NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Flamingo Chapter 2 - Lost Spring

Answer:

(i) looking for: searching for something, like money or valuables.

(ii) slog their daylight hours: working hard all day in tough conditions, like near hot furnaces.

(iii) roof over his head: having a place to live, even if it's basic.

(iv) imposed the baggage on the child: putting heavy responsibilities or burdens on a young child.

(v) perpetual state of poverty: being poor all the time, with no escape.

(vi) dark hutments: small, dark, and cramped huts where people live.

Answer:

Saheb searches for valuable items, like money or things he can sell, in the garbage dumps. He lives in Seemapuri, a slum near Delhi, and he came from Bangladesh.

Answer:

The author says some claim it's a tradition for kids to go barefoot, but she thinks this is just an excuse to hide their poverty, as they can't afford shoes.

Answer:

Saheb isn't happy at the tea stall. Even though he earns money, he's lost his freedom. He used to roam freely as a ragpicker, but now he feels tied down and misses his carefree life.

Answer:

Firozabad is famous for its glass bangles. Many families there make bangles for a living.

Answer:

Working in bangle factories is risky. People, including kids, work near hot furnaces in dark, stuffy rooms with no fresh air. This hurts their lungs and health, and many lose their eyesight over time.

Answer:

Mukesh wants to be a motor mechanic, dreaming of a different life. His family accepts bangle-making as their fate, having done it for generations, and doesn't think of changing.

Answer:

People move from villages to cities to find work. Villages often lack enough jobs, and farmland isn't enough for big families. Natural disasters like floods can destroy crops and homes, pushing people to cities. Some are drawn by city facilities like schools or hospitals. Others find jobs like driving rickshaws, working in dairies, or doing construction to earn more money.

Answer:

Yes, promises to poor kids are often broken. In the story, the author jokingly promises Saheb a school, but it never happens. Poor kids take such promises seriously, but adults make them lightly or can't follow through due to lack of money or effort. Government promises, like better living conditions, also fail due to little sincerity or resources, leaving kids like Saheb in poverty.

Answer:

Bangle workers in Firozabad stay poor because middlemen take most of their profits. Moneylenders, police, officials, and politicians trap them in debt and fear. They can't organize to fight back. Their work is hard, but they earn little, living in cramped, dirty areas. Many kids work instead of studying, so the cycle of poverty continues from one generation to another.

Answer:

Mukesh dreams of being a motor mechanic, unlike his family, who make bangles. He can achieve this with his strong will. Though his family may resist, he can convince them that being a mechanic is healthier and pays better. He could find a garage to train in, save money, and slowly build his skills. His determination to break free from bangle-making will help him succeed.

Answer:

Working in bangle factories is dangerous. Workers, including kids, spend long hours in hot, dark rooms with no air, breathing in harmful glass particles. This damages their lungs and eyes, often causing blindness. The tough conditions also tire them out, stealing their energy and childhood.

Answer:

Child labour is wrong because it steals kids' childhood and education. Kids should be in school, not working in dangerous places like bangle factories. To stop it, laws banning child labour must be enforced strictly. People need to understand it's harmful. Free schools, scholarships, and food can help poor families so kids don't have to work. Ending poverty is key to stopping child labour.

Answer:

1. Contrast: Saheb's name means "lord," but he's a poor ragpicker.
2. Metaphor: "Drowned" suggests being overwhelmed by sadness.
3. Contrast: Seemapuri is near Delhi but feels far due to its poverty.
4. Contrast: Kids find garbage exciting; adults see it as survival.
5. Simile: Her hands are compared to machine tongs using "like."
6. Contrast/Metaphor: Bangles suggest joy, but her eyes show no hope.
7. Contrast: Firozabad is isolated, unlike cities with frequent flights.
8. Metaphor: Poverty is compared to a web that traps people.
9. Hyperbole: Exaggerates rag-picking as searching for "gold."
10. Hyperbole: Calls rag-picking a "fine art" to emphasize its importance.
11. Contrast: The canister feels heavier than the light plastic bag.

Answer:

Notes:

1. Paradox examples:

• Carpet weavers make beautiful carpets but live poorly.
• Construction workers build fancy homes but live in slums.
• Miners dig for gold but stay poor.

2. Construction workers:

• Work hard in heat, cold, or rain.
• Build tall buildings and luxury homes.
• Live in shacks with no comfort.
• Risk their lives daily.

Paragraph:

Construction workers sweat under the blazing sun, lifting heavy beams to build shiny skyscrapers, yet their own lives are far from grand. They work long hours in heat, cold, or rain, risking falls from tall scaffolds to create luxury homes for the rich. Their hands shape towers that touch the sky, but they return to cramped, leaky shacks in slums. They have no savings, no safety, and no dreams of living in the buildings they make. Their kids often go hungry, and school is a distant hope. This paradox is stark: they build comfort for others while living in misery. It shows how society values their work but ignores their struggles, trapping them in poverty.

Answer:

For the kids and parents in Seemapuri, garbage is like gold because they can find things to sell for money. It helps them buy food and keep a roof over their heads.

Answer:

Saheb looks for things he can sell, like money or valuables, in the garbage dumps. He's in Seemapuri, a slum near Delhi, and he came from Bangladesh.

Answer:

Mukesh's family believes it's their fate to make bangles and stay poor, as his grandmother says it's their "karam." Mukesh is different because he dreams of being a motor mechanic, wanting to escape this life.

Answer:

Saheb worked at a tea stall doing small tasks, but he wasn't happy. He lost the freedom he had as a ragpicker and felt tied down by the job.

Answer:

Bangle makers in Firozabad live a tough life. They work near hot furnaces in dark, airless rooms, which hurts their eyes and lungs. Many kids lose their eyesight young. The work is exhausting, and they can't think of other jobs. Middlemen, moneylenders, police, and politicians take their profits, keeping them poor. They live in dirty, crowded slums with broken homes, no windows, and barely enough food. They can't form groups to fight back because they're bullied, so poverty traps them for generations.

Answer:

Anees Jung wants kids like Saheb and Mukesh to be brave and hopeful. She hopes they'll stand up against unfair treatment from middlemen, moneylenders, and officials who keep them poor. She wants them to dream big, like Mukesh, who aims to be a motor mechanic instead of a bangle maker. Jung believes they should have the courage to break free from traditional, low-paying jobs and seek better opportunities. With support, they can develop confidence to fight injustice and improve their lives.

Answer:

1. Contrast
2. Metaphor
3. Contrast
4. Contrast
5. Simile
6. Contrast/Metaphor
7. Contrast
8. Metaphor
9. Hyperbole
10. Hyperbole
11. Contrast