Important Long Answer (prose) class 12
The Last Lesson
Ans: The story “The Last Lesson” by Alphonse Daudet highlights the importance of mother tongue and national identity. When the German government bans the French language in schools, people realize the true value of their language. Franz feels sorry for not studying sincerely, and the villagers regret ignoring education. Through the character of M. Hamel, the writer shows deep love for French language and culture. The story conveys a strong message of patriotism, realization, and respect for education.
Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood
Q.1. Describe the plight of ragpickers as depicted in the lesson 'Lost Spring'?
Or
Write an account of Bangladeshi squatters in Seemapuri as described by the author of 'Lost Spring'.
Ans: In “Lost Spring” by Anees Jung, ragpickers live a life of poverty and hardship. Children like Saheb collect rags from garbage to support their families. They live in dirty slums without proper food, education, or basic facilities. Poverty forces them into child labour, and their dreams of a better future remain unfulfilled. The lesson shows how their childhood is lost due to poverty and neglect.
Q.2. Describe the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Ans: Working in the glass bangles industry is extremely hazardous. Workers, including children, work in dark and poorly ventilated rooms near hot furnaces. Continuous exposure to heat and glass dust damages their eyesight and health. They also suffer from burns, cuts, and breathing problems due to long hours and lack of safety measures.
Deep Water
Q.1. Describe the YMCA pool on the basis of the lesson 'Deep Water'?
Ans: The YMCA pool was a big indoor swimming pool with a shallow end and a deep end. The shallow end was about two to three feet deep, while the deep end was about nine feet deep. Many boys swam there confidently. The deep end of the pool became a place of fear for the author after he was thrown into it and nearly drowned.
Q.2. What did Douglas decide to overcome his fear of water?
Ans: Douglas decided to overcome his fear of water by learning swimming properly. He made up his mind to face his fear and not let it control him. He hired an experienced swimming instructor who trained him step by step. With regular practice, courage, and determination, Douglas finally succeeded in overcoming his fear of water.
The Rattrap
Q.1. Give a character sketch of the peddler in the story 'The Rattrap'.
Ans: The peddler was a poor and lonely rattrap seller who lived a miserable life. He believed that the world was a rattrap which trapped people through money and comfort. Due to poverty, he stole the crofter’s money. Edla Willmansson’s kindness and sympathy changed his heart, and he returned the money and became an honest man.
Q.2. In what way does the character of the ironmaster differ from that of his daughter in The Rattrap?
Ans: In The Rattrap, the ironmaster is practical, proud, and status-conscious. He invites the peddler home only because he mistakes him for his old regimental friend and later wants to hand him over to the police. In contrast, his daughter Edla is kind, understanding, and compassionate. She treats the peddler with respect and sympathy, which finally brings a change in him.
Indigo
Q.1. How can you say that ordinary people also contributed to the freedom movement?
Ans: Ordinary people played an important role in the freedom movement by actively participating in protests, strikes, and movements like Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience. Farmers, workers, students, and women joined rallies, boycotted foreign goods, and supported leaders like Gandhi. Their unity, sacrifices, and courage strengthened the movement and helped India achieve independence.
Q.2. Why did Rajkumar Shukla invite Gandhiji to Champaran? How did Gandhiji solve the problems of farmers?
Or
What did Gandhiji do to change the plight of the pleasants of Champaran?
Ans: Rajkumar Shukla was a poor sharecropper from Champaran. He invited Gandhiji to Champaran to show him the miserable condition of indigo farmers who were forced by British planters to grow indigo under the tinkathia system. The farmers were exploited and paid very little for their crops.
Gandhiji visited Champaran, met the farmers, and studied their problems closely. He organized an inquiry committee and gathered evidence against the planters. Due to his efforts, the British government abolished the tinkathia system and refunded part of the money taken from farmers. Gandhiji also worked for social reforms like education, cleanliness, and self-reliance, thus improving the lives of the farmers.
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