Literature Important Questions 20191207133231511

Flamingo – The Last Lesson
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1 What was more tempting to Franz than going to school and why?
Value points
Had not learnt rules of participles, weather was pleasant ,warm and bright . Chirruping of
birds tempted him to enjoy the day, the soldiers drilling in the field were also outdoors.
Q2. What was Franz’s greatest fear as he moved towards school ?
Value points
. Villagers occupied back benches as a tribute to the
Franz was very late for school as he was scared of being scolded. He had not learnt rules of
participles .He did not know even the first word about them .Thus he dreaded the teacher’s
indignation.
Q3. What was the bad news put up on the bulletin board?
Value points
All the bad news—the lost battles, the orders of the commanding officer were displayed on
the notice board for the last two years . Only German language would be taught in the schools
of Alsace and Lorraine was displayed on the notice board which made the crowd gather there
to read the news.
Q4 What change did Franz observe in the school on that day?
Value points
No noisy atmosphere , no bustle of opening and closing of the desk, no lesson repeated
loudly, that day was as quiet as Sunday morning. The back benches were occupied by the
village people. M. Hamel wore his special dress which he used to wear on Inspection and
Prize day.
Q5. Why were village elders seated on back benches on that day ?
Value points
teacher who had put in forty years of sincere service .They also expressed their regret for not
learning their mother tongue when they had the chance to learn French, expressed their
patriotism and solidarity with France.
Q6. Why did M.Hamel ask his students and elderly to guard French language?
Value points
. He said that French is the most beautiful language in the world- the clearest and the most
logical . He appealed them to guard it so that they can be united and fight back for their
liberty.
Q7. How did M.Hamel bid farewell to his beloved students and the villagers?
Value points
To arouse patriotic feelings in his students and village elders for their mother tongue .Urged
them to safeguard it among themselves, gathered his strength and wrote on the blackboard as
large as he could ‘Vive La France’ and dismissed the school.
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
Q1 Draw a Pen portrait of M.Hamel on the basis of your study of the story, ‘The Last
Lesson’..
Value points
Dedicated ,disciplinarian, hard task master—kept his terrible ruler under his arm—
transformed after Berlin’s order, shocked—more soft and gentle towards his students—not
scolded any student—emotional and completely disturbed—villagers assembled to pay
tribute to his sincere service for forty years in the same school—loved France deeply—
considered French as the most beautiful language of the world--- safeguard it and never
forget it .
VALUE BASED QUESTION
Q1 Franz’s feelings about M.Hamel and school changed gradually by the end of the text,
though he had a great disliking for both in the beginning of the story .It is said that first
impression is the last impression..Is it true in context of ,’The Last Lesson ,?
Write a small paragraph of about 100 words penning down your views on ‘A person can be
best judged in his first appearance only’.
Value points.
A well –known dictum states that ‘appearance are deceptive ‘ Infact ,it is true that one can
not be judged in just one meeting .Actually ,one or more meeting are not enough to judge a
person’s personality .Every person reacts differently on different situation at different times
.So it is not a matter of single appearance to form a judgement about a person.
Now-a—days every person appears to be gentle and social. No matter what their background
is one’s clothes, gestures habits etc. do not define one’s personality. Sometimes a life
remains short to know a person. Hence ,it is not a matter of first or last impression but issue
of time , needed to know one in one’s right colors .
VALUE BASED QUESTION FOR PRACTICE
M.Hamel ‘The Last Lesson ‘says to the people of Alsace about the necessity of their mother
tongue –French—“ We must guard it among us and never forget it because people are
enslaved , as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they had the key to their
prison.”
‘Mother tongue is the language of one’s thoughts and ideas .Rejecting one’s mother tongue is
denying one’s own culture and identity ‘. Do you think so ? Write your reflections on the
above statement in the form of an article.
Lost Spring

Q1. Why did people migrate from the village in Dhaka to Delhi?
Value points
Natural calamities like cyclone compelled to migrate , better education ,more job
opportunities, better living conditions and looking for comforts.
Q2. ‘Saheb is no longer his master’ says the writer, what does she mean ?
Value points
The author means that Saheb gets employment in a tea stall , he has lost his carefree look
or independence that he enjoyed as ragpicker .He is paid eight hundred rupees to
supplement the family income but he is unhappy .Infact he has lost his freedom.
Q3.’ Survival in Seemapuri means ragpicking ‘. Comment.
Value points
Ragpicking is no more a dirty and filthy job for slum dwellers . It has become their bread
earner and means of survival .Sometimes they find rupees ,silver coins in heaps of
garbage.
Q4. Why does the author say that the bangle makers are caught in a vicious web of
poverty ?value points
. The bangle makers are victims of injustice and exploitation in Firozabad. They are
caught in web of moneylenders , middlemen ,policemen ,politicians and bureaucrats
.they are fear-stricken and suppressed.
Q5. What was Mukesh’s dream ?
Value points
Mukesh belonged to marginalized family ,disliked the profession of bangle making .He
wanted to become a motor mechanic ,seemed practical and determined to achieve his
goal, matured understanding for his life.
Q6. Describe hazardous health conditions of the bangle makers?
Value points
Worked in the glass industry of Firozabad in sub-human conditions ,dingy cells and at
high temperature. Lost the brightness of their eyes and fell in vicious circle of
moneylenders and middlemen.
Q1 .’Lost Spring ‘ is a miserable story on the political system of our country that
condemns thousand of people to a life of abject poverty. Comment
Value Points
Saheb ,ragpickers and slum dwellers in Seemapuri lead a life of sorrows and
exploitation— Saheb likes going to school but no opportunity—live in structures of mud
with roofs of tin and tarpaulin--- no identity except ration cards to buy grain --- survival
in Seemapur means ragpicking
Bangle makers work in inhuman conditions-dark room ,hot temperature in glass
furnaces—caught in vicious circle of moneylenders, policemen ,sahukars and
politicians—unaware of child labour act—abolition of child labour under article 24—
lose eyesight before becoming adults.
VALUE BASED QUESTION

Q. Everyone wishes to live life in a big city . Big cities provide big dreams in one’s eyes
. these attract everyone especially from villages and small towns.
After reading the text Lost Spring you must have been able to point out the possible
reasons behind migration from one place to other . Write a paragraph in about 100 words
for a social magazine highlighting the issue ‘ The reasons for the migration of people
from villages and cities’
Value points
. Due to urbanization , education ,employment ,safety and basic amenities more and
more are migrating from villages to the cities. In the lesson at hand , people have fled
from Bangladesh because their fields and houses were swept away by storm . The
settlement of Seemapuri is a fine example of this kind . In addition one can see that the
pressure on the land has increased due to population and mechanized farming . So the
requirement of labour is very acute . Consequently people flee towards the cities for
work .Youth do not want to stay in unhealthy and unhygienic rural surroundings.
Not to speak of this , all sorts of village craft have been replaced with machines . The
market is full of competition and cheap goods .The villagers fail to compete with the
new system of heavy industrialization . So the people migrate from the villages to cities
to attain a city like presence for themselves.
Q1. VALUE BASED QUESTION.
Mukesh says ‘I will be motor mechanic . I will learn to drive a car’
Not only setting a goal ,but having a clear idea about the means to reach the goal and
pursuing it with strong determination and commitment are essential to achieve success.
Based on this realization ,write a letter to younger brother making him aware of the need for
setting realistic goal and planning ways to reach It with strong determination and
commitment.
Tiger King
SOLVED SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. How did the chief astrologer react to the tiger king’s question about the manner of his
death? How did the tiger king take it?
A. When the baby barely ten days old opens its lips in speech the chief astrologer was
wonderstruck. He thought it to be incredible that the baby raised an intelligent question –to
know about the manner of his death. The astrologer told that the prince was born in the hour
of the bull. The bull and tiger are enemies. Therefore, death to him shall come from the Tiger.
The tiger king growled, “Let tigers beware!”
2. Why was it celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram?
A. There was a celebration time for all the tigers inhabiting Pratibandapuram because the
state banned tiger hunting by anyone except the Maharaja and a proclamation was issued to
the effect that if any one dared to fling a stone at a tiger, all his wealth and property would be
confiscated.
3. What did the Maharaja do when he stood in danger of losing his kingdom in refusing the
British officer permission for tiger hunting?
A. The Maharaja obtained some fifty expensive diamond rings of different designs from a
British Jeweller Company in Calcutta and sends them to the British officer’s good lady
expecting her to choose one or two rings and send the rest back. But she kept all the rings and
thanked the Maharaja for the gift. This cost the Maharaja three lakh rupees; but his kingdom
was saved.
4. What plan did the Maharaja think of to fulfill his vow to kill hundred tigers after the tiger
population became extinct in his state?
A. When the tiger population became extinct in his state the Maharaja planned to marry a girl
of royal family of a native state with a large tiger population so that he would kill the
remaining thirty tigers in the state of his father –in-law when he visits that.
5. What caused the death of the Maharaja?

A. The prophecy of the chief astrologer came true. A toy-wooden tiger-the hundredth tiger
killed the Maharaja. The silver quill on the wooden tiger pierced his hand when he was
plying with it on the crown prince’s third birthday. It caused a suppurating sore that spread all
over the arm. He was operated but died.
Q1. “The operation is successful. The maharaja is dead.” comment on the
irony of the situation.
Value Points
 The three famous surgeons were called from Madras to treat the Maharaja.
 The whole incident is a satire on the life of rich and powerful people.
 Everything in their life should be grand be it a disease, purchases or treatment.
 So when the Maharaja got hurt by a wooden splinter, specialists from Madras were
called
 The surgeons discussed and debated for some time and decided to operate
 At the end of the operation they said the operation was successful but the Maharaja
was dead.
 As if the procedure was important to them but life had no meaning for them.
 The job of doctors is to save people and not highlight the technicalities of the
treatment.
 But here it was just that, poor Maharaja was relegated to a non entity whose life was
not of much consequence to them.
Q2. It is understood from the lesson that the king was surrounded by people who obeyed him
out of fear and there was a lack of good counselling from his ministers to run his kingdom for
the good of the people. How important is it to have a good council of ministers for the good
governance of the country?
Value Points:
 Elected ministers should place the country before self.
 The head should mercilessly remove the corrupt ministers.
 There should be a strong judiciary
 Law and order should be in the hands of honest officers.
 Bureaucracy should be strong and transparent.
Deep Water

Q1 Why and how did Douglas develop an aversion to water?
.Value points
When he was three or four years old ,his father took him for a picnic to California beach.
Suddenly a huge wave knocked him down , swept over him and terrorized him
Q2 What was the misadventure that happened with Douglas?
Value points
Joined YMCA pool to remove his fear ,one day a bruiser boy picked him up and threw into
the deep water of the YMCA pool ,nine feet was more than ninety, struggled to come out but
could not, nearly drowned ,suffocated and almost unconscious.
Q3 What strategy did he remember as he went down the water?
Value Points
.Plan was to hit the bottom ,make big jump upwards and come to surface like a cork .To
paddle to the edge of the pool.
Q4 Why did Douglas grow panicky?
Value Points
Nine feet were more like ninety, his lungs were ready to burst ,summoned all his strength
and sprang upwards, suffocated, paralysed and grew panicky.
Q.5 What method did he adopt to overcome hydrophobia (old terror) ?
Ans. Employed an instructor, practiced five days a week ,learnt swimming, went to lake
Wentworth and swam for two miles , developed self confidence, overcome terror.
Q.1What was Douglas’s ‘misadventure’ at the YMCA swimming pool? How did he
overcome it?
Value Points
Revived unpleasant memories ,a bully boy picked him up and tossed him into deep water
,almost drowned, panicked ,could not enjoy canoeing ,boating, fishing etc.
Hired an instructor, made perfect swimmer ,challenge the terror, went to Lake Wentwoth
,dived off a dock at Trigg Island ,swam for two miles , conquered the fear of water ,there is
terror only in the fear of death and peace in death ,the will to live become stronger.
. VALUE BASED QUESTIONS; Answer the following in about 100 words
Q 7 William Douglas reveals his frightening experience in the YMCA pool .” With that he
picked me up and tossed me into the deep end , I landed in a sitting position, swallowed
water…..I was frightened”
Do you appreciate the behavior of the big , bully boy? Do not you think that bullying and
ragging of students by students is barbarianism and has great damaging effect on the victims
as well as the society? Write down your thoughts about this in the form of speech.
Q8 Doing well in any activity ,.For example a sport ,music dance or painting, riding a bike or
a car ,involves a great deal of struggle . Most of us are very nervous to begin with until
gradually we overcome our fears and perform well.
Write a paragraph of about 100 words recounting such a experience .Try to recollect details
of what caused the fear ,your feelings ,the encouragement you got from others or criticism.
You could begin with last sentence of the essay Deep Water – at last I felt released , free to
walk the trails and climbs the peaks and to brush aside fear .
Value points
At last I felt released ,free to walk the trails and climb the peaks and brush aside the fear
.Now the haunting fear had been shed and I can drive not only the bike but the car also on the
crowded roads of Delhi without any trace of fear in me.
When for the first time I rode a bike I felt very thrilled .Moreover I drove on an empty road in
rural part after sunset .At a sharp curve a passenger bus came from opposite side. To my utter
horror , I could notice the fallen tree on my road side when just reached it .I had no choice but
to drive down the road .I was badly hurt and found the bike in damaged from standing in
trees .I was fear struck and helpless.
At last ,engaged an instructor to teach me driving .t was given a signal to drive independently
.I drove in busy roads ,crowded roads .It made me to feel free of the haunting driving fear .I
won it and felt free to drive.
My Mother At Sixty Six ( poetry)

Q1 Why does the poet draw the image of sprinting trees and merry children ?
Ans. Suggest fresh life ,warm energy ,youthfulness and high spirit etc. --- a scene of contrast
with the pale , dull and withered face of the mother at the declining stage of her health.
Q2 . Why have the trees been described as sprinting?
Ans. Driving her car from her parent’s home to Cochin airport—young trees growing outside
appear to be running with the speeding car--- contrast to passivity of her mother.
Q3. Why has the mother been compared to the late winter’s moon?
Ans. The late winter moon lacks luster—suggests the end of session and mother too is
nearing the end of her life –an image of decay.
Q4. What is the familiar ache?
Ans. The fear of losing her mother has tortured the poet from her very childhood because she
had been intimately bound up with her . Therefore this ache is familiar to her.
Q5 What is the significance of the parting words of the poet ?
Ans. The parting words of the poet reflect the poet’s pain ,anxiety and helplessness .But she
wears a smile on her face to mask her pain and give hope, happiness and reassurance to her
mother.
The Third Level Extra Questions/ Important Questions
Q1 What, according to the psychiatrist, was Charley’s problem?

Charley told the psychiatrist about his belief in the existence of the third level at the Grand
Central Station but was told that it was only a waking- dream wish fulfillment. The
psychiatrist also added that Charley was unhappy because of the insecurity, fear, war,worry
and that he just wanted to escape just like everyone else.
Q2. What did the psychiatrist think about Charley’s stamp collection ? Why did Charley
not agree with him?
A . The psychiatrist thought that Charley’s stamp collecting was a temporary refuge from
reality .Charley did not agree with him because his grandfather for whom things were nice
and peaceful and who did not need refuge from reality also collected stamps.
Q3.How does Charley describe himself?

Ans. Charley describes himself as just an ordinary guy, thirty-one years old. He wore a tan
gabardine suit and a straw hat with a fancy band. He was just like other men he passed on the
road and he was not trying to escape from anything.
Q3. Why does Charley feel that Grand Central is growing like a tree?( SP)
(Charley had been the station for long
• But each time he bumped into new doorways, stairs and corridors
• Once had entered a long tunnel and came out near Roosevelt hotel)
Q4.What idea did Charley have about the tunnel and why didn’t he tell the psychiatrist
about it?
Charley felt there was a tunnel that nobody knew about, which was feeling its way under the
city at that moment too, on its way to Times Square, and maybe another to Central Park.
Grand Central, he felt, was like an exit, a way of escape and perhaps that’s how he got into
the tunnel. He didn’t want to tell the psychiatrist, for he would not have believed him and
would have wanted to treat him.
.
Q5. How did Charley make sure that he had actually travelled in the past?
A . Charley went to the news stand and looked at the Newspaper ,he saw that it was ‘The
World’ ,a Newspaper that was no longer published . He later discovered through Public
Library files it was printed on June11,1894
Q6. Describe Galesburg, as it existed in the year 1894?

(Ans)
Galesburg was a wonderful town with big old frame houses, huge lawns, and tremendous
trees whose branches met overhead and roofed over the streets. In 1894, summer evenings
were twice as long, and people sat on their lawns, the men smoking.
Q7What preparations did Charley make to go to Galesburg?

(drew 300 dollars out of bank and purchased and purchased old style currency)
Q8 In which context did Charley say, “eggs were thirteen cents a dozen in 1894”?
Charley had got his three hundred dollars out of the bank and got them changed into oldstyle
currency so that he could go back to the third level and buy the tickets to Galesburg.
For his three hundred dollars he had got only two hundred dollars old-style currency but he
didn’t mind that. The only consolation was that in the year 1894, the two hundred dollars
would have more value, as things were much cheaper then than they were now.
Q9 What made Louisa, Charley’s wife, believe that the third level was a reality?
Louisa, like Charley’s friends, believed whatever explanations the psychiatrist friend had
given. But later, when she received a mail from Sam himself from the old Galesburg, Louisa
believed that Charley was true to his claims and even began to search for the third level.
Q10 What is a first day cover?

When a new stamp is issued, stamp collectors buy some and use them to mail envelopes to
themselves on the very first day of sale; and the postmark proves the date. They’re never
opened; they just put blank paper in the envelope. The envelope is called a first-day cover.
Q11 Who had sent the first day cover and what was written on it?
A.Sam had sent the first day cover. Sam wrote that he had discovered the Third level
and had reached Galesburg .He found Galesburg peaceful and friendly .he advised
Charley to keep looking for third level and reach Galesburg.
Q12 How did Charley happen to reach the Third Level of Grand Central Station, New
York?
One day Charley worked for more time at office. So he was late for home. So he took the
subway from the Grand Central to reach the second level of it. From there he was to catch a
train. He started walking quickly. He reached the second level. But, all of a sudden, he lost
his way there. He entered a corridor that had a left turn. It was also slanting somewhat
downwards. It was like a tunnel. He met no one on the way. There was dead silence. Even he
could hear the sound of his own footsteps. Then the corridor took a sharp left turn. After
coming down a flight of stairs he reached the third level of the Grand Central Station.
Q1. Describe the Grand Central Station at the third level ?

Grand Central Station at the third level looked very different.
There were Fewer ticket windows and train gates . Information booth was in the center, it
was made of wood and was very old looking man in the booth wore green eye shade and long
sleeve protectors. The lights were dim and flickering as they were open flame gaslights.
There were brass spittoons on the floor.
Men wore Derby hats a black four button suit with tiny lapels and he had a big ,black
handlebar moustache. Men had beards, sideburns and fancy moustaches .Women wore
dresses with leg of mutton sleeves .He caught a glimpse of a very small Currier &Ives
Locomotive with a funnel shaped stack. He also saw a copy of the “The World’ ,a
Newspaper which hadn’t been published for years.
Q2.What was reaction of the Clerk at the Ticket counter? Why

.After Charley discovered that he was on the Third level ,he decided go to Galesburg with
his wife Louisa and turned to purchase two tickets from the ticket counter the clerk at the
ticket counter glanced at his fancy hatband curiously .However when Charley counted the
money and handed over the currency notes to the clerk ,he started staring at Charley openly
.He felt that Charley was trying to give him fake currency as the currency used in 1894 were
old style bills half as big as the notes that Charley was using ,he even threatened to turn him
to the authorities Charley did not relish the prospect of going to jail therefore he turned and
got out of the Third level as fast as possible.
Q3.Why is the fact that Sam has moved to the third level ironical?
Ans Sam believed that only two levels existed.
 He explained Charley’s experience as ‘ Waking – dream wish fulfilment .


 He believed 3rd level was a medium to escape foam tension of modern life.


 But later, Sam himself found the 3rd level and got settled there.


 Earlier he believed there was not third level at all but ironically he himself became a
resident of Galesburg . He even urged charley to keep finding it .

Q4 Imagination is a ‘temporary refuge from reality’ Explain.


 Believed it was a waking dream, perhaps wish fulfilment.


 Felt that like many man in the modern world Charley too was unhappy.


 Modern world is full of trials and tribulations, worries and insecurities.


 Felt Charley wanted to escape this world.


 People indulge in some sort of hobby to escape the stark harsh realities.


 Even stamp collecting was a kind of temporary escape.


 Charley refuted his contention- said people do not wander about due to stress.


 Besides his grandfather had also collected stamps in the good old peaceful days of
eighteen-nineties and did not need to escape as life was quite stress free in those days.

Q5, Elaborate the theme of the story

/ Value Points- The story primarily focuses on the atrocities of the modern world – full of
insecurity, stress, fear, war & hatred – one feels caged – by modern advancement – leads to
tension and worries – leading people to look for means of an escape. In the story Charlie –
creates the third level to seek refuge – cases his pressure – provide sweet power to relax.
The Last Lesson Important Questions CBSE Class 12 English
Short Answer Type Questions (3 Marks, 30-40 words)
Question.1. What tempted Franz to stay away from school?

Answer. Franz feared a scolding at school as he had not prepared hte lesson on participles, on
which his French teacher M Hamel was to question the class that day. Besides* the warm and
bright weather, the chirping of birds and the watching the drill of Prussian soldiers also
tempted Franz to stay away from school.
Question.2. What was unusual about M Hamel’s dress on his last day in the school?
Answer. M Hamel had put on his ceremonial clothes on his last day in the school. He was
wearing a beautiful green coat, a frilled shirt, and a little black embroidered silk cap. This
was a special ceremonial attire which he usually wore on days of inspection and prize
distribution.
Question.3. Why is the order from Berlin called a thunderclap by Franz? or

“What a thunderclap these words were to me!” What were the words that shocked and
surprised the narrator? :
Answer. M Hamel told his students that it was their last French lesson, as an order had come
from Berlin that henceforth only German was to be taught in the schools of Alsace and
Lorraine. This announcement seemed to be a thunderclap to Franz. He was left in surprise
and shock to learn that a new master was going to arrive the next day and they would learn
German instead of their mother tongue.
Question.4. Who were sitting on the back benches during M Hamel’s last lesson? Why?
Why had the villagers come to school on the day of the last lesson?
or
Why were the elders of the village sitting in the classroom?
Answer. Some of the elderly people from the village were sitting on .the back benches during
M Hamel’s last lesson. The villagers had come there to attend his last lesson as it was their
way of paying respect to the master, who had given forty years of faithful service to the
school.
Question.5. Why does M Hamel reproach himself for his students, unsatisfactory
progress in
Studies?
Answer. M Hamel had been rather irregular as a teacher. He took leave whenever he wanted
to. Besides, he had often sent the students to water his plants, and whenever he wanted to go
fishing, he just gave them a holiday. So, he reproaches himself for his students’
unsatisfactory progress in studies.
Question.6. What shows M Hamel’s love for the French language?

or
What did M Hamel tell them about the French language? What did he ask them to
do and why?
Answer. In his last lesson, M Hamel told the students that the French language was the most
beautiful language in the world—the clearest and the most logical. He asked them to guard it
amongst themselves and never forget it, because when a people were enslaved, as long as
they held fast to their language, it was as if they had the key to their prison.
Question.7. What words did M Hamel write on the blackboard before dismissing the
last class? What did they mean?
Answer. Before dismissing the last class, M Hamel turned to the blackboard, and wrote the
phrase, ‘Vive La France!’ as large as he could. These words meant ‘Long live France’, and
spoke of M Hamel’s great love for his country and his deep sense of patriotism.
Question.8. What made M Hamel cry towards the end of his last lesson?
Answer. M Hamel had taught French at the school for the last forty years. He was
emotionally attached to the school and everything in and about it. He was really heartbroken
to leave it all. Besides, his own predicament reminded him that his country would soon lose
its independence. All this made him cry towards the end of his last lesson.
Question.9. How did Franz react to the declaration that it was their last French lesson?
or
What announcement did M Hamel make? What was the impact of this on Franz?
or
‘‘This is your last French lesson.” How did Franz react to this declaration of M Hamel?
or
What changes came over little Franz after he heard M Hamel’s announcement?
or
What did the French teacher tell his students in his last French lesson? What impact did
it have on them? Answer. The French teacher M Hamel announced that he would be
teaching his last French lesson that day because the orders had come from Berlin to teach
only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. On hearing this, all the students as well
as Franz felt very sorry that they would not be learning their mother tongue in future. Franz
regretted not having learnt his lessons. Earlier his books seemed a nuisance to him, but at that
moment they became very dear to him.
Question.10.What was the order from Berlin and what changes did it cause in the
school?
or
What changes did the order from Berlin cause in the school?
or
What was the mood in the classroom when M Hamel gave his last French lesson?
Answer. The order from Berlin stated that only German will be taught in the schools of
Alsace and Lorraine. The order effected many changes, as an unusual silence prevailed in the
school, compared to the hustle and bustle earlier. M Hamel became soft in speaking to the
students, while the people realised the importance of their language. The villagers even
attended the school to show respect to M Hamel.
Question.11. How did M Hamel say farewell to his students and the people of the town?
Answer. At the end of his ‘Last Lesson’,. M Hamel stood up to say farewell to his students
and the people of the town. He tried to speak, but overwhelming emotion choked his voice.
He then wrote as large as he could on the blackboard ‘Vive La France’; then he dismissed the
class with a gesture with his hand.
Question.12. What was Franz expected to be prepared with for the school that day?
Answer. Franz was expected to be prepared with participles that day. His teacher M Hamel,
was to question him on the topic. Franz had not learnt his lessons and feared to be scolded by
him.
Question.13. What had been put up on the bulletin-board?

Answer. Since the last two years the bulletin-board had news of lost battles, the draft and the
orders of the commanding officer. On that day a notice had been put up stating that orders
from Berlin were to teach only German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine.
Question.14. Who did M Hamel blame for the neqlect of leaminq on the part of boys
like Franz?
Answer. M Hamel blamed himself for the neglect of learning on the part of boys like Franz.
He himself was not quite regular and took leave whenever he needed it, which reflected on
the behaviour and studies of the students. He also blamed their parents for not taking mterest
in their education.
Question.15. Franz thinks, “Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons?”
What does
this tell us about the attitude of the Frenchmen?
Answer. This shows that the Frenchmen were full of hatred and desperation against the
Germans. Besides, they feared German atrocities. They thought that they would be forced to
read German and no one will be spared.
Question.16. Mention two thingsLabout M Hamel that surprised Franz on his last day
at school.
Answer. M Hamel didn’t scold Franz for being late; instead he told him very kindly to go to
his place. Also, that day he was dressed in his best clothes; he was in his beautiful green coat,
frilled shirt and little black silk cap with embroidery, which he wore only on inspection or
prize days.
Question.17. How was the scene in the school in the morning of the last lesson different
from that
on other days?
Answer. Usually, there used to be great hustle and bustle when the school began. The din of
opening and closing of the desks, lessons being repeated in unison and the rapping of the
teacher’s ruler on the table, could be heard out in the street. But that day, it was all very quiet
and still as on a Sunday morning.
Long Answer Type Question (6 Marks, 120-150 words)
Question.1. What changes did the narrator find in the school when the order from
Berlin came?
Answer. The order from Berlin prohibited teaching of French in the schools of Alsace and
Lorraine. Instead, German was to be taught in the schools. Franz was late for school that day.
He noticed that the hustle and bustle was missing. There was no opening and closing of
desks, no repetition of lessons or rapping of the teacher’s ruler on the table could be heard. It
was all very quiet and still.
Franz was further surprised because, instead of meeting an angry teacher, he was welcomed
by a kind and polite teacher, who was dressed in his best clothes, a beautiful green coat,
frilled shirt and an embroidered silk cap, which he wore only on inspection and prize days.
The back benches were occupied by the village people who never came to school, as they
were more concerned about their livelihood. He was further astounded to know that , M
Hamel was going to teach his last lesson that day.
Lost Spring Important Questions CBSE Class 12 English
Question.1. To which country did Saheb’s parents originally belong? Why did they
come to
India?
or
Why did Saheb’s parents leave Dhaka and migrate to India?
or
Why had the ragpickers come to live in Seemapuri? Answer.
Saheb’s parents belonged to Dhaka in Bangladesh, where they lived amidst green fields.
They and the other ragpickers left their homes many years ago and migrated to India in
search of a livelihood, as their homes and fields were destroyed in storms. This forced them
to come to India, where they settled in the slums of Seemapuri.
Question.2. What job did Saheb take up? Was he happy?

Answer. Saheb took up work at a tea stall, where he had to perform several odd jobs,
including getting milk from the milk booth. He was not happy, as he had lost his
independence. Though he earned ? 800, and got all his meals free, he was no longer his own
master.
Question.3. In what sense is garbage gold to the ragpickers? (Compartment 2014)
or
Garbage to them is gold; why does the author say so about the ragpickers? (Delhi 2008)
Answer. Garbage is gold to the ragpickers of Seemapuri because it provides them items
which can be sold for cash, which can buy them food and is a means of survival. Moreover, it
is gold also because the ragpickers can find stray coins and currency notes in it.
Question.4. How is Mukesh different from the other bangle makers of Firozabad? (
Answer. Mukesh has the courage to dream big in spite of all adversity, whereas the other
bangle makers of Firozabad have resigned to their fate, and have suppressed all their hopes
and desires. Mukesh refuses to follow the ‘God-given lineage’ of bangle making and wants to
be a motor mechanic when he grows up.
Question.5. Whom does Anees Jung blame for the sorry plight of the bangle makers?
(Compartment 2014)
Answer. Anees Jung blames the middlemen, the policemen, the lawmakers, the bureaucrats
and the politicians for the sorry plight of the bangle makers. These people conspire against
and exploit the poor bangle makers. They pay them meagre wages, do not let them form co-
operatives, and compel their children to join the same trade at an early age.
Question.6. What is Mukesh’s dream? Do you think he will be able to fulfil his dream?
Why? Why
not? (Compartment 2014)
or
What was Mukesh’s dream? In your opinion, did he achieve his dream? (Foreign 2009)
or
Is it possible for Mukesh to realise his dream? Justify your answer. (All India 2009)
Answer. Mukesh’s dream is to become a motor-mechanic. It is no doubt difficult for Mukesh
to achieve his dream, as he is torn between his desires and his family tradition, which he
cannot escape. Besides, he has to face a number of obstacles in the form of sahukars,
middlemen, bureaucrats, law makers, politicians etc. However, his will to work hard, and his
strong determination could make him achieve his dream. ‘
Question.7. In spite of despair and disease pervading the lives of the slum children, they
are not
devoid of hope. How far do you agree? (Delhi 2013)
Answer. In spite of growing up amidst despair and disease, children who live in the slum
have the desire to achieve something big in life, like Mukesh. This shows that they are not
devoid of hope. Saheb, a ragpicker, is eager to go to a school and learn. Mukesh, who works
in dark, dingy cells making bangles, dreams of becoming a motor mechanic, which is very
much against his family traditlbn.
Question.8. Who is Mukesh? What is his dream? (Delhi 2012)

Answer. Mukesh is a child labourer who Works in a glass bangle making factory that is
situated in Firozabad. Though Mukesh belongs to a poor family which is engaged in bangle
making, he dreams of becoming a motor mechanic when he grows up.
Question.9. Why could the bangle makers not organise themselves into a cooperative?
(All India 2012)
Answer. The bangle makers could not organise themselves into a cooperative because they
were trapped in the vicious circle of sahukars, middlemen, policemen, up bureaucrats and
politicians. If they tried to organise themselves, they would be beaten by up the police and
put in jail.
Question.10. Mention any two hazards of working in the bangle industry. (Foreign
2011)
Answer. The glass bangle industry offers a very unhealthy and hazardous environment to the
people working in it. They have to work in the glass furnaces with high temperature in dingy
cells
without air and light. Workers, including child labourers, lose their eyesight at an early age.
Slogging for long, relentless hours also has adverse effects on their bodies.
Question.11. Why does the author say that the bangle makers are caught in a vicious
web?
(All India 2010)
Answer. The bangle makers in Firozabad are exploited at the hands of the Sahukars,
middlemen, policemen, law makers, bureaucrats and politicians. They toil day and night, but
are not
paid appropriate wages and are steeped in poverty. They cannot form cooperatives for their
betterment. Moreover, their children are also compelled to join the same trade at an early age
and cannot dare to take up any other profession.
Question.12. Is Saheb happy working at the tea stall? How do you know? (Foreign 2010,
All India 2009)
Answer. Saheb is not happy working at the tea stall. He is paid a fixed wage of Rs 800, and
also receives all his meals free. But the author notices that his face has lost its carefree look,
which makes it evident that he is not happy. He has lost his independence, and is no longer
his own master.
Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 words)
Question.1. Give a brief account of life and activities of the people like Saheb-e-Alam
settled in
Seemapuri. (Delhi 2011)
Answer. The author’s acquaintance with Saheb and other barefoot ragpickers introduced her
to Seemapuri. It is a slum area located on the periphery of Delhi. The residents of Seemapuri
consist of people who left Bangladesh in the 1971 War and are basically refugees. Saheb’s
family is among them. The area does not have facilities of sewage, drainage or running water.
About 10000 ragpickers live here. Their only means of livelihood is ragpicking, and they
treat rags as valuable as gold. These ragpickers have lived here for more than thirty years
without any identity. They do not have permits but have ration cards, with which they can get
their names on the voter’s list and also buy grains at subsidised rates.
Question.2.’Lost Spring’ explains the grinding poverty and traditions that condemn
thousands of
people to a life of abject poverty. Do you agree? Why/Why not? (All India 2011)
Answer. ‘Lost Spring’ is a good narration of grinding poverty and traditions to which
thousands of people have succumbed. The story revolves around the pitiable condition of
poor children who have been forced to live in slums and work hard in dirty conditions. The
story is divided into two parts. The first part tells the writer’s impression about the life of
poor ragpickers who have migrated froin Bangladesh, but now have settled in the Seemapuri
area of Delhi.
The second part narrates the miserable life of the bangle makers in the town of Firozabad.
The stark reality of these families is that in spite of back-breaking hard work that they put in,
they cannot have two square meals a day. Besides, they are victims of exploitation by those
above them and also suffer the consequences of blind belief in traditions.
Question.3. The bangle makers of Firozabad make beautiful bangles and make
everyone happy
but they live and die in squalor. Elaborate. (Delhi 2010)
Answer. Firozabad is the hub of India’s glass-blowing industry where families have spent
generations making bangles to adorn married women. The stark reality of these families is
that in spite of the back breaking hard work that they put in, they cannot have two square
meals a day.
They work in deplorable conditions and many lose their eyesight early. To top it all, they live
in unhygienic conditions where there is a lack of basic amenities too.
The sad reality is that the workers cannot organise themselves into a cooperative. They are
devoid of all enthusiasm and do not dare to dream of anything better. The fear of the police
and lack of leadership among themselves have confined them to a vicious circle of poverty,
indifference and greed. Thus, while they bring happiness to everyone’s life, their own life is
steeped in poverty and squalor
Deep Water Important Questions CBSE Class 12 English
Question.1. Which two incidents in Douglas’ early life made him scared of water?
(Compartment 2014)
Answer. When Douglas was three or four years old, his father took him to a beach in
California. There he was knocked down by strong waves, was almost buried under water, and
got breathless. Though he hung on to his father, he was quite frightened. Secondly, when
Douglas was ten or eleven, a big bully of a boy tossed him into the deep end of the YMCA
pool. He could not come to the surface, in spite of all his efforts, and became panicky. These
two incidents made Douglas scared of water.
Question.2.Why did Douglas prefer to go to YMCA swimming pool to learn swimming?

(Compartment 2014)
or
Which factors made Douglas to decide in favour of YMCA pool? (All India 2011)
Answer. According to Douglas, the YMCA pool was safer compared to the Yakima River.
The river was quite deep and there were several cases of drowning reported about it. As
against the uncertain depth of the river, the pool was only two or three feet deep at the
shallow end. Though its depth was about nine feet at the deeper end, yet the drop was
gradual, and Douglas could rely on it.
Question.3.What did Douglas feel and do when he was pushed into the swimming pool?
(Compartment 2014)
or
What were the series of emotions and fears that Douglas experienced when he was
thrown into the pool? (Foreign 2011)
Answer. When Douglas was thrown into the pool, he did not lose heart and planned to push
himself up with all his force. He thought that once he came to the surface, he would paddle to
the edge of the pool. Thrice, he tried to come to the surface, but unfortunately his strategy did
not work and terror gripped him. His lungs were ready to burst; he was breathless and instead
of air, sucked water.
Question.4.How did his swimming instructor ‘build a swimmer’ out of Douglas?

(Compartment 2014)
or
How did the instructor turn Douglas into a swimmer? (Delhi 2013)
Answer. The instructor adopted a systematic method to turn Douglas into a swimmer. He
first made Douglas shed his initial fear of water by making him cross a pool suspended by a
rope attached to a pulley. The instructor held the other end of the rope and relaxed and
tightened it from time to time. Then he taught the narrator to breathe while swimming, and
finally the leg movements and other strokes.
Question.5. How did Douglas make sure that he conquered the old terror? (All India
2013)
Answer. After the instructor had trained Douglas in the art of swimming, Douglas was still
not sure of himself. He felt tiny vestiges of the fear now and then. So, he went to Lake
Wentworth and swam. Once when terror returned, he challenged it and did not let it
overcome him. Finally, Douglas went to the Warm Lake. There he swam and the fear didn’t
return to haunt him again.
Question.6. What efforts did Douglas make to get over his fear of water? (Delhi 2012)
Answer. After several individual attempts to overcome his fear, Douglas finally engaged an
instructor. The instructor built a swimmer out of him. But Douglas was not sure. To confirm
that the terror would not strike him when he was swimming alone, Douglas decided to go to
Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. At last, he made his terror fly away by swimming
across the Warm Lake.
Question.7. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water? (DeM20ii, 2009)
Answer. The misadventure of having a near-drowning experience left a deep mark on
Douglas’ mind.
The phobia of water hampered all his joys of enjoying different water sports like fishing,
canoeing, boating and swimming. He did not want to live with this handicap and so was
determined to overcome his fear of water.
Question.8. What did Douglas experience when he went down to the bottom of the pool
for the
first time? (Delhi 2011,2010)
Answer. When the author was going down to the bottom of the pool for the first time, those
nine feet felt almost like ninety feet. His lungs were ready to burst, but somehow he
summoned all his strength and sprang upwards, hoping to reach the surface, but he didn’t pop
up to the surface like a cork, as he had imagined. When he opened his eyes he saw nothing
but water, his hands too grabbed only water.
Question.9. Why did Douglas go to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire? (Delhi 2011)
Answer. Douglas was not satisfied with his practice so he decided to go to Lake Wentworth.
There when he was swimming in themiddle of the lake, only once did the terror return, but he
finally overcame it, and it made him feel better.
Question.10.When Douglas realised that he was sinking, how did he plan to save
himself?
(Delhi 2010)
Answer. When a big boy threw Douglas into the water, he went straight down. He was
completely frightened. Still, he did not lose his wits and thought of a strategy to make a big
jump when his feet touched the bottom, so that he could reach the surface. He even thought
that he would lie flat on the surface and finally paddle to the edge of the pool.
Question.11. What sort of terror seized Douglas as he went down the water with a
yellow glow?
How could he feel that he was still alive ? (Delhi 2010)
Answer. When Douglas found himself deep down into the water with a yellow glow, stark
terror gripped him. The terror ripped him apart and he had no control over it. He felt
paralysed, stiff and rigid with fear. Even the screams in his throat were frozen. It was only his
throbbing heart that made him realise that he was still alive.
Question.1. “I crossed to oblivion, and the curtain of life fell.” What was the incident
which nearly killed Douglas and developed in him a strong aversion to water? (Foreign
2014)
Answer. The incident which nearly killed Douglas occurred when he was ten or eleven years
old. He had decided to learn swimming at the YMCA pool, and thus get rid of his fear of
water. One . morning, when he was alone at the pool, waiting for others, a big bully of a boy
tossed him into the deep end of the pool. Though he had planned a strategy to save himself as
he went down, his plan did not work. He went down to the bottom and became panicky.
Thrice he struggled hard to come to the surface, but failed each time. He was almost drowned
in the pool. He lost his consciousness and felt that he would die. Though he was ultimately
saved, this misadventure developed in him a strong aversion to water.
Question.2. Douglas fully realised the truth of Roosevelt’s statement, “All we have to
fear is fear
itself.” How did this realisation help him brush aside his fear and become an expert
swimmer? (Foreign 2014)
Answer. Douglas had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that the fear of
death can cause. Strong will, hard determination, courage and toil as well as honest labour
won over all his terrors and fears. The will to live brushed aside all his fears.
In reality all our fears are only psychological, and can be easily won over, if we can control
our mind. This realisation makes Douglas resolve to learn swimming by engaging an
instructor. This instructor, piece by piece, built Douglas into a swimmer. However, his first
step was to drive away Douglas’ fear of water, before training him in swimming techniques.
When Douglas tried and swam the length of the pool up and down, small traces of his old
terror of water would return. So, he went to Lake Wentworth, dived at Triggs Island and
swam two miles across the lake to Stamp Act Island. Finally, he was certain that he had
conquered his fear of water.
Question.3. Desire, determination and diligence lead to success. Explain the value of
these
qualities in the light of Douglas’ experience in ‘Deep Water.’ (Compartment2014)
Answer. The terror of water followed Douglas wherever he went. To get rid of it, he made a
strong determination. He decided to overcome his fear through his “will.” He engaged an
instructor who would perfect him in swimming. The instructor first helped him drive away
his fear, and then gave him many exercises besides teaching him to exhale and inhale in
water.
The practice went on for months together, during which his fear came back to haunt him, but
his desire and firm will made him persist in his- efforts. It was only through sheer
determination and diligence that Douglas could not only counter his terror, but also become
an expert swimmer.
He swam across and back lakes to ensure that his fear of water did not return. He had now
completely lost his fear. His desire, determination and diligence succeeded in banishing his
fear of water.
Question.4. How did Douglas develop an aversion to water? (Ddhi20i2)

or
“…….there was terror in my heart at the overpowering force of the waves.” When did
Douglas start fearing water? Which experience had further strengthened its hold on his
mind and personality? (All India 2010)
Answer. Douglas developed an aversion to water in his early childhood, When he was three
or four
years old, his father took him to a beach in California. The waves knocked him down and
swept over him. He was buried in water. He was frightened but his father was laughing.
Perhaps this was the moment his fear of water took root inside his mind.
Further, when Douglas was ten or eleven years old, he decided to learn to swim and went to
the YMCA pool. Here an incident took place that finally established his aversion to water as
a big fear. One day when Douglas was alone at the pool sitting on the edge and waiting for
others to come, a big boy of 18 years of age threw him into the deep end of the pool.
What followed was a nightmarish experience for him. Douglas tried very, hard and applied
all his knowledge to come to the surface of the water but to no avail. Somehow, he was
saved. Thus after this fearful incident, his fear of water got implanted in his heart and mind
permanently.
Question.5. How did the instructor make Douglas a good swimmer? (All India 2012)
Answer. To overcome his fear of water, Douglas finally decided to get an instructor to learn
swimming. The instructor started working with him five days a week, an hour each day. The
instructor put a belt around Douglas. A rope was attached to the belt that went through a
pulley that ran on an overhead cable. The instructor held on to the end of the rope and , along
with Douglas went back and forth, across the pool, hour after hour, day after day,
week after week. On each trip across the pool a bit of panic seized Douglas. It took almost
three months before the tension reduced.
Then the instructor taught him to put his face under the water and exhale and to raise his nose
and inhale. For weeks, his instructor made him kick with his legs. Until, he was able to
command his legs at his will.
In this way, piece by piece, his instructor made Douglas a swimmer. When Douglas perfected
each piece, his instructor put them together into an integrated one. As a result, in nearly six
months Douglas was able to swim, dive, crawl and so on.
The Rattrap Important Questions CBSE Class 12 English
Short Answer Type Questions (3 Marks; 30-40 words)
Question.1. In what sense was the world a big rattrap according to the peddler?
(Compartment 2014)
or
Why did the peddler think that the world was a rattrap? (All India 2009)
Answer. The peddler was a very poor man who earned his living by selling rattraps he made
himself from the materials he got by begging. His mind, thus, was always preoccupied with
rattraps. One day, he suddenly thought of the whole world was a big rattrap. He felt that the
shelter, food, clothes, riches and joys that the world provided were all baits set to entrap man
just as a rattrap offered cheese or meat to entrap rats. As soon as one was trapped, everything
came to an end.
Question.2. Why did the peddler derive pleasure from his idea of the world as a
rattrap?
(Delhi 2014; Modified)
Answer. The world had never been kind to the poor peddler. Wherever he went, he was
greeted with sour faces and was turned or chased away. Therefore, he derived pleasure from
thinking ill of the world in this way. Moreover, he perhaps envied those whose lot was better
than his, and was rather amused to think that some day they too would be tempted by the bait
and be caught in the Tattrap.
Question.3. Why did the peddler knock on the cottage by the roadside? How was he
treated by the Owner Of the cottage? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. The peddler knocked on the cottage by the roadside to seek shelter for the night.
The owner of the cottage was a crofter who lived there alone. He regarded the peddler as
welcome company and treated him quite hospitably. He not only put him up for the night, but
also offered him food and played cards with him.
Question.4. Why did Edla plead with her father not to sen’d the vagabond away?
(All India 2014; Modified)
or
Why did Edla still entertain the peddler even after she knew the truth about him?
(NCERT)
Answer. Edla had always thought the peddler to be a poor, homeless tramp. Therefore, she
didn’t feel cheated when his true identity was revealed. Instead, she felt very bad for him and
his miserable condition, and pleaded on his behalf. She and her father had promised him
Christmas cheer, and she felt that it would be wrong to send him away.
Question.5. What conclusion did the ironmaster reach when he heard that the crofter
had been robbed by the peddler? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. It was at the church th$t the ironmaster and his daughter heard that the crofter had
been robbed by a peddler, who, no doubt, was the one they had sheltered at the manor house.
The ironmaster at once concluded that the peddler would probably have stolen all his
silverware in their absence, and rdn away.
Question.6. What was the content of the letter written by the peddler to Edla? (Foreign
2014)
Answer. The peddler had written that since Edla had treated him like a captain, he wanted to
be nice to her in return. He did not want her to be embarrassed at Christmas by a thief. He
had requested that the crofter’s money that he had stolen be returned. He further wrote that
the rattrap was a Christmas present from a rat who would have been caught in the world’s
rattrap, if he had not been raised to the status of captain, which motivated him to reform
himself.
Question.7. What were the contents of the package left by the peddler as Christmas gift
for Edla Willmansson? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. The package left by the peddler as a Christmas gift for Edla Willmansson comprised
a small rattrap with three wrinkled ten kronor notes in it, which the peddler had robbed from
the crofter. It also contained a brief letter for Edla explaining the peddler’s conduct.
Question.8. Why did the peddler decline the invitation of the ironmaster? (Delhi 2012)
Answer.The ironmaster has mistaken the peddler for an old regimental comrade and invited
him home. The peddler declined the invitation because he was carrying the money he had
stolen from the crofter. He knew that if the ironmaster discovered his identity, he would hand
him over to the police. Therefore, for him, going to the manor house was like walking into a
lion’s den.
Question.9. Who was the owner of Ramsjo iron mills? Why did he visit the mills at
night?
(All India 2012)
Answer.The owner of the Ramsjo iron mills was an ex-army man and an ambitious and
prominent ironmaster. He was very particular about the quality of his products, and visited
the mills even at night to make sure that good iron was shipped out from his mills.
Question.10.How did the ironmaster react on seeing the stranger lying close to the
furnace?
(All India 2012)
Answer. When the ironmaster saw a stranger in rags lying close to the furnace, he went near
him and removed his slouch hat to get a better view of his face. Due to dim light in the forge
and the peddler’s dirty appearance, he mistook him to be Nils Olof, an old acquaintance of
his regiment. He was delighted to see him and invited him home for Christmas.
Question.11.Why did the stranger not tell the ironmaster that he was not Nils Olof? (All
India 2012)
Answer. The stranger did not tell the ironmaster that he was not Nils Olof because he thought
that if the gentleman believed that he was an old friend or acquaintance of his, then he might
take pity on him and help him with some money.
Question.12.Why was the crofter so talkative and friendly with the peddler? (Delhi
2012)
Answer. The old crofter was lonfly and leading a dreary existence as he had no wife or
children. He was happy to get someone to talk to and share his thoughts with, even though it
was a tramp. So he welcomed the peddler who was quite a patient listener, and extended his
hospitality to him.
Question.13.Why was the peddler surprised when he knocked on the door of the
cottage?
(All India 2011)
Answer. The peddler had never been treated kindly by the world. He was meted out cold
treatment wherever he went. He was pleasantly surprised when the crofter greeted him with
warmth and hospitality. Ordinarily, he always met ‘sour faces’ when he knocked for shelter
and food, and was usually turned away.
Question.14.Why did the peddler keep to the woods after leaving the crofter’s cottage?
How did
he feel?(All India 2011)
Answer. After stealing the money from the crofter’s, the peddler was cautious to. avoid the
public, highway lest he be identified and caught. He got into the woods but finally realised
that it was a big and confusing forest. The end of the forest was nowhere in sight and he felt
lost. That’s when he recalled his thoughts about the world being a rattrap and he realised that
he had indeed become a victim of a rattrap.
Question.15.What made the peddler finally change his ways? (All India 2010)
Answer. The peddler believed in giving back to the world what he received from it. He was
always treated with contempt and hostility and so he never did anything good. However,
Edla’s kind and caring behaviour finally changed him. She had treated him with love and
respect befitting a captain, even after realising that he was a poor vagabond. The trust that
Edla showed in him made him change his ways and he decided to live with dignity and
respect.
Question.16.Why was Edla happy to see the gift left by the peddler? (All India 2010)
Answer. Edla felt very dejected when she came to know about the theft of the crofter’s
money by the peddler, but the gift left behind, which consisted of a small rattrap and three
wrinkled ten kronor notes, restored her faith in him. She felt happy because her trust in him
had been justified. Her kindness had finally changed the peddler and brought out his essential
goodness.
Question.17.”Edla sat and hung her head even more dejectedly than usual.” Which two
reasons
forced her to behave in that manner? (Foreign 2010)
Answer. Edla had shown kindness to the peddler even after knowing that he was not a
captain. This was.the reason why she felt all the more dejected when she came to know that
the peddler whom she had sheltered was actually a thief, who had recently robbed a crofter.
Secondly, she also felt bad because the peddler had disproved the faith which she had shown
in him.
Question.18. Why did the peddler sign himself as Captain von Stahle? (All India 2009)
Answer. The peddler owed his transformation to the kind treatment meted out to him by
Edla. In spite of knowing the truth about him, she had honoured and treated him like a
captain. She had awakened the latent goodness in his heart. He wanted to repay Edla for her
kindness. His signing himself as Captain von Stahle shows that he wanted to retain the
dignity and respect accorded to him.
Question.1. How did the peddler feel after robbing the crofter? What course did he
adopt and
how did he react to the new situation? What does his reaction reveal? (Delhi 2013)
Answer. The crofter had treated the peddler with hospitality, and had even reposed his trust
in the poor vagabond. Still the peddler robbed him and was quite pleased with his smartness.
However, the fear of getting caught haunted him. So, he avoided the public highway and
turned into the woods. It was a big and confusing forest, and due to the approaching darkness,
the peddler lost his way. He got exhausted moving around the same place, and was filled with
despair. He began to feel that the forest was like a big rattrap and the thirty kronor he had
stolen were like a bait set to tempt him.
His reaction reveals that he was feeling guilty for having stolen the crofter’s money. His ,
heart was filled with remorse and self-loathing for his act of weakness. However, his thoughts
are perhaps also a way of justifying his crime.
Question.2. The story, The Rattrap’ is both entertaining and philosophical. Do you
agree with
this statement? Why/Why not? (Foreign 2011)
Answer. The story, ‘The Rattrap’ is indeed, both entertaining and philosophical. The fast-
paced narrative in the third person, generous use of dialogue by the author and different
characters belonging to different mindsets and locales make the story interesting and
entertaining. Besides, the author has managed to keep up the suspense till the end.
The incidents in the forge, with the ironmaster coming at midnight, hold our attention. The
peddler’s incessant refusals to the ironmaster to accompany him, but his accepting Edla’s
invitation in one go, the ironmaster’s realisation of his mistake, and Edla’s sympathy and
generosity, all make the story quite gripping. While all the above events make the story
interesting, there is also an element of philosophy in the story.
Somewhere, the peddler’s theory of the world being a rattrap is true. One feels caught up like
a rat in the entrappings of the world. Some people fall into this trap never to come out of it
again. The story teaches us that, as human beings, we are not above temptations.
Question.3. The story focuses on human loneliness and the need to bond with others.
Explain.
(Delhi 2010)
Answer. All. the characters in the story suffer from loneliness and are dreary souls. First of
all, the tramp appears to lead a sad, monotonous existence, left to his own musings. He is
always greeted by sour faces and cold words.
The old crofter’s fate has been somewhat kinder to him. Bereft of his wife and children, he
lives all alone in a cottage by the roadside, and is rather happy to have visitors around.
We also have the ironmaster and his daughter, Edla, who have no company for Christmas.
The ironmaster’s wife is dead and his sons are settled abroad.
He, with his daughter, are happy to play hosts for his friend. Thus, all of them have a strong
desire for bonding and comradeship. The crofter is happy to be friends with the peddler,
although only for a nig^it. It is the bonding with the ironmaster’s daughter that transforms the
peddler. The love, understanding and dignity that he gets from the girl makes him leave his
dishonest ways and redeem himself.
Question.4. Give examples from the story, The Rattrap’ to show how the ironmaster is
different from his daughter. (Delhi 2009)
or
Compare and contrast the character of the ironmaster with that of his daughter.
(Delhi 2008)
Answer. The character of the ironmaster was very different from that of his daughter. He was
an ambitious and arrogant man. When he saw the peddler, he mistook him for his old
regimental comrade, and invited him home, but this was more out of his sense of pride than
out of sympathy or generosity.
When the ironmaster realised that he had been mistaken, he called the peddler dishonest and
threatened to call the Sheriff. When he learnt that the peddler was a thief, he was ‘ worried
about his own silverware.
On the other hand, Edla, the ironmaster’s daughter, was a kind and compassionate lady who
was really sympathetic and considerate towards the peddler right from the beginning. She
treated him with respect and dignity even after knowing that he was not a captain. It was her
generous attitude which finally changed the peddler, bringing out the essential goodness of
his nature.
Indigo Important Questions CBSE Class 12 English
Question.1. Why did Gandhiji feel that taking the Champaran case to court was
useless?
(Delhi 2014 Modified)
Answer. When Gandhiji got to know about the plight of the peasant groups in Champaran
from his discussion with the lawyers, he came to the conclusion that the poor peasants were
so crushed and fear-stricken that law courts were useless in their case. Going to courts
overburdened the sharecroppers with heavy litigation expenses. What really needed to be
done was to make them free from fear.
Question.2. How did the Champaran peasants react when they heard that a Mahatma
had come
to help them? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. When the Champaran peasants heard that a Mahatma had come to help them, they
assembled in Motihari in large number. Thousands of peasants held a demonstration around
the courthouse where Gandhiji was supposed to appear. The crowd was so uncontrollable that
the officials felt powerless, and Gandhiji himself helped the authorities to regulate the crowd.
Question.3. What made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji?
(Compartment 2014)
Answer. When Gandhiji was asked to appear in the court in Motihari, thousands of peasants
held a demonstration arounck the courthouse. The officials felt helpless and the government
was baffled. The trial was postponed, as the judge didn’t want to aggravate the situation. He
held up the sentence for several days, after which Gandhiji was released without bail. All
these events made the Lieutenant Governor drop the case against Gandhiji.
Question.4. Why did Gandhiji oppose when his friend Andrews offered to stay in
Champaran and
help the peasants? (Foreign 2014)
or
Why did Gandhiji object to CF Andrews’ stay in Champaran? (Foreign 2009)
Answer. CF Andrews, an English pacifist, was a devoted follower of Gandhiji. The lawyers
thought that bejng an Englishman, Andrews could be of immense help to them in their cause
of fighting the battle of Champaran. Gandhiji, however,.was against this because he felt that
enlisting an Englishman’s help showed weakness. Their cause was just, and they had to win
the battle by relying on themselves. This would make them self-reliant.
Question.5. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a

turning point
in his life? (All India 2011)
Answer. The Champaran episode began as an attempt to alleviate the distress of poor
peasants. Ultimately it proved to be a turning point in Gandhiji’s life because it was a loud
proclaimation that made the British realise that Gandhiji could not be ordered about in his
own country. It infused courage to question British authority in the masses and laid the
foundation of non-cooperation as a new tool to fight the British tooth and nail.
Question.6. What did the peasants pay to the British landlords as rent? (Foreign 2011)
Answer. The British landlords had entered into a long-term contract with the farmers
according to which they compelled all tenants to plant 15% of their holdings with indigo. The
sharecroppers had to surrender the entire indigo harvest as rent.
Question.7.Why did Gandhiji decide to go to Muzaffarpur before going to Champaran?

(Foreign 2011)
Answer. Rajkumar Shukla had given quite a lot of information to Gandhiji about the indigo
sharecroppers of Champaran. However, Gandhiji wished to obtain more complete
information about the conditions than Shukla had imparted. He visited Muzaffarpur, which
was en route to Champaran, to inquire from the lawyers there about the issue, as they
frequently represented the peasant groups in the court.
Question.8.Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?

(Delhi 2010)
Answer. The servants knew that Rajkumar Shukla was a poor farmer who pestered their
master to help the indigo sharecroppers. Since Gandhiji accompanied Shukla and was dressed
simply, they mistook him for a peasant. Gandhiji’s modesty and unassertiveness also led to
the assumption that he was a peasant.
Question.9.”The battle of Champaran is won!.” What led Gandhiji to make this

remark?
(Foreign 2010)
Answer. The lawyers first decided to return home if Gandhiji. was arrested. But they soon
realised their mistake. When they declared that they would fight for the peasants’ cause in the
event of Gandhiji’s arrest and volunteered to court arrest for the cause of the sharecroppers,
Gandhiji was very pleased and exclaimed, “The battle of Champaran is won!.”
Question.10.Why did Gandhi agree to the planters’ offer of a 25% refund to the
farmers? (Delhi 2009)
Answer. Gandhiji agreed to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers in order to break the
deadlock between the landlords and peasants. For him the amount of the refund was not very
important. The fact that the landlords had been obliged to surrender a part of their money as
well as their prestige gave a moral victory to the farmers. Thus, Gandhiji not only made the
landlords accept their dishonesty but also made the farmers learn a lesson in defending their
rights with courage.
Question.11.How was Gandhi able to influence the lawyers? Give instances. (All India
2009)
or
Hbw was Gandhiji able to influence the lawyers? (All India 2008)
Answer. Gandhiji’s sincerity towards the peasants’ cause and convincing arguments and
negotiations, thoroughly influenced the lawyers. He chided them for overcharging the
peasants and encouraged them to court arrest for the peasants’ noble cause. He even rejected
their proposal to seek Mr Andrews help in their battle against the Britishers in order to be
self-reliant and independent.
Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 Words)
Question.1. Why is the Champaran episode considered to be the beginning of the Indian
struggle
for independence? (All India 2014 Modified)
Answer. The Champaran episode was one of the major events in the struggle for
independence. It was in the course of this small but significant movement that Gandhiji
decided to urge the departure of the British from India.
A close examination of the problems of the Champaran peasants opened Gandhiji’s eyes to
the unjust policies of the British. He realised that people had to be made free from fear and
only then could they be freed from foreign oppression. The spontaneous demonstration of the
people proved that Gandhiji had the nation’s support in his fight against the Britishers. It also
aroused patriotism in the heart of the Indians.
The triumph of The.civil disobedience at Champaran motivated the launching of the
movement on a large scale during the freedom movement. Gandhiji’s winning the case of the
sharecroppers proved that British authority could be challenged. Hence, the Champaran
episode served as a stepping stone to the Indian struggle for independence.
Question.2.Gandhiji’s loyalty was not a loyalty to abstractions; it was a loyalty to living

human
beings. Why did Gandhiji continue his stay in Champaran even after indigo
sharecropping disappeared? (All India 2014 Modified)
Answer. After the Champaran battle was won and the land reverted to the peasants, Gandhiji
continued to stay on in the region. His loyalty was, indeed, to living human beings and he
realised that a lot needed to be done for the upliftment of the peasants in the villages of
Champaran. Gandhiji took the initiative and began the work of eradicating their cultural and
social backwardness. Primary schools were started so that the poor peasants and their
children could be educated. Gandhiji appealed to teachers, and many of his disciples,
including his wife and son, volunteered for the work.
Health conditions in the area were also miserable. Gandhiji got a doctor to volunteer his
services for six months. All this-goes to prove that Gandhiji’s loyalty was not to abstractions,
but his politics was always intertwined with the practical day to day problems of the millions.
Question.3.Describe how, according to Louis Fischer, Gandhiji succeeded in his

Champaran
campaign. (Compartment 2014)
Answer. The Champaran campaign was an attempt to free the poor peasants of Champaran
from injustice and exploitation at the hands of the Britishers. Gandhiji succeeded in this
campaign using his method of satyagraha and non-violence. He visited Muzaffarpur to obtain
complete information about the actual condition of the sharecroppers. He first appealed to the
concerned authorities, but when there was no positive response, he organised a mass civil ,
disobedience movement with the support of the peasants.
Gandhiji’s main objective was to remove the fear of the British landlords from the heart of
the poor peasants and mould a new free Indian, who could participate in the freedom
movement of the country.
He made the peasants aware of their rights and gave them a new-found confidence for
fighting their own battles. He also taught them to be self-reliant by refusing to take the help
of CF Andrews, his English friend.
Question.4.Why did Gandhiji agree to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers? How
did it
influence the peasant-landlord relationship in Champaran? (All India 2ol3)
Answer. Under an ancient arrangement, the peasants of Champaran were sharecroppers. The
landlords forced the Indian tenants to plant 15% of their holding with indigo and surrender
the entire indigo harvest as rent.
After Germany developed synthetic indigo, the landlords wanted to dissolve the agreement,
as synthetic indigo would be cheaper. They asked the peasants for compensation to release
them from this arrangement. Most of them signed it willingly, but felt cheated after they
learned about synthetic indigo.
Gandhiji fought their case and the evidence that he collected was so overwhelming that the
landlords were asked to repay. When Gandhiji asked for 50% repayment, the landlords
offered to pay only 25%, as they wanted to create a deadlock, and thus prolong the dispute.
To everybody surprise, Gandhiji agreed to a refund of only 25%. Gandhiji explained that the
amount of refundwas not important. What mattered was that the landlords were obliged to
surrender a part of their money and with it, part of their prestige.
Question.5. Give an account of Gandhiji’s efforts to secure justice for the poor indigo
sharecroppers of Champaran. (All India 2012)
Answer. In the course of his journey to Champaran with Rajkumar Shukla, Gandhiji stayed
at Muzaffarpur where he met the lawyers and concluded that fighting through courts was not
going to solve the problem of the poor sharecroppers of Champaran. He declared that the real
relief for them was to be free from fear.
With this intention, he arrived in Champaran and contacted the Secretary of the British
Landlord’s association. The Secretary refused to provide him any information. After this,
Gandhiji met the Commissioner of the Tirhut division who served a notice on him to
immediately leave Tirhut.
Gandhiji accepted the notice by signing it and wrote on it that he would not obey the order.
He was even willing to court arrest for the cause of the peasants.
After four rounds of talks with-the Governor, an official commission of inquiry was
appointed in which Gandhiji was made the sole representative of the peasants.
Through this commission Gandhiji succeeded in getting 25% of the compensation award for
the poor sharecroppers from the British landowners.
Question.6. The Champaran episode was a turning point in Gandhiji’s life. Elucidate.
(All India 2012)
Answer. Gandhiji himself accepted the proposition that the Champaran episode was a turning
point in his life. It was then that he decided to urge the departure of the British from India.
In fact the Champaran episode was the first experiment of civil disobedience in India. When
Gandhiji was on his way to Champaran, he stayed in Muzaffarpur, where he met the lawyers
who were fighting cases for the sharecroppers. The peasants were so crushed and fear-
stricken . that Gandhiji concluded that law courts were useless. The real relief for them was to
be free from fear. The spontaneous demonstration by the peasants showed that they were
instilled with a new strength and spirit. Gandhiji showed the poor peasants how to fight the
British with ‘satyagraha’. He made them aware of their power and the power of ahimsa.
All this laid the foundation of his future movements and served as a great source of strength
and motivation for all Indians.
Important Questions 1 mark.
Poem 1: My mother at sixty-six by Kamala Das
Q.1 What is the pain that the poet feels?

Ans. The pain is due to the realization that her mother has grown old and that she will die
soon.
Q.2 Why mother has been compared to ‘late winter’s moon’?
Ans. Mother’s face is as dull,dim and dismal as the winter nights approaching and the day is
coming to an end.
Poem 2: An Elementary School classroom in a Slum by Stephen Spender
Q.1 What does the author of the poem want for the children of the slum?
Ans. To go outside the slums and explore the world.
Poem 3: Keeping quiet by Pablo Neruda
Q.1 What will counting help to achieve?

Ans. It will help us take a momentary pause in our lives out of the rush.
Q.2 What ‘sadness’ is referred to here in the poem?
Ans. The failure to understand each other in our busy life.
Poem 4: A Thing of beauty by John Keats
Q.1 What makes us love life despite of hardships?

Ans. The natural surrounding makes us love life despite hardships. This natural beauty never
fades.
Q.2 What things cause pain and suffering?
Ans. The dark phases of our life cause pain and suffering.
Poem 6: Aunt Jennifer’s Tiger by Adrienne Rich
Q.1 Why Jennifer’s hand flutter while sweatering?

Ans Her hands flutter because she is an old lady now and her age is taking a toll on her.
Q.2 what is the Importance of the image used “massive weight of uncle’s wedding
band”?
Ans. The wedding band is the wedding ring. It is heavy because aunt Jennifer is tired of her
suites.
Q.3 What ordeals does Aunt Jennifer face in her life?
Ans. The rules laid down by her husband are the ordeals.
Q.4 Why does Aunt Jennifer created tigers and not any other animal?
And. Tigers represent the freedom that Aunt Jennifer longs for. Her desire to escape the
marriage life.
Chapter 1: The Last Lesson by Alphonse Daudet
Q.1 How does people realise the importance of their language?

Ans. The people realise the importance of their language only when they are told that they
will not be able to use their beloved language anymore.
There is a notice from Berlin which said that German will be imposed and replace French.
It is the reason behind their sudden transformation.
Q.2 Why is the right to speak their own language is being taken away from the people?
Ans. Since the war broke out and France was defeated by Berlin. The German was to be
imposed on all its subjects.
The bulletin board informed the people this news that only German was to be taught in the
schools of Alsace and Lorraine
Chapter 2: Lost Spring by Anees Jung
Q.1 Why does people Migrate to cities from villages?

And. The are many factors behind this reason. People migrate to cities in search of better
opportunities for their life, better civic and health facilities. Others are forced when some
unnatural disasters take place and their homes are ruined. Then people move to cities.
Q.2 Mention the hazards of working in the bangle industry?
Ans. People who work in the bangle industry often lose their eyesight. By working
continuously in the bangle industry near burning furnaces they might also have lung
problems.
Chapter 3: Deep Water by William Douglas
Q.1 How did douglas overcome his fears?

And. After the Y.M.C.A episode he realized that all we have to fear is fear itself which was
said by Franklin Roosevelt. He hired a swimming instructor and learning swimming and
practicing everyday. Douglas worked on his weakness each day and finally he was able to
overcome his fear.
Q.2 How does Douglas’s childhood Exp. helped him in his adult age?
And. After both the childhood experiences Douglas has had. Both of these incidents were
almost turning points in his life. He faced death so near and came back alive. It made him
realize the importance of life even more. He learned swimming because it was like a hurdle
in his life and he faced it and conquered it with his dedication. These incidents also prepared
him for the hurdles that might come in his future and provide him strength.
Chapter 4: The Rattrap by Selma Lagerlof
Q.1 How does the metaphor of rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament?
And. The world is like a trap because we get caught up in the luxuries of the worst pleasures
and once we do we forget the acts of kindness.
We ought to be helping each other but we don’t.
We ignore the plight of the ones in need.
He makes a much deeper comment on the life and he himself realises it only when he
appreciates the kindness shown to him by Elsa.
Chapter 5: Indigo by Louis Fischer
Q.1 How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers?

Ans. Gandhi was able to I fluency the lawyers by his conviction, earnestness and pertinent
questioning. He reproached the lawyers for charging large sums of fees from the peasants.
Later lawyers from bihar stood against it he told the lawyers of champagne that if he was
willing to go to jail for those peasants it will be impudent for them to return.
Chapter 8: Going places by A.R Barton
Q.1 what is the difference between Sophie & Janise?

Ans. Sophie was a dreamer who enjoyed living under fantasy world where as Jansie was
more of a practical girl.
Sophie relied on her imagination and Jansie on her maturity which is quite evident in the
lesson.
Jansie tried to bring her friend to the real world but all in vain.
Q.2 What socio economic background did Sophie belong to?.
And. Sophie belonged to a lower middle class family with her parents and two brothers Derek
and Geoff. Her father is a Labourer and her elder brother Geoff works as a mechanic in a
garage far from the house. Her family wants her to start working soon but she is not reluctant
to work.
Chapter 1: The Last Lesson
Q1: “Will they make them sing in German” what does it mean?
Chapter 2: Lost Spring
Q1: Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept.?
Q2: What is Saheb looking for in the garbage. Where has he come from ?
Chapter 3: Deep Water
Q1: What misadventure William Douglas speaks about ? How did this incident affect
him ?
Q2: What did Douglas do to overcome his fear? Did he overcome his fear ? If how ?
explain?
Chapter 4: The Rattrap
Q1: From where did the peddler get the idea of the world being a rattrap ?
Q2: What made the peddler think that he had fallen into a rattrap ?
Q3: The Story has many instances of unexpected reactions from the characters to
other’s behaviour. Pick instances of these surprises.
Chapter 5: Indigo
Q1: what did the peasants pay the british landlords as rent ? what british now want
instead & What would be the impact of synthetic indigo on the prices of natural indigo?
Q2: Why did Gandhi agree to a settlement of 25% refund to the farmers ? How did this
incident change the plight of the peasants ?
Q3: How does the Champaran incident became a turning point in Gandhi’s life ?
Chapter 8: Going Places
Q1: Where was it most likely that the two girls would find work after school ?
Vistas

Chapter 2: The Tiger King by Kalki
Q.1 How does author employ ironic devices?

Ans. The author uses the ironic device in a remarkable manner. She describes the characters
in a grossly inappropriate manner. She uses a very dextrous way of dramatic irony. To show
off the king flaunts his first killed tiger in front of the astrologer and still he dies by the
poison spread into his body from a wood tiger.
Q.2 Author’s indirect comment on subjecting innocent animals?
Ans. The way humans subject animals is too rude. They kill them for their own sport which is
not appropriate to fulfill our own whims and fancies. We should not kill innocent animals
because they cannot raise their voice against the injustice being done them.it is the duty of
each and every human beings to protect our animals
Q.3 Behaviour of Raja’s minions?
Ans. The behavior of the minions of the Raja is not because they are loyal to him or because
they love him but only because they fear him. In such scenarios a King can never take for
long where his subjects are afraid of him. Such kingdom can never be a democratic one.
Chapter 4: The Enemy by Pearl S. Buck
Q.1 There are Moments in life when we have choices What make us rise above war?
Ans. Dr. Sada gets caught between choosing his moral and ethical responsibility to save the
soldier and as an individual to be loyal towards his nation. These dilemmas of life and the
roles that we play are often what give us tough choices. Dr. Sdao fulfills his responsibilities
by choosing to help the soldier and by deciding to hand him over to the commissioner his
duty as an individual. He therefore rises above the war because of his humanity towards an
injured man who was not a soldier then but a human being in trouble.
Q.2 Do you think doctor’s decision was good?
Ans. Doctors decision was good because if he has left the soldier there he would have died
for sure. And if he had handed him over to the police they would have killed him. Dr. Sadao
chooses the middle path by letting the soldier run to the island where he could be safe until he
recovered. Since he tried his best to save the soldier who was injured and also spoke truth to
the general about an enemy in his house.
Chapter 5: Should wizard hit mommy by John Updike
Q.1 what is moral issue that the story raises ?

Ans. The story explores different levels of maturity in ur life. First one is a child’s
perspective against the adult’s perspective. Children are innocent. There is no place for
cunningness, hatred in their world. On the contrary jack who tried to always impose that
parents are always correct in making decisions. This story raises the moral question that
whether we should follow our elders blindly even if they are wrong.
Q.2 what is your stance regarding two endings to the Roger Skunk story?
Ans.Since Jo was just a little innocent child, both the endings are a little irrational. She
visualizes everything from whatever things she hears from others and she never questions it
even if it is wrong in her opinion
In addition to the story where the skunk’s mother hits the wizard for no reason. The wizard
was just following the orders of his mother. It would teach that parents have the right to hit
people just because they are elders.
On the contrary if jo had the ending of her own story, everyone would stop believing and
respecting their elders.
Q.3 How is an Adult’s perspective different from a Child’s perspective ?
Ans. there is a lot of difference in a child’s perspective and a perspective of an adult human
being. A child’s thoughts are not polluted with corruption. There is a natural flow in his
speech. He speaks without thinking of any reaction whereas ault’s think a lot before speaking.
They are not governed by their instincts but by the laws of the society.
Chapter 6: On the face of it by Susan Hill
Q.1 Which section display signs of loneliness of Mr. Lamb?

Ans. The whole play is loathsome of sadness that derek feels but in particular there are
incidents where Mr. Lamb shares these signs of sadness and loneliness too.
By the end of the scene, it is clear that he only keeps muttering that nobody talks to him or
like to meet him after they meet him for the first time. It shows that he is lonely. He was so
sure that derry also would never come back to meet the old guy.
Q.2 What behaviour we expect from others?
Ans. if we encounter anyone physically impaired we should never make fun of them. A
person can live a life of respect and honour and life becomes a little easier if they receive the
respect they deserve. But when someone mocks them it breaks their confidence. So he
expects others to be respectful rather than reminding him of his physical incapabilities.
Chapter 7: Evan tries an O-Level by Colin Dexter
Q.1 Do you agree that b/w crime & punishment it is mainly a battle of wits?
Ans. in this world which is full of corruption, it can be said that between crime and
punishment it is mainly the battle of the wits. One can outsmart the law if he is clever.
In the story Evan tries an O level it is reflected that it is not only the criminals who are
punished but sometimes even the innocent get caught up in this battle and only because there
are not oversmart they live their life in prison while Evans managed to fool the officials and
earned his freedom.
Q.2 What did you feel about Evan’s having the last laugh?
Ans. The phrase Evans’ having the last laugh refers to the clever plan devised by Evan to
escape and he made fool of everyone till the end. He left some clues so that the officials
would be misleaded in chasin Evans the wrong way.he forged the van used by the governor
of the prison. And he finally managed to escape which is refer to here is as Evans having the
last laugh.
Chapter 8: Memories of childhood by Zitkala-sa and Bama
Q.1 what does ‘ I will not submit! I will struggle first!’ symbolise?
Ans. The phrase ‘I will not submit i will struggle first’ captures the issue of racial prejudice.
The people who were colonised were treated in gruesome manner. They were looked down
upon by the European missionary.There is an insight of the plight of the people in the story.
The people became resolute to give the officials a tough fight until they had the last breath in
them. The little girl represents that spirit of not giving up.
Q.2 How does the girl rebel when she notices her hair will be cut?
Ans. The girl rebels by hiding under the bed and not submitting to the authorities of the
hostel. The hostel wardens have to put a lot of struggle to get the girl out and finally her hair
is cut. She resents the issue but is proud that she at least tried all she could.
Q.3 Why does the girl decide to study when she notices annan carrying the packet in an
odd fashion?
Ans.When the girl sees her annan carrying the packet in a very odd fashion way, she realises
the odd practice of untouchability in her village. She decides to blur this tradition with the
light of education. Under the supervision of her elder brother who is already studying in a
university who is respected only because he was an educated person,she utilizes her anger
and sense of rebellion to direct it in the right way. Since she understood that these
malpractices had existed for decades and they could not be eliminated overnight. It was going
to take a lot of effort.The tool that she chooses is the tool of education to fight.
Q.4 Did she achieve her dream of studying at a university too like her brother?
Chapter: The Tiger King
Q.1 What is the general attitude of human beings towards animals? How and Why is
the story ironic? In what terms it is a comment on people in power?
Ans. The general attitude of the human beings toward wild animals is that they feel that wild
animals must be killed when they try to harm humans. The story is ironic because there is a
great difference in the behavior of both. Animals kill humans only when they encounter any
perilous danger from them while humans kill animals for their own sport to fulfill their own
fancy and whims. The raja only to prove the astrologer wrong about his foretold death
unleashes on a crazy and whimsical hunt to kill all tigers. He even marries a princess of the
other state so that he could rightfully kill the tigers in that province as well yet his death is
ironic in itself. Even after taking so many precautions, he dies through the poison which
spreads into his whole body from an iron nail sticking out of the tiger made from wood. The
wood tiger was a gift for his newborn child that he himself brings.
The story is a conceit on the people in power because people in power use their authority to
drive their pleasures by ruling over them and
Chapter: The Enemy
Q.1 Should Dr. Sadao be arrested on the charge of harbouring an enemy? Why or why
not explain in your words using instances from the story?
Q.2 What explains the attitude of the General in the matter of the enemy soldier? Was it
human consideration, lack of national loyalty, of dereliction duty or simply self
absorption?
Chapter: Should wizard hit mommy?
Q.1 What possible plot line could the story continue with?
Chapter: On the face of it
Q.1 What draws Derry towards Mr. Lamb?
Q.2 The actual pain or inconvenience caused by a physical impairment is often much less
than the sense of alienation felt by the person with disabilities ?
Chapter: Even trans on O-level

Q.1 What could have governor have done to securely bring back evans to prison when
he caught him at the golden lion? Does that final act of foolishness really prove that he
was just another good-for-a-giggle, gullible governor, that was all?
Chapter: Memories of childhood
Q.1 What is the common theme in both the episodes discuss briefly? Can you relate
anything common in the girls.
ENGLISH- XII (LITERATURE)

SECTION- C : Flamingo (Poetry)
Poem 1
My Mother at Sixty –Six
By Kamala Das
Main Theme:
The poem, ‘My Mother at Sixty-Six’ rendered in blank verse, examines the theme of
advancing age and the fear of loss and separation.
The poetess on way to the airport at Cochin is suddenly struck by the thought that her mother
has grown old. This realization being sudden is alarming. Old age seems to have crept up on
her and it is a reality that she finds hard to accept. Her corpse like and ashen face bring
thoughts of her eventual death. Her mother sleeping beside her in the car appears pale and
worn out and the green trees racing past and speeding car are a grim reminder that time has
flown by. The joyous children playing outside give her the respite that she is seeking from
her thoughts of old age and parting as they are representative of youth, energy and life.
Perhaps they take her back to the days of her idyllic youth when her mother too was young
and energetic or perhaps they bring to the fore the fear of losing her mother that haunts every
young child. Once again she feels the insecurity of parting from her mother- who has lost the
blush of youth and middle age and in the twilight of her life has become as pale as lustreless
as the winter moon.
Beset with sorrow at this knowledge and with the insecurity and pain of parting the poetess at
the airport bids her old mother goodbye, smiling all the time in a vain attempt to hide her real
feelings.
STUDY MATERIAL – QUESTION BANK

CLASS XII – ENGLISH
MY MOTHER AT SIXTY SIX

IMPORTANT STANZAS FOR COMPREHENSION
Read the stanzas given below and answer the questions that follow each:
1. Driving from my parent’s home to Cochin last Friday morning, I saw my mother, beside
me, doze, open mouthed, her face ashen like that of a corpse and realized with pain that she
was as old as she looked but soon put that thought away, and looked out at young trees
sprinting, the merry children spilling out of their homes,
Questions:
A. Where was the poet driving to?
B. What did she notice while her mother sat beside her?
C. Why was her mother’s face like that of a corpse?
D. What did the poet do then?
E. Find words from the passage which mean:
i) felt
ii) sleep lightly
iii) dead body but after the airport’s security check, standing a few yards away, I looked again
at her wan, pale as a late winter’s moon and felt that old familiar ache, my childhood’s fear,
but all said was, see you soon, Amma, all I did was smile and smile…..
A) How were the young trees sprinting?
B) What did she see the children doing?
C) What is her childhood’s fear?
Short Answer Type Questions:
1. Where is the poet going and who is with her?
2. How does the poet’s mother look like? What kind of images has the poet used to signify
her ageing decay?
3. Why does the poet ‘put that thought away’ and looks outside?
4. What does the poet see happening outside?
5. Describe the contrast of the scene inside the car with the activities going on outside.
Describe the use of images that the poet employs to strike that contrast.
6. What does the poet do after the security check-up? What does she notice?
7. Why does the poet feel her old familiar ache and what is her childhood fear?
8. With fear and ache inside her heart and words of assurance on lips and smile on the face,
the poet presents two opposite and contrasting experiences? Why does the poet put on a
smile?
9. Describe the poetic devices used by Kamala Das in ‘My Mother at Sixty Six’.
Chapter-1-THE THIRD LEVEL
By Jack Finney
Main Theme:
Charley, a thirty-one year old having worked late one night enters Grand Central Station from
Vanderbilt avenue, with the aim of boarding a train home. As the station is large consisting of
various corridors and two levels catering for different trains, he loses his way.He finds
himself in what he thinks is the third level of the station. He realizes that something is
different there as the people are dressed differently and the area is lit not with the electric
lights of the modern times but with open gas fires. He suddenly makes the discovery that he
has somehow entered the yea r 1894. He sees the date on the newspaper. The World that has
not been published for many years. The paper that he glances at bears the date June 11, 1894.
He is filled with excitement and he decides to buy two tickets for Galesburg, the peaceful
town that he has grown up in.
Charley discovers that he does not have the appropriate currency of that period and is
therefore unable to buy the tickets. His wife and his psychiatrist friend, Sam as well as his
other friends are quite alarmed when they hear his account and forbid him to seek the third
level again. They treat the incident as a figment of his imagination and attribute it to his
desire to escape from the stresses of his life.
However, Charley’s friend, Sam disappears and Charley finds a letter from him in an old
First day Cover dated July 18, 1894. In the letter, Sam tells Charley that he has settled down
in Galesburg and urges Charley not to give up his search for the Third Level as it is well
worth the effort. Sam is now engaged in a nice little hay, feed and grain business, something
that he has always wished that he could do.
The author leaves the readers wondering what The Third level really is. Though Charley is
able to find proof of his experience, is it really possible to make this transition back and forth
in time?
Jack Finney a writer of science fiction treats his favourite subject, Time in a new dimension.
The shadowy, eerie world that lies somewhere between dreams, desires and reality is what he
calls The Third Level. It is the point where the past, the present and the future meet and here
nothing is, as it seems.
Practice Questions:
1. What made Charley believe that the Third Level did exist?
2. Briefly describe the events that led up to Charley finding the Third Level at the ground
central
3. What does the third level refer to?
4. What was Sam’s reaction when Charley mentioned the discovery of the Third level to him?
5. What did Sam say in his letter to Charley?
6. ‘But now we are both looking for….’What does this refer to? Explain briefly?
7. ‘……….the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of
it………..’ What is the implication expressed in these sentiments? Explain with reference to
the story ‘The Third Level’.
CERT Solutions for Class 12 English Chapter 7 – The Interview
 Home
 Class 12
 English
 Chapter 7 – The Interview
Page No 69:
Question 1:
What are some of the positive views on interviews?
Answer:
Interview, in the 130 years of its existence, has become an inherent part of journalism. It
is a useful means of communication that is, at times, considered to be an art, serving as a
source of truth. Denis Brian has stated that in today’s world we get to know “our
contemporaries” through their interviews.
Page No 69:
Question 2:
Why do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?
Answer:
Celebrity writers believe that interviews unduly interfere in their private lives. They
regard themselves as victims of interviews. They claim that the interview in some way
‘diminishes’ them, just like some ancient cultures believed that a portrait of a person
takes away his soul. Certain celebrities like V.S Naipaul have claimed that interviews
leave them wounded, while others like Rudyard Kipling have referred to it as a crime
and an immoral act.
Page No 69:
Question 3:
What is the belief in some primitive cultures about being photographed?
Answer:
Some primitive cultures believed that getting oneself photographed would rob them of
their souls.
Page No 69:
Question 4:
What do you understand by the expression “thumbprints on his windpipe”?
Answer:
“Thumbprints on his windpipe” means to choke or suffocate somebody by applying
pressure on his throat. Saul Bellow uses this expression to refer to the pressure and
discomfort felt by a celebrity while giving an interview.
Page No 69:
Question 5:
Who, in today’s world, is our chief source of information about personalities?
Answer:
Interviews help us know our contemporaries and their opinions. They serve as a means
of communication between the celebrities and the audience. In this case, the interviewer
is endowed with a very special power and he becomes our chief source of information
about personalities.
Page No 73:
Question 1:
Do you think Umberto Eco likes being interviewed? Give reasons for your opinion.
Answer:
Yes, Umberto Eco, in all possibilities, likes being interviewed. He readily answers every
question asked by Mukund Padmanabhan in an energetic and lively manner. He do es not
seem apprehensive about sharing his secrets, experiences and opinions with the
interviewer, and consequently, the world. There is no indication throughout the interview
that he dislikes being interviewed.
Page No 73:
Question 2:
How does Eco find the time to write so much?
Answer:
During the interview, Mukund Padmanabhan reiterates David Lodge’s astonishment on
Umberto Eco’s large amount of works and how he manages to write them all. Eco replies
that just like the universe has empty spaces, our lives too, have a lot of empty spaces or
‘interstices’, as he calls them. Whenever he has a few moments to spare in between two
different tasks, instead of wasting them, he uses the time to write. He even gives an
example of his working technique. He says that while waiting for someone to come up
the elevator he keeps himself busy.
Page No 73:
Question 3:
What was distinctive about Eco’s academic writing style?
Answer:
Eco’s writing style is strikingly different from that of the standard academic mode. The
academicians first make a thorough research, then move on to prove their hypotheses,
and finally, give their conclusion on that subject. The final outcome, therefore, comes
out as tedious. Eco, on the other hand, tells the story of his research, including his “trials
and errors”. While the scholars usually use a very depersonalised and dull manner, Eco’s
style is personalised and playful, and in the form of a narrative.
Page No 73:
Question 4:
Did Umberto Eco consider himself a novelist first or an academic scholar?
Answer:
Umberto Eco considered himself an academic scholar first and then a novelist. He wrote
more scholarly articles as compared to novels; and, he attended academic conferences
and not meetings of Pen Clubs and writers. According to him, he was a university
professor who wrote novels on Sundays. “I started writing novels by accident”, he said.
Page No 73:
Question 5:
What is the reason for the huge success of the novel, The Name of the Rose?
Answer:
Umberto Eco has rightly pointed out that the success behind The Name of the Rose is a
mystery. It is not possible to know the exact reason behind a book’s success or failure;
one can only make wild guesses. Perhaps the time in history when it was written has
proved favourable for its success. According to Mukund, the novel’s setting in the
medieval past might have contributed to its success. But many novels written about the
medieval past have failed to get as much success.
Page No 74:
Question 1:
Discuss in pairs or small groups.
1. Talk about any interview that you have watched on television or read in a newspaper.
How did it add to your understanding of the celebrity, the interviewer and the field of the
celebrity?
2. The medium you like best for an interview, print, radio, or television.
3. Every famous person has a right to his or her privacy. Interviewers sometimes
embarrass celebrities with very personal questions.
Answer:
1. Directions: The students can watch or read an interview of a politician or a bollywood
actor. Some of the issues that can be discussed are:
 The celebrity and his/her life
 His/her work and the career
 The interviewer, his questions and his mood
 The way the celebrity answers the questions- his language, mood, gestures, body
language
 The views and opinions of both the interviewer and the interviewee
2. Each medium has positives and negatives – yet, television is the best medium – more
enjoyable and attractive – visual medium allows us to observe the celebrity, his gestures,
expressions and body language – helps connect better with the interview
3. Everyone has a right to maintain his/her privacy – wrong to ask private and
humiliating questions about his/her past – wrong to consider the private life of public
figures as public – once their privacy is breached, it may be difficult for them to recover
– may affect their personal relationships even
(Directions/pointers have been provided for students’ benefit. It is strongly
recommended that students prepare the answer on their own.)
Page No 75:
Question 1:
If the interviewer Mukund Padmanabhan had not got the space in the newspaper to
reproduce the interview verbatim, he may have been asked to produce a short report of
the interview with the salient points.
Write this report for him.
[The teacher should be able to help the pupils in what to include and what can be
omitted. We could also provide a short report of an interview as a sample.]
Answer:
A CHAT WITH UMBERTO ECO
By Mukund Padmanabhan
Delhi, 6 September
Umberto Eco, the renowned scholar and writer, in a short interview with The
Hindu claimed to be an academician first and a novelist later. He is a professor at the
University of Bologna in Italy. His works range from semiotics to literary interpretation,
medieval aesthetics and finally to novels and children’s books. When asked about his
wide-ranging works, he clarified his position saying “I am a professor who writes novels
on Sundays”.
One is amazed by his ability to manage time. He revealed his secret theory of empty
spaces or ‘interstices’, as he calls them. Eco explained his way of utilising every second,
even the free ones between two different tasks.
All of Eco’s works including his academic publications have a personal touch to them.
This is Eco’s unique style of writing which, he declared, began at the a ge of 22 when he
was a research scholar. His inclination towards creative writing led him to novel -writing
in his later years.
His detective novel The Name of the Rose has sold 10 million copies, but its success
apparently did not surprise him. He stated that the success of the book proves that there
are people who read difficult texts.
All in all, Eco turned out to be a dynamic personality who loves his work. His
enthusiasm is apparent in the way he gave the replies to all the questions, without any
apprehension or qualms.
Page No 76:
Question 1:
Interview a person whom you admire either in school or your neighbourhood and record
it in writing.
Answer:
Directions: Think of a person whom you admire. He or she may be one of your teachers,
your relatives, your role model or any elderly person in the family. Consider his or her
profession or work and based on that prepare a questionnaire. Before the actual
interview, remember to ask for permission and accordingly fix a date for the interview.
During the interview, follow the questionnaire but you may ask any relevant questions
that crop up during the course of the interview. Try to note down the important points.
(Directions have been provided for students’ benefit. It is strongly recommended that
students prepare the answer on their own.)

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Question 1:
Answer:
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Question 2:
Answer:
and an immoral act.
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Question 3:
Answer:
their souls.
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Question 4:
Answer:
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Question 5:
Answer:
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Question 1:
Answer:
question asked by Mukund Padmanabhan in an energetic and lively manner. He does not
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Question 2:
Answer:
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Question 3:
Answer:
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Question 4:
Answer:
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Question 5:
Answer:
Page No 74:
Question 1:
celebrity?
Answer:
language
Page No 75:
Question 1:
Answer:
Delhi, 6 September
on Sundays”.
This is Eco’s unique style of writing which, he declared, began at the age of 22 when he
in his later years.
apparently did not surprise him. He stated that the success of the bo ok proves that there
Page No 76:
Question 1:
it in writing.
Answer:
interview, remember to ask for permission and accordingly fix a date for the interview.
The Interview Question and Answers
1. How does Eco find the time to write so much?

A. Eco is a university professor who attends academic conferences all week. He finds so
much time to write in the empty spaces that we all have in our lives, just like the structure of
atoms and Universe. He terms these empty spaces as ‘interstices’. If he is waiting for
someone coming to his house via the escalator, he would use that time to write an essay
rather than sit idle. Therefore, he considers himself a scholar who writes novels on Sundays.
2. What was distinctive about Eco’s academic writing style?

A. Generally, academic scholars write false hypothesis, rectify them and then give
conclusions. On the other hand, Umberto takes the readers through the journey of his
research, quoting all the trials and errors to reach the conclusion. His narrative style of
writing made him distinctive.
3. Did Umberto Eco consider himself a novelist first or an academic scholar?

A. Umberto Eco identifies himself with the academic community. According to him, he is a
university professor who attends academic conferences all week and writes novels on
Sundays.
4. What is the reason for the huge success of the novel, The Name of the Rose?
A. The novel, The Name of the Rose is a hard-read, differentiating it from other novels. It is a
detective narrative that contains metaphysics, theology and medieval history. Thus, it targeted
the audience that is not interested in an easy reading experience, probably not all the time.
However, the success of the novel still remains a mystery. According to Umberto, had the
novel been written ten years earlier or later, it would have not attracted the same proportion
of audience.
 Home
 Class 12
 English
 Chapter 7 – The Interview
Page No 69:
Question 1:
Answer:
Page No 69:
Question 2:
Answer:
and an immoral act.
Page No 69:
Question 3:
Answer:
their souls.
Page No 69:
Question 4:
Answer:
Page No 69:
Question 5:
Answer:
Page No 73:
Question 1:
Answer:
question asked by Mukund Padmanabhan in an energetic and lively manner. He does not
Page No 73:
Question 2:
Answer:
Page No 73:
Question 3:
Answer:
Page No 73:
Question 4:
Answer:
Page No 73:
Question 5:
Answer:
Page No 74:
Question 1:
celebrity?
Answer:
language
Page No 75:
Question 1:
Answer:
Delhi, 6 September
on Sundays”.
This is Eco’s unique style of writing which, he declared, began at the age of 22 when he
in his later years.
apparently did not surprise him. He stated that the success of the book proves that there
Page No 76:
Question 1:
it in writing.
Answer:
interview, remember to ask for permission and accordingly fix a date for the interview .
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Chapter 6 – Poets

and Pancakes
 Home
 Class 12
 English
 Chapter 6 – Poets and Pancakes

Page No 57:
Question 1:
Notice these words and expressions in the text. Infer their meanings from the context.
Answer:
 blew over – give a long, angry speech of criticism or accusation
 was struck dumb – render speechless, as by surprise or shock
 catapulted into –to shoot forth or launch
 a coat of mail –an armoured coat made of chain mail, interlinked rings, or overlapping metal plates
 played into their hands –to act or behave so as to give an advantage to (an opponent).
 the favourite haunt –a frequently visited place
 heard a bell ringing –stirring an often indistinct memory
Page No 59:
Question 1:
What does the writer mean by ‘the fiery misery’ of those subjected to make-up’?
Answer:
The make-up room of Gemini Studios looked like a hair cutting salon. It had around half a dozen mirrors
with incandescent lights at all angles around them. The artists would feel the heat emanating from these
lights. Thus, the writer uses the term ‘fiery misery’ to denote the uncomfortable situation of those
subjected to make-up.
Page No 59:
Question 2:
What is the example of national integration that the author refers to?
Answer:
The make-up division of the Gemini Studios was an example of national integration. According to the
author, this is so because people from different regions and religious groups worked together in the same
department. The department was headed by a Bengali who was succeeded by a Maharashtrian. The
other helpers included a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese
and the local Tamils.
Page No 59:
Question 3:
What work did the ‘office boy’ do in the Gemini Studios? Why did he join the studio? Why was he
disappointed?
Answer:
The ‘office boy’ was responsible for the make-up of the people who formed part of crowd in the films. He
used to mix his paint in a giant vessel and slapped the paint on the faces of the players.
He had joined the Gemini Studios years ago, aspiring to become an actor, or a scriptwriter, or a director,
or a lyricist. He was disappointed with the studio that failed to recognise his talent. He called it a
“department fit only for barbers and perverts”.
Page No 59:
Question 4:
Why did the author appear to be doing nothing at the studios?

Answer:
The job of the author was to cut newspaper clippings and file them. For the other employees, all he
seemed to be doing is tearing newspapers, which according to them did not qualify as work.
Page No 61:
Question 1:
Why was the office boy frustrated? Who did he show his anger on?
Answer:
The office boy had joined the studio years ago in the hope of becoming an actor or a screenwriter, or a
director, or a lyricist. The fact that he ended up becoming none of these left him frustrated. According to
him, “great literary talent was being allowed to go waste in a department fit only for barbers and
perverts”. He used to direct his anger at the author even though it was meant for Kothamangalam Subbu.
Page No 61:
Question 2:
Who was Subbu’s principal?

Answer:
The Boss, who was also the founder of Gemini Studios, was Subbu’s principal.
Page No 61:
Question 3:
Subbu is described as a many-sided genius. List four of his special abilities.

Answer:
Subbu was a multi-disciplinarian. He was could provide solutions to problems, could remai n cheerful all
the time and was an actor, a poet and a novelist.
Page No 61:
Question 4:
Why was the legal adviser referred to as the opposite by others?

Answer:
A lawyer used to be a part of the story department at the Gemini studios. Though, a legal adviser was
supposed to be involved in legal matters, his cagey yet stupid idea led to the end of an actress’s career.
Due to this, he was referred to as the opposite of a legal advisor, by the people.
Page No 61:
Question 5:
What made the lawyer stand out from the others at Gemini Studios?
Answer:
The lawyer wore pants and a tie and sometimes a coat whereas everyone else in the Story Department
wore similar khadi dhoti with a slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt. Thus, the lawyer
stood out from others at Gemini Studios as if he is a dispassionate man who did not take sides.
Moreover, he was a logical man with no emotional attachment whatsoever.
Page No 64:
Question 1:
Did the people at Gemini Studios have any particular political aff iliations?
Answer:
The people at Gemini Studios did not have any particular political affiliations. The common political
notions of the day managed to influence them but that was limited to wearing khadi and admiring the
Gandhian philosophy. They were averse to the term ‘Communism’ but had only an erroneous
understanding of the concept.
Page No 64:
Question 2:
Why was the Moral Re-Armament army welcomed at the studio?

Answer:
Frank Buchman’s Moral Re-Armament army was welcomed at the studio mainly because of their political
association. The people at the Gemini Studios were averse to Communism, and hence, were ready to
play host to the MRA.
Apart from that, the studio people hardly had any occupation and suffered from boredom. The MRA came
as a welcome change to their monotonous days at the studio.
Page No 64:
Question 3:
Name one example to show that Gemini Studios was influenced by the plays staged by MRA.
Answer:
Madras and Tamil drama community included scenes of ‘sunset and sunrise in the manner of Jotham
Valley’ in almost all of their plays. This shows how the plays, staged by MRA, influenced Gemini Studios.
Page No 64:
Question 4:
Who was The Boss of Gemini Studios?

Answer:
Mr. S.S. Vasan was The Boss of Gemini Studios.

Page No 64:
Question 5:
What caused the lack of communication between the Englishman and the people at Gemini Studios?
Answer:
The accent of Stephen Spender, the Englishman, was the main cause of the lack of communication
between him and the people at Gemini Studios. Apart from that, the people did not have any idea about
what he was talking.
Page No 64:
Question 6:
Why is the Englishman’s visit referred to as unexplained mystery?

Answer:
The Englishman’s visit to the Gemini Studios is referred to as an unexplained mystery because no one
could decipher his identity, whether he was a poet or an editor. Besides, when he spoke no one at the
studio understood what he intended to say as his accent was beyond their comprehension.
Page No 65:
Question 1:
Who was the English visitor to the studio?
Answer:
The English visitor to the Gemini Studios was Stephen Spender. He was the editor of The Encounter, a
British Periodical, and a famous English poet, essayist and novelist of the twentieth century.
Page No 65:
Question 2:
How did the author discover who the English visitor to the studios was?
Answer:
Before investing money in participating in a short story contest organised by an English periodical The
Encounter, the author did a research on the magazine. He went to the British Council Library where, while
going through an issue of that periodical, he discovered that its editor was Stephen Spender, the poet
that had once visited the studio.
Page No 65:
Question 3:
What does The God that Failed refer to?
Answer:
The God That Failed was a compilation of six essays written by six eminent writers, namely, Andre Gide,
Richard Wright, Ignazio Silone, Arthur Koestler, Louis Fischer and Stephen Spender. In each of the
essays, the respective writers described “their journeys into Communism and their disillusioned return”.
Page No 66:
Question 1:
Discuss in small groups taking off from points in the text.
1. Film-production today has come a long way from the early days of the Gemini Studios.
2. Poetry and films.
3. Humour and criticism
Answer:
1. Film production is more technical nowadays. While earlier only five per cent of the shooting was done
outdoors, nowadays outdoor shooting is no more limited to such a negligible percentage. The cameras
and other equipments are more advanced allowing for more varied and accurate presentation.
The quality of make-up has improved many folds from the days of the Gemini Studios where only
pancake was used. The people involved in various departments are experts in their specialised work, be
it the director, producer, scriptwriter, lyricist or the actors. The overall quality of the films is more striking
and lively.
2. In India poetry and films are intricately linked. The people at Gemini Studios, all claimed to have the
talents of a poet. The main reason behind it was their monotonous and leisurely life at the studios.
However, these people were not knowledgeable or educated enough to be poets. Unlike poetry, films can
be enjoyed by people with little resources who cannot afford to cultiva te taste for poetry and literature.
3. The story is interspersed with instances dipped in subtle humour. The humorous instances, however,
make interesting and relevant comments on the behaviour of general people. A humorous story has more
readers, a humorous film more viewers. This is because they provide entertainment and a respite from
the tedious existence. Criticism by means of humour is more effective, hence writers and film -makers
often use humorous elements in their works and make sarcastic comments and criticism.
(The above answer is only a sample provided for students’ reference. It is strongly recommended that students
prepare the answer on their own.)
Page No 66:
Question 2:
Why was Kothamangalam Subbu considered No. 2 in Gemini Studios?

Answer:
Kothamangalam Subbu succeeded in securing the place closest to The Boss by means of flattery. He
was not brilliant but a rather cheerful person and exceedingly loyal to The Boss. He offered solutions
whenever The Boss was in a fix. Thus, the other employees considered him No.2 in Gemini Studi os.
Page No 66:
Question 3:
How does the author describe the incongruity of an English poet addressing the audience at Gemini
Studios?
Answer:
The audience at the Gemini studios was not knowledgeable enough to understand the thrills and travails
of an English poet, of which the visitor poet-editor talked about, in his speech. The studio made films for
simple people whose limited resources did not provide them with an opportunity to develop a taste in
English poetry. The audience failed to understand anything the poet said, all the more, because of the
latter’s accent. The poet-editor, in turn, looked baffled realising the utter inappropriateness of his speech
being directed to such an audience.
Page No 66:
Question 4:
What do you understand about the author’s literary inclinations from the account?
Answer:
Though the author had a very tedious and unchallenging job at the studios, his interest in literature and
writing is apparent in his willingness to participate in the short story contest organised by the British
periodical, The Encounter. Moreover, the author appears to be a keen reader visiting libraries and buying
books on wide-ranging topics whenever he could afford them. Besides, the narrative also establishes the
fact that the author was one of the most knowledgeable persons in Gemini Studios. His idea about how
prose writing was not meant for geniuses but for those with patience and perseverance, highlight his
reflective and deep thoughts on literature and creative writing.

and Pancakes
 Home
 Class 12
 English

Page No 57:
Question 1:
Answer:
Page No 59:
Question 1:
Answer:
Page No 59:
Question 2:
Answer:
The make-up division of the Gemini Studios was an example of national integration. According to the
other helpers included a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo -Burmese
Page No 59:
Question 3:
disappointed?
Answer:
He had joined the Gemini Studios years ago, aspiring to become an actor, or a scriptwriter, or a director,
Page No 59:
Question 4:

Answer:
Page No 61:
Question 1:
Answer:
Page No 61:
Question 2:

Answer:
Page No 61:
Question 3:

Answer:
Subbu was a multi-disciplinarian. He was could provide solutions to problems, could remain cheerful all
Page No 61:
Question 4:

Answer:
Page No 61:
Question 5:
Answer:
wore similar khadi dhoti with a slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt. Thus, the lawyer
Page No 64:
Question 1:
Did the people at Gemini Studios have any particular political affiliations?
Answer:
Page No 64:
Question 2:

Answer:
Apart from that, the studio people hardly had any occupation and suffered from boredom. The MRA came
Page No 64:
Question 3:
Answer:
Page No 64:
Question 4:

Answer:

Page No 64:
Question 5:
Answer:
Page No 64:
Question 6:

Answer:
Page No 65:
Question 1:
Answer:
Page No 65:
Question 2:
Answer:
Page No 65:
Question 3:
Answer:
essays, the respective writers described “their journeys into Communism and their disillusioned return” .
Page No 66:
Question 1:
Answer:
it the director, producer, scriptwriter, lyricist or the actors. The overall qua lity of the films is more striking
and lively.
be enjoyed by people with little resources who cannot afford to cultivate taste for poetry and literature.
Page No 66:
Question 2:

Answer:
whenever The Boss was in a fix. Thus, the other employees considered him No.2 in Gemini Studios.
Page No 66:
Question 3:
Studios?
Answer:
The audience at the Gemini studios was not knowledgeable enough to understand the thrills and t ravails
Page No 66:
Question 4:
Answer:
writing is apparent in his willingness to participate in the short story contest o rganised by the British

and Pancakes
 Home
 Class 12
 English

Page No 57:
Question 1:
Answer:
Page No 59:
Question 1:
Answer:
Page No 59:
Question 2:
Answer:
The make-up division of the Gemini Studios was an example of national integration. According to t he
other helpers included a Dharwar Kannadiga, an Andhra, a Madras Indian Christian, an Anglo-Burmese
Page No 59:
Question 3:
disappointed?
Answer:
He had joined the Gemini Studios years ago, aspiring to become an actor, or a scriptwriter, or a dire ctor,
Page No 59:
Question 4:

Answer:
Page No 61:
Question 1:
Answer:
Page No 61:
Question 2:

Answer:
Page No 61:
Question 3:

Answer:
Subbu was a multi-disciplinarian. He was could provide solutions to problems, could remain cheerful all
Page No 61:
Question 4:

Answer:
Page No 61:
Question 5:
Answer:
wore similar khadi dhoti with a slightly oversized and clumsily tailored white khadi shirt. Thus , the lawyer
Page No 64:
Question 1:
Did the people at Gemini Studios have any particular political affiliations?
Answer:
Page No 64:
Question 2:

Answer:
Apart from that, the studio people hardly had any occupation and suffered from boredom. The MR A came
Page No 64:
Question 3:
Answer:
Page No 64:
Question 4:

Answer:

Page No 64:
Question 5:
Answer:
Page No 64:
Question 6:

Answer:
Page No 65:
Question 1:
Answer:
Page No 65:
Question 2:
Answer:
Page No 65:
Question 3:
Answer:
essays, the respective writers described “their journeys into Communism and their disillusioned return”.
Page No 66:
Question 1:
Answer:
it the director, producer, scriptwriter, lyricist or the actors. The overall quality of the films is more striking
and lively.
be enjoyed by people with little resources who cannot afford to cultivate taste for poetry an d literature.
Page No 66:
Question 2:

Answer:
whenever The Boss was in a fix. Thus, the other employees considered him No.2 in Gemini Studios.
Page No 66:
Question 3:
Studios?
Answer:
The audience at the Gemini studios was not knowledgeable enough to understand the thrills and t ravails
Page No 66:
Question 4:
Answer:
writing is apparent in his willingness to participate in the short story contest o rganised by the British
JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE EARTH
Page No: 19
Read and Find Out
1. How do geological phenomena help us to know about the history of humankind?
Answer
The geological phenomenon of separating various continents and water bodies from one
com
landmass tells us about the age of existence of human race on the earth. Six hundred
and fifty
million years ago, no human race existed on the earth because the environment was not
favourable. After the time when the dinosaurs were wiped out, the Mammals started
existing a
after the separation of landmass, the human race started flourishing on the earth.
Page No: 20
1. What are the indications for the future of humankind?
NCERT SOLUTIONS REVISION NOTES IMPORTANT QUESTION

12/7/2019 NCERT Solutions for Class 12th: Ch 3 Journey to the end of the Earth English
https://www.studyrankers.com/2014/12/journey-to-end-of-the-earth-class-12th-ncert-solutions.html 2/4
Answer
The future of the humankind can get in danger if the emission of carbon- dioxide and
other
poisonous gases go on in the same manner. These gases deplete the ozone layer and
allow th
ultra-violet rays of the sun to enter the earth’s environment. This causes the rise in
temperatur
the earth and giving rise to the phenomenon called global warming. Increased
temperature c
melt the ice of the Antarctica, and cause other environmental problems, thus
jeopardizing the
of human kind.
Page No: 23
Reading with Insight
1. ‘The world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica.’ How is the study of this region
useful t
Answer
The study of this region of Antarctica gives us insight into the world’s geological history.
It gives
idea, how the earth was like, before it drifted into continents and countries. It shows how
slight
changes in the climate can change the shape of the region. It gives the explanation how
the
climatic conditions of the earth were not favourable for life before and how slowly rising
temperature made earth a place to sustain life. All secrets are embedded in the layers of
ice in
form of half million year old carbon records.
2. What are Geoff Green’s reasons for including high school students in the Students on
Ice
expedition?
Answer
NCERT SOLUTIONS REVISION NOTES IMPORTANT QUESTION

12/7/2019 NCERT Solutions for Class 12th: Ch 3 Journey to the end of the Earth English
https://www.studyrankers.com/2014/12/journey-to-end-of-the-earth-class-12th-ncert-solutions.html 3/4
Geoff Green took the high school students to one end of the world, to provide them the
opport
to develop the respect and understanding for the earth. He wanted to make the future
policymakers
to experience how difficult it would have been for the earth to sustain life by rising its
temperature. He wanted them to understand that any interference in nature can cause
drast
mishappenings in the future when the students see the ice shelves melting and
collapsing, the
estimate the kind of environmental troubles ahead in their future.
3. ‘Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.’ What is
the
relevance of this statement in the context of the Antarctic environment?
Answer
This statement has great relevance in the context of the Antarctic environment. A small
chang
the environment can give rise to drastic developments. Antarctica has a small
biodiversity. Th
example of small grass called phytoplankton can be studied in this context. These
microscopi
grasses undergo the process of photosynthesis and serve as food for number of marine
birds
animals. The author says if there is further depletion of the ozone layer, it will affect the
phytoplanktons and the carbon cycle on the globe. This whole process can jeopardize
the exis
of all the marine birds and animals. So if we take care that processes carried over by
these sm
grasses are carried out properly, the bigger animals and birds will fall into the place on
their ow
4. Why is Antarctica the place to go to, to understand the earth’s present, past and
future?
Answer
Antarctica gives us an idea, how the earth would have been like millions of years ago
and how
divided into various earth masses. The melting and colliding ice masses also give us an
insigh
how our future is going to be, if we continue with interference in the working of the
nature. Mor
Antarctica holds into the depths of its ice half-million year old carbon records, which are
helpf
understanding the past, present and future of the earth. Therefore, Antarctica is the
place whi
reveals our past, shows our present and visualizes our future.

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Flamingo – The Last Lesson

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

VALUE BASED QUESTION

SOLVED SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

5. What caused the death of the Maharaja?

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

My Mother At Sixty Six ( poetry)

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1 What, according to the psychiatrist, was Charley’s problem?

Q3.How does Charley describe himself?

Q6. Describe Galesburg, as it existed in the year 1894?

Q7What preparations did Charley make to go to Galesburg?

Q10 What is a first day cover?

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. Describe the Grand Central Station at the third level ?

Q2.What was reaction of the Clerk at the Ticket counter? Why

Q4 Imagination is a ‘temporary refuge from reality’ Explain.

Q5, Elaborate the theme of the story

Question.1. What tempted Franz to stay away from school?

Question.3. Why is the order from Berlin called a thunderclap by Franz? or

Question.6. What shows M Hamel’s love for the French language?

Question.13. What had been put up on the bulletin-board?

Long Answer Type Question (6 Marks, 120-150 words)

Lost Spring Important Questions CBSE Class 12 English

Short Answer Type Questions (3 Marks, 30-40 words)

Question.2. What job did Saheb take up? Was he happy?

Question.8. Who is Mukesh? What is his dream? (Delhi 2012)

Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 words)

Deep Water Important Questions CBSE Class 12 English

Short Answer Type Questions (3 Marks, 30-40 words)

Question.2.Why did Douglas prefer to go to YMCA swimming pool to learn swimming?

Question.4.How did his swimming instructor ‘build a swimmer’ out of Douglas?

Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 words)

Question.4. How did Douglas develop an aversion to water? (Ddhi20i2)

Short Answer Type Questions (3 Marks; 30-40 words)

Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 words)

Indigo Important Questions CBSE Class 12 English

Short Answer Type Questions (3 Marks, 30-40 words)

Question.5. Why do you think Gandhi considered the Champaran episode to be a

Question.7.Why did Gandhiji decide to go to Muzaffarpur before going to Champaran?

Question.8.Why do you think the servants thought Gandhi to be another peasant?

Question.9.”The battle of Champaran is won!.” What led Gandhiji to make this

Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 Words)

Question.2.Gandhiji’s loyalty was not a loyalty to abstractions; it was a loyalty to living

Question.3.Describe how, according to Louis Fischer, Gandhiji succeeded in his

Important Questions 1 mark.

Poem 1: My mother at sixty-six by Kamala Das

Q.1 What is the pain that the poet feels?

Q.1 What will counting help to achieve?

Q.1 What makes us love life despite of hardships?

Q.1 Why Jennifer’s hand flutter while sweatering?

Q.1 How does people realise the importance of their language?

Q.1 Why does people Migrate to cities from villages?

Q.1 How did douglas overcome his fears?

Q.1 How was Gandhi able to influence lawyers?

Q.1 what is the difference between Sophie & Janise?

Important Questions 3 mark.

Q.1 How does author employ ironic devices?

Q.1 what is moral issue that the story raises ?

Q.1 Which section display signs of loneliness of Mr. Lamb?

Q.1 What draws Derry towards Mr. Lamb?