Extract Based Questions: Lost Spring | English Class 12 PDF Download

Read the extract and answer the following questions.

Extract:
After months of knowing him, I ask him his name. “SahebeAlam,” 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.
(Lost Spring)

Question (i) What does the writer mean by "he would have a hard time believing it"?
(a) He would be surprised by the meaning of his name
(b) He would be doubtful of the authenticity of his name
(c) He would be proud of the significance of his name
(d) He would be confused by the contrast of his name and his situation
Ans: (d) He would be confused by the contrast of his name and his situation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The writer reveals that Saheb's name means "lord of the universe", which is a very grand and noble name. However, Saheb's reality is very different from his name. He is a poor street child who roams around barefoot with his friends, without any education or opportunities. Therefore, if Saheb knew the meaning of his name, he would have a hard time believing it, because it does not match his situation at all. He would be confused by the irony and the injustice of having such a name when he has nothing else in life. This shows the writer's sympathy and sadness for Saheb and his friends, who are deprived of their basic rights and dignity.

Question (ii) Why does the writer use the metaphor of "an army of barefoot boys" to describe Saheb and his friends?
(a) To show their strength and courage
(b) To show their discipline and order
(c) To show their large number and uniformity
(d) To show their loyalty and camaraderie
Ans: (c) To show their large number and uniformity.
Step-by-step explanation:
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two things that are not alike, but have something in common. The writer compares Saheb and his friends to an army of barefoot boys, which means that they are like soldiers who do not wear shoes. The writer uses this metaphor to show how many of them there are on the streets, and how they all look the same without any footwear or proper clothes. The writer also implies that they have no choice but to be barefoot, as if they are following a strict rule or a tradition that they cannot break. This shows the writer's awareness and concern for the plight of these children, who are deprived of their basic needs and comforts.

Question (iii) Identify the word from the extract that means the same as "wander".
(a) Know
(b) Roam
(c) Appear
(d) Recognise
Ans: (b) Roam.
Step-by-step explanation:
To wander means to move around without a fixed direction or purpose, often aimlessly or casually. To roam means to move about or travel without any definite plan or destination, often over a large area. Both words have similar meanings, but roam can also imply more freedom or enjoyment than wander. The writer uses the word roam to describe how Saheb and his friends move around the streets with their friends, without any fixed schedule or goal. This shows the writer's curiosity and interest in their lives, as well as their lack of guidance and direction.

Question (iv) Complete the sentence with ONE word.
The phrase "he does not know what it means" suggests that Saheb is ___________ of his own identity.
Ans: unaware.
Step-by-step explanation:
To be unaware means to not know or realize something, or to not pay attention to something. The writer says that Saheb does not know what his name means, which is "lord of the universe". This suggests that Saheb is unaware of his own identity, or who he really is and where he comes from. This shows the writer's surprise and pity for Saheb, who does not have any sense of his own history or culture.

Question (v) What is the writer's purpose in revealing Saheb's name only after months of knowing him?
Ans: The writer's purpose in revealing Saheb's name only after months of knowing him is to create a contrast between his name and his reality, and to show how his name does not reflect his situation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The writer introduces Saheb as a barefoot boy who roams the streets with his friends, without any education or opportunities. The writer does not mention his name until after months of knowing him, which creates suspense and curiosity for the reader. The writer then reveals his name as SahebeAlam, which means "lord of the universe", which is a very grand and noble name. The writer also says that he does not know what it means, which adds to the irony and the contrast of his name and his reality. The writer's purpose in doing this is to show how Saheb's name does not reflect his situation at all, and how he is deprived of his basic rights and dignity.

Question (vi) Which of the following headlines best captures the central idea of the extract?
(a) The Irony of a Noble Name
(b) The Friendship of Street Children
(c) The Mystery of a Barefoot Boy
(d) The Reality of Urban Poverty
Ans: (a) The Irony of a Noble Name.
Step-by-step explanation:
The central idea of the extract is the main message or theme that the writer wants to convey to the reader. The central idea of this extract is the contrast between Saheb's name and his reality, and how his name does not match his situation at all. The headline that best captures this central idea is "The Irony of a Noble Name", which summarizes the main point of the extract in a concise and catchy way. The other headlines do not capture the central idea as well, as they focus on other aspects of the extract, such as the friendship of street children, the mystery of a barefoot boy, or the reality of urban poverty.

Read the extract and answer the following questions.
Extract:
My acquaintance with the barefoot ragpickers leads me to Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically. Those who live here are squatters who came from Bangladesh back in 1971. Saheb’s family is among them. Seemapuri was then a wilderness. It still is, but it is no longer empty. In structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage or running water, live 10,000 ragpickers. They have lived here for more than thirty years without an identity, without permits but with ration cards that get their names on voters’ lists and enable them to buy grain.
(Lost Spring)

Question (i) What is the writer’s purpose in mentioning the ration cards that the squatters have?
Ans: The writer’s purpose in mentioning the ration cards that the squatters have is to show the irony and the contradiction of their situation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The writer says that the squatters have lived in Seemapuri for more than thirty years without an identity or permits, which means that they are not recognized or authorized by the government or the society. However, the writer also says that they have ration cards that get their names on voters’ lists and enable them to buy grain, which means that they have some form of identification and entitlement. The writer uses this contrast to show the irony and the contradiction of their situation, as they are both invisible and visible, both excluded and included, depending on their needs and benefits.

Question (ii) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The phrase "a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically" suggests that ____________.
Ans: The correct answer is Seemapuri is very different from Delhi in terms of its living conditions, its people, and its identity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The writer says that Seemapuri is a place on the periphery of Delhi, which means that it is located at the edge of the city, far away from its main parts. The writer also uses the word "metaphorically", which means that Seemapuri is not only on the edge of Delhi geographically, but also socially and economically. The writer shows how Seemapuri is different from Delhi in terms of its living conditions, its people, and its identity.

Question (iii) Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line "They have lived here for more than thirty years without an identity, without permits but with ration cards".
Ans: One possible inference that can be drawn from this line is that the squatters are not recognized or authorized by the government or the society, but they have some form of identification and entitlement that allows them to survive.
Step-by-step explanation:
An inference is a logical conclusion or deduction based on evidence or clues from the text. The writer says that the squatters have lived in Seemapuri for more than thirty years without an identity or permits, which means that they are not registered or legalized as citizens or residents. However, the writer also says that they have ration cards that get their names on voters' lists and enable them to buy grain, which means that they have some document that proves their existence and gives them some rights and benefits. This contrast shows the paradox or the contradiction of their situation, as they are both invisible and visible, both excluded and included, depending on their needs and benefits.

Question (iv) Identify the word from the extract that means the opposite of "included".
(a) Devoid
(b) Squatters
(c) Periphery
(d) Voters
Ans: (a) Devoid.
Step-by-step explanation:
To be included means to be part of something or to belong to something. To be devoid means to be completely without something or to lack something. Both words have opposite meanings, as one implies presence and the other implies absence. The writer uses the word devoid to describe how Seemapuri is without any basic facilities or amenities, such as sewage, drainage, or running water.

Question (v) What is the writer's purpose in describing the living conditions of the squatters in Seemapuri?
Ans: The writer's purpose in describing the living conditions of the squatters in Seemapuri is to show the harsh reality and the poor quality of life that they face every day.
Step-by-step explanation:
The writer's purpose is the reason or the goal that the writer has for writing something. The writer describes the living conditions of the squatters in Seemapuri in detail, using words and phrases such as structures of mud, roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid of sewage, drainage, or running water. The writer uses these descriptions to show the reader how the squatters live in a very unhygienic, unsanitary, and unhealthy environment, without any comfort or convenience. The writer also shows how these living conditions affect their health, their dignity, and their future.

Question (vi) Which of the following headlines best summarizes the main idea of the extract?
(a) The Struggle of the Ragpickers
(b) The History of Seemapuri
(c) The Paradox of the Squatters
(d) The Development of Delhi
Ans: (c) The Paradox of the Squatters.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main idea of the extract is the central message or theme that the writer wants to convey to the reader. The main idea of this extract is the paradox or the contradiction of the squatters who live in Seemapuri, who are both refugees and citizens, both homeless and settled, both ignored and acknowledged. The headline that best summarizes this main idea is "The Paradox of the Squatters", which captures the essence of the extract in a concise and catchy way. The other headlines do not summarize the main idea as well, as they focus on other aspects of the extract, such as the struggle of the ragpickers, the history of Seemapuri, or the development of Delhi.

Read the extract and answer the following questions.
Extract:
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.
(Lost Spring)
Question (i) List any two sensory details present in this extract.
Ans: Sensory details are words or phrases that appeal to the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. They help the reader to imagine and experience the scene that the writer describes. Some examples of sensory details present in this extract are:

• A drab pink dress
• Soldering pieces of glass

Step-by-step explanation:
To list any two sensory details present in this extract, we need to identify the words or phrases that appeal to the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Sensory details help the reader to imagine and experience the scene that the writer describes, by creating vivid images and impressions in their mind. Some examples of sensory details present in this extract are:

• A drab pink dress: This appeals to the sense of sight, as it shows how Savita's dress is dull and faded, without any brightness or color. It also shows her poverty and her lack of choice.
• Soldering pieces of glass: This appeals to the sense of sound and touch, as it shows how Savita's work involves heating and joining pieces of glass to make bangles. It also shows her skill and her hardship.

These are two sensory details present in this extract that help us to understand Savita's feelings and situation better.

Question (ii) Complete the sentence appropriately.
The phrase "her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine" suggests that ____________.
Ans: Savita is doing her work without any interest or emotion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The writer says that Savita is a young girl who sits alongside an elderly woman, soldering pieces of glass to make bangles. The writer uses the phrase "her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine" to describe how Savita does her work in a repetitive and automatic way, without any variation or creativity. This suggests that Savita is doing her work without any interest or emotion, as if she is not a human being but a machine. This shows the writer's sympathy and sadness for Savita, who does not have any joy or freedom in her life.

Question (iii) Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line "She still has bangles on her wrist, but no light in her eyes".
Ans: One possible inference that can be drawn from this line is that the elderly woman has lost her happiness and hope in her marriage.
Step-by-step explanation:
An inference is a logical conclusion or deduction based on evidence or clues from the text. The writer says that the elderly woman still has bangles on her wrist, which symbolize her auspiciousness in marriage and her status as a wife. However, the writer also says that she has no light in her eyes, which means that she has no spark or brightness in her expression or attitude. This shows that the elderly woman has lost her happiness and hope in her marriage, as she has suffered from poverty and hardship all her life.

Question (iv) Identify the word from the extract that means the same as "happiness".
(a) Sanctity
(b) Suhaag
(c) Joy
(d) Reaped
Ans: (c) Joy.
Step-by-step explanation:
To be happy means to feel or show pleasure or contentment, or to enjoy something or someone. To be joyful means to feel or express great happiness or delight, or to cause someone to feel this way. Both words have similar meanings, but joy can also imply more intensity or enthusiasm than happiness. The writer uses the word joy to describe the emotion that the elderly woman lacks in her voice, as she says that she has not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire lifetime.

Question (v) What is the writer's purpose in contrasting the bangles with the lives of the people who make them?
Ans: The writer's purpose in contrasting the bangles with the lives of the people who make them is to show the irony and the injustice of their situation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The writer's purpose is the reason or the goal that the writer has for writing something. The writer contrasts the bangles with the lives of the people who make them by using words and phrases such as sanctity, auspiciousness, light, joy, etc. The writer uses this contrast to show how the bangles are symbols of happiness and hope for Indian women, especially in marriage, but the people who make them are deprived of these things in their own lives. The writer also shows how the bangles are beautiful and colorful, but the lives of the people who make them are dull and drab.

Question (vi) Which of the following headlines best summarizes the main idea of the extract?
(a) The Beauty of Bangles
(b) The Hardship of Banglemakers
(c) The Irony of Bangles and Lives
(d) The Tradition of Bangles
Ans: (c) The Irony of Bangles and Lives.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main idea of the extract is the central message or theme that the writer wants to convey to the reader. The main idea of this extract is the irony or the contradiction of bangles and lives, how they have different meanings and effects for different people, especially for Indian women and banglemakers. The headline that best summarizes this main idea is "The Irony of Bangles and Lives", which captures the essence of the extract in a concise and catchy way. The other headlines do not summarize the main idea as well, as they focus on only one aspect of the extract, such as the beauty, the hardship, or the tradition of bangles.