*Last Lesson

What was the mood in the classroom when M Hamel gave his last French lesson?(Delhi 2009)
Ans: 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.

Q2. Franz didn’t learn French, whom did M. Hamel blame?

Ans: M. Hamel didn’t blame Franz for not learning but his parents who were not anxious to have him learn. Instead they wanted him to work on a farm or at the mill to earn
money. Even he blamed himself for sending him to water the flowers instead of learning and for declaring holiday when he wanted to go fishing.

Q5. What happened when the church clock struck twelve?

Ans: The moment the church clock struck twelve, they started prayer in the church and the trumpet of Prussian soldiers returning from the drill sounded under their window. M.
Hamel stood up and tried to speak but his voice was choked. He gathered his strength and wrote on the black board as large as he could Vive La France and dismissed the
school.

Q6. What was more tempting to Franz rather than going to school?
Ans: Since Franz was not prepared with participles and was late for the school, he found warm and bright weather with birds songs and Prussian soldiers drill much more
tempting than going to school.

Q11. How did M Hamel say farewell to his students and the people of the town? (All India 2012)
Ans: 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.

Q12. What made M Hamel cry towards the end of his last lesson? (Compartment 2014)
Ans: 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.

Q14. “What a thunderclap these words were to me!” What were the words that shocked and surprised the narrator? : (Delhi 2013)
Ans: 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.

Q16. “You realise the true value of a thing only on losing it.” Comment on this statement in the light of the story, The Last Lesson. (SQP 2022-23)
OR
Prussians put a ban on the French language – People realized the importance of holding onto their mother tongue.
Ans: M Hamel was considered strict and the classes/work given by him were not taken seriously. After the invasion of France, the German language was banned. The
realization that they may never have the opportunity to learn German again serves to underscore the importance of the lessons they received and the role that M. Hamel played
in their lives. The story serves as a reminder of the importance of cherishing and appreciating the opportunities we have in life, rather than taking them for granted.

Q17. Comment on the significance of the villagers sitting at the back in M. Hamel’s classroom. (SQP 2020-21)
Ans: The presence of the villagers in Mr Hamel’s class on his last day at school was, in reality, a reflection of their tremendous respect for him. They came to express their
gratitude to Mr. Hamel for his forty years of devoted service. Also, they had come to pay respect to the nation that was no longer their own.

Q19. “We‟ve all a great deal to reproach ourselves with” said M.Hamel. Refer to the context and explain what he wanted to convey to his students. (SQP 2018-19)
Ans: M. Hamel said it to Franz when he felt embarrassed at not being able to answer – he consoles Franz by saying everyone in Alsace is to be blamed for them not learning
their mother tongue/parents ,teacher and children all are to be blamed for taking their language for granted.

Q20. If this had been M. Hamel’s first lesson, how do you think the school experience of the students might have been impacted? (QB)
Ans: If it had been Mr. Hamel’s first lesson and Germany had not sent the notice of making German compulsory, then everyone would have been ignorant as always towards
their language.

Q21. Little Franz is the narrator of the story. The name ‘Franz’ means ‘from France’. In what way does the story being told as a first-person narrative of Franz impact
your reading and understanding of the story? Provide at least one evidence from the text to support your opinion. (QB)
Ans: attempt to learn his own language properly. The very fact the narrator is called Franz which means ‘from France’ re-emphasises the theme of pride in one’s heritage and
identity that one’s language imparts.

*My mother at sixty six.

Q2. Why are the young trees described as ‘sprinting’? (Delhi 2012,2010)
Ans. While driving to the airport, the poet looks at the young trees sprinting to distract herself from thoughts of her aging mother. The trees sprinting represents
the rapidly passing years of human life from childhood to old age. This image of activity and strength contrasts with that of her elderly and frail mother. In contrast
to her mother’s impending death, the ‘young’ trees represent life.

Q3. Why has the narrator brought in the image of the merry children ‘spilling out of their homes’?
Ans. The poet has depicted contrasting images of life and death in the poem. She has used the image of the happy children running out of their houses to play to represent life,
vigor, health, beauty, and happiness. This image contrasts sharply with that of her mother, who is nearing the end of her life and has become old, inactive, weak, and withered.
The poet has juxtaposed the two images to emphasize the differences between them. Childhood is the beginning of life, while old age is the end
Q4. Why has the mother been compared to ‘late winter’s moon’?
Ans. The poet’s mother’s vitality and radiance have begun to fade as she ages. The poet compares her mother to a “late winter’s moon” to indicate her impending death.
Winter, as the year’s final season, is associated with lifelessness and dormancy. A winter’s moon is also pale-white in color, resembling her mother, who, having lost all her
strength, appears ‘wan’ and ‘pale’ to the poet.

Q7. A smile does not always indicate happiness.’ Does My Mother at Sixty-Six reflect this statement? Justify your response with an example from the poem.(CBSE
Sample Paper 2022)
Ans. Throughout the stanza, ‘all I did was smile and smile and smile…’ the poet tries to conceal her concern about her mother’s failing health. The poet smiled and smiled,
hoping to reassure herself that she would be able to see her mother again.

Q8. What does the narrator’s mother look like? What kind of images has been used to signify her aging?
Ans. The narrator’s mother is sixty-six years old, looking as pale as a corpse. The image of death arises with this comparison. The color of her face is of ash which shows pale
and weak. She is like the late winter’s moon which lacks energy.

Q11.State the common issue faced by most of the aged in the current times, with reference to the poem My Mother at Sixty-six.(CBSE Sample Paper 2022)
Ans. The most common issue faced by most of the aged in the current times, with reference to the poem My Mother at Sixty-six is the absence of a supporting presence or
loneliness or they feel alone when children move away. This issue was faced by the aged mom of the poet as she lived away from her mother.

Q12. Kamala Das speaks of ‘an old familiar ache…’ What do you think is the reason for this feeling? (CBSE Sample Paper 2020)
Ans. Kamla Das’ mother is elderly and pale, and her health appears to be failing. As a result, the poet experiences a familiar pain, which is one of her constant fears of losing
her mother. She recollects her childhood fear of being separated from her mother.

*Tiger King:
Q1 What various titles were bestowed upon the Pratibandapuram King?
Ans The Pratibandapuram ruler was referred to by a variety of names. His Highness Jamedar-General, Khiledar-Major, Sata Vyaghra Samhari, and Maharajdhiraj Visva are
possible titles for him. Sir Jilani Jung Jung Bahadur, Bhuvana Samrat, M.A.D., A.C.T.C., or C.R.C.K.

Q3 The future of the Tiger King was foreseen when he was only 10 days old. What about it was ironic?
Ans Astrologers foretold that the Tiger King would have to die one day when he was a little child. They added that the death would be caused by the 100th tiger. The one
hundredth tiger did cause the death of the Tiger King. Ironically, however, the tiger wasn’t the real one. It was a wooden toy tiger.

Q4 The Maharaja’s choice to marry was motivated by what? (CBSE 2014)

Ans Throughout his realm, the Maharaja had exterminated every tigress. Yet, only 70 tigers were really slain. To fulfil his commitment, he still had thirty more tigers to kill. As a
result, he made the choice to wed a princess from a kingdom with a sizable tiger population.

Q5 When did the Tiger King stand in danger of losing his kingdom?
Ans In the realm of the Tiger King, a British officer desired to go tiger hunting. But the king forbade him from doing so. The officer just wanted to stand on the tiger’s carcass and
be photographed, the officer sent news that the king could kill the animal himself. But, the king even turned against doing it. The monarch was in risk of losing his throne as a
result.

Q8 What sort of hunt did the Maharaja offer to organise for the high-ranking British officer? What trait of the officer does it reveal? (CBSE 2014)
Ans The Maharaja offered to organise a boar hunt, a mouse hunt, even a mosquito hunt for him but not a tiger hunt. However, the officer sent word that he only wanted to stand
on the carcass of the tiger and be photographed. But the king even refused to do that. This shows the vanity and shallowness of the officer.

Q15 Do you think an author who includes several instances of satire in a story faces the risk of being too cynical? Explain. (CBSE QUESTION BANK)
Ans The plot is unmistakably a satire on the arrogance of individuals in positions of power. The king was regarded from the start as being incredibly pompous. At the age of ten
days, he spoke out of the blue, “Let the tiger beware,” challenging the astrologer’s forecast.

Q16 Comment on any one aspect of the writing style of the author, Kalki in The Tiger King. (CBSE SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 2022-23)
Ans In his story The Tiger King, Kalki employs a straightforward, conversational style of writing. It is written with a comic and satirical undertone as a satire on individuals in
positions of authority. He captures the irony of how society idolises those in positions of power and makes fun of it using hyperbole.
*The third level:

Q1 What did Charley find at the Grand Central Station?

Ans. At the third level, Charley saw the people wearing old-fashioned dress, an old locomotive, newspaper dated June 11, 1894, brass spittoons, flickering gas same lights and
many other things related to that era.

Q2 “I’ve taken the obvious step.” Explain.

Ans. Nobody believed in Charley’s statement about the existence of The Third Level. His wife was alarmed and brought him to the psychiatrist. Charley himself needed to meet
the psychiatrist. It was an ‘obvious step’.

Q3 What was Charley’s vision about Galesburg town? (CBSE 2013)

Ans. Charley thought that Galesburg was still a wonderful town. In that century in 1894, people used to sit in their lawns, having sufficient time to talk to each other, smoking
cigars and women waving palm leaf fans on very long summer evenings. Overall, it was a peaceful and friendly place.
Q5 When and how did Charley find the letter of Sam?
Ans. One night while fussing with his stamp collection, Charley found, among his oldest first-day covers, the letter of Sam with a six cent stamp mailed to his Granddad. It had
been in his collection.

Q6 What did the ticket clerk say to Charley? (CBSE 2010)

Ans. The ticket-clerk scolded Charley that that was not the real currency which he was having. Additionally, he warned Charley that if he was trying to skin him, he would not go
very far. He would be prisoned.

Q7 “But now we are both looking.” What does this refer to? Explain.
Ans. The above mentioned words were said by Charley as he and his wife Louisa, both every weekend started to search for the third level because they had the proof that
Charley’s friend Sam had disappeared. So, both Charley and Louisa were looking for the third level.

Q9 Would Charley ever go back to the ticket counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife?
Ans. No, Charley would never go back to the ticket-counter on the third level to buy tickets to Galesburg for himself and his wife because he would never find that third level
again possibly.

Q10 Do you think that the third level was a medium of escape for Charley? Why? (CBSE 2005, 2008)
Ans. Yes. The third level was a medium of escape for Charley because he might be unhappy and fearful from worldly worries. He explained that he meant the modern world is
full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and all the rest of it and he just wanted to escape from that. Perhaps Charley was not able to handle the stress.

Q11 What do you infer from Sam’s letter to Charley?

OR
In his letter to Charley, Sam writes, ‘…then I got to believing you were right.’ What could have made Sam begin to believe? (CBSE SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 2020-
21)
Ans. Sam’s letter to Charley proves that Sam had found and reached the third level. He had been staying there in Galesburg since the last two weeks watching various
activities and explaining to Charley. He invites both Charley and his wife Louisa and motivates them to continue their search for the third level. So, we can say that Sam was
also a victim of worldly worries and sought the escape, like Charley.

Q12 “The modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war, worry and stress. What are the ways in which we attempt to overcome them?
Ans. No doubt, the modern world is full of insecurity, fear, war worry and stress. To overcome them, people start to adopt their own ways. As some people start to imagine and
develop their own unreal world whereas some people start to use alcoholic products and destroy their lives. These all ways are just escapement and not the solution.

Q13 What would you describe as your “waking-dream wish fulfilment”? Explain. (CBSE QUESTION BANK)
Ans. Charley quoted this statement. A waking dream wish fulfilment is what we wish to happen or see. It’s not the reality. He told this to Sam, his psychiatrist. While talking
about the third level, Charley quoted this statement. He is an Escapist. He couldn’t bear all the tensions happening around him. He said this out of his imagination.

Q14 Why do you think Charley withdrew nearly all the money he had from the bank to buy old-style currency? (CBSE QUESTION BANK)
Ans. Charley had got his three hundred dollars out of the bank and got them changed into old-style currency so that he could go back to the third level and buy the tickets to
Galesburg.

Q16 ‘It’s easy to judge others and give advice, but much more difficult to apply it to ourselves.’ Elaborate with reference to the character of Sam in The Third Level.
(CBSE SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER 2022-23)
Ans. Sam was being judgmental when he told Charley that he was dissatisfied with life and was looking for an escape. The third level was just an imagination, so Charley
should accept reality and be satisfied with it. However, Sam himself wanted an escape from the stress filled modern life and went in search for the third level.
*Lost spring:

Q1. In what sense is garbage gold to the ragpickers?

Ans: For the ragpickers, garbage is equivalent to gold in that it provides them with a livelihood. Garbage provides them with their daily rations and a place to live.

Q2. What did garbage mean to the children of Seemapuri and to their parents?
Ans: The author claims that garbage is gold to ragpickers because, to children, trash is a source of amazement. They anticipate receiving some cash, jewels, or both in it. They
occasionally discover a rupee or even a ten-rupee note, if luck is on their side. Adults use garbage as a source of income.

Q3. Give a brief account of the life and activities of the people like Saheb-e-Alam settled in Seemapuri.
Ans: Anees Jung notes in “Lost Spring” that Saheb-e-Alam’s life and activities are entirely dependent on garbage. That is, in truth, garbage is their daily sustenance, and to
them it is no less than gold. The poor rag pickers are generally barefoot, which she says is “an excuse to justify a permanent state of poverty”. They currently reside in mud
structures with tin and tarpaulin roofs, without sewage, drainage, or running water. Whenever they can find food, they set up their tents. They have been residing in Seemapuri
for more than 30 years without an identity or permission. They do, however, carry ration cards which enable them to vote.

Q4. Garbage to them is gold. How do ragpickers of Seemapuri survive?

Ans: For the inhabitants of Seemapuri, nothing else matters except survival. They set up their tents wherever there is food. The people of Seemapuri rely on garbage collection
and ragpicking to provide for their daily needs and a roof over their heads. Finding money in the trash—whether it be one rupee or ten—can occasionally make someone’s day,
especially if they are a child. It gives them hope. Hence the writer’s statement that “garbage to them is gold” is true.

Q5. What does the writer mean when she says, ‘Saheb is no longer his own master’?
Ans: The author intended Saheb to be a carefree youngster who worked and still had time for himself when he was a ragpicker. Yet as soon as he began working at the tea
shop, he lost his freedom because he was forced to work for a master and obey his commands. He could no longer act however he pleased. As a result, he was no longer his
own master.

Q6. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall ? Explain.

Ans: Saheb was not happy working at the tea stall. There was fixed earning and food to suffice his hunger but he had lost his freedom. Earlier, working as a rag picker, his
earning was meagre, but he had enjoyed his work as he was not accountable to anyone. Thus he was no longer his own master.

Q7. What makes the city of Firozabad famous ?

Ans: The bangle manufacturing sector is well known in Firozabad. In Firozabad, bangle manufacturing is a way of life for every family. It is the hub of India’s glass blowing
industry, where families have spent years welding, producing glass, and creating bangles for ladies while surrounded by furnaces.

Q8. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps ? Where is he and where has he come from?
Ans: In pursuit of “gold,” Saheb rummaged through and explored the garbage heaps. He lived in a slum outside of Delhi called Seemapuri with thousands of other rag pickers.
He had left Bangladesh with his parents after numerous storms destroyed their home and farmland.

Q9. How was Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family ?
Ans: Mukesh was prepared to leave the family’s history and vicious cycle of glassmakers. He followed his tender heart’s desire to train as a mechanic. In order to obtain the
training and abilities he needed, he willingly undertook the burden of walking a significant distance to the garage. He therefore had the courage to pursue his dream.

Q10. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry ?

Ans: Workers in the glass bangle industry toiled their daylight hours working near hot furnaces in dingy cells having no proper lighting and inadequate ventilation. At times they
lose their eyesight because of the dust emitted while polishing glass bangles. In Firozabad, children also laboured in glass bangle industries where they fell prey to such
hazardous working atmosphere.

Q11. What trade does the family of Mukesh follow? Why does the writer feel that it’s difficult for Mukesh to break away from this tradition?
Ans: Engaged in bangle making for decades, it is difficult to break away from this trade. He belongs to the caste of bangle makers. His family is caught in the web of sahukars,
the middlemen, policemen, politicians and bureaucrats, from which there is no escape.

Q12. What does Saheb do for a living? Why?

Ans: Saheb is a rag picker. His family has left the life of poverty behind in Dhaka to pursue their dream of finding a better life. The children like him have no access to education
and are forced into rag picking.

Q13. Why did people migrate from the village in Dhaka to Delhi?
Ans: Their homes and farmland were destroyed by numerous storms. Political unrest at the period made life for these people very tough, and their fields eventually turned to
desert. They left their home in Dhaka and moved to Delhi in the hopes of finding better living, educational, and employment possibilities.

Q14. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear ?
Ans: The author had seen children walking barefoot, in cities as well as on village roads. It was customary for them to remain barefoot because they believed that their ragged
clothing and being barefoot emphasized their ongoing poverty and tracked an ancient tradition that had been retained by the suffering rag pickers.

Q15. What does garbage symbolise for adults and children?

Ans: Garbage has a different connotation for kids than it does for adults. When they discover a rupee or ten-rupee note inside, the children’s eyes light up with wonder. They
eagerly explore the trash in the hopes of discovering more. But so far, it is a means of survival for the elderly.

Q16. Why can’t the bangle makers of Firozabad organise themselves into a cooperative? (Comptt. Delhi 2013)
Ans: The makers of bangles are locked in a vicious cycle that starts with poverty, progresses through apathy, greed, and injustice, and ends with injustice. Their hopes and
goals are crushed by mindless labour. Because they were caught in a vicious loop of sahukars, intermediaries, police, bureaucrats, and politicians, the Ferozabad bangle
producers were unable to organise themselves into a cooperative. Collectively, priviledged people had imposed baggage on these individuals that they were unable to shed.
Q17. What is Mukesh’s dream? Do you think he will be able to fulfil his dream? Why? Why not? (Comptt. Delhi 2014)
Ans: Mukesh wants to become a mechanic and learn how to drive. He appears to be determined to see his dream realised, which increases the likelihood that it will come true.
Regardless of the distance between his house and the garage, he is prepared to walk there in order to learn despite all the odds against him.

Q18. Describe the irony in Saheb’s name. (Delhi 2016)

Ans: Saheb’s full name is Saheb-e-Alam which means ‘Lord of the Universe’. Saheb, though, is a destitute ragpicker who relies on garbage dumps to support himself. His
name offers a stark contrast to his sad situation.

Q19. How was Mukesh different from other bangle makers? (Comptt. Delhi 2016)
Ans: Mukesh was different from other bangle makers because he wanted to be his own master. When other bangle manufacturers did not even dare to dream and had
accepted their fate, Mukesh had an ambition of becoming a mechanic.

Q20. Which industry was a boon and also bane for the people of Firozabad? How? (Comptt. Delhi 2017)
Ans: The glass-bangles making industry was a boon and also bane for the people of Firozabad. Although the industry has provided them with a means of support, the
dangerous working conditions in the hot furnaces have a negative impact on their physical well-being.

Q21. The youngsters echo the lament of their elders who have been doing the mind-numbing toil of bangle-making since long. This is the reason that the writer
says that little has moved with time, it seems, in Firozabad. (SQP 2020-21)
Ans: The young people share the sorrow of their elders who have been engaged in the mind-numbing labour of producing bangles for a long time. Because of this, the author
claims that hardly much seems to have changed over time in Firozabad.

Q22. Why does Anees Jung say that the bangle makers are caught in a vicious web? (CBSE SQP 2019-20)
Ans: 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.

Q23. Why do you think Mukesh is content to dream of cars and doesn’t dream of flying a plane?
Ans: Mukesh was drawn towards being a motor mechanic and not a pilot because he had seen a lot of cars going around his place but had hardly seen any plane flying past
and hence, he made a more realistic or practical decision to be a mechanic instead of a pilot.

Q24. Do you believe that ‘God-given lineage can be broken’? Support your position with a rationale. (QB)
Ans: Yes, – God given lineage can be broken.Hardwork and determination always pays off and makes us reach our dreams or goals. Mukesh was a hard-working man. He
could achieve his dream of becoming a motor mechanic by constant hard work towards life and towards the dream.

Q25. How do you think the author’s life might have been impacted after her interactions with the children and their families mentioned in ‘Lost Spring’? (QB)
Ans: In the chapter ‘Lost Spring,’ the author ‘Anees Jung’ discusses the bleak world in which people in positions of power make promises but never try to keep them. We
learned from her interactions with Saheb and Mukesh that the author cares about the lower class and oppressed people. She believes that child labour should be prohibited in
our country so that children who want to study can do so.

Q26. What do we come to know about the author of Lost Spring, Anees Jung, through her interactions with Saheb and Mukesh? (SQP 2022-23)
Ans: In the chapter ‘Lost Spring,’ the author ‘Anees Jung’ discusses the bleak world in which people in positions of power make promises but never try to keep them. We
learned from her interactions with Saheb and Mukesh that the author cares about the lower class and oppressed people.

Q27. What does the description of Mukesh’s family in Lost Spring reveal about gender roles?(SQP 2022-23)
Ans: Mukesh’s family in Lost Spring reveals patriarchy and inequality in the treatment of men and women. Women in the Mukesh family are still assigned to stereotypical
gender roles, such as doing household chores and caregiving, whereas men are assigned to earning work.