affects their eyesight.
d) Firozabad has emerged as a nascent producer of bangles in the country.
iv Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles indicates that

a) bangle making is the only industry that flourishes in Firozabad.

b) the entire population of Firozabad is involved in bangle making.
c) majority of the population in Firozabad is involved in bangle making.
d) bangle making is the most loved occupation in Firozabad.

B She still has bangles on her wrist, but no light in her eyes. “Ek waqt ser bhar khana bhi nahin khaya.”
she says, in a voice drained of joy. She has not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire lifetime-that’s what she
has reaped! Her husband, an old man with a flowing beard says, “I know nothing except bangles. All I have
is make a house for the family to live in.”
Hearing him one wonders if he has achieved what many have failed in their lifetime. He has a roof over
his head!
The cry of not having money to do anything except carry on the business of making bangles, not even
enough to eat, rings in every home. The young men echo the lament of the elders. Little has moved with time, it
seems in Firozabad, years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream.

i ‘She still has bangles on her wrist, but no light in her eyes.’ This implies that

a) she is married but has lost the charm in her eyes.

b) she is a married woman who has lost her grace and beauty.
c) though she is married, her eyes are devoid of happiness.
d) she is a married woman who has lost her eyesight.

ii ‘He has a roof over his head!’ The tone of the author is

a) pessimistic.
b) empathetic.
c) sympathetic.
d) optimistic.

iii Choose the term which best matches the statement ‘The young men echo the lament of their elders.’

a) acceptance
b) reflection
c) reiteration
d) doubtfulness
iv ‘Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the ability to dream’.
This shows that

a) the bangle makers are exhausted yet they are enterprising and have dreams.
b) the drudgery of work has destroyed their willingness to improve their lot.
c) the daily grind has stolen the dreams of the bangle makers and made them dull.
d) the bangle makers have been working so hard that there’s no time to dream.
Q 5Stand Alone MCQs

i ‘But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world’. This suggests that

a) there is no dearth of promises which remain unfulfilled.

b) there is a scarcity of people promising things for betterment.
c) people make a lot of promises which are often fulfilled.
d) promises made, live up to the expectations of people.

ii From this chapter, it is evident that the author has an attitude of

a) sympathy.
b) apathy.
c) empathy.
d) bewilderment.

iii ‘That’s why they left, looking for gold in the big city.’ Here ‘gold’ indicates

a) misfortune of circumstances.
b) ample wealth.
c) means of survival.
d) a sign of luxury.

iv Choose the statement that is NOT TRUE about ragpickers in Seemapuri.

a) Children are equally involved in rag picking as their parents.

b) The ragpickers settle down in a place permanently.
c) Rag picking has accomplished itself as a skill and form of art.
d) Ragpickers live in unsteady shanties on the outskirts of Delhi.

Answer key for MCQs

Q3
A. i – c); ii - a); iii – d); iv – c)

B i – c); ii – d); iii – c); iv – b)

Q5
i – a); ii – a); iii – c); iv – c); v – b)

QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED

 THINK AS YOU READ 
Q1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?
Ans. Saheb is looking for gold in the garbage dumps. He is in the neighbourhood of the author. Saheb has come
from Bangladesh. He Came with his mother in 1971. His house was set amidst the green fields of Dhaka.
Storms swept away their fields and homes. So they left the country.

Q2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
Ans. One explanation offered by the author is that it is a tradition to stay barefoot. It is not lack of money. He
wonders if this is only an excuse to explain away a perpetual state of poverty. He also remembers the story of a
poor boy who prayed to the goddess for a pair of shoes.

Q3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.

Ans. No, Saheb is not happy working at the tea-stall. He is no longer his own master. His face 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.

THINK AS YOU READ 

Q1. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
Ans. The city of Firozabad is famous for its bangles. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making
bangles. It is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry. Families have spent generations working around
furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for the women in the land.

Q2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry?

Ans. Boys and girls with their fathers and mothers sit in dark hutments, next to lines of flames of flickering oil
lamps. They weld pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than
to the light outside. They often end up losing eyesight before they become adults. Even the dust from polishing
the glass of bangles is injurious to eyes. Many workers have become blind. The furnaces have very high
temperature and therefore very dangerous.

Q3. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
Ans. Mukesh’s grandmother thinks that the god-given lineage can never be broken. Her son and grandsons are
bom in the caste of bangle makers. They have seen nothing but bangles.
Mukesh’s father has taught them what he knows—the art of making bangles. But Mukesh wants to be a motor
mechanic. He will go to a garage and learn, though the garage is far away from his home.

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

Q1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
Ans. People migrate from villages to cities in search of livelihood. Their fields fail to provide them means of
survival. Cities provide employment, jobs or other means of getting food. The problem in case of the poor is to
feed the hungry members. Survival is of primary concern.

Q2. Would you agree that promises made to the poor children are rarely kept? Why do you think
this happens in the incidents narrated in the text?
Ans. The promises made to the poor are rarely kept. The author asks Saheb half-joking, whether he will come to
her school if she starts one. Saheb agrees to do so. A few days later he asks if the school is ready. The writer
feels embarrassed at having made a promise that was not meant. Promises like hers abound in every comer of
their bleak world.
 Q3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Ans. Certain forces conspire to keep the workers in bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty. These include the
moneylenders, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of law, the bureaucrats and the politicians. Together
they impose a heavy burden on the child.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT 

Q1. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
Ans. Mukesh is the son of a poor bangle-maker of Firozabad. Most of the young men of Firozabad have no
initiative or ability to dream, but Mukesh is an exception. He has the capacity to take courage and break from
the traditional family occupation. He has strong will power also. He does not want to be a pawn in the hands of
the middlemen or moneylenders. He insists on being his own master by becoming a motor mechanic.
He can realise his dream by joining a garage and learn the job of repairing cars and driving them. He will have
to overcome many hurdles before he succeeds. Then comes transport problem. Money is the first one. He will
have to earn some money himself. The garage is a long way from his home. He will have to cover it twice
everyday anyhow—by walking on foot.
Patience, hardwork, firm will and the determination to learn will help him realise his dream.

Q2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.

Ans. The glass bangles industry has many health hazards. It usually employs small children. It is illegal to
employ very young children in hazardous industries, but certain forces like ! middlemen, moneylenders, police
and politicians combine to entrap the poor workers.
Let us first consider the places where bangle makers work. It is a cottage industry. They work in the glass
furnaces with high temperatures. The dingy cells are without air and light. Boys and girls work hard during day
next to lines of flames of flickering oil lamps.
They weld pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. Their eyes are more adjusted to the dark than to the
light outside. That is why, they often end up losing their eyesight before they become adults.
Glass blowing, welding and soldering pieces of glass are all health hazards. Even the dust from polishing the
glass of bangles adversely affects the eyes and even adults go blind. Thus, the surroundings, prevailing
conditions and the type of job involved-all prove risky to the health of the workers.

Q3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?

Ans. Child labour should be eliminated because the children employed at tender age as i domestic servants,
dish-washers at road-side dhabas and in hazardous industries making glass bangles, biris, crackers etc. lose the
charm of the spring of their life. Their childhood is stolen. Burdened by the responsibility of work, they become
adults too soon. Most of them are undernourished, ill-fed, uneducated, and poor. They have a stunted growth.
Child labour can be eliminated only through concerted efforts on the part of government agencies, NGOs (Non-
Government Organisations), co-operative societies and political leaders. Mere passing of law will not help.
Laws should be enacted faithfully. The children thrown out of work should be rehabilitated and given proper
food, clothes, education and pocket money. Their feelings, thoughts and emotions should be respected. Let them
enjoy sunshine and fresh air.

THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE 

Although this text speaks of factual events and situations of misery, it transforms these situations with an almost
poetical prose into a literary experience. How does it do so? Here are some literary devices:
•Hyperbole is a way of speaking or writing that makes something sound better or more exciting than it really is.
For example: Garbage to them is gold.
•A Metaphor, as you may know, compares two things or ideas that are not very similar. A metaphor describes a
thing in terms of a single quality or feature of some other thing; we can say that a metaphor “transfers” a quality
of one thing to another. For example: The road was a ribbon of light.
•Simile is a word or phrase that compares one thing with another using the words “like” or “as”. For example:
As white as snow.
Carefully read the following phrases and sentences taken from the text. Can you identify the literary device in
each example?
1.Saheb-e-Alam which means the lord of the universe is directly in contrast to what Saheb is in reality.
2.Drowned in an air of desolation
3.Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically.
4.For the children it is wrapped in wonder; for the elders it is a means of survival.
5.As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine, I wonder if she knows the sanctity of the
bangles she helps make.
shoulders.
Answers
1.Hyperbole 2.Metaphor 3.Contrast 4.Contrast
5.Simile 6.Contrast 7.Hyperbole 8.Metaphor
9.Metaphor 10.Hyperbole 11.Contrast

THINGS TO DO 
The beauty of the glass bangles of Firozabad contrasts with the misery of people who produce them. This
paradox is also found in some other situations, for example, those who work in gold and diamond mines, or
carpet weaving factories, and the products of their labour, the lives of construction workers and the buildings
they build.
•Look around and find examples of such paradoxes.
•Write a paragraph of about 200 to 250 words on any one of them. You can start by making notes.
Here is an example of how one such paragraph may begin:
You never see the poor in this town. By day they toil, working cranes and earth movers, squirreling deep into
the hot sand to lay the foundations of chrome. By night they are banished
to bleak labour camps at the outskirts of the city
Ans. For self-attempt.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1. Who was Saheb? What was he doing and why?
Ans. Saheb was a young boy of school-going age. He was looking for gold in the garbage dumps of the big city.
He had left his home in Dhaka, Bangladesh and came to the big city in search of living. He has nothing else to
do but pick rags.

Q2. “But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.” What promise does the
author recall? In what context was it made? Was it fulfilled?
Ans. The author asked Saheb about going to school. Saheb explained that there was no school in his
neighbourhood. He promised to go to school when they built one. Half joking, the author asked whether he
would come in case she started one. Saheb smiled broadly and agreed to come. After a few days, he ran upto the
author and asked if the school was ready. The author felt embarrassed. She had made a promise that was not
meant.

Q3. What is the meaning of Saheb’s full name? Does he know it? How does he conduct himself?
Ans. His full name is “Saheb-e-Alam”. It means the lord of the universe. He does not know it. If he knew it, he
would hardly believe it. He roams the streets barefoot with other rag-pickers. This army of arefoot boys appears
in the morning and disappears at noon.
 Q4. How does the author focus on the ‘perpetual state of poverty’ of the children not wearing
footwear?
Ans. The author notices that most of the young children engaged in rag picking are not wearing footwear. Some
of them do not have chappals. Others want to wear shoes. Some say it is tradition to stay barefoot. To the author
it seems lack of money. Poverty forces them to walk without footwear.

Q5. Explain: “For children, garbage has a meaning different from what it means to their parents.
”
Ans. Small children scrounge heaps of garbage. They expect to get some coin, note or valuable thing in it.
Sometimes they find a rupee or even a ten rupee note. This gives the hope of finding more. They search it
excitedly. For children, garbage is wrapped in wonder.
For the elders it is a means of survival. Thus, garbage has two different meanings.

Q6. Where does the author find Saheb one winter morning? What explanation does Saheb offer?
Ans. The author finds Saheb standing by the fenced gate of a neighbourhood club. He is watching two young
men, dressed in white, playing tennis. Saheb says that he likes the game, but he is content to watch it standing
behind the fence. He goes inside when no one is around. He uses the swing there.

Q7. What job did Saheb take up? Was he happy ? [All India 2014]
Ans. Saheb took up the job at a tea-stall. But he was not happy with it. He was no longer his own master. His
face had lost the carefree look. Although he earned ? 800, even then he was not satisfied.

Q8. How has “a dream come true” for Saheb but what is “out of his reach?”
Ans. Saheb is wearing discarded tennis shoes. One of them has a hole. Saheb does not bother about the hole.
For one who has walked barefoot, even shoes with a hole is a dream come true. But tennis, the game he is
watching so intently, is out of his reach.

Q9. How does Saheb’s life change when he starts working at the tea-stall?
Ans. Saheb now has a regular income. He is paid 800 rupees and all his meals. Thus, food is no problem. But
his face has lost the carefree look. The steel canister in his hand now seems a burden. He is no longer his own
master. He may have to work for longer hours. The helplessness of doing things at his own will makes him sad.

Q10. Who is Mukesh? What is his dream? Why does it look like “a mirage amidst the dust?”
Ans. Mukesh is the son of a poor bangle-maker of Firozabad, where every other family is engaged in making
bangles. His poor father has failed to renovate his house or send his two sons to school. Mukesh insists on being
his own master. His dream is to be a motor mechanic. He wants to drive a car. Given the conditions of
existence, his dream looks like a mirage amidst the dust.

Q11.What do you learn about Firozabad from this chapter ? 

Ans. Firozabad is famous for its glass bangles. It is the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry.
Families have spent generations working around furnaces, welding glass, making bangles for all the women in
the land. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles.

Q12. “Born in the caste of bangle-makers they have seen nothing but bangles.” Where do they
‘see’ bangles?
Ans. Children like Mukesh are bpm in the caste of bangle-makers. They know no other work.
They see bangles in the house, in the yard, in every other house, every other yard, every street in Firozabad. The
spirals of bangles lie in mounds in unkempt yards. They are piled on four wheeled hand carts.
 Q13. What contrast do you notice between the colours of the bangles and the atmosphere of
the place where these bangles are made?
Ans. The bangles are of every colour bom out of the seven colours of the rainbow. These are sunny gold, paddy
green, royal blue, pink and purple. Boys and girls work in dark hutments, next to the flickering flames of oil
lamps around furnaces, blowing glass, welding and soldering it to make bangles.

Q14. What are most of the bangle-makers ignorant of? What would happen if law were enforced
strictly?
Ans. Most of the bangle-makers are ignorant of the fact that employing children in bangle making is illegal.
This is a hazardous industry. Many children become blind before reaching tHeir adulthood. If the law were
enforced strictly, 20,000 children would be released from
working hard throughout the day at hot furnaces with high temperatures. *

Q15. Where is Mukesh’s house located? What is he proud of?

Ans. Mukesh’s house is built in a slum-area. The lanes stink with garbage. The homes there are hovels with
crumbling walls, wobbly doors and no windows. These are crowded with families of humans and animals. Most
of these houses are shacks or huts. Mukesh is proud that his house is being rebuilt. His eyes shine as he
volunteers to take the author to his home,

Q16. What impression do you form about Mukesh ‘s family on having a glimpse of their ‘house?’
Ans. Mukesh’s house is a half built shack with a wobbly door. One part of it is thatched with dead grass. There
is a firewood stove. Spinach leaves are sizzling in a large vessel. More chopped vegetables lie on aluminium
platters. The eyes of the frail young woman are filled with smoke, but she smiles. The scene depicts their
grinding poverty but contentment with their lot.

Q17. Give a thumb-nail sketch of the “frail young woman” in the chapter ‘Lost Spring’.
Ans. The young woman is the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother. Her eyes are filled with the smoke of firewood.
Though not much older in years, she commands respect as the daughter- in-law of the house. She adheres to
customs and traditions. She veils her face before male elders. She gently withdraws behind the broken wall to
do so.

Q18. How would you regard Mukesh’s father’s life and achievement?
Ans. Mukesh’s father was bom in the caste of bangle-makers. His father went blind with the dust from
polishing the glass of bangles. He is an old and poor bangle-maker. He has worked hard for long years, first as a
tailor and then as a bangle-maker. He has failed to renovate a house or send his two sons to school.

Q19. “Savita is a symbol of innocence and efficiency.” Comment.

Ans. Savita is a young girl. She has put on drab pink dress. She is soldering pieces of glass. Her hands move
mechanically like the tongs of a machine. She is innocent as she is ignorant about the sanctity of the bangles she
helps to make.

Q20. What do bangles symbolise? When, according to the author, will Savita know “the sanctity of
the bangles she helps make?” How is the Indian bride dressed? 
Ans. Bangles symbolise auspiciousness in marriage for an Indian woman. Savita will come to know “the
sanctity” of the bangles when she becomes a bride. The head of a bride is draped with a red veil. Her hands are
dyed with red henna. Red bangles are rolled on to her wrists.

Q21. “She still has bangles on her wrist but no light in her eyes.” What exactly does the author
want to convey through this?
Ans. ‘She’ is an elderly woman who became a bride long ago. Since her husband, an old man with a flowing
beard is still alive, she still has bangles on her wrist. She has, however, not enjoyed even one full nteal in her
entire lifetime. So, there is no light in her eyes. This is just a comment on the abject poverty and helplessness of
the bangle-makers.

Q22. “The young men echo the lament of their elders. ” What do you think is the common
complain t ? How has it affected their lives?
Ans. The bangle-makers of Firozabad are quite poor. They do not have enough money to do anything except
carry on the business of making bangles. Some even do not have enough to pacify their hunger. Building a
house for the family is an achievement for them. Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the
ability to dream.

Q23. Why do the bangle-makers not organise themselves into a cooperative?

Ans. Most of the young bangle-makers have fallen into the traps of the middlemen. They are also afraid of the
police. They know that the police will haul them up, beat them and drag to jail for doing something illegal.
There is no leader among them to help them see things differently. Their fathers are equally tired. They can do
nothing except carrying on their i inherited business.

Q24. Which two distinct worlds does the author notice among the bangle-making industry ?
Ans. The families of the bangle-makers belong to one of these worlds. These workers are caught in the web of
poverty. They are also burdened by the stigma of the caste in which they are bom. They know no other work.
The other world is the vicious circle of the moneylenders, the middlemen, the policemen, the keepers of the law,
the bureaucrats and the politicians.

Q25. How is Mukesh different from the other bangle makers of Firozabad? [Delhi 2014]
Ans. Mukesh is quite different from other bangle makers of Firozabad because he has the courage to take
initiative and break from the traditional family occupation. He has strong will power also. He insists on being
his own master by becoming a motor mechanic.

Q26. What do you think is the plight of the children born in the families of bangle-makers?
Ans. The vicious circle of the middlemen and their allies have entrapped the poor bangle- makers in their nets.
The stronghold is suffocating. They have imposed a heavy burden on little children. They can’t put it down.
Before they are able to think, they accept the baggages as naturally as their fathers.

Q27. What do you think is the theme of ‘Lost Spring, Stories of Stolen Childhood’?
Ans. The theme of the chapter is the grinding poverty and the traditions which condemn poor children to a life
of exploitation. The two stories taken together depict the plight of street children forced into labour early in life
and denied the opportunity of schooling. The callousness of the society and the political class only adds to the
sufferings of these poor people.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1.What are the dreams of the poor like ‘Saheb-e-Alam’ and Mukesh? Could these be realised? What is
the reality of the situation?
Ans. Poor rag-pickers like Saheb spend the early years of their lives looking for gold in garbage dumps. The
parents of these street children have no fixed income. They wage war against poverty and hunger. They have no
dreams except finding the means of survival. Garbage to them is gold. It is the source of their daily bread and
provides a roof over their heads. He ends up as a servant at a tea-stall and loses his freedom.
Mukesh, the son of a poor bangle-maker of Firozabad, has a dream of becoming a motor mechanic. He wants to
learn to drive a car. He thinks of joining a garage to fulfil his dream. He knows that the garage is far away, yet
he has decided to walk. He realises the reality and is willing to overcome the obstacles. His daring to rise and
decision to get free from the trap laid by vicious moneylenders and middle men arouse a sense of
hope.Deprived of education, proper food and upbringing, these children are forced into labour early in life.

Q2. Firozabad presents a strange paradox. Contrast the beauty of the glass bangles of Firozabad
with the misery of the people who produce them.
Ans. Firozabad, the centre of India’s glass-blowing industry, is famous for its bangles. Spirals of bangles of
various colours can be seen lying in mounds in yards or piled on four wheeled push carts. These bangles have
shining bright colours: sunny gold, paddy
green, royal blue, pink, purple-in fact, every colour bom out of the seven colours of the rainbow.
The banglemakers lead a miserable life. They know no other work than bangle making. They have neither
courage nor money to start another trade or job. they have spent generations in the clutches of middle men and
moneylenders. Extreme poverty forces them to remain hungry and yet work all day. The elderly woman,who
works with Savita, has not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire lifetime. Her husband has made a house for
the family to live in. He has achieved what many have failed in their lifetime. Mukesh’s father has failed to
renovate a house or send his two sons to school. Young boys are as tired as their fathers. Their work at hot
furnaces makes them blind prematurely.

Q3.(i) “Survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking.”

(ii) “Garbage to them is gold.”
(iii) “For the children it (garbage) is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a means of survival.”
In the light of the above remarks write an account of the life and activities of the ragpickers settled in
Seemapuri (Delhi).
Or
Give a brief account of the life and activities of the Bangladeshi squatters like Saheb-e-Alam settled in
Seemapuri.
Ans. Seemapuri is a place on the periphery of Delhi, yet miles away from it metaphorically. Squatters who
came from Bangladesh way back in 1971 live here. Saheb’s family is one of them. Seemapuri was then a
wilderness. It still is, but it is no longer empty. Nearly 10,000 ragpickers live there in structures of mud, with
roofs of tin and tarpaulin. These shanties are devoid of sewage, drainage or running water. These people have
lived there for more than thirty years without an identity or permit. They have got ration cards that enable them
to buy grains and get their names on voters’ lists. For them food is more important for survival than an identity.
The women put on tattered saris. They left their fields as they gave them no grain. They pitch their tents
wherever they find food. Ragpicking is the sole means of their survival.
It has acquired the proportions of a fine art for them. Garbage to them is gold. It provides them their daily bread
and a roof over the heads. Most of the barefoot ragpickers roam the streets early in the morning and finish their
activities by noon. They seem to carry the plastic bag lightly over their shoulders. They are clothed in
discoloured shirts and shorts and denied the opportunity of schooling.

Q4. “The cry of not having money to do anything except carry on the business of making bangles,
not even enough to eat, rings in every home. The young men echo the lament of their elders. Little has
moved with time, it seems, in Firozabad.” Comment on the hardships of the banglemakers of Firozabad
with special emphasis on the forces that conspire against them and obstruct their progress.
Ans. The bangle-makers of Firozabad are bom in poverty, live in poverty and die in poverty. For generations
these people have been engaged in this trade—working around hot furnaces with high temperature, welding and
soldering glass to make bangles. In spite of hard labour throughout the day, the return is meagre. Some of them
have to sleep with empty, aching stomachs. Others do not have enough to eat. Whatever they do get is not
delicious or nourishing.
The stinking lanes of their shanty town are choked with garbage. Their hovels have crumbling walls, wobbly
doors and no windows. These are overcrowded with humans and animals.
Poverty and hunger, social customs and traditions, stigma of caste and the intrigues of powerful lobby that
thrives on their labour combine to keep them poor, uneducated and hungry. The moneylenders, the middlemen,
the policemen, the keepers of law, the bureaucrats and the politicians—all are ranged against them. Children are
engaged in illegal and hazardous work. Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and ability to
dream. They are unable to organise themselves into cooperative due to lack of a leader and fear of ill-treatment
at the hands of the police. They seem to carry the burden that they can’t put down. They can talk but not act to
improve their lot.

Q5. Compare and contrast the two families of bangle-sellers portrayed in ‘Lost Spring.’ Comment
on the roles of individuals in highlighting the issues raised by the author.
Ans. One of the families is that ofMukesh’s. It comprises three males and two females: Mukesh, his brother,
their father, their grandmother and the wife of Mukesh’s elder brother. The grandmother had watched her own
husband go blind with the dust from polishing the glass of bangles. Mukesh’s father is a poor old bangle maker,
who has failed to renovate a house and send his two sons to school. Mukesh and his brother make bangles. The
wife of Mukesh’s brother is a traditional daughter-in-law who follows the customs and cooks food for the
family. The grandmother believes in destiny and caste. Only Mukesh shows some sparks of fighting the system
and declares that he wants to be a motor mechanic.
Savita, the elderly woman and her old, bearded husband form the other family. Young and innocent Savita
works mechanically. The elderly woman highlights the plight of bangle makers who fail to enjoy even one full
meal during the entire lifetime. The old man has an achievement to his credit. He has made a house for the
family to live in. He has a roof over his head.
The lifestyle, problems and economic conditions of the two families are similar. There is only a difference of
degree but not of kind in their existence and response to life’s problems.

VALUE-BASED QUESTIONS
Q1.Hunger knows no friend but its feeder. The downtrodden lead a miserable life. Elucidate the dictum
keeping in mind the following lines:
“survival in Seemapuri means ragpicking. 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, “ 
Ans.                                                        Poverty: A Vicious Circle
It is a well known saying that poverty is the root cause of all evils. Corruption, loot, begging and incidents of
theft are the offspring of abject poverty. The destitute lead a pitiable and miserable life. They do not get
sufficient food. Lack of funds constrain them to take recourse to illegal activities. Slum dwellers always feel
themselves dejected. They recognise only those beings who help them and feed them. Political leaders take
undue advantages of their poverty. They are misused to win elections. Humanity, mankind, honesty, trust and
love become significant when an individual succeeds in satisfying his hunger. Hungry people need only food.
There is a dearth of people who are capable of converting obstacles into opportunities. These poor people are
exploited ruthlessly by industrialists, politicians and other middlemen. They scrounge for gold in the garbage
dumps to earn their livelihood. The hiatus between the rich and the poor seems difficult to be bridged. It is
increasing day by day. The poor are becoming poorer and the rich richer. There is no human being who would
like to work for their welfare. Their plight is pitiable and horrible. The residential areas of these people are
packed with filth. They become habitual of foul smell. Poverty is a vicious circle. It never comes to an end. The
unemployed youth are heading towards destruction. They do not remember anything except the help they
receive from the opportunistic people who feed them to materialise their vested interests.

Q2. There is no denying the fact that ‘Life is action and not contemplation.’ Those who shirk work
and waste their time in thinking about bitter consequences never achieve greatness. They lack
enthusiasm. Substantiate the aphorism keeping in mind the following lines:
“I will be a motor mechanic’’ “I will learn to drive a car”. His dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust
of streets…”
Ans.                                        Life is Action and not Contemplation
Initiation is the law of nature. Success depends on the actions taken by an individual. One has to take actions
without wasting time. Dreams give us directions. But it should not be forgotten that a man cannot become
influential by only dreaming . One who does not utilise time fails to do anything significant in life. Actions
shape the destiny of the beings. Contemplation destroys happiness. Aimless thinking aggravates woes and
worries. It leads to nowhere. Such thinkers never get pleasure in this world of mortals. Those who believe in
taking actions attain their long cherished goals with an astonishing ease. They never feel confused or perplexed.
They never become a victim of depression. All the human beings are to perform their duties on the earth.
Contemplation leads to idleness. Life is a judicious blend of contemplation and action. Contemplation
transformed into action is of utmost importance. Action without contemplation may be disastrous.
Contemplation without action is a sin. One should not waste time in thinking only. We should always remember
that life is short and time is swift. Procrastination is the thief of time. One should not forget that there’s a time
for everything. One should grab this opportune time to get success in life.

Q3. Dedication, determination and devotion are the factors responsible for phenomenal suc¬cess.
Substantiate the above quoted statement in the light of the following lines:
“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. 7 will walk’, he insists.”
Ans.                                                             Key to Success
Hard work is the key to success. Dogged determination and strong will power are the essential ingredients of
success. Industrious people never feel disheartened. They bum the mid night oil and strive hard to achieve the
desired goals. It is said that between two stools one falls on the ground. Thus, one has to dedicate one’s life to a
specific field. The long term goals and aims of life must be set thoughtfully and not whimsically. The
capricious nature of a fellow does not allow him to reach the heights. Devotion always brings good results and
rewards. The essence of devotion is trust or faith. If one has trust in performing the actions, one is able in
winning the battle of life. Trust gives strength and strength gives birth to determination which leads to
dedication. Devoted and dedicated people never become a part of a problem. They remain a part of the solution.
They do not do different things but they do things differently. Their devotion to the field encourages them to
have indepth knowledge. Those who dare to climb the hill conquer Mount Everest. Dedication has no substitute.
It is the only way to great accomplishments.

Q4. Health plays an important role in the life of a mortal. But the destitute fail to get
nutritious food and do not remain healthy. It is said that health is wealth. People believe that a sound
mind lives in a sound body. Elucidate it taking ideas from the following lines:
“Ek waqt ser bhar khana bhi nahin Khaya.” 
Ans.                                                           Health and Food
One has to accept the fact that if wealth is lost, something is lost and if health is lost, everything is lost. The
proverb A sound mind lives in a sound body’ is apt. A healthy man can enjoy the beauty of this world. An
unhealthy man misses one of the greatest boons given by the Almighty. A healthy beggar is better than an
unhealthy king. A person who accumulates enormous wealth and suffers from chronic or fatal diseases cannot
relish life.
He wastes his time in clinics and hospitals. Health is essential to have positive thoughts.
One should wake up early in the morning and take exercise. Nutritious food is indispensable for good health.
Junk food must be avoided. The destitute suffer because they do not get : sufficeient food. They do not have any
source of income. Undoubtedly good health plays a pivotal role in the life of a mortal. Pecuniary gains are of
utmost importance but a strong and sturdy body free from ailments is of paramount importance. It has no
substitute. A mortal cannot endure the loss of health. Creativity, productivity and innovation get enhanced if a
man is healthy. Thus, one should be in the best of health so that one can lead a happy and contented life.
 Q5. Child abuse is a very serious problem in our country. Children are forced by circumstances to
work in various factories. Write an article, on the topic ‘Child Abuse’. Take ideas from the following
lines:
“None of them knows that it is illegal for children like him to work in the glass furnaces 1 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.”
Ans.                                                             Child Abuse
Child abuse is a grave problem in India. Many children work for dhabas, factories and tea stall owners. These
are those unfortunate children of this country who don’t get even . meals three times a day. It is a blemish on
our nation. It is the duty of the governments to make arrangements of education for these children. Child labour
is common in the fields of agriculture, domestic service, sex industry, carpet and textile industries, quarrying,
bangle making and brick making. These children are forced to work in horrible conditions. There are no set
working hours for these children. They are given low wages.
In some cases poverty of the household and low level of parental education are responsible , for child labour.
Employing children in factories implies that the nation’s future is in dark. These children never feel happy.
They become devoid of human emotions. They adoptillegal ways to earn their bread and butter when they
become able-bodied. It gives rise to .violence and corruption. Child labour should be stopped and the
governments should educate these children free of cost. At least elementary education should be given to all
children.