An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Extract Based MCQ questions | Subjective | Objective| True / False  Class 12 Flamingo

This page offers Extract Based Questions  from the Poem An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum for Class 12 from the book Flamingo.  We’ve put together a bunch extracts which ask assumption based, creativity based and critical thinking-based questions. These types of questions are introduced after 2024 in CBSE Board. The types of questions are quick MCQs, true/false and Subjective questions. So, practice to understand An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Extracts to score great.

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Extract Based MCQ questions – 1

Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces
like rootless weeds, the hair was torn around their pallor:
The tall girl with her weighed-down head. The paper-
Seeming boy, with rat’s eyes.

1.Question: Why do you think the boy is described as having “rat’s eyes”? Answer in about 40 words.  

Answer: The boy is described as having “rat’s eyes” to highlight his alertness and fear, like a rat always searching for safety. It reflects his tough life, where survival is more important than innocence or childhood joy.

2. Question: State True or False.

None of the following terms can be applied to the statement- “The tall girl with her weighed-down head”:  

(a) A metaphor – comparing her looks to her sadness  
(b) A hyperbole – exaggerating her condition  
(c) An assumption – assuming she’s sad because of her posture  
(d) A simile – comparing her posture to something directly

Answer: (a) False

Reason: The “weighed-down head” symbolises the girl’s sadness and burden, showing her emotions through her posture without directly stating them.

3. Question: The comparison of the children’s faces to “rootless weeds” in An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum suggests they are _____.  

Answer: Helpless/Neglected/Disconnected/Vulnerable/Uncared or any other similar response

4.Question: What does the description of “hair torn around their pallor” imply?  

Answer: It implies neglect, poor health, and lack of proper care.

Also Read:

Extract from An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum- 2

The stunted, unlucky heir
of  twisted bones, reciting a father’s gnarled disease,
His lessons from his desk. At the back of the dim class
One unnoted, sweet and young. His eyes live in a dream,
Of Squirrel’s game, in the tree room, other than this

1.Question: Why do you think the boy at the back of the class dreams of a “squirrel’s game”? Answer in about 40 words.  

Answer: The boy dreams of a squirrel’s game to escape his harsh reality. It represents freedom and fun. This dream gives him a break from the boring and confining classroom. It helps him forget the struggles of his life for a while.

2. Question: State True or False

None of the following terms applies to the statement “His eyes live in a dream, of Squirrel’s game” 

(a) An escape – a mental escape from his current harsh reality  
(b) A metaphor – comparing his dreams to a squirrel’s game  
(c) A hyperbole –overstating the boy’s state of mind  
(d) A reflection – showing his inner thoughts and desires  

Answer: (a) False

Reason: The boy’s dream of a squirrel’s game symbolises his mental escape from the harsh reality of the classroom.

3.Question: The description of the boy as an “unlucky heir of twisted bones” could be a _____.  

Answer:Victim/Sufferer/Inherited/Fighter/Survivor/Burdened/Challenge or any other similar response. 

4.Question: What does the “father’s gnarled disease” suggest about the boy’s condition?  

Answer: It suggests the boy suffers from an inherited physical deformity.

Class 12 An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Extract Based Questions- 3

On sour cream walls, donations. Shakespeare’s head,
Cloudless at dawn, civilised dome riding all cities.
Belled, flowery, Tyrolese Valley. Open-handed map
Awarding the world its world.

1.Question: Why do you think the classroom walls have pictures of Shakespeare and world maps?In 40 words.  

Answer: The pictures symbolise knowledge, beauty, and opportunities that seem distant to the slum children. They represent a world the children cannot access, making the decorations feel out of place in their harsh reality.

2.Question: State True or False-

None of the following terms applies to the statement “Shakespeare’s head on sour cream walls”:  

(a) A symbol – showing unreachable knowledge for the slum children  
(b) A metaphor – comparing Shakespeare’s head to knowledge  
(c) A contrast – showing the gap between their world and literature  
(d) A hyperbole – overstating Shakespeare’s importance to the children  

Answer: (a) False

Reason: Shakespeare stands for knowledge and culture that the slum children cannot reach, making it a symbol of what they are missing.

3.Question: The picture of “Shakespeare’s head” suggests that it could be a symbol of _____.  

Answer: Hope/Learning/Knowledge/Power/Opportunity or any other similar response. 

4.Question: What does the “open-handed map” symbolise in the poem?  

Answer: It symbolises opportunities that are unreachable for the slum children.

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Extract Based MCQ Questions- 4

…And yet, for these
children, these windows, not this map, their world,
Where all their future’s painted with a fog,
A narrow street sealed in with a lead sky
Far far from rivers, capes, and stars of words.

1.Question: Why do you think the poet describes the children’s future as “painted with a fog” in An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum?  

Answer: The poet describes their future as “painted with a fog” to show that the children’s lives are uncertain and unclear. They cannot see or hope for a better future because their world is filled with poverty and limitations.

2.Question: State True or False-

None of the following terms applies to the statement “their future’s painted with a fog” in An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum represents:  

(a) A metaphor – describing their unclear and uncertain future 
(b) A hyperbole – overstating their lack of direction  
(c) A simile – directly comparing their future to a fog  
(d) A contrast – comparing their hopes to the reality they face  

Answer: (a) False 

Reason: The statement uses a metaphor to describe the children’s future as unclear and full of uncertainty, like a fog that makes it difficult to see ahead.

3.Question: The “narrow street sealed in with a lead sky” suggests the children’s lives are _____.  

Answer: Trapped/Confined/Limited/Closed/Doomed or any other similar response. 

4.Question: What does the “lead sky” symbolise in the children’s lives?  

Answer: It symbolises the heaviness and hopelessness in their daily struggles.

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Extract Based Questions MCQ with Answers- 5

Surely, Shakespeare is wicked, the map a bad example
with ships and sun and love tempting them to steal-
For lives that slyly turn in their cramped holes
From fog to endless night?

1.Question: Why does the poet describe Shakespeare as “wicked” in An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum?  

Answer: The poet calls Shakespeare “wicked” because his works symbolise a world of knowledge and beauty that the slum children can never access. It reminds them of their limitations, making those unreachable dreams seem cruel and unfair.

2.Question: State True or False.  

None of the following terms applies to the statement “with ships and sun and love tempting them to steal” suggests:  

(a) A metaphor – comparing desires to unreachable things  

(b) A hyperbole – exaggerating the dreams’ impact  

(c) An assumption – assuming images inspire theft  

(d) A contrast – showing the gap between dreams and reality

Answer: False

Reason: The poet assumes that seeing these images may lead the children to desire what they cannot have, possibly pushing them toward theft.

3.Question: The phrase “their future’s painted with a fog” suggests their future is _____.  

Answer: Unclear/Uncertain/Blurred/Hopeless/Limited 

4.Question: What does “a lead sky” symbolise in the children’s lives?  

Answer: It symbolises the heaviness, limitations, and hopelessness of their environment.

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Extracts- 6

Break O break open till they break the town
and show the children to green fields, and
Run azure on gold sands make their world
History theirs whose language is the sun.

1.Question: Why does the poet call for breaking open the town and showing the children green fields?  

Answer: The poet wants to break the barriers of poverty. He hopes the children will see a world beyond the slum. This would give them freedom and opportunities. It will help them grow and build a better future.

2.Question: State True or False.  

None of the following terms applies to the statement “Run azure on gold sands” in suggests:  

(a) A wish – hoping for freedom and joy for the children  
(b) A metaphor – comparing joy to running on golden sands  
(c) An assumption – assuming the children want to run free  
(d) A hyperbole – overstating the happiness of freedom  

Answer:  False

Reason: The phrase expresses the poet’s wish for the children to experience joy, freedom, and happiness beyond their current life of poverty.

3.Question: The phrase “History theirs whose language is the sun”suggests the children could be _____.  

Answer :Empowered/Free/Hopeful/Enlightened/Successful/Resilient or any other similar response.

4.Question: What does the phrase “break open the town” symbolise?  

Answer: It symbolises breaking free from poverty and societal limitations.

An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum Extract- 7

Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces,
Like rootless weeds, the hair was torn around their pallor;
The tall girl with her weighed-down head.

1.Question: Why do you think the girl’s head is described as “weighed-down”?  

Answer: The girl’s “weighed-down” head symbolises her sadness and burden. It reflects the emotional and physical weight of poverty and hardship that she carries, making her feel defeated and hopeless, much like the other slum children.

2.Question: State True or False.  

None of the following phrase “like rootless weeds” in *An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum* represents:  

(a) A simile – comparing the children to weeds without roots  
(b) A hyperbole – exaggerating the children’s condition  
(c) A metaphor – describing their lives without directly comparing  
(d) An assumption – assuming they have no support in life  

Answer: False 

Reason: The poet uses a simile to compare the children’s lives to “rootless weeds,” symbolising their lack of support and care in a harsh environment.

3.Question: The phrase “hair torn around their pallor” suggests the children’s appearance reflects _____.  

Answer: Neglect/Poverty/Hardship/Sickness/Exhaustion or any other similar response.

4.Question: What does “pallor” in the children’s faces indicate?  

Answer: It indicates their poor health, malnutrition, and lack of vitality.

Note- The following are old types of extract based questions and answers. These were asked till 2023. They focus more on memory rather than assumption and extrapolation. These are still useful. 

Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow: 

1. Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces
 like rootless weeds, the hair was torn around their pallor:
The tall girl with her weighed-down head. The paper-
Seeming boy, with rat’s eyes.

(a)Which children are referred to here?

Ans. The slum children who are sitting in an elementary school are referred to here.

 (b) Explain ‘like rootless weeds’. Identify the literary device.

Ans. Rootless weeds suggest growth devoid of any nurturing. The slum children’s scattered hair look like the haphazard growth of weeds. The literary device is a simile.

 (c) What is the comparison drawn with rat’s eyes?

 Ans. Rat’s eyes suggest eyes searching for food. The poet compares the boy’s eyes with that of a rat because the undernourished boy looks around as if searching for food, security or acceptance.

….. The stunted, unlucky heir
of  twisted bones, reciting a father’s gnarled disease,
 His lessons from his desk. At the back of the dim class
One unnoted, sweet and young. His eyes live in a dream,
Of Squirrel’s game, in the tree room, other than this.

(a)Who is the unlucky heir? Why is he called unluckily?

Ans. The thin slum boy is the unlucky heir. He is so called because he has inherited poverty, despair and disease from his parents.

 (b) Who sits back unnoted? Why?

Ans. A young boy sits at the back. He is different from the others. His eyes like the others in his class are not full of despair but are lost in a world of dreams.

(c) Pick two images each of despair and disease from these lines.

 Ans. The images of despair are, ‘unlucky heir’, ‘dim class’, and that of disease are, ‘twisted bones, gnarled disease’.

On sour cream walls, donations. Shakespeare’s head,
 Cloudless at dawn, civilized dome riding all cities.
 Belled, flowery, Tyrolese Valley. Open-handed map
 Awarding the world its world.

 (a) What is the colour of the walls? What is it symbolic of?

Ans. The colour of the walls is pale yellow or sour cream. Sour suggests a colour that is dull, decaying and depressing.

(b) Which two words does the poet hint at?

 Ans.The poet hints at two worlds. The world of poverty and disease contrasted with the progressive world represented in the pictures on the walls.

(c) What does ‘donations’, ‘Shakespeare’s head’ and ‘Tyrolese Valley’ suggest?

Ans. The pictures are all donations which represent a world that the slum children are deprived of. Shakespeare’s head or good literature may raise desire which can never be fulfilled. Tyrolese Valley suggests natural beauty which is out of reach of these children.

…And yet, for these
 children, these windows, not this map, their world,
Where all their future’s painted with a fog,
 A narrow street sealed in with a lead sky
Far far from rivers, capes, and stars of words.

(a)What is ‘their world’ for these children?

 Ans. Their world is the slums which are characterized by poverty and disease.

 (b) What future is in store for these children?

 Ans. The future for these children is uncertain, bleak and foggy.

 (c) What does ‘lead sky’ symbolize?

 Ans. Lead sky symbolizes pollution and the burden of the industrial world. It also represents a grey and dull existence which comprises the life of the slum children.

Surely, Shakespeare is wicked, the map a bad example
with ships and sun and love tempting them to steal-
For lives that slyly turn in their cramped holes
From fog to endless night?

 (a)Why is Shakespeare wicked?

 Ans. Shakespeare represents good literature which uplifts a person’s soul. According to the narrator, he is wicked because he describes a world of kings and noblemen which the children of the slums aspire for but can never reach.

(b) What tempts these children?

Ans. The beautiful world of kings, noblemen, ships, the sun and love tempts these children as they are deprived of these things.

(c) Explain ‘From fog to endless night’.

 Ans. The children in the slums struggle from morning to night merely to exist. It also means that they struggle from the beginning of their life to their death i.e. their life is one of endless struggle and darkness

Break O break open till they break the town
 and show the children to green fields, and
 Run azure on gold sands make their world
History theirs whose language is the sun.

(a) What should they break?

Ans. They should break all barriers and obstructions that hinder the school children’s growth.

(b) What kind of a world does the poet imagine for these children?

Ans. The poet imagines a world where these children run around in the fields on sea beaches in a carefree manner. They should also enjoy the freedom of knowledge and expression.

(c) What does the word ‘sun’ symbolize?

 Ans.’Sun’ symbolizes light and brightness which comes with education. Proper education alone can improve the lives of these slum children.

Far far from gusty waves these children’s faces, [Delhi 2017]
 Like rootless weeds, the hair was torn around their pallor;
The tall girl with her weighed-down head.

(a)Who are these children?

 Ans. These are the children studying in an elementary school classroom in a slum.

(b) Which figure of speech has been used in the first two lines?

Ans. The figure of speech is used in the phrase ‘Like rootless weeds’. It is a simile.

(c) Why is the tall girl’s head weighed down?

 Ans. The tall girl’s head is possibly weighed down by the burdens of her life which have robbed her of her confidence.

(d) What does the word ‘pallor’ mean?

Ans.`Pallor’ refers to the pale and sickly complexion of the children.

At the back of the dim class [All India 2017] 
One unnoted, sweet and young. His eyes live in a dream,
 Of squirrel’s game, in the tree room, other than this.

(a)Why is the class dim?

 Ans. The class lacks light and electricity. It is a symbol of dullness and the drudgery of the slum.

(b)How is the young child different from others?

Ans. The child is sweet and lost in his dreams. He has hope in his eyes of escaping from the grim reality of the slum. He is positive.

(c)What is he doing?

 Ans. He is dreaming of a beautiful world and the game of squirrels.

(d)What is a tree room?

 Ans. The tree room can be a squirrel hole or a dwelling place in a tree which excites his imagination.