HOLIDAY HOMEWORK CLASS XII ENGLISH FLAMINGO

Transcription

1 HOLIDAY HOMEWORK CLASS XII ENGLISH FLAMINGO My Mother at Sixty-Six Answer the following questions. (2 marks each) 1. What does the poet s mother look like? What kind of image has the poet used to signify her aging decay? 2. How has the poet compared the scene inside the car with the activities going on outside? 3. Why is the poet s mother compared to late winter s moon? 4. What is the poet s familiar ache and why does it return? 5. Why does the poet smile and what does she say while bidding goodbye to her mother? 6. What poetic devices have been used in the poem.my Mother at Sixty Six.? 7. What different images does the poet use to convey the idea of her mother s old age? and looked out at young Trees sprinting, the merry children spilling out of their homes, but after the airport.s security check, standing a few yards away,... Questions (a) Where is the speaker in these lines? (b) What thoughts did occupy her mind before she looked outside? (c) Does looking out help her, how? 9. 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 I said was, see you soon, Amma, all I did was smile and smile and smile... Questions (a) Who looked wan and pale and why? (b) What childhood tear did the speaker have? (c) What do the parting words suggest? (d) Explain the comparison :.as a late winter s moon..

2 10. 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... Questions 1. What worried the poet when she looked at her mother? 2. Why was there pain in her realization? 3. Why did she put that thought away? 4. Identify the figure of speech used in these lines. THE LAST LESSON Short Answer Type Questions Answer the following in words each. (2 marks each) 1. Why was Franz afraid to go to school that morning? 2. What temptations did Franz overcome to proceed to school? 3. What was the significance of the bulletin-board in the town hall? 4. Why was Franz blushing and feeling frightened when he entered the class room? 5. Why did the writer want to run away and spend the day outdoors? Did he overcome his temptation? 6. How and why was M. Hamel dressed differently that day? 7. Why were the old men of the village present in the class room? 8. How was the order from Berlin going to make a difference to the lives of the students? 9. How did Franz s attitude towards his books change after he heard about the order from Berlin? 10. What universality of human nature does the teacher comment upon? 11. Whom does the teacher blame for ignoring the learning at school and why? 12. How does M. Hamel hold parents and himself responsible for students neglecting learning? (having not studied?) 13. How does M. Hamel praise the French language? 14. How is the mother tongue important for the enslaved people? 15. Why was Franz able to understand everything? 16..I never saw him look so tall.. Who is the person mentioned? What does the speaker mean by the above statement?

3 17. What did M. Hamel write on the black board at the end of the class? How is it significant? 18. Why did M. Hamel make a gesture to the students to leave? 19. We ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with, said M. Hamel. Comment. 20. Why was Franz unwilling to go to school? 21. Why didn t M. Hamel punish Franz, even though he was late? 22. Mention the three changes that Franz noticed in the school? 23. What announcement did M. Hamel make and what was its impact? 24. What do you think was written on the bulletin board? 25. Why did M. Hamel say about knowing one s language is a key to prison? 26. Whom did Mr. Hamel blame for not learning the French? 27. What changes have taken place in the school in the last forty years? 28. What did he mean by Viva La France? 29. Do you think that the story touches upon the brutalities of war? Explain 30.How does Hamel arouse patriotism in the people off Alsace? 31. What does Franz when he asks: Will they make them sing in German, even the pigeons Long Answer Questions Answer the following in about words each (10 marks each) 1. Justify the title.the Last Lesson.. 2. In the story M. Hamel emerges not only as a dedicated teacher but also as a sensitive and understanding human being.. Elaborate the character of M. Hamel in light of the above statement. 3..When a people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language it is as if they have the keys to their prison.. Discuss the significance of this statement in light of the lesson. 4. Franz s attitude towards school as well as towards M. Hamel changes when he comes to know about the takeover of his village by the Prussians. Do you agree? Discuss with reference to.the Last Lesson. 5. Write a note on the character of M. Hamel as a teacher? 6. Do you think the story touches upon the brutalities of war? Comment. 7. What thunderbolt did the narrator receive on reaching the school? How did it affect him? 8. At the end of the last lesson M. Hamel wrote, Viva La France on the board in bold letters. Why do you think he wrote that and how did he expect the people of Alsace Lorraine to keep their identity intact? 9. What were Franz feelings about M Hamel and his French lessons? How did they undergo a complete change?

4 THE LOST SPRING Short Answer Type Questions (30-40 words). (2 marks each) 1. Why is the author s advice to Sahab-e-alam to go to school hollow? 2. Is Sahab-e-Alam hurt by the author s failure to keep her promise of starting a school? Give a reasoned answer. 3. Bring out the irony in the name Sahab-e-alam? 4. How is Seemapuri on the outskirts of the city but still miles away from it? 5. How do children of rag pickers become equal partners in survival? 6. How has rag picking acquired the proportions of a fine art? 7. How did Saheb get tennis shoes? What does he explain to the author how he had got them? 8. Describe the working condition of bangle making of Firozabad. 9..Garbage to them is gold.. Bring out the significance of this statement. 10. How do an adult and a child rag picker look at garbage differently? 11. Why is Saheb not happy with his new job? 12. How is the bangle industry of Firozabad a curse for the bangle makers? 13. What is the significance of bangles for an Indian woman? 14. Why don t the bangle workers organise themselves into a co-operative? 15. Why hasn t Firozabad changed with time? 16. What does Mukesh proudly say that his house is being rebuilt? 17. Why is Mukesh s dream of becoming a motor mechanic significant? Long Answer Type Questions Answer the following in words (10 marks each) 1. Survival in Seemapuri means rag picking. Give a detailed account of the life and activities of the refugees from Bangladesh settled in Seemapuri. 2. The life of bangle makers of Firozabad was full of obstacles which forced them to lead a life of poverty and deprivation. Elaborate 3. The lesson Lost Spring is a realistic portrayal of the lives of street children. Discuss. 4. The beauty of the bangles made in Firozabad is in direct contrast to the life of the people who make them. Elaborate. 5. What are the hazards of working in bangle factories? 6. Poverty is a vicious cycle for refugees, slum dwellers and bangle makers. Discuss in the light of the lesson. 7. How is Mukesh s attitude towards his situation different from that of Sahib? Why? SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE a. What does the title of the story Lost Spring imply?

5 b. Where has Saheb come from and why? c. How is Saheb s name full of irony? d. Promises made to poor children are never kept. Explain with examples from the lesson. e. Mention the hazards of working in the bangle industry. f. Do you think Mukesh will realize his dream of becoming a car mechanic? g. His dreams loom like a mirage. Whose dreams are being referred to and why are they compared to a mirage? h. Together they have imposed the baggage on the child that he cannot put down. Who do they refer to? What is the baggage and why can the child not get rid of it? i. How is Mukesh s attitude to his situation different from that of his family? j. Why does the author describe children of slums as partners in survival? k. How has being born in the caste of bangle makers become both a destiny and a curse? LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS 1. Like all children of his age, Saheb also had many hopes and dreams. Do you think children like Saheb are able to fulfill their dreams? 2. Politicians exploit all people and situations to their own benefit. Comment, keeping in views the situation of refugees in Seemapuri. 3. Saheb wants to blossom and bloom but is nipped in the bud. Elaborate. 4. Saheb and Mukesh are brothers in penury and suffering. Discuss. DEEP WATER Short Answer Type Questions Answer the following in about words each. (2 marks each) 1. How and when did Douglas develop an aversion to water? 2. What strategy of escaping drowning did Douglas have in mind? 3. Why couldn t Douglas implement his strategy of escaping drowning? 4. What was the immediate effect of the drowning incident on Douglas? 5. How did Douglas feel after receiving training from the swimming instructor? 6. Mention any two long term consequences of the drowning incident on Douglas. 7. Why did the drowning experience deprive Douglas from the pleasure of water sports? 8. What did Douglas do to overcome his fear of water? 9. Why did the experience of conquering his fear of water have a deeper meaning for Douglas?

6 10. I screamed, but only the water heard me. Why did Douglas scream and what does he mean? 11. Mention two qualities of Douglas that helped him conquer his fear. 12. Even after receiving training from the instructor why did Douglas not feel confident to swim? 13. How did Douglas s experience at YMCA pool affect him? Long Answer Type Questions Answer the following in words. (10 marks each) 1. Piece by piece, he built a swimmer. How did the instructor help the author to become a swimmer and overcome his fear of water? 2. What emotions did the author experience while he was drowning in the YMCA pool? How did he face the near-death experience? 3. If we surrender to our fears, they overpower us. If we face them, they fade away. Do you agree? Why /Why not? Discuss with reference to the lesson Deep Water. THE TIGER KING Answer the following questions in about words each. (2 Markseach) 1. What secret did the astrologer reveal at the birth of the prince? 2. What was incredible about the infant s reaction to the astrologer s prophecy? 3. How did the tiger pose a threat to the king? 4. What is the significance of the prince s utterance? Let tigers beware. 5. Bring out the humour in the upbringing of the prince. 6. Why was the Maharaja in danger of losing his throne? 7. How did the Maharaja manage to retain his throne? 8. What was the hurdle that came in the way of the Maharaja s ambition to kill hundred tigers? 9. Why and on what condition did the Maharaja want to marry? 10. What did the astrologer promise to do if the king killed the hundredth tiger? 11. Why didn t the Maharaja agree to the suggestion of the British officer s secretary? 12. Why wasn t the Maharaja informed that the hundredth tiger did not die from his shot? 13. How and why was the hundredth tiger honored? 14. Why didn t the shopkeeper quote the real price of the wooden tiger? 15. How did the wooden tiger lead to the death of the Maharaja? 16. Why does the writer compare the new born prince s claim with the bulletins issued by war office?

7 17. How did the Tiger King celebrate his victory over the killing of the hundredth tiger? Long Answer Type Questions Answer the following in about words. (7 Marks each) 1. What danger loomed over the Maharajah s throne? How did he succeed in dispelling it? 2..The king spent a lifetime trying to kill hundred tigers but his death came due to a toy tiger.. Comment 3. Bring out the element of humour, satire and irony in the story.the Tiger King. 4. Write the character sketch of Dewan. THE ENEMY Short Answer Type Questions Answer the following questions in about words each. (2 Markseach) 1. Why did Sadao wait before falling in love with Hana? 2. Give two reasons why Sadao was not sent abroad with the troops. 3. What do you learn about Sadao s father from the story The Enemy? 4. In which condition did Sadao and Hana find the man? How did they establish his identity? 5. What superstitious beliefs of the servants made them oppose Sadao s decision to give shelter to the injured man? 6. Why did Sadao decide to treat the injured man? 7. What did the servants think about Sadao s sheltering an enemy? 8. What message did the messenger from the palace deliver to Dr. Sadao? 9. How did Hana react to the servants leaving the house? 10. What plan did the General suggest to get rid of the prisoner? 11. Why couldn t the General s plan of eliminating the prisoner succeed? 12. What things did Sadao provide for the wounded prisoner on the boat? 13. What medical aid did Dr. Sadao give the man who had been washed ashore in front of his house? Long Answer Type Questions Answer the following in words. (7 Marks each) 1. Dr. Sadao and Hana rise above man made divisions to serve the nobler cause of humanity. Discuss with reference to the story. 2. What efforts were made by Dr. Sadao and Hana to save the life of the injured man? 3. Hana plays an instrumental role in saving the life of the injured prisoner. Give an account of her role in the light of this statement.

8 4. How did the servant s react to the efforts made by Sadao and Hana to save the prisoner s life? 5. What conflict of duties does Dr. Sadao face? How does he resolve them?