ENGLISH CLASS 12 – THE LOST SPRING MCQ – Multi Choice Questions

Ch.: 2 LOST SPRING – STORIES OF STOLEN CHILDHOOD
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. “I will learn to drive a car,” he answers, looking straight into my eyes.
   Who is referred to as ‘my’ in this extract?
   a) Anees Jung
   b) Anees Salim
   c) Anis Ali
   d) Anees Jilani
2. Who had the dream to be a motor mechanic?
   a) Saheb
   b) Savita
   c) Mukesh
   d) none of the above
3. What is the meaning of ‘mirage’ in the chapter “Lost Spring”?
   a) Magic
   b) Unrealistic
   c) Optimistic
   d) Picturesque
4. For whom are the bangle makers of Firozabad making bangles?
   a) for the royal people
   b) for the money lenders
   c) for all women in the lands
   d) only for the people of Firozabad
5. Mention the name of the book which was written by Anees Jung.
   a) Lost Summer – The Stories of Lost Childhood
   b) Night of the New Moon
   c) Lost Spring, Stories of Stolen Childhood
   d) Lost Generation- The Rise and Fall of Constantinople
6. What is the central theme of the story “Lost Spring”?
   a) Pitiable condition of the poor children and their lost childhood
   b) Garbage
   c) Saheb and Mukesh
   d) Spring season .
7. What was the significance of garbage for the elders?
   a) Means of entertainment
   b) Means of joy
   c) Means of sorrow
   d) Means of survival
8. Can we say that Saheb was happy after getting a job at the tea stall?
   a) Yes, because he was having regular income
   b) Yes, because he could get a new pair of shoes
   c) No, because he lost his freedom
   d) No, because he could no more go to his school
9. What is the meaning of “Saheb-e-Alam”?
   a) owner
   b) rich man
   c) poor man
   d) lord of the universe
10. Saheb’s parents left Bangladesh and migrated to India because __.
    a) They wanted to settle in India
    b) They had lost everything in the flood
    c) They were torture in their home country
    d) They did not like the climate of their country
11. ‘Garbage’ means something _ for children.
    a) wrapped in wonder
    b) wrapped in woes
    c) wrapped in blunder
    d) wrapped in danger
12. From whom did Saheb get a pair of shoes?
    a) From his friend
    b) From his mother
    c) From a rich boy who had gifted the shoes to him
    d) From a rich boy who had discarded the shoes
13. How is Mukesh’s family’s attitude towards their situation?
    a) Of denial
    b) Of acceptance
    c) Of intolerance
    d) Of repentance
14. Saheb was __ with his new job.
    a) elated
    b) not happy
    c) set aside
    d) happy
15. ‘Why do you do this?’ This question was asked by the author to _.
    a) the bangle seller
    b) Mukesh
    c) Saheb
    d) Saheb’s mother
16. The expression ‘ …eyes lighting up…’ is an indication of __
    a) Excitement
    b) Happiness
    c) Greed
    d) Both (a) and (b)
17. ‘They talk endlessly in a spiral that moves from poverty to apathy to greed and to
    injustice.’ The given lines shows that
    a) All the actions taken for benefit of bangle makers are a waste
    b) The people of Firozabad dare not support any action or person that goes against the
    middleman
    c) The bangle making industry has become a maze where the poor bangle makers are
    caught
    d) Bangle-making has become so intrinsic to the people that they cannot even try to
    learn a different work.
18. ‘Hearing him, one wonders if he has achieved what many have failed in their lifetime.
    He has a roof over his head!’ Which of the following is true, in the context of given
    line?
    a) The husband of the elderly woman had earned enough to get a roof over his head
    b) The writer presents a positive picture for Mukesh’s Family
    c) By saying so, the writer indicates that Mukesh could become a motor mechanic
    d) Mukesh’s father had earned enough to get a roof over his head
19. ‘Few airplanes fly over Firozabad.’ The figure of speech that is not used in the given
    sentence is _.
    a) alliteration
    b) metaphor
    c) sarcasm
    d) transferred epithet
20. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in bangle making. This indicates that
    _.
    a) bangle making is the only industry that flourishes in Firozabad.
    b) the entire population of Firozabad is involved in bangle making.
    c) Majority of population in Firozabad is involved in bangle-making.
    d) Bangle making is the most loved occupation in Firozabad
21. The narrator asks Saheb to go to school. What is the intention of the narrator here?
    a) Narrator wants Saheb to enjoy in the school
    b) Narrator wants Saheb to go for rag picking and school as well.
    c) Narrator wants Saheb to go to school instead of rag picking.
    d) Narrator seriously encourages him to go to school.
22. ‘It takes longer to build a school,’ says the narrator to Saheb. What does the narrator
    really mean here?
    a) There is a possibility to build a school.
    b) It takes a very long time to build a school.
    c) There is a way to build a school.
    d) There is no intention to build a school.
23. ‘After months of knowing him, I ask him his name. “Saheb-e-Alam’’, he announces. He
    does not know what it means. If he knew its meaning – lord of the universe – Saheb
    would have a hard time believing it’, because _
    a) His parents were too poor to have a child with that name.
    b) His dream was not suitable to bear such a big name.
    c) His name was opposite to his life.
    d) His life was quite suitable to his name.
24. “Why do you do this?” who said this to whom?
    a) Saheb -e-Alam to the narrator
    b) the narrator to Saheb-e- Alam
    c) Mukesh to the narrator
    d) Mukesh’s grandmother to Mukesh
25. When the narrator asked, ‘Why aren’t you wearing chappals?’ What was the answer of
    that boy?
    a) His mother did not bring them down.
    b) He did not like those chappals, which he had.
    c) He did not have chappals.
    d) None of the above.
26. What is Udipi?
    a) Name of a temple
    b) A city in Karnataka.
    c) Name of a God
    d) Name of a priest
27. What is more important for survival?
    a) Identity
    b) Food
    c) Shoes
    d) Gold
28. Why did the steel canister seem heavier than the plastic bag he would carry so lightly
    over his shoulder?
    a) Because steel is a metal
    b) Because now Saheb is not free, he is a child labour, working in a tea stall.
    c) Because there is milk in that canister
    d) None of the above
29. “I like the game ‘’, he hums,- content to watch it standing behind the fence.’ The above
    sentence refers that Saheb __.
    a) is not satisfied with watching the game standing by the fence of club.
    b) is satisfied with watching the game standing by the fence of the club.
    c) wants to watch the game standing inside the fence of the club.
    d) is not allowed to watch the game even while standing by the fence of the club.
30. What does “Lost Spring” stand for?
    a) The harsh reality of the world
    b) Climate change and its impact
    c) A missed financial opportunity
    d) The lost childhood of under-privileged children
31. Why did Saheb like rag-picking?
    a) He was lazy
    b) he liked to be with his friends
    c) he was good at it
    d) it had a sense of freedom and endless possibility for him
32. Where had Saheb’s family migrated from? a) Seemapuri
    b) Dhaka
    c) Delhi
    d) New Delhi
33. Why did Saheb believe in the writer’s promise of opening a school?
    a) In his miserable world, being optimistic and believing in promises was natural
    b) He had known the writer for a long time
    c) He was not very intelligent
    d) None of the above
34. Why had Saheb’s family migrated to Delhi and settled at Seemapuri?
    a) They had no attachment to their homeland Dhaka
    b) They were attracted by the glamour and glitz of Delhi
    c) Seemapuri was a naturally beautiful place
    d) Seemapuri provided them with a means of survival
35. What had the youth of Firozabad learnt from their parents?
    a) To make bangles and accept their fate
    b) To earn as much money as possible
    c) To be rebellious and defiant
    d) To question the people in authority
36. How much did Saheb earn from the tea stall?
    a) 500 rupees
    b) 800 rupees
    c) 1000 rupees
    d) 600 rupees
37. Which game did Saheb enjoy watching?
    a) Tennis
    b) Badminton
    c)Table Tennis
    d) Hockey
38. How many children work at the bangle making factories in Firozabad?
    a) 20000
    b) 50000
    c) 10000
    d) 30000
39. Why had the bangle-makers accepted their fate? a. They felt it was due to their Karma
    b. They were exploited using the police and other state machinery
    c. They had no money to do anything except carry on the business of bangle making
    d. All of the above
40. Mukesh wants to become a motor mechanic by __.
    a) Finding a tutor
    b) going to a garage to learn
    c) reading books
    d) joining a school
41. What does the title ‘Lost Spring’ symbolize?
    a) The autumn season
    b) lost childhood
    c) lost time
    d) lost opportunity
42. What does the rag pickers appeare like to Annes Jung ?
    a) morning crows
    b) morning birds
    c) evening birds
    d) free birds
43. ‘That’s why they left, looking for gold in the big city…..’
    What does ‘gold’ indicate?
    a) Misfortune of circumstances
    b) ample wealth
    c) means of survival
    d) a sign of luxury
44. Which of the following characteristics does Saheb’s question- Is your school readyshow?
    a) love
    b) memory
    c) anxiety
    d) hope
45. What is the author’s attitude in the lesson?
    a) sympathy
    b) apathy
    c) empathyd) bewilderment
46. What does Saheb’s discarded and worn out tennis shoes indicate?
    a) An indication of exploitation
    b) A dream come true
    c) A sign of hopelessness
    d) An insult to the sport itself
47. What bothers the author Anees Jung the most about the bangle makers?
    a) The stigma of poverty and caste
    b) The affluence of the landlords
    c) The exploitation done by the factory owners
    d) The labour laws
48. Which of the following show that the mind-set of the people of
    Firozabad plays a big role in the perpetuation of their dismal poverty?
    a) They did not know that the law if enforced could get Mukesh and the 20,000 children
    employed in glass factories out of the dingy furnaces
    b) The people dare not form cooperative because they have
    lost their ability to dream
    c) There is no leader among them who could guide them
    d) All of the above
49. The statement “But the promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.”
    This suggests……
    a) There is no dearth of promises which remain unfulfilled
    b) There is a scarcity of people promising things for
    betterment
    c) People make a lot of promises which are often fulfilled
    d) Promises made live up to the expectation of people
50. Which of the following quotes captures the essence of Saheb’s and Mukesh’s stories?
    a) As long as poverty injustice and gross inequality exist in our world, none of us can
    truly rest. – Nelson Mondela
    b) God does not create poverty; we do because we do not share. – Mother Teresa
    c) Love captures all things except poverty and a toothache. – Mae west
    d) Poverty is not just lack of money; it is not having the capability to realise one’s full
    potential as human being. –Amartya Sen
51. Saheb’s full name, Saheb-e-Alam, means lord of the universe’ is just opposite to his
    situation in life. He is figuratively at the bottom of the world. Which literary device can be found here?
    a) Simile
    b) Metaphor
    c) Irony
    d) Imagery
52. What forced the children in ‘Lost Spring to live a life of exploitation?
    a) Ignorance
    b) Lack of facilities
    c) Extreme poverty and irresponsible system
    d) Illiteracy
53. Choose the statement which is NOT TRUE about the rag pickers in
    Seemapuri.
    a) Children are equally involved in rag picking as their parents.
    b) The rag pickers settle down in a place permanently.
    c) Rag picking has accomplished itself as a skill and form of art.
    d) Rag pickers live in unsteady shanties on the outskirts of Delhi.
54. What does the author analyze in the story?
    a) Rich people
    b) Garbage
    c) Poor children and their exploitation
    d) Her works
55. “For the children it is wrapped in wonder, for the elders it is a means of survival”.
    Select the option that best describes the above statement.
    a) Children and elders both are happy with their job as they are immigrants.
    b) It gives hope for children whereas it is the only source of income for elders.
    c) It is an additional income of children and elders.
    d) Both feel marvellous as they are making money in their locality.
56. What may arouse ray of hope in rag pickers?
    a) Hollow promises made by the politicians
    b) Assurances given by the frequent visitors
    c) Discovery of a few more rupees in the heaps of garbage
    d) Fellow rag pickers’ achievements
57. Choose the option that most appropriately fills in the blanks, for the following
    description of the given extract:
    People migrate from villages to cities in search of a better life. They want to earn money so that they can lead a good life and
    (i)___their children in a better way. As cities have more
    (ii)____for work, this makes them migrate from the villages to these big cities.
    (iii)____all miseries and challenges of life at young age, Saheb even finds a job in
    a tea stall, shifting from rag picking to (iv)_____his struggle for survival.
    a) (i)give; (ii) scope; (iii) controlling; (iv) continue
    b) (i) rear; (ii) opportunities; (iii) Accepting; (iv) prove
    c) (i) provide; (ii) jobs; (iii) Denying; (iv) stop
    d) (i) leave; (ii) chances; (iii) Chasing; (iv) deal
58. Choose the correct statement to analyse the mental condition of the
    rag pickers.
    a) They seem to be dignified in their work as they are getting gold and silver.
    b) They seem to be praying to God to oust them from this hellish life.
    c) They seem to be cursing as they are doing a menial job.
    d) They seem to be enjoying their freewill in their work.
59. Choose the best that compels the workers in the bangle industry of
    Firozabad to poverty.
    a) Caste and ancestral profession
    b) Karam theory and society
    c) Bureaucrats and politicians
    d) All of the above
60. Who was cooking the evening meal in Mukesh’s shack?
    a) Mukesh’s mother
    b) Mukesh’s grandmother
    c) Mukesh’s wife
    d) Mukesh’s sister-in-law

Ch. 2 LOST SPRING MCQ: ANSWER KEY Question No. Answer

1. a) Anees Jung
2. c) Mukesh
3. b) Unrealistic
4. c) for all women in the lands
5. c) ‘Lost Spring, Stories of Stolen Childhood’
6. a) Pitiable condition of the poor children and their lost childhood
7. d) Means of survival
8. c) No, because he lost his freedom
9. d) lord of the universe
10. b) They had lost everything in the flood
11. a) wrapped in wonder
12. d) From a rich boy who had discarded the shoes
13. b) Of acceptance
14. b) not happy
15. c) Saheb
16. d) Both (a) and (b)
17. c) The bangle making industry has become a maze where the poor bangle makers
    are caught
18. a) The husband of the elderly woman had earned enough to get a roof over his
    head
19. d) transferred epithet
20. c) Majority of population in Firozabad is involved in bangle-making.
21. c) Narrator wants Saheb to go to school instead of rag picking.
22. d) There is no intention to build a school.
23. c) His name was opposite to his life.
24. b) the narrator to Saheb-e- Alam
25. a) His mother did not bring them down.
26. b) a city of Karnataka
27. b) Food
28. b) Because now Saheb is not free, he is a child labour, working in a tea stall.
29. b) is satisfied with watching the game standing by the fence of the club. 30. d) The lost childhood of under-privileged children
30. d) it had a sense of freedom and endless possibility for him
31. b) Dhaka
32. a) In his miserable world, being optimistic and believing in promises was natural
33. d) Seemapuri provided them with a means of survival
34. a) To make bangles and accept their fate
35. b) 800 rupees
36. a) Tennis
37. a) 20000
38. d. All of the above
39. b) going to a garage to learn
40. b) lost childhood
41. b) morning birds
42. c) means of survival
43. d) hope
44. a) sympathy
45. b) A dream come true
46. c) The exploitation done by the factory owners
47. d) All of the above
48. a) There is no dearth of promises which remain unfulfilled
49. d) Poverty is not just lack of money; it is not having the capability to realise one’s
    full potential as human being. –Amartya Sen
50. c) Irony
51. c) Extreme poverty and irresponsible system
52. b) The rag pickers settle down in a place permanently
53. c) Poor children and their exploitation
54. b) It gives hope for children whereas it is the only source of income for elders.
55. c) Discovery of a few more rupees in the heaps of garbage
56. b) (i) rear; (ii) opportunities; (iii) Accepting; (iv) prove
57. b) They seem to be praying to God to oust them from this hellish life
58. d) All of the above
59. d) Mukesh’s sister-in-law