ENGLISH ASSIGNMENT

Flamingo L-2 LOST SPRING: STORIES OF STOLEN CHILDHOOD by Anees Jung

NOTE: Do questions 1 & 2 in the assignment sheet itself and use ruled sheet for question 3.

NAME: ____________________________________ CLASS: XII- ROLL NO. __________

Q1.READ THE GIVEN EXTRACTS AND NSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT FOLLOW:
(A) Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents that become transit homes. Children grow up in them,
becoming partners in survival. And survival in Seemapuri means rag-picking. 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, even if it is a leaking roof. But for a child it is even more.

1. Who are being referred to as 'they' in the given extract?

(a) Mukesh's family (b) Ragpickers
(c) Bangle makers (d) Saheb's family
2. The ragpickers have no identity, no permits, but __________ enable them to buy grain.
(a) voter id card (b) aadhaar card (c) ration cards (d) passport
3. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE with reference to the extract?
(a) Seemapuri is situated at the periphery of Delhi.
(b) Ragpicking has gradually acquired the proportions of a fine art.
c) Bangladeshi Squatters who have been living in Seemapuri since 1971 without permits.
(d) For the children, ragpicking is the only profession that brings them immense joy.

(B) 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 having made a promise that was not meant. But promises like mine
abound in every corner of bleak world. After months of knowing him, I ask his name. "Saheb-e-Alam,"
he announces.

1. Choose the option which is the appropriate translation of the phrase "Saheb-e-Alam”
(a) Richest man in the world (b) Poorest of all
(c) Lord of the universe (d) Owner
2. From this extract, it is evident that the narrator has an attitude of …..
(a) apathy (b) empathy (c) sympathy (d) bewilderment
3. Why is the narrator feeling embarrassed at having made a promise?
(a) For kids like Saheb there is no dearth of promises which remain unfulfilled
(b) There is a scarcity of people promising things for betterment
(c) The narrator found her advice and promise as hollow since there were no schools in the slum
where Saheb lived and she had never intended to open one.
d) Promises don't generally live up to the expectations of people.

(C) His dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust of streets that fill his town Firozabad, famous for
its bangles. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in making bangles. It is the centre of India's
glass blowing industry where families have spent generations working around furnaces, welding
glass, making bangles for all the women in the land it seems.

1. The dream of ____________ is being talked about in this extract.

(a) Saheb (b) Mukesh (c) Savita (d) Anees Jung

2. Identify figure of speech used "his dream looms like a mirage amidst the dust of streets?"

(a) Metaphor (b) Pun (c) Transferred epithet (d) Simile

3. Choose the statement that is NOT TRUE about Firozabad.

(a) Majority of the population in Firozabad is involved in bangle making.

(b) Firozabad is the centre of India's glass blowing industry.

(c) It is legal for children to work in the glass furnaces with high temperatures.

(d) Children toil in the furnaces for hours, in dingy cells which affect their eyesight. 4. Why

did the narrator refer to his dream as a 'mirage?

(a) It is just an illusion.

(b) His reality is different from his far-fetched dream of becoming a motor mechanic.

(c) It's an unrealistic hope that cannot be achieved. (d) Both (b) and (c)
D: 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.

1. Who is the person being talked about in this extract?

(a) Mukesh's sister-in-law (b) Savita (c) Anees Jung (d) Mukesh's grandmother

2. According to the narrator, what do bangles symbolize?

(a) The exhausting physical labour of the children working in the glass furnaces.

(b) An Indian woman's suhaag, auspiciousness in marriage.

(c) Misfortune of the labourers. (d) Colourful glass rings.

3. Choose the option that best describes these statements with reference to the extract.

Statement-1: Savita is deprived of her childhood and burdened with responsibility.

Statement-2: Though engaged in bangle making, she is unaware of the sanctity of bangles that hold for

an Indian woman.

(a) Statement-1 is true. (b) Statement-2 is true.

(c) Both statements cannot be inferred. (d) Both statements can be inferred

4. Identify the literary device used in the phrase "As her hands move mechanically like the tongs

of a machine ..."

(a) Onomatopoeia (b) Simile (c) Metaphor (d) Oxymoron

(E) 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. Years of mind-numbing toil have killed all initiative and the
ability to dream.
 1. Choose the term which best replaces the phrase "mind-numbing" in the given extract.

(a) relentless (b) wearisome (c) intense (d) thought-provoking

2. Choose the statement which is the approximate explanation of the given extract.

(a) The bangle makers are exhausted yet they are enterprising

(b) The drudgery of working in glass furnaces 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) Years of continuous toil has improved their socio-economic conditions.

3. Choose the term which best matches the word ‘echo’ in the statement: “The young men echo the

lament of their elders.”

(a) reflect (b) accept (c) reiterate (d) doubt

Flamingo P-2 KEEPING QUIET by Pablo Neruda

Q2.READ THE GIVEN EXTRACTS AND NSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT FOLLOW:

(1). “For once on the face of the Earth let’s not speak in any language,
let’s stop for one second, and not move our arms so much.
It would be an exotic moment without rush, without engines,
we would all be together in a sudden strangeness”

1. The poet uses the word “let’s” to _______

a) initiate a conversation between the poet and the readers.

b) invite readers as part of the poem’s larger call to humanity.

c) welcome readers into the world of the poem and its subject.

d) address readers as fellow members of the human race.

 2. Margaret Atwood said, “Language divides us into fragments, I wanted to be whole.” Choose the

option that correctly comments on the relationship between Margaret Atwood’s words and the line

from the above extract – “let’s not speak in any language”

a) Atwood endorses Neruda’s call to not speak in any language.

b) Atwood justifies Neruda’s request to not engage in any speaking.

c) Atwood undermines Neruda’s intent to stop and not speak in any language.

d) Atwood surrenders to Neruda’s desire for silence and not speak in any language.

3. Why do you think the poet employs words like “exotic” and “strangeness”?

a) To highlight the importance of everyone being together suddenly for once.

b) To emphasize the frenetic activity and chaos that usually envelops human life.

c) To indicate the unfamiliarity of a sudden moment without rush or without engine.

d) To direct us towards keeping quiet and how we would all be together in that silence.

4. Correctly match the idioms given in Column A with their meanings in Column B.

Column A Column B

1. On the face of the earth (i) In existence

2. What on earth (ii) To do all possible to accomplish something

3. Move heaven and earth (iii) To express surprise or shock

4. The salt of the earth (iv) To be good and worthy

a) 1 – (i); 2 – (iv); 3 – (iii); 4 – (ii) b) 1 – (i); 2 – (iii); 3 – (ii); 4 – (iv)

c) 1 – (ii); 2 – (i); 3 – (iv); 4 – (iii) d) 1 – (iv); 2 – (ii); 3 – (iii); 4 – (i)

5. How will speaking no language, be beneficial for everyone?

(A) To avoid noise (B) To avoid loud voices

(C) To avoid people (D) To avoid conflicts and misunderstandings

6. The ‘exotic moment’ refers to ____________________________________________

(2). What I want should not be confused with total inactivity.

Life is what it is about; I want no truck with death.
If we were not so single-minded about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing, perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.

1. Identify the incorrect statement from the following.

a) The poet’s attitude is positive b) Speaking different languages will cause misunderstanding

c) The poet advocates total inactivity

d) The poet wants us to keep still instead of doing one thing or the other

2. What does the poet mean by 'have no truck with death'?

A) I have no association or deal death. B) I will not die in the truck accident

C) Remove the poverty and illiteracy D) Will not drive a truck in the end

3. Which poetic device is used in ‘Huge Silence’?

a) Alliteration b) Transferred epithet c) Pun d) Metaphor

4. What can be a cure or an antidote to violent actions?

(a) speaking practice (b) wise words (c) polished language (d) Practice of silence

5. What, according to the poet, would interrupt the sadness of man’s life?

(a) great laughter (b) huge silence (c) arguments (d) fights
 6. How can we rectify the social problems, as in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’?

(A)when we introspect and develop a feeling of understanding with each other

(B)when we behave selfish (C)when we think about ourselves only (D)None of the above

Q3. Answer the given questions in 40-50 words each:

a. Give two reasons why, according to Pablo Neruda, is ‘keeping quiet’ essential to attaining a better,
more peaceful world. (Keeping Quiet)
VALUE POINTS:- Makes us introspect and reflect upon our actions - Helps us better understand ourselves
and what we want - Enables us to realise that many of our mindless actions are only harming us and not
giving us happiness.

b. What does Neruda mean by ‘an exotic moment without rush’ in his poem, ‘Keeping Quiet’?
VALUE POINTS:- moment of world peace/ universal brotherhood - love forged through introspection in
silence
c. The poet is talking about in the poem ‘Keeping Quiet’ by Pablo Neruda, Why is it 'exotic'?
VALUE POINTS:- ∙ Exotic moment is when they would all keep quiet till the count of twelve / no rush / no
movement / stillness / quiet introspection ∙ Exotic because they would all be in this together/ create a
feeling of mutual understanding

d. In a world that is constantly running after ‘more’ chasing the next new thing, would it be fair to think
of Neruda’s call as merely a fanciful idea?
VALUE POINTS:- No, most of time - we chase vanity and void dreams - silence and stillness therapeutic
for the chaos - that plagues modern life

e. What symbol from Nature does the poet invoke to say that there can be life under apparent
stillness?
VALUE POINTS:- poet uses Earth as a symbol - life under apparent stillness - stillness does not actually
mean death - Earth becomes alive – rainfall nourishes it – latent seeds sprout