Lost Spring Important Questions Class 12 English

                                 2. Lost Spring

 Q1. Who was Saheb? What was his full name? What was the irony about his name?

  Ans. Saheb was a rag-picker. His full name was Saheb-e-Alam. It meant ‘the lord of the Universe’. But he did not know the meaning of his name. He was just a poor boy born of poor parents. He had to struggle for his livelihood. This was the irony of his name.

Q2. What promise had the writer made with Saheb one day? Why did she feel small in front of him?    

Ans. One day, the writer gave Saheb the offer to join her school when she opened it. She did not promise him seriously about opening a school.   But Saheb took it seriously. That’s why she felt belittled when he asked her if she had opened a school.

Q3. What was Saheb wearing one morning? Where did he get it one morning?

  Ans. One morning, Saheb was wearing tennis shoes. These shoes were discarded (thrown) by a rich parents’ son because one of them had a hole in it These shoes also show Saheb’s love for playing tennis.

 Q4.What are the hazards of working in the glass bangles industries of Firozabad?

  Ans. The glass bangles have to work in small rooms which have no ventilation for fresh air and light to come there. Their eyes are in danger while working in these dark places with the light of furnaces only.

  Q5.Why did the steel canister seem burdensome than the load of rags to Sahib, when he worked at a tea stall?

   Ans. Saheb had to work in a tea stall as a servant. He did not feel good while working there. He had to work under a boss. Previously he was the master of his work. Saheb lost all the previous joy and carefree manner. So fetching a canister seemed more burdensome than the load of rags on his shoulders. 

Q5.Why did the steel canister seem burdensome than the load of rags to Sahib, when he worked at a tea stall?

   Ans. Saheb had to work in a tea stall as a servant. He did not feel good while working there. Although he got Rs. 800/ for his work, he was not happy. He had to work under a boss. Previously he was the master of his work. Saheb lost all the previous joy and carefree manner. So fetching a canister seemed more burdensome than the load of rags on his shoulders. 

 

   Q6. Who is Savita? What is she doing? What does the writer wonder about her?

   Ans. Savita is a young girl, who is sitting near an elderly woman. She is in a pink dress and soldering pieces of glass.

   The writer wonders if she knows about the sanctity of bangles that she is helping in soldering them.

Q7. How, in your opinion, can Mukesh realize his dream? How is his attitude different from his parents?

                               Or

   Is it possible for Mukesh to realize his dream? Justify your answer. 

Ans. The author Anees Jung notices a flicker of hope in the eyes of Mukesh. He talks of his dream to become a garage mechanic. He would walk a long distance on foot to fulfill his dream. He dares to break the lineage of the occupation of his father and forefathers.

Long answer Type Qs

   Q.2./11       How does Anees Jung describe the life of Seemapuri rag-pickers?

   Ans.     Seemapuri ragpickers live a life of hell. They cannot dream of living a normal life. They came from Bangladesh in 1971. Since then, they are living in Seemapuri. Their houses are of mud, with roofs of tin or tarpaulin. They have no basic facilities for sewage, drainage, and running water. They are about 10,000. They are all rag pickers. Garbage is a gold mine for them. Their children help them with rag-pickers. They are unable to go to school because of poverty. Food is more important to them than anything else. Garbage is the only source of their livelihood. As identity cards, they have only ration cards. They can buy grains with the help of them

  

Q.3/11   Describe the life of families engaged in making bangles in Ferozabad.

  Ans. Many families in Ferozabad are engaged in making bangles. These families have been doing this job for many years. They work near furnaces. They weld glass and make bangles. Women from different parts of India wear them. About 20,000 children work near these hot furnaces. They endanger their eyes while doing their work. The bangle-makers of Ferozabad are very poor. They are living as if they were living in hell. They live in inhuman conditions. The streets are very narrow and full of garbage. The walls and doors of their houses are in crumbling (about to fall) condition. Mukesh’s family also lives in the same area. They are the victims of middlemen, police, and politicians. They dare not break the line of their profession.

 

The Last Lesson Important Questions Class 12 English

 Most Important Qs-Ans: The Last Lesson

1. What changes did the order from Berlin cause in school that day?

   Ans. There was an unusual silence in school. M. Hamel was serious as it was his last lesson. Franz listened to his teacher patiently. The villagers also attended the class. Perhaps they wanted to pay respect to M. Hamel’s forty years of service to the school. Franz felt guilty for wasting his time in the past.

   2. As the teacher began to speak, ““My children, this is the last lesson…”, the words sounded like a thunderclap to Franz. Why?

   Ans. As the teacher’s words fell on Franz’s ears like a thunderclap. He was in a tizzy (in utter confusion) and could not understand what will become of him as he did not know his mother tongue properly.  He also came to understand why the people had gathered at the bulletin board.

3. What did the teacher say about the general tendency of people in general about tasks and what did he say about Franz’s parents and himself?

   Ans. The teacher said that people are in the habit of putting off things. They do not understand the value of present time and education. They are not serious about their children’s education. He also blamed himself for sending students to water the flower beds and on holiday.

4. What plans had Franz made to pass his day if he stayed away from school? Why did he change his plans?

Ans. Several thoughts came to his mind to pass the day if he stayed away from school. There was warm weather outside: birds were chirping at the edge of the woods and the Prussian soldiers were drilling in the open at the back of the saw-mill. But he wanted to attend his school that day.

 5. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons? What does this tell us about the attitude of the Frenchmen?

 Ans. The statement shows a young boy’s perception ( view) about the Prussian soldiers. He thinks that they can force human beings to learn and speak German, but they cannot force the birds to learn German.     This shows how the Frenchmen loved their language and how they were worried about it.

6. What is a bulletin board? What is its importance for the people of Alsace and Lorraine?

  Ans. The latest information (almost bad news) like all lost battles, the drafts, and the orders of the commanding officer was put at the bulletin board. People used to read from there about the latest information. That day, they got the information that the French language would not be taught in schools in the districts of Alsace and Lorraine.

7. What had Franz thought about entering the classroom and why couldn’t he enter as planned?

Ans. Franz wanted to enter the classroom unnoticed by taking advantage of the usual noise and movements.

   But on that day, everything was so quiet and peaceful, so, he had to enter the classroom by opening the door. The class was already full. He felt blushed and frightened. 

 8.   Who were sitting on the back benches? Why had they come there in the classroom?

   Ans. The village elders were sitting at the back benches. Those were: old Mr. Hauser. There were some other people like the former mayor, the former postman, etc. All of them had come to attend M. Hamel’s last lesson on French and also to pay respect to him for his forty-year service in the school.

9. What did Mr. Franz say about the French language?

   Ans. He said that the French language was the most beautiful of all the languages. It was the clearest and the most logical language. He also advised the students and the people present there never to forget this language.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q1/11. Franz’s attitude towards school and M. Hamel changes when he comes to know about the takeover of his village by Prussian soldiers. Do you agree? Discuss with reference to ‘The Last Lesson’?

Ans. Yes, we agree that Franz’s attitude towards school and M. Hamel is totally changed. He feels guilty of being careless for his lessons and missing them by remaining away from school.

His attitude towards Mr. Hamel is also changed now. He used to think his teacher to be a crank, but now he has full respect for him. The books on grammar and history were burden for him, but now they are no more burdens for him.   On the last day, he listened to the lecture so attentively that he was able to understand everything. He also thinks that Mr. Hamel had never taught them the lesson so seriously before.    Thus we see that Franz undergoes changes in his attitude towards school and M. Hamel.

Q2. As Franz reached the school, what changes did he notice there as a result of the orders from Berlin?

Ans. Franz saw an unusual scene in the school. It looked as if it were a quiet Sunday morning. He had expected to see the movements of the students from one place to the other and their noise that could be heard out in the street. Sometimes it was the noise of opening and closing of desks, lessons repeated in unison. Sometimes there was the sound of the teacher’s big ruler rapping or hitting on the table.   But that day, no such noise could be heard.

   Franz was really surprised to see the inside scene of the class room. He saw that his classmates were already in their places. M. Hamel, the teacher, was walking up and down in the class room. He had worn his special dress. Some village elders also were there sitting in the class room. All those things surprised Franz.

 

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