Try each question on your own first. Use the Show Answer button only after you have selected your option, then read the explanation and revise the related concept from your chapter notes.
Explanation: 'Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood' is written by Anees Jung, based on her observations of children trapped in poverty and exploitative labour.
2. The chapter 'Lost Spring' is divided into two parts. What is the first part titled?
A. The Shoes
B. Sometimes I Find a Rupee in the Garbage
C. Bangles for the Bride
D. Broken Promises
Answer: B. Sometimes I Find a Rupee in the Garbage
Explanation: The first part of 'Lost Spring', titled 'Sometimes I Find a Rupee in the Garbage', narrates the story of Saheb, a young ragpicker.
3. What is ironic about Saheb-e-Alam's name?
A. It means 'lord of the universe', yet he lives as a poor, barefoot ragpicker
B. It means 'poor boy', which matches his life
C. It has no particular meaning
D. It is a name given to him by his school
Answer: A. It means 'lord of the universe', yet he lives as a poor, barefoot ragpicker
Explanation: Saheb's full name, Saheb-e-Alam, literally means 'lord of the universe', creating a bitter irony given his impoverished existence as a ragpicker with no real ownership of anything.
4. What change occurs in Saheb's life when he starts working at a tea stall?
A. He becomes his own master and earns more freedom
B. He earns a fixed monthly wage but loses the carefree freedom he had as a ragpicker
C. He stops working altogether
D. He goes back to school
Answer: B. He earns a fixed monthly wage but loses the carefree freedom he had as a ragpicker
Explanation: Working at the tea stall gives Saheb a steady footing, but he is no longer his own master, having exchanged the informal freedom of ragpicking for a bound, structured job.
5. In the second part, 'The Shoes', where is Mukesh from?
A. Firozabad, known for its bangle-making industry
B. Seemapuri, known for ragpicking
C. Kanpur, known for leather
D. Agra, known for the Taj Mahal
Answer: A. Firozabad, known for its bangle-making industry
Explanation: Mukesh belongs to a family of bangle-makers in Firozabad, a town famous for its glass-blowing and bangle industry, though the work carries serious health hazards.
6. What does Mukesh dream of becoming, defying his family's traditional occupation?
A. A doctor
B. A motor mechanic
C. A teacher
D. A politician
Answer: B. A motor mechanic
Explanation: Unlike his family who have made bangles for generations, Mukesh dreams of breaking away from the family trade and becoming a motor mechanic, even though the garage is far from his home.
7. What hazardous conditions do bangle-makers of Firozabad typically work under?
A. Comfortable, well-lit modern factories
B. Poorly lit spaces with high furnace heat, leading to eye damage and other ailments
C. Fully automated machinery with no manual work
D. Air-conditioned workshops
Answer: B. Poorly lit spaces with high furnace heat, leading to eye damage and other ailments
Explanation: Bangle makers work in cramped, dingy spaces without proper ventilation or light, sitting close to hot furnaces, which often leads to loss of eyesight and other health problems.
8. According to the author, why do generations of bangle makers in Firozabad remain trapped in poverty?
A. They lack the desire to change their occupation
B. A vicious cycle involving apathetic sahukars, middlemen, the police, and government apathy keeps them bonded to the trade
C. They earn very high wages already
D. They prefer bangle-making over all other jobs
Answer: B. A vicious cycle involving apathetic sahukars, middlemen, the police, and government apathy keeps them bonded to the trade
Explanation: The author identifies a nexus of moneylenders (sahukars), middlemen, the law, and government apathy that traps generations of families in this hazardous, underpaid trade with little hope of escape.
9. What does the phrase 'Sometimes I find a rupee in the garbage' signify about the ragpickers' perspective on garbage?
A. Garbage is worthless to them
B. For the poor, garbage can represent a means of survival and even hope of unexpected fortune
C. It refers to actual government subsidy
D. It is a proverb about laziness
Answer: B. For the poor, garbage can represent a means of survival and even hope of unexpected fortune
Explanation: For Saheb and other ragpickers, garbage is not merely waste but a means of livelihood, and finding something valuable like a coin in it represents a small stroke of unexpected fortune amid their poverty.
10. What overarching theme connects both parts of 'Lost Spring'?
A. The joys of childhood in India
B. The loss of childhood among the poor due to poverty, social apathy, and exploitative traditions
C. The success of child labour laws in India
D. The migration of birds
Answer: B. The loss of childhood among the poor due to poverty, social apathy, and exploitative traditions
Explanation: Both parts of the chapter, through Saheb and Mukesh, highlight how poverty, broken promises, and societal indifference rob poor children of their rightful childhood and opportunities.
This page contains a chapter-wise objective practice set. Try the questions without checking the answer first, then use the explanation to understand the point you missed. The current page contains 10 questions, so you can practise in smaller sets when you are revising.
Quick revision tip
After the practice set, write down the question numbers you missed and revise only those concepts once more. This makes MCQ practice more useful than repeatedly attempting the same questions without reviewing mistakes.
