Question 4 - Chapter 2 - Lost Spring - Flamingo - Chapters (Literature) - English Class 12

Read the extract and answer the following questions.

Extract:

Saheb too is wearing tennis shoes that look strange over his discoloured shirt and shorts. “Someone gave them to me,” he says in the manner of an explanation. The fact that they are discarded shoes of some rich boy, who perhaps refused to wear them because of a hole in one of them, does not bother him. For one who has walked barefoot, even shoes with a hole is a dream come true.

(Lost Spring)

Question (i)

List any two sensory details present in this extract.

Sensory details are words or phrases that appeal to the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. They help the reader to imagine and experience the scene that the writer describes. Some examples of sensory details present in this extract are:

• Tennis shoes that look strange over his discoloured shirt and shorts
• A hole in one of the shoes

Step-by-step explanation:

• To list any two sensory details present in this extract, we need to identify the words or phrases that appeal to the five senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
• Sensory details help the reader to imagine and experience the scene that the writer describes, by creating vivid images and impressions in their mind.
• Some examples of sensory details present in this extract are:
•    Tennis shoes that look strange over his discoloured shirt and shorts: This appeals to the sense of sight, as it shows how Saheb's shoes do not match his shirt and shorts, both in terms of their appearance and their quality. It also shows the contrast and the disparity of his situation.
•    A hole in one of the shoes: T his also appeals to the sense of sight, as it shows how one of Saheb's shoes is damaged and defective. It also shows the irony and the contradiction of his situation.
• These are two sensory details present in this extract that help us to understand Saheb's feelings and situation better.😊

Question (ii)

Complete the sentence appropriately.

The phrase "in the manner of an explanation" suggests that ____________.

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    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

Saheb feels the need to justify his appearance or possession.

Step-by-step explanation:

• The writer says that Saheb is wearing tennis shoes that look strange over his discoloured shirt and shorts, which shows how he is dressed in a mismatched and incongruous way.
• The writer also says that he says "someone gave them to me" in the manner of an explanation, which means that he says it as if he is trying to explain or clarify something.
• This suggests that Saheb feels the need to justify his appearance or possession, as if he is aware or conscious of how he looks or what he has.
• This shows the writer's insight and empathy for Saheb's situation and feelings.

Question (iii)

Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line "But the game he is watching so intently is out of his reach".

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

 One possible inference that can be drawn from this line is that Saheb desires to play the game but cannot afford to join or participate in it.

Step-by-step explanation:

• An inference is a logical conclusion or deduction based on evidence or clues from the text.
• The writer says that Saheb is watching a game so intently, which means that he is paying close and keen attention to it, as if he is very interested or curious about it.
• The writer also says that the game is out of his reach, which means that it is beyond his ability or possibility to access or attain it, as if it is too far or too high for him.
• This shows that Saheb desires to play the game but cannot afford to join or participate in it, as he is limited by his poverty or his circumstances.

Question (iv)

 Identify the word from the extract that means the opposite of "new".

1. Strange
2. Discoloured
3. Discarded
4. Dream

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

(c) Discarded.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To be new means to be not old or used, or to be recently made or acquired.
• To be discarded means to be thrown away or rejected, or to be no longer wanted or needed.
• Both words have opposite meanings, as one implies freshness and value, and the other implies wastefulness and worthlessness.
• The writer uses the word discarded to describe the shoes that Saheb is wearing, which are the shoes of some rich boy who refused to wear them because of a hole in one of them.

Question (v)

What is the writer's purpose in contrasting Saheb's shoes with his shirt and shorts?

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

The writer's purpose in contrasting Saheb's shoes with his shirt and shorts is to show the irony and the disparity of his situation.

Step-by-step explanation:

• The writer's purpose is the reason or the goal that the writer has for writing something.
• The writer contrasts Saheb's shoes with his shirt and shorts by using words and phrases such as strange, discoloured, discarded, hole, etc.
• The writer uses this contrast to show how Saheb's shoes do not match his shirt and shorts, both in terms of their appearance and their quality.
• The writer also shows how Saheb's shoes are a symbol of his aspiration and his dream, while his shirt and shorts are a symbol of his reality and his poverty.

Question (vi)

Which of the following headlines best summarizes the main idea of the extract?

1. The Joy of Wearing Shoes
2. The Contrast of Saheb's Clothes
3. The Dream of Playing a Game
4. The Irony of Saheb's Situation

    Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

(d) The Irony of Saheb's Situation.

Step-by-step explanation:

• The main idea of the extract is the central message or theme that the writer wants to convey to the reader.
• The main idea of this extract is the irony or the contradiction of Saheb's situation, who wears shoes that do not belong to him or suit him, and who watches a game that he cannot play or enjoy.
• The headline that best summarizes this main idea is "The Irony of Saheb's Situation", which captures the essence of the extract in a concise and catchy way.
• The other headlines do not summarize the main idea as well, as they focus on only one aspect of the extract, such as the joy, the contrast, or the dream of Saheb.

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