Flamingo(Lost Spring) Extract/Passage

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English

Flamingo

Lost Spring– Stories of Stolen Childhood (Anees Jung)

Extracts/Passage

 

 Read the given passages and answer the questions that follow:

Q1)  “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.

 

1)  Who is the author of these lines?

Ans:The author is the Annes Jung.

 2. Who are ‘they’?

Ans: ‘they’ refers to the family of Saheb.

 3. Why do they leave their home?

Ans: They are compelled to left their home by the storms that devastrated their home and field in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

 4. Where do they live now?

Ans: Now they live in the shanty home in the Seemapuri, Delhi.

 5. What do they do for livelihood?

Ans: They have adopted the job of ragpicking for the livelihood.

 

Q2) “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.From where are these lines taken?

Ans:  These lines are taken from the prose “Lost Spring” written by Anees Jung.

 2. Who is referred to as ‘I’?

Ans: The author Anees Jung is referred to as ‘I’.

 3. Why is the writer embarrassed?

AnsThe speaker promised Saheb that she would open a school. She committed that Sahib and his friends would get admission in it. She feels embarrassed, though, because she did not do it and Saheb inquired about her school.

 4. Find out the word from the passage which means ‘plenty’?

Ans:The word ‘abound’ means ‘plenty’ .

  

Q3. 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.

 1.Who are the acquaintances of the narrator?

Ans: The acquaintances of the narrator are the Saheb and his friends.

 2. Where is there residence?

Ans: They reside at the outskirts of Delhi, a slum region called Seemapuri.

 3. Where did they come from?

Ans: They came from Bangladesh in 1971.

 4 Why did they left their homeland?

Ans Strom had devastated their fields. They had nothing to eat. So, they left their home in search of livelihood.

 

Q4 “Mukesh insists on being his own master. I will be a motor mechanic”., he announces.

 1.Where does Mukesh live?

Ans:The Mukesh lives the bangle making city Ferozabad.

 2. Who is the author of these lines?

Ans: The author of these lines is Anees Jung.

 3. What is his family profession?

Ans: His family profession, like every other family in Ferozabad, is bangle making.

 4. What is the dream of Mukesh?

Ans: Mukesh dreams of becoming a motor mechanic.

 

Q4)  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.Whose dreams are being spoken about?

Ans: Here author is talking about the dreams of Mukesh.

 2. What is his dream? Why is it unusual?

Ans: His dream is to be a motor mechanic. Everyone in his locality has accepted bangle making as their fate. Mukesh dreams big.

 3. What is working condition of bangle makers?

Ans: They work in dingy confinements in front of hot furnaces. Most of the children lost their eyes before attending adulthood.

 4) Who are the obstacles in their growth?

Ans: Politicians, middlemen, bureaucrats, and police officers are the obstacles in their development.

Flamingo(Lost Spring) Theme

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English

Flamingo

Lost Spring– Stories of Stolen Childhood (Anees Jung)

Theme

The chapter's main concern is the perpetual poverty of certain social groups and practices that compel children from disadvantaged backgrounds to lead lives of exploitation. They are caught in a never-ending cycle of poverty and oppressions. The two stories that the author tells show the miserable condition of street kids who are pushed into servitude at a young age rather than attending school. These people's miseries are made worse by society's prejudice.

Flamingo(Lost Spring)(Summary)

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English

Flamingo

Lost Spring– Stories of Stolen Childhood (Anees Jung)

Summary

This story has two parts.

The first part describes the life of ragpickers of the Seemapuri.The garbage collectors come from Dhaka. The storms have caused damage to their homes and farmland. Now they settled in Seemapuri, Delhi. They had to face a lot of difficulties and the truth was painful for them. They lack the basic resources. Every morning, the author observes Saheb searching the area for "gold." These rag pickers depend on garbage to survive.  For the children it is a wonderful thing. A few coins can be found from it. But for elders it is a means of survival. There are a lot of things that they can't access. Later, Saheb enters a tea shop where he has the opportunity to make 800 Rupees and receive all meals. But he has lost his freedom, because of this work. so, he is not happy.

The second part explains the life and aspirations of Mukesh, a boy from a family of bangle makers of Firozabad. This place is famous for its outstanding glass-blowing industry. Nearly 20,000 children are employed in this specific industry. They work in small dark room in front of hot furnaces.  Most of them lost their eyes before reaching adulthood. Additionally, nobody over there is aware of the laws that prohibit child labour.  Furthermore, both the working and housing conditions are terrible. Politicians, middlemen, bureaucrats, and police officers have a nexus that block their progress. The women in the home saw it as their fate. Such reasoning leads them to just accept their condition. Mukesh is distinct in some way. He thinking is different from the others.  In the future, he hopes to work as a mechanic. He lives a long way from the garage, but he is determined to walk there.

Flamingo (Lost Spring) Long Answers

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English

Flamingo

Lost Spring– Stories of Stolen Childhood (Anees Jung)

Long Answer type Questions

Q1.  Write a brief overview of the life and activities of the Bangladeshi squatters living in Seemapuri.

Ans Seemapuri is a located at the outskirts of Delhi . Here, squatters who arrived from Bangladesh in 1971 currently reside. One of them is the family of Saheb. At that time Seemapuri was a wasteland. Now around 10,000 ragpickers reside in mud buildings with tarpaulin and tin roofs. There is no sewage, drainage, or tap water in this shanty town. These people have been residing here for so many years without a permit or identification. They have ration cards that allow them to get grains and register to vote. Food is more important to them than identity. They left green field of their native land for the survival. Now they adopted the work of  ragpicking. Most of the barefoot ragpickers begin their rounds of the streets early in the morning. They have no opportunity to attend schools. This gives them a roof over their heads and their daily bread. 

Q2. What is the dream of Mukesh? How can he realize his dream?
Ans Mukesh is the poor Firozabad bangle maker's son. Unlike most of the children in  Firozabad he dreams big.  He has the ability to find the will to think of a career which is different from his typical family profession. Also, he has a strong determination. He rejects the idea of serving as a puppet I the hand of middlemen or lenders. He is adamant on becoming his own master, so he desires to be a mechanic.he plans to work   working in a garage to get some experience. He is aware that  he will have to overcome numerous obstacles to succeed. The first is money. He will have to work for a living. His house is far away from the garage.  He will only be able to realise his dream with persistence, hard work and a strong will.

Flamingo (Lost Spring) Short Answer

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English

Flamingo

Lost Spring– Stories of Stolen Childhood (Anees Jung)

Short Answer type Questions

Q1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?
Ans. Saheb is searching for gold in garbage dumps. He lives in the author's neighbourhood. Saheb is from Bangladesh. He arrived in 1971 with his mother. His house was placed in Dhaka's green fields. Storms destroyed their crops and homes. As a result, they left the country.

Q2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
Ans The author suggests that staying barefoot is a cultural tradition. It's not a lack of money. He wonders if this is merely an excuse to justify his perpetual poverty. He also recalls the story of a poor person who begged the goddess for a pair of shoes.

Q3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.
Ans.  No, Saheb is dissatisfied with his job at the tea stall. He is no longer in charge of himself. His face has lost its carefree expression. The steel canister seems to be heavier than the plastic bag he would so casually carry over his shoulder. The bag belonged to him. The man who owns the tea shop owns the canister.

Q4. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
Ans. Firozabad is famous because of its bangles. Almost every family in Firozabad is involved in the production of bangles. It is the heart of the glass-blowing industry in India. Families have spent generations around furnaces, welding glass and making bangles for the land's women.

Q5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry?
Ans. Boys and girls sit in pitch-black hutments next to rows of flickering oil lights with their mothers and fathers. They make bangles by welding coloured glass pieces into rings. Their eyes are more used to darkness than to outside light. They often end up losing their vision before they reach adulthood. Even the dust created when polishing glass bangles is damaging to the eyes. Many workers now suffer blindness. The furnaces are extremely dangerous because of their high temperatures.

Flamingo(The last lesson) extract/passage

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English

Flamingo

The Last Lesson(Alphonse Daudet)

Extract/ Passage

Question 1)

But now it was all so still! I had counted on the commotion to get to my desk without being seen; but, of course, that day everything had to be as quiet as Sunday morning. Through the window I saw my classmates, already in their places, and M. Hamel walking up and down with his terrible iron ruler under his arm.

 Based on the above passage answer the following questions.

 1. ‘Counted on’ means___________

a. To count numbers
b. To depend on
c. To borrow
d. To think

2. Find a synonym of disturbance.

3. Why did the narrator want to reach his desk without being seen?

a. He was afraid of his classmates.
b. He was afraid of being caught by the teacher.
c. He was afraid of the enemy soldiers.
d. He was afraid of villagers

4. Why was everything quiet on a Sunday morning?

5. State true or False

The statement “M. Hamel walking up and down” means that he was walking on the wall of the classroom

 Answers

1 a

2 commotions

3 b

4 It was quiet on a Sunday morning because it was a holiday in the school.

5 False

 Question 2)

 Ah, that’s the great trouble with Alsace; she puts off learning till tomorrow. Now those fellows out there will have the right to say to you, ‘How is it; you pretend to be Frenchmen, and yet you can neither speak nor write your own language?’ But you are not the worst, poor little Franz. We’ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with.”

 Based on the above passage answer the following questions.

 1. what is Alsace?

a. A girl
b. A district
c. not mentioned
d. Both a and b

2. Who are ‘those fellows’?

 3. Why does he call Franz poor?

4. Find a synonym of scold.

5. ‘A Great deal’ means

a. A big issue
b. A big business deal
c. both a and b
d. None of these

 

Answers

1 b

2 The enemy German soldiers.

3 Franz is called poor because he has not learned his mother tongue.

 4 Reproaches

5 a

 

Question 3)

Then, from one thing to another, M. Hamel went on to talk of the French language, saying that it was the most beautiful language in the world — the clearest, the most logical; that we must guard it among us and never forget it, because when a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison. Then he opened a grammar and read us our lesson. I was amazed to see how well I understood it. All he said seemed so easy, so easy! I think, too, that I had never listened so carefully, and that he had never explained everything with so much patience.

 Based on the above passage answer the following questions.

 1.     How can we guard a language?

2.     2.How is our language the key to the prison of enslavement?

3.     3. Why on that day Franz understood the lesson?
a. It was easy
b. He listened carefully
c. Teacher had taught with patience
d. b and c

4.      4. Find a synonym of surprised.

Answers 

1 we can guard a language by learning it and by using it in our daily lives.

2 One's mother tongue or language helps one stay connected to the mother land and unites all countrymen because it is a unique thing that is shared by the people of one country.

3 d

4 Amazed

Flamingo(The last lesson) Theme

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English

Flamingo

The Last Lesson(Alphonse Daudet)

Theme

 

Alphonse Daudet's lesson "The last Lesson" is primarily about the desire to learn and love of one's mother tongue. It conveys a spirit of nationalism. The Prussians imposed German language on the people of Lorraine and Alsace in the "Last Lesson," rejecting their right to choose their own language as their mother tongue. The conquerors deprived the populace of their fundamental liberties. The kids felt constrained and forced to stop doing something they enjoy and find comfort in when they were unable to master their own language. In this story, linguistic chauvinism is stressed to get our attention.

It highlights one's pride in their mother tongue. Lorraine and Alsace were victims of linguistic chauvinism. They were compelled to study German. Franz, a high school student who was always hesitant in his French class and never took it seriously, recognised the importance of learning his mother tongue. This characteristic of people demonstrates that humans respect things more when they see them moving. Furthermore, the parents preferred to see their children succeed rather than learn French. They later realised how much they missed learning French and felt bad about it. The unfair treatment of Prussians in their own motherland demonstrates how they drilled their land.

Flamingo(The last lesson) Summary

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English

Flamingo

The Last Lesson(Alphonse Daudet)

Summary

Franz, a French boy, tells the story. He is slow but sensitive, and he enjoys playing. He despises French and despises his teacher, M. Hamel.

 After conquering their French districts of Alsace and Lorraine, Berlin has ordered that German be taught in schools instead of French.

It is the last day of M. Hamel's forty-year tenure as their French teacher. He is overcome with grief, nostalgia, and patriotism. The village men also attend his 'last lesson' to show their appreciation for his hard work. They are disappointed because they did not learn their mother tongue, French, as children.

Franz is surprised to learn that this is his final lesson because he does not speak French. Suddenly, he becomes interested in learning it and comprehends everything taught that day!

He instantly likes and respects his teacher, M. Hamel, for his sincerity and hard work.

He is saddened by his departure from him and embarrassed by his inability to recite the participles lesson.

M. Hamel tells them that they are all to blame for not being eager to learn and putting it off until the next day. He blames himself for failing to teach them sincerely.

His patriotism is reflected in his praise for the French language as the world's most beautiful and logical language. He warns the students to guard their language because knowing one's language is the key to escaping the prison of slavery. It will aid them in their escape from the Germans.

They recognize the significance of learning their mother tongue and the fact that they were defeated by the Germans due to their illiteracy.

Franz believes that it is impossible to take away a person's language because it is natural to each being, whether it is "coo" to pigeons or "French" to Frenchmen.

Flamingo(The last lesson) long answers

 

NCERT Solutions For Class 12 English

Flamingo

The Last Lesson(Alphonse Daudet)

Long Answer type Questions

Q1. The people in this story suddenly realize how precious their language is to them. What shows you this? Why does this happen?
Ans: M. Hamel informed the students and villagers that from now on, only German would be taught in Alsace and Lorraine schools. Those who claimed to be Frenchmen would be unable to speak or write the language. He praised French as the world's most beautiful, clearest, and logical language. He claimed that the enslaved people's language was the key to their captivity. The people then realized how valuable their language was to them. This illustrates people's emotional connection to their own culture, traditions, and country. Pride in one's mother language reflects pride in one's motherland.

Q2. “When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their prison.”
Can you think of examples in history where a conquered people had their language taken away from them or had a language imposed on them?
Ans A person's mother tongue allows him to express his feelings and thoughts most clearly and intimately. Conquerors attempt to subdue and control the people of the enslaved territory through a variety of techniques, including the use of force to crush dissent and the imposition of their own language.

Victorious nations have imposed their own language on conquered peoples and taken their own language away from them since time immemorial. The Romans conquered much of Europe, replacing local languages with their own language, Latin. Latin later gave rise to Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French. The Muslim invaders imposed Arabic and Persian on the Asian countries they conquered.

Q3. Is it possible to carry pride in one’s language too far? Do you know what “linguistic chauvinism” means?
Ans 'Linguistic chauvinism' refers to the aggressive and unreasonable belief that your native language is superior to all others. This demonstrates an excessive or biassed support for one's native language. When pride in one's own language becomes excessive, linguistic enthusiasts can be easily identified by their zeal for the preservation and spread of their language. In their enthusiasm, love, and support for their native language, they often forget that other languages have their own merits, as well as a long history of art, culture, and literature. Excessive pride in one's own language, instead of bringing unity and gaining others as friends, breeds ill will and disintegration. 

Q4. What order had been received from Berlin that day? What effect did it have on the life at school?
Ans: Only German would be taught in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine, according to a directive from Berlin. This order had far-reaching consequences for school life. M. Hamel, who had taught French at the village school for the previous forty years, would give his final lesson that day.

M. Hamel, the teacher, had dressed to the nines in honour of the last lesson. Old men from the village sat quietly in the back of the classroom. They were both sad and sorry for not attending school any longer. They had come to thank the master for his forty years of faithful service and to show their respect for their country.

The teacher addressed the students solemnly and gently. He asked them to be quiet and patiently explained everything. He pleaded with them to keep French alive among them. During slavery, it served as the prison's key. He was overcome with emotion and was unable to properly bid farewell.

Index 12 English

 

NCERT / CBSE

 

Class 12 English

 

Flamingo 

 

Lesson 1: The Last Lesson(Alphonse Daudet)

      Short answers

      Long answers

      Summary

      Theme           

      Passage/Extract

       Word Meaning

       

Lesson 2: Lost Spring(Anees Jung)

      Short answers

      Long answers

      Summary

      Theme           

      Passage/Extract

       Word Meaning

      

Lesson 3: Deep Water(William Douglas)

      Short answers

      Long answers

      Summary

      Theme           

      Passage/Extract

       Word Meaning

      

Lesson 4: The Rattrap(Selma Lagerlof)

      Short answers

      Long answers

      Summary

      Theme           

      Passage/Extract

      Word Meaning

     

Lesson 5: Indigo(Louis Fischer)

      Short answers

      Long answers

      Summary

      Theme           

      Passage/Extract

      Word Meaning

       

Lesson 6: Poets and Pancakes

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      Long answers

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      Theme           

      Passage/Extract

      Word Meaning

      

Lesson 7: The Interview

      Short answers

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      Summary

      Theme           

      Passage/Extract

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Lesson 8: Going Places(A. R. Barton)

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Poetry

Poem-1 My Mother at Sixty-six(Kamala Das)

           

Poem -2 An Elementary School (Deleted from syllabus)

    

Poem -3 Keeping Quiet(Pablo Neruda)

     

Poem -4 A Thing of Beauty(John Keats)

Poem -5 A Roadside Stand(Robert Frost)

    Poem- 6 Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers(Adrienne Rich)

Vistas  (SUPPLEMENTARY READER)

Chapter 1: The Third Level(Jack Finney)

      Short answers

      Long answers

      Summary

      Theme      

      Word Meaning

      

Chapter 2: The Tiger King(Jack Finney)

      Short answers

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      Summary

      Theme

      Word Meaning            

      

Chapter 3: Journey to the end of Earth(Tishani Doshi)

      Short answers

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      Summary

      Theme           

      Word Meaning

Chapter 4: The Enemy (Pearl S. Buck)

      Short answers

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      Summary

      Theme           

      Word Meaning

Chapter 5: Should Wizard Hit Mommy (Deleted from the syllabus)

      Short answers

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      Summary

      Theme           

       Word Meaning

Chapter 6: On the face of it(Susan Hill)

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Chapter 7: Evans Tries an O-level (Deleted from syllabus)

      Short answers

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      Summary

      Theme           

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Chapter 8: Memories of Childhood(Zitkala-Sa & Bama)

      Short answers

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      Summary

      Theme           

      Word Meaning