Question

I have nothing else to do, he mutters, looking away. "Go to school," I say glibly, realising immediately how hollow the advice must sound.
i. Who does ‘I’ in the first line refer to?
a. Saheb b. Mukesh
c. Savita d. Saheb’s father
ii. What did Saheb do to earn a living?
a. Stealing b. Washing clothes
c. Working as a domestic help d. Rag picking
iii. Why does the second speaker think his advice sounded hollow?
a. For it would never be accomplished b. For it was senseless
c. For it was not trustworthy d. For it was purposeless
iv. Which word in the extract means 'insincere or superficial'?
a. Mutter b. Advice
c. Glibly d. Hollow​

Answer 1

Answer:

(i) a

(ii) d

(iii)

(iv) c

Explanation:

Answer 2

Answer

i. Who does ‘I’ in the first line refer to?

Ans: a. Saheb

ii. What did Saheb do to earn a living?

Ans: d. Rag picking

iii. Why does the second speaker think his advice sounded hollow?

Ans: a. For it would never be accomplished

iv. Which word in the extract means 'insincere or superficial'?

Ans: c. Glibly

Explanation

The author, Anees Jung's aim is to bring to light the grinding poverty and traditions through the chapter, Lost Spring. The story has two sections. First section highlights the problem of rag pickers of Seemapuri situated at the outskirts of Delhi. The children of rag pickers are suffering from direst of poverties and are forced to resort to ragpicking. She interacts with a rag picker boy named Saheb-E-Alam, who wishes to go to school but cannot.

The second section brings to the readers' focus the impoverished life conditions of bangle-makers of Firozabad. She interacts with a boy named Mukesh who works as a worker in glass blowing unit in unhygienic conditions. She takes the readers to Mukesh’s home where they see the abject poverty of these people.

She does not hesitate to mention the corruption present in Government, courts, and police departments due to which these poor people are trapped in a web of poverty. The corrupt officers and officials are in league with the rich middlemen who force them to live children like Saheb-e-Alam and Mukesh in perpetual poverty.    

In conclusion it can be said that the chapter beautifully achieves its purpose to make people aware and think about the social issues of poverty, exploitation, and child-labor in our country.